《Classmancers - A MOBA Esport Story》 Vol.1 Ch.1: Searching for a Team Sport Hey, Yuel called out. Could you move to the center? Huh? John cocked his head. Ill pass you the ball, Yuel explained. Then, you pass it to Robert. Wut? John raised an eyebrow. The heck was Yuel talking about? He didnt even have the ball right now. On the other side of the court, far away from both of them, Alex was in the middle of dribbling through the enemy defenders. Thatll likely turn into a goal, and neither John nor Yuel will play any role in it. Itll work. Yuel insisted, sticking to his alien reasoning. The kid was a weirdo alright. Well, okay. John shrugged. Its not like he had anything better to do anyway, so he might as well head toward the center. Alex gonna score soon anyway... or not? The enemy defenders surrounded Alex on all sides. Breaking through with a dribble was no longer an option, even with his skill. The only option was to pass the ball to somebody else, but even that was difficult. The enemy defenders were prepared to intercept any pass. Over here. Yuel raised his hand. He was in an unguarded area, which was perfect for receiving a safe pass from Alex. With enemies about to steal the ball, Alex had no choice but to pass to Yuel. Perfect. Yuel got the ball and passed it toward the center, toward John. At least, that was the intention... Huh, the balls really here. John nodded to himself. Did Yuel predict this? Nah, probably just a lucky guess. Either way, according to the plan, Yuel was going to pass the ball to John next. Wait, what!? John exclaimed. The ball did sorta roll in his general direction. As in, a VERY GENERAL direction. It actually rolled way past the center, toward the enemy side of the court! Move to the center he said, Ill pass you the ball he said. John cursed internally as he chased the ball. Huh. Yuel knotted his brows as the ball roll in an awkward direction, missing its target. Well, to deceive the enemy, you first have to deceive your allies, right? So, its all part of the plan! Yeah... Thankfully, John reached the ball before it was snatched by the enemy. Phew, that was close. The whole plan nearly went down the toilet. Okay, whats next? John looked around after securing the ball. Yuel said something about passing the ball after getting it. Pass it to who, again? Oh, right. To Robert. For some reason, Robert was completely unmarked, even though he stood so close the enemy goal. Well, John didnt complain. It was an easy and safe pass, so he kicked the ball toward Robert. The ball effortlessly cut through the enemy defenses and reached Robert. A moment later, it was inside the enemy goal. They scored! Yes! Yuel pumped a fist. He barely touched the ball in this whole play and he wasnt even the one who passed to the kicker. Nevertheless, it felt amazing. The plan he weaved was executed to perfection, minus his lousy pass. Back then, when all enemy defenders were leaving their posts to surround Alex, Yuel spotted the fatal opening in the enemys formation. He deduced that, once all defenders gather around Alex, theyll leave the other side of the court completely open. Thatd leave Robert unmarked and in great position to score. So, if Yuel could quickly get the ball to Robert, it was assured to be an easy goal. For that, he found a safe position for receiving a pass from Alex. In addition, he arranged a middleman in the center for passing the ball Robert. With that, the chess pieces were set in place. Before the enemy defenders even got to surround Alex, Yuel already visualied this sequence of plays in his head. He perfectly calculated that goal. Great pass! Robert grinned and raised his hand for a high five. But, it wasnt meant for Yuel. No problem. John high-fived Robert and returned a smile. Man, that was close, Alex shook his head as he approached Yuel. You almost lost that ball. Whats with that shitty pass? Ah, thats- Hey, guys! Alex grabbed everybodys attention. Yuel cant handle the ball for shit, so dont pass to him unless youre in deep shit. And even then, I rather not pass to him, haha! W-Wait, I- Yuels words drowned in the wave of replies. Yeah, Yuel sucks. I think hes playing for the other team, haha. Yuel clenched his fists, but didnt utter a word. He wanted to tell them about the amazing plan he crafted, about how he found a weaknesses in the enemys formation and exploited it to let Robert score an easy goal. But, nobody was going to listen. Its nothing new. They were all kids, it was just grade school soccer. Theres nobody here to appreciate Yuels sophisticated tactics. The other kids simply couldnt comprehend the finer strategies of soccer. They only saw how well somebody sprinted, dribbled, passed or kicked. Alex was considered the ace, because he penetrated through enemy defenses with his masterful dribbling and fired blazing shots. He was on a junior soccer team, so he stomped everybody at school through sheer strength. All the boys looked up to him. As for Yuel? He had the fitness of a slug, dribbled like a three-legged frog, passed like a drunk and his shots were as strong as a todders. Indeed, he was a kid of many talents. Because of that, his achievements in sports always went unnoticed, overshadowed by his poor performance on court. He understood soccer strategies better than anybody, but it meant nothing to the other kids. He was just dead weight, a weak player. Whenever the kids decided on teams for a match, Yuel was always picked last. Nobody really wanted him on their team. At first, he had the freedom to play anywhere on the field. However, over time, everybody learned how bad he was and demoted him to play as a defender or a goalkeeper. For them, soccer was about chasing the ball and scoring goals, so the passive backline positions were boring. Nobody openly stated so, but these positions were effectively reserved for the useless players. Yuel didnt share the same view, because calculated defense created chances for counters and those led to goals. But, thats only in coordinated teams, way above the level kids played at grade school. Nobody bothered cooperating with Yuel in the backline, so he was completely useless most of the time. And, even when he achieved something, the credit usually went to somebody else anyway. The same thing repeated in every other team sport he tried. In basketball, he was too weak to stop aggressive players, his throws barely reached the basket and a single sprint exhausted him to death. In volleyball, his arms were nearly torn apart whenever he did a receive and his knees constantly threatened to buckle over after a jump. No matter what team sport he tried, he was always a weak player. A useless player. Dead weight. Still, Yuel wanted to put his skills to practice, to compete against others and win. Since none of the sport clubs worked, he turned to chess. There, his talent was quickly recognized. Chess had no execution bar, so any idea he came up with could be immediately executed. Theres no need to sprint, dribble or kick in order to move a chess piece on the board. Also, chess was a 1v1 game, so anything Yuel achieved was directly associated with him. There was nobody in the middle to take credit for the tactics he devised. Wow, did you see that move? Man, Yuel is legit genius. Praise like that became commonplace. Yuel deconstructed his opponents strategies, predicted their moves and struck at their weakest spots. With enough experience, he learned how to stomp most opponents his age. He even won the regionals once, topping every other kid from the region. He couldnt quite win the national championship, but he finished as a runner-up. Dominating in chess felt empowering and fulfilling, but only at first. Classmates called him genius, which was a welcome change from being called useless all the time. However, eventually, he soon grew desensitized to such praise With that sense of fulfilment gone, Yuel started questioning why he even played chess so much. Everybody considered chess a game for intellectuals, contrary to soccer which was a game for hyperactive brats. But, Yuel disagreed. Chess was indeed a deep and complex game, allowing for countless possible developments and interesting situations to analyze. It required reading the opponents plans, predicting their future moves and finding the optimal moves in every situation. There was a lot of fun to be had with it, for sure. But ultimately, it was a 1v1 game. It had many pieces on the board, but they were all controlled by a single strategist. In other words, Yuel had only one enemy to analyze during a match. Either Yuel was stronger, or his opponent was stronger. Thats what most matches boiled down to at his level.. Compared to that, strategy in soccer was much more dynamic. Each individual player had his own strengths, weaknesses, quirks and thoughts. Predicting the movements of so many different players was way more interested than deconstructing a single opponent. Therefore, despite his success in chess, Yuel felt unsatisfied. In team sports he was a useless player, whereas in chess he didn''t get to deconstruct an entire team of players. Wasnt there anything else? Wasnt there any team sport which was both challenging and accessible for somebody like him? During his last year of elementary school, an unexpected possibility presented itself. Special lessons were scheduled for his class, teaching about a new sport which had been on the rise: Classmancers. It was a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) video game, which had been turning into an official team sport in many countries recently. Unlike other MOBA games out there, The teacher explained. Classmancers is recognized as a sport even in schools. No matter which middle school youre going to attend next year, itll surely have a dedicated Classmancers team which represents it in tournaments. A video game as a sport? Really? Yuel had his doubts, but it piqued his interest. The popular video games among his classmates were mostly braindead as far as he was concerned, so he didnt hold video games in high regard. But, the idea of a video game team sport was a spark of hope. Even though action video games required a certain degree of mechanical skill, they werent nearly as physically demanding as real sports. A team sport without a fitness barrier was exactly what Yuel yearned for! Before a match begins, each player selects which class they want to play as, The teacher explained. There are classes like Warrior, Archer and Wizard. Those of you who like role-playing games will feel right at home. Its very important to pick the right combination of classes to form a strong team, but well cover that topic later. For today, pick any of recommended beginner classes Following the teachers instructions, the students split into trios. Yuel formed a team with John and Jim. He wasnt particularly close to either of them, but John was a pretty reasonable fellow and Jim... well, he was Johns friend. For their first taste of the game, each team was told to play against computer-controlled enemies on the lowest difficulty. Yuel wanted to play against others right away, but he understood the importance of mastering the basics. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Do we really need to start from Easy, though? Yuel made a face. To his knowledge, the Easy difficulty in video games was usually meant for incompetent players. Its like an insult. His team could surely do better than that, right? Yuel glanced at his teammates and the teacher. Nobody was paying attention to his monitor. He was in charge of configuring the game room, so he sneakily dialed up the difficulty to Intermediate. He considered going even higher, but decided thatd probably be too obvious. Besides, with all things considered, it was still his first time playing this game, and MOBA in general. After logging into the game room, the Class Selection screen appeared. Each teammate had to pick the class theyll play during the match. Duplicates werent allowed among teammates and its impossible to change ones class after the match begins. John picked Archer and Jim went for Warrior, both were labeled as Easy classes. The teacher recommend these beginner-friendly classes, since they were easy to pick up and learn. Of course, Yuel also followed that advice... NOT! Lets see what Intermediate has to offer. Yuel messed around with filter. When he pressed Intermediate, the list of generic RPG classes was replaced by a much more interesting roster. It featured more complex-sounding classes like Pyromancer, Cryomancer and Aeromancer. Seriously, the game had mancers for days. Based on class tags, Jims Warrior was a physical bruiser and Johns Archer was a physical damage dealer. So, their team lacked in the magical department. Yuel applied another filter to show only mage classes and started reading each classs description. You done yet? Cmon! Everybody is already playing! Just a moment... Yuel sighed. He wanted to read some more, but he realized everybody else already started their games. So, he went with Pyromancer, the first mage on the list. Before locking-in, Yuel disregarded the teachers advice once more by unchecking Auto-Buy. The teacher warned there were many items to buy in Classmancers and that a new player would be confused by the variety But, Yuel didnt fancy leaving such important decisions to an automatic system. Besides, he had a little experience with RPGs and strategy games, so how hard could it be to buy items by himself? Finally, the match began. He and his teammates spawned inside blue teams base, behind a giant Colossus. Likewise, the enemy bots (AI-controlled players) started off in the red base, located on the other end of the map. At least, thats how it worked according to the teachers explanation. The mini-map was shrouded in a fog of war, so they couldnt see what was happening in areas without allied forces. The goal in Classmancers, and MOBAs in general, was to invade the enemy base and destroy the main objective. In Classmancers, said objective was the Colossus inside the enemy base. The spawning point inside the base doubled as an item shop for players. John and Jim kept Auto-Buy on, so they dashed out of the base without even checking what was sold there. On the other hand, Yuel had to manually spend the 1,000 gold he started with. Thankfully, theres a 40 seconds countdown until the action begins. He had enough time to check out the shop and figure out- W-Whats all this stuff? Yuel flinched. There were items, consumables, items, utility skills, items, items and even more items! The variety was staggering! A-Alright then. No problem. Easiest purchase of my life. Yuel gulped. 40 seconds? Hed need at least two hours to figure all this out! It was nuts! Demonic Arm, Necronomicon, Staff of Ages, attack speed, cooldown reduction, magic penetration... So many names. So many stats. So many effects. By the time he figured out one item, he nearly forgot everything about the previous one. Yo, Yuel! Jim called out. The games starting! Get over here! Coming... Yuel sighed. He barely went through four items and didnt even understand how to compare them. Did he need more magic power or more cooldown reduction early on? How was he supposed to know!? Ugh... In the end, he found the option to filter items by recommended and picked the first item on that list: Demonic Arm. It provided 20 magical power and 10% attack speed. Was that good? Heck if he knew! He had 200 gold left after buying Demonic Arm, but there was no time to find anything else spend them on. The countdown hit zero and a message appeared at the top of the screen: Minions have spawned! A gate opened in front of the base and soldiers charged out of it. The teacher called them minions or creeps. They were weak AI-controlled allies who fought for his team. The way Yuel understood it, they were the disposable pawns of this game. Their whole purpose in life was to push toward the enemy base until they die. It sounded like a suicidal game plan, but its not a big deal because new waves of minions will keep periodically spawning throughout the whole game. No matter how many of them die, there will never be a shortage. If only chess pawns worked that way. As soon as the minions came out of the gate, they charged straight ahead along the paved road. Their destination was the center of the map, where theyll collide with enemy minions. Yuel hurried after them and effortlessly outran them. Look how athletic I am now! Yuel chuckled. Its a childish reaction, but for him this meant a lot. After being constantly held back by his poor athleticism, moving freely like this in a team-sport was huge. Finally, a game where he started on equal footing with everybody else. Before long, Yuel approached the center of the map. It didnt take long, since the map was small and straightforward. It had only one main road, stretching all the way from the blue base to the red base. The teacher referred to this road as a lane. In order to reach the enemy base, Yuels team had to push their minions forward along the lane. In addition, there were two curved paths stretching on the sides of the lane. Based on the mini-map, these routes had various obstacles and narrow passages. Theyre probably difficult to maneuver in and their curved shape made them less efficient for traveling. The teacher only briefly mentioned these side paths were called jungle and advised to stay away for now. Yuel was still recovering from the traumatic shopping experience, so he decided to heed the teachers advice this once. He ignored the jungle and ran along the lane like a good boy. Before long, he arrived at the center of the map. John and Jim, the Archer and Warrior, were already waiting there. The enemy team also gathered near the center. Their group consisted of three characters: Warrior, Archer and Wizard. In a normal match, the enemies would also be player-controlled characters. However, in this practice match, they were mere bots. Hopefully, theyd pose at least a little challenge on intermediate difficulty. Yo! Lets hit these guys! Jim grinned and charged straight at the enemy team. Wait, John objected. Teach said its best to wait for the minions before attacking. I agree, Yuel nodded. Lets play it safe for the first minion wave and get used to our classes. Boo. Jim made a face as he retreated. The same way allied minions spawned from the blue base, enemy minions spawned from the red base. The two minion waves were identical to each other in every way, except allied minions wore blue uniforms and enemy minions wore red. Its like the two sides were fighting over their fashion statements. After crossing half the lane, the two minion waves collided into each other in the center. Each side consisted of three swordsmen and three bowmen. The swordsmen took the front line, whereas the bowmen stayed behind and fired arrows from a distance. Both minions waves used the exact same battle formation and its impossible to manually order them around. Therefore, if left to their own devices, the two sides will wipe each other out and no minions will remain on the lane. In other words, neither blue team nor red team would gain any advantage. The same would repeat for any subsequent waves, maintaining a status quo. Players had to actively interfere with these fights to break the deadlock. As soon as the minions clashed, the enemy team advanced forward and attacked the blue minions. Likewise, Yuels team attacked the red minions. Yuel slightly advanced his Pyromancer to get the enemy swordsmen within attack range. The Pyromancers basic attack fired a small fireball, its long-range allowed Yuel to stay in the backline while shooting. Johns Archer had the same advantage. Only Jims Warrior had to move to the frontline to hit enemies with his sword. Each class in Classmancers had one passive ability, unlocked from the beginning of the match. For Pyromancer, it was the Warmup ability. On top of the standard health and mana gauges, it gave Pyromancer the heat gauge. Heat was filled up by hitting enemies with basic attacks and gradually decreased over time. The more heat the Pyromancer had, the more damage his spells dealt. Its weird to build attack speed on a mage, but it works well with this passive. Thanks to the recommended Demonic Arm he purchased, the Pyromancers basic attacks were 10% faster. This allowed to charge heat faster. In RPGs, and apparently in MOBAs too, magical classes usually had weak basic attacks. Therefore, they didnt benefit much from increasing their attack speed. Point in case: Johns Archer dealt way more damage than Yuel with basic attacks. However, due to the Warmup passive, the Pyromancer had an unusual benefit from attack speed. Attacking faster charged heat faster, which allowed to cast stronger spells faster. It took about 20 hits to max the heat gauge, so it seemed pretty much mandatory to build some attack speed on Pyromancer. Intermediate class, huh. N-No problem. Easiest thing I ever played. Yuel twitched. On top of being a mage, he also had to focus on landing his basic attacks and maintaining his heat. This implied his combat tactics and item build will have to be unconventional for a mage, and he had no idea yet whats even considered conventional for a mage here in the first place. Great. Oh, and thats just the passive. Pyromancer had four more abilities: three active skills and one ultimate ability. These abilities were locked at first and required SP (Skill Points) to unlock. Each player began the match at Lv.1 and gained 1 SP with every level. At Lv.1, Yuel already had 1 SP. He spent it to unlock the skill Flame Wave. Based on the skills description and parameters, it was the Pyromancers main damaging spell. It sounded like an AoE (Area of Effect) attack, so it should be able to hit multiple minions at once. But, Yuel didnt use it right away. Activating a skill spent mana and put the skill on cooldown for a while, making it unusable. He couldnt carelessly shoot the only damaging spell at his disposal. To make the most out of Flame Wave, he first had to fill up his heat. The more heat he had, the more damage Flame Wave will deal. In addition, when the heat bar hits 80%, Flame Wave will also burn its targets, making them lose HP over time. With all that considered, its best to grind some heat first. Thus, he only spammed left-clicks on his mouse to repeatedly fire basic attacks. Contrary to him, the enemy Wizard had no qualms about casting his AoE spell. A fierce gust of wind shot through the blue minions, hitting all of them in one fell swoop. Thats bad. At this rate, its only a matter of time until the blue minions are wiped out. Nevertheless, Yuel stuck to basic attacks and didnt respond with a spell of his own. Soon. 49%. 54%. 59%. Very soon. Say, Yuel, John called out. You dont have any skills you could use? They gonna push us back at this rate. I need to charge it first. Any moment now. Yuel was almost there. 73%. 78%. 83%. Thats it! Its time! He activated Flame Wave and directed it toward the enemy minions. The Pyromancer charged flames in his palms and shot them forward in a form of a wave. The flame torched all the enemy swordsmen... but thats it. The flame died out before reaching the enemy bowmen. I see. So, hitting a whole minion wave from afar is a privilege of easy classes, huh. Im sure youre very proud of yourself, Wizard. Yuel cursed. The bot controlling Wizard was playing cheap! The Wizards wind spell had the perfect width and distance for hitting an entire minion wave from afar. Compared to that, the Pyromancers Flame Wave only had decent width. Its poor traveling distance prevented it from reaching all the way to the enemys backline. What a pain. If Yuel wanted to hit a whole minion wave, hed have to advance to the frontline and cast Flame Wave from there. Thats incredibly risky for a squishy mage. Pyromancer was an intermediate class alright. Due to Yuels failure to wipe out the enemy bowmen, the red minions won the clash. All blue minions fell , while the enemy still had three bowmen standing. With no blue minions to fight anymore, the red bowmen targeted the closest blue player. Yo! Theyre shooting at me! Jim exclaimed. He was the only one with melee attacks, so he was the closest to the enemy forces. Fortunately, Warrior was a frontline bruiser, so he had more HP and defense than Pyromancer and Archer. Even so, Jim was only Lv.2. He wasnt strong enough to endure many hits from minions. And, if that wasnt bad enough, the enemy bots also focused their attacks on him. Imma show them! In this grim situation, Jim decided it was a brilliant idea to charge straight at the enemy. He clearly forgot to equip his Common Sense item. Retreat! Yuel called out. You cant fight them right now. Run back. Me and John will take care of the bowmen. Yeah, John tuned in. Dont be stupid, Jim. Bah, okay! Jim turned around and dashed like his life depended on it. The bowmen and bots chased him down, shooting his back. Meanwhile, Yuel and John shot down the bowmen. Yuel synchronized his attacks with John, to ensure they were focusing the same target every time. The faster they take out each individual enemy, the less damage Jim would eat overall. Level Up! A message popped up after the first bowman collapsed. Yuel hit Lv.2, which granted him 1 SP. This was his chance to clean up the mess he created! He spent the SP to unlock his second spell: Pillar of Fire. It was another damaging spell, which should help them defeat the bowmen faster. Without further ado, Yuel cast Pillar of Fire in the bowmens direction. Fire erupted from the ground, wrapping the bowmen in flames. However, they didnt actually receive that much damage. Pillar of Fire was a DOT (damage over time) ability, which dealt continuous damage in small doses. A circle of fire stayed on the ground where Yuel cast the spell, slowly burning the enemies inside. But, this position... Yuel realized his aim was a little off. He created the fire around the bowmens current position, but that wasnt optimal. The bowmen were busy chasing Jim, so they didnt stay in one place for long. The bowmen shortly escaped the circle of fire, after getting hit by only three ticks of damage. Yuel should have summoned the flames further along the bowmens route, but his usual clumsiness struck again. Even in a video game, his reaction and coordination were poop. The extra damage from Pillar of Fire still helped defeating the bowmen a little faster, but not fast enough. Ultimately, Jims Warrior was shot down. An ally has been killed! Weeeeelp. Pft, great job. 10/10. John and Jim laughed at the result. The whole incident was wrapped up as Jims blunder. And well, thats really the case for the most part. Had Jim retreated right away, he would have survived. But, much of the blame laid with Yuel too. It all started when he failed to hit the enemy bowmen with Flame Wave. As a result, the red minions received far less damage in total, which allowed them to outlast the blue minions. So, his poor Flame Wave was the beginning of the domino effect which led to Jims death. Heh. Haha. Yuel didnt feel bad in the slightest. In fact, he rejoiced. Yes, he was glad Jim died! That was the best outcome! Just by casting his spells a little ineffectively, Yuel caused a teammates death and put the whole team at a disadvantage. That proved mistakes could be heavily punished in this game. This time, Yuel got punished. Next time, hell punish his enemies twice as hard. He was really glad, because Classmancers turned out to be far from a braindead video game. Even though the match barely started, Yuel could already tell: this game will suck him in. The complexity of the Pyromancers kit, the staggering variety of items, the punishable mistakes and the importance of coordinated teamwork - he wanted to learn them all! He wanted to master them all! His heart raced in excitement from a match for the first time in ages. Maybe, just maybe, he finally found the team sport he had been looking for. Vol.1 Ch.2: Learning the Basics Due to Jims death, Yuel and John were put in a 2v3 situation and had to retreat. Thankfully, JIm respawned in blue teams base after a couple of seconds and arrived at the lane alongside the blue minions. It was a positive development for a change... or so Yuel thought. Yo! Imma show em! Watch me go! Jim charged forward. He got to the frontline, as expected of the Warrior class, but he didnt stop there. He dashed all the way to the enemy Archer and smacked that bot in the face. He did all of that, right in front of the red minions. Dear lord. Is he for real!? Yuel barely stopped himself from shouting. The teacher clearly explained what happened in these scenarios, but Jim just... ugh! The red minions immediately reacted to the assault. Instead of clashing with the blue minions, the red minions focused all their attention on Jim. This situation was even worse than last time! Jim was attacked not only by bowman minions, but also by swordsman minions! Jim, pull back! Yuel called out. Pft, the heck are you doing!? John was torn between laughter and anger. Yo! Imma take out this guy! Jim didnt listen. His Warrior was slashed by swords and pierced by arrows, but he kept hitting the Archer bot. Once the enemy Archer started retaliating, Jims HP plummeted at the speed of light. Ugh. Yuel gritted his teeth. He didnt know how to rescue Jim. Taking out the enemy minion wave would help a lot, but Yuels Pyromancer didnt have any convenient long-ranged spells with burst damage. Yuel cast Pillar of Fire around the red swordsmen, but it sapped their HP very slowly. He had to hit the minions with Flame Wave to finish them off, but that required throwing his squishy Pyromancer into the frontline. Thats too risky. Once Jim fell, Yuel would be the next on the list. John didnt have any tools to deal with this situation either. Through combined effort, Yuel and John quickly shot down the enemy swordsmen. But, they weren''t fast enough. An ally has been killed! Gah! Yo! I almost had him! Jim waved his fists. He had just returned to lane and he was already dead. Now, Yuel and John were forced into a 2v3 situation. Again. Sigh. The only good news were that Jim soaked a lot of minion damage, which meant the blue minions were largely uninjured compared to the red minions. The healthy blue minions helped balancing out the 2v3 situation. At the very least, Yuel and John had a decent chance to hold the lane this round. Still, were lagging behind. Yuel frowned at the Lv.3 enemy Archer. Even though the red minions dealt the most damage to Jim, the one rewarded for the kill was the enemy Archer. The Archer gained lots of exp and gold from Jims death, reaching Lv.3 before everybody else. Jim was feeding the enemy with a spoon. This had to stop. There must be a way to exploit this situation. Yuel analyzed the state of the battlefield. Blue team had the advantage in term of minion numbers. Thanks to Jims foolish efforts, the squishy enemy Archer was down to 30% HP. If Yuel could get closer and hit the Archer with Flame Wave, he could shave off at least 15% of that HP. But, who would remove the remaining 15% HP? One option was to charge forward, Jim-style, and assault the Archer with both Flame Wave and basic attacks. A terrible idea. If Jims beefy Warrior died so quickly, then Yuels squishy Pyromancer would be crushed in an instant. The same applied to Johns Archer. They wouldnt last even two seconds on the frontline. The only remaining source of damage was the blue minion wave. Sadly, unlike in strategy games, Yuel couldnt order the blue minions to attack the Archer. In Classmancers, Minions automatically attacked enemy minions. Theyd only attack enemy players once no enemy minions were in range, or when an enemy player was attacking an allied player. If only their Archer was a goof like Jim and attacked me... wait. Yuel was hit with by a sudden realization. The enemy Archer wasnt as reckless as Jim, so he wouldnt attack Yuel on purpose. But, what if it happened by accident!? I got this! Yuel ran toward the frontline. It looked like a Jim-style suicidal play, but this one was properly calculated. Instead of going all the way to the front, Yuel hid behind a blue swordsman and waited for the enemy Archer to take aim. When the next arrow was about to be released, Yuel stepped in front of the targeted swordsman. The Archers arrow was a projectile which flew in a straight line. By standing in the arrow''s way - the arrow had no choice but to hit Yuel! The Archer attacked him! Yes! Get him! The blue minions went to lynch the offender. The Archer took his sweet time to retreat, realizing he was in danger only after dropping to 20% HP. At that point, it was already too late. Yuel came close enough to cast Flame Wave. The enemy Archer was consumed by the flames. You have killed an enemy! Level Up! Taking advantage of the spells width, Yuel made sure to also hit the enemy Warrior and minions. Surprisingly, Flame Wave erased a sizeable chunk of the Warriors HP. Apparently, the Warriors magical defense was considerably lower than his physical defense. With all the red minions gone, there was a chance to defeat the Warrior as well! John, shoot the Warrior. Yuel instructed as he started hitting the Warrior with basic attacks. Both of his spells were on cooldown, but a mages basic attacks also dealt magical damage. They were weak, but proved effective against the Warrior. In addition, now that Yuel hit Lv.3, he unlocked his last skill: Burning Spirit. It was steroid ability which temporarily buffed the Pyromancers attack speed and movement speed. For a mage, that kind of powerup seemed odd and inefficient. But, since both Flame Wave and Pillar of Fire were on cooldown, Burning Spirit was the only way Yuel could boost his damage right now. Through combined effort, Yuel and John barraged the enemy Warrior to death. An enemy has been killed! Level Up! This time, John landed the last hit and scored the kill. Nonetheless, Yuel received a decent amount of exp and gold for assisting. They completely turned the tables around, going from a 2v3 to a 2v1! They focused on the enemy Wizard next, but he was already in the middle of fleeing. They chased him down, but were forced to give up. The Wizard safely reached the red teams Turret. The Turret was the first defensive structure on the lane, which prevented enemies from pushing forward. Once a player got close to an enemy Turret, theyd be bombarded by arrows. According to the teacher, low level characters would be killed in two hits. The Turret sounded dreadful. To keep chasing the Wizard, Yuel and John would have to step into the Turrets fire range. That was out of question. Theyd both be eliminated before theyd get to do anything. Their only choice was to wait for the next minion wave. The teacher explained that minions were crucial for demolishing Turrets, since Turrets prioritized shooting minions over players. In other words, minions should be used as a meat shield against the Turret. To do so, minions first had to survive long enough to reach the enemy Turret. Yuel and John focused their attacks on the incoming enemy wave and cleared the path for the blue minions. Once the blue minions invaded the Turret, Yuel and John would be able to demolish it. However, things didnt go that smoothly. Once the blue minions came close enough, the Wizard created a quicksand on the lane. It was a damage-over-time spell, similar to the Pyromancers Pillar of Fire. All the minions which entered the quicksand had their HP gradually sapped. But, that wasnt all. The quicksand also slowed down the minions movement, delaying their progress and forcing them to stay longer within the damaging area. While Yuel had to carefully plan where to place Pillar of Fire so that enemies stayed within its range, the Wizards hax spell just forced enemies to stay in range by slowing them. That seemed fair. After the minions finally passed the quicksand, what awaited them next was the Wizards ultra beginner-friendly wind spell. Not only did it hit the whole minion wave, but it also knocked back the swordsmen, further delaying their arrival at the Turret. Great! Amazing! Much skill! By the time the blue wave reached the Turret, only two swordsmen were left standing. Yuel and John hurried after them and started shooting the Turret as soon as the minions got its attention. However, that offense didnt last long. The Turret ravaged the blue minions with arrows and blue team had to retreat. John was a bit too slow and got hit by one Turret shot. That instantly deleted 60% of his HP. In the end, they barely got to graze the Turret. The damage they dealt was almost unnoticeable on the Turrets HP bar. The enemy Warrior and Archer soon returned to the lane, forcing Yuel and John to retreat to the center. Jim also returned from the dead, turning the situation into a 3v3. It felt like they were back to square one. John, go back to base. Yuel suggested. Ill hold the lane until then. Yeah, thats a good idea. John nodded. His Archer was missing over 60% HP thanks to the Turret shot. Healing up at the base sounded like a very appealing idea. You sure you can hold the lane against them? Yes, no problem. In the worst case, we can turtle at our Turret like the Wizard did. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Got it. John turned around and began running back to base. You can press B to teleport back. Oh, right! My bad. John stopped running and pressed B on his keyboard. Magical aura formed around his Archer. After channeling for three seconds, the Archer vanished from the lane and spawned back at the base. Jim, be ready to retreat to the Turret if our minions lose. Yuel gave a warning long before the minions even began clashing. By now, it was obvious Jim had to be warned five minutes ahead of time, or else itd be too late. Dont worry, yo. Im not dying again this game! Yes, Im 100% sure thats true. Yuel mentally retorted. Despite the situation being a 2v3, he defended the lane well with his Pyromancer. Even with all the peculiar traits the Pyromancer possessed, he was still a mage with burst. With fully charged heat, the AoE damage of Flame Wave was nothing to sneeze at. Thanks to that, the clash of the two minion waves nearly ended in a tie. Only two red bowmen survived, but that still meant red team held the upper hand in the lane. With red team The enemy bots saw this as a cue to turn aggressive. Jim, were retreating. Sure thing! Yuel and Jim returned to their Turret. Even in a 2v3, the enemy bots were wary the Turret. Instead of hitting the players, red team attacked the Turret and retreated once all red minions were gone. Yet again, the lane was back to square one. The only difference was the slightly lower health of both Turrets. After John returned to the lane with full HP, it was now Yuels turn to back. His Pyromancer was running low on MP. A mage who couldnt cast spells was as good as useless. Make sure to use the Turret if youre pushed back. Yuel repeated the advice and teleported back to base. Standing at the spawning spot quickly restored him to full HP and full MP. In addition, he could now buy new items from the shop. He had accumulated a fine sum of gold by taking out all these minion waves. So, now what? Yuel frowned as he examined the shops selection. He could go for many different options with the amount of gold he had: buy two new items, buy three cheaper items or upgrade Demonic Arm. He had never thought being rich could make life so difficult. His teammates were definitely struggling to hold the lane without him right now, so he didnt have the time to think. He opted for what seemed most reasonable and upgraded Demonic Arm to Lv.3. He confirmed that the Auto-Buy function also upgraded Johns starting item to Lv.3, which made Yuel confident in his decision. The deal-sealer was the passive effect which Demonic Arm gained at Lv.3,. On top of providing more magical power and attack speed, Lv.3 Demonic Arm also made Yuels basic attacks shred the targets protections. Each hit would lower the targets magical defense by 10% for 3 seconds, stacking up to 4 times on one target. This adds even more utility to my basic attacks. Interesting. Yuel had grown accustomed to the Pyromancer by now, so this new layer of complexity was a welcome addition. His basic attacks were no longer just a last resort for when all his spells were on cooldown. Now, the best tactic was to hit an enemy with 4 basic attacks in order to lower their defense, then finish them off with spells. This will be useful, but is it enough? Yuel pondered while running back to lane. Taking out the enemy Wizard and Archer was the top priority. As long as either of them survived, the status quo at the lane wouldnt be broken. The tricky part was how these two always stayed at the rear and ran away as soon as things went south. If only I could flank them somehow. Maybe I can use this jungle? He scanned the mini-map. The jungle consisted of two unexplored paths, which sandwiched the lane. Tall walls separated the lane from the jungle, so It was impossible to freely walk back and forth between these areas. There were three passages between the jungle and the lane. One of them was deep inside enemy territory, but the other two were very accessible. The first passage was close to blue teams base, whereas the second passage was near the center of the map. Instead of going along the lane, Yuel could venture into the jungle from the first passage and arrive at the center of the lane via the second passage. Thatd take longer than running straight along the lane, but Yuel would stay hidden inside the jungle. The enemies wouldnt see him coming until he appears right behind them. I want to flank them by going around. Yuel drew his planned route on the mini-map and the information was transmitted to his teammates maps as well. If it works, we can kill both the Wizard and Archer. Think you can hold the lane until then? Sounds like a plan. John nodded. We should be okay for a while as long as we keep hugging this Turret. Alright. Yuel ventured into the jungle. He activated Burning Spirit, which granted him a temporary movement speed buff. Along the way, he came across camps inhabited by monsters: hyenas, wraiths and ogres. These monsters werent marked as either blue or red on the mini-map, which meant they were neutral. They most likely existed to let players farm additional exp and gold, beyond what minions provided on the lane. Reaching Lv.5 will really help my flanking. Yuel was already halfway to Lv.5, so clearing one of the neutral camps would hopefully get him there. The Hyenas Camp was the closest to the lane, but hyenas looked like generic mobs which only granted exp and gold. They were displayed on the mini-map as simple white dots. The Ogre Camp was different. It had a large sword icon on the mini-map, which suggested that defeating the ogres would grant some special benefit. The Wraith Camp also had an icon, that of a potion, but it was too far from the lane to be considered. Thus, Yuel headed toward the Ogre Camp. It consisted of only three ogres: two small ones and one big boss guy. He stepped into the camp and shot each of the ogres multiple times to lower their defenses with Demonic Arm. Once the ogres got close to hit him, he cast Pillar of Fire in front of himself. The circle of flames continuously damaged the ogres, but they just kept standing there and smacking Yuel in the face. Oh, this also gives me power? Not bad. Yuel realized he got buffed while standing on the flame generated by Pillar of Fire. There were so many fine details to learn about the Pyromancer. It was amazing. After he shredded enough protections from the ocs and his heat gauge reached 70%, Yuel unleashed Flame Wave and wiped them out. The ogre leader dropped a sword, which was coated in a magical aura. Once Yuel touched it, the sword fused into the Pyromancer and vanished. I see. Its a power buff. Yuel confirmed that his power value increased on the stat screen. The buff granted +20% power and lasted for 3 minutes. Not the longest buff ever, but long enough to be put to good use. Clearing the camp also brought him to Lv.5. He gained access to the Pyromancers ultimate ability: Blaze of Inferno. It was a damaging spell, with a... peculiar hit range. He wasnt entirely sure what to make of its potential yet, but it should be prove useful in the upcoming flanking attack. With all these tools in hand, he headed toward the lane. While he was busy with the Ogre Camp, red team had pushed blue team all the way to the Turret. A red swordsman and three red bowmen invaded the blue Turrets area. While the red minions tanked the Turrets shots, the red bot players barraged the Turret with basic attacks. All enemy players extended so far into blue teams territory. They were so far from their own Turret. This was the perfect opportunity to flank them! They will react as soon as they notice me, so I better move fast. Yuel activated Burning Spirit to boost his movement speed and swiftly approached the enemies from behind. As he drew closer, the enemy bots... didnt react. Huh? Why? The intermediate bots had done a great job playing safe until now, so what changed? A player sneaking up from behind should had rung some alarms. Yet, the bots didnt even turn around to acknowledge Yuels presence... wait. Oh! They cant see me!? It finally hit him. Classmancers was a third-person game, which meant players couldnt know what was happening behind them until they turned around. Even bots had to follow that rule to feel like real players. With the enemies backs turned to Yuel right now, he could leisurely optimize his positioning for the flanking. He snuck up behind the enemy Wizard, cast Pillar of Fire in front of himself to boost his power and fired basic attacks at the Wizard. After getting hit, the Wizard finally realized the danger. But, it was too late. The Pyromancer''s fast attacks shredded the Wizards protections within moments. While the Wizard had just started the casting for his spell, Yuel had already finished unleashing his Flame Wave. You have killed an enemy! Ha... haha... Yuel couldnt believe his eyes. The Wizard was deleted. Completely wiped out. Eliminated. Just like that, with one hit from Flame Wave. All the preparations Yuel had made paid off big time with this one play! Realizing the danger, the enemies fled toward their Turret. But Yuel wasnt going to let that happen. After the Wizard, his next target was the Archer. He hit the Archer with four basic attacks, then unleashed his ultimate ability. Ugh, this is such a weird skill! Yuel messed up the process. Blaze of Inferno required him to draw an area on the ground. Fire erupted along the path he drew, damaging all enemies in range. It was his first time casting such an odd spell, so the path he drew was far from optimal. Part of the attack hit the enemy Archer, but it wasnt enough. The Archer was about to get away. Ill try to finish him off. John said. His Archer crouched and took aim at a distant target. Was this the Archers ultimate? Yuel hadnt seen this move yet. After a second, John released his arrow. It flew all the way from the center of the map up to the enemy Turret. Even though the fleeing Archer changed his running direction at some point, the arrow pursued him without fail. What is this? A guided missile? These easy classes... While Yuel had to draw his ultimates hit area like some Picasso, the Archers ultimate simply locked onto a specific target and pursued them to the ends of the earth. So fair. An enemy has been killed! The broken ultimate made it feel like a cheap kill, but it warranted celebration all the same. With this successful flanking, Yuel had finally punished his enemies for a misplay. The thought of repeating this against human players made him giddy. With both enemy damage dealers gone, it was the perfect chance to push forward! John, focus on the Turret. Ignore the minions. Yuel ordered as they invaded the enemy Turret. He took care of incoming minion waves with spells, while John barraged the Turret with swift basic attacks. This was the optimal arrangement, as Turrets were immune to damaging abilities. All of Yuels spells were useless against it. After wiping out the minions, Yuel also attacked the Turret. His basic attacks were way weaker than Johns, but they were about as fast. This allowed him to deal sizable damage to the Turret, despite being a mage. Try to top that, Wizard. Yuel smirked. Pyromancer lost to Wizard in many ways as a mage, but the high attack speed allowed Pyromancer to fulfil additional roles, which the Wizard could never dream of. Yuel was convinced that, with the right handling, the Pyromancer was superior to the Wizard. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! After that, blue team became unstoppable. They won every team fight by luring red team away from safety and flanking them. Respawn times for players became longer and longer as the match progressed, so every won team fight gave blue team a lot of time to push forward. Before long, they defeated the enemy Golem, the second objective on the lane. This temporarily empowered blue minions, making them trample all over red minions. Together with these powerful minions, blue team invaded the enemy base and destroyed the enemy Colossus. VICTORY This match was just a little taste of what Classmancers had to offer. The enemies were mere bots and this was just a small 3v3 practice map. Nonetheless, Yuel was already sold. The map, abilities, items, strategies and team fights. He was totally hooked by the complex combination of all these factors. It was decided that day: Classmancers was the team sport he wanted to play! Vol.1 Ch.3: Playing Online Ever since the first Classmancers lesson, Yuel became obsessed with the game. He wasnt much of a gamer before, but now he spent all his free time playing Classmancers. He practiced many different classes, studied items and experimented how various effects interacted. As a result, his game knowledge quickly surpassed the material taught in class. As the other kids learned more about Classmancers and its classes, Rogue became an infamous pick due to its notorious Stealth ability. It allowed the Rogue to turn invisible and sneak up to enemies. To make things worse, Rogues passive, Backstabber, made its basic attacks deal extra damage from behind. Combined with its high attack power as an assassin class, Rogue could murder any squishy target with a just few stabs in the back Most of the time, the Rogues prey was dead before it even got to react. None of the kids had any idea how to deal with this cancer class, so many of them picked the class to wreck their opponents. When the final Classmancers lesson came around and a 3v3 competition was announced in the class, almost every team had a dedicated Rogue player. However, Yuels team didnt have a Rogue. He advised John and Jim against playing Rogue, for it was a weak class. Yes, despite how highly everybody regarded Rogue, Yuel claimed it was weak. Even though they didnt share Yuels opinion, John and Jim followed the advice and played the classes they were most comfortable with: Archer and Viking. Already In the first match of the competition, Yuels team played against a team with a Rogue in it. John thought they were screwed for sure, but things didnt quite turn out as he expected. Huh? How come we can see their Rogue? John raised an eyebrow. For some reason, his mini-map showed the stealthed enemy Rogue sneaking through the jungle. There was an allied Ward placed in the jungle, a deployable which granted vision to the whole team for limited time. However, that didnt explain the current situation. I thought Wards dont show Rogue when hes stealthed? Thats a Stealth Ward. Yuel explained. Its the same as a normal Ward, except it also exposes stealthed enemies. It costs more and doesnt last as long, but its great when you play against a Rogue. Oh, cool, I didnt even know that kind of thing existed. I wonder how I missed that during lessons. It wasnt covered in the lessons. Yuel said. We only learned about normal Wards. After learning of the incoming attack, Yuels team ambushed the Rogue and eliminated him. Rogue was indeed strong when he had the element of surprise, but he was an easy kill without it. By using Stealth Wards, Yuel shut down the Rogue of every team and effectively turned every match into a 3v2. And we have our winners! The teacher announced the end of the class competition. Good job! These game controllers are for you. Now, you can keep playing Classmancers even from your tablet! With that, the final Classmancers lesson came to an end. As the members of the best team in class, Yuel, John and Jim received game controllers as a prize. Like most kids these days, Yuel owned a tablet. So, now that he also had a controller, he could play Classmancers anywhere and anytime. Lunch breaks lasted an hour at his school, so some kids gathered to play Classmancers after eating. Despite the special lessons, only seven classmates expressed interest in playing Classmancers. Most kids found the game slow, confusing or unrewarding. They preferred playing soccer or braindead video games. Out of the seven interested kids, only five had controllers. Classmancers was a 5v5 team sport, but it was impossible to host a real match with the numbers they had. Not to mention that, even among these kids, many considered the 5v5 mode slow and complicated. In the end, they only played 3v3. Yuel found this arrangement disappointing, because he was interested in Classmancers as a team sport. Nonetheless, he wanted to make the most out of it and always played Classmancers with others during lunch breaks. After all, it was like a dream that came true. He could finally play a team sport in which he wasnt a weak player. In fact, he was the ace. Every classmate came to the same conclusion after playing on Yuels team: Yuel was the strongest Classmancers player in class. Each and every victory was earned thanks to Yuels tactics and plays. John, buy Teleport and use it on the Ward I placed here. Yuel pinged the location on the mini-map. Huh? Since when I can teleport to Wards? Its a Checkpoint Ward, so you can. Oh, cool. John complied without any further questions and purchased the utility skill Teleport. After channeling it for two seconds, he instantly teleported from the base to the other side of the map. He had no idea what he was supposed to do there at first, but it soon became apparent. Gotcha! John shot down an injured enemy, who was in the middle of recalling back to base. Next, he effortlessly flanked two injured enemies who fled in his direction. ANNIHILATION He got a whooping Triple Kill. All enemy players were dead. Yo! Cool play, bro! Jim praised his pal for the amazing achievement. Haha, yeah we got this now... John smiled wryly. Cool play, huh. Just whose play was it, really? If not for Yuel, John wouldnt had teleported to that Checkpoint Ward. If not for Yuel, he wouldnt had found himself in that convenient position. If not for Yuel, he wouldnt had scored all these kills so easily. Sure, John finished off the enemies with his own attacks, but said attacks were just a part of Yuels plan. John merely danced to Yuels tune. The Triple Kill was handed to him on a silver platter. How did Yuel know anything and everything about the countless skills and items in this game? How was he so sure that the injured enemies would flee in Johns direction? Why did he place an expensive Checkpoint Ward instead of a normal Ward? Was it all for this play? Just how many moves ahead could he see!? Youre really scary sometimes... John mumbled. Hm? You said something? No, its nothing. John shook his head and focused on destroying the enemy Golem. Shortly afterwards, this push led to victory. The Triple Kill arranged by Yuel was the checkmate of this match. Everything played out exactly as he planned. Even though none of them voiced it, everybody felt like pawns whenever they played with Yuel. He gave them instructions which didnt make sense at first, yet somehow always led to victory. Thus, even if they didnt understand, they complied because they wanted to win. As the one who played with Yuel the most, John was the first to become fed up with this routine. Yeah! We got this! Both of Yuels teammates rejoiced after the team assignments were decided by random rolls. John found himself on the opposing team for a change, forced to play against an unbeatable enemy. On second thought, Ill pass. John stood up. I feel like playing soccer today. But youre the one who called us here Yuel said. Meh, not feeling it anymore. Besides, we all know how it gonna end. What do you mean? Youre really asking? John rolled his eyes. As if any of us can win against you. What kind of logic is that? Yuel frowned. I know some of you consider me the best player, but Im just one person. Classmancers isnt chess, its a team vs. team game. Heh, isnt chess? Right back at you. John sneered. What does that mean? Forget it. John shrugged and left. The way he acted was far from admirable, but the other kids shared his sentiments. Ever since John expressed his dissatisfaction, others started following his example. When they werent teamed with Yuel, they quit. It became harder and harder to host a 3v3 match during lunch break. Eventually, they stopped playing altogether. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Yuel had mixed feelings about this development. Local multiplayer, with real humans right beside him, was a fun way to play Classmancers. Players rejoiced whenever they made a strong play and ranted whenever they got punished for a mistake. As the tactician who arranged such scenarios, Yuel enjoyed watching others reactions. It recreated the feeling of a real team sport, in which he played important role for a change. However, he wasnt quite satisfied with the 3v3 matches. He avoided saying that to their faces, but the rest of the kids he played with were lacking. They saw Classmancers as a way to pass lunch break, nothing more and nothing less. They didnt care for mastering the game or polishing their technical skill. They just wanted a quick and rewarding fix. Once the game stopped being rewarding, they lost interest. Seems like Ill have to play online. Yuel concluded. He occasionally played the 5v5 mode via online multiplayer and even got his account to Lv.10, However, he hadnt invested much time into it until now, because it lacked the team sport feeling that local multiplayer provided. There was barely any interaction between Yuel and his online teammates. Each player did their own thing without paying attention to the rest of the map. This led to many frustrating matches. Sometimes, Yuel pinged an objective on the map and told his allies to secure it via in-game voice commands, only to find himself alone once he got there. Other times, he asked his teammates to group up and push a lane to victory, but they all thought it was the right time to farm jungle camps. Reaching Lv.50 with his account would unlock Ranked, a mode in which players supposedly played Classmancers more competitively and actually cooperated with each other. He had no choice but to trust that information, as Ranked sounded like he only place where hed be able play meaningful Classmancers matches. Thus, he grinded exp every chance he had, both at school and at home. Sadly, he had to queue into matches alone. None of his classmates were interested in the 5v5 mode, especially now that they no longer played Classmancers during lunch breaks. Winning multiple matches in a row granted bonus exp, but it was impossible to do with an uncoordinated teams. As a result, Yuels grind was slow, painfully slow. The 5v5 map was much larger than the 3v3 map. It had three lanes: Top Lane, Middle lane and Bottom lane. They were usually abbreviated to simply Top, Mid and Bot. Minion waves spawned on all three lanes simultaneously and each lane had its own defensive structures: a Turret and a Golem. All the lanes connected the allied base to the enemy base, so it was possible to push any of the lanes all the way to victory. Big jungles spread between the lanes: a Top Jungle below Top Lane and a Bot Jungle above Bot Lane. These jungles were much wider than the ones in the 3v3 map and had many camps with neutral monsters. They also had two boss monsters, which granted huge benefits to the whole team upon being defeated: Dragon and Overlord. With five players on the team, it wasnt immediately clear where everybody should go. Who should go to which lane, how many teammates should be on each lane, when to clear jungle camps and so forth. As a result, many of Yuels teams were as organized as a bunch of headless chicken. He did his best to teach them the general strategy he learned at school, but it was a miracle when somebody actually listened to him. As he leveled up his account and got matched with more experienced players, he met more people familiar with Classmancers metagame, or meta for short. Like in any other team sport, there were recommended team formations used by pros. The existence of a meta greatly improved Yuels online experience, as it dictated which roles the team needed and where each role should go. It was far from enough to make the teams cooperative, but it was better than nothing. For Top Lane, the player usually had to pick a bruiser or tank type of class, such as Warrior, Knight and Viking. Both types were hard to kill due to their high defense, but in exchange they were slow at clearing minion waves. Therefore, Top Lane was the slowest lane in the game and the Top Laner was usually stuck there alone until halfway through the match. Yuel excelled in Top Lane due to its prolonged 1v1 nature. He had more than enough time to study his lane opponent and figure out their weaknesses. In addition, he had better game knowledge than the average newbie, so he farmed exp and gold more effectively than his opponents and built items which countered them. This often allowed Yuel to dominate the lane. If he also managed to get a few kills on his opponent and snowball from there with a bruiser class, he could single-handedly carry the team to victory against disorganized enemies. Mid Lane was also a 1v1 lane, but it much more hectic. It was the shortest lane, which meant it was the easiest lane to push all the way to enemy base. As such, it was always highly contested. To effectively control Mid, the Mid Laner had to play a mage class with fast wave clear, such as Wizard, Pyromancer and Warlock. Yuel was decent at this role. He wasnt the best at landing his spells during chaotic team fights, but he made up for it with his great map awareness. Mages were squishy and Mid Lane was surrounded by jungles from both sides, making it prone to flank attacks. To stay alive in Mid, it was mandatory to place Wards in strategic locations and predict incoming flanks. Unlike most newbies, Yuel was an expert with Wards and purchased them every time he returned to base. Sometimes he even bought too many and had nowhere to place them. According to the meta, one team member had to be the Jungler. This was the only role without a lane of its own. As the name implied, the junglers domain was the jungle and he primarily farmed exp and gold via clearing jungle camps. He also roamed across the map to flank enemies and set up ganks (gang kills). Classes for this role were usually bruisers or assassins with the ability to lock down enemies and quickly execute them, such as Rogue, Werewolf and Shadow Walker. This was another role Yuel excelled with, for it required a combination of game knowledge, map awareness and exploiting enemies weaknesses. He memorized the respawn times of all jungle camps and maximized his farm by taking optimal routes through the jungle, often outleveling the enemy Jungler. He wasnt mechanically skilled enough to flawlessly execute ganks on the spot, but he made up for it by carefully studying his opponents and striking them at right time. The last two roles, Carry and Support, had to start off together in Bot Lane. Carry classes were long-ranged damage dealers with consistent high DPS (Damage Per Second), such as Archer, Trickshooter and Headhunter. Their main role was to quickly demolish enemy structures with their basic attacks. They started out weak, but transformed into powerhouses around mid game. For that reason, the Support player was assigned to babysit the Carry during the early game. As a Carry, Yuel was... alright. It was the role which demanded the most mechanical skill, as it was critical for the Carry to land each of his basic attacks. Many Carries also had kits which required high skill, such as skillshots which demanded scoring a headshot, bullets which ricocheted off walls and many other absurd things. No matter how much he practiced, he couldnt pull of such stunts in the heat of battle. Therefore, whenever he was stuck playing a Carry, he always picked an easy one like Archer. Overall, no matter which role he had to play, Yuel performed decently. He preferred certain roles over others, but he was fine with all of them. That is, except for Support. He hated that role. Supports were all about protecting allies and hindering enemies. They were usually either fortliner tanks like Paladin, or backline mages with heals or CC (Crowd Control), such as Cleric and Cryomancer. After babysitting the Carry in early game, the Support roamed around the map to set up ganks with hard CC like stun. The Support usually lacked the means to deal damage, so he had to rely on his teammates to finish off a stunned enemy. Support was a complicated role which required a combination of vast game knowledge and fast decision-making. The Support had to initiate team fights, save his allies from pursuers, Ward around the map, build the right support items against the enemy team and much more. Yuel really... hated that role. Yes, it was a terrible role! The absolute worst! Support classes were weak, they could hardly do anything on their own. They didnt have any damage to speak of, so they couldnt kill enemies, clear minion waves or destroy Turrets. No matter how good the Support player was, he had no way to carry the team on his own. Whenever he played Support, he felt like he returned to the soccer field. He was the weak player who had to rely on his teammates to carry the team. No matter how much he learned about the game or how much he polished his decision-making skills - it was pointless when nobody listened to him. He was a useless team member all over again. When he told the Carry to retreat, the Carry thought it was smart to chase the enemy all the way to the Turret and get killed. When Yuel had his CC ultimate ability ready and told the Carry to attack so they could get an easy kill, the Carry instead returned to base for no reason. The same miscommunication problems occured in team fights as well, with even severer consequences. Yuel initiated a team fight when his side had the advantage, only to lose the fight thanks to a scaredy-cat ally who ran away. As a result, four out of five team members were annihilated and the game was pretty much over. As Yuel was matched against higher level players, communication became noticeably more frequent. However, it... wasnt the kind of communication he was looking for. OMG NOOB QQ Stop ***ing feeding! suka blyat pidaras youre so bad. uninstall game The community was filled with toxicity. Players flamed whenever things went south, blaming each other for the teams downfall. Yuel also came under fire from time to time, as nobody was immune to having a bad game. Relax. Focus on the game. We can still win this. Yuel took a deep breath whenever he was flamed. It was easy to give in to the temptation and argue back. In fact, he had committed that mistake a few times before. However, he soon realized that bickering only dragged the team down and destroyed its already low chances of winning. Please focus on the match instead of flaming He tried to wrap things up as politely as he could, regardless of who was flamed. It was the best he could do to stop the team from falling apart, but it rarely worked. Most of the time, the flamers just started attacking him as well if they werent already. The toxicity was twice as harsh against whoever played Support. The Carry died while chasing a kill under an enemy Turret? The Supports fault. An ally was ganked from an unwarded region of the map? Obviously the Supports fault. No matter how well Yuel played Support, he was hit by criticism due to others mistakes. It was even worse than when he played soccer, as there everybody ignored him and treated him as irrelevant. Nobody expected anything from him, so they werent angry when he messed up. But, when he played Support, people expected the world from him and blamed him for their own stupidity. Every little mistake his teammates made was somehow his fault. It was a thoroughly frustrating role to play. If only I had people to play with... Yuel sighed. The more he played online, the more he appreciated the times when he played with his classmates during lunch breaks. None of them was a particularly strong player, but at least they communicated like rational human beings and listened to Yuels advice. But, in the online world he was alone. None of his classmates wanted to play with him and he had to suffer through one toxic team after another. How could he change this depressing reality? He kept thinking and thinking, all the while grinding more exp for his account and hoping that Ranked mode would be filled with more reasonable players. Vol.1 Ch.4: God of Trick Shots DEFEAT Yuel sighed as he put down his controller. Another match, another team that fell apart due to flaming. Everybody instantly locked their picks during class selection, then blamed each other for how the team lacked the necessary meta roles. Yuel went out of his way to fill in as a Support, but of course nobody thanked him for that. In fact, half the team blamed him for random things and made him feel like the only player with a brain. Truly, Support was such an unrewarding role. He hated it. Maybe there are Classmancers players in other classes? Yuel sighed again. He could play two more matches before lunch break was over, but he was no longer in the mood. He packed his things and left the classroom. Supposedly, all sixth graders at his school received Classmancers lessons, so maybe some kids from other classes got into Classmancers as well. He wasnt exactly the most social kid, so he didnt know anybody from other classes. Nevertheless, he went out of his way to take a look. Thats how frustrating it was to play online alone. Gah! I hate this dumb squid ult! A girls cry caught Yuels attention. Khaha, Kraken is mah bro! A boy grinned triumphantly. Are they playing Classmancers!? Yuel almost broke into a run toward their table. Ultimate ability + Kraken = somebody was playing the Pirate class. A 2v2 Classmancers match was in progress, with two pairs sitting opposite of each other across the table. The only girl in the group played Cryomancer and her partner played Trickshooter. Their enemies were Pirate and Cleric. They played on a map that was even smaller than the 3v3 map, with the only lane objectives being Golem and Colossus. Both pairs had a Carry and a Support, so this match was similar to the early game of the 5v5 modes Bot Lane. Were they practicing this specific scenario? The girls tablet happened to be closest, so Yuel followed her point of view of the match. Lets see if they can make this combination work. The pairing of Cryomancer and Trickshooter had some synergy. It wasnt the most practical combo, but it was exciting to watch when it was successfully pulled off. Sadly, the girls supporting was... abysmal. Ugh. Dont just run! Yuel barely stopped himself from shouting at her. Whenever the two teams exchanged blows, the Cryomancer was the first to distance herself from the fight. She left the Trickshooter alone on the frontline to 1v2 the enemies and soak all the damage. That was the first big no-no of supporting. Trickshooter was the Carry class, the one dealing all the damage. Only he could bring victory in this 2v2. The Support should be ready to die for the Carry if push came to shove. There were Support classes which had a legit reason to prioritize their own survival, such as Cleric, but the Cryomancer definitely didnt belong to that category. Granted, Cryomancer wasnt a tanky Support and didnt have any reliable escape skills, so maintaining some distance from the enemy was important. However, she had to position herself in a way thatd allow her to hinder her enemies. By running away at the first sight of conflict, she wasted the important supporting tools in the Cryomancers kit. For example, the Cryomancers passive, Frostbite, made her basic attacks slow down the targets movement speed and attack speed. That was a great way to weaken the enemy Carry during a team fight, as most Carries relied on high attack speed for their damage output. Alas, by running away as soon as the fight broke out, she never made use of Frostbite. She probably thought her playstyle made sense because of her ultimate ability: Cryo-Freeze. Thats a common newbie mistake among Cryomancers Yuel met online. Cryo-Freeze allowed her to freeze an ally to make them temporarily immune to all sources of damage and rapidly restore HP. By hitting the Trickshooter with Cryo-Freeze right before he died, she saved him from death and restored him back to full health, allowing him to continue the team fight. That meant she had a very good reason to prioritize her own safety, right? Wrong. Cryo-Freeze definitely provided a lot of healing, but it froze the Carry in place. While the frozen Carry was healing up, the enemies had all the time in the world to retreat. Even though the Carry eventually returned with 100% HP, the team fight was already over. He merely cheated death, he had no way to finish off the enemies he injured. Cryo-Freeze didnt help him win team fights in the slightest. After retreating, all the enemies had to do was restore themselves to full health and start a new 1v2 team fight. Since Cryo-Freeze was an ultimate ability, it had a long cooldown and was usually be unusable during the following team fight. In other words, the Cryo-Freeze strategy only delayed the inevitable, it didnt provide a way to actually win any of the fights. In the first place, Cryomancer is all about the CC. You play Cleric if you want a healer. Yuel sighed. It was frustrating to watch. He knew all these Support classes like the palm of his hand. He knew them so well, that he even understood why the girl was making all these common newbie mistakes. Truly, he knew everything about the Support role, thats how much he hated it. Beyond her poor handling of the Cryomancer, there were many other issues with the girls playstyle. She didnt set up last hits on minions for the Trickshooter, she built too many offensive items and so much more. Compared to her, the boy playing Trickshooter was impressive. Yuel only caught snippets of the Trickshooters plays via the girls tablet, but everything he saw was awe-striking. The Trickshooters main damaging skill, Trickshot, fired a bullet which bounced off walls. Each time the bullet bounced, its total power was doubled. It was an attack with incredible damage potential, but it was extremely difficult to land a hit after a bounce. Yuel practiced this skill a lot, until ultimately concluding it was too unreliable for team fights. ... is this guy hacking? Yuel couldnt believe it. The Trickshooter on the screen landed the bouncing shots, each and every one of them. It was unreal. Instead of taking the easy way out and firing Trickshot straight at the enemy, the Trickshooter always fired at a nearby wall and made the bullet bounce toward the enemy. And it always hit. Always. Without fail. Sometimes it even hit both enemies at once! What!? How!? Even without any support to speak of, the Trickshooter held his ground in a 1v2 against the enemy Pirate and Cleric. No, thats wrong. He was WINNING against them. He juked the majority of their shots while perfectly landing each of his attacks. After enough hits, the Cleric ran dangerously low on HP and was forced to retreat to the backline, leaving the rest of the fight to the Pirate. The fight became a 1v1, but the Trickshooter was still at a grave disadvantage... in theory. He only had 30% HP left, while the Pirate was at full health. Nonetheless, the Pirate was stomped on. Was that Pirate just a bad player? No, it didnt seem that way. Its the Trickshooter who was too amazing. He was abnormally nimble and accurate, making it insanely hard to kill him in a duel. Now! Place a wall! The Trickshooter shouted. In response, the girl activated the skill Ice Wall and erected wall ice on the lane. Ice Wall was normally used to obstruct enemy movement, but here it served a different purpose. It was a wall for all intents and purposes, so Trickshot could bounce off it. This was the well-known combo between Trickshooter and Cryomancer. As expected, the Trickshooter aimed his pistol at... what? The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Hu-!? Yuel quickly covered his mouth. Huh? What? The Trickshooter didnt direct his pistol toward the ice wall. Instead, he fired Trickshot at a nearby wall. The bullet bounced off the wall and flew toward the ice wall, from which it bounced a second time. A double bounce!? That makes the bullet four times stronger! Yuel trembled from shock. Both the base power and the power scaling of Trickshot were pretty high for a Carrys skill, so quadrupling them allowed the bullet to erase 70% of the Pirates HP in one-shot. That is, if it miraculously hit. But, theres no way itll hit... right? Yuel was glued to the screen. Landing a hit after a single bounce was already hard and doing so after two bounces was exponentially harder. The Trickshooter didnt even spend more than a second to take aim, so there was no chance this bullet would- An enemy has been killed! Y-Youre kidding me... Yuels jaw dropped so hard he couldnt close his mouth for at least a minute. The bullet wiped out the Pirate after bouncing twice. Twice! It bounced twice! And it hit! What were the odds of that happening in the middle of a fight!? What would happen next? A meteor would fall from the sky and wipe out humanity!? Anything was possible at this point! H-Hes amazing. Yuel gulped and clenched his fists. Despite having no support and effectively fighting 1v2, the Trickshooter didnt give up and didnt blame anybody. He fought his best and grasped victory. He was amazing, he was a god. He definitely deserved to win this. Alas, the kill he scored was just the beginning of the fight. The Cleric cast his ultimate ability, Arise, on the dying Pirate. A ball of light traveled toward the Pirates collapsed body and refilled it with energy. It was a revival skill which brought the Pirate back from the dead with full HP. While the injured Cleric was busy casting his revival spell, the Trickshooter used the chance to assault him. An enemy has been killed! Double kill! Two kills in a row in a 1v2 situation was nothing but amazing. However, that was the end of the line for the Trickshooter. The Pirate stood right behind him with full HP, ready to exact revenge. No matter how amazing the Trickshooter was, he couldn''t possibly win with just 10% HP. He didnt even have enough MP to fire Trickshot or flee with Trickslide. The Cryomancer realized it became a 2v1, so she finally mustered the courage to step into the fight and attack the Pirate. However, her damage was lackluster and she was way too late. An ally has been killed! The Trickshooter fell. He fought well until the very end and left the Pirate with 60% HP, but it was a defeat. Both teams lost one member, but the team which lost the Carry lost the whole 2v2. Even if she wanted, the Cryomancer had no way to fight back against the Pirate. She immediately retreated back to her Golem to avoid getting killed, a good move for a change. Winning the team fight allowed the Pirate to push lane hard and bring the Golems HP down to 60% in one go. The rest of the match progressed in a similar fashion, with the Trickshooter and Cryomancer getting pushed back. No matter how well the Trickshooter played, he couldnt beat the enemy duo. Every time he killed the Pirate, the Cleric used Arise and the fight went south from there. DEFEAT Hah, git gud, bro. The Pirate laughed. Bah, I almost had you in the last one! The Trickshooter held his head. Based on the back and forth between the players throughout the match, his name was Lars. Youre a way better player than him. The Cryomancer, Julia, was quick to console her partner. We only lost because theyre playing these cheap classes. Yeah, right. Huh? And who are you supposed to be? Julia turned around and shot a nasty glare at Yuel. A-Ah, I just watched the match for a bit... Yuel realized he just blurted his thoughts. What a great way to make a first impression. You also play Classmancers? Lars asked. Yes, I do. And you watched the match, right? Dude, can you believe we lost that? I was so sure wed turn things around at end game! I just dont get why we lost. Well, about that... Yuel threw a glance at Julia, who was still giving him the evil eye. Can I be blunt? Sure, go ahead and hit me with any criticism you got, dude. Then, first Ill say you played Trickshooter very well. You nearly beat them in 1v2. Yuel tried to soften the incoming blow. But, you didnt have any support. Frankly, that Cryomancer played terribly. Huh!? Whats that supposed to mean!? Julia glared at him so hard that he felt like he was stabbed with a knife. Sigh, what a wonderful first impression he made. Haha, you were blunt alright. Lars laughed while scratching his head. I gotta agree, July isnt the best Support, is she? Eh? Julia turned meek all of sudden. I-I only picked it up recently, so Im still learning. S-Sorry if Im still making newbie mistakes. She wore puppy dog eyes while addressing Lars, but she didnt fail to somehow shoot another murderous glare at Yuel at the same time. Are ya any good as Support? Lars asked. I can do better than her, at least. Yuel affirmed. If Julias glares could kill, hed be a dismembered corpse by now. Then lets play another round, with you as my Support. Lars said. Fine by me. Yuel answered without hesitation. He hated Support so much, that he had an uncontrollable urge to fix the defeat caused by Julias lousy supporting. Not to mention that Lars clearly deserved to win this match. Ill go bring my tablet. Nah, theres no much time until the bell. Lars waved his hand. Just play on Julys. H-Huh!? Julia cried. Hm? Is that a problem? N-No, of course not. Please, go ahead. Be my guest. Julia smiled like an angel and offered her seat to Yuel. However, as she passed by him, she clicked her tongue and cursed him to death with her glare. She sure likes me. Yuel shrugged and took Julias seat. Okay, lets go with the same combo! Lars picked Trickshooter again and locked in before Yuel could even react. Pick Cryomancer so we can make savage plays with the walls. Hmm. Yuel didnt comply right away. The combo of Ice Wall and Trickshot was rewarding to pull off and could help the Trickshooter in some scenarios. Based on how the previous match went, Lars could be trusted to perfectly land each and every bouncing Trickshot, even after two bounces. He was quite literally the god of trick shooting. However, precisely because of that, it seemed like Ice Wall wasnt really necessary for Lars on this small map. The lane was surrounded by walls and he flawlessly utilized them to land his bouncing shots. Throwing Ice Wall into the mix would sometimes allow Lars to land a super powerful double bounce Trickshot, but these scenarios were bound to be rare due to their insane difficulty. Cmon, what takes ya so long? One of the opponents complained. Both enemies must had locked in their classes by now. The game room displayed a 0-3 score in the enemys favor, so they must had been playing against each other throughout the whole lunch break. Do they always play Pirate and Cleric? Yuel asked. Yeah, theyve been picking them the whole day. Lars nodded. Then Im going with Paladin. Eh? But the synergy, dude! The sick combos, dude! Let me ask you something. Yuel turned to Lars with a serious expression. Do you play to make cool combos or to win? Oh. Lars blinked for moment, then grinned. To win, of course. Then Paladin it is. Why? It has some secret synergy with Trickshooter? No. Yuel shook his head. Synergy is good to have, but sometimes its more efficient to counter the enemy instead. Paladin can do much more work than Cryomancer in this matchup. Im really not seeing it, dude. Paladin is melee, we gonna get zoned by their long range, yo. Theres some truth to that. Yuel was impressed by Larss keen observation. Ranged classes had a great advantage over melee classes while fighting on the lane. But dont forget that Paladin is also a tank. He can soak some damage. Hrm. Hrmmm. Lars still had his doubts. Say, what level are you? 32. Oh! You sure play a lot, dude! Larss attitude made a 180. Im only Lv.26, so guess that makes you the expert here. Okay, lets roll with your plan then! Grinding levels doesnt make you an expert, but sure. Yuel stayed quiet and picked Paladin. The match finally started loading. Lv.26, huh. Yuel felt stupid. Just what was he been doing all this time? He had been playing online alone for so long, even though there were such passionate Classmancers players right next door. At first, he wanted win in order to show how proper supporting could decide games, but now he had an even more important goal. He had to prove his worth as a fellow Classmancers player so he could join this circle of friends. If he showcased his ability here, the days of playing online alone would be finally over. He had to win, no matter what. Vol.1 Ch.5: Hateful Support The match against the Pirate and Cleric duo began. Yuel played Paladin and his partner, Lars, played Trickshooter. As much as he hated it, Yuel had lots of experience playing Paladin, so it was a familiar pick for him. Nonetheless, once his character spawned on the map, he needed a few seconds to adjust to it. This almost feels like playing a whole new character. Instead of a manly knight clad in white armor, he was controlling a woman in a frilly dress. All classes in the game supported both genders and, since he was using Julias tablet right now, his Paladin was forced to be a female. However, that alone didnt explain the frilly dress. Unlike in many video games out there, Classmancers female counterparts were usually well dressed. Just like the male Paladin, the female version wore a thick metal armor that covered her whole body. At least, thats how it was supposed to be. For the better or the worse, the player could customize the appearance of their characters by purchasing skins. If he recalled correctly, this princess skin was released last week as part of the Fairytale Bundle. Yuel didnt care for any of that in the slightest, but this knowledge was literally beaten into him via the countless in-game ads. Learn to play the game before you spend money on cosmetics, seriously. This isnt a dress up game. Yuel sighed. At least this Paladins shield was as big as that of the male counterpart, meaning the character models had roughly the same width. This might had sounded irrelevant to most people, but for him it was an important consideration during class selection. The first step toward countering the enemy was denying last hits. Scoring a last hit on a minion rewarded the player with bonus exp and gold. On top of that, the Pirates passive, Plunder, granted the Pirate even more gold upon scoring a last hit. More gold meant the Pirate would build his items faster, allowing him to outpower the Trickshooter. To prevent that, Yuel positioned himself on the frontline. Whenever the Pirate was about to last hit a minion, Yuel stepped in and blocked the bullet with his body. Thanks to the Paladins relatively wide character model, this was an easy task even for somebody with poor reaction time. On top of denying last hits, Yuels body blocking also made the blue minions attack the Pirate. Unable to endure such a harsh punishment at Lv.1, the Pirate was forced to temporarily retreat and miss even more last hits in the process. Only a tanky Support could use this strategy at Lv.1 without getting destroyed by the Pirates attacks, though tankiness alone wasnt enough. The player also had to specifically build Mistmail first for maximum effective health and to buy HP potions. Otherwise, an adept foe could easily shoot down the Paladin with a few more basic attacks. Of course, Yuel knew exactly what to build for this scenario. He knew everything about playing Paladin, he knew everything about playing Support. Thats how much he hated this role. As Lars pointed out, Paladin had to compensate for his tankiness by being a melee character, thus hurting the teams wave clearing efficiency. But thats fine, because Trickshooter balanced things out. On top of gaining damage boost from bounces, Trickshot was a line shot ability that pierced through units and had decent base power. In other words, firing Trickshot in a straight line hit most of the minion wave for lots of damage. As such, during the early game, Trickshot was on par with the wave clearing abilities possessed by mages. Once the red minions started running low on HP, Lars positioned himself in front the wave in order to pierce it with a straight Trickshot... or so it should had went??? Wha-!? Yuel was aghast. Instead of standing in front of the minion wave, Lars approached the wave from the side and aimed his pistol diagonally. What? Why!? That kind of shot would only hit the swordsmen on the front! It wont even graze the enemy bowmen! You should- Yuels words were cut short, he was too late. Lars fired his Trickshot from that weird angle without batting an eye. As expected, the bullet hit all the red swordsmen on the frontline and scored a last hit on them, but thats all. The bowmen at the back were untouch- Youre kidding... Yuel was wrong, completely wrong. Once the bullet passed through the swordsmen, it bounced off a wall and hit the bowmen as well, dealing increased damage and securing last hits. Amazing, absolutely amazing. It was a play which didnt even cross Yuels mind. Its one thing to pull such a stunt on an undisturbed lane in practice mode, but here minions moved all over the place due to Yuels body blocking. Getting hit by the Pirates shot triggered the blue minions and made them chase after the Pirate, which in turn made the red minions chase after the blue minions. Frankly, the lane was a mess. Even so, Lars found the perfect position and timing to fire that kind of bouncing shot. It was a godly play that Yuel could never dream of executing. Man, I missed! Lars complained. Missed...? Yuel couldnt believe it. Larss shot definitely failed to hit one of the red bowmen after the bounce, but was that enough to call it a miss? The damage increase from the bounce made the shot secure more last hits than a straight Trickshot ever could. Yet, Lars wasnt satisfied. Did he seriously intend to hit the whole wave with that complex shot? Insane! Absurd! Hes... Hes insanely good. Once I shut down the Pirate and Cleric, Im sure he can finish the job. Yuels heart pounded. What was this feeling? Had he ever felt this way while playing Support online? Something about cooperating with Lars excited him. The enemies maintained their distance and avoided team fights until they reached Lv.5. Thats to be expected, as both Pirate and Cleric were classes which relied on their ultimates. Lars had been poking them as hard as he could until that point, but the Clerics heals made all that damage void. Ultimately, both sides stood on even ground as they headed into the first team fight. Unbeknown to others, this was the moment for which Yuel picked Paladin. Everything would be decided there. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. When the team fight starts, focus on the Pirate first. Yuel instructed. Isnt that kinda bad, though? Lars asked. Cleric just gonna revive him. Ill deal with that part. Its best to remove the enemys damage first. Also, make sure to stay within my ults range for when the Kraken comes around. Okay, lets see how it plays out. Lars grinned and began exchanging blows with the Pirate. Same as before, Lars showcased superior mechanical skill and combat sense. He rolled aside to dodge a shot, then fired back at the Pirate without wasting any time on aiming. He also used Trickslide, a skill which allowed to quickly slide across the ground while retaining the ability to shoot. It was difficult to aim during the sudden burst of speed, yet Lars somehow nailed it every time. Sometimes he even fired a Trickshot while sliding and made it bounce off a wall before hitting. It was as if his Trickshooter had no restrains. He could move however he wanted, whenever he wanted. Alas, he couldnt simply 1v1 the Pirate. The enemy Cleric body blocked some of Larss shots by walking in front of the Pirate, like expected of a proper Support. The Cleric also fired some basic attacks at him, forcing him to dodge even more shots than he already was. Thats where Yuel came into the picture. He couldnt contribute much in term of damage due to being melee, but he body blocked the Pirates and Clerics shots and pressured them by charging at them. His main priority was to chase away the Cleric and allow Lars to 1v1 the Pirate as much as possible. With Larss godlike mechanical skill, hed stomp the Pirate for sure. Khaha! You done goofed, bro! The Pirate grinned as Lars slid toward him with Trickslide. Getting this close to the Pirate was a fatal mistake! Pirate cast his ultimate ability: Release the Kraken. The legendary sea monster erupted from the ground and smashed everything in range with its giant tentacles. It was a devastating AoE attack with a knockdown CC. From this range, even if Lars used his ult, he wouldnt be able to dodge the attack. He was doomed. Yet, the Kraken didnt faze Lars in the slightest. He fearlessly shot the Pirate, without making any attempts to escape. And he really didnt need to, for he was within the range of Aegis, Paladins ult. Yuel activated it right as the Kraken was about to strike, granting Lars invincibility against damage and immunity to CC. The gigantic Kraken didnt even tickle Lars. Bah! My Kraken went down the toilet! The Pirate hung his head. Not only did he waste his Kraken, but he also allowed Lars to barrage him while he was casting the ult. Defeat was imminent, the Pirates only option was to flee. Pirate activated Backfire Cannon, summoning a cannon in front of him. Normally it was a damaging ability, but here it was used as an escape tool. After firing from the cannon, the Pirate was pushed backwards by the recoil. He was now outside the reach of Larss basic attacks, so he should be able to- Keep dreaming, dude! Lars fired Trickshot at a nearby wall. The bullet bounced and gained increased flight distance, reaching all the way to the fleeing Pirate. It landed perfectly. Just as Pirate was pushed all the way by Backfire Cannon, the Trickshot hit him. He didnt even have chance to try dodging it. An enemy has been killed! Unbelievable. he instantly found the perfect angle for that shot. The push from Backfire Cannon is pretty fast, but he hit the Pirate without batting an eye. I... I dont even... Yuels world was turned upside down. He thought he knew Classmancers like the back of his hand by now, but Lars completely destroyed that belief with this impossible feat. Classmancers was way deeper and way more complex than Yuel imagined! He almost fell in love with it all over again! But he didnt have time to be awestruck, the most important part came next. Cleric was about to cast Arise to revive the Pirate. Yuel activated Justice Strike to shut down that play. A large magical sword formed above the Clerics head, then crashed down on him. This was the Paladins one and only ranged attack. Justice Strike both slowed and silenced the Cleric, making him unable cast Arise for three seconds. It was a rather soft crowd control effect compared to others in the game, but with this precise timing it proved fatal for the enemy team. Arise could only be used on a fallen ally before their dead body vanished, which was a time frame of two seconds from the moment they dropped to 0 HP. By being silenced for three seconds, the Cleric was forced to miss said time frame. The Pirates body vanished without a trace, he was dead for good. Now, attack the... heh. Yuel realized he was late. Lars was already on the job, drilling bullets at the fleeing Cleric. Thanks to Justice Strikes slowdown, Cleric had trouble escaping. Nonetheless, he reached all the way to his teams Golem. Dive in, Ill tank Okay, lets go lets go! Yuel approached the edge of the Golems area, drawing the Golems attention to himself. Right after, Lars slid into the area and finished off the Cleric. Woohoo! We did it! Lars grabbed Yuels shoulder and shook him. Youre awesome Support, dude! I-Is that so... Yuel trembled. Why? What was this weird feeling swirling inside him? His heart pounded, his body shook and his eyes turned moist. Oh, so thats how it is. He finally realized why he hated Support so much. Its because he... he loved it. He really loved this demanding and complex role. It was the weakest, yet it could orchestrate the strongest team plays. When Yuel played soccer, he was a weak player and had to compensate for that with brainwork. The Support role in Classmancers was the same, except it was designed to be that way for the sake of game balance. Support was weaker than other roles, but it wasnt inferior to them by any means. In fact, it arguably had the most important role in the team Even though the team needed a Carry to take down objectives, it also needed a Support whod keep that Carry safe. Perhaps the Support didnt get to secure objectives or to score impressive kills, but it was the backbone of the team that enabled teammates to achieve all these feats. Truly, Support was exactly the kind of role Yuel had been striving to play from the beginning! You okay, dude? Lars asked. Ah, yes... Im fine. Yuel rubbed his eyes. This match is so easy I started falling asleep. Haha, we sure owned them! Lets push Golem while we have the chance! No. Its too early for that. Yuel objected. Lets take the power buff instead. Sounds good! Lets go! Lads dashed into the jungle. Heh, hes so hyper. Yuel sighed with a smile. A cooperative and skilled Carry was a blessing for any Support. Lars was a bit reckless and inexperienced, but he was always quick on the uptake and listened to Yuels advice. If they play some more together, theyd definitely become a powerful Bot Lane duo. Even though the match had barely started, Yuel was already thinking ahead. He wanted to play more like this, to play more with Lars. Above anything else, he wanted to play more Support. Vol.1 Ch.6: Team Carry From the first time Lars touched a basketball he got hooked on the sport. Learning how to dribble, breaking through defenders and scoring goals were the most exciting times of his early childhood. He picked up the basics way faster than other kids and always established himself as the best player on any team. Haha, you like it? His dad grinned while showing some cool dribbling moves. I used to play basketball back at school, we even went to nationals! Think you got what it takes to beat me, young man?! Heh, I won''t lose to some old dude! Lars grinned and charged at his dad. He had always stolen the ball without breaking a sweat against other kids, so he was clearly the best player in the world! He wouldnt lose against any- Gah!? Haha, too slow, kid! His dad dodged without any trouble. He dribbled the ball from side to side to keep it out of Larss reach. Whats wrong? Thats all you got? Just you wait! Lars charged again, but his fingers didnt even touch the ball. He tried over and over, but the result was the same. How the heck was that possible!? Thats not the basketball he knew! He was supposed to be awesome at this sport, but he was so lame right now. Need a break? His dad asked. Hah, ugh, no... Lars panted. He was about to collapse any moment now. yet he was smiling and his eyes were locked on the ball. Despite how many times he was beaten, he wanted to fight some more! His dad looked way too cool right now, so he had to become even cooler! Just a little more! I almost got you! Good, thats my boy! They kept playing until Lars could barely stand on his feet anymore. He wobbled all the way home, but he was grinning. Even if it was a fluke, he did it. Just once, he stole the ball from his dad! Next time Imma get the ball on the first try! Haha, Id like to see that, young man! Since then, Lars played basketball every day. He played with his classmates during school time and practiced with his dad in the afternoon. His dad also taught him various advanced techniques, which he absorbed like a sponge. Before long, he became an unbeatable ace. No matter what team he played on, his teammates always relied on his strength. Their job was to pass him the ball and his responsibility was to score goals. Once the ball was in his possession, he blasted through enemy defenses like an typhoon. Great pass there, dude! Lars gave a thumb up after scoring a goal. Cool shot! Good work, as always. His teammates smiled and it felt awesome. They fulfilled their part by getting the ball to him and he carried them to victory with his own two hands. Basketball was a blast when the whole team came together for a common goal like that! The more Lars played with his dad, the more used he became to the physical abilities of adults. He always pushed himself beyond his limits to match his dads swift moves. Even though he never truly matched his dads sick skills, he came closer and closer with every passing month. His agility, reaction speed and coordination evolved far beyond that of an average grade student. That became especially clear when he tried out other sports at school. In soccer, his tricky yet accurate shots always caught the enemy goalkeeper off guard. In volleyball, his powerful spikes broke through the enemys wall of defense. Everybody praised him as an insane beast in every sport, he was the ace in all of them. As such, it became his role to carry the team in whichever sport he played. It was a duty he was expected to fulfil at any cost. But, Lars wasnt the only one growing up. As the years passed by, his classmates also showed great progress. Once they began grasping more advanced team strategies, they developed ways to pressure Lars. No way! Lars was sure only two opponents marked him, but once he broke through them... a third blocker appeared! He wasnt fast enough to react to this unexpected development and lost the ball. From there, the enemy team delivered a fast attack and scored a goal. Gah, my bad. Lars smacked himself on the forehead. That was so lame! It all happened because he failed to break through the enemy defenders, the blame for these scored points fully laid with him. Gah! You should have passed to me instead of trying to break through all these guys. Yeah, I was open too. They all marking you, so it was suicide to charge in. Even you cant get through that many blockers. Nah, dont worry! Lars waved his hand. I was just a little careless. Next time Ill break through for sure! Just remember that were here. Got it! Lars gave them a thumb up. That stolen ball was just a tiny careless mistake, he was sure he could even break through the whole enemy team if he had to. It was just a fluke! Yeah, a mistake that wouldnt happen again! This time, he was going to break through- Gah!? He failed again. Just when he thought he was safe after passing three enemies, a wild fourth blocker appeared! The heck was going on!? Hard as he tried, he couldnt protect the ball against so many people. It was bonkers, yo! You cant stop me! Lars tried again. And again. And again. Each time he successfully broke through, he was blocked during the next two attempts. One step forward and two steps back. Gah! The heck was he doing!? His buddies worked so hard to secure the ball for him, yet he gave it up so easily. That was beyond lame, yo! He was the strongest player on court and his teammates trusted him to carry. Alas, he betrayed their trust by surrendering the ball they worked so hard to secure. And with each attempt to make up for his past mistakes, he ended up making things ever worse. Gaaaah! It was maddening! Lars! Over here! Im open too! His teammates waved for a pass. Yet again, the whole enemy team ganged up on him. Jeez, these guys were sure fun. As much as he wanted to believe in his strength and that this time hed make it through, he had to admit... itd hard. Like, super duper freakin hard. Hed most likely lose the ball again if he charged in. Gah. Should I... pass? He gritted his teeth. Passing was a super important aspect of the game, he understood that much. And its not like he sucked at passing or anything, his passing technique was top-notch like the rest of his basketball skills. When there was no good opportunity to score a goal, hed pass the ball to others like any other player. But this situation was different, it was a great opportunity to score, Lars merely had to defeat the blockers in front of him. Just a little further and hed score for sure! Passing to somebody else meant giving up on this golden opportunity. What would happen after the pass? Would the next dude be able to keep the ball safe? Would he get the team closer to scoring? Its not like Lars didnt trust his teammates, its just that he wasnt as confident about their ability as he was about his own. He had a 200% chance of scoring a goal from this position, but there was no telling whatd happen if he ran away from the challenge and opted for a pass. No, there was no way in hell hed pass here. He was the ace, the one carrying the team. He had to settle this with his own strength, or otherwise he was meaningless. If I cant break through, then Ill shoot from here! Lars raised the ball over his head and aimed at the basket. He was standing behind the 3-point line, attempting a 3-pointer shot. The basket was far, too freakin far. For most kids his age, that kind of shot would be impossible. He only ever saw high schoolers and adults pulling it off reliably. Nevertheless, he had to do it. Right here, right now. He carefully took his aim and threw the ball. The blockers were all fazed by this development, none of them reacted in time to the ballsy throw. The throw was untouched, so itd land inside the basket for sure! ... but it didnt. The ball didnt even reach the basket, as if this throw wasnt a shot attempt at all. What a joke, Lars missed yet another great opportunity. Yet again he failed to score for the team and put their hard work to waste. Luckily, one of his teammates caught this random ball and finished the job. Larss team won by a mere 1 point thanks to that final goal. It was a close call, but the whole team celebrated the victory all the same... except for one player who just stood there petrified. Man, that pass was slick! The scoring boy gave Lars a thumb up. Huh? Pass...? Yeah, you totally fooled them into thinking you were going for a 3-pointer! But then it was like You got pranked, yo! It was a pass all along! Haha! Ah, haha... I told you Ill find a way to break through. Lars forced a smile and hid his trembling fists. Pass? What freakin pass!? There was no pass. He just failed, miserably so. He couldnt carry the team at all. Rather, he only dragged it down. He had never felt so useless in a match before. But, nobody blamed him. They kept trusting their ace to the very end, even after he had failed them so many times. As such, he had neither the time nor the right to sulk. As the ace, he had to keep doing his best and live up to their expectations. Even though he fared poorly in this one match, next time hed surely make up for it! Alas, similar incidents kept happening and not only in basketball. Whether it was soccer or volleyball, the defenders focused on Lars and blocked his attempts to score. He couldnt single-handedly break through the enemy defenses anymore. His status as the all-powerful ace was crumbling apart. Gah, give me a break already, will ya? Lars slowed down in front of the enemy defenders to keep the soccer ball out of their reach. Damn, it was bad. These scums had blocked him countless times today. Just thinking back on all the golden opportunities he had missed gave him a headache. Breaking through them was as likely as winning the lottery. Shooting toward the goal was pointless too, the goalkeeper would easily block it from this distance. Everything was hopeless, he couldnt do shit here. Theres no other way, is there? Lars clenched his fists and glanced to his left. There were two teammates he could pass to, both of them were left unmarked. Passing to them would be easy. So easy. Yeah, easy. He just needed to pass and they should be able to score, probably. Were going to blow this game if I dont do it now... He hit the ball and hung his head. There was no need to watch, really. With his coordination, he was 200% sure the pass would reach its destination. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Based on the cheers that followed, the pass led to a goal. It seemed like Taison got the job done, or maybe he passed to somebody else along the way. Whatever. Yeah, we tied it up! We can still win this one! Yay, we scored... While everybody rejoiced, Lars just stood there with his head hanging. His time had stopped. From the moment he passed the ball, he was completely disconnected from the game. He was unnecessary, there was nothing else for him to do once he let go of the ball. Its not like he insisted to score each and every goal. Sure, that was his favorite part of every sport, but he was fine with helping his teammates to score. But not like this, not when he should had been able to get the job done himself. Making that pass was as good as admitting defeat. Why did it have to be this way? When Lars faced the defenders, why couldnt his teammates help him somehow? Why couldnt they distract the defenders? Or stun them? Or blast them away? Or temporarily buff Lars so he could break through? All these cool things were possible in video games, but not in any of the real life sports he played. When he played shooters with his dudes, everybody stayed active throughout the whole match. When Lars charged into a swarm of enemies, he knew his teammates could support him. Theyd either provide cover or flank the enemies. Granted, most of his dudes were uncoordinated derps and werent around when he needed them the most. He often died from taking on multiple enemies alone and looked like a reckless idiot, but thats beside the point. At the very least, his teammates always had a way to help him and he had a way to help them. Everybody maintained an active role throughout the match. Compared to that, all the sports he played had only one ball. The only player who mattered at any given time was the one holding the ball, as only he could score points. It was like only one player on the field carried a gun, so only he could shoot. If he couldnt shoot down the objective, he had to toss the gun to a teammate before it got stolen. Basically, sports were like some sort Gun Tossing Online nonsense. Once you tossed your gun, you were left empty-handed. You had nothing. It was freakin annoying. Lars was forced to accept this reality for soccer and volleyball and started passing around more often. However, in basketball he refused to give in. It was the first sport he had gotten into and the one he had played the most. If only in basketball, he desired the strength to pull through any situation no matter what. Ill get as far as I can and then shoot. Its just you and me, basket! 1v1 me, bro! Lars raised the ball and threw it from the 3-point line. He missed. He threw again. He missed. He threw. He missed. Threw. Missed. Threw. Missed. Yes! Nailed... it... He raised his fist in triumph, then his body buckled over. At some point it became night time. Just how long had he been at it anyway? He started right after school ended and had been throwing since then without rest. Well, who cared. There was only one important fact: he did it! He actually scored five 3-pointers in a row! He started getting the hang of it! The euphoria robbed him of all his strength. His stomach rumbled like a freakin helicopter on steroids. Gah, maybe it was a good time to head home. He somehow got up and dragged himself all the way home. That was just the beginning. After practicing 3-pointers from different positions, he simulated real game scenarios. He asked some dudes to act like blockers while he tried to score 3-pointers through them. He maintained this intense training regime for over a week, without taking a single day off. By the end of it, he was a master of 3-pointers. Heh, try to stop that, dudes! Lars grinned in front of the enemy blockers. He couldnt possibly break through them, but what of it? Before any of them could attempt a steal, he threw the ball toward the basket It smoothly went in. Woohoo, three points! A piece of cake! These defenders were nothing! You kidding me... Khaha, what a lucky shot... Heh, lucky shot you say? Lars smiled. Okay, okay. Keep thinking of it as a lucky shot while I score three million points of ya! They soon realized it wasnt a joke. The 3-pointers kept coming without end. For the rest of the match, Lars trampled all over the enemy blockers with flawless 3-pointers. There was nothing they could do against that sick stuff! The unstoppable ace was back! No matter how many defenders marked him, his 3-pointers pierced though. Nobody in class, or even in the whole freakin school, was a match for him. With Larss strength, the schools basketball team made it all the way to the finals of the elementary school regionals. But, that was the end of the road. Are these dudes even the same age as us...? Larss smile twitched. Most of the enemy lineup was filled with absurdly tall black players. These dudes could easily pass for high schoolers, yo! This match was bonkers! Despite their size, they were unbelievably agile as well. Breaking through even a single blocker was freakin hard even for Lars. He had to rely on his 3-pointers more than ever. Alas, even that didnt quite work against these titans. Combining their height and agility, they blocked over half of his throws. It was like trying to throw a 3-pointer over the freakin Everest. What the actual heck? All the matches he had at school looked like toddler league compared to this. These dudes were on a whole different level, yo! Still, Lars was probably a little better than most of them. With just a little bit of help, he could break through their defenses and score his prized 3-pointers. Alas, such help was nowhere to be found. HIs buddies had their hands full with just getting the ball to him. Once Lars got the ball, it was him alone against a gang of giants. If only somebody could shrink them a little, or slow them, or blast them away. But no such magic existed on the basketball court. He had to face all of them by himself. No matter how much he perfected his 3-pointers, it was impossible to do shit when he was cornered by this many giants. In the end, his team was stomped 21-86. Could he had played that match better? If he passed the ball instead of going for desperate 3-pointers, would his team had scored more points? Nobody knew and so the questions kept eating away at him. Ever since that defeat, Lars stopped his one-man show. No matter how much he itched to take on the enemy defenders, he passed the ball instead of facing multiple defenders. However, at the same time he also started drifting away from basketball. It was no longer the same. He was no longer the undefeatable ace who could carry a team, he was just a nobody. Instead, he got more and more into video games, mainly the action-packed ones like shooters. His good muscle memory, quick reaction speed and pinpoint aim all shined in these games. Same as in sports, he was a wild beast in shooters. TRIPLE KILL! Whoa, you seriously took them all out!? Holy moly, that was a 1v3 there! Haha, these guys are nothing! Lars grinned. We got this game in the bag, yo! Video games somewhat filled the void left by basketball. He pwned enemies nonstop, without ever letting go of his gun. There was no ball to pass around between teammates. They all actively fought toward the same goal and everybody stayed relevant throughout the whole match. Thats how he wanted all games to be. Alas, none of these games lasted long for him. Once he mastered all the mechanical depth a shooter had to offer, there wasnt much for him to do there. He became so powerful he could stomp literally anybody, but thats all. There wasnt anything else there, it felt hollow. Gah! Cmon dudes, where are you at? Lars facepalmed after getting killed. He faced multiple enemies believing his friends would cover him, but somehow each of these derps was on a completely different part of the map. Gathering ammo, chasing a low HP enemy and etc. They were painfully far from an organized team. That didnt really surprise, since most of them got into these games via the solo mode. Playing solo geared them to think only about themselves. Everybody just wanted to do sick plays and score a shit ton of kills, thats where the fun was at. Therefore, they had no idea how to really play as a team. Even though Lars understood all of that, he had no idea how to organize his teammates. He wasnt much of a strategic. Down to it, he was one of them dudes who just enjoyed shooting enemies. These games were sure fun, but they werent real team games for him. Thats probably the only reason he kept playing seriously in the basketball club. It was the only place where he could get his team game fix. Cant some game just force us to play like a team? He tried a couple recommendations, mainly MOBA games, but he a hard time getting into them. He had no idea how the heck to play these games. Killing enemy players should had been the key to victory like in any other game, but chasing them down in a MOBA only got Lars killed by Turrets. Grinding exp in the jungle seemed important, but meanwhile his lane got overtaken. Regaining control over his lane was his job, but meanwhile the rest of his team was eliminated on the other side of the map. No matter what he did, it was wrong and screwed his whole team. None of his buddies wanted to play such punishing games, so he had nobody to learn with. These MOBAs had the potential to be some sick team games, but they were literally unplayable for him. That changed when his class went through special Classmancers lessons. Not only did they teach the overall strategy of the game, but they also covered the games meta and objectives. Finally, Lars felt like he had some idea how to play MOBAs. Classmancers was a fun and interesting game, designed purely as a team game. Thats exactly what he wanted! The lessons exposed everybody to Classmancers, so Lars found some dudes to play with. Now that they all understood the basics, MOBAs didnt look as scary anymore. Itd be the blast of his life! Hed finally get to play a team sport which had the sick features of a video game! ... or so he thought. None of his dudes actually understood the games tactics. Well, he was no different himself. They picked up the basics from the lessons, but these basics mostly covered the first part of the match, known as the Laning Phase. Once the match got to mid game, it transitioned into its Team Fighting Phase and thats where everything started falling apart. Same as in all previous games, they were hilariously uncoordinated. They were destroyed like a bunch of scrubs when they played online. After giving Classmancers a few shots, most dudes gave up on this harsh game. Nevertheless, Lars believed theyd figure things out... eventually. Someday. Hopefully. Anyway, he kept playing Classmancers whenever he could. He spent all his lunch breaks playing with friends, mainly with Taison, Gregory and Julia. Taison was actually a hella smooth player, probably because his bro was a competitive Classmancers player at high school. He hanged out a lot with Gregory, so Gregory also picked up some stuff from him. They were really good, but even they didnt play online much. Guess they had more fun stomping classmates than they had getting rekt online. Julia was the only one willing to consistently play online with Lars, but she was... welp, anyway he played online alone most of the time. It was a rough experience, but things should get smoother in Ranked mode. Classmancers was the one game he didnt want to give up on. But, everybody had a limit and he was no exception. The more he played online, the more it wore him out. He reached all the way to Lv.26,, but the people he played were still terrible. Instead of working together, they found it more fun to blame each other for random crap. Where was their sportsmanship? Where was their burning desire for winning the match!? Meh, maybe thats as far as these video games get. He had to admit that the much simpler ball games made it easier for the team to come together. Taking possession of the ball and scoring a goal were intuitive plays to understand. Only one player at a time could do any of that, so everybody knew where to focus on. That was a whole world apart from a complex game like Classmancers, where each player had his own lane and everybody worked simultaneously across the map. There was never telling where the next center of attention would be, where the team should focus pushing or even where they should group up. Its like each of them possessed a piece of the ball and they had to combine these pieces to form the real ball that could score goals. That was as far as he saw himself getting. He had mostly stopped playing online and only dueled with classmates from time to time. He was about to give up on the game altogether... until he met Yuel. Woohoo! We did it! Youre awesome Support, dude! Lars shook Yuel like crazy. They did it! They actually freakin did it! It was bonkers how easily they won that team fight, yo! Taison and Gregory were the strongest players in class, yet Yuel completely shut them down. And it wasnt like he showcased any pro techniques. He didnt execute any cool dodges or landed any sick shots. Nah, it wasnt anything fancy like that. Dude just played them for fools with some genius plays. It was awesome! Haha, we sure owned them! Lets push Golem while we have the chance! No. Its too early for that. Lets take the power buff instead. Sounds good! Lets go! Lads followed the order like a good soldier. It was clear that Yuel knew the game way better than him. He was the type to charge at the first shiny opportunity that presented itself, so it was great Yuel could stop him from derping. Yuel also methodically lowered the HP of enemy minions, so that Lars could easily secure last hits with a single Trickshot. On top of that, Yuel persistently body blocked shots to deny the Pirates farm. And if all that wasnt enough, Yuel countered each and every enemy skill: Aegis against Kraken, Justice Strike against Arise and Divine Shield against Backfire Cannon. In short, dude took care of all the pesky stuff that got in Larss way before. Lars felt as if the perfect stage was prepared for him. The enemy no longer held any advantage over him in terms of numbers or synergy. He only had to fight his best to secure kills, that was his job this match. There was no need to worry about secondary stuff anymore. He charged in and annihilated his enemies with his polished shooting skills! DOUBLE KILL Woohoo! It was a freakin blast! Thats exactly what he had been missing all this time! With this sick support, he could break through any defense! VICTORY Classmancers was a sick game after all! He loved every part of it! He decided, hed keep playing it until he became the best! Yo, dude! You and me! Lars grinned and pointed at Yuel. Lets conquer the world of Classmancers together! Well form the strongest Carry and Support duo! Quite the ambition for somebody who still uses Auto-Buy. Yuel shrugged and averted his eyes. He refused to admit it, but he was overwhelmed by Larss enthusiasm. He also wanted to play more with Lars, that guy was the god of mechanical skill. With such a powerful Carry by his side, Yuel was sure he would play his best Support ever. Theres still a lot you need to learn, but fine Lets do it, heh. Yuel ended up showing a smile. That day, a terrifying Classmancers duo was born. Vol.1 Ch.7: Those Who Keep Playing Yo! Lets play, dude! Lars dropped his stuff on Yuels table and grabbed a nearby chair. When did you get here? Yuel stared at the grinning goof in disbelief. The bell just rang a moment ago, yet Lars was already here. I havent had lunch yet. Heck, I havent even taken it out of the bag yet. You can do that while playing, yo! Lars stuffed a sandwich into his mouth and picked up his controller. You gonna choke like this. Nfo prwoblemf! Lars produced something that vaguely resembled language while munching on the sandwich. He was holding the controller with both hands, which meant he was... eating without hands! And the sandwich didnt fall off! It was a truly godly skill! Lars definitely had a bright future... in the circus. Heh, I just cant keep up with this guy. Yuel sighed and took out his things. He refused to show it on his face, but he was giddy as well. Ever since they started playing together, Classmancers became a blast of a game, more than ever before! They played in Bot Lane most of the time, as a pair of Support and Carry. A cooperative and skilled Carry was a godsend for Yuel. He could carefully analyze his lane opponents and discover their mistakes, without worrying about the Carry doing something dumb- Wait, dont 1v2 them! Yuel exclaimed. Retreat, you cant win th- DOUBLE KILL Woohoo! That was close as heck! Look at that HP! Lars finished off both enemies by himself, with less than 1% HP left. ... that was suicide. No problem, dude! I told you these guys were noobs, haha! Seriously, this guy... Yuel sighed. Despite how many times he saw Lars pull crazy stuff, he couldnt wrap his head around it. No matter how highly he evaluated Larss skill, it was never enough. Lars always proved he was at least ten levels above what Yuel expected. So thats a real genius, huh. As much as Yuel hated using this misleading word, there was no other way to describe Lars. Yes, Lars was truly a genius. His godlike mechanical skill allowed him to stomp enemies without relying on any complicated tactics. He was a savage beast unrestricted by common sense. Sadly, sometimes the line between genius and idiot was unexpectedly thin. Dont chase that kill. But that HP, yo! Imma finish him off real quick! An ally has been killed! Gah! So close! Lars fell prey to a Turret. Quick! Revive me! Sure, just wait a moment while I hack the game and make Arise work across the map. Yuel made a face. You totally deserve to rot there. I hope you had fun chasing that kill, just look how much you achieved. Ouch. Okay, okay! I got it already! My bad! Have fun watching from the sidelines without being able to do anything. Gaaaaah! I wanna back already! Whats with this 40 seconds respawn time!? I wanna play! Lars threw a tantrum. Heh, perfect. Yuel secretly smirked. He had already figured Larss weak points and took nasty jabs at them. It was a necessary evil for educating this goof, who was somehow both a genius and an idiot at the same time. Explanations never worked with that thick-headed goof. Lars had to learn everything the hard way by experiencing the consequences of his mistakes on his own flesh. Geh, d-do I chase this one? Lars forced himself to ask. No, too risky. Come back to Mid and take down the Turret. Gah, okay. Lars looked unsatisfied, but he obediently turned his back to the inviting opportunity. As much as he wanted to score that kill, he knew a terrifyingly long respawn time awaited him in case he failed. After getting burnt enough times, even a fool learned to not carelessly play with fire. There were many things Yuel had to teach Lars and it was always a challenge. If the other kids Yuel played with were like easy-to-use handguns, then Lars was like a rampaging machinegun. Difficult to handle, but extremely powerful once mastered. I told you, dont buy lifesteal early on. But the self-sustain, dude! I wanna stay longer in lane! Lifesteal is a percentage-based stat, so its best to buy it at mid or late game. But why? It gives me the lifesteal, so whats wrong with that? Do you even know how percentages work? S-Sure, yo!! Then how much is 10% from 100? Its... umm... ah, wait, isnt that like 10? Haha, you totally had me there for a second! Good, now how much is 10% from 300? Its... ehh... Lets see, how do I calculate that crap again... Just how often do you sleep during math classes? 200% of the time, haha! Lars announced with pride. See? Im a master of percentages! This goof will be the end of me. Yuel sighed for at least the millionth time since he started coaching Lars. Alright, then how about I put it this way. Yuel changed his approach. You poked that Pirate a few times by now, right? If you bought a power item instead of lifesteal, you would have scored a kill by now. With the gold earned from that kill you could buy the lifesteal item you wanted so badly. So, youd have both the power item and the lifesteal item by now. Oh! Thats sick! Lars nodded vigorously. It took a few more games until these words truly sank in, but he eventually stopped building lifesteal early. You better stop playing with Yuel before you become a bot. John sneered as he passed by them. A bot? Whats that about? Lars titled his head. Thats... nothing. Yuel clenched his controller. His hands trembled. He uses his teammates like chess pawns. John said. Hes a genius chess strategist alright, but keep following his orders and youll become a bot. You may be thinking youre good at Classmancers, but thats actually all because of Yuels instructions. Yeah, dude is legit a genius. Lars nodded. But hey, I rock too! Sure, I also thought I was pretty decent at first. But after playing with him for a while, I realized I was only decent when I was following his orders. Hmm, welp. Lars rolled his eyes. If youre only good when Yuel feeds you from a spoon, doesnt that mean youre just... ya know, suck at the game? Wha!? Johns face contorted. I dont mean to brag, but Im the best Carry player in our class. Oh! Thats cool! Lars turned to Yuel. Is this dude strong? Hes... Well, I agree hes probably the best Carry in our class. Yuel dodged the question. Out of all the kids in class, he played Classmancers the most with John. They werent exactly friends, but Yuel didnt want to say out loud how John compared to Lars in terms of skill. Okay, then 1v1 me, dude! Lars challenged John. If you win, Imma quit Classmancers. Huh... John was taken aback for a moment. And if you win? Youll admit you gotta git gud. Fine by me. John nodded. He brought his tablet over and they began the duel. Pft, youre using Archer? Lars barely held his laughter during the loading screen. Whats wrong with Archer? John scowled. Oh, let me guess: Yuel told you its a D tier class, so you automatically assume its bad. Nah, never heard of that. I just played Archer enough to tell it doesnt have anything on other Carries. Im sure I told him Archer is D tier... oh well. Yuel shrugged. Lars probably forgot all about tiers right after Yuel taught him. Typical Lars. So Archer is bad, huh. John clenched his controller Well see about that. First Yuel, now Lars. Whats so wrong with Archer? It was a simple and effective class. Its the first class John picked during the Classmancers lessons and the one he had played the most since then. He tried some other Carries, but most of them required landing some difficult shots. Archer was the best way to go. Ill make him eat his words. John was uncharacteristically tilted. He simply couldnt understand: how could Lars play so much with Yuel and still smile as if it was fun? He had to wipe that stupid smile off Larss face! Huh!? John nearly fell off his chair. His Archer fell from 100% HP to 60% HP from a single hit! How!? Trickshot gained bonus damage after bouncing off a wall, but was it that strong!? This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Starting with a power item, good. Yuel nodded to himself. Even though Yuel wasnt there to give advice, Lars overcame his bad habit of buying lifesteal early on his own. Tch, he was sure lucky hitting that shot from a bounce. John gritted his teeth. I need to lower his HP as well. He initiated a fight to get some damage on Lars, but soon realized it was a grave mistake. Huh!? John was overwhelmed. His shots... they didnt connect! Lars sidestepped and rolled around, dodging everything John fired his way. Whats with these movements!? Was it even possible to move so quickly in this game!? Wait, calm down. John took a deep breath. Hes just mashing buttons. Right, of course it was possible to move this quickly by spamming buttons. Its just that nobody did it because it was impossible to aim- No way! John was hit. And hit. And hit. His shots missed Lars, yet each of Larss shot perfectly connected. Why? How!? Johns HP fell down to 20% in a matter of seconds! Im outta here! John turned around and dashed toward his Golem. However, Lars had no intention letting this opportunity slip. He slid forward with Trickslide and barraged his prey. John fell all the way to 10% HP! I-Its fine. John tried to convince himself. Ill have a chance once he gets into the Golems zone. Im sure Yuel would advise against such a dangerous pursuit, but that guy is playing on his own right now. Hell chase me all the way for sure. Heh, now youll see how bad you really are! This is bad! Yuel covered his mouth, he almost blurted a retreat order. A Lv.3 Trickshooter wouldnt survive more than two shots from the Golem. Chasing after John was suicide! Hmm, looks risky. Lars stopped right at the edge of the Golems area. Heh, go ahead, Run back to your base, dude. Ill take good care of the lane meanwhile. The old Lars would had definitely charged in, but the current Lars knew itd end in a tragedy. Bit by bit, he learned from his mistakes. He definitely didnt need Yuel to hold his hand at all times. Tch, he didnt fall for it. John clicked his tongue. I cant give him lane advantage so early. Guess Ill stay and farm under the Golem for a while. Instead of returning to base to restore HP, John advanced so he could shoot the incoming minions. He had a rough idea of Trickshots maximum range, so he stayed far enough to not get hit. If Lars wanted this kill, hed have to invade- Haha, gotcha! Lars grinned and fired Trickshot. However, he didnt aim it straight at John because that wouldnt reach. Instead, he fired it toward the lanes wall. The bullet bounced and gained extended range. You have been killed! Ah... huh...? Johns controller fell from his hands. His jaw was hanging. What. How. He just advanced a bit forward. It all happened in an instant. Before he even registered the situation, the Trickshot bounced off the wall and killed him. That skill is so hard to aim, but he... in an instant... Johns hands trembled. A monster. This guys a monster. John fought until end, but the difference in their skills was obvious from very beginning. He lost the match without killing Lars even once. Heck, he barely grazed Lars at all. It was laughable. Cmon, say it! Loud and clear! Lars grinned. I... I need to git gud. John mumbled. Okay! Now that thats out of the way, wanna play with us? Youre not half bad! Ill pass. You two are monsters. John walked away with his head hanging. His eyes were dead. From the very first lesson, John really liked Classmancers. It was a fun game to play with friends and he was pretty decent at it. He didnt tell anybody, but he even tried playing online. However, his teams always got trashed and his teammates raged at him, so he quit after just three matches. His brief experience playing online completely shattered his self-image. How come he played so well in class but sucked so hard online? Thats when he realized the truth: it was all thanks to Yuel. John made strong plays when he followed Yuels orders, but he was nothing without them. In other words, he was just a pawn in Yuels design. None of his achievements really belonged to him. He felt cheated and used, thats why he took it out on Yuel. Looking back on it, that was really immature of him. The duel with Lars forced John to face the truth: he simply wasnt good enough. Yuel was just helping the team win. The one who turned John into a pawn was none other than John himself. Its so dumb. Ah. I cant take it anymore. Im through with this shitty game. John sighed. He was going to uninstalled Classmancers. Forever. Is it my fault? Yuel bit his lip. The way Lars stomped John looked like a pro going serious against an amatuer. It was only natural for Johns spirit to be crushed. Was that how everybody felt when they played with Yuel? They were all the same age, so he never considered himself above the rest. He took the matches seriously and did his best to win, that was only natural for him. He... crushed them. None of them took Classmancers as seriously as him. They enjoyed the game, but they didnt feel like reaching Yuels level yet. Its like they were played completely different games. He never realized any of that because his playstyle didnt overwhelm his opponents with raw strength the way Lars did. He merely advised his allies how to punish the enemys mistakes, but the effect was the same. Everybody he played against were overwhelmed and dispirited. Yuel and John werent exactly friends, but they had been playing Classmancers together ever since the first lesson. John definitely liked the game, but he must had grown to hate it because of Yuel. No, it wasnt only John. Just how many of Yuels classmates quit Classmancers because of him? They all played casually, but they were by no means bad players. By destroying them with everything he got, Yuel murdered their chances of ever taking the game more seriously. Sorry... Yuel mumbled as John passed by him. Its fine. John answered without lifting his head. I just suck at Classmancers, thats all there is to it. Thats not true. You can become much better if you take your time to learn the game. Become better, huh. No way I can keep up with monsters like you. At least play with us sometimes. If I feel like it. John left. Based on his expression, he most likely wouldnt touch Classmancers ever again. Hey, dude. Whats with the long face? Lars smacked Yuel on the back. Agh. It hurts. Yuel frowned. Say, is it fun playing Classmancers with me? Hmm. Welp. Lars scratched the back of his head. You sure can get bossy. Do this, dont do that. Sometimes I feel like punching yo face. Eh? Seriously? But its fine, ya know? Youre right on the money most of the time. Lars smiled and gave a thumb up. You saw that duel just now, right? I scored that sick early kill because I started with a power item and didnt dive the Golem. Thats stuff I learned from Professor Yuel himself. Heh, is that so. Yuel smiled wryly. But dont you sometimes feel like Im deciding all your actions for you? Hey, hey! Dont ya steal my glory, yo! Im the one landing all the shots, youre just there to give me some tips. Im Batman and youre Robin, lets be clear about that. Heh, not sure I agree. Deal with it, dude. Haha. Yuel breathed in relief. He was glad at least Lars was resistant to his habit of bossing his teammates around. If a prodigy like Lars were to quit Classmancers because of that, Yuel would never forgive himself. Anyway, lets play already! Sure. They queued into yet another match. Even though they were a party of just two people, it made the online experience completely different from playing solo. Their win ratio rocketed all the way to 68% and they chained long winning streaks, gaining huge amounts of exp for their accounts. Most of the time it was just the two of them, but sometimes other kids joined in as well. Among them were Taison and Gregory, the Pirate and Cleric whom Yuel and Lars defeated on their first meeting. These two didnt play online much before and were content with stomping weaker classmates, but being utterly crushed by Yuel and Lars apparently made them change their ways. The one who joined Yuel and Lars most often was Julia, the girl who played terrible Support for Lars before. After Yuel magnificently shut down Taison and Gregory, even Julia had to admit he was somewhat decent. Though, her attitude toward him remained as nasty as ever. Can I play Support for you this time? Julia asked Lars with a pretty smile. Hmm. Yuel, what do you say? Lars titled his head. Shes not fit to play Support. Yuel gave it to her straight. Whats that? Youre saying Im a bad player!? Julia raised her voice and glared at Yuel. Her angelic smile vanished without a trace. No, youre not a bad player. Yuel shook his head. Youre a decent Mid Laner, but youre not fit to play Support. And whys that, exactly? Mid and Support even have some classes in common. Thats true, but you need to play Mid Cryomancer and Support Cryomancer very differently. You play Support the same way you play Mid, which a no-no. Hmph, I just need to practice it. Julia refused to give up. How do you expect me to get any better if youre not letting me play Support? Its pointless. You wont learn the Supports mentality just from playing a lot of Support. How do you even know that, you reta- Julia barely stopped herself. She threw a nervous glance in Larss direction. Phew, he wasnt bothered by her outburst. She adjusted her attitude and swallowed her pride. T-Then teach me how to play Support. No. You dumb- Geh. I mean, why not? Itll be a waste of time. I can teach you about Mid if you want. Gah! Youre really such a...! Julia gritted her teeth to stop herself from raining a thousand curses. Okay, okay. Lars clapped his hands. July, you mind playing Mid? Dunno whether youre fit to play Support, but I agree youre a great Mid. T-Thanks. Julia blanked out for a moment and her face turned pinkish. Sure, I like Mid more than Support anyway. Her attitude made a sudden 180. Seriously, this girl... But that wasnt the end of it. Once in a while she pestered them about playing Support, only to be shot down by Yuel. Why was she so eager to play Support anyway? It didnt suit her at all. She was a scaredy-cat who ran away at the first sign of danger. It wasnt exactly a great attitude, but it worked fine for a Mid Laner. Mages were squishies with bad escape tools and Mid Lane was the most prone to ganks. Therefore, playing safe was important in Mid. But the same mentality didnt apply to Support Mages, who more often than not had to be in enemys face. Hey, Yuel! Lets play- ah. Lars barraged into the class, only to realize that Yuels seat was empty. He has a chess tournament today. Oh! Right! Completely forgot about that thing! Lars smacked himself on the forehead. Then, how about I play Supp- Meh, guess Ill practice my jungling today. Lars shrugged and turned toward Julia. Youre playing, right? Sure... Julia answered with a wry smile. Even when Yuel wasnt there, she simply couldnt win. Nevertheless, she kept playing Classmancers with them more than anybody else. At least on the surface, she looked as passionate as them about the game. Even once the school year ended and the summer vacation began, she kept playing online with them. They used voice chat to communicate and steadily climbed up the levels. Meh, this isnt the same. Lars complained. Lets all meet up! Ever since he suggested that, they start meeting twice a week to play together in the same room. But why Yuels room? Julia pouted. Because of you. Yuel answered. You acted weird when we played at Larss place. Your performance suffered and we lost some very easy games. Geh. Julia averted her eyes. Her cheeks turned pink. Haha, sorry about all the mess in my room. Lars laughed. Bet it wasnt comfortable to play there. N-Not at all! Julia exclaimed. I-Its just what Id expect from a boys room! Compared to that... Yuels room was tidy and organized, eerily so. No decorations and no color, it hardly even looked like a room somebody lived in. Julia never thought her room was particularly messy, but compared to Yuels - hers looked like a jungle. We can always play at your place. Yuel smirked. That is, if youre fine with inviting two boys to your house. No thank you. Julia shot him a glare. If it were only Lar... then... Her face gradually transformed into a tomato. In the end, meeting in Yuels room became their routine for the summer break. In these two months, Yuel and Lars planned to reach Lv.50 and conquer the world of Ranked mode. They both began the vacation at Lv.46, so Ranked was just around the corner. Oh, and Julia was also there, lagging behind at Lv.38. Vol.1 Ch.8: Friends The closer Yuel and Lars drew to Lv.50, the harder the matches became. To balance out their party, they were matched against strong pairs and trios. There were even times when the whole enemy team was premade, meaning all the enemies were coordinated. To maintain a good win ratio at this high level, Yuel and Lars had to execute finer plays than ever. Lets go, dude! Lars charged toward the enemy. His HP was low, but he trusted his partner to follow up with the appropriate CC. Eh!? W-Wait! Yuel flinched. Werent they going to retreat!? Sure, the enemy Pirate was fleeing, but he was healthy with 50% HP. Lars barely had 10% HP, there was no way hed survive more than two hits from the Pirate. Attacking was suicide! Wait, I think I see it. Yuel took a moment to analyze the recent events. The Pirate had just used Backfire Cannon, which meant he didnt have any escapes right now. The angle at which he fired the cannon was far from optimal, so for a brief moment he found himself in a bad position. If Yuel took a couple of steps forward and froze the Pirate with Ice Coffin, then Lars could barrage the frozen Pirate to death. Theyd make a huge comeback in the match! Alas, by the time Yuel finished processing all of that - it was too late. He missed the brief opportunity for executing that play and couldnt keep up with Larss pace. In other words: Lars was charging alone to his death! Ugh! If he dies here its all over for us...! Yuel had to prevent the worst case scenario by all means! Therefore, he froze Lars with Cryo-Freeze. Lars was rooted in place, unable to pursue the enemy any further. But, at least he was alive. Gah, he got away! Lars pouted. My bad. Yuel apologized. I figured out what you were going for, but I didnt make it in time. You made the right play there. This wasnt the first time it happened. By playing with Yuel every day, Lars also learned how to punish enemies mistakes. On the large scale, his ability to punish mistakes paled compared to Yuels. However, when it came to small fights, he could make amazing split-second decisions which even Yuel missed. In the end, they lost that match. If Yuel acted faster, they could had taken out the Pirate and would had swung the match in their favor. He truly missed a golden opportunity there. Sorry, I dont know how I missed that play. Yuel bit his lip. Even though nobody blamed him, knowing that the team lost because of his misplay was depressing. Hey, look over here for a second. Lars said. Hm? Wha- AH!? Yuel flinched. A fist! A fist came flying straight into his face! He raised his arms and retreated, nearly falling off his chair. He closed his eyes and braced himself for a strong impact... which never came. Eh? So slow, dude! Larss punch stopped right in front of Yuels nose. If I tried to hit ya for real, your nose would be inside yo brain by now. What was that for? Yuel frowned. Just testing your reaction time. Youre real slow as hell, yo. Sorry for not practicing self-defense. Yuel made a face. But I admit, reacting quickly isnt exactly my strongest point. Everybody have a weakness or two. Tch, it must be because youre too used to chess. They give you like 5 years to make a single move, right? No, theres actually a time lim- And whats with all these games? Lars flipped through Yuels drawer as if he owned the place. Almost everything you got is turn-based! Dont you have any action games? Where are your shooters, dude? I dont play shooters. Huh? Whys that? Because... I always die without achieving much. Yuel averted his eyes. Heh, lemme guess: Youre one of em noobs who spray bullets all over the place once they run into somebody, right? Yeah, my aim isnt that good. Dude, please. Thats not a problem of aiming, youre just startled and dont react fast enough. Its like how you took a freakin millennium to react to my punch just now. I could have scored like fifty headshots in that time. Isnt it common sense to be surprised by an unexpected attack? Sure, but youre supposed to brace yourself before the attack hits you, not after. Well sorry, but that punch was too fast for me. Nah, Im tellin ya its your reaction thats slow. Hmm. Lars crossed his arms. Oh, I know! It must be because youre holed up at home the whole day! Excuse me? We both spend most our time on Classmancers. Yeah, but I work out in the mornings and evenings. Seriously? Yuel was taken aback. I thought youre playing Classmancers first thing in the morning. Nah, I begin my mornings by jogging two kilometers. Is that so. Well, youre a basketball ace, after all. Yuel nodded to himself. Of course youd keep yourself in shape. Nah, thats not it. Lars shook his head. We didnt even jog in the club, we always sprinted like crazy. The coach even told us to not jog too much because it develops the wrong muscles or some shit. Guess that makes sense. Yuel vaguely remembered reading something like that while researching basketball. So why jog then? Its a good way to keep myself in shape. And when youre in shape, you do literally everything better. You can even react to punches faster, yo! You should totally try jogging too! Ill pass. Im not athletic enough for that. Yuel had enough bitter memories from trying sports at school. Now that he had Classmancers, he didnt want anything to do with physical exercise ever again. He was playing an esport, not a sport. Dont worry! Jogging is easy! You did that in PE, right? You mean walking? Sure did. Geh, youre on of these lazy bums, arent ya? Lars made a disappointed face. Betcha didnt even try running. I tried a few times. Always ran out of breath and almost collapsed. Lame! So lame! And you call yourself a man!? You know, being a boy doesnt immediately turn me into a Hercules like you. Pft, haha! At least the reaction speed of your tongue is pretty good! Lars took a deep breath after laughing for a whole minute. Anyway, remember that pro match you showed me the other day? Remember that cool play by the Carry and Support? The one you said was a split-second decision. Yes, of course. Yuel nodded. It was a brilliant play which was stuck in both of their heads. The Carry and Support, Elf and Knight, were running away with low HP. But then, they noticed how the Warlock pursuing them got a little too close. It was just for a moment that the Warlocks positioning was poor, he was definitely going to correct that right away. It was just a matter of a couple centimeters, really. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Nonetheless, the Elf and Knight immediately turned around to punish that tiny error. The Knight used Blink to instantly teleport behind the Warlock, which was only possible thanks to the Warlocks slightly poor position. If the Warlock were just two steps behind, Blinks range wouldnt had reached all the way behind his back. Right after teleporting, the Knight activated Shield Bash without giving the Warlock any time to react. He rammed his shield into the Warlocks back, stunning and pushing the Warlock closer to the Elf. On the other side, the Elf was already prepared with Elven Sight, a skill which changed his POV to first person. It granted him a zoom in and extended the range of his shots just enough to hit the pushed Warlock. This was a potentially game swinging moment, so the camera switched to the Elfs first person view for extra drama. Needless to say, the commentators and the audience were going wild. To take down the Warlock, the Elf had to quickly land 5 shots. Was that even feasible considering the relatively short stun of Shield Bash? The Elf didnt waste a single moment! He fired the first arrow while the Warlock was sill in the middle of being pushed. The first arrow hit. The second arrow also hit. The third hit. The fourth hit as well! That was it! One more arrow and the Elf would finish it! He nocked the arrow and was about to draw- The Warlock broke free of the stun and rolled toward the Elf! He performed that roll the very instant the stun ended, he undoubtedly spammed that command the whole time he was stunned. This roll was a smart play which threw a wrench in the Elfs plans! Knowing that he had no chance of escaping, the Warlock chose to roll straight toward the enemy. The Elf was so low on HP that a single basic attack would prove fatal. If the Elfs next arrow missed, the Warlock would be able to land the finishing blow! Itd be over! After firing four arrows in a row into the same exact spot, would the Elf commit the mistake of firing the fifth arrow to the same place?! With the arrow already nocked while the Warlock was rolling, nobody could tell how this fight would end! The Elf didnt misfire. Even under such pressure, he wasnt tempted to release the winning arrow too soon. He carefully watched the Warlocks movements and shot down the Warlock in the middle of the roll. In such a tight spot, the Elf and Knight turned the situation around and swang the game in their teams favor! Lars shouted like a fanboy during the Elfs last shot, but Yuel was more impressed by the how this whole engagement started. The Knights decision to teleport behind the Warlock was simply genius. It was a split-second play which required an inhuman reaction speed. It was also extremely risky, as even the tiniest mistake would had offered the enemy a double kill on a silver platter. All these factors combined to create a breathtaking high-risk high-reward play. Doesnt that kinda remind you the play I tried this match? Lars asked. Thats true, I guess. Yuel averted his eyes. Even though the circumstances were quite different, Lars also attempted a high-risk high-reward play which was based on the enemys mispositioning. I see, so thats where he got the idea for that risky play. Even though Yuel also watched the same pro play and even analyzed it in detail, he failed to execute a similar play himself. It wasnt like he lacked the game knowledge to notice that play. No, he did in fact notice the play. But, unlike Lars, he wasnt fast enough to execute it. Now tell me for real. Lars stared deep into Yuels eyes. Think you could ever pull such a sick play the way youre now? Who knows. These pros are adults with lots of experience. Once I get that far, then surely... Really? Even though you said that play requires inhuman reaction speed? Practice and experience help with executing plays faster. You really think they practiced this one super specific scenario? Dude, please. Thats... Yuel bit his lip. More experience would definitely help him execute common plays faster, but it wouldnt help with crazy plays which were born in the heat of the moment. That kind of brilliant play might had been forever impossible for Yuel. Remember I told you how Tais brother plays Classmancers competitively in high school? Lars asked. You know Ivy High, right? It has the strongest high school team in the region. I actually heard a little about their training regime from Tai. Oh? Yuels eyes lit up. They do anything special? They jog, among things. Eh? They must work out regularly to stay in shape, yo. They even have two coaches: a Classmancers coach and a fitness coach. Youre kidding... Yuel thought he left physical exercising behind when he discovered Classmancers, but it returned to haunt him again in the worst way possible. Ugh. For the dudes on the main roster the training is like seriously strict, yo. Lars explained. They gotta jog at least two kilometers every day. Oh, so thats why you... Yup. Lars grinned. I wanna join the strongest team when I get to high school, so Im getting ready for that day! Is that so. Yuel hung his head, unable to handle how dazzling Lars looked right now. While Yuel was busy leveling up his account the whole day just to get into Ranked, Lars was thinking far beyond and was preparing himself for the competitive scene. Yuel felt completely beaten. If the best team values exercising so much, then it must be truly important... Yuel mumbled. But, unlike you, Ive always been bad at sports. Bad at sports? And who exactly decided that? Anybody can jog. Did you ever see my PE grades? Theyre abysmal. And what exactly did you do about it, yo? Lars sneered. Lemme guess: You read some dumb manuals to make up for brawn with brains, right? I... yeah. Yuel hung his head. Thats exactly right. Whenever he faced a difficulty with sports, he consulted books and online articles. After running out of breath during a jog, he studied how to improve his running form and how to breathe correctly. When he performed poorly at soccer, he researched positions, roles and team strategies. Thats all shit, yo! You gotta exercise if you want results! You think I was born holding a basketball or something!? Lars grabbed Yuels collar. Just look at me! I bet you thought Id never learn how to play smart in Classmancers, right? But I kept playing and playing and playing, always listening to your freakin advice! I may not be smartest dude in the world, but even an idiot can learn stuff if you drill it into him! Thats true... Yuel bit his lip. Indeed, Lars barely made any glaring mistakes these days. He built the right items, retreated when necessary and sometimes even made sophisticated plays. He was a completely different person compared to the Lars from one month ago. So dont give me that shit, yo! Dont just give up without trying anything! Lars shook Yuel. I wanna play on the strongest high school team. But, even more than that, I wanna play on that team with YOU! With me...? Yuels eyes went wide. Yeah, dude! We gonna form the strongest duo! The strongest combo of Carry and Support, yo! Ah. Yuel trembled. Why? How was he supposed to react? Something about Larss words set his insides on fire. But why? Why me? Huh? Isnt that obvious? Lars smiled. Your Support is sick and you taught me tons of stuff about the game. But most importantly: were friends! Friends... Yuel stared at Lars with a dumb face. Friends? What exactly were friends? He realized the word felt alien to him. Was there ever anybody Yuel truly called a friend? There was none. Nobody at all. He wasnt exactly a loner, but he was alone. He talked to some of his classmates from time to time, they even played Classmancers together. But were they friends? No really. In the end, they gave up on him and he gave up on them. He always thought theyd become friends by playing a team sport together. Right, he... he wished for that, thats why he was so drawn toward team sports. Even more so than competing against others or outwitting them, what he really wished for was to play with other kids, to play with friends. Thats why he felt so terrible when John gave up on Classmancers because of him. He played lots of Classmancers with John and they shared some hobbies. He was sure they could become friends, but John gave up on him. Everybody gave up on him. But Lars was different. Even when Yuel was trying to run away, Lars didnt give up on him. Lars kept reaching out, no matter what excuses Yuel gave. A true friend, huh. Perhaps. Whoa, whats with the silent treatment? Lars blinked. Dont tell me Im the only who thought were friends!? H-Heh, who knows. Yuel forced a sarcastic smile while averting his eyes. His heart squeezed and his eyes turned glassy. Hey, are ya crying, dude? Sorry if I yelled too much... Lars scratched his head. No, its not that. Yuel covered his eyes. I was just thinking of the hell awaiting me. What hell? The hell that is exercising. Yuel smiled. I dont promise anything, but Ill give it a shot. Really!? Cool! Lets run two kilometers right away! Wha-!? W-Wait! Yuel was dragged outside. Two kilometers!? Is he trying to kill me!? It was absurd! Even so, Yuel secretly smiled because he wasnt alone anymore. With such a trusty friend by his side, hed surely be able to endure anything... or so he thought. Haa... ugh... Im... Im dying. Yuel panted and wobbled as he tried to run. All his muscles screamed from pain. What the heck? We barely covered 400 meters, yo! Lame! That... Thats it... Im done for... Ah! Yuels shaky legs gave in. The heck ya doing, dude? Lars grabbed Yuels shoulder before Yuel crashed into the ground. Phew, that was close. Haa... I... I cant keep up with this pace... Yuel was about to pass out. I cant do this after all. I quit. Hey, you just started! You gonna run away again!? Heh, just kidding. Yuel smiled. I just need to lower the pace because Im not a sports beast like you. But Ill do it properly... starting tomorrow. He added after barely getting back home by leaning on Larss shoulder. Exercising was going to be hell, but he promised to stick with it. He, too, wanted to attend Ivy High and play on the strongest high school team in the region. And more than that, he wanted to play on that team together with Lars. He couldnt allow himself to fall behind. For the first time, he felt like he was working hard for more than just his own sake. He had a friend with whom he shared the dream of climbing to the top of Classmancers. If they kept working hard, theyd surely reach the high school competitive scene and the pro scene that laid beyond it. One day, they might even become the kind of pros who made breathtaking plays and inspired younger generations. But until that day, Yuel first had to defeat his greatest enemy yet: jogging! Ugh. Vol.1 Ch.9: Third Wheels Feelings After miserably failing his first attempt at jogging, Yuel consulted online fitness articles again. However, this time he didnt do so to run away from exercising. He researched how a scrub like him should go about exercising, since running 2 kilometers at Larss pace was an olympic feat for him. Apparently, there was no problem with starting slow. As long as he maintained a jogging routine, he should improve with time. He couldnt make it through 2 kilometers right now, but he somehow survived a half kilometer jog by running at his own pace. Gah! So slow! Lars ranted while running beside Yuel. Geh, running at your turtle speed also somehow makes me more tired than usual. You were a freakin turtle in your previous life, werent ya? And I''m sure you were a missile. Yuel retorted. Just go on ahead, no need to stick around me. Yeah, sure. Who knows what you gonna do once I take my eyes off ya? Dont worry, you dont need to babysit me. Im not going to quit, not this time. Hoh. Lars was taken aback by Yuels determined look. Okay, Im going ahead then. If youre not half-dead by the time you finish, then Imma know youve been slacking off, yo! Deal. The first week was literally hell. Yuel jogged at a snails pace for a mere half kilometer, yet he felt like he sprinted through a whole marathon. He always returned home beaten and barely standing. The thought of quitting tempted him every day. Hey, dude! You slacked off today, didnt ya!? Lars interrogated Yuel. No. I ran the whole thing. Yuel examined himself in wonder. He had just finished the usual hellish jogging routine, yet he wasnt about to collapse and his breathing was somehow stable. He was tired, but thats all. I think Im getting used to this. The second week was much easier. Did his body adapt to his hellish routine? It was baffling. He knew the brain could adapt to things via repetition, but he had no idea his muscles were installed with such a function as well. As jogging became gradually easier, he started extending the distance and raising his pace. Any increase in difficulty was torture the first few days, but he soon got used to it. At this rate, he should be able to survive a 2 kilometers jog by the end of the summer. To further improve Yuels reaction speed, they also played some hectic shooters together. Yuel was skeptical of this idea, but he gave in after Lars nagged him to no end. Besides, as much as he hated to admit it, Lars was kind of right about the whole jogging thing. Even somebody like Yuel could jog with enough practice and he felt more alert ever since he started working out. As much as he disliked the genre, there was no harm in trying out shooters as well. Who knew, it just might work. Oh, I scored a kill. Yuel blinked in front of the screen. Weird, had he always been this calm during action packed situations? He scored that kill on a chaotic battlefield where plasma shots flew left and right. He was used to be confused by these situations and took too long to analyze everything. But, after playing this shooter for two days, he learned how to quickly spot enemies and shot them down. Of course, he received a headshot right after scoring that amazing kill, but at least he did something for the team! He wasnt completely useless! In general, he found himself way more level-headed in shooters than he was used to be. Running into aggressive enemies still startled him, but he reacted faster and more efficiently. Instead of randomly spraying bullets all over the place, he took a moment to adjust his aim and ensure his shots would actually hit somebody. He still died a lot in embarrassing ways, giving Lars some good laughs, but he actually scored some kills as well. Shooters didnt feel nearly as frustrating as before. After a month of this routine, Yuel felt like he was reborn. The results soon started showing themselves in Classmancers. After getting used to all these fast-paced crazy shooters, Classmancers almost felt like it moved in slow motion. Gah, he got away! Lars exclaimed as his prey escaped into the jungle. He could still deliver the finishing blow with a bouncing Trickshot, but there werent any good walls- Heres your wall. Yuel erected a wall of ice. It was placed hastily, yet its location and angle were just perfect. The wall was so amazing it literally begged Lars to shoot it! Awesome!! Lars fired a Trickshot at the ice wall. The bullet bounced once and darted into the jungle. An enemy has been killed! Sick play, dude! You too. By the time they reached Lv.49, they were a pair of monsters. Now that Yuel could keep up with Lars, their teamwork and synergy were top-notch. Whenever they played together as Support and Carry, their team usually ran over the enemy. In particular, feeding Lars by letting him score kills was the most devastating strategy. A fed Lars was an unstoppable Lars, he single-handedly carried the whole team and couldnt be defeated even in 1v3 fights. Heck, he even won 1v5 a couple of times. Yuels job was to orchestrate the situations which allowed Lars to feed on enemies. He analyzed opponents, figured out their tendencies and found the best time to strike. Of course, all the spoils of war went to Lars. Yuel was like a tamer responsible for feeding a baby tiger, until that tiger grew into a savage beast and annahaliates all their foes. However, while the two of them were making such an outstanding progress, somebody was completely forgotten... Hah... Aaah... I... Im dying! I cant take this anymore! Julia complained without end as she tried keeping up with Yuels jogging pace. How are you so fast!? Go slower! Go slower if its too much for you. Yuel said. Theres no need to compete with me. I wont let a dumbass like you pass me! Grrr! Julia gritted her teeth and sprinted forward. She successfully reached Yuel, then ran out of breath and lagged behind again. This comical routine repeated every ten seconds throughout the jog. Sigh. When JulIa learned about Yuel jogging with Lars, she immediately signed up as well. However, this routine proved to be much harsher than she expected. Not only did Lars and Yuel jog at entirely different paces, but turned out she couldnt even keep up with a slowpoke like Yuel. Despite her slender figure, she wasnt very athletic. In truth, even during her first run, she already did way better than how Yuel started out. He only achieved his current speed after weeks of training, but she couldn''t possibly know that. All she knew was that, here and now, she was lagging behind someone who was supposed to be a total slowpoke. Youll get injured if you keep this up. Yuel said. Jogging is all about running at a steady pace. All these random sprints are going to wear you out. Sh... Hah... S-Shut up, dumb- Wah! Julia tripped and crashed into the asphalt. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. You okay? Yuel stopped and turned around. Do I look okay to you, idiot!? Julia hissed and slowly got up. Her right knee was scraped and had some blood on it. Thankfully, it didnt look serious. Thats as far as you go today. Yuel said. Go home to have somebody look at it. Shut up, retard! I know! Julias eyes were teary and she clenched her trembling fists. Even though he was just worried about her, Julias attitude toward Yuel was as lovely as ever. Sigh. She turned around and Agh! knelt down, holding her ankle. Did you sprain it? Im fine! This is noth- agh! Julia cried out with each step. If it hurts, just say so. Shut up! What do you know!? Julia glared at him. You two always hang out together, treating me like some third wheel! Just when I finally learned to play this stupid game and got to support Lars, you came outta nowhere and kicked me out of the picture! Ah, that wasnt really- Shut up, idiot! Tears ran down Julias cheeks. And... And now I learn you two have been jogging together all this time without telling me anything! And somehow youre better than me even at jogging! Just who do you think you are!? Thats... Yuel was speechless. What should he say? What could he say? Julia treated him like an enemy from the first day they met. From her point of view, Yuel butted into her relationship with Lars and kicked her out. It was by no means his intention, but thats how it played out in the end. Im not your enemy. Yuel stated. Shut up! Get lost! Julia sat down on the asphalt and wiped out her tears. Ah, seriously. I must be dumb. What was I even doing all this time...? Yuel knew the look in Julias eyes, this dead and empty look of defeat. John wore the same expression after he was stomped by Lars. After that incident, no matter how many times they asked John to join them in Classmancers, he never did. He completely gave up on the game. Julia was about to give up on everything as well, she was going to quit Classmancers. Yet another person was going to quit Classmancers because of Yuel. And, yet again, he was going to lose a potential friend. Julia maybe hated his guts, but he believed that, with time, they could become friends. Sorry. Yuel had no idea how to patch things up. There was no response to his apology, Julia just continued sitting on the asphalt and holding her injured leg. Its like she refused to recognize Yuels existence. Is that all I can do? Yuel bit his lip. His apology fell on deaf ears, just like it was with John back then. Both then and now, all Yuel did was stand there and watch in silence. Was that really all he could do? No! Not this time! Just like Lars didnt give up when Yuel tried to escape from physical exercise, Yuel wouldnt give up on Julia either. Even though shed definitely reject him, even though she hated him - he wanted to reach out to her. Yuel approached Julia and grabbed her arm. He wouldnt give up. Not here. What are you doing!? Let go! Julia tried to shake him off, but he only tightened his grip. Agh! Let go! Just what are you trying to pull, you dumbass!? Yuel remained silent and dragged Julia across the street. Words were useless right now, Julia was too agitated to listen to anything he had to say. Here you go. Yuel dragged Julia all the way to a nearby bench, I... I didnt ask for help. Julia muttered, but sat down on the bench anyway. Her expression softened somewhat, so perhaps now she was ready to listen. I understand you feel like I stole your spot as Larss Support, but that wasnt my intention. Yuel said. Still, its a fact you were hurt because of me. For that, I apologize. Hmph, as if your apology gonna change anything now. If you really feel sorry about it, then teach me how to play that stupid Support role and let me play Support for Lars! Ive already asked you a billion times by now, but you never listen! I could do that, but as I told you: youre not fit to play Support. Yuel spoke in a matter-of-factly tone. There wasnt a single hint of doubt in his voice. Your playstyle fits Mid much better and Id gladly help you improve as a Mid Laner. Tch, here you go again acting like a know-it-all. Julia shot him a glare. How am I supposed to get any better at supporting if you never let me play it!? Im sure youre aware of your shortcomings as a Support. Yuel had been avoiding the specifics until now because he didnt want to hurt Julia with the truth. But maybe that was a mistake and he should had confronted her a long time ago, before they got to this breaking point. Therefore, this time, Yuel explained everything: How Julia was too much of a scaredy-cat to put herself on the frontline, how she was reluctant to join team fights unless her team had a clear advantage and how she always built power items because she felt useless without any damage. For a Support, these are all glaring flaws. Yuel explained. However, for Mid, these are acceptable, or even positive, traits. So thats why youre always such a jerk about it. Julia hung her head, but she accepted everything more easily than Yuel expected. I agree, I kinda suck at supporting. Its annoying, but I gotta admit Ill never reach your level. But, if you teach me just a little, Im sure I can become much better at it! I could do that, but is that what you really want? Do you think playing shabby Support will help you winning Larss heart? W-W-W-What!? Julias cheeks turned red. Y-Y-Y-You knew!? Everybody know you like Lars. Hes probably the about only one who hasnt noticed yet, because hes so popular with everybody. T-Then, if you know so much already, then let me play Support! If you plan on maxing out his Affection Points or whatever before confessing, then youre being very narrow-minded about it. Instead of showing him some mediocre Support, impress him as a strong Mid. I know you like Mid more than Support anyway. Maybe youre right... Julia mumbled. True, she liked playing Mid more than Support because it was easier to kill things and feel useful. Would Yuels idea really work? If she became an outstanding Mid Laner, would Lars praise her? She wouldnt get to play on the same lane as Lars early into the game, but theyd still cooperate during team fights and hed see her achievements. Perhaps she was truly narrow-minded until now. I really should have explained all of this a long time ago. For that, again, Im sorry. Yuel apologized. Because of the way he kept rejecting Julia until now to avoid drama, he ended up looking like a total jerk and caused even more drama. To prove that I bear no ill will toward you, Ill give you a special service. Special service? Julia raised an eyebrow. Youre going to like it. Yuel took out his phone and called Lars. Julia sprained her ankle. Can you help her get home? W-W-Wait! Julias face turned into a tomato. Gaaa! Injuring herself on the first day was so embarrassing! Facing Lars right now would be the end of world! She wanted to stop Yuel, but a fierce pain shot through her leg the moment she stood up. Hell be here shortly. Yuel put away his phone. You! How could you!? He gonna think Im some clumsy girl who cant exercise! Idiot! Jerk! Dumbass! Retard! Die! Dont worry. I nearly passed out on my first day of jogging, but Lars helped me out. Hes not the type to give up on his friends like that. Hes the boy you like, so have some faith in him. Um, well... Julia had no idea how to retrot against that. In the end, she simply nodded and quietly waited for Lars to arrive. S-Sorry for being so clumsy. Julia apologized to Lars. Nah, dont worry. Lars smiled at her. You just gotta run go slower next time. Yuel legit collapsed on his first day, haha. Seems like she cant walk at all. Yuel explained. He was immediately stabbed by Julias glare, but he ignored it. The best option is to give her a piggyback ride. E-Ehhh!? Julias brain short-circuited . B-B-B-But... Ah... Eh... Okay, sounds good. Lars turned around and offered his back. Get on! A, A, A, Alright! Julia pressed herself against Larss back. Her cheeks probably generated more heat than the sun at this point. I hope thats good enough. Yuel prayed that he successfully convinced Julia to not give up on Classmancers. Unlike that time with John, Yuel properly confronted Julia and they got to exchange their thoughts. This had to work. Please, work! A few days later, once her leg recovered, Julia visited Yuel. Her cold attitude toward him didnt change much, but her determination was on a whole different level.. Teach me... please. Julia averted her eyes, clenching the hem of her skirt. She took a deep breath and gazed into Yuels eyes. Teach me how to improve as a Mid Laner. Gladly. Since then, Julia came over to Yuels place about as often as Lars. The three of them played Classmancers from morning to evening nearly every day of summer break. Julia lagged behind them by nine levels at first, but she gradually closed the gap. By the time they reached Lv.50, Julia already hit Lv.46. Before long, she also hit Lv.50 and joined them in Ranked mode. Vol.1 Ch.10: Junior High Entry Exam After being coached by Yuel, Julia became an adept Mid Laner. She learned when and where to place wards, which class matchups were favorable, when to rotate to other lanes and much more. She also left Yuel in the dust when it came to jogging. After her embarrassing injury on the first day, she started from slow jogs and gradually raised the pace. By the end of the summer, she could jog at Larss pace for one kilometer. Contrary to her, Yuel didnt feel his fitness improved much after the first couple of weeks. His stamina definitely increased over time, but he was still a laughably slow runner. He was definitely a turtle in his previous life. Nevertheless, maintaining a jogging routine sharpened his senses and improved his reaction speed. He even grew to enjoy shooters somewhat, as he learned to not freak out during tense situations. That was an important skill which carried into Classmancers as well, allowing him to stay composed when ganked and amidst chaotic team fights. As for Lars, he absorbed lots of wisdom from Yuel throughout the summer. His game knowledge and decision-making skills reached a decent level, but he eventually hit a wall. Its not like he reached a very high level, especially not in the game knowledge department, but he didnt show much growth from there. That must had been the current limit of this muscle brain goof. Ranked mode had a draft system, which allowed players to ban classes during the class selection phase. After the first time Trickshooter was banned by the enemy, Lars realized he couldnt play any other Carry class on the same level. Therefore, instead of studying the game, he practiced many different classes. With his mechanical skill, he was naturally good with every class he picked. However, good was far from godlike, which best described Larss insane mastery over Trickshooter. Yuel was secretly relieved, since he finally discovered something sensible in Larss superhuman skill. Even somebody as talented as Lars needed time to master new classes, just like any other human being. That proved Lars wasnt some alien from planet GodlikeSkills. However, it was still mind boggling how quickly Lars produced results. He practiced, practiced, practiced and then practiced some more. He learned to perfectly land headshots with Headhunter, to rapidly snipe targets with Elf and to deliver timely counters with Punisher. Even though he picked classes which demanded acute mechanical finesse to be effective - he mastered all of them. By the time summer break was over, Yuel, Lars and Julia were all Platinum tier in Ranked mode. Julia lagged behind them by two ranks, being Platinum IV, but she was recognized as a strong member of the team all the same. When the new school year began, the three of them attended Riverstock Junior High. Yuel and Lars were set on joining the Classmancers club, but Julia was reluctant. None of her girl friends were interested in Classmancers. But youre good at Classmancers! You should totally do it! Um, t-then Ill give it a shot... In the end, Julia couldnt resist Larss overflowing passion. She came this far already, so she decided to go all the way. And so, the three of them attended the entry exam for the Classmancers club. Based on the number of kids who took Classmancers seriously back at grade school, Yuel didnt expect much competition. He was wrong, completely wrong. Where did all these guys come from? Yuel looked around in disbelief. The hall was stuffed with over 50 freshmen, all eager to join the Classmancers club. The vast majority were boys, but, to Julias relief, there were some girls as well. Yo, yo, yo! Who do we have here? Taison emerged from the crowd and strode toward Lars. He came dangerously close, but didnt slow down in the slightest. Long time no see, dude! Heh! Lars met his pal head on, literally. The two banged their foreheads, like bulls locked in a duel. Everybody was startled by this act of violence, but it was like a handshake for these muscleheads. Yuel suspected they both became idiots after receiving serious brain damage from repeated headbutts. So? Did ya ever reach Ranked, scrub? Taison wore a smug. Me and Greg got to Gold! Pft, lame! All three of us are Platinum, yo! Wha!? Even Julia!? Taisons jaw nearly hit the floor. Obviously. Julia crossed her arms and lifted her chin. Dont compare me to losers like you. Gold? Thats so yesterday. The heck? You dont even like the game, yo! Hmph. Who are you to tell me what I like and what I dont, dumbface? Tch, youre as cute as always. Dont get so worked up, Tai. Gregory appeared behind Taison. At first glance it looked like he wanted to put out the fire, but Yuel knew better than believe that. Obviously Yuel and Lars carried her, even a monkey can get to Platinum that way. Khahaha! Yeah! Taison burst into laughter. What did you just say, four-eyes!? Julias eyes emitted a murderous glint. Cmon, we all know the truth. Gregory smirked while touching his glasses. Admit it, youre just a third wheel for these two. The sooner you face the truth, the better. Big words for somebody who leeches off Taisons skill. Yuel couldnt stand this anymore. In the past month, he watched Julias hard work and growth more than anybody. Perhaps she wasnt on par with Yuel and Lars yet, but she wasnt weak and she definitely wasnt a third wheel. Now, now. Lets play nice, my dudes. Lars wrapped his arm around Gregorys shoulder in an overly friendly manner. We gonna have a Classmancers exam or something, right? Lets settle it there. Heh, sure. Lets do that. Gregory shook off Larss arm. That is, if you guys pull through this exam. Its going to be quite different from what you expect, kek. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Hoh? You know something about this exam? Who knows. Gregory shrugged. Heres my prediction though: Yuel will be eliminated in the first round and youll be eliminated in the second. Heh, sounds like fun! Lars grinned. Well see about that. Their chit-chat was eventually interrupted when Howard, the vice-captain of the Classmancers club, took the stage. He and the captain briefly introduced themselves, then he proceeded to talk about the entry exam. I know what some of you are thinking. Howard smiled. You want to join the Classmancers club because it sounds like a fun place where you can play video games, right? Haha. Some of the audience laughed along with Howard. The school demanded all students to join a club, so it was clear some applied to the Classmancers club to dodge that obligation. As long as they were gamers, playing a video game for club activities sounded like easy life even if they werent genuinely interested in Classmancers. For those who are thinking that way, the door is over there. Howard pierced the audience with a sharp glare. Like it or not, but our Classmancers club is strictly competitive. The school allows the club only 15 members in total. To be fair about it, we always maintain 5 members from each year. You see where Im going with this, yes? In other words, out of the 50+ freshmen gathered in this hall, only five would be admitted into the club. The shocking reveal invoked exclamations and whispers throughout the crowd. Everybody began realizing that the Classmancers club wasnt all sunshine and rainbows. Interesting. Yuel smiled. We may be in for some real challenge, like Gregory said. Heh, thats how it gotta be! Lars grinned. His reaction stood in complete opposite to everybody around him. Seriously, you boys. Julia threw a look at Yuel and Lars, who were both pumped for the this dumb challenge. Sigh, what a pain. The entry exam will have three rounds. Howard explained. In the first round, well test how serious you are about Classmancers. Well have you run five kilometers. Eeeeh!? F-Five kilometers!? The crowd was in an uproar. Five!? How exactly is that a Classmancers exam!? Yuel turned pale. He barely lasted two kilometers even after all the training he had during summer break! It was insane! Yes, yes. Howard nodded. I know what youre all wondering: How the heck is this a Classmancers exam!? After all, most of you are here because you hate physical exercise, right? Haha. But, too bad. Howards voice turned cold. Well have you run. Even if you cant jog the whole way through, you can always walk. Crawl for all I care. If you dont reach the finish line, youre out. If youre in the last 15, youre out. If you have any medical certificates which forbid you to jog, bring them later and well figure something out. This is dumb! Im not doing this shit! A few students left the hall and Yuel almost wanted joining them. As much as he wanted to play competitive Classmancers, running 5 kilometers was insanity. Somebody shaking in his boots? Gregory wore a smug. You better quit before you die out there, kek. I-Im fine. Yuel tried to convince himself. As long as there are less than 15 people here who can run all the way, I can pass this round by walking. You? Pass? And here I thought you were a realist. Gregory shook his head. But surely youre quitting, right July? Sounds rough. Julia cocked her head and turned to Lars. You think I can run it? Easy! Lars gave her a thumb up. Remember that time we jogged to the beach and back? That was about five kilometers. Ouch, that was a harsh run. But I survived it, so guess I can pull it off and stuff? You can run five kilometers...? Gregorys glasses almost slipped down his nose. I guess? Anyway, what about you, four-eyes? Julia lifted her chin. Gonna crawl your way to the finish line? Kek, dont think Im the same as before. Gregory adjusted his glasses. I trained quite a lot during the summer. Look, I even built some muscles. You trained? Interesting. Yuel eyed Gregory. Were you preparing for this very exam, perchance? Who knows. Gregory dodged the question. Very well. Howard continued after everybody made up their minds. Rejoice, those who left also count toward the 15 dropouts. Thanks to them, only seven of you can fail the first round now. How nice of them, right? Haha. My chances went up a little. Yuel nodded to himself. Now, he only had to outpace seven competitors. Five kilometers was a huge deal, but he had a decent chance. Oh, and I joked. Howard grinned. Dont worry, we wont make you run that much. Were not the track club, yes? Haha. One kilometer will suffice, but the rest is still effect. Fail to reach the finish line and youre out. Finish among the last seven and youre out. Howard called it a joke, but 8 students actually left after hearing about the 5 kilometers. Was that part of the test? If so, it was definitely effective at eliminating weak-willed players, even though it didnt quite feel fair. Good thing Yuel didnt take the bait. There are also some good news to hype you up. Howard announced. If you finish the race in first place, youll be excused from the rest of the exam. You become a club member right away. Oh! Cool! Lars grinned. Welp, this gonna end on the first round for me. Good luck at the rest of the exam, my dudes! Tch, arent ya a modest one? Taison retorted. Dont forget I''m also here. If ya think this gonna be a sneeze, think again. Oh? You trained during the summer or something? Because I dont remember you ever beating me at sprinting. This time will be different, mark my words. Looking forward to it! The two sports maniacs eyed each other, both confident in their upcoming victory. Unlike them, Yuel wasnt as enthusiastic about this announcement. He raised his hand and posed a question to Howard. Is it really a good idea to select a Classmancers player based on nothing but their running speed? I thought the club was geared toward winning competitions. A good question. Howard nodded. Im sure at least half the audience shares your sentiment. Tell me, you have any athletic pals who play Classmancers? Yes. Are they any good at Classmancers? Yes, they are. Yuel had to admit. Lars was a god and Taison was quite skilled as well. And what do you think makes them so good? Theyre mechanically skilled, for one. Yuel took a moment to think about it. Theyre also used to practicing and playing as a team, since they were in a sport club before. A full marks answer. Howard clapped once. Its exactly as you said, the athletic fellows usually come from sport clubs. Theyre used to training and maybe even played on a team. So, whoever wins the race may not be an amazing Classmancers player right now, but they should have a solid foundation to molded into one. I see. Yuel frowned. He essentially answered his own question via Howards lead. Howard definitely already had the answer ready when he announced that rule, Yuel felt like he was baited into asking about it. Ugh. If thats all, you have half an hour to gather at the building''s entrance. Howard announced. If you need to warm up or change into a PE uniform, do so now. The crowd dispersed. Yuel and Lars headed outside, but Julia first went to get her PE uniform. No way Im sweating in these clothes. And so, the entry exam was about to begin. The opportunity to play in the competitive scene was right in front of them, they just had to grasp it. The junior high competitive scene wasnt nearly as popular as that of high schools, but it was the first step. Before advancing to larger scenes, they first had to conquer the junior high competitive scene! Vol.1 Ch.11: The Stars Shadow The entry exam for the Classmancers club was about to begin. Everybody gathered in front of the building as instructed. They had to run one lap around the campus, which covered about 1 kilometer according to Howard. Welp, Imma go full gas to win that first place. Lars declared. Yeah, I''m sure you can do it. Julia smiled. No way anybody here is as fast as you. Hah, I beg to differ. Taison approached Lars and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, full intent on winning the race. Pft, are you serious? Julia sneered. What a second-grade basketball player got on Lars? Keh, second grade? Taisons face contorted. Tch, well see about that. Welp, good luck, dude. Lars said. You too, bro. Youll need it. Once the race began, Lars and Taison darted like bullets ahead of the pack. A few runners tried to keep up with them, but soon fell short. By the time Lars and Taison finished half of the track, there was nobody nearby. It was clear the winner would be one of them. Youre really keeping up, yo! Lars grinned. Sure you dont need a break? Right back at ya. Taison grinned as well. Arent ya pushing yourself? Nah, its easy peasy! I can keep going like this for twenty more laps! Though Lars claimed so, he actually pushed himself to his limit. He sprinted at full speed, as if this was a 100 meters race. But, this track was 10 times longer than that. Oh? Whats that? Taison sneered as he looked behind him. Someones running out of fuel? H-Heh, no idea what youre on about! Lars forced a smile, but his breathing became noticeably ragged. His body wasnt trained to sprint over such long distances, so his legs and lungs complained without end. The distance between Lars and Taison grew bigger and bigger with every passing second. So much for getting first place, khaha! Taison got farther and farther away and his fast pace didnt drop at all. How? Why? When did Taison become such an amazing runner? Just... Just what kinda crazy training youve been doing? Lars forced the question through his labored breaths. What was that? Cant hear ya, bro. Youre too far, khaha. Taison looked over his shoulder with a cocky smile. The image of Lars panting and struggling to keep up was delightful. Serves you right, bro! Same as Lars, Taison was on the basketball club in grade school. He was a key player on the team and an accomplished athlete in general, but nobody took notice of him. He, and pretty much everybody else, were overshadowed by Lars. The basketball his team played was a joke, it was basically Larss one-man show. No matter how much Taison practiced, his role on the team never changed. All team members existed for the sole purpose of passing the ball to Lars. Thats why he rebelled. He gathered bros who shared his frustration and practiced defense with them. Even though the cool part of basketball was scoring points, Taison sucked it up and trained as a blocker. The results started showing themselves after a month of training. Taison and his bros finally shut Lars down. They surrounded and cornered Lars, making it impossible for him to charge through all the defenders. Finally, they kicked him off the high horse... or so they thought. A week later, Lars overcame that hurdle. Taison and his crew locked him down as usual, but he didnt care. They didnt let him get any closer to the basket, so he shot from where he could. In just a week, Lars mastered throwing 3-pointers. How was it possible? Taison and his crew trained for a whole month to be able to block Lars, yet Lars overcame them in a single week. That bro had an Olympic level talent, yo! Nobody could rival Lars at basketball anymore, there was no point even trying. So, instead of wasting his time on basketball, Taison played Classmancers. His older brother played on the Classmancers team at Ivy High, so Taison learned a lot about the game. There werent many classmates who played Classmancers, and even less who played it well, so it was easy for Taison to stand out. So youre good at some video game. So what? Julia lifted her chin. Is that what you wanted me to watch? Its boring. Its not just any video game, yo! Taison insisted. Its a game thats officially recognized as a sport in schools and stuff! Sure, sure. Sadly, there werent many who appreciated Taisons skill and he failed to impress the ones he wanted to impress the most. Any scrub who stood out even a bit in basketball or soccer was insta-cool, while Taison didnt get attention no matter how strong he became at Classmancers. One day, special Classmancers lessons were announced for their class. Awesome, yo! Finally all these scrubs would get into the game and realize how amazing Taison really was! He could already imagine the future where he was the topdog! But, in the end, not that many got hooked on Classmancers. Freakin casuals. Still, there were a few bros who played with Taison. For some reason, one of them was Lars. Khaha! You suck, bro! Taison laughed after crushing Larss team. It felt soooo damn good, yo! Taison released all his pent up frustration by beating the shit outta Lars at Classmancers. He finally stood above Lars! He was the king! Khaha! But, turned out Larss hax talent wasnt restricted to basketball. Even though Taison was the king of the hill, Lars grew stronger and stronger with every defeat. What a freak, dang it. And that wasnt even the most irritating thing about Lars. Let me play too. Julia requested. Huh? You? Taison blinked. Didn''t you say its boring? What, I cant change my mind? I played it a little when we had these lessons and its alright. Khaha, so you realized how amazing Classmancers is? Sure, join in! Taisons heart raced. At long last, it was happening! He was going to show off his skill for real! Alright then. Julia sat down... opposite of Taison. She sat beside Lars. Beside Lars. Beside... Eh? Huh? What? Khaha... theres an available seat right here, ya know? I learned to play Support, so Ill team with Lars. Huh? Taison blacked out for a moment. With Lars? Why? Why the freakin hell!? Taison was the strongest Classmancers player in class! Everybody wanted to be on his team! Why Lars!? Why was he more popular again!? Why!?!?!?!? B-But Lars is weak, ya know? Taisons lips trembled. You better play on my team, yo. You already have Greg for Support. Julia shrugged. Its okay! You can take his place! Right, Greg? Taison smiled toward Gregory. ... sure. Gregory nodded. You see? No problem! So come over here and Ill carry you to victory! The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Dont wanna. Julia crossed her arms. Ill play with Lars and help him beat you, itll be more fun this way. Until the very end, Julia didnt budge. Keh, what a stubborn chick! It was Lars. Even though Taison was the stronger player, it was Lars. Even though Julia finally expressed some interest in Classmancers, it was Lars. Help me destroy them, bro. Taison requested. Huh? Bro? Gregory snorted. Werent you ready to throw me away like yesterdays trash a moment ago? Ah, about that... Kek, just kidding. Gregory slapped Taisons shoulder. I think youre wasting your time with that girl, but Ill help as much as I can Thanks, bro! Youre the best! Just dont fall for me. I love ya bro, no homo! As Taison requested, that 2v2 match was entirely one-sided. Julia knew the basics of the game, she had no idea how to play Support and left everything to Lars. It was so damn easy to crush them. Yet, no matter how thoroughly Taison destroyed Lars, Julia refused to switch sides. It didnt even look like she was interested in winning, she just wanted to play with Lars. With Lars. With Lars! Dammit! Okay. It was okay, Taison was still at the best Classmancers player in class. With time, hed convince Julia that he was the amazing one. At least when it came for Classmancers, Taison would forever stand above a loser like Lars... or so he thought. Frankly, that Cryomancer played terribly. Everything went downhill when that guy, Yuel, showed up. He kicked Julia out of the picture and replaced her as Larss Support. And his Support was some scary stuff, yo! There was no better way to describe that shit! Taison felt like he was naked when he played against Yuel. All his flaws and weaknesses were exposed. It was some serious shit, dang it! Until that point, Taison and Gregory had been stomping Lars with their superior game knowledge and decision-making skills. Lars had the mechanical skills of a beast, but he was one hell of an idiot. And thats coming from Taison, whose grades never pass the 50 points mark. Really, it was so laughably easy to beat Lars when Taison and Gregory coopearted against him. But, Yuel single-handedly put an end to that with his Paladin. During the first team fight, he shut down both Taison and Gregory, leaving them to be ripped apart by Lars. It was one hell of a tilting experience, yo! That scrub really did it, dang it! Even so, Taison and Gregory thought they figured out how to combat that pesky Paladin after their first defeat. But they were wrong as hell. Yuel knew exactly what they expected from him and changed his tactics for the second team fight. Yuel started the second team fight by hitting Taison with Justice Strike outta nowhere. Taison couldnt do shit while silenced, neither escape with Backfire Cannon nor unleash the Kraken. Lars immediately followed up on that by activating the Trickshooters ult: Trickshow. Even though it was Gregorys job to support Taison, he couldnt do anything against this sudden development. Taison was forced to fight against Larss Trickshow all by himself. Trickshow sounded like a pretty damn weak ult on paper. For three seconds, it reduced the cooldown durations of Trickshot and Trickslide to absolute zero, allowing the Trickshooter to spam them nonstop. It was cool and all, but it was just three seconds, yo. Taison never got to do any cool plays with that shit. But Lars was different. In his hands, Trickshow was the most OP broken hax ult in existence. Taison couldnt land a single damn hit. Lars spammed Trickslide nonstop to blitz from side to side like a bullet, all the while firing Trickshots. And they were all hella accurate too. A Trickshot straight in the face, a Trickshot in the shoulder from a bounce, a Trickshot straight in the back, a Trickshot in the face from a bounce. There was no damn end to them! Taison was locked in a cage of flying bullets and he couldnt do shit! Taison was proud of his mechanical skill. Even his brother, a competitive high school player, told him he had da skills. But, even so, Lars mopped the floor with him like it was nobodys business! What the actual hell!? How was Lars so damn strong!? Facing Larss Trickshow all by himself for the first time, Taison had to admit the truth. It was frustrating, so damn frustrating, but it was true: Lars was getting stronger than him in Classmancers. Needless to say, Taison and Gregory lost the second team fight as well. Shortly afterwards, they lost the whole match. Ever since that day, the power balance in class had gradually changed. Lars evolved with every passing day by playing with Yuel. Before long, he became a monster who stood a league above Taison. Yet again, something was stolen from Taison. First basketball, then Julia and now Classmancers. And it was always Lars, always that same scum! Goddammit! Why was he getting in Taisons way all the time!? Thats why Taison swore to get revenge. He was gonna reclaim everything he had lost to Lars! He worked out throughout the whole summer vacation. Every day, without fail. He sprinted one kilometer every morning and every evening, for the sole purpose of building his body for this one important race. Everything was for the sake of this entry exam at Riverstock Junior High, the same middle school his brother attended before. By beating Lars in this race, Taison would reclaim everything! Hed secure his spot in the Classmancers club and show that hes more athletic than Lars! Even Julia would have to admit hes better than Lars in every way! A dumbass like Lars was gonna fail the second round of the exam for sure. Therefore, hed never debut in Classmancers competitive scene during middle school. And, he wouldnt get in Taisons way for the next three years. Hed be a nobody by the time he reached high school, a point at which competitive Classmancers was taken seriously enough to be noticed by pros. Lars was doomed for- HUH!? W-What!? Taison nearly tripped, but managed to balance himself in the last second. Dont... Dont think youve won just yet! Lars was there. He was right there, running beside Taison! How the hell!? He was lagging behind by two meters the last time Taison checked! The hell!? Wasnt he running at full speed until now!? No way! Taison was running at his top speed, yet Lars caught up to him! It was bonkers, yo! Lars was pushing it, there was no question about it. He panted like crazy and every step he took ripped his muscles apart. Yet, he wore a smile. Whats oxygen? Whats pain? Who needed these stupid things? Winning the race was all that mattered, yo! Compared to him, Taisons face contorted. He had his hands full with just maintaining his current speed. It was the speed he gained after training for two damn months, for the sole purpose of beating Lars in this race. Yet, he was gradually falling behind. Agh! Shit! Taison cursed. Pain shot through his body each time he stepped on his right foot. Did he twist his ankle? Now, of all times!? It probably had happened when he nearly tripped a few seconds ago. Shit! No matter how much strength he pumped into his legs, the pain forced him to slow down. Meanwhile, Lars got farther and farther ahead. The finish line was less than a hundred meters away. It was over. With this leg, Taison couldnt run anymore. Is that all Im worth? Taison gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. So what if he trained hard every day? Did he really think hed easily defeat a beast like Lars with just that? Bullshit. He knew better than anybody how Lars overcame every hurdle. Even now, with his body on the brink of falling apart, Lars pushed forward in full throttle with a smile on his face. The ecstasy of the competition allowed him to surpass all his limits. It was the difference in willpower. Lars put his everything on the line to win this race, while Taison expected to be carried to victory with just the results of his training. As soon as Taison injured his leg, he gave up and started crying like some chick. It was so damn pathetic. Keh! T-This shit doesnt hurt at all! Taison refused to let things end like this! He didnt train so hard just to be beaten here! Who gave a shit about some pain, yo! If anything, that injury was great! Only like this he could defeat Lars in the truest sense. A victory received on a silver platter was no victory at all. This was a real clash between men, a clash between fighting spirits! He had to prove that his determination didnt lose to Larss! Hed win this race and secure his spot in the Classmancers club! In the last 50 meters of the track, Taison and Lars sprinted toward the goal shoulder to shoulder. Both of them panted and were about to break down, but both of them smiled. Nothing mattered but the goal in front of them, yo! Gah... haah... shit... Heh... hah... yo... Both of them were floored and couldnt move a single muscle. The race was over. The winner was... Taison. Yeah! Eat shit, yo! Taison wanted to laugh, but his lungs hurt like hell. This was the moment he dreamed about! At long last, he defeated Lars! How does it feel, bro? How does it feel, yo!? Taste the same despair Ive been experiencing for years! But, there was no despair or frustration on Larss face. Instead, he turned toward Taison with a smile and raised his fist. Heh, good race, dude. Lets do it again sometime. I wont lose again! ... heh, well see about that, scrub. Taison snorted and locked his fist with Larss. Yeah, what was he thinking? The word despair didnt exist in Larss dictionary. No matter whether Lars won or lost, he always remained the same upbeat idiot. Thats why he was so popular with everybody. And thats why Taison too... yeah, it was frustrating to admit, but he also admired Lars. He looked up to Lars just as strongly as he hated him. In truth, despite how damn salty he always got from losing to Lars, he always wanted to challenge Lars over and over again. When Taison was the strongest and nobody was there to rival him, it was the best feeling ever. But, it got boring fast. If Lars didnt appear to kick Taisons ass, Taison might had quit Classmancers by now. It was thanks to their rivalry that Taison remained so passionate about Classmancers all this time. By winning the race, Taison successfully secured his spot on the Classmancers club. However, by pushing himself beyond his limit to defeat Lars, he felt like he earned something way more valuable that day. Vol.1 Ch.12: The Search for Knowledge Yuel and Julia finished the one kilometer race without any trouble. Surprisingly, Gregory passed it with flying colors as well. Yuel and Gregory were among the least athletic kids in the world before summer break, yet they both finished this race within the top 10. You sure can run. Yuel squinted his eyes. So can you, kek. Gregory smirked. Looks like your prediction for the first round was off. Im still in the game. Yeah, so it seems. Where did you learn of this exam anyway? Nowhere. Lars dragged me to jog with him during the summer and thats the result. But you trained because you knew about the structure of this exam, didnt you? Who knows. Gregory shrugged and averted his eyes. Yuel wanted to pursue this topic further, but Julias high-pitched voice interrupted him. Eeeeh!? You lost!? Julia nearly fainted from shock. Haha, yeah. Lars scratched his head. I was so close too! Tai did some super special training in the summer, Im tellin ya. Lars lost? To Taison? Thats all the proof Yuel needed. Taison and Gregory definitely knew about the structure of this exam. Taison trained to steal first place, whereas Gregory trained to not get eliminated. Its thanks to Taisons brother, isnt it? Yuel deduced. I heard hes playing competitively in high school. Assuming he also attended this school before and tried to join the Classmancers club, he surely remembers the unusual structure of this exam. Yes, yes. Youre so smart. Much genius, such amazed. Jeez. Gregory got fed up with the interrogation, falling right into Yuels trap. So, you know whats coming next, dont you? I dont remember. Didnt you predict Lars will fail the 2nd round? Im sure you have some idea. You really like nitpicking, dont you? Gregory sighed. Okay, Ill tell you. Theres nothing you can do about it anyway. Its a quiz. About Classmancers? Mhm. You pick a role and they give you a quiz about it. Like the first round, youre out if you score low. Good luck getting that idiot thought this one, kek. Once everybody gathered in front of Howard again, the results of the first round were announced. A total of 15 players were eliminated. Taison won first place, so he instantly passed the entry exam. Well do the second round tomorrow. Howard announced. You must be pooped from all this outdoor activity, right? Get some rest for today. Youll be given the details tomorrow, but heres a small hit: you better come prepared for some intense brain work. From the hint, it was almost certain Gregory didnt lie. The next round was going be a Classmancers quiz or something similar. The questions would probably test game knowledge and decision-making. Terrible news. Can you two come over today? Yuel asked Lars and Julia. I planned to, but my freakin body is falling apart, haha. Lars produced an awkward laugh. Im not coming either. Julia said. I wanna take a shower and stuff. Its important. Yuel explained the situation. Itll probably be similar to the quizzes we get at school, except about Classmancers. Im confident about passing, but what about you two? Depends on how hard it is. Julia shrugged. L-Like a school quit? Lars twiched. H-Heh. Haha. Hahahahaha! No problem, yo! Really? Yuel squinted his eyes. How much do you usually score on exams? Heh. Welp. Ya know. No, I dont. Haha! No problem! So its that bad. I see. Yuel frowned. Gregory was Larss classmate before, so if he evaluated Lars like a lost case... sigh. Im not sure how much we can cover in one day, but we should study some basic Classmancers material. According to Gregory, you can pick a role to be quizzed about, so lets study about Carr- See ya tomorrow! Lars was already all the way at the school gate. Huh, you sure got there fast. I thought your body was falling apart or something? Haha, how weird! I feel amazing all of a sudden! Agh, y-yeah! All recovered! Great, it means youve lost your reason for not coming over. Geh! Oh, I totally forgot! I had something to do today- Come on. Yuel dragged Lars away. Nooooooooo! Anything but studying!!! What about you? Yuel turned to Julia. Ill think about it after I rest a little. Julia answered. As expected, she came over an hour later. Good, everybody were assembled for a studying session. First, lets go over all item stats and effects. Yuel opened a web page listing all the items in Classmancers. After you memorize this, well- H-Hold on! Lars cried. I cant do that! Memorize all that stuff? Dude, Ive never got more than 40 on an exam! My brain isnt made for these things! Surely you jest. Nobody could possibly be that stupid. Actually, I think thats not far from the truth. Julia averted her eyes. At least, Ive never seen him score higher than 37. Thats... Yuel rubbed his eyes, taking his time to process this mind boggling reveal. How is that even possible? Just what have you been doing during class? Doing Class... mancers! Haha. Hilarious. Yuel sighed. He already knew Lars was the type who could only learn things via practical experience, but he had no idea things were this grave. Ugh, if only Yuel could load the web page onto a disc and shove it into Larss brain. So anyway, lets forget about that boring stuff and play some Classmancers! Lars grinned and took out his tablet. No. Yuel snatched the tablet. We need to figure out how to teach you these things, or else youre going to be eliminated this round. Hey, give it back! Lars latched onto the tablet and pulled it. Ugh, let go. You wont be able to focus with the tablet beside you. You let go, dude! Its my tablet! I''m doing this for your sake! Thanks, but no thanks! The played tug of war with the tablet, both refusing to yield. Seriously, are you five or something? Julia stared at them. Youre right, this is stupid. Yuel let go of the tablet. W-Wah! Lars crashed into the floor. If you dont want to study, then you can leave. The doors over there. Cmon, dude. Stop being such a stuck up. Lars forced a smile. You wanna play too, right, July? I... Julia paused. Her eyes shifted back and forth between Lars and Yuel, each expecting a different answer from her. It was tempting to support Lars so she could look good, but she wanted to do the right thing. Im... Im going to study. W-We may be able to play later, though! Eh? You too? Stop being so boring and lets play, my dudes! Play solo if you want to play that badly. Yuel retorted. Unlike you, were trying to get into the Classmancers club. If youre fine with failing the entry exam, then go ahead. Go play to your hearts content. Of course I also wanna get in. Lars insisited. Who knows, maybe the exam is actually real easy and Ill ace it. Yeah, Im feeling it, yo! I gonna score full marks for the first time in my life! But, if its not an easy exam, youre going to fail hard. Welp, cant do anything about that. Lars shrugged. If that happens, Ill just wait until high school to get into a club. Oh, right. You wanted to get into Ivy High to play on the strongest team in the region, didnt you? Yup, thats the plan. I hope you know they only accept students with an average grade of 70 or more. Eh? Lars blinked. a dumb smile hanging on his face. N-No problem! If I study from now on, Ill eventually make it! Yeah, Im sure. Yuel sneered. If you cant even sit down to study Classmancers, youll never bother studying anything else. You''re a lost case. Dont worry, Imma study. Theres just no point doing it today, nothing gonna change in a single day anyway. You sang a very different tune when you practiced Headhunters headshots from morning to evening. You told me that every single day of practice made a huge difference, remember? Welp, thats... ya know... To think you were such a quitter. Honestly, Im disappointed. Yuel turned away from Lars. He couldnt stand looking at that idiot anymore. If thats as far as youre willing to go for Classmancers, then just leave. Cmon, dude. Dont give me that. Who knows how the exam gonna turn out! I may pass with flying colors! Or fail miserably, which is more likely. Then, you wont be able to play in the competitive scene for the next three years. Welp, thatll suck, but its okay. The middle school competitive scene isnt a huge deal anyway. Only in high school things get serious for real. Ugh! That was the last straw. Just get the hell out! Yuel roared. Eh? Lars froze. H-Haha. Cmon, no need to be like tha- GET THE HELL OUT! Yuel tossed Larss bag across the room. Heavy silence descended on the room. Tch, okay. Lars picked his bag and stomped out of the room. The silence persisted until Lars passed through the exit and slammed the door with all his strength. Dammit! Yuel dropped on his chair and slammed on the table. Even he didnt knew he could snap this hard. But seriously, what was that idiot thinking!? The middle school competitive scene wasnt a huge deal? What happened to the Lars who always pushed forward and overcame every obstacle in his way!? Yo, dude! You and me! Lets conquer the world of Classmancers together! Well form the strongest Carry and Support duo! These words were burned into Yuels mind and had been driving him to work his hardest. Despite how terribly unathletic he was, he exercised every other day for the sake of achieving their goal. Werent they practicing so they could play competitive Classmancers on the same team? How could Lars quit so easily just because of some stupid quiz!? Conquering the world of Classmancers? What rubbish. He didnt feel like it anymore. What quiz? What Classmancers? What competitive scene? Screw all that. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Tap. Tap. Tap. Yuel noticed to the tapping sounds coming from the sofa. Julia was still sitting there, typing away on her smartphone as if nothing happened. You didnt leave? You want me to? No, I didnt mean that. Is that so. Julia didnt even spare him a glance. She was absorbed in her phone, switching throughout a multitude of deep and complicated expressions. Thanks for sticking up for me back then. Yuel said. It must have been hard for you to oppose Lars like that. Hmph, its not like I did it for you. I know. But thanks anyway. So, you chilled out? Julia put down her phone and looked at Yuel. You sure blew a fuse there. Yeah, I... went a bit overboard. Yuel averted his eyes. Now that he thought back on it, the way he snapped was so uncharacteristic and embarrassing. But you agree with me, right? Hes the one in the wrong, You also werent exactly a shining example of righteousness and stuff., you know Yeah, Im aware. Yelling and kicking him out was immature. Thats not it. You gave up on him too easily. Too easily? I tried to convince him for over an hour. Lets get something straight, okay? Julia said. Not everybody can sit in front of a text scroll and study for hours. Im an okay student, but even I find your suggestion dumb. Sit down and read all item descriptions? Like, are you stupid or something? That worked fine for me. Wanna hear a little secret? Not everybody is like you. Instead of forcing him to do something that wouldnt work, you should have figured another way to go about it. Another way? Like what? I dunno. Youre the genius here, remember? Figure something out, dumbface. For example, there are apps like this. Julia flipped her phone, showing a Classmancers quiz app. She cleared 16 questions in a row on her previous run, pretty impressive. You can even win some gold and skins if you link your account. Its really dope. Yes, that really sounds neat. Yuel nodded. But, you saw how he is. How long do you think this app can keep him motivated? Not for too long, I guess. Julia shrugged. But thats just an example, Im saying there are alternatives and stuff. You just gotta figure something that works for Lars. Didnt he pull your sorry ass when you tried quitting jogging? Thats... Yes, youre right. Yuel completely forgot about it. When he just started jogging, it was exhausting and painful. He wanted to quit so many times. But, Lars was always there to pull him back. No matter how much he ranted or tried to run away, Lars never gave up on him. Because of that, Yuel upheld his jogging routine to this very day. Thats the only reason he passed the first round of the entry exam, with flying colors no less. He only passed because Lars refused to give up on him, no matter. Everybody had an Achilles'' heel or two. For Yuel it was exercising and for Lars it was studying. What kind of friend would he be if he abandoned Lars now!? Yuel jumped from his chair and rushed toward the door. I''m stepping out for a moment, please look after the house for me. If I feel like it. Julia shrugged, already absorbed in solving more quiz questions. Thanks, for everything. I almost commited an unrecoverable mistake there. Hmph. Just go already, dumbass. If you dont bring him back, I''mma kick you in the balls. Heh, deal. Yuel darted out of the room. Lars left a few minutes ago, so Yuel would have chase. Hopefully, Lars didnt get too far- Ah. Yuel was dumbfounded after opening the door. Lars was right there, he never left. Y-Yo! Haha... Lars waved with an awkward smile on his face. Long time no see, haha... Silence lingered for a while. They avoided looking into each others eyes, both embarrassed about their earlier conduct. In the end, it was Yuel who broke the standstill. Sorry, I snapped back there. Nah, I also acted like a prick. Lars scratched his head. I talked all big about playing competitively, but look how I bailed out. So lame. Its fine. Everybody have a weakness or two. Yuel stretched his hand. Well just need to figure something out together. Y-You... Lars raised his hand for a handshake, but his whole arm trembled. You... Youre the best dude ever! Ugh!? Thanks for sticking around with an idiot like me! Lars wrapped his arms around Yuel and gave him an intense hug. Y-Yeah, I got it already. You can let go now. Yuel tried to wiggle his way out, but he failed to free himself from Larss strong arms. His ears burned. Ugh, its so embarrassing! And his bones were going to be crushed at this rate! Uuuuugh! ... what are you two doing, exactly? Ugh! N-Nothing! Yuel pushed himself away from Lars. W-We just made up, right? Yep, were best buds again. Lars grinned and wrapped his arm around Yuels shoulders. Hmmmm. Julia squinted her eyes and stared at them. She stared at Yuel in particular, as if saying Ill kick you in the balls for this, retard! After they made up, Lars returned to Yuels room. However, the main problem was still unresolved: How was Lars going to study for the quiz? As Julia pointed out, no matter how much determination Lars mustered, it wouldnt matter as long as the studying method wasnt right for him. For Lars, learning things by reading wouldnt do anything. Itd be a miracle if he didnt fry his brain after just 2 minutes. Things had always been this way with Lars. No matter what Classmacners advice Yuel gave him, it always went in one ear and out the other. Words alone didnt mean much for Lars, he was all about practical experience. Therefore, whenever Lars got killed due to something silly, Yuel poured salt on his wounds by pointing out his mistakes. Likewise, whenever Lars made a strong play thanks to prior preparation, Yuel mentioned the fine details which made that play possible. Only like this, step by step, Lars gained his current level of game knowledge and decision-making in Classmancers. Lets go into practice mode. Yuel said. Instead of reading about the items, just try them out yourself. Oh, thats smart! Ill het to both study and play Classmancers! Youre a genius! Lars grinned and grabbed his tablet. The three of them prepared for the quiz until late into the night. They played around with item builds, simulated interesting combat scenarios, tried quiz apps and much more. As long as Lars was stimulated by the activity, he managed to pick up new things. In the end, they mostly studied material related to the Carry and Mid roles. Yuel didnt have any time to go over anything related to Support, but thats fine. He was certain hed pass the quiz, so his top priority was to pull Lars and Julia through. On the next day, the quiz was announced just as Gregory informed them. Each candidate picked a role to be tested on and had an hour to answer 20 multiple choice questions. The 15 candidates with the lowest score would be eliminated, whereas the candidate with the highest score would immediately pass the entry exam. In case of a tie for first place, the tied candidates would have to duke it out in a 1v1 Classmancers match. I hope you studied well. Gregory smirked as he picked up a quiz sheet for Support. You wont beat me If you dont get a perfect score, kek. I assume so. Yuel shrugged as he also picked a quiz paper for Support. What matters most is that Lars and Julia survive this round. Kek, trying to play the nice guy? I know you only care about getting first place yourself. Is that so. Yuel turned away and took his seat. He had no intention competing with Gregory here. Of course, he wanted to get first place if he could. But, that wasnt the most important thing on his mind right now. Whats with him? Gregory grumped as he dropped on his chair. The Yuel he knew from before summer break would had grabbed any opportunity to compete in Classmancers game knowledge. Yuel knew virtually everything there was to know about the game and always found it necessary to shove his superior knowledge into others faces. Gregory wasnt a mechanically skilled player, so he relied on strategy and game knowledge to get results. He learned various strong synergies between classes and played them with Taison. It worked great. Taison was a skilled Carry, so Gregory only had combo with him to win. Even after Lars surpassed Taison in mechanical skill, Gregory and Taison kept defeating him, no matter who was his Support. That is, until Yuel came into the picture. Even though Cryomancer had good synergy with Larss Trickshooter, Yuel opted for Paladin. An unremarkable pick, at first glance. However, said Paladin shut down Gregorys Cleric and Taisons Pirate. Single-handedly, thoroughly and without mercy. They were stripped of all their advantages and were handed to Lars on a silver platter. It was so triggering, The hell was that shit!? Taison raged hard. You totally fell for his crap, yo! And so did you, when you summoned Kraken into his Aegis, kek. Gregory sneered. Damn! What we gonna do against that shit!? Relax, man. Dont lose your shit over a cheap trick like that. Gregory shrugged. He caught us off guard, but now we know how he plays. We just gotta kill him before the next team fight, or at least bait Justice Strike outta him. After agreeing on their countermeasure, Taison focused on Yuel while clearing minions. Yuel already went out of his way to tank Taisons shots to prevent last hits on minions, so he was an easy prey. Taison merely had to play a little more aggressively than before and land more hits on that pesky Paladin. Alright, I almost got that bastard! Taison grinned once Yuels HP fell below 20%. Now Imma make him retreat with one cannon shot, yo! No, wait- It was too late. Taison fired Backfire Cannon to finish Yuel off, except it didnt work out as he planned. As if waiting for this exact moment, Yuel activated Divine Shield and absorbed the cannon shot. Not only did Divine Shield completely negate the absorbed skill shots damage, but it also restored HP proportionally to the the absorbed skill shots power. With that play, Yuel regained a large portion of his missing health and continued harassing them on the lane. No matter how hard they tried, they couldnt chase him away. He retreated to his Golem a few times, but soon returned after healing up with potions and his high HP regeneration stat. That pesky Yuel was prepared for anything they threw his way. Its as if he knew from the begining how they were going to fight him. Nah, that was impossible, right? Gregory refused to believe such nonsense at the time. The second team fight started outta nowhere, with Yuel hitting Taison with Justice Strike. Shit! They didnt play around it at all! They were so sure Yuel was gonna keep Justice Strike as a counter for Arise after how the first team fight went down. Damn! What the hell!? Taison roared. He found himself right in the enemys face, with his escape tool sealed. And if that wasnt shitty enough, Lars followed up with Trickshow and totally owned Taison. Wait, thats actually good for us. Gregory pointed out. You died, but you baited Justice Strike out of him. Now I can just revive you like usual. Oh, right! Yeah! Do that, bro! Sure. Gregory activated Arise and fired a magical ball of revival toward Taisons dead body. This team fight started with a hiccup for them, but they could still turn it around once Taison returned. He still had Kraken, so they could... wut? For some reason, Yuel stepped in front of the approaching ball of revival. What, he tried to bodyblock it or something? Pft, that shit didnt work. What a scrub, any noob knew that... Huh? Divine Shield? Why did Yuel waste his Divine Shield here, without any damaging skill shots flying his way? Then it happened. The magical ball of revival hit Yuels Divine Shield... and got absorbed into it!? The freakin hell!? It actually worked that way!? Sure, Arise was technically sorta kinda a skill shot in a sense, but... but it wasnt a damaging skill shot or anything! Why was it blocked like this!? You gotta be shitting me... Thats when Gregory lost it as well. Yuel played them for fools twice in a row, as if they were some nobodies who tried Classmancers for the first time. Gregory studied tons of shit related to Classmancers, but most of it was about the strongest class synergies. Classmancers was supposed to be all about class synergies and teamwork, or so he thought until now. But its wrong, he was forced to learn that the hard way. Countering enemy classes was just as, if not more, important. Gregorys whole world view was flipped on its head that day. There was much more to the game than he initially thought and Yuel realized that way sooner than him. As a fellow player who relied on game knowledge to deliver results, Gregory felt inferior to that walking encyclopedia in every way. Thats why he planned to win against Yuel by getting into the Classmancers club. Yuel was supposed to be eliminated in the first round, while Gregory was gonna ace the quiz and get instantly admitted into the club. Kek, itd teach that know-it-all scrub a good lesson. However, shit didnt go as planned. By a stroke of luck, Yuel survived the first round. To get first place, Gregory now had to beat Yuels score in this second round. What a pain in the butt. But, it actually wasnt all bad. It was Gregorys chance to show how much he improved over the summer. He researched counter picks, counter builds, farm denial tactics and every goddamn counter bullshit that existed in the game. Everything for the sake of surpassing Yuels level of game knowledge. And if all that effort wasnt going to do the trick, Taisons brother also printed him some quiz examples for this second round. On top of everything else, Gregory thoroughly studied the topics covered in these quiz examples. Therefore, there was no chance hed be beaten. Rather than running away from the challenge, he wanted to test himself against that walking encyclopedia. Thats why he tipped Yuel about the quiz. He was certain that, even with one day of studying, Yuel wouldnt be able to ace this quiz. Kek, Imma win this shit for sure. Gregory finished the quiz before everybody else and handed it over, brimming with confidence. Most of the questions appeared in the prints he received from Taisons brother, this shit was a walk in the park. On the following day, the results of the quiz were posted. As expected, Gregory grabbed first place. Nobody rivaled his perfect score of 100 points, so he instantly passed the exam. He did it, he surpassed everybody. He surpassed Yuel! Kek, I take it youre second place? Gregory asked. Yes. Yuel nodded. It seems Ive made two errors. Huh, you even had a whole day to prepare. The heck youve been doing? I didnt have time to review things myself, had my hands full with teaching Lars and Julia. Huh? Lars? You seriously think that monkey can pass this quiz? Im telling you, dude hasnt gotten a passing mark from the day he was born, kek. You wasted your time. Yeah, he was a handful alright. Yuel nodded with a wry smile. But, well see whether it was really a waste of time. And youre okay with that? Gregory frowned You may have tied me for first place if you studied more. Perhaps, but its alright. Yuel said. Ill just pass the rest of the exam and the result will be the same. Kek, dont tell me you were too scared to go up against me. Go against you? Never even crossed my mind. No matter how much I study, itd be difficult to beat somebody who prepared for this exam for months.. Making excuses now? Not really. Im just saying that even a monkey could ace this exam if it had all the answers ahead of time. Wha-!? Gregorys face contorted. That shithead was totally looking down on him! And, worse of all, Gregory found it difficult to retort. After all, he really solved most of these questions before he even got the quiz. He really had a shit ton of advantage in the quiz. Tch. Gregory clicked his tongue. So, you arent tilted at all after losing to me, is that what youre saying? Yes, because it doesnt matter. Well know for sure who is the superior Support once we compete for the role in the club. Heh, thats fair. Gregory found himself genuinely smiling, not just sarcastically smirking like usual. Even though he originally wished for Yuels elimination in the first round, he realized that wouldnt had given him a true closure. Even after beating Yuel in the second round, he still felt hollow due to his unfair advantage. That wasnt what he really wanted. Heh, make sure you pass the next round then. Gregory said. Otherwise, we cant settle this shit. Of course. Yuel nodded. Anyway, Im off to see how Lars fared. Ill tag along. Wanna see how hard he failed, kek. They found Lars in the crowd and approached him. His head was hanging and his shoulders trembled. Oh man, he totally blew it, didnt he? I... I got last place... Lars mumbled. After all his hard work yesterday, thats as far as he got. I... I got last place outta everybody who passed! I did it, yo! Youre the best teacher, dude! Alright, I got it already. Yuel dodged an incoming hug with an irritated look, but he secretly smiled. He may had missed the opportunity to secure his place in the Classmancers club, but he didnt regret it. More so than just playing competitively, what he truly wanted was to play competitively together with Lars. Larss success in the exam far outweighed Yuels failure to score first place. With that, the second round was over. Yuel, Lars and Julia proceeded to the third and final round of the entry exam. Vol.1 Ch.13: Unexplained Tactics The third and final round of the entry exam was announced. If not for Taison and Gregory cheating their way through the first rounds, Yuel and Lars could had already passed the whole exam by now. Alas, they and Julia had to survive yet another round in order to be pass. Rejoice. Howard grinned. In the last round, were letting you play some Classmancers. About damn time, right? Haha. Heh, really about damn time. Lars nodded. Bring it on, yo! Youre too loud. Yuel retorted. However, despite his calm facade, Yuel shared Larss enthusiasm. Bring it on, yo! ...he wasnt the type to go so gang-ho, but right now he had the urge to blurt such silly words as well. After all, this was going to be the first time theyd test themselves against other strong players. They were about to fight face-to-face with others who aimed for the competitive scene. It was time to see how strong they had grown throughout summer break. How much stronger would their opponents be compared Platinum division in Ranked? He couldn''t wait! Youll be randomly divided into pairs. Howard explained. In each pair, the two players will be playing against each other in the 5v5 draft mode, just like how its done in Ranked and competitive matches. Aim for the win, but keep in mind that winning doesnt guarantee anything on its own. Youll be playing with members from our club on the same team and were going to closely monitor your performance. Well grade you for every little thing you do, so no pressure, haha. The top three players will pass the exam. Due to the large amount of remaining candidates, the third round was scheduled to take place over a couple of days. Yuel was scheduled for the first day, whereas Lars and Julia were scheduled for the second day. Before long, Yuels turn came around. Welcome. The clubs captain, Aron, greeted him. H-Hi. Yuel gulped. Sweat formed on his forehead. He was invited into a room with four upperclassmen, one of which was the very captain of the Classmancers club. All of them were going to monitor his performance, like predators eying a defenseless prey. Each move was going to be analyzed, every twitch was going to be judged. Gulp. Relax, we dont bite. A cheery guy threw Yuel a smile. Youre playing Support, right? Im your lane partner, Trever. He jumped from the chair and shook Yuels hand. Nice to meetcha! Likewise. Yuels trembling stopped. Something about Trevers demeanor was oddly relaxing. If youre ready, lets begin. Aron said. Well be playing in the draft format, the way its done in Ranked and official matches. Any experience with that? Im Platinum II. Yuel stated boldly. Wow! Thats sick! Trever jumped, nearly falling off his chair. Thats indeed rare. Aron nodded. Not many come to middle school with that level of experience. In fact, thats why the first two rounds exist. I remember you questioned the first round, right? Long story short, it helps us discover inexperienced players with potential. I see. Yuel nodded. It didnt even cross his mind that he and his friends were irregulars, or that applying to the Classmancers club without experience was more common. Though, thinking back on it, that should had been obvious, considering how few kids took Classmancers seriously in grade school. Yuel sat down where he was instructed, sandwiched between Aron and Trever. The rest of the team briefly greeted him as well, but it was clear Aron and Trever were going to be responsible for monitoring and grading him. Gulp. No, relax. Breathe. Alright, were starting. Aron announced as he finished inviting everybody to a custom match. The enemy team had a similar lineup: one examinee and four club members. In order keep the exam as fair as possible, Yuel wasnt given any information about the enemy examinee. He only overheard that the guys name was Mark, but thats all. Were starting the banning phase. Aron turned to Yuel. Who do you recommend banning? Obviously, this wasnt Aron asking for advice. The test had already started and this was the first questions. However, Yuel didn''t feel much pressure. He was always responsible for deciding the bans for the team when they played Ranked, so he was confident about this. Do I have any information about the enemy team? Yuel asked. I know you said this is supposed to be a blind match to keep everything fair, but can I at least know what to expect from the enemys level? Are they Gold? Platinum? Or, maybe Diamond? Youre saying your ban choices will change depending on the ranks of your opponents? Aron asked. Of course, the meta varies across ranks. The difference are more subtle on higher ranks, but theyre still there. Wow, wow. Trever nodded repeatedly, wearing an amused smile. Youre really taking this stuff super uber seriously, kid. Who are you calling kid? Youre only two years older than me, at most. Yuel pouted. And thats how it should be. Aron shot a glare at Trever. Smart banning and class selection go a long way, youre about the only one who never bothers with it. Id appreciate it if you didnt infect our rookies with your stupidity. Haha, I got scolded~ Trever rolled his eyes and scratched his head. I dunno, man. Just gimme something I can play and Imma wreck these guys! Youre a lost cause. Aron sighed. Oh, hes just like Lars. Yuel finally realized why Trevers goofy demeanor helped him relax. Lars went about drafting exactly the same way: You decide what we play and Imma smash these dudes, yo!. And so, drafting became Yuels responsibility in their party. Trever played Carry as well, so there must had been some unwritten rule saying that strong Carries had to be idiots. Back on topic. Aron said. You may assume the enemy team has a combination of Platinum and Diamond players. And that theyre a full team premade, correct? Yes, thats fair. Whoa, even that matters? Trever made a face. Of course it matters. Yuel answered. I need to be wary of different types of strategies, depending on how organized the enemy team is. Premades of duo and trio tend to pick specific classes which synergize with each other, because they want to execute combos together. On the other hand, full team premades generally go for more global team strategies. I have to ban accordingly for each case. Ugh! My brain! Its fried! Trever dramatically held his head. Ignore that idiot. You have the right mindset Aron said. So, who are we banning? Since were banning first, theres only one option really. Yuel said. Ban Shadow Walker. Haha, didnt see that one coming. Trever laughed. A good start. Aron noded and banned Shadow Walker. It was currently the only tier S class in the game, so it was an instant ban in effectively every match. The banning proceeded smoothly, with Yuel shutting down strong options for the enemy team. He gathered all the drafting experience he accumulated throughout the summer and unleashed it on the enemy team. They seem to going for an early game comp. Yuel explained. They havent picked Top yet, so I consider banning Dark Knight and Viking. Sounds good. Also, Ill go with Druid to compensate for Rangers shortcomings. The shield will allow him to play more aggressively and the ult will help him push. And, not to mention the pull into trap combo. Makes sense. Not bad. Aron nodded for the hundredth time. So far, he didnt have a single word of objection against Yuels draft choices. In fact, he even picked up some new things by listening to Yuels in depth explanations. Honestly, it was hard to tell who was the examiner and who was the examinee right now. Pft, poor Aron. Trever chuckled. Taking jabs at people is about the only thing he enjoys in life, but you totally shut him up, kid. I dont take jabs at people for fun, you know. Aron frowned. I point out my teammates mistakes so they can correct them, thats what a captain does. It just so happens that youre one big walking mistake. Ouch, rude. Haha. Once drafting was over, the match began. Yuel played Druid Support in Bot Lane together with Trever, who played Ranger Carry. Aron played Lionfolk, a humanoid lion, as a Jungler. The three of them started off in the same portion of the jungle to clear some jungle camps, then went separate ways. Yuel and Trever headed to Bot Lane, whereas Aron went to Top Jungle. Yuel laid low during the first couple of minutes. He closely observed both his lane partner and his lane opponents: Pirate and Paladin. Both his allies and enemies were likely in the Diamond division, if not higher. Since this match doubled as a test, he didnt want to pull anything rush before properly assessing everybodys skill. He only warded around and helped Trever clearing minions. Whenever the enemy Paladin aggressed on Trever by silencing him with Justice Strike, Yuel countered by casting Gaias Protection on Trever. The spell provided Trever with a temporary, but sizable, shield. It soaked a lot of the damage dealt by the enemy Pirate, rendering the aggression void.. As the enemies were forced to first chip away at Gaias Protection to actually damage Trever, the battle became unfavorable for them and they disengaged. In this manner, Yuel forze the enemy''s progress on the lane. However, Trever took these situations a step further. While his shield was still on, he stepped into the frontline and oppress his lane opponents. There was no need to worry about being a squishy, because Gaias Protection soaked all the damage for him. I didnt even need to say anything. Hes good. Yuel nodded to himself. Bossing a senior around was going to be awkward, but Trever spared Yuel from that. Trever knew exactly how to take advantage of Gaias Protection. He approached close enough to harass the enemies, but also stayed far enough away to quickly flee once the shield ended. The enemy Pirate never dealt well with such aggression. Whenever Trever went on the offense, the Pirate haphazardly shot at him instead of retreating, a fatal mistake. Trever had a clear advantage while the shield was on, so the Pirate got boxed hard. Even though Trever didnt showcase any godlike mechanical skill like Lars, he was definitely a strong Carry player. His decisions were swift and his moves brimmed with confidence, telling of his vast experience. Despite how absurdly strong Lars was in fights, there was a good chance Trever could hold his ground against that mechanical god. Perhaps Trever would even win, considering the large gap in experience and decision-making skills. Do you play Carry on the main team? Yuel asked. Heh, impressed? Trever grinned. I used to be the main Carry, but now Im just a substitute. Really? Yuel blinked. Someone of your skill doesnt cut it to be a starter? Haha, you sure know how to flatter your seniors, kiddo! I like ya! Trever smacked Yuel on back. Ugh... But yeah, turned out I dont quite cut it. Seems like everybody think Im no match for our goddess. Goddess? Heh, youll see if you get into the club. Trever smiled wryly. But yeah, what can I say? All these scums stole the roles I can play, so Im just a substitute now. Howard plays crazy Support and Aron is the boss, so he gets to play Jungler even though he sucks- You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. An enemy has been killed! Who you said sucks? Aron asked. Haha, nice kill, bro. If you want to be a starter again, you better stop fooling around and practice one role seriously. Theres a mountain of problems with how you play each role. Yeah, yeah. But hey, at least Yuel here appreciates my skill, right? Im having second thoughts after hearing this conversation. Yuel said. Geh! Damn you, Aron! Dont ruin my image in front of the newbie! Trever waved an angry fist. Here, Imma show you what I can do! Dont fall off your chairs from shock! Quick gimme a shield! Here you go. Okay, lets go! Trever dashed toward the enemy Pirate. He wasnt going to just harass the enemy this time, he went straight for the kill! The Pirate was slow in reacting to this overwhelming aggression and got trashed. However, Trever failed to finish the job. The Paladin did an extraordinary job protecting his partner. He stepped in between the fleeing Pirate and Trever, body blocking arrows and drawing Trever away. Gah! Damn you too, Howard! Trever waved a fist at the Paladin on the monitor. No problem, Ill pull him back. Yuel expected the Paladins interference, so he positioned himself just right for using Natures Grasp. Branches stretched from the Druids arm and darted toward the fleeing Pirate. Natures Grasp was a narrow skill shot, which was difficult to confirm amidst chaotic action. However, this Pirates sloppy movements were easy to predict. Yuel had thoroughly deconstructed the Pirates playstyle by now, so landing Natures Grasp was possible via prediction. The branches were aimed a bit ahead of the running Pirate, to where he was going to be in just a second. It was definitely going to hit. The Pirate ran straight toward the incoming branches- What!? Yuel couldnt believe his eyes. His perfect shot... it was blocked?! For some reason the Paladin was right there, with his Divine Shield active. Why? How? When did he even get there!? Natures Grasp could pass through most obstacles, even walls, but it still counted as a skill shot for the Paladins Divine Shield. Therefore, it was stopped it in its tracks once it rammed into Divine Shield. Yuel was shut down. So, this is Howard. Yuel bit his lip. Based on what Trever blurted, Howard was the teams main Support player. In other words, he was the rival Yuel had to surpass in order to get a spot on the main team. And, he was strong, Very strong. If thats the level expected from club members, Yuel couldnt only play by the book to passing the exam. Putting on a decent Support performance by playing safe wasnt necessarily going to cut it. This wasnt the time to lollygag. Forget the Pirate for now, lets wear out the Paladin first. Yuel suggested. Just go full damage on the Paladin whenever you can. Focusing the tank? Im not so sure about that. Trever cocked his head. Suppose you draw away the Paladin, whats next? Aron asked in a businesslike tone. He turned Yuels suggestion into a test question without batting an eye. Giving the wrong answer would cost Yuel dearly, but he had to trust his analysis. This wasnt just an exam, it was also a match for all intents and purposes. Right, it was a match. Just a match. No reason to be nervous. None at all. None! Alright. Yuel took a deep breath. Correct me if Im wrong, but that Paladin is Howard and hes a starter on the team. You shouldnt know this, but I suppose it cant be helped when theres a bubbling idiot on the team. Aron made a face as he eyed Trever. Alright, lets say you have this information. Whats next? Howard is good enough to be a starter, so its hard to compete against his supporting head on. Yuel explained. However, that Pirate is the other examinee, right? I believe his name was Mark. Why do you think so? Hes kind of sloppy. Ive been watching the whole enemy team, and, out of everybody, only the Pirate doesnt strike me as a high level player. Hard to believe somebody like him got into such a serious club. Hmm, youre using a lot of metagaming thats based on knowledge youre not supposed to have. Not sure how to feel about it. Aron frowned. Its precisely because of things like this that we wanted to keep the information secret. Ah, thats... Yuel gulped. He blurted all his findings without thinking things through, like an excited child who wanted to show off to his parents. N-No problem. I figured everything based on what Ive observed throughout the match. If this were Ranked, Id say instead that the Pirate feels like a Silver player who got matched with Diamonds. Alright, fair enough. Aron nodded. Then, whats your plan? While Trever has a shield, he can safely harras the Paladin and wear him out. Once we drive away the Diamond rank Paladin, the Silver rank Pirate will be left alone on the lane. Thatll create a great opportunity to finish him off, considering the skill difference Ive observed between the Pirate and Trever. Interesting. Its not conventional, but it has some thought behind it. Youre free to try it, but keep in mind: well deduct points if this doesnt work out. Willing to take the risk? Yes, please. There wasnt a speck of hesitation in Yuels eyes. Very well. Play along with it. Roger! Trever saluted with a grin. After listening to Yuels convincing analysis of the situation, especially the part where his skill was super duper highly evaluated, Trever found himself excited about this play. This kid sure knows how to recognize talent, I like it! As instructed, Trever prioritized attacking the Paladin, Howard, whenever he had the chance. To not be too obvious about it, he first shot the Pirate and that naturally lured Howard toward the frontline. Then, he barraged Howard without rest while wearing a crazed grin. Ha! Thats what you deserve for getting in the way of my kill, bro! When struck enough times, even a tank was bound to crumble. At 10% HP, without potions or healing skills, Howard was forced to leave. He and the Pirate first retreated back to their Turret, then Howard teleported back to base. Now, please place a bear trap at the entrance to the jungle, right here. Yuel pinged on the mini-map. There? Trever cocked his head. I dont see anybody ganking us from there anytime soon, kid. I didnt level Bear Trap to Lv.2, so I can only place one trap at a time. The trap thats placed right now should protect us way better. Its not for defense, its for offense. The Pirate will soon pass through here on his way to the Hyena Camp, so the trap will stun him. Thats when you finish him off. What makes you believe hell go into the jungle any time soon? Aron took a peek at Yuels screen to assess the situation. From what I can tell, hes already running low on health. Once he finishes the next wave, itll be a good time for him to return to base. Why are you so convinced hell take the risk to clear hyenas afterwards? Its not a camp with particularly high rewards. He... well... Yuel stumbled over his words. He was confident in his reasoning, but he struggled to explain it. If the plan to drive away the Paladin was considered unconventional, then this one was outright random. He couldnt explain it with something straightoward like difference in skill level. He had to think back. Why was the Pirate going to head into the jungle through that entrance? How did Yuel reach this conclusion in the first place? The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he failed to draw it out. Hell go there, Im sure. Because... Err... Yuel began sweating. The curious gazes locked on him forced him to remember a dreadful fact: this was an exam! He wasnt going to get away with plays only he understood, every twitch he made was going to be questioned. And, if he couldnt answer properly, thatd reflect poorly on his evaluation. It might even cost him the chance to join the club! A-Actually, nevermind. I- Its okay. Relax, kid. Trever patted Yuels back. Here, I placed the trap where you want. Dont pay attention to that scary demon on your left, haha. Oh... thanks. Yuel was dumbfounded. It was so unexpected, he didnt even know what to say. All this time he felt awkward asking seniors to follow his plans, but apparently Trever didnt mind that much. That helped Yuel relax. Why did you agree? Aron turned to interrogate Trever. Unless theres a very convincing reason to place the trap all the way out there, youre right in your assessment - its be waste of the trap. I know, I know. Trever nodded. But hey, its not like anybody gonna gank us from behind anytime soon anyway. Youre right, its not a risky play. But, that doesnt mean its a good play. Well, hasnt this kid been pretty smart so far? Im sure he has a good reason for suggesting this move. Trever shrugged. Youre just stressing the shit outta him with all your questions. May as well ask him why hes breathing and whats the meaning of life. Hmm, I see. Aron frowned and turned to Yuel. Sorry if I came off too forceful. Its just that many of your decisions are difficult to evaluate, so its not immediately clear where youre coming from. I dont meant to complain, but youre one tough examinee to grade. Its alright, youre just doing your job. Yuel said. Its my fault for not being able to provide a satisfying explanation. I just always think a few steps ahead, my chess teacher beat that mentality into me. The moment I come to a convincing conclusion, I move on to analyze other things. So, once youve convinced yourself of something, you no longer find any need to recall what convinced you in the first place? Is that what youre saying? Yes, something like that. I know it sounds a bit silly, but thats how it is for me. Yuel smiled wryly, thinking back on all the times this habit caused communication problems with other kids. I can feel the explanation on the tip of my tongue, I just cant draw it out. Hmm, interesting. I take it youre used to having others follow your instructions without asking too many questions? Yes, you could say that. Ive been playing with friends who trust my strategies, so they generally do as I ask... Yuel fell quiet. Lars and Julia always unquestionably followed Yuels advice, so became used to not explaining anything. Now, that he was surrounded by a team of strangers, that habit fired back. I see. Aron said. Work on fixing that habit, especially if you plan to be a shot caller for the team. Bleh, here comes the nitpicker again. Trever made a face. Give the kid a break already. Its fine. Yuel said. Aron is right, its hard to get others to cooperate when I cant convince them with a good reason. I need to work on that. See? Aron turned to Trever. Not everybody is a delicate flower like you. This rookie here is already a more mature player than you. Trever planned shooting a snarky retort, but a metallic sound interrupted him. That was the sound of his bear trap going off. The Pirate tried going into the jungle and got trapped, just as Yuel predicted. Hey! The kid was actually right! Trever darted toward the trapped Pirate, like a predator leaping on a defenseless prey. Getting caught in the trap stunned the Pirate, lowered his defense and buffed Trevers attack speed. Therefore, Trever barraged the Pirate without fearing retaliation. An enemy has been killed! Heh, easy! Trever grinned. Good call there, rookie! Did he just promote me from kid to rookie? Yuel made a face. So it worked. Aron stared at Yuels screen with a complicated expression. Just wondering, have you perhaps recalled your reasons for making this play? Actually, Ive just remembered the gist of it. Yuel said. After he watched his plan play out in action, he finally managed to reconstruct his earlier deductions. Or, perhaps he already knew the explanation this whole time, but was afraid to share it before it was proven correct. Either way, he no longer felt any mental blocks, so he was ready to lay out his reasoning. At the basis of his reasoning stood major assumption: the Pirate was going to clear the Hyena Camp instead of returning to base. Yuel deduced so after closely watching how the Pirate behaved while running low on HP. Three out of three times, instead of returning to base, the Pirate first cleared the nearby Hyena Camp. Yuel saw it each and every time, because he always renewed the Ward near that camp. Thus, it became clear that the player playing Pirate hated losing farm. When it came to base stats, Pirate was inferior to other Carry classes and had to make up for it by earning gold faster with his passive, Plunder. As such, maximizing gold income was very important for Pirate players. However, sometimes, this a mentality turned into a habit, and habits could be exploited. In addition, that Pirate was most likely the examinee. In other words, he wasnt a very experienced player, his sloppy plays attested to that. Therefore, there was no chance hed consider the possibility he was spied on with a Ward, or that a bear trap awaited him along his favorite jungle route. The gist of it my ass. You gave us a full lecture here, haha! Trever laughed. No wonder you wanted to wipe all that crap outta your brain, even a supercomputer cant hold that much data, Im telln ya. Well anyway, I hope thats enough reasons for ya, Mr. Explain-the-Universe. Its alright. Aron said. Bleh, will it kill ya to give a little compliment sometimes? The plan played out well, but the reasoning is a tad shallow. There arent any logical flaws in the reasoning itself, but neither does it feel decisive. At the very least, I wouldnt gamble on it. Its not a fluke, if thats what youre implying. Yuel argued. But, I understand where youre coming from. Many of my arguments dont sound very convincing on paper. Therefore, let me convince you through results. He felt way more relaxed and confident now. So what if this was an exam? So what if his opponents were competitive Diamond players? His usual analysis and tactics worked just as well as ever. He could do it, there was no reason to stop here. The Pirate respawned by now. Yuel announced. And, hell definitely pass through the Hyena Camp on his way to lane. He explained as he placed a Ward deep inside the Hyena Camp. It was an inefficient warding spot, as walls blocked most of the Wards vision and not much of the enemy jungle was exposed. However, the Ward provided full vision of what was going on inside the Hyena Camp itself, down to the position of each individual hyena. Please place your trap near the wall here. Yuel pinged on the map, marking the wall separating between the lane and the Hyena Camp. Roger. Trever nodded and placed a bear trap right beside the wall. Hehe, lets see what gonna happen. As Yuel predicted, the Pirate rushed to the Hyena Camp before heading to lane. It wasnt a bad play per se, since Howard was already on the lane, dealing with minions. However, it was a predictable play, and Yuel was going to exploit said predictability in order to turn the play into a fatal mistake. Once the Pirate started fighting the hyenas, Yuel approached the jungle wall and took aim. He activated Natures Grasp, shooting his branches through the wall. The unsuspecting Pirates exact position was revealed by Yuels Ward, so he was like a sitting duck. Got him. Yuel announced as he pulled the Pirate toward himself through the wall. The bear trap Yuel asked to prepare laid right at his feet, and the Pirate was forcibly shoved into it. For the second time in three minutes the Pirate found himself trapped, unable to retaliate in any way. It was over. An enemy has been killed! Howard arrived on the scene to rescue his partner, but he didnt make it. To be more precise, he couldnt possibly make it. Paladin didnt have any way to support allies from afar except for Justice Strike, which Yuel tactically baited out of Howard a few seconds earlier. As a fellow Support main and an avid Paladin fan, Yuel knew exactly what weaknesses the Paladin had and how to exploit them. This play impressed Aron more than the previous one, but still not enough to make him cough up a praise. Getting on Arons good side was crucial for passing the exam, so Yuel wasnt going to hold back. He was going to do everything in his power to secure victory. Heh, this Druid really did it this time. Little did Yuel know at the time, that his bold plays grabbed the attention of his worst nemesis. The third and final round of the exam was just about to begin for real. Vol.1 Ch.14: The Antithesis Once the laning phase of the match came to an end, Yuel left Trever alone in Bot Lane and roamed around the map. At this point of the game, the Supports role became similar to that of the Junglers: he traveled across the jungle and ganked lanes. Except, as a Support, Yuel didnt have the burst damage of a real Jungler, so his job was to set up kills with his CC. Their Warlock is going to rotate to Top after clearing this wave. Yuel said. Aron, can you help me gank him? And youre sure hell rotate? Aron asked. He may try pushing the lane. Deduct points from my grade if Im wrong. Yuel answered boldly. That was his new way of dealing with Arons interrogations. Attempting to explain his reasoning in real time only made him needlessly nervous and confused. So, instead of dealing with that stress, he decided to sidestep that problem. Very well. Aron invaded the enemy jungle to cut off the Warlocks predicted rotation path. Just as Yuel said, the Warlock showed up. Yuel pulled the Warlock close with Natures Grasp, then Aron leapt on the victim and rent him asunder. An enemy has been killed! Flawless execution. Time and again, Yuel proved his ability to predict the enemies movements and to strike their weakest spots. What started off as Yuel harassing the enemy Pirate soon developed into him terrorizing enemies all across the map. The ones who actually scored kills and made impressive plays were his teammates, but the mastermind behind many of these plays was none other than Yuel. Aron told everybody to follow Yuels suggestions as part of the test, effectively turning Yuel into the teams shot-caller. Aron still handled the big strategic decisions, but everybody were obligated to follow Yuels tactics as well. This allowed him to easily move his allies around as he saw fit. Of course, it also came with the pressure of being graded for each important decision he made, but he got used to that by now... sort of. For the most part. Yeah, no problem. Gulp. With his authority as the shot-caller, he made his teammates catch predictable enemy gankers off guard and turn the tables on them. In addition, he told his allies to ambush enemies who farmed jungle camps at predictable times. And, on top of all that, he predicted the escape routes of injured enemies and pulled them through walls with Natures Grasp. He didnt simply punish misplays, he also exploited the predictable habits of his enemies. The higher he climbed in Ranked, the less and less obvious mistakes his enemies made. Therefore, only punishing mistakes was no longer enough. He had to analyze and deconstruct every little move his enemies made, all for the sake of catching them off guard in one important play. As expected, his current opponents were as bulletproof as the enemies he met at high ranks online. In fact, they were possibly the strongest opponents he had ever faced so far. Catching them commit an outright mistake was nigh impossible, but exploiting the weaknesses in their playstyles was still within Yuels expertise. As long they were humans, he could find flaws in their plays. Wow! You rock, bro! Trever grinned as he scored yet another kill off the Pirate thanks to Yuels advice. At some point, Trever promoted Yuel from Rookie all the way to Bro. That was the top respect title, apparently. After killing the Pirate three times, Trever gained a huge advantage in Bot Lane. He was two levels ahead of the Pirate and the enemys Turret was about to crumble. But, thats all. Despite the huge advantage in the lane, thats as far as he progressed. It was understandable, considering Ranger was, at its core, an assassin class meant for jungling. Ranger Carry was an unconventional built, which worked relatively well because of the Rangers basic attacks: long-ranged arrow shots befitting a real Carry. When built with enough attack speed and critical chance, Ranger functioned similarly to a Carry. Nevertheless, its ability to push lanes still didnt quite live up to that of a real Carry class. Thats one reason why Yuel picked Druid. Lets take down the Turret. Yuel advanced toward the enemy Turret. The Pirate was dead and the Paladin was off helping another lane, so the Turret was defenseless. However, there were no allied minions in range thanks to the Pirates efforts, so attacking the Turret was suicide. That is, unless they somehow created minions to tank the Turrets shots. The Druids ultimate ability did exactly that. Yuel activated Awaken the Ents, summoning a giant living tree. With the closest enemy in sight being the Turret, the Ent fearlessly invaded the Turrets area and slammed it with giants fists. Naturally, the Turret retaliated against the invader and shot back at the Ent. While the Turret was focused on the Ent, Yuel and Trever approached the tower and attacked it. Since he was playing Druid Support, Yuel built defensive items which raised HP and defense. The Ents stats scaled based on the Druids stats, so the Ent benefited from similar increase in HP and defense. As such, the Ent didnt deal much damage to the Turret, but it could tank shots for a while, just long enough to allow Trever to take the Turret down. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! With this, Bot Lane was one step closer to being dominated by Yuels team. From picking a synergistic Support class and up to outwitting enemy players - Yuel showcased his skill all across the board. As hard as Aron tired to nitpick, he found virtually no faults with the way Yuel played. If there was one thing that could be called a weakness, itd be Yuels mechanical skill. During some chaotic and unpredictable situations, he struggled to land his skill shots. He missed more than a couple crucial Natures Grasp shots during team fights, putting the whole team at a great disadvantage. Nevertheless, his mechanical skill was overall at a satisfactory level, especially since he had enough brains to make up for it. He knew how to avoid difficult situations and how to create favorable ones, ensuring that his medicore mechanical skill wasnt going to be a hindrance. In addition to Yuel terrorizing the enemy team with his tactics, Aron and Trever also put on a strong performance. To make up for being an inferior Carry, Trever took advantage of the Rangers true purpose as a Jungler. He roamed across Bot Jungle and stole camps from the enemys side of the map. Thanks to his passive, Beast Hunting, he dealt +20% damage to jungle camps with his basic attacks. On top of that, the multi-purpose skill, Wolf Companion, allowed him to summon a wolf that clawed a group of creeps with an AoE cone attack. Thanks to these factors, he cleared jungle camps swiftly and effectively, In addition, Trever used Ranger as an assassin. After Yuel predicted that the enemy Warlock was about to head toward the Ogre Camp, Aron and Trever both darted to the destination. Aron got there first and leapt on the Warlock, but he failed to finish the job and allowed the Warlock to escape into the jungle. However, that was actually part of the plan, since the Warlock was forced to flee a in direction which led straight to Trever. It was a pincer attack. Trever easily deleted what little remained of the Warlocks HP. Despite the constant bickering between Aron and Trever, they cooperated surprisingly well. They barely exchanged any words to arrange that pincer attack. Ill scare him from above. Roger. Thats all. With just that short exchange, both of them knew exactly what to do. It was clear they had plenty of experience playing this unusual Two Junglers composition. Each of them farmed on a different side of the jungle in order to maximize total farm, but they still often ganked lanes together from opposite directions. It was a truly high level teamplay. With Yuels precise predictions and the strong combo of Aron and Trever, their team dominated the flow of the game. The momentum Yuel started by setting up two kills on the Pirate hadnt waned since then. Shit! Why its always me!? Mark slammed on the table. It was already the fourth damn time he died this match! His KDA (Kills/Deaths/Assists) stood at a lousy 0/4/0, he was a goddamn feeder at this point! He was making the worst impression possible on the examiners! He thought picking Pirate would allow him to play safely. His plan was to freeze enemy progress on the lane by quickly clearing minions, so he could then farm nearby jungle camps at leisure. With the gold bonus from Plunder, he planned building his items faster than his opponents and start murdering everybody at late game. Its not like he had any chance beating veterans from the club on even grounds, so it was best to avoid fights until he got the stats advantage. Alas, all he achieved was a terrible 0/4/0 score. Not only that, but many of his chances to farm jungle camps were stolen from him. The enemy Ranger counter-jungled way too damn hard, clearing most of the camps on Marks side while Mark was dead. It was bullshit. Based on the stats, the rest of his team wasnt doing much better. None of them was feeding as hard as him, but they all had negative KDA scores. Only the Paladin, played by Howard, had a passable 0/0/2. They were getting rekt so hard it wasnt damn funny! Is this match even balanced!? Mark cursed. You sure you didnt put the best players on that team? This shit is unfair! Chill. Howard commanded. Being tilted will only make you commit more mistakes, right? Yeah, but... Mark clammed up in front of Howards icy glare. I get where youre coming from. You think you gonna leave a terrible impression by feeding so much, right? Yeah, exactly! How am I supposed to show my skills when my whole team is getting rekt!? Youre right, this match feels kinda skewed, doesnt it? Maybe the way we decided the teams wasnt entirely balanced. Howard smiled wryly, then his eyes turned sharp. Anyway, are you really gonna let this situation get to you? Like it or not, but you gonna play on the losing team many times in the future. Hundreds of times, maybe even thousands. What you gonna do about it? Cry like a little bitch each time? Eh!? I... I... no. Mark trembled. Why did he deserve any of this? He was trying his best this whole match, yet everything crumbled around him. Nobody was there to tell him Itll be alright or Its not your fault. The full weight of the responsibility was placed on him, his poor performance directly contributed to the whole teams downfall. But, precisely because of that. he wanted to win! He wanted to pass this damn exam and play competitive Classmancers! He wasnt some whining little bitch! Hes suck it up and keep fighting! No matter how shitty things get, Ill try to win! Good, thats the spirit. Howard smiled and smacked Mark on the back. Playing from behind is also an important skill to have. You can still make plenty good impressions by showing us how good youre at that. Heck, maybe you can even help us make a comeback! Right! I''ll do my best! At some point along the conversation, Marks frustration was replaced with a burning fighting spirit. So what if he died four times? He could still do it! He just had to farm jungle camps faster and to push Bot Lane to reclaim it! I only hope you arent planning to farm more camps or to aggressively push your lane. Wha...? Mark was dumbfounded. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Working toward a comeback is fine and dandy, but dont forget youre lagging behind by three levels already. Im sure you hate math as much as the next guy, but you cant argue with numbers. Wait, so youre telling me to hug the Golem? Dont get killed, defend the lane and farm enough to stay relevant in team fights. How you gonna achieve all that is up to you. Okay, got it. Mark clenched the mouse and returned to lane with renewed determination. He wasnt passionate about playing defense, but thats what he had to do right now to score points. Ill hug the Golem for a while and slowly push forward. I can outclear the Ranger, so I should be able to overtake the lane eventually. I trust you. Howard nodded. Though, try as you may, I dont see you passing this exam. Howard provided airtight Support the whole time, but Mark still somehow got himself killed four times. The first two times were real shockers, even Howard was caught off guard. So, he didnt count them against Mark. However, the next two deaths were clearly Marks own fault. After dying twice, Mark should had played more cautiously. The enemies figured out his greedy mindset as a Pirate player, so he should had steered clear of jungle camps while enemies were still around. In addition, he should had avoided direct confrontations with the fed Ranger. Alas, Mark kept repeating these same mistakes. It took him two more deaths to finally wake up and start thinking about his situation. And what was his conclusion? The match was rigged! The teams were unbalanced! He didnt do anything wrong! Yeah, that rookie was no good. All Howard could do now was give him advice and pointers, in hope hed learn from them and become a better player in the future. But, as it stood, Mark didnt cut it. That Druid, though. Howard squinted his eyes as he went over the matchs stats. The Druid had a 0/1/6 KDA score. The enemy team had 8 kills in total, so it meant the Druid was involved in 6 out of 8 kills. On top of that, as expected of a Support, he didnt steal any kills from his teammates and only scored assists. He sure plays airtight Support. What was his name again? Yuel, I think? Now that Mark was no longer of any importance for the exam, Howard shifted his attention to the other rookie. In fact, he had been waiting for Mark to be rendered irrelevant for quite a while now, ever since the two shocking kills Trever scored on Mark in under three minutes. Placing a bear trap in that jungle entrance to trap Mark wasnt Trevers idea. Howard could claim so with confidence, he had played numerous games with Trever by now. Even though Trever had decent decision-making skills, he wasnt exactly what one would call smart. There was no way hed ever go for such a roundabout play. In fact, he must had been baffled by these plays himself, even though he was the one who technically executed them. In other words, somebody else advised him to play that way. Was it Aron? Possible. Aron was good at nitpicking others misplays, so he could had arranged that kind of move to punish the rookie. After all, he knew Mark was an examinee. But, that couldnt be right. Even though Aron often came off as cold and merciless, he wouldnt bully an examinee like this, especially not in the early game. After all, thatd kill the whole purpose of testing rookies in the first place. Nah, it wasnt Aron. But then, who came up with that impressive bear trap play? There werent any other club members on the enemy team who fit the bill. As such, only one option remained: Yuel, the other examinee. It was unthinkable, but there was no other option. Man, theyre wrecking us! Them traps, yo! Since when Trever is so smart!? He and Aron are seriously tryharding! Its like they forgot this is an exam. The whole team was in a disarray. They were struck at unexpected times from unexpected directions and were overwhelmed. None of them even realizes whats going on right now. Howard rubbed his eyes. The only one tryharding is that rookie over there. Hes totally running over us. Its not even funny anymore. Mark was wrong in his earlier accusations. The 4 veterans on each team were carefully picked to balance each other out, while taking into account the role each rookie played. Therefore, the teams were balanced. Or rather, they should had been balanced, provided the two rookies were roughly of the same skill level and balanced each other out. Despite all that, the current match was almost like a one-sided massacre. Howards team looked like a bunch of noobs playing against pros, it was beyond humiliating. That rookie must be full of himself right now. Time to teach him a lesson or two. Howard smirked. Im sure Aron has seen enough by now, this exam is as good as over. He wouldnt mind if I get a little serious, would he? Right? Yeah, lets just do it. The two teams were meant to be balanced. That is, as long as Howard didnt exhibit the full extent of his power. Until now, he was nothing more than a decent Support for his teammates. He didnt make any obvious mistakes, but neither did he make any impressive plays. Now, this was going to change. Heh, youre right, guys. Howard grinned as he addressed his teammates. Aron and Trever are tryharding too much, so lets return the favor. Ill get serious now. Thats alright? Its just an exam. No problem. Howard said. Besides, we cant host a proper exam unless both teams are balanced, can we? Im sure Aron and Trever are just trolling us, trying to make us look bad in front of the newcomers. Damn, these two! Lets get them back, yo! The team switched gears. Their irritation was replaced by a burning desire to crush their enemies. This change in atmosphere was soon going to become apparent for the other team as well. The Warlock is rotating to Bot. Yuel pinged the mini-map to show the route he predicted. Trever, can you cut him off? Roger! Trever activated Wolf Companion, summoning a wolf mount, and rode to the destination at full speed. It was going to be yet another easy kill for sure! Yuels predictions rarely missed the mark, each and every one of his plans was amaz- Gah!? The heck!? Trever jumped. He flanked the Warlock as planned, but the Warlock wasnt alone! At some point, the Pirate stopped hugging his Golem and entered the jungle as well. Instead of ambushing the Warlock, Trever somehow found himself ambushed by both Warlock and Pirate! Shit shit shit agh! An ally has been killed! Despite being overleveled, Trever couldnt handle this 1v2. It was the first time the Pirate scored a kill on him. Gah, so frustrating! Dont fuss so much over it. Aron said. Just get him next time. I know, I know. Grrr. Trever growled and tapped on the table, watching his respawn counter sloooowly ticking down. He made that one death look like the worst catastrophe that ever befell humanity. Sorry, it was my miscalculation. Yuel said. I didnt expect the Pirate to be there, he should had been busy clearing the minion wave. Nah, dont worry, bro. That shit was impossible to predict. It was indeed... strange. Yuel couldnt wrap his head around that play. His tactics were certainly not without flaws, but he was very confident about that specific flanking play. There shouldnt had been any factors that could had foiled that play, yet there was... Why did the Pirate change his mind all of a sudden? He had been hugging the Golem for a while, defending the lane and avoiding deaths. Yet, for some reason, he headed deep into the jungle at the worst timing possible. Was it a fluke? Perhaps the Pirate went for a jungle camp and accidently ran into Trever. No, that didnt make sense. Considering he wasnt spotted by any of Yuels Wards, it meant the Pirate skipped all the good camps on his way. Nobody saw him coming. Maybe the enemy team saw Trevers movements via a Ward and prepared an ambush? Impossible. Yuel warded that whole area with Sentry Wards, which exposed all nearby enemy Wards within its field of vision. There shouldnt had been any enemy Wards anywhere along Trevers flaking route. Then how!? How did that absurd play came to pass!? What are you doing? Retreat! Eh? Ah! Yuel failed to react in time. He was surrounded by multiple enemies, but he was totally out of it. That cost him dearly. You have been killed! Whats wrong? That was a noobish mistake. Aron said with a stern voice. Sorry, I just... Yuel bit his lip. First, Trever died because of his miscalculation. Now, he himself died due to not paying attention. Ugh, one disaster after another. His team started losing the momentum it had maintained for so long. Calm down. Overthinking this wont get me anywhere. Yuel took a deep breath. He wasnt completely over it, but he had to move on. Hed just have to make up for his mistakes with the next play. The opportunity to redeem himself soon presented itself. Aron flanked the enemy Viking, but failed to finish the job. The Viking escaped at the nick of time with almost zero HP. Chasing him into enemy territory seemed hopeless at first glance, but Yuel thought otherwise. Ill pull him through the wall. Yuel announced. There was an allied Ward along the Vikings escape route, so his movements were visible even through the jungle wall. Grabbing him would be- Eh!? Yuel blinked. Suddenly, that area of the map went black. The Ward should had had one more minute left, so it didnt vanish because it ran out of time. No, it was actively destroyed by an enemy player, right at this critical time. Seems like grabbing him isnt going to happen now. Aron shook his head. Yeah, sorry... Yuel bit his lip. Due to his shot-call, Aron rushed over there instead of pushing the defenseless Top Lane. They could had taken down the Turret if not for this wasted time. By the time they returned to Top, the enemy Warlock was already there to defend it. How did this happen? Why would they go out of their way to destroy a Ward in such a niche spot? Yuel couldnt wrap his head around it. He purposely placed that Ward in a very ineffective location to avoid detection. The Wards sole purpose was to expose fleeing foes, allowing Yuel to grab them and pull them back. Yet, despite how niche the Ward was, the enemy team went out of their way to deploy a pricey Sentry Ward, just so they could destroy Yuels Ward. It was absurd, he didnt understand anything anymore. Its like somebody was trolling him. And, that wasnt the end of it. Weird things kept happening left and right, throwing Yuels predictions off . Enemies didnt rotate as he expected, didnt push where he expected and didnt go for jungle camps when he expected. It felt as if all the pieces on the board were breaking their rules. All the data Yuel accumulated about the enemies until this point was rendered useless. Theres nobody here, bro! Trever announced as he arrived in Bot Lane, following Yuels advice. Oh, shit! Look, theyre all pushing Mid instead! Damn! Why... Yuel couldnt believe it. An allied Turret has been destroyed! Why was this happening? An ally has been killed! Nothing went Yuels way. The few weaknesses he discovered in his enemies were no longer effective, he couldnt pierce through their defenses anymore. Did he lose his touch? Or, did the enemy team transform into an entirely different beast? He couldnt tell. Hey, whats wrong, bro? Trever asked. You ran out of brain juice or something? Haha. I... I dont know. Yuel bit his lip. Everything was going so well until recently. What changed? He now looked like an idiot spouting nonsense, none of his predictions came true. Brain juice? Dont be stupid. Aron sneered. Nothing changed. At least, nothing on his side. Then, something changed in the enemy team? Please, tell me! Yuel begged. He couldnt bear this situation any longer. What was going on? Why was this happening? Where did he go wrong? It drew him mad! It seems that bastard decided to get serious. Aron stared at his screen with a complicated expression. He considered his words for a while, but ultimately decided to share the information. Its Howard. The one who changed the teams rhythm and shut down your tactics, it must be all Howards work. Thats what happens when he gets serious. Eh? But it doesnt make any sense! Ive been targeting each player individually! Yuel cried. Im making my plans based on each player''s individual patterns, but that stopped working now. Sure, sometimes the Paladin just gets in my way out of nowhere. But, most of the time, the players themselves outplay me! Put yourself in the enemys shoes for a second. Tell me, do you think they realize that, most of the times, they get royally screwed because of your tactics? Thats... Yuel never bothered to think about that. What did the enemy team think of this match? Did they realize Yuel called most of the shots? It never mattered before. The way they see it: theyre getting outplayed by all players from our team, especially me and Trever who scored the most kills. Aron explained. But, in practice, theres only one main shot-caller on our team. Sounds familiar? Then, youre saying my feeling of being outplayed by the whole enemy team is wrong? That Im only being outplayed by Howard? But thats... absurd. You thought youre special? Aron sneered. A good shot-caller is necessary in every serious team. I have to admit, youve showcased ability that goes beyond standard shot-calling, but youre not the only in the world with such talent. Then, youre saying Howard is like me...? Yuel trembled. It was the first time he ever faced a player like that. Yes, hes a lot like you. Aron nodded. But, at the same time, hes nothing like you. Hes like your antithesis, if you will. Antithesis... Yuel mumbled as he stared at the Paladin on the screen. Suddenly, his understanding of the map changed entirely. Above the map itself, there was another invisible layer. It was a layer only Yuel and Howard played on, a chessboard which decided the fates of both teams. Until now, Yuel had been toying with the chessboard as he wished. However, now he had a fearsome opponent sitting on the other side. Their true battle had just begun. Vol.1 Ch.15: Impenetrable Shield The rhythm of Howards team completely changed. At first glance, it seemed as if each individual member became stronger, by patching out the weaknesses Yuel had been exploiting until now. However, in truth, the huge change was caused by just one person. Mark, go meet Gil, the Warlock, in the jungle. Howard said. Huh? Mark checked the mini-map with a puzzled expression. Gilbert, the teams Warlock, was on his way to Bot Lane in order to help pushing. Whats the point of leaving that very same lane just meet him halfway there? Not to mention, Mark hasnt even finished clearing the minion wave yet. It felt like a terrible time to leave the lane. Was it some kind of test? Shouldnt I push the lane until he arrives? It sounds like a waste to go all the way to meet him. Besides, there are still minions here. Just to be on the safe side. Howard said. With the Ranger and Lionfolk, the enemy team effectively has two junglers, so we cant let our guard down. If you dont stick together, one of you may be picked off. You dont wanna feed them any more, do you? O-Of course not! Mark gulped. Questioning Howards order was yet another error for the huge pile he already accumulated, he was totally blowing this exam. Damn! Heh, dont worry about it. Howard patted Marks shoulder. Youre right, Im being pretty cautious here. But, our next wave already spawned, so it can deal with the remaining minions without letting them damage the Golem. Even if you dont stay on lane, the Golem will be safe for a while. Besides, the plan is to push hard with the next wave anyway, right? Oh, yeah. Mark nodded. Phew, what a relief. It didnt seem like Howard was angry with him at all. I thought Ill farm the Hyena Camp while waiting for the Warlock, but guess thats still too risky. Thats actually a great idea! Once you meet up with Gil, you two should do the camp together. Good thinking there! T-Thanks! Mark clenched his mouse. Hell yeah! He finally scored some points! He still had a chance to make a comeback in this exam! WIth renewed determination, he headed into the jungle to rendezvous with Gilbert. Hey! The Ranger is here! Mark exclaimed. Just as he arrived at his destination, he spotted the Ranger trying to gank the Warlock. With how fed the Ranger was by now, he was going to wreck the Warlock in 1v1 without breaking a sweat. But, thanks to Mark arriving on the scene, the situation changed into a 2v1! They had a chance to turn the tables on that pesky Ranger! You have killed an enemy! Yeah! Eat that! Mark clenched his fist and grinned. They took down that damn Ranger! Mark finally scored his first kill this game! Good play, keep it going! Howard said. Yeah! We can do it! Mark was on fire. With this kill, the tides began turning in their favor! The irritating Ranger wasnt there to defend Bot anymore, so it was a great chance to push hard! Making a comeback wasnt impossibile! This exam wasnt lost for him yet! Good call there. Gilbert said. Yeah... Howard was deep in thought. He didnt actually expect anybody to try ganking Gilbert with such perfect timing. His advice for Mark was merely a just in case, yet it resulted in getting a kill on Trever. Roi, youve been holding onto that Sentry Ward like its your baby. Howard said. Use it already. Oh, totally forgot about it, lol! Roi laughed. Our side looks pretty warded, though. Man, you do such a good work that theres nowhere for me to put it, lol. Then place it here. Howard pinged on the map. Here? Eh? You sure? You already bought it, so may as well use it. Or what, youre so rich that you can toss money away? Thats fair. Okay, here goes... oh!? Rois eyes went wide after he placed his Sentry Ward. Lol, they actually had a Ward here! Imma get rid of it. Good guess there, man. Yeah, haha... Howard faked a smile. He knew it was possible for a niche Ward to be placed there, but he didnt really expect it to be there. The enemy Druid must had placed it there to get vision on fleeing targets, so that he could pull them with Natures Grasp. With that enemy Ward gone, yet another one of the teams weaknesses was dealt with. In this fashion, Howard kept tweaking the plays of his teammates. He advised against risky rotations, gave timely retreat orders and determined which jungle camps were safe to clear. As a result, the teams defense was strongly reinforced and the enemy failed to push, gradually losing the momentum they maintained until now. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! Lol, I took Mid so easily! Where are these guys even at, lol! Roi laughed as he demolished the enemy Turret. He originally planned to rotate to Bot, but Howard advised to keep pushing Mid. For some reason, nobody came in time to stop him. They all went Bot. Gilbert pointed out. Good thing you didnt rotate there. Lol, true that. Man, Howard youre on fire today! Youre usually such a worrywart, but today were actually scoring big thanks to you! Heh, maybe now youll learn to respect me a little. Howard smirked, but then averted his eyes. The whole team was excited about turning the tables thanks to Howards advice. Of course, he was also happy that his shot-calls were effective. However, he had conflicted feelings about it. His advice worked well, too well. Things usually didnt turn out like this just from Howards advice. He understood better than anybody why it was happening this game and what it meant. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to keep providing his team with that flawless defense. When they were about to make a risky play, he proposed a safer alternative. When they found themselves in a sticky situations, he immediately arrived for the rescue. He left no openings. You see his in-game name? Aron asked Yuel. He decided to call himself Aegis, the shield of gods. Just like you find weaknesses in your opponents to organize a strong offense, he finds the weaknesses of his teammates to put on a strong defense. Its like he puts an impenetrable shield in front of his whole team, therefore Aegis. An impenetrable shield... Yuel bit his lip. Indeed, every offense he attempted was shut down, he couldnt pierce through enemy defenses anymore. They truly were protected by Aegis, the shield of gods. Howard patched out each and every hole Yuel spotted in the enemys formation. It was impossible to pierce through anymore. The harder Yuels tried to exploit the enemys weaknesses, the harder his team was punished by defensive counterplay. The Pirate is going for the Hyena Camp. Yuel said. Trever, can you gank him? Hmm. Are ya sure, bro? Trever cocked his head. Eh? Ah, well... Yuel stumbled over his words. Was he sure? Really? Was the Pirate really heading to the Hyena Camp? According to Yuels analysis, that must had been the case, but... They destroyed all our Wards there, so we cant see shit. Trever shrugged. If I get there and Pirate rotates to Mid meanwhile, you guys will have to fight 4v5. Youre right... Yuel bit his lip. I mean, if you have a good reason to believe the Pirate is going after the camp, I can give it a shot. Forget it. Yuel shook his head. Lets focus on Mid then. Doubt was seeded among his teammates. Even though Aron told them to follow Yuels tactics, they started questioning Yuels shot-calls. It wasnt surprising, considering his suggestions led them into misplays, time after time after time. At this point, even Yuel lost faith in his own analysis. Whats the point? Every weakness he discovered was covered up by Howard. Yuel was battling an invisible enemy, on a chessboard that existed on an invisible higher plane. The Paladin playing on the map and the Aegis who provided absolute defense - they were two entirely different enemies. The Paladin could be analyzed by watching the map, but how was Yuel supposed to overcome an invisible chess opponent like Aegis? Yuel had no way to investigate what weaknesses Aegis had as a player, theres no way to win against such an elusive opponent. Is he trying to play god? Yuel bit his lip. All players were flawed, thats what made team sports interesting. Finding said flaws and exploiting them was Yuels forte. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it However, against Aegis, that didnt work. Under Howards leadership, all his teammates became flawless players. They left no holes in their formation, there wasnt anything for Yuel to exploit. In order to get to them, Yuel first had to defeat Aegis on the chessboard. I thought I left this frustration behind when I quit the chess club. Yuels hands become sweaty. This agonizing feeling was familiar, it was the same as when he played chess against a superior opponent. There werent any weak spots to strike, the enemy was simply stronger, thats all. The more he insisted on striking the enemys weaknesses, the harder his team got outplayed by Howards defense. His shot-calls were clearly dragging the team down at this point. Therefore, it was best to just shut his mouth and let his teammates do their job. Yuel fell silent and reverted back into being merely an alright by-the-book Support. He warded, set up basic ganks and helped in team fights, but thats all. HIs sophisticated offensive tactics were unnecessary, and thats fine. His team still maintained the lane advantage in Mid and Bot. Its fine, they could win as long as he didnt suggest any ideas that backfired. Right, its fine. So, thats your solution? Running away? Aron fronwed. Thats... Yuel averted his eyes. Thats the safest strategy. We gained the advantage in the early game, so we can let it carry us to victory. My shot-calls just get in the way right now. Then, let me ask you this: what would you do if this were a real match? We only gained the early game advantage because Howard didnt play seriously from the beginning. What would you do if we didnt have that advantage? I... I dont know. Yuel bit his lip. What was Aron expecting of him? How was Yuel supposed to beat something like Aegis? It was an impregnatable shield, all enemy players had perfect defense and didnt even feel like flawed humans anymore. Honestly? It was terrifying. He couldnt fight against something like that. So, youd throw the match? Aron eyed Yuel intently. Youd give up because youre too scared to face your opponent? Is that your answer as somebody whos striving to become a competitive player? Thats... Yuel hung his head. Thats right, he was aiming to become a competitive player, even a pro eventually. Didnt he seek the competitive scene to play this team sport on the highest level? To play against the strongest opponents? Yet, he caved in. He couldnt beat Aegis, so he gave up. All his tactics were torn asunder by the enemys absolute defense, it was frustrating, painful and demoralizing. He felt like he was trying to pierce through Howards iron defenses with nothing but a twig in his hands. And yet...! I... I want to win against him! Yuel gritted his teeth. I want to break through Aegis and defeat him! But, itll cost us the game if I fail. Forget about winning this rigged match. Forget about the exam. Aron said. Pretend this is an official match and we didnt get any early game advantage. Everything is riding on your ability to defeat Aegis. I want to face him, really. But, is that fine with all of you? Yuel scanned his teammates. We may lose because of me. Is that really fine? Heh, no worry, bro. Trever grinned and smacked Yuel on the back. Just between you and me, we all wanna see somebody break through that damn Aegis at least once. Can you imagine how it feels practicing against that shit everyday? We wanna wreck him, yo! The rest of the team was on the same wavelength. Yeah, Im down with that. Youve been doing a great job earlier, so you may actually pull this off. Agreed. Lets show Howard that his defense isnt as perfect as he thinks. And there you have it. Aron wore a faint smile, which was eerily uncharacteristic. Or rather, it was a smirk. Just like the rest of the team, he definitely wished to see Aegis broken through. None of us expects a rookie to succeed against Aegis on the first try, but youll never get anywhere without trying. A competitive player isnt somebody who only fights in matches he can win. A true competitive player knows how to grit his teeth and struggle through frustrating matches, grasping at anything he can for the smallest chance of attaining victory. Youll do well to remember that. And were all competitive players like that! Trever added with a smile. You can trust us to pick up the slack whenever you fail! Hey, dont encourage him to make mistakes. And you stop making him shit his pants from all that pressure, okay? Thank you. Yuel regained his smile. Despite how poorly he was faring, he had the support of his whole team. No matter how badly things would turn out, he wanted to play this match without any regrets. He wanted to face Aegis and win! I cant make any promises, but Ill do the best I can. Thats the spirit. Aron nodded. Everybody, keep following Yuels suggestions to the best of your ability. Keep in mind that the enemy may counter them, so use your own brains as well. Roger. Got it. Aye aye, cap. Trever shrugged with a smile, then leaned toward Yuel. Just between you and me, I think Aron really likes you. Hm? Likes? Me? Yuel raised an eyebrow. No way that was true, considering how harsh and imposing Aron was. Heh, you just gotta know the guy. The harsher he is with ya, the more he likes ya. Hes a natural sadist, Im telling ya. Haha. Haha... Yuel pretended to laugh along, unsure what to make of this information. He should had been glad that he (probably) made a positive impression on the key examiner, but that didnt matter right now. All Yuel cared about was defeating Aegis. Once again, he began analyzing his enemies in-depth, seeking weaknesses his team could exploit. However, unlike before, he didnt jump at every opportunity that presented itself. He formed countless attack plans with lightning speed, only to drop 90% of them without sharing with anybody. He wasnt running away, though. Against an opponent who could strengthen the defenses of the whole team, Yuel had to be more cautious. Whenever Yuel discovered a hole in the enemy defense which seemed too obvious, Howard most likely covered it up by now. Pursuing that angle would only lead to Yuels team getting outplayed Therefore, he focused on the more complicated and advanced plays. He struck the enemy from unexpected angles, leaving little room for counters. Even when he failed arranging the optimal scenario due to Howards interference, his team wasnt punished much by the outcome. Trever, the Warlock is rotating to Bot. Try cutting him off. Yuel drew the most likely route on the mini-map. But, dont spend your mount to get there faster. Theres a chance youll have to retreat. Roger! Trever dashed toward the destination, ready to score an easy kill. However, when he finally caught up with the Warlock, the enemy Pirate was also there. It was a 1v2 situation. Haha, we got him! Mark laughed. Lets finish him off! Agreed. Gilbert nodded. With this kill, we can start turning things around. The Pirate and Warlock rushed at Trever, confident that theyd take him out. The ganker become the ganked, it was a delicious development, all thanks to Howards suggestion! Geh, so there were really two of them. Trever clicked his tongue. Despite outleveling his enemies by two levels, he couldnt 1v2 them. He summoned a wolf mount and rode away. Catch me if you can! Heh, look at him running! Mark grinned. Lets chase! We can finish him off! Sounds good. Gilbert nodded. Looks like we can catch up to him if we cut through the middle of the jungle. He chose a terrible escape route. Or did he? Howard frowned as he scanned the mini-map. Trever wasnt exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had more than enough experience to avoid such basic mistakes. Was he so surprised by the 2v1 situation that he made a wrong turn while escaping? Actually, why wasnt the mount on cooldown? It means he didnt use it to get faster to Gilbert. Its as if he kept it in case hed have to escape. None of that sat right with Howard. And, if that wasnt corcerning enough, the enemy Lionfolk and Druid were currently missing from the mini-map. Judging by the areas where Howards team didnt have vision, and considering Trevers escape path... Am I overthinking this? Getting a kill on Trever will allow us to turn things around, but... Howard hesitated. His team thirsted for this important kill. If Howards suspicion was just a false alarm, telling Mark and Gilbert to retreat would make his team give up on a game-changing play. Damn. Its driving me nuts! Anything is possible as long as its that rookie! Unlike everybody else on the team, Howard didnt rejoice much when the enemy got outplayed by his defensive tactics. For that kind of outplay to happen, the enemy had to target the exact same weaknesses Howard noticed and covered up. This usually happened only a handful of times in a match, but here it was a consistent routine. Time and again, that damn rookie found one of the holes Howard patched. Even though Howard always came on top as a result, he didnt feel like he dominated the mental battle against Yuel. On the contrary, he was pressured and couldnt let his guard down for even a second. The moment he relaxed and opened the tiniest gap in his teams defense - Yuel was going to immediately sneak an attack through that gap. Dammit! Better safe than sorry! Howard refused to be defeated by some rookie. He played Classmancers more than anybody here, he even trained with his sis pro buddies. His defense was absolute, there was no way some newcomer would be able to pierce through it! Mark! Gil! Retreat! Theres a good chance youre running into a trap! But we almost caught up to him. Mark insisted. Just a little more and we can turn things around- Do you wanna get killed and feed them even more than you already have!? Howard shot a glare at Mark. Ugh, got it. Mark hung his head and retreated. Gilbert didnt raise any objections and quietly retreated as well. With that, a potential disaster was prevented. Sorry, my bad. Howard noticed that Mark was shaken by his earlier outburst. I got a little heated up because there was no time to explain. They probably planned to ambush you at the Dragon with two more members, the Lionfolk and Druid are missing right now. It sucks that we gotta let them have the Dragon, but we gotta defend our lanes first. Dont worry, there will surely be another opportunity for a comeback. Youve been doing a great job so far, so just keep it up Alright, well get him next time! Mark nodded. Thats the spirit! Howard secretly sighed. Ruining a teammates moral was the last thing he needed at such a difficult part of the match. He felt his concentration slipping away, restlessly providing his team with defense gradually wore him out. Just when he thought he was finally going to catch a breather because the attacks slowed down, the enemy delivered a tricker attack than ever. Heh, I dont even remember the last time I had to work this hard on the defense. Howard smiled wryly. He didnt want to lose, not to this irritating rookie. Countering so many perfectly timed attacks was taxing, but it was also fun, in its own way. It was a direct challenge for Aegis, on a scope he had never experienced before. He wanted to win this, no matter what! So they didnt bite. Yuel sighed when he saw the Pirate and Warlock halting their chase. The plan was to lure them toward the Dragon, where Yuel and Aron waited to ambush them. But, as expected, Aegis didnt fall for this trap. However, thats fine. Once Trever arrived, the three of them killed the Dragon without being contested. Even though the ambush strategy didnt come to fruition, they still secured an important objective. They wasted some time, due to Trever going the long way for that gank, but otherwise they didnt lose much. They made a slightly inefficient play, but they werent outplayed. In this fashion, Yuel kept fearlessly challenging Howard over and over. He promised himself that, by the end of this match, hed break through Aegiss defense. Vol.1 Ch.16: Teams Support As the match went on, Yuel improved at managing the risks of his tactics. Even though each and every one of his plans was shut down by Aegis, the team didnt receive harsh punishment. In addition, following Arons advice, everybody added their own twists on Yuels plans, making them even more failsafe. All his teammates were skilled and experienced, with their own ideas and playstyles. Therefore, there was no need to babysit them or worry about their performance. It was amazing, Yuel had never played on such a high level team. Since everybody was able to care for themselves, Yuel challenged Aegis over and over without fearing the consequences. Even if he was playing chess against a superior opponent, nothing was going to change unless he made the next move, and the following move and the move after that. No matter how many times he was countered, he kept pushing forward, one step at a time. Frustrating as it was, thats the only way he could win this chess match. Despite the lead his team gained during the early game, they had a hard time sealing the game due to Aegiss defense. To make things worse, the team started losing its advantage as the match approached late game. Once all players finished their item builds, any early game advantage was going to be rendered null. To prevent that from happening, Yuels team had to push through, right here and now. Out of the myriad of options, he picked the most unconventional attack plan he could come up with, while staying cautious of possible backfire. After tackling Aegis so many times, he was definitely getting closer to cracking Howards defenses. He was certain that, with the next play, hed finally get through Aegis. After countless defeats, hed claim victory! Trever, go push Bot. Yuel said. You dont need me in the team fight? Trever was taken aback. If I join ya, we can steamroll these scrubs! I dont believe thatd happen. Dont forget were playing against Aegis, Im sure theyll retreat before you even get there. Heh, thats fair. Trever shrugged. So Bot Lane, right? On it! Oh, and buy a Checkpoint Ward. Yuel added. Place it as close as you can to their Golem, somewhere around here. He pinged the map. Oh? Oh!? Sounds like another crazy plan is on! Trever grinned. Honestly, your shot-calls have been kinda conservative lately, but now you sound like youre ready to give a real fight! Gotcha, a Checkpoint Ward it is! You sure look confident. Aron said. Found a weakness in their defense? I wont go as far as call it a weakness, but I believe I found a way to break through. Yuel nodded. Aegis definitely provides solid defense, but that makes him predictable at times. With the next move, we should be able to break through the defenses hes going to set up. Yuel shared the gist of the plan with Aron and Trever, making sure they were in the loop. As Trever guessed, it was indeed an ambitious plan. Nevertheless, both seniors approved it. While Trever was heading to Bot, the rest of the team was locked in a 4v4 fight. To divert the enemys attention from Trever, the team pressued the enemy as hard as they could. In particular, Arons Lionfolk did a splendid job disrupting the enemy''s formation by leaping on squishy targets and shooking enemies with roars. Bot? Trever isnt joining the fight? Despite the diversion, Howard didnt fail catching wind of the enemys movements. Even though he was locked in an intense team fight, which even forced him to use Justice Strike and Aegis to keep the team alive, he still noticed Trever advancing through the jungle toward Bot Lane. Split pushing with a Ranger in this situation? Heh. theyre really desperate, arent they? Howard sneered. Mark, defend Bot as soon as you respawn. Their Ranger is going for the Golem. Got it! Mark answered. Just as Howard predicted, Trever arrived at the Bot Golem along with the next minion wave and attempted destroying it. However, with Mark guarding the spot, it was impossible for a Ranger to pull off this split push. Even though Trever had a full Carry build at this point, Ranger lacked the necessary DPS to quickly finish off the Golem. That split push was a dead end. So, he sent the Pirate to defend. As expected. Yuel nodded to himself. Trever, place the Checkpoint Ward. Ill be right there. Roger! The second phase of the plan started. Once the Checkpoint Ward was placed, Yuel retreated from the team fight. He purposely soaked a lot of damage for the team, so it didnt seem odd to return to base with such low HP. However, he had no intention returning to base. Once he entered the jungle to escape the enemys vision, he activated the utility skill Teleport. He wasnt teleporting back to base, but rather to the Checkpoint Ward set up by Trever! Alright, that pesky Druid finally returned to base. Gilbert sighed in relief. With their Ranger at Bot Lane, this is now a 4v3. I know me and Roi are running low, but I think we should get aggressive with them here. Yeah! Lets do it! We can make a comeback here! Weird, why hasnt Trever retreated yet? Howard frowned as he examined Bot Lane on the mini-map. Trevers split pushing attempt should had been shut down the moment Mark stepped in to defend the Golem. Yet, Trever was still there, fruitlessly trying to push the lane. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen. Actually, since when they had a Ward all the way out there? Howard noticed a stray enemy Ward placed right outside their base. It was only barely caught in the line of sight of an allied Sentry Ward, which he placed there to counter enemy teleportation attempts. And, its a Checkpoint Ward too. Did Trever place it there? Dont tell me theyre going to...! Howard flinched and scouted the area, verifying that the Druid was nowhere to be found. Did the Druid really return to base? Dammit, there was no way to confirm it! And, their next minion wave is about to arrive too. Dammit, the timing is way too perfect. Howard would had told Mark to retreat to be on the safe said, but that was impossible. The moment Mark was going stepped down from his post, Trever would easily erase the remaining 20% HP of the Bot Golem. Howards hands were tied. There was a crack, Howard felt it forming in his absolute defense. If the enemy was really going for the elaborate play he had in mind, the result would be disastrous. Hed normally dismiss such a far stretched idea, but he couldnt put anything past that irritating rookie. I wont let them! Howard gritted his teeth and retreated from the team fight. Gil, handle the rest from here. I have to return to base. Eh? But we have the advantage here- Theyre going to take Bot at this rate! Howard barked. There was no time to explain! He had to act fast, he had to act right now! He began recalling to base, it was the longest three seconds of his life. Could he make it in time? The Teleport utility skill took five seconds to cast, so he had an advantage of two seconds over his opponent. He had to make it, no matter what! Mark, make sure you move all over the place! Howard ordered. They probably gonna pull you through the wall. Since you cant retreat right now, at least make their lives harder. Spam that WASD like your life depends on it! Eh? G-Got it! Mark nodded. Heh. Haha. Hahaha! This is rich! Howard wore a crazed smile, his heart raced. Who would have thought a fight against a mere rookie could excite him this much? For him, who played Classmancers longer than anybody here and even practiced with pros, such an exhausting clash of decision-making was a rare occurrence when he played with others his age. And, precisely because of that, he couldn''t bear to lose, not to some random rookie! Even though he shut down each and every tactic Yuel tried so far, it wasnt over yet. Until the very last second of the match, Howard wasnt going to let even a single attack through! Against a rookie, he wouldnt be satisfied with anything less than a perfect shutdown! Oh, snap! Howard returned to base! Trever announced. Amazing, he figured it out so quickly. Yuels hands trembled, not from fear, but from excitement. Indeed, his opponent had an unbreakable defense. However, right here and now, he was going to pierce through it! It doesnt matter, he wont make it. Yuel claimed with confidence. Paladin had no way to boost his movement speed. So, despite how quickly Howard got back to the base, he had no means to cover the necessary distance in such a short time span. It was settled. Ugh, stop moving so much! Yuel carefully aimed his Natures Grasp at the zigzagging Pirate. It felt like the Pirate was mashing the WASD buttons at random, so locking on him was a pain. Was this also part of Aegiss defense? Nevertheless, that much wasnt enough to foil Yuels plan. Even if the Pirate thought he was pressing buttons at random, they still had a distinct pattern. By taking a second to analyze the Pirates moves, Yuel predicted the next one. Caught you. Its over. Yuel shot his branches through the wall. They were going to hit for sure, nothing could stop them now. Aegiss absolute defense was about to crumble. Tch, run faster! Howard gritted his teeth as he dashed toward Mark. His Paladin was slow, way too slow. Without any movement speed buffs, he couldnt close the necessary distance in time by foot. The Druids branches already pierced through the wall, but Howard was nowhere close enough. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. What a frustratingly delightful play. Even though his shield was supposed to be impenetrable, he felt Yuels attack breaking in through the tiniest of cracks. Any other day, this level of play could had screwed Howard. But not today, not in this match! Not under my watch, rookie! Howard poured his everything into countering Yuel, nothing else mattered. He couldnt lose here, even if he had to outdo himself! In this match, in this very instant, he was going to surpass himself! Sure, Paladin was a slow tank with no mobility boosts, but that didn''t stop Howard. Just as Natures Grasp was about to grab Mark, Howard blitzed forward. He closed the distance in a blink of an eye and activated Divine Shield, deflecting the branches. Yes! Howard couldnt contain himself. He couldnt believe he just executed such an absurd play, but he did it! He shut down Yuel yet again! Wow! You saw that!? Trevers jaw dropped. Im clipping that shit! Its gonna go into Top 5 Plays for sure! Blink? But thats... Yuel bit his lip. It was impossible. It was absurd. Howard used Blink to close that distance in an instant. It was a utility skill, which allowed a player to instantly teleport a short distance forward. Being a utility skill, it was available to every class, so it wasnt unthinkable for a Paladin to use Blink. Except, Howard didnt have Blink until now. He... He bought Blink as soon as he returned to base. He realized right away that he wouldnt make it, so he bought Blink on the spot. Thats just... Yuel hung his head. To think Howard could make such a split-second decision to invest gold into a costly utility skill, just so he could block Yuels play. It was brilliant defense, Yuel was thoroughly crushed yet again. Focus! Its not over yet. Eh...? Tank the Golem. Aron ordered. Eh? Ah, sure... Yuel acted on instinct and stepped into the Golems area. He made sure to cast Gaias Protection on himself, to mitigate the incoming damage. Now, Trever. Finish off the Pirate. What about the Paladins ult? Trever asked. Its on cooldown. I made sure to bait it out in the previous team fight. Sweet, okay then! Trever grinned. Too bad Aegis cant use his Aegis, haha! But even without his ult, they still got the advantage here... Yuel mumbled. What was even going on? What was Trever trying to do? They failed to make this push, they got thoroughly shut down by Aegis. There was nothing else for them to do here, they just failed hard and thats all. Yuels careful planning resulted in nothing more than an embarrassing blunder. Wha!? Yuel gasped at what unfolded next. While he was drawing the Golems attention, Trever fearlessly rolled into the Golems area! It was so reckless! Yuel had no tools to support such an aggressive right now, so Trever literally leapt into the lion''s den! Before his opponents got the chance to react, Trever performed a quick roll cancel and activated Wolf Companion, sending his wolf to knock down the Pirate. While the target was rendered immobile, Trever followed up with his ult, The Hunt is On, marking the Pirate as his prey. Now, each of Trevers attacks was going to deal huge damage to the floored Pirate. Dammit! Howard cursed. Of course! They could easily get away with such a straightforward power play while Howards ult was down! Considering the skill difference between Mark and Trever, it was an obvious play! How did he miss it!? That damn Aron, he pressured me into using both Justice Strike and Aegis in the last fight. Was it all for this play!? Howard gritted his teeth and charged at Trever. While The Hunt is On was active, all of Trevers shots pierced through enemies. Therefore, Howard couldnt even body block the arrows to save Mark. The most he could do in the meantime was striking Trever as much as possible, drawing the intruder away. You little! However, even that option was denied to Howard. The enemy Druid stepped in front of Trever, blocking Howards path. That Druid. That damn Druid! Everything was falling apart because of him! Howards perfect defense was shattered in the most pitiful of ways! Even though it was pointless, Howard bashed the Druid with his blade. Over and over, unleashing all his pent up frustration. How could a mere rookie push him this far!? It was unacceptable! Senseless! Ridiculous! Look at that brat throwing a tantrum. Aron sneered and turned to Yuel. So much for his absolute defense. As you can see, as long as you keep struggling, you can get results even against the most impossible odds. But, I didnt really... Yuel bit his lip. Even though they ultimately gained the upper hand in Bot Lane thanks to Yuels teleportation plan, it wasnt truly his achievement. Diving under the Golem to kill the Pirate wasnt part of his script, and it wasnt him who baited Justice Strike and Aegis out of Howard in the previous team fight. In the end, Yuel just lost to Howard yet again. You two are so similar its almost sickening. Aron spat a sigh. Get off the high horse, rookie. You think youre playing this game alone? Eh? No, I... I told you to keep challenging Aegis, but when did I say its your responsibility to beat him? The two of you became so engrossed in your little back and forth that youve completely lost track of the match. You both knew how Trevers skill compared to the Pirates, but, for some reason, neither of you saw the tower dive play. Thats... Yuel had nothing to retort with. Seriously, how did he miss such a straightforward play? Earlier this match, he even used Trevers superior strength as a supporting argument for some of his plans. Yet, at some point, he grew so obsessed with exploiting the enemys weaknesses that he forgot all about this advantage. It was such an embarrassing blunder. You have four other members on the team, remember that. Aron said. I admit, you and Howard see the game differently and come up with great strategies. But, were all players here, were not just pawns for your little chess game. Trever is skilled enough to beat a rookie under tower and I can come up with a strategy or two myself. Or what, you thought my captain title is just for show? Know your place, runt. Hey, hey! Hold your horses! Trever intervened with an awkward smile. No need to be that harsh with a rookie, is there? Keep your babysitter mentality out of this. Im saying this for his own good. Cmon, youre totally being an ass- No, its fine. Yuel shook his head. Aron is right. I... I disregarded the team while trying to beat Aegis. That was wrong of me. Thats right, Classmancers wasnt chess. It was a team sport, with five players on both sides. It didnt just mean there five enemies, it also meant Yuel had four allies. Whenever he made a mistake or couldnt beat a tough enemy on his own, the rest of the team could pick up the slack. He was so used to playing with weaker players that, at some point, he stopped relying on his teammates. Lars was the only skilled player he wholly trusted until now. However, in this match, all his teammates were strong. They were all competitive players, with way more experience than him. Even if they couldnt directly touch the chessboard Yuel and Howard played on, they could still polish every move Yuel suggested. With Arons help, Yuels tactic even broke through Aegiss defense. It was amazing, he truly wasnt fighting alone. Youll do well to remember this feeling. Aron said. Well, guess there was no reason to worry. Trever shrugged and focused on the match. Soon after the Pirate was killed, the Bot Lane Golem followed suit. An enemy has been killed! An enemy Golem has been destroyed! With the Golems fall, Yuels team now spawned super minions in Bot. They were already spawning super minions in Mid, so now they dominated two out of three lanes. However, their advantage didnt end there. Soon after the Golems collapse, an unexpected message popped up on Howards screen. An ally has been killed! Wha?! Who!? Howard jumped. Mark already died a few seconds ago, so who else could die right now!? Sorry, we couldnt handle them. Gilbert averted his eyes. While Howard and Mark intercepted Trever in Bot, the remaining members attempted to 3v3 the enemy team. Alas, they were crushed and forced to flee. Idiot, you should have retreated as soon as I left! Howard roared. Just what the heck was everybody doing!? First that useless rookie got himself killed again, now Gilbert messed up big time. Was he playing with Bronze players or something!? Heh, haha... Howards arms dropped. Who was he kidding? Keeping track of all these things and guaranteeing his teammates safety was his job. Yet, this whole time, he had his hands full with just deflecting Yuels attacks. At some point along the way, he completely lost track of his teammates and focused solely on whatever bullshit Yuel was going to pull next. My bad, I did us in with that last play. Good game, everybody. The match came to a swift end. Tried as he might, Howard couldnt stop the enemys advance on his own. All the teammates he was supposed to protect were dead, only he remained standing. Some amazing shield he was. VICTORY Yeah! We did it! Trever grinned and smacked Yuel on the back. Ugh, yeah. Yuel forced himself to smile. Was this really a victory, though? Howard didnt take the match seriously during the first half, which is how Yuels team gained early game advantage. If not for that, could they had won? On top of that, Yuel felt like he didnt settle the score with Howard yet. Despite what Aron said about teamwork, Yuel still wanted to defeat Aegis with his own two hands at least once. Next time, he was going to win for sure...! So, what are my chances to pass? Yuel asked once they got out of the examination room. Hmm, lets see. Aron pondered. You couldnt beat Aegis even once, even though you disregarded everything else and focused solely only on that. In addition, you tried playing the game all by yourself without relying on your teammates. Quite the trash tier player, if you ask me. Ugh, I see... All in all, one day you may get somewhere in the competitive scene. Aron turned around and left. Eh...? Yuel was puzzled. Does that mean I have a good chance? Haha! You betcha, kid! Trever rubbed Yuels hair. Would you mind not treating me like a kid? Yuel pouted. Anyway, Aron is treating ya like shit because he really likes ya. Thats how he is with everybody, hes like that with me as well, haha. Are you sure he doesnt just hate your guts? We gotta see the other candidates first, but Ill be damned if we find somebody better than you. I see. Yuel sighed in relief. He was worried his weak performance during the late game completely overshadowed the positive impression he created earlier, but apparently everything was going to be fine. As for the other candidates, I guarantee theres at least one wholl amaze you even more than I did. Yuel smiled to himself as he left. On his way to the stairs, he ran into Howard. ... ... They just stood there, staring at each other in silence. Just a few seconds ago, they were sworn enemies who poured their everything into crushing each other. They clashed using their ideal playstyles, each trying to prove his was superior. It was a conceptual battle, in which they tried to vehemently deny each other. What kind of conversation could they possibly hold after going through something like that? Howard was the first to break the standstill. He walked toward Yuel, wearing a fierce look. He was one year older and quite taller, which made Yuel flinch. W-Was he going to get hit or yelled at!? Heh, good game. Howard smirked and stretched his hand. L-Likewise. Yuel sighed in relief and mustered a weak smile. Where did you learn to play like this? Got any pros in your family? I wish. Yuel smiled wryly as he shook Howards hand. I just research the game a lot and play daily with friends. So, youre saying its all self-study? How curious. Howard squinted his eyes. You sure gave a good a fight. Ugh! Wha!? Pain shot through Yuels fingers. His hand was being crushed! But, dont get carried away, rookie. Howard glared at Yuel. A toddler like you cant break through my defense. Youre one year too young to even try! Ugh, just you wait. Yuel ignored the pain and glared back. Next time, Ill leave your precious defense in the dust. Heh, thats the spirit. Howard grinned and finally released Yuel. It may be a bit premature, but welcome to the Classmancers club. Im expecting great things from you. He turned around and left. Next time Ill get him for sure. Yuel promised himself. Neither of them got the closure they desired from this match, so they yearned for another opportunity to settle things. Was such opportunity going to present itself while theyre in the same club? Nobody could tell. But itd definitely come, someday, somewhere. Vol.1 Afterword This is the end of the first volume. It was mainly an introduction for the main cast, exploring their motivations for playing Classmancers. To spice it up, the finale had some action which gave a taste of how a competitive match looks like. The second volume will continue with the entry exam, showing how Lars and Julia fare and who ultimately makes it into the club. The draft for the volume is already done, so its all about proofreading and editing now. Ill be taking one week off to better prepare for the release of the second volume, so there wont be a chapter next week. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Meanwhile, youre welcome to give some criticism, rate the fic or even leave a review. This is a very niche type of web novel, so Im sure I did some things right and some things terribly wrong. Itll be helpful to know what you think works and what doesnt, so Ill learn how to execute this story better. Vol.2 Ch.1: Romeo and Juliet The second day of the entry exams final round was about to begin. Lars and Julia were scheduled to be tested on this day, but the examiners ran into a problem. My, how bothersome. Ellen ran her fingers along her hair. And I begged you so much to not get me involved in this. Believe me, I didnt want you to take part in this either. Aron said. But, Howard is staying home today and youre the only replacement we have. My, hes skipping school? What a bad bad boy. Ellen giggled. He said hes feeling under the weather, probably a cold. Poor Wardy. Thats what happens when you push people too hard, you evil slave driver you. Hmph. Aron shrugged. If he wants to be the captain next year, he must be able to deal with this much. Besides, Im pretty sure its not due to overwork. Hmm~? You know something? ... not really. My, how suspicious~ I heard people complained about his performance yesterday, I wonder if thats related. Ask him yourself. Aron cleared his throat. Anyway, lets get down to business. I wont ask you to do much during the exams, just play the game... casually. Sugarcoating doesnt suit you, darling. Ellen giggled. Just say it straight: youre afraid Ill break our promising rookies. As long as you understand. No worries, Ronron. Ill be a good girl and only toy with the rest of you. Ellen smiled like an angel. You went out of your way to drag me here, on a day I didnt even plan visiting the club. So dont worry, Ill make sure you all have a f~u~n time today~ ... great. Aron sighed. Anyway, heres the briefing of the first match. The rookie on your side is Lars, a Carry player. Like I care. Ellen shrugged. Just tell me whos the poor guy on the other team, so I wont bully him. The rookie on my team is Julia, playing Mid. Oh, my! Ellen covered her mouth. Julia? A girl? I dont know about you, but Ive never met a boy named Julia. Yes, its a girl. My, a girl actually survived the first two rounds? So, it means she isnt a chub and she knows a thing or two about Classmancers., what a delightful surprise~ Wait, dont tell me there are even more girls who made it? No, shes the only one. There were three more girls initially, but they were eliminated in the earlier rounds. How tragic. Ellen shook her head. This entry exam is so mean to us girls. Most girls only start playing Classmancers around my age, no way they can pass this Spartan exam on the first year. And. I dont even want to touch on how they must physically compete against boys in the first round. Did you ever see what PE lessons girls get? Its like theyre designed for 80 year old hags. Youre welcome to become the next captain and change the rules as you see fit. Nah, Ill leave that hassle to Wardy. Ellen crossed her arms. Alright, I decided. Let me on girls team, Ill examine her. Excuse me? Aron raised an eyebrow. My, suffering from hearing loss at your age? I said Ill test the girl. What game are you trying to play here? Aron frowned. Plan to cheat her through the exam? Heh, as if. Ellen smirked. Honesty, I do think you could just let the gal join after sheve come this far. But, Im not gonna bother working for that, Im not that sweet of a person. Then whats your interest? I just wanna check her out, as a fellow girl who went through this circus you call exam. Youve already dragged me into this nonsense, so the least you can do is let me have some fun. Sorry, cant do. Aron declared. Ive been adjusting the teams the whole day due to Howards absence. The lineups finally look balanced, so Im not changing them. My, how deligent you are, cap. Ellen clapped her hands and smiled. But, please change it. Like, right now. Or, maybe Ill also feel under the weather, teehee~ Youre insufferable sometimes, you know that? You know you love it, sweetie. You really put me on the spot here. Aron sighed deeply as he checked his notes. Hrm, maybe I can trade you for Trever and have you play Carry on the girls team. Nope, rejected. Ellen crossed her arms. I told you already, I dont wanna play Carry if Wardy isnt supporting. Keep me a Jungler, ok thanks. Youre sure making this difficult. A difficult woman is a good woman, remember that. Ellen smiled. Also, I like it how youre fine trading me for someone like Trever, but you wont trade places with me yourself. Youre playing Jungler on that team, arent you? That I do. So what, thats your way of saying Im not your match as a fellow Jungler? Theres a reason Im the teams Jungler, you know. Yeah, of course there is. Ellen nodded. Its because youre the captain and decide everything. Oh, and because all our Carries are trash, so Im stuck playing Carry to make up for it. Hey now. Aron frowned. Trever is a better Carry than you when hes at his best. Yeah, sure. And hes worse than a Bronze V at his worst, please Ronron. Ellen shook her head. Oh, now I get it! Youre abusing your authority to hit on younger girls, arent you? Thats why you want to play on the girls team so badly, how shrewd~ I have no interest in that... Aron started developing a headache. Right, of course you dont. For a serious guy like you, about the only girlfriend youd ever have is Trever. Sorry to disappoint, but I dont swing that way. Aron sighed deeply. Alright already, Ill switch places with you. My, arent you a charmer. Thanks, darling~ Ellen blew him a kiss. You better take this seriously, the girls fate is in your hands now. Yes, sir. Ellen saluted . With this, it was decided Ellen and Trever were going to supervise Julia, whereas Aron and Gilbert were going to supervise Lars. A short while later, Lars and Julia learned their exams were scheduled for the exact same time. To be more precise: they were going to face each other as enemies! What we gonna do? This is the worst. Julia hung her head. Nah, dont worry, dude. Lars shrugged. According to Yuel, its not about winning. We just gotta do our best and it gonna be A-okay! I sure hope so. Julia bit her nails. How could this happen? Of all the opponents that were left, they just had to pit her against Lars. How could she play her best now? If she were to get in Larss way during the match, it might result in him failing the exam. Hed never forgive her for that, itd be the end! Game over! AGH! Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. My, whats going on here? Enemies exchanging information? Suspicious~ E-Eh!? Whoa! Where did ya come from!? Lars and Julia jumped when a girl popped up beside them. My, treating me like a ghost? How rude. The girl made an offended face, but quickly switched to a playful smile. July? I can call you July, right? Um, sure. Julia instinctively took a step back. Whats with this girl? Nice to meet you, Im Ellen. The girl, Ellen, grabbed Julias hand and shook it, Julia didnt even have a chance to resist. Im in charge of your exam, so lets get along~ Oh, o-okay. Julia nodded like a robot. It was hard to believe this weirdo was gonna be the examiner, but Julia tensed up regardless. She had no idea what was going on, but for now she had to stay on Ellens good side. Sorry, but Ill be stealing your girlfriend for a while~ Ellen winked at Lars as she casually placed a hand on Julias shoulder. A-Ah, w-w-we arent really d-dating or anything. Julia trembled and her cheeks burned. Is that so? My bad, teehee. Ellen playfully stuck out her tongue. Is Lars here? A senior peeked out of a nearby room. Coming! Lars turned around and lightly jogged toward the senior. Good luck, July! Y-You too! Julia did her best to muster a smile, despite being overrun by dread. Oh god, she SO didnt want to take this exam! Until the very last moment, she hoped somebody would pop up and say the schedule changed, so she wouldnt have to play against Lars. Alas, reality was a cruel bitch. Once the door closed and Lars disappeared from view, Ellen turned to Julia with a gleeful smile. Youre head over heels for him, arent you? T-Thats not your business, hmph. Julia turned away and crossed her arms. My, so once your boyfriend is gone, you stop acting like a good girl? How cute~ Just whats your deal anyway? Julia shot a glare. How aggressive~ Dont get me wrong, Im not trying to pick a fight. Ellen clapped her hands. Finding a girl who plays Classmancers at your age is harder than finding a unicorn, so lets get along, as fellow Classmancer Girls. That sure has a sad ring to it. I know, right? Imagine this: I was the only girl in the club during my first year, the other fourteen were all guys. My condolences. Julia lowered her arms. Ellen was an oddball, but it didnt seem like she meant any harm. As your senior in life, Ill give you one tip: dont suck up to the man you wanna get. Play hard to get and make him beg for your attention. Uh-huh... Julia made a face. What senior in life? Arent you like a year or two older than me? Now that I think about it, Ellen placed a finger on her lip. Youre going up against your boyfriend in the exam, arent you? Talking about bad luck, youre like Romeo and Juliet. D-Dont jinx it please! Just when Julia finally managed to forget about that dreadful fact, it got shoved into her face all over again. Just to make sure: losing the match doesnt mean failing the exam, right? Please tell me it doesnt! My, what a worrywart. Ellen giggled. Relax, winning and losing dont matter, you just gotta put on a good show. If you both do well, you and your boyfriend can pass the exam together. Thank goodness. Julia sighed in relief. Also, I told you hes not my boyfriend. Not your boyfriend yet, right? Heh, well. Julia smiled. My, you finally smiled. Ellen smiled from ear to ear. I was wondering what kind of weird girl plays Classmancers seriously at your age, but turns out shes quite a catch. A maiden in love is a truly beautiful thing. Heh, would you stop teasing me already? Even though Julia said that, she couldnt stop herself from smiling along. Something about Ellens feisty attitude was infectious. Alright, alright. Ellen winked. Lets get started with the exam before they yell at me~ Ellen led the way to the examination room. Three boys waited for them there. According to Ellen, they were members of the Classmancers club and were going to be Julias teammates. As she feared, they were going to play a match against Larss team. Brrr. Hey there, Im Trever. The boy sitting besides Julia stretched a hand. Im in charge of your exam together with Ellen. You can just call him Trash. Ellen added with a shrug Also, hands off. She slapped his hand. She already got a boyfriend, so go dig somewhere else, loser. Ahaha, our goddess is as lovely as ever... Trever smiled awkwardly. I didnt mean anything by it, really. Was just trying to help the rookie relax. How about you help her relax by shutting your mouth? Ellen smiled like an angel. Holy shit, thats harsh. Julia gulped. Note to self: never get on Ellens bad side. The banning started. A teammate announced. My, already? Ellen gasped. July dear, do you have any idea how the drafting system works? Of course. Julia nodded. The teams take turns banning and picking classes. My, you sure know your Classmancers! Ellen smiled. You play Ranked? Yeah, Im Plat- Julia stopped herself. Should she spill the beans about being Platinum IV? Platinum was considered a pretty high rank for somebody her age, so itd tell everybody she had quite the experience and they might expect the world from her. If she failed to live up to these high expectations, thatd reflect poorly on her score. Obviously Yuel and Lars carried her, even a monkey can get to Platinum that way. Gregorys mocking words ate away at her. As strongly as she wanted to deny them, deep down she was worried. Without Lars and Yuel beside her, was she really a Platinum player in her own right? She never played Ranked alone, so she had no idea how she compared to other Platinum players. I played Ranked a little. Julia averted her eyes as she answered Ellen. It was best to play safe here, there was no reason to blurt unnecessary things. My, how impressive. This makes things easier. Ellen took out a checklist for the exam. Lets see, lets see. You can take charge of the banning to earn some points, or you can leave everything to me. What do you say? Do I lose points if I ban poorly? Yes, you do, my dear. Ellen answered. In case you decide to take over the reins, Ill have no choice but to grade you for it. If you arent up for the challenge, you can always leave it to me. Can I take a moment to think about it? Of course, take your time. Theres no rush. Thanks. Julia took a deep breath. Banning, huh? While playing Classmancers with the boys throughout the summer, Yuel always handled the banning for them. He was the most knowledgeable in the group, so they left everything to him, he sometimes even picked their classes for them. Thus, Julia never had a chance to ban anything herself. However, that wasnt to say she was clueless about banning. She always closely watched Yuels banning and asked questions when something didnt sit right. She even swallowed her pride and asked him to coach her about drafting, all for the sake of eventually surpassing him and becoming Larss main partner in Classmancers. Thus, she had robust theoretical knowledge about banning, but zero practical experience. Was that enough to take the risk and try her hand at banning in this exam? There was the danger of losing some points, but she should be able to deliver an alright impression at least, especially since the examiners had no idea she was a Platinum player. To pass this final round, she desperately had to get her hands on any points available. Only three candidates were going be selected from the final round. There was no chance in hell theyd pick her over Lars or Yuel, so, in truth, there was only one spot left for her. There were like 20 other candidates and she had to beat them all. Was she really going to surpass them by merely showing her skill in the match? On top of scoring points via smart banning, there was another point of interest. The point of the match wasnt to win, it was to put on a good show, as Ellen put it. By taking charge of the banning, Julia could ban all the pesky classes she had trouble dealing with, thus increasing her chances of having a smoother game. In addition, shed be able to indirectly help Lars, by not banning his best Carry classes. Thatd give him maximum flexibility in his picks and allow him to play his best. My, no need to worry your pretty little head so much about it. Just leave it to- Ill do it. Julia stated. Please let me do it. Hmm. Ellen examined Julia for a moment. Alright, sweetie. You look confident, so go ahead. Julia started by banning Shadow Walker, the most dangerous assassin class in the game. From there, she continued by banning mage classes she had no intention of picking herself. She focused on the Mid Lane mages who had no obvious counters she was aware of. Her goal was to corner the enemy Mid Laner into picking a class she knew how to counter, so she could pick said counter and do well against them in lane. Making bans which benefited only her was probably going to make things harder for the rest of the team, but she couldnt care less. This exam wasnt about winning as a team, but about Julias ability as an individual player. Besides, they were all club members, right? So, they were way more experienced than her and should be able to deal with it. In fact, she was the only one on the team with a huge disadvantage, since her lane opponent was most likely going be a superior competitive player. She needed these calculated bans if she wanted to have any chance at all. Hmm~ I see what youre doing there, girl. Ellen giggled. Youre only banning Mid classes to get an edge on your lane opponent, right? Eh!? Julia gasped. Oh god, her plan was completely exposed! Um, t-thats... Atta girl! Eh? You know that your enemy is going to be strong, so you outsmart them. Thats a smart girl. Ellen smiled and patted Julias head. T-Thanks. Julia smiled awkwardly. Phew, she was safe. In a real competitive match, this sort of banning was probably going be frowned upon, but Ellen was very supportive. Ellen gave the impression she was a big shot in the club, so having her as an ally was very reassuring. Eventually, Julias lane opponent picked Beastmaster. It was a quirky class, which relied on spawning minions instead of using high damage spells. By applying the knowledge she absorbed from Yuel, she easily countered Beastmaster by picking Pyromancer. My, you picked it without batting an eye. Ellen blinked. Why Pyromancer? Pyromancer struggles against class that can outrange it, but otherwise it has some of the strongest spells in the game. Julia explained matter-of-factly. Beastmaster doesnt have any good ranged damage or zoning tools, so Pyromancer is a safe pick here. Also, our Carry picked Pirate, an ability-based Carry who takes longer than most to start doing some real carrying. So, Pyromancer can help in that department if I invest a little into attack speed. Such an elaborate explanation, its like you were reading from a textbook. Haha, thanks... Honestly, it stung. Julia knew all too well she just parroted information she received from Yuel. Yeah, she used a textbook answer alright. But, was that bad? Everybody had to start somewhere. Right now, the best she could was to to parrot Yuel, but one day shed be able to come up with her own answers. Focus, focus! She shook her head. She couldnt let small things like that distract her right now, she was in the middle of an important exam. All that mattered was that she got an edge over her opponent, regardless of the means she used. To beat the other 20 candidates, she had to put on her absolute best performance and awe all her seniors. Once all the classes had been selected, the match which was going to decide Julias and Larss fates was about to begin. Vol.2 Ch.2: The Cocky Rookies Greeting Larss exam began. First, he was given the option to decide which classes to ban during the drafting phase. It was a great opportunity to earn himself some points before the actual match, but he didnt care all. Nah, I dont like banning, dude. Lars shrugged. Just ban whatever, Imma beat anything they pick. The stronger they are, the harder they fall, yo! I see youre quite confident. Aron frowned. You know youre about to play against members from our club, right? Yeah, no biggie. Lars grinned and raised three fingers. Im Platinum III, yo,. Let em at me and Imma knock em out! You said Platinum? Gilberts blinked. Thats sure rare. Aron nodded in agreement, but he was far from impressed. Lars wasnt their first Platinum candidate this exam. And, more than anything, he couldn''t stomach Larss attitude. Just so you know, Platinum III is currently the lowest rank among our members. Most of us are at least in Diamond. Oh! Cool! Lars wasnt fazed at all. Rather, his eyes lit up and his grin only grew bigger. Finally some real challenge! To tell ya the truth, the grind in Platinum have been kinda stale lately, so this is awesome! Let me at em already! Alright, I got it. Ill handle the banning. Aron sighed. This kid resembled a certain idiot in the club a bit too much to his liking. Based on his experience, words didnt work much on these simpletons, they had to experience everything on their flesh. Theres no doubt Lars was going to sing a very different song after facing his lane opponent, who happened to be the very idiot Aron had in mind. After the first banning phase came to an end, it was time to pick classes. The enemy team got to ban first, so Larss team got to pick a class first. During such an important exam, it was the smartest to wait until your lane opponent picked their class first, so you could counter- Okay, gimme Trickshooter please. Lars requested right away. You want to pick first? Aron frowned. Dont tell me Trickshooter is the only class you can play? Nah, ya think I could make it to Platinum playing just one class? But Trickshooter is still my number one dude, yo. Alright, so youre sure you want to pick first? Yep, lemme grab dat Trickshooter. If their Carry counters your pick, youll have a very hard time showing us your full strength. Of course, well have to factor in the fact it was a bad matchup for you, but youll most likely leave a negative impression. Heh, worrying about me? And I thought you were some stuck up jerk. Whoa, he went and called his examiner a jerk. Gilbert concealed a muffled laugh. Worrying? No, I... Aron averted his eyes. Right, what was he doing? Its his policy to be ruthless with newbies. Its just that the resemblance was so strong, that he mistook Lars for that other idiot for a moment. Anyway, what were you saying about a stuck up jerk? Aron wore the usual stoic expression, but his eyes emitted death rays. A-Ahaha, I just heard some nasty stuff from others. Lars rolled his eyes and scratched his head. Like, how youre a ruthless mastermind examiner who manipulates newbies and stuff. And, I take it you heard it from Yuel? Yeah, he- GAH! Lars slapped his own mouth. Gah! GAAAAAAH! He wasnt supposed to reveal that! He silently stared at Aron for a few seconds, then gave up. ... how did you figure? Its hard to believe two Platinum newbies would pop out of thin air like that. I take it youre been grinding ranks together? Yeah... Lars kept staring at Aron, awaiting judgment. According to the rules, Yuel wasnt supposed to discuss his exam with others. Well, I suppose its fine. Aron said. Knowing him, he was selective about what he told you. He didnt strike me as the type to unnecessary take risks. Yeah, he just told me to behave myself around ya, because theres like 120% chance you gonna hate my guts or something, haha. And, it seems like that advice was completely wasted on you. Yeah. I mean, were totally best buds already, right? There was no reason to worry at all. Huh. Best buds? Aron felt like throwing up from disgust. Anyway, what else Yuel told you? Was there anything concerning the skills or playstyles of our members? Hmm. Lars genuinely tried recalling Yuels words, he gave up on hiding anything from Aron. Oh, right! He also said theres some guy with a shield. A guy with a shield? Yeah, something like that. Or, maybe the guy himself is the shield? I dont really remember, but he said if I play well, I may awaken the final form of this shield boss dude and get some serious fight going. A shield boss dude, heh. Even Aron failed to maintain his composure against this one. The rest of the team laughed out loud, as everybody understood who Lars was talking about. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Okay, from now on we gonna call Howard the Shield Boss Dude. Gilbert announced, then turned to Lars. Sorry to disappoint, but hes not playing today. So, no final form boss action for you, pft. Though, if you draw too much attention to yourself, you may awaken the goddess- Thats enough. Ah, my bad. Gilbert nodded and quit his blabbing. What goddess? Lars looked at Gilbert, then at Aron, then at Gilbert, then at Aron, but they pretended to not hear him. Hey, I asked what goddess? What god- Trickshooter, here you go. Aron selected the Trickshooter on Larss screen. Lets move on.. Hmph, so thats how you gonna play it. Lars smirked. Okey dokey, then Imma trash yo boys one by one, until I awaken that goddess dude of yours. Heh, I dont recommend it, but good luck. Gilbert said. Im going to be your Support, so anything youd like me to pick? Im more of a Mid player, so I prefer mages if possible. Anythings fine as long as youre good with it. Lars shrugged. If you dont care which mage, then maybe go for Cryo so we can pull some wall bounce combos. You really think we can pull that off without any practice? Yeah, no problem. Just set up a wall when I ask and Imma figure out the rest from there. Huh. Gilbert wore a complicated look. This kid was sure entertaining, but his baseless confidence bordered on stupidity at this point. Landing a bouncing Trickshot with the help of Ice Wall was by no means an easy feat. The burden laid not only with the Trickshooter, but with the Cryomancer as well. Its true its the Trickshooters job to make the bullet connect. However, the Cryomancer was equally responsible, as he had to place the wall at the right place at the right time to make the play even possible in the first place. It was mandatory for both players to be coordinated, so theres no chance Lars and Gilbert would smoothly pull this off the first time they play together. Its his exam, so lets entertain his request Aron said. Pick Cryomancer and do what you can. Alright, but Im not promising anything. Gilbert shrugged and selected Cryomancer. Shortly afterwards, the rest of the team composition was decided and the match began. Lars, Gilbert and Aron started off in the jungle to clear camps together, then split ways as Lars and Gilbert headed to Bot Lane. Their lane opponents were Pirate and Druid, a nasty duo. On top of that, they were controlled by veteran members from the club, who both passed this exam before. These dudes might actually be kinda strong, this was gonna be fun! Okay, first Imma take out this Pirate. Lars nodded to himself. Their goddess is probably that Ranger chick, but sounds like I hafta put on a show to make her take me seriously. After exchanging a couple of blows with the Pirate between minion waves, Lars went for the kill. He dashed toward the Pirate and activated Trickslide, sliding forward to quickly close the distance. While still in the middle of sliding, he fired Trickshot at a nearby wall. By hitting the Pirate with this sliding Trickshot, Lars was going to gain two stacks of his Attention Grabber passive, granting him extra power and speed for a short time. With these buffs, he was going to finish the job after getting closer to the Pirate. No matter how many times he executed this before, he never grew tired of it. It was one of the sickest Trickshooter plays, yo! Wha- Wait, dont just charge in like that! Nobody saw this reckless attack coming, not even Gilbert who was supposed to be Larss Support. To fool your enemy, you first had to fool your allies... or something, yo! Of course, the enemy didnt expect this aggression either. The Druid was low on MP and the Pirates Backfire Cannon was on cooldown, so he had no way to dodge or flee. It was 120% over for him! That is, if he were alone on the lane. Gah! Lars cried out. A moment before his perfect Trickshot connected, the Druid cast Gaias Protection to grant the Pirate a shield. The Trickshot did land on the Pirate, but over half of its damage was wasted on destroying the shield. Thats not how it was supposed to go! Even though things didnt go Larss way, that hit still granted him two stacks of Attention Grabber. His attack power and attack speed were boosted by 20%, enough to turn him into an immediate threat and make the Pirate retreat. Gah, he got away! Lars growled. Im still in shock he actually landed that one. Gilbert blinked as he turned to Aron. That wouldve been a kill If not for the shield, right? Hard to say... Aron squinted his eyes as he stared at Larss screen. It was unbelievable, this rookie fired a Trickshot out of Trickslide with pitch-perfect speed and accuracy, even Trever was caught off guard against that absurd play. It must had been a fluke, there was no other way to explain it. Anyway, regardless of what it could or couldnt have been, it didnt convert into a kill in the end. It ended up as nothing more than a reckless misplay. Yeah, I got it, I got it. Lars grumped. Just you watch, Imma get him next time! You know, Gilbert said. I really wouldnt mind if you informed me next time before charging in. I cant support you when youre on the other side of the lane. Oh, sorry, dude. Lars scratched his head. Im so used to playing with Yuel that I forgot people cant read minds, haha. I swear dude is a telepath, yo! As long as you understand. With this, Larss first assault ended in failure. By Arons harsh standards, it counted as nothing more than an uncoordinated reckless misplay. However, another examiner didnt share that opinion at all. Wow, I... I just died, right? Ha. Haha. Trever produced a hollow laugh after retreating to safety. As a fellow Carry main, he understood the consequences of the Trickshooters play better than anybody. It all happened in an instant. As soon as the Trickshooter started sliding, the Trickshot was also already locked on Trever, there was no escape. In the split second he found himself fazed by the Trickshooters play - he doomed himself to death. The timing was perfect too, since Backfire Cannon was on cooldown. Bro, you really saved me there. Trever thanked Allen, the Druid. Good job reading that one, Id be totally screwed without that shield. I... didnt read it. Allens grimaced. Huh? What are you on about? You totally saved my ass there. Yeah, but I was already going to cast Gaia anyway. Allen explained he was low on MP, so planned to cast Gaias Protection one last time before returning to base. He barely even had the necessary MP for casting Gaias Protection, so the Trickshooter might had assumed he was out of juice at that point. Heh, so you think he rushed in because he miscalculated your MP and thought you were out of gas? Yeah, probably. Honestly, I only had enough MP because I didnt level Gaia yet. Casual players usually level it up right away, but thing is: Gaias cost goes up with each level, so I kept it at Lv.1 to not burn MP too fast. If not for that, I really wouldnt have been able to cast it in that situation with such low MP. And then I would have died. Trever added silently. That rookie sure pulled a fast one on them. His attack came off as a reckless charge at first glance, but apparently he thought things through. No need to go easy on our Carry. Rather, crush him with all youve got. Dont you dare holding back. Heh, so thats what he meant. Trever grinned as he went over Arons instructions again. He received this private message as soon as the match began, but he didnt take it seriously. Bullying rookies wasnt among his hobbies so he wanted to play nice. However, now it was clear: against an opponent of this caliber, Trever had to get serious for real! Vol.2 Ch.3: Bipolar Player After missing his first chance to kill the enemy Pirate, Lars couldnt get an edge over the Pirate ever since. Each and every time he slid toward the Pirate and fired a quick Trickshot, the Pirate reacted fast and dodged. It was so close! It almost hit! But, it didnt. On the bright side, the Pirate couldnt get an edge on Lars either. They exchanged countless blows, but neither of them gained the upper hand in the lane. Whenever Lars hit his opponent, he was struck back right away. Whenever Lars was hit, he immediately counterattacked. Any progress in the lane was frozen while the two of them duked it out in heated duels. Lars slid aside to dodge an incoming shot, then fired a straight Trickshot at the Pirate, who used Backfire Cannon to quickly dodge it and fired back at Lars, forcing him to roll to the right and shoot back and get shot and dodge and shoot and roll and slide and shoot and and and... it had no end! Yo, this Pirate rocks! Hahaha! Larss laugh was filled with ecstasy. It was a while since he faced such a strong lane opponent, its the best! Rather than feeling frustrated or overpowered, he was totally raring to go! More! MORE! He wanted to fight this Pirate more! Its so thrilling! Its the best! He couldnt let his guard down for even a moment! Just how long is Trever planning to mess around? Aron frowned. The neverending back and forth started getting on his nerves. What was Trever doing? It was already the fifth face-off between these two idiots, but Trever was yet to deliver any results. Not to mention, the rookie didnt look intimidated in the slightest, despite facing a senior from the club who used to play Carry on the main team. Trever was the best person for putting this cocky rookie in his place, but that just refused to happen for some reason. I swear, if hes going easy because hes fighting a rookie... Do you think Trever is holding back? Aron asked Gilbert, the one who saw these fights up close in Bot Lane. Hmm, I dont think so. Gilbert made a complicated expression as he whispered behind Larss back. Im not 100% sure, but I think this kid here is actually holding Trever down. You serious? Yeah, hard to believe, I know. Trever makes better decisions overall, but Lars balances that out with absurd reaction speed and coordination. He makes hitting Trickshots look like a child''s play, he even somehow hits them off the random walls Ive been placing. Is that so. Aron knitted his eyebrows. If Gilberts observation was to be trusted, then Lars had enough skill to match Trever in a fair fight. Aron claimed Lars was just a cocky greenhorn, but he was going to eat his words at this rate. Even suppose that Lars played Trickshooter better than any other class, was it really possible for an examinee to beat Trever? It actually happened before, but that was last year and there were special circumstances in place. Trever improved a lot since then, so it shouldnt happen again, especially not in a fight dominated by technical skill. Seriously, what is it with rookies these days? Aron sighed. First Howard and Ellen, now Yuel and Lars. Aron had to watch players with monstrous talents apply to the club one after another, threatening to leave players from his generation in the dust. Back in the day, when he took this very exam, he believed he and Trever were among the strongest rookies to ever attempt this exam. But now, he felt like an old-timer who barely kept up with the younger generation. Sigh. Wow, this rookie sure holding his ground, haha. Trever laughed awkwardly, lost somewhere between enjoying the challenging battle and feeling weak for allowing a rookie push him around like that. That kid was one heck of a mechanical skill prodigy, no two ways about it. Trever had no choice but admit he was inferior in that department, since thats literally the only reason Lars held up for so long. However, that was coming to an end. Trever didnt spend the last two years in the club sitting on his butt doing nothing. He was already mechanically skilled when he joined, so he worked hard on improving his decision-making skills and gaining as much experience as possible. A true competitive player didnt simply bash heads with his lane opponent, he also studied them and their playstyle. Thats the most important lesson he learned during the past two years, and he was going to put it to practice right here and now! Welp, it was fun while it lasted, kid. Trever smirked once the effect of the Trickshooters ultimate, Trickshow, came to an end. Surviving though that crazy Trickshow was hard as hell, but now that Trever made it through - he had the upper hand! Sorry to break it for ya, but mechanical skill isnt everything. Trever fearlessly advanced toward the Trickshooter, despite being at 30% HP after surviving through the Trickshow. He already played out the next few steps in his head, there was no hesitation in his movements. Combining his natural mechanical skill with the decision-making skills he acquired in the club, he was going to settle this duel for good! RELEASE THE- Oh snap! Lars exclaimed in response to the loud sound cue accompanying the Pirates ult: Release the Kraken. Damn, the huge squid dude was incoming!!! The casting time for the ult was like a second, so there was no time for anything! Lars instantly slid away from the Krakens range with Trickslide. He pressed the skill button on instinct, it was as natural as breathing for him. Thats not surprising, considering how many Krakens he faced by now. If he got a dollar each time he dodged a Kraken, hed be filthy rich by now. Sorry, but no dice, dude! Lars grinned as he turned around to face the Pirate, satisfied with his dodge. Heh, a fast bastard like always. Trever grinned. Good job reacting so fast, damn wonder boy. But, that was just bait! It gonna be the end of you! Okay, now that both our ults are down, I can wreck- huh!? Lars froze. Wait, wheres the squid dude? Wheres the freakin Kraken he just dodged!? It never showed up! Did the Pirate cancel his ult in the last moment!? The only upside to the Krakens long windup animation was the option to cancel it before the Pirate finished yelling Release the Kraken!. It was an advanced trick which Yuel taught him before, but he never had the chance to actually play against it. Nobody did that shit in Ranked, yo! It was a sick play! Imma beat into ya what it means to be a competitive player, kid! Trever turned his back to the Trickshooter and fired Backfire Cannon. Players usually used this skill for one of two purposes: as a ranged damaging ability or as an escape tool. However, veterans knew of a third way to use Backfire Cannon: to chase enemies! Backfire Cannon always pushed the Pirate backwards, so by turning his back to the enemy - he could quickly close the distance to them! In addition, the knockback from Backfire Cannon had roughly the same travel distance as the Trickshooters Trickslide. In other words, by closing the distance with Backfire Cannon, Trever effectively cancelled out the whole distance his enemy created! Yet again, the Trickshooter found himself within the Krakens range, Except, this time, he had no escape tools available. Im dead. Im so dead, haha! Larss eyes darted across the screen, desperately seeking a way out of this situation. That Pirate was sick! Lars was totally played for a fool by that Kraken bait! So, this is the level of a competitive player, huh? Its awesome! Nevertheless, he refused to give up. There had to be something, anything! There was still a bit time before the Kraken was going to hit the stage. FIrst, there was the time it took Backfire Cannon to finish pushing the Pirate. Then, there was the casting animation for the Krakens attack. Yeah, he had plenty of time! There was a total of a like... like 2 seconds or something! Yeah, thats more than enough! Larss heart accelerated as he absorbed every little details in his surroundings. He had to find something, anything! He refused to fall here! He fought so hard against the Pirate until now, he refused step down in defeat! For starters, dodging seemed out of question. His best bet was rolling straight ahead and hoping the Pirate wouldnt cast the Kraken in the most optimal spot, allowing him escape the Krakens AoE by a hair breadth. But cmon, what were the odds of this Pirate messing up like that? The whole bait-and-switch Kraken play was clearly something the Pirate practiced a lot, so there was no way hed conveniently screw it up at the very end. Still, there was no telling whatd happen unless Lars tried, so... no, wait. When it doesnt seem like you can dodge the Kraken, dont bother trying. Yuels words echoed in his mind. When in the hands of competent a player, the Krakens damage itself is rarely used as the finisher. Instead, its more likely theyll use the Krakens CC to floor you, then theyll finish you off with basic attacks. Youll be able to freely shoot at them until the CC hits, so go all out instead of retreating. Worst case, even if you die, others will be able follow up on the damage you dealt. Also... Yuels teachings were burned into Larss mind. Just how many different versions of this explanation he heard by now? The information was literally hammered into his brain by Yuel. Dude was like some preaching cultist, no joke. But, thanks to hearing the same thing a bazillion times and practicing it with Yuel, the knowledge surfaced naturally when he most needed it. His instincts screamed he should flee, but he stood still and continued analyzing his options. Running was useless. It was pointless. It wasnt going to cut it. The right choice was to stay and fight. He repeated that in his head like a mantra, until his body accepted it like a fact. Maybe Lars was less experienced than his opponent and his decision-making skills were still lacking, but he wasnt some clueless scrub. He had a trustworthy friend, who also happened to be a walking encyclopedia. Even if his bird brain only absorbed 1% of what Yuel taught him, that was enough to make him a hundred times stronger, yo! Since he decided to stay and fight, the best move was to fire Trickshot at the Pirate. But, how should he go about it? The safest choice was firing Trickshot straight at the Pirate, without bothering with any wall bounces. With Larss skill, that had like 120% chance of hitting. However, itd only delete about a quarter of the Pirates HP. The second option was to fire Trickshot at the nearby wall, making it bounce once before hitting the Pirate. That normally had a chance to miss when fired in such a haste, but in this case his enemy was going to be stationary while casting Kraken, so locking on the Pirate was going to be a piece of cake. Alas, even this shot was nowhere near enough to turn the tables around, itd only delete about half the enemys HP. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then, there was the final option: Lars could request a hasty Ice Wall and attempt a double bounce Trickshot. Even though it was just one extra bounce, it was going to be infinitely harder to land, thus incredibly risky. However, if the shot connected, it should wipe out the Pirate for good., that was the only way to win this duel! Heh, Yuel wont let me hear the end of it if I told him Im seriously considering this right now. To most people, Yuel would tell to shoot a straight Trickshot without taking any risks. Knowing Larss abilities, Yuel might suggest going for one bounce. Anyway, there was no way in hell Yuel would approve of the all-or-nothing double bounce Trickshot. However, that was just a good decision according to Yuels understanding of Larss ability. Yuel was a smart dude and all, but nobody understood Larss ability better than Lars himself. Even if hitting a double bounce Trickshot on the spot was impossible for others, Lars was gonna do it! It was a decision only he could make for himself by knowing the full extent of his shooting skill, it was the ultimate level of decision-making, yo! Create a wall! Lars shouted. Huh? Gilbert flinched. Wall? Where? No matter! Anywheres good as long as I can bounce off it! Hurry, yo! Er, sure. Gilbert formed a wall of ice wherever, he didnt have the luxury to pick a proper spot. Was that going to help in any way? This fight was already over as far as he could tell, Lars was as good as dead. Even if he used the ice wall to bounce- Huh? Gilbert raised an eyebrow. Lars fired Trickshot at a nearby wall, before Gilberts ice wall even finished forming. What gives? Wasnt he planning to use the ice wall for a bounce? What a waste of mana- wait. Wait wait wait! Seriously!? A double bounce!? In this situation!? Gilbert gasped so hard he ran out of oxygen. Yeah! Good! Lars grinned once his Trickshot made contact with the nearby wall. From there, it ricocheted toward Gilberts ice wall, which was still in the middle of being constructed. It was a shot with absurdly risky timing, but Lars didnt have a choice. He burned way too much time picking this move, so by the time he got to shooting - the Krakens tentacle was already right above his head! It was now or never, so he bet everything on this hasty bullet! Cmon, wall! Lars gritted his teeth. His Trickshooter was smashed into the ground by the Kraken, but there was still hope. He had more than enough HP to survive the Krakens damage. As Yuel said, the real danger laid with the Pirates follow up attacks while Lars was CCd. If this Trickshot was going to connect, the Pirate would be removed from the stage before achieving anything! Not the best wall in the world, but it should work! Let it hit, yooo! Lars gulped. Gilbert didnt have much experience placing walls for him, but they had used the Ice Wall + Trickshot combo a couple of times by now, with varying degrees of success. Lars got a pretty good feel for how Gilbert placed walls, so he should be able to land this shot! He simply had to! Yoooooo! ... and he did! The Trickshot ran into the ice wall and bounced for the second time! All that remained was for the shot to connect with the enemy Pirate! It was going to take him out for sure, yo! This was normally the hardest step of the double-bounce Trickshot, but not quite in this case. The Pirate was effectively a training dummy, what with all the windup required for casting Release the Kraken. Lars practiced too many double-bounce Trickshots to miss in this situation! Even though Yuel forced him to practice many other Carry classes for Ranked, Lars never neglected Trickshooter, not even for a single day. Even if it was just in Practice Mode, even if it was just for 10 minutes from the whole day, he never let himself lose his touch when it came to Trickshooter. Therefore, there was no way hed fail here!!! ... gah! The bullet barely grazed the Pirates shoulder! It was a clutch hit, which the Pirate could easily dodge by turning aside. But, in Classmancers, that was enough. It was a hit. It was a freakin hit! The Pirates HP got deleted! You have killed an enemy! Woohoo! Yeah! Lars threw fists into the air and jumped on his seat. Even though his Trickshooter was still pitifully crawling on the ground due to the Krakens CC, he was actually the winner! That Pirate was one tough cookie, but Lars finally gained the upper hand! Woohoo! Thats... I mean... yeah... Gilbert couldn''t words. He had no idea what he just witnessed. All this time, he was convinced Lars was doomed and that he couldnt do anything to help, because Cryo-Freeze was on cooldown. But, that rookie just... holy moly. That was... a rather reckless play. Arons voice was shaky. If you missed that shot, youd end up dying without dealing any damage to the Pirate. He could easily push the lane afterwards. Heh, yeah I know. But I got him, so theres no problem, right? I... suppose so. Aron, of all people, forgot how to talk back. Frankly, that play was mind boggling. Even if it wasnt something Lars could reliably hit 100% of the time, he was capable of hitting such a tricky shot more often than not. His performance until now, combined with Gilberts positive impression, proved that beyond a shadow of doubt. It was frustrating to admit, but that shot was no fluke. Lars defeated a club member in a 1v1, fair and square without any handicaps. And it was Trever of all people, who had two years of competitive experience under his belt and used to play Carry on the main team. Honestly, there was nothing Aron could say after this. Any mistake Lars was going to commit from here on out would be overshadowed by this unbelievable achievement. Unless there were more examinees with such monstrous talents, Lars victory against Trever effectively earned him a free ticket into the Classmancers club. Wow... Trever stared at his screen with a blank expression. You have been killed! You gotta be shitting me, haha... He had no idea how to react to this bullshit. The shot that killed him just now, it was a double bouncing Trickshot, wasnt it? It totally was, right? How the hell... he didnt even... My, you cant even hold your own against a rookie? How pathetic. Ellen sneered. Really, if thats all youve got after spending two years in this club, maybe you should just quit Classmancers? Nah, this rookie is just... He just got real lucky! Yeah, thats all it was! Haha... Lucky, you say? If memory serves, something similar happened to you last year as well, didnt it? ... lets not go there. Trever averted his eyes. Running away, are we? I think its about time you came to terms with how much of a trash tier player you are. Gh. Trever gritted his teeth and hung his head. His fists trembled and his breathing became ragged. Ill get him next time. Hmm, I wonder about that. Ellen rolled her eyes. You better pull yourself together, because I was ordered to not mess with the rookie. Though Ill say, this rookie sure looks like fun. She licked her lips. No problem, I got this. Yeah, no big deal. Trever took a deep breath and returned to the match. He couldnt let that defeat eat at him, or else things were only going to get worse. That double-bounce Trickshot was just a fluke! Just a lucky shot! That rookie was sure tough, but he wasnt above Trevers level by any means! Yeah! Oh, cool. Here he comes. Lars grinned once the Pirate returned to lane. Lets see who comes on top this time! Even though Lars won the previous fight, he understood better than anybody it was one heck of a clutch. That Pirate was hella strong, there was no telling who was better. To prove he was stronger, Lars had to win the next fight, and the next next fight, and the one after, yo! Facing such a strong rival was so sick! But, something was wrong this time. The Pirate was pretty strong, but he failed to excite Lars like before. Its not like he was weak or anything like that, he still showcased decent mechanical skill and sharp decision-making befitting a veteran. But, thats about it. He was strong, but he didnt feel unbeatable. Did he seriously just spend Backfire? Lars tilted his head. He pressured the Pirate pretty hard, but it didnt feel like the Pirate was so cornered that Backfire Cannon had to be used this early. Welp, its over then. Lars activated his ultimate, Trickshow, and assaulted the Pirate. With the Pirates one and only escape tool being on cooldown, there was no getting away. Lars swiftly slid around the Pirate, firing Trickshot in every direction. The Pirate was caged in a bullet hell, there was no escape. You have killed an enemy! Welp, guess thats that. Lars shrugged. It was a nice fight, but nothing more. Unlike the first time, this victory didnt feel like an Olympic achievement. Really, whats going on with that Pirate? Again!? Trever slammed on the table. He allowed himself to be defeated by a rookie! Again! It was the second the second time already! The hell was he doing!? My, my. Ellen shook her head. I believe somebody said he got this? I-Ill get him next time! Trever insisted. No way he was gonna lose, not to some rookie! He didnt work his ass off the past two years to be stomped on by rookies! He wasnt going to allow himself become a laughingstock! You have been killed! Ah... The third time. He was speechless. How was he even supposed to react to this bullshit? This time, he was thoroughly trashed by that rookie. He, a veteran from the club, was completely destroyed by some rookie. What the actual fuck. My, did you decide to switch sides? Ellen giggled. Because I have to say, youre doing a really good job feeding their Carry. Seems like even trash can be useful to others. I... Trever hung his head and covered his eyes. That was too much. its not like he wanted to get killed, dammit! Fuck! Fuck it all! Its because you cant keep your shit together that youre so useless. Just do us all a favor and hug your Turret before we lose because of you, okay thanks. ... got it. Trever answered with a muffled voice. As much as he wanted to lash at Ellen, there was nothing to retort with. Three deaths in a row was basically feeding, no way around it. He was far behind the enemy Trickshooter in both level and gold, so his only option was staying beside his Turret and playing defensively. So thats all Im worth, eh. How dumb. Trever bit his lip and grabbed the mouse with his shaking hand. He used to be such a strong player in grade school, but look at him now. Even with so much competitive experience under his belt, he allowed a rookie to walk all over him. And it was the second year in a row! Disgraceful didnt even begin to describe it. Just let it end already... He didnt give a shit anymore, he just wanted this torture to be over with. There was no point even trying anymore, so he just quietly farmed minions without leaving his Turret. Boo, I changed my mind about that Pirate. Lars made a face. Dunno whats his deal, but he became crap. So it seems. Aron frowned. He seems to be under the weather today, so just ignore him. Of course, Aron knew it wasnt anything simple like that. Trever was a skilled player, but also a fragile one. When things were going well for him, he was a beast. However, even the smallest mistake could trip him, making him lose himself. Even though he was strong enough to play on the main team, he was too unreliable for competitions. Trever used to be an extraordinary player in grade school, but that made him into a cocky show-off. Upon entering junior high and facing strong seniors, he was forced to realize he wasnt nearly as special as he thought. He had always been a moody player, but that part of him became much worse since then, such was the tragic tale of a promising Classmancers player. As someone who witnessed the whole story unfold from up close, Aron couldnt help but worry. Larss greater than life attitude was the spitting image of Trevers younger self. For Larss own sake, it was best if somebody kicked him off the high horse as soon as possible. Learning his limits now would be merciful compared to discovering them from a devastating defeat in a serious match. Alas, with Trever performing poorly, that seemed impossible to achieve during this exam. There was now only one player on the enemy team who could teach Lars the necessary lesson, but Aron would be damned if he allowed her to take this job. That was only going to do more harm than good. An enemy has been killed! Welp, he went down again. Lars shrugged. Man, Im so fed right now I can even kill him under tower. So, I basically already passed the test, right? Who knows. Cmon, I totally passed, right? Cmon, you can tell me, dude! Shut up and keep playing. Geh, okay. This is really bad. Aron frowned. With four kills, Lars completely dominated Bot Lane. Allowing the enemy Carry to snowball was going to prove fatal mistake, anybody knew that. At this point, it was difficult to insist on Ellen not intervening. When an enemy snowballed, the most most straightforward solution was to gank them, which was usually the Jungers job. Aron ordered Ellen to stay away from the rookie, but the lack of ganks in Bot was difficult to justify in this situation. Even though this was an exam, it still strived to simulate a real match. To keep the match at least remotely fair, Ellen had no choice but to gank Bot Lane and stop Larss snowballing, she surely understood that. Things were about to get ugly. My, what an interesting rookie we got on our hands. Defeating Trever was just the beginning for Lars. His strong performance piqued the interest of the goddess, who was going to teach him a lesson hed never forget. Vol.2 Ch.4: Immortal Goddess Are you for real? Ellen stared at Trever in disbelief. I have no words, really. Even hugging a Turret is apparently too much for trash like you. Hes too fed... not my fault... Trever mumbled, staring at his screen with dead eyes. He didnt care anymore, neither about the match nor about Ellens words. Tch, what a useless fellow. Seems like I have to gank Bot before things get out of hand. Ellen sighed as if it was a pain, but she secretly smirked. My, a rookie who can break Trever like this? How delightful~ Ill make sure to treat him re~al good, teehee. Sorry dear, it seems Ill have to bully your boyfriend a little. Ellen winked at Julia. Bully? Julia raised an eyebrow. No way that gonna happen. My, you think the world of him, dont you? How lovely~ Ellen smiled from ear to ear. You only tempt me more and more to mess with that kid. Oh dear, I hope this doesnt get out of hand, teehee~ While she was heading to Bot Lane, her prey was busy pushing the lane Trever left unprotected. Okay, lets go! Lars grinned as the enemy Turret collapsed. This was usually a good time to retreat, but Lars kept pushing full throttle. He was hella fed at this point, what could possibly happen? He was unstoppable, yo! Meanwhile, the enemy Ranger was exposed by one of Gilberts Wards in Bot Jungle. He was coming to gank Bot Lane, no doubt about it. Okay, come at me, yo! I hope you gonna be more fun than that crappy Pirate. Lars didnt even consider dodging this obvious flanking. He kept pushing the lane as if nothing was going on, inviting the Ranger to come here and fight. Suddenly, the Ranger appeared right behind him! What a surprise! Well, not really. He heard the sound cue for Wolf Companion and immediately rolled aside, dodging the wolf. The wolf CC was the standard opening for Ranger ganks, so Lars knew how to handle that stuff. Oh! Lars was hit by an arrow while recovering from the roll. Hey, that Ranger wasnt half bad! He came here fully prepared for the possibility his wolf would be dodged, so he fired another shot right away! Rather than being fazed by Larss quick dodge, he... he? Oh, its a chick? Lars realized the enemy Ranger was a woman, it was literally the first time he saw her this match. Except for Julias Pyromancer, he was sure the rest of the enemy lineup was filled with males. Thats when it hit him. Wait, is that the goddess you mentioned!? His eyes lit up. Who knows. Aron dodged. Just... Just dont do anything rush. Heh, whats that? Worried about lil ol me? You wish. I Just gave you some advice to keep the exam fair. Heh, is that so? Lars kicked his lips. Okay, lets see what this final boss of yours got for me! His duel with the Ranger began. With Wolf Companion on cooldown, the only other skill Ranger had was Beartrap, but it didnt do shit in fights. There was also the ult, The Hunt is On, but a Ranger would usually activate it at the beginning of the gank, so it was probably on cooldown too. Therefore, the only tool the Ranger had right now was her basic attacks. Lars had both Trickshot and Trickslide available, but there was no reason to be hasty here. His opponent didnt have any tools anyway, so he decided to keep his skills in store for when the Ranger was gonna flee. Thus, the fight boiled down to basic attacks. It was a clash of pure mechanical skill, just how Lars liked it! Lets see how good this goddess can shoot! He shot, she dodged to the right and fired back, he sidestepped and hit her, she fired but missed, he shot and she dodged to the right again. It was a back and forth of rolls, bullets and arrows. That Ranger was sure good at dodging, making Lars miss almost half the time despite his 200% accuracy. But... Is that all? Lars pouted. Like, she was decent and all, at least a Gold player. But, if thats all she had, then the Pirate he faced at the beginning was leagues beyond. So much for the final boss he was waiting for. Boo. It didnt help that her shots barely dealt any damage even when they connected, probably because Lars was way too fed. Still, even without that advantage, he landed more shots than her. While she brought him from 80% HP to 60% HP, he barraged her all the way from 100% to 20%. The fight was as good as over. Thats when the most predictable thing ever happened: the Ranger began retreating. She summoned her wolf as a mount and rode it toward the jungle. Lars was prepared for this scenario from the moment they started fighting... or so he thought. Oh snap! I didnt realize we were this close to the jungle! Their fight originally started deep into the lane and Lars watched out for escapes the whole time. But, at some point, the fight moved to the edge of the jungle, without Lars even noticing. Welp, doesnt matter. You''re not getting away, yo! Lars activated the Trickslide he had been saving this whole time and chased the Ranger. The wolf mount provided increased movement speed, which allowed traveling a longer distance over time. On the other hand, Trickslide was a like sudden burst of supersonic speed and stuff! There was no escape! He was gonna close the distance in an instant- Gah!? His Trickslide was interrupted!? He found himself standing in place, stunned. A Beartrap awaited him right at the jungles entrance and he slid straight into it! Dang it! The stun from Beartrap was a really nasty CC. Its stun duration scaled with its level, reaching all the way to 3 seconds at max level. That freakin Ranger had all the time in the world to get away! When theres a Ranger, you better buy Cleanse against Beartrap thats what Yuel always said. Lars never liked spending gold on this costly utility skill, but this game he had enough spare cash thanks to being fed. Good thing I bought this thing. Youre not getting away so easily, yo! Lars acitaved Cleanse, freeing himself from the stun. He wasnt done yet! The Beartraps stun was cancelled, but it didnt change the fact his Trickslide was interrupted midway and was now on cooldown. The Ranger only got farther and farther away on her mount, soon getting out of the range of Larss basics attacks. Nevertheless, Lars refused to give up just yet. Aside from Trickslide, he also saved up his other skill for this sort of situation. His basics attacks couldnt reach anymore, but Trickshot could still make it! Wait for it. Wait for it. Lars carefully scanned the available walls in the jungle. Unlike the open and straightforward lane, the jungle was a messy area with many walls and narrow passages. Even the almighty god of trick shots needed a moment to take aim. There! Probably! He fired Trickshot. While the Ranger was fleeing deep into the right, his bullet flew to the left. A straight Trickshot wouldnt finish her off and it was unlikely itd even reach her. As such, there was no point shooting straight at her, it had to be a bounce shot! The bullet hit a wall on the left side, then bounced and darted to the right. The angle was great! His bullet looked like a homing missile! It was gonna hit for sure! It gotta hit! Cmon, hit! It... didnt hit. Gah! Crap! It was so close! Lars smacked his forehead. It was so freakin close! The bullet reached all the way to the Ranger, but it strayed a little too much to the right. It missed by like a centimeter! No, a millimeter! A fraction of a millimeter! If she took just one more step to the right - hed finish her for sure! That wasnt just Larss exaggeration. With the bullet passing right beside her, Ellen realized this as well. Eh? My. My my. My my my! Ellen blinked repeatedly as she stared at her screen. Her index finger was just about to press D, she was just about to turn right. If she were to press it a split-second earlier - shed be dead by now. She totally would had been killed, by the hands of a rookie! My, what a cute little rookie we have on our hands! Ellens eyes emitted a dangerous glint. How do they expect me to sit here and not bully this cutie!? Forgive me Aron, for Im about to sin! Teehee~ She went easy on the rookie the first time, trying to abide by Arons rules. However, that was a terrible understatement, this adorable little rookie didnt need any handicaps. He was a dangerous beast, which Ellen had to tame with an iron fist. July, sweetie, can I borrow a bit of your time to clear these camps? Ellen pinged two jungle camp in Bot Jungle. Hm? Okay, just a moment. Julia joined Ellen in the jungle after clearing the minion wave. My, arent you a doll. Thanks. I dont mind helping, but why didnt you clear these camp on your way to Bot? They were along the way, I couldve helped you back then as well. Oh, nice map awareness. Hmhm, I wonder why I didnt~ Ellen stuck out her tongue. Guess Im a cute ditz like that~ Welp, so much for that goddess. Lars shrugged and returned to Bot. He failed to kill the Ranger, but she didnt impress him in the slightest. Her mechanical skill was that of a Gold player at best, and she didnt achieve anything special during the fight. He still had 60% HP left, so she didnt even force him to retreat from the lane. Therefore, he kept pushing without a care in the world, nobody could stop him at this point anyway. Just as he returned to pushing, he was ganked again. It was that Ranger again, back with... full HP? Huh? Thats weird. How did she restore her HP from 20% to 100% so quickly? Did she recall to base and rode here on her wolf? That didnt sound right, considering she popped out of the jungle behind him. So, she... eh... returned to base, healed up, entered the jungle, circled around and came out behind him? All that in less than a minute? It sounded bogus, but maybe the wolf mount was fast enough to achieve that. Anyway, he just had to beat the crap outta her again. No problem, yo. So, they fought again. Just like before, it was mostly a one-sided exchange of shots. But, something felt different from last time. The Rangers mechanical skill now felt a league higher, something thatd befit a Platinum player rather than a Gold one. Did she underestimate him last time? Or, maybe she got used to fighting him? Welp, it didnt matter. Even though he called it Platinum tier mechanical skill and he was Platinum himself, that didnt mean her mechanical skill came anywhere close to his. Hers was just the average skill level he was used to fighting in Platinum. However, in pretty much every Ranked match, Lars always stood above the rest when it came to mechanical skill. Therefore, when it came to 1v1, he wouldnt lose to another Platinum player, yo! Lars fell from 65% HP to 40%, whereas the Ranger fell all the way from 100% to 20%. It was an undisputed victory yet again. This goddess was fine and all, but she wasn''t anything special. He had this in the bag! ... or so he thought. Wha!? Another trap!? He slid into a Beartrap during the chase, for the second time now. All his attention was locked on his prey, so he forgot to look out for traps. Cleanse was still on cooldown, so he could do nothing but stand there and watch his prey getting away. Dang it! Next time Imma get her! 200%, yo! Less than a minute later, the Ranger returned to pester him again. And, yet again, she was fully restored. How was that even possible!? Its like she flew back and forth between her base and Bot on a freakin rocket! Speed hax! Just whats the deal with this Ranger?! Lars gritted his teeth and steeled himself for another engagement. This Ranger was seriously getting on his nerves, yo! She poked him for almost no damage, ran away and returned a second later with full HP. By the time he restored from 40% HP to 45% HP, she somehow went from 20% all the way to 90%! Screw her, yo! Heh, shes pretty annoying to deal with, right? Gilbert chuckled. Just look at the items she built, then youll understand. Her items? Lars made a dumb face and opened the stats menu. He played enough Ranger in Ranked, as both as Carry and Jungler, so he knew the gist of Ranger builds. What could possibly be so special- Huh!? Whats this crap!? First she built Ninja Tabi, boots which provided both attack speed and power. So far standard, no problem there. But then, she built... Bloodedge and Devourers Mask? Huh? What the actual heck? Bloodedge was a lifesteal item with at least some power attached to it, but Devourers Mask was a completely defensive items. Who even built Devourers on a Carry!? No wonder her shots dealt less damage than bites from a toothless bunny, she barely had any attack power! She could at least buy Samurai Tabi instead of Ninja Tabi to get more power, but nooooo. Why the heck did she buy a heavy lifesteal item like Bloodedge before buying any power? Lars couldnt count how many times Yuel lectured him about the importance of buying power before lifesteal. Was that chick a noob or something!? This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And again, whod even build Devourers Mask on Ranger!? It provided HP, defense and HP5. That was clearly an item for a bruiser, not an assassin! What was going on!? He didnt even. The hell is wrong with this girl? Lars didnt even know how to react to this madness. Her build is crap! Crap, Im tellin ya! Crap, eh. Aron sneered. This is actually a good question for the exam. Tell me, what do you think the goal of that build? No freakin idea, dude. That build is trash, thats not how you build Ranger. With Ranger, you go hard or you go home, yo! You dont build twenty defensive items like some pussy. Yes, if you consider meta builds, then this is definitely unconventional. But, now that you saw her build, can you guess what she has been doing? Nope, no idea, dude. This build is weird and I dont like it. ... alright then. Maybe you need a little refresher on the item effects, considering your terrible score in quiz. Aron cleared his throat. Bloodedge gives +50% lifesteal for 5 seconds when you drop below 20% HP, that can occur once every 60 seconds. Devourers Mask restores 20% of your MaxHP over 5 seconds after killing a camp boss. Now you see where this is going? Nope, this build transcends my understanding of the universe. ... really now. Aron frowned. Was this kid 100% brawn and 0% brains? Sigh. Alright, Ill enlighten you: Its a defensive hit-and-run build. Huh? How can a hit-and-run be defensive? Youre supposed to charge in, CC them and burst them with yo ult. You need maximum DPS, not defense. But, what if your plan isnt to finish them off on the first try? Arons asked. Wait, are you sure you should discuss this? Gilbert asked. Arent we supposed to keep these things secret during the exam? It seems shes about to get serious against him and I cant rotate to help. Aron explained. Itll be more fair if he knows how she plays. If you say so. Gilbert shrugged. Anyway, she doesnt kill you the first time. Aron turned to Lars. She pokes you, fights you until shes at 20% and then escapes. Thats how she plays. Huh? You telling me she allows me get her down to 20%? Yes, you could say that. Aron nodded. That way, the first jungle camp she visits can get her below 20% with just a few hits. Thats when Bloodedge procs and gives her +50% lifesteal, which allows her restore about 30% HP with attacks. Then, once she kills the camp boss, Devourers Mask restores another 20%. Okay okay okay, I totally lost ya there with all these percentages. Lars shook his head. So basically, ya tellin me shes fine with losing HP, because she can restore a shit ton of HP in the Jungle? Is that it? Yes, thats the gist of it. By clearing two jungle camps, she quickly gets back to full HP and returns to poke you again. Well screw her then. Lars was uncharacteristically grumpy. Until now, he was sure he held the upper hand in all his fights against the Ranger. But what, it was just a part of her script all along? Did she simply let Lars beat her down to 20% HP because she knew shed immediately restore back to full HP? Gah! Who played Ranger like that!? Seriously, what was that chicks problem!? Heh, okay then! Lars wore a twitching grin. She can have all the heals in the world, but it wont help her once I kill her for good! Yes, but wai- Just you watch! Ill shut her down for sure this time! ... did I just make things worse? Aron frowned. Anybody with at least half a brain should had realized that Ellen wasnt an opponent to tackle without CC, but this kid... things might turn ugly. Without realizing it, Lars was already caught in the spiders web. Ill try rotating there to help him. Gilbert said. Please do. Aron nodded. Come at me, yo! Lars faced the Ranger for the third time. She was one heck of a pesky opponent to deal with, but the challenge ignited a flame in him. That chick was totally sitting there wearing a smug right now, but he was gonna wipe it off her damn face! He had no plans losing to some underhanded tactics, yo! Geh, was she this good last time? Even though it was their third duel, Lars still couldn''t get a proper read on the Rangers skills. It felt like she became stronger and stronger each time they fought, that always threw him off at the beginning of the fight. Was that also part of her evil plan? Welp, it didnt matter. He just had to beat the heck outta her! As much as he hated to admit it, the way she fought right now... she was good. Kinda. Like, not THAT amazing, but definitely nothing to sneeze at. It took him a while to adjust himself to the speed of her dodges and shots. In particular, she did a great job evading Larss shots by side stepping and rolling to the right. Her aim wasnt half bad either, but her attacks lacked a punch due to her trashy build. Rather than receiving serious blows, it felt more like he was dodging mosquito bites. Still, he dodged everything that came flying his way. Even if these attacks didnt deal much damage, they still registered as attacks in his brain and his body instinctively reacted. This duel was a joke, really. Once Lars got used to the Rangers pace, he easily pressured her. Even if she was in her Super Saiyan 2 mode or whatever, she had nothing on Lars. He was faster, stronger and more accurate, no way hed be beaten by somebody who didnt even try winning for real. Players who didn''t go all out should go home, yo! Lars fell from 45% HP to 20%, while the Ranger fell from 90% to 20%. Even though they were roughly matched in remaining HP, the Ranger followed her precious script and mounted her wolf. She was gonna flee again, without even trying to settle this. What a pesky freakin Ranger. But things werent gonna go her way this time, yo! Lars intentionally engaged her as far as possible from the jungle, there was nowhere for her to esca- Wha?! Again!? Larss cried out. The jungle was somehow right behind the Ranger! They began their fight so far away, but at some point it dragged all the way out here before he noticed. Was that also part of the Rangers ploy? Gah! Seriously, this freakin chick...! Wait, dont chase- Imma finish her off, yo! Lars darted after the Ranger. He wasnt gonna let her get away again! He won every battle so far and he was gonna win the war as well! I. Caught. You. Ellen smirked. Their waltz was electrifying while it lasted, but it was time to put that rookie in his place. Brute strength was cute and all, but it couldnt defeat superior smarts. Its okay, I pressured her harder than ever. Lars kept chasing the Ranger. I can still catch up! Chasing after an enemy with just 20% HP was risky, but Lars didnt care. That Ranger had no intention facing him anyway, so hed just shoot her in the back. One successful Trickslide would allow him to close the distance in an instant, then itd be game over for that chick. He only had to be wary of the bear trap, because theres always a bear trap. Where did she place it this time? Was it right at the jungles entrance like the first time? Or, was it a little deeper like last time? The trap was semi-transparent and blended well with the jungles terrain, so it was twenty times harder to spot inside the jungle. But, it wasnt impossible. Hed just have to concentrate 200% after stepping into the jungle- Wha!? It was outside!? Lars jumped. He just triggered the freakin trap! It awaited him right outside the jungle! He was 200% sure itd be further ahead, but nope! Gah! That Ranger played him for a fool! Geh, she gonna get away. Lars clicked his tongue. Not once, not twice, but thrice! Thats how many times he let his prey slip away! Yeah, run back home you puss- huh!? Say what!? Lars was dumbfounded. The Ranger... she didnt run!? She turned around and headed straight toward Lars! Was she was gonna fight him after all? Awesome! Theyd finally settle this once and for all! ...or not. Gah, how long is the stun on this thing? Did she spend all her SP on it!? Daim, woman! His enemy was right in front of him but he was still stunned, unable to do anything. And of course Cleanse was still down, because it had a cooldown of five billion years. Gah! He was like a sitting duck right now! But its okay. Yeah, it should be fine. With her low attack power, she wouldnt be able to kill him fast from 20%- The hunt is on! The Ranger shouted. Oh, crap. OH CRAP! Crap crap CRAAAAP! Her ult was available all this time?! Why didnt she use it at the beginning of the gank like any reasonable Ranger!? Gaaaah, this chick was seriously bonkers! Making up for the lack of power, Beartrap lowered Larss defenses and increased the Rangers attack speed. And, if that wasnt enough, her ult now gave her a shitton of extra damage against a marked enemy. She was gonna destroy Lars before hed even get a chance to act! Well aint that just 200% fair!? Thats when it finally hit him: the three battles they fought, were they just a preparation for this one decisive moment? She let him win time and again, intoxicating him with a sense of superiority. As a result, he got overconfident and commited a careless mistake, a fatal mistake. He was playing into her hands all along! Gah!!! Lars turned numb. His body felt like lead and his breathing became ragged. It was the first time he experienced such despair while playing Classmancers. Theres nothing he could do, he couldnt even twitch. His Trickshooter just stood there like a manquient, offering himself to be ravaged by arrows. All his skill and strength were useless. This sense of dread was crippling, yet weirdly familiar. Where did he experience this before? Oh, yeah... the finals of the regional basketball tournament, when his precious 3-pointers got shut down by the giants on the enemy team. He practiced these 3-pointers to death until he regained his status as the unstoppable ace, believing himself to be at the top of the basketball world. But, he was proven wrong, terribly wrong. Thats when he gave up basketball. He felt so powerless, so useless, just like now. He thought he was hot stuff in Classmancers because everybody praised his sick mechanical skills, but he was so lame right now. Just look at him, getting his ass handed to him by some smartass chick after playing like a legit dumbass. Was this the level of competitive Classmancers? Was he actually just a scrub when it came to playing competitively? It hurt. It hurt a lot. Was he... going to run away from Classmancers as well? Heh, so lame. He smiled in self-mockery. Somewhere deep inside, he never got over the feeling he ran away from basketball because it became too harsh. It didnt help that Taison often laughed at him on the matter, despite also being a quitter. Lars quit basketball because it didnt let players be active throughout the whole match, at least that was his excuse. But, what about this situation? Classmancers was definitely a game where all five teammates stayed very active throughout the whole match, but here he was: alone, stunned in the middle of nowhere. Where was his team? Where was this so-called cooperation he quit basketball for? Yet again, he found himself banging his head against an impassable wall, alone. Theres nothing he could do in this situation, he lost. So what, I just gonna quit again? Dont screw with me! He slammed his table. The heck was he mopping about? Didnt he aim to play on the highest competitive level? Didnt he plan on going to Ivy HIgh and play on Venom together with Yuel? This was just a Junior High exam, it was still a stage for scrubs compared to what he dreamed of! Who was gonna give up so early into the game, yo!? So what if his defense was lowered by Beartrap? So what if the Ranger dealt a shitton of damage with The Hunt is On? Her damage output was way below average for a Ranger, she might not kill him in time before the stun ends! There might still be a chance! It wasnt over yet! He returned his hands on the keyboard and mouse. All he needed was a second, even a millisecond would do. He just had to dodge roll to throw the Ranger off, then fire Trickshot while shes busy readjusting her aim. A single bounce Trickshot would be enough to finish her off, there was even a great wall for him to use. He already figured out the exact angle for the shot, all he needed was to get out of this freakin stun! He held a finger on the A key and smashed the spacebar button like his life depended on it, because it literally depended on it! Roll! Roll! Roll! He had to roll aside right as the stun was going to end, he couldnt waste a single moment! Let me out already! OUT I said! One after another, the Rangers arrows pierced his Trickshooter. His HP percentage rapidly slipped away. 10% 7% 4% 1% Okay! He got out! He finally rolled to his left! He was still alive! Woohoo! 1% HP, yo! He had a chance! There was a faint light at the end of the tunnel! He pointed his gun at a faraway wall and activated Trickshot, there was no hesitation. Jungle walls had curvy shapes, so it was difficult getting proper bounces off them. However, he had more than enough time during that stupid stun to figure the best angle for the shot. He was gonna land this shot and defeat- An arrow happened. It pierced his Trickshooter straight through the skull, delivering the finishing blow. He collapsed before he even got to fire Trickshot. You have been killed! It was over. The faint ray of hope he saw was just an illusion, it was brutally crushed by the Ranger. Despite struggling to the very end, he was powerless against her. A goddess... maybe she really was. From beginning to end, everything followed her script as if it was fate. Lars couldnt do anything against it, he was stripped of all the strength he believed he had, it was so lame. He was powerless, completely powerless... Thats why I told you to not chase. Aron said. If you judge her build only by the meta, then yes itd be considered meme. But, the competitive scene is where metas are born in the first place, so... hey, are you listening? Huh? Ah... Lars opened and closed his mouth like a fish. His back was crooked and he stared down on this keyboard with empty eyes. Not good. Aron frowned. This was the outcome he feared most, perhaps he should had stopped the match before it got to this point. Hey, are you alright? He shook Larss shoulder. Huh? Ah... Lars gave something that vaguely resembled a response. It was just another defeat, he suffered hundreds of those in Ranked. However, none of them was as crushing as this one. Where was his sick mechanical skill? What happened to his awesome trick shots? None of them worked against this Ranger. Why did he lose? What was he lacking? What was he missing? Its as if he hit a wall again, just like in basketball. No matter how hard he trained or how many matches he won, was he just a nobody in the end? Just another scrub among the millions playing Classmancers? A speck of dust which couldnt achieve anything? Hmm, I dont think I can finish her off. Gilbert said. Huh? What was he doing? Lars threw a glance toward Gilberts monitor. It showed the same spot Lars just died at, the Ranger was frozen and Gilberts Cryomancer shot basic attacks at her. For a moment, it looked like Gilbert would finish her off. Alas, Support Cryomancer didnt build much power, so his attacks barely inflicted any damage. Once the freeze duration ended, the Ranger summoned her wolf mount and dashed the heck outta there. Tch, so close. Gilbert clicked his tongue. Well, I cant do much with my damage. He turned to Lars. If you waited a little longer, I wouldve frozen her for you. Oh. Lars blinked, it finally hit him. Yeah, thats what was missing: Yuel wasnt here to support him. He was so used to Yuel being around, setting up the perfect stage for kills, that he forgot he even needed that kind of supporting. If Yuel were here, hed find the perfect opportunity to CC that Ranger long enough for Lars to finish her off. They wouldnt even need to discuss it, itd just happen. Their teamwork became as natural as breathing for Lars, they almost communicated telepathically, yo. But Yuel wasnt here, Larss Support was Gilbert right now. Gilbert seemed like a decent dude, he nearly got there on time before Lars was taken down. If they were perfectly synchronized, they could had turned the tables on the Ranger without any trouble. But Gilbert wasnt Yuel, so he couldnt read Larss mind. They had to discuss their plans ahead of time to cooperate well. It was something so simple and obvious, but it completely escaped Larss mind. And there was Aron too, who warned Lars and issued a retreat. If that was Yuels warning, Lars would had automatically complied, since he had 200% trust in Yuels judgment. But, did he even bother listening to Aron? Nope, he just charged in like a madman. Aron even went out of his way to explain the Rangers strategy, to give Lars all the tools to deal with this situation. Did Lars listen? Nope, he just got triggered because the Ranger played stupid, even though the only one being stupid was actually him. He had reliable teammates right beside him, yet he tried winning the match all by himself and drove himself into a corner in the process. Heh, haha. Lars smacked his forehead. Seriously, what was he doing? He complained his teammates lacked the means to help him in basketball, yet here he was, rejecting the help his teammates COULD provide him in Classmancers. He didnt heed Arons warnings and he didnt wait for Gilberts support. Instead, he got carried away after defeating the Pirate, thinking hes on the top of the world. How lame. Welp, that one is on me. Larrs scratched his head. Should have retreated like Aron said, or at least waited for Gilbert. Derp. Hes already back on his feet? Aron was taken aback. ... good, as long as you understand. Shes an opponent you need to tackle with CC. Yeah, learned that the hard way. I was really lame in that fight, haha. You shouldnt feel too bad about losing to her Aron wore a complicated expression. She may not look like much at first glance, but she rips you apart before you realize if you underestimate her. You can win countless battles against her, but shell win the war. Thats how her nickname was born: Athena, the goddess of war. Whoa, are ya trying to console me, dude? Hmph, just stating facts Aron sneered, but a faint smile creeped onto his lips. Deep down, he was glad Lars didnt lose spirit from that crushing defeat, that Lars didnt become another Trever. In the end, that defeat served as a much needed lesson for Lars. It taught him to not overestimate himself and to cooperate with his teammates. All in all, it was a great outcome. I take it you can keep playing? Aron asked. Huh? Of course, yo! Lars grinned and waved a fist. Next time I fight that Athena dude, Imma mop the floor with her! ... did this kid really learn anything from that fight? Aron sighed. With this, Larss long war with Athena came to an end. He lost this one, but next time he was gonna get her for sure, yo! Vol.2 Ch.5: The Determination to Play Ellen finally caught her prey. The enemy Trickshooter was stunned by her Beartrap, unable to fight back. It was the grand finale, all their previous fights led to this one decisive moment. Now, she was going to put that rookie in his place by teaching him his limits. One arrow. Two arrows. The Trickshooters HP plummeted. 10%. 7%. 4%. 1%. It was over. The next arrow would- No! He broke away! Ah!? Ellen gasped. Her prey was about to slip through her fingers! The Trickshooter rolled aside as soon as the stun ended! My, how persistent! Accept your defeat already...! Ellens face contorted. Why couldnt he just give up like a good boy? This was the point where her prey was supposed to behave themselves and peacefully go down, that brat didnt know any manners! Shit, is this really happening!? She didnt account for this development. At this rate, her next arrow was going to miss! But its alright, no sweat. She still had 20% HP left, whereas her opponent was an injured kitten with just 1% HP. Even if he were to dodge the next arrow, shed finish him off no problem... or was it too naive? ... can I really do it? A sense of dread filled her. By studying and facing many strong players, she could sense it with every cell of her body: she was going to die, the reapers scythe was already pressed against her neck. Her prey was injured, but he was no kitten. He was a vicious tiger, ready to rip her apart at the first chance he gets. If she were to waver for even a moment, the Trickshooter would break through her trap and turn the tables on her. With just his superior strength, hed crush Ellen! She had to hand it to this kid, maybe he was the real deal. Unlike the show-off trash, who pretended he was a skilled player but turned out to be a fragile crybaby, this rookie had the strength and fortitude of a real beast. Honestly, it sent shivers down her spine. However, she refused to yield to this terror. Until she got to her current position, she struggled through neverending humiliation, constantly ridiculed by the show-off trash. Her current playstyle was crafted for one purpose only: to crush those stronger than her! Therefore, she couldnt give up the next shot. This had to end right here and now, just as she planned it. Her next shot wasnt allowed to miss, itd be game over. If she were to fall here, shed be yielding to the very mechanical monsters she trained herself to defeat. She couldnt give up, not here! Ha! Ellen swept her mouse with all she had, making a sharp turn to the right. Perhaps she wasnt the goddess of mechanical skill, but even she could land a fast shot in a pinch! Right as the crosshair reached the Trickshooter - she fired. You have killed an enemy! Yes! Ahahaha! Ellen thrust her hands into the air, startling her teammates. Oh, ahem. She cleared her throat and put on her usual foxy smile. That rookie sure put on a fight, be in the end he was no match for me. You actually defeated Lars in 1v1...? Julia blinked. Yes, my dear. I did it. I did it! Ellen took a deep breath before excitement got the better of her again. B-But hes strong right? Its not like hell fail because of it. Julia was nervous, as this was Larss first death this match. Dont worry, sweetie. We dont expect rookies to actually beat veterans, so hell be just fine. Ellen smiled. That is, if this defeat doesnt haunt him. My, Im such a terrible person sometimes. Please, dont break down like a certain show-off trash, or Ill never hear the end of it from Aron. Speaking of rookies, how are you faring? Ellen peered into Julias monitor. She was so obsessed with trapping the Trickshooter this whole time she completely forgot about monitoring Julias performance, which should had been her main job as the examiner. Oopsie~ My, youre killing it, girl. Ellen nodded in approval. From the beginning of the match and until now, Julia had been strongly pressuring her lane opponent. As a Pyromancer, she had incredible damage potential at close range as long as she maintained her heat gauge. Shed be at a disadvantage at long range, but her lane opponent was a Beastmaster, which didnt have any longer ranged shots. Good thing Julia banned so many pesky Mid Lane classes during the drafting phase, Beastmaster was one class she knew how to counter well. Beastmaster was a peculiar Mid class, considered a specialist rather than a mage. Instead of dishing out powerful damaging spells, the Beastmaster relied on minions to push lanes. Its passive, Whipping into Shape, buffed the stats of all nearby allied minions by 30%. The meat of the Beastmasters kit was the skill Tame the Wild, which captured jungle monsters after their HP fell under a certain threshold. The captured monsters could later be released with the skill Let the Dogs Out, summoning them as allied minions on the lane. Jungle monsters, and especially jungle bosses, were much stronger than normal minions, so adding them to the minion wave allowed the Beastmaster to push hard. On top of all that, the summoned jungle monsters counted like normal allied minions for the Beastmasters passive, meaning they were 30% stronger than in the jungle. Relying on powerful minions to push lanes was very effective, but therein laid the Beastmasters greatest weakness. The Beastmasters push power was great when it had jungle minions, but it was nonexistent without them. Just like Yuel always instructed her, Julia bought high power items early on and invested most of her SP into Flame Wave. Combining that power with the buffs from Pyromancers Warmup and Pillar of Fire, she reduced the Beastmasters minions to ashes within seconds, even when the wave included jungle monsters. Outclearing her lane opponent allowed Julia to pressure the Beastmaster at all times, preventing him from venturing too often into the jungle. Once she cleared a wave, she pushed the Beastmaster all the way back to his Turret, threatening to murder him if he were to step out. While the Beastmaster was busy clearing Julias minions under Turret, she sneaked into the enemy jungle and cleared nearby jungle camps. Without any monsters to capture, half of the Beastmasters kit became kinda useless. At some point, the enemy Lionfolk noticed this routine and started helping the Beastmaster secure jungle camps. However, that didnt stop Julia from stealing the camps in the last second. She placed Wards around the important camps and went as far as using her ultimate, delivering a finishing blow on the jungle camp from behind a wall. Spending her ult like that felt like a waste, but Yuel recommended this tactic, so it must had been fine. To thoroughly defeat a Beastmaster, she had to deny him any jungle camps at any cost. In response, the Beastmaster placed Sentry Wards around the jungle camps and took out Julias Wards. However, in return, Julia just countered him by placing Sentry Wards of her own, destroying the Beastmasters Sentry Wards. She wasnt gonna let him rest for even a moment! The Beastmaster was forced to farm under Turret most of the time, so he gain reduced gold from minion waves. That made him way poorer than Julia, so theres no way he could win a war of Wards. After contesting Wards for a while, he was forced to give up on that approach if he wanted to build any new items at all. Beyond that, Julia also used her gold advantage to place Wards in many intersections throughout the jungle, in the key points Yuel taught her. This helped her catch wind of incoming ganks and deny them. Whenever a Ward revealed the enemy Lionfolk nearby, she immediately retreated to a safe spot. She wasnt gonna let anybody gank her and ruin her chances of passing the exam. Youve been showing them whos boss the whole game, but you havent scored any kills. Ellen tilted her head. You havent even destroyed the Turret yet. Whats up with that? There werent any good opportunities. Julia answered. Hmm, then what about now? Ellen asked while peering into Julias screen. Julia was in the middle of pushing the Beastmaster all the way back to his Turret. She already cleared the whole enemy wave, while hers remained fully intact. In other words, it was her and a full minion wave versus an underfed retreating foe. Hes hugging the Turret, not much I can do. Julia shrugged. Hm? Nothing you can do? Why not tower dive him? Its too risky. Julia shook her head. If he hits me with his cripple then Im dead. But youre at full health and hes below 30%, why so worried? Ellen insisted. Youve done a fantastic job outleveling him, so you should take advantage of that and dive him. Theres a chance their Jungler will come here next. Like, last time I saw him, he went for the Wolf Camp and he gonna be done with it soon. He can quickly get to Mid from there. My, you sure like stalking the mini-map~ Good girl, thats an important skill to have. Ellen smiled, though one thing bugged her: who put so many Wards in Top Jungle? Back when she left to fight the Trickshotter in Bot, there were like three Wards in Top Jungle. But now, there were seven of them. I gotta say, our team is really overdoing it on the warding department... wait, dont tell me you placed all these new Wards? The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Yeah, I placed most of them. Julia puffed her chest, no doubt expecting to be praised. Warding is important and all, but thats an overkill, sweetie. Its okay, I got gold advantage because the Beastmaster farms under Turret. Gold advantage isnt meant to be wasted on Wards, you know. Ellen sighed and examined Julias item build. Thanks to the gold advantage, Julias build was ahead of her opponent''s. However, considering Julia had been dominating Mid Lane the whole game, the lead she gained was quite tiny. Alright, listen, girl. You gotta stop hoarding Wards and start building items. Youre wasting away your advantage like this. B-But the Wards help me maintain the advantage. Julia fidgeted, recalling a similar conversation with Yuel. Ever since he taught her how to effectively ward and maintain lane control, she prioritized these elements above everything else during the laning phase. As long as she warded, there was no danger of being ganked. As long as she maintained lane advantage, her lane opponent wasnt a threat. Easy game, easy life. Is that how you always play? Um, more or less... Julia gulped. Agh! She was gonna lose points like crazy right now, wasnt she!? Oh god! Its like youre investing your whole advantage into maintaining the advantage, you arent using it to get ahead of your opponent. You gotta take the initiative at some point. I-Its okay! Julia knew it wasnt okay, but it was okay anyway! His Turret is already down to 15%, while mine is at full health! It gonna fall apart like real soon! My, arent we stubborn. Ellen sighed. Julia was like a kitten who cornered the mouse, but was too scared to attack. The image was adorable, but it came off as a newbies inability to push when given a golden opportunity. Based on how Julia had been playing so far she was clearly no newbie, so such a basic mistake gave a terrible impression of her ability. It seemed like Julias playstyle was all about creating a safe zone for herself. She protected herself from literally every direction and focused on outclearing and outleveling her lane opponent by knowing her matchups. At least in these these departments, her performance was extraordinary and deserved hugs. Julias strategy for winning was apparently all about maintaining her safe zone and slowly, veeery slowly, wearing down her lane opponent and his Turret. It would eventually achieve the goal of winning the lane advantage in Mid, which was the most important lane advantage to have. However, it felt like such a waste, Julia could had achieved way more if she didnt play so safe. Then again, considering Ellens unconventional hit-and-run tactics, maybe she had no right judging Julia too harshly without seeing more. Well, with all said and done, youve been dominating the lane so far. Ellen said. Thats impressive enough for a rookie, so Ill turn a blind eye on these other things I mentioned, but just this once~ She winked. R-Really? Thank you very much! My, arent you just adorable~ Ellen smiled fuzzliy while stroking Julias hair, as if petting a kitten. Were heading into the team fighting phase anyway, so well see how well you fight real soon. Yeah, fight... Julia averted her eyes. God, that sucked. The team fighting phase was considered the most important part of the game... and the one Julia hated the most. Fights were gonna happen left and right, with everybody being in each others faces. Everywhere on the map was gonna become dangerous and stuff, it was so damn stressing. Like, thats totally the worst part of this game. Before long, the first major team fight broke out in Mid. The enemy Turret fell down to 5% HP, so Lars and the Cryomancer rotated to support the Beastmaster. In response, Ellen and the Cleric rotated to help Julia. It was an important 3v3, which was going to decide the fate of Mid Lane. What about their ults? Julia asked. The Beastmasters is still up. I believe Cryo is still down. Ellen said. Trickshow is probably up again. I see. Julia frowned. It was bad, both Ellens and Julias ults were down. Only the Clerics Arise was up, but it was wasnt gonna help the teams offense. Depending on how the Beastmaster was gonna use his ult, this fight could go south real fast. More than anything, Larss Trickshow was terrifying, Julia knew better than anybody how dangerous Trickshow was in Larss hands. He was an unstoppable force, scoring triple kills with ease! It was so amazing, so cool- ah, it wasnt the time to be impressed by that. Focus. Focus So, isnt it best to play this one defensively? Julia conveyed her worries to Ellen, keeping the brags about Larss Trickshow to a minimum. My, here you go again, playing like a cute little scaredy-cat. T-Thats not... Julias cheeks burned. As I said, they have a big advantage in their offense. And we got the lane advantage thanks to your efforts. Their Turret is almost down, so we got them cornered. Ellen winked. If you say so. Julia wasnt convinced, but she decided to follow Ellens lead. Julia stayed behind Ellen and the Cleric, allowing them to soak most of the damage from the fight. Staying in the back wasnt the most effective way to deal damage with the Pyromancers medium range, but getting any closer was way too dangerous. She only occasionally moved forward, to renew the debuff of Demonic Arm via basic attacks and to poke the enemies with Pillar of Fire. But other than that, she just stayed in the back and fired Flame Wave at incoming minion waves. The enemy had to defend their crumbling Turret, so Julias team managed to pressure them for a while. However, the flow of battle changed once the Beastmaster cast his ultimate, Legendary Beast, to summon a Drake. Tch, so they decided to go on the offensive. So annoying. Julia clicked her tongue. The Beastmasters Drake was a hyper aggressive dragon which pounced at nearby enemies. Unlike normal minions, the Drake prioritized attacking enemy players, making him a headache in teamfights. Agh, that was the worst. Julia prayed that the enemy team would keep defending, with the the Beastmaster summoning something like Mammoth. But that retard had to ruin everything, damn him. Theyre planning to kill us. We should retreat. Julia advised. Hm? I dont see why. Ellen tilted her head. Sure, they got a Drake and everything, but well force them to retreat once we take their Turret. Dont worry, girl. We got this. Huh... Julia gave a vague answer, her mind was already set on retreating. Continuing this fight was way too dangerous, it was suicide! She pretended to stick around and help fighting, but she secretly waited for the right moment to get the hell outta there. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! That was her cue. Julia turned around and activated Burning Spirit, gaining a movement speed buff to dash the heck outta there. We should retreat now. What are you talking about? We finally got their Turret, theyll have to retreat- hey! Ellen noticed that Julia was already on the other side of the lane. What are you doing all the way out there!? Retreating. Idiot! You left us in a 2v3! Ah! Ellen gasped as the enemies charged at her and the Cleric. As expected, Lars activated Trickshow to finish them off. He darted toward the Cleric first to prevent revivals, then he caught up to Ellen with quick slides. An ally has been killed! An ally has been killed! See? Thats why I said we should retreat, hmph. At least Julia got out of that mess- or not!? Kya! Julia jumped. The enemy Trickshooter slid right beside her!? Lars was already here!? He must had chased her hard with Trickslide, oh god! This was the worst! Kill that brat, he doesnt have much health! Ellen said. Agh, ah. Julia trembled. Lars only had 20% HP, so she could wipe him out with a single Flame Wave. It was a wide AoE, so itd be easy enough to hit Lars in the middle of a slide. Really, she had a great opportunity to kill him... but should she? Leaving such a huge opening was the worst mistake ever. If Julia were to struck him down, all the examiners would focus on Larss mistake. Theyd surely grind his grade into oblivion, he might even fail the exam because of it! And itd all be Julias fault, hed never forgive her! Agh! Dont just stand there like a scarecrow, do something! Dont let him get a triple- It was too late. Lars finished the slide and assaulted Julia with a combination of Trickshots and basic attacks. Lost in her dilemma, Julia failed to react to any of that in time. You have been killed! What was that!? You literally handed him the triple kill! Ellen roared, her demonic expression made Julias hair stand on end. S-Sorry. Julia hung her head. Oh god, what a blunder! She was so preoccupied with thinking about Lars that she couldnt act at all! This misplay was gonna destroy her score, she even made Ellen angry! Oh god! She was so doomed! Dont tell me you held back for your boyfriend. Ellen pierced Julia with a sharp glare. Eh? N-No, I just... Julia desperately searched for an excuse, but nothing came up. Bulls eye, huh. Ellen sighed. Ill be honest: Im disappointed. Are you even seriously trying to pass this exam? O-Of course! And yet, you prioritized your boyfriend over the exam. So rather than passing, its more important for you that he passes, isnt it? W-Well... Julia knew she should lie here, but she quivered in front of Ellens piercing glare. Honestly? Yeah, it was way more important for her that Lars passes this exam. She didnt exactly burn with passion to join the Classmancers club in the first place, she was just dragged along by Lars and Yuel. Wait, dont tell me youre only playing Classmancers to appeal to your boyfriend? A-Agh! Julia nearly fell off her chair. Oh god! She had to deny it! Like, right now! Thats the one thing she wasnt allowed to reveal to the examiners! A-Ahaha, o-of course not! I-I like Classmancers! Yeah! I see. Ellen shook her head. Damn, she wasnt convinced at all. It was over. Seems like I misjudged you. I thought you were a fellow girl who really liked the game, enough to grind your way to Ranked. But what, it was all to earn some points with a guy? How dumb. Thats, err... Julias cheeks burned. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, fighting off the trembles assaulting her. Wouldnt Ellen just stop already? Please, just stop already! Really disappointing. Ellen sighed and turned away from Julia. If thats all your determination amounts to, you better just quit. Sorry, but our club isnt for wooing guys. Try the cheerleading club instead, guys really dig the short skirts. Guh. Julia couldnt retort, she just trembled as she fought back her tears. What did Ellen mean by Thats all your determination amounts to? She had no idea how hard Julia worked to get this far! She knew nothing! To keep up with powerhouse like Lars and Yuel, Julia made many sacrifices. Her lunch breaks, her afternoons, her evenings and even her whole summer break. She had to play as much Classmancers as she could together with the boys, or else shed be left behind. She even swallowed her pride and asked Yuel to tutor her, just so she could play better. Just how many times she dismissed invitations from her classmates to hang out during the summer? Instead of spending the summer on the beach, she was stuck playing Classmancers in Yuels room of all places. She played and played and played, fighting her best to stay relevant for Lars and Yuels party. And Ellen said all of that was dumb? That none of Julias determination was worth anything? Just what the hell did Ellen even know!? Julia wanted to yell all of that into Ellens stupid face, but she couldnt. In the end, Ellen had a point. It wasnt the first time Julia questioned her own actions, and it surely wasnt going to be the last. Was there really any point to all of this? Would Lars really like her more if she were to play better? Was that worth sacrificing her daily life for? Wouldnt it be easier to just confess her feelings and get shot down? At least itd release her from all this hassle. Maybe I should really just quit. Julia sighed. It was all so dumb. Like seriously, why was she even struggling so hard? She didnt even like this stupid game, she was so fed up playing this crap every day. Yeah, screw it all. Nothing mattered anymore, she should just quit after this. It was decided: this was gonna be her last Classmancers match. She was going to play until the end out of good manners, then shed forget all about this stupid game. Playing safe, giving a good impression, appealing to Lars and yada yada yada. For this final match, she was gonna ignore all that annoying shit. She was gonna go all out and smash her enemies with her pent up frustration! Even if they were gonna kill her for sure, she was gonna leave the stage with a boom! They were gonna get a taste of everything she wasted her time to learn! She was quitting anyway, so might as well destroy as many of these Classmancers-loving bastards as possible! Vol.2 Ch.6: Berserker Maiden Die. Die. Die all of you. Julia muttered while swinging back and forth in front of her table, as if chanting a curse. Enough mulling over her past actions. Who even cared about this stupid game anyway? She was going to quit Classmancers after this match, so the exam didnt matter anymore. All she wanted was to unleash her pent up frustration, to shut up the bastards who made fun of her efforts. Thanks to one of her many Wards, she spotted the Beastmaster trying to clear a Wolf Camp. Oh, how nice. he took advantage of Julias death to go clear some camps. Who the hell gave him permission to do that, huh? Huh!? Julia warded that whole damn area! It was her zone! If that dumbass thought shed let that pass, he had another thing coming! As soon Julia respwaned, she purchased Teleport. She was loaded with gold thanks to her consistent lane advantage, so she was gonna spend every last penny to crush the enemy team! Hell was gonna rain on these retards! Julia instantly teleported into the Jungle, to a Checkpoint Ward set up by the Orc, their Top Laner. It was located right above the Wolf Camp the Beastmaster farned at right now, how splending. With both the Orc and Pirate all the way down in Bot Lane, the Beastmaster certainly didnt expect anybody to be here right now. Surprise surprise! Julia was right here, you brainless imbecile retard! She sneaked up behind the Beastmaster and assaulted him with the perfect Pyromancer combo. Starting off with Pillar of Fire for damage-over-time, followed by four basic attacks to lower the Beastmasters defense with Demonic Arms passive. Finally, the coup de grace: Flame Wave straight in his stupid face! Ahahahaha! You have killed an enemy! Yeah, thats right, bitch! Ahahaha! Julia laughed as if possessed. Her teammates threw confused glances at her, but she didnt give a damn, she no longer had any reason to look good in front of these randoms. It was her last Classmancers match, so shed have the blast of her life! Her playstyle turned more and more aggressive with every passing moment. She fearlessly pushed Turrets, even without any Wards around to warn about incoming ganks. Not matter how persistently her opponents hugged their Turrets, she applied pressure until they were forced the hell outta there! She was gonna destroy all their objectives! She was gonna run these fuckers into the ground! Ah! I done goofed! Ellen cried out. She was fleeing from the enemy Lionfolk with just 13% HP. I seriously done goofed! Halp! Send halp, somebody! Get that lion off me! Bring that idiot to the Checkpoint Ward. Julia pinged the map with a crazed smile on her face. Ill murder his stupid face, haha. ... got it. Ellen finally replied, after sizing Julia up for a few moments. If Julia made that request like five minutes ago, Ellen wouldnt had trusted her to pull off that play. However, right now, something about Julia was... off, to say the least. Ever since Ellen roasted her, Julias playstyle made a 180. My, I may have been a bit too harsh on her. This girl is more interesting than I thought, heehee. As planned, Ellen lured Aron, the Lionfolk, toward the Checkpoint Ward. Getting away from a Lionfolk was no easy feat, especially without her wolf mount. Actually, even with Julias help, it seemed unlikely Ellen would survive through this, she was just one breath away from death. Well, at least Julia should be able to finish off Arons remaining HP. Ellen sighed and prepared herself for the lion mans decisive claw attack... which didnt come. Oh? Ellen threw a glance behind her. Aron was running over burning ground, the result of Julias Pillar of Fire. That girl sure got here fast, but that alone didnt explain why Aron didnt catch up to Ellen yet. He definitely had the superior speed and Pillar of Fire just dealt DOT damage, it didnt have a slow- oh, wait! Could it be? Ellen opened the status screen. Yes! Julia built Chains of Infinity! It was an offensive item, best suited for focusing targets without allowing them any escape! Chains of Infinity added a stacking slowdown effect to the users magical spells. Pillar of Fire applied multiple ticks of damage, so it became sinking sand that pinned Aron in place! His leap skill was on cooldown as well, so he couldnt reach Ellen! H-How!? Aron exclaimed. He wasnt surprised by the slowdown, he already saw Chains of Infinity in the Pyromancers inventory. Its the Teleport that didnt make sense. The Pyromancer used her Teleport about two minutes ago, so it should had been on cooldown still, considering a Lv.1 Teleport had a cooldown of 3 minutes. She upgraded it!? Aron was agasp. The Pyromancers Teleport was Lv.3 right now, which meant its cooldown was shortened by one minute! When a utility skill was upgraded from the shop, its cooldown duration difference was factored right away, even if that skill was on cooldown at the time. Therefore, upgrading a Lv.1 Teleport to Lv.3 while it was on a one minute cooldown - immediately reset the remaining cooldown to zero. It was an niche mechanic only few remembered to put to good use, so it was hard to anticipate this sort of development. Did the Pyromancer plan this misleading play? Or, was it just a coincidence it worked out so well? Either way, the situation was what it was: him against the Pyromancer and Ellen. It was technically a 2v1, but Ellen was running too low to retaliate and the Pyromancer shouldnt be too hard to scare away. Based on Dans analysis as the Pyromancers lane opponent, she was a defensive opponent who avoided danger at all cost and ran away at the first sight of danger. Aron developed the same impression as well, as someone who tried ganking her lane many times to no avail. It was like she barricaded herself with Wards from all sides and camped in the lane, waiting for her teammates to push the game forward for her. At the first sight of danger, she left everything behind and fled back to her Turret. At first, her camping strategy truly foiled Arons ganks, his attempts at Counter-Warding were thwarted as well. However, over time, he realized theres no point struggling so hard to pull a gank on her, because the one who felt the most pressured this whole time was the Pyromancer herself. She was going to self-destruct on her own by playing so defensively, Aron just had to lightly push her toward that end. He used her own camping strategy against her by faking ganks, making it look like he was going for Mid every once in a while, without any intention to actually do so. The mere possibility of a gank immediately made her retreat, stalling her progress time and again. With all that considered, theres no way this Pyromancer was going to fight Aron head on. He still had 60% HP and she was down to 40% HP, a scaredy-cat like her wouldnt take such a huge risk- wha!? Im still slowed down!? Aron just realized the enemys Pillar of Fire was placed peculiarly. Rather than being placed with Aron in the center, making it the hardest for him to escape in every direction, most of the burning ground stretched between Aron and the Pyromancer, forcing him to crawl toward her. Thats bad, he couldnt reach her with Mighty Roar just yet...! Once he finally got close enough, the Pyromancer activated Burning Spirit. Was she going to retreat? Good, that saved him- No! She didnt retreat! She kept staring straight at Aron, while backpedaling and shooting him. She just barely kept herself out of the range of his Mighty Roar while bombarding him with quick basic attacks. Am I seriously going to die here? Die. Die. Die! Ahahaha! Julia laughed maniacally as she fired nonstop at the Lionfolk. She was gonna kill that dumbass! He stood no chance! Ahahaha! Die, worm! You thought I dont know how to fight, right? Think again, sucker! She maintained distance from her foe and bombarded him with fireballs, just like she practiced against Yuel. Yeah, thats right: contrary to what these idiots probably thought, Julia practiced her fighting skills quite a lot. Yuel nagged her so much about her tendency to avoid fights, she legit wanted to murder that jerk a thousand times over. He taught her many combat tactics and forced her to practice against for HOURS. She even slept over a few times because their practice lasted all the way into midnight. It was such a pain in the ass, the only fun part was using Yuel as a practice dummy and beating shit outta him. Yeah, that felt good! Yuel drilled countless fighting techniques into her brain, like this weird Blitz Pyromancer tactic which used Teleport. Apparently, it was used by the best Pyromancer player in the world or something. There were many other techniques as well, Yuel tried too damn hard to find a fighting style Julia would want to use in matches. However, she refused using any of that in real combat. Why? Because fighting was risky and dying was lame, okay? It made her look like a total noob, Lars was gonna think shes the worst player in the world. Playing safe was best way to leave a good impression. But screw all that! For her final match, she wanted to go all out! She channeled the fighting techniques she learned, recalling the sweet moments of beating the crap outta Yuel during practice. Maybe she wasnt strong like Lars or a walking encyclopedia like Yuel, but she watched how they played, practiced with them and played with them on the same team! She wasnt some trash who didnt know how to play Classmancers! Relying on the fruits of her practice, Julia shaved the Lionfolks HP with basic attacks while staying out of his range. Once he fell down to 40% HP, she burned him with Flame Wave and immediately followed with Blaze of Inferno. You have killed an enemy! Yes! Die! Julia trembled from the ecstasy. What a rush! Crushing that retard felt so goooooood Ahahaha! My, July, you saved me~! Ellen jumped on Julia and gave her a hug. A-Ah, w-were still playing! My, arent you just the best~ Please let me have your babies~ Creepy. Julia retorted coldly, but a faint smile formed on her lips. Ellens attitude made a complete 180 after that play. Was it because Julia saved her ass? Huh, what a pretentious bitch. Nevertheless, after falling out of favor once, being praised again felt good. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. My, shes singing a completely different tune now. Ellen released Julia and returned to the game, as her Ranger finally finished recalling back to base. Shes like a kitten who evolved into a lioness, I didnt think she had it in her. So, what changed? Ellen asked. Youre like a completely different person. Where were you hiding all this hot stuff until now, girl? I just decided I dont care anymore. Julia shrugged. I figured youre right, you know? I shouldnt play Classmancers anymore if I dont even enjoy this stupid game. So, this gonna be my last game. Your last game? Ellen blinked. Yeah, Im quitting after this. And if Imma quit anyway, I just gonna do whatever I want this game. I see. Ellen smiled meaningfully. I thought she was triggered because I criticized her, but thats not it. She just stopped being the frightened kitten she was before because she stopped caring about her image. That allowed the lioness inside her to leap into the open. I may have been a little to harsh with her, but... heehee, this is so interesting~ With her awakened fighting spirit, Julia unleashed everything she had on her enemies. She assaulted them out of nowhere, destroyed their Turrets and ravaged them in team fights. The enemy team was thrown into a disarray against this unexpected threat. Its like shes a different person. Aron frowned. He and Dan already finished profiling the Pyromancer as a player with decent game knowledge and decision-making skills, but severely lacking in mechanical skill and assertiveness. She had been playing like a camper the whole match, so thats how these conclusions were reached. However, as the match approached the late game, Aron was forced to toss away everything he knew about the Pyromancer. There was a need to reevaluate her from scratch, both as an examinee and as an enemy to deal with. Did they let somebody else take control over the Pyromancer? No, thats stupid. Aron chuckled. The Pyromancers change was so sudden and so mind boggling that he couldnt help considering the silliest possibilities. From a campy and calculated player, she transformed into a brute and reckless fighter. She was like a berserker whose switch was flipped. Normally, it wasnt hard to punish a rampaging opponent, since they left many holes in their defenses. However, this Pyromancer was well fed during the early game. Usually, a player became fed through scoring many kills, but she never took that initiative. Instead, she dominated her lane so hard she managed to outlevel and outbuild most players through minion farming alone. Thus, even when there were opportunities to punish her, it was difficult to kill her due to her superior stats. However, that only applied during the mid game. The match was already entering its late game, with most players about to reach Lv.20 and finish their builds. The lead she had until now was about to be become moot. As a class, the Pyromancers power curve was geared toward mid and late game, so shed still have that going for her. Nevertheless, soon enough it was going to become much easier to take her down. Lars, take out their Pyromancer in the next fight. Aron ordered. Okay, got it. Lars nodded with a smile. Gotta say, July is putting some real work. Never seen her play this aggressively, its pretty sick. Hm, is that so. I hope youre not planning to let her get away with this just because youre friends. Nah, no way, dude. Lars grinned. Imma crush her with everything I got! No mercy, yo! Thats what I wanted to hear. Aron secretly sighed in relief. Arranging a match between friends was a blunder, but it couldnt be helped because he didnt know the examinees personally. He just had to pray that Lars and Julia knowing each other wasnt affect their performance too much. On Larss end, there didnt seem to be any problems. He was a competitive brat and wanted to test his mettle against Julia, treating her like any other tough opponent. But, what about Julia? She seemed to avoid Lars throughout the match and even let him get away with a risky offense that should had been punished, but that was before her berserk switch was flipped. Was she going to fight him this time? The situation wasnt exactly fair for her, but observing how she was going to cope with it would give Aron some insight regarding her mental fortitude. Specifically, how serious she really was about passing the exam and becoming a competitive player. A major 4v4 team fight broke out in Mid Lane. Its result was going to heavily swing the game, possibly deciding the winner. For Julias team, which was currently lagging behind, winning this team fight was of utmost important, as defeat would spell imminent doom. An ally has been killed! Gah! You degenerating piece of shit! Ellen roared at Trever. Are your aiming to become a chef? Is that why you feeding them so hard, huh!? Well, you sure have talent, because theyre LOVING your free treats! Jesus, at this point an AFK would carry us harder. Tch. Trevers face contorted, but he didnt say anything. Yeah it was true, he fed the enemy team pretty hard this game, he couldnt even argue against that anymore. Sigh, why couldnt this stupid match just end already? Really, thats all he was asking for. However, not all hope was lost for the team fight. Julia aggressively assaulted the enemy team, ignoring their number advantage. She got severely injured in the process, way more than she should had, but her efforts paid off. Her relentless attacks disrupted the enemys formation and turned them into an easy target for her Blaze of Inferno. An enemy has been killed! An enemy has been killed! DOUBLE KILL Youre amazing, July! Marry me! No way. My, how cruel. Ellen pretended to be offended. Atta girl, keep going! We drew them into our territory, we can still turn the tables around! Sure, no problem. Julia nodded. She was so absorbed in bombarding her enemies, that she didnt even notice when the team fight moved all the way to her teams Golem. Did Ellen pull the strings behind that relocation? Well, whatever. Regardless of how this favorable situation was created, Julia just had to kill, kill and then kill some more! Ahahaha! Its time for a trick show! The sound cue hit Julia like a bucket of cold water. It was the cue for the Trickshooters ultimate: Trickshow. Lars fearlessly charged ahead of his team, despite being at 40% HP. Julia knew this pattern, she saw this play a hundred times by now. Lars was coming to murder them, all by himself! No matter how heated up Julia became or how little she cared about her actions this match, there was still one thing she was reluctant to do: fight Lars. The way she played right now, she easily scored kills against anybody as long as luck was on her side. With her current momentum, if she were to fight for real... she might even kill Lars. Even though she gave up on her exam, she had no right getting in way of Larss exam. What are you staring at? Attack him! Ellen called out, but Julias mind was elsewhere. She just stood there, watching Lars slide toward the Cleric and tear the guy apart. An ally has been killed! A typical start. Next, Lars was probably gonna slide toward Ellen and kill her. That was his favorite method of rending asunder the enemy team, Julia witnessed countless teams fall prey to his strength. Ah, he was just too cool. All these retards were already dead. Dont tell me you gonna cover your boyfriend again!? Ellen grew restless as she intercepted Larss assault. This was the third time she faced Larss Trickshot, but she still couldnt handle it, her trademark poke-and-run tricks werent effective in the middle of an ongoing team fight. Facing Larss Trickshow was like challenging a raging typhoon, theres nothing one could do against that terror. She somehow dodged instant death, but her defeat was imminent. Listen, I get that you dont wanna shoot your boyfriend, but this goody-two-shoes act not gonna get you anywhere! Ellen argued, while doing everything she could to survive Larss bullet hell. Tell me, you think he gonna like you for going easy on him? You think hes a loser who runs away from challenges? No! No way! Julia yelled. Hes strong and he likes challenges, way too much even! Exactly, muscle heads like him wanna compete and come on top. You know who they respect the most? Other strong players, the ones who can give them a run for their money! Strong players... You know, I already killed your sweetheart three times this match. I bet hes head over heels for me at this point, teehee~ My, I can already see his love confession coming after the match~ T-That not gonna happen! No way! Julia trembled. T-Thats nonsense! B-But, there was some sense in Ellens words. Whenever Lars was defeated by a strong opponent, he got tenfold more pumped about the game and showered his opponent with praise... probably more praise than he ever gave Julia, honestly. Ah! You little...! Ellen ran out of time, she couldnt stall Lars much longer and his allies were about to catch up. Okay, listen and listen well, sweetie! You said its your last game, right? Then finish it in a blaze of glory! Show him youre not some chicken, show him how strong you really are! Hes going to love you more than ever! Just kill him! Kill him and earn his love! Geh! Just kill him already! Kill him with fire, girl! Kill him... to earn his love... Julias mind was a jumble. She never considered such a drastic move before. But, maybe it was really going to work!? If she were to defeat Lars at least once in her life, he was bound to see her as strong player. Hed shower her with praise and become obsessed with beating her, obsessed with her! Yeah, hed be totally into her! Thats it! Here and now, she was going execute the play thatd steal Larss heart! It might be the dumbest and most absurd shit ever, but absurdity never sounded so logical before! It was the way! Watch carefully. Where is he going to slide next? Thatll be my chance...! Julia observed Larss moves like a predator eying a prey. Even though she really wanted to go ahead and shoot Lars already, it wasnt that simple. While using Trickshow, Lars had access to an infinite supply of Trickslides. He blitzed from side to side without any breaks, while mixing in a few early cancels to throw his enemies off. Landing even a single shot on him was going to be as hard as smacking a fly on steroids. Honestly, it was above Julias skills. However, Julia saw Larss Trickshow a billion times by now. Really, it was like magic playing out in front of her very eyes. But any magic, no matter how magnificent, would stop being awe striking after being observed so many times. Yuel even made her practice specific tactics to enhance Larss Trickshow, ensuring she and Yuel could back Lars up to the best of their ability. Not only that, but she was even forced to practice countering Larss Trickshow, that was Yuels way of teaching Lars about its weaknesses. Therefore, with all of that experience combined, Julia knew both the strong and weak points of Larss dazzling Trickshow. A slide to the left, a slide to the right, canceled into a slide to the left, then... next was going to be a cancel to the right! There was no doubt! Please, accept this burning love! Julia summoned Pillar of Fire and fired four basic attacks in its direction, toward a spot currently devoid of targets. That should do the trick Please die, for the sake of our love! A moment later, Lars slid straight into the burning ground. Pillar of Fire slowed him down thanks to Chains of Infinity, so he couldnt dodge the basic attacks Julia sprayed in his direction. Only three out of four attacks landed, but it was more than enough. Now that her prey was weakened, she unleashed a Flame Wave filled with all her love! She was gonna prove her strength right here and now! He had to be killed for their love! You have killed an enemy! She did it. S-She freakin did it! With her own two hands, she wiped Lars out! Unbelievable.. Whoa... She had no idea how to react. One part of her wanted to celebrate this victory, while the other part wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Did her intense love reach Lars? Did she impress him? Was he gonna hate her for killing him during such an important exam? Did she mess up!? Oh god, which was it!? No freakin way! Lars jumped from his chair. Julia just wrecked me, yo! Yes, thats what usually happens when you charge in alone. Aron stated matter-of-factly. No, but like, I had no idea she could even play like this. This is bananas! Lars stared at his monitor, dumbfound. He mixed feints and cancels into his Trickslides during Trickshow, yet Julia cornered and executed him. Dude, it was... it was so sick, yo! When did she become so freakin strong? He should totally play 1v1 against her sometimes. Dude, Julia royally kicked my ass this fight. I bet she insta-passed the test with that shit. Well see about that. Aron stated in his usual indifferent tone. He put a swift end to the enemys celebration by leaping on the Pyromancer. Even though she managed to kill Lars, which was no easy feat, that put her in a vulnerable position. She had to go out of her way to secure all these shots on Lars, making her an easy prey for Arons Lionfolk. In the end, all she achieved was exchanging one death for one kill, nothing impressive. An enemy has been killed! With the Pyromancer out the picture, the only remaining enemy was Ellen, who quickly got away. Arons team should be considered victorious in this fight, but both teams Carries were dead. Before long, Ellen returned with full HP to guard her Golem, forcing Aron and Gilbert to retreat. They won that tough team fight, but without a Carry they didnt get to do much pushing, what a shame. That Pyromancer proved she had some fighting in her, she even scored a fair share of kills recently. However, her fighting style was reckless and she overextended too often. Honestly, at this rate, she... probably wasnt going to make it. Shed have to put on some truly fascinating performance before end game to change Arons mind. Vol.2 Ch.7: Each Girls Drive Lars and Julias exam was long and tiring, but it approached its conclusion. It was already the late game, all players were Lv.20 with full item builds, except for Trever. Golems crumbled all over the place and super minions dominated lanes, so it wasnt going to be long before the victor is decided. The first team to gain momentum now would undoubtedly emerge victorious. However, both teams refused to yield. They bashed heads over and over, but none of the team fights had a decisive result. Julia killed two enemies, then died. Lars rampaged and dealt a shit-ton of damage to the whole enemy team, but then got shot down. Julia and Lars were the games DPS tycoons right now, so whoever of them survives a team fight was going to gain momentum for the team. However, they were methodically focused on and eliminated. They both played too recklessly, painting a target on their backs. They never faced such experienced opponents before, so they had no idea how to deal with being marked like this. Die! Die! Ahaha! Julia, in particular, disregarded defense and recklessly charged at every enemy. She simply didnt care, she was gonna quit Classmancers anyway. Due to Trevers poor performance, Julia was forced to play two roles: wave clearer and Carry. Thankfully, Pyromancer was a rare mage breed with the power to carry via fast basic attack, it was even a niche Carry pick for Bot Lane in the pro scene. With Julias hybrid build, which combined magical power with attack speed, she demolished structures nearly as fast as a real Carry during the late game. However, Julia didnt pay much heed to how important her role was for the team. Instead of prioritizing her survival so she could keep carrying the team, she recklessly charged in to score kills and secure objectives. Basically, she just wanted to murder some tards and blow shit up. She played without a single care in the world, which was the source of her strength as much as it was her Achilles heel. Everybody, keep our cute rookie alive at all cost. Ellen ordered. Putting this much responsibility on a rookie wasnt exactly fair, but there was no other choice if they wanted win this 4v5 match. With that trash tier Pirate being dysfunctional, only Julia could carry right now. Ellen played Ranger, so in theory she could also double as a Carry. However, her early item slots were filled with lifesteal and regeneration, whereas the rest was geared toward a Jungler build. There wasnt nearly enough power in her build to even consider carrying, simple as that. If the game were to drag for like 20 more minutes, Ellen might earn enough gold to overhaul her build and become a Carry herself, but thats unlikely. In the end, everything was riding on Julia. Its a lot of pressure, but its also a great opportunity for her. If she were to prove herself in this clutch situation, shed leave a much better impression on Aron. Sadly. as things stood, Julias exam evaluation was worrisome. Even though she made some great plays, she also made many terrible mistakes, Aron wasnt nice enough to let these slide. We got a glimpse of her potential, but it hasnt bloomed yet. Ellen wore a wry smile. Aron hates reckless plays more than anything. That Trickshooter brat may get away with it thanks to his alien tier mechanical skill, but dear July doesnt have the same excuse. My, I can already see Aron tearing her apart during the evaluation, even putting on puppy-dog eyes wont help me persuade him. During the early game, Julia pressured her lane opponent via matchup advantage. She outfarmed the Beastmaster and protected herself from ganks with excessive warding. Then, during the mid game, she became a berserker and ripped enemies apart with her superior stats and unconventional Teleport tactics. It was called Blitz Pyromancer or something? Ellen was sure she heard of it before... Anyway, there was a huge contrast between the playstyle Julia showed in the early game and the one she was using right now. Its like Julia had two polar opposites living inside her: a cold and calculated Julia versus a blazing and reckless Julia. Both the calculated Julia and the reckless Julia delivered some great results in their own ways, but each of them alone was half-baked. The calculated Julia played too safely and failed to grasp opportunities, whereas the reckless Julia disregarded everything around her and overextended while chasing objectives. The ice and fire inside her were both impressive, but the ice was too cold and the fire was too hot. Nevertheless, it didnt change the fact she had both ice and fire inside her. If she were to find the right balance and combine these two polar opposites into one, she would develop a strong and dynamic playstyle. How long was it going to that take mastering that, though? Would Aron welcome her into the club while her two playstyles were still so flawed and so far apart from each other? Poor girl. Its so annoying when you have the talent but nobody recognizes it unless you show results right away. Was Ellen still talking about Julia? She wasnt even sure anymore. Anyway, all Ellen could do right now was cover up Julias weak points and set her up for some impressive plays. Honestly, this match was pretty much lost, but Julia still had a way to turn this around. That is, if the rest of the team could hold the enemies down long enough. July, dear, go for the Overlord. Ellen said. Thats our only chance at this point. Alright, got it. Julia nodded and headed deep into the jungle. She never faced the Overlord all by herself like this, but she felt unstoppable today! Cmon, emo scum! Imma blow you to bits! With the Pyromancers late game strength, accompanied by the Clerics heals, taking out the Overlord was possible... probably, she had no idea actually. She just trusted Ellen on this and really wanted to give it a shot, because it sounded like fun. Defeating the Overlord was going to grant a powerful buff to the whole team, allowing them to push all the way to victory. Dead teammates were rewarded with immediate revival instead of a buff, which was no less impactful. In short, defeating the Overlord had huge benefits all across the board. However, the Overlord was a tough cookie. It was going to take some time to defeat him, especially with just one persons worth of damage. The Cleric couldn''t hit for shit, so it was all up to Julia. While she was busy fighting the Overlord, Ellen and the rest had to keep the enemy occupied. An ally has been killed! An ally has been killed! DOUBLE KILL Frustratingly, there was one untamed beast on the enemy team who refused to be stopped. Even fighting that beast in a 2v1, Roi and Trever were swiftly eliminated. Well, to be fair it was more like a 1v1, Trever was just a useless feeder at this point. Anyway, nobody could hold down the Trickshooter. Man, that guy means business. Sorry about that. Roi sighed. Hes down to about 40%, though. After clearing the super minions at Top Lane, it was clear the Trickshooter was heading to the Overlord next. He had to be stopped. Like, right here and now. Otherwise, hed deny them the Overlord buff and shut the only ray of hope they still had. Stopping the Trickshooter was of utmost importance, but the teams last line of defense was... Ellen. Only Ellen. My, how troublesome. Ellen frowned. She killed that Trickshooter three times so far, but it was always through indirect tactics. Not even once did she fight him face to face from start to end, she knew she wouldnt win. However, that applied only during the early/mid game. Players were judged by many different criteria: mechanical skill, decision-making, game knowledge, teamwork and so on. But, theres one criteria often forgotten: adaptability. What separated a strong competitive player from a weak one, was their ability to adapt to their opponents and to difficult situations. Perhaps adaptability didnt get much attention because it was such a basic skill. All humans were naturally adaptive to one degree or another, thats what allowed humanity to progress so far. While beasts had superior strength, agility and stamina, humans possessed the ability to study their adversaries and adapt. Mechanical skill, decision-making, game knowledge, teamwork... Ellen was decent in all these categories. However, adaptability was the one department where she truly shined. She poked the Trickshooter countless times throughout this match. It wasnt just for pressure and shaving HP, she also studied her prey with every exchange. How he reacted to ganks, how hard he chased enemies, how well he fought at various distances - she needed to know anything and everything. The more information she had, the better she could adapt to that beast. Truth to be told, that rookie was a typhoon of raw talent. However, everybody had weaknesses and he was no exception. After exchanging countless blows with him, Ellen picked up his tendencies and patterns. He was strong, even powerful, but not invincible. His ult is down? Ellen asked. Yep, we baited that much outta him at least. Roi replied. I believe his Cleanse is also down. He hasnt leveled it, so it has a long cooldown. Good. Im off to finish him then. You sure? You dont have your ult either and youre injured pretty hard. That guy is nothing to sneeze at. I can handle it. Ellen declared. So, it was her 60% HP vs. his 40% HP, huh. Based on their previous exchanges, she was going to die for sure. However, by playing her very best and utilizing all the information she gathered - she had a shot at victory. That was her verdict as the one worthy of being called Athena, goddess of war. Ellen couldnt keep running away from that monster, not after Julia bravely confronted her adversaries and showed such strong fighting spirit. Now, it was Ellens turn to fight. It was time to teach that Trickshooter brat what it took to be a strong competitive player! If he thought Ellen was a fragile flower who couldnt hold her own, that insolent brat had another thing coming! She intercepted the Trickshooter on his way to the Overlords camp and a fight broke out immediately. This was it, the fight that could very well decide the fate of this whole match! No pressure! None at all! Throughout the match, Ellen gradually raised her skill level to throw the Trickshooter off. Every time they exchanged blows she played little bit better than before, forcing him to adapt to her anew. However, this time, she no longer held anything back. She absolutely had to squeeze every last ounce of skill to overtake this beast. It was the grand finale, there wasnt going to be a next time! Her shots had peak accuracy and her dodges were nimbler than ever, that was the full extent of her mechanical skill. She swiftly dodged to the right, fired back, sidestepped to the right, fired, dodged, fired and the cycle repeated itself, with some fakes and cancels thrown into the mix. Ellen poured her everything into the fight and held her ground... nevertheless, she was overwhelmed by the Trickshooter. He dodged more shots than her and landed more hits than her. He was like a rampaging typhoon, there was no way to pin him down. Tch, is this kid for real? Ellen clicked her tongue. Even when she fought her absolute best, that brat was still a level above her. But, she already knew that. She didnt come here just to complain. There! Didnt see that coming, did you? Ellen smirked and activated Wolf Companion, setting the Trickshooter as the target. She caught him in the middle of a predictable roll, an aggressive roll he occasionally performed to pressure the opponent. He surely knew the risk of this play and was prepared to be hit by once or twice by Ellens basic attacks, which didnt dish out the scary damage one would normally expect from an assassin Jungler. But, he certainly didnt expect to be assaulted by a wolf, did he? Against this infuriating brat, Ellen only ever used Wolf Companion to summon a mount. It was always an escape tool, nothing more. After the two of them exchanged so many blows this game, the Trickshooter was bound to treat her Wolf Companion as a last resort she used for disengaging, despite its other functions. For this last fight, Ellen took advantage of the false impression she seeded into his mind. It was a trap she had been setting up for a while and it finally paid off! Her wolf leapt on the easy prey and pinned the Trickshooter to the ground! The intellectual overtook the brute! Gah! No way! Lars exclaimed. Is she gonna finish me with her ult!? Crap! No, her ult should be down. Dan pointed out. She used it less than a minute ago against me. You serious? Lars blinked. Then... what? Athena didnt have her ult to finish him off and she just spent her one and only escape tool. Sure, being pinned to the ground and receiving shots to the face hurt like hell, but he was gonna live through it. Was it really happening? Was Athena finally gonna fight him to the death!? This was sick! Yeah, thats more like it! Lets rock then! Once the annoying wolf disappeared, Lars jumped on his feet and resumed the duel. Athena was pretty damn strong, he had to hand it her. The way she fought now was completely different from how she fought in the early game, she no longer was a disappointment. A Platinum player... no, maybe even Diamond? Anyway, she was just strong! Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. But, even with just 15% HP, he was gonna smack her from 30% HP to -200% HP! He was the stronger one, yo! Geh, this is more clutch that I thought. His grin twitched. They both ran low on health, everything came down to one decisive shot. Whoever was going to land the next shot would be the winner. That was some intense stuff, yo! But, he was gonna win. He already saw it in his mind: himself standing over Athenas collapsed body. After she played him for a fool time and again throughout the match, it was finally payback time! Athena took three steps back, so a roll to the left was coming for sure. She was a skilled fighter, but she had one glaring flaw even Lars noticed: whenever she rolled, it was always to the left side. Throughout their many battles, not even once did she roll or sidestep to the right. Therefore, this time too, she was going left or sure! 200%! Lars aimed his pistol to the left without thinking twice, there was no time to hesitate. He fired the final shot, bringing down the curtain on their duel. He was gonna win this! Indeed, across their many battles, Ellen always dodged in one direction. Each and every time, without fail, she dodged to her right side, which was left for her opponent. She always rolled and sidestepped to the right, so obviously that even a brainless brat would notice it. Truly, adapting to opponents was an important skill for competitive players. The way the Trickshooter fired to Ellens right without hesitation proved how well he adapted to her movements. She had to admit, he had the makings of a strong competitive player. However... Thank you for being as strong as I hoped~ Ellen smiled while dodging. Being a master of adaptation didnt only mean she was good at adapting to her opponents, she also understood how her opponents adapted to her. Every player, no matter how strong, had quirks and weaknesses their opponent could learn to exploit, especially when those were very obvious. But, what happened when said quirks and weaknesses were artificially planted by the player? From their very first fight, Ellen recognized Lars as a dangerous beast. Therefore, each time they clashed, she tamed him bit by bit. She repeatedly showed him how well she dodged to her right, forcing the beast to be conscious of that quirk. It was like teaching a circus trick, except it was actually a carefully laid out trap. Because now, during their very final confrontation, Ellen dodged... to her left! Gah!? Lars jumped, its like the ground collapsed from under him. It couldnt be! Why!? Why did she dodge to the other side!? Suddenly, everything he was confident about was flipped on its head! Every time he thought cornered Athena, she found a way to turn the tables on him! What the actual heck!?!?!?! I wont make it. I wont... I wont make it!. Larss eyes darted from side to side, jumping back and forth between his Trickshooter and the enemy Ranger. To catch up with Athena, he had to make a sharp turn to the right and immediately fire a bullet. However, he was in the process of missing a shot, so his Trickshooter was locked in a recovery animation which couldnt be attack cancelled. And, once he can shoot again, itd be too late! Hed be already dead, yo! He was suffocated. The more he fought Athena, the further he drowned into a bottomless ocean. She applied insane pressure on him at all times, forcing him to carefully consider his moves instead of acting on instinct. Its like he danced to her tune the whole time. Every time he thought he figured something out, it got subverted. Every time he thought he overwhelmed her, she activated some trap card. The harder he tried, the more he got wrapped around her little finger. Ah, how easy would it be to just give up and bow down before this goddess. No! Not yet! Lars gritted his teeth. He wouldnt yield! No matter how deep he was inside the suffocating waters, he was gonna swim toward the surface! No matter how many times his struggles were gonna end in vain, he wasnt gonna quit! Every time he failed, he had to believe that next time hed succeed! I cant attack, but how about dodging!? Attack cancel was impossible, but roll cancel worked! Instead of turning toward the Ranger, he turned aside and rolled as far away as he could. S-So fast! A jolt ran through Ellen. That roll cancel happened right after the Trickshooter fired the missing bullet, it was inhuman reaction speed! Time and again, this rookie showcased absolute superiority in terms of mechanical skill. However, as infuriating as it was, Ellen expected it to happen. It was so tempting to fire her finishing shot right away, to steal victory as soon as possible. But she didnt give in, she knew her opponent was a beast in humans clothing. She had to retain her patience until the very end if she wanted to outplay this Trickshooter. After finishing her dodge roll, she took a moment to adjust her aim. Without rushing, without panicking and without being greedy. The Trickshooter executed an inhumanly fast emergency roll, but it was a hasty and sloppy one. As long as Ellen was focused, its an easy shot to land. You have killed an enemy! SHUT DOWN Goodnight. Ellen sent a flying kiss toward her screen. Ah, she did it. She actually did it! Through patience and perseverance, she triumphed over a beast way stronger than her. And, this time, the beast she defeated was the real deal, not some trash tier loser who only knew how to show off. No matter how many times she was called weak or incompetent, here and now she proved her ability. She didnt have the mechanical skill or reaction speed of the likes of Lars and Trever, but she had her own weapons. Using her own playstyle, she stomped on those who were stronger than her! It was so electrifying~! Damn... Lars slumped on his chair, all his strength drained. In the end, he couldnt reach the surface. He kept drowning and drowning and drowning, until he died. But he had no regrets, because he fought his best until the bitter end. Athena was an annoying opponent because she employed all sorts of alien tactics. Building Devourers Mask on Ranger? The heck yo, it was bananas. Even after she killed Lars three times in a row, he still refused to accept her as a strong opponent. None of these kills resulted from a fair face-to-face duel, she always used some underhanded trick to take him out. However, this last kill was different. Athena finally honored him with a real duel to the death and... he fudged it up. She was strong and... yeah, she was also cool as heck, yo! Was this the level of the opponents awaiting him in the competitive scene!? He couldnt wait to beat the heck outta them, yo! Well, I did all I can. Ellen sighed in relief and recalled back to base. The only enemy player currently alive was Aron, but he respawned only a couple of seconds ago. Even if he were to dash straight to the Overlord, he wouldnt get there in time before Julia finishes- Ah!? Ellen gasped. She was wrong! Aron was already there! He closed the distance from his base to the middle of the map in seconds! He bought Teleport for this, huh. Smart bastard. Ellen twisted her lips. Even after players finished their item builds, its not like they stopped earning gold. It was common to buy utility skills and potions with that extra gold, exactly what Aron did by purchasing Teleport. Just when did they place a Checkpoint Ward there? We even have two Sentry Wards around the Overlord. Theres no doubt, that Checkpoint Ward was strategically placed ahead of time. It was somewhere close enough to the Overlord, yet far enough from the the Sentry Wards. It was definitely prepared to counter an attempt on the Overlord, in other words: to counter this exact situation! This had to be Arons work, that smartass. Agh! Shit! Julia cursed as the Lionfolk leapt on her outta nowhere across a wall. Where did that dumbass even come from!? Freakin degenerate! You want a piece of me!? Die! Julia unleashed Flame Wave on the Lionfolk, but her screen trembled and her Pyromancer wobbled. As a result, her spell missed its target. Agh! How I hate that stupid roar! He just had to use it right when Im casting! Die, retard! Julias partner, the Cleric, tanked the Overlord this whole time. Therefore, he ran low on HP, low enough to proc the Lionfolks passive: Superiority. It granted the Lionfolks skills additional effects against prey with low HP, allowing the lion to feast on the weak. While Julia was only lightly CCd by the Lionfolks Mighty Roar, the Clerics fate was much more brutal. With the effect of Superiority, Might Roar terrorized the Cleric with a fear state, forcing him to uncontrollably ran away. He couldnt do anything against this sudden attack, the Lionfolk swiftly executed him without even giving him a chance to retaliate. An ally has been killed! Then, the Lionfolk turned his attention to Julia. God, it was the worst! She almost finished the Overlord, but now she had to deal with this lion idiot instead! And, the Overlord just had to switch his focus from the dead Cleric to Julia, how great! No no, it was great! Really! Sure, why not! Everybody should just come here to bully me! No balls to fight me fair and square, is that it!? Die, loser! Retreat from the Overlord. Ellen said. I know, dammit! Julia gritted her teeth and did as ordered. She really didnt want to waste all the hard work she poured into lowering the Overlords HP, but there was no other choice. Theres no way to deal that stupid Lionfolk while being bombarded by the Overlords beams. Agh! Shit! No no no! Just as Julia was about to step out of the Overlord Camp, lions leapt on her face outta nowhere! She found herself surrounded by a pack lions from all side, with no way to escape. That was the Lionfolks ultimate: The Kings Dominion, a prison with lions as walls. Getting close to the edges made the lions claw the prisoners. The only way to pass them was via jumping over them with a leap skill, which the Pyromancer didnt have. It was possible to kill a few lions to create a hole in the cage, but they were sturdy beasts with high HP. Julia needed Flame Wave to deal with them, but it was still on cooldown after her unsuccessful attempt to hit the Lionfolk. So, Julia had no choice but to fight the Lionfolk inside the Overlords area, with the Overlord craving her death. Goddammit, could this situation get any worse!? That Lionfolk royally screwed her! Die! Die! She roared as she shot fireballs at the Lionfolk. She set up Pillar of Fire underneath her feet, to boost her magical power and draw the Lionfolk away. If he wanted to get closer and hit her, hed have step on the burning ground. Her one and only advantage in this fight was her range, so she had to utilize it as much- W-Wah! Shit! Julia cursed as the Lionfolk leapt on her and knocked her away. Shit! Majestic Leap normally didnt have a knockup CC, but the Lionfolks Superiority was now in effect against Julia too, after the Overlord shaved off nearly half her HP. She was forced out of her Pillar of Fire and bumped into one of the lions, earning a claw in the back. Gah! Shit! Damn! Couldnt they just leave her alone and all die!? Damn, that scum is strong- wah! She didnt even have time to recollect herself! The Lionfolk instantly closed the gap between them and slashed her with his claws. It was bad. Like, real freakin bad!!! Each of the Lionfolks attacks hit like a truck due to Superiority. As long as his HP percentage was much higher than Julias, all his attacks dealt additional damage. On top of that, while inside this lion cage, the Lionfolk benefited from increased power, speed, defense and even CC immunity. Gaaaaah! Screw that bastard! Julia fired left and right, trying to land as many hits as possible on that bastard. God, he was so damn fast! Slash, slash, slash. He maneuvered around her while clawing her from every possible direction! Gah! Just die already! Why couldnt she land half her hits!? How was she supposed to deal with this shit!? No idea! Did she ever practice close combat with Yuel before as Pyromancer? Slash, slash, slash. Ugh, she couldnt concentrate while that retard assaulted her from every side! Unable to focus her thoughts, Julia kept attacked blindly, praying her fireballs would connect. Her HP was almost entirely deleted, but there were finally some good news: her Flame Wave came out of cooldown! About damn time! Alright, now that Flame Wave is up- agh! Her screen shook as she started casting Flame Wave. It was Mighty Roar again, empowered by Superiority! How was that shit already up again!? Damn, right! It has shorter cooldown when it hits low HP targets! Its all because he hit that stupid Cleric last time! Grrrr! Julia hissed. The Mighty Roar cancelled the casting of her Flame Wave and instilled the Pyromancer with fear, making her uncontrollably run away, Julia couldnt do shit anymore. God, Lionfolk was so bullshit... My, this is painful to watch. Ellen shook her head. Between being sniped by the Overlord and getting overwhelmed by Aron, Julia was clearly doomed. Her miserable attempts to retaliate resembled a child throwing a tantrum. Julia exhibited some interesting fighting techniques earlier, but now it was clear they were specific plays she practiced before. She probably spent most of her time playing as the careul Julia, so the reckless Julia had little to no practical combat experience. That made itself clear from the clumsy way she handled an aggressive melee opponent. Instead of creating distance between herself and Aron, she tried to match his pace and hit him with basic attacks from melee range. Foolish, to say the least. So thats your verdict, Ronron? How sad. Ellen sighed. Aron must had realized the reckless Julia didnt yet possess the necessary experience to back up her aggressive playstyle. His dismiss of Julias playstyle could be felt in every slash he lashed at her. He was merciless with the pressure he applied, leaving Julia no openings at all. My, what a blunder. Ellen shook her head. I shouldve realized we wont get away with an Overlord against a late game Aron. During the early/mid game, Aron was just a methodical and consistent player. He played decently, without really standing out. However, once the late game hit, he suddenly transformed into a terminator. After collecting enemy data throughout the match, during the late game he finally finished compiling it and started using it against his foes. The current situation stood testament to Arons strong late game, he crafted everything about it. He placed a sneaky Checkpoint Ward ahead of time, teleported to it at the worst timing possible, swiftly executed their Support and caged Julia inside the Overlords area. From beginning to end, Aron made one flawless play after another, leaving his enemies zero openings. Thats the kind of scary player Aron was in late game, it completely escaped Ellens mind until now. As a fellow player excelling at adaptation, Ellen recognized him as a strong competitive player. Therefore, she could tell: Julia didnt stand a chance at this point. Gah! So close! Julia gritted her teeth. She almost figured how to handle that rampaging cat man, but her HP ran out. You have been killed! Shit! Couldnt you just die, dumbface!? Ill get you next time! It was so damn infuriating! If she had just a little more time, shed figure out how to deal with that bullshit! Just you watch! Next time I wont lose! Next time? My, didnt you say this is going to be your last match? Huh? Yeah, what of it? Heehee~ Ellen giggled. For somebody who claims she hates the game, you sure seem to be enjoying yourself. Huh? What are you... talking... about... Julia blinked. Huh? It was weird. Her right hand clenched the mouse, while her left hand restlessly danced on top of the keyboard. Not to mention, her head was filled to the brim with thoughts about getting revenge on that Lionfolk idiot. Right now, at this very moment, what she desired more than anything was to respawn and return to these thrilling fights...! In the last ten minutes or so, you havent been playing to woo some guy. You played purely for yourself. For myself...? Julia was speechless. True, she completely forgot about looking good in front of Lars and all that crap. Hell, she even murdered him! Holy moly, that was some extreme shit right there! If you insist you hate Classmancers, then youre lying to yourself, girl Ellen smiled meaningfully. You wouldnt have gotten this strong if you really hated the game. Maybe it didnt grab your heart right away, but at this point youre a total Classmancers geek. I... not really... Julia trembled. She couldnt deny it, this match wasnt exactly boring. She died a lot, but she also killed a lot. The fights were packed with all sorts of thrills and they... they were fun! Classmancers... was actually fun! Aw, youre such a cute crybaby~ W-Whos crying!? Julia wiped her eyes and averted her red face. Ah~ Please, someone! Kill me so I can snuggle this cute little kitten~ S-Stay away and focus on the damn game! You gotta defend until I respawn! Aye aye, Ms. Classmancers Geek. Shut up! Hmph. Pft, hahaha! Julia couldnt hold it back, she laughed to the point of tears. Teehee. Ellen stuck out her tongue. Dont quit Classmancers. You clearly like the game and got more than enough talent. Hmph, Ill think about it. Julia shrugged, but a soft smile formed on her lips. She already realized the truth: she couldnt quit after coming this far, it just wouldnt feel right. When she picked up Classmancers, her sole goal was getting closer to Lars. However, thats not the only thing that kept her going. The frustration she experienced after losing her Support spot to Yuel, the challenges she endured to keep up with Lars and the secret training she undergone to achieve her current level. All these defeats, struggles and victories were what pushed her to keep playing Classmancers. She wasnt going to quit, not like this. Of course, her main goal remained the same: show her good side to Lars and kick Yuel out of the picture to become Larss Support. But, on top of that, she just wanted to keep playing this dumb game, which grew on her at some point. Despite Ellens best efforts, the team lost their Mid Golem and their Colossus collapsed soon afterwards. The long match finally came to an end, and with it Lars and Julias entry exam. Vol.2 Ch.8: Exam Results At long last, Julias exhausting entry exam came to an end. She left the room, accompanied by Ellen. On the way out, they ran into members from the other team. My, he sure looks scary. Ellen whispered while pointing at Aron. He glared in their direction and strode toward them. I had a feeling thisll happen. My, what a pain. Ellen sighed and braced herself. Aron ordered her to not bully the rookie and she completely failed that mission. She originally planned to stay put like a good girl, avoiding the rookie during the early game. Then, Trever decided it was smart to degenerate into a trash tier feeder and everything went to hell. She had no choice but to gank the rookie at that point, to keep the game at least remotely balanced. Thats when she learned what a delicious prey that rookie was. From there on, she couldnt stop herself anymore. She had to bully that adorable rookie with everything she had! Honestly, she got carried away and deserved to be scolded... H-Heya, whats up? Ellen forced a smile as Aron approached. Oh my, he looks terrifying. Aron was normally a stoic and rational guy, but once triggered - he became a demon. Theres no telling what he gonna do. Scary. I know what you wanna say, but- eek!? Ellen quivered and protected her face. Aron raised his hand! He was gonna to hit her! Hes mad! SLAP! A loud sound resounded throughout the hallway. But, it wasnt Ellen who received a slap across the face, it was Trever. Y-You...! Trever staggered back while caressing his red cheek. It hurts, dammit! Im disappointed in you. Aron said, his sharp eyes looked like they could stab somebody to death. Whats with that miserable performance? I thought I told you to take it seriously. Tch, whats the big deal? Trever averted his eyes, Its just an exam, no need to make such a huge damn deal outta it. Just an exam? I see, then youre saying in a real match youd hold yourself together? Is that it? Arons face twisted. Dont bullshit me! Its because this is just an exam that I expected you to do your job! I didnt put you on that team so you can feed the rookies! He was practically yelling, none of his usual calmness was present. Trever was shaken and retaliated with his own dose of anger. Well, excuse me that I couldnt beat a freaking miracle rookie! I tried my best and he owned me! What else do you want from me!? Leave me alone, man! You gave up! He killed you once and you decided to throw the game! Just because you lost one fight doesnt mean your opponent is stronger. Youre supposed to be a competitive player, so act like one! Aron grabbed Trevers collar and shook him. Fuck off! Trever pushed Aron away and walked off with wide strides. Where do you think youre going? Home. You know we have more exams today, right? I dont give a shit. Deal with that yourself, captain. Trever stomped down the stairs, vanishing from view. That idiot... Aron sighed and stared at the ceiling. Ah, err... Julia twitched, trying to find the right moment to get the hell outta this suffocating atmosphere. The awkwardness level of this scene was over 9000. None of that drama had anything to do with her, so she wanted to pretend she wasnt even there. She was just air, nothing to see here. My, you ended up seeing a really nasty lovers quarrel. Ellen put a hand on Julias shoulder and winked. Dont worry, our club isnt usually like that. Sure... Julia didnt care, she just wanted to get the heck outta here. Really, just that. Please, somebody, just say it was fine for her to leave already! While Aron was heartbroken over his lovers incompetence, this was the best time for Ellen to sneak in an apology. Im also sorry, Ronron. I know you wanted me to stay out of the rookies way, but I ended up bullying him a little~ Its alright. Aron sighed with a tired expression, which made him look like he aged twenty years. You had no choice, considering Trever threw the game. Though, I have to say you focused the rookie more than necessary. Teehee, my bad~ Ellen stuck out her tongue. He was just so cute I couldnt resist teasing him~ I hope hes alright. Yes, he seems fine. He was a bit shaken at first, but he didnt crumble under pressure. My, what a promising little brat. All in all, it was probably a good experience for him. He needed an enemy who could show him his limits. Always glad to help~ Ellen saluted with a wink. Anyway, what we gonna do about the rest of the exams? Doesnt look like Trever is coming back. So it seems. Aron sighed deeply, as if the whole world collapsed on him. First, Howard called in sick. Next, Trever ragequit. Sigh, one trouble after another. I rather not postpone the exams, the deadline for submitting club applications isnt that far off. Sigh, I need some time to figure this out. Dan, can you please tell the examinees to wait a little before the next match? Tell them we apologize for the inconvenience. Roger. Dan nodded and set out to the waiting room. Considering our numbers, well have to do something like 4v4. Aron sighed for the millionth time. Or maybe 3v3, thats a more popular game mode. My, sounds terrible. Ellen twisted her lips. Classmancers techncially had 4v4 and 3v3 casual modes, but they werent the meat of the game. They were played on different maps, had different metas (if at all) and sometimes even had unusual rules and objectives. Despite technically being part of the same game, the knowledge and skills required there were a world apart from the 5v5 mode. Therefore, testing rookies on these modes was unfair and uninformative. There was also the option of hosting a custom 4v4 match on the usual 5v5 map, to retain at least some level of familiarity with the competitive mode. Aron seemed to like that option best, but its still awkward for an entry exam. If only they had one more player to fill in for Trever... oh, wait. The perfect replacement was right there! I have a great idea~ Ellen smiled playfully and wrapped herself around Julia. How about we let lil July here fill in for Trever? If memory serves, we arent testing any more Mid Laners today. We can keep Gilly as Support and let July play against Danny in Mid for the rest of the matches. Eh? What? Julia exclaimed and tried shaking off Ellens arm. Wait a second, I havent agree- agh! She was silenced! Ellens arm wrapped itself around Julias neck like a snake, choking her! It was a murder attempt! In plain sight! Be quiet, girl. Im doing this for your sake. Ellen whispered in a cold commanding tone, then turned to Aron with a warm smile. What do you say? Shes totally up to it~ Is she really? Aron raised an eyebrow. Anyway, you seriously suggest to ask an outsider to help us with the examination? And a rookie to boot? Yeah, why not? You saw her skill, shes a decent player. She even gave Danny a run for his money in the lane. I know hes not maining Mid, but thats still impressive. Yes, she did well against him. That is, if I ignore how she spent too much on warding and how she failed to push despite her lane advantage. My, youre so nitpicky. Thats why girls dont like you~ As if I care. Aron shrugged. Always so serious~ Give her a break, the girl was just a little tense during the exam. Maybe shes not up to your super duper high standard, but shes an obedient and calculated player, just the way you like your soldiers, cap. Calculated? I remember her rampaging all over the place for half the game. Agh. Julia gritted her teeth and lowered her face. Gah, remembering how she played back there was so embarrassing! She spouted lots of nonsense like Die! Die! and went all gung-ho like some battle maniac! Someone, please make me disappear! Like, right now! She tried wiggling her way out of Ellens arms, to no avail. Theres no escape, Ellen was gonna force her into this nonsense and she had no say in the matter. What bullshit was this even? Oh, yeah. About that rampaging stuff. Ellen took a moment to choose her words. Weeeell, that was just a little hiccup, honest. I pushed some buttons and thats what happened, teehee~ She winked and stuck out her tongue. Dont you teehee me. Aron frowned. Youre saying its your fault? You ruined her chances of delivering a good impression? Weeeeell, you can say so. Right, July? Ellen wrapped herself even tighter around Julia, signaling the girl to play along. Yeah, thats right. Shes the absolute worst. Julia nodded. It looked like she was playing along, but she wasnt really. It was all true, everything was Ellens fault. Julia kept her aggressive side buried deep down for all this time, but Ellen forced it out of her. Yeah, Ellen was the absolute worst! Great, thats yet another problem dropped on my shoulders. Thank you, Ellen.. Aron sighed yet again, his lungs were going to run out air at this rate. Sorry, sorry. Ellen joined her hands in apology. So, thats why Im saying: we should let her play some more. That way, we get to see more of her skill and can judge her better. Well be killing two birds with one stone~ Giving her more than one chance isnt exactly fair for the other rookies. Then again, ruining her one chance isnt exactly fair for her either. Alright, fine. Aron gave up. Problems came crashing down on him like an avalanche, he no longer had the strength to argue against suboptimal solution. Anything that worked and could be put to use right away was welcome. Youre alright with this? Aron asked Julia. No, I- Listen, you not gonna make it if you give up this chance. Ellen whispered. As you can see, Aron doesnt hold a high opinion of you right now. O-Okay, Ill do it. Ill help out. Julia found herself nodding, playing along with this nonsense. Wait, the heck was she doing!? She just wanted to get back home and take a shower! Both she and Aron got completely wrapped around Ellens finger! Alright, Ill need some time to adjust the lineups... again. Aron sighed as he left to review his precious notes. He spent the whole morning deciding the teams for the exam, but now he had to redo everything from scratch. Sigh. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Phew. Ellen sighed in relief. My, that was a tough one to get through. Just what the hell did you sign me up for? Julia grumped. I dont wanna do this shit, I wanna go home. Hey July, are you coming? Lars waved to her from the other side of the hallway. O-Oh! Y-You waited for me all this time? Julia was moved. Yeah, of course. Lets tell Yuel how we did, I bet dude fell asleep in the waiting room by now, haha. Sure, coming. Julia nodded and ran toward him. These guys and their stupid exam could be damned, she wanted to get outta here and spend some time with- Hello! Ellen waltzed in, blocking Julias escape path. Larsy, right? Its Lars, actually. Lars made a face. Youre Athena? Bingo~ Good game. Ellen smiled impishly and stretched her hand. Yeah... good game. You gave me a lot of trouble, haha. Lars forced a smile and shook her hand. She pretended to be friendly, but her good game sounded more like easy game to him. Youre quite talented, I hope you pass No problem, Im sure I gonna pa- geh! Lars flinched as nails dug into his flesh. Gah, that damn chick! Shes picking a fight!? H-Haha, I heard you play Carry on the team? Once I get into the club, Imma take your spot for sure. He paid her back in kind by clenching his hand. Ah! You brute! Ellen pulled her hand out before her slender fingers were crushed. Seriously, what a rascal. Dont get ahead of yourself, brat. I shut you down, fair and square, in that last fight. Hah! Lets see you pull that again. Come at me, yo! They glared at each other, then both smirked. He hated her sneaky playstyle and she hated his brute strength, they were each others bane. But, thats precisely why they grew to respect each others talents. So, you coming, July? Lars asked again. Oh, yeah. Im- Actu~ally. Ellen wrapped herself around Julia like a snake. July here said shed stay to help us with the other exams. You saw the soap opera that just happened here, right? Were now short on one person, so July volunteered to fill in for him. What a good girl, isnt she? Oh, really? Cool. It gonna take long? Hmm, about two hours? There are four more exams. Welp, guess me and Yuel gonna head home then. Lars scratched his head. Good luck out there. Beat all these other guys to show them whos da best, yo. Ah, wait! Im also going- geh! Go ahead, Ill take good care of her~ Ellen leaned on Julia with all her weight. My, July is such a handful. And to think Im doing it all for her sake. If only I could find a good motivator for her... oh, wait. My, aint I just evil? Teehee~ Say, Larsy. Ellen wore a foxy smile. Do you remember that one time July killed you in match? A-ah! Wah! Gah! Julia trembled like a rocket about to launch off. Oh god, dont remind him of that! I was totally bonkers back then! He gonna hate me for life! Please, somebody! Just erase me! Yeah, of course I remember. Lars nodded and turned to Julia. That was sick, yo! When did you get so good at fighting? You totally owned me there, haha! We should fight 1v1 sometimes, Yuel really sucks at that stuff. Ah... eh... err, of course... Julia was petrified. Lars wasnt angry at all. Rather, he praised her? He even said she surpassed Yuel in something! Oh god! The poor souls she gonna play against in the exams have no idea whats coming, heehee. Ellen added to the hype. Damn straight. Lars grinned. Id totally spectate these matches just to see July wreck them. Spectating is against the rules, but its the feeling that counts. Ellen smiled meaningfully. Good boy, now July has nowhere to run. My, sometimes Im just horrible~ Welp, Im off! Lars announced. Good luck, break a leg and stuff, haha! He disappeared from the hallway. That finally released Julia from her petrification. Ill do it. Julia stated, her eyes burning with determination. Ill help you with these stupid exams and outdo all these other shitheads. Good girl, thats the spirit. Ellen smiled from ear to ear and caressed Julias hair. Everything went according to plan~ With newfound determination, Julia sticked around for the rest of the exams. It didnt take her long to start regretting her hasty decision, she was totally baited into this crap. Ellen was the devil confirmed. According to Ellen, Julia had to earn some extra points with Aron if she wanted to pass her own exam, so she sucked it up and kept working. She wanted to get into the club together with Lars, but she also just wanted to keep playing this stupid game and keep improving, until she could leave idiots like Yuel in the dust. Two days later, all the matches of the final round were over and it was time to decide who passed. All members of the Classmancers club gathered for the meeting, even though most decisions were going to be handled by Howard and Aron anyway, they were the vice-captain and captain. Ellen, Trever, Gilbert and Dan were there to share their opinions as secondary examiners, but their role mostly consisted of nodding or shaking their heads to whatever Howard and Aron had to say. Alright, Ill start with the easy ones. Howard announced as he went over the list of candidates. First we got Yuel, the Druid we tested on the first day. Heh, I suppose those who were there dont really need a reminder, right? Oh man, that guy was THE shit. Trever nodded. 10/10 would accept into club again. Well then, I dont think theres anything to discuss here? Howard scanned everybody in the room, they were all silent. Alrighty then, moving on. Next we have Lars, he played Trickshooter on the second day. I wasnt present that day, but Aron and Gilbert evaluated him highly and you know how hard it is make them sing praises. Looks like another closed case to me. No way. Ellen pouted. Hes just a brute who doesnt know his place, we should totally fail him. Are you being serious? Aron made a face. Cmon, just kidding~ Ellen winked. I fought him the most that match. I can attest hes not complete trash, unlike a certain other mechanical brute we already got in the club. Give it a rest, Elly. Howard ordered. I remember you came to cry on my shoulder because of that rookies skill, saying how the unfair the world is and all sorts of crap. I wonder who actually cried on whose shoulder in the end~ Ellen playfully stuck out her tongue. Nobody else in the room had any idea what these two were talking about, so they just stayed quiet. Anyway, thats two. Howard returned to the list. As for the third spot, things arent quite as clear cut. Me and Aron discussed the options for a while and decided on Jaiden, the guy who played Lancer on the third day. Say what? Ellen asked. My, Wardy is such a scatterhead~ Thats not how you read that name, its pronounced Ju-li-a. Shes the next one on the list. Howard said. I know you think the world of her, but I cant vouch for her since I wasnt there during her exam. So, I left this one to Aron. It was a close one between Jaiden and Julia, but he said Jaidens playstyle is more airtight. Julias is apparently all over the place, as he put it. My, Ronron is such a bully. Ellen puffed her cheeks. I just put things as they are. Aron said. She appears skilled and experienced enough, but you surely agree her playstyle is a mess. May I remind you how she dominated the lane during the early game? And how she scored lots of kills during the mid game? She did all that with her messy playstyle. Just imagine how strong shell become once she polishes it. Hey now. Dan intervened. She only dominated Mid during the first game, because she knew how to counter Beastmaster with Pyromancer. That didnt happen again. And who do you think cornered you into picking Beastmaster in the first place? She purposely banned the harder Mid classes, to force you into picking something she can counter. Not to mention that she gave you enough trouble even in later games. Yeah, shes not bad, thats true. Dan nodded. I actually gave her a high score, but shes not perfect. I also think Jaiden is overall a better player. You guys just dont get it. Ellen sighed and shook her head. My, how evil you all are. The girl volunteered to help us with the exams and thats how you reward her? Sure, volunteered. Aron sneered. You forced it on her. Sigh, I had a feeling youd use that as a bargaining chip. I regret to inform you, but lending a hand got nothing to do with passing the exam. She gained valuable experience from playing with competitive players, were even. Boo, heartless scum. Thats called being fair. Cmon, Wardy. Ellen turned to Howard with puppy dog eyes. You have the final say in this, right? Can you just let the girl pass? Pretty please? You watched the replays, you know what she can do. Thats not how this works, Elly. Howard said. I analyzed the replays, but its not the same as being present during the match. From what I can tell, she got the skill and everything, but there were also many holes in her plays. Did you analyze all the games? She played better in the next ones. I pushed her buttons too much in the first game, thats why she looked bad. Cmon, just let her pass~ You know you want too~ You even praised her defense during the early game, remember? I know she has some faults right now, but dont you agree she looks very promising? Forget what she lacks right now, think about what she can become in a year with more experience Youre not going to let go, are you? Nah ah. Give me a break, woman. Howard sighed. He knew the bottomless depths of Ellens persistence better than anybody, what a pain. How about this: well host a voting. If Julia gets at least 5 votes, well take her over Jaiden. Is that alright? He turned to Aron. Do as you wish. Aron shrugged. Shes going to be your responsibility next year, Im not going to stop you. Alrighty then. Howard addressed everybody in the room, including those who spent the whole meeting fiddling with their phones and paying zero attention. Those who think we should choose Julia over Jaiden, raise a hand. Oh! Me! And me too! Ellen raised both arms. Thats one. I guess its fine. Gilbert raised his hand. She played a pretty convincing Blitz Pyromancer, I liked it. Alright, thats two. Anybody else? No reaction. Some exchanged glances, others scratched their heads. My, you really gonna let this chance slip by? Ellen addressed the indecisive bunch. You dont want another cute girl in the club? She doesnt have a boyfriend by the way. Alright, thats four votes now... Youre a real snake, huh. Howard smiled wryly. Teehee~ Ellen smiled innocently. Then its settled, right? Because obviously you gonna be the fifth vote. Nah, Im abstaining. Howard declared. If I vote, its like giving you two votes. Thats not fair. My, youre so cold, darling. Arent you supposed to support me and everything? I already went out of my way to arrange this voting. Sorry Elly, but I cant play favorites here. This is an important decision and Im letting the club decide. Hmph, meanie. Ellen puffed her cheeks and pouted. Ill give you one more chance to persuade somebody. If you cant, then its game over. Arent you a doll, darling. Ellen made a face and scanned the room. What were her options? Howard already declared he wasnt gonna help, that big bad meanie. Aron and Dan were out of question, they were set on picking Jaiden and she had no idea how to sway them. Sam didnt even pay attention, he was absorbed in his phone. Its unlikely hed go against Arons decision, so it was a lost cause. The only one left was... that guy. She didnt like it, but thats the only option she had left. Things were about to get ugly for real.. My, Im impressed you havent voted yet. Ellen addressed Trever. Werent you aiming to become a professional skirt chaser? I... Im not gonna vote just because shes a chick. Trever averted his eyes. Just recalling that dreadful match made him feel sick. Besides, didnt that chick have a boyfriend? At least, he had the impression she was into that Trickshooter rookie. Then dont vote because shes a girl, vote because she played well. Ellen said. I was kinda out of it during the match, so I dont remember how she played, haha... Then let me remind you. Ellen insisted. Remember how you were killed by the Trickshooter and fell into a slump like a crybaby? Ugh. Well, guess what? Julia also got killed by him, but she didnt throw the game. She pulled herself together like a responsible player and went on a killing spree, she even killed that Trickshooter once. Pretty impressive, dont you agree? Yeah, I guess... You guess? Im saying this girl is a thousand times better than trash like you. Not to mention that youre responsible for ruining her exam, since your feeding destroyed the balance and turned match into 4v5. The least you can do is help her pass- Enough already. Aron interrupted. What Trever did or didnt has nothing to do with Julias skill. Youre exerting the vote out of him. Tch, always quick to defend your boyfriend. Ellen clicked her tongue. Why dont you two just marry already? Enough, Elly. Howard said. Okay, okay. I got it, jeez. Ellen made a face. Its just, if you ask me, I dont think its fair to reject July when shes clearly better than one of our current members. Why do we even keep that tra- I mean, that guy in our club? He lost his spot on the first string and he cant even properly help with rookie exams. So, we can just kick him out and welcome both July and Jaidy into the club, dont you think? You really like running your mouth. Aron glared at her with a terrifying expression. A-Ahaha, I just- Youre implying we should kick out a senior? Just who do you think you are? Trever has been a member way longer than you and hes always willing to contribute, unlike somebody who refused to participate in the exams because shes lazy. B-But I helped in the end, didnt I? Yes, because there was no other choice and I begged you death. Maybe I should kick you out instead? Want to take a hit for your favorite rookie? Sorry, my bad. I got carried away. Ellen joined her hands in apology. She miscalculated, getting on Arons bad side was a huge mistake. She failed, or so she thought. Oh my? Trevers hand... it was raised. He voted for Julia. You dont have to do this. Aron said. Shes trying to make you feel guilty. Nah, its cool, bro. Trever waved his hand. I know I messed up in that match, but thats not the point. I just remembered how desperately that chick fought, even though... He took a deep breath. Even though I dragged the team down, she didnt give up. Chick had one heck of a fighting spirit, it was something else. Trever wanted to forget everything about that dreadful match, burying it at the deepest depths of his mind. However, Ellens words made him recall one important detail: while he was busy sulking about his shitty performance, the girl sitting beside him poured her everything into the match. He remembered hearing lots of shit! and die!, but thats besides the point. The point was that, no matter how rough the match became, she never gave up, she kept fighting her best till the very end. Thats why I think she deserves it. Trever smiled wryly. That unyielding fighting spirit makes her a competitive player, at least thats what I think. Besides, shes a chick. Ive been saying for ages we need more girls in the club, haha. My, I see you can say good stuff sometimes. Ellen nodded in approval and turned to Howard. Thats five, right? Here you go, bully. Alright, its decided then. Howard put down the list. Along with Taison and Gregory, who passed the first rounds, the three who passed the final round are: Yuel, Lars and Julia. With that, the meeting came to an end. After lots of hard work: Yuel, Lars and Julia finally made it into the club. They took one step closer toward Classmancers competitive scene. Vol.2 Ch.9: Club Tour Yeah! We did it! Lars exclaimed. Good job, my dudes! Phew. Julia sighed in relief. I somehow made it in. Good. Yuel nodded, not really surprised by the results of the entry exam. He and Lars were pretty much guaranteed to pass, they left great impressions on the examiners. Julia was the only one in a rough spot, it was impossible to tell how the examiners perceived her skill. Thankfully, she made it into the club as well. All three friends were now part of the Classmancers club! It was a small, but important step. They got just a little closer to Classmancers pro scene! The new members were told to visit the clubroom after school for their first day of club activity. Unsurprisingly, they ran into Taison and Gregory on the way. Hah, you really all made it. Taison grinned and glared at Lars. Good, now we can settle whos really da best Carry, yo! And whos best Support. Gregory added. I heard the final round was some serious shit, you mustve fought real hard to ace it. But too bad, youre not getting your favorite roles on the team while were around. Welp, well see about that. Lars shrugged. We wont know until we compete for them. Yuel said in a matter-factly tone. Their reactions were lacking somehow, even indifferent. Until recently, they thought of Taison and Gregory as strong rivals. However, that changed during the entry exam. Now, there were bigger fish for them to deal with: Howard and Ellen, Aeigs and Athena. Until they can beat these two, competing against Taison and Gregory was of secondary importance. Welcome, gentlemen. And lady. Howard greeted the newcomers at the entrance like a butler. Youre going to be the future of our club, so were expecting great things from you. Kek, whats with this school principal speech? Lame. Gregory chuckled. Thats just my way to tell you that you have no chance of becoming a starter until your seniors graduate. Howard smiled, but his glare was sharp. You are the future generation. Remember that, rookies. Well see about that. Yuel retorted with a glare of his own. Heh. Anyway, come in. Howard led everybody into the room and introduced the club members. Yuel met most of them during the exam and some of them left quite the lasting impression, such as Aron, Trever and, of course, Howard. He also heard a lot about a girl named Ellen, Lars couldnt shut up about being outplayed by her during the exam. Her playstyle sounded unconventional, but it managed to beat a beast like Lars. Interesting, to say the least. Yuel wanted to look into her tactics in more detail. My, freshmen~ How cute~ A girl circled around the group, scanning everybody from head to toe. Based on process of elimination, that had to be Ellen. Shes supposedly the strategic and calculating type, but she... she wasnt quite what Yuel expected. Oh, July~ Long time no see~ Ellen wrapped herself around Julia. What do you mean long time? We played like twenty games literally two days ago. Julia tried wiggling her way out of the embrace, to no avail. Oh, youre here too, Larsy. Ellens expression changed somewhat. She still technically smiled, but something about the smile was disturbing. And here I thought youd quit Classmancers after losing so badly to me. Oh, wait, dont tell me you actually enjoy that kind of abuse and came for more? My, what a maso~ No freakin way! Lars proclaimed and pointed a finger at her. I came here to beat the heck outta you! Me and Yuel gonna take the Carry and Support roles from you regulars, just you wait! Oh, so this is the other golden rookie I heard about. Hmm, Ellen shifted her attention to Yuel, ignoring Larss provocations. She scanned Yuel from head to toe, wearing a thin smile that was impossible to read. What was she thinking so hard about? He didnt have the faintest idea. After staring at him for a while, she finally spoke again. Lets get along, Yuyu~ She stretched her hand. Yuyu? Yuel raised an eyebrow, reluctantly accepting her handshake. Yeah, thats gonna be your nickname. July, Larsy and Yuyu. She pointed at each of them in order, as if naming her pets. Huh, is that so. Yuel frowned. Yuyu? Seriously? It sounds like a nickname for a toddler. Shes looking down on us, isnt she? Hey, what about us? Gregory asked. Surely you heard about us too, were way better than these losers. Oh, sorry. What were your names again? Ellen cocked her head and blinked. Wha... tch. Gregory clicked his tongue, clearly upset his name wasnt as widespread as Yuels in the club. While he was busy sulking, Taison stepped in. Im Taison, and this scrub here is Greg. Your mom is a scrub. Khaha. My, arent you close? How lovely~ Ellen smiled. So, Taison and Gregory, right? Lets see... She put a finger on her lip and tilted her head from side to side. Tai? Nah, thats too generic. Taitai? Yes, perfect! I name you Taitai. Geh. I mean, thanks, I guess. Taison forced a smile. And, lets see... Ellen tilted her head as she turned to Gregory. Hmm. Gregy? Yeah, thatll do. Gregy? Are you for real? Gregory made a face. Can you stick with either Gregory or Greg? To be honest, your naming sense sucks. My, how rude. In that case, Ill call you G. Please dont. No, wait. GG, thats even better! From nowforth, youll be called GG~ Khaha, GG on the nick, GG. Taison laughed out loud while pointing at Gregory. That doesnt even make sense. Gregory sighed, no doubt regretting his rebellious acts. Ellen had the authority here, so making an enemy out of her was going to screw him over, he must had realized that now. The carefree and confident way she carried herself radiated the aura of a queen, especially against this pack of newcomers. No matter how disagreeable her actions were - nobody could oppose her. Just ignore her shenanigans. Howard returned. Dont worry, shes the only one who gonna call you these stupid names My, Wardy, how rude. Ellen pouted and pinched Howards cheek, but he didnt care. He just rubbed her hair and she peacefully retreated, it was pretty amazing. Everybody felt like they were wrapped around the queens finger, but Howard brushed her off like she was nothing. Were they all going to master that level of Anti-Ellen Resistance after spending enough time in the club? Yuel sure hoped so. Speaking of names, you gotta decide on your IGNs, your in-game names. Howard said. Club members are registered as official competitive players, with unique static IGNs and everything. Unlike most online games, Classmancers didnt force players to pick a permanent display name. Players could change their IGN at any time, so only their player ID was truly unique and was always shown beside their IGN. It was a nice degree of freedom for those who changed nicknames often, but it also felt like each player was represented by a number, not an actual name. They were all random numbers in a huge pool of nobodies. However, that wasnt the case for those recognized as competitive players. They were granted the privilege to register a unique static IGN, which no other competitive player would be allowed to use from there on. They transcended being a mere number, becoming distinguishable individuals. On top of that, their names were painted gold and no longer had an ID beside them, Yuel faced a few such players in Ranked. He was jealous, no lying. Naturally, all pro players had this privilege, so Yuel already knew about this feature. However, he didnt expect it to be given to middle schoolers as well. Just by joining this club - he was already recognized as a strong and distinguishable individual within Classmancers community. Though faintly, he felt like he got closer to grasping the dazzle of the pro scene. It was a huge step forward, it was great! You also get some rewards for your account, Howard continued. You get enough gems to buy at least one skin and receive some premium skins for competitive players. Youll also often get extra rewards during events and all that jazz. We tell everybody the number of club members is restricted because the club is super competitive, but I bet these freebies are the real reason they dont allow many members. ClassSoft is such a generous company, am I right? Haha. ClassSoft? More like CashSoft. Taison corrected. Well give you a couple of days to decide on your nicks. Howard explained. Its an important decision, especially for those planning to go pro in the future. You cant register an IGN more than once and its pretty much impossible to change it after its decided. Think of it as a homework assignment. If you cant decide on a name by Friday, well borrow Ellys eccentric naming sense and roll with it. God help us all. Julia retorted, drawing out a few chuckles. Next, lets go over the clubs schedule. Howard continued. Club activities were held after school almost everyday, from Tuesday until Friday. Youre free to come here on Monday as well , but its just such a depressing day, right? Haha. Club activity was three hours a day, a rather intense schedule compared to the average junior high club. Freshmen had to attend the club every day, but juniors and seniors were allowed to attend as few as thrice or twice a week respectively. You rookies got a lot to learn, so you gonna work your asses off. The first year is when youre molded into real competitive players. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Despite how intense the training was, the club didnt have a coach. Theres a teacher responsible for the club, but thats just a formality. His only job is to make sure there are no problems in the club. Me and Aron organize the schedule and all that. The club offered a variety of activities: playing practice matches among members, playing Ranked as a premade team, practicing specific lineups, theorycrafting, analyzing pro matches and so on. Aron is disgustingly organized, so he prints the whole schedule at the beginning of the week. Howard showed them the printed timetable hanging on the wall. It was indeed very organized, with each and every single hour accounted for. Yuel approved of how well thought out it looked, but something bugged him. I only see activities directly involving Classmancers. Yuel pointed out. What about physical exercise for maintaining optimal condition? Heh, youre sure hardcore. Howard chuckled. Were not some prestige team thats expected to win the nationals. I agree that exercising is good and all, but we not gonna force it on you. If you recall, the first round of the entry exam filtered out lazy bums who couldnt exercise for shit, so those of you who made it are expected to be in good shape. Its unfortunate. Aron added. The school doesnt give us enough club activity hours, so I cant fit exercising into the schedules. In other words, I expect you to exercise of your own volition in your free time. Haha, dont scare them too much. Its not like they must exercise, were not some hardcore school like Ivy. You gonna make them quit if they take your jokes seriously. That wasnt a joke, Im quiet serious. Aron squinted his eyes. Dont tell me you stopped exercising again. Haha, no way! Howard replied instantly, with a laugh that sounded hollow somehow. Anyway, dont be scared off by Arons high expectations. Not everybody have it in them to exercise regularly, so no need to push yourselves too hard. No problem, yo. Lars said. We all work out anyway, right, my dudes? Yes, sadly. (Yuel) Like, its a pain, but yeah. (Julia) Hell yeah! I sprint dat one kilometer every day, yo! (Taison) I actually planned to drop it, but guess I have no choice... (Gregory) Huh, so youre all doing it. How great, haha... Howard produced a dry laugh. Seems like these rookies have more willpower than you. Aron said. At this rate, you may lose your spot as a starter- Anyway! Lets move on. Howard continued the club tour by force. Aron sighed and dropped the topic, for now. And here, I present you the most impressive part of this club. Howard grinned and theatrically spread his arms. We got 15 computers in this clubroom! 15 of them! Hard to believe the school arranged all that for some video gaming club, right? Haha. These monitors look so last gen, though. Julia said. Ack. Yeah, and these units look ancient. Yuel added. They even still support floppy disks. Geh. Floppy disks? The heck is that even? Lars asked. Alright, alright! Howard raised his voice. Yeah, I get it! The comps are pretty old, Im aware, thank you. You know how generous schools are about these things , so thats the best we can get, alright? You should be thankful we got any computers at all, you spoiled brats. By the way, two computers are broken, teehee~ Ellen smiled like a fox. Agh... yeah, thats true. Howard sighed in defeat. No matter how hard he tried, nobody was going to get excited over a pile of relics. Broken? Yuel asked. They dont boot at all? Or, they just dont work well? They turn on. Howard answered. But, they work at a snails pace and sometimes crash when you run Classmancers. Even when you run it on the lowest settings? Yes, I tried that. Aron said. For some reason they cant handle it, even though they seem to have the same specs as the rest. You tried editing the configuration file? Configuration file? Aron raised an eyebrow. Yes, you can edit the file to set some settings below what the game offers in the settings menu. Interesting, I didnt know that. Aron was dumbfounded. Wont it break the game or anything? No, its safe as long as you know what youre doing. Yuel said. Honestly, even booting these PCs is such a pain. Ellen said with a long face. They just make so much noise. They sound like an airplane when we run the game, its maddening. Airplane? Sounds like a ventilation problem. Yuel deduced. The ventilators probably got dusty, so cleaning them should help. Youre saying you can fix them? Howard asked. Possibly. If I open them up and- Awesome! Howard exclaimed. Listen up, rookie! Your first mission is to make these PCs run Classmancers without hiccups! Get to it! Wait, I need a screwdriver first. Yuel sighed. How did things come to this? Ill bring one tomorrow. Alright, tomorrow it is! Fix that thing, kid! Howard was overly excited about this whole affair for some reason. My, Yuyu is such a geek~ Ellen giggled. Not sure how I feel about that word, considering were all in a video gaming club here. Yuel made a face. But yes, I know a thing or two about computers. I have a potato PC at home, so I cant run most things these days. Had to tinker around with the settings to make Classmancers run. Yeah, dude is legit genius. Lars grinned. He even installed all these extra custom modes, like that sick training mode where you can edit tons of stuff on the map! Classmancer Trainer, I take it? Aron asked. Yes, thats the one. Yuel nodded. The default Practice mode is very limited, so weve been using Trainer. Agreed. Its a useful plugin, were also using it here. Aron said. Though, we only have version 2.3, because anything beyond that isnt supported on these operating systems. 2.3? Thats ancient. Yuel said. I believe theres an unofficial release for version 4.5 that can run on older OS. You should try downloading that. Unofficial release? I didn''t know they had such a thing. Aron was dumbfounded. Alright everybody, its settled! Howard announced. If you run into any technical issues, turn to Yuel for help. How did it come to this? Yuel made a face. Sure, Ill accept the job. I expect to be paid at least 10$ an hour, though. Haha, snarky brat. Howard laughed. After a bunch of random tasks were forced on Yuel out of nowhere, the tour came to an end. There werent any specific activities scheduled for today, since the whole day was reserved to welcoming the new members. Therefore, anybody could do whatever they wanted now. Cool. Lars smiled like an excited kid. Then, I wanna challenge everybody to a 1v1! Starting with you! He pointed at Ellen. My, how rude. Your parents didnt teach you to not point at people? Ellen shook her head. Ill pass. Im not a fan of 1v1, find some other brute to bash heads with. Me and July rather play together, right, sweetie? Eh? W-Wha-!? Julia was dragged away. Heh, Imma take you on any time, bro. Taison challenged Lars. Nah, dude. Lars shook his head. I wanna fight someone from the club. Weve dueled like a hundred times by now, I want some fresh challenge. Heh, running away? What a wuss. I still gotta rek you like 20 times to beat your damn score, so cmon! What score? Were at 43-25, remember? Wut? You legit counted our duels? Lars blinked with a blank face. Damn straight I did! I aint gonna lose to some scrub like ya. You wish, dude. Lars said. But not today, I wanna play someone new. Hey! Dudes! Anybody here wants 1v1? Im no noob, I promise. I got Platinum III in duels and all. Heh, you sure sound confident, kid. Trever appeared behind them. Ill take you on. Youre late. Aron frowned. I told you were welcoming new members today. My bad, my bad. Trever smiled apologetically. I was kept busy. Im such a popular guy, haha. And, by popular, you mean you hit on girls who like you as much as they like cockroaches. Ouch, rude. Trever turned to Lars. So, what were you saying, kid? Platinum in duels? Thats cute, Im Diamond though. Dont worry, Ill go easy on ya, heh. Diamond? Sick! Larss eyes lit up. Lets do it, yo! I dont believe youve been introduced. Aron interrupted. This is Trever, he played Pirate during your entry exam. And this is Lars, he played Trickshooter back then. Im sure you remember? Uh, huh. Trevers smiled faded. Oh, youre that Pirate dude from back then!? Lars asked. Yeah, I am... Trever averted his eyes, looking troubled. Dude, you were so strong back there! You almost got first blood and all! Eh? Me? Strong? In that game? Trever blinked with a dumb impression. Yeah, that Cannon Kraken combo really got me. I heard you were sick that day or something? Real shame, I wanted to play you for real. Yeah, you could say I was under the weather that day, haha... Trevers smile twitched a little. Anyway, lets do it then! Ill show you how competitive players really play! Come at me, yo! Hey, I also wanna be a part of this, yo! Taison said. Imma rek both of you at once! Heh, kids dont know how to respect their elders these days. Trever shook his head. Okay, we got a special map that supports 1v1v1. Lets do dis boys! Youre on! Imma mop the floor with yo ugly faces! The wild bunch departed to play together. Im feeling sick. Yuel sighed. The overdose of hyperactivity he just witnessed was radioactive for sure, hed develop cancer if he was going to be exposed to that on a daily basis. Anyway, everybody were free to do whatever they wanted and Yuel knew exactly what he wanted. It was something he had been wishing for ever since the entry exam: to fight Howard again. Last time, Yuel was thoroughly shut down by Howards counterplays. Howard was truly worthy of the name Aegis, the impenetrable shield of gods. However, that was just the result of their first match. Yuel never faced such an opponent before, so he was at a grave disadvantage. He did a lot of thinking since then and rewatched the match countless times The meat of the match was the part where Howard got serious, thats when the match transformed into a sophisticated chess match. Yuel exploited holes in the enemys formation, while Howard countered by covering up said holes. Sadly, requesting a revenge match against Howard wasnt quite simple. Unlike the mechanical beasts, Lars and Trever, Yuel and Howard couldnt settle things with a simple 1v1. Their strengths laid in their ability to craft team strategies, make smart shot-calls and counterplay the enemy team. Therefore, they had to fight in a team to exhibit the full extents of their talents. On top of that, said teams had to be balanced enough to not tilt the odds in anybodys favor. Not only that, but Yuel also had to be familiar with his teammates to craft the appropriate tactics. None of that was possible to arrange right away, so a proper revenge match against Howard was impossible. But, Yuel had the perfect alternative in mind. I challenge you to a game of chess. Yuel eyed Howard intently. If there was a playground where both teams were perfectly balanced, excluding the unproven possibility of first move advantage, it was chess. Therefore, playing chess would allow them to face each other as team strategists and determine who was superior. There werent many chess players at Yuels age who gave him a real challenge, so he was excited to see what sort of chess Howard would- Chess? Howard raised an eyebrow. Where that came from? I dont even know the rules. Eh? Yuel blinked. All this time, he imagined the Classmancers match against Howard as an sophisticated chess game, but that picture crumbled to pieces now. I-I can teach you how to play then- Not interested, its a game for nerds. Howard shook his head. Why chess anyway? Were a Classmancers club, you know. I suppose thats right. Yuel averted his eyes, feeling stupid. He was so convinced an amazing strategist like Howard would be into chess, but he was completely wrong. Then, how about we play 5v5 with four elite bots? Thats just dumb, we not gonna practice much of anything that way. Youre sure pushing hard for a match. Howard smirked. Oh, I get it. Youre still salty about losing to me in the entry exam, right? Haha. You just had the advantage back then. Yuel insisted. Im sure I can defeat you if we have a rematch. Heh, dont get ahead of yourself, kiddo. Howard sneered. You still got a long way before you should even think of challenging me. Anyway, Im pooped after this whole tour, so Im off to take a break, play with somebody else. He turned around and left. Just you wait, Ill surpass you for sure. Yuel glared at Howards departing back. He came this far after overcoming many obstacles, now all that stood between him and the competitive scene was Howard. Once he were to prove himself as the superior Support, hed get his spot on the main team for sure. Youre sure obsessed with that guy. Gregory said while touching his glasses. You better not forget who you really gotta beat to secure the Support role, kek. Oh, youre here too. Yuel rolled his eyes. You havent seen Howard play, right? Hes on a whole different level. Heh, implying Im a scrub? Running that stupid one kilometer isnt the only thing I practiced over the summer, ya know. Oh, how exciting. Yuel replied with an indifferent tone. Gregory was a decent Support, until recently he even was Yuels rival, or at least something along these lines. However, after playing against Howard, Yuel lost all interest in competing with Gregory. Well, at least it might be worthwhile to see how much Gregory improved over the summer. Fine, Ill take you on. We need to arrange a team, though. I can help with that. Aron said. A 3v3 is good enough? Sure. Bring it on, kek. With that, the club tour came to an end. Yuel made a huge step toward the competitive scene by getting into the club, but he wasnt quite there yet. His next challenges were to decide on his competitive nickname and to take the main teams Support role from Howards hands. Vol.2 Ch.10: Competitive Nicknames Soon after Yuel joined the Classmancers club, people pushed all sorts of menial tasks on him. Or, rather, he always somehow found himself volunteering after learning the circumstances. Watching others do things inefficiently or struggle with something thats so easy to resolve - its aggravating, he couldnt stay put. Thus, he methodically and thoroughly resolved every request to the best of his ability. He opened up the dysfunctional computers in the club and cleaned their fans, resolving the overheating issue. In addition, he edited the Classmancers config file on all computers, lowering the quality of graphics in favor of better performance, something these potato PCs really needed. On top of that, he installed a newer unofficial version of Classmancer Trainer, which worked on the older OS of these computers. It came as no surprise everybody started treating him as the technician. Whenever they faced a technical problem or question, no matter how small, they always turned to him first. Even when it had absolutely nothing to do Classmancers, they still turned to him. Ugh. Say, Yuyu. Ellen creeped up behind him. How can you record videos on PC? Videos? What kind of videos? You know, game footage and stuff. Not sure, there are probably some programs for that. You should google it. My, you really dont know? Ellen whimpered like an abused puppy. Or, you just dont want to help lil ol me? Ugh, alright Ill look into it. My, arent you a doll~ And arent you a snake. Yuel sighed, but accepted the job anyway. With each passing day, the amount of random tasks thrown his way seemed to increase. It came to the point he helped others install, update and fix random smartphone apps. None of that had anything to do with him or Classmancers! It was a huge pain, but feeling useful wasnt all too bad. When he wasnt providing technical support, he played practice matches with the other members, grinded rank points online in a party, theorycrafted, discussed the meta and basically participated in whatever the club felt like doing at the moment. The daily schedule Aron printed was very specific, but the atmosphere in the club was more laid back than expected. It wasnt uncommon for a large portion of the club to just do whatever they wanted and drag the rest into that activity, regardless of what was written in Arons schedule. Naturally, Aron frowned upon that, but then just sighed and played along. The training regime was a bit lacking too. They only played and discussed Classmancers for about three hours a day, they didnt even exercise to stay in shape. Compared to how intense was the entry exam, the clubs regime was very casual. Nevertheless, it contributed immensely to the members growth as players. Everybody on the team were skilled players, so playing with them and against them was an efficient way to improve. Theres no comparing that to playing Ranked with only Lars and Julia, which is how Yuel trained throughout the summer. Even with this casual regime, just by being around these high level players - he was going to improve immensely. Still, not being given any specific challenges to overcome was a bit disappointing for a rookie. The greatest challenge freshmen faced early on was deciding on their competitive IGNs. They were going to carry these names all the way to the pro scene, so its an important and difficult decision. At least, for some... Imma go with Gunz. Lars said. Lets see if its available. Howard typed Gunz into the textbox. Seems good. You sure you dont want more time to think? Yep, 200% sure. Lars gave a thumb up. So, why did he pick Gunz? Simple, he just loved playing first person shooters, theres no deeper meaning to it. He literally went with the first thing that crossed his mind, as expected of the goof. Alright. Its simple, but effective. Actually, I should give you all a little advice. Howard addressed the rest of the newbies. Its best to keep your nick at one or two simple words. Just think about the poor commentators wholl have to pronounce your names in the middle of a team fight. You dont want them go And now, watch Mr.CoolShadowKnightTopPlayer go for the kill!. Sounds silly, right? It should be obvious, but pick a name you wont be embarrassed to be called by. That was valuable advice, Yuel didnt even take commentators into account during his brainstorming. Some of his ideas contained uncommon words that sounded intelligent, such as PerfunctoryAid, ScintillatingTactic and QuintessentialVictory. The image of a commentator going And now, QuintessentialVictory goes for the kill! was hilariously sad. Reaffirming Howards advice, the nicknames of senior members were indeed simple and concise. Howard was Aegis, Ellen was Athena, Aron was Frown and Trever was WildDragon. In that sense, Gunz was a decent name as well, even though zero thought was put into it. Okay, I decided on mine too! Taison announced. Its DaBestBro! ... did you even hear anything I just said about one to two words? Howard frowned. Who cares about that crap, yo. This is da best nick, bro! They can just call me DaBest for short, khaha! Alright, it seems available. You sure about it? Totally. Here, done. Just dont come crying to me later when commentators gonna make it sound silly. Howard shrugged. Youll receive a notification inside the game in a few hours, so make sure to open it and confirm,. Roger. Got it. Now, that leaves the three of you. Howard turned to Yuel, Julia and Gregory. You still have until tomorrow to think about it, but make up your minds already. If you dont, we gonna pick something silly for you. I heard thats how Aron got stuck with Frown. You dont want that, do you? Especially since we got Ellen, the number one Terrible Name Generator in the world. U-Understood. Yuel answered with a shaky voice, the Ellen threat was surprisingly terrifying. After Gregory was reduced to GG, theres no telling what else that girl could pull out of her deviant mind. Gulp. Theoretically, they were given more than enough time to decide on something like a nickname for a video game. However, in truth, they didnt have any time at all! A week was too short! Especially, for Yuel this was a huge decision. He wasnt just deciding on some arbitrary name he could change later, the IGN was going to stick with him all the way to the pro scene. Therefore, this decision was as critical as naming a newborn. His parents said they spent months brainstorming ideas for his name, yet now he had to decide something of the same importance in less than a week! Ugh! My, why not just go with Yuyu? A cute and simple name~ Ellen giggled. No thank you. Yuel retorted. And what about you, July? Ellen asked. If you need help, you can always consult your sis~ Sorry, but Im a single child. Julia said. My, how cold~ Ellen wrapped herself around Julia and snuggled her. Lets see, what name will suit a cute girl like you? Oh, I know! How about MaidenInLove? W-Wah!? Julia jumped out of Ellens embrace and scanned the room. Phew, Lars already went to play. W-Who would go with such a dumb name!? Idiot! This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. My, how adorable~ Ellen smiled fuzzily, as if watching a barking puppy. Then, how about Aphrodite, the goddess of love? Or, maybe Venus? Venus doesnt sound too bad, actually. Julia pondered. Okay, its decided then: VenusInLove! Go die in a hole! Julia roared. But well, I guess Venus is kinda dope. I was waiting for Lars to pick something first, but Gunz is... like... Oh, you wanted to match his name? How cute. M-Mind your own business, hmph. Julia crossed her arms and turned away. Then Venus it is. Howard submitted the name application. It always amazes me how these simple names arent in-use already. Kinda makes you feel like the competitive scene hasnt spread around enough yet. Sad. With Julias name decided, only Yuel and Gregory were left. Perhaps they were overthinking this, but they just really wanted to come up with the right names. By the end of the day, Gregory finally decided on something. Ill go with DaBestSupport, kek. You too with this nonsense? Howard sighed. You better consider this carefully, who knows if you keep playing Support your whole career. Im sure I will. Ill prove that by beating you scrubs first, kek. Gregory touched his glasses as he challenged both Yuel and Howard. Well, whatever. As long as youre happy with it. Four down, youre the only one left. I... still need more time. Yuel mumbled. He already got a few solid idea in mind, such as Rook and Bishop, but Gregorys nickname threw him off. DaBestBro and DaBestSupport, huh. Yuel had complicated feelings about that. Its like the two of them were announcing to the entire world: Were going to be the best duo in the world!. Wasnt that what Yuel and Lars promised to become? And yet, Lars went ahead and picked a stupid nickname like Gunz without waiting for Yuel. How was he even supposed to find something that matched Gunz? Should he call himself Sword? Shotgun? Sniper Rifle? Impulse Grenade? Ugh, so stupid! He now understood why Julia was so irritated about that name. To make things worse, Lars already confirmed the name in his account, so theres no going back. Seriously, that brainless goof... On the way home, Yuel developed an unstoppable urge to lash at Lars about the topic. Did you hear what name Gregory picked? Yuel asked. Yeah, DaBestSupport or something. Lars replied. So, now Taison is DaBestBro and Gregory is DaBestSupport. Haha, these dudes really think theyre all that. Welp, we gonna show them whos ready da best around here, yo. Thats not my point. Yuel sighed. Being roundabout never worked with Lars, he was too dense to read between the lines. They picked names that synergize with each other. Its like theyre declaring theyll become the best duo in the world. Yeah, these dudes sure dream big, haha. Says the guy who made me pursue the exact same dream!!! Yuel was at his wits end. He had come out and say it straight, didnt he!? Goddammit, that dense goof! We couldve done something like that too, come up with names that work with each other. Heh, yeah thatd be cool. Lars nodded. Yes, it sure wouldve been. But, a certain goof came up with a stupid name nobody can follow up on. Hey, how was I supposed to guess? You didnt tell me you wanted to do that kind of stuff, dude. I just wanted to get it over with. Well, thats true. Yuel mumbled. He was mad at Lars the whole time, but its also his fault for thinking of this idea only now. Besides, Gregs name feels like hes just copying Tai. Lars shrugged. You dont wanna use a name like Gunz just because it sounds cool to me, right? I also dont wanna be named after some chess piece or some stupid complicated word like ama-gama-something-something. Its amalgamation and its a cool word. Yeah, whatever. Lars waved his hand. Anyway, Gregs name sounds like hes just stalking Tai and hoping Tai gonna carry him into becoming da best duo. Is that what you want, dude? To be in the strongest duo just because Im a sick player? Of course not. Right? Before we become da best duo, I first gotta become da best Carry and you gotta become da best Support. Youre right. Yuel realized he was too hasty. Lars was right, they first had to hone their individual skills before they could dream of becoming a powerful duo. Their experiences in the entry exam made that clear. Right now, Yuels tactics couldnt beat Howard and Larss power couldnt win against Ellen. Therefore, even when banded together, they couldnt beat the duo of Howard and Ellen. First, each of them had to get as close as possible to beating their respective rival. Yeah! Lars exclaimed. Then, together, we gonna be da super ultimate bestest duo, yo! Heh, didnt you just say Gregory is dreaming big? Your dream is even crazier. Haha, I said hes dreaming big, but I never said thats bad! We just gotta dream even bigger to beat them, yo! Lars grinned and stretched a fist. Lets do it, dude! If they gonna be da best, then we gonna be da best of da best, yo! Im already sick of this da best nonsense. Yuel sighed and bumped fists with Lars. Things were fine this way, theres no need to force himself into pickiing a matching name with Larss. Yuel would first focus on bettering himself as an individual player, then hell band with Lars to form the ultimate duo. I decided on a name. Yuel announced the next day. Ill go with Rook. Short and classy, alright. Howard nodded and inputted the name. Error: The name is already in use. Eh? Yuel blinked. Then, Bishop, maybe? Worth a shot. Error: You cant use the name of a class from the game. Excuse me? Yuel couldnt process the nonsense happening right now. Bishop was indeed a class in the game, but that wasnt what Yuel tried to reference. Besides, whats with this discrimination? They allow you to use Aegis, even though its also Paladins ult, but not Bishop? Seriously? Go figure how these things work. Howard shrugged. You should spice up the names a little. Say, how about DaBestRook? Id rather die. Haha, figured. Howard laughed. What else do you have? Err, Ill have to think about it all over again... Hey now, I warned: you only got until today. Seems like I need come up with something myself. W-Wait, I- What, you rather leave it to Ellen? Hey, Ell- Please no! Anything but that! Yuel begged. Any name was going to be better than whatever Ellen would pick! Alright, then how about Chessboy? Sounds professional. Youre messing with me, arent you? Oh, you figured? Howard chuckled. Actually, I have a decent one. How about Chessmaster? That sounds a bit... pretentious, I think Yuel mumbled, unable to fully dismiss the suggestion. It indeed sounded cool, he had to admit. Not to mention, he already considered Chessmaster during brainstorming, Howard probably knew that. However, despite all that, Yuel felt reluctant picking Chessmaster. It sounded so pretentious, as if claiming hes smarter than everybody else. Pretentious? Suits you perfectly then. Howard sneered. You always act like some know-it-all, pulling ideas out of your ass while pretending they make perfect sense. Well, thats... Yuel frowned. Pretentious? Was he? Really? He crafted his tactics based on data and the situation at hand, thats just the natural thing to do. But, for some reason, the tactics that came naturally to him were sometimes difficult for others to grasp. Even so, it was never his intention to pretend he was smarter than his peers. He merely suggested the tactics he deemed best, regardless of others opinions. Though, admittedly, he found some joy in making his plan work when nobody else believed in it. Ugh, was he a little pretentious after all? Look, the names available too. Howard said. We gonna go with Chessmaster then, like it or not. Unless you prefer Chessboy, haha. No chance. Yuel made a face. I dont particularly hate Chessmaster, but it sounds so... bombastic. Heh, me and Elly went with mythological names and they sound fine, right? Im the shield of gods and shes the goddess of war. Actually, putting it like that is kinda embarrassing, isnt it? Haha. It sure is. Yuel nodded, but he didnt feel like laughing at these names. Back during the entry exam, Howard was indeed the shield of gods. No matter how many times Yuel tried piercing through Howards defenses - it never worked out. The name Aegis might had sounded a bit cheesy, but Howards skill lived up to the grand expectations set by that name. The same applied to Ellen. According to Lars, she always came on top whenever they fought. No matter how close he got to killing her or how many fights he won against her - she ultimately won the war. Truly, the goddess of war in the flesh. In the few practice matches Yuel played with her over the week, he was deeply impressed by the craftiness of her tactics. Then, what about Yuel himself? Wasnt he also capable of feats that could live up to a bombastic nickname? He had the ability to analyze his opponents, discover their weaknesses and prepare the worst possible situations for them. Thats the skill which discouraged others from playing with him in grade school, but its also the skill which allowed him to pass the clubs entry exam. Do really think Chessmaster suits me? Yuel asked with a serious expression, leaving no place for jokes. Nah, its obviously too good for you. Chessboy suits you way better. Howard joked anyway. Ugh... At least, for now. Howard smirked. Last time we played seriously, I shut you down for good. But Ill be honest, it wasnt exactly a walk in the park. There were a few times, like really few, when I actually felt pressured by your pesky offense. If you improve even more, then who knows? Maybe one day Ill consider you worthy of a name like Chessmaster. Then Ill go with that. Yuel said. Consider it my declaration: Ill become much better and find a way to break through your shield of gods. Heh, Im amazed you can spout such nonsense with a straight face. Howard sneered, then his eyes turned cold. Dont get carried away, kiddo. If you think youre the only one who gonna improve, you have another thing coming. Its not like I gonna sit on my ass do nothing. If you think you can catch up with me, think again. Even so, Ill definitely do it. Yuel insisted. Heh. Anyway, here you go. Howard finished submitting the nickname. I hope youll live up to your name, Chessmaster. And so, the first week of club activity came to an end, with all freshmen obtaining competitive names. The next step was debuting in the competitive scene and spreading these names far and wide across the Classmancers community! Yuel - Chessmaster Lars - Gunz Julia - Venus Taison - DaBestBro Gregory - DaBestSupport Vol.2 Ch.11: Parrying Weeks went by since the freshmen joined the Classmancers club. Everybody had a lot to learn in this competitive environment. Lars spent most of his time playing with and against Trever. As the more experienced mechanical beast, Trever taught Lars many techniques by simply showing them off. Gotcha! Lars activated the Pirates ult: Release the Kraken. His target was deep inside the Krakens range, theres no chance of dodging- No chance in hell! Trever rolled aside and activated Seraphs Angelic Grace, leaping into the air right as the Kraken erupted from the ground. Angelic Grace allowed the Seraph jump a short distance forward and take off toward the sky, then levitate for a while. It was useful for dodging non-vertical attacks and gaining the high ground, but the leap wasnt high enough to escape the Krakens vertical reach. However, combined with the the momentum of Trevers previous roll, Angelic Grace made him quickly leap along the rolls direction. Still, despite the speed, a fully horizontal leap wouldnt had gotten him out of the Krakens range., Fortunately, Angelic Grace also made Trever fly toward the sky, slipping away from the sea monsters reach before it finished popping from the ground. Wha!? You can do that!? Larss jaw dropped. This is sick, yo! Haha, I know, right? Trever puffed his chest. And now youre a goner, kid! No way! I gonna- gah! An ally has been killed! Yuel sighed. Thats what you get for overextending and betting everything on your ult, without even knowing everything about your matchup. Just you wait, dude! Imma get him next time for sure! Lars speared the respawn counter with his glare, as if thatd make it tick faster. Lars experienced many such defeats in the past few weeks, they were good lessons for him. Explanations never quite worked with this goof, so destroying him in battle with unfamiliar sick techniques was the best way to burn them into his mind. Its a rather sadistic version of monkey see, monkey do, but its the perfect training regime for Lars. As a mechanical flop, Yuel could never provide Lars with such lessons on his own. Therefore, he was glad this competitive club finally created the perfect environment for Lars. As Lars and Trever faced each other more and more, it became apparent Lars was more mechanically skilled. Nonetheless, Trever came on top most of the time thanks to his superior understanding of class matchups and honed decision-making. Also, for the better or the worse, he was a very emotional player. Sometimes he was hit by a slump and performed poorly for the rest of the day, but other times he was on a roll and became unstoppable. In fact, hes possibly the strongest player in the club during these times. In general, Lars usually held the upper hand against Trever when he played Trickshooter. However, with any other Carry class, his win ratio below 40%. He still had a lot to improve on. Which was good, since it meant he could grow much stronger still. Hey, dont forget about me, bro! Taison shouted as he charged at the weakened Trever. Oh, right. He also spent most of his time fighting Trever, apparently the custom 1v1v1 mode with Lars vs. Taison vs. Trever was their favorite pastime. He probably greatly improved as well, but who cared about that guy anyway. As for Yuels training regime, there wasnt any specific player from whom he could learn how to become a better Support. His best bet was Howard, the one regarded as the best Support in the club. However, it was quite the disappointment. Checkmate. Yuel declared as he placed his Queen. The heck is this? Howard facepalmed. You literally just won in 4 turns. This is called Scholar''s Mate. Its one of the fastest checkmates possible in the game, you should keep it in mind. Nah, Im done with this crap. Howard left his chair. This game is trash. Look, you won the regionals at like age 5 or something, right? No, I won the regionals at 5th grade. Anyway, you know the game way better and maybe youre even some chess prodigy. No way youre having fun playing like this, unless youre doing it just to spite me. Youre right, this doesnt provide the challenge was I was searching for. Yuel sighed. He nagged Howard about chess to no end, until Howard agreed to at least try the game. However, even after learning the basics, Howard found little interest in the game and was nowhere near Yuels level. In the end, it wasnt the type of face-off Yuel wished for. He faced Howard from time to time during the clubs practice matches, but it wasnt the same. The tension and dread he felt during the entry exam werent presented during practice. He used offensive tactics as usual and Howard blocked them as usual, but they couldnt go all out. In the end, practice matches were exactly that: matches for practicing something. They were usually about testing team compositions, trying out counters, gauging the performance of members using specific classes and so on. Therefore, practice matches werent the right stage for an all out war between Yuel and Howard. In fact, Yuel went all out during the first practice match and was scolded. The only times he had absolute freedom to play his best was when he queued into Ranked with other club members. However, there he faced unknown online opponents, not the rival he wished to surpass. What he truly wanted was to get the Support spot as soon as possible and debut in the competitive scene. The goal was right in front of him, but he couldnt quite grasp it yet. So, while waiting for an opportunity to present itself, he absorbed as much knowledge and experience as possible from practicing with seniors He already had robust theoretical knowledge about most aspects of Classmancers, but veteran members possessed knowledge which went beyond that. It was the type of knowledge gained via experience, something akin to street-smarts. Their Ranger is going for the Ogre Camp. Yuel said. Roger, Imma ambush her. Trever nodded and dashed into the jungle. Aaaand shes not there. Seriously? Yuel frowned. He definitely saw the Ranger go for the Ogre Camp every time she left Mid, this pattern already repeated itself three times this game. Yet, she wasnt there the fourth time. In fact, she soon popped up on the opposite side of the map. Heh, I think you were played, kid. You know how Elly is. So it seems. Yuel sighed. Besides Howards ability to block Yuels offenses, there was also Ellen who messed around with her opponents minds. She mixed fake patterns into to her playstyle, throwing off Yuels analysis. And, if that wasnt bad enough, the more they played together - the better she became at fooling him. As a result, he became more and more cautious of drawing any conclusions about her playstyle, to the point he could barely touch her with his tactics at all. She was simply too much of a wildcard. On top of that, Ellen used weird item builds on every class. Despite playing Jungler and Carry roles, she always equipped herself with lifesteal or regeneration, sometimes both, early into the match. Buying power items first was objectively the most efficient, or so Yuel thought until now. Ellens builds looked baffling at first, but they werent a mish-mash of random items. Their core strategy centered around fast regeneration, which enabled Ellens infamous poke-and-run playstyle. Despite being off-meta, her builds always had just enough meta components to stay viable. According to Ellen, she took her build ideas from some less known pro player, who happened to be a friend of Howards older sister. Yuel couldnt for the life of him approve of the numeric inefficiency of her builds, but he still took mental notes and closely analyzed them. Regardless of what he thought about these builds, Ellen showcased great results while using them. In fact, she even held the teams Carry spot while playing in such an alien way. Theres little chance Yuel would ever use these builds or recommend them to anybody, but at the very least he wanted to learn how to counter them. Naturally, Yuel also closely analyzed Howards builds and playstyle, to learn how to beat him and learn how to improve as a Support. Unfortunately, their playstyles were polar opposites, so theres a limit to what Yuel could learn from Howard. There werent any other impressive Support players in the club, so Yuel didnt have any good examples to follow. So, to not waste this precious time in the club, he also honed his knowledge and skill as a Top Laner and a Jungler, the next two roles he was decent with. Club members were advised to learn how to decently play at least two different roles, so there was no harm in Yuel trying other things. For Top Laner training, Yuel primarily examined Roi, a mechanically skilled junior. At first glance, it didnt seem thered be much he could learn from Roi, due to the different approaches they had to playing Top. Roi relied almost exclusively on his mechanical skill, paying little heed to the many other factors involved in playing Top. In fact, Yuel was pretty sure hes superior when it came to counter building the lane opponent and efficiently farming nearby jungle camps, both of which were crucial for the Top Laners success. Roi made up for that by being a strong aggressive player, which was a world apart from how Yuel believed Top should be played and was a style he couldnt imitate as the mechanical scrub he was. Nevertheless, there was one particular skill Roi possessed which Yuel was interested in mastering as well. Heh, think you gonna hit me? Roi grinned as he faced Taison head on, despite running low on HP. Taisons Ranger was going to seal the deal with just a couple basic attacks. That is, if he could hit Roi. Cmon, shoot me all you want. Ill hit ez homeruns off you! Youre going down, yo! Taison roared and fired basic attacks at the approaching Roi. Taison only had to land three hits, or just two if one of them was critical. From such a close range, theres no way hed miss. Alas, not missing was exactly what Roi wanted. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Just as the arrow approached Roi, he swung his blade and struck the arrow. It fell onto the ground, without inflicting him any damage. He repeated it over and over for the next arrows as well, while moving closer and closer to Taison. Damn! Every damn time! Taison ranted as Rois Warrior almost reached him. The fight would be over once it turns into melee, so Taison had to do something! Anything! He activated Wolf Companion, sending the wolf to attack- Too slow! Roi rolled forward during Taisons casting animation, getting right next to Taison. Roi immediately followed up with Fearless Charge, ramming into Taison and pushing him deeper into the lane, preventing any chance of escape. Damn! You think you got me!? Imma kick yo ass! (Taison) Lol, think you can still have a chance? (Roi) Taison relentlessly fired arrows, but it was futile. Roi maneuvered around Taison, dodging arrows while slashing Taison with his blade. In short range fights, long ranged weapons had the disadvantage of being fired in a thin straight line, They were easy to dodge from up close, even a tiny sidestep would suffice. The same didnt apply against the Warriors wide blade, whose swings covered a lot of horizontal and vertical space. The battle was settled, with Roi coming on top. It was a splendid display of how to fight melee vs. ranged, showcasing a level of mechanical skill Yuel could only dream of achieving. Still, theres one niche technique Roi used which piqued Yuels interest: parrying enemy shots. Parrying was a relatively less known mechanic, which allowed some melee classes deflect ranged attacks on the go. While the Warrior was in the middle of his basic attack animation, his sword could deflect an incoming arrow by connecting with it at the right time. On top of that, a successful parry cancelled the Warriors attack and allowed him to attack again right away. This way, Warriors basic attacks had a chance to keep up with the fast basic attacks of Carry classes. In theory, its possible to parry all incoming shots and approach the Carry unscratched. Even among pros, this technique wasnt seen much due to the acute timing it demanded. The Warrior''s sword had to slice the thin and fast arrow just right during the swing animation. On high levels of play, where all opponents were mechanically skilled, pulling off such a stunt was nigh impossible. Against a mechanical flop like Yuel, Roi could parry most shots without trouble. However, against Taison, his success rate went down to 70%, and thats after getting used to Taisons shooting patterns. Furthermore, against a beast like Lars, Roi outright prioritized dodging, since parrying was almost impossible. If all that wasnt harsh enough, the ability to parry was very matchup dependent. Not all melee classes could parry well and not all long ranged shots could be effectively parried. For example, Warrior wielded a big sword and swung it wide, so parrying was very much possible. On the other hand, Monk attacked with his bare fists, so his basic attacks had a short and narrow reach, making parrying impractical. There were also variations among the long ranged basic attacks. For example, Rangers arrows were relatively long, so there were more opportunities to hit them in the middle of their flight. On the other hand, Pirates bullets were tiny projectiles, requiring perfect timing to be parried. Roi showed off he could parry those as well, but his success rate was too low to be practical in real matches. All in all, parrying was an advanced and circumstantial technique, which a mechanical scrub like Yuel had no chance of mastering. He couldnt even dream of parrying multiple shots in a row to aggressively approach the enemy like Roi did. Nevertheless, if he were to surprise his opponent with just one or two successful parries in a match, that could make the whole difference between winning or losing a team fight. Parrying was most common in the Top role, since it had classes with big or nimble swords, like Warrior, Knight and and Dark Knight. However, the technique itself wasnt restricted by lane. Paladin was another sword-wielding class with the ability to parry, albeit his one-handed sword was smaller than Warriors and his swings were stiffer than Knights. Yuel was fine with starting from Top classes, but his ultimate wish was to incorporate parrying into his Support plays. Youre really good at parrying. Yuel struck a conversation. Lol, you just noticed? Roi laughed. Could you please tell me how you practiced it? Hmm, I dunno. Roi crossed his arms. I already knew about parrying when I started playing, so Ive been using it from day 1. What, just like that? Yeah, lol. Well, I played baseball before and was the fourth batter and everything, so maybe thats why. Fourth batter? Lol, do you even know baseball, bro? Roi shook his head. The fourth batter is the cleanup hitter, the best batter on the team! Is that so. Yuel tilted his head. So, Roi could parry shots in Classmancers thanks to his batting skills in baseball? It sounded bogus, but theres no denying there was some similarity between the two. Yuel never played baseball so he didnt know the specifics, but the idea of swinging at an incoming shot was indeed similar. Could you give me a few tips about parrying? Yuel asked. Im not expecting to parry as beautifully as you, but I want to be able to parry as well. Beautifully? You sure know how to suck up to your seniors, lol. Roi grinned. Okay, I can give you a few tips. Though, I guess theyll be more like batting tips than parrying tips, lol. Just some general stuff to keep in mind. Thank you very much. No need to be so formal, lol. Roi entered Practice mode. Imma play Elf. He has the longest arrows in the game, so should be easy to hit. I recommend starting with Warrior for the batting, he has a pretty big fucking sword. Will do. Yuel nodded and logged into the practice match. Okay, first lets see what you got. Imma fire a few shots and you try parrying. I havent bought any attack speed yet, so this should be ezpz. Alright, Im ready. Yuel positioned his Warrior in front of Rois Elf. Okay, here he comes. Roi grinned. Bases loaded, no outs! What? Lol, dont mind me. Sure... Yuel shook his head and focused all his attention on the Elf. And he throws! Roi fired an arrow. Ugh! Yuel swung his sword... and completely missed. The arrow dug straight into his chest. Lol, why did you swing at that? Eh? Didnt you want to test how well I can parry? Yeah, but did ya ever try parrying Elf before? Do you even know the timing? No, I dont... Lol, so how did you expect to make contact? Think youre a prophet or something? Well, I thought Ill just do what I can... Yuels cheeks burned. Ugh, so embarrassing! Seriously, why did he just swing at that without thinking? That was so dumb. Okay, so lesson number one: figure out the timing. Roi said. If youre playing against an unknown pitcher, let him throw a few times and watch closely. You know how in baseball the pitcher gotta throw three strikes to beat the batter? Its to give the batter a chance to nail the timing. So, I should just stand and watch first? Sure, if ya wanna be a punching bag, lol. Dont just stand there, dodge the first few shots without trying to parry. I understand. Yuel nodded. Against the next couple of arrows, Yuel sidestepped instead of parrying. Honestly, he wasnt exactly a master of dodging, so many of the arrows hit him anyway, drawing a few lols from Roi. But, that wasnt important right now. He had to focus his everything on watching the arrow and figuring out the timing. Think thats enough? Roi asked. You shouldve figured it by now. Yes, I think I more or less got it. Yuel nodded and readied himself for the next shot. He carefully watched, focusing his entire field of vision on the Elfs body. It came! The arrow flew straight at him, with a speed he mostly got used to by now. He swung his blade, this time hed hit for sure! ... or not. Lol, its okay. Roi said. Next, you gotta get used to your batting speed. Each class has its own swinging style, so you gotta get used to it. Also, consider buying items that increase or decrease attack speed, whatever suits your style the best. For now, just try swinging at my shots to get your timing right Understood. Yuel kept swinging and swinging and swinging, aiming at the incoming arrows. Getting the timing down was much harder than he expected. He lost count how many times he swung by now, but he could easily tell how many times his sword made contact: absolute zero. Lol, you really suck at this. Roi laughed. Are you watching how the Elf moves as Im about to shoot? Yes, Im focusing as hard as possible on the Elf. Yuel said. Wait, waitwaitwait. Youre saying youre super focused on the Elf from the get-go? Yes, of course. Thats no good. Roi shook his head. If you keep yourself alert about every little twitch the pitcher makes, no chance you gonna react in time to a sudden shot. Its a mistake lots of new batters make at first, I was there too. Youre not supposed to focus on the pitchers whole body, only on the hand with which he throws. Um, so... Yuel used all his brain power to decode Rois baseball analogy. Youre saying I should focus on something more specific? Say, the Elfs bow? Yep, exactly. Try something like this: keep the Elf in your field of vision, but dont focus on every little movement too much. Concentrate on the bow and try predicting the timing and direction of the shot. Understood. Yuel nodded and cleared his mind. This approach was a bit unusual for him, as he was used to watching every little move his opponents made. However, that apparently made it harder for him to catch the specific motion he was looking for. Maybe if he were a mechanical god like Lars, he could parry while watching everything the Elf did. However, for a mechanical scrub like him, theres apparently no hope of ever parrying anything unless he were to pour all his attention into that one specific task. He ignored everything else and concentrated on the Elfs bow. The motion of nocking, the direction of the arrow and the speed of the release. He saw everything much more clearly now. Adjusting the timing and angle of his sword swing to that information wasnt easy, but after about ten more attempts - he finally did it! Yes! Yuel exclaimed. Oh finally. Only took you a year, lol. Roi chuckled. Lets see if it was just a fluke. Against the next arrow, Yuel... missed. He got the feel for the shots, but his coordination wasnt perfect, he couldnt consistently parry the same shot right away. However, he now successfully parried once in every three shots. It was progress! Seems like you more or less get it. Roi said. Then, lets see if you can hit the next one! No problem. Yuel cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts and concentrated on the bow like before. He already got a good feel for the arrows speed and the Warriors swing. All thats left was to nail down the arrows release angle and adjust the swing to it. Alright, its going to my right. Yuel nodded to himself as the Elf nocked the arrow. The Warriors swing was from right to left on the first attack, so he had to delay the attack a little. Swinging too early would only make him miss the arrow. With that in mind, he waited a little more than usual- Wha?! Yuel jumped. The arrow came flying to his left side!? Just as the arrow was about to be fired, the Elf turned his bow to the other side! What was going on? Yuel didnt even... The arrow hit his left shoulder, but he just stood there, confused. He didnt even get a chance to swing the sword. Lol, at least try swinging. Roi chuckled. Well, now you see why parrying is so damn hard? Any little movement can throw off your timing. In a real match, your enemies not gonna stand there like a scarecrows, they gonna move around while shooting. Each shot gonna come at ya from a different distance and angle, and you gotta be able to deal with all that shit. Gotta watch them until the very end. I-I understand... Yuel was still fazed. He thought he finally started getting the hang of it, but that couldnt be farther from the truth. All he achieved was a 40% success rate against a standing opponent, with whom he had been practicing for half an hour now. Thats a far cry from the results he had to produce for his parrying to become practical. In real matches: enemies constantly moved around, a single mistake could cost the game and there was usually less than 20 minutes to adapt. Did he even have a chance of making his parry useful for the competitive scene? Theres no telling until he practiced much more. At one point in time, he thought it was impossible for somebody like him to jog a whole kilometer. However, after exercising on a daily basis, he could now run even two kilometers with relative ease. When it came to mechanical techniques, theres no telling what was or wasnt possible right away, so he had to train harder and- Well, thats all for me. Roi stood up. Eh? But we just started. Yuel blinked. Im still terrible at this, so I need loads of practice. Yeah, terrible doesnt even begin to describe you, lol. Roi laughed. Well, I taught ya the basics like you wanted, thats about all the tips I can give ya. From here on you gotta work your ass off, but dont expect me to stick around as your practice dummy. I wanna play and practice my own stuff. I see. Yuel had no choice but give up. Thank you very much for the help. Yeah, yeah. Good luck out there. Roi waved and left. And so, Yuel had to find somebody else to practice parrying with. One thing for sure: he wasnt going to give up just yet. It was an advanced and difficult technique, but at its core - it relied on figuring out the enemys patterns and reacting to them in a timely fashion. Thats something Yuel excelled at. Even though he was still far from getting into the competitive team, he intended to use every moment in the club for bettering himself. He believed that, with time, his efforts would pay off. Vol.2 Ch.12: Scrimmages Since Roi refused to stick around and help Yuel practice parrying, there was no choice but to find somebody else. Why me? Julia grumped. Youre not busy right now, so why not? Yuel asked. You can think of it as target practice. Well, whatever. Julia shrugged and sat down. May as well practice my aim. Thanks. Hmph, Imma shoot you so hard you gonna regret wasting my time. Why does she always seem eager to practice when it involves shooting me? Yuel smiled wryly and logged into the practice match. Can you pick Elf? It shoots long arrows, so theyre easier to parry. Huh? But I dont play Carry. You said its like target practice for me, right? So, Imma go with Pyro. Eh? But- Deal with it. Rather, you should be thankful Im wasting my time on you at all, hmph. Alright, got it... Yuel sighed. Pyromancers fireballs were also susceptible to parries, so it wasnt the worst pick in the world. However, the fireballs were nowhere as long as the Elfs arrows, so hitting them was going to be even more difficult. As if Yuel didnt already have enough trouble parrying the easy arrows. Sigh. In this fashion, whenever he had some free time in the club, he practiced parrying with another club member. He tried recruiting Lars as his permanent practice partner, but that goof got bored after just 2 minutes and started shooting wildly. Even Roi was reluctant to parry against Larss swift shots, so Yuel had no chance. Getting beaten to a plump wasnt much of a practice. Thus, most of the time, he ended up practicing with Julia. She usually had some free time on her hands, because she didnt have any particular training regime to follow. Similarly to Yuel, she absorbed knowledge from seniors and polished on her basics. Stop dodging already, idiot! Julia barked. Werent you gonna parry my shots? Stand still so I can shoot you! Sometimes its better to dodge. Yuel rolled aside, dodging another fireball. Gah! Die already! Youre aware this isnt an actual match, right? Yuel sighed. Julia was a bit heated up for the practice, so he was forced to parry against an opponent who genuinely sought his death. Perhaps it was good practical experience, but it was harsh on somebody with poor mechanical skill. Learning anything from this practice was rough while being constantly shot in the face. Somewhere along the way he was forced to improve his dodge rolls to cope with her, which wasnt all bad. But really, Julia took this too seriously. As the practice progressed and Yuel got more used to parrying and dodging her shots, she grew increasingly irritated. At some point, that unleashed her aggressive side, which Yuel only ever witnessed when they practiced alone. It also happened back during the summer vacation. Whenever he taught her new offensive techniques and made her try them out on him, she went full gas and bombarded him as hard as she could. She definitely had the makings of a strong aggressive player, but she never used that style in real matches, or even in practice matches. Apparently, Ellen worked on drawing out that part of Julia. They did special training to get Julia more comfortable with playing aggressively, in hope to incorporate that aggressiveness into her otherwise passive playstyle. They couldnt practice it too often though, since Julia was reluctant to show that side of herself when Lars was nearby. So, how did Yuel know all that? Well, he was forced to help with Julias special training. According to Ellen, the easiest way to draw out Julias flame was to make her compete against Yuel. In fact, at some point, it felt like Yuels parrying practice transformed into Julias aggression training. Its Ellen who repeatedly pushed Julia to help Yuel with the parrying practice, so theres no doubt that fox planned this transformation from the get-go. It wasnt bad though, since it meant they both gained something from these sessions. Before long, the pre-tournament season began for junior high school teams. The clubs main team, referred to as the first string, had scrimmages with other schools every other week. The schools competed for points which determined their seeding in the regionals later this year. Schools with the highest scores would have to play less matches to reach the finals, a major advantage. The same way players picked their competitive nicknames, each schools team had its own competitive name. Inside the game, that doubled as the name of the guild to which all club members belonged. For Yuels club, the guild name was StormBlitz. Unfortunately, he didnt get to debut as part of StormBlitz in any of the scrimmages. In fact, none of the freshmen were picked for the first string. The seniors said its only natural for rookies to not be picked during their first year, but it was still frustrating. The competitive scene was right there, right in front of him! Yet, he wasnt allowed to touch it. Even so, Yuel kept practicing hard every day. Aside from parrying, he also got many jungling tips, mainly from Dan. Along with Support and Top, the third role Yuel could play well was Jungler. Dan prided himself in being able to play any Jungler, even unconventional ones like Cryomancer Jungler and Druid Jungler, which utilized the CC of Support classes to function as Junglers. Contrary to Yuels theoretical knowledge, many of these weird ideas were surprisingly viable as long as the player knew what he was doing. Aside from that, he also researched and analyzed many pro games with Aron, who was arguably the most similar player to him in the club. Just like Yuel, Aron closely analyzed the patterns of his opponents and formulated how to efficiently take them down. The main difference between their playstyles was the point in the game at which they put their research to use. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Yuel preferred exploiting enemy weaknesses as early as possible, whereas Aron waited until late game to finish processing the data. Therefore, while Yuels tactics were put to use throughout the whole match, Arons tactics only came online during late game. On the other hand, said tactics were more bulletproof than Yuels, because Aron collected more data before drawing any conclusions. For example, Aron usually saw through Ellens tricky plays and wasnt fooled by them. The more Yuel got outplayed by Ellen, the more he realized the value of waiting longer before forming his offensive tactics. Taking your time to analyze the enemy more can be a good thing. Aron explained. But, the way I see it, one of your strong points is your ability to make fast and accurate deductions. I dont know how well its going to work in the pro scene, but at least against opponents your age its plenty enough. Unless said opponent is Ellen. Yuel grumped, coming out from another match where she played him for a fool. Yeah, Ellen is a tough customer. Aron nodded. But, opponents like her are rare in my experience. Also, I hope you dont think shes outplaying you without putting any effort. Your presence forces her to play her hand earlier into the match, which leaves her fewer tricks for late game. That really helps me figure her plans. I see. Yuel never considered this interaction before. From his point of view, he simply got outsmarted by Ellen. Therefore, he never thought about the lengths she went to to achieve that result. It felt good knowing he also indirectly pressured her, that it wasnt a one-sided bullying from her side. Nonetheless, he didnt like this reality. Howard had the ability to shut down his tactics and Ellen had the craftiness to outsmart them. They were only middle schoolers, so Yuels opponents were bound to become stronger and stronger as he grew up. Theres no telling for how long his quick deductions would stay effective against competitive players. Therefore, he took some time to practice late game deduction, similar to how Aron did it. He and Aron watched and analyzed some pro games, sharing their deductions and how they reached them. They also analyzed recordings of enemy players for upcoming scrimmages. Even though Yuel never got to play in any of StormBlitzs scrimmages, he studied their opponents just as thoroughly as the first string and offered some insights during strategy meetings. He ensured hes ready to play whenever the team needed him, doing everything he could to better prepare himself for his eventual competitive debut. Half of the school year gone by. Yuel, and all other freshmen, only worked on honing their skills and gaining experience. In Ranked, Yuel, Lars and Taison reached the Diamond division by playing premades with other club members. Julia and Gregory werent too far behind, sitting at Platinum I and Platinum II respectively. Despite these achievements, none of them got to play in a scrimmages even once. They apparently didnt even climb high enough to become reserves for the first string. One time, Ellen got sick before a scrimmage and had to be replaced. Lars was excited about the possibility of replacing her as the Carry, but Trever was picked instead. This reality was frustrating but not too surprising, considering the first string was composed mostly of third year students, save for Howard and Ellen. The next players in line were juniors and seniors who didnt make the cut, so freshmen had no business playing in official matches yet, not even as reserves. Taison and Gregory voiced their frustration with this reality every other day, believing themselves worthy of debuting right away. Lars was also quite restless about it, spouting something like I wanna play an official match! Let them at me, yo! at least once a week. Yuel shared their sentiments, but simply continued practicing, believing his efforts would eventually pay off. As if answering the rookies prayers, Howard made a special announcement regarding the upcoming scrimmage against the Leopards team. They got a first string and a second string over there. Howard explained. According to scrimmage rules, both teams can pit their second strings against each other to earn extra points. None of the other teams we faced so far were confident about their second string, so they never brought up the idea. But, the Leopards are different. They requested to challenge our second string as well. Wait, we have a second string? Lars exclaimed. Not an official one, but we can form a temporary second string for this scrimmage. From those who aren''t in the first string, well pick the best player in each role and form a team out of them. Oh! Oooh! Larss eyes sparkled. Did my time finally come!? Imma do this, yo! Khaha, no way its you, dumbass. Taison sneered. They gonna pick da best Carry! You all know thats me, right? You think youre better? Fight me, dude! Imma 1v1 yo ass! Alright, thats enough. Howard clapped loudly, returning order to the club room. Sorry to inform you, but none of you made the cut. You didnt forget we have Trever, right? So, guess who is getting the Carry role. Geh! That dude! Every. Single. Time! Damn, just graduate already, you scrub! Haha, too bad for ya. Trever grinned and rubbed their hairs. Try again next year, kids! Alright, Howard continued. Here are the players me and Aron picked for the second string: Trever as Carry, Gilbert as Mid, Roi as Solo, Dan as Jungler and Yuel as Support. Eh? Yuel was dumbfounded. What did Howard just say? Who was playing Support? In an official scrimmage? In an actual competitive match!? Ah... Yuels lips trembled as he faced the other freshmen. Everybody had been working hard these past six months, they all thirsted for comeltive scene. Yet, in the end, only Yuel made it. He overflowed with a mixture of joy and guilt. Great job, dude! Lars gave a thumb up. Go show them what you got! Eh? Yuel blinked. Lars wasnt frustrated? Even though he didnt make it? Even though Yuels first debut was going to be with Trever as his lane partner? Dont worry, Imma follow ya real soon! Lars clenched a fist and bumped it into Yuels chest. Heh, you better do. Yuel smiled softly. They both pursued the same stage, so they were going to meet there eventually. It just so happened Yuel got there a little earlier, thats all. Good job. Gregory smirked and pretended to clap. Now, go out there and mess up real hard, so next time they pick da best Support, kek. Keep dreaming. Yuel retorted. Officially, Howard continued. The captain of the second string team gonna be Trever. But, you all know hes not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, right? You mean hes an idiot, right? Taison laughed. What was that? (Trever) Gah!? Anyway, Howard turned to Yuel. I trust you all to support him when it comes to shot-calling and team strategy. Especially you two, Gil and Yuel. Consider yourselves very influential vice-captains in this second string. Got it. (Yuel) Fine by me. (Gilbert) We dont have any data on their second string. Howard explained. We can only assume theyre good, considering their coach thinks theyre ready to play in a scrimmage. Work on polishing your teamwork as much as possible until the match, you have a week. Thats all for this meeting. And so, an unofficial second string was formed, with the intention of beating a second string of unknown potential. This was going to be Yuels first debut in the competitive scene, he couldnt help but feel giddy! It wasnt as impressive as playing on the first string, but it was going to be his first taste of the competitive scene all the same! First, hed exhibit his skill in the second string. Then, hed overtake Howards spot and debut in the first string. Finally, hed get to the nationals and make a name for himself as Chessmaster. The path ahead never looked clearer! Vol.2 Ch.13: The Stage of Those Who Didnt Make It The StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage was a week away. As the second string, Yuel, Trever, Gilbert, Roi and Dan spent that time practicing together as much as possible. They played Ranked as a team, practiced against the first string and strategized team compositions. By Howards order, Lars was also mixed into the second strings core training. This allowed the second string to hold intense 3v3 matches, helping them polish their teamwork in team fights. Even though Lars didnt get to participate in the scrimmage, he had no problem sacrificing his free time even after school, all for the sake of the second string. I gotta make sure you win your debut match, dude. Lars proclaimed to Yuel. If you dudes can improve by playing against me, then Im available anytime. Thanks. Yuel smiled wryly. How did Lars feel as he played with the second string? Yuel couldnt even imagine. Lars thristed to play competitively as strongly as Yuel, maybe even more. Yet, he didnt make the cut this time. It took real strength to be able to help the second string around the clock despite that. Yuel wasnt sure he could had done the same in Larss shoes. Lars was truly amazing. As the second string practiced together, it became apparent that Trever, despite being nominated as the captain, couldnt lead the team at all in the strategic department. Just pick your best classes and well stomp these guys. That was Trevers typical response whenever team strategy was brought up. Thus, Yuel and Gilbert handled most of these matters, Trever was just there to provide moral support or whatever. Before long, the important day was here. The scrimmage took place in ProCenter, a game center which also hosted various Esport tournaments. Some came here to play casually with friends, whereas others came to fight to the death in serious tournaments. Since Yuel barely played video games with others before Classmancers, he had no idea such places even existed until this year. ProCenter hosted tournaments for a myriad of game genres, such fighting, racing, battle royale and, of course, MOBA. Since Classmancers was an Esport recognized in schools, it received extra attention. Huge halls and well-kept rooms were reserved for both teams today, even though the upcoming matches werent even part of a tournament. The halls were designed to satisfy any competitive needs, coming with cutting edge computers, a large stage, huge monitors, tons of crowd seats and literally everything. There were even larger and flashier stadiums deeper into the center. These were reserved for the regional tournament and pro matches. Yes, even some pro matches were hosted here. This wasnt the first time Yuel came to ProCenter in the past year. Most of the first string scrimmages were hosted here and the whole club accompanied the team for these matches. However, this was the first time he came here as a fellow participant, not just as part of the crowd. Shivers danced across his skin. For the first time, he felt pressure as he stepped inside. This was the competitive stage he was yearning for, the one he trained so hard for. Even though it was only going to be a scrimmage and he was merely on the second string, he was definitely here - on the same stage pros played on. Hey, whats up, kid? Trever asked. You look like a zombie. Nothing, just a little tired. Yuel wobbled, barely keeping himself on his feet. His brain ran game simulations the whole night, so he barely got any sleep. He somehow managed to pull himself together until now, but the fatigue started getting to him. Haha, so nervous you couldnt sleep? Something like that. There are some nice sofas in the back, you should lay down a little. We still got like an hour until the match anyway. That sounds greaaaaaaa- ah. Yuel almost collapsed as he imagined himself relaxing on comfy sofa. With Trever leading the way, they went to the private room arranged for the second string team. It was a mere scrimmage, yet each team got a personal room. At the back of his head, Yuel understood the rooms were just built side-by-side with the stage, so it was a no-brainer to let teams borrow these rooms. Nevertheless, he couldnt help but feel like a VIP. He was almost like a pro! A pro who was about to pass out... ugh. You look like shit. Howard appeared beside them, coming from the first strings room. Sure youre good to go today? I can switch you out, there are plenty players here raring to go.. Im perfectly fine. Yuel mustered a serious expression. Pft, you look like some zombie lord. Howard chuckled. But, these are good eyes. From the moment you accepted your spot on the team, youre no longer playing just for yourself. Youre obligated to put on your best performance for those who didnt make the cut. So, I dont wanna hear excuses like I was tired. I understand. Im here to win, nothing less. Good, because their first string is pretty strong. It probably gonna be a close one for us, so the second string better do its job. Howard wrapped his arm around Yuels shoulder and lowered his voice. If you mess this up, everybody gonna be on your ass later. I-I got it. Yuel gulped, a shiver jolted through his spine. Good, I trust you. Howard smacked Yuel on the back, then left. His words put quite the pressure on Yuel, but it was understandable. Even though the second string match wasnt the main event, it also played a role in determining todays overall winner. Each string was scheduled to play five matches and the team with the most points by the end of the day was going to be declared victor. Each won game in the first string granted the team 2 points, whereas a win in the second string granted 1 point. In case the first strings were going to have a close match like Howard anticipated, the performance of the second string could determine todays winner. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. For example, if StormBlitzs first string were to go 3-2, the points were going to stand at 6-4. In case the second string were to be crushed with an embarrassing 1-4, the final score would be 7-8, resulting in StormBlitzs loss. In other words, StormBlitz would lose the scrummage despite the first string winning more games, just because the second string sucked hard. No wonder Howard was so serious about this. At the minimum, the second string had to win two out of five matches. As long as they went 3-2 or 2-3, the result of the second string matches would be rendered irrelevant for the total score. In this case, everything would be riding on the first strings achievements and the second string wouldnt be a liability anymore. At first glance, the requirement to go at least 2-3 didnt sound that scary. However, 2-3 was just one loss away from 1-4, which could spell a disaster. They couldnt relax until they scored the two wins they needed. But, thats just the bare minimum. Yuel wanted to put on a strong performance during his debut, so he needed to win at least four matches today. Not only would that showcase his skill and bring him a step closer to the first string, but itd also provide backup for the first string. In case the first string were to stumble and go 2-3, the second strings 4-1 would transform that into a win for StormBlitz. Not good, Im getting lost in numbers again. Yuel shook his head. Its small thoughts like that which robbed him of his sleep last night, he always turned them into a full session. Right now, he had to use what little time he had to rest before the scrimmage, so he tried emptying his mind. Theres no need to worry so much about whether the team could win two or four matches today. Of course, if they could win 4 out of 5 and thatd be the reason StormBlitz won today, thatd put him in a great spot and- Ugh! Enough already! He set up an alarm for 45 minutes from now and laid down on the sofa. After he finally defeated the nagging thoughts, he shut down his eyes and succumbed to slumber. When he woke up, it was already time to head to the stage. As a custom, the two teams were to greet each other on stage before the match started. Trever was technically the captain of the second string, so he went ahead, dragging Yuel with him. Gilbert was more of a vice-captain than Yuel, but he shoved the job on the freshmen after calling it a pain. The representatives from the Leopards were a tall girl, most likely a senior, and an even taller guy, who looked like he didnt even want to be here. ComboBreaker, captain of the second string. The girl introduced herself and stretched her hand. Heh, a chick for captain? Pretty hot. Trever grinned and shook her hand. WildDragon, nice to meetcha, sweetie. I dont have a girlfriend, in case youre wondering. I dont remember asking. Breaker made a face and pulled her hand. And you? She turned to Yuel. Um... Yuel flinched. Apparently, the tradition was to introduce themselves using their nicknames. Ugh, how embarrassing. Its Chessmaster... Chessmaster? Pft, youre sure modest. Then again, WildDragon isnt exactly tame either. Might as well call yourself TheBestPlayer. Believe it or not, we actually got somebody in the club with a nick like that Say what? You dont want to know. Yuel sighed with a wry smile. It was a weird interaction. The girl standing in front of him was the captain of the enemy team, the one Yuel was about to fight against. Yet there they were, casually chit-chatting like it was the most natural thing in the world. Were competitive matches normally like this? The image of cold and ruthless battles began crumbling in his mind. He was stiff like a statue at first, but the conversation helped him relax. Dont just stand there. Breaker turned to the guy accompanying her. Ah, what a drag... The guy sighed and stepped forward. The names Freezer, lets have a good game and all that crap. Haha, someone sure looks hyped up. Trever laughed. I know, right? Breaker shook her head. Guess he doesnt expect much from you. Honestly, neither do I. Hoho, confident, arent we? Trever grinned. Then, how about we make a bet? If we win more matches, youll give me your phone number. Is this clown really your captain? Breaker raised an eyebrow. Yes, at least on paper. Yuel shrugged. Hes the senior, so we make him feel good by calling him captain. Haha, you little...! Trever smacked Yuel on the back. So, you also got seniors in second string. Breaker nodded to herself. I see why you agreed to this match. Maybe you wont be a total bore after all. What do you mean? Yuel asked. Our club is pretty big compared to others in the region. Breaker explained. We got 28 members, so the second string is filled with seniors who didnt make the first string. Were all aching for some action, you know? I-I see. Yuel flinched. Even though they were still chatting casually, he could sense burning determination behind Breakers words. More specifically, the determination to mop the floor with StormBlitzs makeshift second string. Thats why Im glad you also got seniors on your team. Breaker said. Otherwise, this rare opportunity to play an official match would be a total waste. This is our last year and probably the last chance we get to play in ProCenter, so we wanna make it count. Just imagine if you came at us with a bunch of freshmen, haha! Yes, that''d be hilarious... Yuel forced a smile. Speaking of which, which year are you, midget? You look pretty fresh. Err, thats... Yuel averted his eyes. A freshman, of course! Trever smacked Yuels back. Gah! That goof had to come and say it! Hes a total rookie, so please go easy on him. Haha. You seriously put a freshman against us? Breakers smile vanished And hes your vice-captain? Are you for real?. Lets just get this boring stuff over with. Freezer sighed. I heard they dont even have an official second string, they literally put that team together for todays match. Are you serious? You guys didnt even practice as a team? Hey, hey! Trever exclaimed. We did a bunch of training over the week, were good to go! A week... Breaker mumbled. Tch, I got up my hopes for nothing. Youre right, lets just get this farce over with. Get ready to be styled on, scrubs. Breaker and Freezer turned around and strutted away. Heh, well see who gonna cry by the end of it! Trever shouted their way, but they ignored him. They were confident they had this match in the bag, so they didnt feel like chatting anymore. Before the match even started, Yules team disappeared from the enemys radar. Ugh, such humiliation! But, it was understandable. Even though he was just a freshman, he related Breakers frustration as a senior. She and her teammates had been training for the past two years with the goal of making it into the first string, same as Yuel right now. Alas, even though this was now their last year of middle school, they were left to rot in the second string. Not only that, but most teams in the region didnt even have a second string, so Breaker probably didn''t get to play many official matches, if any. And now, when a rare opportunity to play in ProCenter finally presented itself, turned out Breaker was playing against a makeshift team that was a formed a week ago. Its only natural to be upset. Right now, on this stage, gathered everybody who didnt make it. His opponents were the spitting image of his greatest fear: What if he also wasnt going to make it into first string during middle school? The mere thought of it depressed him to the core. Fortunately, today was his first chance to destroy this grim future. Even though he was just a freshman, he already set foot on this stage. If he were to surpass the second string seniors today, itd prove he was at least as good as them in his first year. From there, itd take just one more step to get into the first string. Hey kid, whats wrong? Trever called from the other side of the stage. We gonna start warming up. Come on! Coming. Yuel returned to earth and shook off the stressing thoughts. To achieve his grand ambitions, he first had to focus on the match at hand. He was going to conquer the stage of second strings, no matter what! Vol.2 Ch.14: Combo Player Hey! Break a leg, dude! Huh? Yuel examined the audience, spotting Lars and Julia. Everybody else went to watch the first string match, but Lars said hed be here to root on Yuel. Julia probably just tagged along. From the moment you accepted your spot on the team, youre no longer playing just for yourself. Youre obligated to put on your best performance for those who didnt make the cut. Yuel recalled Howards words. Even though he and Lars both wanted to play in the competitive scene, right now Yuel was on the stage while Lars was in the audience. Only Yuel made it this time. It was merely the fault of circumstances, it just so happened the Carry role was occupied by a talented senior and the Support role happened to be available. Nevertheless, as the one standing on the stage right here and now, Yuel had the responsibility to put on his best performance, to make it up for those who couldnt play here today. Ironically, even though Lars came here to support Yuel, he only made Yuel more nervous. And, it didnt help there were some other unfamiliar faces in the audience. What were these people doing here? The scrimmage matches were open to the public, so anybody had the right to come and watch. Still, even if they were interested in watching a scrimmage between middle schoolers, why didnt they head to the first strings stadium? Did they come here to laugh at the second string or something? All these random thoughts occupied his mind, refusing to give him rest. His body felt like lead as he wobbled across the stage. He finally got to relax a little when he dropped on his chair and focused on the monitor in front of him. Following Trevers instructions, he scanned the QR code on the monitor. After confirming the login, all his account data was carried over to the PC in front of him. This included key bindings, skins and, of course, his IGN: Chessmaster. Ugh, he still couldnt believe Howard roped him into picking that nick. Sigh. Enter the practice room. Trever said. You gotta warm up before we begin. Get used to the controls and everything. Got it. Yuel nodded and did as he was told. Even though his key bindings were carried over via the login, he still was going to operate unfamiliar mouse and keyboard. From his experience in the club at the beginning of the year, he already learned the importance of getting used to the equipment. Fortunately, the equipment here was top notch, unlike the relics in their club. The keys struck perfect balance between being hard enough to feel every press, yet responsive enough to make pressing effortless. The mouse was comfortable to grip and the mousepad was smooth. Truly, this was equipment suitable for gaming, unlike the poor excuse in their club. After a few minutes of warming up, the referee announced the beginning of the match. Like, that young man announced himself the referee and everything, but he looked like a regular staff member in the center. He didnt look like some qualified expert or anything of the sort. A bit disappointing, but not surprising. Unlike real life sports, Classmancers was a video game, so all the rules were already enforced by the game itself. There wasnt much for a referee to do here. The drafting phase proceed smoothly, with Yuel and Gilbert handling it from start to end. Trever was the captain on paper, but his response to everything was Just pick your best classes and we gonna win!. A very Lars-esque attitude, sigh. Wait, they have no Carry? Trever cocked his head, as if only now realizing he should maybe pay some attention to the drafting. Its most likely going to be Carry Pyromancer. Yuel explained. The enemy team didnt pick any marksmen, the long-ranged DPS classes meant to be played as Carry. Instead, they had two damage dealing mages: Pyromancer and Warlock. Out of the two, only Pyromancer had the aptitude to be played as a Carry. In fact, upon release, Pyromancer was a broken tier S Carry who dominated the meta, Yuel watched some older videos covering that. Fortunately, Pyromancer was hammered by nerfs multiple times since then. It retained the qualities which allowed it to be played as a Carry, most notably its high attack speed, but that build fell out of favor in the meta. While Mid Pyromancer was considered tier B, sometimes even tier A, Carry Pyromancer was put around tier C on most tier lists. Based on Yuels brief experimentation and theorycrafting, these tiers seemed fairly reasonable. Carry Pyromancer had its niches, but it was a rather risky pick. Their Carry must had been very confident in their skill to make this pick. Then again, Yuels team didnt exactly have a standard Carry either. Trever picked his favorite Ranger, a Jungler who only passed as a Carry thanks to his long-ranged basic attacks. Carry Ranger was also along tier C, but at least it was much more common in the meta than Carry Pyromancer. To cover up for the Rangers early weaknesses as a Carry, Yuel picked Druid. It was the same duo composition they played during Yuels entry exam. For the second time now, he was heading into an important match with Trever as his lane partner. On one hand, he was disappointed it wasnt Lars by his side. But, on the other hand, he was glad he didnt have a partner who required high maintenance. Both Lars and Trever were goofs, but Trever was the more knowledgeable and experienced one, Yuel didnt need to hold Trevers hand much during practice matches, so he could focus on doing his job as a Support. This was very reassuring when playing on such a grand stage. As arranged: Gilbert played Mid, Dan played Jungle and Roi played Top. Once the drafting phase ended, the real battle began. They started off by clearing the Ogre Camp and Wolf Camp together with Dan, then Yuel and Trever headed to Bot Lane. As expected, their lane opponents were Pyromancer and Cryomancer. Pyromancer was played by ComboBreaker, the female captain they met during the team greeting. Her demotivated companion from that time, Freezer, played Warlock in Mid. Since their team is full of seniors, I better take my time studying them. Yuel was wary of rushing things. He thirsted for gaining an advantage as early as possible, but such desires could lead to disaster, he learned that on his flesh in practice matches. If the enemy team had at least one fox like Ellen, Yuels tactics could easily backfire. Therefore, he laid low for the first minutes of the match and quietly observed his foes. He provided by-the-book support, without making any risky shot-calls. By the end of the first five minutes, he got a rough idea of how the enemies carried themselves. The Pyromancer, ComboBreaker, was an all-around strong player, as expected of a captain. She showcased decent mechanical skill by landing most last hits on minions and elegantly blocking most of Trevers attempts at aggression. Also, she maintained great positioning through the laning phase, standing far enough to avoid being punished too easily, yet close enough to punish her enemies if the opportunity presented itself. This attesting to her solid decision-making and experience. On top of that, she seemed to have acceptable game knowledge, based on her Carry Pyromancer build, which properly combined power and attack speed. All in all, she was a tough cookie. Trever couldnt get an edge on her, no matter how many time they exchanged blows. Her partner, the Cryomancer, was also contributed to that, showcasing impressive mechanical skill for a Support. In particular, the way he swiftly and accurately cast his Ice Coffin put a lot of pressure on Trever. Even while protected by the Druids shield, Trever didnt have much leeway when going on the offensive. Getting too close to the Cryomancer would result in Trever being frozen in place, becoming a sitting duck for the Pyromancer. To make things worse, the Cryomancer bought Blink to expand his reach. He could now instantly teleport forward and freeze his target. Its a popular Cryomancer trick, which Yuel had trouble executing in real matches. At one point, the Cryomancer caught Trever off guard by blinking through a wall and freezing him. This almost resulted in Trevers death. Yuel barely saved the day with a timely Natures Grasp pull on Trever, getting the goof out of danger. Man, I swear this Cryo is after my ass. Trever exclaimed. Ever since, even the battle-hungry beast became cautious of going aggressive. He was completely zoned by the Cryomancers mere presence, thats how much pressure Blink + Ice Coffin could apply in capable hands. This Cryomancer definitely warranted a ban next game. The rest of the enemy team was composed of solid players as well, giving both Roi and Dan a ran for their money. Their Top Laner clashed face-to-face with Roi, refusing to give in. They were like two beasts fighting for territory. It was a brute and unsophisticated face-off to Yuels taste, but its undeniable both players exhibited impressive mechanical skill. As for jungling, the enemy Jungler farmed and ganked about as effectively as Dan. They were both textbook players and It didnt feel like either team had a superior Jungler. All in all, the forces seemed quite evenly distributed across the board. The only one who had an easy time was Gilbert. His enemy was Freezer, the unmotivated fellow they met during the team greeting. It was difficult to properly discern Freezers playstyle while he was pushed back, but it seemed he was a very defensive player. He rarely ever advanced to the frontline, preferring to bait the opponent into overextending. Unfortunately for Freezer, Gilbert was a rational and methodical player. He wasnt some aggressive beast hungering for blood, so he had no problem slowly grinding his opponent to dust. Therefore, instead of falling for Freezers baits and pushing further along the lane, Gilbert rotated out of lane to farm or gank whenever he gained lane advantage. That put Freezers defensive plays to waste and turned them into a weakness. Its difficult to judge whether Freezer was a relatively weak member of the Leopards or he simply had a terrible matchup against Gilbert. Either way, he was the enemys weakest link right now. As a result, Gilbert outleveled Freezer via farming jungle camps between waves and helped other lanes gain the upper hand. Thanks to repeated ganks from Gilbert, the deadlock in Top was broken and Roi managed to push the enemy Top Laner all the way to the Turret. Thats about all the information Yuel gathered so far about the match from observing the mini-map and others monitors. Was this enough? Did he properly figure out his opponents and was ready to counter them? He wanted to shout Of course! and go ahead, but he hesitated. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His opponents were seniors, they trained for the the last two years to get this far. Theres no way some newbie could deconstruct them this easily, right? Or, maybe he was overthinking it? Bitter memories of being outsmarted by Ellen played over and over in his head, warning him. Ill wait just a little more. Yuel nodded to himself for about the millionth time this match. He was going to begin soon, real soon. He just needed to observe his foes a little longer, to be 100% sure about their playstyles. Man, this chick is sure a hard nut to crack. Trever sighed as he exchanged blows with ComboBreaker. Got any idea how to take her out? Im not sure yet. Yuel answered as he cast Gaias Protection on Trever, granting enough shield to soak all the damage from this fight. You know, youve been awfully quiet this match. Wait, I know. Youre still nervous, aintcha? Maybe a little, but thats not it. Im not sure I got all the data I need about our enemies, so I dont want to pull anything reckless. Data? You sound like Aron. Trever laughed. Well, I dunno how you data people do your magic, but dont leave us hanging until late game like Aron does. Dude doesnt tell us anything until its too late, haha. Got it. Yuel nodded. His increased caution was definitely the result of Arons influence, but he had no intention waiting until late game. I almost got them figured out, I just need a little- wha!? The battle between Trever and Breaker took an unexpected turn. The Cryomancer blinked forward and froze Trever with Ice Coffin, turning Trevers Ranger into a cube of ice. It was an unexpected assault, but wasnt it a waste? Trever still had the shield he got from Yuel, so it was going to soak some damage. The freeze of Ice Coffin was pretty short on low levels, so theres no way the Pyromancer would have enough time... eh? An ally has been killed! It happened in an instant. Flames engulfed Trevers Ranger and wiped him out of existence. He was at 70% HP + shield, yet he was eliminated in an instant. Wow, what the actual heck? Trever stared at his screen with a dumb face. What did I just see? What the hell happened!? You saw that shit!? Yeah, I saw it. Yuel frowned as he was forced to retreat back to his Turret, escaping the 1v2 situation. I believe it was a combo play. Yes, Spellbook of Doom, as I thought. Until this point, Breakers build followed the standards of a Carry Pyromancer build. However, over the last couple of minutes, there had been a missing item slot in her build. She should had had enough gold to buy one more item by now, probably even upgrade it to Lv.3. Yet, nothing showed up in her third item slot. That is, until now. That fourth item was a Lv.3 Spellbook of Doom, which enabled a niche combo playstyle. She must had purchased it a while ago, but kept it cloaked all this time. Then, after finding the right moment, she equipped Spellbook of Doom in the heat of battle to strike with the element of surprise. Ugh, such a high level of play was unexpected from middle schoolers. If they knew she built Spellbook of Doom ahead of time, they could had played around it. She caught them completely off guard here. So, shes going for a combo build? Chick is crazy. Trever laughed. Thats really rare. Yuel nodded. He didnt expect to meet a combo player in an official match of all places. It was mostly considered a meme in the Classmancers community, despite having some representation in the pro scene, primarily in Asia. DimensionShift was a well-known Korean combo player and was considered among the top players in the world. So, calling combo a meme didnt do it justice. Nevertheless, it was an unpopular playstyle, especially in the west. It revolved around building a niche stat: Casting Speed. The same way Attack Speed raised the speed of basic attacks, Casting Speed increased the speed of skill animations. It sounded strong on paper, as it allowed to quickly chain multiple spells in succession. However, in practice, most items with Casting Speed had subpar stats and paled compared to other meta options. The one exception among them was Spellbook of Doom, which had an interesting passive: after landing a hit with a spell, all subsequent spell hits within the next 2 seconds dealt +100% damage. The effect could only be activated once every minute, so it was unlikely to proc it more than once in a fight. In other words, it was a glass cannon effect at its finest. It provided a tiny window of time to dish out tremendous damage via chaining spells. +100% damage sounded absurd on paper, but it was difficult to take full advantage of this effect within mere 2 seconds. First, it was necessary to hit an enemy with a damaging spell, so that Spellbook of Doom could be procd. After that, they had to quickly dish out their other spells and land them on the target within the span of less than two seconds, all the while taking into account the spells casting animation, the skillshots travel time and the enemys movements. The execution bar was maddening. Yet, ComboBreaker perfectly pulled that off and killed Trever from 70% HP + shield, in under two seconds. First, during her fight with Trever, she lowered his defense with basic attacks thanks to Demonic Arm. Then, she opened her combo with Pillar of Flame, a low damage spell which procd Spellbook of Doom. For the finishing blow, she chained Blaze of Inferno into Flame Wave, taking advantage of her increased Casting Speed. So many fine details were squeezed into a matter of seconds, it was astonishing. Regardless of how the combo playstyle was viewed in the meta, it was a terrifying weapon in Breakers hands. After witnessing Trevers instantaneous defeat, everybody in StormBlitz now knew they had to be extremely cautious around Breaker. Just one kill put the whole team on their toes. Was she going to consistently dish that combo? Or, was it a one-time fluke? Theres no telling until they saw more of her playstyle. Ugh, just when I thought I got them figured out. Yuel bit his lip. He took so much time during the early game to carefully analyze his opponents, only for everything to crumble during the mid game. Did other players in the Leopards also hide such surprises? No wonder Aron always waited until late game before drawing any conclusions. Was there even a way for Yuel to foresee that combo playstyle ahead of time? If it were Howard, could he had predicted this possibility and found a way to protect Trever? There was no way to tell, but the thought didnt give Yuel rest. After ComboBreaker got rid of Trever and pushed Bot Lane forward, she left the lane. Did she head to Mid? Thats the most likely scenario, considering Freezer struggled against Gilbert there. Taking into account her cooldown reduction and how long had passed since she last used her combo, everything except her ult was definitely out of cooldown by now. Once the one minute cooldown on Spellbook of Doom were to end - she could dish out tremendous damage yet again. I better rotate to help Mid, but... Yuel frowned as the Cryomancer insisted on zoning him. His hands were tied, all he could do was call missing. The Pyromancer left Bot, most likely heading to Mid. Got it. Gilbert nodded and began retreating. However, thats when the unexpected happened. Freezer, who had been playing defensively until now, went on the offensive! He chased after Gilbert and activated his ultimate: Eldritch Nightmare. Darkness erupted from Freezers Warlock, spreading throughout Mid Lane. Gilberts screen was consumed by blackness, painted by visages of eldritch abominations. While within the range of Eldritch Nightmare, Gilberts Electromancer was slowed and disoriented, wobbling as he ran. Thats on top of Gilbert being robbed of his vision, unable to tell what was happening around him. However, it wasnt fatal. Eldritch Nightmare had a limited range, so everything was going to be fine once Gilbert were to step out of it. He activated Thunderclap, dissolving into a could of electricity and crashing from the sky a short distance away. That created enough distance between himself and Freeze, or so it should had been. For some reason, that wasnt enough. He was still suck within the darkness, unable to tell his position. Jesus, just how much did he level his ult? Gilbert ranted. Youre playing Mid, not Support. Was Gilbert already back at his Turret? Was it still ahead? Did he pass it? It was impossible to tell with his vision robbed. None of his teammates could help him either, as Eldritch Nightmare stained their mini-maps with black ink. He had to brave through this darkness all by himself. I think the Turret is still a little ahead. Yuel said, restlessly shifting his attention between his and Gilberts monitors. Its frustrating, because he should had been there to support Gilbert. Yet, he was stuck under tower in Bot, dealing with minions and the Cryomancer. All he could do right now was throw some advice in Gilbert''s way, to at least somewhat make up for the lack of proper support. Man, I really cant tell anymore. Gilbert frowned. Was the Turret really still further ahead? Even though he already blinked forward with Thunderclap? Well, theres no way to tell. He simply kept running, hoping he hadnt reached the Turret yet. You sure he didnt pass it already? Trever also peeked at Gilberts screen, bored while waiting for his respawn. He even blinked and everything, so I say he totally passed it. I wouldnt be so sure. Yuel said. Look at the range of that ult, he leveled it up quite a bit and the slowdown gets stronger with each level. He also built Chains of Infinity, which slows down even more. Holy shit, Chains actually stacks with that? Shit is nasty as heck. Heh, just look at us. Three pros sitting here and cant solve this thing. Gilbert chuckled. Well, with that much slow, Im probably screwed anyway if that Combo Pyro is coming for me. Ill just roll dice here. Gilbert activated his ult, Thunderstorm, and randomly targeted the area to his left. He couldnt see anything there, but thats the direction the Pyromancer was bound to appear from. With some luck, he might scare her off. Thunderstorm turned a big area into target practice for lighting strikes. Any enemy stepping into the area was going to be repeatedly struck by lighting, receiving massive damage. On top of that, these strikes applied Electric Charges, which Gilbert could detonate for further damage. This electric danger zone was an effective zoning tool, as one would have to think twice or thrice before even considering to chase somebody through it. Unfortunately, in this darkness, it was effectively a die roll. Theres no telling whether Gilbert even cast the ult in an area which truly threatened the Pyromancer. In fact, it was arguably a waste of an ult. However, Gibert knew all too well the importance of not feeding this Pyromancer so early into the game. Wasting an ult was a small price to pay for surviving through his gank. But, it didnt work. Fireballs came flying at Gilbert from within the darkness, shredding his protections. Then, the ground under his feet was set ablaze. Pillar of Fire, it was the signal that the Pyromancers combo was about to follow. In a span of a second, his 90% HP dropped to 5%. Just as death was about to claim him, the darkness of Eldritch Nightmare finally cleared up. He now saw ComboBreaker clearly, with her 20% HP and multiple Electric Charges. Gilberts gamble was spot on, Thunderstorm hit Breaker multiple times. But, even that wasnt enough scare off this mad combo chick. She pushed forward for the kill, despite the immense danger. Wait, maybe I can...! Gilbert pressed Q, activating Electrical Explosion. Breaker was at 20% HP with three Electric Charges on her, so theres a good chance hed be able to- You have been killed! Too late. His Electromancer collapsed by the time he hit the Q button. If he just reacted a spit second earlier, he might had turned the tables on his assaulter. Alas, it wasnt meant to be. Oh well. In hindsight, I probably should have just aggressed on the Warlock. Gilbert said. Yes, that might have ended better. Yuel nodded, then turned to Trever. By the way, I was right. He still hasnt reached the Turret. Heh, cheeky brat. Trever sneered. If youre so smart, how did you let both of us die without doing shit, eh? Ah, thats... Yuel hung his head and clenched his mouse. He felt so powerless during both situations, he failed to provide any support. Just where did he misplay in all of this? What was the wrong move he committed that led to this disaster? Was there any way to defend against Breakers plays? Could Howard had done so? Hey, relax, bro. Im just kidding. Trever smacked Yuel on the back. They pulled some serious shit outta nowhere, of course you couldnt see that coming. Hes right. Gilbert agreed. The combo chick and the Support-like Warlock were quite unexpected. They were probably going for that surprise element from the get-go, so no much you could do about it. Now we know what aces they got, so we gotta figure how to beat them. Dont hang up on past mistakes, or youll blow the rest of the game. Youre right, thanks. Yuel took a deep breath. It didnt matter what he could or couldnt had done in these two unfortunate situations. Whatever happened, happened. Right now, his job was to figure how to deal with these enemies from here on out. He wasnt going allow these terrible misplays repeat themselves. The team had shaky start. However, now that the enemies played their hands, Yuel started preparing his countermeasures. Vol.2 Ch.15: Tactical Sacrifice After ComboBreaker scored two kills in succession, the Leopards gained a huge momentum. Worse still, said kills were on Trever and Gilbert, who were considered the teams key players. Even though everybody in StormBlitz managed to keep themselves together and focus on winning the match, it was quite the mental blow. Both teams were fairly even until now, but this incident tilted the odds in the Leopards favor. During the mid game, Breaker became way more active than in the early game. She rotated across the map to gank Yuels teammates, almost as if shes a second Jungler. The absurd burst of her combo build allow her to eliminate enemies in a flash, so she was even scarier than the actual Jungler. She was like an unstoppable Queen piece, who zigzagged across the board to snatch pawns and pieces. In these situations, everybody hoped to borrow the help of the Jungler. It was the role with the best global presence, so it was most fitting for countering the enemys global presence. Alas, Dan couldnt do much when his own turf became a danger zone. He ran into Breaker once in the Jungle. That ended in an instant, he was torched in a blink of an eye. Not only he failed to stop her incoming gank, but he also fed her further. After finishing Dan, Breaker continued her rotation as planned. She went after Roi in Top, but thankfully he wiggled his way out of her dangerous gank. He had no HP left and was forced to retreat, but at least he survived. Great job making it out alive, bro! Trever gave a thumb up. Easy. Roi grinned and lightly punched Dans shoulder. Your sacrifice wasnt in vain, lol. Youre always welcome. Dan made a face. Thanks to Dan getting eliminated in the jungle, Roi was alerted early about the incoming gank. On top of that, Breaker had to use her combo to kill Dan quickly, so it was still on cooldown by the time she arrived in Top. Thus, most of the gank came down to being barraged by the Pyromancers fast basic attacks, which Rois sturdy Knight managed to survive. You didnt even swing at her shots. Dan pointed out. Whats wrong? Scared to take her on? No way I gonna swing against her on the first try. Shes like a pitcher who gets strikeouts by strength. Thats not something you can deal with in your first at-bat. How the mighty cleanup fell. Shut up, lol. Ill hit her shots all the way to the back screen next time. Despite the dire circumstances, the team maintained a positive atmosphere. Joking around distracted them from the gravity of the situation. It was a simple, but impressive, technique. Nevertheless, despite the positive attitude, the team couldnt recover from heavy blows it received during mid game. Breakers ganks followed by swift kills, which followed by big pushes. StormBlitz members fell behind, in both exp and map control. Even when a gank didnt result in a kill, it had devastating implications. After chasing Roi away, Breaker pushed the Top Turret together with the Viking. They took the Turret down uncontested. Despite being a mage, Breaker was the enemys Carry in this composition, so leaving her alone with a tower resulted in losing the tower. The Turrets in other lanes were in terrible shape too, due to Breakers earlier ganks. Mid Turret fell down to 20% and Bot Turret was at 50%. With how much Breaker traveled across the map, one would think itd be easy to push the lanes she was absent from. Alas, that approach was shot down by Freezer, of all people. Just like Breaker, Freezers playstyle undergone a drastic change during the mid game. He still maintained a defensive playstyle like before, but he extended his defense to all three lanes. Whenever StormBlitz planned to push an undefended lane, he always showed up to stop that idea. His style was similar to Howards, except he always handled the defense himself, rather than instructing teammates how to defend better. So, he was like a dumbed down version of Howard. A Mini-Howard, if you will. Was it even possible to come back from this? It looked like a winning position for the enemy. Breaker assaulted players and pushed lanes, whereas Freezer halted StomBlitzs pushes. With the two of them, the enemy had a mobile combination of offense and defense which covered the entire map. It was difficult to make any progress against this global shut out. After every StormBlitz member got burnt by Breaker at least once, they all learned to steer clear of her. While her combo was online, getting within its range spelt immediate demise. Make sure to announce if you see her using her combo. Gilbert instructed. Yeah, be loud and clear! Trever commanded like a drill officer. Everybody understood the importance of this, so there were no objections. The difference between Breaker with combo and Breaker without combo was like the difference between a leopard and a cat. One was definitely much scarier than the other. They only had a chance to strike her down while Spellbook of Doom was on cooldown. Playing defensively around Breaker showed some results. It hindered her ability to score kills via ganks and allowed StormBlitz to fight back. Trever even scored a couple of kills by suddenly switching from defense to offense once Breakers combo went on cooldown. The fact he had solid defense despite being an aggressive player really helped the team out. Unfortunately, this wasnt enough to get the upper hand. The defensive strategy proved effective, but it was a reactive approach which failed to steal the initiative. The Leopards already had a huge momentum and they kept pushing, while StormBlitz had their hands full with defending. Before long, the match transitioned into its team fighting phase. This is where things had a chance to change for the better, since Breakers combo couldnt hit an entire team. After one teammate was bursted down, the rest could focus on Breaker and take her out. But, things only changed for the worse. Freezer became an even more prominent threat than before, due to the utility his Warlock brough to the table. Warlocks Eldritch Nightmare single-handedly disoriented the whole enemy team during a fight, tilting the odds in the Leopards favor as soon as a team fight started. The intensity of the disorientation got weaker with more enemies inside the ults range, so it wasnt too oppressive in full blown 5v5 fights. However, these were relatively rare until late game. Most of the clashes between teams were 2v2 or 3v3 right now, in which Eldritch Nightmare was super effective. Things couldnt go on like this. Something had to change. Something, anything. By now, Yuel grasped how his opponents played. Breaker and Freezers sudden playstyle shift during mid game threw him off at first, but now his analysis was back on track. Unfortunately, he was late, possibly too late. The team lagged behind on gold, exp and map control, with enemy super minions spawning in Mid. Following Gilberts shot-calling, the team prioritized defense. Everybody had their hands full fending off the enemys pushes. this was no time to conjure offensive counters. Countless ideas naturally formed in Yuels mind, but he didnt voice them. This wasnt some practice match or a personal entry exam, so he couldnt suggest any experimental tactics. This official scrimmage emulated a real competitive match, so winning at any cost was a must. By sitting on this stage, he carried the wills of those who didnt make it into the second string. Therefore, he wasnt allowed to put on a sloppy performance. Reckless plans, which could backfire, had no place in this situation. They had to play safe and wait for their opportunity. Theres always a chance the enemy would misplay somewhere down the line. A single misplay in late game could flip the situation on its head, Yuel experienced countless turnabouts like that in both Casual and Ranked. Alas, this was neither Casual nor Ranked. The enemy team was made of coordinated competitive players, who were all experienced seniors on top of that. They knew how to correctly play every phase of the game. Early, mid or late game - it didn''t matter. They refused to commit glaring mistakes that could be exploited. With every passing moment, the chances of mounting a comeback seemed slimmer and slimmer. Hey, bro. Trever called out. Youve been awfully quiet the whole match. Whats wrong? Still sleepy? No, Im awake. Yuel answered. Though, I wouldnt mind if turns out Im still napping and this is a nightmare Im having. Haha, I feel ya. So whats wrong? Pressure? I believe I got over it by now. Yuel shook his head. I just dont have anything to add. Gilberts shot-calling has been solid. Yeah, Gils calls are tight and all, but its just the basic stuff. We need DA STUFF, ya know? Are you asking me to come up with an aggressive counterplay? In this situation? Yeah, use your tactics shmactics or whatever. Isnt that what youre here for? Id like to believe Im here because Im a good Support player. Nah, its all about your crazy tactics. Ugh. Yuel grumped. Just pulling ya leg. Trever smacked Yuel on the back. Youre a good Support, sure. But, its your crazy ideas we need right now. Theres a place and time for everything. Yuel said. I use aggressive tactics in practice matches and Ranked, but this is an official match and were behind. I cant suggest plays that can easily cost us the game. You think too hard about the consequences. Gilbert said. That just proves youre nervous. Yeah, relax, bro. Trever patted Yuel on the shoulder. This is just the first game, we got four more afterwards. If you dont start playing your usual game now, when will ya? Youve been picked for the team because on how you usually play, so just do your thing, bro. Just do my thing... Yuel mumbled. Looking back on it, what did he even do this whole match? Warding, rescuing allies and setting up ganks - these were all textbook Support plays. He didnt perform poorly, but neither did he achieve anything of note. He spent most of the game studying his opponents, but he didnt put much of that data to use. He only suggested little plays here and there, when they had low risk. He was overly careful with every little thing he suggested, he spent too much time analyzing enemies and he did everything he could to avoid messing up. It took him a while to realize, but... Yes, he was nervous after all. Anxiety ate away at him and constrained his actions. In a desperate attempt to not mess up this match, he ended up putting on a subpar performance, which ironically only hurt the teams chances. How stupid. I got some ideas. Yuel announced. But, they dont mesh well with how weve been playing the late game so far. He turned to Gilbert. Your game plan is to defend until the enemy make a mistake, right? I dont think this approach is wrong in itself, but my ideas prioritize going on the offensive. Is that fine? Going on the offensive in this situation? Gilbert raised an eyebrow. Haha, kid is crazy! Trever laughed. I like it! Well, Gilbert smiled wryly. If you got an idea how to get us out of this mess, youre welcome to apply your magic. Youre right that Ive been doing the defend and wait strategy, but I wouldnt call it a game plan. Its just a desperate attempt to not look bad going down. I cant really picture us winning here. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I see. All this time, Yuel was sure Gilbert confidently issued orders with some sort of winning strategy in mind. But, Gilbert just clung to the only option available, without showing any signs of doubt. Thanks to that, the team didnt lose morale and kept fighting hard, no matter how harsh the circumstances got. This was the complete opposite of what Yuel did. He doubted his own strategies due to their risk factor and stayed quiet. It was that much easier following Gilberts confident lead instead of voicing his own ideas. Yuel ran away from the challenge and pushed all the responsibility on Gilbert. Thats so low. No more. As everybody said, Yuel should just play his usual game. He was picked for the second string, it meant Aron and Howard believed in the skill he showcased in the club. They didnt put him on the team just to fill the Support spot, they also expected the rest of the package from him, like his usual counterplay tactics. Alright, I understand. Yuel steeled himself. Id like to take over the shot-calling for a while, if possible. Go ahead. Gilbert nodded. Thanks. Yuel took a deep breath. Was this match still winnable for StormBlitz? Enemy super minions pushed Mid and the rest of StormBlitzs Golems ran low on HP. The enemy pushed aggressively in both Top and Bot, aiming to take out these remaining Golems. The situation was grim, but Yuel had to craft a plan. One by one, he pieced data and ideas in his head like a puzzle. Theres no time to formulate the whole winning strategy, but hope wasnt lost. Theres a sequence of plays which could lead them closer to victory. Whether itd convert into a victory from there remained to be seen, but he didnt have the luxury to ponder about that right now. First, their Pyromancer is going to rotate to Top. Yuel stated. How do you figure? Gilbert asked. Both Top and Bot look like perfectly fine options. Um, well... Yuel clammed up. Why was it, again? He concluded her next destination the moment she showed up in Mid, but he couldn''t for the life of him recall the steps toward that conclusion. Hey, hey. Trever exclaimed. Dont pressure him, bro. We dont have anything better anyway, so lets play along with his tactics shmactics. I bet its something simple anyway, like seeing her rotate from Mid to Top a lot or something. Did she really do that often? Hell if I remember. She did, actually. Yuel stated. I just remembered. There are other factors too, but the biggest is how she has a tendency to rotate upwards. She usually starts in Bot, goes to Mid and from there to Top. Hmm, I see. Gilbert was only partially convinced, but thats nothing new. Their shot-calling styles were simply too different. Gilbert always went for the best play at any given time, whereas Yuel suggested unconventional plays, which had a chance to either tank or pay off big time. Nevertheless, Yuel often brought results with his style. Therefore, Gilbert surrendered the shot-caller role, trusting Yuels ability. As I said, the Pyromancer will rotate to Top next. Yuel repeated. Id like to take her out first. Dan, can you please return to base to heal? Then, head into the jungle to intercept her. Her rotation path should be something like this. He drew on the map via pings. Well, I dont mind Dan said. But, I dont think I can take care of her myself. Lancer just doesnt have the burst for that, her combo will screw me over. Its alright, I only need you to slow down her rotation. Yuel said. I recommend selling your Piercing Spear and Fury Knuckles to buy Deus Shield, so you can last longer and bait out her ult. Huh? Two items for one? Even though I already got a full build? Yes, thatll counter her better. Yuel said. Especially, the stun of Deus Shield will help buying time. Buying time? Sounds like youre sending him to die, lol. Roi laughed. Itll be great if he kills her, but thats unlikely. Yuel said. You can think of this play as sacrificing a piece to take the Queen. Lol, calling that chick Queen. Did she woo you with her combos or something? I meant chess Queen, the strongest piece- Yeah, Yeah, I know. Dont be so serious, lol. So, youre literally asking me to sacrifice myself? Nasty. Dan frowned. Of course he does, hes the Chessmaster after all. Lol. Well, I kinda get why Im the only one for the job. Dan said. Gilbert is stuck guarding Mid, Trever must push Bot and the rest are dead. But, suppose I buy some time before dying, whats next? Trever will rotate over there, right after finishing the next wave. Yuel explained. Wait, what? Trever was taken aback. Im the last line of defense in Bot, I cant leave. Our Golem is half-dead, theyll push it all the way the moment I rotate. Yes, youre absolutely right. Yuel nodded I know, right? So, no way I can rotate any time soon. No, its precisely BECAUSE of that that you CAN rotate. Wut? The enemy also know you must stay to defend. Yuel explained. Pushing a wave against a Carry is hard. With that in mind, theyll try pushing Top next. Thats also where the Pyromancer is headed next, so everything falls into place. Heh, thats some advanced reverse psychology shenanigans right there. Trever chuckled. So, you telling me they wont bother pushing Bot any time soon, because they know I must stay here to guard. Therefore, Im actually free to rotate? Ive never heard such genius nonsense before in my life. I swear only you could come up with something stupid like this. I like it! Still , Gilbert insisted. "What do we do if they go for Bot anyway? No problem. Yuel answered. Youre already guarding the base and Ill be able stall them once I respawn. Theres definitely risk involved, I wont claim otherwise. Thats why Ive been quiet all this time in the first place. Risk shmisk! Trever exclaimed. It sounds fun, so lets do it! Its not like we got any better ideas anyway. Hmm, thats also true. Fine. Gilbert reluctantly approved. Then, were really going with this? Dan confirmed one last time. Everybody seemed supportive of the idea, to one degree or another. Heh, guess I should have expected absurd stuff when Yuel is calling the shots. Okay, Im off to die then. Good luck, bro! Break a leg, lol. Following Yuels instructions, Dan sold Piercing Spear and Fury Knuckles to buy Deus Shield. Normally, itd be unthinkable to break up a finished build like that. However, Yuel suggested this play without batting an eye, so there it had to make some sense in this specific situation... right? Well, at the very least, Deus Shield wasnt an uncommon item for Lancer. Lancer was a bruiser, making his builds rather flexible. He could prioritize either offense or defense, depending on the situation at hand and the role he was going for. Dan already built an Assassin Lancer, going down the offensive route to execute swift ganks. Nevertheless, Yuel judged that Dan would be more useful for the team as a bruiser right now. It felt odd switching styles this late into the game, especially at the cost of losing his full build, Still, Dan really wanted to know how deep the rabbit hole went, so he played along. Yuel must had had greater plans for him later down the road, right? Something more than suiciding on enemies like a freaking kamikaze, right? There was definitely going to be something bigger... right? Just as Yuel predicted, ComboBreaker left Mid and headed to Top through the Top Jungle. One of Yuels wards briefly exposed her, so Dan knew exactly where to find her. All thats left was to assault her, and pray he wasnt going to be wrecked on the spot. Oh, I ran into their Lancer. Jennir reported to the team. I think his ult is still down? Yeaaah, probably. Alex replied with a yawn. Just ignore him and get to Top already. Lets push all the way to their Colossus and get this snoozefest over with already. Yep, I hear ya. Jennifer nodded. No need to waste my combo here. Not like he has the balls to challenge me any- oh? She blinked. The Lancer darted toward her, what a freak. Its like getting destroyed three times already wasnt enough for him. A scrub who couldnt take a hint, huh. Theres no way he could 1v1 her. She knew it, he knew it, everybody and their mom knew it. Yet, he insisted to fight. What a scrub. The enemy team proved itself a little more competent than she originally expected, but this was just sad. In the end, they were just a bunch of freshmen and juniors, they had nothing on the Leopards lineup of seniors. Well, seems like the fool wants to suicide on me. Jennifer licked her lips. Imma accept the free kill, thanks in advance. Yeah, whatever. Alex shrugged. Just get here already so we can close the game. But, Jennifer no longer listened. All her attention was concentrated on the enemy in front of her. For a combo player, even the tiniest inaccuracy could result in disaster. Therefore, unrelated crap had to be filtered out. The world around her ceased to exist. Only the jungle displayed on the monitor was real right now, the entire universe was compressed into that small space. That was her entire world, the only thing that mattered right now. The Lancer charged straight at her, no doubt preparing to leap. Hes seriously going for Lunge? This scrub just refuses to learn, huh. Seems like he wasnt burned enough! Jennifer answered the telegraphed attack by casting Pillar of Fire under her feet. Then, she immediately rolled aside. The Lancer came down crashing from the sky, but all that awaited him was burning ground. Too bad, sucker! Ez game ez life. But, she wasnt done yet! She activated Burning Spirit to boost attack speed and barraged the Lancer. The attacks werent only lightning speed, they also hit like trucks. She was empowered by the Pillar of Fire she cast earlier and her attacks shredded the Lancers defense, thanks to Demonic Arm. Right before the Lancer left the burning area to continue his offense, she activated Spellbook of Doom. A single tick from Pillar of Fire was enough to proc the powerful combo effect. Here came some real damage! Hasta la vista, baby. Jennifer grinned triumphantly as she unleashed Flame Wave, deleting her target from existence... or so it should had went. Eh? Wha? She blinked. Something was wrong. Very very VERY wrong. The Lancer somehow retained over 20% HP. Not only that, but his armor fired a shockwave, stunning Jennifer. Wha, when did he-!? Jennifer instinctively hit the TAB button, confirming her suspicion. Deus Shield, a defensive item which granted protections and HP. At Lv.3, it also released a stunning shockwave when the player dropped below 30% HP. When did he buy it? Didnt he build an Assassin Lancer!? Last time she checked, this guy had a finished build! What gave!? He ruined his full build, dropping from 5 items to 4, to afford the pricy Deus Shield. The heck was going on!? Oh, crap! Jennifer realized her foolishness and shook her head. Even the slightest distraction was poisonous for a combo player, she was no exception to the rule. Focus! FOCUS! While she was stunned by this unexpected mess, the Lancer closed the distance. He struck her with a sweeping attack, lowering her defense and mobility. Right after, he followed with a barrage of basic attacks. They packed a punch, even though he traded two offensive items for a defensive one. The rest of his build still provided more than enough power to pressure Jennifer, a squishy combo mage who couldnt afford any defensive items in her build. Theres no escape, I gotta take him out. NOW! Jennifer made a fast judgment and activated her ult, Blaze of Inferno. Wasting it in a 1v1 like this was regrettable, but it was either the ult or her life. With respawn times clocking at half a minute at this stage of the match, she couldnt afford to fall here! You have killed an enemy! Phew, safe. Amidst the whole mess, she missed the 2 seconds window in which Spellbook tremendously buffed her spells. Nevertheless, even a vanilla Blaze of Inferno was enough to delete what little remained of the Lancers HP. She dropped to 40% HP in all this commotion, but at least she survived through it. Alrighty, Jennifer exhaled. This fight turned out way crazier than I expected, but at least its over now. As a result of the whole mess, both her combo potential and her ult were now on cooldown. But, she only needed basic attacks to push Top anyway, so everything was A-OK. With the pesky Lancer out of the way, she headed toward Top as planned- Ack!? A wild enemy appeared! The Ranger! The hell he was doing all the way out here!? Wasnt he defending Bot last time she saw him!? Agh, he got me... Jennifer couldnt put on a real fight with her spells on cooldown. She attempted to flee, but it was probably futile. Burning Spirit was on cooldown, so no mobility buff for her. Flame Wave wasnt ready either, so she couldnt even smack that schmuck with any serious damage. It was a game over. While his wolf pinned Jennifer to the ground, the Ranger rekt her with bolts from his crossbow. You have been killed! Man, they pulled a fast one on me. Jennifer bit her nail, still processing what the flipping heck just happened. The heck was that Ranger even doing all the way out here? Wasnt he defending Bot? I didnt hear any missing calls. Well, Alex shrugged. Everybody probably assumed hell keep pushing Bot after clearing the wave. He knitted his eyebrows as he examined Jennifers monitor, showing uncanny interest in the match for a change. I should have refreshed the Ward in Bot, my bad Albert admitted. Their Druid keeps taking it out, so I got tired of renewing it. Nah, dont beat yourself over it. Jennifer shook her head. That rotation was some serious BS. Like, how he even considered leaving Bot unprotected when the Golem is almost dead? I swear, these guys are worse than Bronze players sometimes. Or are they? Alex questioned. Whats that supposed to mean? What if the two plays are connected? Wut? The Lancers suicide attack and the Rangers rotation. Individually, each of them looks like a poor misplay. But, if you look at the combined result they produced - its not half bad, actually. Huh? What are you on about, man? Jennifer raised an eyebrow. He left Bot totally open, we can invade it right away. Except, do we actually have anybody in Bot to who can push right away? Oh, shit. Jennifer crossed her arms and tilted her head. Well, this blows. In other words, Alex said. We cant punish that misplay of the Ranger. We were sure he wont leave Bot any time soon, so we focused on Top instead. Yeah, okay. But, how does that make his stupid rotation a good play? Please, youre drunk. As I said, by itself its pretty shaky. But, if you also take the Lancers suicide attack into account, then they basically traded a Jungler for a Carry there. Hah, youre saying they planned this from the get-go? Jennifer sneered. Please, who plays like that? Theyve been playing pretty standard so far, no way they planned that kind of nonsense. Dont forget their Lancer changed his build right before this happened. This whole thing stinks. Nah, youre making shit up, man. Yeah, probably. Alex shrugged, already regretting he took this match seriously for even a second. Anyway, what now? The plan was to help you push Top, but thats down the toilet now. No problem, just push it all the way yourselves! Jennifer pumped a fist.. Cody tanks, Joey smacks the Golem and you clear minions. Were still pressuring these scrubs hard, we got this! But, my clear speed is... Well, whatever. Alex shrugged. Sucks that we cant push all the way without you, I want this borefest over with already. Just the thought that well have to fight these guys four more times puts me to sleep. Hey now, stop being a lazy fuck and do your job. I know, I know. What a pain. Alex sighed. At the time, they had no idea. The peculiar play by the Lancer and Ranger, which led to Jennifers death, was just the first step in Yuels turnaround strategy. Vol.2 Ch.16: The Sacrifices True Meaning An enemy has been killed! SHUTDOWN Hell yeah, that went smooth! Trever pumped a fist after killing ComboBreaker. Okay, since Im already here, Imma go defend Top. No, push Mid. Yuel said. Huh? Why? They gonna to push Top next, we gotta defend. I know, but you better push Mid. Yuel insisted. I suggested trading a Jungler for a Carry to give us the push advantage. The only way I see us winning right now is by taking Mid, even at the expense giving up Top and Bot. Heh, Roi chuckled. First you sacrificed poor lil Dan, now you sacrifice lanes. Youre a Chessmaster alright, lol. Im not sure I like this. Trever objected. They gonna bring a mage, bruiser and assassin to push Top. Im sure we gonna lose the Golem if I dont help right now. Dont get me wrong, Yuel was quick to defend his tactic. Even though I said give up the lanes, I didnt mean were going to just sit and watch them take Top. Me and Gilbert will keep them at bay. 2v3 sounds like a disaster. They gonna take the Golem. Yes, most likely. Yuel nodded. But, itll take them some time. Meanwhile, you can push Mid. You killed their Carry, so we can push faster than them for a while. The only way I see us winning this game is by pushing all the way through Mid. So, everything is riding on you, Carry. Riding on me... Trever blinked and scanned his teammates. Everybodys eyes were on him. He was the captain and the Carry, and now the responsibility for securing victory was also dropped on his shoulders.. Heh, aint that cool!? I got it! Ill carry us to victory, guys! He dashed to Mid right away! Heh, what simpleton. Gilbert whispered to Yuel. Good job roping him into that one. Hm? I just said the truth. Yuel rolled his eyes. A lot is riding on how far he can push Mid. Heh, I see. Well, now that you finished tricking him into doing your bidding, I hope you got an actual plan for defending Top. Not really. Yuel admitted. We just defend, thats all. You serious? We cant hold them long just the two of us. Our minions will be pretty useless too, since the pushers are coming at us with a mage. A hybrid mage. Yuel corrected. His push potential is nowhere near what you expect from a proper mage, especially now in late game. Were finally going to punish that? Great. Gilbert nodded in approval. Its rather irritating how hes been getting away with a hybrid build for so long. He somehow manages to both be a huge pain in team fights and still clear waves fast enough. Yeah, he sure knows how to play that off-meta build. Yuel agreed. But, he cant fool the math. Warlock was a mage primarily played as Mid, but he had enough utility to be a viable Support too. Same as with any other flexible mage, the build for a Mid Warlock greatly differed from a Support Warlock build. While Mid Warlock focused primarily on building power and penetration, Support Warlock prioritized defense and utility However, Freezers Warlock didnt fall under either of these categories. He built a Hybrid Warlock, combining items from both Mid Warlock and Support Warlock. Thus, he had just enough power to push lanes and also greatly impact team fights with his utility. Truly, he had the best of both worlds. However, no matter how great the hybrid build sounded, theres a reason why only the specialized builds were considered meta. Players could only build 5 items throughout a match, so a hybrid build had to split said 5 slots between offense and utility. As a result, Hybrid Warlock couldnt reach the same damage output as a pure Mid Warlock, no matter how well he played. Thats just simple math, theres no beating math. So, even though the Mid Laner was usually only second to the Carry in term of push potential, Freezers clear speed didnt live up to that expectation. It was difficult to punish this build during the mid game, but the late game is where the difference was going to be critical. Combo Pyromancer and Hybrid Warlock, huh. Yuel smiled. Breaker and Freezer played off-meta builds, yet they were the most impactful enemies this match. He didnt approve of these builds by any means. Yet, he couldnt help but respect the players for mastering the builds enough to make them competitively viable. With that being said, he was going to exploit the weaknesses of these off-meta builds as much as possible. Theres no place for sentiments in a competitive match. Theres only one goal: to win at any cost. As expected, he and Gilbert managed to keep the three pushers at bay. Gilberts Electromancer was built like a textbook Mid, so his ability to outclear Freezer played a huge role. Thanks to Gilbert wiping out enemy waves faster than Freezer cleared allied waves, the enemy couldnt get any minions into the Golems range. Compared to that, Yuel barely affected the progress of minions on lane due to his low damage output. Instead, his job was to shield Gilbert with Gaias Protection, denying any opportunities to burst Gilbert down. He also occasionally pulled an enemy into the Golems range with Natures Grasp, making them receive sizable damage from the Golem. Unable to make any progress, the enemy team must had gotten agitated. The Viking rushed into the Golems range without any minions accompanying him, he planned to tank the Golem all by himself. A bold move, considering they had no Carry. With no enemy minions in the Golems range, the Golems attack and defense were at their highest. The Viking was tanky enough to tank the Golem for a while despite this handicap, but his efforts were overshadowed by the enemys lack of Carry. The Warlocks basics lacked a punch and the Vampire only dished out high damage against players, not structures. It came across as a desperate push, they probably thought itd pass because they had been dominating the game so far. Lets focus the Vampire first. Yuel said. Prioritizing kills over defense, huh. Gilbert smiled meaningfully. Got it. Lets see where this goes. If they wanted to put on the optimal defense, theyd need to go after the Viking tanking the Golem. Once the Viking was out of the picture, the Golem would shift its attention to one of the squishier enemies. The enemy would be forced to retreat right away. But, instead, Yuel wanted to use this opportunity to score as many kills as possible, even at the expense of losing the Golem. Saving a tower was usually considered more valuable than scoring a kill, but in the late game it wasnt as clear cut due to long respawn times. Also, StormBlitz were playing from behind, so every kill they scored was a huge deal. Alright, here goes. Yuel exhaled and concentrated straight ahead. Blink and pull him. Blink and pull. Just along this line, no need to aim. He repeated the scenario multiple times in his head to build confidence. The play he was about to perform was mechanically demanding, not something an all-thumbs player like him could pull on a whim. To make make things easier for himself, he aligned the enemy Vampire in a straight line ahead. This way, hed just have to move in a straight line and wouldnt need to especially aim at the Vampire. Ill blink and pull the Vampire. Yuel announced and activated Blink, teleporting a short distance ahead. He immediately followed up with Natures Grasp, hitting the Vampire with the stretched tree branches. The Vampire didnt even get a chance to react to this assault. It was a quick and slick play, which Yuel could only execute by preparing ahead of time and making the conditions easier for himself. As soon as the Vampire was pulled closer, Gilbert fired a basic attack to apply one Electric Charge on the Vampire and followed up with Chain Lightning. The lightning struck the Vampire for high damage, made even higher by the Electric Charge on the Vampire. On top of that, it applied yet another Electric Charge on the Vampire. But, it wasnt done yet. The lightning bounced toward the nearest enemy with Electric Charge: the Viking. It dealt lower damage, but it applied another Electric Charge and bounced yet again! Viking and Vampire were the only enemies around with Electric Charge and they were close enough to each other. Thus, Lightning Chain ping-ponged between them for a total of 6 times. The Vampire almost escaped the Golems area in the meantime, but it was futile. An enemy has been killed! The Vampire blew up. Regardless of distance, Gilberts Electrical Explosion set off the 4 Electric Charges inflicted on the Vampire. There was no chance of escaping in the first place. Good, thats one important kill. Optimally, the next target would be Freezer. Unfortunately, he positioned himself too well. Yuel had no idea how to pick Freezer off without putting Gilbert at risk. Therefore, they had no choice but to focus the Viking next. An enemy has been killed! An allied Golem has been destroyed! In the end, the enemy took down the Golem. However, they had to pay for it with the deaths of their Vampire and Viking. Only Freezer got away, despite Yuel and Gilberts attempt to chase. One Golem for two deaths. Was it worth it for the enemy team? In the long run, it would certainly pay off. However, Yuel had no intention dragging this match to that point. While the enemies were busy pushing Top, Trever took down Mid Turret and kept pushing all the way to Mid Golem. There was nobody around to halt his progress, so he blitzed through the lane with ease. In the time it took three enemies to finish off the Top Golem, Trever destroyed Mid Turret from 70% HP and brought Mid Golem down to 40% HP. Thats how good a Carry was at pushing during late game. Only now, that the Cryomancer respawned and the Freezer returned to base, Trever was forced to retreat. He couldnt destroy the Golem in time, but this push turned the tides in Mid. Phew, cant believe this really worked. Trever exhaled once he retreated to safety. Cant believe they let me get away with this. Their defense was so tight until now, the heck happened? It was tight thanks to the Warlock and Cryomancer. Yuel explained. While ComboBreaker was the core of the enemys offense, Freezer was the teams shield. And, both of them were often supported by the Cryomancer, who knew both how to enhance Breakers aggression and to solidify Freezers defense. StormBlitz tackled Freezers defense multiple times so far, to no avail. He always knew the right place and time to be at. So, instead of breaking through his defense, it was smarter to dodge it altogether. Based on how passively he played during the laning phase and that he went for a hybrid build instead of full damage, its clear he was more comfortable defending than attacking. Therefore, as long as StormBlitz could sidestep his defenses, they didnt have worry about his offensive potential. Back when Trever pushed Mid, the Cryomancer was dead and Freezer was stuck in Top. In other words, the key defender and his backup were both missing, Thats why Yuel ordered to push Mid with that timing. Wow, thats some deep thoughts right there, bro! Trever laughed and smacked Yuel on the back. Ugh, it hurt. It isnt over yet. Gilbert pointed out. Our Top Golem is out and the other two arent exactly healthy either. It was an interesting plan, but I dont quite see what we gained from it. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Pushing all the way through Mid is the only way I see us winning this. Yuel explained. I know it doesnt look like we gained much from this, but thats the only path I saw to victory. Hmm, alright then. Whats next on the menu? There are multiple options, but... Yeah, I think this one is the best. Yuel nodded to himself. Dan is about to respawn, so he, Gilbert and Trever should go kill the Overlord together. Wow, wow! Trever exclaimed. Aint that dangerous as heck? They still got two players alive, soon three. I know theres a huge risk, I believe I said my plan was risky from the beginning. Yuel sighed. Honestly, justifying every little play he suggested was getting tedious. Gilberts shot-calls werent questioned much, so why only Yuel? Sigh, whatever. He had to keep the plan rolling if he wanted the team to grasp victory. To make the discussion short and simple, he brought up his usual argument. I dont see us making a comeback if we cant take the Overlord here. Okay, gotcha. Trever nodded, satisfied with this overly simple explanation. Well, he was a simpleton, after all. You sure like busing the this is the only option argument. Gilbert pointed. Ugh, well.... Yuel had nothing to say back. Thankfully, Gilbert kept his voice low, so only Yuel could hear that remark. Theres no telling how the rest would react upon hearing that, so he was thankful Gilbert didnt call him out on this. Its clear Gilbert harbored some doubts regarding Yuels game plan, yet he kept giving Yuel chances to prove it was going to lead to victory. Yuel couldnt tarnish this trust, he had to make his plan work no matter what. Anyway, you three do the Overlord while I occupy the enemy team. Yuel explained. Dan, buy Teleport so you can get to the Overlord faster. Wait a minute, Dan made a face. You want me to spend gold on a utility skill? Even though I lost my full build for Deus Shield? Yes. Getting to the Overlord as fast as possible is top priority. Is that so. Dan rolled his eyes. But, if its just me, Trever and Gil, who gonna tank the Overlord? I dont think Trevers lifesteal gonna cut it. You will. Eh? You have Deus Shield and you can buy a Lv.1 Mistmail after buying Sprint, thanks to the gold we got when Trever destroyed the Mid Turret. Heh, so your plan all along was to turn me into a bruiser. Yes, thats the idea. Yuel nodded. Thats a decision he made after evaluating Dans worth as an assassin this match. As an assassin, Dans job was to pick off key targets, namely the Carry and Mid. However, said key targets, Breaker and Freezer, were irregularities this match. Hybrid Warlock built more defensive items than the typical Mid Laner, so it was harder to burst him down. On the other hand, Combo Pyromancer had such an absurdly high burst that getting close to her spelt immediate doom. With all of that considered, it wasnt worth keeping Dan as an assassin. Even though he had to sacrifice his finished build to make the switch from assassin to bruiser, a half-baked bruiser was going to be more impactful than full-fledged assassin right now. Especially, since the bruiser build allowed him to tank the Overlords destructive attacks. Hmm, so the Deus Shield idea wasnt just to stall their Pyro. Gilbert nodded to himself after hearing the gist of Yuels reasoning. Aha! I knew it! Dan exclaimed. That kamikaze was just the prologue. I knew I was meant for greater things! He happily followed Yuels instructions now, without raising further objections. Phew, it went through. Yuel sighed in relief. Dan wasnt a simpleton like Trever, so it was harder to convince him play along with tactics he found questionable. Fortunately, Yuel managed to eloquently present his reasoning in a way that resonated with Dan. He should really practice this skill some more. He bought it, huh. Gilbert smirked. You sure know how to excite them about your unconventional plays. It may have become a habit. Yuel shrugged. I spend too much time with a goof who has to be excited about doing things he doesnt fully agree with, otherwise hell throw a tantrum. I see. Gilbert chucked. So, destroying the Mid Turret gave Dan just enough gold to buy both Teleport and Mistmail. And, we got a convenient Checkpoint Ward not too far from the Overlord. Then, theres also me and Trever being close to the Overlord, so we can start right away. Was that all part of the plan? Yes, I considered your future positions and gold after the kamikaze play. Yuel nodded. Are you saying I missed something? No, not at all. On the contrary, you thought everything so thoroughly I cant find anything to nitpick. Your plan started off on the wrong foot with me, but its coming together now.. Oh, thank you. Yuel smiled. He felt awkward for taking away the shot-caller role from Gilbert and suggesting plays which GIlbert couldnt agree with. But, it seemed they were finally on the same page. So, were seriously going for the Overlord? In this situation? Trever asked. This is risky as hell, guys. But hey, its our only way to win. Gilbert parroted Yuels cheap excuse. I agree, it IS one hell of a risky play. But, lets give it a chance anyway. If we take the Overlord here, I can see us actually winning. Thats already way better than anything we had before. Heh, so were going all in because we got nothing else? Thats ballsy. I like it! Trever grinned and dashed toward the Overlord. The strike team consisting of Trever, Gilbert and Dan was finally in agreement. The next and most critical step in Yuels plan was about to begin. Roi, join me in Mid when you respawn. Yuel requested. With just their Warlock and Cryo, they dont have enough offense. I want to lock them in their base. Roger. Lets imprison these scrubs, lol. Roi grinned. Though, their Pyro is coming back soon. No problem, theres still twenty seconds. Yuel said after examining ComboBreakers respawn timer. Twenty seconds was a good number. There was much they could achieve in that time, such as taking out the Overlord. Thats exactly how Yuel envisioned this situation, all the way back when he ordered Dan to commit kamikaze. Dans suicide attack on ComboBreaker looked like simple a 1-for-1 on surface, but it was more than that. Dan died some time before Breaker, so he respawned before her as well. In addition, Breaker was on a killing spree at the time, so her respawn time was extended upon being shut down. Its a comeback mechanic in game, which Yuel abused to the fullest here. Thanks to that, Yuel and Roi had plenty of time to push Mid and force the enemy to react. While the enemies were busy defending Mid, Trever, Gilbert and Dan met up near the Overlords camp and started their raid. Everything proceeded smoothly, just as Yuel envisioned it. The remaining question was how well his diversion, that of him and Roi being in Mid, would work on the enemy, Okay, Im back, boys! Jennifer announced as her Pyromancer FINALLY respawned. Jeez, that only took forever. Lets get these guys dead and push Mid all the way! Something is wrong here... Alex mumbled. Heh, conspiracy theories again? Jennifer chuckled. I just dont get it. Alex tilted his head. They pushed Mid all the way to the Golem and had a 5v2 situation. Why switch back to defense so soon? I dont see what the Druid and Knight are trying to achieve in Mid alone. Its like theyre buying time... Meh, no point overthinking how potatos play. Jennifer shrugged. I also think they shouldve went all out in Mid while they had the chance, maybe then theyd actually get somewhere. Though, Im sure we wouldve crushed them anyway. I havent seen the rest of their team for a while now. Maybe theyre doing Overlord? No way. Jennifer shook her head. Both their tanks are here. Their Ranger didnt build enough lifesteal to tank stuff, so they dont have anybody else to soak damage. Yeah, youre right... Alex answered reluctantly. Cmon, enough with the conspiracy theories already. Just focus on whats in front of you. I wonder, how do you explain their recent absence? Easy. Their Electro and Ranger were injured, right? So, they retreated to base. And, the Lancer respawned just a little before me, so he didnt get anywhere yet. Relax, nobody is doing Overlord- An enemy defeated the Overlord! SAY WHAT!? Jennifer jumped. Told you so. Alex sighed. But how!? Who tanked it!? Hmm. Their Lancer, probably? How does that even work? He has an assassin build, he cant- Oh. OOOH! Everything clicked in Jennifers head! Last time she faced the Lancer, he had a Lv.3 Deus Shield and an empty item slot. Right! He must had discarded his assassin build and went for a bruiser build! If he bought at least one more defensive items, tanking the Overlord was possible. Rough, but possible.. Shit, thats how they did it! Dang it! They totally had us there. Grrrr Jennifer hissed. I bet theyre planning to go full gas in Mid. Most likely. Alex nodded. With the Overlord buff, they actually got a chance to break through. Nah, not happening! Not under my watch! Jennifer proclaimed. The 3v5 at the beginning gonna be rough, but once we stop them - the game is ours! Lets do this, boys! Yeah! Go go go! Everybody roared along with Jennifer, except for the lazy bum. Yeah, lets go and all that... Losing the Overlord was a nasty blow, but so what? They were still a hundred thousand percent gonna win this thing! No question about it! Without losing any spirit, the Leopards prepared to hold their ground in the games most critical moment yet. Wellt push Mid once everybody gets here. Yuel explained. No shit, Sherlock. Roi chuckled. Lets go, boys! Trever howled. This is probably our first and last chance to win this, Gilbert said. Dont mess up. Huh, turns out my kamikaze may win us the whole game. Dan smiled wryly. What can I say? Awesome. They had a real chance at winning now, everybody felt it. Through a sequence of unconventional plays, Yuel turned this hopeless match around. The whole time, he doubted whether such high-risk high-reward tactics would work in a competitive match. Fortunately, they were were plenty effective. Now that he came this far, he was going to trust his tactics until the very end! First, we should take out their Warlock. Yuel said. Trever, can you set a trap? Ill pull him into it. No problem. The most dangerous player on the enemy team was ComboBreaker, with her scary burst potential. However, the one who influenced team fights the most and made life difficult for everybody - was Freezer. His hybrid build allowed him control team fights via enhanced CC effects, while still dishing out decent damage. Each time StormBlitz faced Freezer directly: they either lost the team fight, or were stalled for so long that they had no choice but give up on. Therefore, Freezer was the first objective. Until they eliminate the enemys defensive key player, theres no chance of moving forward. Lets pretend were going all in right off the bat. Yuel said. Move forward aggressively, but dont spend any of your important skills yet. Roger. Trever saluted. Sounds good. Gilbert nodded. Lol, lets do this, bois! Roi shouted. So, were baiting, huh. Sounds like fun. Dan smiled mischievously. This was it, the decisive fight. They were either going to push through or fal. Either way, the game would be decided by the outcome of this final assault. Here they come! Jennifer announced. Theyre going full force, dont hold anything back! Weve beaten the crap outta them like twenty times already, so lets do that again! Right! No problem! Of course. Whatever... Despite the recent losses, the Leopards morale was at an all time high. No matter how bad things got, Jennifer never doubted their victory. Her mental image hadnt changed even once throughout the match. It was the image of her team, trampling over a bunch of inexperienced scrub. Maintaining this positive image was 50% of the victory, according to their coach. Among everybody on the team, and maybe even among everybody in the whole club, Jennifer excelled at crafting an unwavering mental image better than anybody. Heh, look at these amateurs. Jennifer shook her head. Theyre going all out because they got the Overlord buff, thinking theyre all that. We gonna stop them here! Alex, use your ult! Quick! I got it already, no need to yell in my ear... Alex cracked his neck and sighed. This gung-ho atmosphere was so not him. Couldnt this chick play quietly for once? Well, whatever. You sure you want me to ult right away? Thats usually our trump card for team fights. Yeah, let em have it! Just look how hard theyre pushing, we got this fight in the bag once we hold them down. If you say so. Alex wasnt as convinced, especially considering the enemys recent movements. They played aggressive, but smart. Therefore, risking everything on one reckless push didnt sound like them. Well, either way, this hyper aggressive play put Alex between a rock and a hard place. He didnt want to spend his ult before confirming the enemys game plan, but he also couldnt possibly allow them push the Golem as they pleased. There was no choice here, not really. He activated Eldritch Nightmare, wrapping the whole area in darkness. The effectiveness of the CC was greatly mitigated compared to its full potential, because all five enemies were caught in its range. It didnt entirely rob their vision and didnt slow them that much, but it did its job of disorienting them. It should be enough to thwart the enemys hyper aggressive push... That is, if they really planned to push this aggressively in the first place. As soon as Alex activated Eldritch Nightmare, the whole enemy team fell back. Their reaction was smooth, as if they planned to retreat like that from the get-go. Wha!? How did they get away so fast? Jennifer exclaimed. They baited us. What a pain... Alex rolled his eyes. He suspected the enemys hyper push was a trap, but theres no way their idiot captain was going to listen to him anyway. Whatever. The match was probably already decided, its just a matter of time now... Watch out for the pull! Huh? Ah! Tree branches stretched in Alexs direction. He had to dodge! Roll aside! Quick... Shit. The Druids branches pulled the Warlock right into the center of the enemy team. They ripped Alex apart like a pack of hungry wolves. It was over. Oh well. You have been killed! How the hell ya didnt dodge that!? Jennifer ranted. Yeah, my bad. Alex averted his eyes and sighed. That pull wasnt hard to dodge, he understood that in his head. But, for some reason his body failed to catch up with his thoughts. How annoying. Behold, thats what happens when you slack so much! If you bothered showing your damn face more often in the club, youd dodge that kind of stuff no problem. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Alex shrugged. Seriously, this chick was such a pain. Well, none of that mattered anyway, they pretty already lost. At least, he left the stage early and could take a break now. Okay, this one went smooth! Trever said. Good pull on that Warlock, man. You totally caught the guy off guard. Thank you. Yuel smirked. He cooked up that calculated pull after observing how Freezer reacted to various combat scenarios. Freezer was on the top of his game when his opponents played aggressively. However, his movements turned strangely sluggish the moment his enemies made a defensive play. Whether it was due to a lack of experience or a lack of practice, Yuel couldnt tell. Either way, this glaring weakness in Freezers defense was something Yuel couldnt ignore. As soon as the team switched from hyper aggression to playing defense, Yuel took advantage of Freezers momentary confusion. It was risky, since a telegraphed Natures Grasp was easy enough to dodge from this distance. Luckily, the play paid off big time. With the Warlock out of the picture, StormBlitz gained extra breathing room. The key enemy defender was out, so nobody was going to punish them too hard for playing greedily. Nothing was 100% guaranteed yet, but everybody in StormBlitz felt they were about to settle this. They had unstoppable momentum right now and were going to push with it all the way to the enemy Colossus. Regardless of how the push was going to turn out, this is where the match would be decided! Vol.2 Ch.17: Destroyer of Optimal Plays After eliminating Freezer, their greatest obstacle in team fights, StormBlitz pushed Mid Lane with full force. With the Overlords buff providing defense and regeneration to the whole team, they were unstoppable. Man, theyre so persistent! Jennifer clicked her tongue. Due to that stupid Overlord buff, her combo burst couldnt wreck enemies as quickly as before. It was still explosive enough to wipe out squishy targets, like the enemy Ranger and Electromancer, but that pesky Druid got in the way. Somehow, that damn Druid always put a shield on Jennifers next target, right as she was about to start her combo. The heck with that perfect timing? Its hard to believe a freshman could make such smooth plays. Dang it, must be beginner''s luck. Were so getting styled on right now. Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, the Leopards did a good job protecting their Mid Golem. They body-blocked many of the Rangers shots, giving up their lives for this noble cause. An ally has been killed! You have killed an enemy! An ally has been killed! You have killed an enemy! An ally has been killed! After a grindy battle, only Jennifer was left to guard the Golem. But, she was gonna pull through! The Leopards super minions pushed Top this whole time, they were about to invade the enemys base. The enemy team was running out of time, theyd have to retreat if Jennifer were to stall them just a little longer. No matter what, Jennifer was gonna make sure this defense operation was a success. Albert, Cody and Joey - their deaths wont in vain! Alexs didnt count though, that idiot got himself killed first like some Bronze V scrub. Unfortunately, the enemy still had their Ranger, Knight and Druid, That sucked. Hard. The good news: these three were running low on HP and the Druid just recently used Gaias Protection, so no more pesky shields for at least 15 seconds. Jennifers ult was about to come online, so shed be in a great position to finish off these dying scrubs. This match wasnt decided yet! She was gonna destroy these cucklords! What we gonna, man? Trever asked. Shes zoning us real hard. This is rough. Yuel bit his lip. I didnt expect such tight defense without the Warlock. That was a miscalculation on my part. The team was stuck in an awkward position. The enemy Golem was down to 20% HP, an amount Trever could wipe out in a matter of seconds. However, they exhausted a lot of resources to get this far, including their HP. Normally, this late into the game, Druid and Knight could tank the Golem long enough for Trever to seal the deal. However, neither Yuel not Roi had enough HP to pull that off right now. The enemy insisted to stall StormBlitzs push at any cost, so they didnt pull any punches even against tanks. The enemy showed unrelenting determination and perseverance, that was the core of Yuels miscalculation. Based on the individual performance of each enemy so far, Yuel estimated theres a high chance StormBlitz would successfully push through. However, the enemy players shattered this prediction to pieces. Its like the idea of losing didnt even cross their minds, they gave their all until the bitter end. In fact, the Leopards even went on the offensive a couple of times during their defense. That put immense pressure on StormBlitz. The tiniest misplay could result in the enemy stealing the initiative. StormBlitz were supposed to be the predators in this situation, yet their prey was ready to pounce at them at the first opportunity. Thats how Dan and Gilbert were eliminated. Even though Yuel always predicted who ComboBreaker gunned for, he failed to keep his allies alive. With Breaker as the vanguard, the enemy displayed relentless retaliation. Yuel never faced such overwhelming aggression from a cornered enemy before. Such intensity, such strength. So, this is how a real competitive match felt like. It was so thrilling! Even after he analyzed and deconstructed every opponent, the enemy continued to surprise him and overwhelm StormBlitz. Honestly, he probably wasnt even going to feel too bad about losing to such strong opponents. Nevertheless, his brain didnt stop racing. After coming this far, he wanted to win. There had to be a way! The enemy only had one defender left! Option 1: Yuel and Roi would occupy Breaker, while Trever would destroy the Golem. At best, Yuel and Roi would be exchanged for a Golem. Trever might or might not escape alive. A bad idea. There were more enemies who died before StormBlitzs players, so they were going to respawn first. Considering how long the respawn times were at this point, the respawned enemies would easily push all the way to the Colossus before StormBlitz can regroup, especially with Breaker still in the game. Option 2: Retreat and wait for the team to regroup, then try settling the match with one final 5v5. Better than option 1, but still shaky. Judging by how much trouble they had pushing Mid with 5v4 and an Overlord buff, they were going to lose that 5v5. Not to mention, the enemy was going to regroup faster thanks to their earlier respawn, so StormBlitz would start the fight at a disadvantage. Option 3... Option 4... ... Option 27... Think! Think! There has to be something! He searched and searched, simulating countless scenarios in his head. The best ideas led to facing Breaker here and now, but how could he break through her? Was there anything she lacked? Anything she was bad at? No matter how many times he went over the data in his head, he pictured Breaker as a bulletproof player with abundance of skill and experience. In fact, thanks to Breaker playing so optimally, Yuel successfully countered a few of her assaults in the recent fight. She gunned hard for Trever and Gilbert, the two damage dealers. Thats the optimal tactic in virtually any team fight, so Yuel always withheld Gaias Protection until Breaker made her move, then countered her. Repeating this routine, he successfully kept Trever alive. However, he wasnt as lucky with Gilbert, who got rushed down by the enemy team after Breaker injured him. So, even when Yuel knew how Breaker was going to play, it wasnt possible to thwart her plans 100% of the time. The same applied to the current situation. Even though he had a good idea how Breaker was going to play against each option Yuel came up with, that didnt help him find a decisive move to strike her down with. If such a checkmate existed, he wasnt able to read the necessary moves toward it. Lemme handle this chick. Roi said. Imma send her balls flying all the way to the stand! You want to parry her attacks? Yuel was taken aback, surprised both by Rois sudden suggestion and by the fact he somehow understood Rois nonsensical baseball lingo. Yeah, lemme at her. You two focus the Golem, Imma cover your asses. Can you actually hit her basics, though? Gilbert asked. You better not be making things up, this is a critical moment. Heh, who do you think youre talking to? Roi grinned. Im the cleanup hitter! Theres no ball I cant hit! Yeah, very convincing from someone who couldnt parry a single attack the whole match. Gilbert made a face. You think I didnt see you try? Your swings missed beautifully. T-That was just warm up! Dont worry, man! I got a good feel for her timing, so Imma hit her pitches when it counts! Cant say Im convinced. Gilbert shrugged. But, at the same time, I dont see what else we got. What do you think, Yuel? Eh? Me? Yuel blinked. Yes, you. Youre the shot-caller right now, remember? Ive run out of ideas a long time ago. Their Top minions almost reached our base, so we dont have much time. If you got anything good, you better speak up. Now. I... dont have anything at the moment. Yuel admitted. Thats sad, we came so far too. Gilbert sighed. Alright, then what do you say about entrusting the match to this baseball geek? Im not a fan, personally. I think our best bet is to retreat and regroup. The odds wont be in our favor, but we may have a chance to beat them in one final 5v5. I... I need a moment to think. Yuel requested a timeout. Rois suggestion threw him for a loop, he needed a moment to process this new data. The countless tactics he crafted so far didnt factor this new input, so he had to put them aside for a moment and rethink everything from scratch. Roi was amazing at parrying. Yuel knew that first-hand, since he learned the art from the guy himself. While Yuel couldnt even dream of parrying a single attack from Breaker with his current skill, Roi might actually pull it off. If so, itd be a huge play for the team. But, what if he were to fail? That didnt matter, since all of Yuels ideas so far involved risk. Theres no dodging risk while aggressively pushing from behind, so, theres no point worrying about the worst case scenario. No matter which tactic he was going to pick, its worst case wasnt going to look pretty. Therefore, he only had to consider the average and best cases. Suppose Roi was going to parry at least some of Breakers shots, what new doors would that open? What kind of new play could be born from there? Judging by all the skills currently cooldown, considering Breakers optimal plays, taking into account the Golems remaining HP and.. Its possible. Yuel nodded to himself. A lot was going to ride on Rois ability to hold his ground against Breaker for at least a couple of seconds. But, if successful, there were multiple sequences of play which would led to Breakers defeat. Despite the many uncertainties, it was most likely the best play they had available right now. At least, the best out of everything he could come up with on the spot. Lets do it. Yuel said. You see a victory beyond that? Just curious. Gilbert asked. Yes, it can get us all the way to the Colossus. Yuel nodded. But, everything is riding on Rois ability to parry at least some of these fireballs. Leave it to me! Roi gave a thumb up. I really hope hes not making shit up. Gilbert sighed. Anyway, if you really believe this can convert into a victory, then I got nothing to say. Weve already done crazier stuff under your lead, no point stopping now. Lets stay crazy until the end, guys! (Trever) Yeah! Lets goooo! Imma show that combo memer she got nothing on my batting! (Roi) You better score a home run here. Focus on the batter, Sir Cleanup. (Dan) Well probably lose if you screw this up, Gilbert said. But, well definitely lose if you dont even try. So, good luck. It was a critical moment, the next play was going to make or break the game. The pressure should had been maddening, yet Yuel felt strangely calm. The two loud goofs shouted all sorts of encouraging nonsense, while Gilbert and Dan balanced them out with rationality. Yuel was surrounded by strong and reliable teammates, they knew how to maintain a high morale at all situations. No matter how much they struggled this match, they refused to give up. Thats what it meant to be a competitive player. Before we begin, I need a trap. Yuel addressed Trever. Hm? Trever tilted his head. Who do you expect to step on it? Meh, screw logic. Where do you want it? This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Around here. Yuel pinged the map. Wut? This close to the Golem? Dunno what you got in mind, but sounds spicy. Here ya go. With this, preparations were set. Yuel, Trever and Roi invaded the Golems range, opening StormBlitzs final attack. Yuel and Trever stopped shortly in front of the Golem and started attacking right away. Meanwhile, Roi proceeded ahead, covering them front the frontline If you wanna touch mah bois, first you gotta go through me! Roi faced Breaker head on. This was it. The other team was in the lead and it was the bottom of the ninth inning. With two outs and no runners on bases, the cleanup hitter entered the batting box! These pumping clutch situations, when everything came down to wire, were Rois favorite stuff about sports. The whole teams fate was riding on his bat, he had to pull this shit off! After taking a deep breath, he filtered out the noise around him. Only the pitcher in front of him mattered. So, they finally came to die. Heh. Jennifer licked her lips. She thought their makeshift team was filled with nobodies, but they sure knew how to make things exciting. They had been making one interesting play after another and this attack was no different. She was sure the Druid and Knight were going to rush her, buying time for the Ranger to destroy the Golem. So, she already mentally prepared to blink through them and combo the shit outta the Ranger, winning the game on the spot. But, only the Knight rushed her. The Ranger and Druid stayed behind and focused the Golem.... Wait. the Knight also stopped? He just stood there, a little ahead of his pals, as if saying Come at me, bro!. What the actual heck? Was it some desperate dumb move? Wait, no. She thought the same about their last couple of plays as well, until they worked out in ways she couldnt even fathom. Was it yet another one of these freakish plays? What were they going for here? Dont think too hard, it wont do you any good anyway. Coach often told her that, basically calling her dumb. Focus on the situation and on what you have to do. Right, it didnt matter. Thinking too hard about these things was never Jennifers forte anyway. She simply couldnt combine thinking and acting into one package, maybe she was really a little dumb or something. Anyway, it wasnt all bad. Combo players needed pitch-perfect execution to do their job, which required unbreakable concentration. She wasnt good at thinking and acting at the same time, but as a result - she excelled at separating the two and concentrating 100% on one at a time. This granted her flawless combo execution, which many tried and failed to achieve. There was probably something hiding in the enemys play, but so what? Shed simply crush them through sheer strength! Thats how she played until now and thats how she gonna keep playing! First, shed weaken the Knight with her basic attacks, to set him up for an easy kill. Next, shed finish off the remaining scrubs with her ult. Simple, strong and effective. Thats all her plans ever had to be. She took a deep breath, filtering out the world around her. For the first step, only the Knight in front of her mattered. Equipped with the mental image of her inevitable victory, she fired basic attacks at the Knight. Here comes the first pitch! Roi clenched his mouse. This was the decisive moment, here and now! He already faced Breakers pitches before, but he was always struck out. However, thanks to these bitter experiences, he picked up on Breakers pitching style. Always right in middle, it gonna be a meatball for sure! Roi swung his blade and... it connected! The parry was a success! It insta-cancelled his attack, allowing him to swing at Breakers second fireball right away, despite her superior attack speed. The second swing made contact too, destroying the fireball! Two home runs in a row! Eat that, lol! Roi grinned. Finally, he also contributed something valuable to the team. Trever was the teams pusher, Gilbert handled shot-calling throughout most of the match, Yuel came up with crazy plans and Dan made a sick kamikaze play. Compared to these fine plays, what cool stuff did Roi achieve this game? None, really. But, now was his time to shine! His parries were about to make the whole difference between winning and losing the match! In a world separate from the rest, he faced the enemy pitcher as a batter. All his attention was concentrated on her moves, on her reactions. Thanks to watching her so closely, he parried the third shot as well. Ez, lol. Honestly, its not like Breakers shots were bad or anything like that. On the contrary, she aimed right in the middle of his character model, making her shots as difficult as possible to dodge. However, when it came to batting, theres nothing easier than a meatball! A parry player!? Jennifer exclaimed. What were the odds!? Nobody bothered learning parrying in Classmancers! It was a meme, dang it! Heh, seems like they also got a memer on their side. Must be your soulmate, Jenny. Haha. Oh shut up. Jennifer gritted her teeth. Parries were the bane of combo builds which relied on basic attacks, such as her Combo Pyromancer which relied on the debuff from Demonic Arm. Nobody took parrying seriously in her club, so she didnt have much experience facing it. Nevertheless...! Dont underestimate me, damn memer! Jennifer roared internally and altered the angle of her next attack. Its true she didnt have experience fighting a real parry player, but she studied counters and practiced them on other club members. No matter how niche parrying was, its still the bane of her playstyle, so she couldnt possibly ignore its existence. Being prepared to every situation, no matter how unlikely, was the only way combo players could thrive on the battlefield! Whoa! A breaking ball!? Roi swung his bat against the usual meatball, but his sword sliced through empty air. Breaker slightly altered the angle of her shot right before firing, it was just enough to throw off Rois timing. The fireball hit his shoulder, which spelled doom. Shit! Sorry, I done goofed. Roi already knew what was coming. The Pyromancers attack speed was leagues ahead of his, so without insta-cancelling - his bat couldnt keep up with her pitches anymore. Theres no second chance for him, it was a strikeout. Yes! Thats it! Jennifer grinned. Her first face-off against a parry player and she won! Hell yeah! Her training wasnt in vain! Her first hit followed up by three more hits, which the Knight wasnt even fast enough to challenge. After four full hits, Demonic Arms defense debuff was in full effect. Now, she just had to combo the Knight and Ranger to death and itd be over. Taking into account the skills casting speed, she started off with Blaze of Inferno. She drew a trail of fire leading from the Knight to the Ranger, ready to unleash a blaze on both of them. But first, she had to proc the effect of Spellbook of Doom. Before Blaze of Inferno actually started hitting the targets, she scorched the ground underneath them with Pillar of Fire. The timing was just right. As soon as Pillar of Fire procd Spellbook of Doom, the flames of Inferno emerged from thin air to burn her opponents. The follow up was instantaneous, leaving her enough time to blink and add Flame Wave to the combo. Thats gonna settle the match once and for all! Right! Left! Trever and Roi shouted, confirming they were going to dodge in opposite directions like they planned. Yuel already foresaw Breakers most likely play for this situation, so the team was well prepared. With Trever and Roi dodging in opposite directions, they put Breaker on the spot. She had to decide which them she was going after, since the range of Flame Wave wasnt enough to reach them both. At least, not with ease. It was possible on paper, but she had only about a second to make her move. Could she find the best spot to blink to? In such a small window of time? Tch, dont mess with me! Jennifer roared. Her enemies started rolling in opposite directions, trying to throw her off. Thanks to the slowdown from Pillar of Fire, it was like her prey moved in slow motion. She could see every move! They werent getting away! Rolling in opposite directions was a natural counter for such situations, so of course Jennifer knew about it. To become a competitive level combo player, she had to study not only the optimal combo plays, but also their best counters. She practiced countless sceneries with her teammates, imprinting all the optimal responses onto her brain. Therefore, her body reacted without even thinking. It didnt matter she had only one second, her body was wired to make the optimal play in every situation. There was no hesitation or calculation, simply action. She blinked forward, placing herself diagonally to both targets. From this position, with this angle - she could destroy them both! It was the only spot from which Flame Wave had enough range to hit both the Knight and Ranger. Yeah, it was the stuff! Her body reacted perfectly! Ah!? She gasped. Her fingers already inputted command for Flame Wave, everything went smoothly. But. But. But, there were branches. Branches. Branches! BRANCHES!? They were getting closer and closer, about to devour her. N-No! No way!!! Indeed, she made the optimal play. She blinked to the best spot for hitting both her targets, the ONLY spot available for that. But, precisely because it was the one and only optimal move for her - it was predictable. Thank you for playing your best even in this tough situation. Yuel smiled. Truly, Breaker deserved respect. She reacted to everything with speed and efficiency, always aiming for the best plays. And, because of how highly he regarded Breaker, he put his faith in her in this critical situation. He trusted her to move to the best location available, which is why he confidently fired Natures Grasp toward that spot ahead of time. Natures Grasp was a thin skillshot, so landing it quickly on a blinking enemy was nigh impossible, especially for a mechanical scrub like Yuel. But, since he perfectly predicted her position after the blink - he made perfect contact! The tree branches reached Breaker and pulled her toward him, before she even got the chance to fire Flame Wave. At his feet laid a Beartrap, which he asked Trever to set up. Breaker was pulled right into it, getting stunned. Trever seized this opportunity, switching his focus from the Golem to Breaker. It was over. An enemy has been killed! An enemy Golem has been destroyed! From there, the push was smooth. They invaded the enemy base and fought the Colossus, destroying it before the enemy team got to respawn. VICTORY Yeah! We did it! Roi pumped a fist. That pull was hot, kid! Trever rubbed Yuels hair, which was annoying to say the least. But, Yuel couldnt bring himself to say anything back. His heart still raced from the events of the past minute. Everything happened so quickly, as if in a flash. We really did it, huh. Gilbert took a deep sigh of relief, still processing the VICTORY on the screen. Heh, Dan chuckled Turns out Suicide Lancer is the new meta, guys. It was just the first match out of five, but they celebrated as if they already won the entire thing. Hard to blame them, considering how impossible comeback they made against such a strong team. Even Yuel started losing hope toward the end, until Roi suggested that brilliant parrying idea. If not for that, theres no telling how the match would had turned out.. While everybody rejoiced they won this impossible match, Yuel also celebrated a personal victory. Its the first time his skills were put to test in a competitive match and they passed with flying colors. Facing strong opponents like Howard and Ellen on a daily basis made him questions the limits of his tactics, but they proved themselves plenty effective even on the real stage. Of course, this was still just a second string match, but it was a huge achievement nonetheless. After each game, the teams were given a 10 minutes break. Everybody left their chairs at once, joking about Dan the Kamikaze God and what not. However, Gilbert stayed behind, still staring at the matchs statistics. Is something wrong? Yuel asked. We really won this, huh. Gilbert still couldn''t quite come to terms with this reality. When I made you the shot-caller, I was sure were already doomed. Ive been making the best calls I could come up with, but it didnt get us anywhere. So, I pretty much gave up. You didnt make any mistakes, at least not from what I can tell. Yuel said. Your calls were solid, its thanks to them that we lasted for so long. But, they were nowhere near good enough. Gilbert shook his head. I was sure the only we can win is by playing defensively and waiting for the enemy to mess up. But then, you came around and turned everything on its head, starting with Dans kamikaze. That suicide play was so mind-boggling, I could never come up with something like that. Seriously, just what are your and Howards brains made of? Well... What could Yuel possibly say? Its not the first time hes told by others they couldnt understand how he came up with his strategies, and it surely wasnt the last. Even after coming all the way to the competitive scene, he still couldnt escape this curse. So annoying. Well, whatever. Gilbert shrugged and stood up. Youve proved yourself this match, so be ready - youre the shot-caller next game too. R-Really!? Of course, why the surprise? You totally owned the late game. Everybody will agree youre the better shot-caller. But, you also did a good- No, no need for that. Gilbert tapped on Yuels shoulder and smiled wryly. Ive been hanging long enough around Howard to realize Im nothing special. If handing you the shot-caller role is going to increase our chances of winning, Im fine with that. Ill do what I do best, so you do what you do best. Simple as that. I understand. Yuel nodded. Ill make sure to not disappoint. No big deal, Ill just take the role back if you mess up. Gilbert chuckled. Was it just a joke? Or, perhaps what he truly wished to happen? After all, despite everything Yuel said to console Gilbert, he actually wanted to hold onto the shot-caller role and never let go of it. Their feelings must had been mutual on the matter, but Gilbert was mature enough to surrender the role for the sake of the team. Just half a year ago, Yuel was a mere examinee applying for the Classmancers club. Since then, he climbed all the way to the second string and became its shot-caller. It was arguably the highest position on the second string, right beside the captain. In a sense, he was closer to the first string than anybody else here. Soon, hed definitely climb to the first string and take Howards position for himself! The closer he got to his goal, the stronger his spirit burned! But, before any of that, there was still a long fight awaiting him in the second string. You gotta be shitting me... Jennifer just sat there, staring blankly at her screen. How? Why? Didnt she make the best moves available for her? Didnt she play that last move perfectly? Man, cant believe we lost this... These guys are actually pretty strong, dang it. The morale of the Leopards was at an all time low. They dominated the whole game! They were going to win for sure! These confident thoughts blew up in their faces, delivering a heavy blow to their high spirits. Only one player escaped that, since he was at low spirits in the first place. Well, Alex shrugged. They got us the moment they took the Overlord. Thats bullshit! Jennifer slammed on the table. You gave up, didnt you? I saw that shit! You stood there like a damn scarecrow when the Druid pulled you! We couldve won if you just got your ass outta there in time! Big words for someone who also lost by being pulled. Alex sneered. Very captain-like of you to shift all the blame on your teammate. You little shit...! Jennifers fists trembled, she ached to leap on that lazy idiot and tear him apart. But, she knew he had a point. The momentum really shifted in the enemys favor after they took the Overlord. That was a huge oversight on her side, Alex even warned her about that possibility. It didnt excuse him from being a quitter, but it proved she shared some of the blame too. Alright, no big deal! Jennifer produced a loud clap, echoing throughout the hall. They caught us a little off guard in the end there, but weve been kicking their asses the whole game. So, were clearly better than these scrubs. Change gears and be ready to get revenge, boys! Yeah! They wont get lucky next time! The whole team was psyched. Despite the devastating defeat, not a single member of the Leopards thought they were going to lose again today. The captains enthusiasm spread throughout the team like an infection, even Alex wasnt entirely unaffected. Heh. She has the brains of a monkey, but at least she can talk big. Alex sneered. Thats literally the only reason Coach made her the captain. As long as the enemy dont break her, everybody gonna keep fighting hard. Sigh, what a drag. After tasting defeat in the first round, the Leopards were more pumped than ever. They gonna pay back the favor next game! The StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage was just getting started! Vol.2 Afterword RELEASE SCHEDULE This is the end of the second volume. I''ve maintained a decent writing pace this time around, so there won''t be a break between volumes. New chapter next week, as usual. Releasing more than once a week is sadly not an option right now, but I''m considering shortening chapters to release more frequently. Many readers apparently prefer shorter chapters, so I''ll see if I can do that in the future. Will be glad to hear opinions about that. CLASSMANCERS WIKI I want to announce the Classmancers Wiki. Even though I always try to convey the necessary information in the scenes, sometimes you may want to go back and re-read what a certain class or ability can do. Thats what the wiki is for. It''ll be regularly updated as the story progresses. To avoid spoilers, it doesn''t feature classes you havent seen much yet. For example, you saw Warlock use Eldritch Nightmare, but nothing else was revealed about its kit yet. Therefore, Warlock isn''t on the wiki at the moment. It''ll be added after you get a closer look at it in the story. Stay tuned for that in volume 3! The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I may expand the wiki further over time, adding items, utility skills and what not. Feel free to drop any suggestions about the wiki and tell me what kind of information you''d like to see the most. WHATS NEXT This volume ended with the first match of the scrimmage, but there are four more to go. Will StormBlitz keep on winning? All I can say: the road is still long. The next volume will focus almost entirely on the rest of the scrimmage. Yuel went through quite the impressive sequence of promotions this volume. From a mere rookie to the vice-captain of the second string, and at the end he even became the shot-caller. Will he climb even higher!? Next time, on Classmancers! Stay tuned. REVIEWS & FEEDBACK After two volumes, I''m sure all of you formed some opinions about the novel by now. You''re welcome to share them, both the good and the bad. Feel free to talk about how much you hate Ellen and wish her whole family dead LUL Reviewing the novel, or even just rating it, will help its growth immensely. It''s a niche type of story which doesn''t get much attention right now, so every little bit of support will go a long way. Share with everybody how much you love the novel! (or how much you hate it, lol) Vol.3 Ch.1: Strong, but Familiar The first StormBlitz vs. Leopards game in the second string ended with a clutch victory for StormBlitz. However, over the break, Yuel learned the first string lost their first match. These were shocking news, considering the first string had juggernauts like Howard, Ellen and Aron. Dont worry, Howard reassured. Well turn things around next game. You guys focus on your matches and make sure you dont blow them. Despite his words, there was a reason for concern. If somebody of ComboBreakers caliber only made it to second string in the Leopards, theres no telling what monsters inhibited the first string. Even if Howards team pick themselves up and do better in the upcoming matches, its hard to imagine anything better than a 3-2 or a 2-3 score. And, if things were to come down to the wire like this, the performance of the second string just might decide the overall winner of the scrimmage. For starters, the second string had to win at least one more match. Thatll ensure they wont become a burden for the first string, but thats just the bare minimum. Yuel wanted to go at least 4-1 to support the first string. A 4-1 in the second string would grant StormBlitz victory even if the first string were to go 2-3. Was a 4-1 possible against such a strong team? They had to make it happen somehow. With Yuel now promoted to being the teams shot-caller, the responsibility for making that possible laid with him. After a 10 minutes break, the scrimmage resumed for the second round. First, theres the drafting phase to deal with. Along with inheriting the shot-caller role, Yuel also was put in charge of the drafting. He already strategized a lot with Gilbert during the previous drafting, but this time he had the final say. That is, provided the whole team wasnt against his decisions... We really need to get that Pyromancer out of the picture. Gilbert said. Yeah, Trever nodded. Her combos are such a pain in the ass. Agreed, Dan said. Its bad news when the only way we can beat a player is by sacrificing one of ours. Lol. Roi chuckled. If we take her out, how you gonna use your secret kamikaze technique? It was just the beginning of the drafting phase, but the whole team already agreed on the idea of banning Pyromancer. Yes, the whole team wanted that... expect for Yuel. Theres no denying Breaker piloted her Combo Pyromancer exceptionally well, she was the playmaker for the Leopards. Much of the Leopards momentum was gained thanks to Breakers kills, so she was the biggest threat. Nonetheless, Yuel was against banning the Pyromancer. I... I think we should leave the Pyromancer be. Yuel gulped. His body shook and he felt sweat forming on his forehead, but he refused to stay quiet. He was entrusted with the shot-caller and drafter roles, so he had to make his stance clear. E-Even if it meant objecting against a whole team of upperclassmen.. Gulp. You serious? Trever cocked his head. You wanna let her get away with her combo shenanigans like that? Yeah, I also dont see the point. Gilbert joined in. Banning exists precisely for this sort of situations. Judging by how well she played, theres no way Pyro isnt her best class. It may be her best class, but its a class were already saw her play. Yuel argued. If we ban Pyro, well force her to play something new and well have to study her from scratch again. Combo or not, Im sure there are other classes she can play just as well. So, banning Pyro wont necessarily change much for her. Itll only put us in the dark about what shell be playing this time around. Hmm. Gilbert pondered. So, you rather face something familiar even if its strong? An interesting approach. You sound confident, I assume you know how to counter her? Yes, of course. Yuel nodded. Now that I learned how she plays Pyro, there are many ways to counter her. Last time, she caught us off guard by cloaking Spellbook of Doom and that generated huge momentum for her team,. But, now that we know what to expect, it wont happen again. Heh, thats some balls, kid! Trever laughed and smacked Yuel on the back. What a man! I like it! Ugh, thanks... Yuel massaged his broken back. Fine, lets try it. Gilbert nodded. You managed to get us a win last time, so its clear you figured them out pretty well. Worst case, well learn we cant handle her Pyro and adapt accordingly next time. Challenging her head on? Lol, thats great! Roi grinned. I still gotta pay her back for that nasty breaking ball she threw at the end there. This time Imma hit all her pitches! I cant believe were really doing this. Dan sighed. Well, if you ever need help dealing with her, just call Dan Kamikaze Co.. Thanks to Trever and Gilberts approval, the rest of the team went along with Yuels decision. Phew. He felt stiff like a statue the whole time he fought for it, but now he could finally breathe in relief. Though, new pressure dropped on his shoulders instead: after saying so much, he had to prove he could really counter the Combo Pyromancer. But, it should be fine. It had to be. Now, that they were aware of the Combo Pyromancer ahead of time, there were countless ways to prepare. Everything was going to be fine, he was going to lead this team to yet another victory with his shot calls. Lets ban their Warlock then. Trever suggested. The guy is annoying as hell with that hybrid build of his. Yeah, Id rather not deal with him if possible. Dan nodded. He always messes up our formation during team fights. Oh, definitely! Roi added. Get dat boi outta the picture pls. Actually, I disagree on that one. This time, it was Gilberts turn to object. He gave us some trouble in team fights, but he didnt strike me as a particularly component Warlock. He made some good decisions, but he didnt pilot his Warlock very skillfully. I agree with Gilbert. Yuel nodded. Freezer plays his Warlock very defensively, even too defensively. There are countless ways we can exploit that. Not to mention, if he builds Hybrid Warlock again, their Pyromancer will have no choice but to play aggressively, to compensate for the lack of damage coming from MId. So, well have even more ways to punish her. I didnt even think that far. Gilbert admitted. You really like getting deep into your enemys head, huh. Anyway, I second everything he said. That Warlock plays too defensively, even during laning phase. I took advantage of that a lot last game, so Ill gladly do that again. Well, Trever shrugged If the two smart guys agree, I got nothing to say. The rest nodded in agreement. As long Trever and Gilbert approved of something, the rest approved as well. That was the power of the captain and vice-captain. Yuel was also technically assigned as a vice-captain, but as a freshman he was clearly below Gilbert in everybodys minds. He hadnt earned their full trust, not yet anyway. He was definitely going to change their perception by the end of this scrimmage by proving himself via his shot-calling. The whole discussion about Breaker and Freezer being counterable seeded the feeling the Leopards werent that scary. Yes, they dominated throughout most of the previous game, but most of the credit went to Breaker and her unexpected combo playstyle. As long as they kept the threat of her comob in mind, they had a decent chance of winning. The moral was at an all time high. Apparently, the sentiment on the other team was the same. Even though the Leopards lost, they didnt feel inferior to StormBliz. They proved that by not banning any classes StormBlitz used last match, except for Druid. Between setting up an easy kill on Freezer and stealing victory right out of Breakers hands, it seemed the enemy didnt appreciate the way Yuel played Druid. Or, maybe it was just out of spite, who knew. Either way, it didnt matter to him. Thanks to the enemy wasting a ban on Druid, Yuel was allowed to pick Paladin, the secret tech he had his eyes on. With the silence effect of Justice Strike, he was going to shut down the Combo Pyromancer. Once drafting ended, the match began. The early game started about the same as last time. Without Spellbook of Doom, Breaker didnt have access to her combo yet, so she played defensively. She went head-to-head with Trever a couple of times, but she never overextended enough to be punished. It didnt help she was Trevers match in term of mechanical skill, which allowed to her to stand her ground even when he aggressed on her first. This was the second time Yuel played the early game against her, yet he couldnt find an opportunity to break through her defense. He tried some ideas, like using a low HP Trever as bait, but she refused to bite. Same as with her polished combo plays, her early game defense was airtight, no doubt the fruit of much practice. As a combo player, Breaker clearly understood the importance of the early game for her. It was alright for a combo played to not achieve much during the early game, so long as she didnt fall behind. For a combo player, falling behind was the worst nightmare. It meant they might not be able to burst down enemies fast enough, which was the whole point of playing combo in the first place. Therefore, her top priority during the early game was to stall until mid game. Once she gets her hands on Spellbook of Doom, the party will begin for real. Scoring a couple of kills would quickly make up for a mediocre early game. Yuel understood all of that, yet he failed to interfere with Breakers game plan. It was regrettable, but theres no choice but to wait until the mid game. Once she turns more aggressive, shed undoubtedly show some weakness. The teams were mostly matched during the early game, just like last game. Roi fought the enemy Top Laner on equal footing, both trying to aggressively knock the other out without much success. Dan and the enemy Jungler delivered about the same quality of ganks and support, so neither side gained the upper hand from that. Just like last game, the only one who gained substantial lane advantage was Gilbert. His lane opponent, Freezer, went for a Hybrid Warlock build again and played too passively for a Mid Laner, trying his best to bait Gilbert into overextending. However, Gilbert was too rational of a player to fall for that. Instead of pushing harder, he capitalized on the enemys passiveness and relied on his lane advantage to safely leave the lane. While Freezer was busy clearing the remaining minions, Gilbert farmed jungle camps or ganked other lanes. He was even bolder than last game with these actions, since now he knew how passive of a player Freezer was. To better prepare for mid game, where the game will start for real, he had to gain as much advantage as possible from exploiting Freezers weaknesses. At some point, Freezer realized his fault and tried playing more aggressively, to pressure Gilbert into staying in lane. However, that clearly wasnt his forte. Most such attempts ended with Gilbert turning the tables on Freezer and chasing him out of the lane. All in all, the favors were in StormBlitzs favor so far. But, thats also how things went in the first game, until Breaker single-handedly swung the momentum in her teams favor. The fast-approaching mid game will be the decisive point, which will prove whether allowing Breaker play Pyromancer was the right call. Yuels skill will be tested there. Their Pyro most likely got Spellbook, so be careful. Yuel warned after calculating the enemys gold in his head. Spellbook of Doom didnt show up in Breakers inventory yet, but it was most likely cloaked for the right moment, just like last game. Whoa, shes totally going for me! Trever exclaimed amidst a heated duel with Breaker. Its the first time Breaker went all out in a fight, disregarding her retreat options. It was a sign Spellbook of Doom was about to come into action. Trever and Breaker were normally evenly matched in combat, but with her combo added to the mix - she was going to destroy him! Yuel was out of the lane, so its the perfect opportunity for Breaker to finish Trever off... or so she probably thought. In truth, Yuel was right there, waiting behind a jungle wall for this very moment. He knew Breaker wouldnt miss such a golden opportunity, she always seized an opportunity when she saw one. Therefore, he created one such fake opportunity for her, baiting her into offense. A slight shudder ran through him as he realized this tactic was probably something he adopted from Ellen. Ugh. After Breaker cast Pillar of Fire, Spellbook of Doom finally showed up in her inventory. It was confirmed: she was going to finish Trever with her combo, right here and now. Everything was going to be settled in a second, thats how fast combo plays were. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Just as Breaker was about to follow up with Flame Wave, Yuel blinked through the wall and used Justice Strike. A white blade formed above Breakers head, ready to come down crashing. Wha!? Jennifer exclaimed. Where did that Paladin come from!? Didnt he rotate to Mid!? Crap! Craaaap! Theres no time to think! She had to dodge! Being silenced by Justice Strike right now would be the end of her! She rolled the hell outta there, as far away as possible from the Paladin. But, she still kept the enemy Ranger within range. Huh! They thought this much would scare her away? No freaking chance! She was gonna finish- Agh! Shit! She cursed. Didnt she just dodge Justice Strike? The white blade was right above her head a moment ago and she rolled away. But, it hit her anyway! Did that Paladin cancel and retarget it? That damn scrub! Whats with this reaction speed!? Phew, this was rough. Yuel sighd in relief when his Justice Strike connected. In truth, he didnt have full confidence in this move, considering he didnt have the necessary reaction speed for these situations. The only reason it succeeded was because he predicted where Breaker was going to roll, before even he started this gank. There werent that many good dodge roll options for Breaker if she wanted to continue her assault on Trever. She had to roll away from Yuel, while keeping Trever within her range. There werent many spots that granted both these benefits, so it wasnt hard to narrow down Breakers position post the dodge roll. After spooking Breaker by forming a white blade above her head, Yuel immediately canceled Justice Strike. Then, he cast it anew, targeting the spot where he predicted Breaker would be after the roll. The blade crashed right on her head. Too bad for her. If she gave up on killing Trever and retreated, she would had thwarted Yuels plan and would had safely gotten away. But, Yuel knew she was a confident, perhaps overconfident, senior. Theres no way shed run in this situation, not after starting her combo and getting one move away from scoring a kill. Because of that - she lost. Finish her off. Yuel said. No need to tell me twice! Trever didnt waste any time charging at the silenced Pyromancer. He pinned her to the ground with his wolf, then barraged her to death. An enemy has been killed! Hell yeah! We did it! Trever smacked Yuel on the back. Good play, kid! Ugh, thanks. Yuel put on a pained smile while massaging his back. This was a good start, it was the exact opposite of how things went last game. Last time, Trever was instantly eliminated by Breakers combo, but this time they defeated her out instead. StormBlitz gained momentum first! Continuing from this successful play, Yuel and Trever rotated to Mid to gank Freezer. Thats exactly how Breaker played last time after killing Trever, so they aimed to generate the same amount of momentum with a double kill. Alas, Freezer was a tough nut to crack. He was a defensive player through and through, so they failed to take him by surprise. After stalling them for a while, Freezer judged he had no chance of holding the lane much longer without sacrificing his life, so he retreated to base. His retreat left the lane undefended, but at least it prevented StormBlitz from gaining even more momentum with a second kill. Making the most out of the situation, Trever and Gilbert aggressively attacked the unprotected Mid Turret. It went all the way down to 20% before the enemy Jungler appeared to defend the lane. One kill + 80% damage on Mid Turret, not shabby. Not as impressive as Breakers momentum from last game, but they definitely gained the upper hand here. The match continued in a similar fashion, with Yuel exploiting the weaknesses and patterns he disocvered last match. In particular, he focused on shutting down Breaker at every opportunity he had, preventing her from snowballing. The silence from Justice Strike was deadly against a combo player who had to rely on perfect timing, positioning and execution. Despite all that, the match wasnt exactly what one would call easy. StormBlitz gained advantage all across the board, but every play they made was stressful. Just one mistake and the tides would turn around, thats how everybody felt. We got them this time, guys! Easiest game of my life, lol. Trever and Roi were loud, probably trying to reassure the team and perhaps reassure themselves as well. Some reassurance didnt hurt, considering how the game progressed. No matter how well Yuel countered Breaker, she found ways score kills. No matter how much Gilbert exploited Freezers passiveness during the laning phase, Freezers hybrid build swung team fights hard during mid game. Yes, StormBlitz were winning, but it wasnt a walk in the park. As much as a single misplay could lead to devastating results against enemies like the Leopards, especially since most of them were most likely playing their strongest classes. Yuel allowed Breaker and Freezer to pick their Combo Pyromancer and Hybrid Warlock, knowing all too well what they were capable of. Nevertheless, he couldnt help but be amazed by the enemys fortitude. Even though he figured most of their playstyles, patterns and team strategies - he couldnt shut them down. They persisted, fighting hard till the bitter end. Both teams refused to yield, this was the tenacity expected of the competitive scene. This wasnt just another Ranked match where losing merely cost the players some points. This game was a simulation of a real tournament match, where a single defeat could mean immediate elimination. Even though both teams were second strings - this match was great! Yuel wanted to deconstruct them more! To corner them more! Playing full force against such high caliber opponents was something he couldnt get anywhere else! He could only imagine how amazing the Leopards first string was and he so wanted to play them right now! Stop, focus. Yuel pinched his cheek. StormBlitzs current advantage made him lax, too lax. This match wasnt over yet. Nothing was decided until the very end, so he couldnt let his guard down for even a moment. 21 minutes into the match, StormBlitz managed to kill four out of five enemies. Before the enemy team respawned, StormBlitz stormed the Overlord and got his buff. From this position, they threatened checkmate in a couple of moves. They had super minions spawning in both Mid and Top, so the game was as good as settled. Yet, even in this obvious losing position, the Leopards didnt show any signs of giving up. Well, maybe except for Freezer, who was easily picked off right as the decisive team fight broke out, Thanks to that, the enemy lost their most valuable team-fighting asset right before the games most critical moment. Would you mind not standing there like a tree!? Jennifer roared. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Alex shrugged. We lost this anyway. We should just surrender. He pressed F6. A surrender vote has started for your team. YES: 1 NO: 0 Wha the-!? Are you for real!? Jennifer really ached to leap on that idiot and beat him to a pulp, until his stupid quitter mentality is fixed. Just admit it: we lost. Lets get this over with and try next time. You bastard...! Jennifer gritted her teeth and shook like an atom bomb about to go off. We never surrender! Always F7, just F7! She followed her own advice and pressed F7, voting against the surrender. The rest of the team soon followed. The team refused to surrender. YES: 1 NO: 4 Whatever. Have fun wasting your time. Alex shrugged and laid back on his chair. Goddammit, why did Coach put this loser on our team!? He doesnt even want to be here! Jennifer tried shifting her focus back to the game, but she simply couldnt quit ranting. Relax, Jenny. Albert said. Alex, could you please not provoke her? Keep your pessimistic opinions to yourself, please. Were still trying to win here. You know she cant play her best when shes distracted. Fine, Ill just take a nap. Alex closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Dont worry, Ill wake up by the time I respawn... if I respawn. Geh, fuck this guy. Jennifer cursed. I know he can be hard deal with, but please dont lose it. Albert said. Youre the captain, so you have to act like one. If you lose it, everybody will lose it. Yeah, youre right. Jennifer inhaled deeply, as if trying to absorb the whole room. Then, she exhaled with all her strength, as if blowing away every trace of Alexs existence. Okay, lets do this, guys! 4v5 sounds like shit, but at their Electro and Knight are low! We can still do this! Energy returned to the team. For a moment, they were about to be devoured by the enemy. But now, they stood their ground and fought until the bitter end. A 4v5 was rough to come back from, especially considering the enemy had the Overlords buff. But, imagining their own defeat wasnt an option. Remember what Coach always says! Imagine yourself winning and you gonna win! Its all about the mental image! We gonna beat these trash kids and push all the way to their base in one go! Even those on the brink of losing hope had no option but to fight their best. Their coach always lectured them about the importance of a maintaining a positive mental image and theres nobody on the team better than Jennifer at that. Maybe its because she was kind of an idiot, but she simply could never the team lose, no matter the circumstances. In fact, her mental image was so strong, she could imagine everybodys victory for them. Even when somebody knew the team was doomed, hearing Jennifers unwavering voice made them regain hope. They were going to win! They could still pull this off! Thats the mental image painted in their minds by Jennifer. With this unyielding determination, they achieved the impossible and reduced the enemy team to just two. They fought with every last ounce of their strength, refusing to believe defeat was possible. In the end, it was just Jennifer against the enemy Ranger and Paladin. Everything came down to Jennifers ability to eliminate the Ranger, as the Paladin had no way to push on his own. It was the decisive showdown. This is bad. Yuel bit his lip. They had such a great advantage at the beginning of this push, but it was reduced to a 2v1 against the enemys Queen. Things could go either way. Lol, sorry. Roi scratched his head. Totally blew that one. He rushed this push too much, eager to grab victory as soon as possibly. That cost him dearly. The enemy Lumimancer blinded and slowed him on the spot, turning him into a sitting duck for Breakers combo. But, the blame didnt lay only with Roi. The others misplayed here and there as well. For example, Gilberts Chain Lightning didnt land on the optimal targets and Dans Lunge was telegraphed too much. Everybody felt victory was right around the corner, but they couldnt quite grasp it yet. Not only that, but it felt like a single misplay could lead to disaster, the pressure was unbearable. So, they wanted to seal the deal and get out of this pressure as fast as possible. Ironically, rushing the push was exactly the misplay that opened the door for a turnaround. Man, these guys dont know when to quit. Trever shook his head. They should just give up already. For a moment there, I thought they decided to quit. But then, they came at us full power outta nowhere! Crazy shenanigans, Im tellin ya. Yeah... Yuel had a stiff expression. There was indeed a brief moment in which the Leopards stumbled, making one mistake after another. Yuel thought the pressure of the situation finally got to them and suggested going all in. Perhaps he, too, felt pressured by the enemys resilience and wanted this stressful situation over with. Unfortunately, the momentarily vulnerability of the Leopards was either a brief hiccup or a calculated bait. The enemy soon snapped out of that state and played strong again, more tenaciously than ever. This sharp shift was mind-boggling. Since everybodys minds were preoccupied with the idea of rushing to victory, StormBlitz had trouble adapting to this sudden shift. One thing led to another and many inefficient plays were made. The enemies didnt miss their opportunity to punish the poor plays, leading to the current situation. What started off as a beautiful and advantageous push got reduced to a fragile 2v1 against Breaker, of all people. The desire to win fast was seeded in everybodys minds throughout the match, but it was Yuels call that set off the flames. He spotted the brief crack in the enemys formation and rushed to strike it, without considering the consequences or the teams mindstate. What a blunder. Most of the responsibility for this failure laid with him. Its alright. We can still do it. Yuel took a deep breath. They came this far, so he had to do his absolute best until the very end. I have to clean my own mess. Theres still a way to deal with her, I prepared it exactly for this sort of pinch. Despite being eager to put a swift end to this stressful match, Yuel never failed to consider the worst case scenario. StormBlitz held the upper hand the whole game, but he never got over the fear the enemy may turn things around in the last moment. That''s the whole reason this match felt so stressful in the first place, so the worst case scenario stuck to his thought process like gum. Because of that, he recommended Trever to head into this decisive push with just four public items in the build. A fifth item was also there, but cloaked. Considering the advantage StormBlitz already had, the marginal benefit from Trever finishing a proper build wasnt that high. StormBlitz were already the stronger ones, so becoming a little bit stronger wasnt going to change much. Instead, it was better to prepare a hidden item for the worst case scenario. This 2v1 against Breaker? Thats a worst case scenario right there. Trever was the King, his death would spell checkmate for StormBlitz. Killing him was all Breaker had to do here. A tense situation, but one which came with a great bait. Breaker was most certainly going to rush at least a little bit here, so itll be easier to punish her. Yuel just had to play his cards right and lead her right where he wanted her to be. The first move was to silence her with Justice Strike. No you dont! Jennifer saw coming from a mile away! She rolled toward the Ranger, creating distance between herself and the Paladin. Ha! She beat that telegraphed Justice Strike! ... or so she thought. Tch, he didnt bite? What a guy. The Paladin canceled his Justice Strike in the middle of casting, now focused on Jennifers new position. She was still recovering from the roll, so its impossible to dodge a second Justice Strike right now. Oh shit! It was over! ... or so her enemies should think! She bought Blink a some time ago, but she kept it cloaked the whole time. She waited and waited, until a super critical situation finally presented itself! Now, when the enemy least expected it, she was gonna use it! Ugh, Blink. Yuel frowned as Breaker teleported out of his Justice Strike, appearing right behind Trever. A brilliant play, but not outside my calculations. Breaker already showcased her ability to combine combos with Blink in the previous match, so theres no reason to not do it again. Her team lagged behind on gold, so she couldnt get Blink as early as last game. But, she was assuredly going to get it again, Yuel was convinced of that all along. So. thats why... Ha! How does that feel, eh!? Jennifer grinned. The Rangers defenseless back was right in front of her! It was over! Now! Use Dark Contract! Gotcha! Trever uncloaked his fifth item and activated a cloaked utility skill: Dark Contract. By sacrificing half his current HP, he gained a huge boost in all stats. He was already running pretty low at 40% HP, but now he fell all the way to 20%. Breaker didnt even need a combo to finish him off with a single Flame Wave. But, thats where the second part of this plan came into play. The fifth item Trever uncloaked was none other than Deus Shield. Since Trevers HP dropped below 30% just now, Deus Shield discharged a stunning shockwave around him. And, Breaker was right within range! Gah! Jennifer jumped No way! Contract into Deus!?. Her Pyromancer was stunned in place, unable to deliver the final blow. Gaaaaah! Where the hell this trick play came from!? If only she had Cleanse right now...! The Ranger followed up with Wolf Companion, pinning her to the ground right before the stun wore off. He didnt have his ult, but the stat boost from Dark Contract was plenty enough to screw her over. It was over. An enemy has been killed! Yeah! We did it! Trever smacked Yuel on the back with literally everything he got. Great job, bro! That Contract + Deus idea was outta this world! Ugh, thanks. Yuel forced a smile, wondering whether his spine was still intact. Phew, we finally got through it. Gilbert sighed in relief. Lol, ez clap. Roi chuckled. We had them the whole game. Yeah, until you charged in and got your ass killed. Dan retorted. Hey, I was just trying to imitate your kamikaze strategy! Lol. With this, the second match was over. Yuel chose to face what was most likely the enemys strongest lineup and that led to a very stressful game, with a pinch right at the end. Nevertheless, StormBlitz prevailed! Against the enemys strongest composition! From here on out, the rest of the games should be much easier... or so he thought. Vol.3 Ch.2: The Coach Factor DEFEAT No way... Jennifer just sat there, staring at her screen. Why? How? They were so much better than the enemy during the first match, what changed? How come they lagged behind the whole match this time? Oh, its over? Finally. Alex open his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms. Grrrrr! Jennifer wanted to rip that scum apart! But, she gave up on it. After all, Alexs prediction came true - they lost the match. They came so close to making a comeback, but they fell short. Cap, you need to pull yourself together. Albert said. Yeah, I know. Jennifer muttered. Just let me mope a little Im also a human, ya know? No can do. Albert shook his head. Youre the mood maker of this team, thats literally the only reason youve been picked as the captain. Rude. Jennifers lips curved into a thin smile. Yeah, yeah, thats right. Keeping the team psyched was her job. No matter how grim the situation got, shes the only one who wasnt allowed to look down. Sigh. Okay, guys! Jennifer clapped once. They got us good this time, I wont lie. But, we almost 4v5d their asses even though they had Overlord Buff, so these suckers got nothing on us! Theyre just a bunch of baby greenhorns! Keep coming at them with everything you got and theyll give in! Yeah, we were so close! Next time for sure! Good to see you still got the spirit. A mans voice mixed into the teams cries. Oh, Coach? Jennifer blinked. The heck you doing here? Isnt it obvious? I came to whip you into shape. Coach scanned each player in order with his hawk eyes. Seriously, what are you doing? Losing to a makeshift team like that, is that how I trained you? Dont worry, we totally got this! Jennifer insisted. Yes, very convincing after going 0-2. If this were a best of three, youd be eliminated right now. Geh. W-Were working on it! Working on it? Coach lifted his chin. All I saw was you playing the exact same lineup as the first game. Well, we thought we gonna win. Jennifer said. You watched the first match? We totally dominated that one! And, you lost. Coach slapped them with the harsh truth. It seems you dont even understand the reason you lost. Can anybody tell me why you lost the first match? Yeah, sure! Jennifer nodded. They got super lucky and made a few good plays near the end- Anybody? Geh. Jennifer made a face. Coach scanned the other players, ignoring Jennifers input. Nobody volunteered to give their two cents. Alright then, Ill pick. Coach said. Alex, what do you think? Huh? Well... Alex sighed. Their game plan changed during the end game. Like, theyve been playing defense since mid game, right? But then, they suddenly went full offense. That caught us off guard. Thats all true, but youre only stating facts. Coach said. Go deeper. Why and how do you think that switch happened? Heck if I knew. Alex shrugged. I bet their shot-caller flipped a switch. Either that, or they changed the shot-caller altogether. Good, thats most likely the case. Coach nodded. They made some very interesting plays there, starting with the Lancers suicide attack on Jennifer. They went on the offensive despite being behind and it paid off. Coach went over some scenarios from the first match, showing how the Leopards faced an entirely different beast during the end game. None of the enemys achievements were lucky plays, they were all methodically calculated. He made sure to beat that fact into them, so they stop making excuses and wake up. Frankly, some of these plays were too impressive for middle schoolers. Coach admitted. Their team doesnt have a coach as far as I know, so such a high level of play is unexpected from a makeshift second string. I sent a few of our boys to tail them during this break, to see if theyre exchanging information with any outsiders. What, you think theyre cheating? Jennifer asked. One of their players from the first string has a pro player in the family, so you can never be too sure. Then again, their sudden transformation occurred during the first game and persisted all the way into the second game, so its most likely their own hard work. Coaches, let alone outsiders, werent allowed on stage during an ongoing match. In addition, players cell phones were confiscated. Lastly, the PCs on stage connected to a private server, so one of these kids had to be some kind of hacker to use it for external communication. Frankly, it was unlikely. But, if they really got such a talented shot-caller, why would he be stuck in the second string? The coach, Rodriguez, wondered. Actually, I have a good guess. Even if theres really such a sharp shot-caller on the second string, theres an even more amazing kid on the first string. In the last two matches between the first strings, Rodriguez saw plenty high level shot-calling from StormBlitz. The kid in charge was undoubtedly Howard, nickname Aegis. His older sister made her professional debut soon after finishing high school, so he must had grown up next to Classmancers from a tender age. The kid sure put the Leopards through hell. With him in charge, StormBlitz had an impenetrable defense. Outwitting or punishing StormBlitzs players was almost impossible, despite the high caliber of the Leopards first string. Rodriguez trained the kids over the past three years, so he attested to their skill. Yet, Aegis shut down most of their attacks. From what Rodriguez could tell, most of StormBlitzs first string wasnt anything special. Athena could be praised for her unorthodox playstyle and Frown had an oppressive late game, but thats about it. Yet, under Aegiss command, all the gears of that team worked together in perfect union, building an unbreakable line of defense. The Leopards held the upper hand most of the time, but they were forced to slowly crawl toward victory. As the players themselves put it, fighting against Aegis felt like bashing their heads against a wall until it breaks. They somehow won both games so far, but they were mentally exhausted after each round. With such a brilliant shot-caller leading the first string, it wasnt entirely impossible that another talented shot-caller ended up in the second string. Either way, this level of challenge was just right for the kids. Theyll definitely learn something new from todays scrimmage. Your opponents were tougher than you expected, Rodriguez said. But, it doesnt end there. In term of skill, youre stronger as a whole. You proved as much during the first match. Then, whats the real reason you lost? Nobody volunteered to guess, so Rodriguez continued. First, you had some bad matchups. Jennifer, youre struggling against the duo in Bot, correct? Huh? Not at all! Jennifer puffed her chest. These scrubs got nothing on me! You say that, yet you failed to score any kills during the laning phase. Their Carry is about as skilled as you, so you find it hard to outplay him. And, their Support gave you trouble by CC-ing you with the worst timing. Geh. Jennifer hung her head. And Alex, youre also struggling against your lane opponent, correct? Rodriguez said. Yeah, I guess. Alex shrugged. That guy isnt greedy enough, so I cant punish him much. Hes such a drag. Alright, these bad matchups are one thing well have to fix. Rodriguez said. Moving on, another big factor for your defeat is that the enemy figured you out. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Figured out? Jennifer tilted her head. They studied how you play and used the appropriate counters. Well, we also adapted to them, havent we? Yes, but they adapted to you first and you forgot to adapt to them in return. After all, you picked almost the exact same lineup for the second game, somehow expecting to win. Geh. Jennifer averted her eyes. Rodriguez went over a couple examples from the match, pointing out moments where StormBlitz brilliantly struck the teams weakest points. Many of the scenarios involved Jennifer and Alex, whom StormBlitz targeted more frequently and for a good reason. The enemy learned Jennifer was a combo player, so they stayed out of her combos reach. This forced her to be aggressive if she wanted to score any kills, and more aggressively she played - the easier it was to punish her. On top of that, the moment she finished her combo - they focused on her, knowing she wasnt much of a threat without her combo. Similarly, they focused Alex in the right moments. They recognized Alex as a threat in team fights, so they always tried picking him off before a team fight started. For example, one time they went hard on the offensive to pressure the Leopards, forcing Alex to play his cards right away. Right after he did, they suddenly switched to defending to throw the Leopards off. Amidst the confusion, Alex was pulled by the Druid and killed. Yeah, that! Jennifer exclaimed. They kill him before every team fight, he cant even dodge basic stuff! This guy has zero motivation to play, he doesnt even come to practice. Whats he even doing on the team? Sub him, Coach! There are a bunch of guys whod gladly take his place! Hmph, do what you want. Alex shrugged and averted his eyes, but he threw a glance at the coach. Despite how he talked and acted, he didnt want to be replaced due to underperforming. He was a difficult kid, Rodriguez knew that. During his first year, Alex displayed great talent and motivation. Everybody believed hell become a first string player sooner than later, including Alex himself. However, Rodriguez always prioritized seniors for the first string, since they were the most experienced, polished, and reliable. Rodriguez already spent two years training these kids, so he knew exactly what to expect from them. On top of that, it was their last year of middle school, so he wanted them to gain some competitive experience before tackling high schools competitive scene. Because of all that, Alex wasnt picked for the first string as a freshman. And, neither as a junior. Nevertheless, Rodriguez had high hopes for him and put him on the second string as a junior, to nurture him as much as possible before his third year. Sadly, that intention didnt reach Alex. He lost all motivation after not making it to the first string, He started lazing around, skipping practice, bickering with teammates and performing poorly. He became but a shadow of his former promising self. In this regard, Jennifers evaluation of him was correct, for a change. Alex wasnt motivated to play on the second string and there were plenty of kids whod gladly take his place. Theyll probably perform better too, since they were good kids who didnt skip practice. Nevertheless, Rodriguez wanted to keep Alex in the game. Maybe, just maybe, itd spark something. If theres any chance Alex could regain his former motivation, it was worth taking a risk and keeping him in the game. Alex stays in. Rodriguez announced. Wha? But why!? Jennifer cried out. He screws everything for us! True, he messed up multiple times in both games. His lack of practice is showing itself. Rodriguez shot a criticizing glare at Alex. But, you cant deny hes at least useful in team fights, correct? What team fights? The ones where he doesnt drop dead before they start? As if that ever happens. True, true. The enemy have a tendency to eliminate him before a team fight begins, but that just goes to show how wary theyre of him. They know hell mess up their plans if he contributes to the team fight, thats why they eliminate him first. That should be proof enough hes a great asset for the team. But, he messes up simple plays! Just look how many times he failed to dodge telegraphed attacks! Hes been lazing too much and lost his touch. Perhaps. But, nobody here is without faults, you all had your fair share of misplays. Id go over them in more detail, but the break wont last enough. Rodriguez softened his tone. You all made mistakes and will keep making mistakes, and thats alright. Whats important is to learn from them and better yourselves for next game. And, if you see somebody repeat a mistake, point it out instead of dissing them for it, understood? Roger... Jennifer twisted her lips, but nodded nonetheless. Good girl. Now, switch it up. BAM! Rodriguez produced a booming sound with a single clap. Oh! Jennifer exclaimed. Here it was! The ultimate clapping technique, only available to true clap-fu masters! She practiced her clapping for years to get to that legendary level, but shes still just a scrub compared to Rodriguezs level. The thundering loudness shook the whole team. First, there was surprise and bewilderment. Then, they were replaced with focus and sharpness. Everybody, even Alex, now paid attention to Rodriguez. Frankly, Rodriguez said. I didnt expect you run into such tough opponents today, which is why I wasnt strict about your mixup training. But, I always tell you to practice a secondary role, He pierced each player with his hawk eyes. So, I hope youve been working hard on that even without my supervision. Of course! Jennifer gave a thumb up. Im always ready to go as Mid! Thats a good girl. Rodriguez nodded. Jennifer was perhaps somewhat of a dummy, but a motivated and diligent one, the polar opposite of Alex. What about the rest? How confident are you in your secondary roles? Um... Well... Cody and Joey averted their eyes, it seemed they didnt practice much. Unfortunate, but not surprising. There were many kids who latched onto one role, sometimes one class, and wanted to play only that. Rodriguez didnt expect them to play against such a strong team, so he wasnt strict enough about their mixup training. Regrettable. Ive been playing Carry at least once a day, Albert said. So, I should be good to go. Oh, how promising. Rodriguez nodded repeatedly. What a good and obedient kid, it brought a smile on Rodriguezs face. Albert wasnt a particularly outstanding player, but he practiced whatever he was told without complaining. If he keeps this up, hell definitely become a great player one day. I play Mid or Support whenever I feel like it, Alex shrugged. So, I can play either, really. Thats good to know. Rodriguez had mixed feelings about this information. But, as long as it was with Warlock, perhaps Alex could really play both roles equally. That is, equally poorly. Alright, so heres what we do. Rodriguez explained. As I already said, the enemy figured you out and you have some unfavorable lane matchups. So, next game: Jennifer is Mid, Albert is Carry and Alex is Support. This will throw off your opponents and will deal with the unfavorable matchups, two birds with one stone. Oh! Thats cool! Jennifer jumped like an excited puppy. We gonna win the next one! Im feeling it! Just dont forget what it means to switch to your secondary role. Rodriguez warned. Make sure you switch seats like I taught you. Alex must sit between Jennifer and Albert as the Support. But, then well have to login again... Alex sighed. Cant we just keep the same sits? It doesnt really matter where we sit No, you sit like I taught you. Rodriguez insisted. As a Support, you must be constantly in touch with the Carry and the Mid Laner, since thats where youll be rotating the most during early game. I know it sounds like nagging, but its the little things that matter. Or what, you think youre such pros that you can communicate telepathically? Exactly, Jennifer glared at Alex. Just shut up and do what Coach says. Whatever... Alex sighed. Good. Rodriguez nodded. Now, onto other things to keep in mind. Jennifer, switching from Carry to Mid means you no longer have anybody to support you on lane. Make sure you dont overextend. Roger! Jennifer saluted. Albert, dont forget youre a squishy when youre a Carry. You cant be in the enemys face the way you like as Support. Of course. And Alex, Im sure you want to go for a hybrid build as always, but make sure you prioritize defensive items during the early game. Yeah, yeah. I know. Thats about wraps it up. Rodriguez checked his watch. I dont want you to hate me for taking your break, so lets end it here. If you got more important stuff to say, you better tells us! Jennifer said. We dont wanna lose to these guys again, so any tips will help. Right, guys? Yeah, we dont care about the break. We just wanna win, yo! Sigh, what a drag... The whole team was on the same page, save for one lazy kid. They burned with the desire to win the next match, no matter what. Such determination! It brought a tear to Rodriguezs eye. This unyielding attitude was the most important thing for competitive players, he was so happy the kids adopted it. Heh, youre really something. Rodriguez smiled softly. With Jennifer in charge, the thirst for battle and victory infected the whole team like a virus. Despite her many shortcomings, nominating Jennifer as the captain was the correct decision. Then, lets see. Rodriguez continued. First, Jennifer. Youre a dummy, so better keep playing like one. H-Huh? Remember how you cloaked Blink in the last game? You tried to outsmart the enemy by waiting for the right moment, correct? Yeah, I was gonna shock these scrubs to another dimension. Too bad, turned out they were expecting it. Y-Yeah, they seemed kinda prepared... Jennifer averted her eyes. In the end, you didnt fool anybody and only wasted other good opportunities to use Blink. Whats worse, you were preoccupied with thinking when you should reveal your Blink, which distracted you and dragged down your overall performance. Just focus on your usual combo plays and dont think too hard, thats when youre at your best. Roger! Jennifer saluted. Alex, you need to get your act together. Rodriguez said. I know this isnt the first string and its just a scrimmage, but dont underestimate todays importance. Your opponents are about as good as the average middle school team, so Im going to treat todays results seriously. If you perform well today, you may still have a chance to get into first string. Ah! Alexs drowsy eyes flashed for a moment. Sure, Ill see what I can do. There was uncharacteristic weight behind these words, the kind Rodriguez hadnt heard from Alex in a long time. Good. The same applies to everybody here. Rodriguez turned to each member in order. Depending on your performance today, you may earn yourselves a lot of points toward entering the first string. Theres still time until the regionals, so anything can happen. Hell yeah! We gonna do it! Jennifers pumped a fist, her blazing fighting spirit overwhelmed everybody around her. The whole team was psyched after hearing these words. They were like starving dogs and the coach just waved a bone in front of them. They had been training in the club for over two years now, so of course they all burned with desire to enter the first string. Turning said desire into strength would help them triumph over their opponents. Next, Cody... Rodriguez continued giving pointers to each individual player, polishing them as much as possible before the next game. With everybodys fighting spirits burning strong, they headed into the next game with relentless thirst for victory. Vol.3 Ch.3: Mixup Strategy ... you lost? Yuel blinked. Yeah, kinda. Howard averted his eyes and put on a dim smile. So, youre at 0-2 now. Thatd be a defeat in an official match. Hey, we fought these guys for almost half an hour, it was real close. Gotta say, their coach is some nasty piece of work, even more than I expected. He used that mixup strategy? Mhm, and its even worse than I imagined. Howard said. Their whole team changed. Its like everything we adapted to in the first match was useless. Well, except for Fenrir. That guy played exactly the same, but we still couldnt deal with him. Fenrir, you mean their captain, right? Yeah. That guy is really something, Aron couldnt take him out even in late game. We already had our hands full dealing with him, but then theres also the mixup on top of that. That Rodriguez sure created a nasty team. Fernando Rodriguez, the current coach of the Leopards. Classmancers coaches were extremely rare in junior high, so it gave the Leopards a huge advantage over other teams in the region. Howard did a lot of research about Rodriguezs team, coaching and past records. Yuel memorized every bit of it. Unfortunately, the Leopards first string consisted mostly of seniors every year. That seemed to be one of Rodriguezs policies, so its unclear whether the seniors were really always the best players he had or he just trusted them more. Either way, because of that, it was nigh impossible to get data about the current players, as they had no competitive records from the previous years. The only exception was Fenrir, who made his competitive debut last year as a junior despite Rodriguezs policy. Though, apparently gathering information on him didnt help the first string much, since he was a monster on another level. He was similar to Lars, an unstoppable storm nobody could hold down even though they knew it was coming. Even Ellens trickey failed against him. Just how good was he? Yuel wished to go against Fenrir at least once, but sadly it was impossible. Since investigating players led to a dead end, Howard focused on researching Rodriguezs coaching style. In that area, there was a lot more information available online. The Leopards reached the nationals multiple times in recent years, a success attributed to Rodriguezs coaching. Naturally, reporters interviewed him on the matter and asked about his coaching. In a couple of articles, he briefly mentioned the mixup strategy. Basically, he coached his players to excel in two different roles: a main role and secondary role. Thanks to that, the Leopards first string could always play two entirely different lineups. If a player used his main role for one lineup, then he used his secondary role for the other lineup and vice versa. By dynamically switching their formation around, their enemies felt like they were facing an entirely different team each time. Thus, the Leopards always headed into the second match with a huge advantage. While they already studied their opponents during the first match, their opponents had to adapt to them anew during in the second game. Often times, this trick was enough for the Leopards to get a quick 2-0 and win the match right there. And, even if they went 1-1, they still had an advantage going into the third game. Their opponents had to guess which of the two lineups, normal or mixup, the Leopards were going to pick for the third game. Yuel could only imagine how much pressure it put on the enemy during drafting. Most official matches were in a best of three format, so this approach worked extremely well for stealing wins. It probably wasnt going to work much in the pro scene, as pro players were expected to adapt quickly, but against middle schoolers it was super effective. You be careful too. Howard said. I saw Rodriguez talk with the second string. Im sure hes scumming something. Dunno if his second string can also mix up, but something gonna to be different next game. Ill keep that in mind. Yuel nodded. Heh, no need to worry! Lars invaded the conversation with his usual goofy grin and wrapped an arm around Yuels shoulder. You shouldve seen Yuel in action there! That last match was sick, they totally owned these dudes! Ya better get on Yuels level or he gonna kick ya outta the first string! Heh, you wish. Howard sneered. Now that their coach made a move, this is where the real test begins. No problem! Im 200% sure they gonna pull through! I wouldnt trust the opinion of somebody who always thinks he gonna win next time, even after being beaten twenty times in a row. If you dont believe you gonna win, you not gonna win, yo! This guy is giving me a headache. Howard sighed. Anyway, I warned you. If you fuck this up, its on you. Got it. Yuel nodded. He had no idea what Rodriguez cooked for the second string, but the next match was going to be different from before. Chances are, Yuel will have to study the enemy team from scratch. Ugh, that sounded annoying. Meh, youll be fine. Lars proclaimed with unfounded confidence. I bet ya gonna beat the heck outta these dudes again, so Imma go watch the first string this time. Dont. Howard retorted. Keep watching the second strings games. Huh? But why? Lars pouted. I wanna watch some exciting stuff, not one-sided slaughter. Just be a good kid and do as I say. Howards gaze turned sharp, piercing Lars to the very core. This wasnt a request. It was an order. Okay, okay... Lars waved his arms in defeat. Well then, good luck. Howard turned around. You too. Yuel said. Sounds like you need it. Nah, it should be fine. We already figured both their play styles, so now we can mount a counterattack. Howard left these reassuring words behind, which didnt convince Yuel in the slightest. After all, the first string was already at 0-2. No matter how confident Howard was, a 0-2 meant defeat in an official match. If this were the regionals, StormBlitz would be eliminated right here and now. Anyway, Yuel was a mere second string player. Theres nothing he could do about any of that. He had his own troubles to worry about, namely: ComboBreaker, Freezer and whatever new strategy Rodriguez cooked up for the upcoming match. Before heading into the next game, he warned the rest of the team about the possibility of a mixup. Afterwards, they all headed onto the stage together. The third round of the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage began. The drafting phase started normally. The enemy picked Pyromancer and Warlock, must be for ComboBreaker and Freezer like before. Were they really going to stick to the same lineup? Then, what did Rodriguez tell them over the break? Doesnt look like theyre doing anything so far. Gilbert said. Should we go with our usual picks as well? We can do that. Yuel said. Worst case, well fall into their trap and lose this game. But, at least well learn their second lineup. They were already sitting on a 2-0 advantage and it didnt matter whether theyll end the day with 5-0 or 4C1. Giving up one game in exchange for information wasnt a terrible trade in this scrimmage, at least not in Yuels mind. He kept that opinion to himself though, its unlikely others would think highly of it. In the end, drafting proceeded pretty much like last time. Yuel went for Paladin and Trever for Ranger. Considering how many times Yuel shut Breaker down with Justice Strike, its amazing they didnt ban Paladin. Theres definitely something afoot, Yuel could feel it. Before long, the enemys last pick came around and still no surprises. If everything was really going to follow the same script, their last pick would be a Support, a role played by SkyNight the past two games. Despite not standing out as muchas Breaker and Freezer, his airtight supporting couldnt be underestimated. Especially, his heavy pressure as a Cryomancer warranted a ban each game. In preparation, Yuel and Gilbert banned various pesky Support classes during the second banning phase, so SkyNight didnt have many great options left. Except, the enemys last pick turned out to be something else entirely. It was Elf. Thats not a Support. Wow, what the? Trever exclaimed. The heck are they doing? They already got a Carry. No, this is... Yuel frowned. This was their mixup all along. He just realized they were played for fools. They assumed Breaker will play Carry Pyromancer and Freezer will be Mid Warlock, just like the previous games. However, both Pyromancer and Warlock were flex picks, they could be played in at least two different roles. Pyro is probably going Mid and the Warlock is either Support or Top, which opens up the Carry spot for the Elf. Yuel explained. Huh, Gilbert made a difficult expression So, Ill have to deal with these combo memes this time. Alright then. There was a good reason for concern. After all, he picked Electromancer like before, expecting to go up against Warlock, which was a fair matchup. However, Electromancer vs. Pyromancer was a different story altogether. Electromancer was a team fight oriented mage, so his laning phase was relatively weak. With no reliable zoning tools except for his ult, Gilbert will definitely have a rough time holding down a Pyromancer, especially one as dangerous as Breaker. Elf was also a troublesome pick against Trevers Ranger. It was an agile Carry, with the ability to get out of sticky situations and fire arrows across long distances. It was a natural counter to Ranger, whose game plan revolved around pinning the opponent down and finishing them off with The Hunt is On. Well shit, they got us good. Trever crossed his arms. But, we already beat these guys twice, so lets do it again, yo! Is this guy secretly Lars in disguise? Yuel sighed with a soft smile. Having one such confident goof on the team wasnt too bad, especially when it was a senior. Thats probably why Trever was assigned as the captain, despite having zero leading or strategizing abilities. Ignoring the hiccup during drafting, the team headed into the third game with confidence thanks to Trevers infectious high spirits. Theres nothing they could change at this point anyway, so they had to face the challenge head on. Gilbert will have to deal with a Combo Pyromancer on his lane, and Trever will have to find a way to score a kill on an Elf. The match began and Trever already struggled against the Elf from early on. SkyNight previously displayed decent mechanical skill as a Cryomancer and he had about the same amount of skill as an Elf, despite now playing a completely different role. He wasnt as strong as Trever, but the Elfs advantage allowed him gain the upper hand. Damn! Get over here! Trever darted toward the Elf, desperate to get at least some damage in. However, the Elf countered with Elven Leap, performing a high backflip. Wait, dont shoot- Agh, damn! It was too late. Trever already fired two shots, believing he got the Elf. Not only did the shots completely miss the backflipping Elf, they also passed through the trail of wind left by the Elfs leap. This was bad. Every enemy projectile that passed through the trail granted Elf attack speed and movement speed, as well as healed him. Trever was thoroughly countered! As soon as Night landed, he activated Elven Sight to capitalize on that buff. The Elf took steady aim at Trever, gaining increased attack power and range. Night and Trever were too far apart to reach each other with basic attacks , but thanks to Eleven Sight - he had no trouble sniping Trever across this long distance. And, his snipes were going to be both fast and strong too, thanks to the speed buff from Eleven Leap and the power buff from Elven Sight. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Shit! Trever exclaimed. Gotta get out- agh!? You serious!? Just as he was about to retreat, Freezer hit him with Eldritch Blast. It was powered up by a Slowdown Invocation, as evident by Trevers sluggish movements after the hit. He became a sitting duck for the Elfs snipes! This is bad! Can I make it!? Yuel dashed toward Trever, hoping to body block the Elfs long ranged shots. But, he couldnt make it. Trever started this whole attack without informing Yuel beforehand, so Yuel was too far away to provide support. An ally has been killed! Shit! Damn it! Trever slammed on the table and glared at Yuel. Where were you, man!? You sleeping or something!? No, I... Yuel was dumbfound. How was any of that his fault? Its Trever who charged in solo and got outplayed by Night and Freezer. None of that was Yuels fault, right? Theres nothing a Support could do when the Carry acted selfishly like that. Oh, not good. I have to retreat. Yuel shook his head and turned around, heading toward his Turret. While he was lost in thought, he almost handed the enemy a second kill on a silver platter. Wasnt he already desensitized to being blamed for actions which werent his fault? He experienced this kind of toxicity countless times while playing online, especially before he started playing with Lars and Julia. Attacking the Support or Jungler was the first thing people did when they didnt know who else to blame for their misplay. If its not their fault and there wasnt anybody else to point at, clearly it had to be the Support or Junglers fault! Yuel went through this nonsense a thousand times by now, so he became resilient. Or, so he thought. Receiving the same criticism face-to-face from a fellow teammate, from a senior, from the captain... Thats unpleasant. Very unpleasant. Despite knowing it wasnt his fault, a part of him couldnt stop questioning. Maybe he should had stuck closer to Trever? That would had allowed him to get to the scene faster, no matter what unexpected play Trever did. Or, maybe Yuels lack of initiative was the problem in the first place? He hadnt initiated any fights so far, because he was wary of the Elfs range advantage. Maybe that made Trever desperate for some action, leading to that uncoordinated play. Shit, Gilbert exclaimed. Their Warlock is here! I dont remember you called missing. Oh, right... Yuel blinked. At some point, Freezer rotated from Bot to Mid. Yuel should had called missing on him, but he didnt. He was the only one left in Bot now, so it was his job to keep an eye on Night and Freezer. Seriously, the heck was he doing!? My bad, I... Great, Gilbert clicked his tongue. I already got my hands full dealing with heir Pyro and now the Warlock waltzes in too. Just great. Freezer maneuvered around Gilberts wards on his way to Mid, so he popped out of nowhere for Gilbert, as nobody called missing on him ahead of time. Fortunately, Electromancer had Thunderclap for blinking away, so Gilbert was fine. He just had to- Great, he silenced me. Gilbert sighed. Just as he was about to teleport away, Freezer hit him with an Eldritch Blast powered by a Muteness Invocation. All his skills were locked, including Thunderclap. He had no way out. He was screwed. Breaker didnt fail to take advantage of this situation. She unleashed her spells on Gilbert, converting Freezers rotation into a successful gank. An ally has been killed! Well, thats unfortunate. Gilbert shook his head and stared at Yuel. Seriously, how did you miss that? Rotating after a kill is basic. I... Yuel bit his lip. I didnt expect him to go for it just yet... Sorry. Theres no excuse, he totally blew it. This death was 100% on him. Kid, Trever said. Youre sleeping, Im tellin ya. Dont relax just because we won last game. These guys still mean business, we gotta keep it together. Yes... Of course. Yuel answered. Keep it together? Mind reminding me who just charged solo against the Elf? And blamed it on me for no reason? He burned with the urge to give Trever a piece of his mind, but restrained himself. Nothing good will come out quarreling, especially not in the middle of a match. In fact, just thinking about that incident invited trouble. It distracted him enough to miss Freezers predictable rotation, resulting in Gilberts death. If theres one thing Trever was right about, its that Yuel had to pull himself together. ASAP. Unfortunately, this wasnt the end of StormBlitzs troubles. Trever started playing overly aggressive on lane, most likely trying to compensate for the kill he conceded earlier. Yuel advised playing defensively since they were behind, but Trever kept recklessly pushing, trying to get a revenge kill on Night. Its like Trever was asking for something to go wrong. But, Trever still viewed his previous death as Yuels fault, so arguing with him will only add more fuel to the fire. Instead, Yuel kept quiet and focused on supporting Trevers reckless endeavours. The plan was simple: Hell provide flawless support this time around and will regain Trevers trust, then Trever should be more willing to listen. Trevers repeated aggression managed to wear Night out. Despite the Elfs advantages, Trevers superior strength as an aggressor pulled through, bringing Night down to 2-% HP. Freezer wasnt on lane at the moment, so it looked like a good chance to go for a kill on Night. Still, Trever was only at 40% HP himself, so it was best to proceed carefully- Think you can run away? No dice! Trever grinned and mounted his wolf, fully intent on chasing Night down. Wait, dont overextend. Yuel said. We lost the ward near the jungle entrance on their side, so the Warlock could appear any- Shut up and watch, kid. Imma kill that loser real quick! Trever kept pursuing Night, dismissing Yuels warning. With no mobility skills at his disposal, Yuel had no way to keep up with Trevers wolf. Yet again, Trever was heading into a dangerous situation all by himself. This looked bad. BAD! Yuels instincts screamed at him. Tch, that blockhead. Yuel bit his lip. Trever was a veteran, he usually made good decisions. What was wrong? Why did he play so recklessly? Was it because of the first death he conceded? It was just one early death, it tilted him way too much.. Anyway, I should try blocking the jungle entrance. Thats the most I can do. Instead of chasing Trever, Yuel headed toward the jungle entrance. If a gank were to come, itd be through there for sure. It was far, but the closer he could get - the better chance he had to thwart a potential gank. Honestly, this was far from an optimal play. In fact, it was rubbish. A terrible misplay. Going out of his way to reach that jungle entrance was an overextension in its own right, hardly any better than what Trever was doing. Nevertheless, Yuel had to go through with it. He started this game on the wrong foot with Trever, so he didnt want to be responsible for another death here. Every cell in his body warned that this was a horrible idea, that this wont end well. Nonetheless, he forced his Paladin to run toward the jungle entrance. As he predicted, Freezer appeared from the unwarded jungle entrance. This ward was methodically removed by Freezer a while ago, so Freezer knew he had the element of surprise on his side. Theres a chance this whole situation was a bait from the get-go...! Despite getting as close as humanly possible to that jungle entrance, Yuel still couldnt reach Freezer with Justice Strike. It was bad. BAD! Warlock is ganking! Yuel cried out. Retreat! Oh, shit! Trever exclaimed, but didnt turn around. And Im so close too! Deal with him for a sec while I finish the Elf! Wha-!? I cant, hes too far! Figure something out, kid. Stop being useless and do something for a change. Wha... Yuel couldn''t believe his ears. Stop being useless? Do something for a change? The hell is he smoking!? Dammit, Yuel just had to do it, right!? Hell stop Freezers gank, right here and now. Thatll shut Trever up for good! Screw that this was a terrible play, caution could be damned. Yuel was going to do it! He didnt want to spend Blink for such a bad play, but thats the only option if he wanted to get in Freezers way. By blinking forward, the tip of his Justice Strike should just barely reach Freezer. Landing a silencing strike will delay Freezers CC, giving Trever enough time to kill Night... probably. Hopefully. At the back of his head, a voice never stopped droning. This is a bad idea. Youre both going to die. You call yourself a Support? High risk for low reward, he knew that. Even if his Blink play were to succeed, theres no guarantee Trever will finish off Night in time. Too things could go wrong here. Nevertheless, Yuel had to do it. This was his chance to pacify Trever and stop the enemys momentum. He indirectly fueled that momentum by forgetting to call missing on Freezer, which led to Gilberts death. Just like Trever, Yuel also desperately sought an opportunity to make up for his bad play and right now was his chance. Despite harboring many doubts about this plan, he went all in! He blinked forward and cast Justice Strike. Theres no time to waste. He had cast it as soon as he finished teleporting, thats the only way. He had to pray his mediocre accuracy was enough to pull this off...! A white blade appeared high in the air, then came down crashing... into the ground. The combined distance of Blink + Justice Strike was just barely enough to reach Freezer, there was nothing wrong with Yuels calculation. But, he missed. He messed up. His aim was a bit off. Amidst the haste, he failed to cast Justice Strike as ideally as he envisioned it in his head. This was bad. BAD!!! Huh, I screwed up. He didnt even have it in him to be mad. Seriously, what the heck was he thinking in the first place? Of course it was bound to fail. Since when he had the mechanical skill to blink forward and instantly land Justice Strike into a very specific microscopic area? He practiced Blink + Justice Strike, it was a common Paladin play. However, theres no way he could pull it off in such a haste, especially not when his target was barely in range. It was stupid, so stupid. Without being slowed down in the slightest, Freezer continued the gank without paying any heed to Yuels movements. He hit Trever with an Eldritch Blast powered by Hex Invocation, lowering defense. Shit! You didnt stop him!? Trever cursed. Being hit by Eldritch Blast forced him off his mount. He found himself surrounded by two enemies, with merely 35% HP and with lowered defense. Realizing the shift in tides, Night stopped running and turned around. He aimed his bow at Trever, fully intent on fighting. His Elven SIght was on cooldown, so he didnt have range advantage over Trever. But, he could still dish out respectable damage with basic attacks, like any Carry. Oh, sure! Trever ranted. Now you wanna fight! You damn pussy! Stop, you need to ret- Okay! Come at me, man! Imma kick yo ass! Trever didnt listen. He was down to 35% HP and had lowered defense, so just a couple of shots from Night and Freezer would suffice to kill. Theres no chance hed kill Night before getting killed first! Yet, he dashed forward. Ugh, that dolt! Yuel gritted his teeth. But, maybe I can still make it...! Maybe, just maybe, its still possible to turn this terrible situation around. With his Aegis, he could keep Trever alive long enough to put on a fight. Night was at 20% HP, so two accurate hits from Trever sufficed to seal the deal. Trever just had to actually survive long enough to be able to make these two shots. Get closer to me! Yuel shouted while running toward Trever. Ill Aegis! Tch, guess theres no choice. Trever clicked his tongue. If you just did your job and stopped their Warlock, I wouldnt be in this mess. Or, maybe you wouldnt be in this mess if didnt chase in the first place! Ever thought of that, huh!? Yuel gritted his teeth. No good, he was dragged into the dark side again. Stop. Calm down. He took a deep breath and concentrated on running to Trevers side. Trever was already down to 10% HP, but he was very much alive. Yuel had a decent chance to reach him with Aegis before- Oh... Reality hit Yuel like a truck. He got there, Trever was within the range of his Aegis. But, he couldnt activate Aegis. Or any ability, for that matter. Freezer hit him with Warlocks second spell, Eldritch Field. It didnt deal much damage because it was an AoE, but it was infused with Muteness Invocation. It silenced Yuel long enough to miss the right timing for Aegis. Yuel should had been aware of this possibility all along, and yet... An ally has been killed! Fuck! Damn! Shit! Trever cursed to no end, slamming fists on the table. The rescue operation was a complete failure. Yuel failed to rescue Trever and needlessly overextended, handing the enemy another kill on a silver platter. You have been killed! Man, MAN! Trever shouted. What are you doing!? You didnt help me for shit and now you die too! What the fuck, yo? Sorry for trying, Ill leave you to die next time. Yuel retorted. Youre right, I played poorly. I shouldnt have tried to prevent an obvious suicide. What suicide? I almost had the guy! Whatever. Yuel shook his head, Trever was too titled to be reasoned with, theres no point discussing this now. Seriously, what was wrong with him this game? He made one poor play after another and became increasingly toxic. Did his bad habit kick in? Yuel didnt know the specifics, but he saw this pattern before. From time to time, during practice matches, Trever would suddenly become uncooperative for no reason. He either ranted to no end or expressed zero motivation. This always led to sequence of terrible plays which resulted in his death. And, the further the game progressed, the worse this phenomena became. Why now? Whenever this bad habit surfaced, it was often after Trever conceded a kill. But, he was already killed earlier today. Multiple times, in fact. On top of that, he was the first StormBlitz player to die today, right in the early game of their first match. That death was more shocking than anything that happened during this game so far, at least in Yuels eyes. So, what triggered Trevers sudden deterioration? Its pointless, Yuel never quite grasped the logic behind this. He only knew one thing: this was bad. Trever was losing it more and more with every passing second. This negatively affected those around him, especially Yuel. He thought he developed resistance to flaming, but he felt he was dragged to that level right now, just by sitting beside Trever. The rest of the team wasnt nearly as lively as before either. Its clear that Trevers negativity slowly spread throughout the team, putting a damper on everybodys mood. Id really appreciate some ganks on my lane. Gilbert said Gotta agree. Dan, shouldnt you gank other lanes a little more? Roiadded Well, excuse me for not wanting to gank lanes with fed enemies Dan sneered. Negativity begat negativity. Yuel experienced this vicious cycle countless times when playing online. Once flaming started, it spread across the whole team and burned everything down. Little by little, everybody added fuel to it, until it blew up in their faces. The teams situation looked different from the typical online flaming at first glance, because the screen wasnt drowning in text walls filled with insults and curses. But, it was exactly the same. Everybody just acted more cultured about it, except for Trever. In fact, this situation was even worse. Everybody sat next to each other, so it was easier to pick up how others felt. Words werent even as necessary. A tongue click after a failed gank, a head shake whenever somebody died and a sigh whenever somebody fell short of somebodys expectations. The longer this went on, the more wrapped everybody became. Yuel felt he was the only one still resisting his inner demons. But, he was clearly affected as well. The last couple terrible plays were undeniable proof of that. In fact, perhaps thinking he was better than the rest already proved he fell into the same trap. Those who acted toxic always thought they were the only sane people around. Anyway, something had to be done. And fast. How could Yuel overturn this grim situation? At his rate, the team was heading toward certain doom... Vol.3 Ch.4: Rift in the Team Hoh, Jennifer nodded. You can actually do it when you try. She referred to Alexs recent play, when he silenced the Paladin and secured a kill on the Ranger. Hmph. Alex shrugged, but its clear Coachs words had an effect on him. The mere mention of the first string was enough to light a fire. No matter how slim, if theres still a chance to get into the first string - Alex wanted to grab it no matter what. Jennifer understood that well, since she was in the same boat. It also seemed like he didnt make shit up when blaming his poor performance on lane matchup. Now, that he played against a greedy opponent on lane, he punished his opponents without mercy. Theres nobody better than Alex at punishing aggressive plays, even Jennifer had to admit that. Its frustrating, but Alex was... Well, kind of a genius. He showed his stupid face in the club like twice a week at best, yet Coach still insisted putting him in the second string. And, as a vice-captain no less. Jennifer bombarded Coach with objections on the matter, but turned out Alex could pull his own weight. Heck, he even made a good play there. Meh, I really hate that bastard. Jennifer grumped. This sure brought back memories, from when she was but a clueless freshman in the club. When she first joined, she had less than 30 hours of playtime under under her belt. She was such a noob, couldnt even tell left from right. The club had a tough entry exam, it was a mystery how she scraped through it. Maybe Coach went easier on her because she was a newbie, or because she was a girl, or both. Either way, it was a miracle she made it through. The gap between her and the other freshmen was appalling, its like she wandered into an alien world. Some of the words they used sounded Chinese to her. But, even among all these aliens, there was one who stood above the rest: Alex Romanov, a prodigy rookie. His existence made Jennifer feel like an ant. In the first couple of days, it became clear he was a league above other rookies. He had more experience than them, already a Gold player in Ranked. Jennifer hadnt even unlocked the mode at that point. On top of that, his refined plays and sharp decision-making awed everybody. He was a guy to be feared and respected. But, all these achievements werent enough for him. Ill make it into the first string this year, mark my words. He proclaimed time and again, even after learning how competitive the club was. With Coach guiding new players, a huge skill gap existed between freshman and juniors. Rookies felt like wannabe players, whereas juniors almost looked like pros. And, seniors were definitely pros The rookies were thoroughly trashed during practice matches to be learn their place. Theyd have to train for years before reaching the seniors level, only then they can start dreaming about the competitive scene. Nevertheless, Alex insisted: Ill make it, just you watch. He sounded so dumb, but also so cool at the same time. Thinking back on it, maybe Jennifer even had a little crush on him back then. Bleh. Anyway, he refused to yield. No matter who ridiculed his ambition, he kept working his ass off throughout the first year. Coming early to practice, staying overtime and talking about Classmancers 24/7. It was impossible to catch him doing something unrelated to Classmancers. That burning desire to make the impossible possible, thats why Jennifer made Alex her goal. For her, who was at the bottom of the bottom, Alex was like a role model. He was a talented player, yet everybody ridiculed him for trying to get into the first string. Nevertheless, he didnt yield. So, Jennifer refused to yield either. No matter how many times others called her an untalented scrub, she kept working hard. All she wanted was to become a respectable player, one who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other freshmen. Such a small, but damn hard, wish to fulfil. There were countless times she considered quitting, but every time she remembered Alexs efforts and kept pushing forward. Its only thanks to him that she remained in the club to this day. For the better or the worse, a lot had changed since then. Through sheer effort, Jennifer climbed all the way to a captain position. She reached way beyond respectable player, she was considered among the clubs top dogs. On the other hand, Alex gave up halfway through. Because of that, he failed to reach the first string even on his last year. All his unrewarded hard work during the first year burned him out, turning him into a shell of his former self. Zero motivation, zero effort. A total disgrace. Still, one truth remained: even now, he had the makings of a strong player. His potential was only held back by the lack of practice and fighting spirit. Coach brought up the possibility of promotion in front of everybody, but he mentioned it to Alex first. Not Jennifer, but Alex. Gah, so triggering! Coach still had expectations for Alex, even in his current sorry state. Not for Jennifer who worked hard every day, but for Alex who lazed around. Even after chasing Alexs back for so long and eventually surpassing him, she still somehow felt inferior. Damn, Im not losing to some lazy bum! Jennifer clenched her mouse. So what if Alex made some good plays? She not gonna lose! Its time to show these scrubs what shes really made of! Time to uncloak her secret weapon! She rushed Spellbook of Doom during the early game, to begin her combo plays as soon as possible. She gonna terrorize that scrubby Electromancer and score like twenty kills on him! Yeah, thats right! For each assist Alex got, she gonna score ten kills! She not gonna lose against that lazy bum! After clearing all enemy minions, she uncloaked her Spellbook of Doom and hit the Electromancer with Pillar of Fire. She already baited Thunderclap out of him earlier, so he had no way to escape. He wont see this coming! Soon after Pillar of Fire connected, she followed with Flame Wave and Blaze of Inferno. The usual pattern. That scrub sure didnt expect losing his 80% HP in just two seconds! Ha! You have killed an enemy! Flawless execution, just like she practiced. Maybe she wasnt a natural genius like Alex, but she delivered results through hard work! Shes not gonna lose. Not to Alex, and not to anybody else! Spellbook? Already? Gilbert frowned as he stared at the message on his screen. You have been killed! This was unexpected, to say the least. Breaker kept her Spellbook of Doom cloaked until the right moment, baited Thunderclap of him and then destroyed his life with a combo. Thinking back on it, he should had suspected something was off when she suddenly went on the offensive and then retreated as soon as he spent Thunderclap. She was already setting up the stage back then, it was so obvious. Damn. He was played. She rushed Spellbook, so beware of combos. Gilbert informed the rest. Pyro is already hard enough for to deal with as Electro, so I doubt I can handle her combos on top of that. Help will be appreciated. Sorry, man. Trever shook his head. I gotta deal with lots of shit over here too. Yeah, Roi said Im not having an easy time either. They keep rotating from your lanes into mine 24/7. Do something about that, will ya? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Hey, dont blame me for that shit. Trever scowled. I almost got them both times, just got unlucky there. Youre a big boy, you can handle a gank or two. Just hug the Turret until they give up and you gonna be fine. Sure. Roi rolled his eyes. Except, if they push me back to tower all the time, the Viking gonna outfarm me like crazy. Im already lagging behind on gold and cant 1v1 him. Well, figure something out, man. Trever shrugged. Youre not the only one eating shit here. Just keep your opponents in lane, okay? We would, if it were that easy. Gilbert said. It definitely doesnt help our Jungler ganks only once in a blue moon. Excuse me, Dan retorted. Im not exactly a fan of ganking fed enemies with full health. You gotta poke them harder first if you want good ganks. Back and forth. Forth and back. Blame was fired in every direction and Yuel wasnt spared either. He made some poor shot-calls, failing to predict the enemys movements. The enemys mixup didnt only shuffle the players around the map, it also made these very same players move differently. For example, unless there were special circumstances, Breaker always rotated upwards. She started at Bot, went to Mid and usually end up in Top. Its a routine Yuel saw countless times and even exploited. But, the rule was broken this game. Breaker now started in Mid, so she was supposed to rotate to Top. But, she rotated to Bot. An ally has been killed! Shit! Trever roared. Didnt you say shell go for Top!? Great job, detective! Ugh. Yuel bit his lip. It was a careless mistake. He should figured he couldnt blindly trust his previous deductions, yet he went for it anyway. His attention was split between shot-calling and thinking about the teams sorry state. He had to focus. Focus! What, nothing to say for yourself? Trever clicked his tongue. ... Sorry. Yuel hung his head in apology. Any attempt to justify himself would only add fuel to the fire. Man, get a grip. Im getting stomped all over the place thanks to you. Youre been playing like shit the whole game. Sorry. Yuel apologized again. Thats all he could do. He itched to urge back against him playing poorly the whole game, because its clearly Trever who messed up the teams early game. But, he held himself back. The team already succumbed to toxicity, he shouldnt feed it any further. Excuses aside, he failed to predict Breakers movements. Even worse, he carelessly claimed he knew where shell rotate, giving Trever the green light to keep pushing. He chose to trust his deduction without thinking twice, because if Breaker were to rotate to Top - Trever would be able to push Bot hard, maybe even score his first kill. Finally, StormBlitz would make a strong play! Itd surely alleviate some of the teams toxicity! It was too alluring. He gave in to temptation, ignoring reason to chase that daydream. So, this was fully on him. And, it wasnt the first dumb mistake he committed due to haste. Ever since his team started bickering, he stumbled time and again as he tried to restore the teams momentum. Its bad. The team was falling apart. Their chances of winning slipped farther and farther away with every passing second. If Yuel lost his focus too, theyll be doomed. How could he turn this around? Was there anything he could do? The fastest way to inject the team with some positivity was to make a strong play, preferably as a team. For example, winning a team fight would surely boost morale. As the shot-caller, it was up to him to prepare the stage for that. But... Isnt there anything? Anything at all!? He scanned the map, the status screen, compared levels, calculated gold, scanned the map again. Nothing. He couldnt find the play his team desperately needed. Was there really none? Or, was he too foggy to see it? Theres no denying it: the negative atmosphere got to him as well. His vision and judgment were clouded. Thoughts about the situation constantly distracted him. What should he do? How could he turn this around? These questions haunted him. On top of that, the enemys mixup strategy got him well. They only moved three players around the map, yet it changed the the rhythm of the whole team. With Freezer as Support and SkyNight as Carry, the Bot duo played a lot more defensively than the Breaker + SkyNight duo. They made calculated plays and always waited for the right time to punish overextension. Thats how they punished Trever time and again, as he threw caution to the wind for some reason. At the same time, with ComboBreaker in Mid, the lane turned into a raging war zone as soon as she unlocked her combo. She relentlessly pressured Gilbert and went for kills, a world apart from how Freezer played Mid in the last two games. On top of adapting to a completely new beast, Gilbert also had to fend off Breakers unstoppable offense. He was a smart player with solid judgment, but mechanical skill wasnt his forte. Therefore, Breaker overwhelmed him with the combination of superior mechanical skill and tremendous burst damage. Just by shifting players between lanes, the dynamics of the match completely changed. And, this wasnt even a full mixup, as only three enemies changed roles. A true mixup shuffled the entire team around, thats what the first string had to deal with right now. Yuel could only imagine how difficult it was. If I cant even deal with this much, how am I ever going to get into the first string? He gritted his teeth. He had to find a way to overturn this situation. He wont lose to some half-baked mixup. If he couldnt overcome that much, he had no hope getting into the first string anytime soon. Think. It cant be that hard. They changed positions, but theyre still the same players. He took a deep breath and blocked out the negative energy surrounding him. They already played against these enemies before. Twice already. The changes in position caught them off guard, but the shock value mostly wore off by now. In addition, mid game started, so lane matchups were no longer as important. Thats when it hit him. Even though Breaker played Mid, she was a Combo Pyromancer just like before. Likewise, even though Freezer played Support, he stuck to his hybrid build like before. In other words, once Breaker and Freezer stepped out of their lanes to partake in team fights - theyll become familiar foes again. Thats when Yuel will get a chance to turn the tables around with all the data he accumulated on them! Theres no need to act hasty right now. He gave up on making huge plays and prioritized defense, waiting for his chance. No matter what, he couldnt allow the enemy gain any more advantage before the team fighting phase. When the likes of Breaker were fed, they became virtually unstoppable. Thats the main danger he had to avert at any cost. Gilbert, return to base. Yuel said as he arrived in Mid. Ill hold the lane. She clears fast," Gilbert argued. You wont be able to hold her back. I know, but its better than feeding her a kill. ... Yeah, I suppose. Gilbert nodded with a complicated expression. Odd. Gilbert should had known that conceding another kill to Breaker was the worst thing they could do right now. Yet, he seemed reluctant about returning to base. Why? Did he want to stick around and fight Breaker? Sure, if he could score a kill on Breaker, then the tides would turn in their favor and hed compensate for his two deaths. However, its too risky. Even Yuel preferred going on the defensive here, despite usually favoring offensive tactics. Their situation was that desperate. As Gilbert warned, Yuel couldnt hold Breaker back. With her superior damage, fueled by the extra gold and exp she gained from two kills on Gilbert, she torched minions in an instant. Yuel couldnt compete in the slightest in term of wave clearing speed, but at he zoned Breaker out of the Turrets area. She was forced to rely on her minions for pushing the Turret, without getting any attacks in. She clearly wanted to invade, but reconsidered. Good. She understood the dangers of invading against a Paladin, Yuels whole plan revolved around that. Justice Strike gained additional effects against enemies who dealt large amounts of damage since their latest respawn, and Breaker was the biggest offender right now. She knew she most likely stacked enough damage on her record to trigger Justice Strikes most vicious effect: stun. If Yuel were to make the Turret target Breaker and then stunned her within the Turrets range, shed be done for. In the end, Breaker didnt dare to invade. The Turret fell from 70% HP to 40% HP due to efforts of enemy minions, but the it remained intact. Mission accomplished. The Turret survived and they didnt feed Breaker with any kills. Alls well that ended we- An ally has been killed! Gah! Trever exclaimed. Where are you at? I cant 1v2 them! But, I told you to play defensively... Yuel muttered. While he was busy defending Mid, Trever was left alone in Bot and had to face Freezer and SkyNight. Considering Trevers poor performance so far, Yuel was convinced its best to make him play safe by hugging the Turret. Yet, somehow, Trever failed even that. You saw how my previous fights went and you still leave the lane? Trever ranted. Support please? ... Sorry. Yuel clenched his mouse. Excuse me for believing you can do something as simple as hugging a tower. Totally my fault. Given the circumstances, Yuel had no choice but rotate back to Bot. Ill go defend Bot. Yeah, great! Come back right after Im dead! Such helpful, so support! Ugh. Yuel trembled. Whats that guys problem? Yuel did everything he could to prevent this match from heading straight to hell, but all he received in return were complaints. Just who was that angry guy and what did he do to the usual goof? Trevers transformation was so uncanny it was unsettling. Yuel caught glimpses of this behaviour before during practice matches, but he still couldnt believe this was happening right now. Just what was wrong with Trever? Yuel couldnt find the answer to that. Theres only one thing he knew: if things continue like this, the team will fall apart for sure. He had to do something, anything. But what? No idea. Maybe... Maybe this was beyond his power. Vol.3 Ch.5: Trevers Frustration You have been killed! Trever died. Again. It was the third time this game already. Yet again, its because Yuel wasnt there to help him. Where are you at? Trever asked. I cant 1v2 them! But, I told you to play defensively... Yuel said, averting his eyes. You saw how my previous fights went and you still leave the lane? Support please? Sorry. Ill go defend Bot. Yeah, great! Come back right after Im dead! Such helpful, so support! Trever was losing his shit. This kid just kept screwing him all game! Fuck! Ugh. Yuel just hung his head without saying a word. Well, maybe Trever went a little too far. Yuel definitely deserved some criticism, but... Whatever, Trever shook his head. Just make sure you actually support me next time, got it? Seriously, whats wrong with this kid? Didnt he see Trever struggled in lane? Yet, instead of helping, he wandered hell knew where. Its as if every possible bullshit was out to get Trever this match. Like, for real. The hell was wrong with this match? Ever since Trever got himself killed the first time, nothing went his way anymore. He was at freaking 0/3/0 already, a score for an exemplary feeder. If this were a Ranked match with some randoms, hed be flooded with the insults by now. OMG feeder noob uninstall game How did this happen? They did such a good job the last two matches, he was sure they gonna dominate this one as well. The enemy changed their positions a little, but so what? StormBlitz was still stronger! They had this in the bag! ... yet, he got himself killed in less than five minutes into the match. How did that shit happen? Why the heck didnt Yuel follow up on his attack? Where was the supporting at, yo!? Or, was that Trevers fault? Did he rush too much? Honestly, he was a little greedy when chasing the Elf back then. Yeah, maybe it wasnt exactly the smartest play ever. Yuel still could had supported it better, but okay, it wasnt just the kids fault. Anyway, that first death wasnt a huge deal. Everything would be fine once Trever redeems himself. Its payback time, yo! Hell wreck that annoying Elf & Warlock duo! An eye for an eye! A kill for a kill! By scoring a revenge kill, hed fully make up for his previous death. The team would no longer be at a disadvantage because of him. In fact, they might even seize the momentum! Awesome! Hell get that kill for sure! At least, that was the plan... Instead, he died. Again. He even announced out loud he was going after the Elf, yet Yuel still failed to protect him. Like seriously, the heck was Yuel doing? Kid was useless! In the end, instead of settling the score, Trever fed the Elf even more. Awesome. The enemy just gained further advantage! Exactly what Trever wanted! Fuck. Good job, he screwed his entire team. Shit, why was it happening? Why!? He was the senior! The captain! He was supposed to lead the others with his plays, not to drag them down! Not like this! After all this, Yuel told him to hug the Turret and play safe. Seriously? Seriously? Trever lagged behind the enemy Carry after dying twice, yet all Yuel suggested was to turtle. Not to try resetting the score via kills, but to play full defense and let the enemy steamroll them. GG. What a pain. No matter what people preached about the value of hugging towers when playing from behind, it never resonated with Trever. He had to go aggressive! He had to kill the Elf! Thats the only way to come back from this situation. Yuel should had understood that too, as the guy who always came up with crazy aggressive tactics. Yet, Yuel advocated playing defensively? Was today the end of the world or something? Well, whatever. Yuel declared he gonna defend Mid, so theres nothing Trever could do. He couldnt charge in without a Support, because thatd be a 1v2. Frustrating, but he agreed to sit under tower like a good boy. His chance to redeem himself would surely come. He just had to wait out. Just. Wait. It. Out. Gah. Even though he stayed by the Turret, he constantly sought an opportunity to get a kill. Turtling wasnt nearly as effective when the opponent wasnt scared of diving in. Even while playing defensively, Trever had to be on the lookout for a chance to turn the tables around. He needed that kill! The team needed that kill! He had to score that kill to redeem his shitty performance! As the thoughts swirled in his mind, an opportunity presented itself for real. He didnt miss it. He couldnt possibly miss it. The Elf got too greedy when pushing, getting his ass shot by the Turret. He dropped all the way down to 30% HP. Awesome! A huge chance to to finish him off! He even began retreating! This was the opportunity Trever had been waiting for! He left the Turret and chased after the injured Elf. No way he gonna miss this chance But, then Eldritch Nightmare happened. The Warlock robbed him of his vision and slowed him down. Not only he couldnt pinpoint his target in the darkness, but even returning to the Turret was a challenge. Thats when it hit him: it was a trap. He was baited! Fuck! He fired arrows into the darkness, trying to strike an invisible foe. But, it was in vain. He was doomed. Another death, the third one already. Things just escalated from terrible to seriously fucking terrible. Damn! If only Yuel was here! He could had protected Trever with Aegis until Eldritch Nightmare was over. Then, Trever could had easily pursued his prey and would had finally settled the score. But no, Yuel just had to be in Mid for whatever reason. Dammit. Three deaths in a row without achieving anything, thats how Trever ended up with a dumb 0/3/0.. The game hadn''t even reached the team-fighting phase yet, but he already screwed his team. Yes, him. The senior. The captain. Of all people. No matter how hard he lashed at Yuel, deep down he knew: the blame laid with him. He fucked up. Hard. Why did it turn out like this? Why did he keep messing up in the most critical moments? He used to be a king of Classmancers back in grade school. After failing to stand out in the soccer club, he tried Classmancers and became a celebrity among his peers. Thats what hooked him on the game. He forgot all about the unrewarding ball game and focused on Classmancers. Being a Classmancers ace didnt exactly impress girls, but thats fine. These chicks were just too young to understand its greatness. Once they grow up a little, theyd see how amazing Trever really was. Until then, he kept playing and bettering himself. At some point, he and Aron became the best players in class. Heck, the best players in the entire school! Especially, when they used their trademark Double Jungler combo - they wrecked all the other kids. It was awesome. They were awesome. When they took StormBlitzs entry exam, they totally fazed the examiners. It was a breeze, everybody said they had the makings of pro players. Unsurprisingly, Trever became a core member of the first string and debuted in the regionals as a junior. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. For somebody like him, todays scrimmage was supposed to be a walk in the park. It was nothing compared to playing in the regionals. Yet, here he was: conceding kills left and right. Such a disgrace. Ever since Ellen joined the club, nothing went his way anymore. He was forced to surrender the Carry role, got demoted to the second string and his overall performance dropped. Aron gave him an earful every other day. Life became hell. Why? How did it happen? Incomprehensible. Its not like he lazed around or anything. In fact, he trained harder than ever after losing his spot as a starter. He refused going down without a fight! He wanted to teach that damn chick a lesson and reclaim his rightful place! Alas, none of his effort paid off. Despite working hard and improving a lot, he always blew it during important moments. For example, like how he lost it during Larss entry exam and almost ruined the whole thing. It always struck him suddenly, without explanation. It was like a bad dream, an illusion. He always refused to believe it was really happening to him, until it was too late to recover. To be blunt: he fell apart. No matter how strong he felt before the match or how decently he performed, he had a tendency to fall apart during critical moments. Its a curse which had been haunting him since forever, even all the way back in grade school. Thats the main reason he failed to stand out in the soccer club. He was usually a strong forward, but sometimes hed just miss every shot and waste every opportunity his team created for him. He hoped to escape that curse by switching to Classmancers, but ended up carrying over that bad luck. These were just bad days, thats how he called them. Sometimes, things simply didnt go his way. Hed become agitated, desperately trying to fix everything he messed up. But, the harder he worked to redeem himself, the more he screwed himself and his team in the process. Its just not my day. Thats how he used to dismiss these incidents. There were some good days and some bad days, thats how life rolled. Sometimes he was on fire and dominated everybody, other times he played like a noob and anybody wreck him. Shit happened, thats life for ya. Even with this glaring weakness weighing him down, he was appointed as a starter by the end of the first year. Everybody recognized him as one of the best players in the club despite his occasional breakdowns. The breakdowns were pretty rare anyway, way rarer than the ones he experienced in soccer. Truly, Classmancers was the right game for him! The more experience and confidence he gained in the club, the less frequent his breakdowns became. Aron still nagged about them whenever they happened, but everybody else just accepted them. Everybody had their off days, their bad days. Theres nothing special about it. All in all, things were going great for Trever. That is, until that fateful entry exam. As a junior, he was in the shoes of an examiner this time around. The rookie he played against on lane was Ellen. He vaguely remembered that nerdy girl, she was a year below him in grade school. Always wearing thick glasses and being kind of a weirdo, she probably didnt have many friends. Or, any friends. There also werent many kids her age in the school who played Classmancers, so she tried mixing into Trevers gang. Pretty admirable, considering how shy and closed-off she seemed to be. He didnt dislike the girl. In fact, he thought shed be kinda cute if she took better care of herself. She sucked at the game, though. Coupled with her being the weirdo she was, it didnt take long before she became the laughingstock of the group. Everything about her was ridiculed, from her appearance to her speech to her gaming skills. Trever also laughed at her, but not because he disliked her or anything. Its just that she was a weirdo and her desperate attempts to play on par with the boys were hilarious. She always came to their class during lunch breaks, only to make a fool out of herself with her poor skills. It was so dumb. You just aint cut for it. Trever told her. Its fine if you wanna watch, but I dont think you should play. I mean, your team always loses, no matter who you play with After that, Ellen stopped coming. He considered calling her over, but it was awkward so he gave up. That was the last time he ever saw that eccentric nerdy girl. The next time he saw her was during that fateful entry exam. The girl who appeared before him was definitely Ellen, yet she looked nothing alike. Her big glasses were gone, probably replaced with contacts. Her long messy hair was cut shorter, giving her a wild and daring look. But, the most notable difference was her attitude: she looked strong, brimming with confidence. She walked with her head straightened and had no trouble making eye contact. She was a world apart from the shy girl he knew, who used to stare at the floor all the time and stuttered every other word. In fact, she... She was kinda cute, Trevers heart even skipped a beat when their eyes met. How could this cool chick be the same weirdo he used to make fun of? It was unreal. Contact between club members and examinees was frowned upon, but he decided to strike a conversation anyway. Based on how poorly she played in grade school, shes not gonna pass anyway. Hey there, he greeted her. Remember me? Oh, you actually made it into the club. Ellen replied with a foxy smile. Im so glad. Huh? Why? Because it means I get to destroy you. She smiled like an angel, but her words sent a shiver down his spine. From her striking beauty to her sharp tongue, anything and everything was different from the nerdy girl he remembered. Um... He had no idea how to respond to that greeting. She harbored a grudge against him, that much was clear. Well, he and his pals were kinda mean to her in grade school, so no surprise here. When he looked back on his actions, he felt he was kinda a scumbag back then. But, too bad for her, because she not gonna get her revenge. Regardless of how poorly he treated her before, it didnt change the fact she was a weak player. He was like twenty leagues above her back in grade school and he got that much better since then thanks to the club. He was even gonna be a starter this year, he was killing it! This bulletproof confidence was shattered to pieces during Ellens entry exam. She was nothing special at first, he thought itd be a breeze. However, slowly but surely, he felt a rope tightening around his neck. Suffocating him. Draining his life. Crushing him. He still stronger, yet somehow his strength turned against him. Time and again, he failed to kill Ellen. And, after every failure, the next fight was that much harder. He was grinded to death. Slowly. Veeeery slowly. But, eventually, she killed him. It was a bad day. A very bad day. He performed worse and worse as the match progressed, conceding kills left and right. Ellen showed no mercy. She took advantage of his poor condition and fed on every last drop of his blood. He became a feeder on a whole different level, it was the most embarrassing match of his life. His poor performance destroyed the balance of the match, messing up the entire exam. Needless to say, Aron was furious. Trever simply couldnt comprehend. Wasnt he a strong player? Didnt everybody say he had the makings of a pro? Didnt he completely wreck Ellen back in grade school? Yet, despite spending a whole year in a serious club, he was completely stomped by her. Even for a bad day, that was too much. My, turns out you''re a trash tier player. Im so disappointed. Ellen told him that after the exam. ... What? He? Trash tier? How was that even...? His whole world collapsed. The skill he thought he possessed, the great effort he thought he put into improving - all of it was stomped upon, by a girl who was a total scrub last year. The entire year he spent in the clubs competitive environment was overshadowed by the progress Ellen made in that same time. It was unthinkable. Impossible. Yet, it happened. Was that the extent of his skill? Was that as far as he could go no matter how hard he trained? His confidence took a dive. Every time he tried acting like a big shot, flashbacks from that match crossed his mind. Its like a curse was placed on him, torturing him at any opportunity it was given. Was that supposed to be Ellens idea of revenge? Even though she called herself Athena, she was no goddess; she was a witch. This bitter experience was carved onto his mind and popped up whenever he wavered in the slightest. Every time a game went south and he started questioning himself, the flood of negativity wouldnt stop. Was it his fault? Was he too weak? and so on and so forth. His concentration scattered all over the place and he performed worse and worse. Thats how StormBlitz blew the regionals in the first round last year. He lost himself in the first match and the enemy exploited that. He played so bad that the whole team ended up looking like a bunch of amateurs. What a disgrace. He made a laughingstock out of everybody. And, the same exact thing was happening again right now in this scrimmage. The harder he tried to fix the situation by scoring kills, the worse everything became when he got himself killed instead. He knew: once things started going poorly for him, it only went downhill from there. But, he refused to accept it! There had to be something he could do! Theres no way the team gonna lose because of him! He was the senior and the captain! If he wasnt gonna pull through, who would!? Shit, whats wrong with me!? Trever slammed on the table. His fists trembled, his breathing ragged and his forehead sweaty. It was a curse. The witchs curse tortured him. Once it gripped him, itll never let go. The only path he and his teammates will travel through will be one heading straight to oblivion... Vol.3 Ch.6: A Powerless Shot-Caller The third game was a mess for StormBlitz. Trever got killed time and again, his misplays became worse and worse with each subsequent battle. Gilbert was pushed back by ComboBreaker and struggled to defend the lane against her hyper aggression. Compared to them, Roi held his ground better. His lane opponent didnt change anything for the mixup strategy, so it was the same matchup as before. Nevertheless, he was gradually pushed back by the momentum the enemy seized in other lanes. The Viking outleveld him and forced him to play defensively, overtaking the lane step by step. Worse than anything, negativity seeped into the teams morale. Bickering, ranting and passing blame. Everybody was swallowed by toxicity. Even Yuel fell victim to it, despite his best efforts to objectively analyze the situation from the side. He criticized every misplay his teammates made, got irritated whenever unwarranted blame was shot at him and so forth. The only difference between him and the rest was how he kept his mouth shut. There were many complaints he ached to unleashed on his teammates, especially on Trever, but he didnt utter a word. Adding more fuel to the fire was the worst he could do right now. As hopeless as everything seemed, the game wasnt lost yet. At least, not by Yuels standards. Despite their poor conduct this game, his teammates were good players. They spent over a year in the clubs competitive environment, their skills were honed to unbelievable sharpness. Even while haunted by toxicity - they put on a fight, just enough to prevent the game from being lost. The only exception was Trever, who misplayed so hard he didnt resemble even a shadow of his former self. Still, a comeback was possible. Difficult, but possible. If only Yuel could figure a way to inject positivity into the team, they could overcome this ordeal. But, what could he do? What should he do? So far, he focused on preventing the enemy team from snowballing too hard. If somebody like Breaker were get out of control, thatd seal the game right there. Therefore, he prioritized keeping Gilbert alive and thwarting Breakers aggressive plays to the best of his ability. Letting the enemy Carry snowball was equally dangerous, so he also tried protecting Trever from SkyNight. Alas, that proved nigh impossible. Trever was too uncooperative, always charging forward to score a kill on Night. Therefore, while Breaker was held in check for the most part, Night grew stronger and strong with each time he killed Trever. He didnt come off as a particularly scary player, but a fed Carry was a fed Carry regardless. At this rate, Night will become unstoppable and single-handedly push the game to its conclusion. How long can we hold up playing like this? Yuel bit his lip. All he had been doing was run around the map and put out flames. But, playing defensively didnt solve anything, it only delayed the inevitable. He had to switch gears into offense. The team needed a counterattack plan. Alas, ideas refused to sprout in his mind. With so much distraction around him, he couldnt collect his thoughts. Its like growing crops on poor soil. Nothing happened. He couldnt see the enemys weaknesses. Focus. Think. The harder he ordered, the more his mind wandered off and asked stupid questions. How did things come to this? Why did Trever play so poorly? How could such a rift form in the team out of nowhere? Useless questions. All of them. Just useless. Whats done was done, theres no point lingering on the past. He had to figure how to play with the hand he was dealt, thats all that mattered. How could he stop both Breaker and Night from snowballing? He somewhat managed to keep these two threats at bay until now, but the game already reached its team-fighting phase. Normally, hed form a plan or twenty by this point. Yet, he still didnt have anything concrete. During a team fight, most enemies were gathered in one area. Therefore, their mixup strategy should no longer have much impact. He just had to counter Breaker with the information he collected on her in the previous rounds, as she was playing the usual Combo Pyromancer. Countering Night will be harder, because he played Support before. But, Yuel should had watched enough of his Elf plays by now to do basic profiling. Things looked good. By shutting down these two during team fights, StormBlitz still had a chance! They could still make a comeback! An ally has been killed! Gilbert fell. How? Breaker and Night were over there, Yuel was keeping them in check. The enemy Jungler was on the other side of the map, so its not him either. Who else on that team could possibly dish out high damage? The answer revealed itself: Freezer. Yuel was naive. There were three enemies who benefited from the mixup strategy, not two. In previous games, Freezer was underfed after facing Gilbert in lane, so his impact on game mostly boiled down to disruptive CC in team fights. But, he played Warlock, a mage with the potential for burst damage. This game, he laned together with Night and scored an assist for each of of Nights kills, so he was plenty fed. If he built power items, his damage will be plenty threatening. And, he certainly did. He played Support this time around, but his build shifted toward a Hybrid Warlock during mid game. He bought just enough offensive items to make his damage threatening, without entirely sacrificing his defense and cooldown reduction. It was bad news. Against the aggressive trio of Breaker, Night and Freezer - it took everything just to stay alive. The mere idea of suggesting a counter attack sounded ludicrous. And, if that wasnt enough, the teams bickering only became worse. Everybody were packed in one place during a team fight, so their misplays were easier to spot. It became hell. Why did you step in there!? Roi roared. You literally gave her the kill, man! Well, Trever shook his head. Maybe if our Jungler wasnt literally useless and focused key targets for once, she wouldnt be alive by now. Ignore them. Focus. Think. Yuel repeated in his head like a mantra. He couldnt lose to the torrent of toxicity. He was the shot-caller, he had to think up a play thatd solve everything. Wait, Dan demanded. How exactly its my fault? Hes just pissed, Gilbert said. But, he got a point. You played a little too passive. Ignore them. Dont stop thinking. There has to be something. And how is that different from what you were doing? (Dan) I-Ignore them. Keep analyzing the situation. Honestly, you both kinda suck, lol. (Roi) Yeah, no balls. Only me and Roi try to get any kills there. (Trever) Ugh. Shut up already. Let me think...! Sure, because charging at the enemy without a plan is smart when were behind. (Gilbert) Such an eye-opener! Be right back kamikazing on my opponents then. (Dan) ENOUGH ALREADY!!! Yuel roared and slammed on the table, a jolt of pain ran through his fists. GOD. DAMN. IT. He couldnt take this bullshit anymore! The heck was wrong with them!? Did they come here to win or to roast each other!? .......... .......... Silence. Awkward silence. Cold sweat ran down Yuels forehead. He felt a thousands eyes on him. He totally did. He just went and did it. He yelled like a madman at his seniors. Gulp. Um, well... He slowly raised his head, sneaking peeks at his teammates. Ugh! They were staring him down, no doubt wondering Who the heck this brat thinks he is!? Damn. He tried so hard to stay out of this mess, but ended up jumping right into it, head first. Everything he bottled inside gushed out. But, maybe it wasnt all bad. The situation was terrible, but its also a chance. His teammates finally quieted down and had their attention focused on him. Its a chance to talk some sense into them! While shaking like crazy and sweating bullets, he pressed on. L-Look, Yuel gulped. Um, well, You feel frustrated, I get that. He pushed the words through his throat. But, arguing isnt going to help. Its a waste of time and increases our chance of losing. Nobody responded. They kept eying at Yuel, sending shivers down his spine. It looked like some wanted to retort, but restrained themselves to see what else Yuel had to say. Instead of blaming each other, how about we work together and try to actually win? Yuel suggested. I hope you got a plan after saying this much. Gilbert retorted. Um, about that... Yeah, Trever added. Show us how its done, genius. Youve been ignoring me for a while now, so you better have something good. Ugh. Yuel was cornered. After yelling his head off and dropping all that criticism, everybody expected a magical solution from him. Sure, totally fair! Just shove all the responsibility on him! He dug himself a hole. Still, it was an opportunity. He had a chance to turn the situation around with the next thing he says. For the first time this game, everybody were going to listen to what Yuel had to say instead of fighting each other. This was exactly the stage he needed! Except, he wasnt prepared yet. A game winning strategy... He didnt have one, not yet. The teams negativity distracted him too much, making it hard to form any strategies at all. But, thats not to say he was without ideas at all. For the better or the worse, his brain was wired to analyze enemy plays and craft counters on the go. Therefore, a bunch of ideas already floated in his head. Its just that none of them felt airtight enough, not yet. At least, he couldnt find the courage to suggest any of them. They all involved huge risks and failure would single-handedly destroy the team. Should I take a risk and go with something half-baked? Yuel contemplated. Theres a huge risk involved, but theres also the possibility for a comeback. If they make a big play and it succeeds, the teams morale will surely skyrocket. The longer he stayed quiet without providing any comeback calls, the more unrecoverable the teams situation became. So? Gilbert asked again. You got anything for us? I... I do. Yuel took a deep breath. His heart squeezed, This was a gamble. A huge one. He did his best to maintain a stoic expression, trying to convey confidence. If he doesnt look confident about his own plan, nobody will take it seriously. Okay. Think. Which one is the best for this situation? From a myriad of unpolished tactics floating in his head, he had to pick the one with the highest chance of success. First, the current situation. Only Yuel, Dan and Gilbert survived the recent team fight. Trever and Roi overextended in a desperate attempt to score kills, leading to their demise. They took out the enemy Viking, but it was a 2-for-1. In other words, their current situation was a 3v4. On top of that, their most aggressive players were dead. That greatly restricted Yuels options. In this situation, their best bet was... Lets kill the Dragon. Yuel suggested. Say what? Gilbert raised an eyebrow. In this situation? You serious? Stolen novel; please report. Yes,. Yuel nodded. Were running behind on gold and exp. If we can kill the Dragon, well nearly close the gold gap in one go. Wow wow wait a second, Trever intervened. I just died, ya know? Somebody gotta defend Bot. After we take the Dragon, we can rotate to Bot as a team. Yuel explained. The Bot Turret is already gone, so the only substantial progress the enemy can make is push all the way to the Golem. We wont give them enough time for that. And, Gilbert said. I suppose Im also part of that Dragon hunting team?. Of course. Yuel nodded. All three of us need to be there. Ill tank, you and Dan kill it. And, who exactly will defend Mid then? Well... Yuel gulped, knowing all too well how absurd his next words were going to sound. We can let them take the Mid Turret. Excuse me? I know, its not ideal. Theyll get lots of map control and gold from that. But, Dragon gives more gold than a Turret, so well earn more gold from this exchange. Lol, you sacrificing Mid for Dragon? Roi chuckled. Yuels Kamikaze Corporation strikes again! That drew out a few chuckles from the team. Even though it was a joke about Yuels suggestion, it injected some positivity into the team. Things were going great! His suggestion was met with some resistance, but he held his ground and kept pushing it. Just by coming together as a team to discuss a strategy, the atmosphere began to shift- Theres one huge problem, Gilbert stated, striking down the good mood. Trading Mid for Dragon is already crazy as it is, but theres an even bigger risk you forgot to address: can we even secure the Dragon in this situation? Thats... Yuel knew all the dangers involved, but he hoped to avoid confronting this one. By explaining the potential benefits of his plan, he hoped the team will put their trust in him as usual. He was naive. Were down to 3v4. Gilbert said. If we run into them at the Dragon, theyre going to finish us off. Thats GG right there. True, Yuel nodded, steeling himself. But, my Sentry Ward there still stands and theres no sign of the other team. Theyre not paying attention to the Dragon right now, theyll prioritize pushing Mid and Bot. Why are you so sure? Gilbert demanded. I agree, Dan joined in. It sounds suicidal. You have a good reason to believe they wont notice us stealing Dragon? Eh? Well... Yuel was taken aback. Something was off. It wasnt the first time he suggested a weird or risky plan, but he didnt meet such strong resistance before. Its weird. Its like they already had their own ideas in mind and intended to dismiss every other suggestion. He had to literally fight to push his suggestion through, even though he was supposed to be the shot-caller... Well, Yuel searched for convincing reasons. Theyve been ignoring the Dragon a lot in past games, and... The necessary data was definitely somewhere at the back of his head, but he struggled to draw it out. He went over his list of arguments time and again, but couldnt help but question it. Were these arguments enough? Were they going to convince anybody? Wasnt there more he could say? A thousand gazes drilled him. It felt like nothing he says will matter. Everybody were set on rejecting his plan. He could feel that in his bones. Did he pick the wrong tactic? Was it even a plausible tactic in the first place? Even he couldnt tell anymore. How did things come to this? How did everything change so much? Since when a shot-caller had to work so hard to justify his calls? He made a couple mistakes earlier this match, but that alone shouldnt dismiss him from being the shot-caller. And, even they had a problem with him as the shot-caller, nobody spoke up until now. Nobody asked to replace him, yet it didnt seem like they had any intention following his orders either. Why? What was different? Before, everybody went along with his plans, no matter how risky or unconventional they were. Trever and Gilbert always supported his decisions and let him have his way... Oh, thats what was different: Trever and Gilbert didnt support him this time. In fact, Gilbert objected the most. All this time, Yuel thought he became a shot-caller who had the trust of his teammates. But, thats wrong. The team actually trusted Trever and Gilbert, not some freshman. Everybody followed Yuels strategies as long as Trever and Gilbert endorsed them. Without their approval, he was was voiceless. He wasnt a shot-caller. He wasnt anything. Thus, pushing his ideas through was impossible right now. Sorry, my bad... Yuel mumbled. Forget what I said. Lets just defend the lanes... So, you got nothing in the end? Trever scoffed. What a disappointment. Sorry... Yuel bit his lip. What he wouldnt give to get the usual scene: Trever smacking him on the back, yelling What a crazy plan! I like it! This was the first time he realized how important Trevers endorsement was. He couldnt mobilize the team without it. He couldnt do anything. In the end, Yuel stayed quiet throughout the rest of the game. He let it roll to hell. Screw it. He was powerless anyway, nobody was going to listen to him while he was on Trevers bad side. He had to hope the team will collect itself over the break. Otherwise, theyll lose not only this game, but also the two games afterwards. [DEFEAT] Deafening silence. Nobody said anything as the match ended. They shot each other with so criticism throughout the match, that they probably ran out of bullets. Everybody silently stood up and left the stage. Yuel also left quietly, without exchanging a single world with anybody. This didnt look good. No, that was sugarcoating. It looked bad. Terrible. Will things work themselves out before the next match if left alone? Shouldnt Yuel do something? But, what could he do? Was there even anything a freshman like him could do? Nobody even truly respected him as a fellow teammate. Even in the teams room, the atmosphere was suffocating. Nobody spoke with each other. Each minded his own business, as if the terrible match right now didnt even happen. Roi was drinking Coke, uncharaersitically silent. Dan fiddled with his phone, without telling any bad jokes. Gilbert leaned on a sofa chair and closed his eyes, blocking out his surroundings. They just finished a terrible game, in which they bickered and were thoroughly crushed. Yet, nobody felt like reviewing their performance. There was so much to talk about, but the room was dead silent. Everybody sat silently in their own little corners, but there were signs of something uncomfortable underneath the chill facade. Especially, Trever looked the most irritated out of everybody. From the tapping of his foot to the mean look on his face, everything about him conveyed restlessness. In Yuels experience, once Trever got tilted - theres no turning back. When that happened in club, Trever usually called it a day and left. But, what about this situation? He couldnt simply leave. Substituting players was allowed in official matches and the same applied to this scrimmage. But, its Trever, the senior and captain. How could they possible sub him out? No matter how much Yuel wished to substitute Trever for Lars, theres nothing he could do about it. He was merely a freshman, whose opinion apparently didnt count unless it was first approved by somebody else. He had no say about anything. But, things couldnt stay this way either. Wasnt there anything he could do? Anything he could suggest? Encouraging others wasnt his forte. He wasnt the type to have pep talks. And, in the first place, he wasnt the type to turn a blind eye to his teammates misconduct. He couldnt bring himself to say We just had a bad game. Dont worry, well get them next time! No, it wasnt just a bad game. The team self-destructed. Everybody were at fault, Yuel included. And especially Trever, who was the core of the problem in Yuels eyes. He simply couldnt find it in himself to say You just had a bad matchup in lane. Im sure youll do better next time. Instead, he wanted to resolve this situation with action, with strategy. There had to be some counterattack the team could use against the Leopards. Once he finds it and shares it with everybody, their spirits should be lifted. Now that the match was over, he finally escaped the distracting negative atmosphere. Therefore, he could rationally evaluate the match and determine the teams faults. Most of the blame laid with Trevers poor performance, but before that there was the issue of bad lane matchups. After the enemy switched to their mixup lineup, Trever and Gilbert ended up being matched against problematic opponents. Trever was an aggressive player who easily fell into Freezers defensive traps, whereas Gilbert was an orthodox player who got overwhelmed by Breakers hyper aggression. The two of them were like the teams pillars, gluing everybody together and permitting Yuel to play shot-caller. As both of them were overwhelmed by bad matchups, the whole team started falling apart. Was there any way to address that in the next match? Unfortunately, theres no way to force specific enemies to play in specific lanes. Its possible to ban specific classes to prevent enemies from picking them, but its impossible to force these enemies out of lanes. Banning Pyromancer and Warlock wont do anything, since Breaker and Freezer surely had alternative classes they could play as Mid and Support. Each team could only ban a total of five classes, so its impossible to ban every single class these two could play. This was bad. The enemys mixup strategy proved to be more lethal than Yuel expected. Not only did it force StormBlitz to adapt from scratch, but it also created more favorable lane matchups for the Leopards. Its the kind of flexibility normal teams didnt have, since each player was normally stuck in a specific role. No matter how terrible of a matchup a player got in lane, they had to figure something out while sticking to their role. Wait, maybe we could try that as well? The easiest way to change bad lane matchups was to move Trever and Gilbert to other lanes. In other words, to use a mixup of their own. Unlike the Leopards, each player in StormBlitz only had one main role. However, everybody in the club were encouraged to pick at least one secondary role. This made them more flexible during practice matches and when playing Ranked. Fortunately, all members of the second string followed that advice. Therefore, its possible to move Trever from Carry to Jungler and to switch Gilbert from Mid to Support. Why Support of all things? Yuel frowned. Moving Gilbert to Support naturally meant Yuel will have to be kicked out of the role. Ugh. Like the others, Yuel also had a secondary role: Top Lane. As much as he wanted to hold onto the Support role, he had to prioritize the team here. If moving from Support to Top could improve their chances of winning C hell do it. So: Trever to Jungler, Gilbert to Support and Yuel to Top. Next, its possible to move Dan to Mid. All thats left open after that was Roi and the Carry role. Except, Roi didnt play Carry, at least not as his secondary role. His secondary was Jungler, conflicting with Trevers position. This mixup was impossible. Theres still the option to keep Trever as Carry and switch everybody else around, but that defeated the whole point. Trever needed this change the most, otherwise its pointless. In the first place, even if they were to switch roles around, how well would they perform? What am I thinking? We didnt even practice this lineup. Yuel sighed. They didnt have any experience playing such a lineup as a team in the first place. This second string team was formed a week ago and their practices were fully geared toward competitive matches. Therefore, they only ever practiced their best roles as a team. They also played some 3v3 along with Lars, because Howard insisted they had to hone their team-fighting coordination. But otherwise, everything was about playing 5v5 as a team. They werent like the Leopards, who were specifically trained by a coach to play two main roles. Its useless. No matter how hard Yuel brainstormed, he couldnt come up with a counter plan to their current situation. Theres no doubt the Leopards will use the same mixup lineup next match as well. Itll be tough. The best StormBlitz could do was counter-pick as hard as possible in the Carry and Mid roles, giving Trever and Gilbert as much advantage as possible. It might work, but Yuel wasnt confident about it. Damn, he felt so powerless. Whats with the long faces? Howard popped up in their room. Dont tell me you lost? Yeah, Gilbert answered with a deep sigh. It was pretty brutal. Huh. What went wrong? You were so confident after the last match. They used their mixup, like you expected. Gilbert summarized the match, but he only covered the simple facts. How Breakers hyper aggression was hard to deal with, how Freezer punished Trevers aggressiveness during the early game and how the team was at huge disadvantage from there onward. Not a single word was uttered about the team bickering, passing blame and falling apart. ....... Yuel opened his mouth multiple times throughout Gilberts summary, but ended up closing it without saying a word. He just couldnt bring it up. Gilbert elegantly dodged around it and nobody called him on it, so its clear everybody wanted to bury the inconvenient details. Not surprising, considering how embarrassing it all was. They acted like a bunch of salty brats who just started playing yesterday. I see, Howard nodded after hearing the bare-bones summary. Sounds rough. Id review the replay with you to give you some pointers, but I gotta to do lots of reviewing with my own team. We won the match, but it was far from easy. Oh, you finally won one? Roi chuckled. You mustve stolen our luck, lol. Hey now, dont reduce our efforts to luck. Howard said. We finally adapted to these guys, but theyre strong. Not sure we can beat them 3-2, so I trust you guys to go 4-1. We need any seed points we can get before the regionals, so you better win the next two matches. He scanned the members one by one with a sharp gaze, instilling the importance of the next two matches. Sure... Roi put on a forced smile, the rest nodded awkwardly. Nobody conveyed much confidence. They already lost one match, so to go 4-1 they had to win the remaining two. Could this team really do it in its current state? At this rate, theyll surely self-destruct in the upcoming matches. Um, Yuel wanted to somehow convey that to Howard, but stopped in the last moment. Nevermind. Shivers ran across his skin as soon as he opened his mouth. Not sure whether its just his imagination, but he felt like his teammates will eat him alive if he spills the beans about their poor conduct. They clearly didnt want to bring it up, especially not in front of the clubs vice-captain. Alright, Howard said. Ill be heading back then. Remember, I trust you guys. Also, Yuel, come with me for a second. Huh? Me? Yuel blinked. Yes, you. Id like your advice about something, as an expert on unusual plays. Dont worry, it wont take long. Sure. Yuel nodded and followed Howard out of the room. Whats this about? Did the first string need some help with their offense? Or, did they need him to figure somebodys weakness? This should be far enough. Howard came to a sudden halt in the middle of the hallway and turned to Yuel. Alright then, what you wanted to tell me? Wha? Yuel was taken aback. Im not blind, you know. You wanted to say something the whole time Gilbert was talking, right? Saw you open and close your mouth at like 90 miles per hour, was pretty funny. Ugh... Something you cant say in front of the others? Well... Yuel gulped. What an unexpected opportunity. But, should he really do it? Theres no turning back after that. Once he reveals the whole truth, theres no way Howard will stay silent and about it, especially not after stressing how important it was for the second string to win 4-1. Theres more to your defeat, isnt there? Howards sharp eyes penetrated Yuel to the core, as if seeing through everything. Gils summary was a little shallow. You had some bad matchups, I get that. But, how in the world did that make you lose in under 12 minutes? Spill the beans, boy. O-Okay. Yuel clenched his fists. As much as he was afraid of backlash from his teammates, he was even more terrified from what will happen if he lies to Howard. Its impossible to hide anything from the vice-captain, its like Howard could look into peoples very souls. Thus, Yuel decided to speak up. About how Trever became tilted, about how the team bickered and about how they refused to follow Yuels shot calls. He didnt hold anything back. Everything he bottled up until now came gushing out. How will Howard react to this information? Did Yuel make the right choice to speak about this behind his teammates backs? Either way, all he could do right now was keep talking and wait for Howards verdict. Vol.3 Ch.7: Substitution Request thats all. Yuel finished venting his frustration in front of Howard. He said everything he had to said, from beginning to end. About how Trever got tilted after dying and performed poorly ever since, about how the team fell to the level of childish bickering and about how his shot-calls were rejected. Everything was laid bare, his own faults included. I didnt do much to stop them, Yuel admitted. He effectively ratted out his teammates, so the least he could do was admitting he wasnt perfect either. I stayed quiet the whole time, waiting for the storm to pass. At one point, I had the opportunity to change something, but the idea was shot down. At this rate, we have no chance of winning the next matches. I see, Howard said. I had a feeling its something along these lines, but I didnt expect things to be this bad. You knew? It was written on your faces. Howard sighed. The atmosphere in your room was all doom and gloom. I had to mentally prepare myself before walking in. So, he figured it out at a glance. Just how good is this guy at reading us? Yuel frowned. Having a psychic mind reader as vice-captain was unsettling on many levels, but right now Yuel was thankful for it. Alrighty then, Howards eyes turned sharp, peering into the depths of Yuels mind. Lets get to the point. What do you think was the source of the problem? Well, thats Yuel stuttered. Even though he summarized everything, he avoided pointing fingers. In his story, everybody was equally guilty. But, thats not how he truly felt. Its clear as day whose actions were the catalyst for the teams downfall. But, he felt bad pinning the blame on one player, since he was already talking behind his teammates backs. Not to mention, the culprit he had in mind was thatguy. Hurry up. We dont have much time before your next match. Its Trever. Yuel coughed up. He was the first to BM and I think all the negativity spread from him. Everybody had their bad moments, myself included, but I dont think anybody topped Trever. He only got worse with time, both in his plays and his attitude. Honestly, it was insufferable. Once Yuels tongue started rolling, it refused to stop. That was the last bit of pent-up frustration he still carried, and Howard squeezed it out of him. Even without outright saying it, Yuels position was clear: Trever should be switched out. Alright, Howard nodded. Its a shame, but you gotta sub Trever. You agree? That easily? Yuel was taken aback. Hes the captain, you know? Between you and me: hes the captain to ensure he stays motivated, Howard said. You know how Trever used to be on the first string, right? Im sure hes not amused about being placed in the second string, so at least being the captain makes him feel more important. Theres also his pride as a senior to consider. That sounds kinda. Dont get me wrong, I dont belittle him or anything. When hes in the right mood, hes a great player. Hes also good at being loud, which can be annoying but it keeps morale high. I dont know about morale, but its sure annoying. Right? Haha. Anyway, thats the good points about him. Hes a vital teammate when hes doing well. But, if he falls into a slump, theres no getting out. I tried all sort of things before, but I never figured how to make him snap outta it. So, hes always a double-edged sword. I see. If even Howard couldnt pull Trever out of the slump, then nobody could. Especially, not Yuel. Its regrettable, but the only option now was to give up on Trever. So, can we sub Lars in? Yeah, you have permission. Howard nodded. Shouldnt you pass this by Aron first? After all, no matter how dominant Howards presence was in the club, hes only the vice-captain. Nah, no need. Howard waved it off. I already talked to Aron about subbing Trever for Lars if something happens. Already talked...? Yuels jaw dropped and refused to come back. What? When? Howard just learned about Trevers slump, so it meant he prepared for this situation ahead of time, long before this scrimmage began. He knew about Trevers problem, so he prepared a cure before the plague struck. He always did this, thats how he provided his teammates with an absolute defense. Thats why he was Aegis, the impenetrable shield. I knew it too. I knew how Trever is, and yet... Yuel gritted his teeth. Hes the vice-captain of the second string. Its his job to ensure the teams victory. Yet, he didnt think of any countermeasures to Trevers bad habit. He was outdone by an outsider, by somebody who already had his hands full managing the first string. Goddammit. Wait, Yuel realized something big. Dont tell me thats why you made Lars practice with us? Who knows. Howard dodged, but the smug on his face said it all. He came up with this Plan B all the way back then. He insisted Lars should train with the second string to practice their team-fighting coordination. 3v3 battles were indeed a good way to improve teamwork, so nobody doubted Howards intentions. But, that training wasnt just for those announced to be on the second string. It also ensured Lars practiced with them, so he can sub for Trever at a moment''s notice. Everything was calculated. Yuel was completely defeated. Not only he failed to prepare any countermeasures to Trevers problem, but he didnt even realize Howards real intent. Ugh. Seriously, what was he doing? Howard was the first strings Support and shot-caller, the one Yuel had to overcome to claim a spot on the first sting. Yet, Yuel completely lost this round. Just how big was the gap between them? Did he have a chance of ever surpassing Howard...? Anyway, Howard said. Youre free to sub Trever. But, Im not going back there, so its all up to you. Me? Yes, you. I cant babysit your team all day. You gotta learn how to solve your problems yourself. So, you go back to your team and announce whatever changes you deem necessary. Wait, are you serious? Yuel gulped. Youre aware Trever is technically still the captain, right? And, hes a senior while Im the youngest player on the team. Using age to defend yourself? I thought you wanted people to stop calling you a rookie. Ugh, thats... Didnt you say its frustrating how the team rejects your shot-calls because youre the youngest one? Thats true, but... Yuel clenched his fists. Yes, he hated all of that. Being treated like a rookie, not being trusted as a shot-caller and having no voice - he wanted to break out of these shackles. To do so, he had to confront the team whenever necessary. He couldnt run away. With that said, they still treated him as a rookie right now, How did Howard expect him to change the teams opinion within a couple of minutes? Especially, with all that negativity hanging in the air. Its an absurd demand! What if Trever refuses? This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Then forced him to step down, Howard answered plainly like it was the easiest thing in the world. And, dont even think about sending him to me or Aron. Solve it yourself. Excuse me, but youre being absurd. Yuel insisted. I couldve done it without a problem. Of course you can, youre the vice-captain, You got authority. No, even if I wasnt the vice-captain C Id do it. Each of Howards words was heavy, pregnant with unyielding convicting. If I were in your shoes right now, Id still do it. Id make him step down, no matter how older he is or what position he has. In real matches, results are everything. Those who cant produce them shall be cut out. Howard swinging his blade, cutting Trever down. Thats the image these words instilled. Yuel felt a chill because he knew its true. Howard would have definitely done so. Without hesitation, without feeling any guilt. This is unfair. Yuel bit his lip. He saw Howard as a rival, as a goal to surpass. And, Howard knew that. Thats why he said all of this. What laid behind his words was one assertion: If you cant do this much, youll never surpass me. The idea of facing Trever and the other upperclassmen terrified Yuel to the core. The pressure was almost strong enough to knock him out. Could he really do it? He, a freshman, force a senior captain to retire? Absurd. Unthinkable. Yet, Howard claimed he would have done it. And, Yuel believed him. Regardless of age and position, Howard would have done what whatever it takes to secure the teams victory. He was that kind of guy. Results were everything. Then, what about Yuel? Why couldnt he do the same? Whats the difference between him and Howard? He understood what had to be done to secure victory and was granted permission to act. Then, why? Why did his body refuse to stop shivering!? The mere thought of going against his seniors rooted him in place, freezing every cell in his body. Theres no way itll be pretty. Therell be yelling and fighting for sure. Amidst all that, hed have to stand his ground and convince Trever to leave the stage. It was absurd to ask that much from him!! Inhuman! He wasnt ready...! Why? Yuel hung his head. Why me? You couldve picked anybody from the team, but you called me. With this much foresight, Im sure you already knew this conversation will lead to subbing Trever. Yet, you didnt ask for anybody else here, just me. I know Im technically a vice-captain of sorts, but that alone doesnt mean... You asking why I didnt call Gil too? Yes. Yuel nodded. Hes the real vice-captain and hes a junior, so his authority in the team is much higher. Youre right, this sub shouldve passed through Gilbert. Thats how I originally imagined it too. Howard nodded. But, he disappointed me. When he summarized the match, he wrapped it up like a nice little story about bad lane matchups. He was too embarrassed to admit the team flopped and he didnt request to sub Trever. Hes a serious guy, but he has a bad habit of getting dragged by flow instead of fighting it. And, seems like he hates admitting his mistakes, more so than I thought. Thats why he wont do. Then, what about the rest? Yuel grew desperate. Any junior would be a better fit for the job than a freshman! Remember how I said I watched you guys before entering the room? Howard sighed. All I saw were exhausted and irritated faces. Its like everybody lost their willpower and accepted defeat. That is, except for one guy. He sat there with a serious face, calculating some shit, probably solving chess puzzles or what not. Ah. Yuel didnt know what to say. What Howard saw was probably Yuel getting desperate, going as far as considering a mixup to counter the Leopards mixup. Its embarrassing since that idea was dumb, but its not the only thing he brainstormed. He indeed spent the whole time thinking up solutions, since it was up to him to figure a counter strategy. Thats when I was convinced, Howard continued. You can do it. Even with the team falling apart, you were still obsessed with winning. Thats why you should grab victory with your own hands. Grab it... Easier said than done. You wanna go pro one day, right? Well... Its a little awkward to admit he was shooting for such a distant goal, considering he couldn''t even surpass the one player standing in front of him. But, that wasnt going to stop him. Yes, I want to become a professional Support player. Then, deal with this situation, Howard commanded. It wasnt a request from a fellow club member or even an order from the club''s vice-captain. It was an absolute command from a king. Yuel couldnt refuse. He had to live up to Howards expectations, or else hell forever remain a nobody in the club. Return to your team and do what has to be done. Get the next two wins at any cost. I... I understand. Yuel clenched his trembling fists, so hard that he his nails dug into his skin. He had to do it. Theres no way around it. No matter what it took, he had to confront Trever, sub Lars in and lead the team victory. Its the duty he was entrusted with. Thats all. Howard turned away. Everything happened so suddenly. He dropped a huge bomb out of nowhere, then intended to leave just as suddenly. W-Wait, I- No. The rest is up to you. Howard continued walking away. Consider this a test your future depends on. A test? What test? Pass it and youll know. Howard stopped for a moment and shot one last chilling glare at Yuel. Dont disappoint me. I-I got it. Yuel fought off the trembling and straightened his posture. He no longer stared at the floor. His eyes were now looking straight ahead. Howards piercing glare conveyed a simple message: If you fail here, youll never surpass me. Youll keep chasing after my shadow for the rest of your life. Just you watch! Yuel took a deep breath and steeled himself. He was going to lead the team to victory in the next two matches, no matter what! And, after that, he was going to kick Howard off the throne! I say all that, but how am I actually going to deal with Trever? Yuel frowned. He became heated up after the exchange with Howard and his fighting spirit burned. But, that didnt change reality. He, a lowly rookie, had to go there and kick the senior captain off the team. Gulp. W-Well, Ill call Lars first. He returned back the way he came but didnt enter the room yet. From the brief glance he caught of the room, it seemed Lars hadnt paid a visit yet. Unusual, considering Lars came to talk about every match so far. The rooms cloudy atmosphere probably repelled him. After all, it was strong enough to make even Howard hesitate. Then, where was Lars right now? Did he return to the audience? Oh, there he is. Yuel spotted Lars and Julia around the corner, just a few meters away from the second strings room. Why me? Julia pouted. You go tell them something. Nah Lars waved his hands. I dunno what to say in these situations. But, I betcha theyll feel better if a cute girl pays them a visit. C-Cute girl!? Julias face turned into a tomato. what did I walk into? Yuel made a face. Julia was going to hate his guts for interrupting this, but he had to do it. Lars. Oh, dude! Lars jumped as if spooked by a ghost. Um, g-good fight there! Or something. Haha He forced an award grin on his face. It was funny watching Mr. 200% Confidence stumble over his words for a change. Its almost like his confidence actually knew bounds. Unfortunately, Yuel didnt have time to enjoy the show. Youre up. Yuel said. Wut? Were going to sub you in. . Lars just stood there. His eyes opened wider and wider, to the maximum and beyond. Haha, seriously? Yes, we have to change things around in the team. HAHA! YES! AWESOME! Lars fired toward the ceiling like a rocket, almost grazing it. Dude! DUDE! Lars darted toward Yuel and shook him. Its happening, right?! My debut as a pro!!! Pro? I have a feeling you skipped a couple of steps there. Yuel shook off the overly excited doggie. But yes, its happening. He smiled. We finally get to play together against competitive players. Sick, yo! We gonna trash these guys! Yes, thats what youre subbed in for. As hard as Yuel tried countering Larss overflowing excitement, he couldnt help but smile as well. It was a huge moment. Officially, this wasnt really a debut in the competitive scene. Its just a scrimmage and they played against a second string. Nevertheless, it was a huge milestone for both of them. They made it this far in their first year! They were unstoppable! You heard that, July? I get to play! Lars latched onto Julia next, since Yuel shook him off. Thats great! Ill be sure to cheer for you. Julia smiled from ear to ear in front of Lars, but she secretly shot a glare at Yuel. Translation: What about me? Do I get to play too? You better say I do! Yuel averted his eyes. Translation: Sorry, not this time. But, you may get a chance if somebody else on the team performs poorly. Though, it was questionable whether the last part reached her through this telepathic communication. Tch. Julia clicked her tongue but didnt say anything. She just turned away, pretending not to care. Well, she probably didnt expect much in the first place, but its clear she wanted to give it a shot. If possible, Yuel wanted to give her an opportunity as well. If Gilbert were to boycott for whatever reason, Julia would be the best substitute available. But, thats unlikely to happen. We dont have much time until the match, Yuel said. Okay, lets go! Lars pumped a fist. My body is ready! But, Im not sure my mind is ready. Yuel secretly sighed. Informing Lars about the substitution was the easy part, just a little side-quest. Next, Yuel had to clear the main quest and face the final boss: Trever. Could he really convince Trever to sub out? He had no choice but to do it. Somehow. It surely wont be pretty. At least, with Lars by his side, he felt more confident... A little more confident. Gulp. Vol.3 Ch.8: Seizing Leadership Yuel and Lars reached the second strings room. Thats it. The moment of truth. Honestly, Yuel had no idea how he was going to convince Trever to sub out. Nevertheless, he had to do it. Somehow. Magically. M-Maybe Ill just give up on this idea... His legs shook, refusing to step in. The more simulations he ran through his head, the more suicidal the whole thing sounded. He was literally going to kick out the team captain. It was nuts! No way thats going to work! Cmon, dude, Lars said. Lets go. A-Ah! Yuel staggered into the room after being pushed. Wait! Im not ready for this!!! Nevertheless, he now stood inside the room, the lions den. He had to face not only Trever but the other upperclassmen as well. Gulp. He was dead. Ugh, what a tense atmosphere. His body turned to lead. Now its clear why even Howard hesitated to enter this room. The air felt so heavy it could crush him alive. The silence was deafening as if its a graveyard and a funeral is in session. To make things worse, everybodys eyes jumped on him as soon as he entered. He could feel their gazes drilling into his skin. All his thoughts were stuck in his throat. He had to speak up, but it was like coughing out rocks. It was impossible. No, I have to do it. This was a chance. Everybodys attention was on him, so he had to strike while the iron was hot. But, where should he begin? He couldnt just casually drop such a huge bomb. How could he smoothen things out? No matter what ideas crossed his mind, shivers ran down his spine whenever he imagined everybodys reactions to them. Yo, whats up? Lars greeted everybody with his usual goofy smile as if the heavy atmosphere meant nothing to him. Wasnt he also nervous about entering this room a couple of minutes ago? Maybe he forgot all about that. His brain was now filled to the brim with I get to play, yo!. Heh, what a simpleton. If only Yuel could be this simple. Heh, Trever sneered. Came to laugh at us? Last match was shit, not gonna lie. Nah, thats not cool. Lars shook his head. I came here to save you, my dudes! Wha-!? Yuels jaw dropped. What was that goof doing!? Was he seriously going to drop the bomb? Just like this? Without any warning!? Save us? The heck that means? Trever cocked his head. Imma sub for ya, Lars announced in broad daylight, pumping a fist and everything. He just said it. He went ahead and said it. HE SAID IT!!! Heh, good joke. Trever chuckled. I know you wanna play, kid. But, leave this to the big boys. Nah, Im telling you, I seriously gonna sub in. Lars insisted. Thats what our Shield Dude said, right? He turned to Yuel for confirmation. THATS where you put me in!? Yuel felt like he was smacked in the face and almost knocked out. He wasnt mentally prepared for any of this! Whats this stupid goof doing!? He never heard of breaking the ice? Goddammit! All attention was on Yuel now. The countless eyes spearing him until now? He could swear theyd shoot lasers at him any moment now. Was there even any oxygen in the room? Because none was reaching his brain. His head was heavy and his body was ready to buckle under the pressure. Um, well... No matter how many times he gulped, his throat was as dry as a desert. Squeezing out a single word, a single letter, was like lifting five tons. But, he had to do it. Lars passed him the baton at the worst timing possible, but maybe its for the best. Yuel had to deal with this anyway, so its better to strike sooner than later! If Howard couldve done this, then I can too! Sorry, Trever. We need to sub you out. Yuel declared. T-Thats what Howard and Aron agreed on. He was quick to add. Ha, ha, Trever produced a hollow laugh. You two formed a stand-up duo to cheer us up? Well, its not funny. Youre saying you wanna sub the team captain? Yes. Yuel clenched his fists, fighting off the trembles assaulting his arms. Thats what I agreed with Howard. So, thats why you were gone for so long. Trever sneered. He called you to secretly talk about subbing me out? Is that it? Thats... Yuel took some time to choose his words. Technically yes, Howard indeed called Yuel to listen to what Yuel had to say. But, if Yuel were to put things that way, itd shift all the responsibility on Howard. Its unfair and wouldnt lead to anything good. Trever might confront Howard directly after hearing that. Dont even think about sending him to me or Aron. Solve it yourself. Howard made himself clear. Dumping the responsibility on Howard was the easy way out, but that wont do. Yuel had to deal with this himself, here and now. He called me for something else, Yuel said. I used that opportunity to tell him how our last match really went. That includes all the arguing you did among yourselves and the repeated misplays. You little...! Trevers eyes glinted dangerously. His fists were clenched to strike, but he didnt make a move, not yet. Talking behind our backs? Gilbert said. After all the work I put into summarizing the match neatly in front of Howard... Not very nice of you. Despite the criticism in his words, he didnt seem too angry with Yuel. I did what I thought was right, Yuel said. If we keep playing like this, we have no chance of winning. Im sure you all agree? That doesnt give you an excuse to rat us out! Trever stepped forward, towering over Yuel. Some teammate you are! I bet you made yourself look good while trashing the rest of us! No, thatd be unfair. Yuel shook his head. I properly told him part of the blame lies with me too. I was too passive while things were getting out of hand. I waited for the storm to pass without doing much. I thought the problem will resolve itself if I just ignore it. That was a huge blunder. Oh, that sure sounds nice! Your only fault was how you didnt do anything while everybody else played like trash? Is that how you put it, eh!? Thats not what I- What about your shitty support? You left me to 1v2 in the lane when I was already behind! Some genius Support you are! Thats all on you. Yuel retorted, blood rushing into his head. What the actual heck? Trever was beyond unreasonable! You charged in alone without telling me. Every. Single. Time. I even asked you to stay at the Turret while I sub for Gilbert in Mid, but you died anyway. How is any of that my fault!? So, thats what you told Howard, huh!? Trever drew even closer, now standing face to face. You told him I played like trash. Thats why he decided to sub me, right!? I only told him the truth. Yuel insisted. Admit it, youre in your slump again. You should know best: it always takes you a long time to recover from it. So, its best if you step down now and- Dont fuck with me, kid! Trever roared and thrust his fist toward Yuels face! Goddammit! Things were about to get physical! Thats what Yuel feared the most! A-Ah! Yuel stumbled backwards, almost crashing into the floor. He was still within Trevers range! He was going to be beaten to a pulp! ... But, the hand didnt reach him. It was grabbed in midair and tightly held in place. I know youre mad, Lars said. But, thats not cool, dude. Gah, you little...! Trever tried to shake off Larss grip, to no avail. The hell is your problem? Dont fuck with me, kid! Calm down, dude. You only make yourself look bad. Lars released Trever, hoping for peaceful negotiations. But, Trever had other plans. The moment he was freed, he tried pushing Lars with both hands. Just calm down already. Lars dodged the assault. In turn, Trever tripped from the momentum and almost crashed into the floor. Fuck. Trever cursed, but finally lowered his arms. Did he admit defeat? Was it over? Phew, thanks. Yuel sighed in relief. Good thing Lars was here. Who knew how hard Trever was going to do smack Yuel otherwise. Unfortunately, they werent out of the woods yet. Trever still looked like an enraged bear, raring to wreak havoc. He wasnt done yet, far from it. This doesnt make any fucking sense! Trever thundered. Im the captain of this team! Im the one whos supposed to make the big decisions! You wanna sub me out? Who the fuck do you think you are!? Attacks were fired at Yuel again. Trever failed to hit Yuel physically, so he resorted to verbal attacks instead. So sad. Why wont this guy give up? Aron and Howard are in charge of the club, Yuel said matter-of-factly, his tone surprisingly calm. Now that he knew Lars will defend him if push came to shove, most of his tension vanished. They gave you the captain role, so they have the right to take it away. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. And what? Give it to you? I bet you just wanna be promoted from vice-captain to captain, aint ya? Greedy fuck. You should be grateful youre even on the second string in your first year! We didnt even have a second string when I was a rookie!! Trevers arguments were all over the place. He just lashed with anything that came to mind. How was Yuel supposed to respond? He wanted to be promoted into a captain? Sure, that could be nice, but the thought hadnt even crossed his mind until now. He didnt discuss anything of the sort with Howard. Besides, if somebody had to replace Trever as the new captain, Gilbert would be the most appropriate choice. As for Trever never getting to play during his first year because a second string didnt exist at the time... What was Yuel supposed to do about that? This whole back-and-forth didnt make any sense no! Got nothing to say, eh? Trever clicked his tongue. I just cant process your arguments. Yuel retorted. Youre all over the place. I understand youre mad about the substitution, but attacking me isnt going to change the facts: youre underperforming and dragging the whole team down with you. I just had bad luck last game. I can still play! If you actually support me next time, I wont have to 1v2 all the time! Why? I really dont understand. When you fall into a slump at the club, you always leave of your own accord to not ruin games. You know better than anybody it takes time to recover. The same should apply right now too, yet you insist to stay in the game. Its like you dont care if the team loses because of you. Yuels words became increasingly harsh, he was aware of that. Its impossible to reason with Trever right now, so Yuel attacked with everything he had. No matter what, Trever had to step down. Tch, you fuck. Trever trembled from rage. It seemed Yuels attack was at least somewhat effective. Trever will now hopefully understand how obnoxious he was acting. And yet, he refused to yield and turned to the other members. This is fucked up! Dont you agree? Who hell kicks out their captain like that! Gil, tell him something too! This can be bad. Yuel frowned as his eyes met Gilberts. If Trever gains the support of other members, Yuel will have no chance of winning here. Well, maybe thats fine in its own way. Yuel braced himself. If others choose to side with Trever, it means they believe Trever is right and Yuel is wrong. Thats all there is to it. Yuel would have no choice but admit defeat. Maybe theyd even turn on him and kick him out of the team instead. Goddammit, why did all of this have to happen? Anyway, everything was about to be decided soon. Gilbert was considered the true vice-captain of the team, so his words were going to sway the entire teams opinion. Who will he side with? What exactly do you want me to say? Gilbert asked, clearly preferring to stay out of this mess. Whose side are you on? Trever demanded. This damn rookie ratted us out in front of Howard. Dont you think thats low? If anybody here should be subbed - its him! His supporting and shot-calling were shit last game too. Yeah, he totally ruined the pretty match summary I reported to Howard, Gilbert said. To be honest, I''m kinda salty about that. He threw a blaming glance at Yuel. Ugh, I should have added Gilbert to the conversation with Howard. Yuel bit his lip. The way he complained to Howard behind everybodys backs, especially behind Gilberts back, was really unbecoming. He should have at least consulted the real vice-captain first. Its over. He got on Gilberts bad side too, so he couldnt win here. Gilbert siding with Trever meant defeat. You know why I kept hush about everything in front of Howard, right? Gilbert addressed everybody in the room. We all wanna get into the first string and Howards opinion of us plays a huge factor in deciding that. If he learns we made fools of ourselves during a serious scrimmage, he will write us off right there. You know how harsh he can be. Yeah, yeah! Exactly! Trever nodded repeatedly. This kid just ruined our chances of getting into the first string for the rest of the year! But, all-in-all, I think he did the right thing, Gilbert said. Eh? Yuel blinked. Wasnt Gilbert angry with him? Whats going on? The right thing? Trevers face contorted. Are ya high, bro? No, its just how it is. Gilbert shook his head. I just gave a nice excuse for my actions, but the truth is: I simply didnt have the balls to report everything to Howard. Deep down, I knew I should have done it. I bet Howard expected me to put things as they were, including the ugly bits. After all, he made me a vice-captain. But I chickened out. So, what are you saying? Trever asked. Youre siding with that rat? Its not about taking sides, its about whats best for the team. And, what are you saying is best for the team? For you to be subbed out. Gah! You fucker! Trevers fists trembled, along with the rest of his body. He was going to blow up any moment now. Youre seriously telling me I, the captain, should get the fuck out? Y-Yeah, I am. Gilbert flinched for a moment against Trevers murderous glare but stood his ground. Youre too tilted to keep playing. Just look how youre acting right now. Youre supposed to be the senior, but youre arguing like a kid. You little...! Trever was about to snap. Its bad! Lars wasnt close enough to stop him, he was going to pummel Gilbert... Eh? SPLASH The room fell silent. What? Why? Everybody watched the scene in disbelief, struggling to process what the heck just happened. Water poured on Trevers head, flowing downwards to soak his shirt. Wait, thats not water. It was brown... Coke? He was showered by Coke? Pft, what? W-What are you doing!? Trever jumped away, as angry as he was confused. Lol, just cool down, bro. Roi moved away his Coke can. He just emptied half of it on Trevers head. Pft, haha! Chuckles and laughs filled the room. You didnt just do that! Trever examined his wet clothes in disbelief. His anger was overshadowed by bewilderment. He had no idea how to even begin reacting to this silliness. Bro, what the actual fuck? Lol, pretty effective, right? Roi laughed. My baseball coach always did this when somebody was tilted. Calmed down a little? Calmed down? I was calm all along! Trever barked, but he definitely sounded less intimidating than before. As bizarre as Rois method was, it somehow opened the way for peaceful negotiations. Whats your stance on this anyway? You know whats my stance, same as everybodys. Roi shrugged. I feel you, bro. Weve been watching the first string play scrimmages this whole time. Im also jealous. Now we finally got a chance to play too, so nobody here would want to sub out. But, you got your... Well, issue. It sucks, but theres nothing we can do about it right now. You too, huh. Trever hung his head. His clenched fists had been trembling this whole time, but they finally relaxed. It looked like the realization started sinking in. Heh, just look at me bitching. Its like Im some damn clown. Stupid, isnt it? I cant even properly play on a second string team. What the heck Ive been doing in the club these past two years? As somebody who was on the first string before and lost his spot, Trevers frustration ran deeper than anybody here could understand. They were still striving to reach the first string, but he already went there once... and fell off. He climbed all the way to the top, only to come down crashing. It was even more soul-crushing than never making it into the first string. Ever since, he had been working hard to reclaim his position, to no avail. Now, he was already a senior. This was his last year to achieve anything. And, todays scrimmage was most likely his last chance to participate in something that resembled an official match. You guys have it nice, Trever said. Rookies and juniors, you still got years ahead of you. But me? This scrimmage is my last chance to play competitively in middle school. Because lets face it: I wont be getting into the first string this year. Today is my last chance to do anything meaningful. Yet, you ask me to give up on it too, huh. Nobody responded to Trevers monologue. What could they possibly say? Nobody on the second string was in the same shoes as him. How would Yuel feel if got into the first string and then lost his position? He couldnt begin to imagine how depressing thatd be. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt about switching Trever out. Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe they should let Trever play his final game? Even though he dragged the team down? It was wrong, but Yuel couldnt help but wonder... Heh. Slump, issue, tilt, you sure like calling it names. Trever chuckled. Just say it straight to my face and get it over with. Say that Im trash who doesnt even deserve to be on the second string. Thats not true, dude, Lars said. Im subbing for ya, but you were on the team first, not me. If I may say so myself, Im pretty damn sick at this game. Still, they picked you over me. That means youre like super mega sick, yo! I wonder about that. Trevers shoulders slumped. I bet they picked me because Im a senior. Its all pity Nah, no way. Lars shook his head. Ive been fighting ya more than anybody since I joined, so I know for sure - youre stronger than me, dude. I mean, just a little stronger. Gimme a few weeks and Imma kick ya butt! He grinned and pointed at Trever, declaring war. Heh, dont get ahead of yourself, kid. Trever smiled wryly and started walking. His destination was the most certainly the exit. At long last, he gave in. As he passed by Lars, he stopped and patted Larss shoulder. You better do a damn good job. Youre subbing for the great WildDragon, so better not embarrass me, kid. Heh, easy. Go take a rest, geezer. Imma wreck these scrubs for ya. Good. Trever nodded and went on. Somehow or other, Trever was successfully persuaded to sub out. Did Yuel live up to Howards expectations by achieving that? Hard to say. After all, this result was only possible thanks to everybodys efforts. Without Gilbert and Rois support and without Larss defending him, this would have never been a success. Oh, right. Trever stopped and turned around. You dont have a captain now, huh. Okay, lemme do one last thing as the cap before I go. Trever approached Yuel. Is this what I think it is? Yuel was rooted in place like a tree. Was it really going to happen? Based on Trevers words, thats what he was planning to do. But, was he really going to nominate- GUUUUH!? Yuel shrieked and stumbled forward. Its like a truck rammed into his back! Trever slammed him with everything he had! Compared to the normal Trever slam, this one was like a thousand slams! No, a million! A bazillion! Trever poured all his frustration and all his determination into this one, almost snapping Yuels spine in half. Youre up, kid. Trever grinned. I still dont like how you ratted us behind our backs, but I get it. You had to do something, cant blame ya. And, well... Sorry I yelled and all that. N-No problem. Yuel mustered all his strength to straighten his broken back. He was entrusted with huge responsibility and he had no choice but accept it. You started this whole thing, so you better see it through. Trever lightly punched Yuels chest. Youre the new captain. Y-Yes, sir! Haha, sir he says! Trever laughed and so did the rest. Ugh. Well. Heh. Yuel sheepishly smiled along with the rest. His head was blank. The weight of the situation hadnt fully sunk in yet. He... was the captain. The new captain. A captain of a team. He. Yuel. A captain. Thats all from me. Trever reached the door and turned to everybody one last time. Go out there and win this shit, guys! You betcha! Lars gave a thumb up. Thats the intention. Gilbert nodded. Ill kamikaze these guys to death, Dan smirked. Just so we clear, Roi said. You owe me three euro for that Coke. Wait, what!? Trever thundered Bitch, you spilled that shit on me! Look at my shirt! No need to thank me, lol. Heh, you fucker. Okay, if you guys win, Imma treat each of you to a drink. He turned away and waved one last time, then vanished from view. After a long and exhausting back-and-forth, Trever finally accepted reality and surrendered his spot to Lars. For the sake of the team, he gave up his last chance to play competitively in junior high. With did he feel as he set foot out of the room? Yuel couldn''t even begin to imagine. StormBlitz, youre running late. The referee popped up in their room. Whats going on? Its time violation. Were sorry, Yuel stepped forward to confront the referee, unexplained confidence surging through him. We had an important decision to make. Wed like to substitute WildDragon for this guy over here: Gunz. Also, Im... Im the new acting captain. Shivers danced across his arms as he breathed these words. He didnt know how to take this development at first, but now it finally struck him. Hes a freshman, yet he got as far as becoming the captain of the second string! Not only that, but Lars was going to play as his lane partner! He could already tell - the next match will be one they never forget! Vol.3 Ch.9: Drafting a Counter The fourth match between StormBlitz and the Leopards was about to begin. Lars subbed for Trever, eliminating what Yuel considered the biggest of source of negativity in the team. Everybodys spirits already looked a little lifted after the events in the waiting room. Unfortunately, they spent the whole break dealing with Trevers substitution. As a result, there was no time to review the previous match or discuss counter strategies against the enemys mixup. Based on how favorable the new lane matchups were for the Leopards, theres no doubt theyll use their mixup again: ComboBreaker will be Mid to overwhelm Gilbert, whereas Freezer will be in Bot to punish aggressive plays. Even though Trever was no longer the Carry, the issue of dealing with Freezers punishes remained. Lars, too, was an aggressive Carry. In fact, he was a wilder and less experienced version of Trever, prone to overextensions. This was going to be fun... Success in Bot Lane will heavily depend on Yuels ability to lead Lars and prevent that goof from overextending. As long as Lars avoids irresponsibly charging in like Trever, things should work out. Hopefully. Alas, the same couldnt be said about Mid Lane. Yuel was just one person, he couldnt support both Mid and Bot at the same time. Mid was the most important lane and ComboBreaker was the strongest opponent, so surrendering the lane to her was out of the question. Can we please ban their Pyromancer this time? Gilbert asked. Yeah, Roi joined in. Chick is hella annoying. Its so stressing to gank her too, Dan added. I always feel like shell destroy me the moment I show up. Combos are SCARY. Everybodys eyes were on Yuel. He was the captain now. He had the final say. In truth, they had no obligation treating him as the captain. As far as they were concerned, he was just a freshman, a mere rookie. Nevertheless, they chose to respect Trevers last wish and followed Yuel. Even now, Yuels authority in the team was still partially supported by Trevers approval. He felt he earned some points by standing his ground against Trever and pushing the substitution through, but thats about it. At the moment, he was still just the new captain whom Trever vouched for. So, theyre all set on banning Pyro. Yuel frowned. The whole scrimmage until now, he had been arguing against banning Pyromancer. They already adapted to how ComboBreaker played the class, so it should be easier to counter her. However, the situation was different now. Gilbert couldnt handle Breakers Pyromancer in Mid, so the argument of adapting to her playstyle didnt mean anything anymore. Simply being familiar with Breakers Pyromancer didn''t make Gilbert beat her or even be her equal. Seeing as Breaker picked Pyromancer three times in a row, its certainly her best class. If they were to ban Pyromancer, shed definitely be weakened to some degree. But, would it be enough? Judging by her high proficiency with combo and her ability to perform well in any situation despite the playstyles restrictions C theres no doubt she mastered combo with more than just Pyromancer. She probably had at least one or two more combo classes on par with her Pyromancer. Maybe we can ban all suspects? No, theres not enough data for that. Yuel bit his lip. There werent many classes which could be played with combo on a competitive level, but there were definitely enough. Each team got only three bans during the first banning phase, so hitting all three of Breakers best classes was nigh impossible. They didnt even have any hints. In hindsight, maybe I should have agreed to ban Pyro during the second game. That way, shed have to bring out her 2nd best class. Then, in the third game, we couldve banned that class too to force out her 3rd best class. Oh well. No use crying over spilled milk, He just had to deal with the situation at hand. Unfortunately, they were running low on time. I need to think, Yuel said. So, Ill start with Viking. He made the first ban, two seconds before time ran out. It was a rather soft ban, but a safe one. The enemy Top Laner seemed to favor Viking and hell play Top regardless of whether the enemy will use mixup, so its a hit. Nobody complained. Man, Jennifer sighed. They sure took their sweet time with this one. And, just to ban Viking? Whats the big deal? They also switched out WildDragon. Wasnt he like the captain and stuff? These scrubs make no sense. Ban something. Quick. Alex ordered. Huh? Who died and made you the boss? Just ban already. They were buying time with their first ban, so they must be arguing about something. Dont give them time to think. Got it, got it. Jeez, look whos suddenly all srs bsns. Who are you and what you did to that lazy bum? Jennifer chuckled and banned Shadow Walker. There was no need to even think since Shadow Walker was currently considered the only S tier class in the game. Nerfs pls. Ugh, already back to me? Yuel bit his lip. He had only one minute to decide the next ban. And, more importantly, to decide what he was going to do about Pyromancer. Should they ban Pyromancer? Its a critical decision which may single-handedly decide the entire match. And, everybody expected him to make this critical decision because hes the captain now. And, it better be a good decision. Yeah, no pressure at all. Gulp. Was Trever playing under this pressure this whole time? No matter how many times Yuel gulped, his throat remained dry. The weight on his shoulders was crushing him, its incomparable to anything else he ever experienced when playing Classmancers. He always thought being the shot-caller was effectively the same as being the captain since the shot-caller was responsible for many important decisions. But, he was wrong. Completely wrong. As the shot-caller, he was merely the teams advisor, the strategist. He was merely tasked with providing the team with tactics and ideas. Nothing more was expected from him. However, as the captain, he was the teams leader. Everybodys eyes were on him, filled with expectations. With his words, his plays and his decisions - he was to lead the team to victory. And, if he cant, thats on him. Nobody would smack him on the back and say Its okay! Not your fault! He personally kicked out the guy who had this role and assumed that guys post. Now, he was the only one who could say such things. So, back to the problem: should he ban Pyromancer as everybody wanted? How was he to make this important decision under all this pressure!? Its unreal! No wonder Trever crumbled when things went south. Every mistake he made felt ten times heavier due to his position as the captain. I think its better to confront Pyro like before, but... Yuels thoughts didnt come together. Despite what he personally believed, the teams requests kept popping in his mind. Can we please ban their Pyromancer this time? Yeah, chick is hella annoying. Its so stressing to gank her too. I always feel like shell destroy me the moment I show up. Everybody wanted the Pyromancer banned, only Yuel had a different opinion. But, could he properly explain his position and convince them to follow him? With his mind in a jumble, he had a hard time explaining things even to himself. Last time I tried, it was a disaster. Yuels hands trembled. He recalled the bitter experience of the previous match when the team refused to follow his shot-calls. His opinion was at odds with that of everybody else, so he was rejected. Was it going to be any different this time? Just because he became the captain didnt mean they suddenly saw him in a completely new light. He was still a freshman, a rookie. They gave him more credibility out of respect for Trever, but he could lose it all in a heartbeat with one bad decision. If a rift forms between the captain and the team, the events of the previous match will repeat themselves. Last time, the team fell apart shortly after Trever, the captain, crumbled. If Yuel were to fail the team here - itd be over. Not to mention, morale still hadnt fully recovered from that match. The atmosphere was still strained. So, were banning Pyro or what? Gilbert asked once the timer hit 30 seconds. ... yes, I suppose we should. Yuel bit his lip. Theres no choice. He couldnt fight against these circumstances. As the new captain, his first task was to get the team on its feet. Therefore, he had no choice but to ban Pyro- Lame. Eh? Yuel blinked, his finger froze on top of the mouse button. I really wanted to fight that Pyro dude. Lars pouted. She looks sick, yo. I wanna beat her. Oh, right. Lars is here too. Yuel was so preoccupied with the opinions of the upperclassmen that he completely forgot about Lars. Theres one more player here eager to challenge Breakers Pyromancer, potentially capable of overpowering her (as long as he doesnt mess up like a goof). I get that her Pyro is tough for Gil, Lars said. But, cant ya just counter her in Mid? Thats what you do best, dude. Just counter her, huh. Yuel sneered. Lars sure made it sound easy, despite how critical this decision was. How could he be so nonchalant about it? Oh, its probably because hes not the captain. Thats when it hit Yuel. If he werent the captain right now, hed definitely push for countering Pyromancer. Theres no reason to fear Breakers Pyromancer just because the enemy destroyed them with a mixup. The burden of being a captain clouded his judgment. Thats no good. He shouldnt succumb to this pressure! Ill ban Warlock first. Yuel submitted the ban 5 seconds before time ran out. Everybody agreed on Freezers Warlock being a pain to deal with, especially after he switched to Support. They still had one more ban left for this banning phase, so he could ban Pyromancer next time. Until then, in what little time he had, hell sway the team in his favor! Geh, Jennifer made a face They stalled for time again. And Warlock, of all things? Were they that scared by Alex? What a bunch of scrubs. Targeting me, huh, Alex smirked, no doubt proud of himself. You better be able to play something other than Warlock. Jennifer snarked. You havent been showing your face in practice, so Ive only ever seen you play Warlock lately. Please tell me you play other stuff in your free time. No problem. Anyway, just ban already. Yeah, yeah. Jennifer grumped and picked the second ban. These scrubs better ban my Pyro next, or Ill be mad for real. Ugh, these guys dont waste any time. Yuel hadnt finished sorting his thoughts yet, but it was his turn to ban again. Only 60 seconds, thats how long he had to come up with a case for keeping Pyromancer in the game. He had to figure something out! I-I think we should keep the Pyromancer after all. Yuel fought his best to stabilize his voice. There arent many good ways to counter her in Bot, but Mid is a different story.. There are enough mages who can outreach Pyro. But, one of the best is already banned. Gilbert pointed out. True, Sage was just banned by the enemy. Along with Sorcerer, these two classes were known as strong Mid Lane counters to Pyromancer. Normally, they weren''t ban-worthy during the first banning phase. However, if Breaker intended to pick Pyromancer again, banning Sage and Sorcerer was a strong move. Sorcerer hadnt been banned yet, but the ban was incoming. Im sure Sorcerer is next, Gilbert argued. And then what counter do you suggest I pick? Wizard? Thats one option. You cant be serious. Gilbert made a face. Not surprising, since Wizard was a beginner-friendly class and unpopular in the competitive scene. Basically, it was considered a class for newbies only. Even so, there were niche cases when Wizard was picked even in the pro scene. Wizard was a simple and straightforward mage, but thats what made it effective against Pyromancers relatively short reach. Yuel experienced the frustration of this matchup in his very first Classmancers game when he played Pyromancer against an intermediate Wizard bot. Back then, he found a way to defeat the Wizard, but thats because the enemy was a mere bot. Against an experienced Wizard player, a Pyromancer was going to have a bad time. Even if youre serious, Gilbert said. I haven''t touched Wizard in at least a year. So, dont count on it. I see. It was a shame since it was really one of the counters Yuel had in mind. But, even with Sorcerer and Sage banned, there were other ways to deal with Pyromancer. Especially, a Combo Pyromancer. The general approach to countering a Pyromancer was by outreaching it and zoning it during the laning phase. The best picks for that were mages with long range, namely Sage, Sorcerer and Wizard. Alas, they were out of the picture at the moment. However, Breaker didnt just play Pyromancer. She was a Combo Pyromancer, relying on burst damage to swiftly eliminate targets. To achieve that, she had to farm effectively and preferably out level opponents by scoring kills. The one thing she definitely couldnt allow herself was to fall behind on farm, as thatll mess up her whole game plan. If shes under-leveled, theres a chance her combo wont one-shot some opponents. In other words, shell no longer pose as much of a threat. Therefore, all Gilbert really had to do was deny Breakers kills and prevent her from getting ahead in farm. Its enough for him to clear waves at a decent pace while maintaining distance from Breaker. As long as Breaker doesnt get ahead, they should be able to deal with her during the team fighting phase. One good pick for this strategy was Aeromancer. Its Whirlwind spell summoned a tornado which persisted in an area for a while, dealing damage over time. Its clearing speed was a bit slow during early game, but with enough early power items - its enough to not be pushed back by the Pyromancer. Gilbert could cast Whirlwind all the way back from his Turret, without ever getting into Breakers range. In other words: a turtling strategy. Lars would yap to no end when asked him to play like that, but Gilbert should be reasonable enough to accept it as a viable strategy for winning the game. Therefore, the Aeromancer pick sounded good. But, was it enough? After all, they were dealing with Breaker, who time and again proved she knew how to handle any inconvenient situation. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Aeromancer was a great defensive option against her, but playing too passively would allow her to exploit this matchup in other ways. For example, a standard counter strategy against turtling was to frequently rotate and gank other lanes. If said ganks were to succeed, theyd let her out level others, defeating the whole purpose of countering her in the lane with Aeromancer. 30 seconds left. He had to make a decision. Its the last ban of this phase. Theres no postponing any further. He tapped into the sea of knowledge in his mind, frantically searching for something, anything. Everybody called him a walking encyclopedia, so he had to know a Mid pick which could counter Breaker even more effectively than Aeromancer....! Alas, no matter how hard he searched, he couldnt find such a Mid pick. If only there was a team formation which allowed Yuel to support Gilbert, then they could handle Breaker. Unfortunately, Yuel was just one person and he had to stay in Bot until mid game, especially now that Lars was playing instead of Trever. So, Yuel couldnt help Gilbert in Mid... Wait, did it have to be his job? Theres another role in Classmancers with some similarity to Support. It had the freedom to roam throughout the map and help whichever lane was struggling. Its Jungler. If Yuel and Lars hold their ground in Bot by themselves, Dan could focus on ganking Top and Mid. This would allow him to support Gilbert more often in lane. But, theres a problem. Its so stressing to gank her too. I always feel like shell destroy me the moment I show up. Combos are SCARY. Thats what Dan said earlier. He might come off as a bit weak-willed there, but his words made sense. Ganking a Combo Pyromancer was similar to ganking an assassin: you must take the target down before they can dish out their burst. With Combo Pyromancers lighting speed casting and medium reach, as well as Breakers flawless execution, its no surprise Dan struggled to gank her. She bombarded whoever dared set foot on her lane. Itd be great if Dan could somehow support Gilbert in Mid without putting himself in danger, but how? Theres no choice but accept they had to play defensively in Mid against Breaker. So, itll be fine even if Dan cant score any kills on her, as long as he helps pushing Mid and forces Breaker to stay in lane. In other words, they needed a Jungler class which could help with pushing Mid without getting too close to Breaker... Was that even possible? 15 seconds left. Theres no time. He had to figure something out. Fast. He scanned every Jungler class in the game, even low tier ones like Rogue. Actually, if played right, Rogue could potentially fit the- No! Bad! They couldnt pick a D tier class in such an important match. The enemy were going to counter the heck out of it. There had to be something more reasonable. There had to be a counter. Its Classmancers, the game he fell in love with right after finding a way to kill a Wizard as a Pyromancer by overcoming the disadvantage of range. He refused to concede. There had to be a pick for this situation. Optimally, he wanted another class like Aeromancer: a class that can clear minion waves while staying away from the wave itself. This was an unconventional requirement for a Jungler, as neither assassins nor bruisers were designed to be played that way... Oh, but the Jungler role wasnt restricted to just assassins and bruisers. Once he changed the class filter in the menu, he stumbled across a niche class which perfectly met the requirements: Beastmaster. Neither an assassin nor a bruiser, a peculiar class tagged as a specialist. 5 seconds left. Its now or never. Dan, you said you can play any Jungler, right? Yep. Does that include Beastmaster? Oh, Dan blinked for a moment, then his lips curved into a smirk. Of course I can play it. I love me some Beastmaster. Good, then I know what we should do. Yuel nodded and proceeded to make the third ban- TIME OUT Ah... He just stared at the screen. Its the first time this ever happened to him. Time ran out. They didnt ban squat. Um, oops. ... for real? Gilbert facepalmed. I didnt want to interrupt your deep thinking, but man... Ugh, Yuel jerked as everybodys eyes stabbed him, demanding an explanation. Not good. Not good at all, He just screwed up big time. He had to explain himself. Fast. M-My bad. I was thinking about so many possibilities and... Anyway, I decided against banning Pyro. You serious? Gilbert raised an eyebrow. Yes, quite serious. Yuel nodded. This was the decisive moment. Could he convince the team to follow his strategy? This is where he was going to make it or break it as a captain. We can counter their Pyro with Aeromancer and Beastmaster. Aeromancer? Since when thats a counter? Its not, not really. But, itll let you stay away from the Pyro without losing much farm. You want me to turtle, huh, Gilbert made a complicated expression. Turtling wasnt exactly the most fun strategy for most people. Especially, aggressive players like Lars and Trever hated it to death. But, what about Gilbert? He was neither an aggressive nor defensive player. His playstyle adapted according to the situation at hand. He was a balanced and consisted player. Therefore, Yuel believed Gilbert will agree to this plan Cant say Im a fan of turtling, Gilbert said. Especially, not when Im heading into a match knowing Im going to turtle. But alright, its one way to fight that Pyro, I guess. But, that cant be your whole plan, right? Because thats not enough. Of course, Yuel nodded. Thats where Dans Beastmaster comes in. He explained the gist of his reasoning: Beastmasters special gimmick was capturing jungle monsters and deploying them as minions on lanes. In other words, after unleashing the monsters onto a lane, he didnt need to stick around to watch them fight the enemy wave. The monsters-turned-minions operated independently, just like normal minions. So, the strategy was straightforward: Dan will capture a bunch of jungle monsters, drop them in Mid and immediately get out. All of that without getting within Breakers range at all. Between the Aeromancers Whirlwind and the Beastmasters minions, theyll rival the Pyromancers wave clearing speed without getting close to her. In fact, theyll most certainly out push her. Sound cool, Dan nodded repeatedly. Never tried playing like that before, so Im totally in. Theres some more fun stuff I can throw to the mix, like proxy farming with monsters. We can dominate that Mid Lane no problem. Easy peasy. Hmm, I suppose it can work. Gilbert nodded, but his eyebrows were knotted. It seemed Yuel failed to sell him on this idea, but at least it wasnt rejected. So we facing the Pyro? Lars pumped a fist and grinned. Sick, yo! Heh, Roi smirked. Guess Ill get a few more home runs from her. Good, morale didnt drop in the slightest. In fact, it probably improved, thanks to the two loud goofs. Yuel messed up huge time by missing a valuable ban, but things worked out. Somewhat. Though far from flawlessly, Yuel cleared his first hurdle as a captain. After StormBlitz missed their third ban by running out of time, the ball passed back to the Leopards. Hooooooh, Jennifer trembled. I see how it is. You dont think my Pyro is ban worthy, is that it? I see, I see. Heh. Haha. Hahaha! Dont fuck with me! She roared and banned Sorcerer. If you dont mind my Pyro, I gonna pick it and tear you apart! With that, the first banning phase ended. StormBlitz picked their first class: Paladin, a decent first pick. Generally, the first pick should be a high tier class which can be used in a myriad of strategies and has few counters. A strong pick like that didnt give the enemy much info about the teams strategy, therefore lowering the chances of being figured out and countered. For that reason, the first pick was usually a bruiser or a tank and almost never a mage or a marksman- Hows that!? Jennifer locked in her Pyromancer. It happened as soon as the turn passed to the Leopards. Not even a millisecond of thought was spared on it. Uh... Err, Jenny... Thats kinda.... The team was stoned. Drafting the Mid Laner so early was already questionable, but on top of that, its Pyromancer, a mage known for its medium reach. Its like she was asking to be countered! Did you seriously just... huh. Alex massaged his temples, feeling his brain was losing cells just from breathing the same air as Jennifer. What? Jennifer crossed her arms. These scrubs were asking for it! Hmph. Sage and Sorcerer are banned, so I can deal with whatever they bring. Besides, we all knew this was coming, so whats the harm? You ever heard of concealing information from... Meh, nevermind. Alex sighed. Theres no use reasoning with a derp like Jennifer, especially when shes triggered. Its a terrible pick for sure, but... We may be able to use it our advantage. Hmm... He mumbled to himself. While still dumbstruck by their captains rash actions, the Leopards picked their second class: Orc, a Top Laner. The turn passed back to StormBlitz. Pyro right off the bat? Gilbert raised an eyebrow. Seems like their captain is very confident, Yuel said. This was a great development for StormBlitz, as it eliminated one of the greatest fears he had regarding his Aeromancer + Beastmaster plan. Since StormBlitz went first in this draft, it meant the Leopards will be picking the final class of the draft after seeing StormBlitzs whole team composition. So, if the Leopards kept their Mid Laner pick for last, ComboBreaker would get a chance to pick a different mage after seeing the Aeromancer and Beastmaster. Thankfully, thats no longer possible. The Pyromancer was now locked-in and will undoubtedly be the Mid Laner, so Yuel could proceed as planned. Still, revealing the Aeromancer and Beastmaster early harbored some risks. Both classes had weaknesses which could be exploited via counter picks, especially in team fights. Therefore, Gilbert and Dans picks were pushed to the very end of the drafting process. First, Roi picked Knight and Lars got his beloved Trickshooter. Sooooo, Jennifer torched the monitor with her intense glare They got a plan against my Pyro or what? Now that she cooled down a little, she realized she done goofed. Even with Sage and Sorcerer banned, there were many ways to make her life hard as a Pyromancer. She knew that, yet she went ahead and insta-locked Pyromancer anyway. Jeez, was she a Bronze player or something!? Blegh. While she was sitting and biting her nail, the drafting phase approached its climax. Only two more positions for the Leopards to decide on: Carry and Support. I think Ill go with Pirate, Albert said. I wouldve liked Elf against their Trickshooter, but they banned it. Wait, Alex said. Lets leave the Carry for last. Hm? Isnt it better to pick Support last? Well have a better idea how to counter their whole lineup by then. Yeah, thats usually true... Alex shrugged. Explaining his idea was such a drag. Anyway, its better to not limit ourselves too much. They probably gonna show us soon how they plan to deal with our Pyro. If their counter is decent, we may want to drop the mixup. Alex explained the gist of his idea. After some heated discussion, they agreed to push the Carry pick to the end. Instead, they picked Lumimancer for Support. It was StormBlitzs turn again. Theyre keeping Carry for last? Why? Yuel frowned. Both StormBlitzs Carry and Support were already decided, so what sort of counter were the Leopards afraid of for their Carry? Well, its not like theres a rule against picking Carry last in such situations, but its an odd decision to make without a good reason. Its even weirder when considering that the Support was Freezer, who struck Yuel as the smart type. Did Freezer engross this decision? Why? Hehehe, Dan cackled like a cartoon villain. So, this is where we drop our trap card. Hehehe. Yeah, lets do it. Gilbert nodded. Lets see how this Aero + Beast combo is going to turn out. Neither of them was concerned with enemys pick order? Maybe Yuel was overthinking it? The drafting phase proceeded smoothly so far, so they could go ahead with the plan and pick Aeromancer + Beastmaster for their last two picks. Yes, everything had been going well so far, He didnt want to instill unnecessary doubt in the team, so he kept quiet about his unfounded suspicion. He was the leader now, so his words carried weight. If he were to express doubt, said doubt would spread across the whole team. They really went for it. Alex smirked. Lets play with our original formation then. Hmm, so I have to deal with Aero. Electromancer is a decent counter. Albert pointed out. Theyre pretty even in the laning phase, but Electro can counter Aeros ult. Electro, hmm. Alex made a complicated expression. Its really a good counter, but... Hah, Jennifer sneered. As if he can even play Electro. And why you decided I cant? Because you dont practice for shit. Say, guys. Anybody here ever saw him play something other than Warlock the last few months? Her question was followed by awkward silence. Of course nobody did, because Alex only dropped by the club once or twice a week and barely stayed for even an hour. Thats the laziest schedule he managed to get away with without being kicked from the club. If it was in Jennifers hands, shed kick that lazy bum all the way to the moon! He was a disgrace to all aspiring competitive players in the world! No, in the whole universe! Just because I dont play something in the club doesnt mean I cant play it. Dont go assuming shit with that feeble brain of yours. Feeble? Whats that mean? Point in case. Wut? Anyway, Ill go with Electro, Alex announced. There was some hesitation, but he didnt let it slip through his stoic facade. Real talk, when was the last time he touched Electromancer, again? ... whatever. With this, the final pick was decided by the Leopards. However, unlike everybody originally expected, said pick wasnt a Carry. It was Electromancer, a Mid Laner. Huh? Yuel cocked his head. What? Electromancer? Why? It made no sense. They didnt have a Carry- Oh. Actually, they did. They had a Carry. They had it all along...! I-I think we messed up. Yuel gulped. It finally dawned on him. Why did the enemy pick Pyromancer early without any worries? Why did they postpone the Carry pick instead of the Support pick? This Electromancer pick answered everything. From the beginning, the Pyromancer was a wildcard. It could be either Carry or Mid. However, everybody, Yuel included, assumed the Pyromancer was definitely going to be in Mid because the enemy will surely use their mixup lineup. Ugh... You think they changed formation again? Gilbert grimaced. Ouch, Dan sighed. You could say... they did a mixup on their mixup, amirite? This was a mess up. A huge one. After the devastating defeat they suffered the previous match, it was only natural to assume the Leopards will use the same winning formation. It was unthinkable the Leopards will change it back again after losing twice in a row, but they did. In the very last moment, by simply postponing the Carry selection, they gained the option to decide which formation to go with. Because of that, StormBlitzs Aeromancer and Beastmaster became weak picks. They were supposed to counter Breakers Pyromancer in Mid, but that idea went down the toilet. On top of that, Aeromancers ult was going to be countered by Electromancers ult in team fights, whereas Beastmaster wasnt a particularly strong Jungler in general. Instead of gaining an advantage in Mid with these picks, the odds were turned against them! Everybody knew the Leopards could abandon their mixup. Everybody, Yuel included. He should had taken that into consideration, but he failed. He was too concerned about pleasing the team as the new captain and finding a solution for the Gilbert vs. Breaker situation. As a result, he failed to see the bigger picture. He failed the team and he failed as the captain. He failed all over the place. Invisible weight dropped on his shoulders. The atmosphere around them turned dense and suffocating. Its just like last game, when the whole team fell apart. Negativity seeped into the team and, this time, theres nobody else to blame; its all Yuels fault! Yo, whats wrong, my dudes? Lars asked. If you concentrate this much, you gonna fry yo brains, haha! Well... Yuel sighed. How could this goof smile so nonchalantly right now? Didnt he understand the gravity of the situation? Did he even understand the situation at all? We picked Aero and Beast to counter their Pyro in Mid, but they played around that by moving Pyro to Bot. Oh, I see. Lars nodded. Apparently, he just figured the situation. Just how dense could this guy be? Well, at least now hed share everybodys sentiments- Yo, thats great! ... excuse me? I gonna fight Breaker from the start! Best stuff! He was unfazed by this development. Rather, he... welcomed it? While everybody else complained about facing Breakers Combo Pyromancer, Lars saw it as nothing more than a fun challenge. What a bizarre goof. Besides, why worry so much? Lars continued. Arent they just returning to their original formation? You already mopped the floor with them when they played that way, so lets do that again! No problem! These words penetrated the team''s negative atmosphere and echoed in everybodys minds. Everybody was speechless, because Lars both made absolutely no sense and perfect sense at the same time. There were some unfavorable factors, that much was true. However, they already bested the Leopards twice in this formation, thats also true. In the first place, the Leopards resorted to using mixup because they couldn''t handle StormBlitz with their original formation. Pressuring the Leopards back into that formation could actually be seen as an achievement! Sort of. Either way, Yuel was the captain, so he had to say something. Something, anything. Larss positive attitude created an opportunity to wash away the teams negativity, so he had to follow up on that. Lars is right, Yuel said. They got us good in Mid, but if you look at it another way: we managed to kick their Pyromancer out of Mid with our drafts. Well have to pay for that a little, but theres no telling who is really better off in this trade. Hm, thats true. Gilbert nodded. At least, Im glad I dont have to deal with Pyro on lane anymore. Freezer, on the other hand? I can handle him. And, Dan added. Maybe I can still put my Beast to good use. Just because Pyro moved to Bot doesn''t mean she''s no longer in the game. Ive really been wanting to test Beastmaster in a competitive match, so this gonna be good. Little by little, morale was restored. Lars''s positivity infected the whole team. The negativity from the previous match wasnt entirely gone yet, they were in much better shape now. Now, everything will depend on their ability to maintain said positivity throughout the match. With Lars being the only member not suffering from that baggage, he was the perfect candidate for becoming the team''s linchpin. He could very well generate the momentum the team so desperately needed to fully recover. But, he was a goof. Was he even aware of these things? Could he pull off such an important task on his debut? And, against a tough opponent like ComboBreaker? As Larss Support, Yuel will have to lead him in the right direction. The fourth match was about to begin! Vol.3 Ch.10: Shackles of the Larger Picture The fourth match between StormBlitz and the Leopards began. Yuel and Lars played in Bot as Paladin and Trickshooter, facing off ComboBreaker''s Pyromancer and SkyNights Lumimancer. More than anybody else, their performance in lane will have a huge impact on the rest of the game. No matter what, Yuel had to ensure they were going to dominate Bot. Since they reverted to their original positions, I should rearrange my data. In the previous match, Yuel collected all sorts of data about the enemy''s mixup formation. However, most of it was gathered in a haste and without enough validation, thats how desperate he was to find something to latch onto in that dreadful match. Its best to discard this information and recall everything he collected on the enemy from the first two matches. The one element which stayed exactly the same in these two matches was Breaker playing Combo Pyromancer. Just like in his data, she played the early game safely but effectively. She remained out of Larss range without being pushed back. Geh, she''s such a pain. Lars ranted as Breaker slipped outside the range of his Trickshot again. What is this? I remember her being more explosive and stuff. You could learn a lot from her, Yuel said. Her playstyle turns aggressive once she gets her combo pieces, but until then she plays good defense, unlike a certain somebody who only knows how to rely on aggression and mechanical skill. Yeah, yeah, thats me. The one and only. Lars made a face. How many times did he listen to Yuel criticizing his defense? Theres probably not enough numbers in the entire world to represent that amount. It was like a bazillion billion million times, at least. Welp, no matter how good she can defend, its no use if I beat her anyway! Itll be harder than you think, Yuel said. It''s already the third time he faced Breaker''s early game in Bot, yet even he struggled to find something to exploit. Same as her combos, her defense was practically perfect. In fact, her defense felt like a natural extension of the combo playstyle she mastered. It wasn''t just about playing strong defense in the early game, it felt her she was stating: That''s how I play combo in the early game. Was it really impossible to break through her? As a Trickshooter, Lars had the clear speed advantage over Breaker in the early game, thanks to Trickshots high base damage. However, the enemy balanced it out with Lumimancers ranged basic attacks, taking advantage of the fact Yuels Paladin was melee. As a result, Lars mostly contested the wave clearing in 1v2 and Yuel barely had any safe chances to get close to the minions. Or rather, he could do so if he really wanted, but that involved huge risks. Breaker and Night werent the types to let that slide, theyd wipe him out in an instant. Conceding first blood for no reason was the last thing the team needed right now. Therefore, Yuel played it safe. Dude, why don''tcha body-block their shots s little more? Lars asked. I cant push them back like this. This isnt ranked, Yuel retorted. They know how to deal with a frontliner in the early game, so theyll eat me alive. No spine! Whatever you say, Im not taking the risk. Yuel shook his head. Its better to be safe than sorry. Bot was a very important lane this match because of Larss inclusion, so Yuel couldnt possibly risk committing a mistake which could cost the lane. And so, the early game remained at standstill. Lars pouted, and of course, Yuel wasnt satisfied with the situation either. If possible, he wanted Lars to score at least one kill on Breaker before mid game, since Trickshooter had the power advantage over Pyromancer right now. But, how were they going to achieve that? They both thirsted for Breakers blood, but no plan of attack came to mind- wha!? Here I go, yo! Lars slid forward, right toward Breaker and Night! That reckless goof...! Wait! Turn back! Yuel gave chase, but for some reason, he was too far away. When did Lars get all the way out there? They were normally much better synchronized than this, how did that happen!? At first glance, Larss idea of closing the distance with a Trickslide didnt seem that terrible. Breaker was at 30% HP and got outcleared, so she was in the middle of retreating. Chasing her and firing from behind could lead to a kill, but thats only against inexperienced and uncoordinated foes. Breaker and Night were neither. They were going to turn the tables on Lars! Ugh! How did it come to this!? That goof was way too excited about his debut and got carried away! Didnt he understand his importance of this match? He was supposed to be the momentum generator for the team! If he were to concede first blood here, things would only go downhill from there. Morale would be hit across all lanes and the team would fall apart. Wait, what am I thinking? Yuel stopped himself. None of these things mattered right now. Before anything else, he had to concentrate on the situation at hand. Right now, at this very moment, Lars put himself in a bad spot. It already happened, theres no changing that. As Larss partner, Yuel had to pour everything into rescuing him from this predicament. Retreat! Yuel repeated while dashing to the scene. If Night was going for a blind, and Breaker was going to chase, and Lars fled, and then, and afterward and and and. A storm of thoughts and predictions whirled inside Yuels mind. The situation was dire, but it wasnt unrecoverable. Unfortunately, he didnt have the luxury to calmly analyze all the best plays. As he predicted, Night made the first move. While Larss attention was locked on the fleeing Breaker, Night turned around and teleported in front of Lars in a flash. Crap! Lars started turning his Trickshooter away, but its too late. The Lumimancer released a burst of blinding light, painting Lars''s screen in pure white. Their Pyro is coming back for you! Yuel informed. From this distance, providing info was all he could do to help. While Lars was blinded, Yuel was his eyes. Shes coming from your right, probably going for a Flame Wave. Actually, just check my screen! Oh! Sick idea! Lars leaned toward Yuel to check out the Paladin''s point of view. Yuel maintained a full view of the unfolding situation, so Lars could see everything clearly, even though he was supposed to be blinded. It felt a bit like cheating, but there was no rule against it and they had to avoid Larss death by any means. I can sure see em. Lars nodded. Actually, maybe he could even fight back like this! There was a difference in distances to account for between Yuels view and Lars''s actual position, but if he could figure it- Dont even think about fighting back. Yuel killed that thought before it was born. Geh, okay. Im out then! Cover me, dude! Lars turned around and ran away... slowly, because Lumimancers Blinding Light also slowed its victims. Thanks to that, Night scored a couple of easy hits on the slooooowly fleeing target. Lars did his best to throw the enemy off by suddenly changing directions, but it wasnt very effective with reduced movement speed. As a result, Lars dropped all the way to 40% HP. A single charged Flame Wave was going to finish him off and its coming soon, as Breaker was about to catch up to him. He was saving his roll to dodge that decisive strike. But, Breaker knew that. Therefore, once Lars was within range, she just barraged him with basics attacks. No need to use her trump card yet. Geh, why wont she use it already!? Lars grimaced. Its brutal. He couldnt dodge roll her basic attacks, because after he rolls - she''ll unleash Flame Wave on him during roll recovery. His hands were tied. He had to keep saving the roll for her Flame Wave, which refused to come. Crap, Im screwed! Lars understood theres no way out. Theres no escape from this situation. The enemy completely turned the tables on him with that Blinding Light. If he didnt roll now, hed be dead to basic attacks. If he did roll, hes dead to Flame Wave. Then, how the heck was he supposed to get out!? Theres only one way. Even though Yuel said not to fight, thats the only way! Sorry dude, but- Dont even think about it, Yuel ordered while running toward Lars. But- Keep running. You got this. Geh! Okay! Lars complied. Even though every cell in his body screamed to turn back and fight, he instinctively followed Yuels orders. After playing together so much, he was certain: if Yuel saw an out from this desperate situation, then there gotta be one, yo! With that said, being barraged by two sources of basic attacks seriously hurt. His HP plummeted at an insane rate. 35%. 28%. 21%. 18%. 15%. 12%. Wait, was it just him or did the damage slow down at the end there? He didn''t figure it from the displayed percentages though, because the heck was a number even. He just got a rough feeling, based on how much was erased from his HP bar. Thats when he noticed a violet aura stretching on the ground beneath him, a magical defense aura if he ever saw one. Was that Yuels doing? Actually, he mentioned something or another about building an item with a magical defense aura to counter the enemy composition. Dude was legit genius, yo! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. With Yuel finally getting close to Lars, Breaker was now put on the spot. With Larss buffed magical defense, she and Night couldnt finish him off in time with just magical basic attacks. So, she had to fire her Flame Wave before Lars got away. And, she also had to do so before getting in the range Yuels Justice Strike. In other words, she had to fire it right now. So, she did. No chance, yo! Lars reacted instantly. Even amidst this chaotic situation, he neatly roll dodged the Flame Wave. Thats it! He finally got out! His blindness and slowdown were about to expire too. Yeah! Im finally... out? Even though Lars and Yuel finally met on lane, Yuel didn''t stop running toward the enemy. Now! Shoot her! Yuel summoned a holy blade above Breakers head, which came down crashing right on her. She was silenced and slowed, becoming the prey! The tables were turned! What!? Now?! Lars exclaimed. You crazy bastard! Haha! He sharply turned around and took aim. His HP was at 8%. Hed die from just a couple of hits. Yet, in this super mega tight situation, Yuel put him on the offense! Dude was nuts, haha! With Yuel guarding the front, Lars didn''t have to worry about anything. He darted forward to get the slowed down Breaker back within firing range. To finish this with a kill, he had to fire a super accurate Trickshot with at least one bounce. And, he had to do it as quickly as possible. Meaning, right after his blindness lifts up. On top of that, considering the sudden shift from defense to offense, he didnt have much time to take aim. Normally, it''d absurd to expect anybody to land a bouncing shot under these circumstances. But, it''s Lars. He should be able to pull it off. As soon as the whiteness started fading from his screen, Larss aim was already locked on. He fired with speed and accuracy thatd put even an aimbot to shame. It was an amazing development. When Lars charged in alone, Yuel was sure everything was doomed. However, thanks to their persistence under these harsh circumstances, something unbelievable happened: they created an impossibly rare chance to score a kill on Breaker! During the early game! With this pinpoint Trickshot, Lars was going to- Whaaaaaa?! You kidding me?! Lars exclaimed. His shot was fast and accurate enough, no complaints there. It was going to perfectly land on Breaker... but she rolled. As if driven by instinct, she rolled forward right as the Trickshot was fired. As a result, even though Lars''s bullet reached her location with pitch-perfect timing, the shot was a bit too high. She dodged Larss finishing blow by a hairs breadth! This girl is crazy, yo! Larss grin was colored by a mixture of awe and disbelief. Shes even crazier than what he saw on screen from the audience! This was sick! Good response there. Well played. Yuel sighed. With that dodge, Breaker forced this 2v2 into a draw. With the looming danger of a gank, Lars couldn''t pursue the enemy any further with just 8% HP. They tried pressuring Night instead, but he elegantly disengaged as well. Its a draw, plain and simple. Phew! Jennifer exhaled all the air from her lungs. Man, that shit was intense! Did you see what just happened? Whats with that Trickshooter!? Yes, I saw, Albert nodded. That was a pretty hard shot to land. Hard? More like impossible! And I barely dodged that shit! Jennifer dropped back on her chair. This last exchanged spent all the brain power she had in stock. She could really use a breather. Seriously, whats the deal with that Trickshooter? She thought he was some nobody StormBlitz subbed in after their captain ragequit or something. And at first, it really looked that way. Like, that scrub charged in solo a few moments ago. He should have totally been dead meat, but he somehow wiggled his way out. And, then he almost turned the tables around with a crazy pro tier Trickshot. So, was he a scrub or s decent player? Which was it!? As she thought back on her Trickshot dodge, her hands trembled. It was one hella clutch dodge, but it was a successful dodge nonetheless. As soon as she heard the Trickshots sound effect, her fingers reacted on their own. Rolling against a Trickshot was one of the many lessons she beat into herself via endless practice. Trickshot will sometimes come at you as the finisher. One of Coachs lectures. Always remember: Trickshot cant bounce downwards. So, if you roll at the right time, the bullet cant hit you. After hearing that advice, Jennifer added it to her Stuff I Gotta Ace list. She dragged Albert into practice mode and made him fire countless Trickshots at her. She rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled until the experience was beaten into her. Low HP? Trickshot coming at ya? Roll like your life depends on it! After practicing it for hours and revising it every week, like with everything else on the Stuff I Gotta Ace list, her body reacted to this scenario by instinct. Against that Trickshooters lightning speed snipe, even a split of a fraction of a millisecond was fatal. If she were just a tiny bit slower - shed be dead right now. Her methodical training exhibited great results! Still cant believe she dodged that, Lars scratched his head. I dont get it. Was my shot too slow? Was my aim off? I dont think it was either, Yuel said. He was closely watching Breaker and Nights movements the whole time, so he saw how everything went down. As soon as Lars fired the Trickshot - Breaker rolled. She didn''t turn back to check whether the shot was coming at her and she didnt try guessing the trajectory. She just rolled, as if thats an instinct she was born with. I have a feeling she practiced this sort of scenario, Yuel said. Expect her to regularly roll against your Trickshot. Especially, any Trickshot youre using as a finisher. Roger. Lars smiled mischievously. So? How did you like my aggressive play? You mean, the play in which you charged in solo like a suicidal terrorist? Cmon, dude! We almost got them! Lars pouted. Besides, where were you at anyway? Ive been advancing at them for a while now, but you stayed behind. Well, I was... thinking about things, I guess. Yuel averted his eyes. The blame was rightfully placed. Out of all people in the entire world, he should have been the best at following up on Larss plays. They achieved an almost telepathic level of teamwork, the kind youd only see at pro levels. Yet, Yuel failed to follow Larss play this time. Why? He knew the answer. His mind was clouded by thoughts about the teams morale, about his responsibilities as the new captain and so on and so forth. All these thoughts about the larger picture shackled him, preventing him from performing his best during the small situations that occurred on lane. If he paid more attention to every little detail in the lane, they might have scored a kill in the latest play. Ugh. Lars had it good, he was so carefree about everything. That goof couldnt for the life of him think about anything other than the fight in front of him. Thats how he could play so aggressively in this situation. On the other hand, Yuel was nervous and tried to avoid risks because it was an important match. If only he could also temporarily shut down his overheating brain... Between maintaining global map awareness, collecting as much data as possible on all enemies, wrestling with the pressure of being a captain and crafting strategies for the future - his brain couldnt keep up. He wasnt some quantum computer, he couldnt handle countless parallel tasks. Through experience, he grew used to analyzing many different subjects at once, but he still had a limit. And, he just crossed it. The only solution was to narrow down his focus and concentrate only on the truly important subjects. Easier said than done. He never dealt with this sort of problem. The first thing he definitely wanted to get rid off was the pressure on his shoulders, coming from his responsibility as the captain. But, how exactly could he erase something vague like pressure? If it were that easy, nobody would ever struggle with pressure in the first place. The same applied to filtering out the endless stream of thoughts about the teams morale and momentum. Even though his reason understood theres no use thinking too hard about these things, the thoughts kept haunting him. When something positive happened, his brain went Yes! We may be able to gain momentum and raise team morale!. When something bad happened, his brain went No! The team may fall apart because of this!. Such extreme overreactions were unlike him. The previous match must have shaken him really hard. No matter how much he wanted, he couldnt turn his brain numb to these thoughts. He had to cut something else from his overflowing mind. The only options left were... reducing map awareness and enemy analysis, perhaps? What if he completely ignored the upper half of the map for now and concentrated only on Bot and Bot Jungle? Its still early into the game, so full map awareness wasnt that crucial yet. Still, giving up such an important tactical tool wasnt pretty, but Yuel had to do it. He had to lessen the burden on his brain at any cost. Therefore, he filtered out the upper half of the map, both from his sight and from his mind. He dedicated his everything to supporting Lars in Bot and finding a way to gain the upper hand in the lane. Despite his criticism of Larss reckless play, its the first time today Breaker was about to be killed during the early game. The situation was one huge uncoordinated mess, but its the first time he saw Breaker tripping during the early game like that. In previous games, he poked and baited her in various ways, but she didnt budge. Thats why he concluded nothing could be done about her solid early game defense. But, Lars proved him wrong. By making a hyper-aggressive and super risky play, Lars revealed cracks in Breakers defense. She clearly practiced a vast variety of standard 2v2 scenarios, so its hard to fool her with standard baits and pressure tactics. But, what about an absurd scenario that transcended common sense? Like, Larss suicidal slide straight into the lions maw. A crazy play nobody would attempt on purpose, but it almost worked. Back when Yuel was paired with Trever, they didnt have any opportunities to try that. Trever was an aggressive player, but he was more well-rounded than Lars and his fighting tactics were mostly orthodox meta plays. Compared to that, Lars was like a glass cannon. His defense was barely better than that of a Bronze player, but his offense was Master tier. He was a beast who operated outside the boundaries of common sense, the perfect counter for Breakers orthodox defense. Fortunately, the enemy didnt have a chance to realize that yet. All they saw, was Lars making a fool out of himself by charging in alone like a reckless noob. They might be a bit wary of his accurate Trickshot, which nearly killed Breaker, but she dodged it in the end. So, her impression from that exchange was probably along the lines of No problem, I can deal with this rookie Trickshooter. This was a chance. If they could recreate the circumstances from that risky play and this time coordinate their actions - they were going to score a kill, maybe two. Breaker was the last enemy he wanted to take risks against since feeding her would spell disaster for the whole team. Nevertheless, its against risky plays that she had the highest chance of stumbling. Therefore, paradoxically, unconventional high-risk aggression might actually be safer against her than orthodox aggressive tactics. Lets give it another shot, Yuel said. Hm? Lars cocked his head. You want to go aggressive on them, right? Yuel smirked. Then, lets do it. Ill return to base to make some preparations. You stay on the lane to farm. Really? We gonna attack!? Lars''s eyes lit up. Im running low, though, Sure I shouldn''t back? No need. Just make sure you dont overextend and keep your eyes peeled for ganks. Also, stay a little back while you farm. No matter how they bait you, dont go on the offensive until I return. Yeah, I know not to take candy from strangers, mom. Haha. Heh. Yuel sighed with a smile. No matter what that goof said, theres never telling what hed pull. Leaving him alone on the lane with such low HP was risky, but for Yuel''s plan to work - Lars had to reach Lv.5 as soon as possible. While Breaker was busy traveling all the way from base to lane, Lars was going to farm some extra exp and get ahead. As Yuel began recalling back to base, his plan was set in motion. Through the cracks he discovered in Breakers defense - he and Lars were going to strike her down! Vol.3 Ch.11: The Beast That Transcends Common Sense After Yuel returned to base, he purchased an Lv.1 Windmail. An unconventional move, since it was usually better to upgrade items to Lv.3 before buying new ones. He already had an Lv.1 Repelling Amulet, which he bought to combat the enemys magical comp, but he chose to not upgrade it at this time. Repelling Amulet granted him HP and magical defense, but no physical defense. Thats what Windmail came to fix. While magical defense was valuable against the basics and spells of Pyromancer and Lumimancer, physical defense was necessary for tanking minion attacks. In addition, Windmail had an aura effect which increased the movement speed of all nearby allies, similar to how Repelling Amulet had an aura which increased the magical defense of nearby allies. Both auras were weak while the items were at Lv.1, but just having auras was huge for a Paladin. His passive, Holy Aura, granted him defense and HP regeneration for each aura item he built, regardless of the items level. Therefore, stacking two aura items early on gave him more effective health overall for the upcoming operation. As soon as his Paladin fully recovered, he dashed out of the base. According to his estimation, he and Breaker were going to reach the lane at about the same time. She had a head start, but he had the small speed buff from Windmail, which became increasingly more impactful when traveling across a long distance. She might outrun him if she built boots, but knowing her - she probably went for damage. And, even if she did build boots and gets to lane first, Lars would know to stay back and avoid picking fights when hes running low on HP, right? Right? I better hurry. Fortunately, no disaster occurred. Breaker got to lane a little before him, but Lars stayed in the back and farmed near the Turret like a good boy. As soon as she returned, Breaker pushed harder than before, no doubt trying to capitalize on Larss low HP. Insisting to stay on lane with such low HP was a rather unusual scenario on high levels of play. Its normally considered blatant overextension, the kind youd only expect to see from greedy newbies. So, how well did Breaker practice such unusual scenarios? How well with her orthodox defense deal with this peculiar situation? As expected, she forsook defense and became the aggressor. She was probably led to this decision by some combination of the following factors: her limited experience with such silly overextension situations, the salt from her the previous failed attempt to kill Lars and the fact she was almost killed by Lars''s Trickshot back then. Perhaps there were even more reasons, but these were the ones Yuel accounted for. Thus, he could tell with certainty she''d go on the offensive here, just like he wanted. Thats the first mistake Breaker made. Even though Lars stayed in the back and played defensively, he was like a starved beast. He consistently sought an opportunity to leap on Breaker and tear her apart. The term playing defensively didnt really exist in that goofs vocabulary, he was like a hungry wolf Yuel kept on a leash right now. But, Breaker didnt see the leash, so she thought Lars was a well-behaved doggy. So, she approached the doggy and poked it, only to be bitten by a wolf. Her HP fell all the way to 70% after they exchanged blows, whereas Lars stayed at 10%. Breakers side still held an undeniable advantage, but she must have begun realizing she was doing this wrong. So, after her failed attempt to scare Lars away, she and Night retreated back to the center of the lane, inviting Lars to leave the Turret and get wrecked in a fight. Its unfortunate, her retreat came much faster than Yuel expected. He hoped to bring Breakers HP down to 50% first, but she noticed the pitfall in her aggressive approach too quickly. Regardless, his plan was still very much feasible. The two ranged enemies were now back in the middle of the lane, so Yuel gained more freedom to move around as a melee player. He positioned himself on the frontline and body-blocked the shots of enemy bowmen, who were the hard-hitting minions in the wave. In exchange for his own HP, he reduced the total damage their minion wave received and gave them a push advantage. Of course, this stunt put him in the range of the enemy Pyromancer and Lumimancer. Its a risk he had been avoiding until now in fear of feeding Breaker, but now he knew such tactics could actually throw Breaker off. In fact, he played on the front even more blatantly than usual, declaring his fearlessness. Could you not rotate your camera so much? Yuel requested. Hm? Me? Lars blinked. Wait, why are you looking at my screen while playing? You got your own. Just getting a feel for the perspective, Yuel answered. Youre about to hit Lv.5, right? Yeah, like one more minion. Good, make sure you get the last hit. Things are about to go down. Heh, sounds fun! His exp lead is even better than I expected. He may be a goof, but his last-hitting skill is top notch. Instinct? Yuel smiled wryly. The preparations were done. All thats left was to pull the trigger. He advanced even more boldly, taunting his opponents. Anytime now. Tch, these cocky scrubs are so damn annoying! Jennifer ranted. Seriously, whats with that attitude? First, they didnt bother banning her Pyromancer, as if shes not a threat at all. And now, theyre acting all confident with their overextension, thinking she gonna let them get away with this shit. Hell no! That Trickshooter was on his last breath and that Paladin totally gonna get burned playing on the frontline like that. Shell rek them both! With the Trickshooter at barely 10% HP, theres no way he could advance to the front to help the Paladin whatsoever. In other words, the Paladin was totally on his own on the front line. Its basically the same mistake these scrubs made last time, but in reverse. Last time, the Trickshooter charged in alone while leaving the Paladin behind, and now the Paladin advanced solo while the Trickshooter couldnt follow up. These guys had abysmal teamwork. Lets rek this Paladin scrub. Jennifer grinned. So, should I go in? Albert asked. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Yep, go AAAALLLL in! Got it. Albert nodded and activated Blinding Light. While his Lumimancer charged energy, he blinked forward with Flash, appearing right in front of the Paladins face. Right then, a flash of light erupted from the Lumimancer, robbing the Paladins vision. Good! Now eat this! Jennifer circled to the Paladins right and unleashed Flame Wave. Without his sight, he had no way to block the spell! He had no idea where it was going to come from! From the right! Yuel nodded to himself and activated Divine Shield, blocking the incoming Flame Wave. Wha!? How!? Jennifer jumped. He was blinded! He shouldnt have been able to see it coming! How did he counter her Flame Wave so easily?! Good, I pulled it off. Yuel breathed in relief. For a while now, he had been playing while watching Larss screen instead of his own. He adjusted himself to moving the Paladin from Larss point of view, so the fact his own screen went white didnt matter at all. With Breakers Flame Wave wasted, they were now in a great position to mount a counterattack! Go! Finish the Pyro with your ult! On it! Lars charged in without a moments hesitation. Low HP? Tremendous danger? Who cared about that crap, yo. He just wanted to get some kills! Its time for a trick show! The sound cue of Trickshow resounded, turning Larss Trickshot and Trickslide into spammable skills. He slid straight ahead, gunning for Breaker. He actually moved forward!? Jennifer was agasp. Whats this situation? Its she and Albert who initiated this fight. They were the aggressors! Yet, these scrubs pretended they were the hunters and Jennifer was their prey! Raaaaaaaaawr!!! She gonna kick their asses for sure! That Trickshooter couldnt do shit with just... just.... 17% HP? Huh? What? When!? Oh shit, its that Flame Wave the Paladin absorbed earlier with his Divine Shield! He used the absorbed power to heal the Trickshooter! Nughhhhh! Its like Jennifer healed that scrub herself! With 17% HP, things were quite different. The Trickshooter was no longer as easy to kill, especially considering the aura protection of Paladins Repelling Amulet. But still, Jennifer was at 70% HP. Did they really think they could take her down like this? She gonna wreck them for sure- Would you stop already!? Jennifer roared as a holy blade crashed on her from the sky. She was silenced and slowed, both her fighting and escaping options were sealed! Dont you mess with me! Imma take you down with basics then. Come at me, scrub! Instead of fleeing, she stood her ground and shot fireballs at the approaching Trickshooter. No matter what unfavorable factors were in play, she maintained a strong mental image. Its the image of her crushing these two scrubs with her own two hands! So what if she was restricted to just basics attacks? Bring it on! Thatd only make her victory look that much cooler! Alas, her first fireball missed. And, her second fireball missed. And, her third fireball missed. Eh? W-Whats going on!? Shivers ran across her arms. The Trickshooter moved all over the place, like a damn cockroach on steroids! Are you for real? Jennifer had no idea what to say. She was simply dumbfounded. Her instincts screamed to retreat and her Pyromancer already took a few steps back. But, escape? Really? In this situation? Didnt she imagine herself crushing this suicidal Trickshooter? That glorious image of her standing on top of the crushed Trickshooter... it grew hazy. There? No, damn...! Just as she thought she predicted the Trickshooter''s next slide, he suddenly canceled it and rolled to the other side! Whats this nonsense?! Did he read her mind? ESP?!?!? But, the dodges weren''t even the most amazing part here. Its the Trickshots he fired in-between slides that struck her with a mixture of awe and terror. Some shots were aimed straight at her, others bounced off a wall and then struck her. No matter the angle he fired from - he never missed! Not even once! Jennifer did her best to move around, making it hard for him to aim. Yet, his shots didnt waver in the slightest. Sure, her movement speed was reduced by the Paladins Justice Strike, but she should have been able to dodge at least some of these shots. But, they always found their way to her, like goddamn guided missiles! Shit, whats with this damage?! She turned pale. She was at 70% HP when she started, but its already down to 30%?! How was that even possible?! Gah, she realized her defense was debuffed too. That damn Paladin and his stupid Justice Strike! This is bad. Like, seriously freaking bad. She gulped. Even though she moved around to dodge, even though she fired basic attacks - it felt like she was frozen in place, like a practice dummy for that Trickshooter. Did Trickshow always last this long? It was supposed to last only a couple of seconds, but it felt like this torture lasted an eternity. She was locked in a cage of bullets, with no way to escape. Where was her mental image of victory now? It shattered to pieces. She couldn''t see herself winning by any stretch of imagination. Retreat... Geh, she had to retreat! Now! The slowdown was about to wear off and she still had 20% HP left. Trickshow had to be approaching its end too, so the Trickshooter probably had only one more Trickshot left before it goes on cooldown. At 20% HP, a straight Trickshot wasn''t going to cut it. So, hed have to make it bounce. If she dodges that final shot...! Yes, theres a chance! She could make it out! WHISH. Shed recognize this sound effect any day. The decisive Trickshot was fired. Just like she trained, she was going to roll forward and- You have been killed! FIRST BLOOD! Wha.... Ah... Jennifer sat there like a statue. The Trickshot came as expected and she rolled as planned... but it still reached her. Just as she finished the roll and stood up - the shot pierced her skull. Not only did it hit despite her roll, but it was a headshot too?! J-Just whats wrong with that guy... Sorry I couldnt help more. Albert apologized as he barely escaped to safety. Everything was on cooldown. They really played us there. Played us...? Jennifer produced a dry laugh. Youre saying they planned this whole thing? Not sure to what extent, but I think they were aiming for this. Planned... this bizarre play? Heh. Haha. Jennifer laughed because thats the only response she could come up with. She was sure the Trickshooter and Paladin had shitty teamwork, but what if it was actually godlike? What if it transcended everything she trained to beat? She was supposed to be able to deal with any situation, thats what she trained herself for and what she prided herself in. But, this development... she failed to even register it as a situation to deal with at first. From the Trickshooters reckless charge and down to his hellish Trickshow - everything about that play transcended common sense! If it was really planned by these two, then... wow. Just wow. Welp, Lars twisted his lips. The Support got away. You greedy bastard, Yuel smirked. They just pulled off a pretty insane play, but that wolf wasnt satisfied until he devoured every last opponent. Well, its probably this hunger for victory that allowed him to pull off these insane stunts in the first place. Thanks to Lars Trickshot Services Ltd., they finally found a way to penetrate through Breakers airtight early game defense. StormBlitz seized the momentum first! They had to roll with it and gain further advantage while it lasted! It was up to Yuel, as the captain and the shot-caller, to ensure that was going to happen. Congrats on the first blood, Roi said. Nice beginners luck there, lol. Luck? Lars grinned. Imma kill her twenty more times, ez. Just ya watch, yo! So, Gilbert smirked. If you score less than 20 kills well sub you out. Geh! N-No problem! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! With this one kill, what remained of the teams awkward atmosphere now entirely vanished. They were joking and laughing again. No ranting, no shifting blame. It was amazing. Lars, the Momentum Generating Wonder Boy, was amazing! In the last match, Yuel spent the whole time thinking up ways to improve the teams morale, to no avail. However, with Lars at his side, he found a solution within seconds. With Yuels strategy and Larss strength - they could pull through anything! Vol.3 Ch.12: Out of Touch Passing through. Dan arrived in Bot shortly after ComboBreaker was killed. Yo, now you come? Lars chuckled. Where were ya when we needed to score some kills, dude. We had to do some crazy stuff to get this kill. Was pretty fun though. Not my fault you didnt wait for me Dan shrugged. It wouldnt have worked if we waited, Yuel explained. Breaker was good at dealing with common situations, such as incoming ganks. If she were to spot Dan nearby, shed retreat without a moments hesitation and slip away. Besides, Beastmaster didnt have much impressive CC in the first place, so Dans gank potential was rather low. Yeah, Beast is difficult like that, Dan nodded. But hey, at least I brought you some dogs. He activated Let the Dogs Out, summoning four jungle monsters he tamed: Hyena, Alpha Wolf, Ogre Leader and Griffin. The monsters invaded the lane and joined the allied minion wave. Together, they all advanced toward the enemy Turret. It was an impressive army. Especially, the Ogre Leader and Griffin were much tougher than the average minion. Taming a Griffin was quite the feat, considering Griffins were located in neutral areas of the jungle, always contested by both sides. Yet, somehow, Dan secured one of them even with the Beastmasters subpar camp clearing speed. Yuel had been paying minimal attention to anything outside Bot, so he had no idea how Dan achieved all that. Some impressive strategy and decision-making must have been in play. Hmm, he bought Smite and Sprint. Yuel examined Dans build. Smite was a utility skill designed for Junglers. It dealt high damage to one monster, then released an AoE shockwave which dealt additional damage to nearby to monsters. Not all Junglers had to buy Smite to clear camps effectively, but Beastmaster definitely needed it. Sprint was the more interesting choice here. Its a utility skill which granted a movement speed buff for a short time, as well as cleansed any slows. Beastmaster didnt have any mobility options, so covering more ground via Sprint was one solution. Buying two utility skills so early into the game was very uncommon, but Dan clearly knew what he was doing. Thats evident by the great collection of tamed monsters he brought along to push Bot. With the tankiness of the Ogre Leader and Griffin, they brought the enemys Turret down to 50% HP in one push. Despite everything said about the Beastmasters weak points, its push potential was nothing to sneeze at. Theyll probably return soon, Dan said. Mind helping me with the Dragon? Nah, lets push some more! Lars kept firing away at the Turret like a brat. We can take it out before they return! Fastest Turret fall in history, yo! We wont make it. Yuel retorted. All they had left were a nearly dead Griffin and two bowmen minions. Theres no chance of bringing the Turret from 50% to 0% with just these. But, at the same time, going for Dragon also sounded risky. Both Yuel and Lars were running low on HP. You sure its a good idea? Yuel asked. Their Mid or Jungler may gank us. Hm? Dan blinked. Yeah, I think its safe enough. I mean, their Mid is turtling hard and their Jungler is around Top right now. Is that so. Yuel threw some glances at his mini-map, verifying Dans words. Indeed, the Electromancer was hugging his Turret, so its unlikely hed leave Mid any time soon. Theres no sign of the enemy Vampire, but there were some Wards in Top Jungle, so the Vampire was probably spotted by one of them a little while ago. I guess youre right... Wait, you didnt notice? Dan asked. You? Of all people? I always thought your map awareness is the shit. No, its just... Well, I was in the middle of an intense fight just now... Yuel mumbled excuses. Not having full map awareness was embarrassing, especially for a shot-caller. But, thats a sacrifice he had to make to let himself concentrate on Bot Lane. Alright, lets do Dragon. Youll have to tank it, though. Were spent. No problem. I got a Supreme Wraith. Oh, thats great. Yuel was impressed. On top of the monsters Dan already unleashed in Bot, he still had one more in store. Let the Dogs Out didnt force the Beastmaster to release all his tamed monsters in one go, so Dan kept himself the Supreme Wraith, the boss of the Wraith Camp. Once they arrived at the Dragon, Dan released the wraith with an attack order on the Dragon. Since the Supreme Wraith was the first and closest hostile presence, the Dragon focused its attacks on the wraith. The wraith wasnt too tanky, but it could withstand a couple of Dragon attacks. In the meantime, the three of them assaulted the distracted Dragon. Once the Dragon started running low on HP, Dan used Smite to erase 15% in one hit. The Dragons HP fell below the necessary threshold, so Dan wrapped it up with Tame the Wild, adding the Dragon to his monster collection. Then, Dan returned to farming in the Jungle, whereas Yuel and Lars recalled to base. Fortunately, nobody ambushed them this whole time. The Dragon was a highly contested objective, but they got away scot-free. Its amazing how effective Dans Beastmaster turned out to be. With his help, the enemy Bot Turret was down to 45% HP and they even secured the Dragon. Yuel always considered Beastmaster a borderline meme class, but Dan definitely knew how to make it shine. Its no joke that Dan could play any Jungler. He wasnt just some generalist, he really knew how to use the strengths of each and every Jungler class he played, even eccentric ones like Beastmaster. During matches, he usually didnt stand out much because he didnt exhibit any mind-blowing techniques with any particular class. But, he definitely had one impressive off-screen skill: the ability to pick any Jungler class and play it well. Only now, after seeing him play Beastmaster with such excellence even in a competitive match, Yuel came to realize how amazing Dans skill truly was. Hey, Mr. Shot-Caller, Roi called out. Its nice to see youre doing great in Bot and all, but what about other lanes? Youve been awfully quiet. Where are your usual batshit crazy shots? Lol. Oh, I just.. Yuel was taken aback. Um, I needed more time to think. Now, that the teams morale was restored, everybody treated him differently. After they resisted everything he suggested last game, he was reluctant to make any new calls this game. But, the team was fine now. His teammates even came asking for shot-calls of their own accords. Its great! If they keep playing like this, then winning two more games was very much possible! But first, Yuel had to actually provide some good shot-calls for other lanes. He had been neglecting them to concentrate on taking down Breaker in Bot, but thats done with, With the teams morale restored, could he now expand his awareness to the whole map? Like for everybody else on the team, much of the pressure he had been feeling throughout the game dispersed by now. Lars injected a huge dose of positivity into everybody by killing Breaker, so the load on Yuels shoulder felt lighter. He was no longer haunted by a whirlpool of thoughts about restoring team morale and all that distracting nonsense. Its now much easier to concentrate on the actual events happening in front of his eyes. In this state, he could surely play full force again! Mid Lane, Top Jungle and Top Lane. He gradually expanded his map awareness by analyzing each part of the map in order. In Mid, Dan unleashed his tamed Dragon and attacked the Mid Turret together with Gilbert. Freezer was apparently forced to retreat, so they had the freedom to push without any interference. When summoned as an allied minion, the Dragon was a powerful anti-tower tank. It couldnt be ordered to attack enemies, but instead, it automatically latched onto the nearest enemy tower, no matter whether it was a Turret, a Golem or even the Colossus. The Dragon held said tower hostage, preventing it from attacking nearby players regardless their actions in the towers range. The Dragon soaked all of the towers attacks and its thick scaled skin survived many shots. On top of that, it restlessly clawed away at the tower with its razor claws, rending the tower asunder. With the Dragons aid, Mid Turret fell down to... 25% HP? Wait, that couldnt be right. No matter how amazing the Dragon was for pushing objectives, theres no way it could single-handedly allow Gilbert and Dan reduce the Turret from 100% to 25% so early into the game. They didnt even have a DPS class to help them push, so how did this number come to be? What did Yuel miss while focusing on Bot? Thats amazing progress in Mid, Yuel said as he turned to Gilbert. You mustve attacked the Turret a lot during laning. I sure did... Gilbert raised an eyebrow. You were sleeping or something? N-No, of course not. I just paid more attention to other lanes. Yuel averted his eyes. Anyway, thats impressive. Freezer was good at freezing the lane the last two times he played Mid, but I see you found a way through. Dunno what youve been looking at this whole time, Gilbert said. But, hes like a totally different guy this game. I dunno why, but as Electro hes nowhere near the same level. Hes been making some really weak plays.. Like what? For one, he doesnt clear the wave right, Gilbert explained. Due to the way Electromancers kit worked, it had to unleash its abilities on the minion wave in a very specific order to effectively clear. First, it was mandatory to hit at least a couple of minions with basic attacks because those inflicted Electric Charges via the Electromancers passive. This was a necessary preparation before unleashing Chain Lightning, a damage spell which bounced for additional hits when there were nearby targets with Electric Charges. Each hit of Chain Lightning also applied another Electric Charge on hit targets, charging them even further for what was coming next: Electrical Explosion, a spell which detonated all Electric Charges. The more charged the enemies were, the harder they blew up. By following these precise instructions, Electromancers clear speed was actually quite formidable. However, failure to execute these steps properly led to very weak performance. Its for this reason Electromancer was considered a difficult class to play. Most mages in the game didnt require such elaborate preparations for something as simple as clearing a minion wave. So, to effectively execute the Electromancers particular ritual - its necessary to practice that routine a lot until it becomes natural. And, its also necessary to regularly play the class to not lose touch. Gilbert claimed hed rust if he didnt play Electromancer at least once a week. It was simply too different from the straightforward way most other mages played their laning phase. When playing correctly, Electromancers clearing speed would definitely superior to Gilberts Aeromancer. Yet, in this game, Gilbert somehow dominated the lane. According to him, the reason was Freezers poor skill. Freezer definitely knew the right moves for making the most out of Electromancers kit, but his execution was terrible. Sometimes his Chain Lightning was fired at a minion positioned too far from those with Electric Charges, so the spell didnt make any additional bounces. Other times, he greedily stacked as many Electric Charges as he could with basic attacks before activating Electrical Explosion, but by the time he finally detonated the minions - the durations of many Electric Charges expired and only a few of the minions were actually were blown up. Maybe hes the type who needs time to warm up. Yuel wondered. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hard to say, Gilbert shrugged. At least, he wasnt like that when he played Warlock. So, you think hes out of touch with Electro? Sure looks like it. I even saw him miss Lighting Chain once when aiming at the minions. I know its a thin skill-shot and everything, but damn man... so sad. Is he really not good with Electro? Or, maybe its a trap? Yuel couldnt judge from Gilberts words alone. Freezer was a defensive and tricky player, who lured enemies and punished them for overextending. The enemys last-second lineup switch during drafting was probably his idea too, it fit his playstyle well. So, in theory, its possible Freezer was only pretending to play poorly, to lure StormBlitz into overexerting. It sounded counterintuitive, but a certain goddess in their club regularly pulled stuff like that. Anything was possible. Still, did it make sense to go as far as sacrificing a Turret for that kind of plan? And the Mid Turret, of all things. Would Ellen do that? A pointless question. That snake would do anything to get the upper hand, no matter what she had to sacrifice in the process. She had no qualms pretending she was as weak as a Bronze player and feeding her brains out, just so she can turn the tables on the overconfident enemies later on. Shes that bizarre. Freezer and Ellen were both defensive players, but so far Freezer hadn''t showcased the same level of otherworldly craftiness as Ellen. Therefore, its safe to assume he was either rusty with Electromancer or needed more time to warm up. Either way, it was worth testing by sending Lars to Mid and see how hell fare in a 1v1 against Freezer. To arrange that 1v1, Gilbert first had to leave Mid. Was there any good rotation for him? Yuel analyzed the map for a while, then came up with a plan. I got an idea, Yuel announced. Oh! Roi grinned. Here it comes, boys! Roi, can you let the Berserker push you back a little? Then, pretend youre recalling to base. But instead of actually recalling, circle around Top and ride to the enemy Wolf Camp. If Gilbert heads there too, youll get to 2v1 their Jungler. Lol, hella roundabout. Like always. Roi chuckled. What about defending Mid? Gilbert asked. The Electro will return any moment now. Thats where Lars comes in, Yuel turned to Lars. Go farm in Mid for a while. Try getting a kill on their Electro if you can. Haha, Lars''s eyes lit up. Want me to go all in? Yeah, go wild. Sick! Imma score twenty kills off that dude, just ya watch! Sure. Wait, is that a good idea? Gilbert asked. You know Freezer is good at punishing overextension, right? Yes, normally he is. Yuel nodded. But, its clear hes not playing his usual game right now. How he deals with Lars will tell us a lot about how much of a threat he really is this match. If turns out hes weak with Electro - well feed on him. Whoo, Dan whistled. Brutal. As for Bot, Yuel continued. Ill freeze it until Lars returns. Got it, Gilbert nodded. Sounds like a plan. Roi, tell me when you''re ready to go for the Wolf Camp. Already working on it. Roi carefully poked the Berserker and retreated, then again poked and retreated. Thats his way of pretending he was pushed back. Not exactly an Oscar-worthy performance, but he didnt need to be a great actor to convince the enemy. He ran low on MP, so it made sense for him to switch to defense. That factor was part of what sparked Yuels plan in the first place. Once the Berserker pushed Roi all the way back to the Turret, Roi retreated into the backside of the jungle, out of the Berserkers field of vision. In this situation, itd make perfect sense for Roi to return to base, heal up and then teleport back to lane. He had done so before, so the enemy already knew he had Teleport and that it was out of cooldown. However, Roi headed into the jungle instead, as Yuel instructed. He activated the Knights ult, Noble Steed, and mounted a white horse. While mounted, his movement speed was much greater, allowing him to invade deep into enemys Top Jungle before they realize what happened. At about the same time, Gilbert began his rotation from Mid to Top. He started off almost twice as close to the destination as Roi, but theyll still arrive at the enemy Wolf Camp at around the same time. Thats how fast the Knights Noble Steed was. As Yuel predicted, they found the Vampire there, still busy farming the last wolf. They ganged on the unsuspecting enemy without delay. Gilbert slowed him with Jet Stream and Roi pushed him back into the camp Shield Bash, denying any chance of escape. The fight ended almost as suddenly as it began. An enemy has been killed! Lol, Roi grinned and turned to Yuel. He sure didnt see it coming. Good guess there, bro. Thanks. Except, it was no guess. The enemy Jungler didnt change positions during the enemys mixup, so he had been playing the same general playstyle all day. In other words, Yuel already had three games worth of data on that Jungler. Thus, predicting that Junglers farming routine wasnt much of a brainer. Like many players in the Leopards, their Jungler was quite orthodox. Before choosing his next destination, he examined the states of nearby lanes and decided where to head next based on that. If a nearby lane was at a standstill or the Leopards laner was at a disadvantage, their Jungler would gank the lane about 80% of the time. On the other hand, when their laner was in lead and the enemy laner was pushed back to the Turret, the Jungler almost never ganked; he proceeded to farm the nearest camp instead. Thats all standard jungling theory and theres no real fault with it. Nevertheless, it was a pattern this Jungler closely stuck to. And, a pattern could be exploited. When Roi allowed himself to be pushed back by the Berserker, he indirectly prevented the Junglers gank. The Jungler saw his team held the advantage in Top and that Roi was retreating, so ganking would be a waste of time according to standard theory. Its unlikely the Jungler would help to secure a kill or to push the lane much in this situation, so he headed to the nearby Wolf Camp instead. This sound, yet predictable, judgment was his undoing. With the successful sneak attack on the enemy Jungler, Gilbert and Roi took out the only enemy who could help out the Berserker against a gank. Not only that, but they were already grouped up and positioned behind the Berserker. Dan was also farming nearby, so it could even easily turn into a 3v1 gank. Lets gank- Gank the Berserker next, Yuel ordered. Of course, of course. Gilbert smiled wryly. We can at least figure out a simple play like that ourselves. Oh, right. Yuel frowned. Was he turning a tad too bossy? People sometimes told him he had the tendency to get carried away, but all he wanted was to ensure everybody was on the same page. Well, no matter. As long as they all play their parts and produce results, all will be well. What truly interested him was the situation in Mid: Lars vs. Freezer. This was the first time Yuel got to closely examine Freezers performance as an Electromancer. Fortunately, Larss monitor was right next to his, so its like he had a front seat in the cinema. He could see every move, every twitch, Freezer made. Just like Gilbert informed, Freezers wave clearing lacked polish. He definitely knew it was best to land a couple of basic attacks on minions before following up with Chain Lightning and Electrical Explosion, but he forced it too much. Even at the expense of putting himself in Larss firing range, Freezer advanced toward the clashing minions so he could land some basics on them. Unsurprisingly, Lars used this opportunity to fire away at Freezer. As a result, enemy minions focused on Lars and broke out of formation. In turn, allied minions broke their formation as well in order to pursue enemy minions. Both waves became a mess. Thats the last thing an Electromancer wanted to deal with. The swordsmen and bowmen strayed too far from each other, so Chain Lightning couldnt bounce through all of them at once. Its probably best to wait for a little until order was restored to the lane, then proceed with Chain Lightning. But, Freezer disagreed. He fired Chain Lightning anyway and it bounced between the minions, even hitting Lars who stood nearby and had one Electric Charge on him. Right after, Freezer followed up with Electrical Explosion, blowing up all the Electric Charges on the minions and Lars. All of that combined erased 25% of Larss HP. Nothing to sneeze at, but it didnt feel like hurting Lars was Freezer''s main goal here. His actions felt forced and rushed. He knew the perfect routine the Electromancer should strive for and tried to follow it to a T, regardless of the unfavorable circumstances. These were all misplays. Freezer earned himself temporarily lane advantage in both health and minions, but it left him effectively naked against Lars. From this range, a single Trickslide would easily close the dist- Im going in! Lars announced. Wha, already?! Yuel was taken aback. He didnt even finish evaluating the situation, but Lars already jumped into the fray, like a predator sensing a weakened prey. Lars slid forward and fired a Trickshot at a nearby jungle wall. A ballsy move, since missing this opening shot could screw over the whole assault and Electromancer had the option dodge by blinking away with Thunderclap. But, the high risk paid off. The bouncing shot instantly reduced Freezers HP to 60%. On top of that, since the shot was fired from a Trickslide, it granted Lars a stack of Attention Grabber, boosting his attack power and speed. Thanks to this high-risk high-reward opening, Lars set himself in a great position for converting this assault into a kill. Its the kind of play only he could come up with on the spot because he unconditionally trusted his otherworldly mechanical skill. Once he locked on his target, things such as chance or risk became secondary. He instinctively made the most aggressive plays possible, disregarding everything else. Admittedly, Lars had a bad habit of taking his aggression to the point of recklessness and Yuel often had to intervene. However, this time, he let Lars run loose. How well was the overextension punisher going to deal with this raw aggression? Yuel was curious. What options did Freezer have here? He wasnt even Lv.5 yet, because he was pushed back by Gilbert the whole game and was forced to farm under tower. So, his ult wasnt available yet. Both his Chain Lightning and Electric Explosion were on cooldown because he spent them on the minion wave without thinking twice. Thus, the only tool he had available right now was Thunderclap, a blinking ability. If he was his usual self, Freezer would probably blink away to lure Lars further in. However, if Yuels estimation was correct... Seriously? What a pain. Alex frowned as an impossibly accurate Trickshot bounced from a wall and pierced through his shoulder. That was 30% of his HP gone in one fell swoop. In just one hit. In one. Damn. Hit. Whats with this Trickshooter? Wasnt he supposed to be some rookie? StormBlitzs second string was supposed to be filled with just juniors and freshman from what he heard. He made fun of Jennifer when she died against this rookie, but its no longer funny. Whats with this bullshit accuracy? It was no damn joke. 30% HP in a single shot. Cmon, seriously? Anyway, he had just to retreat. Itll be fine as long as he creates some distance. 1v1-ing a marksman as a mage was asking for trouble, especially when all his damage spells were on cooldown. So, retreat all the way. Thats the only option. If hes lucky, hell lure the Trickshooter toward the Turret and turn the situation around. 62%. 54%. 46%. Damn, hes sticking to me. What a pain. Alex frowned as his HP plummeted. What was going on? Each shot hit like a truck. Oh, was it the Trickshooters passive? Um, what was it again? It was some convoluted buff effect if memory served. 30%. 22%. This is getting bad. At this point, Alex had trouble distracting himself from the gravity of the situation. He already retreated back to his Turret, but the Trickshooter refused to let go. Was that scum going to invade? If so, theres nothing Alex could do... No, wait. He still had Thunderclap! Right. How did he forget about it? He could blink away! This sort of mobility was so rare among mages that it completely slipped his mind. Electromancer and Lumimancer were about the only mages with a blinking ability in their kits. 14%. Two more hits and hes done for. As hard as he tried to maintain composure, his heart beat faster and faster. He was ready to give up at first, but Thunderclap opened up a possibility. He could still get away! He had to blink! Right now! As fast as possible! NOW!!! Ack! He shrieked as he hastily clicked. His Electromancer dissolved into a cloud of electricity and shot toward the sky, then came down crashing some distance away. He successfully used Thunderclap, but the direction he teleported in was far from optimal. He misclicked in hurry. What a dumb mistake. Still, even at this distance, maybe he could- You have been killed! Ah. He just sat there, unsure how to react. He just died to the most straightforward frontal attack ever. That Trickshooter just literally chased and shot him down, without missing a single shot. He was supposed to be good at punishing overly aggressive players, but it felt like nothing could be done in that situation. Why? Its weird. He should have been better than this. The hell you doing!? Jennifer roared. Why you didnt blink right away!? Ugh, she saw that? Awkward. Alex averted his eyes. I planned to lure him to the Turret at first, but turned out his attacks were a bit too much to handle. Yeah, sure. Because that explains why you blinked like a millimeter away once you actually blinked. Ugh. Alex didnt have a good excuse for this one. He really messed up. As if you have the right to talk. You also got killed by him because you didnt retreat in time. Wha!? Jennifer slammed on the table. At least I didnt fuck up a basic blink! You could totally get away there! Misclicks happen, okay? Misclicks? Jennifers face contorted. Right, right. Of course youd misclick. Because you dont practice for shit! When was even the last time you played Electro? Youre playing like trash! Can it already. Alex exhaled and dropped on his chair. Jennifer shot some more rants his way, but who cared. Jennifer was a pain. That Trickshooter was a pain. This game was a pain. Everything was a pain. So, she asked when was the last time he played Electromancer? Why, of course it was... when was it again? Um, a month ago? Maybe two? Huh, its been a while... Still, Electromancer was one of his best Mid classes, so that bitch should get off his case already. Nobody was perfect. Forgetting details and misclicking in the heat of the moment was normal. He was a little surprised by that Trickshooters intense aggression, thats all. It was just a little hiccup. Not his fault. This kill confirms it, Yuel announced. Freezer doesnt pilot Electro well. I thought he may be faking it at first, but giving us a kill on purpose in that situation sounds like a stretching. Lol, Roi chuckled. Wouldnt put that kinda shit past Elly, though. I agree. Yuel nodded. Thankfully, were not playing her right now. Im pretty sure Freezer didnt plan on dying there. His plays just feel rusty. He may get a better hang of it as the game goes on, so dont let this opportunity slip - feed on him every chance you get Got it, Gilbert nodded. Were also done in here. An enemy has been killed! Through combined effort, Gilbert and Roi took down the fleeing Berserker in Top Lane. Thats three kills in a row. First the Vampire, then Freezer and now the Berserker. The situation transformed from 5v5 to 5v2 in a blink of an eye. Both Top and Mid were completely open for pushing. Theres a good chance StormBlitz will take out at least one Turret this early into the game. This domino effect was amazing. After Lars generated momentum for the team by slaying Breaker, the momentum rippled throughout the team and brought one positive development after another. At this rate, this game was as good as settled! Vol.3 Ch.13: Combo Constraints With the deaths of their Mid, Top and Jungler, the circumstances were dire the Leopards. A 2v5 situation, with unprotected turrets in Top and Mid. The enemy Beastmaster spawned jungle monsters to tank Top Turret so that one was lost. However, theres still a chance to protect Mid Turret. A slim chance, but it existed. Mid was the shortest lane, therefore the most important one. The Leopards couldnt surrender it without a fight. At least, Jennifer refused to do so. Im putting a stop to that Trickshooter, Jennifer announced as she headed into the jungle. You sure? Albert asked. Hes starting to become fed and anybody from Top can gank you anytime. No problemo. Imma combo his ass real quick. Combo? But, its still going to a while before you can... Oh. Albert frowned as he checked Jennifers build. Though it was currently cloaked, Jennifer already bought a Lv.3 Spellbook of Doom. Hm, you rushed it. Sure thats a good idea? Dunno if its a good idea, Jennifer shrugged with a mischievous smile. But, Imma sure TURN it into a good idea. Is that so. Albert smiled wryly. There it was: Jennifers unbreakable mental image of victory. Nobody could attest to her true feelings, but no matter how Albert looked at it: she seemed thoroughly convinced in her upcoming victory. Her plan was beyond reckless, yet she sounded so confident. She was simply too dazzling for an average Joe like Albert, so he couldn''t retort. Albert barely made the cut into the second string in his last year of middle school, despite being a dedicated club member for three years. He followed Coachs instructions to a T, practicing the best meta classes, tactics and plays. He even learned to play both Carry and Support for Coachs mixup strategy, to be ready to join the first string at a moments notice. Yet, despite all that, he barely made it into the second string. He was in a completely different league from Jennifer, who insisted to play the off-meta Combo style despite Coachs objection. Even with such a handicap, she became the captain of the second string, and theres no doubt she would have been on the first string if she played something meta. In fact, he could even see her becoming the captain of the first string. With all that considered, Albert had no right to object to Jennifers decisions. No matter how absurd and risky her plan sounded, with her skill she might be able to pull it off. She was the type to take a bad bet and turn it into a win, a quality Albert didnt possess. Im off, Jennifer announced. Got it. Albert just nodded, without voicing his concerns. Shes rotating? Yuel eyed ComboBreakers actions. Lars was going to destroy Mid Turret at this rate, so rotating to Mid wasnt an odd decision. A risky one, but well within reason. Breaker struck him as the ballsy type to shoot for it. No new items. Cloaking something? Yuel pondered as he examined Breakers items. She didnt bother getting anything new after dying, even though she should have had enough gold to either finish her first power item or to buy boots, the typical early game moves. So, she probably cloaked whatever she purchased. Was there any early game item worth cloaking for a Pyromancer? Not really. Based on past data, the one item she cloaked before was Spellbook of Doom. It was as a huge shocker in todays first match, so she could be aiming for that surprise effect again. Spellbook of Doom was a mid game item, but only due to its power curve and not because of its price. She most likely had enough to purchase a Lv.3 Spellbook of Doom, which enabled her trademark combo playstyle. Did it make sense for her to rush Spellbook while she was behind on exp and gold? Unfortunately, Yuel couldn''t tell. He knew the gist of the combo playstyle, but not how it was advised to play under such specific circumstances. His only option was to analyze Breaker as a player. A proud and confident senior, who definitely practiced hard to reach her current level. She trusted her strength and her combo, so its very possible.; she could easily go for an aggressive play even while behind. She wouldnt waver. Their Pyro is rotating, Yuel announced, especially to Lars. Shes most likely heading to Mid. Cool, another kill for me. Lars grinned as while barraging the Mid Turret, unfazed by the news. Be careful, she has a cloaked item, Yuel said. I believe its Spellbook of Doom. She hasnt built much power yet, but this early in the game the base damage of her spells will kill you fast enough with Spellbooks effect. Youll have to dodge her spells before anything else. Okay, sounds like fun! Does he really understand the danger? Yuel sighed. He was this close to ordering Lars to outright retreat from Mid. But, taking down Mid Turret this early into the game was too tempting. Itd be huge for the team. Besides, if Lars can turn the tables on Breaker and kill her for a second time, thatd set her so much behind that she wouldn''t pose a threat for a while. There were huge benefits to reap here, but knowing that goof... Sigh. Gilbert, please rotate to Mid too. Sure, Gilbert nodded. Hope I make it. We pushed Top pretty far. Thanks, Yuel said. Gilbert most likely wasnt going to make it quite on time considering his current position, but thats alright. He was only going there as a backup, in case things were to go south. This backup plan relieved Yuel a little. Still, he had a bad feeling something big was about to go down in Mid. Sadly, theres no choice but to trust that Lars really listened to Yuels warning and was going to intercept Breaker correctly. Before long, Breaker appeared in Mid. She rotated even faster than expected, most likely using the movement speed buff of Burning Spirit. Without even positioning herself near her Turret - she opened attack! She had no interest playing this safe and went straight for the kill. She opened the assault with Pillar of Fire, setting the ground around Lars on fire. A quick glance at her build revealed the uncloaked Spellbook of Doom, as suspected. She planned to instantly finish this with a combo! She got the Spellbook, Yuel said. Reminder: dodge first. Got it, got it. Lars turned around and dashed toward the middle of the lane. Youre already dead! Jennifer grinned as she drew the path for Blaze of Inferno. Whether her prey was going to attack or flee, it didnt matter. She only had to figure which of the two he was going for, so she could draw him a fitting road to hell! And, the Trickshooter made his move. He decided to retreat. Its over. She drew a path of flames along the Trickshooters escape route. He was going to eat some much damage hell evaporate without a trace. The trail drawn for guiding Blaze of Inferno was briefly visible to the enemy before the firestorm came down crashing. Supposedly, it was for balance purposes, to give the target a small chance to dodge. But, in reality, almost nobody could react to it on time. That Trickshooter scrub was dead meat! Geh! Lars saw the red path stretching ahead of him. It was drawn exactly along the escape route he planned to take. This was the road to hell. He was going to die. He already saw Breaker torch her foes in an instant in previous matches. Every cell in his body screamed: You gonna die, dude! Not in a million years, yo! Lars roared internally and activated Trickslide. He slid diagonally across the red trail, breaking out of it! The flames of inferno already burned him down to 40% HP, but he escaped instant death! Heh, dodged? Breaker grinned. Quite the reaction time you got there. What a persistent scrub. She wanted to crush him that much more now! Everything was supposed to end with that Blaze of Inferno, but thats alright. She still had Flame Wave, itd instantly erase this measly 40 % HP he had left! She was prepared to give chase from the get-go, so she timed her Burning Spirit to last long enough for that purpose. Due to how she drew her Blaze of Inferno, the Trickshooter was forced to dodge in her direction. He was right within reach! It was over! That scrub was all offense and no defense! He didnt stand a chance! Geh, shes catching up! Lars could tell by the approaching footsteps. The reaper was on his tail, already pressing burning scythe against his throat. Man, it sucked. His slide just now was so awkward, he slid right into her trap. Welp, thats what he got for not practicing his defense enough. Maybe he should take defense practice more seriously from now on... Nah! As if! I never expected to get outta this by playing defense anyway! He turned around, staring his pursuer in the face. Offense is the best defense, yo! This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it A desperate last stand? Youre dead! Jennifer unleashed Flame Wave without a second thought. Its over. That scrub was done for- Huh?! He''s gone!? No, he just rolled away. Pointless! Flame Wave had medium reach, but it was a wide spell. Rolling to the side wasnt going to cut it! Rolling away wouldnt be enough either at this distance! He had nowhere to... Nowhere... No... He was there. Right there, beside her. He didnt roll to the sides and he didnt roll away either. No, he rolled forward! He rolled straight at her! Right before she unleashed the flames, he rolled at her and passed underneath her stretched arms! Absurd. Bullshit. It was a suicidal clown fiesta! Yet, he just barely dodged her Flame Wave with this stunt. She couldnt cancel the spell or even turn it aside at that point. The flames burst forth, but her prey was right beside her on the left! W-What is this shit? Is this guy even real!? Jennifer gritted her teeth. She was one strike away from finishing her opponent. In her head, she already saw herself punching that scrub straight in the face; an instant knockout! But, just before her fist reached him, her hand freeze in mid-air. Chains were attached to her limbs. She couldn''t punch all the way, not like this. Its time for a trick show! These words gave her shivers. Its the sound cue for the Trickshooters ultimate. The tables had been turned, now the Trickshooter was coming after her. He was the predator and she became the prey. Theres nothing. Shes left with nothing. Pillar of Fire, Flame Wave, Blaze of Inferno and even Burning Spirit. Everything was on cooldown. She was a mage stripped of all her spells. She was as good as naked! She was at 90% HP and her opponent was merely at 40%, but she couldnt fight back. Her limbs were chained. The restrictions of her combo playstyle didnt permit any further fighting; the combo build she rushed killed that option. She didnt have any cooldown reduction, so theres no hope for her spells to come online before shes decimated. Its so annoying because its not like she couldnt take this guy on. That Trickshooter played like a beast for sure, but Jennifer had enough experience dealing with beasts of this caliber. If she had to pick, then Fenrir, the captain of their first string, was a much crazier beast. She sparred with Fenrir enough to get used to such fights. Yet, right now, she was constrained. She wasnt allowed to fight any further. Her combo relied on finishing the enemy in one swift assault, but she missed her chance. She was powerless now. Damn, I... I gotta get the hell out! Jennifer gritted her teeth and turned around. Dying a second time during the early game was out of the question, she wasnt gonna recover from that. Luckily, she didnt even pass the middle of the lane, so her Turret wasnt that far away. Even while barraged by the Trickshooter from behind - she could still make it back. Rather, she HAD to make it back! At any cost! Heh, look at me run from a scrub like that. So lame. Jennifer smiled wryly but kept running toward her Turret. The Trickshooter chased her down with quick slides and dished out one Trickshot after another. Some flew straight at her, others bounced from walls and then found their way to her. This unceasing torrent of shots again... Was she playing a MOBA or a bullet hell? Seriously, fuck that guy. That deadeye accuracy was hax. But, it wont be so easy this time. Jennifer already learned how strong his Trickshow was, she paid for that lesson with her life. The guy sure had pro-level accuracy with his Trickshots, but in the end, thats just Trickshot. She knew both how to operate and how to deal with that skill. No matter how accurate Trickshots are, they always have to rely on prediction to some degree. Coachs words were burned into her mind. Jennifer didnt main non-combo Carries, but she practiced some Trickshooter due to Coachs advice. Trickshooter was a fellow Carry class she could meet as a lane opponent anytime, so she had to know how to deal with it. And, what better way was there to study an opponent than by playing from their perspective? Thats how she knew first-hand how even the tiniest unpredictable movements could throw a Trickshot off course. Thats right, she practiced it. Jennifer practiced both dodging and firing Trickshots, to fully understand them from both sides. Thats just one of many things Coach advised her to learn, and she added all of them to her Stuff I Gotta Ace list. Maybe she was stuck in the second string, but when it came to practicing whatever Coach suggested - she was the best in the club! Therefore, theres no way this Trickshooter could break her! She WILL get outta here alive! Believe it! Whoa, Lars exclaimed. Whats with this girl? His Trickshots pinpointed the target, but Breaker made some unexpected turns outta nowhere, making half his shots miss by like a millimeter. What happened to his usual 200% accuracy? This was some shenanigans right there, yo! Lars cant land every shot? Thats... Yuel frowned. Last time, they caught Breaker by surprise amidst a chaotic situation and she was slowed down by Yuels Justice Strike, so she was thoroughly wrecked by Larss Trickshow. However, this time, she calmly read the situation and chose to retreat right away. She made some weird and inefficient twists and turns while running, which actually slowed her down. However, in exchange, she dodged many of Larss Trickshots. After seeing Larss overwhelming Trickshow the first time, Breaker must have already figured he only spammed Trickshots during Trickshow. So, she responded accordingly, using a defensive tactic she undoubtedly practiced before. Perhaps she even practiced the specific scenario of being chased down by a Trickshooter. This combination of adaptability, experience and skill... A second-string player? Nonsense. Breaker would give anybody from StormBlitzs first string a run for their money. So, this was the competitive level for Yuels age. This is the challenge he had to overcome if he ever wanted to make it into the first string! Drop the Trickshots, Yuel said. She figured them out. Just shoot with basics. Sounds good! Lars switched gears and fired basic attacks at the fleeing Pyromancer. His basics were already strengthened enough by Attention Grabber, so they were quite lethal in their own right. In addition, they didnt suffer from the casting time skills had, so he barraged her nonstop. Tch, already switched to basics? Jennifer clicked her tongue. Thats faster than I expected. I thought this scrub was a brainless one-trick pony but seems like his IQ isnt rock bottom. Well, either way, it just meant she had to change her approach too. Against accurate basics, the safest tactic was to run away in a straight line, to get the hell outta there as fast as possible. Blindly dodging quick shots that came from behind wasnt going to work, not against this sniper. Therefore, she stopped using feints and darted away full speed. The damage was heavy, way worse than expected. She fell all the way from 90% HP to 30%. But, she made it! By running in a straight line, she finally reached her Turrets area. She was safe! The Trickshooter wasnt gonna reach this far- BAM. A loud shot fired. It was the distinct sound of a Turret shot. Did that scrub chase her all the way under tower!? With just 40% HP!? What a suicidal idiot! Retreat. Yuel implored. Its over. Nah, dude. Lars grinned. Dont worry, I got this! Just one Trickshot! After chasing his prey with just basics, Lars was gonna finish her off with a bouncing Trickshot. She wont it coming, yo! Lars experienced many chases like these, therefore he knew: his prey was gonna keep running away. With such low HP, anybodys top priority would be to get back to safety as fast as humanly possible. Therefore, he just had to aim his Trickshot to bounce a little ahead of Breakers current position. With that, he was gonna execute her... Wut? Breaker stopped in her tracks and turned around. She stood there, staring straight at Lars. Was this girl for real? Idiot, you fucked up! Jennifer grinned. Ah, this felt great! The moment that idiot stepped into the Turret''s area, she finally broke away from the chains holding her down. In this situation, she was no longer Combo Pyromancer, or Burst Pyromancer or Whatever Pyromancer. She was just a player who faced an overextending opponent under Turret. One of the most classic game scenarios, one she practiced a billion times by now! Theres no need to run anymore. She was gonna finish it right here and now! Dang it! I gotta hit her, yoooo! Lars already had his aim locked. His bouncing shot was planned to land ahead of Breakers position. But, he couldnt possibly miss this shot, no matter what! In the last moment, he stopped himself and redirected his gun. Theres no time to find another trajectory with a bounce, so he just fired! A straight Trickshot. Even without bounces, it was still strong and benefitted from Attention Grabber. It gotta be good enough, yo! Despite the split second alteration, the shot landed. It just barely grazed Breakers shoulder, but it was a hit. Except, its not enough! It only dropped her to 10%! Quick, Lars had to follow up with- Youre already dead! Jennifer roared as she fired basic attacks. The Turret already erased 30% of the Trickshooters HP, so a couple of basic attacks were going to finish him off for good! Crap! Lars exclaimed. That girl was sick! He intended to finish her off with basics, but her counter attacks came flying before he got the chance to react. You have been killed! Welp... Lars scratched his head and turned to Yuel, slowly. ......... Yuel stared with empty eyes. S-Say something. ................ I-I know you wanted me to retreat, but I almost had her! Im tellin ya! ......................... Geh! Okay, I fudged up! My bad! Lars held his head. I didn''t say anything, Yuel turned away. If you want my opinion then yes, it was a reckless, stupid and irresponsible play which killed some of our momentum. Thats what you wanted to hear? Geh... But, it wasnt a total waste. At least, it still converted into a kill. Huh? It did? An enemy has been killed! Breaker fell shortly, unable to escape from the scene. While he was rotating to Mid, Gilbert noticed the unfolding situation. He cut through the jungle to arrive on the lane behind the enemys Turret. This allowed him to intercept Breaker and finish her off from behind. Nice cover there, Yuel said. Yeah! Lars tuned in. Good job, dude. Thanks for cleaning up my mess, haha! No problem. You already did most of the work for me anyway. With that, Breaker died twice during the early game. As a combo player, being set behind twice should be fatal for her. Itd be interesting to see how she climbs out of this predicament, though, honestly, Yuel hoped she didnt have a way to do that. The only regrettable thing about this development was Larss death. The team gained an overwhelming momentum through Larss kills, yet much of it was lost now. Lars was just one player, but he was the Carry, the one responsible for pushing lanes. Without him, it was that much harder to capitalize on the enemys absence from lanes. And, to make things worse, Freezer soon returned to Mid, before Gilbert got a chance to destroy Mid Turret. So, despite paying for it with her life, Breaker successfully saved Mid, at least for now. Larss death totally wasted the great opportunity they had to destroy Mid Turret so early. Sigh. If this were a practice match, Lars wouldnt hear the end of it from Yuel. His play was reckless, thoughtless, amateur and all-around Bronze quality. Honestly, it was outright embarrassing for a competitive player. Yuel will have to beat that shame into Lars, to make sure this doesnt repeat again in an official match. But, this wasnt the time for that. The teams morale was finally restored, largely thanks to Larss earlier plays. No matter what, Yuel wanted to avoid injecting the team with any sort of negativity, especially since he was the captain. His words were going to carry immeasurable weight, so he couldnt utter anything carelessly. Besides, this was Larss debut and his first match of the day, so no reason to be overly harsh with him. Lars had always been a high-maintenance Carry who had a habit of playing too aggressively, so this was nothing new. All in all, Lars played his role as the momentum generator Yuel sought. So, it wasnt that bad to let Lars off the hook this once. But, only for now. Once they get back home, they were going to have a loooooooong review of Larss performance. Despite this small hiccup, StormBlitz was still in a great position. With every passing second, Yuel was more and more reassured they could win this round. Rather, they HAD to win this round. As the captain, he was going to make sure that comes to pass! Vol.3 Ch.14: Smashed Mental Image The Trickshooter committed a terrible mistake. He entered the Turrets range while chasing Jennifer down. From this position, Jennifer mounted a counter attack! You have killed an enemy! Things came down to the wire there, but she destroyed that scrub- You have been killed! Excuse what the? Jennifer watched how her Pyromancer collapsed. A gust of wind struck her from behind outta nowhere. The heck? Where did that Aero scum come from? He rotated from Top, Albert explained. He was actually spotted by one of the Wards... Huh, is that so. Jennifer shrugged and leaned back on her chair with a deep sigh. Your map awareness is shit like always. Alex jabbed. Shut up, bitch. Jennifer made a face. I was busy fighting, okay? Didnt have time to check the map. A real pro can see the map even while fighting. Also, a real pro also wouldnt forget he got a freaking blink ability in his kit and he definitely wouldnt misclick in crucial moments. Kh. Alex grimaced and turned away. Whatever. Jennifer stretched her arms. Im not a multitasking alien like these guys, so thats the best I could do there... or was it? She reflected back on how her flanking attack played out. In the beginning, she had all the advantage: more HP, all spells ready and a Turret nearby. Yet, she fucked up big time. What mistakes did she make? What could she improve for the next fight? These questions were never fun to face, but she got used to them by now. Tackling such armor-piercing questions after every defeat was what allowed her to better herself after every failure. Though, in the case of this flanking attack, its difficult to identify the main mistake she made. Depending on her decisions, many things could have turned out completely different. Maybe she shouldnt have flanked at all? Or, maybe she shouldn''t have rushed Spellbook of Doom? Or, maybe she shouldn''t have thirsted so much for a kill and retreated as soon as her combo fell through? Well, without her ganking Mid, the Trickshooter would have easily destroyed Mid Turret, which was a big no-no. Even though she died, Jennifer at least stalled the Trickshooter enough to save the Turret. Alex now returned to lane, so the Turret was going to live for a while longer. Therefore, rotating to Mid in itself wasnt a mistake. Then, what about rushing Spellbook of Doom? A difficult one. She started lagging behind on gold and exp after her first death, so it was going to take too long before she became a threat again if she followed her standard combo build. Rushing an Lv.3 Spellbook spiked her damage burst, at the cost of not getting other important stats and utility. It was a greedy approach, which demanded her to justify this rush with at least kill. But, as long as she wanted to keep playing Combo Pyromancer this match, that was her best bet. Thats what she concluded, as somebody who dedicated over three years of her life to the combo playstyle. In that case, her biggest mistake must have been the greedy attempt to finish off the Trickshooter right then and there. She rushed Spellbook of Doom, so she felt pressured to justify that by scoring a kill as soon as possible. There was a good opportunity to wreck that Trickshooter there, so she just went for it, disregarding that guy''s hax mechanical skill and batshit crazy aggressiveness. With all said and done, she had to hand it to that guy. He was a scrub, but not a weak scrub. He came close to almost possibly maybe posing her a little challenge. Hmph. No way that guy is a freshman, right? He must be at least junior. Shudder. If that guy was a freshman and still had two years ahead of him... Nah, no way. Anyway, that settled it. Her target was too tough of a cookie to pursue as greedily as she did. Instead of betting everything on one combo, Jennifer should have stayed under tower and stalled him until Alex returned to lane. But, there was a catch. Since she rushed Spellbook of Doom, she didnt have much cooldown reduction or raw power. She had to entirely rely on her combo if she wanted to dish out serious damage. Therefore, if she were to play defensively under tower, shed be a very ineffective defender. Sure, she might have stalled the Trickshooter like this, but she wouldnt have been able to completely draw him away. That annoying Aeromancer was already in the middle of rotating to Mid at the time, so eventually, Jennifer would have found herself in a 1v2 situation. Shed be forced to retreat, leaving the Turret undefended against two foes, one of which was a Carry who could destroy it in seconds. So, even though defending Mid Turret sounded like the play she should have gone for, it still would have ended up as a weak play. At least, as long as she insisted to rush Spellbook of Doom. If she opted for better early game items, shed have had a greater impact on lane. Shed be able to scare away, or maybe even kill, the Trickshooter via repeated spell attacks. But, thats where a huge conflict occurred. Because, as a combo player, she already decided rushing Spellbook was the right move, way before this whole situation happened. Back when she purchased Spellbook of Doom, she couldnt have possibly predicted that over half of her team would be wiped out in under a minute. At the time, rushing Spellbook wasnt a wrong move for her as a combo player... or was it? Geh, her brain hurt. Rushing Spellbook was a good move for her as a combo player, yet it also sounded like a mistake due to how her fight with the Trickshooter turned out. If she wanted the ability to defend Mid Turret, or even just play safely in her own lane, she should have opted for something more stable than an early Spellbook of Doom. But, she still rushed Spellbook, because she wanted to play combo. Then, what? This almost sounded as if the root of her mistake was that she... insisted to play combo. Agh, what a headache. Coachs words flashed through her mind. Youre a talented girl. He always told her that, right before dropping some bomb. But, focusing on combo is going to restrict you. In a vacuum, you got more than enough skill to be on the first string. But, in real competitions, as long as you stick to combo... Its unfortunate, but I dont think Ill ever be able to make you a starter Just you watch! Imma become the first combo player you ever put on the first string! She always answered naughtily like that, They went through many variations of this conversation before, but she always answered the same: I wanna play combo!. She was an exemplary pupil, following Coachs instructions and training regimes to a T. No matter how boring or repetitive they felt at times, she sucked it up. But, despite all that, her combo playstyle was the one thing she refused to compensate on. For her, playing Classmancers was about playing combo. When she first heard of Classmancers years ago, she wasnt interested. At the time, she enjoyed playing action games with fast kills, like shooter battle royales. Fights were all about split-second outplays. The first player to screw up was gonna get styled on. Shed rush her enemy and go for that sweet insta-kill shotgun headshot. You either go hard or you go home! Thats how real fights gotta be. Compared to that, Classmancers looked like a slow and boring game. Sure, it was kinda action-y and with its third-person perspective and all, but it suffered from the same illness like any other RTS MOBA. Namely, it was about players repeatedly bashing each other until somebody collapsed. Of course, some characters could destroy HP faster than others, but the fight just felt long and tedious overall. One day, boys in class were raving about a hype clip from Classmancers. It was short gameplay footage from a recent pro tournament, showcasing a fight between Maker and DimensionShift. According to the excited boys, Maker was universally accepted as the best Classmancers player in the world. He started off at 80% HP. a pretty safe position. On the other hand, his opponent, DimensionShift, had merely 10% HP and was in the middle of retreating. Shift is desperately trying to get away! The commentator hyped up the situation. We all know hes good at wiggling his way out of tight spots, but will that work against Maker!? The world champion is ruthless when it comes to chasing his prey, he wont let anybody get away- Oh! Whats this!? Shift turned around!? Is he planning to fight back!? Just as Shift was about to be caught, he suddenly turned around and blinked behind Maker! From this close range, he unleashed a lighting speed barrage of fire spells. Before Maker could react - he was reduced to dust! Unbelievable! Did you just see what happened here!? The commenter shouted into the mic. What an upset! The audience is going wild over here! Shift proves once again hes the uncontested god of combos! It doesnt even matter whos his opponent! Maker? Who was that scrub, right? Shift does what Shift does best - burst his opponent from full HP to nothing before you can even blink! C-Can you play that one more time? Jennifer asked the boy who was showing the clip to his friends. She shortly received a link to the clip, with the tile You wont believe this greatest upset in Classmancers history!. It sounded like a clickbait title, but Jennifer couldnt help but agree with every word. What she just witnessed was truly unbelievable. She played that scene over and over, trying to wrap her head around Shifts mind-blowing play. His opponent was considered the world champion and was almost at full HP. Yet, Shift fearlessly blinked toward his opponent and wrecked the guy in an instant. What was that stuff??? Its not like Shift was fed or anything. Jennifer knew this game had burst abilities but was there really something as powerful as that? It almost put shotgun headshots to shame! Thats when she learned about Classmancers combo playstyle, a niche build that worked on some burst mages. It was like burst damage, except it was a hundred times cooler! It dished out a shit ton of damage via a rapid and accurate sequence of inputs, kinda like combos in fighting games. A gimmicky and mechanically taxing playstyle, but it showed great results every once in a while in the pro scene. I wonder if I can do that too. Jennifers obsession with Classmancers was born that day. There were a bunch of boys in class playing the game, so she joined them. She was the laughing stock for a while since she had no idea how to play these weird strategy games. Nevertheless, she kept on trying, to see if she could someday recreate that amazing play DimensionShift made. Turned out combo was an insanely difficult playstyle to make practical and it was treated as a meme by most. But, she refused to give up. For her, playing Classmancers was about playing combo. When middle school started, she applied for the Classmancers club. Most boys her age who joined the club had a huge head start on her and she played the meme combo style on top of that. Obviously, nobody took her seriously even though she passed the entrance exam. Many joked how Jennifer only passed the exam because Coach played favorites for a girl. She wanted to bust these idiots skulls, but she didnt have the confidence to argue back. After all, she was really weaker than these guys; she was just a combo memer. The club became a toxic hell for her, even worse than the players she met online. She even considered dropping combo, or even quitting the club altogether. The training was dull and basic anyways, it didnt help her improve as a combo player at all. Give her a break, you meta slaves. One boy stood up to Jennifer among the freshmen. If she played by the meta like you, shed kick your asses to the moon. It was Alex. Back then, Alex was recognized as the most talented rookie. In term of skill, he was the goal Jennifer was striving toward and the player she wanted to surpass more than anybody else in the club. So, of course, the words of her rival had a huge impact on her. It wasnt a stretch to say she remained in the club only thanks to Alexs words from that day. Combo is a constraining off-meta style, Coach also gave it straight to her. But, if thats what you want to play, I wont stop you. The most important thing to understand is that you have to polish the basics before you even consider becoming a good combo player. You may be idolizing Shift for that one combo play he made, but you must understand that one combo play was built upon a solid foundation, which you currently dont have. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Am I really gonna improve my combo plays with all this boring irrelevant training? Jennifer made a face. Theres no such thing as irrelevant training in MOBA. Coach proclaimed. Just try taking the training more seriously for a month and youll see the results for yourself. With some lingering doubt, Jennifer complied with the request. Coach didnt quite approve of the combo playstyle, but at least he didnt bash her for it. That alone made him a good guy in her book. Thus, she started taking the dull training seriously for a change and even stayed extra hours in the clubroom. By the end of that month, she shot up from the bottom into becoming one of the top 3 rookies. Thats how effective Coachs training was. Since then, she got hooked on it and practiced harder than anybody, polishing her skills in every aspect of the game to ultimately strengthen her combo style. She sure got far, no denying that. She became the captain of the second string, and right now she was leading the team in an official match. Well, okay, its just a scrimmage. But still! Its huge progress compared to being rock bottom in her first year. Alas, after coming this far, for the first time she started feeling the hard limit of her combo style. Combo is a constraining off-meta style. Coachs words, which she ignored at first, came back to bite her this match. Fighting against that aggressive Trickshooter was the first time she felt like sticking to combo was a mistake. The only reason she beat him in the end was that he made a stupid mistake and because she only needed the basics to punish that overextension. Combo didnt deserve any credit there. She could have taken that scrub on any time if she played something more meta. But, she insisted to play combo and that led to her second death. Not cool. Can I change this build? Jennifer wondered as she examined her rushed combo build. It was only the beginning of the mid-game, so she still had time to make adjustments. Maybe she could sell Spellbook of Doom to buy a more reliable item. The game sense she developed throughout the years advised it was the best move. No, thats dumb. Im a combo player. She clenched her mouse. For her, playing Classmancers was about playing combo. No matter the odds, she was gonna make it work! This match was still far from over! She could still turn things around, with this combo playstyle that captivated her heart! Alas, despite her determination, she never quite recovered from her two early deaths. The Trickshooter kept rampaging and she didnt have the means to stop him. Landing a perfect combo on him was hella hard and trying to do so only left her clawless, turning her into a sitting duck. And, this problem extended beyond 1v1 situations. Even in team fights, the Trickshooter freely rampaged like a beast while Trickshow was active. He darted from side to side, dodging shots while dishing out insane damage. Whether he fired straight Trickshots or made them bounce first, it didnt matter. The shots always found their target. He was so free, he could play however he wanted. He could choose when to go aggressive all the way, when to prioritize dodging and when he needed a balance of both. Nothing restricted him. He could do whatever the heck he wanted and adapt on the fly. Compared to him, Jennifer was shackled by a playstyle with very specific requirements. She had no freedom to play around with, Her game plan was always about setting up the perfect conditions for combo-ing her opponent to death.. But, when its an opponent who repeatedly escaped her combos alive... An ally has been killed! ENEMY DOUBLE KILL ENEMY KILLING SPREE The deaths didnt stop. The killing didn''t stop. The rampage didnt stop. That damn Trickshooter started snowballing hard and nobody could put a stop to his bullshit. It was... impossible. Her combos werent good enough. No matter how hard she tried to shut down that Trickshooter, it never worked out. Sticking to her combo playstyle against such an opponent... it was a mistake. A huge one. It was stupid. But, too late to switch builds now. She had no choice but to keep playing with her limbs shackled, until the end of this frustrating round. On the bright side, stopping the Trickshooter wasnt only her responsibility. They were a team, everybody wanted to put an end to the beasts killing spree. In fact, they even had a certain player who excelled at punishing overly aggressive foes. But... He turned again?! Alex was taken aback by the Trickshooters sudden slide to the right. Knowing that cocky Trickshooter, Alex anticipated an aggressive play even in this 4v3 situation. Just as he expected, the Trickshooter charged forth against these odds. Alex was already in position to counter, but as he was about to act - the Trickshooter made an unexpected turn and messed everything! I just need to move my target a little to the right... Damn. Alex cursed as his Thunderstorm, his calculated trap, failed to land where he wanted. All he had to do was move the target location for Thunderstorm little to the right, so itd catch up with the Trickshooters new location. But, he accidentally cast the spell after being startled by the sudden development of this fight. What a stupid misclick. Great aim there! Jennifer sneered. 10/10! Would count on you again! Oh, shut up. Shit happens. Lemme guess, gonna blame it on misclicking again? I just released the button a bit too early, calm your tits. You better change your nickname to Misclicker. Fits you perfectly right now. Their back and forth was interrupted by Its time for a trick show! Everybody knew what followed after this sound cue. They were in for a treat. R-Ret... Jennifer mumbled and grit her teeth, then opened her mouth again. R-Retreat! Get the hell away from that Shooter! Wha? Huh? Really...? Her teammates looked at her like she was some alien. Their proud and confident captain who saw victory in every situation, no matter how dire. That same captain just issued a retreat, even though they were in a favorable 4v3 situation. You sure? Albert asked. This may be a chance to shut down their Shooter. Not happening, Jennifer shook her head. That chance died when this idiot here messed up his ult. She shot a glare at Alex. You dont see us winning this fight? Albert asked. ......... Jennifer just hung her head, unable to give a proper reply. Truth to be told, she couldn''t form a winning mental image for a while now. Ever since the Trickshooter killed her for the second time, her image of victory had been blurry, shroud in uncertainty. And, it only became hazier with every passing moment. Seems like we really better retreat, Albert concluded. Yeah, lets scram, guys. What a waste. Whatever. Alex shrugged but hurried to retreat like everybody else. They were like ants, scattering after their queen had been taken out. Everybody understood: when the ever-confident Jennifer couldnt draw a mental image of victory for the team, they were doomed for sure. Thus, even though it was a favorable 4v3 situation, the Leopards avoided battle and retreated. Thanks to that, casualties were avoided and the Trickshooter wasnt fed any further. But, at the same time, they threw away a rare opportunity to regain momentum. That only gave StormBlitz more confidence to push forward. Things cant go on like this. Jennifer bit her lip. Avoiding casualties was good and all, but thats not how games are won. Turtling will hold up only for so long. At some point, theyd have to turn the tables around and go on the offensive. Its just that right now wasnt the time for offense. But, when WILL it be the right time? When will she recover her mental image of victory? Was that even going to happen anytime during this match? An enemy defeated the Overlord! Fuck. Jennifer slammed the table. In the end, the Leopards never got to take the initiative. Well, its GG. Alex started a surrender vote and everybody threw their two cents on that. Again with this? Well... To be honest, I kinda... They turned to Jennifer. Regardless of how they felt about surrendering, she had the final say as the captain. Last time Alex suggested a surrender, Jennifer barked at him and shot it down on the spot. Surrendering was frowned upon, especially in competitive matches. However, this time, Jennifer didnt utter a word. She blankly stared at the surrender screen, as if it was some peculiar creature she was seeing for the first time. What we gonna do, cap? Albert asked. Just... do whatever you want. Jennifer hung her head. If you think we should surrender, then just vote. Really? Huh... This was unheard of for Jennifer. Nobody had any idea how to digest her words. She was the type who refused to surrender under any circumstances, no matter how dire things got. Yet, this very same proud captain had just given them the green light to throw the match. So, Alex said. What are you waiting for? The captain gave permission. Admit it, the game is over. Well, yeah... I guess... Heavy atmosphere weighted on their shoulders. Its clear they all wanted to vote and get this frustrating match over with, but that was just... YES: 3 NO: 0 What about you? Alex asked Albert. Need a special invitation? Who died and made you leader? Albert made a face, then threw a glance at Jennifer. Was this really fine with her? Voting for a surrender felt like betraying her. Do it. For her. Alex whispered to Albert. Huh? How exactly is that for her? Dont you see her face? Alex pointed at Jennifers exhausted expression. She also wants out of this match. Shes just too stubborn to admit it because shes the captain. Put her to rest already. Huh, didnt expect you to care about her, of all people, Albert said. Hmph. Alex shrugged and turned away. Who knows? Maybe Im just talking out of my ass to make you surrender. Nah, I know. I spent enough time with you in the club. Really? Even though I barely even visit anymore? You spent more time in the club than anybody else on your first year. Albert smiled and threw a glance at Jennifer. Except maybe for her. Yeah, chick is a workaholic alright. Alex smiled wryly. His first year, huh. Those were really some times. Back then, he thought he could make it into the first string as a freshman. He worked harder than anybody to secure that spot. But, the end result was disappointment. This defeated expression Jennifer was wearing right now was way too familiar to Alex. That feeling when your whole world comes down crashing on you, yet you try to deny it with everything youve got. Alex went through such a period at one time, fighting with the coach about getting into the first string. The more he did, the more stupid everything felt. In the end, he just quit everything. When he was still a freshman, there was one girl who worked just as hard as him. She played the obscure combo style, which Coach said had no chance of ever getting into the first string. Nevertheless, she stuck to the style she loved. And, to this day, shes pushing forward and shining brilliantly. Honestly, a part of Alex derived satisfaction from Jennifers defeated expression. It served that cocky bitch just right. Yet, at the same time, he couldnt stand watching it. She shouldnt become like him. Out of the two of them, she was the only living proof that hard-work paid off. Even after quitting everything, deep down Alex still wanted to believe his efforts during the first year werent in vain. Perhaps Jennifer didnt quite make it into the first string, but thats only because of her restrictive combo playstyle. Through hard work, she undeniably became one of the strongest players in the club. So, if Alex continued to work hard too, hed be a key player on the first string by now, just like Jennifer could had been without her combos. That was a nice mental image to carry around and he didnt want to see it tarnished. Therefore, he wished to liberate Jennifer from this suffocating match as soon as possible. YES: 4 NO: 0 Everybody voted in favor of surrendering, save for Jennifer. The team agreed to surrender. DEFEAT The match was over. So, its done. Jennifer sighed and dropped back on her chair. The message she saw on screen wasnt DEFEAT, it wasGOT STYLED ON BY SCRUBS. Thats how this whole match felt like. From start to end, she achieved very little. After dying twice in the early game, she barely had any presence throughout the rest of the game. She did score some kills, but she never managed to stop the real threat, the Trickshooter. On this discouraging note, the 4th battle of the scrimmage came to an end. StormBlitz somehow prevailed once again, bringing the score to 1-3 in their favor. The scrimmage was approaching its finale, yet Jennifer carried more doubts and anxiety than when she started. How were they going to turn things around in the next match? How will she lead the team to victory in the next game? She had no idea anymore. On the other team, the atmosphere was completely different. Yeah! We did it, yo! Lars jumped into the air like a missile. Good game, my dudes! Good game. We rekt these nubs, lol. They never really figured how to deal with my Beastmaster. That was fun. This merry atmosphere made the tension from the beginning of the game feel like a lie. Thanks to Lars generating an early momentum for the team, they now completely recovered from the negativity that haunted them since last game. By pushing Lars in the right direction, Yuel successfully recovered the teams morale. This was huge. It was Yuels debut as a team captain, with all the responsibility and expectations placed on this huge role. Yet, he prevailed! The team was nursed and they were now only one win away from scoring 4-1! Good job, everybody. Um... Yuel tensed up a little. What was he supposed to say? He was the captain, so he had to say something, right? Ugh, why did he even open his mouth? Now everybodys eyes were on him! Thinking back on it, did Trever use to say anything special after a game was over? Probably not. He just loudly celebrated the way Lars did. Maybe this was one of these cases when actions spoke louder than words. He had no idea what to say, so he decided to mimic Trevers gung-ho approach. Here went nothing! W-We did it, guys! Just one more game and we got 4 wins! Yuel pumped a fist. A shaky fist, just like his voice. Ugh, what was he doing!? This was embarrassing as heck! Lol, who is this gung-ho goof? Roi chuckled and the rest followed suit. Uuuuugh! We dont expect you to be some charismatic leader, Gilbert smiled and patted Yuels shoulder. Just keep doing what youve been doing. Thats more than plenty. Yeah, Dan tuned in. Just tone down the number of kamikaze missions you give me. I believe I only gave you about three so far, Yuel remarked. So, youre saying thats too little for the Great Kamikaze Master, heh. Dan smiled wryly. Too bad thats not your actual IGN, Yuel said. Youre really good at this. What a wasted opportunity for the perfect nickname. Oh shut up. Everybody laughed. Dan wasnt the only one who had to make some questionable and irregular plays throughout the day, all due to Yuels instructions. But, all these particular plays somehow converted into a victory in the end, so thats all that mattered. Suiciding on purpose against Breaker felt like crap no matter how many times Dan did it, but at least its pretty fun to watch how the consequences of this weird play rippled throughout the rest of the match. Only Yuel, the Chessmaster, could see that far ahead when he was issuing his unconventional orders. Theyre right, dude. Lars wrapped his arm around Yuels shoulder. Just keep doing yo usual stuff. Ya know, being a bossy commander, haha. Sure, Yuel rolled his eyes. You also keep being yourself. You know, a goof who invades towers without thinking and forgets to retreat on time. Retreat? Whats that? A new word? Lars grinned. Okay, one more game! We can do this together! Definitely. Yuel smiled. By properly leading this high maintenance goof, the team could overcome any obstacle. With Yuels tactics and Larss overwhelming strength, they were going to get that sweet 4-1! Vol.3 Ch.15: The Right to Stand on This Stage The fourth game between the Leopards and StormBlitz came to an end, setting the score to 1-3 in StormBlitzs favor. If this were a best-of-five match, the Leopards would had lost right here and now. They would have been thoroughly defeated by a pack of greenhorns. For a team of seniors, that fact was nothing short of a disgrace. Jennifer had no idea how to face her teammates. A deafening silence descended on the Leopards. Nobody uttered a word even though its break time. Actually, nobody even left their chairs. They all just sat there, replaying the events of the previous game in their heads. Jennifer blamed the teams defeat on her poor performance, but shes not the only one; everybody felt the same. Every member of the Leopards thought back on their mistakes, on what they could have done differently and how they could have brought the team closer to victory with better plays. Even Alex was in that crew, despite his attempts to wave everything off. He stared at his own hands in disbelief. Whose hands were those? Had he always been the type to make so many errors in a single match? Multiple times throughout the match, he knew exactly what had to be done amidst a difficult situation, but his fingers refused to cooperate. One time, he directed his Thunderclap blink in the wrong direction while hurrying to flee. Another time, he misplaced Thunderstorm when trying to hit the elusive Trickshooter. The errors piled up, to the point Alex couldnt excuse them anymore, not even to himself. Even if he called them misclicks, they occurred far too frequently for somebody who played for the Leaopards second string. Frankly, it was a disgraceful performance. This doom and gloom mood is a no-no. Jennifer pursed her lips and clenched her fists. I have to say something. She was the captain, it was her job to pull the team through such difficult times. Cmon, stand up! She commanded her legs, but she couldnt pump up any energy. What was she supposed to say to the team? Theyre as good as defeated and theres only one more match left. It was all fun and games calling StormBlitz scrubs at first, but somehow it ended with the Leopards having their asses handed to them by these scrubs. She had to admit, the enemy... Yeah, they were strong. Especially, that No-Fucks-Given-Trickshooter. What should have been an emergency substitution for the enemy turned out to be a huge blow for the Leopards. That damn Trickshooter... Gunz, he was a tough opponent. He was possibly the most mechanically skilled opponent she ever faced, save for Fenrir, the first strings captain. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Stop thinking about stupid crap and stand up already! She had to get up and act like her usual confident self, to pull the team forward. But, her body refused to cooperate. She just wanted to sit here like a scarecrow and mop. BAM! Gah! My ears! The stage thundered! Everybody felt like a bomb went off inside their eardrums. Ugh, so Coach came to talk after all... Jennifer gulped. This was terrible. She gonna get the scolding of her lifetime. The whole team will get lectured into another plane of existence. After all, they ended the match with a surrender. They gave up and quit, instead of fighting to the bitter end. They were supposed to be competitive players, and yet... Heads up, everybody. Rodriguez delivered another EAR-SHATTERING CLAP, powerful enough to wake up a person from a coma. You dont dwell on your defeats when you still have games to play. I believe I taught you that. Yeah... Jennifer mumbled and corrected her slumped posture. It was acceptable for others to act weak at times, but Jennifer had to retain her dignity regardless of the circumstances. After all, shes the captain. The others followed her example and raised their heads too. Everybody looked a little less dead now. Good, zombie apocalypse averted. The only exception was Alex, who looked depressed by the mere fact he was on this stage right now. Well, nothing new there. Thats better, Rodriguez nodded. Now, lets talk about how you played, shall we? What can I say? Jennifer forced a smile. I played like shit, haha... The sooner she admitted it, the better. But, Coach ignored her confession. First, theres the drafting phase, Rodriguez said. You pushed your Mid Laner pick to the very end, which enabled postponing the decision of whether to go for a mixup. Who came up with this? This guy over here, Jennifer pointed at Alex. What a shitty call. I knew we better go with mixup. It worked so damn well the game before. If it aint broken, dont fix it. Hmph. Alex scoffed and turned away. A ''shitty call? Not at all. Rodriguez shook his head. It was good thinking. This team only got a partial mixup, because some of you have been slacking on their mixup practices. He shot two glares, making the criminals shake like little bunnies. But, even with this handicap, what you did during drafting kept your opponent guessing until the very end, almost as if you had a full mixup available. Good job, Alex. Oh, Alex blinked. Thanks, I guess. This was rare. He was usually on the receiving end of criticism, not praise. The one beef I got with your drafting, Rodriguez continued. Was Jenny picking Pyromancer first. What was that about? Geh. Jennifer made a face. Yeah, that was hella dumb. She got triggered when the enemy banned Alexs Warlock and not her Pyromancer. Its like they thought Alex was more threatening than her! Whats with that!? Yeaaaah, looking back on it, its hella embarrassing. She deserved to be smacked for that shit. But, Coach just went on. Beside that, Rodriguez continued. The drafting went in your favor overall. You counter-picked their Aeromancer with Electromancer and made them pick Beastmaster. I believe picking Aero and Beast was their idea of countering Jenny in Mid, so having her play Carry instead definitely threw them for a loop. Considering the teams overwhelming defeat, Rodriguezs words were relatively soft. And, thats the entire point. Before dropping any bombs, he pointed out the brighter sides of their performance. Matches werent black and white, theres more to their outcome than just victory or defeat. The kids were defeated quite decisively, they even resorted to surrendering, but that didnt mean they hadnt made any good plays that match. Unfortunately, they were too hung up on their terrible defeat. Therefore, the first step was to make them realize they made some decent plays too. Only after that, theyd be willing to absorb Rodriguezs criticism. With all that said, you didn''t handle their Beastmaster right. Rodriguez continued. You deal with a Beastmaster with aggressive counter-jungling, I believe I taught you that. Yeah... I just didnt have any good opportunities... They all mumbled. To counter a Beastmaster, they had to periodically invade the Beastmasters side of the jungle and steal their camps. It was such common knowledge even casuals were familiar with it. Yet, the team failed spectacularly. To be fair, some of the blame lies with me, Rodriguez admitted. I didnt insist you practice many real matches against a Beastmaster. So, Ill cram that in your training schedule. Be ready to stay for even more after hours. Eeeeeh? Seriously? This sentiment was echoed by all members, save for one. Please do! Jennifer nodded. You see? Rodriguez smirked while pointing at Jennifer. Thats how you''re all supposed to embrace this happy news. Take an example from Jenny, boys. Hmph, Alex shrugged. Shes just sucking up, as usual. Or, Jennifer retorted. Maybe I really think we need more training. Thought about that- BAM! A loud explosion put an end to the bickering. Coachs booming claps were so cool, yet so terrifying too. Jennifer felt like shell lose her hearing if shes hit with another one of these bombs, so she fell silent right away. Enough is enough, Rodriguez said. Keep your quarrels for later. We got a strategy meeting to finish here. Yes, sir! Whatever. Now, where were we? Rodriguez continued. Right, your early game. You had some problems at the start. The new player they subbed in, Gunz. He sure has been giving you trouble from the moment he stepped on the lane. He even killed Jenny. Nah, thats... Jennifer twisted her lips. Hes nothing special. There were just some crappy calls on my end. My bad. Not quite true. Rodriguez shook his head. Gunz turned out to be very skilled and he plays abnormally aggressive, in a way many would consider suicidal. All of that was very unpredictable, so it wasnt a mistake on your end. You learned your lesson and played more safely afterwards, thats what matters. No need to beat yourself over it, at least not over your first death. You did make some mistakes later down the road, but Ill return to that later. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Okay. Jennifer wasnt entirely satisfied, but she nodded for now. On the other hand, Rodriguez continued. Theres definitely somebody here who should be ashamed of the first time they died to Gunz. Anybody wants to take a guess who that is? Everybody exchanged glances. Was it them? Or, the guy next to them? Oh boy, please dont let it be them! When Coach asked this kind of question, 9 out of 10 times it was going to be followed by harsh criticism. A bomb was about to be dropped and it was of the nuclear type. Jennifer was already excused from this suspicion, so she only looked at others. Rather, she looked at one specific player. No, she GLARED at him, as if drilling a hole through his skull. Yeah, yeah, Alex spoke up. Its me, isnt it? So, youre aware, Rodriguez nodded. Jenny is excused because she didnt know how aggressively Gunz plays. But, you already saw her die, so you had the information. Not to mention, you had Thunderclap to safely disengage. Whats your excuse? I... I misclicked. Can happen to anybody. Misclicked, huh. Thats one way to make the mistake sound innocent. Whats that supposed to mean? Alex frowned. Do you recall that 4v3 situation near the end? Rodriguez answered with a question. You didnt reach Gunz with your Thunderstorm, missing a great opportunity to turn the tables. Another misclick? Yeah, basically, Alex said. He surprised me by suddenly changing directions, so I didnt cast Thunderstorm in the best spot. But, you knew how you had to respond in that situation, right? And yet, you failed to act accordingly. I wonder, why? Just a misplay. Happens. Yes, happens. Happens quite often. Specifically to you, it seems. Again, why? Bad luck. Luck, huh. Rodriguez sighed. How about you face the facts for a change? What facts? That youve degenerated as a player. Youre playing even worse than back when you were a rookie. Guh! Alex trembled, barely holding himself from leaping off his chair. That nosy coach! He just had to go ahead and say that kind of crap! Admit it, you''re rusty. Rodriguez continued without budging. Remind me, when was the last time you played Electromancer? Kh, hell if I remember. Alex turned away. Probably a couple of weeks. Be more specific. When? I dunno, okay!? Alex barked. Its recorded in my match history. Why should I bother remembering that kind of thing? Yes, youre right. So, dig it up from that history. Eh? Alex turned pale. What, now? Yes, go right ahead. Ill wait. Ah, uh... Alexs lips trembled. He had a bad feeling about this. A VERY bad feeling. G-Got it. Ill search it up. Good. Rodriguez nodded. Meanwhile, Jenny, He turned to the captain. Lets discuss your real faults in that match, shall we? Geh, already my turn? Jennifer made a face. So much for returning later" to her. That later came after like five seconds! Dang it. Well then, Rodriguez said. Youre a dummy, but youre a smart girl. How does that even work? So, lets hear it. What do you think were your biggest mess ups this match? Um, well. One idea was at the tip of her tongue, but she refused to share it. She felt like a part of her would be destroyed if she were to say it out loud. I... I played too defensively, I guess? Not a bad observation, Rodriguez nodded. During the mid game you were lagging behind, so you did well to play defense. However, you never converted your defense plays into offense. I believe I taught you turtling can only get you into late game, not win it. Yeah... Jennifer nodded, along with everybody else Rodriguez addressed with his eyes. Jennifer wasnt the only one who tensed up in that match and overcompensated for dying with extreme turtling. Frankly, Rodriguez said. I was surprised. You always fight to the bitter end, no matter how bad things get. What happened to your mental image? I... It got foggy halfway through, Jennifer lowered her head. I couldnt see us winning anymore. Interesting. And why is that? I guess... Well, that Gunz dude was kinda strong, He started to snowball, so I couldnt see us stopping him anymore. Thats nonsense and you know it. Youre the type whod seriously believe she can beat an Lv.20 with a full build as a naked Lv.1. Gunz was definitely strong and snowballed, but you faced tougher situations. So, what really threw you out of your rhythm? I... Jennifer averted her eyes. Err, guess I was salty I lost to a scrub who may be a rookie. Thats what you want to keep telling yourself? I believe I taught you to honest during match analysis, for your own sake. Dodging around your worries will only stifle your growth as a player. Yeah, Jennifer raised her head. The truth is, I felt like insisting to play combo against Gunz was... a mistake. She did it. She finally breathed these accursed words. Her insides twisted with every word, with every letter, uttered. Go on, Rodriguez urged. Why did you think so? Well, I fell behind after dying the first time, right? So, to stay relevant as a combo player, I rushed Spellbook. That was kinda risky and didnt pay off like I hoped. I mean, I had a feeling itd be hard to fight that crazy Shooter with combo, but... You still went for it. Yeaaah, haha... Jennifer scratched her forehead. Why didnt you build a standard DPS Pyromancer? Um, well... Im sure you thought thats the ''correct move, right? Thats... A part of her agreed, but another part of her threw a fit. Jennifer? Give up on playing combo? No way, she could never possibly do that. But... Here, I found it. Alex announced loudly, interrupting the ongoing interrogation. He couldnt stand listening to this any longer for some reason. But, now the attention switched to him. Great, now hell be on the receiving end of Coachs criticism. Why did he speak up again? Sigh. Lets hear it, Rodriguez said. When was the last time you play Electro? It was... A chill ran down Alexs spine. Almost four months ago. He was tempted to make it one month or at worst two months, but he felt like lying wouldnt do him any favors here. Hmm, four months. Rodriguez stopped pressuring Jennifer for now and shifted all his focus to Alex. So, four months without playing one of your main classes and almost two years without properly attending practice. And, you still honestly think youre a good player? Well, Im here, right? Alex argued. Im on the second string and playing in an official scrimmage. Im even the vice-captain, in case you forgot. Thats gotta worth something. Youre only here because I put you here. Huh? Youre here to receiving a beating, so you finally realize how pathetic of a player youve become. Eh? Huh? Alex froze. The floor underneath him trembled as if about to collapse and swallow him whole. The Alex I welcomed into the club was a hardworking boy who seriously wanted to be a competitive player. He wasnt the type to ditch practice, make excuses and drag down his whole team. Stop... He didnt sweep his mistakes under the rug. He always learned from them and improved.. Stop. And, he definitely wasnt the type to hide behind excuses like ''misclicking. If he wasnt in top shape, hed admit so and try to remedy that. STOP!!! Alex slammed on the table. His gritted teeth barely held him from shouting. Who the fuck that coach thought he was!? Who gave him the right to say all this trash!? Just so you know, Rodriguez continued as if nothing happened. I received a lot of backlash for putting you on the second string. What backlash? Alex frowned. Many voiced their objections to this decision. After all, how could I pick somebody whos effectively a ghost member? But, nobody said anything... Alex mumbled. The only one who ever expressed her dissatisfaction was Jennifer, so he assumed everybody else was fine with this. Theyre good kids, they didn''t want to pick a fight. But, they voiced their objections to me clear as day. So, even on this team, everybody probably thinks... Alex felt a rift forming between himself the rest. All this time, he thought everybody here saw him as an equal. But, did they actually all want to kick him out? What the... Of course, theres Jennifer who hated his guts and probably dreamed about murdering him in his sleep. But, the others too? Alex didnt make it into the first string, so he thought at least being in the second string was some sort of achievement. But... With all said and done, Rodriguez continued. Many of them still remember you as the golden rookie you were two years ago. They all know youre just a shell of your former self now, but they decided to not say anything in front of you. So, thats how it is. Alex hung his head. His arms went limp, like those of a puppet whose strings were cut. From being the strongest rookie, he fell all the way down here, even lower than the level of the second string. He was a nobody. Hes just some random kid, who pretended he played competitively because he was in a club. Deep down, he had been aware of this for a long time. When was the last time he played Electromancer? Wrong question. More like: When was the last time he played anything other than Warlock? Or a mode other than Casual? Only playing Ranked wasnt exactly the best practice for competitive players, but its still useful for staying in shape. Its the least he could have done as somebody who didnt show up for practice, yet he didnt even bother doing that. His eyes naturally gravitated toward Jennifer. She was like the other side of the coin, the struggling rookie who climbed her way to the top, despite playing her meme tier combo. During the first year, they walked side by side as fellow rookies who trained harder than anybody- no, not really side by side. Alex was way ahead and Jennifer chased his back with everything she had. He was the golden rookie and she was the memer newbie. But, before he realized, everything flipped on its head. Now, he was the one left behind, chasing her back. No, he didnt even chase. He just let her walk ahead without giving a damn. Her back had long since vanished from his sight. Despite playing with a huge handicap that was combo and despite being repeatedly told shed never make it into the first string like that - she never gave up. And, her hard work paid off. She came this far. If only Alex also had that level of determination, who knew where hed be by now. Captain of the first string? Or, at least the vice-captain? Definitely possible. Still, even Jennifer couldnt escape criticism after the recent match. Coach made it clear he was going to criticize her build choice and her decision to stick with combo. Stop. Dont tarnish it. Its not like Alex cared about her. That loud and bad-tempered girl could go fuck herself for all he cared. But, she was a hard worker, just like Alex a long time ago. After so much sweat and blood, she had to succeed. He wanted her to succeed. Its Alex who was the villain here. Its him who gave up on everything and became a ghost member. Hes the one who stopped trying and dragged the team down. Everything should just be pinned on him. Heh. Haha. He produced dry laughter. I see how it is now. Youre right. Youre all absolutely right. He looked at each of his teammates in order. Theres no doubt at least some of them condemned him and they had every right to do so. Ive been dragging the team down this whole time, I see that now. Alex wore a self-scorning smile. Our previous losses and this one - theyre all my fault. He stared intently at the coach. Its all my fault. I should be the only one criticized here. Hoh, Rodriguez paused at this unexpected outburst. So, youre saying you should be held accountable for everything? How admirable. Yeah, its all me. All me. Just me. Heh. Alex chuckled and threw a glance at Jennifer. Heh, her stoned expression was priceless. But, he wasnt doing this shock her. He only wanted to convey a message: Dont turn out like me. Thats all he was asking for. Ill just leave, Alex hung his head, a broken smile still plastered on his face. Im sure anybody can replace me. Indeed, Rodriguez said matter-of-factly. There are plenty substitutes waiting for a chance to get on stage. Right. Alex walked down the stage, avoiding eye contact with everybody else. He wasnt somebody who deserved to stand on this stage, the realization finally sunk in. Only players who worked hard for the past three years had a right to be here, and he wasnt one of them. Rodriguez found himself dumbstruck by this development, but not because it was completely unexpected. Its the development he wished for, but not the one he truly believed would come to pass. Alex coming to terms with his mistakes, embracing his flaws and admitting he had no right to be here - its impossible to ask for a better outcome. Thanks to that, the kid will now be able to move forward. But, this meeting wasnt over yet. After all, there was another kid here who had to face her flaws. Now. that one problem kid was dealt with, Rodriguez could focus on Jennifer. Vol.3 Ch.16: Failures, Regrets and Hope Everybody silently watched Alex leave the stage, without turning his head even once. From start to end, nobody uttered a single word. Theres nothing to say here. This is good. Rodriguez nodded to himself. Good? Jennifer raised an eyebrow. Sure, that lazy bum deserved some scolding, but wasn''t this too much? She never saw Alex react so strongly about anything before. It kinda freaked her out, honestly. He even tried shouldering all the blame, despite being a master of excuses. She had no idea how to digest this. Now, Rodriguez turned to Jennifer as if what just happened was already history. One player already came to terms with his faults. What about you? I... Jennifers lips trembled. She couldnt bring herself to lay her feelings bare, but she had to. Because even Alex, of all people, managed to admit he was a trash quitter. Jennifer wont run away either. I probably shouldnt have rushed Spellbook, Jennifer said with downcast eyes. After falling behind, I should''ve built something more stable against an aggressive scrub like Gunz. And why you didnt do that? Because... Jennifer gritted her teeth, chewed her lips and finally opened her mouth. I wanted to play combo. Im a combo player. Even at the expense of losing the game? No, thats... I mean... She hung her head. No, thats wrong! She didnt... But, she actually kinda did... GAH, her brain hurt! Good girl. Rodriguez patted her head. Eh? What? Admitting that combo held you back is a huge step forward. Rodriguez nodded with a kind smile. Normally, Jennifer would dismiss this kind of topic in five seconds, without even sparing a fraction of thought on it. No matter how many obstacles she had to swim through while playing combo, she never admitted that sticking with combo was a big mistake at times. Today was a first. I know youre fed up with this lecture by now, Rodriguez said. But, you need to stop chasing that false ideal you created in your head. That famous video of DimensionShift beating Maker with a combo is sure amazing, but it made you miss the whole point. Before being a renowned combo player, Shift is firstmost a strong pro player. That one amazing combo play in the video was build upon solid foundation, it didnt happen in the spur of the moment like you seem to think. I know it wasnt a fluke, Jennifer said with sparkling eyes. Shift can pull off that kinda play any day! Hes awesome like that! Thats not the point, Rodriguez sighed. The point is, Shift decided it was appropriate for him to play combo that match only after he analyzed the development of the match to that point. Thats why I told you to also watch matches in which he doesnt play combo. Did you watch them? A little... Jennifer shifted her eyes away. Honestly, she couldnt bear watching them for more than a few minutes. For her, Shift was the best combo player in the world. Watching him play something other than combo was like watching how the best pitcher in the world played as an outfielder. Sure, it could be fun to watch too, but it ruined Shifts cool image. If you tried to analyze them, youd realize hes not using combo every game. In fact, Id be surprised if he uses combo more than half his games. Geh... I know you dont like hearing it, but its the truth. As I said, hes a pro player before hes a combo player. His job is to win. He knows when to give up on combo to secure victory. Grrr... If Shift were in your shoes last game, he wouldnt hesitate to give up on combo. Hed go for a slower and more stable build instead of rushing Spellbook. I get it already. Jennifer grumped. Theres no denying it, Coach was right. If she truly wanted to play combo on the highest level, she had to learn when to give up on it for the sake of victory. It sounded dumb, but thats the circumstances combo players had to face in the current meta. Combo buffs when!? It was a painful reality to accept since for her playing Classmancers was all about playing combo. Still, little by little, she started coming to terms with it. Even a legendary pro player like Shift, renowned as the best combo player in the world, couldnt afford to play combo every match. So, playing combo 100% of the time was clearly wishful thinking. As long as you understand, Rodriguez nodded. Im not going to force you to play either way, its your choice to make. In the end, Im just a coach. Its you whos playing the actual game. You have to decide whats right for you. I made you practice the standard playstyle too, so Im sure you can play at least half-decently without combo. I can play SUPAH decently with any build! Jennifer pouted. Coach drilled AAAAAALL the stuff into her, included how to build and play meta classes as Carry and Mid. She rarely ever used these builds outside practice, but she definitely knew how to. Compared to playing combo, the standard playstyle was like the easiest shit in the world. Decently, huh. Rodriguez sneered. I hope you give it a try next match. You may be surprised. Huh? Surprised by what? Youll see, He smiled meaningfully. Very well, that about wraps up the important points. Now, just a couple more pointers for the rest of you. Lets start with Albert. Yes? Albert stiffened. Something was coming. Gulp. First, Ill say you played well overall. No complaints about your performance. T-Thank you. Albert forced a smile. Gulp, gulp and double gulp. Coach was starting with praise? A meteor of criticism was about to drop on Albert. With that said, Rodriguez continued. Youre technically the shot-caller. I know I divided the responsibility between you, Jenny and Alex, but Im sure everybody sees you as the main shot-caller. He scanned the rest of the kids and they nodded in response. Yep, Albert makes the best calls. Mhm, no question about it. Oi, dont agree so casually. Albert frowned. Thanks for the extra pressure, guys. As I previously noted, Rodriguez continued. Youve been turtling too much last game. There were multiple times when you could have gone on the offensive, but you retreated. Why? This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Um, well, I actually... Err... Albert shifted his eyes from side to side until they laid on Jennifer. In truth, he wanted to take the initiative on multiple occasions, but he couldnt. He wasnt allowed to, because Jennifer made a different call. Okay, okay, Jennifer pouted. Jeez, no need to look at me like that. Yes, I chickened out, I admit. She already admitted that playing combo was a mistake, so at this point, she was willing to admit anything. It was all me. Sorry, Coach. I didnt feel like we could win any of these team fights, so I said we should retreat. My bad. I see, Rodriguez nodded in understanding. However, that doesnt clear Albert from responsibility. I divided the shot-calling role among you to ensure nobody monopolizes the control. If one of you makes a poor call, the others are supposed to object. Isnt that right? Y-Yeah... Albert cast his eyes downwards, avoiding Coachs piercing gaze. Tell me, did you agree with Jennys call for a retreat every time? Not exactly... Yet, the team ended up retreating every single time. I thought everybody agreed youre the main shot-caller here? Why they didnt listen to you? Well... Albert didnt know how to retort. Perhaps he was seen as the main shot-caller, but Jennifer was the captain. Compared to her, Albert was practically a nobody. Hes just one of many semi-decent bench players in this huge club. You didnt oppose her, right? Well, I did say the 4v3 situation looked like a good chance to attack, but... You gave in to her. I... I guess. I mean, shes the captain. Thats an excuse, Rodriguez shook his head. In the end, you didnt trust your own judgment. Jenny is the captain just because shes loud, thats about it. Hey! Hey! Jennifer waved angry fists. I joke, of course, Rodriguez snickered. But, my point is: she didnt become the captain for her shot-calling skills. She can make a decent call once in a blue moon, but its clearly not her strong suit. Grrr, is it just me just me or Coach is bullying me more than usual today? Jennifer hissed. Its all for your own good. Oh yeah, Im sure! She puffed her cheeks. Anyway, Rodriguez turned to Albert. No need to be scared of Jenny. Have more confidence. If you think shes wrong, say it to her face. She wouldnt get the hint otherwise. I understand. Albert nodded. Easier said than done, but hell give it his best shot. In this fashion, Rodriguez addressed every player in order. His criticism was brief but sharp. It struck every player in their most sensitive spot, forcing them to confront their greatest blunders. Theres more Id like to say, Rodriguez concluded. But, I need to pay a visit to the first string too. Did they blow it? Jennifer asked. I havent seen the result yet, but most likely. Rodriguez nodded as he walked toward the exit. Jenny, go pick somebody from the reserves to sub for Alex. You can take whoever you deem fit, I trust your judgment. Ask for Alberts opinion if youre not sure. Roger. One last thing: make sure you ban their Trickshooter. I doubt Gunz can play every class on such a high level. Of course, no question about it. That fucking Trickshooter is getting his ass banned for sure! Language, young woman. Yeah, yeah. Jennifer waved her hand. Her former vigor gradually returned. Thats good because being energetic and positive was her main redeeming point. Without that, this girl simply wouldnt be Jennifer. Good luck in your next match. Rodriguez left the stage on that note, leaving the kids to their own devices. Theyll surely put on a good performance in their final game. And if they stumble again, thats alright too. After all, this was just a scrimmage, not a tournament match. They were here to learn and gain experience, not just to win. Losing todays scrimmage may cost the Leopards the chance to be seeded high in the tournament, but thats not a deal breaker. If the kids get to learn something new and improve for the future, thats a fine trade. In that regard, Rodriguez was thankful to StormBlitz. Both their first and second strings were strong and engaging. Fighting against them provided his kids with an abundance of experience. On his way across the hallway, Rodriguez spotted a familiar face. Alex was just standing there, staring at a wall with a soft drink in hand. You really put me on the spot with your stunt, Rodriguez admitted. It was hard for me to be too harsh on Jenny after you quit like that. Was that your goal? Who knows, Alex shrugged and took a slow sip from his drink, without even turning to face Rodriguez. Dont get the wrong idea, though That idiot can go die in a hole for all I care- agh! CHOP! Dont talk like that, especially when you dont mean it. Tch, whatever. Alex rubbed the aching spot on his head. Some coach you are. Is it fun beating your players? You literally put me on the second string to fuck with me, you twisted bastard. First, language. Second, twisted bastard? Thats some respect you show your coach. Whatever. I dont expect to stay in the club anyway after all this crap. Im not kicking you out, if thats what you think. Eh? You want to keep me? Alex shuddered. With everything that just happened on stage, he was sure his middle school Classmancers career was over. Yet, he was allowed to stay? Why? Didnt you put me through all that shit to make me quit on my own? If I wanted, I would have kicked you out a long time ago, Rodriguez said matter-of-factly. You can call me twisted bastard or any other names you wish, but I want you to understand I didnt intend to bully you. Then what? What was the point of that whole gig? I simply wanted you to realize how low youve fallen, Rodriguez explained. I knew youll stumble once Warlock is banned, and I and hoped thatll make you question yourself. Wait, you knew Ill perform poorly without Warlock? You make it sound as if... I do have access to your match history, after all, Rodriguez smirked. You sly bastard, Alex clenched the drink in his hand, almost making it spill out. You knew all along, but you made me dig up the data anyway for the show. Its to make sure you confront the facts by yourself. Its one thing to be told by somebody else, and another to uncover the truth on your own. Either way, the goal wasnt to make you quit. On the contrary, its to make you take the game seriously again. Ah. Alex paused. So basically, it was a wake-up slap. Or rather, a freaking punch. This sly coach went as far as putting Alex on the second string, endangering the whole teams chances of winning, just to punch Alex straight in the brain. This stunt might cost the Leopards some seeding points, which will hurt their chances to win the regionals this year. Didnt Coach care about winning the regionals more than anything? After all, its the guy who came up with the weird mixup strategy for that sole purpose. So, what gives? All this effort and risk, for what? Just to mentally slap Alex across the face? Thats so dumb. What did Coach want from him? What did he expect? Keeping me in the club after all this shit, Alex muttered. Its like youre saying I still have a chance to get anywhere. Yes, you do, Rodriguez nodded. Youre a talented boy. Already in your first year, you were very close to the level of the first string. But, I didnt make it. Indeed, because I have a policy of forming the first string from seniors, Rodriguez said. Unless the kid was a godly prodigy who stood above the rest, theres no chance Rodriguez would pick them for the first string before their last year. There were many reasons for that approach. One of the goals was to make the younger players hunger for the first string, motivating them to train harder. After all, its not like getting on the first string as a junior was entirely impossible. The current captain of first string was one such rare example, a truly genius kid. All in all, this motivator worked well for most kids. However, it backfired in Alexs case. In hindsight, maybe Rodriguez should have strayed from his policy this once and put Alex on the first string as a freshman. Unfortunately, he couldnt predict these consequences at the time. He still had a lot to learn as a coach. This is your last year, Rodriguez said. You can still make it into the first string if youre good enough. You may be rusty, but your sharp instincts are still there. If you can polish yourself in time for the regionals, who knows whatll happen. Are you really going forgive me...? Alex hung his head. The drink can in his hand trembled as he tried to take a sip. Even after all the shit Ive been pulling the last two years, youd still let me into the first string? If you prove youre putting effort and show results, I have no reason to refuse you. Everybody makes mistakes, especially kids. Theres no reason to condemn you for it. T-Thank you v-very much. Sobs mixed into Alexs words. Good luck, Rodriguez patted Alexs shoulder and continued further down the hallway. Im expecting great things for you. On that note, he left. Both Alex and Jennifer received heavy blows after this match. Good. That should serve as a wakeup call for them. Each of them had to be broken down so they can rebuild themselves from scratch, stronger than ever. Once they do that... Hmhm, who knows how strong theyll become. Vol.3 Ch.17: Everybodys Alternatives You did it, huh. Howard nodded in satisfaction after hearing Yuels report. You got Trever to step down and led your team to victory. You even became the new captain, congratulations. Thanks. Somehow, being praised so openly by Howard felt weird. Still, its all true. Yuel truly achieved great results, despite all the drama that happened in the team. Just half an hour ago, Yuel was shaking in his boots from the mere idea of confronting Trever. In the end, he not only overcame that hurdle but also achieved victory. With Larss help, of course. This definitely warranted a celebration. Yuel took a sip from his Coca-Cola can, no longer feeling guilty about not paying for it. I see everybody is celebrating with Coke, Howard chuckled at the sight. Every member of the second string was holding a can in their hand. Should we name your team CokeBlitz? That just sounds wrong. On many levels. I know, right? Haha. Was it your idea to buy Coke for everybody? No, thats... Um, a fairy delivered them. Yuel smiled wryly. When they finished the match and returned to the waiting room, five cans were waiting for them. Trever promised to treat them if they win, so he must have watched the match from somewhere. This was probably Trevers way of making up for the troubles caused. He really didnt have to, but it brought smiles on everybodys faces. They all sat around the room, chatting away while drinking. It did wonders to the teams spirits. Even though Trever wasnt here, he was still supporting the team from behind. In the end, Yuel was just a stand-in. Trever was much better suited to be the captain. Anyway, you really did well. Howard sang even more praises. Its amazing. Howard had never praised Yuel like this before. He always either scolded or belittled Yuel and rarely ever appreciated. This was huge progress! Im really impressed. Howard didnt stop. Okay, at this point the amount of praising started sounding downright uncanny. So, Im trusting you to win the last game as well. Howards eyes turned sharp, like a knife pressed against Yuels throat. O-Of course! Yuel responded by instinct. After receiving so much praise, he had to live up to the expectations placed on him... Wait, was that maybe Howards goal all along? Did Yuel just beautifully walk into Howards trap? Gah! N-No! Yuel didnt care about any of that praise! Not even one bit! Really! Goddammit... How did your game go? Yuel asked, trying to deflect attention from himself. We won, but it was a close one. They adapted to us really well, which is why, Howard placed a hand on Yuels shoulder and squeezed it. You must win the next game, no matter what. G-Got it. Yuel stepped back to escape the grab. Ugh, it hurt a little. I have high hopes for you These were Howards last words before leaving. Hed say anything to motivate his chess pieces. Yuel grumped. Just you wait. Ill make you praise my skill for real next time. Howards lip service wasnt appreciated, but its understandable. The first string was in a tight spot, hanging at a 2-2. One more defeat and StormBlitz will lose the entire scrimmage unless Yuels team prevails once again and finishes with a 4-1. Thatll guarantee StormBlitzs victory today, regardless of how the first string match plays out. After getting buttered up so much by Howard, Yuel secretly hoped the first string will blow their next match. Thatll turn the second strings 4-1 into todays savior. Thatll show Howard! But first, we have to actually win. Yuel switched gears. It was too early to indulge himself in rebellious banter. He still had an important game ahead of him. A game he had to win at any cost. His team took the last game quite convincingly, but thats because the enemy didnt expect Lars to be this strong. They allowed Lars to pick Trickshooter and to gain early momentum, that was their undoing. Lars was unstoppable once he started rolling. But, the Leopards surely learned from their mistakes. Theyll find a way to adapt. The next game wont be nearly as easy. First, theyll most certainly ban Trickshooter. After that overwhelming performance, anybody could tell its Larss strongest class. Its the only class with which he had a positive win ratio against Trever in 1v1. However, that didnt mean Lars couldnt play other classes. He liked insta-locking Trickshooter, but Yuel made sure to stop him every once in a while so he picks something else. Yuel also closely monitored the classes Lars picked during practice, to make sure the distribution wasnt 99% Trickshooter and 1% everything else. Thanks to that, Lars didn''t become a one-trick pony. Trickshooter was still his main and strongest class, but he could play many other Carry classes too. So, unlike Freezer, Lars wont fall apart just because his main class is banned. Probably. Itll be fine. That goof will do fine. Yuel repeated like a mantra while walking upstage. The fifth and final game was about to commence. Leopards switch a player. The umpire announced. Freezer is replaced by Onions. Not surprised. This only further supported Yuels theory. Freezer could probably only play Warlock on a competitive level. And, even then he had some glaring issues. On paper, Freezer seemed like an experienced player with superb decision-making skills. But, something was amiss. Most likely, Freezer was rusty with other classes due to lack of practice. Thats what happens when you only main one class all day, Yuel addressed Lars. Youll be kicked out as soon as your main is banned. Yeah, I get it, I get it Lars nodded. You only told me that like a billion times. Don''t worry, I practiced all the good classes. Pick any Carry you want and Imma show you da stuff, yo! Elf. Geeeeh! I mean, not like I cant, but... Really, dude? Yes. Theyre going to be on guard against you and Elf is great for these scenarios. But, I havent decided for sure yet. It depends on whether they ban Trickshooter during the first- The enemy team banned Trickshooter. Welp, Lars sighed. Guess Elf it is. Youre a freakin prophet dude, I swear. I just got something called basic drafting knowledge. Whats that skill? Never spent any SP on it, haha. Lars tried to laugh his disappointment away. Meh, just pick whatever you think is best. Imma blow these guys out of the water no matter what I play. Mr. Confidence, as always. Yuel sighed. As much as he wanted to take a jab at Larss attitude, he couldnt. Lars delivered results, regardless of matchup and circumstances. That always gave him the excuse to not participate in the drafting process. No matter what class he ended up with, nine times out of ten he prevailed through brute strength. Everybody else could draft. Gilbert was good enough to be the teams drafter, Dan was decent and Roi could at least draft a good matchup for his own lane. But Lars? Put him in charge of drafting and hell mash random buttons. Was it mandatory for Lars to know drafting? Well, not necessarily. This was a team game, so as long as others could handle the drafting - Lars didnt need to lift a finger. At least, thats how Yuel justified being lax with Lars on the matter. Honestly, its such a pain to teach that goof anything outside matches. Things which Lars couldnt directly experience on his flesh through gameplay simply refused to register in his bird-brain. Sigh. How do you feel about fighting their Pyro? Yuel asked. Shes sick, yo! That insta-kill combo is da stuff! Thats not what Im asking. Yuel shook his head. Think you can handle her? Remember. you wont be playing Shooter this time. If you think shes too much, we can ban her. No problem! Lars flashed his teeth. Elf, Pirate or even Archer - doesnt matter! Imma beat her for sure! Some confidence for somebody who cant beat Trever. Yuel rubbed his temples. If he got one cent every time Lars spouted such overconfident nonsense, hed be a millionaire by now. It was no use. Mr. Confidence thought he could take on the whole world, so Yuel had to make the call himself. The first two bans were pretty much decided. The first was Shadow Walker because its Shadow Walker. The second was Cryomancer because SkyNight played it extremely well. That left only one more ban for this banning phase. Theres no point banning Warlock anymore, since Freezer was switched out. And, there werent any other bans which seemed mandatory. So, maybe its a good idea to ban Pyromancer here? After all, they had to win this round, no matter what. They were going to win here and make sure StormBlitz wins the scrimmage, no matter how first string fares. Thats what Yuel promised. Until now, Yuel had always kept Pyromancer in play. However, thats only because there were reasons to believe theyd successfully deal with Breakers combos. Right now, he wasnt so sure. Because of Freezers sub, Pyromancer became a wildcard. Theres no telling whether the new player was going to play Mid or something else. Therefore, theres no telling whether Breaker will play Mid or Carry. She exhibited mastery in both roles, so either was a legit option. If she plays Mid, shell face Gilbert again. Thats an unfavorable matchup, as proven by the devastating results of the third game. Yet again, theyll have to devise some elaborate plan against this arrangement, such as picking Aeromancer + Beastmaster. Last time, that almost backfired. They were only saved because Freezer was a rusty Electromancer and because the enemy didnt properly shut down Dans Beastmaster. Its no good to rely on such luck again. On the other hand, if Breaker plays Carry, Lars will have to handle her. Unlike Trever, Lars had many holes in his defense. Against the absurd burst of combo, even a tiny misplay in defense was going to be fatal. Without Trickshooter, could Lars fight Breaker without getting eliminated in an instant? Ugh, its such a sticky situation. No matter where Breaker plays, shell be a tough opponent to deal with. Youre running out of time. Gilbert pointed out. Oh, right. Yuel returned to earth. The clock showed 5 seconds. He had to make the second ban, so he banned Cryomancer. Whats wrong, dude? Lars craned his head toward Yuel. You look beat. Fried your brain? Haha. Maybe Im a bit tired. Yuel exhaled and dropped backward on his chair. Thinking of it, he had been making shot calls for four games in a row now and this was the fifth. Every game was also stressful too. The Leopards never gave him a breather. And, then there were other responsibilities weighing on his shoulders: being the captain and being repeatedly told to win 4-1. Oh, and in case people forgot, he was also the Support. No, no pressure at all. Easy. You look troubled, Gilbert said I just cant make up my mind about the last ban. You dont have to make that decision alone, you know. Gilbert crossed his arms. Im still technically the vice-captain, in case you forgot. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Yeah, Roi added. Speak to us if you got problems, man. Oh, right. I suppose I can borrow their help. Yuel contemplated for a moment. Its true he was responsible for drafting, but they were a team. Just the way Lars was exempt from drafting because somebody else could handle the job, Yuel could also share some of the burden with others. Especially with Gilbert, who was as good as Yuel in drafting. I consider banning Pyro, Yuel explained. But, Im not too sure. Thats new, Gilbert raised an eyebrow. Youve been arguing for keeping Pyro open this whole day. What changed? Im not sure we can handle her this time. Because of the sub, we dont know if she is going to be Carry or Mid, so its hard to prepare. And, you know how Lars plays. Hed be combod to death in a second. Whoa! Lars exclaimed. You dont trust me, dude? Not particularly. Not after you chased Breaker under tower and got killed. Welp, that was kinda dumb, Lars rolled his eyes. But, cmon! I dominated most of the game, didnt I? Yes, with Trickshooter. Which is now banned. I can do that with any class! 200%! If only I could take your word for it... Yuel sighed for the hundredth time. Besides, thats only half the equation. Theres the chance shell play Mid, which means well have to go out of our ways to counter her again. I can spare you that headache, Gilbert pointed at the enemys bans. These arent bans for playing a Mid Pyro. After Trickshooter, the Leopards second ban was Paladin. Not surprising, considering Justice Strike had been giving Breaker trouble. These bans directly targeted Yuel and Lars, so the straightforward counters for Mid Pyromancer were left open. If we suspect she goes for Mid, Gilbert said. I can go for either Sage or Sorcerer. Not claiming itll to be an easy ride, but I should be able to handle her. I see. Youre right. Yuel rubbed his eyes. He started overthinking the whole topic way too early. He should have known they could narrow down Breakers options based on the bans, but... He freaked out. Maybe his brain was really fried at this point. It was weird. Yuel led the team to victory last game, so he should have been more confident about the next game. But instead, he felt even more stressed than before. All the adrenaline and sharpness from last game vanished without a trace, leaving him only with fatigue and worry. The more he thought back on the victory StormBlitz achieved last game, the more concerned he became. Its clear there were many fortunate factors in play back then, like Lars snowballing early and Freezer playing poorly. None of that will happen next game. Trickshooter? Banned. Freezer? Subbed. Worst of all, the Leopards coach discussed something with the team. Yuel briefly saw the man step on stage during the break. As far as he knew, that happened only once before today, right before that match. The one match in which StormBlitz was rent asunder and nearly fell apart. Something was coming. Yuel had no idea what, but something was going to happen this match and he wasnt going to like it. Could he hold the team together if push comes to shove? Theres no guarantee. Compared to Trever, Yuels charisma stat was rock bottom. If the team falls apart because of him... Relax, dude, Lars smacked Yuel on the back, a technique he inherited from a certain senior. Look at these guys, theyre on guard against us. He pointed at the banned Trickshooter and Paladin. You said theyre all seniors, right? Well, guess whos scaring them shitless right now? Thats right, this sick freshmen duo right here! Oh. Yuel blinked. Its true, the two bans were specifically aimed at Yuel and Lars. The Leopards didnt want to deal with this duo after witnessing its power, which meant they couldnt find any counters. So, while Yuel felt pressured by Breakers presence, the enemy team felt pressured by Larss strength. And, maybe they were even a little pressured by Yuels tactics too. Neither side felt like they had the upper hand. You see? We got this! Lars grinned. Besides, didnt ya say Elf is kinda good against Pyro? Because of range or something? Thats... true, actually. Yuel forgot how to blink for a moment. Did Lars just bring up a favorable matchup? Unbelievable. Absurd. Who was this smart guy and what did he do to the usual brainless goof? Perhaps Lars absorbed more game knowledge than Yuel gave him credit for. As a Carry with an extremely long reach, Elf was indeed favored against Pyromancers medium reach. Elf didnt quite have the tools for outright defeating Pyromancer, but it could be played defensively by maintaining distance, without surrendering the lane. Thats especially effective for staying out the range of Breakers combos. Yuel actually considered all of that over the break, back when he was coming up with a Trickshooter replacement for Lars. But somehow, it slipped his mind while he was fussing over Breakers options. His brain must had been on the brink of shutting down completely if a goof like Lars had to remind him of the strategic value of Elf. Alright, Yuel said. Lets keep Pyro in the game and deal with her, like before. Any bans youd like? He turned to the others. No Viking would be really nice, Roi said. Ive been facing that dude all day and I tell ya, he plays a good Viking. Make him pick something else. That works. Yuel nodded and selected Viking as the third ban. Aside from Shadow Walker, the other bans StormBlitz made specifically targeted classes which players from Leopards liked to pick. It felt less like a tactic and more like a personal attack. The Leopards retaliated in kind. Their third ban was Druid, targeting Yuel again. Two bans against Yuel and one against Lars. They must have left quite the impression on the other team. What kind of face would Breaker, the pride senior, make if she knew she was on guard against two freshmen? Yuel was tempted to send her a private message asking how it felt, but those were disabled in official matches. Paladin and Druid were the two classes Yuel felt most confident about, but he wouldnt dare to call himself a competitive player if he only could play these two. He held game knowledge in high regard, so naturally, he mastered many different options in the Support role. He was probably only second to Dan in term versatility, and thats because Dan also learned how to play off-meta and meme classes. So, there were plenty of options. Question was, what should Yuel pick to keep Breaker in check? He had some ideas, but he had to admit - he was exhausted. Therefore, its best to pick a class which didnt demand a high level of execution and decision-making. Even if it isnt high tier, as long as it doesnt require many fast and accurate decisions, it''ll be great. Which class fit that requirement best? The answer actually stared him in the face the whole day: Warlock. With a CC ultimate which shrouds the entire area in darkness, its easy to influence a team fight with a single click. Theres no need to aim or to make complicated decisions, just press a button and all nearby enemies are affected. Simple and effective. Perhaps thats why Freezer mained this class, the guy looked like he was born tired. With that decided, Yuel picked Warlock. Next, he turned to discuss the rest of picks with his teammates. There wasnt enough time to strategize during the break, because he was busy reporting to Howard while the rest were busy celebrating with free Coca-Cola. Thus, Yuel had to organize everything on the fly. First, Dan. His Beastmaster was very effective last game, which showed what type of team the Leopards were. They must have primarily trained how to deal with meta classes, but not so much how to play against the gimmicky off-meta ones. Thanks to that, Dan got away with playing Beastmaster last game and even showed great results. Unfortunately, its unlikely Beastmaster was going to work again, especially not after the Leopards had a meeting with their coach. Then, how about another obscure class? Say, Yuel addressed Dan. Is there another off-meta class you can play thats viable? Sure. Dan smiled, no doubt entertaining some wacky ideas. How about Jungle Lumi or Jungle Cryo? Okay, not THAT off-meta. These are all memes. Hey, dont underestimate Jungle Lumi. If Lumi builds damage, it can be pretty scary. Dan claimed while wearing a smirk that betrayed his words. He clearly just thought itd be cool to meme on stage. I meant something viable. Something youd see in a pro match at least once in a while. You meta slave. No soul, eh? Theres a difference between off-meta and meme, in case you didnt know. Heh, okay, fine. How about Chrono? Meta enough for you? You can play Chrono too? Yuel blinked. Chronomancer was a mage played primarily as a Jungler due to its heavy burst potential, slowdown CC, decent mobility and time-rewinding ult. Its complex utility class which demanded high-level execution to be effective. Not many could boast they can play Chronomancer competitively. However, judging by how well Dan played Beastmaster, he probably didnt joke about it. Impressive. Heh, no big deal, Dan puffed his chest. Told ya, I can play any Jungler. No kidding, Roi chuckled. This guy right here is a jack-of-all-freaking-trades in the flesh. Back when we played baseball, dude legit tried to learn everything at once. Hitting, defending, pitching and even catching, you name it. And Im like: My dude, how you gonna pitch when youre also the catcher? Lol. Um, that was... Dan shifted his eyes. Anyways, Im a changed man now. See? I only learned everything about one role this game. That still allows me to play cool stuff, like Jungle Lumi and Jungle Cryo. But, I wont lie. Being able to play all roles sounds cool too. And theeeere we go. Classic Dan-of-all-Trades. You aint learned nothing, lol. Oh shut up. Dan chuckled. Interesting. Yuel nodded to himself. He didnt know these two personally, so this conversation was insightful. Apparently, it had always been Dans thing to be a versatile generalist. That convinced Yuel even more that Dan could play Chronomancer on a competitive level, despite being only one of countless classes Dan learned. Dan-of-all-Trades was a fitting name for sure. And so, Yuel put his trust in Dan and went along with the Chronomancer idea. However, he didnt pick it right away, just to play it safe. If the enemy sees Chronomancer early, they might respond by picking a more CC-heavy comp to counter Chronomancers time-rewinding ult. Thatd be a problem. So instead, Yuel picked Elf for Lars. It was already decided in his mind that the defensive capabilities of Elf were the best pick for Lars this game. Yuel would have preferred to push the Carry pick for a little later, but theres the chance Elf will be banned in the second banning phase. It was a slim chance, but Yuel didnt want to take any risks. He didnt have any good backup plans in the case Elf was banned, so Elf had to be picked now. What most unsettled Yuel about the development of this drafting phase was the absence of Pyromancer. Breaker usually picked her favorite class early into the draft, but they were already halfway through and still nothing. Was the enemy cooking something up again? After all, they discussed something with their coach. Theres a good chance he provided them with some sort of game plan. Then again, picking Pyromancer early wasnt exactly a smart move in the first place. Maybe the coach just called Breaker out on that? Oh man, Roi made a face. They went after my Knight. Guess theyre all sick of getting parried, lol. The second banning phase opened with another personal attack, this time on Roi. He played Knight all day, just like the enemy Top Laner played Viking all day. So, its an eye for an eye. StormBlitz banned Viking, therefore the Leopards banned Knight. Now, both Top Laners had to adapt by picking something new. The Leopards had no intention making the last game easy for Yuel. Even after losing three matches, they didnt lose their spirit and were still going strong, right from the drafting phase. On one hand, Yuel kind of wished the Leopards spirit would crumble so they hand him an easy win. On the other hand, he was glad they stayed strong. The Leopards were worthy opponents. He wanted to defeat them while they were playing their best, thats the only way itd be truly satisfying. Lel, can I go for Warrior? Roi asked with an impish smile. I dont mind, Yuel cocked his head. But, you sure? There are better options. I want a guy with a good bat and Warrior is as good as it gets. I see. You want to keep parrying. Yuel had no idea how he even understood Rois intention. As far as parrying was concerned, Warrior was among the best classes in the game. Yuel experienced that first-hand when he practiced parrying against Julia. Compared to classes with one-handed swords like Paladin and Knight, Warrior carried a large two-handed sword and swung it swiftly with both arms. Yuels parrying success ratio increased by about 20% when he played Warrior. With that said, no sane person would ever pick Warrior just to slightly increase their parrying ratio. Except, Roi was no sane person. He was a walking parrying machine. Go for it, Yuel said. Awesome! Roi locked-in his Warrior like an excited child. With that, the drafting phase approached its end. For some reason, theres still no sign of Pyromancer. The enemy didnt ban any of Pyromancer''s main counters for Mid Lane, so its safe to assume Breaker wasnt going to play Mid. Besides, the enemy already picked Shaman, a mage without combo potential, at least as far as Yuel knew. Still, just in case, Gilbert picked Sorcerer. Theres always the possibility the enemy was playing mind games and planning sneak in a Pyromancer in the last second. As the one who invented the mixup strategy, theres no telling what other aces the Leopards coach had up his sleeve. Shaman wasnt Carry material either, so the enemys last pick was assuredly going to be the Carry. Was it going to be Pyromancer? Or, some other class with combo? Either way, the Elf pick for Lars should had covered all these scenarios. Elf, huh. Jennifer lifted her chin. I see what youre doing. You ain''t gonna ban my Pyro, but you still play around it. And, this one too. She threw a glance at the Sorcerer, who was clearly picked to kill the possibility of Mid Pyromancer. So, thats what these scrubs were basically saying, right? Come at us with everything ya got! We gonna mop the floor with ya! Irritating scrubs, they hadnt banned Pyromancer even once today. She had been making sick plays left and right the whole day, yet these triggered trash kids thought they could handle her without a problem. Grrrr! She sooooo wanted to insta-lock Pyromancer and beat the shit outta these trash kids! But, whats even more infuriating, was how everybody seemed to think she cant play shit except for Pyromancer. Bitch, I got a bunch of combo classes waiting in line. Ive been waiting the whole day for you to ban Pyro so I can show em off, dang it! Jennifer waved an angry fist at the screen. Whats even worse, it didnt even cross anybodys mind she can play anything other than combo classes. Sure, she was a combo god above everything, but she practiced normal meta plays too. She just found them less fun to play, thats all. She could definitely play them decently, and yet... Decently, huh. I hope you give it a try next match. You may be surprised. What was it with Coach? Its like he was saying Jennifer will have her ass handed to her if she plays a non-combo class. Okay! Fine! They all wanna see her play something thats not combo? Then, shell show them a mothafucka non-combo class! Here! Hows that, huh!? Jennifer made the last pick: Pirate. Here, a non-combo class! These scrubs better not fall off their chairs from shock! Wha... Yuel gaped like a fish. That''s one funny-looking Pyromancer. Lars chuckled. Um, Dan titled his head. I think Ive been sleeping on the latest patch notes. Turns out they made Pirate into a combo class You didnt sleep on anything, Yuel said, his voice hoarse. That was no Pyromancer and not a combo class either. In fact, it wasn''t even a mage. Just a proper and standard marksman who was meta to boot. Yes, the normal stuff. Yet somehow, it couldnt get more alien than that. Its the last thing Yuel expected ComboBreaker to pick after she has been coming across as a meta-defying player the whole day. Pirate was even partially a counter to Elf if utilized correctly. Just what was going on with this match? Yuel was exhausted, so he picked Warlock to cut himself some slack. Trickshooter was banned, so Lars had to play a weaker class and a defensive one at that. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, Dan played the high skill Chronomancer because he claimed he could play any Jungler. And, Roi picked Warrior for... better parrying ratio? And finally, Breaker picked a non-combo class for the first time today. Odd and uncharacteristic picks all over the place. Yuel didnt even... He was too tired to try making sense of this mess. The final game was definitely going to be something. He had no idea what, but itll be something. Vol.3 Ch.18: Inherited Skills The final game between StormBlitz and Leopards began. If StormBlitz can take this game, theyll be at 4-1. Thatll guarantee StormBlitzs victory in todays scrimmage right away. Yuel had to win this game, no matter what. Have to... win... ugh. The harder Yuel tried to concentrate, the stronger fatigue beat him down. It was all too much. He had been juggling between supporting, shot-calling and being a captain. He never trained for wearing so many different hats in one game. Fortunately, he got away with picking Warlock this time. That should lessen the decision-making he had to make during team fights, which were always the most chaotic parts of the game. By simply booting Eldritch Nightmare, hed blind the entire enemy team at once. It even became a meme in the Classmancers community that Warlock required only one button to play. Still, Warlock was considered an intermediate difficulty class and the reason for that were his various invocations. The first two spells, Eldritch Blast and Eldritch Field, were straightforward damaging spells. One was a line skillshot and the other was a circle AoE, as simple as mage spells could get. However, what made the class interesting was the third skill: Invocation. It allowed the Warlock to pick one of multiple bonus effects and add it the next spell he casts. For example, using Power Invocation made the next spell deal more damage, whereas using Slowdown Invocation made the next spell apply a slow on the target. There were five invocations in total, so the Warlocks kit was very customizable. Picking the right invocations for the right situations was key for playing Warlock effectively. All these options made Warlock a somewhat complex class, but Yuel knew exactly which invocations to focus on in which scenarios. So, it was a no brainer for him. Once the purpose of each invocation was understood inside out, the decision-making process became rather straightforward. The enemy was at low HP? Hit them with a Power Invocation. The enemy was fleeing? Hit them with a Slowdown Invocation. Everything was down to simple scenarios like that. In addition, activating an invocation required a mere button press and the effect will apply on the next spell regardless of when that spell will be cast. In other words, theres no taxing mechanical skill involved. Perfect for Yuel. During the laning phase, Yuel mostly used Power Invocation to help Lars clear the lane faster. He also zoned their lane opponents, ComboBreaker and SkyKnight, by extending the range of his spells with a Radius Invocation. Going back and forth between the two effects, his job on lane required minimal mental effort. Yuel was tired, but maintaining this basic routine was as natural as breathing. He repeated these actions like a machine, without even thinking much. As long as neither side goes on the offense of all a sudden, Yuel wont have to make any split-second decisions or analyze chaotic situations. Surprisingly, Breaker really didnt initiate any fights. Did she prioritize farming safely to take full advantage of the Pirates passive? Or, was she perhaps wary of the dominating display of skill Lars showcased last game? Whichever it was, there wasnt much fighting going on in Bot. And, Yuel didnt complain. Cmon, dude, Lars pouted. Lets rush them a little. No. Yuel retorted. Stay back and keep shooting from afar. Youre playing Elf, your advantage is range. Use it. Geh, fine. Lars made a face and continued shooting laser beams from the backline. When using Elven Sight, the range of his basic attacks was largely extended and he could snipe minions from far away. And, not only minions. He also sniped the enemy Pirate and Lumimancer whenever he had the chance. Even though Elf was a defensive class by nature, it was actually pretty good at exploiting the enemys defensiveness as well. If the enemy doesnt aggress, the Elf will simply shoot them from afar. Bit by bit, thatd exhaust the enemys HP. Thats all the more effective when in the hand of a godlike FPS player like Lars. His point-of-view changed to first-person during Elven Sight, becoming like his beloved first-person shooters. Lars felt right at home. His already absurd accuracy was enhanced even further, allowing him to land shots across half the lane even when the enemies were trying to be cautious. Tch, Jennifer clicked her tongue as a laser beam hit her. Whats with this guy? Even though she tried to sneak out of firing range, Gunz somehow landed a shot on her anyway. Freaking aimbot incarnate. Like, what the actual heck? These snipes were hitting her across half the lane. Putting aside how difficult it was to land shots on moving targets from that distance, Jennifer was specifically trying to dodge these shots. She practiced such scenarios before and knew how to handle Elfs long-ranged shots. Or, at least, she thought she knew, but Gunz''s shots found their way to her regardless. Also, whats with that stupid sci-fi skin? Gunz''s Elf wore a helmet and was dressed in futuristic armor. He also wielded a laser gun instead of a bow, which fired green laser beams instead of arrows. First Trickshooter, now a freaking StormTrooper. Always Gunz, huh. A cool skin there, dammit. Skins were inconsequential, but this irritated her. Here she was, COMBO-Breaker, playing a NON-COMBO class. Its like she gave up on her identity, just because it was a little hard to play combo against Gunz. Grrrrr! You sure you dont want to aggress? Albert asked. That Elf is too good of a sniper. We keep losing HP from trying to dodge his shots. I know, dang it. Jennifer hissed. Yeah, they were kinda getting rekt at the moment. Gunz''s snipes repeatedly punched their HP bars, forcing them to retreat after a while. Running around and doing sudden dodge rolls hardly affected that aimbot scum, so sticking with defense clearly didnt work that well for them. Going on the offensive didn''t sound like a bad idea, but... Nah, Jennifer shook her head. Lets keep farming for now. Once I get enough gold advantage to outbuild them, well rush these scrubs. Well, playing Pirate safe during the early game is good and all... Albert didnt finish that thought. The Pirates early power was relatively weak, but it compensated for that with Plunder, a passive which granted extra gold upon last-hitting. Therefore, by framing effectively, eventually, Jennifer will earn substantially more gold than Gunz and will be able to finish an Lv.3 item faster. But, as a fellow player who knew how to play Carry, Albert felt that Jennifers approach was too lax. Farming safely was good and all, thats the standard strategy for Pirate. The current situation called for action, at least in his opinion. Elf wasnt a particularly strong Carry for 1v1 and 2v2, so Jennifer should be able to overpower Gunz in a fight. If she takes the fight to Gunz, she should be able to either kill the guy or injure him enough to force a retreat. Either result would be great. But, what did Albert know? Jennifer was the best player on the team, so she surely had her reasons. He decided to keep quiet and let her do her thing. Shes playing it safe. Yuel concluded after observing Breakers playstyle for five minutes now. She never pushed hard or initiated fights, shed rather stay in the backline and keep dodging Larss snipes. Even when Yuel asked Lars to move a little forward, Breaker didnt bite and insisted to play defense. This experiment proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Breaker had no intention going on the offensive for now. As far as Breakers build was concerned, it was standard so far. Solid, but standard. Yuel was half-expecting to see something as absurd as combo, but there were no surprises. Between how Breaker prioritized farming safely and her orthodox build, it didnt seem like she was planning to do anything out of this world. Was she going to play standard meta Pirate? Really? It was a bit disappointing. Perhaps thats how she played when she wasnt using combo. In fact, thats more in line with the general image Yuel had of the Leopards: they all played by the book, best at piloting and countering meta classes. Until now, Breakers niche combo playstyle was an anomaly in this strictly meta-oriented team. Did their coach force her to change styles? Not surprising, considering how Lars outplayed her combos last game. If Yuels hypothesis was correct, then Breaker was really going to play a standard meta Pirate this game, possibly something she didnt quite enjoy. A bit unfortunate, but Yuel didnt have the luxury to complain. This increased StormBlitzs chances of winning, so he was thankful. The situation in Bot remained unchanged for a long time. Every time both sides finished clearing minions, they retreated to their backlines and waited for the next wave. Lars managed to sneak a few snipes on the enemies during these downtimes, but otherwise not much was happening. After enough minion waves, this routine depleted enough of the enemys HP to force them to retreat to base. This made Breaker occasionally miss on some exp and gold, but she made up for it by earning extra gold from her passive, Plunder. As a result, she maintained a gold advantage over Lars. As the game started shifting toward the mid-game, Yuel rotated to help in Mid. Gilbert was in a deadlock against the new Mid Laner who was subbed in, so Yuel hoped to turn the tides in their favor. Dont try pushing, Yuel warned Lars before leaving the lane. No problem, mom. Lars chuckled. The enemy Lumimancer was removed from Bot thanks to a gank by Dan, so with Yuel rotating itd become a 1v1 in Bot between Lars and Breaker. How was Breaker going to play in this scenario? Honestly, part of the reason Yuel wanted to rotate from Bot was to see whatd happen next. Breakers performance in the upcoming 1v1 scenario should determine whether she had something up her sleeve or was really just playing a standard Pirate. Their Warlock is missing, Jennifer warned. Gotta be rotating to Mid. Finally, she was left in a 1v1 situation against Gunz. The pesky Support player, who had been getting in her way every damn game, was out of the picture. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for! Gunz was untouchable while supported by Chessmaster because that pesky Chessmaster was a freaking expert at finding openings in the enemys offense, he probably even had a diploma and everything. But, in a straightforward 1v1 , Jennifer was gonna kick Gunz''s ass! Still, she didnt act right away. First, she confirmed that the Warlock successfully reached Mid. That sneaky bastard liked playing mind games, so Jennifer could never be too safe. Next, she confirmed that the enemy Chronomancer was still jungling in Top Jungle. Awesome! Nobody was gonna interfere with this 1v1. This was her moment! Showdown time! She had been holding back this whole time, eating countless snipes to the face, just to endure until this very moment! Her gold advantage already kicked in, letting her get one item ahead of Gunz. She clearly had the DPS advantage now. As long she delivers the first strike - she was gonna kick his ass for sure! Right before the minion waves were fully cleared, Jennifer initiated her assault. The opening attack was none other than her ult: Release the Kraken! Landing this opening strike would give her more than enough advantage for the rest of the fight. She gonna destroy this Gunz dude! Release the- The Pirates familiar sound cue resounded. Dan, Yuel called out. How fast can you get to Bot? I suspect this 1v1 wont end up nicely. Hmm, Dan pondered. I can get there pretty fast if I use Haste with quadra Accel, but thats quite the investment. Please do. If we get a kill on their Carry as a result, itll be huge for us. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Okay, Im on it. Meanwhile, in Bot, Lars had to confront Breakers assault. Release the- A sound cue he had heard countless times in his Classmancers career. The big tentacle dude was coming! Crap! Lars had to dodge! Fortunately, Elf had Elven Leap, so he should be able to jump out of the Krakens range. Easy, no sweat! He watched Trever dodge his Krakens many times before, just like that. He also dodged some of Trevers Krakens... Wait. Wait, wait, wait! His finger was about to press on the Q key, but it froze. No, it was too soon. Until the Pirate finishes shouting Release the Kraken!, its still possible to cancel the ult and cast it again right away. Trever tricked Lars countless times like that, so he not gonna fall for it again! He gonna wait until the very last nanosecond, yo! Not even dodging? Jennifer sneered. With the reaction speed Gunz showcased so far, she expected him to at least dodge the incoming Kraken. She already played out the next couple moves in her head from there: she cancels her ult, closes the distance with Backfire Cannon and casts Kraken again, this time hitting for sure! But, turned out Gunz''s defense was utter crap. He couldnt even dodge the Kraken, just because she caught him a little off guard while minions were still on lane. What a disappointment. Fine by me, eat the Kraken right in the face! Makes it easier for me, hmph. -the Kraaaaaaken! Her Pirate finished the dramatic shout. The legendary sea monster erupted from the ground, emerging on the surface to destroy everything in range. That StormTrooper Elf was totally done for- ... or not!? Right as the Kraken was to crash Gunz, his jetpack lit up and launched him into the air. It had a stylish animation, but it was the same skill Jennifer had been anticipating all along: Elven Leap! Except, it came way later than she thought. So, Gunz waited for the very very VEEEEEERY last moment before dodging. Fuuuuuu! Was that even gonna work? Jennifer had no idea! She had never seen Elven Leap cutting it so close against Kraken. Normal people would dodge as soon as they can, not wait a light year first. Dang it. And, it worked. Gunz just barely slipped away from the emerging Kraken. It was such a close call that it almost looked like a lucky dodge. No, it HAD to be a lucky dodge. No way Gunz knew that shit would work. Just no way... When did he learn to dodge like that!? Yuels eyes almost popped out of their sockets when Lars somersaulted through the air and dodged the Krakens tentacles by a hairs breadth. Unbelievable. Lars was a glass cannon, so his defense should be terrible. No, it actually WAS terrible. Thats a fact. Yet, Lars somehow beautifully dodged that Kraken. He didnt take the bait and patiently waited for the very last moment. He leaped away only after Breaker could no longer cancel her ult. It almost looked like a pro level play. Elven Leap being capable of dodging Kraken in the last split-second was very specific knowledge. Even Yuel didnt know how close Elven Leap could cut it until he saw Trever pull off such clutch dodges against Larss Pirate. Whether it was Elf, Seraph or any other Carry with a dodge skill - Trever always knew the best way to dodge Kraken. If he lived in a fantasy world, people would use him as an Anti-Kraken ward for sure. After fighting against Trever on a daily basis, Lars must have absorbed this knowledge and made it his own. Trying to teach that goof about these interactions would be a waste of time, but after seeing Trever abuse them in action against him - the knowledge was burned into Larss mind. Literally monkey sees, monkey does. Even though Trever was booted out of the team, a part of him was still here and pushed the team forward. Thanks to the experience acquired from Trever, Lars could stand his ground against Breakers Pirate! Its a matchup he experienced at least a hundred times by now! Tch, think I gonna let you get away!? Jennifer roared internally. That damn scrub, leaping away in the last moment like that. This shit aint over! Perhaps her initial plan was ruined, but she still had more tools in her arsenal. She wont let this golden opportunity slip from her! Shell get this kill, right here and now! Jennifer turned around, showing her back to Gunz. Then, she fired Backfire Cannon, blasting herself toward the spot Gunz where was gonna land! Unfortunately, the knockback alone wasnt strong enough to get her all the way across. Therefore, she extended her travel distance with a timely Blink, activating it right after the knockback. With this advanced maneuver, she reached Gunz right as he was about to hit the ground! Hows that, sucker? Yo ass is mine! During this quick move, she swapped her gun for a saber through Wield Cutlass, the Pirates second skill. By sacrificing her attack range, she gained increased attack power, penetration and speed. She gonna wreck Gunz from close quarters! Girl is nuts! Larss eyes popped as Breaker darted across the lane like a bullet, seamlessly chaining Backfire into Blink. Damn, that was sick! She closed all that distance in an instant! And he was still in the air, so he couldnt do anything about it! Yo! Oh boy, she switched to cutlass too? Lars noticed the saber in Breakers hand. Yeaaaaah, she gonna wreck him good if this turns into close combat. He hafta get outta her range as fast as possible! Elven Leap was cancelable into a roll as soon as the Elfs leg touches the ground, Trever pulled that stuff many times before. Dude always dodged Larss shots in a nick of time like that. So, Lars could do it too! What angle did Pirates cutlass swing have again? Geh, theres no time to think! He just had to trust his instincts, honed by the countless dodge rolls he performed against Trever. As soon as his Elf hit the ground, Lars rolled to the side. The Pirates cutlass came straight at him, thirsting for blood. Breaker swung it down at lightning speed, but... it whiffed. Just barely, very barely, Lars evaded the attack by diving underneath the blade. If the sword swing was just a little lower, it would have slashed right through him. But, it missed! He dodged the attack without a scratch! Woooooohoooooooooooo! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! W-Wha? Jennifer froze. She... She missed. She freakin missed. Her slash just... How. What. Bullshit. Unfortunately, it really happened and she had to deal with it. So, whats next? Should she keep pressuring Gunz and try beating him in a 1v1? Or, was this a good time to retreat? Her build was one item ahead of Gunz and said item was even at Lv.2 already. So, she had the DPS advantage, right? She should able to deal with a mere Elf. Um, how did Pirate compare to Elf at this stage of the game in term of power, again? Pirate was weaker than most Carries during the early game and needed gold advantage to compete. Was her one item advantage big enough to overwhelm Gunzs Elf? Gaaaah! Processing this shit required too much brain power. She tried painting a flawless picture of victory in her head, but it always came out smudged. It wasnt clear enough. She wasnt whether she had the necessary strength to kill Gunz right now. So, what it gonna be? Attack or retreat? She had to make the choice- PEW. The sound of a laser beam firing off. Gunz fired as soon as he recovered from the roll. The green beam pierced through Jennifers shoulder, erasing over 10% of her HP. FUUUUUUU!!! Thats it, the choice was made for her: she had to get the hell outta here! In a battle between squishy players with high DPS, whoever landed the first blow had a huge advantage. Her chances of winning tanked after this hit, so her only option was to get outta here as fast as- Nuuuu! Jennifer slammed on the table with her left hand, which now became useless. Why? Because freaking branches appeared under her feet and rooted her in place. It was Nature''s Embrace, Elfs ult. Gah! Of course Gunz used that shit! Jennifer should had expected it and rolled aside or something! Dang it! This sucked hard, but she had to make do with the hand she was dealt. She swapped her cutlass for a gun and turned toward Gunz. She couldnt move from this spot, but at least she could still rotate n place. This allowed her to shoot Gunz until the root wears off. She took aim and fired, but her bullet didn''t reach. Of course it didnt, considering how far Gunz stood. Pirates shot couldnt fly across half the universe like that. Nevertheless, Jennifer was hit by a laser beam in response. She was hit, despite the distance. Gunz''s laser beams had no trouble reaching her. Thats the nasty combo of Natures Embrace and Elven Sight. By itself, a mere root effect was pretty damn underwhelming for an ult. However, combined with the range extension of Eleven Sight, Gunz sniped the rooted Jennifer from afar, as if she were a practice dummy. Dang it! 72%. 60%. 48%. Her HP plummeted with the speed of light! And she couldnt do shit about it! Gaaaaah! She had to get out. As soon as these damn branches evaporate, shell dash for her life. Gunz didnt have Elven Leap anymore, so he wont be able to chase. Once she gets outta the range of his Elven Sight - shell be in the clear! The mental image of her successful escape was painted clearly in her head. As soon as the branches vanished, she rolled forward. Ha! Take that, sucker! Her quick roll made Gunz miss a shot, leaving her with over 20% HP. Gunz needed at least two more hits to finish her off. She gonna make it out alive! Weeeelp, Lars smiled awkwardly. He landed one more hit on the fleeing Breaker, but it wasnt enough to finish her off. She was outside the range of his Elven Sight and he didnt have any means to chase her. She got away. I was so close, yo! No problem, Yuel said. We got her. While he was saying that, Breaker already got all the way back to her Turret. Yeah! Im fast as fuck, boi! Jennifer grinned. The Turrets area was right in front of her. Once she crosses the line, shell be- Oh shit. A wild Chronomancer appeared! You serious!? She thundered. Where did that fucker come from!? He was like on the other side of the map last time she checked! Sure, Chronomancer had a movement speed buff ability, but was he THAT fast!? Chronomancer? More like, Sonicmancer! Well, shit. Theres no getting outta this one, so she just fired at that Sonic a few times before getting dead. An enemy has been killed! Man, Lars twisted his lips. I didn''t get an assist on that. You still did well. Yuel nodded in approval. Oh? Larss eyes sparkled. Haha, I did, didnt I? That was some intense stuff right there! I showed her how this is done, yo! Yes, yes. Yuel nodded, already regretting uttering words of praise. Feeding this goof with the smallest hint of approval was bound to put him on the high horse. Still, Lars truly did well. He tapped into the experience he acquired from Trever and deflected Breakers attack, even turned the tables on her. It wasnt a stretch to call it good defense. Brr, the mere sound it gave Yuel the chills. Whats even more interesting about this exchange were Breakers plays. She started well with Release the Kraken, a rather meta opening. She undoubtedly planned to cancel it after baiting Larss Elven Leap However, that idea backfired. Lars didnt take the bait and ended up baiting the Kraken out of Breaker instead. The Kraken was summoned, but it couldnt land a hit. A total waste of an ult. Still, Breaker recovered quickly and closed the distance with Backfire Cannon + Blink, aiming to overwhelm Lars in melee combat. The beautiful Blink extension for her travel distance was on the wilder side, but the idea of taking the fight to close quarters was a standard approach against Carries. Overall, until that point, her game plan was orthodox enough and she executed it perfectly. Theres no doubt she practiced these plays enough to pull them off in any situation. That was in line with her pitch-perfect execution throughout the day and the Leopards overall mastery of meta classes. However, missing the slash with her cutlass threw Break off balance. Its the second time things didnt go her way. She seemed puzzled, bewildered. For a brief moment, she just stood there in shock. This suggested she didnt know this match half as good as Lars did. She knew how to play Pirate in general, but she didnt know how to specifically pilot it against Elf. It was a very specific matchup and understanding it required experience, the kind not easily obtained from normal practice. Especially, not from practice which focused entirely on the meta, for Elf was a mid-tier class. In other words, Breaker learned and practiced the meta plays, but she lacked the streets knowledge for niche and specific scenarios. That pointed to a lack of experience, in a similar, yet different, way from Freezer. While Freezer seemed rusty, Breaker was outright inexperienced. She covered it up by effectively executing orthodox plays, but she couldnt hide it from Yuels eyes. After Breaker missed her saber slash, she froze for a moment. Even though Yuel was busy in Mid at the time, he couldnt tear his eyes away from Larss monitor. He saw it all. It was just a small freeze, but he saw everything in that moment. In that brief period, Breakers true nature revealed itself. The ever-confident Breaker was at a loss about her next play. For a second, she hesitated. That never happened when she played Pyromancer, aside from maybe truly extreme scenarios. Until now, she has always bounced back from any unfavorable situation and immediately went for the next best option. Its like she was guided by instincts honed over thousands of battles. But, that didnt happen with Pirate. She didnt know whats the next best move, so she stopped to consider her options. Honestly, Yuel didnt know either what was the right choice for her at the time. She most likely pondered whether to continue the attack or retreat, as these were her only logical options at the time. In term of strength, Pirate had an advantage over Elf in that scenario. Pirate was a relatively weak Carry at its base, but the same applied to Elf too. The same way Pirate compensated for its weakness with gold advantage, Elf compensated for it with range. Therefore, when forced into a 1v1 at close quarters, Elf would lose its main advantage and would fall back into being a subpar Carry. With Breakers gold advantage, which already pushed her ahead by one item, she clearly had the upper in term of stats. But, apparently, she didnt quite see it. The only real consideration left for her in that scenario was whether she could match Lars in a 1v1 in terms of mechanical skill. Maybe its the concern she had, but thats unlikely. Breaker didnt seem like the type to fear her opponents without a good reason. Its true Lars displayed some amazing plays as Trickshooter, but there was absolutely no reason to believe he could do the same as Elf. So, no matter Yuel twisted it, Breakers momentary freeze was most certainly a result of her inexperience. And, this one freeze cost her the whole fight. It Lars to sneak the first hit on her. Even after surrendering the first attack, Breaker actually still had the upper hand in term strength. But, she didnt see that. As soon as she was hit, she backpedaled and retreated. With Breakers course of action decided, the situation fell back into familiar territory for her. Besides the hiccup of getting easily caught by a predictable Natures Grasp, she overall did a solid job escaping from there alive. If Yuel hadnt asked Dan to head to Bot ahead of time, Breaker would have gotten away scot-free. The more Yuel went over the facts, the more convinced he became - Breaker wasnt a big threat this time around. She wasnt going to be an easy opponent by any means, but she didnt stand a chance against Lars, who experienced countless Carry matchups throughout the year. Every time Lars fought Trever, it was a simulation of real high-level combat. Lars accumulated plenty of experience of fighting classes which Trever liked and Pirate was among them. In fact, Lars fought Trever so much, he barely did any other type of practice. It would be frowned upon for anybody else, but for Lars that was probably the perfect form of training. With Trevers knowledge supporting Lars from behind, theres no way Lars would lose to Breakers inexperienced Pirate. As far as streets knowledge was concerned, Lars was the mafia boss right now. As long as Breaker doesnt change her approach, this final game will be in StormBlitzs hands. Thats the conclusion Yuel reached after seeing that one exchange between Lars and Breaker. They had this game in the bag! Probably! Vol.3 Ch.19: The Gap Between Practice and Experience You have been killed! Jennifer stared at her screen, twisting her lips. She done goofed. She done goofed HARD. Even though shes the one who started the attack on Gunz, shes also the one who wound up dead. And she would have gotten away with it too, if it weren''t for that meddling Chronomancer. Dang it. Still, even without the Chronomancers unexpected gank, she knew the truth: she played like trash in that 1v1. Gunz almost destroyed her. The most she managed was to barely slip away alive. Why? How? Jennifer thought she was piloting Pirate decently back there. She started off with Kraken to bait out Elven Leap. When that didnt work, she instantly closed the distance with Backfire Cannon + Blink and planned to wreck Gunz from close range. There shouldnt have been any issues with these plays and she pulled them off pretty smoothly, if she can say so herself. Yet, none of them worked! The Kraken bait didnt work and her saber slash missed. Both times, Gunz pulled off crazy clutch dodges, but somehow his plays brimmed with confidence. They... They werent flukes. Jennifer understood that now. Gunz wasnt even fazed by the fact he dodged these attack by a hairs breadth. He immediately connected one play into another without delay. He leaped over the Kraken, dodged Jennifers slash and immediately shot her. The only one fazed by this absurd development was Jennifer. After being thwarted twice in a row, she was put in a difficult spot. She had to decide whether to keep pushing this clunky attack or to call it a day and retreat. While Jennifer was mulling over her options, Gunz went on the offensive without a second thought. From start to end, all his plays were so damn fast, so natural. Its like he had experienced this exact scenario a thousand times already. He knew all the best moves, like some freaking time traveler from the future. Well, jokes aside, the guy must have practiced Elf to death to play so naturally. But then, what about Jennifer? She also practiced Pirate a lot because Coach insisted. Thats how she knew to farm effectively early on, to open a fight with a Kraken bait and to corner the enemy Carry into melee combat. These were strong meta plays she learned and practiced to perfection. Then why? What was the problem? Didnt she learn and practice how to play Pirate? What was the difference between her and Gunz? It felt like she was missing something. There was something Gunz possessed that she didnt, and thats why she got her ass whooped. It kinda sounded like an excuse, but it really felt that way. What a headache. Jennifer sighed. I think you shouldve pressured him more during the early game, Albert said. Hm? You talking about Gunz? Yeah. Albert nodded. Hmm, but isnt that kinda bad? I mean, Pirate is kinda trash during the early game, so I gotta play defense and farm hard. True, Pirate is a bit weak, but the same goes for Elf. Even though Elf has great range, its a mid-tier class because it doesnt have many tools for fights and its stats arent that high. So, Pirate can pressure Elf during the early game. Hoh. Jennifer nodded. You didn''t know that? Albert raised an eyebrow. A-Aahaha, of course I did! Jennifer forced a huge smile. Im just impressed how much you know about these classes! I mean, Carry is your secondary and all, but you sure know your stuff! I see. Albert nodded. Phew! Dodged that bullet. Jennifer secretly sighed in relief. Seemed like Albert was convinced- Sorry, I should have said something earlier. Albert continued. Coach told me to speak my mind, but I was sure you know what youre doing. Sorry, didnt know youre not familiar with the Pirate-Elf matchup. Geh! Jennifer jumped. I-Its not like Im not familiar it! Its just, ya know. my own personal playstyle and stuff! This is my pirate way, believe it! Really. Albert narrowed his eyes. Thinking of it, I dont even remember seeing you play Pirate during practice matches. Well, thats... ya know. Jennifer looked away. You mustve missed it. I mean, I dont take Pirate into real matches that often. I mostly practice specific plays and situations in training mode, haha... A dry laugh. As she was saying these words out loud, she was beginning to realize how wrong all of this sounded. I see, Albert had a difficult expression. Well, whats done is done. I cant travel back in time to stop your death, but from now on Ill make sure to throw some advice your way when theres a chance. Hey, if you got something good to say - speak up. I always listen. Jennifer gave a thumb up. Especially, I gotta listen REAL good when its about shit I dont know. Man, even Albert seems to know more about Pirate than me, and Im supposed to be the one maining Carry. Derp. Jennifer somehow wiggled her way out of this discussion without embarrassing herself too much, but Alberts question still lingered in her mind. Did she even ever play Pirate during practice matches? Hmm, probably like two or three times? Yeaaaah, most of her knowledge and experience came from practicing Pirate in training mode. Oh, thats it! Thats what she was missing! The difference between her and Gunz must have been their experience! Gunz reacted quickly and naturally as if guided by instinct. To become so natural, he must have played lots and lots of Elf in real matches, against real opponents who were out to murder his ass. He didnt just practice Elf, he went out there and kicked the shit outta people with it. That must be it. Thats how he knew Elven Leap was fast enough to dodge Kraken in the last moment, and that he could quickly cancel it into a roll to dodge Jennifers slash. He knew this Elf vs. Pirate matchup a hundred times better than Jennifer. Hes good. He knew every aspect of this matchup. Gunz was a world apart from Jennifer, who never faced an actual Elf player as a Pirate. She only knew the general theory behind fighting an Elf, and even that was on the weaker side. Elf was just a mid-tier class, so it didnt warrant much attention. Yeaaaaah, derp. And even beyond the matchup, turned out Jennifers mastery of Pirate... well, it wasnt exactly what she thought. She did take Pirate to Ranked from time to time, due to Coachs pesky demand to play every relevant Carry class at least once a month. The few times she played, she simply executed the strong meta plays she practiced and nobody complained about her performance. She felt pretty confident. But, now she knew: it wasnt good enough. Ranked wasnt the same as competitive. Coach always said that and Jennifer understood it at the back of her head, but its the first time she experienced it on her flesh like that. Unlike in Ranked, here she couldnt get away with just knowing the gist of her class. This was a competitive environment. Each player here polished their main classes to almost perfection, the way Jennifer did with her combo classes. Theres no way she could go toe-to-toe with them as Pirate, a class she never bothered to truly master. She had been underestimating it, thinking its easy because its a high tier meta class. But like with any other class, she needed high mastery and tons of experience to make it work. As the game progressed, Jennifer was forced to acknowledge this fact time and again. Every time she clashed with Gunz - she was overwhelmed. His reaction was faster, his plays were smoother and he countered everything Jennifer threw at him. Its like Gunz knew exactly what Jennifer gonna do next before she even figured it out herself. Actually, knew was probably the wrong word here. That Gunz fellow didnt strike her an intellectual. Its his robust experience, which was carved into his instincts. He didn''t even need to think, he just acted. Jennifer knew how this shit worked because she was exactly the same way when she played combo. She practiced and played combo to death,. At some point, it became as natural as breathing. She didnt even need to think much, she just did what seemed right and it worked most of the time. But, it was a long road. At first, playing combo was hella tough. It required fast, but careful, decision making. Jennifer often found herself pausing in the middle of a heated fight, unsure what should be her next move. Of course, that pretty much always led to being killed in some lame way and getting scolded by both her teammates and Coach. Geh, them memories. Anyway, things were crappy like that for a while. She even considered quitting combo multiple times, which meant quitting Classmancers altogether. But, Coach insisted things will get better. He always said Just give it another month or two. If you work hard, youll develop the intuition for it. Jennifer already developed some respect for Coach by that point, something she never had for any teacher in her entire life. Coach was a really competent teach, not like the those who lecture you to death in class about shit you couldnt care less about. Thanks to his intense training regime, Jennifer leveled up from Weakest Freshman to Average Player. So, she decided to trust his guidance and continued working hard on her combo. Eventually, it paid off. After experiencing countless combat scenarios, watching replays of her mistakes, getting advice about them and simulating them in training mode - her combo playstyle finally came together. There was virtually no situation she couldnt deal with, she no longer paused to ponder her options. Even when it was some absurd situation she hadnt experienced before, her honed instincts guided her. It didnt mean she always executed the best plays, but they were generally hella good. And so, she successfully graduated from being a combo pleb and was ready to take on the world! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. But, she couldnt be arsed to go through this long process with non-combo classes. She was busy polishing her combos, so she had neither the time nor the interest to work on non-combo classes. Okay, may she DID have the time, just not the motivation. Like, combo was the real shit, thats where its at. Screw other classes. Besides, its fine, right? Meta classes were a lot easier to play anyway, right? So, theres no need to pour tons of hours into them. Surely, it was enough to just practice them from time to time, right? Well, Coach said Jennifer was wrong about it, but she was sure itll be A-OK. She did practice these boring classes from time to time, so she shouldnt have any trouble playing them in a competitive match. At least, thats what she thought. Turned out she was an idiot. Only now that she faced Gunz, she realized her foolishness. Pirate was higher tier than Elf and was even somewhat of a counter to Elf, so she was supposed to wreck Gunz apart. But, he owned her ass. Even while getting tips from Albert, Jennifer still couldnt score a single kill on Gunz. No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt paint a mental image or victory against Gunz. Every time she assaulted Gunz from an advantageous position, it somehow turned into a near-death experience for her. She eventually got killed one more time during her attempts, but at least this time it was a proper gank which turned the situation into a 1v2. Phew, at least she didnt let Gunz destroy her in 1v1 again... wait. Am I seriously happy I died from a gank and not from 1v1? Jennifer facepalmed. The heck am I saying? I still died. I got rekt. Theres nothing to be happy about, dang it! At some point, winning the game was overshadowed by dont lose to Gunz. After realizing how embarrassing her Pirate skills were, she had been preoccupied with how to not embarrass herself any further. Getting a kill on Gunz, or at least beating him up enough to force a retreat. Something, anything. She had to prove shes not just some scrub. So, she focused only on that and got repeatedly wrecked in the process. Dang it. Its impossible. She couldnt win against Gunz this game. At this point, she had no choice but admit it. The difference in their experience was too much. Its not a gap she could close by trying hard or getting a few tips from Albert. Its frustrating, but her only option was to play defensively against Gunz. In other words, to give up. And how exactly we gonna win like this? Jennifer chewed her lips. If she, the Carry and captain, quakes in one''s boots, then who gonna lead the team to victory? Nobody. Momentum was on the enemys side, so at this rate, theyll rend the Leopards asunder. Especially, Gunz was growing into a larger and larger threat with every second. No, defending wont cut it. Gunz had to be stopped, or the Leopards wont have a future. But what could Jennifer do? How was she supposed to take down that beast!? Man, Jennifer sighed. This is rough. I cant figure out how to deal with Gunz. Then dont? Albert shrugged. If all we gonna do is turtle to not lose the lane, I can do it alone. You can go gank other lanes. Hoh! Jennifer exclaimed. Thats not a bad idea! You should really speak up more often, Al. You actually got a head on your shoulders. Unlike a certain somebody. Okay, I changed my mind. Dont ever speak again. Heh. Okay, Imma do it! Jennifer cracked her knuckles. Al got it right. I gotta think bigger. Its not just between me and Gunz, there are other fish in the water too. This is a team game, not a 1v1. If we can wreck the rest of these scrubs, we can win! As soon as she regained her fighting spirit, she noticed a great opportunity in Mid. The enemy Sorcerer and Warrior fought 2v2 there, then got ganked and it became a 2v3. The gank didnt go smoothly and both sides disengaged, but Sorcerer and Warrior were both low on HP. Jennifer wasnt too far from Mid, so maybe she could do something with this. No, she WILL do something! Yes, she saw it! The picture of her, standing on top of two corpses! She had it! Her groove was back! Instead of heading to Bot as planned, she dashed to Mid through the jungle. By the time she arrived, the Warrior escaped into the jungle on the other side. Tch, thats one corpse gone from her picture Oh well, no big deal. The Sorcerer was still there, running along the lane toward his Turret. Easy! She gonna cut him off! Jennifer switched from gun to saber and waited behind a jungle wall. Once Sorcerer got into range, she blinked through the wall and appeared right in front of him. Eat shit! Jennifer delivered a lightning speed slash, cutting across the Sorcerers chest. And another slash! However, this time she missed. The Sorcerer vanished right before the blade struck him again. He blinked past Jennifer and continued running away. Sneaky bastard. Not bad, but not good enough! Jennifer activated Backfire Cannon, with her back still turned to the enemy. It pushed her backwards and placed her right beside the Sorcerer again. No escape! Another slash! Down to 18% HP. And, another one! This time she had to shoot, because the Sorcerer was gaining distance. Bam! Clean hit! Down to 7%! One more hit and its over! Jennifer took aim and... Huh? A wild Warrior appeared! He rolled into the scene stood in between Jennifer and her target. Didnt that scrub retreat to the jungle? Well, that didnt change a damn thing, because the Warrior only had 5% HP. What did he even hope to accomplish by returning? Sacrifice himself for a teammate with higher damage? How noble. In Jennifers picture, there was still a dead scrub crushed underneath her foot. Will it be the Sorcerer or the Warrior? No matter which, she gonna turn that picture into reality. In fact, this development was awesome. Jennifer wanted the Warrior dead a hundred times harder. Why? Because bastard had been giving her shit this entire day, parrying shots like hes in the Matrix. Not this time, boy! Jennifer grinned as she aimed her gun. Unlike Pyromancers big fireballs, Pirates gunshots were tiny projectiles. That Matrix-wannabe wont get to parry shit this time! Jennifer fired, her aim locked on the fleeing Sorcerer. With all said and done, the damage dealer was the bigger fish. So, either shell hit the Sorcerer like originally planned, or the Warrior will step in to take the shot in the face. Either way, somebody gonna get dead! So, who gonna be the corpse from Jennifers picture!? You better focus on the batter when pitching. Roi licked his lips, his eyes locked on Breakers movements. Already at two strikes, the cleanup batter found himself in a pinch! He had only one chance! The enemy pitcher was tough, known for her trademark pitch: Pirateball! Fast, compact and deadly! Could the teams cleanup handle it!? The fate of his entire team rested on his shoulders! Okay, lets goooooo! Roi swung his giant bat. The Pirates shot was notably larger and slower than a real-life bullet, but it was still tiny and fast. If Roi playing Knight, he''d be struck out for sure. Fortunately, he was Warrior this time and dressed in a baseball skin to boot. His bat was giant and he swung it faster than Knight ever could. He gonna show these guys parrying like they have never seen before! Even against Pirateball, he gonna slam it out of the stadium! HOME RUN Huge colorful words popped up in front of him. It was a gimmick of his baseball skin. Normally, that message would say PARRY. He did it! Bullshit... Jennifers jaw nearly hit the desk. D-Did that just really happen? Seriously? Her shot was... parried. It was freaking parried. That tiny fast bullet. Parried. Dafuq. Was she dreaming? Pinch, pinch. Nope, seemed like the real world. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHA! Interesting! Fine! Bring it on! You wanna be one to die so badly, then Imma grant your wish! This aint over yet. She refused to give up on her beautiful picture. Theres one corpse drawn there and she gonna recreate it in reality! Besides, she had been wanting to get back at this baseball idiot for a while now. Like seriously, who called themselves CleanupHitter? And that baseball skin, too. The guy was trying way too hard, thinking hes some major leaguer. Jennifer gonna strike out his ass! She actually played a little baseball in grade school, and as the pitcher no less. So, theres no way some wannabe gonna hit her shots! Hitter already displayed his ability to parry high balls, even when they were tiny bullets. Then, how about a low ball? Yeah, a low ball, right at his feet! Warrior couldnt possibly hit a low shot due to how he swung his blade, so thats where she gotta shoot! But, theres a catch. A low shot was easier to dodge, so theres no guarantee Hitter would even try to parry again. After all, why parry when you can easily sidestep? Nevertheless, throwing low was the best bet. So Jennifer had to shoot low, but without making it obvious she was going to shoot low. A breaking ball would do the job in baseball, but this was Classmancers. Just like Warriors swings were restricted in movement, the same applied to Pirates shots. Jennifer only had fastballs at her disposal. However! Thats where her practice comes into play! There were barely any opponents online who relied on parrying, so Jennifer dragged club members into her anti-parrying practices. They were second rate batters at best, but she had to make do with that. Not the most professional training in the world, but it helped her develop some useful techniques. One such technique was what she called Pretend to Shoot High, Then Shoot Low in the Last Moment! Its like a pro level play and stuff! Jennifer aimed her gun at Hitters upper body. But when she actually left-clicked to shoot, she swiftly lowered her gun and fired toward Hitters legs. Surprise, bitch! I knew youd go for the legs! Roi grinned as he stepped forward. Aiming at the legs was basic knowledge for anybody who ever read tips about bypassing parries, and Breaker clearly did. She already used this strat against him a couple of times today, so he knew it was coming. Waving her gun like that, pretending to aim for his upper body. Not the worst acting ever, but its just a cheap attempt at misdirection. It not gonna work on a real cleanup hitter like Roi! By moving forward, he could hit the incoming Pirateball before it went below his reach. A tricky parry, but he did it! HOME RUN Two home runs in a row! Ezpz. You shittin me... Jennifer froze. What. How. Bullshit. Did he seriously just parry that? But, but, but! This move worked on everybody in the club! No matter how many times they saw a low shot like this, nobody could ever parry it! Whats with this guy!? Hes nuts! Nothing personal, lol. Roi grinned as he blinked forward, appearing behind Breaker. Crap! Jennifer shook her head and concentrated on the enemy beside her. Did Hitter just enter her range out of his own volition? What a fool! Hes done for! Jennifer switched to her saber and turned toward Hitter. I wanna see you parry THIS! She slashed. Theres no way Hitter could dodge this one. Its over! This will snuff out his remaining... 45% HP? Huh? Wait, wasnt it like 5% a moment ago? What the heck!? Oh. OH. OOOOOOOOH! Hitter actually went and did it! He built Flag of Rebellion, which restored HP after each successful parry. Its a crappy item with shit stats for its price, but in the hands of this baseball maniac... Damn, he got her good. What a guy. Jennifers saber slashed across Hitters chest, but it was far from enough. He still stood firm and retaliated with Fearless Charge, pushing Jennifer back. And whats behind her? The enemy Turret! Fuuuuuuuuuu! BAM. A huge bolt hit her like a bomb, punching down her HP from 80% to 55% in an instant. And whats worse, she had no escape tools! She spent both her Blink and Backfire Cannon on her failed attempt to kill the Sorcerer. Kraken was on cooldown too. Fuck my life. And if all this crap wasnt enough, Hitter also booted his ult: Swordwhirl. He turned into a human fidget spinner and smacked Jennifer with his oversized bat. Then smacked again and again and again. Each strike slowed her down and lowered her defense, making the situation a million times worse with every passing moment. No way outta this, huh. Jennifer chewed her lips. Another undodgeable Turret shot rained on her and Hitter kept beating the shit outta her... Yeah, she was royally fucked. It was over. Trying to escape was pointless. So instead, Jennifer stood her ground and struck back. At least, Hitter would be forced to retreat right away if he loses enough HP. She delivered three strikes in succession, bringing Hitter down from 45% to 25%. But, thats as far as she could go. You have been killed! He totally rekt me. Jennifer sighed and dropped back on her chair. Theres nothing she could even say here. Hitter just played hella well. Jennifer was confident about the anti-parry techniques she practiced, but she was forced to realize yet again: real matches were a world apart from practice. Hitter surely worked on his parries a lot, both in practice and in real matches. It must have been easy to rack up experience, considering any ranged opponent was a potential practice partner. It was completely different from Jennifers anti-parry practices, which were restricted to Practice mode due to how rare parrying was on their level of play. It was hard to improve when all her practice opponents were scrubs who couldnt parry for life. Itd be awesome if she could practice anti-parrying against Hitter, he was hella cool- Er, ahem, like, he was pretty good at parrying! Yeah! Above the level of a scrub, at least. Hmph. Anyway, this wasnt the time to think about this stupid stuff. They still had a match to win. Their chances looked grimmer with every passing moment, but Jennifer wont back down just because she died a couple of times. Hell no! She gonna fight hard until the bitter end, even if it means getting repeatedly stomped due to her lack of experience! Lets goooooooooooooooooooooo! Vol.3 Ch.20: Outcast Seniors From the audience, the competitive stage looked completely different. It was gigantic, stretching across the whole stadium as if to declare dominance. The lights were dazzling, turning the stage into a majestic entity. It was a privilege for commoners to gaze upon it. Its hard to believe that, until recently, Alex also played on that grand stage. He had been looking down on it this whole time, thinking its lame because its the second string. Only now that he was kicked off the stage and had to sit among the commoners, he finally appreciated the huge opportunity he was given. How stupid. It didnt matter whether this was a second string match or a tournament match. Both teams were strong and the competition was fierce. The stage was filled with high-level plays and brilliance. Some visitors from the center even stopped by to watch the match. Yes, to watch this middle school second string match. Alex should have done more. He should have tried harder. Even though it was just a spot on the second string he should have held onto it with all his strength, so he could keep playing on this majestic stage. If only he tried a little harder from the beginning, he could have prevented this 1-4 score. Heck, he could have led the team to victory... Okay, maybe thats wishful thinking. But at least, he wouldnt have dragged them down to oblivion. Alas, he messed up. Big time. He spat at the opportunity Coach gave him. And now he was down here in the audience, while the rest of his team was up there on the grand stage. Jennifer reigned as everybodys beloved queen, whereas Alex was a hated beggar. It felt like shit. All of it. But, too late for regrets. Everything was his fault, so right now this hall of commoners fit him perfectly. Alex took a sip of his apple juice, took a deep breath and walked to the seats tucked away at the very back. It should be hard enough to spot him here. Good. Oh. Alex stopped in his tracks. There was already a guy sitting in the back row, glued to a wall like some criminal hiding from the law. Hm? He looked kinda familiar... Whats even more interesting was this fellows soggy appearance. He was wet. Like, thoroughly soaked. From his hair and down to his shirt. Did he take a shower or something? There were actually shower rooms in ProCenter if memory served. Yo, The guy waved. Freezer, right? Yeah... Alex nodded slowly. So, it wasnt just his imagination. He knew this shower guy from somewhere. But, based on that reluctant greeting, they werent particularly familiar. Where did Alex meet this guy? And, why was the guy soaked inside the hall? Alex simply couldnt comprehend. Oh, this? The guy pointed at his wet hair. Just a fashion statement, haha. Dont worry about it. Huh. Alex knotted his eyebrows. Thats some revolutionary modern fashion right there. Anyway, its best to keep a distance from this guy. Whoa, sitting so far away? Cold. The guy made a face. Do I know you? Alex finally asked, since guys overfamiliar attitude starting irking. Hey. Cmon, man. Weve been playing each other the whole day, ya know. Oh, It finally hit him. Somebody who played on the stage today and got subbed out. Yes, there was another poor fellow like that beside Alex. WildDragon, right? Yep, I knew theres no way you forgot. Im known for leaving an impression, haha. Yeah, the impression of a chatty idiot whos all talk and no skill. Alex nodded, which the other guy apparently interpreted as a friendly gesture. Trever. The guy stretched his hand with a smile. ... Alex. He dragged his hand to form a handshake across the two chairs separating them. Sigh. What a drag. The conversation died after that. Good. Now Alex could enjoy his drink in peace- Man, Bot is so boring this game, Trever said out of the blue. Last game had some crazy action there, but now both sides are playing some hardcore defense. What a snoozefest, right? ... Sure. Alex shrugged. Well, its not that weird. Elf is designed to play defense. Yep. That''s why the Pirate should git gud and pressure him. Hmm, Alex contemplated what to say. Wait, the heck was he even doing? He just wanted to watch the game in silence, yet something compelled him to respond. Sigh. Alex was never good dealing with these chatty fellows. You say Jenny isn''t playing that early game right? Jenny? Oh, I mean ComboBreaker. Heh, her name is Jenny? Noted that down. Trever grinned like an idiot. Actually, thats wrong. It''s not like an idiot, as Trever was most assuredly an actual idiot. Whatever. Well, Trever continued. I guess Its up to playstyle? I know a chick who turtles with literally every class and it works for her. But, I believe Pirate better pressure Elf early to control the lane. Weird to see Breaker play like a pussy after she had been kicking everybodys butts with a meme before. Hmm, thats really peculiar. Or, maybe not really. Had Jennifer ever played Pirate in practice matches and such? Alex couldnt recall a single instance from the top of his head. Then again, the testimony of somebody who barely showed up to practice didnt hold much. Oh! Finally! Trever exclaimed as the situation in Bot heated up. Jennifer unleashed her Kraken, finally going on the offensive. Alas, after a sequence of fast plays, its Jennifer who ended up fleeing the scene. In the end, the Chronomancer ganked her before she managed to slip away. Oh yeah! Trever jumped from his chair and pumped a fist. Nice one, Dan! Too loud. Annoying. Alex rolled his eyes and took another sip of apple juice. Kinda disappointing, though. Trever sat down and crossed his arms. That was kinda one-sided, don''tcha think? ... I guess. I mean, it''s not like she played bad or anything. Trever tilted his head. How do I put it? She had some good plays there but its all basic Pirate stuff, ya feel me? Huh. Like, it''s the kinda stuff everybody does. Bait with Kraken, rush with Backfire. There''s nothing like Hey, that move is cool!. Know what I mean? Sure... Alex sighed. Still, the information mildly interested him. Assuming this guy knew what he was talking about, it suggested Jennifer was out of her element when playing Pirate. Interesting. It was in line with how Alex never saw her seriously play Pirate or any non-combo Carry for that matter. Maybe thats why Coach held her back in the second string? Alex had been actually wondering about that for a while now. Why somebody of Jennifers level was stuck in the second string? As far as her skill was concerned, she was among the top players in the club. In fact, depending on the criteria used for grading players, she may as well be the strongest in the club. Well, after Fenrir, of course. That guy was a legend. Anyway, theres no reason why somebody like Jennifer would be stopped at the second string. Thats unless she had a glaring weakness which Coach refused to overlook. And, this subpar Pirate performance may very well be it. Its similar to how Alex performed poorly as Electromancer last game, but also very different at the same time. Unlike him, Jennifer never stopped practicing. She just didnt bother playing that many serious matches with non-combo classes, resulting in a lack of practical experience. Her moves were polished, but they lacked a certain level of fluidity which was only achievable by playing many matches. But at least, unlike Alex, she never stopped polishing her favorite combo skills and that made her a constant threat for the enemy team. Compared to that, what did Alex achieve today with his favorite Warlock? His performance was mediocre at best. He made some impactful plays, but he also messed up in a bunch of critical moments. Sigh. At least the conversation died out again. Good. Now he could quietly watch- The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Gotta say, Trever spoke up. Again. The stadium is more packed than I expected. I mean, its just a scrimmage and its the second string. What gives? Probably spies from other schools or something Alex shrugged. Oh, think they came to check us out? Trever smirked. Makes sense. Were hella strong, after all. He turned his head from side to side, scanning every corner of the hall. If you think theres any paparazzi here to report on you, think again. Alex rolled his eyes. But hey, isnt that weird? Trever crossed his arms. Were the second string, ya know. If they wanna spy on our team, shouldnt they spy on the first string? I suppose. Alex checked the audience again. Upon closer inspection, he recognized half the faces here despite the darkness. Huh, there are some guys from my club. Coach always makes us watch scrimmages. Even the second string matches? Dunno, our second string never had a scrimmage against other schools before. Guess Coach thinks its worth watching? Heh, Trever grinned. Were the best, so of course were worth watching! I dont see you on the stage, though. Alex jabbed internally. I agree, though. There have been some high level plays here today. I think your second string is even better than some of the representing teams Ive seen this year. Maaaaan, if only we could play in the regionals too. Trever slid down his chair, staring at the ceiling. I actually was on the first string last year, so I played in the regionals. We got our asses handed to us, though. Haha. Must be nice being in a small club. Alex lowered his eyes. He never even got the chance to be on the first string. If only that damn coach was more willing to enter freshmen and juniors into the first string... No, stop. Thats not Coachs fault. Thats all on me. If I kept practicing, Id be in the first string by now. Maybe I could even get there on my second year, like Fenrir. By the way, Trever said. You guys got a coach, right? How is it? To be in a club with a coach, I mean. How am I supposed to answer that? Alex rolled his eyes. Its not like he ever was in a club without a coach, so he had nothing to compare with. Not to mention, as far as he was aware, the Leopards were the only middle school team in the region with a coach. What do you want to know, exactly? Hmm, I dunno. Then dont ask! Like, you think its a good thing to have a coach? Depends on the coach, I guess. Alex shrugged. Hows your coach? Hes... Alex opened and closed his mouth. What did he think of Coach? A sly bastard, whod go as far as setting Alex up as the vice-captain of the second string just to see him crash and burn. Also, a strict dictator who wont let anybody into the first string until theyre a senior. Yeah, there were many things Alex could say. But... Hes okay, I guess, Alex said. His coaching really helps. You may not believe it, but ComboBreaker was actually one of the weakest members in her first year. But look at her now. Wow, thats crazy. Trevers eyes opened wide. He stared at the ongoing match in disbelief. To think that this chick who kept everybody in StormBlitz on their toes was actually a scrub during her first year. Its unbelievable. So, Trever said. You recommend going for a high school with a coach? Oh. Alex paused for a moment. Right, graduation. They were both seniors, so theyll have to pick their high schools soon. Coaches were more prevalent in high schools, to the point about half the schools in the region had coaches. Whether to aim for a school with a coach was a legitimate concern for anybody who planned to play competitively in high school. It was a concern which eluded Alex for a long time. After all, he... Its probably better to have a coach, Alex said. Its usually the teams with coaches that make it big, like Venom. Ivy High, huh. Trever smiled wryly. Gonna shoot for it? I... Alex opened his mouth, but words didnt come out. He hadnt really thought about it, despite graduation being around the corner. Theyre the regional champions every year and they got a coach, so may as well. A businesslike answer. It just showed how little thought Alex had been putting into this topic until now. Venom is the goal for most players, right? If you can get in, its your best shot at getting to nationals. I dunno, Trever crossed his arms. I mean, its cool to play on a good team and all. But, there also gonna lots of pressure and stuff, ya feel me? True. I heard the coach is strict. Yeah, so I dunno if all that hardcore stuff fits me. Trever smiled wryly. I just wanna play and improve. Dont wanna deal with all the difficult stuff, ya feel me? Huh. So, you dont want to work hard? Nah, thats not the problem Trever waved his hand. Ever since I got kicked outta the first string, Ive been working my ass off to climb back. But here I am, sitting in the audience of all places. Funny, right? Hmm. Alex nodded vaguely. The words worked my ass off stung a little, since they were the complete opposite of what Alex had been doing these past two years. Here they were, two seniors who walked completely different paths and developed different mentalities. Yet, both became second string rejects and were demoted to sit in the audience. What went wrong? Alex asked. You couldnt beat the player who took your spot? Nah, Im better than her, Trever claimed. That is, when Im in top form. But turns out Im not really good at maintaining that form. I somehow always mess shit up at the critical moments. So, you buckle under pressure? Something like that. Trever sighed and shook his head. Dunno why Im even telling this to some random dude. I think thats what makes it easier to share. Alex also found himself unusually talkative. So, you rather pick an underdog team which doesnt have much riding on it? Yeah. Besides, isnt that way cooler? Be an underdog and beat the reigning champions! Or, get trashed by the champions and use the underdog excuse to justify your defeat. Alex sneered. Underdog, huh. Back in grade school, Alex was set on playing for the strongest team. Thats how he came to attend Leo Junior High, even though it demanded a long train ride every morning. Alex heard how the Leopards was the only team with a coach, so he pestered his parents to let him attend here. But, was it really the best choice? Probably not, at least not for Alex. Theres no denying he learned a lot from training under Rodriguez, but at the same time he also lost his drive due to Rodriguezs strict policies. Rodriguez was actually upfront about his policies from day one. During the club application process, he warned students that he prioritized seniors and that newcomers shouldnt get their hopes up about playing in tournaments. Even so, Alex applied without a second thought. He was sure hell knock off Coachs socks by becoming a starter during his first year! What a cocky idiot he was. As a result, he learned on his flesh how frustrating it was to be a skilled player who couldnt play in tournaments. Had Alex picked a school with a no-name team, hed surely become a starter right away, Or at least, he wouldnt have to worry about eventually becoming a starter. A no-name team would have a small club, so there wouldnt be much competition for spots in the first string. But instead, Alex threw himself into the lions'' den. A huge club, filled with players hungering for the competitive scene. He had to practice hard. He had to become stronger. These were the only thoughts occupying his mind during his first year. In the end, all this hard work went unrewarded due to Coachs policy. Alex felt like a fool for trying so hard. It completely killed his motivation and the rest is history. So, if Alex decides to continue playing Classmancers in high school, he rather not go through this bullshit again. A no-name team was perfectly fine. With Alex joining, the team will stop being no-name anyway. And most importantly, hell be able to play in real matches. Hell no longer have to sit in the audience and gaze upon the dazzling stage from below. No, hell sit on that majestic stage himself. I guess going to Ivy really isnt for everybody, Alex said. The bigger the club, the harder it is to become a starter. I know, right? Trever nodded repeatedly. Lemme play, dang it. I didnt join just to warm up a chair. Agreed. Besides, Trever wore a difficult smile. If I go to Ivy, I wont be able to play against her. You got a rival? Its more like a curse. Unless I beat her, Ill stay cursed. Now that sounds like comic, Alex sneered. Just combine it with the underdog story and you got yourself a bestseller. Heh. itll be the season that changes the city forever! Trever chuckled. You know whats funny? Everybody only ever talks about Venom because these guys have been taking the regionals every years. But, there are actually other great teams in our region which are always runner-ups. Oh? Alex blinked. Interesting. He also was under the impression that You either play on Venom or youre a nobody. A pal of mine dug up on previous tournaments, Trever explained. There are two other teams which always make top four: Aces and Knights. Cool, right? He puffed his chest as if he deserved any credit for obtaining this data. Still, it was news for Alex. Which schools? Aces in Hamilton High and Knights in Gordon High. I see. Alex didnt recall hearing much about these teams, but he knew the high schools at least. Gordon High was actually pretty close to his house. Hamilton was like two hours away if memory served. So, you think to join one of them? Yep, thats the idea, Trever nodded. The thing is, Aces got a coach while Knights dont. Made me wonder. If youre already dodging Venom to minimize pressure, may as well go all the way and pick the one without a coach. Alex wasnt sure whether he was telling that to Trever or to himself. Having a coach can help you improve, but hell always demand results. Yeah, figured. Trever shrugged. Think I gonna go for the Knights then. Besides, dont they sound cooler? Ya know, like heroic knights who rescue beautiful ladies? Haha. ... sure. If there were a Guinness record for the stupidest reason to pick your high school, Trever would easily take first place. Aces and Knights, huh. Two teams which consistently made it into top four, and most likely were the second and third seed of every tournament. Theyre underdog teams compared to the unbeatable Venom, but theyre not bad to the point they cant achieve anything in the regionals. Therefore, they were the perfect picks for anybody who didnt want to go to Venom but still wanted to compete. I havent done any homework at all, huh. Alex sighed. High school was right around the corner, yet he didnt check anything at all. After spending over two years in the Leopards, Alex should have already figured that joining Ivys big club was not in his best interests. Yet, he didnt bother searching for alternatives. Did he even plan on playing in high school? He wasnt even sure what he was thinking these past two years. Its like his time was frozen in place all this time. But, things were different now. Today, he faced his foolishness and took the first step forward. He came to terms with the fact he completely wasted the past two years. While he was busy hating Coach and ranting about the first string, he degenerated and became a total loser. Somebody like him didnt deserve to play on the competitive stage right now. Fortunately, theres still time until the regionals. Hell use it to salvage himself and to shoot for the first string once again. Maybe hell make it in, maybe not. Either way, he took the first step. Even if it doesnt work out, next year hell be in high school. Itll be a fresh start. All the effort hes going to put this year will build up toward next year. Whether Alex will join Aces or Knights, he hadnt decided yet. But whichever its going to be, hell do his utmost to become a starter and face Venom in a tournament. His ultimate goal: to take down the big renowned club! Thatll be fun! Flames sparked in his heart once again. This was just the beginning of his Classmancers career! Vol.3 Ch.21: Facing Ones Shortcomings The fifth game between StormBlitz and Leopards reached its final stage. After gaining momentum during mid game, StormBlitz maintained their lead and pushed the Leopards back in Bot and Mid. No matter how hard Jennifer tried to turn the tables around, her team was constantly overwhelmed. The main culprit was Gunz who dominated for the second game in a row, largely thanks to the kill he scored on Jennifer. It gave him just enough lead to go on a wild hunt. Despite playing a defensive Carry, his super accurate super long snipes were the bane of existence for everybody. Dude was legit aim-botting, no joke. Like, how the heck was he landing every shot from across the whole lane? Hax! The enemy Chronomancer, Average, was also a huge pain in the butt. In term of skill, Average didnt seem like anything special, just like his name. Yet somehow, he managed to create trouble every time. In the first game, Average did a crazy switcheroo with his finished build and pulled a kamikaze stunt on Jennifer. In the previous game, he played a very nasty Beastmaster who pushed lanes at the speed of light. And this game, his Chronomancer popped all over the map and burst players down, then quickly got out by rewinding time. That sneaky little...! Despite all that, the Leopards fought relentlessly till the very end. Jennifers performance was lackluster and she was aware of it, but that didnt stop her from trying. She kept trying and trying and trying, believing the Leopards can break through. DEFEAT Damn. Jennifer sighed. They couldnt do it, huh. Everybody must have seen this result from a mile away considering her underwhelming performance and how dominant Gunz and Average were, But, they all fought by her side to the bitter end. Good game, guys. Jennifer stood up, forcing herself to smile. These scrubs were kinda better than what we expected, right? But make no mistake: any other day wed mop the floor with them. Today was just a hiccup. We went, 1-4, though. Albert pointed out. Oh shush you. Jennifer made a face. Every game today was hella close. If we subbed Alex earlier... She paused. Anyways! We were real close! No need to feel bad! She wasnt entirely sure whose spirits she was trying to lift, the teams or her own. Okay guys, let''s go and get the formalities done with. Both teams gathered in the center of the stage. There were some rules about how they were supposed to line up... probably. Jennifer couldnt be arsed to remember. She just secured the beginning of the line. Shes the captain, so surely she gotta stand at the top, right? Good... Game... The boy in front of her starched a shaky hand. Whoa, whats this guy? Hes pale like a freakin ghost and looked like he could collapse at any moment. Yeah, good game. Jennifer shook the ghosts hand. If memory served, this kid was the vice-captain of StormBlitz. At least, until these crazy guys decided to kick out their own captain. So, did it mean this kid was the new captain? Like, hes just a freshman. Was Jennifers team really done in by a bunch of greenhorns? Bloody hell. How did her team lose!? How!? To a bunch of rookies! Dang it. But she had to admit, these guys played well today. They deserved at least some respect. Like, not TOO much respect but at least a little. Some of there were definitely worthy opponents to keep an eye on. Who knows, she may face some of them in high school. Whos Gunz? Jennifer asked out loud. Yo, A blonde guy flashed his teeth and stretched his hand. Breaker, right? Your combos were sick! Good game. Hm, thanks. Good game. Jennifer twisted her lips as she accepted the handshake. It almost sounded like he was making fun of Jennifer after beating her two games in a row, but there was something earnest about his smile and energetic handshake.. Well, at least theres no way this guy was a freshman, right? Like, he was pretty tall and all. It''d be the end of her if she learned she was beaten by a freshman in one of her main roles. What year are you? First year. Wha-!? A freshman!? Yep, freshly baked. Haha. You shitting me... Jennifer facepalmed. What the hell was wrong with this team? A freshman captain and a freshman mechanical monster? Daaaamn, these guys gonna rock the middle school scene in a year or two. Too bad Jennifer wouldnt be there to see it. Two years, Jennifer declared. Once you get to high school, Imma kick yo ass for real. Looking forward to it. Gunz grinned, confident hell mop the floor with Jennifer without any trouble. Cocky kid, heh. Besides Gunz, theres one more guy who gave Jennifer a shitton of trouble today. I swear, if this guy is also a rookie... Whos the major leaguer wannabe? Jennifer asked. You know, the one with the parries. That''s me, the one and only. A guy stepped forward. Tall, tanned and got some thick muscle on him. Looking hella fine. Ah, ahem! That''s beside the point. So this was CleaupHitter, huh. That pesky guy who pulled off miraculous parries, which put Jennifers anti-parry practices to shame. Even though his overall impact on the games was incomparable with Gunzs, for Jennifer he was actually the greater mystery out of the two. Nobody bothered to learn parry. Like, nobody. Seriously. In her entire club, not a single player challenged this beast of a mechanic. Many tried of course, because parrying was hella cool. It ended up as just a meme for them. A cool meme, but that''s it. Yet, the guy standing in front of her made it work. He tamed this beast of a mechanic and unleashed it on stage. His parries were even game changers on a few occasions. That''s just amazing. Putting aside how he was some major leaguer wannabe, Hitter was a crazy guy. He wasnt a freshman too, was he? Like, theres no way anybody can master parrying to this level on their first year. Besides, hes too tall and buff to be a freshman. Though, the same kinda applied to Gunz too. Geh, so hard to tell. Don''t worry, Hitter chuckled. Im not a freshman, so no need to feel bad about losing to me, lol . W-Wha!? Jennifer felt her cheeks heating up. T-This freaking guy! She had to shoot something back! Huh, using lol in real life? Thats like super lame. Its even more embarrassing to know I lost to a guy like that. Says the girl who named herself after a meme from the previous millennium. Geh, Jennifer clenched her fists. Don''t wanna hear that from a guy who pretends he''s playing baseball. I actually played in Little League though. Was even the cleanup and everything. Pretty cool, huh? Wait, seriously? Jennifer blinked. Well, Hitter was really kinda buff, so its possible. The cleanup, huh. The fourth batter, the teams best slugger. Thats really cool. Ah, like, not THAT cool or anything. Hmph. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. So, Jennifer continued. What the heck a cleanup is doing playing Mancers? Reasons. Hitter shrugged. Hmmmm. Sounded mysterious, but Jennifer didn''t pry any further. Bottom line, this guy really played baseball before and he probably carried over his batting sense in the form of parrying. Not bad. Hey, She pulled her phone. Gimme your number. Lol, you hitting on me? Wha, no! Jennifer waved her phone in denial. I-Its not like that! And why was she even overreacting in the first place!? Dang it!. I just wanna work on countering parries, and youre like the only guy in the whole world who uses them. Impressed by my skill? Hmph, youre not too shabby, I guess. Jennifer crossed her arms and glanced away. So cmon, lets exchange numbers so we can arrange games. I dunno, though, Hitter rolled his eyes. Sounds like you just gonna use me to improve yourself. Whats in it for me? Um, Jennifer knitted her eyebrows. Right. Welp. What was there? Err. Well, look at it this way: you gonna get the number of a popular girl. Hows that? Oh, you gonna introduce me to some chick? Wha, that''s not what I... Jennifer clenched her phone. Yeah, my bad! Excuse for not being a "popular girl! Nobody even treats me like a girl anyway, hmph! Dang it. Okay, Hitter took out his phone. Im game. Seriously? Im not introducing you to anybody, ya know. Youre also fine. W-Wha!? Jennifer took a step back. Her heart squeezed. W-W-What was going on here right now!? I mean, Hitter said. You throw some tricky pitches, so batting against you gonna be good practice for me too. O-Oh, thats what you meant. Huh, yeah. I, um, pretty good at that stuff. Jennifer''s words were a jumble. A weird wave of heat traveled through her body. What the hell was wrong with her? She shook her head to regain her senses. You better be grateful you get the chance to play to against an amazing pitcher like me. I may not look like it, but I played some baseball back in grade school. Was usually the pitcher and stuff. Lol, a girl pitcher? Thats hot. Y-Yeah, it sure damn is. Jennifer stuttered for some reason. Gah, every little thing this guy was saying ticked her off for some reason, Anyway, whats your number? They exchanged numbers, then she put her phone away. Okay, wrote you down as Dat lol guy. And you''re Dead meme chick. Yeah, whatever. Jennifer chuckled. Imma text you about practice later, so make sure to check your messages. Sure. Wouldnt want to miss any messages from a popular girl, lol. You know it. Jennifer turned to her teammates and clapped once. Okay, let''s... Whatcha all laughing at? Her teammates gave her funny looks, giggling for some reason. Were just happy for you, Albert said with a stupid smile on his damn face. You got yourself a boyfriend. Oh shut it. Jennifer waved her hand. Besides, he''s one year younger than me. Already making excuses? You know, I think I liked you more when you talked less. Jennifer gave Albert a look. Youve been kinda bossy last game too, nitpicking every little thing I did. I just pointed out your what you could have done better. Not my fault there was a lot to point out. Snarklord, Jennifer lightly punched him on the shoulder. Well, let''s go. Coach must be waiting to give us an earful. Guys, blame everything on Jenny. Albert pretended to whisper. I heard that! Jennifer waved an angry fist on her way out. Though, it''s true she messed up a lot last game. By now, Jennifer came to terms with the fact she had a lot to learn when it came to non-combo classes. Basic practice wasn''t enough. She had to go out there and fighting with her rank points at stake. Okay, the goal for tomorrow is a hundred matches as Pirate! No, a thousand! Yeah, that sounds good. As for practicing anti-parrying techniques, she now had dat lol guy. Awesome. Everything was set. She knew exactly what she had to work on, so she gonna improve a whole lot before the regionals. If anybody climbs from second string to first string, it gonna be her! Thats a good look you got. Coach nodded in approval. I just figured some stuff. Jennifer smiled wryly. For her, playing Classmancers was about playing combo. Until now, she only focused on that art and treated non-combo meta classes as basic level stuff. But, Classmancers wasn''t such a simple game. Unless she genuinely practices all the important classes, shell never become a truly godlike combo player. Even DimensionShift didnt use combo every game, despite being crowned as the top combo player in the world. Jennifer still had a long road ahead of her. Finally, Coach nodded. Looks like things Ive been telling you from day one finally sunk in. Good girl. He tried to pat Jennifers head. Yeah, I guess. Jennifer jerked away. She wasnt some little kid, dang it. We lost a buncha times today, but I really learned a lot. These were some good matches. True, true. But, thats not going to spare you kids from a long review session about all today''s losses. Fuuuuun. Her shoulders dropped. The next day, Jennifer arrived at the club room at 6am. They had optional morning training, but that started at 7am. She had been attending that morning practice every day, but its been a while since she got here so early. When was the last time, again? Probably sometime back in her first year, back when she was fighting her hardest to climb out of her noob rank. Its been a long time since she felt like this: frustrated and hungering for improvement. There''s tons of work to do and little time. She had to play at least hundred games a day with every meta non-combo Carry and Mid class, then shed be ready for regionals for sure! Hm? Something was off. Jennifer inserted the key, but the lock didnt turn. Huh? Oh, the clubrooms door was open. Did somebody forget to lock again? Seriously, these guys. Jennifer removed the key and entered the room. Oh. Her bag slipped off and crashed into the floor. Even though it was 6am and even though actual morning practice would only begin in an hour... somebody was already here. Youre early, Alex said nonchalantly as if its totally normal for him to be here. Yeah, totally normal. Nothing odd about this situation. Its just that the lazy bum who always skips practice happened to come here at 6am. Whats next? Elephants gonna rain from the sky? Is today April''s Fool or something? Not really. Alex looked away. Just felt like practicing a little. Feel kinda rusty. Rusty doesnt even begin to describe you, Jennifer gave him the evil eye. Its a miracle you even still remember how to play. Hey now. Ive at least been playing some Ranked. With just one class, apparently. ....... Alex couldnt come up with a retort. Ha! 1-0 to Jennifer. Ill do it. Alex proclaimed. Ill practice as hard as it takes to make up for the time I lost. This time, Ill definitely make it into the first string. Hmph, big words. Jennifer shrugged. She itched to shoot some more thorny words at him but decided against it. This must be the first time in ages she didn''t feel like punching Alex in the face the moment she saw him. Alex proclaimed hell get into the first string no matter what, just like he claimed back in first year. Back then, they often came to the clubroom at 6am like this and worked themselves to the bone. Fun times. Well then, Jennifer put her hands on her waist and lifted her chin. Ill be damned if you beat me to it. Its a race! I gonna become a starter way before than ya! I can see that happening. Alex shrugged. So, you also figured something from that match? Not your business. I see. Alex returned to monitor in front of him. Im doing a warm up with my other main classes. Wanna join? Nah, I got something more fun, Jennifer smirked and pulled out her phone. She called Dat lol guy. It took the call a while to get through. ... What? A zombie answered from the other side. GUUUUUTEN MORGEEEEEN!!! Agh! My ears- whoa! A loud thump resounded. Pft, you okay there? Jennifer laughed. Did he drop his phone or something? The guy must have been spooked shitless, haha! You just murdered my ear... Thats what you got another one for. Jennifer snickered. That felt oddly satisfying for some reason. What do you want anyway? It''s like six now... A loud yawn followed What do you mean what I want? I texted you yesterday about practicing parries today at six. I dont remember replying, though... Yeah, exactly. So, it means you dont have any objections! 10/10 logic, much genius... I know, right? Jennifer laughed. Then, silence descended on them. Awkward. She actually started feeling a little guilty for waking up the poor guy like this. Like, she only met him yesterday and shes already pestering him at 6am. Err, sorry. Go back to sleep. Like I could. My ear is still ringing. Haha, sorry, sorry. To hell with it. Ill practice with you. Really!? Jennifer jumped. Yeah. Just gimme a few minutes. I gonna parry your attacks so hard theyll fly outta your screen and smack you in your stupid face. Hoho, well see about that. Jennifer grinned. Call me when youre ready. Ill send you an invite. All she received in response was a loud yawn that vaguely resembled affirmation. Good enough for her. Everybody says you got yourself a boyfriend, Alex said with a stupid smirk across his face. Theyre just making shit up. You do look happy, though. Heh, of course, I am! She pointed straight at Alex, stabbing him with an imaginary laser beam. I gonna perfect my anti-parrying techniques, then get some experience with non-combo classes and shoot all the way to the first string! And then invite your boyfriend to a date? Sounds like a plan. Gah! Will you all drop it already!? Jennifer waved an angry fist. She got no time for such stupid crap right now. The regionals are in a few months. She gotta practice, practice and practice! This time, she had a clear idea what she was lacking and what she gotta focus on. It wont be easy, but shell make it for sure! Her fight for a starter position gonna start for real today! Vol.3 Afterword This is the end of the third volume. Finally, the long scrimmage came to an end. Yuels team won quite decisively, but it was just a second-string match. How will Yuel and Lars fare in a real battle between first strings? Wait, but theyre not even in the first string yet! Will they be able to get there in time for this years regional tournament!? Find out in the next volume! The writing has been progressing at a steady pace, so there wont be any breaks before the next volume. In fact, starting with the next volume, Ill have a bi-weekly schedule where every other week will have TWO chapter releases instead of one! Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Since my Patreon has reached the milestone of 20$, Ill release an extra chapter this week on Saturday. In general, the new schedule will be: one chapter every week on Tuesday + one extra chapter every other week on Saturday. To keep my Patreon rewards in line with the faster schedule, the 3$ plan now offers FOUR chapters ahead instead of just three. Thanks for the support, everybody. I hope youll keep enjoying the series for a long time! Vol.4 Ch.1: The Regionals Without Me The competitive stage. The place where each player puts their everything on the line for the sake of victory. An arena where gladiators fight relentlessly through blood and sweat, displaying their strengths and conquering their weaknesses. In todays scrimmage, Yuel got a taste of this glamorous stage. It was a ruthless war zone, but a glimmering one. Todays battle just ended, yet he already dreamed of playing here again. Hey dude, Lars called out. Match is over. How long ya gonna stand there? Oh, right. Yuel returned down to earth. What did just happen, again? Right, they had a handshaking ceremony and the Leopards left. Everything was a blur. He vaguely recalled Breaker talking about something with Lars and Roi, but he completely out of it at the time. You okay? You look like a zombie, haha. Just tired. Yuel slowly turned toward the exit. Ugh, his legs felt like lead. Each step felt like pushing a car that ran out of gas. Dude, you look pooped. Lars walked up to him and offered a shoulder. Cmon. Im not that tired- wah! Yuel stumbled, almost diving into the floor. So much for acting tough. Ugh. He felt his cheeks heating up. ... guess Ill take you on that offer. He wrapped his arm around Larss shoulder. This is embarrassing.. Totally. Lars nodded. You gotta exercise more. Youve been slacking lately, right? I still jog, at least once a week. Laaaame. You gotta jog every day, yo. Pretty sure thatll break my legs. Nah, itll be fine! Trust me, youll have more MP than ever! Can cast yo Tactics Shmactics spell all day. Heh, Ill think about it. Yuel smiled wryly. Body fitness directly contributed to mental fitness, so its not like Lars was wrong. However, Yuels fatigued stemmed primarily from the abnormal circumstances of todays match, First, he inherited the shot-caller role amidst a helpless situation in the first game. He had to squeeze every last bit of brain power to overcome that ordeal. And since then, he had been the shot-caller every game. Thats extremely taxing when combined with playing Support, a role which required sharp-decision making. However, all of that was still up his alley. Things started getting out of hand once the issue with Trever hit the fan. Yuel was stressed out by the team falling apart and he desperately tried to find a solution, which led to confronting Trever face to face and asking the team captain to step down. An absurd situation. Yuel never dealt with that kind of drama before. And if all that wasnt exhausting enough, he also became the captain. That loaded further pressure on him, since he had to act like a role model for everybody and hold the team together. Yuel never trained to bear such heavy responsibility during a match. It was nerve-racking. So all in all, there were too many unforeseeable circumstances and too many roles forced on him. No wonder he was exhausted. No amount of daily exercise could have prepared him for something like this. Even running twenty marathons every day wouldnt build the necessary mental fortitude to deal with that sort of rollercoaster ride. The only relief he had today was when Lars joining the team. Lars was a high maintenance player, so Yuel had to babysit him a little. But in exchange, Lars steered the momentum in StormBlitzs favor, making it that much easier to win the two games. You played well today, Yuel said. Whoa, Lars jumped. You really praising me? Thats rare! You sure you okay? Dont die on me, dude! I can give credit where its due. With that said, we still need to review some of the terrible plays you made, like that one time you died diving under tower. Bah, ruthless. Lars made a face. But we really did it, huh. His eyes went over the grand stage. We finally became pros! Again with that... Yuel sighed and smiled wryly. This is just junior high. And, we only played as a second string. But duuude, wasnt it sick!? We finally got to play on a real stage! There was even an audience and everything! I bet they were mostly spies from other schools, though. Yuel kept that observation to himself to not ruin the moment. Circumstances aside, today was really a huge step forward. Just a year ago, the two of them were just newbies who grinded in Ranked during lunch breaks and after school. They had come a long way, getting to play on a real stage where pro matches were held. But, thats just the beginning. We really made it far, but we still got a long way to go. True dat. Next time, we gonna come here as the first string! Yes. Yuel nodded. Though, thatll have to wait until at least next week. Sadly, its unlikely any changes will be made to the first string so late into the year. The regionals were just a couple of months away and Yuel still hadnt surpassed Howard. But, next year for sure...! Sure took you a while. Gilbert greeted them as they returned to the waiting room. You alive? he asked while throwing a glance at the shoulder supporting Yuel. Kinda. Yuel quickly removed himself from Lars, before anybody else sees this embarrassing scene. Gilbert was fine, but others would make fun of him to no end. And, Julia would definitely tear him apart for this. Yuel dropped on one of the sofas and exhaled. Thinking of it, he didnt get much sleep tonight. The nap he took before the scrimmage relieved some of that fatigue, but it was creeping back. He was so tired. If not for his teammates being as reliable as they were during the matches, he would have collapsed a long time ago. By the way, Yue; addressed Gilbert. Thanks for backing up my shot-calling, especially in the last game. I could barely put two and two together at that point. Well, Gilbert shrugged. I was kinda supposed to be the teams shot-caller in the fist place, so... Thanks for willing to surrender the role to me. Yuel kept that one inside to not rub any salt. Gilbert clearly came here today fully intent on being the shot-caller throughout the whole scrimmage. After all, that''s the role entrusted to him by Howard. Just how hard was it for him to surrender the role to somebody else? And to a freshman, to boot. Really, thank you so much. Cmon, you making me blush. Gilbert chuckled. Its no big deal. That''s what teammates do: we support each other. Just because you play Support, doesnt mean you can''t rely on others. That''s a problem I noticed, you know? You like shouldering everything yourself. It''s a team sport. You dont have to do everything yourself. Right. Yuel had mixed feelings about this critique, but it probably had some truth in it. He really did accumulate a bunch of different roles and overclocked his brain to find solutions for all the problems the team faced. But, it''s not like he didnt rely on his teammates at all. For example, he did borrow Larss help to reclaim the teams momentum, didnt he? Well, Gilbert looked aside. To be fair, you were probably meant to be tested as the shot-caller in the first place. Hm? Nothing, Gilbert shrugged. Anyway, Im off to watch the first strings game. Seems like theyre still at it. Oh! Lars exclaimed. I wanna watch too! He turned to Yuel. Wanna go? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Nah, Yuel shook his head, sinking deeper into the comfy sofa. I want to rest a bit. Okay, seeya after the match. Everybody left. Yuel also wanted to join them, but his body lost all its strength once it dropped on the sofa. So tired. He merely played five games, but it felt like he returned from war. A little nap was in order. His eyes grew heavier and heavier until he succumbed to darkness. Sometime later, Lars woke him up. The first string match was over, along with todays scrimmage. It''s time to head home. Who won? Yuel asked Howard. We, of course, Howard answered matter-of-factly. So, in the end, the first string went 3-2, which made the second strings 4-1 unnecessary. Yuel stressed so much over getting that 4-1, but it didnt even matter in the end. He felt cheated. Gotta admit though, Howard said. It was close. Good thing you got that 4-1 as a backup. Yes, after somebody pressured me about it to death. Haha, did I press too hard? My bad. Howard said that, but there was as nothing apologetic about his smirk. Well, rejoice. You passed the test with flying colors. What test? Thinking of it, when they talking about subbing Lars in, Howard said: Consider this a test your future depends on. And, Gilbert also mumbled something along these lines. You never told me what this test is about. Youll find out. When, exactly? Yuel frowned. After we win the championship. Howard grinned. Thats some confidence. How are our chances? Were in a pretty good spot for the regionals, at least, Howard said. I mean, we just beat the team thats favored to represent the region. Thats not too shabby, right? Haha. You lost 0-2 to them at first, though. Youre a real party popper, anybody ever told you that? Howard shook his head. But, youre right. We only ended up winning because it was a best of five. Its tough to beat them 2-1, but if its 3-2 we got a decent chance. Gotta pray well only meet them at the finals. So it seems. Yuel nodded. In the regionals, all matches were best-of-three, except for the finals which were best-of-five. Theyre bound to run into Leopards as long as they keep winning, so its best if that happens in the finals. Thats where the seeding system came into play. If StormBlitz and Leopards get first and second seeds, theyre bound to meet only at the finals. Unfortunately, things didn''t go as planned. StormBlitz managed to secure first seed, but for some reason, the Leopards only secured fourth seed. After the scrimmage against StormBlitz, the Leopards lost most of their subsequent scrimmages. Was it on purpose? Did their coach order them to lose so they avoid meeting StormBlitz at the finals? It sounded like a stretch, but its hard to put anything past Fernando Rodriguez. After all, hes the man who came up with an unconventional strategy like the mixup to increase the chances of winning best-of-three games. Aron and Howard spied on one of the scrimmages and Yuel tagged along. The lineups the Leopards used there were quite different from the ones Howard played against. There was also an abnormal amount of subs during that scrimmage. The only consistent element was Fenrir, the team captain. He was the one player who had never been subbed out. Were they experimenting with new formations for the tournament? Perhaps their coach was preparing a special strategy to deal with StormBlitz. The most surprising part of the scrimmage was when ComboBreaker and Freezer were subbed in. Could it be this scrimmage was used to test them? After all, they were capable players. Being stuck in the second string definitely didnt suit somebody of Breakers caliber. Are they being given a chance to become starters? Yuel clasped his hands. He played against these two. His team even won 4-1. And yet, Breaker and Freezer were apparently given a chance to prove they were fit for the first string, whereas Yuel was stuck in the second string. As a mere rookie, there was no hope for him this year. No, thats not important right now. Yuel shook his head. He came here to observe the scrimmage, not to lament his situation. Besides, its possible the coach just used this scrimmage to give Breaker and Freezer some practical experience, a thing both of them seemed to previously lack. Either, the two of them put on a solid performance. Breaker played Pirate, but she was an entirely different beast compared to when she faced Lars. Her movements were as refined as ever, but now she also knew how to adapt to unforeseeable situations on the fly. RELEASE THE-! The Pirate began yelling, then stopped. Theres no telling whether the enemy Elf intended to dodge the Kraken in the last second, but Breaker didnt care to check. All she wanted was to startle the enemy with the threat of an incoming Kraken. While her opponent was momentarily fazed by this development, Breaker closed the distance with Backfire Cannon. One slash. Two slashes. The Elf took two hits before finally escaping with Elven Leap. However, what awaited the Elf at his landing spot was a vicious Kraken. Breaker forced this sequence of plays to completely trap the Elf. The Kraken smacked the enemy into the ground and Breaker finished him off. Breakers plays were already polished before, but now they were also swift and brimmed with confidence. She must have gained a tremendous amount of practical experience over the last month. She was no longer a one-trick pony whose only dangerous weapon was combo. Right now, Breaker was an all-around powerhouse. Similarly, Freezer also put on a surprisingly solid performance as Electromancer. All he did were mostly basic plays, but at least they no longer had any glaring flaws in them. He patiently applied Electric Charges via basic attacks, followed up with Chain Lightning for maximum hits and wrapped it up with Electrical Explosion. The minion wave was blown to pieces. On top of that, Freezer also utilized Thunderstorm in the nastiest way possible. He always placed the storm in the center of the enemys formation during team fights, forcing the enemies to scatter and break formation. This usually led to an easy team fight win. Compared to how poorly Freezer played Electromancer last time, he truly improved a lot. Or rather, its more like he was rusty before and now got back in shape. Combined with his sharp decision-making and his deadly ability to punish overextension, he was shaping into a tough opponent. The Leopards ultimately lost 2-3. However, the two only games they won were the ones where Breaker and Freezer played. So, did it mean these two really had a chance to be promoted to the first string? They definitely improved a lot since the last time Yuel played them. They were moving forward, chasing the competitive stage. Yet here Yuel was, still stuck in the second string like before. Ugh. Months passed by in a blink of an eye. Before long, the regionals came around. StormBlitz dominated the competition and pushed all the way to the semifinals, where they ran into the Leopards. Whether this was a calculated arrangement or purely bad luck, this best-of-three match was an unwelcome matchup for StormBlitz. Neither Breaker nor Freezer participated in the tournament until that point, so it was safe to assume they didnt make it into the first-string. Thats a relief. Yuel felt a little bad for thinking this way, but he couldnt deny he was glad these two didnt make it into the first string. Because otherwise, hed feel terrible for still being stuck in the second string- ComboBreaker! The announcer shouted as he read the roster. A face we havent seen this tournament yet! And a girl, no less! Is she Rodriguezs secret weapon!? Or, perhaps a special tech against StormBlitz!? After all, the Leopards lost to StormBlitz in a scrimmage earlier this year. Oh? I also hear she used to be the captain of the second string? That sounds promising! So, ComboBreaker made it. Yuel frowned. Freezer wasnt in the roster, but Breaker made it. In just a span of a few months, she ascended into the first-string. Even though she didn''t get to play in every match, she still achieved way more than Yuel did, which was zilch. Nada. And, Breaker didnt come on stage just to shock Yuel. She actually put on a lot of work during the StormBlitz vs. Leopards match, displaying her hyper-aggressive combo style in all its beauty. It proved quite effective against Howards defensive composition. Defending was that much harder against an enemy who could blast you apart in an instant. Amazing! The commentator shouted. From hundred to zero in an instant! To all you folks out there who call combo a meme, watch and learn! So much praise. So much attention. Even though Breaker wasnt necessarily the most amazing player in the match, the caster hyped her enough to make her look like a star. Her competitive debut was nothing short of dazzling. Meanwhile, Yuel was downstairs in the audience. He was sitting in the shadows of the glimmering lights, unnoticed. The stage was right there in front of him, yet it felt like its on the other side of the world. This year, Yuel didnt make it there. It was Howard and Ellen fighting on that grand stage instead of him and Lars. They were appointed as substitutes, but thats only in case something were to happen to Howard or Ellen. In practice, they werent considered part of the first string in any shape or form. Worse of all, Howard and Ellen were juniors. Theyll be around for another year and will keep overshadowing Yuel and Lars, stealing their spotlight on the competitive stage. No. Next year will be different. Yuel swore to himself. For now, he had no choice but to admit defeat against Howard. However, next year hell seize the Support role for sure! Hell no longer stay in the shadows. Even at his current level, Yuel led a team to score 4-1 against a team led by Breaker. And, Breaker proved herself a strong player who had what it takes to reach the first string. So, Yuel definitely had what it takes to compete on that dazzling stage too. And the same went for Lars, who defeated Breaker multiple times. Theyll get there. Next year, theyll play on this same stage and face strong teams. Next time, Yuel will lead a team to beat the Leopards first string. The StormBlitz vs. Leopards match concluded in three rounds. StormBlitz lost 1-2. As Howard predicted, beating the Leopards in a best-of-three was unlikely. Its impressive enough they won one game, largely thanks to Arons strong late game. Nevertheless, a loss was a loss. The regionals had a single-elimination format, so StormBlitz was out of the tournament. Despite Howard talking big about winning the championship, they didnt even reach the nationals this year. In the end, the Leopards won the regionals. However, even they didnt get all the way to the championship. They reached the semifinals of the nationals and were stopped there. In other words, there were even stronger teams out there, waiting for Yuel on the national stage. He had to get there, no matter what. Next year, for sure! Itll be a long road, but the first step was clear: surpassing Howard as a Support. Vol.4 Ch.2: New Captain and Vice-Captain Summer arrived soon after the nationals. Before Yuel realized, he had already spent an entire year in the Classmancers club. He improved a lot and class-changed from Kid to Second String Captain. But, thats about all he achieved. Hell have to work even harder next year if he wants to play competitively. The end of the year was approaching and a third of the club was about to graduate: Aron, Trever and all the other seniors. It meant all their spots on StormBlitz will be open next year. But Howard and Ellen were still here, so Yuel and Larss spots were still taken... for now. Before graduation day, the club threw a small farewell party for the seniors. All juniors and freshmen joined hands to bring snacks and drinks. Chips, cupcakes, candies, cola, you name it. Yuel could only imagine the horror of cleaning all of this afterward, a job thats clearly going be forced on the freshmen... oh well. It was supposed to be a party, so he did his best to shut his brain and enjoy. Hey, Lars called out to Trever. You finished entry exams, right? Got into Ivy? Ivy? Trever took a slow sip from his drink. Nah, I blew it. Pft, not surprised. Whats that supposed to mean!? Trever jabbed. Man, like youre the one to talk. Ill know for sure the zombie apocalypse is coming when ya get higher than a failing mark at literally anything, haha. Have to agree with that, Yuel gave Lars a look. From what I heard, most of your grades have only one digit. Haha! Trever smacked Lars on the back. And you wanna get to Ivy? Better start taking cram school, boy. Heeeeck no. Lars shook his head so hard it nearly flew off his neck. Imma just study hard in the last year. Things will work out for sure. Believe it, yo. Second year. Yuel insisted. You start studying in the second year. You need to get your grades at least into double digits first. Geh, what a pain. Ill think about it. Do it. Ill think about it. Ill tell your mom about your grades. Gah! Okay, okay! Ill try harder next year! Good. Yuel nodded. Ivy High was known as a rather prestige school. It demanded an average grade of 70 or more across subjects, as well as passing their entry exam with at least 60 points.. Fortunately, there were various scholarships which made things easier, like a sports scholarship. Since Classmancers was so highly regarded in Ivy, the sports scholarship extended to scouted Classmancers players. Being scouted didnt always guarantee admittance, but at least it significantly lowered the required average grade and entry exam score. Honestly, thats Larss only hope. Trever didnt get to play in the regionals this year and barely even in scrimmages, so of course, nobody scouted him. Not to mention that even if somebody had seen him during the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage, they wouldnt have gotten the best impression of him. Though it seemed the guy in question had completely forgotten about that dark past of his, and that''s for the better. Trever was at his best when he acted like a goof and pretended like hes everybodys big bro. Unlike Trever, theres one senior who DID participate in the regionals and put on a solid performance. He would have easily gotten the Best Jungler award in the regionals if not for Fenrir. Of course, the talented senior in question was Aron. Did Ivy scout you? Yuel asked. No, Aron shrugged. Nobody contacted me. Really? Thats surprising. They got high standards, I guess. An elitist school and all. I see. But, thats not an issue for you, is it? Im sure you still passed the entry exam with flying colors. I did. But, I wont attend Ivy. Huh? Yuel was sure he misheard for a moment. Why? After riding there for the exam, I realized how far it is, Aron shook his head. The thought of traveling there every day by metro and two buses killed all my motivation. Ill be going to Gordon instead. I see... Yuel wasnt sure how to take this. Aron should have been the type who strives to play in the best environment possible, he even considered going pro later down the line. Everybody and their reasons, I guess. By the way, Trever butted in. Im going to Gordon too. You dont say. Aron made a face. Hm? Yuel raised an eyebrow. There was something off about that reaction, but didnt seem like either of them was planning to talk about this. My, Ellen waltzed into the conversation out of nowhere and smiled at Aron. You gave up on Ivy to go to the same school as your boyfriend. How romantic~ You chick and your creepy fanfics, Trever shuddered. Youre still aiming for Ivy, right? Thats the idea, but who knows what gonna happen. At least, Im sure I won''t give up on Ivy for a silly reason like failing all my exams~ Youre real cute, you know? My, thank you~ Ellen tilted her head and smiled like an angel. A thoroughly disturbing angel. So, Trever grinned and thrust his finger at Ellen. We gonna play each other next year. Better brace yourself, girl! My, how rude. Ellen smacked Trevers finger away. Your parents didnt teach you to not point at people? Sheesh. And sure, Ill brace myself real well. That is, brace myself to never playing you in high school because youll never become a starter~ Well see about that. They glared at each other for about two seconds, but it felt like an hour. Finally, Ellen shrugged and waltzed away, with a foxy smile still plastered across her face. Tch, Trever clicked his tongue and refilled his drink. Yuel never heard the full story of these two, but they clearly had some bad blood between them. Was it just because Ellen stole Trevers Carry? It felt like there was much more to it, but Yuel never mustered the courage to poke that beehive. So, Yuel changed the topic. Is the team at Gordon any good? Heck yeah! Trever nodded, the usual smile gradually returning to brighten his face. They got the Knights! These bad boys don''t have a coach, but they get into top four every year. How cool is that, huh!? I see. Impressive, but also strange. If these Knights were truly so strong, why hadnt Yuel heard more about them? Then again, the only high school team anybody ever talked about was Venom, the team of Ivy High. They had been the reigning champions of the region for the past six years, so the accepted mentality was: You either play on Venom, or youre a nobody. Whichever reasons Aron and Trever had for picking the Knights, hopefully they wont regret their decision. They were good players, but not being in Venom meant facing Venom in the regionals. Merely being good wont cut it, that much was evident by the fact a strong player like Aron wasnt even scouted by Ivy. Itll be a tough competition for these two in high school. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Will Aron and Trever be able to shake the tradition and overthrow Venom with the Knights? I should really start following the high school competitive scene... But, it wasnt so simple. The high school scene was where competitive Classmancers began overlapping with the pro scenes. It wasnt uncommon to hear about talented high schoolers receiving pro contracts. Unfortunately, all of this was so far from Yuel right now. He was just a freshman in middle school, about to become a junior. The high school scene was still many years away from him. Every time he remembered that he died a little inside. As much as he wanted to debut on that stage right now, he first had to conquer the junior high scene, for which he first had to graduate from the second string. And to do that, he had to beat Howard. Speaking of the devil... Alright, Howard raised his voice. We got a farewell speech from our captain. Gather around. Everybody crowded in the center of the room around Aron and Howard. Lets see, Aron started off by going over his notes. Cmon, cap! Trever shouted with hands cupped over his mouth. Speak from the heart, not from your notes! If I did that, youll be stuck here until tomorrow listening to my rants about your performance. Wooooh! Lars and Taison waved their hands. Roasted! You punks, Trever chuckled as he tried to kick them. Dont forget who still has the highest win rate in our fights! Ahem, moving on, Aron took one more glance at his notes and then raised his eyes. I wrote a nice scroll, but I dont want to bore you to death. So, Ill try to keep it short. He means itll take one hour instead of five. Trever pretended to whisper. AHEM, Aron stabbed Trever with a sharp glare. First of all, we got the seniors who have spent three years in this club. He went over the seniors one by one. Thank you for bearing with me to this day. I know I can sometimes get a little obnoxious, but you stuck with me to the very end and Im really grateful for that. A little obnoxious is an understatement. Yeaaaah, but you did a great job as the captain. Yep, nobody could have handled it better. The seniors gave Aron thumb ups. Even though Yuel had spent only one year with Aron, he understood how they felt. Aron was very meticulous. He planned training regimes weeks in advance and did whatever it took to see them through, no matter what. The zombie apocalypse was going to strike tomorrow? No matter. Everybody had to assemble in the clubroom and follow the schedule Aron posted on the notice board. Anything that got in the way of the plan was frowned upon. Thats the kind of punctual captain Aron was. While Yuel thought thats admirable, some complained how this scheduling was a thorn at their side. Mainly, the wild ones like Lars and Trever. They always just wanted to have fun and do whatever they felt like at the moment. Its not surprising Aron mostly gave up on chaining them and mostly filled their schedules with independent practice. Regardless, its undeniable that Arons organized schedules and strict management greatly boosted the level of each and every member. He was critical, sometimes downright unforgiving, but it was all for the sake of players. The first time Yuel interacted with Aron was during the entry exam and at the time he also thought Aron was a rather demanding person. Aron bombarded him with questions after every move, giving him no chance to catch a breather. However, now Yuel knew that was just Arons way of assessing Yuels level and helping Yuel improve. When Aron asked questions, Yuels flaws came to the light. When Aron criticized the flaws, Yuel learned what to work on. In the end, it was all for the better. Next, the juniors. Aron went over the names of the juniors. After today, youre the seniors. The club is in your hands. Not its your job to pull the younger members. He passed a huge responsibility to them, emphasizing how they must serve as role models for the younger members and keep on striving for the championship. Since Im no longer the captain after today, Aron said. Ill announce the next captain now: Howard. A round of applause broke out, with some whistles mixed in-between. Yuel should have joined in, but his arms froze. His palms trembled, unwilling to connect. This should have been obvious for a while now. Its only natural for Howard to become the next captain. Its a standard promotion from a vice-captain into a captain, nothing special. However, it carried heavy implications for Yuel and Larss chances of making it into the first string next year, because the captain decided the lineups. Theres no way Howard would give up the Support role of his own accord, especially not when he can single-handedly decide who gets to play and who doesnt. Just when Yuel thought he was getting closer to the competitive scene, a new wall appeared in front of him. Was it even possible to overcome? Even if he somehow convinces everybody hes a better Support than Howard, its still the captain who had the final say. Ugh. And whats even more frustrating, Howard just took another huge step forward and increased the gap between himself and Yuel. Ever since their clash in the entry exam, Yuel had been chasing Howards back the whole year. From a rookie to a second string vice-captain and all the way to a second string captain. Yuel made tremendous progress in this one year. However, all of that paled compared to this one promotion Howard received. Just as Yuel was finally about to catch up, Howard sprinted five kilometers ahead yet again. Was it even possible to catch up at this point...? Alright, Howard finished giving a small speech regarding his ambitions as the new captain, but none of it registered with Yuel. Something something, winning the nationals, something something. Now then, since Im the captain, it means the club doesnt have a vice-captain, right? So, I gotta pick some sucker wholl do all the work for me, haha. The new vice-captain gonna be Yuel. Eh...? Yuel stumbled backward. He? The vice-captain? Ah... Cmon, Howard motioned to come over. Right... Yuel wobbled forward, each step felt heavier than the previous. He? The new vice-captain? That was... Heh, Trever smacked Yuel on the back. Good job, kid. Youre finally a bigshot, haha. Yeah, dude! Lars lightly punched Yuel on the shoulder. You gonna be one of the top dogs, yo! Haha, thanks... Yuel responded with a weak smile. He was actually going to become the vice-captain? That was... He didnt even... He was wobbling all over the place, but somehow reached his destination and stood beside Howard. Yes, they were actually standing shoulder to shoulder. Its the first time Yuel felt this close to Howard. Even though Howard leaped forward by becoming a captain, Yuel closed much of the gap by becoming the vice-captain. The chase wasnt over yet! Its still possible to catch up! But at the same time, Yuel felt anxious. Howard was the vice-captain before Yuel. In other words, Yuel was walking down the same path Howard did. It should have been a good sign, since it meant Yuel was on the right track for catching up with Howard. But at the same time, it emphasized the greatest gap between them: the one year gap. Just by being one year older, Howard will forever be one step ahead. Was it an impossible chase all along...? Eventually, the crowd dispersed and everybody returned to their snacks and drinks. Howard said more things regarding the clubs future, but it all went in one ear and out the other. Yuel just stood there like a statue, mulling over this development. You okay? Howard asked. Yeah... Yuel mumbled. Just wondering: why me? Wouldnt somebody like Gilbert be a better fit? Maybe, Howard shrugged, not even trying to deny it. But, the tradition is that the captain is a senior and the vice-captain is a junior. That way, the vice-captain becomes the captain in his last year. I see. It made sense. Even though Howard spoke lightly of it, this had huge implications about Yuels future: at this rate, he was going to become the captain next year. Hell literally walk down the same path as Howard. Was that good or bad? Why me? Yuel asked. Heh, and who else could I pick? Howard chuckled. You knew Lars and Tai are out of the question. and July wouldnt be arsed. I guess Greg was one option, but youre the better player. You even passed my test with flying colors. Test? Oh, so that''s what it was about. It finally clicked. When Howard forced Yuel to confront his teammates during the scrimmage, it was a test of Yuels ability. How well could he speak up his mind? How would he deal with problematic allies? Could he lead the team into a comeback? That one simple test answered all these questions. Well, Howard patted Yuel on the shoulder. Better be ready to work your ass off. Another thing thats according to tradition, is that vice-captain handles most stuff. The captain gets to kick back and relax. That sounds irresponsible. It builds character. Think of it as gaining exp for when you become the captain. Besides, I cant babysit everybody. My job as the captain is to bring the team to nationals. Makes sense. Yuel wasn''t keen on the idea of becoming Howard''s errand boy, but that''s actually how Howard was as the vice-captain too. Howard handled most issues throughout the year, making him feel like the actual captain of the club. Aron had the last word in everything important, but he was a rather distant figure for everybody outside the first string. Aron was like the unapproachable CEO of a big company, while Howard was the companys representative. And now, Yuel became said representative. Huge responsibility dropped on his shoulders along with the promotion. He had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he was glad his skill was recognized. On the other hand, it invited more trouble than its worth. His resolution for the upcoming year was to catch up to Howard, but the vice-captain job will surely get in the way of that. Was it going to be alright? Will he be able to catch up despite this slowdown? Either way, theres no choice but to accept his fate. It''s not like he could casually step down from the job. Not to brag or anything, but he was really the most fitting junior to handle this job. Not necessarily because he was that amazing, but because of who the other juniors were. Putting his ambitions aside, this was a responsibility he had to accept as a club member with the appropriate set of skills. Itll be fine. Howard overcame this ordeal, and so will Yuel. Just because Yuel will have more work cut out for him, it didnt mean hell stop in place. Hell catch up to Howard and become a starter, without fail. By walking down this road, hell acquire the necessary experience for topping Howard not only as a Support and a shot-caller, but also as a captain. Theres still a long road ahead of him! Vol.4 Ch.3: Summer Break Begins As the school year ended, summer vacation began. This was Yuels second summer since he started playing Classmancers. Last summer, he and Lars spent the whole time playing together to climb the ladder in Ranked. That was their best indication of improving at the game. But this summer, they had a concrete goal in mind: surpassing Howard and Ellen. The goal was huge and stared them right in the face, but they werent sure how to actually reach it. Unlike ranking up in Ranked, there was no linear progression toward this goal. How will they know if theyre getting any closer to beating Howard and Ellen? Was there any specific training regime they could use to get there faster? Unfortunately, Yuel didnt have an answer and Lars didnt even bother thinking much. Dont worry, yo. Lars always said. Lets just keep playing and climb these ranks! Were just two ranks below them, so we gonna beat them in no time! Online rank doesnt decide everything, you know. Yuel always retorted. They were at Diamond I right now, whereas Howard and Ellen were at Challenger IV. They were indeed only two ranks apart. Though, in Diamond and Challenger, even a single rank required tons of grinding. Still, in theory, they could eventually catch up with Howard and Ellen if they grind a whole lot. Unfortunately, that didnt mean anything for their position in the club. Clubmates had a certain amount of respect toward online ranking, but it couldnt single-handedly decide wholl play on the first string. There were many other factors involved. For one, theres each players main role. Even though Yuel and Lars had the highest online ranks after Howard, Ellen and Roi, it didnt mean they could just take the 4th and 5th spots on the team. Their main roles were Support and Carry, which were already taken by Howard and Ellen. So, there werent any open spots to claim. So, how about Larss suggestion of beating Howard and Ellens ranks? Well, Howard was new captain so he decided the roster. Beating his online rank wont be enough to make him surrender his spot. The only true way to force Howard to step down was by making him admit defeat. In other words, making him admit Yuel was the superior Support and that the team would have a higher chance of winning with Yuel on the team So, while beating Howards online rank could be a good first step, its far from enough. Yuel had to do more, to aim higher. But, he had no idea where exactly he should aim or how high he should get. In the end, all he could do was spend the summer practicing, just like last time. Lars dropped by every day and they played Classmancers from morning to evening. Lars even slept over a few times so they could play some more. Julia also tagged along. She didnt visit every day like Lars and she vehemently refused to sleep over, but she also poured hours upon hours into the game. This was also the same as last summer, except for her big shift in attitude compared to last year. Julia firstmost came over because of Lars, no question about it. However, she also displayed a much more genuine desire to better herself. Hey, you, Julia called out. Take a look at this. She shoved her tablet into Yuels face. How should Ive played here? This guy mopped the floor with me. Lets see, Yuel grabbed the tablet before it smashed his nose. For starters, you pushed too hard here. Aeromancer is good for defending, so random aggression wont get you far. Yeah, I know that stuff. Julia glared at him as if he was making a fool of her. But, the heck was I supposed to do instead then? The guy was hugging his tower all day like its his baby. One idea is to bait them outside. Yuel slid his finger across the screen, drawing paths from Mid Lane to the neutral Griffin Camps and the enemy Hyena Camps. Pretend youre going for one of their camps while theyre turtling. It wont work on everybody, but some may be tempted to chase you. Thats when you catch them off guard and finish them off. Oh, thats an idea! Julia nodded, then shifted her eyes aside. But of course I already knew that. Hmph. Sure. Yuel rolled his eyes. Even though Julia changed her attitude toward the game, her attitude toward Yuel remained the same. Oh well. Over the year, Julia greatly improved her defense and offense. Her tight defense was no longer as wasteful as before because she developed the confidence to not ward every single pixel on the mini-map. Her offense was also fiercer thanks to her secret training with Ellen, or so Yuel heard. He barely got any chances to see it in action because Julia refused to use it in front of Lars. Julia didnt admit it, but she was also chasing a rival. Gilbert was assuredly going to be StormBlitzs new Mid Laner next year, so Julia had to surpass him to get a chance to play competitively. Just like Yuel and Lars, she also lagged behind her rival by two ranks. Julia was at Diamond III, whereas Gilbert was in Diamond I. Fortunately for her, gaps within Diamond division were much easier to close than the gap between Diamond I and Challenger IV. So, she actually had the highest chance to catch up to her target this summer. Who knows, she might even become a starter before Yuel and Lars. That is, if she were as passionate as them. Im pooped, Julia sighed as she dropped on the sofa. Say, dont you guys wanna do something else for a change? She made it sound like shes asking both of them, but her eyes were locked on Lars. Its summer and stuff. We could go to the beach or just hang out at the mall. We didnt get to do anything fun last summer. I dont wanna spend another summer cramped in this room. Hey now, Lars said. We went to the beach once, remember? Oh yes, of course I remember. Julias eyes turned sharp like knives. You mean that one time when I thought were going to have fun at the beach, but turned you were talking about doing a flipping marathon aaaaall the way to the beach and back! Nah, thats no marathon. It was just like five kilometers. Thats marathon enough for me! Julia hissed. Anyway, Im talking about hanging out for real, not working out or playing Mancers. Well, Yuel said. You have girl friends you can go with, right? You dont get it, do you? Dumbass Julia puffed her cheeks. I wanna go to the beach with- She paused and threw a glance at Lars, then turned away with a tint of blush on her cheeks. Nevermind, forget it. She dropped again on the sofa. Guess well just rot in this boring room the whole summer. Great. Welp, Lars scratched his head. I kinda get it. Playing at the same place with the same people kinda burns you out. I wanna keep playing Mancers, but maybe we can make things more fun somehow? More fun? Yuel asked. Ya know, revolutionize stuff. Change the atmosphere. Do some cooler stuff.. Hmm, Yuel pondered. So, Lars meant to keep playing Classmancers but to do so with a novel approach or in a different environment. Thats indeed a good way to combat burnout. Admittedly, Yuel was also getting a little sluggish during this routine. It didnt bother him at all last summer, probably because Classmancers was still new for him. But after spending a whole year playing Classmancers seriously in a club, the game lost most of its novelty. Interestingly, Yuel didnt feel that way during the year. Everybody had been practicing every day in the clubroom, yet every time felt fresh and new in its own way. Sure, there was some repetition, but it didnt feel this bad. What was the difference? Why was practicing in the club usually fun, whereas meeting up in Yuels room was burning them out? Its probably the number of people. They had 15 members in the club, so there was a lot of variety. Team lineups and compositions varied wildly during practice matches and even the roles people played were different. Yuel usually played Support, but sometimes he was had to fill in as a Top Laner or Jungler. This variety and flexibility of club practice was something this room severely lacked. Its only the three of them here, which wasnt even enough to complete a full team. The only variety they had was when their online teammates stole their main roles, so they had to adapt. But, that always felt like nothing more than an inconvenience. Another factor that played a role in the burnout was the location itself. Even though the clubroom sometimes felt stuffed because of all the computers, it was rather big and offered a lot of space. Compared to that, Yuels room felt jail; tiny and restricting. There was the option of playing in the living room, but he wanted them to take turns playing on his computer so they dont become overused to tablets. Sadly, his computer was in his room. He suggested temporarily moving it to the living room for the summer, but his mom rejected the idea. So, whoever was going to play from the computer had to stay in Yuels room, while the rest could play from the living room. Lars said thats silly and beats the entire point of gathering together, and Yuel agreed. Thus, theres no choice but to play together in Yuels room. Ugh, its really cramped. The third factor of note was that theres only one PC here. Lars didnt like playing on tablet because apparently, its harder to execute his superhuman shots there. So, he brought over a laptop whenever he could. It wasnt exactly optimal because there wasnt much space for a laptop with a mouse, but Lars preferred that over a tablet. So, most of the time Yuel and Julia took turns playing on Yuels PC. Julia actually liked playing on tablet and argued shes fine with Yuel always staying on PC, but Yuel objected. Playing on a tablet was a different experience from playing on PC, so it might create some bad habits. Competitors played on PCs during tournaments, so its important to hone mechanical skill on PC. So, what can I do with this? Yuel wanted to convert his observations into a solution. First, the number of players. The most straightforward approach was to call other club members and play together with them. Especially, Roi and Dan would be great additions because theyd fill in the missing Top Laner and Jungler roles. Playing as a full premade team would also allow them to climb ranks faster, so its a win-win for everybody. But, Yuel couldnt possibly call them over. The room was already cramped, so shoving more people in here would make pack them like sardines. So, Lars said. How about we play at the club? At the club? Yuel blinked. But its summer vacation. The school is closed. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Is it though? Some srs bsns sports clubs practice during the summer, so dont see why we cant. My basketball club did that in grade school. Hmm, I suspect thatll require getting Burton involved, Yuel said. For starters, they probably had to get permission from their club supervisor, Mr. Burton. Theres a chance Burton will have to be physically present at school to permit this activity, in which case theres no chance. He didnt care about Classmancers or the club. The supervisor role was forced on him and he wasnt particularly thrilled about it. Ask him then. Lars pushed. No, he may suspect something. Ill talk to Howard and Aron first. Im sure they know. You do that, Lars nodded and clenched a fist. Worst case, well bust our way in! Yeah, no. Yuel shook his head. You dont want the club to get into trouble, do you? Meh, what they gonna do about it? Probably just scold us or something. You talk like youre a veteran at getting scolded by teachers. Not surprising, with your grades. Weeeeelp, haha. Later that day, Yuel called Howard about this topic. You want to practice at the club room? Howard asked. Alright, go ahead. You haven''t lost the key I gave you, did you? Of course not. Getting in isnt the problem. You sure its alright? We dont need Burtons permission or anything? Yeah, according to the rules you need him at school to supervise you. Figured... But who cares, right? Howard chuckled. Huh? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Just do it. You telling me to break the rules? Nice start, new cap. Nobody gonna give a shit. Just dont wander around the school too much and youll be fine. If they question you, tell them you forgot something in the clubroom and came to fetch it. A no-brainer. Cant believe Im hearing this from the captain. If it were Aron, hed object for sure. Yeah, he was reluctant at first too, Howard said. But we applied peer pressure on him so he gave in, haha. He agreed to us use the clubroom as long as hes there to supervise us. Treating us like a bunch of brats, heh. Definitely sounds like Aron, Yuel nodded, but still had trouble believing it. A strict and by-the-book captain like Aron agreed to sneak into the club room during the summer? Its hard to imagine, but the part about peer pressure sounded believable enough. Wont be surprised if its Howard who organized that peer pressure. Lets be real here, Howard said. Burton not gonna bother coming to school for you. And, he not gonna stick out his neck to give us special permission in his absence. If you want to use the club room, gotta break a rule or two. Yeah... Yuel wasnt too happy about this, but its true. Talking to Burton was a lost cause, itll only alert him of the clubs intentions. Maybe it was really necessary to sneak around the rules here... Well, Yuel said. Worst case if they catch us, youll defend us, right cap? After all, youre Aegis. Your defense is unbeatable. Heh, sure. Tell them I gave permission if they catch you. Ill take the hit. Huh? Youre actually fine with that? Itll look even worse if they think youre acting without the captains permission. Itll make the club look like a bunch of rascals and the school will blame Burton for that. He won''t get off our cases for a while. He sure put some thought into that. Yuel just listened, absorbing every word. These sort of school politics were beyond him. How did Howard know all of that so well? Because he spent more time at the club? Yuel would eventually become a captain too, so he had to get on Howards level as soon as possible. Anyway, Howard said. Have fun there. Hm? Youre not joining? Nah. I may drop by from time to time, but dont expect me to stick around. Its summer break, after all. Its silly to go to school during a vacation, right? Haha. I take it you have some other training plan? Training plan? Cmon, its summer. Gotta relax sometimes. Huh... Is he serious? Yuel paused for a moment. Howard wasnt going to practice much during the summer? Really? Was he that confident in his skill? Honestly, its disappointing. Yuel expected more from the rival he was trying to surpass. Fine, Yuel said. Youre free to spend the summer as you wish. Damn right, son. But, Im going to keep improving myself. Once school starts, dont be surprised if I take your spot on the team. You wish, Howard sneered. Dont forget Im the captain. I make the calls. Ugh. Yuel bit his lip. Thats right, Howards position as the captain was the final obstacle in Yuels path. No matter how much Yuel improves, Howard will have the final say about who makes it into the first string. To snatch a spot on the team, Yuel will have to beat Howard so hard that itll make Howard recognize Yuels skill and admit defeat. Easier said than done. Well, Howard said. Well see what happens. Youre still Diamond I, right? If you catch up with me, Ill take you more seriously. Ah. Yuels hand trembled, almost losing grip of his phone. There it was! The next goal! Yuel could see it clearly now. He was already planning to beat Howards rank anyway, but now he had every reason to pursue that objective. He was going to do it! Challenger IV in two months! Easy. No sweat. Just to make sure, Yuel said. This also applies to Lars, right? Sure. I mean, if youre supporting then its stupid to not make Lars carry, and vice-versa. You know I cant deal with him on lane. Youre the only one he listens to. Yeah, I feel you. Yuel nodded. Even after spending a whole year in the club, Lars remained one heck of a brat. He didnt like Howards defensive shot-calls, so he often rebelled by going on the offensive anyway. Sometimes it worked and scored a kill, other times it got Lars killed. Either way, Howard wasnt amused. The two of them just didnt mesh together as a Bot duo. The same could be said about Yuel and Ellen but from a different angle. Ellen had her own unique playstyle and her own ways to exploit enemy weaknesses. Yuel had trouble integrating such an unusual chess piece into his tactics. Ellen was like a wild card who changed properties on the fly to mess around with her opponents, but in the process that made it difficult to form a consistent strategy around her. Perhaps it wasnt necessary to do so since she was arguably better than Yuel at striking enemy weaknesses by herself. However, having one less piece to command greatly restricted Yuels strategic options. So, rather than not meshing together, its more that Yuel and Ellen just didnt quite complement each other as a pair. With all of this in mind, its easy to see why StormBlitzs Bot duo could only be either Yuel & Lars or Howard & Ellen. Therefore, it wont be enough just for Yuel to beat Howard or for Lars to beat Ellen. Howard most likely wont admit defeat unless Yuel & Lars defeat Howard & Ellen. It had to be a joint victory. Fine by me, Yuel said. Have fun during your vacation. Meanwhile, Lars and I will use the clubroom to grind all the way to Master and beat you and Ellen. Heh, have fun. With that, it was decided Yuel and the rest could use the clubroom throughout the summer. He, Lars and Julia went to school on the following day, dressed in school uniforms. The guard at the gate didnt ask them anything, so they cleared the first stage. Phew, they got inside without alerting anybody. Really, Julia pouted as she stared at her t-shirt. Cant believe Im wearing a uniform during summer break. Its like school never ended. Better safe than sorry, Yuel retorted. The guard at the gate seemed more lenient than usual, so maybe they couldve gotten inside without uniforms. But, its better to wear them just in case. Howard agreed too. Even so, this whole situation was bad for his heart. His eyes darted from side to side as he walked, searching for openings in the teachers positions to avoid their eyes. Judging by the activities around, all the students here belonged to sports clubs. Some dribbled a basketball, others took turns shooting a soccer ball into the goal. They sure worked hard. It felt like a long time ago now, but just a year ago Yuel also yearned to be a part of this. He tried many different sports at school, but nothing ever went his way. No matter how hard he studied the sport and its theories, he always messed up in practice. At one point, he even considered giving up on sports entirely and sticking with chess all the way, maybe even becoming a pro. But, thats history now. While Classmancers wasnt exactly what most would consider a real sport, in Yuels book it was a sport in every sense of the word., Having teammates with a variety of skills, using team strategies to defeat the opposition and participating in competitions against other schools. It had everything a team sport needed. And just like these hardworking sports clubs in front of him, Yuel and Co. also came here today to hone their skills at a sport. Its just the three of them here today, but if this infiltration mission succeeds then hell to invite the others too. Maybe theyll even recreate the same environment they had throughout the year, minus the seniors who graduated. But first of all, they had to safely reach the clubroom. They almost ran into some teachers along the way, but Yuel maneuvered around them through safe paths. The team rotated from lane to lane, dodging enemy gankers. They ended up going in a roundabout route, but that should let them avoid all dangers. As long as they dont attract anybodys attention, they should be fine. Except, thats easier said than done... Julia fidged as she walked, throwing glances all over the place. Yuel was nervous too, but Julia was overdoing it. She looked like a thief who snuck into a house and worried the residents may wake up any moment. You know, Yuel said. You look suspicious staring at everything like that. Are you that worried? H-Huh? Of course not, dumbass! Im just... Err, looking around! Yeah! Because the school looks so different when nobody is around! Looks the same to me. Hmph, you must be blind then. Julia turned her face away. But serious talk: what do we say if a teacher catches us? Relax, July. Lars chuckled and tapped on her shoulder. If somebody stops us, we just do the obvious: DASH THE HECK OUTTA HERE FULL GAS, YO! Like hell we will, Yuel made a face. Well say were from the Classmancers club and that we came here to pick up our controllers. We only now realized we forgot them back at school, because we usually play on PCs at home. Got it? Hmm, Julia cocked her head. Not the best excuse ever. Ill give it like 4/10. But, it should do. But, but, Lars insisted. Running away like assassins is so much cooler! Then well have to slip by the guard and- You. Forgot. A controller. Got it? Yuel shot a sharp look. Okay, okay. Just dont kill me, haha. After what felt like an hour, they finally reached the clubroom. Once they went in, Yuel immediately closed the door and locked it. Thats it. They made it. Mission accomplished! They infiltrated the clubroom without any incidents! Dude! Lars spread his arms wide as if to embrace the whole room. Now were talking! This is a whole different level of space. He ran around the clubroom in an airplane pose, something he definitely wouldnt be able to do in Yuels room. Gotta agree, Julia nodded. Like, Im not a fan of spending my summer at school, but at least its better than that cramped room. Well, Yuel frowned. Excuse me for not hosting a five-star hotel in my room. These ungrateful rascals. Still, they were right. Even though it was the three of them like always, the atmosphere here felt a world apart. The room was larger, PCs were available for everybody and various training notes were posted around, mostly Arons prints. This was a proper training room designed for improving at Classmancers. Just breathing the air of this room already made them feel like slightly better players. Cmon, yo! Lars waved at them, already seated at his favorite spot at the PC closest to the window. Its one of the two PCs which were clogged at the beginning of the year. Yuel shaped them up, but they still werent in best form compared to the other PCs here. Yuel recommended using one of the better comps, but Lars insisted this one was the best. Lets go, my dudes! Coming, Yuel joined in. Meanwhile, Julia was torn between her options. On one hand, she wanted to sit near Lars. But on the other hand, she wanted to stay far away from the noisiest PCs. In the end, she sucked it up and took a seat beside Lars. But of course, she didnt dare to pick the other defective PC. With that, their summer training began. Yuel relayed Howards words to Lars: Youre still Diamond I, right? If you catch up with me, Ill take you more seriously. They agreed this was the first goal on their way to the first string. They had to catch up to Challenger IV, then challenge Aegis and Athena for the starter positions. With that determination, they spent every day practicing at the club. Vol.4 Ch.4: Everybody Help to Grind Yuel spread the word about practicing at the club and invited others to join in. Roi, Dan, Gilbert, Taison, and Gregory all dropped by from time to time to help with the grind. It was a huge boost, since playing with a five-man premade was a world apart from playing as a three-man premade. No more praying about being matched with decent teammates. Everybody in the club were skilled players and they all cooperated with Yuel''s shot-calling, so the team was consistently strong in every game. In particular, Roi and Dan were the most welcome visitors. They filled in the need for a Top Laner and a Jungler, and they were the best in the club at these roles. Though, Dan was a little problematic sometimes. He was a good player, but his desire to master every Jungler class in existence made him pick an unconventional Jungler from time to time. Bottom tier classes like Rogue, complex classes like Chronomaster and even outright memes like Cryomancer. Needless to say, these experiments didnt always go well. No matter how well Dan played, classes like Rogue were bottom tier for a reason and the Challenger division wasnt one to mess around in. Everybody who played at this level came a long way from the bottom, so they knew how to deal with memes and gimmicks. Still, Dan-of-all-Trades insisted. Cant you experiment in Casual? Yuel asked after they suffered another defeat, in part because Dan played Druid Jungler. Why would anybody even do that... I experiment in Casual too, Dan said. But, there aint anywhere better than Ranked to test stuff for real. You know the matchmaking in Casual is clown fiesta. I suppose thats true. Yuel didnt like it, but he didnt have any good retorts. The matchmaking of Casual indeed worked in mysterious ways unbeknown to humankind. It supposedly matched players based on level, playtime and estimated skill. But in practice, there were huge skill gaps and games often snowballed. It may be because people used Casual to try new things, but bottom line it made Casual very unreliable and uncompetitive. Theres no choice, Yuel had accepted Dans dedication to playing a billion different classes in Ranked. It surely slowed the teams progress on the ladder, but it was still leaps and bounds beyond playing in a three-man premade. All in all, Roi and Dan greatly helped. Thanks to that, Yuel and Lars climbed to Challenger V by the end of the first month. Just one more rank and theyll catch up to Howard and Ellen! Unfortunately, there were also some slowdowns the way. Unlike Roi and Dan, Taison and Gregory werent as helpful. They insisted they were da best Bot duo and demanded to play Support and Carry. As a result, Yuel and Lars had to take turns playing their main classes. Saw this shit? Taison pumped a fist after scoring a kill. Were da best duo, yo! Admittedly, Taison and Gregory werent terrible. They lagged behind on ranks because they didnt play Ranked as often, but they were definitely around Challenger level in term of skill. Still, Taison wasnt Lars. He lacked the explosiveness and snowballing threat. The best thing about Lars in Ranked was how difficult its to stop him once he starts rolling. At least 20% of the time, matches were single-handedly decided by Lars snowballing to victory. It crushed the spirit of the enemy team and led to an early surrender. Easy rank grinding. Everybody wanted Lars to carry for that reason. But, Yuel agreed to entertain Taison and Gregory because a five-man premade was that valuable. Having Taison and Gregory in Bot was still better than not having them at all. So, Yuel and Lars altered between playing their main roles and playing Top and Jungler. It was an alright arrangement for Yuel, but not so much for Lars. An ally has been killed! Gah! Lars exclaimed. I almost got him! Sneaky dude. That gank was a terrible idea. Yuel shook his head. But he was about to get away with no HP! I had it, yo! The result begs to differ, Yuel pointed at the defeat message. You have to keep in mind whether your target has its ult ready. You cant just attack everybody who has low health. But, how was I supposed to know whether his ult is up? I cant keep track of that stuff when Im not even on lane. You can ask others. Oh, didnt think of that. Smart! Literally basic logic. Yuel sighed. In term of mechanical skill, Larss ganks were amazing as expected. However, his lackluster map awareness and subpar decision-making were fatal for playing Jungler. Therefore, as far as playing Jungler was convened, his skill was stuck somewhere in Gold rank. Yuel ended up played Jungler instead most of the time, leaving Top to Lars. There was also the option of letting Julia play Jungler, but that was an even bigger disaster. She was already struggling to balance her offensive and defensive sides, so adding the complexity of jungling on top of that didnt do her any favors. However, Julia was decent as Top so Lars sometimes got to play Mid, his second best role. With access to burst damage, he managed to snowball and carry the team to victory from time to time. Still, he wasnt nearly as effective as when he played Carry. Ugh, such a waste... Fortunately, they only had to deal with this whole headache once in a while, because Taison and Gregory didnt visit the club that frequently. These troublemakers were also fine with playing Jungler and Top at least half the time, and they were actually decent at these roles. In particular, Taisons aggressive jungling dominated in some games. Even though it wasnt his main role, he was likely among the top three Junglers in the club, second only to Dan and Ellen. The seniors who graduated also caught wind of this summer camp and paid a few visits. Hey there! Trever invaded the clubroom and smacked Yuel on the back. Heard youre throwing a party! Lemme in. Ugh, Yuel massaged his KOd back. Who called you? Roi said you were having fun here, so I decided to check on ya. Youre throwing a party and dont even invite your dear seniors. So cold, man. Okay, so its Roi. Yuel nodded to himself. Now he knew to whom to send a medical bill in case his back breaks from repeated smacks over the summer. Yo, dude, Lars greeted his older self with some fake gangsta moves. The Carry role is already taken. Seniors get priority, kid. Trever puffed his chest. Gangsta negotiations began. I came here to help ya grind, so you better be thankful. Yeah, its awesome, Lars nodded. Were missing a Jungler today, so you came at the best time, dude. Heh, you think you can carry better than me? Dont forget Im already Challenger IV. Its because youre a geezer, so you grinded for a billion years. Wha-!? Im only two years older! And yet you call us kids all the time. Yuel retorted mentally. Okay then! Trever thrust a finger at Lars. Lets settle who gets Carry with a 1v1! Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Youre on! Aaaaand they went to fight each other for the next two hours. Sigh. This summer sure was going to be noisy... In the end, every time there was competition for the Carry role, it was decided with a 1v1 between the two goofs. On some days, it was a 1v1v1 with Taison in the mix. Fortunately, Taison never came on top in 1v1v1, so it was always between Lars and Trever. On the other hand, in 1v1 Taison won a lot. Sigh The team was supposed to spend this summer grinding, but somehow these blockheads turned it into a 1v1 tournament... The good news: Trevers performance as Carry was more than satisfactory. In fact, as long as he maintained his cool, Trever was even better than Lars thanks to his robust experience and superior decision-making. Trever even sometimes displayed the same snowballing potential as Lars, but only when he was on a roll, as he called it. Based on statistics, on average it took longer to win a match with Trever as Carry than it took with Lars as Carry. The difference was about five minutes, nothing to sneeze at. On the other hand, the win ratio with Trever was higher by almost four percent, so hard to say which of the two was a better Carry for grinding ranks. One thing for sure, Trever was a better Carry than Taison and Yuel always played Support for him, so it worked out fine. When Trever wasnt Carry, he was usually a very competent Jungler, so all in all, they steadily grinded rank points with his help. Eventually, they hit Challenger V. This is where the grind begins for real, Trever said. Ive been stuck at Challenger V for like a year. A year is too long. Yuel clenched his fists. Challenger IV was the goal. Once there, he can rightfully challenge Howard for the Support spot. It was just one rank away! It cant take a year. No, I wont let it. The first half of summer break ended, but there was another half to go. By the end of it, theyll reach Challenger IV. They had to. To accomplish in a month what took Trever a year... Ambitious, to say the least. At their current level, it was borderline impossible. The promotion from Diamond to Challenger wasnt reflected only in the amount of grinding, there was also a noticeable difficulty spike. They came across more and more opponents with golden names, either pros or fellow competitive teenagers. Especially, when playing a five-man premade, almost every game was against a premade team of golden names. The games became fiercer than ever. Enemy teams had airtight defenses and even when Yuel found a way to break through - they werent rattled at all and immediately adapted. These enemies also never missed a chance to punish Larss extensions and risky plays, making his dominating snowballs much rarer. So, Yuel and Lars not only had to grind more points than before to rank up, but they couldnt even grind as quickly as before. Even if given a year, was it even possible to reach Challenger IV at this pace...? One day, Aron dropped by the club along with Trever. Howard mentioned how Aron used to bring members to the clubroom over the summer, so it wasnt THAT surprising. Still, Yuel couldnt believe somebody as strict and by-the-book as Aron would sneak into school without permission, especially now that he graduated. He technically wasnt even a student here anymore. I had my conflicts about it at first, Aron explained his side of the story. When I became the captain, Trever and Howard nagged me about how we should use the clubroom instead of meeting at others houses. You used to arrange group meetings over the summer? Yuel asked. Oh yeah, Trever laughed. The good ol days. We picked a victim every time and raided their place, haha. A victim is a bit extreme. Aron frowned. But yes, we gathered a group of five every time and practiced at somebodys place. It wasnt optimal, I admit. But, I couldnt possibly let them slack off for two months. We played online too with voice chat, but it wasnt quite the same. Yeah, Trever nodded. Because you couldnt lecture us for hours after every game. Everybody just muted you without telling, haha! Reviewing games is as important as playing them. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, thats when The Great Trever came up with a brilliant idea: Lets use the clubroom! Reminds me of a certain goof. Yuel smiled wryly. I had my concerns, Aron admitted. But, he kept begging and got Howard and others on his side, so I gave it a shot. Turns out nobody cares about us using the room, so I just went along with it. The first couple of days I was still on the fence, but after a week it became a routine. I know the feeling, Yuel nodded. On the first day, he and his accomplices infiltrated the school as if it was mission impossible. A few days forward and it became as natural as going to school every day. The few teachers at school were occupied with other matters, so nobody was interested in policing students who illegally visited their clubs without a supervisor. Clubrooms were locked, so its not like unauthorized individuals could easily get in. Besides, they didnt come here to cause trouble so it''s not a big deal. I heard youre stuck at Challenger V? Aron said. Well, Yuel crossed his arms. Not stuck, but its sure tough. We overall move forward in points, but it feels like were crawling. I know that feeling, Aron nodded as a proud Challenger IV who overcame this great obstacle before. The surefire method is to play with the same coordinated team and with a game plan in mind. So, like a competitive team. Yes, like the way Howard is training with the first string right now. Huh...? Yuels brain short-circuited for a moment. Like the way Howard is doing what? He takes the first string online and makes sure to practice with the same lineup all the time. Why the surprise? That''s the most logical thing to do. Well, sure... Except, I heard nothing about it! Yuel clenched his fists. Neither Howard nor Ellen paid a single visit to the club so far, so Yuel thought they were lazing around because it''s a vacation. But, they were actually practicing hard too? And with the whole first string!? No wonder Gilbert, Roi and Dan only showed their faces at the club on rare occasions. And, their visits became rarer and rarer as time went by. Why Yuel hadnt heard any of this? Was it supposed to be some sort of secret training? A ploy by Howard to rise to Master rank before Yuel could catch up to him!? Yuel had to know the details. He had to know everything! The next time first string members came to the clubroom, Yuel interrogated them. Yeah, Dan said. Weve been meeting at Howards place to practice every now and then, he admitted without the slightest hesitation. How comes nobody ever mentioned it? Hmm, I guess because Howard asked to not talk about it too much. Wha... So, there was something fishy after all! Howard told Yuel to chase his rank, then proceeded to abuse his position as captain to grind rank points faster than Yuel with the strongest lineup! Ugh! So, Yuel said, holding back his irritation. You grind online a lot? We grind, but I wouldn''t say a lot. Really? Then what do you do? Howard comes up with the menu, so we just go along. Practicing stuff, reviewing matches and... Well, you get the idea. I see, Sounded like standard first string training. Maybe theres nothing to worry about after all? He thought there was some huge secret, but it sounded very normal. Still, as the vice-captain, Yuel would have liked to be informed about the clubs activities. But, Howard probably didn''t deem it necessary. After all, Yuel was just a second string player. Howard made his stance clear when Yuel became the vice-captain: I cant babysit everybody. My job as the captain is to bring the team to nationals. Thats fine, for now. Yuel was in no position to overthrow Howard, not yet. But by the end of this summer, Yuel and Lars should have enough experience to do so. Theyll seize their spots on the first string and get to play in tournaments, no matter what. But first, they had to actually get said experience and grinding ranks was the most straightforward way to go about it. With Aron joining the summer camp, their win ratio fired upwards. He was StormBlitzs former Jungler and one of best Junglers in the entire region, second only to the Leopards Fenrir. Arons consistency, knowledge and decision-making were top-notch. On top of that, his late game was brutal. He deconstructed enemies to the tiniest bits throughout the match, gathering even more data than Yuel. Then, in the late game, he unleashed all that knowledge and decimated every opponent on his path. He became a killing machine without a single flawed move. His effectiveness was further enhanced with Trever on the team. When Trever picked a Carry like Ranger with good jungle clear, the two of them played a Two Junglers formation. Trever strolled throughout Bot Jungle, whereas Aron focused on Top Jungle. That way, they greatly optimized jungle farm. In addition, they used coordinated pincer attacks. They ganked their prey from two opposite directions, leaving no chance to escape. When the target through they escaped Arons gank, they ended up running into Trever instead. An elegant and powerful tactic. If Yuel and Lars get into Ivy High as planned, they might get a chance to face Aron and Trever in the high school regionals. Shivers danced on his skin from the mere thought. How would Yuel counter Arons unstoppable late game? How will Larss skill compare against Trevers by then? Sadly, there were still two more years ahead of them before any of that can be answered. Before long, the summer break was approaching its end. They made huge progress with everybodys help, but... Yuel and Lars didnt make it. They were still stuck at Challenger V. Trever didnt joke when he said it took him a year to get to Challenger IV. The grind was REAL. Did Yuel and Lars get any closer to overthrowing Howard and Ellen? Its hard to tell. They needed some sort of opportunity to test their mettle against Aegis and Athena. The chance will surely come once the school year begins. Worst case, Yuel will have to create one himself. A week and a half before school resumes, these were everybodys standings: Challenger III - Aron Challenger IV - Howard, Ellen, Trever Challenger V - Yuel, Lars, Roi Diamond I - Julia, Gilbert Diamond II - Dan Diamond III - Taison, Gregory Vol.4 Ch.5: Duties of the Vice-Captain A week and a half before summer break ended, Howard called Yuel to his house. He wanted to discuss topics related to managing the club in the upcoming year, especially the clubs entrance exam. The exam will be held shortly after the school year begins and, this time around, Yuel will be largely in charge of it. It felt like a waste traveling all the way to Howards house just for that. Yuel had to take two buses to get there. He suggested meeting at a more neutral place like school, but Howard insisted. Captains orders. What a lazy tyrant. But honestly, Yuel was a little interested too. After all, Howards older sister was a Classmancers pro. What kind of person was she? She went by Ignis and played for the Sweepers, a B-League team. Yuel saw some of her matches because he knew the name, but otherwise, she wasnt exactly a very well-known pro. Still, a pro was a pro. She participated in official tournaments, which came with large crowds, professional commentary and everything. Compared to StormBlitzs members, her skill was nothing short of impressive. Shed probably even mop the floor with somebody as strong as Roi in a Top Lane duel. So, meeting such an amazing player would be like meeting a celebrity- Too bad, Howard said. Sis isnt home. H-Huh? Yuel was taken aback. He hasnt even mentioned her. Youve been ogling the place from the moment you entered. But, too bad. Being a pro means working like any other person, so she wont be home until evening. Oh, I see... What a bummer. Yuel hoped at least one good thing would come out of wasting time and money on two buses to come all the way out here. Oh well. Heya, Yuyu~ A familiar voice greeted him as he entered the living room. Oh no, its Ellen. You were practicing together? Yuel asked. Nope, were on a date and youre interrupting it. Hmph~ Ellen pretended to pout. Shes just freeloading here, Howard said. Shes like a bunny, she dies from loneliness. So, I have to take care of her. Its quite the pain. My, Wardy is such a bully. And here I am, gracing him with my presence. More like, here you are breathing down my neck the whole summer. Tehe~ So, Ellen spent much of the summer at Howards place? Well, theres nothing odd about a Support and Carry training together. Unlike other roles, Bot Lane was about playing as a duo, so pairing with random people online was nothing short of frustrating. Especially for the Support, who was helpless when the Carry was an uncooperative self-centered dimwit. Besides, Yuel already heard about Howard training with the first string throughout the summer. Training in secret without informing anybody else, not even Yuel. Doing secret training? Yuel asked. The truth is, Ellen giggled, Were eloping~ ..... Howard didnt answer right away since he must have caught the accusation in Yuels tone. He studied Yuel for a moment, then replied. What do you mean? I heard youve been training with the first string and thats why you dont show in the clubroom. Yeah, Howard nodded. I just invite everybody here. As you can see, I got a lot of space. He stretched his arm, presenting the big living room. Indeed, this space was well-tailored for gaming. It had three desktop computers, two laptops, two game consoles and two wide TVs. Ellen was currently in the middle of trying out various skins on the Ultra HD TV, which almost looked like she was dissecting some with a microscope. That TV was huge. From what Yuel could tell with a glance, this living room could host at least 7 players across the different platforms. This was some amazing setup. Do live in a gaming center or something? Heh, I get that every time. Sis brings everything she can get for cheap. I see. Thinking about it, these consoles looked like they were from the previous generation. The laptops werent very wide, they probably didnt support an amazing resolution and possibly couldnt even handle most modern games. Also, only one of the computer monitors looked modern. The other two were CRT, reminding the relics at school. These things belonged in a museum. Still, Yuel said. Thats an amazing setup you got. Im surprised your parents allow all of this in the living room. Oh, they dont live here anymore. They ran away. Ran away...? Yep, Ellen interjected. And they left poor Wardy with a huge debt too. Such a tearjerker story, sob. Stop making shit up, Howard chuckled and patted Ellens head. This special technique always turned her on mute. I didn''t mean they abandoned us, Howard explained. They just moved to a newer house. They badgered sis to move out because as you see she has been redesigning this living room into a gaming center. But, sis kept doing whatever she wanted until my folks got fed up and moved out instead. Hilarious, right? Haha. Thats quite the story... Yuel didnt even know where to begin. It''s like Ignis kicked out her own parents so she can keep playing Classmancers. Scary. Your sister must be really something. Right? Right? Ellen acted proud for some reason. Sis Ignis is so cool~ Who are you calling sis? Howard pinched her cheek. Cmon, Ellen leaned against Howards arm. She gonna be my sister too. As if you get to decide that. Tehe~ Why am I here again? Yuel averted his eyes from this embarrassing romcom. The specifics of their relationship has never been quite explained, but it''s clear they had something going. They also apparently spent much of the summer together and now Ellen was hinting at marriage... Werent they still in junior high? Thats enough, Howard tapped on Ellens on the head and created distance. Youre making our guest uncomfortable. My, Ellen winked. Sorry, Yuyu. Forgot youre still green to all this love business. ....... Yuel just narrowed his eyes. Return to your dress-up, Elly, Howard said. I called him here to discuss club matters. But if you really want, you can join in. No way. Ellen hopped away and continued messing around with skins. Sorry about that, Howard said. Lets get down to business. As I said, the main thing I want to prepare for is the entrance exam. This time youre the vice-captain, so youre going to be in charge of everything. Of everything? Isnt that the captains job? I told, the captain is responsible for the first string while the vice-captain handles the menial stuff. I gonna work you to the bone. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Sounds like fun... Alas, Yuel couldnt retort. Last year, during his entry exam, it was Howard who handled most of the operation. Hes the one who presented the exam on stage, the one who answered questions and so forth. Despite being presented as the vice-captain, he was registered as the actual captain in everybodys minds. Of course, Howard said. If you run into any trouble, you can talk to me. But, dont run to me for every little thing. I expect you to handle everything from start to end. I understand. Its going to be a big job and honestly quite the hassle, but Yuel had no choice here. Howard did it last year and Yuel will do it this year. Step by step, Yuel was walking down the same road which Howard traversed. Here, Howard handed over a USB stick. It got everything you need for the exam. There are examples of opening speeches, test questions, how to grade players and so on. Make sure you study all of it before the new year. Howard grabbed one of the laptops and went over the contents of the flash drive. This is great. Yuel nodded to himself. Most of the planning process was already handled for him in these documents. He only had to execute the instructions. The plan is the same as last year, Howard explained. Its something of a tradition. A three-part exam: First we make them run, then answer a quiz and finally we test how good they are. I see. Its a weird feeling. Just a year ago, Yuel was among the examinees who struggled through this intense exam. But in a couple of weeks from today, hell be responsible for putting others through the same hellish test. On one hand, he felt like he came a long way and was no longer a rookie. On the other hand, he was going to torment new rookies and possibly crush the hopes and dreams of many kids who wanted to play Classmancers competitively. Its rough. Do we have to follow these instructions to a T? Yuel asked. Or, were allowed to innovate? Its a tradition, but not a hard rule. As I said, youre in charge of the exam this year. You can change whatever you want, as long as it makes sense. Ill have the final say, but I wont make your life hard as long as you dont suggest anything dumb. Did you update anything last year? Not really, Howard shrugged. I decreased the number of questions on the quiz to make our lives easier when grading, but thats about it. I like this filtering system, thats one reason I went to Riverstock and not to Leo. I knew the Leopards are a strong team with a coach, but I believed this entry exam would do a good job picking the best players. And well, going to Leo requires two buses every morning. Not fun, right? Haha. Says the guy who forced me to come here with two buses. But its true, theres some merit to this hardcore exam structure. It was creative and kept the examinees on their toes from start to end, which made it feel like a meaningful experience. But, as to whether the exam did a good job selecting the best players for the club... Yuel had some objections. The way I see it, the last part where we test their Mancer skills is the most important part of the exam. True. So, what if we skip the first two parts and only do that? Had a feeling youll go there, Howard smiled wryly. A cool idea, but impractical. There are like a hundred freshmen who apply every year. You really want to privately test each and every one of them? Youll have to host at least 50 test matches. That doesnt sound too bad. If we assume an average match lasts half an hour including preparations, then 50 matches are about 25 hours. Last time, the exam lasted for four days, so we need about six hours a day and well be good. Thats some quick math you did there. Howard nodded. So, youre saying six hours a day, every day for four days, is nothing? I wouldnt say nothing, but its not that hard. Im sure I can manage. Yes, you maybe can manage. But dont forget you need 8 examiners, which is almost everybody from the club. You really think theyre going to be fine with this routine for multiple days in a row? Well, thats... Hard to say. Theres a good chance some will be worn out, especially the likes of Gregory and Taison who were always the first to complain when they werent having fun. In theory, the idea of playing test games rookies sounded like fun, but... Ill tell you from experience, Howard said. Everybody thinks its fun and games at first, but it doesnt take long till you hear sighs and complaints. He provided some of the reasons behind it. The examiners often had to play their secondary roles and follow some specific instructions to maintain balance. Sometimes, they also had to stray from their game plan to not overwhelm the examinee or to create various scenarios to test the rookie on. The more often these things were needed, the less the exam felt like playing a real game. It started becoming a chore. Also, Howard added. Theres another reason to filter so many players before this stage. Theres a huge difference between grading a hundred players or just twenty. With twenty, you can more or less remember who is who and how they impressed you in the test. With a hundred? Good luck. Yeah, memorizing a hundred players isnt easy. I think I can pull it off, though. Yeah, maybe you can. A guy who can recreate full chess matches from memory can probably handle a hundred players. But, others cant. So, you wont be able to get much valuable input from them since they wont even remember who they tested. I see. Youre right, we need some filtering, Yuel admitted defeat. If it was only him handling everything, he could have pulled it all off. However, to stage real test matches, he needed everybodys help. Its unfortunate, but he couldn''t demand too much from them. Youre really adamant about skipping the first two tests. You hate them so much? The ideas themselves arent bad, but some skilled players may fail the exam because of these tests, Yuel explained how he and Lars barely made the cut during the entrance exam. The one-kilometer race test would have failed Yuel for sure if not for jogging he picked up over the summer. Similarly, Lars almost failed the quiz test and barely scraped by in last place. And, there was another problem: cheating. By learning about the contents of this exam ahead of time, its possible to prepare for the first two parts in advance and gain an unfair advantage. Taison trained all summer for the one-kilometer race, whereas Gregory got his hands on a list of quiz questions from previous years. Yuel didnt mention any names, but he brought up variations of these cheats as examples. I get what youre saying, Howard nodded. Question is: do you have better alternatives? Exams are never perfect, so its easy to pick them apart. But once youre in the shoes of the examiner, for the first time you realize how tied your hands are. I have to agree. Yuel knotted his brows. Even though the current exam structure had many problems, it was a necessary evil for filtering candidates. It was upheld as a tradition for a reason. It''s not like everybody was satisfied with it, its just that they couldnt think of better solutions. And honestly, Yuel couldnt either. At least, not practical ones. The one-kilometer race tested the persons resolve, whereas the quiz tested their game knowledge and how invested they were in Classmancers. Though imperfect, they had the right ideas and achieved their goals to some degree. Alright, Howard said. If youre not satisfied, try improving the parts you don''t like. Youre supposed to be some kind of genius, right? Only others call me that. I don''t think I''m that special. Anyway, try and see if you can fix it. No need to reinvent the wheel, though. Take the current structure and tweak it until youre satisfied. Or at least, more satisfied than you are right now. Ill try to figure something out. Its an important topic for the club, so Ill listen to any ideas you have. Howard stood up. But first: I wanna eat. Its already three and we havent done shit yet. Were sure taking our sweet time with this. I don''t suppose you brought lunch? No, I didn''t think Ill stay this long. Okay~! Ellen joined out of nowhere. Ill whip something up for you- No. Howard shot her down. Just no. We still want to live, thank you. My, so mean. You dont trust my cooking skills? Oh, I trust them. If they existed in the game, Id level them up first because they can one-shot people. Meanie, Ellen hmphed and returned to the TV. Theres nothing to eat in this house anyway. Yeah, I really need to do some shopping already. Howard sighed. But hey, theres always sis favorite: insta noodles! Bleeeeh. You call that food? Hey, theyre not that bad. You get used to them... after a while. Poor, poor Wardy. I better level up my cooking skills soon so I can save you from this torture. I cant tell if level up means anything good in your case. I can make stuff myself, alright? Yeah, when youre not too lazy to shop for them. Right, when Im not too lazy to shop for them, Howard nodded with a sigh. I swear sis can live off insta noodles 24/7, He turned to Yuel. Anyway, you heard it. There are only insta noodles. You in? Sure, Yuel nodded. I kinda like them, actually. You whaaaaaat? Ellen thundered. They dont feed you at home? My parents work around the clock, so sometimes theres nothing to eat when Im home. Instant noodles are the best for times like these. I know the feel, Howard said. When you know you aint getting shit for dinner that day, then you remember there are insta noodles. Instantly makes them taste a hundred times better. Exactly. You two are a lost case, Ellen shook her head. Anyway, what about lil ol me? I also want lunch. Then, should I make noodles for you too? No way! Gimme something decent. The fridge is empty. Like, real empty. Theres only sis beer. Then lets order something. Ple~as? Ellen made puppy eyes. Youre such a pain sometimes. Howard crossed his arms, threw a glance at Yuel and then sighed. Alright, fine. Ill order pizza. Yeeeepie~! Wardy, youre the best~ Yeah, yeah. Howard pushed Ellen away while she was trying to wrap herself around him. You alright with pizza? he asked Yuel. Yeah, but what about the price? Were going to split it? Nah, Ill just use sis cash. Ill order some for her too so she doesnt complain. I mean, it''s her fault we don''t have anything to eat in the first place. Just whose house she thinks this is? We cant even feed a guest. I see, Yuel didnt say anything further to not interrupt this flow of events. He did say instant noodles were fine, but a pizza topped that a hundred times over. It was actually TASTY food. Junk food, but tasty. Itll serve as reasonable compensation for having to take two buses to get here on this beautiful sunny day which he could have spent grinding Clsssmancers at the club. The pizza arrived shortly. Apparently, theres a shop nearby and the delivery guy already recognized Howard as a regular. After they finished eating, Yuel and Howard returned to discussing the structure of the entrance exam. Vol.4 Ch.6: A Drunk Pro Appears! Yuel and Howard discussed the various issues plaguing the entrance exam. Namely, the issues of the first two tests: the one-kilometer run and the quiz. Every time, Yuel brought up and issue and Howard defended against it. Its like they became a duo of prosecutor and defense attorney. Objection, Howard said. Regarding the race, despite what we say on stage we actually accept everybody who makes it to the finish line. It doesnt matter whether they run, walk or even crawl. As long they reach the goal, its fine. I see, Yuel nodded while jotting down notes. So, when you said that those who do poorly will fail, it was all part of testing their resolve. A nice trick, right? Haha. Yuel had mixed feeling about it. Yes, it was much better than failing people for poor fitness. But, was it forgiving enough? If Yuel hadnt met Lars and hadnt started jogging, how would he have reacted to these rules? As motivated as he was to play Classmancers, he might have given up midway along the race. Its impossible to know for sure now, but theres a chance he would have failed and that worried him. Testing resolve was good and all, but it shouldnt come with the risk of filtering out talented players. Yuel shared his concerns. Thats not a bad line of thinking, Howard said. Except, we cant discover these talented players before we start the exam, right? If we could, we wouldnt need an exam in the first place. That''s true... Yet again, a clash between theory and practice. Yuel knew what had to be improved but didnt have a practical solution. The goal of the exam was to discover the highest caliber players, which meant the exam should ensure the talented players dont fail. But, theres one big problem: the examiners didnt have any magical way to discover said talents ahead of time, so theres no way to ensure the exam will suit them. I wonder, Yuel said. Wasn''t there any way for me or Lars to prove ourselves before we got to the first test? Anything that stood out about us? Among the hundred candidates? Not really. Though, I believe you were the only ones in Platinum at the time. Ah, thats it! Yuel jumped. We can use ranks! Say, we can let anybody who is Gold or higher skip the first test. And, maybe even the second test. Not a bad idea, Howard nodded. We can ask them to confirm their ranks by telling us their IDs, so there won''t be any cheating. Itll be a little pain to go over all these accounts and write them down, but Im sure you can handle it. No problem. Okay, so thats it, Yuel jotted down the idea in his notebook and drew a big circle around it. Players ranked Gold or higher skip the first test and maybe the second test too. Id even consider lowering the requirement a little. You picked Gold because its one below Platinum, right? So, it catches those who played as much as you and a little less. Pretty much. Its also the division Gregory and Taison had at the time. Just so you know, thats rare on these exams. You not gonna have more than a handful of kids who reached these ranks, or even reached Ranked at all. So, maybe anybody who hit Lv. 50 in their accounts? That''s an option. Ill leave the specifics to you. Theres still plenty of time to decide till the exam. Thats true, Yuel wrote down Consider lowering the requirement from Gold. Maybe being Lv. 50 is enough. With this, two of Yuels biggest gripes about the exam were partially resolved. No matter how terribly unfit a candidate was or how bad they were at quizzes, theyll easily make it through if they played Classmancers enough and reached Ranked. The next issue was the way the quiz was handled. The examinees werent given any time to prepare and it could easily fail anybody who was terrible at taking exams. For example, Lars and Taison. Letting examinees skip this stage based on account level was a good start, but its not enough. Not giving them any tools to prepare for the quiz was outright unfair. We can hand out example sheets, Howard suggested. I actually thought of this idea last year, but it slipped my mind until it was too late. Examples are great, I agree, Yuel nodded. But, the format of the quiz is also an issue. Its too arbitrary, he referred to the big pool of possible multi-choice questions on the USB device Howard handed him. To compose a quiz, all they had to do was to pick some random questions for each role. Its a simple and efficient approach for creating a quiz, making the examiners life easy. However, its not exactly friendly toward the examinees. What they received was a bunch of arbitrary questions in a random order. As a result, the examinee had no way to find questions relating to topics they were most confident in. And, thats assuming such questions even made it into the exam in the first place during its random generation. Long story short, it was a terrible exam for those who werent good with quizzes. Some students knew to leave the tough questions for last and focus on what they knew best, but not everybody had that wisdom. Especially, not a certain goof who nearly blew the exam by mulling over questions outside his field of expertise. Lars wasnt the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew Classmancers. No matter how bad he was with quizzes, he shouldnt have been in the barely passed group. If the quiz did a better job guiding him to the topics he knew, he would have scored much higher. Maybe add categories? Howard suggested. Yes, thats what I was thinking too, Yuel nodded. First, split between general and role-specific questions. Then, further divide them into subcategories and make sure each of them has about the same amount of questions. Say, like this. Looking good. You sure know how to handle these things. Its like youre a teacher. I helped some classmates before, so I saw what kind of weaknesses they had and where the exams stumped them. The genius student, huh. You really like using that word, dont you? Just because you always react to it. Howard snickered. They discussed the questions and categories some more. To give each category equal weight, its necessary to put the same number of questions in each of them. However, that led to an overall increase in the number of questions. Isnt that bad? Howard asked. They wont have enough time to answer everything. They dont have to. Were going to pick the top scorers anyway, right? So, it doesnt matter what their actual scores are. What matters is how they fared relatively to each other. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Thats true, Howard nodded. Say, you ever considered becoming a teacher? No way. Imagine dealing with brats like Lars in class. Haha, I feel you. By the time they wrapped up the discussion, it was already evening. Yuel stayed here far longer than he expected, but it was fruitful. They couldnt have possibly resolved this many issues if they did this over a phone call. Im hooooooome! A voice echoed from the entrance. Was that...!? A young woman wobbled into the living room, taking needlessly big strides and nearly tripping over her own foot. Her face was tinted red and she had a weird expression, something between laughing and crying. It was quite the scene. She looked... drunk. Completely hammered. Was this Howards sister? A pro player? Oh no, Howard facepalmed and shook his head. Wardy, Wardy~ The woman somehow made her way to Howard without crashing. Listen, listen. These freaking Falcons! We almost *hic* them! We were thiiiiis close. But noooo, of course they had to *hic* some shit on us at the last moment! They organized kinda well in the late game and I made one bad rotation. One! Just one! But that helped them win and everybody *hic* its my fault! Can you believe this!? She shook Howards shoulders nonstop. Alright, alright. Howard patted her head as she sobbed. Its hard to tell who was the older sibling here. Just how much did you drink? I aint didnt *hic* anything! Im tooootally sober! Yeah of course, Howard nodded and led her to the sofa. Here, sit down. Thanks, Wardy~ Youre so *hic*. Youre the only one nice to me. Waaaa! She started wailing all of a sudden. What was even going on... Its alright, Howard patted her back. Its just one match. Youll get your revenge. But, its the Falcons! We always beat them! We really needed these points! I hate them! I soooooo hate them! We hafta *hic* this damn season so they call me to A-League already! I dont wanna be stuck in B-League forever! Waaaaaaa! No biggie. Im sure youll earn enough points in the next matches- No! Its over! The woman crashed on the coach and flailed her arms like a protesting baby. We even lost to the Falcons! Were fucked! I don''t wanna! Don''t wanna! That''s it! Im quitting this *hic*! Itll be okay, Ellen crawled toward the woman and gave her a pat on the head. Youll get them next game. The season isnt over yet. Elly sweetie... The woman sniffled and wrapped her arms around Ellen. Elly, youre soooo *hic*. Right, maybe its not over yet... She apparently consoled herself by petting Ellen like a kitten. Yes, yes, Ellen nodded with a smile but secretly threw a glance at the guys, rolling her eyes and squeezing her nose to say She reeks something serious. Youre right! The drunkard exclaimed. We still got one more match against the Falcons this year! Well *hic* em! Yes, yes. Get your revenge. Yeaaaaah! We gonna wiiiiin! ...But we lost today. We lost today! To the Falcons! Waaaaaaa! The woman rubbed herself against Ellen like she was a stuffed animal. Howard took this opportunity to step back and enlighten Yuel about what the flipping heck was going on right now. Sorry, Howard said. Sis isnt usually like that. She just gets a little salty after dropping a match, then she goes to drink and... well, you see the result. Not exactly the amazing pro you imagined, right? Haha... Yeah... Yuel wasnt sure how to respond because Howard looked embarrassed by this scene. In truth, it was a huge disappointment. Ignis was supposed to be a cool person and a skilled player, not... this. The whole scene was too awkward to bear. I think I should go. I agree, Howard escorted Yuel toward the door. Yuel wanted to get the heck out of here and Howard also wanted him to get the heck out of here. Therefore, he should definitely get the heck out of here. QED. Heeeeey, Ignis called out. Whos this kid? She squinted her eyes, studying Yuel from head to toe. Or, at least she tried to do so but her head was tilting from side to side the whole time. Just how many shots did she have... Hes a friend from school, Howard said. Huuuuh. Havent seen him before. Doesn''t look like one of the usual guys. The usual guys? Yuel stopped. Did Ignis refer to StormBlitzs first string? Well, its not surprising she knew them since they trained here together over the summer. Trained here together, without saying a word. Hes not on the first string, Howard explained. Anyway, its already late so hes leaving- Waaaardy, watcha doing wasting time with him then? You gotta train your guys! You gotta *hic* em to nationals! I know. Dont worry, he''s leav- Hey, kid! Ignis pointed at Yuel. Don''t *hic* Wardys time! He ain''t got no time hanging out with some nobodies! He gotta train hard so he can join the Sweepers and beat Exodus! Sis, please, Howard sighed and whispered to Yuel. I swear she doesn''t mean it. She got no idea what shes saying. Its okay, I understand, Yuel didnt appreciate being disregarded as a nobody, especially not by a pro, but Ignis clearly wasnt in the right state of mind right now. Just let it pass. Let it pass. Uuuuugh! its so infuriating, though! Yuel was a competitive player too! Ignis just never met him here as one of the usual guys because he wasn''t on the first string yet. Wait, can it be she was helping with the first strings training? Considering how much Ignis seemed to care about Howards success, its quite possible. In fact, its almost a given. In other words, the first string had been secretly training here together with a pro, thats probably why Howard wanted to keep hush about it. While Yuel had to nag people to visit the club so he could hopefully form a five-man team for Ranked, Howard was consistently training with the best players in the club and with a pro to boot. Damn, this was so unfair! I dont like that look, Ignis scoffed. Got a problem with me, eh? ... no. Not at all. You even play Mancers, kid? Of course I do, Yuel clenched his fists and stared straight into Ignis eyes. Wait, dont- Just so you know, Yuel continued. Im the vice-captain of the club. Well, shit... Howard facepalmed for some reason. Oh, so youre that kid. Ignis nodded to herself. Heard you playing Support like Wardy? Yes, I am. Did Howard tell his sister about Yuel? Why? Well, its not like Yuel was complaining. Now, this drunk woman knew Yuel wasnt some nobody. Youre the vice-captain now? Huh, trying to *hic* Wardys captain position, eh? Um, not quite. For some reason, every time Yuel was somebodys vice-captain, somebody had to accuse him of trying to steal the captain position. Why? Was there something weird written on his face? Its true that becoming the captain was a great honor, but that wasnt even on his mind right now. My first goal is to get a spot on the first string. Anything else is secondary. But you play Support, right? Ha! It means you trying to *hic* Wardys place! Ignis pointed at him and her reddish cheeks became even redder. She was like an angry tomato. Well, Yuel contemplated over his words for a moment, then straightened his back. Yes, I plan to get into the first string and to do that I must beat Howard. ...... Howard stared at him for a long moment, then turned away. Youre digging yourself a hole... Hm? Whats that supposed to mean? Aha! Ignis jumped. I knew it! You think youre some hot stuff, right? Come here and fight me! She clenched fists and threw out some punches. An invitation to a drunken brawl!? Wait, Yuel protested. Im not into violence. Silly kid, I meant this, Ignis waved a game controller. Fite me 1v1! Let''s see whatcha made of! She nearly slipped off the couch while talking in excitement. Was she really okay? She definitely should catch some sleep instead of playing, but... What should I do? Yuel whispered. Too late, Howard sighed. This shit always happens. She cries her eyes out, then vents on somebody in 1v1. Good job provoking her, genius. Ah, Maybe Yuel really said a bit too much. Ignis was clearly out of it and overreacted to every little thing, so mentioning stuff like beating Howard and taking the Support role was probably not the smartest move ever. Nevertheless, Yuel didnt regret it. He was going to defeat Howard, he had to make that clear. He wasn''t just some kid playing Support, he was the one wholl play Support on the first string! Come here already! Ignis waved her controller. Imma *hic*yo ass reaaaaal good! So, Yuel turned to Howard. What do I do? Yout got no choice, Howard placed a hand on Yuels shoulder. You have to play her, that''s the best way to calm her down. Eventually, shell say she wants to sleep. Probably. You gonna have a really bad time, but blame your big mouth for that. What can be so bad about it? Yuel tilted his head. Wasnt this a rare chance to play against a pro? Its great! The only unfortunate thing was that its 1v1, so Yuel wont be able to fully display his skill. Still, he reached Gold IV in 1v1 while researching lane matchups, so he should be able to put on a fight. Ill play, Yuel nodded. But, I have no intention losing on purpose. Is that alright? Don''t worry, Howard said. Shell still kick your ass anyway. Even though shes wasted? Especially because shes wasted. Huh? That made absolutely no sense, but okay. A drunk pro opponent was a fair handicap for somebody who didnt play 1v1 much. Here you go, Ellen handed him a controller and freed space on the couch. Good luck, She saluted for some reason as if Yuel was a departing soldier. Just what was the deal here? Well, no matter. This was a rare opportunity to test his mettle against a pro. This match should show how much closer he came to the pro scene. A drunk pro should be no problem. Yuel will win for sure and prove he had what it took to rival Howard! Vol.4 Ch.7: 1v1 Preparations Logging into your Classmancers account on any platform was as easy as scanning a QR code with your phone. This ease of use was undoubtedly one of the biggest factors for Classmancers booming success. As soon as Yuel scanned the QR code displayed on the TV, his account data and settings became accessible from the game console. The same applied for Ignis, who connected to the console of the other TV. With a simple QR scan, they were both logged in and ready to go. But... Isnt that a little problematic? Yuel referred to the way the TVs were standing almost side by side. It was too easy to peek at Igniss screen and learn exactly what she was doing. In fact, its harder to not see anything from this position. Its fiiiiine, Ignis waved her hand. You can look at my screen allllll day. Imma still *hic* yo ass anyway. But, what if Im more concerned about YOU using the information from MY screen? Yuel grumped. My, Yuyu is so serious, Ellen smirked. Its just a friendly 1v1. No need to set up a professional tournament environment. Yeah, Howard nodded. No need for headphones either. Youll hear both games at once, but we tweaked the sound options so things don''t sound like shit. So, relax. Its just an innocent friendly 1v1. Sure... Something about these two was suspicious, but Yuel chose to ignore it. These conditions were far from optimal and its a 1v1, which wasnt Yuels forte. However, all of it paled in comparison to the fact he was going to play against a real pro! In the flesh! He''d take this opportunity under any circumstances, even if he had to play blindfolded and with 500ms ping, Well, okay, maybe thats a stretch. But still! A match with a pro! Alrighty, Ignis nodded. Made a room. How many levels ya want, kid? Levels? Hmmmmmm, let''s make ya Lv.10. That should do. We start at Lv.10? I see, Normally, both players started at Lv.5 in 1v1. This was to make battles more fast-paced from the beginning and to balance out classes which had underwhelming early game. Starting at Lv.10 will make the matches even faster, but that''s fine for a local friendly match. Nope, Ignis said. YOU start at Lv.10. I start from 5. Huh? Yuel wasn''t sure he heard that right. This gotta be a joke. Just a little tiny handicap. You don''t really think ya can *hic* me in a fair 1v1, do ya? A handicap? Of five levels? Oh, I see, I see, Ignis nodded. It''s not enough, right? Yeah, of course you''re no match to an awesome pro like me! Okay kid, you can start at Lv.12. What, no. That''s absurd, Yuel argued. I want a fair match. Ha, haha, hichahaha! This kid is funny! Where did ya find him? Ignis burst into laughter for some reason, almost falling off the couch. What was so funny? Dammit. She may look like this, Howard said. But, don''t underestimate her. She''s a Grandmaster in 1v1. A Grandmaster... Yuels jaw literally fell off. Pros were always ranked at Master or Grandmaster, but that''s in 5v5 because its the only competitive mode that mattered. 1v1 was more of a casual mode which happened to offer a ranked mode as well. Its a mode which pros shouldnt have much business with, yet Ignis was Grandmaster? In other words, shes one of the strongest 1v1 Masters in the entire world!? I-I see, The controller almost slipped through his sweaty palms. Yuel, a mere Gold IV who used 1v1 mostly for experiments and research, was about to challenge a Grandmaster. Yeah, okay, maybe a handicap was in order... So, Yuel said. You also play against her with a handicap? Yeah, Howard nodded. She says three levels is good enough for me. She usually beats me, but with four levels I often beat her so she hates that, haha. I see, Yuel turned to Ignis. I''d like only four levels then. Huuuuuh? Ignis brought her face closer, examining Yuel. Ugh, she reeked of alcohol. Wardy, is this kid any good? He''s alright, Howard said. I don''t think he has a fair chance with just four, though. I''ll do it, Yuel insisted. Four levels is plenty. Hmm, Ignis crossed her arms for a moment, then threw them in the air. Meh, whatever! Four levels it is. Let''s just play already! Yes, let''s, Yuel nodded. As he wished, Ignis changed the match settings to give him only four levels advantage. Arguing over a one level difference might sound silly to some, but it actually had a huge impact, especially in 1v1. A lead of one level could easily allow a player to destroy the opponent even if they were otherwise fairly matched in skill. So, starting at Lv.10 would have given him that advantage five times over. It''s inconvincible to overcome such odds, even for a Grandmaster. With the match settings sorted out, they entered the class selection screen. Since it was a casual game, Ignis didn''t bother making it in draft format. A shame, since he would have liked to learn what a Grandmaster normally bans in 1v1. Before proceeding with the pick, Yuel moved to the edge of the sofa to make it harder to see Ignis''s monitor. He wanted to keep the match as fair as possible even in this low effort setup. If he gets any hints about Ignis''s pick, his brain will automatically try to come up with a counter even if he doesnt want to. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Without knowing what Ignis may pick, the only thing to do was select a class Yuel was proficient with and which performed well in 1v1 on average. Knight was one such good option. Bruises were generally favored in 1v1 due to boasting a combination of offense and defense. Also, Knights passive, Chivalry, granted a small defense buff to nearby allied minions, which was a huge advantage for a 1v1. Okay, this should do it. Yuel nodded to himself and locked his pick. Knight, huh. Ignis mumbled with a drunk smile. Wait, wha- Yuel jumped. That''s cheating! Huh? Who''s cheating? Ignis waved her hand. Just making sure we can have a fun fight. You don''t want me to accidentally pick a counter, do ya? But what if -I- picked a counter to what you had in mind? Yuel made a face. Just watch, she''ll pick a hard counter to Knight for sure. Hmmm, Ignis tilted from side to side. Warrior sounds good. This gonna be fun, hic. Warrior? That''s not a counter. In fact, Knight was one of the classes which rendered Warrior obsolete in the meta because it had access to similar types of CC, except with better utility. Maybe Ignis really just wanted to have a fun match? Hehe~ Something about her smirk was disturbing, though. My condolences. Ellen placed a hand on Yuel''s shoulder with an understanding nod. Yeah, he''s toast alright, Howard nodded too. Hey now, Yuel frowned. Don''t write me off before we even started. There was nothing particularly favorable for Ignis in this matchup, was there? If anything, Yuel might have an edge thanks to Knight''s passive and ult. The match began before Yuel could draw any conclusions. He spawned in the base at Lv.9 and allocated all 9 SP. Thats a lot of points right off the bat, but there was an optimized order for leveling skills so its a no-brainer. The more interesting question was which item to build first. Normally, he''d go for armor to survive the early game in 1v1. That gave him time to study the opponent without conceding any kills. However, this situation was very different from normal 1v1. Yuel was already four levels ahead of the enemy, so hes in a leading position. Therefore, the idea of building a power item to swiftly crush a weaker opponent was appealing. It didn''t matter the opponent was a Grandmaster because stats were stats. No amount of skill could overwrite the absolute law that was math. Buying a power item on top of his four levels lead will allow him to kill Ignis in just a couple of hits. It was too good to pass on. Thus, he bought the Muramasa blade. Muramasa provided high attack power with a little mix of attack speed and penetration. However, its main function laid in its Lv.3 passive, which shredded the enemys protections with each strike and temporarily transferred them to the attacker. It was one of the best 1v1 items available, especially in bruiser vs. bruiser situations which dragged on. How will Ignis respond to it? This should be fun. After finishing his purchase, Yuel headed into the jungle. The map had two Wraith Camps, one on each side. Defeating wraiths granted a blue buff that gave MP regeneration, which was essential for staying on the lane for a long time. It also gave cooldown reduction to skills, which allowed to spam them more often in a fight. According to the rough meta of this mode, each player should start by clearing the nearby Wraith Camp before heading to the lane. However, Yuel had a different idea in mind. With his huge head start and with Murasama in hand, he should be able to easily kill Ignis if he brings to battle to her. Therefore, instead of clearing his own Wraith Camp, hell start by invading her camp instead! That way, he might get a kill AND steal her buff along the way. This should work. Yuel nodded to himself as he passed by his Wraith Camp without touching it. He ventured deeper into the jungle until he reached Igniss camp. Not here yet? For some reason, Ignis was nowhere in sight. Weird. The wraiths will spawn in a couple of minutes, so she should have been here already. A pro player, especially a 1v1 Grandmaster, should be more punctual than this. She surely knew this was the common opening for this mode, right? Huh...? Time passed, the wraiths spawned and still no sight of Ignis. Where was she and what was she doing? Maybe she headed to lane already? That shouldn''t be the case, but... Where? What''s wrong, kid? Igniss lips curved into a smug. Don''t tell me youre waiting at the wraiths. Who knows. Haha! Youre funny! Think you can invade my stuff and *hic* me just because you''re a few levels higher? Keep dreaming, kiddo! She saw through it!? Yuel clenched his controller. He thought he was onto something here, but Ignis figured him out in instant. Wait, was she spying on his monitor again? He threw a glance at her, but it seemed she was concentrated on her own monitor. Was it really just deduction? Thinking about it, Ignis probably played many games with a handicap like this. No matter how smart Yuel thought his idea was, it surely crossed the minds of some of her opponents before. So, she was already aware of this smart tactic via experience. Yuel was careless. Even though Ignis was drunk, she still reasoned exceptionally well. Rather, its probably not a stretch to say such reasoning was already engraved on her instincts. She could counter such basic plays in her sleep. Oh, so that''s what shes up to. While checking whether Ignis was spying on his monitor, Yuel accidentally caught a glimpse of her screen instead. The spied became the spy. Oops. W-Well, the clashing sounds from her console also indicated who she was fighting right now, so it''s not like learning any of this was his fault, okay? Ignis was fighting ogres and theres only one place on the map where that could be done: the Ogre Camp in Top Jungle. Instead of starting at her Wraith Camp in Bot Jungle, she started at the Ogre Camp. Considering how it was on the other side of the map, Ignis must have figured Yuel out from the get-go, before he even set foot in the jungle. The strengths of both Wraith Camp and the Ogre Camp were roughly the same, so Ignis wont have any trouble clearing the camp. Even if Yuel tries to invade her now, he won''t make it in time to Top Jungle. Well played, I have to admit. With no better choice left, he proceeded to take out the wraiths. He got a blue buff while Ignis got a red buff. Igniss clearing speed will be faster thanks to increased power, whereas Yuel will be able to stay longer on lane thanks to his MP5. Not a terrible trade. This early into the game its impossible to tell who benefited more from this exchange. Before going to lane, Yuel could first take a detour to clear the Wraith Camp on his side of the map. Doing so would give him extra exp, prolong his blue buff and ensure Ignis won''t get her hands on it any time soon. It was an attractive offer, but it harbored some risks. Losing even a little bit of lane control in 1v1 was extra dangerous because the Colossus was only protected by a Golem; there were no Turrets. Considering Ignis had the power buff, she could push the lane pretty hard. So, if Yuel doesnt get there right away, the consequences will be dire. Therefore, he went to lane right away. Ignis also arrived shortly, coming from the opposite side. Now that she was within his range of sight, he could see what item she started with. So, what was the opening move of a Grandmaster? Spiked Buckler. Hmm, interesting. It was on the cheaper side. Players started with much more gold in 1v1 than in 5v5, so there were plenty more expensive options she could have gone for. Spiked Buckler provided attack power and defense, both in decent amounts. It was a balanced pick, which implied Ignis wasn''t sure yet how her battle with Yuel will play out. A smart choice, not quite what he expected from such a vulgar and conceited player. Putting aside her personality and drinking habits, Ignis was a pro alright. Despite trash talking and treating Yuel like a nobody, Ignis was taking this match 100% seriously. Gulp. This match will be even harder than Yuel originally thought... Vol.4 Ch.8: The 1v1 Grandmaster Minions arrived from both sides of the lane and clashed in the middle. Now, the battle began for real. Normally, both players will join the war effort by attacking enemy minions. However, that only applied when both sides were of roughly equal strength and it wasnt dangerous to directly confront the enemy. This situation was different. Yuel was Lv.9 whereas Ignis was Lv.5. He had a huge lead in term of strength. To make the best of it, he aggressed on her to kick her out of the lane as soon as possible. Coming at me, eh? Ignis sneered. She sure sounded confident, despite the fact she was four levels below him and he had Marasume. Amazing confidence. Contrary to her arrogance, Ignis actually retreated toward her Golem. However, she didn''t get too far away and allowed Yuel to pursue a fight if he so wished. In other words, she was accepting the invitation to a duel but she didn''t want to hold it near the minions. Makes sense. Both his Knight and her Warrior gained benefits from being near minions, but the Knight''s benefits were superior in this situation. His passive, Chivalry, buffed the defense of nearby allies, players and minions alike. On the other hand, Warrior''s passive, Battle Thirst, buffed only the Warrior''s own attack power for each nearby enemy, counting both enemy players and minions. Knight''s Chivalry had a clear advantage as long as they were near a healthy wave because the buff applied to a group of allies. As long as Knight was working alongside his minions, they were more durable and will eventually out-grind the enemy forces. Thus, Ignis got away from the minions to rob Yuel of this advantage. In exchange, she lost most of the power she could have gained from Battle Thirst. It was a good trade for her. Is she really drunk? Yuel frowned. Ignis read the situation in a split second and immediately made her tactical retreat. This wasn''t such an easy judgment to make, especially not with a hazy mind. Then again, she was a pro and a 1v1 Grandmaster to boot. Perhaps this sophisticated move was as natural as breathing for her. It''s not even a question of reading the situation or making the right judgment. Ignis probably just felt what''s the best response in this situation. It''s like an instinct. Yet, Yuel was going to take on this magical beast. A pro, a Grandmaster. He was now going to test how his skill compared against the real deal! Yuel followed Ignis toward her side of the lane, away from the minions. Now, the two waves had equal strength and will wipe each other out at around the same time. Gaining lane advantage through buffing minions was the Knights forte, but no big deal. Yuel just had to defeat Ignis and then he''ll get his chance to push the lane. Come, kid, Ignis used a taunt emote, but she hasnt even cast War Cry yet. Was she going to fight without a shield? Or, was she waiting for the fight to start first? Well, either way... If you''re sure. Yuel advanced. No problem, he had plenty of advantage. No matter how good a Grandmaster was, they couldn''t magically alter their stats. Math was on his die! Hell win! Yuel got within range and slashed! But, it whiffed. Ignis stepped backward in the last moment and the blade missed her by a hair''s breadth. In the very next moment, she attacked back! Huh? It reached? Yuel blinked in confusion as his HP dropped. Even though his blade failed to deliver a hit due to distance, Igniss counter-attack had no trouble hitting him. How could that be? Shenanigans. Whoa! A second slash at his Knight! No time to be distracted here! The enemy was a Grandmaster and she thirsted for blood. Focus. Focus! Yuel attacked again and missed again. Ignis just barely got out of the range of his swing. This time, he confirmed for sure: its the distance that made his attack whiff. Therefore, from this range, Ignis couldnt possibly- hit!? His Knight lost 7% HP! How!? This didn''t make any sense! Both Knight and Warrior were melee classes with swords, so their attack range should have been the same! No, wait. That''s not quite right. Getting struck by that huge blade reminded Yuel a piece of trivia: the range of the Warrior''s attacks was slightly amplified by the fact he was wielding a big sword and was swinging it with both arms. Yuel never bothered comparing the lengths, but apparently, the Warrior''s reach with basic attacks was slightly longer than Knight''s. The difference between them was minute, something like half a step. Yet, Ignis utilized it to the fullest. She dodged Yuel''s attacks by a hairs breadth and instantly countered. Daydreaming? Haha! Ignis dished out another attack before Yuel could react. Ugh! I need to focus or I''m dead! Yuel shook his head. Ignis struck in the brief window of time it took him to measure distances. This was tough. Thinking for too long will be the end of him. The fight just started, yet he was already down to 72% HP. And Ignis? Unharmed. Okay, Yuel created some distance first. How am I going to deal with her range advantage? From the last two exchanges, he got a rough idea of how the Warrior''s reach compared to the Knight''s. He improved his understanding by carefully stepping forward to intimidate. The moment Ignis finally stepped back, thats where the limit of his range laid and where Igniss range advantage began. Okay, so he grasped the distances. What next? As long as Ignis maintained that distance, Yuel couldn''t charge at her. She was effectively zoning him by having a reach that''s barely half a step longer than his. It''s absurd. He never felt so pressured by a Warrior''s reach before. He fought Roi before, so he should have been used to confronting strong bruiser players. But, this fight was something else. Roi was strong, but he mostly relied on his mechanical skill to dodge incoming attacks while attacking. Ignis was a different beast altogether. Shes a pro who knew every aspect of Classmancers, a Grandmaster who fought countless duels. She knew every situation like the back of her hand, even while drunk. Gulp. Was Yuels controller packed with rocks or something? It felt so heavy... What''s wrong, kiddo? Ignis asked. Cooooome at me already! W-Why don''t you come at me instead? Yuel forced a shaky smile. His forehead felt sweaty. This Grandmaster read every move, every twitch, he made. It felt like no matter what Yuel will try, Ignis will tear his plans apart. Heh, Ignis smirked. You''re pretty sharp, kid. You figured how *hic* I am from being hit just twice? Yeah, I admit you''re pretty good, Yuel forced that through gritted teeth. Hehe, damn right! I''m awesome! The best! No wonder you''re *hic* of my *hic* and *hic* damn *hic* Ignis turned into a hiccupping machine gun while acting shes the number one player in the world. Chance! Yuel rolled forward, closing the distance to Ignis. After he recovers from the roll, Ignis will be deep within his attack range and won''t be able to easily step backward and counter. Ah! Cheap! Not my fault you were busy boasting instead of focusing on the game. No mercy. As soon as Yuel stood up - he swung his blade! Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Whoa! Dangerous! Pffhew! Ignis made some weird noises as exaggeratedly steered her controller to the right as if its going to make her Warrior move faster. Futile! Yuel already saw where she was moving, so he aimed his blade a little to the right to- wha!? He missed!? In the very last moment, Ignis changed directions and took a step to the left! Yuel swung based on his prediction, but it sliced through empty air. How did this...!? Superhuman reaction speed? Or, was it a feint all along? Yuel bit his lip. Even though he attacked Ignis in a moment of vulnerability, she wiggled her way out. But, its not over yet. They were next to each other, so even though the first attack missed - he went for another one! At this range, simply taking a step back wont cut it! Guuah, you got me! Ignis activated War Cry, erecting a shield. Yuels second attack connected, but it didnt touch Igniss HP. The slash destroyed over half her shield and stole some protections via Murasamas effect, but thats all. Ignis was unharmed and dished out a counter right away, shaving off another 7% from Yuels HP. The amount of protection he stole from Ignis was meager from landing just one hit, so they didnt reduce the damage much. He had to press harder! A third attack! Ugh, this one missed. Yet again, Yuel predicted Ignis movements to guide his blade, but she altered her course in the last very last moment. And of course, he instantly ate a counter-attack straight in the face. But, thats no reason to panic. Yuel had a huge level advantage, so he could soak more hits than Ignis. He never expected this to be an even battle in the first place, not against a Grandmaster. To compensate for the huge gap in their combat skills, his best bet was to keep abusing his stat advantage and push forward. His four levels of extra stats were his greatest, and possibly his only, advantage in this fight. Therefore, a fourth strike! Before Ignis could escape his reach! This one connected. It shattered her shield and slashed her HP. It erased a measly amount of 4% HP because most of the damage was soaked by the shield, but it was a huge step forward. He finally injured her! Of course, Ignis countered right away and Yuel could do nothing against it. After this exchange of blows, Ignis almost retreated far enough to take advantage of her longer reach again. But, Yuel had the momentum right now. He was the aggressor, so he won''t stop here! Instead of swinging his sword again, Yuel activated Shield Bash and charged forward with his shield stretched out. Thanks to the quick leap of Shield Bash, this shield attack had a longer reach than his basic attacks. Ignis couldn''t possibly dodge- Not bad! Ignis responded with Fearless Charge, quickly leaping aside. Just like Shield Bash, Fearless Charge was both an attack and a mobility skill packed into one. And it actually had slightly better properties than Shield Bash, including faster cast time and longer travel distance. Ignis got away in the nick of time, dodging to the left. What an absurd reaction speed. But, it wasn''t over yet! After Shield Bash ended, the skill temporarily transformed into a special follow up skill: Blade Swing. This second strike was Yuel''s goal all along! Warrior didn''t have any follow-ups for Fearless Charge, so Blade Swing was going to hit for sure! Pffhew! So *hic*! Ignis rolled aside and Yuel''s swing passed right above her. Unbelievable! What''s with this superhuman reaction speed!? Was she Lars MK2!? But despite the absurdity, Yuel had to keep attacking. Ignis didn''t roll too far away and was still within reach. Therefore, another slash! Ugh, it didn''t quite reach, just a few millimeters short. And of course, Ignis didn''t waste this opportunity and slashed back at him. This was bad. VERY bad. Yuel was already down to 39% HP, whereas Ignis was still sitting at 96%, alive and kicking. How did things come to this? Yuel felt like a complete amateur in this fight. Igniss reaction speed, decision-making, execution... everything was pitch-perfect. From the moment this 1v1 started, she hadnt made a single mistake he could exploit. Even when Yuel caught her off guard, he barely managed to land any hits. If people called Lars a beast, but then what did that make Ignis? Shes a demon, in the flesh. She was at least as mechanically skilled as Lars, but she also had boundless experience as a pro and her decision-making was polished to the level of instinct. Shes unbeatable! But, that didnt mean Yuel was going to give up. No, not yet. He still had four levels of stat advantage and he already stole protections twice from her. If he can land a couple of hits, Ignis will drop to low HP in a blink of an eye. Yuel just had to land these few hits. Just a few hits... This simple task never sounded harder. Theres still one trick he had up his sleeve, the Knights second skill: Honorable Duel, an AoE taunt which forced enemies in range to hit the Knight with basic attacks. The Knight also received power and defense buffs for each successfully taunted enemy. The taunt lasted but a second, but the hit was easy to confirm. Itll draw Ignis toward him and will allow landing easy hits on her while her twitch reflexes are sealed by the taunt. This was the only way he could still make a comeback this fight. The alternative was to retreat, which Yuel refused to do. He was going to show this pro what he was really made of! Yuel advanced towards Ignis, as if to strike again. But instead, he activated Honorable Duel. Let us fight honorably! The Knights booming voice resounded throughout the area. The skill had a decent reach and was shaped in a cone, so Ignis wont be able to step back or aside. It was a pitch-perfect... miss!? No way! His controller almost slipped through his fingers. Right as the taunt was about to hit - Ignis vanished! She had a concealed Blink! That''s why the first item she built was the cheap Spike Shield. Ignis poured the leftover gold into a cloaked Blink! Not good! Yuel turned around. Ignis didn''t just dodge his taunt, she teleported behind him! Nothing personal, *hic*! Ignis activated Swordwhirl and began spinning with her blade stretched out. It struck and struck and struck. This was bad. BAD. BAD BAD BAD! Ugh, she got me good! Yuel fired a counter-attack while trying to get out of Swordwhirls range. A single direct hit shaved about 15% of Igniss HP and lowered her defense. It was heavy damage, but her fast strikes werent shabby either. Yuel: 18% HP Ignis: 65% HP If they exchange blow for blow here, it''s clear Yuel will die. Quick math showed Ignis needed at most three more hits to get him, whereas Yuel needed at least five. It''s impossible to win here by confronting her. So, should he run? That''s the only alternative, but... this was checkmate. Not in an instant one, but still a mate in a couple of moves. Yuels best bet was to roll towards his side of the lane and keep running from there. Warrior didnt have any chase skills beside Fearless Charge, which was currently on cooldown, so Yuel might get away if he just sprints full gas. Unfortunately, Swordwhirls attacks slowed him down. Even if he opens a little distance between them, she''ll catch up to him in no time. The only option was to use his ult, Noble Steed, to summon a horse and ride away on it, but- ugh! Ignis landed another hit! There''s no time to dwell on it! Yuel just had to do it! A checkmate in a few moves still required the opponent to execute it flawlessly, so maybe Ignis will make a tiny mistake somewhere. That was his only hope. Yuel rolled forward, getting slightly out of Ignis range. But, as if she already predicted this move before Yuel even thought of it, her next swing nearly sliced him. It missed by a nanometer. Yuels roll should have gotten him completely out of Igniss attack range, yet he was almost hit. It could only mean one thing: Ignis started moving along his escape route even before he decided to use it! This was absurd! Still, Yuel miraculously dodged that attack, recovered from the roll and activated Noble Steed. The Knight whistled, calling forth a majestic white horse. This was his ticket out! But, there''s a catch. Knight''s defense greatly decreased during the mounting animation. The defense fell low enough to allow Ignis to finish him off in just one hit. So, if she strikes him in this brief window of time- You have been killed! The Knight fell off the steed and crashed into the ground. Awwyeah! Ignis triumphantly flailed her controller and flashed her teeth. I''m the best! Right? Right? But of course, of course, Ellen nodded more times than was necessary. You''re amazing, Igny~ Right? Right? Yes, you''re the best~ Aww, thank you~ Ignis grabbed Ellen and snuggled her like a kitten. Um, what about the game...? Good play, sis. Howard also joined the celebration. But, it''s not like she won yet... Oh, it''s probably all part of a routine. Yuel was used as a punching bag to help Ignis relieve stress. Howard and Ellen showered her with excessive praises so she stops moping. Well, Yuel wasn''t against helping Ignis feel better about herself, but... it''s frustrating. She mopped the floor with him. Yuel could come up with excuses all day, like Im not mechanically skilled or I dont have enough 1v1 experience. But, the bottom line was: Ignis thoroughly and utterly crushed him, even with a handicap of four levels. It''s as if he was a newbie who played Classmancers for the first time today. But, this 1v1 wasn''t over yet. Yuel won''t let it end like this! Scoring first blood in 1v1 was a huge advantage, but it wasnt the whole game. He still planned to do his absolute best to mount a comeback! Alas, it proved futile. Due to the huge level gap between them, Ignis leveled up twice after killing him. The level advantage shrunk by half and Yuel now also lagged behind on gold. After adding the astronomical skill gap between them into the equation... This match was already over. Yuel played safer and waited for opportunities to strike a weak point, but those never came. There were no weaknesses in a Grandmasters technique. Eventually, Ignis outfarmed him and that gave her the upper hand in literally every area. The match was decided shortly after that, with Igniss overwhelming invade under Yuels Golem area. DEFEAT It was a crushing defeat, but also an amazing experience. This 1v1 showed how powerful real pros were. And, Ignis was only a B-Leaguer. There were many pros out there who were much stronger than her! Yuel thought he was already a strong player, but this fight forced him to realize he barely started his journey toward the overwhelming level of the pro scene. He still had a long, looooong way to go. Vol.4 Ch.9: Counter Pick Checkmate C''mon! One more! Ignis waved her controller and grin beamed on her face. It made her look like a brat who wanted to mess around. Even though Yuel lost terribly in the previous game, it was hard to hate Igniss attitude. She was really just a Classmancers geek. One more! May I? Yuel turned to Howard, who held the most authority in this house right now because Ignis was totally hammered. You got no choice, Howard''s lips curved into a smirk. Once you start playing her when she''s drunk, you better be prepared to play her own until she knocks herself out. Yep~ Ellen added with an impish smile. Be ready to stay here aaaaaall night~ Thatll be a problem, Yuel had no plans staying over. But I''m not in a hurry so I''ll play as many matches I can. Good, good! Ignis nodded repeatedly and exaggeratedly, making it feel like her head will fly off her neck at any moment. That''s the spirit, Chesskid! The name''s Yuel. Nooooope. You''re Chesskid. Real pros use their nicks, Ignis puffed her cheeks, leaving no room for argument. Thinking about it, Yuel also referred to her as Ignis even though that''s her IGN and not her real name. What was even her real name? That kind of information wasnt always trivial to find online. Pro players were really best known by their nicknames and not any real name. But, even so... Its not Chesskid, Yuel argued. Its Chessmaster. Pft, yeah, right! Youre ten years too young to have such a coky name! Actually, this name was your brothers idea... So, Chesskid suits ya just *hic* right now. Is that so, Yuel made a face. He felt obligated to shoot something back. I didn''t see you calling Howard and Ellen by their nicknames. Weeeeell, Ignis shrugged. Wardy is Wardy and Elly is Elly. Youre making so much sense that youre blowing my mind! She just hates her real name, Ellen whispered. So, she wants everybody to call her Ignis. What''s her real name? Yuel asked in a whisper. It''s Heather. Don''t see a problem with it, Yuel shrugged. Nuuuuuu! Ignis roared out of the blue. I''m nooooo Heather! I''m Ignis! IG-NIS! Drill that into yo *hic*! She poked Yuel''s temple as if to transmit this data into his brain. Fine, Yuel conceded. You''re Ignis. Damn right, kiddo! All hail Ignis! She threw both hands in the air to celebrate. What are you, five? Yuel sighed. Ill call you Ignis, so you call me Chessmaster. Nope. Gah! This woman! I swear...! If you don''t like it, then cmon! Try and *hic* me, Chesskid. You''re on, Yuel clenched the controller. Despite the huge skill gap between them, he''ll do it. He''ll beat Ignis, somehow. There had to be a way. That''s the spirit. Ignis grinned. You got trashed real bad last round, so I''mma boost you to Lv.10. Or, you need more? Five levels is fine, Honestly, considering the outcome of their previous game, it''s possibly Yuel needed more than that to fight Ignis on equal footing. But, Howard claimed he defeated Ignis consistently with a handicap of five levels, so Yuel had to try it too. Come at me then. Ignis tinkered with the settings and instantly locked her pick. Yuel didn''t hear any sounds of scrolling across the selection screen, so Ignis obviously picked Warrior again. Um, I know you picked Warrior, Yuel said. Despite the suboptimal conditions of this match, he still wanted to keep things fair. Yeah, Ignis admitted. Whoever wins gotta stay with that class for next round. Huh? Why? This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. House rules! I see, In that case, knowing that Ignis picked Warrior wasn''t cheating. On the contrary, it''s information Yuel was expected to abuse according to these house rules. An interesting rule, which was undoubtedly created to give the loser a chance to get revenge. After all, knowing the enemy''s pick ahead of time was huge in 1v1. Not to make excuses or anything, but Yuel lost so badly in part because Ignis saw his Knight pick and picked Warrior in response. Yuel didn''t think of it as a counter pick at the time, but it''s clear Ignis considered it as such. At least, she must have played the Warrior vs. Knight matchup enough times to know how to overwhelm Knight as a Warrior. Now, its Yuels turn to counter-pick. This was a chance. With a five-levels handicap, information about Igniss pick and some experience playing against her Warrior - Yuel will come up with a much better game plan this time. The skill gap between them was undeniably huge, but he should be able to reduce it with proper planning and preparation. Now then, how should he go about countering Warrior in 1v1? Considering Igniss overwhelming strength, Yuel needed a class thatd enable him to play more defensively this time around. Going head-to-head with Ignis will spell death to him, he barely even touched her in their previous fights. Therefore, a long-ranged class was a good starting point. Preferably, one with consistent DPS rather than burst, because Ignis always knew how to dodge at all the right moments. In other words, Yuel needed a marksman. Bonus points if it has some good escape tools to help thwarting Igniss offense. Elf seemed like a good option. It could snipe from afar and could get out of sticky situations with Elven Leap. It was a popular defensive Carry pick for a reason. Maybe this is how Howard adopted that defensive style of his. Yuel wondered. If Howard plays against somebody as strong as Ignis every day, it''s only natural to develop a defensive mentality and get that much better at defending. Even Yuel, who favored offensive tactics, resorted to thinking about defense. Ignis was such an overwhelming opponent that he couldnt even imagine himself going on the offensive and winning against her, not in a million years. But, was that really good enough? Unless Yuel scores at least one kill, hell never win the 1v1. Even with his advantage of five levels, Elf''s attacks won''t be a threat unless Yuel actually lands them. Unfortunately, based on past experience, landing shots on Ignis was a huge challenge in its own right. Yuel wasnt some sharpshooter like Lars, so he couldn''t reliably snipe an elusive enemy like Ignis. The only way he had to cheat around this issue was with the Elf''s ult, Nature''s Embrace, which rooted an enemy in place. Ignis will dodge any obvious attempts to root her, but Yuel was confident about landing at least one successful hit, considering the ults long distance and fast casting speed. But, what''s next? Suppose Yuel roots Ignis and turns her into an easy target for his shots, will he be able to kill her before the root effect runs out? A difficult calculation. It will greatly depend on what items they start with. Yuel will most likely be able to kill her if he buys a crit item and scores some critical hits while Ignis is rooted. But, that like rolling dice. Critical hits will be very inconsistent with just one crit item. Not to mention, this whole play will fall through spot if Ignis buys Cleanse to negate the root of Natures Embrace. This wasnt good enough. Yuel needed something more decisive. The general idea of pining Ignis in place and shooting her down was good, it''s probably the only way he could ever hope to kill her. But, to actually kill her tanky Warrior in one play, he needed a marksman who could pack a punch. He needed more DPS, or at least a way to temporarily boost his DPS to threatening levels. A defensive class like Elf didnt cut it. So, what marksmen could pin Ignis in place and deal a lot of damage... Ranger? Thats an interesting idea to explore. If he can- C''mon! Ignis pouted. *hic* something already! Let''s play! Just a second. Yuel almost reached the solution he was looking for. He only had to determine whether Ranger was good enough to- Diiiing dooong! A second passed. Fine... Yuel sighed and picked Ranger. He no choice but to trust his rough estimation and make this work. Somehow. During the loading screen, Yuel kept thinking about various scenarios and how he''ll checkmate Ignis. As he went over the most common variations of how 1v1s early game usually played out, he became more and more confident about this pick. If his calculations were right, Ranger had a very real chance of checkmating Ignis! For the first item, Yuel built Morning Star. It provided attack power and crit chance, but both in small doses. The crit chance of the next attack increased every time he failed to score a crit, but that''s all this item had to offer. It was on the cheaper side, but Yuel had a reason to do things this way. With the leftover gold he had, he purchased Blink. If push comes to shove, he''ll have to rely on blinking for the checkmate he had in mind. Whether he''ll be able to correctly blink amidst the unfolding situation, that remained to be seen. With Morning Star and Blink, he was ready to leave the base. The next decision he had to make was regarding the jungle camp to start from. Last game, he attempted to invade Igniss blue camp to score an early kill on her, but she dodged him and took the red buff instead. Will Ignis go for the Ogre Camp again? Perhaps. But, Yuel really wanted to snatch that power buff for himself. Ranger didn''t need much cooldown reduction or MP5 for 1v1, but power was of utmost importance. Yuel had to able to deliver as much damage as possible to create the checkmate he envisioned. Therefore, he headed for the Ogre Camp. If he finds Ignis there, he can try killing her on the spot. If not, he''ll simply take the buff. Hehe, Ignis chuckled. Thought I''ll be going for red again? Too bad! I''m doing blue this time! What? Impossible. Can''t believe it. Yuel rolled his eyes. I totally fooled ya, Chesskid! Haha. Oh no. I''ve been outsmarted. Totally! Im just the *hic*! As long as youre enjoying herself. Yuel shrugged. It''s better for him if Ignis doesn''t suspect a thing and keeps underestimating him. Yuel defeated the ogres and took the red buff, while Ignis beat the wraiths and took the blue buff. They both arrived in the lane at the same time. Yet again, Ignis started with Spiked Buckler. In other words, she most likely bought a utility skill as well. Blink again? Or, maybe Cleanse? Its probably Cleanse to counter Rangers CC. Yuel already prepared himself for this worst-case scenario. With all his planning and preparation, how will he fare against Ignis this time around? Will he be able to force her into the checkmate he envisioned? Now, the real fight was about to begin! Vol.4 Ch.10: Stats over Skill The minions from both sides clashed in the center of the lane. This served as the starting gun to inform that the battle began for real. The first move in Yuels envisioned checkmate was to stun Ignis with Beartrap. For that reason, he leveled up Beartrap to Lv.4. This allowed him to place up to four traps at the same time. It was normally a waste to level up Beartrap this much, but he had a five-levels lead, so he traded some of his extra SP for increasing the chances of trapping Ignis. Yuel scattered all four traps around the clashing swordsmen. Warrior was melee, so Ignis had to approach the minions if she wanted to strike. That''ll prove difficult with so many traps lying in wait. Tch, Ignis clicked her tongue. What a *hic* you are, Chesskid. Maybe it''s because I''m actually a Chessmaster. Naaaaaah. Ignis maneuvered around the traps and focused on his bowmen instead. A ballsy move that played around Yuels plan, but how was Ignis going to play from this dangerous position? She placed herself right within Yuels attack range. Well, Im not complaining. Yuel shrugged and focused his attacks on Ignis. If she stays this close, itll be easy snipes for him. Too sloooow! Ignis sidestepped the first shot. And the second shot. She continued striking Yuels minions while sidestepping all his shots! What was this inhuman situational awareness!? And how did she sidestep so perfectly every time!? Warrior sidestepping speed OP, pls nerf. But, theres no way Ignis could keep this up forever. Yuel kept shooting and shooting. Eventually, Ignis had to slip. It just had to happen, or else shes officially a demon. Ignis dodged the third shot. And the fourth shot. However, the fifth was about to- PARRIED. Wha!? Yuel jumped. You can parry too!? Haha! Hichaha! Ignis burst into laughter so strong even hiccups failed to interrupt her. Of course I can parry, kid. That''s basic shit right there. If you keep shooting easy shots like that, I''mma send them flying! Easy shots, huh. Yuel frowned. He wasn''t exactly the best sniper in the world, so he relied on stability to increase his aim. Once he gets his target marked, he always tries to steadily keep shooting from the same position and angle. Such shots had the highest chance of hitting. Unfortunately, such shots were the easiest to predict. And, predictable shots were the easiest to parry. It''s no good from this distance. I can''t hit her. Yuel pursed his lips and slowly advanced forward, reducing the gap between him and Ignis. The closer he gets, the better chance he''ll have to hit her. But, at the same time, it''ll be easier for Ignis to charge at him with Fearless Charge and destroy him in melee combat. As a countermeasure, he placed a Beartrap between them. If Ignis charges at him, she''ll run straight into the trap and get stunned. She had a way to play around that trap, but Yuel had a way to outplay the play that played around the trap. Outplay-ception. A shot. And another shot. And another. All misses. Each of Yuels bolts was either sidestepped or parried. He couldn''t land a single hit. Steady shots just won''t cut it. This was the time for some experimentation. How should he go about making his shots connect? Ignis claimed the shots were too easy to predict. In that case, should he shoot quickly and wildly? After getting this close to her, even his terrible accuracy must have gone up a little. Maybe he could actually land a quick shot or two. Maybe. Possibly. Either way, Yuel had nothing to lose. He fired a slow steady shot first, which Ignis dodged without a problem. Right after, he drastically changed his aim and fired toward Igniss legs! A fast and totally uncalculated shot which relied purely on his coordination. Ah! Ignis exclaimed. Good, it caught her off guard. She moved backward in an attempt to dodge, but she didnt react in time. It was effective! ... except, the shot ended up hitting the ground. 10/10 accuracy. Sigh. Nice shot, kid, Ignis laughed. Too bad youre facing the best *hic* in the world! I mean, the best Grandmaster in the world! Yes, the best Hiccuping Grandmaster in the world. Yuel shook his head. He missed the wild shot, but it successfully surprised Ignis. It was close. If he keeps trying it, eventually it should connect. There was still time before the minion waves eliminate each other, so Yuel turned it into target practice time. I better add this type of practice into my regular training. Yuel rarely ever played marksmen, so normally it wasnt a big deal if he failed to land a shot or two. But, that didnt mean he should aspire to be the kind of player who cant land shots. If Ignis is any indication of what the pro scene held, then Yuels slow and steady shots will be rendered ineffective on the pro level. Even a ranged Support mage had to be able to confirm shots, especially since some of them had effects which were tied to their basic attacks, like Cryomancers Frostbite. For the first shot, Yuel took his time to aim. The opening shot better be accurate, or else Ignis would ignore the whole assault. As expected, Ignis dodged that shot. Good, and now...! Yuel tilted his crossbow upwards and fired. Whoa! Ignis exclaimed as the bolt went toward her face... and passed over her head. Scaaaaary. Tch, so close. Just a couple centimeters lower and it would have hit. Yuel was getting closer and closer. He tried that routine again. And again. And again. Every time, his bolt almost grazed Ignis. Almost! So close...! With every shot, Yuel got a better feel for the bolt''s trajectory and for Igniss sidesteps. If he can predict how shell dodge his first shot, he''ll have a much easier time landing his quick follow up shot. Unfortunately, Ignis did a good job mixing up her evasive maneuvers. A sidestep to the left, a parry, another sidestep to the left, another left, a parry, a right sidestep, right again, parry, left, right, parry. Ugh, it''s too random! She''s like a stumbling drunkard who tilted from side to side. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Wait, maybe it''s really because she''s drunk? Yuel hasnt seen yet how being drunk affected Igniss performance. Aside from her rowdy behavior and endless hiccups, there weren''t any signs that her performance was hampered by alcohol in any way. But, perhaps her random movements were a result of that? She wasnt thinking straight, so she dodged randomly instead of following some pattern. Theres a chance this line of thinking was a huge stretch and Ignis was just that good at masking her patterns; she''s a pro, after all. However, Yuel had nothing to lose by testing it. Assuming her movements were truly random and lacked coherent thinking, there was a great way to exploit it. In fact, it might be exactly what he needed for his checkmate. If she reacts mostly by instinct, then she can''t always be aware of everything in her surrounding. If I just lead her with me attacks... It wont be easy, but its worth a shot. Yuel took a few steps forward. His wild shots should have an even higher chance of hitting now, so Ignis will have to work harder to dodge them. Like before, he placed a Beartrap to kill any ideas like being rushed with Fearless Charge. Or rather, the trap was there to ensure that if Ignis decides to rush him - hell checkmate her. With preparations finished, Yuel began another target practice routine. A steady shot, followed by a wild shot. However, this time he had an ulterior motive. He fired faster and aimed toward Igniss left side, to make it more appealing for her to dodges to the right side. This worked well. Ignis instinctively dodged to the right almost every time. Good. This trick gradually pushed her closer to the side of the lane. More specifically, pushed her toward an area where Yuel planted two bear traps. Ignis was now just a couple steps away from being trapped. She only had to move a little more to the right...! If Ignis were in full form, shed probably keep tabs on all of Yuels traps. But, right now, she was drunk and had her hands full with dodging Yuels wild shots. Her judgment should be impaired. Even if shes aware of the traps, there''s a chance their exact positions will slip her mind while she dodges one bolt after another. Believing in that possibility, Yuel continued shooting without rest. It was no easy feat to lead Ignis toward the traps because her drunk dodges were all over the place. There was no way to predict how exactly shed react to every shot. But still, many of her responses made some sense. When Yuel fired toward her left side, she often dodged to the right. When he fired toward her legs, she usually backstepped. Shot by shot, Yuel led her toward the trap. After countless shots, by the time the minion waves already finished clashing, Ignis was just one step away from a trap. Just a little more! She was right there! Just a little! Yuel fired again, aiming toward her shoulder. Or rather, he fired the bolt and just prayed it''d fly toward that general area. A professional sharpshooter, by the way. Miraculously, the bolt flew exactly where Yuel wanted it! Itll pierce through Igniss shoulder if she doesnt move! Probably. At least, it was going to be too close for her to ignore. CLACK. The sound of metal shutting. Finally, Ignis did it. She stepped on the trap and got herself stunned! Yuel dashed forward to get Ignis within the range of his Wolf Companion. As soon as she gets out of the stun, hell pin her down with the wolf to extend her immobility. In that short period of time, he should be able to barrage her to death thanks to his ult. It''ll be a checkmate, one of the easiest variations he came up with. In case something goes wrong, Yuel first placed a Beartrap in front of him. Then, he activated his ult. THE HUNT IS- his Ranger began t shout. Nope! Ignis reacted as soon as Yuel started casting the ult. No, she probably reacted even earlier. She knew exactly what Yuel was going for. It was a typical Ranger play, but also the best one he had available. Ignis activated Cleanse to remove her stun and charged at Yuel with Fearless Charge. She was going to exploit the brief moment it took to activate Rangers ult to get in Yuels face and tear him apart! Even though Yuel set up a trap between them ahead of time, it was rendered useless. On top of removing all CC, Cleanse also granted Ignis a temporary CC-immunity. She passed over the trap, but it didnt stun her. Her charge wasnt slowed down in the slightest! Countering her with the wolf will be equally pointless. No CC could hold her down right now. Ignis was going to get in Yuels face and rend him asunder with Swordwhirl. Shell become CC-immune while spinning, so his traps and wolf will be useless yet again. If Yuel stays and fights, will he be able to shoot Ignis down before Swordwhirl kills him? He had an advantage of five levels and The Hunt is On was going to greatly amplify his damage against Ignis. So, he should be able to put on a decent fight. However, it would be an extremely difficult fight due to Swordwhirls high damage and defense reduction. Yuel would out-DPS Ignis if he were to land a few lucky crits, but with just Morning Star in his build thats not going to happen. Thus, thatd be a futile struggle. Ignis was one step ahead of him yet again! She was going to own this 1v1! Hopefully, thats what she thought. There were many details and calculations involved in this sequence of plays, way more than Yuel could possibly handle on the spot. Thankfully, he has already analyzed this scenario ahead of time. Ignis buying Cleanse, using it to negate a trap and relying on its CC-immunity to charge at him - he already went over this set of moves. It was an effective counter to Ranger and something Yuel would have considered doing himself in her shoes. Therefore, Yuel came prepared. He started the game with a cheap item like Morning Star to leave enough gold for Blink. And, since he has already played out this scenario in his head, he responded without wasting any time. As soon as Ignis got close and began spinning her blade - Yuel blinked away! Thats it, checkmate! Yuel was outside the range of Swordwhirl and his ult was on, granting him a huge damage boost. Ignis was moving slower while spinning, so she could neither chase him nor dodge his shots. Yuel had the high ground in every regard. No way! Ignis exclaimed. She mustve understood this was the end. You little whippersnapper...! Just dont mess up now! Yuels moved the mouse with a trembling hand. Fire! Unlike before, the bolt connected with ease. No matter how predictable his shots were or how good Ignis was at dodging, she couldn''t dodge while spinning around. This one bolt instantly eliminated 15% of her HP. With such a big level advantage, he needed at most 6 more hits to seal the deal. It was almost settled! Think you won, huh? Ignis barked. No way I gonna let ya! She canceled Swordwhirl to regain her mobility, but it did little to help her at this point. Without Swordwhirl, she was no longer CC-immune. Yuel has been waiting for this moment! Right as Igniss spinning slowed down, Yuel activated Wolf Companion. The wolf leaped on Ignis and pinned her to the ground as soon as she stopped lost her CC-immunity. She didnt even get a chance to try to roll away. It was over. Igniss Cleanse was already spent on Beartrap, so she had no way to get out of this stun. Yuel just had to land a few easy shots- Hey, over here! Ignis waved her arms exaggeratedly, blocking some of Yuels view. Look! The house is on fire! We gotta run! ... and what''s that over there!? A UFO!? Aliens are invading earth, kid! Tell them I said hi. Yuel moved aside to dodge Igniss arms and finished the job. You have killed an enemy! Yuel did it. He actually did it! He beat the 1v1 Grandmaster! It''s was only made possible by the advantage of five levels and because Ignis underestimated him a little, but a win was a win! Yuel flawlessly calculated his way to the victory! Yuel normally disliked 1v1 because it was a mode for the mechanically gifted, but this variation with a handicap was actually quite fun. It allowed him to counter the enemy''s superior skill with a combination of stats and tactics, which turned it into a much fairer. Nuuuuuuu! Ignis kicked like an angry toddler. You were just lucky! I went easy on you. Don''t think you can really *hic* the best Grandmaster in the world! More like, the brattiest Grandmaster in the world. Yuel shook his head and concentrated on the game. His objective was clear: take advantage of Igniss death and push all the way into her base! He was going to win this match! Vol.4 Ch.11: Battle for the First String After killing Ignis, Yuel focused all his efforts on pushing the lane. A new minion wave soon arrived and to help him invade the Golem. He failed to finish the Golem before Ignis returned, but he brought it down to 40% HP. That''s a huge lead when combined with his already existing advantages of level, gold, and minions. Even the number one Grandmaster in the world should struggle to climb out of this position. Still, given Igniss skill, anything could happen. At least, if she played as strongly as before... You pesky *hic*! I mean, kid! Ignis charged at Yuel as soon as she returned. I''mma *hic* you this time!! Frontal assault? Seriously? Yuel frowned. Did she really think she could just go on the offensive despite all his advantages? Frankly, it looked like throwing a tantrum. But, that''s no reason to let his guard down. Yuel fired bolts while retreating to the backline. Thanks to his attack range advantage, he could combine offense and defense into one play. Truly, he every possible advantage at this point. Alas, things were never that easy with Ignis. She side-stepped the first shot without slowing down and swung her blade at the second shot. Think you can *hic* the Great Ignis with these lame shots? Ha! Ignis parried the second shot... at least, that''s whatd normally happen. However, her blade failed to make contact. The bolt hit her. That''s a first. Yuel followed up with another shot. It hit Ignis before she recovered from her swing. Oh, now you''ve done it! Youve soooooo done it! Ignis ranted through gritted teeth. I''mma kick yo *hic*! Just you- Aya! Another bolt hit her. Ignis wasnt moving much while ranting, so Yuel just shot her without waiting. You little runt! Now the Great Ignis is REALLY mad! And seems like thats exactly what I want. Yuel smiled intently. That slow reaction and poor coordination, she was finally playing like a drunk. Becoming salty must have thrown her off her game, so her automatic professional responses stopped kicking-in. The harder Yuel pressures Ignis, the faster she''ll fall apart. Therefore, he didn''t let up for a single moment. One shot after another without rest. Eventually, Igniss HP ran so low that, even in this unstable state, she understood she had to retreat. So, what if I do this? Yuel switched gears without warning and rolled forward. Wha!? Whatcha think ya doing!? Winning. As soon as he recovered from the roll, Yuel sent his wolf forth. If he could just pin her down again, hell get another- Tooooooo bad! Haha! Ignis dodged the assault with Fearless Charge. Even with her reduced reaction speed, she was still leagues above Yuel. It was a naive attack, but it delivered the message: if Ignis doesn''t retreat, Yuel will pounce at her until he gets a kill. I swear I''mma mop the *hic* with ya when I return! Ignis shoved her finger into Yuels face while recalling to base. Good luck with that. Yuel proceeded to push the undefended lane. Step by step, he was approaching victory. Ignis was losing it, so this game should be in the bag now. By time Ignis recovered and returned from the base, her Golem was already at 20% HP. Just one more little push and Yuel will take it down, along with the whole game. Dontcha think you won yet! Ignis rushed at him again and yet again, her defense was lacking. This is getting risky. Yuel glanced at his HP. Even though Igniss assaults ended in failure, she usually managed to land a few hits before being forced to retreat. Slowly but surely, she was grinding Yuel out of HP. I With Yuel now at 60% HP, Ignis could cut off his escape with Swordwhril and then score a kill. No, wait. She wont do it because Yuel will assuredly score at least one critical hit in this exchange and will out-damage her thanks to Morning Star increasing his crit chance with every attack. So, with that in mind- Gotcha! Ignis charged forward and spun her blade through him! No time to think! Five hits plus a crit is like six hits, so that should work out, right!? With Yuels snail speed reaction, he had no choice but trust his rough estimation. His Blink was still on cooldown, so fighting back was his only option. Yuel fired and Ignis sliced. He shot again and she slashed. A shot for a slice, a slash for a bolt. It was a race to the death! Nuuuuuu! Flippin crit! Ignis smacked her own forehead. She realized her miscalculation too late. You have killed an enemy! With this, the match was pretty much settled. Yuel took down the Golem, which spawned super minions from his side. He also took the time to clear buff camps, further boosting his overwhelming advantage. Before long, he invaded all the way into Igniss base. The Colossus of the 1v1 mode was much weaker than the one in 5v5. On top of that, Yuel was effectively a Carry, so his DPS with basic attacks was nothing to sneeze at. Together with his super minions, Yuel made a quick work of the Colossus. Only 30% HP left to finish this game! Nuuuuuuu! Stahp! Ignis rolled on the sofa, jumped around, shook Yuels shoulders and did everything in her power to interfere. There was nothing for her to do until she respawns, so she did everything in her power to slow Yuel down. Thats some the mature tactic right there. But, it was useless. The Colossus was already at 10%, so Ignis won''t be able to achieve anything even if she to revives now. It''s over. I wo- Agh! Yuel jumped after something slammed his face! In real life! What the-!? Don''t wanna! Ignis flailed her arms and tossed sofa pillows. Right into Yuels face. Stop tha- ack! Headshot! Critical hit! The pillow smashed right into his nose! Goddammit, seriously!? It was both hilarious and sad at the same time. Ignis was supposed to be the adult here, but she was acting like a five-year-old. Even though she were drunk, that didn''t excuse this childish behavior... or maybe it did? Yuel obviously had no experience with being drunk, so hard to say. Either way, he must wrap up this game. He ignored the barrage of pillows and focused on taking down the Colossus. Despite the interference, he successfully finished the job. VICTORY He did it! He beat a pro! ... a pro who was drunk, five levels below him, partially underestimated him and let him counter-pick her. But even so, it was a win! Yeah! Still, if Ignis were to take him more seriously from the get-go and wasnt so drunk, she probably would have torn him apart despite all the other advantages he had. Just how strong was she in her top form? Gulp. This was a great experience, aside from the pillow missiles at the end there. Yuel got a lot of insight into how Ignis played the game. How she waited for the right moment to strike, how she dodged and parried his shots and so on. There was much he could learn from just playing her. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Did Howard get to play his sister every day? So lucky. No wonder he was such a strong defensive player. He must have learned to defend so well in order to stay alive against Ignis. If only somebody in Yuel''s family was a pro player... sigh. No fair! Hax! Ignis pouted. One more! I''mma *hic *ya this time! Sis, Howard leaned toward her. It''s already late. He needs to- OOOOONE MORE! ... alright, Howard sighed he turned to Yuel. Will you? Sure. Yuel nodded. This was a rare chance to play against a pro, so Yuel wouldnt miss it for the world. He''d stay up all night to keep playing Ignis. C''mon then! A confident grin returned to Igniss face. Let''s go! I''mma show you how real players get things done! They started the third match. Ignis should still be salty from losing the previous round, so itll hamper her performance... or not. Despite her rowdy behavior, she apparently regained her composure during the short break. Not good. Yuel had to stick Ranger because of the house rules, so Ignis countered him with ease. The third game easily went to her. Yuel barely landed a single hit. However, next game Yuel countered her back and got another win, though it was a close game. Whenever he managed to throw Ignis off her game, that made her slip and opened the road to victory. That was his secret weapon against her. The fifth match went to Ignis, and so did the sixth. Cornering her Viking proved harder than Yuel thought. This was some serious challenge. And so, the night went on into the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth games. Aaaaa~ Ignis yawned, opening her mouth so wide she could swallow the whole living room. After rubbing her eyes, she dropped on her side. Tired. Sleep. Yes, yes, Ellen and caressed Ignis hair. It''s already late, so you need to go to bed. She spoke softly as if addressing a baby. Finally, Howard sighed in relief. The party was over. After 12 matches, the final score was 4-8 in Igniss favor. Yuel held his ground quite well if he had to say so himself, but his tactics weren''t enough to match Igniss strength. She was at least as mechanically strong as Lars and she amplified said strength with airtight decision-making. Will Lars also reach that level one day? How long will it take that goof? So, Yuel turned to Ignis. How did I play? Like poop, Ignis closed her eyes and lifted her chin. But well, guess it''s not that bad for your age. You even managed to beat the Great Ignis a few times. Not too shabby, kid. She threw him a smile. Maybe she wasn''t that bad after all. You got nothing on Wardy, though. Okay, never mind. Shes the worst. That last comment was totally unnecessary, but I''ll take it. Yuel played good enough to impress a pro, so that''s good enough for now. His next goal was to blow Howard out of the water, so hell make Ignis eat her words then. This lasted way longer than I planned, Yuel put down the controller and stood up. Sorry about that, Howard smiled wryly. She''s not like that usually. No problem. It was fun. Though, at the same time, a bit frustrating too. Howard could spar with such an amazing pro player on a daily basis. So damn lucky. Hey, Wardy... Ignis mumbled half-asleep. Before I pass out and forget... Our guys agreed to play your team this weekend. They''re salty about losing to the Falcons, so they wanna vent by beating some kids. So mature, haha... yawn~ ... alright. Howard answered with a pause while trying to lead Yuel toward the door. However, Yuel didn''t budge. What did he just hear? Ignis said our guys who lost to the Falcons will play Howard''s team. It''s a one plus one which he really wished he didnt put together right. Igniss team, the Sweepers, lost to the Falcons today, that''s why she was drunk in the first place. And, these guys will be playing against Howard''s team, which likely referred to the new first-string led by Howard. In other words, a scrimmage between StormBlitz and Sweepers! And it didn''t sound like the first time either. What''s wrong? Howard asked. Forgot something? So that''s what you''ve been doing in secret the whole summer, Yuel muttered. Playing against pros, huh. From time to time, yeah. Howard didn''t even try to hide it. His team gained valuable experience by playing against pros. Its the first time Yuel heard about any of this. Nobody mentioned anything about this even when they visited the club. Not Gilbert. Not Roi. Not Dan. Nobody. First time I''m hearing about this, Yuel did his best to hold back the malice. So, it''s like a summer training camp? Something like that, Howard shrugged. Pro teams are quite busy, so it''s not easy to arrange a match with them. But, they agree to play us from time to time because our team is decent. I personally think they just enjoying stomping us, haha. Why. Why was this the first time Yuel heard about any of this. While he and Lars were busy doing something basic like grinding in Ranked, Howard got to play against real pros. And not just some 1v1s, but real 5v5 matches. Why. Yuel bit his lip. He didn''t want to come off as aggressive, but he couldn''t contain it anymore. Why I never heard of this? You told everybody to keep hush about it, didn''t you? Why? I only told them to not spread the word too much. Howard turned around to face Yuel. I knew how you and Lars would react. You''d be begging to play against the Sweepers too, right? Of course we would. Any chance to play against real pros is a huge deal. Exactly, and I didn''t want to deal with that. As I said, pro teams are busy even in B-League. It''s not like they''re at my beck and call. They do sis a favor by playing us during their off-hours. So, I can''t waste these opportunities on anybody but the first string. A long and airtight response, as expected from Howard. He must have already planned out how he''d answer such questions. He never failed to prepare the defense in advance. You could''ve at least told me, Yuel insisted. I thought I''m the vice-captain. I don''t think that really concerns you. I told you: I''m responsible for the first string, you handle everything else. This is a first string business, so it''s not your concern. I see... Yuel clenched his shaking fists. It''s true, it didn''t concern him. After all, he was just a member of the second string. Even though he was the vice-captain, the first string had nothing to do with him. Because he wasn''t on the first string. Because he couldn''t beat Howard. Then, Yuel spoke through gritted teeth. What if I become part of the first string? He glared at Howard with all the determination he could muster. In what position? You want to try beating Roi to take Top? Will be pretty rough, haha. I''m serious. Huh. Howard''s smile vanished. His eyes turned sharp, like that of an eagle eyeing his prey. That piercing gaze, it always made Yuel step back. But, not today. Yuel glared back without budging. He had enough. If he doesnt fight back now, then when!? He had to defeat Howard and win himself a spot on the first string. Things couldn''t go on like this. As long as Yuel was stuck in the second string, he was nothing. A nobody. Yuel had to get out. He had to get to the first string. Then, and only then, he''ll be considered a real competitive player. He couldn''t waste another year sitting on the bench. Alright, Howard finally unlocked his gaze. If you''re that serious, I''ll give you a chance, but only one. If you and Lars can beat me and Elly, we''ll surrender our roles to you. Really!? Yuels heart skipped a beat, but only for a moment. No, its still too early to celebrate. What do you propose? A 2v2? Nah, that''d be silly. Let''s have a proper 5v5. You take Roi, Dan, and July. I take Gilbert, Tai, and Gregory. Well decide who plays on the first string with a best-of-three. But, that''s... Yuel frowned. It''s quite clear Yuel''s team had an advantage. Roi and Dan were first string players and they were superior to Taison and Gregory in virtually every way. Yuel''s team will only have a slight disadvantage in Mid, but according to his estimation, Julia wasn''t that much below Gilbert. Yet, Howard was confident. Did he really think he could win against these odds? If so, he was suggesting that he and Ellen were much better than Yuel and Lars and thatd balance the teams out... Sounds crazy? Howard smirked. I know what you''re thinking, but this is the best way. If we beat you with this arrangement, you''ll accept that I deserve the first string more than you, right? Yes, I won''t complain. Yuel pursed his lips. Having Roi and Dan will give Yuels team a huge advantage, so the only reason they can possibly lose would be because of Yuel and Lars. If they happen to lose, thered be no choice but to admit that Yuel and Lars didnt deserve the first string yet. But, Yuel started. If I win, will you really step down from the first string? You have my word, Howard nodded. If I can''t overcome this much, there''s no hope of leading the team to the championship. May as well give up right here and now. I see. It sounded over-the-top, but Howard must have arrived at this conclusion after participating in many real matches. He has already fought on the competitive stage, so he knew how tough it was. For him, this unfavorable battle for the first string wasnt even considered his greatest challenge; its just another milestone on the way to the top. Okay, Yuel said. I''m in. When we''re doing it? Let''s do it before the weekend, on Friday. I''ll tell Roi and Dan that you''re in charge of them until then. Both teams will use this time to prepare. Sounds good. I just hope he''s not planning to rig this match. Yuel frowned. Getting Roi and Dan was a huge advantage, but it could turn out to be a double-edged sword. After all, these two were on the first string, so they respected Howard as their captain. They might play poorly on purpose to ensure Howard''s victory. Don''t worry, Howard said. I''ll tell them to take this seriously. If they mess around, feel free to report. It''s an important match and they must treat it as such. If they can''t, they''re not fit to play competitively. Simple as that. Sounds good. It''s downright eerie how well Howard read him, but these words were reassuring. It will be a fair match and it will have the first string on the line. Yuel came this far. Hes now just one step away from the first string and the competitive scene. He won''t let this opportunity slip by! He and Lars will win this match and claim their rightful places as StormBlitzs Support and Carry! Vol.4 Ch.12: Battle Preparations - Howards Side Lol, you serious? Roi asked. Howard just called him and Dan to explain the crazy bet he made with Yuel. Wait, Dan said. You really gonna step down from being the captain if you lose? Not sure what I''ll do about being the club captain, Howard answered. But, I will surrender him the Support role as promised. So, yes, this is no joke. It''s a serious match if that''s what you''re asking. Huh... Dan was speechless. You really think you can win, bro? Roi asked. It''ll be me and Dan on Yuel''s team, ya know. You don''t think Tai and GG can balance us out, do you? Of course not. But, where''s the fun if it''s not challenging, right? Lol, somebody likes to live dangerously. Anyway, that''s the gist of it, Howard said. Until the match on Friday, consider Yuel your captain. Cooperate with him on whatever he asks and prepare for a tough match. I don''t want to see you put on an embarrassing performance just because my position is at stake. It wasn''t a request; it was an order. They weren''t allowed to even entertain the thought of slacking off. It was a serious match through and through. Heh, Dan chuckled. Bet you also gonna say you''ll kick us off the first string if we don''t play well, amirite? Hmm. Howard paused for a moment. Normally yes, he''d threaten them with something along these lines. That''d to ensure theyre 100% concentrated on the task at hand and will be able to draw out their full potential. However, right now, these two were his enemies. Howard wanted a fair match with Yuel, but there''s no reason to go out of his way to ignite the enemys fighting spirit. That''s the job of the enemy captain, not Howards. Nah, Howard said. We all know you''re better than Tai and GG in your main roles. No matter who wins the match, I''m sure you''ll keep your positions regardless. That is, as long as you don''t embarrass yourselves with a shabby performance and play worse than Tai and GG. Lol, it takes a special kind of skill to play worse than these kids Yeah, Dan added. They dont even main these roles. We can play better than them even with our eyes closed Good. Howard nodded. From their tones, they were going to put on a decent fight. However, they wont be fighting with their positions on the line, so they''ll be tough opponents but not overwhelming. Unless Yuel ignites a flame in them, there''s nothing to worry about... right? Next, Howard informed Gilbert. However, here he assumed a different tone. Gilbert was on Howards team, so he had to treat this match as a matter of life and death. Therefore, maximum motivation! Also, Howard added after explaining the basics. This match will double as a selection test for the first string, which includes you too. It''s a good chance to test how much July has improved over the year. Hm, Gilbert was silent for a long moment. You mean it? You really consider picking her for the first string over me? Elly trained with her and said she improved a lot. So, who knows how good she is by now. I see. I''ll play with that in mind. Gilbert said. There was strong determination hidden underneath his tone. Even though he didn''t seem to believe Julia had any chance to steal his spot, he wasn''t going to take any risks. After all, its Gilbert, he hated risks no matter how small they were. Alright, nothing to worry about here. Howard nodded to himself. Gilbert''s motivation should now be at its peak, so he''ll put on a good show on Friday. Julia will no doubt also be motivated for this match, so Gilbert will have to squeeze every last bit of fighting spirit to overwhelm her. Next, there''s Taison and Gregory. These two will be a little harder to handle because Howard didn''t know them that well. He has known Gilbert since grade school, but he only spent one year in the club with Taison and Gregory. They didnt really have that many meaningful interactions. Nevertheless, Howard had a rough idea of how to press their buttons. These two will have to do their absolute best this to get obliterated by Roi and Dan, so their motivation will have to be beyond its maximum. The problem was: they were a rather selfish bunch and they didn''t have anything particular at stake this match. As the captain, that''s up to Howard to solve. He had to make sure all his soldiers were psyched for the upcoming match and it didnt matter what he had to do to that end. For starters, Howard invited the problem kids to his house and explained the situation face-to-face. Man, Taison was the first to complain. Why we gonna do this shit? I second that sentiment, Gregory added. It feels like we''re just being used for your little game. We''re also players, you know. What about our chances of getting into the first string, huh? They exist, Howard answered right away, he was already prepared for this. Even though I only made a promise with Yuel, I think of this match as a general first string selection test. In a way, you could say I''m using him to test other players like you. Kek, smartass. Khaha, I''m lovin it! Alright, they were amused by this little wordplay. Things started off on the right foot- Except, there''s a problem, Gregory was quick to catch on. We also wanna play Carry and Support. How does that fit into your test? Hey, the man is right! Taison flailed his arms and added noise. Sharp little... Howard frowned. Well, this sucked. Then again, he knew this was going to be the main issue with these two troublemakers. Theyll be playing Top and Jungler in the upcoming match, but that''s not their main roles. Same as Yuel and Lars, these two aimed for Support and Carry. In a sense, they were rivals too. Its a tough spot. How should Howard wing this? He had multiple ideas prepared, but couldn''t tell which of them will lead to success. Too bad, Howard said, his tone turning colder. Support and Carry are taken. Yeah, Gregory retorted. Except, youre giving Yuel and Lars a chance to grab the roles. Not really because theres no chance Ill lose. This is just a way to drop Yuel off my case. Gotta crush him thoroughly, so he doesn''t dare to speak about being Support while I''m here. Kek, savage. Gregory''s attitude started changing, it was easy to tell by his tone. Howard got one step closer to converting these two. Ill give you two a chance as well if you really insist, Howard said. But, you really think you can take on me and Ellen? You dont wanna embarrass yourselves, do you? Heh, well... Gregory averted his eyes. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I totally should be a starter, yo! Taison insisted. My, Ellen interjected. You want to steal my spot? Taitai you''re so cruel~ Sob, sob. Gah, well... Taison scratched his head. Guess I can wait for next year... Good job, Ellen. That''s why I said, Howard steered the conversation back on track. Think of this match as also a test for you. Not for Support and Carry as youd ideally like, but for Top and Jungle. I want to see how you fare compared to Dan and Roi. These are your secondary roles and I know you can handle them well. Who knows, maybe youll show enough potential to become a starter. So, Gregory adjusted his glasses. You''re saying this is our chance to debut with our secondary roles. Hmm. Hell yeah! Taison exclaimed. I''m totally in, man! Gonna blow Roi out of the water, khaha! I believe your opponent would be Dan, though. Gregory corrected. Oh, true dat. No matter! I''mma wreck them both! Because I''m da best! Dumbass, Gregory chuckled. He contemplated for a moment, then spoke up again. You''re really saying we got a chance? Perhaps, Howard shrugged. Anything is possible. You were greenhorns when you first joined, but you''ve already spent a year in the club by now. The first year is the most important for growing, so only now we can really test how good you are. I''m sure you improved a lot, so let''s see if youre good enough to earn yourselves any starter positions. Hell yeah! Taison nodded exaggeratedly. Nationals, baby! Here comes yo boi DaBestBro!!! Somebody''s here already in La-La Land. Gregory smiled wryly. Judging by his tone, he wasn''t entirely convinced yet. Howard had to give him one more push. But, what else was there to offer as a reward? My, Ellen tilted her head. You really don''t know how to dream big, GG. Maybe thats why you''re not a starter yet. Ever thought about that? Who the fuck are you calling GG. Gregory frowned at her, but she dodged it. Anyway, GG. You better think about what''s important here. And what''s important, exactly? That Yuyu is trying to become the team''s Support. If you don''t cooperate with us, we may actually possibly kinda lose, you know. You really wanna see Yuyu become a starter before you? No way, Gregory replied instantly, his eyes sharp like a blade. Here we go. Howard nodded. Ellen did a good job striking a nerve, atta girl. This should be in the bag now. You''re all juniors, so I''m sure it''ll suck to see another junior become a starter before you. Especially, Yuel and Lars. You can say that again. Gregory made an expression of disgust. If you want to prevent it from happening, we really need your cooperation here. And as I said, who knows? Maybe youll even beat them to the punch and become starters before them. Heck yea! Taison made noise again. I gonna get the nationals before Lars, yo! We got this one in the bag alright. Howard restrained himself from grinning. Unfortunately, the job wont be done until both troublemakers are persuaded. Fine, Gregory adjusted his glasses. I''m in. I dont think we got much of a shot at the first string, though. You never know what gonna happen, Howard objected. There''s always a chance. He told this to Gregory, even though he said the complete opposite to Roi and Dan. But hey, it''s not like he lied to either side. There was a chance but it was miniature, especially for Gregory. Taison had a much better chance of proving himself as a valuable Jungler through solid mechanical skill, but he probably wont beat Dans versatile arsenal of class options. Oh, and guys, Ellen said. You havent heard the best part yet. If we win, Howard gonna treat all of us to some pizza. From his own pocket, of course~ Wha- Howard gasped, but celebrations broke out before he got to react. Sweet deal, yo! Taison pumped a fist and grinned from ear to ear. Youre a real bro, man! You shouldve started from that, Gregory adjusted his glasses and smirked. Now Im totally in. Damn you, Elly. Good move. Howard had to hand it to her. In for a penny, in for a pound, literally. Yeah, it slipped my mind. Pizza for everybody if we win. You can start placing orders now. With that, everything was set in place. Gilbert was motivated to not lose his spot, whereas Taison and Gregory were motivated to stop their rivals, get a starter spot themselves and most importantly: get some pizza! What a bunch of shallow brats... Gilbert came over later that day and the team began training for the upcoming match. Before anything else, Howard made sure to study the strengths and weaknesses of the juniors. Especially their weaknesses, because Yuel was undoubtedly familiar with them and will try to exploit them. Howard had to form his strategy around that. After a first fruitful day of practice, everybody left except for Ellen. She probably planned to sleep over again because shes too lazy to head home; what a spoiled princess. So, Ellen dropped on the sofa beside him. Feel confident about our chances? Of course. We got this in the bag. Good thinking there with the pizza by the way. Anything for you, darling. Ellen giggled as she rubbed her head against his arm, like a kitten asking to be petted. So, you gave all of them a motivation boost, but what about me? You really need one? Probably not, Ellen smiled like a fox. Itll be good enough if I just get Lars off my case. He still tries to challenge me every now and then, saying some nonsense about taking my spot and what not. Hes such a pain. Ill gladly break him if you dont mind. I dont, Howard shrugged. Hes a strong boy, he can take it. Besides, the only one you ever broke was Trever and he already had stability issues in the first place. You just like playing the witch, dont you? Tehe, maybe~ Ellen stuck out her tongue. Esmeralda was rubbing on her too much. Ellen inherited not only her playstyle from that witch but also some questionable personality traits too. Well, it was endearing in its own way. Kinda. Maybe. Anyway, Howard said. You got plenty of motivation. Buuu~t, Ellen rubbed her nose against his arm. You need everybody in absolutely top form, right? So, giving me something special may make me work even harder~ Like what? Hmm, I dunno~ Ellen put a finger on her lips. Something special only couples do. I mean, arent we dating and stuff? First time I hear that. Meanie~ She pinched his arm. Weeeell, Im not saying you have to, but a kiss could be nice. Here you go. Howard brought his lips toward her and gave her a peck. On the forehead. W-Wha!? Ellen jumped backward, her face flushed. T-Tell me before you do that kind of stuff! Jeez, you barbarian. Hmph. Besides, what I meant is more... She tapped on her lips. This of it as advance payment, Howard smirked. Youll get the rest once we win. Im holding you on that, you know. Ellen poked his cheek while pouting, but her expression soon transformed into a beaming smile. She was already motivated before, but now her motivation was through the roof. With this, Howards entire team was guaranteed to put on a strong performance. He did his job. Im beat, Howard leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. Finally, he could rest a little. Were all confident and fired up, just like you wanted. Ellen caressed Howards hair. But, what about you? Wholl reassure YOU that were going to win? Wholl promise you a reward for your hard work? Ellen was the only one by his side here. Shes the only one who could reassure him, to promise him anything. No matter how tough and confident Howard acted, deep down he was uneasy too. This match was more than just selecting the starters, itll decide whether Howards ambition of winning the nationals will come to fruition. Failure wasnt an option. Dont worry, Ellen held his hand. Ill do anything to win this. Ill break anybody who stands in your way. Heh, that nonsense again, Howard smiled dimly and clenched her hand. Im not worried. It''s just warm up for us. Our real battle with these brats will be in high school after they get some competitive experience. So, in two or three years. Then we''ll know for sure who''s really better. But, arent they going to Ivy just like us? Ellen pointed out. How we gonna face them in high school? I don''t plan on going to Ivy, Howard answered. Remember how I told you about Grandview High? Yeah, the one with the strongest high school team, right? What was it again... Dystopia, I think? Utopia. Anyway, that''s where I''m planning to go. W-Wait! Ellen jumped and clenched his hand. That''s like on the other side of the country! No shit, Sherlock. T-Then how you gonna study there? You can''t just take a bus or train there every morning. A scholarship that comes with living at the dorm. They offer them to promising Mancers. B-But what about me!? Ellen finally asked what was really eating her. Howard planned to leave!? To the other side of the country!? To leave Ellen behind!? T-T-That''s just... N-No... You can try following me if you want. Howard shrugged. Wha... But I... I thought... Ellen''s eyes became glossy. How could this... But they were... She... Joking, joking, Howard ran a finger across her cheeks to wipe her tear. I won''t leave you behind. Because then, I wont have anybody to mess around with, right? Haha. You jerk! I hate you! Ellen buried her nose in his arm. Playing for Utopia is the shortest way to the pro league, Howard explained. Many players there receive offers even before they graduate. If I go there and show results, Ill be able to play together with sis as a pro in just a few years. But, if youre not on board, Ill rethink things, No, Im totally fine with it if thats what you want. But, what our chances? Sis talked to the school about us. You know, giving a little pro recommendation. They said well have a decent chance if we get to nationals this year and put on a show. If we become the champions, it''s pretty much settled. So, we just have to win. Ellen rubbed her cheek on his arm. Yeah, easier said than done though. That''s why the match on Friday is like the first trial. If we can''t beat Yuels team with this arrangement, I won''t feel confident about our chances in the nationals. We''ll beat them. Yeah, we will. We have to. They remained hugged together for a while longer... Vol.4 Ch.13: Battle Preparations - Yuels Side One day after Yuel made the deal with Howard, he gathered Lars and Julia in the clubroom and told them the news. For real!? Lars jumped before Yuel could finish. We gonna be starters!? Sick, yo! IF we can beat Howard''s team, yes. You heard that? Lars ran to July and shook her by the shoulders. We''re going to nationals this year! Y-Yeah, Julia squeezed the words through her fluster. It''s great. She nodded with a smile, then shot a glare at Yuel. I also gonna be a starter, right? Right? Depends, Yuel answered by averting his eyes. I''ll kick you. Her glare continued to drill Yuel. I''ll see what I can do... Yuel let out a sigh. He didn''t want to make promises he couldnt keep. It''s not like Julia was a weak player, its just Gilbert was a better player overall. Gilbert was a consistent player, whereas Julia had her ups and downs. She had a bad habit of overcompensating for her mistakes, which led to further mistakes and further overcompensating. Yuel has exploited that side of her many times when he played against her in practice matches. Anyway, it''s best to keep all of that to himself right now. Whether Julia could become a starter wasn''t the main concern at the moment. The top priority was to win the match on Friday. Nothing will begin until they clear that first hurdle. In the afternoon, Yuel called over the remaining members of his team: Roi and Dan. Howard already gave them the gist of it, so they were quick on the uptake. In fact, Howard apparently even ordered them to treat Yuel as their captain until and during the upcoming match, which made things a lot easier. Lars, Julia, Roi, and Dan. With this team, Yuel will have to overcome Howard''s lineup. Based on the individual strength of each team member, Yuel''s team had the advantage. Roi and Dan were on the first string with their current positions, they were leagues above Taison and Gregory for whom Jungler and Top were secondary roles. Therefore, assuming Yuel and Lars roughly balance out Howard and Ellen in Bot, the only disadvantage the team had was in Mid: Julia vs. Gilbert. But. even that didn''t sound like a big deal because the skill gap between them wasn''t that big. All in all, Yuel''s team was stronger. But, Howard was the one who suggested this match and hell be leading the enemy team. Therefore, Yuel couldnt lower his defense. To secure victory in this important match, hell have to prepare the team to the best of his ability. I prepared some notes, Yuel dumped a stack of papers he printed with copies for everybody. It''s a summary of useful observations I''ve collected about everybody on Howards team throughout the year. Their preferred classes, their playstyle quirks, their weak points. Anything that can give us an edge. Whoa, Roi exaggeratedly flipped through the stack of pages. That''s some intense research you got here, doc. Lol. I guess there''s one about us too? Dan asked after skimming the contents. Yes, I can make a list like that about anybody from the club. But, they''re just scattered notes right now. It takes time to organize them into a comprehensive list. Haha, Lars laughed and shook his head. Dude is a genius, I''m tellin ya. More like a stalker. Julia jabbed. It was Aaron''s suggestion, Yuel felt like defending himself for some reason. I usually store all this data in my head, but he said it''s a good habit to jot it down so I can share it with others later. Thinking of it, maybe all the way back then Aron was already preparing Yuel for becoming the vice-captain. Either way, following that piece of advice paid off. Yuel didnt bother writing his observations on paper as Aron suggested, but he has been recording his thoughts on the phone during some club practices. He thought of it as a good way to sort out his thoughts, but nothing more. Today was the first time he found a very practical use which extended beyond personal use. After he returned from Howard''s place, Yuel started preparing for the upcoming match right away and that''s when he remembered the notes on his phone. Except, they were a scattered jumble which would make little sense to anybody but him. Heck, even he wasnt sure what some of the notes meant. Yuel didn''t waste a moment and ported all his notes onto his PC, then organized them by players. It was done rather hastily, so the data still wasn''t as perfectly organized as he wanted. Still, it became way better than the mess it was before. After spending the whole night, and some of this morning, on this task - Yuel finally ended up with this pile of papers. Twelve pages, five copies of each. That''s the result of taking notes throughout half a year. Welp, Lars put down his copy. This is cool and all, but now let''s play some! No, Yuel retorted. First, I want to go over these notes. Before we begin practicing we need to understand who we''re dealing with. Duuuuuude, Lars dropped back on his chair and closed his eyes. I sleep. At least try to listen, okay? Yuel sighed. I doubt his selective memory can hold all this information anyway. Okay, I''m listening. Zzz. Lars produced fake snoring noises; what a brat. Well, he''ll definitely tune in during the important parts, so that''ll be fine. Besides, by Friday, he''ll probably forget like 90% of what they discuss today. He was a troublesome goof like that. First, Yuel assumed a lecturing tone. About the enemy''s overall strategy. Anybody who ever played under Howard knows he sticks to defense, so I''m sure that''s what we''re going to deal with. All their laners work well with that game plan. Ellen was an infamous poke-and-run player. Gilbert was a balanced player who had both decent defense and decent offense. And of course, then theres Howard himself, the paragon of defense. This was an airtight defensive lineup alright. Next, onto the lesser threats: Taison and Gregory. As a Top Laner, Gregory relied on tactics and counter-building, similar to how Yuel played Top. Gregory wasnt a defensive player per se, but hed most certainly play defensively against an overwhelming opponent like Roi. Gregory had no chance of beating Roi in a straight 1v1, so Howard will surely make him play defense, no question about it. As for Taison, that guy will most likely be the most aggressive enemy on that team. As a Jungler, he liked ganking lanes and getting into fights with enemy laners. He enjoyed that a little too much, to the point it was impossible to stop him even it was going to be a misplay. Howard may try to force Taison into playing slower and safer, but thats like asking Lars to play defensively. Yeah, thats not going to happen. Besides, Taison almost exclusively played bruisers as a Jungler and those had better survivability than assassins. So, thatll probably be defensive enough to Howards taste. Long story short, itll be a hyper-defensive lineup. And, to make the most of it, itll most assuredly feature mid/late game classes. These were the classes which typically didnt do well in the early game, but they compensated for that with a huge power spike in the mid/late game. Fights against defensive teams usually dragged on, so said teams benefitted the most from picking classes which excelled in later parts of the game. In a nutshell, thats what Yuels team will have to deal with. There were no objections to his analysis. Everybody silently listened to what he had to say. Even Lars did his best to not doze off. As you probably know, Yuel continued. I prefer more aggressive comps myself. So, unless I find another approach, Friday''s match will boil down to whether our offense can break through their defense. If we can gain an advantage in the early game, we win. If the game drags into the late-game, we''re in trouble. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nice and simple! Lars nodded. Were going go full aggro, yo! You''re quite the challengers, Dan smiled wryly. You know how hard it is to penetrate Howard''s defense. Of course. Yuel nodded. Back at the entrance exam, he was helpless against Aegis. Everything he tried was blocked, denied and negated. The countless practice matches throughout the year only further proved Howard boasted an amazing team-wide defense. But, a whole year has passed since they last serious match. Yuel has improved a lot since then. He was no longer the same rookie who barely knew left from right. He studied many different tactics, analyzed countless games, absorbed knowledge from his seniors and gained experience all across the board. As he was today, his refined tactics should be capable of piercing through Howard''s Aegis. They had to. To do so, Yuel had to utilize his team to the fullest. Any opening in Howard''s team, no matter how small, shall be to be thoroughly abused. That''s the only way to break through Howard''s absolute defense. First, Roi, Yuel said. Considering your skill compared to Gregorys, I think you should go hyper-aggressive from the get-go. For example, Dark Knight or Orc. Lol, that''s indeed hyper-aggressive, alright. Gregory is nowhere near as mechanically skilled as you and he''s lacking experience as Top, so that''s where I want to strike. With a hyper-aggressive class like Dark Knight you should be able to overwhelm him, maybe even snowball off him. Sounds good and all, Roi nodded. But, you really think something like DK is necessary? I mean, c''mon I''m the starter in Top. I can rek GG with any class. DK gets clunky if I don''t start rolling during the early game. There are more stable classes out there, ya know? Perhaps, Yuel agreed. Even so, I want to strike as hard as possible at that weak spot. I''ll be the one doing the striking, though. Roi shrugged. Gregory is their weakest link, Yuel explained. And, luckily, he''ll be facing you, one of our strongest players. I want to make the most out of this matchup advantage. Okay, okay, Roi shrugged. I get it, you wanna bully the poor kid, lol. I still think DK is going too far with the aggro plan, but alright Ill play it during practice if you insist. And Orc too. Its a backup in case Dark Knight is banned. Had a feeling youll go there... Okay, got it. Ill try getting my DK and Orc in shape during this week. Thanks,. Yuel said. Next, Dan. As you said, Howard''s defense is tough. Got any idea what kind of jungling can break through it? Heh, Dan smirked. Trying to extract Howard''s weaknesses from one of his teammates? Savage. I''m sure he''s doing the same. Yuel retorted. Not even doubting it, Dan nodded. Okay, let''s see. Howard always says Jungles are the hardest to defend against, so I bet he pays extra attention to them. One thing I noticed during practice is that he can deal with meta classes way better than with off-meta ones. Makes sense. Yuel nodded. As somebody whose life purpose was to provide the team with perfect defense, focusing on the strongest meta Junglers was the most efficient way. Its similar to how the Leopards were trained by their coach, which resulted in Dan''s unexpected Beastmaster and Chronomancer being rather effective against them in the scrimmage. In other words, Dan wore an impish smile. I better play Jungle Cryo if we wanna win. Yeah, that''s not happening. Yuel shot it down on the spot. There was such a thing as an off-meta pick which saw some practical uses, but then there was also a meme pick which was completely worthless. Unfortunately, Dan has always wanted to show off how well he played the meme picks. Sigh. Should we go with off-meta? Yuel pondered. Dan was clearly trying to promote his services as Dan-of-all-Trades, but his analysis made sense. Howard''s defense will likely have some holes against off-meta Junglers, just like the Leopards back in the scrimmage However, theres one huge difference between Howard and the Leopards: Howard knew exactly who hell be playing. There were five days until the match, so knowing Howard - he''ll somehow cover up this weakness. He''ll probably study all of Dans most successful off-meta picks and will train his team to counter them. The whole advantage of an off-meta class was how it was rarely played, so the enemy didn''t expect it and sometimes didnt know how to deal with it. On the other hand, such classes usually posed little threat to an opponent who prepared for them, that''s the whole reason they were off-meta in the first place. They were something akin to a gimmick and pro players had to know how to deal with any gimmick, which was why these classes underperformed in the meta and became off-meta. With all that considered, there''s little hope to catch Howard off-guard with an off-meta pick. Maybe some bizarre meme pick will provide shock value, but it''ll be short-lived. The best way to utilize Dan''s versatility here would have him the most efficient meta class against the enemy''s comp. I think you should focus on meta classes, Yuel concluded. Knowing Howard, he won''t let you surprise him with any weird pick. Hey now, don''t underestimate me, Dan said. You think a week is enough to learn how to counter all my stuff? I''ve been working on all my list of viable classes for years. Perhaps, but he most likely knows your favorites. Even I can tell you''re hoping to bring in Beastmaster or Chronomancer. Would be rad, not gonna lie. But hey, I got other aces up my sleeve. I rather not take the risk, Yuel said. It''s an important match for me and Lars. We must win no matter what. Hey now, Roi exclaimed. Youre saying me and Dan aren''t here to win? No, that''s not what I... Yuel pursed his lips. Honestly? A part of him was doubtful. Roi and Dan were Howard''s soldiers, they spent more time with Howard and they probably thought Howard was the better leader. How motivated were they to win this match against Howard? Gonna admit, Roi said. Howard is better-fit for leading the first string as far as I''m concerned. I knew it... But, with that said, me and Dan are on your team right now. Were here to win. Yeah, Dan joined in. And. if it makes you feel better, Howard personally told us to take this match seriously and follow you as our captain. He did? Yuel blinked. Sounded like Howard wasn''t planning to rig this match in any way. On the contrary, he desired a fair showdown. So, youre really going to try and beat him with everything you got? Yeah, Roi chuckled. If he loses after telling us all that, thats on him, lol. I see. Yuel smiled faintly. Thats one worry off his chest. If theres really no reason to worry about the possibility of a rigged match, Yuel could concentrate on forming the optimal strategy while trusting in Roi and Dans skill. I apologize, Yuel bowed his head. I admit, I had some doubts about how seriously you were going to take this. Youre right, were all on the same team here. Lets do our best to win. You got it! Sounds good. After that, the strategy meeting continued for a while. Yuels plan was to make Roi play a hyper-aggressive class during the early game and for Dan to counter-pick the enemy composition with a strong meta class. They didnt show much enthusiasm regarding the plan, but after a long back-and-forth, they reached a compromise of sorts. Lets do it like this, Roi suggested. Imma play DK or Orc or whatever you want. But, if that blows up in our faces and we lose, lemme pick whatever I want the next game. Deal? Alright, Yuel nodded. Not exactly his favorite idea, but this discussion was going nowhere otherwise. Hell just have to make sure they dont drop a single game. Easy, right? Well, worst case, Rois picks should be decent anyway, so theres not much to worry about. With this, Roi and Dans game plans for the match were decided. As for Lars, there wasnt much strategy to discuss. Lars just had to be Lars. Meaning: pull off insane snipes, overpower opponents through strength and carry the team. All these things were natural for him, so there wasnt much to add. Just dont get baited by Ellen, Yuel warned. I know, dude. Ill only chase her when Im sure I can kill her. With your baseless confidence, thats like 90% of the time. Yuel sighed. Itd be up to him to lead Lars appropriately against Ellen. In term of raw strength, Lars was superior to Ellen, but she was a trickster of an opponent. Even after spending a whole year with her in the club, she still found ways to press Larss buttons during practice matches and lead him to death. Even Yuel struggled to grasp her intentions most of the time, so it wont be easy. By the way, Yuel said. Do you have any second favorite class after Trickshooter? Hm? Lars cocked his head. Id say Gunslinger is pretty sick. Love that bad boy, but its not easy to land these headshots all the time. I see. Yuel jotted it down. Howard will assuredly ban Trickshooter every game, so Lars needed strong alternatives. The last player to discuss was Julia and there was a lot to talk about. But, not so much of it was directly about her game plan. Listen to me without getting angry, okay? Yuel cleared his throat. In this match, our biggest weakness is going to be Mid- Huuuh? Julia shot him a glare packed with a thousand death curses. You saying I gonna drag the team down!? No, Im just saying you have the toughest lane matchup. Yuel was quick to explain before something explodes. Like it or not, but Gilbert is the starter for Mid and has been playing for way longer than you. Before things like skill or talent, he has way more experience and thatll play against you. Hmph, so what? Julia scowled. I just gotta beat him, right? I gonna become a starter too, ya know. I have my doubts about that. Yuel kept that to himself. Anyway, regardless of how your current skill compares against Gilberts, Im sure the enemy will consider Mid our weakest link. Im telling you, Ill be fine! I said regardless of how things really stand. No matter if youre stronger or weaker than Gilbert, theyre going to assume youre weaker. Hmph. Julia crossed her arms and lifted her chin, but she was listening. So, Yuel continued. At one point or another, theyll definitely gun for Mid. Dan, I need you to watch out for Mid rotations. Roger. I dont think Howards offense will begin until mid-game, but we can never know for sure. Roi, since Im sure youll have lane advantage, its best if you rotate frequently to Mid. If we can gain an early advantage there, well have nothing to fear. Strike before the enemy strikes, heh. Roi gave a thumb up. Im in. Once everybody understood their game plans, the team practiced together in Ranked. They purposely picked team compositions which were similar to what they discussed and stuck as closely as possible to their agreed game plan. In a matter of days, this very team will be pitted against Howard and the fight for the first string will begin! Vol.4 Ch.14: Everybodys Stakes The first day of training in Yuels camp has been progressing smoothly. However, it came to an abrupt halt. Well, Dan stood up. Im beat. Thats it for me. Yeah, Roi left his chair too. I think thats enough for today. But, its only five, Yuel argued. We can still keep going for a while. They lock the gate at around eleven. Haha! Roi laughed. Youre not seriously saying we should stay here the whole night, are ya? May as well suggest we sleep here. Dan chuckled. Actually, thats not a bad idea. Yuel nodded to himself. Cmon, Roi shrugged. We still got four days. We got plenty of time. We ONLY got four days, Yuel corrected. We need to dedicate every last second to this, or else we wont win. Zero trusts in your team, huh. Roi shook his head. Overworking yourself not gonna do you any favors. Thats hardly overworking, Yuel argued back. He just couldnt help it. Every second, every millisecond, of practice was of utmost importance for this newly formed team. They had to pour their everything into practice to get a real chance at beating Howards team. We must win no matter what, Yuel insisted. We can''t waste a single moment. Yeah well, Roi shrugged. We don''t practice that much even on the first string, you know. But, you do get to practice with pros. I bet it''s great to gain so much experience in such a short time. Oh, Roi averted his eyes with an awkward smile. You heard about that, huh. Not from you, that''s for sure. Yuel judged Roi and Dan with his eyes. Even though these two visited the clubroom, they never uttered a word about training with pros. Dan was one thing, but Roi usually bragged about any cool games he had. And yet, this same Roi kept silent about playing pros. The two of them followed Howard''s instructions to a T like faithful soldiers. We just didn''t want to make you feel bad, Dan explained. I asked Howard what are the chances of letting some of you guys play with the Sweepers, but he said that''s not gonna happen. Sucks, I know. That excuse again. Yuel frowned. Its the same excuse Howard gave him before. Did Howard go as far as planning what excuse they should use in case theyre questioned? Considering how good he was at preparing the perfect defense, that''s more than likely. Anyway, Roi shook his head. Whats that got to do with our training today? Just because we cant play any pros doesnt excuse training 25 hours a day, ya know. My point was: everything is different here, Yuel explained. The resources we got for training and the amount of time we have to prepare for the next match - everything is different from your regular training. The first string gets a year to prepare for tournaments, but we don''t have that kind of time. Our match is on Friday. And that''s an excuse to work ourselves to the bone? You gotta take a breather too, man. We don''t have time for any breathers. Well then, Dan said as he approached the door. You two can keep discussing this until midnight, but I gotta go. Wait, we- Sorry, I didn''t sign up for this. Even if you were Howard or The President of the Universe, I still wouldnt stay extra hours after such a long day. Because you don''t have anything at stake this match, right? Yuel pressed. Ugh, what a pain. As he feared, Roi and Dan weren''t quite on the same page as. They didn''t have anything to lose in this match, so they didn''t feel like doing their best. They won''t be putting on their best performance on Friday,... Hey now, kid, Roi raised his voice. Don''t make me mad. That was pretty insulting, you know. We told ya we''ll be taking this match seriously, right? We''re competitive players, so itd be great if you didnt look down on us. Ugh. Yuel clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Roi''s glare was sharp like a knife, ready to dig into Yuel as soon as he utters a single word. But, this discussion was too important. This was no time to be intimidated. Yuel couldn''t possibly give- Yo, my dudes, Lars weighted down on Yuel''s shoulders with his arm, stopping Yuel from arguing further. Let''s just leave it at that. Yuel is just nervous about the match and all. Ya know, being the captain and all. I''m not- ugh. Look how stiff his shoulders are. Lars squeezed Yuel''s shoulders, doing what he probably thought was a massage. Aah! This was no massage! It was a public execution in broad daylight! These shoulders are made of rocks I''m tellin ya, haha. Ugh...! Yuels bones were gonna break! Heh, Roi chuckled. This wasn''t funny, goddammit! Sorry, I also pressed too much. I know this match is important for you, guys. I was in your shoes last year, we also had a similar starters selection match. So, no way me or Dan gonna do anything to ruin your chances. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. You heard the man. Dan nodded in agreement. I see, Yuel mumbled. Somehow, the whole argument now felt childish and embarrassing. Sorry, maybe I''m really a little nervous. Don''t sweat it, Roi gave a thumb up. There''s still time. Get used to it little by little. Sure. Expect, there''s NO time. Sigh, whatever. Roi probably had good intentions when he said that, so Yuel didn''t retort. After they reached a compromise of sorts, Roi and Dan left the clubroom. Guess thats that, Yuel sighed and turned to Lars. Thanks for stepping in before it got ugly. Its okay, you can let go of me now. No problem, dude, Lars continued to press Yuel''s shoulders, applying his Massage from Hell ultimate. It''ll help ya relax. Yeah, I''ll be very relaxed after this. In my grave. Yuel mentally retorted. Though, he had to admit this massage had some effect. Lars''s grip had like 600 horsepower and hurt like hell at first, but it started feeling better over time. Ill just endure this punishment. I probably deserve it anyway. Did I really say too much? Yuel asked. Youre asking if you acted like a total ass? Julia crossed her arms and lifted her chin. Yep, like a total ass. We''re not your slaves, you know. Yeah, I just... Yuel pursed his lips. He just wanted the team to spend as much time as possible on preparing for this fateful match. His and Lars''s futures were riding on it. The outcome of this match will decide whether they''ll spend the next year as real players or as nothing more than cheerleaders for the first string. It''s not like I enjoy staying here the whole day either, ya know, Julia said. I''m doing you a huge favor, so you better be grateful. You''re only here because Lars is here. Yuel squinted his eyes but kept his mouth shut. He had enough tedious conversations for one day. Thanks, July! Lars flashed her a smile. Let''s all train to death so we get on the first string together! Y-Yeah! Julia''s cheeks were tinted pink, which made her beaming smile look that much cuter. She could actually be such an agreeable girl when she wanted. A shame that Yuel was on her blacklist. With their determination reaffirmed, the three of them stayed in the clubroom until 10pm. Yuel still wanted to keep going, but now it was really getting late and his mom called to ask where he was. So, with that, their first day of training was over. Only four days left until the match. Seeya, my dudes. Lars waved. Dont forget that plan we discussed. Yuel waved back. No problem, Imma practice some more Gunslinger before sleep. Lets all do our best! On that note, Yuel and Julia parted ways with Lars and went on together because their houses were in the same direction. Once Lars vanished from view, Julia stopped and spoke up. I''ll do everything I can this Friday. She clenched her fists and her eyes glinted like a blade. Of course, Yuel nodded. After all, it''s an important match for Lars. Don''t get me wrong, Julia shook her head. True, I want Lars to become a starter because he deserves it. And well, I guess you too. Kinda. Maybe. It felt like she was going to choke to death while pushing these words through her throat. But, I also wanna play on the first string, you know! Oh. Yuel just stood there. The chilling night breeze hit against his skin, but he didnt budge. Julia wanted to become a starter? This was new. Its something Yuel has been noticing throughout the year, but now it was clearer than ever: Julia changed a lot. What started as a silly desire woo Lars gradually transformed into a genuine interest in playing competitive Classmancers. Though, Julia will poke his eyes out if he says that out loud. That''s good to hear, Yuel found himself smiling. You''ve become a strong player, so there''s a chance youll be picked.. Sheesh, please. You flatter me. Julia covered her mouth like some sophisticated lady, except the expression she was hiding was definitely far from ladylike. Praise me more! her eyes said. Yuel had to poke at that smug. But, if you really want to play your best, you have to learn how to use your aggressive- Nope! Nopenopenope! Julia exaggeratedly waved her arms. I know, I know. No need to rub it in. Sheesh, you can''t say anything nice without following up with a jab, can you? We''re trying to be positive here, so learn to read the damn mood. Sure... Says the girl who almost coughed blood when calling me kinda maybe decent. Also, Julia continued. Once we win, I plan to confess. Confess what? To Lars, you idio- Ahem. To Lars, of course, you dummy. Julia put on the fakest friendly smile ever. Huh, I see. What''s with the weak reaction? Well... You should''ve confessed to him ages ago. No idea what you''re waiting for. Yuel stopped himself from blurting these thoughts. Stop. Read the mood. Don''t poke her. This was was a rare occasion when Nice Julia graced Yuel with her divine presence. Or, at least it was Julia Who Wants Him Dead a Little Less Than Usual I mean, Yuel finally continued. Thats between you and Lars. Why are you telling me? Because youre the captain, duh. Julia thrust her finger at him. Its your job to make sure we win, so better work yourself to the bone! My job? Classmancers was a team game last time I checked. Yuel was this close to shooting back at her but he somehow held himself. Got it? Julia repeated. You gotta make sure we win so I can confess to Lars! Just go confesses already. Sigh. Yes, your highness. I''ll do everything in my power. I sense sarcasm but I''ll let it slide, Julia crossed her arms. At first, it looked like she was about to complain about something again, but instead, she smiled softly. Well, I''ll do my best too, so let''s win this thing. Definitely. Yuel smiled back. No matter how annoyed Julia usually was, Yuel couldn''t help but melt during these rare moments when she showed her bright smile. It turned any nonsense she pulled into forgivable. With the streetlight shining on her, she looked like an angel. She was cute- no, beautiful. It''s no surprise she was popular with boys at school. Also, despite being a pain every so often, Julia actually had a modest and diligent side to her. For a long time now, she has been secretly pouring extra hours into practicing Classmancers without showing off to Lars. She worked on her decision-making with Yuel, she practiced her aggressive playstyle on Yuel and she got general advice from Yuel. They really trained a lot together. Maybe that''s why Yuel couldn''t help but give her a pass for anything she did. He saw with his own eyes how hard she worked and how much she developed as a player. Julias training became even more intense after the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage. She won''t admit it, but she must have been really frustrated that she didn''t get to play on the stage that day. Seeing all that, Yuel couldn''t help but root for her. Even though Julia treated him like trash, he wanted to see her succeed. He wanted to bask in the warmth of her brilliant smile, even if the smile wasn''t meant for him. Perhaps, he even... well, that didnt matter. Anyway, same as Yuel and Lars, Julia had a lot riding on this match. She had to help Lars get into the first string, she wanted to use the victory as good timing for a confession and she also wanted to debut in the competitive scene herself. Julia had to win no matter what, even if it meant pleading with Yuel. She was far from polite or straightforward about it, but this whole conversation was her unique way of asking for Yuel''s help with the upcoming match. And, Yuel was compelled to comply. Yuel, Lars and Julia - all three of them had an entire year of their lives at stake this match. They had to win. No, they WILL win this. As the captain, Yuel will ensure that. Even against Howard, he''ll find a way. Tomorrow, I should ask Roi and Dan to stick at least until 6pm... Vol.4 Ch.15: The Trickshooter Gamble Friday arrived and the match for deciding the new first string was upon them. We''ll use the computer rooms, Howard handed Yuel a key. How did you get the keys? Yuel asked. Let''s just say I borrowed them, alright? Borrowed. Even though we''re supposed to keep a low profile about being at school without our advisor. Sure. Yuel wanted to retort, but that didn''t really matter. Howard probably knew where to get the keys because StormBlitz held their entrance exams in these computer rooms. Thats where Yuel met and fought Howard for the first time. And now, yet again, they''ll be clashing with each other in these same rooms. Good luck, Howard smiled and stretched his hand. You too, Yuel accepted the handshake with a smile, but immediately applied some force behind it because Howard did the same. The handshake and smiles were just a sportsmanship formality. In truth, they both wished for the other to crash and burn in the upcoming match. Neither of them was allowed to lose today. After a tug of war that felt like it lasted five minutes, neither of them managed to crush the other''s hand and they let go. That''s it. From this moment on, they were sworn enemies. No pity and no mercy. They silently approached their respective doors and went inside. The two computer rooms were adjacent to each other, a single wall separated between them. Perhaps the two rooms were a single one in the past and were separated to make it look like this school had two computer rooms. Thatd explain why each room was too small to house a whole class and students had to work in duos and trios. Whatever the case, this arrangement of two rooms was convenient for them today. There were even five monitors already lined up in a row, just waiting to be used for a Classmancers match. Everything looked exactly the same as during the entrance exam. Yuel booted the five computers and opened Classmancers on all of them. He and Howard organized everything by entering all game clients into the same room. Physically, each team was going to be in a separate room, but virtually, inside the game, they were all packed together into one space. Nothing new about that concept, but it felt funny somehow. Before long, the other team members arrived. Howard and Yuel arrived early to set everything up but everybody was told to get here at 9 am. Yo, Lars greeted everybody by flashing his teeth. Ready to rek these dudes? He raised his hand. Of course, Yuel also raised his hand for a high-five. They were born ready for this. I''m going to play my best too, Julia interjected. Look whos all ya fired up, Lars grinned and huddled both of them. We gonna do this, yo! Definitely. We got this. Roi and Dan shortly joined them. Dan barely made it in time, whereas Roi was late by three minutes. There always had to be that one kid who comes late, right? Anyway, everybody was here now. The stage was set. The match was about to begin! About the first game, Howard addressed his team. We might lose because I plan to let them use Trickshooter. Kek, Gregory adjusted his glasses. I see you like to live dangerously. Sounds like an unnecessary gamble, Gilbert said. Reason? Simple, Howard said. We all agree their team gonna be at its peak if Lars gets Trickshooter, right? Which means: if we beat them in that condition, it''s as good as winning the entire match right there. Think of the mental blow that''d deliver. Evil,. Gregory smirked, his eyes full of respect. He must have been taking mental notes about this tactic. But, Gilbert objected. If we lose, they''ll be one game away from winning. You sure that''s worth it? I never thought you, of all people, would ever suggest taking such a big risk. Sometimes, you have to take a calculated risk to increase your chances of winning. Sounds like something Yuel would say, Gilbert raised an eyebrow. But, if you''re sure... There were no further objections. Calling this idea bizarre didn''t do it justice, but everybody trusted Howard''s judgment. Over the past week, he has displayed an unrivaled ability to organize, strengthen and lead the team. He paid attention to the smallest quirks of each teammate and advised them how to cover their weak points, how to play without dying in difficult situations and even which classes suited them best in different team compositions. Howard''s way of doing things often led the team to victory in Ranked, even against strong pre-made teams filled with golden names. These guys were either active/former competitive students or maybe even legit pros. Even so, with Howard holding the reins, the team felt strong and successfully ground most opponents into submission. Therefore, even though nobody quite understood why the ever-careful Howard would go for such a dangerous gamble, everybody was going to follow his lead. Nobody seems too concerned. Alright. Howard nodded to himself. As long as this plan wasn''t going to cause distrust, it was worth a shot. It''s alright that nobody understood the full scope of Howard''s intentions this time. In fact, its better this way. Something Yuel would suggest, huh. Howard smiled meaningfully. At first glance, the idea of taking a big gamble to potentially reap huge benefits was very Yuel-like. In fact, maybe Yuel really inspired this line of thinking in Howard. However, there was one fundamental difference between Howards idea and Yuels tactics. What Howard was trying to achieve here was radically different from gaining a better position in a game. Yuel probably couldnt think in such a way yet because he was still a greenhorn when it came to competitive experience. Tai, Howard patted Taisons shoulder. Your ability to 1v1 Lars is going to play a huge role this game. Think you can handle his Trickshooter? Kahaha, no problem! Taison pumped a fist. I''m the 1v1 champ! I beat scrubs and get da pizza! A very questionable motivation, but good enough for me. Howard nodded. Let''s see how far he can go. I''m not going to count on it, but if he can beat Lars in 1v1 that''d give us a real chance to win this gamble. If he loses, that''s good in its own way too. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! So, Greg, Howard turned to Gregory. Do you feel like playing hardcore defense? Eh, do I have to? Gregory made a face. I mean, if you tell me to, Ill do it, but... Nah, thats alright. Play what you think works. Sweet! I wanna go for something more balanced, like Knight. No problem. This first game will change your mind, then. Howard left it at that. Forcing a difficult brat like Gregory play something he didnt like was only going to put a damper on his motivation and will create a rift in the team. Itll be a hundred times better when Gregory chooses to turtle of his own accord. Thats one benefit to reap from this crucial first game. After Howard addressed each member, nobody was concerned about the Trickshooter gamble anymore.... save for Howard himself. No matter how he twisted it, this plan still harbored huge risks. Losing a game in a best-of-three match was like putting one foot in the grave. Even if they lose, theyll gain many benefits. Ultimately, they should win more than they lost. In the long run, itll be the superior strategy... it had to be. This isnt good for my health. Howard sighed. Even the tiniest risk could prove fatal, and failure was absolutely not an option today. My, Ellen leaned on Howards back. Youre such a worrywart. Im not worried. Oh, is that so? Then, pray tell, why are you tapping your foot as if youre trying to break the floor? Tch, Howard looked away. His right leg was really restless, he didn''t even notice. Youre not the only one who is good at noticing stuff, you know. Ellen gently wrapped her hand around his. Its okay, we got this. Weve been discussing that idea the whole week, remember? Since when its your job to console me? Hehe, what can I say? Im a woman of many talents~ Ellen playfully rubbed her nose against his arm. And here I thought youll be the most worried about this first game. Youre probably going to be a primary target. Sure you can survive his Trickshooter? I have absolute faith my dear knight will protect me~ You gonna make it my responsibility? Howard sighed with a chuckle. Alright, lets begin. No use worrying about it. We wont know the result until we play them. With everybody convinced, or at least not outright opposed, Howards plan was set in motion. Hey, look! Lars shoved his finger into Yuels monitor. They left Shooter open! I can see that. Yuel frowned. The first banning phase was over, yet Trickshooter was still available and it was Yuels turn to pick a class for the team. Cmon, dude! Lets grab it! Hrm. Yuel crossed his arms. Why? Why didnt Howard ban Trickshooter? Everybody knew Lars was exponentially stronger when playing Trickshooter. There was no conceivable reason to allow Lars to play Trickshooter. Was it some sort of trap? If so, Howard was way too obvious about it. And yet, it was a very alluring trap, the kind you cant help but walk into even though you know its risky. My, Yuyu is pretty shaken~ Ellen covered her lips as if to muffle laughter. He must be pretty shocked Howard smiled to himself. So, you hesitate even though I gave you such a great opportunity. Alright, were off to a good start. Picking Trickshooter should have been a no-brainer for Yuel, yet he took his time. Sure, standard theory claimed that taking Carry as the first pick wasnt advised and yadda yadda yadda, but that theory didnt hold to this situation. Larss godlike skill with Trickshooter transcended any reason or logic. Nevertheless, Yuel hesitated. He was wary of what Howard could possibly have in mind to allow this. Yuel will probably still go for Trickshooter in the end, but this hesitation was huge. Howards presence already started weighing on Yuels mind and that weight will only become heavier as the game goes on. This was bound to impair Yuels judgment at some point. I cant figure it out. Yuel sighed. There were multiple ways to deal with a Trickshooter on lane but none of them was effective enough to hold down a beast like Lars. Maybe Howard and Ellen underestimated Larss skill? Or rather, they underestimated Yuel and Lars as a Bot duo? Perhaps it was Howards way of saying Well beat you even with this handicap. Cmon, dude! Lars insisted. Gimme a Trickshooter already. He pretended like he was going to snatch Yuels mouse, which made Yuel instinctively grab the mouse. Due to the way this match room was set, Yuel had complete authority over the drafting phase. He was the one wholl pick classes for everybody, so the decision laid with him. So, Trickshooter or no Trickshooter? Just to make sure, Yuel turned to Lars. You can play Trickshooter, right? I pretty much banned you from playing it the whole week because I was sure itll be banned every game. No problem, Lars grinned. You didnt let me play it in Ranked, but I still practiced it at home every day. Seriously? Yuel blinked. Even though they trained together from early in the morning until late into the night every day, Lars still found time to work on his Trickshooter? Heh, what a guy. Okay, lets do it then. Yuel locked-in the Trickshooter. If they think they can beat me and Lars with this handicap, be my guests. Surprise me, maybe theres a counter I havent thought of. But, there was nothing that resembled a hard counter in the enemys picks. Howard''s first two picks were Paladin and Knight, their Support and Top. Paladin was a decent counter because he could shut down Trickshooters ult with Justice Strike, but it wasnt the most reliable tactic, especially not against Larss inhuman twitch reflexes. Afterward, Howard picked Pirate for Carry. Again, nothing unusual and nothing that directly countered Trickshooter. Maybe theres some larger strategy in store? Yuel couldn''t help but wonder. There had to be something to it because Howard would never take such a risk for no reason. But, no matter how hard Yuel pondered, it felt like banging his head against a wall. Howard''s plan was shroud in mystery. Before long, the drafting phase approached its end. Both sides had only one more class to pick, which happened to be the Jungler for both teams. Leaving Jungler for last was a calculated choice by Yuel. With Dan''s versatility, it was best to push the Jungler pick to the very end and pick a class which countered the enemy comp the best. On the other hand, in Taison''s case, there was probably no special reason to leave him to last. As a Jungler, low versatility was one of Taisons most glaring flaws. He only ever played bruisers and never played assassins. Therefore, Yuel could pick a Jungler with the assumption that Taison will pick a bruiser. Venomancer seems good here, Yuel addressed Dan. What do you think? Sounds good, Dan smirked. If Taison picks a bruiser, they gonna have a pretty tanky comp, so taking them down with percentage damage gonna be fun. Indeed. Yuel nodded. They have already discussed Venomancer as one of the likely picks for this match. The enemy already had a Paladin and a Knight, so together with Taison''s bruiser - they''ll have three tanky classes. Venomancer was one of the most effective ways to deal with those. So, he went for it. Howard smiled wryly. That Venomancer pick clearly factored Taison''s tendency to play bruisers. Howard left Taisons pick for last in hope Yuel wouldn''t consider this line of attack, but Yuel gotta be Yuel. Sneaking somebodys weakness past Yuel was impossible. But, you fell into my trap! Howard smirked. I also knew Taison''s weakness, so I made him practice assassins! ...I wish it was like that. He sighed. It''s something he really wanted to do, but it was impossible to pull off, especially not over the span of a single week. Taison''s love for 1v1 fights caused his fixation on bruisers. Sneaking behind enemies to burst them down wasn''t his style. Instead, he wanted to fight his enemies face-to-face and take them down via a display of strength. As a result, even when he agreed to play assassin due to Howard''s request, Taison retained the same gung-ho mentality and challenged his enemies to 1v1s. Needless to say, that didn''t turn out well for him. To fix Taison''s weakness, it was first necessary to change his mindset. That was too great of a challenge for Howard, especially with the time limit of a single week. Not to mention that forcing Taison to practice something he didn''t enjoy was only going to hurt his motivation. Howard''s hands were tied on that matter. What you want to pick? Howard asked. Lancer looking hot right now, Taison said without the slightest hint of concern. So what if picking a busier will play right into the enemy''s Venomancer pick? Taison just gonna wreck some scrubs as usual! Alright, Howard nodded with a small sigh on the side. This was his team right now, so he had to deal with it. He was the one who came up with this arrangement in the first place, so there''s nobody else to blame but him. Hell have to make the best out the hand he dealt himself and to push toward victory despite the odds. With the Lancer pick, the drafting phase came to an end. The starter selection match was about to begin! Picks: Yuel: Alchemist Lars: Trickshooter Julia: Electromancer Dan: Venomancer Roi: Dark Knight --- Howard: Paladin Ellen: Pirate Gilbert: Warlock Taison: Lancer Gregory: Knight Vol.4 Ch.16: Preparation and Adaptation The battle for StormBlitzs first string began. After clearing some jungle camps, everybody headed to their respective lanes. Yuel and Lars headed to Bot, where they''ll face Howard and Ellen. Remember, Yuel said. Don''t get carried away against Ellen. I know, I know, Lars claimed so, but the glint in his eyes told a different story. Don''t worry, I''mma rek that Witch of Victory. Believe it, yo! That''s exactly the mentality I''m worried about... Yuel sighed. Well, maybe that aggressive mentality will work out with this arrangement. After all, Lars got to play his godly Trickshooter this game and Yuel further supplemented that pick with his Alchemist. Alchemist was a specialist class which revolved around crafting items. It was considered mid-tier, but mostly because it required very good game knowledge and decision-making skills. Even though most people treated Alchemist as C tier, in Yuel''s hands it was easily a B tier. It''s not a class Yuel showed often, but today was the day to let it loose. Alchemists versatility, combined with its surprise element, should work well against Howard. Say, Howard started. You ever saw Yuel play Alchemist? Hmm, don''t think so, Ellen cocked her head. Think he''s experimenting? I wouldn''t put it past him, but that can''t be all. No matter what absurd ideas he usually comes up with, he wouldn''t gamble this match on a class he can''t play. Oh, I know! He must''ve kept Alchemist as trump card this entire time, in preparation for this one match! Only you would do something silly like that. Teehee~ Ellen playfully stuck out her tongue. Anyway, let''s play it safe, Howard advised. Alchemist has a stupid amount of options, so well need to figure out Yuels exact plan for this match step-by-step. Try to poke him every now and then to make him leave lane and miss on materials. Aye aye, cap. Ellen saluted. The two pairs clashed in the duo lane. As always, Ellen used her signature poke-and-run. She advanced just a little tiny bit toward Lars, shot him once and then immediately fled before he could counter. Geh! Here we go again. Lars felt like Ellen slowly, but surely, sucked out his blood. Its like she was a flippin mosquito! Worst of all, Ellen always picked the most annoying timing to shoot him. Her shots struck in the brief moments after Lars finished an attack and was stuck in the recovery animation that followed. By the time he could attack again, Ellen has already snuck out of his range. This was especially frustrating when Lars fired Trickshot, which had a longer animation than a basic attack. Ellen was gonna take every chance she could to poke him after a Trickshot. Duuuude! Lars exclaimed. Can I kill her already? Stop, Yuel shook his head. The game just started. C''mon, I just need to Trickshot her once and get in a few more hits after that. Easy peasy! You know you''ll be playing right into her hands by doing that, right? Geh, but...! Don''t worry, I''ll shut down her pokes after the first wave, Yuel promised. His Alchemist needed a little time to get going, but he definitely took Ellen''s poke-and-run into consideration when picking Alchemist. Alchemist was an amazing class because it offered tools for dealing with virtually every situation. Yuel could craft any consumables available in the shop, even Wards, which spoke volumes of the classs versatility. In addition, Alchemist could craft numerous tools, which were unique consumables only the Alchemist could use. The tools effectively served as the Alchemists kit, since his actual skills all revolved around crafting and using items. This huge variety provided options for dealing with many different scenarios, but it was a two-edged sword. It was easy to lose oneself in the large number of options and to take too long to decide on anything. For that reason, Alchemist was one of the few classes in the game to deserve the Challenging difficulty tag. To perform well as Alchemist in real-time, it was necessary to decide ahead of time which specific items the player was going focus on in the upcoming match and set these items to shortcut keys. Perhaps the top Alchemist players in the world could make fast decisions on the fly while taking into account the Alchemists whole kit, but Yuel couldn''t, not even with his extensive game knowledge. Therefore, when he prepared for today''s match, Yuel narrowed down the exact tools he''ll be needing today. Ellen''s infamous poke-and-run tactic was expected to show up, so Yuel prepared a tool to counter it. But first, he had to gather enough Magnetite to craft said tool. Alchemist''s passive, Gather Materials, automatically extracted materials from nearby fallen units, both allied and enemy. The type of gathered material depended on the fallen unit and minions dropped the most basic type: Magnetite. It was good enough for crafting most tools and consumables, save for the most powerful ones. A single minion wave rewarded Yuel with 12 Magnetite, which was enough to craft four Blaze Bombs. This was the zoning tool he chose for dealing with Ellen. My! Ellen exclaimed as a bomb flew in her direction. It exploded as it hit the ground, spreading flames on the ground. Ellen retreated as quickly as she could, but she still received a few ticks of damage from the flame. Fortunately, it was a DoT attack, so a few ticks didnt hurt that much. But, the bad news were that the fire kept burning on the ground for a while and zoned her out of her favorite poking spot. Even though the bomb didnt quite hit Ellen, it served its purpose as a warning shot. That''s clearly Yuel''s way of saying Try to poke if you dare, I''ll bomb you. What a rascal. That''s no fun. Ellen puffed her cheeks. Yuyu is such a bully. Blaze Bomb, huh, Howard took a mental note. So, that was one tool in Yuel''s arsenal this game. How many more to go? The number had to be limited, so they''ll find out with time. With that said, Blaze Bombs were troublesome. Ellen tried poking from a different angle, but she was met with another Molotov. It felt like Yuel was watching every Ellen made. Say, Wardy, Ellen twisted her lips. Cant you Divine Shield that thing? I wish, Howard shook his head. It''s considered a tossed object, so Divine Shield doesn''t work on it. So useless. Ellen pouted. I thought I got him with the Paladin pick, Howard admitted. But, he came prepared. Paladin was a class both Howard and Yuel favored, so Howard felt confident when he got to pick Paladin. He left the class open on purpose during drafting, despite knowing Yuel''s team would be picking first. Yuel was assuredly going to jump on the available Trickshooter, so Howard grabbed Paladin right afterward. It was a nice trade. Alas, whether by chance or by a stroke of genius, Yuels Alchemist was prepared to deal even with Paladin. Really, these Blaze Bombs were art. They both zoned out Ellen''s poking and bypassed Howard''s Divine Shield. Well played, Yuel. Well played. But, that wasnt enough to shut down Ellen''s poking. Even though the bombs were items from Yuels inventory, they were considered tools and therefore couldnt be consumed normally. Yuel had to activate them with skills, but skills could be silenced. Tell me when you go for a poke next. I''ll silence him. Roger~ From Yuel''s perspective, the laning phase proceeded smoothly. His Blaze Bombs zoned Ellen just like he planned days ahead. It allowed Lars to play his usual game without being distracted by pokes. Dude, gotta say, Lars grinned. I usually don''t care for Molotovs in games, but this right here is some sick stuff. Thanks, Yuel smiled. He actually really loved these sort of tools in action games. Why? Because they were much easier to hit, especially in shooters. Landing a Molotov required predicting the enemys general movements, but thankfully, it didnt require hitting that opponent with a nanometer-sized bullet. Anyway, it''s too early to celebrate a victory. Howard and Ellen weren''t the types to quietly take a beating. They clearly weren''t prepared for this Alchemist play, but they''ll adapt. Ack! Just as the thought crossed Yuel''s mind - it happened. He tried to bomb Ellen again, but a perfectly-timed Justice Strike sealed his skills. As a result, Ellen successfully poked Lars and ran away. Dude, did I ever tell ya how much I hate that poking stuff? Only about a billion times. Okay, then now it gonna be a billion and one. I HAAAAATE that stuff! Sure you got enough A''s there? Nah, dude. Take all the A''s in the world and it ain''t gonna be enough. At least I''m slowing her down, Yuel sighed. She''ll have to wait for Justice Strike''s cooldown before trying anything again. That''s cool and all, but when we get to the part where I kick her butt? Still working on it. Clear minions faster to hit Lv.5, then we can begin. Oh, that''s what we''re waiting for? Yes, we are. I believe I went over this play with you a few days ago... Dude, do you seriously think I remember. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I no longer do. Yuel sighed. Well, that''s to be expected from a goof who didn''t even remember what he had for breakfast. They practiced that play together and thats what was important. Lars''s muscle memory should recall the experience once they begin. No matter what science claimed about the human body, Lars''s memory was clearly stored in his muscles and ONLY in his muscles. The second minion wave has been wiped out, but there havent been any new developments on the lane. Ellen''s pokes became rarer due to the danger of Blaze Bomb, whereas Lars was under Yuels watch and couldnt go on the offensive as he wished. As a result, both sides only fired away at minions, it was like a cold war. They only exchanged hits every now and then when somebody overstepped their boundaries. Thanks to Trickshots high base damage, Lars easily outcleared Ellen. She could have kept up with him if she used Backfire Cannon, but of course, a sneaky player like her wouldnt do so. Backfire Cannon was both Pirates best lane clear ability and its escape tool, so by spending it on minions, Ellen would cut off her best escape option. That''s a big no-no. These beasts will eat me alive if I do that. Ellen wore a difficult smile. She could see Lars and Yuel''s hungry eyes, they both waited for an opportunity to leap forth and ravage this innocent maiden. My, how savage. I wont let you take me that easily. Thus, Ellen stuck to playing defense even though it came at the expense of surrendering lane control. Being pushed back a little was nothing compared to dying and feeding the big scary beastie. That rascal had do be tamed little by little, so she couldnt spoil him with food like that. However, this defensive game plan was one hell of a challenge. In addition to the advantage of Trickshot''s high base damage, Lars also built more power than Ellen. As a result, even Larss basic attacks cleared minions way faster than Ellens. Per usual, Ellen started off with a lifesteal item, a bad decision according to the meta. But, she knew how to make it work because she was talented like that~ Even though Ellen was losing in terms of lane advantage and farm, she was leading in HP and has already poked Lars all the way down to 60% HP. Of course, between arrows from aggrod enemy bowmen and Yuel''s pesky bombs, Ellen didn''t escape these pokes entirely unscratched. Nevertheless, thanks to her lifesteal, she was at 75% HP. Lars had neither lifesteal nor HP recovery, so eventually, he''ll... oh, crap. She forgot what Alchemist could do. Take a potion, Yuel tossed an HP Potion at Lars. Yo, my dude! Lars exclaimed. The potion landed on his Trickshooter and the recovery effect kicked in. It was a slow recovery, but over time it resorted 20% of Lars HP and put him at 80% HP, slightly above Ellen. My, Ellen twisted her lips. I have a feeling I hate Alchemist. Yeah, its sometimes cheap like that. Howard nodded. Normally, it was impossible to use consumables like HP Potion on another ally. However, Alchemist''s Item Toss skill made it possible. Judging by Yuel and Larss starting build, neither of them brought any potions when they arrived on the lane. However, at some point, Yuel crafted an HP Potion with Alchemy and now used it on Lars. It cost some Magnetite, but it erased a large chunk of the progress Ellen made with her pokes. Not friendly. Getting Alchemist out of lane was the best way to hit him where it hurt because he had to be near dying minions to collect Magnetite. Under normal circumstances, even the ever defensive Howard would vouch for aggressively assaulting the Alchemist. Unfortunately, this one Alchemist was guarded by a mad dog. Going on the offensive against Lars''s Trickshooter was like asking to be killed. Yuel sure got us good with that Alchemist. Howard frowned. What were their options at this point? They have been already pushed back due to the difference in damage output, and with HP Potions the enemy will be able to outlast them on lane. Ellens early game lifesteal was cute and all, but it wasn''t even as effective as the cheapest potion the Alchemist could craft on the go. In term of preparation, Howard had to hand to Yuel. This Alchemist pick outplayed Howard and Ellen in every way. But, sports wouldn''t be fun if the outcome were 100% determined by preparation, right? By facing challenges head-on, players learned to adapt and resolve problems. Alchemist seemed overwhelming right now, but Howard wasnt some salty Bronze V who called OP! Nerf! on everything that beat him. Alchemist wasnt bulletproof, its a class with its own shortcomings. It was a mid-tier class for a reason and not just because it was difficult to play. Elly, Howard said. Try baiting bombs out of him. If he runs out of Mag, he wont be able to do much. My, how devilish, Ellen smirked. Im sure hell fall for it and think Im being salty after that potion heal. Arent you, though? Hmph, not in the slightest. Who cares that all my poking efforts have been erased like that? Nope, definitely not me. Shes a salt mine, alright. Following on Howard''s advice, Ellen went for a poke even though Justice Strike was still on cooldown. So, she''s going for it. Yuel nodded to himself. Justice Strike should still be on cooldown according to Yuel''s estimation, but Ellen went for a poke regardless. She must have been triggered by that potion play just now. It mustve sparked a desire to poke even harder than before in order to close that HP gap. This was a chance! Unfortunately, it was still too early for the finisher he had in mind. Ellen''s HP wasn''t low enough to be killed by the play he practiced with Lars. Therefore, Yuel went for the usual Blaze Bomb. He tossed the bomb in the usual direction, aiming to encircle Ellen with flames. But, as soon as the bomb left his hand - Ellen rolled away! She escaped the explosion range before the bomb even traveled halfway there. Ugh, a bait. Well played. Yuel had to concede. There was no way Ellen reacted that quickly to the bomb, so she must have intended to roll away from the get-go. The Blaze Bomb crashed and exploded, but its flames burned only the ground and nothing else. What a waste of Magnetite. Well, at least, Ellen didn''t get to poke Lars. Still, things got more hairy for Yuel. If Ellen mixes baits between her pokes, it''ll be difficult to tell when to throw a bomb and when not. It''d be one thing if he had an unlimited supply of bombs, but Alchemist constantly required Magnetite to craft more bombs. Yuel couldn''t waste any bombs on feints. Shortly after this bait play, Ellen advanced for another poke. Another bait? Or, was she serious this time? Justice Strike was possibly out of cooldown by now, Yuel couldn''t tell for sure because it''s was really borderline. Ugh! Ellen must have picked this exact timing to make Yuel hesitate! Should he bomb her? Wasting 3 Mag again would hurt too much, but getting damage on Ellen was very important- Agh! Too late! Ellen poked Lars and dashed away, while Yuel was stuck in analysis paralysis. Goddammit, that hesitation cost him. My, Ellen giggled. Yuyu is such an indecisive boy~ The bait tactic was very effective, so Ellen continued messing around with Yuel. Was she going for a poke or a bait? Ellen made her decisions on a whim, so there wasnt any pattern to her actions. At least, there shouldn''t have been... My, Ellen clocked her head. Am I imagining or his accuracy went up? It''s like he can almost tell when it''s a bait. He mustve noticed, Howard said. You never bait more than twice in a row. Really? And here I thought I was being deceptive, Ellen twisted her lips. She thought she was being random but, thinking about it, of course she didnt like baiting three times in a row. After all, she wanted to get some hits in. She didnt want to run back and forth the whole day like a headless chicken. Yuyu being Yuyu, he must have figured out this pattern after stalking Ellens graceful movements. He was soo~oooo not cute sometimes. If you bait twice, Howard said. Either wait until Justice Strike is out of cooldown, or go for another bait. Aye aye, cap. Thanks to this advice, Ellen covered up her quirk. She went for a triple bait for the first time while Justice Strike was on cooldown. That completely fooled Yuel and made him waste another one of his precious bombs. Messing with Yuyu is so fun~ So, it''s no longer guaranteed on the third time. Yuel nodded to himself. He adapted to Ellen''s baits and exploited a quirk they had, but she responded in kind by adapting to his adaptation. Which meant, he now had to adapt to her adaptation to his adaptation. Adapt-ception. This was rough. Losing the guarantee that Ellen will shoot after two baits forced Yuel back to square one. Predicting her movements was the same as predicting die rolls. Ellen probably wasn''t going to use tripe bait often, but she''s the type who''d go to any length to mess with her opponent''s expectations. Anything was possible with that fox. Then, there''s also Howard''s Justice Strike which gave Ellen more freedom to work with. Ellen could be even more greedy than usual while Justice Strike had her back, she could mess with Yuel nonstop. For example, using a bait even though she could''ve gone for poke because Justice Strike would have protected her, or going for an unexpected poke in the small window of time in which Yuel couldn''t tell for sure whether Justice Strike was on cooldown. Then, there''s also- Dude, you thinking way too hard about that stuff. Lars turned toward Ellen and fired a shot, straight in her face! Wha...? Yuel blinked. Ellen must have been equally shocked, she immediately retreated without finishing her poke. All this time, she has been sneaking up to Lars while he was recovering from an attack animation, so what on earth happened just now? That''s how ya do it, yo! Don''t think too much, just feel it! Yes, just feel it. I understanding everything now! Yuel made a face. Still, this was a shocking stunt. How did you hit her? I thought she has been catching you off-guard this whole time. I dunno, I somehow reacted on time now, Lars shrugged. I betcha it''s because she has been poking way too much lately. Sometimes, I can see her step forward before I actually start my shot, so I get time to switch targets. By enough time he probably means something like five milliseconds. Yuel smiled wryly. What kind of supercomputer was installed in that goofs brain to make such split-millisecond adjustments? Anyway, this was an interesting discovery. Was Ellen playing a bit more recklessly compared to before? Yuel hadn''t noticed anything of the sort, but that''s probably because Ellen was constantly wary of his bombs and focused on messing with him. As a result, she couldn''t focus as much on Lars''s movements and that left her open at times. Or at least, open enough to be countered by people who had Mach 5 reaction speed. Keep getting shots on her whenever you can, Yuel said. I''ll keep pressuring her with bombs. No problem! Let''s rek her already and win this! Pressured both by Yuel''s bombs and Lars''s quick shots, Ellen began slipping. Her elegant poking fluttered and occasionally led to injury. Nevertheless, she stuck with that tactic. Both sides were wearing each other down. Lars fell down to 40% HP, whereas Ellen was at 50% HP. Yet again, she somehow gained the upper hand. She was like a slippery snake which bit, retreated, bit, retreated and then bit some more. But, this was good progress. 50% HP was very low, especially for a squishy class. Without being aware, Ellen fell right within range for Yuels plan. Lars was about to hit Lv.5, a fact the enemies didnt know. Ellen just recently hit Lv.4, so nobody was expecting an Lv.5 from Lars for a while. Howard and Ellen surely knew Lars had some exp advantage over them, but they had no idea that when Lars was fully concentrated on farming - he landed a perfect last-hit on every single minion. In other words, he has gained the absolute maximum farm possible from every single minion wave! Thats why Yuel insisted on this passive early game. No matter how hard Lars itched to aggress on Ellen, Yuel stopped the hungry beast from touching the main dish and made him focus solely on the appetizers, the minions. This slowly prepared Lars for gulping down the main dish in one fell swoop. Lars hasnt done much this laning phase except for farming, which created the impression he wasn''t much of a threat. However, in truth, he was like a beast lying in the bushes and waiting for an opportunity to leap on its prey! And now, that he was about to hit Lv.5, it was time! Remember, Yuel said. Use Trickshot for the level up. Gotcha. I''ll move in as soon as you hit Lv.5. If you see me throw an Impulse Bomb, that''s the cue. Gotcha. We practiced something like that, right? Yeah, we did. So, you DO remember how the actual play goes. Yuel shook his head with a smile. Seriously, that goof was a piece of art. Well, that''s what made him charming in his own way, kind of. Right as Lars was one minion kill away from hitting Lv.5, Yuel made his move. He stepped forward and Ellen stepped forward too, just as planned. There''s no way she''ll miss this opportunity to poke Lars. Yuel requested Trickshot to be dealt as the final blow for leveling up because Lars was the most vulnerable while firing Trickshot, hence the most inviting for Ellen to poke. There was only one point of concern: will Howard make a move too? Poking during a Trickshot was so inviting, that Howard almost always backed it up with a Justice Strike. Getting silenced was the last thing Yuel needed right now. As the thought crossed Yuels mind, Howard turned in Yuel''s direction! Justice Strike was coming! Yuel didn''t waste a moment and rolled forward. From the corner of the screen, he saw a white blade forming at his previous location. Yes! He read it and dodged it! There was a quirk. Whenever Howard planned to go for Justice Strike, he always turned to face Yuel right after Ellen advanced forward. It wasn''t an easy quirk to spot because Howard has been looking in Yuel and Lars''s general direction the whole the time. Nevertheless, that slightly unnatural twitch finally gave him away! With that, Yuel baited out Justice Strike. However, that was just a nice bonus. The real play was starting now! Yuel lightly tossed, almost rolled, an Impulse Bomb in Ellen''s direction. He only needed to get the bomb a little behind Ellens back, so no exaggerated movements were necessary. A low, but quick, throw was enough. Ah! Howard exclaimed. Elly, roll back! That''s a- BAM. The Impulse Bomb exploded a behind Ellen''s feet and fired a shockwave. The impulse shot Ellen to another dimension! The vertical dimension! My goodneeeeeeess! Ellen cried out in sync with the hiiiiigh flight. She was launched to the other side of the lane like a human rocket! She was thrown into the den of lions! Oh no... We got her! Yuel nodded to himself. Finally, the play he had been cooking this whole time was about to come to life! Vol.4 Ch.17: Preparation and Wit My goodneeeeeeess! The Impulse Bomb launched Ellen high into the air and sent her flying to the other side of the lane. She was diving right into enemy territory! This was the play Yuel has been carefully setting up this entire time. With perfect timing, Lars hit Lv.5 while Ellen was still in the air. In other words, Trickshow was a thing now! The Impulse Bomb plucked Ellen out of her safe zone and placed her within reach, so Lars was going to decimate her now! Its time for a trick show! The familiar ultimate sound cue. The decisive attack was starting now- DENIED. In a single move, the whole plan was shattered. A holy blade crashed down on Lars, it was Howard''s Justice Strike. It was so unexpected even Lars failed to react in time. How!? Didn''t I just dodge his Justice Strike!? Yuel exploded internally. When he started this offense, the first thing he did was to dodge-roll Justice Strike. He definitely saw the white blade forming! And he dodged it! It should have been on cooldown! Did he cancel it? But, that means... Yuel bit his lip. Canceling Justice Strike required very precise timing because it didnt have a very long casting duration. For Howard to cancel Justice Strike on time, it meant he was prepared for the possibility Yuel would dodge. No, Howard read even further. A mere moment passed between Yuel''s Impulse Bomb play and Larss Trickshow activation. In that brief window of time, Howard closed in enough on Lars to drop Justice Strike and deny Yuels entire plan. As soon as Howard saw the impulse explosion, he knew to focus on Lars. There was not a single moment of hesitation. How!? Every single time... Yuel bit his lip. He planned this play days in advance. It definitely had some weak spots, but nobody should have been able to shut it down so perfectly in the heat of the moment. Yet, Howard did it. He always somehow did it. No matter what offense Yuel came up with, Howard was always ready to shut it down. Even though Howard failed to save Ellen from the Impulse Bomb, he perfectly shut down any follow-up plays. With Lars silenced, Trickshows zero cooldown benefit was rendered meaningless. Now, all Lars had were his basic attacks, 35% HP and because of Justice Strike, he was now slowed down and had lowered defense. Great... Compared to that, Ellen was going to land with 45% HP and still had Backfire Cannon. Lars and Ellen both needed the same number of hits to take each other out, but the advantage of having an available skill was a huge one. Under these circumstances, Lars may lose a frontal fight against Ellen, especially with Howard on his tail- BANG. A bullet pierced through the air and dug into Ellen''s leg while she was still in the air. C''mon, dude! Lars darted toward Ellen''s landing destination. Let''s do it! Wha... Yuel blinked. Didn''t that goof realize what just happened? Trickshow was rendered useless. The whole attack ended in failure. But, your Trickshow... Yeah, that part sucks, Lars nodded as he dodged Ellen''s attempt to snipe him from the sky. But, so what of it? I''mma just take her down with basics! But, that''s... Yuel''s words trailed off. No, Lars was right. Even without Trickshow, Lars was a mechanical beast! He will surely take Ellen down in a fair fight! The beautiful shot Lars landed on Ellen in midair brought Yuel to his senses. This wasnt over yet! Howard threw off their plans a little, but it just meant they couldn''t guarantee a 100% chance kill on Ellen. Okay, so now it was just 80% chance, still good enough! Wait, Howard must have realized that too- ack! Yuel''s daze cost him. Howard almost caught up with the slowed Lars. He must have been planning to pincer Lars! In a 1v1, Lars had a good chance. However, against both Ellen and Howard at once - Lars was a goner for sure. Yuel was also here, but his basic attacks were even weaker than Paladin''s and they were ranged, which meant Ellen will have an easier time dodging them. And, in the first place, Yuel was too far from Ellen right now, so he couldn''t even support Lars right away! Goddammit! I have to get Howard out of the picture! That''s all Yuel could do right now. He couldn''t compete in term of damage output, but he still had tools at his disposal. Yuel cut in between Howard and Lars with an Impulse Bomb in hand. By activating the skill Use Tool he crushed the bomb flask in his hand. A booming impulse erupted around him and blew Howard away! Yes! It worked! Yuel got Howard out of the picture! Phew, this was a close one. Yo! Dude! Lars exclaimed. I didn''t hear this was part of the plan! Ah. Yuel mentally face-palmed. The impulse exploded all around Yuel, so it hit Lars too and sent the goof flying. Oops. The explosion didnt deal any damage to Lars, but it caused a terrible misposition. I-I Just thought I''d help you get to Ellen faster. Yeah. Thanks, dude! VERY nice of ya! Lars chuckled and his grin didn''t vanish for even a moment. He was a total sucker for chaotic developments like these! Thankfully, the explosion didn''t send Lars that far. Still, it brought him closer to Ellen and that put them at a disadvantage because Ellen will have an easier time slipping by them. With Larss reduced movement speed, he won''t be able to keep up. But, Lars didn''t have the time to think about these matters. He just had to settle this fight as quickly as possible without getting killed in the process. Easy, yo! Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. My, what a predicament, Ellen rolled as soon as she landed and dodged Lars''s shot by a hair''s breadth. She was down to 33% HP, so like three more hits and shes dead for sure. Scary. Ellen retaliated and fired toward the spot where Lars was expected to land, but he dodge-rolled as soon as he touched the ground. Tch, unfortunate, but her main goal wasn''t to hit him anyway. The time which Lars spent on rolling and recovering was extra time for Ellen to scram! DAAAAAAASH~ Should I go into the Jungle? Ellen asked, seeing as Howard was blown too far away to help her. No, Howard said. Just get back as quickly as you can. Gotcha. Ellen continued dashing toward her side of the lane while occasionally sneaking a shot on Lars. Geh, Lars made a face as another shot him, dropping him down to 20% HP. He planned to side-step that shot, but his reduced movement speed got in the way. It also made it difficult for him to chase Ellen. That fox was totally gonna slip away, yo! But, Lars almost got her! Ellen was already below 10% HP, so he needed only one more hit! Just one! Even a normal basic shot would do the job! But, Ellen got out of his range. His bullets won''t reach her. But, not all was lost. The silence from Justice Strike finally faded and Trickshows effect was still on, so Lars could spam his abilities for like two seconds! He slid after Ellen right away! It''s already back!? Ellen exclaimed as heard the sound of Trickslide behind her. Darn it, what a persistent beastie! She almost got away, but noooooo. Of course lil Larsy had to chase her down like a stalker. But well, it''s not like she wasn''t prepared for this. Ellen was saving her Backfire Cannon for this sort of situation. That was her trusty panic button~ Ellen turned around to face Lars and aimed Backfire Cannon at him. She wasn''t gonna just escape, she''ll also smack Larsy on her way out~! That''ll teach him to mess with her! To be honest, she probably won''t be able to land this shot. But, it''ll definitely make Lars either roll aside or slide aside. Either way, it''ll slow him down and give Ellen more time to escape. Brilliant plan~ Oh boy! Lars grinned when a cannon dropped in front of Ellen. She was going for her last resort and she was aiming right at him! Things were getting intense! I won''t die if I''m hit by that stuff, right? Probably not. Probably. Anyway, let''s go for it! She ain''t getting away, yo! Lars chained another Trickslide, but he didn''t slide to either side. No, he charged straight ahead! Right toward the cannon pointed at him! Dodging? The heck did that word even mean? He was driving forward full gas ahead, yo! A cannon shell flew straight toward his face... and missed. He slid underneath the shell! Matrix shenanigans, yo! Excuse me!? Ellen roaring internally. What the flipping heck was that just now!? Did somebody order a circus? Because there was an acrobatic monkey right there! Uh-oh. Ellen gulped. This was bad. Like, really, really, REALLY bad. One more hit and she''s done for. And, because Lars didnt dodge like he was supposed to, he might actually catch up to her. Wardy, save me~ Woohoo! Lars celebrated after getting past the cannon shell. He saw Trever pull this stunt before, so he adopted this pro level play. Sickest thing ever, yo! After Lars finished the slide, Ellen was finally within reach again. This was it! He took aim. A single hit will seal the deal. It didn''t even have to be a Trickshot, a basic attack will suffice. She was so ded- wha!? A wild Paladin appeared! Howard blinked between Ellen and Lars! Gah! Then, I''ll shoot through ya! Lars switched to Trickshot because it could pass through units. Theres no stopping him now! He was gonna shoot right through Aegis and strike Athena down! Except, there a problem. Howard was in the middle of raising his shield, so Divine Shield was going to be a thing. Trickshot will just get absorbed in Howard''s shield at this rate! Nuuuuu! Geh! T-Then, Ill shoot around you! There was only one option left: a bouncing shot from the side! If Lars can''t shoot through Howard, he''ll just shoot around him! E-Easy! In the split second before clicking, Lars rotated to aim at the wall. There was no time to figure the right angle or literally anything. He just had to shoot! Right now! He had to trust his honed trick-shooting instincts! The bullet hit the wall and bounced off it. Okay, this was the easy part. Next, it had to actually hit Ellen...! A Trickshot? Ellen heard the distinctive sound effect. Knowing Lars, he might find a way to make his shot reach her even though Howard. Therefore, Ellen rolled forward without thinking twice. This outta mess up Lars''s aim- aya! It didn''t help. As if anticipating Ellen''s roll, the Trickshot caught Ellen during the start of her roll. The bullet pierced right through her shoulder. It was a hit. A fatal hit. You have been killed! My, how infuriating, Ellen dropped back on her chair. I almost got you out, Howard shook his head. Lars apparently changed his aim in the very last moment after seeing me. Yep, Larsy is crazy like that. I was sure the most hed be able to do is either shoot into my Divine Shield or miss. I guess I was naive. Heh, to think it was like half a step difference. Hm? What do you mean? My timing, Howard explained. I''m sure if I delayed my blink just a little, Lars wouldn''t have been able to change his aim so easily. Against most people, it''s best to blink as soon as possible in these situations, but apparently, this rule doesn''t apply to Lars. Yeah, Larsy is special. You can''t block this brute when he got Trickshooter. But, I have to able to. There will be others at his level at the nationals. You expect me to give this excuse to the scouts from Grandview when they ask me why I blew the nationals? No, of course not. Ellen didn''t even need to respond. Howard was aiming to play in Utopia, the strongest high school team in the country. If he really wants to get into prestige team, he cant allow himself to be held back by some acrobatic trick-shooting clown. Well, Howard smiled weakly. I suppose thats how this match gotta go. That Impulse Bomb play looked like something Yuel planned way in advance. Had we managed to shut it down, maybe today''s match would have ended right there. Really? You didn''t see Yuels reaction, did you? Howard smiled meaningfully. For a moment there, he completely froze in place. He was shocked when I silenced Lars because that kinda killed the entire follow-up play he planned. Maybe he even thinks I''m some chess pro who reads twenty turns ahead, haha. My, Yuyu is so fun to bully~ Im sure it would have shattered his confidence as a shot-caller if you managed to slip away in that situation. Then, this match would have become a much easier ride to victory. Oh well, the unexpected developments during that play mustve shaken him enough. And thats great for us~ That''s for sure. In the other room, Yuel and Lars celebrated the successful kill. We did it, yo! Lars pumped a fist. Easy! Yeah, right. Easy. Yuel rolled his eyes but he found himself smiling too. Despite the hiccups along the way, they ultimately secured a kill on Ellen. Yuel''s plan was made into a success through Lars''s strength. It was great! But, another feeling brewed inside Yuel as well. It took him multiple days to plan this and other strong plays against Howard and Ellen. Nevertheless, Howard nearly shut down the entire play on the spot. If not for Lars''s quick wit, Ellen would have slipped away for sure. Even that much preparation isn''t enough? Yuel frowned. Aegis, the absolute defense. Every time Yuel tried to pierce through it, he was forced to realize anew how impenetrable it was. Will any of the other plays he prepared work against Howard? There was no guarantee. Still, Yuel and Lars won this first exchange. They now had to push this early advantage all the way to victory! Vol.4 Ch.18: Thirst for Strength For Gregory, this stupid starter selection match came out of left field. And honestly, it didnt even feel like it was meant to select anybody. The positions for the first string were already pretty much set in stone: Howard, Gilbert, Dan, Roi, and Ellen. In truth, this match was nothing but a farce. Its just gonna be a shitshow in which everybody beat the crap outta Yuel and Lars. After all, there''s no way these losers can carry the team better than Howard. And even if they somehow win this selection match, theres no way Howard gonna be like Yep, Im totally fine with this and step down from his precious captain position. This entire thing is just one big joke, kek. Gregory didnt want to delude himself for even a moment. But still, Howard sold this as a starter selection match to Gregory and Taison, he even went as far as suggesting they could make it into the first string if they perform well today. Yeah, fat chance. They''ll never become starters this year... or, maybe? Honestly, there''s never knowing for sure with Howard. Back when he was saying it, he sounded genuine enough. Howard probably didn''t really believe any of them could best the first string players, but he''ll surely take them into consideration if that happens. After all, Howard was a straightforward guy in that sense. He wanted to win, so he wanted the strongest pieces he could get. In other words, if Gregory proves hes strong, he''ll be picked. Simple as that. But, of course, there had to be a catch to such a sweet deal. Due to how Howard arranged this stupid selection match, he had to give Gregory the Solo role instead of Support. Not exactly the most fitting role for DaBestSupport, kek. Or, maybe it was fate? Maybe God dropped this trial on Gregory? After all, he had been considering switching to Solo for some time now. Back when Gregory joined the club, he had a strong rivalry with Yuel. He was totally planning to kick that snotty guy''s ass and steal the Support spot on the team. He even proclaimed himself DaBestSupport, topkek. But then, Howard happened. A strong, confident, skilled, experienced and knowledgeable player, and also a great leader if all that wasnt enough. Gregory figured right away he was no match to that top dog, so should forget about playing in tournaments until his third year. He accepted that shit because there''s literally nothing he could do about it. But, Yuel didn''t get the message. That mofo kept challenging Howard time and again, aiming for that sweet starter spot. What a dumbass. Yuel must have had a fetish for embarrassing himself, kek. What''s real dumb, though, was Howard''s special treatment of Yuel. Even though Howard always took jabs at Yuel and criticized that scrub, he also paid a lot of attention to Yuel for some reason. When Yuel made a weak shot-call during practice, Howard debated it with him over the break. When Yuel proposed a crazy plan of attack with a shit ton of holes in it, Howard suggested how to make it safer. No matter what Howard claimed, he constantly paid attention to Yuel. But wait wait wait, wasn''t there another amazing Support player in the club? Ya know, a certain DaBestSupport? Hello? Anybody? No? Okay. Gregory planned to beat Yuel in their third year to get the starter spot, but he wasn''t even on these guys radars. In practice, there were only two Support players in the club: Howard and Yuel. Gregory? Who''s that mofo? Seriously, that''s how it felt. They let Gregory play Support from time to time in practice matches, but way less than they let Yuel do it. It''s clear everybody preferred Yuel over Gregory as Support. These damn ungrateful scrubs. Why? What was wrong with Gregorys play? Well, he wasn''t strong enough, that''s what. Whether it''s about picking players or picking friends, everybody preferred strong guys. The weak and untalented were useless, they only existed to be made fun of. Yeah, Gregory was weak. Or at least, that''s what everybody around him claimed. He really didn''t want to accept that, but a certain conversation he overheard drove that point home. So, Aron started. You decided who youre going to make the vice-captain next year? Yeah, Howard replied. It was a secret conversation between the two top dogs of the club. Gregory shouldn''t have eavesdropped, but screw the rules that sounded interesting as heck. There''s only one option, really, Howard continued. Yuel. Only one option? Gregory grimaced. Sure, Lars and Taison were monkeys and Julia was an emotional bitch. But, what about Gregory? He was a smart, good-looking, intelligent, skilled and knowledgeable player! Well, okay, maybe a few of these points were debatable. But still, he was far from a nobody. His game knowledge and decision-making skill should be on par with Yuel''s. He also knew how to gather, process and organize data. So, Gregory was totally a candidate for the vice-captain position. Heck, he could even run for president if he wanted! I agree, Aron said. Yuel seems like the best candidate at the moment. Zero objections and not a single mention of Gregory''s name. Did people forget he exists? Man, already going senile at this age? Topkek shenanigans. ... but damn, that stupid conversation. It reduced Gregory to a nobody who never even stood a chance against Yuel. Why? Why!? They were both mechanically trash players. They both relied on game knowledge and dirty tactics to beat stronger mofos. Then why? Why wasn''t Gregory on anybody''s radar!? Why was he always treated like some weak nobody!? Seriously, the flying fuck? Gregory worked his ass off to research Classmancers back in grade school, just so he could play Support that satisfied Taison. When the two of them joined arms, they were unbeatable! They were the strongest! They even stomped Lars, the popular guy who always in the center of everybodys attention. They embarrassed that loser in front of the entire class! But, then came Yuel and flipped everything on its head. That damn degenerate. If Yuel is nominated vice-captain, he also gonna become the captain after that. And, of course, he''ll be the one who chooses which role goes to who. In other words, Gregory, and Taison will be fucked. They wont get to play Support and Carry even in their third year. Julia probably gonna get Mid because she held Yuel''s balls, so the only remaining positions will be Solo and Jungler. Therefore, if Gregory wants to play competitively at some point in middle school, his best bet was Solo. Hey, whats up, GG? Taison asked after being called over. Who you fuckin calling GG? Gregory hissed. Anyway, listen. I''m thinking about maining Solo. Huh? Taison raised an eyebrow. The heck youre on about? I''ve been thinking about it for a while. Yuel will probably be selected as the team captain eventually, so- Huh? Why would that happen? That dude only knows how to come up bullshit ideas. Bullshit ideas that work, Gregory corrected. He didn''t mention the conversation he overheard because Taison wasn''t exactly the type who knew how to keep their trap shut, so instead, Gregory pretended it was all hypothetical. Why do I think Yuel will become the vice-captain? Well, everybody thinks hes some hot stuff. Besides, who else you think can lead the club after Howard is gone? There''s DaBestBro right here! Taison grinned like an idiot while pointing at himself. So, as you see, there are only two real options here: me or Yuel. Hey! I can totally be the cap! The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Jokes aside, that''s our situation, Gregory shrugged. Its either me or Yuel, and pretty sure right now most people are in Yuels favor. Yeah, okay, maybe that thatll happen. So, what of it? You really don''t get it? Gregory sighed. If Yuel becomes the captain, he gets decides the roster. He gonna place himself as Support and who do you think he gonna pick for Carry? DaBestBro, of course! Does this guy even have a brain? Gregory felt like facepalming all the way through his skull. This was going nowhere, so enough being roundabout. He''ll take Lars for Carry. So, neither of us will get to play in tournaments even in our last year. No way in hell, Taison''s face twitched. I gonna play tournaments, yo! My bro gonna be a starter in Venom next year, and I''mma be a starter in StormBlitz! Yeah, I also wanna play but, at this rate, we won''t be able to because Yuel and Lars kinda exist. We''ll have to break their arms or something if we wanna play, kek. I''ll do it, yo! Will he? He might, honestly. Even Gregory couldn''t tell. Anyway, I got a better solution. How about we switch roles? I can play Solo and you''re kinda alright at jungling, so you can play Jungle. Nah, bro. Jungle is cool and all, but I wanna be the Carry! That''s like being the ace, ya dig? So, what do you prefer? To play in tournaments without being the ace? Or, to not play at all? Of course, I''mma play in tournaments! As the ace! My brain cells need an ambulance. Gregory massaged his temples. Anyway, I think I''mma give it a shot. I''ll try focusing on Solo a little more from now on and see how it goes. But mah brosef, ain''tcha DaBestSupport? How ya gonna play Solo with that name? Khaha. No need to rub it in, dammit! It''s not like I wanna do it either! Dumbass. Gregory wondered why was he still here, just to suffer? Anyway, that''s all I wanted to say. I suggest you to play more Jungle too, in case Yuel really becomes the captain. And I know he will, at this rate. Hm, okay, I guess, Taison crossed his arms. But, I still gonna be the ace! And play in tournaments! Yeah, yeah. Gregory looked away. At least, you have a better chance than me because people actually think you''re a good player. It''s because of you that I... Gregory was overshadowed, that''s the only explanation to this bullshit. Even though Taison was an idiot with a minus 200 IQ, he was a strong player. He has been playing Classmancers with his bro for longer than any other freshman and he was mechanically skilled. As a result, Taison''s strength overshadowed Gregory''s. Nobody took notice of Gregory because Taison was stealing all the good parts when they played as a duo. Even though Gregory was the one who always had to cover up the shit Taison caused, nobody appreciated him for that hard work. All they saw were Taison''s successes, while Gregory was also sorta there maybe. Supports were often underappreciated due to their less active role, but this shit was getting outta hand. Good players would know how to gauge a good Support, but Howard and Aron were a bunch of blind fools. They wont recognize good supporting even if somebody shoves it in their faces. To get the spotlight he deserved, Gregory first had to step out of Taison''s shadow. Playing Solo was the best way to do it because it''s a lane where he had to rely only on himself throughout half the match. Thats why he liked calling it Solo instead of Top. It was an isolated lane with mostly 1v1 action. And for Gregory, this lane was a grand stage prepared solely for him to play as the leading actor. With that convincing, Gregory focused more and more on playing Solo. He still often played Support for Taison in the club, but in his private time, he poured hours into Solo. On one hand, Solo was one of the easiest roles to play. Solo classes were mostly bruisers and tanks, so survivability was high and the enemy laner didn''t apply that much pressure. On the other hand, mastering Solo was quite the pain. It was a lane on which every type of player skill had roughly equal importance. Mechanical skill was useful for the many 1v1 scenarios, decision-making was important for not losing the lane and game knowledge was needed to counter-pick and counter-build. As a result, there were all sorts of different Solo Laners. Some were brutes like Roi who relied on raw strength, whereas others were intellectuals like Gregory who used game knowledge to counter their lane opponents. Like the genius Gregory was, he knew that knowledge was his strongest suit. Therefore, he polished that area more than anything else. He read the upvoted guides, watched recommended ClassTube videos and so forth. Of course, he was also up to speed with all the spicy Solo Lane memes; very important. And today, in this selection match, Gregory finally gonna reveal his insane Solo Laner skills to the entire world! It''s a fateful trial, no doubt arranged for him by God himself! Today will be the day he beats Roi and claims himself a spot on the first string! And also, today, Gregory will get to crush the hopes and dreams of Yuel by stopping that nerd from getting into the first string! Two birds with one stone, topkek. As for preparations, Gregory did plenty. In addition to the time the team spent training together, Gregory also spent some of his off-time researching Roi. As a fellow guild member in the game, Gregory could easily access Roi''s match history. All matches from the past week were set to private to avoid info leaks between the teams, but any of Rois older games were accessible. So, of course, Gregory abused this privilege. He studied which classes Roi played the most, what were Rois win ratios with them, what Roi usually built and so on. All that crap was too much to process though, so Gregory used the app Classmancer Analyst, which summarized the data for him. It was really convenient. He just had to dump Roi''s match history into the app and it showed lots of useful shit. It even collected some data from the actual match replay, such as when and where Roi went to farm jungle camps. It had everything Gregory needed for taking down that Goliath. As expected from todays greedy apps, all these fancy analytics features were locked behind a paywall. Buuuuuuut, Gregory just download a crack. Who''d pay for this shit when you can get it for free, kek. Gregory jotted down the major points about Roi''s playstyle and researched counter picks. He even opened some forum threads under an alt account and asked for the best way to counter classes which didnt have any natural counters, like Knight which was one of Roi''s favorites and a high tier Solo Laner in general. As expected, there were some troll replies in these threads like git gud and such. However, the most upvoted posts usually made some sense. There were a few odd suggestions thrown into the mix and were still upvoted, like how supposedly Warrior could deal well with Knight despite being a trash-tier class. But,t otherwise, the suggestions were good. All in all, Gregory came pretty damn prepared for the match today. He knew exactly what Roi gonna pick and how that mofo gonna play. Everything was calculated to a T. This was Gregory''s time to shine in a solo performance! Then why? Why the flying fuck did Roi pick Dark Knight? It''s one of Rois least played classes! Gregory even double-checked the data on Classmancer Analyst during the drafting phase and there was almost nothing! What the actual fuck. Roi wasn''t supposed to play this kind of shit. Like, it''s a flippin Dark Knight of all things. Roi played mostly fair and strong classes like Knight, not this garbo. Hoho, I see, I see. Roi is so scared of my analytical skill that he''d rather play one of his niche classes instead of facing me with a class I''ve already researched! Yes! Fear my genius, peasant! No, of course not. In the first place, Roi probably wasn''t that smart. And, the guy was hella confident in his skill, so he wouldn''t think twice about going all out with his usual playstyle. Then, why Dark Knight? Why in this match? Of course, because its freakin Dark Knight, the anti-fun noob stomper. Dark Knight was the strongest early-game bully in the game because he boasted the highest base damage during the early-game. Therefore, Dark Knight destroyed any scrubs who had no idea WTF they were doing during the early game. Back when Gregory first picked the game, he liked him some Dark Knight too. Getting 10 kills a row and dominating the game was the best. Boy. those were fun times, probably the most fun he ever had playing Classmancers. But, that didn''t last forever. Once Gregory started facing more competent players, Dark Knight became trash. Against enemies who knew when to defend and when to pressure, Dark Knight was either stalled until late-game or get his ass whooped due to its suicidal game plan. Thus, Dark Knight will only be forever immortalized as a fun class in his memories, but nothing more. Nowadays, Gregory couldn''t play that edgy boi without a high chance of getting rekt, even in casual. One of these days, he should make a smurf account to pwn some noobs with Dark Knight, kek. Anyway, Dark Knight was trash at this level of play. It was apparently sorta viable in the high-level pro scene in some niche scenarios, but everybody here were mid-level players at best. No way Roi can dominate a game as Dark Knight here, especially considering the guy barely even played the class. Not to mention, there was one huge requirement for playing Dark Knight: you had to be better than your lane opponent. Only then, Dark Knight had any chance to exhibit his stomping ability. That stuff was hella rare in the pro scene because everybody there was preeeetty good. But, it still happened sometimes, mostly in C-League. So, by picking Dark Knight, Roi was basically saying Come at me, nub. I''mma whoop yo ass, you filthy trash kid. In other words, Gregory wasn''t even on Roi''s radar as a threat. Gregory was, and remained, a nobody in everybody''s eyes. So, Greg, Howard spoke in the middle of the drafting phase. You sure you don''t want to try turtling? It''s D-Knight, so turtling is a viable opening here. No fuckin way, Gregory pressed his glasses against his nose. Lemme at that fucker. I''ll show him what happens when you think you can DK me. Dont lose your cool over it. Itll hurt your performance. No problem, chief. Im calm. REAL calm. Gregory insisted. Lemme fight that D-Knight. Imma pwn it. If youre sure, Howard shrugged. As I said, I dont plan to force you into playing hyper defense. If you want to challenge Roi, go ahead. You wont regret it, Gregory promised. So, Knight for me, pls. You got it. Howard picked Knight. Good, thats how it gotta be. Until a few moments ago, Gregory was borderline fine with following Howards turtling game plan. However, after seeing Dark Knight, it became a different story. Hes gonna destroy Roi. Hell mop the floor with that pompous bastard. Gregory will prove that he was a strong player, that he was more than just a scrub hiding in Taisons shadow! This looks like a recipe for disaster. Howard had a complicated expression. But, I should probably thank Yuel for this Dark Knight. Itll serve me well. Gregory headed into the first match with burning fighting spirit. But, who will it end up burning? His opponent? Or, Gregory himself? Vol.4 Ch.19: Dark Knight, the Early Game Bully The first game of the selection match began but, unfortunately, Gregory didn''t get to collect much data on Roi''s Dark Knight. He reviewed the info he dumped into Classmancer Analyst but there wasnt anything that stood out. Maybe there were some good statistics buried deeper in the report, but there was no time to dig them up. In some games, Roi stomped the other team and went 10/0, while in other games he didn''t achieve anything of note. Extreme highs and lows, pretty standard distribution for unreliable trash like Dark Knight. This edgy boi was always either hella oppressive or a useless nobody. Whatever. I''ll figure it out on the go. Gregory played enough Dark Knight in his earlier days, so he knew the gist of it. There was no way he''d lose to some cheap noob stomper class. Gregory was stronger than that, dammit! Following the standard game opening, Gregory headed to the Wraith Camp together with Gilbert. While Gregory aggro''d the wraiths and took their attacks in the face, Gilbert blasted them away with Eldritch Blast. Man, this feels like slavery. Gregory made a face. As a Support player, he was kinda used to being a meat shield for others. However, Gregory wasnt Gilberts Support. Heck, he wasnt a Support at all this game, he was a Solo Laner, dang it. Gregory was supposed to be his own boss. Of course, Gregory understood this was an efficient opening. Minions just spawned and hadn''t reached the lane yet, so players had a short window of time to farm in the jungle. Gregory actually supported the idea of farming as much as possible to gain an advantage. Over-grinding for the win! Thats how he beat bosses in every RPG. Nevertheless, this opening has been irking Gregory this entire week. It''s like the Solo Laner was slaving away for the Mid Laner without getting anything in return. Gregory and Gilbert shared the exp from the camp, but according to the meta the blue buff had to go to Gilbert. Gregory wasnt gonna get shit. Yeah, yeah, Mid was the most important lane. Yeah, mages needed CD and MP5 more than bruisers. Yada yada yada. Bleh. Im the one tanking this shit, so at least gimme something in return. Gregory grumped. It''s just one of these things he had to accept as part of being a Solo Laner. No matter how many times he followed this routine, it never became any easier to digest. Like, his fam Knight could also use some CD and MP5, ya know? After all, Gregory gonna go toe-to-toe with Roi, a starter from the first string. Shit ain''t gonna be easy. Of course, Gregory was gonna trash that edgy boi, but he wouldn''t mind getting some buffs to make the job easier. Hey, Gregory started. Gil, my man. You don''t mind if I take the buff, right? Excuse me? Gilbert raised an eyebrow as if Gregory just said something in Chinese. C''mon, man. You''re already a starter and you''re paired against July. It should be a walk in the park for ya, right? Yes, it should be easy enough. Right? Right? As long as I have the blue buff, of course. Kek, bastard. Gregory sneered. His hopes and dreams were shot down as soon as they formed. Welp, at least he tried. They finished the Wraith Camp and Gilbert claimed the blue buff. Gregory was tempted to steal it just to spite but decided against it. Poking Gilbert for lulz was one thing, but getting on Howard''s bad side was more trouble than this buff was worth. Meh, whatever. Who even needs a buff against DK. Gregory parted ways with Gilbert and headed to Solo Lane. Along the way, he passed by the Wolf Camp. It was tucked away right beside the lane, inviting Gregory to farm it. Alas, he couldn''t do it because he spent all his cash on Iron Boots and HP Potions for surviving Dark Knight''s onslaught. As a result, he didnt have enough damage to efficiently clear these wolves. Of course, Gregory COULD clear the camp if he really wanted. He wasn''t some weakling who''d get pwned by scrubby wolves. However, dealing with them would take too long without any power items in his build, so in the meantime, he''d miss on farm from the lane. What a waste. Gilbert usually built power and went straight for the Wolf Camp without thinking twice, but here he had to respect Dark Knight''s early-game damage. That shit was scary when you didnt build any defense, so the Iron Boots and HP Potions were necessary for Gregory to avoid getting instantly cucked. Soon after Gregory reached the lane, Roi appeared too. And, somehow, that mofo was already at Lv.2. Shit, he did the wolves. Gregory clicked his tongue. He also could have been at Lv.2 right now if he cleared the wolves. Shit. The game just started and he was already out-leveled. He finished the camp hella fast too. Gregory knotted his brows. Roi built Samurai Tabi, the most offensive shoes in term of raw power. Combined with Dark Knights naturally high damage, its not surprising Roi cleared two camps in the time it took Gregory to clear one. Dammit, just you wait. Ill get the advantage back before you realize! First, Gregory will farm up while keeping himself alive. Eventually, hell outlast Roi''s Dark Knight on the lane and will get an opportunity to push ahead. After all, Dark Knight was a suicidal edgy boi. Oh shi- A dark wave sliced through Gregory! The black slash passed through all the minions on the frontline and then hit Gregory too, deleting 20% of his HP! Aggressive ahoy! So, it began. This was the overpowered attack which hit like a truck was the Dark Knight''s spam skill: Dark Blast. Just a few hits from that shit and Gregory will be a goner. He immediately spent two HP potions to compensate for the damage. They will slowly, but surely, restore all the HP he lost. Respect his Dark Blast, Howard lectured. You''re hanging too close around the minions. Roi wont hesitate to aim at you instead of the bowmen if you give him the chance. Yeah, I kinda realized already, Gregory grunted. Dark Blast was a great wave clear, on par with the stuff mage usually had. The black slash traveled through the air in a line and dealt a shit ton of damage. Basically, it was everything one could ask from a wave clearing ability. One hit from that bad boy was enough to bring an entire minion wave to the brink of death, at least in the early game. But, back there, Roi opted for hitting Gregory instead. He fired Dark Blast through the swordsmen on the frontline and then the attack flew toward Gregory instead aiming at the bowmen. Needless to say, Gregory didn''t expect this level of aggressiveness right from the get-go. This guy doesn''t get the true fun of DK. Gregory shook his head. Wiping out the enemy''s entire minion wave and leaving them alone against a gang, THATS where the real fun was at. Not killing the bowmen was such a wasted opportunity. Well, whatever. This warning shot made it clear Roi wont always prioritize clearing minions first. So, Gregory will have to be a little more careful about his positioning. Just you wait. I''ll make your life hell. Gregory smirked. Once he hit Lv.2, he spent 1 SP on Honorable Duel. This gonna be topkek. As the next minion wave was about to arrive, Gregory advanced on his own. He reached the enemy minions first and taunted the swordsmen with Honorable Duel, then turned around and ran away. Kek, take that! Gregory led the enemy minions away and broke their usual formation. In response, Gregory''s minions responded to the new enemy positions and broke their formation as well. As a result, the whole lane became a mess! The minions were scattered around like a bunch of unruly brats. How about that? Salty? Gregory smirked. Dark Blast was a hax OP skill no doubt, but it traveled in a straight line. It must have been designed to hit an entire minion wave because these idiots always conveniently lined up in one column, just asking to be shot. But, what happens when the minions are forced to break formation? Boy, that''s where the fun began. With the minions scattered around, Dark Blast couldn''t possibly hit all of them in one shot. This was the topkek counter to Dark Knight''s bullshit! He must be hella mad. Gregory amused himself with the image of Roi''s annoyed expression. Gregory had played enough Dark Knight to know these situations felt like shit. There''s nothing more annoying than stupid minions not lining up to be slaughtered like proper sheep. That always killed half the fun of playing Dark Knight- The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Again!? Another Dark Blast smacked Gregory! What the actual fuck!? Roi didn''t even wait for the minions to slow down! Dude had no chill. That shithead is out for blood. Damn, son. Gregory tapped his foot. This was some clown fiesta Dark Knight gameplay. Roi didn''t give a single fuck about the minions and fired straight at Gregory. Was that some sort of special playstyle Roi developed? Or, maybe thats how Dark Knight was played on higher levels of play? Honestly, Gregory had no damn idea. He ditched that trash tier class ages ago, so he didn''t bother researching it much. High tier classes were the only thing that mattered in this game. Okay, this is starting to get a little annoying. Gregory has already spent all his potions and was still hanging at 70% HP. These Dark Blasts raped his HP bar. But hey, Roi was even worse off. The guy only had 50% HP because Gregory''s minions retaliated against him every time he hit Gregory. These little mofos took revenge for their beloved boss! So touching, kek. But, the main reason Roi had low HP was due to Dark Blast. On top of costing MP, it also cost 5% of the user''s HP, not exactly fun. With great power comes great responsibility, kek. Between aggro-ing Gregory''s minions and spending HP on Dark Blasts, Roi was quickly burning himself out. Not to mention, the Dark Blasts didn''t even hit Gregorys entire minion wave, which gave a Gregory a huge lane advantage. His minions had enhanced defense thanks to Chivalry, his passive, so when Roi chose to not wipe them out in one fell swoop - Gregorys remaining forces were stronger than Rois. Ez lane advantage. Good, good. At this rate, that scrub gonna burn himself out. Gregory smirked. Despite the few hiccups earlier, things were proceeding smoothly. With every Dark Blast which Roi fired, it was actually Gregory who was getting closer to winning the lane. But still, I wanna taunt these minions. How do I go about it without getting rekt? Gregory pondered. Advancing to the frontline was dangerous because he might eat another Dark Blast to the face. Nevertheless, he really wanted to pull this off somehow. Scattered minions were like the most annoying thing ever for a Dark Knight. That shit triggered Gregory all the time back when he played Dark Knight, so Roi should feel the same salt! Eventually, Gregory figured it out. Yes, it was the ultimate plan! Da best plan! Flawless and genius, as expected from somebody of Gregory''s caliber. He advanced to the frontline and activated Honorable Duel. Same as before, right? WRONG! Surprise, mothafucka! Right after activating the taunt, Gregory rolled away! That''ll totally throw Roi off and- Shit! Dark Blast struck him again! What the-!? Gregory was still in the middle of the roll! Damnmit! Did Roi misclick and fire his attack in the wrong direction? Like, there''s no way Roi saw through Gregory''s brilliant roll and adjusted in a split second, right? Nah, no way. Welp, this was unfortunate. The HP gap between Gregory and Roi was almost entirely closed in that one hit. Gregory was now at 50%, whereas Roi at 45%. Gregorys faithful minions will smack Roi''s HP now, so everything was fine. Gregory still had the upper hand. Greg, Howard called. You should consider retreating. Huh? Why? I''m winning here. You''re running low and you don''t have any potions left. It''s risky against a D-Knight. Running low? My man, I''m at 50%. The heck you on about? Yeah, half HP is usually fine, but, D-Knight is a different story. He takes about one-fifth of your HP in one hit, right? Only with Dark Blast. Keep in mind his ult too. Combined, that''s already about 40%. Hmm, I guess. Gregory knotted his brows. He understood what Howard was saying, but he didn''t like. It''s as if Howard was already convinced that Roi will destroy Gregory at this rate. It''s like Gregory was nothing but a punching bag who couldn''t fight back. Am I a joke to you? Like, hello? What about Roi being at 40%? That didn''t mean anything? On top of that, Roi will have to spend 5% HP on Dark Blast and 10% more on Gate of Sheol if he wants to go all out, so his 40% HP was more like 25% right now. Roi was a walking dead, kek. Seriously, everybody has been looking down on Gregory. Out of all the stupid nicknames Ellen invented from her sick mind, only GG became widespread and it''s the stupidest of them all. It''s like nobody took Gregory seriously as a player. Tch, he gonna show them...! Well, Howard said. If you feel confident about staying on lane, you can keep going. Thank you so much for giving me permission, my lord. Gregory sneered. Hah! Of course he felt confident about staying in lane; he had this shit in the bag. Ezpz. The plan was simple: hit Lv.5 and wreck Roi''s life. Once Gregory''s ult, Noble Steed, becomes available, he''ll have a convenient escape tool at hand. He''ll finally be able to go all out on Roi''s ass and then scram if shit hits the fan. Well, not that there was any chance anything would go wrong in Gregorys masterful plan, but just in case. After a few repeated failures, Gregory gave up on triggered Roi with Honorable Duel. There was no need to do that shit anyway because Gregorys minions were stronger thanks to their buffed defense, so he dominated the lane by default without even lifting a finger. Roi had to spend a Dark Blast on the minions to regain some lane control, but for some reason... he didnt? Huh. Roi just hit minions with basics, apparently unconcerned by Gregorys advantage. Did that guy forget about Knight''s passive or something? So strong player, such first string. Topkek shenanigans. Oh! This is a huge chance! Clearly, God sent me this opportunity to destroy Roi! Gregory couldn''t stop himself from grinning. All the pieces were here. He hit Lv.5 and still had some minions remaining, unlike Roi who didnt have shit. Gregory couldn''t ask for a better stage! Shit was about to go down! Gregory fearlessly dashed ahead of his minions. His goal? None other than Roi, the big boi himself! As soon as Gregory got into range, he opened his assault with Shield Bash. He charged forward and slammed his shield at Roi! At least, that was the plan. Right before the shield rammed into the target - Roi vanished! Damn! Where did he go!? Gregory scanned left and right, but no sign of Roi. The guy clearly dodge-rolled, but where to!? Gregory had to quickly figure this shit because this assault wasn''t over yet...! The same way Dark Knight had a broken ability in Dark Blast, Knight was broken too. It''s top tier class, after all. After finishing Shield Bash, a skill that was already preeeeetty good on its own, the Knight readied his blade for an even stronger follow-up move: Blade Swing! Yeah, the name sounded kinda lame, but this bad boi was the shit. So, Shield Bash being dodged wasnt a big deal on its own. In fact, Gregory suspected Shield Bash might be dodged. That''s right, everything was according to plan! Gregory''s real attack was gonna begin with Blade Swing! And for that, he had to strike Roi right away. But seriously, where did that mofo go? Gregory scanned both sides but found nothing. Roi rolled right before Gregory''s attack connected, so it was hard to see the rolls direction from the camera''s limited third-person view. Dammit. Why cant this be a MOBA with an RTS point of view? This was so damn weird, it''s like Roi disappeared from the face of the earth. He didn''t roll left, right or away. He definitely wasn''t up in the sky and of course not inside the ground either. Then, where!? As if to answer, a black blade slashed Gregory... from behind!? What the-!? Roi somehow teleported behind Gregory! And he probably gonna claim it''s nothing personal! How the flying heck did Roi appear behind Gregory? Its the mystery of the millennium! Okay, not really. Roi mustve rolled toward Gregory while Gregory was charging forward with Shield Bash. In other words, Roi rolled underneath the shield assault! What a cucklord! But, you made a great mistake revealing yourself to Gregory the Great! Gregory turned around to finally strike with... huh? Roi wasn''t there? What the... Another slash! Yet again, aimed at Gregory''s back. Even though Gregory turned around, Roi was behind his back yet again! Bitch, are you messing with me!? Gregory roared. That mofo must be sticking to Gregory''s back like glue! Even turning around in place had some weight to it in Classmancers, so it wasn''t as instantaneous as in many other games. Therefore, even though it should be hella hard to do, it was possible to keep stalking somebodys back while theyre turning around. At least, it was possible as long as the player didn''t turn around at full speed. Gregory didnt do that because he wanted to take a more careful aim for the upcoming Blade Swing, but no more! He gonna turn around like a supersonic fidget spinner! If he doesnt attack soon, Blade Swing will cool off and wont be accessible. So, he had to strike! Now! Gregory spun around in full speed and thrust his blade as soon as he caught a glimpse of Roi. Like before, Roi tried to bullshit his way through his situation by sticking behind Gregory, but no luck! Cute trick, fam, but it won''t work on Gregory the Great! Your ass is mine! Blade Swing shot forward. Landing a hit not only gonna deal damage but will also buff Gregory''s attack power. Hell totally have this fight in the bag! Provided, if the attack actually connects. And, it didn''t. What the...? The blade cut through empty space. The attack lasted but a second, but it stretched to infinity in front of Gregorys eyes. Roi was a little to the right, outside the sword''s reach. At that moment, Gregory realized he done fucked up. Its not like he missed or anything. Blade Swing had a rather wide attack range, so there''s no way a deadeye like Gregory would miss with from point-blank. No, it was all Roi. Right before Gregory fired his attack, Roi sidestepped in the opposite direction. Roi stopped sticking to Gregory''s back for just a moment and that was all it took for Gregory to turn too much to the left and miss. Oh oh. Shit. Shit shit shit! Roi was still sitting on 40%, but Gregory was now hanging at 42%! When did that even happen!? ALERT. DANGER. GET THE FUCK OUT. Alarms rang in Gregory''s head. He messed up this attack! Or, more accurately, that scrub Roi was a little better than Gregory expected. Yeah, Roi was quite the beast in this fight, outplaying Gregory''s flawless attacks like that. Anyway, this was the right time to scram. Gregory booted his Noble Steed right away. Once he gets on the horse and rides away, he''ll be untouchable! Ezpz retreat. Except, the bully had no intention of letting Gregory slip away. Roi sliced through Gregory with Dark Blast, dealing the usual 30% damage... wait, 30%!? Wasn''t Dark Blast around 20% until now!? Did Roi level it up? No, even with a level up, that''s WAY too much damage! Gregory was playing Knight for God''s sake, not some squishy class! A-Anyway! Gregory finally got on his white steed, so that''s it! He was safe! Dark Blast was on cooldown, so Dark Knight won''t be able to give chase- Death to the feeble! Errie words resounded throughout the area. Oh crap! Shit! Roi hit Lv.5, so he had access to Gate of Sheol! Fuuuuuuuu! A large gate popped out of thin air. Forged from black metal and decorated with skulls, it was the manifestation of death itself. As the doors opened wide, a wraith emerged from inside and latched onto Gregory''s back. There was time to dodge. The wraith ripped out the Knight''s soul as if plucking a leaf and dragged it back into the gate of doom. The Knight turned limp and slipped off his steed, then crashed straight into the ground. EXECUTED It was a delivery of death in its purest form. There was no damage dealt, just instant death. Gate of Sheol erased anybody whose HP fell below a certain threshold. It sucked in the weak souls without giving them any chance to fight back. There it was, the anti-fun lane bully in all its glory. Between a blast with tremendous early-game damage and a freaking execution ult, Dark Knight was the kind of mofo nobody wanted to mess with. And, that bastard just trampled all over Gregory. Damn it. Maybe he should have listened to Howard earlier and retreated... Vol.4 Ch.20: Coping with Defeat Only the strong can survive in this harsh world. A metallic voice resounded after Gate of Sheol vanished. Gregory''s soul was sucked out, both figuratively and literally. Only the strong, huh. Gregory took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It was just a dumb scripted line, but it struck home right now. Gregory was completely overwhelmed by Roi because he wasnt strong enough. Of course, part of it was Dark Knights fault. That overpowered edgy boi was the best at bullying during the early game. But, even beyond that, Roi totally outplayed Gregory at every step of the way. Gregory thought he knew how Dark Knight was supposed to be played and how to beat it, but Roi countered everything. Damn it... In the end, Gregory was just a weakling, he couldn''t do shit. This one-sided battle made it crystal clear: he had no future in Solo Lane. By himself, he was a worthless player. Tai, Howard called out. I need you to gank Top. Okay, on it! It''ll be great if you can get a kill, but driving Roi out of lane is good enough. I''mma kick his ass, no problem! Taison claimed with a confident grin. Gonna get there in a jiffy. He said while clearing the Wolf Camp. You know, Gregory muttered. You could''ve gotten there earlier to help me if you didn''t farm camps the whole day. Hey, farming is important too, ya know? Gotta get vegetables from somewhere, right? Khaha. Hilarious. I mean, hey, you didn''t call for help or anything. How the hell should I know youre in trouble? That''s... fair, I guess. Gregory pursed his lips. Right, it wasn''t Taison''s fault. Like, sure, if Taison were a half-decent Jungler with sharp decision-making, he would have noticed Gregorys situation and would have rotated to Solo as quickly as possible. But, Taison was just a brainless thug, so what did Gregory expect? Anyway, Gregory continued. Don''t underestimate Roi. He''s strong. Well yeah, he''s playing DK. It''s not just that. He''s just strong, in general. No problem, yo. I''mma avenge ya, my brudda! Good luck with that. Gregory smiled wryly. With this gung-ho attitude, Taison will probably burn and crash too. Despite the friendly advice, a part of Gregory actually wished to see it happen. If Taison puts on an even fight against Roi here, then... Heeeeere comes Taison! Taison leaped onto the lane from the jungle and crashed onto the enemy minions. As soon as he landed, he swept through the remaining minions with his lance. Awesome! All the weak dawgs were dead, so it gonna be a pure 1v1 now! Okay, let''s go! Taison dashed toward Roi and thrust his lance. Wham! Easy hit! That slowpoke tried to sidestep, but no dice! Ain''t nobody getting away from Lightning Speed Taison! Still, though, that dude had over half his HP bar. The heck was Gregory doing here until now? Yo GG, Taison called out. Didn''tcha fight this guy? He''s healthy like a damn horse! Didn''t you check his HP before jumping him? Gregory made a face. I almost got him, but he restored like 30% after killing me. DK kinda got a passive, in case you forgot. Oh, yeah? Taison shrugged. Welp, that sucked ass, but no problem! He just gotta beat Roi from half HP to zero. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Taison maintained his distance and thrust his lance again. Bullseye! Another clean hit! The fight only started and its already 2:0 to Taison! But, Roi ain''t no pushover, he won''t keep taking a beating like some wuss. Edgy Knight charged his blade with some edgy magic stuff and slashed through the air. Oh shit, it''s that thing! Taison exclaimed. It was that thing! The high damage shit! What was it called again? Dark Fart or something? Anyway, it was coming! Taison rolled aside and dodged that shit. Khaha! Easy! Now, back to offense- keh!? When did he-!? Roi was right in front of him! When did that mofo close the distance!? Shit, this ain''t good! Taison had to create some space again- geh! Edgy Knight slashed without any chill, taking off like 10% from Taison''s HP. Damn, even a simple basic hit like a truck! But, now it was Taison''s turn! Ha! Taisons lance dug into Edgy Knights chest. Goal! He totally owned this- whoa! Black ooze sprayed at him from the Dark Knight''s wound! And it hurt, yo! Pulling out the big guns, huh? Taison flinched. Edgy Knight cloaked himself in a black aura. It was that Nightmare crap, Dark Knight''s second ability. Taison properly remembered this name, because it was so spot on. 1v1 against this shit was a legit nightmare, yo! At low ranks, there were a bunch of shitheads who thought they''re good at the game by bringing Edgy Knight to 1v1 mode. Heck, Taison did that shit too at first. The class seemed hella broken, no joke. The win streaks he had were hella funny. But, eventually, Taison came across stronger opponents and that''s where shit got real. These bastards did everything they could to ruin Taisons game plan as a Dark Knight, which led to some of the most frustrating gaming experiences EVER. An Edgy Knight who didn''t start strong in the early-game was trash later on, so eventually, Taison moved on from this disappointing mess of a class. But, to REALLY move on, Taison first had to be strong enough to beat the trashbags who continued playing Edgy Knight. To become da best, he fought lots and lots of Edgy Knights until he figured out how to deal with that mofo. So, theres no way this shitty class will take him out in 1v1! Nightmare reflected like 40% damage and buffed the heck out of Edgy Knight, but it also gradually sapped Edgy Knight''s HP. So, Taison just had to maintain his distance and let Roi burn himself out. Come at me, yo! Roi taunted by rapidly stepping back and forth. As much as he liked charging at the opponents face, Taison had to play the waiting game for now. Imma let Roi wipe out his own HP, khaha. Since Taison became passive, Roi took the initiative and tried closing the distance. But, too bad, sucker! Edgy Knight had no movement options for shit! While Black Fart was on cooldown, Roi didnt have any ranged attacks and only had his basics to rely on. As long as Taison doesnt let that mofo get into melee range, this fight was ez. Roi approached from different sides and angles, but Taison just stepped away every time. A game of cat and mouse, heh. I know whatcha trying to do, but it ain''t gonna work. Taison smirked. Roi clearly tried to corner Taison against one of the jungle walls, but Taison was smarter than that. Whenever his back was forced to a wall, he re-positioned himself with a roll. Keep trying, fam. You aint cornering the mighty Taison! This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Tick tock. Tick tock. Dark Knight''s HP went down with every tick. Dude has already lost like 5% since he entered Nightmare. Damn, he''s good. Roi glanced at his HP. He was already down to 30% because of his Nightmare and he hasnt achieved much in return. This was getting bad. Taison was hella healthy at 70% HP, so there''s no way this gonna be a fair fight. Especially, there''s Lancers ult to look out for. Guess I have to scram. At least, I got myself an easy escape route. Thanks for being so cooperative, Tai! Lol. Oh, finally. Taison grinned and clenched his mouse. The dark fog around Dark Knight dispersed. Nightmare was out of the picture, so now they could fight like real men! Except, apparently Roi had no intention to fight. He just turned around and dashed! Fuuuuu! He gonna get away! Damn, I forgot to block his escape route. Derp. Taison smiled wryly. While he was busy running away from Roi, he rotated to the opposite side of the lane and opened an easy escape route for Roi. Welp, damn. Good damn job, Roi. A 200 IQ play. But, it ain''t over yet! There was still Gae Bolg! Taison just had to close the distance a little and launch himself at Roi! Follow me, by all means. Roi threw some glances behind his back, to see if Gae Bolg was coming. Dan, you ready to jump on Tai when comes? Im not done with the wolves yet, but I''ll be there. You still messing with the wolves? Lol, you slow as fuck, boi. Hey, not my fault ClassSoft cant give Venomancer a proper jungle clear ability. How can you even play that slowpoke. Yeah, hes slow as heck, but shredding tanks is fun. Anyway, no problem. I''ll gank Tai if he comes. Roger, Roi nodded. I''ll slow down a little then, to give Tai more hope about catching up. Next level bait, lol. Hey, I can get him! Taison exclaimed as Roi was almost within range. The guy kept turning around while running, he probably thought Taison will eventually give up. Not in a million years! Taison gonna chase his prey to the end of the world! Alright, Tai. That''s enough, Howard pierced Taison with a sharp tone. You did your part, now retreat. Yo, but I almost got him! Just a little more and I''mma kill his ass! Or, maybe just a little more and you''ll get your ass ganked instead. I haven''t seen Dan for a while now. Oh shit, for real? Taison backpedaled. Oh hey, there''s our guy. He spotted the Venomancer peeking from inside the jungle. Yo, my man. How''s life? Taison used a hand-waving emote inside the game, then got the heck of outta there. Phew, he almost had his ass ganked for real. Too bad he couldn''t get that sweet kill, tho. Good job, Howard nodded. That should be enough to make Roi retreat. I bet you''re salty about missing the kill but trust me, your contribution was huge. It may not look like it right now, but you saved the entire game. Just doing my job, khaha. ......... Gregory silently watched how the whole situation unfolded. He had nothing to do because he was dead, so he closely followed the Taison vs. Roi fight. He saw every part of it. Taison actually fought on equal ground against Roi, the guy who kicked Gregorys ass without breaking a sweat. Taison failed to score a kill, but even just driving Roi out of the lane was huge. It neutralized the situation Gregory caused in Solo Lane with his incompetence. Why? This didnt make sense. Yeah, sure, Gregory didnt main Solo, so its understandable why his combat skills were lacking. But then, what about Taison? The guy didnt main Jungler, yet he put on a strong show anyway. It didnt make any sense. Was Gregory just... weak? Was that the truth? No matter which role he played, he couldnt deliver results. Was that the extent of his worth? Was he forever doomed to remain GG, the joke of the club? Dammit... This stupid respawn timer is taking too long. Let me back into the game already! Gregory refused to accept this reality. He wanted another shot to prove he wasnt some useless weakling. While waiting for the timer to tick to zero, something unexpected happened in Bot Lane. An ally has been killed! The second death in the team. This time, it was Ellen. That was a rare occurrence. Ellen always played safe during the early game and hid behind her pokes. Gregory knew this all too well because he was often on the receiving end of Taisons rants when these two clashed. In practice matches, Ellens pokes always triggered Taison to the point he started overextending just to get a few hits on her. As a result, Gregory always had to do something to salvage the situation before Taison screwed himself and the team. Man, these matches were such a pain. The most Gregory ever achieved was stopping the fool from getting killed. They never actually managed to counter Ellens poking. So, to think Yuel and Lars found a way to score a kill on that poking machine... Honestly, it was pretty impressive. Gregory missed how that play went down, but it must have been something out of this world. Yuel probably came up with another one of his bullshit plans and Lars pulled off some inhuman stunt. Its frustrating to admit, but these two were... good. Really good. And, Taison was pretty good too, even as a Jungler. Only Gregory didnt perform for shit. No, he wasnt even Gregory, he was just GG. He didnt even deserve a proper name because he was trash. Fuck... Well, Howard smiled. I suppose thats how this match gotta go. Huh? He was smiling? Even though his rival just shat on him real hard? Gregory found himself staring in disbelief. Something wrong? Howard asked. Uh, nothing. Gregory shifted his eyes away. I just thought youll be more salty about losing to Yuel. Oh, trust me, I AM salty. Very salty. Howard claimed so but there was still a faint smile on his face. Its just that I knew I might be biting off more than I can chew, so I can live with this result. Turns out Larss Trickshooter is pretty damn good after all, haha. This was some bizarre shit right there. That situation was more than Howard could chew? How was that even possible? Howard was the top dog of this club, so there shouldn''t be anything he cant handle. That defeat shouldve completely destroyed his confidence, yet Howard was smiling like he was having fun. Looks weird to you? Howard asked as if reading Gregorys mind. Well, yeah. I mean, you just got owned. You cant win every time, right? Matches arent just about winning or losing, they also let you test your limits and teach you new things. You sound like these YouTubers who make Top 10 Tips videos. Haha. Wont lie, I listened to many of those. But, thats a nice mindset to have, right? You should adopt it. Think about why you lost and what you learned. What I learned, huh, Gregory mumbled. All Gregory learned from the fight with Roi was that hes complete trash who couldn''t play Solo for shit. Even a noob class like Dark Knight stomped him hard. You seem to beat yourself over dying to Roi, Howard said. But, you gotta look at it with the right mind frame. Tell me, how would you describe Roi as a whole? The Lol Guy, kek. Heh, thats definitely a thing. Anyway, when you look at Roi from your current position, what do you see? Just some senior from your club who plays Top, right? Yeah, I guess. Gregory shrugged, not sure where this was going. Like, thats what Roi objectively was, right? A senior in the club who played Solo and the enemy Gregory had to surpass in order to play Solo competitively in the upcoming year. Also, the Lol Guy, kek. Thats a narrow view, Howard stated. You need to think on a bigger scale. Roi is actually one of the best Top Laners Ive seen in our entire region. We still dont know the regional lineups for the upcoming year, but I guarantee Roi will count among the strongest Top Laners in the tournament. The strongest... Gregory clenched his fists. He knew Roi was good, but THAT good? If Howard said so, then Roi probably warranted the praise. Thinking of it, Gregory heard something about Roi almost making it into the first string last year, so there was no doubt that everybody highly regarded the guy in the club. And, to be fair, Roi had the skill to back up that trust. So, Howard continued. If you think you lost to some nobody, you gotta reframe your perspective. You lost against one of the best Top Laners, so no need to beat yourself over it. You made a few mistakes and Roi exploited them, but thats alright. Dont focus too hard on the fact you lost. Instead, think about your mistakes and figure out how you gonna avoid them next time. Thats how you get better. I guess that makes sense... Gregorys words trailed. Maybe he was really beating himself over nothing. Just because he lost so pitifully against the strongest didnt mean he was necessarily weak. He just wasnt as strong as Roi, thats all. Yeah, it was only inevitable for Gregory to lose that 1v1. He bit more than he could chew, as Howard put it. Now, that Gregory learned the gap between himself and Roi, he should give up on proving himself superior and should focus on dealing with Roi in the lane. How should Gregory play against one of the strongest Solo Laners in the region? To be fair, Howard already kinda gave him the answer a week ago. Got it, Gregory said. Ill play more defensively from now on. Atta boy, Howard nodded. I know you wanted to beat Roi and take his spot, but youre not up to the challenge yet. Wha-!? Gregory coughed. Was Howard aware of Gregorys super secret plan to overthrow Roi all along? Nah, the guy was probably just guessing based on circumstantial evidence. Seriously tho, Howard was borderline ESP sometimes. Good. Howard nodded to himself. After they finished the conversation, Gregory had a refreshed look on his face. Now, hell be more willing to listen to Howards directions and to play defense, maybe hell even be willing to turtle. Being beaten to a pulp taught that brat a good lesson. Good thing this problem fixed itself so early, Thats one troublemaker dealt with. Next, Howard focused his attention on Taison. This throw-away game was a good chance to test the waters and see how far their Lars Killer weapon could go. Its effectiveness will undoubtedly decide a lot in the upcoming battles... Vol.4 Ch.21: The Hungry Jungler The match gradually transitioned toward the mid-game. Yuel''s team was leading with a 2-0 in terms of kills, one kill by Lars and one kill by Roi. The kill count alone usually didnt tell the entire story unless there was a huge lead but, in this case, it was a fairly accurate representation of the games state: Yuels team was in a superior position. Not enough. Yuel knitted his brows. It''s great they scored two kills during the early-game, but the pace slowed down ever since. Howard and Ellen fortified their defenses and Yuel couldnt find another opportunity to set up a kill. The Impulse Bomb play worked splendidly for the first time, but it wont work again. Likewise, Gregory turtled up in Top Lane after his first death. As a result, Roi couldn''t score any additional kills. To be absolutely sure the team will dominate mid-game, Yuel wanted at least one more kill. The damage outputs of both Trickshooter and Dark Knight dropped off during mid-game, so another kill by Lars or Roi was needed to compensate for that. It was especially important in Dark Knight''s case, which was a hyper early-game class. But, how to get this one more kill? The enemy''s defense was tight, as expected from a team led by Howard. With Howard playing in Bot, it was a given that killing Ellen would be difficult. However, even Gregory did a spectacular job staying alive while maintaining minimal lane control, despite playing on the other side of the map. Was Gregory always this good at defense? No, it must have been Howard''s influence. Howard knew that Roi would destroy Gregory if they clashed on the lane, so he must have trained Gregory to turtle efficiently. Though, it was unclear why Gregory didn''t employ this defensive playstyle right from the start. Did he think he could beat Roi in 1v1 and that made him go against Howards orders? Either way, Top was sealed against kills. Yuel sent Dan to gank the lane a few times, but that approach didnt see much success. Venomancer wasnt exactly the best at finishing off weakened opponents, his specialty lied in demolishing tanks. Therefore, even though Yuel coordinated Dans ganks to strike at the best timing possible, Gregory always slipped away. Is that also Howards work? Yuel pondered. Gregorys defense improved leaps and bounds during this short week, but that wasnt enough time to develop such acute decision-making. Howard must have been the one issuing the timely retreat orders for Gregory. It seemed unlikely anybody would be able to score any kills in Top any time soon. Likewise, getting another kill in Bot seemed like a lost cause as long as Howard was there. Thus, only Mid Lane remained. While Gregory was turtling, Roi rotated to Mid a few times. That was one of the most efficient responses against overly defensive opponents. While Gregory was busy clearing the remains of the minion wave, Roi had the freedom to leave the lane and either steal camps or gank other lanes. Mid Lane was the closest, so Roi ganked Gilbert. Unfortunately, it never led to a kill because Gilbert was always prepared. One moment, Gilbert was aggressively pushing against Julia, but the next moment he was already retreating. As a player who boasted a great balance of offense and defense, Gilbert was capable of quickly switching gears from offense to defense and vice-versa. Its like he just pressed a button and his entire playstyle did a 180. So, it was virtually impossible to catch Gilbert off-guard without some elaborate trick. Yuel had a few ideas in mind. Roi, let''s try the Recall Feint. Lol, starting the mind games? Ok, ok. love this one. Roi dialed his aggression up to eleven and pressured Gregory with everything he had. It wasn''t a very effective approach against a turtling opponent, but the goal wasn''t to kill Gregory. Roi just had to exhaust his own resources. Julia, Yuel pinged the map. Place a Sentry here and see if they got any Wards. Just a sec, Julia did as she was told and placed a Sentry Ward. As Yuel suspected, there was an enemy Ward there. Julia cleared it with a single basic attack. Good, the Recall Feint was ready to go. The preparations for this play were on the costly side, but itll be worth it if Roi can score another kill. Okay, I''m ready, Roi called out. Let''s see if this works. He retreated just enough to stay at the edge of Gregory''s field of vision and formed a magical circle. It was the familiar animation for the Recall skill which sent players back to base. Roi is recalling, Gregory announced and sighed in relief. That recent hyper-aggression from Roi was nothing to sneeze at. Even while turtling like some wuss, Gregory found himself pressured by Roi''s relentless attacks. That was some scary shit, it might even keep Gregory awake at night, kek. But, that''s behind him now. With Roi gone from the lane, Gregory could also recall now. At least, after he clears all these pesky enemy minions... Wha!? Gilbert exclaimed a moment later. A thunderstorm formed in Mid Lane! Bolts struck from the sky! Her ult!? Why now? But, I can get away. Gilbert rolled out of the range of Thunderstorm after two bolts struck him. Julia''s ult is down. Not sure why she even went for it, maybe a misclick. Interesting, Howard narrowed his eyes. Julia has been playing defensively until now, so why cast Thunderstorm out of blue? Gilbert wasnt low enough to get killed by two hits of Thunderstorm and Julia wasnt exactly in a great position to follow up with another attack. Sure, she dealt decent damage with this play and Gilbert will have to play more cautiously for a while, but that wasnt a good payoff for spending such a powerful AoE ult. Did she want to force Gil out of position? Howard scanned the area around Gilbert''s escape path. Maybe it wasnt a very important detail, but Julia cast her Thunderstorm at the bottom half of the lane. As a result, the top half was the most logical place for Gilbert to flee towards. Was there anything around Top Jungle? A Ward revealed Dan in Bot Jungle just recently, so there was no way hell gank from Top Jungle. Yuel and Lars were right in Howards face in Bot Lane, so they had nothing to do with this situation either. And the last suspect, Roi, just recalled to base. He already bought Blink, so it''s extremely unlikely he could afford Teleport on top of that. Therefore, Roi had no way to... wait. Gil, Howard pinged the map. What happened to the ward over there? Julia took it out a short time ago. I didn''t have the chance to replace it yet. Julia placed a Sentry over there? On top of all the other wards, she has been spreading everywhere? Howard found this odd. The Sentry Ward in question was close to Top, in an area which should have been outside Julia''s jurisdiction. The Ward which Gilbert originally placed there was supposed to warn him against rotations from Top that may catch him off-guard from behind. However, for Julia, having a Ward over there didn''t severe much purpose. Knowing her tendency to ward every nook and cranny, she must have already placed better wards all over the place. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Hrm. Between this odd Sentry Ward near Top Lane and Julia''s sudden aggression which pushed Gilbert toward Top Jungle... Wait, it couldn''t be! Was this one of Yuel''s tricks!? Gil, retreat! I think Roi is rotating. But, I told ya, Gregory intervened. Roi recalled to base Did you see him actually finish the recall? Yep, I saw him vanish and all. From what distance? Huh? From what distance did you watch him!? Um, he was kinda far away... Gregory adjusted his glasses. What was this about anyway? Then, Howard''s expression turned grim. There''s a chance he blinked instead of finishing the recall. From far away, you won''t hear Blinks sound and it won''t look any different from vanishing because of Recall. Gil, retreat! Already started, Gilbert was in the middle of dashing toward his side of the lane. Alas, the response was too slow - Roi was already here! As the feared, he didn''t recall after all. It was a Recall Feint! Tai, Howard called out. Get to Mid and help Gil deal with Roi. Gotcha, fam! This will be rough. Gilbert grimaced in front of the Dark Knight. Roi only had 30% HP and 20% MP, which was a believable reason for recalling to base. However, at the same time, it was also more than enough resources for a Dark Knight to finish off a squishy mage during the early game. Gilbert absolutely couldnt die here. Feeding the Dark Knight even a little would spell doom for the entire team. He had to get out. Now. Unfortunately, Gilbert hasnt bought Blink yet. Until now, he had been keeping himself alive through timely retreats and Eldritch Nightmare. The good news: Eldritch Nightmare was out of cooldown. The bad news: Gilbert didn''t have enough MP to cast it. Darn it, thats what happens when I spam invocations too much. I really need to get Blink soon. Alas, that realization didnt help Gilbert right now. He didnt have Blink and he failed to retreat in a timely fashion, so he HAD to cast Eldritch Nightmare no matter what. Therefore, Gilbert cast it. The Warlock''s passive, Life Tap, allowed him to cast spells by paying HP instead of MP. The cost for Eldritch Nightmare was especially steep, shaving off 25% of Gilbert''s HP. However, that wasnt a big price to pay if itll guarantee his survival. Darkness erupted from Gilbert and enveloped the entre lane, robbing the enemy''s vision. As long as Gilbert doesn''t get too close, Roi won''t be able to see him in the darkness. At least, that should have been the case... I came prepared this time! Roi dumped a Stealth Ward! Yeah, just like that, in the middle of the lane! Eldritch Nightmare didnt actually make enemies blind, it was the other way around: it gave stealth to allies inside the darkness. Therefore, a Stealth Ward cut through the darkness and exposed Gilberts position for everybody to see! He wont see it coming, lol. Now, that Roi knew exactly where to aim, he unleashed Dark Blast. Gilbert didnt even try dodging because he was sure he was stealthed. Lol, too bad! It was a clean hit! Dark Blast erased 40% HP in one fell swoop! Lol, DK is broken alright. Roi couldnt help but laugh at this absurd damage. Just one hit and almost half of Gilbert''s total HP went bye-bye. Gilbert just barely made it out alive with 5% HP, but he was as good as dead. How did he land that!? Gilbert nearly lost his entire HP bar! Damn, I think they got me- Heeeeeeere comes Taison! Lancer leaped onto the lane from the jungle. Imma save ya, bro! Wait, he can see- GAE BOLG! LETS GOOOOOO! Taison thrust his spear. Inside the darkness, he gonna land his ult for sure! Roi wont even know what hit him, khaha! But, Roi saw everything. His Stealth Ward revealed Taison, so he saw where the attack was coming from. Roi rolled to the side to dodge the deadly spear and simultaneously to close in on Gilbert, all in one move! A 200 IQ play, lol! Darn it, hes catching up. Gilbert was running slowly due to the Thunderstorm hits from earlier. Julia built Chains of Infinity, which applied a slowdown with each instance of damage. Thunderstorm struck Gilbert twice, so he carried two stacks of the slowdown effect. That must have been the main goal behind spending Thunderstorm in such a lackluster situation, it was all for this very moment! Roi easily outpaced that turtle and slashed. You have killed an enemy! Ez. There was no resistance at all. Taisons gank startled Roi for a moment and the Gae Bolg was dangerous, but Taison failed to stand between Roi and Gilbert. As a result, the gank didnt pose a threat. In fact, it added another target for Roi to prey on. After killing Gilbert, Roi restored all the way to 55% HP thanks to his passive. So, he was more than prepared for another fight! Shit! Taison cursed. How did he dodge my Bolg!? I tried to warn you, Gilbert sighed. Either he or Julia placed a Stealth Ward on the lane. Damn, my Bolg went down the toilet. Which resulted in my death, Gilbert added. Ill avenge you, bro! You wouldnt have to if you just ganked properly, Gilbert jabbed. Why did you flank him? You shouldve stepped in between us to stop him from chasing me. I went for the kill, yo. Taison thrust his spear into the Dark Knights shoulder while explaining. If I just landed that damn Bolg, Roi would have been totally screwed! I couldve finished him off on the spot! I believe I asked you to help Gil, Howard said. I didnt ask you to go Mid to kill Roi. Um, yeah, like, Taisons attention span was split between maintaining the conversation and stabbing Roi. Retreat, Howard ordered. You dont want to feed him another kill, do you? Yeah, guess I better get the heck out. Taison was finally convinced when Roi booted his damage reflection cloak. What a freakin nightmare of a skill It was. Taison turned around and darted from there. Tai, Howard spoke up again after Taison made it out. You were supposed to get between Roi and Gil in that situation, not to attack. Your job was to protect him, not to get a kill. I was gonna protect him by getting a kill! I snuck up to Roi like a ninja and struck from the shadows! It was supposed to be perfect, yo! You do realize that, by going around to flank Roi, you took the longer route and delayed your arrival? As a result, you gave Roi more time to close in on Gil. Ah, well, if you put it that way... Taison shifted his eyes and smiled awkwardly. The Junglers job isnt just to get kills, I believe we went over this. You also need to consider how your presence on the lane can change the situation. If you just got there earlier, theres a chance Roi would have decided to retreat right away without chasing the kill any further. You couldve resolved the entire situation without lifting a finger, just by being there. Yeah, I gotcha, Taison sighed. Sorry, bro, Im gonna pay more attention next time. Thatll be great. Gilbert said. Alright. Howard nodded to himself. This failure will hopefully stick in Taisons head for a while and will point that rascal in the right direction next time. Taison was a skilled player, but he was rough in many departments. Half of the problem was that Jungler was his secondary role, and the other half was his attitude toward the game: he always sought glory through scoring kills. In some situations, that mentality was a great strength. But, in many others, it was a glaring flaw. Even though Junglers were commonly associated with ganking and getting kills, that was a shallow understanding of the role. The Junglers mere presence was an important weapon in its own right. A good Jungler knew when to appear on the lane to scare enemies away without even lifting a finger. Unfortunately, Taison lacked such in-depth understanding at the moment. Despite Howards best efforts, a single week wasnt enough to bring Taison to that high level. No matter how many times Howard explained the importance of a Junglers presence, the knowledge just refused to sink in. However, there were some occasions when Taison finally got the message and started playing more efficiently. After careful observation, Howard noticed that happened whenever Taison messed up big time and was called out on it, just like this situation with Gilbert. Based on Taisons reaction, he genuinely felt bad for letting Gilbert die. Either that, or his ego was hurt because everybody was blaming him for a terrible mistake. Anyway, this mistake lingered on Taisons mind. That was already way more effective than any lessons Howard gave him because those always went in one ear and out the other. Taison wanted to stand out and hated being criticized, so whenever he committed a mistake and was called out - he dialed down the gas and started thinking more carefully about his actions. As a result, he transformed from a hungry beast to a more reasonable Jungler. Alright, this should take care of Tais problem for a while. At least, half the problem. Howard knew this wasnt over yet. Taison was a more skilled player than Gregory, but he also had more glaring flaws. While Gregorys biggest problem was resolved after Roi destroyed him once in 1v1, Taison required more babysitting. Still, that was one more problem resolved. Howard hoped to resolve the other one by the end of this throwaway game. Vol.4 Ch.22: The Flawed 1v1 Prodigy Just making Taison understand his responsibility as the Jungler didnt stop him from hungering for kills. After failing to save Gil, Taison will now surely pay more attention to such situations and will prioritize helping his teammates instead of chasing kills. However, there was another type of situation which posed a big problem: a situation in which an enemy was pushing a lane alone. Yo! Taison called out. Lars is alone in Bot, so Imma gank his ass. Wait, he still got his ult- Howard stopped mid-sentence. Maybe this was a good chance, Lars had Trickshow available, so normally Howard would do anything to stop Taison from going 1v1. However, the purpose of this first game wasnt to win. Of course, a win will be more than welcome but, with a Dark Knight claiming a second kill this early, this game was clearly heading in a bad direction. So, there was no need to try too hard anymore. This has officially become a throwaway game and hell use it to educate the rascals of his team. You sure you can handle Lars in a 1v1? Howard asked. Easy! Imma wreck that dude! Then, go for it. Howard nodded. Go for it and fail, thatll be the best outcome. This is also a good chance to see the effectiveness of the Lars Killer in action. Okay, Im ganking Bot then! Taison announced as he dashed through the Jungle. Awesome! A chance to 1v1 Lars! Taison will whoop that losers ass and prove everybody hes number one! Taison leaped with Lunge and activated Gae Bolg while still air-bound. This gave him extra hang time to aim the deadly spear attack at Lars. GAE BOLG! A thundering roar. Wha-!? Lars stopped shooting. Some shit was coming, yo! There were wards all around the jungle, but none of them spotted anybody. So, where was his enemy coming from!? Crap! From above! Lars rolled out of the Turrets range. Shit! Taisons lance came down crashing but it hit nothing but the ground. Lars slipped away just in the nick of time. But, thats to be expected. Lars wasnt some noob whod get owned by simple shit like that. Thats what made him a worthy opponent to tear apart! Taison didnt waste a moment and swept his lance through Lars. The Gae Bolg was just a feint. This was the real shit, yo! Yeah! This aint good, yo! Lars frowned. He spent his dodge-roll on the deadly ult, so he had no choice but to eat that sweep attack in the face. On top of dealing damage, the sweep also lowered Larss defense and slowed him down. Yikes. Taison was already a tough enough opponent to take down, so all these extra disadvantages were bad news. Like, REALLY bad news. But, Lars had Trickshow, so everything gonna a-okay! Its time for a trick show! Larss limiters were removed. You wanna go? Lets do it! Right as Taisons next attack was about to connect, Lars slid aside. Easy dodge- Gotcha! Taison grinned as his lance pierced through Lars in the middle of the slide. Ha! Maybe this lame sliding dodge works on some scrubs, but not on Taison! Geh! He can keep up. Lars grinned. Taison struck at lightning speed, accurately and decisively. His attacks easily caught up with Larss quick Trickslides. Part of it was because Lars was slowed down and therefore his slides were a bit slower, but this was still some pro level stuff right there! Sick! Nice going there, Tai! Lars got shivers. This gonna be rough. Sick! Thats how real fights gotta be! Not like that poking clown fiesta with Ellen. Taisons attacks were cool and all, but Lars had no intention of staying on the receiving end. He fired a Trickshot during a Trickslide, aiming for a bouncing shot. This gonna deal a crapton of damage! Itll make things even- No chance! Taison saw that shot coming. First, the shot gonna travel to the nearby wall, then itll bounce and, finally, itll fly toward Taison. He had all the time in the world to react, yo! Taison rolled forward and dodged the bouncing Trickshot. As soon as he recovered, he thrust his lance at Lars again. Bullseye! This aint good! Lars found himself on the defensive even though he was in the middle of a Trickshow. Unlike most opponents, Taison wasnt the type to be overwhelmed by fast movements and attacks, so bouncing shots were a no-no. Taison was fast enough to react to them, so Lars had to fall back to straightforward Trickshots. You need to retreat, Yule argued. Yeah, probably, Lars forced an awkward smile. I dont think he gonna let me, though. Just retreat as far as you can. Ill try to get there. Okay- ack! Another stab! Dang it, Taison was on a roll today! Lars finally started landing some shots after giving up on bounces, but Taison didnt let him rest for a moment. Dude dished out one lightning speed strike after another! This can actually work. Howard nodded in amazement while following the development of the 1v1. Larss Trickshow overwhelmed most people, but not Taison. Miraculously, Taison kept up with Larss fast pace and reacted in time to both the Trickslides and the Trickshots. Part of it was because these two has been fighting each other on a daily basis at the club. They and Trever spent way too much time duking it out in 1v1s and 1v1v1s. As a result, they got used to each others tricks and learned how to handle each other in a 1v1. But, thats not all. Among the trio, Taison was especially strong in 1v1. During the second half of the year, Taison even beat Trevers 1v1 win ratio, which was already higher than Larss. Nobody ever realized this fact, because the three clowns only ever compared their win ratios across the entire year. In that statistic, Trever was always on top thanks to the big lead he got at the beginning of the year. However, after Howard examined the most recent statistics, he could claim beyond a shadow of a doubt: by the end of the year, Taison surpassed Trever in 1v1! But, for some reason, Taisons performance was the worst in 1v1v1. And, in general, he didnt impress much in team fights. In fact, even in advantageous 2v1 situations, it often felt like Taisons wasnt nearly as amazing as Lars and Trever. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Fortunately, the current situation was a pure 1v1 and Taison was quite possibly the strongest club member in that area. At this rate, he might even beat Larss Trickshooter! Just like the data says. Yuel nodded to himself as he watched the 1v1 through Larss monitor. Taison was very strong in 1v1, thats what the most recent statistics claimed. Yuel noticed this troubling fact while preparing for todays match. Statistics claimed that among the Three Goofs Taison was currently the strongest in 1v1. However, he was strong ONLY in 1v1. Therefore...! Geh! This is it. Lars gulped. One more hit and hes a goner. Thankfully, Trickshow was still on, so he could slide to dodge. But, where should he slide? To the right? To the left? It felt like Taison would hit him no matter where he goes. Dude was on fire today! There were no openings! Its over! Taison finally cornered Lars. One more strike and that scrub was done for! Taison gonna prove hes number one, right here and now! I gonna kick yo- huh!? BAM! A bomb went off and flames broke out on the lane! What the hell!? Wait, the fire was actually pretty far away from Taison. Huh? What gives? Heh, he came to the rescue? Taison sneered as he spotted Yuel from the corner of his eye. Too late, slowpoke! Imma finish this right here and- bah! Where did that mofo go!? In the split second Taison took his eyes off his prey - Lars vanished! Shit shit shit! Where did that shithead go!? Taison had to win here and prove hes da best! A shot pierced Taison from the right, revealing Larss current location. Instead of running away, Lars rolled to Taisons side and fired a Trickshot. Did that mofo think he still had a chance or something? Idiot! You should have gotten away while you had the chance! Youre dead meat now, khaha! Taison turned around and thrust his spear. Its over, yoooooooo! Did you know, Tai? Lars smiled as he watched the deadly spear approach. If you shoot a Trickshot in 90 degrees, its like dribbling a basketball - it comes right back at ya! The Trickshot that hit Taison from point-blank continued flying forward and hit the wall behind. Then, it bounced back with an almost perfect 90 degrees angle! The bullet pierced Taisons back for double damage! Wha?! No fucking way! The tip of Taisons spear reached all the way to Larss chest... then his Lancer collapsed. You have been killed! Noooooooooo! Taison flew from his chair and held his head. Fuuuuuuuuuuck! How!? SHIT! FUCK! He kicked a chair, sending it flying across the room. I was SO close! You played well, Howard said. Well? What part of it was well?! I fucking blew it! Fuck this game! You did something nobody else here can do, Howard continued in a chill voice. You actually went toe-to-toe with Larss Trickshow. Hey, Ellen puffed her cheeks. I can totally do that too- Not now, Elly. Aya! Ellen jumped from being pinched. You almost killed Lars, Howard continued. That was plenty impressive. Yeah, almost killed, Taison ranted as he walked back to his chair. But in the end, I didnt kill shit, yo! You were distracted at the end there, right? Gah, I guess... Taison sighed. Really, it was all because of that stupid Yuel and his stupid ass bomb. Why the flying fuck did that mofo even throw a bomb all the way out there? The fire didnt even do shit, it was like twenty miles away from where Taison and Lars were fighting. It must have been a weird misplay. That bomb was no accident, Howard smiled meaningfully. Yuel did it on purpose. Huuuh? Yuel did it to throw you off because he figured youre not good at analyzing multiple things at once. Thats why youre only so good at 1v1s - you got attention span issues. Im telling ya, I got none of that shit, yo! Sound really convincing after you lost the way you did. Gah... Taison gritted his teeth but had nothing to retort with. That flippin bomb really threw him off at the end there. It distracted him just for a split second, it wasnt even anything special. And yet, somehow, that was enough to give Lars the opportunity he needed. Fuck this game. On high levels of play, Howard continued. Split second distractions can prove fatal and you just experienced a taste of it. Theres nothing to feel embarrassed about, everybody got weaknesses. Its all about knowing how to cover them up. Yeah... Remember the training you did to block out the noise around you? Next time, try using some of what you practiced. Yeah, yeah. Taison sighed. Alright, seems like he cooled down. Howard nodded to himself. Thankfully, the entire incident was wrapped up nicely. Yuel did a great job figuring out Taisons weakness, but that much was within Howards expectations. Yuel was meticulous about match preparation, so there was no chance he wouldnt notice Taisons abnormal 1v1 win ratio. From there, it wasnt a huge leap to figure out that Taison underperformed whenever he was confronted with too many elements. Yuels bomb distraction was like an experiment to verify the theory about Taisons weakness. With how successful it turned out, Yuel now knew how to effectively counter Taisons ganks. It was unfortunate, but it was bound to happen at some point today. After seeing how strong Taison was in 1v1, Yuel will surely advise his teammates to avoid 1v1s at all cost. But, Howard anticipated this sequence of developments and prepared a tactic which will bait enemies into 1v1s against Taison. It was a necessary plan for this team because pretty much all of Taisons worth came down to his 1v1 skill. If they cant abuse that advantage, the team will become too underpowered. From now on, Howard said. Dont rush into 1v1s unless I approve of them. Even if it looks like a good opportunity, it can always be a trap. You know how Yuel likes setting traps. Yeah, Taison rolled his eyes. That mofo sure likes messing with people. So, make sure you play like we practiced this week. Elly, youre up. Got it~ Ellen winked. Just follow my lead, Taitai. Ill arrange some ni~ce 1v1s for you~ Sure, Im game. Taison nodded. He didnt seem too enthusiastic about the idea yet, but hell change his mind after scoring the first kill via this tactic. Especially, after scoring a kill on Lars. But, no need to do any of that this game, Howard said. Leave the Lars Killing for the next game. Well surprise them then. Roger~ Ellen saluted. With both Roi and Lars at 2 kills this early, this game became an official throwaway game. There may still be a chance for a comeback, but it was very unlikely and everybody will have to expend lots of energy in an attempt to make that happen. No point wasting energy on a lost game. Alright, listen, guys, Howard addressed everybody. Ill be honest, this game is probably lost. But, no need to feel bad about it. I warned you at the beginning, right? Leaving Trickshooter open was a gamble I took and it backfired, so Im the only one to blame for this situation. Yep, Taison laughed. Youre the drafting pro, fam. Khaha, It was a really bad idea, Gilbert nodded. So, Gregory smirked. I can get killed 10 times now and blame it all on you? Topkek. Chuckles and laughter spread across the team. Howards words relieved some of the pressure the teammates have been experiencing. Players always built up negative feelings whenever they were in a losing position and these may carry over to the next game, so Howard had to dispel them right here and now. One solution was to surrender. That would immediately cut down the negative momentum of the game and would allow the players to walk away with minimal salt. But, there was an even better way to handle this. Just take it easy for the rest of the game, Howard said. If you see an opportunity then take it, but dont push too hard to get a win here. Just play casually and make our opponents the tryhards. Make them burn out. Kek, thats evil, Gregory smirked. I like it. Then, Taison grinned. Can I just 1v1 anybody I catch? If thats how you like it, sure, Howard nodded. Just dont try too hard. Remember, the goal is to wear down our opponents, not ourselves. Lets see how long it gonna take them to win. After Howard issued this order, everybody breathed in relief. He gave permission, so they messed around without fearing the consequences. That should help them feel refreshed before the next game even after they lose. As Howard feared, the first game ended up as a throwaway. However, it was a good educational experience. Gregory was convinced to play defense and Taison agreed to cooperate when ganking. With that, the two troublemakers of the team have been dealt with. In the next game, Howard will show what he really cooked up for today! Vol.4 Ch.23: Joy and Concern Phew. Yuel sighed in relief. Somehow, his bluff worked. He couldnt make it in time to help Lars against Taison so, in a desperate attempt, he tossed a Blaze Bomb in their direction. Yuel knew the bomb wont reach, but he hoped the explosion would distract Taison. And, it did. For a split second, Taison turned around to check what was going on. For just a moment, it stopped being a pure 1v1. In that tiny window of time, Lars turned the tables around. Got em! Lars pumped a fist. Easy! Sure, easy. Yuel made a face. Taison totally wrecked Lars in that fight. Sure, Lars put on a decent fight and brought Taison low enough to be finished off with two Trickshots, but overall Taison overwhelmed him. Taisons 1v1 skill was even scarier than the statistics implied. Did he hone his 1v1 skills even further throughout the week? Was that part of Howard preparations? Either way, this fight showed everybody must avoid 1v1-ing Taison at all cost. If Lars with a Trickshooter cant win, then nobody can. Still, it was impressive. Lars somehow made an entire comeback in that situation. Even though Yuel suspected the bomb distraction will affect Taison, he didnt expect Lars would convert that brief moment of vulnerability into a kill. It was a mind-blowing play. I have to admit, Yuel said. You really surprised with that kill. Did you know Taison will be distracted by the bomb? I dunno, dude. I just heard a BANG and I was like Yo! Shit about to go down! and I just went for it! Just went for it...? Yeah. I was looking for a chance to shoot Tai but I was kinda in a pinch, right? So, I couldnt decide whether to fight or retreat. But, when that BANG happened, I just jumped him, yo! He was thinking about fighting back? In that situation? Yuel had no words. Lars was clearly heading toward defeat, yet he didnt stop searching for an opportunity to mount a comeback. Even when all the odds play against him, this hungry beast will keep thinking about how to devour his enemy. You really do some crazy plays, you know that? Yuel couldnt help but smile. Thats the most fun, yo. Lars grinned. Seriously, it was impossible to keep up with this goof. No matter how many games they played together, Lars always found a way to surpass Yuels expectations. This miraculous turnabout was even greater than Lars realized. Thanks to how the fight played out, Yuel confirmed his suspicions regarding Taisons weakness. According to the statistics, Taison was a monster in 1v1 and halfway through the year, his win ratio surpassed those of Trever and Lars. It was even a little higher than Larss Trickshooter, the only class with which Lars had a consistently higher win ratio than Trever in 1v1. On top of that, Taison even passed Larss rank in the 1v1 Ranked mode. Taison was at Challenger V, whereas Lars was at Diamond I. These impressive achievements made it look like Taison tremendously improved as a player throughout the year. However, in practice, Taison didnt show such amazing improvement in practice matches. When Taison played Carry in Bot, he didnt stand out more than before. He was a strong player, but not a match for Lars or Trever. While undoubtedly strong in 1v1s, Taison was rather sloppy everywhere else and especially in team fights. So, compared to the impressive 1v1 stats, it didnt feel like Taison actually improved that much as a player. Then, why was Taison so strong only in 1v1? That question has been bugging Yuel ever since he found out about the 1v1 statistics. By understanding what was so different between 1v1 and other situations for Taison, itll be possible to arrange unfavorable circumstances for him and to avoid the scenarios in which hell be dangerous. The outcome of the 1v1 between Lars and Taison verified Yuels theory. With just a tiny bit of distraction, Taison let victory slip through his fingers. Therefore, his short attention span was most likely the main culprit. Throughout the year, Yuel has noticed signs of Taisons poor attention span during practice matches, but this was the first time he saw that weakness play such a big role. Taison was a huge threat in 1v1, but it wasnt that hard to counter him. As long as somebody or something distracted him and got in the way of a pure 1v1, Taison would start slipping up. If just one more player walks into the scene, Taison will no longer be able to focus on the 1v1. Listen, Yuel addressed everybody. As you saw, Taison is very strong in 1v1s. Even Lars can barely keep up with him. Hey, I was totally winning, yo! So, Yuel continued. Avoid 1v1s with him at all cost. If he forces you into a 1v1, you should either retreat or try changing the situation into anything other than 1v1. Taison is good at concentrating on one opponent at a time, but he gets easily distracted when there are other players on the scene. So, youre saying its better to 2v2 him instead of 1v1? Dan asked. Yes, exactly. The more enemies he has to deal with, the worse he performs. So, its like ADHD or something? Im not sure but its probably similar. Taison seem to have attention span issues. Wait, then how about fighting Taison in a 1v2 situation? Is he gonna perform worse even though having allies around is a good thing? ... its possible, I suppose. Yuel felt like a lecturer who was stumped by a smartass question. You never want to find yourself in a 1v2 situation anyway, so its pointless to analyze that. Heh, I guess. Dan chuckled. He was clearly having too much fun testing the extent of Yuels knowledge. It wasnt a bad thing, though. There was a chance others were wondering the same thing, so addressing these questions should help them get a clearer understanding of Taisons weakness. Still, that last question was interesting. Which would be easier: to 1v1 Taison or to 1v2 him while he got another ally nearby, say a low DPS player like a Support. No, stop. I just explained why thats a pointless question. Yuel shook his head and stopped himself before going down the analysis rabbit hole. Anyway, everybody got the message about facing Taison in 1v1. Once the game entered the mid-game phase, Taison aggressively pursued players and tried to corner them into 1v1s. However, everybody heeded Yuels advice and did their best to avoid such situations. In particular, Dan was quick to rotate whenever somebody found themselves in a 1v1. Venomancer didnt exactly have the scariest gank potential but against Taison that wasnt necessary. Just by popping on the scene, Dan distracted Taison and sealed that beasts power. With Taisons attacks constantly blocked, the enemy team stopped posing any serious threats. Howards team assumed an overly defensive game plan as if they already their accepted defeat in the mid-game and had no choice but to bank everything on the late-game. It wasnt too surprising, considering Roi was becoming more and more fed. His score jumped all the way to 5/0/1 in mid-game. A Dark Knight this fed was almost unstoppable at this point, especially in the hands of a mechanically skilled player like Roi. Shoot! They got me! Roi exclaimed as he found himself in a 1v2 situation against Ellen and Gilbert. They totally baited him into that one! But, was it really a reason for concern? Roi booted Nightmare and proceeded to wreck both enemies. As the two fought back, half the damage they dealt reflected back at them. On top of that, with the high damage of Dark Blast and the execution ability of Gate of Sheol, Roi made quick work of them. Even the slippery Ellen failed to escape. You have killed an enemy! You have killed an enemy! DOUBLE KILL Man, Roi chuckled. Dark Knight is sure fair. Hes doing his job. Yuel nodded in approval. After seeing Roi and Dans performance this game, Yuel felt really bad for suspecting they might throw todays game to let Howard win. Roi was the strongest player in the game at the moment and unstoppable even in a 1v2. Meanwhile, Dan provided timely backups to completely shut down Taisons 1v1 strength. They both performed splendidly and Yuel couldnt come up with a single complaint. And, if that wasnt enough, the two of them cooperated really well together. Dan shredded the defenses of tanky targets with Venomancers percentage-based damage, then Roi finished them off via execution. With this strong duo and with Larss carrying, the team pushed forward at full throttle! This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Compared to them, Julia... Well, she did alright. She was at 0/0/2. Zero deaths and two assists was a positive score, but not a particularly remarkable one. She had many good opportunities to score kills, but she constantly picked defense over offense, it was an old habit which refused to die. At least, she defended Mid from all attacks and set up a few kills for others, so overall her performance was passable. With Roi and Lars pulling the team forward with their offense, there was no real need for Julia to join. It was a waste a class pick since Electromancer was a strong offensive class, but they were winning anyway so it was fine. Is that really it? Yuels heart beat faster and faster as the game approached its finale. With every kill the team scored, the position on the chess board became even more unwinnable for the enemy. At this point, it was impossible to imagine what sort of comeback Howards team could possibly mount. But, the smoother things went, the harder it was to not be concerned. Was this really the extent of Howards strength? Was that really the best he could achieve with his current team after preparing for a week? It was hard to believe but at the same time, Yuel felt like he truly won in the strategic department this round. Roi snowballed hard as a Dark Knight, just like Yuel planned. Also, everybody dodged 1v1s with Taison and surely avoided many deaths. And, most importantly, Yuels Alchemist pick successfully created an opportunity for Lars to kill Ellen during the early-game. It wasnt the smoothest play and they failed to reproduce it ever since, but it worked the first time and that was huge. It felt like Yuel outwitted Howard across the entire board. Well win this! Yuels fingers trembled. They were really doing it! They were winning against Howard! After being thoroughly shut down by Howard back during the entry exam, Yuel came to the point where he could put on a decent fight against Howards defense. Or rather, he was WINNING and quite decisively too! Before long, theyll claim their spots on the first string. The competitive scene was just a few steps away! VICTORY The first game came to an expected conclusion. Howards team played defensively till the bitter end and dragged the game out for as long as humanly possible but they couldnt stop Roi and Larss overwhelming pushes. Woohoo! We did it! Lars raised a hand. Just one more and we gonna go pro! We got this! Yeah! Yuel high-fived Lars amidst the excitement and regretted it a moment later. Ugh, his palm turned red. Larss hands were definitely made of metal or maybe something even stronger. Theres a 10-minute break between games, Yuel explained. We arranged it to be like tournament matches. Okay, cool. Roi jumped from his chair and stretched. Overall, Yuel said. You all played well. Especially, Roi and Lars. You carried the entire team. No problem, yo. Dark Knight is fair, lol. Cmon, guys, Dan pouted. You finished the game so quickly I didnt even get my Venom online. You did fine too, Yuel said. But, there are a few parts Id like to address. He briefly went over the few occasions in which Lars and Roi were lured into a trap. Considering it was Ellens specialty to bait players to their doom, there was no way Lars and Roi would develop complete resistance to it, especially not in such a short time. Still, theyll hopefully pay more attention after being shown their mistakes. All in all, Yuel was content with the teams performance. The teamwork and tactics they practiced throughout the week delivered results in this game. Their early-game lead could have been easily lost if they performed poorly during team fights, but that didnt happen. They dominated even that part of the game, so they were stronger from start to end. Truly, they all played well. Well, almost all of them were. Julia, Yuel called out once everybody else left. Julia crossed her arms and shot him a glare, must be a defensive stance of some sort. She probably had an idea where this was going. You played too defensively, again. Hmph, not really. Julia shifted her eyes away. I got some assists, didnt I? Couldve easily been kills instead. Not exactly. You did a good job setting up kills for others, but you never pushed hard enough to get kills yourself. For example, when Taison ganked Mid and Roi was there, you had a 2v1 situation. Why didnt you advance to help Roi against Taison? That couldve easily been a kill. I didnt want to risk it. Risk it? But it was a 2v1. You had all the advantage. But, what if he suddenly turns around and focuses me? I might die, you know? Thats always a possibility in literally any scenario, so thats not how youre supposed to think during advantageous situations. Theyre called advantagous for a reason, youre supposed to take advantage of them. Otherwise, youll keep missing any opportunity youre given. Hmph, its not my fault, Julia lifted her chin. Remember what you told us about Tai a few days ago? You went on and on about how hes like the most dangerous guy on that team and how we gotta be careful around him. So, I didnt wanna take any risks. Hows that my fault? Yuel was taken aback. Yes, he did warn the team about Taisons potential strength before the match. He shared his findings of Taisons impressive 1v1 record and told everybody to be careful. At the time, it was unclear in which specific scenarios Taison lost his efficiency. Therefore, Yuel told them to watch out for Taison in general, not only in 1v1. But, that wasnt supposed to scare them to the point theyd avoid taking advantage of a 2v1 situation against Taison. If you told me earlier that hes only good at 1v1, I would have attacked him for sure. So yeah, its all your fault. Huh... Yuel wasnt even sure how to retort. This accusation was beyond asinine, but that was par for the course for Julia. Yuel just had to approach this from a different angle. Taison wasnt there every time you had a good chance. You also gave up many opportunities because you chose to not chase enemies. There are times when chasing the enemy is the right play, you know. But, what if its a trap? Julia retorted. I know Ellen likes that kind of stuff, so you can never be too careful. Its safer to just let them go. They cant do anything with that little HP anyway. Thats not how it... Yuel sighed. Julia was stubborn with her stance even though she knew she gave up many great opportunities. She couldnt bring herself to play aggressively in front of Lars, not even during such an important match. Its a shame, but thats how it was. Dont get me wrong, Yuel had to pacify her before this gets out of hand and she stops listening to him entirely. You did a passable job overall, but you couldve done even more with a defensive class. If you cant bring yourself to play offense, then picking an Electromancer is a waste. You should go with a class that has more utility. I just... Julia clenched her fists but didnt follow up with anything. You said youll do your best to make the team win today, right? Well, yeah, but... Then, Im sorry to say, but doing a passable job isnt enough. You can do better and the team needs you to do better. So, again, if you dont plan on bringing out your explosive playstyle- I get it already! Julia shifted her eyes from side to side to make sure nobody was listening. Okay, fine. Next drafting phase, you tell me which class you think is good for me and Ill think about it. Hmph. Got it. Not exactly the most conclusive way to finish this conversation, but its probably the most Yuel could get out of her right now. Julia was visibly frustrated by her own lackluster performance, so Yuel didnt want to press any further. At around the same time, another secret conversation was taking place. Welp, Dan leaned on the window. We won. Yeah, Roi took a sip from his Cola. DK is sure fair, lol. Well, to be fair, any class would feel cheap when youre fed. That true, Roi smiled wryly. But, it felt like I stomped GG without even giving him a chance. He did get a little better afterwards when he started turtling, but it felt like I was bullying him. I like it when I can fight face-to-face without having that swingy advantage, ya feel me? Well, Yuel wants to win at any cost, so he doesnt care about you having fun. Yeah, I get it, but its not exactly fun. Well, if things keep going like this we may actually win this thing. Yeah... Roi wore a difficult expression as he took another sip. Should we really be doing this? I mean, at this rate, Howard gonna give up his position. So, what you suggest? We butcher the game? No, but... Roi clenched his drink. No matter how you look at it, we clearly got the stronger team this match. I dunno what Howard was thinking when he suggested this silly challenge, but he either underestimated Yuel or overestimated Tai and GG. Either way, this aint looking good for him. Yep. Well, me and you probably gonna be starters no matter who wins, right? Yeah, but I dont want to only be a starter - I wanna win. The regionals and the nationals, I want the team to go places and challenge the strongest guys out there. And to do that stuff, the team needs a strong captain. I respect Yuel and all, but I dont think he quite cuts it right now. Hes a good strategist and shot-caller, maybe even a better than Howard. But, as a captain, hes lacking right now. If only we could somehow form a team with both Howard and Yuel in it. Heh, thatd be pretty epic, Roi smiled. Also throw Lars into the mix and you got yourself some godlike team right there. Ez nationals. Lol, no joke. Too bad that cant happen, though. We either gonna have the best captain or the best strategist, but not both. I think Yuel may become a decent captain in the future, but theres a gap of one year between him and Howard. Or maybe even more, dunno for how long Howard has been playing Mancers. From age zero. The first thing he did when he was born was to pick Paladin. Lol, can totally see that. Really, theres just a huge gap of experience between them. I dont see Yuel making up for it with just good shot-calls. Well, Dan shrugged. If Howard is really such an amazing captain, he wont go down without a fight, right? He probably got an ace or two up his sleeve. This match gonna prove which is superior: Howards leadership or Yuels crazy ass shot-calls, heh. Lol, yeah, Roi smiled wryly and clenched his knee. I just know how important it is to have a strong captain to get far in tournaments, thats why Im not sure about this. You were there too, right? Sure was, Dan narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Rois leg. The injury which ended Rois baseball career and destroyed the teams spirits, Dan saw it all from the dugout. Everybody crumbled under pressure without a strong captain to reassure them. Well, Dan smirked. Worst case, if Yuel wins, you can become the captain. Lol, yeah right. Really, I think youd do a fine- No, Howard is our man, Roi declared. I can tell the guy is serious about winning the championship. If its with him, we can really get there. Then, what about this match? Ugh... Were back to square one, huh. Dan shook his head. Ill play, Roi said. Howard came up with this idea, so he better put his money where his mouth is at. Otherwise, not gonna lie, Ill lose some respect for him as a competent captain. Heh, gotta believe his team holds some secret strategy. Yeah. I hope he finds a way to turn this around, but Ill keep playing seriously, Roi sighed. Gotta admit, not a fan of heading into a match while rooting for the enemy. You can say that again. Dan stared at the clear summer sky. Did Howard really have a way to turn this around? Yuel hasnt even displayed the full extent of the planning he has done over the week. This was worrisome. Nevertheless, the two of them had no choice but to keep acting like faithful chess pieces in Yuels plans. While secretly praying for Howards comeback, they had to keep taking the match seriously... One-third of the match was over, but everything was still shroud in uncertainty. Even though Yuels team took the first round quite decisively, doubt and uneasiness secretly seeded themselves among some of his teammates. How will that affect the teams performance? Will Yuel be able to push all the way to victory despite all of this? Whats for sure, the true challenge will begin with the second game. Vol.4 Afterword This is the end of volume 4. The next volume will continue with the selection match until its conclusion. Will Yuel and Lars win themselves spots on the first string? Or, will Howard and Ellen defend their positions? Some of you were interested in Julias performance in Mid Lane, which we didnt get to see much so far. But, dont worry. Shell play a much bigger role in the upcoming volume. There wont be any breaks between the volumes and the schedule will remain the same for now. Im looking into the possibility of posting two chapters every week, but thatll probably only happen after I finish my last semester of university. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I opened a discord server: https://discord.gg/QCKYeBj. Youre free to stop by to talk about Classmancers. Also, if you haven''t already, please consider rating the story and leaving a review. Its a niche story with a small following, so every single vote is very impactful. Vol.5 Ch.1: Drafting Traps After the 10 minutes break, both teams returned to their seats. The drafting phase for the second game began. Since Howards team lost, he could choose whether to go first or second. There was no conclusive research about whether going first gave an edge in Classmancers, but most of the most statistics Howard came across suggested its slightly more advantageous. It also felt good banning three classes instead of just two since whoever went second was obligated to waste a ban on Shadow Walker. Therefore, Howard chose to go first. But still, even with three bans at his disposal, he was in quite the predicament. Yuel pretty much dictated Howards bans for him. In the previous game, the playmakers were Roi and Lars. Lars rampaged thanks to his superhuman Trickshooter skills while Roi dominated with Dark Knight. Allowing these two play the same classes for a second time would demoralize Howards team. So, Howard would like to ban them. But, if he bans Dark Knight due to its early game strength, then he also has to ban Orc for the same reason because these two were known as the most notorious early game bullies. If Dark Knight is banned, Yuel will surely make Roi play Orc next. Gregory said he was less familiar with Orc because it was a rather rare pick, so it may pose him even more trouble than Dark Knight despite not being as overwhelming during the early game. So, there were three classes to ban: Trickshooter, Dark Knight and Orc. That filled up Howards entire banning phase. There was no doubt Yuel planned this advance. Rather than keeping Dark Knight as a surprise for a more decisive game, Yuel exhibited its strength on the very first match to seed anxiety. He really got some nasty ideas. Howard smiled wryly. This was an annoying lockdown but Howard didnt see much choice other than playing along with it. Therefore, the first ban: Trickshooter. Yuel answered by banning Paladin, this time he had no intention letting Howard grab Paladin. A shame. Though, its a little odd. Whoever goes second would normally start off by banning Shadow Walker to get the mandatory ban out of the way. It was banned in almost every match, so banning it gave the least amount of information to the enemy. Yet, Yuel started with Paladin instead. Huh. I hope hes not planning to pull what I think... Howard frowned and proceeded with the banning order he discussed with the team. Second ban: Orc. Yuel responded with a Cleric ban. Another understandable jab at Howard which limited the pool of strong defensive picks. Clerics revival ability was the bane of existence for early game teams which sought to gain an early momentum via kills. But, Cleric was no Shadow Walker. That was already the second ban. Why? He cant be serious. Howard paused. How naive of him. He thought Yuels banning lockdown was the whole extent of the trap, but he was wrong - it went even further. This third ban was Howards last opportunity to ban Shadow Walker before they move on to the class selection phase. Normally, this wouldnt even be worth considering. After all, its the other teams responsibility to ban Shadow Walker. Howards team will be picking a class first, so if Yuel doesnt ban Shadow Walker - Howard could grab Shadow Walker for his team. Except, Howard couldnt really do it in this particular case because one of Taisons whims was that how he only played bruisers as Jungler. Unfortunately, Shadow Walker was as assassin-y as assassins could possibly get. It was infamous for its insane burst damage and chase potential, especially when the player followed a specific famous build invented by one Korean pro. Said build spread around after overperforming in a world championship, which is how Shadow Walker shot up to S tier. Howard tried teaching Taison how to play assassin Junglers over the week, but he soon gave up and tried teaching the brat how to at least pilot Shadow Walker. Alas, that was a disaster too. A single week simply wasnt enough. Taison was too much of a rascal, always eager to exchange blows with his opponents in 1v1. An assassin wasnt designed to last long in a fight so, naturally, Taison performed terribly with that mentality. S tier meant nothing when the player couldnt pilot the class correctly. So, in the end, Taison remained a bruiser-only Jungler. But, this was something only Howard and the team should have known for sure. Yuel definitely knew Taison favored bruisers, as already proven by his Venomancer pick last game, but he had no way to know for sure that Taison couldnt go for Shadow Walker. Would he gamble on something like that? Howard pondered. If its Yuel, its possible. He mustve figured Taison cant learn to play even a single assassin class in just a week. And, even if Taison DID learn to play Shadow Walker, hed likely perform worse than with a bruiser anyway. Sigh. My, Ellen poked Howards forehead. Youll get wrinkles if you frown so hard~ Whats wrong? Say, Howard lowered his arms and leaned back. You think Yuel will take a gamble here by not banning Walker? He knows Tai prefers bruisers, so he may be thinking Tai wont be able to pick Walker even its available. Hmm, I can see that. I mean, they got a one-win advantage, right? Yuyu got some leeway, so he can go crazy. Right. Howard got all the confirmation he needed. All of this may just be a part of Yuels mind games, but Howard didnt want to take the risk. He already took a huge risk with the previous game, so no further risks were allowed. Even if it meant leaving Dark Knight open for a second time, Howard to prevent another disastrous game at any cost. Greg, Howard called out. You said youre alright with playing heavy defense against Dark Knight, right? Even if it means outright turtling and lane freezing. Well, I dont have much choice, do I? Im not exactly into suicide, kek. Alright. Howard nodded. It was settled then. Third ban: Shadow Walker. Wow, Dan exclaimed. They banned Walker? As I thought, Yuel nodded. Taison cant play assassins. Heh, you were really gonna bet on it and not ban Walker? Maybe. Honestly, Yuel wasn''t sure what he would have done if Howard hadnt banned Shadow Walker. It most likely would have come down to analyzing Howards behavior. If Howard were to immediately ban something other than Shadow Walker, itd suggest he was confident about Taisons skill as Shadow Walker. On the other hand, if Howard were to take his time before banning something other than Shadow Walker, itd suggest he wasnt confident and was probably just trying to play around Yues bluff. In that case, Yuel would have gambled by not banning Shadow Walker. In some ways, the drafting phase was similar to poker. When both teams knew each others strengths and weaknesses, it became a game of bluffing and reading the opponents intentions. In this case, Yuels bluff won them the right to pick Dark Knight again. The enemy locked their first pick: Druid. A very defensive class, as expected from a team led by Howard. Yo, Lars exclaimed. Look at em pilling on the defense from the beginning, theyre shook. Gonna be a pain to play against that wood dude on lane, though. Assuming thats their Support pick, Yuel pointed out. Druid was a good Support, but it was also a well-known lane freezer for Top Lane. Its quite likely this was a counter-strategy to Dark Knight. On paper, this was a disadvantageous matchup for Dark Knight. If Druid freezes the lane for long enough, Dark Knight wont be able to get the advantage he needs for mid-game. But, it should be fine considering Rois skill. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Im picking Dark Knight again, Yuel announced. Again? Roi made a face. You really think it gonna work twice in a row? If that Druid is for Top Lane, I dont think I wanna bump into that thing with a DK, lol. Im aware its not the most favorable matchup, Yuel nodded. But, Gregory isnt that amazing of a defender. With your skill, you should be able to pressure him into submission. He will concede either kills or lane control. Thats some big expectations ya got for me. No pressure at all, lol. But okay, if thats what you want. It worked last time, so maybe itll work again. Okay then, Yuel locked in Dark Knight. Next, he picked Gunslinger for Lars. Oh! Lars grinned. Were going with that bad boy? Noice. Lets show them the training youve done this week. You got it! Gonna knock their socks off! Gunslinger was the pick Yuel originally planned to start with today because he was under the assumption Trickshooter was a guaranteed ban. Hopefully, the enemy team will underestimate this Gunslinger pick because it''s not the famous Lars with Trickshooter, which was a beast from an entirely different dimension and transcended any common sense. Gunslinger, huh. Howard narrowed his eyes. Similarly to Trickshooter, it''s another tricky class which required high mastery and mechanical skill to be truly effective. While with Trickshooter it was about landing bouncing Trickshots, with Gunslinger it was all about landing headshots for guaranteed crits. Say, Tai. How strong is Larss Gunslinger? He sucks ass, khaha. Funny, but serious now: How good is he at scoring headshots and using Gunslinger''s kit in general? He''s alright, I guess, Taison shrugged. Can''t say its anything special. It sucks balls just like anything else he plays. Except for Shooter, I guess. So, you wouldn''t call Gunslinger his best second or anything like that? Nah, not really. I know he really likes that cowboy boi, but that''s about it. By the way, in case you''re wondering, I think that class is trash, yo. Nobody asked. Howard locked his palms. So, Gunslinger was just one of the classes Lars played well and really liked? Was that really all? Considering how early it was picked, it felt like there was some sort of strong conviction behind it. It''s better to stay on guard. How do you usually combat his Gunslinger? Oh, that''s easy peasy. Here''s my protip: just don''t get headshot! Khaha. And how exactly you do that? Umm, ya just dont get too close to him, I guess. It''s hella easy to headshot ya when yo head is right in front of the gun. Its like head-shotting a watermelon, khaha. So, maintaining distance is key. Alright. Howard has already passed the one minute mark, so he had only one more minute to decide on the next two picks. In order to maintain distance against Lars, Taison would need a ranged Jungler. The first idea that came to mind was Ranger, but unfortunately, that''s an assassin. Taison would most likely drag it into drawn-out combat and will get obliterated. Were there any good ranged bruisers? Howard felt like the answer was at the tip of his tongue, but he was drawing a blank. Well, no need to mull over this on his own. Tai, Howard said. Got any ideas for a Jungler youd pick against Gunslinger? Hmm, gimme Vampire. This gon be gud. Alright. Howard nodded. Vampire was a decent choice. Not only it was a ranged bruiser but it also had Coffin Slumber, a skill which turned him invincible for a short period of time. It''d be extremely efficient against Gunslinger''s barrages. As for the second pick, Howard went with Cryomancer. A melee tank didnt sound like a good idea because it''d require getting close to Lars, so Cryomancer was the next best thing against Gunslinger. A very tight defense. Yuel frowned as the turn passed back to him. The Cryomancer pick pretty much confirmed that the Druid pick was meant for Top instead of Bot. Running a Dark Knight into Druid was far from optimal, but Roi should manage. More importantly, Vampire had Coffin Slumber and Cryomancer had Cryo-Freeze, both were abilities which granted temporary invincibility. This must have been Howard''s idea of countering Gunslinger''s barrage during Fan the Hammer. Druid''s shield from Gaias Protection was also a decent counter because it could soak a couple of shots. It was a nasty defensive lineup for sure, but not an impenetrable one. Coffin Slumber, Cryo-Freeze and Gaia''s Protection all had one element in common: they were treated as protective special effects. There was actually one class which specialized at nullifying those: Aquamancer. He got me. Howard smacked his forehead. He didnt realize he was packing so many defensive effects into his lineup. Of course Yuel would notice that and strike with an Aquamancer pick. It was a mid-tier class under normal circumstances, but it was a hard counter when the enemy comp had many protection effects. Kudos for finding that right away. After that third pick, the drafting phase transitioned into the second banning phase. Yuel started off by banning Elf for a very obvious reason. Oh, I missed that one too. Howard made a face. It was another potential mistake on his end. Considering how maintaining distance was a huge factor against Gunslinger, picking Elf for Ellen should have been a high priority. Alas, Howard was preoccupied with Taison''s pick at the time and didn''t want to pick a Carry so early into the drafting. That came back to bite him. I wonder how much of this drafting phase Yuel has already predicted days in advance. That damn Yuel must have played out this drafting routine at least a hundred times in his head in preparation for today. His picks and bans were quick but they struck hard. Especially, that Aquamancer was good. That wasnt a class somebody would pick instantly without pondering first, it was clearly a result of preparation. In that area, Yuel seemed to be a step ahead of Howard. Not fun. But, that didn''t mean the game was lost, far from it. Its true that winning the drafting phase was like winning half the game. At pro levels, some even claimed that the drafting phase pretty much decided the entire game before it was played. However, at this clubs level, the execution part was even more important. Therefore, even though Howard''s team suffered from a disadvantage during drafting, they''ll just make up for it during the game itself. Once the second banning phase ended, it was Yuel''s turn to pick again. He wanted to keep the Jungler pick to last due to Dan''s flexibility, so the next pick will be Mid Laner. So, Yuel turned to Julia. A defensive class like we discussed right? Sure, Julia chewed her lip for a moment but didn''t antagonize him. What you got? Aeromancer is looking good. It''s a good counter to both Coffin Slumber and Cryo-Freeze because you can- Set up Whirlwind or charge Hurricane while they''re not moving, Julia filled in the blanks with frightening accuracy. She literally took the words from Yuel''s mouth, word for word. Did I pass the exam, teach? Full marks. Yuel nodded. Did he teach Julia this specific tidbit before? Probably among the many other considerations he covered with her about picking a Mid class. She was a surprisingly good student, unlike a certain goof... Aero sounds fine, Julia said. It sucks to not know their Mid pick, though. Aero it is then. Yuel locked Aeromancer and the turn passed to Howard. A defensive pick? Howard couldn''t help but blurt his thoughts. Aeromancer didn''t quite mesh with an aggressive early game composition. What was the catch? I told you, Ellen smiled like a know-it-all. July can''t play aggressively when Larsy is there. She probably came to terms with it after the first game. Alright, makes sense. Howard nodded. Julia indeed put on a shabby performance last game when it came to grabbing kill opportunities. Her defense was rock solid and she set up some good opportunities for others, but her offense had effectively zero impact on the game. Her final score of 0/0/4 only further proved that. Can I take Electro? Gilbert asked. Hm? Howard blinked. That''s a rather aggressive pick. Reason? I didn''t get to do it last time, Gilbert''s eyes glinted. But, this game, I want to make it clear who is the best Mid Laner. Seems like my little motivator worked wonders. Howard smiled to himself. The mere possibility of losing the starter spot would drive anybody to perform their best, even a stoic guy like Gilbert. Sure, let''s go with Electro. It''s a good counter for Aero in team fights. After Electromancer, the final pick was Pirate for Ellen. It wasnt much of a counter for Gunslinger, but it had the option to quickly create distance with Backfire Cannon and to knock down Gunslinger with Kraken to stop his barrage. That should be more than enough for Ellen. After that, the turn passed back to Yuel. It was the final pick of the drafting phase: the Jungler pick for Dan. The possibilities were infinite and Yuel had to figure the best counter to the enemy''s comp. Got anything in mind? Yuel asked. Beastmaster, Dan answered without thinking twice, with a mischievous smile spread across his face. Really. Yuel narrowed his eyes. This was clearly just Dan asking to meme. Hey, Beastmaster is actually not that bad here, Dan claimed. Vampire has slow clear and Electro can''t farm both lane and jungle at once, so Beastmaster can thrive. You''ll make any class you like to sound good. Heh, maybe. Admittedly, Yuel didn''t have a good retort there. Dan''s argument was very convincing and made Beastmaster sound like a good pick. However, Dan''s smile betrayed him. Its clear Dan was just pulling Yuel''s leg to play a class he liked. So, any real picks? Heh, I''m telling you Beast is legit good. But sure, tiers and all that. Hmm, I guess Lion then? None of them got a good way to escape the ult except for Electro''s blink. Vampire''s ult also passes through, but you''re right. That''ll pretty much force all of them to buy Blink. Good catch. Beast would be totally better, though. Right. Yuel shook his head and locked Lionfolk. This wasn''t the time nor place to mess around. They''ll win the second game and wrap up the whole match. With that, the drafting phase was over. The second game will now begin! Lineups: Yuel: Aquamancer Lars: Gunslinger Julia: Aeromancer Roi: Dark Knight Dan: Lionfolk Howard: Cryomancer Ellen: Pirate Gilbert: Electromancer Taison: Vampire Gregory: Druid Vol.5 Ch.2: His Second Strongest Class The second game began. Yuel and Lars arrived in Bot, playing Aquamancer and Gunslinger. Their lane opponents were Cryomancer and Pirate. The outcome of this laning phasing will probably be decided by how much the enemy underestimate Lars''s Gunslinger. If they think Gunslinger is just one of the many classes which Lars can play at a passable level, theyre in for a surprise. He''s good. Howard had to admit while observing Lars. The Gunslinger scored one headshot after another on minions, which made each hit deliver critical damage due to Gunslinger''s passive: Bullseye. Even without any AoE lane clears, Lars held the lane by simply landing one critical hit after another. No, Ellen shook her head. He''s not good. He''s VERY good. Actually, TOO good, I''d say. Well, they supposedly grinded ladder like crazy this summer, so it''s not that strange Lars improved. Maybe, but I don''t like it. Ellen puffed her cheeks. Gunslinger is supposed to lose lane control early on, but Larsy isnt losing squat. Cheater. You need to play more aggressively if you want lane control. But, that means risking getting headshot. No thanks Sorry to inform you, princess, but you can''t have lane control unless you actually take control. What a pain. Ellen pouted. You think it''s safe to come closer? Heck if I knew, Howard shrugged. Against Trickshooter, it''d be a clear cut NO. But, I don''t know what to tell you yet about his Gunslinger. He only built Lv.1 Samurai Tabi, so I suppose he could have invested the rest into Blink or Dark Contract. So, he got some interesting options, but we won''t know unless we poke him. You asking me to go ahead and become a guinea pig? You can think of it that way, heh. You meanie! Hmph. Ellen puffed her cheeks but her lips soon curved into a smirk. She wasn''t any less interested than Howard. Poking Larsy to test the limit of his ability with Gunslinger will be fun, itll give her a good idea how much she could mess with him this game~ Oh! Lars exclaimed. She came closer. Can I go for it? Can I? Please? Hmm, Yuel confirmed the stats. Lars was at Lv3, with an Lv.1 Combat Roll and an Lv.2 Fan the Hammer. Good, that''s exactly the scenario they wanted. You should be good. Just don''t forget to use the potion. Okay, here we gooooo! Lars drank his Potion of Strength and rolled forward with Combat Roll. It was similar to the regular dodge-roll, except this bad boy was faster and had better recovery properties. On top of that, it increased Larss crit damage for his next shot and gave it a cripple effect. But, thats not even the coolest part! By following up with Fan the Hammer, the crit buff and the cripple effect gonna extend to all the quick shots Lars gonna fire during that sick skill! Stuff gonna go down, yo! Lars spun the hammer of his revolver and pulled the trigger. One! Two! Three! The shots fired one after another like a machinegun! Ellen was dead meat, yo! M-My! Ellen exclaimed. She slipped away with Backfire Cannon as soon as Lars rolled forward... or, at least, that was the plan. Lars recovered from his roll way too fast and shot Ellen in the middle of the knockback from Backfire Cannon. Bang. Headshot! The bullet crippled Ellen, which abruptly interrupted the knockback movement from Backfire Cannon. Bang. Another headshot! Her HP fell below 50%. Bang. ANOTHER FLIPPING HEADSHOT! Three headshots in a row! It stunned Ellen in place! You shitting me!? Ellen received astronomical damage and fell from 80% HP to below 20% in a matter of a single second. What the actual bloody flipping hell!? Not a single shot missed its target. Lars nailed each and every headshot. He hit Ellen in the middle of the knockback movement, he hit her again right as she started moving and he hit her a third time when she was already running away at full speed. Didnt these shots have recoil which made them harder to land in succession? And, these were all HEADSHOTS too! It was preposterous! And now, Ellen was stunned in place after eating three of these shots in a row. She was completely powerless. Larsy, you bully! Youre done for, dude! Lars aimed the fourth shot. Another headshot gonna seal the deal. He gonna win against Ellen! Easy! Bang. The bullet flew right toward Ellen''s head. That''s it! It''s a sealed deal- clang. The bullet hit a wall. Wha!? No way! Lars exclaimed. An ice wall formed between him and Ellen. Not only it stopped the killing blow but it also prevented any follow-up shots. That Shield Dude, yo! It was sick defense and all, but nuuuuuuuu! Whaaaaaay!? Lars was so close! This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I''ll knock her up! Yuel dashed toward the ice wall. He has been following the attack from the get-go, so he was close-by. There was never telling what kind of defensive masterpiece Howard would pull off. As Yuel feared, Howard responded splendidly with that Ice Wall and almost stopped the assault. Almost. Lars''s attack was like a swift spear thrust which got deflected by a shield before delivering the finishing blow. However, Yuel was going to grab that spear and thrust it once more! This time, it''ll break through Howard''s defense for sure! Yuel activated Geyser Eruption and targeted it behind the ice wall. He couldn''t see Ellen''s exact position, but he knew she has been stunned by Larss shots up until now. The cripple effect from the shots lasted longer than the stun, so Ellen was still crippled at the moment and couldnt roll away. Therefore, she had to be around the same place she was before. Maybe Yuel didn''t have Lars''s amazing split-second accuracy, but he still could accurately calculate the enemys position with enough data. Splash! Water erupted on the other side of the ice wall and sent Ellen flying high into the air! For a brief moment, she flew above the ice wall and became visible. Whoa! Sick! Lars exclaimed as he was put on the spot outta nowhere. Yuel literally notified of this play at the last moment, so Lars had like a millisecond to hit a target which only briefly popped her head over the wall. It''s like a sudden whack-a-mole from two meters away and up in the sky! Crazy shenanigans! But, Lars has already pointed his revolver toward the sky as soon as Yuel dropped the news. Headshot or not headshot, he just gotta hit, yo! His aim was ready! As soon as Ellen''s head appeared - Lars fired. He had no idea how quickly she was gonna fall down, so he had to fire instantly. Well, crap. It wasn''t a head shot. There went his combo. He landed three straight headshots but messed up the fourth. That sucks. But hey, at least he hit! Easy kill! You have killed an enemy! Woohoo! Let''s go! Lars raised his left hand toward Yuel. We''re not supposed to do that during the game, you know. Yuel sighed but he gave Lars a high five anyway. They did it. They actually did it! This time, they nailed the whole offense from start to end. Howard interrupted them in the middle, but they pierced through his shield! They broke through the absolute defense! The special training regime for Lars paid off. Even though Lars''s Gunslinger wasn''t nearly as strong as his Trickshooter before, it became almost as deadly through special training throughout the week! L.A.R.S.Y. Ellen puffed her cheeks and aggressively waved her arms as if shaking Larss imaginary shoulders. Gaaaah! I''m mad. I''m sooooooooooooooooooooooo mad! Did you just see that bullshit? Yeah, I saw it alright. Howard nodded. He hit me three times. Three! Ellen shoved three fingers into Howard''s face. And all them were headshots. Each and every single one of them! Because it''s not like that skill has a big recoil or anything. And it was three shots! Three! That was really something, Howard knitted his brows. Tai, didn''t you say Lars''s Gunslinger wasn''t anything special? Yep.? Then, how would you call it when a Gunslinger lands three headshots in a row during Fan the Hammer? Aimbotting! Khaha... Wait, don''t tell me that mofo...! Yeah, Lars just pulled that off and pretty convincingly too. You gotta be shitting me! I missed some hella cool stuff. I take it you never saw him pull anything like that? Nope. I only ever saw highlight clips of pros pulling that cool stuff. I see, Howard got the confirmation he needed. This wasnt normal. Taison played Lars more than anybody else here, so he knew Lars''s level the best. This deadeye headshot accuracy was clearly beyond what Lars''s current skill with Gunslinger was supposed to be. Considering how confident Lars seemed when he opened the attack, this wasn''t a fluke. Lars even drank a Potion of Strength beforehand to boost his damage. That was likely an idea Yuel came up with because starting with Potion of Strength wasn''t popular in the current meta but it has been done before in some niche situation. This opening worked wonders for Gunslinger because it provided a flat power boost, which the Gunslinger doubled with guaranteed crits when landing headshots. So, this clearly wasnt a fluke. Yuel and Lars were confidence in this play from start to end. Somehow, Lars leveled up like fifty levels as a Gunslinger in term of mechanical skill and there was only one explanation Howard could think of. I think I get it, Howard said. Lars mustve heavily focused on practicing Gunslinger this past week. Hmm, Ellen cocked her head. You think he could really improve so much in just a week? It sounds unreal, but it''s Lars we''re talking about. Im not sure scoring headshots is any harder hitting bouncing Trickshots. So, if he really focused on Gunslinger, and I mean REALLY focused on it, then it may be possible. Like, you mean he barely played any other classes at all? Yeah, he probably spammed Gunslinger every game. And, I assume he did some special head-shooting practice. The goal was probably... A strong secondary class. Yuel smiled proudly. They did it. They really did it! By focusing almost exclusively on Gunslinger this past week, they bumped Lars''s skills almost to the same level of his Trickshooter. Most people probably had a huge misunderstanding about Larss skills. Indeed, he was a mechanical monster gifted with godlike coordination and superhuman reaction speed. These talents definitely contributed a lot to Larss amazing Trickshotoer skills, but they were only the baseline. Larss talents enabled him to play on that level, but they werent the only reason he performed so well. Everything was thanks to his daily training with Trickshooter. Every night, without fail, Lars practiced Trickshooter before going to sleep, it became something of a habit. Lars even said he couldn''t fall asleep if he missed his Trickshooter training that day. It was through this combination of talent and daily training that Lars ascended to his supreme level with Trickshooter. So, Yuel capitalized on that successful training regime and asked Lars to incorporate another class into it. It just so happened that the second class Lars loved the most was Gunslinger and it was picked solely based on that factor. As long as it was a class Lars loved, hed enjoy practicing it even late at night. Yuel also complemented Larss solo training with team practice by letting Lars play lots and lots of Gunslinger with everybody in Ranked. So, even though the training lasted less than a week, Lars practically spent every day playing Gunslinger from morning to evening. In term of total training hours, it rivaled a month of practice! Lars was still a little rough around the edges, but he completely nailed down the headshots. It was the most important aspect of playing Gunslinger and set apart an amateur from a pro. They had this game! This is bad. Howard gritted his teeth. That Gunslinger stunt completely stole the momentum, Yuel, and Lars were on a roll right now. If things continue like this, this game will become unrecoverable. Thankfully, the other lanes were doing alright so far. Even though Ellens death set the team a little back, the others will make up for it. They''ll turn this around, step by step. The real battle was only beginning! Vol.5 Ch.3: Turtling Patience In Top Lane, Gregory was doing a fine job playing defense, just like Howard ordered. However, he was a little too provocative... Kek, eat shit. Gregory snickered as he flung a stone at Roi. Then, another one. And another one. Man, sniping melee scrubs from afar is fun. It''s like playing darts. Druid was a rare hybrid between tank and mage, so it had both high defense and ranged basic attacks. The class was perfect for poking that Dark Knight mofo from afar while maintaining distance. It sucked that the pesky minions turned on Gregory whenever he landed a shot on Roi, but poking was just so much fun he couldnt stop. Maybe he was getting a little addicted, kek. Tch, Roi grimaced as another stone smacked him. What an asshole. Just lemme farm in peace. These ranged basic attacks were real cancer. Gregory wasn''t a particularly competent shooter, so it''s not like the shots were that difficult to deal with. However, the shots constantly split Roi''s attention between farming minions and dealing with incoming shots. Okay, another pitch coming. Roi noticed that Gregory advanced. The guy was like a walking telegraph, so it was a no-brainer to predict his attacks. Roi will easily parry this pitch and return to business... shit. The pitch passed slightly above Roi''s bat and hit his arm. Strike! How!? Dang it. These pitches were so easy, so how come Roi failed to parry half of them? It''s not like they were particularly fast or thrown from a nasty angle or anything. To Gregorys credit, the pitches did have a somewhat annoying timing because they always came when Roi was busy handling minions. But, that shouldn''t be an issue when the pitches were so telegraphed. Roi saw these pitches from a mile away, but he failed to make contact. His bat just didn''t behave as he wanted. And, if that shit wasn''t triggering enough, Gregory repeatedly jumped into the middle of his minion wave to get hit by Roi''s Dark Blast. The damage from Dark Blast was soaked up by Gaia''s Protection, so Gregory could eat Dark Blasts in the face for days. This only got worse with time because the shield from Gaia''s Protection scaled better with level than Dark Blasts damage. Gregory''s stunt was a pain for two reasons. First, because hitting Gregory with anything aggro''d his minions on Roi. As a result, Roi had to run away like a pussy every time until the minions lose interest in him. But, that alone wasn''t a huge deal. The second annoying factor was that Dark Blast''s traveling distance became a little shorter after every time it passed through an enemy. It was tiny modifier which wasn''t even motioned in the skill''s description, so it was niche knowledge. However, anybody who played Top Lane seriously had to know this tidbit to bully Dark Knight. And, Gregory was using it to great effect right now. Kek, this shit actually works. Gregory smirked as he body-blocked another Dark Blast. That''s a nice tip Howard gave him. Gregory had no idea Dark Blast was actually affected by how many enemies it hit. That shit wasnt written anywhere in the description or anything, so he had to double-check after Howard told him. Sure, there were a few rare occasions when Gregory played Dark Knight and his Dark Blast randomly decided to rebel. Even though he was sure Dark Blast should be able to travel a certain distance, it just went NOPE and didnt travel all the way. Gregory always assumed it was either some sort of bug or that he misgauged the distance. But, turned out it was a legit aspect of Dark Blast''s design and it was hella fun to exploit, kek. Every time Roi fired his Dark Blast in hope to damage the entire minion wave, Gregory jumped in its way. At first, he wasn''t keen on the idea of repeatedly eating damage in the face like that, but then he realized he barely received any damage thanks to Gaia''s Protection. So, rather than getting punched in the face to save his minions, it''s more like Gregory pulled a pro-level block. Thanks to this little trick Roi couldn''t gain much lane advantage. So much for Dark Knight''s early game power, it had no power here. That mofo couldn''t do shit against a pro like Gregory, kek. Best of all, Roi gradually exhausted his own HP. Aside from poking here and there, Gregory didn''t need to lift a finger. Casting Dark Blast cost HP and Gregorys body-blocking aggrod his minions on Rois ass, so the game''s mechanics bound together to help Gregory win! As a result, Roi was already running out of steam at 30% HP. He probably gonna retreat soon without accomplishing shit. Man, this battle was a piece of cake. At this rate, Gregory legit gonna get a starter spot on the first string. He gonna become DaBestSolo, kek. This is a great opportunity. Gregory smirked. To put the final nail in Roi''s coffin, Gregory better get a kill here before Roi retreats like a pussy. Thatll prove once and for all who was the true best player here! Gregory will finally step out of Taisons shadow and will be feared as the powerhouse he really was! Don''t rush it, Howard said. Huh? Don''t assume that Roi gonna be an easy target just because he''s at low health. Sitting at 70% HP sounds safe, but Roi is playing Dark Knight and Im pretty sure you can''t make another shield with that MP. Dont be careless. I didn''t even say anything... Gregory knotted his brows. Whats the deal with Howard? I swear dude is an esper or some shit. He better appear on variety shows instead of playing Mancers. I bet he''d become filthy rich, kek. Just thought Id give you some friendly advice, Howard denied the whole ESP theory, but Gregory was totally onto that mofo. It''s very tempting to go on the offensive after you''ve been defending for so long, I know the feeling. But, don''t let it sway you. Remember, your job is to freeze the lane and make sure Roi doesn''t get ahead in the early game. Huh, you make it sound like I got no chance kicking his ass. The guy is already out of steam. I can totally wreck him. I didn''t say you can''t kill him, but... Howard paused for a moment. Alright, let''s do it like this. Tai, go for the Wolf Camp near Top Lane. Keep tabs on the situation on lane and give a hand if needed, but dont go out of your way to gank for no reason. Gotcha, boss. Greg, you''re free to take a shot at Roi once Tai gets there. Sounds good? Hm, sure, Gregory replied half-heartedly. What''s with this babysitting? Gregory would totally win this 1v1, he didnt need any safety nets1. I swear, Howard is such a worrywart. Zero trust, huh. Okay, fine. Gregory sighed after contemplating for a moment. He''ll wait for Taison to get closer, then he''ll rush that scrubby Dark Knight. It gonna be the easiest win of the century. The best strat was obviously to pull Roi deeper into Gregorys territory, that''ll guarantee Roi ain''t gonna get away. Gregory had just the tool for the job: Nature''s Grasp. But, landing that shit from afar on an unpredictable target was hella hard. That skill-shot had the width of an ant, so one had to be a trained pro sniper to land it consistently on enemies. The good news, there was one scene in which Roi always became hella predictable and easy to grab: while he was casting Dark Blast. That''s the moment Gregory gonna shoot for! Damn. Roi tapped his foot. This laning phase was going nowhere. He just finished clearing a minion wave, but a new one was already here. This pace was unacceptable for a Dark Knight. This early-game powerhouse had to maintain an early-game lead and bully the lane opponent, or else it''ll become useless. What an annoying restriction. It''s really not fun when your performance in the early-game gonna single-handedly decide whether you gonna be worth anything later down the road. That''s why Roi preferred classes with a more balanced power curve. Well, it is what it is. Roi shrugged and shook his head. Yuel insisted on Dark Knight, so Dark Knight he got. I gotta do what I can. With that said, there wasnt much to do with just 30% HP, especially when his lane opponent had a defensive ranged class. If Roi can get closer to Gregory, maybe he''ll be able to turn the situation around. That''s the kind of play Yuel was expecting, he even told Roi to buy Potion of Strength to increase the chances of scoring an early kill. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. But, it was no good. The lane was totally frozen. At this rate, Roi wont only lose his chance to stay relevant for later parts of the game, but his investment into Potion of Strength will also end up being a complete waste. The potion gave a flat power bonus, so it became less and less impactful as the game went on, pretty much like the Dark Knight himself. Therefore, despite being at 30% HP, Roi couldn''t possibly retreat yet, not before he puts Potion of Strength to good use and scores at least one kill here. Retreating would be as good as surrendering. Gregory was already down to 70% HP, he didn''t have enough MP for another shield of Gaias Protection and he hasn''t built much defense yet. So, this situation was still salvageable and Roi had at least one more shot. He had to make his move now. Once this next minion wave arrives, he gonna settle this! Roi advanced as usual to fire Dark Blast. Of course, Gregory was already in the middle of his minion wave, ready to soak up the damage. Even though Gregory didn''t have a shield this time, he was still gonna eat a Dark Blast to the face for the sake of his minions. Admirable, but this gonna be his end! Roi chugged down the Potion of Strength and raised his blade to shoot Dark Blast- wha!? Branches wrapped his body and pulled him toward the enemy wave! Nature''s Grasp!? Really? In this situation? The branches dragged Roi all the way to Gregory''s face. Lol, Roi couldn''t ask for a better arrangement! It was awesome! He gonna put his Potion of Strength to great use and get himself a sweet early kill, two birds with one stone! Alright, now you gonna pay for all the crap you''ve been giving me with your pokes and body-blocks. Payback time, baby! Roi booted Nightmare, which covered his body in dark miasma. He was ready to rock n roll! To start off, a powerful Dark Blast right into Gregorys face! Wha!? Gregory jumped. A Dark Blast smacked him right as he finished pulling. Thats 25% HP gone in an instant! Damn, wasnt Druid supposed to be a tanky class? What was this trashy defense!? But, that wasnt even the most surprising part. For some reason, the Dark Knight was enveloped in a dark aura. Why use Nightmare? Wait, could it be Roi was actually planning to give a fight? Even though he only had 25% HP and was gonna lose even more due to NIghtmare? Heh, that loser aint got any chance! Fine! If you think you can win, lets see ya try! Gregory accepted the challenge head-on and replied in kind. Roi slashed him, so he fired right back at that mofo! There was no way Roi could win in this situation. Not only he was running low on HP, but he was also in the middle of Gregorys minion wave. The aggrod swordsmen and bowmen gonna pincer Roi from both sides and kick his ass! Except, nobody fired arrows for some reason. The swordsmen turned around to hit Roi, but the bowmen were sleeping. Thats some weird shit right there. A bug or something? Man, this game was sure... oh. Shit! This aint good... The only bug here was the absolutely broken damage of Dark Blast. The attack which erased 25% of Gregorys HP didnt just stop there, it flew all the way to the backline and wiped out all his bowmen too. Shit, shit, shit! The bowmen were supposed to be the biggest source of damage, but they were busy chilling in hell right now! But, no matter. Gregory still had the- Retreat. Now. Howard gave an order. But, I can- Now. Tch, Gregory shook his head. Why!? This situation was the perfect chance to get back at Roi for last game! Gregory had to- Wait, when the hell did his HP drop down to 20%!? Even worse, Roi was still at around 15% himself! Im outta here! Gregory turned around and sprinted like the wind. Or rather, like a big bulky tree guy. This damn Druid was slow as hell! This development was insane. Like, hello? Tanking pls? Druid was supposed to be a tough guy, but Roi shredded him apart with every slash. And whats worse, Nightmare reflected half the damage Gregory dealt to Roi. Goddammit! Gregory might actually die at this rate...! Strike! Roi drove his black blade into Gregorys fleeing back. One more strike and youre out! Its over! ...oh, damn. Roi stopped in his tracks, he couldnt move a single step. Druids passive rooted him in place because he spammed too many basic attacks in a row! Crap, Roi done goofed. The root effect lasted less than two seconds, but it felt ten times longer when Roi had to watch the Druid get farther and farther away. And, if letting Gregory slip away wasnt bad enough, the enemy minions also caught up with their immobile target and slashed away at Roi. At this rate, hell be done in by a bunch of small dudes! Minions? More like Killions! Nope! Aint having any of it! Roi turned around and ran like his life depended on it, because it kinda literally did. There was no choice but to give up on the kill because dying right now would set Roi back too much. Thankfully, the minions were a bunch of slowpokes, so it wasnt hard to get away from there. But... HERE COMES TAISON! Taison invaded the lane! Coming to the rescue, yo! I dont need any rescuing, Gregory retorted. You better rescue that DK from himself. Put him out of his misery, kek. On it! Taison activated Hungering Horde, which sent a pack of bats at Roi. Damn! Roi continued running, but he already knew it was futile. The horde of bats slowed him down and gradually sucked away his HP. Taison caught up in no time and sealed the deal with a couple of basic attacks. You have been killed! Dammit! Roi kicked. Thats it, game over. A Dark Knight who dies in the early game gonna suck for the rest of the match. Roi might still get a few chances to execute people, but thats about it. His ability to contribute to this match was reduced to almost nothing. That was a little reckless, Yuel said. You shouldve taken into account that Taison was likely rotating to Top. Yeah, I... Roi sighed. Actually, he wasnt even sure whether he saw that. At the very least, it wasnt on his mind when he decided to kill Gregory. And, he also forgot to play around Druids passive root effect... It was lame. First, he had trouble parrying easy shots, and now he carelessly overextended in enemy territory like some Bronze player. This aint like him at all. But, this wasnt the first time. Roi knew this feeling very well and his palm trembled as he clenched the mouse. This annoying phenomenon was nothing new or strange, he experienced it many times before in baseball. When the spirit wavers, so does the players performance. The bat stops listening to its own and fails to make contact. Its a basic sports thing that can happen to anybody. Trever was especially bad at dealing with it. With Rois years of experience playing sports, he was fairly resilient to this thing. It wasnt like he developed immunity to this phenomena, he just learned how to conquer it whenever it popped up. During such dark times, all he had to do was think about the importance of the match, about what he was fighting for and about why he had to win at any cost. Unfortunately, in this match, these very questions were the core of the problem to begin with. Rois doubts about the direction of the match and its consequences were the root of his uneasiness. Was he even fighting for the right cause? He couldnt tell, yet he had to keep fighting anyway. You need at least one kill before mid-game, Yuel droned. Otherwise, you wont be able to come back in time. Yeah, I know... Roi sighed. Why do I even have to play DK? Climbing from behind is such a pain with this class... No, focus. Roi slapped his cheeks. He had to get his groove back before he drags the team down to oblivion. Meanwhile, in the other camp, the players celebrated this development. Good job getting out of there alive, Howard said. Yeah, right, Gregory averted his eyes. Good job my ass. I almost fucked myself over by pulling Roi. If not for Druids passive, I''d be dead meat right now. And, I didn''t even get the kill in the end. It was all Taison. It was really a risky play, Howard lectured. Especially, after I told you to play defensively so many times. Jeez, thanks for rubbing it in. Gregory made a face. But, it''s alright. ... excuse me? Gregory couldn''t help but make a dumb face. You did well, all things considered. When you turtle for too long, you start wanting to kick some ass for a change, right? Just imagine how quickly somebody like Taison would break while turtling. Me? Turtle? Taison''s face twisted like he just heard the most disgusting word ever. I ain''t doing that lame shit, it''s for pussies. You see? Howard turned back to Gregory. Just fighting that temptation as long as you did is already amazing. It''s thanks to your patience that Roi became restless and slipped at the end there. Heh, Gregory sneered. He''s sure trying to make it sound like I pulled off some cool shit. Gregory shook his head, but he couldn''t deny he felt a little better after hearing these words. Even though Gregory knew that Howard was probably just talking outta his ass to keep morale high, a little bit of praise never hurt. You probably think it sucks because you couldn''t get the kill, Howard continued. But, it doesn''t matter that Taison dealt the final blow. It''s your persistence against Roi that drove him into a corner and created this opportunity. So, it''s really your kill, even though you only got an assist for it. My kill... Gregory mumbled. That''s a hella messed up way to think about it. So, even though it was Taison who wrapped things up, it was actually all thanks to Gregory turtling like a pussy? That was... actually kinda true. Gregory messed with Roi the whole time and hit the guy where it hurt most. Gregory denied full wave clears by body-blocking Dark Blast and poked from afar with basic attacks. He did lots of shit to tilt Roi and it paid off in the end. The triggered boi lost his head and went on the offensive, even though he was almost dead. That cost the guy everything. Heh, everything was actually part of the master plan! Of course Gregory knew he''d easily get away if Roi decides to attack, so that''s why he went for that risky pull. 100% calculated! That kill was all Gregory! Alright. Howard nodded to himself after seeing Gregorys snicker. Even though Howard''s speech was just consolation which ensured that Gregory wont lose his head and will continue turtling, there was a grain of truth to it. Thanks to Gregory holding the fort for so long, Roi became uncertain of his plans and became restless. Roi must have been mulling over whether to retreat or attack, and then Gregory''s pull made the decision for him. With the target right within reach, Roi naturally chose fight instead of retreating. And, he miscalculated. Howard smiled meaningfully. Forgetting about the rooting effect of Terras Warth was a huge blunder, that''s not like Roi. He must have been pressured and distracted by Dark Knights requirement to get ahead in the early game. And, Roi was probably wavering for another reason as well because even his parries didn''t connect well. It seemed like the consequences of the first game were slowly injecting their poison into the enemy team, right under Yuel''s nose. With a kill on Roi, the advantage in Top Lane went to Howard''s team and Roi will have a hard time climbing back from that as a Dark Knight. Alas, the enemy team held a slight advantage in Bot Lane after Lars killed Ellen. Therefore, whoever gains the upper hand in Mid will dominate the early game. If the enemy''s aggressive comp loses initiative during the early game, this match would be as good as settled. Vol.5 Ch.4: Cant Go on the Offensive An ally has been killed! For real? Julia blinked. Roi? Beaten by that loser? Oh, it was a gank. That made more sense. After all, theres no way Roi would lose against that loser GG. But, this isn''t good. Are they gonna focus Mid next? Okay, on the bottom half everybody is in place. On the top side... missing. Julia knotted her brows. Taison didn''t stay in Top to push the undefended lane. Meaning, he was either counter jungling or... he gonna gank Mid! Julia immediately turned around. Dying right now would be the worst. Lars did a great job gaining an advantage in Bot, but Roi totally blew it in Top. So, now the kill count was 1-1 and each team dominated one lane. If Julia dies now and loses Mid, she''ll be blamed for losing the entire game and everybody will point fingers at her. Lars will hate her! Nuuuuuu! Nope, not having any of that. Back, back, back! All the way to the tower! Gilbert was kinda running out of steam anyway, so he''ll retreat any- Excuse me!? Julia blurted. That stupidface didn''t retreat! He advanced instead! Even though Gilbert only got like 30% HP and 25% MP, the guy was acting like he was all that. The nerve! Okay, let''s see how long you dare to stay here. Julia activated Whirlwind to summon raging winds in the center of the enemy wave. Of course, she didn''t miss the chance to hit Gilbert along the way. Unfortunately, he dodged the spell after being hit by just a single tick of damage. Can''t you play like Bronze sometimes? Stop being good at this game. But, of course, Gilbert gotta be good like that. After all, he was StormBlitzs Mid Laner, at least for now. If Julia just scores a kill on him...! Take that! And that! Two basics, two misses. Grr, that slippery bastard! Gilbert stayed just close enough to be within Julia''s attack range, but also far enough to quickly step out of it. It''s like he had a sixth sense to tell delicate border between the two. Did he have a uni degree at Spacing or something? Jesus. Worst of all, Gilbert refused to budge. He stayed on the offensive even though he was running low on HP. Its as if he was asking to get killed. Like, seriously, did he think Julia wont dare to rush him? You won''t attack. Gilbert confidently pushed forward. Going on the offensive with 30% HP was normally against his better judgment, but there was an exception to everything. One such exception was Julia''s extreme tendency to stick to defense, even to turtle if necessary. Julia already displayed her strong intent to stay on the defensive in the previous game. She remained on guard that entire game, even though she was playing an aggressive class like Electromancer. And, this game, she went for Aeromancer, which told she was fully committed to the defensive game plan. It was just like Howard briefed them: Julia only played defense. Therefore, Gilbert extended more than usual into enemy territory. He put aside his balanced playstyle and went full offense to pressured Julia with everything he had. Thanks to that aggressiveness he shaved the Mid Turrets HP, little by little. These small pushes stacked up to sizable damage and gave Gilbert a big lead in term fo Turret health. So, even now with just 30% HP, Gilbert pushed hard. Every little bit of damage to the enemy Turret will go a long way. In addition, this may tempt Julia to go on the offense and then... Darn it. Julia twisted her lips. She couldn''t do it after all. To punish Gilbert for this overextension, Julia will have to fully commit to the offense. But, there was the risk of getting ganked by Taison and besides, going on the offensive for real required her to... Ugh, she couldn''t do it. Julia had to stay on the defensive, there had to another way to punish Gilbert. Gilbert is overextending and stuff, Julia notified, her words were aimed at their Jungler. Okay, Dan answered. I''ll get there in a jiffy. Wait, Yuel said. If you plan to gank, you better go through this route because there''s... a Ward. Ugh, too late. Whoops, Dan''s mistake led to consequences right away. Gilbert turned around and began retreating, fully aware of the incoming gank. Um, should I keep going? Dan asked. Yes, Yuel said. You may still have a chance to catch him. Roger. Well, the gank is still a thing, but... Julia chewed her lips. Dan most likely won''t make it in time. At this rate, Gilbert will get away scot-free after blatantly overextending in Julia''s face. Grrr! If I just slow him down a little... No, but that... Her heartbeat quickened. This was a great opportunity to put on a strong show! Or, to mess up horribly... Jet Stream and Squall were online, so Julia could catch up to Gilbert and blast him from behind. However, that required entering enemy territory and exposing herself to tremendous danger. Julia only had 60% HP, so this chase could go wrong very fast. She... no. She couldnt. It was too risky. It''s not like Julia doubted her offensive skills or anything. She trained them plenty with Ellen and she tested them in Ranked. She also used them to punch the lights outta Yuel in 1v1 practice, though that probably wasnt much of an achievement. Anyway, Julia could definitely go full offense if she wanted. But, she had a bad habit of getting overly excited and... blurting stuff. You did a passable job overall, Yuels words echoed in her head. But, you couldve done even more with a defensive class. If you cant bring yourself to play offense, then you should go for a class with more utility. The words hammered at Julia. It''s not like she played defensively because she wanted, dammit! Okay, thats it! Julia cast Jet Stream, which created a trail of wind on the lane. It was a pointless move unless she was really going to give chase. O-Okay, what now? Her heartbeat quickened. I-It''s not like she was necessarily going to risk it. Its just that, if she still wanted a chance to catch up, she had to start moving now. Julia passed through the slipstream and gained a movement speed boost. With her speed, it was a no-brainer to get Gilbert into her attack range. But... Not good. I... I don''t know. Julias hands trembled. It felt like her heart was beating inside her skull. On one hand, she had to stay alive no matter what. On the other hand, she had to do everything in her power to win this match. If Julia lets this opportunity slip and it somehow leads to the teams defeat via some crazy domino effect... But, if she chases and gets killed in the process, thatll also... Gaaaaaah! Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. You couldve done even more with a defensive class. If you cant bring yourself to play offense... Grr, that stupid idiot and his big mouth! It''s not like Julia wanted to play like this! And, even though Aeromancer was a defensive mage, it''s not like she couldn''t go on the offensive at all, damn it! T-That''s it! I''ll show you what I can do! Julia went full steam ahead! She gonna chase after Gilbert and slow him down! But, things werent so easy. Julia wasted too much time hesitating, so this chase became trickier. There was no choice but to venture a little deep into enemy territory to catch up with Gilbert. But, Julia will make it! With her buffed movement speed, it was a non-issue. The only challenge was to land Squall from that distance, but she practiced basic moves like that to the point they became as natural as breathing. Itll be a cinch! Julia just had to predict a few steps ahead and fire there. Shell wreck Gilbert for sure- wha!? Thunder!? Dark clouds formed over Julias head and lightning shot through her body. Thunderstorm!? What the-!? For a brief moment, her eyes locked with Gilbert''s. Amidst his escape, Gilbert turned around to unleash Thunderstorm. How!? What a fast switch from defense and offense! Darn it! Another lighting struck. This was bad! Bad, bad, BAD! Should Julia push forward or retreat!? There was no time to think! She rolled aside and got out of the danger zone. Her HP fell down to 40%, but she got out alive. Phew, this almost ended as a disaster- Wha?! Bats!? Oh no! Taison was here! The gank came from Top just like Julia feared! Crap! I can''t see shit! Julia cursed internally as she tried to figure the best course of action. She still had the speed boost from Jet Stream, so she might be able to get away. However, said speed buff was partially diminished by the pesky bats flapping around her. And to make things worse, Julia could barely make out the situation with the bats covering her screen. Oh god, why me!? Think! Fast! Her heart was about to explode from all this craziness. There was only one thing she knew for sure: she gotta get away! Now! Julia turned toward her Turret and flew at full speed! Stupid class. If your basic movement is to fly, then at least be as fast as Superman! New bats rammed into Julia as she was making her escape. Vampire''s basic attacks fired bats and there were also bats flocking around her. Flippin bats everywhere! No good, Julia already fell down to 30% HP. Taison will chase her all the way to the Turret unless she does something fast. A slowdown! Right, she should slow that idiot! That''s what Squall was for! She wont get to use it on Gilbert anymore, so Taison should get hit by that stuff. The blinding effect of the bats was about to lift up, so it was now or never! Julia turned around and took aim. Gilbert isn''t the only one who can quickly turn around and fire a skillshot, you know! Whish! A blast of wind cut through the air. It darted right toward Taison... but it missed. No, that''s wrong. It didn''t miss because Julia''s aim was spot on. Taison dodged it. Just like that, without breaking a sweat. Its like he dodged a turtle that was charging at him, it was that easy. Oh god, I''m screwed. So screwed. There was no hope of deflecting Taison''s assault, especially not in a 1v1. This idiot was one heck of a monster in those, even Julia had to admit. Her only option was to keep running. Thanks to the Aeromancers passive, Wind Flow, she gained a 10% movement speed buff for 3 seconds after casting a spell. Even though her Squall missed, she gained a burst of speedup from firing it. If she could just cast one more spell and gain an additional 10%, shed get away in no time! Alas, Whirlwind was used earlier for zoning and Jet Stream was used for chasing, so she had nothing. Her ult didnt count because it required long casting time, so the 10% from Squall and the earlier buff from Jet Stream were the only things she had to rely on. And, Jet Streams buff was about to run out, so she wont benefit from that buff stacking for long. It was terrible. Taison had no problem staying on her tail with his ranged basic attacks, so the only hope she had was that maybe that dumbass would miss a few shots. Buuuuut of course that didnt happen. Taison landed each and every flippin shot. His bats were like guided missiles. Still, Julia somehow made it! She reached her Turrets area! She was barely alive, but she still- BAM! An electric explosion! The Thunderstorm from earlier inflicted Julia with Electric Charges and now Gilbert detonated them. Just great... You have been killed! Fuck! Julia slammed on the table. I knew I shouldn''t have chased! I died without getting anything out of it! Goddammit! You shouldn''t have extended so much, Yuel said. Yeah, I KNOW that. The opportunity itself wasn''t bad, Yuel droned on. But, you took too long to decide- I said I KNOW! Julia thundered. If she just decided her course of action faster, she would have avoided this disaster. She had to run so deep into enemy territory only because she started late. Goddammit. I got him! Dan leaped onto the lane and surrounded Gilbert with lions from all side. Oh, at least something came out of it. Julia sighed. Gilbert had to turn around to unleash Thunderstorm on Julia, so maybe that slowed him down enough to help Dan catch up. If Dan scores this kill... oh, nevermind. Ah! Dan exclaimed. Gilbert activated Thunderclap and blinked outside the prison of lions. He got away, just like that. No way! He had the blink? Weeeeeelp. That was careless, Yuel remarked. You should''ve asked Julia if Thunderclap was up. Yeaaaah, I just kinda assumed he already spent it to get this far. I mean, if he didnt blink even once, then how the heck did he escape all the way out here against an Aeromancer? .......... Julia left the question hanging. As far as chasing potential was concerned, Aeromancer had all the tools to outpace an Electromancer: a movement speed buff from Jet Stream, another buff from Windflow and a speed debuff from Squall. To get away against these odds, Electromancer would normally have to blink away with Thunderclap, so Dan''s assumption wasn''t too out there. The one at fault here was... goddammit. You still should double-check the situation with the laner before ganking, Yuel said. Anyway, get out of there before Taison catches you in a 1v1. Roger. Dan fled from Mid to avoid confrontation and left the lane completely unguarded. Thankfully, Gilbert was forced to retreat due to running out of steam, so he wont get to capitalize on this opening. However, Taison was totally free to push Julia''s undefended lane. We''ll lose. Because of me. Julia clawed at her knees. She was supposed to do her best today, so what''s with this crappy performance? If she keeps going like that, she''ll drag down the whole team. They''ll lose and itll be her fault. Shell single-handedly ruin Lars''s chances of becoming a first-string member and he''ll hate her for life. I... I need to... I don''t even... Of course, for the other team, this development was worthy of celebration. Nice kill, Tai. Howard said. Heh, ez! Stay in Mid for a while and push. You got it, bro! Nice escape there, Howard addressed Gilbert. It was a no-brainer, Gilbert shrugged. We already know she cant go on the offensive, or at least that she can''t switch gears quickly. Heh, good job criticizing Julia while emphasizing why youre a better player. Howard chuckled. Gilbert was selling himself in his own roundabout way, it was cute. Julia''s weak performance on the offensive was par for the course, but Dan''s slip-ups during the gank were quite unusual. Firstly, Dan telegraphed the gank by letting a predictable meta Ward to expose him. Secondly, Dan used his ult right away without accounting for Gilbert''s Thunderclap. The Ward issue was the smaller offense out of the two. With Dan''s experience, he should have known to not take the straight path to Mid because it was pretty much always warded. But alright, that''s just on paper. It was impossible to have perfect judgment during a stressful match, so this kind of misplay was understandable. However, the mess up with The Kings Dominion just looked bad. For Lionfolk, the ult was the surefire way to secure kills. In fact, the enemy clearly picked this class to bully Howard''s team composition. Most of the classes on Howards team didnt have any good answers to The Kings Dominion, so they were great targets for a gank. However, Gilbert did have an answer in the form of Thunderclap and Dan shouldve kept that in mind. Yet, Dan completely butchered that opportunity and now his ult was on cooldown, so his ganks wont be nearly as scary for the time being. Was it a case of miscommunication? Maybe Julia didnt remember whether Gilbert has already used Thunderclap, so she couldnt feed Dan with the necessary information on time. However, in that case, Dan should have thought twice before going all in. No matter how Howard looked at it, it was clearly a huge misplay by Dan. Just like Roi, Dan has been slipping this game. The effect of the first game is sinking in. Howard smiled meaningfully. Just as he suspected, Yuel hasnt resolved the core issues plaguing his team. Roi wavered, Dan slipped and Julia couldn''t bring herself to play aggressively. Only Lars still posed danger, but that wont last long either. It was time to bring out the Lars Killer. Once they destroy the last pillar that was supporting the enemy team, itll be over. Vol.5 Ch.5: The Lars Killer The second game was rough. Lars gained an early advantage in Bot, but the others lost the initiative in Top and Mid. Roi''s early death hurt in particular because a Dark Knight who falls behind always had an incredibly hard time climbing back. Even after returning to lane, Roi hasn''t been able to gain an advantage. Gregory continued to turtle and poke and played even more defensively than before. So, getting a kill in Top seemed hopeless and instead, Roi hoped to pull off a gank on Gilbert in Mid. Alas, whenever Roi tried to rotate, he always ran into Taison. It seemed like Taison was tasked with patrolling Top Jungle, probably by Howards command. It was just like Howard to notice this hole in the teams formation and to close it off. This effectively locked Roi up in Top Lane and forced him to starve. In Mid, Julia continued reinforcing her defenses. She prioritized stability and freezing the lanes progress above everything else. To that end, she bought way more wards than necessary... Don''t waste gold like that, Yuel said. Hmph, I''m only buying as many as I need. Are you trying to light up the entire map or something? You even warded some of Top... I need to see where Taison is because he''s been all over Top Jungle recently. Yeah, but... Yuel sighed. There was no point reasoning with Julia when she became like that. Excessive warding was still way better than conceding kills and losing lane control, so Yuel didnt want to make the situation any worse by arguing. If that''s how Julia felt most comfortable protecting Mid, so be it. All in all, the situation looked bad. The enemy effectively controlled Top and Mid right now. Roi was locked out in Top while Julia was pushed back in Mid. Thus, Bot was the only lane where Yuels team maintained an advantage. But, even there, the enemy stabilized very well. Howard and Ellen learned to be cautious of Lars''s Gunslinger, so they played hyper defense. Lars rolled forward a few times to get things going and he successfully caused some havoc, he couldn''t confirm a second kill. As expected from impenetrable Aegis and the ever slippery Athena, they flawlessly defended against Larss Gunslinger. But, that''s only while the lane was at a 2v2. How will Howard defend in a 2v3? Dan, now! Yuel called out. Gotcha! Dan jumped over a jungle wall and aimed at Howard and Ellen. Once he lands, he''ll lock them inside The Kings Dominion! Then, hell proceed to tear them apart- DENIED. Dan turned into an icicle in midair. A timely Ice Coffin from Howard. With Dan frozen in place, the situation remained the usual 2v2 and nothing stopped the enemies from fleeing. It was a terrible gank blunder. Why did you jump so close to Howard? Yuel demanded. Ellen is the primary goal. There was absolutely no need to target both of them and run the risk of getting CC''d in midair. Yeah, youre right, Dan smiled awkwardly. Fudged that one, my bad. Okay, as long as you keep that in mind for next time. Yuel sighed. This was rough. The teams aggressive composition demanded to get early momentum to be able to win during the mid-game, but they haven''t achieved anything so far. All lanes were frozen at best and pushed back at worst. Somebody had to break this settlement and it should be Lars. Out of everybody right now, his performance was the only one which lived up to the standard and even surpassed it. The rest of the team wasn''t up to par right now due to the enemys tactics. But, once the Lars seizes momentum, the others will surely follow on it. Lame, Lars pouted when Ellen snuck away yet again. They ain''t coming at me. Where''s the action, dude? Howard is always there to ruin the fun right when things start getting interesting. What a party popper. Agreed, Howard makes this difficult, Yuel nodded. I''ll go help in Mid and hopefully that''ll bait him into rotating out of Bot. Oh, that''s smart! Dude, you''re a genius! Literally one of the most basic tactics ever. Yuel rolled his eyes. Still, sometimes the simplest tactics were the best. It wont be easy to bait a defensive juggernaut like Howard, but this play should leave Howard no choice. Either Howard will rotate to Mid to interrupt Yuel and thatll create the desire 1v1 in Bot, or alternatively, Howard will remain in Bot while Yuel helps Julia gain the upper hand in Mid. It was a win-win situation as far as Yuel was concerned, but how will Howard see it? He''s baiting me, Howard sneered. My, Yuyu is such a brat, Ellen shook her head. He really thinks such an obvious bait will work? He knows it''s obvious, but he also knows he doesnt leave much choice, Howard said. If I don''t go to Mid, Gilbert will be pushed back. Taison has to keep an eye on Top and you need to stay in Bot to farm, so only I can rotate. My, Yuyu came up with such a simple but devious plan. So, what you''re going to do? I''ll accept the invitation. Yuel is doing this under the assumption you won''t be able to survive against Lars in a 1v1, so we''ll just have to prove him wrong. I feel so underrated, Ellen puffed her cheeks. I''ll show him! Yeah, let''s do it. Time to turn Taison into the Lars Killer we deserve, and the one we need. Sure thing~ Ellen smiled from ear to ear. I got a Checkpoint Ward ready. Tai, you listening? Howard asked. Huh? What? We''re doing Da Play, as you like to call it. Oh, awesome! I''ve been waiting for this shit! Patrolling near Top all day is such a snoozefest. Alright, were set. Heh, Yuel doesn''t even realize, Howard couldn''t help but snicker. Leaving Lars alone with Ellen is exactly what we want too. After Howard left Bot, it became a 1v1. Ellen fell back a little to escape Lars''s attack range, but she continued poking him and the minion wave. Lars wasn''t gonna get any hits on that fox unless he aggresses. Yo, them pokes, Lars pouted. I gonna go all out on her, yo! That''s normally where Yuel would stop him, but Yuel didn''t say a word. I''m totally going! Still no reaction. I gonna jump into the danger and fight face-to-face, yo! Even this warning passed through. I''MMA TOTALLY- Just DO IT, Roi shouted into the mic and almost turned everybody deaf. Yeah, Dan tuned in. JUST- DO IT. JUST- DO IT! Gah! Julia slammed on the table. Would you mind to kindly SHUT UP? Thanks. Everybody laughed and even Julia couldnt help but smile. Finally, Yuel reacted to Larss warning. Go for it. This is your chance to turn the game around. This was what youve practiced Gunslinger for, right? Yeah, you betcha! Lars nodded repeatedly. He sure trained hard, every day without fail. The daily practice the team had at the clubroom this week was already exhausting, it was nothing but matches, practice, strategy meetings and match reviews from 8 am to 5 pm. Like, that''s literally the same as the work hours of Larss folks. Where was his fat salary check, yo? And, that practice wasn''t even the end of it. After they wrapped up at the club, Lars went to Yuel''s place to do some extra duo training, with emphasis on playing Gunslinger. If Lars wasnt totally popped from the practice at the clubroom, this extra duo training made sure to suck out every last bit of MP he had left. Yuel was even stricter than these math teachers who only knew how to give single-digit marks. And, even THAT wasn''t the end of Larss daily routine. After he returned home, he did some extra fine-tuning practice with his Gunslinger. The only way to bring his Gunslinger anywhere close to the level of his Trickshooter was to train with Gunslinger just as hard, and even harder. To make quick progress in just one week, Lars even sacrificed some of his Trickshooter training for Gunslinger. There were days when he was simply too beat and didn''t have any strength left for a long practice session before bed. So, he always started and finished with Gunslinger, then either moved on to Trickshooter or fell asleep, depending on how much MP he had left. Yeah, that''s right: Lars skipped on practicing his strongest class for the sake of improving as a Gunslinger. All of it was for this one moment: the 1v1 against Ellen! Lars will apply everything he learned with Gunslinger to mop the floor with that fox! That''ll prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the stronger Carry, That starter spot is mine, yo! Okay, here I come! Lars rolled forward with Combat Roll. After leveling up the skill, its properties became way better than those of a normal dodge-roll. Yuel always said he barely felt any difference, but dude just wasnt paying enough attention. Combat Roll felt totally different! The startup on the roll was super fast and the wake-up was almost immediate! It was a rolling technique from another realm, attained only by masters who spent hundreds of years rolling every day from morning till evening! Lars rolled fast and recovered fast, then activated Fan the Hammer. Same good old strat which gonna apply the buffs from Combat Roll onto every shot of Fan the Hammer. Lars barraged Ellen before she could even react! My, watch this brat go. Ellen sidestepped the deadly first shot. If she were to react just a moment later, the bullet would have hit her square in the forehead. But, she did it! She dodged the opening shot! After seeing this play so many times, of course Ellen could outplay it. Lars fast combo of Combat Roll into Fan the Hammer caught Ellen off-guard the first time, but that rascal has been desperately trying to repeat the success ever since. After seeing this move so many times, it became predictable and easy to dodge. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I missed? Well played, dude. Then, how about this...! Lars adjusted his aim after the recoil and his gun automatically fired again on its own. The barrage during Fan the Hammer was insanely fast and fired nonstop, so Lars didnt have any time to act surprised. He had to keep attacking no matter what! Alright, now! Ellen rolled aside before Lars fired. Normally, if Ellen were to move before the shot was fired, Lars would adjust right away by shifting his aim. It sounded absurd, but that''s the kind of beastie Lars was. Even if he only had a fraction a microsecond to react to somebodys movements, he would adjust without fail. However, right now, Larsy should be just a teeny-weeny rattled by the fact his first shot missed. Therefore...! Geh! I cant adjust in time! Lars tried to follow Ellens rolling form with his aim, but he was too late. The shot fired without waiting for him... and it missed. Dang it, that last second roll was something else. It was a perfectly timed dodge, as expected from a fox like Ellen. It reminded him of an important fact: even though that fox spent most of the game doing cheap poke-and-run, she was actually hella fine in combat too! However, that Dodge Roll left Ellen wide open. Before she finished the roll, Lars already fired his next shot. He knew exactly where to aim and there was no way for Ellen to pull any tricks this time. Third shot! Headshot! My, it''s so hard to shake him. Ellen twitched but insisted to maintain a confident smile. Alrighty, let''s go. I''ll dance with you, my dear Larsy. Follow my lead, right into the sweet embrace of death~ Lars fired again. Another headshot! He got her now! One more hit and he''ll stun Ellen! Third shoot... dodged! Ellen sidestepped it. Dang it, so close! How eager~ Ellen smirked. There was no denying that Lars''s head-shooting skill was superhuman right now, but he still had that little thing all humans had: a brain. In his case, it was mostly empty, but that didn''t stop him from being affected by emotions. When Lars missed the first shot, it threw off his rhythm. That was incredibly dangerous during Fan the Hammer because the trick to landing all the shots was in maintaining perfect harmony with the tempo of the shots. Ellen was a Carry too, so she knew that stuff. The reason Ellen easily dodged Lars second shot was that his first miss rattled him. As a result, he had to pour extra attention into regaining his groove, which hampered his ability to adjust the aim in the last moment like he usually did. Unfortunately, Lars was a hard nut to crack. He regained his tempo for the third shot and scored a headshot, then rolled into another headshot with that momentum. But, that''s when Lars became too eager. Like a starving beastie which finally received a snack, Lars wanted to gobble down everything at once. Landing a third headshot in a row would stun Ellen, so Lars wanted to pull it off right away. Therefore, he didn''t even notice the trap Ellen led him into. The fifth shot darted straight toward Ellens forehead, it was going to be a clean hit and Ellen wasnt fast enough to react. But, the bullet never hit its target, it dropped shortly before reaching Ellen. There was too much distance between them! When Ellen let Lars land a second headshot, that service wasnt for free. She used that opportunity to distance herself as much as possible from the rampaging beast. Thanks to that, she only had to take one step to get out of Larss firing range for the fifth shot. No matter how inhumanly scary Lars''s shots were, they couldn''t transcend the concept of distance. Too bad for him~ Geh, I have to catch up! Lars dashed after Ellen to close the distance and secure his last shot. He successfully scored a headshot on the sixth shot, but unfortunately, it didn''t count for the combo and therefore didn''t stun Ellen. Still, Ellen was crippled from all the shots and every Lars landed extended the cripple duration. She won''t get away, yo! Finally over. Ellen exhaled. She did it, she survived the onslaught of Fan the Hammer. From here on out, shell counterattack and force Lars into her pace. RELEASE THE- Wha!? Giant Squid Dude!? Lars didn''t expect Ellen to fight back here. That fox was supposed to be the master of escaping, so why did she turn around to summon a Kraken!? I gotta roll aside- wait, there are no sides! Lars just realized: he just entered the jungle, so there were walls on both sides. There was nowhere to roll to! When did he even get here!? They were fighting on the lane just a moment ago, but before he realized - the battle moved all the way out here into the jungle. Lars was so focused on landing all his shots that he didn''t see notice around him. Whoops. Rolling to the sides was impossible, so he had to roll either forward or backward. If he rolls forward, Ellen will most likely cancel the Kraken and will use it again from a closer range. But, that''s okay. Lars had Cleanse for dealing with the Krakens CC, so he had no problem pushing forward anyway! Coming right at me? Ellen smiled meaningfully. Then, your Cleanse must be online. Thanks for the free info~ In that case, there''s no need to waste my ult here. She canceled the Kraken and fired a shot instead. Hitting an opponent during their roll wakeup was always so inviting, she couldn''t possibly miss this opportunity. Once Lars was back on his feet, the fight fell into Ellens routine. She ran away to maintain distance, but also occasionally turned around to poke Lars. She had to wear down that beastie as much as possible without dying herself. It was like walking on thin ice. Ellen couldnt fall down to low HP because Gunslinger''s ult, Deadeye, will guarantee her death. It was a nasty locked-on shot which passed through any obstacles. So, Ellen had to maintain a delicate balance her distance from Lars and her timely pokes. Ellen has already set up a Checkpoint Ward while fleeing. She placed the ward right when she turned around a corner, to make sure Lars couldn''t see her in action. The preparations have been set. Now, Ellen just had to get in as much damage as possible without dying. Eventually, she had to let go. Leaving Lars at 60% HP should be good enough, so she could retreat in peace now. Thats it, Ellen created distance with Backfire Cannon to guarantee her escape. Hes all yours, Taitai~ Okay! Taison exclaimed. Here coooooomes Taison! He activated Teleport and targeted Ellens Checkpoint Ward. Man, she gonna get away. Lars grumped. He could hit Ellen with Deadeye because she was still within his field of vision, but even a headshot probably wont kill her from 30% HP. All that lifesteal and defense Ellen built was super annoying. Its like she was a tank instead of a Carry. Oof! Welp, hell chase her as far as he can. The rest of the enemy team was scattered across Mid and Top, so there was no danger of being ganked out here. Lars was allowed to overextend into the enemys side of Bot Jungle. If Lars gets just one more headshot on Ellen, he can finish her off with a headshot from Deadeye afterward. Cmon, he was so close! He gonna catch up and - Huh? Bats!? A pack of black bats swirled around Lars. What? From where!? This was clearly the job of Vampire, but Taison was on the other side of the map just a moment ago. That dude couldnt possibly be here right now... but he was. No way! Lars exclaimed. Where did Tai pop up from!? Huh? Yuel blinked. Taison? In Bot Jungle? It must have been Teleport. And, considering the timing and position, that must have been... They planned it, Yuel concluded. Ellen wore you down so that Taison can finish you off in a 1v1. Geh, that girl Im tellin ya...! Lars gritted his teeth as he turned around to face the assaulter. Cant she ever fight fair? Dang it, always relying on these cheap tricks...! No way Ill fight you to death. Ellen smiled innocently. My job ended when I lured you here, I dont need to lift a finger anymore. Let the brutes duke it out among themselves~ This is bad, Yuel said. Youre too low to give him a proper fight. No problem! Lars fired a shot even though bats obstructed his field of vision. Easy headshot! ... not. Damn, this is rough. As soon as Lars whiffed a shot, Taison fired right back. But, no problem! Lars just gotta sidestep that shot- ack! It hit! Lars couldnt move aside as quickly as he wanted because the bats around him were slowing him down. I take it back, Lars said. This gonna be a little rough. You have to slip away somehow, Yuel said. Try getting closer to Mid so I can get there and help. I dont think Tai gonna let me, Lars missed yet another headshot. This time, his aim shouldve been perfect, but Taison sidestepped the bullet. What an absolute mad lad. Khaha! Taison laughed. I know all yo tricks! Ya think I gonna let ya headshot me from that distance? Think again, loser! Geh, I cant land these freakin shots! Lars missed another shot. Headshots wont cut it against Tai. Even with 200% accuracy, aiming at the head was always riskier. The head was a tiny target compared to the rest of the body, so a simple timely sidestep was enough to dodge a shot aimed toward the head. If things keep going like this, instead of dealing with insane headshot damage, Lars will end up dealing no damage at all! No choice, I gotta go for the body. Lars lowered his aim toward the center of Taisons body while doing his best to retreat at the same time. Bam! Finally, Lars landed a shot! But, his next shot was dodged-rolled. But then, his next shot connected! However, the next one missed again. Tai busts some moves, yo! Lars grinned. This was awesome! Even in the Challenger division in Ranked, there werent that many opponents who moved as smoothly as Taison. This gonna be a good fight! At long last, the pesky bats stopped bothering Lars and he could see everything now, as well as move around at full speed. The real fight gonna start now, yo! Bring it on, dude! Sidestep. Shoot. Roll. Shoot. Sidestep. Shoot. Sidestep. Shoot. Side- Ha! Its a feint! Its a shot instead! Gotcha! Shit! Taison anticipated another sidestep and fired ahead of time, but Lars stayed in place instead and fired back! I aint gonna fall into your stupid game! Taison took the hit like a man and fired back right away. Instead of playing this stupid guessing game of sidestep vs. shooting, Taison rather take control into his hands. He got the HP advantage here, so hell dictate the pace! Hes advancing!? Lars flinched. From close quarters, therell be less room for dodging. If they both start hitting each other 100% of the time, Lars will surely be the first one to fall. He was already down to 20% HP, barely hanging by a thread. Against Taisons 60% HP, there was no way to win in a straight exchange of blows. Itd be a different story if Lars had access to the firing speed of Fan the Hammer, but he used it against Ellen. Without that overwhelming DPS and considering how difficult it was to score headshots against Taison, Lars had nothing at his disposal except for the raw attack power of his build. He didnt have any attack speed, crit or lifesteal. Crap! Hes good! Lars missed another shot. It was such a fast crossover! Taison shouldve had his hands full with advancing toward Lars, but he had no problem shifting his tempo midway to throw off Larss shots. And, as soon as Taison dodged, he never forgot to shoot back right away! It was like a crossover, yo! Tai has always been good at this stuff. Lars had to hand to Taison. When they played basketball together, Taison was unstoppable when he had momentum and faced a blocker one-on-one. He always dribbled the ball from side to side at a fast pace, then broke through. Taison could beat anybody like this, even Lars could only stop that crossover like 50% of the time, maybe less. Ill whoop yo ass! Taison charged forward. Maybe I aint getting a starter spot this year, but then neither will you! Imma murder yo ass to make sure of it! Gah, Im so dead! Larss HP dropped so low it was impossible to see the green bar anymore, it had a width of like one pixel at best. There was no winning this fight, that much was clear at this point. So, Lars had to scoot! Combat Roll came out of cooldown, so Lars went for it. As soon as he reached a corner, he rolled right into it with Combat Roll. And, right afterwards, he followed up with a normal roll! A Double Roll Escape Combo, yo! This sick maneuver created lots of space between him and Taison. Okay, it was going good! With this distance, Lars could get away and- gah! Nuuuuuu! Not that ult!!! A human-sized bat chased after Lars! Crap, it was Taison! He transformed into a giant bat and darted after Lars! No! Nonono! That giant bat dude was way too fast...! The bat rammed into Lars and transformed back into its original form, that of a vampire. The Vampire wrapped his arms around the Gunslinger and dug his teeth into the Gunslingers neck. It was a stun ability with DOT damage and life steal! Fuuuuuuuuu! Lars couldnt move at all! Ah, but wait! Lars had Cleanse! He could get away from this stun- You have been killed! Geh, that was lame. Lars smacked his forehead. Welp, he did about everything he could in that fight. Nobody could have guessed that Taison would pop outta nowhere like that on the other side of the map, that was a srs bsns shocker. It could legit be used as a scare-jump in a horror movie, word. Welp, Tai put on a strong show but I''mma get him next time. Just lemme at him. No, Yuel objected. It seems like you can''t handle him one-on-one. Wha!? I can totally do it! He only won because he had more HP! In a fair fight, I''d kick his butt for sure! I wonder, Yuel shrugged. Either way, avoid fighting him 1v1. Even if you can sometimes win against him, its a big risk. Losing a Carry hurts way more than losing a Jungler. Okay, I''ll see what I can do, Lars rolled his eyes. Gotta say, Tai really played me there. Hah! Taison pumped a fist. You saw that shit? You saw it, my bros!? I totally wrecked that loser! Yes, yes, Ellen smiled. Thank you for the hard work, Taitai~ Thanks for doing my work for me~ Good job, Howard said. You really impressed me there. Khaha! C''mon, ya make me blush. Taison pretended to be humble, but his cocky smug said it all. Eat shit, Lars! How ya like that, huh? Now, you''re in 2nd place! I ain''t gonna let ya get ahead of me again, yo! Heh, he sure looks happy. Howard chuckled. This was good, a kill on Lars was a huge morale boost for Taison. It gave Taison confidence and momentum, so itll improve his odds of winning future engagements. The Lars Killer was now out of the bag and its first field test was successful, this was huge for the team. This should give them all the momentum they needed for winning this round. Vol.5 Ch.6: Lack of Early Game Advantage The game transitioned into mid-game. Yuel''s team failed to establish the early-game advantages which their lineup desperately needed. Roi was locked out in Top, Julia turtled in Mid and Lars was killed before he got a chance to push much. This was bad. Extremely bad. Dark Knight and Gunslinger were supposed to carry the team through the early game and that should have opened the path to winning the game during the mid-game. But, the enemy stalled them out all across the board. What''s worse, Taison scored three kills already and that put him on a roll. He was two levels ahead of most players and one level above Lars. A fed Jungler had lots of flexibility with its rotations and ganks because it didnt need to fear getting countered as much, so it naturally put all the laners on edge. Well, except for one... Come at me, yo! Lars fearlessly charged into the jungle as soon as a Ward exposed Taison. That goof... Oh! Taison exclaimed. He''s coming at me! Back, Howard ordered. No need to fight him right now. But, I can totally destroy him- I said BACK. You''ll get plenty of chances to score kills before this game ends. Thats right, Ellen winked. I''ll make sure to arrange some nice situations for you~ Tch, okay, Taison shrugged and declined Larss duel invitation. Seriously, what was the deal? Taison could have totally wrecked that loser right here and now. Howard totally commanded like a pussy sometimes, but whatever. As long as Taison gonna get some other good fights later down the road, he aint gonna complain yet. Hey! Don''t run away! Lars called so loud that his voice pierced through the wall. At least, he had the decency to turn off his mic because otherwise, everybody''s ears would have bled. I ain''t running away! A reply thundered from the other side of the wall. I just got more important shot to do right now! My... ears... Ellen took off her earplugs with shaky hands. That shout raped her ear. ... you alive? Yeah, Howard answered nonchalantly as if nothing happened. I figured he''ll shout something back, so I muted him. Jeez, thanks for the advance warning... Haha, my bad. The entire team was inflicted with stun for two seconds. Thankfully, nobody was in the middle of making any major plays, so they weren''t affected too badly. Hah! Lars exclaimed out loud. I bet you''re just sc- Enough already, Yuel jabbed Larss side. It''s bad etiquette to shout during a match. But dude, both Ellen ad Tai keep running away from me! How am I supposed to get my revenge like that? Focus on pushing instead. If you push enough, they''ll have to come after you themselves. Oh! Genius, dude! I''mma push so hard they can''t ignore me anymore! Just please don''t get into unnecessary trouble, Yuel pled. Don''t 1v1 Taison in areas from which you can''t retreat and don''t chase Ellen too far. Yeah, yeah. Does he really get it? Yuel frowned. The enemy must be banking on Lars''s gung-ho mentality. After killing Lars once, Taison had been avoiding unnecessary contact and Ellen was the same way. Lars couldn''t execute his vendetta on any of them, which irritated him and hampered his judgment. There was no way an aggressive player like Taison would play defensively like this of his own volition, so it had to be Howard''s doing. This was undoubtedly all part of a plan. It was unclear whether this plan had an end goal in mind, but for the time being: it has been doing a good job rattling Lars. How should Yuel respond to this? The optimal solution would be to corner Ellen or Taison in a disadvantageous situation and let Lars finish them off. This way, Lars will deliver his revenge and will be on a roll, so hell be able to bring the team back into the game. But, that was easier said than done. Cornering Ellen was like cornering a fly. She''ll find a way to wiggle out of any situation, that was one of her strong suits. Worst of all, even if they manage to somehow corner her, it may turn out she was the one who cornered them instead. It was pointless to even try. On the other hand, Taison should be an easier fish to bait, but his movements so far have been careful and well-calculated. When Taison played in the club, he was usually reckless and aggressive, but the Taison this game was relatively tame. Howard must have been leading Taison by hand because he understood how important of a piece Taison became in this game. With three kills under his belt, Taison was the greatest threat on the enemy team and best candidate for carrying it to victory. Therefore, Howard made sure to protect Taison well. If all of that wasnt hard enough, the enemy team also employed a very defensive game plan during the mid-game. Enemies always grouped in duos and trios everywhere on the map, leaving no isolated targets for Yuel to pick off. Ellen joined Gilbert to push against Julia in Mid, whereas Howard and Taison rotated to Top against Roi. It was much harder to catch anybody off-guard like that. You know, Roi said. I could really use some help in Top here. It''s a 1v3. Sure, Dan volunteered. I''ll be right there- No, wait, Yuel objected. Rotate to Mid instead. With you and me there, we can push against Ellen and Gilbert. Hey, Roi exclaimed. What about Top then? They gonna run all me over. Fight them for as long as you can, then retreat. You''re still at 0/1 and it''s already mid-game, so there''s no much you can do. We''ll have to use you as a tank. Not much I can do? Roi clenched his mouse. Yeah, that sounded fair. First, Roi was forced to play that stupid Dark Knight and now he was dismissed as useless because he couldn''t get an early-game advantage. How FUN. ... okay, I got it. You okay? Dan whispered over the shoulder with the mic on mute. Sure, Roi sneered. Having the blast of my life. If you think we can turn things around in Top, I''ll go there- Dan? Yuel asked. You listening? Yep, Dan turned his mic up and threw one last glance at Roi. Its okay. Roi just shook his head to dismiss the offer. They were soldiers on a battlefield and Yuel was the commander right now. Okay, Dan nodded in response. So, I''m rotating to Mid? Yes, please. Roger, cap. Dan and Yuel both rotated to Mid and turned it into a 3v2 situation together with Julia. Meanwhile, Lars was left completely alone in Bot. Where do I rotate? Lars asked. Just push, Yuel said. Eeeeh? Why only you guys get to have fun? Don''t worry, Yuel smiled meaningfully. If you push hard enough, they''ll come to you themselves. Okey-dokey! I''mma blast that Turret in no time! Lars booted Fan the Hammer and barraged the enemy tower. Gunslinger''s efficiency fell substantially during mid-game, so, for now, it was best to let Lars grind and push instead of fighting. The power curve of Gunslinger was wild and will pick up again during the late-game, so Lars will just have to be patient until then. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. To keep Lars safe, Yuel warded Bot Jungle with Sentry Wards to counter any Teleport tactics. It was a costly operation, but he borrowed Julia''s help for it. She was already wasting a lot of gold on Wards anyway, so Yuel just mentioned how important it was to ward Bot Jungle to keep Lars safe, that made Julia cooperate without hesitation. If only she was always this agreeable. Even though Yuels team was still lagging behind, the current position wasn''t terrible. Howard, Taison, and Gregory were pushing Top against Roi, whereas Yuel, Dan and Julia kept Ellen and Gilbert busy in Mid. This gave Lars complete freedom to push Bot. Eventually, the enemy will be forced to break their thick defensive formation and rotate to Bot to stop Lars. That should create some openings to exploit. An ally has been killed! Damn, Roi fell. He was about to make his escape, but Gregory denied it with a timely pull of Nature''s Grasp. Following Rois death, the enemy busted the lane wide open and theyll take down the Turret in no time if they combine their firepower. It was an unfortunate, but reasonable sacrifice. The interesting question was: how will this trio move next? Surely, they won''t rotate together all the way from Top to Bot, that''ll be too inefficient. Then, how will they proceed? There were multiple possibilities. Option #1: All three of them will stay in Top and keep pushing hard. In other words, theyll force Yuels team to make a move. Thats probably what Yuel would have done in Howards shoes, but Howard wasnt that kind of aggressive player. So, this was unlikely. Option #2: Theyll all rotate to Mid. An interesting move that might win them Mid if executed well. But again, Howards team wasnt aggressive enough to go for that type of play. Option #3: Some will return to base and go to defend Bot from there, while the rest will either keep pushing Top or will rotate to Mid. That sounded like the most Howard-like game plan. There was a very helpful mathematical fact which played in Yuels favor here: the number 3 couldnt be equally divided into two integers. In other words, if the trio in Top splits into two groups, somebody will be isolated for a while. Thatll be a great opportunity to pick somebody off. An allied Turret has been destroyed! After the enemy took down the Turret, they were about to make the important move. Good job, Howard said. Greg, you and I will rotate to Mid. Huh, Gregory pondered. Isn''t it better if one rotates to Mid and the rest push all the way to Golem? It''s risky to travel alone. I told you, Yuel always searches for opportunities to pick off isolated targets. That sounds about right, Gregory had to agree. Okay, Mid it is then. As for Tai, Howard continued. Return to base to heal up. And then... The offense in Top came to an end with the destruction of the Top Turret. Taison was seen recalling to base, whereas Howard and Gregory were apparently rotating towards Mid. I see Howard is really persistent about the lack of isolation. Yuel wasn''t amused. The duo traveling from Top to Mid had reinforced defense which made it impossible to pick anybody off and theyll also turn the situation into a 3v4 once they reach Mid. It was bad news. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! At least, meanwhile, Lars was able to take down the first objective in Bot. That was some good news. Taison undoubtedly recalled to base in order to heal up and then head to Bot from there, but itll take him a while to reach- huh!? SURPRISE MOTHAFUCKA! Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No, it was the one and only - Taison! Coming right at that mofo in Bot! Where did dude come from!? Lars had every right to be surprised. Taison literally appeared behind him on the lane out of nowhere. This was impossible...! This could only be pulled off with Teleport, but with which Checkpoint Ward? The team had Anti-Ward vision in pretty much every corner of Bot Jungle, so it should have been impossible for anybody to slip in a Checkpoint Ward in one of the few uncovered areas. Doing so would require either clairvoyance or cheats. But, if it the Checkpoint Ward wasnt in Bot Jungle, then where...? Dont tell me, from the lane!? Yuel couldnt believe it, but that was the only explanation. Somebody must have placed a Checkpoint Ward on the lane itself! In retrospect, it was a bit odd how easily the enemy gave up on the warding war in Bot Jungle. Howard knew the importance of vision, so hed never allow the enemy to control Bot Jungle like this unless it was a misdirection all along... It was a trap, no two ways about it. Yuel thought he found an easy exploit in the enemys thick formation but turned out it was a bait. They lured Lars into pushing Bot, just so they could arrange this situation. Yet again, itll be a 1v1 between Lars and Taison. Yet again, Taison had HP advantage because he teleported here from the base. And, yet again, Lars had little-to-no chance of escaping. This was a huge blunder, but the goof definitely didnt realize that. Awesome! Lars exclaimed. Exactly what I was asking for! This guy... Yuel sighed. There was a difference of about 30% HP between them. Did Lars really think he could overcome that gap in a 1v1 against Taison? Was he even thinking at all? No, probably not. He just wanted to duke it out with Taison and get his revenge. Unfortunately, there was nothing Yuel could say to help here. Lars''s defensive play was poor, so his chances of getting out of this situation by playing defense were slim. Therefore, unfortunately, fighting all-out against Taison was probably the safer approach for Lars. This was going to go south fast... Try getting as far away as you can, Yuel said. Don''t fight too hard if you see you''re losing. Don''t worry, yo! Lars fired a shot and hit Taison in the chest. I ain''t gonna lose this time! I already know headshots arent good against this dude, so I not gonna waste any shots on that. I just gotta keep hitting him till he drops, yo! Lars fired, rolled, fired, sidestepped and fired again. Taison rolled, fired, sidestepped and rolled. They danced around and exchanging blows. In term of skill, neither had a clear0cut advantage. But... Huh! Taison sneered. That''s all ya got? Its like ya shooting turtles, kahaha! Geh! Why is he so fast!? Lars fired one shot right after another, but Taison somehow had enough time to dodge-roll in-between. So fast! No, it actually wasn''t Taison who was fast. It''s Larss shots, they''re so slow as heck! Welp, I guess that''s what happens when you don''t buy any attack speed. As much as Lars liked Gunslinger, the mid-game always felt so slow. He didn''t build any attack speed despite being a Carry because Gunslinger relied on Fan the Hammer for delivering ultra-fast shots. The Attack Speed stat didnt affect the speed of the shots during Fan the Hammer, so there wasnt much reason to buy any attack speed items for Gunslinger. So, Lars mainly had power and penetration in his build. And look at this, even a Jungler was attacking faster than him. He was totally losing face as a Carry, yo! Can''t this cooldown tick faster!? Lars threw glances at the ticking number every couple of seconds. Fan the Hammer was still offline because he just used it to push the tower. He somehow held his ground against Taison with basics so far, but he really needed Fan the Hammer to turn this around. No choice! I just gonna dodge everything! Lars rolled, then Combat Rolled and then ran around. The heck ya doing, man? Taison raised a brow. Trying to escape? Not under my watch! Taison closed in to improve his accuracy. No way he gonna let this scrub get away with this embarrassing performance. Taison gonna destroy that scrub again and prove that he was No.1! He aint gonna be overshadowed by Lars anymore! Duuuude! Lars was backed into a corner. Yeah, this plan to stall for time by dodging shots was a bust. Lars didnt have the defensive capabilities to pull off such a pro-level maneuver. Taison was hella savage, he closed on Lars like it was nothing. This ain''t good, Lars was already down to 10% HP. He gonna lose at this rate! But, Lars was still alive and Fan the Hammer finally came outta cooldown. This was the chance to turn things around! Even Taison gonna have trouble dodging headshots against super-fast shots, especially now that they were so close to each other. This was the moment of an overthrow! Fan dat hammer with all ya got, yo! Lars spun the revolver''s hammer and aimed at Taison. It was now or never! Fire! ...dang it. The bullet didn''t miss, but it didn''t hit either. Taison just turned himself into a freakin coffin. Lars was trying to wreck his life, but dude just went off to sleep! That''s right, Taison smirked. That''s exactly what I think of ya right now: you put me to sleep, bro. Too easy! Geh, what now? Lars fired at the coffin, but the bullet didn''t deal any damage. Coffin Slumber made Taison invulnerable to everything, so Lars first had to land multiple basic attacks to pull Taison outta that state. What''s even more annoying, that beauty sleep also recovered some of Taisons HP. It was the most hax skill ever! Lars has already started the barrage of Fan the Hammer, so he couldn''t cancel it. There was no choice but to keep shooting and shooting until he runs out of bullets. And, he couldnt even use this opportunity to escape because his movement was reduced while he fired. This situation was wack. My ace went down the toilet. Lars twisted his lips. Welp, this was kinda bad. Like, seriously flippin bad. He was forced to spend the entirety of Fan the Hammer merely on kicking Taison outta bed. And, once Taison finished his beauty sleep... You have been killed! It ended, just like that. Lars lost for the second time. Taison totally got him. Damn it. So, Lars couldn''t do it after all. Yuel shook his head. It wasn''t much of a surprise considering Gunslinger was at its weakest during the mid-game due to its reliance on Fan the Hammer. The mid-game was like the uncanny valley of the class because, at this point, Fan the Hammer was already a rather deadly tool, but the build didn''t have enough attack power and cooldown reduction to turn it into a consistent threat quite yet. It wasnt Lars''s fault. I... Lars muttered. I can''t beat that dude... Eh? Yuel was sure his ears were playing tricks on him. Lars? Giving up? That concept should have been alien to that optimistic goof. If Lars loses faith, the entire team will be doomed. Maybe this match was already over. Howard and Gregory''s rotation to Mid forced everybody to retreat. Dan got killed and Yuel was forced to recall to base. Only Julia remained healthy because she stayed far in the backline and only poked from afar every now and then. Unfortunately, there wasnt much she could do alone against four enemies on the lane. Yuels team lost Mid Lane and Lars was losing any hope of winning against Taison. This was turning hopeless. Maybe they have already lost... I can''t beat Tai, not yet, Lars clenched his fists. I need to get more power first. Mid-game Gunslinger just doesn''t cut it. Once I get my build going, I''mma kick Tai''s butt! He didn''t give up at all! Yuel found himself smiling. That''s right, what was Yuel even thinking? This was far from over. So what if they lost initiative? So what if they lost control of Mid? So what if Lars lost to Taison twice? There was still a game to play, they still had time to turn things around before late-game! As the captain and shot-caller, it was Yuel''s job to figure out how they could mount a comeback. The enemy defense was strong, but not impenetrable. There had to be a way to break through it! This wasn''t over it. Yuel and Lars''s ticket to the competitive scene was riding on this match, so theyll win this second game and earn their spots on the first string! Vol.5 Ch.7: Defense That Sets up the Offense Think. Think! Yuel took a deep breath. The match wasn''t over yet. There still had to be something he could try. If there''s even the smallest chance of mounting a comeback here, Yuel will find it. To deal with Howard''s tough defense, Yuels team first needed momentum. Simple tricks won''t work here. Any easy opening in the enemys formation was a potential trap, just like the one which got Lars killed. Tactics alone wont be enough. Even after coming such a long way from being a total rookie during the entrance exam, Yuel still didn''t have a way to pierce through Howard''s defense with strategy alone. Power and momentum, that''s what the team needed. Once they seize the initiative, they''ll be able to pressure the enemy team into submission. Positive momentum should also inspire everybody to play better. Right now, Roi lagged behind as Dark Knight, Dan didn''t get any chances to deliver decent ganks and Julia turtled too hard. If everybody continues this way, the team will never make a comeback. Something had to change. Right now. Fortunately, there was one player who harbored the same feeling as Yuel: Lars. That goof was the keyman here. Even without momentum, Larss spirit didn''t waver, he was dead set on beating Taison even after dying twice. Therefore, Lars had to be the one to spark a turnaround in this situation. Hell have to drag the team out of this predicament and carry it to victory! Unfortunately, it wasn''t that simple. Gunslinger''s mid-game was too weak and Lars has started lagging behind after dying twice. His power curve will stabilize again in the late game, but dragging the game until that point was bad news. Once late-game hits, it''ll be game over for sure. But, there was one way. It was a risky approach that went all out, but it had a chance to pay off. You said you need more power, right? Yuel asked. Yep. Just a little bit more DPS and I''ll be able to beat Tai for sure! And, you''ll be fine with it even if it''s demonic power, right? Hoho, sounds edgy as heck. Whatcha got? Something that may become our last chance, Yuel explained the gist of his idea. For now, make sure you always stick close to a teammate so the enemy doesn''t catch you isolated. We''ll have to slow down and play defense for a while, but then... It was a gamble that might not pay off, but they reached a point at which taking risks was necessary. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Hmm, Howard squinted his eyes. It seemed the enemy resorted to defense because their attacks didnt work. Is that it? Yuel no longer sees a road to victory? It took a long time to reach this point, but it seemed like Howards defensive plan finally crushed out the enemys fighting spirit. When faced against an impenetrable defense, the enemy felt like they were bashing their heads against a wall when they attacked. The harder they hit, the more it hurt them. Therefore, at some point, they were bound to lose the will to continue. This applied all the more to Yuel''s aggressive team, which was in total disarray at this point. Roi and Dan underperformed all across the board and Julia turtled for no reason. Yuel probably didn''t even bother to address any of that and kept issuing orders as if everybody was alright. No wonder Yuel''s attacks didn''t reach Howard at all. As long as Yuel''s teammates were in a turmoil, their performance was bound to be lackluster. No matter how many times Yuel thrust his spear, it''ll never break through Howards shield as long as the spear was unsharpened. Will Yuel realize that at some point? Either way, this game was over. Yuel showed an intention to drag this fight to the bitter end by playing defense, but it wont work. Maybe Yuel was banking on Lars to somehow turn things around, but it was futile. Taison was already at 5/0 thanks to everybody leaving the kills to him, per Howards request. At this point, Taison was no longer just a Lars Killer - he was the pillar of the team''s offense and the one wholl wrap this game up. Honestly, Taison performed beyond expectations. His strong desire to defeat Lars must have contributed to that. With unbreakable defense across the map and with a fed aggressive Jungler, Howards team had all the means to win this. If Yuel wants to struggle to the bitter end, that''s his choice. Howard will simply keep deflecting attacks and keep driving the enemy into a corner until they lose all hope and beg for a swift death. This is my fault. Julia pursed her lips as she retreated to base again. All she has been doing this game was staying far in the back and poking the enemy every now and then. She had zero kills, one death, and one assist. She hasn''t done anything meaningful at all and allowed the enemy to take Mid. At this rate... I''m totally blowing this game. Roi tapped his foot. He has already died three times this game and he scored only one kill via the execution from Gate of Sheol. On top of that, his bat failed to make contact with enemy shots, so he barely got to parry anything and ended up eating a lot of damage while swinging. The entire enemy lineup was made of ranged attackers, yet Roi couldnt parry for the life of him. What a terrible batting average... Is it just me or Im messing up too much this game? Dan tilted his head. There was that one time when he didnt ask whether Gilbert had blink to escape. Then, another time when he got killed in a team fight due to poor positioning. And then, that other time when he... Yeah, that was a nice and long list of mess-ups. Nobody was perfect, but this game just looked bad. So much for not throwing the game like he claimed hed do... While individual players were carrying their own worries and frustrations, the game went on. Yuel switched to defensive shot-calling and deflected the enemy''s pushes to the best of his ability. All they were doing right now was stalling the enemy''s progress, it didn''t feel like they were getting any closer to victory. But, Yuel believed. If there was still a way to turn this game around, it''ll be during the transition from mid to late game. Once Lars completes his build of attack power, crit damage and cooldown reduction, as well as maxes out the level of Fan the Hammer, hell become a killing machine. That''ll be their chance to go on the offensive! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. An ally has been killed! This is rough. Yuel frowned. The team didn''t practice defense much, so their defensive play was a bit shallow. There were so many holes that even a defensive team like Howard''s found weaknesses to exploit. However, the same seemed to apply to the enemy team. After being forced on the offensive, Howards team hasnt been doing too hot. They played too cautiously and gave up many great opportunities to push. In addition, small gaps opened in the enemy formation and Yuel had no intention of missing them. Lars, Yuel pinged the mini-map. Go cut Gregory off. Gotcha! Lars dashed into the jungle to greet the incoming invader. The distance between lanes shrunk down when they were this deep in their territory, so Gregorys rotation from Top to Mid must have felt like a short walk. But, there was still some distance to travel and Yuel was going to use that to his advantage. Got him! Lars opened an attack with Combat Roll into Fan the Hammer. One headshot! Two headshots! Three headshots! Stun! 200% accuracy! This was easy! Gregory couldn''t dodge a single bullet! Good! Yuel nodded. Gregory has just recently spent his Gaia''s Protection in Top, so it should be still on cooldown. Therefore, he wasn''t tanky enough to survive this onslaught- Nice try. Howard arrived on the scene and booted Cryo-Freeze right before Gregorys HP dropped to zero. He froze Gregory still, which made Gregory invulnerable to all attacks and quickly restored HP. Even here!? Yuel felt like yelling. It was absurd. Nothing escaped Howard''s attention. Every little hole in the enemy''s formation was covered up immediately. Retreat! But, Lars insisted. I can take on him- Don''t. Gilbert and Ellen are close enough to rotate there. You don''t suppose you can win a 1v3, do you? Bring it on, yo! Lars said that, but his Gunslinger turned around and retreated. When the situation was this dire, even this goof understood the importance of minimizing risks and making the right decisions. Come with me to the ogres, Yuel said. The time was almost right to mount a comeback. After Lars gets the red buff on top of his blue buff, they''ll finally begin their counterattack during the next team fight. It didn''t take long for the fight to come to them. Most of the enemy team gathered in Mid, save for Taison who was likely farming Dragon. Even though the enemy held the advantage across all lanes, breaking through Mid was always the preferable tactic. Howards team let their super minions push the other lanes while they all focused on Mid. This was the last stand. If Yuels defense falls here, the game will be over. Julia, Yuel said. Right after we start, advance a little and use Hurricane. Huh? But, what about Thunderstorm and Kraken? They gonna gun for me right away. Itll be fine. I wouldn''t exactly describe anything as fine this game so far. Just do it, please. Okay, sure. Not like we got any chance anyway. That''s not the right mentality to have during a fight. Hmph. Both sides got into position. Roi and Yuel were at the front, while Lars and Julia started at the rear. Similarly, the enemy had Howard and Gregory on the front while Gilbert and Ellen were in the rear. Both sides had two damage dealers, so everything will boil down to which side loses their DPS first. As the only melee fighter, Roi had no choice but to advance all the way to the enemys face. Yuel followed closely behind, but he didn''t stick out his neck more than was necessary. This was the optimal arrangement because, with Roi''s defensive build, he was quite tankier than Yuel. In addition, Roi was the most disposable teammate this game because Dark Knight didn''t have any good CC and his overall value was low when he was lagging behind. The team fight began. First, zoning shots were fired. Lars and Julia fired at Howard, whereas Ellen and Gilbert fired at Yuel. Both sides gunned for the squishiest target they could reach without putting themselves at danger. However, even though they were the squishiest in range, both Yuel and Howard had defensive build, so they endured without a problem. Julia, now, Yuel ordered. Make sure to maintain some distance to make Kraken feel like a waste if they go for it. Sure, Julia didn''t sound too enthusiastic, but she followed the order nonetheless. She broke formation to and went far to the left side. Once the enemy team was at the tip of her range, she began channeling her ultimate: Hurricane. It was a huge AoE spell which dealt high damage and sucked enemies into its center, which placed them in a compact area that made it easy to follow-up with even more AoE attacks. However, the downside of this great skill was the long windup animation. The Aeromancer flailed her arms around to generate a spiral of wind and it took a couple of seconds until the hurricane reaches its full size and was ready to be unleashed. Therefore, the enemy had plenty of time to react and one of the most common counters was Electromancers Thunderstorm. Wait, Howard said. Don''t step- I''ll get her this time! Gilbert stepped forth to counter Hurricane. This was a great opportunity! He''ll get this easy kill on Julia and prove that he was unquestionably the best Mid Laner in StromBlitz- wha!? A knock-up!? Water erupted from the ground and sent Gilbert flying toward the sky! It was Aquamancer''s Geyser Eruption! Tch! Howard erected an ice wall between the two teams and fired commands. Greg, shield me. Ellen, Kraken her. Right after Gregory cast Gaia''s Protection to give Howard a shield, Howard blinked forward across the wall and darted in Larss direction. He had to prevent the worst-case scenario! That Hurricane was clearly a bait. The enemys real goal was to bait somebody and knock them up, which allowed Lars to barrage them in midair. To prevent that kill, Howard had to freeze Lars here and now. One headshot. Two headshots. Lars landed his shots without breaking a sweat even though his target was far and high in the air. The shots came out in blinding speed during Fan the Hammer, but he had no intention of dropping even a single headshot! Okay, I got this! Lars grinned. It was about flippin time he got himself another kill! He gonna get this one for sure and- wha!? Big Shield Dude!? That absolute mad lad was charging right at Lars! Even though this was all the way in the Golems area! So fast! Yuel expected Howard to counter this play in some way, but that reaction was way too fast! Yuel originally planned to follow up with another Geyser Eruption to knock up any enemy who advanced forward in an attempt to interfere with Lars, but he couldn''t keep up with how fast Howard executed this counter! Your offense is over. Howard declared as he released a burst of cold air. Ice Coffin will put an end to this- wait, Lars was gone!? The guy was literally there a moment ago, but then he vanished! He couldnt roll while Fan the Hammer was active, but he could still do a Combat Roll! Lars rolled right underneath Howards spell and got behind him! You aint getting in my way, yo! This kill is mine! Lars quickly recovered behind Howard and fired another shot at the falling Gilbert! It wasn''t a headshot, though. Dang it, connecting a headshot on an air-bound target right after a Combat Roll was sure hard. Lars wasnt worthy of being called a master Gunslinger player yet, he gotta practice more. What an absurd guy. Howard shook his head. Even though Lars should have been preoccupied with landing headshots on Gilbert, he still noticed Howard''s advance and countered in a split second with Combat Roll. These reflexes are beyond human. Its like playing with sis, maybe even worse... Nevertheless, this wasn''t entirely outside Howard''s estimation. Thats what he created the ice wall for. Once Gilbert falls low enough, the ice wall will hide him from Lars''s sight. Another one! Yuel announced. He caused another geyser eruption and knocked Gilbert back into the sky right before Gilbert hit the ground. Again!? Gilbert made a huge mistake. That knock-up spell wasn''t Geyser Eruption, it was the Overflow version of it: Hot Spring Eruption! It was an upgrade which put the skill on par with an ultimate ability and allowed the caster to spam three geyser eruptions in a row without a cooldown. Gilbert won''t be touching ground today... An enemy has been killed! The turnaround was starting here and now! If Yuels team wins this fight, theyll be able to turn this game on its head! This was their last chance and they had to seize it! Vol.5 Ch.8: Unleash the Demonic Power! An enemy has been killed! That''s one. Yuel nodded to himself after Lars beautifully finished off Gilbert in midair. Now, the next target will be- Me, right? Howard rolled aside to dodge a geyser eruption. He was the obvious next target, considering how deep he was into enemy territory and that the Golem was already targeting him. Target Howard! Yuel ordered. On it! Lars scored a headshot before Yuel even finished the sentence. Tch, Howard frowned. Lars will end me in no time if he keeps getting these headshots. Howard retaliated with Icicle Rain and basic attacks to slow down Lars''s attack speed, while at the same time also drawing some distance between himself and the mad dog. But, that wasn''t nearly enough. Greg, pull out the Ents, Howard froze himself with Cryo-Freeze to negate the incoming damage from the Golem''s boulder and Lars''s headshot. It''d be great if he could just chill out here and slowly restore HP while being invulnerable, but... Not under my watch. Yuel splashed water on the frozen Howard and melted away the freeze effect. This handy nullification effect of Splash was exactly what Yuel picked Aquamancer for! Figures. Howard has already been spamming the Shift key this entire time to roll away as soon as his Cryo-Freeze is negated. Cryo-Freeze was merely a distraction to buy himself some time. To properly evacuate, he needed the help of Gregory''s Ents. Three giant trees appeared on the lane and made the area even more packed than it already was. Ents behaved like minions, so they focused on whoever was targeting nearby allied players. Wait, Yuel called out. I''ll hit him first to aggro the Ents. He activated Rainfall, which summoned a rain cloud over Howard''s head. The rain slowed Howard down, which allowed Yuel to catch up and hit him. Okay, you can keep attack- A shot fired! Already on it! Lars delivered a headshot right away! So persistent...! Howard grimaced. The Ents were focusing Yuel, so they didn''t scare Lars away as Howard hoped. But, that was fine. Their attack power scaled with Gregory''s, so it wasn''t high in the first place due to Gregory''s defensive build. The Ents were just here as a distraction to help Howard maneuver around Larss headshots. Based on Lars''s current attack speed, another shot was coming right about now. Howard turned to the right and went behind an Ent. A shot resounded, but it didn''t land a headshot, it hit the Ent instead. Wha!? Lars was so concentrated on Howard that he didn''t notice the Ent stepping into the shot. He''s making Ents body-block for him!? Savage! Such flawless defense. Yuel frowned. No matter what they threw at Howard, nothing fazed that guy. It was impossible to take him down like this after all. Lars, forget Howard. Focus on Gregory instead. On GG? You got it! Lars gave up on one snack to chase another. He gonna get a bunch of kills here, he had to! This was the teams big comeback, yo! Gregory has been running kinda low already. Dude was tanky, but with Larss red buff and all the penetration in his build - he could do some hella fine damage! Greg, Howard said. There''s a chance he''ll gun for you next, so retreat. Tch, got it. Gregory noticed Lars changing forward, so Howard''s advice was most likely spot on. Gregory wanted to stay here a little longer to finish Roi off, but yet again he was forced to retreat without dealing the finishing blow himself. This was shit. Can Greg get out? Howard pondered while making his own escape. It''s probably a 50-50. They got us well when they killed Gil right off the bat. But, it''s not like that kill was for free. You call this fine? Julia grumped. While the others were busy dealing with Howard, she went through some horrible stuff. Ellen downed her with Kraken and then Gregory pulled her with Nature''s Grasp. The enemy forced Julia into close-quarters combat wiped her out. Itll be fine my ass. Yuel is so full of shit sometimes. I thought stopping Gilbert would be enough, Yuel made an excuse. In truth, he didn''t have any special plans for protecting Julia in that situation. If Ellen were to step within his range, then he would have knocked her up with a geyser eruption to deny the Kraken play. However, Ellen knew better than to that such a risk and Yuel didn''t go out of his way to make that situation happen. To put it bluntly, Julia was a sacrificial pawn in this play. Her job was to bait some kind of play out of the enemy so that the team could take advantage of it. Trading their Mid Laner for the enemys Mid Laner was advantageous because the team was behind, which meant every player on the enemy team was worth more. Of course, Yuel kept all these considerations to himself. Julia will make a scene if she hears any of this. It was unfortunate, but being a bait was the best worth Yuel could find for Julia this game. She has been playing overly cautious ever since Taison killed her, so she didn''t do her job well as a backline damage dealer. Instead of letting her stay in the back and poke every once in a blue moon, using her as bait in the team fight was far more efficient. Nothing personal. An enemy has been killed! Woohoo! Lars finished Gregory off. Now we''re talking! Good job, Yuel said. Things were finally going their way. With this team fight, they might very well turn this entire game around! An ally has been killed! But, nothing was earned for free. While Lars focused on Gregory, Ellen finished Roi off. In term of death counts, this fight was still two for two. Yuels team didnt quite seize an overwhelming advantage yet, but this much was already impressive enough considering for how long they''ve been lagging behind. Just a little further and theyll gain the upper hand...! I''mma gun for that fox next! Lars darted at Ellen even before finishing the sentence. My, how aggressive. Ellen spotted a vicious doggie running at her and began her retreat. Escaping along the lane will do her little good, so she entered the nearby jungle. You ain''t getting away, yo! Lars chased into the jungle. Wai... Yuel stopped mid-sentence. This was dangerous. So far, nothing good has ever come out of chasing Ellen this game. However, to gain a true advantage in this situation, killing Ellen was essential. Thatll flip the entire game on its head! So, it comes down to this... Yuel hesitated. Was it okay to let Lars fight Ellen? In term of HP values, Lars had a huge advantage. He was sitting at 70% compared to Ellen''s 20%. In term of raw power, Lars was also obviously stronger. Ellen has also spent her Kraken, so she lost her most threatening tool. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. In addition, Ellen ran into Top Jungle. It wasn''t long ago that Taison was spotted going for the Dragon in Bot Jungle, so he couldn''t have rotated all the way to Top Jungle to surprise Lars. Was Taison''s Teleport online? Possibly. Were there any Checkpoint Ward in Top Jungle? Unless someone predicted this entire sequence of developments, that was unlikely. Sentry Wards were too valuable at this stage of the game to randomly carry Checkpoint Wards around, right...? Be careful, Yuel said. I''ll join you soon, so don''t overextend if you see any danger. No problem! I got this! Lars had no intention of letting Ellen slip away, not this time. This was such a rare opportunity, her HP was so low right now! He had to finish it! It''s on purpose~ Ellen winked at the screen as she placed a Checkpoint Ward around the corner, in an area illuminated by an allied Sentry Ward. Taitai, you''re up~ Not again! Lars cried out when Taison appeared behind him in the jungle. How was that dude always teleporting behind him like that!? EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. For real, yo! I had a feeling. Yuel clenched his mouse. It seemed Ellen took it upon herself to always carry Checkpoint Wards for Taison, even though she was the Carry and should have been investing gold in her build. This was all a part of the usual two-step bait strategy for killing Lars. Fist, Ellen baited Lars while placing a Checkpoint Ward nearby, then Taison teleported over there to kill Lars. Such tricky, as expected from a snake like her. However, this time it was different. Yuel finally wiggled his way out through the giant Ents which were ganging on him, so he could quickly chase after Lars. If he gets there on time, he''ll turn this into a 2v1 and- an ice wall!? It blocked the entrance into the jungle! Howard is back!? Yuel couldn''t believe his eyes. Howard, who should have fled for his life with no HP, turned around and returned to the lane! And now, he stood in Yuel''s way. All of a sudden, reaching Lars to provide backup became a hundred times harder! Damn, he doesn''t miss anything. Yuel bit his lip. Howard had no shortage of tools to hinder Yuels plan: blocking the jungle entrance with Ice Wall like he already did, freezing Yuel with Ice Coffin and slowing Yuel down with Icicle Rain. Ugh, such a pain! Howard is blocking me, Yuel said. You''re alone out there again, so do everything you can to not die. Don''t worry! Lars dodged a shot and fired back. I''mma kick his butt this time! I got demonic powers on my side, yo! Where is this guy getting his confidence from? ... okay. Yuel gulped. Losing Lars here would be mean losing the entire game because Ellen, the enemy Carry, was still alive. Respawn times were long at this stage of the game, so until Lars respawns, Ellen will have more than enough time to heal up in base and push all the way to victory. Therefore, despite the many things Yuels team achieved in the recent team fight, everything could crumble from the tiniest of mess-ups. Unfortunately, Yuels path was blocked and he couldnt do anything about this situation. There was no choice but to put faith in that goof... Lets rock n roll! Lars gave the hammer of his revolver a fast spin. This was gonna be good! This shit again? Taison sneered. Bro just aint learning. That shit has no power here, yo! Taison conjured a coffin and entered inside. Coffin Slumber, ez counter! Not this time! Lars fired without hesitation. One shot. Two shots. Three shots. The coffin was blasted apart, but Lars kept shooting. Now, that Fan the Hammer was at Lv.6, it fired six shots in a row. Thats way more than that pesky coffin could handle! Boom! Headshot! Super critical damage! 30% HP erased on the spot! Fuck! I forgot it can fire so many! Taison ate a crapton of damage right in the face. He had to dodge! Fast! He rolled aside, but the next shot hit him too. At least, it wasnt a headshot so it only took 10% HP. Still, that was a lot. Vampire is kinda a bruiser, ya know? Taison grumped. He wasnt supposed to be some squishy loser like this. How the heck did Lars hit like a truck? Damn, son. This build... Taisons grinned as he went over Larss stats. Larss built literally had only power, penetration and crit damage. Dude was like a freakin ballista. He fired slow, but his shots were hella deadly. But, that was also the builds weakness. Fan the Hammer was Gunslingers only way to fire quickly, so once it went on cooldown - Taison had the speed advantage! It was over now! Youre dead, bro! Lets see what ya got! Lars took the challenge head-on. It was a dance of shots and dodges. Bullets darted from Larss side and bats charged from Taisons. Their movements were matched in term of skill. This time, Lars aint gonna lose in a 1v1! But... Too slow, loser! Taison fired, sidestepped and fired again. In that same time, Lars only got to shoot once and to just barely sidestep Taisons first shot in the last moment. As a result, Lars had no time to dodge the second shot. Khaha, so slow! This was easy peasy! Geh! It feels like hes moving twice as fast as me! Lars couldnt keep up. Faster attack speed meant shorter recovery time, so Taison could transition from shooting into sidestepping way faster than Lars. Even if they fired each other at the same time, Taison sometimes sidestepped the attack while Lars was still stuck recovering from the shooting animation. Dang it! Welp, about what we expected, right? Lars smiled wryly. He started this fight on a strong note with Fan the Hammer, but now he was at 10% HP while Taison was at 40%. Okey dokey! Its time to unleash the demonic power, yo! Lars unleashed a burst of black energy. It was Dark Contract! By paying half of his remaining HP, Lars received a huge boost in all his stats! His attack power, attack speed, movement speed, penetration - everything! This was the final gamble Yuel prepared for this game. With this temporary power-up, Lars gonna overwhelm Taison for the first time today! Shit! Contract!? Taison stumbled for a moment. Khaha, what a guy! Too bad youre one shot away from dying. You tried! Taison fired the decisive shot! ... and missed. The fuck!? Oh, right! Dark Contract made the user faster, so Lars could dodge faster! Oh, shit! A counter was coming! Taison sidestepped, but the bullet still drilled into his shoulder. So fast! And so strong, too! The shot erased like 15% of Taisons HP! Two more hits from that shit and he was a goner! This power-up was bad news! Shit, I just need one more shot and the guys through! Just one shot! Taison fired... but he missed. And, Lars countered with a shot right away. Fuuuuuu! Both of them were one hit away from dying! I-I aint dying here! Taison stepped back. This called for a tactical retreat! He totally wasnt running away like a pussy or anything, it was just better to retreat and reorganize. Thats called playing smart, yo! Taison turned into a bat via his ult and flapped away. His flight speed was hella fast, so if he just gets around that corner- Gotcha! Lars activated his ult: Deadeye. He locked onto the flying bat right before it vanished around the corner. Once locked on, Deadeye will never miss. Even if it had to pierce through the Great Wall of China or fly across the entire cosmos, Deadeye will always strike true. It was over! A lightning speed bullet. It cut straight through the jungle wall and pierced the fleeing bat. You have killed an enemy! KILLING SPREE Woohoo! Lars pumped a fist. Thats what Im talkin about! He really did it! Yuel couldnt believe that absurd gamble worked. Dark Contract was a flimsy utility skill to rely on, but it worked like a charm this time. Rather, Lars made it work. Yuel noticed before how Lars seemed at least ten times stronger with Dark Contract, it saved them a handful Ranked games. To think it also worked in a serious match... amazing, nothing short of amazing. They finally broke through that nasty strategy designed to kill Lars! With this kill on Taison, the tides have turned. Lars scored three kills in a row and it put him on a roll. Until Ellen returns from the base, Yuel and Lars had time to reorganize and push Mid. Thanks to Fan the Hammer, Larss push potential was huge at this stage of the game, so theyll be able to break through- SHOT! Eh...? Larss Gunslinger collapsed. You have been killed! Eh? Wha... Lars only saw the attacker for a split second before dying. It was Ellen. Surprise~ Ellen stuck out her tongue. These whippersnappers probably thought they won, but too bad~ Taitai has been doing a great job pushing Larsy around this game, but Ellen didnt believe even for a moment that this routine would keep working the entire game. After all, Larsy was a wild beastie. Thats why Ellen had a simple backup plan: if Larsy ever beats Taitai, Ellen will just have to return and clean up the mess. It was a simple as that. It was a nice last-ditch offense, Howard nodded with genuine respect. But, this game has already ended a while ago. Ever since you lost the early game, youve never had a real chance to break through. No way... Yuels lost grip of the mouse. Even though they got so far, even though they almost turned the tables around... everything was still within Howards calculations. Yuel and Lars broke through one wall, only to discover an even greater wall waiting behind it. That was just... Weeeeelp... Lars threw his head backward and stared at the ceiling. They both understood what this result meant. It was over. They lost. Vol.5 Ch.9: From Offense to Defense? DEFEAT Silence descended on Yuel''s camp after the enemy team thoroughly crushed them. Even after Yuel and Lars came up with a way to mount a comeback and even got a kill on Taison, they crashed into a wall right after that. Such was the extent of Howard''s Aegis, the absolute defense. Every time Yuel thought he pierced through it, he discovered it was thicker than he thought. During the entire game, Howard has been using Taison as a momentum generator and as a weapon against Lars, but Howard didnt bank solely on Taison''s performance. Howard took into account that Taison might be beaten at some point and he was prepared to cover up that mess up with more defense. I was too greedy. Yuel hung his head. If only he stopped Lars from chasing Ellen back then, they would have had a chance to win. They gained so much momentum from the team fight and they were finally getting a chance to turn things around, so it was tempting to keep pushing all the way. But, these poisonous greedy thoughts led to their demise. Maybe I should have just given up earlier. Perhaps the entire last part of the game was completely pointless and Yuel was just prolonging a lost game. To fight so hard until the very end, to nearly grasp a chance... only to fall without gaining anything. It was upsetting and it might put a huge damper on the team''s morale. No wonder everybody was so quiet. C''mon, my dudes! Lars jumped from his chair. What''s with the long faces? We almost got these guys! You have an interesting definition of almost, Dan retorted with a chuckle. But, ya saw it, right? I totally beat Taison there! We were winning! We gonna get them next time for sure, believe it! How can he still be so optimistic? Yuel sighed, but a smile crept onto his face. Lars was right, they still had one more shot. This wasn''t the time to lose hope. In the last game, the team was forced into a bad position and Howard revealed the aces he prepared for todays match. However, in the next game, they will be better prepared. Yuel will use everything he learned from this defeat to strengthen the team, thats what it meant to play a competitive best-of-three set. As the captain, Yuel, in particular, wasn''t allowed to mope. At dark times like these, he was supposed to be a role model for the others. If he loses spirit, the negativity will spread across the entire team. It was a tough game, Yuel said. But, we also learned a lot from it. Dan, you need to communicate better with the laners to know the state of the lane before ganking. Roger that. Roi, you need to play a little safer and not rely on parrying so much. Heh, Roi sneered. Maybe I wouldn''t have that much trouble if I actually played a half-decent class for once. What do you mean? Exactly what I mean, lol, Roi added his trademark phrase, but his smile looked far from joking. I told you, Dark Knight is trash. I became totally useless after we lost the early game. Yes, that''s one of the weaknesses of Dark Knight by design. It''s a risk I took. Yeah, sure. I bet you also took into account how fun itll be for me to play while feeling totally useless, right? What? Yuel frowned. You transitioned into a tank build, so you became our main frontliner. Thats far from being useless. Oh yeah, sure. Because it''s so fun to play a tank who can''t CC for shit, right? Are you even hearing to yourself, bro? Hey now, Dan interjected. You letting the salt speak for you. ... right, my bad. Roi shook his head. I gonna go wash my face. Gotta wash off all this salt, lol. I need to go too. Dan joined. With that, Roi and Dan left the room. Even though the quarrel quieted down, it left a bad taste. Maybe Dark Knight was really pushing it. Yuel tapped his forehead. Against a late-game composition like Howard''s, Dark Knight was a very fragile pick. It could dominate the mid-game with just a little momentum from early-game but, without any advantage, Dark Knight was doomed to be subpar for the rest of the game. Its only choice was to become a pure tank, but a very lackluster tank without CC. The presence of such a Dark Knight was far from impactful, it was almost a 4v5 game at that point. It was like a rook piece which devolved into a pawn. Roi stated many times he didn''t like using Dark Knight, but he was competent enough to pilot Dark Knight well. After seeing Roi''s strong performance in Ranked, Yuel decided to go through with this pick despite everything and hoped for the same great results. Alas, the competitive level was different from Ranked. Howard''s team was given time to adjust after losing the first game, so they handled the Dark Knight much better in the second round. That''s where the cracks in Dark Knight''s properties and in Roi''s mastery began to surface. In retrospect, Yuel probably should have dropped the Dark Knight strategy after winning the first game. Its just that Dark Knight worked so well the first time that Yuel couldnt help but try it again. Frankly, it was foolish. He must do something different in the next game. Anyway, that''s something for Yuel to figure out. Before that, he wanted to finish discussing everybodys faults from the previous game. Especially, the next one had a lot on her plate... Julia, Yuel carefully spoke up. You- I know! Julia shot up from her chair like an arrow. You gonna say I played like shit right? Well, not in these exact words, but there were a few glaring issues with your performance. Starting with- You''re really good at motivating people, you know that? Yeah, please go on. Rub into our faces how shit we were that game. I bet it makes you feel good about yourself, even though you messed up a shitton of stuff too! I never pretended I''m perfect, Yuel argued. In fact, he believed much of the fault laid with him, but that was a separate matter altogether. As the captain, it was his job to ensure everybody performed their best and thats why he had to review the game with them. Whatever, Julia walked toward the door. Wait, we haven''t reviewed the game yet. Where are you going? Toilet! Julia slammed the door behind her. Oh, brother... Yuel had a distinct impression that Julia might be a little pissed off. This isn''t good... Everybody left. Yuel and Lars were the only ones in the room. Going to the bathroom during the break wasnt odd or anything, but the way everybody left was concerning. It felt like a rift was forming among them. It reminded him of the huge breakdown the second string suffered during the scrimmage with the Leopards. Back then, Yuel argued it was mostly Trever''s fault. Then, did it mean that this time it was Yuel''s fault? No, that shouldn''t be the case. There was no denying that some of his bad decisions contributed toward the teams defeat, but he didn''t do anything toxic that could cause bad blood in the team. Either way, now it was only Yuel and Lars. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Gonna roast me next? Haha. I didn''t mean to roast anybody. I just wanted to review the game. I know, I know. Just kidding, dude, Lars flashed his teeth. Okay, hit me with it, yo! Come at me with everything you got! I''ll handle it! Your defense was awful. Gah! I knew you''d start from there! But, beyond that, Yuel paused for a moment to think. You played both games really well. Your Gunslinger was even better than I hoped, so you did great. What, not even gonna mention that last chase I did? You mean, the one after Ellen? Yep, Lars shook his head. That was so lame. I finally had things going but I fudged it up at the end there. We could''ve won if I didn''t chase. True, it was the misplay that killed our chances of winning, Yuel nodded. But, it was my fault. Huh? How come? I made a bad call not stopping you. I was mulling over it but decided against it. So, that one is on me. Hey, Lars smacked Yuel''s shoulder. That''s wrong, dude. I mean, maybe you could''ve stopped me but I''m the one who decided to chase there. It''s all on me, yo. I see, Yuel smiled weakly. Compared to the rest, Lars was willing to face his own mess-ups and to admit he committed some mistakes. You''re really taking this well, huh. You kidding, dude? Lars dashed toward his bag with and took out... a basketball? Why did he even bring it here? I''m super pissed, yo! So pissed, that I feel like I gotta dribble for five hours straight to forget about this shit! Lars threw the ball at the floor and it came back to him. He threw again, and it came back again. And then again. And again. Every throw was faster and fiercer. In a couple of seconds, the ball started moving so fast there were multiple copies of it in the air! It must have reached Mach 4! You sure you should be doing this before a match? Yuel asked. It looks tiring. No problem, Lars continued slamming the ball. Its my meditation. Really... Rather than peaceful meditation, this looked more like boxer venting his anger on a punching bag. Lars slammed the ball into the ground with quick movements, as if hitting the floor with all his frustration. But of course, there was no way Lars wasn''t frustrated by this defeat. For them, the competitive scene was at stake this match. If they lose one more time, itll be game over. They''ll have to spend another year gazing at the dazzling stage from below. No more. They were sick of it. They were serious competitive players, their place was on a competitive team, not on the second string. To get there, they absolutely had to win the next game. No ifs or buts. They had to win, period. As the captain, Yuel had to lead the team to that victory. At this point, both teams showed what they were capable of. All the big aces prepared for todays match must have been revealed by now. For the last game, everything was up to Yuel figuring a counter-strategy thatd allow the team to adapt to Howards game plan. How should Yuel tackle Howard''s unbreakable defense? So far, Howard has adjusted to everything Yuel threw at him: the Alchemists Impulse Bomb was a one-time shocker, Gunslinger will most certainly be banned next game and Dark Knight proved inefficient against the Druid counter pick. Banning Druid was one idea, but Howard surely had other good counters in mind. It was obvious Howard trained Gregory how to turtle, so it''s best to assume Gregory knew how to freeze the lane with multiple different classes. Running a Dark Knight against that turtling was a folly. In general, Yuels early-game composition worked at first, but Howard has completely shut it down the second time around. Therefore, charging in with another aggressive composition was risky. The only reason Yuels team won the first game was that Howard''s defense wasn''t fully prepared yet. But, now it was all set and it felt impenetrable. In that case, should Yuel try extending the power curve of the team? From an early-game composition to a mid-game composition, or maybe even a late-game composition. Given the overly defensive nature of Howard''s lineups, Yuel''s team should be able to get away with a lackluster early game. Switching to a composition with a longer curve also meant the team will have a better defense, so it should be easier to pick a class which can help Lars avoid confrontations with Taison. For example, with a class like Elf, even a Bronze rank defense player like Lars should be able to get out of most sticky situations. Oh! I know that look! Lars grinned while throwing the basketball into the air and catching it, without even looking at it. Mr. Supreme Mechanical Skill, as always. What do you mean? What look? Ya know, when you cross your arms and stare reaaaaal hard at nothing. Its like youre on another plane, yo. Do I really do that? Yuel wasnt sure how to take it. The ability to filter out the environment in order to concentrate on a single task was an important skill in chess, so Yuel mastered it a long time ago. Perhaps he was using it subconsciously? So, whatcha got? Came up with anything fun? I got an idea, Yuel said. I think we should try extending our power curve. What''s that mean? Instead of focusing on the early game, we''ll aim to gain an advantage in later parts of the game. In mid-game, or maybe even late-game. Wait, what? Lars failed to catch the ball and it hit the floor. We not gonna go hard early on? That''s the gist of it. But, that''s like our thing, yo! We go all in and wreck these dudes as fast as possible! You saw how well that works, Yuel pursed his lips. Our aggressive early-game failed to make Howard budge. Hey, we won the first game, remember? That game was... Yuel still wasn''t sure what to make of it. It was odd, that''s the only way I can describe it. The way they played the first game was half-hearted like they were warming up. That game doesnt represent their real strength. The second game is what we should use to judge their power. But, we were doing fine in the second game too, Lars insisted. I even killed Athena and all. Yes, once. And yes, YOU were doing fine in the early game but the same cant be said about the other lanes. And, even in Bot, Howard stalled us out. It''s like he held all lanes under a lockdown. Should I start calling him Big Lockdown Dude? Haha. You may as well, Yuel smiled even though this was no laughing matter. Howard''s global lockdown during the early game was their biggest problem that game. Yuels team didnt lose too badly in the early game, it''s just that they didn''t win the early game. That alone was a huge hit against their early game composition. For Howards late-game composition, all it took was to stall out until the later parts of the game. At that point, Howard team was almost assured to win. But wait, Lars picked the basketball from the floor and started tossing and catching it again without even looking at it. Seriously, what manner of witchcraft was that? If we aint gonna blast through these guys in the early game, does that mean we gonna play defensively? For the most part, yes. Itll be a defensive early game which will transition into an offensive mid or late game. I was considering Elf for you Gaaaah, but that''s not fun, yo! Yes, because your defense is terrible. This ain''t it, chief, Lars insisted. I mean, going full offense to kick the enemys butts is what we do best, right? If we throw that away, it''s like were giving up on our game plan. We gonna be playing in enemy territory, yo! That''s an exaggeration, Yuel objected even though he knew there was some truth it. The team focused on practicing the early-game over the past week because Yuel believed he''ll be able to penetrate through Aegis defense with hyper-aggressive early game. If Yuel shifts their game plan toward the later parts of the game, itll be like venturing into unexplored territory and playing at Howard''s pace. Nevertheless, the mid-game and late-game were still well-established parts of the game. Just because the team didnt specifically practice these parts of the game didnt mean they couldn''t play them. Howard''s team might be more experienced in that territory, but Yuel''s team had superior players like Lars, Roi, and Dan. No matter which part of the game they play, Yuel''s team should be able to win in terms of raw strength. Elf doesn''t sound like a winning pick to me, tho, Lars protested even after hearing the gist of Yuel''s reasoning. I thought of Elf because it''s easy to defend with it, even for you. This way, I won''t have to worry about babysitting you that much in the early game. I ain''t no baby, yo!! Lars made a face. Just give it to me straight, will ya? You think Taison gonna keep wrecking me, so you want me to turtle, right? That''s part of the equation, Yuel admitted. If Taison keeps targeting you this game, then Elf''s escape potential will come in handy. C''mon, it sounds like ya just scared of taking some risks. How we gonna win if all we do is defend? Maybe Im just dumb, so explain it to me, genius. That''s... Yuel opened and closed his mouth. When put like this, Yuels plan really sounded like it came from somebody who was already defeated. At some point, the goal of winning was replaced with not losing. That was wrong. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. To secure victory against an opponent of equal strength, Yuel had to take some risks. That was true for chess, for sports, and for Classmancers as well. Even in a defensive team, somebody had to be the pillar of the team''s offense. On Howard''s team, that was Taison last game. In Yuel''s team, that had to be Lars. Rather than sheltering Lars in fear of Taison''s ganks, it was best to play to Lars''s offensive strength. Okay, I see your point, Yuel said. So, what class would you rather play? As you saw, focusing on early game is problematic. We need a class that functions well in the later parts of the game. Hmmmmmm. Oh! I got it! How about Seraph!? This guy... Yuel sighed with a smile. A Hyper Carry, of all things. That''ll certainly be a dangerous check for Howard''s team, but... I thought you said you hate classes with a slow early game. Yeah, it''s lame. But, if we only gonna fight for real in the late-game anyway, my dude Seraph gonna kick some serious ass. Truer words have never been spoken by this goof. As a Hyper Carry, Seraph was a monster in the late-game. And, combined with Lars''s skill, it''ll become a demon. Howard will no longer be able to drag the game out forever in fear of Seraph''s late-game potential. Putting a defensive team on a timer was a good way to make it slip up, it might even open up opportunities for breaking through Howard''s defense. That goof clearly didn''t think that hard about that pick, but it was a great choice. Yuel will have to work hard to keep this goofs Seraph alive and well until the later parts of the game, but if they succeed - they''ll claim victory! Once the others return, Yuel will go over this plan with them. The next game was one they couldn''t possibly afford to lose, yet they were about to take a huge gamble. Will they be able to beat Howard in his own game by switching from early game to late game? Yuel will have to make it happen, no matter what. Vol.5 Ch.10: Restroom Encounters Damn! Roi splashed his face at the sink. He was totally out of tune last game. His parries didn''t connect, he died numerous times and he hasn''t scored a single kill. It was like he was some Bronze player. Damn it! So much for we aint throw the game, heh. Dan shook his head. It''s not like I was messing up on purpose, Roi frowned. My bat just didn''t connect and I couldn''t get anything going, which only got me more triggered and distracted. You remember that feeling from baseball, right? When you''re out of tune and miss literally every swing. Yeah, my entire baseball career in a nutshell. Lol, that''s not true, Roi chuckled. Anyway, don''t know about you, but I wasn''t trying to throw the game Hey, I played alright too, Dan said. I messed up here and there, but its far from my worst game. Gonna make excuses, huh. I know you can play way better than that. I think so too, but it is what it is. Howard packed some serious formation this time and I kept running into his traps. Really now, Roi narrowed his eyes. You gonna say every time you messed up it was some 200 IQ trap? Like, when you ganked Gil without asking whether he had his blink on? Welp, Dan twisted his lips. Guess I was a little distracted. But again, nothing out of the norm. I''ve screwed worse in Ranked before. You really insist on that point as if it matters. This is a serious game with lives on the stake. You can''t just say it''s alright to screw up. Heh, lives on the line, Dan chuckled. Now that''s melodramatic. It''s kinda true, though. For Yuel and Lars, this game gonna decide the upcoming year. Who knows, if they debut as juniors and get far in the regionals, they might get some sweet pro offers later down the line. Heh, always dreaming about these sweet pro offers. I remember how you used to say that by becoming the cleanup batter of our team you took a step closer to the Major League. Still think thats true. You aint gonna get far if you arent aiming far. Fair enough, Dan smiled wryly. He understood the reasoning, but for him, these were just empty words. How the heck becoming the cleanup batter of some grade school team gonna lead to the Major League? How winning the nationals during junior high team will lead to getting pro offers? It was all silly talk. Anyway, Roi continued. You really better start shaping up next game. Right back at ya. No kidding. I need to sort myself out- Roi paused. An unexpected visitor entered the restroom - Howard. Welp, this is kinda awkward. Roi put on a dumb smile. Until the end of the match, Roi and Howard were like mortal enemies. There had to be a way to break the ice somehow. Hey look, it''s the Big Shield Dude. Heh, is that how you call me during strategy meetings too? Howard chuckled but afterward, silence descended again. Roi and Dan threw glances at each other as if urging each other to say something. Whats with the difficult faces? Howard asked. Nothing big, you know, Roi replied with a forced grin. Its just were kinda on opposite sides right now, so it feels weird. Relax, its just a game. You really think that way? Of course not, Howards eyes turned sharp as he passed by them. For me, this is an important match with huge implications. But, for you two? Its just a game. Your positions on the first string are pretty much guaranteed, so theres no need to stress over it, is there? Well, that may be true, but... Roi couldnt find the right words to express his mixed feelings about this entire arrangement. This match was messed up, plain and straight. Why were Roi and Dan on Yuels team? They gave the team too huge of an advantage, which made them look like bullies. It was hella hard to play their best in this environment. And not to mention, consider what was at stake on this matchs outcome... damn it all. You said the match has huge implications for you, Dan addressed Howard. You mean, like not being able to play in the tournament this year? Its more than that, Howard explained. Not sure if I mentioned, but Im aiming for Grandview next year. Huh? Roi cocked his head. The heck is that? The name sounds kinda familiar. Isnt that the high school where Utopia plays? Dan asked. Oh! Roi exclaimed. Utopia!? For real?! He turned to Howard with a loose jaw. Arent they like the top dogs of the high school scene!? Yes, that Utopia, Howard confirmed. I applied for the team and they said my chances depend on my tournament results this year. Getting to nationals is the bare minimum and winning it will pretty much guarantee a scholarship and everything. Damn, son! Roi nodded with respect. Youre shooting high, huh. Impressive... Dan wasnt sure what else to say. This was a grand ambition but also a very down-to-earth one. Isnt Grandview pretty far from here, though? Yeah, I plan to live in the dorms. Thats why I really need that sports scholarship they offer for Mancers. I see, sounds tough. Good luck with that. Dan smiled wryly and averted his gaze. Great, this match has just become a hundred times heavier. For Howard, winning this match was the first step toward getting into Utopia, the pinnacle of the countrys high school competitive scene. Utopia was known as a powerhouse that produced many pro players, so for Howard, todays match was like a step toward the pro scene. This was serious business and yet here Dan was, playing on the opposite team and getting in Howards way... Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Alrighty, Howard finished his business. Good luck next game. Just dont sweat it and everything will be fine. Haha, sure. Good luck, too. On that note, Howard left the restroom. As soon as he exited, a smirk surfaced on his face. As he thought, Roi and Dan were rattled. If things keep going this way, theyll keep underperforming and itll be an easy victory for Howard. The next game was in the bag. At around the same time, at the girls restroom... It''s because of me. Julia finished washing her face and stared at the mirror. All it reflected was the sight of a useless girl who achieved absolutely nothing in the past two games. After she talked big about how she''ll fight her best today, she ended up putting on an embarrassing performance. Was that the extent of her skill? No, no way. Julia knew how to play more aggressively and score kills, she just couldn''t bring out these techniques in front of Lars. When Julia was playing Ranked, it was usually enough for her to stick to defense and wait for the opponent to commit a mistake. Then, shed punish that idiot and win the lane. Unfortunately, Gilbert was no idiot. He knew exactly how far away he had to stay while pushing and he didnt leave any openings even when he aggressed on Julia. In the second game, Gilbert was always on the offensive and yet Julia couldn''t kill him anyway. Even with a gank, they failed to kill Gilbert. Though, if Julia just went all out with offense at the time... Bleh, I gotta stop thinking about this before it depresses me to death. Bottom line: Julia sucked in both games. The team somehow pulled through in the first game, but the second game was much harder. And, as much as Julia wanted to deny it, much of the fault for the teams defeat laid with her. Not only did she fail to initiate anything and score any kills, she even ended up dying and losing Mid. Like, these were the worst things a Mid Laner could do EVER. Yuel drilled this knowledge into her on a regular basis: No matter how badly a Mid Laner performs, they must prevent the enemy from penetrating Mid at all costs. How many times has he repeated that? Every time Julia lost control in Mid, Yuel lectured her about how she put the entire team at a disadvantage. Each lane was like a pillar that supported the team''s defense and Mid was the most vulnerable of them all. Countless games have been won with a team just pushing all the way through Mid without bothering with other lanes. So, as a Mid Laner, Julia had just one job. ONE! Was it that hard? Was it!? Yeah, it sure was. Considering the importance of Mid, everybody was eying it like hungry wolves. A single misstep would give these wolves the cue to leap on Julia and tear her apart. That''s why she had to fortify her defense as much as possible. But, playing defensively wasn''t enough here. Even though the enemy team was filled with hungry wolves, they were smart wolves who didn''t overextend while targeting Mid. To turn the tables on them and to truly crush their assault, Julia had to get out there and fight them face-to-face. But, the problem with that was... Gah! Julia splashed her face. Her thoughts were swirling and swirling and swirling to no end. Jesus, it was depressing. Why was she even putting herself through all this crap? She just wanted to go hide under a rock... My, what a surprise, Ellen waltzed into the restroom. Great, what a pleasant surprise... Um... Julia didn''t know how to respond, so she just silently approved of Ellen''s presence with a nod. How cold~ Ellen pouted and quickly closed the distance. Wha-!? Before Julia realized it, she was wrapped from all sides. Oh god, the snake caught her! No need to be like that, Ellen rubbed herself against Julia. We may be enemies in the game right now, but we''re still best pals, right~? I don''t remember ever being your pal. Julia retorted mentally while trying to shake off Ellen''s embrace. Dang it, Ellen literally glued herself to Julia. This was neither the time nor place for these buddy-buddy gestures, they were in the middle of a world war. Would you let go already? Only if you show me your cute smile, Ellen stuck out her tongue. You look waaaay too serious right now. No boy would approach you from one kilometer with this face, especially Larsy. Mind your own business, Julia scoffed off. Smile? What was there to smile about? She felt more like crying. Let go already. Alright, alright, Ellen unlocked the hugging cage and slithered away. You just looked so depressed that I felt you need a hug. Wanna talk about it? No. C''mon, I''ll listen. I said no. Can''t she ever mind her own business? It looks like you''re blaming yourself too hard, Ellen proceeded to talk some crap anyway. Great. Can I just leave? Please? Julia sighed because she already knew: there was no shaking Ellen off once she latches onto you. You actually played both games pretty well, Ellen continued. Is that supposed to be sarcasm? Nope, I mean it. Sure, you didn''t get many kills, but your defense was on par with The Pentagon. That ult play you did in the last team fight was pretty cute too. Now, that''s definitely sarcasm. Julia clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her skin. The brief pain reminded her of the bullshit she had to go through in that play. Yuel promised everything will be okay, so Julia went ahead and charged Hurricane. Needless to say, it was a recipe for disaster. Itll be okay my ass. Julia felt like tossing that idiot of a cliff. While she was charging her ult: the stupid Kraken knocked her down, that dumbass Druid pulled her into enemy territory and the damn Pirate skewered her to death. That Hurricane play was total bullshit. I see, Ellen smiled meaningfully. You probably think that play was terrible because you died, right? Well, duh. It was terrible. And here I thought it was good bait. A bait...? Yep, Ellen nodded. You became a must-target because Aero''s ult is nasty in team fights. So, you forced our hand and we had to strike first, so your team capitalized on that. Thanks to that bait, you guys almost turned the tables on us. Good thing we''re always prepared for anything~ Huh, Julia scoffed. You say it was good bait even though I died? Yeah, it was a small sacrifice for the huge payoff you almost got. Or wait, did I get it wrong? You didnt plan to be a sacrifice bait there? Y-Yeah, of course, that was the plan. I was just impressed by how well you saw through it. You''re really sharp, huh. I sure am~ Haha... Julia shifted her eyes away. Was the bait play really that helpful for the team? Even though it led to Julias swift death? Maybe her well-being was never a priority in the first place, so Yuel used her like a disposable pawn. Thats just... haha... ha... goddammit. Oh, lookie, youre finally smiling. Not your cutest smile ever, but it''s a start. Heh... Yes, Julia smiled. She smiled because of how useless she was. Yuel discarded her like a pawn in that play without even informing her. That dumbass planned to sacrifice her from the very beginning! Anyway, Ellen patted Julia''s shoulder. I know you''re trying your best to help Lars win so he can get into the first string, but no need to push yourself to the point of depression. As long as you play well, Lars won''t blame you if you lose. That''s not... Julia''s words trailed off. What was this bullcrap? Sure, Julia wanted to help Lars get into the first string, but she also... Good luck next game~ Yeah, you too. Julia left the restroom with quick strides. Once she got outside, she threw quick glances around the hallway. Okay, nobody was here. GAAAAAAAH! Julia roared. What the actual fuck!? A sacrifice bait!? Was that all Julia was worth for Yuel!? Was she just some pawn meant to be discarded!? Don''t you fuck with me, you dumbass! I can do way more than that! I can...! I...! Sure, Julia was neither an amazing player like Lars nor a first-string member like Roi and Dan. And sure, she had all sorts of flaws. But! She was a player too! She wasn''t some dead weight that dragged the team down, right? Right!? Maybe she didn''t have as much at stake this match compared to Lars and Yuel, but that didn''t mean she was taking this match lightly. Helping Lars was an important goal, but even beyond that, she wanted to....! Goddammit! Just you wait! Next game, I''ll show you what I can do! I''ll go so hard on the offense you''ll be begging me to stop killing so much! I''ll murder everybody! Every last one of these shitheads! I''ll do it, goddammit! With this determination, Julia headed into the final game. Will she be able to draw out her aggressive side once shes in the match? There were no guarantees, but she''ll do it! Shell do it, goddammit! Vol.5 Ch.11: Drafting the Late Game Everybody from Yuels team returned to the computer room. It was time for the final game of the day. Everybody took a long break, so they shouldve returned refreshed... or so Yuel hoped. Instead, everybody looked even worse than before. Roi wore a stern expression and avoided eye contact. Dan was deep in thought about something. And Julia? Oh boy, she pierced Yuel with one of the fiercest glares ever. Its like she wanted to stab him to death about a million times, burn his body and flush the remains down the toilet. Gulp. Did she figure it out? That was the most likely explanation. Julia must have realized she was used as bait in that last team fight and now she was mad. Like, really, really, REALLY mad. To be fair, that sacrifice stunt by Yuel wasnt exactly pretty, especially since he kept it under wraps. However, he couldnt come up with any better play at the time and Julia was definitely going to argue against it. There was no time to argue about that play, so Yuel pushed it through no matter what it took. Julia was a decent player, but she underperformed in that game. Therefore, using her a bait was more valuable in that situation than keeping her alive for the team fight. That''s all there was to it, but good luck explaining that to Julia... Should I say something? No, Im not even sure that''s what she''s mad about. After all, she''s always mad for whatever reason. Yuel decided to keep quiet. There was no telling whether Julia really figured this out or there was some other random reason for her intense hatred. It always felt like it''s Julia''s purpose in life was to search for reasons to hate on Yuel, so... Ill just pretend I didn''t see anything. Yuel shook his head, took a deep breath and spoke to everybody. I''ve been going over our options for the next game. It doesnt seem like our early game offense will work anymore, so I suggest we extend our power curve to not lose by default when we lose the early game. That''s how it should''ve been from the start, Roi said. Betting everything on the early game is way too risky. It''s like putting all your eggs in one basket, man. Yes, Yuel admitted. As it stands, we cant pull off this approach against Howards defense. As frustrating as it was to accept, this team simply didnt have enough time to practice. Howard has been using his defensive playstyle with the other members all the time, whereas Yuels hyper-aggressive early-game composition was a new approach he came up with for this specific match. If they had a couple of months to prepare for this match, things would have been totally different. Unfortunately, the situation was what it was. A single week of training wasnt enough for the team to master this playstyle. So, Roi started. I can pick Knight or whatever this game, right? You promised you''ll let me pick whatever I want if your idea doesn''t work. Sure, as long as it''s not an early-game class. Yuel wasnt sure how he felt about that remark, though. During the week, Roi said something along the lines of Let me pick what I want if your Dark Knight plan doesnt work out. Yuel thought it was a joke, but apparently not. Seems like he really hated the Dark Knight idea that much, huh. But alright, fine. Dark Knight and the whole early hyper-aggression was an idea Yuel insisted on and it failed, so he had to give it up and to cooperate with the team to come up with a new game plan. Roi wouldn''t pick anything dumb, so this should be fine. In the worst case, Yuel would have to raise an objection. As it stood, Knight was a great pick and they should be able to get it for sure. Instead of concentrating on attacking, Yuel explained. We''ll play the early game more defensively. Wha-!? Julia exclaimed. Something wrong? No, it''s just... Julia shifted her eyes away. Nevermind. Just thought it''s weird. This approach should actually play to your strengths better, Yuel explained. You can stick defense the whole game and it''ll be fine. Sure, Julia rolled her eyes. Because being a defensive player is all I''m good at, right? Other than that, I''m only good for... Tch, nevermind. Somebody is sure in a bad mood, but I dont have the time or skill to appease her. Sigh. Yuel shook his head and went on with his explanation. As long as Julia doesn''t perform poorly, it''ll be good enough. Lars, Dan, and Roi should have more enough strength to carry this team. Yuel just had to lead them effectively. Lars will be the pillar of our offense, Yuel continued. The idea is to have him pick Seraph. Whew, daring, Dan whistled. Going all in, huh. Of course, Yuel nodded. We have to win this game, no matter what. No matter what, huh. Dan smiled wryly. It was hard to tell what was on his mind, so Yuel didn''t linger on it. The main priority is to not fall behind in the early game. After that, well start gaining control during the mid/late game. So, a standard defense plan, right? Roi confirmed. Yes, essentially. Yuel nodded. For Roi and Dan, this must have been the arrangement they were most used to play with. After all, they were members on Howards first string, so their experience with defensive game plans will play a big role this game. In fact, without that factor, Yuel wouldnt have had any hopes for this plan in the first place. The fate of the game was quite literally riding on Roi and Dan''s experience. At around the same time, the other team was wrapping up its preparations as well. We stick to the same game plan, Howard explained. Greg, keep stalling Roi. Tai, cooperate with Ellen to score kills on Lars and keep ganking. As for Gil, Howard locked his eyes with Gilbert''s for a moment, then continued. Keep controlling Mid. You''ve been doing a great job against Julia so far. Sure... Gilbert responded half-heartedly, in an almost questioning tone. Is that all he got to say? There''s no need to say anything else, right? Howard responded to Gilbert''s questioning eyes. You know where you messed up and why you did. I trust you''re smart enough to work this out yourself. Got it, Gilbert nodded. His uncertain expression was painted with determination again. Good, that''s how it gotta be. Maybe I pressured him too hard before the match. Howard pondered. That one rush move Gilbert did during the last team fight was a result of desperately wanting to score a kill on Julia. Why? Probably because Howard said that Gilberts starter position was on the line this match. Howards statement must have pressured the Gilbert into trying his best to overwhelm Julia and prove he was the superior Mid Laner beyond a shadow of a doubt. That led to some riskier plays than usual. Throughout most of the match, Gilbert played more aggressively than usual, but he has been doing a solid job of pushing Mid without outright overextending. However, eventually, this bloodthirsty mentality got the best of him and he fell for Yuel''s bait during the last team fight. That one mistake almost cost them the game. Howard could still stop this charade and tell Gilbert there was no need to worry about the first string. Based on Julia''s performance today, she wasnt ready for the first string in any shape or form. Her defense was airtight but it came at the expense of spending too much gold and she focused on too hard, to the point she always failed to seize the initiative. Ellen insisted that this wasn''t Julia''s full strength, but so far it was hard to believe that Julia was capable of anything mind-blowing that''d make up for her current shabby performance. Thus, Julia had no chance of getting into the first string at the moment. Howard could simply announce that and relieve some of Gilberts stress, but he didn''t do it. A little bit of pressure was healthy and it served as good simulation for the tournament play. As a first-string player, Gilbert will be put through many matches at the regionals which will be way more stressful than this. So, this was a good opportunity to make him get used to playing under pressure. Also, it was a good way for Howard to gauge how well Gilbert performed under pressure. I dont wanna believe Gil got any problems with pressure, but... Howard had to examine this carefully after Gilberts big misplay in the previous game. If Gilbert had some mental weakness like that, Howard will have to work on it during the upcoming year. After Howard finished going over the game plan, the players assumed their positions in front of the computers. In just a minute, the third and last game of the day will begin. It will decide wholl reach the top and wholl rot in the second string. I ran into Roi and Dan, Howard whispered to Ellen. They looked conflicted, just like I thought. They probably won''t perform well in this match either... hey, you listening? Huh? Oh, Ellen shook her head as if she just woke up. Ah, yeah. That''s great. Something wrong? No, I just... Ellen averted her eyes. What is it? Tell me. You really wanna know? My, Wardy you care so much about me~ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I just wanna make sure you won''t drag us down in the next game. Boo, meanie, Ellen pouted. Well, the thing is, I ran into July and... said something I probably shouldn''t have. Which is? I mentioned how she did a great job when she played the bait in the last team fight. I really meant it as a compliment, but I think she didn''t even realize she was used as bait... You think Yuel pulled a fast one on her? Wouldn''t be surprised, considering how rocky their relationship seems to be. I''m not sure what I would have done in his shoes, to be honest. July looked shocked when she learned she was a bait, Ellen twisted her lips. I wonder if she''s still hung up on it. Maybe I should go apologize- You sit down, Howard pulled Ellen back to the chair. We got an important match to win here. Yeah, but I feel like I''ve done something terrible. Just accept that you''re a natural-born terrible person. Hmph, what''s that supposed to mean? Ellen scowled. Jokes aside, what''s done is done. Besides, this match is like an exam. If that much is enough to throw Julia off her game, then she doesnt have the mental fortitude to be a competitive player yet, simple as that. Psychological attacks are part of the game, you should know that better than anybody. Since when you have a problem using them? If it was about any other opponent, I''d say anything to crush their spirits and ruin their lives, Ellen said something pretty messed up with a smile on her face. But, enemies or not, I didn''t want to bully July like that. It''ll be alright, Howard said. It''s not like testing Julia is an important part of this match anyway. She''ll get her chances in the future, maybe even during this year. Right now, the goal is to beat Yuel and Lars so we can destroy their chances of getting into the first string this year. Oh, right, Ellen nodded. July may still make it even if she doesnt do well today. Alrighty, let''s get this game started then~! That''s the spirit, Howard nodded. This was it, the final game. How will Yuel come at them? What did that chess boy come up with for the last round? Hopefully, Yuel has spent all his aces by now. He pulled the early-game Dark Knight aggression, the unpredictable Alchemist and the overpowered Gunslinger. There couldnt be more tricks, right? Howard shouldve countered everything by now. Unfortunately, there''s never knowing for sure with Yuel. That guy could produce insane ideas out of thin air on the spot. Howard always had to stay one step ahead and lead the team around Yuels traps. Honestly, it was quite exhausting. How will Yuel attack next? Howard couldnt possibly tell. Unlike some people believed, he wasn''t gifted with clairvoyance. Therefore, he had to reverse-engineer any potential ideas Yuel could come up by examining his own team. How was the teams formation? What weak spots it had? These questions were undoubtedly somewhere at the core of Yuel''s reasoning when he was crafting his offense. And, similar questions were on Howards mind when he was fortifying the teams defense. The game plan of the team was straightforward: a slow and steady defensive formation which aimed to win during the late-game. There were two major weaknesses in this game plan: a weak early-game and a slow game closure. Yuel will surely try to strike one of these, no question about it. In fact, Yuel has already been striking Howards weak early-game with the Dark Knight pick. Gregory''s turtling successfully stopped this attack during the second game, but it''s not like the approach wasn''t effective. If Roi and Dan were in top shape, they might have carried that game to victory. Nevertheless, the end result must have looked devastating to Yuel. After Howard shut down the early game aggression, his team practically steamrolled during mid-game. Therefore, there was a good chance Yuel will switch up his strategy for the upcoming game in some way. If Yuel wants to keep pushing for an early-game advantage, he''ll probably resort to even more aggressive team composition. That''d be extremely risky, but it sounded like a very Yuel-like idea. Under normal circumstances, that chess boy would shoot for something like that without thinking twice, but will he dare to do that during such an important match? Even Yuel will be wary of going hyper offense like that. Probably. Instead, it was more likely Yuel will slow down the pace because the early-game aggression fell through. That''d be both a blessing and a curse. It''ll remove the need to consistently counter Yuel''s attacks every five seconds during the early game, but it''ll also mean Howard''s team will lose its decisive power advantage during the later parts of the game. Everything will boil down to which side plays the endgame better. But, if it comes to that, Howards team will win. While Yuel was the maestro of offense, Howard was the maestro of defense. Howards team had more than enough defense training to beat a makeshift defensive team. In fact, this would actually be the optimal scenario as far as Howard was concerned. Itll be a surefire victory. But, for now, Howard could only speculate. First, there was the banning phase which didn''t give him much information. His three bans have been already predetermined for him: Shadow Walker, Trickshooter and Gunslinger. Gotta admit, Howard frowned. Yuel arranged this banning lockdown really well. It''s like I dont even get a real banning phase. Howard hoped to learn something from Yuel''s bans, but they were standard jabs aimed to seal Howard''s options: Cleric, Paladin, and Druid. So far, nothing special. The Druid ban must have doubled as a way to stop the turtling strategy in Top Lane. The enemy team selected Knight So, he''s slowing his game plan. Howard nodded to himself. This was bound to happen. Even an absolute mad lad like Yuel wouldn''t gamble this entire match on a hyper-aggressive plan which can be shut down entirely during the early-game. The good news: Yuels team will surely be much weaker without its aggression. The bad news: Roi was a much strong Knight than he was Dark Knight. This matchup might be rough for Gregory. Howard had to pick some solid defensive class for Top. Greg, Howard started. Knight is Roi''s strongest class, so don''t let your guard down just because it''s not DK. Since Druid is banned, I consider picking Vanguard. Is that alright with you? Geh, Vanguard? Gregory made a face. Well, whatever you think is good, I guess. Not exactly the highest motivation, but at least it wasnt a flat out rejection. Some didnt like playing Vanguard due to its masochistic game plan that revolved around receiving hits for others, but it was a solid class for surviving 1v1s. Gregory should be able to squeeze his way out of many tight situations on the lane. As for the second pick, Howard went with Cryomancer before it was taken. Yuel would most likely be willing to pay real money for an option to ban a 4th time just to get rid Cryomancer now, but too bad. Yuels next two picks were still in line with the theory that he was going for the mid/late game this time around, he picked Aeromancer and Aquamancer. These two were picked last game too despite being defensive classes which did better during the late game. Aeromancer was picked last time because Julia has been playing defense from the get-go, whereas Aquamancer was picked for was the ability to destroy enemy protections. And, yet again in this game, Aquamancer was a great pick against the ults of Cryomancer and Vanguard. This niche class was becoming a pain in the butt today. But, it wasnt all bad. By all means, keep going with defense. Howard smiled. In a battle of defense, Yuel had no advantage whatsoever. Even if Yuel planned this strategy ahead of time and trained with the team to play better defense, a single week won''t be enough to compare with Howard''s years of experience. Even pros from the Sweepers said Howards defensive game plan was impressive, to the point it managed to stop some of their offense. Howard won''t be beaten in his own playfield. Unfortunately, thats when something unexpected happened: Yuel picked Seraph, a Hyper Carry. It was a late-game monster who reaped the enemy apart if the game was dragged to that point. Yuel wasnt just clamming up by going on the defensive, he planned to wait for the late-game in order to mount a fierce counterattack! This could be bad. Really bad. Seraph was like a countdown timer for defensive teams. It was no longer possible to take things slowly because Seraph will dominate the late-game. Somewhere between mid-game and late-game, Howards team will have to wrap things up or else theyll be decimated. Damn, why didnt I think to ban it!? Howard gritted his teeth. This had to be some bad joke. After all, it was Lars wholl be playing Seraph. That guy couldnt defend for shit, so how was he going to survive through Seraphs weak early-game and mediocre mid-game? Its unrealistic! And yet, Yuel approved of this absurd pick for such an important match. So, he believed there was a chance this will work. Was Seraph another class Lars secretly trained this week? If his mastery of Seraph was anywhere close to his skill with Gunslinger, this was going to be terrible. A full-blown disaster. Okay, calm down. What can I do against this? Howard took a deep breath. In the end, Seraph was just one class. A single class couldnt determine the outcome of the entire game unless it was something broken like Shadow Walker. Then again, until two years ago, Seraph was actually also an S tier class. It took a while until they reworked its ult and dropped the class down to A tier... Wait, that doesnt matter right now. I have to deal with present-day Seraph, not what it was before. What can I do against Seraph? Unfortunately, the drafting phase has already approached its end and only Gilberts class remained. Ellen has already taken Ranger earlier, so it was impossible to counter Seraph in Bot. Yuel obviously waited until the very last moment to deliver this surprise pick. Dammit! Was there any Mid Lane class which could contribute to countering Seraph? No, at least not directly. The best thing a Mid Laner could do to hamper Seraph was to push Mid hard and finish the game before Seraph reaches its full strength. Either that or help killing the Seraph throughout the game via ganks. But, whats a good pick for any of these purposes? Howard couldnt figure this out on his own, so there was no reason to keep bashing his head against a wall. Gil, Howard said. Got any idea what you could pick to mess with their Seraph plan? Either a fast pusher youre confident in, or a class that can rotate quickly to gank Bot. I got one, but you not gonna like it. Try me. Pyromancer. Thats a bold one... Howard paused. Well, he asked for a name and he got a name. Pyromancer satisfied both conditions, it was a hundred mark answer. Pyromancer was a semi-Carry class with great push potential and it had a movement speed buff via Burning Spirit which allowed for faster rotations. It really satisfied everything Howard asked for. Alas, Pyromancer was a very aggressive and risky pick. It better-suited offensive players with mechanical skill and, unfortunately, Gilbert didnt belong to either of these categories. Not to mention, Pyromancer had a relatively short attack range and that made it susceptible to ganks. Were there any safer options along the same line of thinking? For example, an offensive Mid like Electromancer was a much safer choice because it had a blink in its kit. The enemy Jungler was Lionfolk yet again, so having the ability to get out of the cage of lions without buying Blink was highly valuable. But, Yuel banned Electromancer earlier. That chess boy must have read that Electromancer will become an appealing pick against Seraph and Lionfolk. What a cunning little... There were probably other classes besides Pyromancer which could do the job, but Gilbert specifically brought up Pyromancer. So, he must have wanted to play this aggressive class. That wasn''t like him. Gilbert usually went for balanced classes with a combination of damage, utility and escape tools. Yet, that same Gilbert was now suggesting Pyromancer. You wanna take Julia down so badly? Howard knotted his brows. Gilbert''s obsession with proving his superiority over Julia was messing up his playstyle. If he keeps focusing so much on Julia, he won''t notice what''s in front of him and might stumble at some point. This reeked of bad news. 15 seconds There was no time to think about that. Howard had to make a decision right here and now. It was impossible to properly discuss this topic in just a couple of seconds. Besides, talking too much about it might do more harm than good because it''ll come off as a sign of mistrust in Gilbert''s decision-making skills. That may push the guy even harder to prove his mettle and might result in even more misplays. So, warning about misplays might lead to more misplays. What a silly catch-22. Alright, Howard said. Let''s go with Pyromancer. Just don''t forget to be careful. We''re playing against Yuel, so he''ll gladly exploit everything he can about Pyromancer. Got it. With this, the drafting phase came to an end. The final decisive game was upon them. Team compositions: Yuel: Aquamancer Lars: Seraph Julia: Aeromancer Roi: Knight Dan: Lionfolk Howard: Cryomancer Ellen: Ranger Gilbert: Pyromancer Taison: Vampire Gregory: Vanguard Vol.5 Ch.12: Defensive Gears The last game began. For the third time today, Yuel and Lars faced Howard and Ellen in Bot. However, this time the dynamics of the fight were rather different. For the first time, it was Ellen who went on the offensive during the laning phase. Duuude, Lars pouted. I can''t do anything if we keep running. Lemme at her, I''mma get a kill for sure! Patience, Yuel dismissed the idea. You shouldve known you''ll lag behind during laning as Seraph. Yeah, but Athena is right here and she''s pushing! And I can''t do anything! Gah. She''s playing like this because she knows you cant go in. And, this also doubles as a bait. If you take it, they''ll run all over you. I''ll just beat them, yo! Or, you''ll die and set the whole team back. Geh, okay... Lars pouted but didnt argue any further. As much as he itched to give Ellen some heat, even this goof understood the danger. For Seraph, the laning phase was merely a situation to live through, not a situation to dominate. This Hyper Carry class didn''t have any AoE skills aside for his ult, so clearing the lane was tough. Lars couldnt rely on anything but his basic attacks. As for the enemy, Ranger wasn''t exactly the fastest lane clearer either, especially with Ellens infamous defensive build. Still, Ellen could send her wolf to slash minions in a cone and this AoE attack allowed her to out-clear Lars. Fortunately, Yuel was there to help. He splashed water in a cone on multiple minions with Splash and knocked them up with Geyser Eruption. To make his damage relevant, he started off with an Lv.1 Unholy Grail. It was a greedy power item which didnt provide any MP5 or cooldown reduction, two valuable stats during the early game. Instead, it offered raw power on par with a mid-game item for a much lower price. Unholy Grail was supposed to be a greedy starter item for Mid Laners, not for Supports. However, Yuel had to go that far in order to support Lars''s Seraph during this early laning phase. Thanks to that, Ellen and Howard couldn''t dominate the lane. They still had an advantage, but they couldn''t do much with it. Every time they tried to aggress, Yuel issued an immediate retreat order. What a waste. Yuel thought every time Ellen advanced to the frontline. It''d be so easy to knock her up with Geyser Eruption and assault her. Unfortunately, Larss Seraph currently lacked the strength to finish Ellen off even during such a great opportunity. Seraph''s only weapon was his basic attacks and it won''t become deadly until much later into the game. What a shame. As a result, the early game in Bot was rather uneventful. Taison ganked a few times and so did Dan, but neither side got a kill. Nobody chased kills too hard or overextended too much because they didn''t want to mess up. After all, the risk-reward ratio was skewed when playing a defensive comp. Getting early kills wasn''t that important, but falling behind by getting killed could prove fatal during the mid-game. Thus, both sides fortified their defenses and preserved through the early game to the best of their abilities. In a game between late-game teams, the early-game was just a formality. Neither side cared too much for it and they both wanted it to be over with so they could get to the meat of the fight. The game proceeded like that on all lanes until the average player level became Lv.7. At this point, everybody had their ults and the mid-game was approaching. So, fights naturally broke out. During such a critical time, Yuel found himself hanging with little to no MP. That was the inevitable cost of relying on Unholy Grail. At Lv.3, the item gained an amazing passive effect that increased power by 10%, but it came with the cost of increasing MP cost by 10%. It was a calculated risk which allowed Yuel to defend the lane for this long, but now it forced him into a sticky situation. Theyve ground me out of MP, Yuel informed Lars. I have to recall, so be careful out there. Don''t advance too much and keep an eye on the wards in the jungle. Gotcha. They''ll probably try to pull something while I''m away, so pay attention, Yuel said as he crossed into enemy territory in the jungle to place a Checkpoint Ward. This is where things begin for real. Don''t mess this up, I beg of you. Despite his worries, Yuel had no idea choice but return to base. The enemy made a very calculated decision to focus almost exclusively on Yuel in all their gank attempts. The goal was no doubt to kick him out of lane so they can catch Lars alone. There was no doubt that a storm was coming. Howard also left Bot, so it became a 1v1 between Ellen and Lars. A classic recipe for disaster. Gulp. Don''t worry, dude, Lars said. I got this! Im not sure what you got and I''m too scared to even ask. Haha, Lars laughed as he fired at a minion. Boom! Headshot! Too bad that didn''t do anything when he wasn''t Gunslinger. Seraph''s laser beams were easy to land, so getting extra damage for headshots wouldve been sick. Oh well. Once Ellen killed all of Lars''s minions, she fired directly at him. Yo! Lars dodged the bolt with a roll. You wanna go? You wanna go!? Lars fired right back at her! Ez hit! No headshot, though. But, Ellen persisted and fired again. Ha! No dice! Another supah dodge! Maybe this Seraph dude was a little shabby in the early game, but Lars still had his own skills! He fired a counter right away. Bam! Another hit! 2:0 to Lars. He got this! After the successful hit, three robotic arms stretched from the Seraph''s back. Normally, these would be angelic wings, but that was meh. Instead, Lars had this sick sci-fi skin which replaced wings with robotic arms. This was da real stuff, yo! Each arm held a laser gun they were all aimed at Ellen! This was the power of Seraphs passive: Six Wings of Holiness. Or, in Larss case, it was Six Laser Beams of Awesome. After landing seven basic attacks, these bad boys popped outta his back and were ready to go wild! Whishwhishswhish! One beam after another! No breaks! Ellen dodged the first with a roll, but the next two beams hit her before she even finished rolling! Light speed shooting, yo! Too bad the party had to end after just three beams. The maximum Seraph could fire in a row was six beams, but Lars first had to level up to get more laser juice. The more he levels up, the more shots hell get every time from Six Wings of Holiness. By the end of the game, hell be firing like a Gatling laser gun, yo! Ellen ate up all that damage, but she was still alive. Geh, such a persistence. Did she build defense again? Thats no way to play Carry. I almost got her! Larss heart thumped. It was a chance! He just needed like two more hits and he gonna seal the deal! He was healthy as a horse, so there was no danger of pushing all the way. He had this, yo! But, of course, Ellen gotta be Ellen and run away. No way! She wont get away! Not under Larss watch! He activated Angelic Grace and leaped into the air to pursue. His robotic Seraph launched off the ground with his jetpack and darted forward. Lars gonna get this early kill and bring the team one step closer to victory! They gonna win and enter the first string! Bam! Lars landed another hit from midair! Just one more hit and itll be done! Lars landed on the ground and kept running after Ellen. Bah! Just as Lars was about to catch up, Ellen mounted on her wolf and sped away. Yo, so close! Have fun, boys~ In the next moment, the trap went off. Heeeere comes Taison! Geh! Not again! Lars exclaimed. He was so concentrated on chasing Ellen that he didnt notice he entered deep into the jungle at some point. Nuuuuuuuu! I told you to retreat, Yuel said. Multiple times. Haha, my bad Lars produced a dry laugh as he dodged a kamikaze bat. Yuel probably objected to this chasing, but all Larss head was filled to the brim with killing Ellen and winning this game, so he didnt hear squat. This was kinda bad... Try to get away, Yuel said. Ill get there as fast as I can. Easier said than done, Lars dodged another bat, but right afterward a swarm of bats flocked around him. Gaaah! Now his flippin screen was pitch black! He couldnt even see Taison! This was so fair! Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Daim, I spent my escape tool too. Im such a genius. Lars just moved randomly, hoping hed doge attacks that he couldnt even see coming. Using Angelic Grace for chasing Ellen was a bad move. His only remaining escape tool now was his ult, but he first had to activate Six Wings of Holiness before the ult could be used. So, to escape... he had to attack! But to attack, he had to actually see stuff! But because he couldn''t see stuff, his only option was to escape! So wait, what was he even supposed to do!? He could get rid of these pesky bats CC with Self-Nullification, but thatd leave him at very low MP. His math sucked so he couldnt tell for sure, but there was a good chance he wont be able to use his ult if he spends any MP on Self-Nullification now. Thus, Larss only option was to fight despite his blinded state. Okay, I got it. From now on, Ill be known as Lars the Blindfolded Sniper! Besides, it wasnt like the screen was 100% covered anyway. Lars could roughly estimate Taisons position. Kinda. So, screw the rules! Lars just went for it and fired! Without even seeing his target! The heck is that scrub doing? Taison sneered. He got tense for a moment and prepared to dodge a shot, but the shot dodged him instead. WTF, yo? Did Lars plan to play blindfolded darts or some shit? Khaha! No way that scrub gonna land any shots without seeing- gah!? It connected!? Okay! Thats one! Lars heard the sound of his beam cutting through meat. He had this! Just three more hits with his basics and hell activate Six Wings! Then, hell be able to get the heck outta here with his ult! How did he even hit that shit? Taison clicked his tongue. Well, no matter. That shot caught Taison off guard and he didnt even try to dodge it, but next time hell pay attention. He wont let that scrub hit him anymore! They exchanged more blows from afar. Taison tossed his kamikaze bats whereas Lars fired laser beams into the darkness. As expected, Lars didnt have much success landing shots without seeing his surroundings. Geh, this is rough! Lars was running low at 20% HP. Yikes! This was close! But, only one more hit and hell activate Six Wings! Just one more- whoa!? Giant Bat Dude appeared!? Its over! Taison transformed into a giant bat and darted toward Lars! Taison rammed right into that mofo and transformed back into vampire form. Then, he grabbed Lars and dug his fangs into Larss neck. Gah! I cant move! Lars spammed the entire WASD to no avail. There was no getting out of this stun! Taison gonna suck out what little remained of Larss HP. Gaaaah! Wasnt there anything Lars could do here!? Be ready to shoot him. Huh? Lars jumped. In the next moment, a splash of water hit both of them. The water canceled the stun CC and allowed Lars to break away Sick, yo! W-Wha!? Taison was thrown into a daze. Where did that Aquamncer shithead pop up from!? Didnt Yuel return to base just a few moments ago or something? Shit! This water crap canceled Taisons finishing move! Gotcha! Lars turned around as soon as he broke away and fired at Taison. Alright, Six Wings was up! Now, Lars could do the cool stuff! Shit! Shit! Shit! Taison shifted his eyes right and left. What he gonna do here? He should go after Lars to finish off that mofo, but that damn Yule was gonna get in the way for sure. So, maybe he should smack Yuel first? Or, retreat? Damn, how did this bullshit even happen!? Hes confused. Yuel noticed Taisons slow reaction. Yuels original plan was to get here to help Lars escape, but maybe they could be more greedy and go for a kill. From all the recent exchanges, Lars brought Taison down to 50% HP. With the power-up of Six Wings, Lars could now deliver tons of damage in a blink of an eye. On top of that, Yuel was here as a backup. Considering that Taison wasnt at his best when it wasnt a 1v1 situation, this had to be checkmate. They had him! Keep attacking him, Yuel cast Rainfall around Taison. A gray cloud formed over Taisons head and poured an intense shower which slowed Taison down. We can get a kill here. You aint gonna tell me to escape? Sick! Lars aimed his laser guns at Taison. This gonna be a vortex, yo! Rtatatatata! I aint having this shit! Taison booted Coffin Slumber. This situation sucks, so Imma sleep. Geh, crap, Larss first beam ran into the coffin without dealing any damage to Taison. Stop napping, dude! Wait, Yuel shot a ball of water at the coffin. Ill take the coffin out with basics. No need to waste your Six Wings on it. Okey-dokey. Yuel fired one basic after another. His shots werent nearly as fast as Larss, so this took a couple of seconds. However, once they break through it...! My, such naughty boys~ Ellen crept up on the unsuspecting backs of her enemies. These two whippersnappers were thinking theyre on a roll, but Ellen wont let that pass~ Youre going down, Larsy~ Ellen snuck up behind Lars. Go, my cute wolfie~ Gah!? Lars exclaimed. A wolf pushed him into the ground from behind! Where did this doggo dude even come from!? Wha!? Yuel didnt expect this either. Ellen came back!? Even though she was low on HP!? No, that was a wrong assessment of the situation. Ellen WAS low on HP the last time they saw her, but right now she was back to over 50% HP. She quickly restored all that HP by life-stealing from jungle camps. Dammit! I should have told Lars to get out while he had the chance! Damn! Damn it all! Yuel felt like running his face into the desk. But, it wasnt the time for that. This was his blunder, so it was up to him to fix things. Thanks to landing all these shots on Taisons coffin, Yuel gained enough Water Flow stacks to active Overflow. Therefore, he could spend said Overflow to enhance one of his water spells. Only one of his skills wasnt on cooldown right now, so he went right for it: Geyser Eruption + Overflow = Hot Spring Eruption! Ill just knock Ellen up in the air and- The hunt is on! The Ranger shouted right as Yuel cast Hotspring Eruption. Water erupted from the ground underneath Ellen, but it didnt knock her up; she remained glued to the ground. Her ult negated the knock-up CC! That fox was prepared for everything! But, Yuel couldn''t let Lars die here no matter what! Bye bye~ Ellen stuck out her tongue as she pointed her crossbow at the trapped prey. This was going to be a piece of- Oya? An obstacle popped up between her and her prey! Yuel stepped in to block the bolt with his body! My, protecting your boyfriend with your life? How admirable~ And, how freakin annoying. Ellen tried to maneuver around Yuel, but the brat kept covering Lars from her field of view. What a rascal. Say, Taitai, Ellen called out. How long you plan to sleep in that coffin? Come out and finish the work. Coming! Taison jumped outta the coffin and aimed at Lars- whoa! The next moment, Taison found himself in the air! And, the bat he just fired smashed into a wall instead like a drunk driver! Knockups don''t work on Ellen right now, Yuel chained another water eruption. But, I can at least keep Taison in the air! With his body, Yuel shielded Lars form Ellens shots and with his overflow spell, he kept Taison at bay. Yuel had to do everything in his power to keep Lars alive through this unfortunate situation Once Lars breaks out of the wolf stun, he should be able to get out of here with his ult. Just a little longer and the storm will pass...! Tch, what a rascal, Ellen clicked her tongue. This wasnt going as she planned. Like, not at all. Cmon, Taitai. Cant you land a single shot? So what if youre in the midair? Larsy would have landed every shot from there without trouble. Keh! That one was just a warning shot, yo! Taison took aim again. If Lars can land these shots, then Taison can land them in his sleep! He aint gonna miss again a second time! Okay, careful. Aim for that mofo and then- keh! Another water knock up messed shit up! But, thats nothing, yo! Taison adjusted on the fly and fired while being launched up! It was a hit, boiiiiiiii! Easiest shot of his life, word. The knock-up wasnt enough!? Yuel launched that second knock-up early before Taison hit the ground. The plan was to mess up Taisons aim with unexpected CC, but Taison still made it land somehow. Lars was now down to barely 1% HP! Duuuude! I got like 3 HP left! Lars exclaimed. The wolf finally let go, so Lars jumped back on his feet. But, what was he even supposed to do in this kind of situation!? If anybody merely sneezes in his general direction - itll be enough to knock him out! Run! Out of here! Yuel practically yelled. But what about you- Just get out! You cant die here! G-Gotcha! Lars had to boot his ult: Divine Messanger. You aint getting away, bro! Taison wasnt done yet! He was out for blood and he gonna get it! Whish! Another shot from midair! He was Taison the Combat Airplane! This shot gonna be land perfectly, he could feel it with every fiber of his body! It gonna hit! Lars saw the bat flying straight at him. That squeaky little dude was coming to deliver the finishing blow! Divine Messanger will be too slow! First, Lars gotta roll! Wha-!? Taison gasped so hard he forgot how to close his mouth afterward. His deadly bat crashed into the ground like a blind missile. What a useless little dawg! Im out! Lars canceled the roll into Divine Messanger without wasting any time on the recovery animation, it was a cool trick he picked up from Trever. The laser guns on his robotic arms transformed into exhaust pipes and energy burst out of them to launched Lars toward the sky. Ellen fired a bolt which almost hit Lars on the way up, but the bolt didnt make it. Lars got away! But, what about Yuel? You gonna be okay, dude? You think Ill be okay? Yuel smiled wryly. He was surrounded by two strong opponents, both of which were above 50% HP. Yuel already ate a lot of damage while protecting Lars with his body, so there was no getting out of this. Yuel tried his hardest to slip away, but it was futile. You have been killed! About what I expected, Yuel nodded. This entire situation was a bad call by me. I should have told you to retreat right away. Cmon dude, dont be like that, Lars smiled and patted Yuel on the shoulder. You totally saved my butt there. If you wanna blame somebody, blame me for chasing Ellen like a tool. Oh, right. I forgot it was all your fault. Seems like you need another looooong lecture about not chasing Ellen. Geh! Spare my poor brain already! Heh, Yuel chuckled, but he couldnt curve his lips into a genuine smile. In a way, it was true that Lars caused this entire disaster by insisting to chase Ellen. However, that was still partially Yuels fault. Yuel saw how the entire situation unfolded but he didnt insist to stop Lars. He merely advised asked Lars to stop because it was risky and his reluctant words didnt even reach Lars. At the time, Yuels head was filled to the brim with thoughts about how scoring a kill on Ellen would put the team ahead before the mid-game. He was still stuck in the mentality of an offensive team composition and greedily sought to capitalize on every opportunity. No matter how Yuel twisted it, that was a risky chase. Plays like that fit an aggressive team, not a defensive one. Maybe if Lars could pump out more damage in that fight, things wouldve turned out differently. However, that was impossible to do with Seraph during such an early stage. Lars could only rely only on basic attacks and those were limited in many ways. Despite the problems, Yuel somehow held the front and prevented the worst-case scenario of Larss death. But, everything back there came down to the wire. Way too many things could''ve gone wrong. All it took was one more shot from either Ellen or Taison, then Lars would have been dead. In fact, if not for Larss fast reflex at the last moment, Taisons last shot wouldve sealed the deal. Therefore, frankly, the only reason a disaster was averted was due to dumb luck. Yuel deserved to be ridiculed for allowing such terrible plays. At the back of his head, Yuel understood they were playing with a more defensive formation right now. However, his brain kept thinking of how to attack and exploit weaknesses. Switching gears was harder than he expected. But, it should be manageable. Yuels death as the Support was the least impactful death that could happen right now. It still meant the team was heading into the mid-game with a disadvantage, but there were still ways to turn this around. No, they WILL turn this around. They had to. No matter what. Vol.5 Ch.13: Fatal Hesitation For Julia, everything about todays match was a mess. She promised to do her absolute best today, yet she has been putting on a crappy performance so far. Likewise, she promised herself to go on the offensive and in the third game, yet she was stuck being on the defensive as usual. Gilbert plays a Pyro, for gods sake! Julia ranted to herself. I should be able to beat him with my range. Goddammit. As a Pyromancer, Gilbert had a more restricted attack range than Julia. Therefore, if Julia goes on the offensive, she should have been able to pressure Gilbert and draw him away. The only factor playing against her was that Pyromancer had a faster lane clearing speed than Aeromancer. Nevertheless, Julia should have been able to zone Gilbert out with her range and prevent him from coming close. Alas, Julia didnt do any of that. In her head, she understood what should be done, yet her fingers refused to move. It was one thing to figure out the right line of play and another thing to commit to it. There were simply too many risks involved in that play. To properly zone Gilbert out, Julia had to advance to the frontline and put herself in danger. There was no telling when that dumbass, Taison, will decide to show up in Mid to gank her, so she couldnt advance carelessly. Danger loomed nearby at all times. Not to mention, she has already suffered a horrible death last game when she tried going on the offensive. In her head, Julia understood that she died back then due to her indecisiveness and not because she was trying to go on the offensive. Nevertheless, she couldnt forget the bad taste that left. So, thats how it is? Im only good at talking big? Is that it? Julia pursed her lips. In the end, she couldnt follow up on any of her promises, not even on the promise she made to herself. She was a complete failure. A deadweight for the team. I cant keep playing like this. I have to... Julia trembled. She had to... what? How should she start changing things up? She has already fixed the issue of spending too much gold on wards, for the most part. She still purchased a large number of wards that some would consider too high, but it was just a part of her careful playstyle; she wasnt acting like a paranoid. Buying this many wards wasnt optimal, but having many wards around helped Julia feel at ease. She couldnt concentrate on the lane without being reassured that nobody was going to sneak up to her from the jungle. Therefore, this amount of wards was justified. Probably. Anyway, what Julia had left to adjust now was the way she farmed on the lane. Thats where things were getting ugly. In her head, she understood she had to go out of her way to pressure Gilberts Pyromancer. Yuel told her this numerous times: A Pyromancer you dont pressure in lane is like an S+ tier class. Pyromancer was an extremely powerful mage and apparently, it was totally broken upon release. Even after ClassSoft bombarded it with nerfs, Pyromancer remained a strong pick and could easily get out of hand if not dealt with correctly. So, if Julia continues being wishy-washy, shell let Gilbert grow into a terrible threat for the entire team. At this rate, everybody will lose because of her! God, just make me disappear and never hear about Mancers again... No matter how hard her brain implored her to take action, her body refused to budge. Julia kept playing it safe from the backline and didnt come out of her shell to seize the initiative. As a result, Gilbert strutted all over the lane like a king and Julia didnt do anything to kick him off the high horse. From time to time, Gilbert even had the nerve to leave the lane and go farm some jungle camps. While Julia was busy clearing the remaining minions, Gilbert was working on out-leveling her via extra farm. That guy didnt even see Julia as a threat. Her countless wards captured his crimes in action, so she could easily head over there to assault him. But, she didnt. The jungle was a dangerous place. If she gets ganked by Taison... There he goes again. Julia sighed. Gilbert ventured into the jungle once again, most likely to farm. One of Julias wards captured the criminal hanging around the Griffin camp, so that was probably his goal. The Mid Laners were normally responsible for contesting Griffins, but Julia couldn''t leave the lane while there were still minions here. This entire thing sucked. Couldnt just somebody go there and gank Gilbert for her? Why did Dan have to be on the opposite side of the map right now? Sigh. Seriously, what was Julia supposed to do with this situation? She knew she had to turn more aggressive in some way, but all her ideas sounded risky and uncertain. On top of that, if she does somehow manage to draw out her aggressive side, she might lose something very important as a result. Just kill me. Julia sighed for the hundredth time today. Julia wasn''t the only one having a rough time today. While she was mulling over her options, another teammate was struggling with his motivation and performance. Shake it off! Roi shook his head. C''mon, brain! Do a restart already. In case you haven''t noticed, I''m in a serious match right now. Stop thinking about dumb stuff. Alas, the conversation with Howard kept bugging him. In this match, Howard pretty much had his future on the line and that wasn''t even exaggeration. Of course, it wasnt like Howard wont get into Grandview High for sure if he loses here today, but it''ll definitely make things much harder for him. Sometimes, missing just one opportunity decided everything. As a former baseballer, Roi understood the stakes better than anybody. A single miss could be the whole difference between winning and losing a match. Because Roi related so much, this situation weighed heavily on him. He should be putting his everything into this match because thats what proper sportsmanship dictated, but was that the really the right thing to do? If he defeats Gregory on lane and hat opens a path for the teams victory, then Howards defeat will be on Rois hands. Roi will have to live with the fact he might have killed off Howards chances of pursuing his dream. Unlike me, Howard can still aim for the top. Roi tapped with his leg. This stupid leg killed his chances of ever playing competitively, Or rather, it was Roi who killed his own chances by being stubborn. Either way, the fact was simple: Roi couldnt hope to play baseball seriously ever again. His dream of becoming a Major Leaguer was utterly crushed. But, Howard still had his dream and it was very much within reach. His path was clear: he had to win this selection match, lead the first-string to nationals, join Utopia and get scouted for becoming a pro. It was a straightforward and clear road that started right here from this very match. A match in which, unfortunately, Roi had to be a villain who stood in the way of Howards ambitions. Damn, why it gotta be like this? Ack! Roi got launched into the air! Gregory must have been feeling himself if he thought he could advance to the frontline like this without any consequences. If Roi really wanted, hed whoop Gregorys ass right here and now. While playing Knight, Rois power level was over 9000! But, Roi couldnt bring himself to do it. Destroying Gregory like that might give the team too much momentum and snowball into a victory. So, Roi chose to be a little lax and trust the enemy will be smart enough to know when to retreat. Cmon GG, quit it while youre still alive. Dont stay here with such low HP. Cmon, man. But, GG gotta be GG and keep messing with Roi. Where was Howard at right now? Hed normally instruct his teammates to play safe and all that. Howard should put GG on a leash before Roi turns this brat into a steak thatll feed the team for days. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. While dragging out this silly situation, Roi was gradually losing HP. Gregory was down to 30% HP and Roi dropped to 50%. At this rate, Roi will fall into dangerous territory and will have to consider retreating himself. Now THAT would be an unacceptable performance from Roi. So far, Roi could still kinda justify his passiveness as being cautious or whatever. This was an important match and going on the offensive always harbored risks, so it wasnt too strange to play a little safer than usual. But, outright losing the lane to Gregory? Now THAT would be disgraceful. Putting aside that Yuel would nag about it to no end, there was also Rois pride to consider. He was the first strings Top Laner, so he couldn''t lose the lane to some overconfident snotty brat. That just aint happening. COME. ON. GG. Recall already. Roi sighed. He has already struck Gregory a few times to put the guy at 20% but Gregory STILL remained on the lane. Whats your problem, man? Take a hint already and get outta here before I whoop your ass. This situation sucked. Roi fell down to 40% HP while trying hit that damn GG without going overboard. Seriously, it was harder to NOT kill the guy than it was to poke him while keeping him alive. This was turning into such a pain... All Roi wanted was to give Howards team the fair chance they deserved. The two teams werent balanced in the slightest, so by dumbing himself down to GGs, Roi actually made this game fairer. But, there was a limit to how long Roi could keep this nonsense going. Damn, man. At this point, I got no choice, right? Roi sighed. He has been dragging this for way too long. Gregory had plenty of chances to fall back and Howard had all the time in the world to order a retreat, yet nothing happened. Welp, sorry but this is no longer my fault. You gonna get rekt, GG. First, Shield Bash. Roi charged forward and slammed his shield into Gregory. Normally, this the impact would cause a pushback but the big guy didnt budge. Of course he didnt, because Vanguard''s passive, Immovable Object, negated any form of soft CC that moved the Vanguard around. As a result, the stun part of Shield Bash didnt kick in either because it was directly tied to the success of the pushback CC. The pushback had no effect, therefore no stun. But, that''s fine. Roi didn''t expect any CC outta this anyway. His main goal was to get close and follow up with Blade Swing! Kek, gotcha. Gregory activated Provoke. Come at me, bro! The Vanguard shouted. This meme voice pack for Vanguard was worth every penny, kek. Tch, this sucks. Roi frowned. Instead of slashing the Vanguard with Blade Swing, he was forced to use basic attacks due to that damn taunt effect. But, no matter. Gregory was already down to 15% HP, so this will be over soon- wha!? A ring of fire formed under Roi''s feet! When the hell did Gil get here!? Roi turned aside to confirm the identity of the aggressor: it was Gilbert! He rotated from Mid to Top at some point! Where was the missing call!? Damn! It was a pincher! Gregory from the front and Gilbert from behind! This was hella bad news. Roi had to get outta here! I can''t die here, dang it! All Roi wanted was to make this match a bit fairer. By not utterly destroying Gregory, he was giving the enemy a chance to settle everything during the team-fighting phase. However, dying here wasn''t part of the plan! Dammit, now it gonna look like hes really throwing the game! Shit! How these two are planning to wreck me? Roi shifted his eyes between the Vanguard and the Pyromancer. So, GG gonna CC me and Gil gonna hit me with his ult. Something like that? In that case...! Roi rolled the heck outta there! Shit! Gregory exclaimed. His Vanguard has already raised his foot and was gonna stomp on the ground with all his strength. The idea was to knock Roi up so he becomes an easy target for Gilbert, but Roi slipped outta range! The most annoying thing was that Vanguards Heavy Stomp couldn''t be canceled. So, Gregory had to go through with the stomp he started even though it was pointless. What a waste of skill, MP and time. Okay, that''s one. Roi recovered from the roll and broke into a dash. With Gregory not longer posing any CC threats, Roi had a good chance to flee the scene. At least, that''s what he hoped. Unfortunately, his Knight was moving at a snail''s pace. Ah, shit. The slowdown. Roi clicked his tongue. The Pillar of Fire, which Gilbert used to open this attack, applied multiple ticks of slowdown due to the Chains of Infinity in his build. Damn, I wont be able to get away on foot. Better bring out the horse... ah. Roi paused. He didnt have enough MP, so he couldn''t cast Noble Steed. Daaaaaaaamn! When did he burn so much MP? Or rather, why wasnt he more careful about maintaining enough MP for an emergency like happens!? Damn! I''m an idiot! Damn, there was no time to mull over his mistake. How Roi gonna turn this around? Escaping seemed unlikely. Running away at a turtles pace only gonna make him a perfect target for Gilbert''s Blaze of Inferno. So, in that case...! They say offense is the best defense! Roi dashed straight at Gilbert! The guy had 40% HP left and he was a squishy mage, so Roi might get this kill! Frontal attack!? Gilbert jumped. That wasn''t part of the plan! The simple elegant gank he envisioned turned into a complete mess. So, I''ll have to kill him in a straight fight. Gilbert shook his head to recollect his thoughts. The situation was a mess, but that didnt give him an excuse to just stand there and whine. He had to act. Now. Gilbert started drawing a line for Blaze of Inferno around the approaching foe. Even though Roi was a moving target, the guy was moving like a snail thanks to Gilberts slowdowns. Therefore, it was a no-brainer to hit Roi with every tick of Blaze of- You ain''t casting that! Roi burned what little MP he had on Honorable Duel, Knights aggro ability. Let us fight honorably! The Knight shouted. The taunt interrupted Gilbert''s casting and forced Gilbert to use basic attacks. So, instead of a hellish firestorm, a single fireball flew Roi. Ez parry! Roi swung his blade in the middle of running and sliced the fireball into two. He wont die here! He wasnt allowed to! This entire situation was Rois fault. From dragging the fight against Gregory and up to not keeping mana for Noble Steed 0 everything was on Roi. Therefore, he had to clean up his own mess by winning this fight! Roi swung his blade at the enemy and it struck home. Gilberts Pyromancer was still controlled by the taunt, so he had no control over his movements; dodging attacks was impossible. However, the taunt was short-lived. Now, things will get interesting. How Gil gonna move? Roi eyed his prey like a predator. I bet he gonna start by creating some space. First, I have to create some distance between us. Gilbert rolled aside to get as far away as possible from Roi''s reach. Alright, now to- Wha!? He''s already here!? Lololol, I knew it! Roi slashed through Gilbert again! Too predictable, man! Retreating toward the jungle was the natural instinct when a player was caught in a sticky situation on the enemys side of the lane. Therefore, Roi ran toward the jungle as soon as Gilbert started the roll and caught up in no time! Worst case, if my guess had been wrong, I could have escaped through the jungle myself from that position. 200 IQ play! There''s no choice, Gilbert frowned. I have to take him head-on. He unleashed Flame Wave right at Rois face. With how wide the burst of fire was, there was no dodging the attack from this range. Welp, nothing I can do about this one. Roi ate the fire damage in the face like a man. Instead of wasting time trying to dodge the Impossible, he slashed Gilbert again without wasting any time. It was almost over. Gilbert only had about 25% HP left. Just three more slashes and Roi will redeem himself! So, the first swing! Ez homerun! Alas, the attack didn''t deal as much damage as Roi hoped. Damn, GG is still here? Go home already, kid! Gregory, the absolute mad lad, approached the battlefield and booted his ultimate: Hold the Line! It spread a big aura around him which extended all the way to Gilbert. The aura negated some of the damage dealt to Gil by transferring a portion of the damage to Gregory. Damn, what a pain in the ass. Roi clicked his tongue. Because of this shit, it gonna take like twice the time to kill Gilbert, This ain''t good! Roi had to win this fight no matter what! Maybe I should switch to killing GG first? No, then Gil will run all over me off from behind. What a damn situation. REEEEEEEEEEEEE! Everything was Rois own damn fault. If he hadn''t messed around with GG and took this seriously from the start, GG would have been dead by now. But, because Roi has been taking it slow like an indecisive scrub, he found himself in this gank. Was there even a missing call from Mid about Gilberts rotation? Damn, it felt like everything was out to get him right now. This situation royally sucked in every way possible! Roi tried his best to score at least one kill in this desperate situation, but Gregory and Gilbert ganged on him from both sides. Roi simply didnt have enough damage to get a fast kill here. GG was tanky as heck, so bringing him down required some time. On the other hand, Gilbert was squishy but any damage Roi dealt him was almost halved by Gregory''s ult. Thus, it was impossible to quickly kill any of these guys. And, escaping wasnt an option either with all these slowdowns stacked on Roi... You have been killed! Fuck. That''s all Roi had to say on the matter. From start to end, he has been fucking shit up. This wasn''t how this game was supposed to go. All Roi wanted was to even out the odds of this game a little, not to get wrecked like a pleb and give the enemy an easy lead. He wasn''t supposed to be throwing the game! He wasn''t doing it! He just... Together with Yuel''s earlier death, the team was losing 0-2 while the game was transitioning into the mid-game. Will they be able to recover from this? Dammit, I gotta make up for this shit somehow... Vol.5 Ch.14: JULIA UNLEASHED!!! An ally has been killed! Wha... Julias lips trembled. How could this happen? Roi has just died in Top Lane. But, he didnt just die; he got ganked. And, the ganker was Gilbert, of all people. Its all because Julia allowed Gilbert to do as he pleased that this happened. Oh god, this is so my fault... Hey July, Roi called out. Y-Yes? Did you even call missing on Gil? Dont remember hearing it. I... um... Julia gulped. No, she didnt call it. She didnt call anything. Julia allowed Gilbert to rotate out of lane and gank a teammate and she didnt even notify anybody about it. Goddammit, how bad could she be!? I thought Gilbert was just going for the Griffin... Julia made a weak excuse. Man, you should still call missing when that happens, Roi said. The guy totally screwed me over here. Yeah, I... Roi, Yuel joined the conversation. One of Julias wards showed that Gilbert was heading towards Top Jungle. Nobody could tell for sure where he was going, but you could see he was going in Tops direction. That shouldve been enough of a warning. R-Right! Julia followed up. I put a bunch of wards around, so you shouldve seen the rotation. Hmph. Huh, Roi paused for a moment. Wait, did any of the wards really expose Gilbert as he was making his way to Top? Um... maybe? To be honest, Roi didnt recall seeing anything of the sort, but if Yuel said so then it had to be true. So, just how distracted was Roi this whole time? Damn, this was hella embarrassing. Well, Roi started. I still think she shouldve called missing just in case. I agree, Yuel nodded. But, that doesnt change the fact you werent cautious enough. You shouldve waited until we clarify Gilbert''s intentions before charging at Gregory. Yeah, I guess. Roi sighed in resignation. Phew, looks like Im in the clear. Julia sighed in relief. After clearing Julia of the guilt, Yuel went on to criticize Rois recent plays some more but who cared about that anyway. As long as it wasnt Julias fault, it didnt matter, right? Except, it IS my fault. Julia clenched her mouse. All of this was happening because she allowed Gilbert to do whatever he wanted. Instead of pressuring the Pyromancer as she should, she let that dumbass strut around as if he owned the entire place. Goddammit! This was not good. Julias misplays began spreading beyond her own lane. This was no longer just a question of whether she could defend Mid. Her poor performance was dragging down the entire team. Things couldnt continue like this. At this rate, shell drag the entire team down to oblivion. Theyll lose the entire match and everything will be on Julias hands. God, just end me. Losing this game meant losing the entire selection match. Thatll crush Larss dream of playing in tournaments next year. Yuel will also be screwed by this, but who cared about that idiot. Hmph. On top of that, Julias poor performance guaranteed she wont get into the first-string either. In short, everybody gonna got screwed due to her weak performance. This couldn''t go on. It was no longer just about Julia, it was also about Lars and even Yuel. This match will decide whether they spend the next year as competitive players or as mere benchwarmers. For the two game addicts, this was a matter of life and death. As for Julia... Well, its probably too late for me anyways. Julia hung her head. Considering her awful performance up to this point, nobody would ever pick her for the first string. And, honestly? She didnt think she deserved it either. But, Lars deserved to be on the first string. Heck, even Yuel deserved it. Well, probably. Kinda. Unlike Julia, these two were brilliant players. She knew first-hand how amazing they were because she spent every day playing with them. Thanks to them, Julia improved tremendously and even ranked all the way to Diamond I. So, the least she could do for the boys was to not drag them down. Lars will hate me for sure if he sees how I play aggressively, Julia smiled wryly. But, if playing aggressively will help Lars get into the first string, then Ill freaking do it! Julia put her mic on mute and exhaled deeply. It was now or never. She''ll go on the offensive and wreck all these idiots! Where are you going? Yuel asked. Top Lane, Julia answered matter-of-factly as if it was the most natural thing to do right now. What for? Yuel asked. By the time you get there, theyll start retreating. You wont be able to defend Top much. Defend? Who said anything about defending? Julia cracked her neck. Im done with defending. Im going to murder these bastards! A grin curved on her lips. Her eyes glinted like a polished blade. I know this look. Yuel couldnt believe it but, apparently, it was happening for real. If shes serious about this, she may actually pull it off. Dan, Yuel said. Rotate toward Top. Check for opportunities to pick somebody off. Roger. Was it really going to happen? Will Julia go for her alternative playstyle even though Lars was here? It was hard to tell with this moody girl. But, if she really pulls through and activates her aggressive style, this match will take a huge unexpected turn... Okay, here we are. Julia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She got to Top Lane pretty fast after buffing her movement with Jet Stream. These bastards wont see this one coming! She gonna kill them so hard theyll feel the pain in real life! She gonna destroy them! Okay, first this dumbass over here. Julia noticed that Gregory retreated a little and began recalling. Running away to your mama? Not under my watch! Die, dumbass! Julia activated Squall, which fired a gust of wind. The hit damaged Gregory, interrupted his recall and slowed him down. Youre soooooo dead! Julia grinned as she darted to finish off her weak prey. Wha!? Gregory exclaimed. Shit! Where did that bitch come from!? Hey Gil! Help me out here- You have been killed! Fuck! Gregory smacked the table. Thanks for the help, man. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Why is Julia here? Gilbert was too confused by this development to even come up with counter-play. Julia was supposed to be defending Mid Lane, thats how she was playing the entire day. How in the world was she in Top Lane right now? Not to mention, she apparently snuck up to them on her own and put herself in a dangerous 1v2 situation that couldve easily gone wrong. That was an absurdly offensive play. I dont even... Gilbert blinked repeatedly in hope his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no, Julia was definitely here. And, she just scored a swift kill on Gregory. Haha! Yes! Die! Julia cackled. She made sure to mute herself before her mouth started running off on its own, but that didnt change the fact her teammates were sitting right beside her. So, they could probably hear some of it. Especially, Lars could probably hear her too. He was most likely giving her funny looks right about now. But, Julia didnt send as much as a single glance in Larss direction. If she sees Larss reaction, her fighting spirit will die out on the spot. So, she couldnt possibly check her teammates reactions right now. She had to step on the gas and wreck Gilbert before she starts feeling awkward about all of this. Out of everybody on the enemy team, Gilbert deserved the most painful death possible. That pompous bastard has been feeling himself too much this game. It was time to show him that Julia wasnt some weak player he could mess around with! Cmon! Julia roared. Imma kick your ass to another plane of existence! Youre sooooo dead! Shes going for it? Gilbert frowned. A 1v1 against an aggressive opponent wasnt exactly something he wanted right now with his 20% HP. But alright, he was game. This was a great opportunity to decide once and for all which of them was the superior Mid Laner. Gilbert was in a bad shape, but so was Julia. She was down to 30% HP and she has already spent Squall on Gregory, so her options were limited. Julia still had her ult, but it was practically impossible for her to land it on Gilbert during a 1v1. Hed burst her down if she dares to go ahead and channel it. Therefore, Julia will have to resort to basic attacks while Gilbert had some options. Unfortunately, his Flame Wave was currently on cooldown for a few seconds, so hell also have to rely on basics attacks at first. However, he also had Blaze of Inferno which Roi interrupted last time. The casting of the ult didn''t go through because of Rois taunt, so Blaze of Inferno wasnt on cooldown. So, if Julia gets close, all Gilbert had to do was bombard her with Blaze of Inferno. Thus, despite the slightly lower HP, Gilbert actually held the advantages here. Julia couldnt do anything of note in this 1v1. Gilbert had this one in the bag. Take this! And that! Die! Julia barraged Gilbert with wind blasts. That bastard was soooo dead! Ha! You think you gonna hit me with that shit? Thats cute! Wha?! Gilbert fired back at Julia, but his fireballs missed. On the other hand, all of Julias wind blasts perfectly landed. What kind of wizardry was this? Shes good. Unexpectedly good. Gilbert gulped. He didnt expect things to go this way. Julia shouldve been a defensive player who hated putting herself in battle, yet she packed quite the punch in an actual fight. Was she hiding this skill all this time? Was it for the surprise element or something? Either way, Gilbert wont lose here. This was his opportunity to kill Julia and prove he was the only Mid Laner the first-string needed. No matter how good Julia was at dodging shots, she was still a greenhorn with fewer years of experience. Gilbert has been playing Classmancers for over four years now, so there was no way hell be beaten by this rookie! Die! Julia fired another wind blast as she advanced toward her foe. She had this! Gilbert was already down to 10%. Goddamit, the damage of my basics sucks when I build a defensive build. I hit him so many times but hes stick kicking. Die already! Youve made a grave mistake. Gilbert drew a path of flames on the ground. Julia foolishly stepped within the range of his Blaze of Inferno. He marked the entire area around her with red lines, so she had no way to escape the blaze. This fight was over. Ha! You think thats enough!? Julia blinked forward. She escaped the danger zone in an instant! A cloaked Blink!? Gilbert flinched as Julia teleported behind him. His Blaze of Inferno went down the toilet! But, now youre even closer! Gilbert turned around. His Flame Wave came out of cooldown with perfect timing, so this was the perfect opportunity to unleash it! Itll erase most of Julias- huh!? She was gone! Where did she go after blinking!? Hahaha! How about this, sucker! Julia rolled underneath the Flame Wave just as Gilbert unleashed it! This is so cool! Ive always wanted to do it ever since Lars pulled it off in the scrimmage! It feels SO good! T-This is A shiver ran through Gilberts arms. For a moment, an unsettling image crossed his mind. It was a mixture of mechanical skill which rivaled Larss and sharp decision-making which resembled Yuels. Both skills were right here, packed into one! Ive underestimated her. Gilbert gulped. It was unclear why Julia didn''t play like this from the beginning, but right now she was DANGEROUS. Alarms rang in Gilberts head: RETREAT. RETREAT. RETREAT. No idea who Im fighting right now, but this Julia right here is a beast. Gilbert concluded that he was going to die at this rate. RETREAT. RETREAT. RETREAT. He booted Burning Spirit and dashed out of there as quickly as his legs could carry him. Heh! Coward! Julia could already feel it with every cell in her body. This rush! This tension! This was gonna be a beautiful kill! Goodnight, dumbass! Julia charged her ult, Hurricane, and sent it flying in Gilberts direction. It took the hurricane some time to pick up the pace, but once it got going - it was hella fast! It chased Gilbert and sucked him in. Drat, I cant get out! The hurricane dragged Gilbert back toward Julia! Die, sucker! Julia finished the job with a couple more basic attacks. You have killed an enemy! DOUBLE KILL Yes! Get fucked! Julia pumped a fist. She did it! She freaking did it! Two kills! These idiots will think twice next time before messing with her! She Oh, shit. ......... Lars was staring right at her. His eyes were wide-open. He was shocked as hell. Oh god, I knew this was a bad idea Julia gulped. She has just exposed her ugly side in front of the boy she loved. Thats it, her life was over. Duuuude, Lars finally spoke. That was sick! Eh? You totally rekt these guys! I never knew you can play like this! You wrecked them HARD! I-I, um, yes, I Julia trembled. W-W-What was happening? Lars didnt seem shocked or disgusted at all. In fact, he was complimenting her. How in the world was this even Its not over yet, Yuel warned. Get out of there as soon as you- Here coooooomes Taison! Ah! Crap! Julia jumped. Her engines totally cooled down after scoring these kills, so she wasnt ready for extra action right now! This was bad. She had to get away! After scoring two kills and being praised by Lars, dying right away will be the most embarrassing thing ever! Coming through! Dan leaped into the action from the jungle and summoned a pack of lions around himself and Taison. Yo, Taison exclaimed. You wanna die instead, bro? Imma take ya on! No, Howard retorted. Use your ult and retreat. But I- No buts. This is a 1v2 and you''re Inside Lions the ult. You can''t win here. But July is so low on HP, she doesn''t even count- No, she counts a lot. Didn''t you hear she just got a double kill? If you stay, she''ll fight you together with Dan. I''mma just kill her before she- Retreat. Now. Howard shot a sharp glare. O-Okay, okay, I''m getting out. To the Vampmobile! Taison transformed into a bat and flew over the lions. I''mma get you scrubs next time, word. PHEEEEEW! Julia literally exhaled all the air from her lungs. Thanks, you totally saved my ass- Ahem. I mean, you totally rescued me. Sure thing, Dan gave a thumbs up. Man, I barely got here in time. Yuel must''ve read this situation from a mile away when he told me to rotate here. Good job on that double kill, Yuel could finally say it once the situation calmed down. Suuuure, Julia rolled her eyes. Next time, congratulate me five years after I make the play, She had a sassy tone, but her expression soon turned into a beaming smile. But, thanks for that rescue. It was your doing, right? Hmph, who knows. Yuel shrugged and returned the game. Heh, bastard. Julia chuckled. But, thanks. Really. That last-moment rescue made Julia''s entire play turn out perfect. She scored a double kill and got away scot-free. It was awesome! T-This is really happening, isn''t it? Julia rubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans and put a hand on her chest. Bam. Babam. Her heart was still racing. This situation was unbelievable. She felt like she wandered into Wonderland. Not only did she finally bring out her aggressive side during a real match, but it was also surprisingly well-received too! Lars didn''t seem disgusted with her at all. In fact, he even liked it? Maybe he actually liked girls who acted like this!? No, no, no. It was way too early to assume anything wild like that. For now, she was content with just not entering Lars''s blacklist for her running her mouth like that. So, Yuel said. I take it you have no problem playing aggressively for the rest of the game? Heh! Haha! I''ll murder them all! Good, Yuel nodded. No idea what happened to her, but she finally brought out her other half. This is a huge game-changer. With this lineup, their chances were better than ever. As the match was heading into the mid-game, the team gained huge momentum thanks to Julias double kill. If they can push all the way with this momentum, they might very well win the entire match during the mid-game. Alternatively, if they fail to wrap it up by then, the game will be dragged into the late-game. Thats where Lars will dominate with his Seraph. Either way, Yuels team had the upper hand. They were about to settle this! Vol.5 Ch.15: Slipping Defense Thanks to Julias double kill, the score was evened to 2-2. Although Classmancers wasnt a ball game and the kill count never told the entire story, in this case, the score was a fairly accurate representation of the games state. Each side scored two kills and their positions were even. Neither side held a notable advantage as they were approaching the mid-game. Thats why I dont like the early game. Howard sighed. The team gained an early game advantage by scoring kills on Yuel and Roi, but that achievement was quickly overwritten by Julias double kill. All that effort was essentially wasted. In fact, killing Roi only led to losing two team members in exchange. The payoff was terrible. I gotta admit, Julia was pretty impressive, Howard turned to Ellen. So, thats the full strength youve been talking about? Y-Yeah, Ellen shifted her eyes away with a dumb smile. Her expression was something between happiness and awkwardness. On one hand, Ellen was happy that Julia finally came out of her shell and displayed her full strength in a real game. But, on the other hand... You said you were worried about Julia because you told her something over the break? Haha... I have a distinct impression theres nothing worry about, Howard frowned. Rather, its WE who should start worrying. N-Nah, were fine, Ellen forced a smile. They both knew that Julias sudden change of gears couldnt have happened haphazardly. The girl has been struggling to draw out her aggressive side throughout the entire year, so something must have triggered this change. And, that something was... I really wonder what it was, Ellen smiled like a dummy. Maybe Yuel actually had a pep talk with her? Yeah, and next youll suggest the zombie apocalypse is tomorrow. A very believable theory. W-Well, its not my fault, Ellen pouted. I didnt mean to trigger her like that. Yeah, Im sure you didnt mean to. Youre just a natural-born terrible person, so you did it subconsciously. Rude, Ellen twisted her lips. So, what we gonna do? This sure complicates things, Howard frowned. Larss aggressive strength was already causing more than enough trouble to Howard, to the point Howard had come up with the whole Lars Killer tactic as a counter. If Julia also starts playing like a berserker with high-level aggressiveness, things will get rough. According to Ellen, Julia had two forms. The first form was the one everybody was familiar with: the overly defensive Julia. The other form was the exact opposite: an overly aggressive playstyle. The sudden switch between them was like ice transforming into magma; it was mind-boggling. The defensive Julia was cautious and had great map awareness, so it was nigh impossible to gank her. However, she was too cautious, to the point she missed many great opportunities to kill her opponents. The aggressive Julia was the exact opposite. She struck at every opportunity she got while throwing caution out of the window. As a result, her defense suffered and it was easy to trap her. At least, it shouldve been easy... Back when Julia arrived in Top Lane, Howard has already realized something was amiss. He didnt want to believe it, but there was no other explanation: a wild Aggressive Julia appeared! He had a feeling things will go south from there, so he ordered Taison to gank Top. Alas, Howard wasnt fast enough. While he was busy analyzing that irregular situation and figuring out what calls to make, Julia destroyed Gilbert in that 1v1. Gilbert must have been as shocked as Howard by this development, probably even more. So, Julia totally ripped him apart in that 1v1. I should have ordered a retreat right away. Howard shook his head. There was no doubt that Gilbert underperformed in that 1v1, but Howard shared some of the responsibility too. Howard knew that Gilbert wasnt strong in 1v1 and he also had intel about Julia. Ellen often droned to Howard about Julias amazing potential, so he was very familiar with the topic. However, Gilbert didnt know the first thing about this and surely didnt anticipate that level of play from Julia. Not informing the team about this was a huge blunder on Howards end. All this time, he was sure Ellen has been exaggerating just because she was thinking of Julia as her little sister. Alright, thats enough. Switch gears. Howard closed his eyes, too a deep and slow breath, then slowly opened his eyes again. Learning from mistakes was a good practice, but hanging on them was the worst thing a player could do. He had to move on with the program. Whats done was done. Instead of losing his mind over Julias aggressiveness, he had to figure a way to deal with her. If that double kill wasnt a one-time performance, there was no choice but to classify Julia as a high-level threat on par with Lars. Fortunately, the Lars Killer tactic would probably work against her as well. The idea was simple: Lure Julia somewhere => Make her fight Taison 1v1 => Profit. However, thatd be difficult to pull off consistently. The team only had one expert at luring opponents, so theyll be spreading too thin if they go after both Julia and Lars at once. I didnt prepare for this. Howard sighed. I shouldve taken Ellys words more seriously. No matter from what angle Howard tackled this problem, he couldnt come up with any quick solutions here. The team hasnt practiced any tactics for dealing with two oppressive threats in one game. Unless some inspiration strikes him, Howard could only keep going with the usual game plan. Were entering the mid-game, Howard announced. This game, our formation will be Type-2. Everybody remembers, right? What was that again? Taison asked. Something about going full aggro and kicking everybodys ass? Not quite, Howard retorted. Seriously, that guy had the memory of a flea. In the first place, this team hasnt practiced any aggressive tactics. Taison was drunk. Alright, Ill go over it briefly, Howard sighed. Type-2 is the other defensive formation we practiced. Its the same as a usual defensive formation, except we also try to create situations thatll let us kill a major threat from the enemy team. In this case, Im talking about Larss Seraph. We cant allow that thing to reach the late-game. So, as I said, Taison grinned. We gonna go full aggro, yo! Yes, yes, Howard rolled his eyes. One more thing, be careful about Julia. As you may have already noticed, shes a little different this game. And by little, I mean shes like a completely different person. Dont count on her staying on the defensive anymore. She WILL come to attack and she WILL defeat you if youre not careful. He threw a glance at Gilbert as he was saying this. Just lemme at her! Taison made noise. Ill kick her ass. So, were all clear on that? Howard continued as if nothing happened. Dont engage Julia alone unless you have a big advantage over her. And, a general reminder: don''t wander around alone. This will only make it easier for Yuel to arrange an ambush on you. Once everybody confirmed they were on the same page, Howard spoke directly to Gilbert. Im sure you already realized, but you were too greedy in that fight. I was sure I had her, Gilbert said. So, it looked like a free kill. Did you really have to take on her despite the HP disadvantage? You should''ve secured an escape route first, then fight. But, instead, you chose to go all in and had no way out once things became hairy. I just misgauged her skill, Gilbert said. I didnt expect her to fight this well because she usually only turtles. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Yes, thats definitely a part of it. But, dont deny the other part: you took the fight to her, thats not like you. Youd normally be more aware of the situation. Did you really need to unload your entire kit on her right away? I was just trying to finish it quickly... Gilberts voice went down. He probably began realizing his mistakes while trying to make excuses. Gilbert was clearly out of his element this game and it all started from the unusual request to play Pyromancer. It wasnt like Gilbert was a terrible Pyromancer, it was just that Pyromancer didnt play to Gilbert''s strengths. He benefitted more from balanced classes which could play both offense and defense; an aggressive burst mage didnt suit him. Maybe Howard shouldve tried harder to convince Gilbert against that pick. Anyway, Gilbert must have realized by now that he rushed that fight, so that was good enough for a review right now. There was no need to poke him any further while the game was still in session. Just relax and play your usual game, Howard said. I did say Ill be testing you against Julia this match, but its not like her chances were ever that high in the first place. I just said it to give you a little spark of motivation, thats all. I see its doing more harm than good at this point, so I better come clean. I see. It was one of your usual mind games, huh, Gilbert smiled wryly. Yeah, he totally fell for that one. As much as Gilbert hated to admit it, he was too hung up on proving himself superior to Julia. It has been throwing him off his game the entire day. Julia was just some rookie, so there was nothing for Gilbert to fear. As long as he plays his usual game and helps the team win, hell get his spot on the first string. Therefore, he should only focus on making optimal plays in any given situation. There was no need to chase any secondary goals which had nothing to do with winning the game. Though, given Julias recent performance... No, he had to stop with that line of thinking. Cmon, brain. Stop thinking about useless stuff and focus on the game. We have to win here. The game transitioned into mid-game. Players began leaving their lanes and roaming around. Skirmishes broke out here and there, but neither side won any major battles. Both sides always poked each other and then disengaged. So, its this tactic again. Yuel concluded after observing the enemys formation for a while. Yet again, everybody on the enemy team traveled in duos and trios. This made them incredibly difficult to isolate and ambush. No matter how hard Yuel searched, he couldnt find any good openings in the enemys movements. Last game, this tight defensive formation made Yuel panic a little. He did everything in his power to find a weakness to strike because he couldnt allow the game to drag into the late-game. However, this game was different. His teams composition was geared toward the mid/late game and they had Seraph, a late-game monster. Even though Yuel still preferred to win as quickly as possible, there was no reason to be hasty. Dude, this mid-game is stale as heck, Lars pouted. Cant we just rush them? Theres no need, Yuel said. Theyll have to come to us eventually unless theyre fine with letting Seraph reach late game. Just keep doing what youre doing and well be fine. Meh, so lame, Lars complained but he kept playing as ordered. But, seriously though, where was all the action at? Lemme at somebody, yo! It should be about time. Ellen smiled meaningfully. Larsy must be getting bored with this situation right about now so Ill liven things up for him~ Oh! Lars exclaimed. Athena is alone in Bot! Imma snipe her! Its bait, Yuel said. The enemys game plan revolved around traveling in groups, so there was no way Ellen would just happen to be alone all the way out there. This had to be a trap. Dont worry, Lars insisted. Ill just check it out real quick. If things get rough, Ill get outta there. Wait, this is- Here I come! Lars grinned as he dashed toward Bot Lane. I have a bad feeling about this, but... Yuel frowned. It was risky, but it was also a rare opportunity. Bait or not, this was a chance to strike an isolated target, who happened to be the enemy Carry. If they can convert this into a kill, theyll get much-needed freedom to push Bot without being stalled. Assuming its a bait, where will Ellen go? And, where will she try to set up an ambush? Yuel thought back on all of Ellens baits today. The baits were always well-crafted and executed to perfection, but they were all orchestrated by the same player. Therefore, there had to be a pattern to them which Yuel could predict. Ellens escapes always led into the jungle and this time will no exception. There were multiple reasons to flee through the jungle. First, there were many twists and turns, so it was harder to chase anybody inside the jungle. Second, Ellen had Devourers Mask, which allowed her to quickly restore herself from killing jungle camp bosses. With all of that in mind, what would be Ellens most likely escape route this time? Assuming she wanted to reach a jungle camp to restore her HP after getting away, her escape route will have to lead toward a camp that was currently alive. Unfortunately, Yuel didnt have such information at hand because nobody warded the enemys jungle camps. Julia warded the jungle a lot around Mid and Yuel warded around Bot, but they focused on warding passages rather than camps. Therefore, the enemy camps were pitch-black on the map. Taison got the red buff, so ogres are probably down. Then, Ellen will have to either go for the wolves near Bot or for the hyenas near Mid. Either way, she should pass through this intersection. Yuel calculated the various possibilities and arrived at a satisfactory conclusion. Julia, Yuel pinged the map. Get here as soon as you can. I expect them to ambush Lars here. Gotcha! Julia replied with unusual vigor. For a moment, Yuel almost mistook her for Lars. She sounded gung-ho about the game ever since she drew out her aggressive side. Not to mention, she must have been extra motivated about this play because it involved helping Lars. Okay, Yuel nodded to himself. Julia will intercept the ambush. Then, I''ll intercept Ellen. If this works, we can get up to two kills here. Yuel was the closest to the jungle area through which he expected Ellen to escape route, so he took it upon himself to intercept her. It wasnt ideal considering his low damage output, but he was the only one for the job. Roi and Dan were stuck fighting in Top, so asking any of them to rotate all the way out here would be pointless; they wont make it. Once Lars reached Bot, a 1v1 broke out. As expected, it was bait. Once Ellens HP fell below 20%, she mounted her wolf and darted into the jungle. Dang it! Lars gave chase. Every single time, yo! Can''t she stay and fight for once? Geh! Okay, so far so good. Yuel nodded. It looked like Ellen was heading toward the intersection he had in mind. Meanwhile, Julia was on her way to back Lars up. If Taison arrives to gank, he''ll be forced into a 1v2. That''ll stop the gank right in its tracks and- wait, it wasn''t Taison! Yo! Lars exclaimed. They''re double-teaming now! The enemies who showed up for the gank were Gilbert and Gregory. It was a two-player gank! Of course, theyd gank as a group, Yuel shook his head. He should have taken this possibility into consideration. Everybody on the enemy team was sticking together in duos and trios, so the same rule applied to this gank. Instead of sending Taison alone as an easy target for Yuel, Howard played it safe and sent a tag team. Kek, we got him, Gregory smirked. Let''s finish this quickly, Gilbert said. You got it, Gregory blinked forward and activated Provoke. Crap! Lars wasn''t quick enough to dodge. That taunt skill was way too fast! It was unreactable, yo! The taunt forced Lars to advance toward the Vanguard and fire basic attacks at that big dude. This was the complete opposite of what he should be doing right now. Lars should be creating distance from the enemies and firing from afar, not running head-first into this danger! Done, Gregory said. He''s all yours. On it. Gilbert went in for the kill. While Lars couldnt control his Seraph, Gilbert was going to unload his entire kit to burst the guy down. This time, it was going to be a swift and smooth gank- Not so fast, dumbass! Julia appeared! She unleashed a huge hurricane as soon as she got there. Wha!? Gilbert jumped. That was Aeromancers ult and it was heading straight toward him! I''ll be sucked in if I go any closer! Gilbert stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. Wait, where are ya going? Gregory asked. Come kill this mofo over here. I cant, Gilbert said. Unlike you, I''m not resistant to CC. Huh? Oh. It finally hit Gregory. The closer the hurricane got, the stronger its pull power became. However, Gregorys fat Vanguard didnt budge in the slightest thanks to his passive, Immovable Object. Okay, so, Gregory started. I''mma knock Lars up anyway and- huh!? When the fuck did he get away!? Too slow, dude! Lars rolled away as soon as the taunt wore off. Fuuuu! I fudged up. Gregory cursed. The plan was to follow up with Heavy Stomp while Lars was taunted, but this unexpected hurricane distracted him. Welp, this gank just went to poop. ....... Gilbert just knotted his brows in response because he didn''t have the luxury to talk while repositioning himself. Indeed, this gank didnt turn out well. More accurately, it was about to become a disaster. Thanks, July! Lars called out. You really saved my butt there! N-No problem, Julias cheeks burned. The mixture of ecstasy and embarrassment made her a little dizzy. But, we''re not done yet, Julia shook her head and concentrated on the enemies in front of her. We still gotta murder these asshats! ... Oh shit! Did I just say that out loud!? To Lars!? Ahhhhh! I-I mean, let''s- Yeah! Let''s wreck these dudes! Lars went on, seemingly unconcerned by Julia''s language. R-Right! They''re dead meat! Julia smiled from ear to ear. Phew, there was nothing to worry about. She was still alright in Lars''s book. With Julia joining in on the action, the situation turned into a 2v2 now: Lars & Julia vs. Gilbert & Gregory! My, my, my, Ellen twisted her lips. Her entire bait plan fell through. Hopefully, it won''t lead to any major losses from their side. Oh well, at least Ellen herself got away safely... or not. So, you finally came, Yuyu. Ellen smiled wryly. She knew it was a question of time before Yuel catches up to her baits. And of course, it had to happen with the worst timing possible. Got her. Yuel intercepted successfully. Despite the unexpected factor of the two-man gank on Lars, Yuels counter-play still turned the tables around on Ellen''s play. Julia backed Lars up to make the situation a 2v2, whereas Yuel cut off Ellen''s escape route. From this position, they might get up to three kills! It was time to seize the momentum of the game! Vol.5 Ch.16: Fast Shot Mixups I told you, Howard scolded Ellen. Your baits are pushing it at this point. You should''ve quit before it came to this. Yep, my bad, Ellen admitted. The fact that Julia came to Larss help was already bad enough, but on top of that, Yuel also intercepted Ellen. This entire play might turn into a huge disaster. But, Ellen shrugged. No need to worry about me. I mean, it''s just Yuyu, right? I can dodge his stuff. I really hope so. Just watch me~ Ellen continued along her planned escape route, pretending that Yuel was just empty air. Mr. Genius over there was smart, but not skilled. Even though Yuel beautifully predicted Ellen''s route, he lacked the means to finish her off. Oopsy-daisy. Ellen rolled aside right as a gray raincloud formed over her head. It was only natural for an Aquamancer to begin the assault with Rainfall due to its slowdown effect, so Ellen was prepared. How predictable, Yuyu~ You can''t hit me even if you take five years aim- aya? A splash of water hit Ellen. Eh? What? Where did that shot come from? Like, it was a water attack, so it obviously had to be from Aquamancer, but... E-Excuse me!? Ellen roared internally. That was a hella fast follow-up! No, wait. That gotta be a fluke, right? Ellen recovered the roll and continued running. Another shot came flying her way, but she easily maneuvered around it. There we go. Ellen nodded. That''s the slow and steady Yuel-quality shots I know- kya!? Another ball of water struck her right after she dodged the first! How!? Yuel never fired this quickly! Didnt he need time to adjust his aim because he wasnt mechanically skilled!? This felt like cheating. I, I may be in a tiny bit of trouble here... Ellen squeezed out. Yeah, I noticed, Howard said. Ill try to get you out. Just dont die too quickly. I really dont get it, Ellen twisted her lips. When did Yuyu learn to shoot like this? A slow, steady shot. Yuel took careful aim and fired. The aim was pinpoint, but it took him too long to prepare, so Ellen dodged without trouble. So, right afterward, he followed up with a fast improvised shot. It hit! Ellen failed to react in time. It actually worked! Ever since Ignis completely shut down Yuels shots during their 1v1, he has been practicing the idea of shooting faster with reduced accuracy. The first shot was his usual type: slow and steady. However, the follow-up was fast and instant. That second shot was much harder to land properly, but it was also much harder for the enemy to dodge! At first, Yuel had a terrible aim with these quick shots. That came as no surprise, considering he was the type who couldn''t make a single proper pass in soccer. However, through repeated practice and some vague advice from Lars, he improved leaps and bounds. To take the idea to the next level, he combined his prediction ability with this shot. By predicting how the enemy will dodge his first shot, he cut the time required for aiming the second shot. Even though there was barely any time to adjust the aim of the second shot, Yuel created a mental image of the future aiming hed have to do and he did that before even firing the first shot! Thanks to that, his accuracy skyrocketed and he started landing quick shots. At least, most of the time... Oh, he missed. Ellen blinked. These surprise quick shots have been on point so far, but this one just totally went in the opposite direction. Hmhm, interesting. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Yuyu seems to have learned a new trick. I''m so happy for him~! Ellen smiled meaningfully. But, looks like it''s not polished yet. Say, what if I do something like this? Ellen dodged the first slow shot as usual, then stopped in place. Yes, she was in the middle of making an important escape, yet she froze in place like a statue. Huh? Yuel gasped. Ellen paused? Why? It''d be so easy to hit her now. Except, Yuel''s hand already moved ahead of him and fired the second quick shot. It was aimed toward where Yuel expected Ellen to be next, and he definitely didn''t expect her to just stop in a place like that... As I thought~ Ellen smiled to herself. Yuels quick shots were based on prediction rather than on expert gunman skills. As a result, anything that threw off Yuels prediction guaranteed that his fast shot will miss. Now, things gonna much easier~ Shes good. Yuel frowned. It only took Ellen a couple of seconds to come up with a new way to mess with him. With Ellen throwing off Yuels predictions, his quick shots were reduced to 50-50 at best. No, they even worse. Their hit rate wasnt even 100% in the first place, so even when he predicts right he might still miss. This chase will be rough. Three more hits, thats all Yuel needed to finish Ellen off. Unfortunately, she was already close to reaching her lane. There wasnt much time left. Yuel had to make every shot count! Two can play this game. Yuel fired a slow accurate shot, but it was dodged like always. Then, instead of going for a fast shot, he paused. As expected, Ellen slowed down to throw off Yuels prediction. But, too bad for her because he wasnt going for a quick second shot this time around! Instead, Yuel went for another slow accurate shot. Hitting a slow opponent was a piece of cake even for him! You whippersnapper...! Ellen gritted her teeth. She both loved and hated Yuyu for this bullshit. They were both experts of mind games, like two birds of a feather. And, precisely because of that, they were each others worst enemy on the battlefield. So, Ellen pondered. I need to slow down before the second shot, but not to the point I cant dodge a slow shot. Bingo! Ellen pretended to slow down all the way, but she picked up the pace right as Yuel fired. Smooth dodge. Yuel nodded. But, if you move like this, it becomes much easier to predict. There! Yes! Ack! You flipping Yuyu! Ellen flinched. One more hit and she was a goner! The lane was right over there, she just had to dodge like two more shots and shell be in the clear. But, what else should she try? If she runs fast, Yuel counters via prediction + quick shot. If she slows down, Yuel counters with a slow shot. And, if she slows down and then speeds up, she seems to fall back within the scope of his prediction ability, which lets Yuel snipe her with a fast shot all over again. Then, how about going fast and then slowing down in the last second...! Whoa! The shot passed right in front of her nose! But, it didnt hit. She dodged! Ellen was about to get away- aya! Another shot!? A quick third shot! Yuel fired right after the second shot without wasting any time on readjusting his aim. To pull off this technique, he first had to predict where Ellen will be after his first shot, then from there predict where shell be after the second shot. It was a difficult and unpolished technique, but Yuel didnt have the time to be picky. He had to hit Ellen here and now, no matter what! I cant dodge! Ellen just started accelerating again after slowing down, so this third shot came way too fast! Cmon! Miss! You wanna miss me, right? Right!? No way Yuyu can be accurate twice in a row like that! Cmon, its just Yuyu! Phuuuu! Ellen blew at the screen as if it was going to blow the shot away. Alas, the ball of water made contact. It was a hit! ... except, it didnt deal any damage. Instead of hitting Ellen, the water struck against ice. Ellen was turned into a block of ice! Cryo-Freeze to the rescue! Pheeeeeew! Ellen exhaled all the air in her lungs. That wasnt close at all. Then, dodge better next time. Howard shrugged. Meanie. Ellen pouted. Damn! Yuel was so close! The third shot was actually going to land! But, Ellen was a block of ice now, so she was untouchable. At least, not until Yuel erases her invulnerability. Thats right, it wasnt over yet! He still had Splash, the anti-invulnerability tech! No, its over. Howard erected an ice wall right before Yuel sprayed water. The splash struck against the ice wall and vanished. No way... Yuel bit his lip. As always, an impenetrable defense. Damn! If only he practiced the fast shots a little more, he would have been able to kill Ellen before Howard got here. Now, Yuels only option was to retreat. He couldnt do anything to Ellen while she was healing up inside the ice. If he stays, this will just become a 1v2. So close. Yuel sighed. He almost got this important kill, but Ellens slippery nature and Howards darn defense made Yuel miss the opportunity by just a little. Hopefully, the others were doing a better job in the 2v2... Vol.5 Ch.17: Gilberts Hesitation The fight between Lars & Julia and Gilbert & Gregory began. Die! Julia fired wind blasts. Tch, Gilbert got hit despite his attempt to dodge. Julias attacks were fast and fierce, she has been playing like Gilbert has never seen before. From the moment she arrived, she has been relentlessly barraging Gilbert and he couldnt do anything about it. Thankfully, Gregorys ult was mitigating some of the damage Gilbert was receiving. That kept Gilbert alive for now. Otherwise, he would have been dead meat by now. This fight is getting ugly. Gilbert assessed the situation. While Gilbert was busy dealing deal with Julia, Gregory has been trying to aggress on Lars with little success. As a melee fighter, Gregory had to get close in order to strike. Unfortunately, Lars constantly maneuvered around the area to get out of Gregorys range and fired from afar. As a result, the only thing Gregory achieved was keeping Lars away from Gilbert. Per Howards orders, everybody should prioritize killing Lars whenever there was a chance. Therefore, Gilbert should be following Gregorys offense and focus on taking Lars down. Alas, Julias presence ruined everything. She stuck to Gilbert like glue and shut down all his offensive options. Her earlier surprise Hurricane forced Gilbert to retreat away from Lars and that gave Julia enough time to step in between the two of them. So, to get to Lars, Gilbert first had to pass through Julia. You aint getting through! Julia fired without tiring. You wanna kill Lars? Over my dead body! Geh! Gilbert flinched. Even though he used a dodge-roll, Julia immediately hit him during the recovery animation. How could she be so good? She was supposed to be nothing more than a scaredy-cat defensive player. This plain wrong. Go down already...! Gilbert cast Pillar of FIre under Julia while she was busy shooting. Alright, this should do the trick! Thanks to the Chains of Infinity in Gilberts built, the ticks of damage from Pillar of Fire will slow down Julias movements. Thatll make her into a much easier target- Not gonna work, dumbass! Julia blinked away as soon as she saw the circle of fire forming under her feet. She completely dodged Pillar of Fire! Seriously? Gilbert grimaced. Whats with this reaction speed? Its almost as if Julias reaction time was on par with the likes of Lars and Taison. How was that even possible!? Damn, each and every one of these rookies. Gilbert gritted his teeth. These greenhorns were one year younger than Gilbert and they havent been playing the game for nearly as long as him, and yet...! Damn. Gilbert had to put them in their places! Dont force the fight, Howard cut into Gilberts thoughts. You cant win every battle. I thought you learned that a long time ago. Ah, I... Gilbert paused for a moment. You cant win every battle. These words took Gilbert back all the way to the first time he came across Classmancers in grade school. It was during fifth grade when he first heard classmates getting excited over some RPG MOBA thing, whatever that meant. Out of curiosity, Gilbert took a peek at their tablets and followed the match. On the surface, it didnt really look like anything special. The graphics werent on par with AAA games and the map looked kinda small and basic. Nothing to be excited about, really. However, one boy in the group caught Gilberts attention; it was Howard. Ted, Howard called out. Rotate to Mid, please. Why, though? Gilbert cocked his head at this request. Howard was apparently asked his ally, Ted, to head to the middle lane of the map. But, why? As far as Gilbert could tell, Howards team was already in the lead in the middle lane and another ally was already protecting that lane. So, wasnt it better to make Ted push somewhere else? From how Gilbert understood the game, the objective was to push as much as possible in order to invade the enemy base, so... A few seconds later, the reason revealed itself. Right as Ted reached the middle lane, an enemy wolfman jumped appeared the opposite jungle! If not for Ted getting there in time, the situation on the lane would have turned into a dangerous 1v2, which would have surely spelled disaster. Howard told Ted to go mid to counter that ambush!? Gilberts jaw dropped. T-This was kinda... A-Amazing! He has never seen anything cool like that before! As a result of this play, Ted and his ally on lane turned the tables on the enemy and killed the wolfman attacker. Then, hey pushed through the middle lane together and the entire team gained huge momentum. Many other things happened that game too, but this one brilliant play was burned into Gilberts mind to this day. Right afterward, Gilbert joined that group of boys and started playing Classmancers with them. He couldnt tell left from right at first, but everybody helped him get up to speed. Especially, Howard was extremely knowledgeable about the game and taught Gilbert many useful things. There was also Aron, a stern boy who was one year older than the rest and gave all his advice in a form of criticism. It didnt take long for Gilbert to realize how deep and complex the game was, which made it that much more fun to learn. He believed that, with enough study and practice, hell eventually get to Howards level and will be able to pull off cool tactics too! Thanks to everybodys help, Gilbert grasped the concepts of the game in no time and learned how to do his job in every role. However, he was painfully far from pulling off any of the cool plays he had in mind. To win a match, the team had to push all the way into the enemy base. To do that, the team first had to get some kills and get the enemy defenders out of the way. Therefore, scoring kills was crucial. Especially, when Gilbert played Mid, one of his main jobs was to burst down as many enemies as possible during team fights. Alas, that was easier said than done. The first shocking event that was burned into his mind was back when he ran into Trever in the jungle. It was a fair 1v1 and they both had damage-dealing classes, so it was supposed to be a close fight, right? Wrong. Tough luck, kid! Trever decimated Gilbert without breaking a sweat. Even though it was a 1v1, to Gilbert this felt more like a 1v100. W-Well, hes a year older than me so, of course, hes stronger. Gilbert tried to wave off the result based on the age difference. It wasnt even an excuse or anything, it was the truth. Trever and Aron have been playing the game for much longer than Gilbert, so thats why they defeated him so easily in 1v1. ... then, what about Ted? And Scott? And Billy? They were all fifth graders just like Gilbert, yet theyve also been tearing him apart in 1v1. Hey look, its Gil! Ill kill him real quick before I recall. Oh shit, a gank!? Oh, nevermind, its just Gil. I can handle this. If it was just Gil, there was nothing to worry about. That was the general consensus formed in the group. Despite Gilberts efforts to get kills on these guys, he rarely ever won a fight against any of them. They were all so wild, so fast and so strong. He simply couldnt keep up with them. Why? Why cant I kill them?! Gilbert slammed his controller. Careful, youll break it. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. E-Eh!? Gilbert jumped. He shouldve been the only one left here, but Howard returned to the classroom for some reason. I know the feel, Howard said. Sucks when you get run over in 1v1, right? Trust me, I know. Theres somebody who mops the floor with me every day in 1v1, haha. Mops? You? Gilbert blinked. Within their group, Howard was actually quite skilled in 1v1 situations. So, who could possibly mop the floor with him like that? And, on a daily basis, too. Anyway, Howard continued. You cant beat everybody. Sometimes, you gotta let go. But, Gilbert objected. If I cant beat them, then we cant win. Nah, thats not true. Huh? I think you''re just too hung up on the idea of winning. You dont have to win every battle to win the war, Howard explained. Think of it this way: as long as you havent lost, the enemy hasnt won either. Huh? Well, thats true, I guess. Getting kills is important and all, but Mancers is a deeper game than that. If you cant beat somebody, dont push it. Avoid the fight and search for a better opportunity next time. Theres nothing wrong with retreating when you cant handle something. Just defend against them until they mess up, then punish them. Thats how you do smart defense. Smart defense... Gilbert mumbled. Howards words were simple, yet strangely captivating. There was some sort of wisdom in them that transcended the understanding of a mere grade-schooler. So, Gilbert started. How exactly do I play this smart defense? Ill teach you all about it, Howard answered with a delighted smile. Its my favorite strat. That day, Gilbert learned a valuable lesson that has been guiding his playstyle ever since. Against mechanically skilled opponents, there was no need to rush into a 1v1. Even when Gilbert couldnt score a kill, it was fine as long as he didnt die himself. Ever since he started applying this mindset, he noticed something interesting: the enemies he thought were unbeatable actually had very obvious flaws. As long as Gilbert was on the defense, the enemies chased him, unloaded their entire kits on him and overextended all over the place. They hungered for that one kill so much that they were willing to throw caution to the wind. A chance! Gilbert turned around once the effect of Trevers The Hunt is On expired. Say what!? Trever exclaimed. Heh, you finally going to fight, kid? I can win here. Gilbert opened an attack. Trever exhausted all his tools against Gilberts defense, so this was a chance to turn the tables around! Gilbert activated Eldritch Nightmare to cover the entire area in darkness and attacked with everything he had. Gah! I gotta get out! Trever realized his mistake, but it was too late. He was way too deep into enemy territory to make an escape now. It was over. You have killed an enemy! That was the day Gilberts playstyle was fleshed out. When he faced a weaker opponent, he immediately went with an offense and struck them down. On the other hand, when the opponent was too strong, Gilbert focused on defense and waited for the right time to strike back. As soon as the opponent showed any hint of weakness, Gilbert instantly switched to offense and struck them where it hurt. Thats exactly what he should be doing against Julia right now. This entire time, Gilbert has been trying to keep up with Julias attacks and strike her down, but it was a mistake. As frustrating as it was to admit, Julia was apparently more skilled than Gilbert in a fight. Even though she was a rookie, he couldnt handle her wild attacks in a straight 1v1. Therefore, he should simply stop trying. Trying to achieve the impossible wont help the team win. Calm down. First, Gilbert had to slow down and reassess the situation. Admitting that he was weaker than Julia in a fight was embarrassing, but playing Mid wasnt just about scoring kills in 1v1s. Not being able to beat Julia in a 1v1 didnt mean Gilbert couldnt be a better player than her. While Julia had her explosive offense, Gilbert had his balanced combination of offense and defense. Perhaps he couldnt defeat Julia upfront, but he could outwit her and turn the tides in his favor. Gregory is starting to run low. Gilbert threw a glance at the ongoing fight between Gregory and Lars. About half the damage that piled on Gilbert was transferred to Gregory and thats on top of the damage Lars dealt to Gregory directly. As a result, despite Vanguards tankiness, Gregory has been falling apart. At this rate, this battle will be lost. What were Gilberts options here? Getting a kill on Lars would be great, that was the goal of this gank in the first place. However, that possibility has been slipping farther and farther away by the moment. If Gilbert could somehow get Julia out of the picture itd be great, but he couldnt defeat her right now. Then, what else could he do here? Retreat? Gilbert may make it out alive if he starts running now, but Gregory was doomed for sure. Not to mention, running away against Julia felt wrong. If he was truly the superior Mid Laner here, he should be able to find a way to both survive AND turn the tables around on Julia. What was Julias weakness? Where did her overwhelming offense slip up? How could he turn the situation against her? These were the questions he had to answer while deflecting her blows. You flipping dumbass! Julia cursed. Stop dodging and get dead already! Her defense isnt that good. Gilbert dodged shots and observed Julias movements. This explosive offense was indeed overwhelming, but it left Julia wide open to counter-attacks. If Gilbert can just find the right timing for striking her...! What are you doing? Howard asked in a stern voice. Retreat already. I didn''t think I even had to say it. Ah. Gilbert paused. Retreat? Against Julia? Was this situation so lost that there was no other option? But...! Unfortunately, the decision was made for him. Lars slipped past Gregory and darted toward Gilbert. Now, there were two damage dealers on Gilbert''s tail. The effect of Vanguards ult won''t last much longer, so Gilbert had to get away while he still could. Alright, full defense. Gilbert had to get out of here alive, even if it meant giving Julia another win. Itll be a small price to pay compared to giving Julia an actual kill. You ain''t getting away! Julia moved to cut off Gilbert''s escape route. She has been saving Squall for a moment like this, so it was time to put it to use. Eat shit! I knew that''ll come. Gilbert nodded to himself. Julia kept her slowdown tool for the moment Gilbert decides to flee. To counter that play he booted Burning Spirit, which gave him a boost to his movement speed. It allowed him to speed up ahead and dodge Julias blast of wind. Goddamit freaking aghhh! Julia roared incomprehensibly as she continued chasing. There was only one nearby exit from the jungle and it was narrow. Itll be easy to hit Gilbert once he''s forced into that passage- Whoa! Watch out! Lars called out. Wha- Ah!? Flames rained from the sky! Blaze of Inferno! The hellfire covered the entire entrance to the narrow passage and threatened to torch anybody who approached. That stupid dumbass idiot...! Alright. Gilbert should be safe now. It was unfortunate he had to spend his ult like that, but it created the strong line of defense he needed to slip away from his pursuers. It served as but a momentary slowdown against his pursuer, but thats all he needed to get away when his movement was boosted by Burning Spirit. Im safe now, Gilbert nodded to himself. Though, Lars still got a chance to catch up if he has Six Wings + his ult. But, last Ive seen he didnt have Six Wings, so I should be safe. Oh man, Lars started slowing down. He got away. I should''ve saved my Six Wings for this. He had Six Wings earlier, but he unleashed all the fast shots on Gregory to scare that tanky dude out of the picture. As a result, he didn''t have access to his ult now, so he couldn''t pursue Gilbert anymore. We can still catch up! Julia cast Jet Stream, which created a trail of wind in front of the nearest jungle wall. You wanna keep chasing? Lars asked. I don''t think we can outrun that dude. Jet Stream buffed the movement speed of allies who passed through it, but Gilbert also buffed his own movement speed. So, considering the current distance between them, they couldnt possibly catch up on foot with just a little boost of speed. No, idio- Ahem! Julia cleared her throat. You can cut him off with your leap! Oh, you mean to jump across the wall? I can hop over this wall, but that aint enough to get me to the lane from here. Lars was still too far away from Mid. He could diagonally leap over the wall in front of him, but thatll still keep inside the jungle. No, the wind! Julia insisted. Jump through the wind and itll send you flying all the way to lane! Huh? Oh, right! That stuff really worked that way! Lars grinned. This was one heck of a rare play, but he saw this sick stuff before. Angelic Grace into Jet Stream gonna lead to some cool results! As Lars approached the stream of wind, he activated Angelic Grace. Even though it was a leap ability, in practice it was more like an airplane going taking off. The Seraph ignited his jetpack, did a cool spin while jumping forward and only then took off toward the sky. That horizontal jump at the beginning of the animation was the key to this entire play. While still taking off from the ground, Lars passed through the jet stream and VROOOM! He was launched toward the sky like an arrow! Woohoo! Lars cross over the first jungle wall and also went beyond the jungle wall behind it! He reached all the way to Mid with a single jump! Sick pro-level shortcuts, yo! Angelic Grace kept him afloat for a while, so he could snipe anybody from this high ground. From this position, it was easy to see the entire lane and find his prey. Gotcha! Lars fired without warning. Bam! Hit! And, another one! And another! Even without Six Wings, late game''s Seraph''s shots were preeeeeetty good! Wha!? Where!? Gilbert jumped. One laser beam pierced his back, another struck his shoulder and a third landed on his head. How!? Did Lars have Six Wings after all!? No, Seraph couldn''t fire from the sky during Divine Messenger, so that had to be Angelic Grace. Did Lars blink through one wall and then leaped over the next wall? No, that sounded unlikely either... Damn! None of that mattered right now! Gilbert had to figure out how to dodge Lars''s snipes- agh! A fourth hit! The attacks just kept coming! Damn, it''s over... Gilbert sighed. One more hit and he was done. He did everything he could, but that was the end of the line. Once within Lars''s firing range, nobody could get away. It required a superhuman reaction speed or an acute ability to read opponents movements, but unfortunately, Gilbert didnt possess either of those skills. He lost enough matches back in grade school to know he couldn''t overcome such a difference in skill. Well, at least the one to kill him will be Lars and not Julia... You have been killed! Vol.5 Ch.18: Do I Have the Right to Win? You have been killed! Heh, that guy is one hell of a sniper... Gilbert smiled wryly. This death was so frustrating that he had to laugh it off or else it''ll eat away at him. Seriously, Gil? Howard frowned. You gonna pretend Lars''s skill is too much for you? What kind of excuse is that? Gilbert didn''t lose to something simple like inferior skill. Classmancers wasn''t some shallow game where everything could be blamed on a difference in mechanical skill. Gilbert should have known that well by now, and yet... Gil may become useless at this rate. Howard concluded. A fighter who lost his determination to adapt was useless. With that kind of mentality, Gilbert will keep losing time and again. Was there anything Howard could do to still salvage Gilbert? Scolding may make Gilbert even more conscious of his faults and thatll drag down his performance even further. At the same time, giving Gilbert empty praise like you did your best may make Gilbert think there was really nothing he could''ve done in that situation and that admitting defeat was alright. It was a delicate issue. Howard couldn''t tell for sure how Gilbert may react, so it was safer to not poke this beehive. It was a rare display of weakness from a player who was otherwise solid and consistent, so Howard didnt know how to deal with this yet. It was unfortunate, but Gilbert lost to the pressure and to his pride, and this wasn''t the first time either. I don''t like this, Howard frowned. In a tournament match, things like that are fatal. Consequently, Howard''s eyes naturally fell on Julia''s status. As if responding to his gaze, a message popped up. An ally has been killed! Julia finished off Gregory shortly after Gilbert''s death. The 2v2 turned into an unfortunate 0-2 for Howards team. Lars performed well in that fight, as expected from him. However, surprisingly, Julia also put on a very strong showing there. From how she countered the gank with Hurricane by separating Gilbert and Gregory, and all the way to the final play where she combined Jet Stream with Angelic Grace to catch up to Gilbert. Truly, Julia executed this attack with finesse. It was a type of aggressiveness that Gilbert lacked. Hmm, I wonder... Howard didn''t expect such thoughts to emerge during this selection match, but there was no denying that Gilbert had a tendency to underperform under certain circumstances. Of course, Julia also had her own bag of problems. However, if she can learn to consistently play like shes playing right now, then... Haha! Julia pumped a fist after scoring a kill on Gregory. Get cucked, bastard! Awesome job, July! Lars called. We got them both! Y-Yeah! A wave of heat spread throughout Julias body as the situation sank in. Not only did Lars just praise her for playing aggressively, but they made a beautiful combo play together! The game was a blast and was on a roll! It was awesome! I can do it! Julia clenched her mouse. If she keeps playing like this, shell deliver victory to the team for sure. Shell murder everybody for the sake of getting Lars into the first string! Yeah, thats right! You idiots all gotta die for the sake of my love! However, right now, there werent any enemies in sight. So, Julia took a deep breath to calm down. If she stays in this hyper state the whole time, her heart will explode for sure. Therefore, until she runs into another enemy, it was better to switch gears for defense- wha!? A wild Ellen appeared! Sorry, July, Ellen smiled wryly. I knew youd stay here for a little too long like that. It was a habit Julia exhibited from time to time when they practiced together. After scoring a kill, Julia remained at the same place for a few seconds, supposedly to cool her engines. During this short period of time, she was in a limbo between her offensive and defensive sides. Therefore, any surprise attack would catch her off-guard! S-Shit! I gotta-! Julia jumped. She had to defend! No, to attack! Wait, what was her HP? What was Ellens HP? What was- AH! A wolf jumped on her and pinned her to the ground! Its not exactly fair to use this against you, Ellen thought. But, everything is fair in love and war, right? Youre fighting for the boy you love and so do I. And, I have to win to stay on the first string, so... sorry. Ellen relentlessly barraged Julia. It felt bad exploiting Julias weaknesses like that, but it couldnt be helped in this serious match. In order to win, Ellen had to use every trick and tool at her disposal, no matter how low she had to stoop. You have killed an enemy! I hope I redeemed myself a little, Ellen said. This kill should compensate at least a little for the fact she was likely the one who triggered Julias aggressive side. Good work, Howard nodded. Make sure to advise the others too about how and when its best to attack Julia. Roger~ So, Howard pondered. Even with this stronger playstyle, Julia still has some glaring flaws to overcome. Apparently, it took Julia some time to switch time from offense to defense and vice versa. During that period, she was a vulnerable target. In other words, she wasnt good at quickly adapting to surprises which required switching her focus. This was the exact opposite of Gilbert, who trained himself to switch gears in an instant. But, in Gilbert''s case, the tradeoff was that both his offense and defense werent as outstanding as Julias. I guess I cant have it all, huh. Howard shook his head. One Mid Laner had balanced offense & defense, while the other had hyper offense & defense but could only pilot one mode at a time. Cant these two just fuse into one player? Seriously. Which of these two will prove more useful in tournaments? It was hard to tell at the moment. However, one thing was for sure: Julia was on Howards radar. By the end of this match, Howard will have to decide which of the two he prefers for Mid. But first, his team actually had to win this game. The late-game was approaching and the threat of Seraph was growing ever nearer. Gil, Howard called out. Focus on defense for now. No need to chase kills for now, not even against Lars. Alright... Gilbert''s tone implied he understood the criticism hidden in this order. As a hyper-defensive team, they only had two players who served as attackers: Taison and Gilbert. So, an order which sent one of the two attackers to defense sent a pretty clear message: You''re not doing your job on the offense, so Im taking you off that role for now. I suppose that''s fair. Gilbert nodded with a difficult expression. It was the second time he overextended this game. Or, at least, Howard clearly saw these two occurrences as overextensions. I think I couldn''t help it in both cases because of the surprise element, but I digress. Fact is, I died twice and I''m sure Howard isnt a fan of this trend. Alright then, defense it is for now. The teams situation as a whole was far from good right now and things were only getting worse. Howard had to leave Taison alone in Top when he dashed to rescue Ellen, so now the Taison vs. Roi fight was coming to an end. Throughout that 1v1, Taison held the upper hand overall with his impressive dueling skills. However, the situation was coming down to the wire. It was turning into the kind of scenario which Yuel liked exploiting. Tai, retreat, Howard ordered Huh??? Taison made noise. But I''m totally owning this mofo! I can beat him- Retreat. Now. If you don''t, you''re going to be ganked. Tch, okay. Taison turned around and darted toward the jungle. Alright, let''s see, Howard visualized the many different escape routes Taison could use. Which was the most predictable? Which was the fastest? And most importantly, which one was Yuel most likely to target? This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. If Howard lets Taison run freely, Taison will probably go straight through the center of the jungle and will recall from there. However, such a route would be too predictable. Therefore, the most straightforward counter would be to make Taison take an unexpected turn somewhere along the way. But, will that be enough to throw Yuel off? Damn, I don''t know. Howard rubbed his eyes. On one hand, Yuel surely knew Taison''s most likely escape route, so he may choose to target it. In that case, telling Taison to stray from that route would be ideal. On the other hand, by now Yuel must have figured many of the quirks of Howard''s defensive shot-calls. So, Yuel may instead predict the alternative escape route which Howard had in mind. In that case, leaving Taison to his own devices would actually be the better move. Does Yuel even have a way to guess which of the two scenarios is more likely? Howard couldn''t tell for the life of him. That chesskid could see like twenty turns ahead, so all Howard could do here was to gamble on one of the two approaches. Thus, he decided on the alternative escape route he came up with. Tai, Howard called while drawing a route on the mini-map. Escape like this. Huh? Why, tho? Isn''t it safer to just go straight through the jungle? Yeah, it is. That''s what the enemy ganker gonna think too. Oh! So, it''s like mind games and shit! Okay, okay. Gotcha, fam. So, you want me to run around in the jungle and then actually get back to lane? Yeah, basically. You got it! And now, to pray that this coin flip is successful. Howard tapped his foot as he awaited Yuel''s response. Roi, Yuel started. Chase Taison. You sure it''s a good idea? I''m kinda running low myself, ya know. Don''t worry, they can''t gank you. After all, both Howard and Ellen were in Bot Jungle. Howard has already spent his Teleport to rescue Ellen, while Ellen surely didn''t have enough gold to buy Teleport considering all the Checkpoint Wards she has been buying. Okay, I just hope it doesn''t backfire, Roi gave chase. I really can''t die here, so I better maintain some distance. If things get dangerous, I better bolt. Another stupid death here would make it look like I''m throwing the game. Better safe than sorry! Dan, Yuel drew a path on the mini-map. Cut off Taison''s escape route through the jungle. ........ ... Dan? Huh? Ah, yeah, right! Go gank and shenanigans! On it, chief! Good, Yuel nodded. That pause was a little odd but it didn''t sound like Dan had any objections. Good, everything was set. Taison will either run straight through the jungle and will get cut off by Dan, or Howard will tell Taison to take a misleading turn somewhere along the way. For that reason, Roi will remain on Taison''s tail and will constantly reveal Taisons course. If Taison curves, Roi should be able to catch up and slow Taison down until Dan arrives for backup. It was a flawless pincer. So, I gotta kill Taison, huh. Dan smiled wryly as he ran through the jungle. With Roi pursuing Taison from the other side, this pincer looked pretty solid. Taison was running low on health, so it should be enough to just leap on him and use Mighty Roar afterward. Thanks to Lionfolk''s passive, Superiority, the CC from Mighty Roar gonna hit Taison pretty hard and itll be an ezpz kill. If Dan kills Taison, itll be the third death for the enemy team after Gilbert and Gregory; the situation will become a nasty 4v2. Even the almighty Howard, the Big Shield Dude himself, won''t be able to defend from that position. There simply won''t be enough resources to build a solid defense. So, if this pincer gank succeeds, it may very well spell Game Over for Howard. It was a huge play. Should I really be doing this? Dan clenched his mouse. It felt wrong. For Howard, this match will decide whether he can play in tournaments, which will determine his chances of getting into Grandview High. Thatll directly affect his chances of being scouted for the pro scene during high school. In other words, this little inter-club match might decide Howard''s entire future! Wasn''t that absurd? Like, they were just middle schoolers, they werent supposed to worry about difficult stuff like getting a job. Well, at least Dan definitely didn''t worry about anything. For him, this was just a game and just a club. Sure, he enjoyed competing and playing with his fams but, in the end, this was just a game. He didn''t have any grand plans like becoming a pro or anything of the sort. He was just pretty good at the game and there were many classes for him to master, so it was fun to keep playing and improving. It was exactly the same for him back when he played baseball in grade school. It was all fun and games, but that''s pretty much it. Back then, Dan always laughed whenever Roi went all like If we win the nationals, we''ll be one step closer to becoming Major Leaguers! It sounded like some childish nonsense. However, in this selection match, it was for real. Unlike Roi, Howard was a guy with a head on his shoulders. Howard properly researched what was required to get into Grandview High and even reached out to the school via his pro sister. His road toward the pro scene was paved clearly and it all started with winning this selection match. Isn''t that kinda unfair? Somebody like Dan, who didnt have any aspirations for Classmancers, was forced to stand in Howard''s way and potentially destroy Howard''s dreams. Its like Howard was the hero of the story and Dan was cast as a villain. Not fun. Heck, Dan didn''t even have anything to lose this match because his spot on the first string wasnt at stake. Taison has been putting on quite the performance today as Jungler, but there was no way Howard would pick that guy over Dan. Taison was pretty good in fights and stuff, but he had nothing on Dan''s versatility. So, Dan had literally zero stakes in this match. Do I even have the right to help beating Howard''s team? Nobody was there to answer that question for him. As far as Dan was concerned, Howard should just win this match already and keep advancing toward the pro scene. There was absolutely no reason for Dan to get in the way. On the contrary, he rooted for Howard. That guy should definitely become a pro. Heck, he might even already be pro material at his current level; dude was nuts. But, this selection match was taking place for a reason. Yuel and Lars wanted to be on the first string, so they challenged Howard and Ellen to this battle. So, Yuel and Lars had stakes in this match too. If they lose, they won''t be able to play competitively for the entire next year. Well, sucks to them but it''s not that big of a deal, to be honest. I mean, Im also only getting to play in tournaments during my third year, sooooo... Dan understood the desire to compete in tournaments, but waiting one more year won''t kill them. They didn''t have nearly as much to lose as Howard. That''s why this third game was so tough. Ever since Dan learned about Howard''s ambitions, this entire match became weird. It was just plain wrong. They shouldn''t be fighting among themselves like this. Everybody should just root on Howard and support him in any way they could. Or, at least, they shouldn''t be getting in Howard''s way like some villains. Did Yuel know about Howard''s plans? Did he insist on beating Howard despite that? Dan considering asking but gave up on the idea. Howard asked Dan to take the match seriously, so Dan shouldnt be causing any quarrels within the team. Like, if even the important guy in question asked Dan to fight hard, what excuse did Dan have to go easy this match? None. Zero. Zilch. Oh, damn. I took a wrong turn. Dan shook his head to regain focus. He accidentally wandered deeper into the jungle instead of continuing straight ahead. Well, it won''t slow him down by that much but still, a derp was a derp. He better start focusing on the game before he screws something up. So, Dan is coming too. Howard spotted the Lionfolk on the mini-map. It wasn''t clear why Dan approached through this part of the jungle instead of picking the shorter route but it was good fortune because a stray ward exposed his position. By knowing Dan''s exact position and direction of approach, Howard could issue defensive orders more efficiently. He no longer had to outguess anything. It was crystal clear what Yuel was going for: a pincer attack by Roi and Dan. It was the most difficult scenario to defend against, but not an impossible one. On one hand, taking a curved turn to return all the way to Top was impossible because Roi was hot on Taisons tail. On the other hand, continuing along the shortest jungle route was a surefire way to get ganked by Dan. So, at first glance, all of Taisons options appeared to be sealed. However, there was a third solution: turning toward Mid Lane. This sounded silly at first because with such a big slowdown Dan should be able to catch up for sure. However, considering the inefficient route Dan was taking, this was actually Taisons best bet. Dan''s current route had many jungle walls in his way, so it''ll be harder for him to properly aim his leap across a wall even if he catches up to Taison. If Dan is still distracted by what Howard told them over the break, there was a chance a miracle will happen. A miracle, huh. Howard chuckled. It wasn''t like him to rely on chance, but he didnt see any better ways out of this situation. Everything was riding on how efficiently Dan will execute his gank. Even the slightest delay on Dans part will prove critical and will allow Taison to slip away. Tai, change of plans. Howard drew a new route on the mini-map, one which curved toward Mid Lane. Taison is going to Mid? Yuel pondered. This was the last thing he expected to see but it was easy to gank all the same. Dan, just cut him off before... Yuel''s words trailed off as he noticed Dan''s position. Why did you enter deeper into the jungle? Haha, my bad, Dan laughed it off. A force of habit, I guess. Don''t worry, I''ll catch up in no time. I sure hope so. Yuel frowned but didn''t say anything more. Because of this small mistake, the perfectly calculated pincer might come down to the wire. Dan will have to time his leap perfectly to hit Taison across the wall. Was there any way to provide backup and increase the chances of catchingTaison? Lars was currently pushing Mid, so he could quickly rotate to the jungle and turn this into a three-way pincer. However, that may come at the cost of not finishing the Mid Turret during this push. What''s more important right now? The kill or the Turret? Yuel pondered for a moment but it wasn''t much of a dilemma, really. Taking down a Turret, especially the Mid Turret, was equivalent to scoring at least three kills, maybe more. Therefore. Lars should keep pushing Mid. I''ll just have to trust Dan here. Yuel concluded. Oopsie. Dan realized the bad turn from earlier made this gank ten times harder to pull off. That sudden turn Taison made toward Mid was a great way to capitalize on Dans weak positioning. How did the enemy even know about Dans slip up? Did he pass by an enemy ward when he made the bad turn? Damn, talk about bad luck. Welp, then. Not much Dan could do about it at this point. He just had to keep going and finish the gank from this position. The moral question of whether he should be getting in Howards way weighed on him, but this wasn''t the time to be distracted by stuff. He was a srs bsns player and he was cast into a game, so he had to play his role. If Howard is really as amazing as he claims to be and got what it takes to become a pro, he should be able to overcome these odds, right? ...right? Gah! I just gotta do it! Here goes nothing! Dan got Taison in his range and jumped over the wall with Majestic Leap! Vol.5 Ch.19: Wavering Minds Oh, shit! Taison saw the lion dude jumping on him from the jungle! Shit! This was bad! He wont be able to dodge in time...! Taison was low on HP, so that leap was gonna have an extra knock-up effect thatll completely kill Taisons chances of getting away. Craaaaap! He shouldve started retreating earlier to dodge all this bullshit! Damn, now it was all over... or not? The Lionfolk crashed on the ground, but the slam didnt knock Taison up. In fact, it didnt even hit him. That scrub missed the landing! Khaha! What an absolute tool! All this time, Taison thought it was a dumb idea to run so close to the walls, but it paid off! Howards advice totally saved his skin. Huh? Dan blinked. He shouldve landed on Taison and knocked up that boy, but nope. Did he jump too early? Dang it, what a dumb mess up. It was all because Taison has been running so close to the walls, which made it awkward to target Majestic Leap on him. Dan had to make sure that Majestic Leaps target location didnt overlap with the wall at all because, otherwise, the game treated the target as invalid. Dan thought he nailed it, but... Still, this wasnt over yet! Dan was still right in front of his prey, so he darted toward Taison! This was a huge blunder on his side, so he couldnt let it end like this. Hell get closer and CC Taison with Mighty Roar instead. That should be good enough to get the kill- ah!? No way, sucker! Taison rolled aside right as the lion began roaring. Ha! Ez dodge! Ah, damn... Dan lowered his head. This was an oopsie, a big one. You shouldve caged him with your ult first! Yuel criticized. His ult is still down, so he couldnt have escaped the cage! Seriously, it was one mistake after another with Dans plays today. At this point, Yuel couldnt stay quiet anymore. R-Right, I just thought it was overkill. Wanted to save my ult for later and stuff... Dan mumbled. Yeah, that was a derp, alright. Dan shouldve activated The Kings Dominion first to imprison Taison in a cage of lions, then Taison would have had zero chance of escaping. Dan wanted to end this unpleasant job so much that he rushed things. N-No problem! Dan insisted. Ill just catch up to him and lock him. Yes, thats the only thing you can do now. Yuels voice didnt sound sympathetic in the slightest, but it was hard to blame the guy. First, Dan missed the leap. Then, he wasted the roar. It was one misplay after another with him. Focus already! Dan shook his head. This performance was sloppy and outright embarrassing. This wasnt the time to think about silly stuff like Howards future. Dan was cast as a player on Yuels team, so he had to do his job no matter what. Alright, hes almost within range...! Dan was about ready to cast The Kings Dominion. Just a few more steps and- wham! A wild ice wall appeared! No way... Dan crashed into the ice wall face-first. In this narrow jungle passage, the ice wall was wide enough to block the entire path. With Dans Majestic Leap on cooldown, he didnt have any means to get across. So, it was over. He failed to score this kill. Phew! Taison exhaled. Thanks, bro! Dont mention it, Howard smiled weakly. Good job surviving to this point. Now, recall to base and heal up. On it. A huge disaster was averted. In the end, Howards defense managed to deflect Yuels attack. There was an element of luck involved, but luck was also part of the game. Especially, the kind of luck where an enemy player messed up by rushing things. Howard didnt have direct control over Dans misplays, but there was no doubt he affected Dans performance. Therefore, this exchange was Howards victory. This shouldve been a kill. Yuel frowned. That attack plan was perfect from start to end. Roi pursuing from one side and Dan cutting-off from the other, it was a pincer which allowed no escape. There werent any miscalculations in Yuels plan. And yet, the plan fell through. Why? The only explanation was the performance of the players. Specifically, Dans performance. The guy messed up three times in this one chase alone. First, he made a bad turn in the jungle and delayed his arrival, then he failed to leap on Taison and finally he failed to lock Taison inside the cage of lions. Three big mess-ups under less than a minute. On their own, none of these misplays was a big deal. Everybody made mistakes, so things like that were understandable. But, making so many mistakes one after another like that? Something was clearly wrong here. That was a poor play, Yuel criticized. You dont say, Dan cracked a laugh. Yeah, I rushed a little. We need every kill we can get. We cant miss chances like that. Yeah, my bad. I totally derped that opportunity, Dan straightened himself. Dont worry, it wont happen again. Dan made that promise to convince Yuel, but in truth, he had to convince himself more than anybody else. Dans concentration slipped during that chase. He had to make sure this doesnt repeat itself next time. Dammit, that was such an important kill. Yuel bit his lip. He has already planned a few steps ahead after the kill on Taison, it was such a promising future. In a 4v2 situation, Yuels team would have had the leeway to simultaneously push Mid and Top without worrying about ganks. With only Howard and Ellen to defend, the enemy wouldnt have been able to stop any offense. Alas, due to how things turned, Yuel had to take Taisons existence into account again. Now, asking Roi to push Top was risky considering his low HP. After Taison heals up at the base, he might be able to immediately travel back to Top via Teleport. Thatll lead to Rois death for sure. That kill couldve decided the game...! Yuel gritted his teeth. He had such great plans in store, but everything came down crashing thanks to Dan. The team was supposed to dominate the mid-game with this kill, but instead, both teams remained mostly on even ground. So, Roi started. Whats next? Do I retreat, or...? Ah, right, Yuel shook his head. There was no time to cry over spilled milk. This was a team game, not chess. Individual mistakes have always been a thing. As the captain and the shot-caller, it was Yuels job to figure out the next course of action after one play ended in failure. We cant attack as much as I hoped, but we can still attack. Yuel nodded to himself. The best-case scenario he was hoping for didnt happen, but he had to make the most out of the hand he was dealt. Roi, recall. Dan, come help us push Mid. Lars, keep pushing Mid. Ill join you two as well. Got it. Roger. Pushing full force? Lars grinned. Thats what I like to hear, yo! Pushing Top was impossible right now, so theyll push through Mid at full force instead. With Seraph''s DPS, they might even take down the Golem after finishing the Turret. In addition, by gathering three players together on one lane, they protected themselves from any ganks. The enemy team only had three members alive, so at worst, Yuels strike force will run into a 3v3 situation. Fortunately, Taison wasnt much of a threat in team fights and Ellens playstyle wasnt quite at its strongest during team fights either. Therefore, this was a great opportunity to break through. Theyll take out the Mid Turret and maybe even the Mid Golem too! I knew youd focus Mid. Howard arrived on the lane to stall the enemys progress. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Fast defense, as always. Yuel smiled. It was amazing how quickly Howard switched gears and returned to Mid lane. Just a moment ago, Howard protected Taison in the jungle and now he was already in Mid guarding the Turret. But, it was futile! With Larss DPS, theyll break through the Mid Turret for sure! Howard will only delay the inevitable, nothing more. Things will start getting trickier only once Ellen and Taison join the defense effort. The turret is a goner. Howard knew that from the beginning. However, by slowing the enemy down just a little bit here, he greatly lowered their chances of claiming the Mid Golem afterward. Yuel will keep pushing after taking the Turret. Howard was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. Yuels offense wouldnt stop until things come down to the wire; the disrespect that brat showed was unbelievable. In fact, Howard expected Roi to stay and push Top despite his low HP. Unfortunately, Yuels offense was aggressive and disrespectful, but not dumb. Telling Roi to recall was the right decision because Taisons Teleport was ready at a moments notice and there was a convenient Checkpoint Ward near Top Lane. The important question is: can they finish the Golem too? Howard frowned. It was a difficult estimation. Could the enemy destroy the Mid Turret and right afterward destroy the Mid Golem? Considering Seraphs absurd DPS, that kind of stunt might be possible even in mid-game. However, could that realistically happen in this very specific situation? Unlike Yuel, Howard wasnt a genius who could crunch numbers. The best he could do was to tap into his vast experience and make an educated guess. He has watched and analyzed many matches throughout the years, so he should be able to give a good estimation. Ha... Nothing came to mind. You okay, Wardy? Ellen asked. You look a little pale. Haha, its nothing... Howard blinked multiple times. His concertation has been gradually slipping away throughout this match. This was just a set of three games, so why was he so exhausted? It was all Yuels fault. That guy kept attacking and attacking and attacking, using any opportunity he had. Howard had to stay on his toes the entire time and cover up every possible weak spot in the teams formation. Yuel could exploit even the tiniest of openings and turn it into a snowball, so Howard couldnt allow anything to pass through. Honestly, Yuel was like the bane of Howards existence. It was a clash between the ultimate offense and the ultimate defense. This game only proved how deep was Yuels understanding of offense in this game. Even though Yuel went for a mid/late game composition that had to play more defensively, he never missed any good opportunities to attack. Thanks to that, Yuel created this current unfavorable situation for Howards team and it wouldve been ten times worse if Howard failed to rescue Taison back there. Because of stuff like that, Howard couldnt rest for even a moment. Surrendering any initiative against Yuel and Lars was a surefire way to get stomped. Howard had to keep guarding and defending against everything. It was a huge pain, but he had no other choice. Only against Yuel, Howard had to concentrate on defensive shot-calling for pretty much the entire match. A single misstep was going to be fatal. Frankly, it was exhausting. Heh, look at me crying like a little bitch. Howard chuckled. This was unbecoming of somebody who aimed to be a pro. At the nationals, hell surely run into opponents with a superior offense. If he cant even deflect the offense in this match, how exactly will he win the nationals? No matter how tiring it was, he couldnt fall apart here! Cmon, focus. Howard inhaled and exhaled. Will Yuels attack convert into taking down the Mid Golem? Howard should be able to tell, he has watched and analyzed so many matches together with his sis. This scenario wasnt that rare. Seraph was pushing a Turret and two allies supported him. It was a straightforward scenario that always interesting to analyze due to Seraphs famous DPS. Considering the Turrets current HP, considering the DPS of the involved players and considering... Should I come back to defend? Ellen asked. ... no, Howard finally arrived at a conclusion. He recalled a similar scenario from a pro match his sister played. In that game, she defended the Golem against a Seraph and two enemies all by herself, while the rest of her team went ahead to push elsewhere. In the end, the Seraph got close but he couldnt take the Golem, and that was a pro-level Seraph player, not some middle schooler. Push Bot, Howard ordered. Hm? Ellen tilted her head. My, you want me to push? In this situation? Yeah, thats the best play right now, Howard nodded. They wont be able to take the Golem anyway, so we may as well take one of their turrets while they push. You sure they wont take the Golem too? I mean, they got Seraph. Itll be fine. Probably. Alright, if you say so, Ellen saluted. Im heading to Bot, then. If my estimation is wrong, then were screwed. Howard braced himself for the worst and poured his everything into stalling the enemys advance, all on his own. Ellen isnt defending? Yuel squinted his eyes. Why was Ellen pushing Bot? This had to be some sort of mistake... Did Howard conclude we wont be able to destroy the Golem? Thats the only explanation that made sense. If this push fails to take the Golem even without Ellens presence, then it made sense to make her push Bot; it was like trading the Mid Turret for Bot Turret. Golems gradually restored HP over time, so any failed attempt to destroy a Golem might end up the same as not getting to push the Golem at all. Theres a chance Ellens push is just a decoy to split our forces, but... Yuel frowned. That didnt sound like something Howard would pull. For the most part, Howards defensive shot-calls have been fairly straightforward. They simply covered up holes in the enemys defense. Usually, when the tables have been turned on Yuels team, it was when somebody overcommitted to striking an opening that Howard covered up. Therefore, it wasnt like Howard to go out of his way and prepare a decoy that lures the enemy into an unfavorable position. On the other hand, that was definitely Ellens forte. In just todays match alone, she has already pulled off that stunt countless times. Was this another instance of Ellen baiting them? Maybe. But, even if thats the case, Ellen still had to get Howards approval for this play. Howard wasnt the type to take a risk during such a critical situation, so he must have been confident that, even without Ellen being there to defend, Yuels team wont be able to destroy the Golem. We really wont make it? Yuel frowned. According to his calculations, the outcome was indeed down to the wire with just three of them pushing. However, Yuel planned to add Roi the offense as well. So, with four pushers, the enemy Golem should be done for. Unfortunately, this wasnt pure math. In terms of raw damage output, four pushers will output more than enough damage to destroy the Golem. However, said damage wont necessarily behave like in theory because due to the human factor. There was always the possibility that somebody will mess up things up and the pushers wont get enough damage on the Golem. Roi and Dan are especially suspect. Yuel threw glances at the two troublemakers. These two have been playing alright for the most part, but the few slip0ups they had were awkward and led to terrible consequences. If anything like that happens during this push... Is that what Howard is betting on? Or, is there something else he knows that Im not taking into account? An enemy Turret has been destroyed! There was no time left; Yuel had to make a decision. Should Roi join them in Mid? Or, should Roi go defend Bot against Ellens pushing? I dont know whats the correct answer here. But, if Howard is so confident this push wont get the Golem, I better play it safe. Roi, go defend Bot, Yuel ordered. Oh? I thought youd tell me to push Mid. Okay, Im on it. Meanwhile, Yuel addressed Lars and Dan. Well keep pushing. Roger. Lets push all the way to Colossus, yo! That wont happen, but well get close. Yuel nodded Once they penetrate Mid Lane, the road to the final boss will be open. Their radiant futures in the competitive scene were right within grasp! Just a little more and theyll win! But, it was too early to celebrate. They had to push as hard as possible, but they couldnt let their guards down until the very last moment. Thats why Yuel asked Roi to defend instead of joining the attack. Better safe than sorry. Oh, right, theres Roi too... Howard somehow found himself surprised by Rois existence. Back when Howard was weighing the odds that their Golem will survive, he completely forgot to take Roi into account. In a 4v2 situation, Yuels team would have certainly destroyed the Golem in one fell swoop. Telling Ellen to push Bot instead of defending almost became a fatal misplay. Phew, bullet dodged. Howard sighed. Still, this was peculiar. Normally, Yuel would send everybody on the attack, especially when there was a great opportunity like this. So, why did Yuel choose to put Roi on the defense in this situation? Heh, maybe we intimidated him. Howard amused himself with that thought. From the very first game today, it was quite obvious Yuel was overly cautious about Howard. And, Howard made sure to do everything in his power to keep justifying such concerns with his airtight shot-calling. His judgment and shot-calls have thwarted Yuels plans countless times throughout the day, so Yuel had every reason to be cautious. As a result, maybe Yuel overestimated Howards judgment regarding the Golems defense. Howard messed up his estimation because he failed to factor Roi in, but Yuel couldnt have possibly known that. So, maybe Yuel thought that Howard was 100% confident about protecting the Golem even in a 2v4 situation. If any of that was true, thatd be pretty hilarious, right? Haha. In this decisive final game, at this late stage of the game, even the chesskid with a risk fetish was wary of defeat. Yuel got scared of Howards ability and bailed out just to be safe. If Yuel stuck to her original playstyle and went all-in with this push, the situation might have become unrecoverable for Howard. But, thanks to Howards reputation preceding him, a disaster was averted! But, I wont be able to get away with it every time. I have to bring this game to an end. Howard successfully defended the Golem with Taisons help. The enemy shaved off 60% of the Golems HP, but it was still very much alive. Meanwhile, Ellen demolished the Bot Turret because it was already at low HP. Roi only got there in time to prevent the possibility of their Bot Golem being taken, but Ellen didnt have such intentions in the first place. She departed into the jungle and got away scot-free. From this point onward, the match will transition into a phase thatll revolve around team-fights and securing objectives. Who will be able to push faster? Which team will reign superior in team fights? The end game was nigh! The state of objectives on each lane: Yuel''s team''s vs. Howard''s team Top Lane: Turret (80% HP) vs. Turret (90% HP) Mid Lane: Turret (15% HP) vs. Golem (40% HP) Bot Lane: Golem (100% HP) vs. Turret (80% HP) Vol.5 Ch.20: Shot-Callers Fatigue The decisive final match was transitioning into the late-game. At this point, Seraph''s full potential was already unlocked. Six Wings of Holiness finally allowed Lars to fire all six shots in a row and his finished build provided much-needed power to each of his shots. As a result, he demolished objectives in an instant. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! Woohoo! Lars exclaimed. Let''s go, my dudes! Good job, Yuel nodded in approval. That''s the second turret down, so the enemy only had Top Turret left. But, thats not for long. No objective lasted in front of Seraph''s overwhelming push potential. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! Triple Turret Kill, yo! Lars pumped a fist. He destroyed the Top Turret shortly after destroying the Bot Turret even though the two turrets were a whole map apart from each other. By using his ult, Divine Messenger, he quickly flew from one side of the map to another and split-pushed. Okay, we got this, my dudes! Don''t let your guard down, Yuel said that, but he couldn''t deny he was also getting excited. This was the late-game, a phase that was supposed to be Howard''s dominion. And yet, Yuel''s team was winning! They were beating Howard in his own playground! Howard perfectly predicted Lars''s rotation toward Top Lane and even got there in time to defend, but he was powerless against Seraph''s onslaught. With Lars''s skill and Seraphs high DPS, the team destroyed Howard''s tight defense through sheer strength! However, Lars wasn''t the only one putting on a strong show. An enemy has been killed! Haha! Die, dumbass! Julia caught Gregory off-guard in the middle of his rotation and wiped him out. Her plays were rough and reckless, but also strong and overwhelming. Since Roi and Dan have been slipping up this match, Julia became one of the top-performing players on the team, second only to the great goof himself. Yuel considered having a talk with Roi and Dan, but he ultimately decided against it. The team had momentum right now, so he didn''t want to ruin it by creating discord in the team. It didn''t seem like Roi and Dan were doing any of that on purpose because they overall performed fine. They only goofed during critical moments, so maybe the pressure was getting to them. Yuel had no idea what he could possibly do to alleviate their stress, but criticizing them definitely didnt sound like the solution. It was unclear why experienced players like them would crack under pressure during a match in which they didnt have personal stakes, but Yuel didn''t have the luxury to investigate. He just had to accept the fact he couldn''t 100% rely on these two to do their job every time, so Lars and Julia had to lead the team. Two aggressive beasts were more than enough at the moment. But, things were only getting harder. The deeper Yuels team pushed the enemy, the easier it was for the enemy to defend their objectives. The lanes curved inwards toward the enemy base, so the enemy Golems were positioned much closer to each other than the Turrets. Therefore, it took less time for the defenders to rotate between the Golems. Lars, Yuel called. Switch to Bot. Got it, dude! Lars stopped pushing Top Golem against and rotated all the way to Bot Lane through the jungle. The same way the defenders had an easier time traveling from one Golem to another, the same applied to the attackers. One moment, Lars was pushing Top Golem. The next moment, he was already all the way down in Bot- Oh, snap! Lars exclaimed. There''s an ice wall! Just as he was about to enter Bot through the jungle, an ice wall formed in front of him and covered the entire passage. Howard anticipated it. Yuel bit his lip. Howard should have gone back to the base to recover but, instead, he rotated to defend Bot ahead of time. With Yuel, Julia and Dan pushing Mid Golem, any normal opponent would expect Lars to rotate from Top to Mid and help them to break through. Therefore, Yuel expected the enemy to fortify their defenses in Mid and thats why he sent Lars all the way from Top to Bot. It was supposed to be a smart outplay, but it didnt work against Aegis. Howard noticed the opening in Bot Lane and hurried to cover it. As a result, the Bot Lane push fell through. Kudos, that was a good play. Yuel shook his head. With the ice wall stalling Lars, the enemy gained enough time to recognize their forces and send people to defend Bot. I''mma go help ya dudes in Mid! Lars declared. Wait, that''s unnecessa- Here I come! Lars booted Divine Messenger and flew across the sky toward Mid. It was an unnecessary stunt, considering the short distance between Bot Golem and Mid Golem. He''s getting carried away. Yuel knotted his brows. Well, that wasn''t a bad play per se. Flying to Mid saved Lars some time, so Howard and anybody who went to defend Bot won''t be able to rotate back to Mid in time. It may very well create an opportunity to break through this barricade. We gonna rek them by force! Lars grinned. Before these dudes even figure what''s going on, Lars will drop from the sky and destroy the Golem Dude! By the time Big Shield Dude gets back to Mid, itll be too late- gah!? What!? How did Howard get there so fast!? Right after Lars landed in Mid Lane, Howard appeared there too and joined the defense effort. That was nuts, yo! What that guy a wizard!? Again. Yuel frowned. It''s like Howard had a GPS which told him Lars''s position at every given time. Even worse, said GPS somehow predicted where Lars will be going seconds in advance. Thats the only way to explain how Howard always quickly got in position to intercept Lars. Let''s just push through! Lars insisted. We can take down that Golem Dude! You''re right, Yuel nodded. Thanks to previous efforts, the Mid Golem was down to 20% HP. With one more hyper-aggressive push, they should be able to take it down no matter how well the enemy defends. Therefore, theyll push through regardless! If it was impossible to pass through Howard''s defense via tactics, they''ll just break through by force! I''m opening with Tsunami, Yuel announced. After it scatters the enemy, charge in and attack the Golem as much as possible before the enemy reposition. Okay. Gotcha. Let''s goooo! Yuel hid behind his teammates to not make his motions too obvious and began casting Tsunami, the Overflow version of Splash. By unleashing a huge wave on the entire Golem area, hell hit the entire enemy team. They''re going to push. Howard instinctively understood. His eyes naturally fell on Yuel, the Support. If something big was about to go down, Yuel will be the one to conduct it. Yuel moved a little to the back and hid behind Dan and Julia. Something was definitely afoot. What would an Aquamancer try to pull from this distance? Itll surely be something with Overflow, so there were three options: Rainstorm, Hot Spring Eruption, and Tsunami. Rainstorm would immediately cover the entire area with heavy rain. Howards team didnt have a way to interrupt that play, so there was no need for Yuel retreat to the backline. On the other hand, Hot String Eruption had limited range, so going backward only made it harder for Yuel to reach Howards team. Thus, there was only one option left... It gonna be Tsunami! Howard darted away from the Golem area. Yue was going to knock back the entire team and invade the Golem! If Howards team loses its ground here, the Mid Golem will fall for sure! Alright, I should be good. Howard reached the edge of the Golems area right as Yuel unleashed the huge wave. Oh, wait. What about the rest!? Howard forgot to warn them! A tsunami is coming! Get out of the Golems area! Unfortunately, the warning came too late. The tsunami was already here! The huge wave blew Gilbert and Ellen out of Golems area and all the way into the base. Only Howard dodged the disaster and was still within range to defend the Golem. Get back to defend! Howard ordered as he ran into the Golem''s area. He immediately returned to defend, but he couldnt hold the fort his own. Lets go go gooooo! Lars invaded the Golems area along with Yuel, Julia and Dan. It was a 4v1! Howard had no chance to stop them. Im dead if I face them head-on. Howard had no choice but to wait for backup. If he tries to block this gang on his own, theyll run over him in an instant. He needed Ellen and Gilbert to fight back together with him... wait, where was Taison at? Tai! Howard called. Why are you in Bot!? Huh? Taison cocked his head. Ya told me to go here, bro. Yeah, but... ah. Howard paused. Back when Howard intercepted Lars in Bot, he ordered Taison to follow up and rotate to Bot as well. It was a preventive measure in case Lars was to gun for Bot even after being stalled. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. However, while that situation was unfolding, Howard realized Lars might aim for Mid instead, so he rotated back to Mid. He rotated alone, without telling Taison to follow. Howard completely forgot about Taison at the time and concentrated only on what he had to do next. Im slipping. Howard gritted his teeth. He was too late to warn the rest about Yuels tsunami and he failed to update Taisons orders in time. Howards concentration was slipping. He could still figure things quickly and provide optimal defense, but he failed to provide timely shot-calls. It was like he forgot the others existed and focused on blocking all incoming blows on his own. He was messing up big time... An allied Golem has been destroyed! Damn, Howard muttered. If he just warned everybody earlier, they would have dodged the tsunami and could help to hold down the fort. On top of that, if he told Taison to rotate to Mid earlier, they would have formed an impenetrable barricade around their Golem. This Golem couldve been saved! Damn! Damn it all! My, youre running out of gas? Ellen asked. Nah, Im alright. Su~re, Ellen rolled her eyes. I know what it means when youre being slow on the orders and focus only on your own plays. Heh, Howard smiled wryly. There was no chance of hiding this from Elly, was there? He switched over to private communication and spoke quietly. Yeah, Im starting to lose focus. This match is rough. My, and its only the third game. How would you last in a best of five at the regionals? Im not used to defending 24/7, alright? Howard grumped. Against normal enemies, it was enough to only cover up some of the holes in the teams defense. There was no need to be cautious about every little weakness because there was no way the enemy would find all of them. But, Yuel was a different story. That chessboy could make a weakness out of literally anything. If you just sneeze during a match, that guy would somehow sense it and hell strike you down instantly. It was some superhuman bullshit. Therefore, Howard had to make sure the teams defense had absolutely zero holes. He evaluated and reevaluated everybodys positions, playstyle and quirks. He had to make sure nobody left any opportunities for Yuel to strike. Even the smallest of openings could turn into fatal game-changing plays when Yuel was involved, so Howard had to cover them all. Unfortunately, maintaining this concentrated routine came at a terrible price: Howards mental juice. He wasnt used to maintaining that level of intense concentration for three games in a row, so mental fatigue kicked in. Its all because you dont do exercise and eat junk all day, Ellen jabbed. That got nothing to do with it, Howard rolled his eyes. Its just that I never practiced such an intense shot-calling routine. I like taking longer breaks after intense games, okay? Kill me. But, Ellen tapped on her cheek. I have to say, Yuel is hanging just fine under this intense routine, isnt he? Yeah, he seems to be doing alright, as annoying as that is. Because, unlike you, he exercises. Nah, I bet its because hes a chessboy. You know what people do in chess, right? They just sit there in front of the board and fry their brains for hours. No wonder Yuel is used to this kind of stuff. All Im hearing is excuses, Ellen said. Exercising makes your brain work better. I read some articles and stuff. Yeah, I know, I know. Ill think about it after the match. Maybe Ill start doing it. Maybe. What a lazy bum you are, Wardy, Ellen pouted. It was always the same story with Howard. He was a skilled and experienced player, but he never worked hard enough. During this years entrance exam, Howards match against Yuel served as a wake-up call of sorts. It showed Howard there were other skilled players out there and they might overtake him despite being younger. It was a heavy but much-needed blow for this lazy bum. Thanks to that, Howard started taking his training and his duties in the club more seriously. In fact, thats probably what pushed Howard to arrange practice matches against Igniss team. He wanted to get stronger and wanted to grow an overwhelming first-string at any cost. But, no matter what, Howard just refused to work out. Even back when he was undertaking StormBlitzs entrance exam, he faked sickness to get a note from the doctor. Thanks to that, he got exempt from the racing test and passed it without even stepping on the track. Worst of all, Howard knew about this test ahead of time and didnt even tell Ellen. He only told her to practice one-kilometer jogs and that it was important. He totally just wanted to see her sweat hard during that exam. What a bully. Well, at least Ellen passed the race with flying colors thanks to jogging all summer. In addition, she shaved off some excess fat and learned to appreciate this healthy routine. She felt more focused during games and could play longer without getting tired. But, unlike her, Howard remained a lazy bum and now he was paying the price for it. Ellen almost wanted to see that bum getting beaten this game to teach him a lesson. But, of course, they weren''t allowed to lose. That silly bet Howard made with Yuel was still in effect. Howards pride wont allow him to turn back on it, so losing this match meant saying bye-bye to this years tournament. That was a big no-no. If Wardy is out of gas, Ellen smiled meaningfully. Ill have to pick up the slack by becoming an angel of death for him. Now, that it was late-game, Seraph became an unstoppable force, especially in the hands of a beastie like Lars. Therefore, the outcome of this match will boil down to how efficiently they can shut Lars down. And, who was better for the job than Ellen? I''ll kill Lars for you, Ellen declared. I promise. That''s reassuring, Howard smiled weakly. Hopefully, this wont end up as another instance of Ellen giving herself too much credit while role-playing some evil witch. Okay! Lars exclaimed. One Golem down! Let''s go let''s go let''s goooo! I think we got this. Yuel nodded to himself. Taking down the Mid Golem was huge. It gave Yuels team a big advantage in the most important lane and paved a path toward the enemy Colossus. With Seraph''s late-game strength, it was possible to take down the Colossus in a 1v1 with enough preparations. However, it was a lengthy and dangerous line of play, so it wasnt realistic to pull off against Howard. Therefore, the team first had to weaken the enemys defenses further by destroying additional Golems. They already took one down, so they''ll eventually destroy the others too. Even though the enemy''s defense was tight, it wasn''t flawless. Yuel smashed through it quite easily with his recent tsunami play. In fact, that one felt a little TOO easy. Howard was quick to react to the tsunami, but the rest of the enemy team froze in place and got washed away. As a result, all the defenders were scattered and only Howard was in a position to defend. Yuel expected his Tsunami play to cause the enemy some trouble, but it turned out way too effective. Normally, Howard would have evacuated his entire team in a timely fashion. That''s why he was Aegis, the impenetrable shield. Yet, for some reason, in that particular situation, he didnt extend his amazing defense to the rest of the team. Or, maybe he couldn''t? Is he losing focus? Yuel wondered. As a fellow shot-caller, Yuel knew all too well how mentally exhausting it was to command a team during a difficult match. Yuel should''ve been used to long sessions of mental activity as a chess player. Even so, he found himself completely exhausted during the Leopards scrimmage It certainly didnt help that he had to deal with difficult topics like the teams atmosphere in that scrimmage, but that wasnt an excuse. Yuel shouldnt have run out of gas like that. If he wanted to pull through long matches in the competitive scene, he had to prepare his brain for long sessions. Therefore, to make sure he wont run out of gas again, Yuel took his jogging routine more seriously. He has been exercising less and less throughout the year, but after the Leopards scrimmage - he made sure to jog at least once every two days. It was hard to tell how much working out really helped him play better, but there was one thing he knew for sure: this was the third game of the day and he was fully concentrated. Meanwhile, the enemy shot-caller seemed to be falling apart. We need to use this opportunity to push hard, but we can''t be careless. It was tempting to go all in and blast through the enemy''s weakened defenses, but a single mistake could cost the entire match during late-game. Therefore, Yuel had to arrange an offensive strategy that had solid backup plans in things go wrong. They were so close to grasping victory, they couldnt mess up here! Lars, go push Top. Okey-dokey! Julia, follow Lars. Your priority is to keep him alive. Alright. Lars was like the Queen piece of this match, a unit with enough strength to single-handedly pressure the opposition into submission. As long as Lars was alive and targeted objectives - theyll win this game! My, how annoying, Ellen pouted. I can''t find a good chance to take on him. They''re always teaming somebody up with Larsy. So it seems, Howard agreed. Instead of going full offense, Yuel picked a more balanced approach. Lars pushed at full throttle, but his teammates never left him alone. Either Yuel or Julia was always there to be back Lars up, so it was impossible to score an easy kill on Lars like that. I say, Ellen started. First, we get rid of one the guardians. I''d like to get rid of Yuyu personally because Aquamancer is such a pain in late-game. I agree, Howard nodded. But, how do you suggest we do that? It''s not like we can just forget about defense and hunt Yuel down. It''s simple, darling. We just bait them into a bad position and get rid of them~ Alright, sounds good. Now, tell me something that sounds like an actual plan with details and everything I got just the thing~ Ellen''s lips curved into a smirk. Hey, Taitai and GG, do you feel like giving Lars and Yuel some pain? You even need to ask? Taison chuckled. Of course we wanna wreck these guys! Yeah, what that idiot said, Gregory nodded. My, how passionate. There we go, we got two volunteers for the suicide squad~ Huh? Taison raised an eyebrow. Did ya just assume these shitheads gonna own us? Oopsie, a slip of tongue. Teehee~ Ellen stuck out her tongue. Anyway, here you go, she switched her mic to a private channel with Howard. We got two faithful beasties who''ll do everything in their power to kill Lars and Yuel. We just gotta unleash them on Lars and Yuel at the right time and pray for the best. You''re really suggesting this 2v2? Howard asked. You know just as well as me wholl win there. Sure, if we were talking about the standard Bot Lane 2v2, we know which pair is better. But, this game, the brats on our team are playing Jungler and Top, so they dont have to cooperate like a duo. They can split this fight into two 1v1s. That still sounds like a recipe for disaster. Then, what you suggest? We gonna keep defending like this until we''re squashed? No, but... Howard sighed. His thoughts refused to come together. All he could think about was which area to cover next and how to deflect the next attack. There was no spare brainpower to consider sophisticated plays. Besides, such players weren''t Howard''s forte in the first place. His game plan was the same as usual: maintain solid defense until the enemy commits a fatal mistake. Unfortunately, Yuel hasn''t been taking any risky bets recently. If things keep going at this rate, no amount of defending will save the team from inevitable defeat. They''ll lose this game, this match, and the entire next year. Alright, Howard said. If you think Taison and Gregory can pull it off, then let''s give it a shot. I trust your trolling skills. My, you make me blush~ Ellen giggled. Alrighty, but I need your help with this. To catch them off-guard, I need to know where they''ll be attacking next. Can you do that for me? I''m not a damn oracle, Howard chuckled. Sorry, I''m just not good at that kinda stuff, Ellen said. She was good at messing around with Yuel, but she wasn''t nearly as good at predicting Yuels moves. Only Howard had the natural affinity for doing that because he was good at spotting holes in their defense, which were exactly the spots Yuel tended to target. Alright, Howard said. Ill try to figure where theyre likely to strike next, but no guarantees. I know, I know. But cmon, you need to sound more confident. What do you mean youll try? You gotta DO it. Youre the captain, you cant sound like a wuss. Heh, cant even say anything back to that. Howard smiled wryly. Thats right, he was the captain and he was the one who arranged this entire match. Therefore, he had to stay strong and believe in the teams victory. Alrighty then, Ellen concluded. Ill give our brats a few tips, while you focus on reading Yuels plans. Alright. Howard nodded. He had to reverse-engineer Yuels next attack plan from the current state of the teams defense. It wasnt exactly the most reliable way to predict things and it was ten times harder than usual with his fried brain. Nevertheless, for the sake of mounting a comeback in this situation, he had to predict correctly one more time...! Vol.5 Ch.21: Two 1v1s Instead of 2v2 An enemy Golem has been destroyed! Were doing it, my dudes! Lars exclaimed. One more Golem to go! Or, we can even push all the way right here and now! No, lets retreat for now, Yuel said. His balanced tactic of offense and defense has been working so far, so there was no need to rush. The tactic was simple: Lars followed Yuels orders and rotated from lane to lane to push in the area where enemy defenses were the thinnest. At the same time, Yuel made sure there was always somebody there to back Lars up. It was an idea Yuel stole from Howards defensive team play. Yuel split the babysitting job between himself and Julia. Considering Roi and Dans recent slip-ups, Yuel couldnt bring himself to entrust such an important task to these two. So, Dan and Rois primary task was to serve as a diversion and lure out enemy defenders. At this point, Yuel was convinced: Howards defense has been slipping. The impenetrable Aegis was cracking down. Even straightforward attacks passed through Howards defense right now. Yuel could aim at any weak spot without fearing a counter. However, even without Howards bulletproof guidance, the enemy team was still putting on a solid defense. They couldnt prevent Yuels attacks ahead of time, but they deflected the attacks with minimal loses. Nobody on the enemy team made any punishable mistakes while defending, not even Gregory and Taison. As a result, it was difficult to score any kills on the defenders. Howard must have coached his team when it came to playing airtight defense. Thus, the game dragged on. Fortunately, if things keep going like this, the game will be over soon. Two Golems were already down, so only one left. If all three Golems are down at the same time, all three lanes will be swarmed with super minions; the enemy wont be able to defend from all three directions at once. It would be a complete checkmate. Yuel entertained some alternative game plans, like busting through one of the lanes before taking the last Golem or trying to steal the Overlord Buff while the enemy was busy. However, both approaches invited unnecessary risk. This time, he preferred to slowly and steadily pressure the opposition into submission. Lets get Bot next, Yuel dashed toward Bot Lane. Coming! Lars approved. Time to take down that last Golem Dude! Yuel and Lars cut through Bot Jungle and arrived- ah! Taison and Gregory stood in their way! Was this attack too predictable? Yuel bit his lip. Even though Howard wasnt as sharp as usual, it seemed he could still defend against overly obvious attacks. Alright, there you go, Howard exhaled. Somehow, he managed to squeeze just enough brain juice to foresee Yuels next move. It was largely thanks to Yuels attacks becoming more straightforward recently. The guy was feeling himself and striking at any opportunity that presented itself without respecting Howard at all. Knowing that chesskid, Yuel must have figured that Howard wasnt in the best shape right now. Thats why that brat fearlessly seized every opportunity he found. Unfortautnely for him, it helped Howard predict this overly obvious rotation toward Bot Lane. Alrighty, Ellen nodded. Taitai, GG, dont forget what I told you. You absolutely have to score at least one kill here no matter what. Well keep the rest of their team busy, so I can trust you to do your part, right? No problem! Taison nodded. We gonna wreck these scrubs! This gonna be good. Gregory much appreciated this opportunity. This was a fateful 2v2! Everything started back when Gregory and Taison played 2v2 against Yuel and Lars. They lost horribly back then and everything went downhill from there. So, it was payback time! They gonna kick these losers off the high horse and drag them down to oblivion! This selection match was the perfect opportunity to end Yuel and Larss whole careers. Hey, theyre coming at us! Larss tone made it clear he wanted to duke this out with Taison and Gregory. It wasnt surprising, consider how much the enemies have been turtling until now. The last time Lars scored a kill was ages ago. Looks like it was supposed to be a trap of some sort, Yuel pondered. But, its actually convenient for us. Its a rare chance to score some kills and weaken the enemys defense. Okay, Yuel said. Lets take them on. Thats what I like to hear! Lets go, yo! Honestly, Im not sure what Howard is thinking. Yuel knotted his brows. Did Howard believe Taison and Gregory could defeat Yuel and Lars in a 2v2? Past experiences should have pointed to the opposite. Whenever they faced each other in Bot Lane at the club, Yuel and Lars always came on top. Was this even Howards idea in the first place? Howard rarely ever went for such plays. Maybe Ellen? Or, maybe these two were running amok? It was really hard to tell the goal behind this 2v2. But, they clearly want this 2v2 to go through. Yuel glanced at the rest of the map. Ellen was occupying Julia in Top, while Howard and Gilbert were clashing with Roi and Dan in Mid. All supply lines were cut, so this was going to be a 2v2 fight without any backup for either side. Maybe Im digging too much into it. Yuel thought. No matter what Howard had in mind, well be fine as long as we win the fight- Dude, watch out! Wha-!? Yuel noticed too late: Gregory was right in front of him! And, already with his big foot raised into the air! Damn, Yuel wont be able to- BAM! A heavy stomp! The impulse blasted Yuel away. Not good...! Yuel grimaced. He didnt expect Gregory to blink forward and initiate such an aggressive attack. The enemy team has been in full defense mode until now, but Taison and Gregory were clearly out for blood out here. Lars dodged the stomp in time with Angelic Grace but ended up on the other side of the area. Yuel and Lars have been separated. We have to regroup- ah!? Yuel paused. Gregory stood between him and Lars like a gatekeeper. You aint getting through, cuckhead. Gregory swung his blade and cut through Yuel. Hes going to block me? Yuel hit back with a water ball and ran to the side. He had to maneuver around Gregory to regroup with- I wont let ya! Gregory activated Provoke and dragged Yuel farther away from Lars. You aint passing, not under my watch. Ugh, this is a problem. Yuel recovered from the taunt and tried breaking through again, but the giant Vanguard blocked the narrow jungle passage. What was going on here? What sort of 2v2 battle was this? The frontliner was supposed to be on the frontline and protect his DPS, not to stall the enemy frontliner. Instead, this battle tactic was as if... Its aint a 2v2, sucker! Gregory smirked. Its two 1v1s! Thats the idea Ellen came up with. In a straightforward 2v2, everybody knew Yuel and Lars were better than Gregory and Taison. However, in a 1v1, Taison proved he was stronger than Lars. So, instead of cooperating as a duo, it was best for Taison and Gregory to fight separately across two 1v1s. Though, Im just the diversion here. Gregory smiled wryly. The only reason this double 1v1 arrangement was superior to a 2v2 was because of Taisons amazing skill in 1v1. Everything was riding on Taisons ability to beat Lars. In other words, Gregorys only job here was to keep Yuel at bay while Taison was doing his thing. Despite playing Solo this game, Gregory yet again ended up as being nothing more than Taisons Support. Yet again, Taison was overshadowing Gregory. It sucks, but Ill take it. Gregory unleashed his frustration by slashing Yuel. Even though he was just a diversion, even though he was just the backup - he wanted to win this damn fight! This was the best opportunity hell ever get to kick down these two losers from their high horses! Yuel and Lars wont be getting into the first string this year! Go, Tai! Gregory cheered silently. Wreck Lars while I jail Yuel for the rest of the day. You gotta do it! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Ugh, I cant pass through! Yuel maneuvered left and right to no avail. Gregorys blocking was surprisingly tight. Every time Yuel moved in one direction, Gregory covered the area right away with his big body. This particular passage was so narrow that Vanguards big armor almost covered half of it. So, Yuel had to find a way to squeeze through a tiny opening and Gregory wasnt making this easy. Whats worse, Gregory delivered one blow after another while blocking the passage. Each individual attack didnt deal that damage because Gregory and Yuel both had tanky builds, but the damage accumulated over time. If this goes on, Yuel will eventually be forced into a dangerous situation. Hes really good at this, Yuel frowned. Its like he practiced this specific type of marking. If Gregory had been playing any other class, then passing through would have been a simple matter of using Geyser Eruption to knock him up and dash through underneath him. However, Vanguards Immovable Object made him immune to such displacement CC. Gregory was literally immovable right now. Yuel could retreat and reach Lars through an alternative route, but thatd take too long. Not to mention, itd mean abandoning Lars in a 1v2 situation. That was a surefire way to lose this fight. So, neither approach was viable. Passing through Gregory seemed hopeless and going around was too risky. It was impossible to reach Lars like that! Kek, you mad? Gregory snickered as he moved from side to side to block Yuel. This job was a piece of cake with how much of a fatty Vanguard was. Gregory just had to keep his eyes on Yuels movements and match his own movements. He was doing no more than stalling, but it actually felt great. Just imagining Yuels angry expression was hella satisfying. Kek, guess it wasnt such a bad idea to practice all this shit after all. Gregory thought back on how much he ranted during training. Howard came up with this silly training routine about marking enemy players and put Gregory through that shit. At the time, it was nothing than a giant pain in the ass. It was legit the most boring training ever. Gregory had to spend an hour, sometimes more, on just moving back and forth to block the enemys route and to bodyblock attacks. It was like training to become a professional punching bag; the lamest shit ever. Nevertheless, Howard insisted this was an area Gregory severely lacked in, so Gregory had to polish it for the upcoming match. So, already back then, Howard must have foreseen that Gregory will be playing defense like this. Dude was legit an ESPer, no doubts about it. That training was a huge pain back then, but right now Gregory was glad. Messing around with Yuel like this was topkek shenanigans. Not to mention, on top of blocking the path, Gregory has been landing hits, so Yuel has been gradually losing HP. Itd take like twenty years to actually drop Yuel to low HP, but just being able to repeatedly cut that mofo was all Gregory needed. Right now, Gregory had the upper hand! He was the stronger player! Lars! Yuel called out. Can you get any closer to me? We have to regroup! Sorry, no dice, Lars answered. Taison is totally locking me down. What about leaping over here? Cant do, dude. I leaped away to dodge GGs stomp. Damn... Yuel clicked his tongue. Indeed, Larss Angelic Grace was on cooldown right now. The situation was rough. While Yuel was struggling to break through Gregory, Lars was locked in an intense fight with Taison. They dashed all over the area while firing at each other. Yo, dude is strong as ever! Lars dodged one bat with a roll, but another bat crashed into him during the recovery. This stuff was savage! Taison was on point right now. This gonna be a good fight! That hit during the roll recovery was cool stuff, but Lars was no pushover himself. The next time Taison dodged with a roll, Lars fired a follow-up shot while Taison was recovering. Payback, yo! Once any marksman class hit the late-game, their attack speed became so sick that dodge-rolls almost became pointless. Like, it wasnt easy to predict the entire rolls route and fire ahead of time at the right spot, but Lars and Taison were above such limitations. They were real duelists! Khaha, you piece of shit! Taison laughed. Think youre some hot shit, eh? Taison received a laser beam in the face right as he recovered from his roll but he didnt waste any time and fired right back! Counter hit, bitch! Aint nobody hitting The Great Taison without getting burned in return! The counter shot landed perfectly. This fight was tight! I can do this shit! Taison grinned. Even though there was some distracting shit going on nearby between Gregory and Yuel, Taison managed to concentrate on his 1v1 with Lars and his performance was hella smooth. All that boring mental training nonsense was actually paying off! Throughout the past week, Howard has been making Taison go through some shit he called mental training. Basically, Taison just had to stand there and imagine stuff. In order words, most boring shit ever. Apparently, the idea was to help Taison filter out the noise around him. Basically, Taison had to imagine that none of the shit around actually mattered. Only Taison and his opponent existed in the entire universe. The rest of the world was pure blackness and totally silent. Yeah, like hell that was possible to do. Every time Taison started concentrating on Howard as the opponent during training, somebody just had to go ahead pop a loud skill nearby. That shit was distracting as hell and Taison always had to check what the actual heck just happened. In the brief moment Taison took his eyes off his opponent, Howard landed an easy shot on him. Taison didnt even notice that thing coming. Well damn, maybe this training is kinda important after all. Thats what Taison realized after getting hit time and again by lame shots like that. There was no reason that kind of stuff should work on him. When it was a 1v1, it was a 1v1. Nothing more and nothing less. Most of the time, Taison had no reason to take his eyes off his opponent during a fight. So what if somebody cast a loud spell nearby? It probably had nothing to do with Taison at the moment. His job was to wreck the opponent in front of him. So, Taison took the mental training seriously. Well, kinda. He almost fell asleep every now and then because half the training was about blocking out everything around him. And, what was the easiest way to filter out his surroundings? Just gotta close his eyes and take a good long nap, khaha. A single week wasnt enough to master this mental filter thing, but Taison got a little better at it. When he concentrated hard enough, he could kinda ignore the irrelevant stuff around him. The game also had an option to lower the audio sensitivity to pick up less noise from afar, so Taison dialed up that shit up to eleven. Thanks to all that, Taison could now fight Lars in a pure 1v1! Whatever shit was going down between Gregory and Yuel nearby didnt matter in the slightest. Taison maintained 100% focus on the opponent in front of him. So, this was just a normal 1v1 and Taison gonna win this shit! Lets goooo! Taison fired. His bat missed the target, but no big deal. He just sidestepped Lars counter-attack and fired again! Bullseye! This one was a hit. Taison was in the zone, yo! Full focus on the 1v1! He got this one in the bag. Geh, not bad! Lars finched as a bat rammed into him like a bullet. Vampires basic attacks looked so silly once they reached high attack speed. Its like dude was firing bats from a freakin machine gun. But, my attacks are still faster! Lars fired a laser beam and grazed Taisons shoulder. Taisons sidestep was late by like a nanosecond, but a hit was a hit. The fight was rough, as expected from a 1v1 against Taison. Nevertheless, with this late-game Seraph, Lars could do it. You killed me enough times today, dude. This time, Imma win! And, it gonna be fair and square! Lets goooooooooo! After the laser beam hit Taison, six robotic arms stretched from Larss back. Six Wings was on! When a marksmans late-game attack speed didnt cut it, Seraph got ya covered with even faster attacks! Six shots in a row with zero reload time. Lars gonna bombard the heck outta that dude! Ha! You wish! Taison sidestepped the first shot like a boss. But, against Larss accuracy, there was no way in hell to dodge the following shot which came out a split millisecond later. Thats why: Coffin Slumber! A coffin popped out of thin air behind Taison and sucked him inside. Larss laser beam struck home, but it hit the coffin instead of Taison himself. Khaha, ez defense! Damn. Every. Single. Time. Lars grumped as he unleashed his fast shots at the coffin. The attacks didnt do any damage, but after three hits they destroyed the coffin and forced Taison back in the open. Lars unleashed the two remaining shots and both landed perfectly despite Taisons attempts to dodge. Taison avoided getting utterly wrecked and went on the offensive again! Yeah baby, lets go! Geh...! Lars flinched as two bats hit him in a row. Taison attacked like a beast. Dude moved around from side to side while firing nonstop! Lars did the same, but he couldnt keep up. What gives!? Why he feels faster!? While Lars was constantly going back and forth between dodging and attacking, Taison somehow combined both into one. Dude moved and attacked at the same time, so he both dodged shots and landed shots at the same time. It was some crazy shenanigans! There shouldnt have been much difference between their combat skills, yet Taison was half a step faster. No, not even half a step. It was like half of a quarter of a step or something. Yet, this small difference was enough to gradually overwhelm Lars. Damn, I cant win like this! Lars gritted his teeth. In this 1v1, Taison was stronger. As hard as Lars wanted to deny that - it was a fact. Lars could have put on an even fight if he was using a Trickshooter or a Gunslinger, but not with Seraph. It was a class he only played from time to time, so it was nowhere near the level of his main classes. Thus, he lacked the necessary mastery to fight Taison on even ground here. Dang it! I-I think Im in a tight spot, Lars gulped. You shouldve regrouped with me while he was in the coffin, Yuel criticized. This was partially his fault because he was too busy with Gregory at the time, so he failed to make the call in time. They missed a great opportunity to turn this situation around. The situation was turning from bad to worse by the moment. They had to regroup no matter what. But, how!? Larss Angelic Grace was still on cooldown, so he couldnt leap over here. His Divine Messenger was on cooldown too, so thats all Larss mobility options gone right there. There was the option of making Lars try busting his way through Gregory, but it wont be easy. Taison will surely use that opportunity to assault Lars from behind, so Lars will likely die trying. It was already hard enough for him to stay alive in a straightforward 1v1, so if he turns his back to his opponent... Yeah, not the brightest idea. Should they just retreat for good? This has become an unfavorable situation, so a tactical retreat wasnt unreasonable. But, at the same time, this was a rare opportunity to score kills and thin out the enemys defenses. Not to mention, if they retreat now, theyll be giving up on the strong momentum they have been maintaining so far. They were so close to pushing this game all the way to victory, they couldnt stop here! Okay, listen, Yuel said. Next time you get Six Wings, your ult should already be out of cooldown. So, fly out of there and regroup with me. For now, this is the most I can do to help you out. Yuel cast Rainstorm, the Overflow version of Rainfall. This was almost a waste of an ult, but it was the only support Yuel could provide in this situation. Rain clouds formed around the entire area and heavy rain poured. The rain reduced the attack speed and movement speed of all the opponents in the area, which should give Lars an edge in the 1v1. On top of that, it may even allow Yuel to finally slip past Gregory. As the entire area was covered in rain, the unconventional 2v2 was heading toward its climax. Vol.5 Ch.22: The 2v2 Turnabout An enemy has been killed! Got him! Roi exclaimed as his blade cut through Gilbert. With Dans help, he finally took down an enemy. It was unfortunate that Dan died in the process, but at least they got rid of one important target. Now, only Howard was left to defend Mid. Okay, I''m finally getting shit done! Roi pushed hard and disregarded Howard''s feeble attacks. This was the chance to make up for all the mistakes Roi committed. This play gonna be huge! Roi had a chance to break through Mid before the Mid Golem revives. He has been playing like a Bronze tier schmuck for too long, that shit had to stop. And, the first step for redemption was securing Mid here and now. The whole thing about Howards dreams still weighted on Roi, but this was a serious match and he was a competitive-level player. He had to perform even if it meant getting in the way of Howard''s dream. Deep down, he wanted Howard to win. But, at the same time, he had to do everything in his power to ensure this match stayed competitive. Therefore, Roi pushed! He struck down the weak minions and attacked Howard. Nobody gonna stop him! He''ll make sure this match was conducted with fair and square sportsmanship. Okay, the way is open! Roi grinned as Howard finally retreated. It was about damn time because the guy has been eating one attack after another for a while now, both from Roi and from super minions. Howard did his best to soak damage for his minions, but no matter how tanky his build was - his HP wast finite. At long last, Roi forced the Big Shield Dude out of this picture! I''mma push all the way while he''s gone! Time to end this- ah! A heavy thump resounded behind him. Rocks rose into the air and darted into one central point as if sucked in by a black hole. Oh damn, the Mid Golem revived! Roi was banking on his super minions for this important attack, but the little guys finished their invasion at the Golems area started hitting the revived Golem. Damn, pushing through Mid was impossible now, First, Roi had to take down the Golem again. Unfortunately, none of the damage dealers were around right now. Lars was locked in a 2v2 near Bot, Julia was pushing Top and Dan was dead. Still, Roi was a bruiser, so his offense wasn''t a joke. Together with this last wave of super minions, hell take down this weakened Golem on his own! Gonna be difficult once Howard returns. Roi brought the Golem all the way down to 10% HP with the help of the super minions, but the last push will be the real challenge. All his super minions died and a new wave of enemy minions came forth to defend, On top of that, Howard was surely done healing by now and will soon return to defend. It was a little odd, though. What was taking Howard so long? The guy should have already returned to defend Mid by now. Where was he at? Well, no matter. The fewer defenders there were, the easier it made Rois life. He gonna wreck this Golem and push all the way to the Colossus! That was the least he could do to make up for his countless mess-ups today. He gonna push through all the way! At around the same time, Yuel and Lars were struggling against Gregory and Taison. With the entire area covered by heavy rain, the tides were turning around. Got him, yo! Lars landed a shot right at Taison''s chest. Easy hit. Taison was way too slow to get out of the way because of the rain, so it was time for a counterattack! Shit! Taison gritted his teeth. This fuckin rain was messing shit up! Taison''s shots moved in slow motion compared to before and he became as slow as a turtle. The slowdown from Rainstorm shouldn''t have been that big of a deal but, in this srs bsns 1v1, even the slightest debuff was huge. Stupid damn rain! But, I still gonna win! Taison insisted to fight despite the disadvantage. With his current speed, the usual routine of dodging a shot and then countering gonna be hella hard to pull off, so Taison had to change his approach. It wasn''t the first time the enemy slowed him down in a 1v1, so he knew how to handle this shit. He stopped? Lars noticed an easy opportunity and seized it at once. Wham! A direct hit- gah! A counter right away!? Taison fired during Lars''s firing animation! Geh! I can''t dodge this one! Lars successfully seized the inviting opportunity and scored a hit but, in exchange, he was hit as well. Taison purposely slowed down in order to have an easier time firing that counter! Well played, dude. Lars smiled. So, thats how ya gonna play this, huh. While Taison was at a speed disadvantage, he gonna try enforcing a one-for-one ratio of successful hits. Taison was leading in term of HP, so if they gonna keep hitting each other one for one - Lars gonna lose this! Ain''t happening, yo! Lars fired the next shot and immediately canceled into a roll. It was just by a hair''s breadth, but he dodged Taisons counter! Shit! That damn slippery mofo! Taison barked internally. Just a few more hits and Lars will be dead, but this damn rain forced Taison to slow down the pace. Countering every shot was an awesome 200 IQ play, but it was going to take a while to kill with it. Fortunately, Taison had leeway in terms of HP. Gregorys protective aura was on and reached all the way to Taison, so a large chunk of the damage dealt to Taison was transferred to Gregory instead. Even if Taison gets wrecked real hard, it''ll be Gregory who''ll eat shit instead, khaha. Yo, my shots! Lars complained. They do nothing! Even with the speed advantage, Lars couldn''t wreck Taison. His shots didn''t do nearly enough damage to be deadly. Taison was a bruiser so he had decent defense. On top of that, like half of the damage Lars delivered was mitigated by Vanguard''s ult. So, even though Lars had the upper hand, he couldn''t wrap this up. Dang it! The rain isn''t enough. Yuel expected as much. Rainstorm gave Lars the edge in terms of speed, but the problem of Gregorys protective aura was still present. As long as Gregory was passively protecting Taison, there was no easy way to drive this fight to an end. Therefore, Yuel absolutely had to break through this barricade. That was the only way to turn this entire thing around. Rainstorm slowed Gregory too, so slipping by him should be easier now. A movement debuff wasnt a huge deal in this cramped area, but it had just enough impact. Gregory still managed to block Yuel''s path, but it got visibly harder for him. Now, Gregory had to compensate for his slow speed with extra prediction. Damn, I gotta read that mofo ahead of time. Gregory concentrated on every twitch Yuel made. To block in time, Gregory had to anticipate Yuel''s movements faster than before. No matter what it took, he''ll buy enough time for Taison to wrap this up. They''ll win this shit! There! Yuel has been running toward the right side in a telegraphed manner, then switched to the left with a quick roll! Wha!? Shit! Gregory couldn''t react in time! He saw Yuel''s obvious movements and started moving ahead of time to intercept, but it was a bait! Finally. Yuel rolled past Gregory. At long last, he passed through, He got out of the prison! Im back, Yuel announced. Only took you a year, Lars chuckled. Okay, let''s get them! We gonna show them were da best around here! Yeah, Yuel wasn''t too keen on that whole da best part, but they were definitely going to prove something big here: they were stronger in a 2v2! First, the protection from Vanguards ult had to go. Yuel snuck up to Taison and sprayed the guy with Splash. The protective aura from Vanguards ult vanished, so Taison became fully vulnerable to attacks. Damn! Where did that fucker come from!? Taison exclaimed. Yo, GG! Where are you at, man? You were supposed to keep this guy away! I can''t stall him forever, you know, Gregory retorted. You should''ve finished Lars faster, dumbass. Who ya call a dumbass, yo!? You wanna go!? Don''t make me come over there, bro. Kek, just focus on the damn fight. And how you expect me to do that? This unexpected development shattered the solid 1v1 concentration Taison has been maintained until now. It was impossible to think of this as a 1v1 fight anymore because it became a 1v2 in every sense of the word. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I''ll be there in a jiffy, Gregory was running toward the battle scene, but his movements were sluggish. This fatass Vanguard was naturally slow and the stupid rain only made him slower. It was like trying to drive a tank through mud. Yeaaaaah, Taison squinted his eyes at Gregorys snail pace. I hope ya gonna get here before the game is over. You ain''t paying attention, dude! Lars fired a shot. Taison wasnt even looking in his direction right now, so it was a golden opportunity. Bam, easy hit! Finally, it was a shot that dealt proper damage as a Carry should. No more of that damage splitting nonsense between Taison and Gregory. From now, it gonna be full damage with every shot, yo! This was Lars seventh hit, so Six Wings activated. I''ll knock him up, Yuel said. Okay, it''s showtime! Lars''s body was ready. He practiced enough shots against knocked up dummies to pull off this combo play. Landing all six shots of Six Wings in a row was quite the challenge compared to landing regular shots, but Lars gonna do it! Yuel waited for the moment Taison wasnt looking his way and unleashed Geyser Eruption. Hot water erupted from the ground and blasted Taison toward the sky. This was it, the final act! Fuuuuuu! Taison roared. These mofos totally got him! Thanks for all the help, GG! Such backup, much support! But, I aint gonna give up! Taison took aim at Lars while being air-bound. He needed like three more shots, maybe two if he crits. Even though he was high in the air, he gonna finish off that mofo! Whish. A laser beam pierced Taison in the middle of the flight, as expected from Larss damn accuracy. But, Taison gonna return in kind- eh? A water ball flew right past him, What the actual heck? Unlike Larss accurate laser beam, the water ball missed Taison by a mile. Pft, whats with that scrubby accuracy? Anyway, Taison gonna smack Lars right back! Bam! A bat darted downwards like a bullet. It gonna hit! ... or not. Damn, it was totally off! What the heck? Taison shouldve been a better sniper than this! Da best sniper! Another laser beam came flying at him, another hit. Lars was sniping from the ground without any effort. Damn, this was bad! Taison was already down to like 20% HP! Two more hits and he was dead meat! He aint gonna magically start missing me on my way down, right? Nah, no way. Taison was about to reach the end of the flight, next hell be heading downwards. Hitting a falling target should be a pretty damn (difficult) task, but... Easy, yo! Lars landed every shot on the air-bound target as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Taison was heading downwards now, but that didnt affect Lars in the slightest. He practiced how to hit targets both on their way up and on their way down, so he aint gonna miss a single shot. Wham! Another clean hit! Just one more to go! I-Im fucked at this rate! Taison knew death was coming. Theres no way Lars would miss in this kind of situation; dude mustve been sniper rifle in his past life. At this point, there was no chance of outshooting Lars either. So, the only thing Taison could possibly do was.... dodge! In mid-air! I gonna do it, yooooo! Right as Lars fired the next shot, Taison performed a dodge-roll! In mid-air! Yeah, that shit was actually possible! Oh! Thats sick! Lars grinned as his laser beam missed the target. Taison just dodged a K.O. by a few millimeters. But, you aint gonna dodge the next one! That mid-air roll was sick, but it wasnt enough to throw off the rhythm of Larss shots. Even though it was rare for somebody to dodge-roll like that in mid-air, Lars knew this counter existed because Trever used that stuff against him. So, Lars got to practice against this trick in real fights. On top of that. Lars also practiced against such situations in training mode. Yuel used some wizardry to configure a training dummy that jumped high into the air and performed a random roll in the middle of the fall. By repeatedly practicing against this wild dummy, this mid-air roll stopped fazing Lars. The counter was simple: figure out where the target gonna finish its roll and shoot there. To accurately estimate the targets position, there was a need to know some supah high-level physics and stuff. And, of course, Lars didnt know the first thing about any of stuff! He just winged it! Snipping sense, yo! Got him- ah! No way! Just as Lars was about to fire the decisive shot, Taison pulled another trick. Dude canceled the roll halfway through and turned into a bat! Crap! But, I still can...! Lars adjusted his aim. Taisons bat form was smaller and floated in mid-air, so it was a completely different type of target to snipe. But, so what of it? Lars just had to strike down that little flying mouse dude! I got it! Lars could tell his aim was perfect. There wont be any new tricks now. No rolls, no transformations, and no nothing. His laser gun was 200% locked on Taison. This was the finishing blow, yo! Whish! The beam cut through the air on its way up- agh!? An ice wall appeared in its path! The wall formed just in time to block the beam. N-No way! Larss jaw dropped. His finishing blow was just............... Gaaaaaah!!! No way, Yuel gasped. When did Howard get here!? He was supposed to be defending Mid! But, that wasnt the time to wonder about it. Taison still hasnt gotten away, so this wasnt over! Yuel could still land a shot on Taison from this position, so if he just calculates the right angle- FREEZE! Howard passed by Yuel and unleashed Ice Coffin. Ugh! He froze me, Yuel informed. You have to deal the final blow yourself! On it! Lars rolled around the ice wall. This kill was right within grasp. Lars just had to aim one more time and fire. Okay, there! This time, the true finishing blow...! Larss bullet perfectly hit Taison! But, it didnt do anything. Barely made it. Howard sighed in relief as he finished releasing cooling gas into the air. The cold air reached Taison and froze the bat like an icicle. Cryo-Freeze prevented the killing blow! The entire assault came down crashing. In the end, Yuel and Lars failed to gain the upper hand in this battle. But, this wasn''t over yet! With Howard on the scene, this became a 2v3 situation. Now, it was the enemys turn to attack! Greg, you and I will focus Lars, Howard commanded. Tai, join us once you heal a little. You betcha, Taison nodded repeatedly. Thats my kill, ya know. Even if the game doesn''t it count it that way, we sure will, Howard said what had to be said. This should lower the chances of Taison prematurely popping out of the ice to chase the kill. That brat was peculiar about scoring his kills, so Howard always had to be extra careful. Yo, Lars exclaimed. They''re rushing me! Damn it! Yuel bit his lip. They came so close in that attack! They almost got that decisive kill! But, instead, the entire situation flipped its head and now they were in pinch. How did it come to this!? Dude! Lars called. What do I do? Want me to take on them? Ah, Yuel snapped out of it. There will be enough time for regrets later. Right now, Yuel had to make a call. Retreat. Fly out of here with your ult. But, what about you? Forget about me. Just get out. G-Got it! Lars still had one shot left for Six Wings, so he activated his ult: Divine Messenger. The robotic arms on his back replaced the laser guns with rockets and launched Lars toward the sky. Okay, good. Yuel nodded to himself as Lars vanished from view. At the very least, they avoided the worst-case scenario. Larss death would have spelled disaster. As for Yuel, his situation didnt look too promising. He got out of Ice Coffins freeze, but... Alright, Howard changed direction. Get Yuel instead. Gladly! Gregory dashed forward. He totally gonna repay that mofo for the earlier defeat at the jungle and for all the other bullshit Yuel has been pulling from the moment he appeared in Gregorys life. A single kill wasn''t nearly enough to compensate for all that shit, but it was a hella sweet start! I can''t get out. Yuel concluded. He was injured from the earlier confrontation with Gregory and this was a 1v3 situation. So, yeah, he was dead, alright. You have been killed! Sorry, dude, Lars apologized. If I just killed Tai in the air... That wasn''t your fault, Yuel examined Mid Lane, where Roi shouldve been keeping Howard busy this entire time. Yuel wasnt paying enough attention to the rest of the map during the 2v2 and that cost him dearly. Roi, you should have said something about Howard missing. Sorry, man, Roi said. I thought he just went to heal and was gonna come back any minute, so I kept pushing. You should''ve at least warned us about the possibility. Yuel ranted internally. Howard only made it look like he retreated to heal, while in truth he used that time to teleport into the jungle. Im partially to blame too, Yuel held his head. I wasnt paying enough attention to catch that. When Howard retreated, I should''ve played it safe and asked Roi to rotate over here to help. Dammit. There was no denying it: Yuel got overconfident. Even though the 2v2 against Taison and Gregory started off on the wrong foot, Yuel was too confident that he and Lars will win. After all, their opponents were Taison and Gregory, so there was no need to worry. These two were strong, but Yuel and Lars were better. Even with the surprise element of the fight being split into two 1v1s, Yuel was still sure he and Lars will turn it around. He was so eager to get kills and thin out the enemys tight defenses that it was all he could think about at the time. Therefore, the idea of calling Roi over for help didnt even cross his mind. It was such an important opportunity, so Yuel shouldn''t have allowed himself to take any risks. Even though he believed the chances of defeating the enemy were high, Yuel should have still asked Roi to rotate for backup just in case... wait. Roi is still in Mid! It suddenly struck Yuel. Roi, retreat! They might be coming after you- Too late. They were already there! Fuuuuuu! Roi turned around and fled the Golem''s area, but he landed on a bear trap right at the edge of the area. Damn! Who even places a trap in that kind of place!? Damn you, Eleeeeeen! Howard, Taison, and Gregory appeared from Bot Jungle and charged at Roi all at once. Roi was stuck at the Golems area thanks to Ellens beartrap, so there was no hope of getting out alive... You have been killed! Shit! Roi slammed on the table. He was so close! He almost took down the Mid Golem! That would have been such a big play. It would have redeemed at least half of the garbage plays he has been making this game. But no, Roi only made things worse again. He was so focused on the Golem that he didn''t give enough thought to Howard''s movement. The idea of rotating to help in the 2v2 crossed his mind but he wasn''t sure whether he''ll able to contribute much over there. He believed Yuel and Lars would resolve the 2v2 situation themselves, so his rotation would either look like a weak play or might even be a misplay. So, instead, Roi focused on a Golem. That was a play where his efforts will surely recognize, so it was the best opportunity to redeem himself. But, instead of doing good, he only made everything a hundred times worse. They got us good with that 2v2 bait. Yuel frowned. Two deaths and zero kills. Weve been had. And, the storm hasnt even passed yet. Julia was currently pushing the Golem in Top Lane, she was completely isolated from her allies and she was deep in enemy territory. If the enemy gang from Mid come after her, she''ll be a goner too. Julia, retreat, Yuel said. Huh? But, I almost got this. I gonna kick this Golem''s ass! They may come after you from Mid, just like they did to Roi. Tch, okay, Julia turned around and activated Jet Stream, which generated a flow of wind in front of her. As she passed through the wind, it gave her a boost of movement speed. That allowed her to quickly retreat from the scene. The situation has been one disaster after another for Yuel''s team, but at least the worst-case scenario was averted. Lars and Julia were still alive, so there were still ways to maintain the momentum and keep push. Even though the situation has temporarily become a 2v4, the battle wasn''t over yet! Vol.5 Ch.23: How Momentary Overconfidence Costs Lives Julia is retreating, Ellen announced. Alright, Howard nodded. As expected, it won''t be so easy to score another kill here. A kill on Julia would have turned this into a 4v1, a dreadful situation for the enemy. With late-game''s long respawn times, it would have given Howard''s team more than enough time to turn the tables around. Maybe they could have even taken the Overlord during that time. Oh, well. I''ll push Bot, Howard said. Tai, return to base to heal, then go replace Ellen in Top. Greg, you''ll defend Mid for a while. I suggest you go back and heal first, just in case. Nah, no need, Gregory dismissed the idea. Like, c''mon, he was the super tanky Vanguard. His 40% HP was like over 9000% HP for anybody else. Besides, who gonna get him all the way out here right now? Lars has just recently flown away from a fight barely hanging onto his life, while Julia was currently running away like a pussy. So, Mid was totally open for being pushed hard. At least, as hard as Gregory could possibly push with a tank which had zero damage, kek. Alright, Howard went over the orders one more time. Tai to Top, Greg in Mid and I''m in Bot. Elly, heal up and join one of us as necessary. No problem, darling~ With their game plan decided, the team split across the map and began regaining control across all three lanes. Wait a minute, Yuel realized something big: the enemy most likely won''t rotate to Top to chase Julia. Ellen was defending Top against Julia, so she surely informed her team about Julia''s retreat. There was a tiny chance Howard ordered to chase Julia through the jungle but that was unlikely. Howard''s team wasn''t that kind of aggressive kill-hungry gang. So, what move would Howard actually make here instead of chasing? Howard knew Lars had to return to base with such low HP. Also, he knew Julia was in the middle of fleeing. In other words, he knew that all the lanes were completely open right now. Optimally, hed like to assemble his entire team on one lane and push all the way to Yuels Colossus. However, their team was too much behind on all lanes because Lars terrorized every lane with his Seraph. So, first, they had to reclaim their footing on the lanes. Since nobody from Yuels team could possibly defend any of the lanes right now, this was a great opportunity to split across all lanes and reclaim control in all of them. There was also the possibility Howard would go for the Overlord instead if he wanted to be spicy, but he wouldn''t take such a risk during such an important game. Therefore, Howard will definitely shoot for reclaiming the lanes. So, how will he assign his teammates across the lanes? There were too many factors to consider, so Yuel couldn''t tell for sure. However, there were two specific arrangements which would be great for Yuels team: either Gregory or Taison staying in Mid to push. They both had low HP, but there was a chance they wont return to base to heal and instead will push Mid right away. After all, from their perspective, there werent any immediate threats for them to be concerned about. If that happens, itll be a beautiful weak point to strike. Under normal circumstances, Howard would never allow such an opening in his teams formation. However, Howards defense has been slipping recently. Even though he still pulled impressive defensive plays, the rest of his team was more vulnerable than usual. Therefore, there was a possibility Taison or Gregory would become easy targets. At least, it was worth a shot because the play he had in mind didnt harbor much risk. Julia, Yuel drew a path on the mini-map. Go toward Mid. Huh? You want me to go back? I thought Im supposed to retreat. You made it clear to the enemy that youll get away so theyre not going to bother with you, Yuel explained. They dont consider you a threat right now because they expect you to retreat far away, so theyll focus on pushing lanes. I think theres a chance theyll leave somebody with low health in Mid, so you may have a chance to get a kill there. A kill... Julia mumbled as her lips curved into a smile. Okay, Ill check whats up. If theres somebody with full HP there, dont bother. But, if you see somebody who is low and theyre alone- Ill murder them. Julias eyes glinted dangerously. She was like a blade begging to be unleashed. If there was an opportunity to score a kill, shell seize it without thinking twice. It was a dangerous mentality, but it made her much easier to command compared to the usual defensive Julia who always refused to budge. Julia strayed from the lane and cut through the jungle. She arrived at the exit to Mid Lane and scouted the area. It actually happened! It was one of the two best-case scenarios! Gregory was pushing Mid alone and he was at 40% HP. According to the vision from allied minions, Taison replaced Ellen in Top while Howard defended Bot. Meanwhile, Ellen most certainly returned to base to heal the injuries she received from Julia. In other words, nobody was around to help Gregory. This was a great opportunity to strike! Julia, go gank- ah, Yuel paused because his words were unnecessary. Ill kill him! Julia was already on the lane. She didnt waste any time examining the situation. As soon as she spotted her prey, she charged forth without thinking twice. Ill get it! Julia was convinced. Just a brief glance at the map was enough to inform her that nobody was around. She has spent more than enough time reading the mini-map data on her way to Mid. As a defensive player who was infamous for covering the entire map with wards, Julia had tons of experience with reading vision information from the mini-map. Whether it was vision from wards or from minions - Julia digested and analyzed everything in an instant. Minions were just like walking wards anyway as far as she was concerned. Therefore, Julias quick and reckless attack was actually perfectly safe. Julia knew that Gregory was completely alone all the way out here, it was almost like he was waiting to be murdered like an idiot! What the-!? Gregory exclaimed. Guys, Julia is over here! My, how aggressive, Ellen smiled. Dont even think about fighting her. Run back to base on the double. Ill get there as soon as I can. Tch, got it, Gregory didnt appreciate the implication Julia was gonna tear him apart in a fight, but he had to concede here because he only had 40% HP. Julias build leaned toward the offense, so even as an Aeromancer, she could dish out some serious damage. Gregory had to scoot. You aint getting away! Julia fired Squall at Gregory. The blast of wind slowed him twice: once due to Squalls slowdown effect and one more time due to the Chains of Infinity in her build. So, Julia reduced that dumbass to nothing more than a big armored turtle! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Next, she summoned Whirlwind right in front of Gregory. Normally, it wasnt a very effective spell for killing because it slowly dealt damage over time and the enemy could easily maneuver around it to dodge most of the ticks. However, with the double slowdown on Gregory and with the Whirlwind blocking his escape route - he couldnt dodge it so easily. Fuck! I cant let this shit get any more ticks on me! Gregory turned aside and ran around the whirlwind while trying to maintain as much distance as possible from Julia. Not good enough, dumbass! Julia grinned as she channeled her ult: Hurricane. While Gregory was running away at the speed of a disabled snail, Julia finished the long casting animation of Hurricane and unleashed it toward Gregorys back. Game over, fucker, Julia cackled and turned her back to the scene. Yeah, thats right. Julia turned around and left, just like that. It was done; Gregory was finished. A-Ah! Its sucking me in! Gregory ordered his Vanguard to run as fast as humanly possible, but this fatass mofo didnt move! The hurricane approached from behind and sucked Gregory in! The hurricane pulled Gregory all the way to Julias whirlwind, which was still going strong. In other words, he was pulled by one tornado into another tornado! Yo dawg, I heard you like tornados, so I put a tornado in your tornado. Fuuuuuuuu! An enemy has been killed! Ha! Julia pumped a fist. Got that idiot. Yes! Yuel also felt like pumping. His gamble worked! This proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Howards defense was out of shape at the moment. So, despite the recent loses Yuels team suffered, the game was still far from over. Lars and Julia were more than enough to push against Howards weakened defense. However, as much as Yuel wanted to exploit Howards moment of weakness and push hard, he had to play this patiently. Lars and Julia were the only teammates alive right now, so it was important to keep them safe until the others respawn. Above everything, Yuel had to make sure the enemy wont be able to easily gank either of them. Therefore, it was best to keep them together. Julia, Yuel started. Push Bot together with Lars. This was the safest offense he could come up with right now. In truth, Yuel wanted them to push Mid and take down the Golem which Roi almost destroyed. However, placing the team''s only survivors in Mid will make it too easy for the enemy to gank them from all sides. Taison will have an easy time rotating from Top and Howard will rotate from Bot. Therefore, pushing Bot was the safer option. This way, if Taison chooses to rotate, it''ll take him twice the time to get all the way over there from Top. Darn it. Howard clicked his tongue. That stupid death Gregory suffered was completely Howards fault. What I was thinking? I should''ve ordered Gregory to go back and heal, no ifs or buts. It was like karma. Back during the 2v2 between Yuel & Lars and Taison & Gregory, the main reason Howard successfully snuck into the scene and caught the enemy off-guard was that Yuel was overconfident and didn''t request backup. Unfortunately, the success of that play got into Howards head, so this time he grew numb to danger. So, he defeated an overconfident foe only to become overconfident himself and get bitten right away. Awesome. Exactly what he needed right now in his life. 10/10. This is only becoming worse and worse. Howard had no choice but admit he was getting sloppier and sloppier with every passing moment. After all his recent misplays on the defense, Yuel surely realized that Howard''s defense was no longer the same. In fact, it was possible some of Yuel''s recent plays have been already designed around that knowledge. Shit, we can''t do anything like this. Howard stomped with his foot. The team only had three members alive and there were three lanes to defend, so each of them had to be assigned to a lane. Howard originally hoped to push at least one of the lanes with two players, but that became impossible now. Darn it all! My, you look troubled. Ellen jabbed. You don''t say, Howard sighed. I thought we finally had a breakthrough but turns out we''re still stuck on the defensive. There''s nobody in Mid now, so you gotta go there. Do I, really? Excuse me? Howard raised an eyebrow. Defending is important and all, but we have to go on the offensive at some point. Think about it, this is still a 3v2. We got the numbers. These numbers don''t help much while Top is attacked by super minions. We got no choice but to keep clearing them. But hey, Mid is safe. You call that safe? Well, okay. I admit, the Golem over there is in rough shape. More like, its half-dead. Yeah, right. But, it''s still standing and stuff, Ellen insisted. GG did a splendid job clearing the minions over there, so Mid should be fine for a while as long as nobody pushes it. Alright, Howard sighed in defeat. Suppose youre not going to defend Mid. Then, what are you suggesting? Well, let''s stop to think for a moment, shall we? You''re the master of predicting Yuyus attacks, so where do you think hell strike next? I don''t remember ever claiming to be a master, Howard shook his head but nonetheless squeezed out what little remained from his brain juice. He couldn''t answer for sure where Yuel will strike next, but he could at least estimate what was the most inviting spot to attack right now. Mid will be the enemy''s top priority for sure, but it was risky to gun for it during a 2v3 situation. Howard and Taison will be able to rotate over there in no time and Yuel surely knew that. Therefore, as Ellen said, Mid was actually relatively safe at the moment. Its convenient location between Top and Bot indirectly served as protection even when nobody was there to defend it. Of course, Yuel may still choose to gun for it despite the risks; there was never telling with that chesskid. However, considering that Yuel has just recently suffered a heavy blow in the 2v2 due to his own negligence, he should be trying to play safer for a while. Hopefully, that one mess up will stick in Yuels head for the remainder of the game and will screw his entire gameplan. Oh, right, gotta focus. So, about Yuel''s next attack... Howard rubbed his eyes. Instead of thinking hard, it was easier to just hope for the enemy to dig their grave. Unfortunately, things wont just magically solve themselves. So, where will Yuel strike? If Mid wasn''t the target, then there was only Top and Bot. This was a tricky one. On one hand, Taison''s defense was much weaker than Howard''s and the enemy had super minions in Top, so it was appealing to push Top. On the other hand, the Golem in Bot had low HP and taking it down will make let super minions oppress two lanes at once. In addition, Vampire was a marksman type class, so Taison''s wave clearing speed was decent. He has already pushed back one wave of minions, so it''ll take the enemy some effort to push back all the way to the base in Top. On top of that, Howard ordered Taison to stay near base instead of pushing the lane any further, which guaranteed Taison won''t become an isolated target for Yuel to pick off. So, Yuel couldnt target Top to get an easy kill either. Man, this all sounds so needlessly complicated. Howards thoughts became a salad. I can usually figure all that basic stuff without even actively thinking about them. Maybe I really need to start jogging or something for extra brain fuel... Yuel will probably go for Bot, Howard concluded. My, even though you''re the one defending it? I''ve barely pushed the lane at all and I won''t be able to damage the attackers much, so it''s a great spot to target. Okay, then Larsy and July are coming from Bot''s direction, Ellen smirked. Then, how about I go greet them? You want to gank them by yourself? There''s no way they''ve already organized. Larsy should be leaving base right about now, but July was in Mid a moment ago. I don''t think she''ll head back just to regroup, sooooo... You want to attack one of them in isolation, huh. Howard wasn''t too sure about that. The risk was high, but the potential reward was high as well. Who you want to gun for? Julia? No no no, I can''t handle her in that fire mode, Ellen waved her hand. I could''ve beaten her if I laid out more tricks during previous matches, but July switched modes way too late. So, dont expect me to ever beat her in a 1v1 this game. On the other hand, Larsy... Hmhmhm~ You''ve only been luring Lars into traps the whole day, Howard pointed out. Sure you can handle him? But of course, darling. That was all part of the plan~ Ellen licked her lips. This was the moment she has been preparing for the entire day. In this selection match, Howard and Ellen had to prove their absolute superiority to Yuyu and Larsy. So, just Howard beating Yuyu wasn''t good enough. To make their victory decisive, Ellen also had to pull her weight and teach Larsy a hard lesson~ But, Howard started. Julia will rotate to help him. Then do something to prevent that, darling. Heh, fair enough, Howard chuckled. I''ll take the fight to her. Alrighty, then we''re set, Ellen mounted her wolf and rode toward the jungle. Riding on the cute wolfie boosted her movement speed a lot, so itll be easy for her to get all the way to Lars before he regroups with July. Meanwhile, Howard advanced toward the jungle to intercept Julia ahead of time. His job was to keep Julia occupied while Ellen handled Lars. This was an unusually aggressive move for Howards team, but they had to shoot for it. Passively waiting for the enemy to stumble wasnt good enough at this point, not when Howards defense was this sloppy. The only way to win was by taking the fight to the enemy and beating them at their own game of aggression! Vol.5 Ch.24: Bait Twist Yo! Lars shouted. Athena is here! Ah, Julia exclaimed. And Howard came over here. What? Yuel looked back and forth between the two sides of the map. Ellen cut through the jungle to intercept Lars near the beginning of Bot Lane, whereas Howard abandoned the Golems area to engage Julia at the end of Bot Jungle. Is that supposed to be a defensive tactic? Yuel couldnt wrap his head around it. This looked nothing like Howards typical plays. The intention here was clearly to stop Lars and Julia from regrouping, which made some sense from the defenders perspective. Dealing with two aggressive DPS enemies in one place was often harder than stalling each of them separately. But, was the goal behind this play just to stall Lars and Julia? Or, could it be enemy were aiming for a kill here? If this play was Howards idea, then its unlikely this play was intended for scoring kills. However, if Ellen came up with this play, it could have twenty ulterior motives packed into it. Okay, what do I do here? Yuel frowned. Should he let Lars and Julia engage in 1v1s? Or, should they regroup and then fight in a 2v2? No, thatd be suicide. The team play between Howard and Ellen was frightening. Making Lars and Julia 2v2 the enemys aces was risky beyond measure. However, at the same time, holding two 1v1s wasnt exactly appealing either... Okay! Lars shouted. This time, Imma finish this! He charged at Ellen without thinking twice, as expected from that goof. Where there was a battle to fight, Lars would fight it no matter what. Wait, dont be reckless, Yuel warned. Something is afoot. Hmph, Julia scoffed. No shit, Sherlock. They totally timed this stuff. Unlike Lars, Julia understood this wasnt a normal situation. And yet, just like Lars, she attacked her opponent without wasting any time. Theyre both like hungry beasts. Yuel smiled meaningfully. When Julia entered her Attack Mode, its she channeled Larss playstyle. She wasnt quite as strong and overwhelming as Lars, but she had unexpected explosive strength which has been proving effective so far. Therefore, with Julia joining the offense, Yuel felt like he was carrying two shotguns this game instead of just one. If he just fires them at the right targets, hell completely destroy what little remained from Howards flimsy defense! However, he couldnt handle the shotguns careless. To make the right call, he first had to understand the enemys intentions for this peculiar play. Even though separating Lars and Julia made some sense from the defenders perspective, the Yuel wasnt convinced this was just a defensive stunt. If the enemys goal was to defend, a 2v2 should work in Howard and Ellens favor because they had a high level of team-play which theyve been polishing for years. Compared to them, this was Larss first time playing alongside Julias Attack Mode, so their synergy wont be nearly as effective. Therefore, the enemys play didnt make much sense for defense. So, was it an offensive play? Was the goal to kill Lars or Julia? That didnt seem likely either. Howard didnt have the damage to take Julia down. In fact, given Julias performance so far, she might even kill Howard instead in a 1v1. Similarly, Ellen wont be able to kill Lars under fair conditions. Theyve both just returned from their bases and had full HP, so Ellen didnt have any advantages over Lars. In fact, Lars had a big advantage because he was Seraph, the notorious late-game Hyper Carry. Ranger was more of a mid-game class, so its strength didnt peak nearly as high as Seraph during the late-game. On top of that, there was no threat of Taison teleporting to aid in any of these fights. Based on the last time he used Teleport, it should still be on cooldown for about a minute. Therefore, Ellen couldnt even bait Lars into fighting Taison like she has been doing the entire day. No, wait. Im being too optimistic again. Yuel shook his head. His analysis seemed airtight, but he felt the exact same way about his previous analysis regarding the 2v2 situation with Gregory and Taison. And, how did that one turn out? It was a disaster. Yuel was too greedy and underestimated his opponents. The late-game was the worst stage in the game to commit mistakes. Even the smallest slip-up could turn the entire game around. Therefore, Yuel absolutely couldnt make the wrong call here. Any mistake thatd result in Larss death might decide the entire game on the spot. Think. What are they planning here? What are they expecting us to do? No matter how hard Yuel thought, he couldnt get to the bottom of that play. It was the first time he saw such a puzzling play from Howards team today, so he had no references to work with. This late-game surprise felt like something Ellen would pull. Dammit. Geh! Cmon! Lars fired a laser beam. A beautiful hit! Okay! Got her this time! While Yuel was locked in analysis paralysis, the battle between Lars and Ellen was in full swing. As expected, Lars dominated the fight like every other time. This could be huge. If Lars scores a kill here, theyll get the luxury to push hard for a while. It was a great chance! Therefore, distracting Lars with a retreat order seemed foolish right now. Yuel had no evidence of any immediate threats, so there was no justified reason to retreat. Nevertheless, this situation reeked of danger. At the very least, Yuel wanted to set up a safety net. Julia, Yuel said. Go help Lars. Huh? Im not done with this dumbass over here, Julia fired one wind blast after another at Howard. After she unleashed her Whirlwind and Squall, Howard was already down to 50% HP. Julia was dominating this 1v1. Alas, as much as Yuel wished for this situation to convert into a kill, he knew that killing Howard will be tough, And, in the first place, killing the Support wasnt exactly the greatest achievement. Therefore, keeping Lars alive and killing Ellen were much higher priorities. We have to make sure Lars doesn''t die, Yuel insisted. I don''t know what they''re planning with this play, but I''m sure their plan isnt suicide. I need you to keep Lars alive. Okay, got it. Julia stopped her aggression and turned her back to Howard. However, just as she was about to head deeper into the jungle, an ice wall blocked her path. Shit! That dumbass...! Julia turned around again and shot a wind blast at Howard. Doesn''t look like this bastard gonna let me go that easy. So, I''mma kick his ass first! Just make sure you head toward Lars once the path opens. I heard you the first time, Julia said as she shot Howard again. Despite what her words, her actions implied she was 100% focused on beating Howard right now. Yuel will have to observe her carefully and remind her to rotate again once the ice wall melts. It was his first time playing a real match with Attack Mode Julia, so he had to handle her with caution. Meanwhile, the clash between Lars and Ellen was approaching a turning point. Okay! Lars landed another shot. That made it six hits so one more shot and Six Wings will activate. Then, he''ll wreck Ellen for sure! It was time to defeat the fake goddess of victory once and for all! Throughout the entire day, Ellen has never faced Lars for real. She always poked him from afar or baited him into 1v1s against Taison. So, there was no doubt she''ll pull something this fight too. After all, Athena just ain''t strong enough to beat him in a fair fight. Whatever was coming, it gonna happen any moment now because Lars has already gained a huge life lead over her. He was at 60% HP while Ellen was at 30%. He was totally owning her, yo! This time, there won''t be any baits. Only Howard and Taison were alive to help Ellen but, according to Yuel, their Teleports were down. So, there wont be any surprise gank shenanigans. Lars and Ellen gonna duke this out all the way to the end, fair and square! ... yeah, right. Geh, like I thought. Lars made a face when Ellen turned her back to him. Yet again, she gonna try to escape. Every. Single. Time. Dang it! The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. However, this time, Lars will chase her all the way! To the end of the world! He won''t let her slip away! He gonna get this kill and prove he has surpassed this fake goddess of victory! After spending an entire year in the club, Lars has grown a lot. He was no longer the same scrub who got completely outplayed by Ellen''s tricks during the entrance exam. Now, he now had more than enough strength to overpower her no matter what crap she pulled. It''s payback time, yo! Should I stop him? Yuel frowned. The fight between Lars and Ellen progressed too quickly for Julia to get there on time. It has already reached the most critical part: the moment when Ellen retreats. This always followed by some unexpected trap. But, what could Ellen possibly do in this situation? Taison should still be pushing Top like before. He wasn''t visible on the mini-map at the moment because he just finished clearing a wave, but that''s not a big concern. Even if Taison starts running now, he won''t make it in time to do anything at Bot Jungle. Likewise, Howard was too far. He seemed more interested in stalling Julia than in rotating to support Ellen. Then, what was the trap? What was Ellen''s trick this time around? The foxs intentions eluded Yuel. Julia, Yuel called. The ice wall is about to melt, so start rotating. Huh? Ah, sure, Julia finished firing two more shots, then activated Jet Stream and dashed through the wind trail into the- FREEZE! Wha-!? Julia jumped. You freakin degenerate! Leave me alone already! Howard was faster. He blinked after Julia and froze her in place with Ice Coffin. While she was stuck in place, he maneuvered around her and blocked her route with his body. So, that''s how it gonna be, huh. Julia''s face twitched. You''re saying I gotta beat the shit outta ya to reach Lars, huh? Fine by me! As soon as Julia broke out of the ice, she launched another assault at Howard. She gonna get a kill here and then help Lars! This stupid damn idiot won''t stop her! Damn. Yuel clicked his tongue. Howard got everything covered as always. I should''ve told Julia to go for a different path instead of insisting on the shortest. Now, it''s too late to go around. Her only option is to break through Howard. At the same time, Lars was closing on Ellen. Since she used her Wolf Companion earlier to drive all the way to enemy territory from base, the skill was on cooldown and she didn''t have any escape tools at her disposal. She only had her base movement speed and her trickery to rely on. Or, so Lars thought. Just as he was about to get Ellen within his firing range, she sped up like a freaking Sonic! She gained a huge boost of speed from Sprint, her second utility skill. At such a late point in the game, it was common for everybody to have two utility skills and Sprint was a pretty good second choice. Unfortunately, Lars didnt have the luxury to get himself Sprint. Seraphs early-game was too weak and Yuel forced him to play safe, so his farming suffered as a result. Lars just got enough gold to buy Sprint, but he couldnt return to base right now. So, he didn''t have any utility skills to quickly close the distance. But, he didn''t need any either. He''ll just use the Seraph''s chasing tool: Angelic Leap! He fired into the sky and took aim while in mid-air. Whish! A clean hit from the sky! It was the seventh hit, so it caused Six Wings to activate. Now, Lars was in a great position to bombard Ellen to death! My, how infuriating...! Ellen flinched after a laser beam pierced her back. You must be kidding me. How can a human being land that kind of shot so quickly from mid-air at this distance? Oh, right. Larsy isn''t a human, he''s a beastie. This was rough. With that Angelic Leap play, Lars closed the distance and made Ellens Sprint look useless. She began her retreat right before Lars got all the way to Six Wings, but now it was in full bloom and it was coming after her! In just about two hits, she''ll be a goner. Larsy has really grown strong. Ellen had to admit. The potential that beastie showed during the entrance exam was no sham. Unlike a certain trash-tier former member of the club, Lars was the real deal. He was a beast through and through. He was rough around the edges during the entrance exam, but he brushed up his skill a lot since then. At this point, Ellen couldn''t figure a way to beat him in a straightforward 1v1. The simple mind games, that messed with Lars during the entrance exam, were no longer effective. But, even so, Ellen smiled confidently. You will lose here. Whish! Another a quick shot at Ellen''s back! Geh! So close! Lars twisted his lips. Ellen turned aside in the last second. Its like she had eyes on her back and saw the shot. But still, Ellen was totally within range. Lars gonna seal the deal with the next two shots! He landed on the ground and darted forward while firing another shot. Whish! A hit! That''s it! Just one more! He gonna win- SNAP. It was the metallic sound of something shutting down. Oh, crap... Lars knew exactly what it was: a bear trap. He just stepped on one shortly after landing. No way, dude... Lars smacked his forehead. All his attention was on Ellen''s back, so he didn''t see anything underneath his feet. He didn''t buy Cleanse because he prioritized finishing his build first, so there was no way to get out of this stun. Nooooooooooo! Ellen gonna get away... Huh? She''s turning back!? Instead of fleeing, Ellen turned around and ran back toward Lars! N-No way! Lars blinked. That was a first today. Ellen never turned around and fought back like this. Every single time, she ran away to bait Lars into a fight with somebody else. This was crazy, yo! Crap, this might actually be bad news! What a good little beastie you are~ Ellen smiled. This was such a delightful moment. Her numerous retreats and baits throughout the day were all building up for this one surprise attack~ Since Ellen always avoided battle, it created the impression she didn''t have it in her to confront Lars in a 1v1. No matter how cautious the enemy was, eventually they began seeing Ellen as an inferior fighter to Lars. So, no way shed ever kill him in a fair fight, right? But, they simply forgot: Ellen wasn''t some Bronze player with zero combat skills. No, she was the gorgeous goddess of victory who turned every situation in her favor! This grand finale play was also a bait but it was a bait by Ellen for Ellen herself! A one-man bait play! 1000 IQ! The hunt is on! The Ranger shouted as Ellen activated her ult and fired without further ado. Each of her bolts hit like a truck thanks to the power buff from her ult. It was time to punish a bad, bad beastie~ She''ll tear him apart piece by piece until he regrets ever underestimating her! C-Crap... Lars clenched his jaw. Gah, this sucked! He almost got her but, in that last second, she pulled an insane switcheroo. Lars was stronger than her this match and he has been beating her the entire day, and yet...! The plan was to catch up to Ellen and kill her, then carry the team to victory. Lars was the Carry and Ellen was his greatest nemesis, so it was his job to settle all of this. But, he blew it. He fucked up everything. Yuel always said that a Carry dying in late-game was one of the worst things that could ever happen to a team. And, it was ten times worse when the Carry died while the enemy Carry was still alive. So, the enemy team might win the entire match if Lars dies here. Why? Am I really a worse player than her? Lars couldn''t help but wonder. Why!? He poured hours upon hours into practice and matches, so he should have gotten way better! Way better1 He should have been able to kick Ellen''s butt by now! You can''t win, Ellen smiled from ear to ear as she skewered Lars with bolts. It''s because youre a beastie like that. As long as you keep chasing me like I''m a tasty snack, you''ll keep falling for my traps. Opponents like you are the most fun to mess around with~ But, I ain''t gonna lose! Lars shook his head. Since it came to this, I''mma at least take ya down with me! You won''t have this game! Me and Yuel gonna win this thing and play at the nationals! Lars readied his aim and waited for the stun to run out. As soon as it does, he''ll snipe Ellen and take her down! Even if it gonna result in a double KO, Lars had to do it. He won''t hand this game to Ellen! If he dies, Ellen will have to die too! The gauge for the stun''s duration was running out. Beartrap had a hella long stun compared to most skills, but even its stun only lasted a couple of seconds. So, the shackles binding him were about to shatter and then he''ll deliver the decisive blow- gah!? Ellen sent her wolf at him! Shit! Lars jumped from his chair. This couldn''t be real! She already got Wolf Companion again!? No. No. NO! S-Stop! You can''t do that shit! N-No way... Before the stun ended, the wolf leaped on Lars and pushed him to the ground. It was a classic Ranger play that chained one stun into another. I-It''s useless. I... I can''t do anything... Lars slid back into his chair. His entire body was limp. It felt like the stun CC jumped outta his monitor and struck him in real life too. He couldn''t even budge. It was over. Lars lost. All the small victories he has gotten against Ellen until now were completely pointless. In just one play, Ellen stole the win for this entire match. She was truly Athena, the goddess of bullshit victories. Even after all his training, Lars still couldn''t defeat her... Goodnight~ Ellen delivered the final blow at the immobile beastie. You have killed an enemy! We won. Ellen licked her lips. Until the enemies respawn and regroup, Ellen will have all the time in the world to push to her heart''s content. She''ll push so hard that all the advantage the enemy had until now will poof out of existence. Theyll win this match and Ellen will get her sweet, sweet reward~ Its my fault. Yuels lips trembled. I shouldve ordered Lars to retreat. It was an obvious trap. I knew it. We all knew it. And yet...! He slammed on the table. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! He was so stupid! Is this the end? Yuels hands trembled. Because of this one mistake, they were about to lose all the momentum theyve built. Without a Carry to terrorize the enemys lanes, they couldnt push this game to victory. Until the team respawns and regroups, Ellen might push this game all the way to victory. Sorry, Lars mumbled with a lowered head. If only I beat her... Its okay, Yuel said. Its my fault for not forcing you to retreat. This is supposed to be my job as the shot-caller. What good is a shot-caller for if he cant make the right calls!? This was most certainly the end. Without Lars to carry the team forward, they couldnt seal this game. Howard and Ellen will slowly but surely strangle them to death. Without anybody alive to threaten the enemy with, Yuels team was done for... Ellen, you bitch! A roar thundered across the room. Imma destroy you! Ah, right, Yuel gasped. Julia was still alive! In this game, she transformed into a wild card with offensive capabilities on par with Larss. Theres still a chance. Yuel smacked his own face to kill his negative thoughts. Not yet. If I lead Julia properly, we can still win this. This isnt over! With Lars out of the picture for now, the responsibility of carrying the team fell upon Julias shoulders. Yuel will have to formulate the winning game plan with this wild card as the center. Itll be difficult, but not impossible. It was too early to give up. With how strongly Julia has been playing this game, Yuel will find a way to break through this predicament and make Julia carry the team to victory! Vol.5 Ch.25: Hyper Rotation While Ellen was baiting Lars to his death, Howard stalled Julia by blocking her path. However, it wasn''t nearly as easy as he expected. Julia sure packs a punch. Howard glanced at his 30% HP. Maybe its in part because he was exhausted, but he couldn''t give Julia an even fight. The girl overwhelmed him big time. Even considering the fact Howard was on the defensive and his main goal was to stall instead of winning the 1v1, this was still a surprising development. For a player who was infamous for her overly defensive playstyle, Julia''s fierce offense was overwhelming. Was this the result of Ellen and Julia training together? They have engineered some aggressive monster, alright. I gotta let her go, Howard informed Ellen. She''ll kill me at this rate... and youre not even listening. He sighed. Ellen was concentrated on landing shots on Lars while her wolf was pinning him down. This should be good enough. Howard nodded to himself and snuck away from the fight. Ellen was about to finish her job, so there was no need to worry about Julia anymore. Huh! Julia exclaimed. You think I gonna let you run away, you- An ally has been killed! ... ah. Julia paused. That message delivered terrible news: Lars died. How? Why? Wasn''t he winning against Ellen? Goddammit! Julia shouldve taken Yuels warning more seriously and dashed to help Lars right away. But, instead, she wasted a crapton of time on fighting Howard and didn''t even get a kill. She was a complete and utter failure. But, she wont let it end like this! Ellen, you bitch! Julia thundered. Imma destroy you! She cast Whirlwind behind her and sprinted into the jungle. Thanks to Aeromancers passive, Wind Flow, casting a spell gave her a boost of movement speed. She would have liked to cast Jet Stream for even more speed but, unfortunately, it was on cooldown right now. Still, she should be able to catch Ellen before that fox vanishes from the crime scene. Wait, Yuel said. You should chase Howard instead. You may still get a kill on him. You wont reach Ellen on time. Shut up, I know what Im doing. Julia dashed onward without heeding Yuels words. And I thought this situation cant get any worse. Yuel sighed. He underestimated the wild part of Julia being a wild card. She was a strong and promising candidate for carrying the team in Larss absence, but Yuel couldnt control her. This was a problem. Great, so we wont get a single kill from this entire play. Yuel sighed. Its true that killing Ellen would be ten times more beneficial than killing Howard because Ellen was the Carry, but there was no chance Julia will get to Ellen in time. Phew, Howard breathed in relief after escaping to safety. Thankfully, Julia didnt catch up to him. Despite his solid defense, that berserker girl almost murdered him in that 1v1. If she insisted to chase him all the way, there was no telling whether he would have gotten away. Why didnt she chase, though? Howard knotted his brows. Ever since Julia turned on her berserker switch, she always chased down her prey and did everything in her power to get a kill. Yet, this blood-thirsty berserker chose to not chase Howard this time. Why? Was there something that interested her more? Another target, perhaps? Wait, did Elly ever get my message? Howard checked Ellens position. Not good! Ellen hasnt recalled to base yet! Ellen was so absorbed in the fight against Lars that she didnt hear Howards warning about Julia. So, after killing Lars, Ellen carelessly headed toward a nearby Hyena Camp in order to heal up via lifesteal. Elly! Howard called out. Julia didnt chase me, so she may be coming after you. Recall to base. Now. Eh!? Really!? Ellen jumped like its the first time Howard dropped this news. My, I was sure you had her under control. That girl is crazy, I cant hold her down on my own. Especially, not when Im this tired. Heehee, Ellen puffed her chest. Isnt my dear July amazing? I told you she had the potential to become a great player. Im pretty sure you only pushed so hard for her to be accepted into the club because you wanted another girl in the club, but alright. My, zero trust in my judgment skills. Hmph. Ellen pouted but her lips curved into a smile. It was a good thing that Julia was leaving such a strong impression on everybody. The girl started this match on the wrong foot because she couldnt bring out her offense, but now she was totally rocking it. So far, the only time Julia looked a tiny bit bad on the offense was when Ellen got a kill on her. It was an unfortunate development but Ellen had no choice, she had to do it for victory. Ellen felt a little bad for exploiting Julias weakness back then, but there was no need to worry because Julias performance remained strong and she even overwhelmed Howard in a 1v1. The girl was on a roll and even Howard was mildly impressed. Who knew, Julia might even get a spot on the first string at this rate~ Well then, I better recall. Ellen nodded to herself. It felt like it was a waste because she could quickly recover a lot of HP via lifestealing from jungle camps and then push a lane right away, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Ellen activated Recall, which formed a magical circle under her feet. In just a couple of seconds, shell be back to safety. My, shes really after me, Ellen smiled when a ward revealed Julia sprinting through the jungle. Instead of chasing Howard for a good chance to get a kill, Julia chose to go after Ellen. Revenge for Larsy? How cute~ Ellen smiled. It was a cute motivation, but Julia wont make it. The girl was too far away and Ellens recalling was halfway done. Ill murder her. Julia cut through the jungle without slowing down. She had a good idea of Ellens position thanks to the vision from wards, so there was no need to play hide-and-seek. Julia dashed directly toward Ellen! The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I knew youll try healing up from jungle camps instead of recalling right away. Julia smirked. She has played more than enough games with Ellen to notice how greedy that fox was with HP recovery. When the situation looked safe, Ellen always preferred to heal up via lifestealing off jungle camps instead of recalling to base. In addition, Ellen had a bad habit of celebrating her victories. Even though she was one of the strongest defensive players in the club, she often lowered her guard a while patting herself on the back for a scheme that was well executed. When they played together in Ranked, there were a few occasions when these two bad habits played against Ellen and led to her death. Therefore, Julia insisted to strike right here and now. Perhaps she wasnt as sharp as Yuel when it came to exploiting weaknesses, but she sure knew how to do it right against Ellen. So, shell get this kill for sure! Ellen has been helping Julia a lot throughout the year, going as far as holding special training to invoke Julias dormant aggressive side. Julia wouldnt have improved even half as much if it wasnt for Ellen always dragging her into that kind of unsightly practice. Therefore, exploiting Ellens weakness like that based on what Julia has learned from the time theyve spent together felt a little low. Nevertheless, there wont be any mercy. Ellen was on the opposite team and she was Larss murderer. Therefore, Julia gonna get this kill no matter what! She wont make it in time. Yuel shook his head. In theory, it should be borderline possible for an Aeromancer to cross that big distance and deliver a blow in time. However, he wasnt even sure what was the correct sequence of plays to make that happen. There wasnt nearly enough time to analyze the situation and make the correct judgment, so... Elly, DIEEEEEEEE! Julia blinked through a jungle wall. It was a huge shortcut that got Ellen into her sights but she was still too far away! Neither her basic attacks nor Squall would be able to reach Ellen from here. Meanwhile, Ellens recall was almost done. It was hopeless, and yet... Eat this! Julia pressed on without hesitation. She activated Jet Stream and generated a trail of wind up ahead. Then, she fired Squall through the flowing wind. The gust of wind darted into the jet stream and gained a huge speed boost. And, with higher speed, it also gained increased reach! N-No way! Ellen flinched as the gust of wind was running at her like an excited puppy. I-It may actually reach! Should she try dodging it? No, thats suicide. Dodging meant interrupting her Recall, which meant shell stay in the area after that. Ellen had less than 20% HP, so there was very little chance shell be able to slip away from Julia. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ill just gamble on Julys shot missing. Ellen gulped. Cmon, its her first time using her aggressive playstyle in a real match with the others, so she cant possibly be at full strength- BAM! The wind blast slammed into Ellen and erased her HP bar. You have been killed! Heh, Ellen produced a dry laugh as she dropped back on her chair. That was amazing. Nothing else to say here. Ellen really trained that girl well. Too well, in fact. Yes! Julia pumped a fist. Get freakin dead, haha! You really did it... Yuel didnt even know what to say. He had a feeling an Aeromancer could pull it off, but he wasnt even sure what sequence of plays was required for that. Yet, Julia executed that amazing play without a moments hesitation. It was Blink into Jet Stream into Squall. A simple but genius sequence of plays that required unwavering confidence in ones skills. Amazing... Lars mumbled as he slowly raised his head. He was sure theyve already lost the entire game because of his stupid death, but Julia was still going strong. Killing Ellen reset the situation because now neither team had a Carry, so both teams push potentials were about the same. It was a sick turnabout, yo! July! Youre awesome! Lars exclaimed. E-Eh? Ah, yeah, I... Julia shifted her eyes away and her intense attitude died out. No matter how aggressive or kill-hungry she was during her Attack Mode, she still had the usual soft spot for Lars. We can still win this! Lars shouted. You gotta attack! Youre the only one we got left! Hold your horses, Yuel said. I agree that we have to keep pushing, but we need to do it carefully. This is still a 1v2 situation. Oh, right. Lars piped down. Yeah, they shouldnt be reckless here. Its thanks to Larss recklessness that they got into this sticky situation in the first place. If only he didnt chase Ellen back then, the team would still be in the lead right now. Even though he knew there had to be some kind of trap, he still chose to chase and almost blew the entire game. Thankfully, Julias kill reset the situation and gave the team another chance. The game wasnt lost yet! Theyll win this momentum and go to nations, yo! See? Julia lifted her chin in Yuels face. I can totally get kills when I want to. Yeah, you did great. Yuel had nothing to criticize this once. That play was beyond his expectations and it single-handedly saved the team from disaster. It was a magnificent play, which was on par with the miraculous shenanigans that Lars often pulled off. Julia really did a good job. Hmph, so you finally admit Im a great player. About damn time. Heh, Yuel chuckled. The girl was getting ahead of herself and he really wanted to jab at her, but its better to not ruin this positive atmosphere. Hell let Julia have her moment of glory. More importantly, Yuel had to decide on the teams next move. Or, most specifically, he had to decide on Julias next move because she was the only one alive. She alone was the entire team at the moment. Should she push one of the lanes? Taison was last seen pushing Top, so pushing Top Lane was out of the question. On the other hand, Mid and Bot werent much better either because Howard will likely rotate to defend them in response. Howard most likely returned to base after the fight with Julia and restored his HP to full by now, so Julia wont be able to break through his defense all by herself. With all of that considered, pushing any of the lanes would be a bad idea during this 1v2 situation. However, Julia was relatively healthy at around 80% HP, so it felt like a waste to tell her to recover at the base. Decisions, decisions. Since youre already in the area, Yuel said. Clear the Ogre Camp first. After Dan respawns, group up with him to push Bot. Got it, Julia responded. Despite her gung-ho behavior, she was more cooperative than ever. As long as Julia proceeds carefully, the outcome of this match still favored Yuels team with all the lane advantage they had. Julias Whirlwind came out of cooldown just as she reached the Ogre Camp, so she cast it on the three ogres and the tornado knocked them out in a couple of seconds. Her reward for that work was the red power buff. This was the first step in preparing for her next big attack. Hmm, Yuel pondered. It feels like a waste, but I think you better recall to base and wait for Dan to respawn. I guess, Julia shrugged. She itched to go out there and blast some idiots with her power buff. Alas, she was alone right now so the odds werent in her favor. Thus, Julia cast Recall and formed a magical circle around her. Three, two, one and- Here comes Taaaaaaaison! Wha!? Julia jumped. A bat rammed its ugly face into her and interrupted the recalling! What the hell!? Where did he...!? Yuel flinched. That shouldnt have happened. Taison was supposed to stay in Top and push, or at most rotate to Mid and defend. He shouldnt have been all the way down here in Bot Jungle! You made it, Howard smiled weakly. Good job. Heh, Taison grinned. The party is just getting started, yo! Alright, this turned out perfectly. Howard nodded to himself. He originally asked Taison to rotate to Bot Jungle in case something goes wrong with the Ellen vs. Lars fight. As convinced as Ellen was about her tactic, there was no telling what could happen when Lars was involved. Admittedly, Howard made that call a bit too late. As a result, Taison arrived in Bot Jungle only now. So, even if Lars were to kill Ellen, Taison most likely wouldnt have gotten there on time to clean up. That delay almost turned Taisons entire rotation into one huge misplay. However, one thing led to another and Julia became the new attractive target in Bot Jungle. How nice of her to stay in the area long enough for Taison to get there. From almost becoming a terrible misplay, Taisons rotation suddenly transformed into an amazing opportunity! If Taison can get a kill on Julia here, itll put Howards team ahead by two players. It might very well decide the entire game right there! No matter how competent Julia was in her Attack Mode, theres no way shell be able to stand up to Taison, the king of 1v1s. The outcome of this 1v1 might very well decide the entire match and the odds were in Taisons favor! Vol.5 Ch.26: Julia vs. Taison Imma get this kill! Ez, Taison proclaimed. We gonna win this shit right here and now, yo! Just dont underestimate Julia, Howard advised. Shes surprisingly strong when shes on the offense. Pft, yeah, right, Taison shrugged. Ya think some chick gonna take me down? Im da best at 1v1s around here, bro, Aint nobody gonna stop me! Taison fired Hungering Horde. A pack of bats darted straight at Julia! Shit! Julia cursed. Why is this even happening!? I gotta dodg- Shit! The bats struck her before she finished processing the situation. The ugly flying mice covered her screen and continuously bit away at her. Shit. Shit. SHIT! Why was this crap happening!? She was a split second away from recalling to base and then this stupid shit happened. You have to retreat! Yuel commanded. You cant beat him in a 1v1. Geh, damn it! Julia turned around and dashed, but her movements were so damn slow because of these stupid bats. To make things worse, the bats covered most of her screen, so she had no idea where the flipping heck she was even going. I gotta get outta here! Julia''s heart raced but for all the wrong reasons. She has been on the offensive for so long this game that she couldn''t forget the thrill. As a result, even in this dangerous situation, she was thinking about all the wrong things. Goddammit, I so wanna turn around and beat the crap outta that dumbass! It was no good. Julia couldn''t cool down. She tried to dodge shots while running away, but it wasn''t going well. Half of the problem was her slowed down movement and the other half was her mental state. She wired her brain for offense and couldn''t switch gears to defense so quickly. Unlike Gilbert, she couldnt pull a 180 on the spot. Can I really get away like this? Julia''s heartbeat hammered all the way in her brain. ATTACK. KILL. TEAR THAT DUMBASS APART. Every part of her wished to turn around and give that dumbass a run for his money. Even though she knew Taison was possibly stronger than Lars in 1v1, Julia wanted to kill that idiot. Rather, BECAUSE that dumbass killed Lars so many times today - Julia wanted revenge! She wanted to destroy scumbag! Not good. She couldn''t stop these thoughts from overflowing her. Attacking and killing enemies was just too much fun. It was the first time she allowed herself to go wild during a real match and nobody criticized her. In fact, Lars even praised her! And, she really pulled some pretty damn good plays, if she could say so herself. In other words, Julia has been on a roll today. It was awesome! Like, seriously, killing is the hypest part of this game. Julia smiled wryly. Just imagining how shed crush her opponents was so delicious. Back when Julia first started Classmancers, she died. Like, a lot. She chased kills into enemy territory, she overextended while pushing towers, she didn''t protect herself from ganks and that list just went on. And, of course, everybody laughed their asses off whenever she died. Sometimes, they even got angry with her. Khaha! You''re so bad at this shit! You need to buy life insurance to keep playing this game, kek. These bastards told their terrible jokes as they pointed at Julia and laughed. Worst of all, they did it in front of Lars! Gaaah! It was the most embarrassing thing ever! They turned her into a laughingstock in front of the boy she loved! Therefore, Julia decided: she won''t die. She''ll learn how to fortify her defense and minimize her chances of dying. She gave up on chasing kills, she stopped pushing objectives early, she retreated faster from dangerous fights and she warded the entire jungle against ganks. No matter what, she refused to die. Thanks to that, she stopped dying all the time and nobody laughed at her anymore. However, instead, they hit her with new complaints. Some help would be appreciated, ya know? Don''t run away like a pussy! Keep pushing! This criticism wasn''t fun to hear either but at least Julia was no longer the laughingstock. She traded all her offense in exchange for defense, but at least her defense was solid and consistent. Though, once Yuel started coaching her, she realized how god awful she has been playing back then. Truth to be told, she deserved some of the shit people were giving her. But, Julia learned all sorts of stuff from Yuel and, eventually, her defense truly became solid. She was prepared to deflect any attack that came flying at her and she developed a sixth sense for when it was safe to punish enemies. If an enemy overextended too blatantly, Julia destroyed that dumbass. Her playstyle was coming together pretty well in her opinion. However, deep down, she never forgot about the deaths that drove her to come this far. The same way her enemies murdered her time and again, Julia wanted to unleash the same terror on her opponents. She wanted to make them quiver in fear from her strength and then execute them like a bunch of helpless fools! She wanted to turn them into the same laughingstock she was in the past. Why was she the only one who had to practice defense so hard like she was some scaredy-cat? She others to go through that shit too. At some point, these repressed feelings gave birth to the other extreme inside her: the hyper-aggressive kill-hungry playstyle. Once in a while, when Julia was willing to throw her defense out of the window to assault her opponents, she invoked something scary. She became a rampaging warrior who tore everything in her path. The first time she realized that potential was during StormBlitz''s entrance exam. After Ellen pushed her buttons, Julia stopped giving a fuck and went all out. Surprisingly, she put on quite the spectacle. Her defense was shabby and she died a few times, but she compensated for that by scoring loads of kills. At that moment, she became the terrifying monster she was fearing all this time! It was awesome! Honestly, Julia was sure she''ll die all over the place once she goes on the offense, so her performance during the entrance exam surprised her. She only played defense with the boys during the summer leading to the exam, yet somehow her offense became hella impressive too. She improved all across the board as a player so, apparently, that contributed toward her offense as well. Well, maybe the nosy idiot deserved some credit for this. Even though Yuel knew that Julias playstyle was defensive, he insisted to work on Julias offense as well. He was willing to become her target practice just to make sure she was motivated to shoot stuff. So, even though her offensive playstyle lacked match experience at the time, she trained more than enough against Yuel in private. She entered her hyper-aggressive mode numerous times during the practice and completely wrecked that idiot. As annoying as it was to admit, Julia truly owned Yuel a lot for all that training. And, she also owned to Ellen. That nosy girl pulled Julia into Ranked and made Julia play lots and lots of games with her aggressive playstyle. Ellen even pulled Yuel into the business so they could simulate playing as a team. It wasnt as good as playing with a full premade team but it was close. All that experience made Julia more comfortable playing offense and she felt like she was getting really good. Unfortunately, nothing could cure her bad habit of cursing and raising her voice while playing aggressively. Therefore, she was always embarrassed to show this playstyle in front of others, especially in front of Lars. However, in this critical game, she finally opened Pandora''s Box and unleashed her offense in all its glory. And, it was well-received! Lars even praised her! It was still pretty damn embarrassing to curse like that in front of Lars, but she finally took the first step! Truly, this third game has been so much fun! Julia set up one kill on Gilbert, she killed Gregory twice and she even pulled off a clutch kill on the ever-elusive Ellen. She was unstoppable! And yet, Taison was thinking he was some hot stuff by attacking her. Even though in her head she understood this 1v1 was terribly dangerous, her heart ached for it. She wanted to attack, she wanted to repay that bastard for all the bullshit he gave to her in grade school and to make a laughing stock outta him! It was her turn to laugh at that dumbass! Julia stopped and turned around. She wont be able to simply escape outta here alive. Therefore, she gonna fight this one out. Right now, offense was the best defense! Wha!? Yuel gasped. What are you doing? You have to retreat- Shut up! Julia fired a gust of wind at Taison. The stupid bats finally left her screen, so she could now see everything now. It was time to murder an idiot! Khaha, what the heck? Taison chuckled. Chick went crazy! She thinks she can actually take on da best 1v1 pro in the world? Taison fired back right away but... he missed? Dafuq!? Damn, what the hell!? Taison flinched as another wind blast hit him. He countered back right away, but Julia sidestepped the shot while firing another blast at him. W-What the hell was going on!? I can do it! Julia felt it in her bones. She was unstoppable! No matter how amazing that bastard was in 1v1s, she gonna tear him apart and mop the floor with his stupid face! She''ll murder his ass! Due to the hits Julia received during her short-lived attempt to escape, her HP fell from 85% to 70%. However, Taison didn''t come here unscratched either. That idiot probably tanked some super minions back at Top Lane, so he started this gank at 80%. And now, after theyve exchanged a few blows, Taison was already below 70% while Julia remained unscratched. She could do it. With the power buff Julia has recently picked up, she had a DPS advantage. She just gotta keep pushing and she''ll crush that bug! D-Damn! Taison grit his teeth as he failed to dodge another shot. What the hell!? Am I really being pushed around by July? I aint having that shit! Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Taison fired another bat. Hell yeah, this one gonna be good! It gonna hit for sure- Shit! The bat flew right at Julia, then took a dive into the ground right before reaching her. The small dude couldnt reach all the way to the target. Meanwhile, Julia had no trouble landing a counter shot at Taison. Damn, it was that stupid wind! It blocked off Taisons attack, yo! Julia cast Jet Stream between them and the wind was blowing in Taisons direction. As a result, the bats he fired at Julia were slowed down and dropped earlier than they should have. On the other hand, Julias shots only became faster as they passed through the stream. They crashed into Taison like a Major Leaguers fastball. It was bullshit, yo! She may actually do it. Yuel was astonished at this development. Even though Taison should be stronger in 1v1s, Julia held the initiative right now. Her unexpected offense made her look more powerful than she actually was. In truth, Julia wasnt as mechanically skilled as Lars or Taison. However, her unwavering explosive offense made her look unstoppable. On top of that, she had the surprise element on her side. Taison didnt expect her to turn around and fight, and he definitely didnt expect the infamous hyper-defensive player to be this strong in combat. Taison was shook, it was obvious from his sluggish movements. Under these circumstances, Julia might very well...! Shit! Shit! Taison cursed internally. This damn Jet Stream put him in an awkward position. The wind stream was wide enough to cover the narrow passage leading to Julia, so the only way across was to run right through that shit. But, doing so would slow down Taisons movement speed and attack speed, so hell become an even easier target. You think youre all that, huh!? Watch this shit! Taison activated his ult to transform into a bat. He flew above the Jet Stream and dove right toward Julia. He gonna take this into close quarters and tear her apart! Theres no way he gonna lose in a 1v1 to some chick who only ever played defense like a pussy! He was the true champion here, yoooooo! Haha! Dumbass! Julia grinned. Wanna bite me? Be my guest! Get destroyed by your own ult! Haha! Julia saw the incoming attack but she didnt dodge. Instead, she waited until the oversized bat reached her and cast Whirlwind around herself. Gah!? Taison jumped. He bumped into Julia and transformed back into his vampire form, which stunned her in place and allowed him to suck her blood. That shouldve been a great development for him, but Julia somehow turned this situation into the worst shit ever. Even though Taison was holding Julia in place and slowly sucking her HP, the whirlwind around him was fucking shit up! It dealt damage faster than Taison could absorb HP from Julia. Shit! It was one bullshit after another with this chick! Taison canceled the ult and rolled the hell outta there. He was totally screwed at this point. Not only he dropped all the way to 40% HP, but the ticks of damage from Whirlwind also slowed him down. He was now moving in slow motion, dang it! You wanted a fight? You got yourself a fight, shithead! Julias grinned. Come! Imma kick your ass into another dimension! Youre dead! DEAD! F-Fuck! This cant be happening! Taison instinctively stepped backward as he fired at Julia. H-He couldnt do this shit. Bitch was crazy, yo! It shouldnt have been impossible for Taison to lose here, and yet...! Use your coffin. Ah? Oh! Right! Better pull that thing while I got the chance! Taison activated Coffin Slumber. The Vampire pulled a coffin outta thin air and locked himself inside it. He gonna be safe for the next couple of shots like this. Phew. Calm down, Howard said. Youre too agitated by Julias attacks. I told you, shes surprisingly strong. Just accept that fact and treat her as a worthy opponent. R-Right! Taison nodded strongly. Yeah, what the heck was he doing? He totally let Julia take control over this 1v1. Taison was supposed to be the king of 1v1s, he was the topdog! Sure, Julia wasnt too shabby herself, he had to give her a little credit. Nevertheless, she had nothing on Taison! He gonna mop the floor with her once he comes outta the coffin! Alright. Howard nodded. Once Taison regains his vigor, he should be able to put on a decent fight. Unfortunately, Taisons shock cost him a lot of HP this fight. Escaping wasn''t an option with his reduced movement speed so this might head in a bad direction... Oh? Julia sneered as her wind blast hit the coffin. Youre hiding? Come out here and get wrecked! She unleashed one basic attack after another, then stopped to cast her ult - Hurricane. While Taison was hiding inside his precious coffin like a scaredy-cat, Julia had all the time in the world to cast this slow-ass ultimate. Shit! Taison noticed what was about to go down and popped outta the coffin ahead of time. He gotta blitz the heck outta here, yo! He rolled toward the nearby corner. It''ll take the hurricane some time to catch up with him, so he''ll just dodge it by going around the corner. The hurricane only traveled in a straight line, so it won''t be able to follow him if he runs in a different direction. You ain''t getting away! Julia blinked across the wall to get Taison into view again! Casting Hurricane took quite a while but the caster was allowed maneuver around to some degree, like slowly move around or blink. Taking advantage of that, Julia caught up with her prey and unleashed the hurricane! What the-!? Taison thought he dodged that shit after he got all the way here, but somehow the hurricane was coming straight at him! This ain''t good, yo! Taison tried to do a 180 and run back to where he came from but he was too late. The hurricane caught up to him and sucked him in. Normally, he shouldve have gotten away from this distance. But, the slowdowns from Julias recent attacks were still in effect so he couldnt move as he pleased. Shit, this gonna hurt... Taison braced himself for impact. He fell down to 40% HP while Julia was still sitting at 70%. Damn, this was hella embarrassing. How was Taison losing to that chick? He was the 1v1 world champion so he aint gonna let it end like this! There was no chance of escaping from here alive, so nobody will complain if he goes all out against that chick. You coming at me now? Julia shook her head. What an idiot. At this point, Julia had a such a big life lead that the battle was as good as settled. If Taison wanted to get out of this alive, he should start running like a wuss. Whatever, Julia sneered. If it''s a fight you want, then it''ll a fight you''ll get! I''ll destroy you! Julia fired a wind blast right in Taison''s face! ... at least, that was the plan. Taison somehow sidestepped the blow and countered right away. W-Wha!? Julia flinched when a bat rammed into her. Huh, I see you still got some fighting in you. Okay, bring it on! I''ll murder you! I ain''t done yet, yo! Taison sidestepped the next shot too, but this time it grazed him just enough to hit. Damn, these slowdowns were real brutal. But, nothing will stop him from moping that floor with that chick. Bam! He countered right away with a bat right into Julias face. Geh, die already! Julia fired again. Her shot landed but Taison counterattacked right away. This sucked. A back and forth of basic attacks was learning hard in Taison''s favor because he was a bruiser. His basics dealt decent damage and he was tanky to boot. Compared to that, as a mage, Julias basic attacks were rather weak and she was squishy as heck. Her damage had to come from spells but most of them were on cooldown right now. Squall has just come online again but Julia couldn''t just shoot it. She only had one chance to land it before it goes on cooldown again, so she had to make sure she''ll land that hit. C''mon, Julia glared at the screen. Waste your roll already so I can safely bomb you afterward. Yo, July, Taiso wore a nervous grin. Shoot yo wind spell already so I can dodge it with a roll. Each side waited for the other to make the first move. Julia needed Taison to waste his Dodge Roll on something trivial before firing Squall. Thatd increase her chances of successfully landing it afterward. However, Taison knew her Squall was probably online. He wasnt keen on the idea of eating that heavy damage and getting slowed down again, so he waited with his Dodge Roll to dodge that shit. As a result, the back and forth of basic attacks continued. Julia had a huge life lead before but this ongoing exchange reduced it to almost nothing. She was at 40% HP while Taison was at 30%. At this rate, he gonna get her! S-Shit, Shivers ran across Julia''s skin. If she doesn''t do something, she''ll die. Death was the most embarrassing type of failure in this game. It was the dumbest stuff ever. But, that wasn''t all. This was one fight she wasn''t allowed to lose no matter what. If Taison kills her, the entire game will go to hell from there. The enemy will have the advantage of two living players, which will let them do whatever the heck they want. They will be able to push any lane, to take Overlord or employ any other winning strategy they fancied. They''ll straight up win the entire match! And, thatll all be Julias fault. Even worse, it was already her fault they were in this position in the first place. If she just played better from the early-game, they would have penetrated Mid Lane way sooner. Hell, maybe if she played even half this aggressive in the previous game, they would have already won the entire match right there and then. So, her underperformance led the team to the current situation. Julia''s chances of getting into the first string were already dead, she understood that much. But, Lars and Yuel could still make it. All they had to do was win this one stupid game and they''ll get the starter spots they deserved. These two deserved to play on a competitive level more than anybody else, Julia knew that better than anybody. Therefore, she wont be able to face them if they lose this golden opportunity because of her. She had to make them win today no matter what! C''mon, think! Julia gritted her teeth as another bat crashed into her. This fight of basic attacks was no good. Taison had way too much advantage over her. Maintaining this routine was a sure-fire way to get killed. So, there was no choice. Julia couldnt wait any longer for Taison to burn his Dodge Roll. She had to go all-in and unleash her Squall. But, how could she guarantee her Squall would land while Taison still had access to Dodge Roll? Even though that guy was an idiot, he sure knew how to roll. He''d dodge Squall without breaking a sweat if Julia makes it too easy for him. Wasn''t there any trick for these situations? Something that''d help Julia land a shot despite Dodge Roll being a thing? Actually, there was one method! It was a technique Ellen used from time to time but for a different purpose: poking. One of the things everybody hated the most about fighting Ellen was her terribly precise timing. She was an expert at finding the absolute best moment to poke somebody without giving them a chance to respond. Since they have been playing together so much, Ellen taught Julia the general idea behind it. On paper, it was quite simple: Ellen just fired her shot at the same time her target started firing their shot. As a result, the opponent was locked in their firing animation while Ellens shot was already on its way to them. There was literally nothing they could do but get hit. Julia didn''t practice it too much, but she has seen it numerous times in action and understood the gist of it. Taison''s attack animation wasn''t absurdly fast like that of a proper Carry, so it didnt have instantaneous recovery. If Julia can just fire Squall at the exact moment Taison begins an attack - it should a guaranteed hit! But, there was no chance Julia would be able to pull this off for free during such a heated fight. She would have to pay for it with her HP. It was necessary for her bait out a shot which will be easy for her to read, even if it meant taking the hit in the process. If it were Ellen, she''d probably be able to analyze the rhythm of Taison''s shots and deliver a shot at the best timing possible without putting herself at risk. Alas, Julia was no Ellen, so she couldn''t pull off such a stunt. Instead, she''ll have to bait and gamble. Khaha, what''s wrong? Giving up? Taison sneered at Julia''s frozen stance. Chick must have figured she was screwed, so she just wanted to get this over with. Okay, I''mma put ya out of your misery! Here goes! Should be about now...! Julia took a deep breath and cast Squall. Oh god, it might be a bit too early! Taison hasn''t started the animation for the shot yet! What the-!? Taison noticed the spiral of wind gathering in Julia''s hand. Bitch gonna shoot that freakin wind spell, yo! Taison had to cancel his shot and roll aside, but it was too late! He already pressed the left button and fired a bat. He was stuck in the attack animation, so there was no way to dodge the incoming spell! Fuuuuuu! He let his guard down like a damn scrub! Yes! Get fucked! Julia shouted. Her Squall landed perfectly and deleted 20% of Taison''s HP! But, that wasn''t all. The hit also applied two slowdown effects. One due to Squalls slowdown effect and one thanks to the Chains of Infinity in Julias build. Furthermore, Aeromancers passive, Wind Flow, granted Julia a small speed boost after casting a spell. With all these advantages, she had everything she needed to press this fight all the way to victory! F-Fuck! No way! Taison instinctively stepped back. That damn chick was fast as fuck, boy! Or, rather, she looked like Sonic level of fast because Taison moved like a snail in a wheelchair with all these slowdowns. He couldn''t dodge anything like this! Gah! C''mon, out damage her! Taison ranted at his Vampire. Why couldn''t that mofo shoot faster and stronger? Damn, Taison gonna lose at this rate! No way! Taison returned shot for shot, but Julia''s pressure was overwhelming and she regained the HP lead with that wind spell. Yo, this shit was impossible to win... 6% HP. 4%. 2%. Gaaaah! Taison jumped. The end was nigh! Go, July! Lars cheered. One more hit, Yuel said. Finish this. No need to tell me twice! Julia fired the final wind blast. With this shot, she''ll grasp victory! The team will win! Vol.5 Ch.27: And the First String Goes To...! Taison was at 2% HP. A single basic attack from Julia was enough to seal the deal. Die! Julia fired the decisive shot. It flew straight at Taison without (flattering). With how slow Taison was right now, hitting him with a basic shot was a no-brainer. She had this in the bag! No fuckin way! Taison jumped aside. Dodge Roll, bitch! He still had that ace up his sleeve! Miss me with that shit, yo! Just die already! Julia didn''t let go. Another shot! The next one will seal the deal for sure. No more bullshit. It gonna be ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL DEATH!!! Keh, this is it... Taison clicked his tongue. He saw the wind blast fly in his direction, but he couldn''t do shit about it. He felt like a racer who was forced to drop out in the middle of the competition even though he could still run. If he just wasn''t slowed down by all this shit, he would have mopped the floor with Julia. Man, fuck this game. The wind blast flew straight at Taison. There was nothing in its way and it wasn''t going to miss. This fight was decided. That''s what everybody believed during that breath-taking decisive moment. WHOOSH. The wind struck against Taison. The shot definitely connect. Yet, no message popped up. The attack dealt zero damage. Taison was frozen solid in place. It was Cryo-Freeze, Cryomancer''s ult. Howard emerged from within the jungle''s shadows! W-Wha...!? Julia''s lips trembled. Just a little more. She was a single step away from winning this entire thing but now... Get out of there! Yuel ordered. R-Right! Julia smacked herself on the face. This was no time to mope over her failure. She barely had any HP left and it was impossible to kill Taison anymore, so she had to get away. Retreat! Defend! Now! Julia turned around and darted toward the allied side of the jungle. She should be faster than Howard thanks to her speed buff so, from this distance, he shouldn''t be able catch up- an ice wall appeared! It blocked her best escape route! No way... Julias ray of hope was cast into the darkness. If this route is closed, how realistic was it for her to get out of this situation? There was no way... Don''t stop! Lars shouted. Try going around! His voice sounded desperate. R-Right! Julia turned around and ran toward the nearby corner. I-It wasn''t over yet! It couldn''t end like this! She had to get the heck outta here, or else...! You aren''t getting away. Howard caught up the distance cast Icicle Rain. With Julia fully concerted on fleeing, she had no chance of dodging anything that flew her way. She fought well until this point, but... You have been killed! Ah... Julia opened and closed her mouth. She couldn''t even bring herself to make up an excuse. The reality of the situation still hasnt sunk in. One moment, she was on a roll and about grasp victory, but the next moment... this. This is my fault. Yuel bit his lip and hung his head. For a moment, it seemed to him like Julia might win against Taison. As a result, Yuel gave up on trying to make her retreat. He completely neglected to consider the fact Howard was still alive and chose to play along with Julias aggressive play. Even though he should have known that Julia wasnt in the best state of mind to make that kind of judgment, Yuel let her go along with it. Back when Julia gained the upper hand for the first time, Yuel should have ordered her to disengage. At that moment in time, before Taison regained his fighting spirit, they could''ve disengaged peacefully. Retreating wasnt Taisons cup of tea, but Howard most likely would have enforced it. At the point in time, it didn''t look like the odds were in Taison''s favor at all, so Howard would have gladly bailed out of that risky situation if Julia were to disengage first. But no, Yuel didn''t say anything at that point. He allowed this lottery to go on. It was an insanely high-risk gamble, even for him. He effectively gambled the entire game on this fight, with his and Lars''s ticket to the first string at stake. And, he lost the gamble. Gah! Julia jumped from her chair and dashed toward the door. I-I''ll be right back! ...... Yuel couldnt tell for sure because of how fast it happened, but it looked like Julia was tearing up as she left. July... Lars stretched a hand toward her departing figure but gave up. His hand dropped. The weak smile on his face had defeat written all over it. At this point, everybody could tell this was over. The enemy''s next move will most likely be... Let''s take the Overlord, Howard said. Gil, get a Sentry Ward and rotate there as soon as you respawn. Howard and Taison arrived at the Overlord and attacked the giant super boss, with Howard tanking on the front. Gilbert joined them shortly and provided the much-needed DPS for taking down the big enemy. Gilbert has been struggling today as a Pyromancer because it required him to play outside his element, but right now Howard was thankful for this pick. Pyromancer delivered high burst damage via spells and also had consistent DPS via basic attacks. The Overlord''s HP plummeted in a blink of an eye. You have to steal the Overlord, Yuel told Dan, the only one who was currently alive on the team. Dan revived a little ahead of Gilbert and also headed toward the Overlord, but he couldn''t carelessly aggress on the enemy during their fight with the Overlord. If he attacks, the enemy would simply shift their focus to him and thatll put him in a nasty 1v2. Therefore, Dan had no choice but roam around the Overlord''s area and wait for the right moment. Eventually, Gilbert grouped up with his teammates and the Overlord started going down fast. Gilbert also brought a Sentry Ward with him, so he took out Yuel''s Ward in the Overlord''s area. As a result, Dan could no longer tell what was the Overlords situation. Man, Dan shook his head. How am I supposed to know when to jump on the Overlord? I can''t see shit. I suppose we''ll have to guess, Yuel said. Hey now, what''s with that weak answer? Dan asked. You sound like you already gave up. No, I just... Yuel chewed his lips but couldn''t think of anything to say. Honestly, he was already convinced: they lost. Stealing the Overlord in the last moment via last-hitting was a desperate maneuver that rarely worked even on low-levels of play, let alone in a competitive environment. But, that''s all the hope they had left right now. C''mon, dude, Lars said. We still got a chance. Let''s steal the Overlord and turn this whole thing around. He was saying the usual encouraging words but they lacked a punch. No matter how positive Lars tried to act, it''s clear he thought the same way as Yuel: theyve lost. At the very end, Ellen defeated Lars and Howard outplayed Yuel. It was a complete and utter defeat. But, even so...! Yuel gritted his teeth and slammed on the table. A shockwave of pain traveled through his palms and woke him up. No matter how difficult it was to steal the Overlord and how unlikely their chances were, it was still an opportunity to turn things around. They... They still had a chance! If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Therefore, Yuel had to do everything in his power to seize it. As the shot-caller, he had to make the right judgment regarding this objective-stealing operation. Dan couldn''t estimate the Overlord''s state from the data so far but Yuel had a rough idea. The Overlord was at around 70% HP when the Sentry Ward went down. With Gilbert joining the fight, the Overlord should be falling into a critical condition right about... Now, Yuel said. Jump it! Okay, you got it! Dan leaped across the wall that surrounded the Overlord''s area. He didn''t know the Overlord''s exact location, so he took a safe bet and jumped toward the center, which was the area in which the Overlord originally spawned. Alas, Dan landed on nothing but flat ground. The enemy team dragged the Overlord as far away as possible from the center of the camp. Dang it, these guys were prepared! No matter, Yuel said. It''s still alive, so go for it! Roger! Dan dashed toward the Overlord. The giant boss was at his last breath, but he was still kicking. If Dan just sneaks the last hit on him- ah! Dang it! You won''t pass. Gilbert blocked the path and opened an attack on Dan. Well played, dang it. Dan smiled wryly. Gilbert shifted from offense to defense at lightning speed. What a guy. Dan had no time to waste on fighting Gilbert. He had to break through and reach the Overlord as quickly as possible. Alas, Gilbert did a hella great job blocking him out. In the meantime... An enemy defeated the Overlord! It was over. Howard, Taison, and Gilbert all gained the powerful Overlord Buff. On top of that, the dead Ellen and Gregory instantly revived. It became a 1v5 situation. An ally has been killed! ANNIHILATION Now, it became a 0v5. The enemy ran over Dan in a 1v3, pretty much what Yuel expected to happen in case of a failure. This game was through. With the Overlord buff and a huge number advantage, the enemy pushed Mid all the way to the Colossus. Yuel respawned right before the enemy destroyed the Colossus, but he was powerless alone. All he could do was shoot from afar because, if he came closer, the enemy would gang on him and rip him apart. It was hopeless. There was nothing Yuels team could do. Absolutely nothing. DEFEAT It was over. The battle for the first string ended in a devastating defeat. Even after coming this far, Yuel and Lars still couldn''t beat Howard and Ellen. Even with the advantage of first-string players like Roi and Dan on his team, Yuel couldn''t still lead this team to victory. He has made numerous mistakes today, especially toward the end. He thought his late-game shot-calling was solid but he was naive. Against an experienced opponent like Howard who specialized in the late-game, Yuel was bound to commit more mistakes Damn... Phew, Howard exhaled in relief. Finally, this darn thing was over. Todays matches sucked out so much outta him that he felt like he could collapse any moment. Maybe he should really consider working out a little. Maybe. Yay! Wardy, we won! Ellen jumped on Howard and hugged him. Yeah, yeah, Howard chuckled. Normally, he''d dodge Ellen, but he was just so tired right now. I''ll let her do whatever she wants for now. She deserves it. Without that last kill she pulled on Lars, I''m not sure how we couldve won this. Yeaaaah, boi! Taison jumped from the chair and pumped a fist. We did it, yo! Ez game! Kek, ez you say, Gregory high-fived Taison. Good game there. I told ya, you should really consider playing Jungler more. Heh, thanks, Taison shrugged. You kinda sucked as Top tho, khaha! Ha ha, hilarious. Gregory made a face. It stung because it was true. Despite Gregory''s secret training and all the research he did on Roi, his performance as Solo today was lackluster. It was a tough lesson and Gregory will have to figure out what to do from here on out. Should he keep trying to play Solo? Maybe, For now, he was just happy with shutting down Yuel''s chance of getting into the first string. Eat shit, Yuel! Rot in the second string like the trash you are! Kek. Good game, everybody, Howard finally pulled himself up from the chair. This match meant a lot to me, so thanks for coming through. As promised, the pizza is on me. Let''s go, you''re free to order whatever you want. Hell yeah! Taison pumped a fist. The shit, yo! Anybody wants salt on their pizza? Gregory smirked. I''m sure we can get some from the other team, kek. My, salt on a pizza? Ellen covered her mouth. What kind of fetish is that? Everybody laughed. There was a merry atmosphere in the room as everybody celebrated the victory, except for one teammate. Good job protecting the Overlord against Dan, Howard approached Gilbert. What''s wrong? You''re awfully quiet. You wanna skip the pizza? No, I''m totally in. Its just... Gilbert made a difficult expression as he flipped through the stats of the last two games. I get it, Howard tapped on Gilberts shoulder. But, let''s leave the match review for later. For now, let''s celebrate that we pulled through this. Yeah, you''re right. Gilbert nodded and stood up. So, hes concerned about it. Thats good. Howard nodded to himself. Gilberts performance today was lackluster at best, so it was a good thing he wasnt satisfied with himself. In fact, Howard had some harsh words to say about it as well but now wasn''t the time or place. Theyll review everything in detail at a later date. Man, I''m so done. Howard tripped and caught himself in the last second. He rubbed his unfocused eyes and leaned against the cold wall. Frankly, he''d gladly drop into a bed right now and take a nap for an hour or five. Well, maybe the pizza will refresh him. Wait for me at the gate, Howard told everybody. I still need to lock up the classrooms and return the keys. Gotcha! Taison saluted and darted out of the room. Pizza, here comes Taison! Shut up, kek. Gregory chuckled as he followed with a light jog. They still got that much energy? How nice it is to be young. Howard chuckled. The hell was he even talking about? These brats were just one year younger than him. Was he really that unfit? Nah, that couldnt be the case because he wasnt obese or anything. He was exhausted because he had to use much more brain juice than the others, thats all. All the brats left the room with hungry eyes. Only Ellen stayed behind. My, are you alright? Ellen asked. You look like a zombie. Just a little tired, Howard sighed. Bad boy, Wardy. Thats what happens when you dont exercise: you dont have enough brain juice to last the entire match. Its only when I play against Yuel, Howard smiled wryly. Only against Yuel, he felt it was absolutely necessary to put on a 100% flawless defense 24/7. There was never telling where Yuel will strike from because hed turn even the smallest weakness into a great opportunity. I just need to practice more under these sorts of intense circumstances, Howard said. Then, Ill have no problem- whoa! He tripped and dived toward the floor. My, Wardy is such a klutz~ Ellen jumped forward to catch him. Thanks... Howard regained his balance but remained crooked. Ah, its so soft. Like a pillow. He didnt feel like opening his eyes. His head landed on something soft and he just wanted to fall asleep on it. H-How long are you going to stay like this? Y-Youre kinda heavy, you know. And, um... Hm? Whats wrong? Oh, Howard finally opened his eyes. No wonder it felt so soft and comfy. His head fall landed on Ellens chest! Whoops. Ahem, Ellen cleared her throat, her face was a little red. So, you remember you promised me a reward, right? Oh, yeah... Howard also cleared his throat and straightened his back. Right, that thing... Werent they a little too young for that? Then again, it shouldnt be a big deal, right? Not to mention, Ellen definitely deserved any reward in the world right now. The team managed to turn the tables around only thanks to her crafty ideas during the late-game. Alright, Howard placed his hands on Ellens shoulders. E-Eh? Ellen jumped like a kitten. M-My, youre really going for it? What a Casanova, h-haha. Her face turned redder by the moment. How cute. Thanks for everything, Howard said as he brought his face closer. I couldnt have done this without you. M-My, you flatter me. Ellen stiffened like a statue. We won this. Together. Howard placed his lips to hers. It was a brief, sweet moment. Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, the atmosphere couldn''t be farther away from feisty. Dude. ......... Hey, dude. Lars shook Yuel''s shoulder. C''mon, everybody left. Ah, oh... Yuel made some weak sounds as he looked around. Roi and Dan left at some point and Julia never came back. Only Yuel and Lars remained in the classroom. Okay, Yuel pushed himself off the chair and tried to balance himself on his shaky feet. We need to turn off the PCs... Already did, Lars gave a thumb up. Oh, thanks... Yuel wobbled toward the door. Then, guess were done here. Yep, Lars followed quietly. Even though he retained a smile on his face it felt forced. Imma go wash my face. Okay, Ill wait by the stairs. Yuel headed toward the other classroom. And, he ran into the last person he wanted to see right now... All done over there? Howard asked. Yeah, we turned everything off. You can lock up. Yuel avoided eye contact and tried to quickly pass by. Alright, Howard also proceeded along the hallway. As they crossed by, Howard spoke again. Your team put on a decent fight. You should lift your head. Decent or not, we lost. Thats true. But, Im not gonna lie - you gave me a run for my money a few times there. If you played in any other school, Im sure you would have easily made it into the first-string with your current skill. And Lars too, of course. Sucks that youre stuck in the same club as me, right? Haha. Yeah, it sure does suck. Yuel pursed his lips. Everything about this situation sucked. Not just the fact he had to compete for a starter position against such a strong rival, but also that Yuel simply couldnt win against Howard. Even one whole year after their first meeting, Yuel was still chasing Howards shadow. Was it even possible to catch up...? With this defeat, Yuel and Larss fates were sealed. Theyll be nothing more than benchwarmers for the entirety of the second year. The competitive scene was out of their reach. Was that really the end? Wasnt there anything they could do about this? Yuel asked over and over but couldnt come up with any answers... Vol.5 Afterword This is the end of the (long) 5th volume. Some readers complained this match has gone on for too long and I understand where theyre coming from, but I hope it was overall an enjoyable read. Contrary to what most of you might be thinking, the consequences of this match will be quite big. So, look forward to them in the next volume! The schedule of chapter releases will remain the same and there wont be any special breaks before the next volume. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Im reminding I opened a discord server: https://discord.gg/QCKYeBj. Youre free to stop by to talk about Classmancers. Also, if you haven''t already, please consider rating the story and leaving a review. Its a niche story with a small following, so every single review is very impactful. Vol.6 Ch.1: The Aftermath of Defeat Tad. Tad. Tad. Up and down. The sound of Lars''s basketball jumping up and down was the only thing to fill the silence in the living room. Lars was laying on the sofa and threw the ball toward the ceiling, then caught it and threw it again. As usual, he had perfect mastery over- wham! The ball crashed on his face! The ball rolled downwards and fell off the sofa but Lars didn''t bother getting it. He just kept staring at the ceiling as if nothing happened. The ball jumped a few more times on the floor and rolled toward Yuel. Here, Yuel picked the ball and tossed it over. Uh-oh. The ball went in a completely different direction roe some reason. 10/10 accuracy. WHAM! The ball crashed into a shelf and rocked it. One book slipped off the edge and dove straight toward the floor. Next, a few of its neighbors followed suit and committed suicide as well. I-I aimed there, Yuel jumped from the chair and hurried to clean the mess. Haha... Lars laughed weakly. Nothing is going our way today, huh. You can say that again. Yuel stared at the pile of scattered books. The ball kicked them off the high ground and they fell to oblivious, just like Yuel and Lars. They lost their chance. After an entire year of training and improving themselves, Yuel and Lars lost against Howard and Ellen. They should have had an advantage thanks to having Roi and Dan on the team, but they still lost. It was a decisive defeat. If only Yuel could go back in time and fix the numerous mistakes he made today. His shot-calling was beyond atrocious. It was full of risks and gambles all over the place even when those were completely unnecessary. Especially, in the last portion of the third game, Yuel messed up multiple times in a row. First, he allowed Lars to chase Ellen because he couldn''t imagine what sort of bait Ellen had in store. Unfortunately, thats how Ellen trained him to think throughout the match. She seeded the expectation that each of her escapes had to lead into a gank from another player because she wasnt strong enough to handle Lars herself. Yet, at the very end, she subverted that pattern by fighting back on her own. Yuel and Lars''s awareness of Ellens repeating trap pattern was a trap in its own right, as expected from that fox. Thats strike one. Next, Julia saved the game by killing Ellen but Yuel didn''t order her to retreat right away. Instead, he told Julia to get the red buff first because thatd help the teams next push. That was greedy and led to a gank from Taison. Thats strike two. Lastly, Yuel failed to order Julia to retreat against Taison. He did order a retreat at the beginning but, apparently, Julia wasnt able to switch from Attack Mode to Defense Mode in that situation. So, her defense was flimsy and she claimed it was better for her to stand her ground and fight back. Yuel didn''t have enough match experience with Julias Attack Mode, so he chose to trust her judgment. Even now, it was harder to tell whether that decision was a mistake. But, even if it was, Yuel simply didnt have the necessary data to work with so it wasnt his fault. His real mess up was not telling Julia to retreat after she gained the upper hand against Taison. At that moment in time, it should have been possible to disengage peacefully. The overall state of the game was a 1v2 at the time, so Yuel should have known that things could easily go south at any moment if they dont proceed carefully. Yet, he chose to be greedy and prioritized getting a kill on Taison. The gamble almost paid but not thanks to Yuel. Its Julia who was amazing. She got Taison down to 2% HP and even fired the decisive shot. For all intents and purposes, she won that 1v1. But, then Howard happened. Yet again, the impenetrable defense exhibited its strength. Even though Howards shot-calling seemed sluggish during the late-game, his defense was still airtight when he was the one doing the defending. In the final decisive moment, right before Julia sealed the deal, Howard turned the entire situation on its head. Yuel should have been wary of this development, but he chose to gamble on Julia''s strength. And... he lost. Thats three strikes; shot-caller out. But, that wasnt the end of it. After going over the game time and again in his head, these were far from the only mistakes Yuel committed. There was also that unfortunate 2v2 between Yuel and Lars vs. Taison and Gregory. Yuel was overconfident about beating that duo, so he insisted to keep fighting despite the rocky start. Nothing was stopping Yuel and Lars from disengaging to regroup elsewhere but no, Yuel refused to do so. He saw an opportunity to get kills thatll crack the enemy''s impenetrable defense, so he leaped on the opportunity like a hungry beast. It''s not like Yuel''s estimation was wrong. He and Lars eventually gained the upper hand in that fight and were about to kill Taison. However, then Howard happened. Again. The impenetrable Aegis was everywhere, shutting down every angle of attack. Yuel insisted to partake in that drawn-out 2v2 and, as a result, he wound up dead while Lars barely escaped at the cost of his ult. Thinking of it, maybe thats where the third games entire disaster started. After Yuel died in that fight, he was no longer around to keep Lars safe and that''s how Ellen lured Lars into that accursed 1v1. It almost felt like the enemy''s goal with that 2v2 was to get at least one kill, no matter whether it was on Yuel or Lars. Of course, Lars was their top priority for obvious reasons, but the enemy seemed satisfied with taking Yuel down. Was that their plan? To get one kill by putting Taison and Gregorys lives on the line? It didn''t sound like something Howard would go for. But, if it were Ellen... Okay... Yuel finished returning the books to the shelf. Good thing he didn''t break anything valuable with his crappy pass. Here, Yuel dropped the ball on Lars. ........ Lars caught the ball by instinct alone. His empty gaze was still directed toward the ceiling. Say... Yes? What we gonna do now? Is there anything we even CAN do? Yuel dropped on the sofa chair. C''mon, dude. You''re the one who got the brains here. Ain''t ya got any cool Einstein shenanigans that''ll let us get into the first-string? What the heck Einstein got to do with any of this? Yuel chuckled. Actually, I heard if you can move faster than the speed of light then you can go back in time. Sign me up, yo. I''mma go practice my light speed running right away! Lars tried to laugh but it came out as a cough instead. This was frustrating. Lars hated everything about it. Howard and Ellen were some serious pain in the butt for standing in Lars and Yuels paths. Thinking of it, this must have been the first time Lars felt this way about his own teammates. Back when he played basketball, it was unthinkable for him to not be on the first string. Everybody regarded him as Michael Jordan Jr. and he always made it into the opening roster. Therefore, this felt so wrong. What did it even mean to be on the bench? Why he couldnt compete in serious matches? During the first year, he was a scrub compared to the seniors so it was fine to stay on the bench. But, this was already his second year. He improved a ton since he joined and gonna improve even more throughout the year, so he was totally ready to face the world, yo! But, he couldnt. Because he lost. Because he and Yuel lost. That one match sealed their fate for the entire year. At the back of his head, Lars understood that not everybody could always make it in. Even back in basketball, he had pals who attended the club for years but never made it into the main team. Especially, when it was their last year of grade school, some of these dudes were real mad. There was Kevin, who bickered a lot with the basketball coach over the starter position and eventually stopped showing up to practice. On the other hand, there was Derek who poured many hours into training after school. Dude was real diligent and kept working toward a starter position the entire year. I remember Derek looked like he was about to cry when he got the bad news. Lars jerked. It was so unfair. I hope he properly got into the main team in middle school. Dude really deserved it. There were many other such instances. Even Taison has been throwing a tantrum quite often, but at least he made it into the first string on the last year so he had nothing to really complain about. Each and every one of these players was really talented. Lars knew that first-hand because he played with them every day. But, there were only five spots on the main team while the club had like thirty students. Kevin and Derek simply didn''t cut it and even Taison only got there on his last year. So, they were stuck on the bench throughout the majority of grade school. At the time, Lars thought he sympathized with them. What did he tell them, again? Stuff like Keep trying! or You gonna make it next time for sure! Lars thought he understood their frustration, but now he learned - he knew absolutely nothing about how they felt. Somebody like him, who passed all the selection tests with a breeze and spent the entirety of grade school playing on the main team, couldn''t possibly understand how it felt to be left behind. This was the first time somebody forced him to sit on the bench like this and for an entire year too. It felt like a truck ran over him. Suddenly, all the encouraging words he gave to Kevin and Derek sounded like total bullshit right now. Keep trying? You gonna make it for sure? It was all bullshit. Yuel and Lars lost the selection match. They won''t get a second chance from Howard. It was game over. And, it was all Lars''s fault. Why did he chase Ellen every time? He knew that witch always had something up her sleeve, yet every time a tasty opportunity presented itself - he couldn''t help but charge in. He wanted to get these kill so hard like they were worth millions or something. Every time, it led to a disaster. How many times did he run into somebody and got his ass whooped? It''s like he smacked himself in the face, realized that it hurt and then proceeded to smack himself again anyway. What kind of idiot would do that? This idiot right here. On top of that, why did he keep losing to Taison in the first place? When the heck did Taison become stronger in 1v1? They have been training together almost the entire year, so they should have gained the same amount of experience. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Yet, Taison was clearly stronger. Even when Lars was using Trickshooter, Taison almost kicked his butt. What an insane beast. Lars should''ve trained harder. He should have been stronger. If he just were a little better in combat, he would have destroyed Taison every single time in 1v1s. That would have smashed all of Ellen''s pesky traps. But, Lars couldnt do it. He lost every single time. Damn it. He wasn''t good enough, so he and Yuel got screwed. I ran into Howard after the match, Yuel smiled wryly. Even though we lost, he said we were difficult opponents to deal with. He also said that, if you and I played for any other school, we would have been on the first-string for sure. How nice of him. I know, right? Yuel chuckled. Such what-ifs were pointless. They were part of StormBlitz and they were denied from entering the first string. Perhaps Howard intended to encourage by saying these words, but to Yuel they sounded like nothing more than sarcasm. What did it matter that Yuel could become a first-string player on some other unknown middle school team? He wanted to play and compete with the best. StormBlitz wasn''t even as renown as the Leopards, yet Yuel didnt make the cut even here. He stood way too far from the top of the competition. Dammit. Wait, Lars jumped from the sofa. Another school? You think we would have made it in another school? Yeah, most likely. Aside from StormBlitz and the Leopards, I doubt any other team in the region has enough high-level players to form a full team. Based on the level of Bot Laners from last year, I believe wed rank somewhere among top three duos in the region. So, yes, were quite likely to make it into the first string in other schools. Yuel''s conviction wasn''t based on arrogance, he had the data. Last year, he helped the first-string with gathering data on enemy teams. He also often participated in the first-strings strategy meetings. Thus, he had a good idea what other schools in the region had to offer. The Leopards were the strongest and most prestige team in the region, no question about it. Their school had a huge Classmancers club which allowed many members and they even had a personal coach. In fact, it was the only middle school in the region with a coach and that coach was no pushover. So, its no surprise the Leopards have been taking the regionals every year. Their player lineup last year was crazy, especially their captain and Jungler, Fenrir. That monster seized control of the entire match by himself the moment the enemy showed the slightest sign of hesitation. All these strong players were seniors last year, so they graduated. However, with such a big club, there was no doubt a new powerful lineup of players will come forth to replace them this year. Therefore, there was no doubt that the Leopards will have some of the strongest Support & Carry duos in the region this year as well. Next, the second-best team in the region was actually StormBlitz. Being restricted to a maximum of only 15 club members sounded harsh at first, but turned out it was among the more luxurious deals out there. Most other Classmancer clubs in the region typically allowed up to 12 members. There was also Stratus, a team whose club couldn''t have more than nine members. Yes, just nine. It was absurd. In short, StormBlitz and Leopards had the number advantage and will likely boast the strongest lineups this year as well, including the strongest Bot Laners. As frustrating as it was to admit, Yuel and Lars were still inferior to Howard and Ellen at the moment, if only by a little bit. But, the good news was that Howard and Ellen will surely be among the top players in the region this year. So, being a little below them meant that Yuel and Lars would have also ranked among the best. Most likely, among the top three or top five Bot duos in the region. Therefore, just like Howard said, Yuel and Lars assuredly would have made it into the first-string in any other school. Worst case, even if they somehow failed to claim their main roles, Yuel was also strong in Top and Lars was great in Mid. So, they would have gotten at least SOMETHING. There was no doubt they wouldve competed in the tournament along with the strongest players the region had to offer and would have made a name for themselves. Alas, their defeat in todays selection match guaranteed that nobody will know Yuel and Lars next year. They''ll spend the entire next year as nameless benchwarmers who won''t get to participate in a single match. Worst of all, Yuel had nobody but himself to blame. He was the one who insisted to attend Riverstock Junior High because he heard good things about StormBlitz. But, he failed to account for the fierce competition he and Lars would have to face in a strong club. So, maybe attending a school with a weaker team would have been better... Then, Lars jumped restlessly in place. Why don''t we try it? Let''s play on a different team! Huh? Yuel blinked. And how do you suggest we do that? We''re students of Riverstock and only one team is allowed to represent the school. My dude, you ever heard of transferring schools? I reckon that''s a thing, haha. Transfer... Yuel mumbled. This idea was so sudden and so unconventional that it required time to process You''re suggesting to leave our current school to go play elsewhere? Yep, why not? It''s a bummer well have to leave our dudes behind, but I wanna play competitively together with ya. We gonna rock the pro scene together, yo! You rather play on a weaker team just to be in the tournament? Yuel asked. Itd be like were running away from the challenge, running away from facing Howard and Ellen. Cmon, dont say it like that, Lars smiled wryly. I like competition, I really do. As much as I hate Ellen, I also really love her. Shes a great rival! A super mega ultra annoying one, but a good one. She forces me to improve and everything. Howard is the same for me, Yuel admitted. Normally, hed rather choke than say this out loud, but indeed Howard was a great rival for him. Aegis was the ultimate form of defense. It canceled all of Yuels offensive tactics. By clashing with Howard time and again, Yuel improved tremendously. Deep down, Yuel wanted to keep challenging Howard. He wanted to keep chasing Howards shadow, to catch up to it and to finally surpass by it. One day, Yuel will surely find a way to break through that impenetrable defense. As long as he keeps trying, hell find a way. So, if we both feel the same way, Yuel said. You should understand what Im saying. Leaving the club just because we cant beat them right now is like running away from the fight. Nah, its backwards, Lars said. I wanna keep improving so I can beat Ellen and take the Carry spot on the team. But, thats no longer possible. Right, because we lost the selection match... Yeah, exactly, Lars nodded. Howard said it clearly: if they win, they gonna be on the first-string while we gonna rot on the bench. Theres no competition anymore. No matter what we do, we cant get into the first-string this year. Were screwed. Well, we can try challenging them again later down the line, Yuel was fully aware he was talking nonsense. There was no way Howard would go back on his word. The only way to change Howards mind was to defeat him thoroughly on a rematch. However, unless Yuel and Lars come across a magical artifact that grants them a miraculous power-up, there was no way theyll be able to create the necessary skill gap. They might surpass Howard and Ellen during the upcoming year, but they wont be able to get a level where they can mop the floor with Howard and Ellen. Thats what Im saying, dude, Lars nodded repeatedly while Yuel was sharing his thoughts. Were screwed at this point. No matter how hard we try to beat them, we aint getting to play. If we gonna lose before even trying, whats the point? Dunno about you, but I know I wont be motivated to train hard like this. You make a good point, Yuel said. Losing to rivals is supposed to motivate you to improve. But, when you know you cant get anywhere no matter how much you improve... yeah. That makes it hard to keep caring about the rivalry. Totally, Lars nodded. Besides, this year is our last chance to beat them. They gonna graduate after that, so we gonna have to wait till high school if we wanna fight them again. So, we gotta beat them this year! I figured if we transfer schools, we can actually play them in the tournament and stuff. It gonna be the best stage for a rematch, yo! Youre right about that, Yuel lowered his head. But, transferring schools because of this sounds a little extreme. Hm? Whats the problem with it? Wait, dont tell me youre actually fine with sitting on the bench next year? You dont care if you dont get to play competitively? Of course not, Yuel shook his head. I also want to play competitively, but... It wasn''t that simple. True, it was technically possible to transfer to another school and try to get into the first-string there. However, this was a huge and sudden move. First, his mom will kill him if he tells her he wants to transfer. He already begged her last year to let him attend Riverstock even though she wanted him to attend another school. So, asking her to transfer again was a bit too much. Don''t worry, yo, Lars thumped on his chest. I''mma talk to yo mom and convince her! Please don''t. They both laughed at the image. Yuel''s mom was a serious woman who didn''t exactly appreciate goofs like Lars, so that would be the disaster of the century. Yuel would have to talk with her himself, no two ways about it. That''d be one hell of a challenge. But, even Yuel convinces his mom, there was another issue: he was StormBlitz''s vice-captain. He had responsibilities on his shoulder and he was expected to lead the team after Howard graduates. Abandoning the team like that was really irresponsible. Honestly, it was kind of a dick move. I get what youre saying, Lars nodded. But, you know, ya don''t own anything to anybody. You don''t even have any freshmen under you yet. You literally became the vice-cap before summer break, and school year hasn''t started yet, so it''s like you haven''t even gotten around to be being a vice-cap at all. Well, that''s not exactly true, but... It wasn''t entirely wrong either. Yuel has been preparing for the upcoming year together with Howard and even improved the formula of StormBlitzs entrance exam. He has been working for a while now under the assumption he''ll be the team''s vice-captain next year and Howard had expectations for him. However, its also true that Yuel didn''t have that many responsibilities as a vice-captain yet. There weren''t any younger members for him to lead, so it''s not like leaving the team would hurt anybody. Well, except for Howard who''ll have to find a new vice-captain to dump the work on. Honestly? Yuel didnt feel as bad as he shouldve about that part. Howard was mature enough to handle that kind of problem. Perhaps that didnt make the act of abandoning the vice-captain responsibilities look any better, but at least it wont be a disaster for the team. Yuel started feeling a little better about the idea of transferring schools but it was still a huge risk. In StormBlitz, Yuel and Lars were pretty much guaranteed to become first-string members during their last year. However, in a new school, they''ll have to go through the process of applying to the Classmancers club all over again and there was a chance they won''t make it for some random reason. So, instead of losing just one year of competitive play, they might lose TWO years! Yeah, that''d suck, Lars nodded. But, didnt ya say we''re like da best duo in the region and stuff? Among the best, yes. Then, we gonna get in for sure! Ain''t nobody gonna stop us, yo! I wish I knew where you draw your baseless conclusions from, Yuel sighed. Do you even understand the risk? We may be stuck as benchwarmers for the entirety of middle school. Yeah, that''ll suck alright. Welp, maybe we can just transfer back if things dont work out? The ultimate switcheroo! That''ll be hella awkward. I''m sure Howard would make us retake the entrance exam just to spite. Haha, no kidding, Lars chuckled. But hey, we''ll blast through it again without a problem! That''s true, Yuel nodded. There was no telling what everybody''s reaction would be if Yuel and Lars transfer away and then transfer back, but at least it was a safety net that existed for them. Though, Yuel''s mom would eat him alive if he pulls that kind of stun... Okay, Yuel concluded. That''s definitely an idea we can try. Howard said hell hold a meeting tomorrow to announce the starters, so let''s wait and see what he has to say first. I''m sure we''re not going to make it in, but lets be sure about it before we make any rash decisions. Meh, to be honest, I don''t think I even wanna go. Lars twisted his lips. It gonna be sad to stand there and wait till our names are called. Because it never gonna happen. Yeah, I know what you mean. But, I''m still the vice-captain for now, so I have to be present. You do what ya gotta do. I''m gonna talk to my folks about the transfer in the meantime. I see you''re really pumped up for it. You bet I am! Lars pumped a fist. It''s our last chance to play like pros and get revenge on Ellen in a serious match! Heck, maybe I even gonna get a chance to pay Taison back if he plays. Thats unlikely, but youre right about the rest. If we join a team and keep winning, we''ll eventually face Howard and Ellen again. Yuel clenched his fists. Despite his uncertainty, his heart raced. This transfer idea was sounding better and better by the moment! Yuel and Lars will transfer to another school, get into the first string and have their revenge match against Howard! And, this time, they''ll win! Oh, Lars paused. What about July, though? We better tell her about this. Maybe she''ll want to join us. Did you hear anything from her after the match? Nope, total radio silence. Guess she''s depressed because we lost. Yeah, she took it pretty hard, Yuel nodded. Julia vanished right after the match and hasn''t contacted them since. Lars tried calling her but there was no response. Its like the girl went into hiding. Maybe shell be at the meeting tomorrow, Yuel said. Unlike us, she still got a chance to get into the first string. Yeah, Lars agreed. July played like a beast in the last parts of the game. If I run into her, Ill talk to her about the school transfer idea. Then, maybe I should come too after all. Lars pondered. Actually, it might make things more awkward for her. How come? Well... How should Yuel explain it to this ignorant goof without spilling the beans? The person Julia wanted to see the least right now was definitely Lars. More than anything, Julia must have been devastated by the fact she failed to get Lars into the first-string. She might be thinking her defeat in the last part of the game was the reason the team lost, so its like she was responsible for ruining Larss chances of playing competitively. Lets just say, Yuel chose his words carefully. If she sees both of us there, she may feel uncomfortable being there. She seems to blame herself for our defeat. But, its not her fault at all. She played solid. I know, Yuel nodded. In fact, the team put on such a strong fight during the third game largely thanks to Julias offense. Roi and Dan werent performing well that game, so Julias Attack Mode gave the team the edge they needed to pressure the enemy. If not for Julias bold offense, there was no telling whether Yuel could figure a way to gain the upper hand and maintain an advantage for so long. Welp, guess Ill skip the meeting after all, Lars shrugged. If July comes, make sure to tell her it wasnt her fault. Of course. Tomorrow, Howard will announce first-strings lineup. Wholl make it in? Neither Yuel nor Lars, thats for sure... Vol.6 Ch.2: The Unexpected Announcement It was the second day after the fateful selection match. Howard called everybody to the clubroom to announce who was going to play on the first string and wholl be a benchwarmer for the entire upcoming year. In the end, Lars decided to sit this one out. He mulled over it for some time yesterday, but ultimately decided he didn''t want to attend this meeting. It was a bit bratty of him, but Yuel understood the feeling all too well. Honestly, Yuel didn''t want to go either. The verdict was already set in stone for both of them. They lost the bet against Howard and Ellen, so they won''t get the Support and Carry roles. Coming all the way to the clubroom just to get struck with that fact was like some sort of masochism. Was there any chance theyll be assigned for some other roles? With Lars''s mechanical skill, he could easily become a scary Mid Laner. However, his lack of experience was a glaring issue. As for Yuel, there was no way he''d be valued over Roi as a Top Laner. So, no matter how Yuel looked at it, there wont be any surprises about him or Lars today. In fact, will there be any surprises at all? Roi for Top, Dan for Jungler and Gilbert for Mid, thats the announcement everybody expected. It was odd for Howard to call a meeting over something so predictable. Then again, the guy seemed to like face-to-face meetings for some reason. To each his own, I guess. Regardless of how predictable this meeting was going to be, Yuel had to attend as the vice-captain. He might not remain the vice-captain for long if he and Lars go through with the transfer plan but, for now, Yuel still had to act the part. It felt like he was coming to this meeting just to see Howard and Ellen boast about their victory but he had no choice. Maybe I should call in sick? But, I already came all the way up here... Yuel dragged himself up the stairs. All he wanted right now was drop on the floor and lay there until the meeting ends. Ugh, I so dont want to be there... The stairs went on forever, it was like climbing the Everest. Alas, no matter how hard Yuel''s legs tried to delay the inevitable, he eventually reached the right floor. The clubroom was just a short walk away. Sigh. At least, Yuel didn''t run into anybody along the way. He willingly picked the longer route to avoid running into others. Thanks to that, he was going to reach the clubroom without stumbling into any awkward interactions... or so he thought. Somebody was there. A fellow attendee who wanted to sneak into the meeting without running into anybody. A girl was hunched over as she peeked at the clubroom from behind a wall. It was Julia. What are you doing? E-EEEEK! Julia jumped like an exposed criminal and bumped her head into the wall behind her. Aya! She crouched forward. W-What''s wrong with you!? Don''t sneak on people like that! Ouchie... Sorry, Yuel said. Though, you''re the one who was sneaking around. But, he kept that to himself. This was the first time they got to talk with each other after the selection match, so he didn''t want to start on the wrong foot. Julia was probably still blaming herself for her performance in the selection match, even though she played so well in the third game. You okay? Yuel asked. Could have been better if not for a certain idiot, Julia hissed. Great, this conversation has already started with so much positivity. It''ll surely go smooth... You''re still feeling down because of the match? Hmph. Not your business, dumbass. I need a better approach here. Yuel frowned. How should he make this conversation flow? He already got on Julias bad side before even starting, so he needed to inject some positivity here. Knowing Julia, one idea came to mind. Lars was worried about you. Eh? Julia glanced at him without turning to face him. What did he say? He said you played really well, so you shouldn''t blame yourself that we lost. Really... Julia mumbled. A faint smile of relief formed on her lips. Okay, this tactic is working. Yuel nodded to himself. Maybe hell be able to hold a proper conversation with her for a change. And you? Julia asked out of the blue. What do you think about my performance in the match? I agree with Lars. You played the third game well. You only gonna mention the third game, huh. Julia shifted her eyes away. What about the rest? Do you really want to hear my honest opinion? Probably not. So, let''s leave it at that, Yuel said. As far as the third game is concerned, nothing about that outcome was your fault. Then, who? Whose fault is it that we lost? Julias glare demanded an answer. It seemed she won''t be satisfied until she learns who she could blame for that devastating defeat. If it wasn''t her fault, there surely had to be somebody else to blame, right? It''s not that simple. Yuel frowned. In a team vs. team game, it wasn''t so easy to pin the blame on one specific player. Everybody had their ups and downs. Julia played well in her Attack Mode, but she was beaten in the end. Lars put on a strong performance as Seraph and pushed many objectives, but he was baited to his death by Ellen at the end. Roi and Dan overall played fine, though their performance felt lackluster compared to their usual selves. All in all, everybody had their ups and downs. If Julia had to blame somebody no matter what, then... You can blame me, Yuel glanced away. I made many bad calls and they cost us the game. I was the shot-caller, so I was supposed to guide you better during the decisive moments. But, I was greedy with some of my decisions and, as a result, you and Lars died. So yeah, you can pin everything on me. I knew it! Julia jumped on her feet. We lost because of your shitty shot-calls! Because of you, Lars wont play on the first string next year! And I won''t play either. Yuel pursed his lips. If only he was less greedy back then. If only he was more assertive. If only he stopped Lars from chasing. If only he ordered Julia to retreat. If only. If only. If only. Hmph, this is stupid, Julia crossed her arms. I knew Lars shouldn''t pair up with you. Youre just dragging him down. That''s not really... You always act like a know-it-all but then fuck up when it matters most. I should''ve known from the beginning we gonna lose that stupid match with you in charge. Im not even surprised. Howard is a way better captain than a dumbass like you. If Lars played with Howard instead, I''m sure they would have become the strongest duo in the country. No, in the whole world even! Hey now, Yuel clenched his fists. That was going too far. Did she seriously claim that Lars would have been better off playing with Howard? Thats some bullshit right there. Yuel and Lars had great teamwork in that game. Out of all the things Julia could complain about, this was the dumbest. For your information, Yuel said. Lars and I held the upper hand in Bot during the first two games. In the last one, we had to sacrifice some lane control because Lars was playing Seraph, but we still did perfectly fine. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Oh, you did? Then how the fuck did we lose these games, genius? If you really had Bot under control in the second game, you shouldve been able to push for the win. It just wasnt enough. In the second game, we did great in Bot but the rest of the team couldn''t gain an advantage in other lanes. Oh, so now its not your fault but everybody elses, huh? Wasn''t it your job to organize the team, cap? I can''t solve everything myself, Yuel jerked. This was getting dumber and dumber. For example, what do you expect me to do when a certain somebody is doing a terrible job gaining an advantage in Mid? That was one of the biggest issues we had in the second game. Wha-!? Julia''s face twisted like that of a demon. You fucker! You gonna blame everything on me after all!? I didn''t say EVERYTHING was your fault, Yuel''s tone raised. I''d just appreciate it if you stop talking shit about me and Lars. Yes, we weren''t perfect. Nobody was. But, compared to your expensive turtling in the first two games, our teamwork was a hundred times more useful to the team. It actually helped the team push forward instead of dragging it down! What did you-!? Julia shook like a bomb that was about to go off. Okay, screw it! I''m done! Julia stomped toward Yuel and passes by him. Where are you going? Not your damn business! Wait, what about the meeting- Don''t touch me! Julia slapped Yuel''s hand away. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent, but they seemed a little teary. Did Yuel go too far? My, my, my, Ellen waltzed into the scene out of nowhere. What''s going on here? A lovers quarrel~? Yeah, right, Julia grimaced as if she wanted to puke from the mere suggestion of that. ........ Yuel just averted his eyes and remained quiet. My, Ellen tilted her head from side to side as she checked both of them. After a few seconds, she nodded to herself as if she reached some conclusion. I see, I see. Yuyu is bullying you, isn''t he? Ellen wrapped herself around Julia and patted Julia''s head. I didn''t really... Yuel''s words trailed off. He felt like anything he says will be used against him. Yuyu is just terrible, isn''t he? Ellen went on with her baseless accusations while patting Julia. Yeah, he''s a total dumbass, Julia nodded. Her tone still had angst in it, but seemed like she calmed down a little. C''mon, Ellen said. Let''s forget about this bully and go to the meeting, shall we? No, I... Julia hung her head. You''re too embarrassed to face Larsy? N-No! I just... Julia sighed in defeat. Ellen''s guess must have been spot on. Even though Julia lashed at Yuel a moment ago and tried to pin all the blame on him, deep down she must have still felt responsible for the defeat. So, she didn''t know how to face Lars right now. In that case... Lars isn''t coming, Yuel said. Eh? He had some important business with his family today, Yuel lied. So, he''ll be skipping the meeting. Is that so... Julia stared at the floor with a mixed expression. Alrighty then, Ellen gently pushed Julias back. Cmon, lets go to the clubroom. Do I have to? Julia sighed. Yes, you DE-FI-NI-TE-LY have to. Cmon, you two are running late. Okay... Julia answered half-heartedly and dragged herself toward the clubroom. Cmon, Ellen turned to Yuel. Chop-chop. Right, Yuel followed them from afar. After this awkward exchange with Julia, he now had two reasons he wanted to skip this meeting. Just great. Can I just go home? Pretty please? Sigh. I know youre salty about losing, Ellen said as she walked beside Yuel. But, dont take it out on July. That wasnt my intention, Yuel grumped. Besides, shes the one who started it. It was the first time she showed her aggressive side in front of Lars. It took her a lot of courage, you know? Just imagine how scary it was for her to use it for the first time and suddenly become the game-maker near the end. Its so much pressure and responsibility. I understand that. But, that doesnt give her an excuse to spout bullshit and blame others. My, how aggressive, Ellen covered her mouth. If Yuyu got so mad, I guess July went out of line too. But, youre the boy here so play nice with her, will you? How is that even related? Yuel rolled his eyes. Its true that Julia had to go through a lot in that match. During the most critical moments of the game, she was promoted into a Queen piece. She became the lynchpin, the game-maker, and the savior. That game was the first time she mustered the courage to show her Attack Mode in public, but tons of responsibilities were dumped on her right away as a result. The pressure must have been maddening. Worst of all, she couldnt carry the team to victory. She was cast into the leading role of the show but couldnt get a happy ending. Its like everybodys expectations were riding on her and she failed them. It was an unfair role to dump on her, especially when she was still struggling with her inner demons due to the public debut of her Attack Mode. Nevertheless, none of that excused Julias trash talk about Yuel and Larss performance as a Bot duo. It was one thing to complain about Yuels subpar shot-calling, but it was another thing entirely to blame his teamwork with Lars and say that Yuel was dragging Lars down. That was unforgivable. My, such a scary face~ Ellen pinched Yuels cheek. I dont know what she said but youre the most mature in your gang, right? I dont remember signing up to be anybodys babysitter. I know, I know. But, somebody has to play the adult here, right? I say youre the best man for the job~ Huh, Yuel made a face. Well, Ellen wasnt exactly wrong. Lars and Julia often turned to Yuel whenever they had questions or problems. In a sense, he was like the consultant of the trio, so perhaps it was reasonable to expect more maturity from him. Okay, I get it, Yuel sighed. Ill do what I can. Yuyu is such a trustworthy boy~ Ellen patted Yuels head like he was a kid. Cut it off, Yuel pulled aside to get away from that busybody. Ellen could get annoying with how she always stuck her nose everywhere but, this time, Yuel had to admit her intervention was for the best. Things would have gotten out of hand if the quarrel between Yuel and Julia escalated. Yuel took a deep breath and entered the clubroom. It wasnt like he forgave Julia for her words, but he had to take into account she was a mess after the defeat in the selection match. In fact, all three of them were a mess. Lars didnt even want to show his face here today because of how frustrating it was going to be. Each of them blamed themselves and felt irritated, so Yuel had to give Julia a pass for her harsh words. That is, a kinder pass than usual. Okay, forget about it. Lets just get this meeting over with. Yuel informed everybody that Lars wont be coming today due to family business, so there was no need to wait anymore. Alright, Howard nodded. Then, lets get started. Thanks for coming, everybody. They all gathered in front of Howard. Yuel and Julia stood on opposite ends as if they were magnets that pushed each other away. First, Howard said. Support and Carry will be me and Ellen. He threw a glance at Yuel. Of course. Yuel averted his eyes. There was nothing he could say back. He and Lars lost fair and square in that selection match. Howard and Ellen won their spots so there was nothing to complain bout. Yay! Ellen made a V sign and winked as if she didn''t see this announcement coming. She was trying to rub salt on Yuel''s wounds, wasn''t she? Next,. Howard continued. Top: Roi. Jungle: Dan. Okay, we made it! Roi pumped a fist. Heh, of course. Dan shrugged with a smile. Roi and Dan bumped fists to celebrate the occasion. It was the predictable lineup but it still must have felt good to be officially selected. Not that Yuel had any idea how that. Tch, Gregory shook his head. Apparently, he was expecting to be picked even though his chances were realistically zero. Even if Howard didn''t pick Roi for Top for whatever reason, the next candidate in line would have been Yuel. He didn''t play Top nearly as often as Support, but he was confident he was at least better than Gregory. In fact, Top Laner was the only role Yuel could''ve realistically gotten today, but now that opportunity vanished. As expected, he didn''t make it. The only spot left was Mid Laner. It was Lars''s second-best role, so there was a slim chance hell make it. But, before that, there was Gilbert and Julia. The logical assumption would be that Gregory will retain his spot. However, Julia put on a strong performance during the third game of the selection match, so she had a chance. It wasnt high, but it was there. As for Mid, Howard smiled meaningfully. Frankly, I couldn''t decide. Gil and Julia are both great players and they have very distinct play styles. In some matchups, Gil''s versatility would be more valuable, while in other matches I can see Julia''s hyper-aggressiveness serving the team well. W-What!? Julia jumped. Wait, was Howard seriously considering her for the first string!? Everybody''s eyes turned on her. Gulp. Her heart beat faster and faster like it wanted to leap out of her chest. Was this really happening? Did she have a chance!? This gotta be a dream, but pinching her cheek didn''t wake her up. It was real life and she was just one step away from the first string. Will she make it!? C''mon, Howard! Stop beating around the bush and tell us what you decided already! So, Howard concluded. After taking all that into account, I decided both Gil and Julia will be on the first string. N-No way... Julia shook. S-She did it. Its not like she outright surpassed Gilbert, but she did it! She made it into the first string! Oh my god! I can''t believe it! July~! Ellen leaped on Julia and squeezed the girl. Congratulations~! T-Thanks, Julia would normally kick Ellen away, but right now she was too shocked to react. Most of the other members also gave her approving looks; it seemed the majority agreed that Julia deserved to be on the first string. What was Yuel''s reaction? Julia was curious but. at the same time. it felt awkward to face him. After all, that selection match was supposed to be for Yuel and Lars. Yet, they didn''t make it into the first string while Julia somehow passed. In the end, curiosity won and Julia glanced at Yuel. Well, that was disappointing. Yuel didn''t show much of an expression. Or, at least, Julia couldn''t read much from it. Yuel was wearing his usual difficult expression, which he probably thought made him look serious and smart. It was impossible to tell what he thought of this pick. Their eyes met for a moment but Yuel instantly averted his gaze. Then, after a second, he turned to look at Julia again and gave her a small nod with a thumb up. Fortunately, he didn''t seem angry over this announcement. Hmph, not only like I care how he feels about it. Julia lifted her chin. But, I rather not add fuel to the fire. We''re still clubmates and all. Yeah, that''s why. So, she made it... Yuel sighed and stared at the ceiling. This made the situation ten times more complicated. With Julia now on the first string, how was he supposed to bring up the topic of transferring schools? Oh, boy... Vol.6 Ch.3: The Only One Who Made It Contrary to expectations, it really happened: Julia made it into the first string. She will have to share the Mid Laner position with Gilbert, but this achievement was still leaps and bounds beyond what Yuel and Lars got. Depending on Julia''s performance throughout the upcoming year, she might even grab the entire position all for herself. It was great for her. What face am I supposed to make? Yuel dragged himself out of the clubroom after the meeting ended. Of course, he was glad for Julia. He knew better than anybody how much Julia worked behind the scenes. Julia started Classmancers with the ulterior motive of getting closer to Lars. However, she genuinely tried to improve at the game, even if it meant going out of her way to ask for Yuel''s advice. She worked hard for the sake of looking good in front of Lars. However, at some point, the game grew on her. Julia began playing for herself instead of focusing on how to best show off in front of Lars. She developed a genuine interest in the high-level plays and she wanted to get onto the competitive stage. Even though Julia tried to deny that at times, it was evident by how frustrated she was when she didn''t make it into the scrimmage match against the Leopards. At some point along the way, Julia developed an amazing talent for playing hyper offense. She was probably influenced by Lars''s wild plays because she has been exposed to them on a daily basis. At first, her hyper offense was rough and flawed. However, Yuel and Ellen helped Julia polish it in secret until it became a real weapon. This hyper-aggression was exactly what Julia was missing as a player because it compensated for her usual defensive playstyle. With both a Defense Mode and an Attack Mode her arsenal, Julia became a force to be reckoned with. However, Julia had a bad habit of getting overly excited once she entered Attack Mode. She became like one of these loud Youtubers who yelled about every little thing that happened in the match. Frankly, Yuel agreed with Julia that it was embarrassing conduct. If he could play better by transforming into a loud overhyped goof, would he have done it? He wasnt sure. Who am I kidding? Of course I would have done it. Yuel smiled wryly. Victory was everything. Even if he had to act like a total clown, he would have used any tools at his disposal to get an edge in a match. But, for Julia, it was another story. This moody princess hated it when people gave her funny looks. Especially, she couldnt bear the idea of Lars seeing her act like that. It was far from a ladylike behavior, so she was convinced Lars will hate it. Yuel and Ellen tried to convince Julia otherwise, but she was stubborn about it. So, she never used Attack Mode in front of Lars because she was afraid of embarrassing herself in front of the boy she liked. However, during the selection match, Julia overcame that wall. She unleashed her potential in its entirety and laid it bare for everybody to see. It took everybody by surprise, even Howard. Only Yuel and Ellen knew that side of Julia because they practiced in secret with her. Julias Attack Mode was still rough around the edges during its debut, but she was undeniably strong. The surprise element of revealing her Attack Mode for the first time surely played a big role in shaking the enemy team, but it was impressive how Julia capitalized on that advantage to dominate the entire flow of the match. With her joining the teams offense, it was like the teams attacks became ten times stronger. In a match where the team needed an extra edge on the offense, she might very well be more valuable than Gilbert. And, if she becomes more consistent and improves her ability to switch from offense to defense on the fly - she''d become a real monster. The potential was definitely there. What an unfortunate outcome. Yuel and Lars didn''t get into the first string, so they were considering a school transfer. Since Julia has always stuck around them, Yuel thought she might want to join them. However, Julia was on StormBlitz''s first string now. For her, transferring schools meant giving up on the position she worked so hard to get. How am I supposed to approach this? Yuel rubbed his temples. In theory, it was a simple matter. He just supposed to come up to Julia and inform her about the transfer idea. After that, whether she decides to join or not, was no longer Yuels business. Julia was the one who had to make the decision. But, that''s just theory. In practice, it was up to Yuel to break the news for her and face whatever reaction she was going to fire at him. And oh boy, her reaction was bound to be far from calm or reasonable. This is giving me a headache. I just need to get it over with. Yuel took a deep breath and caught up to Julia on her way out. Wait, Yuel called. What? Julia continued walking without slowing down in the slightest. Her pacing was so fast that Yuel almost had to jog in order to keep up. I need to tell you something important. Yeah? Would you stop for a second? ....... Julia came to a sudden halt. Phew, okay. Yuel also stopped to catch his breath. There, Julia started walking again. One second passed. Wha, wait! Yuel barely caught one breath and he had to start chasing again. This girl had no chill! She was probably still mad about that quarrel they had before the meeting. Honestly, Yuel hasn''t forgotten that incident either. Julia''s insults toward his teamwork with Lars were still fresh in his mind. Nevertheless, he had to put all of that aside for now in order to discuss what really mattered. And, to do so, he first had to catch up with Julia. So, he had to increase his pace and- Whoa! Yuel tripped and dived into the floor. Ouch. ...... Julia stopped because of the crashing sound and turned around. You okay there? Y-Yeah, Yuel waved his hands. Finally, you stopped. Hmph, Julia turned around again but this time she didn''t start walking. At least, not yet. What''s so important that you have to say it right here and now? Gonna complain about the selection match again? No, let''s put that aside for now, Yuel stood up and wiped his hands against his pants. Okay, he finally captured that problematic girl. Whats next? How should he approach her? He was clearly on Julias list of Idiots to Kill right now, so he had to proceed with caution. Congratulations, Yuel tried to start off with some positivity. It''s only half a spot, but you''re in the first string. You really deserve it. Is that supposed to be sarcasm? No, I really believe you deserve it. The way you played in the third game was impressive. I would have picked you for the first string too if I were the captain. Is that so, Julia shrugged. But, you still would have split Mid between me and Gilbert, right? After all, I played so poorly in the second game that you lost because of me, right? I didn''t say that. But, that''s what you think, right? That''s not the topic right now, Yuel tried to deflect the question. This wasn''t about the selection match right now. He had to discuss the school transfer- I bet you feel like an idiot, don''t you? Julia continued with her nonsense. It''s only because you came outta nowhere and took my Support role that I ended up playing Mid, you know? Yes, I remember that, Yuel nodded. Back when they first met, Julia was insisting to play Support for Lars because she believed thatll bring them closer together. However, then Yuel came into the picture and became Larss Support. As a result, Julia had no choice but to switch her main role to Mid. After all, she had no chance of beating Yuel when it came to supporting. But, look at the result! Julia grinned. I''m on the main team while you''re stuck on the bench. Hilarious, isn''t it? Ahahaha! I bet you''re thinking now how you should have played Mid yourself instead of helping me learn it, right? ... I wouldn''t say that, Yuel claimed so, but he had to admit a part of him was irritated by this outcome. He has been watching over Julias progress the entire time and has been helping her improve as a Mid Laner. Therefore, as her coach, he was happy for her success. However, at the same time, he was mad at himself. If only Yuel spent more of his time on improving himself instead of coaching Julia, perhaps he could have beaten Howard during the selection match. Yet, instead of pushing himself to new heights, Yuel burned his free time on helping Julia with her countless problems. What an ugly feeling. Somewhere deep down, Yuel regretted all of it. He was glad Julia made it into the first string and yet, at the same time, he actually wished for her to fail and stay on the bench along with him Lars. If only Julia didnt make it into the first-string today, holding a conversation about a school transfer would have been so much easier. Don''t worry, Julia finally turned to face him. She placed both hands on her hips and lifted her chin like a pompous queen. I''ll make it big in the first-string to make up for you and Lars not getting in. To make up...? Yuel blinked. Oh, so thats how Julia saw it. Now that she got into the first-string, she suddenly became the representative of the trio. She was the queen because she reached the first-string and they were nothing but second-string plebs compared to her. Thats what Julia was implying, right? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Yeah, thats right. The two of them were total trash! They had terrible teamwork and they didn''t have half the skill required for reaching the first string! Is that what she was saying!? Forget it, Yuel turned around. Enjoy your stay in the first-string while it lasts. Huh? What''s that supposed to- hey! Julia called out from behind but Yuel kept walking. There was no need to tell her about the transfer. She finally made it into the first-string, so she should enjoy riding the high horse while she could. After all, she no longer had anything to do with benchwarmers like Yuel and Lars. Julia already got her desired spot while they had to gamble on a new school in order to reach the competitive scene. This had nothing to do with her. Is this really fine? Yuel jerked uncomfortably. If he doesn''t inform Julia about the transfer now, she won''t have enough time to join them later even if she wanted to. Was this really for the better? But seriously, I''ve had enough. Yuels fists trembled. There was a limit to how much bullshit he could bear with. He had enough of that girls attitude. Julia always treated him like dirt even though he was always there to help her with anything she needed. It was largely thanks to Yuel that Julia made it so far and reached the first-string. Yet, what did Julia ever do for him in return? Nothing. She only bitched and spit in his face like he was some lowlife. Maybe Julia didn''t really mean everything she said to him, but enough was enough. Yuel has been patient with her shitty attitude for two years now. It was annoying, but he could handle it. However, some of her actions today crossed the line. Criticizing Yuel and Lars''s teamwork just to spite? Thats a new level of low. On top of that, she suddenly began acting like she was a league above them just because she entered the first-string. In truth, that achievement meant nothing compared to their failure because the competition for Mid wasnt nearly as fierce. Gilbert was a solid player, but he wasnt Howard or Ellen. So, with all that considered, Yuel had every right to ditch her. Julia should keep enjoying her precious spot on StormBlitz. Maybe she''ll even become the main Mid Laner of the team. She should keep enjoying her moment of glory until Yuel and Lars face her at the regionals and mop the floor with her! That''ll teach her a lesson or two. I''m really getting heated over this. Yuel took a deep breath before entering his home. Forget Julia. There are more important things I should be doing, like researching our transfer options and preparing a strategy to convince mom to let me transfer. As soon as Yuel returned, he sat down in front of the computer. He and Lars couldn''t just transfer to any random middle school. It had to be a school with a Classmancers team, preferably a decent one. Unfortunately, there weren''t many nearby schools to choose from. His mom was assuredly going to be against the transfer, so if he picks a faraway school which requires extra transportation fee - his mom will shoot him down on the spot. Therefore, he had to choose a school that was at least as close as his current school. Out of the small list of options, there was only one which had a Classmancers club: Skyline Junior High. Ugh. Seriously? Yuel frowned. Was that really the only option they could go for? The team representing the school was Stratus. Yuel researched all the teams in the region last year, so he knew a little about their histories. Stratus was a bottom tier team which hasn''t passed the first round of the regionals for the past few years. The main reason for that must have been its painfully tiny club. The school only allowed the club to get nine members. In other words, they couldnt even form two full teams for sparring against each other. It sounded like oppression. Also, nine got dangerously close to five, which was the number of strong players required for doing well in tournaments. Freshmen counted among these nine, but they were ill-suited for tournaments due to their lack of experience and polish. Therefore, as far as participating in tournaments was concerned, the relevant number of club members was nine minus the number of freshmen. That greatly restricted the club''s options for forming the first-string. The team had to be composed of a small number of seniors and juniors, regardless of their actual skill. Not to mention, they also had to fit themselves into the five meta roles even if it meant some of them will be playing their secondary roles. It was a disaster. But, in a way, that was good news for Yuel and Lars. Less club members meant less competition for starter positions. So, it''ll be easier for them to grab their spots in such a team. There was no way they''ll have to compete against a Bot duo of the same caliber as Howard and Ellen. Is that really something to be happy about? Yuel smiled wryly. He was supposed to be striving for the top of the competitive scene, yet here he was rejoicing at the fact he wont get much competition in Stratus. Absolutely disgusting. Thats how far he and Lars have been pushed. They had to seek a team with less internal competition so they could reach the competitive scene and battle against the best. They first had to go downwards in order to be able to climb up from there. So, Stratus was an alright team for them. But, will the school allow Yuel and Lars to join? Clubs usually only scouted first-year students, that was the standard routine. However, transfer students had a peculiar situation. They were new students who havent joined a club yet even though they werent freshmen. Yuels current school allowed clubs to scout transfer students, but there was no telling if Skyline Junior High followed the same rules. To eliminate any doubt, Yuel called the school. Fortunately, even though it was summer vacation, he got a hold of somebody. So, he proceeded to ask a couple of questions. The phone call somehow dragged out for almost half an hour. The woman''s tone implied she was growing impatient, so Yuel cut it short before she snaps at him. Unfortunately, he couldn''t get all the data he needed. The woman didn''t know the specifics about the Classmancers club because she wasn''t directly involved with it. The only good news he got was that the school''s policy was the same as in his current school. In other words, clubs were allowed to recruit transfer students as if they were freshmen. So, there shouldn''t be a problem getting into the club itself. Another thing Yuel learned was that the school didn''t think highly of the Classmancers club. Even when he told the woman he was an experienced player with a high rank, she still tried to push him toward joining other clubs. It almost felt like somebody told her to lower the motivation of anybody who wanted to join the Classmancers club. It was a nasty treatment but far from unusual in this region. It generally felt like schools didn''t appreciate the Classmancers clubs much. Even his school treated StormBlitz as an eyesore to some extent, despite the teams strong performance at the regional. StormBlitzs ridiculous entrance exam existed largely to appease the school by showing how serious the club was. Only Leo Junior High seemed to have a genuine love for its Classmancers club, which made the Leopards such a powerhouse team. They even had a coach, something that was relatively rare even in high schools in their region. Truly, Leo Junior High was a great school for playing Classmancers. Unfortunately, the school was located on the other side of the city. On top of that, the coach pretty much only ever put seniors on the first-string, so Yuel and Lars probably wont make it in as juniors this year. That coach only ever made one exception in the past for Fenrir, a strong player who was allowed to join the first string as a junior and became the captain on the following year. However, that was a very particular instance that it was not worth betting on. Even if Yuel can somehow convince his mom to attend such a faraway school, the competition there would be even fiercer than in StormBlitz. Thatll defeat the entire purpose of transferring. Why am I even thinking about it so much? Yuel sighed. Naturally, he would have liked to be a part of a prestige Classmancers club which the school treated with respect. However, that was a pipe dream at the moment. So, during middle school, he and Lars will have to keep eating dirt and play for teams that werent respected by their own schools. Things will get better once they enter high school and attend Ivy High, the powerhouse of the regions high school competitive scene. However, thats two years from now. Right now, his only option was Skyline Junior High and the small underdog team that was Stratus. Not the most exciting option, but thats all he could get Yuel and Lars will have to take that small team and transform it into a powerhouse that rivaled StormBlitz and Leopards. Then, they''ll beat both these teams and go to nationals! Later that day, Yuel called Lars over to discuss his findings. He also filled Lars in on what went down during the club meeting. July made it!? Lars exclaimed. Yes, she got half a position, Yuel explained. Shell share Mid with Gilbert, but Im sure shell get to play at least a few tournament matches. Sick, yo! Lars pumped a fist with a big grin, but then it hit him and his smile died down. But wait, what about our super secret transfer plan? You talked to her? I... tried to bring it up, Yuel averted his eyes. But, she was raving so much about making the first-string that it seemed like she wouldnt trade her Mid position for the world. Yeah, makes sense. So, she said she ain''t interested? Um, something like that, Yuel said. He didn''t really ask Julia but her attitude made it crystal clear: she was going to treasure her precious starter spot like it was her baby. So, there was no reason for her to transfer schools. Thats why Yuel didn''t bother to ask her for confirmation. After all the bullshit she gave him today, he didn''t really care for her. Yuel and Lars will make it just fine on their own in a new team. They didn''t need Julia. I better call her to say congrats, Lars dialed up Julia''s number. Uh, sure... Yuel gulped. If Lars blurts anything about the school transfer and Julia acts oblivious, it''ll make it seem like Yuel just lied about talking with her. It wasn''t his intention to deceive anybody, but... She doesn''t pick up, Lars shrugged. I thought she''d be fine by now. She seemed so-so, Yuel said. She looked happy about the first-string announcement, but she still seems to blame herself for our defeat in the selection match. It was hard to even start a conversation with her. Feels bad, Lars shook his head. Maybe we should visit her tomorrow? Maybe even throw a party to celebrate her promotion and stuff. I''d rather focus on training, Yuel said. We can''t waste any time. Before we run into Aegis and Athena in another match, we have to get as strong as we can. Yeah, I agree, Lars smiled wryly. They both shared the same feeling of weakness after the defeat in the selection match. So, they had to get stronger no matter what! They couldn''t waste even a single day! So, Lars started. You figured which school we go to? As I said, there''s only one option really, Yuel explained what he found out about Skyline Junior High and its small team, Stratus. Oh, so they''re like an underdog? Lars''s eyes sparked for some reason. That''s so cool, yo! It''s like in the movies: the underdog team which gonna change the town forever! Heh, easier said than done, Yuel chuckled. But, we''ll have to make it work somehow. No problem! With us on the team, it gonna transform from underdog to top dog! That''s right, Yuel nodded. A Bot Lane duo of their caliber should be able to transform Stratus into a force to be reckoned with. If the team got at least one or two more competent players, it should be able to put on a strong performance in the regionals. But first, Yuel and Lars had to actually convince their parents about the transfer. The new school year was just a few days away, so transferring with this timing was a bit awkward. In Yuel''s case, bothering his mother about the transfer was definitely going to be quite the headache. There was no way in hell she''d see eye-to-eye with his determination to play Classmancers competitively. Especially, not after what happened with his dad. Oh, Lars shrugged. My folks already agreed. What. Just like that? Yep, pops said I can transfer wherever I want. I told him I got this silly situation which is like being a great basketball player but not getting picked for the main team based on positions. He agreed it sucks and said I should totally search for a place where I can get into tournaments. Wow, that''s very supportive, Yuel smiled wryly. I wish mom was at least half as supportive about these things. Dad would understand where Im coming from, but he has no say in the matter. So, it''s my turn next, Yuel sighed. I hope Ill be able to catch my mom today and talk to her about it. She sometimes stays over at the office, but she should be coming home today. Though, I don''t expect things to go smoothly... No problem, dude, Lars puffed his chest and pointed at himself. Lemme talk to her then. I''mma convince her, no problem! Please no. Youll only make things worse. Haha, maybe. I saw yo mom like once but she looks like a serious business lady. She really is. She''ll hear you say yo once and she''ll find a way to send you to jail, I guarantee. Savage, haha. She''s like a judge or something, right? A prosecutor. Oh yeah, that pro thing. So, if shes also a pro, she should understand where ya coming from. Tell her you wanna become a pro just like her! This guy... Yuel sighed but also couldn''t help but smile. The confrontation with his mom was going to be tough. Itll possibly be one of the hardest battles he''ll ever fight in his life. Nevertheless, he had to face his mother and convince her to let him transfer. Hell get into Stratus, participate in the regionals and fight Howard again, this time on the competitive stage. This was the first step toward the competitive scene! Vol.6 Ch.4: Confronting the Lioness It was already past midnight. When the clock hit 1:27 am, the door to Yuel''s house opened. Finally, his mom was home. Why are you up? Leona demanded as soon as she walked into the living room. The room had its lights on without her approval. Okay, here goes. Yuel took a deep breath to steel himself. I was waiting for you. I see, Leona wore a thin smile. Kids should be sleeping at this hour. There''s a study that shows- That kids who sleep less than nine hours are moodier, have worse attention spans and partake in more dangerous activities. Did I forget anything? No, thats a perfect summary, Leona smiled softly. So, I assume you have something important to discuss? Yes. Very important. I see, Leona nodded but she headed toward the kitchen in the opposite direction. You mind if I fix myself some noodles first? You''re eating at this hour? Yuel raised an eyebrow. The day was so packed I had to skip dinner, Leona explained as she fished for a cup of instant noodles in the drawer. I see we''re almost running out. She checked the refrigerator next. I''ll prepare you a grocery list for tomorrow. Would you take care of it, please? Okay. Sorry I push it on you again. This month has been so chaotic I don''t have time to breathe. No problem, Yuel said. He was already used to this routine by now. They used to run groceries together when he was younger but recently it has become entirely his responsibility in the house. I''ll leave you some extra cash, so you can buy whatever you like with it. Leona smiled softly. Cool, Yuel nodded. This was the great benefit of doing the groceries himself: he was rewarded with extra cash that he added to his savings. One day, hell have enough to buy himself a decent laptop to play Classmancers on. Thatll finally save him from playing it on a tablet when hes not home. But, thats a plan for much later down the road. Right now, he had to focus on this important conversation. Okay, Leona began brewing water and returned to the living room. So? What''s so important you had to wait until 1 AM to talk to me about? I... Yuel gulped. His throat was as dry as a desert. He coughed once and continued. I''d like to transfer schools to Skyline Junior High. Leona reacted with a frown, as expected. Explain yourself, young man. Well, it''s a little compacted, Yuel fidgeted as he tried to recite the explanations he prepared. Remember how Im in a club for a competitive game? Of course, a video game. Something with Class in the name, if I recall. Yes, Classmancers. Anyway, there''s a little problem in the club... Yuel chose his words carefully. In short, I won''t be able to play in the regional tournament this year even though I know I have the skill for it. So, if I try in another school, I''ll have a decent chance. You''re being vague. Elaborate. Well, Yuel gave up on being dodgy and gave it to her straight. There''s a boy who is one year older than me and he''s the captain because he''s a senior. So, he gets to decide who plays in tournaments and he took the position I play best. So, I cant play on the main team because of him. I see, Leona crossed her arms. Will this minimalistic explanation fly with her? Mentioning the selection match and how Howard defeated Yuel was definitely out of question. That''ll make Yuel''s mom reject the request on the spot. That older kid, Leona started. Is he a better player than you? It''s... hard to say, Yuel couldn''t answer for sure even if he wanted. He''s better in some areas and worse in others, so it''s not clear-cut. But, he got one extra year of experience on me and his older sister is a pro at this game, so he got many unfair advantages. Is that so. And, I assume you tried challenging him for the position you want? That should be one of your rights as a club member. Yes, I did, Yuel had no choice but to admit because otherwise his mom will get hung up on that point. Its hard to test such a thing in a team-based game. We had a serious match but I was the captain, so it tested much more than just my performance in my main role. You were the captain? Leona nodded with approval. Thats a big responsibility. Sounds like youre highly regarded in your club. Yeah, I believe so. But, I dont have much experience being a captain while the other boy has been leading teams for over a year now. So, my team lost in the end, but I dont believe thats proof Im worse than him in the position Im maining. He was just a better captain than me. I see, Leona said. So, thats why you want to try your luck in another school. But, you sure Skyline even got a team? Yes, I checked everything. I even know their team is called Stratus and how well theyve been doing in tournaments the past few years. With that said, Yuel didnt dare to share the statistics because theyd make Stratus come off as a weak underdog team. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I see, you''ve done your research, Leona nodded in approval. Are you sure they''ll let you join after your transfer? You will no longer be a freshman. I called the school today, Yuel was prepared for this line of attack. I squeezed out all the answers I needed from them. You did good, Leona smiled proudly. Alright, you made a solid case so far and I understand where you''re coming from. But, there''s one thing I cant quite agree with. I understand you want to play in tournaments, but is waiting one more year such a big problem? Does it really warrant transferring schools? Yes, it is, Yuel answered. I have the skill to play on a competitive level, so I don''t want to stay on the bench for another whole year. I want to compete and to win. That look... Leona knotted her brows. Getting so overworked over some game... Out of all things, why did you have to inherit this trait from your father? This was the breaking point. Yuel didn''t have any more weapons in his arsenal. He did everything he possibly could to make a solid case for the transfer. Now, everything was in the prosecutor''s hands. Back when you were playing chess, Leona said. You went to the nationals in fifth grade. Yes, I did. It was really hard, though, Yuel said. He still remembered that difficult final match he had during the regionals of that year. His opponent was a knowledgeable theory player who knew all the optimal standard moves. Yuel only beat her in a clutch with some unconventional moves that threw her off. Im not going to pretend I approve of how much you invest yourself into a video game, Leona said. However, I understand you''re very passionate about it. According to my research, it''s a game with a serious competitive scene, so at least I know its not a braindead game that only exists to waste childrens time. And, since even schools approve of it as a competitive sport, it''s not my place to judge it. This sounds good so far, but I''m sure theres a catch. Yuel braced himself for impact But, if you really want to dedicate so much of your time to a video game, I want you to prove youre not wasting your time with it. So, suppose I let you transfer, will you be able to reach the nationals this year? That''s... Yuel stumbled over his words. He hid the information on purpose, but he knew Stratus was one of the weakest teams in the region and hasn''t passed the first round of the regionals in years. This will be rough. Did Yuel and Lars have what it took to pull an underdog team all the way to the finals and beyond? Will they be able to beat Howard''s StormBlitz for sure? And, what about the Leopards? In addition, there were other tough contenders too. Yuel couldn''t even begin to imagine how low his chances were. Nevertheless... Yes, Yuel answered. I believe I can do it. Then, this is my condition: if you don''t reach the nationals this year at your new school, you''ll drop that game and concentrate on your studies. Y-Yes, I understand. A chill ran through Yuel but he stood his ground. He couldn''t show any weaknesses right now. The condition was absurd, but he expected nothing less from his mother. For her, failure in a competitive environment was unforgivable. Anybody who didn''t possess the neccessary skill shouldn''t bother trying. It was an extreme opinion but one his mom wouldn''t budge on. So, Yuel just had to do it. He''ll have to find a way to bring an underdog team like Stratus all the way to the top. It''ll be a long and thorny road. But, together with Lars, they''ll pull through it. I see how serious you are about this, Leona approached her son. Frankly, asking for a transfer just before school begins is unreasonable. I''ve already paid for the school, so now I''ll have to negotiate a refund. After that, Ill have to talk to Skyline and ask them to register you at such short notice. She sighed. Sorry. It''s okay, Leona smiled softly and rubbed Yuel''s cheek. It''s not often that you ask something from me, so I''ll spoil you this once. Thanks a lot, mom. Well, Leona smiled and glanced away. I actually wanted you to attend Skyline from the beginning, remember? According to my research, the level of education is higher there. Yes, I know. But thanks anyway, mom. Will your studies be okay? Leona gently patted Yuels head. I''m sure I''ll manage. If your grades drop, you''ll have to prioritize your studies over the game. I hope that''s clear. Yes, of course. And, what about friends? It''s a good thing you finally made some friends in your current school. It''s okay, Yuel said. Theres a boy I play a duo with and hes going to transfer there too, so we''ll keep playing together. On second thought, maybe it was better to keep that one to himself... You mean Lars, that bratty kid you always hang out with? I''m really not sure hes a good influence for you. I know he''s a little childish, but he''s a good guy and he''s one of the best players around. Together with him, I''m sure we can reach the nationals. Is that so. What about the girl who visited a few times? Julia, I believe. She... probably won''t join. Yuel looked away. Unfortunate, I thought she was pretty cute, Leona winked. Yes, she can be cute when she wants to be. But, most of the time, she''s one of the most annoying creatures ever. Okay, I''ll take care of the transfer tomorrow, Leona kissed her son on the forehead. Now, go to sleep, young man. Goodnight. Yuel gave his mom a small hug before going to bed. Phew, he did it! He really did it! This year, Yuel and Lars will be attending Skyline Junior High and play for Stratus. Theyll finally get a chance to play in real tournaments. From this moment, everybody from StormBlitz was an enemy. Howard and Ellen didn''t even require mentioning, but also Gilbert, Dan, Roi, and... Julia. Was this really the right thing to do? Yuel''s heart stung. He and Lars were about to leave their friends behind just to get a chance to play in the regionals. Yuel wasnt nearly as close to the others as he was to Lars, but they still spent an entire year together in the same club. Calling them friends might be a stretch, but they knew each other well and depended on each other when they played together as a team. So, there was a bond there. Worst of all, Yuel was the club''s vice-captain. Just a week ago, he and Howard discussed their plans for StoemBlitzs upcoming entrance exam. Yuel was supposed to supervise the entire exam himself next year, but now he was bailing out in the last moment. Abandoning his responsibilities like that was bad manners. I''ll talk to Howard the first thing tomorrow. Yuel nodded to himself and took out his phone. It was already 2 AM, so he couldn''t call Lars to share the news. Therefore, instead, he sent a message. My mom approved Surprisingly, a reply arrived a few seconds later. sick dude! we gonna take the regionals by storm!!! Wasn''t that goof asleep already? There''s no way he was waiting until this hour just to hear the news from Yuel, right? Either way, Yuel returned Larss enthusiasm in kind. Yeah, we''ll win against Howard and Ellen this time and take the regionals ez Heh, Yuel chuckled, then put down his phone and crawled into bed. The difficult fight was behind him. Now, he could finally relax. In just a few days, he''ll be attending a new school and playing for a new team with new teammates. There were so many unknowns down this path. Shudder. But, no matter what, Yuel had to deliver results. He promised his mother hell get to nationals this year, so his ability to keep playing Classmancers was at stake here. He and Lars will have to pull Stratus from the bottom and push it all the way to the top of the region. It wont be easy but Yuel never asked for an easy solution. He just wanted an opportunity and he got it. Now, hell have to face the fierce competition head-on and hell conquer it! Vol.6 Ch.5: Passing the Baton Yuel''s mother approved the transfer to Skyline Junior High. On the following day, Yuel called Howard to deliver the news. Transferring? Howard frowned. That''s sudden. School starts in two days. I know, Yuel said. Sorry that I drop this on you at the last moment, but I only got the OK yesterday. Or, technically, today in the morning. Huh. Is it because of how the selection went? ... yes, Yuel admitted. He was dropping a huge bomb on Howard, so the least he could do was offer a convincing explanation for his actions. Lars and I decided we want to play competitively this year no matter what, even if it means playing for another team. You said it yourself: in any other school, we''d be on the first-string for sure. I did say that, but I didn''t mean it literally... Howard dropped on the sofa, his phone still pressed against his ear. Honestly, you put me in a sticky situation here. I''m aware and Im sorry about it. But, it''s already decided. Lars and I are transferring to Skyline. Pft, you gonna play on Stratus? Of all things? Howard produced a dry laugh. You really expect to get anywhere with that team? I won''t know unless I try. But, fear not: I have every intention to win the regionals this year. You realize you''ll have to beat StormBlitz to achieve that, right? Sorry to break it to you, but there''s no chance in hell. We''ll see about that, Yuel insisted. Next time we fight, I''ll be better prepared. I''ll smash your defense to pieces. Heh, Id like to see you try, Howard smirked. Even though Yuels transfer was going to be a huge pain in the ass for him, a part of him couldn''t help but feel entertained by this development. Thanks to Yuels bold decision, theyll get another chance to cross blades before high school. And, this time, itll be on a real stage. It was hard to expect any results from a weak team like Stratus, yet Howard still looked forward to something. Who knew what miracle these two brats could cause? What about Julia? Howard asked. Is she also transferring? ... no, Yuel said. She''ll stay with StormBlitz. After all, she finally got a spot on the first string. Does she really prefer her position on the team over Lars? I suppose... Huh, Howard wasn''t convinced by Yuel''s weak tone but it wasn''t his business. This was the first good news he heard this entire conversation. Howard had some big plans for Julia, so losing her would have hurt even more than losing the club''s vice-captain. Alright, Howard said. I approve of your transfer. I don''t remember asking for your permission. Haha, true that, Howard chuckled. Just don''t forget to send me everything you worked on for the entrance exam. Because, thanks to a certain rebellious brat, I now gotta handle the entire thing myself. About that, Yuel started. I uploaded all the files to cloud so you can access them from everywhere. Oh, innovating, aren''t we? I''ll give you all the rights to that folder. I tidied up the files and finished the templates for the written exams, with the categories and everything like we discussed. So, you finished everything? Yes, I believe so. See? You can also deliver good news when you try, haha. Finishing everything is the least I could do, Yuel said. Again, I''m really sorry it had to turn out like this. Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time. Your apologies are cute and all, but they aren''t helping me. I still gotta clean up this entire mess myself. That''s right, Yuel didn''t have anything more to add. They went over the details of the cloud storage and the call ended there. Damn... Howard dropped on the sofa and sighed deeply. My, what''s wrong? Ellen waltzed into the living room and sat beside him. Bad news? Heh, bad news doesn''t even begin to describe it. Yuel and Lars gonna transfer schools so they can play in the regionals. My, such rascals! Ellen covered her mouth. And, you gonna let them do it? What authority do I have? I''m not their mom. Hehe, that''s true, Ellen patted Howard''s head. Can''t believe these two are so rebellious. They''re such brats. The worst thing? I can''t really blame them, Howard smiled wryly. I may have done the same exact thing in their shoes. Not playing on the main team in the first year is acceptable. But, as juniors? Players of our caliber should be on the team, unless we''re talking about some crazy Korean club that got players who were born pro gamers. In fact, Howard decided to attend Riverstock over Leo after he read interviews about Rodriguez, the Leopards coach. Rodriguez repeated many times he had a principle of only putting seniors on the main team. He gave multiple reasons for that, but the bottom line: 99% of the juniors in his club had zero chance of making it into the first-string. There were only a couple of rare exceptions to this rule like Fenrir, who led the Leopards last year. Could have Howard made it into that special 1% in the Leopards? He didn''t know Rodriguez personally, so he had no idea what criteria this coach used for assigning juniors to the first-string. Therefore, Howard dodged that risk by attending Riverstock and joining StormBlitz. It was known as one of the most serious teams in the region and it didnt disappoint him. So, even though the circumstances were quite different from what Yuel was doing right now, its undeniable that Howard also picked to play for a weaker team in exchange for a higher chance to enter the competitive scene earlier. As such, Howard understood where Yuel was coming from with that transfer. Howard might have done the exact same thing in Yuels shoes. But, with all that said, losing the vice-captain two days before school definitely sucked. This suddenly dumped so much extra responsibility on Howard. Great. Just great. Howard shook his head. His shoulders already started feeling heavy from the weight of all this responsibility. What you gonna do? Ellen asked. Youll assign a new vice-captain? What else can I do? I need somebody to handle the menial work for me. I have to concentrate on strengthening the first-string so we can win the nationals. The scouts from Grandview want results and they not gonna care about any internal club drama we had. Then, who you gonna pick? You still have to choose among the juniors, right? Frankly, I have no idea, Howard went over the option with Ellen. Whoever becomes the vice-captain will eventually become the clubs captain, so it had to be somebody who was capable of keeping the team together and leading it. Taison? The guy was too self-centered for his own good. On one hand, it was a quality which made him pursue strength so he could stand out and perform stronger plays. On the other hand, it was a huge personality flaw that prevented him from giving two shits about anybody else. A guy like him at the top would only care about promoting himself, even at the expense of the rest of the club. Then, what about Julia? An interesting idea. At first glance, the girl seemed too prissy and immature to handle that kind of responsibility. However, with that said, she has already surprised Howard once when she pulled that amazing aggressive playstyle during the selection match. There was more to the girl than met the eye. I think July will be able to handle it if we leave her no choice, Ellen said. But, expect her to rebel a lot until she gets used to it. Also, I doubt she''ll be able to handle being the vice-cap and a competitive player a the same time. As youve probably already guessed from seeing her in action, July isn''t exactly a pro at multi-tasking. She''s a cute blockhead like that~ So, Howard rubbed his temples. If I make her the vice-captain, I''ll pretty much have to give up on her for the regionals. Yep. Life is never easy, huh. Howard shook his head. With all things considered, Julia looked like the safest pick for a vice-captain. She was far from an ideal candidate for being a captain, but at least she wasn''t an entirely self-centered brat who''d assuredly run the entire team into the ground for the sake of promoting themselves. However, the cost of not having her on the first-string was high. With Julia in StormBlitz, the team had more options to adapt to enemy teams. Julia would be super effective when the team needs more explosive aggression to seal the deal, whereas Gilbert will be more valuable in games that go back-and-forth and require quick transitions from defense to offense. So, whats more important? Assigning a competent vice-captain or increasing the chances of winning the nationals? It wasn''t even a question. Winning the nationals was a must for Howard. He was willing to do whatever it took to secure that victory. Therefore, even though Julia seemed like the best fit for a vice-captain out of all options, Howard refused to give up on her as an important situational player. Thus, there was only one last option left: Gregory. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Well, that guy is a piece of work. Howard smiled wryly. If a vice-captain only needed the ability to organize things, then Gregory was second to Yuel among the juniors. Even when it came to playing Classmancers, Gregory was the type to research his opponents and to study counters. Sure, he had some bad habits like missing important details and relying too much on cheap tactics, but all of that could be resolved with enough experience and with some guidance from Howard. However, the problem with Gregory was his attitude. Similarly to Taison, that brat only cared about himself and believed he was the top player in the entire universe. His actions always aligned with self-benefit and he wanted the entire world to revolve around him. That kind of selfish captain would be detrimental to the team. Still, Gregory was definitely a better choice than Taison, so that''s all Howard had left. Will Howard be able to fix Gregory''s attitude throughout the year? Maybe it could be done with enough babysitting. Unfortunately, Howard had no time to babysit. He had to concentrate 100% of his efforts on the upcoming tournament or else StormBlitz won''t make it to the top. But, if nobody fixes Gregory''s attitude, StormBlitz will definitely become a trainwreck next year and Howard will be partly to blame. So, should he really throw the future of the club under the bus to prioritize his own interests? If Yuel can act selfish, so can I. Howard reached a conclusion. Frankly, the future of the club was not his concern. He''ll graduate after this year, so all that mattered was the here and now. So, even though it went against his better judgment, he''ll sacrifice the club''s future if it meant gaining a higher chance to win the nationals. With that decided, Howard called Gregory over in the afternoon. It was best to drop such huge news on somebody in person. Its the kind of delicacy Yuel apparently lacked. Excuse me? Gregory raised an eyebrow. Me? The vice-captain? The heck did that come from? Yuel is transferring to another school, Howard explained. So, I need a new errand boy to be my vice-captain, haha. And, you want me? Yeah, you''re the only other competent guy among the juniors. When I first considered who to pick for vice-captain, it was a close one between you and Yuel. Huh, really, Gregory looked unconvinced for some reason. Howard was sure that praising this guy would work like a charm but seemed like it''ll be harder than expected. So, Gregory pushed his glasses. What if I refuse? I''ll murder your entire family. Yikes, that''s harsh. It really is, Howard chuckled. But, seriously, would you mind not doing that? It''ll make my life at least a million times harder. Kek, you really think I give a shit about how hard your life is? Gregory shrugged. I mean, theres nothing in it for me. It sounds like a huge pain in the ass. If you become the vice-captain, it guarantees that youll be the captain next year. Hmm, that does have some appeal. Also, you''ll be taking Yuel''s spot. That''s what you want, right? You know what I really wanted, Gregory narrow his eyes. I wanted to beat that mofo and show once and for all that I''m way better. This vice-cap job ain''t it, chief. Like, is it supposed to be a consultation prize or something? I see, Howard was running out of ammo. As always, Gregory was difficult to handle. Some of Howards ideas worked on the guy like a charm, whereas others failed miserably. Worst case, Howard could try applying peer pressure. If that doesn''t work either, hell just make Taison the vice-captain. That brat will surely jump on the opportunity because it promised the captain position in the future. For somebody who wanted to stand out so much, what better role was there than the captain, right? Wait, speaking of Taison... Howard smirked. Alright, I get what you''re saying. Really, Gregory raised an eyebrow. If you don''t want to, I won''t force you. I''ll just make Taison the captain. Wait, Gregory started. I didn''t say I wasn''t going to do it for sure... Gotcha. Howard found Gregory''s Achilles heel. On top of being a selfish guy, Gregory also had self-esteem issues. Despite being Taison''s duo partner, Gregory ranted about how nobody noticed his brilliant plays because everybody only paid attention to Taison. So, this was Gregorys opportunity to come out of Taisons shadow. Look, Howard switched to his stern tone. I don''t have all day. School is about to start and I need to find a vice-captain. This isnt the time for you to play an indecisive princess. Kek, rude, Gregory chuckled. Okay, so what the job entails, anyway? Do I just get to chill and wait until I become the captain? You wish, Howard turned his laptop toward Gregory. It showed that plans regarding the upcoming entrance exam, including Yuel''s notes. For starters, you''ll be in charge of hosting the entrance exam. Remember how I did it last year? That''s traditionally the vice-captain''s job. Huh, Gregory squinted his eyes behind his glasses and leaned toward the laptop. The open document was a summary of the exams three stages, which Gregory was quite familiar with. He thought he left all this shit behind after he got into the club, but now it was here again. This sure looks like fun, Gregory rolled his eyes. We really gotta do this shit? Can''t we just pick the new members from a list or something? Like, based on rank or something. That''s not good enough, Howard shook his head. Not everybody who got talent starts playing in grade school and not everybody who got a high rank can necessarily become a competitive player. But, higher rank players are probably better, right? Yeah, on average thats true. But, our club is small and the school demands it to be competitive. So, we have to look for players who''ll be useful in tournaments later down the road. Think about this like the clubs future captain. Next year, you''ll have to form a team of your own with all these players. Like the future captain, heh, Gregory smiled gleefully. He must have really liked the sound of that. Alright, so this is one effective way to lure this basic brat. Howard made a mental note. But, ya know, Gregory said. I understand we gotta be a little picky and all, but do we really have to go through all this bullshit? Supervising a race, making quizzes and then playing with all these scrubs... I got a headache from just thinking about all that crap. I agree, it''s a little excessive, Howard nodded. I also wanted to cut down some of this hassle when I became the vice-captain. But, we need to play it safe against the school. The heck does that mean? You make it sound like the school is our enemy. It kinda is, Howard explained. Like many schools, ours doesn''t particularly like the idea of a video gaming club. They pretend to accept it as a sports club but they still got some prejudice against it. Its that bad? Yeah, it''s basically like this: the soccer club? A totally legit sports club. But, the Mancers club? What the heck is this club that promotes kids to play video games and to grow up as unproductive members of society. Thats why we cant have nice things, Gregory shook his head. The only way our club survives is because we''ve been convincing the school that we''re a super competitive club. That''s how this over-the-top entrance exam came into existence. Apparently, the captain at the time had to come up with a convincing way to show the school how serious the club was, so he came with this sort of exam. What an absolute mad lad. Ironically, this spread the rumor that StormBlitz is a super serious team. In turn, that attracted some strong players to the school and made the team good enough to go far in tournaments. That proved to the school that StormBlitz is a serious competitive team. So, you can thank that guy for the reputation StormBlitz got and for the computers we got in the clubroom. That guy is a legend, Gregory said. Well damn, guess there''s no way to get rid of this tradition now. Then, can we at least cut ourselves some work? I''m always in favor of working less but smarter, Howard nodded. So, what you got in mind? From what I see, we supposedly let anybody who finishes the race to pass the first stage, Gregory pointed out. Weren''t we supposed to only pick the top runners? That''s a little lie we tell to test the players. In practice, anybody who crosses the finish line gets in. That sounds like horseshit. This race ain''t gonna filter anybody like that. You''d be surprised how many people it takes out. So many of them give up without even trying. I dunno, Gregory shrugged. I say we filter them REAL HARD. Screw anybody who doesn''t make it among the top. We don''t need them. That''s a bold statement, Howard frowned. If you apply such a harsh filter, you won''t give a chance to anybody who is a little less athletic. Yeah, screw these guys. We ain''t got time to deal with everybody. The more of these scrubs we filter out early, the better. Gregory''s gaze was fixated on the description of the third stage of the exam. There was a side note there that stated this part might take anywhere from one to three days, depending on how many people reached that far. So, the more people I cut down early, the faster we can get the third part over it. Thats some 200 IQ management skills right there, kek. You''re not exactly the most athletic yourself, Howard pointed out. If we used such a strict filter last year, it might have filtered you out too. Hey, I''m pretty sure I finished among the best. I trained for that shit all- Ah, Gregory cleared his throat. Anyway, I say let the slowpokes fail. Ain''t nobody got any proof we gonna lose any good players from that. Its true, you can''t know for sure whatll happen. But, youre willingly taking a huge risk I can live with it. The less candidates, the less hassle. Is that so, Howard narrowed his eyes. So, that''s what this was all about: the number of people to test. Gregory shined when it came to finding shortcuts and doing less work, so it came as no surprise that this brat figured things will be easier if he kicks out as many candidates as possible during the first stage. Lazy but shrewd. Yuel''s side notes in the document made it clear that the more people there were, the more work the examiners will have to do. He listed factors like how many days were required to properly test everybody during the third stage and how it might be impossible to fit all candidates in one classroom for the quiz in the second stage. No wonder Gregory was shook. Of course, these notes didnt exist to scare people. Yuel made them because he was meticulous and wanted to make sure he covered all the challenges he discussed with Howard. On that subject, Yuel was the complete opposite of Gregory. He tried to get as many people as possible into the third stage in order to get as much data as possible about them. No matter how much work it required, Yuel wanted to pick the absolute best players for the club. At the time, it was actually Howard who had to argue against this approach because Yuels ideas would have put too much strain on the club. Gregory understood Yuels notes but took them in the opposite direction. Fewer candidates = less work. That''s all Gregory saw it. If you really want to surpass Yuel, Howard thought to himself. You first have to fix that attitude. You become better by striving to become better, not by searching for easy shortcuts. However, Howard kept quiet. He desperately needed a vice-captain and Gregory was the only realistic option. So, he didnt want to insist on hosting a better quality entrance exam because it might him get into an argument with that brat. Besides, even though Howard wasn''t supposed to be involved with the entrance exam this year, at this rate hell definitely have to split a lot of the work with Gregory. So, frankly, hed appreciate less work. Heh, I''m totally throwing the club under the bus here. Howard smiled wryly. There was no doubt that applying an aggressive filter would deny the club some decent candidates. Case in point: Yuel barely finished among the top runners in the race while Lars barely passed the quiz. So, if the exam were just a little harsher, these two might have failed to reach the third stage. In retrospect, it would have been better if they failed. Howard chuckled. This whole messy vice-captain situation only happened thanks to them. So, if Howard could go back in time, he would have definitely failed these brats. Anyway, it was regrettable but Howard had no choice. He had to compromise to make everything easier. If he wanted Gregory as vice-captain, he had to play along with this brats laziness for now, even at the expense of ruining the clubs future. Whatever happens to StormBlitz next year wasnt Howards concern. Only this year mattered. In this year''s regionals, Howard had to win and win and win, all the way to the top. It was the only way to faze the scouts from Grandview and make them give him the scholarship he needed. Alright, Howard started. You''re going to be in charge of the entry exam, so I''ll leave all the decisions to you. If you want to filter more candidates based on the race, you''re free to do so. Just remember, you''ll be the one dealing with the consequences next year. Good, now we''re talking, Gregory smirked. Okay, another idea I have is to cut down the number of questions in the quiz. I see Yuel made a new format and gotta admit its pretty well organized and everything, but it got way too many questions in it. Yeah, he said he thinks itd be fairer if there are more questions. That way, people can focus on the areas they know best. Thats why he went through the trouble of categorizing the questions the way he did. Such a hard worker, Gregory sneered. Well, I say we cut like half of this crap and only leave the good questions. It gonna be less work for us to check the exams. Sure, Howard gave up on objecting. As long as Gregory does at least a semi-passable job at the entrance exam, theyll be able to put this whole ordeal behind them. That was more than enough for Howard. And so, Howard continued playing along with all of Gregory''s cheap suggestions... Vol.6 Ch.6: The Last Farewell Yuel''s transfer to Skyline Junior High was decided and he performed his last responsibility as the vice-captain. He finished writing down all the notes for the exam and prepared the new quiz, then passed everything to Howard. So, even though Yuel still felt bad for abandoning his post like this and dumping everything on Howard in the last moment, he did everything he could to soften the blow. And so, Yuel finished all the important preparations and everything was set. Except, there was still one unresolved business... I still haven''t properly told Julia. Yuel felt bad about it. Now, that he cooled down about their argument, he realized that he overreacted to Julia''s words. Her antagonism was nothing new and it shouldn''t be taken at face value. She was always needlessly harsh toward Yuel, to the point it became a habit. She didnt necessarily mean everything she said to him. Hopefully. On top of that, she was shaken by the defeat in the selection match. The burden of the responsibility crushed her, so she was acting even harsher than usual yesterday. She isn''t the only one, though. I was also depressed by the defeat. Yuel immediately retorted because a part of him didn''t want to give Julia a completely free pass for her behavior. The defeat in the selection match devastated all three of them, so nobody was in the right mind right now. This situation made Lars suggest something absurd like transferring schools and Yuel went along with that absurdity. They were clearly out of their minds, but they were totally going to do it. Instead of blaming others or mulling over this depressing situation, Yuel and Lars chose to take action. Meanwhile, Julia chose to isolate herself from the world and act like a total asshat toward Yuel. It was hard to justify that kind of behavior, but it was important to keep in mind that some coped worse with defeat. Especially, Julia was worse off than others when it came to losing. For example, she had a bad habit of overcompensating with her defense after getting killed in a match. Therefore, going into hiding after losing an important match sounded just like her. I should try being the adult here and reach out to her. Yuel wasn''t confident about his chances but he had to settle this the best way he could. Therefore, he called Julia to inform her about the school transfer plan. Alas, it didn''t work. Julia manually declined the calls as soon as they started. She wasn''t even trying to be subtle about it; what a troublemaker. You should at least let it ring to pretend you cant answer. Yuel grumbled. As he suspected, reaching Julia by phone was impossible right now. She hasn''t been answering Lars either. It''s like the girl went underground to hide from the law. Am I really obligated to inform her? Yuel sigh. Unfortunately, he had to do it. Despite their rocky relationship, he and Julia were friends. Or, at least, they were something that vaguely resembled that. There was the option of dumping this job on Lars, but that would be cruel. More than anybody else, Julia was scared of meeting Lars right now. Even during the club''s recent meeting, the girl was sneaking around like a ninja to not be spotted by Lars. It was both hilarious and tragic. So, Yuel had to somehow do it himself. But, what exactly was he supposed to do when Julia wasn''t even answering his calls? The only other way to reach her was to meet her face-to-face again. I SO don''t want to... Yuel sighed. Alas, there was no other option. School begins in two days, so he won''t get any other opportunities. He had to tell her now before she learns from another source and curses Yuel for life. So, here I am. Yuel gulped. He was in front of the entrance to Julia''s apartment. She lived all the way on the 7th floor of a tall luxurious building, so her parents must be well-off. That explained why she always thought she was the center of the world- No, stop. I didn''t come here to bicker. Yuel took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. He only came here to deliver the news and get out. He had to deliver everything as peacefully as possible without creating another fight. Thinking about it, depending on how I handle this conversation... Yuel clenched his fists and froze like a statue in front of the doorbell. If he messes up big time, this might become the last time he sees Julia. The friendship they have been building up over the past two years will crumble to dust. Despite Julia''s frequent antagonism toward him, Yuel couldn''t deny that cutting all ties with her will surely sadden him. Because, deep down, very deep down, Julia was actually an agreeable girl and a skilled player. Watching her grow and improve as a player was a delightful experience. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Among the trio, Julia developed the most as a player. Yuel and Lars were serious and competent players from the get-go, whereas Julia had to climb up from the level of an uninterested newcomer all the way to becoming a strong competitive player. It was a long and thorny road. She has almost given up numerous times. However, she persisted through all these hardships and ultimately earned herself a spot on StormBlitz''s first string. So, her attitude aside, she deserved respect as a player. If possible, Yuel didnt want to end their relationship after delivering the news. His body refused to budge in fear of that possibility. Nevertheless, he had to do it. He came all the way here, so... DING DONG! He jumped from the sound of the bell. That was it. The decisive moment. He couldn''t turn back anymore. ... but, nothing happened. Yuel pressed the doorbell again. Ding dong. Ding dong. Diiiiiiing dong. C''mon, you''re there. I know you are. Yuel sighed. Julia was 100% holed up inside. Therefore, he kept ringing. Ding dong. Ding Dong. Ding dong. GODDAMMIT! A roar thundered from the other side of the door. Who is it!? Angry stomps approached the door. So, she was there, after all. It''s Yuel, he answered calmly. Tch! It was a click of the tongue so loud it resounded through the door. What do you want? You''re so bored that you came to prank me? No, I have something important to tell you. And why do you think I wanna listen, huh? Go away. No, I have to tell you. You can hate me all you want afterward. But first, please hear me out. I''m not opening. It''s okay. You just need to listen. Well, I''m listening. Out with it already. Lars and I... We''re transferring schools. ............................................................ Dead silence. It must have taken Julia a couple of seconds just to process what she just heard E-Excuse me? Yes, we''re transferring, Yuel repeated. We want to play on a competitive team this year and we''ve lost our chance to do so on StormBlitz. So, we''re transferring to Skyline. Clack. The knob on the door turned and two emerald eyes peered from the small opening. Are you screwing with me right now? No, I''m serious, Yuel insisted. We''re already arranged the transfer, so we''ll be attending Skyline in a few days. Are you fucking... Julias lips trembled and words didnt come out. She was evidently confused and nobody could blame her. Yuel practically dropped an atom bomb on her. B-But then, we won''t be on the same team... Yeah. And, we won''t see each other in school... Yeah. And... Julia staggering backward. W-Why? I told you, we want to play in the regionals this year. No... No what? Why... Why you didn''t tell me earlier!? Julia roared. It''s something we decided just the other day, Yuel excused himself. And why you never asked for my opinion!? Julia trembled from rage. I tried to tell you earlier, Yuel said. But, you were to busy being in hiding. T-That''s... Julia clenched her fists but she had nothing to retort with. You could''ve at least mentioned it when we met at the club, right? I was trying! Yuel''s tone grew increasingly heated. But, you were too busy raving about your precious first-string position and boasting how much better you are than us because you made it in and we didn''t. I didn''t mean... Julia had nothing to say back. Of course she didn''t, because she was 100% at fault. If not for her attitude, they couldve discussed this entire thing as soon as Yuel and Lars agreed on the transfer. Sorr- No, I... It''s like... Julia stumbled over her own words. Small hiccups mixed into her words as she tried to speak up. Is she okay? Yuel started feeling a little bad. Even though all of this was unquestionably Julia''s fault, maybe Yuel took it too far with his accusations. Julia looked like she might break into tears at any moment now. But, she was holding everything inside. I, I''ll kill... Julia muttered as if she was possessed. Her fists trembled like they were about to explode. Okay then! Think you''re so good!? Then come face me at the regionals! I''ll murder both if you! Mark my words! She slammed the door in Yuel''s face. ........ For a while, Yuel just stood there. It was over. He did it. He just went and did it. He destroyed this relationship. It wasn''t the first friendship he ruined, but this time it really stung. Yuel''s relationship with Julia has been rocky since day 1 but it endured for a long time. Eventually, they came to a mutual understanding of sorts. They were still frequently at each other''s throats, but that was just their way of communicating. Alas, this time, they had a real fight. There was no mending this situation at this point. Therefore, it was the end. Yuel would be lying if he said he didn''t feel sad at all, but he had to move on. From this moment onward, Julia became an opponent for Yuel and Lars to defeat at the regionals. Of course, provided that Julia will be able to maintain her starter position until then. I''m sure she will. Yuel smiled wryly. Julia will definitely stand in Yuel and Larss way as a formidable opponent. Theyll clash with her and will have to bring her down. Despite the bad blood between them, Yuel wished Julia good luck on that front. She deserved to play competitively, just like Yuel and Lars. It was unfortunate they had to go separate ways like this even though they were all aiming for the same competitive scene, but some things couldn''t be helped. We''ll definitely reach you in the regionals. Yuel made a silent promise. And then, we''ll see who is really better. Yuel failed to resolve this talk peacefully, but at least he got everything off his chest. Now, he was ready to head into a new year in a new school. Before he can even think of facing StormBlitz at the regionals, he and Lars first had to secure themselves a spot on the new team. After that, theyll have to somehow pull this underdog team all the way to the finals, even though this team never made it past the first round before. Just beating StormBlitz with the new team was ambitious enough, but Yuel had to win all the way to the top. Because of the promise he made with his mom, his entire Classmancers career was riding on this years tournament. I have to admit, I made a hasty promise back then. Yuel gulped. Nevertheless, he promised his mom hell reach the nationals this year, so there was no turning back. He and Lars had to win all the way to the end this year! Vol.6 Ch.7: New Beginning The new school year began. Yuel and Lars were about to begin from scratch in their new school, Skyline Junior High. Unfortunately, they didn''t make it into the same class. This was probably a result of their last-moment transfer. You''re new here? Some students showed interest in the unfamiliar alien. They all seemed to know each other from the previous year., so Yuel stuck like a sore thumb. Yeah, I just transferred, Yuel answered without adding much. He wasn''t interested in sharing his story with people he just met. They asked a few more questions, but he answered as briefly and as concisely as he could to kill any further questions. Before long, everybody lost interest and went on with their businesses. The first day started with homeroom, followed by an opening ceremony. The homeroom teacher informed that clubs will start reciting members next week, so there was no way to apply to the Classmancers club yet. Dude, wanna check out the club? Lars suggested. I wonder if anybody is going be there today, Yuel said. But, at least we can learn where the clubroom is. Okay, lets go explore! They walked around the school and asked teachers and students, but... Classmancers? What''s that? Do we really have a club like that? It was useless. The question only surprised people and made them respond with questions of their own. Dude, Lars made a face. You sure this school even got a club? Yes, Yuel frowned. At least, it''s supposed to. They went over every floor of the school building, but they couldn''t find anything that even remotely resembled the Classmancers clubroom. None of the people they met along the way was helpful either. Its possible the club was behind one of the closed rooms they ran into, but all these rooms had proper labels and none of them sounded related to Classmancers. Theres no way the school decided to disband the club on a whim, right? Even the school secretary wasn''t sure where this specific club was located. Just how unknown could this club possibly be? Then again, a club with just nine members was bound to be relatively unknown. At the very least, the secretary confirmed that the club still existed on the list of this years clubs. Thats a relief. But, where was this clubroom located? Yuel and Lars searched pretty much the entire school, yet they couldnt find anything. So, it seemed unlikely they''ll find anything today... or, so they thought. Why hello there, A boy popped up in front of them out of nowhere. He was holding a tablet and a digital pen as he spoke to them. A little bird told me you''re looking for the Mancers club. Whoa! Lars jumped. How did ya know, dude? There''s nothing I don''t know, The boy smiled confidently as he tapped on his tablet. I''m an ESP. My special power is to absorb all the information thats floating around in the world! I call it: Information Blackhole! Oh! Lars nodded in excitement for some reason. That''s sick, dude! More like, sick in the head. Yuel shook his head. What did Information Blackhole even suppose to mean? Did this guy claim he sucked all information into himself like a black hole? In that case, the information should be gone forever and never return. Wait, why am I even seriously thinking about this? You just heard us talking to the secretary, Yuel retorted. Pretty sure I saw you waiting in line for her. Yes, that''s exactly right, The weirdo admitted the truth. It was the power of my Information Blackhole! ... excuse me? My Information Blackhole sucked you into my general space so I could overhear your conversation! Of course it did, Yuel narrowed his eyes. Okay, this guy has a few loose screws... Oh, right, The boy stretched out his hand. The name''s Vincent. But, you can call me by my superhero name: Information Blackhole! Yo, Blackhole, Lars played along with this insanity and shook the weirdo''s hand as if it was the most normal thing in the world. I''m Lars, but you can call me- Gunz, Vincent smiled confidently. Right? Huh....? Yuel zoned out for a moment. What? Did this stranger just identify Lars by his IGN? No, surely Yuel misheard it somehow, right? Whoa, dude! Lars jumped like an excited puppy. How did ya know!? Am I famous or something!? Kukuku, Vincent cackled. Don''t underestimate the power of my Information Blackhole! I told you, I know everything there is to know. I also know your pal over here is Chessmaster. A real ESP, yo! Lars was going along with this nonsense, but Yuel didn''t bite. Being called by their nicknames was a big surprise, but there had to be a way to explain it. There was no Information Blackhole or any such nonsense. This oddball sure knows his Mancers. Yuel tried to piece together all the information he had on Vincent so far. That oddball definitely knew a little about Classmancers, that much was easy to deduce based on the conversation so far. When Vincent greeted them, he said they were searching for the Mancers club. Thats right, he didnt say Classmancers; just Mancers. That was the most common nickname for the game because Classmancers was quite a mouthful. Therefore, Vincent definitely had a certain degree of familiarity with the game. Still, how could he possibly know the names Chessmaster and Gunz? It''d make some sense if Yuel and Lars were famous first-string players, but they haven''t debuted in any real matches yet. The only time they played in front of a crowd was during the scrimmage with the Leopards... oh, that''s it! Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. You watched our scrimmage, didn''t you? Yuel interrogated. Heh, such lightning speed deduction, Vincent nodded with an odd sense of admiration. As expected from a guy with the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception! The mystic eyes of what, now? Yuel narrowed his eyes. You figured out all the weak spots in my act and stuck me down. Thus, it''s the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception! Sure... Yuel had no idea how to even begin replying to this nonsense. Vincents evaluation was sorta correct but also entirely off the mark at the same time. It was bizarre. Cool! Lars was the only one entertained by this silly show for some reason. Then, you also know what powers I got? Of course, Vincent nodded without hesitation. You got a bunch of spicy stuff, but my favorite is definitely the Gungnir Sniper. With its power, you don''t drop a single shot! Yep, ya got that right, dude, The two goofs high-fived each other. I call it 200% Accuracy, tho. Hey, I like it, Vincent nodded in approval. You got the knack for this naming thing. Maybe if you invest in this craft, you''ll be worthy of becoming the Arbiter of Talents, just like yours truly. Not sure what that means but it sounds dope as heck! No, it does not. Yuel sighed. He''ll definitely lose all his brain cells if he keeps listening to this conversation. So, you went to watch the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage last year, right? Nope, Vincent denied. I didn''t go anywhere. Instead, my Information Blackhole pulled the entirety of ProCenter toward me so I could see everything that unfolded there! In other words, you went to watch the matches. Yep. He dropped the act so fast! Yuel couldn''t keep up with this oddball. So, you checked out the matches of both strings and that''s when you learned the names Chessmaster and Gunz. You got me, Sherlock. These cursed Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception, they don''t miss a single thing. So, Yuel continued. I take it you were spying on matches for the regionals? Yep, I was an undercover agent. You can call me Agent Blackhole 007. More like, Agent Ham 11. Yuel retorted in his mind. At least, everything made much more sense now. Vincent spied on the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage last year, so thats how he recognized Yuel and Lars as Chessmaster and Gunz. Thats some impressive memory. Yuel thought. But, in the end, its a rather underwhelming explanation. So much for his Information Blackhole. Now, you fess up, Vincent pointed at them. You came here to spy on our team, didn''t you? Nah, dude, Lars answered. We''re new students here. You transferred to this school? Why? Reasons, Yuel shot the topic down before Vincent got a chance to blow things out of proportion. I see, I see, Vicnet swept the digital pen across his tablet. So, the news article would be something like this: The two promising young stars of StormBlitz, Gunz, and Chessmaster, abandon their former team in search of new adventures. You won''t believe what happens next! Sounds good to me. Sounds like a cheap clickbait article, Yuel shrugged. Yep, haha, Vincent smiled wryly. Nobody would read that stuff anyway. He shrugged and erased everything he just wrote. Anyway, you''ve been looking for the clubroom, right? Indeed, Yuel have completely forgotten all about it by now. This Vincent fellow was the way too distracting. We searched everywhere but couldn''t find the Mancers clubroom. Kuku, Vincent smirked. Of course you couldn''t. Our team''s fortress is hidden in another realm, unreachable by common humans! So, it''s in some obscure location? Eh, you can say that, Vincent twisted his lips. Okay, I successfully shut down his nonsense again. Little by little, Yuel was figuring how this clown ticked. In short, Vincent was the type to dramatize things for no reason. So, all one had to do was act unimpressed by Vincents shenanigans and thatd kill down the clowns motivation to act. Alas, a certain goof didn''t get the memo... Sounds cool! Lars exclaimed. So, it''s like a secret base? Yeah, exactly! Vincent grinned anew. It''s so well-hidden, even the school got no idea where it is! Anybody who wanna spy on our team gonna have a hard time! As if anybody is going to spy on such a weak team. Yuel retorted mentally. Then again, with Yuel and Lars here, Stratus will definitely become one of the strongest teams in the region. Therefore, avoiding spies was a nice benefit. No, wait! Yuel shook his head. I just fell for his nonsense again. Vincent is just hamming up the fact the clubroom is located in some obscure, possibly rundown, location. We don''t let outsiders into the club, though, Vincent lifted his chin. Oh, snap! Lars exclaimed. C''mon, dude! Don''t be like that. Let us iiiiiiiiiin! We''re planning to join anyway, Yuel added. After you show us to the clubroom, will stop being outsiders. Hoho, Vincent smiled mischievously. You gonna join our pro team? More like, your Bronze tier team. Yuel rolled his eyes. Of course we plan to join. We''re aiming for the nationals this year. That''s the spirit! Vincent gave a thumbs up. Alrighty, you''re both cool, so I''ll do you a super special favor and show you the clubroom. C''mon, I''ll let you feast your eyes on our super secret fortress! Woohoo, super base! Lars ran ahead of the pack. Let''s go! I just hope it''s a functional environment... Yuel sighed deeply as he dragged himself after the two excited goofs. Where could that clubroom be, anyway? Yuel and Lars have already searched every reasonable location, so it had to be somewhere really unexpected. Either that or the clubroom simply didn''t have a proper label on the door; thatd be anticlimactic. Down here, Vincent led them down the stairs... to the underground level. Wait, Yuel frowned. It''s in the basement? Yep. Told you, it''s a secret base! Yo, my dude Lars stopped. That sounds cool as heck! Right? Right? These two at it again... Yuel facepalmed. But, admittedly, this was peculiar. Considering how many different classrooms Yuel and Lars found on the upper floors of the building, it felt like the Classmancers club got shafted hard. Its like school shoved it into the basement to hide it from plain sight. Then again, it wasn''t that surprising. It was a tiny club that was allowed only nine members, so that was proof enough the school didn''t particularly like the club. Even StormBlitz always had to prove itself in order to avoid getting criticized by the school. After going down the stairs, the group found themselves in a narrow hallway. As expected, this was the place where all sorts of things were thrown to hide them out of plain sight. There were torn posters scattered around, probably taken down from somewhere to be reused later. There was also a big metallic closet with cleaning tools peeking out from it. No matter how Vincent tried to excuse this with his secret fortress nonsense, this definitely didn''t look like an environment where club activities should be held. It was more like an all-purpose armory for staff members. At the end of the narrow corridor stood a big metal door. It looked like a bunker. Weird. I didnt see any other rooms along the way. Yuel looked around again to confirm. Did this hallway have alternative routes? If not, where was the clubroom? I mean, its surely not... right? Here we are, Vincent presented the metal door like it was their destination. No, that couldn''t be... This room? Yuel asked. Yep, this is our super secret base. I call it, the Den of Undiscovered Potential! It''s just a shelter room or such. Nope, it''s the Den of Undiscovered Potential! By calling it undiscovered, you practically admit its tucked away from civilization That''s why it''s a super secret base! Vincent persisted with his nonsense. We secretly train here to take over the world! Id like to start from just taking over the regionals, thank you. Cmon, let''s see what''s inside! Lars pressed onward while the other two were bickering over nonsense. He pulled the big rusty door. It opened with a heavy sound. Hey, it''s open! Yep, Vincent walked in first. Cap must be here already. This is sure going to be interesting... Yuel dragged himself into the room after Lars. So far, nothing seemed promising about this club. The first club member they met was a total weirdo and the clubroom was located in this godforsaken basement. Nevertheless, this was a new beginning for Yuel and Lars. Theyll have to make work with the hand they were dealt with. After taking a deep breath to mentally prepare himself, Yuel entered the basement clubroom... Vol.6 Ch.8: New Captain, New Trouble Yuel slowly entered the basement club room after Lars dashed in. The goof was eager to see the entire place because he was still buying into that whole secret base narrative that Vincent fed him. However, based on all the data so far, Yuel set his expectations extremely low and he was right on the money. Like the rest of the basement floor, this room looked more like storage the school staff used and less like a room for club activities. Desks, chairs, whiteboard. cleaning tools, stage props, and whatnot. It definitely felt like a place that should be out of reach for students. The only redeeming quality of this room was the two computers sitting there. Yes, just two computers. But, two were still more than zero. Wow, Lars smiled wryly. The place is kinda big and stuff, haha... His excitement vanished without a trace. So much for the secret base fairytale. How do you like it, folks? Vincent was the only one who still maintained high spirits. This is our super secret base, the Den of Undiscovered Potential! There''s only one word in that name that''s on point and it''s undiscovered. Bam. Bam. A heavy sound resounded throughout the room. Somebody was banging their shoulder against the heavy iron closet, trying to push it. Tch, this damn thing, A boy ranted while fixing his cap. The iron closet had wheels, but it still looked too heavy for a middle schooler to push. Especially, for a boy who looked about as thin as Yuel. Hey, cap, Vincent advanced forward. I see you''re working hard. And, I see you''re late, The captain detached his shoulder from the closet to catch a breather. My bad, Vincent admitted. Took a while to get to the secretary. Everybody and their moms wanted to speak with her today for some reason. So? How did it go? The captain asked. It was like talking to a brick wall. About what I expected, The captain shrugged and resumed his fight with the closest. He made some progress, but the closet refused to move more than a few millimeters at a time. Need help with that? Lars stepped forward. No, it''s fine. Umph! The boy rammed his shoulder into the closet again, his black cap almost slipped off. Why was he even wearing a cap indoors? No sunlight could possibly reach this godforsaken clubroom. Either way, it didn''t seem like that closet was going to move any time soon. Cmon, lemme help, Lars approached the closet even though his offer was already shot down. No need, The captain insisted. Ive already pushed it all the way across before, so- hey, what are you doing? You keep pushing, Lars said. I''mma pull it from this side. I can do it myself. C''mon, we almost got it, dude! With Lars help, the operation finally started making some progress. ... fine, The captain pulled his cap down with a sigh, then resumed pushing. Through a combined effort, they finally returned the closet to its proper place. Why did he move that closet in the first place? Yuel examined the area. Judging by the cleaning tools nearby and the wet floor, the captain must have moved the closet in order to clean underneath it. Thats some diligence. We did it, yo! Lars gave a thumbs up. I could''ve done it myself, The captain crossed his arms and sized up Lars and Yuel. Who are you supposed to be, anyway? Let me present them, Vincent stepped forward. These are Lars and Yuel. However, theyre best known as Gunz and Chessmaster! No idea what you''re on about, but I thought we agreed about not bringing any outsiders here. You remember what happened last time, right? Oh, but these two aren''t just some outsiders. They''re two legendary players who seek to join our prestige club! Legends? The captain made a face. Did you coax them into coming here or something? Nope, not all at. Right, guys? Indeed, Yuel seized the opportunity to take hold of this conversation. Vincents presentation was wack. This was a serious matter. We came here to apply to the club. Really eager to join, huh, The captain tilted his head. But, club applications begin next week. We know, Yuel said. But, we wanted to check out the club. Its better to get to know our clubmates as soon as possible. Your clubmates? The captain raised an eyebrow. Somebody sounds awfully confident about their chances. We will get in, Yuel proclaimed. Thats for sure. Yeah, Lars tuned in. We gonna join. 200%, yo! Where did you find these two? The captain shook his head and tapped on the tip of his cap. It was a fateful meeting! Vincent provided a completely useless answer, pretty much as expected. My sixth sense as the Arbiter of Talents drew me toward the immense potential these two were emitting! There''s a gravitational field around them that sucked me in an instant! Really now, The captain came closer to inspect Yuel. From this close, Yuel could properly see the captain''s face under the cap and... Wait, is this captain a boy or a girl? Yuel thought the captain''s face looked a bit too soft for a boy. Yuels initial impression of the captains gender was formed based on the boyish clothes the captain was wearing: a t-shirt, long pants, sneakers, and a sporty black cap. Its not like there was a rule against a girl dressing this way, but this sporty look was definitely more common for boys. However, from up close, the captains face stood out more than the clothes and it was harder to see him as a boy. So, maybe he was actually a she? I don''t think I can just casually ask, though. Yuel frowned. Being mistaken for the opposite gender never felt good, especially when it was an honest mistake and not just somebody trying to be mean on purpose. Fortunately, there was one easy way to solve this mystery without looking bad. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. By the way, Yuel said. You forgot to introduce yourself. Oh, right, The captain nodded and revealed the decisive piece of information that''ll unravel the mystery behind their gender. Im Kai. Dang it! This name can go either way. Yuel ranted internally. This is awkward. You both seem passionate, Ill give you that, Kai concluded. But, you have to wait for the club recruitment next week like everybody else. How you''re going to decide who gets in? Yuel asked. That''s up to me as the captain, Kai shot down the question. I don''t think it''s fair to give this information to an outsider. We''re going to decide it by online rank, Vincent pretended to whisper. Hey! Kai shot him a glare. We''re not supposed to reveal that. Whoopsie daisy, Vincent rolled his eyes. If it''s only by rank, Yuel said. Lars and I will get in for sure. That is, unless you expect to stumble across any freshmen who are higher than Challenger V. You''re Challenger!? Kai''s jaw dropped for a moment. H-Huh, that''s not bad at all. Yeah, pretty acceptable. Mhm. Wow! Vincent exclaimed as he scrolled on his tablet. You guys got to Challenger already? A few months ago you were still around Diamond II. That''s some grind right there. I hereby dub thee The Duo that Shall Grind the Heavens! How do you even know them? Kai asked. Why, its elementary. My Information Blackhole gathers all Classmancers-related knowledge from across the globe! Twenty-five hours a day and eight days a week! And seriously? Well, Vincent chuckled and dropped the act. Remember when I went to collect data on the Leopards vs. StormBlitz scrimmage? These guys played on StormBlitz''s second-string and they mopped the floor with the Leopards second string. Is that so. Yep. Remember I told you about this awesome Bot duo I saw playing in StormBlitzs second-string? Eh, not really. Anyway, these are the guys! Vincent presented Yuel and Lars again as if they were some superstars. And, they transferred to our school this year. Really, Kai turned back to Yuel. Sounds like you two will pass without a hitch. But, Im not sure we can recruit juniors. It''s fine, Yuel said. Ive already asked the school about this. Really, Kai crossed his/her arms. I''ll have to double-check, though. The answer they gave you might not apply to this club. Is that even possible? Yuel wondered. Youd be surprised, Kai said. We can only recruit three new people this year. Three? Yuel paused. That was odd. According to his knowledge, last year Stratus had five seniors. Shouldn''t you be able to recruit five? Yeah, totally should, Kai clicked her tongue. But, imagine the year starting and the school informs you they cut the club down to seven people. Wha... That''s... Yuel was at a loss for words. Only seven members? Seriously? Nine was already a low number, but seven!? That''s beyond absurd. Classmancers was played in teams of five, so seven members barely offered any flexibility for composing a competitive team. Without Yuel and Lars, the club would have had to recruit three freshmen this year and one of them would have to be part of the main team just because there weren''t enough members. It was insanity. Only seven dudes? Lars asked. That''s hella harsh, yo. Tell me about it, Kai sighed. Why they did ya dirty like that? It''s... Well... Because we suck, Vincent gave it straight with a hollow smile. No, well, thats, Kai desperately tried to counter somehow but Vincent delivered the finishing blow. This team traditionally drops out on the first round of the regionals. You can imagine the school isn''t too happy about it. We deserve the achievement Forever Stuck at Stage 1. Thats in the past, Kai insisted, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself as well. This year will be different. I''m the captain this year and Im gonna make sure everybody takes things seriously this time. We''ll pass the first round for sure this year! Thats such a low goal to aim for, Yuel retorted. If you want to take it seriously, then at least aim for the nationals. Wha!? Kai jumped. Well yeah, I guess. Hell, let''s go all the way and win the nationals! Totally! Lars gave a thumbs up and flashed his white teeth. Then, after that, we gonna challenge the entire world! That might be a stretch, but that''s the spirit, Yuel nodded. And, to achieve any of that, this club absolutely needs any strong players it can get its hands on, right? Like, for example, two Challenger rank players. Yeah, that''d help a little, I guess, Kai shrugged with a smile. Clap. Clap. Clap. Beautiful! Vincent exclaimed. Today, the Alliance of the National Warriors was born! Brave warriors have come together to fight all the way to the pinnacle of the competitive world! Yeah, yeah, whatever, Kai shrugged. There''s just one thing, though. I believe Vincent said you''re playing Bot? Yeah, Yuel answered. The thing is, Kai said. I''m going to be the team''s Carry and I had Vincent in mind for Support. So, you''ll have to play different roles. Well, I don''t mind replacing Vincent if you can do a better job, though. I see... Yuel held himself back. Goddammit! It was happening again! Why couldn''t people let Yuel and Lars play as a Bot duo in peace!? Did they transfer schools just to run into the same exact nonsense again!? No, calm down. Yuel exhaled. At least, we''re assuredly going to be on the main team. That''s already one step forward. But, unless we play Bot, we won''t be able to carry this team to victory... That''s cool, Lars smiled for some reason. So, you two are also a strong duo with great teamwork and all that jazz? Great teamwork, huh Kai glanced away. Not sure what your standards are, but I''m a strong Carry and Vincent is an alright Support. So yeah, were pretty good as a duo. Then, Lars grinned mischievously. What you say we play a 2v2? Huh? Sure, I don''t mind, Kai said. But, first, we have to tidy up this room. The club supervisor told us the room has to be sparkling if we want to keep using it as clubroom. Tch, as if we even want this stupid basement room so much. That''s really low. Yuel thought. From the looks of it, the school used this room as storage for many different purposes. In other words, people came here to dump whatever and then just left. From the looks of it, nobody was assigned to keep this room tidy on a regular basis. So, the school just dumped that responsibility on the Classmancers club because it''s their clubroom. Honestly, it feels like exploitation. Isnt this child labor? Yuel wondered. Maybe I should ask mom if I can sue the school. Okay! Lars grabbed a mop. Let''s get this stuff over with real fast and then play! Let''s go lets go lets go!!! He drove the mop into the floor and sprinted around the room. Um, you forgot to dip the mop, Kai pointed toward the bucket of water. Oh, right! Haha, Lars returned, dipped the mop and dashed away again. Let''s goooo! This time for realz! He sure got energy, Kai made a face. Yeah, he''s always like that, Yuel also made a face because this development came out of nowhere. He and Lars only came here to join the club, but somehow they found themselves helping with cleaning duty before even becoming official members. Well, we''re going to be a part of this club soon and, unfortunately, we''ll also be using this room. So, I suppose we have a reason to help out here. Still, cleaning... ugh. This was going to be such a pain, but Yuel nevertheless joined the effort. Such teamwork! Vincent exclaimed. New and old warriors join hands to defeat the Evil God of Dirt! He loudly rooted on everybody''s efforts. But, that''s literally all he was doing. Would you mind helping too? Kai shot a glare. Hey, I''m helping. Look, I''m sending you my energy! Vincent joined his hands as if to shoot some sort of beam. Very helpful, much contribution. Seriously, this clown... Here, Kai shoved a cleaning cloth into Vincent''s face. You go clean that table over there. Okay, okay. I got it, Ms. Overlord. Who''s a ms.? Kai stabbed Vincent in the ribs with her fingers. Au au! Vincent jumped. The mighty overlord unleashed her final move: The Rib Poke of Judgment Day! Get moving already. Okay, okay! Vincent made a few more silly comments before finally departing to do his job. Evidently, Vincent didn''t think of cleaning as a fun pastime. He was a clown and an oddball, but at least he saw eye to eye with Yuel on one matter: cleaning was a pain! But, more importantly... So, Kai is a girl. Yuel concluded. Vincent said ms. and referred to Kai as her. If one uses the advanced deduction technique called simple logic, Kai had to be a girl. So, Yuel resolved one problem related to Kai. However, that was the trivial one. The much bigger issue was that shes the captain and she was set on playing Carry with Vincent in Bot. So, for Yuel and Lars to be able to play Bot in Stratus, they''ll have to find a way to get Kai to give up on her position. Don''t worry, dude, Lars passed by Yuel and gave a thumbs up. We gonna show em how much better we are in the 2v2. After we beat them good, they gonna have no choice but let us play Bot! Yeah, that should work, Yuel nodded. That 2v2 challenge was a great spontaneous idea by Lars. Itll prove beyond a shadow of a doubt how strong of a duo they were. An overwhelming victory will earn them their Support and Carry spots on the team. It felt like the selection match all over again, but this time it''ll be a 2v2 in its purest form. Even against Howard and Ellen, Yuel and Lars often held the upper hand in straightforward 2v2. So, not to disrespect or anything, but a Bot duo from a weak team like Stratus didnt stand a chance against Yuel and Lars. This 2v2 will be their first important battle on their road to the nationals, so Yuel and Lars will win for sure! But first, they had to tidy up this room. There were so many things to move around and so many places to wipe clean. Ugh, my back... Vol.6 Ch.9: Sizing Up the Opponents Phew, finally... Yuel sighed as he dropped on a chair. His muscles were legit dead right now. However, the torture was finally over; they finished cleaning up the clubroom. Okay! Lars was pumped a fist, still full of energy as ever. Now, let''s 2v2! Eh, Kai made a face. Don''t you want to rest first? Nah, rest is for the weak! Let''s go go go! Or, wait, are you guys tired? Eh? Kai frowned. N-Not really, not me. I just thought the others might be. No way this much would tire me. It was like a brief workout, nothing more. Okay, then let''s do it! A moment, please, Vincent''s voice resounded from somewhere but he was nowhere to be found. Don''t know about you, but I need to take five. Or fifty, even. ... why are you lying on the floor? Kai raised an eyebrow. This may look like the floor to you, but its actually a bed. I dub it the Makeshift Floor Bed! You''re literally just lying on the floor. It''s the Ultimate Makeshift Floor Bed! You gonna get yourself dirty. Nah, we just wiped it clean, remember? Therefore, its the Ultimate Sparkling Makeshift Floor Bed! Whatever, Kai shrugged. If you need a rest so hard, then we should take a break. Yep, let''s take a huge break, Vincent said. Like, for an hour or two. Just how tired are you? Imagine I''m a Warlock who ran out of MP early on and continued spamming spells all day long at the cost of my HP. That''s how tired I am. I''m literally dying over here. Seriously, Kai shook her head. Aren''t you supposed to be a boy? Get a grip. I identify as the Digital Boy class. I got high INT but low STAMINA. I guess I belong to that class too. Yuel silently nodded. He also needed some rest for his sore muscles, but thankfully he didn''t have to admit it. I''ll let Vincent look like the only unfit guy in here. Flawless strategy. Okay, Lars sat down. Tell me when you dudes are ready to go. Everybody sat down, except for Vincent who insisted to keep planking on the floor like a noodle. It''s like he was making a public statement against the atrocity that was cleaning. Nobody was busy right now, so it was a great opportunity to make some small talk and get to know the other members. Alas, Yuel hasnt invested any SP into his Small Talk skill, so it was unusable. On the other hand, Lars had that skill as a passive ability he was born with. So, Lars started. Where''s the rest of the club? You''re not the only ones here, right? There are two more, Kai said. Luke made an excuse to ditch cleaning, as expected. Ben was supposed to come, but I guess his... Eh, his friends probably dragged him somewhere again. The other members sound like a bunch of troublemakers. Yuel thought. He hoped a small club like this would be a house for a few but very competent individuals, but that impression has been shattering with every passing moment. And, it didnt help that the school was treating the club like dirt, which probably further discouraged new students from joining. It felt like a catch-22. The school didn''t think highly of a club dedicated to a video game, so it treated the club like a nuisance. As a result, the club got a barely functional clubroom that was hidden deep in the basement and was allowed to recruit only a small number of students. As a result, the club performed poorly in tournaments and the school got another reason to cut the club''s numbers. It''s a vicious cycle. Not to mention, any sensible student who learns the grave circumstances surrounding this small club would be discouraged from joining. Even the non-competitive players, who''d normally jump on any opportunity to be in a video gaming club, will steer clear of a club like this. So, it was expected that the skill of club members would be all over the place. What ranks are you two? Yuel asked. ... Diamond V, Kai answered with a pause. It was a decent rank for a middle schooler, so it was unclear why she sounded uncomfortable saying it out loud. Yeah, Kai clicked her tongue. I know what you''re thinking. Compared to Challenger V, Diamond V must be looking like shit to you, huh? I didn''t say anything, Yuel answered plainly. Diamond V is decent. I don''t need your sympathy. Um, sure, Yuel didn''t know how to handle this one so he just let the topic die out on its own. What about you? He turned to Vincent. I''m still Platinum IV. Gotta be honest, the grind is real in Platinum. It''s the Grind of a Thousand Years. I see, Yuel said. At one point in time, he also thought that the grind in Platinum was rather absurd. But, after he passed that, he thought the grind in Diamond was way more absurd. And then, he reached Challenger and... well. So, at this point, the grind in Platinum felt like a childs play. In fact, Yuel and Lars already hit Platinum II by the time they got to middle school. Platinum was definitely not the kind of league a competitive player should be stuck at, especially not a senior in middle school. Getting to Diamond V like Kai and being stuck there for a while was acceptable, especially without a strong team to help carrying you. But, being stuck in Platinum? Please. Well, maybe I''m exaggerating. Yuel stopped himself before drowning in the negativity. Kai was Diamond V, which was decent. Vincent was Platinum II, which should be easy to convert to Diamond V with Yuel and Lars''s on the team. That is, provided that Vincent was at least a semi-decent player. In conclusion, by the time the regionals hit, there was a good chance four out of five players on the main team will be of Diamond quality or higher. Not too shabby. But, before all that, there was the 2v2. Online rank alone wasn''t nearly enough to determine a players real skill level, so itll be interesting to see how well Kai and Vincent perform in practice. Nevertheless, Yuel was inclined to believe that a duo of Challenger V would stomp a duo of Diamond V + Platinum II. Kai might be an opponent to look out for, but Vincent was most likely lacking in some areas at the moment. He''ll be the weakest link in the enemy duo, so Yuel and Lars should focus on outplaying that clown. Even though normally it wasnt the best idea to focus the Support, here it sounded like the best plan. So, about the 2v2, Yuel said. When are we doing it? Wait, we''re really doing it today? Vincent asked with a long face. C''mon, guys. We just finished cleaning our super secret base. I''m dead tired. Im also a little tired, Yuel admitted. But, let''s just play a friendly match. These aren''t the eyes of somebody who wants a friendly match, Vincent smiled wryly. You look like a hound who craves to devour the gods. That''s just my normal look, Yuel said. He''s sharp. I have a feeling I shouldn''t disregard him based on rank alone. He might be the type whose strength lies in strategizing. If thats the case, then Vincents rank might not represent his true skill. There was no telling how far Yuel wouldve gotten in Ranked on his own without Larss overwhelming carrying strength. Yuels forte laid in tactics and strategies, which were difficult to utilize with limited team communication. Online players rarely agreed to follow the advice of some random on the internet. Perhaps Vincent, just like Yuel, excelled in those areas more. After all, despite Vincent being such a clown, the club entrusted him with scouting last year and Kai wanted him as her Support. So, Vincent might hold great value when he plays in a strong organized team. C''mon, Lars urged. Let''s rock, my dudes! The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I''m down, Kai nodded and gave Vincent a look. Oh c''mon, Vincent sighed. You guys have to make me out like some kind of party popper, dont you? Alright, fine. Let''s do that 2v2. Everybody was on board now. The only things left to discuss were the rules of the match and how theyll play. From what Yuel could tell, the room only had two computers. So, it was impossible for all four of them to play on computers. Are we going to play on tablets? Yuel asked. You can play on the PC if you prefer, Kai said as she pulled out a controller. Ill stick with tablet. Yeah, I also prefer the tablet, Vincent took out his controller. Theyre way too nonchalant about it. Yuel frowned. If it were him, hed do anything in his power to play on PC instead of a tablet. It was the superior platform for this sort of game. Was it possible these two were more comfortable playing on a tablet? Thatd be unusual because PC was the popular platform that gave players an edge. If they really felt more comfortable on a tablet, that might be a bad habit that required fixing ASAP. Okay, Lars nodded. Then, let''s use the PC! No, Yuel objected. It''ll give us an unfair advantage, so let''s use tablets too. Welp, okay, Lars twisted his lips but obediently took out his tablet. He was very much a PC player, so his performance on tablet paled compared to how strong he played on PC. Under any other circumstances, Yuel would make Lars play on PC for sure. However, in this 2v2, the goal was to prove they were better fit to play Bot than Kai and Vincent. Therefore, playing with a PC advantage would defeat the entire purpose. They had to play on even grounds with their opponents and destroy their opponents fair and square. Are we doing banning? Vincent asked. We really have to? Kai made a face. I thought this was a friendly match. We should just go with blind picks. Friendly match, huh, Vincent smiled wryly. Apparently, he was the only one in that camp who understood Yuel and Larss intention with this match. How about we do a short banning phase? Say, just ban three classes and thats it. Fine by me, Yuel said. Geh, Lars pouted. We gonna waste time on that stuff? Let''s just play already, yo! It sounds unnecessary, Kai shrugged. But, Im fine with a quick ban. Alrighty, Vincent nodded. Were all set then. Oh, wait. We need to open the door. He dashed to the metal door and opened it wide. Is there a reason for doing that? Yuel asked. Indeed, Vincent nodded. Theres a big, deep and sophisticated reason for this ritual. From the beginning of time, humans have worshipped the sun as a god and- A real reason? Yuel asked again. Its to help the wifi, Vincent dropped the act. Even though were connected to the school wifi, it doesnt reach that well down here. Sometimes we get lag spikes and disconnects. So, by busting this door open and exposing our clubroom to the sun, our wifi connection gets a goldy boost! I see, Yuel wasnt entirely convinced but it seemed reasonable. It was common to lose reception inside tunnels, so perhaps this bunker room had the same signal blocking capabilities. I only get four bars down here. Yuel checked the wifi signal on his phone. He has been maintaining solid five bars throughout the day at the school, so this basement was truly an exception. With the door closed, no signal could ever hope to penetrate these walls! Vincent started his nonsense again. Even the FBI wouldnt be able to spy on us in this secret Anti-Signal base! Why would the FBI want to spy on a lowly Mancers club like this? Yuel retorted mentally. I like this, Lars gave a thumbs up. Keep the door open so we get at least some sunlight. Not gonna lie, this place is dark as heck. We need some sun energy, yo! Oh, I see youre a follower of the Sun Order, Vincent nodded repeatedly. I see, I see. So, the secret to your power must be the sun! Wait, dont tell me! Are you perhaps the Sun Messiah prophesied to save Stratus from the bottom of the competition!? Yep, thats me. The one and only, Gunz the Sun Dude, yo! Can we move on to the match already? Kai asked right before Yuel brought it up. Ninjad by a split second. Yes, Yuel followed up on her words. Lets start already. The two pairs split up and went to opposite sides of the room to set up their tablets. This storage room didnt have many computers, but at least it had desks and chairs for days. This was probably the place where they stored reserves for classrooms. And, apparently also where they dumped the old, barely functional ones... W-Whoa! Yuel slid off the chair and dived into the floor. Pft, haha, Lars offered a hand. You okay, dude? Y-Yeah, Yuels cheeks felt a little hot. Who put these broken chairs in here? He shot a glare at the stupid chair. One of the chairs legs was didnt reach the floor properly, so the entire chair tilted to the side when Yuel tried sitting on it. We gotta be careful with what we pick. Yep, Lars nudged the nearby table. This dude right here also sways pretty hard. Gonna be a pain to play on. After conducting a careful inspection, Yuel and Lars finally found a stable table and a safe pair of chairs. Now, they were ready for battle! You ready over there? Vincent shouted from the other side of the room. Yeah! Lars replied with a shout. Alright, only took you guys a year! Well, excuse me for being new here. Yuel grumped. As expected, the veterans found functional desks and chairs instantly because they knew whats up. So, everybody was waiting for Yuel and Lars. But, everything was set now. They were ready to duke it out in a 2v2. Honestly, this arrangement wasnt ideal because both pairs were in the same room and there was a chance theyll overhear each others plans and shot-calls. However, it seemed difficult to hear anything unless somebody was literally shouting, so it should be fine. These guys are out for blood, Vincent whispered to Kai. Huh? What''s that supposed to mean? Just warning you that these guys will be playing seriously, Vincent explained. They got no chill. They''re like hungry hounds. Especially, Vincent thought. Because they want to prove they''re the strongest duo around here. Which, to be fair, is probably the case. However, that blockhead Kai didn''t realize any of this. She probably saw this as nothing more than an opportunity to fight Challenger V opponents and to compare her skill against theirs. She was simple-minded like that. Unlike Kai, Vincent wasn''t particularly attached to playing in Bot. Playing Top was usually more fun due to its 1v1 nature. Studying one opponent at a time was the best. Nevertheless, Vincent wanted to take this match as seriously as possible. Based on the scrimmage with the Leopards, Gunz and Chessmaster were absolute mad lads; they were most likely going to wreck Vincent and Kai. Therefore, there was no reason to hold anything back. What''s with that face? Kai asked. You look like you''ve accepted defeat. Nah. But, I know theyre super mega ultra good, Vincent admitted. They were the hidden Golden Duo of StormBlitzs second string. If not for Aegis and Athena being such a strong duo in the first-string, Im sure these two would have played on the main team. Then, Kai started. You say they''re at least as good as the average first-string middle schooler? No, my scouter says their power level is even beyond that, Vincent grinned. I bet you theyre going to be among the top ten players in the region this year. Maybe even top five. So, their Challenger rank isn''t just for show, Kai nodded. That''s all the better. If we want to take the regionals this year, we have to be able to win against players of this level. Yeah, Vincent glanced away. But, I have a feeling we''re going to get destroyed. Well, it doesn''t mean we can''t try. Vincent brought up his super secret notes on the tablet. It had records about all the notable players from the region, including Gunz and Chessmaster. For the banning phase, Vincent said. We have to ban Trickshooter. It seems to be Gunzs strongest class. Then, let him try it, Kai scoffed. I''ll beat him. You don''t get it, Vincent shook his head. Remember I said he might be one of the top five middle schoolers in our region? Well, thats when he doesnt play Trickshooter. But, when he got his hands on Trickshooter he becomes the god of destruction! An unstoppable killing machine! Please, Kai narrowed her eyes. As if I''m going to buy any of these exaggerations. Then, let''s put it in perspective, Vincent said. Remember Fenrir, the captain of the Leopards last year? You agreed with me that that little wolf was a monster. Yeah, the guy was nuts. Well, I''m sure Gunz can give him a run for his money with Trickshooter. Seriously? Kai frowned. Okay, maybe Trickshooter needs to go after all. I''ll beat him in his weaker form first, then I''ll destroy his final form. Sounds good, Vincent nodded. Though, no offense, but I have a feeling you''re the one who''ll be destroyed first, even by his weaker form. During the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage, Vincent was sitting on the front row and saw everything up close. In the two matches Gunz played, he wrecked the Leopards members left and right even without Trickshooter. That guy was the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse! However, Gunz alone wasn''t the biggest threat ever. He was undeniably powerful, but he seemed to lack in the decision-making department. However, when somebody led Gunz into the right situations, he shined brightly like the Sun Messiah and delivered godlike results. Of course, Gunzs shepherd had to be none other than Chessmaster. It was always difficult to analyze shot-callers from simply watching a match, but Vincent was convinced of one thing: Chessmaster had the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception. That guy always found weaknesses in the enemy''s positioning and struck where it hurt. Going for the enemy''s weakness was the most basic tactic, but Chessmaster polished into art. He employed superb tactics to force enemies into bad positions and crush them like bugs. So, there was no doubt Chessmaster will display the full strength of his Mystic Eyes in this match as well. What weakness would Chessmaster target? Most likely, he''ll go after Vincent first. Based on Chessmasters reaction to Vincent''s Platinum rank, it was clear Chessmaster disregarded Vincent as the weakest link. It was the logical conclusion to draw and it was true to some degree. Vincent really wasn''t as strong as Kai, especially not on his own. With that in mind, Vincent will probably have to defend himself a lot this match. Therefore, a tanky class with solid escape options should work well. Knight sounded like one solid option for that. Its primary escapes were the forward dash from Shield Bash and the Noble Steed ult. Unfortunately, both of these were relatively slow escapes. If Vincent wanted to escape from the clutches of a beast like Gunz, he needed something more immediate. It already sounded like hed have to purchase Blink at game start, but he needed backup options in his kit because Blinks cooldown was quite notorious. Lumimancer was a Support class that had a blink effect in its kit, but it wasn''t a tanky class. Electromancer also had Thunderclap, but it wasn''t even a Support class. Wasn''t there anything else? Vincent frowned as he scrolled down the list of classes. Tanky characters were rarely fast, which made sense from a design perspective. Most of the beefy characters with good movement were bruisers designed for either Top or Jungler, not for Support. For example, Viking had great mobility via Axe Blitz, which instantly wrapped him to the location of his axe. However, Viking was a rather selfish frontliner who was mostly interested in going in, getting some damage done in and getting out. It wasnt the type of class that cared too much about creating opportunities for its teammates. Say, Vincent started. You know any tanky Support classes with good escapes? Eh, Knight? Figured, Vincent sighed. I''ll go with Knight then. The banning phase of the game began. As Vincent and Kai agreed, the first class they banned was a Trickshooter. Then, as if in direct retaliation, the enemy banned... Knight. Here come the Mystic Eyes of Weaknesses Perception! Vincent grinned like a mad scientist. The Chessmaster is already onto me! We''re super screwed, hahahaha! With that, the friendly match started off! Vol.6 Ch.10: Restricting Defensive Options While setting up the tablet for the 2v2, Yuel shared his observations with Lars. Judging by their ranks, Yuel said. It might be a good idea to focus on Vincent first. We gonna focus the Support? Maybe, Yuel narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the enemy camp. Vincent was busy explaining something to Kai with his usual exaggerated hand motions. That clown was always speaking a lot of nonsense, but it also seemed like there was some unexpected sharpness to him. Maybe Yuel was just imagining it, but it felt like Vincent figured that Yuel will be gunning for him. Something about their exchanges before the match just rubbed Yuel the wrong way. We''ll have to see how it goes, Yuel said. For now, my plan is to ban Support classes with good escapes. Let''s focus on Vincent whenever we can and see where we go from there. Okey-dokey, Lars flashed his teeth and saluted. The banning phase began. Yuels side won the virtual in-game coin toss, so he got to ban first. His first target was Knight. It was a class with a solid combination of tankiness and mobility, so a Support who wanted to keep himself alive while helping his lane partner would opt for Knight. I think I hit bullseye. Yuel gauged Vincent''s reaction from afar: a dry laugh followed by a head shake. Even if Knight wasn''t going to be Vincent''s first pick, it was most certainly a pick he was considering. In response, the other team banned Trickshooter. Yo! Lars exclaimed. For real? How did they know!? It must be Vincent, Yuel deduced. He saw the scrimmage, so he knows how strong your Trickshooter is. And here I thought I''ll get to go wild on them, Lars twisted his lips. Cmon dude, ban their best Carry too! And how would I know their best Carry? I believe in ya! You''re smart and stuff. Being smart doesn''t magically make me know things. Yuel retorted mentally. He got an early read on Vincent, so he could estimate what classes Vincent was considering. However, as for Kai? Yuel didnt know the first thing about her as a player. Kai was rather stoic and it was difficult to read her expressions, especially with that black cap that covered her face whenever she was lowering her head. Why was she even wearing that cap inside a basement? Anyway, there was one Carry which Yuel definitely saw fitting to ban: Elf. Depending on how well Vincent studied Lars during the scrimmage, there was a chance Vincent realized Lars had a bad habit of overextending at times. Yuel has been working hard with that goof on fixing this weakness, but it hasnt been entirely resolved yet. Therefore, if the enemy chooses to go with a defensive game plan, it might cause some trouble for Lars. Thus, Elf had to go. In response, the enemy banned Paladin. Yet again, a class that showed strong performance during the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage. Yuel''s Paladin even impressed the Leopards back then and posed enough of a threat to warrant their ban. Based on these bans, it was evident Vincent didn''t know much about Yuel and Lars beyond what he saw in that one scrimmage. So, all his bans were likely going to be based on that one event. So much for his amazing Information Blackhole. He didnt know squat about Yuel and Larss other strong options. For the third ban, Yuel banned Lumimancer. It wasn''t a tanky class but its Flash spell was a blink, so that made the class great at escaping. Now, with both Knight and Lumimancer out of the picture, there weren''t that many options for Vincent to go for if he wanted an evasive Support. For the enemy''s last ban, they picked Druid. Yet again, a class which put on a strong showing during the Leopards scrimmage. It was also a great class for stopping escape attempts thanks to the pull from Nature''s Grasp, so perhaps that was one of Vincents considerations as well. With the banning phase over, Yuel''s side proceeded to select the first class. The other side will then have to pick both classes at once, so Yuel preferred to keep his own pick for last and counter-pick whatever Vincent picks. Say, Yuel started. You think you can handle a Gunslinger on tablet? Yeah, no problem, Lars nodded. I''mma get these headshots. You sure? You only practiced it on PC. Believe it, yo! I''d believe it if you didn''t always pretend like you can do everything even when you clearly can''t. Gunslinger was Lars''s second-best class, provided he could land headshots as he practiced on PC. For landing headshots, in particular, there was a huge difference between playing with a mouse on PC and playing with a controller on tablet. Could Lars really pull it off...? Then again, it was Lars. His sharpshooting abilities never ceased to amaze. Yuel and Lars absolutely had to dominate this match to show how much better they were than the other duo, so going with Lars''s second strongest pick seemed like the best option. Okay, Yuel said. I''ll believe you''re not all talk. Let''s go with Gunslinger. Heh, this gonna be fun. I''mma style on them! Lars grinned and his eyes glinted like a knife. He was like a hungry beast that was about to set out to devour his prey. Maybe it was just Yuel''s imagination, but there was something a tad unsettling underneath Larss usual gung-ho attitude... Gunslinger, huh, Vincent nodded to himself as the turn passed back him and Kai. Now, they had to pick their two classes. With both Knight and Lumimancer banned, Vincent''s escape options were severely limited. He felt like there had to be a better option out there, but the only thing that came to mind was Vikings blink ability toward his axe. Alas, Viking wasn''t a proper Support class. It was a bona fide Top Laner. What do you think about me picking Viking? Vincent asked. Well, if that''s what you want, Kai shrugged. You don''t have any objections? Not really. I mean, it doesn''t sound like the best Support out there, but this isn''t even a real match anyway. The extra power may be useful for a 2v2. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I guess thats true, Vincent was taken aback at first by the lack of resistance, but then he remembered this was Kai he was dealing with. This girl always focused more on her own picks and plays. The rest could be whatever. I''ll go with Pyro, Kai said and locked in Pyromancer. Wha-!? Vincent jumped. How about discussing it first!? Seriously, she was the Maiden of Zero Fucks given. That''s a pretty risky pick right there. Looks good to me, Kai shrugged. Pyro can both carry and clear minions, so I figured it''ll be good for a 2v2. That may be true, but it has a short range, Vincent argued. I told you how Gunz has Gungnir Sniper, right? He doesn''t drop a single shot! If you get close to him, he''ll snipe you every single time! Again with that over the top nonsense... Alright, you dont have to believe everything I say. But, at least trust me that Gunz is scary if you put yourself in his firing range. He''s going to aggress on you and he won''t be missing any shots. We''ll see about that. I got a bad feeling about this. Vincent sighed. Despite his best efforts to avoid everything he saw during the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage, Kai just had to go ahead and pick Pyromancer, the exact class Gunz tore apart in that scrimmage. This was an ominous sign. History was about to repeat itself! As the Support, it should be my job to protect her. But... Vincent shuddered. He felt it! That murderous intent that traveled across the air from the enemy camp! He definitely had a mark on his back. At least, with Viking, Vincent will be able to protect himself with long-distance blinking. However, thatll come at the expense of his ability to properly support Kai. If Chessmaster fails to take Vincent down, hell surely go after Kai next. Decisions, decisions. Normally, the Supports life was considered of less value than the Carrys and therefore the Support should be willing to sacrifice himself for the Carry. However, in a 2v2, the death of a single player meant 50% of the team was eliminated. So, Vincent''s death would spell imminent doom for Kai. I should focus on keeping myself alive first. Vincent concluded. After I secure my own safety, Ill figure out how to keep Kai alive. Oh, I mean Beat! Yeah, shes Beat now. And, Im Information Blackhole! Beat. Vincent pointed at Kai. Information Blackhole. He pointed at himself. What are you doing? Rehearsing the proper names, Vincent explained. Gotta call everybody by their competitive names. Is that a new gig youre running? Yeah, isnt it cool? Not really. You should also call everybody by their competitive names when were in a match. You expect me to call you Information Blackhole? Kai made a face. Thats a mouthful for a name. You can just call me Blackhole. How about no? Kai rolled her eyes. Anyway, Vincent continued before their time runs out. I''ll take Viking to keep myself alive. Just keep in kind that my supporting options are limited, so play a little safer. Sure. Vincent locked in the Viking pick and their turn was done. Now, the ball was in Chessmasters court again. An interesting approach. Yuel thought. This confirmed his suspicion: Vincent was definitely aware of the mark on his back. After Yuel sealed the defensive options of Knight and Lumimancer, it forced Vincent to resort to a selfish Support pick like Viking just to keep himself alive. It was an unexpected move but it was even better than what Yuel hoped for. Without a proper Support, the Carry will become a much easier target during the early parts of the game. So, if focusing on Vincent wont pay off, Yuel and Lars will simply focus on Kai instead and Vincent won''t be able to do too much about it. Vincent played this one too safe for his own good. On the other hand, Kai''s Pyromancer pick was ballsy and disrespecting. She knew she was going up against Challenger V players but she didn''t care. That was some confidence right there. Does this duo even communicate? Yuel wondered. This mismatch in how each of them approached the match seemed like a small thing at first glance, but it might hint about a disagreement in the enemy camp. On one hand, Vincent saw how good Yuel and Lars were and played cautiously. On the other hand, Kai was going on all in without a single care in the world because she never saw them in action. Did Vincent forget to warn her? Judging by how energetically he was talking over there, it seemed unlikely he wouldnt mention such an important detail. So, Kai most likely didnt take his advice seriously. Honestly, it was hard to blame her because Vincent was a clown who blew every little thing out of proportion. Still, this was important information from a teammate and Kai disregarded it. This alluded to potential weaknesses in the enemys teamwork. Yuel should definitely capitalize on those. To counter Viking''s best escape option, Yuel picked Cryomancer. Between Ice Wall and Ice Coffin, Cryomancer had great tools for stopping Vikings escape. On top of that, Cryomancer doubled as a counter to Kai because Pyromancer didnt have any leap abilities for jumping over Ice Wall. So, unless both enemies get Blink at game start, theyll be easy targets. Man, Vincent shook his head. I''m telling you, this guy really knows how to spot any weakness. He really got the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception, no kidding. Sure. Cryo''s Ice Wall is a good counter to both our classes, so we have to buy Blink as soon as possible. I''ll think about it. Kai shrugged. Can''t you agree with something for once? Not until Im sure I can trust your judgment on this, Kai said. Youre the kind of guy who hears a random loud sound and immediately claims its aliens bombarding Earth. You expect me to trust the judgment of somebody like that? Fair enough, Vincent smiled wryly. He actually had solid information this time around and he was taking this match seriously, but good luck convincing Kai about any of that. Welp, he already knew this is how Kai always rolled, so there wasn''t much more he could say. Shell just have to witness the savage strength of the Golden Duo first hand. Then, she''ll become more cooperative. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully. With the drafting phase over, the match finally began. They played on the map that was popular for 1v1, so their starting options were practically the same: either go for the Wraith Camp on their side of the map or contest the Ogre Camp in the middle of the map. Dude, Lars said. Let''s invade them! No need to rush things, Yuel said. C''mon, let''s beat them before the game starts! C''mon, c''mon, cmon! No. Gunslinger isn''t that strong in the early game. Did you forget that already? But, we''re starting at Lv.5. I already got my cool stuff going! That''s still too early, Yuel insisted. But, we''re definitely going for the red buff. If they think they can contest it, theyll come to us themselves and well get ourselves a fight. Is that good enough for you? Okay, let''s goooo! Lars darted out of the base as soon as he purchased the starter items Yuel advised for this matchup. Samurai Tabi was an aggressive starting option which will ensure that each of Larss shots will be impactful. Lars pouted at first and said he wanted something more aggressive, but Yuel insisted. Seriously, that goof was too bloodthirsty right now. Yuel will have to keep that beast under control. Let''s go for red buff, Kai said, already on her way out of the base. Wait, wait, wait, Vincent objected as he followed. I told you, these two are good. Like, super mega ultra good. You don''t want to challenge them to an early fight like that. Why not? Why? You''re really something... Vincent sighed. This was even harder than usual. Perhaps, despite Kai''s stoic expression, she was actually overflowing with emotions right now. It felt like she was dead set beating these two with her own hands. Did she feel threatened by their presence? Because, they were undoubtedly going to take her position as the strongest player in the club, Not to mention, they were boys... Being motivated for the fight was fine and dandy, but Kai was being way too reckless. At this rate, the enemy will mop the floor with them in under five minutes. I know we''re going to lose, but I want to at least put on a good fight. Vincent knotted his brows. Oh well, let''s just see how it goes. As far as raw stats are concerned, I believe our classes got an edge over theirs in an early 2v2. I even got my press Y to win ult and all. And, if push comes to shove, we can just blink... or not. Wait, why you didn''t get Blink? It costs too much, Kai shrugged. I couldn''t buy Lv.3 Demonic Arm together with Blink. Oh boy, Vincent sighed deeply. This was going to be a wild ride. He felt that in his bones. Unfortunately, he couldn''t just leave Beat to her own devices, so he followed after her toward the Ogre Camp. Chessmaster and Gunz were probably feeling themselves right now due to their higher rank, so they''ll assuredly contest the camp. If so, GGWP. Yep, just like I thought. Vincent spotted the two enemies heading toward the Ogre Camp from the opposite direction. They''re going for red buff too. Yes, I can see that. Any chance you reconsider contesting the camp? Why would I? Haha, right, why would you... Vincent produced a dry laugh. There wasn''t anything else he could do but brace for impact. Viking''s ult might be able to get them a cheesy win in a 2v2, but the Chessmaster probably knew how to safely diffuse this bomb. The early clash for the Ogre Camp was about to begin! Who''ll take the upper hand at the very beginning!? Vol.6 Ch.11: 200% Accuracy Without a Mouse Is 0% Accuracy Both sides ran into each other at the Ogre Camp right at the beginning. So, they really came to contest it. Yuel didn''t think that''ll happen. Vincent should have been cautious about Yuel and Larss skill, yet he allowed this situation to happen. This only further reinforced the suspicion that Kai and Vincent didnt see eye to eye this match. That was useful to keep in mind. It meant the other team wasn''t nearly as organized as Yuel and Lars- There they are! Lars pointed at the screen in excitement as if he saw a UFO. C''mon, let''s get them! He dashed forth without thinking twice. Wait, Yuel said. We can''t just go in there. Viking''s ult will run all over us if we don''t- No problem! These guys aren''t that good, right? Lemme beat them real quick. Wait- But, Lars didn''t listen. The goof darted forward and opened a primitive attack without any planning. What''s wrong with him!? Yuel roared internally. For a while now, something felt off about Lars. He was always a gung-ho goof, but not like this. This situation was about to get out of hand! Stop, we need to play this smart, Yuel hurried after the goof. Nah, it''s cool, dude, Lars insisted with unfounded conviction. I''mma take them down real quick for ya. First, let''s take the red buff, Yuel changed his argument to make it sound more appealing for the hungry beast. Once you get more power, it''ll be easier to kill them. Sounds good! Lars dashed into the Ogre Camp without hesitation. For a moment, Yuel was sure that goof will hit the ogres and aggro their attention. Fortunately, the goof didnt lose all of his common sense yet. C''mon Lars urged. Aggro these dudes so I can take them down real quick. On it, Yuel entered the Ogre Camp and fired at the big Orge in the center. This triggered the entire camp and all three Ogres craved Yuels blood. As soon as they focused their attention on Yuel, Lars opened fire. Meanwhile, Kai and Vincent were standing on the other side of the narrow jungle passage. They must have been thinking really hard about what to do in this situation because of how disrespectful this play was. The entire enemy team was right in their faces, yet Yuel and Lars were farming Ogres like they didn''t care in the slightest. Any opponent would be taken aback by such a bold display of overconfidence. That was all part of the plan. Huh, they''re seriously doing it, Kai raised an eyebrow. They think we just gonna let them take red buff? They gotta be really looking down on us because we''re not Challenger, huh. I wonder, Vincent cocked his head. On the surface, the enemys play looked like a huge disrespect. It was as if Yuel and Lars completely ignored Vincent and Kai''s presence. They were like air. Was it sheer confidence? Or, was that some sort of 200 IQ ploy? Nobody should underestimate Chessmaster because the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception were high-level sorcery. They didn''t just spot weaknesses that already existed. These magical eyes also saw lines of play which could artificially create weaknesses in the enemy''s formation. But, was there really anything devastating a Cryomancer and a Gunslinger could do from this position? Chessmaster was tanking the Ogres while Gunz was shooting from the backline. So, there wasnt any reason why Vincent and Kai shouldnt assault their opponents right now. In fact, this was a great opportunity to strike! On top of that, this situation was very exploitable. Whichever team gets the last hit on the Ogre Leader will win the right to collect the power buff. So, even if Chessmaster and Gunz take down most of the ogre''s HP, Kai only needed one quick shot to steal the buff from them. Heck, even Vincent could steal the last-hit by throwing an axe. So, no matter how Vincent looked at it, the enemy put themselves in a terrible position. This was a great chance to strike and win an early game advantage. I''m going in, Kai announced as soon as the HP of the Ogre Leader dropped to 20%. Okay, Vincent nodded. But, let me be on the front, Then hurry up. On it, Vincent ran ahead of Kai. He had to make sure they minimized risks, so it was better for Kai to stick behind him. Despite how inviting this situation looked, there was still a good chance this was some advanced tactic by Chessmaster. Therefore, itll be much better if Vincent is the one who gets caught in the trap. Not only he was tankier than Kai but he also had his axe blinking technique. So, he should be able to get out of every sticky situation no matter how cunning the villains were. In fact, if Viking-man were a superhero a kids show, it''ll be a story about a hero who always gets out of trouble in a timely fashion with his axe. Thats how reliable the class was for escaping. They took the bait, Yuel said. Be ready to switch targets once I blink. Gotcha, dude. Okay...... now! Yuel turned toward Vincent and closed the distance between them in a split second with his concealed Blink. Oh, shit! Vincent exclaimed. No way! That mad lad just jumped into the fray like it was nothing! Chessmaster just put himself in a sticky 1v2 situation of his own accord. Was it a misclick on his part? Because, who in their right mind would approach a Viking like that? It was suicide! And here, we gonna see the classic Viking punish from Blackhole - the ultimate wrestling throw! Vincent hyped up the situation in his head as he activated Takedown, a close-range CC grappling move. Itll pin the Chessmaster down and make him a sitting duck for Kai. Everybody knew that getting in a Viking''s face was like asking for trouble and Chessmaster was no exception to the rule. There was no telling why Chessmaster went for such a suicidal move, but Vincent was definitely going to take full advantage of it! The Viking put his sword away and thrust his arms toward the Cryomancer''s waist. This big muscular guy was going to crush the slim mage- but wait! The Viking''s arms froze in the middle of the motion! This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Like, they literally froze. His whole skin turned blue. It was a timely Ice Coffin from Chessmaster! No way! What a turnabout! Vincent practically shouted. So, this was the enemys plan! Chessmaster went for the Blink + Ice Coffin combo! Damn, it was a classic Cryomancer play but Vincent completely failed to take it into account. Chessmaster made the situation look so inviting that his enemies forgot how to think! Vincent grinned madly. It was amazing! Chessmaster even strategically cloaked his blink to lower the chances that Vincent would think about it. It was so simple but so brilliant. Vincent was so busy thinking about how favorable this situation was that he failed to consider this predictable Cryomancer play. It was a weakness on his part! The Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception struck again! Blackhole completely fell for Chessmaster''s trap! It''s the real deal, Vincent grinned as the hype commentary exploded in his head. This play was exactly like the type of craftiness he saw during the StormBlitz vs. Leopard scrimmage. It was this tactic of instilling the enemy with a fake sense of comfort, only to pull the rug from under them! Beautiful. While this exchange between Blackhole and Chessmaster was taking place, Gunz used Combat Roll to also get closer. So, it was a double play! Both enemies moved in at the same time as if they were synchronized! Gunz activated Fan the Hammer right as he recovered from the roll. Next, he was assuredly going to drill each and every bullet into Blackholes frozen head! It probably won''t be enough to kill, but it''ll be close and it''ll cripple. These were terrible news for Blackhole! But, will Gunz be able to land three shots in a row from Fan the Hammer? Why, of course he will! He was Gunz, the master of the Gungnir Sniper! The 200% Accuracy wonderboy! Got him! Lars took aim while spinning the hammer of his revolver. He only had five bullets available so he had to land a headshot with each and every one of them to get a kill. Okay, let''s rock n roll! He gonna land all these shots for sure. Ez. After all, he practiced these headshots so much. He just had to adjust his aim a little to the left and- bam! The first shot fired! Ah, wai... Lars had a really bad feeling about that one. Didnt he rotate a bit too much to the left? It was hard to tell without a mouse in hand. Anyway! He had no time to mull over this. The next bullet was gonna burst outta his revolver and he had to make it count! This time, I''mma make sure I''m not pulling it too much- crap! The bullet blasted off before Lars finished adjusting the aim after the recoil. This ain''t good! It gonna miss! Dang it, I''m supposed to be pro-level at landing headshots, yo! Alas, the two shots indeed missed their idle target. Gah! A new year just began but Lars has already made the most embarrassing mistake of the year! But, there was still the third shot- bam! It flew far off toward the sky. Lars missed the timing for adjusting the aim. He missed three shots in a row already! Gaaaaaah! That''s why he hated playing with a controller! Master race mouse for the win! What he gonna do now!? There were two more shots in the revolver. But, the freeze from Ice Coffin wore off, so the target was going to start moving now. Do I keep going for headshots? But, I cant get a cripple anymore and if I miss everything... Lars gritted his teeth. Just before the bullet came out, he made the call. Bam! The bullet hit Vincents torso. Lars lowered his gun to aim for the body instead of the head. Going for headshots was pointless right now. He was just going to miss everything. For the next shot, Lars aimed for the body again and landed a shot on Vincents shoulder. Good, at least he got some shots in. This way, he didnt entirely waste the opportunity Yuel created for him. Not a single headshot? Yuel was stunned. This was the complete opposite of Lars''s so-called 200% accuracy. Yuel suspected there will be a disparity between Lars''s PC performance and tablet performance, but this much? Nailing every headshot vs. not landing a single headshot were a world apart... Yuel specifically came with this play because he believed Lars would be able to confirm headshots against an immobile opponent. Alas, turned out he underestimated the difference between aiming with a mouse and aiming with a controller. It was terrible news! Okay, no matter! Lars advanced. I''ll just kill him with normal shots! No, we retreat, Yuel erected an ice wall to close the narrow jungle passage. Kai was fast enough to land two basic attacks on him before that but overall he disengaged without any losses. Finish off the ogre and we return to lane. But- No buts. Do it. Whoa, somebody is angry, Lars smiled wryly and obediently shifted his focus back to the dying Ogre Leader. You take the red buff and we go to lane. Is that clear? Yes, sir. Lars finished off the Ogre Leader and snatched the red buff, then both of them scrammed from the area. They safely reached the lane and the danger was behind them now. My bad, Lars apologized. I messed up the shots. Seems like practicing headshots with a mouse doesn''t translate that well to a controller. Who would have thought, Yuel rolled his eyes. But, don''t worry! I''mma get the headshots next time for sure! No, just shoot at the body. We don''t have time for you to adjust to the controller. But, I can wreck them with head- We''ll lose if you keep pulling that stuff. ... okay, got it. I''mma prioritize body shots and only go for headshots if I''m sure I can get them. Okay, but only when youre really sure. Yeah, yeah Lars nodded. Gotta say, its been a while since I saw you this mad. I''m not mad. You are, though. Am not. You totally are, dude. NOW I''m getting angry. Haha, okay, okay. Just focus on laning, Yuel said. And, for the record, he wasn''t mad. But, admittedly, he was a little frustrated with Lars right now. That goof always promised miracles without thinking things through. Sometimes, Lars truly deliverer unexpected results. Other times, he failed miserably. It was so frustratingly unpredictable. Its thanks to unpredictable factors like these that they lost the selection match against Howard. Despite playing with Lars for so long, Yuel still hasn''t quite grasped how to tell when Lars could really pull something off and when the goof was talking nonsense. It got aggravating at times. So, if Yuel was mad at anybody, then it was only at himself. He was unable to make the right call and that''s why the entire play fell apart. Yuel knew Lars was a goof. He also knew about the difficulties in handling a controller. And, he definitely knew how difficult it was to land headshots during Fan the Hammer. So, Yuel knew everything. He had all the data in hand, yet he made the wrong judgment. Dammit! I need to be stricter. Yuel took a deep breath. This time, they miraculously escaped without suffering any grave consequences. However, next time, a huge mistake like that might cost them the entire game. If this were the regionals, the enemy would have eliminated them from the entire tournament for a mistake like this. They couldnt let themselves slip up like this anymore. Stay behind me as you farm, Yuel instructed. If the Viking gets into range, prioritize him. We want to condition him into being afraid of the frontline. If he advances anyway, retreat right away and be ready to dodge his axe. It might be a sign hes going to blink in and ult. Got it, got it, Lars nodded. No need to worry so much. I just messed up the headshot. I know what I''m doing. How I wish I could believe that. Yuel shook his head. From now on, he should rely as little as possible on blind trust. If something sounded unlikely then it was unlikely, even for Lars. Its better to be safe than sorry. That''s how Yuel will have to reason from now on. Meanwhile, the other camp also analyzed this outcome. Huh, Kai shrugged. Didn''t you say he''s a sniper? Yeah, well... Vincent couldn''t even begin a retort. All the hype he was building up about the enemy''s amazing play came down crashing the moment Gunz missed three shots in a row. Vincent was frozen in place at the time, completely immobile. And yet, Gunz couldnt land a single shot. And, not just headshots but simple body shots too. Gunz missed everything at first. What kind of absurdity was that? Did Vincent slip into a different timeline? Was this the Beta timeline? A timeline in which Gunz hasnt developed the Gungnir Sniper? The recoil during Fan the Hammer was quite severe, so everybody knew it was difficult to land multiple shots in a row. Even some pros admitted they didn''t play Gunslinger because they couldn''t land these headshots consistently. But, not landing headshots was a world apart from not landing any shots at all. It seemed like Gunz insisted to aim for the head and failed miserably every time. Especially, the third shot looked like it was aimed toward outer space. Only after that Gunz started properly landing body shots, probably because he gave up on headshots. How could the mighty sniper fall so hard? Did Gunz try to style on them with headshots he didn''t practice? Or, maybe it''s because they were playing with controllers? Either way, the Gungnir Sniper was dormant right now. Thats one thing less to worry about. Brimming with confidence about their chances, Vincent and Kai reached the lane. The battle for territory began! Vol.6 Ch.12: Lane Pressure Sparks Offense The laning phase began. Yuel and Lars fired at the minions from afar with their long-ranged classes. Yuel positioned himself a bit ahead of Lars to intercept any attempts at aggression, but overall they both maintained a safe distance from the minions. On the other hand, the enemy duo didn''t have the same luxury. Kai''s Pyromancer had to advance toward the frontline from time to time to unleash Flame Wave. And, Vincent''s Viking was an entirely melee class save for his Throw Axe, so he had to be on the frontline if he wanted to deal any damage. Naturally, Yuel took full advantage of these facts. Every time Vincent advanced to help with the farming effort, Yuel and Lars advanced to get Vincent within their firing range. They poked Vincent until he had no choice but retreat to the rear. Figured. They won''t let me play. Vincent smiled wryly. In a 2v2 situation where one of the enemies was melee, zoning him out was a basic tactic. So, Vincent couldnt get to the frontline to help with the farming. not unless he wanted to commit suicide. Once in a while, Vincent tossed his axe at minions from afar to get some damage in. But, overall, his contribution to the farming efforts was negligible. Sorry, Vincent apologized. Seems like the farming is up to you. I noticed, Kai shrugged. Not fazed at all, huh. Vincent was impressed by the girl''s confidence. Or rather, her overconfidence. She was probably still under the impression she could seriously take on the Golden Duo. Still, even though their farming was effectively 1v2, Kai held her ground. The strong AoE burst of Flame Wave was effective at clearing minions and compensated for the fact she was farming alone. Neither Cryomancer nor Gunslinger had any particularly impressive lane clearing tools, so a Pyromancer alone could roughly rival them as long as the Gunslinger wasnt landing quick headshots on minions all the time. However, the bad news was that Kai had to get close to the minions to unleash Flame Wave effectively. This medium reach was one of the greatest weaknesses of Pyromancer. The burst of Flame Wave was powerful, but it forced Kai to put herself in danger every time. Just a friendly advice, Vincent said. Don''t try too hard to match their clearing speed. Youre asking me to surrender lane control? You put yourself in danger every time you advance to the frontline. If you keep this up, the Golden Duo shall smite you down. Arent you here to prevent things like that? Kai asked. If they get close, just boot your ult. So, youre using me like a scarecrow here? Vincent chuckled. Kai had the right idea here. Viking was scary at close range due to his ult, so even the Golden Duo will think twice before approaching him. So, even though Vincent couldn''t help much with the farming, his mere presence on the lane kept Kai safe. Yo, Lars exclaimed. When we gonna go all out? Not any time soon, Yuel answered. We can''t go in while the Viking is here. Why not? Let''s do it! You want to face an army of pirates? Yeah, didn''t think so. Just wait until we wear out the Viking with pokes. He doesn''t have any regen, so he''ll have to retreat once he runs out of potions. Geh, so boring, Lars twisted his lips but kept following the game plan. He stayed far in the back and only advanced to pressure the enemy at Yuel''s command. There was still a feeling of unruliness coming from him but, for now, he was cooperating with Yuels tactics. I have to admit, Vincent is putting on a solid performance. Yuel nodded to himself. As far as defense was concerned, Vincent didn''t come across as a weak player at all. He played patiently from afar and understood the threat he was posing with his presence as a Viking. It was a small thing, but Yuel saw countless melee Supports who impatiently advanced to the frontline to make their presence look more relevant. A lack of greed was a virtue for a Support. While a Carry sometimes had to be greedy to score kills or secure objectives, a Support was almost always better off taking a slower and more methodical approaching. After all, the Supports priority was to support the Carry during the laning phase, not to achieve anything amazing. Apparently, Vincent understood this profound concept. Yuel picked a ranged Support in part because he hoped Vincent would fall for the mistake of being an impatient melee Support. However, so far, Vincent hasnt shown any obvious weaknesses Yuel could exploit. In fact, both opponents were putting on a strong show. Kai picked all the right moments to unleash Flame Wave on the minion wave while maintaining as much distance as possible from her foes. As a result, it was difficult to punish her advances. She wasn''t a Diamond player for nothing, that''s for sure. Due to the enemys solid performance, the laning phase remained in a status quo even during the third minion wave. Yuel and Lars cleared the wave a little faster, but Kai immediately caught up with a powerful Flame Wave. Her Heat Gauge must have been staying close max at all times. Meh, nothing is happening, Lars pouted. Welp, at least I can work on my headshots. Lars apparently used this peaceful laning phase to practice his head shooting skills. He fired slower than usual but about half his shots landed on the minions heads. However, the other half either outright missed or just barely hit the body. Even though Yuel asked to not be greedy with headshots, he didn''t say anything about Larss practice. Since Gunslingers headshots were critical hits, firing a little slower to secure headshots was actually better DPS. It was hard to calculate the exact damage on the spot but Yuel estimated that, in the worst-case scenario, they weren''t losing much in this exchange. And, if this little practice helps Lars to learn how to score headshots with a controller, all the more power to him. This investment might pay off in the later stages of the match. Okay! Lars exclaimed. Check this out! He activated Fan the Hammer and barraged the minion wave. The first shot hit a minion straight in the forehead. The second shot was also a headshot! And then, the third shot! ... missed completely. Dang it! Lars ranted as he adjusted his aim for the fourth shot. Knowing that goof, he was definitely going for another headshot to prove that the ratio of his headshots improved. It sounded like the wrong thing to do because Lars has already lost the rhythm of the shots for Fan the Hammer. Unfortunately, Yuel wasn''t fast enough to advise against this idea. Gunslingers revolver was like a machinegun during Fan the Hammer. Therefore, while Yuel was still forming his analysis of the situation, the Gunslinger already fired the next bullet! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As expected, it wasn''t a headshot. Yuel was no expert on the topic, but he watched some Gunslinger guides before and heard about it many times from Lars. Once the shooter''s timing was thrown off with a miss, it was super duper hard to adjust again in the middle of Fan the Hammer. So, it came as no surprise the bullet failed to hit the minions head. However, what did surprise, was that the bullet landed on the minion at all. Instead of hitting the head, the shot pierced through the minion''s chest. The following shots were all the same. Meh, better than nothing, Lars said. Did you aim for the head? Nope, Lars answered. I messed up the third shot, so I figured I won''t be making the next ones either. So, I just went for the body. Really? Yuel blinked. Did Lars really give up on the last few headshot opportunities? This was unheard of. What''s wrong? I thought you''ll keep going for headshots until I lecture you like twenty times. Hey, Im learning from my mistakes, okay? Lars chuckled. Just figured it ain''t good to go for headshots all the time before I practice them enough. I don''t wanna lose the game just because I whiff headshots. That''s surprisingly smart coming from you. Rude, haha, Lars smiled wryly. It''s just that, sometimes, being greedy kinda costs you games. Welcome to MOBAs. Yuel retorted mentally but didn''t say anything. There was a hint of frustration in Lars''s tone and it wasn''t hard to guess where it was coming from: their defeat during the selection match. Lars died time and again by greedily chasing Ellen and by recklessly challenging Taison to 1v1s. These misplays were a big factor in the teams defeat and the harsh experiences seemed to teach the goof a lesson or two. Larss headshot ratio increased with every subsequent wave and he stopped going for impossible headshots he knew hell miss. As a result, his lane clearing speed increased every time through sheer skill. It was amazing how quickly this goof was leveling up his execution on a tablet. Thanks to that, they have been progressively gaining the upper hand on the lane. Lars cleared the wave faster and faster with each iteration, which made it that much harder for Kai to contest. Eventually, they managed to clear the wave fast enough to give themselves some time to aggress on their opponents. They prioritized attacking Kai because she was the squishy DPS, but Vincent didn''t let that pass. He stood in their way and blocked with his body. That''s how we''ll wear him out, Yuel explained. We''ll go after the Pyro and thatll force the Viking to bodyblock. He''ll run out of gas eventually. Oh, smart! Lars nodded. We gotta go all out on that dude then! Let''s go! No, we don''t, Yuel shot down the idea. Lets force them to act. Right now, we got the lane advantage. So, they only got two options: either submit against our advantage or try mounting a counterattack. In other words, either they come to us or we''ll slowly grind them to dust Not sure I get all the details but sounds cool! So, when do I go all in and kill somebody? When the Viking comes at us, if he ever does. So, we wait? Yeah, we wait. Boo, but okay. Lars went along with the defensive plan with surprisingly little objection. He was still the usual hungry beast who sought action and kills, but he was more accepting of a defensive plan than ever. Perhaps, this was the first step toward that goofs growth!? So, can I go all out on these dudes already? ... no, I said we wait. I waited for like five seconds yo. That gotta be enough, right? Haha. Yeah, right, Yuel sighed with a smile. Well, at least Lars was showing signs of developing patience. So, in twenty years or so, hell finally figure out what it means to play defense. Hopefully. Following Yuel''s game plan, they waited for the enemy to take action. They have already gained the upper hand during class selection and that allowed them to gain an early game advantage, so Yuel was going to abuse that fact to the max. There was no need to take risks by going on the offensive, especially not with Lars''s half-cooked Gunslinger skills on tablet. Let the enemy come to them and commit mistakes. The opponents were no amateurs, they understood the situation well. You not gonna initiate? Kai asks. In case you didn''t notice, we''re kinda in a rough spot. You don''t say, Vincent smiled wryly. Yeah, this situation is rough. We attack, we''re screwed. If we don''t attack, we''re also screwed. Viking''s melee attack range was a huge issue right now. He could throw his axe at enemies, but that was both his escape tool and initiation tool. The enemy will probably aggress on him right away if Throw Axe goes on cooldown, so he avoided using it too much. He also had the option of using Takedown to grab a minion and toss it at another, but that required advancing too far into the frontline and putting himself at immense danger. Vincent hoped the enemy will be the first to attack and overextend, but so far Chessmaster and Gunz have been unexpectedly passive. They didn''t radiant the same terrorizing aura they had during the scrimmage with the Leopards. Then again, in this situation, Chessmaster and Gunz didn''t need to lift a finger to win. They held the upper hand in this position, so it was a valid tactic to wait for Vincent and Kai to make the fire move. It was probably the smarter and more level-headed decision, but also the more boring one. Vincent wanted to see some thrill! He wanted to experience the unstoppable destructive force of the Golden Duo! Welp, maybe that won''t happen until Vincent and Kai prove they were worthy opponents. But, were they, though? It was hard to say, but at least they wont go down easily in a fight. So, you want to attack? Vincent asked. Well, duh, Kai said. Or what, you want to wait till they push us back to tower? Then what? Yeah, you''re right, Vincent nodded. If he were playing a proper Support, perhaps he could''ve played the waiting game for a bit longer. But, with Viking, his strongest tools were on the offensive side. He had to start something, or else he''ll be nothing more than dead weight. Yep, I totally went for the best pick with Viking. 200 IQ play. Vincent shook his head. The entire idea behind picking Viking was to secure himself a solid escape option with Throw Axe. However, he failed to consider the possibility that he''ll have to be the aggressor to win lane advantage. Now, he had to go hard on the offensive with the very class he picked for defense. It was le derp of the year. But, it wasnt all bad news. Based on his observations during the Leopards scrimmage, the Golden Duo were godlike on the offense but their defense didn''t leave much of an impression. So, if Vincent and Kai take the initiative and go hard, they might be able to pull something off. Alrighty, Vincent started. After they clear our minions, I''ll try bumping into these guys with my ult. Sounds good, Kai nodded. I''ll follow up. Just make sure you stay behind me to not give them a chance to target you. Duh. No need to remind me every time, you know. Carry is one of my main roles, in case you forgot. Yep, your second best role. That''s right. She didn''t get the hint, did she. Vincent smiled wryly. Both he and Kai were playing their secondary roles right now. So, what chance they stood against the Golden Duo who mained Carry and Support in the truest sense? Either way, Vincent had no choice but to aggress against these clearly superior foes. Here goes nothing! The enemy cleared the minion wave first, per usual. They still had two bowmen alive and used this advantage to push along the lane. Little did they know it was all a bait! Vincent and Kai were about to pull a fast one on the Golden Duo and crush these godlike attackers! Muhahahaha! We''re so dead... Vincent activated Throw Axe and, you won''t believe it, he threw an axe! The originality of this skill name always killed him. It''s like the company held a competition for coming up with the most generic name ever and whoever named this skill was the winner. Either way, he threw the axe but it wasn''t aimed at the enemy. Instead, he aimed it at the wall far behind him. The axe dug into the wall and got stuck in it. This was Vincent''s lifeline and the reason he picked Viking in the first place. The axe will remain stuck in that wall for a while and during that time his Throw Axe skill was replaced with Axe Blitz. It allowed him to instantly blink to the axe''s location. So, if anything goes wrong, this was his trusty panic button! Alrighty, Vincent gulped. I''m going in! Let us venture into the abyss! Got it. Vincent and Kai charged forth at the incoming enemies. It was showtime! They''re coming, Yuel warned as soon as the Viking tossed his axe at the wall. It was the classic Viking opening. It was a bit too obvious to Yuel''s taste, but it usually did the job. Too bad the enemy were facing somebody who has already analyzed this move all the way back during the drafting phase. First, Yuel erected an ice wall behind Vincent. That kept Kai away and divided the enemy forces. However, even alone, Viking was still a threat in this situation. His ult will summon a gang of savage vikings who were tough to deal with. Yuel had to prevent that play at any cost. Fortunately, Yuels Blink was out of cooldown by now. So, he blinked forward and caught Vincent off-guard. It was a repeat of how the game began: the classic Blink + Ice Coffin! Yuel froze Vincent in place before the guy could even react. Ah, Vincent exclaimed. That perfect timing! Could it be!? Does he also possess Mystic Eyes of Timing Perception!? This was marvelous! Vincent knew the Golden Duos offense was their strongest suit, so he believed he got a shot against their defense. However, Chessmaster understood that too! Therefore, instead of defending, Chessmaster countered Vincents offense with an offense of his own! Offense was the best defense for these guys! The hunter became the prey! This was a pinch for Information Blackhole! Will he find a way to crawl out of his predicament!? Im so dead, haha... Vol.6 Ch.13: Rhythm Reader Vincents attempt to aggress turned into a disaster. He was a frozen solid in place, effectively becoming a sitting duck for the enemy. Meanwhile, an ice wall stalled Kai and she couldnt back him up. Can you get out? Kai asked. Does it look like I can? Youll have to help me... Oh, right. He created an ice wall between us. Haha, that Chessmaster, I''m telling you. You sure look happy for a dead man. Why wouldnt I be? These guys are nuts! Look at Gunz coming to wreck me as soon as I got frozen. Their timing is so perfect! That''s why they''re the Golden Duo! Huh, Kai shrugged. The timing and coordination of that counter-offense was indeed solid, but she wont let them get away with this nonsense. She''ll counter their counter! Besides, there was nothing to worry about. Even though Vincent was frozen, only the enemy Gunslinger could deal enough damage to kill a Viking quickly and he had to use Fan the Hammer masterfully to pull that off. But, they all saw how masterful this Gunslinger was with headshots. He either gonna miss all his shots or only deal subpar damage by shooting the body. So, Vincent will be fine. Kai had more than enough time to turn this around- Oh! Vincent shouted. Here it is! The Gungnir Sniper! Three headshots in a row with Fan the Hammer! That''s how it gotta be! Eh...? Kai blinked. Did that guy seriously land them? She had firsthand experience with how rough it was to land multiple headshots in a row during Fan the Hammer. Could somebody their age really pull that off in the heat of the moment? No way. Vincent had to be exaggerating, right? With that said, Vincents HP indeed plummeted at lightning speed. Darn it, if only this annoying ice wall wasn''t in her way so she could see whats going on. Got em! Lars grinned. Three headshots in a row! Headshot spree, yo! You missed the fourth shot, though, Yuel said. Geh, c''mon, dude! Would it kill ya to praise me sometimes? I guess you did alright. Haha, I swear dude, Lars shook his head. So, whats next? We kill him, Yuel ordered to continue the offense. It was checkmate. The three headshots came after Combat Roll, so a combo of three headshots in a row stunned Vincent for a short time. On top of that, each shot stacked a cripple effect on Vincent thatll last even after his stun. While crippled, all movement abilities were sealed, even blinking. In other words, they sealed Vincents escape route of teleporting back to his axe. Their prey was captured. They got me good, Vincent smiled wryly after finally breaking out of the freeze. His panic button was disabled by the cripple, so he had no way to get out of there. The Golden Duo completely turned the tables on him. It was epic. However! That didn''t mean Vincent was ready to give up just yet! The enemy''s play was quick and crisp, but Vincent didn''t want to hand them the victory on a silver platter like this. He''ll struggle to the very end! Therefore, it was time to unleash his trusty minions! Come forth, Viking Rangers! Vincent activated Unstoppable Raid, which summoned forth five viking warriors. They were the heroes of justice wholl save the day! They gonna get Vincent out of this pinch with the power of friendship! Or, more accurately, by savagely assaulting his enemies. Each individual viking minion was separately customizable, so Vincent put quite the effort into giving each of them a different color scheme. He even spent some of his allowance on these premium customization options. But, it was totally worth it. All for the sake of creating the Viking Rangers! Yo! Lars exclaimed as a rainbow-colored brigade appeared outta thin air in front of him. Haha, what''s with these dudes? They''re sick! Ignore them, Yuel said. Just kill the Viking and they''ll die too. Roger! Lars maneuvered around the colorful gang of warriors and snipped Vincent. The warriors began charging toward Yuel and Lars, but the two of them ignored that noise and focused on their prey. They had to finish Vincent off before Kai arrives to the rescue. Okay, almost got him! Lars only needed one more hit to seal the deal but it wasn''t easy to confirm with a bunch angry vikings charging right at him. But, Gunslinger had the wallhack called Deadeye! Lars just had to get Vincent into his field of view again and- Geh!? The ground around Lars was tainted red! A surprise Blaze of Inferno was incoming! Got him! Kai arrived on the scene right before Vincent dropped dead. She unleashed Blaze of Inferno right around the Gunslinger. The damage will be heavy enough to flip this entire situation on its head. Kai and Vincent could reverse the entire situation! Kai drew the target area for Blaze of Inferno compactly around the Gunslinger. Therefore, almost all the ticks of damage will come down crashing on the Gunslinger. Itll be a huge burst of damage that wasn''t typically expected from this ult. It might even kill on the spot! The enemy had a brief window of time to see the red lines and dodge before it started raining fire. But, in practice, nobody had the reaction time to do anything with that warning. Maybe some pros could dodge fast enough, especially the crazy Korean pros. But, some middle schooler? No chance. Therefore, all this heavy damage was guaranteed! That Gunslinger was a goner. Whoa, it''s hella packed! Lars noticed that all of Inferno''s lines were concentrated around his feet. Rather than a rain of fire, it was more like a meteor was incoming and it gonna crash right on his head! He''d be dead meat if that stuff lands, yooooooo! Lars rolled before he even finished processing the entire thing. Forget killing Vincent, he had to evacuate right away! Yeah! Nailed it! Lars pumped a fist as he got out of the danger zone. Wha... Kai choked. Did that guy just dodge her Inferno? In that brief, almost nonexistent, window of time during which he could see the red lines? No, thats... Kais concentrated attack backfired. By drawing all the lines in a spiral around the Gunslinger, it made the flames easier to dodge by rolling away. Normally, nobody was fast enough to react to this fierce assault. Even in Diamond rank, she only ran into a handful of opponents who rolled out of such an attack and even that usually looked like sheer luck. But, in this case, Kai clearly saw the dodge. Lars was desperately chasing Vincent in order to land the finishing blow, but he stopped in the middle and performed a dodge roll right before the flames came down crashing. Such a quick shift of priorities had to be the result of godlike reaction speed. Was that guy a superhuman? An alien? Okay, got em! Lars recovered from the roll and booted Deadeye. He got the Viking within his field of view and also added the Pyromancer as another target because why not. Bam! Two bullets erupted from his revolver and flew at the designated targets. Nothing could stand their way and no distance was too far for them. The bullets struck true at both targets and delivered the fatal blow! You have killed an enemy! After Vincent fell, his gang of vikings also vanished into thin air. The mighty rangers are defeated! Vincent raised his arms theatrically. Welp, this was about what he expected. In fact, he was surprised he survived for so long and almost got away. The Golden Duo was must have been using only 10% of their real power on tablet. They were awesome! They might really pull Stratus far in the upcoming regionals! But, thats in the future. Right now, they were enemies and Vincent had to figure how to beat them. Well, it wasnt like he and Kai had a real chance of winning, but still. Its the struggle that mattered, right? This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I think you should retreat, Vincent advised. You dont say, Kai already booted Burning Spirit to enhance her movement speed and turned her back to the enemy. It seemed like she finally began to realize the power gap between herself and the Golden Duo. So, she scrammed. You aint going nowhere! Lars gave chase. Now, that the rainbow viking brigade was gone, the lane was clear. That Pyromancer was the only enemy in sight, so Lars gonna get a double kill, yo! Shes fast to retreat. Yuel nodded to himself. So far, he couldnt find any glaring flaws in Kais performance. It was both impressive and concerning. So far, every move Kai made in this tense situation was solid. She quickly maneuvered around Yuels ice wall, she launched a powerful attack to startle Lars and when it failed she was quick to flee. So, even though Yuel and Lars outplayed the enemy as a whole in this situation, Kais quick responses made their life hard. She must have had nerves of steel to play this rationally under the pressure of such an unfavorable situation. Even now, with Lars on her tail, Kai didnt commit any notable mistakes. In fact, she was... dodging some of the attacks? Or, was Lars missing again because of the tablet? You cant hit from this distance on tablet? Yuel asked. Nah, it should be fine. But, like, Larss tone sounded as confused as Yuels. Something wasnt quite right about this chase. Lars fired a bullet and his amazing 200% accuracy shouldve made it land for sure. Yet, the bullet missed. What the heck, yo. I totally shouldve landed that, Lars cocked his head. Dang it, another one! Another miss. This one was closer and only missed by a hairs breadth, but it still missed. What the actual heck? Its not like Kai was doing anything special, yet Larss shots were missing left and right. Are you trying too hard to aim for the head? Nah, Im not even aiming for the head. Im keeping it real and going for the upper body. Huh, Yuel knotted his brows. This was interesting. While running away, juking the chaser was an important skill. This generally involved moving irregularly to throw off the enemys aim. But, to consistently pull this off against somebody like Lars, one needed an amazing reading ability like Ellens. Nevertheless, Kai was apparently doing something to that effect right now. Somehow, Kai was reading Larss moves and juking his shots while escaping. Here it is! Vincent boomed. The Rhythm Reader is unleashed! Oh. A bullet hit Kai just as Vincent made his grandiose announcement. Can you keep it down? Kai grumped. Oh, my bad. Ill be quiet as a mouse. Vincent shut his mouth. He wanted to keep hyping up this amazing clash of superpowers but, for the sake of Kais concentration, he had to pipe down. Here it is! Beats special ability: Rhythm Reader! Vincent continued the commentary in his head. He had nothing better to do anyway while he was dead, so he hyped up the ability for an imaginary crowd. Rhythm Reader is a high-level technique which discerns the opponents rhythm and allows Beat to adjust her tempo to it! Like you see right here, she nailed down the rhythm of Gunzs shots and dodges each and every single one of them! It appears as if even Gunzs Gungnir Sniper cant defeat Beats Rhythm Reader! Though exaggerated, Kai was doing pretty much what Vincent described. She was mostly running in a straight line but, when she thought a shot was coming, she strayed from the path just enough to dodge the shot. To pull off this trick, Kai didn''t rely on the sound of the shot or anything like that. In the first place, most people didnt have the necessary reaction time to dodge a shot after hearing it. Instead, Kai downloaded Gunz shooting pattern and played around it! She was reading his rhythm! Beautiful! Vincent exclaimed. Ahem, Kai cleared her throat. Oops, my bad, Vincent covered his mouth before he blurts something else. This was just too hype! It was a clash between Kai''s Rhythm Reader and Lars''s Gungnir Sniper! He couldnt contain himself! Judging by the data so far, Rhythm Reader completely nullified the effect of Gungnir Sniper. No matter how accurate Gunz was, said accuracy meant nothing when the opponent could predict the timing of the shots and dodge them in the last split-second. It wasnt like Gunz was missing, his aim was actually spot-on. But, its his opponent who dodged everything! In fact, it''s probably because Gungnir Sniper was so accurate that Rhythm Reader did such a great job. If Gunz''s aim wasn''t pitch-perfect, he might have landed a few inaccurate shots by accident. Kai''s last-moment dodges were minimal, so a slight inaccuracy from the shooters side might have made the shot graze her. So, what will Gunz do now!? He has to adapt or he''ll let Beat get away. At this point, it''s safe to say Beat will get away alive. But, Gunz still has a few more attempts to redeem himself for his earlier misses. Can he land any of the remaining shots!? He had about four more chances to shoot. Lets see how it goes! The first shot missed. Or, more correctly, Kai dodged it. Gah! Lars jumped. I don''t get it, yo! I totally had her marked down! How did that miss!? So, he thinks that should''ve landed, Yuel pondered. This was indeed peculiar. Whenever Lars was about to miss, he usually could tell his aim was off. In fact, he''d often shout some nonsense and blame himself for the miss. But, this situation was different. Lars didn''t think his aim was off, so it most likely wasn''t. If so, the only remaining explanation was that Kai was somehow dodging all his shots. Was that even possible? She was in the middle of fleeing and her back was turned to her opponent. It should''ve been impossible... Let''s see if she moves, Yuel squinted his eyes and focused entirely on Kai. Bam. Another shot, another miss. No, that wasn''t a miss. Yuel definitely saw it: just before the bullet reached Kai, she turned to the right and dodged it by a hair''s breadth. What a godlike split-moment dodge! Did she react to the sound of the shot? No, she wouldn''t have made it in time like that. This was an interesting phenomenon. Its almost as if Kai had eyes on her back and could see when Lars was about to shoot. Once Lars pulled the trigger, there was no going back. Nobody could alter the bullet''s trajectory and it was guaranteed to land on the target because Lars was the shooter. So, if Kai could somehow move exactly the moment Lars pulled the trigger, it was theoretically possible to dodge the bullet from this distance. But, how did Kai react in such a timely fashion? Did she have a superhuman reaction time like Lars? No way, there couldn''t be so many superhumans around. Yuel refused to believe in such statistics. In that case, Kai must have been using something else to react with perfect timing. But, what could it possibly be? It couldn''t be a pure guess because she dodged way too many shots at this point. There was a limit to how lucky a person could be. Bam. Another shot. Yet again, Kai moved aside and dodged the bullet''s in the last nanosecond. The way she has been running in a straight line the whole time and only moving aside in the last moment was incredibly risky. Yet, it worked for her. Its like she knew the exact timing for Lars''s shots... wait. May thats it! Lars was keeping his finger pressed on the left mouse button to fire every shot as quickly as possible. Unlike Yuel, who struggled to land such fast shots in succession without adjusting his aim in-between, Larss godlike accuracy allowed him to fire nonstop at top speed. As a result, the interval between Larss shots remained consistent the whole time. The shots were fast and accurate, but they had very distinctive timing. If Kai had the ability to nail down this timing, she could dodge the shots with perfect timing! Wait, Yuel said. Delay your shot by half a second. Wut? Ah, Lars paused to listen and that made him delay the shot just like Yuel wanted. Dunno what''s up, but I guess I gotta shoo- oh! Lars saw it! He saw it clearly! Just before he pulled the trigger - the Pyromancer moved ever so slightly to the left! You ain''t dodging this, yo! Lars shifted his aim a little to the left while pressing the left button. He gonna land this, yo! I can do it. Kai nodded to herself. The rhythm of the enemy''s shots was echoing in her head: wait, wait, shoot. Lars has been repeating this exact pattern every single time with amazing accuracy. So, all Kai had to do was: wait, wait, dodge. Its a beautiful rhythm. Kai admitted. It brimmed with boundless confidence. The shooter was 100% confident in his ability to land every single shot. Maybe it was even 200% confidence. However, that made it all the easier for Kai to adjust her movements to that rhythm: wait, wait, dodge. Worked like a charm every time. The music beating in her left ear helped her synchronize her movements even more. If she wore earplugs on both ears, her dodges would have been even sharper. Unfortunately, she had to make sure she could hear her teammate, so she had to keep one ear unplugged. So far, all her dodges were on point except for that one time when the noisy fool distracted her. So, she was going to get out of this sticky situation with minimal damage. The Golem''s area was just a couple of steps away, so the enemy had only one more chance to shoot her; maybe two if he really pushes it. The next shot was coming. Wait. Wait. Dodge! Following the beat, Kai shifted her movement to the left. Another bullet dodged! Or, thats what would have happened if any bullet was fired in the first place. Did the pursuer already give up? Then, all the better for- bam! A bullet hit her from behind! Eh? Kai blinked. Did she mess up the rhythm? No, it was the usual wait, wait, dodge. She pulled it out perfectly. So, the only explanation was that the enemy delayed his shot. Was that on purpose? Eh, whatever. Kai got out of danger and safely reached the Golem''s area. Thats all that mattered. After reaching safety, she turned around to check whether the enemy was greedy enough to dive under Golem. If he were, Kai would retaliate without hesitation. After all, she still had over 60% HP to spare. Yo! Lars exclaimed as he continued chasing. I actually hit her! As I thought. Yuel nodded to himself. Kai adjusted to the pattern of Larss shots and relied on the timing to dodge everything. It was an impressive show, but her over-reliance on that technique exposed her. From now on, theyll know how to deal with her dodges. But, right now, there was a more important topic at hand. Lars being Lars, he continued chasing Kai even though she already retreated into her Golem''s area. This goof had to be stopped, or else he''d dive under tower and will get countered. That''s enou- Geh, she got away, Lars stopped one step away from Golem''s area before Yuel even finished his warning. Yes, Lars actually stopped a chase out of his own volition without Yuel warning him. That only happened once in a blue moon. It was simply amazing. Yuel had no better words to describe this otherworldly phenomenon. Okay, what''s next? Lars asked as he jogged back to their side of the lane. We gonna push them hard while it''s a 2v1? No, I don''t think we''ll get much mileage out of that, Yuel explained. That Pyro knows what shes doing. She''s not Diamond just for show. She got her fundamentals down. Yeah, she''s pretty slick. I don''t see her committing any big mistakes even if we pressure her in a 2v1. And, from mid-range, Pyro can clear minions about as fast as us. So, let''s use this time to gear up. Recall to base and buy Fury Knuckles. Gotcha, Lars began the recalling animation right there on the spot, right in front of the enemy. Don''t be obvious like that, Yuel smacked his forehead. At least do it in the jungle or something. Oh, right, haha, Lars laughed awkwardly. Well, I already started so better finish it. Yeah, I agree with, Yuel sighed. With the initiative in their hands, Yuel made the call that it was best to have a brief downtime and gear up for the upcoming fights. However, this was just the calm before the storm... Vol.6 Ch.14: Slogging for Victory After Lars healed up at the base and purchased Fury Knuckles Lv.2, he returned to the lane. Next, it was Yuel''s turn to recall. The Viking revived but itll take him a few seconds to get to lane, Yuel informed before leaving. So, this will be a pure 1v1 situation. If you got an opportunity, go for the kill. Gotcha, dude, Lars nodded and a familiar grin formed on his face. The beast was exposing its fangs with murderous intent. He was totally going to push for a kill, wasn''t he? Thankfully, this was a great situation for that kind of aggressive stunt, so Yuel had no objections. Okay! Lars exclaimed. Let''s rock n roll! After the enemy Pyromancer finished clearing the minions, the lane became a 1v1 arena for Lars and Kai. This gonna be good! C''mon! Come at me, dude! Lars used a taunt animation from the middle of the lane. This punk wanna go at it, huh, Kai accepted the challenge and advanced along the lane. She had to spend Flame Wave on the minion wave, so her offensive options were restricted right now. Nevertheless, that won''t stop her from crushing that guy. I think you better wait, Vincent advised. I''ll be back on lane in a jiffy. Huh? You''re saying I can''t win this 1v1? Um, well, Vincent rolled his eyes as he searched for an appropriate answer. Can we just call it an unnecessary risk? There''s no risk if I''m going to beat him. Yeah, that''s true, but... So, you ARE saying I can''t win this fight. Why? Because he''s a guy? No no no, that got nothing to do with it. This guy is just pretty damn strong. He''s the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse! Sounds like a small fry. By what absurd standard!? Vincent laughed in shock. Welp, there was no changing Kai''s mind once she had her mind set on fighting somebody, especially when the opponent was a guy. All Vincent could do was hurry to the lane and hopefully prevent the inevitable disaster. Hmph, Kai scoffed. Taking me lightly like that. I''ll show him I can beat any guy at this game! Kai darted straight at her enemy. She gonna run over that guy real quick- bam! Huh!? A shot pierced her shoulder! Eh? Kai took a step back. She needed a moment to understand what the hell just happened. Was she already within Gunslinger''s attack range? She must have barely touched the tip of that range, yet a bullet came flying at her right away. That was some impressive zoning... Kai originally planned to start juking once she gets closer, but this opponent had no intention of letting her get any closer. This guy was a good shooter, Kai had to hand it to him. How did Vincent call it again? Gangnam Style Sniper or something? Not too shabby. As a mid-range Pyromancer, how should Kai approach here? She had to get in before she can start dishing out attacks. But, this guy gonna shoot her a few times before she even gets a chance to get close. This was bad. Am I seriously thinking so hard about it? Kai frowned. She never felt such intimidation from a single opponent. Something about that instantaneous shot sent a chill down her spine. It was a zero tempo shot. There was no even time to react. To get around such shots, she''d have to dodge them before even realizing she had to dodge. In none of her online matches, neither against Diamond players nor against Challenger players, did Kai ever encounter such precision. This will be a tough fight, she could already tell. What''s wrong? Lars asked. If you ain''t coming, then I gonna come at ya! He rolled forward with Combat Roll. All-out attack, yo! Right as he recovered, he booted Fan the Hammer. The Gunslinger spun the hammer of his revolver and took aim. A barrage was incoming! Bam! Headshot! The first shot landed without any trouble. The enemy Pyromancer was totally fazed and didn''t even move! Lars gonna take her down ez! He could even go for three headshots in a row! He was feeling it right now! The next shot came out right away! The Pyromancer took half a step to the side in a poor attempt to dodge. It wasnt nearly enough. Bam! Another headshot! Lars had this! One more headshot and Kai gonna get stunned! It''s so fast...! Kai bit her lip in frustration. Reacting to these shots by sound was impossible. But, she got two samples of their beat. The third one was going to fire at the exact same timing, so she had to dodge... Now! She rolled aside! Whish. The bullet cut through empty air. Wha!? Lars exclaimed. What sick dodge, yo! He was perfectly locked on Kai, but she just barely slipped away at the last moment. She literally escaped death there. But wait, it aint over yet! He had two more shots left. This was no time to be impressed! Geh, a headshot seems rough, Lars gave up on that and aimed for Kai''s body while she was recovering. It was a shot she couldn''t dodge, so it easily dug into her back. It wasnt a headshot so there was not critical damage, but it was still a decent shot. With that momentum, Lars gonna land the final shot too! This time, itll be a headshot! His aim was spot on, so this one gonna hit! ... or not. Kai sidestepped the shot in the last moment. Phew, barely made it. Kai sighed in relief. Even though she got the timing down by now, it was incredibly difficult to dodge such fast shots. But, she somehow made it. Geh, seriously? But okay, she''s low. Lars chased his prey. Kai was at 20% HP while Lars was completely healthy at 100%. So, he gotta go in and get that kill! Damn, this is bad. Kai turned around and booted Burning Spirit. She had to concede she had no chance right now. Its not like Kai was weaker than that guy or anything, its just that the enemy caught her at a disadvantageous position. Therefore, this called for a tactical retreat. You ain''t gonna get away, yo! Lars chased and landed a shot on her back. Ez hit. I remember the timing for these. Kai repeated in her head to confirm: wait, wait, dodge. There was nothing she could do about the first shot, but from now she had the timing down for all the upcoming shots. Therefore, shell dodge everything and get away alive! Okay! Lars fired again... but he missed! What the-!? I swear, this Pyros sidesteps are outta this world! She got your pattern down, Yuel explained. You should delay your shots to mix up the timing. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Yeah, I was getting that feeling too, Lars waited a brief moment before firing the third bullet. Right there! The Pyromancer moved! If Lars fired quickly like usual, he probably would have missed. So, thats your game. Lars grinned. No idea how ya doing it, but its sick! Not gonna work on my 200% Accuracy, tho. Bam! Headshot! Wha-!? Kai exclaimed. Again? Did I mistime it? Or, did he delay on purpose? Either way, this is bad news. Kai was down to 8% HP. One more headshot will seal the deal. Alternatively, two normal shots would do. So, she absolutely had dodge all incoming shots no matter what. One more headshot and it''s over! Lars licked his lips. He just had to catch up to her with a roll and then he gonna be ready to deliver the finishing blow! The Viking might get there soon, Yuel warned. Be ready to escape after you get the kill. The Viking? Lars''s brain stopped for a moment. He glanced at the corner of the jungle and saw the figure of the Viking. If Lars dives any further into enemy territory, he might get the kill, But, then he''ll have to 1v1 that Viking. It gonna be a nasty fight. He might die. Even worse, what if he fails to get the kill after rolling? Then, this entire play gonna be a waste and he gonna find himself dead. It''ll be exactly like these traps he was repeatedly running into during the selection match. Every time, he chased Ellen thinking he gonna get that sweet kill but instead he wound up dead with zero kills. Should he chase this kill anyway? This Pyromancer has already dodged a bunch of his shots, so theres no guarantee he''ll land the next shot after the roll. Itd be easy on PC, but on tablet it was iffy. So, this play might be suicide. Geh, what was the right course of action!? Damn, if only his ult was online right now, then it''d be a guaranteed hit... While he was racking his brain over it, his fingers came to a halt on their own. He didn''t dare to chase any further. This was a risky play. Its the kind of play that cost games. If only Lars didn''t take so many risks during the selection match, he and Yuel would have been on StormBlitz''s first-string right now. So, no. He wont chase. Lars turned around retreated. Youre giving it up? Yuel asked. Y-Yeah, Lars produced a dry laugh. That Pyro is slick, so she might dodge my next few shots. I shouldn''t overextend like that with the Viking around the corner, right? Gotta play smart and stuff. Well, that''s certainly the safer approach, but... Yuel wasn''t sure what to say. The prey was right within Lars''s grasps. One or two more shots and Lars would have gotten this kill. Its true that Kai has successfully dodged many of Lars''s shots so far, but she probably wouldn''t have been able to estimate the timing for Lars''s shot after a roll. Therefore, chasing all the way shouldve been a safe bet. However, Yuel was basing all of that on empirical evidence. He didnt know for sure how Kai managed to dodge all these shots, so maybe he was wrong about Larss chances. Still, the risk-reward ratio heavily leaned in Lars''s favor. Even in case Lars failed to get the kill, he wouldn''t have had much trouble retreating because Vincents ult was on cooldown. So, at best, Lars would have gotten a kill there and, at worst, he would have retreated without receiving much damage. Nevertheless, Lars decided to retreat right away. The ever-hungry beast gave up on his meal just like that. Whats next? Are elephants gonna rain from the sky? Then again, maybe thats the mentality they should adopt from on: less risk, more reward. If a play might lead to disaster, they should avoid it unless they were 99% sure they were going to nail it. If they play safe like this, the enemy won''t be able to exploit their aggressiveness anymore. So, in the end, perhaps Lars made the right call after all. Whaaaaaaat? Vincents jaw dropped as he arrived on the lane. Gunz didn''t go for the kill? But, the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse... This match was so weird. The Golden Duo was definitely as strong as he remembered them, but they were missing that spark they showed during the scrimmage with the Leopards. In this match, Chessmaster and Gunz played very reservedly. It didnt mean they were playing bad because, despite everything, they were still holding the upper hand. Nonetheless, it felt wrong somehow. The Golden Duo falls into a slump!? Vincent came up with a clickbait title for an article that would have definitely hit over a thousand clicks if Chessmaster and Gunz were celebrities. Though, even if they were, Vincent could never bring himself to post such a thing... Enough, enough. Focus on the game. Vincent shook his head. The problems of the Golden Duo werent his concern right now. None of that changed the fact they were strong adversaries and Vincent had to do his best to beat them, even though he knew it was futile. That damn Gunslinger... Kai muttered. Her eyes glinted like a polished dagger. There it is, the Pheromone Buster. Vincent smiled wryly. He knew that even though Kai slipped away alive, that 1v1 must have been embarrassing for her because Gunz basically ran all over her. This girl won''t let that stand. Therefore, that triggered the Pheromone Buster! It was a special ability akin to a berserker switch. Sometimes it worked in Kais favor by giving her great strength, but other times it blew up in her face. Which one will it be this time? Welp, with Chessmasters Mystical Eyes of Weakness Perception in play... This sure gonna be interesting! More scoop for Vincent to write about! After Kai healed up at the base and returned to lane, Pheromone Buster was in full effect and it was immediately apparent. Instead of maintaining a safe distance from her enemies as a Pyromancer should, she advanced to the frontline way too often to intimidate and poke. Kai was out for blood. Yo, Lars grumped as he retreated from the Pyromancer''s range again per Yuel''s order. This dude is pushing it. Can I just go at her? Hmm, Yuel tried to process what was happening. Ever since that 1v1, the Pyromancer''s game plan shifted drastically. She was no longer playing the safe spacing game Yuel praised before. Instead, Kai was advancing to the frontline as if trying to pick a fight. What was the strategy behind it? This had to be some sort of adjustment from the enemy''s side, right? After all, Yuel and Lars have been dominating the lane from early into the game, so the enemy must have switched to a more aggressive game plan. It wasnt a bad idea to be more aggressive, but was that the entirety of the enemys plan? Because, if so... They''re not initiating a real fight. This was very confusing. The Viking closely followed the Pyromancer like a bodyguard but he didn''t initiate any attacks. Any scary offense from that duo would have to start with the Viking initiating, but there were no signs of any of that coming. It felt like Kai was trying to push offense while Vincent was trying to maintain defense. There was a mismatch of interests. Was it some sort of trap? Were the enemy trying to lure Yuel and Lars into something? Yuel couldn''t tell. The Pyromancer''s careless advances left multiple holes in her defense, but Yuel wasn''t sure whether they should go ahead and strike those. Was it even necessary to do anything about it? Even though the Pyromancer was intimidating them, it wasn''t like these advances helped the enemy win lane control. Yuel instructed Lars to poke Kai whenever she advanced to clear minions, so she couldn''t stay on the frontline for long without eating damage. So, if Kai keeps going like this, shell eventually burn herself out. But, that was the bare minimum. Yuel saw multiple lines of plays he could go for to exploit flaws in the enemy''s formation even further and assuredly get a kill on Kai. However, he didn''t bring them up. There was no reason to take unnecessary risks when they could just slowly and surely grind their enemy to dust. Let''s keep poking her, Yuel said. I see some ways to go in for a kill, but they might be luring us into some sort of trap. I don''t see a reason to take the risk. Yeah, sounds smart, Lars agreed, as uncharacteristic as it was. If even Lars wasn''t gung-ho about going for a kill here, then Yuel definitely had no reason to go overboard. They should just take this game slowly and beat their opponents into submission step by step. Tch, they always run, Kai clicked her tongue. What a bunch of wusses. That''s so odd, Vincent tilted his head. Kai had many openings in her defense while under the effect of Pheromone Buster, so Chessmaster should''ve made a move by now. Even though Vincent has been doing his best to cover up for Kai, he was far from boasting godlike defense like Aegis. Therefore, Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception should''ve discovered something by now. Can''t you initiate already? Kai asked. I can, Vincent said. But, remember what happened last time? How do you suppose I get in their face without having the tables turned on me? Git gud. Of course, the one and only answer to every video gaming problem, Vincent chuckled and shook his head. I''m searching for openings. But, their formation is so tight they must be the reincarnations of legendary Roman soldiers. If you got any bright ideas, Im all ears. ... not really, Kai had to admit the enemy was playing solid. Her aggression didn''t shake their formation at all and didn''t create any openings for an initiation. The two guys just kept playing the patience game and spaced Kai out. No balls, huh. In the end, the entire 2v2 match transformed into a battle of attire. Kai pushed and pushed and pushed as hard as she could, but the enemy spaced her out and poked her to oblivion. Eventually, she had to give up and return to base. Naturally, the enemy used that opportunity to push hard. After this pattern repeated itself enough, Yuel and Lars eventually sealed the deal. VICTORY The usual message popped with fireworks and confetti to celebrate the occasion. But, it felt hollow somehow. We won, right? Lars asked. I believe so, Yuel nodded. Look, the message says we won, right? Yeah, seems about right... Yes, they definitely won. They played the patience game and overpowered their opponents through counter picking and coordination. They could''ve gone for stronger plays but they still won, so that didn''t matter, right? Right... With this awkward feeling, the friendly match reached its conclusion. Vol.6 Ch.15: The First Step Toward the Competitive Scene After the 2v2 was over, everybody gathered at the center of the basement room. Good game, Vincent congratulated everybody with a smile that looked a little forced. Yeah, good game, my dudes. Lars followed up. Good game, Yuel followed the protocol even though that wasn''t exactly what he''d call a good game. He and Lars shouldve completely stomped their opponents to prove their skill but none of that happened this match. Bad game, Kai was the only one to speak her mind. I got bodied pretty hard there. Good spacing and defense, bastards. Nobody retorted to these words. Everybody shifted their eyes away to not deal with this statement. It pretty much summarized how everybody felt about this match. It was one-sided aggression from Kai and Vincent. Meanwhile, Yuel and Lars just played defense until the opponent made an obvious mistake which was easy to punish. But, these were details. The fact was: Yuel and Lars won. They proved they were the stronger Bot duo. That should be enough to convince Kai. Considering we won, Yuel started. Don''t you think it''s better if Lars and I play Bot on the team? Not at all, Kai shrugged. It was just one game. You were alright, but nothing outta this world. I''m sure I can get you next time. C''mon, dude, Lars objected. We totally dominated that game. Were the best duo! Not really. We just lost at the selection screen, thats all. You did a good job counter picking, I''ll give you that. Hey, that''s rude, Lars insisted. We totally played better. Didn''t feel that way to me, Kai stuck to her guns. But yeah, you''re not bad. If you can play other roles this well, you gonna get spots on the main team for sure. But, that''s shit, yo! Lars exploded. We''re one of the best Bot duos you''ll ever see! We gotta be playing- It''s fine, Yuel placed a hand on Lars''s shoulder. We can also play Top and Mid, but Support and Carry are where we''re at our best. Okay then, Kai nodded. Then, our current formation will look something like this: Me and Vincent in Bot, you guys in Mid and Top and... I guess Luke will do as a Jungler. Kai had a difficult expression for a moment but then sighed like she accepted reality. Anyway, Kai continued. Let''s wrap it up for today. Yeah, I second that, Vincent nodded repeatedly. Man, Im done from all that cleaning. I''m telling you, the human race wasn''t made for such labor. Were intellectuals, we''re born to sit in comfy chairs all day. That''s the destiny of our species! That''s just you being a lazy ass, Kai remarked. Everybody left the basement clubroom and Kai locked up. Club activities only officially start next week, Vincent explained on the way to the surface. So, we don''t have a real schedule for now. How about we meet after school every day? Yuel suggested. Every day? That may be a stretch for some... I like that, Kai said. We gotta train hard if we wanna get past the first round. Or to win the regionals, Yuel raised the bar. Passing the first round meant nothing. He didn''t care Stratus was a low tier team with a weak history. Yuel had to win the regionals no matter what, or else his Classmancers career will be in danger. By the way, Kai said. About the roles, I don''t mind trying Yuel as Support. Huh? Everybody replied with a puzzled expression. I mean, you saw how this clown plays Support, right? Kai pointed at Vincent. No initiative at all. Hey, hey, hey, Vincent objected. I was playing it smart to not get us killed. It was the ultimate plan! The ultimate defeat plan, yes. Geh, thats mean... Vincent twisted his lips. But honestly, you got a point. Yuel is the Elite Support here, so if you form a duo and practice I think you can make a better duo than we are right now. And, I''ll get to play Top so I wont have to babysit anymore. Are you implying something? Nothing, nothing, Vincent whistled innocently. Okay, so it''s decided then! Kai and Yuel will be the Bot duo. Let''s not jump to conclusions, Yuel objected. It was undeniable that Yuel would contribute the team much more as a Support than as a Top Laner, regardless of whom he was paired with. But, if he just goes and accepts this offer... What? Lars asked. No, nothing, Yuel shifted his eyes away. This was a sticky situation. Yuel wanted to play Bot with Lars more than with anything, but if push comes to shove and the captain refuses to hand over her precious Carry role... The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. We need to test the various arrangements first, Yuel said. After we play some Ranked, we''ll get a better idea how to compose the main team. Sounds reasonable, Vincent nodded. As expected from Chessmaster, always the logical one! I''ll make sure to play like Bronze tier so I get switched out of Support, haha. I''ll kill you, Kai shot a glare. Everybody laughed. They parted ways with Kai at the gate but Vincent stuck around for a while longer. About that match, Vincent started. You guys played fine, but I''ll be honest: it wasn''t that inspiring. What''s that supposed to mean? Yuel raised an eyebrow. When I watched you play against the Leopards, you guys kicked some serious ass. You were the Golden Duo! The unstoppable force! The young athletes who''ll change this town forever! But, in this game? You were just alright. Like, still good, but not really amazing, know what I mean? No idea, Yuel scoffed. We played in a way that secured victory while minimizing risks. If you think that''s not the right way to play, then you simply don''t understand how the game works. That''s not what I mean, but... Hmm... Vincent produced some thinking noises. Alright, let''s leave it at that. I''m turning here, so see you guys tomorrow. They parted ways with Vincent and headed toward the bus station. The entire time, the loud goof hasn''t uttered a single word. Even now, that they were alone, there was nothing but silence. You okay? Yuel asked. Yeah, Lars answered. Except, I don''t get it, dude. Why the heck did ya give up on our roles so easily? What was that shit? I didn''t give up on anything. I''m still going to push so that both of us play Bot together. Then, why not give it to them straight? We hafta make Kai change her mind and let us play. Yes, we''ll do that. But, I figured there''s no need to rush it, Yuel explained. After today''s match, Kai recognizes that our Challenger rank isnt for show. That earned us guaranteed spots on the team, which is already more than we had in StormBlitz. Yeah, but these spots ain''t Bot roles. Yeah, for now, Yuel said. Kai really wants to play Carry and shes a tough nut to crack. But, if we keep showing her what we can do, eventually she''ll have to give in. She wants the team to win at the regionals, so well have to prove her it''s absolutely necessary for the two us to play Bot if she wants the team to keep advancing. Oh, so we playing the long game here, Lars nodded. Okay, gotcha. Basically, we gotta keep kicking butts and show off how good we are. Yeah, basically. This feels so unfair, tho, Lars pouted. Why everybody wanna play Bot so much? Like, c''mon, there are five roles in the game, ya know? Carry is a special role, it''s all in the name, Yuel said. In a way, Carry is like the ace of the team. Isn''t that the reason you play it too? Nah, I just like shooting stuff. You can shoot stuff as Mid too. Yeah, but your shots dont do much. You cant just walk into somebody face and go like BANG BANG BANG in their face. Ya only got a couple of spells that deal super damage and those are savage, but the basics are kinda lame. I see, Yuel nodded. In other words, Lars liked playing marksmen the most because they made the game resemble a shooter. While there were some selfish players like Taison who were mesmerized by the ace status of Carry, Lars just wanted to have fun with the role that worked best for him. Not gonna lie, tho, Lars added. Being able to quickly take down the towers and push for the win is hella cool too. So yeah, I love that feeling of powah too. Understandable, Yuel nodded. It was a similar but still very different from what Yuel was talking about. Lars probably didn''t care as much about the social position that came with being the Carry because he was always in the center of attention anyway. Lars used to be the ace of his basketball team too, so its like he was born into playing such roles in every game. He always got that position without even going out of his way to pursue it. It''s like being born into a rich family and never being concerned with earning money because its always available. On the other hand, Kai felt like a poor person who stumbled upon a treasure chest and wanted to keep it to herself no matter what. Her obsession with the Carry role reminded of Taison. But, hopefully, her motivation wasn''t fueled by a cheap desire to show off. Either way, the fact remained that Kai was standing in the way of Yuel and Lars''s ambitions. She was the captain and she was hellbent on being the Carry. The initial impression from the 2v2 was that Kai was a solid player without any glaring weaknesses. However, she wasn''t as skilled as Lars. So, she might outdo the goof in terms of game knowledge and occasional decision-making, but she didnt have enough overwhelming strength to rival the wild beast. In time, Kai will surely come to accept that. Once the team starts losing in official scrimmages, Kai will come to understand the extent of her skill and that Lars was better suited to be the teams Carry. But, Lars started. What if Kai gonna insist on being Carry? Whatcha gonna do then? Play Support for her? That''s... A question Yuel didn''t want to deal with. Especially, because there was a possibility of that happening with how stubborn Kai was. Objectively, Yuel should play Support regardless of whether his lane partner was Lars or Kai. He was confident he''ll contribute to the team much more as a Support than as a Top Laner. Even Vincent, the current Support, agreed 100% with that sentiment. However, subjectively, this was a nasty decision to make. It felt like betraying his partnership with Lars. They talked before about how each of them should always aim to be the best in his own role even when the other wasnt around, but this just felt wrong. I don''t know, Yuel admitted. We''ll just have to make sure it doesn''t reach that point. Yeah, sounds about right, Lars thrust a fist. C''mon dude, let''s do it! We gonna win our spots and win the revenge match against Athena and Aegis! After that, we gonna become da best in the world! Shooting far, huh, Yuel smiled wryly and bumped fists. They made a small step today but a very important one. The circumstances surrounding the transfer and the club were far from ideal, but at least their situation was far better than before. In StormBlitz, they would have spent this entire year being stuck on the bench. Meanwhile, in Stratus, they have already secured themselves spots on the first-string on day one. All there was left to make this perfect was getting their Support and Carry roles. Then, they''ll be in a position to win matches against other teams from the region and eventually reach the revenge match against StormBlitz. This time, Yuel and Lars will defeat Howard and Ellen! At first, there was doubt about how far Yuel and Lars will be able to pull a weak team like Stratus. But, surprisingly, the team members Yuel met so far were rather competent. Kai was a solid Diamond quality player who clearly didn''t get to that rank from being carried by others. For the first half of their match, her positioning and decision making were airtight, to the point Yuel couldnt find a single weakness to exploit. And, despite being a total clown, Vincent exhibited sharp judgment and careful planning. Such high quality was far from how Yuel imagined Stratus, the lowly team that always got eliminated during the first round of the regionals. With Yuel and Lars added on top of these two, together theyve already formed a solid four-man team. They needed just one more skilled member and their team will have a real chance of aiming to the top! Vol.6 Ch.16: Luke, the Meme Jedi On the second day of school, the Classmancers club gathered in the basement room again. Yuel, Lars, Kai, Vincent, and one more guy. Heya, The guy saluted with a smile. The name''s Luke. Yo, dude. Im Lars. Yuel. So, Luke grinned. I heard you hacked your way into the club? I thought selections are like next week. We''re just guaranteed to pass, Yuel explained. We''re Challenger rank, so you''ll be hard-pressed to find any freshmen who are higher than that. Whoa, Challenger!? Luke jumped. ... how high was that again? Is it higher Diamond? Yes, it''s higher Diamond, Yuel retorted sharply. What kind of question was that? Everybody knew the ranks went from Platinum to Diamond to Challenger. I have a bad feeling about this... Yeah, dude, Lars tuned in. How ya don''t know that? Challenger is like top tier, yo. Yeah, sure sounds like it, Luke nodded. I just don''t really remember all the ranks that are far above my own LUL. Far above? Yuel''s fears began turning into reality. What rank you are? I''m stuck in like Gold II, I think. You think? Yeah, I don''t really keep track, haha. Ranked is for tryhards, man. .................... Yuel just stood there like a short-circuited robot. He had no idea how to respond to this absurdity. Ranked was for tryhards? Then, what did this guy think about the competitive scene? Seriously, this guy... So, Lars took over the conversation because Yuel''s brain stopped working. What role ya play? Whichever role I feel like that day, Luke shrugged. What do you mean whichever you feel? Yuel felt like he was about to blow up. Serious players should start off by maining a couple of roles to bring them up to a competitive level! Who recruited this guy!? You don''t have a main role? Yuel asked. Hmm, I guess you could say I play Top and Jungler the most. After all, that''s where all the spicy memes are at. Memes? Yuel was losing all hope in humanity. Calling people tryhards for paying Ranked and talking about memes... Yeah, it wasn''t hard to imagine at what level this guy was playing. How did he even get into the club? Well, this was Stratus, after all. It was the team that failed to pass the first round at tournaments for a reason. Luke must have gotten in because he had an alright rank during his first year, but he hasn''t made much progress since then. Considering the condition of this club, it wasn''t hard to imagine why. Doesn''t seem like Bob is coming today, Kai gathered everybody. We got five people, so let''s go to Ranked as a team. Roger! Luke saluted and leaped on one of the two computers in the room. First! I''mma play on this one! That left only one other computer available. Fortunately, Yuel already predicted this situation and prepared for it. You brought your laptop, right? Yuel asked Lars just to be sure. Yep, Lars took out his fancy gaming laptop out of the bag. Good call telling me to bring it. I dont wanna go through all that controller aiming nonsense again. I hope you didn''t forget the charger? ... Whoops. As always, huh, Yuel shook his head. Meh, it gonna be fine. Gonna last me at least two hours. Just make sure to check the battery isnt about to run out before we queue. We don''t need a deserter. Yes, mom, Lars chuckled while installing his laptop on a desk. He connected his wireless basketball-skinned mouse and was ready to go. According to Lars, the laptops thin keyboard apparently wasn''t as nice as his PCs keyboard. But, overall, his performance on the laptop was on par with his strong PC performance. Today, by playing on a laptop, he should be able to put on a strong performance thatll convince Kai. I wish I had a good laptop like this. Yuel sighed. He could ask his mom to buy one, but if he tells her its for Classmancers, shell give him the evil eye for sure. So, Yuel just sucked it up and played on tablet when there was no PC available. But, no matter how used he got to playing on tablet, there was no beating playing a MOBA on PC. Can I use the remaining PC? Yuel asked. Fine by me, Kai shrugged. I like controller better anyway. I prefer PC but I''m fine with a controller too, Vincent nodded. And so, it was decided. Yuel and Luke used the basements computers whereas Lars was on his fancy laptop. The rest were on tablets. It was weird to play on such a mixture of platforms. Compared to this poor arrangement, the 15 oldie PCs they had in StormBlitz looked like a luxury. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Yo, I cant connect, Lars pouted. Yuel, do something. Make this dude work. Let me see, Yuel checked the connection error Lars was getting. It seemed to be an internet issue. There was no option to connect the laptop with an ethernet cable, so Lars had to rely on the schools wifi. The laptop properly recognized the wifi and Lars even successfully logged into the wifi on his own, but the reception was poor. Even normal internet didnt work for him. It must be the Ultimate Anti-Signal door again, Vincent opened the basements door wide. Surprisingly, that helped. The wifi still only had 4 bars, but it was good enough. The group formed a party and queued into Ranked together. The matchmaking was probably going to be wild. It had to find fitting opponents for a mixed team that had anything from Gold to Challenger in it. What criteria was it even going to use to search for a good match? This was surely about to be clown fiesta. We have to decide our roles, Yuel pointed out while they were waiting. Right, Kai said. I''m Carry. Who wants to be the Support? She threw glances at both Vincent and Yuel. Yuel said he was dreaming to do it, Vincent gave Yuel a pleading look. Yeaaaaah, no. I''ll take Top, Yuel said. You''ve been playing Bot together, so you''ll be a much better Support for her right now. Maybe Ill practice with her later, but first I want to see how we all perform in positions were comfortable with. Geh, okay, Vincent''s shoulders sunk. Guess its time to be blamed for everything. I''ll only blame you if you suck, Kai said. But, you always suck. Why thank you, that''s really encouraging. Everybody cracked a laugh. For the rest of the roles, it was decided Lars will be Mid and Luke will be Jungler. It was scary to entrust an important role like Jungler to a guy like Luke, but there was no other choice. A devastating defeat was incoming... After a while, the matchmaking finally matched them with somebody. As usual, when queuing up with a full team, it was likely to run into a full premade team. That was the most balanced way to go about it because cooperation and communication were more important than any disparity in ranks. A five-player premade got a huge advantage over a four-player premade by default and it was hard to compensate for that gap with something simple like a higher average rank. It was easy to tell the enemy team was premade because all the players there belonged to the same guild: TheRangers. They also all had golden names, which meant they were recognized as part of the competitive scene in one way or another. Perhaps they were another middle school club, though that name didn''t belong to any team from this region. Either way, they were likely going be tough opponents. Unfortunately, it was impossible to see their ranks because they set their accounts to private like most competitive players do to avoid being researched. Hopefully, that team wasnt made of strong competitive level players. Otherwise, this match will probably be very one-sided... Any other day, Yuel would want to play the absolute best opponents he could find. But, not right now with the current experimental lineup. Yuel and Lars weren''t at their strongest roles and were likely to mess up. They werent ready to face serious opponents yet. I feel like I haven''t played Mid in ages, Lars scrolled through the list of mages with a dumb smile. Yeah, its been a while since I played Top too, Yuel nodded. They played Mid and Top at the club throughout the year but, in the last two months, they focused exclusively on their main roles. They grinded in Ranked to reach Challenger IV and they prepared for the selection match against Howard and Ellen. There was no time to be distracted by secondary roles. If you think you''re rusty, Yuel said. Go with Aero. Hard to mess up too badly with it. Yeah, sounds good. Lars nodded and locked in Aeromancer. As for me, Yuel glanced at the enemys Knight pick. Assuming that was the enemy''s Top Laner, then Viking served as a decent counter. Viking was much stronger in combat once he got in and he could also poke Knight from afar with axe throws. On top of that, Viking could even chase a mounted Knight by sticking the axe on the Knight. With all that considered, Yuel went for the Viking pick. The enemy picked Lancer and Electromancer. The Electromancer was a direct counter-pick to Lars''s Aeromancer because Thunderstorm countered Hurricane quite heavily. However, aside from that one advantage, Electromancer didn''t have any particular advantages over the Aeromancer, so it wasn''t much of a deal. Lars shouldnt have much trouble warming up as Aeromancer in this matchup. Next, Kai picked Pirate. There was no particularly deep reasoning behind it. Pirate was just a solid pick overall and Kai seemed to like it. There was a chance the enemy would ban it during the second banning phase to prevent Yuel''s team from picking it, so it was a good call to pick it early. After the second banning phase was over, it was the turn of Yuels team again. You want to go first? Vincent asked Luke. Hmm, let''s see, Luke scrolled the list of classes. What do I feel like playing today? How about you check the enemy''s composition and try countering them? Yuel made a face but stayed quiet. It was the first time he was playing with this group, so he wanted to see how each of these guys was reasoning during drafting. So far, Luke was coming off as a Lars-level goof when it came to drafting. Maybe he was even worse... Oh, I know, Luke smirked. I feel like playing Rogue today. Excuse me? Yuel blurted before his brain even finished processing the information. Rogue, you know, Luke cracked a laugh. That stealth class that kinda exists but nobody on Ranked remembers it, haha. Nobody remembers it for a good reason, Yuel said. It''s a D tier class. It''s a meme. Yeah, that''s why it''s cool! Luke nodded. Memeing it out against tryhards is the best! This guy is giving me a headache. Yuel rubbed his temples. Memeing with Rogue? Against high ranks? What kind of absurdity was that? Even though this was just a warmup match to test the waters with this team, there were things Yuel couldn''t let stand. No need to worry, Vincent tuned in. Luke pretty much always goes for memes but he does just fine. After all, he''s the Meme Jedi! Oh, this is so reassuring. Yuel rolled his eyes. So, Luke was just a memer? Then, he was practically useless for competitive matches... Don''t worry, Vincent insisted. He''s one of these guys who take memeing seriously. Thats how he got promoted from being a Meme Jedi Knight to a Meme Jedi Master. His Rogue is actually pretty nasty. Is that so, Yuel lost the will to object. On a scale of one to ten, how much do I trust Vincent''s assessment? Somewhere around minus five thousand billion. So, we''re good? Luke checked with everybody. I''mma pick Rogue then. Wait, Yuel squeezed what little willpower he had left to prevent this match from becoming a total disaster. At least, save the Rogue for the last pick. Rogue already struggles enough as it is, so we dont want to let our opponents counter pick it.. Oh, smart, Luke nodded. If they pick something like Lumi itd be total ass. Then, Vincent said. I''ll go with Vanguard. After that, it was the enemy''s turn to pick their last two classes. They went for Elf and Cryomancer. Thankfully, they couldnt possibly guess that Luke was planning to go with Rogue, so they didnt pick any hard counters. A pick like Lumimancer couldve countered Rogue pretty hard with its ability to reveal enemies and blind everybody around him. So, by picking Rogue last, the team dodged that bullet. Okay, done, Luke locked-in Rogue with zero hesitation. The enemy team must be laughing right now, thinking this was some trollish insta-lock. Was there any chance this match won''t be a disaster? Vincent claimed that Luke was the Meme Jedi, which apparently implied the guy was amazing when playing memes. But, Vincent''s credibility was a flat zero, so... It felt like the loading screen was counting down until an embarrassing show begins.. The lineups: Yuel: Viking Lars: Aeromancer Luke: Rogue Kai: Pirate Vincent: Vanguard Enemy Top: Knight Enemy Mid: Electromancer Enemy Jungle: Lancer Enemy Carry: Elf Enemy Support: Cryomancer Vol.6 Ch.17: Warding Openings The club''s first match as a team began. The most important member to pay attention to was Luke. Not only because it was the first time Yuel saw Luke in action, but also because Luke picked Rogue of all things. According to Vincent, Luke''s Rogue was actually solid, but Yuel had his doubts. A Sentry Ward right off the bat? Yuel asked. Yep, Luke replied. Gotta make sure I got at least one safe route for approaching Mid. I see, Yuel wasn''t sure what to say. It didnt seem like a bad play but it was unconventional and therefore difficult to judge. A Sentry Ward had twice the cost of a basic Ward. Therefore, the typical approach was to use cheap Wards during the early-game and only start using Sentry Wards from around mid-game. Then, during late-game, warding always turned into a counter-warding war of Sentry Wards. Yet, Luke went ahead and purchased a Sentry Ward right at the beginning of the game. It was a peculiar move which, surprisingly, made some sense. The purpose of this early Sentry Ward was to counter Stealth Wards, which the enemy was undoubtedly going to purchase at some point to counter Rogues stealth. After all, using Stealth Wards was the 101 of countering any Jungler with stealth. At least, Luke is putting some thought into it. This was already more than Yuel expected. It showed Luke knew some Rogue tech which was only available to the high-level memers. Yuel considered similar openings for Rogue before but, generally speaking, it felt like the cost-reward wasnt in Rogues favor here. Still, it was good to know Luke had a game plan in mind. As for the other goof... Say, Lars titled his head. What do I buy with Aero? Two Wards or two MP Potions? Or, one of each? How did that thing go, again? He already forgot how to open the game as a Mid Laner? Yuel sighed. This was the birdbrain goof at its finest. Yuel even went through the trouble of creating a build preset for every class Lars played so that the goof wont need to stress over it, yet Lars still found a way to get lost in the options. Tell me, Yuel started. In what world would a Mid Laner begin the game without at least one ward? Oh, right, Lars nodded. My bad, was thinking as a Carry for a moment there, haha. Really now, a Yuel made a face. Well, it wasn''t exactly wrong. The Carry could open the game with anywhere between zero to two wards in the current meta, depending on how he agreed to split the burden of warding with the Support. However, for a Mid Laner, starting off with at least one ward was pretty much mandatory. Mid was the only lane that was sandwiched by jungle on both sides, so it was the most susceptible to ganks. Therefore, the Mid Laner was responsible for warding at least one side of it, while somebody else could land a hand on the other side. Or, depending on what the team agreed on, the Mid Laner might have to ward both sides himself. This was all elementary meta knowledge, but Lars clearly just followed Yuels presets without thinking much about them. That goof probably didn''t really understand the deeper meanings behind all these meta decisions. Sigh. Sometimes, I feel like I should babysit him less so he actually learns how to play. Yuel shook his head. When deciding whether you start with one or two wards, Yuel said. You need to consider whats more important: an MP Potion to outlast your lane opponent on lane or an extra ward to defend against ganks. Mhm, mhm, Lars nodded with profound understanding. So, how many wards I need? You didn''t even try to think about it! Yuel wanted to facepalm all the way through his skull. If you play it right, you should be able to outclear the Electromancer. This means, youll likely get many opportunities to advance up the lane and that means a higher chance of being ganked. Also, Aeromancers skills arent particularly costly and youll only need Whirlwind most of the time to clear minions. So, if you take all that into account, what do you think you need more? An MP Potion or a Ward? Hmm, that''s like some advanced math problem. Are you being serious right now? Yuel squinted his eyes. Haha, just kidding! Lars smacked Yuel on the shoulder. Of course I gotta buy... Potion of Strength! The only real answer. It gonna let me rek that dude real fast, yo! Really funny, Yuel rolled his eyes. While Lars was joking around, he properly bought a Ward as he should. It seemed the goof had at least a minimal level of common sense. They wasted quite some time on this banter but, fortunately, matches had a countdown until they truly began. So, that gave players enough time to prepare before minions spawned. Thanks to that, Lars wasnt going to lose anything of note from heading out of the base a little late. Still, there were some advantages to heading out of base early. It provided an opportunity to reach enemy territory early and sneak a ward onto their side of the map without their knowledge. A normal Ward couldn''t expose other wards, so the enemy wont be able to clear this early sneaky ward. However, it was rare to pull off this sneaky play without running into danger. So, it took a daredevil player to go for that line of play. Like, for example, a certain Rogue who bought boots and a Sentry Ward as soon as the game began and darted toward enemy jungle on his own. Where exactly are you going? Yuel asked. Told ya, Luke said. I gotta secure a safe ganking route. So, lemme just place this right here and get out. Perfect. Luke retreated from enemy territory as soon as he placed his Sentry Ward. Fortunately, he took precautions and entered stealth before venturing into enemy territory. Therefore, nobody caught him in action. With that stealth on, this was actually a relatively safe play. A bold play, but a safe one. The placing of the Sentry Ward was also on point. It was right in the middle of an important crossroad which was often warded by Mid Laners to defend against ganks. It was highly likely the enemy team will drop a ward there sooner than later. And, since Luke placed a Sentry Ward, his ward will expose whichever ward the enemy may place there. Thatll allow him to remove the enemy ward as soon as the laning phase begins. Not bad. Meme Jedi or not, Luke definitely had a thought-out game plan. It was more than could be said about a certain goof who couldn''t tell left from right unless Yuel held his hand. Sigh. Hehe, gottem, Luke smirked as his Sentry Ward revealed the enemy Electromancer heading into the jungle. As expected, the enemy placed a ward there and it was a Stealth Ward. That''s 80 gold down the drain for ya, pal. Luke plucked out the Stealth Ward. That alerted the enemy about the presence of a Sentry Ward in that spot but there was absolutely nothing they could do about it right now. In theory, somebody on their team could earn 120 gold and immediately return to base and buy a Sentry Ward to counter Lukes Sentry Ward, but that was too inefficient of a play when the laning phase just began. Whoever was going to volunteer for that back-and-forth play was guaranteed to miss out on some important early-game farm. Not to mention, unlike a Stealth Ward, a Sentry Ward couldnt reveal stealthed players. So, even if the enemy counter Lukes Sentry Ward with a Sentry Ward of their own, the end result will remain that the area wont be protected from stealthed ganks. So, it was still a win situation for Luke anyway. Considering all that, the enemy probably wont do anything about Lukes Sentry Ward. It wasnt worth the effort. Especially, not for countering a meme like Rogue. However, by not securing a Stealth Ward in such a critical spot, the Mid Laner left himself open to stealth ganks that could sneak up to him at any point. In other words, Mid Lane was completely exposed from Top Jungles side and the poor Electromancer will have to live in constant fear of Rogue ganks. Yuel should definitely arrange a gank there at the first opportunity that presents itself. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it If Howard was in charge of the enemy team, would he have insisted to counter that Sentry Ward? Yuel smiled wryly as a pointless thought passed by. He shook his head and concentrated on the enemy Knight on his lane. Knight''s passive, Chivalry, slightly increased the defense of nearby minions. As a result, the Knight had a lane advantage over Yuels Viking by default. Therefore, if Yuel only focuses on clearing minions, the Knight and his buffed minions will overwhelm him. Instead, Yuel made sure to harass the Knight from range. Every time the Knight stepped too close to the frontline, Yuel tossed an axe at the guy. The axe stuck itself deep into the Knight''s armor and dealt damage over time, as well as slowed down the Knight''s movement. However, such aggression didn''t go by unnoticed. The Knight''s loyal minions responded to such assaults by focusing their fire on Yuel. They abandoned their fight with Yuel''s minions and rushed to strike Yuel down. However, that was all part of the plan. While the enemy minions were busy running forward to reach Yuel, they weren''t attacking anybody during that time period. On the other hand, Yuel''s minions continued focusing their fire on the enemy minions. Especially, the bowmen weren''t affected by the enemy''s movements at all. In fact, they welcomed the enemy''s advance because it just made their lives that much easier. The closer the enemy got, the easier it was to snipe them. On top of all these advantages, this game plan also drew all the minions to Yuel''s side of the lane. They got too far away from the Knight, so his Chivalry effect didnt reach them. If the Knight wanted to maintain the Chivalry aura on them, hed have to advance on the lane to the point of overextending. However, only a fool would wander into the Viking''s domain like that. If the Knight dares to come any closer, Yuel will catch him with Takedown and toss the fool into the Turret''s range. That should easily convert into a kill. If not, it''ll at least bring the Knight low enough to force him to recall. In that case, Yuel will win the lane. This Knight seemed to understand all of that, so he obediently waited for the minions to come to him. Itd be great if Yuel could score a kill or two with this simple tactic, but at the same time, that''d make the match a little boring. Where was the fun when his lane opponent couldnt pose a challenge? The only downside to Yuels game plan was that the enemy minions managed to sneak a few shots on him. However, it was a small price to pay compared to the huge lane advantage he was going to win from this exchange. Not to mention, Viking''s passive, Battle Ecstasy, boosted his power and defense depending on how much HP he lost. So, being bold and aggressive like that actually played to Viking''s strengths. Once Yuel finished clearing the enemy minions on his side of the lane, he advanced toward the enemy side along with the few minions who survived the clash. Naturally, the enemy Knight had no choice but retreat to his Turret. There was nothing that guy could do alone against Yuel and his brigade. While the Knight was hugging his Turret, Yuel used this time to venture into the enemy jungle and drop a ward at an important crossroad. Three paths converged on that crossroad: one leading to Top, one leading to the enemys Wolf Camp and another leading to the enemys Wraith Camp. By gaining vision over such a tactical area, Yuel will know when the enemy Jungler was nearby. Whether the Jungler was just farming camps or coming to the lane for a gank, Yuel will be able to tell with this one ward. It was a critical meta ward that was pretty much placed by every Top Laner. In fact, the enemy Knight has most likely already placed a similar ward on Yuel''s side of the jungle while Yuel was busy luring all the minions to his side. Yuel already informed the team of this possibility, especially Luke who was the most likely to pass through that area while jungling. After placing down this important ward, Yuel immediately returned to lane as if nothing happened. I just stepped into the jungle for a moment and then returned. Nothing suspicious. Of course, any experienced player could tell Yuel went to place a ward, but the enemy had no proof. Maybe Yuel just pretended he went to place a ward but he actually hasn''t done anything? On high-level of play, such mind games were a legit tactic. Every bit of paranoia a play could seed in the opponents mind was useful. Even though he returned to lane, he couldnt help his minions much with the push. They got a few hits on the enemy Turret, but the Turret bombarded them while the Knight cut them down. Needless to say, the little guys didn''t last long. However, brought the towers HP down by about 5%. It was better than nothing. If Yuel keeps getting opportunities like this every time, he and his minions will eventually shave off all of the tower''s HP. During the second minion wave, Yuel repeated the exact same routine. He threw an axe at the Knight, which drew the enemy minions to his territory. There, he finished them off with the help of his minions. Once he won the exchange, he advanced all the way to the enemy Turret area together with his minions. However, he didn''t dare to step into the Turret''s firing range. The Turrets bolts dealt devastating damage during the early-game because players had a low level, so Yuel didnt want to take the risk. Nevertheless, his presence all the way out here was of utmost importance. By advancing all the way out here with his little army, Yuel pressured the opponent into retreating all the way to the Turret. Without Yuel leading this herd, the Knight might have chosen to clash with the minions in the middle of the lane to halt their advance. That would have cost him some HP but he would have gained more exp and gold and would have prevented any damage from reaching his tower. That''s why Yuel traveled to the very border of the enemy''s tower and stared down his opponent. It was nothing more than pressure but it worked. The Knight could try to retaliate, but that was ill-advised against a Viking and this Knight was smart enough to understand that. Speaking of pressure from afar, there was somebody who could apply great pressure on Yuel in the current situation: the enemy Jungler. Yuel was extending deep into enemy territory. So, if the Lancer were to pop out of the jungle right now, Yuel would have a very bad time. And indeed, just as Yuel checked the mini-map, the ward he placed revealed the Lancer hanging out nearby in the jungle. Based on the direction the Lancer was moving in, it was likely the Lancer was heading toward the lane. This was the right time to scoot. By the time the Lancer reached Top Lane, Yuel has already retreated all the way to his side of the lane. Sorry, no dice. Yuel wasn''t going to be caught by such a low effort gank. The Lancers presence applied enough pressure made him retreat but that''s all he was going to get out of that play. And honestly, even as a pressuring tactic, this Lancer''s play was on the weaker side. He didnt have to walk all the way to the lane. Yuel shook his head. The Lancer should have realized he won''t be getting any kills as soon as Yuel began retreating. At that point, the Jungler''s presence has ready served its purpose as a pressure tool, so there was no reason for him to keep traveling toward the lane. It was a waste of his precious time as a Jungler. I wish I could see his rank. Yuel''s team was a mish-mash of different ranks, so theres a good chance the system matched them against a team with a similar salad of ranks. If so, this Lancer might be among the lower ranks on the enemy team. Thats something to keep in mind. If enough evidence accumulates to suggest that this Lancer was the enemys weakest link, itll be a good idea to focus him first. The next minion wave arrived. This time, the Knight decided to switch things up. He was fed up with Yuels aggro tactics, so provoked Yuels minions with Honorable Duel before Yuel got to execute his usual plan. The provoke effect made the minions focus the Knight, so he retreated toward his side of the lane to lure them away, similar to Yuels tactic. Two can play this game! See? I can lure minions too! Thats probably what the Knight was thinking right now. His play was essentially a copy of how Yuel has been handling the past two waves. However, there was one key difference. Unlike the Knight, Yuel wasnt afraid to advance along the lane with his minions. A nice try but you chose poorly. Yuel smiled meaningfully. It was cute how the Knight tried to switch things up this round but that only made him fall into Yuels trap. This was a great opportunity for Yuel to press onward and deliver a devastating blow. He chased the retreating Knight and threw an axe at the guy. The axe dug deep into the Knights armor and got stuck in it. Now, it was time to activate the follow-up skill: Axe Blitz! Yuel blinked across the lane and appeared right in the Knights face. Now, both Yuel and all his minions were about to run over the Knight! If Yuel had access to his ult, he could summon additional soldiers and this would have turned into a complete slaughter. Unfortunately, he was still at Lv.4, so he had to make do with the manpower he had at hand. The Knight realized the danger and tried to dash away with Shield Bash, but Yuel was faster. He already buffered the input for his Takedown during the blinking animation, so it came out as soon as Yuel appeared in front of the Knight. The Knight began transitioning into the dashing animation of Shield Bash, but the Viking wrapped his arms around the enemys metal armor and slammed the Knight into the ground. It dealt sizeable damage and dazed the Knight, making him recover slowly from this assault. So, for a brief moment, the Knight was completely vulnerable. In that short period of time, all of Yuels minions caught to the Knight and were ready to strike. A flurry of slashes and shots followed! Yuel slashed, his swordsmen slashed and his bowmen fired. There was no mercy to be found in this gang assault. Yuel also made sure to body-block the Knights escape route, so the Knight had a hard time retreating from the scene. Shield Bash was on cooldown because Yuels Takedown interrupted it after it was already activated, so the Knight''s only real option was to slowly run away while being swarmed from all sides. The Knight could use his Noble Steed to ride away but thatd suicide. Hed receive extra damage while mounting the steed, so all many attacks hitting him would become even more devastating. Hed die on the spot. Yuel half-hoped the Knight would commit this mistake. But, for the better or the worse, this Knight was more competent than and simply rolled past Yuels body-blocking. Hes not bad. Yuel nodded to himself. If he rolled away just a little earlier, he might have gotten away. But, hes done for. You have killed an enemy! FIRST BLOOD! Yuel drew the first blood of the match, so the team was off to a strong start in Top Lane. However, how will Lars fare as a Mid Laner? And, what else will Luke bring to the table with his high-level memeing? The answers to these questions will dictate the direction this match will take. Vol.6 Ch.18: Educated Memeing Lars started the match off on the wrong foot. It seemed the goof has completely forgotten what it meant to be a Mid Laner, to the point he wasnt sure whether he should buy a ward at game start. On top of that, he wasn''t sure where to best place his ward and had to consult Yuel on that as well. All of this created a very concerned image. There was no doubt the goof will mess something up really bad, or so Yuel thought. Surprisingly, once Lars actually arrived on the lane, he was like a changed man. Lars cast Whirlwind at the perfect spot to make it hit both the enemy swordsmen on the front and the enemy bowmen on the back. The whirlwind was just barely wide enough to cover the entire minion wave but Lars placed it almost perfectly. His aim was slightly off on the first minion wave and one bowman escaped the reach of his whirlwind, but Lars corrected his mistake right away on the following wave. Not only that, but he always cast Whirlwind preemptively before the two minion waves clashed in the middle of the lane. Normally, players waited for the minion waves to assume their combat positions and then placed their Whirlwind accordingly. That ensured they could properly summon the whirlwind in the right area. But, not this guy. Lars summoned the wind just briefly before the minions arrived and made sure the whirlwind will hit the entire wave once it grows to its full size. By doing so, Lars optimized his wave clearing speed. It made his wave clearing about one second faster. That didn''t sound like the most impressive thing in the world but, on high levels of play, such a difference could be huge. Clearing the lane just a couple of seconds faster than the opponent opened the door to many opportunities. However, Lars didn''t stop there. He followed up on his Whirlwind with quick basic attacks and didn''t drop a single shot despite moving around to juke enemy shots, as expected from the 200% accuracy sniper. He was shooting nonstop without ever lifting his finger from the left mouse button, yet each and every shot connected. If Yuel attempted such a stunt, he''d undoubtedly miss at least 70% of the shots. And thats why I don''t play Carry. Yuel smiled wryly. He had more than another trouble landing one quick shot without lifting his finger, so many of these in a row would probably even miss against a stationary target. Not to mention, Lars wasn''t just shooting fast without a plan. He made sure to mix up his targets to not miss any last-hits. He fired at every swordsman to bring them all low and then he last-hit each of them in order. The ongoing ticks of damage from whirlwind helped him secure the last hits on the entire wave. All in all, this was an amazing display of how to do laning right as an Aeromancer. Yuel was proud. Nowadays, everybody naturally expected Lars to be this efficient with his last hits while farming, but it wasnt always like this. It took Yuel a long time to drill the importance of efficient farming into Lars. It almost felt like converting a non-believer. But, once Lars FINALLY developed the correct mindset, the result was nigh flawless execution. At some point, Lars no longer had to think about last-hits anymore. He just practicing farming routines until it became second nature for him to deliver last-hits to all minions. He became a terminator. This strong display of flawless farming completely dispelled Yuel''s initial worries. Perhaps Lars a monkey who didn''t understand the fine details about warding and smart tactical decisions, but his execution was godlike. His execution alone was strong enough to carry him as a Mid Laner even against Diamond and Challenger ranks. However, if a class had a tool with some advanced some tricks to it, those didnt always register in the goofs brain right away. If Lars played a class regularly, he eventually nailed all the high-level tricks Yuel taught him. Alas, Lars could be trusted to forget all about them after two weeks if he didnt touch the class. Dont forget to use Jet Stream, Yuel said. Its important to not let Electromancer land basics. Oh, right, Lars nodded. He didnt ask what Yuel meant by this advice, so at least he remembered the gist of it. Just as the enemy Electromancer was about to fire another beam of electricity, Lars cast Jet Stream between the Electromancer and his swordsmen. Just like with the rest of Larss execution, the timing and placement of Jet Stream were perfect. The Electromancers bullet of electricity passed through the trail of wind and slowed down until it vanished entirely. The attack failed to reach Larss swordsman. That was one of the great advantages of Jet Stream during the laning phase. Jet Stream slowed down enemy projectiles that went through it and made them dropped off earlier. Even though Electomancers basic attack was a shot of electricity, that was was just animation. In practice, the Electromancers shot was a projectile like any other ranged basic attack. Therefore, Jet Stream slowed it down and reduced its range. This put the Electromancer in a tough spot. The Jet Stream was like a wall that stood between him and Larss minions. In order to make his shots reach Larss minions, the Electromancer had to somehow play around Jet Streams slowdown. One option was to rotate to the other side of the lane. The Electromancer has been firing at minions from the bottom side of Mid Lane, so Lars created the Jet Stream accordingly to block shots from that direction. Therefore, if the Electromancer rotates to the top part of the lane, his shots will reach the minions from there. However, such rotation required time. Especially, with Larss Whirlwind still raging in the middle of the lane. The Electromancer would have to go all the way back to his side of the lane to go around the whirlwind, which would be a huge waste of time. His entire minion wave will be gone in the meantime. Therefore, the Electromancer couldnt rotate all the way from the bottom to the top. Instead, he advanced to the frontline despite the risk. From there, his shots traveled far enough to reach the minions even after passing through Jet Stream. However, that put him in a dangerous position. He was right within Larss reach. While Jet Stream reduced the range of enemy projectiles, it extended the range of allied projectiles. Therefore, as soon as Lars wiped out all enemy minions, the Electromancer became the next prey! Lets go, yo! Lars fired Squall without warning. The huge gust of wind counted as a projectile, so passing through Jet Stream boosted the heck outta its speed and range. And, it even increased Squalls power because Squall was best pals with Jet Stream. In other words, this was one heck of a powerful shot, yo! Bam! The gust of wind crashed into the Electromancer like a truck! It took out a nice 20% HP and left the guy staggering. It was time to go for a kill, yo! Lars darted forward and fired at his slowed prey. He totally gonna get some heavy damage in there and- Oh, the dude vanished. What a party pooper. The Electromancer bailed the heck out of there by blinking away. Man, that escape skill was so cheap. Why none of Larss main classes had a blinking ability? Lame. But okay, this was a good start. The Electro dude was down to 80% and this was just the second round. Lars just gotta keep pressing hard like that during every minion wave and hell crack that dude eventually. That was some hard pressure, Luke commented. You totally owning that guy in Mid. Heh, thanks, Lars flashed his teeth. Too bad I dont have a way to finish the job, though. Dude gonna blink away every time like this. Wheres my anti-blinking ability at? Haha, I feel ya, Luke chuckled. Happens every single time. You about to kill the guy but he just goes NOPE and blinks away. Ruins my day every time. Feels bad, dude. But hey, Luke smirked. If the guy doesnt have blink, I can end his whole career. Think you can force him to retreat with blink again during the next wave? Yeah, no problem. Cool. You dont mind if I sneak up to the guy after he blinks and kill him, right? Sure, Lars gave a thumbs up. Get dat cheap blinking dude. Haha, will do. The next minion wave arrived and Lars repeated the same routine. He summoned a whirlwind to take care of the minions and placed a Jet Stream to block off the Electromancers shots. And so, the Electromancer advanced to the frontline again and put himself at risk. The poor dude had no choice, really. Lars hoped dude will get sick of this and pick a fight with him, but that Electromancer acted composed. Meh, what a boring dude. Avoiding fights in this position was probably the smart thing to do but wheres the fun in that? Just like last time, Lars cleared the lane first. Then, he fired Squall! Oh! Dude actually tried to blink away before I shot. Lars grinned. The Electromancer saw Larss Squall from a mile away and tried to blink preemptively. But, too bad! Lars fired Squall right after last-hitting the last enemy minion. It was an instant follow up with zero delays! Aint nobody fast enough to dodge that stuff on time. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Lars barely had any time to aim but his Squall landed on the Electromancer without trouble. Thats a given because he had 200% Accuracy! Also, he was that... Eh, how did Vincent call that special ability, again? The Gungun Sniper? Something like that. It was da stuff! The Electromancer was already down to about half HP. But, dude aint gonna retreat or something lame like that, right? Half HP was still plenty so that Electric Boogaloo dude should keep trying to contest the lane. Who knew? Maybe dude will come up with a good counter plan to Larss shenanigans. Thats when things gonna get fun for real. Ahoy there, Luke greeted. At some point during the entire exchange between Lars and the Electromancer, Luke snuck into Mid Lane while stealthed. Right as the Electromancer finished his blinking, his back was wide open to be wrecked by Luke! Got em! Luke dropped a smoke bomb in front of him. The smoke only hindered enemies so Lars could clearly see the slaughter that followed. Slash! Slash! Slash! Luke ran his dagger all across the Electromancers back. The strikes were swift and dealt a crapton of damage because they came from behind. Electroman over there was screwed! Without his blinking ability, the Electromancer didnt have any other escape tools. His only options were to either stand and fight or to run for his life. Naturally, dude chose to get the heck outta there. Nobody gonna blame him because what kind of crazy mage dude wanted to deal with a Rogue at close range? Thats like asking to be brutally executed. But, escaping wasnt that easy. The smoke from Smoke Bomb slowed down the Electromancer and Rogue was a naturally fast runner. So, Luke stuck to the dudes back like glue. It was over. An enemy has been killed! Executed! Luke pumped a fist. How ya like my meme now, huh? Pretty neat, right? Its just one kill, Yuel was quick to ruin the party. Just because Luke scored one kill with a Rogue didn''t suddenly make Rogue a good pick. Man, you''re so hard to please, Luke made a face. Yeah, he really is, Lars chuckled. He won''t praise ya unless you win the entire game. And even then, he gonna make sure it doesn''t sound like real praise. Sounds like a tough customer. Yeah, dude is a hella tough customer, haha, Lars nodded. But, I think that kill was sick, yo! You rekt that dude! Danke, danke. They''re making too big of a deal out of it, Yuel thought. It was just one kill under convenient circumstances. Anybody with decent execution couldve pulled that off. Nevertheless, Yuel had to admit that Luke surprised him for the better in this play. Yuel''s first impression of Luke was that of a memer who didn''t know any of the meta conventions. However, so far, Luke was proving to be a solid player. Well, aside from the fact he picked a low tier class for memes. Rather than the actually kill itself, what impressed Yuel was the way Luke organized that gank. The idea behind this entire play came from Luke. It was Luke who placed a Sentry Ward to secure himself a ganking route for Mid and it was Luke who asked Lars to exhaust the Electromancers blink. So, Luke was no amateur, that''s for sure. Maybe Yuel could even trust Luke to execute even tougher plays. Well, Luke started. I''mma go steal their hyenas. Looks like their Lancer gonna come to defend Mid, so that camp gonna be free. Wait, Yuel said. Do you mind waiting near the lane for a little while? Say, around the corner in the jungle. And why would I wanna do that? There''s a good chance the Lancer will think you''re gone and that might make him overextend. If he does, you can gank him and get another kill. Sounds cool, but how do you know he''ll overextend? He''s coming here to defend the lane, so I don''t think he''s going to take any risks. This Lancer seems a bit inexperienced, Yuel explained. He might commit that kind of mistake. How do you figure? You know the guy? No, it''s based on what I''ve seen of him so far. Wut. Dude, the game started like a few minutes ago. You telling me you already figured out that guy? Are ya an ESPer? I know it may sound a bit far-stretched and I may be wrong, but... Yuel pursed his lips. This was a familiar barrier. Every time he played with new teammates he ran into this issue. Feels like this hasnt happened in ages. Yuel smiled wryly. Everybody in StormBlitz got used to way Yuel analyzed things, so he hasnt justified himself in a long time. But, with this new crew, he had to prove his worth again from scratch. You should give it a shot, Vincent joined the conversation out of nowhere. You may not believe it, but Chessmaster got the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception! Mystic Eyes? Luke asked. No idea what that does but, not gonna lie, sounds cool. It goes like this, Vincent explained. You see, everything in existence has a weakness. Humans, air, will and especially opponents. Not sure I get it but sounds deep so I''m digging it. Right? That''s the spirit, Vincent nodded. In short, his eyes can see the weaknesses of things. As long as something exists, hell reveal you all of its weak spots! Savage! Luke bandwagoned the silly hype train. Alrighty then, you just want me to wait behind a wall near the lane, right? Yes, Yuel said. You got it, fam, Luke gave a thumbs up. Still not sure about the entire thing but let''s give it a shot, why not. If it fails, you own me one. Sure, Yuel nodded. If his quick analysis of the Lancers skill was off, then this play won''t convert into a kill and Luke will lose the opportunity to steal the Hyena Camp. However, it was such a low-risk high-reward opportunity that Yuel just had to go for it. These are the kinds of plays he should prioritize from now on when shot-calling. Luke left the lane through the jungle, making it look like hell be gone for good. However, once he was sure nobody on the enemy team could see him, he rotated around a nearby jungle wall and laid in wait. Unless the enemy had a ward nearby, they had no way to know Luke was lurking over there. Therefore, as far as the Lancer was concerned, only Lars was in Mid right now. As Yuel suspected, the Lancer did more than just defend. After clearing the remains of the minion wave, the Lancer stayed on the lane to clear the following wave. He even approached the frontline to execute a sweep attack on Lars''s swordsmen. The mad lad had no fear in him. Looks like you were right on the money, Luke grinned. So, I''m up? Just a moment, Yuel said. He still hasnt used his leap. It''ll be tough to chase him down. Nah, it''ll be super easy, barely an inconvenience. I''mma just teleport behind him with my ult and be like Nothing personal kid, haha. That may work, but... Yuel had to choose his words carefully. Rogue''s ult, Phantom Strike, was a great tool for chasing. The Rogue blitzed in a straight line and struck the first enemy player in his path. If the strike hits the target''s back, itll also stun them and allow the Rogue to follow up with additional slashes from behind. Those hits dealt extra damage thanks to Rogue''s Backstabber passive. So, it was a solid tool for chasing down an opponent and finishing them off. However, the success rate of such a play heavily depended on the player''s execution. Luke will have to properly land his Phantom Strike in the heat of the moment and kill his opponent as fast as possible. The last part of this confrontation might take place in the enemy''s Turret area, so if Luke takes too long - he''ll wind up dead instead. It wasn''t like this play demanded crazy mechanical skill, but Yuel didn''t have a full grasp of Luke''s skill level yet. So, entrusting this memer with such a play invited some risks. Instead, Yuel wanted to secure this play more tightly. To make sure we definitely get the kill, Yuel explained. It''s better if we bait out Lancers leap before you gank. That''ll make it easier for you to secure the kill and should allow you to keep your ult. Sounds tight, Luke nodded. So, watcha got in mind, Mystic Eyes? Mystic Eyes? Yuel made a face. Lars, scare the Lancer with your ult. Go to the jungle and launch Hurricane from there. Oh! Lars exclaimed. So, it gonna be like a Sniper Hurricane? Something like that. Sick, yo! I''m on it. Lars snuck away from the lane toward the nearby jungle entrance. From this position, the Lancer shouldn''t be able to see Lars''s actions. He was busy clearing minions right now, so he ignored Larss peculiar activity. That was a mistake, yo! Okay, I''mma go for it, Lars began casting Hurricane. It took the wind a couple of seconds to gather, but once formed - this bad boy was gonna travel through the wall and wreck everybody on the lane! It gonna be top-level shenanigans! Alrighty, I''m ready, Luke got closer at the lane. He was ready to assault the Lancer at a moment''s notice. All the chess pieces were in place. Now, it was just a matter of executing this kill. Lars unleashed Hurricane on the lane through the wall. The raging winds expanded as they traveled across the lane and sucked everything in like a black hole. Even though the Lancer saw the tornado coming, he couldn''t simply outrun the gravitational pull of Hurricane. His only option was to leap away Lunge unless he wanted to get sucked in and receive heavy damage. Either outcome would be a win for Yuel''s team. The Lancer picked the smarter choice and leaped away with Lunge. Little did he know that Luke was awaiting him on the other side of the lane. Just as the Lancer landed, Luke popped out from the jungle and slashed the Lancer in the back for heavy damage. For a moment, it looked like the Lancer was considering giving Luke a fight. As a Lancer, It wasnt unreasonable to expect to win against a Rogue in a 1v1 situation. However, he immediately abandoned that idea when Lars returned to the lane. The Lancer must have realized that if he stays and fights, hell run into a nasty 1v2. So, retreat was his only option. The Lancer darted toward his Turret. But, Luke was hot on his trail and slashes at his back nonstop. With each slash dealing extra 30% damage thanks to Backstabber, the Lancer couldnt bear this pressure for long. An enemy has been killed! Got em! Luke raised a hand. Ez! Lars high-fived. Not bad, Yuel said. I swear, Luke made a face. Can this guy even praise anybody? Like, ever? Gotta work super hard for that, Lars laughed. Gotta say, though, Luke went on. These Mystic Eyes are some cool shit. Dunno if it was a good guess or whatever, but you read that Lancer like a book. Kinda scary, to be honest. You can call it educated guessing, Yuel said. Heh, then you call my playstyle educated memeing. Ill keep that in mind. Or, Vincent barrage in. You can call it the Meme Force! Id rather not, Yuel denied that nonsense on the spot. By opening the game with three kills, the team created a rather unbeatable position. Kai and Vincent performed well on their lane as well and got a couple of kills with the help of Lukes ganks. The team was destroying the opposition across the entire map. Contrary to Yuels initial concerns, their first match as a team ran smoothly. Luke was a memer but he knew how to play the game. If he starts using higher tier classes, hell become a solid Jungler for the team. So far, the team seemed promising. There was still one member Yuel hasnt met yet and the club will recruit one freshman this year. So, contrary to its reputation, Stratus was looking like a solid team right now. At first, Yuel was concerned about the fact this team has never passed the first round of the regionals. However, now, he was much more confident about this teams chances to reach far at the tournament. Will Yuel and Lars manage to pull this team all the way to nationals? Only time will tell, but Yuel absolutely had to make it happen. Vol.6 Ch.19: Cautious Duo Thanks to the huge early-game advantage, Yuel''s team dominated the match with leisure. They scored many more kills as the match went on and pressed the enemy from all sides. An enemy has been killed! Yeah! Got em! Luke pumped a fist as he took down another unsuspecting opponent from behind. He was playing such a low tier class and yet the enemy couldn''t shut him down. As much as Yuel hated to admit it, Luke has been putting on a strong display. Rogue''s biggest issue was how fragile the class was. It relied heavily on the element of surprise and had to score multiple early kills to get going. If the enemy successfully starves the Rogue during the early game, the Rogue will start lagging behind during the mid-game. And, once Rogue starts lagging behind, it was terrible at catching up. On top of that, even when the Rogue managed to get going during the early game, its future was still uncertain. There was a chance hell snowball out of hand and will go on a killing spree, but that only happened on low levels of play. On higher levels, the enemy would counter Rogue with Stealth Wards and thatd tie the Rogues hands. Even if the Rogue gets fed, itll be pointless if he cant sneak up to opponents from behind to assassinate them. But, the way Luke played almost made it look like Rogue actually worked. He scored three kills during the early game and kept going with that momentum for the rest of the match. His performance alerted the enemy team and made them deploy countless Stealth Wards, but that didn''t faze Luke in the slightest. Hehe, found it, Luke plucked out yet another Stealth Ward. At some point, Yuel lost count of how many wards Luke has destroyed throughout the game. The number definitely hit the double digits. This was Luke''s counter-strategy against Stealth Wards: excessive counter-warding. Every time he returned to base, he always bought two Sentry Wards before heading out. By using educating guessing, he found out where the enemy placed Stealth Wards and exposed them with his Sentry Wards. That led to excessive warding. However, unlike Julia''s bad habit of over-warding, here it was a legitimate tactic. However, that didnt mean it didnt involve some big sacrifices. Luke slowed down his build a lot to buy all these wards. That was unthinkable for Rogue, a class that wanted to get strong as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, Luke used this heavy counter-warding strategy and that allowed him to freely sneak around the map. He made up for the gold he spent on wards by securing easier kills all across the map. Alas, Luke was just one player. He couldn''t possibly beat the warding of the entire enemy team on his own. And, he wasn''t a superhuman either, so its not like he correctly guessed the location of every single enemy Stealth Ward. He needed some backup to win this warding war. Where else did the enemy place Stealth Wards? Yuel wondered as he examined the map. Most of the important crossroads in Bot Jungle have been covered by Luke''s Stealth Wards, but Top Jungle barely had any wards on the enemy side. The enemy team was no pushover and also counter-warded every now and then, so Top Jungle was most likely heavily warded. To counter-ward, the enemy had to place Sentry Wards of their own because only Sentry Wards could expose other Sentry Wards. Therefore, in every area where the enemy has recently taken out an allied Ward, they assuredly placed a Sentry Ward of their own. It was important to counter-ward those wards eventually, but they weren''t Yuel''s focus at the moment. Where did the enemy place Stealth Wards in Top Jungle? Even though it cost them extra gold, they define bought some Stealth Wars in addition to Sentry Wards. No matter what they thought of Rogues tier, they were definitely wary of Luke''s momentum and wanted to shut him down. Therefore, they had to resort to Stealth Wards. Optimally, they''d place Stealth Wards in the most strategic jungle locations which had lots of traffic. However, such spots became warding war zones, so the enemy has already invested money into warding them with Sentry Wards. Placing a Stealth Ward near a Sentry Ward was inefficient for two reasons. First, it didn''t grant the team any additional vision in the area. Second, the enemy would have an easy time taking down both wards at once with vision from a single Sentry Ward. Therefore, despite how good these strategic warding spots were, the enemy usually avoided populating them with Stealth Wards. So, where did they place their Stealth Wards instead? This called for a process of elimination. Every major strategic spot, where the enemy has recently placed a Sentry Ward, most likely didnt have a Stealth Ward anywhere near it. So, Yuel simply had to target the strategic spots that had secondary priority. Found it. Yuel cut down an enemy Stealth Ward in front of a jungle entrance. It was a good warding spot for monitoring who went in and out of the jungle through this entrance, but it didn''t tell much beyond that and therefore wasnt a top priority warding spot. However, this ward was definitely great for alerting about an incoming gank from a stealthed opponent. Indeed, the enemy chose wisely by placing a Stealth Ward here. Unfortunately for them, its because this spot was so good for a Stealth Ward that Yuel could single it out and take out the ward. He applied the same reasoning to other parts of the map and took out a fair share of Stealth Wards. Together with Luke''s efforts to take out Stealth Wards, the enemy had virtually not anti-stealth vision on the map and that allowed Luke to rampage. Hey, man, Luke said. I see ya also take out their Stealth Wards. Thanks, makes my life much easier. It''s not like I''m doing it for you, Yuel said. Having many Sentry Wards boosts the entire teams map vision, so it''s good for everybody. Yeah, of course, Luke nodded. Anyway, it helps me out a lot, so thanks. You welcome, Yuel pursed his lips. It wasn''t like he supported the game plan of a memer or anything. He just counter-warded for his team and happened to prioritize spots with potential Stealth Wards because that made Luke more effective at scoring kills. Oh, it''s so touching, Vincent raised his voice. The ever serious Chessmaster goes out of his way to help a memer so they can win the match together! Such friendship! Nothing of the sort, Yuel objected. I still stand by my point that Rogue is a bad pick. But, since we''re already stuck with it, I might as well do what I can to prevent it from blowing in our faces. Come on, admit it, Vincent smiled meaningfully. You actually want to see Luke do well this game. Not really. I also thought he''d be a problem at first. But, after seeing him play, I was convinced - he''s the Meme Jedi! Great, now how about you explain that in plain English? Haha, the Eternal Party Pooper strikes again, Vincent shook his head and switched off his dramatic tone. Basically, the guy is really dedicated. He plays memes but he plays them well. He almost makes them look legit. He does seem to know what he''s doing. But, the way I see it, he just preys on opponents who don''t know how to counter him. It wont work against higher-level opponents. True, but isn''t it inspiring? Hes like a lone ranger who only got junky tools at his disposal but nonetheless stands up against evil and fights his hardest! Through hard work and dedication, he has become a master of his junky tools and turned them into weapons of mass destruction! I''d relate to that ranger more if he didn''t choose to use junky tools just because he thought thats more fun. But, that''s what makes the tale so great! He couldve chosen anything but he went for the bottom of the barrel! He challenges the world with the weakest set of tools! Whatever you say, Yuel shrugged. Maybe a part of him really did root for Luke and wanted to see Rogue perform well. After all, by the end of the day, it''s not like Rogue was a completely worthless class beyond salvation. It underperformed compared to other assassin classes because it had glaring issues, but it was still borderline playable. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. In his earlier days, Yuel researched Rogue extensively in training mode because it was a class that gave players a lot of trouble on low levels of play. A team had to know how to ward and maintain a minimal amount of coordination in order to not be run over by a Rogue. Therefore, Yuel wanted to get his hands on as many countermeasures as possible to increase his win rate with randoms online. However, once Yuel started playing with Lars and reached Ranked, Rogue has pretty much faded to obscurity. Legends said Rogue still terrorized Bronze and Silver ranks to this day but Yuel didnt get to experience much of it. So, Rogue became a niche meme pick and all of Yuels in-depth research became irrelevant. But, what if he could use all the knowledge he accumulated to turn this niche class into an anti-meta pick? Maybe he could turn Rogue into a sleep hitter class, the same way one pro turned Shadow Walker into S tier back when nobody was paying too much attention to it. Unfortunately, that went nowhere. Part of it was because their group lacked a good Jungler at the time, so nobody could truly test out Yuels ideas for Rogue. He tried some of them himself but he lacked the mechanical skill for executing some of the intense high-risk high-reward plays he had in mind. After various attempts, Yuel had no choice but agree with the consensus: Rogue was an underperforming class which was about as good as a meme pick. Even Dan, the Jack-of-all-Trades who played every single Jungler role, regarded Rogue as a meme pick for when he felt like having fun. It was never a pick for serious matches. Therefore, it was interesting to see Luke''s spin on this class for a serious Ranked match. The way he handled Rogue almost made it look like Rogue was actually working. However, that''s also what also made Luke kinda irritating. This showed he was skilled enough to put on a solid performance even on a high level of play. Yet, he restricted himself to playing memes and refused to realize his full potential. It was dumb. If Luke played meta classes, he would have been a force to be reckoned with. Is there a reason he only plays memes? Yuel asked in a lower tone. Yes, indeed, Vincent nodded. You see, Luke had a mentor who passed away. The mentor''s last wish was for Luke to master the Meme Force and to become the greatest Meme Jedi who''ll restore balance to the meta! ....................... ................... well? What do you think? Please remind me to never ask you anything ever again. Haha, will do, Vincent cracked a laugh. Well, the guy just likes memes. What can I tell you. Nothing useful, it seems, Yuel concluded. Luke was just the type of player who only wanted to mess around with memes and have fun with the game. He seemed to have all the necessary qualities for being a strong competitive player but he had zero interest in realizing his talent. Unfortunately, not everybody took Classmancers as seriously as Yuel and Lars. For the two of them, Classmancers was a serious sport and they wanted to become pros in it. However, for most other kids, Classmancers was just a pastime. Even though Luke clearly put a lot of effort into researching Rogue and bringing this meme class to its current level, Classmancers was still just a hobby and Luke only cared about messing around like a brat. Will this kind of player be effective in competitive matches? A smart Rogue could outdo some opponents in Ranked even against high-level opponents. However, the competitive scene was a different story. The amounts of counter-play and adaptation there were on an entirely different level. Therefore, there was no chance Luke will reach far with his memes. Low tier classes were low tier for a reason. They had weaknesses that competent players knew how to exploit. Even if Luke can catch the enemy off-guard the first time by bringing out a meme, on the second round the enemy will counter him and completely shut him down. As a result, the entire team will be screwed. A team with a weak Jungler was half as effective as it could be. This was a problem. A huge problem. Was there any chance at all of convincing Luke to take the game more seriously and pick up meta classes? Yuel had no idea how to approach this issue. Maybe Luke will just naturally develop a more competitive mindset as the team plays in official scrimmages. Yuel could only pray. Either way, as far as the current match was concerned, Luke was putting on a strong performance. He has scored five kills by the time they reached the mid-game. Yuel also scored two kills while Kai scored three. It was their first time playing together but the entire team was on a roll! Except for one player. Lars also has been putting on a strong display but something was missing. Unlike the rest of the team, he was still sitting on zero kills. He had four assists and he hasnt died even once, so its not like he doing poorly by any means. However, he wasnt on a rampage either. It was unusual. Normally, when the team was holding the upper hand so convincingly, Lars was out there on the front, pulling the entire team after him. He was always the first to ride the momentum and dominate the match. In this kind of situation, he should have been snowballing right now. Yet, Lars was weirdly docile this game. Even though he still landed shots like a sniper and oppressed any opponent in a fight, there was something amiss. He was lacking spark. He was playing strong but he wasnt dominating. This was a far cry from the usual mechanical beast who crushed the spirits of its prey. Maybe its because hes not the Carry? Yuel wondered. In a sense, the teams Carry was like the ace. When the Carry pushed hard and eliminated objectives, the entire team benefitted from that and it created a huge momentum. On the other hand, a mage couldnt take objectives nearly as convincingly and had to contribute in other ways Then again, scoring kills served a similar purpose as well. When a teammate repeatedly scored kills and removed enemy players from the board, it generated a huge momentum. And, unlike destroying objectives, killing enemies was something both marksmen and mages could do equally well. So, there was no good explanation for Larss tame plays. That hungry beast shouldve been riding the teams momentum and rampaging right now. Yet, he hasnt scored a single kill yet. He only got some assists. Why you didnt chase? Yuel asked after Lars let the Electromancer get away with low HP. You couldve gotten a kill. Yeah, maybe, Lars said. But, he was going to the jungle so it was kinda dicey. Maybe they were gonna gank me or something. Thats certainly possible, but... Yuel couldnt believe he was hearing these words from Lars of all people. When did this overconfident hunter become scared of chasing into the jungle? Normally, Lars would disregard everything around him and chase his prey to the end of the world to get the kill. How bizarre. You know, Yuel continued. Were winning right now, so the other team is struggling against us on every lane. You really think they got the spare hands to lure you into a gank like this? I dunno, Lars shrugged. Better safe than sorry, yo. Thats.... Yuel opened and closed his mouth. Sure. Thats all he could say in response. Larss argument made perfect sense but thats exactly what made it so disturbing. As much as Yuel wanted Lars to be more thoughtful and take fewer risks, he never wanted to hear words like better safe than sorry from Lars. It was unsettling. I hope its just this match. Yuel prayed. Perhaps Lars was fine with just assisting this game because Luke has been stealing the show with his Rogue ganks. It wasnt exactly what one would expect from a beast that was always hungry for kills. But, its not like Lars dragged the team down or anything. Even though he let some kills go, he overall contributed greatly to the teams momentum by overwhelming his opponents. Besides, maybe Lars was still switching gears from Carry to Mid. He had his hands full with playing Mid correctly, so asking him to dominate the entire game was too much right now. So, hell definitely get used to it by late-game, right? Before long, Lars will surely awaken his true bestial instincts and will tear his opponents apart. Or, so Yuel hoped. Oh, crap, Lars turned around and cast Jet Stream. Gotta scoot! Why? Yuel asked. You still got over 30% HP. You could''ve killed that Knight and then retreat. But, I''m all alone here, dude, Lars said. What if somebody ganked me before I finished off that dude? Yeah, that could certainly happen, but... Also, Lars added. If that Knight could get close to me even once, Id be dead meat for sure. I''m pretty sure that Knight is nowhere as skilled as you, Yuel objected. You should''ve been able to take him down unless there''s something I''m missing here. Nah, ya right, I probably would have rekt him. But, it felt hella dangerous, so I thought it''s better to leave it alone for now. I see, Yuel frowned. There was nothing he could argue here. Lars sensed danger and judged it was safer to retreat instead of chasing the kill. It was such an otherworldly occurrence that Yuel needed a couple of minutes to process this bizarre information. Lars? Retreating of his own volition from a position where he had a decent chance to score a kill? Whats next? Cows will rain from the sky? But, maybe that''s a better mindset to have. Yuel tried to convince himself. Even though this retreat seemed excessively defensive, the mentality behind it was sound. Lars deemed the situation dangerous and prioritized securing his own survival over securing the kill. At such a late stage of the game, even a single death was fatal. So, it made sense to be more cautious than usual. It felt weird when that goof wasn''t going wild and carrying the team, but maybe sometimes it was for the better. The team was holding the upper hand right now, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks. All they had to do was pressure the opposition into submission with their lane advantage and that''ll net them win. Eventually. In the end, even though the team gained such a big advantage early on, the match dragged out for a while. The enemy team refused to give in despite their huge disadvantage and kept defending to the bitter end. It was an admirable fighting spirit, as expected from players who got golden names. Yuel had some ideas on how to break the enemys defenses faster but those harbored risks. So, he kept them to himself. There was no need to take any risks when his team was already holding the high ground. He only gave shot-calls when the risk-reward of the call was strongly in favor of the reward. Eventually, the team broke through the enemy defenses and sealed the deal. It felt like the match should have been over at least ten minutes earlier. Nonetheless, a win was a win. Stratus first match as a team was a success! Sort of. Vol.6 Ch.20: The Challenge of Gauging Teammates Skill The team played a few more ranked matches together. They retained the same positions across all games: Yuel as Top, Lars as Mid, Luke as Jungler, Kai as Carry, and Vincent as Support. The more games Lars played, the more natural he became as a Mid Laner. He no longer had to ask how many wards to buy or where to place them. At least, not every five minutes. He still often turned to Yuel for advice, but there was nothing wrong with that. Yuel had much more game knowledge in that area, so it made perfect sense to consult him. Hey, Chessmaster, Vincent called out. I think they got a Sentry Ward around here. Where did they place it? What do your Mystic Eyes see? Im not an oracle, you know, Yuel made a face. Based on how the enemy has been moving, Id say its somewhere around here. Yuel drew a rough circle on the mini-map. Alright, sounds promising, Vincent placed his Sentry Ward in the center of Yuels circle. Yep, its right here, alright Vincent cut down the enemys exposed Sentry Ward. The Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception never fail! They reveal all the wards in existence! It was just an educated guess, Yuel retorted. He didnt appreciate his deductions being associated with some nonsensical superpower. It was all deduction, really. Yuel remembered the few occasions when the enemy team reacted to incoming ganks ahead of time and matched that data against the positions of the gankers at the time. No mystic powers were involved. But, Vincent wasnt the only one to frequently consult Yuel. So, tell me, man, Luke said. What are the power levels of these guys? Who should I be focusing? The game just started a few minutes ago, Yuel retorted. How do you expect me to know? Cmon, dont keep secrets, Luke grinned. I know ya got all these guys figured out. Who is the weakest link? You think too highly of me, Yuel made a face. Ever since Yuel advised Luke to gank the Lancer in their first game, Luke developed the impression Yuel had some godly powers to deconstruct the entire enemy team in an instant. That gank was just one occasion of noticing that the enemy Lancer might be less skilled than the rest of the enemy team, but Luke thought it was some sort of superhuman read. Sigh. I did notice one thing, Yuel said. Their Vampire seems to hang much longer in Bot Jungle than in Top Jungle. Maybe hes waiting for an opportunity to gank Bot, so he hangs out nearby for a while. That all ya got? Luke made a face. I told you I dont have anything solid yet. I mean, I guess thats something, Luke shrugged. Alrighty then, Imma go see if I can surprise the guy. Half a minute later, Luke indeed found the Vampire hanging around in Bot Jungle. He snuck up to the Vampire while in stealth and delivered a surprise attack which almost led to a kill. Unfortunately, Vampire escaped in the last moment by turning into a bat and flying away. Welp, Luke shrugged. Couldn''t kill the guy but at least hes out of the game for a while and his ult is down. Okay, time to steal some of his camps! He fearlessly ventured into enemy territory and attacked jungle camps. That was impressive judgment. Yuel thought. Luke took a small piece of information and converted it into a strong play. The idea of ganking the Vampire in Bot Jungle crossed Yuels mind several times but he wasnt sure Luke will be able to execute such a play. After all, Luke was playing Rogue again. However, Luke had full confidence and his own skill and almost ripped the Vampire asunder with that surprise attack. With that considered, did Yuel misplay by not ordering this gank earlier? He wasnt the official shot-caller of the team yet but he nonetheless carefully observed everybodys performance and called the shots as necessary. So, he shouldve been the one to arrange the gank on the Vampire but he failed to do so. Is there any way I can tell for sure when this kind of play will work out? Yuel was at a loss. If he could always confidently order such attacks, the team would win so many more exchanges. Alas, Yuel didnt know how to calculate the outcome of such fights because he couldnt measure Lukes skill. There was no telling whether that memer would be able to give the Vampire a fight in a 1v1 situation. Yuel could only predict the outcome of such fights when there was a big skill gap between the two players. For example, Lars was much stronger than the majority of the players they met in Ranked. So, Yuel could trust Lars to win 1v1s against virtually any opponent they encountered. However, the same couldnt be guaranteed for Luke. I better find a way to measure player ability for both allies and enemies. Yuel concluded. He had no idea how to go about this at the moment but it was an important side project for the future. If he finds a way to accurately estimate the outcome of such fights, itll push his shot-calling quality through the roof. However, for now, Yuel could only rely on the knowledge he had at hand. It was up to Luke to make use of the info Yuel provided. Sometimes, things worked out great and Luke made a strong play. Other times, Luke overestimated himself and things blew up in his face. Ah, shit! Luke cursed as the enemy Viking turned the tables on him. He followed Yuels prediction regarding the Vikings position in the jungle and snuck up to the enemy while stealthed. Yuels prediction was on point and Luke approached the enemy carefully, so all the odds were in their favor. With all that considered, the gank was definitely going to be a success, right? Wrong. The gank blew up in Lukes face. The Viking was aware of Lukes position and struck first. The Viking grabbed Luke with Takedown despite Lukes stealth. There must have been a Stealth Ward somewhere in that area. Yuel failed to take that possibility into account. The Viking smashed Luke into the ground and summoned a group of warriors through his ult. The warriors ganged on Luke and ripped him apart. An ally has been killed! One does not simply gank a Viking, Luke sighed and shook his head. Thats why I didnt want to suggest it, Yuel said. It wasnt an impossible kill to score but there wasnt enough data to determine whether youll succeed. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Meh, at least your info was on point, Luke said. You never know what gonna happen, so I just went ahead and gave it a shot. Didnt quite turn out like I hoped but hey,: no pain, no gain. That''s not exactly a healthy approach for competitive play. Yuel mentally retorted. In a serious competitive match, a single misstep like this could spell defeat. There would be no time to run experiments like this to gather information. Therefore, it would be ideal if Yuel could predict such outcomes ahead of time. Naturally, it was impossible to correctly predict 100% of the outcomes. However, if he can get it right at least 80% of the time, it''ll become a weapon. He''ll gain access to a large variety of new options and will be able to mobilize his teammates much more efficiently. What did Yuel need to ascend to that level? At the moment, he had no idea. It was obvious he needed a deeper understanding of his teammates mettle but that was easier said than done. There was no better example than Luke to illustrate the biggest problem at its finest. Luke was playing meme classes and had an overall lacking competitive spirit. Nevertheless, in the first match, he exhibited a profound understanding of how to play Rogue even against high-level players. He practically generated the team''s entire momentum on his own, to the point Rogue looked like a strong class. However, in the second match, things were different. This enemy team was much better prepared for dealing with a Rogue. They placed Stealth Wards in more secluded areas which were harder to guess, which made them hard to clear with Sentry Wards. Yet, despite their obscure locations, these Stealth Wards did a fine job exposing Lukes gank attempts. Only a few of his gank attempts went smoothly. Most of the time, the enemy turned the tables on him before he got to try anything. So, in this match, Luke''s performance was in tune with the fact he was playing a meme. Unlike the first game, he didn''t come across as a reliable Jungler and Yuel didn''t feel confident entrusting this memer with big plays. In fact, over time, Rogue became a liability this match because Luke fell behind and couldnt do his job as a Jungler. DEFEAT The outcome was only natural. A Jungler who couldn''t get kills or help on the lane was like a waste of a player slot. The rest of the team played well, so this defeat was mostly thanks to Lukes Rogue. Once he got shut down, he had a hard time catching up. Such was the harsh life of a Rogue player. However, Lukes Rogue was only one reason for the teams defeat. In theory, with flawless godlike shot-calling, Yuel shouldve been able to guide Luke toward making plays that wouldve salvaged the situation. Even a simple Pawn could threaten the Queen if the board state was arranged appropriately. So, what Yuel couldve done differently to arrange more favorable situations for Luke? Unfortunately, this wasn''t a competitive match so Yuel didn''t have any data on the enemy in advance. But, even if he had the data, could he have drawn any smart conclusions to that end? Could he have successfully estimated how Luke will fair against these opponents? Could Howard do it? Yuel pondered. Howard definitely had a deeper understanding of his own teammates, that''s how he mobilized them so efficiently. To be able to defeat Howard, Yuel had to reach the same level of understanding. Only then, his shot-calling would truly rival Howards. But, how could Yuel reach that level? He couldnt begin to tell. Either way, based on the outcome of this match, it was clear Luke''s Rogue, as amazing as it was, had a limit. It worked against some teams in Ranked but the truly competent teams will eat him alive. Therefore, it was best for him to drop his memes and switch to a proper meta class. And yet... LegendaryMemer picked Rogue Again? Yuel asked. You saw how hard the previous team countered your Rogue. You still want to play it? Of course, Luke answered without batting an eye. I like picking a class and sticking with it the whole day. Makes it easier to git gud. I feel ya, dude, Lars said. Practicing one class the whole day is hella fun. Really makes ya feel like you''re getting better. Yep, exactly, Luke nodded. I feel like I fine-tune my game after every match. By the end of the day, it''s like I''m the number one player with that class! Totally! Maining one class a day, huh. Yuel smiled meaningfully. It wasn''t a bad practice and Lars really loved it. In fact, Lars was doing exactly that right now. Yuel only advised picking Aeromancer for the first match in order to get Lars used to Mid. However, Lars stuck with Aeromancer for the following matches as well. It seemed he wanted to keep polishing his Aeromancer skills until he was satisfied. And, truly, Lars''s Aeromancer became better and better with every game. During the first game, Lars''s laning was impressive but his teamwork during team fights was on the weaker side. However, after the game, Lars figured some things out thanks to a healthy dose of criticism from Yuel. In the next game, Lars properly did his job as an Aeromancer during team fights. But, Lars still had many other flaws he had to iron out. For example, his lack of rotations. Aeromancer could rotate quickly so Lars should do that more often. That was the next bit of criticism Yuel gave Lars. Yo, my dude, I came to help, Lars rotated to Top Lane and ganked the enemy Knight from behind. The gank was a little too predictable and the enemy slipped away, but at least Lars showed an initiative to rotate. This was a big step-up compared to the previous games. Truly, Lars has been showing great improvement with every match. It was impressive. I know this is in part because Aeromancer isn''t one of his main classes, but still... Yuel found this gradual powering up interesting. Lars had complete mastery over Trickshooter and Gunslinger so, with those two, he could draw out his maximum power from the get-go. On the other hand, with secondary classes like Aeromancer, Larss initial performance was shabby and he first had to get into the zone with the class. This had big implications for competitive play. It implied Lars would greatly benefit from playing multiple games in a row with the same secondary class. And, on the flip side, it also meant Lars usually couldn''t draw out his full strength right away with such a class. Even back during the selection match against Howard, this was probably a big factor. In the last match, Lars went with Seraph, a class he played almost as rarely as Aeromancer. It was a class that could barely even called secondary for Lars, so Yuel didn''t expect a mind-blowing performance. But, what if Lars could have played Seraph better back then? Even if just a little? If Yuel made Lars warm-up as Seraph before the match and gave the goof more pointers, perhaps Lars would have performed slightly better. That extra bit of powerup might have made all the difference between victory and defeat. I have to keep this in mind for the future. Yuel made a mental note. Unfortunately, all this line of thought proved to him was how complicated this topic was. He wanted a way to gauge his teammates skills to mobilize them more efficiently during a match, but there were countless parameters in this formula. He had to take into account how skilled the teammate was in general, how much experience they had with every class, how warmed up they were with each class, and the list went on. It was like an unsolvable math problem with too many variables. An enemy has been killed! Great job! Vincent exclaimed. I told you, you should always trust the Meme Force, Luke. Haha, damn right, Luke grinned. Didn''t think I could take that guy from 80 to 0 like this but he really wasn''t a big deal. Its because he wasnt dedicated enough, Vincent stroke his imaginary beard as if he was a sage. That guy was just playing top tier, I could sense that in each of his plays. But you, my boy, are different. Youre playing a meme but youre dedicated to it in flesh and soul. Thats why you reigned supreme! I guess thats one way to gauge skill, Yuel rolled his eyes. Maybe I should also start coming up with silly skill names and gauge players based on their list of talents. Yeah, right. Not going to happen. And thus, the question of gauging teammates skills remained unresolved. If Yuel could find a way to better estimate the abilities of his allies and compare them against their opponents, his shot-calling will improve by at least ten times. Hell be able to optimize the fights his teammates pick and to predict ahead of time how most battles will play out. Alas, this seemed like an impossible task to solve. It required some sort of deeper understanding that Yuel couldnt quite grasp at the moment. Was this challenge even possible for a human being? How did Howard do that? Unfortunately, nobody was there to answer these questions. For now, Yuel had no choice but to stick with the usual tactics. He planned his shot-calling around weaknesses in the enemy''s formation and struck where it hurt the most. This approach was always effective, aside from when he was fighting Howard. The next time Yuel clashes with Howard, will it be enough to only target enemy weaknesses? Will he be able to break through Aegis with just that? Probably not. Yuel had to up his game for the next fight and he felt like the answer laid in optimizing the way he mobilizing his teammates. But, how to improve in that area in a meaningful way? At the moment, he couldnt begin to tell... Vol.6 Ch.21: The Road Ahead Is Still Long The first day of club activity ended after ten matches. From start to end, Luke stuck with Rogue. It was truly a class of the day routine, as advertised. Out of the ten matches, Luke was shut down in three games, played fine in five games and put on a strong performance in the other two. In other words, the enemy ripped him apart about 30% of the time. This was a small sample and Yuel will have to get more data by examining Luke''s match history, but this didn''t look promising. If these were the statistics in Ranked, what will be the numbers in a competitive environment? In a best-of-three match, the enemy team will have more time to adapt to any unusual picks Luke goes for. So, at the very least, picking Rogue more than once in a match was out of the question. Hopefully, his routine of one class a day didnt extend to competitive matches. But, even if Luke mixes up his meme picks between rounds, the memes will surely become an Achilles heel for the team. Luke was the best Rogue player Yuel has ever met in Ranked and the guy even made Rogue look strong in some of the matches. If only Luke picked a meta class and practiced it as extensively as his Rogue, he might become one of the more threatening players in the region. I''ll have to find a way to convince him. Yuel concluded. This was of utmost importance because the club was small and so it was almost guaranteed Luke will end up as the team''s Jungler. There were only two more candidates left for Yuel to meet. The first was Ben, whose name was the only thing Yuel knew about the guy. Ben was supposed to be another junior member of the club but he hasn''t shown himself in the clubroom even once so far. I hope I''m wrong, but I have a feeling that guy isn''t serious about this. Yuel couldn''t draw any other conclusion at the moment. Perhaps Luke was easygoing and uncompetitive but at least he bothered to show up for club activity and play seriously with the team. That already made him a million times better than Ben in Yuel''s book. There was one more member Yuel hasn''t met yet, for that member hasn''t been recruited yet. The club was allowed a maximum of seven members, so theyll recruit one more member next week. Yes, only one. It was a far cry from getting five freshmen like StormBlitz always did. Oh, I guess they might get seven this year. Yuel smiled wryly. His defection with Lars left two open spots in StormBlitz so the school might allow them to recruit seven members this year. Fortunately, that didnt concern Straus and their chances of winning the regionals. No matter whether StormBlitz will get seven freshmen or twenty, none of them will make it into StormBlitz''s main lineup. The senior team of Howard, Ellen, Gilbert, Roi, and Dan was too solid to be invaded by a rookie. Julia miraculously made it in despite being a junior, but she had the skill to justify that and even then her position on the team was a tad shaky. Unlike StormBlitz, Stratus didn''t boast a threatening lineup of seniors. The only seniors in the club were Kai and Vincent. Nonetheless, these two were solid veteran players and theyll definitely be on the main team. Likewise, Yuel and Lars will definitely be on the main team even if they dont get to play their main roles. So, realistically, there was only one spot open on the main team. Between a skilled memer, a guy who never shows up for practice and a freshman, right now the memer sounded like the best pick. It was unfortunate but that was the situation. I have to find a way to change Lukes mindset. The sooner, the better, Yuel concluded as the club wrapped up its activity for the day. The club didn''t have a fixed schedule at the moment so they spontaneously agreed to gather tomorrow again. If it were up to Yuel, he would have insisted to hold club activity every single day. However, he wasn''t the captain and there was no telling how the other members will take it. Hopefully, Kai will establish a training regime that has at least three days a week. The club adjourned but the day wasn''t over yet. It was still only 5 pm, so there were at least seven more hours for Yuel and Lars to practice. You want to play some more? Yuel asked. Totally! Lars nodded without thinking twice. Mid is cool and all but I''m tellin ya, I was born to play Carry. Tell that to Kai, not me. I already know. Yeah, I gotta figure how to convince that stubborn gal, Lars scratched his head. Maybe I gotta challenge her to like a hundred 1v1s and whoever wins more gets to be the Carry. I doubt that''ll convince her. What, you think a hundred matches is too little? Then, a thousand 1v1s! Let''s goooo! That''s not the problem, Yuel said. Being better at 1v1 doesn''t mean youre a better Carry. Just look at Taison. What about Tai? I totally rek that dude in 1v1! Right, of course you do, Yuel rolled his eyes. Let''s lie low for now. No need to compete for roles just yet. I''m sure Kai will come around after seeing you play some more. I sure hope so. Anyway, I had enough Mid for one day. I wanna go wild with Shooter and Slinger and stuff! Shooter and Slinger? Sounds like you wanted to bully some people. Haha, gotta assert dominance, yo! Lars pumped a fist. Ah, but whatcha got at home? I''m sick of them noodles. Oh, but they''re no ordinary noodles. They''re instant noodles! They''re like noodles with insta cast. Yeaaaah, go preach your noodle religion somewhere else, dude, Lars rejected the cult recruit. Okay, let''s grab a burger or something on the way. Sure. They took a short stop along the way for Lars to buy himself a burger. He even went all out and bought himself two. Here, Lars shoved one burger into Yuel''s face. You want me to hold it? You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Nah, its yours, dude. Huh? I didn''t... Yuel twisted his lips as he accepted the burger. Refusing was awkward but accepting it was awkward too. How much was it? I''ll pay you back. Just eat it, yo, Lars shoved the burger toward Yuel''s mouth. Gulp down dat bad boy and forget whatever difficult stuff you''ve been thinking about all day. Huh? Yuel blinked. You''ve had this super serious expression this whole time, Lars narrowed his eyes and turned his forehand wrinkly. Ya look like this, dude. I don''t think I do but okay, Yuel chuckled and took a bite from the burger. So, what''s eating ya anyway? I thought we had pretty good matches today. The other guys at the club are pretty cool. Yeah, they''re alright. They do have some issues, though. What a shock. Yuel thinks players got issues. More news at 11. I swear, yo. Youd make the best player in the world sound like a total scrub if you analyze him. Because everybody got weaknesses, Yuel said. But, only focusing on weakness isn''t always enough. Wait, wut? I thought that''s like your super skill and stuff. How did Vincent call it again? The Supah Eyes of Weakness Lecture? Yes, exactly. You nailed it, Yuel sighed. It''s true I''ve been focusing on enemy weaknesses for most of my shot-calling. But, today I felt that wasn''t enough. How so? It''s a bit hard to explain. How was he going to convey such a high-level tactical concept to a goof with zero understanding of tactics? Yeah, that wasn''t going to happen. The core of the issue was the difficulty to calculate the outcomes of certain plays. For example, the plays in which Luke attacked isolated targets with his Rogue. Yuel took the Rogue''s kit into account and compared them against the various weaknesses of the opponent, but that''s about all he could do. Beyond that, he didn''t have any concrete data to work with. Therefore, it was difficult to estimate whether Luke had a chance to win these fights. Sometimes Luke won, other times he didn''t. In short, Yuel tried to convey this in plain English that even a monkey could understand. I feel like I don''t see the entire picture. There is a lot of data about the players that I know exists but I can''t see it. Cant see it? Lars scratched his head. What do you see, then? A chessboard, I guess. That sounded awkward, especially considering Yuel had a silly nickname like Chessmaster. I can see my teammates positions on the map and I know what tools their classes got available, but that''s about it. So wait, Lars titled his head. If you see the map like a board, then you also see everybody else like pieces? Um, sort of. This was getting more and more awkward by the moment. Yuel should have just kept his mouth shut. Viewing allies as chess pieces had a terrible connotation behind it which Yuel didn''t mean to imply. Its not like he was thinking of allies as pawns. Its just that, by drawing an analogy with a chessboard, it helped to simplify the game analysis for him. That''s pretty cool! ... huh? Ya really all like a supah Chess Dude and all that. Seems like the Chessmaster connotation flew over his head. Yuel smiled wryly. So, if everybody is like chess pieces on your map, Lars pointed at himself. What piece am I? The Queen. Eeeeeeeeeeh!? Lars jumped. What the heck, yo? Why not something cool like Knight or King? I''m not a girl, yo! The Queen is the strongest piece in chess. She has the most overwhelming strength and often dictates the flow of the game. Well, if you put it like that, it does sound kinda awesome, Lars crossed his arms. But, why the heck the Queen is the strongest dude? I thought the King was the most savage dude around there. That''s just how it is. What a weird game, Lars shrugged. So, why you think it''s not good to see the map this way? Your shot-calls have been working like a charm. Sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. Also, there are many shot-calls I would have liked to make but can''t. Like what? For example, imagine there''s an opportunity to send a teammate to gank somebody. But, it wont be a smooth gank and the ganker will have to beat the target in a 1v1 to seal the deal. In scenarios like these, it''s hard to predict whether the gank is going to succeed for sure so I can''t carelessly ask somebody to go for it. Just lemme at em and I''mma kick their butts! Yeah, you make that kind of judgment easy most of the time, Yuel smiled wryly. As far as giving Lars orders was concerned, it really felt like playing chess. Lars could be trusted to beat virtually anybody when he had an advantage, so Yuel only had to consider the positions, resources, and tools of the enemy to determine the outcome. If an enemy was within the Queen''s attack range, that enemy was guaranteed to be executed. But, Yuel continued. Not everybody is going to win 99% of their fights like you. I win 200% of my fights, yo! Sure, Yuel chuckled. Anyway, that''s my problem. I''d like a better way to tell the outcomes of such situations. Man, sounds like ya wanna be an oracle, Lars shrugged. Ya think it''s even possible to tell such stuff? I think Howard can. At least, to some degree. Yuel gazed at the clear blue summer sky. It''s like the board he sees is different from mine. We both look at the same map but we see completely different drawings. Deep, yo, Lars nodded with admiration. No idea what the heck you''re on about, but it sounds cool. Went right over his head, huh. Yuel didn''t expect much in the first place so it was fine. He just wanted to get this off his chest. So, if you think Howard got the answers, why not ask him? I''d rather die. Haha, I get that. I wouldn''t wanna ask Ellen for shit either. Id rather get completely wrecked than ask her for help. Exactly, Yuel nodded. He knew it was childish of him but he couldn''t bring himself to ask Howard for advice on something like this. Besides, that guy probably won''t grace Yuel with an answer anyway. So, in the end, it was up to Yuel himself to figure this out. I wonder what the dudes at StormBlitz are up to, Lars said. I still haven''t spoken to July. She doesn''t answer my calls. She only sent me like one message saying shes okay. Is she really, though? Think I should visit her? I''m not sure that''s a good idea, Yuel wasn''t sure how to explain it to this thick-headed goof. I think she doesn''t want to see you right now. But why? Did I do something bad to her without realizing? She hates me or something? It''s the opposite, you dummy. Yuel sighed. She just blames herself really hard for our defeat. You both were the pillars of the team''s offense in the third game, so after you died she felt she had to fill in your shoes. But, she couldn''t carry the team to victory so she feels like she didn''t live up to your expectations. But, that''s wrong on so many levels, Lars said. July was a beast that game. She did way more than anybody expected. Yes, I tried to explain that to her as well. But, she''s stubborn like that. Feels bad, man. I hope shell let it go. I''m sure she will, Yuel averted his eyes. Most likely, Julia has already overcome her slump but not the way Lars imagined it. The last time Yuel spoke to her, she was clearly set on destroying Yuel and Lars the next time they meet. Gulp. Okay, mphfhf! Lars shoved the rest of his burger into his mouth. I''m fueled up! Time for some Carry action! They went to Yuels place and played Classmancers late into the night as the Bot duo they should have been in the club as well. For now, Yuel was fine with playing by Kai''s rules during club activity. However, in their free time, they''ll keep practicing Bot. By the time the middle school tournament comes around, they''ll definitely reclaim their rightful spots as the teams Support and Carry. Vol.6 Ch.22: The One They Left Behind That same day Stratus got its first practice as a team, StormBlitz also had its first day of club activity. Some of the members were late on the news so they were shocked by Yuel and Lars''s transfer. Lol, Roi smiled awkwardly. You''re kidding, right? No, Howard said. They left. They attend Skyline now. Wait, Skyline? Dan raised an eyebrow. Isn''t that the school with that really weak team? What was its name, again? Status? Stratus, Howard corrected. Yeah, it''s a team that never passed the first round of the regionals. A sad story. Ans they went to play there? Roi''s jaw dropped. Yep, Gregory tuned in. They couldn''t hold the L so they ran away, kek. I wouldn''t write them off just yet, Howard said. Two skilled players can make the whole difference between a strong team and a weak one. Especially, when said players are the Bot duo and one of them is the shot-caller. Pft, yeah, right, Gregory waved his hand. You telling me these two losers gonna pull a team of even bigger losers and actually get somewhere? Please. You never know. Tch, that undying favoritism, Gregory clicked his tongue. Does he think Yuel is a superman or some shit? Man, I can''t wait for these scrubs to be crushed in their first round. That''ll show everybody how trash they really are. Hi, A girl''s voice entered the room. It was a familiar voice but it belonged to an unfamiliar face. July...? Ellen jumped from the chair and cautiously approached the unknown specimen. In truth, everybody could tell it was Julia because there was only one thing that changed about her. However, that one change was something that almost made her unrecognizable. Julia had no hair! Okay, that''s an exaggeration. She had hair but it was uncharacteristically short. Julia used to sport a long beautiful ponytail but it was gone. Instead, she almost looked like a tomboy. My, Ellen examined the girl from every side. What happened to your pretty hair? What do you think? I cut it. Yeah, I can see that, Ellen''s smile twitched. But, why? It looked great on you. I got tired of it. Of everything, Julia strode into the clubroom without exchanging a single glance with Ellen. I felt like having a change of image. What do you care? Ah, well... Ellen was dumbstruck. This was cold. The temperature in the room just dropped by five degrees. About what you were just said, Julia stopped in front of Howard and Gregory. Lars and Yuel will do just fine. They''ll drag that shitty ass team out of the bottom. Huh, Howard didn''t show any reaction, probably because he had the same opinion. But, the other guy insisted on denying this prediction. Yeah, right, Gregory sneered. These guys only gonna make it to second round tops. No, they''ll get as far as needed, Julia''s eyes glinted like a sharp blade. Until they run into us. Then, we''ll crush them like cockroaches. The entire room was dead silent. Nobody knew how to react to this bizarre declaration. Julia was clearly missing a screw or two right now. The girl was wilding. Heh, Howard smirked. I like that attitude. Indeed, Ellen smirked. Let them crawl all the way up from the bottom to reach us. That''ll only make crushing them that much more fun, right~? Her angelic smile belonged to Lucifer himself. A-Am I in a horror movie right now? Gregory gulped. A shiver ran through him. Howard, Ellen, and Julia were all smiling innocently but Gregory could tell. In their heads, they were imagining how they''d rip Yuel and Lars apart, limb by limb. Note to self: never get on these guys bad side. So, Howard addressed Julia. Can you play aggressively on-demand now? Try me, Julia shrugged. Actually, playing aggressive is all I feel like doing right now. Lemme at some of these idiots online. Ill reap them apart. Thats good to hear, Howard nodded in satisfaction. If she can utilize her hyper offense at will, then I got my hands on one heck of a beast. She might even turn out to be a key player on our path toward winning the nationals. Thats great, July~ Ellen hugged the girl. If you can rampage at will during official matches, well crush all our opponents~ Thats my intention, Julia nodded. Lemme fight and Ill crush all the idiots that stand in our way. Arent you getting carried away? Gilbert joined the conversation. Dont forget that Mid doesnt belong to you. Huh? Who are you, again? Julia scoffed. Oh, right. Some weak senior who cant hold onto Mid. What was that? Gilbert twitched. Hey, Howard stepped between the two of them. Play nice, now. I didnt pick both of you for Mid so you fight and drag each other down. You should think of each other as partners who share the same role. Hmph, Julia crossed her arms. I dont think this team needs more than one Mid. Im more than enough to carry the team. Arent you confident, girl, Gilberts eyes turned sharp. I also dont see any reason to have two Mid Laners. One reliable and consistent Mid is everything the team needs. Pft, consistent? Thats all you got going for you? Julia cracked a cold laugh. Thats why you cant hold the spot for yourself. To play Mid for real, you need to be strong enough to push and pressure the enemy. Theyre supposed to shit their pants when they see you coming at them. I have a different philosophy about that. Thats why you suck, you- ENOUGH. Howards voice cracked like a whip. Julia and Gilbert jumped and froze solid. You two have different strengths and weaknesses. So, who I choose to utilize will depend on the situation at hand. He speared both troublemakers with his glare. Am I clear? Y-Yeah, Julia shifted her eyes away. Yes... Gilbert answered in a low voice. Alright, Howard nodded in satisfaction. These two will be a handful, I can already tell. But, having both of them as options is huge. Gilbert will be great for matches where we need to be consistent and versatile, whereas Julia will be great when we need to go on the offensive and pressure the enemy team. Really, if somebody could just fuse them into one person thatd be ideal. Say, Julia started. You mind letting me play online with the first0string today? Ill show you what Im capable of, to erase any shadow of a doubt about who is the better Mid. This girl... Howard sighed. Its like he was talking to a wall. Then again, this was her first day on the first-string and she was probably mad about Yuel and Lars leaving her behind. So, Howard could give her a pass for now. Alright, we can start with that today, Howard said. Show us what you got. Gladly! Julias eyes lit up. She was ready to wreak some havoc. Its like she bottled anger and frustration and wanted to unleash it on others. Why didnt she follow Yuel and Lars? Howard wondered. These three were inseparable, so he expected Julia to follow the guys to the ends of the earth. Even though transferring schools was a big deal, it didnt sound like something thatd stop Julia. Did she stay behind because she valued her position on the first-string more than her friends? Thats sketchy, considering how madly in love she was with Lars. And, she pretended to not care about Yuel but she definitely had a sweet spot for him as well. So, no matter how Howard looked at it, he couldnt find a convincing reason for Julia to stay. What made her turn her back on the guys and stay behind? It was an important question that needed answering but now wasnt the time. Howard wasnt close enough to Julia and she was acting too cocky at the moment. It was better to make Ellen ask all these questions later and forward the answers to Howard. Per Julias request, Howard put her on the main team for todays practice. This will be a good opportunity to see how Julia fits into the team and what flaws shell have to work on. For the practice, the team queued into a Ranked match. Okay, Ill show them. Julia took a deep breath and locked in Electromancer. In this very first match, shell prove everybody she was superior to Gilbert in every way. Shell definitely secure the Mid spot on the first string, no matter what. She didnt stay behind in StormBlitz just to be somebodys substitute. Shell become the teams main and only Mid Laner. Gilbert will be her substitute at best. As the drafting phase went on, Julias lane opponent was decided. Warlock, huh. Lets see. Julia tapped into all the knowledge she had regarding this matchup. Yuel drilled the importance of matchup knowledge into her, so it became second nature to start every game from analyzing her lane opponent. Warlock had Eldritch Nightmare as a panic button, so it might be difficult to score too many kills on him. Hell probably just mash the ult button in a pinch without thinking twice. No matter how good Julia was, itll be hard to score a kill on an opponent she couldnt see. Seems like Ill need some Stealth Wards. Julia pondered. Due to how the darkness effect of Eldritch Nightmare worked, a Stealth Ward actually exposed the enemies inside it. So, by placing a Stealth Ward on the lane, Julia will be able to see the Warlock even as he tries to flee in the darkness. However, Stealth Wards alone werent good a solution. She could only carry two wards at a time and she had to ward around Mid too, so she couldnt spend all her efforts on warding Mid against Eldritch Nightmare. She needed something extra on top of Stealth Wards. Ill pick Lumimancer to counter Warlocks ult. A voice resounded in her head. If you get a chance to kill him but he uses his ult, tell me and Ill counter it. Thats probably what that idiot would have said. He always went for the opponents weakness and made sure to support both Julia and Lars. According to him, the Support shouldnt only care about the Carry; he should help out Mid to the best of his ability. Therefore, to counter a Warlock pick, Yuel often went for Lumimancer. Of course, he didnt do it for Julia or anything. It was a solid counter-pick that was going to play a role in many different scenarios. Nevertheless, Yuel always stressed that Julia shouldnt hesitate to ask for his Luimancers services if she ever gets a chance to kill the Warlock. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He always said that stuff even though he knew I never go on the offensive. Julia smiled wryly. With her old defensive playstyle, she rarely ever got any chances to kill her lane opponents. Whenever got a kill, it was because the enemy committed a mistake or overextended so Julia punished them. Nevertheless, Yuel always dropped that piece of advice to her because he knew Julia could do more. She always refused to show her aggressive side in battles but Yuel knew she had that side to her. Thats why, every single time, Yuel made sure to remind her: If you want to go on the offensive, I can help you with that. Yuel never pressured Julia about it but he clearly wanted to see her play more aggressively. Theyve spent a lot of time training together, so he knew what she was capable of. Alas, Julias unjustified fear of Larss reaction always held her back. If only she pulled herself together earlier and started playing aggressively from the beginning, perhaps things would have turned out differently during the selection match. No, that doesnt matter anymore. Julia shook her head. Whats done was done. In the end, Julia got a spot on the first-string while Lars and Yuel fell short. Therefore, she had to prove she was worthy of being here. She didnt get here just because the competition for Mid was easier or anything lame like that. No, she was here because she was worthy. And, shell prove beyond a shadow of a doubt by dominating the first match today. Howard, Julia called. Can you pick a Lumimancer? Itd really help me if you can counter the Warlocks ult when he uses it to escape. You want me to help you secure kills? Howard asked. Not quite the main reason Id pick Lumi for but alright. Its a good counter pick in general. Thanks, Julia said. With that, the stage was set. Shell get as mileage as possible out of Stealth Wards but, if it turns out thats not enough, shell rely on Howards ult to counter Eldritch Nightmare. She was going to score at least twenty kills this match! No, calm down. Julia took a deep breath. As much as she wanted to go on a killing spree right here and now, she had to take it easy at first. Before anything else, it was mandatory to win lane advantage and pressure the opponent into a corner. Then, her onslaught will begin. First, she hit the enemy swordsman minions with basic attacks to place Electric Charges on them. In addition, she advanced to the frontline to reach one of the bowmen on the back and placed an Electric Charge on him as well. It was a risky but extremely important move for maximizing her lane clearing speed. Once the stage was set, Julia fired Chain Lightning at one of the swordsmen. The beam of electricity struck the first swordsman, then bounced toward the second swordsman and then hit the third swordsman. For the fourth and last bounce, the Chain Lightning jumped toward the one bowman with an Electric Charge on him. Since this was was the final bounce, the spell exploded after hitting the bowman. It dealt damage to the entire pack of bowmen. It also placed an Electric Charge on each of the bowmen. Now, the entire enemy wave was charged with electricity. It was time to blow them up! Julia activated Electrical Explosion and detonated all Electric Charges. The explosions eliminated the entire enemy frontline and almost killed off the backline as well. This was a great opportunity to charge forth! Julia advanced while shooting at the bowmen, then shifted her attention toward the Warlock. The guy has already spent both of his damaging spells on the minion wave and he was still at Lv.2 so he didnt have any other dangerous tools at his disposal yet. Julia had to push now! Die, dumbass! She opened a relentless attack. The Warlock had no idea what hit him. Was he gonna fight or retreat? He seemed kinda lost. What a fool! Hitting the Warlock naturally triggered the enemy minions and made them target Julia. But, who cared? All these bowmen were on their death bed anyway. Julias minions will soon eliminate these idiots so she only had to focus on the Warlock. After mulling over it for a moment, the Warlock finally concluded he was outnumbered and began his retreat. Julia couldnt get a kill on him yet, but she chased him down all the way to his Turret and made sure to get as much damage on him as possible. Okay, this works. Julia nodded to herself. She couldnt get the kill but she deleted a nice chunk of the Warlocks HP. If she repeats this routine a few more times, shell eventually crush that bug. During the next minion wave, Julia repeated the same routine and outcleared the Warlock. Her wave-clearing skills were top-notch thanks to a certain nagger forcing her to practice them for every class she played. It was all a huge pain in the neck but, thanks to all that hard work, Julia was dominating the lane right now. With her lane advantage, she slowly but surely ground her opponent out of HP. Unfortunately, she couldnt find a chance to kill him before he hit Lv.5 and unlocked his ult. However, he was at 30% now and he still hasnt shown any signs of retreating. Good. He probably really trusts his panic button. Julia smirked. Too bad because your ult aint gonna save you this time. Julia was still carrying the Stealth Ward she bought at the beginning of the game. It was patiently waiting for the Warlock to press his panic button. Julia just had to pressure the guy into a deadly situation and she was going to do so with the upcoming minion wave! As before, Julia cleared the wave at maximum speed by applying Electric Charges, making Chain Lightning bounce around and blowing up the entire wave with Electrical Explosion. She didnt out-clear the Warlock as much as before because his damage output increased considerably as he leveled up but she still gained lane advantage. Now, right as the enemy wave was about to perish, it was the time for an all-out assault! Julia pulled out all the stops and blinked right in her opponents face with Thunderclap! Die, idiot! She opened a quick assault with basic attacks. That idiot had no idea what hit him! It took him like five years to realize he was being wrecked. The Warlocks HP fell below 20% and Julia was right in his face so, of course, he resorted to his panic button: Eldritch Nightmare. Darkness erupted from the Warlock and stretched around the lane. It robbed Julia of all her vision of the surroundings. But, thats what she had the Stealth Ward for. She placed the ward as far ahead as possible in the direction of the enemy tower. The Warlock was going to retreat over there for sure, so the Stealth Ward will expose all his movements. Found you. Julia smirked as the Warlocks figure became visible within the darkness. The Stealth Ward did its job. Take that, idiot! Julia fired a ball of electricity at the Warlocks back. Easy hit. The guy didnt even try to juke because he didnt expect anybody to shoot him in the darkness. Surprise, dumbass! Zap. Another hit! The Warlock was down to 10% HP. Julia had to land like two more hits and itd be a sealed deal. Unfortunately, it wasnt that easy. Shit, I cant reach from here. Julia clicked her tongue. Even though she countered the stealth aspect of Eldritch Nightmare with a Stealth Ward, that didnt negate the other effects of Eldritch Nightmare. One such effect was the disorientation it caused to all enemies inside the darkness. Because of that crap, was Julia lagging behind the Warlock and couldnt shoot the guy to death. What a pain! Darn, I thought Ill get this done without wasting my ult. Oh well. Julia sighed and went for plan B. She activated Thunderstorm and summoned it as far ahead as was humanly possible in the direction of the enemy tower. In the darkness that was enveloping the entire area, Julia couldnt see the clouds she summoned or the lightning that struck at the target location. However, the loud sound of the lightning echoed throughout the area and the Warlock was visibly shaken by this line of attack. He stopped running in a straight line and rolled aside from Thunderstorms area. Cant you just die? Like, please. Freakin get dead already. Julia made a face. She hoped the Thunderstorm would finish the guy off but he was a persistent bastard. Only the first lightning struck him and reduced him to 2% HP. So, he was literally a few pixels away from death but he clung to his life. What a stubborn fool. The lightning that struck the Warlock applied an Electric Charge on him but Julias Electrical Explosion was still on cooldown. So, she couldnt blow up the guy from afar. Instead, she had to do things the hard way and close the distance despite her decreased movement speed. Since the Warlock rolled to the side to avoid Thunderstorm, his retreat has been slowed down just enough. Julia rolled forward to close the distance and fired a ball of electricity as soon as she recovered. You have killed an enemy! Ha! Get fucked! Julia pumped a fist. The darkness vanished and revealed the victorious scene. Julia was standing tall while the enemy Warlock was lying on the floor like a helpless loser. Thats one kill! Nineteen more to go. GAE- A shout resounded from the nearby jungle. Ah! Julia jumped and turned around. Crap! The enemy Lancer was here! His lance was pointed straight at her and he has already started casting his ultimate. This was bad! Could Julia take this guy on? No way. She spent her entire kit to get the kill so she had nothing right now. She gotta get outta here as quickly as possible! O-Okay! I gotta retreat. Switch gears from offense to- BOLG! The Lancer blitzed forth. His spear penetrated through Julias stomach and delivered a grave injury. It reduced her HP from 70% to 20% in one fell swoop! Not only that but it debuffed her stats across the board. This was bad! Bad! Bad! BAAAAAD!!! Run! Run, dammit! Julia erased any thoughts about fighting the Lancer and turned her back to the enemy. She had to retreat. That was her only option right now. Any thoughts about fighting had to perish. She fought and killed the Warlock but now it was time to scoot! By the time she began her retreat, the Lancer stabbed one more time. Just great, she was already down to 13% HP. The Lancer needed like two more hits to finish her off. She had to get the heck outta there! Run toward the Jungle, Howard ordered. Huh? Julia blinked. Wasnt it safer to escape along the lane back to safety? Dan will get there in time to help. O-Okay, Julia didnt have the time to figure out what Howard was talking about. Her brain was a mess so she didnt trust herself to come up with a better way to survive. If Howard thought it was safer to flee toward Top Jungle, so be it. Whish! Another stab in the back. She was down to 5% HP. It was over. She was slowed down, weakened and her HP was hanging by a thread. It was hopeless. She scored a kill but now she was going to give the enemy a kill. Damn, how pathetic... It was coming. She couldnt see the Lancer behind her but she knew. The finishing blow was coming. Coming through! Dan popped up from behind a jungle wall. He passed by Julia and activated Lionfolks ultimate: The Kings Dominion. Julia didnt have the luxury to turn around to check what happened but she could tell by the roaring sounds of lions. Dan must have formed the ring of lions right between Julia and the Lancer. Phew, Julia sighed deeply. Im safe. Thanks. No problem, Dan said. You better thank Howard. Hes the one who told me to rotate here. Ah, I see, Julia nodded. Thanks, Ho- Take a turn to the right there, Howard ordered. He might still chase you with a leap if its not on cooldown. Oh, right, Julia was still in a bit of a daze but she did as she was ordered. Howards suggestion made her venture even deeper into the jungle, which meant she was getting farther and farther away from her lane. It felt like she was putting herself in more danger by delaying her retreat but her defensive instincts gradually kicked in and she grasped Howards plan. Since Julia was slower than her pursuer, it was pointless to take the shortest path to safety because the enemy would catch up to her anyway. Therefore, it was safer to deviate from the optimal route and confuse the pursuer. This should have been the 101 of escaping during such tense situations but Julias brain fudged up there for a moment. If she were properly focused on surviving from the moment the Lancer showed up, she would have grasped all of that on her own and would have picked a similar escape route by herself. Honestly, this was kinda embarrassing. She had to work harder on her ability to transition from offense to defense and vice versa. Fortunately, the enemy didnt chase. Maybe his Lunge skill was on cooldown or maybe he didnt have the balls to dive deeper into enemy territory. Either way, Julia escaped alive and recalled to base. Phew. Safe. Julia took a deep breath once she was back at the base. Okay, I did it! One kill and zero deaths. Easy. She was off to a strong start. Now, only nineteen more kills to score! Julia will push forward in full throttle and decimate all her opponents! Gotta admit, though. Howard is pretty amazing. Julia nodded to herself. While she was 100% concentrated on her offense the entire time, Howard arranged a safety net for her ahead of time. For this rescue operation to be successful, Howard had to order Dan to rotate toward Mid ahead of time. This is what it means to play with Aegis. Julia smiled wryly. This was completely different from having Yuel in the lead. That greedy dumbass only focused on the teams offense so Julia always had to be mindful about her defense and make sure she doesnt screw up. But, with Howard in charge, she could attack to her hearts content. As long as she followed Howards shot-calls, she was guaranteed to survive even after messing up. Such was the power of Aegis, the absolute defense. Therefore, this game, Julia could go wild and attack as much as she wanted. The goal was a 20/0 KDA! In the end, she only got 10/2/2. Still, she pretty much dominated the entire game and scored kills left and right. The enemy team killed her twice but that didnt stop her from attacking again and again after respawning. Thanks to her numerous kills, the team easily pushed all the way to victory. So, Julia turned to Howard. How was it? Solid performance, Howard said. You sure proved you can play aggressively and your aggressive playstyle is a force to be reckoned with. I wouldnt want to be your opponent while youre wilding like that. Thank you. But, you seem to struggle a bit with switching from offense to defense on the spot. Ack, well... But, aside from that, your offense is very impressive. I take it you have no problem playing like that whenever the team needs you to? Of course, no problem, Julias eyes flashed like a blade. Im ready to destroy enemies whenever you need me to. My, Ellen wrapped herself around Julia. What a cute instrument of death we got ourselves here~ So, Julia ignored the snake wrapped around her and continued. You agree Im the better Mid Laner, right? Too early to say, Howard answered. It was just one match. Ill have to see more of your performance to tell for sure how effective you are. Okay, got it. So, if I keep scoring lots of kills every match, youll be convinced, right? Hmm, maybe, Howard didnt give any promises but it was clear he was impressed by the spectacle Julia showed during the previous match. So, as long as she keeps showing him strong plays, hell hold her in high regard. Eventually, shell take the Mid Laner role all for herself. She absolutely had to get it, no matter what. As the one who was left behind in the club and got a chance to take a spot on the first-string, Julia definitely had to make this count. Shell prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was superior to Gilbert in every way and will claim the Mid Laner role all for herself. Thats the least she could do to justify being here. Then, once thats dealt with, shell clash with Yuel and Lars in an official match and will destroy them both! Vol.6 Afterword This is the end of volume 6. I see that some people liked the transfer to a new school, while others still think it was a huge mistake. Theres no right or wrong there, both have their ups and downs. I actually came up with plot outlines for both of these routes before finally deciding on the transfer. It was a difficult decision because it involved a huge paradigm shift, but I concluded itll allow me to take the story in a more interesting direction. The main argument for staying in StormBlitz was that Yuel and Lars could serve as situational subs when the team needed stronger offense. In fact, Julia became exactly that. Logically, this makes sense. However, Howard would not let that happen. He is smart enough to understand the advantages of having such flexibility, but theres no way hell give up his position for it, especially not to Yuel. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Yuel understood, so he knew theres no chance hell get to play on the first string unless something drastic happens. Thats why the transfer looked so appealing to him. Of course, things arent exactly going smoothly in the new club either. But, the situation definitely improved. In Stratus, Yuel and Lars are already guaranteed to play on the first-string. All thats left is to reclaim their main roles, then theyll be ready to take the regionals by storm! Volume 7 will focus more on getting to know the members of Stratus and their abilities. Especially, the freshman thatll be joining the club this year. Yuel will find himself in some though spots thanks to his lacking communication skills, but these situations will prompt him to improve in that area! Hopefully. Id like to thank everybody for sticking with the story for so many volumes. As you can tell, theres still a long road ahead. I know the storys pacing might seem slow at times, but I hope the eventual payoff for all the buildup will make up for it. There wont be any changes in the chapter release schedule for the time being. Hopefully, Ill be able to start posting two chapters a week by the time we get to volume 8. Vol.7 Ch.1: Ben the "Delinquent" On the fourth day of school, Yuel and Lars went to the clubroom again after school. So far, the club has been gathering like this every day, which was something Yuel really appreciated. The more the team gets to practice the stronger itll become. Unfortunately, this routine will probably only last until Kai makes a proper schedule. But, for now, the team had a frequent and fairly fruitful training regime. The one thing that constantly annoyed about the club was the clubroom. Unlike proper clubs, their clubroom was tucked away in the basement. So, every time, Yuel and Lars had to venture into the schools basement to reach their clubroom. That is, if one could even call that place a clubroom. It was just a storage room, really. Heya, Lars greeted everybody as he entered. Oh, Vincent turned around and saluted. Welcome to the Den of Undiscovered Potential! Again with that nonsense. Yuel shook his head. Kai and Vincent were already here, which wasn''t surprising since the seniors studied on the first floor of the school. Meanwhile, Luke wasnt here yet even though he had to travel the same distance as Yuel and Lars. Judging by his laid-back attitude, he was probably in no hurry. No surprises there. However, there was one surprise in the room: an unfamiliar face. There was a chubby boy Yuel hasnt seen before. This must be Ben, the elusive last member of Stratus who skipped every meeting so far. Oh, hi, Ben raised his hand timidly. I heard we got two transfer students. Thats you? Yep, thats us, Lars pointed at himself. The names Lars. Yuel, Yuel stated briefly. It sure took a long time to finally meet Ben even though he was supposed to be a part of the same club. What was Bens deal? Um, Im Ben, Ben shifted his eyes away to avoid Yuels gaze. Nice to meet you... Hes not quite how I imagined. Yuel frowned. Considered Ben skipped the last two days of practice and hasnt provided a good reason for that, Yuel expected a delinquent who didnt take the club seriously. Yet, this timid guy couldnt be farther away from that image. Yuel even felt bad a little for judging the guy like that. May I ask why you missed every club activity so far? Yuel had to make this straight. Ah, well... Ben flinched and his eyes moved from side to side. I, um, had some stuff I had to do take of... Like what? Er, well... Ben stumbled over his words. Some friends asked me to help them out at the basketball club, so I... Youve been helping them out for three days? A-Ah, yeah, um, you see... Ben was at a loss. This was awkward. It almost felt like bullying. Should I keep pressing? Yuel wondered. He still hasnt gotten any answers. What did Ben mean by helping the basketball club? What did Ben have to do with it? He was supposed to be a member of the Classmancers club. Or, maybe this school allowed students to register to multiple clubs? I dont get it, Yuel said. How are you connected to the basketball club? Well, I got a few friends there and... ... and? And, um... Ben was visibly fidgeting. What was he hiding? He just had important stuff to do, Vincent butted into the conversation. Let''s leave it at that, shall we? And, you''re okay with it? Yuel asked Vincent and Kai. It''s fine, Kai said. He had things he had to do, so it can''t be helped. Her words felt forced. It''s like she was pushing herself to let this slide. But, Yuel insisted. He missed days of practice. It''d be one thing if he gave a legit reason but I haven''t heard any yet. The club is already small as it is and youre going to let a member go rogue like that? If that''s your attitude, this club will never get anywhere. I-I...! Ben desperately tried to say something. I''ll make up for it! I''ll stay extra hours if I have to. And, I practice at home too, so I won''t fall behind. I promise. Really, Yuel frowned. What could he even say to that? This image of a timid and earnest boy clashed with the delinquency of Ben''s actions. No matter how Yuel looked at it, Ben didn''t come across like a troublemaker who''d skip club activity on purpose. Yet, he did so anyway. Why? What did the basketball club have to do with any of this? Yuel couldn''t comprehend. Regardless, Ben promised to work hard and even claimed he practiced at home to make up for the lost hours. If he was truly this motivated to improve and play well, maybe he was alright. May I ask whats your rank? Yuel asked. Its Platinum IV. I see, Yuel nodded. This was acceptable. It was quite a lot more promising than Lukes Gold I. Yuel wanted to know some more about Bens circumstances but it felt like Vincent and Kai wanted to kill the topic, so he couldn''t do anything but sigh and let it slide. He''ll have to gauge Ben in action today to form a proper opinion. Okay, Yuel said. Let''s just move on to today''s training. What roles do you play? I can play Top, Ben said. I can do Jungler too, but not so well. And, um, Support, I guess. Doesn''t sound like you''re too pumped for Support. Yuel noted to himself. It felt like a personal attack against Yuel''s favorite role but it wasn''t unusual. Even among players who could play Support well, many didn''t enjoy the role as much as others. After all, it could easily be the most unrewarding role ever when the rest of the team isnt coordinated enough. On top of that, being blamed for everything was common and far from fun. Yuel went through all these struggles before so he perfectly understood. So, you prefer Top? Yuel asked. Yes, if possible, Ben nodded. I''m the Top Laner at the moment, though. Yuel frowned. It wasn''t like he yearned to be the team''s Top but that was his role for now. So, he had to practice it in case he ends up playing it in official scrimmages. I also play Top, Yuel said. So, how do you want to do it? Do we take turns? I''m fine with turns, Ben nodded. You can take turns with me too, Vincent told Yuel. I''m fine with sitting the first game out. I see. The timing of this offer was a tad too convenient. It was as if Vincent could tell how much Yuel wanted to play Support. Did Yuel''s thoughts surface on his face? Either way, this was good. Getting practice as both Top and Support was ideal. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Are you also going to take turns? Yuel asked Kai. It''s good to switch with Lars from time to time so you can both gain experience as Mid and Carry. Maybe, Kai shrugged. But, today I''m only playing Carry. I see, Yuel didn''t let the disappointment to show on his face. This was the club''s fourth day of activity, yet Kai hasn''t played anything but Carry this entire time. That was the main reason Yuel didn''t bother taking turns with Vincent until now. What he really wanted was to play Bot together with Lars so they could get experience with their main roles while playing as a team. Also, it''d be a great opportunity to show off how strong they were as a duo, which should convince Kai to give up on the Carry role. Unfortunately, none of that was achievable at the moment. Kai insisted to hold onto the Carry role like it was her baby so it might take a while before Kai agrees to part with it. Therefore, for now, Yuel will play with the hand he was dealt and play Support for Kai. It should be an interesting experience in its own right. Luke arrived in the clubroom five minutes later and so lineup for the first match was decided. Top: Ben Jungler: Luke Mid: Lars Support: Yuel Carry: Kai Good luck with your supporting, Vincent whispered as he passed by Yuel. Kai can be a bit of a handful but try your best. That goes without saying, Yuel nodded. No matter who his lane partner was, he had every intention to do everything in his power to secure victory. Nevertheless, this warning made him cautious. Was Kai a difficult Carry to handle? Based on her aloof and rather selfish attitude, there was no doubt it won''t be easy to handle her. Then again, when was a Carry player ever easy to handle? Lars and Taison were rascals who had to be babysat or else they''d mess everything up. The only Carry Yuel ever played with that made his life easy was Ellen, who was competent enough to make good decisions for herself but still made sure to cooperate and plan ahead with Yuel. Though, with that pairing, Yuel often felt like he wasnt too relevant because Ellen could handle most things by herself just fine. Both Yuel and Ellen were good at analyzing opponents, so Yuels analysis only added a little bit to what Ellen already figured on her own. Where did Kai fall on the Carry scale? Was she a needy Carry who required a lot of attention? Or, was she a competent Carry who mostly acted independently? Either way, Yuel will do his utmost to support her. For that, they absolutely had to have good communication. What are you doing? Kai asked. Making sure we can properly communicate, Yuel brought over a chair and a table. Seems excessive to me but whatever floats your boat, Kai shrugged. The team queued into Ranked and soon found a match. Let''s pick Top first, Yuel advised. His team was going first, so classic theory advised to pick a versatile high tier Top Laner or Support which had no obvious counters. So, Im first? Ben asked. Um, is Vanguard alright? Sure, Yuel couldnt decide whether he liked the fact Ben asked for everybody''s input or disliked how unsure Ben sounded. It almost felt like Ben didn''t know what he was doing and just picked something because he was put on the spot. But, that couldn''t possibly be the case. After all, Vanguard wasn''t the kind of class anybody would pick on a whim. It was a rather unpopular defensive pick for Top Laners because of its slowness and self-sacrificial nature, so Ben definitely knew what he was going for. The uncertainty in his voice was probably just a part of his timid nature. The enemy team also followed standard theory and picked classes for Top and Support: Knight and Lumimancer. That didn''t give Yuel any ideas for effective counter picks. Thus, for now, theyll just go ahead and pick something solid. What''s today''s meme? Yuel asked. Let''s see, let''s see, Luke scrolled through his custom filter of Jungle Memes. Jungle Druid sounds like fun. Yeah, I''m feeling it! I see, Yuel sighed in defeat. After playing with Luke for the past few days, Yuel came to terms with Lukes meme of the day routine. At least, for now. Rogue, Cryomancer, Archer and now Druid. There was no end to Lukes arsenal of meme Junglers. Though, surprisingly, Luke played all these classes far better than Yuel expected. Luke countered Stealth Wards as Rogue, he found the right moments to set up ganks with Cryomancer and he went for a heavy crit-oriented build with Archer to burst down enemies. So, considering this impressive performance, Yuel began accepting that impractical playstyle. So, for now, Yuel will let Luke meme and see where that goes. But, for competitive matches, Luke will eventually have to pick up meta classes. There was no doubt about that. And so, Luke picked Druid for jungling, of all things. Druid already had a niche secondary pick as a Top Laner, but a Jungler pick was even rarer than that. The only justifications Druid had for being a Jungler were the CC from Natures Grasp and the split-pushing potential of Awaken the Ents. Same as with most memes, it had a chance to be viable and sometimes even strong, but the chances of that happening were too slim on the highest levels of play. I feel like working on my Electro next, Lars said. Sounds good, Yuel approved. The past few days, Lars has been getting into shape as a Mid Laner by playing some of the lower difficulty mages. Today, he should be ready to tackle a class that demanded a higher execution like Electromancer. The enemy team next picked Vampire and Pirate, which were possibly supposed to be counter-picks to Druids Nature Grasp. Vampire could use Coffin Slumber to negate any damage after being pulled in, which would buy enough time to assess the situation and decide on the best line of play. Pirate had even better ways to counter Natures Grasp. For one, it could quickly dodge the branches of Natures Grasp with Backfire Cannon. Alternatively, it could unleash Kraken in the enemys face after being pulled. There was no telling for sure regarding the Vampire, but the enemy definitely picked Pirate to counter Druid. After all, from their point of view, the Druid seemed like the most likely candidate for being the Support. Yuels team already had Vanguard and Druid, so either of those would normally be assumed to be the Support. The Pirate pick was decent against Vanguard as well, so it covered both bases. But, too bad for them. Neither of those was going to be the Support. Yuel left his pick for last, hoping he could counter-pick the enemys Bot duo. Who do you want to play? Yuel asked Kai. Impaler, Kai locked her pick before Yuel even got a chance to comment. Wow, an insta-locker. Yuel made a face. It wasnt like Impaler was a bad pick here. In fact, the Impalers Iron Maiden could serve as a counter to Pirates Backfire Cannon when applied smartly, so this was a solid choice. Nevertheless... You didnt give me a chance to comment on your pick. Hm? Kai tilted her head. What did you want to say? Well... Yuel frowned. In truth, he didnt have anything to say about this particular pick. Nothing, I guess. Huh. Okay. I didnt get the point across, did I? Yuel sighed. Well, thats alright. He wasnt particularly silver-tongued and Kai wasnt exactly the easiest person to socialize with, so it was only inevitable to run into such issues. Yuel will just have to work on this one step at a time. So, I have to work with an Impaler. Yuel went over the list of Support options. He wanted a class thatll either counter the enemys composition or will supplement Kais Impaler. Or, optimally, a class thatll do both at once. Impalers main gimmick was its Impale skill, which launched a big spear that knocked back enemy players. When Impale pushed an enemy into a wall, it dealt extra damage and stunned the player. The rest of the Impalers kit was designed to combo off from this initial play. Therefore, a good way to support an Impaler was by helping them execute this setup. In other words, help them push an opponent into a wall. Which Support could help with that? Naturally, Cryomancer came to mind. Ice Wall was treated like a wall, so pushing an enemy into it with Impale gave all the same benefits. On top of that, Cryomancers Ice Coffin added another optional layer to the Impalers combo. Ill take Cryo, Yuel said. Tell me when you need an ice wall for pushing somebody. Sure, Kai didnt show much reaction. Im picking Cryo for you, you know. Yuel made a face. Well, not receiving proper gratitude was common for a Support. By the end of the day, he didnt really pick Cryomancer specifically for Kai. He made this pick to increase the teams overall chances of victory. So, it was fine. A little irking, but fine. The enemy team wrapped up the drafting phase with a Sorcerer pick for Mid. It didnt come across as a counter to anything in particular, so it was probably just a preference of that Mid player. With that, the match began. How was Ben going to perform? How well with Yuel be able to cooperate with Kai as his partner? These were the main topics Yuel wanted to explore in the upcoming match. Yuels team: Top: Ben (Vanguard) Jungler: Luke (Druid Meme) Mid: Lars (Electromancer) Carry: Kai (Impaler) Support: Yuel (Cryomancer) Enemy team: Top: Knight Jungler: Vampire Mid: Sorcerer Carry: Pirate Support: Lumimancer Vol.7 Ch.2: Clunky Cooperation The online match began and there were multiple elements of uncertainty about it. How well will Yuel and Kai be able to cooperate in Bot? How well will Ben play in Top? How well will Luke play his meme Jungle Druid? And, how will Lars handle a mage with more delicate execution like Electromancer? In short, literally everything was uncertain about this match. But, Yuel couldnt focus on everything at once. Based on the experiences of the last few days, Luke probably knew how to play Jungle Druid. He has already started the game on the right foot by buying Smite, a utility skill thatll greatly help him clear jungle camps. One of the big reasons Druid was a meme as a Jungler was due to its poor camp clearing speed. So, Luke practically had to buy Smite to be able to do anything at all. As always, the guy lived up to his memeing quality, for the better and the worse. As for Lars, it was always easy to trust that mechanical monster to handle anything that required execution. Even if he fails to do the optimal Electromancer setup on his first try, he''ll optimize it in no time. He was that kind of natural beast. At most, Yuel will have to throw a few reminders in Lars''s way in case that goof forgot some of the finer details of the execution. With all that considered, Yuel didnt have to worry too much about Lars and Lukes performances. The more interesting topic was Ben. As a Top player, Ben will compete with Vincent for that spot once Yuel regains his rightful place as the Support. So, which one of the two was the better Top Laner for the team? Right off the bat, Ben''s absence from every club meeting thus far was a bad first impression. However, Ben wasnt a delinquent and it seemed he genuinely felt bad for missing club activities. Therefore, it was better to ignore the bad first impression and analyze Ben objectively. Was he a better Top than Vincent? That''s all that mattered right now. Unfortunately, Yuel played on the opposite side of the map from Ben, so it might be hard to analyze Bens skill properly. Worst case, hell have to watch the replay later. For now, he''ll concentrate on cooperating with Kai in the lane. This was a fresh experience and a good opportunity to better understand her as a player. Speaking of Kai, she started off on her own while Yuel was still busy thinking about the situation. He didnt even get a chance to see what she bought. Why two wards? Yuel asked while going over Kais starting items. Why not? Kai shrugged. We gotta ward, you know. Yeah, but its better to let the Support spend money on wards. We can split the burden of warding if you want but I have no problem warding everything myself. I prefer to do some of the warding myself. There are some areas on the map I wanted warded at all times, so I want to make sure theyll be warded. You can just ask me to ward there. Its okay, Ill handle it. You just ward where you think is best. Fine, Yuel gave up. He didnt know how to continue this argument. For some reason, Kai was deadset on doing some of the warding herself. This was rather rare. Normally, Carries didnt like warding and wanted to focus on laning, kills and pushing. Lars never ever suggested to ward anything himself. He always left everything to Yuel. And, Taison was the exact same way. As far as they were concerned, warding wasnt their job. Somebody else will always ward Bot for them and that somebody was the Support. So, it was nice to see a Carry who valued warding for a change. With that said, a Carry shouldnt ward too much, especially not during the early stages of the game. After all, there was a reason the Support started off on the same lane as the Carry in the meta. Most Carry classes were relatively weak during the early game and their top priority was to get their build online and become a force to be reckoned with. The faster a Carry can start pushing objectives, the better. Spending gold on wards delayed the Carrys build so it wasnt something a Carry should do often early on. Hopefully, Kai only was this persistent about warding herself during game start. If she keeps buying two wards every time she returns to base, theyll need to have a talk about it. After Yuel and Kai cleared the Ogre Camp together with Lars, they went to Bot Lane. The enemy arrived there earlier, which wasn''t surprising. Pirates clearing speed was a little faster than Impalers during the early game and there was nothing anybody could do about that fact. It was math. With that in mind, Yuel and Kai had to play smart and crack the enemy down one step at a time. During the laning phase, Kai didn''t take any risks. She cleared the minions safely but efficiently. She stayed in the rear and fired basics on the enemy frontline. Impalers passive, Deep Wounds, lowered the targets defense by a flat amount for a brief time. So, first of all, Kai hit every enemy swordsman in order to lower all their defenses. Then, she followed up with Impale and shot her spear through the line of swordsmen. It was a good farming tactic but, unfortunately, Impale didnt deal that much damage. Especially, not during the early game. Pirates Backfire Cannon was much stronger, so thats how the Pirate dominated the lane despite Kais efficient setup. Every time, a couple of minions from the enemy team outlived all allied minions. Thats when the enemys pressuring began. The Pirate and Lumimancer advanced along with their minions and tried to get as much damage as possible on Yuel and Kai. So, Kai always retreated to the Turret in a timely fashion. From there, she did her best to kill the minions before they enter the Turrets area. Is the plan to keep playing defense during the early game? Yuel wondered. He didn''t get to see much of Kais performance in Bot because he was always playing Top, so he had no idea how she normally handled disadvantageous early game scenarios. He should''ve watched some replays, but he deemed it irrelevant at the time. However, now that he was her Support, these things were very much relevant. She got a poker face 24/7, so I can''t tell what''s on her mind. Yuel squinted his eyes. No matter whether things were going well or poorly, Kai''s expression remained static like a statues. What? Kai glanced at Yuel. Nothing, Yuel averted his eyes. He was trying to read her expression but it probably looked like staring to her. Something on my face? No, its nothing. Huh. Kai dropped the topic and returned to her tablet. In truth, there was one thing about Kai which always bothered Yuel: the black sporty cap. Why was she wearing a cap all the way down here in the basement? Surely it wasn''t going to help her against the sun. No sunlight reached this godforsaken clubroom. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Thinking of it, Yuel has never seen Kai without the cap. Did she wear it to class as well? There was no school rule against it so nobody would stop her. What? Kai turned to him again. Ah, Yuel jumped. The girl had some sort of radar for sure. I was just wondering about your cap. Wanna buy one too? They sell em at the mall around here. Its pretty neat. Is it just me or she''s very good at missing the point? Yuel wondered. No, I don''t need one. I was just wondering why youre always wearing that cap, even when youre at the club. Why not? Because we''re in a basement. And? Well, as you can probably tell, there''s no sunlight down here. I''d be surprised if there was. This girl... Yuel didn''t know what else to say here. Do you ever take it off? When I shower or go to bed. I feel like the first mention was unnecessary. Yuel''s cheek burned a little as a rude image flashed through his mind. Though, even in that brief steamy snapshot, he still imagined Kai sporting that black cap. He never saw her without that cap so, even in his mind, he couldn''t imagine how she looked without it. With that, the small talk died down. Yuel didn''t get to the bottom of the cap mystery and didn''t get to see any reactions from Kai. She was one tough customer to deal with. By the time both sides reached Lv.4, Kai''s clearing speed became on par with that of the enemy Pirate. In fact, hers was a bit faster because she has been doing a great job utilizing the Impaler''s passive to weaken the swordsmens defense. So, this time, she was the one to clear the minions first. This was a great opportunity to strike. Yuel should bring this up and- I''ll attack, Kai announced before Yuel could make his move. Okay, Yuel followed along. Then, let me create an ice- He was too late. Kai already advanced to the frontline and activated Iron Maiden, which summoned the metallic torture device right behind the enemy Pirate. Before the Pirate realized he was trapped, Kai fired her large spear in his direction. The impact pushed the Pirate back and shoved him right into the iron maiden. The Pirate''s back rammed into the torture device and the metallic doors burst open. The iron maiden swallowed the Pirate whole as if he was a snack. CRUNCH. It sounded like a smashed waffle. After delivering the damage, the iron maiden broke apart and revealed the stunned Pirate. This was the cue to go all out! Like before, Kai didn''t waste any time and threw spears at the stunned prey. So far, her attack was well-executed. But... I''m the Support. I should be initiating these kinds of plays. Yuel made a face. It wasn''t a rule set in stone, but it was usually the Supports role to initiate fights. Yuel could''ve spared Kai the trouble of spend MP on Iron Maiden if she gave him time to cast Ice Wall instead. It didnt matter what kind of wall Impale shoved its target into, the impact would stun all the same. Sure, the Iron Maiden dealt some additional damage but it wasnt even enough to help to secure the kill so it was practically useless. So, the Ice Wall play would have been superior overall. Yuel had more MP to burn and his resources were less important than the Carrys. On top of that, while Yuel was creating the Ice Wall, Kai could''ve already fired her Impale to lower the opponents chances of dodging. There was a brief recovery animation after casting Iron Maiden, so it took a moment before Kai followed up with Impale. The only reason this play worked out was that the opponent was too slow to react. Most players would have been able to dodge that telegraphed Impale. Well, I''ll go over it later. Yuel shifted his focus to the situation at hand. The enemy Pirate was stunned and Kai was driving him with spears but that alone wasn''t going to do the job. The Pirate will have a chance to escape once he gets out of stun. Therefore, to properly secure the kill, Yuel got close to the Pirate. He waited right until the Pirates stun was about to run out and activated Ice Coffin, spreading chilling air in front of him. The cold hit the Pirate and froze the guy in place. From one stun into another. Nasty but beautiful. This gave Kai enough time to seal the deal. An enemy has been killed! Yes. Kai nodded in satisfaction. It was a quiet and brief celebration but Yuel noticed it. After all, the girl has been sitting there like a statue this entire time, so this was the first time she expressed any human emotion. At least she celebrates when she wins. I guess she''s a human, after all. Yuel chuckled. Here it is! A loud voice boomed. The first blood goes to Stratus! Despite playing as a duo for the first time, Beat and Chessmaster showcased perfect synergy as they took down CrazyDriver! Perfect synergy? More like, barely any synergy at all. Yuel mentally retorted. The one spreading fake news was Vincent, the only one in the room who wasn''t in the match. He was following the match closely by sticking his face to Lukes PC monitor. With this play, Stratus seized the momentum! Vincent went on with his nonsense. What other surprises will this team deliver today!? Are you supposed to be a commentator? Yuel made a face. Who was Vincent even commentating for? It felt like he was being loud for the sake of drawing attention to himself. However, Vincents grin made it look like he genuinely enjoyed following the match and commenting on it. So, Yuel didn''t say anything. But, that didn''t change the fact that perfect synergy couldnt be farther away from describing the recent play Yuel and Kai pulled off. Next time, Yuel said. If you want to get a kill with a stun combo, let me make an ice wall first. Hm? You mean, instead of the iron maiden? Yes. There''s no need for you burn MP on Iron Maiden if I can make a wall for you. I got plenty of MP to spare and, even if I run out, its not a big deal if I leave the lane to recover. On the other hand, if you recall to base, well be surrendering lane control to the enemy. So, its better to exhaust my MP instead. Huh, that''s a noble sacrifice you''re willing to make. That''s my job as the Support, Yuel chuckled. You know, to babysit the Carry. I don''t need no babysitting. It''s just a term. If you prefer, you can think of me as somebody who works under you and that its better to work me to the bone when it saves you trouble. That''s a pretty masochistic mindset you got there. That''s just how it works, Yuel said. It''s not like he wanted to slave away for the Carry, it''s just that this was the optimal arrangement for ensuring that the Carry will grow strong and healthy. So, since this strategy was so effective, it was attractive enough to make Yuel ignore the fact he essentially had to work under the Carry. Though, in his experience, he was usually more of a babysitter than a worker. Especially, when playing with goofs like Lars and Taison. This Bot duo arrangement meant the Support had to work hard for the sake of the Carry, but that''s part of what made the role complex and fun to master. He had to ward, protect the Carry, initiate fights, and much more. It was a lot of work and he had to do all of it at the same time during the early-game. It was a lot of responsibility and rather difficult, but that''s what made it rewarding. As such, Yuel didn''t appreciate it when the Carry stole some of his work. Even Ellen, who was mostly an independent Carry, still spared the time to strategize with Yuel about their upcoming plays. Ellen barely needed any babysitting compared to the other Carry goofs but she still made Yuel slave away for her as needed. That was a world apart from what Kai just did. She just charged in all by herself without taking Yuel into account at all. Sure, Kai did give him a heads up about her plan of attack. But, then she just went through with it without even giving Yuel a chance to react. Kai just made a last-moment announcement and had zero intention of discussing it or asking for help. That wasnt how things should work. The next time you want to attack, Yuel said. Make sure to inform me ahead of time. It''s better if I initiate things because that''ll put me in the most danger. You''re really raring to die, huh, Kai smirked. As I said, it''s always better to burn the Supports resources rather than the Carry''s, no matter whethers it''s MP or HP. I don''t need you to sacrifice yourself for my sake. It''s not like I''m doing it for you. It''s just more optimal. As the Support, my job is to get all the hits for the Carry during the early game. I make sure you can get enough farm during the early-game and you carry the team during mid-game. That''s how we optimize the teams chances of winning. Okay, I''ll keep that in mind. Please do, Yuel concluded the conversation on that note. But, did the message really get across? Kai''s tone was as aloof as ever, so it was hard to tell. Yuel will have to be more assertive the next time they get a good opportunity to initiate. Vol.7 Ch.3: The Supports Role in Bottom Lane Despite Yuel and Kais clunky cooperation during their first offense, they successfully took out the enemy Pirate. That was a huge early achievement and a First Blood to boot. It created a solid momentum for the team. With the Pirate out of the picture, they shifted their focus toward the remaining enemy on the lane: the Lumimancer. It was a 2v1 situation, so Yuel and Kai could go for another aggressive play here. Unfortunately, the Lumimancer blinked away with Flash before Yuel could initiate anything. What a shame. This guy seems very cautious. Perhaps overly cautious. Yuel took a mental note. Back when Kai attacked the Pirate, the Lumimancer didn''t even try stepping in to rescue his partner. And now, with his partner dead, the Lumimcancer immediately retreated all the way back to his Turret. There was no doubt he was the defensive type. Not getting involved against Kais assault might have been a smart choice because Lumimancer didn''t have any good tools from rescuing the Pirate from the situation. However, if he truly valued his Carry, he shouldve at least interfered with Blinding Light or Ray of Light before blinking away. Judging by Kai''s skill, such interference most likely wouldn''t have fazed her. However, the Lumimancer couldn''t have possibly known that. He should have at least tried. Therefore, this Luminancer was either a scaredy-cat or not so experienced. He''ll probably be one of the weak spots of the enemy team. To test his theory further, Yuel wanted to push hard. During the next minion wave, Yuel''s side held an overwhelming advantage thanks to Kai''s clearing speed. The Lumimancer couldn''t contest her on his own, especially not with a defensive Support build. So, Kai won the lane with ease. Let''s push the Turret, Yuel suggested. Huh? Kai gave him a look. It''s dangerous. A little, but probably not too much. The Lumi is still there, though. Yeah, but think about it: what kind of scary thing a Lumimancer can really pull? Um, well, Kai cocked her head. There''s not much, huh. Exactly. Also, I got a feeling hell not dare to fight us. A feeling? Kai raised an eyebrow. Are you a mind reader? Its just a theory based on circumstantial evidence. Looking at how hes been playing so far, he seems to have a very defensive playstyle. How do you figure? Here we go again with questioning. Yuel sighed. Every single time he played with somebody new, he had to justify himself. He has already convinced Luke and Vincent to trust his observations but Kai was a new challenge. Well, I didnt many opportunities to convince her before so I better start doing that now. Remember how that Lumiancer didn''t help out the Pirate? Yuel asked. Yesh, I guess he didn''t do much back then, Kai sounded indifferent. They clearly weren''t on the same page regarding what that piece of evidence implied. It was more than just not doing much. He maintained distance the whole time and retreated as soon as we took out the Pirate. You mean, as soon as I took down the Pirate. Sure. Anyway, it implies that Lumimancer doesn''t like stepping to the frontline unless he''s forced to. Sounds like jumping to conclusions to me, Kai shrugged. You''ve seen him play like that just once and youre already talking like youve known him for years. This will never get easy, will it? Yuel sighed. As always, making somebody trust his analysis was difficult. It always felt like he was a shady salesman who came to sell something wonky and had to prove his credibility. As far as others were concerned, Yuel was simply making a wild guess. It made sense for them to think that way but knowing that didn''t help him find a solution to the problem. He had confidence in his analysis but, in the end, most of them were just theories. There was always a chance he was wrong so he couldnt go ahead and proclaim Im 100% sure Im correct! Follow my plan! In times like these, vocal supporters like Vincent are really helpful. Yuel''s eyes naturally laid on the loud clown, who was busy hyping up the match right now. Back when Yuel had to pitch his sale to Luke, it was Vincent who ultimately convinced Luke to cooperate with Yuel''s shot-call. What argument did Vincent use back then? It was something very convincing, which went something like... I got the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception! Yuel declared... Yeah, right. As if he could spout such nonsense out loud. It was mind-boggling that something so asinine managed to convince Luke. Would Vincent be able to convince Kai as well? Yuel wondered. No, I shouldn''t rely on others to do my work for me. I have to resolve this myself. Somehow. Thinking back on it, this was one of the first challenges Aron posed on Yuel during StormBlitzs entrance exam. Already back then, Aron noticed this communication issue and pushed Yuel to work on it. However, after Yuel proved his worth in front of the entire club, this problem died out and he never had a chance to work on it. Or, rather, he didnt want to work on it. He hoped to keep playing with the same people for a long time and to never again be forced to convince anybody of anything. But, now the problem returned to bite him in the butt and he wasnt ready. So, Yuel had to figure a way to solve it himself. He won''t always have other people nearby who can do the marketing for him. He had to learn how to sell people on his skill. So, how should he sell his current idea to Kai? How could he convince her to push against the Lumimancer without any further evidence regarding his defensive playstyle? Wait, didn''t Vincent say something else to Luke as well? Yuel searched his memory. Indeed, there was something else Vincent said besides the whole nonsense of the Mystic Eyes. Vincent also told Luke to give it a shot. In other words, Vincent didn''t fully sell Luke on the idea right away. Instead, he just asked Luke to play along and see what happens. You''re right, Yuel finally spoke up. I''ve only seen that one play, so my impression of this Lumimancer might be wrong. But, that''s why we should push him now and see what happens. If I''m right, he''ll back off and we''ll get to push for free. If not, we won''t lose anything. Hm, I suppose, Kai took a moment to think it over. Okay, I''m game. Let''s poke him and see how things go. Yes!!! Yuel pumped a fist. He did it! He convinced somebody to follow his plan! All by himself! No cheats or audience help! Yuel really did it on his own! Did you see that, Aron? I can do it! It was a small thing but for Yuel it was huge. Finally, he overcame one of the most annoying hurdles ever. He probably won''t run into this problem again for a while but it still felt satisfying to beat it. Now, hell know how to deal with this issue in the future. I just need to ask them to give it a shot. Yuel nodded to himself. It was such a basic thing but it didn''t occur to him until now. In his mind, his reads of the enemy''s behavior were akin to educated guesses and he wanted to test them. However, he failed to convey that sentiment to others, so he was always met with resistance. He''ll definitely have to avoid problems like that in the future if he wants to become a shot-caller on the same level as Howard. Following Yuels idea, he and Kai invaded the enemy''s Turret area. As Yuel suspected, the Lumimancer didn''t get in their way. The guy maintained his distance and only fired at minions from afar. He''d have to commit and advance to the frontline if he wanted to hit Kai or Yuel and he clearly had no intention of doing so. No balls, huh, Kai shook her head. Thanks to this push, they shaved off 20% from the Turret''s HP. Hopefully, all these plays will convince Kai to trust him a little more as her Support. Yuel made it clear hell properly ward the area, he helped her secure a kill on the Pirate and now he also came up with this great push opportunity. So, it was about time this lone wolf started trusting him, right? Unfortunately, things werent so easy. Shortly after they finished pushing the Turret and retreated, the enemy Pirate returned to lane. The tug of war on the lane began once more but this time Kai had a clear advantage. She out-leveled the Pirate by one level so her attacks were stronger. On top of that, Pirate was a class that relied on getting ahead through extra gold. So, without that advantage, it was a rather subpar class. That one early kill Kai scored on the Pirate set the guy back in a big way. Kai was leading in the wave clearing by a mile. But, right before she finished the entire wave, she advanced toward the frontline for no apparent reason. She summoned an iron maiden behind the Pirate and fired Impale at him. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Yes, just like that. Out of the blue, she opened an attack without planning ahead or even warning Yuel. This was even worse than last time. Wha... Yuel was taken aback. Didn''t they just talk about this a few minutes ago? Damn, I''m too far away to extend the stun with Ice Coffin. The Pirate will get away. Yuel scanned the mini-map. Fortunately, Luke wasn''t too far away. Luke, Yuel called out and drew a path on the mini-map. Can you come here to gank along this path? The Pirate will probably retreat soon. Alright, gotcha, Luke replied. You gotta have to help me if he got HP, though. I can''t burst for shit. Right. With any normal Jungler, a simple gank should be able to finish off an injured opponent. However, Druid was a setup type of ganker. He could stop an enemy in their tracks but he needed somebody else to help with the damage. So, it was up to Yuel to arrange the follow-up. Kai drilled the stunned enemy with flying spears and then went for her ult: A Thousand Impales. Countless spears penetrated through the ground below the Pirate. They cut through the Pirate and knocked him into the air. The damage was high because the Pirate was hit while stunned and, on top of that, he was air-bound now. So, this gave Kai another opportunity to fire at the helpless Pirate. But, the Pirate performed a Dodge Roll in mid-air and dodged her next spear. Nevertheless, the knock-up effect was strong enough and slowed down the Pirate''s escape. This gave Yuel more than enough time to catch up and secure the kill. However, unlike him, Kai didn''t seem too interested in chasing. Kai, Yuel called out. Let''s chase the Pirate. We can get a kill. Can we? Kai tilted her head. I think he gonna get away. See? He used Backfire to get out. I asked Luke to gank. We can catch up. You''re so sure about it, Kai was as uncooperative as ever. This was the time for Yuel to pull his new trick. Let''s just give it a shot. The Lumimancer is also retreating and the enemy Jungler is on the other side of the lane, so we won''t be in any danger if we chase. We either get the kill or we don''t. We won''t lose anything. Huh, I guess t, Kai nodded and joined the chase, albeit with a slight delay. Okay, now everything is riding on Luke''s setup ability. Yuel nodded to himself. It was difficult to consistently land Nature''s Grasp due to its thin width, so it''ll be interesting to see how Luke fares. If he was truly the almighty memer he claimed to be, he better nail this play. Fortunately, Luke got to the scene on time. He cut off the Pirate and fired Nature''s Grasp right before the Pirate reached his Turret. It was a hit! The branches grabbed the Pirate and dragged him back toward the Druid. Checkmate. The Pirate was captured. Yuel erected an ice wall right in front of the Pirate to stall him even further. Unfortunately that alone wasn''t enough. Kai had to be the one to deal the finishing blow but she was too far away because she started late. From this position, the Pirate might still get away if nothing was done. But, Yuel already determined this was a checkmate. The final move to guarantee the kill was to apply extra CC on the Pirate. While the Pirate was maneuvering around the ice wall, Yuel caught up and unleashed Ice Coffin. That''s it. The Pirate was down for. Kai arrived at the scene and delivered two heavy blows. An enemy has been killed! Good job, guys! Luke saluted to Yuel and Kai. Thanks, Kai said. It was a solid gank, Yuel nodded in approval. Have to say, you know your Jungler Druid. C''mon, man, Luke laughed. You make me blush. Ya better tape that, dude, Lars chuckled. Dude never praises anybody. If ya got his seal of approval, it means ya pro level material, yo. I''m not THAT bad, am I? Yuel made a face. It''s true he tended to criticize players a lot but he''d drop a nice word every now and then when somebody did well. Especially, when somebody pulled off a difficult skill-shot like Nature''s Grasp. Yuel had to practice for a long time before he started landing that thing on enemies. In the end, this uncoordinated play miraculously converted into a kill. However, that didn''t mean Kai''s solo attack was good. Far from it. That play was irresponsible and wasteful in every way. There were other, much more efficient, ways to secure a kill there. But, instead, Kai went In alone and wasted a lot of resources for no good reason. Kai even wasted her ult on this. It was so unnecessary. What was that play? Yuel asked. You should''ve told me you''re going to aggress. Ah, right, Kai agreed but there was no hint of remorse in her tone. I saw the Pirate had bad positioning so I went for it without thinking much. I didn''t want to let that opportunity slide. You''re right, I forgot to inform you. It would be great if you refrain from that kind of solo activity. Were supposed to work as a pair. As I said, you should use my resources when you can. You even wasted your ult there. Yesh, I thought Ill get him after the ult but he reacted well. If you just told me you were planning to attack, I could''ve arranged the same setup as last time. We would''ve secured the kill without wasting your ult that way. I don''t see the amazing line of play you had in mind, Kai admitted. But, you''re the Challenger here so I guess you know what you''re talking about. Id like to believe so. Anyway, please, don''t go for solo plays like that while I''m here. Let me initiate the fight and set up the kill for you. You''re really bossy for a Support, Kai gave him a look. I''m pretty sure that''s how the optimal dynamic between the Support and Carry should be. What do you think the Support is? The guy who got stuck in Bot with the Carry because there aren''t enough lanes for five players. Sounds like a very sad story. I know, right? Kai chuckled. What I really think about the Support? Well, not much, really. Theyre here to help me out from time to time, thats about it. Thats all? Yuel blinked. That was a disgustingly low evaluation of the Support''s importance. Worst of all, it didnt even sound like Kai was trying to make fun of the role or anything. She just genuinely didnt find much value in the Supports presence. Wow, this is... I have no words. So, Yuel started. You dont trust your Support to help you out and create opportunities for you? Sometimes. But, I rather not rely on that, Kai shrugged. I can win fights and get kills on my own. I dont need somebody to babysit me. Babysitting is just a snazzy term. Its not that anybody is underestimating the Carry. Its just that the Carry is the pivot of the team and usually vulnerable during the early game. So, the Carry is very important but also very fragile by design. Im not fragile. Im talking about the classes, not the players, Yuel shook his head. Marksmen are designed to have the highest DPS but, in exchange, theyre some of the easiest classes to kill. A Carry who lags behind is going to drag the entire team down, so its crucial to prevent that from happening. Thats where the Support comes into the picture and takes the job of guarding the Carry. Youre lecturing me like I dont know all that stuff, Kai rolled her eyes. Looks you take your babysitting quite literally, huh. Well, Yuel smiled wryly. Lets just say that some of the Carries I played with are... a little special. Like Lars? Like Lars, Yuel chuckled. In the case of that goof, being a Support was truly babysitting in every sense of the word. When they just started playing together, Larss decision-making was godawful and Yuel had to lead the guy 24/7. Fortunately, the goof was steadily learning and, right now, he was even playing independently in Mid without getting any advice from Yuel. An enemy has been killed! Lars scored a kill in Mid. Yuel didnt catch all the details but he knew Lars has been pressuring the enemy hard for a while now. At some point, the enemy Sorcerer must have become fed up with the situation and attempted to assault Lars. However, Lars struck back and crushed the Sorcerer. Yuel wasnt involved in this process at all. Lars handled everything himself from start to end. Truly, the goof has been growing into a fine player. It was a little emotional, like watching your baby grow up. You know, Yuel smiled. When Lars started out, he was terrible. A literal baby who couldnt tell left from right. So yeah, in his case, Id say I had to babysit him in the truest sense of the word. You have my condolences, Kai said. But, he has improved a lot since then and I only give him advice every now and then. So, at this point, hes good enough to just go out there and get kills by himself as you do. In fact, no offense, but hed likely do a much better job than you at securing kills on his own. You sure like singing praises to that guy. How about you just marry him? Its just a fact, Yuel said. Fight him 1v1 and youll understand how easily he can overwhelm most opponents. And yet, when he plays Carry, he still relies on me, his Support. He knows that, no matter what amazing plays he can pull off on his own, hell be able to do even more if he cooperates with the Support. Is that so, Kai shrugged. In the end, its the Carry who gets the job done. The Support is just there to provide some help. Even though the role is called Support, the Support and the Carry are partners. Theyre supposed to consult each other and decide on a game plan together. It shouldnt be the Carrys one-man show while Support is just kinda there to help sometimes maybe. No, the Support and Carry are supposed to work together. Did you flip some sort of lecturer switch? Kai made a face. Alright, I get it already. Ill make sure to tell you the next time I attack. Im trying to say thats not good enough, Yuel insisted. You shouldnt only focus on your plays and inform me about them as if Im an afterthought. Its fine if you want to be the one to call the shots and decide when we go on the offensive but make sure you make that judgment with both of us in mind. Not gonna lie, youre such a bossy Support, Kai sighed. I dunno. What youre saying sounds too idealistic to me. Ive played more than enough matches where I got bitten in the ass for trusting the Support to do stuff. Is Vincent a bad Support? Nah, that idiot is fine, Kai said. Like, hes not amazing and I can already see why hes praising you as the superior Support. But, he gets the job done. He usually follows up on my plays in time and helps me out. Thats all I need. But, he doesn''t call you out for making selfish plays, does he? I see. To be honest, Kai said. You''re the first Support I met who cares about that stuff so much. Ben played Support for me before and he didn''t say anything either. He just did his job and helped me out as a proper Support should. So, you''re saying I''m the odd one out? Yuel smiled wryly. From what he could tell, Vincent and Ben preferred playing Top so Support wasn''t their main role. And, even it were, Yuel most likely had a deeper understanding of the role than them. So, it made sense he came across as a very different type of Support. I understand, Yuel said. You''re not used to playing with a Support who dictates you how to move. Oh, so you actually understand how bossy you are. But, how about you give it a try this game? Yuel asked. Tell me ahead of time when you want to go on the offensive and let me initiate. Then, judge for yourself how effective that approach is. Sounds like a pain, Kai rolled her eyes. But, alright. You''ve been making some good calls so far. I can play along with that. Thank you, Yuel meant that sincerely but it felt rather sarcastic. Why did he even have to work so hard to convince his lane partner to cooperate? It should have been common sense for the Support and Carry to work together on everything. Has Vincent never brought that up before when playing with Kai? Yuel wondered. Vincent wasnt a bad Support. During the past week, the Bot duo of Kai and Vincent has been doing perfectly fine. However, it seemed like Vincent allowed Kai to get away with her selfishness and did his best to followed up on her plays. That was admirable in its own way because Yuel couldn''t stand playing like that. He believed the Support and Carry were equals on the lane and had to cooperate on everything to draw out their maximum potential. It wasn''t the Carry''s one-man show. At least, Kai is listening. Yuel only had that to console him. Despite Kai''s self-centered way of thinking while making her plays, she lent an ear to Yuel and even agreed to try doing things his way. Truly, the phrase give it a try became Yuel''s trump card today. He should use it every time he tries to convince somebody to make a play. Now, with Kai convinced, the responsibility fell on Yuel''s shoulder. His supporting this game was going to either make or break it. If he puts on a strong show, Kai will be more willing to cooperate from now on. On the other hand, if he messes up, it''ll be tough to make her trust her Support ever again. The next play will critical. Vol.7 Ch.4: Self-Sufficient Carry Ever since Kai killed the Pirate, the enemy Lumimancer has been turtling and there weren''t any good opportunities to score additional kills here. From what Yuel could see, one of their best line of play was to keep pushing the Turret under the Lumimancers nose. That was good and all, but couldn''t they go for a stronger play than that? Fortunately, an interesting piece of information came up: an allied ward revealed the enemy Vampire heading toward the Wolf Camp near Bot Lane. He surely intended to farm the camp and he might drop by Bot Lane to help with the defense effort. This was a great chance to make a strong convincing play. Their Mid is in Mid and their Top is in Top. Perfect. Yuel nodded to himself. There was no chance anybody from other lanes would interfere with his plan. Only the Lumimancer could help the Vampire out but that guy has already proved himself to be an extreme turtle who didnt want to stick out his neck for others. Let''s gank the Vampire, Yuel suggested. I was thinking about it, actually, Kai said. The Mid and Top are in their lanes, so we''re good as far as those are concerned. She really pays attention, Yuel nodded in approval. I''d kill for Lars to have such a keen map awareness. But, Kai continued. What about the Lumi? He''s right here so he might pull something. Maybe. But, remember: we already got plenty of evidence hes the type who doesnt like taking any risks. Oh, right. He probably wont be coming. Even if he does, I don''t see us losing much. It''ll be a 2v2 and we can disengage if we don''t like how things are going. It''s a low-risk high-reward play. Huh, I see that now. Alright, I''m in. Let''s go get that Vampire. Wait, Yuel called out before Kai ventured into the Jungle through the entrance on the enemy side. It''ll be too obvious if we enter the Jungle from here. Let''s go through the middle to pretend like we might be going for our Wolf Camp or rotating. Taking things to the next level, huh. Alright. I just hope we don''t let him slip away. We got time, Yuel took into account the fact the Vampire was a bruiser, which meant itll take the guy a while to clear the camp. So, taking a little detour to conceal their plans was alright. Yuel and Kai retreated from the enemy''s side of the lane and entered the jungle through the middle. This made it look like they were leaving the lane to go elsewhere. Maybe they were going to farm jungle camps? Maybe they were rotating to gank Mid? The enemy must have been asking themselves such questions right now. They took the bait. Yuel smirked as the enemy Mid Laner retreated. That was clearly a countermeasure against a potential Mid gank. The uncertainty surrounding this play diverted the enemys attention from the real play Yuel cooked up. Let me initiate please, Yuel said. I''ll make a wall parallel to you behind the Vampire so just shoot on my sign. Sure. Okay, so, Yuel positioned the ice wall. Now! He erected the ice wall perfectly. It stretched in parallel to where Kai was positioned. So, no matter how she fires her Impale, it was going to push the Vampire into the wall for sure. All Kai had to do was to quickly throw her spear and the Vampire won''t even know what hit him! ... at least, that was the plan. Kai didn''t throw Impale right away. She first waited to the ice wall to form and only then threw her spear. Unfortunately, that was too late. The ice wall alerted the Vampire about the incoming gank, so he didn''t waste any time and turned into a bat. Thanks to his quick reaction, he dodged Kai''s Impale and fled from the scene. The gank failed. Why didnt you use Impale right away? Yuel asked. I gave you the sign early. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Yeah, I heard the sign. I threw it as soon as there was a wall. There was no need to wait for it, Yuel sighed. I made sure to place the wall in such a way that you''ll push the Vampire into it no matter what. You just had to shoot at my sign. Well, excuse me, Kai narrowed her eyes. How was I supposed to know for sure youll place the wall where I need it? Thats why I prefer to place Iron Maiden myself and then impale. That way, I know for sure I can go for it right away. I see, Yuel said. Truth to be told, this one was his fault. For some reason, he expected Kai, of all people, to blindly trust him on the first try without any prior practice. He completely forgot he wasnt playing with Lars right now. Sigh. There was still a long road before his communication skills reach a decent level. Even though he managed to convince Kai to be more cooperative, they still had a long way to go before they could pull off strong plays together. Can you try it next time please? Yuel asked. Dont wait for the wall to appear. Just shoot when I give the sign. I can try, sure. Sometime later, another great opportunity presented itself. Yuel suggested to rotate to Mid and gank the enemy Sorcerer. Once they approached the lane, he gave the same instructions as before. Ill make a wall. Impale as soon as you hear my sign. Alight. So... now! Yuel raised his voice to make sure Kai didnt miss the sign. Ah, oh! Kai flinched for a moment before shooting. As a result, she thrust her spear a little too late. Thankfully, this Sorcerer player didnt have the same reaction speed as the Vampire, so the spear successfully impaled him into the ice wall. Yuel extended the stun with Ice Coffin and Kai killed the Sorcerer together with Lars. You impaled late again, Yuel commented after the play was over. Ah, well, Kai shifted her eyes away. But, I impaled him, right? We got the kill. Only because he didnt react fast enough. Yeah, I guess so, Kai shrugged. Youre really bossy, you know that? Its pretty damn hard to shoot a skill blindly like that without even knowing whether a wall will be there or not. You just have to trust that the wall to be there and shoot. Its not that hard. Id say its pretty damn hard, though. Okay, noted, Yuel had to concede here. Maybe he was wrongly using Lars and Ellen as prime examples for Carries. Perhaps not everybody could put their faith in the Supports initiation, especially not on the first try. Thinking back on it, Taison also gave Yuel some trouble on this topic but that guy was a total delinquent so Yuel disregarded that experience. Either way, it seemed like itd take a while before Yuel and Kai learn to execute quick plays that required trust. Then again, it wasnt like Yuel was particularly interested in it. After all, ultimately, the teams Bot duo will be him and Lars, not him and Kai. Based on Vincent and Kais attitude, Yuel has already proven himself as the best Support the team had to offer. So, it was easy for him to seize the position right here and now. All that was left was for Lars to get the Carry role. But, Kai refused to budge on that topic. Still, in the end, Lars will be the teams Carry. Even though Kai was a solid player, her playstyle didnt work the best for how a Carry should be. She was too self-sufficient for her own good. For example, no matter how many times Yuel criticized her on this, Kai kept buying two wards every time she returned to base. It was an unnecessary investment for a Carry. Instead, she should have focused on finishing her build faster. Warding in Bot shouldve been primarily Yuels job during the early game but Kai insisted to do everything herself. Kai wanted to initiate herself, to set up kills for herself, to ward herself, and to do literally everything possible herself. It was admirable but also inefficient. The Support and Carry shared a lane in order to split the burden between them, not for one of them to do 100% of the work. Ironically, as much as Yuel criticized Larss flaws, these flaws actually made it easier to play Support for that goof. Lars was lacking in a bunch of very specific areas so Yuel covered up for those. And, since Lars knew where his own weaknesses were, he was more than happy to split the burden with Yuel and focus only on the parts he excelled at, such as crushing the opposition in battle. Compared to Lars, Kai didnt seem to have any glaring weaknesses. That was something Yuel sensed all the way back when he played against her and now he was convinced: she was very self-sufficient, to the point there werent any big holes in her playstyle. However, as a result, she wanted to hog all the work herself and didnt feel comfortable sharing any of the burdens with Yuel. That kind of mindset was fine for Mid and Top but not for a Carry. So, even though Yuel would kill for Lars to have amazing map awareness and sharp decision-making like Kais, he also absolutely didnt want Lars to become anything like Kai. I can see her playing a solid Mid. Yuel nodded to himself. With how self-reliant and all-rounded Kai was, there was no doubt shed excel in Mid. This was good. It meant that, once Yuel and Lars become the teams official Bot duo, all the other roles will have promising candidates too. For Mid, there was Kai. For Jungler, there was Luke who, despite his memeing, was a solid player. As for Top, there were two options on the table: Vincent or Ben. Which one will make it into the final roster? Todays practice matches should give Yuel a hint. After observing Kai enough and understanding what type of player she was, it was time to focus on Bens performance in Top. Vol.7 Ch.5: The Human Shield Yuel focused almost entirely on dealing with Kai during the early-game. And, he also got to gank Mid so there was some action there too. But, how were things going in Top? Nothing seemed to be happening over there. Every time Yuel checked the mini-map, he immediately disregarded the situation in Top as nothing of interest and went on with his business. Neither Ben nor his opponent was controlling the lane, neither of them got into fights and there weren''t any serious ganks coming their way. It was a chill and isolated laning phase for those two. So, tell me, Vincent came close. How are you liking Ben''s performance this game? It''s hard to say, Yuel answered. He''s not doing anything wrong, but he''s not winning anything either. Yes, exactly! Vincent''s voice boomed. He is the Eternal Peacemaker! He has the ability to negate all conflicts on the lane to have a peaceful laning phase with any opponent! So, he''s good at freezing lanes, Yuel translated that to human language. Vincent''s eccentric description aside, the meat of his words seemed to be right on the money. Yuel couldn''t analyze Ben''s playstyle in detail from across the map, but it felt like Ben was playing in a way that demotivated conflict. Ben always stayed far enough from the enemy to show he had no intention of going on the offensive. On top of that, the distance discouraged the opponent from aggressing on Ben because any assault felt like itd require a great commitment that might result in overextension. So, most likely, that''s why the enemy avoided confrontation. At first glance, none of this looked particularly special. It was common for Top Lane to progress slowly and methodically. There was a reason players often joked about being stuck in Top as if it was a jail. But, considering Vincent went out of his way to come up with a silly nickname like Eternal Peacemaker for Ben, it implied Ben had a knack for creating a stalemate against many opponents. If so, it was an interesting technique to examine. How often did it work? Was it something Ben did on purpose or by nature? The answers should reveal themselves as they keep playing together. The team gained many kills during the early game so victory was all but assured. They were leading in every possible area: exp, gold, and map control. They even rotated to Top as a gang and smashed the status quo over there by pushing all the way to the enemy Golem. Nevertheless, the game reached the team-fighting phase because the enemy was stubborn. This is where the mid-game began and mistakes became way more critical. And, unfortunately, the team in the lead wasnt immune to committing such grave mistakes... Okay, let''s go! Lars exclaimed. I''mma push Top all the way to the win! Wait, they might- Let''s goooo! Lars opened an attack against the enemy Sorcerer. The Top Golem was down and only one enemy was defending the lane. So, it was a great opportunity to push hard, yo! He gonna kick this Sorcerer outta here and push all the way to- oh, crap! A wild Vampire appeared! The Vampire released a horde of bats. That stuff was bad! It gonna blind and slow and stuff! Lars rolled away as fast as humanly possible and just barely dodged that stuff. Phew, he was safe! Okay, not really. It was a 1v2 situation and the enemies were coming right at him! I told you to not rush it, Yuel made a face. I hope you know what you have to do here. Of course, Lars nodded. Gotta take em both down, yo! Really now. Haha, just kidding ya, Lars blinked away with Thunderclap. I''mma retreat like a good boy. Good, Yuel said so but immediately changed his mind when a giant bat rammed into Lars. Actually, not good. Not good at all. The giant bat turned back into the Vampire and held Lars in place to suck the goofs blood. Meanwhile, the Sorcerer caught up and unleashed Magie Orb on the immobile goof. The magical orb deleted 20% of Lars''s HP and slowed him down. These guys are serious, Lars cracked a dry laugh. Okay, here goes nothing! He activated Thunderstorm ahead of himself and dashed through it. The enemy won''t dare to step into that storm of damage so he might gain some distance. Unfortunately, he was already down to just 25% HP. Just a couple of basic attacks from these dudes and they gonna finish him off. The situation was wack and there ain''t nothing he could do about it. Okay, then I''mma dodge all their shots- aiya! A bat rammed into him as soon as he formed that thought. This was bad! They gonna barrage him down! He gotta slip away somehow! Thanks to the slowdown the Sorcerer inflicted on him, both pursuers caught up in no time and got Lars within their firing range. He juked some of their shots by zigzagging around but that was no more than a momentary delay for them. They kept landing shots and Lars already dropped all the way to 5%. He was so dead, yo! But, at that moment, a savior appeared! A big armored dude greeted Lars from the jungle. It was Ben! Yo, Ben, my dude! Lars called out. Can ya get these two off me? E-Eh? Ben jumped from the sudden attention directed at him. Um, yeah, I''ll do my best. This will come down to the wire. Yuel thought. A Vanguard could get Lars out of this sticky situation but it required the Vanguard player to have the right mindset for this operation. Namely, a mindset of self-sacrifice. Could Ben pull this off? Yuel considered giving them specific orders thatll salvage the situation for sure but ultimately decided against it. This was a great opportunity to test Bens mettle and mentality. Since the guy picked Vanguard, he had to be able to play the part. As such, there was only one thing Yuel was willing to do for them to make this play a little easier. Ben, I''m rotating over there with Luke, Yuel informed. So, no need to be afraid of engaging the enemy. T-Thank you, Ben still sounded pressured by this situation but, nevertheless, he went ahead to engage the enemy. First, Ben activated his ult, Hold the Line!, to mitigate the damage dealt to Lars. The Vampire landed the decisive shot that should have killed Lars, but the defensive aura cut the shots damage by more than half. Thanks to that, Lars was still alive and clung to the few remaining pixels of HP on his life bar. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. But, Lars wasnt out of the woods yet. Another killing shot was incoming! This time, from the Sorcerer. This attack will kill even with mitigated damage, so it was up to Ben to judge the situation correctly and react to it. Did Ben have what it took to shut down this play? It''ll be fine if he didn''t have the mastery to pull off the right play in such a clutch situation, but itll be interesting to see whether Ben at least had the right idea in mind. And, indeed, Ben had it. He stepped in between Lars and the Sorcerer without hesitation. The decisive killing shot smashed into Ben without reaching its intended target. It was a beautiful body-block! So, he got it. Yuel nodded. That body-block was a self-sacrificial play that required Ben to be comfortable with putting himself on the line for his teammates even during stressful situations like these. This body-block play had to be the first thing on Bens mind for him to be able to pull it off in a timely fashion like this. There it is! Vincent made some noise. The Invincible Human Shield! No attacks shall reach you when the Human Shield is there to protect you! You saw that!? Yes, I saw, Yuel said. Isnt it amazing!? In such a tight situation, during such a critical time, the Invincible Human Shield is keeping his teammate alive against the enemys fatal blows! Yes, yes. You can pipe down now, Yuel shook his head. It felt like Vincent was desperately trying hard to make Yuel see Ben in a more positive light. That was so unnecessary. By now, the negative first impression of Ben being the delinquent who skips practice vanished without a trace. A player, who could put himself on the line for his teammates in the heat of the moment, couldn''t possibly be some selfish delinquent who didn''t take the game seriously. There must have been some good reason why Ben skipped the first few days of practice and that''s why Kai and Vincent let it slide. Unfortunately, the danger hasnt passed yet. Lars was still at deaths door with enemies chasing him. However, from this position, things should be much more straightforward for Ben. Ben activated Provoke to shift the Vampire and Sorcerer''s attention to himself. While the enemies were busy shooting Ben, Lars successfully slipped away. That left Ben behind in a 1v2 situation but Yuel and Luke were right around the corner to help. Yuel originally gave Ben the heads up about the incoming backup just to make sure Ben won''t be afraid of using Provoke in a 1v2 situation. However, turned out it was unnecessary. Ben properly understood that, in situations like these, he should be willing to become a disposable pawn if it meant saving a teammate with DPS. As promised, Yuel and Luke ganked the lane and got a kill on the Sorcerer. Unfortunately, none of them was a damage dealer because Luke was memeing with Druid, so they couldn''t finish off the Vampire. Oh well. Good job, my dudes, Lars gave a thumbs. What do you mean good job? Yuel narrowed his eyes. You almost died and dragged Ben down with you. Haha, I guess. Don''t you haha me. I''m adding this match to the list of matches we''re reviewing this weekend. Welp, RIP my weekend, haha... Lars scratched his head. But hey, it all turned out fine in the end, right? We got a kill and I got away alive- Just as he started saying that, a mounted knight charged at him! It was the enemy Knight on his steed! Oh, crap! Lars was just about to recall to base but these dudes refused to give him a break! Gotta get the heck out! Alas, there was no chance for him to outrun the horse... An ally has been killed! Haha, whoops, Lars scratched his head. Maybe I shouldn''t have pushed Top back there after all. You don''t say, Yuel made a face. You should be grateful you survived for as long as you did. Yesh, ya right, Lars turned to Ben. Thanks a lot for the help, dude. Saved my butt back there. Sorry, Ben hung his head. You still died. Nah, its okay. It was all my fault anyway. Ya did all you could. Ben really did well. Yuel silently agreed. He had to see more before passing judgment but, so far, Ben was proving himself as a solid Top Laner. Will Vincent be able to top this impressive performance? Itll be interesting to see. For now, Yuel was favoring Ben over Vincent for Top, if only because Vincent was a thousand times louder. In the end, despite Lars''s mess up, the team still maintained the momentum it created during the early game and pushed toward victory with ease. Once the game was over, Yuel suggested Ben and Vincent to switch. Ah, but... Ben stuttered. I understand. He slowly got up from his chair with the face of an abused pug. I''m fine with letting Ben play today, Vincent said. Ill just commentate and help you guys out. You don''t want to play? Yuel asked. Of course I do. But, Ben missed a couple of days of training so I think it''s a good idea to let him play a little more. Hmm, that''s true, Yuel agreed reluctantly. He really wanted to compare how Ben and Vincent played Top but there was no reason to rush it. Um, it''s okay, Ben sheepishly spoke up and motioned at the chair. You should play. It''s my fault I missed training. C''mon, that''s not really... Vincent didn''t finish the sentence. He just glanced away with an awkward expression and let the silence sink in. Besides, Ben smiled wryly. Yuel is asking you to play instead, so he must be thinking I''m baggage to the team. That''s not true at all, Yuel was quick to shoot down that absurd misunderstanding. Thinking about it, he didn''t convey his intentions properly when he asked Ben to step down. So, maybe Ben just assumed the worst due to his timid personality. You actually played very well, Yuel said. R-Really? Ben jumped as if it was a shocker. Yeah, dude! Lars smacked Ben on the shoulder. You were sick that game! Also, just so ya know, it''s super mega ultra rare for Yuel to praise anybody so it means you were totally lit! T-Thanks, Ben shook for a moment from Larss smack but tired to put on a smile nonetheless. Yuel perfectly understood that feeling. This technique of a smack on the back, invented by Trever and inherited by Lars, was cursed. It packed so much positive friendly energy that it hurt. Like, a lot. You really played well, Yuel repeated to make sure there were no further misunderstandings. I only suggested you switch out because I want to see how Vincent plays Top, that''s all. So, you wanted to compare the two future candidates for Top, right? Vincent wore a meaningful smile. This guy and his big mouth! Yuel felt exposed. He was trying to be careful with his wording but this needlessly observant clown exposed his hidden agenda! Ughhhh! What does that mean? Kai turned to Yuel. You''re planning to switch to Support? Well, I''m still considering a lot of things, Yuel gave the most evasive answer that came to mind. Is that so, Kai dropped the topic. It seemed like Vincent''s implications flew way over her head. You want to take my Support spot? Vincent asked. Please, by all means. I''ll even pay you for it. Wow, Yuel smirked. This was an opportunity to pay back that clown. You hate supporting Kai so much you''d rather pay me to get away? Huh, is that so? Kai shot Vincent a look. Ahahaha, Vincent produced a long hollow laugh. Didn''t know Yuel was such a jester. Maybe he got the Mystic Mouth of Jesting Perception and I didn''t notice! You didn''t answer the question, Kai pointed out. Right, I didn''t answer the question... Vincent shifted his eyes around as if searching for an excuse he hid somewhere in the room. What I was trying to say is that Yuel is a much better Support than me, so I rather have him play Support for the team. I meant I''d be willing to throw money at him if it meant increasing the team''s chances of winning the regionals. Is that so, Kai nodded with her usual stoic expression. Did she really buy that? Impossible to tell. At least, she dropped the subject at that. How do you like the payback? Yuel silently threw the question at Vincent. My bad. I won''t bring this up again. Vincent seems to imply something along these lines with his apologetic bow. With that, Yuel''s secret agenda of taking over Bot with Lars remained a secret. Well, everybody must have realized these two were shooting for it, but Yuel didn''t want to constantly remind them about it. For now, he and Lars will lie low and play by Kais rules. Then, once the opportunity presents itself, theyll take the Bot roles for themselves in one fell swoop! Vol.7 Ch.6: Problem Kids The club activity went on. Ben continued playing Top for three more games so that gave Yuel more insight. It didnt change the fact Yuel will have to go over replays as well. But, at least, playing alongside Ben gave him a rough idea of Bens level. As Vincent implied, Ben was very good at freezing lanes. In every match, Top lane was locked in a status quo during the early-game. Sometimes, even during the mid-game. Even ganks didn''t take place in Top because the situation was never inviting. Junglers from both sides occasionally tried to set something but that rarely went anywhere. Truly, Ben had the Eternal Peacemaker ability! Ugh, I feel like I''m losing brain cells from thinking in these terms. Yuel shuddered. Why did Vincent''s analysis always have to be so accurate and yet so dumb at the same time? Sigh. Of course, it wasn''t like Ben had any superpowers the way the clown suggested. From what Yuel could tell, Ben just played carefully and peacefully, so it established a comfortable status quo in the lane. Neither side wanted to commit to any risky plays so they maintained the stalemate. As a result, the lane remained frozen. As expected, this playstyle didnt work against every type of opponent. During the third match, Ben faced an extremely aggressive lane opponent. It was clear the guy was out for blood because he picked Dark Knight. There was no chance a Dark Knight player would ever agree to a truce on the lane during the early-game because thatd be equivalent to losing. Therefore, the Dark Knight didn''t play nice. He aggressed on Ben at every opportunity and fished for a kill. Ah, oh! Ben flinched as the Dark Knight pushed him back to the Turret. It took Ben a while to react to the Dark Knight''s sudden aggression, so he lost a lot of HP before getting away. It seemed like the thought of fighting back didnt even cross Bens mind, which made sense in a Vanguard vs. Dark Knight matchup. So, Ben did well to retreat. Unfortunately, his retreat was too slow and he lost unnecessary HP in the process. On top of that, he was forced into defending under his Turret and the enemy was about to invade it. Ben had to make a difficult decision: should he stay to defend the lane with just 30% HP and risk getting killed? Or, should he recall to base and let the Dark Knight push the Turret for free? Um, I, Ben mumbled something but Yuel couldn''t make it from across the room. They weren''t playing with headphones like in a tournament, so Yuel couldn''t pick up that low voice. I see, I see, Vincent nodded repeatedly as he approached Ben''s seat. You need some help over here, right? Um, yes, Ben nodded. A gank could help. Or, maybe someone could defend the lane while I recall. Oh, but only if you''re free, of course. Don''t want to bother you... His voice went from quiet to complete silence. However, Vincent was going to make up for it with his loudness. Everybody, you heard the man! Vincent''s voice boomed. Ben''s Eternal Peacemaker was shattered! The opponent is wielding the Dark Anti-Peace Sword of Doom! He''s going ham on the lane and plans to pressure Ben into submission! So, what will Chessmaster''s call be!? He stretched a hand toward Yuel as if shoving a microphone in Yuels face.. A gank won''t work here, Yuel said. Since Luke was sticking to his Druid Jungler meme, he was still a set-up type of Jungler who could only set up a kill for the laner. So, Luke didnt have the strength to scare away the Dark Knight. On top of that, Ben played a defensive class, so he wont get a kill even with Lukes setup. Luke, can you defend Top for a bit? Yuel asked. No problemo, Luke gave a thumbs up. On it, pal. Then, I...? Ben asked sheepishly with a glance. He probably had the right idea in mind but didn''t voice it for some reason. You should recall to base, Yuel said clearly to avoid any random misunderstandings. Alright, will do, Ben began recalling as soon as Luke approached the lane. Do I really have to say every little thing out loud? Yuel wondered. Ben didn''t come across like a dumb player so he must have understood what Yuel had in mind when asking Luke to defend Top. Nevertheless, Ben waited for extra confirmation. Why? Frankly, this indecisiveness was a tad annoying. Ben couldn''t even properly ask for help when the enemy overwhelmed him in the lane. Instead, Vincent ended up doing all the communication work for Ben. It felt like Ben became a high-maintenance player once the enemy interrupted his peaceful game plan. In other words, he felt at home while the lane was frozen and played well in this climate. However, once aggression came from the enemy side, Ben started losing himself. He''ll definitely have to work on this if he wants to become a competitive player. For now, Yuel had to think of Ben as a timid player who didn''t always speak his mind even when the situation was rough. Yuel played with some kids like that back in grade school, so he had some experience dealing with that. He simply had to pay extra attention to Ben and make the right calls in Bens stead as needed. Not exactly fun but it was what it was. Ben, you''re been pressured again, Yuel pointed out. The Dark Knight aggressed again and pushed Ben back to the tower. Um, sorry, Ben shrank. You need help, right? Yuel asked. It''d be great, but it''s my fault it came to this, so... That''s irrelevant, Yuel stated. You should request help when you need help. But, I dont want to bother you with my problem... Let us decide for ourselves whether its a bother or not. Somebody may be available to help you out. If not, theyll just decline the request. But, if you never inform us you need help, well definitely not be able to help on time. You''re right... Ben nodded but then fell silent like a statue. He still wasn''t going to call for help? Sigh. Luke, Yuel called out. Can you defend Top again? On it, chief, Luke rotated to Top and defended it in Ben''s stead again. Thank you very much, Ben threw a glance at Yuel and then averted his eyes again. Rather than thanking me, Yuel said. It''d be great if you start calling for help yourself. You''re right. I... Ben paused and his voice became quiet like a mumble. I''ll try my best. Please do. There was no way Yuel would be able to pay attention to the Top Laner the whole time during the early-game. Itd be like remote babysitting. No, that wont work. Ben had to step up his game and start asking for help of his own accord. The guy was blaming himself too much for everything as if he was carrying the entire world on his shoulders. This had to stop. Yuel also had confidence issues at times regarding his plays but he felt like the most confident person in the world compared to Ben. It was unfortunate because Ben gave the impression of a promising player aside from that Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Though, at the same time, Ben''s IGN sounded uncharacteristically bold: Fatty. There was a good chance some kids made fun of him for being obese, yet the guy went ahead and plugged that into his IGN. What an absolute mad lad. It was so odd. Either way, Ben was quite the handful as a teammate at the moment. He had the right mindset of putting himself on the line as a tank and his playstyle of freezing lanes was quite impressive, but the rest of his game plan felt average at best and unpolished at worst. So, overall, he was alright but not amazing. There were still many areas Ben had to polish before he''d be ready to be a competitive player. Hopefully, Vincent was better prepared as Top for the competitive scene. He switched places with Ben after three matches so it was time to see him in action. Will this loud clown do a better job? He was dumb but also surprisingly sharp. It was hard to tell what to expect from him. Hey, Chessmaster, Vincent called out during the drafting phase. Ive been meaning to ask, why are you always using nicknames? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Because it''s cooler! Vincent pumped a fist. When we enter a serious match, we transcend our outer selves and become one with our virtual selves! Oooooooh! Lars exclaimed. Yeah, I''m feelin it! When I play, I become one with my guns! Yeah, Luke nodded. And I become one with my memes! We transcend humanity itself! You got it, dude! Evolution, yo! Science, bruh! Is it too late to transfer schools again? Yuel felt like facepalming into a wall. Anyway, Yuel turned to Vincent. What did you need? Huh? Oh, I forgot. You did, huh. No, wait! I remember now! Vincent raised his voice again. It was a request of utmost importance with the balance of the universe at stake! Just spit it out already. Right. So, I want to pick Spellblade first, if you don''t mind. All that noise for something small like that!? Yuel felt like choking the guy. Sure, Spellblade is good for an early pick. Marvelous! Then, I''m locking in Contrary to the entire spectacle surrounding it, Vincent''s Spellblade pick was very normal. In fact, picking Spellblade early was one of the classs few strong points. It wasnt a particularly strong class in the current meta but it was a versatile pick that could be played as either Top or Mid, so it gave the enemy team very little information when picked first. The rest of the drafting phase proceeded according to schedule. Lars picked Electromancer because thats the class he was practicing today. Luke picked Druid again because that was his meme of the day. Kai picked Pirate, a solid tier A class. Thinking of it, she has been picking a different class for every single match. Impaler, Trickshooter, Elf and now Pirate. She was a versatile Carry and she played all these classes at roughly the same level. That was a great quality for a competitive player. I wish Lars could play this many classes with his full power. Yuel thought. Right now, Lars could only play Trickshooter and Gunslinger at an insane level. He was so good with these two that he probably could rival some pros. However, the rest of his classes weren''t nearly as intimidating. The day Lars brings most of his Carry classes to that level, he''ll transform into a real monster. But, that day was still far away. For now, Kai''s consistent performance with so many different classes was one of the few advantages she had over Lars as a Carry. On average, across all Carry classes in the game, she might even be better than Lars. Unfortunately for her, being consistently good with many classes didn''t make her a superior Carry. Her flexibility was great but it had nothing on Larss explosive strength that carried games. Am I playing favorites too much? Yuel wondered. The Lars vs. Kai debate could wait for later. Right now, he was Kai''s Support so he had to play alongside her. What will go along with her Pirate pick? Yuel found himself asking this question every game. Even though Kai started cooperating more with Yuel and even let him initiate from time to time, their teamwork was far from perfect. Heck, far from decent even. Kai still acted independently way too often and forced Yuel to adapt to her in the last moment. Honestly, it was a pain. Like this Pirate pick, for example. Kai didn''t exchange a single word about it with Yuel. She went ahead and picked it just because. Worst of all, it wasn''t even a bad pick or anything. Pirate indeed had decent options against Gunslinger so Yuel couldnt say anything. Is this how they always played Bot in this club? Yuel threw a glance at Kai and Vincent. These two seemed to have experience as a Bot duo, yet Kai has been playing selfishly the entire time. Has Vincent never brought this to her attention? If so, he wasnt a dedicated Support player. I give up. Yuel sighed. This wasn''t his business anyway. He didn''t join this club to work on his supporting skills for a new Carry. Even though he wanted to win matches and improve the clubs teamwork, there was no point in stressing over one troublemaker. Thus, Yuel picked Paladin. It was a solid class he liked so he was comfortable with it and that''s all that mattered. Kai was no longer part of the equation for him. Not at all. Justice Strike combos well with Kraken, though. Yuel smiled wryly. No matter what he told himself, he still sought the option that complemented the Carry. After all, as the Support, he couldn''t carry the team to victory himself. Therefore, he had to do everything in his power to help out his teammates instead, especially the Carry. This mentality was so deeply rooted in his mind that it became as natural as breathing. But, he wasn''t going to stress over combo plays anymore. They''ll pull those off if they manage but he wasn''t going to work hard with that blockhead to make every play count. If I stun the Carry with Justice Strike, Yuel said. You may want to follow up with Kraken to make sure we stun him long enough to seal the deal. Sure, Kai replied. As always, it was hard to tell much from her blank expression. Did she agree with this suggestion? Did she think it was a good combo? Was she going to cooperate to make it happen? Who knew. In general, Yuel continued. If I initiate with Justice Strike, you should follow up on it. Who died and made you boss? I''m just stating the obvious. If I successfully initiate, we have to capitalize on that. You got a bad habit of not participating sometimes for no reason. Yeah, when the initiation is ass. I''m not gonna follow up on a crappy initiation that may lead nowhere. It''ll definitely lead nowhere if you dont follow up on it. I''ll follow up on whatever looks good to me. It''s my follow-up so I can do whatever I want with it. I see, Yuel made a face. So, if it''s not some amazing initiation with a thousand percent success chance, you won''t even bother. Wouldnt go that far but, basically, yeah. It better look promising or I dont care for it. Gotta say, you''re one heck of a spoiled princess. Excuse me? Kai turned around. What did you just call me? Spoiled? Yuel answered with a question. A spoiled what? ... princess? Yuel said reluctantly. Is that so, Kai returned to her tablet. Please don''t talk to me ever again, ktnx. She took out her earplugs and replaced them with huge headphones. These headphones were so big she probably wouldnt even hear an atom bomb going off right beside her. Um, Yuel found himself gaping like a fish. Okay, this was sudden. Did she find it THAT insulting? Was it the word spoiled? Or, the word princess? Or, something about the combination? Yuel couldn''t even begin to tell. Hey, Chessmaster, Vincent called out with a wry smile. It''s not cool to bully the cap. I wasn''t bullying anybody. Well, you made her activate her Soundproof Reality Marble, so you must have said something. She can be difficult like that sometimes. You don''t say, Yuel sighed. If Kai were a class in Classmancers, her difficulty would definitely be rated Difficult. No, probably even Challenging, the rare difficulty that only a select few classes had. She won''t pay any attention to you while shes in her Soundproof Reality Marble, Vincent explained. Just do what you can to support her. How about I just quit and go home? Yuel really wanted to throw the match but that''d be bad sportsmanship. No matter what problems his teammates posed, he was a competitive player and he had a role to fill on the team. Therefore, even if Kai was going to treat him like air, he''ll play to the best of his ability until the bitter end. I''ll give you some pointers about her later, Vincent said. So, just bear with her for now. No need to worry so much. I''ve dealt with worse. This reminded Yuel of the time he paired up with Trever in the scrimmage against the Leopards. Back then, he had to bear through a lot of bullshit. It was a terrible experience but it toughened him up. Therefore, Yuel was only mildly irritated with Kai''s entire conduct. Yeah, only mildly. No problem at all. None at all... Why are girls always so difficult to deal with? Yuel sighed. Seriously, every girl he ever dealt with has been a handful. Julia, Ellen, Ignis and now Kai. It''s like he had the worst possible affinity with females. Vincent couldve easily given him an ability like Zero Pheromone Affinity and itd be hard to laugh it off. Well, it is what it is. Yuel will just have to get this over with. He was more interested in observing Vincent''s performance in Top anyway, so Kai''s sulky attitude only gave him more incentive to focus on that. On this note, the fourth match the day began. Vol.7 Ch.7: The Ungankable During the fourth Ranked match of the day, Kai dialed up her independence up to eleven. She blocked out everybody in the room by wearing gigantic headphones and hasnt exchanged a single word with Yuel ever since the match started. If this were a serious tournament match, Yuel would do everything in his power to fix such a situation. However, this was just a Ranked match and, at this point, he was fed up with Kai''s attitude. They won''t be playing as a Bot duo in official matches anyway, so there was no reason to bother doing anything special. Yuel simply played his part as the Support and aided Kai to the best of his ability. He saved her from sticky situations with Aegis and Divine Shield way too often to his taste. Kai wasnt just ignoring Yuel, she also dialed up her aggression. Until now, she was a balanced and calculated player. But, ever since she put these big headphones on, she has been aggressing on her opponents left and right and has been putting herself in danger every time. Fortunately, most of the time, Kai knew when to retreat. With a little help from Yuel, most of her retreats were successful. However, with such an aggressive playstyle, it was just a matter of time before a disaster strikes... An ally has been killed! Here it comes. Yuel braced for impact. Even though this was a result of Kais reckless aggression, she''ll definitely pin the blame on him. After all, he was the Support. How the hell he didn''t perform a miracle to save her, right? It''s coming. Any moment now. Yuel kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting. But, Kai didn''t even glance at him. She entirely filtered out of his existence. So fun. Yuel rolled his eyes. He couldn''t even tell whether being ignored like this felt better than being unjustly blamed for Kais death. At the very least, not blaming Yuel right away gave Kai some dignity points. But, due to her radio silence, it was unclear what she was really thinking. Maybe she was ranting about Yuel in her head. Either way, the silence kept Yuel more motivated to keep supporting Kai than insults ever could. So, on top of doing his best to keep Kai alive, Yuel also tried initiating some attacks with Justice Strike but Kai ignored all of them. She turned out to be one heck of a moody brat. This gave Yuel all the more incentive to not focus too hard on Bot. Instead, he followed the unfolding events in Top. It was more interesting to see how Vincent fared as a Top Laner. Will that clown be able to put on a more impressive performance than Ben? It wasn''t a high bar to pass but also not a particularly low one. Some aspects of Ben''s playstyle were great, such as his ability to freeze lanes and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the DPS classes. Did Vincent bring anything to the table thatll surpass that? Vincent played Spellblade this game, a class he personally requested. For Ranked, Spellblade''s versatility was a good tool so Yuel saw no issues with that pick. It seemed that, unlike Ben''s defensive playstyle, Vincent leaned toward a balanced playstyle, similarly to how Gilbert played Mid. Vincent took full advantage of Spellblades versatility by switching back and forth between the Spell and Blade stances depending on the situation. He stayed in the backline and fired from afar in Spell stance whenever the Viking showed signs of aggression or when there were signs of an incoming gank. On the other hand, when things were quiet, Vincent didn''t hesitate to switch to Blade mode and advance to the frontline. His situational awareness and decision-making were polished. However, with just this type of adaptation, Vincent couldn''t gain any advantage in the lane. He played safer when the opponent aggresses and he played more aggressively when the opponent was neutral or defending. Unfortunately, it didn''t seem like Vincent was going to win any substantial lane advantage any time soon. Should I say something? Yuel wondered. There were many things Vincent could try to turn this situation in his favor. But, this was supposed to be a test of Vincent''s skill so, for now, it was better to stay quiet and watch how Vincent handled the situation. An interesting development came up. The enemy Viking booted his ult in the middle of the lane in order to catch Vincent off guard on the frontline. However, Vincent must have sensed the danger ahead of time and thats why he maintained his distance. That put the Viking''s ult to waste. At least, in part. The ult summoned a crew of strong viking warriors who attacked the closest enemies in range. These warriors prioritized attacking players over minions, but Vincent was out of their range, so the warriors opted to fight Vincent''s minions instead. These vikings were tougher than the average minion, so they took out Vincent''s entire minion wave. Thanks to that, the Viking seized lane advantage. His attempt on Vincents life ended in failure, but he still won something from this exchange: his minion wave was healthy while Vincents wave was gone. So, the Viking decided to ride this momentum and push along with his minions. This was a great opportunity for Vincent to mount a counterattack. The Viking was overextending and Luke was nearby in the jungle. So, it was possible to kill the Viking with a gank. Hey, Vince, Luke called out. I''mma gank. Let''s get that guy. It''s okay, don''t bother, Vincent said. It might look like hes just overextending but dont be fooled. This player got the Ungankable ability! Not a single gank will catch him off-guard! It''s an Anti-World personal skill that overwrites reality every time somebody tries to gank him. It makes every gank fail against him! Wow, sounds like a tough nut to crack, Luke nodded as if Vincent''s words made perfect sense. Is he really buying this? Yuel rubbed his eyes to make sure this was real but nothing changed. Darn it, his attempt to overwrite reality with his Eye Rubbing personal skill ended in failure. Wait, Yuel said. Are you really giving up the gank because of this? Yeah, Luke answered nonchalantly. Didn''t you hear? That guy is the Ungankable! Ain''t nobody gonna gank him to death. And you base that off what? On Vince. In other words, on a load of nonsense, Yuel narrowed his eyes. That was some impressive blind faith right there. Yuel could only dream about people following some of his less straightforward tactics like that. I see how it is, Vincent said. Chessmaster, you''re doubting my capabilities as the Arbiter of Talents, do you not? There''s not a single thing I don''t doubt when it comes to you. Haha, that''s a little mean, Vincent chuckled but then shifted his expression into a dramatic one. Then, a demonstration is in order. Meme Jedi, I summon thee! Rain your terror upon this land! You want me to gank, after all? Luke asked. Indeed, my friend. Let us partake in futileness so we can prove this opponents might. Alrighty then, Luke advanced toward Top Lane. The enemy Viking responded right away. He rolled toward his side of the lane and sprinted into the distance. By the time Luke arrived, there was nobody to gank anymore. Well, crap, Luke clicked his tongue. Ain''t gonna catch up to that dude from here. As I said, Vincent smiled in satisfaction. He is the Ungankable! Even though it looked like you''ll be able to catch him, his Anit-World skill overwrote reality into one in which the gank fails. Yeah, Luke nodded. Sure felt that way. So? Vincent threw a glance at Yuel. How do you find this demonstration of the Ungankable skill? As I said, this fellow will not lose to half-baked assaults like these. We can''t catch him with simple ganks. It was really a timely retreat, I''ll give him that, Yuel had no choice but to admit. But, this was just one attempt. So far, I''ve only seen you fail one other gank before that. Two failed ganks don''t say much. That''s where you''re mistaken, Chessmaster, Vincent claimed. Its not just two ganks that failed. From the moment the game began, the Ungankable created an invisible barrier around the lane that denies all incoming ganks. The two incidents you refer to are merely the ones in which our Meme Jedi committed to a gank. A barrier? Yuel raised an eyebrow. This makes less and less sense with every passing moment. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Actually, Luke started. I kinda see it now. Oh, you do? Please explain. You''ve been seeing me hang a lot around Top, right? Well, Ive actually been trying to gank, but it always felt like I won''t get that Viking. As soon as I started getting closer to the lane, he started retreating as if he saw me coming from a mile away. Its as if dude got a camera installed here and he watches my every move! I see, Yuel nodded. Their team must be warding well. Or, maybe that Viking is just cautious by nature and always retreats at the first sign of danger. No, no, no, Vincent insisted. It''s the Ungankable! The Anti-World personal skill! Of course it is, Yuel rolled his eyes. Anyway, if he''s being so cautious, you just need to plan the gank in advance. You''re wasting your time, Chessmaster, Vincent claimed. You won''t get a proper gank on the Ungankable no matter how many times you try. You really believe that? No, but it sounds cool so Im saying it. This guy... Yuel sighed. Anyway, let''s try again. I''ll help you plan the gank ahead of time. Its futile, Chessmaster. Not even your Mystic Eyes will be able to crack the Ungankable. Doesnt matter, Yuel said. Even if the gank fails, it''s not a total waste. It still makes the enemy retreat, so that allows you to regain lane control. True, but it also makes the Jungler waste his precious time, Vincent said. Instead of rotating here, the Meme Jedi could''ve ganked Mid instead. There he got a real chance of getting a kill. That''s... true, I suppose, Yuel didn''t have a counterargument at hand. The enemy Sorcerer has been pushing Lars around in Mid, so a gank over there might be the better choice. Anyway, now you know, Vincent said matter-of-factly. The Ungankable can never be ganked! We''ll see about that. There was no such thing as an ungankable opponent. Superpowers or special talents like that didnt exist. Everything could be explained with logic and reasoning. The Viking was difficult to catch off guard with a gank? Then, either he or his teammates were warding well. Or, maybe he had a habit of playing defensively when he sensed even the slightest hint of danger. Julia often discouraged ganks by employing such tactics. If Vincent played against her, hed probably dub her Super Ungankable. But, that didnt mean Julia was immune to ganks and the same applied to this Viking. Yuel just had to arrange an advanced scenario thatd catch the Viking off-guard. For starters, they had to decrease the number of wards around Top Jungle. When he recalled to base in order to recover, Yuel bought two Sentry Wards and headed toward Top Jungle first instead of returning to Bot. It wasnt like he was contributing much when he was playing with a partner who refused to cooperate, so he might as well rotate around the map to help others. As I thought. Yuel took down two enemy wards. The fact he hit the jackpot with both his Sentry Wards attested to how heavily warded this area was. There were probably other wards around as well but, at least, Yuel now secured one safe route for ganking. Of course, the Viking was aware of Yuel taking the wards. So, how will the ungankable player react to this development? More or less how Yuel expected. The Viking retreated from the frontline and shortly vanished from the lane. Did the Viking recall? Yuel asked. Not sure, Vincent answered. He went around a wall, so I couldnt see him. He had around half HP, though. Okay, Yuel heard what he wanted to hear. The Viking assuredly recalled to base to heal up and purchase Sentry Wards. The almighty ungankable player must have deemed it too dangerous to remain on the lane with just 50% HP while he doesnt have enough jungle vision. Luke, can you rotate to Top? Yuel asked. I want all three of us to push the lane while the Viking is gone. Sure thing, Luke finished off the Hyena Camp he was farming and joined Yuel and Vincent in Top Lane. In terms of raw damage, a Druid wasnt going to help much with pushing. Even with the power items Luke built for jungling, Druids attacks were slow and didnt speed up the push by much. However, when Druid used his ult, it became a completely different story. Luke activated Awaken the Ents, which summoned giant tree minions on the lane. They prioritized the enemy Turret above everything and smacked it hard. Their damage scaled with Lukes, so they were more aggressive than one would normally expect thanks to the power items in his build. They were trashing the Turret pretty bad. The enemy Lancer rotated toward the lane to stop this hard push, but Yuels wards exposed him. The guy was about to walk into a big surprise. Make sure you pull him outside the Turrets range, Yuel said. Sure thing, Luke gave a thumbs up. I may be memeing but I know what Im doing. Luke positioned himself near the jungle wall and waited for the Lancer to approach. As soon as the Lancer stepped within range, Luke fired Natures Grasp through the wall. The branches assaulted the Lancer and grabbed him toward Luke through the wall. Clean hit. Yuel nodded. Memer or not, Luke sure knew how to pilot his Druid. In fact, Luke was probably more skilled with Natures Grasp than Yuel will ever be. Sad, but true. Right as Luke finished pulling the Lancer, Yuel struck the poor guy with Justice Strike. It silenced, slowed down and lowered the Lancers defense. The Lancer hasnt dealt enough damage yet to warrant a stun from justice Strike, but this nonetheless tied his hands. Vincent followed up on that by activating Aero Barrage, firing three wind blasts in a row. Each hit had a small knockback effect and Vincent landed them all, so the blasts pushed the Lancer far away from the Turrets area. The Lancer found himself in a 1v3 situation, silenced, slowed down, and far from any safe area. It was over for him. Unfortunately, Vincent was the only one here who could deliver any sizeable damage. So it was up to him to wrap this up. Yuel and Luke just delivered some basic attacks on the Lancer to pretend like they were contributing to the process. To do this quickly, Vincent activated Pyro Trail from his Spell stance. It set his body ablaze and spread flames around him. Then, he used his ult, Paradigm Shift, to switch to Blade stance. From there, he used the skill Pyro Blade, which set his sword ablaze. Covered in flames from head to toe, Vincent now had the ideal Spellblade setup for close-quarters combat. He closed onto the helpless Lancer and burned the poor guy to ashes. An enemy has been killed! Yuel and Luke made sure Vincent got the kill because, unlike them, Vincent was a damage dealer. There goes one half of the Silver Duo, Vincent announced. What a tragic finale. Silver Duo? Yuel asked. Indeed. LaneVortex and LaneSnapper are two halves of a whole, Vincent explained. You can even tell by their names. They might even be twins! Yes, that has to be the case. So, youre saying the Lancer and Sorcerer are a pair? Indeed. They haven''t impressed me as much as you and Gunz, but their cooperation is nonetheless something to behold. Therefore, theyre the Silver Duo! Interesting observation. Yuel thought. He hasnt seen the Lancer and Sorcerer cooperate too much this game but they did seem to synchronize some of their plays. That fact, combined with their similar names, probably led Vincent to believe there was some sort of special connection between them. Id gladly investigate that angle in more depth but the Ungankable comes first. Yuel shifted his attention back to Top Lane. After trio killed the Lancer, they kept pushing the Turret along with Lukes Ents. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! They took down the tower and gained momentum but Yuel hasnt achieved his main goal yet. He wanted to force the Viking into coming to defend the lane and then gank this ungankable player. However, the Viking didnt take the bait. While the trio was pushing, the Viking refused to come back and defend. Instead, he went around and plucked out Yuels Sentry Wards. After that, he returned to defend the lane, but he did so from the Golems area. Man, what a tower hugger, Luke shook his head. Hes the type of dude who sees you taking his stuff and just waits until youre done. Seriously. So it seems, Yuel nodded. The enemy Knight traveled all the way from Bot to join the defense effort in Top. So, Yuel, Vincent, and Luke had no choice but to give up on this offense now. So, this Viking rather let us push his lane than put himself in danger. Interesting. Yuel had to come up with more advanced ways to lure that elusive Viking. It was like solving an interesting chess puzzle. The enemy piece he wanted to get was guarded by multiple lines of defense and Yuel had to find a sequence of moves thatll break through that formation. To that end, Yuel continued pressuring Top. He bought more Sentry Wards to keep up the warding war and he repeatedly borrowed Lukes help for ganking the lane. Alas, killing the Viking proved more difficult than expected. Ill grab him, Luke fired Natures Grasp and it was spot on... but the Viking rolled away! Ill cut him off, Yuel appeared from the other side of the jungle and hammered with Justice Strike. However, right before the attack connected, the Viking activated his ult and summoned a brigade of strong mobs. This is awkward, Vincent said. The trio surrounded the Viking but they couldnt approach him carelessly. Whoever steps into the range of these vikings will be mobbed to death. Ill tank them, Yuel ran in and aggroed all the enemies onto himself. Meanwhile, Vincent and Luke closed in on the Viking. However, this Viking was quite the artist. He blended with the crowd of vikings and used them as cover. As a result, Vincents Aero Barrage struck against the mobs instead of the intended target. In the end, they somehow brought the Viking down to 20% HP but the silence from Justice Strike wore off. As soon as he was free to use his skills, the Viking threw his axe as far as humanly possible and blinked to it. Yet again, the Ungankable escaped a gank alive. Nevertheless, Yuel kept trying various gank variations on this Viking. He even made sure Luke bought Blink for a Blink + Natures Grasp initiation. Luke cast Gaias Protection on himself and blinked into the enemy Golems area. He fired Natures Grasp at the fleeing Viking and pulled the target to the edge of the Golems area. Vincent finished the job from there. An enemy has been killed! Finally, they toppled the ungankable! So, turned out this Viking wasnt so ungankable after all. You see? Yuel said. Theres no such thing as an ungankable player. Everybody can be ganked to death. Indeed, Vincent nodded. If you keep ganking the same player the entire game, of course youd kill them eventually. But, what did it cost you? Everything. Did it? Just as Yuel asked, bad news popped up on the screen. An ally has been killed! This was just the beginning. A flood of bad news followed... Vol.7 Ch.8: The Arbiter of Talents After countless failed attempts, Yuel and the team finally toppled the ungankable Viking and scored a kill. However, focusing this hard on ganking Top Lane had a price... An ally has been killed! The enemy Ranger took Kai out. Last time Yuel checked on her, Kai was doing just fine in Bot. Alas, it seemed she overextended at some point and that was her undoing. And, these werent the only bad news. The flood kept coming. The enemy Sorcerer joined hands with the Lancer to chase Lars out of Mid. They nearly killed Lars but he somehow got out of the lane alive. Unfortunately, with the remainder of the team gathered near Top, Larss retreat from Mid left the lane completely unprotected. An allied Turret has been destroyed! Mid Turret fell but the Sorcerer and Lancer didnt stop there. They cooperated to maximize their wave clearing speed and pushed onward toward the Mid Golem. The Sorcerer pulled minions into one area with Dimensional Collapse and the Lancer swept through them. As Vincent said, these two have solid teamwork. Yuel nodded to himself. Vincent called these two the Silver Duo and claimed they were a pair to watch out for. In other words, long before anybody else, that clown realized the danger of the Sorcerer & Lancer duo. Yuel got this information a long time ago from Vincent but he didnt have a chance to verify it, so he didnt prepare any countermeasures. If Yuel were warier of letting these two join hands, he couldve prevented this strong push. Alas, it was too late now. The Sorcerer and Lancer were busting their way through Mid and that put the entire game at danger. By the time the team regrouped to defend Mid, the enemy already pushed all the way to Mid Golem. The Sorcerer and Lancer retreated after running into the defenders but it was too early to celebrate. Instead of giving up on the offense, they rotated to Bot and joined hands with the Elf in order to push the Bot Turret. So, while Yuel and the rest were busy clearing Mid, the enemy invaded their territory through Bot. This was a losing position. The Sorcerer and Lancer were on a roll and there was no good way to shut them down. Yuel''s team still held an overwhelming advantage in Top thanks to all the pressure theyve been applying there against the ungankable Viking. However, in exchange, they completely lost their positions in Mid and Bot. Eventually, the pressure from both lanes overwhelmed them. DEFEAT My bad, Yuel apologized. I shouldnt have focused on their Viking so much. I even dragged Luke into it. No problemo, man, Luke waved his hand. I also wanted to challenge the almighty Ungankable. I wanted to take the guy out with my meme force but, lemme tell ya, dude was one tough nut to crack. C''mon, dude, Lars pouted. You should''ve helped me out a little over here. That Sorcerer dude sure knows how to play Mid. Im telling ya, dude gave me a real hard time. He must have been maining the class from birth, haha. Heh, got it, Luke said. Next game, I won''t let Yuel drag me into silly stuff So, Chessmaster, Vincent smiled meaningfully. I take it you''re satisfied with your futile struggle against the Ungankable? You may have lost the fight but you earned something of irreplaceable value. Like what? Yuel asked. You have learned about my absolute accuracy as the Arbiter of Talents! If I say somebody got a special power, you better believe they do. I''m not just goofing around giving people random abilities on a whim. You kinda do, though. Yuel retorted silently. With that said, there was no denying Vincent was right on the money with both about the Ungankable and the Silver Duo. Even though that clown always made noise and blew everything out of proportion, there was some value in his analysis. Perhaps, the same way Yuel had a knack for discovering the enemy''s weaknesses, Vincent had a talent for figuring the enemy''s strong points. Nah, I''m probably giving him too much credit. Yuel shook his head. For now, I''ll listen to what he has to say about the opponents we meet so I gather statistics about the accuracy of his analyses. In the next game, Vincent dubbed the enemy Chronomancer as the Ultimate Rotator. He is here! He is there! He is everywhere! Vincent made noise. The Ultimate Rotator always strikes the right lane at the right time! If you ever feel like gambling on the possibility that no enemy will rotate to your lane, perish that thought at once. Youll lose your entire life in that gamble! True story, dude, Lars nodded. That Chrono dude always comes over here at the worst timing possible. I could''ve gotten like two kills by now if not for him. Instead, I almost died twice from his ganks. Dude is wild. Yeah, Luke tuned in. He also always rotates faster than me to the interesting events. The guy is running on nitro, I''m tellin ya. Ultimate Rotator, was it. Yuel wondered. On paper, there was nothing unusual about a Chronomancer being able to pop up all over the map to gank on-demand. That was one of the class''s main strengths because it could greatly boost its movement speed with Haste. With that said, this particular Chronomancer was indeed persistent with his rotations. Every time the team started gaining an advantage in a particular lane, the Chronomancer showed up and shut down that momentum. He truly had the worst timing imaginable. Okay, let''s assume for a moment this Chrono player is really an Ultimate Rotator. Yuel''s body jerked in response to using that silly title. Nevertheless, he pressed on with that line of thought. It was all for science and victory. According to Vincents description, the Ultimate Rotator was good at rotating to the most relevant lane in a timely fashion. Then, how will that Ultimate Rotator deal with a scenario where two lanes were attacked simultaneously? Luke, wait, Yuel called out. Don''t gank Top yet. Hm? But I''m right around the corner. I know but please stay over there for a moment. I plan to gank Mid and I want to synchronize our ganks. This way, we get to pressure two lanes at the same time. Oh, how brilliant! Vincent exclaimed. No matter how godlike are the rotating skills of the Ultimate Rotator, one man can''t possibly be in two places at the same time. Ergo, a double gank across two lanes shall break down the Ultimate Rotator! Wording aside, yes, that''s the gist of it. Absolutely brilliant! As expected from Chessmaster, the man who holds the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception! He tore apart the Ultimate Rotator like it was nothing! We haven''t even executed the play yet. Oh, that''s right. My bad. I was running ahead with the script, haha. Heh, Luke smirked. This sounds like a plan so count me in! Ill wait with my gank. Give me the sign when I should go all in. Yuel rotated to Mid and gave Luke the green light. The simultaneous gank began. Luke ganked the Monk in Top whereas Yuel ganked the Sage in Mid. The Chronomancer could only defend one of the lanes and he chose Top. So, he thwarted Luke''s gank. Meanwhile, Yuel successfully trapped the enemy Sage with Ice Wall and stunned the target with Ice Coffin. From there, Lars swiftly executed the Sage. The double gank was a success. Okay, this is how well attack while that Chrono is alive. Yuel concluded. Delaying a gank on purpose had its downsides but it boosted the surprise element. Striking two lanes at exactly the same time was bound to take the enemy off-guard and hinder their decision-making. Even though it was assured this Chronomancer will rotate to one of the two ganked lanes, he might hesitate for a moment while making the decision. That''ll delay his arrival no matter which lane he picks and that might prove fatal. An enemy has been killed! Phew, I got him. Vincent exhaled. By the time the Chronomancer showed up on the lane, Vincent was already delivering the killing blow to the enemy Dragonborn. If the Chronomancer showed up just a few seconds earlier, he would have stopped this kill. But, apparently, the Ultimate Rotator was cracking under the pressure from the frequent double ganks. We got him. Yuel smirked. No matter what special abilities Vincent claimed these players had, everything boiled down to playstyle and skill. As long as Yuel knew what to look out for, he could find a way to counter it. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As such, Vincents information was very useful. Everybody noticed the Chronomancer was on point with his ganks but Vincent was the only one who hammed it up as an ultimate ability. It was silly but, if not for this grandiose setup, Yuel wouldnt have taken enough interest in how the efficiently Chronomancer rotated. Of course, Yuel would have eventually caught on and figured that himself. But, thanks to Vincent''s shenanigans, Yuel began countering the Chronomancer much earlier into the game. It played a big role in making the path to victory smoother. Say, Vincent, Yuel called. Are there any other special abilities the enemy got? Oh? Oho? What''s that? Is the ever doubting Chessmaster seeking the advice of the Arbiter of Talents!? N-Not really, Yuel shifted his eyes away. I was just wondering what else you think about this team. Even though your information is total fantasy, it''s still information. You hurt my feelings. Sob. Vincent pretended to wipe a tear. Alright, other abilities, you ask? Let me activate my third eye. By connecting my brain to the records of Akasha - all shall be revealed before me! Is it too late to regret my actions? I see, I see it! Vincent waved an arm theatrically. It''s faint but there''s a glimmer of potential there. You may think BacksideSniper is just your typical Ranger, but nay! He is none other than the Platinum Split-Pusher! So, you''re saying that Ranger is good at split pushing. Indeed. At nightfall, when a lane is deserted, the Platinum Split-Pusher strikes from shadows! Why is he only platinum? Does it mean he''s not good enough to be ultimate? Indeed. That youngling still has a long way to go before he masters the art of split-pushing. Will there come a day when his potential reaches ultimate levels? Will he terrorize the pro scene with his relentless split pushes!? Only time will tell. "I see," Yuel filtered out the nonsensical commentary and only focused on the meat of the analysis. Long story short, the enemy Ranger was good at split-pushing. Or, at least, he had a habit of doing that often enough to leave a lasting impression on Vincent. I wonder, how did Vincent conclude this Ranger is good at split-pushing? From what Yuel could recall, that Ranger has only split-pushed twice so far and neither occasion left any particular impressions on Yuel. It was true that the Rangers split-pushes were quite effective but that''s about all Yuel had to say about them. It didnt feel like they deserved a title like Platinum Split-Pusher. But, maybe the exact reasoning didn''t matter. Yuel was no stranger to drawing quick conclusions from minimal observation. Often times, his teammates were left unconvinced even after he explained his reasoning to them. So, that''s how it feels to be on this side. Yuel smiled wryly. Truly, it was difficult to force himself to act upon dubious information he couldnt fully comprehend. Not to mention, the information came from a clown who spouted nonsense like "Ultimate Rotator" and "Platinum Split-Pusher" with a straight face. Remember, this is just a test. Yuel tried to convince himself. This wasn''t a life-and-death match he had to win no matter what. Right now, his top priority was to test Vincent''s mettle and judge who deserved to play Top for the team. So, all that mattered right now was whether Vincents read was correct. If that Ranger was truly all about split-pushing, then he should have certain habits associated with that. For example, a player like that might jump on any inviting opportunity to split-push. After all, everybody liked playing to their strengths. Lars was defending Bot alone in Kai''s place at the moment so this was the perfect opportunity to test Vincent''s analysis. "Lars, retreat into the Jungle." "Why, tho?" "I want to see how the Ranger reacts," Yuel explained. "Don''t go too far away, though. Pretend you''re rotating to Mid but stop around here." He drew a route on the mini-map. "Okey-dokey." Lars finished clearing the minion wave and ran into the jungle. Things were about to get interesting. From the Ranger''s point of view, this was most likely a rotation toward Mid. On top of that, such a rotation would leave Bot completely undefended. Therefore, this was a golden opportunity to push Bot while everybody else was busy elsewhere. So, if that Ranger was truly such an amazing split-pusher, he should take the bait. At the very least, the Ranger had already arrived on the lane to defend against the incoming minion wave. It wasnt proof the Ranger will go on to push the lane but it was a start. "So, how long do I wait?" Lars moved in circles while waiting behind a jungle wall. "Depends on the Ranger," Yuel said. "If he overextended after clearing the wave, go for him." "Okay, sounds like a plan," Lars moved around in even faster circles. This beast was clearly hungry for some meat. While Lars was waiting for the Rangers next move, the Lancer and Sage in Mid began retreating. The Ranger must have filled them in about Lars''s "incoming rotation" to Mid so they were bracing themselves for a gank. Thats a nice bonus. Yuel nodded to himself. Forcing the enemy in Mid to retreat was going to help the team big time, regardless of how the situation with the Ranger will turn out. Unlike in the previous game, when he was too focused on toppling the Ungankable, Yuel didnt let himself get caught up in trivial stuff this time. Winning came first and testing Vincent was second. "Oh, dude is going for it!" Lars licked his lips. He sensed a tasty prey. The Ranger assumed the area was clear and pushed onward after he cleared the minion wave. He took the bait. Yuel smiled meaningfully. "Gank him as you see fit." "You bet I will!" Lars has completely shifted into predator mode. All that mattered to him now was to tear that Ranger apart. Once the Ranger approached the Turret''s area, Lars jumped out of the jungle and opened an attack with Thunderstorm. The battle ended in just a couple of seconds. An enemy has been killed! At this point, I can''t call Vincent a clown anymore, can I? Yuel smiled wryly. Well, the guy sure acted like a clown but his ability to analyze enemies was serious business. To be honest, now it was hard to tell who was better at analyzing opponents: Yuel or Vincent? No wonder they sent him to spy on the Leopards and StormBlitzs scrimmage last year. In fact, even back when Yuel first met Vincent, that clown already said a bunch of interesting things. For example, Vincent said Yuel had the "Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception". It sounded so dumb that Yuel immediately wrote it off on the spot. But, now that Yuel better understood what that title implied, it was kinda scary. This implied that, just by watching Yuel play in the scrimmage against the Leopards, Vincent somehow figured that Yuel was good at spotting enemy weaknesses. Is that guy for real? A shiver jolted through Yuel. It was the kind of information no observer could possibly get. Even players from the Leopards probably didn''t understand the true nature behind Yuel''s tactics. Yet, Vincent figured it out with ease. What other types of information did that clown have up his sleeve? This was getting interesting. "Say," Yuel addressed Vincent. "Are there any other weaknesses you spotted in their team?" "Weaknesses? That''s your field. After all, you''re the one and only heir to the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception!" "Then, you got any other interesting information you''d like to share? More silly names you got in mind?" "Hmm, not really," Vincent shrugged. "The rest of that team feels normal. They''re decent but nothing stands out about them. Maybe they haven''t solidified their playstyle yet." Weird. Yuel thought. I can list at least two weaknesses for each of the remaining opponents but Vincent got nothing? For example, the enemy Sage had a slow reaction time. That became apparent when he and the Lancer began their retreat from Mid to dodge Lars''s gank. The Sage was so slow with the retreat that Lars couldve actually catch him if there was a real gank on Mid. On top of that, the Sage didn''t pay much attention to the camps around Mid. That made it easy to steal the Griffin Camps, which were supposed to be heavily contested by both teams for extra exp and gold. So, Yuel has been advising Luke to steal the Griffin camps every time they spawned. Thanks to that, Luke maintained the same level as the rest of the players despite being a meme Jungler with a slow camp clear. In addition to these faults, the Sage also seemed rather panicky. He was the type to press all the buttons when somebody launched a surprise attack on him. That has already happened twice this game and Yuel confirmed it was a recurring pattern by arranging a few more surprise ganks on Mid. So, there were at least three glaring flaws with the Sage. Yuel had a similar list for the rest of the enemy team, save for the Ranger who came across as a rather high ranked player. But, even though there were so many visible flaws all over the place, Vincent''s amazing analysis skills didn''t pick up any of them. Did I give him too much credit? Yuel couldn''t wrap his head around it. Vincent was capable enough to make observations that even escaped Yuel. And, Vincent drew conclusions that Yuel hasnt reached yet. Yet, at the same time, Vincent failed to notice basic tendencies that even Lars figured out. "Imma gank that Sage," Lars grinned. "Betcha he gonna mash buttons again. Just gotta dodge that stuff and kick his butt. Gonna be ez." "You do you," Yuel approved. Yes, even Lars noticed the Sages tendency to unleash the entire kit when in danger. Yet, Vincent didn''t give that tendency a name or even half a name. Why not call it something like "Panic Masher"? Anything, really. This was a mystery. Nevertheless, the fact remained Vincent had a good observation, even if it worked in mysterious ways. Itll surely become an asset for the team during tournament matches so it gave Vincent a lot of points as a Top Laner compared to Ben. On top of that, Vincent''s skill seemed more refined than Bens overall. He didn''t come across as exceptionally skilled but his plays were more polished than Bens, probably because he was one year older. With all that considered, the winner was obvious. Vincent should be the one to play Top for the team after Yuel returns to his rightful spot as the Support. Of course, that''s provided the moody captain will even let him play Support after today. Still radio silence, huh. Yuel threw a glance at Kai. She was silent like a wall and her huge headphones seemed to completely isolate her from the environment. It''s like she was in an entirely different dimension. Playing Support for such an uncooperative Carry was a huge pain in the neck. Yuel has been doing everything in his power to set up favorable situations and reach out to her with a helping hand, but Kai just slapped it away. Yuel thought theyll patch things up by playing together enough but Kai was stubborn. Getting on the captain''s bad side is the last thing I want. Yuel sighed. This endangered his plans of taking over Bot with Lars. If this dictator starts hating them, she might insist on locking them away from Bot for the rest of the year. Not only that, but she might even refuse to accept them into the club at all. After all, club recruitments haven''t even officially started yet; Yuel and Lars have just been freeloading here, pretending to be official members. I''ll have to think up a solution by tomorrow. Yuel nodded to himself. Hopefully, Kai will cool down after a good nights sleep and they''ll be able to talk this out. Though, did Yuel even have the necessary communication skills to mend things? The last time he tried to be friendly with a girl... yeah. Nevertheless, he had to do something about this situation. He couldn''t let miscommunication drag him and Lars down. They had to fit into this new team and be accepted as the official Bot duo. To that end, being on good terms with the captain was absolutely necessary. So, Yuel will do something about it. He had to. Hell talk to Kai tomorrow and sort things out. Hopefully... Vol.7 Ch.9: Kuudere? "What''s with the long face, dude?" Lars asked on the way home. "Seems like I got into a fight with Kai." Yuel said. "What did ya do?" "Nothing Id consider offensive," Yuel shrugged. "But, she started ignoring me afterwards. Actually, she also ignored the rest of the team as well." "Yeah, I saw that part," Lars nodded "I tried calling her a few times to set up ganks but she didn''t even look my way. These huge headphones are srs bsns. I betcha she wouldn''t notice an explosion even if it went off right in front of her." "No kidding. "But, I thought she just wanted to listen to loud music or something. I also sometimes dial the volume up and play some hard rock to get myself pumped in shooters. Can''t hear anything else when I do that, haha." "Yeah, I remember you used to do that when we started playing Mancers. I always had to talk you out of it." "Yep, it wasn''t the brightest idea for such a team heavy game, haha. Anyway, I didn''t realize you two were fighting. You should''ve told me. I''mma patch things up in no time!" "Can you? Really?" Yuel narrowed his eyes. "What will you tell her?" "I''d be like ''Yo, my dude. This is a team game. We gotta work together and stuff!'' Something like that." "The straightforward approach, I see," Yuel smiled wryly. It was a primitive way to resolve things but it probably would have worked for Lars. However, not so much for Yuel. Kai would probably call him out on lecturing again. It was funny. When Lars was trying to explain something, it always came off as simple and positive. However, when Yuel tried to deliver the same message? People treated him like a pretentious lecturer. Why? Was it his tone? His face? Sigh... Either way, Larss idea didn''t quite provide Yuel with a solution. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had to confront Kai face-to-face and talk things out. The problem was that he didn''t quite understand the problem. Did he say something that offended Kai? Or, did she just think he was getting too bossy for a Support? If only somebody could tell him... "Hey, Chessmaster," Vincent caught up to them. "You forgot about me." "I did?" Yuel asked. "Yeah. I told you I''ll give you a tip or two about Kai, remember?" "You were serious about that?" "Of course I was," Vincent said. "Sorry, it''s hard to tell with you sometimes." "I get that a lot." What a surprise. Yuel thought. After all, that clown''s defining feature was spouting random nonsense 24/7. So, it was never clear when to take his words seriously and when he was messing around. "So," Vincent said. "What did you say to her? I missed that part." "I''m not sure what triggered her," Yuel said. "The last thing we talked about was my initiations and how she didnt follow up on them. She said she only follows up on initiations that satisfy her unreasonably high standards, so I called her something like ''spoiled princess''." "Oh boy," Vincent shook his head dramatically as if all hope was lost for humanity. "Yeah, that''s a no-no." "What part of it? I was just giving fair criticism." "The ''spoiled princess'' part, Vincent said. You see, Kai doesn''t like being treated as a girl." "But she is a girl," Yuel said. Though, I had some trouble figuring that out the first time I saw her. That cap she wears makes it difficult to tell from afar. "Yeah, she''s a girl. But, she doesn''t like it when you bring up that fact. Especially, when you do so in a negative light." "Any reason behind it?" Yuel asked. "Yeah, she lowkey hates boys. And, by lowkey, I mean she gets totally upfront about it and even developed the Pheromone Buster ability that makes her play aggressively against makes." "Wait, she hates ''boys''?" Yuel raised an eyebrow. "As in, males in general?" "I''m not sure about adult men but she has a beef with boys her age," Vincent explained. "I don''t have all the details but apparently she tried to fit in with the boys before as a fellow gamer. But, these brats chased her away because shes a girl." "Oh, I''ve seen that kind of thing before," Lars said. "Dudes be like that sometimes. I remember some dudes from my class who didn''t wanna play Mancers with July back in grade school. I always thought it was dumb, so I made sure to play with her even though she wasn''t that good back then." Wait, Yuel blinked. So, back in grade school, Lars played with Julia even though he knew she had many flaws as a Support? And, he did it because other boys refused to play with her? First time I heard about it. In other words, by becoming Larss Support, Yuel took away the only boy in their class who was willing to play with Julia. So, no wonder she hated Yuels guts. It was more than just taking away the closest role to Lars. By invading that private space and criticizing how Julia played, Yuel must have made her feel unwanted just like other boys did. That wasn''t his intention in the slightest. Yikes. "So," Vincent continued. "I hope you understand why calling her a ''princess'' was a no-no. You criticized the way she plays and thats fine. But, then you added ''princess'' and welp..." "I see what you''re saying," Yuel nodded. Even though none of this was Yuel''s intention, he made it sound as if Kai''s shortcomings were somehow related to her being a girl. That idea hasn''t crossed his mind even for a moment but, considering Kai''s past experiences, it wasn''t hard to see why she might think that way. In other words, this wasn''t exactly Yuel''s fault but it also kinda was. Now, that he learned what rubbed Kai the wrong way, he should be able to clear things up. He just had to explain he said ''spoiled princess'' on a whim and it had nothing to do with everything he criticized about Kai''s plays. The gender of the player didnt matter; only their skills did. "Welp," Vincent said. "You started off on the wrong foot but I''ll try to get in a few good words for you. Hopefully, that''ll make Kai forget about it." "Can you really do that?" Yuel asked. "I had the impression she doesn''t particularly like you." "Nah, we''re on good terms. At least, I think we are," Vincent cracked a dry laugh. "She''s just kind of a tsundere with people. Or, maybe a kuudere. Not sure which fits her more." "A wut?" Lars asked. "That aint no English, yo" "Yes, it isn''t," Vincent smiled like a know-it-all and turned to Yuel. "You know what I''m talking about?" "I''ve heard the terms before," Yuel said. "Those are names for character archetypes, I believe." "Yep, you''re right on the money. These are archetypes from anime." "The heck is an anime?" Lars asked. "Wha-!?" Vincent jumped. "How could you not know about it!?" He turned to Yuel. "You know what an anime is, right?" "Anime, animation," Yuel tried to recall via association. "Oh, I believe it''s how people call Chinese cartoons?" "WRONG!" Vincent thundered. "I mean, you''re close but also TOTALLY WRONG. It''s Japanese and it''s way more than just a cartoon!" "How so? It got some live action mixed in?" "No, no, no," Vincent crossed his arms it into a big X. "They''re leagues and bounds above your average cartoon! Just drawing a comparison between these two is blasphemy!" This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Wow, dude," Lars laughed. "You sound kinda obsessed with that stuff," "Of course I am! It''s the best thing ever! The most superior form of art that was handed to humanity by god itself! And, of course, said god was probably little girl." "Wut. Why, tho?" "Because anime." "Haha, I don''t get it but sounds like a meme." "Anime is all the rage nowadays," Vincent claimed. "You fellows are totally missing out. Actually, I bet you even watched some without knowing. Like, One Peace." "Oh, yeah!" Lars exclaimed. "I watch that one sometimes. Shit is hype as heck! Didnt know it was one of these ''anime'' things. I get whatcha saying now. It''s a pretty damn solid cartoon." "IT''S. NOT. A CARTOON." Vincent insisted. Objectively speaking, Yuel said. Its a cartoon thats made in another country. Yes but no. Its a superior form of art! The ultimate entertainment! From what little Ive seen, its mostly about some teens yelling nonsense, Youve probably seen shonen then, Vincent nodded with understanding. Its a genre that works way better for someone like Lars. Youll probably like something more tactical or philosophical. Here, Ill make you a list: Kill Note, Code Guess, and Psycho Licence. Go watch all of those. If I feel like it. DO IT. How did we even start talking about any of this, again? Yuel asked. I thought we were talking about Kai. Oh, right, Vincent finally stopped his fanboyism. Is it even physically possible to not get on a tangent while talking to this guy? Yuel sighed. So, as I was saying, Vincent continued. Kai is kind of a kuudere. In short, its an anime character that acts distant toward people but, deep down, actually cares about them. So, youre saying Kai not liking you is just a front? And, that youre actually good buddies? Yep, exactly! I think this guy is in denial, Yuel whispered to Lars. I know, right? Haha. Lars nodded. Laugh all you want, Vincent shook his head in disappointment. You ignorant plebs simply dont understand the deep and sophisticated culture of dere types. Im sure, Yuel rolled his eyes. Remind me why Im even bothering to help you? Vincent made a face. Maybe I should just stay out of this and let you use your Lv.1 Communication skill to resolve the problem with Kai. Sorry, my bad. Please help me out. Yuel hated to admit but he felt he wont be able to resolve this problem by own. His countless failures with Julia taught him a harsh lesson. His Communication skill was indeed at Lv.1. Or, maybe even worse. Alrighty, Vincent said. Ill appease her as much as I can but you still have to talk to her face-to-face. Dont expect me to do miracles here. Of course, Yuel nodded. Naturally, he would have liked if the problem just resolved itself on its own. Unfortunately, things didnt work that way in life. No matter how much Vincent will help to improve the situation, Yuel will ultimately have to sort things out himself. What a pain... Alright then, Vincent saluted. Ill go catch Kai, See you tomorrow, fellow warriors of Valhalla. He vanished around the corner. Its amazing he can say these things with a straight face as if its totally normal. Yuel shook his head. Hey, Kai! Vincent called out while panting. Wait a sec... Oh, shes in her Soundproof Reality Marble again. Kai was wearing her big black headphones over her black cap. These magical headphones were imbued with Anti-Sound materia to reject the rest of the world. Such was the power of the Soundproof Reality Marble! It had the power to overwrite the sounds of the world and turn them mute! It was an EX rank Noble Phantasm! Hey! Vincent tapped on Kais shoulder. Kai jumped a little and turned around. You okay? Kai took down her headphones. Y-Yeah, perfectly fine, h-haha... Vincent panted hard. He had to dash hard after Kai to catch her before she leaves school. It was a real struggle. He had to jog for a straight minute to get here. It was like 60 seconds of jogging! In fact, it was 60, 000 milliseconds! 60,000! Its like he performed an Olympic feat! Are you done dying over there? Hey, dont kill me off like that! Vincents breathing stabilized for the most part but this was a traumatic near-death experience hell carry with him for the rest of his life. Physical exercise was scary. Okay, Im good now, Vincent raised his back. Ive returned from the dead! How unfortunate. Rude, haha. I see somebody is full of venom today. Are you still in a bad mood because of Yuel? I was never in a bad mood, Kai turned away. I just didnt feel like interacting with that guy anymore, thats all. I heard what he called you, Vincent said. I kind of get why you were angry at him. I wasnt angry. I just felt like he wasnt worth my time. He has been lecturing me the whole time and then insulted me. So, didnt feel like interacting with him anymore. In other words, you were angry. I wasnt angry. You totally were, though. I wasnt. But, youre sure making me angry now. Good, good. Let the anger flow through you. Did you come here to make fun of me? Kai brought up her soundproof headphones. Alright, alright, Vincent said. I just wanted to clear some things up regarding Yuel. He didnt mean to insult you. Oh, really? Because spoiled princess is quite an obvious insult if you ask me. Yeah, he sure didnt mean anything good by it. But, he wasnt trying to imply anything about you being a girl. Really, Kai narrowed her eyes. He criticized every play I made, he argued with me about everything, and, at the end there, he called me a spoiled princess. Pretty sure he was trying to imply Im just SO terrible at the game because Im a girl. No, no, no, Vincent waved his arms. That wasnt his intention at all. I just talked to him about it. What, are you his lawyer or something? Haha, something like that, Vincent chuckled. Call me Vincent Wright, Ace Attorney. More like, Ace Busybody. Heh. Anyway, you just gotta trust me on this one. Yuel didnt mean to imply anything about your gender when he said what he did. "If you say so," Kai shrugged. "Oh? You sound oddly agreeable," Vincent smiled meaningfully. "Have you already figured it yourself from playing with him?" "Sort of," Kai shifted her eyes away. Truth to be told, much of her irritation regarding Yuel died out as they continued playing. Because, no matter how Yuel viewed Kai as a player, he never stopped trying to cooperate with her as her Support. Every time Kai went on the offensive, Yuel followed up to the best of his ability with CC and bodyblocking. Every time Kai was in danger, Yuel didn''t hesitate to stand in the enemy''s way and take all the damage upon himself even if it meant dying. It was almost noble. So, despite how insulting his words came across, his attitude was a world apart from the boys who used to make fun of Kai. Once these bastards started going, they blamed everything on her and refused to cooperate. They rather leave Kai to die every time instead of taking any hits for her even though she was the Carry. Their message was clear: "This girl sucks at the game so I won''t put myself in danger for her. She better just get rekt." They made it crystal clear they didn''t want her around, both inside and outside the game. Even when she joined this club, the first year was rough because the seniors treated her like the worst player in the world. But, Yuel was different. Despite how much he criticized Kai''s conduct and even after he called her spoiled princess, he kept on trying to get something done in Bot Lane together with her. It was the first time Kai met a boy like him. At some point, she started feeling bad about ignoring him. But, it was awkward to change her stance all of a sudden after giving him the cold shoulder for so long, so she kept her soundproof headphones on. She was waiting for that inevitable moment when Yuel gives up on her and starts treating her like a lowly useless player. But, it never happened and Kai ended up looking like a stubborn fool. "Yuel is just straightforward like that," Vincent explained. "He wants to win. It doesn''t matter whether his teammates are boys, girls or aliens. Yuel remains focused on the end goal and utilizes his team the best he can. Truly, he is a Chessmaster." "You''re saying we''re like chess pieces to him?" "I wouldn''t go that far. But, when it comes to matches, he definitely cares the most about his teammates'' skill so hes not the type to dismiss anybody based on gender. If youre good, youre good. If not, hes going tell you that straight in your face. Dude just doesn''t care. He wants to win and, if his teammates make mistakes, hell call them out on it." "Well, he could be a little nicer about it," Kai said. "People are going to think he''s hostile." "Yeah, he''d definitely benefit from a lesson or two at subtlety. I bet he got into many similar fights for being too blunt." "I wouldn''t be surprised." "So, are we good now?" Vincent asked. "Yeah, I''ll just assume his remark wasn''t meant to write me off as a player based on gender. Still find that hard to believe, though." "Can''t blame you after everything that happened at the club." "The seniors back then were the worst scum on earth." "Well, I wouldn''t go that far. But true, they had a few undesirable traits in their attitude." "What a complicated way to say they were uncompetitive and selfish sacks of shit." "Wow, wow, that''s harsh," Vincent said. "They weren''t that terrible." "They were the worst this world ever had." I see somebody is still holding a grudge. Vincent smiled wryly. Most likely, its this club that solidified Kais hatred toward boys. She had to bear through some unpleasant experiences here, both before entering the club and during her first year. Thankfully, it seemed Kai was willing to give Yuel another chance. Since Vincent tipped Yuel about Kai''s past, they should be able to sort things out from there. Hopefully. Either way, Vincent did everything he could for these two. "You two better talk it out face-to-face," Vincent said. "Right," Kai glanced aside. She was obviously thrilled about it. I bet she feels awkward after ignoring him like this. Vincent smiled meaningfully. There was a good chance Kai developed some level of respect toward Yuels dedication to the Carry and to victory. Despite their little feud, Yuel kept on playing his best while Kai went full radio silence mode. She must have realized it was childish of her. With this, the quarrel between Kai and Yuel has been resolved. At least, almost resolved. These two still had to talk it out and there were no guarantees how well thatd go. They both had a Communication skill of Lv.1 at best. Still, Vincent has done everything he could so he was satisfied. Once Kai and Yuel sort out their misunderstanding, the team will grow ever stronger. With Kais Rhythm Reader and the strength of the Golden Duo on the team, Stratus might actually make history this year and pass the first round of the regionals! Nay, they might win the entire thing! Maybe even take the nationals! The time of Ragnarok was nigh! Vol.7 Ch.10: Troublesome Pair A day has passed since Yuel and Kai had their little feud. Yuel had more than enough time to reflect on his words. After learning a little about Kai''s past from Vincent, it was clear where Yuel went wrong. Question is, did I use that specific phrase on purpose? Yuel smiled awkwardly. He couldn''t say for sure what was his thought process at the time. Most likely, he had a rough idea that Kai will hate being called a spoiled princess so he chose jab at her with that. Kai was acting extremely stubborn and selfish at the time so he wanted to pay her back for all the trouble she was giving him. Therefore, of all things to say, he naturally picked the one he felt would hit her at least a little. He didnt even actively think about it. It came naturally. Is that what Vincent calls the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception? Yuel sighed. Apparently, he was a natural at rubbing people the wrong way. That was probably why he never managed to get on good terms with Julia. Sigh. Either way, he should just apologize to Kai and get this over with. Intentional or not, Yuel said something he shouldnt have and learned his lesson. It was best to sort things out before club activity. Therefore, Yuel called Kai for a talk during lunch break. Alright, Kai left her chair without any objections and without asking anything. It almost felt like she was prepared for this. Is this a good sign or a bad one? Yuel knotted his brows. Kai showed him to an isolated area in the schools backyard. It was a good place to hold that kind of conversation without any prying eyes. Im sorry about yesterday, Yuel said. I didnt mean to imply anything special by what I called you yesterday. It was just me expressing my dissatisfaction with some aspects of your playstyle. Aside from these few specific things, I do think youre a solid player overall. Its alright, Kai glanced away. I figured later you probably didnt mean to say Im bad because Im a girl. Players can be good or bad regardless of gender, Yuel stated. All that matters is how they perform. Fair enough. Then, were good? Sure, Kai said. But, youre still going to insist that Lars is better than me and should be the Carry, right? ......... Yuel frowned. It felt like he was about to step on a mine. ... yes, I still hold that opinion. Not because hes a boy or anything. I just believe hes better suited for being a Carry. On the other hand, you fit Mid like a glove. But, Im going to continue playing Carry, Kai stated matter-of-factly. For now. Yuel retorted in his mind. Once the team faces strong opponents and hits a wall, Kai will surely agree that Lars should be the one to carry the team. Do you want to play Support for me? Kai asked. Eh? Yuel blinked for a moment. Come again? Are you deaf or something? Kai awkwardly shifted her eyes away. I asked if you want to play Support with me as the Carry. Ill be honest, I dont care for your bossy attitude. But, youre good at what youre doing. At first, Kai thought Vincent was clowning as usual when he was raving about Yuel and Lars. However, after playing with Yuel as a duo, it became clear where Vincent was coming from. Yuel had a level of dedication to his craft the likes of which Kai has never seen before. Not to insult or anything, but Vincent couldnt play Support on such a high level. In fact, none of the other Supports she ever played with even came close to the level at Yuel organized plays. Its like he saw the game as a chessboard and aligned the pieces just right to gain the upper hand. On top of that, Yuel had a firm and selfless belief in his role as the Support. He valued the Carry above everything and thought of himself as a resource the Carry should rely on during the early-game. It was an odd way to think about your own role but Kai grew to appreciate it over time. There was something pure about the way Yuel handled the Support role. Its like he was willing to become a cog in the system for the sake of victory. He wasnt thinking much about scoring kills himself or looking good. For him, the fun was when everything went according to plan and he won. It was a mindset befitting a professional player. With a Support like him, Kai will surely be able to perform well as a Carry. Itll take some work to improve their teamwork but, after that, theyd be ready to take on any Bot duo from the region. Thats why Kai absolutely wanted Yuel to become her Support. However... I dont think thats a good idea Yuel answered. If you continue playing Carry, then its probably better for me to be the Top Laner. So, you really think Im that bad, huh. Kais grimaced. Uh, no. I mean... Why do I have a feeling I said something unnecessary? Yuel gulped. Was he going to cause new drama between them? He came here to apologize, yet here he was adding new more fuel to the fire. GG, me. 10/10. I meant that, as far as tournament matches are concerned, its better for me to be in Top than to support you. Our teamwork is far from ideal, so I believe Ill be able to get more mileage out of Top Lane But, I can play Support for you during practice from time to time if you wish. Who knows, maybe well eventually be able to establish solid teamwork thatll let us become competitive pair. Yuel spoke nonstop. Was any of this convincing enough? Did he dodge the bullet? His tongue danced madly as if trying to run away from disaster. Is that so, Kai nodded lightly. Youre always thinking about the competitive scene, arent you? Thats where well be tested. The rest is just preparation for that stage. Right, Kai agreed. So, youre saying nothing is set in stone. If we learn how to bear with each other in lane, youll play Support competitively with me? Possibly, Yuel chuckled. Bear with each other, huh. It seems she understands how difficult its going to be for us to cooperate on a competitive level. Very well, Kai concluded. Ill try adjusting my playstyle to your satisfaction, you slave driver. Im not a villain you have to appease. You dont have to change anything. As I said, your self-sufficient playstyle suits Mid like a glove. But, Ill keep playing Carry. Is there a reason youre so hellbent on that role? I... Kai chewed her lips and glanced away. Thats just the role I want to play the most. What, is that a problem? Girls cant play Carry or something? Nah, thats silly talk. Gender got nothing to do with actual skill. Youre either good or youre not, Yuel said. Though, her answer didnt sound sincere. I better ask Vincent if theres a deeper reason behind her unbending insistence to play Carry. I just cant see it as her forte. So yeah, Ill keep playing Carry, Kai stated again. And, Ill become a Carry that passes your impossible exam. For Kai, this was a rare opportunity to improve. Yuel was a Challenger level player in both rank and skill. He wasnt just one of those lifeless fellows who get their high rank by grinding 50 hours a day. He actually had the skill to back up his rank. His game knowledge, decision-making, and execution were all flawless as far as Kai could tell. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Therefore, by playing alongside such a strong player, Kai will surely improve as well. Everything Yuel criticized about her self-sufficiency was harsh but also true. She had a habit of only trusting her own skill and doubting everybody elses. After all, it was hard to trust others to do their job without messing shit up. She got burned from that so many times before. There were just so many terrible players online that it gave her a headache. After playing with so many idiots, it was hard to fully trust her teammates even when they were club members. Vincent used to call her out on this in the past. But, one day, she got salty from losing a match and lashed at him for nagging. Ever since, Vincent piped down and never brought it up again. But, Yuel didnt back down. He kept nagging and nagging and nagging like it was a fun pastime for him. He wasnt afraid of criticizing her even after getting into so many arguments with her. When it came to Classmancers, Yuel was the serious competitive type who wouldnt compromise on anything. Therefore, playing alongside a nagging player like that should help Kai develop as a player. Vincent was an alright Support, but he wont call her out on her selfish plays anymore. But, Yuel will. Hell criticize her, maybe even borderline insult her, until she fixes her flaws. Thats the kind of hash military regime she needed. Look at me being selfish like this. Kai smiled wryly. In order to overcome her self-centered playstyle, she was acting selfishly and asking Yuel to play Support for her. The irony. With that, their small quarrel has officially resolved. They both understood that they''ll most likely bump heads ahead a few times in the future, but they were now clearly aware of that and should be able to resolve their problems on their own. There will no longer be any need for a middleman like Vincent. Hopefully. The school day ended and it was another day of club activity. This was the fifth day in a row that they gathered together to play. It made the club seem even more serious than StormBlitz''s training regime, but in truth, it''s just that the club hasn''t decided on its schedule yet. Even though Yuel would have liked the club to practice five days, even six days, a week, he had to respect the capacity of the other club members. So, a full week of club activity was unlikely. In fact, already today, two club members were amiss. "Luke said he''s not coming today," Vincent notified. "He said he had plans with his pals today." "What about Ben?" Yuel asked. "He... also had plans with his friends, it seems," Vincent averted his eyes. "He messaged me that he might miss today''s meeting but we''ll see." So, it was only Yuel, Lars, Kai, and Vincent here today. They didn''t even have enough members to form a full team. That''s how small this club was. With just two members amiss, they couldn''t even do real team practice. This was a joke. I don''t know how the school expects this team to win anything in tournaments with such a small number of members. Yuel shook his head. To make things worse, the school cut down the member limit by two this year. The club was only allowed to have up to seven members, so they were only allowed to recruit one more freshman this year. It was terrible. Thinking of it, they haven''t yet decided how they were going to handle the recruitment. Since they didn''t have enough members to practice with a full team anyway, they might as well sort this out. "Say, Kai," Yuel started. "Club recruitments start next week, so I was wondering how we''re going to do it." "It''s gonna be pretty straightforward," Kai pulled out some papers. "We''ll pass these application forms and then pick the highest rank players among them. You two actually gotta fill them too, for the protocol." "Oh, man," Lars held his head. "Why do I gotta fill in stuff? I bet I''m gonna get a failing mark." "It''s not an exam, you know," Kai pointed out. "You underestimate my power!" "You really do," Yuel nodded. "This specimen over here hasn''t gotten a single passing mark in his entire life." That''ll start changing this year, though. I''ll make sure to work him to the bone in preparation to Ivy Hugh''s entrance exam. "So, Yuel," Lars shoved the paper in Yuel''s face. "You fill it for me!" "I''m sure it''s easy enough even you can fill it," Yuel took the paper to check it out. As expected, the form was very basic. It required the students name, gender, rank, player ID and had some space to write why they wanted to join. There was also a multiple-choice question about how long they''ve been playing. All in all, basic and straightforward. That was both a good thing and a bad thing. It made the selection process easier for everybody but it didn''t give the examiners much data to work with. It was a far cry from the StormBlitz''s over-the-top entrance exam, but that one was silly in its own right. "So," Yuel started. "We''re just going to pick the highest-ranked player based on what they filled in?" "That''s the plan," Vincent said. "Of course, we''re also going to verify they really got the ranks they claim to have." "So, that''s what the player ID is for." "Yeah, exactly. As expected from Chessmaster! With your mystic eyes, you accessed the records Akasha and unveiled the hidden truth behind the player ID field!" I literally just put one and one together. Yuel ignored the clown and went over the form again. It was simple but also a tad lazy. For example, it failed to explain how to acquire the player ID. It sounded trivial but Yuel knew at least one goof who had no idea where to find the player ID back when they were applying to StormBlitz. However, StormBlitzs registration form had a short explanation so even Lars could figure it out on his own. "Can we still edit this flier?" Yuel asked. "Yeah, we gotta submit it for approval on Monday," Vincent said. "I was planning to spice it up a little before then. I mean, it looks kinda basic, right? We should make it flashy and cool! Check out this design!" He brought up his tablet to show some... peculiar things. There was a dark blue background with a shining red eye in the center. It looked like a recruitment poster for a cult. It was only missing a headline like "Come worship Satan!". "So, what do you think?" Vincent shoved the tablet into Yuel''s face. "Neat, right? I worked on it for hours in Photoshop." "That''s a lot of hours wasted," Yuel said. "Oh, c''mon. It''s awesome! The coolest stuff you''ve ever seen in your entire life!" Vincent insisted and turned the tablet to the others. "You all agree, right? It''s the best design ever! Can also be used for a poster, too." "Um," Kai shifted her eyes away. "I don''t know about that." "Nah, it sucks, dude," Lars grabbed the tablet. "It''s missing guns in it! Ya gotta draw it like this!" Lars scribbled some stuff on the screen with his finger. "Here ya go," Lars showed off his masterpiece. "Now it looks sick!" Now, in addition to the big red eye in the center, there were also stickman arms coming out of the background. Each hand had a different type of gun. From what little Yuel could understand about this Picasso style drawing, there was a handgun, a shotgun, and a bazooka. "This is...." Vincent lowered his head and trembled as he examined the image. He must have felt like his masterpiece was violated. "This is... great!" Vincent exploded. "I like it! A bunch of mysterious arms coming out of the shadows holding guns! It''s like some cross-dimensional monster is invading our world and he comes equipped with guns!" "Yeah, exactly!" Lars tuned in. "This Big Eye Dude is coming and we gotta 1v1 him to save Earth!" What does any of that have to do with Classmancers? Yuel rubbed his temples. This duo of goof and clown will be the end of him. "We don''t need that kind of silly stuff," Yuel argued. "It''s just a registration form. It should be easy on the eyes and straight to the point. Where did you even plan to place the text with that background?" "Oh, right," Vincent rotated the tablet from side to side. "Hm, yeah. I didn''t really think about that, haha." "GG, Yuel rolled his eyes. You only didn''t think about the most important aspect of what an application form should be. 10/10." "Oopsie," Vincent scratched his head. "But, it''s okay. I''ll figure something out by Monday." "How about you just pick a basic background and call it a day?" Yuel glanced at Kai. She was the captain so she had the final say. "Yeah, I agree," Kai got the message. "I didn''t think this idiot was serious at first. This whole thing is hella dumb, to be honest." "Nani!?" Vincent jumped. "You thought I spent so much sweat and blood in Photoshop just to create something I wasn''t planning to use!?" "Yeah, I guess." "Wha..." Vincent''s jaw dropped and forgot how to rise up. "I mean, you always get excited over stupid stuff and drop them after you had your share of fun. Nothing new." "Definitely looks like the type to me," Yuel nodded. "Wait, you two are double-teaming me!?" Vincent staggered backward as if an invisible blow hit him. "When did you two become so buddy-buddy?" Never. We didnt. Look, youre even synchronized and everything! Vincent made noise. Its hard to believe you had a fight just the other day. We didnt have a fight, Kai objected. But, I guess this is all thanks to a certain busybody who stuck his nose in our business. Exactly, Yuel followed up. Now, you got two people with common sense teaming against your atrocious art. How does it feel? Feels like I dug my own grave, Vincent chuckled. Alright, alright. Lets just pick something simple and boring because thats more practical and formal and everything. Damn party poppers. Honestly, Yuel said. The design is the last thing I care about. There are more important things this form is missing. Yuel smiled wryly as he looked at basic flier again. It was a world apart from the intense preparation required for StormBlitzs entrance exam. It was almost laughable. But, for such a small club, selecting new members by rank was as valid of an approach as any. All Yuel could do to improve the procedure was to iron out this registration form. He already had some upgrades in mind since he discussed some topics with Howard before. So, even though Yuel abandoned his responsibilities in StormBlitz and wasnt going to take a part in the entrance exam prepared for, hell at least use that experience to upgrade Stratuss selection procedure. Vol.7 Ch.11: The Reserved Spot After everybody shot down Vincents absurd design ideas for the clubs registration form, Yuel carefully examined the flier from start to end to reveal all its flaws. Rather than the design, Yuel said. The fields are a little lacking. For example, theres no field asking for the players main role. True, Vincent admitted. The captain from last year said he wanted to keep the form as simple as possible because there are lazy bums who give up on the spot if they see a long questionnaire. Oh, I know the feel! Lars nodded repeatedly. Totally gives ya that exam PTSD, doesnt it? Ya see all these questions and youre like Daim, I didnt know theres a quiz exam today! But, that wouldnt make you give up on registering to a Mancers club, would it? Yuel asked. Nah, no chance. Id even write an essay if I had to! Aint gonna give up on Mancers like that, yo. Right, thats what I wanted to hear, Yuel nodded. So, the people who give up on the club just because the form is a little long arent worth our time. May as well give up on them. Harsh, Vincent nodded with a sense of respect. Though, I cant help but wonder. Why do you want to know their main roles? Were going to pick the best player by rank anyway. The more data, the better, Yuel explained. Knowing the main roles of the candidates will help us make more educated decisions. For example, if there are two players with close ranks, we can prioritize one of them based on the main roles they play. Say, Mid and Jungler are the more desirable roles for the club at the moment. We got enough people who can play other roles. Oh! I see, I see, Vincent nodded. Knowing what theyre maining will help you pick the optimal tools for the team. As expected from the Chessmaster! Always thinking practically. Sure, Yuel shrugged. Another thing thats missing is an explanation for how to retrieve the player ID from the game. Isnt that something anybody with half a brain would know? Kai raised an eyebrow and threw a glance at the others. Id think so, Vincent agreed. Yeah, Lars nodded. Even I know how to do that stuff. Oh, you sure do, Yuel nodded. But, when did you learn it, again? Hm? Lars cocked his head. Dunno, I probably knew all along. Yeah, I was born with that knowledge! The first word I said as a baby was my player ID, yo! Yeah, right. You actually didnt know how to get it until you had to fill it for our entrance exam Seriously? Yeah, seriously. You even asked me for some help because you somehow went into the wrong menu at first. Did I? Dont remember for the life of me. Of course you dont, Yuel sighed. Anyway, its better to add a brief explanation on the form. Something small that explains how to navigate to the profile screen and where you can find the ID on it. Itll save us a lot of trouble. You dont want every other candidate to ask you how to retrieve it. Sounds good, Kai said. Now that you mention it, I think there was a freshman last year who came to me and asked whats their player ID was. Oh, I remember that! It was pure gold! Vincent burst into laughter. She gave that poor kid a look thats like Are you dumb or something? and he ran away. The poor kid got scared for his life. Kai is such a bully. I-I didnt mean it like that, Kai turned away. Her white cheeks turned reddish. Its supposed to be common knowledge, okay? Not my fault he was asking dumb questions. Maybe that boy was destined to become one of the best players in the world but you scared him away. Maybe you even ruined his entire Mancers career! He was going to be next Maker! Yeah, yeah. Im sorry. Sue me, okay? Kai grumped. Maybe retrieving the player ID isnt that obvious to everybody. The more you know... Anyway, Kai killed this stupid topic. I agree with Yuels suggestion. Lets add something about how to get the player ID. It should lower the number of people who come asking stupid questions. Which is great, Vincent snickered. This way, you wont scare anybody away. Would you drop it already!? Kai hissed. Besides, its not like there are going to be that many real candidates this time. Why is that? Yuel asked. Something is different this year? Everything is different, Kai answered. The school cut down the number of students we can recruit to three and we already got ourselves two transfer students who are Challenger rank. That leaves only one spot open. So, what of it? That doesnt mean we have to do any less work. It does, actually, Kai claimed. How so? We still have to go over all the applications, right? No, only the applications by girls. Huh? Yuel blinked. What gives? Because, the last spot is reserved to a female player, Kai explained. You took the two spots for males, so the last one will be a female. Wait, I thought you were selected based on rank? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Yeah, based on rank within each gender group. Huh, Yuel crossed his arms. Is that how youve always been doing things here? No, thats how I chose to do, Kai stated. I believe thats the fairest way. Ill to disagree with you on that, Yuel said. Why does gender matter? We should take the best players we can get our hands on. Id even say that picking players solely by rank is lazy as well. We should test each and every one of them personally. Thats asking for a lot from such a small club, Kai said. Yes, I agree, Yuel nodded. Thats why I didnt push that idea. But, if were not going to hold a proper entrance exam, we should at least be effective at picking the best players. Their rank matters but their gender doesnt. Sure, thats probably the safest way to raise the clubs level, Kai nodded. But, its not fair. The available spots should be divided by gender. Otherwise, girls will never make it in. Well, you made it in, right? Because youre a good player, not because youre a girl. Oh, yeah. I made it in, Kai sneered. But, you want a funny story? The seniors of that year only allowed boys to apply. They were trying to keep it as a boys-only club. Thats dumb, Yuel said. Then, how did you make it in? I couldnt let it stand and applied anyway. They couldn''t guess I was a girl from my name, so they let me pass because I was Gold II back then. By the time they learned the truth, it was too late and the school didnt let them change anything. Wow, dude, Lars nodded repeatedly. Ya showed em derps whos da real boss! Youre even the captain now and everything! Thanks, Kai glanced away with a wry smile. Apparently, she wasnt telling this story to boast or anything. This must have been the objective truth of how things went down. Yeah, its all true, Vincent answered Yuels questioning eyes. Kai snuck into the club like it was Mission Impossible. Thats really impressive, Yuel had to agree. The girl wanted to play Classmancers so much she pretended to be a boy to break through the discriminating rules. It was a respectable dedication. Is that the harsh experience Vincent was alluding to regarding Kai and boys? Yuel wondered. Its sure nasty. Wouldnt be surprised if I developed gender bias too after something like this. But, sorry to say this, but it still doesnt give any legitimation to her new policy. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I understand that previous captains made asinine rules for the selection process, Yuel said. But, it should be enough to just get rid of that filter. Well open our sign-ups for both boys and girls. That should do it. No, its not enough, Kai insisted. "Even if girls are given a chance, most of them won''t be able to compete with the boys in terms of rank. There aren''t many girls our age playing Mancers and the boys often don''t want to play with them, so girls don''t get to progress as much in Ranked even if they''re dedicated players." "That''s..." Yuel didn''t know what to say to this. From his experience, boys didn''t have any problem playing with girls. He and Lars treated Julia seriously like a fellow player and she progressed far in Ranked together with them. However, then there was Lars''s story about how many boys in grade school didn''t want to play with Julia because she was a girl. On top of that, Taison and Gregory often made fun of her simply for the fact she was a girl. These two were scumbags in general and acted hostile toward everybody, but it felt like they ridiculed Julia more than anybody else. So, perhaps Kai had a point. Even if girls were given a fair chance to apply to the club, they had a huge disadvantage compared to boys. They had a lower rank, less experience and probably overall less exposure to Classmancers. Therefore, no matter what criteria the examiners were to use, most girls would fall short by default. Interestingly, StormBlitz''s entrance exam didn''t take any of this into account. Was it an oversight or a deliberate choice? Considering how seriously StormBlitz valued competition, there''s a good chance the people who came up with the entrance exam deliberately chose to prioritize the most promising candidates instead of pushing for more gender equality. Honestly, Yuel shared the same sentiment. For clubs with such a restricted number of allowed members, it was absolutely necessary to recruit the best candidates possible for winning tournaments. As harsh as it sounded, these clubs didn''t have the luxury to pull inferior players to the competitive level. They had to prioritize the candidates who either knew how to play or exhibited great potential. But, it''s not like Kai''s idea was entirely unreasonable. She claimed that girls had an early disadvantage when it came to Classmancers and that gatekept them from joining. However, if they did manage to join, these girls could perhaps become amazing players. By now, Yuel has met a number of strong female players: Julia, Ellen, Ignis, ComboBreaker and even Kai herself was a solid player. Was it possible some of them only made it this far because somebody played favorites for them? It was hard to imagine but it might be the case. In fact, Yuel once heard a peculiar rumor. Apparently, Ellen strongly pushed for Julia to be accepted into StormBlitz. It seemed there was another promising candidate who competed with Julia for the last spot and most of the club favored him, but Ellen used her usual manipulative shticks to get the club under her thumb. Supposedly, thanks to that, Julia was accepted into the club over that other guy. There was no telling how much truth there was in this tale, but it sounded plausible when a fox like Ellen was involved. Back then, Julia had plenty of flaws in her playstyle, so it wont be surprised if another candidate was better than her at the time. Nevertheless, Julia was the one who ultimately got into the club and she flourished there She developed immensely throughout the past year and even got all the way to the first-string. It was amazing progress that could''ve been denied for Julia if Ellen didn''t play favorites. This all feels so skewed. Yuel shuddered. He understood the "fairness" argument behind giving at least one girl a chance to get in but, at the same time, itll have to be done at somebodys expense. The club might get a candidate who was a genius player but the guy wont make it in because he had the wrong gender. It didnt feel right. This topic is a dead end. Yuel sighed. No matter what arguments he came up with, there was no clear-cut answer to this dilemma. "I understand what you''re saying," Yuel finally spoke. "But, if you reserve the last spot for a girl, you deny the chances of all freshman boys. Isn''t that unfair?" "You''re free to step down if you think that''s unfair," Kai shrugged. "It''s you and Lars who are taking the male spots right now. You can always quit if you think that''s unfair." "Wowie, harsh," Lars scratched his head. "It''s really kinda our fault, isn''t it? Some newcomer dudes not gonna make it because of us." "Well..." Yuel didn''t a retort at hand. The club could only get three new members this year and two of the slots have been occupied by transfer students. Not exactly the epitome of fairness either. Because of Yuel and Lars, two promising freshmen were going to be denied entry this year. Even if some of these freshmen were more talented than Yuel and Lars, they won''t make it in because Yuel and Lars were a year ahead in terms of experience. It was a cruel world. "Still," Yuel said. "At least, Lars and I are high-level players and got our spots thanks to skill. I admit we got an unfair advantage compared to freshmen but at least its guaranteed were going to be more valuable for the team in this years tournament. Compared, accepting a girl regardless of talent just doesn''t sit right with me. It robs others of a chance even though they could''ve contributed more to the team." "Winning isn''t everything" Kai stated. "A club is also supposed to be an environment where players can improve. That''s important too." "I''d agree with you if we weren''t talking about a club that can only get up to seven members. We barely got any wiggle room to work with. Seven is so close to five that we might be forced to deploy the freshman in the tournament." "Use a freshman in the tournament? Kai raised an eyebrow. Surely you jest." Think about it. If Lars and I hadnt joined, you would have had three freshmen this year. Youd have to deploy at least one freshman, no way around it. Yeah, I suppose so. "And, in general, having only seven club members is dangerously close to five. We can''t ignore the possibility well have to deploy the freshman to matches," Yuel glanced around the room to confirm Luke wasn''t here. "Take Luke, for example. Do you really think we can entrust our Jungler position to somebody who plays memes? He''s a decent player. But, for competitive play, he''s practically a joke. Our opponents are going to hard counter him every time because he chooses to play suboptimal classes." "Well, that''s..." Kai had nothing to say back to that. "So, wouldn''t it be great if we get a more serious Jungler? In fact, I''d go as far as saying we should prioritize searching for a Jungler among the freshman. That''s why I added a role field to the registration form. I know this is me putting the tournament before everything else but this tiny club needs every help it can get." "That''s true, but..." This time, it was Kai''s turn to be stumped. This is a little frustrating. Yuel frowned. It felt like he saw eye-to-eye with Kai about the state of the club and they agreed what was more important for winning the tournament. Nevertheless, ultimately, each of them prioritized something different. Yuel wanted a strong freshman, preferably a Jungler. Meanwhile, Kai insisted on getting a girl for more equality. "Oh! The everlasting battle of Barong and Rangda!" Vincent stretched his arms theatrically. "No matter how many times they strike each other down, they revive and resume their eternal battle!" "Are you implying were getting nowhere??" Yuel made a face. It was rude but true. It didn''t seem like Yuel and Kai will be able to reach an agreement. "You both make valid arguments," Vincent said. "But, the club doesn''t belong to you two, you know. We''re also here." "Right," Yuel nodded. He just realized he has been treating Vincent and Lars like air all this time. These two, despite being a clown and a goof, were also important members of the club and must have had their own opinions. "So," Kai turned to the other two. "What do you two think? Not that it means I''m going to change my stance just because you disagree." Tyrant detected. Yuel rolled his eyes. "Hmm," Lars crossed his arms and thought hard about this problem. Or, at least, he pretended to. "I dunno. No matter who we gonna pick, we still gonna take the nationals, yo!" He wasn''t thinking at all after all! Yuel facepalmed. "So," Kai said. "You''re fine if we give the last spot to a female, right?" "Eeeeh," Lars scratched his head. "I mean, probably? I think all dudes should get a fair chance. But, I know girls have it harder sometimes because some dudes in grade school are like ew, girls. Sad story, yo. In short, you got no real stance, Yuel said. Welp, I guess I dont. Imma let the smart people handle this one. No matter who joins, I know we gonna win in the end. Thats some confidence, Kai noted. Yes, foolish baseless confidence. The usual. Yuel shrugged. What about you, Vincent? Hmhmhm~ Vincent giggled suspiciously. So, mortals, you have come to seek the advice of the Old One? Okay, Vincent got no valuable input either. Moving on- Alright, alright! Vincent begged. Heres what I think: you both got some good points so we probably wont agree on anything at this rate. Then, how about we first get some data to work with? Lets wait until we have the list of candidates and then decide. Sounds like youre suggesting to postpone the inevitable, Yuel said. Perpahs. But, want to hear an interesting story? Last year, the club already allowed girls to apply. Do you see any female Juniors here? No. Right, because only two girls applied and they werent even Lv.50 so they didnt even have a rank. So, nobody vouched for them. Even Kai didnt shill for them. Of course, Kai crossed her arms. Theres a limit to how lenient we can be. Lv.50 is a little out there but theres no excuse for not being at least Lv.30. You get that far alone in like two/three weeks if youre at least a semi-serious about the game. I see, Yuel nodded. So, at least you got a standard. Its not like youre going to just accept any girl that shows up. We can work with that. You want to set minimum requirements? Kai asked. Im down. As far as Im concerned, if shes at least Lv.30 then its good enough. I think we should set Lv.50 as the minimum, Yuel argued. It should be somebody who is at least qualified for Ranked. Lv.50 can be pretty rough alone, I know that from experience. You have to carry all these toxic assholes who think they know what theyre doing just because theyre higher level. Its a pain in the ass. Yeah, I know that feeling, Yuel nodded. He had plenty of such experiences while grinding in Casual mode. He only started making real progress once Lars and Julia joined the effort. If he continued grinding alone, it would have taken him a long time to hit Lv.50. In fact, he might have quit the game before reaching that point. Okay, Lv.30 is fine, I guess Yuel conceded. But, we shouldnt give them a free pass. We need to hold at least a minimal test to confirm their motivation and see serious they are about the game. Something like an interview? I suppose. Maybe play a match or two together to get a feel for how they carry themselves. Sounds like a hassle if we have to do it for every single candidate. I wouldnt worry too much about that, Vincent said. Remember, last year we only got two female candidates. Who knows how many were getting this year? Might as well be zero. Hey, dont jinx it, Kai grumped. I think Vincent is onto something, Yuel said. It might be premature to discuss the selection process now. Lets see how many students actually apply and then make our decision. Fair enough, Kai nodded. With that, the judgment was postponed until next week. The group finished polishing the registration form and played a few Ranked matches together, then called it a day. Will any girls apply to the Classmancers club? Will any of them be skilled enough to get Yuels approval? Only time will tell. Vol.7 Ch.12: Romeo and Juliet, Again Friday came to an end. It was the last day of the school week and therefore the last day of club activity. Granted, clubs were allowed to gather on Saturdays too but the team has practiced more than enough this week so they skipped on Saturday. In the end, they more or less agreed on how theyll handle the selection process. Theyll prioritize picking a female to abide by Kai''s sense of equality but they won''t just approve of any female player. The candidate will have to be at least Lv.30 and show enough determination. In addition, Yuel was planned to look over the highest-ranked male candidates regardless. If any of them is close to Platinum, theyll become a promising player. Therefore, if the female candidate is nowhere near that level, Yuel will have to push for that high-ranked candidate to be accepted instead. That''ll surely get him into another argument with Kai... I kinda wish no girls apply for the club this year. Yuel felt a little guilty thinking like this but he simply didn''t attach any special value to female players. As far as he was concerned, female candidates were only going to make the selection process more awkward due to Kais special rule. If no girls apply, the club will be able to peacefully pick the best candidates based on rank and skill. "Hey," Lars smacked Yuel on the back. "What''s with the long face? I thought you guys resolved all that difficult stuff?" "We did, kind of. But, that doesn''t mean I''m satisfied with it. I still think we should pick the best player regardless of gender. Actually, I''m surprised you didn''t agree with me on that. Would you be fine with losing your opportunity to join a club just because you''re a boy?" "Hell no," Lars shook his head. "I''d challenge everybody in the club to a 1v1 and claim my spot!" "So, you''re in my camp after all." "Yeah, but I get where Kai is coming from too, ya know? If we didn''t play with July back in grade school, she probably would have dropped the game ages ago. She didn''t have any girlfriends to play with and most boys in the class didn''t take her seriously." I think she kept playing because she was interested in a certain goof. Yuel smiled wryly. "I get what you''re saying. But, I don''t think this tiny club has the luxury to push for gender equality. We have to pick the best players we can get." "Yeah, I agree with that, too." "You agree with everything, don''t you?" "Haha, that''s not true. It''s a difficult topic, okay? Gimme a break here, yo." "Sure, sure." "This whole conversation today made me realize something," Lars looked far into the distance with a soft smile. "I''ve been kinda taking July for granted all this time. She was always hanging around and, at some point, she started playing a hella solid Mid." That''s because Ellen and I coached her in private. "So, at some point, I stopped thinking of her as a girl and treated her like another strong dude on the team." "You probably should never tell her that," Yuel advised. "Hm? I meant I had total respect for her as a strong player, yo." "Yeah, but... Well, let''s just say I warned you." "Hm, okay," Lars shrugged. "Anyway, Im saying July became a natural part of our group and then a part of the club. But, if you think about it, she''s a girl but she spent so much of her free time hanging out with us two. It was probably rough." "Why?" Yuel asked. "I don''t think we ever treated her poorly." "Nah, but she''s still a girl, ya know? She was the only one in our group. It must have been all sorts of lonely. Like, I can''t imagine being stuck as the only boy in a group of girls like that." "Yeah, that may be a little..." Yuel pursed his lips. Judging by his experiences with girls so far, hed be executed in a week if he were stuck in such a group. Gulp. "So, I was thinking today," Lars said. "Maybe we put too much pressure on July in the selection match and that''s why she broke down like this. She hasnt been answering my calls ever since. Any luck on your side?" "No. She seems to be adamant about not contacting us," Yuel said. He didn''t mention Julia''s parting words about crushing both of them at the regionals. She clearly didnt want to see their faces right now. Especially, Yuels face. "Maybe it''s my fault," Lars hung his head. "I was cheering her on and everything but maybe that put too much pressure on her." "I think she was happy to get your support." "Yeah, I hope. But..." Lars fell silent for a moment and then exploded. "Okay, that''s it! I''mma go see her face-to-face and tell her Im sorry for everything!" "Right now?" "Yep, right now! Wanna come?" "No, I''ll pass," Yuel averted his eyes. "I''m the last person she wants to see right now." "C''mon, don''t be like that. I know July acts mean to you sometimes but I think that''s because she really likes ya." The one she really likes is YOU. Yuel sighed. "I just don''t want to make it more awkward. I''m sure she''ll be happier to meet you alone." "Welp, if you say so," Lars went ahead. "Okay, I''mma go catch her on the way from school. Ill drop by your place later." "Good luck," Yuel said. "By the way, she lives in that direction." "Ah, whoopsie! Haha," Lars backpedaled and headed in the direction Yuel pointed. "Do you even know where she lives?" "Nope! But, I''mma find her with my ace detective skillz!" "You could just ask, you know." "Nah, where''s the adventure in that?" Lars chuckled. "But yeah, you''re right. Okay, Mr. Watson, help me solve this mystery. Where''s the scene of the crime?" "What kind of detective needs help finding the scene of the crime?" "Good point, haha!" Yuel gave the address and entered it into a navigation app on Lars''s phone to make sure the goof won''t get lost. Though, it was probably safe to trust in Lars''s ability to find the place. This goof was gifted with a strong sense of direction. "Then, I''m off!" Lars waved and dashed away. I hope they can talk things out. Yuel prayed. Even though Julia declared herself as their "enemy", Yuel still wished for her to overcome the trauma of the selection match and make full recovery. Julia played well and didn''t deserve to suffer so much just because she couldn''t bring victory in that one match. Hopefully, meeting Lars will energize her. After traveling for about ten minutes, Lars reached his destination. A tall building towered over him. "Whoa..." He gazed upwards. Such a tall skyscraper. This big boi stretched all the way to the moon! It felt like his gaze was sucked into another dimension. If Vincent were here, he''d dub this building the Tower of Babel, yo! That''s some fine building, lemme tell ya. Lars nodded repeatedly. His old man bought a hella cheap apartment back in the day, so Lars was living in some generic building. It was big enough and all but it didn''t compare to this gigantic tower. This was the future! It was one step away from building space colonies, yo! But, I didn''t come here for sightseeing. Lars looked around. I wonder if July already went in? "Ah, Lars..." A familiar voice. "Oh!" Lars jumped and turned around. It was Julia! ... or, so he thought. "Huh? Wut?" He rubbed his eyes. A girl stood in front of him. Her voice and face seemed familiar but, at the same time, she looked like a totally unrecognizable person. "Oh, I get it, Lars said. You must be July''s older sister, right?" I aint got no sister! The girl exploded. "It''s me. "No way. Where did your hair go?" "Why everybody reacts like this. I still got a bunch of hair," The girl pulled her hair to show she still had some left. Well, of course, she did; she wasn''t bald or anything like that. But, her trademark ponytail was nowhere in sight. Like, whoosh. Gone. Just like that. And, it seemed like she shortened the rest of her haircut too so it gave her an unexpected tomboy-ish look. "That''s one heck of a makeover you did there," Lars said. "It''s almost like you took off a wig, haha." "Does it really look so weird?" Julia glanced away. "You don''t like it?" "Nah, it''s cool," Lars gave a thumbs up. "Just gonna take some time to get used to. Like, a few months probably, haha." "It''ll grow back by then" "Yep and that''s when I''ll get used to it!" "Heh. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Oh! You smiled!" Lars grinned. "So, you''re doing okay? Me and Yuel were super worried about you." "You were?" Julia fidgeted. "Sorry, I should''ve answered your calls." "Nah, it''s okay. We were all feeling like crap after that selection match. I wanted to bury myself after all the dumb stuff I did that match." "Really? But, you played so well." "Nah, whatcha talking about? I kept walking into Ellen''s traps left and right like a total tool." "But, youve been dominating the games otherwise, Julia insisted. In the first two games, you dominated the early-game and, in the last game, you were killing it during the late-game. Yeah, I had my moments, Lars said. But, in the end, I fudged up big time and let Ellen walk all over me. So, it all came to nothing. I messed up and we lost the game. Thats not really... Julia chewed her lips. So, Lars also blames himself for his mistakes. Even though he was so amazing back then... The way Julia saw it, Lars was the pillar of the teams offense the entire match. He dominated through sheer strength and that allowed the team to push closer to victory. Without him, the team couldnt have gotten anywhere. And yet, Lars was blaming himself over the couple of small mistakes he committed. Even though he has done so much good, he was still troubled by the few fatal mess-ups near the end of the match. In other words, he was feeling the same frustration that has been eating Julia from inside this whole time. Thats why, Lars continued. I really wanted to say sorry for all that. Eh? Julia blinked. Sorry? For what? After I died at the end there, all the responsibility was dropped on you. Nobody else was alive and youve been playing all sorts of aggressive that game, so everybody just naturally expected you to carry the game to victory. That mustve been some hella pressure to deal with. And, I failed to deliver ... Julia hung her head. Nah, no need to feel bad, Lars came closer and grasped Julias shoulders. You did great! E-Eh!? Julia jumped. You were put on the spot after I died but you held really well! Its the first time I saw you play aggressive like that and you probably werent used to carrying the game and all. Heck, I still get goosebumps sometimes when people place all that heavy responsibility on me. Really? Julia blinked. Wasnt Lars a natural at that kind of thing? She always thought that carrying the team came naturally to him because he was a superman of unrivaled strength. Yeah, it can be hella rough, Lars nodded. Knowing that the entire game is riding on your performance makes ya sweat, no joke. And, just because I derped at the end there and died, all that pressure suddenly dropped on you. Heck, I was even rooting for ya and everything, telling you how you can totally do it. Im the worst. N-No! Thats not true at all! Julia practically shouted. Ah, I mean, I... I was happy that you rooted for me. Really? Yeah, it was reassuring, Julia smiled softly. If not for your support, I might have caved under pressure on the spot. But, because you and everybody kept believing in me, I could focus on the fights and keep trying my best. Though, in the end, my best wasnt quite enough... Thanks! Lars hugged Julia. W-W-W-W-W-Whaaaaa....! Julia trembled like a helpless kitten. Thanks for fighting your best till the very end, Lars let go and smiled at her. Even though it should''ve been my job to close the game and it was unfair to dump everything on you, you never gave up. Youre a really amazing player. T-Thanks, Julia felt like her face became a toaster. Oh god, am I turning red? Please tell me I dont look like an expired tomato! That game taught me a huge lesson, Lars said. From now on, I gonna make sure Im more careful about stuff. Being the Carry is a huge responsibility so I shouldnt charge into every fight like this. Its more fun to play wild like this but it gets me killed and then somebody else gotta clean up the mess afterward. I dont want that. I see, Julia reluctantly agreed. She understood where Lars was coming from but, at the same time, she couldnt help but feel it was a waste. Larss straightforward attitude of rushing into trouble without a second thought was a big part of his charm. He always challenged the impossible and came on top, thats the Lars which Julia fell in love with. Ya know, its kinda awkward things turned out like this, Lars scratched his head. I really wanted to keep playing with you on the same team. I also... Julias stopped herself. Will it sound bad if I say it? After all, they didnt exactly choose this. As much as Julia resented the boys for transferring without her, she understood it wasnt a decision they made because they wanted to. If they had the choice, they wouldve stayed in StormBlitz just like her. But, they didnt make the first-string so there was nothing promising for them in the upcoming year. Compared to them, Julia had options. She could either stay on the first-string or transfer with them. Her situation was completely different. Therefore, for somebody with such luxury to say she would have liked to keep playing with the boys felt pretentious. Its like she was some mighty queen who was willing to grace the commoners with her presence. So, Julia remained quiet and accepted Larss kind words. Truly, it was unfortunate things turned out this way. Putting aside her fiasco with Yuel, Julia was still on good terms with Lars. In fact, it felt like Lars saw her in a new light during the selection match and respected her more than ever as a player. Alas, they were playing for different teams now. They were enemies. How is the new school? Julia asked. It has a Mancers club, right? Yeah, it sure does, Lars said. Its in the basement. ... huh? Yep, haha. The school hates us so much it didnt even give us a proper clubroom. So, we hang out in the basement. We call it the Den of Undiscovered Potential! That sounds... interesting, Julia forced a smile. Its hella cool, yo! Its like were an underdog team thats undercover right now. Then, one day, we gonna appear outta nowhere and take the world by storm! Is that so, Julia replied vaguely. Lars was probably pushing himself to appear positive because all that stuff sounded horrible. Julia always thought StormBlitz was a pretty budget club but being forced to literally play in the schools basement? Yikes, thats a whole new level of budget. Julia felt a little guilty for it, but this news made her glad she stayed in StormBlitz. No way I gonna hang out in a basement for some game, even if its Mancers. No thanks. "Welp, that''s what the school thinks of our club''s level right now," Lars shrugged. "Everybody thinks we''re some scrubs who ain''t even gonna pass the first round. But, we gonna prove ''em all wrong! We gonna take the regionals by storm, yo!" "I''m sure you will," Julia smiled. "So," Lars stretched a hand. "Let''s both do our best. Lets keep winning at the regionals and eventually play each other!" "Yeah," Julia accepted the handshake. Lars''s hand was big and warm. Julia would have loved to hold onto it for a while longer to enjoy its touch. But, she wasn''t allowed to. They were opponents now, so this wasn''t the time for her to bare her feelings. "Also," Lars continued. "You should come play with us like before at Yuel''s place." "Eh? But, we''re playing for different teams now." "Hm? So what?" "Well, we''re kinda enemies now." "Nah. That only applies to the tourney, right? Other than that, we''re still buddies and everything." "Well...." Julia made a difficult expression. The competition between clubs wasn''t confined solely in the tournament itself. There were also scrimmages and data gathering. Arguably, the most important part of the fight began before the tournament itself. But, all these things didn''t seem to bother Lars so Julia remained quiet. "I''ll come if I feel like it," Julia glanced away. "Cool," Lars nodded. "I really wanna fight against that aggressive style you showed at the selection match." "Eh? You do?" Julia jerked from the mere mention of it. The amount of yelling and cursing she did at the time... It was so embarrassing. "Yeah," Lars nodded. "That stuff was sick! Ya even gave Tai a run for his money. I never knew you were at such a high level in fights. We definitely gotta spar sometimes!" "I''ll think about it," Julia smiled faintly. Maybe not everything about the selection match was a disaster, after all. At least, it helped Julia come to terms with her aggressive side and she discovered that Lars was supportive of it. In fact, he was overly hyped about it for some reason. Too bad that match ended up separating them. Julia planned to win and look good in front of Lars, then confess to him while he was still celebrating the victory. She believed she had a higher chance of scoring that way. However, they lost and the defeat tore them apart. Thus, Julia lost her opportunity, possibly forever. Maybe I should tell him now? Julia gulped. Despite all the empty promises she has been making about meeting up with Lars and Yuel again, she knew she probably won''t ever dare to show her face at Yuels place again. Therefore, right here and now, it might be her last chance to confess her feelings to Lars. Nah, that''ll be awkward as hell. Julia stopped herself. Even if Lars returned her feelings, what''s next? It wont change the fact they were enemies. They won''t be able to maintain a relationship like that. Besides, Julia didn''t deserve it. She promised herself she''ll confess to Lars if they win the selection match. But, they lost. And, on top of that, her numerous mistakes played a big part in that defeat. Therefore, she didn''t deserve to confess to him now. "Welp, I gotta go," Lars said. "You wanna come?" "Training with Yuel again?" "Yep, as always." "Nah, I''ll pass," Julia smiled wryly. She''ll pass on this invitation today. And tomorrow. And every other day after that. She won''t show her face there ever again. She and Lars were heading in opposite directions now. "Hey, what''s wrong?" Lars asked. "E-Eh?" Julia turned around and wiped her eyes. "A-Ahaha, just something got into my eye. Okay, now it''s gone." She turned to Lars again, wearing the best smile she could muster. "Okay," Lars smiled back. "Then, I''mma go now. Make sure to drop by sometimes!" He shouted from afar as he waved goodbye. "Sure," Julia retained her smile until Lars vanished from view. Then, her lips quivered and a tear fell down her cheek. Why? Why did things have to end like this? Despite everything that happened, she was still on such good terms with Lars. In fact, Lars appreciated her more than ever as a strong player after that selection match. He even wanted to duel with her so much. If Julia tried harder, she probably could have salvaged her relationship with Yuel too. The three of them could go back to being good friends who gathered together every day to play Classmancers for hours. When did I start thinking of that as a fun pastime? Julia smiled wryly. She only ever complained about the crazy amounts of training the boys have been doing. But, at some point, this daily routine became precious to her and she never realized that until she lost it. If only she figured all of that earlier, she could''ve... Nevermind. What''s done is done. Julia wiped her tears and stared in the direction Lars disappeared in. This might very well be the last time she got to talk with him like this. The next time they meet, they wont be friendly like that with each other; theyll be opponents. Maybe it''ll be easier to patch up this relationship after Howard and Ellen graduate. But, right now, both sides were at each other''s throats and Julia belonged to the camp of Lars''s sworn enemy. There was no way they could casually hang out together without that fact looming over them. Goodbye, my love. Julia exhaled deeply. This was reality and she had to accept it. Until the end of this year, she had to forget everything about her feelings toward Lars. Instead, she''ll train her hardest to monopolize the Mid spot on StormBlitz and get a chance to fight against Lars at the regionals. That''s what Lars wished for as well. And, this will give me a chance to murder both of them! Julia grinned madly. With all said and done, she still couldn''t get over how the boys transferred on their own and only informed her post-facto. So, this will also be a good opportunity to give them a piece of her mind. She was the only junior who made it into StormBlitz''s first-string, so she had to be worthy of that spot. In other words, she had to be able to mop the floor with Yuel and Lars in a real match. Only that way shell prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she deserved to be here. Let''s meet again at the regionals and have a blast. Julia turned around and dashed into the building. After gobbling down her lunch, Julia sat down in front of her computer. It was time for some Classmaners! Even though she just finished a long day of training at the club, she already wanted to play again. The day was still young and the weekend was upon her, so she''ll get lots and tons of practice. By the time the regionals come, nobody will stand a chance against her. She''ll dominate the competition and prove she deserved to stand at the top along with the rest of StormBlitzs first-string. "Time to murder some idiots, ahahaha!" "July? You said something?" Her mom asked from the living room. "Ack! It''s nothing, mom!" Julia quickly shut the door and returned to her desk. Phew, that was a close one. And so, Julia spent the entire evening playing Classmaners until she dropped. Vol.7 Ch.13: Terrible Marketing Monday came around. It was time for the clubs of Skyline Junior High to start recruiting new members. Each club captured a spot to advertise the club. Some spread along the hallways, others filled the schoolyard and some even took control of entire classrooms. They all prepared tables, flyers, posters, mics and everything else they could get their hands on. Compared to that, the Classmaners club... "This area will be free," The club advisor, Ms. Stone, showed them to an area in the middle of nowhere on the schoolyard. Thats the best the school could give. Just do your best. Good luck. You think that hag even try negotiating anything better? Luke rolled his eyes. Shh! Shell hear you! Vincent waved his arms around and tried to hide Luke from view. Thankfully, Ms. Stone has already vanished from view. I gotta agree, Kai crossed her arms. This sucks. Were surrounded by enemies on all sides. Enemies is a little... Vincent scratched his head. In a way, Kai was right. All the clubs competed over the same general audience: the freshmen. And, thanks to this amazing arrangement, the Classmancers club was lost out here in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dozens of other clubs. Just to reach their table, a freshman would have to pass through at least three different clubs along the way. What were the chances of such an adventurer reaching its destination with all these temptations along the way? Not to mention, the sun was blazing hot today. Most students stayed inside the building as they toured around, so the number of possible candidates was already cut down by more than half. These were all rough circumstances for the club. However, it was too early to give up! This was no club of quitters. They shall overcome this ordeal and find all the strongest players in the area! The Den of Undiscovered Potential shall suck all these players in like a black hole! "Alrighty," Vincent fished inside his backpack. "This is what I prepared for today." He took out the registration forms. They were updated to the latest format they agreed upon on Friday. Yuel was a tad cautious of leaving this clown with the responsibility of printing everything but Vincent proved himself. Of course, just in case, Yuel has already checked where he could print some copies at school. He even brought money with him to pay for it as needed. Thankfully, it was unnecessary in the end. "Oh!" Lars grabbed a registration form and nodded in approval. "This looks sick!" "I have to admit," Yuel nodded as well. "It''s well done. Surprisingly." "Please," Vincent objected. "I think surprisingly was unnecessary there." Vincent indeed printed the registration form as they agreed on but he also added some extra flavor to the design. Thankfully, it wasn''t any of the terrible designs he showed them last week. This time, the design was simple and effective. The form had one of the official Classmancers wallpapers and stylized text for better visibility. There were no silly terms or edgy images plastered on it. Just a simple and well-edited background that caught the eye. In fact, it was so well-done that Yuel wanted to keep a copy. Lars shared the same sentiment and acted before Yuel finished the thought. The goof stuffed like five flyers into his backpack while everybody else was busy appreciating them out. Truly, these flyers were well-made; astonishingly well-made. "You made then yourself?" Yuel asked. "Nah, I asked my mom to fix something," Vincent admitted. "You all didn''t like my godlike photoshop edits, so I figured I''ll let a pro handle it." "That was definitely the right choice, Yuel nodded. "I have a feeling you''re making fun of me." "You think so?" This wasn''t even the end of pleasant surprises. Vincent fished in his bag some more. "I also brought these," Vincent took out big posters of Classmancers. "I''d put them on a wall... if we had one!" "We can use them as a table cover," Kai suggested. "My poor, poor posters," Vincent pretend to be teary-eyed while caressing the posters like his babies. "Reduced to the rank of a mere tablecloth. Not like this." With that, everything was ready. At least, as ready as it could possibly be under the harsh circumstances. They had a (terrible) spot to advertise from, their table was covered with a big nice-looking Classmancers picture and they had a bunch of eye-catching flyers which doubled as registration forms. "So," Yuel started. "How do we go about it?" "Normally," Kai said. "Some stay behind to collect registrations while others walk around and hand out the flyers." "I''ll stay to guard the fort," Luke announced right away. He already grabbed himself a chair from somewhere and sat down. "Okay," Lars grabbed a bunch of flyers. "I''mma run all over the place and advertise the club to everybody! The goal is to make at least half the school register!" "You know we can only get one new member, right?" Yuel asked. "No problem! If the school sees how popular the club is, it''ll raise the limit for sure! All the clubs gonna be combined into the Classmancers club, yo!" "That won''t happen but keep up that spirit." "Make sure to recruit girls too," Kai reminded. "As we agreed, girls will get a priority." "Yes," Yuel added. "But, only if they''re at least Lv.30. Don''t bother recruiting girls who never heard of the game." "Okey-dokey!" Lars saluted and dashed off with the stack of flyers. "Seeya dudes later!" And poof. He was gone. "I''ll walk around too," Vincent took a stack of flyers. "I trust Lars, the Sun Messiah, to cover the schoolyard. So, I''ll walk inside the building and see who I can convert." "Are you sure you''re not just going to slack off?" Kai narrowed her eyes. "You hurt my feelings, m''lady," Vincent acted as if a blade just pierced his chest. "I''m the most passionate in here about recruiting! I seek to add as many new potentials as possible to our Den of Undiscovered Potential!" "But," Yuel retorted. "You''re not passionate enough to do it under the sun." "Unlike you three, I don''t possess an Anti-Sunlight Noble Phantasm." He was probably referring to the fact Yuel, Kai and Luke were all wearing sports caps. For Kai, this was the norm and she even wore the cap in classes. However, Yuel and Luke came especially prepared for the worst-case scenario today. Compared to them, despite how well Vincent prepared with the flyers and everything, he forgot to bring a cap for outside activities. It was the miscalculation of the century! This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Well," Vincent glanced at Yuel and Luke. "If any of you kind gentlemen is willing to lend me their cap, I shall gladly walk down this scorched land and bear the infernal sun in order to spread the word about our secret cult!" When did we become a "cult"? Yuel made a face. Then again, what kind of club holds activities in the basement? Illuminati team confirmed. "So? Anybody wants to lend me their cap?" Vincent asked again but only from Yuel and Luke. Kai wasn''t even an option for some reason. "No way, man," Luke waved his hand in dismissal. "I ain''t giving up my cap here. My brain gonna melt without it. It''s hot as hell today." "Agreed," Yuel nodded. "I rather keep my cap too." "Alrighty," Vincent shrugged. "Then, the building is my domain. You, the chosen ones who carry the legendary rank S Anti-Sunlight phantasms, shall stay outside and resist the sun''s infernal blaze!" Vincent took a stack of papers, shoved them into his backpack and strode toward the school building. Even though Lars and Vincent both took big stacks with at least thirty flyers, there were still plenty of flyers left behind on the table. Just how many copies did Vincent print? He was really into this whole thing despite knowing theyll get only one member at best. There were three members around the table and the big stack of flyers was calling them. Somebody should probably take them for a walk but nobody volunteered. Eventually, one of them broke the silence. "You should go around and advertise too," Kai pushed the stack of flyers toward Yuel. "How about you do it while I stay here?" Yuel pushed the stack back in Kai''s direction. "That won''t do," Kai pushed the stack toward him again. "I''m the captain so I have to stay in the base." "Nobody outside the club knows or cares about you being the captain," Yuel pushed the flyers back. "Besides, this isn''t some military operation. You can walk around without any risk to your life." "The captain''s job is to organize the operation. Leg work is for the grunts." "I''m not even an official member. You should be grateful I''m even helping out." "Oh, I''m very grateful. Now, how about you do some actual work and take a stroll?" "I don''t believe leg work is my strongest suit." Wham. Half of the flyers slipped off the table due to their tug of war. "Are you guys, like, five?" Luke made a face. "I don''t wanna hear that from somebody who acts like he came here on a vacation," Kai shot him a look. "Where did you even did that chair from?" "Grabbed from one of the classes." "That makes us look really unprofessional," Yuel said. "Everybody is standing in the other stalls." "Hey, you two are standing," Luke chuckled. "That''s good enough to create a serious image. Haha." "Now, seriously," Kai said. "We need at least one more person to walk around. Two recruiters arent enough." "Sure seems like it," Yuel agreed. The entire school was like a war zone right now. "Come join the soccer club!" "Our basketball club went to nationals two years in a row!" "Free cookies over here for anybody who signs up!" It felt like huge armies were fighting for the freshmens attention. Meanwhile, the Classmancers club only deployed two soldiers to the field. No matter how much ground Lars and Vincent cover, they wont be able to win this war. "Wait," Yuel looked around. "Where''s Ben?" "Um," Kai glanced away. "He''s busy with other things." "Like what?" "Well..." Kai left the question hanging for a while. A long while. "I bet he''s helping his pals from another club," Luke said. "What did these guys join, again? I think it was basketball." "Probably," Kai nodded reluctantly. "Basketball again?" Yuel raised an eyebrow. Last time, Ben already excused his absence from club activity with that basketball excuse. Hes at it again? What gives? Hes part of the Mancers club, not the basketball club. Why does he keep hanging around the basketball club? Yuel asked. Thats... Kai started but didnt finish again. Lets just say, Luke leaned back on his chair and took out sunglasses. Its better to not get involved. Are you supposed to be a tourist or something? Yuel made a face. With the cap, sunglass, and that laid back pose, it felt like Luke only came here for sightseeing and getting himself a tan. Seriously, this whole procedure is so lame. Yuel sighed deeply. Everything about today was so unorganized that he wanted to cry. It was miles away from how everything was handled in StormBlitz. Even after the club carefully went over the details on Friday, they still found themselves in this messy situation and had to improvise on the spot. It wasnt entirely their fault, though. Even though they undoubtedly couldve prepared better and agree on the roles ahead of time, the school itself was largely responsible for how messy everything was. Instead of letting the club borrow a proper space in which they could advertise themselves and get applications, this entire procedure became a battle royale. It was a raging sea of people flowing all over the place. Loud shouts. Wild hand motions. People dashing. It was like an active war zone. Yuel will be swallowed whole if he dares to step in there. Gulp. In the middle of this whole chaos, the Classmancers club only had a tiny stall that was composed of just one table. They were like a needle in a haystack. No surprise nobody paid any attention to them. Did people even realize they were recruiting? Come to the Tennis club! We got hot boys! Swimming is the healthiest sport! Come to the swimming club if you want to be fit! Soccer! Come play soccer! Soccer! Compared to these loud advertisements, the Classmancers stall was completely silent. Literally nothing about it drew anybodys attention. It was a total disaster. So? Luke motioned with his chin while lying back on his chair with his sunglasses on. Anybody gonna call people over or what? Thats... Kai pursed her lips. No matter how Yuel looked at her, she definitely wasnt the type to raise her voice and shout out loud. And, Yuel wasnt the type either. How about you do it? Yuel asked. Me? Luke pointed at himself. Alrighty, I guess I could. How much ya gonna pay me for it, though? Let see, Yuel rolled his eyes. How about I dont nag you regrading your meme picks? For each person you bring in, thats one day free of nagging. You know what? You got yourself a deal, Luke gave a thumbs up and stood up. CLASSMANCERS CLUB! Do you wanna play a video game during club activities? Then come to the Classmancers club! Wha, Yuel frowned. Lukes volume was high enough to make some heads turn but whats with these terrible lines!? Advertising the Classmancers club as some lazy gaming club was the last thing the club needed! You know were searching strictly for competitive players, right? Yuel asked. Welp, you aint gonna get any competitive players if you got no players at all. ... I suppose thats true, Yuel had to concede. Even though this was terrible marketing, at least it got the attention of some people. A few students came to the stall to hear more. Whats that Class thing? Is this really a video gaming club? Unfortunately, it mostly attracted the wrong kind of crowd. No offense to any of these students, but they werent the target audience. Yuel would gladly convert each and every one of them into a high-level Classmancer player but that was impossible with the clubs strict limit. Yes, this is a club for the game Classmancers, Kai confronted the crowd. But, we only search for competitive players who already know how to play. Eeeeh? Thats a bummer. Hey, I think I heard of the game before. Does that count? Well, I havent played this one but Im Gold in League of the Ancients. So, Im kinda a pro. Does that count? The freshmen raided the stall with their curiosity. No, no, and no, Kai shot down each and every one of them. We can only accept experienced players. If you want to complain to anybody, complain to the school for its strict rules. Meh, thats dumb. Lets go. You have no idea what you guys are missing. Im totally a pro player. LotA is way better than that crap anyway. One by one, the students left and the crowd thinned out. Only three candidates remained to sign up. They actually had some experience under their belt so they were relevant. One was a Lv.43 player, another was Silver III and the last was a rather impressive Gold V. Thats twelve days free of nagging for me, Luke reminded. He was serious about that part? Yuel smiled wryly. But, only three people registered. Hey, I didnt say anything about how many register. I brought in twelve, so I get twelve days of peace. Heh, fair enough, Yuel produced a dry laugh. It was amazing somebody actually put in the work just for the sake of not getting nagged by Yuel. Perhaps he should exploit this kind of deal more often. At any rate, even with Luke doing a loud advertisement, they failed to attract a large crowd. Were they really going to recruit anybody at this rate? Not to mention, not a single girl has applied so far... Vol.7 Ch.14: No Female Candidates So, we really gonna play a video game for club activity? That sounds fun as heck! The best club! That was the mentality of most candidates who came to apply for the Classmancers club. ....... Kai was dead silent. She handed out the registration forms like a robot and didnt utter a single word the whole time. Something wrong? Yuel asked. ........ She glanced at him, then returned to the registration forms. No, nothing. She sighed. Yeah, sure. Nothing. Yuel rolled his eyes. Youre disappointed that this is all we got? I admit its pretty weak. Back in StormBlitz, we held a big entrance exam and lots of people attended. Thats not the issue, Kai said. Did you notice how many girls applied so far? I believe there werent any. Exactly. Not a single one. Nada. We got like ten applications but not a single one of them was a female. I see, Yuel didnt know what to say. Kais prophecy seemed to be on point: very few girls at this age had any interest in Classmancers. However, it was too early to draw any statistics from just one sample. Even if boys were more interested in the club on average, surely some girl will eventually show up as long as they continue drawing peoples attention. But... Do I really want to find such a girl? Yuel wondered. As far as he was concerned, picking the most capable candidates was the entire purpose of going through such a selection process. So, prioritizing a players gender over their skill went against that belief. But, at the same time, he wanted some girls to apply to dismiss Kais statement. He wanted to prove that enough girls had an interest in the game. But, why? It had nothing to do with him. He shouldnt have cared in the slightest. And yet... Why do I keep thinking about Julia? Yuel knotted his brows. Somehow, every time this topic came up, his mind couldn''t help but wander back to Julia. According to Lars, some of his classmates in grade school didn''t like playing Classmancers with Julia because she was a girl. That undoubtedly stifled her ability to improve at the game. After all, without a supporting group to play with, it was difficult to improve or even get motivated enough to play. Even Yuel started off by playing with some of his classmates, though that story didn''t go so well... Anyway, having other people to play with was incredibly important when starting out, especially in a team-based game like a MOBA. It was a thousand times harder to be invested in the game when you didn''t have any teammates to share your good and bad times with. And, Julia didn''t have that privilege at first. She only had Lars, who agreed to play with her unlike the rest of the boys. But, Lars wasnt exactly the sharpest tool in the shed so he couldnt give Julia much advice on how to improve. So, it came as no surprise that Julias skill was so unpolished when Yuel met her. Back then, Yuel thought she was a terrible player who had no idea what she was doing. But, given the kind of stifling environment she played in, it only made sense she struggled to develop as a player. If Kai''s theory was correct, there were many girls like Julia who couldn''t get into Classmancers due to the similar gatekeeping. And, most of them weren''t lucky enough to meet a nice goof like Lars or a knowledgeable coach like Yuel. So, these girls never got, and might never get, into Classmancers even though they could''ve really enjoyed the game and even reached a high level at it. That was unfortunate. Still, it''s not my business. It really isn''t. Yuel tried to convince himself. But, the thoughts kept creeping back to his mind. Even though it was ineffective and illogical, a part of him wanted a girl to join the club so she could flourish in a proper competitive environment. Or. at least, as "competitive" as one could call a tiny club that was tucked away in the basement. "Maybe we need to do some advertising thats aimed specifically at girls..." Yuel mumbled without thinking. Oops! He really didnt want to step into this conversation but he did anyway. Darn it... "Like what?" Kai asked. "I''m not really sure," Yuel said. "Well," Luke started. "For starters, it''d sure help if we had an actual girl here to advertise the club." "What''s that supposed mean?" Kai gave him a look. "I mean, look at how ya dressed. Jeans, a T-shirt, and a cap. Anybody would mistake ya for a boy from afar." "Yeah, most likely," Kai nodded, probably missing the point. "So, ya think this kind of presentation gonna draw any girls? They gonna see a bunch of ''guys'' here and hard pass on the whole thing." "I''d like to think that those who are serious about the game will come over here regardless." "I think you''re overestimating grade-schoolers," Luke shrugged. "I knew a bunch of guys who played Classmancers with me on a decent level back in grade school. But, during summer break, we didn''t get to play much and almost everybody moved on to play the latest trending games like Forknite. Actually, I kinda joined them too. I only stayed loyal to Classmancers because Ive gathered so much juicy memeing material that itd be sad to throw it all away." "So," Kai crossed her arms. "You''re saying there might be girls out there who used to play but lost interest by now because of whatever." "Yep, both boys and gals. It be like that sometimes. Mancers is a tough game for grade-schoolers so these dudes need every little bit of motivation ya can give them." "You got any specific ideas?" "Welp, it''s too late now but you should''ve dressed in something cuter." "Cuter?" Kai raised an eyebrow. The guy got balls. Yuel gulped. This didn''t sound like a conversation that was about to go well... "Yeah, cuter," Luke said. "Could''ve worn a skirt or something to give some girly presence in here. I bet it''d even draw some boys in, huehue." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "W-Wha," Kai trembled. "There''s no way I''d wear something like that! I''m not here to sell myself." "Well, too bad," Luke shrugged. "You could''ve drawn some customers for sure." "I''m not a poster girl, you know." They somehow into a lengthy argument over that point. Yuel had to think of something fast before this negative atmosphere drew away the few people who bothered to apply. "How about we just emphasize that part?" Yuel suggested. "We''ll advertise that both genders are welcome. Could you please do that, Luke?" "You want me to yell stuff again?" Luke sighed but stood up anyway. "Alright, I''ll be your marketing guy for today. But, remember: each freshman I bring in equals one day without yo nagging." "Right, right" Yuel nodded. I suggested this deal on a whim but it might become an issue if I can''t criticize Luke''s memes for too long. Scrimmages will begin in two months, so I need him to be ready to play seriously by then. Well, Ill figure something out. Hopefully. "CLASSMANCERS CLUB! Luke shouted. Boys and girls! Ladies and gentlemen! Everybody, come play this awesome video game that''s way better than Forknite!" Again, the shoutout attracted a crowd. However, this time, there were only five students and only two of them had sufficient experience to be relevant. And, again, there wasn''t a single girl among them. Luke shouted again and again in different variations but it was to no avail. Not a single girl ever showed any interest in their stall. "Can I get a new flyer?" A boy asked. "I messed up my ID number." He passed a flyer back to Kai but she didn''t accept it. "..................." She just stood there silently, like a robot whose power ran off. "Um, sorry?" The boy waved the flyer in front of Kai''s face. "Oh, right," Kai took the flyer and handed him a new one. Despite her stoic expression, it was easy to see her melancholy. Meanwhile... "Alright!" Luke pumped a fist. "This makes it 30 people. So, that''s 30 days of invincibility! Maybe I can make it all the way to 300 and that''ll cover the entire year!" Seriously? I swear, the lengths some people would go just to not change their playstyle. Yuel shook his head. Still, Luke''s motives aside, there was no denying he was helping them a lot. He drew people in while Yuel and Kai answered everybody''s questions and handled the registration. All in all, they turned out to be a nice team. Alas, despite their hard work, they couldn''t find a single girl for the club. They even went as far as making Luke shout an advertisement that was specifically aimed at girls. "CLASSMANCERS CLUB! Boys and girls, everybody is welcome! We even got one girl on the team!" Somehow, that only seemed to draw more boys than usual. However, still, zero girls. "Let''s take a break," Kai said. She adopted Luke''s technique and snatched a chair from one of the classrooms. It was probably bad to take chairs without permission like that but Yuels knees were crying in pain. He couldnt take this anymore so he became an accomplice and snatched a chair as well. Once everybody sat down, a wave of tiredness descended on Yuel. Everything felt foggy. The skin-torching heat. The ceaseless noises of the busy crowds. His aching knees. And, above everything, of promising applications. Just let me rest like this for the rest of my life. Yuel leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes. Apparently, the others shared his sentiments. They didnt even want to talk about their current progress. "Phew, my throat is dead," Luke gulped down his whole water bottle in one go. What a hard drinker. "Tch!" Kai clicked her tongue while typing furiously on her phone. Apparently, she just missed a note in a rhythm game. How did she even have the strength to do anything right now? Or, maybe she was just trying her hardest to distract herself from reality? Meanwhile, Yuel flipped through the forms they got so far. They got 12 applications, which wasn''t that bad all things considered. In order to save themselves time later, he already sorted the flyers by player rank. The highest rank was Gold III while the worst was an Lv.20 player. The Gold division was perfectly acceptable for a grade-schooler so it seemed promising. If there was anybody in Platinum, that player would be talented for sure and Yuel would prioritize them above anybody. However, that was too much to expect from a grade-schooler. Yuel and Lars only got to Platinum in grade school by grinding a lot together, along with Julia... So, there really wont be any girls applying? Yuel should have felt relieved. No girls meant theyll be able to pick the best players out of the bunch. However, his heart stung. Maybe this time, if a girl joins the club, hell be able to properly... Ah! Yuel jumped. There was something bizarre in the crowd. Long black noodles, floating in mid-air! No, wait. That was just somebodys hair. Long and messy black hair, that nearly hid the entire face. Little black eyes peered through the long bangs. They seemed to be staring at the clubs table. It was a girl! A pale and ghostly one, so much that she almost blended into the environment, but she was definitely there! The skinny hairball fidgeted back and forth as she eyed the table. Did she want to sign up? She definitely did, right!? Hey! Yuel called out in the girls direction and grabbed a flyer. Whats wrong? Kai asked. Theres a girl there who seems interested. Really!? Kai jumped. Where!? There, Yuel pointed toward the girl as he kept moving. Huh? Where? There. You dont see her? Hmmmmm, Kai squinted her eyes. Im not sure who youre referring to. That girl over there, with the black hair. Cant say I see anybody. Me neither, Luke even pulled up his sunglasses. You sure you aint imagining stuff? Huh? Yuel was taken aback. Whats with these reactions? The girl was clearly still there. Over there, the girl with the long black hair. The one that looks a little pale. I dont see anybody like that, Luke shrugged. Pale and long black hair? My guy, are you sure thats not a ghost? A-A ghost? Kai jumped. H-Huh, no way. They dont exist. Is that supposed to be a prank? No, shes really there, Yuel insisted. How came they couldnt see her? Sure, there was a big sea of people walking around and that pale girl was a little difficult to notice at first. However, once Yuel locked down on her, she stood out like a sore thumb with that long black spaghetti hair. Fine, Ill just go to her, Yuel set out with the flyer in hand. Hey, do you want to apply for the club? E-Eh? The girls eyes popped wide. Its like she was shocked by the mere fact somebody could possibly address her. A-Ah, The girl gapped like a fish and slowly retreated deeper into the crowd. Wait, I just- Yuel broke into a run as the spaghetti hair girl vanished in the busy crowd. S-Sorry! Yuel bumped into somebody but he didnt slow down. He swam through the sea of people to find that elusive girl. Where could she possibly go!? She was just there a moment ago! That black hairball should stick out easily even with so many people around. Where? Where did she go!? She might be interested in joining! If she does, Yuel will have a chance to redeem himself for how he treated Julia. This time, hell properly keep in mind that the other person was a girl and will coach her accordingly without getting on her bad side... What am I even thinking? Yuel stopped. It was dumb. That girl wasnt Julia. What happened between them couldnt be repaired anymore. Even if he recruits a girl to the club and properly converts her into a competitive player, so what of it? Whom would that satisfy? Nobody but him. Maybe the others were right and Yuel hallucinated the whole thing. Or, maybe it was a ghost. That pale girl barley looked like a living person. Heh, haha... Yuel produced a dry laugh. He was thinking so hard about recruiting a girl it made him imagine a girl in the crowd. 10/10. Maybe the sun was too strong today and he was in the process of getting sunstroke. It was dumb. All of it. Whatever. Yuel sighed and shook his head. Still, he couldnt help but wonder: did he really imagine that girl? Even with his selfish interests clouding his mind, he was sure he saw a girl eying their table back there. Or, did he? He didnt even know anymore. Well, Ill just leave it here. Yuel found a nearby billboard and pinned the flyer on it. Maybe that spaghetti hair girl will see it here. Heh. Yeah, right. Yuel shook his head and walked off. That girl probably didnt even exist. She was nothing more than a figment of his wishful thinking. Unbeknown to him and without anybody noticing, the flyer he put on the billboard mysteriously disappeared a few seconds later... Vol.7 Ch.15: The Mysterious Candidate The big day of club recruitments was over. On the following day, the Classmancers club gathered in the basement clubroom to go over the applications. Everybody was present, except for Vincent who went to fetch additional applications from the school secretary and Ben who was missing again for whatever reason. Is Ben even really a part of the club? Yuel sighed. At this point, it felt like Ben was a part-time member at best. But, it got tiring to ask the same questions and get the same vague answers every time so whatever. By the time everybody arrived, Kai was already there flipping through the application forms. She carefully went over them over and over but it was futile. She wont find what she was searching for. Yuel knew that because he organized the papers yesterday. "Huh," Kai sighed and slapped the papers on the table. Reality dawned on her: there wasnt a single competent female candidate. Surprisingly, five girls applied for the club. It was a small number but way higher than anybody expected. Alas, their experience with the game ranged from "I don''t know what this is about" and all the way to the pro level of "I heard about it, I think" In other words, completely useless. "Who even let these girls apply?" Kai asked with a frown. She had to blame somebody for raising her hopes like that only to let them crash and burn. "A few gals gave me forms," Lars said. "And, you didn''t tell them we only want experienced players?" "Nah, I said everybody is welcome, haha." "You''re really something..." Kai shook her head. "How did you even get so many girls to sign up anyway?" "I dunno. They just came to me and asked questions and stuff." I think they were hitting on you. Yuel rolled his eyes. It wasnt just Julia, Lars was popular with girls in general. So, there was a good chance all these girls approached him and "signed up" just to start a conversation. They had no real intention of joining and they didn''t care about Classmancers in the slightest. Alas, the goof was too thick-headed to notice any of that. "So," Kai narrowed her eyes. "Why did you let them sign up if they clearly dont know the first thing about Mancers?" "Well, they all looked nice and interested so I thought I''d give them a chance." Yeah, I''m sure. Yuel nodded. They looked interested in YOU, not in Mancers. "Whatever. I bet youre happy now?" Kai handed the stack of papers to Yuel. "Looks like we''re picking our new member based on rank. Youve even already ordered the applications in descending rank order so we know exactly who that is." "Yeah," Yuel nodded and glanced at the top application on the stack. It was the current favorite, the Gold III player. "Gotta say," Kai continued. "Good job sorting the applications. Made it very clear how far at the bottom all the girls were." "That wasnt my intention." "No, it''s fine, really," Kai glanced aside and smiled wryly. "Just goes to show how damn hard it is to find any decent female players our age. It''s a good wake-up call. I really gotta stop dreaming about the impossible." "There''s still the applications Vincent will bring," Yuel tried to console. "You really expect to see anything different there?" "Who knows," Yuel dodged the question. In truth, he didn''t expect anything. If even Lars, the girl magnet, could only draw get girls of this caliber, there was little hope. This should''ve made Yuel rejoice. After all, it meant they''ll pick the most promising candidate for the club and thatll reinforce the club''s skill level the most. And yet, it was unfortunate. A part of him wished that the most competent player to apply was a girl. Or, at least, that one of the girls who applied was competent enough to compete with a Gold III. That would have worked out the best for both him and Kai. A few minutes later, Vincent came in with more application forms he collected from the school secretary. "Let me look," Kai snatched the papers right away and flipped through them one by one. Then, she slammed the papers on the table and walked away with her arms crossed. It wasn''t hard to guess why. Male. Male. Male. Male. Male. Yuel flipped through the papers and that''s all he saw. About what I expected. He put the papers down. There wasn''t even anybody in Gold rank so none of these applicants added anything of note to the selection process. "Sorry," Vincent apologized to Kai. "That''s all they had. Even with my Information Blackhole, I was unable to draw in any additional applications. I shall commit seppuku to repent!" "Its not like it''s your fault," Kai shrugged. "That''s just the reality of things. I should''ve itll turn out like this." So, this whole gender selection thing is over. Yuel glanced at the basement''s door. No matter how much he stared at it, nobody was going to come and bring a new stack of applications. It was over. No competent girls ever applied so the highest rank player will be selected... wait. Is it just me or there''s somebody at the door? Yuel narrowed his eyes. He could swear he saw somebody peeking into the room from outside. "Somebody there?" Yuel asked as he approached the door. "...!" Something jumped near the door. There was somebody there after all! It looked like a big black hairball but it was actually a human. Didnt I see it somewhere before? Yuel could swear he saw that long messy spaghetti hair before but he couldnt recall the specifics. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "You came here to apply?" Yuel asked as he drew closer to the door. However, that only made the spaghetti hairball retreat. "Wait!" Yuel instinctively broke into a run and the black critter did the same. "Gone..." Yuel looked around but there was no trace of the wild creature he just saw. Was he hallucinating? Thinking of it, something like that happened yesterday... Right! It must be that girl from yesterday! Yuel smacked his forehead. How could I forget? It was such a bizarre experience, too. It was the same girl he saw in the crowd yesterday and failed to catch. Did she perhaps come to try applying again? Shoot, I scared her away. Yuel pursed his lips. This was bad. Kai will definitely blame him for scaring off potential female candidates. "Dude," Lars called out. "Whatcha doing over there?" "Well," Yuel glanced nervously at Kai. "I thought there was somebody who came to apply..." "Did you start hallucinating candidates?" Kai asked. "Poor guy," Luke chuckled. "I bet he saw a young version of Maker, the legend himself, coming to apply, haha." "That''s quite the ability," Vincent nodded. "I shall dub it the Mystic Eyes of Candidate Perception!" What''s with these reactions? Yuel shuddered. It was like only he saw that black hairball spying on them. Thinking of it, he experienced something similar yesterday too. For some reason, only he saw that girl in the crowd. Frankly, it was getting rather unsettling. Brrr. Just as he was about to write off this entire incident, he noticed a piece of paper on the floor. Did it belong to that spaghetti hair? Upon closer inspection, it was one of the flyers Vincent printed. Wait, could it be...!? That girl''s application form!? Yuel dashed like a madman and grabbed the paper. It was indeed an application form! Gender: Female Rank: Platinum V "Y-You gotta be kidding me..." Yuel stuttered. He rubbed his eyes but the form didn''t vanish and its contents didn''t change. It was the real deal! A girl applied and she was competent enough to rival Platinum league! "If I was just hallucinating, then explain this," Yuel smirked on his way back into the clubroom. "What is it?" Kai took the flyer. Her expectations have been betrayed far too many times by now that she didnt expect to see anything of note. However, the contents of this flyer almost made her eyeballs pop out of their sockets! Wha!? Kai dashed toward the door and frantically checked the surrounding area. Alas, the mysterious spaghetti hair girl was gone for. There was really somebody here? Its not your idea of a prank or something, right? Why would I bother, Yuel said. Besides, well know for sure once we check her account. Right! Lets do it! Kai took out her tablet and entered the player ID from the paper. Oh, theres a result! Kais jumped. Never saw her express so much emotion before. Yuel smiled wryly. Though, admittedly, he was mad curious too. Kai searched the player ID from the application form and found a user who went by BlackFlower. Unfortunately, some of the accounts profile info was set to private so they couldnt see everything about BlackFlower. For example, it was impossible to see her match history. However, they could still find out the important parts. BlackFlower was Lv.62, so she was qualified for Ranked. However, as for the actual rank... Qualifying Huh? Kai cocked her head. Does that mean she hasnt finished the qualifier? So it seems, Yuel frowned. When a player entered Ranked for the first time, they had to play ten qualifier matches to help the system estimate their skill level. Based on these ten matches, the players initial rank would be anywhere between Bronze V and Gold V. Back when Yuel and Lars started out, they were assigned Silver II and Gold V respectively. The system forbade players from doing the qualifier in parties, so each of them had to pull through on their own. Lars had an easy time carrying games with his skill but Yuel had to rely more on his teammates and that cost him games. The only matches that went well for him were the ones where he carried as Top. It wasnt exactly a pleasant experience but it was behind them now. However, it wasnt behind BlackFlower. She was still stuck in the middle of the qualifier process. So, her Platinum rank is a sham, Yuel concluded. Thats... Kai bit her lip and kept scrolling through BlackFlowers profile. Wait, she IS Platinum! In Duel. And she wrote that as her rank? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Seriously? Thinking of it, Vincent said. We didnt actually specify were asking for the rank of the MOBA mode. Oh, I remember that stuff! Lars nodded. I also wanted to write Im Diamond when I was applying to StormBlitz. It was my Duel rank. Right, Yuel recalled that silly exchange. I had to stop you back then. Yep, haha. So, Luke started. Whatcha gonna make out of this? Duel rank doesnt really say much but its something, I guess. Platinum in Duel is decent for a freshman, Kai argued. I was around Platinum III in Duel when I joined. Besides, we already agreed were going to pick a female if shes at least Lv.30. We agreed to test a female who is at least Lv.30, Yuel corrected. But, I agree. Platinum in Duel shows at least some promise. With that said, the Qualifying status didnt sit right with him. BlackFlower was already Lv.62. In other words, she hit Lv.50 a while ago and had enough time to climb all the way to Platinum V in Duel. And yet, she hasnt finished the qualifier for the MOBA mode during all this time. Why? Can you check her play rate in each mode? Yuel asked. Lets see, Kai switched tabs. Its... Err... BlackFlower was sporting an impressive 92% play rate in Duel. In other words, she has been exclusively playing Duel. The rest was split among the games other modes and only 4% was on the main MOBA mode. Needless to say, this was concerning. So, Yuel concluded. She got to Lv.62 almost entirely by playing Duel. So it seems... Kai clearly wanted to refute that but it was the cold truth. The game awarded player exp regardless of which mode the player played so it was possible to get to Lv.62 by just playing Duel all the time. Apparently, thats how BlackFlower did it. Its like she has been playing a completely different game, Yue said. But, that doesnt mean shell be bad in the MOBA mode, Kai argued. I never said that. I still think we should call her over and test how well she plays. Agreed, Kai nodded. Ill catch her tomorrow during lunch break. Catch her? Vincent chuckled. You make her sound like a rare Pokemon. Shes a shiny legendary, Kai chuckled. Good job spotting her, Yuel. You guys really didnt see her? Yuel asked. No, Kai shook her head. I havent seen anybody. Yep, me neither, Lars said. Nope, Luke shrugged. Kukuku, Vincent cackled. Actually, I believe my Information Blackhole picked something up back then! But, the signal was so faint I wasnt sure whether I should bring it up. In other words, Yuel said. You didnt see squat. ... no, I didnt, Vincent admitted. It was so weird. There were five people in this room, so how came Yuel was the only one who saw that spaghetti hair girl? It was a mystery. Either way, it was decided: theyll call the girl over and test her mettle. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding this candidate, but theyll learn her worth for sure tomorrow. With that out of the way, the club spent a couple of hours grinding Ranked and adjourned for the day. Vol.7 Ch.16: Tracking Down the Elusive Candidate The club agreed to test out the elusive girl who went by BlackFlower. She was the only real female player to apply for the club. In fact, she was even Platinum V! But, that was in Duel. Meanwhile, in the MOBA mode, she was still in the qualifier. So, what was her actual skill level? The club will have to test her thoroughly. According to the application, the girl''s name was Nia and she was in class 1-B. On the following day, Kai went to 1-B during lunch break. "Why are you tagging along?" Kai asked. "Just think of me as your advisor," Vincent said. "Im just here to make sure you don''t scare anybody off." "Huh? Why would I?" "Let''s just say you can be pretty direct sometimes. Too direct, in fact," Vincent smiled meaningfully. "Remember the guys you chased away last year when the club was recruiting? Poor fellows. All they did was ask you a couple of questions." "That''s cause their questions were dumb," Kai crossed her arms. "How can somebody play Mancers seriously and not know where to find their player ID? Them clowns. No wonder none of them passed." "Whew, ruthless," Vincent whistled. "You see? That''s why you need somebody who is all smiles and sunshine to tag along. That''ll make you look less intimidating. You can think of me as your standup partner. Together, we''re the Two Senior Mancers!" "Whatever," Kai shrugged. "Just make sure you don''t get in the way. I don''t want to hear any of your usual nonsense. You know these things rub people the wrong way." "Understood. I shall seal away my powers as the Arbiter of Talents and close my Information Blackhole until the right moment arrives!" "There won''t be such a moment." Eventually, they reached class 1-B. Alas, they had no idea how Nia looked because Yuel was the only one who ever saw this elusive girl. So, they had to ask around. "Hm? Nia? Was there somebody like that in our class?" "Oh, isn''t that the black-haired girl? Sorry, don''t know much about her." "Hmm, I don''t see her. Maybe she went to the cafeteria." Their first attempt ended in failure. Apparently, Nia wasn''t in the classroom. Kai and Vincent arrived here as soon as launch break began, yet they still somehow missed their target. What an elusive girl this Nia was. "Why didnt she fill in her phone number?" Kai sighed and put away the application form. They only knew Nias name and classroom, nothing else. The phone number field was left blank so the only way to contact this phantom girl was by catching her in person. "So, we do a stakeout?" Vincent asked. "What else can we do?" Kai took out a sandwich and began eating in front of the classroom. "Somebody sure came prepared, Vincent commented. "I figured that may happen. What, you didn''t bring your food?" "Nope," Vincent scratched his head. "But, its quite alright! I shall sacrifice my lunch break for the sake of summoning the ever-elusive BlackFlower! Only by starving myself for half an hour while everybody else feasts on their lunches, I can summon the dark energy required for manifesting BlackFlower!" "If you''re that hungry, just go bring it." "Nay! I shall overcome this ordeal given to me by the ancient gods!" "Whatever you say," Kai shrugged and took another bite off her sandwich. Grrr. Vincent squinted his eyes. As hard as he tried, he couldn''t unglue his eyes from Kai''s sandwich. However, he''ll bear through this torture! By making a sacrifice to the evil gods, he shall summon for the blackest flower of them all! Hell be able to see the phantom girl which only the chosen ones could lay their eyes on! Fifteen minutes later, Vincent was still suffering. They questioned every girl who passed by the classroom but none of them was their target. GROOOOOWL. Vincent rubbed his aching stomach. Kukuku, as expected from my Perfect Clockwork Body. Vincent forced a smile. His body knew exactly when to alert him about lunchtime being overdue. He was like a natural walking clock! But, he wont be able to bear this much longer... "Wouldn''t it be funny if she''s not at school today?" Vincent said. "It''s weird," Kai crossed her arms. "We cant even confirm whether she''s supposed to be here today. It''s like nobody knows her." "Maybe she''s actually a ghost." "T-There''s no way. Ghosts can''t fill in a registration form." "One should never underestimate the power of ghosts! Say, if she belongs to the Portelgiest family, she could manipulate the objects around her. So, she could''ve have moved a pen to scribble on the paper." "Sure, sure," Kai rolled her eyes. "Damn, if only we knew how she looks like." "Welp, there''s one person who claims he saw her," Vincent took out his phone. "Let''s call Yuel to help us out here." "Good idea." Kukuku. I finally got you, K! You have fallen for my elaborate plan! Vincent snickered. With Yuel here, we''ll pinpoint our target right away and wrap this mission up before lunch break ends! That way, I''ll have enough time to enjoy my lunch! All according to keikaku. Yuel arrived a few minutes later. "Can you tell if she''s in here?" Kai asked. "Use your Mystic Eyes of Phantom Perception to unmask this ghost for us!" "Let''s see," Yuel peered into the classroom. Frankly, his memory of the girl was a little hazy. He only saw her twice and it always in a hurry. However, he did remember a couple of key details, such as her messy black hair. So, he concentrated on finding a girl with long spaghetti hair. At first glance, there was nobody like that in the classroom. But, this girl was always needlessly difficult to spot for some reason. So, Yuel walked around the classroom and carefully examined every nook and cranny. Eventually, he found it. Tucked away at the corner of the room, hidden behind waves of students, there was a table. Behind it, the familiar sight of a long and messy black hair. "There she is!" Yuel almost broke into a run. It felt like the girl might vanish at any moment if he doesnt hurry. The seniors followed right behind him. "Oh, she really got messy black hair," Kai tilted her head. "Can''t believe we missed her." "Indeed, what a mystery," Vincent frowned. "To think that a mere human could possibly escape the pull of my Information Blackhole. Nay, impossible! This is further proof this girl is no human! She''s a ghost!" "Pipe down already," Kai stepped in front of the group. This was her chance to make a good first impression the girl; she couldnt let Vincent''s nonsense ruin this important moment. .......... The girl didnt budge. Even though Kai was standing right in front of the table, Nia didn''t even raise her head. She was completely absorbed in her smartphone. Her fingers danced on the touchscreen at blinding speed. "Oh, we found Shining Finger!" Vincent whispered a tad too loudly in Yuels direction. A few students threw funny looks at them. I don''t know this guy. Yuel averted his eyes and maintained a poker face. Excuse me? Kai called out. ............ Hey. .......... Nia? Hm? The spaghetti hair finally moved. Nia unglued her eyes from her phone and slowly raised her head. Eh? She looked at the three pairs of eyes locked down on her. Eh? Me? Yeah, you, Kai said. I wanna talk about your application to the Classmancers club. Eh? Ah, thats, um... Nia froze like a statue. So, you got that... Yeah, we did, Kai nodded. We checked your profile and you look promising, so wed like to- You looked into my profile!? Nia jumped. Oh, no! I knew I shouldnt have written that! I better change my password and everything. She returned to her phone and began tapping at lightning speed. Huh? Kai raised an eyebrow. Nobody can get your password just by looking at your profile. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. You never know. The internet is a scary place. Hackers everywhere. I dont think thats how it works... It sure as hell doesnt. Yuel made a face. How did she even arrive at that conclusion? That explains why her account had increased privacy settings. Anyway, about the club, Kai tried to wheel the conversation back on topic. Yes? Nia glanced at Kai while keeping her fingers on the touchscreen. We consider recruiting you but wed like to see how you play first. Can you drop by at the club after school? Hmm. Ok. Nia gave a weak answer. You know where the clubroom is, right? Is that basement place your clubroom? Yeah. Unfortunately, it is. So, a basement clubroom? Weird. Tell me about it, Kai sighed deeply. But, dont worry. The place is alright. Youll get used to it. But, Im not a member yet. Oh, right, Kai smiled awkwardly. Anyway, make sure to come. How? Nia examined the trio. How did you find me? Huh? Kai raised an eyebrow. You left your name and class when you registered. I know, but... Nia fell silent for a moment. Nevermind. Speaking of which, you forgot to fill in your phone number. I didnt forget, Nia claimed. Then, why is it blank? Because I didnt fill it. What, on purpose? On purpose, Nia nodded. If you give your number to an organization, youll start getting spam messages. Huh, organization, you say... Kai forced an awkward smile. And, Nia continued. People might hack your phone. Again, thats not how these things work. Yuel sighed. This girl is... peculiar, to say the least. Anyway, Kai returned to the topic. Do you mind giving me your phone number? Itll make things so much easier for both of us. Only if you give me your phone number too, Nia said with suspecting eyes. Its as if they were about to exchange war prisoners. Sure, Kai exchanged phone numbers with Nia. Alright, see you after school. The trio left on that note. Interesting girl, Vincent said. Interesting is definitely one way to describe her, Yuel nodded. Though, Id personally go with peculiar. Theres one thing I still dont get, though, Vincent crossed his arms. How come Kai and I didnt spot her earlier? Well, the classroom was quite packed, Kai said. Besides, she was literally tucked away at the very corner there. True, but Yuel gave us a rather accurate description of her, Vincent insisted. He said a girl with long and messy black hair and, indeed, we found a girl with long and messy black hair. She shouldve stuck out like a sore thumb. Yet, we couldnt find her until Yuel came here. Well, Kai shrugged. I guess we dont have a future as detectives. No kidding. So, you decided how well test her? Yuel asked. Naturally, he already had some ideas in mind but he decided to let the captain have her say first. Lets start with 1v1 matches, Kai said. Thats where Nia should be most comfortable Im fine with that, Yuel said. But, well have to eventually test her in 5v5 as well. Yeah but lets go one step at a time, okay? First, a 1v1. I see somebody is being really cautious, Vincent smiled meaningfully. Afraid of scaring away the shiny Pokemon? Something like that, Kai said. As for Nias opponent, Ill do it. Not sure I agree with that, Yuel objected. I have a feeling you might go too easy on her to make her look better, even if unintentionally. For sure, Vincent tuned in. Kai always goes easy on female players. She is the Softhearted Amazon! Whos softhearted? Kai shot him a look. But, alright, fair enough. I might end up going a little too easy on her by accident. So, who do you suggest instead? Anybody would do, Yuel said. Personally, Id like to see how well she fares against Lars. Whoa! Vincent exclaimed. Throwing her to the lions den right off the bat!? Shell be slaughtered by the Beast of the Apocalypse! Yeah, thats definitely not happening, Kai waved her hand. How about you play her? Honestly, Im not well-versed in 1v1, Yuel admitted. I read a few Duel guides yesterday to catch up to the current meta but I dont have enough experience to properly test somebody on it. Then, Kai turned to Vincent. How about you do it? Little ol me? Vincent pointed at himself. Cant say Im exactly a pro in Duel. Im only Gold II. Thats higher than me, Yuel said. Yeah, I know, but... Wait, you know my Duel rank? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Hmhmhm, Vincent smirked. Of course I do! Never underestimate the knowledge of my Information Blackhole! It absorbs all and everything! So, what rank am I? Gold IV. Correct... Yuel felt like he was stalked. This guy likes keeping tabs on everybody, huh. Anyway, Kai cut in. Youre almost the same rank as Nia so itll do. Welp, Vincent shrugged. I suppose I shall do it then. The Arbiter of Talents shall pass judgment on this fresh meat! After school, the clubmates gathered in the clubroom. Per usual, Ben was the only one missing. Shes late, Kai tapped her foot. Maybe Kai wasnt persuasive enough when she talked to Nia? Thinking back on it, Kai was extremely straight to the point and didnt do anything to make the club sound more appealing. Maybe she shouldve tried hype it up some more, the way Vincent does with everything. This is SO not my thing, though. What are we waiting for? Yuel asked. For the star of the show, obviously, Vincent said. Yeah, we cant start without Nia, Kai nodded. But, shes already here, Yuel pointed toward the door. Huh? Kai raised an eyebrow. No she isnt... wha!? Nia was indeed there, with her smartphone in hand and her fingers busy. She was standing behind the wall so only half her frame was visible but it was clearly possible to see her. Yet, somehow, both Kai and Vincent failed to spot her until Yuel pointed at her. Unbelievable! Vincent staggered backward dramatically. Shes really here! The ever-elusive phantom girl! Shes been standing there for a while now, Yuel pointed out. I was busy settings things up so I thought one of you would call her over. But, you never did. Really? Lars wiped his eyes. I didn''t notice either, dude. I think I literally passed by her and didnt see her, Luke testified. Maybe shes really a ghost? Hey, thats rude Kai was quick to defend. Its ok, Nia mumbled as she entered the room. Im used to it. Huh? Used? Kai asked. Everybody says I got weak presence, Nia put down her phone and stared at Yuel. But, you saw me. How? Well, Yuel started. Id like to think that seeing a person who literally stands in front of you is kinda basic. Nay, nay, nay! Vincent exclaimed. Clearly, its because hes the successor of the Mystic Eyes of Phantom Perception! It allows him to see that which cant be perceived with the naked eye! How many different Mystic Eyes can one person even have? Yuel rolled his eyes. Anyway, Kai turned to Nia. Youre here, so lets start. Youre good at Duel, right? Yeah, I can Duel, Nia nodded. Alright, so lets start with that. Youll play Duel against one of us so we can gauge your skill. As agreed, Vincent will be Nias opponent. He was one of the most neutral testers here and he seemed to know Duel a little better than Yuel. On top of that, it should be easier for Yuel to analyze Nia from outside the match rather than doing so during the heat of battle. "As the Arbiter of Talents," Vincent stretched his arms dramatically. "I shall be the one to pass judgment on you today!" "Um, ok..." Nia backed away a little. "Pipe it down," Kai smacked Vincent''s shoulder. "You''re scaring her." "Haha, my bad," Vincent flashed a smile toward Nia. "Don''t worry, it wont be anything difficult. Just play a normal 1v1 against me and show me what you got." "Hm," Nia nodded weakly in response. "Do you prefer to play on tablet or PC?" Vincent asked as he pointed toward the two PCs in the room. "Hm..." Nia stared at the two PCs for a moment, then glanced at everybody else in the room and then examined the rest of the room. "Tablet." "Oh, really?" Vincent echoed the question Yuel his mind. "Alrighty then, I''ll play on tablet too to keep it fair." "Wait," Yuel cut in. "PC is the platform we''ll be playing on at tournaments so it''s best to test her on it. I don''t see a reason to not do it. We got exactly two PCs to spare." He gave Nia a long questioning look. "Um, but..." Nia averted her eyes. "Give her a break," Kai said. "I also like playing on tablet more because I like controllers, so there you have it. If she can play well on tablet, Im sure that experience will translate to PC as well; no need to worry. " "Fine," Yuel wasn''t entirely convinced but he let it slide. Kai was extremely protective of Nia so he didn''t feel like starting a fight. As far as he could tell, there wasn''t a single good reason to not play on PC during the exam so it was alarming. It''ll be bad if turned out Nia was skilled with a controller but struggled with a keyboard. "Alrighty," Vincent said. "And so, it begins! The fateful match! Information Blackhole vs. Black Flower!" "Would you drop that shit already?" Kai jabbed. "You''re just making everybody uncomfortable." "Oh," Vincent realized that Nia has already backed away all the way to exit. "My bad, my bad. It''s just a friendly test match, that''s all. Really." "........" Nia still had some suspicion in her stare but she slowly returned to the clubroom with cautious steps. "Set up your tablet wherever you want," Kai said. "Hm." Nia nodded and walked further into the room. In fact, she walked so far she literally reached the corner of the basement. It was half a room away from everybody else, a tiny isolated spot suited from hiding. "Not sure I''d recommend that spot," Vincent said. "The wifi down here is rather whimsical so it might not reach over there at all." "We just have to keep the door wide open," Kai moved the metallic door. "Do you get any reception over there?" "I think it''s okay," Nia nodded weakly. "Yeah, it seems fine," Yuel confirmed by looking over Nias shoulder. "E-Eh!?" Nia jumped. "Ah, um..." "What?" "Um, why are you here?" "What do you mean? I need to see how you play," Yuel answered plainly. "Um, but..." Nia shifted her eyes from side to side. Her entire body stiffened like a statue. "You can watch from over there," Kai dragged Yuel away. "It''s a 1v1, so you can pretty much tell everything she does from Vincent''s screen." "I suppose. But, it''s easier to watch everything from her perspective." "Just give her some space, will you?" Kai lowered her tone. "She looks nervous enough." "Fine," Yuel obediently retreated. He will be able to watch the replay later anyway, so it wasn''t neccessary for him to breathe down on Nia''s neck while she was already nervous about the exam. We''re such nice examiners. Yuel smiled wryly as he recalled his experience with StormBlitzs entrance exam. Back then, Aron pressured Yuel by asking to justify every single move Yuel made. It was already stressful enough to play alongside seniors and Aron applied further pressure on top of that with all his difficult questions. Ugh. Maybe its really better if I maintain some distance. Yuel concluded. He could see himself asking Nia all sorts of questions and distracting her. The girl already looked so pale like she could faint at any moment. She definitely didnt need any more pressure on her. Once Nia and Vincent took their seats, the entrance exam was about to begin. What kind of show will this Platinum rank duelist put on? Vol.7 Ch.17: Duel Exam Nias entrance exam was about to begin. Vincent created a 1v1 lobby and Nia joined in. Since Nia seemed to be uncomfortable with people around her, everybody gave her space and huddled behind Vincent to watch the game unfold. "With so many eyes on my monitor, I feel like I''m the one being tested here," Vincent said. I can feel the nerves kicking in. "No need to worry," Kai said. "Go ahead and perform horribly. That''ll make Nia look good." "And, you''d be satisfied with that kind of result?" "Of course not," Kai said. "But, maybe thatll at least calm her down a little. I mean, look at her." "Yeah..." Yuel didn''t even know what to say. Nia curled into a ball on top of the chair as if she wanted to become a hairball. Was she that nervous? Or, was it some sort of ritual before the match? And, why did she put her legs on the chair like? Also, how come her parents never bothered to take care of her messy spaghetti hair? So many mysteries. In a proper Ranked Duel, each player was allowed to ban three classes, similar to the first round of banning in Ranked MOBA. However, to make life easier, Kai convinced everybody to let Nia skip this part for the exam. Unfortunate, but oh well. Yuel shook his head. There was a lot of information to be extracted from how one handled the drafting phase but knowing how to draft was way more advanced than just knowing how to play. Lars was the definitive example of that. That goof had zero drafting ability but insane in-game skill. One of those cases when a book couldnt be judged by its cover. With no banning phase, each player was allowed to pick any class they wanted. Alrighty, what do I go for? Vincent stroked his chin. I like me some Viking in Duel, but I feel that might be too aggressive for a test. The girl already looks nervous enough. I don''t want to bully her. In the end, Vincent went for Knight, the solid all-rounder. It should be good enough to pose a challenge for properly testing Nia''s mettle without making her sweat bullets. Meanwhile, Nia picked Rogue. "Rogue, huh," Yuel wore a difficult expression. "Hey," Luke exclaimed. "Before you start trash-talking my boi Rogue again, just so you know: it''s not a meme in 1v1." "Yeah," Kai tuned in. "I wouldn''t call it ''high tier'' but it''s definitely up there in Duel." "I didn''t even say anything yet," Yuel made a face. Though, admittedly, thoughts like that did cross his mind at first. "I''m more surprised it''s an assassin pick. They''re not easy in 1v1." "That''s true," Kai frowned and crossed her arms. "I hope Nia knows what she''s doing. What are her most played classes?" "Nobody knows," Yuel said. "She set most of her info to private." "Oh, right," Kai sighed. "So," Vincent started. "Knight is considered a tough matchup for Rogue, right?" "Id say so," Luke was the first to answer. He probably considered himself the No.1 Rogue expert in the group. "Assassin vs. Bruiser is always rough. Like, when you''re an assassin and can''t kill your target fast, then WTF you''re even supposed to do there, amirite?" "Maybe we should ask if she wants to change classes," Kai suggested. "She must have picked Rogue because she''s confident in it," Yuel argued. "A big part of being good in Duel is being able to adapt to any type of opponent. If she says nothing about this matchup, then I say we let her play. Worst case, if she loses because of the bad matchup, we''ll take that into consideration." "Fair enough," Kai agreed but she was tapping her foot rapidly. Somebody was clearly nervous about the whole thing. Frankly, even Yuel thought the odds weren''t in Nia''s favor. In the few Ranked Duels he played, he always picked a bruiser and felt his easiest matchups were assassins. He didn''t win every such matchup but his win ratio against them was definitely higher than against other roles. Assassins were usually solid counters to marksmen and mages and those. in turn, countered bruisers. It was a rock-paper-scissors relationship and sometimes victory was decided all the way back on the selection screen. However, an advantage was nothing more than just that, an advantage. It didn''t dictate the entire outcome of the match. The players who were truly good at 1v1 were expected to adapt and handle their bad matchups smartly. Yuel didnt invest enough time into Duel to reach that level but Nia has been primarily a 1v1 player according to her stats. Therefore, she had to be able to handle an assassin vs. bruiser matchup. Otherwise, itd put her adaptation skills into question. Knight? What a pain. Nia pouted. Drat, theyre doing it on purpose. They mustve found out I play assassins and picked a bruiser to bully me. Didnt I leave my stats on private? They must have hacked my account somehow! The internet is truly a scary place. Maybe I should just slip away? Nia eyed the door. I bet they wont even notice. Ill just go outside and disappear. Its better than being publicly executed like this. I bet they also pit me against their strongest Duelist just to make it a pain. Gufu... Nia broke out of her curled posture and lowered her feet to the floor. However, she stopped herself midway. Am I going to run away again? Nia trembled. There she was, undertaking an entrance exam for joining a club. Somehow, she already got this far. So, shouldnt she try just a little harder until the end? The exam was shaping up to be a mean one with that Knight pick but it wasnt like she didnt have a chance at all. She has fought many Knights before and beat some of them. It was a wack matchup but not a hopeless one. I-Ill give it a try. Nia nodded to herself. This was a rare opportunity that might never come again. Back in elementary school, she never joined a club even though it was supposed to mandatory. Nobody properly kept track of it, so nobody forced her into anything. Everybody forgot she even existed and she herself was too timid to reach out to anybody. But, this time was different. The people from this club noticed her and even found her in her classroom. How? It was like magic. They must have had some sort of secret weapon their side. Maybe some sort of magical human tracking machine that reported Nias position in real-time via GPS. The horror of super technology! No, no, no. Nia shook her head. Its okay. They just happened to notice her when she was applying to the club. And, they just happened to find her in her class because they searched very hard. There wasnt any kind of demonic neo technology involved in the process, right? Right? Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. READY? FIGHT! The match began. No idea how they find me every time, but... Nia curled back into a ball on top of the chair. This is a chance to join a club for once. So, even though this matchup is a pain, I gotta win somehow. Um, what do I pick here, again? Nia browsed the shop. She needed a good starting item to deal with a bruiser, the pesky type of opponent who wont quickly die from burst damage. Can I check real quick? Nia sneakily glanced at the group on the other side of the room. Good, nobody was paying attention to her. This called for a stealth mission! She sneakily took out her phone and booted the Tipmancer app. Then, she inputted the matchup between Rogue and Knight for Duel mode. The app suggested building Muramasa as the first item for the Rogue player. Ok. Nia nodded and purchased Muramasa right away. It had about everything she needed: attack power, attack speed, penetration, and defense stealing. This should let her contest the Knight at close quarters. With an Lv.3 Muramasa and a Smite utility skill, Nia set out of the base. Where should she start off? The blue buff or the red buff? Naturally, blue was the only safe option. Walking all the way to the Ogre Camp in the center of the map was too risky. She never did that despite always entertaining the idea for a moment before shooting it down. Are they gonna invade? Nia cautiously approached the Wraith Camp. Invasions were such a pain to deal with so, hopefully, this examiner wont bully her. It was already rough enough that shell have to deal with a Knight this match. Ok, looks clear. Nia nodded to herself and proceeded to clear the Wraith Camp. This was the part where Rogue kinda sucked and needed help. Thats why she bought the Smite utility skill, which dealt heavy damage to one minion and then unleashed a weaker AoE shockwave which hit other minions in range. She hammered the Supreme Wraith with Smite and the shockwave hit the rest of the wraiths. That deleted over 80% of the bosss HP right away and reduced the other wraiths to half health. Nia wrapped things up by with a couple more basic attacks. OK, done. She collected the blue buff and proceeded to the lane. Her opponent arrived on the lane at around the same time as her, also sporting a blue buff. That''s quite the getup. Nia made a face. The enemy Knight was wearing an expensive black demonic skin with flame effects erupting from every part of its body. He almost looked like a Dark Knight, except even more evil and infernal. It was... really cool, actually. Though, the guy had to be loaded to allow himself that kind of stuff. This skin was quite expensive compared to the usual ones. Maybe it was one of those cases when the child bought a skin with his parents'' credit card without their knowledge? So, maybe he was stealing money from his own family to buy skins!? There were many such stories floating around the internet. Scary how far some people would go. Interesting customization. Vincent processed the Rogue''s looks with his amazing Skin Analyzer ability. Everybody thought he was just the Arbiter of Talents, but nay! He was also the Detective of Customization! By analyzing how players customized their characters, Vincent could deduce everything about his opponents! It was elementary! Alright, not really. Vincent was sure it''s possible to learn many things about a player by looking at their customization, but his Skin Analyzer personal skill wasn''t high level enough to yield any useful results. All he could tell was that Nia edited the default Rogue skin quite a bit. The Rogues default black robe was painted in light brown, making it blended well with the desert-themed environment of the 1v1 map. Similarly, the black hair was painted blonde and the dark eyes were changed into bright silver. All in all, it didn''t look like Nia used any premium customization parts but she sure repainted everything she could get her hands on. It was an oddly bright take on Rogue, a class normally associated with sneaking around in the darkness. Though, in its own odd way, this bright skin actually blended with the environment like a chameleon; it made the Rogue look more sneaky than ever. Instead of hiding in the darkness, this one was hiding in plain sight! So, Ill be dealing with a Rogue, eh. Vincent naturally jerked. Anybody who played Classmancers had more than a couple of bitter experiences against Rogue for it was the "noob stomper" class until a certain skill level. Once players learned to buy Stealth Wards against Rogue, its effectiveness dropped drastically and it was reduced to a meme. However, that was only as far as the MOBA mode was concerned. In Duel, Rogue apparently wasn''t that bad. Vincent was no expert by any means, but if Kai vouched for a Rogue pick in Duel then it had to be rather effective. How should Vincent approach this? Unlike in the MOBA mode, he hasnt met that many Rogues in Duel so his matchup knowledge was lacking and rusty. Even by tapping into the boundless knowledge stored in his Information Blackhole, he couldn''t draw out a solid answer. But, it wasn''t like his Information Blackhole didn''t store such info or anything. It''s just that Vincent was too rusty at the moment and therefore unqualified to access such information. His first instinct was to buy a Stealth Ward to counter the Rogue but then he realized it was rather pointless. Stealth Ward was a counter to Rogue in the MOBA mode because the map was big and it was hard to tell where the Rogue will strike from. But, in 1v1, there was only one opponent to keep tabs on, so it was much easier to keep the Rogue in check at all times. "I''m surprised you didn''t buy Stealth Wards," Yuel said. "Kukuku," Vincent smirked. "For the one who possesses boundless knowledge and the ability to absorb all information, Stealth Wards are unnecessary! I shall expose the Rogue with the powers of my third eye!" "He''s right," Kai said. "It''s a waste to buy Stealth Wards in Duel. Better spend that cash on finishing your build faster. It''s not like 5v5 where there are lots of things to keep track of." "Is that so," Yuel crossed his arms. "I usually buy a Stealth Ward and place it on the lane to make the Rogues life harder. Am I the only one who does that?" "I don''t do that stuff," Lars shrugged. "Me neither," Kai agreed. "I see," Yuel pursed his lips. If the two best Duelists here didn''t do that, then maybe it was truly a misplay and Vincent was actually playing correctly right now. Yuel made a mental note to research this topic later. The laning phase began and minions from both sides clashed in the middle of the map. This was going to be the tough part for Nia due to Knight''s Chivalry passive. Vincent''s minions had superior defense so they were going to overwhelm Nia''s minions. What counter did she have for this matchup? "What item did she start with?" Yuel asked. "Let''s see," Vincent brought up the status screen. "Whew, Muramasa. Somebody is planning to go all-in against me." "Looks decent," Kai said. Does Kai even play assassins/bruisers in Duel to know enough about this matchup? Yuel wondered. But, I have to agree. A Muramasa start seems solid. That''s probably what I''d pick as well in this situation. Muramasa didnt have any particular strong points but it provided all the stats Rogue wanted against a bruiser: attack power, attack speed, penetration, and a passive that stole some of the target''s defenses with every hit. It should give Nia just enough power to contest the lane and itll also be a great tool for the eventual 1v1 against a Knight. But, Vincent didnt make it easy. He went straight for Mistmail as his first Lv.3 item. Its passive lowered the attack speed of all nearby enemies, which was a great tool for reducing Rogues effectiveness in close quarters. If a Rogue couldn''t land multiple fast hits in succession on the target''s back, it was difficult for it to seal the deal. Especially, against a tanky opponent. On top of that, it put Nia in a sticky situation during laning. Rogue was a melee class so it had to advance to the frontline to clear minions, just like Vincent. However, if they both get to the frontline, the aura effect of Mistmail will reach Nia and lower her attack speed, which will slow down down her ability to clear the minions. If Vincent clears the wave first and then catches Nia isolated in the middle of the lane, she''ll have a very bad time. I hope this doesn''t come across as bullying. Vincent smiled wryly. When it came to countering his lane opponent, Vincent had plenty of experience as a Top Laner. So, at least in that area, hell give Nia some challenge. Countering his lane opponent was the only way somebody as untalented as him could possibly defeat opponents so it was the only way he knew how to play. Welp, Vincent smiled wryly. Worst case, if it gets too difficult for her, I''ll just lower my level a little. Though, it''s going to be a challenge to sneak that past the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception. Eh, I''ll figure something out. Probably. So, how will Nia deal with this challenge? How will she contest Vincent during the laning phase despite her numerous disadvantages? This was shaping up to be a tough exam... Vol.7 Ch.18: Dealing with the Knight Matchup Going to the frontline sounds like all sorts of trouble, so let''s not do that. Nia nodded to herself. She had no interest in contesting the Knight for a temporary lane advantage; it was useless for her anyway. All that really mattered was scoring a kill on that guy and then push hard for the win. So, instead of heading to the frontline, shell wait near her Golem and make the minions come to her. That''ll be much less of a pain to deal with. Nia tossed a smoke bomb on the Knight. The explosion dealt slight damage to him and made his minions seek revenge on Nia. But, unbeknown to the minions, that was exactly what Nia wanted from them. She retreated to her Golem and lured the minions into its fire range. Once all the enemy swordsmen stepped into the danger zone, Nia booted her Stealth for a moment to erase the minions aggression. Hehe, thats right, Nia smirked. Even though youre bots, even you cant detect me. Her momentary stealth state confused the minions and made them forget they were targetting Nia just a moment ago. So, instead, they returned to their natural game plan: attacking whichever enemy minion was closest to them. While all of this was going down, Nias minions chased after the invaders and caught up to them at the Golem. Since all minions were close to each other right now, the battle broke out right there in the Golems area. Instead of stepping out of the area to avoid heavy damage, the enemy minions remained in the lions den while clashing with their opponents. These bots were too dumb to realize they were in a deadly situation. So, thats how shes going to do it, Vincent nodded to himself. Beautiful! I like this counter. What do you all think? Its not bad, Yuel admitted. He used a similar tactic against Knights when he played Top so this was a solid advanced tech. But, Yuel said. She took it a bit too far. I understand she wants to clear the minions faster but was it really neccessary to lure them all the way to the Golem? Shes losing exp and gold this way. Its fine, Kai objected. Losing some farm early on isnt a big deal in 1v1 if you can make up for it later. Not gonna lie, Im not a fan of that stuff, Lars said. You gotta take ALL the farm, yo! Last-hit all the things! Not everybody can play by your high standard, Kai said. Hmm. Yuel frowned. Its hard to judge this play when the two best Duelists here dont see eye to eye about it. I suppose its a passable approach for this Rogue vs. Knight matchup. In the end, Nia cleared the enemy swordsmen way faster than they killed her swordsmen, all thanks to Golem rampaging around and tossing boulders. After that, she stayed under tower and let her surviving minions fight on their own. It was a battle of 2 swordsmen and 3 bowmen vs. 3 bowmen. I rather not let these swordsmen reach my bowmen. Vincent was itching to step onto the frontline to block the path of the incoming swordsmen. The bowmen minions were rather squishy, so theyd die fast if the swordsmen get close. With that said, Vincent couldn''t just run ahead and aggro the swordsmen because said swordsmen were closely accompanied by three bowmen behind them. If Vincent steps forward, he''ll aggro that entire dangerous gang. The DPS of three bowmen focused on one target was nothing to sneeze at, especially during the earlier parts of the game. Even as a Knight with Mistmail, he didn''t want to soak all that damage. Ultimately, Vincent stepped back and waited for enemy swordsmen to arrive. He had no choice but use his minions as a meat shield in this situation. He was like a Chessmaster and the bowmen were his disposable pawns, muhahaha! Once all the enemy minions focused their fire on Vincent''s bowmen, he charged to the frontline with Shield Bash. He slammed his shield against one of the swordsmen and killed the already-injured warrior on the spot. Meanwhile, his bowmen shot down the other swordsman. Phew, safe. Vincent breathed in relief. None of his bowmen was lost in this exchange so it turned out much better than he expected. To wrap things up, Vincent followed up with Blade Swing to cut through all three enemy bowmen in one fell swoop. Along with the backup fire from his bowmen, he swiftly finished off all the enemy minions. However, he only had one and a half bowmen remaining after that whole exchange. This tiny group of survivors was far from enough to properly push the enemy Golem. Nia didn''t show any signs of coming out to fight the bowmen, so there was no opening for Vincent to attack. He just let his bowmen venture into enemy territory alone and get bombarded by the Golem. The bowmen merely got two shots on the tower before dying. With that, the first minion wave was over. "It turned out pretty equal," Vincent summarized. "Not quite," Yuel objected. "She missed a lot of farm with this approach." The game punished players who farmed while hugging their tower. All exp and gold earned from minions inside the Golem''s range were reduced by 30%. So, even if the player scored last-hits on these minions to benefit from x1.2 earnings, that still put them at around 85% of the normal earnings. In other words, by luring the minions to her Golem, Nia threw away over 15% of the farm she could''ve easily gotten. "Geh, I think I fried my brain with all them numbers," Lars rubbed his temples. "In short, she missed a lot of farm, right?" "Yes." "Well," Kai crossed her arms. "If you finished showing off your math skills, let me just say that optimizing farming is not something you''d expect from a freshman." "I suppose you''re right," Yuel agreed. "I just had to mention it because it might become an issue for her going forward. It''s alrighty to trade some farm for extra safety, but she''ll have to mount a counter at some point if she wants to win. Otherwise, Vincent will eventually outlevel her and destroy her Golem. "Yeah, I''m quite aware, Kai made a face. Thanks for explaining it to me like I''m a Bronze tier from kindergarten." "So," Vincent got everybody''s attention. "Do you guys want me to test anything specific? Or, do I just let her maintain this routine to see if it goes anywhere?" "Sure, why not," Yuel said. "So far, the situation is in your favor in terms of farm. As long as she keeps using that tactic, you''ll win by default." "Fair enough," Vincent nodded. "Alrighty, I''ll keep doing my thing and see how deep the rabbit hole goes." During the next minion wave, Nia repeated the same routine. She dropped a smoke bomb on Vincent to lure the enemy minions to her Golem. Once they invaded deep enough into the danger zone, she entered Stealth to make them forget all about their aggression. Everything played out exactly like last time. Yet again, only one and half of Vincent''s bowmen survived. They got a couple of hits on the enemy Golem before perishing. What brave soldiers they were. Even after just two waves, the gap in their farm was already becoming apparent. Vincent leveled up to Lv.7 in the middle of that exchange while Nia only hit Lv.7 at the very end. In a couple of waves, Vincent will outright beat her by one level. If Nia had any counter tactic in mind, she better execute it sooner than later. Alas, the outcome of the next minion wave was exactly the same. Yet again, Vincent let Nia do her thing and carefully observed her moves. But, she did nothing new. He''s not biting. Nia pursed her lips. Most opponents got irritated by such a defensive tactic and invaded at this point. However, this Knight patiently observed her without overextending. He was like a predator eying his prey. Scary. Is he judging my every move? Along with everybody else over there? Nia felt cold sweat on her forehead. These examiners monitored every single move, every twitch, she made. They judged everything and will fail her for the smallest of mistakes. They might even fail her for just breathing. Or, even worse, they might forget to grade her at all... I-I''ll show them! Nia clenched her controller. If all that Knight gonna do is stand there and laugh at her, she had an idea of her own. The Knight was already down to 80% from her repeated smoke bombs, so he''ll be within kill range after just another one bomb. That''s when she''ll make her move. The hunted will become the hunter! She''ll overtake the bully! If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. When the next wave came, Nia executed her routine per usual. She threw a smoke bomb on the Knight, lured the minions to her Golem, and finished them off. Then, instead of waiting in the safe zone, she retreated deeper into her lane and went around the corner. "Oh, she''s gone," Vincent glanced at the mini-map. "It appears she''s planning to use this time to farm the Wraiths. They''re right about to respawn." "Man, talk about disrespect," Luke shook his head. Shes practically handing you the lane for free. "What do I do?" Vincent asked everybody. "Do I go ambush her at the Wraiths?" "I don''t think you need to go that far," Kai was quick to object. "It''s just an exam." "But, a mistake is a mistake," Vincent argued. "I can''t just let her get away with it, right?" "Shouldn''t you just push?" Luke suggested. "Yeah," Lars said. "I''d totally use this time to push hard. Gotta make them regret leaving the lane behind like that. She shouldve stayed and fought till the bitter end like a true duelist." That works," Vincent nodded. "I can feel the Golem begging me to invade." "To be fair," Kai said. "I''d probably push too. If my opponent is the type to neglect the lane for some side farm, I''ll capitalize on it every single time." "Alrighty then," Vincent concluded. "I''ll push like my life depends on it. Here comes doomsday!" Vincent charged ahead of his minions with Shield Bash and slammed the enemy wave. The enemy began firing at him but that''s exactly what he wanted. To make the most out of this opportunity, he wanted to keep his minions as healthy as possible for the invasion. The longer his minions survive in the Golem''s area, the more he''ll be able to push. Therefore, he tanked all the incoming damage to keep his minions at perfect health. Is this really okay? Yuel wondered. He didn''t say anything on the topic but the others knew better than him how to play Duel, but it felt like everybody was rushing it a little. Just because Nia walked away from the lane didn''t necessarily mean she went to farm the Wraiths. I agree that''s the most likely scenario but it''s better to stay vigilant. A single misplay can cost the entire match here. Despite the worry, Yuel kept these thoughts to himself. Maybe he was overthinking it and what the others suggested was the superior line of play. After all, Lars and Kai ranked much higher than him in Duel so they should know better. Besides, the opponent was a freshman. What kind of tricky could Nia possibly pull? Alrighty, Vincent finished off the enemy wave. He lost a chunk of his HP in the process but, in exchange, all his soldiers were at full health. The healthier they were, the more Golem hits theyll be able to tank for him. Without further ado, Vincent charged into the Golem''s area with his loyal army. The minions tanked the Golem''s slams and boulders while Vincent hacked away at the Golem''s legs. Even though this was the same Golem from the MOBA mode in terms of design, it was quite smaller and didnt hit as hard. Therefore, it took the Golem quite a while to kill all of Vincent''s minions. On top of that, the Golems HP and defense were nowhere as tough as those of the MOBA Golem. Thus, its HP plummeted quickly from all the attacks. If all goes smoothly, Vincent might bring this Golem all the way down to 30% HP. However, that was too easy to be true. While Vincent was busy attacking the Golem, an invisible figure crept up to him from behind. Once the invisible assaulter got within range, it struck from the shadows! "Whoa!" Vincent jumped. A blade sliced his back! Nia was right behind him! Shes back so fast!? Got you. Nia smirked. She stuck to the Knight''s back and slashed away at it. Thanks to Rogue''s passive, Backstabber, each of her attacks dealt 30% more damage. On top of that, her Lv.3 Murasama stole defenses on each successful hit, making the Knight even more vulnerable. This guy done goofed and he was about to pay for it! "Darn, this is rough...!" Vincent turned around and dashed out of the Golem''s area. He couldn''t strike back from this position due to the Golems looming presence. If he lifts but a single finger on Nia, the Golem will be all over his business. Vincent will turn into dead meat within seconds. Therefore, his only option was to get the heck out of there! "What a marvelous trap!" Vincent made noise while running away. I shall dub it the Ultimate Bait-and-Switch! "It''s just a basic bait," Yuel said. As he feared, everybody jumped to conclusions regarding Nias absence from the lane. Despite being a freshman, Nia was Platinum rank in Duel. It wasnt a rank anybody could easily get to while playing poorly, especially not with assassin classes. So, it was no surprise Nia could pull off such a basic bait tactic. And, yet... "You saw that!?" Kai pointed at the screen. "Wasn''t that a pretty high-level play?" "Yeah! Lars exclaimed. Dude totally fooled me, yo!" Are these guys seriously Diamond and Challenger ranks in Duel? Yuel made a face. If they could fall for such a simple tactic then even Yuel had a chance against them... "Welp, I''m pretty much done for," Vincents HP dropped to 20%. He successfully got out of Golem''s range but Nia was still breathing down his neck. Even though continuously dishing out attacks slowed her down, she kept up with Vincent due to Rogue''s superior movement speed. Vincent wasn''t going to shake her off just by running. "This is my last stand!" Vincent made noise. "Let''s us see if you can stop my magnificent escape plan!" He rolled forward just as Nia''s next strike was about to land. That made her whiff the attack and created some space between them. However, it wasn''t enough by itself. Vincent''s Golem was still far away and there was nowhere to hide. If they both keep running, Nia will easily catch up to him and seal the deal. Therefore, Vincent had to pull out his secret Noble Phantasm! "Come forth, Sleipnir!" He summoned a black demonic horse via his ult. It was dangerous to mount Sleipnir in front of the enemy because he was more vulnerable to attacks than ever during the mounting animation. However, from this distance, it should be safe enough. If Vincent can just get on the horse and ride away, he''ll get out of this sticky situation and- Whoa! A blade from behind! Nia instantly closed the distance with Phantom Strike and stuck her dagger into his back! Since the attack landed from behind, it activated an extra effect of Phantom Strike: it stunned Vincent on the spot! That allowed Nia to follow up with further attacks. "Alright, now I''m officially done for," Vincent smiled wryly and raised his hands in resignation. "GG." You have been killed! FIRST BLOOD! "Yes!" Kai pumped a fist but immediately hid it away. Ah, ahem. She did well. "She totally pawned ya, haha," Luke laughed. "She sure knows how to Rogue. I already like that girl." "Yeah, that was smooth as heck," Lars nodded. "Was it, really?" Yuel wondered. "I thought invading the Golem back there was rather risky. It was predictable something like this might happen." "Now that I think about it," Vincent crossed his arms. "Thats true. I feel that push was way too brave for me. Love me or hate me for it but I normally dont play like that. So, Im shocked I didnt stop myself. Don''t tell me you guys pressured me into it on purpose?" "Nope," Lars shrugged. "Pretty sure I would have pushed as well." "Yeah," Kai agreed. "I would have gone on the offensive as well. Nia just outplayed you. Deal with it, scrub." "By the sound of it, she would have outplayed you too in this situation," Vincent pointed out. "Huh, guess that''s true," Kai somehow forced these words through her teeth. "But, I''m sure I would''ve retreated without dying, unlike a certain someone." "If you say so," Vincent rolled his eyes. Typical Kai. With that said, perhaps her Rhythm Reader would have indeed rescued her out of this predicament. The Rhythm Reader vs. the Ultimate Bait-and-Switch! Itll be the battle of the century! Alas, no matter how hard he tried to laugh it off, something about this turn of events still bothered him. Vincent didnt consider himself a particularly skilled player but he prided himself on his ability to analyze his opponents offense and adjust his defense accordingly. As such, he should''ve picked up on Nias sneaky attack plan and played more cautiously. Yet, he failed to do so. Did she outsmart both my Arbiter of Talents and Information Blackhole skills!? Impossible! None should be able to escape their gravitational pull! Yet, it was a fact: Nia outplayed him. With ease, on top of that. Did Vincent underestimate her because this was just an exam for a freshman? No way. At least, that wasnt his intention. Then, did he go for that risky play because everybody else talked him into it? Maybe he cracked a little under peer pressure. But, that couldnt be all because the idea of an ambush didnt even cross his mind when Nia left the lane. Its like he couldnt even think of such a basic scenario. It was so odd. Welp, maybe Im just overthinking it. Vincent shook his head. Everybody made mistakes and he was no exception. No problem! Next time, my flawless Information Blackhole shall reveal all her cunning tricks! While Vincent was waiting to respawn, Nia had a great opportunity to make something big happen. How was she going to capitalize on this situation? Will she use this time to push the lane? Or, will she steal one of the camps? Unfortunately, none of the observers could tell because they had to watch the game from Vincent''s point-of-view. Thus, nobody could pass any judgment on Nia during this critical situation. Thats why I wanted to watch from her point-of-view, Yuel ranted. It cant be helped if she feels uncomfortable being watched, Kai was quick to object. Its always more stressful when others watch you play. Yep, I know the feel, Luke nodded. Always feels like ya gonna fudge something up when ya got eyes on ya. I suppose, Yuel was no alien to this feeling. When somebody was there, watching and judging every twitch he made, it had a chance to affect his decision-making. For example, sometimes, he went for the safe option to look good in front of the crowd rather than gamble on riskier play with a higher payoff. So, there was no question that watching Nia closely would most likely hurt her performance. Then again, Yuel survived StormBlitzs exam while being interrogated by Aron nonstop the whole time. So, being silently watched wouldnt kill Nia. You can just watch the replay later, Kai said. I know, Yuel said so but he wasnt satisfied. Thats why, while everybody was waiting for Vincent''s revival, Yuel focused on his own tablet. He has sneakily joined the game as a spectator shortly after it began. This way, he could see the entire map from an omniscient point-of-view. Unfortunately, spectator mode had a delay of one minute for this match, which was the lowest delay the game allowed to set for custom matches. So, his tablet was still showing Vincent carelessly pushing Nias Golem. However, shortly after that, itll show exactly what Nia planned to do with this huge opportunity she got. Will she push? Or, will she take the red/blue buffs? This was where her playstyle and decision-making will be tested in a big way. Vol.7 Ch.19: Vanishing Presence You have killed an enemy! FIRST BLOOD! Phew, Nia breathed in relief. That was a little scary but it was over; she got that Knight. Hmph, thats what you get for trying to counter-pick me. Okay, whats next? She had the entire map to herself so she could do whatever she wanted right now. What was the best play in this sort of situation? In Nias experience, taking the red buff was generally a helpful move. Therefore, she headed toward the Ogre Camp at the bottom of the map. She made quick work of the Ogres there with the help of Smite and returned to lane to clear the incoming wave. That guy should still be dead. Nia double-checked and tripe-checked the status screen to make sure the Knight still had a respawn counter on him. Ok, hes still out. Lets push for now. With her buffed attack power, Nia took out the enemy minions in a blink of an eye. With nobody to threaten her, she rotated around the enemy minions to strike them from behind for extra damage. The small fry fell one after another like flies. Almost all her minions survived the clash so this was a great opportunity to push hard. However, Nia decided against it. Instead, she left her minions behind and went to farm the Wraith Camp on her side of the map. Better not risk it. Just as she thought that, the enemy Knight returned to the lane to defend his Golem. Had Nia invaded together with her minions, the Knight would have caught her there and would have ended her whole career. Scary. Phew. Bullet dodged. Nia sighed in relief while casually murdering the wraiths. There was nobody around to seriously threaten her so there was nothing to be wary of. With that said, her HP dropped to 40% from all the recent fights she participated in. This was a no-no. She couldnt return to the lane in such a bad shape so she recalled back to the base. By the time she returned to the lane, it was time for another minion wave to clash. Shes playing decent so far. Yuel nodded to himself while spectating the match from his tablet. A little too safe to my taste but decent nonetheless. Instead of rushing to push the Golem, Nia chose the safe approach of securing both red and blue buffs. There were countless players in Duel who overextended as soon as they scored the first kill so Nias cautious decision was a smart one. Though, maybe she was just too cautious for her own good in general. That might be a playstyle weakness but it was too early to judge. In real-time, on Vincents screen, the minion waves already clashed at the center of the map. Nia has just returned from the base with full HP. Now, how will she fight from this advantageous position? Thanks to her kill and the extra farming, she made up for all the exp she lost during the laning phase. In fact, she got ahead of Vincent by now. On top of that, she had both the red and the blue buff. So, the power and cooldown of her skills were enhanced. She had the high ground in every way imaginable so she could go for another kill attempt. Of course, Vincent understood that too. Hence, he didnt advance to the frontline like before. Instead, he cautiously hanged at the edge of the frontline and waited to see what move Nia will make. But, nothing of note was happening. Nia didnt leave her Golem area to clear minions and she didnt go into stealth to sneak up to Vincent. So, it didnt look like she was planning to aggress on him any time soon. She''s not going to take advantage of her buffs? Yuel wondered. Even though Nia went out of her way to get both buffs, it didn''t seem like she was going to capitalize on them. She kept played defensively, just like before she got the buffs. So, he''s not going to try getting revenge. Nia twisted her lips. She hoped the Knight would be mad and do everything in his power to get a kill on her. Lots of players she fought in Duel were simple like that. Punishing them for such overextension and taking the game right there was the most fun; free victory. Unfortunately, this Knight was cautious. He saw Nia as a threat, probably because she had the red buff. In other words, as long as she maintained this kind of advantage, the Knight actively registered her as a "threat" and paid attention to her. He must have been intently staring even at the slightest twitch she made. Scary. "Brr," Nia glanced around to make sure nobody else was watching her. Whether it was inside the game or outside of it, being stared was irking. She had to erase her presence anew. "Oh? What''s this?" Vincent tilted his head. For some reason, Nia retreated back to her Golem area. "Is she luring me in?" "Maybe she''s taking precaution," Yuel said. "Her red buff should be running out soon." "Oh, so we''ll be back to square one then," Vincent nodded. "Alrighty, I see how it is. She''s going to keep turtling then." "So it seems," Yuel didn''t like that. Even though that incident was much due to Vincent''s carelessness, Nia successfully scored one kill off him. She should''ve taken full advantage of that momentum because she might not get a chance to generate another one. Vincent was more vigilant now and won''t fall for the same trick again. I guess this is going to be a fatigue match. Vincent smiled wryly as Nia executed her favorite tactic again. She tossed a Smoke Bomb on him to aggro the minions toward herself, then fled to the Golem area to lure them to their death. Even though Rogue was a dangerous assassin, the way Nia was playing made that fact irrelevant. Her job boiled down to luring minions toward her side of the lane and swiftly taking care of them. It was an interesting way to take advantage of stealth mechanic but it made her come across as a rather harmless opponent, quite the opposite of what an assassin player should aspire to be. All Vincent had to do was deal with the leftover minions after Nia finishes her routine. It was a tad tedious to kill all these minions on his own but, at least, he got the exp advantage this way. He just had to optimize his farming during these situations to eventually out-level Nia and then dive under her Golem. While the enemy minions were busy shooting at his minions, Vincent snuck up to them from behind and struck them down. It was the Secret Ninja Art! He was playing like the real assassin here! Until now, Vincent has been farming the minions cautiously because he thought Nia might launch an attack at him at any moment. However, at this point, it was clear this assassin wasn''t going to lift a finger. She was like air and there was no need to pay much attention to her. Vincent just had to focus on the minions and optimize his farming. As expected, the entire exchange ended without much action. Both sides finished clearing minions and awaited the next wave. Nia''s red buff was already gone, which made her even less of a threat. At this point, there was definitely nothing to worry about. At this rate, Vincent will have this one in the bag without even doing anything. The next wave arrived and Vincent already prepared for it by advancing to the front. He planned to strike the enemy minions as soon as they focus their attention on his Dark Army of Evil. He was going to sacrifice his little demons for the sake of outvaluing his opponent! Muhahaha! Their deaths won''t be wasted! He advanced! Nia clenched her controller. This was the moment. Has she erased her presence enough to pull this off? It was scary not knowing for sure but she had to give it a shot. As usual, Nia started off by dumping a Smoke Bomb on Vincent and his minions. That made the minions venture on a long journey to seek revenge for their master. And, Nia was the target of their malice. Scary. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. However, as long as she had Stealth, she could erase her presence against anybody; even bots couldn''t find her. She was like a professional ninja. Nin nin. Alrighty, she''s at it again, Vincent smiled wryly as the familiar smoke obstructed his field of view. At this point, he didn''t even care about the fact he couldn''t see his surroundings for a brief moment. After going through this routine so many times, he could tell exactly what was going on out there by using his third eye. Surely, Nia was retreating toward her Golem and Vincent''s minions were chasing her. He also ventured through the smoke toward the enemy side of the lane so he could farm the enemy minions as soon as possible. He''s advancing? Yuel wondered. It made sense that Vincent wanted to start farming as soon as possible but it felt a little careless. After all, defensive or not, a Rogue was still a Rogue. It was a dangerous assassin that could kill even a bruiser from close quarters under the right circumstances. Hopefully, this wasnt the beginning of another unfortunate incident... Alrighty, out of the smoke. Vincent reached the light and could see the lane again. As expected, his minions have already reached the enemy Golem. And, as always, Nia went into stealth to deflect attention away from herself right before the minions got to her. Nothing new was happening here so Vincent simply proceeded with his plan. He snuck up to the enemy minions and hacked away at the unsuspecting foes. It was the easiest laning of his life. He didnt even really have to contest with- SLASH "Eh!?" Vincent blinked. That wasn''t the sound of his basic attack. No, that slash came from somewhere else. It came from behind! SLASH "Wha!?" Vincent jumped. It was impossible! Unfathomable! Nia was right behind him, driving her dagger through him! "W-When!?" Vincent turned around in a hurry. This couldn''t be! What was this Phenomenon Intervention!? Nia was supposed to be all the way back at her Golem right now, clearing minions like always. How could she be all the way out here!? It was First Class Magecraft! Wait, was this even really BlackFlower attacking him!? Maybe this was her secret evil twin, WhiteFlower! Yes, that explained everything! Nia had a twin who waited in the shadows this entire time and snuck up to Vincent while he had all his attention concentrate on her! What a ploy! SLASH Anyway, real talk, this is pretty damn bad! Vincent gulped. First, he had to hide his back from this mysterious assaulter. Whether this attacker was BlackFlower, WhiteFlower or GrayFlower, it was still a Rogue. Therefore, the damage from behind was devastating. He fell down all the way to 60% HP before he even got a chance to blink! I-It''s okay, I can turn this around. Vincent clenched his mouse. No matter what kind of magecraft or tricky you use, you shall not take down the Demonic Knight! No mere assassin can topple a knight! Vincent was the bruiser so he had a natural advantage at close-quarters. Rogue''s damage was high but it was a squishy class. If Vincent just turns around and lands a couple of good hits, he''ll turn the entire situation around. Therefore, to start off this Battle of Ragnarok, he opened an attack with Shield Bash! Alas, it gloriously missed! The enemy rolled away in the nick of time to dodge it. A marvelous dodge! As expected from a sneaky assassin! However, this was only the first taste. Now comes the coup de grace! Vincent followed up with Blade Swing, the skill with the most original name in the entire game! It did exactly what it said on the tin: a sword slash! What a surprise! The slash connected and took a little over 10% HP of the mysterious enemy. Honestly, Vincent expected it to do way more against a Rogue. Oh, it must be Muramasa doing its work. The cursed blade of the jealous blacksmith, infused with the desire to acquire anything and everything from his opponents! The few surprise attacks the enemy unleashed at the beginning of the fight were crucial. They stole some of Vincent''s defenses and transferred them over to the assaulter. This was such a nasty setup. Not only it made Vincent more vulnerable to incoming attacks but it also made the Rogue tankier than it should ever be. Vincent hasnt built much power yet so even a little bit of extra defense was super effective against his attacks. Darn, this was a disaster! A tragedy! Historians will be hard-pressed to find a more disastrous event in humanitys entire history! I have to get out of here. Now. Vincent rolled away toward the jungle. Since the enemy has already spent their Dodge Roll, she wont be able to close the distance right away. So, if he just mounts Sleipnir fast enough- STAB! Excuse ma!? Vincent jumped. The predator was already right behind him! And, her blade was digging deep into his back, delivering hefty damage! Unbelievable! How did she always appear behind him like this? Did this mysterious assaulter possess the ability to stick the enemys back like a glue!? It must have been a ghost! A phantom! A stalker from the depths of the abyss! Well, in truth, Vincent heard the swift dashing sound so he knew that was the work of Rogues Phantom Strike. The enemy blinked right after him and delivered a heavy blow, as well as stunned him because it was an attack from behind. I dont feel so good. Vincent gulped. He was already down to 25% HP. It was pointless to summon Sleipnir in this situation and he didn''t have any other escape tools at his disposal. On top of that, this heavy Knight had no chance of outrunning the nimble Rogue. It was over. In a last-ditch effort, Vincent turned around and attacked the ghostly assailant. He had no chance of getting away so he might as well get some damage in. Unfortunately, this mentality was a lot more useful in the MOBA mode than in 1v1 so it didnt do much for him... You have been killed! Welp, Vincent threw his back backward. That was interesting indeed. I still have no idea what attacked me. Was it a doppelganger? A shadow clone!? Huh? What are you on about? Kai raised an eyebrow. Who else could it be? Nia just did you in. No, no, no. Thats impossible. Huh? She wasnt there. At least, she wasnt supposed to be there, Vincent insisted. Wasnt she clearing the minions at the Golem? No, Yuel said matter-of-factly. She went into stealth as usual to deflect the aggro but then she snuck up to you while still in stealth. Did you even check whether she was really at the Golem? I thought I did... A jolt ran through Vincent. He checked Nias position right before he charged ahead, right? He saw her clearing minions at the Golem area, right? Actually, maybe he didnt look. He got so used to that trite routine that he just charged in. After all, there was no doubt in his mind that things will play out exactly the same way as before. So, he just went along with it as if that was the case. Thats so not like me. Vincent smiled wryly. How did his Information Blackhole fail him during such a critical moment? He was supposed to be capable of observing all the information that existed in this world and even to get a glimpse of the records of Akasha! And yet, he missed something so simple that was happening right under his nose. It was unreal. Worst of all, this wasnt the first time. His previous death was just as embarrassing. This was the second time he failed to consider the possibility of Nia sneaking up to him. What was wrong? Did his Information Blackhole not work today? Or, maybe... Are you doing this on purpose? Yuel asked. Not at all, Vincent claimed. Theres something supernatural going on here. I haven''t discerned its true nature yet but my senses are tickling as the Arbiter of Talents. That girl got something. Is that so, Yuel rolled his eyes. As far as he was concerned, all that happened both times was Vincent lowering his guard for no good reason and paying dearly for it. Yuel has seen similar scenarios before so its not like he was condemning Vincent per se. There was a vicious fox in StormBlitz whose specialty was to train the opponent to get used to a certain routine. Then, she subverted things at the most critical moment to pull the rug from under them. It felt similar to how Nia was playing. Except, the way Nia did things didnt look nearly as impressive as Ellens tricky. Not to mention, Vincent should have been the cautious and observant type who wouldnt fall for such basic tactics. Even Ellen surely would have had trouble tricking him like that. As such, frankly, these two deaths felt like intentional feeding. However, Vincent seemed bewildered by these developments as well. So, unless he was an Oscar-winning actor, he clearly didnt intend to die during any of these incidents. I wonder, Vincent turned to the others. Was I the only one surprised by that ambush? That came outta nowhere for me too, Lars admitted. Dude just popped outta thin air, yo! No kidding, Luke nodded. I bet the girl was all like Youll never see it coming~ while sneaking up to you. I agree, Kai nodded. It was unexpected. Though, I wouldve dealt with it way better than Vincent did. Wait, nobody expected something like this to happen? Yuel frowned. To him, it was obvious that Vincent should tread carefully because Nia might launch an attack at any moment. Especially, considering she has already pulled a fast one on him last time. He shouldve been on maximum alert. Therefore, the moment Vincent came out of the smoke and Nia was nowhere in sight, it sounded the alarm in Yuels head. He had a feeling Nia was about to try something. Everybody else shouldve seen that as well yet they were acting oblivious. Why? How come? After this second death, the match was as good as decided. Vincent''s respawn countdown was much longer this time around, so Nia had all the time in the world to capitalize on this opportunity. She had enough time to take the red buff, push Vincent''s Golem, destroy it, and even bring her minions to his Colossus before he revived to defend. After Vincents Golem fell, Nias minions gained heavier armor and flaming weapons. With this empowered army, she had no trouble pushing through the upcoming enemy waves and take down the Colossus. DEFEAT Welp, Vincent smiled wryly. That was sure interesting. With that, the first part of Nias exam was over. Vol.7 Ch.20: The Second Test Nia''s 1v1 test match against Vincent came to an end. Surprisingly, she gained the upper hand and won the entire thing. "Welp, she sure got me," Vincent smiled wryly. "She''s rather impressive for a freshman." "All I saw was you making a lot of mistakes," Yuel said. "I''d like to claim otherwise but I''m disappointed with myself as well," Vincent admitted. "It''s unfathomable for me to make such mistakes. That girl, BlackFlower, definitely has some sort of power!" "Of course she does." "And, it''s such a fearsome power that even my Information Blackhole can''t discern its true nature! Even after an entire match, her specialty remains shrouded in darkness!" "So, even the great ''Arbiter of Talents'' can''t figure it out, huh." "Indeed! Such blasphemy!" Vincent flailed his arms dramatically. "To think that I, the Arbiter of Talents, would fail to comprehend the talent of another player. Unheard of! We must be living in the wrong timeline!" He''s sure making a big deal out of it. Yuel thought. In a way, this indeed a peculiar occasion. Normally, the moment Vincent saw something he considered impressive, he attached a silly name to it and hyped it up through the roof. Yet, in Nia''s case, he claimed he couldnt quite "figure it out". It almost made it sound like Vincent really analyzed all these abilities he coined a name for. Almost. Still, there were definitely some odd circumstances surrounding Nias performance. She didn''t only take Vincent by surprise but, apparently, her plays were also unexpected for everybody else watching the game. Even Lars and Kai, the best duelists here, attested that Nias plays came out of left field for them. Perhaps Kai sugar-coated things to make Nia look more skillful, but Lars had no reason to make things up. He said Nia''s plays caught him by surprise so it was probably the case. Though, it''d still be interesting to see whatd happen in practice. Because frankly, right now, none of this sounds particularly convincing. "So," Kai started. "Since Nia won, we all agree she passed, right? Right." "She only won because Vincent has been messing up left and right," Yuel argued. "Nia does know how to play, I''ll give her that. But, it''s hard to judge whether she''s really skilled enough to compete against the Gold players who applied to the club." "Even a win isn''t good enough for you, huh." Kai gave him a look. "Im just saying we shouldn''t rush to conclusions. It''s unclear how much of that victory was Nia''s skill and how much of it was Vincent clowning around." "Hey, hey, hey," Vincent objected. "I was playing with every I had. I even tapped into the dark witchcraft of hell to receive demonic powerups so I could vanquish my opponent!" "You mean that demonic skin you were wearing? Indeed! Its an artifact from the depths of hell itself! Only the most qualified of players can don it! Well, seems like being a total amateur is good enough to qualify." "Gaaaaaaaah!" Vincent staggered backward as if he received a heavy blow. "Seriously, though. Even I don''t really comprehend what just transpired there. How did I mess up so badly? Was it me? Or, was it Nia''s elusive special ability? Does she possess some mysterious ability that can even nullify my Information Balckhole!? These questions will keep me up at night if I don''t get to the bottom of it right away. " "Wait, Kai frowned. You also want to test Nia again?" "Indeed! We must get to the bottom of this case and expose the truth! But, don''t get me wrong. I believe she has already played well enough to pass. However! As the Arbiter of Talents, my hunger for the truth hasn''t been satisfied! I demand to know more! I see for myself exactly how she fools her opponents into committing such terrible misplays." "So, you want to play her again?" Kai asked. "If possible, I rather observe the unfolding events from the side. That''ll increase my efficiency as the Arbiter of Talents by 50%!" "Then, who gonna play her?" Kai looked at everybody. "I suggest Lars," Yuel jumped the opportunity. "That''ll be too harsh," Kai objected. "Even if she''s good, fighting Lars will make her look bad. Hes a Challenger rank player." Actually, hes only Diamond in Duel, Yuel correct. Hey, Im almost there! Lars exclaimed. Diamond I, yo! Just gotta win a few more matches and Im Challenger no problem. Here, gimme 5 minutes and Imma become Challenger! I know, I know, Yuel said. Anyway, I still suggest Lars. If Nia plays poorly and can''t get anything going against Lars, we''ll simply conclude her skill level in Duel is somewhere between Vincents and Larss." "Sounds like you just want to bully her," Kai gave him a look. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Don''t worry, dude," Lars flashed his teeth. "I ain''t gonna go full hardcore mode. But, don''t expect me to lose on purpose either." "I don''t know about this," Kai crossed her arms. Her fears were understandable. She has already faced Lars before so she knew what manner of monster he was in combat. Even in MOBA mode, Yuel and Lars have won many Ranked matches simply from Lars terrorizing his lane opponents and destroying their fighting spirits. Nevertheless, Yuel really wanted to see how this duel will play out. If Nia can make Lars commit the same mistakes Vincent made, that''ll imply she had amazing potential. In such a case, Yuel would approve of her on the spot. "I admit," Vincent said. "I''m also curious about how this fight will play out. The elusive BlackFlower vs. the unbeatable Gunz! Who will reign supreme!?" "Fine, whatever," Kai sighed in defeat. "Let''s have them play." She checked around the room. "Huh? Where did Nia go?" Nia was nowhere to be found. She should''ve been sitting on the chair at the corner of the room, yet the chair was empty. "Vanished!" Vincent exclaimed. "The phantom candidate disappeared without a trace! Its a locked-room mystery!" "Except, the door is open," Yuel pointed out. "Oh, right! Nice deduction, detective Chessmaster. From that, we can conclude the culprit escaped through the unlocked door!" "Not really," Yuel walked around the table to the opposite side of where everybody was standing. There, he founded a black hairball. "Eavesdropping on the examiners is bad taste, you know, Yuel said. "G-Gufu!" Nia jumped and drew away. "I-I wasn''t eavesdropping. That''s a rude accusation." "Sure. Then, what were you doing down there?" "Just taking a rest." "A rest? On the floor behind our table?" "That''s how I like it. My favorite pastime" "Okay then," Yuel rolled his eyes. "B-Besides!" Nia pointed at him. "How? How did you find me?" "How did I ''find you''? Then, you admit you were hiding?" "G-Gufu!" Nia took an invisible hit. "I actually wonder too," Luke said. "How the heck did ya find her so fast? I didn''t see anybody and I was the closest." "Indeed," Vincent nodded. "Even my all-absorbing Information Blackhole couldn''t tell Nia''s position. It''s like she escaped into the fifth dimension to dodge me!" What''s even the fifth dimension? Yuel made a face. Anyway, this was peculiar. Yet again, there was this unsettling feeling. For some reason, only Yuel could spot Nia right away. Admittedly, even he didn''t notice when Nia snuck away from her chair and crept all the way over here. Her footsteps must have been light a feather. It was like she entered real-life Stealth mode. Real-life Rogue confirmed. Still, once Yuel started looking around, it didn''t take him long to spot that black spaghetti hair. But, he was the only one to find her so quickly. For the others, it was as if Nia vanished into thin air or escaped into the "fifth dimension", whatever that meant. I probably just had the best angle for spotting her. It''s not like anybody went out of their way to search for her too hard. I was just in the best position to see her, that''s all. "I guess she was just in my field of view," Yuel shrugged. "Impossible," Nia argued but immediately regretted speaking up. "Ah, I mean. Umm. Nevermind." "Anyway," Kai wheeled the conversation back on topic. "Nia, we''d like you to duel one more time. Is that alright?" "Ok," Nia nodded dimly and returned to her chair without asking anything else. She probably heard all the details while spying on them so she knew whats up. "Also," Yuel added. "Can you please pick something other than Rogue for the next match?" "Ok," Nia nodded dimly without showing much emotion. It was difficult to tell whether this request bothered her or not. Nia''s Rogue play was decent but Yuel had to make sure it wasn''t the only class she played. Rogue was a solid class in Duel but a meme in the MOBA so it''ll be more reassuring if Nia knows how to play a more useful class. "So," Lars leaped onto the chair in front of the PC. "What do ya guys want me to pick? Trickshooter? Gunslinger?" "That''s going overboard," Kai objected. "Are you trying to bully her?" "But, dude looks kinda strong and all. She even beat Vince." "It will be a slaughter," Vincent theatrically stretched his arms toward the ceiling. "Shall you pick thee strongest classes, thee shall crush her spirit and make her rethink all her life choices." "Exactly," Kai nodded. "Even good players can get discouraged after fighting your Shooter and Slinger." "I agree," Yuel said. "No need to go overboard for an exam. Just pick something decent like Pirate." "Okey-dokey," Lars locked in Pirate. "Jeez, didn''t know my Shooter and Slinger scare dudes so much, haha." Meanwhile, Nia returned to her personal corner at the far end of the room and curled up on the chair. Ok, no Rogue. Nia scrolled away from her favorite pick. Then, maybe Ninja? Hmm, I need something good. Shadow Walker? Eh, it''s such a hit-or-miss... Nia titled from side to side on the chair while scrolling through the roster of assassins. Based on what she heard, her new opponent was going to be a much bigger fish. She was about to fight a high-level competitive player! A pro-caliber duelist! Scary. Nevertheless, she had to do it. This was a rare opportunity to properly join a club. The people here liked bullying a little but they didn''t seem like bad people. Maybe she''ll even be able to make some friends here for a change! I have to ace it. She clenched her controller. No matter how strong her opponent will be, she had to give them a hard time. She''ll stealthily sneak up behind them and strike them down like a ninja! Nin nin. In the heat of the moment, Nia landed on Ninja and locked in. This class had some issues in Duel but it had stealth so that made it top tier for Nia. Her stealth worked on the previous examiner so it''ll surely work on the new guy as well. After all, that pro duelist couldn''t spot Nia behind the table just a few seconds ago. Hell never find her! In fact, nobody there saw her; she hid like a pro. If they held Olympics for hide-and-seek, Nia will surely be a runner up. Back in kindergarten, nobody could find her when playing hide-and-seek. At some point, everybody just gave up and had to hold the L. Though, sometimes, the other kids kinda forgot about her and left, leaving her behind in her hideout... A-Anyway, her new opponent couldn''t find her just now so this wasn''t an impossible fight. On the other hand, that other guy in the group... How did he find me? Nia grumped. She hid so perfectly behind that table and yet the mean-looking boy saw through her camouflage. How dare he. Next time, I''ll hide so well he''ll not find me in a million years! With that irrelevant resolve, Nia headed into her second exam. Vol.7 Ch.21: Shadow Clone The match between Lars and Nia began. Nia picked Ninja for its OP stealth whereas Lars went for Pirate. Or, at least, it should''ve been a Pirate... "Haha! What''s with this dude?" Lars laughed at his own character. He was playing on Vincent''s account so the Pirate had quite the... interesting design. "Pft, haha! This looks so weird!" Thats the High Seas Commentator! Vincent said. He plunders all the hot moments of the match! Sick, yo! Lars gave a thumbs up. The Pirate was wearing a slick suit, like those dudes delivering news on TV. He was holding a microphone instead of a pistol and when he fired basics, he talked into the mic to produce sound notes that flew forward. When switching to the cutlass, this newsman attached a stand to his mic and waved it around to attack. Stuff was hilarious. 10/10 skin. After Lars finished messing around with this silly skin, he focused on the match at hand. "Ninja, huh," Lars smiled mischievously. "This gonna be interesting. I''mma go invade her blue camp." "Wait," Kai was quick to object, as always. "No need to be so aggressive. We''re here to test her not to beat her up." "But, ya gotta invade in these situations," Lars said. "I got da range so I gotta use it against her." "I agree that invading is a strong play here, Kai said. But, if it works, it''ll put her in a terrible position right from the start. Dying in the first minute of the match always feels like shit." "Haha, true dat," Lars nodded. "Okay, I''mma give her a break and play nice. Don''t expect mercy from me on lane, though. That dude can sure fight so I wanna go all out, yo!" "Just don''t overdo it..." Kai''s almost sounded pleading. She knew first hand how overwhelming Lars was as an opponent so she prayed this beast won''t crush Nia to the point of no recovery. While Lars was on his way to his Wraith Camp, Nia was also in the middle of making her first big move. Pirate. What a pain. Nia twisted her lips. Now, its proven: they''re bullying me. As an assassin, fighting a marksman was either the most fun thing ever or a total disaster. If Nia can get close enough to strike, she''ll destroy that guy in a blink of an eye. However, when the marksman was the cautious type who knew how to properly position himself, he''d just stay away and space Nia out. There was very little an assassin could do against marksmen like that. Ban marksmen from Duel pls, ktnx. What do I build against Pirate? Nia checked her surroundings. Ok, clear. She stealthily took out her phone and inputted the Ninja vs. Pirate matchup in the Tipmancer app. It gave her a build recommendation and a few tips. Imperial Spear. I see, the classic. Nia nodded. This was the standard Ninja opening so there was nothing special recommended against a Pirate opponent. That made some sense because Imperial Spear was such a great setup for Izuna Drop, Ninjas ultimate. There was only one interesting note against marksmen in general. Tipmancer warned against early invasions. That made sense because marksmen had a huge advantage when ambushing assassins. They struck from afar so the assassin couldnt immediately retaliate. I bet this tip right here is why so many Platinum marksmen have been invading against me recently. They all must be using Tipmancer too. Cheaters. Interestingly, this tip worked both ways. Assasins also had a great benefit from invading marksmen as long as they could get close undetected. Not all assassins had the tools for it but any assassin with stealth could pull it off. And, Ninja was one such class. Should I try it? If I get an early kill, itll make the game that much easier. But, what if he notices? I havent erased my presence yet. The invade may fail and then Ill die instead. Too risky. Nia gave up on that idea and quietly headed toward her Wraith Camp. It was better to take this slow and safe like she has always done. Instead of going all-in with an invade, she should focus on playing around the enemys potential invade instead. Lets see. Nia hid behind a corner and spied on her Wraith Camp. There was nobody around but that didnt mean anything yet. Her opponent might be lurking nearby and waiting for her to step into the camp. She couldn''t risk it. The wraiths spawned in the camp at the same time minions spawned on the lane. So far, still no sight of the enemy Pirate. Was he there? Was he lurking around in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity to jump her!? It was too scary to test out. Therefore, instead of approaching the camp by herself, Nia activated Shadow Clone. It summoned a copy of the Ninja and sent it running forward. Naturally, Nia directed the clone toward the Wraith Camp. This should bait him out if hes there. Nia cautiously advanced toward the camp as well. She was stealthed while her clone was alive so there was no risk of the enemy spotting her right now. Instead, the enemy could see the clone and will hopefully focus on it. But, nothing happened. The clone ran into the Wraith Camp and attacked the wraiths. There was no sign of the enemy Pirate in the area. Hes not invading? Really? Ok then. Nia looked around one more time and proceeded to clear the Wraith Camp together with her clone. The clone died pretty quickly but at least it tanked hits and dealt some damage to the wraiths. That helped Nia clear the camp a little faster. Thank you, my twin. Your efforts will not be in vain. After getting the blue buff, Nia retreated deeper into her side of the map and circled around the walls to arrive on the lane from a safe position. It took longer this way but she didnt want to risk running into the Pirate in the middle of the jungle. This was an important exam and her opponent was a marksman so she had to tread carefully. By the time she arrived at the lane, the Pirate was already there, waiting to bully her. She didn''t dare to come any closer. It was scary. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Instead, she let her minions clash at the center of the map and watched the unfolding events from afar. The Pirate was helping his minions by covering fire but Nia just stood at a distance and did absolutely nothing for her allies. What a funny skin. Nia thought as she watched the Pirate do his thing. Instead of a gun, he was holding a microphone and firing heated up commentary at the minions. "What a shot!" "Beautiful last-hit!" "Such a high-level!" Every other shot was accompanied by a one-liner like this. It was rather silly but funny to watch. It helped Nia pass the time as she waited for her Shadow Clone skill to come out of cooldown. By the time Shadow Clone came online, Nia''s entire minion wave was already gone. So, she just retreated to her Golem and waited for the incoming enemies. Once the enemies stepped into the Golem''s area, Nia summoned her clone and assaulted the invaders together with her dear twin sister. When Shadow Clone was used in broad daylight like this, the enemy obviously knew which Nia was real and which was a fake. So, even though the enemy couldn''t shoot the real Nia because that''d aggro the Golem, the Pirate was free to attack Nia''s sister without any risk because she was just a bot. At least, hopefully, that''s what the enemy thought. In practice, the Golem treated Nias clone the same as the real deal. So, no matter whether the Pirate shoots Nia or her dear sister, the Golem will make quick work of them! Nia caught many amateurs off guard with this strat. She lured them into the Golem area and made the shoot the clone, which aggro''d the Golem on them and deleted at least half their HP. It was easy to go for an early kill from such a position. Alas, this Pirate didn''t commit such a mistake. He focused on shooting the Golem and let both Nias clear his minions. Tch, what a smart fellow. "I''m glad you didn''t fall for it," Yuel commented. "Itd be a very sad game if you attacked the clone." "Hey, who did you think I am?" Lars grinned. "I ain''t Challenger for show, ya know? I know some stuff too. Attacking the clone under tower is a newbie mistake. I''ve graduated from that ages ago, yo!" So, you actually fell for that before? Yuel chuckled. With that said, it was hard to blame Lars for it because most people fell for that on their first time. Even Yuel got burned by that interaction once. In his mind, the clone was a minion so it should''ve obeyed the rules of any normal minion. In other words, attacking the clone shouldnt have triggered enemy minions and towers. Therefore, with a high-damaging mob on the lane, it only made sense to focus on it first before pushing the tower. Thats why Yuel carelessly shot the first clone he ever encountered. Unfortunately, that triggered the entire enemy wave on him and he had to run for his life. It was one of these embarrassing mistakes that will stay on his mind for life. After living through this dangerous situation, there was no way he''d ever forget the game treated the clone as a real player for minion aggression purposes. This special characteristic of Shadow Clone was the only way a Ninja could compete against a long-ranged opponent during the laning phase. During the next minion wave, Nia stayed in the back again but, this time, she sent her clone to the frontline to clear minions Even though Ninja was a melee class, Shadow Clone allowed the class to do remote farming like this. The clone had much lower HP than Nia so it could easily die to minion fire. But, that wasnt an issue because the enemy minions saw the clone as a real player. That made them prioritize other minions first. Thus, the clone stayed out of harm''s way as it slashed away at the enemies. The clone''s stats were just a percentage of the original''s so it couldn''t clear the wave as quickly as Nia could''ve had. Nevertheless, the power of Ninja''s basics was rather high and Nia bought Imperial Spear for extra power so the clone cleared the minions fast enough. On top of that, all the farm the clone earned went directly to Nia. I wish there were more automated remote-controlled options like this in the game. Yuel thought. Sending somebody else to do all the hard work for him was the best. A class like that would rely primarily on the player''s ability to strategize and less on their mechanical skill. Yuel would have mained the heck out of such a class. Unfortunately, there was no such class for Support. Nia''s clone vanished after a while but it did its job. The enemy''s entire frontline was gone and it became a battle between bowmen. Your efforts won''t be in vain. Nia silently thanked her departed twin sister. Even though Nia didn''t participate in the farming at all, she earned solid exp and gold thanks to her sister''s efforts. Nia still had to clear the rest of the enemy wave under tower and suffer a farming penalty for it, but it wasn''t so bad. And so, this routine repeated itself. During every minion wave, Nia sent her dear sister to wreak havoc on the frontline while Nia herself only cleared the remains afterward. "You''re not going to attack her?" Yuel asked. "Hmm, I dunno," Lars tilted his head. "Like, I''m getting some damage on the Golem every time so it gonna die eventually. This ain''t like the hax Golem of MOBA that heals itself all the time faster than Wolverine. This smaller Golem dude plays it fair. He knows to admit defeat like a real man." "True, you''ll eventually take the Golem down at this rate. But, you don''t want to try scoring any kills on her? In all the times I''ve seen you play Duel, youve always tried to get in the enemy''s face and kill them." "Nah, why take the risk?" "Why indeed," Yuel frowned. He had nothing to retort with. There was really no reason for Lars to go out of his way and aggress on the enemy here. Thats just put him in unnecessary danger. So, Lars''s laid-back attitude made perfect sense. But, that''s exactly what was so scary about it. When did this goof learn to play patiently like this? It was still one thing when Yuel especially asked Lars to play patiently. But, for the hungry beast to be cautious like this of his own accord? Unfathomable. I feel like I''ve been thinking that a lot lately. Yuel realized. Over the past two weeks, it felt as if Lars''s hyper-aggressive approach to the game has been dying out. Instead of chasing every kill, Lars opted to keep himself alive even if it meant giving up on tempting opportunities. The selection match is probably still on his mind. Yuel thought. He understood the feeling because it was the same for him. Even though this was just a test match for Nia, Yuel couldn''t help but wonder whether Nia had some amazing defensive skills and was going mount a devastating counterattack the moment Lars aggresses. Even though a freshman shouldnt have any amazing skill like that, Yuel couldnt erase the possibility from his head no matter how hard he tried. Lars was probably concerned by the same thing. That''s why he chose the slow and careful approach. If he can win without taking any risks, hell take that route. And so, the same routine repeated without interruption. Both sides farmed slowly and cautiously. Each and every time, Lars won the exchange and landed a few shots on the Golem. It was a slow process but a safe and effective one. The Golem''s HP has already dropped to 50%. If Nia plans to make a move, it should be sometime around now. Yuel thought. There was no doubt that Nia will try something soon. She was the type to play defense for a long time and then suddenly to go on the offensive; that''s how she caught Vincent off-guard last game. Will the same tactic work against Lars? Another wave, another slow burn. Lars smiled wryly. Honestly, he was itching to jump in with his guns blazing. Or, with his mic blazing, in the cast of his High Seas Commentator skin. Gonna commentate the opposition to death, yo! But, he didn''t dare. There was no telling what sort of trap he might run into. It was unnecessarily risky. If things keep going like this, Lars will eventually win. So, it was better to take it easy and slowly poke the Golem to death. The usual plan. How surprising. Lars yawned as he saw the Ninja clone dashing toward his minion wave. Yet again, this wave gonna play out exactly the same as before. There was nothing for him to do but shoot the minions and wait until they push all the way to the enemy Golem. There won''t be any action or any surprises here. It was the usual Ninja clone wave-clearing tech. Zzz. He could do this in his sleep. Same as always, he just fired at the enemy minions from afar. He gonna wrap this up quickly and advance toward the- SLASH! "Wha!?" A blade cut across his back! From where!? How could there be somebody standing behind him!? The Ninja clone was right over there, clearing minions. And, as always, the real Nia was... nowhere in sight, actually! She was right behind him and she was about to end his whole career! Vol.7 Ch.22: Vanishing Phantom SLASH Outta nowhere, a dagger cut through Lars from behind! Nia was behind him and she gonna wreck if he doesnt act fast! "Crap!" She gonna go for that airdrop move! I gotta get outta here! Ok! Nia nodded to herself. She successfully infiltrated enemy territory and delivered the opening strike. The passive of her Imperial Spear boosted the damage of her abilities by 50% after landing a basic attack so it was time to end this with Izuna Drop! Nia thrust her arms to wrap herself around the enemy. After that, she gonna leap into the air and-!? Wha!? She only caught air! The enemy disappeared! "Eh? Wha..." Nia blinked. How? What? But, Izuna Drop is supposed to be a guaranteed follow up after the opening attack... "Phew!" Lars exhaled after barely escaping in the nick of time. He rolled away as soon as the ambush hit him and just barely got out of the range of Nias Izuna Drop. "Hell yeah! Safe!" Lars pumped a fist. "Such reaction speed!" Vincent exploded. "Did you all see that!? An instant roll after getting hit from behind! Ultra instinct at its finest! Nobody could pull off such as stunt except for the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse!" "#JustLarsThings." Luke joked. By now, everybody got used to seeing Lars pulling off such inhuman miracles. Not going for Izuna Drop right away was greedy. Yuel thought. Then again, landing one hit from behind and then doing Izuna is probably fast enough to catch most people off-guard. It takes a special kind of reaction monster to dodge such a play on reaction. Lars thwarted Nia''s assassination plan but the battle wasn''t over yet. Nia was deep in Lars''s territory so, of course, he was going to capitalize on this awesome opportunity! "Let''s rock n'' roll, yo!" Lars pointed his mic-slash-pistol at Nia. From now on, the prey gonna be the predator, yo! How? It should''ve hit... Nia trembled. Ever since she first started using this assassination tactic, this was the first time she failed to land the Izuna Drop after the opening attack. Of course, its not like she always landed Izuna Drop on everybody every time for zero effort. For example, there were times she failed to sneak up to her opponent because they were too cautious of her presence. But, whenever she successfully got to her opponent''s back while in stealth - it was over. Nia started with an opening basic attack from behind to trigger the damage boost of Imperial Lance and then wrapped things up with an Izuna Drop that always landed without an accident. In fact, even landing two strikes before Izuna Drop usually worked. Nia only stopped doing that after some Diamond rank opponents started dodged it recently. It became risky to rely on a setup that only worked 90% of the time so she opted for the one that worked 100%. At least, it shouldve worked 100%... Was this setup dodgeable this entire time? Thats... Nia''s entire life was a lie. She has executed this setup at least a hundred times by now. So, as turned out, in each of these times her opponent could''ve easily countered her with a simple Dodge Roll? No way... BLING "Ah!" Nia jumped. A sound note struck her. The commentator Pirate was shooting fiery commentary at her! Bad. Bad. Bad! What do I do!? Nia never imagined her setup could be countered like this. What should she do in this alien scenario? This situation was yikes through and through. Thanks to this failure, Nia found herself deep in enemy territory at her opponents gunpoint. Her opponent was a marksman who successfully created some distance between them. With all of that in mind, should she try attacking anyway? No way. She''ll die. I have to escape. But, where!? The Pirate was blocking the path ahead while the enemys Golem area was behind her. She was sandwiched, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Great. Her only viable escape options were the jungles on her sides. But, were they really viable? Could she even escape through- BLING! Another shot! S-So fast! Nia was moving back and forth to juke the enemy''s shots but they were so fast and accurate. I-I have to do something! BLING! Another shot was coming! "A-Ack!" Nia squeaked and hit Shuriken Flip like a panic button. The Ninja flipped backward and threw a Shuriken toward the Pirate. Oh noes, I did it again! Nia wanted to smack herself in the forehand so badly right now. Shuriken Flip wasn''t meant to be used as a panic button like this but she did it anyway. This was a disaster. The end was nigh. At least, the backflip made her fly all the way into Bot Jungle. So, she got outside the range of the Pirate''s shots. Or, so she thought. "Ya really using that?" Lars grinned after sidestepping the random shuriken. "Then, I gotcha, dude!" Lars turned his back toward the Ninja and activated Backfire Cannon. The knockback sent him flying toward the jungle and that made his close the distance in an instant. "E-Eek!" H-He''s already here! Nia jumped. So fast! So accurate! This monster gave her the chills. She had to get out! Get away! As far as humanly possible! "Release the-" Nuuuuuu! Nia instinctively rolled away upon hearing that opening phrase. The Kraken was coming! She had to evacuate the premises on the double. She successfully rolled away but silence followed. There was no follow up to the Pirate''s opening line. The Kraken didn''t come. A feint!? Nia wanted to smack herself so hard in the forehead right now. Of course, Pirate can cancel the Kraken. What was I thinking!? Stupid, stupid, stupid. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. It was over. She was stripped of her options against the Pirate''s Kraken. There was nothing else for her to pull anymore. Did she just stop? Yuel wondered. After Nia recovered from the roll, she showed no signs of moving. She just stood there like a statue. "What''s up, dude?" Lars asked. "Welp, guess I just do it?" He fired away at Nia. There was no need to waste his Kraken if he could wrap this up with basic attacks. You have killed an enemy! "That was weird," Lars said. "You think maybe her controller stopped working or something?" "Doesn''t look like it," Yuel said. "I think she realized she got outplayed and gave up." "Gave up? Just like that?" "Apparently," Yuel glanced at Kai. What sort of defense was this biased attorney going to pull this time? "H-Huh," Kai averted her eyes without saying anything. Even she couldn''t come up with an excuse this time. No surprise there; giving up in the middle of a fight like this was uncompetitive and outright disrespectful. There was no excuse for such a thing. In fact, from the moment Lars first thwarted Nia''s sneak attack by dodging her Izuna Drop, her movements became sluggish. It was like she had a very specific plan of attack in mind when she started but, when things didn''t go as planned, she became lost. But, it''d be cruel to hold this against a rookie like her. Yuel also used to freeze like this before when he thought his flawless plan was about to fall apart. Besides, anybody would be astonished by seeing Lars doing Lars things for the first time. In short, all these faults could be attributed to being a rookie; no need to criticize them too harshly. What was way more interesting about this entire exchange was the way Nia snuck up to Lars and caught him off guard. If she had gone for Izuna Drop right away from stealth, this fight would have played out differently. She almost got you, Yuel said. I know, right? Lars laughed. Almost gave me a heart attack. I thought I was dead meat when she popped outta nowhere. Was it really that unpredictable? Yuel asked. "Totally didn''t see it coming." "You should''ve figured something was up when she sent her clone forward but didn''t break stealth. Remember, Shadow Clone''s cooldown is reduced if the stealth ends earlier so she always went out of stealth right away to minimize cooldown. So, her staying in stealth for even a second shouldve been a red flag." "Yeah, makes sense," Lars nodded. "So, what happened? How did her gank surprise you?" "I dunno. It just came outta nowhere, yo." "But, you saw she was stealthed. You should''ve suspected something was afoot." "Hmm. Yeah, probably." "Probably? Wait, don''t tell me you didn''t check whether she was there after she made the clone." "I''m pretty sure I did. At least, I think I did. Hmm. I did, right?" "You asking me?" Yuel made a face. This was going nowhere fast. What was it with Lars and Vincent? When it came to Nia, it''s like they lost their ability to analyze the situation. It was so bizarre. "You all saw that setup, right?" Yuel turned to the others. "It was hard to tell, man," Luke shrugged. "Wasn''t she like at the corner of the screen the whole time? We couldn''t even see her half the time from this perspective." "Is that so," Yuel thought back on Nia''s routine and realized that Luke was right. Most of the time, Nia stayed on the far right side of the lane. When she sent her clone toward the minion wave, the clone had to travel diagonally to reach the wave. Meanwhile, Nia remained tucked away at the edge of the lane. Therefore, she was always barely visible from Lars''s point-of-view while he focused on the minion wave. Did Nia play like that on purpose? This stunt didn''t work on Yuel in the slightest but it seemed to lower others'' guard. Was this a 200 IQ ploy? Or, did Nia just have a knack for decreasing her presence? "Kukuku," Vincent stretched his arms as if to present somebody. "As I thought, BlackFlower got something! Even though I''m the Arbiter of Talents, her talent has been eluding me for a long time. But, that''s only natural, for her talent is none other than Vanishing Phantom!" Here we go again. Yuel rolled his eyes. Though, admittedly, he was a little curious to hear what Vincent thought of Nia. Just a little curious. Better not give that clown too much credit. "So, you want to hear it?" Vincent wore the smug of a know-it-all. "You want to learn the truth behind her magic, don''t you!?" "Get on with the program already," Kai urged. "Alrighty, listen, and listen well. Her ability is..." *dramatic pause* "To erase her presence! It''s like a high ranked Presence Concealment ability!" "Whoa! Cool!" Lars exclaimed. "So, what does it do?" "I bet he got no idea either," Yuel shrugged. "What does it even mean to ''erase presence''? Such nonsense." "I see, I see," Vincent nodded. "So, Chessmaster wishes to challenge me to a debate. Very well! I, the Arbiter of Talents, accept the challenge!" "It''s not a debate. I''m just saying you''re making random stuff up. Thats facts." "Then, pray tell, how comes nobody noticed Nia''s plan? As you said, it should''ve been pretty obvious. But, everybody was shocked. How come?" "That''s..." Yuel didn''t have an answer. He was asking himself the same thing and it stumped him. How was it possible that only he saw Nia''s attack coming? There was no reasonable explanation for that. "You also felt it, right?" Vincent asked. "Sometimes, Nia just naturally slips out of your mind like she was never there in the first place." "Can''t say I felt that way." "Seriously?" Vincent frowned and turned to the others. "You all felt that too, right?" "Totally, man," Luke said. "It feels like if I don''t focus on her I gonna forget she''s even there, haha." "She does have a rather weak presence," Kai agreed. "Ergo, there''s no mistake in my conclusion," Vincent concluded. "Nia is the Vanishing Phantom! Thats rather flimsy evidence you got there, Yuel argued. As I said, I dont recall feeling that way about Nia. I suppose that is a valid point, Vincent nodded. This is indeed peculiar. Why can Yuel always see Nia despite her Vanishing Phantom? Lets see how long it takes you to blame that on a new type of mystic eyes I got. Oh! But of course! It''s because you got the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception! As long as somebody exists, your mystic eyes shall fully expose their weaknesses no matter how weak their presence is!" "What a load of nonsense," Yuel sighed. But, maybe there was a grain of truth to Vincent''s observations. Of course, not the part about the Mystic Eyes but rather Yuels ability to thoroughly analyze the situation. In his mind, Yuel saw the match as a chessboard. At all times, he thought about the positions of the pieces and the possible lines of play for them. As such, he always kept in mind where Nia should be positioned on the board. And, when he failed to find her at the expected position, that alerted him immediately. Any occurrence like that meant he had to fix his mental chessboard according to the new data, Also, that naturally begged the question of how such disparity occurred in the first place. Thats probably what helped him consider the possibility of Nias sneak attack. So, perhaps Vincent''s analysis wasn''t that far-off after all. Indeed, Nia was the "Vanishing Phantom". Or, in human language, she was good at sneaking around unnoticed and lowering the opponent''s guard. Except, that didnt work on the way Yuel kept track of the game. But, was it even possible to have such a talent for sneaking around in a third-person video game? Well, maybe it wasn''t impossible. In a way, it was similar to how Yuel would sometime notice that an opponent was distracted and used that opportunity sneak up to them without them noticing. Even though each player was controlling an avatar with a poker face, it was still possible to read them to some degree based on their movements and tendencies. Nia probably relied on tells like that to slip away without altering her opponents, That could explain how she snuck up to Lars and Vincent so easily. For now, this was just a theory based on circumstantial evidence. Yuel had to see more proof to draw a solid conclusion. And, the next part of this exam will surely be interesting. After Lars completely crushed Nia in that 1v1, how was she going to recover? What sneaky new plan to attack will she devise to win the next clash? Vol.7 Ch.23: Coming Out of the Shell What a monster. Nia thought. That Pirate was something else. He thoroughly destroyed her without batting an eye. Could she even do anything against that guy? No way... Your Golem has been destroyed! Great. Even lost my Golem. Im through. This was just one of these times, wasn''t it? From time to time, she ran into Platinum ranked opponents who clearly weren''t Platinum. They were either Grandmaster smurfs or future Grandmasters who haven''t earned enough points yet. These guys had tech that was outta this world. Every time Nia run into one of those, they mopped the floor with her as if she was a scrub who picked the game just the other day. These were painful games. Nia even sometimes felt like dropping Classmancers for good after these. Judging by the way this Pirate was playing, he was clearly a Grandmaster-in-training as well. No normal person could possibly dodge Izuna Drop so quickly while being surprised by a back-attack. It was simply impossible; it definitely went against the laws of physics and all that. What do I do? Nia curled into a ball as she waited for her respawn. Her sneak attack plan backfired in the worst way possible. For the rest of this match, she couldn''t rely on this setup anymore. The Imperial Spear into Izuna Drop was no longer a viable combo. But, Nia''s entire game plan for this match relied on pulling off that combo; she even bought that Imperial Spear specifically for it. The spear greatly boosted the physical damage of her next ability after landing a successful basic attack so it was supposed to power up the follow-up Izuna Drop from dangerous to deadly. But, that Grandmaster level Pirate could dodge this setup. It should have been an unreactable transition from one move into another, yet that Pirate could interrupt it with a Dodge Roll. Was there any chance that one dodge was a fluke? No way. It was impossible to dodge like that through sheer luck. This Pirate was definitely a monster with the inhuman reaction neccessary for thwarting Nias setup. Scary. Not to mention, once Nias surprise attack failed, the Pirate counterattacked right away without wasting a moment. In a blink of an eye, Nia turned from the predator into the prey. It was terrifying. I heard them say this player is good, but this is... Nia shuddered. What was she even supposed to do against this? She couldnt possibly beat such a Grandmaster level opponent. This, right here, wasnt an entrance exam; it was bullying. They set Nia up against a terrifying opponent just so they could laugh at how badly she was about to lose. Maybe she shouldnt have applied to this club, after all... I should just go home. Nobody will notice anyway. Nia brought her feet down to the floor and clenched her controller. Yeah, Ill just stand up and walk away. No point staying here just to be bullied like this. Despite these thoughts, Nia didnt budge. She remained frozen in place. Her Ninja has already revived but she just stared at it blankly. Was she going to run away again? Despite everything, this was a rare opportunity. For the first time in forever, somebody actually noticed her and invited her to join a club. She wont get many other chances like this. On top of that, it was a club for a game she liked. Admittedly, its MOBA mode was quite a pain because everybody always blamed her for everything. But, Duel was fun. Sneaking up to unsuspecting opponents and taking them down in one-shot was the best. In addition, the club was small so she wont have to be around too many people. Also, this basement room was nice. It felt like she could easily hide here from the rest of the world whenever she needed to. Playing here felt almost as safe as locking herself away in her room. But, I gonna lose... Nia jerked. That monster is going to walk all over me. Everybody will think Im the worst player ever. Theyll laugh at me and kick me out. I... SURRENDER Nia put down her controller. This was for the best. If she was going to embarrass herself like that in front of a crowd, she might as well quit before things got ugly. Huh? Kai blinked. A surrender? Heh, looks like she is shook, Luke chuckled. It was just one death, Yuel said. The match barely started so she had plenty of time to make a comeback. Cant say Im a fan of this quit. Did I go too far? Lars scratched the back of his head. She almost got me back there so I went all serious on her. You did fine, Yuel said. I didnt suggest you as her opponent just so you let her win. I wanted to see a proper game in which the examiner doesnt make an amateur mistake that gets them killed. Hey, hey, hey, Vincent exclaimed. I made no such mistake. Im telling you, its all the Vanishing Phantom! She erased her presence from my mind and snuck up to me! Yeah, sure. Yuel rolled his eyes. Frankly, I also wanted to test how Nia handled stressful situations. As we all know, fighting Lars can be rather discouraging. So, I wanted to see how that goes. Thats cruel, Kai said. Its like you threw her to the wolves on purpose. I knew I shouldve stopped this shit. What if she leaves because of this? Actually, where did she even go? Shes gone, Luke scanned the room with hand-binoculars. Her tablet isnt there either. Oh! She must have vanished from this realm! Vincent made noise. As expected from the one and only Vanishing Phantom! She can completely erase her existence, both inside and outside the game! What if she left? Kai shot a glare at Yuel. Itd be your fault. She didnt leave, Yuel replied calmly. Shes hiding behind me. He turned around and exposed the sneaky mouse. H-How? Nia trembled. You got eyes on your back too? I saw you sneaking in this direction. Tch, failed. What a tough it. When did this become a game of hide-and-seek? Yuel narrowed his eyes. Phew, good thing you didnt leave, Kai hurried to Nias side. Sorry about that match. That guy is too strong so pitting you against him was a mistake. Kai gave Yuel the evil eye while explaining the situation. I see, Nia nodded and sheepily peeked at Yuel through her long bangs. Hes the bully. All I want is to hold a proper exam, Yuel sighed. It felt like anything he says will be used against him. It was easier to just take the hit here and let them see him as the villain of this story. After all, he was the Chessmaster so it was only fitting. "I say we had enough," Kai put down her foot as the captain. "We saw Nia play well against Vincent earlier. It should be enough to convince anybody of her skill in Duel." She addressed everybody in the room but her eyes lingered on Yuel the most. After all, he was the "troublemaker" around here. "Alright, fine," Yuel wasn''t satisfied with the outcome but at least this match proved one thing: Vincent didnt mess up on purpose or by accident. Nia truly had a knack for lowering her opponent''s guard and sneaking up to them undetected. If not for Lars''s quick reaction, he might have also lost the duel. For now, that was enough to prove that Nia wasn''t a complete amateur. The items she built, the way she farmed, and her sneaky playstyle were all decent enough for a freshman. However, Duel alone wasn''t a good indication of whether a player was fit to play Classmancers. After all, it was a team game. "Then, let''s move on to the main MOBA mode," Yuel said. "That''ll be the true test. She proved she can play Duel but we need to make sure she can play MOBA too." "Yeah," Kai agreed this time. "So, let''s..." She paused and looked around. "Huh? Where did she go?" "Behind you," Yuel pointed. "Huh? No way. She was over there just a moment ago- Whoa!" Kai jumped after turning around. Nia was really standing behind her! When did that happen!? "Ahem," Kai was quick to compose herself. "We want to test how you play in MOBA mode as well. Is that alright?" This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Is that alright? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Aren''t the examiners supposed to dictate what''s going to be on the test? "MOBA..." Nia mumbled and glanced downwards. "I, um, kinda tired after the previous matches..." "You only played two Duels," Yuel said. And, you forfeited almost immediately in the second game. "Um, yeah, but, err..." "It gotta be test anxiety or some shit," Kai said. "Even a basic match can drain you when you know you''re being tested." "Y-Yeah! That." Nia nodded repeatedly and her spaghetti hair flailed like tentacle arms. This girl seems nice. Nia nodded to herself as she stared at Kai''s back. If I stay behind her, I won''t get bullied as much. Especially, by that main bully over there. She stared at Yuel with narrow eyes. That guy must be the ringleader of all the bullies. Scary. She has only played two matches and she''s already tired? Seriously? Yuel wondered. Exam or not, two Duel matches should be nothing for somebody who played the mode regularly. I sure hope she''s not trying to avoid the MOBA exam. "Cut her some slack, dude," Lars said. "She played slick for a rookie. She even almost got a kill on me. Can ya believe that?" "No, to be honest, I still find that hard to believe. You were careless back there. Id never think you''re almost a Challenger in Duel when you play sloppy like this." "Ouch, haha," Lars laughed it off and turned to Nia. "GG there. But, why did ya quit? You still had a chance." "I lost," Nia mumbled. "You''re too strong. You must be a Grandmaster." "Yep, I''m a Grandmaster! Just haven''t grinded up there yet. But, in terms of skill? I''m totally up there." "Of course you are," Kai rolled her eyes. "Believe it, yo. Wanna 1v1 me?" "I''m down. Let''s get it down after the exam." "You got it! First to ten lets go!" Lars turned to Nia again. "You totally should''ve kept fighting. You could''ve gotten me." "I don''t think so." Nia averted her eyes. "Yo ninja skills are top-level, I''m tellin'' ya. That sneak attack was the real shit. I somehow dodged it but I was legit worried how I gonna deal with it next time. Really wanted to keep playing against ya and see where it goes. You''re hella good, yo!" "T-Thanks," Nia felt her cheeks heating up. Even though that guy was a total duel monster who thoroughly destroyed her in that 1v1, he actually seemed like a nice person. Maybe Nia really should have tried harder. Even though her sneak tactic failed the first time, she was actually kinda close. If she just went for the Izuna Drop right away from stealth, she could''ve taken about half the enemy''s HP. So, she should''ve tried that attack at least one more time before quitting. I ran away. Like always. Nia slumped. Thats how it was every time for her. Every time she sensed trouble, she ran away and hid. That was so much safer and easier than confronting stuff. But, where did all that running bring her? Nowhere. She became a phantom. One of the boys here called her such and he on point. Nia was the elusive phantom who always ran away when things turned rough. So, was she going to ran away from this club too? Honestly, the upcoming MOBA exam sounded scary. Whenever she played online, everybody always blamed her for every little thing she did. Even something as simple as breathing was a sin somehow. It was awful. Even after she muted the chat, she could still hear their voices in her head. jungler is brain dead yeah jungler is a troll Jungler uninstall game ktnx It has been a long time since she turned off the chat option entirely. And yet, these insults have been eating away at her to this day. Was she really that bad? Was she making her teammates'' lives miserable? Was it better if she didnt exist? Nevertheless, she kept playing because Classmancers was otherwise a fun game. Though, already back then, she has been gradually shifting toward Duel mode. Fighting 1v1 was just way more relaxing. There was no chance of disappointing any teammates and she was the only one who could blame herself. But, grinding levels through Duel took long because the mode gave less player exp. So, Nia kept playing MOBA as well. She globally muted her teammates for all games and kept grinding to Lv. 50. At Lv.50, Ranked mode got unlocked. That was supposed to be proof that Nia finally became decent at the game. Surely, her teammates in Ranked would recognize her skill. So, Nia unmuted the chat for the Ranked qualifier. After all, when properly utilized, the chat and the pings were useful tools that helped teamwork. So, for important qualifier matches, Nia hoped the team would use the chat to great effect. Alas, it was a mistake. The complaints and slurring were more severe than ever. omg jungler kys jungler go play pacman tnx for putting us in bronze Nia quit the qualifier after just two games. It was horrible. Why did everybody have to be like that? It wasnt even like Nia did poorly in these two games. As long she got to play Jungler, her KDA was generally positive. She finished most games without dying much and with a bunch of kills on her record. So, she generally did just fine as a Jungler. The same couldnt be said for playing other roles so maybe the complaints were warranted there. But, as a Jungler? Nia was actually doing great. Or, at least she thought she was. Her teammates seemed to disagree. After suffering two toxic qualifier matches like that - she quit. She didnt touch Classmancers for two weeks after that. At the time, she thought she was done with this toxic game. However, after trying out some other PvP video games, she found herself playing Classmancers again. Why? She couldnt tell for sure. Most likely, because it felt like a waste to drop the game after pouring so many hours into it. In every new game she picked up, she had to learn the characters, abilities, and meta from scratch. It was such a chore. Every time she performed poorly and her team lost, she couldnt shake the feeling she wouldve easily turned things around if only this was Classmancers. Not to mention, other online games werent any better in terms of toxicity. Everybody was usually quiet during the first couple of levels of the game. But, once her account leveled up a little, complaints started pouring like a waterfall. Sometimes the toxicity was directed at her, sometimes at other teammates; it was such a disgusting environment. Worst of all, Nia felt like she was becoming one of these toxic players too. These environments were drawing the worst out of her. Therefore, she dropped team-based games altogether and focused on 1v1 modes. Thats how she came to main Duel in Classmancers. It wasnt quite as diverse and interesting as the MOBA mode but it was fun in its own way. Besides, sneaking up to opponents and striking them before they realized what happened was just the same in Duel as it was in MOBA. That was the most fun part of Classmancers. Best of all, there was nobody there to rant about her performance or insult her. She alone composed the entire team and was the only one who could criticize herself. So, instead of playing the Ranked MOBA mode she unlocked at Lv.50, she instead focused on the Ranked Duel mode that was unlocked at the same time It was rough climbing the ranks with just assassin classes but she made it all the way to Platinum. She actually achieved something; it was fun. Nobody could deny her achievement or say she was terrible at the game. In fact, nobody could say anything because there was literally nobody else there. Nia played all by herself. In every match, there was only her and her opponent. Some opponents sent her hatemail but thats about it. go play assassins creed you cheap sneaky bastard must be fun playing like a rat i swear imma find you irl and stab yo *** Some of these people are insane. Scary. Nia always made sure to report any player who talked like this. It always creeped her out even though she knew these people will never find her in real life. After all, sometimes people didnt notice her even while standing right in front of her. She was that sneaky. Nin nin. Still, she occasionally picked out of the window to make sure nobody was coming. It was scary. However, as for the insults themselves, they were just lame. These were the words of salty scrubs who got whooped hard. They should just go cry in a corner. You asking if its fun being sneaky like this? Nia smirked. Of course it is. QQ noob. It was awesome. Every time she snuck up to an unsuspecting opponent and cut them down - it was the best thing in the world! She could do that all day. Well, at least until she got tired and needed a nap. Still, despite how fun Duel was, occasionally she couldnt help but think back on the team-based MOBA mode. Toxicity aside, there were a bunch of fun moments she experienced there which Duel couldnt offer. For example, highlights like ganking an opponent with a pincer together allies. Or, friendly interactions like rescuing an ally by ganking their lane. Moments like these were rare but they made Nia feel like she mattered, like she changed somebodys day for the better and that they were grateful to her. It was like somebody actually noticed and acknowledged her presence. None of that was possible in Duel. The only emotion she could spark in this mode was the hatred of her defeated opponent. That was also a form of acknowledgment but it wasnt the positive type. It was more like Nia fighting against the world all by herself. Sigh. How great itd be if she could play the MOBA mode in a more positive environment. If only she wasnt always surrounded by a bunch of randoms who always claimed they knew better than her and thought it was alright to threaten people over the internet. Seriously, the FBI should monitor the game and put people like that in jail. Once in a while, Nia gave the MOBA mode another shot. However, she only played in Casual and always kept the chat muted. Her teammates probably always blamed her for everything but she didnt see the complaints so she didnt care. Okay, maybe she cared a little. Even without seeing the messages, she felt like they were insulting and blaming her. Sometimes, not knowing what they were saying about her felt even worse. She couldnt help but imagine the worst. Still, Nia didnt dare to unmute the chat. She kept it off and avoided all interaction with her teammates. She only used pings to announce where she was rotating and when she was about to gank a lane. That was more than enough. Or, was it? Wouldn''t it be better if she properly communicated with her teammates and they planned things together? After all, it was a team game. They should all be playing the game together. But, instead, Nia was playing by herself. Without any communication, her teammates were as real as bots. If only she could unmute the chat and talk to them, plan with them, and celebrate victory with them. Maybe she could even make some friends this way. Alas, it was impossible. Everybody acted like a toxic scum online so she avoided them like the plague. But, perhaps in this club, she''ll be able to get that dream realized. There was that girl with the black cap and the smiling blonde guy. They seemed nice. At the very least, they werent bullies. The others also seemed fine for the most part. There was that one bully who always criticized Nia for every little thing she did but the others kept him in check. Thats why, instead of running away like Nia has been doing her entire life... "O-Okay," Nia spoke up. "I can do the MOBA test. I just need a few minutes to recharge." And so, Nia took the first step. This was a rare opportunity that could only occur once in a millennium. She had to seize it. She''ll pass the exam and join a real club for the first time in her life! Hopefully, the MOBA exam wont be scary... Vol.7 Ch.24: Hide-and-Seek Grandmaster "I can do the MOBA test, Nia declared. I just need a few minutes to recharge." Recharge? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Are you a robot? "Are you sure about it?" Kai asked. "You don''t have to push yourself. You just went through two difficult duels." "It''s okay. I think." "You think?" "Um, I mean," Nia stumbled over her words. "I-I''ll do it! But, itd be nice if I can get a little break to recharge." "Sure, there''s no rush," Kai nodded. "Tell us when you''re ready." "Ok," Nia put down her school bag and fished inside. Meanwhile, Kai approached Yuel. "Did you blackmail her into it?" Kai asked. "I didn''t do anything," Yuel said. "And, that''s actually rude. I''m not some kind of a bully." "Not sure Nia agrees on that one and I see why. You''re not exactly being friendly this exam." "Why everybody has to be like this..." Yuel sighed. It felt like everybody here was making him out like some kind of villain. All he was trying to do was hold a proper exam that''ll test everything they needed to know about Nia''s skill. I bet Aron went through similar criticism before. Yuel smiled wryly. Back during StormBlitzs entrance exam, Yuel thought Aron was quite the bully examiner. Aron asked questions nonstop and made many remarks, some of which came off as rude. At the time, it felt Aron was getting a kick out of bullying freshmen. But, now that Yuel was in the same shoes, he realized that wasn''t the case at all. Aron merely tried to gauge Yuel''s skill to the best of his ability, the same thing Yuel was trying to do with Nia right now. Unfortunately, when the examinee was so difficult to judge, it forced the examiner to push harder to gather more useful data. However, doing so made it look like Yuel was pressuring Nia for fun. That wasn''t his intention at all. Seems like my high-level communication skills strike again. Yuel sighed. He really had to work on that area but he wasn''t sure how. Being good at communication would be a great plus for a shot-caller. As frustrating as it was to admit, everybody felt more motivated to follow the lead of somebody charismatic. That''s why everybody liked Howard as their shot-caller over Yuel. The only reason people agreed to follow Yuels calls was that he proved his ability time and again. But, that almost felt like submitting them through force. It shouldn''t be like that. Teammates should work more naturally with each other. If only Yuel could better convey his intentions without coming off as an evil criticizing nagger, everybody will be happier. Actually, maybe I should start right here and now. Yuel nodded to himself. This was a good opportunity to operate out of his comfort zone in order to improve the situation. He should clear things up with Nia and explain he was merely trying to test her in different ways to get a better read on her. What is she up to anyway? Yuel approached the curled mass of black hair. Nia was sitting hunched at the corner and making some weird noises. Oh, she''s eating something. There was a brown bar of chocolate in her mouth and she was munching on it with tiny but swift bites. She looked like a hamster. Pft, heh. No, stop. Put on a serious face. Ahem. Yuel cleared his throat and straightened his posture. Then, he approached Nia. Munch. Munch. Munch. Then, a pause. Nia slowly raised her black eyes and eyed him through her messy bangs. "I-I''m not giving it," Nia curled up further and pressed the bar of chocolate to her chest. "I didn''t come for that," Yuel said. "I just wanted to say that... Well..." Words didn''t come. He knew what he had to say but the words got lost somewhere at the back of his head. "Kukuku!" A suspicious laughed resounded from behind. "Just as my calculations showed! If I follow the trail of the Mystic Eyes, I can find the Vanishing Phantom!" Vincent popped out of nowhere. "So, that''s what you meant by ''recharging''," Vincent took a quick look at Nias chocolate and jotted something down on his tablet. "Alright, duly noted. The fuel for the Vanishing Drive is chocolate! You got a favorite brand?" "Anything goes as long as it''s good," Nia opened a pocket in her bag and revealed a pile of wrapped chocolates. "These are good." "Hohoho, that''s quite the collection! You always carry that many with you?" "My mom works at a sweets shop, so..." Nia took a long, hard look at the chocolates inside the bag. She was carrying so but she always ate them by herself. Didn''t other kids tend to share their snacks with their friends? Who knew. She never had such friends to share with. One time, she dumped a huge pile of chocolate on her table in class. She was hoping to share some sweets with others and make friends like that. It was a 200 IQ bribery tactic. But, that didn''t quite work out as she hoped. The chocolates successfully drew everybody''s attention and made them remember Nia exists. But, they only came to ask for chocolate and then left as soon as they got it. Nia didn''t even get to exchange a single word with them. Her grand chocolate bribery ploy fell through. But still, sharing snacks was something friends did, right? She got plenty to spare and the people in this club actually talked to her and were mostly nice, with a few exceptions. So, maybe this was the kind of situation where she should share chocolate? This will also be like bribery for the exam. Nia smirked. This should increase her chances of passing the scary MOBA exam. If everybody learns Nia carries snacks around and shares them, they''ll surely want her in the club so they can eat snacks all day long!. It was the perfect bribe. "Um, you want?" Nia stretched her hand in Vincent''s direction. "This is good stuff." "Hey, thanks," Vincent accepted the bar of chocolate. "Oh! This is indeed high quality! No doubt, it''s the chocolate of aristocrats! I shall dub you the Phantom of Chocolates! Nay, the Chocolate Phantom!" "Hah..." Nia wasn''t sure what to make of that. "I got more. So, if others want too..." "Got it," Vincent turned around and made a hand megaphone around his mouth. "Free chocolates! Free chocolates here! You''ve never tasted anything like it!" Not a moment passed and everybody was there. "Yo, what''s up?" Lars came over. "Oh! This thing is sick! Thanks, dude." "Not bad, not bad," Luke nodded. "Can I try that one too? And, this one also looks great too." "Thanks," Kai also took one. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. There was enough for everybody. In fact, there was way more than enough. There was virtually no end to the chocolates pouring out of Nia''s bag. Why do I carry so many? Nia smiled wryly Perhaps, all this time, she has been waiting for an opportunity to share the chocolates with others. Or, maybe she was just lazy and preferred to load her bag to last a week or two. OK, I bribed them. Nia nodded to herself. Now, they''ll let me pass for sure. And, maybe they''ll even become my friends. Just in case, I should offer them some more. Nia went on another round of giveaways for everybody. Except, there was one boy she refused to give anything to. It was that bully guy. He didn''t deserve anything. The entire time, the bully kept glaring at her as if judging her every move. He must have been trying to submit Nia through the intensity of his gaze. Scary. "I-I''m not giving you any," Nia puffed her cheeks. I see I''m very liked. Yuel sighed. Somehow, he managed to create the image of a bully even though he was merely trying to hold a proper entrance exam. Why did things always turn out this way? No, not this time. Yuel nodded to himself. This time, he won''t let it end here. He''ll speak up and try to clear up the situation. Yes, he will... once he figures what to say. Any moment now. Any moment. "What?" Nia looked at him with suspicious eyes. "Ah, well," Yuel shifted his eyes away. This was such a pain in the neck. Why did he even have to justify himself? He was trying to do the right thing here, yet everybody treated him like a villain for it. It was so wrong. Nevertheless, he had to suck it up and go through with it. "I''m sorry," Yuel almost coughed while pushing these words through his throat. "You seem to think I''m being mean to you but thats not my intention. All I want is to properly test your skills. Pitting you against Lars was a great way to see how you fare against a strong duelist, that''s all there is to it. Its just a part of the exam." "Suspicious," Nia gave him a look. "Are you trying to act nice to get chocolate?" "No, I just wanted to clear things up. For some reason, people often mistake my intentions and make me out like some terrible person." Maybe because you really are. Nia shifted her eyes away. Well, maybe she was judging him too harshly. After all, she has just met this boy so she didn''t know much about him. Maybe he just looked like a mean stalker bully but, in reality, he was a nice person. Maybe. Besides, Nia only got to apply to the club thanks to Yuel. Back when the club was recruiting members outside, he was the one who noticed Nia in the crowd. At the time, she was curious about joining the club but couldn''t muster the courage to step forward. Then, Yuel called out to her. That spooked the heck outta her, so she ran for her life! But, the guy chased her like a trained professional stalker! She had to use her advanced ninja techniques and hide in the shadow of the crowd to shake him off. After she successfully erased her presence, the pursuer gave up and left. But, before doing so, he put a flier of the Classmancers club on one of the boards. Nia snatched that thing and filled it in. Next, she went to hand the registration paper to the club. But, she got nervous about coming in. After all, all these guys were a bunch of strangers. So, the plan of attack was to sneak into the club, leave the paper on one of the tables, and slip away unnoticed. But, yet again, Yuel spotted her with his hawk eyes! That gave her the spook of her life and she ran for her life again. That guy was like a neo technology security droid! Scary. While running away, Nia dropped her application form. Yuel must have picked it up and passed it to the others. If he truly were a terrible person, he would have tossed that flier into the trash and that wouldve killed Nia''s chances of getting into the club. Yet, Yuel cared enough to handle the application and the club even called Nia for a test despite her late registration. So, Yuel wasn''t a bully. Probably. At least, it didn''t seem he had bad intentions. "Here," Nia stretched a hand holding a chocolate bar. "Peace?" "Peace," Yuel accepted the treat. The chocolate was really sweet, even a little too sweet to his taste. But, it was solid. No wonder Nia was addicted enough to carry an entire factory in her bag. While Yuel was enjoying the chocolate, Nia stared at him the entire time. Her little black eyes peered through her long spaghetti bangs. It was as if she was analyzing an otherworldly creature. "I got something on me?" "Hm? No. I thought its curious that aliens like chocolate too." "Aliens? What aliens?" "Then, are you a droid? A terminator sent to enslave mankind!? Scary." "Excuse me?" Yuel made a face. "I thought we made peace and you understood I''m not trying to pull anything." "Hm?" Nia tilted her head. "How''s that related?" "You tell me. What''s all this about aliens and droids?" "You gotta be one of those. Im not, though. Dont lie. Im not lying... Impossible, Nia puffed her cheeks. Then, what manner of creature are you? I believe I belong to the Homosapien species. An esper, then. Hows that the conclusion!? Yuel nearly chocked on the chocolate. Most people can''t find me even when Im on standby, Nia explained. But, you can track me even when I hide. Gotta be some supernatural power." What''s more supernatural is your ability to hide all the time. Yuel rolled his eyes. Just like Nia was surprised about being found by Yuel, he was astonished by the very opposite: how came nobody but him could ever find Nia? Not to sound like Vincent, but this really makes her seem like a phantom. Yuel shook his head. It was as if Nia could turn into thin air in front of their very eyes. Was this girl some sort of esper? Heh, now who is being silly? There has to be a logical explanation for this. From what Yuel could tell, Nia had a habit of placing herself at the edge of people''s field of view. Even now, while she was just taking a break to stuff herself with chocolate, she chose to sit at the corner of the room. Why? No idea. But, that''s what she was doing. Being tucked away at the corner like this made her relatively difficult to spot. And, that''s how Nia generally vanished in his experience. She often positioned herself in some obscure location that would be easily overlooked unless somebody was actively searching for her there. And, even then, it might take them a while to spot her there. She was most likely a Grandmaster in hide-and-seek. But then, why this trick didn''t work on Yuel? Perhaps his observation skills were slightly better than the others''. Thinking of it, everybody used to complain when I was ''it'' in hide-and-seek. Yuel smiled wryly. Whenever he was ''it'' and began his hunt, he started by carefully scanning his surroundings. Often times, he could spot at least five kids hiding nearby before he even took a single step. "John behind the statue. Alex under the table there. Jack pretending to be a middle schooler in that pack over there." "Man, what the..." "This guy sees everything, I swear." The boys came out of their hideouts one by one and admitted defeat. Though, it was often followed by a fair share of ranting. Yuel never understood what was the problem with his way of doing things. As it, his job was to quickly and efficiently expose the hiding spots of others. It only made sense to start the game by carefully analyzing his surroundings and calling out everybody he saw. In a way, that''s how he often found Nia as well. Back when he spotted her in the crowd, it was when he desperately searched for candidates all over the place. And, it was the same story when he spotted Nia in the hallway. He was just hoping for more people to apply so he found that someone. Thats all there was to it. "You must be good at hide-and-seek," Yuel concluded. "Wha!?" Nia jumped. "How did you know?" "Well, I''m an esper so I can read your mind." "Scary," Nia shivered. She didn''t actually believe that nonsense, right? ... right? "I''m good at hiding" Nia admitted. "Normally, you need an entire army to search the area to find me. That''s how good I am." "Impressive." "Yeah. When we played hide-and-seek, I sometimes even stayed hidden all the way into the night. They never found me. And, once I came out, nobody was even there anymore. They must have rage quit." It sounds more like they completely forgot about you and left... Yuel had no idea what to say about this story. At the very least, it confirmed his suspicion: Nia was a natural pro at hiding. That''s all there was to this "Vanishing Phantom" mystery. The same way youre good in the hide part of hide-and-seek, Im good in the seek part Yuel explained. Thats how I can find you faster than the others. Its simple as that. "That''s it? Really?" Nia stared at him in suspicion. "I think you''re still hiding something." "You''re the one doing the hiding here." Yuel sighed. Apparently, there was no convincing this girl. For the world to make sense, Yuel had to be some sort of, esper, alien or robot. Oh well. What''s interesting about this whole thing was how Nia''s Grandmaster hide-and-seek skills seemed to extend to Classmancers in a way. By taking advantage of the stealth mechanic, she vanished from the enemy''s sight and snuck up to them when they least expected it. The stealth empowered her natural hiding skills for double the effect. So far, she has caught Vincent and Lars off-guard by playing this way. But, will her playstyle prove effective against other plays in the MOBA mode? They were about to find out in the upcoming test match. Vol.7 Ch.25: The Monk vs. Orc Matchup After Nia finished "recharging" by stuffing herself with chocolates, her MOBA exam began. It was agreed she''ll play Jungler because, according to her, it was her best role. "You should sit closer," Yuel said. "It''ll be hard to communicate when you''re all the way out there." "I like it here," Nia curled into a ball on her chair. Instead of sitting in the center of the room with everybody else, she remained tucked way in her favorite corner. "Give her a break," Kai said. "Do you have to nitpick everything? Just let her play the way she wants. She can still hear us from here just fine." "Fine," Yuel sighed in defeat. It felt like every comment he made today just painted him as a villain. Maybe he should lie low for a while and silently observe Nia''s performance. "Got any classes you prefer?" Kai asked. "Um, Rogue?" "Oh! Atta girl!" Luke gave a thumbs up. "A fitting Jungler sub for me, no question." "Let''s not do that," Yuel couldn''t hold it in. "Please." "This time, I gotta agree," Kai nodded. "Rogue is a little weak right now." "Oh, right" Nia checked something on her phone. I think it was considered low tier in MOBA? Wow, imagine not knowing that. Yuel couldn''t believe what he just heard. If there''s one thing everybody and their mom knew about the current tier list, itd be Rogues rough placing on the tier list. Virtually every player went through the experience of getting stomped by a Rogue at low levels and thinking it was OP at first, only to later realize it was actually pretty easy to deal with. Then again, Nia didn''t even play Ranked yet. She was still stuck in the qualifier of the MOBA mode. so maybe that lack of knowledge was reasonable. Somewhat. "Looks like its really bad. Then..." Nia flipped through something on her phone. "Ninja is okay, right?" "Yeah, much better," Kai approved. "If we go for Ninja, we better pick it last during drafting," Yuel advised. "That''ll hamper the enemy''s ability to counter it. Ninja isn''t the kind of class that''ll be banned unless somebody on the other team got a very specific beef with it so we can safely pick it last." "That''s surprisingly considerate for you," Kai said. "Why, thank you," Yuel forced a smile. This felt like cold war. It wasnt like he and Kai were fighting per se, but it felt like Kai would jump on every little opportunity to call him out. When did Yuel become the villain here? All he was trying to do was host a proper exam. Sigh. They couldnt queue into Ranked as a team because Nia was still stuck in the qualifier, so they went for Casual mode instead. However, Yuel insisted for it to be a Casual match with drafting because clashing with a random unknown team was far from fun or interesting. Draft Casual was essentially the same as Ranked, just didnt have the pressure of losing rank points from losing. Many players liked chilling in this mode when they werent in the mood for some serious grinding. Therefore, it was very much possible to run into a couple of high-level players in this Casual mode. It took the system a while to match them with somebody but it ultimately did. The drafting phase began. The enemy''s first pick was Viking, most likely for Top. Viking was also a common Jungler pick but most people picked it for Top, especially when it was an early pick. So, Viking will most likely be Yuel''s lane opponent. The counter pick Yuel went for was Monk. It had the ability to escape from clutch situations by becoming temporarily invincible, so Yuel will be able to get away if the Viking gets too close. In addition, it could attack minions from afar with Chakra Bullet so thatll give him lane advantage while farming. Later into the drafting phase, the enemy picked Aeromancer. Naturally, Yuel counter picked with Electromancer. "Aeromancer and Electromancer, name a more iconic duo," Vincent chuckled. So far, the team has been holding the upper hand in the drafting. Yuel''s Monk countered Viking while Lars''s Electromancer countered Aeromancer. The entire game might be decided by those two advantages. As expected, the enemy didn''t ban Ninja. So, it''ll be the team''s last pick for Nia. The enemy only had one more class to pick so there was little chance for a surprise. At least, thats how it looked until the last pick was made... "Orc!?" Yuel jumped. This was terrible. He didn''t account for this possibility. This meant the earlier Viking pick was for Jungler, not for Top. It was unclear whether the enemy planned this from the beginning. But, either way, they managed to deliver a devastating surprise with that final pick. Orc was dangerous. It was an infamous early-game bully, second only to Dark Knight in its brutality. A pick like this implied the enemy was aiming to end the game early. This was bad. Yuel picked Monk mainly due to its ability to get away from Vikings close-quarters pressure but that wasnt as relevant against Orc. Unlike the Viking, Orc didn''t rely on bursting down a single opponent from point-blank. Its attack power was continuously high throughout the early game, so it didn''t need to search for an opportunity to get close and kill his lane opponent. Instead, he simply wrecked everybody in his path, minions and players alike. Worst of all, Monk was a relatively slow lane clearer, that was the compensation for the ability to clear from afar. Viking wasn''t a particularly fast clearer either so, in that matchup, the extra attack range would have played a huge role. But, against Orcs overwhelming clearing speed? The extra range was practically useless. This was going be one hell of a laning phase, that''s for sure. "I got counter picked hard," Yuel explained everybody the gist of the problem. "To think that somebody out there was able to outsmart the great Chessmaster!" Vincent made noise. "It''s just bad luck," Yuel said. "It''s impossible to account for everything when there are so many classes in the game. Besides, Orc is a rather rare pick in the current meta even though it''s a decent class. Didn''t expect to see it." "All I hear is excuses." "I guess you''re right," Yuel smiled wryly. No matter how he twists it, this was clearly his mess up. Ill have to reflect on it later. But, until then, his top priority was to deal with the situation at hand. How should he defuse an Orc in this matchup? Just like Dark Knight, Orc was a class that could easily snowball during the early-game but fell off later into the game. So, as long as Yuel survives through the early-game without any unfortunate incidents, things will work out. However, with his Monk pick... "Nia, I''ll need you to gank Top a lot," Yuel said. "Me?" Nia looked around as if expecting to find somebody else with the same name. "Yes, you. You''re the Jungler so you got the most flexibility in terms of ganks. Im not sure I''ll be able to stall Orc by myself so prioritize Top for ganks. We have to make sure he''s constantly scared of the possibility of being ganked. That''ll make him think twice about pushing." "Ok," Nia replied briefly. It was hard to tell whether she understood the importance of her role in all of this but at least she didn''t object. As long as she ganks Top every now and then, it should put enough pressure on the Orc and stop him in his tracks. The drafting phase came to an end and the match began. Yuel started off with Giant Warhammer, a primitive item that offered nothing more than sheer power and a little bit of penetration at Lv.3 It was the most aggressive option he could go for during the early-game for such a low price. Though, even this much power probably wont bother the Orc much. Once Yuel arrived on the lane, the enemy''s onslaught began. The guy knew he had the upper hand and utilized his advantage right away. The Orc darted toward Yuel''s swordsmen and brought down his axe. Wham! A swordsman was gone. Just like that, in a single hit, one of Yuels frontline minions was gone. The Orc swung his axe again. Another swordsman was gone. Then, a third strike. Yuel''s entire frontline disappeared. Such was the terrifying strength of an early-game Orc. While it wasnt as overwhelming as Dark Knights ability to clear an entire wave with Dark Blast, the brute strength of these basic attacks was more than enough to bully most lane opponents. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. While Dark Knight''s lane bullying strength laid in his powerful Dark Blast, Orc''s strength laid in his high attack power. Orcs passive, Gang Up, boosted his attack power for every nearby ally. It was similar to Warrior''s passive, except it buffed based on the number of allies instead of the number of enemies. And, the buffs were much greater. While Warrior only gained a little bit of power from nearby enemy minions, Orc gained twice the amount. Together with Orcs already higher base attack power, that made Orc a terrifying force during the early-game. He crushed every minion in his path like they were ants. Yuel''s Monk had no chance of contesting the lane against this. In fact, no Top Laner held a real chance except for Dark Knight. All Yuel could do was stay behind and shoot minions from afar. Monk was a melee fighter like most bruisers but he had the Chakra Bullet skill which fired a ranged shot. The Monk charged his fist with wind energy and thrust it forth. A blast of wind shot from the fist and slammed into a minion. Unfortunately, the damage was far from impressive, even with the Giant Warhammer in his build. The damage was just slightly higher than that of his basic attack. However, the good news was that Yuel could shoot multiple times in a row because Chakra Bullet was a toggle ability. Once turned on, all of Yuel''s basic attacks became ranged. So, he stayed in the rear and repeatedly thrust his fists to generate blasts of wind. Unfortunately, this great effect didn''t last forever. Each shot of Chakra Bullet cost one point of Chakra, which was a special resource that replaced MP for the Monk. The Monk started the game with just 6 Chakra and got 1 Max Chakra per level so, right now, Yuel could only shoot seven times before running out. On top of that, unlike MP, Chakra didn''t replenish over time. Instead, the Monk had to meditate to restore it. After exhausting all his Chakra, Yuel retreated to his tower and stopped moving. Shortly, the Monk went out of "combat mode" and sat down to meditate. Staying in this pose gradually restored Yuel''s Chakra. Monk''s low amounts of initial Chakra was the main reason it was subpar in the early-game. On paper, a bruiser who could fire ranged attacks like that should be able to bully most melee bruisers on lane. However, the number of shots was greatly restricted and the Monk had to take a long break before he could start his engine again. Monk will become much scarier around mid-game once it starts carrying loads of Chakra but, until then, it didn''t bring much to the table. Since Yuel expected to face a Viking, he wasn''t too concerned with the early-game when he drafted Monk. After all, Viking was also a mid-game class because his true power only kicked off once he got his ult up. So, Yuel thought he wouldn''t have to worry about anything until the mid-game. How wrong he turned out to be... WHAM. The Orc swung a huge war hammer in front of him. The assault blasted off all of Yuel''s bowmen in one hit. The little guys flew all across the lane like lifeless ragdolls. Yes, that''s right. Orc had more than just one-shot basic attacks in his arsenal. He also had access to a cone AoE attack via the Sledgehammer skill. The cone attack dealt less damage than his basics but it still allowed him to take out Yuel''s entire group of bowmen in one hit. This Orc player sure knew what he was doing and was pulling out all the stops. It was frustrating but thats how Orc should play against weaker opponents. Gaining this sort of lane advantage was the entire purpose behind picking a class like Orc in the first place. Yuel didnt even try to contest this strength. Instead, he retreated to his Turret and sat down with his legs crossed. The enemys upcoming push was inevitable so Yuel could only brace himself for the worst. The enemy will come to him and he''ll be ready to greet them after he restores his Chakra back to full. Yuel already hit Lv.3 so his max number of Chakra Bullet shots was at eight. Before the enemy formation got to raid his tower, Yuel stood up and fired at the rushing minions. The more minions he takes outside the Turret''s range, the better. Against an Orc, it was inevitable to let some minions invade the tower and lose farm as a result. So, Yuel tried to keep those losses to a minimum by sniping incoming minions before they got in. He managed to clear the enemy''s frontline in time but the three bowmen invaded and began their assault on his Turret. Yuels Chakra was exhausted again so he had to deal with these invaders personally. In other words, get in there and punch these invaders in the face. But, as he got closer, a whip lashed at him. Orc used Scourge to deliver a line attack by whipping in front of him. Since Yuel was the only target in range, the whiplash also stunned him for a brief moment. But, that''s all the attack did to him. It dealt alright damage and it briefly stunned Yuel but the Orc couldn''t follow up on this attack in any way. After all, even though Yuel was stunned, he was still under his tower. As such, the Orc didn''t dare to come any closer to attack for thatd incur the Turrets wrath. So, at first glance, this whiplash was nothing more than a poke. But, this kind of single poke without follow-ups was rather pointless against Monk, who had increased HP5 during Meditation. The next time Yuel mediates, he''ll quickly heal up this damage and return to full health. So, as far as hindering Yuel was concerned, the damage of this poke did nothing. However, that wasn''t the end of the skill''s effect. After lashing with the whip, the Orc kept the whip in hand instead of returning to his default axe. In other words, his basic attacks temporarily transformed from axe swings to whip lashes. That gave him extra reach and he had every intention to make the best of it. I see this guy is pulling out all the stops. Yuel frowned. He didn''t have a good answer to this move. This Orc player definitely knew how to make the most out of this matchup; most likely a high rank. The Orc ignored Yuel''s presence and invaded the tower''s area with a scourge in hand. He took advantage of the extra range and whipped the Turret from a distance. This way, he didn''t have to venture too deep into the tower area to get hits on the Turret. Should I spook him? Yuel wondered. It''ll be bad if the Orc feels too comfortable with this situation and turns it into a routine. If this repeats for a couple more waves, it wont take long for the Orc to tear down the Turret with his high damage. The guy even built Ninja Tabi, the shoes that increase attack speed. Clearly, the guy had every intention to bring the Turret down as quickly as possible. Therefore, Yuel ignored the enemy minions and went after the Orc instead. All his Chakra was exhausted so he could only attack with fists. So, he had to be in the Orc''s face to deliver any damage. That''d be a risky situation. Even though Monk was a bruiser, Orc won''t need to work too hard to take him down. Thats how crazy Orc''s early-game damage was. He''d need about five or six attacks to kill Yuel. Granted, it could''ve taken more hits than that if Yuel built a defensive item first. However, he hoped to contest the lane so he went for Giant Warhammer, the most aggressive early game option he had. It helped him to clear minions faster and lose less farm but it also left him more vulnerable against the Orc in fights. Therefore, if possible, Yuel rather avoid getting too close to the Orc, even under tower. The fewer chances the Orc gets to hit him during the early game, the better. Nevertheless, Yuel had to take the risk this once in order to slow down the Orcs future pushes. Against most opponents, it was enough to show them that theyd become a target whenever they push the tower. That usually made them retreat right away. So, Yuel made it very clear that he was going to charge at the Orc to. Hopefully, thatd scare the guy away before Yuel even gets there. Unfortunately, this Orc didn''t budge. He kept whipping the tower without a care in the world. Ballsy of him. Very ballsy. You''re one of those, huh. I see. This opponent had no fear. Or, at least, he pretended to have no fear. So, there was no choice but to go all the way against him. Yuel had to prove he had the upper hand in this position and that he knew how to take advantage of it. While Yuel was approaching, the Orc cracked his whip again. However, this time, the lash wasn''t aimed at the tower. The thorny whip shot right at Yuel! "Wha!?" Yuel jerked. He was supposed to be the one delivering the attack, yet the Orc beat him to the punch! So cheeky! However, hitting Yuel was a grave mistake. It triggered the tower and made it focus its fire on the Orc. If they fight under these conditions, Yuel will win with ease even against Orcs high damage output. No matter how strong it was during the early-game, there was no beating the damage of early-game Turrets. These guys were the true top tier early-game fighters of this game. For the better or the worse, this Orc wasn''t just a reckless fool. He dashed out of the tower''s area after landing that risky hit. The tower wasn''t fast enough to snipe him so he got away scot-free. On top of that, Yuel couldn''t get to the Orc in time to land any hits. Thus, the Orc suffered literally no damage whatsoever from this exchange. WHISH. The thorny whip cracked again and slashed Yuel. This time, the attack came from outside the tower area. The Orc took advantage of the scourge''s superior range to reach Yuel from all the way over out here. He isn''t just a cocky aggressive player. He knows what he''s doing. Yuel concluded. This Orc forced Yuel to come to close and then struck twice while maintaining distance. That was almost 40% HP gone. Even after Yuel mediates, this will leave some marks. Still, despite the negatives, Yuel successfully drew the Orc away from the tower area. Now, he just had to take care of the remaining minions and the push will be over. Or, so he thought. This guy... Yuel frowned. The Orc stepped into the tower area again as soon as Yuel shifted his attention to the minions. Such goddamn persistence! This guy was dead set on taking any damage he could get on the tower. This created a dilemma. Do I clear the minions first? Or, do I keep zoning him out and let the Turret handle the minions? Unfortunately, hes not going to let me do both at once. Lets see then, which approach will keep my tower safer? Yuel couldn''t answer right away. Based on a rough estimation, the damage from minions was likely more dangerous, especially from the bowmen. Normally, their damage was nowhere near that of an Orcs. However, they were a gang and their dealt extra damage to towers. So, these little guys seemed to be the greater threat here. Yuel took out the minions one by one and let the Orc freely hit the Turret. Once only two minions remained under the tower, the Orc ceased his attacks and retreated. And so, the invade has been successfully deflected. However, itll have lasting effects. Yuel''s HP was at 60% after all the pokes, which was effectively around 70% HP after he meditates. But, much worse than that, the tower fell to 75% HP during this push. That was the real disaster of this exchange. Technically, the game was designed in such a way that Turrets were extremely sturdy during the early-game compared to the damage output of minions and players. So, it shouldnt have been possible to push a Turret too hard during the first couple of waves. However, when almost the entire pack of minions made it to Turret and the pusher was an Orc, it was possible to delete a quarter of the Turret''s HP on the very first wave. This was bad. Three more pushes like that and the Turrets HP will crumble. Yuel had to find a counter to this Orcs cocky tactic but he was drawing a blank for now. There was one idea to try during the next wave but it wont help him win lane advantage; itll merely stall the Orc a little. That wont fix the issue in the long run. The real solution would be to kill the Orc. Or, at least, to scare the Orc away before he wipes out Yuels troops. But, by himself, Monk didn''t have the tools to pull anything like that against an Orc. To achieve that, a gank was necessary. As such, Nia''s help was mandatory. She''ll need to gank the Orc and drive him away. Thatll also serve as a great test for her Jungler skills. She mained assassins, so she had to be good at ganking to make the most out of these classes. Will Nia be able to turn the tides around and help Yuel reclaim the lane? Vol.7 Ch.26: Uncooperative Jungler Yuel''s first exchange with the enemy Orc was far from pleasant. He fell to 60% HP, which he restored to 70% after Meditation, and his Turret was at 75% HP. All of that from just one push. At this rate, he''ll lose the lane in a couple of waves. And, just like with Dark Knight, Orc was a class that was absolutely not allowed to gain the upper hand during the early-game for itll easily snowball from there. Yuel had to shut him down now. The best way to handle this predicament was with a gank from the Jungler. Orc was susceptible to ganks due to his lack of mobility so hell be a sitting duck if he keeps pushing as aggressively as last time. Nia should have no problem taking him out. However, a Ninja needed its Izuna Drop ult to deliver a proper burst-damage gank. That wasnt an option yet. "Nia, can you gank my lane once you hit Lv.5?" Yuel asked. "Um, I can try," Nia replied in a weak tone. "It''s very important. If we can''t shut down the Orc, he''ll snowball and win the entire game on his own." "Scary," Nia nodded. She took out her phone and started typing something with one hand. Texting isnt something you do during matches. Yuel frowned. Is she even taking this seriously? It seemed that Nia set herself an automated route toward her destination so she didnt actually have to press any buttons until she gets there. Still, messing with a phone was surely going to distract her. What if the enemy jumps her all of a sudden along the way? There was no way shell be able to react in a timely fashion. But, Yuel had more pressing issues to deal with on lane so he let that slide for now. Before anything, he had to properly stall the Orc to actually survive long enough for Nias eventual gank. Losing 25% Turret HP after every push was out of the question. At this rate, hed lose the lane before Nia even gets there. So, this time, Yuel focused entirely on the enemy minions. He didnt give the Orc the time of day and only attacked minions. Thanks to that, he thinned the enemies faster and forced the to Orc retreat earlier than last time. The Turret still lost nearly 15% HP from this push but it was an improvement. In addition, with each level, Yuel should be able to get a slightly better result because Monk gained one extra Chakra to spare with each level. Okay, I can hold for a while like this. Yuel nodded to himself. With that obstacle out of the way, the rest depended on Nias gank. While Yuel was busy holding the fort, Nia... Tipmancer, reveal your secrets. Nia inputted the details of the upcoming operation at lightning speed. Ganker: Ninja Target: Orc Location: Top Lane There were additional fields she could fill to provide a more detailed description of the situation but there was no time for that. She needed answers ASAP so she hit Advise after filling only the minimal information. In just two seconds, Tipmancer revealed everything there was to know about this gank. It was truly amazing. While people have been making all sorts of tier lists for the game, the real S tier class of the game was undoubtedly Tipmancer. This broken app knew how to win any matchup. Totally broken, pls nerf. This doesn''t look so good. Nia gulped as she skimmed through tips regarding handling the Orc. She stopped for a moment to farm the hyenas and set an automated path to the next camp, then returned to reading Tipmancers advice. There was a big warning regarding ganking Orc during the early game: Don''t get hit! The fight will be over in a couple of hits if the Orc gets close and hits you, especially if you''re a squishy assassin. Therefore, the best approach was to deliver a sneak attack and kill him in one shot. But, he was a bruiser so he was tanky enough to survive bursts. There was even a table that showed the estimated damage Izuna Drop dealt to Orc throughout the early, mid, and late game. I don''t like these numbers. According to this table, at no point in the game will Izuna Drop be a lethal threat to Orc. Itd take about 30% of his HP at most. And, after the Izuna Drop animation ends, the Ninja will land right beside the Orc, so that bully will be in a great position to smack Nia hard. She won''t have a chance to win in that fight. An alternative approach Tipmancer suggested was to do a hit-and-run. Nia could go for Izuna Drop and then get the heck outta there with Shuriken Flip. But, that''ll be such a waste of time. She won''t even get a kill from it so it won''t help anybody. It was better to spend that time farming or ganking somebody else. "Are you planning to gank anytime in this decade?" Yuel asked. "Eh? Ah, um..." Nia pursed her lips and curled into a ball. She done goofed. While she was busy thinking about Tipmancers advice, she already hit Lv.5 and unlocked Izuna Drop. However, she was nowhere near Top so she wasnt in a position to deliver a gank even if she wanted to. Oops. She could start heading there now but the Orc has already wiped out the entire minion wave there. Didnt the minions arrive on lanes just a few seconds ago? Just how strong was that monster? Scary. With how the situation developed, Yuel had no choice but to retreat to his Turret and let the Orc push to his heart''s content. The Orc didnt think twice about it and invaded into the Turret area. I could try ganking now, but... Nia twisted her lips. It looked like a good opportunity to gank but it really wasn''t. Even though the Orc was overextending, he had a brigade of loyal minions who were ready to protect him with their lives. On top of that, Nia''s Izuna Drop was incapable of critically injuring the Orc according to Tipmancer. She''ll only put herself in danger by jumping into the fray. Gulp. "I''m still waiting," Yuel said. "Gufu," Nia shuddered. What was he expecting from her? Was Yuel asking her to get a kill in this situation somehow? No way. Impossible. Even Tipmancer said so. Maybe he''s trying to get me killed? Nia eyed the guy in suspicion. This could be a ploy to get Nia killed and so she fails the exam. Yuel claimed he wasn''t intentionally bullying her but there was no telling for sure. Maybe he was just a silver-tongued mastermind and toyed with her. He even had a nickname like Chessmaster. Suspect. Very suspect. Maybe he''ll just forget about it if I say nothing. This secret tech actually worked on many people. As long as Nia stayed quiet and erased her presence, they eventually forgot all about her. It was like a real-life stealth effect. "Where are you going?" Yuel asked. "Ah! Um, eh..." Crap! Exposed! Nothing got past the Chessmaster. This guy had clairvoyance confirmed. "I want to go back to farming," Nia''s tone dropped to the level of mumbling. Uh-oh. This wasn''t going to end well, was it? "Why didnt you gank?" Yuel demanded. "Your Shadow Clone was out of cooldown so you could sneak up to him and go for Izuna." "But, that wouldn''t kill... "So? I didn''t ask you to get a kill. I only asked you to gank. We must show the Orc that it''s dangerous to overextend like this every time." "But, he might counter-attack and kill me." "Just get out with Shuriken Flip afterward. Remember, Orc doesn''t have any mobility options for chasing. I guess... With that said, it''ll be ideal if you stay on the lane for a while to keep intimidating him. Then, I could advance to attack him and he''ll have a very bad time." "He''ll just kill us both." "It''ll fine," Yuel claimed. "Orc is crazy in the early-game but not that crazy. He can''t 1v2 us like it''s nothing. We can take him down." "But, he got all these minions too." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "They''re a problem for sure. Optimally, you should gank before he clears the wave. But, even if he does get the minion advantage, you''ll just have to quickly create some distance after the Izuna." "And then I''ll die." "You won''t," Yuel sighed. It felt like they were stuck on the same point for an hour now. This girl was cautious to unreasonable levels. This is like Julia all over again. With that said, a lot of beginners seemed to suffer from a similar issue. It was common for new players to overextend and get severely punished for it, then overcompensate for that by playing ultra-cautious. It was their way of learning a lesson from their mistake. It didn''t help that get killed during a match often made teammates flame and insults the newbies performance. This created an environment in which some players adopted an overly safe playstyle that minimized the chances of being called out by their teammates. This stagnated the newbies growth because playing overlay safe will never teach them how to correctly commit to attacks. So, ultimately, playing safe like this only made their performance suffer. All of that, for what? Just for the sake of avoiding any flaming from teammates. Caring about these trolls was a weak attitude but, admittedly, Yuel was guilty of it as well at one point. It took him a while to overcome that barrier and start taking more calculated risks. So, how am I supposed to convince Nia to go through with this gank? Yuel frowned. That was a next-level challenge. When it came to Julia, Yuel has known for a long time that she could play aggressively and has been trying to encourage her to unleash it. Alas, she never did. It was a miracle Julia pulled it out during the selection match and almost won them the game. Until the very end, Yuel couldn''t convince the girl to play more proactively. So, what chance he had of convincing Nia to go on the offensive? Especially, when the risk she was worried about was quite real. There was truly a chance the Orc will focus Nia after she Izunas him. If this early-game monster catches up to her and delivers a few hits - Nia will be gone. However, that shouldn''t happen as long as Nia handles the situation appropriately. Judging by her performance in the duels with Vincent and Lars, Nia should be competent enough to pull this off. Besides, even if she fails, that''ll just let her know what she had to work on and will help the club estimate her skill. After all, this was an exam meant for gauging Nia''s skill. Right, we''re supposed to be testing her. Winning is secondary. Yuel had to remind himself. For a moment there, he got carried away and prioritized winning above everything. It must have been because this Orc counter-pick ruffled his feathers. He was completely outplayed in the drafting phase by being baited into counter-picking Viking. That was embarrassing. He had to turn things around somehow to make up for that mess-up. After all, exam or not, this was supposed to be a simulation of a real serious match. Winning was the ultimate goal and everything else revolved around it. In many ways, Nia was going to be judged by how much she contributed toward the team''s victory. Or, by how much of the teams defeat was caused by her misplays. So far, it wasnt looking good for her. It was mandatory to gank the Orc as often as possible to keep that early-game bully at bay but Nia refused to do so. That''s one strike. Also, she refused to listen to Yuel''s advice. That''s another strike. One more and shell be in the red. As I feared, her experience from Duel doesnt translate well to this mode. Yuel shook his head. What was he supposed to do here as an examiner? Should he keep pushing Nia to execute the gank she was so scared of? Or, should he just let her do her thing and see where that goes? Somebody, please. Convince her to do the damn gank. Yuel sighed. It was his problem so he had to deal with it somehow. He might be able to turn the tables on the Orc by himself with Asura Strike, his ult, so maybe he''ll be able to spare Nia the trouble of ganking. Maybe. Instead of ganking Top, Nia just focused on farming. And farming. And, then some more farming. She didn''t gank any of the lanes. It''s like she was a farming bot and nothing more. Was that her idea of playing Jungler? If so, it was really sad. She should''ve at least picked a bruiser instead of an assassin then. At least, a well-fed bruiser will be useful in team fights during the mid-game. This routine has gone on for a while. Despite Yuels best efforts to stall, the Orcs oppression continued. Every new minion wave was an uphill battle. The Turret already fell down to 25% HP. Meanwhile, Nia hasn''t ganked even once. Not just Top Lane, but not any other lane as well. There were no ganks whatsoever from her. Though, at least she was well-fed. Her farming followed a very scripted but effective flowchart. It''s like she memorized the jungle farming meta and repeated it over and over. If Yuel were her opponent, he could have easily taken advantage of this predictability. However, it was hard to notice and punish something like that during the early-game so it was fine. Predictability aside, efficient farming was always a delight to behold. Still, what about the ganks? They were the main reason to pick an assassin in the first place. Yet, Nia hasn''t shown herself to the enemy in a long time. At this point, they might even think she''s AFK. They should''ve forgotten about me by now. Nia nodded to herself. People always forgot about her after enough time has passed; that was the best time for a surprise attack! Lets see. Who looks like a good target. Nia examined the states of the lanes. Top Lane was definitely out of question. The Orc over there was completely dominating the lane. On the other hand, the Aeromancer in Mid was feeling himself a little too much. He was down to 60% HP but didn''t show any signs of retreating. It felt like he wasn''t considering the possibility of a gank in the slightest. What a great target. Is she going to gank Mid? Yuel wondered as he saw Nia rotating. From what he could tell, there werent any great gank opportunities in that area. The Aeromancer wasn''t overextending and he hasn''t shown any signs of being careless against ganks, at least not from what Yuel could tell. Did Nia figure something that Yuel missed? I dont see it. No matter how Yuel examined the mini-map, he couldn''t find anything that could convince Nia to go for a gank. Was it the Arromancer''s 60% HP? Maybe she just wanted to shoot for it and see if it works? After all, ganks didnt need to have a 100% success rate to be attempted, thats exactly the point Yuel was trying to get across to Nia. I really want to ask her about this decision but it might distract her. He knew first-hand how irking it was to be questioned about every little thing during an exam. Aron bombarded him to death with questions during the StormBlitz exam. Ugh. Let''s just see how it goes and ask questions later. Yuel concluded. Ok, I got in. Nia created a clone and sent it off into the jungle; she didn''t need the help of her trusty sister right now. All she needed from Shadow Clone was the stealth effect. She carefully snuck up behind the Aeromancer. As expected, the guy didn''t show any signs of thinking about retreating. He was totally oblivious to the fact Nia was standing right behind him. She was like a ninja. Nin nin. Now, I go for a strike and then Izuna... Ah, but the Izuna follow-up isnt guaranteed. Nia shuddered as she thought back on her duel with Lars. For the first time in her life, an unsuspecting prey dodged the second part of her sneaky setup. The transition from a basic attack into Izuna Drop should''ve been unreactable for human beings but Lars somehow dodged it anyway. What a monster. Scary. Guess I''ll have to play it safe from now on. Nia went for Izuna Drop right from stealth. The Ninja hugged the Aeromancer tight and launched high into the air like a missile, all the while spinning like a fidget spinner. After reaching max height, the Ninja and Aeromancer began dropping. Right before hitting the ground, the Ninja jumped away and let the Aeromancer crash into the ground head-first. The guy''s neck must have cracked. That was a severe injury thatd send the guy straight to the hospital. It was such a satisfying high-damage ult to pull off. But, it wasn''t over yet. The Izuna Drop only erased 35% HP. The guy still had another 25% to spare. So stubborn. Take that. Nia slashed the staggering Aeromancer. It took his animation longer to recover from the devastating crash so Nia got to sneak in a free guaranteed jab. This one was a scientifically guaranteed follow-up, even the frame data backed it up. After finally getting on his feet, Aeromancer started running right away. He activated that speed buff ability he got and dashed for his life. But, he wont get away. Nia gonna get this kill here! I gotta kill as much as I can to me pass this exam. Nia was very much aware that she wasnt amazing when it came to most things in the MOBA mode. However, sneaking up to unsuspecting targets and finishing them off was definitely one specialty she had. Therefore, if she gets a bunch of kills with this method, itll make everybody think she was some amazing Grandmaster-level player. A masterful plan, no doubt. So, for the sake of her plan, she couldn''t possibly let the Aeromancer get away. As the Aeromancer ran by her, she slashed his shoulder. Then, she gave chase and slashed his back. Thats already down to 6% HP. Normally, at this point, the guy would be already dead. However, since Nia skipped the opening attack before going for Izuna Drop, she was missing one more hit for sealing the deal. And, the Aeromancer already started gaining lead thanks to his speed buff. What a troublesome prey. But, that''s where the Ninja''s last ability came into play! Nia activated Shuriken Flip. The Ninja threw a shuriken at the Aeromancer''s back and the blade got stuck in there. That should do it. Except, it wasn''t enough. The shuriken was always slightly weaker than normal attacks so the Aeromancer survived the hit with like 1% HP. He literally had a few pixels of HP left. Looks like Im going all the way. Nia activated Substitution Jutsu, which was available only while a shuriken was stuck in an enemy. She blinked right behind the Aeromancer by switching places with the shuriken! Then, she delivered the final blow to the guy''s back. You have killed an enemy! Yes! I did it! Nia pumped a little fist but made sure to hide it. Ok, this is a good start. She definitely made a good first impression on the examiners, right? Right? "Great job," Kai was the first to shower with praise. She even smiled a little. "Ya rocked that dude, yo!" Lars exclaimed. "The Vanishing Phantom strikes again!" Vincent made noise. "The enemy didn''t even realize what struck him!" They all actually saw my kill and praise me for it. Nia clenched her controller. Her palms trembled a little and there seemed to be something in her eye. Whenever it was Nia''s turn to show off what she could do, everybody always forgot about her and skipped her turn. Say, there was that one time they painted stuff in grade school and had to present their work in front of the class. Nia put lots of effort into that piece of art and thought it turned out great. But, the teacher skipped her turn for no reason. Well, maybe she was partly to blame on that one because she was hiding under a table at the time. After all, presenting her hard work in front of others was scary. Still, it was the same story with everything she ever did. Nia never got to impress anybody and nobody paid attention to her. It was such a conspiracy. Everybody clearly did everything in their power to rob Nia of her glory. But, this time was different. She scored a kill and everybody clearly saw it. And, unlike real people, the game system wasn''t a bully so it didn''t discriminate against her. The system voice announced loud and clear how Nia got that kill and everybody heard it. This was great! Finally, she got to be in the spotlight if only for a moment! Joining this club was the best decision she has ever made in her life! Vol.7 Ch.27: Rampaging Orc An enemy has been killed! Nia really pulled it off. Yuel couldnt believe the message on his screen. He simply couldn''t piece this jigsaw together. How did Nia decide this was a good opportunity to gank? Nothing about that Aeromancer suggested he was going an easy target. At 60% HP, it was only natural to assume the Aeromancer was on the lookout for ganks. Was this a fluke? Maybe Nia just gave it a shot and the gank happened to work. Besides, even if she failed to secure the kill, the Aeromancer surely wasn''t going to stay and fight her after being ganked. So, this gank was a safe move for Nia either way. Now that I think about it, the arguments in favor of this gank seem to be pretty simple. Yuel smiled wryly. It was simple but, for some reason, he didnt think of this gank. Something about this play bothered him but he couldn''t put his finger on it. Maybe it was actually all Vincent''s fault with his "Vanishing Phantom" nonsense. It made Yuel expect something from Nia even thought it was silly. She was neither a phantom nor she had the ability to vanish. She was simply good at making the enemy lower their guard, that''s all. If Nia starts pulling off similar kills left and right, there will be more reason to believe she had a special talent. Until then, this successful gank was nothing more than a safe play that happened to reap great benefits. Yuel had far more concerning things to discuss anyway. "Good work getting that kill but why didn''t you inform anybody about your rotation?" Yuel asked. "At the very least, you were supposed to tell Lars that you were going to gank Mid." "You''re one of those, aren''t you," Nia muttered. Every now and then, she met these pesky players who told her to communicate more during the match. She hasn''t heard this complaint in a long time because she has been muting everybody but there it was again. Where was the mute button for real life? "It won''t be a real surprise attack if I tell people," Nia said. "Excuse me?" Yuel raised an eyebrow. "What kind of logic is that? You''re trying to surprise the enemy, not your allies." "If I tell anybody, theyll spill the beans by acting all weird on lane. The surprise attack gonna get telegraphed." "I know what you mean," Yuel had experiences like that when starting out. When he informed a laner about his plans to gank their lane, the laner thought this was the best time to aggress on their opponent. After all, backup was on the way so this was the best time to initiate an attack, right? Wrong! In this kind of scenario, the laner''s job was to keep the incoming gank under wraps and ensure itll succeed. And, intimidating the ganks target into retreating was the exact opposite of achieving that. That only made it harder for the ganker to reap any rewards from the gank and it might even stop the entire gank dead in its tracks. Therefore, when playing with randoms online, sometimes it made sense to not inform a problematic laner about an incoming gank. At low levels, doing so might have brought Nia better results. However, with high-level players, this was a non-issue. "You need to have more faith in your teammates," Yuel said. "We''re all serious players here. We know what to do when an ally is coming for a gank." "Hmmmmm," Nia twisted her lips. It looked like she understood what Yuel was saying but wasn''t entirely convinced yet. At the very least, she proved she knew how to deliver decent ganks and secure kills. This was already more than Yuel expected from somebody who focused on Duel. With that said, none of this helped his situation in Top Lane. "So, when are you planning to gank Top?" Yuel asked. "Um, eventually." "When is that ''eventually'' coming? I''m losing the lane over here." "Then play better." "Yes, of course. Player better. Just watch me win this whole thing by myself. The easiest Ive ever done in my life." "I believe in you." This girl. Yuel lost all hope again. That successful gank on Mid must have been a fluke. Nia clearly didn''t know how to jungle correctly. At this rate, she''ll doom the entire match. Yuel only had one more trick up his sleeve for reversing the situation in Top but it was a shaky tactic. He''ll have to rely on the full strength of his ult, Asura Strike, to take the Orc down. However, he had to level up some more before Asura Strike truly becomes lethal. By the time he gets to the required level, it might already be too late... For now, the situation in Top was as awful as ever. The Orc pressured Yuel hard and there was nothing he could really do about it on his own. Only an intimidating gank could turn this situation around but Nia was Nia. Meanwhile, she had no problem ganking other lanes... I''ll gank Bottom LaneThe Ninja announced. It was one of the in-game macro commands for communication purposes. It was a tad redundant when the entire team was gathered in the same room but that''s how Nia chose to inform of her incoming gank. Well, at least she listened. Yuel nodded in approval. Nia took his critique to heart and tried to fix the issue in her own way. That was already a step forward. "You coming over here?" Kai asked. "Great timing. Let''s give this guy some heat." Kai retreated to her side of the lane to lure the enemy in. That opened more space behind the enemy for Nia to exploit. It was the textbook set up for a gank and it was effective. Kai even executed it beautifully by hiding her intentions during the retreat. She repeatedly walked back and forth while flinging spears at the enemy Pirate. These movements looked more like Kai was spacing her opponent out rather than retreating. However, for every two steps she took back, she only took one step forward. As a result, she gradually retreated as planned, one step at a time. The retreat was unnoticeable enough to not raise the enemys suspicion. In fact, it made the Pirate pursue Kai a little. He must have believed Kai was scared of fighting him head-on and that he had the upper hand right now. Foolish. In this way, the Pirate was down to 50% HP but ventured way too deep into enemy territory. Normally, he should be considering the possibility of an incoming gank in this situation even without any warning signs. Yet, this Pirate continued fighting Kai without a care in the world. Did I overestimate him? Yuel wondered. Based on his observations so far, this Pirate player has been putting on a solid performance so far. The guy always went toe-to-toe with Kai in fights and never put himself at unnecessary risk. Yet, against Nia''s incoming gank, the Pirate has been acting incredibly sloppy. It''s like he was planning to hand over his life to Nia on a silver platter. Gotcha! Nia hugged the Pirate from behind and took him for a ride. They spun fast as they shot toward the sky. BAM! The Pirate crashed into the ground, right in front of an iron maiden. Kai set it up ahead of time while the Pirate was still in the air. As soon as the Pirate hit the ground, Kai fired a large spear at him. The impact shoved the Pirate into the iron maiden and the deadly torture machine ate him alive. An enemy has been killed! "Great job," Kai said. "You''re really good." "KS." "Huh?" "That was my kill," Nia pouted. "You took my kill. Bully." "Ah, yeah Kai shrugged. You could say that was really a KS. As in, a Kill Secure. I didn''t steal it. Just made sure we get the kill for sure." "I could''ve gotten it for sure myself." "You couldn''t. He would have started moving once he recovered from the drop." "I would''ve caught him, Nia insisted. "Maybe. Or, maybe he would have slipped away. This guy is actually pretty slippery. I havent gotten a single kill on him until now." "I would have gotten the kill, Nia didnt let go. That was a KS. Bully." "Alright, alright, Kai sighed. My bad. I''ll leave the kill to you the next time you gank." "Promise?" "Promise." Kai nodded. She was normally rather peculiar about scoring kills but she was willing to give that up to make Nia feel better. She''d do anything to get Nia to join. Yuel smiled wryly. Compared to Kais attitude, he made himself look like a villain because he wasn''t pampering Nia and constantly pushed her to make certain plays. But, that wasn''t his fault. The lane matchup of Monk vs. Orc was simply that terrible. So, ganks were a must for punishing this Orcs overextensions. It was impossible to win this matchup without Nias help. An alternative solution was to make Lars gank Top. Unfortunately, the enemy Viking kept Lars busy the whole time by pressuring Mid with ganks. So, if Lars dares to rotate out of the lane, he''d either run into the Viking in the jungle or theyll miss each other and the Viking will arrive on an unguarded Mid Lane. From there, hell be in a great position to help the Aeromancer push the lane hard with his ult. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As such, calling Lars out of lane just like that was extremely risky. Similarly, Kai and Vincent were too far away to provide a gank on Top and they already had their plates full in Bot anyway. Therefore, as long as Nia refused to cooperate, there was no chance of getting any other gank on Top. Yuels only hope was to somehow resolve this situation on his own. By the time he hit Lv. 8, his Turret was already down to 10% HP. He has been getting better and better at defending the Turret with every level. By now, his max Chakra was more than double the amount he started with. This meant double the Chakra Bullets to snipe incoming minions with. By clearing out most of the minions before they got to invade the Turret, Yuel stopped the Orc from diving under tower and landing hard hits on the Turret. However, a couple of enemy minions always made it to the Turret and delivered chip damage. So, Yuel was still fighting against the clock. At this rate, the chip damage from the minions will fell the Turret. Something had to be done about this. At Lv.8, Yuel could store up to 13 Chakra. Therefore, his Asura Strike will deliver 13 lightning-speed strikes within a second. In terms of damage, itll roughly equivalent to hitting the Orc with 9 basic attacks. Since the Orc didnt build any defense, thatll take about 60% of the guys HP; nothing to sneeze at. But, it wont kill and therein laid the problem. Even if Yuel successfully delivers Asura Strike, hell have no Chakra left and therefore nothing to use against the Orc except for basic attacks. With the Orcs attacks being at least three times stronger than Yuels, it was clear wholl remain standing by the end of the fight. One option was to go YOLO and build power items to boost the damage of Asura Strike as much as possible. However, thatll only leave Yuel more vulnerable to Orcs heavy attacks. So, even though this idea crosses his mind every now and then, he ultimately decided against it. After all, going for risky ideas was the very reason he was here, in this club, in the first place. If only he played smarter and safer against Howard, he couldve won the selection match... Thats in the past. Yuel shook his head to exorcise the negative thoughts. Whats done was done. He lost terribly in that match and learned an important lesson from it. From now on, hell prioritize safe and surefire plays. He wont take risks that only had a chance of paying off. Just as these plays were likely to pay off, they were even more likely to blow up in his face. He couldnt have that. So, his only real option here was to keep stalling to Orc. If he successfully defends the lane until mid-game, things will become much better from that point onward. His Asura Strike will become strong enough to be lethal and itll stun as well. Thats where Yuels retaliation will begin. Alas, this Orc player knew he couldnt let this happen. Once Yuels Turret dropped below 10%, the Orc activated his ult: Last Stand. The Orc roared and intoxicated his allies, making them unkillable for a short time. The minions HP wont drop below 1 no matter how many times Yuel hits them. As such, he couldnt clear out the invading bowmen. They get into the Turrets range and fired away at the tower. The Turret unleashed huge bolts on these brave invaders but the bowmen didnt even flinch. Their HP plummeted from the big hits but it never reached all the way to zero. Its like they forgot that dying was a mechanic in this game. Meanwhile, the Orc followed the lead of his bowmen and snuck into the Turrets range as well. While the Turret was focusing all its fire on the undying bowmen, the Orc was free to strike the tower at leisure. At this rate, theyll take down the Turret! Theres only one thing I can do here, but... Yuel bit his lip. Instead of attacking the unkillable bowmen, he focused on the Orc. Unlike Paladins Aegis, Orcs Last Stand didnt grant immortality to the Orc himself. On top of that, the immortality effect on the minions will wear off immediately if the Orc falls. Therefore, threatening the Orc was the only available line of play here. Yuel reached the Orc and unleashed Asura Strike. The Monk went into a frenzy and fired 13 lightning-speed jabs in an instant. He trashed the cocky Orc and erased 60% HP in a blink of an eye. But, that wasnt nearly enough to kill. The Orc still stood firmly and lashed at the crumbling Turret. He had no intention of stopping this invasion! If youre not going to retreat, Ill just have to finish you off. Yuel continued his assault by throwing basic jabs. Even without any Chakra, Monks jabs were fast and strong enough to be a threat, especially with the power build Yuel focused on for the early-game. If the Orc doesnt do anything about this, Yuel might even kill the guy before the Turret crumbles. Since Yuel aggressed on the Orc, the immortal bowmen switched their focus from the Turret onto him. The damage from their arrows was unpleasant but at least Yuel tanked it for his Turret. As such, even though the Turret only had 3% HP left, it still stood tall. Yuel saved it from crumbling by tanking the lethal arrows. Alas, the Orc had more than enough power to bring down the Turret all by himself. He only needed two hits and itll be over. Therefore, Yuel had to quickly take out that overconfident guy no matter what! Yuel repeatedly jabbed at the Orc but the guy didnt budge. The Orc remained rooted in the same spot and lashed away at the Turret. It was hopeless. An allied Turret has been destroyed! The Turret crumbled. The Orc barely made it through the heat of attacks with just 25% HP but he was very much alive. Yuel still needed at least three more hits to seal the deal. As such, the Orc was in no mortal danger yet. However, he was in no condition to complete against Yuel''s 85% HP either. Retreat was the only option. The Orc rolled away and made a run for it. Yuel itched to give chase but decided against it. The three pesky bowmen were still firing at him so he had to clear them out first. By the time he punched them all down, the Orc was already gone. Darn it. Yuel clicked his tongue. The game hasn''t even reached the mid-game and they already lost a Turret. What a mess. And, to think that all of this could have been easily averted with a couple of good ganks from Nia. Alas, she graced him with none. "If you ganked the lane at least once in a while, we could''ve stopped this from happening," Yuel addressed Nia. "Not my fault," Nia muttered and glanced away. "You should''ve played better." "Played better? Its one of the worst possible matchups. Everybody knows that. It''d still be one thing if I was playing against a weak player who picked Orc just to stomp other weak players. But, this guy knows exactly what he was doing. I need ganks to keep him at bay." "There weren''t any good chances to get kill there." "I told you, I dont ask for kills," Yuel sighed. How thick-headed was this girl? "All I needed from you was to establish your presence in the area. You had to condition the Orc into being scared of your ganks. But, you didn''t do squat and that gave him the green light to go all-out without worrying." Well, its scary. Nia twisted her lips. Orc was a very dangerous individual during the early-game. Even Tipmancer said to be careful about going through with this. Basically, it meant Nia should only gank Orc if she was really sure about it, or else shell wind up dead. Dying would be the worst possible impression for an exam so she had to avoid it any cost. I bet hes really trying to make me fail. Nia knotted her brows. Yuel was asking her to gank that skilled Orc player so she dies and makes herself look bad. Even though Yuel claimed he wasn''t a bully, Nia had to press doubt on that. Or, maybe that''s part of the test? He''s telling me to make this dangerous play but actually wants me to refuse? Yeah, that gotta be it. He''s not a real bully. He''s just acting like one for the exam. Nia nodded to herself and continued dismissing everything Yuel had to say. It was all a test. Nia just had to stick to her guns and keep doing things her way. It was too bad Yuel lost the lane to the Orc so early like that but that wasnt Nias fault. She has been ganking other lanes to great success so far. She even has already gotten two kills! Well, one of them was stolen from her but still. As long as she keeps getting kills like that on the other lanes, there was no need to walk into the lions den with the Orc gank. They''ll just win the game by pushing the other lanes. "Fine," Yuel sighed. "If you''re so against it, then keep playing as you see fit. But, mark my words: we''ll lose if you do nothing about the Orc." Nia just curled into a ball and didn''t say anything. It was ok. Everything will be ok. This was just an exam. Shell keep getting kills and they''ll eventually win this game. No problem. So stubborn. Yuel sighed. Why did Nia so vehemently refused to gank the Orc? It was as if somebody seeded paranoia in her head and made her think the Orc was the scariest monster in the world. Maybe she had some bad experiences against it? Or, maybe she read somewhere about how dangerous it was to gank Orc? After all, about any guide that brought up this topic mentioned the risk the ganker had to take when ganking Orc. But, that didn''t mean Orc shouldn''t be ganked. It was just a warning, nothing more. It meant the ganker couldn''t be careless because thatd be easily punished by death. However, as long as the ganker did things right, there wasnt much to worry about. Well, this game will teach her a hard lesson. Yuel didn''t bother arguing any further. He could already see the inevitable checkmate their team was going to suffer at this rate. "Careful, everybody," Yuel said. "The Orc is likely going to push another lane once he returns. I suggest playing it safe until we confirm his position." Yuel followed his own advice and retreated back to his Golem. He could use the Orcs brief absence to push forward along the lane but he didn''t want to run the risk of being ganked. After all, his Turret was gone now so, if he has to run away from a ganker, thatd be a long road back to allied territory. As Yuel suspected, the Orc didn''t return to Top. Instead, the guy targeted Mid. "The big boss is here, yo!" Lars exclaimed. "Oh crap, he''s together with the Viking! And the Aero dude is coming too! They all gonna invade!" "Get out of there," Yuel ordered. "Orc + Viking is too dangerous." "Geh. You saying I gotta let these dudes do whatever they want on my turf?" "Yes, unfortunately. The Orc is well-fed, thanks to a certain somebody who refused to stall him with ganks. Hes also not in a hurry to return to lane so hes going to pressure you there for a while. And, this guy is daring in particular, except he knows how to be bold without overextending much." "Lame," Lars retreated to the backline as ordered. The enemy didn''t waste any time. As soon as the Orc and Viking met on the lane, they went directly after Lars''s Turret. The Viking summoned a brigade of savage warriors and they invaded the Turrets area. The Orc followed their lead and assaulted the tower as well. With normal minions and Viking''s warriors gathered together in one area, they buffed the Orc''s Attack Power through the roof thanks to his passive. Each of the Orc''s basic attacks deleted 10% of the tower''s HP. And, that was on top of attacks delivered by the Viking, his warriors, the Aeromancer, and all the minions. The Turret''s HP vanished within seconds. Rushing towers like this was a common Orc tactic. When the team had a class that could summon minions, it was common to flood the lane with them and let them charge at the tower along with the Orc. Even though the enemy was clearly overextending by doing this, it was usually difficult to punish such a play. Lars couldve countered this play by summoning a thunderstorm to hit all enemies in range. Alas, the enemy baited the ult out of him before this attack. So, they knew very well he couldnt do anything to them. With the tower about to crumble, the only real option Lars had was to begin an early retreat. "Yo, I''m getting mobbed here," Lars grinned. This all-out supah attack was sick! It''s like an entire army invaded. It was an unstoppable flood, yo! But, no way I gonna give it to them for free! Lars advanced and fired at the Orc. No, dont, Yuel objected. The tower is done for. You have to retreat. Dude, you wanna let them take the tower for free like that? Unfortunately, we got no choice. Since a certain somebody refused to shut down the Orc during the early-game, hes becoming unstoppable now. Dont worry, Imma stop this dude, Lars made a promise based on unfounded confidence, as usual. However, his attitude turned 180 the moment the entire enemy army focused their fire on him. The one attack he landed on the Orc aggrod all the enemy minions on him! Whoopsie! Nevermind! Lars darted the heck outta there! He retreated all the way to the Mid Golem. Dang it, the tower was really done for... An allied Turret has been destroyed! The Orc hasnt scored any kills yet, but he has already taken down two Turrets before mid-game. That provided his entire team with lots of extra gold, which allowed them all to get ahead. This was the beginning of the end. Vol.7 Ch.28: Tipmancer is Law An ally has been killed! Vincent was the first to fall during the Orc rampage. He did his best to keep Kai alive and she indeed successfully escaped death. However, in the process, the Orc claimed Vincents life and destroyed the Bot Turret. The team lost control over every lane. It was a disaster. From this mess, the game immediately transitioned into the team-fighting phase. However, with no Turrets to fall back to, Yuels team was forced to defend deep within their territory. Everybody fell back to the Golems and formed the last line of defense. It was such a desperate situation even though it all started from something so small. Just because Nia refused to gank the Orc during the early-game, the guy was allowed to snowball this hard and demolish all three Turrets. And, what was the culprit in question doing the entire time while the team was being pushed back? Nothing. Nia kept farming jungle camps as if the defense didnt require her help. Nia, the team is defending right now in case you haven''t noticed, Yuel said. Mhm, I see, Nia nodded. Good luck. When I say team, that includes you too. But, I cant defend. Come again? Ninja cant defend much, Nia claimed. I only got the clone to get in some damage but thats about it. It wont help much. Yes, youre right. Assassins are notoriously weak for those sorts of situations but your presence here will still have meaning. Youll help to clear minions faster and the enemy will have to be wary of potential burst damage if they get too close. I prefer to farm. I, too, prefer to do something other than sitting under Golem all day. But, we dont have that luxury right now. In the first place, whose fault do you think this situation is? Hmm, I dunno, Nia shrugged. Really now, Yuel narrowed his eyes. Is your bickering going to help us win? Kai asked in a cold tone. No, I suppose not, Yuel sighed and gave up the topic. Hell have plenty of time to blame Nia later. Right now, he had to find a way to turn this situation on its head. For that, they had to deflect the enemys fierce push. Any extra pair of hands will make a big difference. Nia, we need you to come back to defend, Yuel said. But, it wont help much. It surely wont, not with that attitude, Yuel was this close to blurting some things but he took a deep breath to calm himself. Since when you dont like defending? You played solid defense in 1v1. Duel is different. There, I can just wait and then go for the kill. But, thats not gonna happen when a group is pushing. Even Tipmancer recommends searching for ganks instead of helping defend. Tipmancer? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Ah, um, Nia fell silent. What was that about Tipmancer? Shoot... Nia twisted her lips. I see now, Yuel nodded. Finally, a lot of things made sense all at once. So, thats what youve been doing on your phone this whole time, Are you a stalker? Nia gave him a suspicious look. "I just notice things. Listen, Tipmancer is a great tool for people who are starting out. There''s a lot of wisdom stored in there but you have to be able to think for yourself as well. Dont take Tipmancer for a bible. It only gives general guidelines, nothing more." "It''s written by people who know better than me." "Yes, most likely. But, said people aren''t here right now. They don''t know what''s going on in this specific match so they can''t adjust their advice accordingly. I assume it was Tipmancer that told you to be careful about ganking Orc?" "Yeah. "That''s a great example of what I''m talking about. Theres nothing wrong with warning players about the dangers ganking Orc. But, you have to think beyond that. Yes, it''s dangerous but also necessary. Otherwise, things end up like this." "I, I didnt... Nia mumbled and curled into a ball. She hasn''t played the MOBA mode much in the past year so she didnt know any of these things. Yuel was just bullying her. It wasn''t her fault. "It''s fine that you didn''t know the finer details. After all, you''ve been focusing on Duel. But, that''s precisely why you should''ve listened to me and ganked Top." "But, it was scary. Orc is dangerous." "Even so, you had to take the risk. Or, you still think it was better to avoid confrontation? Look where it led us. Were in this tight spot because you refused to gank the Orc. This entire situation is pretty much your fault." "My fault?" Nia''s lips quivered. What was this? Why? She thought the people here were nice. Unlike the bullies online who blamed her for everything, the people of this club actually praised her for things. She thought they might even become friends. But, yet again, everybody placed the blame on her. It wasn''t her fault they all lost their lanes. It totally wasnt. She couldn''t do the impossible and kill that Orc, she was no miracle maker. He was a scary dangerous guy. Nia couldn''t get a kill on that bully. jungler uninstall game jungler cyka feeder report jungler The messages surfaced in her head again. These hateful messages were the reason she didn''t like MOBA mode. In this mode, everybody blamed everybody. And, everybody blamed Nia. Everybody was a bully. Even now, in real life, the same thing was happening. Zero ganks. GG. We lost because of the Jungler. That''s how Yuel''s criticism sounded. Somehow, all the fault laid with Nia even though that didn''t make any sense. Nias KDA was 1/0/1 right now. She hasnt died even once and she technically scored two kills, even if one was stolen by Kai. So, Nia was doing great! She wasn''t feeding and she even got some kills! So, how could anybody possibly blame her for the teams situation? It didn''t make any sense. As long as she was doing fine, none of the teams problems could possibly be her fault. He must be salty because hes doing bad. Thats why hes taking it out on me. Nia concluded. "It is your fault," Yuel insisted. "You had the means to stop the Orc from snowballing to this point and I asked you to do so numerous times. But, youve been ignoring me. "That''s not..." Nia fell silent and continued farming jungle camps. That boy was just a bully. There was no need to negotiate with bullies. Shell simply press a real-life mute button on him. Maybe all of this is a mistake. Nia thought. Maybe she shouldnt have applied to this club, after all. Everybody here pretended to be nice but they just bullied her. Sob. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Hey, dude. Don''t take it too hard," Lars smiled toward Nia. "Yuel always sounds harsh like that. He sometimes talks like you''re the worst player in the world but he''s saying all of that to help ya improve." "Is that so," Nia wasn''t convinced in the slightest. Yuel was a bully, no two ways about it. But, maybe he wasnt an intentional bully. Maybe he wasn''t saying all that stuff just to make Nia feel bad; he actually believed everything he was saying. Wait, isn''t that worse? Nia shuddered. It meant Yuel truly believed everything was Nias fault. Even worse, Yuel kinda seemed like the type of guy who knew what he was talking about. So, maybe some of his criticism was actually valid. But, wait, in that case... Nonono. Nia shook her head. That was impossible. Yuel was a bully. End of the story. Because, if not... "Are you done complaining?" Kai asked Yuel. "Scolding her for early-game mistakes isn''t going to help our situation. Do that after the game. It''s just distracting." "My bad," Yuel realized anger took control over his mouth at some point. There was nothing more infuriating than an uncooperative teammate. Yes, Nia was lacking in knowledge regarding the MOBA mode and that was fine. However, the way she refused to listen to Yuels advice just because of some half-truths written in Tipmancer was just grrrrrrrr! Its like she thinks my game knowledge is a joke compared to that app. Yuel stomped. Yes, of course. Only Tipmancer knew exactly what Nia should be doing. Compared to that the boundless wisdom of that basic app, Yuels advice was rubbish and should be ignored. But, Kai was right. Getting mad about it didn''t improve their situation in the slightest. What happened, happened. Yuel had to think of active solutions for the current stage of the game. This was an exam for learning more about Nia but it was also a serious match. They all wanted to win here. The enemy formation had a couple of openings. By now, Yuel figured out many of the enemy''s patterns. They''ve been constantly switching their pressure from one lane to another in order to make the defenders run all over the place like headless chickens. It was an effective tactic but it followed a rather obvious flowchart. Unfortunately, there weren''t any good opportunities to punish this predictable routine. Yuel could try sending Lars to a strategic location and let the beast wreak some havoc over there but it was risky. There was a chance the enemy will catch the goof with a pincer and then the game will be over for sure. This team needed both Lars and Kai to be alive in order to deflect all the incoming pushes with their DPS. Without one of them, the enemy will easily penetrate the teams defenses by focusing on two lanes at the same time. Can Nia do something about this? A part of him wanted to make Nia take responsibility for the mess she created. But, it wasnt just that. As an assassin, Nia was the best candidate for delivering a surprise attack on the enemy and shift the tides of war. Also, she refused to defend so it''d be great if Yuel could find some actual use for her in this situation. But, nothing came to mind. Or, rather, he had no idea how much he could trust Nia to pull off the various plays he had in mind. Their interactions were already rather charged, so the worst he could do right now was to send Nia to her death by giving her a mission that was beyond her skill level. Nia already thought of him as a "bully", so he didn''t want to make his reputation any worse. Besides, it was unlikely Nia had the necessary skill to turn this around anyway. "Chessmaster, if I may," Vincent interrupted Yuel''s thoughts. "I got the ultimate suggestion. It might help you open your eyes and reach out to the truth!" "Oh really," Yuel rolled his eyes. "You should make use of the Vanishing Phantom!" "Bye." "No, wait! I''m serious." "I''m sure you are serious." A serious clown. "You saw how BlackFlower''s ganks went, right? Didn''t you find them peculiar?" "In a sense," Yuel refused to let himself get dragged into Vincent''s nonsense. Nevertheless, he had to admit the clown had a point. The two ganks Nia delivered earlier were quite odd. First, she caught the Aeromancer off-guard. It was as if the very idea of being ganked didn''t even cross the guys mind. On top of that, it was impressive how none of the enemy wards caught Nias rotation toward Mid. Similarly, the gank on Bot didn''t make much sense either. The enemy Pirate was left in. 1v1 situation against Kai, yet he overextended without a care in the world. It was so uncharacteristic compared to the solid playstyle he has been exhibiting until that point. Yet again, it seemed as if the possibility of being ganked by Nia didn''t even cross the guys mind. "Tell me honestly, could you make any of these gank calls?" Vincent asked. "Did you see an opportunity for a good gank in any of these situations?" "Not quite," Yuel admitted. These two ganks were an enigma. The only way to explain them was that the enemy slipped hard on these two occasions. They didnt make any sense otherwise. "These were no coincidences," Vincent proclaimed. "It was the Vanishing Phantom! The enemy forgot about Nias existence and let her sneak up to them!" "Perhaps." Naturally, Yuel didn''t accept a silly explanation like "Vanishing Phantom". Nevertheless, the enemy definitely lowered their guard against Nias ganks. Twice. But, maybe it wasn''t so surprising. After all, Nia has been lying low that entire game. For a long time, she only focused on clearing camps and didn''t gank a single lane, despite Yuel''s pleading. As a result, the enemy didn''t see much of Nia''s presence and might have assumed she wasn''t the type to take the initiative. But, then she suddenly appeared, as if out of the void, and scored a kill. And, then another kill. Honestly, it was impressive how she cut through the enemy''s solid defense as if it was butter. "So, you should make use of it!" Vincent insisted. "Make use of the Vanishing Phantom! The enemy must have completely forgotten about her existence by now. Am I not right, BlackFlower?" "Eh? Ah," Nia was taken aback for a moment. Was it a custom here to call each other by in-game nicknames? It was kinda weird but also kinda cool. It''s like they were a part of a secret organization. "What say you, Black?" Vincent asked again. "You think the enemy forgot about you by now?" "Um, maybe," Nia said. She wasn''t a mind reader so she didn''t know for sure whether the enemy team has completely forgotten about her. Still, judging by their movements and lack of aggression toward her, it was safe to say she wasn''t high on their list of priorities. "Alrighty, then let''s change the question then: you think you can sneak up to any of them unnoticed?" "Probably." "There you have it," Vincent turned to Yuel. "The Vanishing Phantom is ready to be unleashed!" Yes, Nia''s vague answers sure convinced me. Yuel rolled his eyes. Nevertheless, at this point, anything was worth a try. There was little chance of coming back from this position anyway. To mount a comeback, the team needed a big and unexpected game-changer. Besides, Nia was completely neglecting the defense so this was a good way to put her to some use. "If you really think you can sneak on them," Yuel said. "Why you haven''t done so yet?" "It''s scary," Nia pouted. "They always group up after moving. Zero openings. Theyre like trained agents." "I see." That observation was spot-on. The enemy team didn''t leave any noticeable holes in their defenses while pushing lanes. Whenever they shifted their focus from one lane to another, they always made sure nobody was left alone for too long. So, if Nia was waiting for an easy isolated target, that wasn''t going to happen any time soon. The only time to strike was during the rotation itself. While the enemy was traversing through the jungle alone, they were vulnerable to a gank. However, such moments were brief and it was necessary to predict the enemy''s movements ahead of time to catch them. Apparently, Nia lacked the ability to make such predictions at the moment. That was understandable since doing so required a fair amount of experience. In fact, from all the players in this club, most wont be able to make the right call at the right time. However, Yuel could. He could tell the enemy''s offense was strong but calculated, hence predictable. By now, he studied the entire flowchart of their movements. Every time the enemy attackers had to face three defenders on a lane, they rotated somebody to another lane. That kept the defenders busy and slowly, but surely, cracked the defense down. The enemy used two types of rotations. They either rotated one attacker to a lane that already had attackers it it, or they rotated two or more attackers to an empty lane. It seemed their golden rule was to always ensure there were at least two attackers on a lane. They never left a teammate behind to push a lane alone. It was a rather timid style of offense for a team that picked a rushdown class like Orc. It didnt feel like they were rushing too hard to close the game early. They took their time to enjoy the advantage of the Orc''s strength and used it to gradually crack down the defense of Yuel''s team. It was a smart way to utilize their high ground. They knew they didn''t need to recklessly rush to victory. They just had to make sure the game won''t reach late-game. These players were no amateurs, as proven by their golden names. Nevertheless, not pushing for a quick win was a mistake in this situation. Without Nia to help with the defense efforts, this situation was as good as a 4v5 for Yuel''s team. The enemy should''ve taken advantage of their numbers to break through. Maybe they haven''t realized Nia isn''t here to defend? A funny thought crossed Yuel''s mind. Normally, something like that was unthinkable. The enemy team has proven its competence so they couldn''t possibly miss something so simple. Vanishing Phantom. Yeah, right. Yuel cracked a dry laugh. Was he really going to accept that kind of nonsense? As unscientific as it was, it was undeniable that Nia has successfully snuck up to many players today. She definitely had something going for her. Perhaps it was a skill Yuel couldn''t quite comprehend because he didnt possess it himself, the same way others couldn''t understand the way Yuel always spotted weaknesses right away. It''s worth a shot. Yuel concluded. If Nia was truly the "Vanishing Phantom", she should be able to pull off a gank on a stray target. If not, it''ll simply prove she wasn''t as amazing as Vincent claimed. Itll show that her "Vanishing Phantom" wasn''t as effective against competent players with good map awareness. Yuel just had to arrange the right scenario for testing it on and he already had an idea in mind. If it works, it might shift the entire momentum of this match. Vol.7 Ch.29: Surpassing Tipmancer It was time to put Nias Vanishing Phantom to the test. By dragging the game out with a safe offense, the enemy gave Yuel plenty of time to think and analyze them. By now, he could narrow down their possible moves to just a couple of options. Their flowchart became crystal clear. Right now, three enemies were pushing Mid and two were pushing Top. According to the flowchart, there were only three "legal moves" the enemy could make from this position: 1, From Mid, send one attacker to Top.
  1. From Mid, send three attackers to Bot.
  2. From Mid, send two attackers to Bot and one to Top.
No matter what, their next move had to come from Mid. The enemy vehemently refused to push any lane with a full group of five and they never left a teammate alone on a lane. Following these two golden rules, the only legal move they had was to move somebody from Mid to another lane. No matter which of these moves the enemy goes for, it was guaranteed only one opponent will travel from Mid to Top at most. Of course, there was still the chance all three of them will travel from Mid to Bot. However, if anybody was going to Top, itd be one only one person. That was the target Nia had to gank. "Nia, here''s your isolated target," Yuel drew a path on the mini-map leading from Mid to Top through the jungle. "One of them will most likely rotate along this path soon. If you start heading there now, you''ll be able to gank them." "How do you know?" Nia peered at him with her suspicious little eyes from behind her long bangs. "Are you an oracle?" "Something like that." "ESPer." "Yeah, sure. Anyway, they''ll pass through here," Yuel drew the path again just to make sure. "Can you gank them?" "Who is it going to be?" Nia asked. "Hmm, that''s a tough one. I can''t tell for sure." "I thought you saw the future." "Sure, I can. It''s just a little blurry at the moment so I can''t make out the details." "Suspicious," Nia kept staring at him as if he was trying to pull her leg. Was Yuel really that untrustworthy in her eyes? Sigh. "If I had to guess, it''ll probably be the Aeromancer." It might be the Orc if the enemy wants to rush Top Golem but I feel like I shouldn''t mention that. "Hrmmm," Nia titled from side to side on her chair. "Sounds bogus." "Just play along with it," Vincent said. "You see, just like your ability to vanish, Chessmaster here got a special power too." "A special power?" "Indeed!" Here we go again. Yuel sighed. The circus was in town. "The same way you got the Vanishing Phantom, Chessmaster got the Mystic Eyes of Weaknesses Perception! He must''ve already downloaded the enemy''s entire game plan and dissected it like a mad scientist! He knows every weakness there is and he can tell exactly where to strike!" "Really?" Nia blinked. "Something like that." Yuel averted his eyes. If this kind of nonsense can convince Nia better than Yuel''s reasonable explanation, then so be it. "Just give it a try," Vincent said. "Don''t worry. If his prediction is off and you misplay because of that, we''ll blame it on him, not you." "Sounds good," Nia nodded. "Ok, I''ll try." "Marvelous!" Vincent made noise. "A combo between Vanishing Phantom and Mystic Eyes! This play will go down in history!" Nia followed the plan and rotated toward the jungle area between Top and Mid. Meanwhile, the situation in Mid was getting desperate. The Aeromancer and Orc were wreaking havoc with their attacks while the Cryomancer was zoning the defenders with the fact he could freeze anybody who approached. Getting hit by his Ice Coffin guaranteed death in this situation so the defenders couldn''t advance to the frontline. As such, Yuels team had to get another defender over to Mid in order to deflect the enemy''s siege. But, that''s exactly what the enemy was waiting for. They waited for three defenders to gather in Mid so they could shift their attack to a lane with weaker defense. Even though Yuel knew this, he had no choice but to rotate to Mid. It was like negotiating with terrorists. If he doesnt comply, the enemy will simply break through Mid. The moment Yuel approached Mid, the enemy made their move. As he predicted, one of the attackers backed away and rotated from Mid. However, it wasnt the Aeromancer. It was the Orc! Oh lord... "You said it''ll be Aero," Nia pouted. "I said there''s a good chance it''ll be Aero," Yuel corrected. "Anyway, that doesn''t change the prediction. You got yourself an isolated target to gank." "But, it''s the Orc." "And?" "It''s risky. He gonna kill me." "You''re still on about that?" Yuel sighed. "It''s already the mid-game. Orc isn''t nearly as dangerous at this point. Also, he invested most of his build into offense so he''s barely a bruiser anymore. He''s more like an assassin with a thin layer of tankiness." "Really?" Nia started at Yuel with her little suspicious eyes. "That''s something Tipmancer doesn''t tell you, does it? Don''t get me wrong, I think Tipmancer is a great tool for beginners. In fact, Im glad you''re taking the game seriously enough to use a guide. But, you have to be able to think past what Tipmancer tells you. This app won''t spell out everything for you. There are things you can only learn by playing a lot and thinking for yourself." "Is that so," Nia clenched her phone. The Tipmancer app was still displaying the warning against ganking Orc. As Yuel said, that advice hasn''t changed from the beginning fo the game. But, thats only a given. After all, Tipmancer didn''t know the current state of the game. It couldn''t advise Nia whether it was safe to gank Orc now. Is that how you betray me? I thought we were friends. Nia grumped. All this time, she has been relying on Tipmancer for most things in this mode. It had lots of wisdom so Nia blindly trusted everything it fed her. She thought of it as a mentor and a good friend. But, in the end, it was just an app. It couldn''t compete with the knowledge of people who knew every aspect of the game. So, maybe Yuel was right. Maybe it was really safe to gank the Orc now. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. But, should she trust that bully? This guy has been firing complaints at her the entire game. But, maybe he had a point. Maybe Nia relied on Tipmancer a bit too much. "O-Okay," Nia gulped. "I''ll gank him. But, not my fault if I die." "You''ll be fine," Yuel said. "Just make sure you hit him with a basic attack before Izuna to proc Imperial Spear." "Eh? But, that''s..." Nia clammed up. Just earlier today, she tried doing this exact set up against Lars. It was the classic Ninja setup she has been using since forever: a slash in the back that procd the damage boost of Imperial Spear, which made the follow-up Izuna Drop that much deadlier. However, Lars dodged that setup. He reacted right away to the basic attack and rolled outside the range of her Izuna Drop. That''s when Nia learned the appalling truth: this setup was fake as heck. It wasn''t guaranteed at all. All this time, she has been landing it only thanks to her opponent''s slow reaction. "It doesn''t work..." Nia mumbled. "Yes, I saw that exchange you had with Lars earlier," Yuel said. "But, don''t worry. Lars is a special kind of superhuman. Most players can''t react to that. I haven''t seen anything about this Orc to suggest he could do so." "Really?" Nia was taken aback. Its like Yuel just read her mind. How did that guy notice such a small detail while watching Nia play? Totally a stalker. Still, it was amazing how much attention Yuel was paying to the finer details. Tipmancer would never be able to notice such small things and give Nia the appropriate advice. If not for Yuel''s words just now, she would have completely given up on the whole Imperial Spear + Izuna Drop combo. "Ok, I''ll try." Nia went into stealth after summoning a clone and ran to intercept the Orc. She''ll put Tipmancer aside for now and trust Yuel''s judgment on this one. Let''s see if the enemy counters this. Yuel glued himself to the screen. In truth, this was a rather risky gank. If the enemy team was properly paying attention to their backs, they''d catch Nia red-handed and counter her before even she gets to the scene. Nevertheless, if anybody had a chance to execute such a gank right now - it was Nia. She was an assassin and everybody else was busy defending. So, she had to be the one to try it. Everything was riding on her ability to sneak up to the target unnoticed. If she truly had the "Vanishing Phantom" talent Vincent was raving about, she should be able to pull this off. The entire play was riding on that hope. Ok, he hasn''t noticed. Nia nodded to herself. The Orc continued along the path to Top without suspecting a thing. Nia''s existence has completely vanished from his mind by now. She was like a phantom. The Imperial Spear setup is safe on this guy. It''s safe. No problem. Lars was an exception to the rule. I can do it here. She repeated over and over in her head like a mantra. Her palms became sweaty. Her heart hammered. She was about to attack that super mega dangerous Orc and she was about to use a non-guaranteed setup. Le gulp of the gulps. But, she''ll trust Yuel''s judgment on this one. Worst case, if things go south, she''ll just blame Yuel for this. No problem. Here goes nothing! Nia ran her dagger across the Orc''s back. It forced her out of stealth but it also activated the passive of Imperial Spear, which made her next ability x1.5 stronger for a brief time. Next, Izuna Drop! Nia wrapped her arms around the enemy and gave him the hug of death! She launched toward the sky with her new friend and spun like a hurricane. Then, they both crashed into the ground and the Orc received heavy damage. Over 70% of his HP was gone in an instant! A-Amazing. Nia was surprised by her own damage. As Yuel said, this Orc wasnt tanky at all. But, it wasn''t over yet. The Orc still had a little bit of HP left. Nia had to deliver a few more hits to seal the deal. And, to do so, she had to get close to the Orc. This is mid-game. Orc is only scary during the early-game. Nothing to be scared of. Nia hammered these thoughts into her brain as she slowly approached the Orc I-I did it! She landed a hit before the Orc got a chance strike back! She had this in the bag! Just a little more and it''ll be over- ah! The Orc vanished! Her next attack sliced through empty air! Darn Blink! Nia cursed as she turned around. The Orc teleported a fair distance away and began running. He was retreating. In other words, he was scared of Nia right now. I''m stupid. Nia smiled wryly. All this time, she thought the Orc was the scariest monster in the world because of Tipmancers advice. She didn''t realize how easy it was to turn the odds against the Orc with one well-executed gank like this. What the heck was she even doing the entire game until now? Just look at him. He''s shook. Nia smirked. She terrorized that poor Orc. The guy was fleeing from her as if she was the reaper. But, he won''t get away. Nia shouldve scored this kill on the Orc at least ten minutes ago. It has been delayed long enough. So, she''ll definitely score it now! Nia activated Shuriken Flip and threw a shuriken at the Orc''s back while backflipping. As soon as the shuriken got stuck in the Orc''s back, Shuriken flip was temporarily replaced with Substitution Jutsu on her skill list. It let her instantly switch places with her shuriken. So, a moment later, she appeared right behind the Orc! She delivered one guaranteed slash to his back after the substitution and then chased him down from there. It was so easy. Seriously, what was Nia so scared of until now? This Orc was a slowpoke. His natural running speed was lower than Ninja''s and he didn''t have any mobility skills. Even if Nia couldn''t kill him with ganks during the early-game, she wouldve easily slipped away from him after ganking. In this mode, Orc was nothing like the OP broken class he was in Duel. And, he wasnt nearly as scary as Tipmancer made him out to be. Yuel was right about it all along. You have killed an enemy! "I-I did it." Nia clenched her controller. She really did it! She took down that "scary monster". If only she listened to Yuel from the beginning, she would''ve shut down this Orc a long time ago. "Sorry," Nia mumbled. "I should''ve done this earlier." "Good thing you finally realized that," Yuel said and he really meant it. There were far too many players out there who refused to admit their faults no matter what. So, even though it took her an entire match, it was great she finally learned the lesson. That alone already made her a better competitive player than at least 90% of the playerbase. "What a beautiful combination!" Vincent made noise. "The Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception discovered the enemy''s path and the Vanishing Phantom struck from the shadows! No team can possibly defend against this magnificent combo!!" I admit, it turned out nicely. Yuel nodded in agreement, but he rather die than admit that to Vincent''s face. Also, even though Yuel and Nia were the ones who organized and executed this gank, it was actually Vincent who suggested the idea. Yuel couldn''t think of a good way to gank the enemy team until Vincent suggested to use the "Vanishing Phantom". That sparked the idea of using Nia for a difficult gank. In truth, Yuel expected the enemy to shoot Nia down. He came up with the best gank he could and minimized the risk as much as possible, but it still didn''t feel like a smooth plan. The enemy team has been putting on a formidable defense the entire game while pushing forward, so they should''ve had some Stealth Wards scattered around to shut down Nias ganks. But, apparently, there were none. The Orc had no idea Nia was coming after him. Somehow, she broke through the enemy''s calculated defense without doing anything special at all. It was truly as if she had a special power like "Vanishing Phantom", even though that was silly talk. Still, if Nia truly had a talent like that, it could be huge. It was nothing but wishful thinking at the moment, but perhaps this Vanishing Phantom will be effective at shaking up Howard''s unbreakable defense. With Yuel''s Mystic Eyes and Nia''s Phantom, they might be able to break through Aegis! Ugh. I feel like Vincent''s clownery is becoming contagious... Unfortunately, in the end, Nia woke up too late. The team failed to turn the game around and the match ended in defeat. Much of the fault laid with Nias passiveness but nobody held it against her after her solid performance during the late game. Even Yuel gave her a pass. For the most part. Overall, Nia committed a huge mistake during the early-game but she ultimately realized that, admitted to it and learned from it. That was enough to prove she was serious about the game. Nia definitely had what it took to play competitively. At least, she probably did... "Tired..." Nia''s head dropped and she fell silent. "Did this chick just fall asleep?" Luke laughed. "How can you even sleep like that? Man, she got talent! Haha." "Let her rest," Kai said. "She did well. You all agree with her joining the club, right?" She looked at every club member in order. Everybody gave her a nod until it came to Yuel''s turn. "She''s still rough around the corners," Yuel said. "We lost this match because she refused to cooperate during the early-game. But, she''s willing to learn and her mechanical skill seems decent. I say she passes." "Good," Kai loosened her fists. "For a moment there, I thought I''ll have to smack some sense into you." On this note, it was decided: Nia became the last member of Stratus. It was still unclear whether she''ll make it onto the main team for tournament but, either way, she''ll surely become an important asset for the club. Her "Vanishing Phantom" might even break through Aegis! Yeah, right. Yuel smiled wryly. But, we''ll see once we get there. He had every intention to help Nia develop her jungling skills. If her ability to sneak under the enemys nose becomes a serious threat, she might become the ace Yuel needed for beating Howard. Vol.7 Afterword This is the end of volume 7. Now, that Nia joined the club, the entire team has assembled. So, its time to take on the regionals! Well, not quite. This team of misfits still has many issues to work out. Especially Nia, who seems to possess some talent but is incredibly inexperienced. The next volume will focus some more on Yuels attempts to coach Nia into becoming a decent player. After that... an unexpected challenger appears! Three seniors will come test Stratus mettle! But, seniors from where!? Expect a blast from the past! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. All that and more in Volume 8 - The Seniors Challenge. The release schedule will remain the same for the upcoming volume, and there wont be any breaks between the volumes. So, volume 8 is starting next week, lets goooooo! Ive seen people say they like Stratus members more than Yuels former clubmates. So, it made me wonder: who is everybodys favorite member? Vote in the poll! (Yuel and Lars arent included because they aren''t new characters) Vol.8 Ch.1: Ranked Solo Queue Nia has officially joined the club. She became the seventh and last member of this tiny basement club. Following that, Kai decided that club activities will be held thrice a week. It was the standard for sports clubs, but it was unfortunate. This team had to cram as much practice as possible to get anywhere at the regionals. They should practice every single day they have. "What? Practice every day? Luke produced a dry laugh. Man, youre high." "Sounds tiring," Nia agreed. "I get where you''re coming from," Kai said. "But, thats too much. We''re a school club, not the pro league." "Resting is also a part of a pro''s work," Vincent said. Well, about what I expected. Yuel sighed. Only Lars supported Yuels suggestion. They have been practicing together daily anyway so, for them, that was the norm. However, for the rest, it was too much. In the end, everybody rejected Yuels suggestion, except for Ben who didn''t object but didn''t express agreement either. He just stayed quiet during the whole thing. Not that it mattered, since daily practice was impossible for him anyway. He has been attending club activity once in a blue moon and Kai let him get away with it for some reason. If things continue like this in the upcoming weeks, Yuel will have to raise the topic again. With the club now having 7 members, or at least 6.5 because Ben was only sometimes there, it became impossible for everybody to practice at the same time as one team. Yet, they were also too few to be split into two full teams of five. This was so sad. They couldnt even hold 5v5 practice matches like this. Back in the day, StormBlitz''s restriction of 15 club members seemed harsh. But, compared to this situation, StormBlitz was a paradise. They had enough members to train three full teams simultaneously. Seriously, what was Stratus supposed to do with just seven members? Sigh. In the end, their training regime remained the same as before. They formed a team of five players and went into Ranked. After every match, they substituted the members who were on standby. This way, everybody got to play. However, there was one troublemaker who couldnt play Ranked with the others yet. "You better use your breaks to finish the qualifier," Yuel told Nia. "But, solo queue is such a pain." Nia pouted. "Does it really matter what rank I get?" "It matters for the system," Yuel explained. "As long as you don''t finish the qualifier, it can''t estimate your rank, so it struggles to find a match for you. We already got a mish-mash of ranks here, and you see how sometimes it takes over five minutes to find a proper match." "Gufu... Ok, got it. Ill do it," Nia mumbled with a sulking face. "I can look over your qualifier games," Kai suggested. "I''ll drop you a few tips and stuff." "Oh, that''s nice," Nia nodded. At least, somebody will be on my side. Because, my own team will always be 100% against me. The worst thing about the qualifier matches was that Nia had to play with a bunch of randoms who all gonna hate her by default. Even before the match started, they were already set on bullying her... Jungler She jammed the message into the lobby chat as soon as the room loaded. Thanks to this secret ninja technique of preparing the text while waiting in the queue, she got to call her role before anybody else! Nin nin. But... Ill take jungler Some other guy declared as if he was the king. Unfortunately, he had the say because his turn was earlier in the drafting order. The game placed "better players" earlier in the drafting phase, based on some vague system that estimated skill. That system was clearly a bully. "Gufu," Nia hung her head. Just great. She just started the qualifier again and people were already bullying her. Why couldn''t the game match her with reasonable people for a change? Nia called the Jungler role before anybody else. She carefully prepared the message ahead of time and jammed it into the chat as soon as the lobby appeared, only for everybody to ignore it. Welp, if she isnt playing Jungler then its over. Ok GG wut I can only play jungle git gud then "Classic online, huh." Kai smiled wryly. "It''s been so long since I last had to deal with this crap. My condolences." "It''s ok," Nia put down her controller. "I''ll just AFK then." "That''s going a little too far, don''t you think?" Kai frowned. "Well, I either AFK or end up feeding with some role I can''t play well," Nia shrugged. "They gonna hate on me anyway and we gonna lose. So, faster to just AFK." "I agree that your teammates will probably complain no matter what. But, aren''t you a little too quick to give up? You really can''t play any other role?" "Nope." "How much have you tried?" "Enough to know theyre not for me," Nia said. "I can''t disappear when I have to stay on lane all the time." "Why do you need to ''disappear''?" "So I can appear again and get a kill." "That a Jungler''s mindset, alright," Kai nodded. "But, you just gotta think differently for other roles. "That''s not fun," Nia pouted. "I want to surprise them and get kills." "Is that so," Kai had a lot more to say but she pursed her lips. Nias attitude wasn''t healthy and definitely not competitive. No matter what role she had to fill in, she ought to play to the best of her ability. Going AFK was unacceptable, especially during qualifier matches. There was a chance it was a qualifier match for some of her teammates as well so she was about to ruin their chances of scoring a high rank. But, Kai didn''t want to attack Nia with this. At long last, there was another girl in the club. So, Kai had to act like a nice older sister. It was clear Nia went through a lot of shit online, same as Kai and pretty m much everybody else who ever played solo queue. So, it was important to show her that, unlike that toxic online environment, playing in a club was a fun and friendly experience. Hopefully, with time, Nia''s way of thinking will evolve and she''ll understand why AFKing in this situation was bad sportsmanship. Over time, she should start feeling more comfortable around her clubmates and will become more open to criticism. Until then, there was nothing wrong with spoiling her a little and letting her get away with things. Unfortunately, one thick-headed dumbass didn''t get the memo... "If you AFK on purpose, you''re the worst type of human being," Yuel proclaimed. Jeez, thanks for helping me give a warm welcome to our newcomer. Kai felt like strangling that guy. Yuel was actually echoing Kai''s own thoughts, but did he have to bring it up right now? Zero delicacy. "I dunno what to do with other roles," Nia picked up her phone; Tipmancer was already running. "For Jungler, it explains jungling paths and stuff. For other roles, it only says how to farm efficiently and gives a few matchup tips here and there. Dunno what to do from just that." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Just follow these guidelines," Yuel said. "Farm safely and recall when you''re low. Then, farm again." "But, I also need to rotate sometimes and all that, right?" "No need to rotate at first," Yuel said. "If you don''t know your role and class well enough, you don''t have to go for any amazing plays. Just stick to the fundamentals and you''ll get the job done. A player with solid fundamentals will contribute to his team way more than somebody who goes for crazy plays and fails miserably. Keep it simple and you''ll do just fine." "I see," Nia curled into a ball on the chair. "Ok, I can try. Looks like I can pick either Mid or Support." "Pick Mid," Yuel said. "Support is not very beginner-friendly. If you don''t know how to create opportunities and initiate, you wont get much done." "Ok," Nia typed in the lobby chat in blazing speed. I''ll Mid i called mid tho...The teammate at the bottom of the list complained. Cry me a river. Nia scuffed. She had zero sympathy for any of these randoms. They took her main role even though she called it first, so she''ll take whatever she wants now. I called Jungler first and didnt get it, so... i can''t support git gud then Haha, goteem! Nia smirked. That''ll teach these bullies. She was giving them a taste of their own medicine. That was uncalled for. Kai frowned. This exchange reminded her of her younger immature self, who wasted way too much time bashing her teammates whenever they called her out on the smallest of things. mid is feeding gg You think you can do better? 1v1 me after this, big boy I really used to write that kind of crap, huh. Kai smiled wryly. Like many newcomers to this game, she went throughout the life cycle of flaming people, then blocking everybody and then, finally, getting over it and learning how to ignore the idiots. At least, for the most part. Sometimes, she still couldn''t help but get into petty arguments with them. Especially, whenever they brought up her gender. Them bastards. That aside, there was one truth everybody knew: trash-talking your teammates didn''t bring any benefits. It only created a negative atmosphere and motivated people to feed on purpose, AFK or steal kills just to spite. It wasn''t a healthy attitude to play with. I probably should say something. Kai stared at Nia''s snarky rebuttal in the chat. That git gud part was uncalled for. That last guy didn''t do anything to her. He was merely pleading to not play Support because he wasnt good at it, the same way Nia pleaded to play Jungler because she wasnt good with other roles. I also dont like Support so I feel the guy. Kai thought. Support was the only role in the game she couldn''t play well, so she knew where that guy was coming from. It was such an odd role because it couldn''t get anything done on its own. It constantly had to rely on others to do everything. It required so much faith in others that it was practically unplayable with a team of strangers. If Kai were in Nia''s shoes, she''d definitely go for Mid over Support and disregard her teammates plea as well. Nevertheless, making a scene out of it with "git gud" was unnecessary. Playing Support was already a pain and this attitude will only make the guy less motivated to do anything. Honestly, if Kai were that guy in the last pick, she''d go for something like Lumimancer or Aeromancer for Support so she could build it like a Mid Laner. That actually worked somewhat well for her before. Doesnt seem like the other guy plans to answer so Ill just let it slide. Kai shrugged. She was waiting to see the guy''s reply but nothing came. So, it was fine to bury this topic. "You better keeping such thoughts inside," Yuel came to ruin the party by criticizing Nia. "You''re both playing for the same team. No need to insult each other. It only creates bad blood." "They started it," Nia pouted. "They took my role even though I called it first." "I understand that," Yuel nodded. "It''s a thing that happens often in Ranked and that''s why you need to learn to play all roles." "What a pain." "Well, excuse me, prin-" Yuel coughed and glanced at Kai. That was dangerous. "Prin?" Nia tilted her head. Prinny? "I meant to say that you shouldn''t act so spoiled. In Casual, you could insta-lock a Jungler as soon as the selection screen appeared. But, things don''t work that way in Ranked. There is a drafting order and you have to respect it." "I don''t like it." Nia pouted. "Yeah, it can be a pain," Kai agreed. "When you play with randoms who don''t know what you''re good at and take all your roles, it always feels like they got an agenda going against you." "They usually don''t, though," Yuel said. "It just so happens that the roles they don''t like playing are the same as yours. So, no reason to be hostile toward the last guy. You both don''t like playing Support and that''s fine. It''s not his fault somebody took your Jungler role even though you called it first. "Hm, right," Nia lowered her head. She wrote that "git gud" reply at the heat of the moment because she was mad about her stolen role, but it wasn''t the last guys fault. It was that thief above her that deserved all the hate. He was the one who committed a robbery in broad daylight and got away with it. A professional bully with a diploma. "Sorry," Nia mumbled. "It''s alright," Kai said. "Sometimes, this game can bring out the worst in you." "No point apologizing to us," Yuel said. "It''s that guy over there who deserves an apology." "Eh? But..." Nia chewed her lips. It was so weird. On paper, Yuel was right. Nia acted like a bully and should''ve apologized. If that player was standing in front of her right now, she''d apologize without a problem. But, apologizing on the internet? In a Classmancers chat? Did no one ever. "No need to elaborate," Yuel said. "Just explain you can''t play Support either." "Hmm," Nia twisted her lips while her fingers hovered over the touchscreen. He really gonna make her apologize for it? Wow. Kai couldn''t believe this was real life. It made sense to clear things up with your teammates but Kai would never ever be able to apologize to some random on the internet. In fact, nobody ever apologized to her either. People in the chat only knew how to flame each other. Sometimes, very rarely, they also praised their teammates for a good kill or such. That was the epitome of intelligence for chat interactions. Honestly, the idea of apologizing never even crossed Kai''s mind. She had a bunch of stupid outbursts in chat throughout her career but she has never considered taking her words back and apologizing for them. Even if she realized she was in the wrong, she just hoped her teammates will sweep things under the rug and forget all about it. This guy really comes up with bizarre ideas. Kai shook her head. And, it seems like Nia is actually going to follow on that advice. Nia typed her "apology" at lightning speed. jk I also can''t support. It''s hard. GL okay I''ll try Maybe this guy isn''t so bad after all. Nia thought. He didn''t curse her to death for making him play Support, unlike Nia did (internally) to that robber who stole her Jungler role. So, turned out she really lashed at the Support guy for no reason. She twisted that "apology" around rather smoothly. Yuel thought. Instead of taking her words back, Nia pretended she was joking about the whole thing. The idea didnt even cross Yuels mind. "Good job," Yuel said. "That should keep the team more positive." "Yeah, you did really well!" Kai was deeply impressed. "I gonna steal that ''just joking'' tech, if you don''t mind." Sure, Nia nodded. Ah, theres no time! With all this talk, she only had 30 seconds left to pick her class! Oh noes! Um, Mid... She filtered down the class list by the Mid Laner tag and scrolled through it with a difficult expression. I dont play any of these. Youve surely played Mid before, right? Yuel asked. You have to know at least one class. Oh, right. I played some Wizard before. Shes pretty simple. Makes sense, Yuel nodded. After all, Wizard was designed as a beginner-friendly mage and the in-game tutorial recommended starting with it. However, Wizard was considered low tier in the meta because it was too simple for its own good. Still, for somebody who didnt play Mid much, it was a solid pick that could put in some work. It was better for Nia to pick a familiar low-tier class over a high-tier class she never played. Go for it, Yuel said. Wizard is considered low tier but its easy to handle so you should be fine. Besides, its a legit counter to Pyromancer so you got an advantage there. Oh, and you should hurry up. Ack! Right! Nia locked-in right the countdown hit 3. Phew, made it. Good, Yuel nodded. Whats with the sudden interest? Kai asked Yuel. Just killing time while waiting in queue, Yuel shrugged. Though, I am a little interested in how Nia performs as Mid. Wanna watch over her match instead? I dont mind. Alright, lets switch then, Kai stood up. I wanna play some. Sure, Yuel wasnt sure where that came from but he accepted the offer and traded places with Kai. Just make sure youre not too harsh with her, Kai said. Remember, shes not used to playing Mid. Or, playing the MOBA mode in general. Yuel added. Yeah, I know. Alright, Kai joined the others in the center of the clubroom. As frustrating as it was to admit, she was no-good as Nias guide right now. She was too conscious of Nia being a fellow girl, to the point she let Nia get away with too many things. Therefore, it was better to let somebody who freely spoke their mind to supervise Nias qualifier. For the better or the worse, Yuel was the type who knew little restraint and had zero tact. If he didnt like something or disagreed, he immediately spoke up. He had little in the way of delicacy and he often came off as harsh but his criticism was usually honest and on-point. That kind of input will help Nia improve during her qualifier. Hopefully. Knowing Yuel, that professional nitpicker might get too serious with his criticism and discourage Nia from playing. But, nah. He knew better than that, right? It wont happen, right? Hopefully not... Vol.8 Ch.2: Playing Ranked with Randoms Nia''s qualifier match began. It was her third qualifier in total and she has lost the previous matches. So, she better start winning if she doesn''t want to get stuck in Bronze. To help with that, Yuel watched over her match like a coach. While the match was loading, Nia glued herself to her phone. "Tipmancer again?" Yuel asked. "Mhm," Nia gave him a small nod but her eyes kept scanning the details in the app. It had some good news and some bad news. The good news: Wizard had a favorable lane matchup against Pyromancer during the early-game. Wizard''s passive, Wisdom, granted flat magic power and penetration right off the bat. That put Wizard slightly above the competition early on and her spells also had a better range than Pyromancer. However, there were also huge bad news: the enemy Dark Knight in Top Lane! That thing was a monster. Even without Tipmancer, Nia had more than enough terrible experiences fighting that early-game bully. It was a super OP class. It was best to steer clear of it. "What Tipmancer got to say about this lineup?" Yuel asked. "Pyro ez. DK scary." "Yeah, I had a feeling it''d be something along these lines. Wizard got a good matchup against Pyromancer and Dark Knight has a dangerous early-game, something like that? Mhm. Well, that omits some crucial information." "Such as?" Nia titled her head. "For starters, Pyro will only be a favorable matchup for you in the first ten minutes or so. Before long, its burst damage will outdo the Wizard. So, if played smartly, a mid-game Pyro will have the upper hand against Wizard." "Thats terrible. Nobody told me about that," Nia pouted as she scrolled back and forth on her screen. There was no such advice in Tipmancer. Where did Yuel draw that info from? It gotta be some ancient alien wisdom, no doubt. "Tipmancer can''t teach you the entire game," Yuel said. "It''s a nice app but, like any app, it has to be constantly maintained and updated. So, whoever fills it up with info can''t cover too many specific interactions. They have to be as general as possible to make sure the info is correct and will remain correct in the upcoming patches. It''s the same thing with the info you find on the wiki. It''s either going to be very surface level or if it covers something specific, there''s a chance it''s outdated. "Hmm," Nia twisted her lips. "So, I have to kill the Pyro a bunch of times until mid-game?" "That''s one way to overcome the problem. But, that''s unrealistic in general." "Why?" Nia tilted her head. "You won''t always fight players who are easy to get kills on." "Hmm, how about this Pyro, then? Can I beat it?" "How should I know? The match hasn''t even started yet." "I thought you knew everything." "Pretty sure I''ve never claimed such a thing." "Disappointing," Nia said. "Ok, I''ll try to outlevel him early somehow." "That''s the idea," Yuel nodded. "The other thing Tipmancer probably doesn''t mention, is that your team will have to pressure Top to prevent Dark Knight from snowballing. You have to prevent an unfortunate development like the one with the Orc during your entrance exam." "But, it''s dangerous to fight DK early." "True, but somebody has to challenge it." "Don''t wanna." Nia puffed her cheeks. "Thats okay. This isnt supposed to be your responsibility anyway. The Jungler is supposed to handle that part. I was just giving an example for another important thing to keep in mind that Tipmancer won''t teach you." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Tipmancer is a sham," Nia put down her phone. "How do I install you on my phone instead?" "Sorry, but your phone doesnt have enough memory to store all my game knowledge." "Show-off," Nia gave him a look and returned to the game. The map loaded and she started off at the base. "Tipmancer recommends one Ward and one MP Potion to start off. Does it lie?" "No, that''s a good start," Yuel said. "Tipmancer can be trusted to give you decent openers, at least." "It also says to start with Magi Boots." "Not sure I agree with that one," Yuel crossed his arms. "It''s the standard opening so you can''t go wrong with it. In that sense, I get why it''s recommended. But, when you fight a Pyromancer on lane and have to get ahead during the early-game, you need to be more aggressive." "So, I buy Staff of Ages?" "No, no, that''s going too far. Thats a super late-game power item. It scales your magic power by percentage so its not that good early. Not to mention, its expensive. Even at Lv.1, you cant afford the Ward and MP Potion along with it." "True, true," Nia nodded. "So, what do I get?" "I''d go with Necronomicon," Yuel said. "It got decent power and MP, so it should help you bully the Pyromancer." "Bullying isn''t nice." "You have to do it, though. Otherwise, you won''t win the lane." "I didn''t say I won''t do it," Nia smirked. Her enemies will take any opportunity to bully her so she''d do the same to them. An eye for an eye. "Good," Yuel nodded. "Just make sure to return to base as soon as you can upgrade Necronomicon to Lv.3. You have to start stacking as early as possible." "Ok," Nia purchased Necronomicon and proceeded to buy a Ward and an MP Potion. But, there was a little problem. "I don''t have enough. Can''t buy." "Oh, right. Necronomicon costs extra 50 gold now at Lv. 1. My bad." "I thought you were the superior app," Nia gave him a disappointed look. "I sincerely apologize for only being a human," Yuel smiled wryly. "It used to cost less until the balance changes last year. That''s why Tipmancer rarely suggests any specific matchup builds. You never know when the build becomes irrelevant in future patches." "So, do I buy it, or...?" "Stick with Necronomicon. If memory serves, the cost increase was specifically to discourage players from buying it alongside an MP Potion. Necronomicon + MP Potion + Ward was a very common opener due to how much sustain it gave. But, Necronomicon alone should suffice. You can skip the MP Potion." Ok, Nia finished the purchase and joined the Carry and Support at the Ogre Camp. Or, at least, that was the plan... Eh? Nia tilted her head. Hello? Red buff? Anybody? The Elf and Paladin on her team passed by the Ogre Camp without stopping. They went on to Bot Lane. Um, aren''t we supposed to take the red buff? Nia asked. Is Tipmancer lying to me again? No, its correct, Yuel said. The meta is to begin at the red and blue camps. Ok, Nia went on and reached the Ogre Camp. But, she was alone there. Even though her allies could see her there on the mini-map, they didnt budge. Nobody came to help. This takes me back, Yuel smiled wryly. Lv.50 players, qualified for Ranked and still dont know the meta opening. Brilliant. They need more Tipmancer in their life. Not even kidding, Yuel sighed deeply. I guess this isnt happening, Nia turned to leave the camp. Wait, theres still time, Yuel argued. Try pinging the camp with a group-up. Ok, um, Nia pressed a button. Then another button. Then a different one. You press right on the dpad to open the chat. That also lets you ping the map. I-I remember that. Nia pressed in a hurry. When was the last time this girl pinged anything? Yuel made a face. Well, at least she managed to pick the correct ping on her own. Group Up!An exclamation popped on the mini-map, accompanied by a voice line. However, the Bot duo didnt budge. Spam it a few times, Yuel advised. Ok, Nia repeated the ping multiple times in a row. By the fourth time, the Paladin turned around and began heading in the camps direction. The Elf followed suit. As a result of this delayed communication, they cleared the Ogre Camp a little late. But, they still had enough time to return to lanes before the minions clash. Nia just had to take the power buff and... Ah, mine... Nia grumped. The Elf just went ahead and snatched her red buff! Robbery! Send halp! Yeah, this happens sometimes, Yuel sighed. Low-level Ranked was such a clown fiesta. These bullies...! Nia mashed a macro. Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Enough already, Yuel said. Head to your lane. I dont want to play with these people anymore, Nia pouted. I feel you but you cant throw away your Qualifier. You dont want to be stuck in Bronze, do you? Gufu... Nia sighed in defeat. Its okay. Youre a Wizard, Nia. Even without the power buff, youll outclear the Pyromancer early on. I guess, Nia dragged herself to lane. She felt so robbed here. Even though she was the one who brought these clueless scrubs to the Ogre Camp, they robbed her in broad daylight. Dang it! This Qualifier was off to a great start... Vol.8 Ch.3: Reckless Low Rank After getting over the fact that bully Elf stole her precious red buff, Nia headed toward Mid. Along the way, she placed a ward in one of the intersections Tipmancer recommended as top priority warding spots. And so, the laning phase began. She had to deal with a Pyromancer. "Do you know how to farm with Wizard?" Yuel asked. "Yeah, it''s in the app," Nia glanced at her phone again. "I slow them down before they arrive using Quicksand and then hit them with Windstorm. Ah, but they''re all already here..." Since Nia''s team was slow at taking the red buff, the minions from both sides have already reached the center of the lane and clashed. Ideally, a Wizard was supposed to slow down the incoming wave with Quicksand to pack them into one spot, then blast them away with Windstorm from afar. This setup guaranteed that both spells hit the entire wave so it maximized damage. Alas, the enemy minions have already assumed their battle positions. The swordsmen fought on the frontline while the bowmen stayed behind. With such a distance between the frontline and the backline, it was impossible to hit all minions at once with Quicksand; the radius of the spell wasn''t big enough at low levels. With that said, Nia could still hit the entire wave with Windstorm thanks to its amazing reach and width. It wasnt optimal damage but it wasnt that bad. Probably. "Do you know how to farm in this scenario?" Yuel asked. "Hmm," Nia''s eyes naturally gravitated toward the phone beside her. However, she couldn''t find any further instructions regarding farming. The only advice in Tipmancer was to do the Quicksand play into Windstorm. There was no mention of what to do when the wave was already there and it was too late to use Quicksand. Oh, I know," Nia claimed. Ill just hit them with the wind. Better than nothing. "Wait. Get closer to the swordsmen and make sure they''re within the first half of Windstorm, the half that knocks back. Thatll send them flying toward the bowmen." "Ok," Nia cautiously advanced toward the frontline with Windstorm ready in target mode. The targeting animation was neatly split into two parts to inform the caster where the first half of the spell will hit. That half had a knockback effect, which was crucial for this operation. Nia fit all the enemy swordsmen within the first half of the spell and unleashed a storm. The winds slammed into the swordsmen and shoved them to the backline. At the same time, the other half of the spell hit the bowmen in the back without repositioning them. This clustered all enemy minions into one packed area. It was time for Quicksand! Nia encircled the minions with a deadly quicksand. It damaged them over time and slowed them down, which made it harder for the swordsmen to return to the frontline. Her mechanical skill is decent. Yuel nodded to himself. Nias execution was swift but accurate as she chained one spell into another with next to no delay. In Yuel''s younger days, he used to mess up whenever he tried to chain spells quickly like that. Even though he knew exactly what he should be doing, he was always either too slow or rushed too much in fear of being too slow. Either way, it often ended up as a disaster. Even now, he wasnt so fluent with casting multiple skills in a row unless it was a specific setup he practiced a lot. That feel when you know the right thing to do but often mess up, while there are players like Nia who don''t know what to do but still pull it off somehow. Yuel smiled wryly. To be honest, he was a bit jealous of people who had such a good gaming sense. Perhaps he wasn''t blessed with one or maybe he failed to develop one as a kid because he didn''t play video games much before Classmancers. Either way, it has been giving him a lot of trouble, and despite all the regular practice he has been doing, the issue haunted him to this day. Sigh. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. At least, Nia won''t need much coaching in that area. Yuel concluded. The main thing Nia lacked was game knowledge regarding the main 5v5 mode. That Yuel had in spades and will gladly share. So, given Nias already-decent execution, she''ll level up into a solid player in no time as long as she keeps absorbing knowledge from Yuel. The Windstorm plus Quicksand play almost wiped out the entire enemy wave. Such was the strength of an early-game Wizard. Its spells had both an amazing range and they hit hard thanks to the extra magical power coming from Wizards passive. This power advantage was only going to last Nia a couple of waves but itll be a big factor in gaining early-game momentum. "You won the lane," Yuel announced. "The Pyromancer should be retreating now, so you can push on." "Um, but he''s coming closer?" "Say what?" Yuel narrowed his eyes. This Pyromancer had no fear and showed zero respect toward Nia''s lane advantage. Instead of retreating to the tower as he should, he approached the frontline to unleash his spells. What an absolute mad lad. Low ranks. Right. Yuel smiled wryly. Of course, things like that often happened at lower ranks. Most players here didn''t know the importance of defense so they didnt fall back at the right time. Most likely, that Pyromancer was only thinking about reclaiming lane control by wiping out Nias minions. Of course, it made sense to try reclaiming the lane whenever the opportunity presented itself. However, one also had to consider the resources theyll spend to achieve that and the risk they''ll be putting themselves in. Apparently, such judgments were beyond this Pyromancer''s current level, so he charged at Nia''s minions. With no enemy minions left on the lane, Nia''s soldiers naturally focused their fire on the incoming Pyromancer. Their damage was devastating in the early-game, especially against a squishy target. "You can probably kill him right here with Fireball," Yuel said. "Wait until the minions approach him and shoot him while hes casting his spells." "Ok," Nia advanced a little and waited for her loyal minions to begin their assault. The swordsmen reached the Pyromancer and the enemy was about to retaliate. Thats when Nia unleashed Fireball. The spell connected and erased 25% of the Pyromancers HP. Okay, he''s rattled. Yuel could tell by the Pyromancers sluggish movements. Clearly, that guy didn''t expect Nia to aggress on him so quickly. The huge damage made the Pyromancer hesitate. He was no longer so sure he wanted to stay here and spend time unleashing his spells on the minions. However, he couldn''t decide whether to retreat or not. So, Nia should capitalize on this situation and- You have killed an enemy! It was over in a matter of seconds. Yuel didn''t even need to say anything. Nia advanced on her own and attacked the Pyromancer along with all her minions. The Pyromancer ultimately decided to flee but he was only Lv.2, so he didn''t have Burning Spirit to make a quick escape. As a result, Nia wiped him out with ease. Good reaction there. Yuel thought. Contrary to the way Nia has been relying on Tipmancer for every little thing, she went after that kill of her own accord and made a fast judgment on the spot. Did her experience as an assassin main kick in? She saw an opportunity for a kill so she seized it without a moments hesitation. I push now? Nia threw a glance at Yuel. And already back to asking for guidance. Yuel smiled wryly. What do you think? Should you push right now? Yeah. The Pyro is dead so I can attack the tower. No, retreat. Their Jungler should be nearby. Ah, yeah, I guess, Nia retreated without objection and only her loyal minions kept charging forward. Shortly, the enemy Vampire appeared from the jungle and slaughtered the little soldiers. Sad story. About what I expected. Yuel nodded. The Vampires timing was in line with the textbook jungle-clearing routine. First, the Jungler cleared the Wraith Camp together with the Top Laner. Then, he usually went to clear the Wolf Camp near Top. After that, its the Hyena Camp near Mid. Considering how little time has passed from the beginning of the match, it was only natural the Vampire was somewhere around the Hyena camp. Whether he has finished clearing the camp was anybodys guess but, either way, it was safe to assume the Vampire might be nearby. Thats why Yuel claimed that pushing Mid was a bad idea and he was right on the money. Yuel deduced all that basic stuff on the spot, but it was understandable for a newbie to not be able to do so yet, especially a player who mostly played 1v1. Yuel will simply have to teach her, one thing at a time. Nias gaming sense seemed to be sharp enough to quickly pick things up. The next play he had in mind for Nia was also heavily based on game knowledge. Itll be a good learning experience for her and, shall it succeeded, it will grant her a big advantage for the rest of this match. Vol.8 Ch.4: Delayed Kill By killing the Pyromancer, Nia forced the enemy Vampire to rotate to Mid and defend the lane. At first glance, it didnt look like she achieved much. Yes, the exp and gold from the kill were nice but she failed to take control over the lane due to the Vampires timely rotation. She did remove the Pyromancer from the game for a while, but respawn times were short during the early game; the guy will be back in business in no time. In truth, what Nia achieved was a great position. However, there was little chance she knew how to best capitalize on it. On the other hand, Yuel knew exactly what could be exploited in such scenarios. Following the textbook jungling routine, the Vampire was supposed to go after the Griffin Camp after finishing the Hyenas. It was a neutral camp in the center of the map which was highly contested by both sides for extra gold and exp. Around this time, the junglers from both sides were supposed to gather around the Griffin Camps and the Mid Laners usually assisted in contesting the camps. Fortunately, the Lionfolk on Nias team knew the meta and was already on his way toward one of the camps. There were two Griffin Camps, one in Top Jungle and one in Bot Jungle. As such, usually, one of two scenarios occurred: either both sides targeted the same camp and a battle broke out, or they peacefully resolved the conflict by trading camps, each taking one. However, right now, Nias side could take both Griffins with ease. Help out the Jungler at the Griffin, Yuel said. Ok, Nia entered the Top Jungle. The Griffin was standing right around the corner so Nia didnt even have to stray too far from the lane to get to the camp. Since she unleashed her entire kit on the Pyromancer, everything was still on cooldown. So, she only backed up the Lionfolk with basic attacks. It wasnt a huge contribution but it helped to defeat the Griffin a little faster. Besides, nobody was even there to contest the camp. That was only natural, since the Pyromancer was dead and the Vampire was stuck defending Mid. These two were the prime suspects who were supposed to come here and fight for the Griffin, but neither of them had the leisure to do so right now. As such, Nia and the Lionfolk killed the Griffin with little effort. However, it wasnt over there. Signal that you want to attack the other Griffin as well, Yuel said. Hm, sure, Nia followed the instruction and pinged the other Griffin Camp with an Attack instruction. The Lionfolk didnt respond with any macros, messages or even pings. But, he seemed to understand the message because he headed in the direction of the other Griffin Camp. At least, he didnt steal my role for nothing. Nia thought. It wasnt like she forgave the guy, far from it. But, at least, he seemed knowledgeable and cooperative enough. The system placed him first during the drafting phase for a reason. Nia and the Lionfolk rotated to Bot Jungle and attacked the Griffin there. By now, the Vampire has finished clearing the lane and could contest the Griffin Camp. It was apparent he considered doing so, judging by the way he traveled toward Bot Jungle as well and stared down at Nia and the Lionfolk attacking the Griffin. However, the Vampire didnt dare to contest the camp. A smart decision. Itd be foolish to walk into this dangerous 1v2 situation. Vampire didnt have any tricks for winning such a fight. And so, Nia and the Lionfolk secured the second Griffin. That put both of them ahead of the competition. As long as they don''t commit any grave mistakes, they''ll maintain this advantage for a long time. It meant they''ll always be able to buy and upgrade items slightly before their opponents, so they''ll constantly be a little stronger. This is how you capitalize on such situations, Yuel said. I hope you understand why this worked. Yeah, its smart, Nia nodded. Never saw it in Tipmancer. You wouldnt find something so specific in Tipmancer. Its the kind of thing you learn by watching others play or by experience. Noted, Nia nodded. Due to the short respawn times during the early-game, the Pyromancer returned to the lane along with the next minion wave. This time, Nia was already prepared for the incoming wave, so she executed the proper Wizard farming technique, the one advised by Tipmancer. First, she summoned a quicksand underneath the approaching swordsmen. It slowed them down and made the bowmen catch up to them. Before long, the entire wave was running through the damaging sand. To finish things off, Nia unleashed Windstorm on the entire wave. She positioned herself as far away as possible while firing to take full advantage of the spell''s range. He can burst me down if I get close so let''s not do that. Nia nodded to herself. A Pyromancer with a full kit out of cooldown was scary. She has faced many Pyromancers in Duel and they were always a pain. This class was like a marksman, mage, and assassin all packed into one. Thats what you call #balanced. But, gotta say, this range feels good. Nia smirked. This Wizard gal completely outranged that cheap Pyromancer. With just two spells, she almost wiped out the entire enemy wave and Pyromancer couldnt do anything about it. Ha! Serves you right. Maybe next time you wont pick this dumb OP class. Despite the huge lane advantage Nia established, this Pyromancer was full of himself. His wave was almost dead but he still advanced to the frontline to unleash his spells on Nia''s minions. What a brave guy. Or, maybe he was just dumb? Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Giving me a free hit? Ok. Nia activated Fireball and fired it at the Pyromancer. It erased a nice 25% HP. Fireball had a relatively short cooldown, so that Pyromancer might eat another one if he stays here for too long. She''s adapting. Yuel nodded to himself. It seemed Nia already got used to Wizard. It was evident by how she correctly bullied the Pyromancer with her range without any advice from Yuel or Tipmancer. Of course, part of it was the Pyromancer''s obvious overextension. Instead of drawing the fight to his side of the lane and safely bursting minions from there, he set foot on the frontline and put himself at risk for no reason. Such foolishness. Unfortunately, Nia couldnt punish this overextension with a kill right away. She spent two-thirds of her kit on the minions and just now fired her last remaining spell. Still, that 25% HP the fireball took was nothing to sneeze at. Three more hits and the Pyromancer will be dead. If he keeps overextending like this, he might wind up dead during the next minion wave. This was an extremely dangerous situation for the Pyromancer, yet all these considerations seemed to go way over his head. Instead of retreating, he unleashed Flame Wave and Pillar of Fire on Nia''s wave. The spells delivered sizeable damage that almost rivaled Nias, but the range difference was a huge factor. Compared to how Nia safely bombarded the enemy minions from afar, the Pyromancer had to venture into the frontline and put himself in danger to get any work done. Naturally, that reckless action was rewarded with a fireball to the face. BAM! Another 25% HP gone. The Pyromancer was too late to retreat from the frontline. He''s so weak. Nia giggled to herself. This was felt like fighting a Bronze rank scrub in Duel. There was zero logic to his plays and he apparently had zero matchup knowledge. Nia was the stronger one here. She could easily push here for free! "Wait," Yuel said. "No need to get carried away. We don''t have vision of the enemy jungle around Mid. The Vampire might be planning to rotate over here. I haven''t seen him for a while now." "Oh, ok." Nia retreated without pressing onward with her minions. For a moment there, she forgot there were other players involved in this match. That was dangerous. Just a few seconds later, the Vampire really showed up on the lane. Luckily, Nia was already outside his reach. With no target to gank, the Vampire only helped the Pyromancer clear out the remaining minions and then left. "Phew," Nia sighed in relief. Almost died. "Yeah, pretty sure that would have been death if you didn''t retreat in time," Yuel nodded. "More than anybody, the Mid Laner must always watch out for incoming ganks. Mid is gankable from two sides, so it''s always safer assume a gank might be coming unless you know exact positions of all enemies." "You really know a lot about this game," Nia nodded. "Well, I''m hoping to become a pro player one day. And, it all starts from taking the regionals this year." "That''s an ambition. But, doesn''t this team suck? I heard it never wins." "That''s in the past," Yuel proclaimed. "This year, Stratus got a decent team. Though, the clubroom conditions are terrible, not going to lie. Hm? Nia titled her head. Whats the problem with it? Are you serious? Just look at this basement." "I like it. It''s dark and calm." "That''s not a healthy environment for club activity." "Hmm, ok." Nia shrugged and returned to the game. The next minion wave was incoming. Yet again, Nia easily gained the upper hand thanks to her spells high damage and long range. Her Quicksand and Windstorm combo eliminated the enemy bowmen and brought the swordsmen one hit away from dying. Meanwhile, the Pyromancer didn''t get lift a finger on Nias wave because he was way out of range. Serves him right. Even with only 50% HP left, the Pyromancer wasn''t afraid of advancing to the frontline to clear minions. What an absolute mad lad. Nia could easily reduce that HP to a measly 25% with a single Fireball. But, she didn''t do so. Instead, she attacked the enemy swordsmen with basics and let the Pyromancer farm on the frontline. Once all enemy minions were down, Nia retreated to dodge any potential ganks. As Yuel said, she always had to watch out for those when in Mid. "Any reason you didn''t shoot him?" Yuel asked. "He''d just run away afterward," Nia said. "True, even this suicidal fellow will probably figure he better recall when hes left with only a quarter of HP. But, so what of it? You''ll win the lane either way." "It''s a waste. I can kill instead." "But, you can''t kill him immediately," Yuel glanced at Nia''s level. She was going to hit Lv.5 with the next wave. "I see. Interesting approach. Okay, thats an option. Did he really figure my plan? Nia stared in suspicion. ESPer confirmed. Or, maybe an alien. Okay, Yuel continued as if he didnt just read Nias mind. If you''re not going to pressure him right now, might as well take the hyenas in Bot Jungle while the Pyromancer is busy clearing." "Sounds good," Nia retreated from the lane and headed to Bot Jungle. There was no need to worry about the Pyromancer pushing because all his minions were out of the picture, so Nia could do whatever she wanted right now. She could even take a nap and nothing would happen. Probably. After farming the hyenas, Nia hit Lv.5. That unlocked her ultimate: Meteor. It was a key part of her evil plan. It was a good thing she leveled up to Lv.5 over here without the Pyromancer seeing it. The guy might become wary of her if he sees her leveling up. The game played a special animation for that to make it easier to see when enemies and allies leveled up. The animation showed the exact level the player reached, so now it showed Lv.5. If the Pyromancer were to see this, hed realize things were bad for him. Granted, the Pyromancer could still check her level on the status screen. But, that required him to be actively interested in her level. Frankly, he didn''t seem smart enough for that kind of stuff. "This should help you plan, right?" Yuel smiled like a know-it-all. "Ah, um, yeah," Nia stared at him in suspicion. Did Yuel suggest to farm the hyenas because he figured Nia''s Lv.5 plan? Definitely a mind reader. Scary. When the next minion wave arrived, Nia executed the usual routine of Quicksand into Windstorm. The Pyromancer didn''t suspect a thing and advanced to the frontline like always. This fool had no idea what was coming. Nia fired Fireball, which erased 25% of the Pyromancers HP. However, this Pyromancer knew no fear. He just ignored that damage and proceeded to clear the wave. After all, until now, Nia didn''t have any means to quickly delete the remaining 25% HP. But, things were different at Lv.5. Nia unleashed Wizard''s ultimate: Meteor! The Wizard stretched her arms toward the sky and summoned a huge meter. The Pyromancer panicked and rightfully so. He activated Burning Spirit in a feeble attempt to escape but it was too late. The radius of Meteor was too big to escape from it on reaction without a leap skill. It was over. You have killed an enemy! Vol.8 Ch.5: The Importance of Bullying the Lane Bully You have killed an enemy! "Yes!" Nia pumped a little fist. Her Meteor flattened the Pyromancer like a pancake! She did a thing! Even though she was playing Mid in the MOBA mode, she got stuff done. Maybe this mode wasn''t so terrible after all. "You can push now," Yuel said. "The Jungler just went to clear the wolves near Top. He won''t get here any time soon." "Ok," Nia pushed forth along with her minions. As Yuel said, there was no Vampire gank this time. The path was clear. This is some deep stuff. Nia nodded to herself. Figuring out when it was safe to push was so difficult in this mode. In Duel, it was always safe to push when the opponent was dead and it was semi-safe for a while after the opponent recalled. But, in this mode, she had to constantly take the entire map into consideration. Unexpected ganks could come from anywhere and she always had to be on the lookout. Playing Mid was scary. Nia damaged the Turret as much as possible until all her minions died, then she retreated. This push netted her 30% progress on the Turret. Not too shabby. By now, she has earned enough gold to upgrade Necronomicon to Lv.3. It was best to do so as fast as possible to start collecting stacks so Nia recalled to base. Good judgment. Yuel stayed silent throughout this play. He was about to suggest a recall but Nia figured it out herself. Her MP was running low and she had to get a Lv.3 Necronomicon as soon as possible. So, she had good reasons to recall and the Pyromancer was going to be dead for a while so this was a great time to recall. Good thing Nia could figure something this simple on her own. "Can you please show me the situation in Top?" Yuel asked. "Ok," Nia pressed L2 to go into X-ray mode. It made some walls semi-transparent and made it possible to see figures through them. Despite how it looked, this wasnt a wallhack. It was a nice quality-of-life feature which made it easier to see the situations on other lanes. The vision it granted was affected by fog of war so it only showed things that allies and wards could see. Too bad it doesnt show all enemies at all times. Nia thought. That would have made her life a thousand times easier. She would no longer have to worry about ganks every second. Still, this X-ray-like mode was a great way to check what was going in faraway lanes. Unlike in MOBAs with RTS point-of-view, it was impossible to drag the camera toward another lane. So, this X-ray thingy was Classmancers alternative. In Top, the X-ray view showed the allied Knight flashing in blue, indicating he was a friend. Meanwhile, his opponent, a Dark Knight, was glowing in mean red. Clearly a villain. Uh-oh, Nia said. Things weren''t looking so hot over there. The evil Dark Knight erased the entire minion wave with a single blow. All the little blue figures vanished and there was nothing left behind. This wasnt a battle, it was a slaughter. Dark Knight was a top-level bully like that. Without any friends to help him, the Knight had no choice but to retreat. But, the Dark Knight wasnt done, far from it. The villain aggressed on the poor Knight! Fortunately, the Knight got away to his Turret. Needless to say, the poor guy was living through hell over there. Feels bad man. Can I see their stats please? Yuel requested. Sure, Nia opened the status screen of the match. It showed that Nia has already scored two kills this game and was at zero deaths. A top-level player, no doubt. "The Knight isnt doing so well," Yuel said. "Yep," Nia nodded. "So, can I return to lane now?" "Wait, it doesnt bother you?" "It gave me some Vietnam flashbacks. DK is always a bully." "Hes in a terrible position," Yuel said. "If things keep going like this, it''s only a question of time before the Dark Knight scores a kill there." "Feels bad," Nia knew that feeling very well. Every time she fought a Dark Knight in Duel, she had to brace herself for some guaranteed bullying during the first half of the fight. But, once she survived through that, it usually became ez. That is, provided she lived long enough to reach that point... "Normally, it''s the Jungler''s job to defuse a Dark Knight," Yuel glanced at the mini-map. "But, he''s hanging around Bot right now." "Yeah, probably planning something," Nia turned her X-ray view toward Bot while moving sideways back to lane. Their Jungler, the Lionfolk, was getting into a position to strike. The lion-man leaped across a wall and landed on Bot Lane, right on top of the enemy Ranger. It was a rather nice gank, especially for a Ranked Qualifier. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Alas, the allied Elf and Paladin were a bit too slow in following the Lionfolk''s opening attack. It took the Paladin way too long to jam in his Justice Strike. This was a clear case of class unfamiliarity. In the end, the gank didn''t turn out that well. An enemy has been killed! An ally has been killed! The Lionfolk traded his life to kill the Ranger. Not a terrible trade but also not a particularly favorable one at this stage of the game. During the mid/late game, trading a Jungler for a Carry was definitely favorable because the Carry was like the Queen, the strongest and most valuable piece of the team. However, early into the game, the Carry didn''t have nearly the same value. As such, the Jungler was arguably more important during this stage of the game. All laners were stuck in their lanes as they fought for lane advantage. Meanwhile, the Jungler was the only one who had the freedom to roam around and change the tides of battle wherever he visited. Especially, in this match, the Jungler was of utmost importance. One of his primary jobs was to help the Knight at the lane to make sure that the enemy Dark Knight wont snowball. Alas, now that the Lionfolk lost his life in that Bot gank, the Knight won''t be getting backup anytime soon. If the Dark Knight player was smart, he''ll push hard in the upcoming wave. Granted, it was hard to find a "smart" Dark Knight at low ranks. Many played the class at low ranks because they thought it was OP. Still, if the Dark Knight decides to push hard for whatever reason, there won''t be anybody to stop him. "Rotate to Top after you''re done with the wave," Yuel said. "Somebody has to keep that Dark Knight in check." "Eh? You want me to gank DK?" "Yes, we have to bully the lane bully out of the lane. With the Jungler dead, you''re the only one who can do it. Your lane is the closet to Top." "But, it''s dangerous," Nia twisted her lips. "Even Tipmancer warns against it." "You and your Tipmancer again," Yuel sighed. "Yes, there''s always some risk involved when ganking a Dark Knight. But, it''ll be fine. You got range. Worst case, you can always escape." "Hm, I guess. But, I don''t think I can kill him from that much HP." "It''s fine. This gank isn''t for killing. You only need to stop his offense and discourage him from pushing for a while. Bonus points if you can make him recall." "But, if its a waste if I don''t get a kill. I could be farming instead." "True, you''ll be sacrificing some farm and maybe even some lane advantage for this rotation. But, it''s not a waste. Your team will gain a tactical advantage from this. It''s like sacrificing a piece to get a better position." "Not sure I get it," Nia pressed her legs against her body and curled into a ball. This gank was scary. She has been doing so well thus far in the game, so why throw herself into danger like this? She might lose all the advantage she worked so hard to get. And, she won''t even get a kill from this. What a total waste. "Remember yesterday''s match with the Orc?" Yuel asked. "You refused to gank him and he ended up snowballing to the point of no return. While you were out there ''maximizing your farm'', the Orc was running amok and the team lost. Do you want that to happen here with the Dark Knight?" "Ah, um," Nia didn''t have a retort. It was all true. Despite how well Nia thought she played yesterday, the team suffered a terrible defeat and it was all the fault of that bully, the Orc. Even though Nia managed to score one kill on him during the mid-game, it was already too late at that point. That Orc single-handedly took the entire game. Somebody had to stop that madman earlier. But, was it really Nia''s responsibility? Couldn''t Yuel just play a little better back then and stop the Orc from snowballing to that point? How hard could it be? Well, maybe that wasn''t exactly fair. After all, Dark Knight and Orc were infamous bullies. So, it was normal to have a hard time against them in lane. Nia knew first-hand how stressful these matches could get. "O-Ok," Nia gulped. "I''ll give it a try. But, not my fault if I die." "Don''t worry, you won''t die as long as you don''t do anything stupid. But, if you do mess up and die, that''s on you." "Then I''m not going, hmph" Nia puffed her cheeks. "Just do it already. Even if you fail, think of it as a learning experience for next time." Ok, I guess, Nia gave up and followed the naggers commands. If I die, its totally your fault. And so, Nia rotated toward Top instead of returning to Mid. She had the option to cut straight through the jungle to reach Top quickly. But, instead, she took a roundabout path by zigzagging all over the place. Every time she was about to pass through an intersection, she circled around it instead. What are you doing? Yuel asked. Dodging wards, Nia explained. Youre guessing where they placed wards? Nope. Tipmancer lists the best warding spots, so... I see, Yuel nodded. Despite the wasted time, this was a good way to rotate toward a lane. Avoiding wards along the way was the 101 of scoring kills with ganks.s But, that was only relevant when the goal was to actually score a kill. In these scenarios, the ganker sacrificed speed for a higher chance to secure the kill. It was something Junglers often had to do to get value from ganks, especially if they were assassins. However, Nias gank was different. The goal wasnt to assassinate the Dark Knight. Of course, itd be great if she manages to score a kill on the guy but that shouldnt be the focus. The goal was to intimidate the Dark Knight into retreating. To that end, it was crucial to get to the lane as quickly as possible. Compared to that urgency, getting revealed by a ward along the way was merely an inconvenience. Either the Dark Knight will anticipate Nia and choose to fight in an unfavorable 1v2 situation, or hell begin his retreat early. In the first scenario, Nia might get a kill on him. In the other scenario, the Dark Knight will get away scot-free. BUt, removing him from lane was the entire purpose of this gank in the first place. So, it was like a win-win situation. Even if a Ward spots Nia, it wont interfere with her gank much. In fact, it might even help her out by instilling fear into the Dark Knight. Showing herself to the enemy via a ward could be used as a high-level mind game. For example, it might make the enemy retreat without Nia actually lifting a finger. She could let a ward expose her, scare the enemy into retreating, and then return to Mid. This could have achieved the desired result without making Nia lose anything. Alas, while Yuel was busy thinking about all these angles and tried to come up with a way to impart this knowledge to Nia, she already made it all the way to Top. Despite all her roundabout running, she still got to Top relatively fast. It seemed she was quite familiar with this route so she took all the optimal cuts and corners. Quite the trained assassin. So, Ive arrived. Nia gulped. Was she really going to jump into the lions den by attacking the Dark Knight? Scary. Vol.8 Ch.6: Hide-And-Seek in the Jungle Ok, what now? Nia was right around the corner but didnt dare to set foot into Top Lane. She just stood there and watched how the Dark Knight was pushing the Top Turret and the injured Knight was maintaining distance in fear of being killed. Judging by the Dark Knights lack of reaction toward Nias rotation, it was safe to assume her stealth route worked splendidly. The Dark Knight didnt even seem to consider the possibility of an incoming gank. The guy was drunk on his early-game strength and overextended hard without a care in the world. Ping that youll attack the lane and go for it, Yuel said. You might get a kill here but no need to put yourself in danger. Just strike hard to scare him and then retreat as necessary. Ok, Nia nodded. In other words, this was going to be yet another standard sneaky gank. The enemy hasnt noticed her yet, so her job was to finish the Dark Knight off without giving him a chance to strike back or flee. Itll be an assassination! Nia opened the attack by summoning quicksand underneath the Dark Knight. No matter whether the guy was planning to attack or retreat, the slowdown will hinder him. After that, Nia shot a fireball at the slowed Dark Knight. It deleted 20% HP. The Dark Knight was now down to 40% and the ticks from Quicksand kept reducing his HP even further. Solid execution. Yuel nodded. Now, if the Knight just joins the offense- Oh, I guess thats not happening. Alright then. Instead of following up on Nias attack, the Knight used this time to recall. It seemed he was asking Nia to defend the lane for him. If so, he shouldve said something. Nia properly pinged her plan to attack the lane but the Knight was on radio silence. Low ranks, I swear. Yuel shook his head. Still, even with that small issue, the gank turned out well overall. The Dark Knight was down to 35% HP and, despite his immense early-game power, his hands were tied. Hed have to get close to Nia in order to deliver any damage but she had ranged basics and the knockback from Windstorm. He wont be able to get in against her. But, apparently, none of that concerned him. The Dark Knight blitzed straight at Nia, ready to draw blood! W-What now? Nia stuttered as she took a step back. Now, you kill him, Yuel stated matter-of-factly. Hes running low and his skills cost HP. Hell become dangerous if he gets close but you can knock him away with your wind. You should be able to deal with him. B-But, he gonna take me out in a few hits, Nia retreated while firing basics at the approaching monster. If that thing catches up to her, shell be dead meat! "Don''t worry," Yuel said. "He doesn''t have any mobility skills. And, even if he somehow gets close, you can- wha!?" The Dark Knight vanished! Then, he appeared right in front of Nia''s face! A concealed Blink!? Yuel jumped. Darn, I shouldve considered that possibility! This was a grave miscalculation. Back when Yuel was checking the Dark Knight''s status, he noticed the Dark Knight hasnt fully utilized all earned funds. However, the idea of a cloaked Blink didn''t even cross his mind. After all, a Dark Knight had to get his build online as soon as possible. Yet, this Dark Knight was confident enough to delay his build and go for Blink. He must have been aiming to score more kills this way because he didn''t have any other ways to close distance to enemies. Unfortunately, this plan happened to serve him very well in this situation. Nia was in a real pinch. "A-Ah!" Nia jumped as a fog of darkness appeared in front of her. The Dark Knight, coated in black miasma, towered over her and swung his dark blade without further ado. In just one basic attack, 17% of Nia''s HP vanished without a trace! "Eh, ah," Nia kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. What. Why. Bad. Very bad! G-Gotta get outta here! Nia turned her back to the enemy and ran like her life depended on it. But, that bully had no mercy! The dark blade slashed through her back, deleting another 17%. She was so dead! So freakin dead! I knew I shouldn''t have ganked this monster! Fuuuuuuuu! What is she doing? Yuel frowned. Instead of creating as much distance as possible, Nia just casually ran away. At this rate, a third slash will hit her. "Roll away!" "Ah, oh! R-Right!" Nai activated Dodge Roll and jumped forth. But, she was just a moment too late. A third slash hit her and that''s another 17% gone. Just three hits and she was down to 49%! At least, with this roll, she created some distance between herself and that monster. Or, not!? The Dark Knight rolled right after her! He closed the gap in an instant! Nice reaction time. Yuel frowned. Between the cloaked Blink and this clean execution, this player might actually be a unicorn, the nonexistent decent low-rank Dark Knight player. But, not all hope was lost. "Knock him away with Windstorm." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Eh? Oh, right, knockback," Nia clumsily turned around and activated Windstorm. She did everything in a haste and almost missed the target at first. Fortunately, she corrected her aim in the last moment and unleashed the winds right in the Dark Knight''s face. The Dark Knight brought down his sword once more and then got blown away. Nia lost another 17% but at least she got that monster off her. Some of the spell''s damage reflected onto her due to the Knight''s Nightmare but it didn''t even matter. With how strong the Dark Knight''s basics were, she was and remained one hit away from dying. That Dark Knight is playing decent but Nia''s responses are all over the place. Yuel frowned. Even with the cloaked Blink surprise, things weren''t supposed to turn out like this. The Dark Knight should''ve gotten at most one hit thanks to the surprise element, nothing more. After conceding one hit, Nia should''ve immediately rolled away or pushed him back. The Dark Knight can just barely cast Sheol with his remaining HP. Yuel assessed the situation. But, Nia is still one hit away from the insta-kill threshold. Nia was at 32% HP, far enough from the 20% insta-kill threshold. Meanwhile, the Dark Knight was down to 11% HP, just barely above the 10% he needed for casting Gate of Sheol. The HP difference almost made it look like Nia had the upper hand but their damage output was the bigger factor. While the Dark Knight could finish Nia off in about two hits, she''d need about four basics to do the same. With her range advantage, she might land two hits before the Dark Knight closes on her but it won''t be enough. Ideally, Nia should maintain the current distance while firing away at the enemy. His Nightmare will gradually wear off his HP so Nia will be able to come on top. However, this dangerous line of play required Nia to play swiftly and efficiently. So, considering how sluggish she has been so far in this fight... "Yeah, retreat," Yuel nodded as Nia already turned her back to the enemy. Running away was the safer play here. There was no need to take unnecessary risks. The Dark Knight was already worn out and won''t be able to return to lane, so Nia''s gank has achieved its goal. But, it wasn''t over yet. "E-Eh!?" Shivers zapped Nia. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. Heavy metallic sounds resounded behind her. The Dark Knight was chasing her! "This guy..." Yuel had no words. That Dark Knight was one hell of a confident guy. It''s as if the possibility of dying didn''t even cross his mind. In any normal situation, it''d be easy to punish the Dark Knight for such overextension. However, Nia wasn''t performing right now for some reason. She was stuck in some sort of panic mode. So, there was no way shed be able to fight properly. H-He''s getting closer! Nia shuddered. The metallic sounds grew louder and louder. Was she imagining it? Didn''t Yuel say Dark Knight was a little slower than Wizard? Then again, Yuel was also the one who promised that nothing bad will happen in this gank. Lies! All lies! It''s ok. It''s ok. Ok, ok, ok. Nia tried to take a deep breath but ended up coughing instead. This situation was too much. She could feel the grim reaper breathing down her neck. She was so screwed! Despite the nonsense Yuel claimed, the metallic sounds were definitely getting closer. At this rate, that bully will catch up to her! She won''t be able to simply outrun him. Instead, she''ll have to juke that monster. Luckily, this was a nice part in the jungle. There was a small roundabout right ahead with a wall in the center. Let''s play hide-and-seek. Ill warn you ahead of time: I''m pretty good at this game. Nia ran around the wall. However, instead of retreating deeper into allied territory, she kept running along the wall. She circled around it and returned all the way into enemy territory! The heavy metallic sounds were loud enough to inform that the monster was still hot on her trail. Compared to that, Nia''s steps were quiet as a mouse''s. Thats what you get for wearing metal boots while being it. That makes it easy to hear you coming. While Nia could clearly hear the Dark Knight from a distance, the Dark Knight couldnt hear her steps. Therefore, he couldnt tell Nia just circled around that roundabout. With this maneuver, she was going to slip away! As she approached the corner of the wall, she rolled toward it and quickly vanished around the corner. Then, she pressed her back against the wall and began recalling. The hide-and-seek began. The Dark Knight only had a couple of seconds to find and catch her. Does she really expect to get away like this? Yuel wondered. This was an insane gamble. Instead of exhausting the Dark Knight''s Nightmare with a long jog, Nia opted for this gimmicky hide-and-seek maneuver. It was impossible to make out all the details because Yuel was limited to Nia''s POV. Based on the footsteps, the Dark Knight just passed the first corner. So, an odd view greeted him, an empty one. The Dark Knight was expecting to find out where his prey headed net. Instead, he found nobody. Nia was sneakily recalling on the other side of the wall, out of his field of view. This was a huge gamble based on mind-games. If the Dark Knight immediately sees through her ploy, hell catch up to her before she finishes recalling and will strike her down. However, how many players were able to figure something like that on the spot? Yuel wasnt sure he would have made it in time either. Judging by the lack of metallic stomps, the Dark Knight came to a halt. It seemed he was lost. Most likely, he was checking all the possible escape routes that made sense. However, there was no trace of Nia in any of them. Logically, thered be only two explanations. One, his prey somehow widened the gap between them. But, that shouldnt be possible while Nightmare was on. It increased the Dark Knights movement speed enough to run faster than Nia. So, there was only real option left: the possibility that Nia circled around the wall and ventured back into enemy territory. But, was that really possible? After all, it was such a risky and ballsy move. Honestly, neither theory seemed realistic at first glance. So, it was easy to understand why the Dark Knight was perplexed. Ultimately, it remained unclear what the Dark Knight thought of this peculiar development. Before they could see the guys next move, Nia finished recalling and was back at the base. Safe! That shaved off a few years off my life. Nia sighed in relief. Phew, she somehow dodged death. And, she definitely never ever gonna do that kind of thing again! That was pure suicide. Yuel was such a bully. Vol.8 Ch.7: The One Who Delivers Surprises Hates Being Surprised Phew. Safe. Nia took a deep breath upon returning to base. These few seconds of recalling were the longest moment of her life. That was scary. Nice escape, Yuel said. Though, you took a big gamble there. He didnt find me so I won, Nia said. This was a common technique she employed during hide-and-seek when she didnt feel like going far. Instead of hiding in some desolate spot, she just snuck around the it and touched the home base once the it stepped away. She only stopped doing it because some kids kept complaining about how cheap it was. Though, she still resorted to that strategy from time to time because it was funny. Its like she was a ninja. Nin nin. Besides, Nia pouted. I wouldnt have to take any gambles if I didnt gank that lane in the first place. I didnt even get a kill. I knew it was a bad idea. It turned out a little different from how I imagined it but it wasnt a bad idea. How come? I got nothing there, not even a kill. Nothing. Only almost got killed. Thats not true, Yuel insisted. You reduced the Dark Knight to critical health. He cant keep farming like this so he has to return to base. Thats a huge deal. Not only itll let the Knight push now, but it also sets the Dark Knight back. Every second of farming the Dark Knight loses will hurt him dearly in the near future. Sounds like shilling, Nia gave him a look. There wasnt anything impressive like that Very well, Yuel smiled meaningfully. Perhaps you cant see the bigger picture at the moment. But, in time, youll come to understand the importance of this gank. Even now, look at the Knight pushing the lane hard. While Nia was busy ganking the Dark Knight and running away, the Knight recalled to base, healed up and now returned to the lane. There was no lane opponent to contest him, so he pushed full gas. His minions had superior defense thanks to his passive, so most of them survived the clash against the enemy wave, and they all advanced together toward the enemy Turret. And, this was the only beginning. Perhaps Nia couldnt see the ripple effect this will cause but taking lane advantage was huge against a lane bully. Dark Knights entire purpose in life was to dominate the lane in order to get ahead and now Nia robbed him of that higher ground. "Meanwhile, the Pyro is doing whatever he wants in Mid," Nia ranted on her way to defend her lane. Byebye my lane advantage. While she was amiss, the Pyromancer returned to lane and pushed hard. Thanks to that, she lost all the lane advantage she built earlier. At least, that''s how she saw it. It was a trade, not a loss. Yuel reasoned. Following his instructions, Nia traded her lane advantage for an opportunity to rotate to Top and slow down the Dark Knight. It was like an exchange of resources: she traded one pile of lane advantage for one free rotation. In the greater scheme of things, this rotation will reap greater benefits for the team than holding onto a short-lived early-game lane advantage. However, with a newbie''s limited ability to see the greater picture, Nia couldn''t grasp how this exchange worked. "I''m not doing that again even if you ask," Nia pouted. Grumpy much? Yuel smiled wryly. "If you want to win against a team that has a Dark Knight, you will gank him as neccessary. Look how much the Knight managed to push thanks to your gank." "Hm, I guess he did some work," Nia twisted her lips. The Knight brought the enemy Turret down to 60% before the Dark Knight returned. This progress was only possible because Nia drew away the Dark Knight. "I could''ve stayed in Mid and do the same, though," Nia claimed. "True, a valid observation. You could''ve used that time to push Mid just as hard. But, the difference is that you have a favorable matchup in lane while the Knight doesn''t. Look how quickly you regained lane control as soon as you returned." "Well, I guess." Nia didn''t have anything to say to that. Even though she left the lane undefended and gave the Pyromancer so much time to establish lane control, she easily reclaimed control upon returning. Her Quicksand and Windstorm made quick work of the incoming minion wave and her Fireball smacked the Pyromancer. It was that easy to reset the situation, almost as if Nia never left the lane. The only penalty her lane suffered for that rotation was that her Turret lost 5% HP. No biggie. "As you see, Yuel lectured. You didn''t lose much, but you helped the Knight get a lot of damage on the Top Turret." "I guess." Nia finally started seeing things Yuel''s way. Or, so he thought. "But, I almost died. That would have ruined everything." So damn stubborn. Yuel grimaced. "Your fight with the Dark Knight came down to the wire only because your reaction was sloppy. You just froze back there." "Ah, um," Nia curled into a ball on top of the chair and mumbled. "I don''t play Wizard much, so I didn''t know what to do..." "Fair enough," Yuel said. "But, now you know how to handle yourself. So, if you have to gank again, you''ll be able to defuse him no problem." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Maybe." Shed never win the Ms. Confidence title, thats for sure. Yuel crossed his arms and thought back on the fight with the Dark Knight. Naturally, the fact Nia wasn''t entirely used to Wizard played a role in her slow decision-making. However, even aside from that problem, it felt like Nia just short-circuited there for a moment. A similar thing happened before when she was dueling Lars. When she tried to sneak up to him but he dodged her Izuna Drop, it felt like Nia was lost. She understood she had to retreat but her retreat was incredibly sloppy. That instance couldn''t be blamed on class unfamiliarity. After all, Ninja was one of her main classes. So, that one was all Nia. She failed to properly react to that development, just like what happened against the Dark Knight. It was surprising, considering Nia otherwise displayed a sharp gaming sense. Is it nerves? Does she buckle under pressure? Yuel wondered. Perhaps, the girl who loved launching surprise attacks on people actually hated being surprised herself. Thinking of it, Julia had a lot of that too when she was starting out. Yuel smiled softly. It took him a long time to help that girl overcome her stage fright. Instead of confronting it, Julia chose to flood the map with wards so she could reduce the number of unexpected developments. That approach partially got rid of the problem but it was costly and didn''t help her overcome the core issue she had. How should Yuel go about helping Nia overcome this? The one and only surefire method was to put her through many such difficult situations and force her to overcome them until she becomes more comfortable with them. Perhaps, that''d help her build up some confidence as well. At least, that''s the kind of experience that helped Yuel level up and be able to reason more calmly under pressure. Though, admittedly, some developments still threw him off at times. You have killed an enemy! Nia killed the Pyromancer for the third time. "Good job," Yuel nodded. "This guy is kinda wack," Nia shrugged. "So it seems. Let''s see," Yuel checked the mini-map. "Take their red buff." "Can''t I just push?" "It''s better to use this opportunity to steal their camp." "But, I might run into somebody." "The Vampire just went far toward Top so no need to worry about him. The others are in their lanes. So, the camp is totally free. You can take it without any worries." "Not sure I can trust you on these things," Nia peeked at him with her black eyes through her long spaghetti bangs. "Don''t worry, this is much safer than the time with the Dark Knight. And, getting the buff is going to make laning a breeze from there onward." "Hmmmm." Nia twisted her lip. "Ok, I''ll try." She left the lane and traveled to the enemy Orc Camp. As Yuel said, the camp was undefended and free for the taking. At least, until Nia made her move. There was a good chance the enemy will spot her traveling toward the camp and will try to engage her there. That''s what Yuel was aiming for. As long as Nia doesn''t fold under the pressure of the sudden attack, she should be able to get the red huff and get away without any problems. However, if she reacts poorly and fails to disengage correctly, her life might be at stake. It should be a good learning experience. If Yuel wanted to advise a safe play, he''d simply tell Nia to take the Ogre Camp on her side. However, going after the enemy''s red buff was the high-risk high-reward play right now. Nia didn''t object so she seemed to understand the appeal of this play. If all goes well, Nia will experience a little bit of danger and also get to reap great benefits, provided she handles the situation appropriately. On top of that, shell get a great confidence boost after she overcomes this challenge. However, things didn''t quite go as he planned... "That''s sure a roundabout path you''re taking," Yuel commented. "Dodging them wards." "I see," Yuel frowned. In an ideal world, it was indeed the best to play around enemy wards here. However, in practice, traveling in circles like that wasted a lot of time and there was no way to guarantee shell really dodge all enemy wards. So, generally, it was best to take the shortest path at the risk of being revealed by wards. Nevertheless, if Nia truly dodges all the wards along the way, that''d make this play ten times safer. It''d still waste some precious time but it''ll potentially keep the entire play hidden from enemy eyes. It''ll be pretty neat, actually. After traveling through a long and sneaky route, Nia finally reached the Ogre Camp. All the while, there were no signs of movement from the enemy team. Both the enemy Ranger and Lumimancer remained in Bot. Apparently, Nia successfully snuck around the enemys wards. She turned this high-risk high-reward play into low-risk high-reward one. This is both impressive and disappointing. Yuel smiled wryly. On one hand, Nia improved Yuels play and transformed it something amazing. On the other hand, she didnt get to face any danger so there was no opportunity to practice stressful situations. Drat! And double drat! Yuel shook his head. He felt like a villain whose plans have been foiled. Though, this was an interesting development in its own way. Im willing to bet real money that Vincent would attribute this achievement to the Vanishing Phantom. It sounds like something straight out a fantasy movie, but it seems to have something real to it. Based on her playstyle so far, Nia didnt seem to like frontal confrontations. Therefore, she always snuck around like this. And, as a result, she became proficient at playing around enemy wards, and sneaking up to players in general. That was her way to deal with the problem. She wasnt good with stressful situations, so she found ways to minimize and avoid them. No stressful situations = no stress = easy life. Teammates like that can be a pain to command but maybe Yuel needed this kind of resistance at times. He had a bad habit of going for risky plays so somebody like Nia, who refused to put herself at risk, might be a good counter force. It might lower the chances of Yuel requesting a risky play from her thatll lead to disaster. Shell either object to it or find a way to lower the risk with her high-level sneaking skills. Though, at the moment, Nia was still too rebellious to Yuels taste. She refused to cooperate even with plays that were perfectly reasonable. However, thats only due to her lack of experience in the MOBA mode. If Yuel properly helps her grow as a player, Nia might become a great asset for the team. In fact, she might even take the Jungler spot from Luke, the walking meme. It was still too early to tell but the potential was definitely there. It was up to Yuel and the rest of the club to help Nia develop into the fearsome player she could become. To that end, the first step was to make her more cooperative and increase her trust in Yuels shot-calling. That just became harder to achieve after Nia had an unpleasant interaction with the Dark Knight while following Yuels instructions. Nevertheless, she listened to his suggestion about stealing the Ogre Camp and this play went by smoothly. Hopefully, that redeemed Yuel a little. Hopefully. Vol.8 Ch.8: Help the Team to Help Yourself Good, Yuel nodded in approval as Nia wiped out the enemy Ogre Camp without any interferences. Now, you can push Mid even harder with the extra damage. It was a good idea, right? I guess, Nia said. Maybe you can suggest ok plays sometimes after all. This buff really helps, actually. Nia nodded silently as she wiped out the entire enemy wave. The enemy swordsmen were beefy and have been surviving her spells recently, but with the power buff, these guys stood no chance. Nia deleted them from existence and advanced toward the enemy Turret. You better retreat now, Yuel said. Their Vampire might be coming for a gank. Ah, right, Nia completely forgot that all sorts of randoms could gank her outta nowhere at any time in this mode. Scary. She got out of there just as the Vampire arrived. Phew, bullet dodged. Sometimes, Yuels advice was on point like that. Its like he saw the future or something. Illuminati confirmed. While the enemy Vampire was busy cleaning up the lane, Yuel advised stealing both Griffins. Nia did so and outleveled all enemies as a result. This put her in a great position. I''m kinda rocking this game. Nia stopped for a moment to appreciate this rare occurrence. She usually had a rough time playing any role other than Jungler but this game was easy. Almost too easy, even. Half of it was thanks to the Pyromancer feeding her. However, the other half was undeniably thanks to Yuel''s advice. If not for those, the Vampire would have ganked her to death at least twice by now. Also, she wouldn''t have gotten ahead in farm because she wasn''t paying enough attention to the Griffins. Maybe he''s not just a nagging bully. Nia had to hand him that much. Maybe, just maybe, Yuel didnt ask her to gank the Dark Knight with bad intentions. Maybe it was really a play that had to be done despite how scary it was. I almost died, though. Nia shuddered at the image of the demonic knight breathing down her neck. That monster nearly caught her and ripped her apart. It was pure bullying. Even if it was supposed to be a good idea, I don''t want to do it ever again. Nia gulped. Just the thought of going up against that demon again gave her chills. There was no reason to put herself through such unnecessary danger. She''ll just keep winning in her lane and eventually push all the way to the Colossus. Simple and easy, just like she liked. Unfortunately, it turned out things were neither simple nor easy. Mid is ours but the other lanes are lagging behind. Yuel analyzed the state of the map. In Bot, the situation was almost even. Both sides got about the same amount of damage on each other''s Turrets and held roughly the same KDA. However, the enemy Ranger was half a level higher than the allied Elf, probably due to being better at landing last-hits. This wasnt a concern for the immediate future, but there was no telling when the situation might turn for the worse. A gank on Bot will be needed sooner than later to turn the momentum around. But first, there was the situation in Top. As expected, it was quite terrible. Ever since the Dark Knight returned to the lane, he has been pushing in full throttle. As soon as he wiped out the minion wave, he aggresses on the Knight with everything he got and even dived under tower. It was a bold overextension but the Knight didn''t punish it. Instead, he backed away from the dangerous invader and farmed from a safe distance under tower. That was a lot of wasted farm and it gave the Dark Knight a huge momentum, which was the last thing they wanted to give this lane bully At this rate, the Top Turret will fall and the Dark Knight pick will pay off greatly for the enemy team. Of course, the Dark Knight also ideally wanted to score some kills before mid-game. However, destroying a Turret gave the entire team a lot of gold and robbed the enemy of crucial map vision, so it was worth much more than plain kills. This Dark Knight had to be stopped at any cost. Unfortunately, the allied Jungler wasn''t too enthusiastic about ganking Top. He gave it a few shots and always retreated right away. The low effort ganks stalled the Dark Knight a little at a time but they didn''t force him to leave the lane. There was a need for a harder and more decisive gank. Nia needs to gank. Yuel concluded. At the moment, Nia had the most leeway with her lane control and she was a strong damage dealer to boot. Shell be able to scare away the Dark Knight with ease, just like last time. Last time, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. Last time, the way Nia played nearly gave Yuel a heart attack. She choked in that situation and barely got away. Not to mention, this Dark Knight was bold enough to buy Blink and it should be out of cooldown by now. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Do I tell her to go through with it again? Yuel rubbed his temples. On one hand, this was a play that absolutely had to happen. On the other hand, Nia might fudge it up and die, thus losing the lane advantage she built up and feeding the Dark Knight. Worst of all, shell blame Yuel for her death and conclude that his shot-calling was poop, not exactly the reputation he wanted to build here. With how this simpleton thinks, I bet she''ll stay happy as long as she just keeps doing well in Mid. Even if her team loses, she''ll probably think she played well and blame it on her allies. A classic amateur mentality. Sigh. When a player was doing well, it was their responsibility to aid the teammates who struggled. There was no point protecting an easily earned lane advantage while the rest of your team was clobbered. Thats called winning the battle but losing the war. It''d be one thing if Nia was playing in Bot. In that case, helping Top would be difficult. However, from Mid, she was in the right position to deliver this much-needed gank. She has to do it. Enough mulling over it. If Yuel allows Nia to keep messing around in Mid without saving Top, he won''t be able to forgive himself. Without that gank, Nia will assuredly lose the match and learn nothing. Even worse, she''ll walk away from the game thinking she did great and that there was nothing wrong with how she played. That was unacceptable. She''ll surely hate me for this, but... Yuel took a deep breath and braced himself. "Nia, you need to gank Top." "Again?" Nia twisted her lips. "Yes, unfortunately. The Knight is getting clobbered over there. We''ll lose the Turret at this rate." "So it seems." "It''s a really bad situation there. I''m surprised he''s not spamming ''Help!'' macros. That''s the classic." "Who knows, maybe he does. I muted everybody." "Wait, you also muted the macros and pings?" "I used the global mute." "That explains a lot..." Yuel facepalmed. No wonder her team was as vocal as a graveyard. Even for a Qualifier match filled with low ranks, it was way too quiet. Everybody here was an Lv.50 player, so at least some of them must have learned to use macros and pings by now. "I understand muting the chat, but muting the pings and macros? Thats criminal." "I dunno. I just muted everything because I''m sick of all these online bullies." "Yeah, I understand that feeling. But, you better keep macros and pings on. Well, there''s no time to fix that now so just head to Top." "Do I have to?" Nia pouted. "Yes, you absolutely have to. In fact, I''d go as far as saying it''s your responsibility." "It''s not my lane." "Right, but it''s still your team''s lane. If he loses Top, it''s going to affect the entire team." "Yeah, but..." Nia twisted her lips. "Imagine it was the opposite. Say, you had a rough matchup in Mid while the Top Laner had the easiest matchup of his life. Wouldn''t you expect him to help you out?" "If I''m losing the lane it''s my fault." "Perhaps. But, your team cant win all three lanes all the time. Some teammates will do better in their lanes and some will do worse. But, the ultimate goal is for the entire team to win. Duh, I know that. Then, what do you think would be better for the team in that hypothetical situation? For you to keep struggling in Mid alone, eventually lose the lane and bring ruin upon the entire team? Or, for the Top Laner to stop thinking only about his lane and come help you out so the team can win?" "Winning is better, of course." "Right? So, go gank Top. If you don''t, you''ll lose the whole match. A Dark Knight with momentum is a lot scarier than a Wizard with momentum. You might be thinking you''re doing great right now but, if you don''t help your teammates out, the enemy will kill them first and then gang on you. I wish you luck in that 1v5" "1v5..." Nia shuddered. She never thought of it this way but it made sense. No matter how hard she wished to avoid confronting the Dark Knight, that bully won''t remain in Top the entire game. Eventually, that hell come after her as well. I know its hard to care about the team when youre playing with randoms, Yuel said. So, at least care about yourself. Help your teammates to help yourself. Help them to help myself... Nia mumbled. If she can shut down the Dark Knight now, shell make her own life easier later down the road. It was like attacking a baby dragon before it got a chance to mature into a monster thatll tear her apart. It sounded like a good plan, actually. Ok, Ill try, Nia took a deep breath and headed toward Top. Its ok, there was no point being scared of the Dark Knight now. Shell have to face that demon sooner or later anyway, so better do it now before he gains momentum. Sneaky as always. Yuel smiled as he watched the irregular jungle route Nia took. She made many twists and turns in a blind attempt to dodge wards. Normally, it was futile to try dodging all the wards and it was better to save time by taking the shortest route. But, Nia made it work, as the Dark Knight hasnt shown any signs of being aware of her incoming rotation. With all his recent reckless pushing, the Dark Knight was down to 60% HP. However, the guy feared nobody and kept pushing as hard as he could. The Knight couldnt punish this overextension without getting closer and putting himself at risk, so he stayed back at the tower this entire time with his 50% HP. Most likely, he was waiting for an opportunity to recall to base and get out of this predicament. Dont forget to announce that youre attacking, Yuel said. Ok, Nia pinged Top with an Attack! emote. However, there was no reply from the Knight. Rather, they couldnt see the reply because Nia muted everything. As such, it was impossible to tell what the Knight was planning to do with this situation. Was he willing to put his life on the line in order to strike back at the Dark Knight? Or, was he planning to use this opportunity in order to recall? Either way, Nia had to initiate the attack. This better not turn out like last time. Nia shuddered. Her small fingers trembled as she targeted her Quicksand... Vol.8 Ch.9: Fighting for the Same Goal Nia opened an attack on Top Lane. She summoned a quicksand underneath the Dark Knight and fired a fireball at him. That alone should bring the Dark Knight low enough to discourage him from fighting back. Except, the fireball didnt hit! Even though the Dark Knight didnt see Nias incoming rotation, he was prepared for the possibility. As soon as the quicksand formed at his feet, he blinked toward Nia and slipped past her fireball! A-Ah! Nia jumped. Again, the demon stood in front of her. The iron-clad knight was coated in a dark miasma, ready to lay waste to everything his path. A heavy slash. Just like that, Nia lost 25% HP. These attacks became even more dangerous than before! This Dark Knight packed himself with tons of power items! It was true terror! I-I have to get outta here! Nia trembled. This was impossible. The power gap between them was too much. She had to run for it. Run. Run. RUN! Blow him away with wind! Ah, r-right! Nia turned around and activated Windstorm in the Dark Knights face. The demon slashed her once more, then the winds pushed him away. Phew, Nia created some distance between them. However, this was far from over. She had 50% HP left and the Dark Knight was hot on her trail. Hell rend her asunder if he gets close, so she had to get as far away as humanly possible! The Dark Knight gave chase. This madman had no fear. Even though his HP was hanging at 35%, he was confident he was on top of the situation and there was nothing to worry about. And, he was right. He was going to completely decimate Nia at this rate. She had run for her life! "Wait," Yuel said. "Ult him." "E-Eh? Now?" Nia flinched. This wasn''t the time to pick a fight with the demon. She was about to die! She had to scram! "Do it." "O-ok!" Nia turned around and cast Meteor. The radius of the spell was huge so she didn''t even need to spend any time aiming it. A giant meteorite rained from the sky and crashed on the Dark Knight. It erased 25% so the Dark Knight was down to 10% now. But, he was very much alive and he wasn''t happy about this development. As if in retaliation, the Dark Knight raised his blade and swung it downwards from afar. A black slash of magic flew straight at Nia! "Dodge-" Yuel was too late. The Dark Blast hit Nia straight in the face and eliminated 30% oh her HP. He made a good trade. Yuel frowned. The Dark Knight realized he couldn''t dodge the Meteor in time, so he opted for exchanging blows with Dark Blast. It cost him an additional 5% HP but he landed a hit. Now, he only had to land one more to finish this. I shouldve told her to Dodge Roll right away. Yuel frowned. Darn it. Now, this situation became needlessly difficult. The good news was that Dark Knight was now below 10% HP, which meant he no longer had access to Gate of Sheol. That was the option Yuel had to seal above all else. However, in the process, Nia ended up putting herself in even more damage than before. She was now one hit away from dying. Originally, Yuel wanted her to stay and fight the Dark Knight to the death after the Meteor. However, with the situation coming down to the wire like this, thatd be suicide. But, it should be fine. Yuel glanced at the mini-map. Help was on the way, that was the backup plan in case something goes wrong. For now, Nia should just focus on retreating. "Retreat- huh," Yuel smiled wryly. Nia has already started running away five hours ago. "Guguguuuu," Nia trembled while clutching her controller. It''s like she was going through a panic attack from this whole thing "No need to worry at this point," Yuel said. "He has to turn off Nightmare with such low HP and he already spent his Blink, so he cant catch up to you." "I-I don''t trust anything you say anymore!" Nia ranted with ragged breathing. It''s like she was gasping for air. "If my estimation is correct, the Dark Knight should be dropping dead right about... now." An enemy has been killed! Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Eh?" Nia came to a halt. The Dark Knight fell. The demon was defeated. Huh? What? How? "You better start recalling." "Ah, oh, right," Nia shook her head and returned to earth. Even though she just dodged the Dark Knight, this was no time to relax. She only had 20% HP so it was best to get the heck outta there. "How did you like that play?" Yuel asked. "It was terrible," Nia pouted. It put her through some real stress. She was sure she''d die over a hundred times over there. This called for a breather. Let''s see what I get. Nia blindly fished inside her bag and pulled the first snack she landed on. With her years of experience, she could tell just by the touch it was a bar of Cnickers. "The match isn''t over yet, you know," Yuel said. "Mfmf." Nia stuffed her mouth with the bar of chocolate and quickly bit away at it like a hamster. She couldn''t hold her controller properly while doing this, so she stood idle at the base and wasted precious match time. "Ah~" A shiver ran through Nia. She could feel the sugar seeping into her veins. A fuzzy feeling enveloped her and made her feel protected, like a warm motherly embrace. Except, her mom wasn''t there when she opened her eyes again. Real Life was such a disappointing video game sometimes. "Calmed down?" Yuel asked. "Mm," Nia gave a small nod and proceeded to purchase a Sentry Ward. She only got enough gold to buy it thanks to the short break she took, so at least that time wasn''t in its entirety. "I admit, I underestimated that Dark Knight," Yuel said. "He sure knows how to pilot the class. But, it turned out fine in the end. He didn''t have a real way out of that situation. It was checkmate in a couple of moves." "How did he die?" Nia checked the log. "Oh, that guy was there?" "Yes, the Knight was chasing the Dark Knight the whole time. I saw it on the mini-map so I figured we have to prepare the stage for the Knight. That''s why I asked you to cast Meteor despite the risk." "You trusted him to do the job? But, last time, he ran away." "True, I couldn''t tell his intentions 100%. But, he had more HP than last time and he was chasing the Dark Knight, so I figured he''ll go for it. Too trusting. Perhaps. But, you have to rely on your teammates sometimes. After all, youre both fighting for the same goal. So, it only makes sense he jumped on an opportunity to take out the Dark Knight. Hm, I guess, Nia replied vaguely as she returned to her lane. It didnt seem like she was entirely convinced yet. Remember, you dont have to do everything yourself, Yuel went on. When you rotate to gank a lane, its not just about you attacking the enemy. You also got your teammates over there. You have to trust them to do their part of the job. Risky, Nia said. True, risky but necessary. Its a team game for a reason. Hm, Nias reaction remained unclear but, hopefully, she began understanding the concept cooperating with her allies. There were many bad apples online but not everybody was an uncooperative scumbag. It feels like Kai all over again. Yuel sighed. For whatever reason, both Kai and Nia didnt understand the basic concept of splitting the burden with teammates and relying on others. Kai always went about her plays the hard way and handled everything herself, whereas Nia outright avoided plays she deemed too difficult for her alone. Was this a result of playing online alone for too long? At one point in time, Yuel also relied mostly on himself. He was sick of how nobody on his team ever did their job, so he resorted to carrying the team on his own shoulders. During that dark age of his past, he absolutely hated playing Support. It was such an interesting and complex role, yet he couldnt do anything with it unless his teammates had at least half a brain. Unfortunately, they often didnt. Thankfully, Yuel was blessed with the opportunity to meet Lars. That was when his entire world flipped on its head. He finally got a Carry he could trust and with whom he could pull off strong plays. And, Julia was also there to provide more stability in Mid, even though things werent that smooth with her at first. Truly, Yuel was lucky to meet Lars and Julia so early in his Classmancers career. If not for that fateful meeting, he might have grown too used to playing alone in this team game. Hed keep hating Support and would try to handle everything himself, just like Kai and Nia. Unlike Yuel, Kai and Nia played alone for too long before meeting anybody trustworthy to play with. Perhaps, it was harder for them to find kids to play with because they were girls. Or, maybe they just didnt have the right personalities for reaching out to others. Either way, they both crawled all the way to Lv.50 with the negative mentality that teammates were wack and nobody could be trusted to do anything. This caused them to develop terrible habits. It was a shell they absolutely had to break out from. On the competitive stage, there was no room for solo play. Everybody had to work together in order to win. Five minutes after the enemy Dark Knight fell, Nias match reached its conclusion. The team pushed hard through Mid and Top until the enemy defenses crumbled. Due to that one death, the Dark Knight lagged behind everybody for the rest of the game and became mostly irrelevant. It was like 5v4 game. VICTORY Remember this victory, Yuel said. I know you still want to complain about the ganks I asked you to do, but you only won the game thanks to them. Ok, Nia averted her eyes. She understood what Yuel was saying but it was hard to digest. After all, she almost died in both of these ganks and she failed to get any kills. It was such a pointless risk. It was awful. And yet, these plays undeniably helped the team win this match. Her ganks, as risky and seemingly pointless as they were, stalled the Dark Knight and didnt let the demon to get out of control. So, he never had a chance to grow into a true monster and hunt down other lanes. By smithing the Dark Knight down in Top, Nia indirectly protected herself and her lane from future threats. This outcome was a world apart from how things played out during her entrance exam with the Orc. Back then, she let the Orc run free and that monster overwhelmed Yuel. After that, the Orc came to hunt everybody else and spread terror throughout the entire map. If only Nia listened to Yuels advice back then and ganked the Orc, perhaps she couldve prevented that tragedy. Too bad she couldnt turn back time to find out. Oh well. From now on, shell be more open-minded about Yuels advice. At least, shell try to be... Vol.8 Ch.10: Alone Against a Dark Knight Nia won the Qualifier match but it was too early to celebrate. She still had six more matches ahead of her and she has already lost the first three, so she had to work extra hard to not end up in Bronze. To make sure that doesnt happen, Yuel stayed by Nia''s side to give her advice. "Go to the advanced settings," Yuel said. "Here, you can choose what you want to mute." "Oh," Nia nodded. The basic "Mute All" option muted everything: chat, pings, and even the voiced macros. As much as Nia wanted to have a peace of mind during matches, she had to agree this was overkill. "You can keep the chat muted, that''s probably what you wanted in the first place. But, turn the rest on. It''s not much of a team game if you can''t coordinate anything with your teammates." "Mhm," Nia nodded and followed the orders. Turning the pings on was definitely important. However, as for the voiced macros, she wasn''t so sure. There were a bunch of smartasses who used the macros to flame, like spamming a sarcastic "Thank you!" or a "Your rock!" into "Cancel that!". Those were so annoying. However, those were much rarer than chat flaming and it was usually at least somewhat funny. So, Nia turned it on anyway. With that, she was ready to face her next qualifier match. Please don''t match me with people who steal roles. Nia has already typed Jungler in the chat in preparation. As soon as the match lobby loaded, she jammed it in! Nobody was able to beat the speed of her stealthy tech! However, being fast didnt help her. Ranked drafting had a specific order and Nia wasn''t anywhere near the top of the list. The second player on the list called Jungler after her but he had the privilege to pick it first, so he ignored Nias call and went for Ninja. What a bully. Since the system shoved Nia to the bottom of the list again, so she had only two roles to pick from: Top and Support. Nobody wants to play Support, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. He had the urge to gather all the people who rejected the Support role and personally lecture them about the depth and complexity of the role. Unfortunately, it wasn''t a role that fits everybody. It required playing with a vastly different mindset than other roles and the Support player had to have sufficient game knowledge and experience to make the role be of any help. So, as much as Yuel would have liked to see more people give it a try, he had to concede that Nia was better off playing Top. "I can Vampire," Nia selected the class but hasn''t locked-in yet. "Vampire? For Top? Yuel knotted his brows. Well, it is considered a bruiser and it got sustain, but it''s not that tanky. You sure?" "Mhm," Nia nodded multiple times. She was dead set on playing Vampire for some reason. It was primarily a Jungler class so maybe Nia had some experience with it. "Sure, why not," Yuel shrugged. Vampire Top was borderline meme territory but this pick had a few merits. For one, Vampire''s basics were ranged attacks so it had range advantage over most Top Laners. However, in exchange, it had a lower attack and endurance. So, this was almost like bringing a Carry class to Top. It could either go extremely well or turn into a disaster right away. The enemy team left their Top pick for last, a thing that would normally be frowned upon in competitive matches. But, this was Ranked and teams were formed out of random players, so meta drafting could be dammed. "Ah," Nia twitched once the enemy picked their Top Laner. Oh noes. Nonono. Bad. Bad. Bad! It was a Dark Knight. Out of all things, it had to be that bully. Nia was done for. "This is a great chance for you to feel for yourself what it means to deal with a Dark Knight in Top," Yuel snickered. "What did you use to say about ganking Top? That the Top Laner should play better and not get overwhelmed by the Dark Knight?" "Geh..." "So, this is your chance. Show us how it''s done. Deal with that Dark Knight yourself. It''s easy, right?" "Gufu..." Nia curled into a ball. "Bully." "Well, it''s not all bad," Yuel said. "Vampire got range, so at least you can maintain distance whole farming. That''s a huge deal against a Dark Knight. "Oh, so I countered-picked him. I also countered picked that Pyro last game. Maybe I''m genius at counter-picking? Gotta be it." "Sure, sure," Yuel rolled his eyes. Yeah, counter-picked the Dark Knight before the opponent even picked it. Truly, such a godlike level of counter picking. With that said, counter-picking Dark Knight ahead of time during the Qualifier and at low ranks made sense in general. It was a popular "noob stomper" class because he usually required the enemy team to cooperate in order to take him down. And, with how well-organized teams of random people were... yeah. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Hm, Tipmancer doesn''t have anything for this matchup," Nia twisted her lips. Recently, the more she was using Tipmancer, the more it felt like a sham. Like, the advice was legit and all but there wasnt nearly enough of it. It felt like Yuel stored way more useful game than this entire app. "I''d go aggressive," Yuel said. "Something like Giant Warhammer." "Hm?" Nia tilted her head. "Shouldn''t I buy defense to survive his attacks?" "You can try that but it probably won''t go well. Your clearing speed is mediocre but your opponent''s is off the charts, so you need as much power as you can get to race him. Of course, you won''t be able to beat him even with Warhammer but at least his minions won''t get to push much." "So, it''s like ''offense is best defense''?" "Yes, you can put it that way. Play safe from afar but be aggressive with clearing minions." "Sounds all kinds of weird but I think I get it," Nia nodded. As expected, the matchup was rough. The Dark Knight wiped out her entire minion wave with a single Dark Blast. Nia had to retreat to her Turret before she even got to sneak in a single hit on the enemy minions. She resorted to firing at the incoming wave from her tower area. The little bats she sent flying packed a punch thanks to Giant Warhammer. Nevertheless, it didnt stop the enemy from invading her Turret. And, along with the minions, the Dark Knight also fearlessly jumped into her territory and hacked away at the Turret. I swear, players in low ranks got no fear. Yuel smiled wryly. Perhaps, that Dark Knight took into account it was risky for Nia to shoot him. Vampire wasnt too tanky despite being classified as a bruiser, so Nia couldnt absorb too much minion fire, especially not during the early game. But no, this player probably didnt think about any of that. That guy probably assumed the opponent will have to respect him because he was a Dark Knight. It was a typical arrogance that came with being a Dark Knight player. Back in the day, Gregory used to play it a lot and always acted like he was the strongest player in the world. Boy did he rage when he played against a competent team that shut him down. Yuel chuckled. Unfortunately for Nia, her random team wasn''t the competent type. She got zero aid from her peers against the Dark Knight. HELP!HELP!HELP! GANK!GANK!GANK! No matter how much she spammed the macros, the Jungler didn''t show any signs of caring. That antisocial Ninja only cared about his own farming and left Nia to die. "Maybe he muted everything," Yuel wondered. "What kind of Jungler mutes pings and macros?" Nia glanced aside. "I know, right? Crazy people." Yuel chuckled. "So, looks you''re on your own against this Dark Knight. Feeling like chances are in your favor?" "Not really... Nia twisted her lips. "Right, because they really aren''t. You need this guy to mess up big time to get anything going here. Otherwise, you''ll be like a lamb to slaughter. So, you see why it''s so important for somebody to land a hand in Top against a Dark Knight?" "Guh. This class is broken. Can''t he pick an honest one?" Nia pouted. "It''s a noob stomper class, same as Rogue. You''re not playing the game for real unless you know how to deal with these classes." "Then, guess our Ninja isn''t playing the game for real," Nia glanced aside. "Look who''s talking," Yuel gave her a look. "Anyway, if the Jungler doesn''t gank then youre in trouble. Our Mid isn''t doing too hot over there so he doesn''t have the luxury to help you either." "So, GG?" "Hey, don''t write yourself off like that yet. Just because it''s a tough position doesn''t mean you dont have any chances of coming on top. You might be able to handle it yourself somehow." "Like how? I wait for him to run low on HP and then attack?" "Yes, that''s a valid approach," Yuel nodded. "I take it you have a lot of experience dueling Dark Knights?" "More than I care for," Nia shuddered. Back when she was just a naive greenhorn who jumped into Duel unprepared, Dark Knight players were everywhere. It was the most broken thing ever. Just thinking back on it gave her the yikers. "Considering you reached Platinum, I suppose you learned know to deal with Dark Knight?" "Yeah, it''s easy," Nia nodded. "I just ban it." "That''s... not quite what I was hoping to hear," Yuel frowned. So, Nia''s solution to Dark Knight was never fighting him. Huh. Ranked Duel allowed each player to ban three classes, so it made sense to ban problematic classes. In fact, Dark Knight''s bloated ban ratio at low levels made many players use it as justification to complain about the class being OP, even though Dark Knight wasnt nearly as dominant on the highest level of play. In Duel, Dark Knight was undeniably strong. However, it suffered greatly from the fact the game started at Lv.5, which was halfway toward mid-game. Unless the Dark Knight managed to establish an overwhelming advantage in the first couple of minutes, he was doomed. Alas, at low levels, players didn''t know how to defuse a Dark Knight and it ran all over them. Therefore, it became a popular ban. People rather avoid a Dark Knight than learn the matchup. It was a valid, but the less skillful, approach to ranking up. Unfortunately, Nia chose to do exactly that. In other words, she didn''t really have much experience dealing with a Dark Knight on her own. Yuel will have to hold her hand here. "At least you know the general idea," Yuel said. "Your best shot is to patiently wait for the Dark Knight to run out of HP or to overextend. I take it you learned it from Tipmancer?" "Mhm," Nia nodded. "This strat kinda works but not really." "Yeah, I know what you mean. This matchup can be frustrating sometimes. In this mode, it''s even harder because you start at Lv.1." "So, what do?" "Just do it. Defend and wait. Let''s see what kind of Dark Knight we got on our hands and find an opportunity to strike him down." "Ok." That''s my favorite pastime. Nia nodded to herself. Turtling and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake was her prime strategy in Duel. At some point, people lowered their guard and committed a grave overextension, which Nia immediately punished with a kill. But, that was a lot way easier to pull off with an assassin class. Vampire was assassin-ish when built with power items, but it was still a world apart from a proper assassin with burst damage. So, even if this Dark Knight overextends, will Nia be able to properly punish him and get a kill...? Vol.8 Ch.11: Playing the Patience Game The laning phase continued with a dark cloud of uncertainty hovering over Nia. Every time, she managed to sneak in one shot on the Dark Knight before he unleashed Dark Blast and wiped out her entire army. Then, she had no choice but to retreat and continue firing from under tower. The Dark Knight fearlessly invaded with his minions and ravaged the Turret with his black blade. With every wave, Nia''s Turret lost a bigger and bigger chunk of HP. In most cases, these would be punishable overextensions. Yuel thought. If Nia were playing a class with heavier CC or more burst, she couldve given that Dark Knight a hard time. Alas, Vampire didn''t have such tools until Lv.5 so Nia had to play patiently. Surprisingly, she didn''t complain about this routine. In fact, it seemed she liked playing like this. Perhaps, turtling was her preferred playstyle, seeing as she also used it against Vincent and Lars back when she dueled them. Eventually, Nia hit Lv.5. Alas, by now, the Dark Knight was already at Lv.6 and halfway to Lv.7. On top of that, Nia''s Turret was down to 40%. This was a terrible position. Still, as bad as it was, Nia successfully reached this position without any big losses. She was Lv.5 and had full HP. What little HP she lost to stray shots from minions was healed up via Bloodthirst, Vampire''s passive life-stealing. So, she was perfectly healthy but the same couldnt be said for the Dark Knight. With great power came a great price and the Dark Knight has been slowly but surely paying it. With each Dark Blast he fired, 5% of his HP was sacrificed. In due time, he''ll wear himself out. He was already down to 70% at this point. Fortunately, the guy didn''t start off with a life steal item. His only ways to recovery were either killing Nia or using potions, which he didnt seem to have on him. So, as long as Nia stays safe in the back, the Dark Knight will exhaust himself in a couple of waves. That''s when Nia will get her chance to strike him down. Unfortunately, her Turret was in danger. If things keep going on like this, her Turret will crumble in a couple of waves. Not only she''ll lose the lane, but itll also rob her of any good opportunities to kill the Dark Knight before mid-game. Something had to be done before it comes to this. "You have to spook him a little," Yuel said. "We can''t let him keep pushing the Turret without worrying about anything. Next time he invades, Night Horde him." "Hm, I don''t wanna," Nia twisted her lips. "That''ll remind him I''m here." "Yes, that''s the idea. We have to remind him that you''re here to defend the lane or else he''ll keep doing as he pleases." "I''m ok with that. As long as he doesn''t notice me, it''s good. That''ll let me surprise him real good." Nia snickered. So, she''s waiting for him to lower his guard completely and then strike. Yuel nodded to himself. That must have been the true nature of what Vincent referred to as "Vanishing Phantom". By playing passive like this for long enough, Nia made her lane opponent lower their guard and then delivered a fatal blow. But, how trustworthy was this technique, really? If it was up to Yuel, he wouldnt bet the entire lane on something like that. Instead, he rather poke the Dark Knight out of the towers area. However, Nia was the one playing and she was the most familiar with her own playstyle, so it was her call. Besides, Yuel was curious to see whether itll work this time as well. Still, there was one issue. Its good and all if you want to stay low, Yuel said. But, if you keep letting him do as he pleases, hell take the tower out. Waiting for the right moment to deliver your strike is pointless if youre going to lose the lane before that opportunity ever arrives. I was planning to attack this wave. Nia tilted her head. I think I can get him. You do? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Remember, youre not an assassin. You dont have burst. Yeah, but I got CC. I did something like this before. I think itll work. Is that so, Yuel wondered. He didnt see the play she had in mind. The Dark Knight has already wiped out Nias wave and she was in the middle of retreating. What could she possibly pull this time that she couldnt do before? Yuel wanted to ask but he stayed quiet. He didnt want to distract Nia during this important moment. Soon, the answer will reveal itself on its own. As usual, the Dark Knight followed his minions into the Turrets range. Nia didnt have enough damage output to kill all the enemy minions on their way to the Turret, so she had no choice but to allow this scenario to play out every time. The repeated successes must have fueled the Dark Knight with confidence; he didnt even think twice about invading the Turret. Hes not paying any attention to me. Nia was convinced. Based on how the Dark Knight didnt bother to throw a single glance in her direction this entire time, it was safe to assume she has completely erased her existence from his mind. This was the opportunity to strike! Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I can see it. That should be a kill. Nia replayed the scenario time and again in her head. First aggro. Then stun. Then slow down. That should be at least three Turret shots. He''s dead. Thump. Thump. Nia''s heart quickened. It should be good, right? She wasn''t missing anything in her estimation? Yeah, it should be good. Here goes nothing. She took a deep breath and waited for the Dark Knight to start a new swing. Now! She rolled forward! The Dark Knight was already in the middle of swinging his blade so he couldn''t stop. He successfully brought down his sword but an unexpected obstacle appeared in front of him. Nia rolled right between him and the Turret! "Wha-!?" Yuel jumped. What kind of suicidal play was this!? But, wait. From here she can...! The black blade cut through Nia and erased 15% of her HP. It packed a punch but Vampire had decent HP so it was nothing. The only thing that mattered was that the Dark Knights attack connected. Even though unintentionally, the Dark Knight undeniably struck Nia. He laid a finger on her under the watchful eye of the Turret! WHAM. The Turret fired a giant bolt in response. This one wasnt aimed at the minions. BAM! It crashed into the Dark Knight and deleted 15% of his HP! The guy was in deep trouble now. And, this wasnt the end. The Turret will continue its lethal vendetta on the Dark Knight. That bully had no choice but to flee with a tail between his legs. But, Nia didn''t give him the chance. As soon as she recovered from the roll, she activated her ult, Night Hunt. She transformed into a giant bat and crashed into the Dark Knight from point-blank! This CC ability, which was normally intended for traversing some distance, was used as a point-blank insta-stun! Brilliant! Yuel found himself gasping. She caught him. The Turret is onto him and he can''t move. He''ll have to eat at least two more shots. After bumping into the Dark Knight, Nia reverted back into her Vampire form and hugged the Dark Knight tight. She sucked his blood and locked him in place. Meanwhile, the Turret fired without mercy. BAM. Another 20% HP gone! Each shot was stronger than the previous when a Turret was focused on a player. The Dark Knight was already down to 30% HP. Combined with the ongoing damage from Night Hunt, the next turret shot will seal the deal. The enemy minions didn''t appreciate this development in the slightest and opened fire on Nia. They did everything in their power to pressure her into leaving their master alone. However, it did nothing. Nia started this fight with full HP, so even heavy fire from an entire minion wave wasn''t going to be too lethal. BAM. The third and last turret shot connected. You have killed an enemy! The Turret dealt the final blow but everything about this play was Nia''s achievement. It was amazing. How did she even come up with such a play? Such a bizarre idea didn''t even cross Yuel''s mind in this situation. It was art in the making! Seems like I didn''t need to use Horde in the end. Oh well. Nia shrugged and switched her focus to the angry mob that was slashing and firing at her. Thanks to these little guys, she dropped all the way from 85% HP to 60%. That wasn''t very nice of them, was it? Time to exterminate. "Wait," Yuel said. "Lure them outside the tower. You''ll get more farm from killing them there." "Oh, ok," Nia ran outside the tower area and dragged all the minions with her. Then, she wiped them out one by one. Finally, the lane was clear. Nia stood there alone. She was victorious! She sized the lane all by herself against a Dark Knight! She did it! Now, she could go ahead and take the enemy Turret- "Their Jungler is rotating over here," Yuel warned. "You may want to recall for now." "Ah, um, sure," Nia twisted her lips. There goes my epic chance to push. This mode is such a pain. Even if I beat my opponent, it doesn''t guarantee anything. Such rewarding. Gufu. Nia followed Yuel''s advice and recalled to base. By the time the enemy Lancer arrived in Top, there was nobody to greet him. "Do I just upgrade Warhammer?" Nia asked. "Yeah, that''s good enough," Yuel nodded. "That aside, may I ask how in the world you came up with that play?" "What play?" "The one where you rolled into the Dark Knight''s swing. That was something else." "Ah, I had to aggro him so figured I could just roll in there." "Just like that?" "Yeah. Figured he wasn''t paying attention so I could sneak in." She sure makes it sound simple. But, that was far from a simple play. Yuel still couldn''t wrap his head around what just happened there. It was indeed simple but, at the same time, it had a hint of brilliance to it. It reminded of the crazy stunts Lars occasionally pulled in the heat of the moment. However, none of Nia''s actions there were partially mind-blowing or even particularly risky. She had a big life lead, so things like being hit by the Dark Knight and aggroing the entire minion wave werent a true danger. It was a creative play but also a safe and calculated one. Was it a fluke? Yuel wondered. No, she was too confident about it for it to be a fluke. So, it had to be a tech she learned from somewhere, right? After all, she said she did something like this before. "I''m sure Tipmancer didn''t teach you that kind of play," Yuel said. "Where did you pick it up?" "Hm, dunno," Nia shrugged. "I just remember tying something like that before and it worked. So, I did it again. Ah, but last time I was a Drow, though." "With Drow?" Yuel raised an eyebrow at first but then it clicked. She probably blew up the Drow''s phantom right in the enemy''s face in order to stun them. Another smart tower jailing play. Did Nia really invent that play all by herself? If so, there was more to Nia than met the eye. In fact, Vincent would immediately jump on the opportunity to make up a silly name for that "ability. He''d probably call her something silly like "The Tower Jailor!" With every passing play, Nia was shaping up to be a more and more interesting player. Even though the club initially prioritized her over other candidates for her gender, she has been exhibiting a lot of potential. Her skill was raw and unpolished at the moment, but if Yuel helps her learn the game and solidify her foundation, she might transform into a scary player. Vol.8 Ch.12: The Junglers Help Nia killed the Dark Knight and secured lane advantage. However, it didn''t last for long. The Dark Knight returned to terrorize the area after Nia got to do only one small push on his Turret. Will her gimmick work a second time? Yuel wondered. Last time, Nia caught the Dark Knight off guard with that suicidal roll. Will the Dark Knight be dumb enough to fall for it again? This was a qualifier match, so there was a chance this Dark Knight wasn''t the sharpest tool in the shed. Unfortunately, the Dark Knight cooked up a counter of sorts. After he eliminated Nia''s entire minion wave, he backed away and let his minions push on their own. He didn''t dare to get close to Nia, which stopped him from overextending. It was overcompensation but the guy clearly learned a lesson. Nias play successfully seeded terror in him. Though uncharacteristically defensive for a Dark Knight, this response made a lot of sense. Even without joining any pushes from now on, he has dealt more than enough damage to the Turret at this point. Nia''s Turret was hanging by a thread and she couldn''t stop the minions from invading because the Vampire lacked fast AoE clear. So, even without the Dark Knights help, the minions delivered damage on the Turret with every push. This isnt good. Nia sulked. The teams Ninja didnt go out of his way to gank Top, so nobody was there to help her stop the invaders. It was over. An allied Turret has been destroyed! In the end, the Turret crumbled. Despite all her efforts, Nia lost her important line of defense. Wham! A dark slash wiped out her entire army again. And, this time, she couldn''t even fall back to her Turret to defend. Her line of defense was now all the way back near the base, at the Top Golem. She had no choice but to retreat all the way back there and surrender lane control to her opponent. Even in this desperate situation, there was no news from the team''s Jungler. The guy was sleeping on this whole development. "We lost," Nia pouted and started a surrender vote. "Wha-!?" Yuel was taken aback. "Cancel that at once. It''s too early to give up." "Its less than 10 minutes in and they''re already pushing the Golem. GG. We''re ded." "I agree, thats a severely disadvantageous position to play from. But, it''s no reason to give up." "Hrm, ok," Nia canceled her surrender vote. Only a few MOBAs out there allowed people to change their surrender votes like that before the voting was over. The game allowed even Nia, the one who initiated the voting, to change her mind. Truly, this feature was a godsend. With its help, Yuel convinced many of his online teammates to not give up even when the circumstances seemed dire. By changing the mind of at least one person, it was possible to avert a disaster. Thankfully, only one other person voted for surrender. The vote remained anonymous so they couldn''t tell who on their team was the quitter. Most likely, it was somebody who was currently flaming Nia in chat for the situation in Top. After all, with all said and done, losing a Turret so early into the game was demoralizing. In a competitive match, it assured defeat. However, this was just a qualifier match with players of unknown caliber, so anything could happen. That Dark Knight only won the lane thanks to the Dark Knight''s early-game advantage. Other than that, he wasn''t a particularly impressive player. On top of that, the one time he died seemed to have shaken him badly. He probably wont be taking any risks in the near future. So, despite losing the lane, Nia was still indirectly stalling the Dark Knight. The Dark Knight was overwhelming the team right now but his power advantage won''t last forever. Once they hit mid-game, the guy will be exposed as the mediocre player he was. At that point, Nia''s team will mount a counter-attack. Hopefully. "Phew, finally," Nia sighed as the Dark Knight finally decided to give her a break and stop pressuring her at the Golem. The guy turned around and vanished into the jungle. Is he recalling? Nia wondered. Well, not like I care. She turned around and ran into the base. She was so close to the base it was faster to get there by foot than via recalling. "I wouldn''t be so happy about this," Yuel said. "There''s a chance he went to steal your camps. Or, even worse, to gank Mid. You need to call missing and warn Mid." "Oh, ok." Nia used a macro for missing enemy in Top and a ping that told their Sorcerer to watch out. Alas, that didn''t quite help... An ally has been killed! The Dark Knight rent asunder the Sorcerer and proceeded to attack the Turret. An allied Turret has been destroyed! "See? Told you." Nia pouted. "We''re ded." "This is indeed rough," Yuel didn''t have any reassuring words to spare this time. Dark Knight was a "noob stomper" for a reason. A dysfunctional team like this had a very hard time dealing with this harbinger of doom. A surrender vote has started for your team. This time, it wasn''t Nia. The Sorcerer initiated the vote. Though, his reasoning was probably all the same: "I lost the lane so its over." Such a weak will. Yuel shook his head. As he thought that, another player voted in favor of surrendering. "What''s that supposed to mean?" Yuel asked. "You''re throwing again?" "But, we lost," Nia pouted. "You haven''t lost until you see theDEFEAT message on your screen. Stop acting like every little problem means the end of the world." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Hrm, ok," Nai withdrew her vote again. Another player placed a surrender vote but two weren''t enough to decide a surrender. Yet again, the team dodged a disaster. "Defend Mid for now," Yuel said. "You''ll have to play the patience game for a while." "I dunno how we gonna win with two Turrets down..." "It''s rough but not impossible. You just have to wait until mid-game. The Dark Knight will become much less of a threat by then and you''ll be able to-" TheGoldenStar (Sorcerer) has left the game! "Wow," Yuel narrowed his eyes. "People ragequit even during qualifiers? I heard that makes the system think poorly of you." "Ok, now we''re ded for sure, right?" "If he doesnt return then, unfortunately, yes. Give him a couple of minutes. If he''s not back, youre free to surrender." If it were up to Yuel, he''d fight 4v5 to the bitter end. However, thatd be playing on uneven ground so it was reasonable to quit. A 4v5 of this type was an "unrealistic" scenario as far as competitive play was concerned, so there wasnt much practical knowledge or skill to gain from it. Three minutes later and there was still no sign of the Sorcerer returning. So, the team surrendered. It was an anticlimactic and unfortunate finale. Thanks for nothing, ThePoopStar. Nia grumped as another red X appeared on her qualifier record. After this match, she now had one win and four defeats. Gufu... Nia sunk in her chair. At this rate, the devs gonna invent a new Wood league below Bronze and throw her in there. "You''re not queueing for another game?" Yuel asked. "Break time," Nia put down her controller and fished in her bag. She threw a glance at Yuel and returned to her fishing. Then, she pulled out a bunch of chocolates. "Hrm," She stretched a bar of chocolate toward Yuel. "Why, thank you," Yuel accepted the offer. "I see you don''t discriminate against me this time." "It''s payment for replacing Tipmancer." So, I''m just an app, huh. Yuel smiled wryly but accepted the payment for his hard work. Frankly, it wasn''t easy dealing with Nia so a reward was nice. The dark chocolate hit the spot. Just how many different snacks this does girl carry in her bag, anyway? "Yo, were done with the match," Lars called out. "Wanna join us for the next one?" "No, you can go ahead," Yuel said. "I rather watch Nia''s matches some more. She got a lot to learn." "Welp, okay then," Lars shrugged. "Let''s go, my dudes! Another ez victory!" They seem to be doing well. Yuel thought. Ben was in the clubroom for a change so they formed a full team even without Yuel. The fact they were on a winning streak only proved how little difference Yuel made as a Top Laner. Even Ben, with his relatively unpolished skill, was more than enough for the team to fare well. After a needlessly long half-hour break, Nia queued into her 6th qualifier match. This time, the other players respected her early role call and let her play Jungler. "Guh, Tipmancer still saying Rogue isn''t that good right now," Nia scrolled through the Jungler tier list. "It''s correct," Yuel nodded. "Rogue is lacking some tools to be truly competitive." "Weird. I played it a bunch before discovering Tipmancer and it worked. I even steamrolled sometimes." "I''m sure you did. Rogue is like Dark Knight, it''s good at steamrolling uncoordinated teams. Especially, teams which dont ward enough." Sounds decent. Yes, its a nice advantage to have in online matches. But, in the end, it suffers from the same problems Dark Knight got, except for Rogue the payoff is much lower. Even when Rogue gets ahead early, its not going to be as dominating as Dark Knight. Sad story, Nia said. Ill take Ninja then, since Shadow is banned as always. That works. This match proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ninja was one of Nias best classes, both in Duel and in MOBA. She knew how to farm camps efficiently and she frequently snuck up to enemies for a gank. She lay low during the early-game, then went on a killing spree during the mid-game. You have killed an enemy! She snuck up to the unsuspecting Electromancer and smashed him into the ground with Izuna Drop. It was over in a matter of seconds. He shouldve hugged the tower with that HP. Yuel criticized the Electromancer. The guy refused to fall back despite being at 60% HP. Its as if he didnt even consider the possibility of being ganked by Nia. And, this wasnt a one-time occurrence. Almost every kill Nia scored had a similar pattern. For some reason, the enemy team never saw her coming. The way she blended into the background and made her enemies lower their guard was impressive. It almost felt like a real superpower. Almost. Vanishing Phantom, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. Even though he understood the theory behind it, the way it played out in practice took him aback every time a new. If this approach works in the competitive scene as well, itll be huge. Unfortunately, despite Nia scoring kills on Mid and Bot, their Top was in a difficult situation. The enemy Monk has been pressuring their Knight for a while now and Nia has been neglecting the lane. Her excuse was that she wont get any kills there. A silly argument. Yuel will have to eventually tell her to- Hm, Top is in trouble, Nia mumbled. Anything I can do about it? I dont think I can get a kill on that Monk. Ah, Yuel blinked. Yes! Finally! Nia saw the light! If you cant convert a gank into a kill, just pressure him into retreating. If you feel like experimenting and want to optimize time, you can just send your clone over there and scare him away, without actually going all the way over there yourself. Oh, thats smart, Nia nodded. She snuck up toward Top and sent a clone in the direction of the lane. Will this work? Hehe, will be funny if it does. The trick worked like a charm. Even though the Monk has been confidently dominating the lane the entire match, he ran away like a scaredy-cat the moment he saw the approaching Ninja clone. He had no way to tell whether this was the real Nia or not and, either way, it was a big red flag. From his perspective, either that Ninja was the real deal and was coming to kill him, or it was a clone, which implied the real Ninja was nearby in stealth. Either way, it was a dangerous situation so it was safer for the Monk to retreat and surrender some lane advantage. "Kuku, it really worked," Nia smirked. "I didn''t get a kill, tho." "That again?" Yuel spat a sigh. "As I said, a Jungler''s job isn''t just to get kills. Sometimes, you have to apply pressure on lanes even if you won''t get kills from it." "Yeah, I kinda get it now," Nia said. Ganking a lane for something other than a kill or split-pushing seemed weird at first, but it was actually pretty effective sometimes. Just by spooking the Monk with her clone, she stopped the guy''s aggression and let the allied Knight regain some footing on the lane. It was a little hard to immediately appreciate the consequences of this play as the Jungler, but their Top Laner surely appreciated this gesture. She kinda knew how it felt because she played Top just the other match. Just like this Knight, Nia was pressured hard on lane during the previous game and needed some help from the Jungler. However, that Jungler had none to spare. That scumbag neglected Top and never helped her out. Maybe he was scared of the Dark Knight (a legit concern) or maybe he didn''t see any opportunities to get kills. Either way, Nia got stuck in Top alone without any help. It wasnt exactly what one would call a fun experience. So, now Nia understood that any help she could give the Knight this match will be much appreciated, even if she couldn''t get a kill for herself this way. Still, she had no idea how to go about making such weird unintuitive plays. So, good thing she had the Yuelmancer app with her, the successor to Tipmancer! Yuel was a tad harsh and liked lecturing like he was some professor, but he knew a lot. So, it was a good idea to consult him as often as possible. He had all the answers to everything. Nia should definitely make it into a habit to ask him for advice on every little thing. Ez high-level decision making. Vol.8 Ch.13: The Plans for Nia Nia''s 6th qualifier match proceeded smoothly. She got some kills on Bot and Mid and also chased away the Monk, who has been dominating Top. The enemy team couldn''t establish their footing for the rest of the game and Nia''s team rode their momentum all the way to victory. VICTORY "Ok," Nia nodded. Now, she had 2 wins and 4 losses. Not exactly an amazing score but she was getting toward that sweet 50-50 ratio. The last thing she wanted was to end up in Bronze. Everybody said that place was MMR hell. Scary. For her 7th match, some schmuck stole her Jungler role again. Nia called the role as soon as the selection screen loaded but the guy just went ahead and took it anyway. Everybody online was a bully. This time, she ended up as the Carry. This wasn''t so bad, actually. Marksmen were kinda like ranged assassins. They usually didn''t have as much single-target burst, but their basics were fast and hit like a truck, so they were fun to play. "Ranger is ok?" Nia asked. "Yeah, it''s fine," Yuel nodded. "What''s wrong? Youre not consulting Tipmancer''s tier list this time?" "Figured you know the tier list like the back of your hand so its faster to ask." "Heh, I see," Yuel wasn''t sure how to feel about it but it was probably a good thing, right? Little by little, Nia grew to trust his knowledge and opened up to him. Thatll make it easier to teach her new things going forward. Yuel is a pretty good app. Nia nodded to herself. It''s faster to ask him stuff than to search on Tipmancer. I better use him for everything. Ez life. The upcoming match seemed promising. She nabbed herself a Ranger and she had the trusty Yuelmancer app in hand, which knew literally everything there was to know about the game. The odds were in her favor. Or, so she thought. "Eh? What''s he doing?" Nia blinked. Her Support, the Paladin, just straight up charged into enemy territory all by himself. Um, hello? You forgot to ping that youll be attacking... An ally has been killed! "Derp," Nia mumbled. "Derp indeed," Yuel nodded. "I have a bad feeling about this match." Unfortunately, Yuel''s hunch was on point. That Paladin was a total wack. He kept aggressing during random situations without any shot-calls. He always either wound up dead or get heavily injured, barely getting away thanks to Nias help. It was a shitshow. "Supports are the worst," Nia pouted. "Ahem," Yuel cleared his throat. "I play Support." "Ah. Well, I hope you play good Support." "I''m much better than this Paladin, that much I guarantee." Thanks to the Paladin''s amazing supporting, Nia constantly found herself in 1v2 situations and eventually lost the lane. An allied Turret has been destroyed! No amount of advice from Yuel could possibly fix this predicament. When one player on the team was playing stupid and it was the Support of all people, the team was doomed. DEFEAT "Fun," Nia dropped back on the chair and put down the controller. "That''s enough for today." "You''ve only played three matches," Yuel said. "Yeah, that''s a lot..." Nia used her small palm to cover a yawn. "Nap time." She curled into a ball on top of the chair and fell silent. "Don''t sleep here." "Zzz." Wait, did she literally fall asleep like that? Yuel raised an eyebrow. The girl became a black hairball. Her faint breathing could barely be heard under her long spaghetti hair. It was such an odd sleeping posture. Did she practice it at home? If not, it was a miracle she could fall asleep like this. "What''s wrong?" Kai asked. "Did you knock her out with your lectures?" "I did no such thing. She just said she needed a nap so there she is, napping." "Huh?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Yeah, exactly. She flat out passed out in this awkward posture." "Huh, alright then," Kai didn''t even know what else to say. "So, how is her qualifier?" "Two wins, five losses" "I thought youre here to help her glide through it." "I''m no magician. Not much I can do about Junglers who don''t gank and Supports who have no brain." "Fair enough," Kai nodded. "So, how is she? Pretty good, right?" "She''s alright," Yuel said. "There''s still a lot to work on but she''s willing to learn, that''s the most important thing." "Yeah, exactly," Kai nodded. "So, it''s official. Nia is the new member of Stratus." "No objections here," Yuel said. "Splendid!" Vincent spread his arms theatrically. "The Vanishing Phantom joins the Den of Undiscovered Potential! With her on the team, we shall be able to deliver invisible ganks!" "Sick, yo!" Lars exclaimed even though he probably had no idea what this was even about. "That''s cool and all," Luke said. "But, that''ll only be relevant in like two years, right? After all, you got yours truly for jungling." "Oh," Vincent lowered his hands. "Yes, indeed. We already got ourselves the Meme Jedi! Maybe the Vanishing Phantom can be a secret tech in some matchups or something." The Meme Jedi, huh. Yuel wondered. There was no denying that Luke was a solid player and he played his memes well. But, memes were memes. No matter how effectively one could wield a Rogue in Ranked, the enemies at the competitive scene will eat it alive. Lukes memeing skills might be enough to take out some weaker teams but they''ll not work on the strongest teams in the region. So, something had to change. Either Luke will have to pick classes which were at least mid-tier or, perhaps, Nia will have to play Jungler instead. Can we really entrust her with something like that? Yuel shuddered. It sounded like suicide. With that said, Nia definitely had the knack for being an assassin-type Jungler and she was willing to learn. If Yuel tutors her well, Nia might become strong enough to play as the teams Jungler this year. But, Luke is one year of experience ahead of her and he can learn new things as well. Decisions, decisions. Yuel couldnt tell what will be the best for the team. The best-case scenario would be for Luke to start using legit Jungler classes while Nia improves enough to be a viable secret tech. I need to try working on both fronts at the same time. Though, I promised to not nag Luke about his meme picks for a while, so Ill focus on Nia for now. Time passed by. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours. Nia kept sleeping on the chair like a hairball. It was bizarre but apparently it worked for her. Meanwhile, Yuel joined the others for a few games in Ranked. After they finished five games, the spaghetti hair monster woke up from her extended slumber. Ah, Nias little eyes peered through her long bangs. She looked kinda drunk. Ah, oh. She fished in her bag and took out a bar of chocolate. Crunch. Crunch. She slowly bit away at it like a hamster. You awake? Kai asked. Yep, Nia nodded. An electrifying jolt shot through her after she finished the bar of chocolate. The sweetness spread through her body and tickled her senses. Were wrapping up for today, Kai announced. Oh, I see. You should keep playing at home, Yuel said. Finish that qualifier so you can join us in Ranked tomorrow. If you need more advice, you can come play at my place. Whew whew! Luke whistled. Somebody here is a predator! Huh? Yuel blinked. Disgusting, Kai scoffed at him for some reason. What did I do now? Yuel frowned. I just want to help her in the qualifier and teach her new things along the way. Oh, Im sure you gonna teach her aaaaall sorts of stuff. Luke winked. Shame on you, inviting a lady youve just met to your place, Vincent shook his head. Not very gentlemanlike of you. Yeah, Yuel is a bold bro, Luke nodded. The girl just joined and dude is already hitting on her! Haha. Scary, Nia created some distance and eyed Yuel with suspicion. Wha, thats not... Yuel sighed. She just got a lot to learn about the game and Im sure I can teach her. There are no ulterior motives here. Besides, we wont even be alone. Lars will be there as well. So, its a threesome!? Luke jumped. Im disappointed in you, Kai averted her eyes as if Yuel was too disgusting to even look at. Hey now, Lars intervened. Dont do my dude dirty like that. Hes already married. Oh, so you two already married? Congrats Luke clapped. Haha, dude, pls, Lars lightly smacked Luke on the back. Our dude Yuel here is married to Mancers! He aint gonna cheat on the game with some girl. Indeed, indeed, Vincent nodded with profound understanding. Yeah, hes a total Mancer nerd, Luke agreed. We shall dub him Nerdmancer! Makes sense, Kai nodded. Sorry for doubting you like that. So, Yuel narrowed his eyes. Are we done with the making fun of Yuel hour? I just wanted to help Nia improve but okay, fine. I suppose it was indeed premature of me to ask a girl Ive just met to come to my place. No need to make me out like some Cassanova for it. I guess Lars and Ben are the only ones who believe in me. Oh, um, I just... Ben mumbled. He has been standing on the side the whole time without saying a word. You really like giving advice so I figured its just that. Yes, exactly. At least somebody here is on my side, Yuel scoffed. Anyway, jokes aside, feel free to come over if you want some help. I dunno about that, Nia was still giving him funny looks. She didnt happen to take the jokes seriously, did she? Sigh. Its alright, no need for that, Kai said. You can come to play at my place instead. Ill teach you stuff. Thats safer than staying at that predators place, dont you agree? Will these guys drop it already!? Yuel waved an angry fist. Hm, ok, Nia nodded to Kais words. And she accepted, just like that. Yuel sighed. He had to admit defeat here. All he wanted was to help Nia with learning Classmancers. He had no ulterior motives whatsoever. Sigh. Whatever. Yuel just had to wait until Nia trusts him enough to start joining him and Lars for their afternoon practice. At her current level, she definitely needed that extra boost of training to catch up to the rest. Hopefully, shell understand that eventually... Vol.8 Ch.14: Pulling up the Weak After officially joining the club, Nia had to register her golden nickname in the game. However... This name is already in use Hm? Nia titled her head. Somebody stole my name? Looks like it, Kai said, Youll have to come up with a new one. But, I like BlackFlower... Nia sulked. If youre in need of nickname suggestions, I got plenty to spare! Vincent said. For starters, how about Vanishing Phantom? Hmm, I dunno? Nia twisted her lips. Ah, how about Vanishing Flower? This name is available Ok, Ill take it then, Nia said. You really like having flower in your name, huh, Kai said. Flowers are nice, Nia smiled softly. Theyre all quiet and chill fellows. Huh, Kai wasnt sure what to make of it so she just let that comment slide. And so, Nia became an official member of Stratus through and through. She got her golden name and attended club practice. You should take this opportunity to rotate to Top, Yuel lectured during a match. When the enemy laner is dead but our laner isnt there to take advantage of the situation, its often a good idea to rotate there and push the lane yourself. Oh, smart, Nia nodded and followed the instructions. She rotated to the undefended Top Lane and pushed the enemy tower along with allied minions. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! Good job, Yuel nodded. What do you plan to do next? Hmm, return to the jungle and farm? Is that your favorite pastime or something? Yuel smiled wryly. Now is a good time to gank Mid. Their Lancer will most likely rotate to defend Top, so its a great chance to force a 2v1 situation in Mid. Oh, I see, Nia nodded and ganked Mid. An enemy has been killed! With some help from Lars, Nia dealt the killing blow on the enemy Sorcerer and got the kill. This is going well. Too well, even. Nia never had a MOBA match that went so smoothly. She delivered one play after another and everything just clicked. Just by following Yuels advice, she dictated the entire momentum of the match. Thats the kind of power Junglers have, Yuel lectured. Depending on your decisions, the entire flow of the match might change. So, you have to make sure you learn from all these examples. Cant I always just ask you for advice? Thats easier. Sorry, but that wont fly in a serious match. I wont have the time to tell you every little thing. Tch, bummer. What an unreliable app. Nia pouted. Thats why you have to learn to do all of this on your own, Yuel said. If you want to keep practicing after club hours, you can drop by my place after school so we keep playing. Ill think about it. A polite decline. I see. Yuel sighed. He has been spending most of his club time on coaching Nia, with the intent of turning her into a full-fledged Jungler. However, she still had a lot to learn. If she doesnt start practicing past school hours, she might not be ready in time to participate in the upcoming scrimmages. Thatll be a huge waste of practical experience. Nia opened up to him bit by bit and now listened to his advice without resisting, but she didnt consider them close enough to hang out together. Or, perhaps she didnt think she needed that extra practice because she didnt feel the same urgency that was eating Yuel. Either way, it was unfortunate. So, I have to find a way to get her up to speed with what little time we got during club activity. Yuel concluded. As a whole, Nia showed more promise as a Jungler than a certain memer. So, she had a real chance to- Heeeeey! Earth to Yuel, Lars called out. The next match is ready. Ah, right, Yuel shook his head and returned to reality. Before he realized, school was over and he was back at home, playing with Lars. Darn it, who gave time the right to fly so fast? It must be passing the speed limit. Ill sue. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Whats keeping ya busy all the time? Lars asked. Ya dont even review our games half the time lately. Not like Im complaining, but ya know. I was looking up guides for jungling and taking notes, Yuel explained. Nia still has a lot to work on, so Im trying to find the best way to teach her. Whew, thats some dedication. Are ya like her coach or something? I guess I am. Heh, ya sure like the girl, Lars smirked and jabbed lightly. Whens the wedding? I gonna be yo dude of honor, haha. Again with that nonsense? Yuel rolled his eyes. I just want to get her up to speed so shes ready to play on a competitive level as soon as possible. Ya sure pouring everything ya got into this one thing. I dont even remember the last time you criticized anything about my plays. Its all Nia, Nia, and Nia 24/7. What, you want me to scold you more often? Yuel asked. I thought you hated that. Heh, of course I hate that stuff. But, ya know, gotta face the harsh truth every now and then so I can git gud. If ya aint there to tell me Im doing something wrong, who will? I suppose thats true. Yep, it totally is, But, instead of doing that, you spend all day fawning over your girlfriend. Not cool, dude. Shes not my girlfriend. Sure feels like one, she even made ya forget what were training for. We got a huge battle ahead of us, remember? We gotta wreck Athena and Aegis and all that jazz! Did ya forget all about them? Of course not, Yuel shook his head. Everything Im doing is for the sake of securing victory in that match. Yeah, sure feels like it when ya ignore me and focus on yo girl the whole day. What, you feel lonely? H-Huh? Lars jumped and glanced away. T-Thats aint what Im saying, yo. He cleared his throat. I just want ya to focus on whats important. We gotta win that rematch no matter what. So, we gotta practice super hard every day for that thing. Yeah, I agree. But, instead, youre all over Nia 24/7. You aint even scolding me on stuff, like that greedy rotation I did to Mid in the last match. I got my ass royally whooped there in a 1v2. That rotation wasnt so bad, actually, Yuel argued. It didnt turn out well because the enemy was prepared for it, but it couldve been a solid play otherwise. So, I didnt feel there was a need to say anything. I was sure you knew exactly what went wrong there. Wait, you actually remember that play? I thought you didnt even see it because you werent paying attention, haha. Of course I saw it, Yuel said. But, it was an alright rotation so I said nothing. Sure, it was a tad risky but it was fine. In general, youve been making much safer decisions recently so I have much less reason to worry. Seriously? Lars blinked. So, like, ya tellin me Im playing like a pro and stuff? Well, pro is a stretch. But yes, you play way better than before, Yuel said. Thats why I dont review our matches as often recently, which brings me back to Nia. Youre in a great good spot right now, but Nia got a long road ahead of her. So, I need to guide her. If she improves enough, I believe she has the potential to help us in the rematch against StormBlitz. Oh! For real!? Larss eyes glittered. She got some secret weapon and stuff!? Perhaps, Yuel said. At the very least, I prefer her over Luke right now. Hes a good player but his memes wont cut it in a competitive environment. Welp, dude is the Meme Jedi. He gotta use memes. I admit that, for a memer, hes a strong player. But, that just wont work on the highest levels. He has to start taking the game more seriously or Nia will take his spot. Haha, so thats how it is! The familiar dazzling grin returned to Lars face. So, youve been training Nia to increase our chances of winning the rematch! I see it now. So, ya didnt forget about our goal after all. Of course not, Yuel asserted. Well get our rematch at the regionals and claim victory. Hell yeah! Thats more like it! The thing is, to properly train her, I need Nia to become more cooperative. No matter how many times I asked, she doesnt want to join us for after-school training. But, I dont think shes just being lazy. Maybe shes still wary of me? I cant tell for the life of me. Well, it makes sense. Shes a girl and all, Lars shrugged. Not gonna lie, I also wont feel comfortable going to some girls place a few days after meeting her. It just be like that. I suppose youre right, Yuel had to concede. Maybe he was too used to how Julia always came over to train. Then again, the only reason she came here was to spend time with Lars. Also, Julia was at least the same year as them. Meanwhile, Nia was just a freshman. That surely added another layer of awkwardness. I think ya rushing it, dude, Lars said. Just keep teaching her like youre already doing. Im sure shell appreciate how much of a walking encyclopedia you are Thanks, I guess. But hey, we gotta improve too, ya know? Lars insisted. You dont have any special training ideas for us? Like, sitting under a waterfall or climbing the Everest!? How any of that is going to help us improve at the game? I dunno, dude. Thats what they always do in cartoons and stuff, and it works! Too bad were not living in a cartoon, Yuel shook his head. For now, I dont have anything special in mind. As I said, your performance has been decent recently so I havent found any glaring flaws to work on. Just keep polishing yourself as a Carry and youll be fine. Ya sure about that? Lars asked. Dont wanna rub it in or anything, but we did kinda lose to Athena and Aegis... Yes, but we were close, Yuel insisted. I think weve reflected enough on our mistakes from that day. Youve been working on your decision-making and Ive been working on my shot-calling. Were heading in the right direction. Were already in a much better place than we were a few weeks ago. Really? Sick, yo! Lars grinned. Cant wait to test this out in a real match! When are we fighting StormBlitz? Lets bring the fight to them! All in due time, Yuel said. I think were both doing fine right now, so I rather focus on Nia and the rest of the club. We have to pull them up to our level before we can start worrying about ourselves. Gotcha, dude! Lars nodded. Okay, the next match is starting! Lets rock n roll! Confident in their respective abilities, Yuel and Lars continued polishing their skills the straightforward way: by playing Ranked. However, unbeknown to them, three unexpected visitors were about to show up and shake up their confidence... Vol.8 Ch.15: Senior Visitors "Excuse me, is this the Classmancers club?" A tall boy entered the basement, followed by two other boys who were just as big. They didn''t look like middle schoolers. Maybe high schoolers? "Yeah, who''s asking?" Kai confronted the unfamiliar invaders. "Hey, what''s up?" A different boy flashed his teeth toward Kai. "We came to check on our wild juniors. Heard they wound up here." "Yo, Trever!" Lars jumped. "What''s up, dude!? Haven''t seen ya in ages!" "Same here," Trever bumped fists with Lars. "I see ya two are still brats as always." "Hey, we''re already second-year, yo! Totally adults and all that." "Haha, yeah, right. Y''all just a bunch of kids for me." Trever raffled Lars hair like an older brother in control of the situation. It was quite the feat. Not many could stand their ground like that against Lars. Wait, Aron and Trever? Yuel blinked in confusion. "Long time no see," Aron strode through the room and stretched a hand toward Yuel. "Yeah..." Yuel accepted the handshake. Ugh, he''s sure gripping it. Yuel tried to maintain a smile but he didn''t enjoy this greeting even one bit. There was something behind it. Aron''s eyes pierced Yuel from above like those of a hawk. There was another guy with them, a familiar face. Who was that, again? "That''s Alex," Aron introduced. "You may remember him as Freezer. You fought him in the scrimmage with the Leopards." "Right," Yuel nodded. He vaguely remembered that player. Freezer was a strong Warlock player who fared poorly as an Electromancer, which suggested he might have been a one-trick pony. That''s about all the interaction Yuel had with the guy. "He''s with us, fighting honorably for the Knights!" Trever added. "Oh, sick!" Lars exclaimed. "It''s like old rivals join hands to form the ultimate team!" "Right? Right!?" Trever nodded repeatedly. "So," Kai turned to Yuel. Who are these guys? "Ha!" Vincent pulled out his tablet. "Let me educate you, o lost lamb!" "Who''s a lost lamb?" Kai jabbed. "Geh. Anyway, behold! The power of my Information Blackhole!" Vincent flipped through the data on his tablet. "First, I present you Frown, the Late-Game Terminator! He''s the former leader of StormBlitz!" "They''re from StormBlitz?" Kai frowned. "So, spies?" "No need to worry," Aron assured. "We''ve already graduated so we''re not associated with StormBlitz." "Nothing stops you from feeding them information," Kai gave him a look. "True," Aron retorted calmly. "That is, if there''s anything worthwhile to even say about this team. "What''s that supposed to mean?" "Nothing," Aron glanced away. "May I continue the presentation?" Vincent asked. "Yeah, go on, kid," Trever nodded. "Tell ''em all about how awesome I am!" "Alrighty. In this corner, we got Wild Dragon, the Momentum Surfer!" Vincent presented with his hand. "He''s the same year as Frown. He didn''t get to play on the main team last year, but he performed splendidly on the second string against the Leopards! At least, for the most part." "Wow, wow. What''s that ''for the most part'' crap supposed to mean?" Trever wrapped his arm around Vincent''s shoulder in a (not really) friendly gesture. "Got something to tell me, eh?" "A-Ahaha, my apologies," Vincent was quick to back away. "Wild Dragon was also the captain of the second-string and the team prevailed against the Leopards'' hard-boiled second string! It was quite a sight to behold!" "Yeah, that''s more like it!" Trever grinned and smacked Vincent on the back, this time with a friendly intention. Probably. "Guh! I-I''m glad the presentation was to your liking," Vincent almost tripped from the impact but found his footing in the last moment. Did these "friendly gestures" of his level up? Yuel broke out in cold sweat. His back started to ache in memory of all the "friendly smacks" he received over the last year. It was like this: "Good job, kid!" Smack. "Nice call there, kid!" Smack! "We did it, kid!" SMACK. Brrr. Yuel shuddered and naturally backed away from Trever. "And, for our last guest," Vincent scrolled for a few moments on his tablet. His expression grew visually nervous. "Ahem, from the Leopards, you said? Let''s see... Oh, right! Of course! He is none other than Freezer! He played on the Leopards'' second string last year and performed splendidly as... Um, let''s see," Vincent scanned the tablet quickly. "Right, as a Warlock! He aided his teammates in team fights and all that!" "Such a forced introduction," Alex rolled his eyes. "Just admit I didn''t leave much of an impression and move on." "Ah, no, no!" Vincent was quick to object for no reason. "It just slipped my mind for a moment, thats all." "It''s fine," Alex said. "I know I played like a total noob back there. Mark my word, it won''t happen again." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Yes, of course! I believe in you!" Vincent kept hamming it, most likely to cover up for the pretty obvious fact he barely remembered anything about Freezer. "That''s an impressive rundown," Aron commented and turned to Yuel. "What''s up with that guy?" "You could say he''s a fanboy, I guess," Yuel had no idea how to describe it better. "He watched our scrimmage last year and jotted down some notes." "Is that so. Impressive." "Oh, you like my Information Blackhole?" Vincent turned to Aron like an excited kid. "It has the powers to unveil all the secrets of this world!" "If you say so," Aron subtly shot down Vincent''s theatrics. Slick. Yuel thought. I better take a page or two from Vincent''s book. "Alright, I get the picture," Kai said. "So, were being visited by three competitive high-schoolers. What''s the occasion?" "Straight to the point, arent we? I like it," Aron nodded in approval. "We came to check on our foolish juniors." He glanced at Lars for a moment, then gave Yuel a long judging look. "Foolish"? Yuel gulped. Had a feeling this wasnt exactly a friendly visit... The fact Aron was here, in this rundown clubroom, meant he knew everything. He knew how Yuel abandoned his responsibilities as StormBlitz''s vice-captain and defected to this godforsaken basement club. There was no chance Aron will think favorably of this decision. "Imagine my surprise," Aron continued. "I was paying a visit to the club I left in your and Howard''s care, only to discover you were no longer there. Instead, you transferred to another team and Gregory was assigned vice-captain." So, Howard picked Gregory. Yuel sighed. It was indeed an unfortunate turn of events for StormBlitz. On paper, Gregory had the skills to be a decent vice-captain. However, as for his attitude... "I just had to confirm it for myself," Aron approached Yuel and towered over him. Gulp. "Did you really transfer here just because you didn''t get a spot on the first-string?" "Y-Yes. We didn''t want to warm the bench for another-" "Foolish," Aron frowned. "Honestly, I''m disappointed. I expected more from you. I thought you had a head on your shoulders." "Well, I..." Yuel caved in. He expected something to this effect but Aron''s words were harsh beyond measure. Deep down, Yuel knew how extreme, borderline stupid, their transfer was. But, he wanted to believe it was the right choice. He really did... "You were already a vice-captain on a strong team," Aron continued. "You only had to wait one year before you could become its captain and play on the first string." "Yeah..." "I was hoping to see you bring the team all the way to the finals and finally destroy the Leopards'' unbeatable record. Instead, you threw everything away and abandoned your responsibilities. For what?" "I..." Yuel lowered his head. He didn''t have a retort for any of this. Truly, if taken at face value, his actions were beyond asinine. Agreeing to an extreme idea like transferring schools was very much unlike him. But, he and Lars had their convictions. They had their reasons for going through with this idea; reasons that Aron won''t be able to comprehend. "Hey," Lars wrapped an arm around Yuel''s shoulder and grinned at Aron. "No need to be so harsh on my dude. I''m the one who came up with this idea." "You?" Aron frowned. "Actually, why am I surprised. Only a fool would think of pulling something dumb like that." "Ouch, haha," Lars laughed. "Ya just don''t understand my brilliant idea, yo!" "Brilliant, you say?" "Yeah, it''s da best! We joined an underdog team and we gonna beat all the top dogs! It gonna be like in the movies, yo!" "Hey, sounds rad!" Trever chuckled. "It''s like ''the team that gonna change the town forever and shit!" "Yep, totally!" "Haha, you two are mad lads, I''m tellin'' ya." "I wasnt aware we came here to encourage them," Aron shot a glare at Trever. "O-Oh, haha," Trever scratched his head with an awkward grin. "Right, so, bad decision, you two. Shouldn''t have tried playing the heroes and all that." Despite saying so, he snuck in a playful wink for Lars. "I don''t understand the point behind this gig," Aron continued. "I know you and Howard got some rivalry going on, but what is this transfer supposed to prove, exactly?" He looked around the basement clubroom and grimaced. "You left one of the best teams in the region to join... this. A team that has never passed the first round at the regionals and is tucked away in the basement in shame. What part of this idea is ''brilliant''?" "Yes, I know all that," Yuel put away Lars''s encouraging hand. "Thanks. I''ll be fine." He whispered. Yuel took a deep breath and clenched his fists. He couldn''t hide behind Lars here. He had to stand his ground against Aron on his own. Otherwise, he might really start regretting this decision. "I admit, this was a huge gamble," Yuel said. "As you say, I had an important position on one of the best teams in the region. And, I abandoned all of that to defect to a low tier team that''s infamous for losing. It does sound rather absurd, doesn''t it?" "It does indeed," Aron nodded. "I expected more from you. I thought you were a realist. Do you really believe you can take on Howard''s StormBlitz with this team?" "Yes, I do," Yuel met Aron''s piercing gaze without flinching. "I''m well aware it''ll be an uphill battle, but I believe this team has what it takes to beat Howard''s StormBlitz. This year, Stratus got Lars and me. And, there are two competent seniors as well." He presented Kai and Vincent. "Oh?" Aron raised a questioning brow. "As you saw, Vincent here is great at collecting intel and figuring out players'' specialties. Why do you think he called you a ''Late-Game Terminator''?" "Hm, I see," Aron nodded in approval. Truly, it was impressive that a random kid he never played against knew about Aron''s strong late-game. He had to give credit where credit was due. "And, our captain, Kai, is also an impressive player," Yuel continued. "She got solid fundamentals and she''s great at adapting to her opponents. Fight her long enough and she''ll learn to dodge everything you throw her way." "Is that so," Aron was at a loss. Is this really the same Yuel...? "The other juniors..." Yuel paused. Well, one is a memer and the other skips practice half of the time, but... "They''re serious about the game and improve every day. I''m sure that by the time the tournament comes, they''ll be on par with players from the best teams in the region." At least, I hope so. "Hm, I see," Aron pursed his lips. "And, there''s our promising freshman," Yuel presented Nia, who was sitting in the corner like a kitten hiding from unfamiliar humans. "Who?" Aron looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh, that girl over there." "If she keeps developing her talent, she might become one of the players to look out for this year." "Hm," Aron didn''t retort to Yuel''s bold statements. How could he even say anything? All of this came out of left field. To think that Yuel, of all people, would... "Wow, is this real life?" Vincent blinked. "Did Chessmaster actually just praise all of us?" "So it seems..." Kai was at a loss for a moment as well. "Bro totally vouched for all of us like a champ!" Luke gave a thumbs up. "Don''t worry, man. I got your back covered this year!" "Me too," Ben mumbled with a smile. "Ya showed ''em, dude!" Lars smacked Yuel on the back. "How ya like that, Aron? We totally gonna take the regionals this year!" "You seriously believe all this nonsense?" Aron asked. "Yes, I do," Yuel affirmed. "Interesting. Then, how about you show me how strong your team really is? There are three of us here, so how about we hold a little 3v3 to see if you''re as good as you claim to be?" That should wake you up from your daydreaming. Vol.8 Ch.16: The Seniors Draft "A 3v3?" Trever jumped like an excited puppy. "Count me in! Let''s teach these kids a lesson or two or twenty!" "Hey, who ya calling a kid?" Lars grinned. "Bring it on, dude! I gonna make sure this floor looks all sparkly after I''m done mopping it with ya!" "Heh, cheeky brat. Want a piece of me, eh!?" "Bring it on, dude!" They stared each other down like two peacocks about to leap on each other. They were rearing to go at a moment''s notice. Compared to them... "A 3v3?" Alex scratched the back of his head. "What a drag. I thought we only came here to greet your juniors before we go to ProCenter." "Sorry about that," Aron apologized. "But, you can''t let that pass either, can you? These clueless brats claim they can bring the weakest team in the region and all the way to the top like its nothing. Somebody has to teach them how the real world works, don''t you agree?" "Yeah, whatever," Alex shrugged. "Let''s wrap it up in five minutes and get going." "Heh!" Trever snickered. "Five minutes is too long for these kids." "Yeah, ya got that right," Lars nodded. "We only need two minutes to whoop yo asses, yo!" "The idiots are rearing to go as always," Aron turned to Yuel next. "What do you say?" "Gladly," Yuel accepted right away. "Its not every day we get to practice against players of this caliber. We even got enough people for a 5v5 if you want." "No, let''s keep it at a 3v3. No offense, but I don''t want demotivated soldiers on my team. Your clubmates will be rooting for you." "Fair enough." "Let''s set things up then," Aron walked toward his camp. "Let''s do it, yo!" Lars jumped high in excitement, almost grazing the ceiling with his fingers. "Been a while since we got ourselves some good ass challenge!" "Yes, that''s true," Yuel nodded. This was going to be their first high-level match ever since they transferred here. Unfortunately, it wont be a proper 5v5 but the 3v3 mode had its own depth and was considered competitive enough for people to hold tournaments with cash prizes. Itll be great practice either way. "Who''s your third player?" Kai asked while giving him a look. She clearly wanted to play. "I wouldn''t mind facing such legendary players," Vincent smiled meaningfully. "Lemme at these guys!" Luke pumped a fist. "I''ll show ''em what''s up." Ben was also there, silently affirming how his fighting spirit. Well, I''m glad they''re all so eager. Yuel smiled wryly. But, there can only be one. Who do I pick? The 3v3 mode had a map with only two lanes. The usual formation was 1-1-1: One Top, one Bot, and one Jungler. Lars will definitely be a laner. As for Yuel, he could either jungle or lane. If I want to play it safe, Kai is the best option. According to his evaluation, Kai was indisputably the best player on the team after Yuel and Lars. She was at least one league above the rest. No matter whether she lanes or jungles, she''ll be the strongest pick for this team. At the same time, this was a rare opportunity to get some experience against high-level players. Playing such a match will greatly benefit a freshman like Nia. In addition, it was a great opportunity to test her "Vanishing Phantom" against real competitive players and see whether it had any footing to stand on. But, I can''t do that now, can I? Yuel smiled wryly. After making such a grandiose speech in front of Aron, Yuel couldn''t possibly let the club suffer an embarrassing defeat. He had to go for the win here. Kai, youre up, Yuel said. Good choice, Kai nodded. Lets show these pompous bastards we got this. As expected from Chessmaster, Vincent nodded. Picking the most secure path to victory. Too bad I wasnt chosen to become a warrior of Valhalla, but Im sure Kai will do a better job anyway. Go catch them, tiger. Meh, yall sleeping on the power of memes, Luke shrugged. Welp, Ill leave this one to you, cap. Make us proud! Okay! Lars thrust a fist. Lets do this thing! Sure, Yuel locked his fist with Larss. Is that what were doing? Kai glanced aside with an awkward expression. Fine. She sighed and locked her fists with the boys. With the team decided, match preparations began. "Hey, Lars," Trever called out before departing. "I''ll be taking Bot, so seeya there! That is, unless you scared, haha." "The only one here who got a reason to be scared is you, dude," Lars pointed at Trever. "Bot it is! Let''s have a good one, yo!" "You got it." Both teams parted ways and set up their tablets on different ends of the room. There were only two computers in the room, so they agreed that everybody will be playing on tablets. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Just to make it clear," Aron said. "We dont go easy. This isnt a friendly match. Yuel and Lars aren''t the types to pull any punches, so treat it like a tournament match." "Ya got it, fam," Trever gave a thumbs up. "What a drag," Alex sighed. "Why are we doing this, again? I thought you only came here to check on your juniors before we go to practice." "C''mon, man," Trever shook his head. "Ya thought we''d come all the way here and not even play a round with the kids? I betcha Aron planned all of this from the start, am I right?" "Perhaps," Aron maintained a poker face. "Well, that''s cute and all," Alex said. "But, you drag me into this?" "Apologies, that wasn''t in plans," Aron admitted. "I had a 2v2 in mind. But, after hearing Yuel''s little speech of confidence, things changed." "Heh," Trever chuckled. "Little Yuel sure grew up, huh. Who would have thought he''d be able to speak up and vouch for his pals like that?" "It was indeed a surprise," Aron frowned. "And, I''m not sure it''s entirely a pleasant one." "Huh? Why not?" "We''ll see," Aron turned to Alex again. "Anyway, sorry for dragging you into this. Just think of it as a warm-up for today''s practice. These brats might be middle-schoolers but they pack a punch." "Whatever," Alex shrugged. "Let''s just get this over with." Maybe this a chance to redeem myself for that scrimmage. Alex smiled wryly. The last time he played against Chessmaster and Gunz, he put on a shabby performance. His Warlock was decent but the moment it was banned, Alex crumbled and performed as good as a Bronze player; it was a disaster. So, this time, he''ll show these kids what he really packed. To speed up the setup process, both teams agreed to blind drafting. "A Trickshooter is coming," Aron said. "With all classes available, there''s no way they won''t go for their best classes. For Lars, it doesn''t get any better than Trickshooter." "Yep, no question about that," Trever agreed. "I hope you remember with which classes you had the most success against his Shooter." "Sure do. My Ranger and Pirate gave the kid the most trouble." "Is that so," Aron stroked his chin. "Go for Pirate, then. It''s the safer out of the two." "C''mon, you worry about me? We''re playing some middle schoolers, remember? I can handle myself. Ranger is da way!" "I know you like your Ranger, but it''s not as useful in Clash. There won''t be as many opportunities to clear camps on such a small map, so Ranger''s passive is wasted." "Hmm, guess you got a point." The map of Clash, the 3v3 mode, only had two lanes. In essence, it was almost like the regular MOBA map but without the middle lane. It was as if Top Jungle and Bot Jugnoe were combined into one and shrunk in size. And, the smaller the jungle, the fewer camps it had. Thus, there was no much point for Aron and Trever to employ their trademark Two Junglers tactic this game. Aron alone will suffice. "Okay, Pirate it is," Trever said. "I think it had a higher win ratio anyway." "I assumed as much," Aron nodded. Both classes had a way to stump a wild Trickshooter, but Pirate was the safer class and the one that came online faster. So, even though Ranger was Trever''s favorite, his Pirate performed better in most situations. "Keep in mind," Aron advised Alex. "Yuel will decide their classes and he''s the calculating type. Hell use any data in his disposal to counter pick." "You mean Chessmaster, right?" "Yes." "I remember something to that effect. He was the shot-caller during that scrimmage, wasn''t he?" "I''m surprised you figured that out." After all, neither team was directly told who was the others shot-caller. "Just a hunch," Alex said. "Heh, this guy and his ''hunches''," Trever smacked Alex on the back. "A finna mind reader, I tell ya." "Anyway," Aron continued. "Keep that in mind. Yuel loves using data and he will never NOT counter pick you when he can." "Never... Not counter..." Trever counted on his fingers. "Aha! So, ya saying he always counters everybody, right?" "Indeed." "Haha, totally figured that one out!" "Oh look, we got a genius here," Alex rolled his eyes. "Well, that''s a nice tidbit but how are you gonna make use of it?" "I won''t, unfortunately," Aron said. "Since all classes are go, it''d be dumb to not pick my best. Yuel knows I fancy Lion and I''m sure he''ll try to counter pick, but that''s fine. It''s not like Lion got any hard counters, so the most Yuel can do is prioritize classes that can get out of the ult. Besides, they''ll pick Trickshooter either way so at least one of them will be vulnerable to my ult." "Reasonable," Alex said. "Though, it sounds like none of us is going to counter-pick the counter-picker at this rate. I mean, I only played a couple of matches against them so we don''t know each other." "Fair enough. Just keep in mind that if you gave Yuel any information at all during that scrimmage, he''ll use it to counter pick you this match." "Seriously? You say he gonna remember whatever dirt he gathered on me all the way back then?" "Most certainly. His memory is impeccable when it comes to things like that." "No kidding," Trever added. "I swear that brat remembers literally every millisecond of his life from the moment he was born. I''ve even seen him reproduce full chess matches from memory. Kid''s a genius, no joke." I believe many chess players can reproduce matches from memory, but it sure sounds impressive. Alex thought. "Alright, I hear you. I was sure Warlock is a no-brainer pick here but Yuel saw me play it." Even worse, he probably thinks that''s the only class I can play. Back during the Leopards vs. StormBlitz scrimmage, Alex was far from his top shape. He barely practiced during club activity and mostly played Warlock because of how easy it was to perform with it. So, back then, Warlock could indeed be considered Alex''s one and only viable class. The moment Warlock was banned and Alex switched to Electromancer, he started messing up all over the place. The enemy picked up on that and took advantage of this weakness. Franky, it was probably Alex''s most embarrassing performance ever. But, it was an important experience. Thanks to being thoroughly destroyed back then, Alex realized where he stood and that he became a shell of his former self. That was the wake-up slap he needed. Since then, he returned to his daily practice in the hope of regaining his form. Unfortunately, he didn''t make it in time for the regionals. He improved a lot but it wasn''t enough to make him count among the first-string. If only he kept working hard like that throughout the entirety of middle school... Either way, all of that was in the past. Alex has regained his form since then. In fact, he was better than ever, if he might say so himself. Warlock remained his best class, it was like a buddy who supported him during his darkest hours. However, Alex made to polish his skill with other classes to roughly the same level; he was no longer a one-trick pony. "When you say the guy likes counter picking," Alex inquired. "How much are we talking about? Does he like it enough to pick Lumimancer as a laner against a Warlock?" "Possible," Aron answered. "Against a Support Warlock, you''ll see a Support Lumi every single time. Against Mid Warlock, it depends. Mid Lumi isn''t exactly high-tier pick and Yuel generally prefers sticking to high tier, so it depends on the rest of the lineup. If you ask me, he''s much more likely to go for it in a 3v3 if he believes you''ll pick Warlock." "Figured," Alex said. Alright, Ill go with Sorcerer then. Itll kill any funny ideas like countering with Lumi or Pyro. Sounds good, Aron nodded. With that, the seniors team was decided: Aron (Frown): Lionfolk Trever (WildDragon): Pirate Alex (Freezer): Sorcerer Vol.8 Ch.17: Safe Draft Both sides finished setting up their tables and began preparing for the match. For Stratus, the three representatives for the match were Yuel, Lars, and Kai. "O brave warriors of Valhalla!" Vincent stretched his arms theatrically. "You have been chosen to fight for all of us! Godspeed in your battle! Break a leg!" "Yeah, good luck," Luke gave a thumbs up. "Show ''em we''re not the crappy team everybody always says we are." "Good luck," Ben said timidly. "Mhm," Nia followed up with a supportive nod. "S-Sure," Kai said. "We''ll show them. No problem." "You okay, dude?" Lars asked. "Relax. Its are just Aron and Trever. We got this!" "R-Right." "I wouldn''t say they''re ''just'' Aron and Trever," Yuel said. "Aron was the leader of StormBlitz last year and Trever had the skill to be on the first-string. They''re not ''just'' anything. They''re strong opponents who represent the pinnacle of our competitive scene." "Y-Yeah," Kai stiffened. Damn, I wasn''t prepared for this. Where the hell did this super high-level match drop on us from? Dammit. After everything Yuel said about the club, too... Back then, Yuel went out of his way to stand up for the club in front of these skilled seniors. They claimed this team had no future in the upcoming regionals, but Yuel, as uncharacteristic as it was, boldly objected to those claims and insisted this club had a bright future ahead of it. I should''ve been the one to say that. I''m the captain. Kai pouted. But, what''s done was down. Yuel sent a declaration of war to the seniors. Now, this small team of representatives had to prove its mettle. As the captain, Kai absolutely had to make sure they''ll come on top. As Yuel said, their opponents were mighty. They were players from StormBlitz and Leopards, the two strongest teams in the region. So, it''s like Kai and the rest were about to face grand-finals quality opponents right now! T-This will surely go well... "C''mon dude," Lars complained to Yuel. "Ya just scaring her with yo big talk for no reason. So what if they''re from Storm or Leo? They ain''t nothing, yo! I can whoop Trever all by myself, believe it!" "I''m not saying we''re going to lose. I just..." Yuel noticed Kai''s pale face. She was clutching the edge of her cap and her fingers trembled. Could it be? Was the captain having a nerve break? Well, players of this caliber might indeed sound intimidating until one gets to fight them. Yuel and Lars were already used to that by practicing with StormBlitz every day. However, a small low-level team like Stratus probably didn''t have many opportunities to produce players of that caliber. So, perhaps Kai has played on this level. Will she be alright? "It gonna be fine, dude!" Lars smacked Kai on the back. "Agh, gah!" Kai staggered forward from the impact and almost crashed into the ground. Did this idiot just smack her for real!? Yuel facepalmed. She''s still a girl, you know. "Ahh," Kai rubbed her back. "The hell was that for!? It hurts!" "Good, ya already look more alive," Lars grinned. "I tell ya, Trever''s secret smack tech works like charm every time. C''mon, ya can give me one too me too if ya want." He turned his back to Kai. "You want to be smacked?" Kai made a face. "You sure got funny hobbies." "Smack me, mommy!" "Heh, idiot," Kai slapped Lars''s back. "Yeah, that''s the stuff!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "That''s how ya send all your energy around! We gotta give some to Yuel too." "I''ll pass," Yuel was already ten meters away from the danger zone. "No, no. We have to do it," Kai insisted. "We have to make sure we all got energized, right? Besides, double the smacks double the energy, right?" "Um, guys?" Yuel gulped as he took another step backward. The two predators were about to jump him! GAH! DOUBLE SMACK! He felt the impact all the way in his soul! That''s what you get for stressing the shit outta me. Kai took a deep breather. Alright, I think I''m fine now. All this smacking business was funky, but it somehow helped her relax. It didn''t change the fact she was about to face legendary opponents, but at least she wasn''t alone on this battlefield. She had two Challenger rank teammates who were just as strong, if not stronger, than their opponents. And, Kai played with these boys on a daily basis and kept up with them. Therefore, she surely was on the same level as well. As such, there was nothing to be afraid of. She just had to play as usual and she''ll deliver results, even against these strong opponents. Yeah, even against these grans-finals quality players from legendary teams- Drop it already. Kai shook her head. It didn''t matter who her opponents were. She just had to play her best, that''s all there was to it. If they were really grand-finals quality, then it just meant Kai will also be at that level after she mops the floor with them! I just need to get my mind off that shit. She plugged an earplug into one of her ears and booted heavy metal. Yeah, this was the stuff! Fuck these guys! She gonna destroy them like the nobodies they were! "Okay," Yuel started. "We need to decide on the lineup now. Trever already tipped us that he''s going to play Bot, so that''s where Lars will play." "Hell yeah!" Lars pumped a fist. "Lemme at that dude! He thinks he''s some hot stuff now because he''s at high-school, but I''mma show him!" "Also," Yuel continued. "Bot will be the Carry lane. The meta is similar to MOBA here in that sense." "Huh?" Kai turned down the metal. "Hold it right there. I''m the Carry." "Ah," Yuel forgot. Right, Kai had that odd fixation on being the Carry. That completely escaped his mind when he was picking the third member for the team. If he remembered it back then, he might have opted for somebody else in order to sidestep this conflict. "Hey, dude," Lars turned to Kai. "I''m the only one here who can handle Trever. I joke and all about him being a scrub, but dude is tough like a bull. Ya ain''t taking him down easily." "You''re implying I''m not good enough?" Kai frowned. "Weeeeelp, err..." Lars scratched the back of his head and glanced at Yuel. He knew all too well that giving it straight to Kai might lead to a fight. Yeah, I better change the direction of this discussion. Yuel thought. How could he convince Kai without outright saying she wasnt good enough yet? "Lars fought Trever on a daily basis back in StormBlitz," Yuel explained. "So, he knows this matchup well. Trever is a momentum-heavy player so he''s good at steamrolling you if you let him. It''s better to let somebody with experience handle this one." "Tch, fine," Kai clicked her tongue. "So, I''ll take the other lane." "Yes, that''ll be best," Yuel nodded. "I''ll be the Jungler. I assume Aron will be their Jungler, so you''ll be up against the last guy. Alex, I believe." "You know anything about him?" Kai asked. "A little. We only played a couple of matches during a scrimmage. He came across as a decent player, especially in team fights. But, he only played Warlock and performed poorly after we banned it." "So, a Warlock specialist? Talk about being cheap." "I can''t say for sure whether he only plays Warlock, but I''m pretty sure that''s his favorite class. So, without bans, there''s a good chance he''ll go for Warlock. It also happens to be a strong pick in Clash. Its much harder to deal with a Warlock as a small team." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "So, I''m most likely fighting a Warlock," Kai crossed her arms. "Kinda sucks. Are there even any hard counters to it? Can''t think of one from the top of my head." "Pyromancer can do a good job with its fast clear. Oh, yeah. Pyro sounds dope. But, I wouldn''t go for it. There''s a bigger threat we have to address first. Namely, Aron. With no bans, he''s most likely going to pick his favorite as well: Lionfolk." "Yikes, caging." Lars made a face. As somebody who mained Trickshooter and Gunslinger more than any other class, he didn''t appreciate Lionfolk''s ult in the slightest. That thing was hax. It didnt leave these classes any way of escaping. "If we add Lionfolk to the equation," Yuel said. "Pyromancer becomes a bad pick because it can''t escape from the ult." "Yeah, doesn''t sound like a smart pick," Kai agreed. "What else we got?" "This may sound a little weird, but how do you feel about Lumiamncer with a power build?" "Like, Lumi Mid?" "Yes, essentially. It''s borderline low-tier territory but it''s definitely not a meme build. It got its niche in the pro scene" "Yeah, some people like this stuff," Kai nodded. "It''s even kinda viable. I''ve picked Lumi before for Support but ended up building power because our Carry was wack. The damage scaling is a little sad for a mage but it can get things done." "You think you can play it well?" Hmm, not sure about that, Kai pondered. To be honest, out of the two options, I rather pick Pyro. I got way more experience with it. But, it loses hard to Lionfolk. Yeah, it sure does, Kai frowned. "Well, Lumi should be fine. "Okay, let''s go with that then," Yuel turned to Lars next. "As for you..." "I''mma go with Gunslinger, yo!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "They never gonna see it coming! They think I only got Trickshooter up my sleeve but I''mma blow their socks off!" "Between Gunslinger and Trickshooter, I agree that Gunslinger is the better option." "Yep, Trever never saw my sick Gunslinger skills!" "Unfortunately, both classes are no good in this matchup." "Huh?" Lars blinked. "Wut?" "As I said, Aron will most likely pick Lionfolk. Does either Trickshooter or Gunslinger have any way of escaping the lion cage?" "Ah, welp, not really..." "Exactly. If you pick either of those, you''ll be a sitting duck for Aron''s ganks. You need something else." "Wha!? No way! These are my best classes!" Lars made noise. "I mean, I know I''m good with other classes too but this is Trever we''re talking about. I talk all sorts of shit but dude is legit hella strong. I ain''t gonna take him down with some bootleg class. I need da best stuff, yo!" "Thats a viable concern," Yuel nodded. "But, no matter how strong your class is going to be, it will come to nothing if you''re too vulnerable to ganks. Suppose you gain the upper hand against Trever with Gunslinger, what will happen next? Aron will focus your lane and youll constantly be in danger of dying unless you play it safe. The map in Clash is small enough for a Jungler to constantly apply pressure on one lane." "Geh, that really doesn''t sound fun," Lars made a face. "Youre saying Boss Dude aint gonna let us fight? This sucks, yo. Can''t ya help me out with that somehow? You gonna jungle, right? So, you should come and counter Aron''s ganks and stuff." "True, I could try scaring him away with counter jungling. But, there''s a limit to how many times I''ll be able to pull that off successfully. As the attacker, the initiative will always be on his side. Not to mention, it''s not that easy to counter a Lionfolk''s gank in the first place." "Yo, that class is busted. Oh, wait! I know! I''mma just buy Blink! Gonna blink outta the cage every time! Ez." "A valid idea," Yuel nodded. "We all should buy Blink just in case. The bad news is that Blink alone isnt enough. You know how long Blink''s cooldown is, especially if you don''t level it." "Yeaaaah, only takes it like a year or two to come online." "Exactly. Aron''s ult will come out of cooldown much faster, so you won''t be able to compete against all his ganks with just Blink." "Geh, that blows. Why neither of my classes can deal with Lion?" "You tell me. You decided to main these two." "Gah, you''re right...." Lars hung his head. How could this be happening!? He finally got a chance to show off his mad Gunslinger skills to Trever, but now he couldn''t pick the class!? Nuuuuuu! "But," Yuel continued. "If you tell me there''s no way you''re going to win the lane against Trever with any other class, we might have to bite the bullet and go for Gunslinger anyway." "Nah, no problem," Lars gave a thumbs up. "I can take on that dude with any class! I can even Archer him to death!" "Jokes aside, what do you think your chances are?" "Welp, ya know how me and that dude play. We always go head-to-head in some intense matches, so its anybody''s guess who gonna come on top." "So, it''s about 50-50," Yuel crossed his arms. It has been a while since the last time Yuel checked these 1v1 statistics. At the time, Trever had a higher win ratio, standing at around 60%. The only class with which Lars had a positive win ratio was Trickshooter. With everything else, it seemed like Trever was slightly better. But, that was over two months ago. Lars has trained a lot since then. In just the last couple of weeks, Lars grew up a lot. The defeat at the selection exam made him understand the importance of playing safer and improved his decision-making tenfold. In the first place, Lars was the more mechanically skilled fighter out of the two. Trever only won these duels thanks to his robust experience and sharp decision-making. So, the way Lars was now, he had a very real chance of besting Trever. "So," Yuel continued. "You''re fine with something other than Trickshooter and Gunslinger?" "What choice do I have?" Lars shrugged and shook his head. "If I constantly gotta think about Aron''s Lion ganks then RIP. Aint gonna get anything done like that." "Indeed," Yuel smiled meaningfully. Just a few weeks ago, it was unfathomable for Lars to agree to something like this. This goof surely would have insisted he could somehow deal with Aron''s ganks despite not having the escape tools. However, the Lars right here and now was astonishingly reasonable. He understood the problem at hand and was willing to make sacrifices in order to overcome it. The goof was growing up! "So, which class you''d like?" Yuel asked. "You need something with a leap or a blink in its kit." "Hrmmmmm. Oh, I know! I can try Seraph! Dude can literally fly out of the lockdown! I was actually thinking about making it my third main class. Last time, it worked like a charm." "Oh, you''ve been practicing Seraph?" "Ah, welp, not yet. But, but, but! I totally gonna! I''mma become the No.1 Seraph in world, believe it!" "So, your Seraph is still at about the same level it was during the selection exam. In that case, I''d advise against it. Seraph has a rough early-game and you have to really know how to handle it." "Yeah, I know, I know," Lars smiled wryly. "That''s why I don''t play it much. Dude feels hella weak early. But daim, once late-game hits, bruh becomes a beast! Everybody is free kills, yo!" "Out of curiosity, how''s your win rate with Seraph against Trever?" "Geh..." Lars''s head dropped. "Figured," Yuel nodded. "In that case, you better pick something else. Aside from how you''re likely to lose to Trever, picking Seraph also means we have to stake everything on the late-game. And, you remember who is very strong in the late-game?" "Of course I do. How did Vince call it, again? Oh yeah, the Late-Game Destructor!" "It was Late-Game Terminator," Vincent corrected. He and the rest of the club were gathered around the representing team to show their support. "Putting aside the silly name," Yuel continued. "We both know how strong Aron gets in the late-game." "Yeah, dude becomes a killing machine. He can even beat me 1v1 at that point, can ya believe that?" "Of course I can. I''ve seen that happen." "Boss Dude is wild, I''m tellin'' ya." "And, that''s why we don''t want to bet everything on the late-game." "We sure don''t, haha." "So, any other class you feel confident in?" "Hmm, lemme see," Lars crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Um, what other classes can escape the lion stuff, again?" Of course he doesn''t have that kind of information at the ready. Yuel thought. After all, I always handle these counter picks for him when we play. I really spoil him too much in that regard, huh. And, seems like I''ll be doing it again. Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound. "Judging by your stats," Yuel scrolled on his tablet. "Your Elf performs pretty well." "Welp, I''d be surprised if it didn''t. After all, I''m a pro sniper, yo!" "So, you like this pick?" "Eh, ''like'' is a strong word," Lars smiled wryly. "I mean, I really dig the first-person view and all but I dont like the turtley playstyle, ya feel me? Always feels cheap as heck." "But, you do perform nicely with it." "Yeah, I guess," Lars shrugged. "It''s just ez like that. And cheap. I rather run in with guns blazing than sit at my tower all day." "Sometimes, you have to sacrifice a little bit of fun in order to increase your chances of winning." "Yeah, I know. But, it''s like geeeeh." "How''s your win rate against Trever with it?" "It''s okay, I guess. He sure knows this matchup tho, so he ain''t gonna lemme do my thing in peace." "That''s to be expected, Yuel nodded. Thats a high-level player for you. Nah, dude got nothing on me, yo. With that, it was decided that Lars will go with Elf instead of pulling one of his aces. It was a difficult decision and theyll surely suffer the consequences if Lars''s Elf can''t win against Trever. Nonetheless, it was a much safer pick against Aron''s Lionfolk so it had a much higher chance to get things going. For the last pick, Yuel went for Viking. Any team composition needed at least one frontliner, even if it was a small team of three. In fact, this only further reinforced the idea that Aron will most likely pick Lionfolk, as it was a bruiser class that could serve both as a Jungler and a semi-tanky frontliner. Yuel picked Viking for the same reason. In addition, Viking could escape the Lionfolk''s cage of lions by tossing his axe outside and blinking to it. On top of that, Viking was dangerous at close-range due to his destructive ult, so that balanced out the defensive picks of the rest of his team. This should cover all bases. With that, the team''s lineup was decided. Yuel (Chessmaster): Viking Lars (Gunz): Elf Kai (Beat): Lumimancer Vol.8 Ch.18: Fangless Lineup Both sides finished composing their teams and the match began loading. At this point, everybody could already see what the others picked. "Say what!?" Trever roared. "Yo, Lars! Where''s your Shooter at!?" "My Elf is more than enough for ya!" Lars shouted back across the room. "Heh, a cheeky brat like always," Trevers eyes glinted dangerously. "Guess I have to spank that kid real hard this match." "Calm down," Aron said. "Don''t let such a small thing trigger you." "But, he''s totally taking me lightly! He should know better than anybody that only his Shooter got any real chance against me." "Don''t let them tilt you before the match." "Wait, you think they''re doing this on purpose?" "I wouldn''t put it past Yuel," Aron said. "Anyway, there''s a good reason he went for Elf. Just look at the rest of their line up." "What about it?" Trever tilted his head. "It''s anti-Lion," Alex pointed out. "Somebody got their ass counter-picked." "Indeed," Aron frowned. Everybody in StormBlitz knew he favored Lionfolk, so he expected some counter-picks and calculated the payoff accordingly. But, even for Lars to counter-pick? That wasnt in the considerations. It threw a wrench in Arons plans but it was alright. It just meant he''ll have to work a little harder to secure kills, that''s all. "So," Trever started. "Youre saying Lars wussed out because of your Lion? Dodge me with that shit." "Yuel must be the one behind the wheel. Honestly, I''m also surprised by how defensively Yuel chose to approach this match. Pretty sure a couple of months ago these two would''ve had gone all out against us without batting an eye. It appears theyve learned a lesson or two since then." "Heh, I bet losing Howards ''selection match'' burned them pretty hard." "So it seems," Aron nodded. After learning about the whole situation with Yuel and Lars''s transfer, Aron asked Howard for replay footage of that selection match. There were many things to say about that match, but one of the biggest causes of Yuel''s defeat was the team''s reckless offense. Lars kept falling for Ellens baits, Julia went on a rampage and Yuel''s shot-calls lacked on the defensive front. Judging by their picks this match, it appeared as if theyve learned a hard lesson from that match. This time, they didnt neglect to fortify their defenses. Though, the way they were doing it almost felt as if... "Gotta say," Alex started. "That''s one heck of a defensive lineup they got there. It might work for them once we fight on lanes, but if we go for an early 3v3? What they gonna do about it?" "You suggest an invade?" Aron asked. "Just wondering whats your take on this. It feels like we got the upper hand here by a mile." "Hm, true. I can see the setup." Aron ran a couple of simulations in his head. The enemy''s lineup was indeed ill-suited for countering an early invasion. Yuel designed that lineup primarily around countering Lionfolk, not much else. Actually, that''s not quite true. I can give Yuel a little more credit than that. Aron smiled thinly. That peculiar Lumimancer pick was most certainly an attempt at counter-picking Alex''s Warlock. So, it doubled both as a Warlock counter and a Lionfolk counter. Unfortunately for Yuel, Alex saw that coming from a mile away. He was no longer the same one-trick pony he used to be in high school; he had options now. His Sorcerer pick was most likely going to walk all over the Lumimancer. On top of that, Lumimancer wasn''t a burst damage mage, especially not in the early-game. That was a huge factor when considering an invade. The enemy''s only dangerous DPS player was Lar, but even he wasn''t much of an immediate threat in the early-game. Elf was a Carry who specialized in shooting targets from afar, not killing opponents from point-blank So, the one and only dangerous player for close-range combat was Yuel with his Viking. His ult summoned a gang of mobs, who were strong enough to make up for the power difference in early- game. He most certainly made this pick specifically to cover up the lack of offense in his lineup. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Unfortunately for him, this was only relevant for Lv.5 onwards. The 3v3 mode started at Lv.3, so Yuel didn''t have access to Unstoppable Raid right away. So, even though this ult will eventually become a strong tool, at game-start it simply didn''t exist in the equation. "Hm, I believe we can really do it," Aron concluded. "They don''t have much in the way of countering an aggressive team at game start." "Wow!" Trever jumped. "We invading!?" "Keep it down." "Oh, right. Ahaha," Trever laughed awkwardly and glanced at the enemy camp. Phew, nobody heard him. "So, we really gonna do it?" "What do you think?" Aron turned to Alex. "Are they going to be prepared for it?" "If I had to guess: no, they won''t be. Their lineup makes me feel like they''re already too scared of your presence alone. Theyre too busy quaking in their boots to even consider an invade." "I see," Aron nodded. "Your read says they''re not prepared and my analysis says their counter options are limited. Let''s give it a shot." "Woohoo!" Trever pumped a fist. "Sick, let''s do it! I''mma show Lars he gotta respect his elders and pick his best stuff against me!" Meanwhile, in the other camp... "This sucks," Kai ranted. "So much for that ''Warlock counter-pick'' idea." "Yes, that didn''t turn out well," Yuel frowned. The Lumimancer pick was supposed to be a hard counter to Warlock, but Alex went for Sorcerer instead of all things. It''d still be one thing if Freezer just went for any other class that wasn''t Warlock. But no, Freezer went specifically for Sorcerer, a class that hard countered both Pyromancer and Lumimancer if played correctly. Its like he was expecting these counter picks and went for a counter of his own. Is that Aron''s work? No, he shouldn''t remember the second-string''s scrimmage that well. Yuel frowned. Even though Aron went over the replays of that scrimmage, surely he didn''t remember minute details like this. On the other hand, Alex himself had a good chance of figuring out something like this. If he anticipated Yuel to be the type who goes for hard-counters, it wouldn''t be odd for him to hard-counter the hard-counters. This felt like that time during the scrimmage, when the Leopards hit StormBlitz hard with their mixup strategy. Back then, they also used Yuel''s smart drafting against him. Was Alex the one behind that trick as well? If so, this guy might be more dangerous than I gave him credit for. "So," Kai lifted her chin. "How are you gonna compensate me for this terrible pick? It was your idea." "I agree its a bad matchup, but its not the end of the world." "Do I need to remind you that Sorcerer can reposition minions like nothing?" "I know." "And, you know what''s very important for a Lumi to be able to farm well?" "Minion positioning..." Yuel sighed. "Look, I get it. This can be a tough matchup, but no use crying over spilled milk. We don''t know yet how good he actually is with Sorcerer. As I said, last time, he seemed like a potential one-trick pony who could only play Warlock. Maybe something has changed since then, maybe it didnt. "So?" Kai made a face. How we gonna deal with this? "I''ll make sure to gank your lane often if you struggle. How does that sound?" "Better than nothing." The team headed toward the Wraith Camp near Top Lane. The plan was for all three of them to assault the camp and quickly get the blue buff for Kai. Then, Yuel and Lars will continue to the Ogre Camp below and get the red buff for Lars. This was the meta opening in Clash mode. Or, at least it was as meta as it could get for a mode that wasnt truly deemed competitive. There was still time before the wraiths spawn, so Yuel used this time window to scout the jungle and place two wards in key locations. He placed the first ward close to Bot Lane. This ward kept watch on the Wolf Camp for any counter-jungling and also covered one of the common gank routes when targeting Bot. Im warding the route to Bot, Yuel informed Kai. Ill ward the griffins with my other ward, so you have to take care of warding Top if you think its necessary. So, youre saying our Bot Laner is more important than our Top, huh. Kai gave him a look. I planned to ward Top myself anyway. Okay, Yuel nodded. Yuel placed his second ward near the Griffin Camp at the center of the map. This was a neutral camp thatll surely be contested by both sides, so it was important to keep tabs on it. On top of that, the camp laid on a central path that cut nearly the entire jungle in half, making it a great route for rotating from one side of the map to the other. Aron isn''t placing one? Yuel wondered. He expected to run into Aron somewhere out here but there were no enemies in sight. Aron should know how the meta of Clash worked, so it''d be odd for him to not place a ward here. Maybe Aron was running late? Or, maybe he has already placed a ward here before Yuel? It was possible, considering Yuel was slowed down by his bickering with Kai. No signs of an invade so far. Yuel nodded to himself after examining the area. To efficiently invade at game start, the invader had to pass through one of the areas Yuel warded, for they covered the shortest paths both horizontally and vertically. However, there was not a single soul in sight. Good. Yuel returned to the Wraith Camp and took the frontline against the wraiths that were about to spawn. Three. Two. One. The countdown hit zero. Minions spawned on both lanes and so did the wraiths However, as soon as the wraiths emerged, a magical tune resounded nearby. An ominous black sphere appeared out of thin air in the middle of their formation. It was the Sorcerer''s Magia Orb! An invade!? Yuel jumped. "Crap-!" Even Lars wasn''t fast enough to dodge. As soon as the orb appeared, it imploded into a black hole and pulled everybody in. The entire team, and one of the wraiths, got sucked in and crashed into each other at the center of the gravity pull! It was the beginning of a very disadvantageous game-opening... Vol.8 Ch.19: Devastating Invade A Magia Orb appeared out of nowhere and imploded, making everybody bump into each other. They all lost over 20% HP from this four-way collision. Yuel only lost a little over 20%, but his squishier allies lost around 30%. It was damage from just one spell but it was devastating. Alex must have built as much power as humanly possible to pull this off. "Yo, these dudes are invading!" Lars exclaimed. "Yeah, we kinda noticed!" Kai gritted her teeth. Shit! This is the worst opening ever! I gonna give these invaders a piece of- The enemy''s attack wasn''t over yet. Before the team got a chance to reorganize, a big lion man crashed on them from the sky like a meteor! The impact was so strong it knocked all of them into the air! "Damn, this can''t be happening!" Kai clenched her controller. No way! What kind of game opening was this!? Theyve already dropped below 70%! "Didn''t you check for invades!?" "I did, but..." Yuel bit his lip. Back when he was scouting there area, there was nobody in sight. These guys didn''t take any of the standard invade routes. They must have taken a long roundabout route that circled around Yuels wards. Darn it! "Heh, how you kids like this little surprise party?" Trever dashed into the scene with his pistol pointed at the sky. All these air-bound targets were free real estate! Naturally, the prey he targeted first was none other than Lars. "Lemme show you what happens when you don''t pick your strongest class against me!" Bam! The bullet flew at Lars. Hitting a falling target was quite the art, but Trever has mastered it a long time ago. His aim was spot on! No dice, yo! Lars performed a Dodge Roll to the side in the middle of his fall! "Wow! You gotta be shitting me!" Trever exclaimed. His bullet was so-well placed, yet Lars dodged it in the nick of time! What an absolute mad lad! Figured something like that might happen. Alex was already prepared with a Magia Orb floating in front of him. He estimated where Lars was going to land and unleashed a magical force that sent the orb flying across the area. It was heading straight toward Lars''s future landing spot! Yo! No way! Cold sweat ran down Larss forehead. Where did this Spetznaz assault team come from!? They didn''t give anybody a breather! It was one attack after another! There was no telling how dangerous this orb was because Sorcerers damage was always weird like that. It might even kill Lars on the spot the moment he lands on the ground! Stuff was crazy, yooooooo! "Heh, haha." Despite the enormous danger, a grin surfaced on Lars''s face. This pressure! This danger! Yeah, this was how things gotta be! It was the first time he felt this rush of adrenaline since the selection match. This invade was sick! But, ya ain''t gonna catch me sleeping! Lars activated Elven Leap as soon as his feet touched the ground. There was almost no recovery time after the landing, so he leaped away as soon as his toe touched the ground. "Phew!" Lars exclaimed loudly as the black orb failed to graze his feet. It was hella close! But, just like I thought. No way that dude could be fast enough to guarantee that hit. Too slow, dawg! "Well, I tried," Alex shrugged. "It''s up to you now." "You did good, my man," Trever turned his back to the enemy and prepared to close the distance with Backfire Cannon. "I''ll chase him down from here-" "Change of plans," Aron said. "He''s too far now. Take out the mage instead." "Tch, fine," Trever canceled his fun chasing plans and shot the Lumimancer instead. While Lars just barely escaped from the brink of death, Yuel and Kai landed on the ground after being knocked up by Aron''s Majestic Leap. However, that wasn''t the end of this calculated attack. As soon as they hit the ground, a deafening roar thundered! "Shit!" Kai cursed. She pressed buttons but they did nothing. The Mighty Roar inflicted her with fear and made her automatically run away from the Lionfolk as if she was scared of him. Huh! Nonsense. I can take that guy out no problem. Just let me control my damn character! This invade is too high level. Yuel grit his teeth. They have been had, no two ways about it. We have to get out of here as fast as humanly possible. As soon as the fear effect ended, Yuel hurled his axe across the area and was about to blink toward it. However... You wanna fight, huh!? Kai activated Blinding Light. The Lumimancer began shining, preparing to unleash a blinding burst of light. It was going to hit Aron but it was a waste of time. She had to retreat! This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Blink out of here!" Yuel ordered. "We wont win this fight." "I know that! Damn," Kai cursed through gritted teeth. Yeah, the hell Im doing? I gotta scram! It didn''t matter how embarrassing this defeat looked, for she''ll get these guys next time. For now, retreat at full gas! No time to even look back! Thanks to her own stupidity, she let the Lionfolk claw her once before she got away. That cost her 8% HP. With all the accumulated damage, she was already at death''s door with just 30% HP. A couple more hits and she was a goner! Before her Blinding Light finished charging, she activated Flash and blinked the hella outta there. She ultimately unleashed her Blinding Light at her the target location, but there was nobody to hit there. It was a waste of MP but oh well, at least she got out of the danger. Or, so she thought... "You ain''t getting away, babe!" Trever was right on the case! The chick blinked far away but she wasn''t entirely outta reach yet. Trever turned his back in her direction and activated Backfire Cannon. Bam! The impact sent him flying toward the cute mage chick! This cannon was such a bro, he knew what''s up. Damn, is that after me? A shiver ran on Kai''s back. She knew these situations very well. When Backfire Cannon resounded from behind like that, nine times out of ten it was used for chasing. Bad news! But, I can''t turn back. Kai pressed onwards without wasting a moment. Turning around to confirm the details will only slow her down. No time to check. Gotta press on. Meanwhile, Yuel saw everything from his position. Trever closed a lot of distance in an instant with the Backfire Cannon tech. This chase might be cutting it a little close. Fortunately, Yuel was in a great position to interfere. "I''ll stall him," Yuel announced and took off toward Trever. "Wha-!?" Trever jumped as two muscular hands wrapped around him from behind. "Hey! Hands off, macho!" But, it was to no avail. Yuel hurled Trever away from Kai. That halted the chase in its tracks. Okay, I''m out. Yuel finally blinked to the axe he threw a few seconds before. With that, the invade has been thwarted. Even though everybody sustained heavy injuries, they were all alive and safe. "Dang it, yo!" Lars ranted. "These dudes walked all over us! Lemme at them!" "You''ll die if you go in there now," Yuel said. "So what, we just gonna let ''em take our camps free of charge like that?" "Unfortunately, we have no choice," Yuel frowned as he watched the enemy take the Wraith Camp belonging to Yuel''s team. There was a good chance they''ll also take out the Ogre Camp afterward, leaving Yuel''s team with zero buffs at game start. Frankly, this was a terrible opening. "Nothing we can do to stop them. Lets just clear the hyenas over here," Yuel suggested. "I don''t see them invading any deeper right now." "Geh, fine," Lars was still pouting but he followed Yuel to the nearby Hyena Camp and they cleared it together. "Well, that was a huge blunder," Kai stated. "You should''ve scouted better against an invade." "I checked all the likely invade routes," Yuel said. "But, it seems I overestimated the distance between Bot Lane the Wraith Camp on this smaller map. I didn''t expect them to invade from there. That''s mode unfamiliarity for you." "Nice excuses." "Oh, yes? Then, where''s your excuse for not blinking out of the fight right away? What was the point of that Blinding Light you wasted?" "That''s..." Kai glanced aside. "Just keeping these guys on their toes and all that." "Yeah, a smart thing to do instead of immediately getting away. Sure." "It''s been a while since I played Lumi, alright? Blinking wasn''t the first thing that came to mind." "I can say the same about Clash mode. I haven''t played this mode much, so I don''t have enough experience on scouting invades here." "YO. MY DUDES." Lars smacked both of them on the back. "Save that stuff for after we win. We got a crappy start but we''re still kickin''. If we let that small thing get to us, we gonna lose the whole thing." "Right," Yuel nodded. "True that," Kai threw Yuel one last look, then returned to the game. "So, where do we go from here? Can I go straight to lane?" "Yes, that seems like the best line of play," Yuel nodded. "Lars, you better recall to heal up before going to lane." "Roger!" "As for me, I''ll get straight to jungling since I haven''t lost much HP." And so, the delayed laning phase began. Both laners were already at a disadvantage in terms of level and buffs. This is definitely what you call starting the game on the wrong foot. Yuel bit his lip. Despite what he said about mode unfamiliarity, this invade was unmistakably his fault. He had to make up for it as soon as possible to set the record straight. After he and Lars cleared the Hyena camp, Yuel went straight after the griffins in the center of the map. Normally, these stronger creeps were supposed to be challenged only after cleaning the Wolf Camp near Bot. However, Aron probably had his hands full with clearing the buff camps on his side of the Jungle, so it should take him a while to get to the Griffins. Or, so Yuel hoped... Tch, he covered that opening. Yuel clicked his tongue as his ward by the Griffin Camp revealed Aron. Instead of returning to his side of the jungle, Aron first stopped to farm the griffins. It seemed he was intent on leaving Yuel''s team with zero chances of winning. These guys don''t pull any punches. Yuel gulped. This match was the real deal through and through. On top of that, it felt like their opponents were rather familiar with Clash mode. And, they clearly had plenty of experience playing together, as evident by the smooth teamwork during that invade. Not to mention, that team was composed of talented high-schoolers with more experience in general. In short, the circumstances were rough. Yuel''s team was inferior in every possible regard here. Even the counter-picking attempts turned out so-so. Yuel successfully counter-picked Arons Lionfolk, but the lane matchups were far from favorable. This is perfect. Yuel smirked. This disadvantageous match was a great simulation for where Stratus and StormBlitz were standing right now. If Yuel and Lars wanted a realistic shot at beating a powerhouse like StormBlitz with their new inferior team, they had to be able to overcome tough matches like this. Now, how do I turn this terrible position around and start building an advantage for the team? The match has just started and there was a lot of work ahead of them! Vol.8 Ch.20: Remote Intimidation Lumimancer wasn''t exactly a great mage for laning. However, when Kai heard about the likely Lionfolk pick from the enemy, she embraced this obscure pick. In fact, she even had some experience playing as a power Lumimancer. She liked picking the class when she was stuck playing Support with randoms. As per usual with online matchmaking, she was often stuck with an idiot Carry in the lane. So, she gave up on playing Support for them and went for a power build. It was a surprisingly viable approach with Lumimancer that even allowed her to carry a few games. It has been a long time since she last had to resort to such measures, but the memory of the power Lumimancer was burned into her mind, probably because it was surprising that it worked. So, despite being rusty, Kai remembered the general routine. As soon as she arrived on the lane, she cast Ray of Light around the clashing swordsmen. Bright sunlight shone upon everybody in the area, damaging enemies and healing allies. Lumimancer''s clearing speed was on the slower side but it had this nice gimmick to it. It took Ray of Light a while to clear the enemy swordsmen, but the spell constantly healed allied swordsmen and kept them alive. So, by the end of the clash, the swordsman survived with decent HP. At least, thats how things should have played out. However, her lane opponent ended up being a Sorcerer, of all things. This was going to be fun... Zap! A black sphere emerged out of thin air. The Sorcerer tactically placed it between Kai''s swordsman and bowmen. A moment later, he used Dimensional Collapse and the orb exploded inwards, generating a sudden gravity pull. It sucked in the swordsmen and the bowmen, making them bump into each other in the center. Due to how many minions bumped into each other, the entire minion wave received heavy damage. However, that wasnt the worst part of it. With the swordsman pulled back, they left the healing area of Ray of Light. Meanwhile, the enemy swordsman advanced. And so, Kais slow-burn wave-clearing has been stripped of its one and only redeeming factor: the healing. With her swordsmen now fighting outside the reach of Ray of Light, they had no advantage over their opponents. In the end, her frontline collapsed first because she failed to out-damage the Dimensional Collapse. So, she had no choice but to retreat behind her bowmen and eventually all the way back to the Turret. Yeah, about what I expected. Kai frowned. This was why she didnt like this matchup the moment she saw it. The Sorcerers ability to easily reposition minions was the worst thing possible for a Lumimancer who was trying to farm. What the hell she was supposed to do about this? So, turns out he knows how to play, Kai directed that at Yuel. Still waiting for my compensation. Ill gank as soon as I finish over here, Yuel said. He was currently busy slaying down the wolves located near Bot. There was no chance of contesting the griffins because Aron got to them first, so he settled on getting the wolves in peace. At least, this time, there were no unpleasant surprise attacks awaiting him. Once Yuel finished off the Wolf Camp, he headed toward Top. Where would Aron place wards? Yuel analyzed the mini-map on the way. Most likely, Aron was the one responsible for most of the warding on the enemy team, the same as Yuel for his team. So, if Yuel can read Aron''s warding patterns, he''ll be able to sneak by most of the wards. Fortunately, Aron was the calculated type, the same as Yuel. As such, Aron has most likely placed his wards in the best meta spots. Therefore, Yuel just had to look at his own wards and mirror their locations; that was probably close to how Aron placed them as well. One ward was definitely around the griffins. It was such an important central location that Aron (or at least somebody from his team) definitely placed a ward over there. Next, where would the other wards be? Yuel placed his own second ward near the Wolf Camp, right above Bot. It granted him vision of the camp and alerted Lars of any invaders heading to Bot. Since the enemies were aware of Lars''s skill, they will most certainly focus their ganks on Bot to keep him in check. As such, it was of utmost importance to prepare against ganks on Bot. Yuel discussed his warding plans ahead of time with the team, so Kai knew there won''t be a ward on her side of the jungle. As such, she went ahead and bought one herself. Quite the initiative right there. This was one of those cases when her self-sufficient nature was great. She was born to play Mid, no question about it. With all of that in mind, how did the warding looked on the enemys side of the map? Probably quite similar. Aron must have covered two areas just like Yuel did, then another teammate covered the remaining one. So, it was natural to assume the enemy will spot Yuel rotating to Top no matter which path he takes. Too bad Im not ganking Bot. It''d be much easier. Yuel sighed. The two lanes had slight asymmetry in their layouts. Bot had a jungle entrance in the middle of the lane so Yuel could easily gank from there without venturing into enemy territory. However, Top Jungle didn''t offer such an option. A thick wall separated the lane from the jungle across nearly the entire lane, so the best entrance for a gank laid in enemy territory. Of course, he could also enter the lane from allied territory, but such a telegraphed gank wont achieve much. In conclusion, Yuels best option was to approach from the enemy''s side of the jungle. However, that side was most certainly heavily warded against ganks from all directions. I wish I had stealth. Yuel chewed his lips. Even though he promised Kai a gank, it wasn''t so easy. Nevertheless, he had to do something. This Lumimancer vs. Sorcerer matchup was rough. The game just started and Kai has already lost substantial lane control. Fortunately, Aron was probably far from the middle of the jungle right now. Due to the enemys invasion at game start, Aron still had plenty of jungle camps to clear; they kept him busy for a while. As such, Yuel had some leverage here. He had the option of going for a slow gank without fully committing to it right away. Let''s try scaring him a little. Yuel decided. It didnt seem feasible to get a solid gank going right now, so the second-best option was to scare Alex and make the guy retreat. That should help Kai regain some lane control. In order to not waste too much time on this experiment, Yuel cut through the center of the map, passing by the empty Griffin Camp. Soon, he arrived in the middle of the enemy jungle. There was no doubt that a ward caught a glimpse of him somewhere along the path and alerted the enemy. However, that only made the gank narrative more believable, so it played in Yuels favor. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it What the enemy wards should have shown was Yuel heading toward Top on the enemy side of the Jungle. In other words, it had to be an incoming gank. "Alex, the Viking is heading in your direction," Aron alerted. "Yeah, saw it," Alex stared at the mini-map for a couple of seconds. With how the matchup was shaping up in Top, it was only natural for the enemy to start ganking as soon as possible. If they do nothing, Freezer will run away with it for zero effort. It''d be awesome, honestly. Alas, the opponents were serious players so they won''t give up so easily. Well, that made things fun in their own right. It gave Alex a reason to actually try. Considering how seriously the other team took this much, theyve surely discussed how to handle the disadvantageous matchup in Top. So, clearly, a gank was heading towards Alex and he had to retreat. Or, did he? Something about this gank feels lazy. Alex thought. Chessmaster. He was the shot-caller from the scrimmage, right? He should have good map awareness and know where wards go. If so, was there any chance this calculated player didn''t consider the possibility of a ward near the Griffin Camp? No way. In fact, theres no doubt that he placed a ward over there too. So, he shouldve guessed that Aron placed a ward over there as well. And yet, Chessmaster ran straight through the warded area anyway. He didn''t even try sticking to the edges of the walls or anything to minimize the chances of being spotted. It''s almost like he was asking to be spotted. Is he trying to scare me? Alex wondered. There was a chance this whole "gank" was just a fraud and Chessmaster had no intention of ganking Alex right now. With that said, not taking precautions against this potential gank would be a huge risk. Sorcerer didnt have any mobility skills to speak of, so any Viking that gets close will have no trouble killing Alex. Therefore, he had to retreat now if he wanted to get away. Even though there was still some uncertainty about the enemy''s intentions, he slowly backpedaled from the middle of the lane. A new minion wave was on its way and he should have been on the front to quickly clear it out, but he chose to withdraw from the optimal farming position. However, he didnt go all the way back to his tower. "Why so slow on the retreat?" Aron asked. "He''s coming after you." "Is he, really?" Alex asked. "I have a feeling it''s a magic show. He showed he''s on the way to alert me, but I don''t think he''s really coming." "Hrm, I wouldn''t put it past him." "Had a feeling," Alex nodded. "And yet, I still have to retreat at least a little. He can always change plans midway based on my reaction. What a nasty way to apply pressure." "I''d intercept him but I''m too far," Aron shook his head. "He probably took my positioning into account as well." "You think he snuck in some wards on our side?" "Possible. Or, he estimated it based on he would be doing right now in my shoes. For the better or the worse, we''re both the types who prefer sticking to optimal plays." "You mean, the boring bunch," Trever chuckled. "You gotta play with your heart more." "We already got one troublemaker to cover that area," Aron retorted. "Anyway, Alex. I trust your judgment on this one. I can''t tell whether this is Yuels ''magic show'', as you called it. But, I can at least confirm it''s a possibility when Yuel is involved." "Good enough for me," Alex nodded. He stuck to his guns and didn''t retreat all the way. Nevertheless, this partial retreat messed up his ability to continue the efficient farming routine he has been using until now. The two minion waves clashed in the middle of the lane, but Alex was too far to place a Magia Orb in the middle of the enemy formation. As such, he couldn''t take advantage of Dimensional Collapse to pull all enemy minions to one spot. Fortunately, Dimensional Collapse wasnt the only spell Sorcerer had for farming. There was an alternative, the long-range option: Repelling Force. Alas, with this one, it was much harder to hit the entire minion wave in one shot, especially from this range. Alex had to perfectly calculate the distance and angle to fire an orb thatll travel through the entire minion wave. It was possible on paper but extremely difficult to pull off. A slight miscalculation of a couple of pixels will make his spell miss a third of the enemy wave. Thats how tight the aim had to be. Execution, huh. What a pain. Alex sighed. But, gotta do what I gotta do. After the fateful scrimmage with StormBlitz, Alex learned an important lesson. No matter how good of a player he thought he was, it was a childs play to shut him down by banning Warlock, the only one class he really played. He should''ve known that all along, but in Ranked nobody targeted him specifically so Warlock bans only happened every once in a while. On the other hand, in a competitive match, the enemy was going to use any information at their disposal to strike where it hurt the most. Somebody in StormBlitz, perhaps Chessmaster, saw Alex playing a solid Warlock, so they banned the class. Poof! Gone! Just like that, with a click of a button, they stripped Alex of his strongest tool. And, at the time, his only tool... It was a fitting slap in the face for his laziness. He thought he could coast by maining one easy class, but that mentality came back to bite him in the ass. That''s why, ever since, he has been raising his mastery in every meta mage class, for both Mid and Support. A few months ago, executing the Sorcerer''s alternative farming routine would have been beyond him. His orbs would have missed the target by at least half a screen. However, the way he was now - he could pull it off. It was still a drag, but he could do it. He had to do it. After all, he practiced it along with countless other setups. First, he created a Magia Orb in front of him. It was crucial to align the orb on the same axis as the enemy minions. Otherwise, it wont be possible to send this thing flying in a way thatd hit the entire enemy wave. It was like knocking down bowling pins; he had to aim for the center. After carefully placing the orb, he unleashed Repelling Force. A magical gust erupted at his command and rammed into the deployed orb. The impact shot the orb forth, right into the enemy wave. Hmm. I''d give myself a 7/10. Alex judged. His orb successfully passed through the enemy wave, but the angle wasn''t perfect. The orb only hit two of the swordsmen and two of the bowmen. So, only 4/6 of the targets ate big damage. It wasn''t the best result but it was satisfactory. After all, hitting the entire minion wave with one orb was borderline inhuman. The orb had to be perfectly centered on the minions and graze the ones on the sides just enough to register as a hit. Pulling this off every time would be godlike mastery. Even in Practice mode, under optimal conditions, Alex could only do that once in three attempts on a good day. In fact, even in the pro scene, that was uncommon. Only the absolute highest level Sorcerer pros could nail this reliably. Most of the time, if a pro player had to resort to Repelling Force for farming, they created two adjacent orbs and sent both of them flying forward. One orb swept through the left side of the minion wave and the other through the right, with both grazing the center for double damage. That was the most surefire way to do this. It was a good setup and Alex practiced it, but he had no time to set it up here. It required two deployed Magia Orbs, so at least one of them had to be placed in advance. Alas, Alex didn''t foresee this development, so he wasnt prepared. Next time I''ll be ready. Alex nodded to himself. All in all, he delivered an adequate response to this whole "gank" pressure situation. His Sorcerer was finally viable for competitive-level gameplay. That was good to know. Thanks to this semi-successful backup farming option, Alex came out of this situation with minimal losses. It took more than a low-budget magic show to scare him into surrendering lane control. After all, he was Freezer; his specialty was to freeze lanes from disadvantage. Though, for that skill to come into play, the enemy first had to actually force Alex into a disadvantageous situation. After all, what point was there to freezing a lane when he could gain an advantage so easily? Alright then, lets see if these kids have what it takes to give me trouble. Alex cracked his neck. Was that Viking coming here? Or, was it just a smokescreen? Either way, Alex was ready to face whatever nonsense these guys had in store. Hell avoid ganks and hell maintain lane control, that was his silent promise. Vol.8 Ch.21: What Happens When You Get Close Yuel applied remote intimidation on Freezer and successfully made the guy retreat, denying the most efficient Sorcerer farming method. However, thats all this play accomplished. Freezer simply resorted to a backup farming method and didnt lose much. So, he can farm well even from that position. Yuel frowned. This was the second time Freezer made Yuel''s calculations go awry. First, the guy didn''t pick Warlock. And now, Freezer was playing a solid Sorcerer. I have to reevaluate him from scratch. Yuel concluded. Freezer was undeniably playing a strong Sorcerer and that''s something the team will have to deal with going forward. Now, back to the gank at hand. Should Yuel go through with it? Freezer hasnt retreated all the way to the Turret, so there was still an opportunity to strike. No, theres no point. Yuel judged. Freezer didnt flee all the way, but he was close enough to his Turret. From this position, he was ready to retreat all the way if another ward spots Yuel approaching. On top of that, Freezer bought Blink at the beginning of the game to compensate for the lack of escape tools in Sorcerers kit. He was prepared to bail out of there at a moments notice. So, this gank wasn''t meant to be. Still, let''s keep him on his feet. Yuel turned around and threw his axe across the open space in the center of the jungle. The flying axe didnt trigger a sound alert for the enemy even if a ward spotted it, so this was a great trick for slipping out of the area without informing the enemy. Yuel activated Axe Blitz and blinked to the axe. That''s it, easy as that. In a blink of an eye, he was out of enemy territory. However, the enemy still thought he was hanging around there and waited for his next move. They saw Yuel going deep into their territory, but where did he go next? Hopefully, that mystery will distract them a little. "Heh, the kid is sure playing the patience game." Trever chuckled. "How long you think he gonna wait for his gank over there?" "Don''t be stupid," Aron retorted. "He must''ve already left." "Yeah." Alex nodded. "Huh? When? How? Trever asked. We got that whole area warded." "Ever heard of blinking?" Alex rolled his eyes. "He''s playing Viking, remember?" "Oh! I see what''s up. Yeah, he can blink outta there. But, you sure he actually did it? I didn''t see anything." "Pretty sure I saw his axe passing through. It was hard to tell, though. I would appreciate a validation." "On it," Aron passed near the suspicious area on his way from Bot to Top. "He''s not here." "So, whats the deal?" Trever raised an eyebrow. "Was it all empty threats? Lame." "It was a win-win for him," Alex explained. "Either I retreat and lose lane advantage, or I stay and run the risk of getting my arse ganked. He forced me into a worse position without lifting a finger. A nasty play." "Yeah, kid be a genius like that," Trever nodded like a proud dad for some reason. "He always comes up with ''em crazy plays." "Its not that special, he was merely applying pressure with his presence," Aron argued. "It''s a standard thing high-level Jungler do. Though, he did take good advantage of our wards'' vision, I''ll give him that." "Oh c''mon. Trever made a face. Will it kill you to praise the kid for once?" "He''s just good at using the situation to his advantage, as always. It''s at least nice to see he hasn''t dulled much after transferring to this team. But, I''m yet to see anything new from him." "Man, you and your insane standards. I bet if I asked what you think of Maker, you''d also say he''s nothing special." "Actually, I do think he''s overrated," Aron said. "His mechanical skill stands out and he''s solid across the board, but best player in the world? Not sure about that one. He usually comes on top through sheer execution. That''s amazing in its own right on such a high level of play, but its not what I''d qualify for the best in the world." "Gotta disagree with you on that one," Alex said. "Maker is a machine. Almost every move he makes is flawless. Sure, you notice that the most when his execution gets a chance to shine. But, if you pay attention to the smaller details, you''ll see the true genius behind every little move he makes." "Totally!" Trever exclaimed. "Bro is an insane beast!" "Sounds like blind worshipping to me," Aron shrugged. "We need to sit down and analyze a match together so you can show me exactly what you mean." "That''s a date," Alex nodded. "Eh, count me outta that one," Trever waved his hand. "Alright, enough chatter," Aron said. "Let''s focus. We can''t give them any openings. Yuel will strike at the smallest hint of distraction." The game went on. Since Yuel''s intimidation tactic forced Alex into subpar farming, Kai won the lane exchange this time and pushed forward with two surviving archers. But, it was a short-lived advantage. On the next wave, Freezer regained lane control with ease. Kai''s small push amounted to nothing. On the other hand, Freezer always brought a bunch of minions to her Turret with every push. This matchup sucked. "So," Kai addressed Yuel. "When you gonna deliver a real gank? These empty threats only go so far. I''m still losing the lane. Hard." "Yes, I''m aware," Yuel said. "Unfortunately, he''s not showing any good openings. His defense is tight." "That''s a nice excuse but it doesn''t help my situation. You told me to pick Lumi, so now come up with a solution for this bullshit. I can''t play like that." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "I don''t have any at the moment. You have to bear with it for a while longer until something changes." "And, how long that gonna take? Five years?" Kai clicked her tongue. This was so dumb. She was the captain, the representative of the club, yet the enemy was clobbering her like nothing. This was the worst first impression ever against these senior players. Worst of all, none of this shit was even Kai''s fault. It was all Yuel and his stupid idea to pick Lumimancer. There was a good reason this was a niche, borderline meme, Mid pick. It had way too many terrible matchups. "I shouldn''t have agreed with this terrible pick," Kai shook her head. "Dunno what I was thinking back then. Your advice sucks." "If I recall," Yuel said. "You considered picking Pyromancer. Please enlighten me about the amazing matchup it got against Sorcerer." "That''s..." Kai grumped. True, Pyromancer also sucked in this matchup. Unlike the Lumimancer, Pyromancer had a fast clearing speed. However, its range was awful, so picking it against a good Sorcerer was practically like asking to be bullied. "Still, Kai had to have the last word. At least, with Pyro I could dare and try some things. With Lumi, I''m stuck doing nothing." "Well, you can dare with Blinding Light from close range." "As if that gonna do me any good. It doesn''t have nearly the same damage as anything from Pyro''s kit" "If you want to increase your clearing speed, Blinding Light is your ticket." "Fine, alright. Let''s try that shit." On the next wave, Kai advanced to the frontline along with her minions. She didn''t bother placing her Ray of Light anymore because the Sorcerer was going to move her minions away anyway, so itd be a waste of MP. Instead, she advanced toward the enemy frontline and booted Blinding Light. Her Lumimancer glowed as it charged solar energy. Daring, arent we? Alex cracked his neck. You''re either underestimating me or you''re running out of ideas. Well, either way, let''s see. I place one there and one near the minions, then blow them all up. Not enough to kill, but that''s a nice setup right there. Alex didn''t go for the usual Dimensional Collapse. Instead, he waited a moment for Magia Orb to come out of cooldown and placed a second orb a short distance away from the first. He''s not doing the pull? Kai heard the distinctive sound of a new orb popping up. So, before activating the first orb, the enemy added another one. Is he going to ult? A shiver ran through Kai''s arms. This wasn''t good. The enemy allowed her to advance to the frontline, but he planted her escape route with bombs. One bomb was no big deal, but two was a whole different story. Their explosions will resonate, making each deliver double damage. In other words, it''ll be quadruple explosion damage! I''ll be toast if I let that thing hit me. How do I play around this? There weren''t many places for her to escape to. She could either head deeper into enemy territory or enter the jungle. Oh, the jungle is blocked. Damn. Kai stared at a tall wall and the wall stared back her. In this mode, Top Lane had the same kind of barricade as MOBA''s Mid Lane. The jungle was only accessible from her side of the lane but not from the center. Oh, but I got a blink! Right. Kai nodded. Alright, that''s the plan. Kai finished unleashing Blinding Light on the enemy frontline, then headed toward the side of the lane. She approached the jungle wall and blinked through it! Or, at least she tried. "Huh?" She tried to place the marker beyond the wall but it kept giving her the red color. What gives? How thick is this damn wall? It was no use. She couldn''t place her blink destination beyond this stupid wall. This sucked. Guess I''ll just wait it out. These orbs aren''t going to hang out there forever. "RAAAAWR!" A wild lion leaped on her from beyond the wall! "Oh, shit!" Kai rolled aside right away. Thankfully, she dodged the Lionfolk''s crash. Phew, that was a close call. How the hell did this guy even make it past this stupidly thick wall? Kai cursed internally. That leap sure had some range to it. But, it was alright. She cleanly dodged that thing by rolling. Yes, by rolling... back to her own side of the lane! OH FUUU- BAM! Two explosions boomed simultaneously. Kai got caught up in the very center of this mess! The explosions resonated in the area they overlapped and torn space itself asunder. Over 80% of Kai''s HP vanished. It''s like she never even had any. All her efforts to keep herself healthy went down the toilet. At least, the horizon was clear now so she could retreat. The Lionfolk was right behind her, so she didn''t risk it. She activated Flash and blinked the heck outta there. She should be safe now- WHAM! A loud impact resounded behind her! I heard this before today. Kai recognized the sound of the Sorcerer unleashing a magical gust to fire one of his orbs. That guy was trying to snipe her from across the lane! There was a good chance itll be fatal! He gotta be thinking I''ll run toward the Turret, right? Then...! Instead of running toward the bottom side of the lane where her Turret was, Kai turned toward the top half of the lane. A moment later, the orb arrived. However, it missed. Phew! That was a close call. That thing almost did her in. "Well, that was an attempt," Alex shrugged. "Too bad," Aron said. "You would have gotten her if you didn''t lose that 50-50 gamble at the end." "You think it was a 50-50?" "It wasn''t? Hrm, I suppose you could choose between shooting left, right or at the center, so that brings it down to around 30%." "Not my point. Pretty sure my prediction was on point. But, this girl dodged on reaction. "She couldn''t see your shot, though." "Maybe she heard it? This thing makes noise." "Possible," Aron said. "Thinking of it, she rolled out of my leap too. I doubt she saw it coming. So, it appears she really has a good reaction, possibly to sound. Noted." "She''s not one of your juniors, right?" Alex asked. "No, she seems to be a part of this club." "Not too shabby for the infamous Stratus." "I suppose," Aron pursed his lips. Maybe Yuel''s overconfident talk about the team''s chances wasnt just empty words. Judging by how this girl carried herself, she was on a decently high level, definitely higher than what Aron expected to see from this bottom tier team. Nevertheless, as a whole, the trios performance has been on the weaker side so far. Starting from Yuels overly cautious draft and down to their passive game plan, they hadnt impressed much so far. Hrm. Maybe Im being overly harsh. Aron thought. After all, they got a mid-game comp so they have an excuse for taking the early-game slow. Theyll have to start showing their true worth in the next couple of minutes. So far, things dont look good for them. Even mid-game wont change the fact the Lumimancer had a terrible matchup against the Sorcerer. So, that girl will most likely keep struggling for the rest of the game. On the other hand, Lars had a chance to shine. He has been playing surprisingly defensive thus far, as a proper Elf should. Was he going to pull something soon? If theyre planning to start something soon, itll come from Bot. Aron concluded. Ill have to eye it carefully. In this position, the enemys best shot at victory was for Lars to defeat Trever in Bot and start a strong push. However, Aron wont let that happen. Hell shut down any silly idea these kids had. They wont get to mount any attacks. Before mid-game even hits, Aron will make sure to throw them into a hopeless situation. They wont get any chances. Theyll lose, brutally and thoroughly. Hopefully, thatll wake up Yuel and Lars from their daydreaming. Vol.8 Ch.22: Lars Playing Defense? Damn it, Kai cursed while healing up at the base. After the Sorcerers ult reduced her to 15% HP in one fell swoop, she had no choice but to return to base and surrender the lane entirely. This sucked. This entire matchup was ass. How did you like playing on the frontline against a Sorcerer? Yuel asked. Bitch, you mocking me!? Kai clenched a fist. Oh, it was FUN. Some DEADLY fun. About what I expected, Yuel nodded. You knew thats how it gonna turn out, huh? Thats why you egged me on to try that. Fucker. I didnt tell you to go for it. I just mention you had the option of using Blinding Light to speed up your farming. The decision was entirely yours alone. Though, I admit it did yield some insightful data. Oh, Im so happy I could be your guinea pig! So, wheres the salary for my hard work? Look, you can blame me all you want but you had to take this risk eventually, Yuel explained. Or, youre saying you were comfortable with the lane situation and didnt want to change anything about it? I sure as hell didnt want to change it from losing lane control to freaking dead. You simply tested one of your options and it failed. Now, you know you have to look elsewhere. Its all part of figuring out how to beat your opponent. Nothing unusual. You know, Kai shot him a glare. I really hate how you make all of that sound like its not your problem. Youre the one who forced me into this stupid matchup! Again, please explain to me how amazing your Pyromancer would have been in that situation. Lumimancer at least got a blink to escape. With Pyromancer, youd be already dead. Tch, Kai clicked her tongue but didnt say anything. "C''mon, my dudes," Lars intervened. "Give it a rest. We''re supposed to fight these guys, not each other." "Yeah, you''re right," Kai nodded. "I wasn''t fighting anybody," Yuel shrugged. "But yes, enough with this bickering. We got a match to win. Look, Kai. I''ll keep thinking about a solution for your lane situation, so just hang in there." "Got it, Kai sighed and gave it a rest, for now. With that, the quarrel died out. Okay, now I can focus on my fight again. Lars nodded to himself. His lane situation was far from ideal either, so he had his plate full with enough negative crap. Listening to his teammates complaints on top of that made everything a thousand times more irritating. We''re all having a bad time it seems. Dang it. Lars twisted his lips. He thought he was doing his job probably, he was playing like a role model Elf. He stayed in the back and sniped minions from afar through Elven Sight. It wasn''t exactly the most fun thing in the world but it was an efficient way to win the lane. Alas, Trever countered this game plan in the boldest way possible. Instead of shooting minions from afar like any lawful Carry would do, this pirate scum brandished a cutlass and slashed the minions from up close Yeah, that''s right. Dude legit took out a sword and fought the minions at close range, knowing that Lars could snipe him at any moment. Zero respect whatsoever. Dat daredevil. Lars grinned. Duels with Trever often turned crazy like this when Lars picked Elf, which was a big reason it wasnt such a great class for 1v1. Sure, it was great to enter a first-person view and snipe people from across half the lane. But, Elf was too passive of a class. It had super long shots, but they were kinda wack. During the early-game, Elfs attack speed was too slow to instill fear in the opponent. That''s why Trever was doing whatever the heck he wanted. This part of playing Elf always felt awful. That''s how you play against an Elf, kid. Trever grinned as he cut down one minion after another. Normally, it''d be considered suicide to clear minions at melee range with an enemy Carry on the lane. However, against an Elf, it was best to go all in. It was impossible to contest the Elf''s range, but it wasnt hard to beat its early-game clearing speed. The fastest way to farm with Pirate was by cutting minions down with the cutlass, so that''s how Trever went about it. He was disrespecting the heck outta his opponent by placing himself on the frontline like this, but it didnt matter. Try it. Shoot me. I dare you. Trever grinned. Most Elf players wouldnt dare. Itd cause too much chaos and Elf wasnt good with chaotic scenarios. Crap, he wins the exchange every time like this. Lars grumped. With the increased attack speed and power of the cutlass, Trever always cleared the lane faster than Lars. So, it was always Lars who had to retreat to his Turret and continue farming from there. I feel like such a wuss. Lars made a face. Its like he was scared of Trever and ran away for his life every time. The truth was, he didn''t actually lose any lane advantage from this routine, for he always shot the minions down they reached his tower area. But, every retreat felt like a defeat, as if he lost a fight against Trever. Dang it! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Is that all you ever gonna do? Trever scoffed. Boring. The Lars I know would''ve gone on the offensive a long time ago. Where''s yo fire, kid? I so wanna shoot this dude! Lars''s finger itched. It''d be so easy to just switch his aim from the minions onto Treve. In fact, the only reason Lars hasn''t landed a single shot on Trever this far was thanks to his careful aim. Like, that dude was right in the middle of the crowd, wreaking havoc left and right. It was so easy to hit him by accident. Therefore, Lars carefully adjusted that each and every beam he fired to not even graze Trever. That was nice shooting practice in its own right, but It stopped being fun whenever Lars thought on why he had to play like this: minions. The only thing stopping him from snipping the heck outta Trever was the danger of aggroing the enemy minions. Even though Lars was like a kilometer away from the minions while sniping them, these little dudes WILL find him and WILL chase him if he dares to lay a finger on their boss. It was like mafia. Lars didnt want to sleep with the fishes. So, the best way around this was to clear the minions first and then snipe Trever. But, that was impossible. Elf didn''t have the necessary clearing speed for that during the early-game. Especially, not against a wild Pirate who brought a sword to a gunfight. Dang it. That''s all you got? Trever shook his head in disappointment. If that''s how you gonna do it, I''mma take matters into my hands. Get ready to be wrecked. kid! As a new minion wave was arriving, Trever was ready to greet it with his cutlass. As soon as the two forces clashed with each other, he jumped into the fray to do some killing. Or, at least that''s what Lars should be thinking! Instead, Trever bolted toward the frontline to bodyblock the next shot! "Wha-!?" Lars jumped. Just as he was about to fire his gun, a wild Trever appeared! Dude legit came in between Lars and his next target. Crap! Gotta change targets! In the last split-second, Lars re-adjusted his aim and sniped a different minion. Phew, bullet dodged. That was a close one. Did I guess wrong? Trever wondered. He was a pretty damn sure he stepped right to where Lars was about to shoot. Yet, Lars''s shot somehow traveled aside and hit a completely different minion. Wait, can it be? Did he run away from the challenge and changed his target at the last moment? If its this brat, its possible. It was as impressive as it was disappointing. Trever even went to the frontline and made himself such an easy target, yet Lars sidestepped the challenge. The brat ran away from the fight. The Lars I knew would''ve landed the shot for sure. Even if he didnt want to fight, he would have jumped the gun. But, here he was cautious. Super cautious, ready for anything. Well, if that''s how it gonna be, I''ll just force you to come at me! Let''s see how long you can keep this shit up. Is this dude for real? Lars''s grin twitched. This time, Trever wasnt just paying a visit to the frontline. Nah, dude was legit jogging toward Lars like there was nothing to fear. Ya gotta be kidding me! This was insane. Did Trever really think Lars wont shot? Dude was pushing it. I can totally wreck ya. Lars fired toward Trever. But, the shot passed by Trever''s head and hit an enemy minion behind him. Warning shot, yo. Did he just miss? From this range? Trever wondered. No, not this brat. He avoided me on purpose. Again. Well, if you think you can keep playing like this, I got some bad news for ya! Once Trever got close enough, he turned his back to Lars and unleashed Backfire Cannon. He gonna fire straight at that weakling and smack some sense into him! BAM. The impact sent Trever flying backward, right toward Lars! "Crap-!" Lars didn''t see it coming. Such aggression! Trever was totally wilding here! I''d shoot you super damn hard, but I know I aint gonna win like this. As much as Lars wanted to stay and give Trever a good fight, he knew the odds were stacked against him at close range. As the Carry, Lars absolutely couldn''t die here. Not only that''d hand the lane to Trever on a silver platter, but it''d also destroy the teams chances of winning. The team needed a Carry in order to push forth for the win. Without one, they''ll not be able to seal the deal. If only Lars didn''t die during the selection match, they could''ve won and stood at the top of StormBlitz. But they ended up here, at the very bottom of the food chain. And, Lars got a chance to carry the team again. This time, he''ll do it right and won''t let the opponent taunt him. If the safest way to handle this situation was via retreating, that''s what he outta do. His life didn''t belong just to him here. I''ll just get you later. Look forward to it, yo! Lars replied to Trever''s aggressive Backfire with an evasive Dodge Roll. He turned around and rolled toward his tower area. WHISH! A blade cut through air. Trever delivered an immediate slash upon arriving at his destination. but his blade didn''t slice through anything. Quick on your feet, as always. Trever sneered. But, you just gonna run away? Seriously? Alright then, I''mma make your life hell then! "RELEASE THE-" "Gah!?" Lars heard the loud ult cue behind him. The big squid dude was coming! It was bad! Dang it, what do I do!? He hasnt even reached his tower area yet. If he the squid dude catches him all the way out here, it''ll be all over! He absolutely had to dodge that thing! He couldn''t let himself get killed right now! Gotta burn all my escape tools, yooooo! Lars turned around and booted Elven Leap. His Elf performed an elegant backflip, flying high through the air. Okay, pretty sure I reacted fast enough. That squid ain''t gonna be touching mah spaghet. Or, he ain''t even gonna show up... The giant Kraken should have erupted from the ground to smack Lars, but there was no sign of anything happening. It was a feint! "Gah!" Lars jumped on his chair so hard he almost fell off. Of course Trever would use a feint the first chance he gets! Why did I leap right away!? Nuuuuuuuuu! "Pft, lame," Trever canceled his ult and rolled after the backflipping Lars. What are you doing falling for an easy feint like this? You''re supposed to be better than that. As soon as Trever recovered from the roll, he unleashed the Kraken. The giant squid emerged on the scene and slammed down its tentacles. "Crap!" Lars did his best to run but it was to no avail. His Dodge Roll was still on cooldown so there was no escape from the big squid dude!!! He was so dead... Vol.8 Ch.23: Playing the Long Game SLAM. A heavy tentacle crashed on Lars and shoved him into the ground. He was completely immobile now, a perfect sitting duck for Trever. "Dang it! I messed up real bad," Lars admitted. "Dont worry, it should be fine," Yuel said. "He can''t kill you with just that. Retreat to the tower as soon as you stand up. I''ll come to replace you on the lane." "So, I gotta run, huh," Lars smiled wryly. In his head, he understood how this stuff worked. He was playing Elf, a defensive Carry class. Therefore, he always had to run away from earl fights like this. It was lame but it was the best way to secure victory. He understood all that, and yet... meh, whatever. "Okay, I''mma retreat." As soon as the heavy tentacle released him, Lars made a run for it. He didn''t even turn back to check on his opponent. There was neither time nor need for that. He was at a disadvantageous position, so he had to get outta here before he loses for real. Not even gonna shoot at me or anything? Weak. Trever shook his head. Well, it''s smarter to retreat fast like that, so I''ll give him that much. But, gotta say, he sure accepted his defeat pretty fast here. In the past, Lars used to bite back his attacker even in the direst of situations. Even when the enemy cornered him and all the odds were stacked against him, Lars found it in himself to retaliate. Naturally, Lars died a bunch of times thanks to these stunts. However, this fierce attitude was a part of what used to make Lars a formidable opponent. He was the kind of opponent who could make a comeback from any situation and pull off a miraculous win. It was dangerous to lower your guard against this beast for even a moment. However, the Lars in this game felt less like a vicious wolf and more like a timid puppy. His famous mechanical skill was definitely present, as evident by how efficiently he cleared minions and how fast he reacted to Trever''s Kraken. Nevertheless, a certain spark was missing from Lars''s plays. He felt like a fangless beast. I hope it''s just because hes playing a shitty class like Elf. Trever tried to convince himself. He probably learned he gotta play Elf defensively during the early-game, so maybe that''s weighing him down. Then again, why did he even bring Elf to this fight? Cmon, kid. You know your Elf got nothing on me. Where''s your Shooter at? "Is his leap down?" Aron asked. "Oh," Trever came back to earth. "Yeah, he just used it to get outta my fake Kraken. Haha, goteem!" "I believe I asked you to inform me when he spends his leap. That''s kind of a big deal for me." "Yeah, yeah, my bad. Things were going so well I thought I might actually kill him myself, haha." "Spare me the excuses," Aron said. "I could''ve rotated for a gank if you told me earlier." "Nah, no dice. Yuel got it covered," Trever said. Just as they started talking, Yuel arrived on the lane for backup. Even if Trever informed Aron in time, Yuels rotation would have countered Aron''s gank. Probably. "That''s some next-level hindsight you''re using there," Alex commented. "Alright, alright, my bad! Stop chewing me out, you two. Next time, I''ll make sure to broadcast to the entire universe that Lars spent his leap. Happy now?" "Yes." Aron nodded. "So, what distracted you so much?" "Nothing, really." "I know you can be an airhead sometimes, but it''s not like you to forget something so basic." "Not sure if youre praising me or insulting me," Trever narrowed his eyes. "Just giving you some tough love," Alex smirked. "I dont need any love from another dude, thank you very much!" Trever made a disgusted face. "But yeah, guess I was kinda caught up in the moment. I went hard on the offensive and all, so I was all about beating that weakling to a pulp." "Lars isnt posing a challenge for you?" Aron frowned. "That Lars, of all people?" "Yeah, his Elf is always wack like that. Though, he got a little better at playing defense, I''mma give him that." "Lars and defense in the same sentence. What an oxymoron." "A what? A moron?" "Yeah, exactly that." Aron didn''t feel like teaching basic English right now. "Hrm, this is peculiar. If Lars is playing defense as well, it seems their entire game plan revolves around defending during the early-game." "Wouldn''t expect that from Yuel in a million years." "True, it''s rather unusual. Maybe he''s experimenting with new things." "At our expense? Wild, Trever grinned. He should know he gotta go all-out against pros like us." The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Oh, I sure he knows," Aron said. "And yet, that''s how he decided to approach this match. It almost feels like he''s not confident about using his usual rushdown tactics at this level of play." "Well, I dunno and I don''t care. We just gotta kick their asses all the same! "True that," Aron nodded. Whatever reason Yuel had for picking a defensive lineup for this match wasn''t Aron''s concern. This was a match and Aron had to win, simple as that. If the enemy was playing defense, then Aron simply had to take down a defensive team, that''s all there was to it. Meanwhile, Lars successfully escaped death and Yuel rotated to back him up. "Yo, I made it," Lars breathed in relief as he arrived at his tower area. "You should recall," Yuel said. "I''ll fill in for you until you return." "Okey-dokey," Lars began the recalling. "Not gonna lie, dude almost got me there. I totally fell for that squid play, haha." "It happens. After all, its a 50-50 mixup." "Nah, dude. That ain''t no mixup. I can totally react to the Squid Dude if he actually shows up. But, I was real nervous back there for no reason. Damn, lost like half HP to that thing. Lame." "At least you''re not dead." "Whoa, somebody is being super nice today for a change? Larss blinked in disbelief. Where''s the usual lecture? Who are you and what did you do to my dude?" "There''s nothing for me to lecture you about," Yuel shrugged. "From what I saw, you were playing just fine. You maintained your distance and didn''t fall for taunts. And, you also reacted correctly by retreating from the fight." "Well, yeah. But, you''re forgetting the part where I got smacked hard by the Squid Dude." "Yes, you didnt get away scot-free from that surprise attack. But, thats just because Trever is that good of a player." "Nah, that dude ain''t nothing. I can take him out with my eyes closed!" "Sure," Yuel shrugged. "The bottom line is, you played just fine. All the recent practice you''ve been putting into playing smarter seems to be paying off. Maybe playing Mid in the club has a positive effect on you." "But, I totally lost the fight..." Lars twisted his lips. On one hand, it was awesome he got the approval of the harshest critic in the world. On the other hand, it didn''t feel right. Sure, Lars played decent defense as an Elf should. Yes, he didn''t fall for any of Trever''s taunts and he stuck to the basic (yet effective) plan of "snipe everybody from afar". And true, Lars quickly retreated from that dangerous close-range fight, which was a good call and all. But, none of that changed one important fact: Lars totally lost that entire exchange. He fell for the Kraken feint, lost half his HP, and now had to dump the responsibility of defending the lane on Yuel. If this wasn''t the definition of playing like a total potato, then what was? "It''s all about the long game," Yuel said. "You can lose a hundred fights if necessary. All that matters is that you win the war." "Yeah, I guess." It was one heck of a weird idea, but it actually kinda worked sometimes. As long as Lars played it safe and didn''t let his lane opponent gain a huge lead, it was still anybody''s game. Lars came face-to-face with that fact more often than ever as he played Mid at the club. He wasn''t quite pro material when it came to Mid, so a lot of Diamond and Challenger dudes whooped his ass at first. To combat these mad lads, Lars had to be patient and make sure he didnt die. Even when his opponent gained the upper hand in the lane, it was fine as long as Lars didn''t do anything dumb that got him killed. Once mid-game arrived, the game became all about team fights. So, Lars no longer had to fight against the strong Mid Laner dude by himself. At this stage of the game, he worked together with his dudes to defeat villains! It was like Avengers, assemble! kind of stuff, yo! So, even though Trever totally mopped the floor with Lars in their brief exchange, everything was fine. This was just the beginning of the game and Lars hasn''t lost much in that fight, aside from his pride as a pro-level duelist. He''ll make a comeback in no time. Ez. However, not everybody felt the same about this development. "Damn," Kai ranted. "We''re getting pushed around all over the place." "True," Yuel agreed. "But, we haven''t let them push much. So, they havent established any real lane control yet" "Yeah, for now," Kai said. She had to concede that despite drawing her and Lars out of their lanes, the enemy didn''t get to push much during either of these situations. In Top, before the enemy ganked her, Kai cleared out the enemy minions. Thanks to that, the enemy didn''t have a frontline that could tank the Turret. On the other hand, in Bot, Yuel quickly rotated to defend the lane while Lars was retreating. So yes, both of these times the enemy didnt get to push much. But, was that really something to celebrate? You can spin it as you wish. Kai thought. But, its clear me and Lars are having problems at our lanes. We didn''t lose advantage this time, but who knows whatll happen next time. Yuel should realize that too. How can he be so calm about this? "You got a plan?" Kai asked. "Not in particular," Yuel admitted. "We just keep doing our thing. Our team composition got better tools for team-fights, so that''s where we should take the initiative. Until then, we just need to keep ourselves alive and defend the lanes." "Playing the waiting game, huh," Kai carefully examined the lineups of both teams. "Yeah, we can give them some heat during a team fight. But, what we gonna do until mid-game? Were not going to get away scot-free every time we lose lane advantage. At some point, they''ll break through." "We just have to make sure that won''t happen." "You serious?" "Yes, one hundred percent serious. I believe this is the best we can do right now." "You gotta be kidding me..." Kai shook her head. It''d still be one thing if they were playing defense because they had late-game focused classes. But, Lumimancer and Elf? These were mid-game classes, cut and dried. And, pretty much the same applied to Yuel''s Viking as well. The enemy''s Lionfolk and Pirate were also mid-game classes. Even worse than that, Sorcerer was a class that became strong during mid-game and even stronger at late-game. Once he starts spamming Magia Orbs with practically zero cooldown, everybody gonna have a bad time. As such, waiting wont do them any favors. They had to act. Now. The hell is Yuel smoking? That''s some useless shot-caller. Kai sighed. Seems like I gotta make something happen myself. There''s no way we gonna win if I keep letting this Sorcerer walk all over me. Since she recalled to the base to heal up, this gave her the opportunity to gear up before her opponent did. As such, right now, she should be slightly superior to the Sorcerer in terms of sheer stats. Therefore, it was the best time to strike that guy down! During the next minion wave, she''ll shoot for it. Freezer gonna pay for last time! This time, he''ll be the one running with his tail between his legs! Vol.8 Ch.24: Desperate Assault Kai returned to the lane, only to be greeted by a group of minions hacking away at her Turret. While she was gone, the Sorcerer eliminated her next wave and his minions pushed forth. For some reason, Freezer himself didn''t advance with his minions to push harder. He remained in the back and watched how his soldiers bravely fought and died for his cause. He didn''t lift a finger to help them. Do you think you can take it easy against me? Kai clenched her controller. This damn Sorcerer sure had some nerve. Just because he had a matchup advantage he was acting cocky. I''ll make you regret not taking advantage of this opportunity. You should''ve pushed while you had the chance. "Can you enlighten me why you didnt push?" Aron asked. "You had a great opportunity." "Yeah, a great opportunity to push," Alex nodded. "Also, a great opportunity to get ganked." "Yuel is defending Bot right now, so no need to worry about that." "He''s not the only one who couldve ganked me. There''s the lass over there who just returned." "You were cautious about a gank from a Lumimancer?" Aron frowned. "Call it a hunch," Alex smiled thinly. "Don''t expect her to go down without a fight. She strikes me as the type who wants to bare her fangs. That''s exactly how she got in trouble last time." "I see your angle. Then again, is a Lumimancer gank really something to worry about? She doesn''t have any hard CC." "And, I don''t have any escape tools," Alex shrugged. "Sure, I bought Blink, but I''m not supposed to put myself in situations that force me to spend it." "Of course," Aron nodded. "You got a point, you have to be extra careful as a Sorcerer. I feel like I haven''t played the class in ages. I only ever think of Sorcerer as an easy gank target." "Yeah, exactly. I got a huge attack range but Im screwed if anybody gets close. Life sure can be a pain." "Fair enough," Aron nodded. "Then, what''s the plan? You''re going to take the tower done via chip damage?" "Maybe. Or, maybe somebody will finally get a kill on her to open up the lane." "I like how you say ''somebody''. Last time I checked, you''re in the best position to get that kill. You know that her Flash counters my ult, so I can''t pull anything big." "I dont see myself getting a kill on her either," Alex shrugged. "At least, not until she makes a serious mistake. She''s not an amateur." "Is that so. Then, you think you''ll have to drag it out until mid-game?" "Most likely. Unless somebody figures how to kill her with a gank." "Sorry, but somebody is currently unavailable. He rather not deal with targets that have a low cooldown blink." "Then, we wait," Alex shrugged. "This girl is mechanically sound, but I wonder about her mental fortitude. That Blinding Light she pulled last time came out of the blue. It might be a sign shes getting nervous." "You think shell overextend again?" Aron asked. "Maybe. Just a hunch. I feel like she''s out for blood." "Then I''ll keep an eye on your lane," Aron said. "Maybe she''ll do something stupid again." Alright, heres the next wave. Kai spotted enemy minions jogging in the distance. This was her cue. During this wave, she''ll turn the tables around! As usual, the Sorcerer created a Magia Orb in preparations for the incoming minions. The orb damaged enemies who passed through it, so this was an extra bit of damage that Kais frontline had to suffer every time. There wasn''t anything could do about it, so she let her swordsmen run face-first into the orb and eat damage. As the two sides clashed, Kai activated Ray of Light as always. However, she didn''t place this one near her allies. Instead, she summoned the light farther into enemy territory. The ray of light covered the entire enemy force. This method briefly maximized her clearing speed. In the long run, this was less efficient than basking her minions in the light too. However, for the first couple of seconds, this method actually generated more lane advantage. She wasnt planning to drag out this clash, so those few seconds were all she needed. She''s up to something. Alex thought. He was about to make his Sorcerer snap his fingers and activate Dimensional Collapse, but he stopped himself at the last moment. No need to rush. Let''s see where shes going with this. No pull? Kai wondered. The way she placed Ray of Light made the enemy minions receive continuous damage, so it should''ve tempted the Sorcerer to pull minions away ASAP and break this disadvantageous formation. But, instead, he let his minions suffer in the blazing sunlight. Why? Is he preserving MP? Kai wondered. The Sorcerer has been using his spells repeatedly and even unleashed his ult once, so it was taking a toll on him. He was down to 40% MP, so it wasn''t unreasonable to start preserving MP at this point. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. But, how he planned to handle the wave without his spells? Surely he wasn''t going to come closer and clear minions with basic attacks? Yeah, thought so. Kai nodded. The Sorcerer didn''t show any signs of budging from his spot. This easygoing fella had no intention of working hard for anything it seemed. Then, what was the big idea? Was he going to let Kai take control of the lane? Just like that? Wait, maybe he decided to go easy on her because he had the upper hand this entire time? Even worse, maybe he was disrespecting her and didn''t see her as a threat because she was a girl? Damn, I''ll show you! Kai activated Blinding Light and sprinted toward the enemy minions. Dazzling light enveloped her and she was about to unleash it on the entire enemy wave! Same desperate move again? Alex wondered. Since the girl came to the frontline out of her own volition, he could easily block her escape route again with Magia Orbs. Except, this time, he didn''t have his ult to blow the orbs up. The ult needed 40 more seconds in order come out of cooldown. So, did the Lumimancer girl decide to gain some lane control while his ult was down? No, I don''t think she''s doing all of this just for some lane advantage. Alex shuddered. There''s more to this play. I know it. His senses tingled like crazy. This girl wasn''t putting on a small aggressive show to clear the lane faster. No, she was hungry for blood. She was an avenger, a wild beast. Players like her could go for the craziest of plays. Like, for example, charge straight at Alex and unleash literally her entire kit on him. I better play this one safe. Instead of placing his next Magia Orb close to himself, Alex summoned the orb a short distance away, close the jungle wall. If anything happens, this orb will be his lifeline. "Listen," Alex started. "I think their Lumi might be trying to-" WHOOSH! The enemy vanished in a flash of light! Damn, I knew it...! A moment later, the Lumimancer appeared right in front of his eyes! She was still cloaked in bright light, for she was about to unleash her Blinding Light! She was going all-in! Get off me! Alex targeted the Magia Orb he just placed and activated Dimension Collapse. That should drag away the blood-hungry beast. Alas, he was but a moment too late. The Lumimancer unleashed an explosion of light right in his face! The entire screen went pitch white. All sounds ceased to exist. He couldn''t even confirm whether his Dimension Collapse properly pulled the enemy away. Either way, he had to make a run for it. It was impossible to fight back in this situation, not while his entire screen was pure white. Does this situation warrant a Blink? Alex wondered as he ran toward his Turret. At least, he hoped he was running toward his Tower. He couldn''t see anything, not even the mini-map. He had to rely purely on his sense of direction. Fortunately, he has fought enough Lumimancers and Warlocks to not be shaken by something like a temporary lack of vision. So, he was pretty confident he was running in the right direction. He should be able to get away alive, no problem. Still, just to be on the safe side, it might be a good idea to blink away and create more distance between him and his pursuer, whose location he couldnt discern. It''s not like Lumi got anything scary off-hand, but I don''t wanna eat damage from her basics. Not to mention, their Viking might be coming after me. Alex decided to shoot for it. He aimed his Blink into the white unknown and warped forward. "Aron, I hope you see what''s happening here," Alex said. "On my way," Aron informed. Meanwhile, Kai''s onslaught continued. Damn it! She cursed internally. As soon as she blinked in to unleash her Blinding Light on the Sorcerer, a force pulled her away from her prey. Why the hell did he even place an orb all the way over here? Bastard! Nevertheless, her Blinding Light + Flash combo worked out. White particles of light surrounding the Sorcerer, indicating he was currently blinded. Kai could still press this attack further! Once blinded, most opponents lost their sense of direction and either wobbled around or fired blind attacks all over the place. But, not this guy. He calmly turned around and ran toward his Turret. So, that''s the competitive level for you, huh. A slight shiver ran through her. Cheap tricks like that weren''t enough throw off a true high-level player. Her opponents today weren''t like the randoms she fought in Ranked. These high-schoolers meant business. And, Kai was playing against these very opponents right now. After the club has been forcing her to sit on the bench for two years just because she was a girl, Kai finally set foot on the competitive level. And, she was about to prove, right here and now, that she wasn''t some lowly opponent to mess around with! Ill bring his HP down with basics, then ult him to death. Lets go! Kai chased the Sorcerer and fired balls of light at him. Normally, she wouldnt have been able to chase like that for long, since attacking while moving slowed her down. However, Blinding Light not only blinded the target, it also slowed them down. Therefore, she was able to keep up with the fleeing Sorcerer even though she was shooting him. Since the Sorcerer was blind to everything around him, he couldnt tell that Kai was firing and landing hits on him. If he keeps nonchalantly running away like this, shell definitely- WHISH! The Sorcerer vanished into thin air! "Damn" Kai cursed. That damn Sorcerer blinked away. Even blinded, he must have known that Kai was chasing and firing at him. Smartass. Try dodging this then! Kai unleashed the last weapon she had at her disposal - Solar Wrath, her ult. It was a map-scale spell that struck every enemy in the game. The damage wasn''t crazy but it had the extra benefit of revealing all enemies on the map for a while thanks to synergizing with the Lumimancer''s passive. It was extremely useful for confirming kills and exposing the positions of all enemies. In addition, after Solar Warth delivered its initial damage, it kept applying small DOT for a while as long as the targets stayed in the sunlight. They had to find a shadowy location and walk into it to kill the DOT effect earlier. In retrospect, Kai probably shouldve fired Solar Warth before she even blinked in to maximize damage. Damn, I really havent played Lumi in a while, huh. Kai clicked her tongue. She didnt have anybody but herself to blame for that one. After unleashing her entire kit on the Sorcerer with varying degrees of success, she brought his HP all the way down to 70%. For a Lumimancer, a non-power class by design, this wasn''t too shabby. If she lands a few more basics on that slippery bastard, she''ll drop him down to 50% and he''ll have to consider recalling. Finally, she''ll win the lane! "What are you doing?" Yuel asked in a stern tone. "Nothing much. Just cleaning up the mess you created when you made me pick this class." "You have to get out of there. Their Lionfolk is coming for you." "Ah, shoot!" Kai was so engrossed in the chase that she failed to pay any attention to the rest of the map. Her Solar Warth revealed that the Lionfolk was on his way to Top! Shit, hes already this close! Kai gritted her teeth. She definitely overstayed her due. The lion was coming to make her pay the piper! Vol.8 Ch.25: Rescue Gank! I''m probably done for. Kai turned around and began fleeing, but she didnt hold much hope. She has spent her entire kit on the Sorcerer, so she didn''t have any tools to combat the incoming Lionfolk. That lion was going to rend her asunder. But, that didn''t mean shell go down without a fight. She''ll fight for her survival until the very last moment! She thwarted this Lionfolk''s gank once before, so she''ll do it again. Alright, so I got her within leap range. Aron gauged that he could reach his prey with a Majestic Leap from this distance. However, he didn''t hurry to take the leap. The last time he tried to gank this Lumimancer, things didn''t quite go as planned. This girl was quick-witted enough to dodge Majestic Leap on reaction. So, if Aron leaps on her now, she might dodge it. "Her blink is down, yes?" Aron asked. "Yeah, but her Dodge Roll is still intact," Alex said. "Got it," Aron frowned. In other words, the Lumimancer still had a way to quickly dodge Aron''s leap. She''ll definitely roll away as soon as Aron jumps. Hmm, Alex suggested she might be reacting to sound cues. If so, she doesn''t actually wait to confirm where I''m jumping. That just might be the Achilles heel of that girls quick reaction time. Its worth a shot. "Rawwwrr!" A lion roar thundered from the jungle. Alright, he''s jumping! Kai rolled forward as soon as she heard the cue. He wont catch me alive- wha!? WHAM! The lion-man crashed right on top of her! How!? She was sure she rolled away on time. And yet, the guy landed exactly at the spot where she finished her roll. Impossible! Did he predict where Im going to end up after rolling? Nah, no way. That''d be... Kai gulped. That''d be too much, even for a competitive player. This must have been just a stroke of bad luck. Yeah, that''s all it was. I-Its just a flesh wound. I can still get away! Kai continued running toward her Turret as if nothing happened. Screw that Lion. Im not dying here! Unfazed, huh. I see. Aron nodded. The Lumimancer didnt slow down in the slightest even after he hit her with his calculated leap. She shouldve been surprised by the way Aron nailed her positioning, but she didnt let it get to her. Not bad. Youre actually forcing me to work for the kill. Aron nodded in approval. However, despite the girls solid performance, she wont get out of here alive. She overextended and she was going to pay for it with her life. Aron clawed her back, reducing her below 80% HP. Then, he rolled after her. Wha!? Kai paused for a moment as a big hairball rolled ahead of her. At that moment, she understood - there was no escape. This predator wont let her get away. This lion was a trained killing machine. After the roll, the Lionfolk will assuredly invoke his Mighty Roar. Since the HP difference between them was over 20%, the roar will inflict Kai with fear and make her temporarily lose control. Thatll give the enemy time to finish her off. If thats how it gonna end, might as well stand and fight. Kai stopped to glance behind her. Good, the Sorcerer didnt chase. This is a 1v1. I can still make something happen...! She stopped? Aron blinked. He recovered from the roll but found himself too far away from the target. His Mighty Roar wont reach her from this distance. The next moment, a ball of light struck his chest. The Lumimancer chose to stand her ground and fight him head-on! Is she planning to duel? Interesting. Aron thought. Given the situation, trying to fight back was indeed her best bet. It had a tiny chance of success, which was more than could be said about her chances of simply escaping. "I''m on my way," Yuel announced. "Try to hold him down." "Easier said than done," Kai fired another ball of light while backpedaling away from the Lionfolk. Her weak attacks barely did any damage, so there was little hope of beating this guy in a 1v1. Yuel better actually get here on time. Nice spacing. Aron got close enough to deliver an attack, but the Lumimancer backstepped at the right time to just barely dodge it. I can see why Yuel thinks highly of her. Putting aside her silly overextension, her technical skill is on point. On top of that, the way this girl was moving was rather smart. She has been slowly but surely drawing Aron toward the jungle without making it too obvious. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. So, there''s going to be a gank. Aron concluded. This was shaping to be much harder than he expected. Dealing with a Viking gank wasn''t in his plans. It appears I have to use my ult. What a shame. I wanted to save it for Lars. Aron activated The Kings Dominion. A blockade of lions formed around the area. It denied all entry and escape. This was over. Darn, just a second too late. Yuel bit his lip. He got Top Lane within the range of his axe throw, but Aron summoned the lion blockade just then. This was over. Given Aron''s skill, he''ll confirm the kill from that position for sure. There was nothing Yuel could do about it. Sure, he could jump into the lion''s den and try to make a change there. But, it was pointless. He''ll save nobody and will put himself at unnecessary risk. The enemys gank was successful. "Are you here yet?" Kai asked as she kept spacing out the lion man. "What''s taking so long? "Im here, but it''s..." Yuel opened and closed his mouth. Even though this was clearly the enemys checkmate, Kai kept fighting hard for her life. It felt wrong to drop the curtain on her and inform her that this was a dead end. Not to mention, Yuel has done nothing but bicker with her ever since the game started. If I don''t go through with this gank, shes going to be even madder. Yuel sighed. Perhaps I should gank anyway. It most likely won''t help the situation and he''ll be wasting resources, but at least he''ll show Kai that he was trying to make a difference. Trying and failing will probably be easier for her to digest than telling her she was a walking dead at this point. Am I really doing this? Yuels brain sounded the alarm. It was futile. Itll be a terrible misplay. He knew all of that. And yet, his body moved. In the first place, the reason Kai recklessly aggressed on the Sorcerer and found herself in this sticky situation was her dissatisfaction with Yuel''s game plan. It reminded him of the selection match. Back then, Yuel forced Roi to play Dark Knight for the sake of his rushdown game plan. But, Roi didn''t appreciate the pick, and that ultimately made him perform worse than usual. Back then, Yuel never went out of his way to patch up the situation. He dismissed Roi''s rants and trusted the guy to snap out of it and start performing. But, Roi''s performance remained mediocre at best. Maybe if Yuel just talked to Roi a little more back then... Let''s try it this time. Yuel steeled himself. He was very much aware he was about to throw himself into unnecessary danger, but it was for the greater good. Hopefully. "I''m here," Yuel announced and flung his axe. He couldn''t pass through the barricade of lions by foot, but his axe had no problem slipping through. The axe stuck into the ground inside the cage of lions and Yuel activated Axe Blitz, blinking right to his axe. One moment he was in the jungle, and in the next, he found himself inside the lions den. "About damn time," Kai ranted. "Get this guy off me." "On it," Yuel positioned himself between Kai and Aron. He would have used Takedown to toss Aron away, but CC didnt work on the Lionfolk inside The Kings Dominion. Therefore, Yuel had to shield Kai with his own body. You challenge me on my own territory? Aron frowned. This was peculiar. Yuel should''ve known better than to jump into this cage in a futile attempt to rescue a teammate who had one foot in the grave. What got into him? Is this some sort of 4D chess? Or, is he just underestimating me? Aron shook his head in disappointment. It was nothing more than another foolish play from the enemy side. First, the Lumimancer recklessly overextended, and now Yuel ganked for no good reason. Was this the level Yuel''s shot-calling fell to? Hopefully, he actually had a plan in mind, something beyond Arons wildest ideas. Either way, I''ll be taking my kill. Aron approached the two prisoners of his lion cage. However, he didn''t run at them right away and made sure to stick close to the walls of the cage. "He''s going to fight close to the wall," Yuel explained. "Once I send my minions at him, let''s attack one of the lions here to break out of here." "I like the sound of that," Kai nodded. Here goes nothing. Yuel activated Unstoppable Raid and summoned six savage viking warriors. Aron was the closest target available, so they all rushed toward the lion man. Surely you''re aware I know how to counter a play like that? Aron retreated further toward the wall of lions. The lions didn''t let any enemies through, but they had no intention of stopping Aron. They opened enough space for him to wiggle his way in. The tall lion man was now mixed among his four-legged brethren. However, that didn''t discourage the viking warriors. They kept rushing at Aron, fully intent on striking him down. They didn''t have the brains to realize they were heading right into Arons trap. The moment the vikings approached the wall of lions - claws assaulted them! The lions retaliated! They weren''t there just for decoration. Any foe who dared to approach had to meet their claws. However, that fact didn''t faze the vikings. They kept trying to chase Aron even though it was futile. Aron was buried deep behind his lions, so the vikings couldn''t quite reach him. Their target was right in front of them, less than a meter away, yet their weapons couldn''t strike him. The vikings couldn''t process this information and kept futilely running against the wall. All the while, Aron''s lions cawed away at them. And so, just like that, Aron defused the Viking''s dangerous ult without a scratch. Now, let''s see what they''re up to. Aron shifted his focus to the two prisoners of his cage. Attempting a breakout. I see. Yuel positioned himself in front of one of the lions and slashed the beast. Meanwhile, the Lumimancer was providing support fire from behind. They were trying to take down that lion to rip a hole in the prisons wall; a solid idea. As far as his limited options were concerned, Yuel probably made the best lines of play available to him during this gank. Nevertheless, none of this was going to save the Lumimancer, thats why this play was a guaranteed misplay. It might have brought him results against less skilled opponents, but not against Aron. Yuel should have known that, and yet... I dont see how the infamous Chessmaster is going to twist this one. Aron stopped second-guessing himself and just went for the kill. The Lumimancer isnt getting out of this alive. He declared matter-of-factly. Vol.8 Ch.26: The Hopeless Gank While the Lumimancer was busy shooting the lion blocking her escape, Aron snuck up to her. I can hear him creeping up to me, Kai said. Cold sweat ran down her forehead. A Grim Reaper in a lions skin was coming after her. Just keep shooting, Yuel distanced himself from the lion and ran in the opposite direction. Ill stop him. Oh? Aron smiled meaningfully. So, Yuel was going to intercept, thats sharp decision-making. Well, except for the fact Yuel signed up for this hopeless gank in the first place. Aside from that glaring flaw, the rest of Yuels decisions have been up to par so far. Truly, it was mind-boggling. Yuel both committed a terrible mistake but also made many smart decisions from there onward. Do you need help over there? Alex asked. Hrm, Aron frowned. That could help, but save it for later. My ult is still up, so I can handle this myself. Time to remind Yuel whose domain he invaded. Aron was heading toward Kai at first, but he switched targets the moment Yuel entered the scene. Now, he was going straight after the cocky invader! Me!? Yuel flinched. A flurry of sharp claws fired at him! Each slash was swift and powerful, such was the strength of the king in his domain. Stat-wise, Yuel and Aron were supposed to be on equal ground. However, inside The Kings Dominion, Yuel was like a mouse challenging a lion. On top of that, Aron was a better duelist than Yuel, so skill wont save him either. Nevertheless, Yuel had to stand his ground. He had to keep shielding Kai to help her get out of this predicament. We can get out now! Kai announced. Finally, the needlessly tanky lion theyve been attacking decided to kick the bucket. They penetrated a hole in the barricade! Time for a breakout! Tch, so persistent. Aron clicked his tongue. He didnt expect the enemy to pave an escape path so quickly. Even though the situation shouldve been a total dead-end for them, these two kept pushing forward as far as they could. In fact, with this achievement, they successfully shook Arons confidence. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he wont be able to kill the Lumimancer by himself. These two cracked a hole in his absolute domain. However, all their hard work only proved the futility of it all. Yuel worked so hard just to keep the Lumimancer out of Arons claws, but thats all he achieved. Unfortunately for him, Aron wasnt the only threat on the lane. Change of plans, Aron addressed Alex. You take out the girl. Ill handle Yuel. Works for me, Alex nodded. Im already in position to shoot whoever comes out. Good, Aron approved. There was no need for him to worry about the girl anymore. It turned into a real 1v1 between him and Yuel. Too bad, but this is the end of your little rescue operation. Aron unleashed Mighty Roar in Yuels face. The difference in their HP percentages wasnt high enough yet to inflict fear, but the roar properly stole stats from Yuel and transferred them to Aron. Arons stats were already superior thanks to The Kings Dominion, and now he got even stronger. Meanwhile, Yuel only became weaker. This wont even be a fight, itll be an execution. Aron, the king of this domain, shall execute the fool who dared to invade his territory. Is he going all out against me!? Yuel jerked. This wasnt supposed to happen! Arons goal was supposed to be Kai, not Yuel. Is he going to let her go? No, thats not like Aron. Hed never let his prey escape like that. Then, what is- ugh! A flurry of claws fired at Yuel. He had to create some distance or else hell be the one to die here! So, he rolled to the other side of the lion cage. Okay, whats next? Yuel recovered from the roll, but the enemy was hot on his trail. It seemed like Aron has truly given up on pursuing Kai. But, was such a thing really possible? Would Aron let a dying enemy slip away from him? No chance, not unless he has a different way to confirm the kill... ah! It finally struck him. Kai, wait- It was too late. While Yuel was stalling the warden, Kai has already made her escape out of prison. Finally outta there. Kai sighed in relief. It sure was a close one. She just barely escaped the clutches of death back there. If not for Yuel, she would have been done for. But, that didnt matter. She was out! She was alive! Hell yeah! She exited the cage through the opening in the wall and set foot outside. ZAP. A familiar magical sound. A magical orb collapsed inwards, dragging everything in the area toward itself. It was Dimensional Collapse! Wha-!? Kai wasnt given enough time to react. The mini dark hole pulled her in without her consent! This is bad! Kai saw clearly what awaited her ahead. There was another orb, lying in wait for its prey. She saw the threat from a mile away, but she couldnt do a single thing about it for she couldnt move during the gravitational pull. She was heading straight toward the second orb! Its a little overkill, but I rather not take any risks with you. Alex thought. If he all he wanted was to erase what little remained of Kais HP, he merely had to land one shot with Repelling Force. However, last time he tried to confirm such a hit on her, Kai dodged his shot from afar. She must have reacted to it by sound and there was just enough time to move aside. Itd be pretty embarrassing if the same thing happens again, wouldnt it? Aron wont let him hear the end of it. Therefore, he had to do everything in his power to prevent the Lumimancers escape. Thats why he first pulled her with Dimensional Collapse. While the Lumimancers movements were sealed, he unleashed a burst of magic and sent a Magic Orb flying right at her. An easy guaranteed hit. D-Damn! Kai saw it all. The unleashed magical force and the orb darting toward her. She saw everything, but she couldn''t even budge. The black orb rammed into her and snuffed out her remaining HP. You have been killed! Shit! Kai punched the chair arm. This play wasnt supposed to end like this! She aggressed on the Sorcerer to reclaim the lane, but she wound up dead in the process. Now the entire lane belonged to that bastard. I reap what I sow, huh. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Thinking about it, what did she even expect to happen? It shouldve been obvious that opponents of this caliber would shut down her flimsy offense on the spot. Her entire plan was suicidal. In fact, it was a miracle that Yuel nearly got her outta that disaster. For a moment there, she really thought shell get away scot-free. It felt like Yuel made all the right decisions in that situation. And yet, it wasnt enough. Guess thats how deep of a hole I dug myself, Kai hung her head. Speaking of which, did Yuel get away? She switched her view to Yuels perspective, a luxury only the dead possessed. Damn, this Lion shifts his focus fast. Just a moment ago he was chasing me, but now hes all over Yuel, Kai gritted her teeth. You better not die here. I dont want that to be my fault as well. As I feared. Yuel frowned. It was only logical to assume that Freezer will wait outside. Yuel knew about that possibility all along, but there was nothing he couldve done about it. So, he wanted to believe it wont happen. So naive. Seriously, why did I even bother going through with this gank? Yuel sighed. Even though he knew the odds of getting Kai out of here alive were slim to none, he still went for it, as if to convince her that he was wanted to help her lane situation. Thanks to this misplay, the enemy was about to score not one but TWO kills. The cage of lions was still up, so Aron still maintained an immense boost of power. Not to mention, Freezer was right around the corner and could join the offense at any moment. This was beyond hopeless. But, I cant let it end with two deaths. I have to get out. Yuel was already down to 40% HP. Arons swift and sharp assaults were rapidly draining his HP. I cant keep soaking this damage. But, theres nowhere to run. A wall of lions stood in Yuels path. Just beyond them laid the road to his Turret, but he couldnt cross through them or even get closer. The moment he approaches, the lions will lash at him. But, this wall wont stand here forever. The effect of The Kings Dominion should wear off in a few seconds. Yuel just had to find a way to stall Aron until then. Normally, Yuel couldve gone for Takedown and tossed Aron away. However, as long as The Kings Dominion was in effect, Aron was immune to CC here. So, Yuel had to handle this one with fundamentals. Except, theres nowhere to run anymore. Yuel bit his lip. I cant start running in the opposite direction, thatll only take me farther away from my tower. But, I cant just stand here and wait. Turning into a sandbag isnt an option either. I dont have enough HP to tank many more hits. If only I could make Aron whiff a few attacks... But, was that even possible? Could Yuel somehow make a player of Arons caliber whiff attacks in this situation? Actually, there was one way. Yuel experienced it on his own flesh about a month ago. Back when he fought against Howards sister, Yuel whiffed a bunch of attacks. For some ungodly reason, his Knight struggled to land any counters against Igniss Warrior. As it turned out, the reason was the slight difference in attack range between the two classes. On paper, Knight and Warrior had the same melee attack range, thats how it appeared on the wiki. However, turned out that the specific numbers hiding behind that generalization slightly differed across various melee classes. After suffering an embarrassing defeat at Ignis hand, Yuel dug deeper into this topic and found the ranking of the attack ranges of all melee classes. Indeed, Warriors range was slightly superior to Knights. And, there were many other interesting bits of info on that list. Yuel made sure to memorize the entire thing. So, there was one thing he knew: Vikings attack range was superior to Lionfolks. And, the difference was big enough to have practical applications. Yuel even practiced this specific matchup before when he was verifying the listed rankings in training mode. It wasnt enough to just know which classes had a superior range. The differences between their attack ranges were so minute, that they normally didnt play a role in combat. Nevertheless, if the player with the superior range could reliably keep their opponent at maximum range, they could bait their opponent into whiffing, just like Ignis did to him. Since Yuel has been playing Top a lot lately, he decided to practice such interactions for some classes; Viking was one of them. It wasnt easy to translate this theoretical knowledge to practice. However, if Yuel fully concentrated on this task, he could pull it off once or twice. Probably. Not like I have any other options here. He gulped. There was nowhere to run and he couldnt allow himself to get hit anymore. It was a sink-or-swim and he had to swim! Okay, examine the distance of our feet. Yuel took a deep breath. Now! He swung his axe at the incoming predator. Oh? Youre challenging me? Aron raised an eyebrow. Hrm, I suppose thats your last resort. Very well. Then, prepare yourself! Aron shot a counterattack right away. His Lionfolk swung his long arm and clawed right through Yuel. At least, thats what shouldve happened. In practice, his claws cut through empty air. What? Did I get out-spaced? Aron frowned. Was it intentional? Y-Yes! Yuel wouldve pumped a fist if he had the luxury to do so. But, time was of the essence. He made Aron whiff one attack and now it was time to run the hell out of here! The effect of The Kings Dominion came to an end and the lions dispersed. The path ahead was clear! Go go go! Cheeky brat. Aron clicked his tongue. Youre not getting away! Sorry, Alex casually jogged after the two of them from afar. Cant help you with this one. Ive spent all my spells. No problem, Aron said. Ill get him. Im faster. Its not over yet. Yuel knew. Arons Lionfolk was faster on foot. It wont take long before Aron catches up and continues his relentless assault. Thats why a little bit of a tricky was necessary. Hes about to catch up. Yuel estimated. Three. Two. One. Stop! He halted in place and turned around to face his pursuer! Wha-!? Aron blinked. Did he give up? Very well, then Ill- no. Wait! Aron realized what was about to happen, but it was too late. He was already within the Vikings reach. Haaaaaa! the Viking roared as he grabbed the lion man with both arms. Then, he hurled the beast far away, to the other side of the lane. It was Takedown! Tch. not bad. Aron landed a fair distance away from his prey. Naturally, Yuel didn''t waste any time making his escape. Aron gave chase for a little while but then gave up. It was over. Yuel reached the Turret area, he was untouchable now. That''s a polished Viking you got. Aron thought. Viking wasn''t a Support class, so Yuel wasnt supposed to excel this much with the class. Then again, Top was Yuel''s secondary role, so perhaps it was no surprise he could perform well with one of the highest tier Top Laners. I''ll keep that in mind for our next fight. Phew. Yuel sighed in relief as he finally reached his tower. Can''t believe that gimmick actually worked. He probably didn''t expect me to play Viking like this, so he let his guard down. It wont happen again, that''s for sure. Aron was like a self-correcting killing machine. Every time he was outplayed, he stored the data of that play in his database and processed a solution. The next time he comes across the same situation, he''ll counter it without fail. That''s how the killing machine always built itself up into an unstoppable late-game terminator. However, this game was only about to hit mid-game. So, for now, it was still possible to outplay Aron with tricks like these. That''s the only reason Yuel escaped death this time. Unfortunately, escaping alive was all Yuel ever achieved from this gank. He just managed to escape, nothing more. He didn''t score any kills and he couldn''t save Kai. It was a pointless gank, just as he feared. For a moment there, he thought he might actually pull Kai out of that predicament, but he should''ve known better. Against opponents of Aron''s caliber, that gank was hopeless from the beginning; it was borderline suicidal. Everybody was surely going to diss him hard for this terrible misplay. Or, so he thought... Vol.8 Ch.27: Shot-Callers Miscommunication "Good job getting out alive," Kai said. "I thought we were both goners." "Yeah, I did get away," Yuel said. "But, I didn''t really help." "Hey, you tried," Kai averted her eyes. "Gotta admit, you were pretty sharp back there. Almost pulled me outta that crap." "Um, sure," Yuel was taken aback for a moment. What on earth? This was the part where Kai was supposed to complain about his failure to help. And, about the fact he went for such a hopeless suicidal play. In fact, everybody should criticize him for making that mistake. "That rescue operation was slick, yo!" Lars nodded. "Gave me the shivers. Almost pulled it off, almost! But dat Aron, I''m tellin'' ya. Real killer." Whats going on? Yuel looked around in confusion. Its as if he wandered into some crazy alternate reality, one in which his gank was an acceptable play. It was crazy. "Yeah, man," Luke tuned in. "That gank was something else. Learned a bunch from it." "It was really nice," Ben nodded. "Such a splendid display of comradeship!" Vincent made noise. I can''t tell if these guys are serious or making fun of me. Yuel made a face. Though, admittedly, their words felt nice. It was rare for others to praise his plays in this manner. Normally, everybody only ever praised his shot-calls and reads. However, here they were praising his... What, exactly? "Comradeship"? The fact he didn''t give up on Kai until the very end? It was the same praise people gave him whenever he fought for the life of his Carry to the bitter end. For him, it was just a tactical decision. He judged that he could keep the Carry alive at the expense of his own life and that doing so would benefit the team more than his own survival. Therefore, he struggled until the very end despite the odds stacking against him. There was nothing particularly genius or amazing about these plays, but others often praised him for them. That never made much sense, but Yuel just went along with it. He assumed his teammates understood the tactical decision he made and simply praised him for it, nothing more. However, the current situation was different. His decision to gank Top was objectively a misplay. He calculated ahead of time that the chances of success were slim-to-none and it indeed failed in practice. Even worse, this misplay cost the team a lot of momentum because Aron injured Yuel heavily, forcing him to recall to base. So, for a short time, this game became a 1v3 situation with only Lars left to hold the fort. It was a terrible position. Yet, his teammates praised such a play? Even though it was so helplessly foolish? Ah, I guess they just didn''t know. Yuel smiled wryly. In this entire club, only he figured that the gank was a hopeless suicidal play. The rest must have thought there was a real chance of success, that''s why they sang him praises for his futile efforts. Ignorance is bliss. Still, there was one thing this play did achieve. The whole reason he threw himself into this pointless danger was to make it up for Kai. She has been prissy at him from the beginning of the match, even though he hasn''t really done anything wrong. So, with this gank, he was hoping to mend things a little. He thought that maybe, just maybe, if he gets Kai alive out of that situation, she''ll be grateful enough to let bygones be bygones. Unfortunately, he failed to get her out. And yet, Kai still seemed grateful enough. She appreciated the fact he tried so hard to get her out of that predicament, regardless of the fact he failed. So, maybe that play wasn''t a total waste after all. Interesting. So, misplays can have an unexpected benefit like that. Yuel nodded to himself. He felt like a scientist who has just discovered a new element of nature. It was such a bewildering reveal. But, none of that changed one important fact: Kai''s reckless charge at Freezer was foolish and irresponsible. It put her in that losing situation and cost her her life. This was a huge issue and it had to be addressed. It was a shame to ruin this positive atmosphere, but Yuel had to clarify the situation. He couldn''t let this slide, for itd send the message that Kai''s play was acceptable; it definitely wasn''t. "Kai, what was the big idea there?" Yuel asked as carefully as he could. "You were asking to get ganked." "Ah, well..." Kai averted her face and scratched her nose. "It wasn''t my brightest idea ever, I admit." "That''s putting it lightly. It was suicidal." "Hey, whose fault you think it is that I gotta go for these desperate plays? My lane disadvantage ain''t gonna resolve itself, you know. "Yes, but dying sure improved your situation." "I thought I could get him," Kai clicked her tongue. "That damn Freezer turned out to be pretty good. It''s like he saw it coming." "He does seem to have an acute game-sense," Yuel nodded. Freezer hasnt done much this game, but each of his actions was remarkably on-point. He was always in the right position, at the right time, and using the right skill. "But, of course hes good!" Vincent exclaimed. "After all, Freezer possesses the Third Eye of Truth! He can see through anything and always make the correct play!" "Sounds a little too invincible, don''t you think?" Yuel asked. "He might as well be." Vincent nodded with a dramatic expression. "Have any of you actually outplayed him this game so far? Nay, I say." "That''s..." Yuel didn''t have a rebuttal. Indeed, they haven''t made Freezer sweat this match at all. It always felt like he was on top of the situation. Back during the scrimmage with the Leopards, Freezer''s sloppy execution seemed like the main thing holding him back. And, there was no trace of that weakness in this match. So, at least so far, Freezer truly passed himself as an opponent without any weak points to speak of. "Actually, I dodged one of his shots," Kai said. "Oh, correct!" Vincent nodded. "True, there was one such unexpected exchange. Your Rhythm Reader bested the Third Eye of Truth in that scenario! No matter what truths his third eye might reveal, they''re powerless against the reality-bending Noble Phantasm that is Rhythm Reader! So, youve only surprised him once with impressive mechanical skill, Yuel said. But, the second time you failed to dodge his attack, hence you failed to escape alive. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I didnt fail, Kai objected. That bastard didnt even give me a chance! He pulled me in with one ball and smacked me with another. I couldnt even move. Huehue, Luke cackled. Sounds like he crushed ya with his balls. Oh, shut it, Kai rolled her eyes. Freezers skill aside, Yuel wheeled the conversation back on topic. Kai, you shouldve known itll end poorly if you charge at him like that. Well, what else was I supposed to do, genius? He had all the lane control and you werent exactly helping me. Sure, you made him retreat a little every now and then, but that didnt change anything. You shouldve come to gank for real. That wouldnt have... Yuel didnt finish the sentence. According to his analysis, ganking Top wouldnt have borne any fruit for the team. However, that was just his own personal estimation of the situation. Kai didnt see things the same way, so she wanted a gank. Despite that, Yuel didnt provide her with one. He kept repeating the same remote intimidation tactic without fully explaining his reasoning to Kai. No wonder it didnt instill much confidence. As the shot-caller, it was part of Yuels job to do something about that situation. At the very least, he shouldve reassured his teammates that he had a plan and that everything will be alright. Yet, he hasnt done either of those. He just kept playing silently, keeping his in-depth analysis in his own head. In truth, he had all sorts of ideas in mind. The matchup in Top was indeed terrible and things were rough in Bot as well. However, their team composition should be able to hold the upper hand in team-fights, so it was a good idea to wait for mid-game. Alternatively, instead of struggling to defend two lanes, they could abandon one and concentrate all their forces on the other. It was a gamble, but it couldve given them the spark they needed for gaining momentum. More than anything, it wouldve instilled Kai with more confidence about the future of the match. In the end, Yuel deemed that plan too risky and dismissed it. Unfortunately, he didnt have any other bright ideas aside from waiting for mid-game. Therefore, he went passive. He decided there was not much for him to do at that point in the game, so he just remotely supported Kai by intimidating Freezer, without truly resolving her problem. He didnt do anything to give her any hope. So, no wonder Kai decided to take matters into her own hands. She lost all faith in Yuel, so she had to do something about the situation herself. All that piled pressure gave birth to her reckless kamikaze attack. If it were Howard in my place, he''d know how to instill confidence in his teammates. Yuel bit his lip. Even though that reckless attack was undoubtedly Kai''s fault, Yuel shared some of the blame as well. If only he did a better job reassuring his teammates about the future of this match, they wouldn''t become so frustrated with the current situation. It was a grim failure on his end. I still have a lot to learn. Yuel sighed in defeat. Why was it so difficult to properly guide his teammates? The answer was obvious: they weren''t chess pieces. They were human beings, with their own minds and ideas. Therefore, they needed more than just flat orders in order to perform. Even though Yuel should''ve known that, he made the same old mistake. Darn it. "Hey, dude," Lars called out to Kai. "I know how it feels. I also wanna charge in and beat the heck outta Trever. But, ya can''t just decide to do that stuff by yourself. You gotta tell us whatcha planning so we can help ya." "Huh, well..." Kai shifted her eyes away. "The guy is right, you know," Luke tuned in. "Where''s your communication at, cap?" "Indeed, such solo plays are no good," Vincent added. "It was like a play made by a pouting child rebelling against his parents." "Alright, alright, I get it already," Kai made a face. "Yeah, it was a dumb play and I should''ve discussed it first. I was just trying to get something done, okay? Jeez, you guys are assholes." They''re siding with me? Yuel blinked. This was rare. Normally, he was the received end of the large group. It seemed his pointlessly valiant efforts during the rescue-gank moved these guys. So, even irrational misplays had some uses, huh. I dont think I''ll ever be able to deliberately make such plays, though. "Alright already, I''m sorry and all," Kai said. "Anyway, do we have an actual plan now or what?" "As I said before," Yuel started. "The plan is to beat them during the mid-game with our superior team-fighting potential. Though, the current situation threw a little wrench in that plan. Even with better composition, we''ll have trouble pushing them back from this disadvantageous position." "Gah! Will you drop it already? I apologized." "I''m just stating the facts as they are," Yuel stopped for a moment. Maybe continuing with this line of thought isn''t the brightest idea. The team already feels discouraged enough as it is. According to his analysis, Kai''s death and the loss of Top put them in a jeopardy. In a small and limited mode like 3v3, he couldn''t find any immediate solutions to this disadvantageous situation. Most likely, whoever gained momentum first in this mode often carried all the way to victory. However, saying any of that out loud will only put a damper on the team. All of it was facts and felt important to share, but maybe Yuel should keep this to himself. After all, Lars was no stranger to taking reckless independent actions when push came to shove. So, painting this situation as hopeless might motivate the goof to pull something crazy. That wild beast has been restraining himself pretty well recently, but there was never to tell for sure. "They''ll most likely take Top Tower now," Yuel explained. "Sometime after that, I expect all three of them to push Top for the win. So, we''ll have to gather there and fight back. As I said, we got an advantage in team-fights, so we just have to beat them. We win the team-fight, we win the game." "Okay, I like it!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "Let''s kick up their butts, yo!" "I suppose that works," Kai nodded. Did I do it? Yuel wondered. Did I reassure them about the future of this match? At the very least, he wasn''t met with any objections, that was a start. But, was it really a good idea to not disclose all the facts with his teammates? According to his analysis, their chances of fighting back this momentum were slim to none. I suppose that''s something for me to mull over. Yuel smiled wryly. He was the shot-caller, so it was up to him to figure out a winning game plan and calculate the risk-reward ratios. His teammates didn''t have to know their chances were exceedingly low. As long as Yuel brings victory in the end, all this discouraging analysis was irrelevant. Easier said than done, though. Yuel frowned. If they fight 3v3 while defending Top, they were bound to lose. Even with their team-fighting advantage, it was unlikely they could beat Aron''s experienced team. At best, it''ll be a continuous draw and the enemy will gradually pressure Yuel''s team into submission. So, they needed an alternative. But, what else could they do in this small game mode? There were only the three of them here, nobody else to rely on. Yuel didn''t have many pieces to work with. Should I try backdooring? Yuel wondered. Viking''s ultimate made it great for split-pushing lanes. So, while the enemy is busy attacking one lane, he could blast through the other lane. But, that means leaving Kai and Lars without a frontline. Yuel shook his head. That idea was a bust; way too risky. It seemed their only option was to stand their ground and fight to the bitter end. We''ll just deal with it as it comes. Yuel nodded. For now, I need to focus on the situation at hand. What will Aron do after claiming Top? Naturally, the enemy was going to start by demolishing the Top Turret. But, what''s next? Kai was dead and Yuel had to heal up at the base. So, it left Lars all alone to hold the fort. Aron will try taking Lars out. That was the only reasonable conclusion. Aron could capitalize on this advantageous situation in many different ways, but he was definitely going to target Lars next. After all, Aron knew all too well how dangerous Lars could be. The faster he kills the beast, the better. "Lars, watch out," Yuel warned. "Aron will try ganking you sooner than later." "Lemme at him, yo!" Lars exclaimed. "I''mma avenge you guys no problem, believe it!" "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, keep your distance from the jungle. Don''t let them lure you in." "Roger. I''mma sit here like a tank. 200% immovable! Ain''t nobody gonna pull me into the jungle!" "Good," Yuel nodded. And so, one of the most critical periods of this match began. If the enemy can take Lars out, the game will be over right then and there. However, if Lars survives, there will still be a chance. It''ll be an uphill battle from there, but they''ll have a chance to pull it off during team-fights. Please, Lars. Just don''t mess up...! Vol.8 Ch.28: Dragging the Turtle out of His Shell Aron and Alex successfully killed the enemy Lumimancer, as well as injured the Viking enough to make him recall. The horizon was clear. That was easy, Alex said. It sure was, Aron nodded. Im still confused about the point behind that rescue attempt. He tried to save the Lumi, duh. Obviously, that was the goal. But, Yuel should know better than going for such a hopeless gank. There was no chance of saving the Lumimancer in that situation. I agree, his chances were bleak, Alex nodded. But, it probably looked doable for most people. Except, Yuel isnt most people, Aron frowned. He shouldve known that this play wont fly against me. I was expecting a twist, but there was none. It was a plain misplay. Are you sure youre not giving the guy too much credit? Hes only in second year, right? Yes, but even as a freshman, his judgment has always been exceptional. This is very much unlike him. Its almost as if his decision was... Fueled by something other than rational reasoning. Aron didnt dare to voice that thought out loud. That wasnt the Yuel he knew. As a shot-caller, Yuels strongest quality was his ability to always think rationally and use objective judgments. So, he couldnt have possibly regressed into the type of player who made emotional decisions out of sheer optimism. Because, if so, he wouldnt be Yuel anymore. Youre sure making a big deal out of it, Alex shrugged. You know, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Maybe he misjudged the situation in the heat of the moment. He had to react fast, so he made a hasty decision. I suppose thats possible. Besides, he nearly got the Lumi out. Im not so sure you wouldve confirmed the kill on your own back there. I would have gotten the job done if I focused the Lumi, Aron objected. But, it was easier to leave her to you. No point pushing myself and risking a misplay. Either way, you agree that, without me in the picture, there was a slight chance of them getting away, right? Maybe thats what he was counting on. It was obvious to everybody that youll get involved in that situation, Aron argued. Yuel wouldnt miss something so obvious. Maybe he gambled on the chance I wont make it? Perhaps, Aron sighed. Anyway, were getting nowhere so lets move on. Agreed, Alex nodded. With the Lumimancer out of the picture and the Viking back at the base, the Top Turret was there for the taking. "So, were taking the Turret with the next wave, right?" "You take it," Aron turned his back and strode toward the jungle. "I''ll use this opportunity to gank Bot." "Wait, I''m not sure I can take the Turret alone, Alex said. The Viking might return to defend." "No big deal. You''ll take the Turret sooner or later. We''re in no hurry." "True, but pushing alone makes it awkward. I don''t have any escape tools, remember? And, I spent my Blink too. So, I''ll have to constantly watch out for potential ganks. Not fun." "Just play safe like you always do and youll be fine." "What a drag," Alex sighed. He was hoping to score the Turret now and have an easy ride on the lane from there onward, but Aron didn''t care for realizing this utopia. Oh well. "So, I guess that Elf player is such a big deal?" "You can put it that way," Aron said. "As long as he''s alive, you can never be too sure about anything. He''s a wild card. But, if we take him out now, the game is as good as over." "Sounds greedy," Alex shrugged. "I rather take the tower in front while I can, but you do you." "I''m sure you can take it alone." "We''ll see how it goes." On that note, Aron left Top and headed toward Bot through the Jungle. "I''m rotating to Bot," Aron announced. "Yeah, I heard," Trever nodded. "Lure Lars toward me." "We really hafta gank him? I can take him out myself. He''s free as heck today." "Oh, really? Then go ahead. I''ll wait." "Tch, okay, okay," Trever made a face. If it were so easy, he would''ve kicked Larss turtling arse ages ago. But, Lars''s defense has been proving to be surprisingly airtight. Of course, part of it was Elf being broken with his asinine attack range. Even an infant could pick up this hax class and shoot arrows from across half the universe. Shit was dumb as fuck. Nerfs pls? But hey, Trever wasn''t some scrubby scrub who''d lose to cheap stuff. He had more than enough experience fighting pesky elves. Especially, experience in crushing the smarty-pants players who picked Elf for Duel, thinking they gonna cheat the system with Elf''s range. Nah-uh, not gonna happen against Trever. He gave them the business every time. The counter to Elf was straightforward: just get in and wreck him from close-range! Ezpz. Well, it wasnt that easy in practice, but Trever knew how to be aggressive enough against these campers. After all, he was the WildDragon! He knew how to cause a storm or two. Nevertheless, the players who really knew how to play Elf gave him trouble from time to time. Turned out Lars became one of these filthy campers. The brat''s Elf used to be much more active and daring, but now he was properly maintaining his distance and all that lame shit. To make things worse, Lars was still the usual aimbot. So, not only he had asinine range but his shots hit home every single time. His farming was the epitome of Elf effectiveness. Trever could clip that stuff and title it "A PRO ELF PLAYER FARMING LIKE A MACHINE!!!!" and nobody will doubt its legit pro-level material. That''s how good it looked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So yeah, even for Trever, it wasn''t exactly easy to deal with Larss Elf today. It was unclear what was possessing the kid, but his defense was on-point. He didn''t fall for any of the usual baits and he nothing tempted him to start pushing. To make things worse, Lars bought himself some crit after returning to base. The crit chance wasn''t high but, but itll hurt like hell if it connects. One unlucky shot and Trever will lose like 30% HP. Until now, Trever has been enjoying the ez lane advantage. He fearlessly charged in with his cutlass and cleared minions from melee range. Lars never dared to shoot him in fear of aggro-ing the minions, so Trever had the leisure to wreak havoc on the frontline without fearing anything or anybody. However, Lars''s newly obtained crit chance changed everything. Now, Trever actually had to be careful, because even a single hit could be lethal. Lars knew that too, so he no longer played nice. As soon as Trever approached the edge of Elfs obnoxious attack range - BAM! A laser beam straight in the chest! Nice shot, bastard. Trever grinned but cold sweat formed on his forehead. The aim was pitch-perfect, even from this range. Luckily, this shot wasnt a critical hit. And yet, Trever lost almost 15% HP from that hit. Damn, I don''t wanna find out how much a crit would deal. The attack aggro''d Trever''s minions on Lars''s ass, but Lars dealt with them cleanly. The brat built high attack power and some of his shots crit''d, so he shot most of the minions down before they reached him. Trever could''ve charged in to attack alongside his goons, but he decided against it. There was a pretty damn good chance Lars will immediately switch focus to Trever and snipe again without fail. Trever could legit die from three unlucky crit hits right now, so advancing was too reckless. So, this situation didnt leave Trever with many options. His best shot against an Elf was to get close, but he couldn''t approach an opponent who had an aimbot installed in his brain. Therefore, the best Trever could do was to maintain his slight lane advantage by clearing minions a little faster. Unfortunately, that didn''t move things anywhere. "Yeah, to be honest, a gank would be nice," Trever finally accepted Arons offer. "So, you just need me to bring Lars into the jungle?" "Yes, that''d be ideal," Aron said. "I don''t have my ult, so my options are limited. It''s best to force him into an area from which he''ll find it hard to escape." "Roger," Trever saluted. "Food delivery coming in a minute. Don''t forget to prepare your tip." "You make baiting sound so easy." "C''mon, it''s Lars we''re talking about. He''s even easier to bait than me, haha." "I''m glad you''re so self-aware," Aron frowned. "How about your work on that flaw of yours?" "Can''t fix my genetics, man," Trever laughed it off. "Anyway, I''m on it. Show me where you want your food delivery and I''ll get it there." "Somewhere around here would be ideal," Aron drew an area on the mini-map. "Gotcha. Food incoming!" Now, all Trever had to do was lure Lars into the jungle. A little taunt should do the trick. When the next minion wave arrived, Trever advanced to the frontline with a cutlass in hand. Crit damage? Trever sneered. Pft, who cares about that flesh wound? Im going all in! Pulling all the stops! Not scared of you! That''s the story Trever tried to sell to Lars by doing an in-game taunt and advancing to the frontline. It was just a bait, he had no intention of truly putting himself at danger. Therefore, he stopped advancing a little early. ZIP! A laser beam flew straight at him! But, it vanished into thin air right in front of his nose. As absurd as Elf''s attack range was, it still had a limit like every other shot. With Trevers experience dueling this crappy class, he could more or less see that range with the naked eye. So, as soon as he stepped into the danger zone, he backpedaled out of Lars''s. By the time the laser reached him, he was already out of range. This kind of pro play should go straight into a "Top 10 Plays" video. Too bad nobody was there to witness this sick move. Heh, you mad? Trever stepped within Lars''s attack range again. ZIP! Another laser! But, it failed to reach again. Trever stepped outside the attack range in the nick of time. You ain''t gonna get me like that, kid. Trever kept repeating this taunt over and over. He stepped in, then immediately stepped out. C''mon, turtle. Come here. Trever grinned. Any moment now. "Dang it!" Lars missed another shot. Or, more accurately, his shot failed to reach the target. One second, Trever was cleary within range and the beam traveled right at him. Yet, in the end, it failed to reach. WHAY!?!?!?!? Grrr, dude is toying with me. Lars grumbled. He really wanted to get some big hits on Trever to pay back for their previous fight, but dude kept sneaking outta range. Dang it! I know I can just ignore his shenanigans, but... Actually, no. No way I can ignore this, yo! Lars had to get at least some damage in. Even with his new crit item, he was still behind in terms of wave clearing speed. So, he had to get something going. Trever was offering himself on a silver platter over there, so Lars just had to get his laser beams to connect. Once they land, theyll wreck the heck outta Trever''s HP. Therefore, Lars absolutely had to make something happen here! It was such an awesome opportunity! But, I ain''t hitting nothing as long as he moonwalks outta range every time. Lars clicked his tongue. To make matters worse, Trever started shooting while moving. Of course, he didn''t shoot Lars due to the big distance between them, but dude had no trouble reaching Larss swordsmen with his bullets. So, every time Lars whiffed a shot, Trever used that time window to snipe a minion. Then, right before it was Lars''s turn to shoot again, Trever walked into attack range again and stole the spotlight, making Lars whiff yet another shot... Ya really hate Elf, doncha? That''s why ya play like this. Lars smiled wryly. Truth to be told, Elf was a pretty damn annoying class to deal with. Dudes range was that of a sniper, so Elf players always camped far in the back and snipped people from half a map away. Basically, exactly what Lars was doing right now. I became the evil I swore to destroy. Lars chuckled. A few months ago, playing defensively like this would have been unfathomable for him. After all, he was always all about dat sweet, sweet offense. Blitzing into the fray, getting some shots in, bam, bem, boom, and done! Get the kill and get out. Thats how true fights were meant to be! However, such an approach didn''t quite work for Elf. This dude had super long range but his attack speed was nothing to write home about. And, in general, dude was kinda lame during the early-game. Lars used to play offense as Elf in that past, but that always blew up in his face. So, he always thought Elf was a lame class. But, the selection match against Ellen taught him an important lesson: defense was kinda important too. No matter how strong he was, he couldn''t just charge in and win against any opponent. Even if he was stronger, the enemy could beat him by playing smart defense or by baiting Lars into dumb stuff. That''s how Ellen got him every single time during the selection match. That''s why Lars had to play more patiently. He had to stay in the back at first and calmly assess the situation. Hell only start charging in once he''s absolutely sure he can get things done. It turned out Elf was one of the best classes for playing like that. It gave Lars the leisure to kick back and observe his prey from afar while getting them minions cleared. It was ez life. Most of the time, this laid-back attitude riled up the opponents and they opened an attack on him. From there, Lars just had to catch them overextending and turn the tables on them. Pulling that off always felt hella good! It totally made up for having to play like a passive turtle at first. Mounting that sweet counter was satisfying as heck, yo! Guess that''s how they recruited me into this Turtling Elves cult. Lars smiled wryly. This strat worked pretty well, so he started employing it more often. Yuel encouraged him a lot too, so at some point Elf became one of Lars''s frequent picks. It might even join the ranks of Trickshooter and Gunslinger one day. But, for now, it was still a work-in-progress with many rough edges. Experienced opponents snuck by Lars''s range advantage and forced the fight into closer quarters. In those, Elf had a tremendous disadvantage compared to most marksmen, and Trever did exactly that the last time they clashed. Dude was an avid Elf Hater, so he knew how to handle this turtling. Fortunately, Lars dodged a bullet back then and got outta that desperate situation alive. It was a testament to how much he has been playing Elf over the past month. His defense actually became pretty damn solid. Even the supreme criticizer, the guy who complained about every small misplay Lars ever made, praised Lars a few times for his well-executed defensive plays. Hell yeah! With all that said, Lars still wanted to score ''em kills. After all, playing defense all day won''t win him the game. He had to go on the offensive at some point. That''s why, he absolutely gotta land shots on Trever while that cocky senior was showing an opening. Dude was popping his head in and out, as if asking to be shot. So, Lars gonna drill him with laser beams! Vol.8 Ch.29: Peek-A-Boo Bait Dang it, not again! Lars pouted. Another one of his laser beams failed to reach Trever. His timing shouldve spot-on, but Trever still got outta range in the last microsecond. What a mad lad. "Phew, close!" Trever exhaled in relief. That laser beam nearly grazed him. "Are you sure you know what you''re doing?" Aron asked. "Your stunt looks needlessly risky." "Well, tell me, genius, how else you suggest I drag that Turret over here? That kid joined the dark side, I''m telling ya. He became one of these cheap turtling Elf players. Absolutely disgusting." "So, your idea is to play a risky peek-a-boo against him?" "Don''t worry, I got this!" Trever claimed. "I''ve used this strat on a bunch of cheap Elves. It always gets to them eventually. These turtling bastards are always thirsty for getting some hits in. They can''t resist it when you tempt them over and over like this." "To me, it looks like you''re asking to be shot," Aron frowned. "Don''t worry, he won''t hit. Trust me, I''m a pro Elf-slayer." "If you say so," Aron wasn''t convinced in the slightest but he went along with it for now. Trever might be an idiot, but he usually knew what he was doing when it came to Classmancers, especially to 1v1s. It was safe to leave this one to him. Probably. Meanwhile, Aron continued his rotation toward Bot. Hopefully, by the time he gets there, he''ll have a juicy target to gank. Dang, dude is good. Lars clicked his tongue. While he was whiffing shots left and right, Trever has been sneaking shots on Lars''s minions. By now, half of Lars''s army has vanished without a trace, while Trever''s remained almost entirely healthy. This was going south fast. Okay, looks like we''re playing that kind of game. Lars smirked. This was a challenge and Lars gonna accept it without batting an eye. He gonna find a way to land shots on this professionally trained Elf-killer! Okay, just as he gets closer, I also step in and then...! ZAP! Lars fired a laser beam. This one gotta reach for sure! ... but, it whiffed. The laser beam vanished into thin air right before grazing Trever. So close, yet so far. Gah!!! Getting hotter. Trever smiled nervously. A drop of sweat formed on his forehead after seeing that shot. It was too close to comfort. Trever was so surprised he forgot to take advantage of Lars whiff and didn''t shoot any minions this time. Lars was catching on. But of course, leave it to Lars to figure a counter in the heat of battle. This was the first time Trever used this baiting strat against Lars''s Elf, and it might even be the first time the kid comes across such an Elf-counter play. Nevertheless, he already found the answer. He''s only going to get faster from here on. Trever predicted. Which means, I gotta play it safer. Okay, he''s about to do his thing again. Lars carefully watched the movements of Trever''s legs. As soon as he sees a twitch, he gonna go for it! Okay, there! Lars took a step forward and fired a laser beam. This time, it had to hit! Yet, it didn''t... "What the...?" Lars mumbled. What gives!? I totally had him, yo! The game gotta be acting up or something. Phew, still safe. Trever exhaled in relief. This time, he only took a half-step forward before immediately retreating. That little trick threw off Lars''s timing just enough. Oh, right. Almost forgot to shoot the minion. Trever fired at the last enemy swordsman left standing. He had to deliver at least one shot on enemy minions every time Lars whiffed a shot. Doing so put Lars on a timer. The moment the kid loses his entire army, he''ll also lose this golden opportunity to get easy shots on Trever, as hed have to retreat. Lars surely knew that, so it put pressure on him. The kid was going to snap any moment now. Any moment. "Man, this dude over there, Im tellin ya" Lars grinned awkwardly. This was one heck of a high-level challenge. It was hard to tell for sure from this distance, but Trever probably employed some tricks to throw off Lars''s timing and sense of distance. So, even though at first glance it looked like Lars had many golden opportunities to land easy shots, Trever made sure that wasnt the case. To make things worse, Larss minion wave was running out of gas. The last swordsman was about to fall, then the entire enemy wave will run over his bowmen. This ain''t looking swell. Do I just ignore his derpy distractions and focus on farming? That was an option. Lars has barely attacked enemy minions during this wave, so the enemys army was still big and healthy. He gotta start clearing them eventually. The earlier he starts, the better. However, doing so meant giving up on this juicy opportunity to score a bunch of hits on Trever. Gah, this was such a tough dilemma! If Lars is lucky enough, he''ll need like three crits to smack Trever outta existence. And then, he''ll finally be able to take over the lane! He had to pull it off somehow...! Well then, if ya gonna keep running back and forth like some sneaky cat, I just gonna go come at ya! Lars started moving forward. But, he moved slow. Like, painfully slow. So slow that he almost couldnt tell whether he was really advancing or not. Such was the payoff for the amazing range during Elven Sight. The skill granted the ability to snipe people across half the lane and first-person view for extra accuracy, but the Elfs movement became like that of an injured turtle. The slowdown on this thing was like 80%, no kidding. Fortunately, just a couple of steps should be good enough. That should eliminate the small extra distance his laser beams failed to cross. And now, he gonna shoot! This time it gonna hit for sure! You ain''t hitting me with that shit. Trever stepped away from the shot and made it whiff. Nice thinking there, but you ain''t gonna close the distance between us when you''re moving like a brick stuck in mud. I see your every move! Dang, I''m too slow. Lars twisted his lips. What do? The idea of closing the distance was good, but it didn''t quite work. Trever easily reacted to the slow movement and slightly retreated to maintain the same distance. There was no doubt this dude trained for years in order perfect this anti-Elf technique. Meanwhile, Lars was just scrubbing it out here in the field. It was the first time an opponent used such a bold technique against his Elf. So, he was practically figuring things out on the fly. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. But, no problem! He still had his range. He just had to make Trever misstep somehow. Ezpz. If ya gonna backpedal all day, I''mma just snipe yo bois. Trever shifted his focus to the minion wave and fired at the bowmen in the back. Zap! The laser beam exploded hard in the bowmans face. A critical hit! Deleted that bowman from existence. Not gonna keep trying? Smart. Trever was deeply impressed. If this were the Lars from a few months ago, that kid would have kept attacking for sure. After all, Lars always played like a beast hungering for kills. But, today''s Lars was patient and had some actual decision-making going for him. It seemed the brat was growing up to be a fine man. I raised that boy. Trever felt proud. After all, he has spent more time training with Lars in the club than anybody else. They and Taison used to play 1v1v1 for hours. Good times. Heh, this sure makes things more interesting. Trever grinned. Lars was supposed to chase Trever like a fool and get baited toward the jungle, but the brat decided to play smart today. That threw a wrench in Trevers plans. But, thats how things gotta be! Wheres the fun when theres no challenge, right? If Lars even dared to dream about getting anywhere in the regionals this year, he better be able to do at least this much. Now, the ball was in Trevers court again. How should he respond to Larss counter? For this bait tactic to work, he had to convince Lars to advance as close as possible toward the jungle. And, for that, he had to put himself within Larss attack range in a convincing manner, even more convincing than before. Telling you right now, Trever turned to Aron. Dragging this turtle all the way to the jungle might be asking for too much. I can get him to the entrance at best. Got it, Aron nodded. Ill get closer then. Okay then, lets get this little party started! Trever grinned. This was a do-or-die. A single misstep will cost him dearly, possibly his life. On second thought, maybe I should give up on this? With all said and done, its Lars Im dealing with. Trever gulped. A shiver danced on his skin. Nah, I aint no quitter. In for a penny, in for a pound. Lets settle this! Trever charged in! He ran straight at Lars, who was currently busy sniping the bowmen. Coming from the front door!? Lars jumped. His first-person field of view was focused on the minions, so he only saw Trevers figure at the very corner of the screen. And, that figure suddenly grew bigger! I see youre finally done with em tricks. Lars smiled dangerously. Okay, lets settle this! Lars shifted his aim toward the incoming enemy. From this range, he gonna hit Trever for sure. There was no way dude could step outa range at the last moment this time, he invaded too far for that. It was over, yooooooooo! Zap! A laser beam darted at Trever! It gonna hit for sure! No dice, kid. Trever saw it coming and rolled aside. Dang it! Youre good, but...! Lars immediately shifted his aim ahead of the rolling Pirate. He just gotta snipe Trever the moment the dude recovers from the roll! Yeah, right there! Zip zap zup! You and your damn aimbot...! Trever backpedaled as quickly as humanly possible upon recovering, but it was to no avail. Lars''s aim was pitch-perfect, especially with the first-person view of Elven Sight. It was undodgeable. Whish! 15% HP gone. Luckily, it wasn''t a critical hit. One of those bad boys would wreck Trever in one hit. Phew, safe. Still, this was a terrible situation for him to fight in. Nevertheless, Trever had to press on. He gonna swim through this disadvantageous current and emerge victorious! It sucked he couldn''t fight Lars head-on in a fair duel, but that''s what you get when fighting a long-ranged turtle. Gotta play dirty and lure them to their deaths with a little bit of trickery. Not my favorite playstyle, but it not my fault. Trever shrugged. Blame yourself for playing that disgusting Elf. I gonna mop the floor with your Elf! Trever braced himself and started... retreating! Yeah, that''s right. Retreating right in the enemy''s face was the ingenious plan for beating this pesky Elf. It sounded dumb, but it was a legit tactic. By getting this close, Trever forced Lars to pay attention to him and ignited the flames of battle. Naturally, Lars took the bait and immediately switched gears into combat mode. There was no doubt the brat will keep firing at Trever. And, once the target gets slightly out of range, Lars will step forward. Just like that, one step at a time to keep Terver within range. These slow steps will add up and before long Lars will find himself in front of the jungle! That was the brilliant bait plan. "Ya ain''t getting away, yo!" Lars fired at the fleeing target. Whish! The laser beam cut through empty air. "Dang it, yo! Stop moving so much, dude!" Even with Lars''s 200% accuracy, it was difficult to land consistent hits on a top-level juker like Trever. Dude was zig-zagging like a fly on steroids. Heh, been a while since I fought a dude who can dodge shots like that. Lars grinned. This was the epitome of high-level combat right there! Few opponents gave a hard time to Lars''s flawless aiming, but Trever was definitely one of them. A worthy opponent, no doubt. But, I aint gonna let you keep doing that all day! Lars shifted his aim at the last moment. If ya always gonna switch directions once you hear the shot, I''mma just adjust my aim to that! Instead of predicting where Trever was going to be in the next moment, Lars estimated where Trever will end up after switching directions at the last moment. In other words, he predicted the prediction Trever was gonna make! Prediction-ception, let''s gooooo! ZAP! Should be about now. Trever didn''t change his direction this time. He kept running straight along the predictable route. Normally, that''d be the silly thing to do. However, against a highly skilled opponent like Lars... Whish! The laser beam flew right past him. It missed.. "Heh, read you like a book, kid," Trever smirked. They have fought each other enough for Trever to get a good feel for Lars''s quirks. The kid was always quick to adjust and start predicting his prey''s juking, it usually worked well for him. But, that meant all Trever had to do was predict the prediction Lars was gonna make about his own prediction! The outplays were real! "Yo freakin''...!" Lars returned to shooting along the predictable straight line. Whish! Another miss! Too predictable, kid. Trever snickered. You gotta mix things up better. So, were playing that game, huh. Lars nodded. Okay, you''re on! So, what was coming next? Straight or direction change? Well, surely Trever won''t keep running in a straight line thrice in a row, right? Then, it had to be a direction change! Zap! Missed. Trever kept running in a straight line for the third time. What an absolute mad lad! The poker mind games were real. "Okay, then next I''ll- Whoa! Craaaap!" Before Lars realized, enemy minions swarmed him! The little dudes got mad at how Lars hit Trever a few seconds ago and came seeking revenge. This ain''t good, yo! The bowmen already landed a few shots on him and the swordsmen were about to ram him as well! Fortunately, Lars came prepared. He rolled away from the minions in the direction of his prey. Then, he activated Camouflage, a Utility Skill he bought back when he returned to base. A layer of fog veiled his body for a moment and the minions forgot he ever existed. It was the same effect as in all these stealth games, in which the guards completely forgot the player exists once he leaves their field of view. Since Lars also rolled outside the minions aggro range against players, they didn''t resume targeting him. Instead, the little dudes marched toward his tower. Okay, back to shooting Trever! Lars had to give up on his Elven Sight stance for the sake of executing that Dodge Roll, but that didn''t mean he was going to give up on the chase, far from it. He has already brought Trever down to 70%, so he had a huge life lead. Not to mention, he also had the threat of critical hits on his side. So, no chance Trever gonna win against these odds! Let''s see ya try winning this! Lars went all in! Good shit. Trever nodded as he turned around to assess the situation. An Elf without Eleven Sight was just a subpar Carry. Trever could easily contest an Elf like that. But, he wasn''t going to. After all, hed still have to deal with Lars here. Even without Elven Sight, this brat was going to pose a challenge for sure. I mean, I''m sure I can beat him no problem. Trever nodded to himself. But, let''s just go for the guaranteed kill instead of risking it on something unexpected. This kid has gotten lucky against me before, so anything is possible. And so, Trever kept running toward the jungle. His bait tactic was about to work out. Lars was already halfway there. Just a little more and Aron will be in a position to jump him! Sorry, but its over for ya, turtle boy! Vol.8 Ch.30: Aint Gonna Take That Bait, Yo! You ain''t gonna fight me? Lars wondered. Even though he no longer had the advantage of Elven Sight, Trever didnt dare to fight back and continued running away like a scaredy-cat. Heh, seems like ya know you got no chance against me! This gonna be a wrap! Oh, wait a sec here... Lars realized something. When the heck did he get all the way over here? The entire time, he was trying to stay away from the jungle to discourage ganks on him. Yet, for some reason, he found himself all the way over here, a short distance away from the jungle entrance. He gonna end up in the jungle if he keeps chasing! No, no, no! Bad news! Lars hit the brakes. Suddenly, all the shenanigans Trever has been pulling on him made perfect sense. Trever didnt just mess around with Lars with all that peek-a-boo nonsense. Everything was a part of this bait master plan! Slowly, but surely, Trever drew Lars toward the jungle. "Yo, my dude! Aron might gank yo lane!" Yuel said something like that, didn''t he? Most likely, Aron was lying in wait nearby. The lion was waiting for an opportunity to leap on Lars and tear him apart. Yeah, that ain''t gonna happen. Lars turned around and ran back to his side of the lane. He won''t be baited by this nonsense ever again! Ellen has burned him enough times during the selection match. It was unfortunate, but he gotta give up on the chase and retreat. "Okay," Trever turned around to confirm the situation. "Let''s see how close the kid got... Oh. Umm, wut?" Lars was no longer heading toward the jungle. Instead, he turned his back to Trever and casually headed toward his tower. The heck was going on here? Who is this kid and what did he do to Lars? This was unfathomable. Lars? Giving up on a juicy chase like that? What the actual freak...? "Seems like he isnt going to bite..." Trever found it hard to breathe life into these words. Thats how alien, absurd, and uncanny this situation was. Lars? Not jumping on such a delicious bait? Impossible. "Yuel probably told him to retreat," Aron said. "Oh, yeah, that''d explain it," Trever nodded. That''d make much more sense than Lars choosing to retreat on his own volition. Phew, okay. Hes still the same ol'' brat. It gotta be the smarty-pants kid who is ruining my ingenious bait plan. With that said, Lars has been definitely playing like a turtle this match. Did Yuel order that too? Well, probably to some degree. But, in the end, it was Lars who agreed to play this way. And, he was the one who agreed to retreat in this situation instead of chasing a juicy target. Worst of all, Lars turned his back to Trever while retreating. Its as if the kid had lost all interest in Trever as an opponent. You mocking me!? Trever clenched his controller. You better watch your back, kid! Trever ain''t gonna let this shit slide. He turned his back in Lars''s direction and fired Backfire Canon! "I''m going in!" Trever announced while flying like a bullet across the lane. "Excuse me?" Aron frowned. "I''m going iiiiiin, bro!" Trever shouted. "I''ll show him what players like him deserve! I''ll rip that damn turtle apart, piece by piece!" "Have you lost it? Look at your HP." "Heh, one point of HP is all I need. This turtle ain''t gonna lay a single finger on me!" Trever switched from gun to cutlass during the flight and slashed Lars with the momentum! "Wha-!?" Lars jumped. He heard the cannon and turn around to see what''s up, but the next moment - Trever already slashed him across the chest! Wait, wasn''t Trever only trying to lure Lars toward the jungle? Where did this attack come from!? "This ain''t good, dude!" Lars reported while rolling away by instinct and dodging the next slash. "Trever is going super hard on me!" "Yeah, I see that," Yuel knotted his brows. This was an unexpected development. Until now, Trever has been channeling his inner Ellen by adopting her poke-and-bait playstyle. However, once Lars showed clearly that he wasn''t going to bite, Trever did a 180 and switched to full-blown aggro mode. "Do you think you can get away alive?" Yuel asked. "Well, I definitely gonna try as hard as possible!"! Lars recovered from the roll and broke into a sprint. As frustrating as it was to admit, he couldn''t take on Trever head-on from this range. He had to reach a safe spot first and create some distance- BAM! A shot from behind! Trever has already switched back to his pistol and fired! Dang it! Lars couldn''t see the shot coming from behind, so he had no idea in which direction dodge. Nevertheless, he gonna juke it! Somehow! If Trever can dodge stuff without looking, I can too! ... ouch. Damn. Lars made a sudden break to the left, but it was too late. The bullet drilled into his back and took a nice 15% of his HP. Combined with the damage from the surprise attack from earlier and the previous damage minions dealt him, Lars was already down to 60% HP. Meanwhile, Trever was still hanging at around 70%. Stolen story; please report. Just like that, in a matter of three seconds, Trever flipped this entire situation on its head. From being at HP disadvantage, he became the one in the lead. Also, from being the prey, he became a predator! What an insane beast! To get this dangerous pursuer off his back, Lars had to resort to extremes. He''ll have to root Trever down with his ult and make a run for it. "Don''t use your ult yet if possible," Yuel requested. "Whoa! Stop reading my mind, dude!" "It''s a panic button that''s great for situations like this, so of course you''d think of using it. But, unless you really have to, dont spend it. I''m rotating to gank, so it''ll come in handy." "Oh, youre coming over here? What about Top?" "It''s practically lost regardless of what I do," Yuel explained. "I might just barely stop Freezer from taking the tower, but it''ll be left with next-to-no HP anyway. On the other hand, here we got an opportunity to get a kill." "Oooooh!" Lars shivered in excitement. Things were about to get interesting! Lars was at a disadvantageous position right now, he practically became the prey. But, once Yuel arrives, they gonna flip the table all over Trever''s ass! It gonna be a counter to Trever''s counter! Hell yeah, they got this! "Okay, gotcha!" Lars said. "I''mma stay alive and drag him over to our side. Let''s give him a shocker!" "Yes, that''s the plan." Lars just had to survive until Yuel arrives. But, there was a catch. He couldn''t just retreat all the way back to his tower. Thatd just make Trever give up on the offense and leave. So, Lars will have to keep Trever occupied over here for a while. In other words, they gotta fight! Finally, Lars was given a legit reason to bare his fangs without being scolded for it. At long last, Lars and Trever gonna get a real fight going today! Okay, judging by where the bullet came from, I bet he''s somewhere around... Lars turned around and took a quick aim. Here! "Wow, wow, wow!" Trever just barely hit the brakes in time and changed directions to avoid the incoming shot. Thankfully, the laser beam missed him. "Damn, son! That was close! What the heck?" That was one heck of a surprise shot. Lars fired that thing as soon as he turned around, without any warning. He probably had a fraction of a nanosecond to aim, but he almost landed a hit anyway. Yes, that''s how it gotta be! Thats Lars, alright! "Youre finally going to fight?" Trever grinned. "Okay then! Lets do this shit!" "Wait, don''t-" "LET''S GO! LET''S GO! LET''S GOOOOOO!!!" "And, he isn''t listening..." Aron sighed. Once Trever got hyper like this, there was no talking sense into him. Its as if the idiot threw away what little intelligence he had and became a beast in mind and body. "Think you got me? No dice!" After sidestepping the laser beam, Trever fired an immediate counter-attack! He got this one! The easiest fight of his life. Lars ain''t gonna lay even a single finger on him! "Geh, it actually hit!?" Lars was sure he could sidestep in time, but bullet darted at him at lightning speed. Its almost as if Trever sidestepped Lars beam a little before Lars actually fired it, thats what allowed him to deliver such an immediate counter. Nah, no way. Lars''s smile twitched. I was just a little slow this time. Just hafta warm up. Ill get the next one! Lars fired back as soon as he recovered from the attack animation. This time, he gonna hit for sure! Alas, he didn''t. Trever sidestepped the laser-like some Olympic pro. Next, a counter was coming! This time it ain''t gonna--Crap! No way! Lars sidestepped that thing as fast as humanly possible, but the bullet still grazed him. What the heck, yo!? These bullets gotta be bending the time-and-space of reality or some supernatural shit like that! "Haha, what''s wrong, kid?" Trever laughed. "That''s all ya got!? Weak!" Even though Trever loses most of his reason in this state, Aron analyzed. This hyper state isn''t without merit Trever was a very emotional player by nature. When he was in a slump, he played like the worst player on earth. However, when he was in the groove, he was unmatched. He even made Lars look weak. Unfortunately, the more gung-ho Trever became, the worse his map awareness became. He only had his eyes on the enemy in front of him and little else. No matter how many times Aron tried to speak reason to his fool, it all went in one ear and out the other. No point even trying. Aron sighed in resignation. Hell just have to cover up for Trever, thats the most he could do. As long as he keeps Trever alive, Trever will surely get a kill here. Even Lars was no match for that wild barbarian. The real challenge was for Aron to guarantee Trever''s safety. There was no doubt that Yuel has already caught wind of this development. The way Lars suddenly shifted from running away to going on the offense indicated was suspicious. It was probably an order from the infamous tactician. Most likely, the enemy''s plan was similar to what Aron and Trever tried to pull just now. Lars will stall Trever as a decoy while Yuel rotates there to gank. Viking had it easier than Lionfolk when it came to assassinating an enemy inside enemy territory. Yuel didn''t even require that Trever comes close to the jungle. He could simply blink in and throw Trever to his side of the lane. Then, they''ll finish Trever off. So, I have to block Yuel off. Aron concluded. As long as he keeps Yuel away from the lane, the gank won''t come to fruition and Trever will be able to continue his 1v1 against Lars. Judging by the flow of the fight so far and based on Trever''s excited state, he was going to win this one for sure. That is, as long as it remains a pure 1v1 without any external factors. Seems like my job here is to ensure there won''t be any such external factors. Aron nodded to himself and headed toward the enemy side of Bot Jungle. There are only two possible entry points for Yuel: either travel across Bot Lane directly from the base, or cross the jungle and enter the lane through the jungle entrance. Aron had to account for both scenarios to be on the safe side, but he prioritized the path through Bot Jungle. Yuel will most likely come through this path. There was one very simple reason to believe that. Upon returning to base, Yuel had a decision to make: where to go next? At the time, the situation was as such: Lars and Trever were peacefully farming in Bot without any notable incidents. At the same time, Top was left undefended after the Lumiancers death, with Alex planning to push hard. Clearly, at the time, the more urgent area of interest was Top. So, that''s where Yuel should''ve headed toward. Even if he decided to gank Bot instead, the decision probably came somewhere along the way to Top. As such, Yuel was most certainly somewhere in the jungle right now. The fastest route to Bot for him would through Bot Jungle. So, this was the best ambush spot. With that said, Aron gave himself some leeway by positioning himself rather close to Bot Lane. As slim as it was, there was a chance Yuel would try to invade the lane through the lane itself. Aron had to be prepared to intercept the invader regardless of where he was going to come from. It won''t be a true counter-play unless he thoroughly shuts down all of Yuel''s approach options. Once he thwarts Yuels gank and Trever kills Lars, the curtain shall fall on Yuels team... Vol.8 Ch.31: Shutting Down All Options I see Aron is heading to Bot as well. Yuel frowned. One of his wards revealed Aron in Bot. The lion was most certainly heading to gank Bot and he was much closer to the lane than Yuel. This was bad. Lars had to retreat right away! ... or, maybe it wasn''t necessary? Wait, hes not going in? Yuel wondered. Instead of continuing toward Bot, Aron stopped in place and moved around in small circles. Its as if he was waiting. But, for whom? Obviously, for none other than Yuel. He saw through me. Yuel deduced. So, he rather stall me and let Trever handle the fight? That''s quite the faith hes showing in Trever all of a sudden. Still, if that''s Arons verdict about this situation, then it''s probably correct. As much as Yuel wanted to claim that Lars was unbeatable in duels, he knew it wasn''t that simple. Trever held the higher win-ratio whenever these two fought 1v1, except for when Lars used Trickshooter. So, even though Lars''s Elf improved a lot over the past few weeks, the odds probably still favored Trever. Do I cancel the entire thing and tell Lars to retreat? Yuel bit his lip. I came so close, but... He stopped around the corner. Once he passes through, he''ll have no choice but to run into Aron. A fight will break out immediately. Will Yuel be able to handle Aron by himself? Hard to say. Without his ult, Viking didn''t have any particular advantages over a Lionfolk in a 1v1. In fact, Lionfolk was better suited for 1v1s due to the strong debuffs of Mighty Roar. If Aron lands Mighty Roar, even without the Superiority bonus. Yuel most likely won''t be able to win from that position. Itll effectively be a checkmate. With all of that considered, charging through the front was extremely risky. At the same time, he didn''t have time to go around and reach Bot through another entrance. It was a "go hard or go home" situation. So, what was the right line of play? Should he try to break through? Or, should he cancel this entire operation? Darn, such a difficult dilemma had to strike him during such a critical time...! He''s late. Aron thought. Did he choose to go through the lane, after all? No, that shouldn''t be possible, theres not enough time for that. He has to come through here. Then, where is he? Aron carefully examined the mini-map. There was no sign of Yuel whatsoever. Aron sufficiently warded his side of the jungle, so there was no chance of Yuel circling around to gank from there either. Besides, that''d take way too much time and it was even riskier than approaching through the lane. Wards, huh. Aron looked around him. On his side of the map, he warded the area that was mirroring his current location. So, most likely, Yuel did the same here. Perhaps he was taking his time because he knew Aron was lying in wait here. If so, this was a misplay from Arons side. I should''ve taken wards in into account when deciding on a position. Aron made a mental note. Better review that after the match. Either way, if Yuel really wasn''t approaching Bot due to Arons presence, then it counted as a success in its own right. After all, Aron only came here to stall Yuel. He had no interest in turning this into a big fight. He might even be right around this corner. Aron entertained the idea. He had the urge to verify this theory, but he didn''t against it. There was no need to trigger a fight of his own accord. Better let Yuel rack his brains over this difficult situation. You sure you got enough time to think about it? Aron smiled dangerously. If you don''t start running soon, Trever will make quick work of Lars. Indeed, the battle between Trever and Lars was advancing at high speed. Lars already fell all the way to 35% HP. Meanwhile, Trever stayed true to his declaration and didn''t get hit even once ever since this close-quarters duel started. He was still hanging around 70% HP. "Dang it!" Lars exclaimed. "What did this dude eat for breakfast today!? He''s mopping the floor with me! I ain''t hitting nothing!" Lars fired again. His aim was spot-on. Well, of course it was. After all, that''s 200% accuracy for you. Lars''s shots never miss! But, sometimes they got dodged. Trever moved aside just in time to evade the laser beam. Then, he dished out a counter right away! Crap, so fast! But, I can handle it! Lars just barely sidestepped the incoming counter shot. This thing caught him off guard twice already, but the third times a charm. He finally adjusted to Tevers lightning speed counters, so now he gonna dodge them and strike back! "Wow!" Trever exclaimed as a laser beam almost grazed him. He sidestepped it by a hairs breadth. Dangerous stuff, kid. Can''t believe you can really dodged that counter. But, that doesnt matter. if you can dodge my counter, then I can dodge your counter-counter. How''s that? Pretty rad, right? Hahaha! Damn, this is fun! Yo, this dude is wilding! Lars couldn''t believe his eyes. He finally countered the counter, but Trever dodged it! No, wait. Trever didn''t just dodge it. He fired back as well! It was a counter to the counter-counter! Fuuuuuuuuuu! Lars saw it as it was happening, but he couldn''t react in time. Bam! A clean hit on his torso. That''s another chunk of HP gone. Dang it, Lars was too damn slow! He might even die with the next hit! He was cutting it way too close. "Dude, where are ya at? Lars called out I''m not doing so hot over here." "Ah, I..." Yuel bit his lip. There wasn''t enough time for him to estimate the risk-reward factors of this play. All he knew was that, if Lars dies here, the game will be over right there. Was that a risk he could afford to take? No, definitely not. Risks like these were the whole reason Yuel and Lars lost the selection match in the first place. They had to play safer, they had to become smarter. Otherwise, they''ll be forever chasing Howard and Ellen''s shadows. "Pull out," Yuel said. "Aron is blocking my route so I can''t gank. Sorry." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Well damn," Lars forced smile but it twitched nervously. If Yuel ain''t coming, it meant Lars was legit stuck here in this losing 1v1 situation all by himself. Alrighty, then. I just gotta get out. Ez. Lars has been saving his ult for a chance to pin Trever down and finish the dude off, but it couldn''t be helped. It had to be used right here and now. Lars activated Nature''s Embrace. Normally, it summoned branches at the target location to root the target. However, since Lars had this sick sci-fi skin, the branches were replaced by robotic arms. The robot apocalypse was coming, yo! "No way!" Trever exclaimed. Metallic arms erupted from the ground and held him in place. "Gag! Screw this stupid unreactable bullshit...!" Nature''s Embrace had a rather lackluster effect of merely rooting the target. However, its selling point was its disgustingly short casting duration. This stupid shit was unreactable even for Trever. Goddammit, Elf was such an infuriating class! Trever finally had his groove going, but the Elf said NOPE. Damn it! "He ult''d?" Aron asked. "He sure did! And, he''s running for his life like a little bitch. Come back and fight, dammit!" "So, they canceled their plans," Aron concluded. "Plans? What plans? Just gimme the kill, dammit! Don''t make me angry, boy. Just be a good kid and die like you should!" Alas, Lars quickly got out of Trever''s firing range and it was impossible to chase due to that stupid rooting effect. Just awesome. Fun and interactive. I''mma Kraken yo ass, boy! This was Trever''s last resort. His basic attacks could no longer reach, but his Kraken had the neccessary range. C''mon, big squidy! Get this shit done! "RELEASE THE-" "Oh! It''s coming!" Lars exclaimed. The Big Squid Dude was about to pop outta the ground and smack Lars down! Or, was it? There was no telling, because Trever could simply cancel the ult in the last moment like last time. So, Lars had to guess where it was a feint or not...! Lars turned around while he was running, to be ready to boot Elven Leap at any moment. If this Kraken was going to be the real deal, Lars would have to jump right away! Now, everything was down whether Trever will cancel or not. Oh, actually... Lars realized there was a huge distance between him and Trever. From this range, even the Big Squid Dude would just barely reach. So, if Lars leaps away now, Trever won''t be able to reach him with the Kraken anymore, even if he cancels this one and casts it again. Yeah, no need to play the guessing game on this one. Lars went for Elven Leap right away. Most of the time, he could react to Kraken and dodge with Elven Leap in the last moment. However, this entire situation made him a little agitated, especially the way he kept losing to Trever left and right. Not to mention, he was in the middle of fleeing for his life, which made timely dodges even harder. His usual sharpness definitely has been dulled, so it was safer to jam that Elven Leap right here and now. Already leaping? Trever raised an eyebrow. That was fast. The kid didn''t even wait to see whether the Kraken was actually coming. Due to how telegraphed that dodge was, Trever had enough time to cancel the Kraken on reaction. And now, hell unleash the Kraken at Lars''s landing spot and wreck that brat! ... or not. Lars was way outta range. Even Kraken couldn''t reach him anymore. And, Trever couldn''t chase because the stupid robotic arms were holding pinning in place. "God freakin''....!" Trever cursed. "He fuckin'' jumped outta here!" "Of course he did," Aron has already foreseen this development. The moment Lars used his ult to root Trever, it became clear Yuel gave the green light to exhaust every tool in his kit in order to guarantee a safe escape. Believing that Trever was the only immediate threat, Lars didn''t hesitate to burn his last escape tool. Unfortunately for the guy, Aron was already in position. Before Lars even landed, Aron already leaped toward his landing spot! "RAWWWWR!" A lion roar thundered. "Crap! No way!" Lars exclaimed. A big lion dude was flying towards him! And, there was no way to dodge! Fuuuuuuuuu! Aron went to the lane!? Yuel gasped. Since he and Lars agreed to cancel the operation, Yuel was already rotating towards Top to salvage what little remained from the tower. So, he was no longer keeping watch on Aron. What a mistake! He tricked me well. Yuel bit his lip. There was a reason he let down his guard about Aron. Before leaving Bot Jungle, he saw Aron leaving the area as well. It seemed like Aron gave up on the idea of ganking the lane, he even made sure to retreat toward his side of the jungle. But, turned Aron didn''t give up at all. On the contrary, Yuels retreated gave Aron the green light to go ahead and gank hard! I messed up. Yuel facepalmed. He underestimated Aron. That killing machine will never let its prey escape so easily. Aron will always find a way to track down his prey and strike them down. Dang it, yo! I gotta roll as soon as I land! That was Lars''s only hope. He had to Dodge Roll as soon as he lands. But, it was futile. Aron''s leap was flawlessly timed and positioned, as if calculated by a supercomputer. Lars wasn''t given even a nanosecond to attempt a Dodge Roll. The lion crashed on him like a meteor. You have been killed! "Damn, no way!" Lars smacked his forehead. "I was just about to get away, too." "Sorry, my bad," Yuel apologized. "I should''ve kept tabs on Aron." "Nah, I blew it harder to be honest," Lars shook his head. "How the heck did I let Trever mop the floor with me like that? Shame! Shame, I''m tellin'' ya! It ain''t supposed to be like that." "You should know better than anybody that your win rate against him isn''t exactly stellar." "Yeah, guess he kinda win more often. Still, it ain''t supposed to be one-sided like that. He royally kicked mah butt there. He mustve entered the zone or some shit. Daaaamn...." "I see," Yuel didn''t catch the finer details of the fight, so he had to take Lars''s word on this one. This fight taught Yuel one thing: Lars was a far cry from his maximum strength when using an Elf for 1v1. The same probably applied to any other class that wasnt Trickshooter or Gunslinger. In Ranked, this wasn''t a visible issue because there weren''t many who could stand up to Lars in a fight, even in Challenger rank. However, against a competitive duelist, this level of fighting wasn''t always going to cut it. So, Lars will have to polish his dueling skills with all the Carry classes he played frequently. Better add that to the training menu. Yuel made a mental note. In an ideal world, Lars would play Trickshooter or Gunslinger in every match at the regionals. However, for the better or the worse, the banning phase existed. It was a strong weapon in Yuel''s hands, but it was also an Achilles heel for Lars. It stopped the beast from using the classes he performed the best with. As a result, it was necessary for Lars to level up his skill with as many Carry classes as possible until the tournament. Of course, asking Lars to reach the same godlike level he had with Trickshooter and Gunslinger would be too much But, even 70% of that skill would be huge. Yuel had to make sure he integrates this into their training menu in the upcoming weeks. Also, I''ll have to reflect on many of my decisions in this match. Yuel made another mental note. Frankly, his shot calls were a disaster in this game. On paper, his judgments seemed solid and he mostly went for safe and effective plays, just like he wanted. Yet, nothing clicked for some reason. It was one bad move after another. An allied Turret has been destroyed! The Top Turret crumbled. Then, Bot Turret followed shortly. The game was a wrap. The team defended until the bitter end, but it was hopeless. Even though they should have had an advantage in team fights, it didnt mean much while they were stuck on the defensive. Between Sorcerer''s Resonance Ignition and Pirate''s Kraken, the enemy was overloaded with ways to turn the defenders lives into hell. DEFEAT Vol.8 Ch.32: Reflecting on the Match DEFEAT "Well, that was an attempt," Kai shook her head in resignment. "Would have gone way better if we didn''t get counter-picked so hard." "Perhaps," Yuel had to admit he played it a little too safe during the drafting phase. Especially, the way he made Lars pick Elf over Trickshooter or Gunslinger. Elf was effective at getting away, which kept Aron at bay as planned. However, the cost was too big. Yuel knew the statistics, he knew that Lars could only reliably beat Trever with his top classes. And yet, he chose the safe option and it cost him dearly. "It was a splendid match!" Vincent tried to inject positivity into the air. "It may have looked one-sided at times, but Im sure you made these high-schoolers sweat! With just a few tweaks here and there, you could''ve taken the entire thing! Your names would have gone down in history!" "You said it," Kai nodded. "If not for the terrible matchup, I would have destroyed that guy." "Oh? You sure sound confident." The high school team approached the group. "You got some spank, I''ll give you that much." "So, Kai shot the boy a glare. You were that cocky bastard with the annoying spacing, weren''t you?" "I was the Sorcerer, if that''s what youre asking," Alex answered. "Dammit. Id beat you no problem if the matchup wasn''t literal dogshit." "Confident, aren''t we," Alex glanced aside in disinterest. "You got mechanical skill, I''ll give you that much. I can see you giving me trouble in 1v1." "I''d whoop your ass in a duel." "Maybe. But, your teamwork is a shitshow. Who just goes ahead and suicides like that?" "That was..." Kai bit her lip and averted her eyes. There was no doubt Alex was referring to that one time Kai got frustrated with the lane situation and charged in for the kill. Looking back on it now, that was such an embarrassing performance. That decision-making was on the level of a Bronze player. "T-That was just a slip. I got a little angsty there," Kai said. "You make one dumb misplay like that and GG the tournament," Alex said. "Yeah, I know that much," Kai muttered. "It won''t happen again. Fight me one more time and see for yourself." "Nah, sounds like a drag," Alex shrugged. "Besides, it won''t prove anything. It doesn''t matter how good you are in 1v1 when laning, it''s all about teamwork. In fact, I don''t remember beating you even once by myself. I always borrowed Aron''s services for that. I mean, it comes free of charge, so why not." "You know," Aron frowned. "It''d be great if you tried to establish lane control yourself sometimes." "Why bother? You''re the Jungler, you do it for me. My only job is to keep the lane in good condition." "This guy..." Aron sighed. "Wait, you don''t fight for lane control?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "What kind of dumb playstyle is that?" "Of course I fight for lane control," Alex said. "But, if I see my opponent is going to be a pain, I rather leave it to the Jungler. Gotta make the guy feel important sometimes too, you know." "I''m more than satisfied with handling other things, you know," Aron retorted. "But, I''ll admit the way you do it usually works." "Of course it does. I set up the lane for you, so you have an easy life." "So, you rely on the Jungler to win the lane for you?" Kai asked. "You can put it that way," Alex nodded. "That''s why I picked this nickname. Freezer, because I freeze lanes. Neat, right?" "Indeed, it is art in the making!" Vincent joined the conversation out of nowhere. "I must apologize, for I failed to recognize your talent right away, even though it was right under my nose! I cant even begin to describe my shame" "Um, sure?" Alex was visibly confused. "Haha, what''s with this guy?" Trever laughed. "Ignore him. He just likes making noise," Kai awkwardly averted her eyes. As the captain of the club, it was a little embarrassing when people asked what the heck was wrong with Vincent. "Pipe down already, she demanded. "But, dont you think Freezer is amazing!?" Vincent typed furiously on his tablet like a madman. "Amazing? Aaaah..." Kai wasn''t sure how to react to this one. The idea that somebody could be so proud of his "ability" to freeze lanes was beyond her. Also, he apparently trusted others to win the lane for him. Kai knew she had to increase her faith in her teammates, but dumping her responsibility on others? That was just lame. Shed much rather seize the lane with her own two hands. That''s how she always proved her worth as a strong player who could compete with any boy. But, as Alex said, this was a team game; Kai couldn''t win it all by herself. The playstyle of endlessly freezing the lane and trusting somebody else to win it was too extreme to her taste, but it had the correct mindset at its core. Freezer relied on his allies and made them split the burden. It''s something Kai almost never did. Shell have to work on that. "Seems like you''ve achieved enlightenment," Alex said. "Atta girl." This asshole is totally looking down on me. Kai made a face. "Yeah, I learned a thing or two. Things won''t turn out the same next time." "It better not. Your opponents will eat you alive at the regional if you keep this up." "Well then," Aron took over the conversation. "I believe Alex covered everything I had to say about your performance. Then, let''s move on to the next target." "Oh!" Trever grinned. "We gonna shame the kids one by one and stuff?" "I call it constructive criticism. If it happens to be unpleasant to listen to, that''s their fault." "Haha, you aint wrong," Trever darted toward Lars and body locked that kid. "Well then, I got a lot to say about this damn brat over here." "Ya ain''t got nothin'' on me, yo!" Lars slipped through Trever''s arms. "Let settle this like men!" Trever assumed a fake boxing stance. "You''re on, dude!" Lars did the same. What is even...? Kai made a face. The goofs and their usual nonsense. Yuel sighed. This sudden development didn''t faze him in the slightest, which said a lot about the environment he was exposed to on a daily basis back in StormBlitz. "In the left corner, we got Gunz!" Vincent became the announcer at some point. "In the right corner, we got WildDragon! The two fighters go a long way back, I''m sure they used to spar a lot. Old friends turned foes! Who will take the national championship!?" "Haha, this kid is hilarious!" Trever laughed. "Love it." "I know, right?" Lars nodded in agreement. "He almost got dat commentator voice too. I betcha he gonna become da best Mancers commentator in the world, yo!" "Heh, we''ll see about that," Vincent wore a complex expression for a moment, then snapped out of it and continued the hype. "Alright!. Ready. Set. Fight!" "I gonna start off with a heavy blow, better prepare your defense," Trever started shadow boxing. "So, tell me. What in the bloody hell was that turtling? Who raised you that way!?" "Not my fault," Lars stepped back and dodged a swift uppercut. "That''s how you gotta play Elf." He thrust a slow punch, directly at Trever''s face. "Defense aint your playstyle, kid!" Trever sidestepped and launched a hook counter. "You play more aggressive!" "Different playstyles for different classes, yo!" Lars didn''t dodge. Instead, he drew closer and stuck to Trever like glue. This made the hook whiff. "Different, shmifferent," Trever created some space again and lunched a straight punch. "You really think you can beat anybody with this so-called ''playstyle'' you used? I mopped the floor with you, boy!" Lars didn''t dodge. He didn''t block either. But, the punch was heading straight toward his face! Wham! It connected! "Ah, I think I put too much power on that one..." Trever got carried away in the heat of the moment. The fake boxing punches turned real at some point. "You okay there?" "......." Lars didn''t answer. He just stood there. "Hello? Did I knock you out? '' Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Heh, you wish," Lars said. He successfully intercepted the punch... with his forehead! "Ya right. I played like a Bronze scrub back there. Also, gotta admit, you''re a pro Elf killer, no question." "You bet I am. This broken class sucks ass and I hate it with everything Ive got. It got range and escapes for days. Freakin'' turtling galore." "Haha, I feel ya," Lars smiled wryly. "Turtles are the worst." "Look who''s talking, the freakin'' Turtle Godfather himself!" "Haha, harsh. C''mon, I didn''t turtle that hard. I just maintained my distance and shot ya from afar." "That''s, like, the 101 of turtling. You were a damn turtle, bro. Admit it." "Maybe a little," Lars glanced away. "But hey, that''s how ya make the most outta Elf." "So, the most you can do with Elf is get your ass whooped?" Trever smirked. "That''s some rad payoff right there, haha! Should''ve picked a class you can actually play." "Welp, you''re a guest here and all. Didn''t wanna beat the crap outta ya with Shooter, haha." "Heh, you sure learned how to talk back" Trever''s eyes glinted dangerously. "I''d eat your Shooter for breakfast any time! 1v1 me, bro!" "You''re on!" The two goofs ran off and picked up their tablets. The show was on! Are they seriously going to do it now? Kai narrowed her eyes. Just let them be, Yuel said. Thats how these two always are. Huh, boys, Kai rolled her eyes. Then, her eyes laid on Alex. How about it? Think you can take me on? Im sure I can, Alex shrugged. But, not feeling it right now. Too much of a hassle. Huh, all talk and no backbone. Yeah, yeah, Alex dismissed the antagonism. He clearly had zero motivation to duke it out with Kai. It seemed like duels werent his idea of a fun time. Lets ignore them and move on, Aron laid his eyes on Yuel. Harsh judgment was incoming... Lets hear it, Aron said. What do you think were your biggest mistakes? Well... Yuel wasnt sure where to start. Everything went wrong in that match. He couldnt even tell what was a real mistake and what was merely a case of bad luck. Dont tell me you cant figure out what you did wrong. Of course I can, its just... Yuel pursed his lips. He had a lot of things on his mind, but he didnt want to say anything unnecessary. To start off, I got outplayed by the counter-picks. More like, Aron corrected. You drafted too safe by focusing on counter picking my Lion. So, you figured that one, Yuel smiled wryly. Seems like you also tried to counter my Warlock, Alex shook his head. That would have been a smart move a few months ago. But, Im not the same one-trick pony you saw back in that scrimmage. Sorry, couldnt let that one fly. Nothing personal. Yeah, I messed that up, Yuel admitted. He underestimated Alex. All the information he had about Alexs playstyle and weaknesses was based on that one scrimmage they had months ago. So, Yuel shouldve taken this outdated data with a grain of salt. Though, I would have won the lane either way, Alex claimed. You wish, Kai hissed. Id kick your ass if I wasnt stuck with Lumi. Keep dreaming, girl, Alex ignored her sharp glare. "Frankly, I''m very surprised by some of your picks," Aron said. "You chose Elf over Trickshooter for Lars, even though you know his win rate against Trever. Cant say I agree with that one. It''s true this pick made my life harder as far as ganking is concerned, but you paid for it with lane advantage." "You might be right," Yuel admitted. "I didn''t expect Trever to overwhelm Lars so hard. That one is on me." "I ain''t got overwhelmed, yo!" Lars shouted in their direction in the middle of an intense 1v1 against Trever. "My Elf is just ain''t good enough yet, that''s all. Just watch y''all, I''mma turn it into one of my best classes! Gonna wreck everybody, yo!" "So, you gonna become a high-level turtle?" Trever sneered. "You disgust me, kid. Take that!" "Ya ain''t hitting me while the show is on, yo!" "Gah, stop moving all around the damn screen!" The two went back and forth, making enough noise to fill up the room. Vincent and Luke gathered around them and added to the loudness with some cheers. "Putting these guys aside," Aron returned to the topic. "In short, you played it too safe with that Elf pick. "Yes, that''s how it turned out, unfortunately," Yuel nodded. "In general, many of your decisions were too safe. You started the game on the left foot and didn''t do anything to turn the situation around. I was expecting you to make one of your infamous gambles. Say, to give up on Top and focus all your forces on Bot." "So, you anticipated that," Yuel smiled wryly. "I considered that but deemed it too risky. Sounds like you were prepared for it, so good thing I gave up." "I wouldn''t be so sure about that," Aron objected. "Just because I was aware of the possibility doesn''t mean I had a strong counterplay at hand. I thought about it a lot throughout the match but never quite found an effective response to such a play. It would have made things hard for us, that''s for sure." "You''re overestimating this play. Or, maybe youre thinking about a higher-level version of what I had in mind. According to my estimation, it had a very real chance of backfiring and leading us to immediate defeat." "Is that so," Aron frowned. "Compared to your usual high-risk plays, it didn''t seem that much riskier." "It''s thanks to these high-risk plays that we ended up here, Yuel lowered his eyes. "I see," Aron nodded. It seemed like Yuel learned some harsh lessons during the selection match against Howard. Aron received a replay of those games from Howard, so he watched the entire thing. There were indeed multiple occasions in which Yuel''s shot-calling led to disaster. However, there were also many other scenarios in which Yuel''s ballsy calls allowed the team to establish an unexpected advantage. But, Yuel must have found it easier to dwell on the times things went wrong, such was human nature. Each and every small defeat he suffered that match hurt a lot, for it pushed him a step away from the competitive scene. On top of that, Howard played safe and compact. It was hard to deliver a fatal blow to his team, even with a high-risk attack. And, every time he foiled the enemys high-risk assault, Howard mounted a swift and devastating counter, shattering the attackers confidence. So, it was hard to blame Yuel for the conclusions he reached. Indeed, high-risk plays weren''t the best approach for taking Howard out. Nevertheless, it has been Yuel''s greatest tool until now. Was he going to give up on it? Aside from fighting Howard, it should serve him well in many future matches. It was too useful of a skill to throw away like this. Is he that hellbent on beating Howard? Aron frowned. Hmm, yes, I suppose he is. He even transferred schools for that. But, is abandoning his forte really the right thing for him to do? I can''t tell. "Then, let''s move on to the worst thing I saw," Aron continued. "That defensive gank when I tried to save the Lumimancer, right? Yuel delivered the blow before Aron had the chance. That was a mistake. 100%. I deserve every piece of criticism you want to shoot my way." "I''m glad you''re aware. Thats not like you. What made you go through with it?'' "It''s hard to explain," Yuel shifted his eyes away. "I guess I wanted to be an optimist for a change, considering how bad our situation was." "Is that so," Aron left it at that. Overall, it seemed like Yuel was well-aware of his faults. He was still in the middle of molding his new risk-less approach to shot-callings, so that''s why things turned out the way they did. But, were things really alright like this? The way this match played out irked Vincent. Yuel should''ve been able to achieve much more, but he remained too passive and let defeat claim him. "Is playing safe your idea of winning the regionals?" Aron asked. "Fortifying your defense and preventing unnecessary risks is good. But, that alone isn''t going to win you games. I think youre not fully applying all the lessons from your match with Howard." "You watched it?" "Howard sent me the replays, so I dissected them in my free time." "And, what did you see?" "I saw one chaotic team fighting another well-organized team." "My shot-calling was that bad?" Yuel bit his lip. He knew he made a lot of mistakes,,s but he didn''t think it was THAT bad. "The shot-calling itself was fine. It worked well most of the time, but still failed a few times. Thats par for the course with you. But, I also had the feeling your team didn''t quite mesh well. You played like a group of cogs that didn''t fit together." "You''re saying our teamwork was bad?" "You and Lars worked together well, as always. But, the rest of the team seemed sluggish. Roi and Dan made a lot of mistakes, the kind I normally wouldn''t expect to see from them. I dare say, it almost looked like they were throwing the game." "They were?" Yuel was taken aback. "But, they played decently overall. True, a little worse than I would have liked them to, but they did their part." "The fact you didnt even notice that attests to how unorganized your team was. You commanded them with shot-calls, but you didn''t keep them united as the captain. Players can easily grow frustrated when playing in a negative environment," he turned to Kai ."Isn''t that the kind of thing that made you charge in with that desperate attack?" "Yeah," Kai admitted. "I felt Yuel''s game plan was going nowhere, so I took matters into my own hands." "So, it''s my fault you became reckless?" Yuel frowned. "I''m not trying to pass the blame or anything. That play was still dumb and thats all on me. But, if you''re asking what led me there..." "I see," Yuel didn''t know what to say to this. Somewhere at the back of his head, he knew his communication with the team wasn''t stellar in this 3v3. Apparently, the same issue occurred during the selection match as well, without Yuel even noticing. He was too busy thinking about plays and counter plays that he didn''t have time to spare for his teammates. "It''s a problem you''ve had since day 1," Aron said. "You always distance yourself too much with your shot-calling. It''s like you''re a robot giving orders. The orders might be good, but they''re worthless if there''s nobody to execute them" "So, I have to work on teamwork and communication," Yuel summarized. "Yes, that''s the gist of it," Aron nodded. "Deciding whether you want to change your playstyle to something more defensive is your call, but theres no doubt you have to work on your ability to keep the team united. You have to make your teammates run like oiled cogs." "I understand." At least, I think I do. Yuel will have to check the replays of the selection match again. He has dissected these videos so many times by now, but he never saw the things Aron was talking about. Perhaps the errors he committed that day were greater than he thought. "Are we done here?" Alex asked. "Yes, that''s all I had to say," Aron said. "As it stands, I don''t think you''ll get far at the regionals. But, the year has just started and you have scrimmages ahead of you. You still have time to shapen up. If you improve enough before the regionals, let''s have another bout." "Deal," Yuel said. "Hey," Kai exclaimed. "I''m the cap, so I''m supposed to accept the challenge." "Sure," Yuel rolled his eyes. "Mark my words," Kai glared at Alex. "Next time, we''ll blast you to bits." "You know what they say," Alex shrugged. "A dog that barks never bites." "You little...!" "Leave that for the rematch," Aron stopped the two. "C''mon, Trever. Let''s go." "Just a sec! I''m about to wreck this kid!" "I think ya mean youre about to get wrecked by this kid!" Lars launched a swift shot that decided the duel. "Shit, your Shooter packs a punch like always, Trever jumped off the chair and waved angry fists. You should''ve come at me with this fair class, instead of picking that broken turtle." "Don''t worry, I''mma kick yo butt with Elf next time." "Ain''t happening, kid. And mark my words, by then I gonna become good enough to mop the floor even with your Shooter." "Heh, no chance!" On that note, the high schoolers left. Yuel, Lars, and Kai all received their fair share of criticism and got things to work on. Theyll learn from their mistakes and turn Stratus into the strongest middle school team in the region by the time the regionals come around! Vol.9 Ch.1: Upgraded Training Regime "You guys practice after school, right?" Kai asked. "Yep, we sure do," Lars gave a thumbs up. "Every day, all day!" "Huh. So, hm..." Kai''s eyes shifted from side to side as she was trying to weave the right words. "I was thinking............ Yeah? Maybe I should... Well, maybe I should join you too." "You wanna join da special training?" Lars flashed his teeth. "No problem! The more, the marrier, right?" "It''s fine by me," Yuel said. "But, there is one condition: Lars and I will be playing Bot. We use our after-school practice for these roles, seeing as we barely get to play them at the club." "Huh, well," Kai crossed her arms. Well shoot, that was a direct blow to her motivation. She was the team''s Carry, so she had to practice that role as much as possible. No matter how much Yuel and Lars were going to beg, she won''t surrender the most important role to them. With that said, she clearly needed more practice. The 3v3 against the high-schooler showed she still had glaring issues to work on. Namely, her inability to cooperate with her teammates. It was embarrassing to admit, but her teamwork was stuck at Silver rank. Actually, it should be at least Gold rank. Kai forced herself to believe that. But, she didnt sound very convincing even inside her own head. Well, with her experience, it was no wonder her teamwork skills barely developed. After playing with so many disappointing teammates online, it became second nature for her to handle everything herself. In fact, even this very club was filled with a bunch of useless scrubs in the past two years. Those guys made it in only because they somehow reached a decent rank by the time they applied to the club, but that only bloated their egos and made them think they were some hot shit. Spoiler: they werent. Thankfully, all of them graduated by now, and the club was left with mostly decent players. Even though it was to jab Vincent about things and complain about his performance, Vincent was actually a decent player. And so was Ben, if they ignore the unfortunate circumstances that made him regularly miss club activities. Luke was the only questionable player due to his memeing, but he was also a solid player at his core. The skill was definitely somewhere deep down there, buried under a pile of memes and bad jokes. Probably. With these players in the club, Kai developed a little faith in her teammates over the past year. But, it was far from enough. When push came to shove, she forgot about her allies and placed all the work on her own shoulders. It reminded her of how these pesky team projects at school always went down. Kai always made sure to recruit only serious teammates whom she trusted to handle the work. Yet, she always somehow found herself doing 90% of the project by herself. That was plain dumb. With that said, deep down, she actually didn''t mind it much. After all, the more control she had over the project, the easier it was to guarantee a high grade. Theres no way she could entrust the quality of the project to others. She needed as much control as possible to not get screwed by a bad grade. For the better and the worse, the same mentality carried over to Classmancers. In order to secure victory, she didn''t mind taking a larger load upon herself. Doing so gave her more control over the development of the match, as well as guaranteed that whoever handled the most important task was a capable player. Namely, her. That''s why she insisted to play Carry. It was in charge of the most important task in the game: carrying the team to victory. Without a strong Carry, the team was bound to get stuck no matter how well everybody else played. She has suffered through enough Carry teammates who were suicidal dumbasses. The stupidity of these guys cost the game to the entire team. So dumb. So, Kai had to play Carry. She was the only one she could blindly trust to get the job done. She wasn''t a flawless player by any means, but she knew her worth. Kai could handle most adversaries, no question about it. And yes, she could totally also handle that high schooler Sorcerer she fought the other day. She only lost because of the terrible matchup, nothing more. The next time they meet, she''ll mop the floor with his stoic face! Ignoring all of this, Yuel set an ultimatum: Kai had to surrender the Carry role to Lars if she wanted to join their after-school practice. That was hard to swallow. Or, maybe it was actually a fitting starting point for her personal special training? After all, the thing she had to practice above anything else was her ability to trust her teammates and how to safely share some of the burdens with them. By surrendering the Carry role to Lars, it meant she had to trust the guy to carry the team. Itll be a frustrating environment for her to play in, but in a good way. Itll make her more used to this irritating feeling and maybe shell actually grow to trust others with that critical role. Besides, with those two guys, it should be easier to develop trust. Kai highly valued Vincent, Ben, and even Luke. But, her faith in them was nothing compared to the one she held in Yuel and Lars. These two were on a completely different level, they meant business. They didn''t come here to play around and have some good laughs with the others. No, they joined the club with one goal only: to win at any cost. Their thirst for victory was potentially even greater than Kai''s. Therefore, Kai could trust them to do their best in any given situation. At least, she thought she trusted them. In truth, the match against the high schoolers begged for different. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Once things started going south against the high schoolers, Kai gave up on Yuel. The guy wasnt coming up with any decisive solutions, so how could Kai keep believing in him? In addition, she was also disappointed by how hard the enemy Carry pushed Lars around. If it were Kai playing Carry, she''d whoop that guys ass. So, as both her teammates were underperforming, Kai decided to take matters into her own hands. That''s how she came up with that dumb idea of diving head-first against the Sorcerer. But, it was futile. She couldnt achieve anything by herself there. She required the help fo her teammates. Unfortunately, Classmancers wasnt like those team projects at school. Her only enemy when it came to school projects was her time and motivation. As long as she pushed herself to get stuff done, she passed with flying colors. On the other hand, Classmancers was a competitive game in which Kai will constantly face increasingly stronger opponents. No matter how good she becomes, she couldnt win 1v5. This was a team game and every teammate had a role they had to fulfill. Kai couldn''t, and shouldnt, do everything herself. I feel like thinking about all this crap drains all my energy. Kai sighed. She has been reflecting on all of these things since yesterday night. It even kept her up at night. The defeat they suffered at the hands of the high schoolers was just THAT frustrating. Especially, since most of it was Kais fault. If only she didn''t charge in like an idiot... All that hard thinking led her to today, to her request to join Yuel and Lars in their after-school training. Kai had to develop solid trust in their abilities and learn to rely on them even during the most desperate of times. Anything less than that wont fly on the competitive scene. "Okay, have it your way," Kai said. "Lars can play Carry. But, if you make us lose games, I''m taking over." "Deal," Lars nodded. "Hoho? What is this I spy with my little eye?" Vincent waltzed into the conversation. "You three are planning to go on some special training? Are you going to master the ultimate technique that''ll let us win the regionals!?" "I just need some more high-level practice, that''s all," Kai said. "These guys are Challenger and I''m Diamond V, so if we queue together we''re going to play against higher rank players. Its way better than these random matches we get when we queue together. Our ranks are all over the place." "Oh, I see, I see. Other than Yuel and Lars, the rest of the members are like commoners compared to your majesty." "You all just gotta grind more, dammit," Kai gave everybody a look, then returned to face Vincent. "Especially you. The heck you''re still stuck in Platinum for?" "Hmm, Vincent gave the question serious thought. I suspect this is the fault of my dark energy." "Your what?" "The game system must be sensing my all-consuming dark knowledge! It knows I''m the Arbiter of Talents, the one who can judge the skills of players at a single glance. However, such a sinful existence cant be permitted. After all, it''s the system''s job to gauge player skill and match them." "Can you give us the short version of your bullshit?" "In other words! The system won''t let me go any further because it doesn''t want this competition! The world is not yet ready to be judged by moi!" "Dunno what you''re smoking but you better get off that shit," Kai narrowed her eyes. "Anyway, there''s no ''special training''. I just want to practice more on a high level." "I see, I see," Vincent nodded. "In that case, perhaps I shall join you as well. I wouldn''t mind getting my feet wet in some top-level gameplay." "I''m not sure my place can handle four people," Yuel frowned. His room was definitely out of the question. They could use the living room, but his mom scolded him before for not leaving it tidy afterward. Still, this was a great chance to level up the team. He couldn''t be the one standing in way of this opportunity. "Eh, I can probably make it work," Yuel said. "I''ll be playing Support, though." "Of course, of course, Vincent nodded. Take it. The role is all yours. You have inherited the right to it from birth. Just give me Top and I''m a happy man." "What about the rest?" Yuel struck while the iron was hot. "If enough people want to stay and practice, maybe we should just extend our practice hours in the clubroom?" "Oh, what a brilliant idea!" Vincent typed furiously on his tablet. "Stratus suffers a devastating defeat at the hands of representatives from Gordon High, but their fighting spirit burns ever stronger! They extend their training hours and undergo special training, for the sake of winning the rematch and taking the regionals by storm!" "More practice?" Luke made a face. "Sounds like a pain. This ain''t a job, ya know? We''re just middle schoolers. We gotta live and stuff." As always, such a hard worker. Yuel narrowed his eyes and questioned the next person with his silent gaze. "Um, I''m fine with more practice," Ben answered timidly. "I have to make up for all the practice I missed, so..." Then just stop missing practice. Yuel ranted internally. It has already been weeks since the year started, yet Ben''s special circumstances remained a mystery. The only saving grace was the fact Ben seemed genuinely serious about the game and wanted to improve, so Yuel let it slide (for the most part). "Stay longer after school?" Nia twisted her lips. "Hmm, I don''t exactly hurry home, so ok. But, only if I get a one hour nap somewhere in there." "Sure," Yuel narrowed his eyes. How much can this girl sleep? She takes a brief nap every two or so matches. "And so, its decided!" Vincent announced loudly. "The majority of the club wants extra special training! Therefore, we shall stay in the club from morning to midnight! Even skip classes for it!" "Skip school? Heck yeah!" Lars pumped a fist. "I''mma camp over here, yo!" "We''re not skipping anything," Kai struck down the silly suggestion. "But, it really seems like most of us are fine with extending training hours." "Why you giving me that look?" Luke averted his eyes and scratched his head. "Im not trying to be the villain, you know. Practice is slavery, and I''m not one to promote slavery." "Whatever floats your boat," Kai shrugged. "I won''t force anybody to stay overtime. If you want to stay, you stay. If you don''t, you don''t. Deal?" "Hell yeah, Luke regained his vigor. Democracy, baby!" With that, it was decided the club will practice longer. Yuel also wanted the club to start practicing every single day, but that''d probably be overkill for most of them. They began the intense training regime by staying one extra hour compared to before, then gradually pumped it up to three hours. With three training days a week, this increase amounted to nine extra weekly hours in total. Not too shabby. Though, for Nia, this amount reduced to six hours a week at best. The girl wasn''t joking about taking a nap in the afternoon. Whenever the time approached three oclock, she knocked herself in an instant, like a machine that ran out of batteries. Hopefully, this won''t become a problem if the team has to play matches at this hour... That aside, the upgraded training regime visibly improved the teams overall skill level. If they keep this up, theyll be ready to take on anybody at the regionals! Vol.9 Ch.2: Gunslinger Surprise On top of extending the training hours in the clubroom, Kai also joined Yuel and Lars in their after-school practice. She started by joining them only on the days that club activity was off, but it gradually became an everyday routine. "You two are really addicted to Mancers, huh," Kai shook her head. "It''s already seven and you''re still playing." "Gotta train, yo," Lars said. "Next time, I gonna rek Trever! Just ya watch." "I prefer to use the word ''serious'' over ''addicted''," Yuel corrected. "We want to play the game professionally, so we have to start working toward that goal as early as possible." "Yep! Lars nodded. Early bird catches the steak, yo!" "Yeah, something like that." "Pros, huh," Kai smiled wryly. Even though she just called them addicts, Kai herself was also still here, still playing Classmancers. She was quite the addict herself, honestly. But, the two boys trained way more than here. Even after she left, she kept training. And, even on the days Kai took a break and didnt join them, those two were still training. They worked so hard it felt more serious than a job. If Luke saw this, he''d call the police on them for promoting child labor. And still, despite how much Yuel and Lars trained, there were players out there who posed a challenge to these guys. In fact, such players existed in this very region, like the high schoolers they fought in the 3v3. And, this wasnt just restricted to high schoolers. Even among middle schoolers, there were surely players from the Leopards and StormBlitz who were equals to Yuel and Lars. Therefore, the two had to constantly train and better themselves, or else theyd drop off from the top of the competition. It was rough. Even though Kai was also training way harder than any middle schooler should, she didn''t hold a candle to the efforts of these two. Occasionally, the thought of training more crossed her mind. But, she always turned lazy in the end. She couldnt become like these two fanatics, she needed her breaks. Some days were better spent listening to music, playing rhythm games, and practicing guitar. Classsmancers was undeniably a big part of her life, but it was only one part. And, it was possibly a temporary one. There was no telling whether she''ll still be playing the game three or five years from now. Maybe she will, maybe she won''t. Unlike Yuel and Lars, she didn''t have a clear goal in mind like becoming a pro player. She was thinking of maybe becoming a guitarist, but who knew what the future held. She loved music, but producing it sometimes felt like a chore. Playing guitar wasnt a child''s play, she learned that on her own flesh, quite literally. Her fingers had lots of blisters. So yeah, I have no reason to slave away for this game like the boys. Kai concluded. She was the captain of the club and she had to level up in order to pay back to that lane freezing bastard, so for she had to work hard. But, not THAT hard, not to the point of making her entire life revolve around the game. Im glad for their hard work, though. It makes matches that much easier. When Yuel and Lars were in charge of Bot, they were responsible for carrying the team to victory. Kai usually wasn''t a fan of leaving this important role to others, but this duo made her feel at ease. Between how hard theyve been training and how strong they played, it felt fine to leave this critical role to them. When Kai queued into Ranked only with Yuel and Lars, the caliber of their opponents was completely different. The guys were Challenger V and she supplemented that with a Diamond V, so the matchmaking had no reservations about pitting them against strong opponents. Throughout many such fierce matches, there were occasions when even Yuel and Lars couldn''t carry the game to victory. For example, when they ran into familiar faces... "Oh snap, it''s Trever and Aron!" Lars exclaimed. "We gonna get our revenge match right here and now, yooooo!" "Freezer is here too," Kai''s eyes glinted like a polished blade. "Let''s get them." "I wouldn''t say this counts as a real revenge match," Yuel noted. "We''re both playing with randoms, so anything can happen. But yeah, let''s get them for sure." Damn, why does that bastard have to play Support this match? Kai ranted about Freezer''s position. Instead of being Mid like he should, the guy was playing Support for WildDragon, the guy named Trever, if memory served. Hes totally dodging the fight. He even picked Warlock and everything. Wuss. Kai scoffed. Heh, look, Trever chuckled. Its our bois! And that chick, too. Are we gonna give them a rerun of last time? A rerun? Thatll be hard to do, given our different positions, Aron noted. Oh cmon, details. I mean, we gonna whoop their asses, right? I dont mind waiting for them to self-destruct like last time, Alex shrugged. Goddammit, you two! Trever waved an angry fist. Wheres the hype? Wheres the fighting spirit!? We just have to win, thats all, Aron said. Yeah, theyre just another enemy to beat, Alex shrugged. Cant say they impressed me much in our last fight. Im not expecting much. Yeah, I feel you, Trever nodded. They fought real lame last time. And, Lars is on Gunslinger this time, so no Trickshooter again. This gonna be ezpz. Say, about your Gunslinger, Yuel started. You havent shown Trever yet how much you improved it, right? Nah, dont think I did, Lars said. Maybe I mentioned that my Slinger became dope, but thats about it. He probably aint seen it. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. So, Trever will underestimate it, Yuel deduced. We can use it our advantage. Can you lay low during the early game? Dont do anything too high-level. Just play your Gunslinger on the same level you play most Carries. Eh, the same level as others... Lars tilted his head. Not sure how Imma do that, but Ill try. Basically, you wanna make sure he doesnt notice my Slinger is awesome, right? Yes, thats the plan. We can catch him off guard later. Hehe, being smart and all. I like it! Okay, lets do this thing! Yet, as soon as the match started, Lars has already shown off his godly Gunslinger skills. He landed a headshot on every single enemy minion in the wave, clearing the minions way faster than one would normally expect from a Gunslinger. Is that what you call lying low? Yuel made a face. Then again, is there even a Carry class with which Lars doesnt pull off amazing feats? I hope Terver will write it off as #JustLarsThings. Damn, son, Trever grinned awkwardly. Are you seeing all these headshots? Yeah, its pretty good, Alex agreed. Pretty good? Pretty good!? You try pulling that shit this consistently, I challenge you. Never implied I can do it, Alex shrugged. Anyway, seems like his Slinger will be a problem after all. Nah, thats just Lars for ya, Trever nodded proudly. The brat plays all his stuff at this level. I admit his head-shooting accuracy skyrocketed since the last time Ive seen his Slinger, but its not that different from his other classes. He aint got nothing on me! You sure about that? Alex asked. I get the feeling these headshots arent where it ends. What if he can also nail headshots like this while fanning the hammer? Pft, yeah, right, Trever waved his hand. Aint nobody can land these shots consistently. Even pros struggle against that shit. He can, actually, Aron stated matter-of-factly. I remember seeing him land many headshots during Fan the Hammer in the selection match. For real? Trever blinked multiple times. Nah, no way. He was probably lucky. Or, I dunno, maybe he chugged on a bucket of coffee or something, haha. If you say so, Alex was way more convinced by Arons input. I better be on the lookout for when this Slinger decides to go on the offensive. The laning phase proceeded without any major incidents. Trever and Lars exchanged blows here and there, but so far Lars hasn''t pulled anything that was out of this world. It appeared as if the two were evenly matched. In fact, on the surface, it even felt like Trever had the edge. However... I haven''t seen him use Fan the Hammer even once in a fight. Alex knotted his brows. This was peculiar. Gunslinger''s biggest strength was his ability to barrage the opponent and kill them within a matter of seconds. Yet, Lars has been avoiding that line of play for some reason, he only occasionally used Fan the Hammer to clear minions. "What did I tell you?" Trever wrote it off. "He can''t use that Gatling gun in a real high-level fight. That nasty recoil would make him miss everything. You probably saw him score that kind of stuff on some scrubs. I wouldnt call Ellen a scrub, but sure, Aron gave it a rest. There was no point arguing about this. If Lars has the ability to pull off such stunts, hell do it sooner or later. The only question was: what was Lars waiting for? Why didnt he go for the aggressive Fan the Hammer right away? Perhaps it was a bait of some sort. "Well see how it goes," Alex still had his doubts. To be on the safe side, he stuck to Trever like gumshoe, ready to protect the Carry as needed. However, maintaining this formation proved difficult. The enemy Paladin went on some aggressive sprees, many of which involved hitting Alex. It felt like this Paladin was trying to get Alex out of the lane. This was a red flag. Something was afoot. Alright, show me your true face. Alex decided to give the enemy what they wanted by retreating into the jungle, pretending he was going to recall. His HP was at 20%, so it''d be wise to recall in this situation, especially since it seemed like Trever was holding the upper hand in the fights against the Gunslinger. However, there was a chance this was merely a false impression the enemy planted into his mind. So, by pretending he was going to recall, Alex will force their lane opponents to show what was their hidden agenda. The enemy Paladin saw Alex retreating, so he retreated as well. In order to bring Alex down to 20%, the Paladin had to aggress multiple times with Justice Strike, which caught the attention of nearby minions and made them retaliate hard at the offender. As such, after repeating this aggression over and over, the Paladin was down to 15% HP by now. It''s like hes sacrificing himself in order to take me out. Alex thought. Knowing who was controlling that Paladin, it was very much possible thats exactly the case. For Chessmaster, their exchanges might have looked like nothing more than a favorable trade of pieces. "Okay, you''re good to go," Yuel said while recalling. "There''s time before the Warlock returns, so you can duel Trever." "Hell yeah, about time!" Lars''s eyes lit up. "Time to show this dude what a real Slinger pro can do!" "You wanna go, kid?" Trever licked his lips. "Let''s do this shit!" As soon as the two minion waves were gone, Trever opened his attack. Lars dodged the first bolt with Dodge Roll, but he didn''t roll just to escape. No, he actually drew closer! The brat was in full battle mode! This is how it outta be! Trever grinned. No more of that lame turtling business. Let''s fight like real men! Come at me! Before Lars even recovered from the roll, Trever followed up with Wolf Companion. He ordered his trusty wolf to jump on Lars! If the wolf pins Lars to the ground here, the fight will be as good as over. Game over, kid. Trever grinned. But, cmon. I wanna see you dodge this shit. Lets see what you can do without your roll. Easy! Lars rolled again right away! This time, he used Combat Roll, Gunslinger''s personal rolling skill. Ack, right. He had that. Trever was a tad too hasty with his wolf. No matter. You got this close to a Ranger, so prepare for some heat, boy! Let''s get the show started! Time to rock it! Lars spun the hammer of his revolver and started shooting. Bam! Headshot! "Whoa! Lucky brat," Trever was taken aback for a moment, but this was no time to be impressed. Landing the first shot was the easy part of Fan the Hammer. It''s the follow-up shots that were a problem, thanks to the nasty recoil. Heh, no problem. Trever was assured. I just gotta keep my feet moving as I shoot. This way, theres no way he - BAM! Another headshot! "Say what!?" Trever jumped so hard he almost slipped off the chair. A second headshot in a row? Right away!? What kind of luck was that!? Damn, this was bad. These shots were no joke. Each dealt over 20% HP. They were more like bombs than bullets. Damn it! No, relax. Trever took a deep breath and resumed his offense. It was just a fluke. He just happened to land two headshots, thats all. He can''t possibly get another one- BAM! A third headshot! "WHAT THE FLYING FUCK!?" Trever yelled at the screen. "That''s a nice aimbot you got there, kid...!" The third hit in a row stunned Trever in place thanks to the effect Combat Roll. With this, he became a sitting duck for Lars! The fight was a wrap... or was it? Vol.9 Ch.3: Managing the Team Lars scored three headshots in a row with Fan the Hammer after doing a Combat Roll. The third shot stunned Trever in place. I knew this won''t end well. Alex sighed. Time to rescue the idiot. He returned to the lane from the jungle and booted Eldritch Nightmare. The dark magic painted the entire area pitch black. "Wha-!?" Lars exclaimed as the target in front of him vanished. He couldn''t see shit in this darkness, yo! "I thought the Warlock wasn''t coming yet. What gives!?" "He shouldn''t be here yet," Yuel frowned and checked the Warlock''s status. There was no sign of Teleport, so the Warlock didn''t cheat his way back to lane by teleporting to a Checkpoint Ward. Then, how did he make it back so fast? Did he hide in the jungle this entire time? Yuel glanced at the Warlock''s remaining HP. Or rather, the value Lars saw moments before his screen went black. The Warlock only had measly 22% HP, which meant he never recalled. In order words, Freezer was laying in wait for nearly a minute, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Were we too obvious for him? Yuel couldn''t believe it. Nobody on the enemy team should''ve been aware of Lars''s Gunslinger skills, yet Freezer was prepared for it. Somehow. Oh, right. Aron watched the replays of the selection match. Yuel smacked his forehead. He completely forgot that critical detail. Good thing Trever still underestimated Larss Gunslinger, or else this entire plan would have blown up in their faces. "Retr- Yeah, good," Yuel didn''t even need to say anything. Lars canceled Fan the Hammer and pulled out of there as soon as the darkness coated the area. The goof''s defensive plays were becoming better by the day. With that, the two sides disengaged. The three hits Lars landed brought Trever all the way down to 30% HP, so he had to consider recalling. Meanwhile, Lars was still at 60% after eating damage from Trever''s shots, so he could still remain on lane and keep pushing. In the end, despite the unexpected developments, the lane advantage tilted in Lars''s favor after this exchange. "Damn, the hell was that shit?" Trever ranted. "You saw that shit? Three headshots in a row! Three! I was moving, too! What''s wrong with this kid?" I told you, Aron said. Hey, you didnt tell me he could literally triple headshot me in a 1v1! Trever ranted. "I also warned you things seemed fishy," Alex added. "Heh, you and your sixth sense shenanigans. Thanks for the save, bro." "You''re welcome, Alex nodded. I say you better recall." "What, and hand the lane over on a silver platter? Uh-uh, not happening." "Well, I''m recalling," Alex started up the effect. "If you want to stay and get headshot to death, that''s your thing." "Damn, guess I have to recall?" "Yes, you have to," Aron said matter-of-factly. "I''ll defend against the next wave." "Thanks, bro." The Bot laners left and Aron came in to replace them. It was good fortune that Lancer was a jungler who was rather adept at clearing minion waves. Also, Gunslinger''s clearing speed was on the slower side during the early-game, so Aron successfully minimized the enemys advance. "Dang, sorry," Lars apologized. "Didn''t get to push much." "It''s fine," Yuel said. "I''m about to get there, so we can start pushing together before the enemy regroup. "Okey-dokey." The unexpected Gunslinger play caught the enemy off guard and almost made them lose lane advantage, but it also exposed Lars''s secret weapon. Even the ever-proud Trever had to admit that Lar had some mad headshooting skills. Trever will definitely play more cautiously from now on. "This is Shooter all over again," Trever shook his head. "This kid picks random ass classes and turns them into S tier. What''s next? He gonna make Archer look broken? Jesus." It was annoying, but Lars''s Gunslinger required the same amount of caution as his Trickshooter right now. In other words, playing the patience game and avoiding confrontations without a life lead or other big advantages. With Alex already playing safe before any of this even started, the lane became frozen. No matter how hard Yuel tried to arrange a fight, the enemy duo rejected the baits. Damn, the hell are these guys doing over there? Kai ranted internally. Yuel and Lars had such a great opportunity to pay back these high-schoolers for the embarrassing 3v3, yet they werent making any progress. There was that one impressive barrage of headshots from Lars which seemed promising at first, but Freezer shut it down at the last moment. Nothing of note happened ever since. As it stood, Yuel and Lars couldnt gain the upper hand in the lane by themselves. To make things worse, the enemy Jungler closely cooperated with Bot. Meanwhile, the random Jungler on Kais team wasnt paying much attention to Bot. Looks like its up to me to go over there and trash these guys. Kai concluded. Especially, that Freezer bastard. Gonna wreck him good. Her lane opponent, an Aeromancer, was just a boring turtle. The guy didnt dare to contest her and only farmed from afar. He was probably waiting for Kai to get angsty and overextend. Sorry to break it to you, but Im not that kind of scrub. Kai retorted. As an Electromancer, she had the upper hand in terms of farming speed, so she held the lane advantage the entire time. There was no reason for her to be frustrated by the situation. Sure, it was a little annoying that she couldnt find any opportunities to strike down that damn turtle, but it was alright. If the Aeromancer keeps playing passively like this, Kai will eventually out-farm him and steamroll his ass. So, no need to push it. Instead, Kai could make use of her lane advantage to rotate to other lanes. Namely, rotate to Bot. Shell go in there and gank these bastards! Theyll never see it coming! Alright, this is a good opportunity. She wiped out the minion wave before the Aeromancer even batted an eye. Now, she had the luxury of rotating to Bot and ganking the guys over there. You plan to rotate over here? Yuel asked. Yeah, thats the idea, Kai said. Somebody gotta help you out with a gank or two, seeing as youre making zero progress. It wouldve been great if you discussed it with us first. Well, I am now. Will she ever learn to not make solo plays without warning? Yuel made a face. Then again, the mere fact she was considering ganking of her own volition was a big step forward. It meant she trusted Yuel and Lars to seal the deal with the help of her gank. She trusted her teammates to do a thing! Woohooo! A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Seriously, good thing I got used to keeping tabs on her. Yuel returned to earth. If he didnt catch this rotation in time, it wouldve ended in a disaster. It would have been a repeat of Kais reckless play from the 3v3, a play Yuel shouldve stopped before it was conceived. I appreciate your intention to help, Yuel said. But, dont do it now. Their Lancer is still loitering nearby. I think hes waiting for this rotation. Seriously? Kai backed away from the jungle. Whats with these guys? Sometimes, it feels like their reads are straight from the pro league. Actually, the skill gap between the best high-schoolers and C-League pros isnt that big. And, theres no question were facing some of the best high schoolers from our region, even though theyre just freshmen. Thats the level well have to be able to beat if we want to take the regionals. So, what do we do? Kai asked. You guys are pretty much stuck over there. As much as Id like to beat them head-on, I dont think thats happening this game. Well have to play around them and strike the weaker links of their team. Namely, the Aeromancer and the Viking. Feeding on the weaker prey, huh, Kai smiled wryly. Sure, that works. So, do I start pressuring this Aero? Actually, I was thinking of making you gank Top. Really? We practically got two players sitting on that lane. You want me to go there too? Sounds like a waste. Yes, its precisely because its a waste that I want you to go over there, Yuel explained. Our Top and Jungler are stalling the Viking, but theyre not gaining much from this stalemate. So, our Jungler is just wasting time over there. You can say that again, Kai nodded. Im surprised you havent told him to rotate outta there. Id gladly do so, but our Vanguard is struggling against that Viking by himself. He needs somebody to help him out and the Vampire is doing a passable work, but its not going anywhere. Thats why, itd be great if you rotate over there and help them score a kill. I see how you think, Kai nodded. You want to waste even more manpower on Top to finally get things moving and free the Vampire from babysitting the lane. Yes, exactly. Okay, Im game. And so, Kai headed toward Top. The girl is rotating to Top in the end? Aron frowned when a ward exposed the enemy Electromancer passing through Top Jungle. This wasnt quite how he envisioned things going down. For a while now, it was looking as if the Electromancer has been meaning to rotate to Bot. Given how she recklessly charged at Alex back in the 3v3, Aron assumed she was going to do something dumb like that again. After all, the conditions were quite similar. In fact, at one point, the girl indeed started rotating toward Bot. Aron was convinced he scored jackpot at that point and prepared to intercept the fool. However, the girl aborted her rotation midway and returned to base instead. What a shame. Nevertheless, it was a good sign. It meant Aron''s analysis was on point: the girl was burning with revenge and wanted to shake things up in Bot. And so, confident in his analysis, Aron hanged around Bot Jungle to intercept the Electromancers next attempt. Yet, instead of rotating to Bot, the Electromancer suddenly decided to head to Top. Why? Nothing of note was happening in Top. The lane situation over there remained as stale as before. Did Yuel make her change her priorities? Aron wondered. Knowing that smarty pants, its possible all of the Electromancers previous "rotation attempts" toward Bot were just for show. They planted a false idea in Aron''s mind and made him stick with a bad play. They got me. Aron admitted silently. The Viking in Top has been holding his ground against the enemy Vanguard and Vampire, but he won''t last if the Electromancer is added into the mix. So, retreat was the only option. Retreat top lane! Aron ordered via a macro. "Go around their Wolf Camp," Yuel advised. "He has already realized you''re coming, so you have to catch him during his retreat." "Already way ahead of you," Kai shifted her destination as soon as the Viking showed signs of backing away. She won''t be able to catch him before he gets to the tower, but she might catch him behind the tower, provided the Vanguard and Vampire do their job and pressure the Viking hard enough to scare him away. I don''t trust them for shit, though. Kai thought. She''ll probably have to spook the Viking from behind and land some damaging hits on him. Then, retreat as fast as possible. Thats probably the best shell get out of that situation. After all, there was no way the Vanguard and Vampire will properly pressure the Viking out of the tower the way Kai needed them to do. Oh well. Attack top lane! Yuel pinged the map multiple times in succession in order to draw a path from the Vanguard and Vampire to the enemy tower. Okay!Ill attack!Two macros came in response. Following on their promise, the Vanguard and Vampire advanced to pressure the Viking under tower. They seemed to understand exactly what Yuel was asking them to do, even though they haven''t exchanged a single real word. Did he really just make some randoms do his bidding? Kai blinked. Then again, these are high ranked matches. So, of course, players here would be more reasonable than usual. Still, I feel like Yuel has been getting better at making people do his bidding recently. Maybe just my imagination. The Vanguard invaded the tower and tanked the shots. Meanwhile, the Vampire dived under tower and assaulted the Viking. This was a play those two could''ve executed ages ago, but it wouldn''t have borne much fruit by itself. It was too easy for the Viking to leave the tower and retreat deeper into his territory. However, this time, somebody was there to intercept the Viking behind the tower. Kai was lying in wait at the jungle entrance behind Top Tower, waiting for the prey to arrive. It was a pincer! The Viking has already spent his Axe Blitz earlier to get away from the Vampire, so he couldn''t blink past her. Kai unleashed Thunderstorm and the rest of her kit on the fleeing foe. It was over in a matter of seconds. An enemy has been killed! From there, they were in a great position to push Top together. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! They had to end the attack there, but this opening they created in Top was huge. Kai also eventually outfarmed the Aeromancer in Mid and sized lane advantage, further boosting the teams momentum. By that point, the team held the upper hand in 2/3 of the map. Even though Yuel and Lars couldn''t quite win against Trever and Alex, the rest of the team generated an advantage on other lanes. In the end, that''s what counted more. VICTORY "Yes!" Kai pumped a fist, a rare occurrence. "We showed them." "Yeah, we rekt ''em, yo!" Lars gave thumbs up. "Even though I didn''t really get to rek Trever." "He was very cautious of your Gunslinger, that''s a win in its own right," Yuel said. "It stopped him from playing wild and forced him to be too defensive even when he had to push. I took advantage of that multiple times throughout the match, in case you haven''t noticed." "Oh yeah, of course I saw it!" Lars nodded. "Stuff was wild!" "You really saw it? Yuel blinked. Can you give an example of where I took advantage of Trever''s passiveness?" "Sure can! So, like, there was that one time when... No idea! Haha." "Figured," Yuel sighed. This topic was still too advanced for the goof. Well, at least Yuel knew what he did and it paid off in the end. How''s my team management now, Aron? "Dang, they got us good," Trever smacked his knee. "Their team felt so organized. Are they a party?" "No, they''re not," Alex said after running a quick check. "Only the three familiar faces were in a party." "Really? So, we were stuck with the worse randoms, huh. That blows." "Its a little more complicated than that," Aron said. The random players on both sides were slightly weaker than the trios. However, Yuel utilized his teammates to great effect this match, more so than usual. He didn''t go for any of his usual big risk plays, but he still went on the offensive when he had a good opportunity. Hes already looking better than the overly defensive Yuel we fought two weeks ago Aron nodded in approval. It seemed like the 3v3 served as a good wake up call. Also, seems like Yuel got the girl under control. She''s hasn''t done anything reckless this time around. Aron smiled dangerously. I feel our rematch might turn out to be interesting, after all. GG Chessmaster Aron wrote in the after-match lobby. GG Yuel smiled meaningfully. Aron gave his stamp of approval on this match. This meant Yuel was heading in the right direction. If keeping the team under control and utilizing teammates better was what stood between him and beating Howard, Yuel shall polish those skills to perfection. After he reviewed the selection match yet again, Yuel realized he owned much of their defeat to how unorganized the team was. On the surface, everything was well-planned and they operated smoothly. However, underneath this illusion, there were numerous cracks he didnt notice at the time To prevent such a disaster from striking ever again, Yuel had to get rid of this weakness and improve his team management skills. He had to go beyond merely supplying his teammates with good shot-calls. He had to carefully pay attention to them, figure their quirks, and instruct them efficiently based on all these additional factors. It was easier said than done, but it had to be done. Howard was superior in this area at the moment, but that had to change. I''ll use the upcoming scrimmages to master this. By the time I get to the regionals, I''ll be on a whole different level! Vol.9 Ch.4: Scrimmages About to Begin! The season of scrimmages began. Schools arranged official Classmancers matches among themselves and carried them out throughout multiple months. Winning scrimmages determined the seeding of each team for the regionals. The more wins, the higher the seed. The higher the seed, the easier itll be to make it to the finals. In a sense, the scrimmages were like the beginning of the regionals. By winning a lot during this phase, a team could easily secure itself a high spot at the regionals. This system was in place to lower the odds of a good team being eliminated early. For example, it prevented StormBlitz and the Leopards from running into each other early in the tournament. Last year, the Leopards and StormBlitz were the first and second seed respectively, so they were guaranteed to run into each other only at the finals. Any lower seed had to beat both of these tycoons in order to take the regionals. As much as Id like to take on strong teams, I rather avoid the Leopards if possible. Yuel thought. His primary goal was to get a rematch against Howard. In addition, he promised his mother to take the regionals this year, that was the condition for transferring schools. If he fails to deliver, hell have to stop playing Classmancers... Unfortunately, dodging the Leopards at the regionals wont be easy. Even if Stratus becomes the second seed, theyll still have to fight the third seed at the semi-finals. And, the third seed will assuredly be either the Leopards or StormBlitz in that hypothetical scenario. So, Stratus will have to fight back-to-back against these two teams in the semi-finals and in the finals. We need to get the first seed. Yuel concluded. Only this way, the team will have a chance to dodge the Leopards at the regionals. However, getting first seed pretty much meant proving they were currently the strongest team in the region, so it was like a catch-22. Each team had to partake in at least three official scrimmages and the win rate was going to determine the seeding. In the case of a tie, the seeding from previous years will be taken into account. And, given Stratus history... Well lose in every single tie. Yuel frowned. The only way around it was to arrange more scrimmages in an attempt to increase their win ratio. For example, winning 2 out of 3 matches yielded 67% win rate, whereas winning 3 out of 4 yielded 75%. So, even if a team couldnt beat one of the strong rivals in the region, it could prey on the weaker teams to boost its seeding. The only time this method didnt work was when the rival team had a perfect 100% win rate. In that case, said team could only be beaten via a tiebreak. Or, worst case, it was possible to challenge the team to a scrimmage and that''ll serve as a tiebreak that relies on skill, not legacy. However, right now, this was like putting the cart before the horse. First, Stratus had to actually prove its worth. It had to overcome the stigma of being the worst team in the region. There was only one good thing about being considered weak: it meant all other teams will want to scrimmage with Stratus. The reason? Easy wins. Stratus was the was bottom tier team, so everybody would gladly farm them. In fact, Stratus reputation was so bad, that some teams with some self-respect didn''t even bother requesting a scrimmage with them, like StormBlitz did last year. It was a waste of time, as Aron put it. Even though it meant StormBlitz could get an easy extra win that way, it won''t teach the team anything and it wont help the players improve. It was questionable whether itd even work as sparring for StormBlitz. Its sure not fun to be ridiculed like that, but this is good for us. Yuel thought. He didn''t want to hold a rematch with Howard during a mere scrimmage anyway. Theyll settle everything at the regionals. However, unlike StormBlitz, the Leopards traditionally held a scrimmage with Stratus. In fact, their custom was to hold a scrimmage against every single team in the region. Their coach pushed this idea and the other schools complied. So, we''re going to run into that wall sometime soon. A shiver ran through Yuel. He still remembered the scrimmage he had against the Leopards second-string. It was such an intense bout. Surely, this year they won''t disappoint either. Rather, the Leopards will be even fiercer this year, for this time theyll come at Yuel with their first-string. Itll be the kind of first-string that could defeat StormBlitz, just like it happened last year. Yes, thats right. The Leopards beat a StormBlitz lineup that had powerhouses like Howard and Aron in it. Granted, this years players will be different because only seniors played on the Leopard''s first-string. Nevertheless, the coach, Rodriguez, has been proving himself as a producer of champions, year after year. Granted, a lot of this depended on Rodriguezs decision. The Leopards might send their second-string to deal with a "weak team" like Stratus. That''ll be maximum insult. Even if they pull something like that, we''ll simply draw out their first-string into the fight. Yuel promised. They wont run over us with a second-string team, that I promise. Aside from StormBlitz, most other teams in the region would happily jump on the opportunity to get an easy win off the "weakest team". So, Stratus should be flooding with scrimmage requests. Alas, everything was up to the club advisor to decide... "I scheduled your scrimmages. Write them down," Ms. Stone instructed. "You''ll be playing Taurus on January 5th, the Leopards on February 14th, and Tycoons on April 21st." "Only three?" Yuel asked. "Didn''t more schools ask to play against us?" This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "There were a few requests, but three scrimmages is all you need." "Um... Yuel didnt expect this to happen. Could we please get more scrimmages?" "No," Ms. Stone didnt give any openings for a rebuttal. Lazy bum. Yuel retorted mentally. There could only be one reason why this woman didn''t want to schedule additional matches: it be more bothersome to manage, thats all. She''ll have to communicate with more schools, and shell have to accompany the team to ProCenter for every scrimmage. So, the more scrimmages, the more she''ll have to work. She clearly didn''t want any of that. "Lazy bitch," Kai ranted on their way back to the clubroom. "Would it kill her to give us at least one more scrimmage? Damn her. No wonder this club looks the way it does." "Yeah, it''s unfortunate," Yuel nodded. "Why do they always dump the supervisor job on somebody who doesn''t care about the club in the slightest? Sigh." "Well, at least we got proper dates. That''s something." "Better than nothing, that''s for sure," Yuel nodded. "So, we first play against Taurus." "Taurus, Leopards, and Tycoons. I feel like it''s the same order as last year." "Because its precisely is!" Vincent greeted them at the entrance to the basement clubroom. He pulled out his tablet and flipped through some notes. "Taurus, Leopards, and Tycoons. This was the exact order last year as well. And, the year before that. And, the year before-before that. Even the dates are similar." Why in the world does this guy even gather all this info...? Yuel made a face. Meanwhile, Kai wasn''t fazed at all. "So, she''s just recycling the same exact routine every year," Kai sighed. "Lazy hag." Since you know so much about this, Yuel started. "I assume you also have detailed information about Taurus in that portable library of yours. "But, of course I do! Vincent made noise. After all, this is the tablet of the Information Blackhole! It records all events known to this mortal world. Its information is second only to the Akashic records themselves!" "So, summarize it for us," Yuel requested. In truth, he already knew some things about Taurus because he helped StormBlitz research them last year. However, it was always good to get extra info and hear another persons perspective. Especially, this clowns opinions were often on point, as unlikely as it sounded. "Alrighty," Vincent accepted the quest. "Gather, everybody! We shall hold a tactical meeting regarding our first opponent: Taurus!" "Oh man, we''re in for a history lesson," Luke sat down and pretended to take a nap. "Wake me up when we''re getting to the interesting bits." "I only wanna know who are the strongest players there," Lars grinned. "Gotta know who I gotta wreck, yo!" "Actually, about their lineup..." Vincent lowered his tablet. "I don''t know a single thing! All their players were seniors last year, so theyve graduated." "Yeah, it seems we''ll be going in blind," Yuel nodded. "Indeed, such is our inescapable fate," Vincent nodded. "Nevertheless, if we analyze what we know from past years, we can estimate their current power level! Unlike us, their club is allowed to recruit tons and tons of members. As such, they''re far more likely to recruit talented players. Point in case: their team has been hitting Top 8 every year, sometimes even Top 4. They''re a worthy opponent, no doubt!" "Zzz..." Luke produced fake snoring noises. "Long story short, they''re good," Kai summarized. "But, they''re just Top 8 or Top 4 material at best. We gonna kick their asses." "Yeah, now ya talkin''," Luke woke up. "We got this. Let''s meme these guys to death, haha!" Luke seems to firmly believe that hell be playing on the first-string. Yuel thought. At first, this tiny club had no choice but to rely on Luke for Jungler. However, now it had an alternative: Nia. The girl was still rough around the edges, but she improved dramatically over the past month. She became more cooperative and came to accept that Yuel''s shot-calls had some wisdom behind them. Even if she didnt always comprehend said wisdom at first, she usually followed his advice. In terms of skill, Luke was the better Jungler right now. However, his insistence on playing memes was his undoing. It wasted away his potential, for he constantly had to fight from a disadvantageous position. No matter how much Yuel lectured him about it, Luke didn''t budge. For that guy, playing Classmancers was all about playing memes. On top of that, Luke was the least serious club member during practice. Ben also deserved an honorable mention because the guy missed lots of practice days, but at least he stayed extra hours on the day he was present. But, Luke? You''ll never find that guy staying after 3pm. Everybody else willingly stayed overtime, but Luke was nowhere to be found. So, with all due respect to Luke''s skill, Yuel preferred Nia as the team''s Jungler. Especially, she should be playing in the upcoming scrimmages. Itll be the best place for her to gain practical experience and develop as a competitive player. As the team captain, Kai was in charge of determining the lineup. Yuel was merely her advisor and they had some disagreements. However, on this topic, they both agreed: Nia should be the Jungler. At the very least, they should send her to play first to see how she fares. Worst case, they could always substitute her for Luke later. Still, this was a difficult decision to make, so they withheld their verdict until one week before the first scrimmage. However, the time has come. By now, they were wholly convinced. "Alright, I''ll announce the lineup," Kai stood in front of the rest. "Do we really need that shit?" Luke dragged himself to the meeting. "We already know who''s playing what." "Nay, nay, nay!" Vincent waved his arms. "This is a tradition! It''s proof that we''re a serious high-level club!" "Even though we''re totally not," Luke rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself,." Kai gave him a look. "We''re aiming to win the regionals." "Heh, big dreams." Luke shrugged. "But hey, I''mma help you however I can. With my pro-level memes, of course!" "If we even gonna need your help." "Huh? What''s mean?" "Nothing, Kai shook her head. Anyway, everybody here?" "Yep, I''m here!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "Here..." Nia raised her small hand. "... and what exactly are you doing over there?" Kai narrowed her eyes. Everybody was gathered around Kai in an arc, but Nia was hunched under a table for some reason. "I like it here." "Huh, okay," Kai shrugged and continued looking around. "Ben... isn''t here today." "So, he''s even going to miss such important days," Yuel criticized. "I won''t be surprised if he misses the scrimmage altogether." "Well, everybody who matters is here, so let''s begin. Here''s the lineup:" Carry: Kai (Beat) Support: Vincent (InformationBlackhole) Mid: Lars (Gunz) Top: Yuel (Chessmaster) Jungler: Nia (VanishingFlower) Vol.9 Ch.5: Who Will Be the Jungler? Carry: Kai (Beat) Support: Vincent (InformationBlackhole) Mid: Lars (Gunz) Top: Yuel (Chessmaster) Jungler: Nia (VanishingFlower) "Say what?" Luke raised an eyebrow. "I think you somehow got my name mixed up with Nias, haha." "Nope," Kai answered matter-of-factly. "For this scrimmage, Nia will play Jungler first. You''ll be a sub." "Wha..." Luke blinked and gave her a funny look. Heh. Hah. Haha! This was the joke of the year, that''s for sure. "You really gonna let this newbie play instead of me? Are you for real right now?" He gave Nia a look... Or, at least, he planned to do so. But, he couldn''t find her anywhere. The girl was under the table a moment ago, but she vanished without a trace. Goddammit, this stupid ugly vanishing bit- Nah, calm down. No need to get mad. Luke took a deep breath. This is just a joke. Kai is just pulling my leg. And, if by any chance she''s serious about this shit, everybody else gonna side with me anyways. Everybody can see shes clearly playing favorites for a fellow girl. Captain or not, ain''t nobody gonna let that shit pass. "I''m serious," Kai said. "It was the most difficult decision of the lineup, but that''s how its going to be." "Hey, everybody, are ya hearing this nonsense? Luke produced a dry laugh. "She''s playing favorites for Nia again." "No, she''s not," Yuel said. "I''d also like Nia to play Jungler. We discussed it thoroughly and agreed on this." "Hah, you did," Luke twitched. "Okay, then what about everybody else? Any of you think Nia should be the Jungler?" "Don''t worry, dude," Lars patted Luke''s shoulder. "You''re an awesome Jungler. Im sure ya still gonna get to play some matches. Just show ''em what ya got during the scrimmage and they gonna pick ya next time for sure!" "That''s right," Yuel followed up. "Scrimmages are great opportunities for us to test team lineups. At the moment, Kai and I agree that Nia should be the Jungler. But, that may change depending on how the scrimmages play out. Nothing is set in stone yet." "In other words," Vincent made noise. "Our Jedi Knight must overcome a trial to become a Jedi Master!" "You guys are all so serious here," Luke smiled wryly. What a naive fool he was. All this time, he believed his Jungler spot was secured. After all, his only competition was some greenhorn freshman girl. He had this one in the bag. Ez. Except, he totally didn''t. This year, Stratus gonna be a serious team unlike the world has seen before. It was filled to the brim with tryhard energy and everybody was legit aiming for the top. They were serious when they were talking about taking the regionals. This ain''t what I signed up for. Luke thought. The Stratus he knew was a laid-back team that cared firstmost about having fun. But, that only applied last year. This year, they became tryhards all of a sudden with powerhouses from StormBlitz joining them out of nowhere. "Welp, alrighty then," Luke shrugged. "Less work for me then. Am I, like, excused from the scrimmage?" "Definitely not," Yuel answered. "As I said, well be using the scrimmages for trying different things out. Id like to see how you perform in a competitive environment as well. Aside from your meme picks, you are a good player. So, you might surprise and prove that your memes hold up in that environment." "So, it all comes down to whether I can get shit done with my picks, heh," Luke smirked. "Alrighty, ya got it. Give me just one shot, thats all I need. I''ll prove you my memes got what it takes. I''mma take the world by storm! All these meta slaves gonna feel like scrubs after I mop the floor with their unoriginal picks, heh." "Yes, use the Meme Force!" Vincent hyped it up. "Fight on, Luke Memewalker!" But seriously, I SO didn''t sign up for this shit. Luke turned away and spat a sigh. This was supposed to be an easy-going club. Classmancers was just a game for him to meme in. Yet, somehow, he found himself in a situation where he had to prove his skill to everybody. How did things even come to this? I blame Yuels tryhard aura. Sigh. Welp, in for a penny, in for a pound. Luke signed up for this, so he might as well try to do what he could. As long as it doesnt become a total pain in the arse, hell keep trying to improve his legendary memeing skills and aim for that spot on the first-string. After all, tournaments were cool and he never got to participate in any. Somebody like him, with average skill at best in every field, never had the opportunity to stand out from the rest. But, with Classmancers it was possible. The opportunity was right there, right in front of him. He just had to reach out a little harder to grab it. Welp, I''ll just keep doing my thing and hope it works. Luke concluded. Working hard was a pain in the arse, but he was a part of this club, so he better do what he can. Tryhards or not, he had pals in this club. So, if he can help them win without sacrificing much in the process, he''ll do it. "So yeah, congrats on the role and all," Luke addressed Nia, wherever she was. "But, ya better watch out! This memer is right behind ya, ready to take the role back!" "Y-You can have it..." A weak voice resounded from somewhere. "Say what?" I-Ill be fine without it. I can give it to you for free. Thats how generous I am. The heck are you even at? Luke looked under the table, behind the table, and over the table. There was no trace of the phantom. Shes over there, Yuel pointed at the cardboard box sitting at the corner of the room. Where? Behind it? Luke checked behind the box from every possible angle. Dont see anything. Shes inside. Wha-!? You gotta be pulling my leg... or not. Luke opened the box and found a pile of black hair inside. Suddenly, the hair floated right in front of him! Jesus almighty! This aint no horror movie here, girl! What are you even doing there? Kai made a face. Come over here. Bully, Nia pouted and gave Yuel a look, blaming him for exposing one of her best hiding spots. Was it even impossible to beat this ESPer at hide-and-seek? Did Yuel place a bug on her so he could track her anywhere and everywhere!? She better contact the police... Whats wrong? Kai asked. You should be happy about being picked. I-Im fine without it, thank you, Nia nervously glanced aside. Huh? Why? Kai blinked. Youve been practicing so hard all this time. You telling me you werent trying to become part of the main team? Um, no really? Nia clammed up. Judging by everybodys looks, something about her words struck them as odd. But, why? Should I make a run for it? The door is open. I can break through before anybody notices...! Yeah, right. Even Nia didnt have the mastery to slip away unnoticed while so many eyes were locked on her. Well, probably. Who knew? Maybe itll work. 3, 2, 1... GO! Hold it right there, young lady, Yuel said. Guh! I only took one step... Ive seen you slip away enough times to know where it was going. Gufu... Nia puffed her cheeks. Out of all the opponents Nia has ever faced, Yuel was proving to be the toughest. Perhaps he was the final boss of her entire stealth career! So, let me get this straight, Kai continued. Youve been working your ass off in training and all, but you dont even want to play competitively? A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I rather not, Nia answered. Its scary. "What''s so scary about it?" "Everything. You play on a stage. Everybody is watching. It gonna he uploaded to YouTube too. People gonna laugh at your misplays. Scary." "Upload to YouTube?" Kai raised a brow. "Youre overestimating this competitive scene. Some matches get uploaded, but its usually only the best teams. And, even though there''s an audience, it''s not that big." "But, it''s still there, right?" "I don''t think anybody gonna come watch any of our matches. At least, not until they realize we''re a team to watch out for this year." "But, at some point, theyll come and judge everything I do. Scary." "Stage fright, huh." Kai scratched her head. This is a problem. Maybe well have to use Luke after all. "Don''t worry, dude," Lars flashed his teeth. "Everybody''s nervous on their first time. You get used to it. Before long, ya gonna become addicted to that pressure. You gonna start going to tournaments just to show people how good ya are!" "Not everybody is like you," Yuel retorted. "Some people have stage fright." Especially, a girl who always hides from everybody, even from her clubmates. Sigh. "It ain''t just about me," Lars said. "I''ve seen a bunch of dudes in the basketball club who were scared shitless of playing at the regionals and stuff. But, once they got into it, there was no stopping them anymore! Stuff just works, yo!" "I agree that the best way to get used to something is to repeat it multiple times, Yuel said. But, the first time is always the hardest." "Just gotta shoot for it, yo!" "If it was that easy, we wouldn''t be having this conversation..." The room fell quiet. Nobody had an immediate solution to Nia''s stage fight problem. For a scaredy-cat like her, the mere mention of a stage with an audience terrified her to the core. The mere possibility that some people will come to watch the scrimmage was horrifying. Frankly, this problem was probably beyond Yuel''s powers. "So, um," Nia spoke up sheepishly. "I think Luke should do it. He''s a good Jungler. Number one memer. Can beat anybody ez. Yeah." Heh, Ive never heard praising that sounded more forced than this. Luke chuckled. What''s with this chick? First she takes away my role, and now she''s pleading to give it back. What a troublemaker. Welp, it suddenly became easy for Like to get his Jungler role back. He could just nod to Nia''s fake praise and that''ll probably seal the deals. Everybody else was at a loss regarding Nia''s problem, so they''ll probably give up and surrender the role to Luke. Let''s be real, I''m the better player anyway. Luke wasn''t trying to boast or anything, it was a simple fact. Nia was an alright player and she has been improving, but she was still a greenhorn compared to Luke. It wasnt really her fault; everybody started out as total scrubs during the first year. Nia still had a lot of room for growth, but no substantial growth ever happens in a matter of days. Itd take months for her to get anywhere near Lukes level, if not years. With enough time, this weird girl might become a better player than Luke. She has been training way more hours than him every day and all that jazz. However, at this very moment? Luke was a league above her. It wasnt even a competition. Surely, even Yuel would agree with this assessment if he could put aside the meme issue for a second. So, for all intents and purposes, Luke should be the one playing in the upcoming scrimmage. And, in the scrimmage after that. And, in the regionals as well. Luke was Stratus''s Jungler, no question. And yet, Yuel and Kai unanimously voted for Nia over Luke. It was rare as heck for those two to agree on something like that. It''s like Hell and Heaven making a truce or some spooky shit. I''m sure they also know I''m the better player, so they probably have their reasons. Luke reasoned. Most likely, they wanted to see Nia in action and test how efficient her sneaking tech gonna prove in srs bsns matches. If it works against high-level opponents, it''ll be a riot. And, if it blows, they can always fall back to using Luke. Ez option select. In a way, Nia''s refusal to play could be seen as an early failure. The girl bailed out before the matches even started, that''s all there was to it. Luke was the backup plan all along, so he could just step in and assume his role as intended. And, I''m fine with that shit? Really? Luke smiled wryly. Its like winning because your opponent defaulted. If he gets his role back like this, it ain''t gonna prove anything. Everybody still gonna think that Nia was the better player and that Luke''s memes were poop. Welp, it''s ain''t like I gotta prove anything to anybody. Indeed, he didn''t join the club to become number one or any such tryhard nonsense. That hassle wasn''t for him, it was pointless. No matter how hard one worked to get to the top, there was always somebody standing higher above. So, like, why even bother? In the first place, that''s kinda the reason Luke jumped on the opportunity to join this club. It was about playing a video game and the team was lazy, so he thought he wouldnt have to get too serious about any of it. At least, that''s how it should''ve went... We gonna take the regionals this year! Thats the kind of nonsense these daydreamers have been saying. It was hella dumb. There was no chance this tiny team stood any chance against all the powerhouses out there. And yet, somewhere deep inside, their determination touched him. What if this crappy team really makes it to the top? What if its hard work will pay off in the end? Maybe, just maybe, they could go places if they trained hard enough. Lars and Yuel were two tycoons and Kai wasn''t too shabby either, so the team had some aces for sure. Maybe reaching the nationals wasnt just a dream. Unbeknown to any of them, Luke has been deepening his research of the memeing arts recently. He couldnt be assed to stay for long training hours in this basement clubroom, but that didn''t mean he was done with Classmancers the moment he left, far from it. After coming home and eating lunch, he dug up lots of memeing. info online. He also watched some top-level memers and tested interesting interactions. Hasta la vista, tryhards! That''s what he imagined shouting in his opponents faces after mopping the floor with them. They''ll never see it coming! Memes will reign supreme! Something small like tier lists won''t stop him! And, something as small as stage fright shouldn''t stop Nia either. If she loses against something silly like that, that''ll be a real shame. On the surface, Nia didnt seem particularly interested in hitting it big in the competitive scene. But, just like Luke, she probably wanted to try her hand at some high-level matches and do well on the competitive stage. Thatll give them a cool story to brag about. Hey, listen! I was in this one tournament and I whooped some ass! Stuff like that. Therefore, Nia should go for it. She shouldn''t bail out using a weak excuse like stage fright. Dodging the serious stuff was Lukes job around here, he didnt appreciate others walking on his turf. Welp, I ain''t gonna go out on a limb for her here. Luke shrugged. But, guess I''ll say what I can. I gonna get the role either way in the end. "Hey, Nia," Luke started. "You should give the tournament a shot. No need to worry if you mess up or anything. You got a reliable sub, don''t forget that. If ya can''t handle it, I''ll just step in to replace you. Ezpz solution, zero pressure." "Ah, right," Nia''s eyes opened wide. She didn''t even think about it. Right, I can dump everything on Luke and slip away if I can''t take it anymore. Yeah, ez. It sounded a little mean, but not really. Luke looked like a guy who could handle himself. So, Nia will try going far as she can, then bail out if things get rough. In truth, she wanted to try her hand at the competitive scene. It was a place where everybody played like crazy, right? There were definitely going to be a bunch of bullies out there, but the matches will be interesting. Nia will get a chance to sneak up on difficult targets and assassinate them. It''ll be fun. Probably. "I-I''ll try it," Nia decided. "I''ll try to play and see how it goes." "Great," Kai smiled. "So, we''re settled then." Nia sheepily turned to Luke. "T-Thanks." "Don''t sweat it," Luke scratched his cheek. Damn, why is it that when I impress a girl with my chad aura, it can''t be some cutie? All we got in this club are a Bro Gril and a Ghost Chick. Life is harsh, man. With that, the lineup for the upcoming scrimmage was decided. Nia will start out as the Jungler and perhaps Luke will replace her later. How long will she last? Will her stealth abilities work out? Everything was up to her mental fortitude, which wasnt exactly her forte... There was only one last role left to decide, one which wasnt tied to any specific position in the lineup. It was the shot-caller role. An optional position that not all teams had, but was highly recommended for high levels of play. Often times, the captain was expected to be the shot-caller. It only made sense that the one at the top would also issue global orders. However, in truth, the skillsets required for each role were rather different. Some had the aptitude to be both captain and shot-caller, like Howard. However, some only excelled in the tactical department and didnt exhibit the necessary leadership. Yuel was one such example. On the other hand, Kai was a self-centered player who always pushed her own agenda through, no matter who opposed her. It was the trait that allowed her to get to the top of the club, but also one which restricted her ability to take others into considerations. She firstmost cared about her own situation during the game, so she had little time and ability to follow the situations of other players. Therefore, Kai was the captain but not fit to be a shot-caller. She had the highest authority, but she couldnt issue many global orders for others, unless it was something involving her own lane situation. Kai didnt like to admit that, but she knew it was true. Therefore, she agreed to let Yuel be the shot-caller, on a condition. If I dont like your tactics, Ill overrule them, Kai stated. Being the shot-caller made it clear whose job it was to monitor others situations and give them helpful advice, but it was nothing more than that. Being a shot-caller didnt give that player the ability to make all the decisions for the team. In short, she wants to stay in control. Yuel smiled wryly. For Kai, being the captain meant something special, so she wasnt going to compromise on the benefits that came with that role. Yuel will be like a dog on a leash, a leash that Kai had the authority to pull as she pleased in case he misbehaves. Fine by me. Yuel thought. Having absolute control of the chessboard was great, but it was hard to manage both roles at once. Yuel will focus on the tactics and Kai will handle disputes and such. It should take a load off his mind. Ill be the shot-caller, Yuel announced proudly to everybody. He explained to them the gist of what the role entailed. But, Kai added. If you have to choose between my word and Yuels, you know who to follow, right? She gave each of them a serious look. Yes, maam! Vincent saluted. Yes, maam! Luke joined in for the lulz. And so, the club meeting came to an end. The lineup and roles were all decided. From now on, the team just had to train, train, train some more until their first scrimmage. Their first opponent Taurus! Vol.9 Ch.6: Bens Absence The day of the first scrimmage was here. Once school day was over, the club gathered at the bus station alongside their advisor, Ms. Stone. "I wish they paid me extra hours for this," Ms. Stone muttered under a heavy sigh. "Everybody here? One, two, three... You''re missing one. Where''s Ben?" "Should be on the way," Vincent said. "I haven''t heard anything-" Loud orchestra music interrupted his words. It lasted for just a couple of seconds, but that was more than enough to leave an impression. "Oh, I got a message. Let''s see here..." He fiddled with his tablet. "Ben is... not coming," Vincent wore a difficult expression. "Seriously?" Yuel couldn''t believe this guy. Just when Yuel started thinking that maybe Ben was alright because the guy has been staying extra hours during training, Ben went ahead and pulled this nonsense. Seriously, what was his problem? "So, we''re just going to ignore this?" Yuel asked. "Nothing else we can do," Kai averted her eyes pulled down her black cap. She was visibly frustrated by this development as well, yet she chose to let this crime slide. What was so special about Ben that let him get away with these repeated offenses? Kai wasn''t the type to keep quiet about such things, yet she acted all meek about it. This was so puzzling. It can''t go on like this. Yuel decided. I have to get to the bottom of this tomorrow. Either Ben is part of the club, or he isn''t. I don''t know what lingering attachments he got for the basketball club and, frankly, I don''t care. If he wants to continue being a part of the club, he has to act like a proper club member. Missing practice from time to time was still fine. Ben made up to it by being one of the hardest working individuals on the days he was present. He always stayed until the very end and he never lazed around, unlike a certain sleepy girl who always dozed off at 3 pm. That''s why Yuel was fine with Ben''s misconduct for the most part. Ben exhibited enough seriousness about Classmancers to pass as a club member, even with all his unexplained absences. However, missing a scrimmage was a whole different story. This club was small. With only seven members, it was easy to rotate players around and let everybody play a couple of matches in one scrimmage. In case Stratus gains an early lead, Yuel planned to let Ben play Top Lane in his stead, to let Ben gain some partial experience like the rest of them. Besides, the team might legitimately require Ben''s help this match. Based on past years, Taurus wasn''t an opponent to sneeze at. They will surely pose a challenge, maybe even enough to make Kai surrender Bot Lane to Yuel and Lars. If that happens, Vincent will take Top. He was a decent all-rounder Top Laner, but Bens defensive playstyle was better for certain matchups. Not to mention, Vincent was currently the better Top Laner in part due to the differences in their experience. Vincent was a senior, so he spent more years playing Classmancers. Therefore, a scrimmage wouldve been a great opportunity for Ben to accumulate plenty of experience at once and take a step closer toward becoming the team''s main Top Laner, or at least become a reliable situational sub. As it stood, Ben was neither. "Don''t be so mad, dude," Lars patted on Yuel''s shoulder. "I''m not mad." "Nah, you totally are. I know dat look of total disappointment. Its like ya thinking dude committed the worst crime in the world and now you''ve lost all faith in humanity and stuff, haha." "I''m just disappointed," Yuel sighed. "Despite all his unexplained absences, I thought he was a part of the club. But, now he pulls this." "Hey, Ben is a nice dude. I''m sure there''s a reason behind it." "Reason, huh." Was there really such a thing? Its the excuse Kai and Vincent have been feeding Yuel since day one. The more time passed, the harder it became to swallow. Things couldn''t go on like this. Yuel will have to sort this out after the scrimmage. Unknown to Yuel, until a very short time ago, Ben had every intention to come to the scrimmage. In fact, he was giddy about it. Today is the big day. Ben took a deep breath. The mere thought of playing on a real stage gave him the shivers. But, it wasn''t just anxiety, it was excitement too. Playing on a big stage at ProCenter was like having one leg in the pro scene. ProCenter even hosted some real pro matches, it was that kind of serious place. And, their small middle school team was going to play there too. It was amazing! I just hope we don''t mess up. Ben gulped as he made his way to the bus station. Well, we got strong players this year, so we should be fine. Id like to play too, but I''m not as good as Yuel and Vincent yet. I need to practice harder. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Practice. That one word stabbed him like a knife. How many club practices has he missed over the past few months? He missed at least one day every week without fail, out of the three practice days they had. So, he worked about 30% less than everybody else. It was unfair towards them. Even though he regularly practiced at home after school, it didn''t make up for the amount of missed club activity. The level of experience he gained in the club was invaluable. He got to play alongside high-level teammates and faced strong opponents. No amount of solo training could make up for it. At home, he mostly played alone. Sometimes Vincent joined in with voice-call and they played together, but that''s about it. The friends Ben used to play with no longer played Classmancers. And, it was largely his fault. He made them quit. It was a sin he had to bear for the rest of his life. They had no intention of ever forgiving him for it. Speaking of the devil... "Hey, Meatball!" A cheery voice called out to him. Oh no. Please no... "H-Hi..." Ben replied timidly, but he didn''t stop to greet the speaker. He kept walking toward the bus station. It was a Slenderman situation. If Ben turns around, he''s dead. On the other hand, if he reaches the bus station first, he might still have a chance. It''ll be harder for these guys to pull anything in a crowded area. "Hey, Meatball. He just called ya, didnt he?" An arm wrapped around Ben''s shoulder, like a snake entrapping its prey. It was over. They caught him. "What''s with the cold treatment?" The first boy, Mike, caught up. "That''s how you treat your friends?" "S-Sorry, I was in a hurry..." Ben mumbled. His forehead broke out in cold sweat. Please, just let me go... "Heh," The boy holding him, Larry, chuckled. "Hurrying to your girlfriend or something? Haha." "Pft, as if this fatso got any chance of scoring with anybody," the third boy, James, shook his head. All three of them were here. They were Ben''s "friends". "So?" Mike, the leader, interrogated. "What''s the hurry? What''s so important that you don''t have time to turn around and greet one of your homies?" "Um, I got a scrimmage today..." Ben answered timidly while trying to wiggle out of Larry''s tight grip. It was no use. They trapped him. "A scrimmage? Whew," James whistled. "Makes our Mancers club sound like a big shot." "Yeah, a big shot with zero wins in its entire history," Larry added with a mean giggle. "So, you''re playing today?" Mike demanded. "Um, maybe..." Ben answered honestly. "Wow, wow, would you look at that! Somebody is turning into a pro over here, khaha!" Larry laughed in his usual coarse voice. "I heard they''re holding em scrimmages at ProCenter and all." "No shit?" James''s eyes popped. "They get to enter for free?" "Yep. A great deal, right? Too bad we couldn''t make it into the club." "Yeah, too bad," Mike agreed with a stern tone. "If only we weren''t screwed over by some hyena." "Ah..." Ben''s gaze naturally fell onto the ground. His friends didn''t get into the club, but he did. It''s all because he was selfish. He wanted to get into the club so badly that he ended up betraying his friends. He was the worst. A total scum. He was the type they burned in hell for all eternity. "Well, a scrimmage is a big deal," Mike said. "Guess we have to let him go." "R-Really?" Ben blinked. He was expecting the worst, but they''ll let him go? Just like that? Really? "Yeah, ain''t gonna hold you up," Larry released Ben out of his unbreakable grip. "T-Thanks," Ben smiled. Turned out they were still his friends after all! I''m so glad. Maybe they''ll forgive me if I perform well today. Im the only one who made it, so I have to prove to them I deserve to be here. Maybe thatll make them feel a little- "Guh!?" Sharp pain traveled into his abdomen. "Ugh!" Ben crouched on one leg. His insides burned. W-Why did he...? "Hey, hey, what''s wrong, Meatball?" Larry asked in a joking tone. "Not feeling well? Man, get a grip." "I-I''m fine," Ben endured the pain and slowly stood up. "Here, lemme give ya a hand," Larry came closer and pulled Ben up. At first, it really seemed like he came to help. However, the next moment... "W-Whoa!" Ben found himself falling backward, crashing into the ground! Gah! Pain traveled across his back. "C''mon, Meatball. You''re so clumsy," James snickered. "All that weight is too much for your poor legs, doncha think? Can''t even lift yourself, haha." They all laughed. I should''ve known. Ben pursed his lips. His "friends" won''t just let him go. This was his punishment for betraying them. They''ll never forgive him for it, no matter what he does or how much time passes. Even if he becomes a pro player, they''ll still resent him for what he did last year. "You don''t look so good," Mike said. "Here, lemme help you get to the nurse room." "N-No need, I''m fine," Ben jumped on his feet and did his best to stand straight. He''d be lying if he said none of this hurt, but he had to stand firm. He knew all too well they had no intention of bringing him to the nurse. It was just an excuse to drag him away. "Hey now," Mike''s eyes turned sharp like a blade. "Here I am, going out of my way to help a friend, and you gonna spit in my face like that?" "N-No, I didn''t mean to..." Ben trembled. It was hopeless. The moment this gang captured him, there was no escape. I should''ve left earlier for the station. I don''t think I can make it anymore... "Then c''mon, let''s go," Larry pushed from behind, almost making Ben dive into the ground again. "Let''s get you checked and all that, hehe." "You should be thankful for having such caring friends," James added with a mean smile. "Y-Yeah, of course I''m grateful," Ben forced the words through his dry throat. It was all over for him. He won''t make it to the scrimmage today. As the pack of wolves dragged him away, all he managed to do was send Vincent a single message. Sorry, I cant make it today And so, Ben was absent from the team''s first scrimmage... Vol.9 Ch.7: Nerves Before the First Match The bus arrived at ProCenter. "Nia, we''re here," Yuel addressed the black hairball that was curled up on the chair. "Hey, wake up." There was no response. "Earth to Nia," Kai joined the effort, but it was to no avail. Rather than sleeping, its more like Nias consciousness slipped into an entirely different dimension and took a nap over there. Nobody''s words reached her. She was slumber incarnate. "Haha," Luke was getting a kick out of this spectacle. "Hey Yuel, wasnt it you who told her to take nap? Welp, you reap what you sow. Haha." "Ugh," Yuel didn''t have a retort. Indeed, he was the one who suggested Nia to take a short nap during the ride. It shouldve helped Nia save up energy before the scrimmage. This troublesome girl was notoriously known for falling asleep around 3 pm every day without fail, even in the middle of club activity. That absolutely wasn''t allowed to happen today. The scrimmage was set to begin around 14:30, so itll definitely go beyond 15:00. Nia had to stay awake throughout the entire thing. No naps allowed. So, Yuel tried to prepare for it ahead of time by letting Nia sleep during the ride. However, the idea backfired. Nia was stuck in her infamously uninterruptible slumber before the scrimmage even began... "Hey kids!" The bus driver shouted. "Are you coming off or what? I''m shutting the doors." "Just a second, driver dude!" Lars shouted across the bus. "We got a sleepy-head over here!" He and Vincent were standing at the bus doors like guards, preventing the doors from closing. This hooliganism was clearly testing the driver''s patience. "Cmon, Nia," Kai shook Nias shoulder. "Mufu..." Nia produced an alien sound and shook off the intruder. Then, she returned to her silent, peaceful slumber. Seriously, this girl... Yuel exhaled a sigh. Nia''s brain worked in mysterious ways. One moment she could be 100% concentrated on the ongoing match, then as soon as it was over - she shut down like a robot that ran out of batteries. "How about some chocolate?" Vincent suggested as he scrolled on his tablet. "According to my bottomless sea of knowledge, the first thing Nia always does upon waking up is to stuff herself with a bar of chocolate or five. It must be a spiritual ritual that recalls her soul from the Slumber Dimension and brings it back to Terra!" "Chocolate, huh," Yuel opened one of the pockets in Nia''s bag, the one from which she produced an infinite amount of sweets every day. As usual, the small pocket acted like a gate to another dimension, one that housed an entire chocolate factory in it. Where was she even getting all this chocolate from...? "Nia, it''s a Knickers," Yuel unwrapped the chocolate and waved it in front of Nia''s nose. Sniff sniff. Sniff sniff. Nia''s nose reacted to the stimuli. She was like a little kitten considering a meal. "Am!" Nia bit the chocolate. Slowly, her eyes opened up. "Good morning," Yuel said. "We''ve arrived. Let''s go." "Mffmff." Nia nodded while taking small, but swift, bites at the chocolate. Eventually, she rose from the chair. The bus driver was ready to pop a vein at any moment and started walking towards them, so they fled the scene like a bunch of hooligans. "Man, that driver was about to unleash his ult on us, haha," Luke laughed. "Dude was legit mad," Lars laughed too. "Seriously, weve just arrived and you''re already causing trouble," Ms. Stone glared at them. "Sorry. Won''t happen again," Kai lightly bowed her head. It wasn''t her fault, but she had to take responsibility as the captain. "Hmph, as long as you understand," Ms. Stone scoffed and entered ProCenter. She strode with a confident posture across the various halls, as if she knew the place like the back of her hand. Ironically, this non-gamer woman was more familiar with this gaming center than the team. She has been supervising the Classmancers club for years now, so she got to visit this place at least thrice a year. Therefore, unlike the awe-struck team members, Ms. Stone quickly traversed the entire place, taking the shortest routes and making zero stops to look around. "Oh, behold!" Vincent pointed at some arcade machines. "They even got Dekken 8 and King of Warriors 15! Truly, ProCenter is the one and only multi-purpose gaming center!" "Actually, they got a bunch of those nowadays," Yuel corrected. With the rise of esports, competitive gaming almost became commonplace. To one degree or another, everybody gamed nowadays. Be it video games, mobile games, board games, or even chess. Yes, ProCenter even had a hall for playing chess. It was smaller compared to many other sections, but it existed and could house at least twenty matches at once. Not too shabby. Multi-purpose gaming centers like this have been popping up around the country in recent years. Apparently, it was an eastern trend that has been slowly creeping its way to the west. It was the same with how Classmancers was first accepted in schools in the east, only much later made its way to western schools. Still, little by little, things were progressing. In a couple of years, there were probably be more gaming centers like that in the region. Then, hopefully, teams won''t have to ride for nearly two hours in order to hold a scrimmage. "It''s here," Ms. Stone finally stopped and opened a big door. It revealed an empty stadium, with a big stage in the back. It was one of the smaller stadiums in ProCenter, definitely not on par with the ones they used for pro matches. Nevertheless, it was a serious stadium that was used for professional gaming. Finally, Yuel and Lars climbed all the way up here. This time, they weren''t here as the second-string. No, they were the first-string, the main fighting force. And, for all intents and purposes, this scrimmage served as the prelims for the regionals. The fight for the top started here! "We did it, we got here, yo!" Lars grabbed Yuel''s shoulders and shook them in excitement. "We gonna become pros, yo!" "Heh, that again," Yuel smiled. This secondary stadium was still far from the real pro scene, but it was the closest theyve ever gotten to their goal. They''ll start by conquering the scrimmages, then conquer the regionals, and finally win the nationals. At that point, they''ll surely catch a glimpse of the pro scene. "Your waiting room is here," Ms. Stone led them behind the stage after exchanging a few words with some man, probably the organizer for the scrimmage. "Please be ready on stage five minutes before the match is set to begin," the man stopped to instruct them. "And, make sure to keep your room just the way you got it. I''ll be checking it after the scrimmage." Everybody nodded in understanding and entered the room behind the stage. It was spacious enough to accommodate at least ten people, with some comfy sofas and a big table in the center. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Make sure you don''t litter," Ms. Stone also warned them. "They check the rooms before they let you go. If they dont like what they see, they''ll keep you here to do the cleaning work." "Bleh, sounds like a pain," Luke made a face. Make sure yall behave, guys. "That''s all," Ms. Stone headed to the door. "From here on out, follow the referee''s instructions. I''ll be staying at a nearby Cafe. Call me if theres any trouble." "Got it," Kai nodded. "Good luck out there. Don''t feel too bad if you lose. That''s up to par for this club." She said something rather insulting with an innocent shrug. Then again, given the club''s past records, such low expectations were perfectly normal. Stratus was the biggest underdog of the region for years. Little did Ms. Stone know that this year will be different. "We not gonna lose," Kai proclaimed. "We''ll take the regionals this year, just you watch." "Bold words. I''ll believe it when I see it." On that note, Ms. Stone left. "Calling dibs on the sofa!" Luke darted across the room and leaped on the big sofa chair, the only one of its kind here. The sofa sank a little under him, making it look like he was floating on water. "Tch, I wanted that one," Nia muttered. That chair looked so comfy. She could easily have a comfortable nap over there. So... comfy.... zzz. "Did you just fall asleep while standing?" Yuel questioned. "Ah!" Nia jumped. "N-No such thing! Nothing to see here. Move along." "Seriously. How can you still be sleepy? You just slept for over an hour during the ride. " "That didn''t count." "Excuse me?" "It wasn''t that comfy. I''d give that sleep a 4/10." "Is that so," Yuel grumped. Turned out his master plan wasn''t very effective. Even after sleeping for so long on the bus, this girl was still somehow sleepy. In fact, she was sleepy enough to almost fall asleep while standing. "Are you going to be okay? Yuel asked. The match is starting in ten minutes." "T-Ten minutes..." Nia clammed up all of a sudden. "Oh, I feel even sleepier now. Yeah, so sleepy. Zzz." Could it be youre nervous?" Yuel asked. "Zzzzzzzz." "I know you''re awake," Yuel pinched her cheek. "Aiya!" Nia jumped like a kitten splashed by water. "It hurts." "Just to make it clear, you''re not trying to bail out at the last moment, are you?" "N-No way, Nia answered in a very unconvincing tone. That huge scary stage didn''t scare me even one bit. Yeah." "So, you are nervous," Yuel sighed. "Thats normal. I also barely slept the night before my first scrimmage. But, this time it was much better. You get used to it." "Yeah, I''ll overcome it. By sleeping!" Nia already laid down on the big sofa. "No, Yuel retorted. You''ll overcome it by playing matches and getting used to the atmosphere." "Goodnight. Zzz." This girl will be the end of me. Yuel sighed deeply. "Kai, can you please handle this troublemaker? Hm? Kai?" The captain was nowhere to be found. "With my Information Blackhole, I can tell that nature has called her," Vincent explained in a needlessly roundabout way. "Is that so," Yuel twisted his lips. I hope she returns soon. Shes pretty much the only one here who can force Nia to move. "By the way," Yuel started. "How are you doing? Nervous?" "Nervous? Such a cursed word doesn''t exist in my dictionary," Vincent waved his hand. "I''m more than prepared to set foot in the realm of gods and fight to the death!" Despite claiming so, his right leg was shaking wildly, like a rocket thats about to take off. "There''s no shame in being nervous," Yuel said. "Everybody is like that on their first time." "Oh, so even the poker-faced, steel-hearted, Chessmaster experienced the horror of nervousness on his first scrimmage?" "N-No, not really," Yuel shifted his eyes away. "I just figured it''s a common thing" "Ya dudes all gotta relax," Lars placed his hands on Yuel''s shoulders and delivered a DEADLY BONE-CRUSHING massage. "Guh!" Yuel jumped. That grip mustve dislocated his shoulders! It broke his back! But, it only hurt at first. A couple more seconds of that superhuman grip and it actually started feeling good, relieving some invisible weight from Yuels shoulders. Lars''s deadly massage was actually fairly effective, as long as one could survive it. "Oh! I know, I know!" Lars jumped around like an excited puppy. "Let''s do dat cool thing they always do in other sports! Ya know, where they gather in a circle and yell motivational stuff." "Is that really necessary?" Yuel frowned. "That''s a brilliant idea!" Vincent nodded repeatedly. "A huddle is the perfect way to instill the team with motivation and confidence! That''s why it''s so common in other sports." "Yeah, I also read something to that effect, but..." Yuel cast his eyes downward. He never actually got to experience anything like that himself. That''s a given, considering he could never get into any competitive sports teams until he discovered Classmancers. "Okay, let''s do it," Yuel said. It sounded like a barbarian practice, but it was popular in other sports for a reason. Classmancers was a team sport like any other, so they should get the same benefits from huddling, whatever they were. "But, what''s the speech?" Yuel asked. "Kukuku," Vincent cackled. "No idea! That''s up to Kai to figure. She''s the captain." Somehow, I don''t see her as the type to deliver any grand motivational speeches... "It''s okay!" Lars proclaimed out of nowhere. "Ya just gotta yell some stuff that sounds cool and everybody gonna get pumped! That''s how we did it at the basket club. Stuff like ''We gonna take the world championship, yooooooooo!''" "Pft," Yuel produced a muffled chuckle. The image of Kai shouting that line flashed through his mind. It was one of the most bizarre pictures ever. No way that''ll happen. A few minutes before they had to head out, Kai returned and the trio shared their idea with her. "Huddling, huh," Kai pulled her cap downwards. "Do I have to? Just get pumped on your own." "No can do, cap," Lars insisted. "Ya gotta tell us we gonna win and stuff!" "Indeed!" Vincent followed up. "The Captain class gives you the power to bend reality to your will with mere words! Shall you breathe your ideals into words, they will be unleashed onto the world!" "I''m not exactly a fluent speaker..." Kai''s words trailed off. Her cheeks turned a little reddish. Damn, just when I finally calmed down. Can it be she''s also nervous? Yuel wondered. Thinking of it, aside from being crowned with the title of the "captain", nothing about Kai made her particularly special compared to the rest. Just like everybody else, this was her first official match. She also needed a morale boost. "Hey, Lars," Yuel spoke up. "Maybe you should handle it this time? You were the captain in the basketball club, so you got some experience with it, right?" "Yeah, I can do it no problem," Lars turned to Kai. "Ya fine with that? I mean, it should be the captain''s job and all." "Yeah, I give you permission to handle it," Kai lifted her chin in a self-important manner. Phew, bullet dodged. "Okay, let''s gather, everybody!" Lars called everybody to the center of the room. Nia was still in a half-asleep mode, so Kai dragged the sleepyhead over there. They formed a circle and hunched a little, all following Lars''s example. It made them look like a baseball team before a match. It was kinda awkward, but it was an interesting experience in its own way. "Okay, my dudes!" Lars boomed. "It''s our first scrimmage and all. Ain''t nobody seen how good we are yet. The world ain''t ready for this smoke, yo! Let''s go out there and kick some fine ass! We gonna beat these dudes, then the regional, then the nationals, the world cup, and even the galaxy cup! Let''s go, yooooo!" "YOOOOOOO!" They followed up on the catchphrase and thurst their hands toward the ceiling. It was embarrassing but it somehow felt right in the heat of the moment. "Gufu, my ears..." Nia shook her head and rubbed her sleepy eyes. The thundering yell slapped her awake. "Okay, let''s go," Kai walked ahead of the team. There was no longer any trace of hesitation or nervousness on her face, and the same applied to everybody else. Right now, she was looking like a confident captain that everybody felt comfortable following. Lars''s silly over-the-top speech worked wonders. And so, Stratus set out for its first official scrimmage. Everybody, even Ms. Stone, thought this team will crash and burn like in previous years. However, they will be proven wrong. The Stratus of this year was nothing like the bottom tier team of the past. They''ll debut with a blast and take the world by storm! They''ll prove they had more than enough skill to compete even with the powerhouses of this region! Vol.9 Ch.8: "Friendly" Greetings Five minutes before the scrimmage, the team walked onto the stage as instructed by the referee. "Ah, people..." Nia walked behind Kai while throwing nervous glances at the audience. Indeed, there were some people here now. Official scrimmages were publicly announced on a big screen and they were free to watch, so they naturally piqued the curiosity of some people. Some of them were scouts for high school teams, searching for promising middle schoolers. Others were spies from middle schools, coming here to research their rivals. It''s safe to assume everything we show here today will be used against us in the next scrimmage. Yuel thought. Some representatives from the Leopards were surely lurking in the audience right now. They''ll record everything. Therefore, if possible, it was best to keep some of the team''s tech a secret today. Unfortunately, Stratus wasn''t exactly a powerhouse team that had the option to go easy. They''ll have to go all-in from the very first battle to establish their footing. They''ve trained hard up to this point, but there was no telling where they stood compared to the competition. Theyll have to brace themselves for the worst and go hard from the start. "Oh, hey!" Lars exclaimed and ran to the edge of the stage. "It''s July! What''s what up, yo!?" He waved at the audience while shouting. I-Idiot, shush! Julia''s ears burned. She threw a bunch of glances around. Phew, nobody figured it was about her. She timidly raised a hand and waved back, then immediately retracted her. "That''s Julia?" Yuel blinked. It had to be a mistake. From this distance, the best way to recognize Julia was by her long ponytail. However, the girl Lars was waving to didn''t have one. She had a medium length straight hair. Judging by that, it couldnt be Julia. "She did a makeover," Lars said. "I think the long ponytail was nice, but this look is more savage. She now looks like someone who totally gonna mop the floor with ya in a duel, haha." "I suppose," Yuel couldn''t help but stare at Julia''s uncanny new look. Right then, he felt intense bloodlust. Don''t look at me, idiot. "Ugh," Yuel instinctively glanced aside. Yeah, this was Julia alright, no question about it. She was the only girl he knew who could transmit her murderous intent like that across such a long distance. Did she come to spy on us? It looks like she''s alone here. Yuel scanned the audience but there weren''t any other familiar faces. It didn''t look like anybody else from StormBlitzs first-string was here. They probably consider this a low priority scrimmage. Yuel smiled wryly. Even though data gathering was extremely valuable for teams, there was no need to bring the entire club to watch every single scrimmage. Thats the mentality StormBlitz operated on. For example, last year, StormBlitz''s first string didn''t bother coming to watch that many scrimmages. Instead, Aron sent freshman like Yuel to scout. The scouts were tasked with summarizing the key points of the matches and presenting them to the first-string, accompanied by a replay of the scrimmage. Maybe some of StormBlitz''s new recruits are here. Yuel examined every single student, but there was no way to tell since their school didn''t have a uniform. Any of the middle schoolers here could be a spy from any middle school from the region. Howard and Ellen didn''t even bother to come. I see how it is. Yuel got the message, loud and clear. As of yet, Howard wasnt thinking much of Stratus. As far as he was concerned, they were the weakest team in the region and the fact Yuel and Lars joined mattered little. We''ll prove him wrong. I''m glad you made it. Julia smiled softly after making sure nobody saw her. You two deserve to play on the first-string. Now, let''s see how high you can pull that trainwreck of a team. "Ms. Julia, ma''am!" Philip boomed loudly outta nowhere with a salute. "Agh! Damn you," Julia shot the boy a glare. This idiot almost gave her a heart attack! "What do you want?" "It''s my first time scouting a match, ma''am!" Philip exclaimed while shouting. "I''d be eternally grateful if you give me a pointer or two or three. What should I focus on? What kind of plays do I need to analyze? What is the best angle for seeing all the details!?" "Pipe down," Julia barked. "You''re drawing too much attention to us. Sit down." "Oh! I''m so terribly sorry, ma''am!" Philip sat down but continued making a lot of noise. This guy... Julia sighed. Why did she have to babysit this kid? She only came here to watch Lars playing on his new team. Yet, that damn Howard had to make Philip tag along and help with the scouting. What a pain. Well, at least I can dump most of the menial work on him. I''ll just kick back and enjoy the match. "You got the scouting forms from Howard, right?" Julia asked. "Yes, ma''am! I got it right here!" Philip presented the paper in question. It had many fields to fill up about the teams. Most of it was dry information like listing the roles and classes of each team. However, some fields were more subjective and asked the scout to rate individual players by different categories. Namely, Decision-Making, Mechanical Skill, and Teamwork. "I understand the spots where you fill in classes and such," Philip said. "But, how am I to rate somebody''s Decision-Making? I request aerial support, ma''am!" "Just use your head," Julia shrugged. "It doesn''t really matter. It''s all subjective. I just think of 5/10 as the ''average'' level for middle schoolers." "Whoa, amazing! You have so much experience that you can tell who is the average and who is above!?" "... sure." I just kinda wing it. I''m sure Lars will get high scores. And, Yuel will be 1/10 in everything. Im the one scoring, so my rules. Hmph. "But, ma''am," Philip said. "I don''t know how good a 5/10 player would be." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Hmm, take GG as your baseline. I''d say that guy is a flat 5/10 in everything. Don''t tell him I said that, though." "Whoa, really? General Gregory is just a 5/10!? But, he''s such a strong player!" Yeah, hes strong when he''s showing off against freshmen like you. Julia shook her head. "Anyway, it''s something like that. If you need a reference for somebody who is 10/10, no need to look far than at yours truly." "Eeeeh?" Philip gave her a dubious look. "You sure about that, ma''am?" "Huuuuh? You doubt me, boy?" "N-Not at all, ma''am!" "So, write it down. I''m a 10/10. GG is 5/10, Now, you got yourself a useful scale." "Y-Yes, ma''am! I understand, ma''am! I''ll do my best, ma''am!" "You like spamming the word ''ma''am'', don''t you." "Definitely, ma''am!" This brat... Julia sighed. Well, at least she could dump all the boring work on him and concentrate on the match. Who knew that having underclassmen is so convenient? Last year, Julia and the other freshmen had to do all sorts of menial work. However, this year, she was in charge! It felt great! Okay, now let''s see how far they''ll get with this team. Julia returned her attention to the stage. Howard said Taurus isn''t a big fish. So, if Larss new team is any good, this game should be a wrap. If they lose, itll be the funniest and saddest thing ever. So, you better win this one, you hear? I want to be the one to crush you. Both teams assembled on the stage. Stratus only had six representatives in total, whereas Taurus came at them with a brigade of 16 people. Only five were going to play from each side, but the sheer difference in numbers was overwhelming. Its like an entire army was about to wage war against a puny squad. "We''re an entire platoon and you''re barely a squad." That''s the message they conveyed by bringing all these people on stage. They asserted dominance via numbers. The more players the club housed, the more likely it was to found talented players among their ranks. So, just by being a big club, they had an overwhelming advantage over a club that barely had enough players to form a team. But, in the end, it''ll be our best players vs. their best. Yuel reasoned. I''m sure Lars and I are better than most of their players. And, maybe Kai is too. If so, we can definitely win. "Captains, please step forward," the referee instructed. Alright, here goes. Kai took a deep breath and stepped forth. From the other side of the stage, the Hulk was walking toward her. No, seriously. It was the Hulk! In the flesh! The guy was huge. He was like a golem wearing human skin. "Let''s have a good one," the giant stretched his big palm with a friendly smile. Contrary to his intimidating structure, he seemed like a nice guy. "Yeah, good luck," Kai regained her composure and shook the giants hand. Phew, this went smoother than expected. These guys seem friendly. But, as soon as she thought that, her ears caught a mocking cackle coming from the side of the stage. A boy from Taurus was laughing along with his pals and pointing fingers in Kai''s direction. "Check this out, haha," the boy laughed. "They got a chick for a captain! What a joke!" "Pft, haha," another dumbass burst out in laughter. "I heard this team is rock bottom, but that''s a whole new level of lame!" These bastards. Kai shot them a glare. "Ohhh, so scawy~! Help me, mommy!" the target of her glare pretended to shake, then continued to laugh even harder than before. "Hey! Kai called out. You fuck-" "Cut it out," the golem captain ordered his men. His smile vanished without a trace. It was replaced with pursed lips and a sharp glare. "Haha, but doncha think it''s hilarious, cap?" the hooligan continued spouting bullcrap. "It''s the joke of the year, haha! Hey, Jaiden, you agree, right?" He randomly addressed one of the younger-looking boys in the group, probably a junior. "Yeah, its definitely sad," the junior, Jaiden, replied. However, unlike the other cackling idiots, there was no humor in his tone. Nevertheless, his eyes remained locked on Kai and his glare was pregnant with obvious malice. What''s with this one? He gives me the yikers. Kai shuddered for a moment. Unlike the other idiots over there, this guy was more way more hostile despite being much quieter. What''s up with that? "Stratus is a joke team confirmed," Jaiden went on. "There''s no need for our seniors to waste time here. Let me and my pals take care of this." "Phaha!" the main hooligan smacked Jaiden on the shoulder. "Nice try, fam! But, no dice. We gonna be the ones playing this one. Try again next year, kid. Haha!" "Got it," Jaiden nodded but his gaze still lingered on Kai for a few long moments. His conviction didn''t waver in the slightest. He was dead set on crossing swords with Kai. "What you staring at?" Kai addressed the pack of idiots. "Never seen a girl play video games? C''mon, I''ll take you all on, fuckers!" "Woohoo, scawy!" the hooligan didn''t give a shit. Catch me in Bot, girlie. Imma whoop yo ass real good. "Bruce, enough," the giant captain ordered. "H-Haha, I''m just kidding, just kidding," Bruce retreated a little. The rest of the pack also quieted down and dropped the subject, save for one guy. "You gonna take us on? Try me," Jaiden stood his ground despite the captain''s threat. "I''ll mop the floor with you in five seconds." "Oh, you sure sound confident," Kai''s face twitched. "1v1 me. I''m Challenger in Duel." "Duel rank means nothing," Jaiden stated matter-of-factly. "Come at me in a real match and I''ll end your whole career, girl." "Jaiden, I said enough," the golem captain warned again, his tone sterner than before. "Tch, whatever," Jaiden shook his head and jumped off the stage. "Well, if Im not playing, may as well take a stroll or something. This game gonna be a snoozefest confirmed." "Yeah, because it gonna be EZPZ," Kai retorted. "We gonna mop the floor with Taurus the entire day." Yeah, right, Jaiden shrugged and continued toward the exit. He stopped for a moment to examine the rest of Stratuss lineup. Apparently, something caught his attention, but the interest was short-lived and he soon left. Hey, Jai! Wait up! Two boys chased after Jaiden and vanished from the hall as well. Who the hell hired all these clowns? Kai sneered. Is this the circus or something? "Please, enough," the golem captain turned to Kai now. "I apologize for these guys. They''re just a bit nervous because it''s their first official match." "Tch, whatever," Kai shrugged and turned away. The giant captain didn''t do anything wrong, so she didn''t feel like taking it out on him. She''ll just have to teach these all bastards a real lesson. That fucker said hes playing in Bot, right? Perfect. Kai nodded to herself. Rather than throwing baseless words at these scumbags, she''ll prove her worth in battle. She''ll end their pitiful lives! "Are both sides done with their trash-talking?" the referee asked with an amused smile. "Okay, both teams are warned. If you guys keep this up, I''ll disqualify you. You might even get banned from the regionals if you act like this, so watch your words. "I''m sorry," the golem captain apologized again. "I''ll keep my team in check. It won''t happen again." "My bad," Kai glanced aside. "I think the nerves are getting to me." "Let''s just have a nice and clean scrimmage, shall we?" the referee continued. "Alright, both teams can take their seats now." With that, the tension on stage dispersed. Yet, Kai could still hear that bastard, Bruce, laughing behind her back. I''ll make this fucker regret he was born. Kai promised. And so, after the "friendly" greet, the first game was about to begin! Vol.9 Ch.9: Overcoming Stage Fright "Is everything alright?" Vincent asked once Kai returned to the team. "Yeah, I''m alright," Kai tried to maintain a calm tone, but her eyes burned with hellish intensity. She was like a ticking bomb. "We''re going to erase these fuckers from the face of the earth." "Whoa, language, miss." "Fuck language. I gonna rip them apart, one by one." "Scary," Nia hid under a table. Oh noes, a demon has possessed Kai. "Motivation is good and all," Yuel said. "But, you really need to calm down. Otherwise, it''ll impact your performance." "Oh, I''m calm. Real calm. I''m calmness incarnate," Kai''s teeth rattled. "Everythings okay, dude," Lars smacked Kai on the back. "We all know youre da best! Ya eat scrubs like ''em for breakfast, yo!" "Y-Yeah," Kai''s aggression disappeared somewhere as she stumbled forward. It was hard to tell whether Lars''s encouraging words did this, or it was the pain in her back. The guy held nothing back with that smack. It was like he dropped a boulder on her back. Ouch. But, this was exactly what Kai needed right now. She was drowning in a spiral of negative thoughts and couldnt get out, so somebody had to give her a push. Yeah, whats wrong with me? Its not the first time this happens. Kai nodded to herself. Boys made fun of her before, and will surely do so again in the future. She should''ve been used to this treatment by now. There was only one way to prove them wrong: to fight and destroy them! They''ll be running back to mama by the time Kai is done with them! They''ll think twice about ridiculing a female player ever again. Maybe they''ll even quit Classmancers altogether, that''ll be awesome. The world didn''t need filth like them playing the game. Still, what was the deal with that one guy? Kai thought back on the one boy who seemed... different, for the lack of a better word. Apparently, his name was Jaiden. Unlike the main scumbag from Taurus, who started the entire fiasco to stroke his own ego or some shit, Jaiden''s hostility toward Kai was way more direct. That guy wasn''t trash-talking for fun. No, every word he spoke was pregnant with pure contempt, Do I know him from somewhere? Kai wondered. Nope, doesn''t ring any bells. Then, what did that guy hold against Kai? And, why did she even care so much? After all, it didn''t seem like Jaiden will even be playing today. He wasnt an opponent she had to pay any attention to. "Heeeeeey, earth to Kai," Vincent waved in front of Kai''s eyes. "The ref is here." "Ah, right," Kai shook her head and proceeded to speak with the referee. They confirmed their starting lineup. Everybody who wasn''t participating in the upcoming game had to leave the stage. In Stratuss case, that was only one player. "I''ll be rooting for ya all," Luke waved on his way out. "Show these scrubs whos the boss around these parts!" Only the competitors remained on stage. Everybody logged into their computers and began preparations. "You have five minutes to warm up," the referee explained. "If this is your first time here, make sure you get used to the equipment. I don''t want to hear any excuses later, like how you weren''t used to the keyboard or mouse." Everybody followed the advice and logged into your practice mode to flex their fingers. Everybody, save for one. "Nia, what are you doing over there?" Yuel asked as he checked under the table. "Camping," Nia answered nonchalantly. She was curled into a ball at the very corner of the table. "You understand that you''ll have to come out eventually, right?" "No. Ask them to connect a tablet. I''ll play from here." "What are you on about?" Yuel reached under the table. "C''mon, get out of there." "No." "Why?" "It''s scary." If only I got a euro for every time she uses that word. Yuel sighed. "What''s wrong? The stage-fright is making a comeback?" "Gufu..." Nia clammed up even more, which meant Yuel hit the bullseye. Even after coming this far, Nia still wasn''t quite ready to face her fears. Sigh. The others seem alright. Yuel checked every teammate in order Lars looked gung-ho as usual, nothing to worry about there. Kai was tapping her feet and glaring at the monitor, but this was probably just her discharging her fury. Vincent looked calm and concentrated during his warm-up, which was a tad odd for the usually loud clown, but at least it meant he was taking this seriously. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. So, Nia was the only troublemaker. Okay, so how do I approach this? Yuel knotted his brows. He had no idea what to say to somebody with stage fright. The best advice he could give was to go through with the game despite the fear. Only by confronting the fear shell be able to conquer it. But, convincing her to go through with it was the entire problem in the first place... "This girl will be the end of me..." Yuel sighed. "What''s wrong, dude?" Lars asked. "Nia giving ya trouble again? Actually, where is she even at?" He looked around the stage and found nothing. "Over there," Yuel pointed under the table. "Oh! Haha, the heck are ya doing there?" Lars would have never found Nia over there if not for Yuel. The girl was tucked away at the very corner and her long black hair blended perfectly with the darkness. She became one with the dark realm, yo! "Her stage fright kicked in again," Yuel explained with a sigh. "Ah, that thing again?" Lars scratched the back of his head. "Welp, guess we gotta make her deal with it face to face." He leaped from his chair and reached his long arms underneath the table. "W-W-Whaaaaa!?" Nia shook in protest as the big arms reached toward her. "C''mon, let''s greet the audience!" Lars pulled Nia from under the table and picked her up. "Off we goooooo!" "W-Wait!" Nia kicked like a baby throwing a fit, but soon stopped because it might cause her to slip off. Lars ignored the protest and carried Nia all the way to the front of the stage. Then, he put her down and placed his hands on her shoulders, to make sure she wont try to slip away. "Hey, what''s up, my dudes!" Lars addressed the audience with a booming voice. "Just wanted to introduce myself, since yall probably have no idea who the heck I am. I''m Gunz, the Carr- I mean, the Mid Laner of the team! Watch me wreck all of Taurus by myself, yo!" This bold introduction made the audience crack some laughs. Though, one person didnt feel like laughing. Mid? What? Julia frowned. What was Lars smoking? He was the Carry, he had to be. Theres no way he switched to Mid all of a sudden, right? ... Right? "You see?" Lars turned to Nia. "These dudes are alright. They''re just here to watch a good show. Hey, ya hear me? Heeeeey! Earth to Niaaaaaaa." He gently shook her shoulders. This aint good. The girl turned into a statue. It didnt seem like Nia was going to budge. Everything was up to Lars again. "Also listen. everybody! This girl here is the Vanishing Flower!" His voice boomed. "She''s our Jungler and she gonna sneak up to ya before ya notice!" That brainless oaf...! Yuel facepalmed so hard it hurt his brain. He just went ahead and blurted Nia''s specialty! Just great. Yeah, cmon, lets feed our enemies with free information. Sigh. Lars didn''t care about any of that and went on. "She''s kinda new to all this stuff, so give her your full support, my dudes!" The audience produced some laughs and playful thumbs-ups. They probably thought it was a comedy skit of some sort. Who is this girl? Julia''s eyes turned sharp like a blade. Just a moment ago, Lars was carrying this girl in his arms like a princess. Where did this girl come from? What was her deal? Surely, she wasn''t Lars''s girlfriend or anything like that, right? Nah, no way. He wouldn''t be interested in such an ugly girl, right? Right!? "You see now?" Lars addressed Nia again. "These dudes ain''t scary. They''re just here to watch a hype match. They ain''t gonna do anything to ya." "......." Nia turned into stone. Her face was paler than usual, which made her look like a vampire. It felt like her soul was ready to flee from her body at any moment. "Khaha, your team got another chick?" A voice came from the other side of the stage. "Lemme tell you what, your team is wack." It was the leader of the hooligans who harrassed Kai earlier, his name was Bruce. He walked toward Lars and stopped in the center of the stage. "I heard ya gonna wreck us?" Bruce grinned. "I can''t just sit and let this trash talk fly, you dig? So, prepare yo ass. We gonna mop the floor with- Agh! What the-!?" "I apologize," the giant captain of the Taurus stepped forth and wrapped his thick arm around Bruce''s neck. "Hey, lemma go, you fat-" "You want to get the team disqualified?" the captain hardened his lock, making Bruce choke a little. "The ref warned us what''ll happen if we repeat the offense. Give it a rest already." He finally released the hooligan. "Geh," Bruce coughed as he caught up his breath. "Whatever. These fuckers ain''t worth my time any." He stomped away. "Yo, it gotta be rough being the cap with dudes like him around," Lars said. "Yeah, you have no idea," the captain nodded solemnly. He looked like a nice dude, but it felt like he shouldered a lot of crap to keep the club unified. Poor dude. Lars felt it, he really did. He was the captain of the basketball team at one point in time and it had no shortage of troublemakers. Being the cap was rough. "Anyway, back to... Hm?" Lars realized that the statue he was holding vanished without a trace. Nia snuck away at some point. Dat girl was a natural-born Ninja, no kidding. Before Lars noticed, Nia was already back in her seat. All life force was drained from her face. But hey, at least she wasn''t hiding under a table anymore. Thats some progress right there! "What were you thinking!?" Kai yelled. "You traumatized her!" "Nah, she''ll be fine," Lars claimed. "Sometimes, ya gotta throw da fish onto da land. That''s what my basket coach used to say. When somebody had cold feet, Coach just tossed them into the fray and introduced them to the audience. It usually did the trick." "Such spartan discipline!" Vincent was deeply impressed. "Indeed, only those who come face to face with their fears shall be able to overcome them! Once they do, they shall receive Ares'' blessing of might!" "Yeah, exactly!" Lars had no idea WTF Vincent was on about, but it sounded hype so it gotta be right! "I can see this working on boys, but..." Kai didn''t continue that line of thought. She almost said that girls were more fragile, but that''d be wrong. Girls were also plenty strong. Anything a boy could overcome, a girl could overcome as well. So, if this Spartan method worked for boys, it had to work for girls as well. "You okay?" Kai asked. "Ah... Sure..." Nia slowly delivered the reply like a zombie. "Think you can play this game?" "Ah..." Nia opened her mouth, then closed it. Everybodys eyes were on Nia back there. She stood in front of that big crowd and became the center of attention. The spotlight shined brightly on her, almost blinding her. It was the scariest experience of her life. But, she was still alive. She survived through that hell! So, compared to that scary experience, playing Classmancers on the stage didnt feel like a big deal anymore. "I can play," Nia''s mumbled with a nod. She was already here, so she might as well go all the way. She has been practicing Classmancers, day and night, for the past couple of months. She improved a lot, so she should be ready to go. Should be. "Told ya it works," Lars gave a thumbs up. "It did make her more agreeable, that''s for sure," Yuel wasn''t entirely convinced yet, but at least Nia was no longer hiding under the table, that was a step forward. However, whether she successfully draws out her usual skill in the upcoming match remained to be seen. Vol.9 Ch.10: Stratus vs. Taurus, Start! "You have to warm up," Yuel explained while directing Nia to Practice mode. "The equipment here is different from what we have in the club, so you have to get used to it." "Can''t I just use my controller?" Nia pouted. "No, everyday play with mouse and keyboard." "What a pain," Nia twisted her lips in protest, but obediently leaned forward to reach the mouse and keyboard with her short arms. For some ungodly reason, this girl preferred to play Classmancers with a controller. After she joined the club, she played exclusively with a controller for a while. It took Yuel some time to notice that and call her out on it. Good thing I forced her to use a mouse and a keyboard. Yuel sighed in relief as he watched Nia move naturally in Practice mode and properly land hits on the dummies. Despite how much she protested at first, Nia now seemed comfortable with using mouse and keyboard. "Oh, this feels nice," Nia ran her fingers across the keyboard and moved the mouse in circles. "Yeah, they got decent equipment here," Yuel agreed. "For high-level games, the quality of the equipment makes a huge difference." It probably feels good to type on it. Nia brought up the chat window and placed both hands on the keyboard. test test test this is nice everybody is a bully today as always Well, as long as she''s getting used to the equipment... Yuel smiled wryly and returned to his own warm-up. A few minutes later, the referee announced the beginning of the drafting phase. Taurus won the virtual coin toss and chose to pick first. Each team banned some popular high tier classes, then they proceeded to pick classes. "Hey, Zephy," Bruce smacked his pal on the shoulder. "I got a brilliant idea for ya. We gonna steamroll these scrubs real hard, khaha!" "Haha, I''m on board!" Zeph grinned. "Whatcha got?" "What if we go DK on their asses?" "You want me to DK?" "Yeah, do it, bro. It gonna be the joke of the year! We gonna finish them in like five minutes, khaha!" "Heh, that''d be a riot!" Zeph nodded. "Dark Knight is a risky pick," Raymond, the captain, acted like the party pooper he always was. "I think we better play it safe in the first round, to get a better feel for their skill level." "C''mon, what skill?" Bruce sneered. "These guys are clearly a joke. They even got two chicks on their team." "Female players can be as good as any other player," Raymond argued. "Bruh, are ya a feminist or some shit? Girls can''t video games for shit. Am I right, guys?" "Totally," Zeph nodded. "Never met a girl who actually knows how to play." "Right? Right?" Bruce nodded repeatedly. "They always say they''re gamers, but then ya let them play and they get the whole team killed. Skill, khaha! Yeah, right." "But, female pros exist..." Raymond leveled a counter-argument, but gave up midway, It was pointless to say anything more. Everybody was already on board with Bruce''s nonsensical opinion. This situation was nothing new, so Raymond just let it go. "Do as you wish." "Alright, Zephy, jam in that DK!" Bruce ordered. "Ya got it, fam!" Zeph picked Dark Knight and locked it in. Now, the turn passed to StormBlitz. "These bastards are making fun of us," Kai shot a murderous glare at the screen. Dark Knight as the first pick? Whod do such a thing except for low ranks? These fuckers were asking for a beating. "Calm down, they''re doing it on purpose," Vincent said. "They''re trying to rile us up. I analyzed that guy using my Arbiter of Talents and concluded he got the Fury Inducer skill. It allows him to inject his opponents with anger and frustration, making their performance suffer." "In short, he''s one heck of a scumbag," Kai clicked her tongue. "His BS doesn''t work on me, though." Actually, to me, you look both angry and frustrated. Vincent commented silently. "Well, just try to keep calm, thats all I''m saying." "Are you sure you don''t need to worry about yourself first?" Kai threw a glance at Vincent''s rapid foot tapping. It''s like his leg was having a seizure. "No, no, no, I''m tranquility incarnate." "Huh, if you say so, Kai rolled her eyes. Anyway, Yuel, how we gonna respond to that DK pick?" "Hmm," Yuel threw a glance at Nia. "Seems like youll be helping me out a lot today." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Ok," Nia nodded. "If I can get Ninja that''d be dope." "Yes, Ninja is a good counter-pick." "Ok, then that guy is ded." "Good, exactly what I wanted to hear," Yuel nodded in approval. Even though Nia''s face was still a little pale, it seemed she was alright. She was ready to tackle this Dark Knight head-on. Over the past couple of months, the girl has gained more than enough experience against Dark Knights in Ranked. She was no longer scared of defusing them. In fact, she no longer saw the Dark Knight as a threat at all. As long as she plays like her usual self, itll be easy to win the lane. Yuel picked Knight, the safe and solid bruiser. Viking wouldve been a great option as well but the enemy banned it, possibly to prevent it from being picked against the Dark Knight. Next, Nia grabbed Ninja. It was usually better to wait a little longer before picking the teams Jungler. However, Nia''s viable classes boiled down to stealth classes, so grabbing it early was the safest. The drafting phase went on, with both teams trying to outdo each other. Taurus picked Lumimancer as a soft counter to Nia''s stealth, whereas Stratus struck back by countering Aeromancer with Electromancer. The final lineup turned into: Stratus Chessmaster (Top): Knight VanishingFlower (Jungler): Ninja Gunz (Mid): Electromancer Beat (Carry): Impaler InformationBlackhole (Support): Cryomancer Taurus DragonMaster (Top): Dark Knight Messi (Jungler): Lionfolk Nirvana (Mid): Aeromancer TheLegend (Carry): Pirate TheMyth (Support): Lumimancer "Yo, look!" Lars pointed at the screen. "Looks like we''re playing against Messi, haha." "And against TheLegend," Kai felt like throwing up. That was the enemys Carry, so its gotta be that bastard who looked down on Kai, right? Yeah, no question about it. Can totally see a bastard with low self-esteem naming himself something like TheLegend. After I''m done with him, hes really gonna become a legend. The title will be like The Greatest Scrub That Ever Lived. And so, the first game of the scrimmage kicked off! Overall, our picks are better. Yuel compared the lineups. As long as we shut down the Dark Knight early on, we got this one in the bag. Yuel entered the lane with his Knight. His opponent, the Dark Knight, was already there. Well, of course hed be. After all, Dark Knight''s clearing speed was that much faster than the Knight''s. Back when Yuel and Nia were still halfway through clearing the jungle camps for the game-opening, the Dark Knight and his partner were probably already done. "How soon will you start ganking?" Yuel asked. "As soon as they forget I''m here," Nia answered. And when that is, exactly? Yuel sighed. Well, this was par for the course. Nia always lays low during the first portion of the match. According to her, this was an important ritual that lowered the enemy''s awareness of her. It''ll be great if it works today, but I have my doubts. Yuel knotted his brows. "Anyway, try to be ready to gank as soon as you have your ult." "Ok." If she holds her end of the bargain, Ill only have to deal with the Dark Knight alone until Nia gets to Lv.5. Yuel nodded to himself. With a Knight, that was doable enough. The Dark Knight unleashed his Dark Blast. Normally, itd be enough to wipe out Yuels entire minion wave. However, it didnt. Yuels minions just barely hung onto life, one hit away from death. It was all thanks to Knights Chivalry, his passive. The flat defense boost it granted to nearby allies was enough to stop the Dark Knight from one-shotting the entire minion wave with a single Dark Blast. This huge benefit won''t last for long, but it''ll be around for the first couple of levels. Having some minions survive, even with mortal wounds, was a huge deal breaker. The swordsmen survived as expected, but Yuels bowmen were alive as well for some reason. They were supposed to be squishy enough to succumb to Dark Blasts damage even with Chivalry in effect, but they remained unharmed. Did he miss the bowmen? Yuel wondered. The Dark Blast went through the entire frontline, but it didnt reach Yuel''s rear. As a result, the bowmen remained at perfect health. Is he dealing with tournament nerves, too? Or, maybe hes not that good with Dark Knight? Either way, this might be easier than I thought. As the enemy swordsmen approached to strike the bowmen, Yuel activated Honorable Duel to aggro the minions toward himself. The taunt made them waste extra time on moving toward Yuel, giving his bowmen more time barrage the distracted swordsmen. Thanks to this maneuver, Yuel got rid of all the swordsmen before they even reached him. All thats left, was for the bowmen of both sides to duke it out with each other. The enemy bowmen got the first hit advantage, but otherwise, it was a close fight. To make sure the Dark Knight won''t invade any further alongside his remaining troops, Yuel advanced to the frontline to strike the bowmen down. "Heh, you dare getting close?" Zeph grinned. "I''mma show ya what happens when you get this close to DK!" I see. He won''t let me do this for free. Yuel nodded to himself. In that case, let''s do it the quick and dirty way. Yuel activated Shield Bash. He charged forth and slammed his shield into the three injured bowmen. The slam knocked them out in one hit. Triple kill! However, this brought Yuel dangerously close to the Dark Knight. Even though both classes had ''Knight'' in their names, one of them was much stronger than the other during the early-game. Therefore, Yuel had to run for his life! Crap, he got away! Zeph cursed as his prey rolled away, slipping right through his fingers. That damn guy invaded for but a moment, then instantly rolled the heck outta here. What a guy. Okay, next wave it is. Next wave, I''mma push so hard ya gonna run all the way to your Turret, scrub. Okay, safe. Yuel recovered from the roll and retreated further into allied territory, to maintain as much distance as possible between himself and the Dark Knight. Fortunately, the Dark Knight didn''t even consider chasing. He''s pretty tame for somebody who picked Dark Knight in a competitive match. Yuel thought. Dark Knight was a cocky, but viable, option in high-level play. However, to efficient, it had to be played correctly, only then the pick will be justified. The Dark Knight player had to be aggressive and push for as much early-game advantage as possible. So far, this DragonMaster player has been failing on that front. Was the guy waiting for something and merely observing Yuel''s skill until then? Or, maybe he was still warming-up? It could be nerves, too. After all, being nervous about an official match wasn''t a problem exclusive to Stratus. This was the first scrimmage of the year for Taurus as well, so they could be equally nervous. Ill get to the bottom of this in the upcoming waves. Yuel concluded. If this Dark Knight truly happened to be a low-skill player, Yuel could start something on his own here, even without Nias help. That would be the best-case scenario, because itd give Nia the freedom to focus on other lanes. Alas, things were never that easy on the competitive stage... Vol.9 Ch.11: Nerves on Both Sides The second minion wave arrived. Like before, the Dark Knight opened an assault with Dark Blast. This time, it grazed one of Yuels bowmen and killed the poor guy. So, Yuel was left with three dying swordsmen and two healthy bowmen. Missing the bowmen twice in a row? Interesting. Yuel didn''t waste any time and charged in to taunt the enemy swordsmen. The plan was to drag them away while his bowmen shoot them down, the same as before. However, this time it wasn''t going to fly. The opponent acted boldly, as a Dark Knight should, and stepped in to intercept Yuel. Don''t get any funny ideas, scrub. Zeph ran in and swung his blade. Close. Yuel stopped in the nick of time and backpedaled before the black blade slashed his neck. He successfully made the attack whiff, but he couldn''t counter-attack. Dark Knight''s sword was a little longer than Knight''s, so if the Dark Knight couldn''t reach Yuel, then surely Yuel couldn''t reach the Dark Knight either. The laws of physics were a pain like that sometimes. Still, his opponent whiffed an attack. It created a small opening and Yuel grabbed it right away. Whish! Yuel charged forth and slammed his shield into the swordsmen. With a few follow-up shots from his bowmen, the enemy''s frontline vanished. But, there was no reason to stop there. Yuel darted toward the enemy bowmen as well and unleashed Blade Swing, reducing their HP to almost nothing. While all of that was going down, the Dark Knight only had enough time to recover from the whiff and assess the situation. "This freakin scrub, I''m tellin'' ya...!" Zeph''s face contorted. You dare invade against a Dark Knight!? Lemme teach ya a thing or two! Zeph didn''t hold any punches. He booted Nightmare and charged at the overextending foe. When its this early into the game, DK totally wrecks Knight, right? Yeah, pretty sure he does. Havent played it in a while, but its a no-brain class anyway, so its all good! Heh. Too late. Yuel was already in the middle of retreating to his side of the lane. However, continuing in this direction will make him run straight into the Dark Knight! But, it was fine. "How nice of you to come to me yourself," Zeph swung his giant blade at the approaching opponent. "Die, scrub!" Predictable. Yuel rolled forth, going under the horizontal slash. "Say what!?" Zeph roared. He felt like a dumb cat who let a mouse slip by him. "The heck!? Come back here, dammit!" Zeph turned around and gave chase. Both he and his opponent were clad in heavy armor, so they ran like damn turtles. However, Nightmare boosted Zephs stats, including his Movement Speed! Im fast as fuck, boi! Okay, maybe not THAT fast. Zeph made a face. Sure, he was faster than usual and hell catch up to the Knight eventually, but that "eventually" gonna take a while. Dang it. And, this wasn''t the end of the bad news. As Zeph was chasing, two arrows flew his way! "The hell!?" Zeph exclaimed. Two enemy bowmen stood there and shot at him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Wait a freakin second here. Are you telling me this guy just out-cleared a DK? Dang it, this scrub be wilding! Zeph gave up the chase and darted toward the bowmen instead. He cut them down swiftly, but not as swiftly as he hoped to. Damn, even with Nightmare I need two hits to take them out? Zeph made a face. One basic attack during Nightmare erased 90% of a bowman''s HP, but 90% was no 100%. So, he had to deliver a second strike to get rid of that tiny 10%. Damn, Nightmare ended up being such a waste here. Hes making many small misplays. Yuel criticized the Dark Knight. The guy was already down to 75% HP due to goofing around too much. Thats 25% HP lost. 15% of it was spent on firing Dark Blasts, so that couldn''t be helped. However, the remaining 10% was unnecessary damage he received from Nightmare and Yuel''s bowmen. It was the kind of damage that a competent Dark Knight should be able to avoid. If that''s his skill level, I can defend the lane by myself. Yuel thought. With that said, I''ll probably be able to ONLY defend, little else. Even though Yuel clearly outplayed the Dark Knight during this wave, it didn''t give him any lane advantage. He merely avoided losing lane advantage, thats all. Such was the reality of facing a Dark Knight on lane. It was an uphill battle with little hope of prevailing. No matter how many mistakes the Dark Knight commits, Yuel probably wont be able to punish the guy in any meaningful way. Nia''s help was necessary for turning the tables on the enemy in a big way. To make things worse, it felt like DragonMaster has been gradually improving his Dark Knight. Little by little, the guy was getting better. During the third wave, his Dark Blast already landed on two bowmen. Tch, still not good. Zeph clicked his tongue. So, I gotta shoot a little more to the right, got it. Man, where did all my muscle memory go? I know I haven''t played DK in like a month or two, but c''mon. The heck is wrong with me? Zeph threw a glance at the right hand clutching the mouse. His palm was uncomfortable. Its been this way ever since he sat down. His fingers were tightly wrapped around the mouse, as if they caught a prey they wanted to crush. Why the hell am I clutching so hard? This ain''t no Mouse Cushing competition here. Zeph forced his hand to loosen the grip. That''s when he noticed something peculiar: his hand was shaking a little. The heck? Calm down, bitch. Zeph smacked his hand. The hell was this shit? Was he nervous or something? Nah, no way. Like, this was his first match on a big stage and all, but theres no reason to be nervous. This gonna be an ez win. He reassured himself. Like, we''re playing against the scrubbiest team in the region. These guys ain''t nothing to worry about. We got this. After repeating such thoughts a few more times in his head, his hand ceased its annoying trembling. Okay, now he was back to his usual self. Time to tear this scrub apart! During the next minion wave, Zeph properly landed his Dark Blast on the entire minion wave. Swordsmen and bowmen, - he annihilated everybody! That''s more like it! Zeph nodded to himself. A Dark knight gotta be like this. A symbol of terror, somebody who could eliminate everybody and everything in one shot. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. It seems like hes done warming up. Yuel concluded From now on, it was probably going to be the familiar Dark Knight experience. Knight''s Chivalry effect was still enough to let his swordsmen survive Dark Blast, but not for long. The flat defense buff of Chivalry remained static throughout the game, whereas Dark Blasts power increased with the skills level. In a couple of waves, the difference in power will be big enough and Dark Blast will eliminate Yuels entire army in one hit. But, not all was doom and gloom. Yuel made it this far without losing a single point of HP on his Turret. That was a huge deal against a Dark Knight. The first couple of waves were the best time for a Dark Knight to establish his lane advantage, but this guy took too long to wake up. He wasted that precious time and he wont be getting it back. Everybody hit Lv.5 by now, including Nia. So, she was more than ready to deliver a gank on Top Lane. "Nia, are you coming to gank?" Yuel asked "Soon TM," Nia cleared the Hyena Camp in Top Jungle and continued toward Top. Gank. Yeah, I need to gank that DK. That''s how well win. Ez. Yeah. For some reason, no matter how many times she repeated these words in her head, her hands still trembled. Why? Was she scared of ganking that Dark Knight? No, that couldn''t be it. Nia was already over that stuff. Yuel forced her to gank every Dark Knight in existence during club practice. By now, ganking Dark Knights was as natural as breathing. Then, why? Why did her fingers feel so numb? Why did shivers run across her arms? Simple, because tons of people were watching her. She felt like a clown cast on a big stage. I can''t mess this up. Cant mess up. Cant. Nia gulped. They all gonna laugh at me if I do. They''re all bullies. Everybody in the crowd must have been watching Nia right now. They were all wondering "Who the heck is this scrub? Can she even play?" They''ll ridicule her at the first sight of a misplay, no question about it. I have to do this right. Nia repeated. She had to get to Top, sneak up to the Dark Knight, and Izuna him out of existence. Yeah, thats the plan. Get to Top, sneak up, Izuna. Top, sneak, Izuna. One, two, three. Top, sneak, Izuna. Gufu, why is it taking so long to get there? Nia twisted her lips. She has already executed that sequence of plays at least a hundred times by now, but only in her head. In reality, she was only midway to Top Lane. Faster! She had to get there faster, before she forgets all this stuff. Nia is taking the short route? Yuel raised an eyebrow. Instead of picking one of the roundabout routes, Nia cut straight through the jungle. Odd. Well, it''s not a misplay by any means, but... Yuel found this unsettling. It was like watching a Bishop move horizontally instead of diagonally; it was against the rules. There was no question that taking the shortest path when rotating saved precious time. However, it also increased the chances of passing by enemy wards and exposing the rotation. At the same time, taking a roundabout route slowed down the rotation but kept it hidden. There was a fair trade-off, so neither approach was more "correct" for rotating. Everything came down on the Junglers ability to estimate warding positions. If they had a good idea where wards will be, it was worth playing around these wards. On the other hand, if the Jungler was guessing blindingly, it was better to simply press ahead and dont try any funny ideas. Nia has proven, time and again, that she was good at sneaking past wards. Yuel wrote it off as luck at first, but Nia kept proving her ability to get past wards was reliable. Her success rate was far from 100%, especially at higher ranks, but it was high enough to justify not taking the shortest route. So, nine times out of ten, Nia would pick a roundabout slower route. Yet, this very same Nia was taking the shortest path right now. Why? As far a Yuel could tell, there was no special reason to do so. Do I say something? Yuel was too baffled to form coherent thoughts. He felt like he should bring up this topic, but at the same time, he had no idea what he could possibly say. After all, Nia was the Jungler, so she should know what worked best for her in the current situation. "Shoot!" Zeph noticed the Ninja on the mini-map. The chick passed by one of his wards and they exposed her. Shes coming here, aint she. Do I take the risk? I bet Bruce gonna call me a pussy if I retreat. At the same time, he also gonna call me feeder if I stay here and die. Can''t win that shit, haha. Ultimately, Zeph chose to retreat. The Ninja was already at Lv.5, so Izuna Drop was a thing. The damage on that shit was no joke. Better scram. Top, sneak, Izuna. Top, sneak, Izuna. One, two, three. Nia kept reciting on the way. She had a clear image of that play. She was going to do it. It''ll be easy. No problem. "Hey, Nia," Yuel called out. "The Dark Knight is retreating." Top, sneak, Izuna. Top, sneak, Izuna. "Did you hear me? Yuel frowned. The girl either muted everybody or was mentally not presented. The latter sounded like a joke, but it was a real possibility when it came to Nia. Her brain had a special function that allowed her to transfer her mind to another dimension, unreachable by others. Good thing I made sure she sits beside me. Yuel retreated back to his Turret, then elbowed Nia lightly. "E-Eh? Wha?" Nia blinked in confusion, as if she just woke up from a state of trance. "You hear me now? Yuel asked. Give up on the rotation." "Eh? Why?" "What do you mean ''why''? The Dark Knight retreated to his tower." "Oh..." Nia just realized. Indeed, the Dark Knight was all the way back in his turret area. When did he get all the way over there? "You didn''t notice?" "O-Of course I noticed, Nia averted her eyes. I was just, um, going to for the wolves. Yeah." "There''s still time until they respawn." "T-Then, I was coming to help you push!" "Thatd be pointless. We won''t win a laning contest against a Dark Knight even if we farm together. "Gufu..." Nia''s shoulders sunk. She had no other excuses to throw at him. "Is something wrong?" Yuel asked. "It''s not like you to rush a rotation like this. And, you usually pay more attention to your target. What''s the matter?" "Ah, I, um... N-Nothing, all green." "Are you still nervous?" "N-No I''m not," Nia insisted at first, then lowered her head in defeat. "Maybe. Just a little." I swear, this girl. Every time it looks like she got over it, the stage fright strikes again. Yuel sighed. Nia was always a tough customer like this. "Looks like your Spartan method didn''t quite work," Yuel informed Lars. "Yeah, it doesn''t always do the trick right away," Lars admitted. "Buy hey, it''s a start. We just gotta give her another push or two, then it gonna work, 200%" "So, got any more extreme ideas up your sleeve? Say, maybe straight up throw her into the audience?" "Haha, we should totally try that! Please no. Haha, just kidding ya. That ain''t gonna do anything for Nia." "I agree," Yuel knotted his brows. This issue has been persisting for way too long. It had to be eliminated somehow. Thanks to Lars''s (questionable) methods, Nia mustered the will to sit at the table and play. However, her performance was a far cry from her usual self. The nerves hampered her decision-making. If things go on like this, she''ll eventually make a fatal mistake and bring ruin upon herself, or on the rest of the team. What can I do for her? I don''t have any charisma that could put her at ease, and I don''t know any extreme relief tricks like the one Lars used. All I can do is watch her play and warn her whenever shes about to commit a mistake. "One play," Lars said. "If she pulls off one good play, it gonna make her feels awesome. I remember I was a little nervous the first time I played last year, but then I scored a kill and it felt awesome! From there, everything was smooth. So, just help her get that one play." "One play, huh," Yuel repeated. "Okay, sounds like a plan. I''ll try that. Thanks." "No problem, dude. I''d help ya out more, but this Aero dude over here is keeping me busy. Can''t catch a breather." "I see," Yuel glanced at the situation in Mid. Indeed, it wasn''t a favorable position. Both Mid towers were untouched, but Lars was lagging behind in HP. It wasn''t a serious difference just yet, but it might become a problem if things keep going on like this. Clearly, Lars had no time to spare to other matters. He might need a gank over there sometime soon. Yuel concluded. But, I feel Nia is in no condition to gank anywhere right now. First, I need to make her successfully gank Top. The immediate goal was clear. Yuel will help Nia execute a good gank on Top, which will hopefully alleviate her stress. Then, Nia should be ready to gank other lanes as well, including Mid. An easy and straightforward plan, at least on paper. But, will Yuel really be able to help out this troublemaker girl...? Vol.9 Ch.12: Inspire Confidence A successful gank on Top Lane, thats the first thing that had to happen this game. Not only for boosting Nias morale, but for Yuels lane situation as well. The Dark Knight has warmed up by now. His Dark Blast struck true, annihilating Yuel''s entire army in a single hit. The defense buff of Chivarly was no longer enough to keep anybody alive. Yuel had no way to combat a pressure of this magnitude. The only way to break out of this predicament was with Nias help. However, Nia wasn''t her usual self right now. The stage fright still haunted her. During the previous rotation, she chose the shortest route, which was uncharacteristic for a sneaky assassin like her. Its as if the pressure was rushing her, demanding immediate results. Naturally, that didnt work out for her. To perform well as an assassin, Nia had to be calm and composed. She had to carefully analyze her target''s movements and decide when was the best time to strike. Normally, she was proficient enough at that, but not right now. So, before Yuel could get anything going, he had to figure out how to make this girl calm down. In other words, he had to come up with some sort of pep talk. Thats SO not my strong suit. Yuel frowned. He knew how to efficiently command his teammates'' actions, but not their hearts. That''s probably why he was here, in Stratus, right now. Howard could do both, therefore he was StormBlitzs captain. You played like a group of cogs that didn''t fit together. Aron''s words echoed in Yuel''s head. Indeed, Yuel wasn''t good at keeping his team unified and motivated. He had a bad habit of assuming that his teammates were as motivated and as determined as him. Therefore, it was enough to come up with good shot-calls for them, the rest will work out on its own. But, his teammates were neither robots nor chess pieces. He couldn''t just give an order and expect them to execute it flawlessly. There were many factors involved when trying to make a successful play. Yuel always assumed he was taking them all into account, but he really wasn''t. There was much more out there. There were factors that went beyond skill, map state, build, level, match up, and all the other dry details. In particular, the one factor Yuel always neglected was the personal issues of each player. Unfortunately, those issues sometimes overshadowed everything else about a play, single-handedly determining its success or failure. It was thanks to problems like these that Yuel failed to defeat Howard during the selection match. And now, he was facing the same exact issue, this time with Nia. If she keeps playing sloppy like this, she''ll eventually bring ruin on the entire team. So, this problem had to be addressed, no question about it. But, how? What should Yuel say to somebody who was nervous about their debut in the competitive stage? What could possibly reassure this girl? I believe there was some advice for situations like this. Yuel searched his memory. The answer might be hidden somewhere in there. After Aron pointed out Yuels biggest flaw, there was no choice but to start digging. Yuel searched many videos and articles that covered the various aspects of teamwork and team morale. Unfortunately, a lot of the videos were surface-level. They filled up 10 minutes of content with generalized advice, in order to squeeze in as many ads as possible. Still, it was better than nothing and Yuel tried to adopt some of those techniques. Unfortunately, he didn''t get to practice them much. Playing Ranked wasnt stressful enough for the people in the club, so barely any serious issues surfaced. As a result, Yuel rarely ever had the need to fix anything. However, in this scrimmage, a major problem has already presented itself. And now Yuel, with his nonexistent experience, had to resolve it. What were the right words in this situation? What would make a nervous teammate calm down? No, that line of thinking is probably wrong. Yuel recalled one piece of advice that stood out. For best results, it was best to think on the personal level, to consider the person Yuel was trying to encourage. Generic one-liners of motivation would only go so far. So, what kind of person was Nia? What were the main things that unsettled her? What helped her calm down? By finding the answers to these questions, Yuel could come up with something that worked best for Nia. Its like finding the enemys elemental weakness and striking it. What makes her nervous? Yuel thought back on what kind of girl Nia was. They spent a couple of months together in the club and Yuel used much of that time on teaching her game knowledge. So, he could claim with confidence that Nia was a tough customer. It wasnt hard to point out at least one problem she had, or even twenty of those. First of all, she didn''t like being in the center of attention. Or, even being seen by others for that matter. To this day, she maintained the bad habit of vanishing within the clubroom by running away to some remote corner. Yuel moved aside many boxes and tables to minimize the number of good hiding spots in the clubroom, but Nia was like a cat, she always found new openings to squeeze herself into. Sigh. For somebody like her, playing on a stage was naturally uncomfortable. The gallery for this scrimmage was rather small, but it was there, with its eyes focused on the stage. That mere fact put heavy pressure on Nia. Therefore, it would be great if she learns to ignore the crowd and focus on doing her own thing. Another issue was Nias confidence. She had a natural aversion toward plays she wasn''t 10000000% sure about. Every time Yuel suggested a play that didn''t sound 100% fail-safe, Nia grumped in response and argued back. Recently, she was becoming more and more cooperative, but the core issue never truly disappeared. For example, it took lots and lots of training before Nia started feeling comfortable with ganking Dark Knights during the early-game. Only after she accumulated enough positive experience from repeating such ganks, she grew accustomed to executing them on-demand. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Nevertheless, a part of her never stopped doubting. There were times when she tried to gank a skilled Dark Knight and things went horribly wrong. After that, for the rest of that day, Nia would refuse to gank Dark Knights. Such negative experiences burned themselves into her mind. Whenever there was the slightest hint that the enemy Dark Knight might a strong player, she became reluctant to execute a gank. It took a lot of requesting and pleading until shed finally give in. Sometimes, even that didnt help and she didnt gank the Dark Knight the entire game... Maybe shes thinking this Dark Knight is strong as well. Yuel considered. After all, this is a competitive match. By default, its assumed that the enemy will be strong. Well, except for when people think about Stratus, I suppose. Nia wasn''t the type to underestimate her opponents, she only knew how to overestimate them. She rather be safe than sorry. So, she must have assumed that DragonMaster was a strong Dark Knight player. Is he, though? Yuel pondered. At the beginning of the match, DragonMaster put on a weak performance. However, the guy has been steadily improving from there. By now, he played like a decent Diamond rank opponent. He cleanly wiped out Yuel''s minions and push hard alongside his minions. So, despite his slow start, DragonMaster was definitely a decent player. He won''t be an easy nut to crack. But, thats not something I should tell Nia. Yuel smiled wryly. His past self would have honestly laid out all this information, to ensure his teammates had an accurate understanding of the situation. However, doing so will only have an opposite effect on Nia right now. Most likely, she was already overestimating the guy in her head. If Yuel adds more oil to the fire, he wont be getting any ganks from her for the rest of the day. So, do I tell her DragonMaster is weak? That''d be a lie. But, was it a bad lie? Was there any harm to it? Not in particular. Some psychological articles about motivation encouraged such tricks. They suggested that, sometimes, it was a good idea to paint a more positive picture by bending the truth a little. Itd keep people motivated without outright lying to them. Yuel was rather averse to such practices because he believed objective information had great value. However, there were times when sharing objective information caused more harm than good. This was one such scenario. If he tells Nia that DragonMaster was at least a Diamond level player, she might wrongly assume that the guy was an ungankable monster. On the other hand, if he tells a little white lie and says that DragonMaster was a mediocre player, it''ll fuel Nia with confidence and help her calm down. Itll probably boost the success chance of her gank as well, thus becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yuel will claim that DragonMaster was weak, therefore the guy will end up looking weak. Besides, in the first place, terms like "strong" and "weak" were subjective in many ways. DragonMaster was a decent laner, but he didn''t seem particularly skilled in combat. Even somebody like Yuel managed to dance around some of DragonMasters attacks. The guy was playing it safe and compact, a mentality far removed from what the ideal Dark Knight should strive to be. As far as Nia was concerned, a target was "strong" or "scary" when it could mount a counter-attack that might get her killed. However, DragonMaster didn''t come across as a player who''d give Nia much trouble. In fact, there was a good chance he''ll avoid combat altogether and choose to retreat if ganked, just like he did last time. So, in Nias terms, DragonMaster definitely wasn''t a "strong" or scary player. So, it won''t even be much of a lie to tell her that. Okay, let''s give it a shot. Yuel took a deep breath. This sort of thing wasn''t his forte, but he spent the last couple of minutes thinking about all these angles, so he felt confident about this idea. "Nia, listen," Yuel started. "I know you''re still nervous, but-" "Am not." "Yes you are," Yuel gave her a look. "Anyway, listen. No need to be so tense. This Dark Knight should be your favorite type of target. He''s the type to retreat instead of fighting. So, even if you can''t get a clean kill on him, he''ll likely run away and you''ll be fine." "A DK who plays it safe? Weird." "I agree, but that''s how he plays. If you need proof, look no further than my tower HP. Look how healthy it is." "Ah, true," Nia cocked her head. Still at 85% HP? That''s one heck of a healthy tower against a Dark Knight. Normally, when Nia hasnt ganked Top until this point in the game, the Dark Knight would bring the tower to 50% HP, sometimes even lower. However, this Dark Knight only reached a measly 85%. Part of it was definitely because Knight was a decent defensive pick and Yuel knew this matchup. But still, only 85%? That''s weak. Yeah, I can probably make quick work of this guy. Nia nodded to herself. That DragonMaster guy was supposed to be a big deal since he got to represent Taurus, but maybe he wasn''t all that. Besides, players who played defensively were the best. They usually let Nia get away scot-free even when she failed a gank. But, I can still mess up. Nia gulped. There were countless eyes spearing her from the crowd, judging her every twitch. If she fails to deliver a good gank, everybody will laugh at her and call her a noob. Can''t let that happen. Absolutely can''t. "Also, if youre worried about messing up," Yuel continued. "It''s okay. Everybody messes up once or twice during their debut match. You''re not the only one who is nervous. Even this Dark Knight seems on edge." "Eh? Really?" "Yeah, he seriously underperformed at the beginning of the game. I almost won the lane against him, can you believe that?" "No way..." That DK sounds like a Bronze player. "So, it''s fine, Yuel said. Most of the players on stage are nervous to one degree or another. Even if you mess up a couple of times, nobody will hold it against you." "Ok," Nia nodded. So, she just had to do it, right? She''ll rotate to Top again and gank the heck outta that weakling Dark Knight. Maybe things won''t go that smoothly, but it''s okay. This was her first competitive match, so her teammates will understand. After all, theyre like... um, f-friends, I guess? "O-Oh!" A jolt coursed through Nia. That''s right, she was playing together with her friends right now. Friends, something she never really had before. Sure, she used to be on good terms with some classmates, but she never hung out with any of them. However, the people in Stratus were different. She spent hours with them on a daily basis. Everybody here has already seen Nia fail countless times during club practice. Many failed gank attempts. Many poor decisions. They saw them all. Yet, they didn''t kick Nia out for it. Sometimes they got a little mad and Yuel lectured her for hours, but they never gave up on her. So, even if she fails to execute a flawless gank here today, it''ll be okay. It''ll be disappointing for sure, but she could try again and again until she gets it right. The audience probably gonna eat me alive, but... Nia braced herself. It was okay. She''ll be okay. This gank will definitely work...! Vol.9 Ch.13: First Blood on the Competitive Stage "I''m rotating," Nia finally gathered the courage. "Good," Yuel nodded, then quietly sighed in relief. Okay, I think my attempt at pep talk worked. Now, we can take out this Dark Knight for good. I didn''t tell Nia, but the guy has been getting better and better throughout the match. We need to shut him down now, before he gets out of hand. I gotta get there fast. Nia thought to herself as she traversed through the jungle. Ah, but they got a ward somewhere in here, right? Thats how they saw me coming last time. Hmm. "Can I take the long path?" Nia asked. "I think there''s a ward here somewhere." "There''s no rush," Yuel said. "Use the best route you can find." "Ok," Nia carefully analyzed the mini-map. There were a couple of intersections that served as common warding spots. Mainly, the pathways around the Overlord''s camp. The evil boss hasn''t spawned yet, but multiple jungle paths intersected nicely around his camp. In fact, they were so nice, that Nia tried to rush to Top through one of them last time. So, the enemys ward was most likely somewhere around there. If they''re warding there, they''re probably not warding around our camps. Nia concluded. There was no hard limit on the number of wards a team could place at the same time, but each player could only carry two normal Wards at a time. So, if they wanted to spam wards, they''d have to keep recalling to base and buy new ones. Nobody loved warding so much that they''d go through all that trouble. Besides, it cost a pretty penny. So, assuming the enemy warded the Overlords camp and their side of the jungle, it should leave Stratuss jungle mostly devoid of enemy wards. Ok, so I take this route. Instead of heading straight to Top, Nia circled around allied jungle camps until she finally reached the lane. Ok, here goes. She took a deep breath and activated Shadow Clone. She pondered for a moment whether to send the clone to the lane, but ultimately decided against it. Sending the clone to the lane was a good bait against aggressive and confident opponents. This usually fell for it and focused their attacks on the clone, allowing Nia to sneak on them. But, according to Yuel, this Dark Knight was a defensive player. So, he''ll probably retreat at the first sight of her clone. Sorry, my sister. You have to go over there. Nia sent her twin sister deep into the jungle, never to be seen again. The clone was unnecessary for this gank. All Nia needed from the Shadow Clone skill was the stealth it granted. Ok, careful now. Nia entered the lane while stealthed. She was already so close to her target, yet the Dark Knight couldn''t see her. Now, do I hit him once? Or, do I just Izuna? Nia pondered. The classic setup was to land one basic attack to proc Imperial Spear, then follow up with Izuna Drop. But, this setup wasn''t 100% guaranteed, as proven by Larss inhuman reaction before. This was the competitive stage. The opponents were top-notch. So, there was a chance some of them could pull a Lars and dodge her setup. Scary. "Go for the full setup," Yuel said. "I doubt he got the mechanical skill to dodge the Izuna." "Ah," Nia blinked for a moment. How did Yuel know what she was mulling over? Mind-reading alien confirmed! Scary. Ok, here goes...! Nia emerged from the darkness and slashed! "Wha-!?" Zeph jumped. An attack!? From where!? There was nobody behind him the last time he checked. And, he was the type to often glance at the jungle, so nobody should''ve slipped past him. Yet, somebody did! In other words, it an unseen foe. Fuck, it''s the Ninja! Zeph figured. Gotta get the hell out before I get Izuna''d! He pressed space to perform a Dodge Roll, but it was too late. The Ninja locked her arms around the big knight and leaped toward the sky. They spun around like a fidget spinner on steroids, then crashed into the ground. It left Zeph at 40% HP. Fuckin'' great. And, that wasn''t even the end of it. As soon as Zeph recovered from the fall, a taunt effect reached him. "Let us fight honorably!" the Knight pointed his blade at Zeph. What do you mean "honorably"? It''s a 2v1 here! Damn it. Zeph ranted internally. The taunt forced his Dark Knight to chase the Knight and throw out basic attacks. Zeph temporarily lost all control over his character. The enemy didn''t waste this opportunity and struck hard. "Fuck it," Zeph dropped back on his chair. It was over. The faster he dies, the faster he''ll respawn. There was no point resisting at this point. He was dead. Did he give up? Yuel wondered. After the taunt wore off, the Dark Knight got a brief moment of freedom to act. He could attempt to roll away, but he chose to do nothing. Well, it''s over for him either way. It just makes things easier for us. An enemy has been killed! FIRST BLOOD! Nia delivered the final blow. The girl liked scoring kills, so Yuel let her have this one. Besides, her gank was what enabled this play and she dealt most of the damage to the Dark Knight. Yuel just tagged along to help things go smoother. "I-I did it!" Nia trembled. "Woohoo!" Lars made noise. "Nice kill, dude! Were rockin this!" If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Marvelous!" Vincent hyperventilated. "As expected from the Vanishing Phantom! Silent, but deadly!" "It''s Vanishing Flower, though..." Nia mumbled. Her cheeks felt a little hot. I-I just scored a kill! W-Well, its not such a big deal, right? I mean, I get kills all the time. So, why does it feel so... gufufufu! Her heart raced and her body shook like she was having a spasm. It was just one kill, she scored plenty of those before. Yet, it felt like her first time all over again. That satisfying feeling of sneaking up to an unsuspecting opponent and striking them down before they realize what happened. It was the first time she pulled it off on such a grand stage, against a strong competitive opponent! Maybe I can do it after all. Nia clenched her mouse. Maybe I can play competitively too! "Good job," Kai congratulated briefly, then returned to the game. "Nicely done." Even Yuel, the bully who only ever had mean things to say, was praising Nia for this achievement. It felt great! Then, what about the audience? They must have all seen that flawless display of skill! They must be thinking Nia was some sort of genius, huehue. "Lame kill." Julia crossed her arms. "Is that DK blind or something? That gank was so obvious." "Hmm. Was it, really?" Pip scribbled in his notebook. He drew an ellipse, a rough illustration of the game''s mini-map. Then, he added some jungle walls in the form of thick lines. Finally, he drew a line from Mid to Top through the jungle. "I believe her rotation to Top looked something like this?" Pip showed the path to Julia. "Something like that," Julia couldn''t tell for sure. She was too busy watching the laners fight at the time. Especially, Lars. Why was he playing in Mid? And, why wasn''t he mopping the floor with that Nirvana guy? Just, why...? "Thats roughly how the Ninja rotated to Top," Pip continued. "But, Taurus only got wards here, here, and over here. So, she slipped by most of them undetected. The last ward wouldve caught her, but she was already in stealth at the time. I think that''s why the Dark Knight didn''t see it coming." "Huh," Julia carefully examined Pip''s scribbling. The sense of art left much to be desired, but at least it got the point across. That girl sure chose an odd route. Julia thought. Instead of heading straight to Top like a good Jungler would, the Ninja took a detour that passed through allied territory. It was a huge waste of time. Nevertheless, it was thanks to this peculiar route that the Ninja avoided all enemy wards. By eluding the enemys eyes, she secured herself a kill. It made up for the time she spent on her roundabout rotation route. "It''s probably a fluke," Julia concluded. "Maybe she was going for one of the camps and only then realized she should go gank." "But, the camps over there were on cooldown," Pip pointed out. "Well, this team isnt exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, remember? Besides, the wraiths have already spawned, so maybe she was planning to wait for them. As a Jungler, it''s a pain to always run around like a headless chicken. Sometimes, it''s easier to stop for a while and wait a few seconds for a camp to respawn." "Yes, you''re absolutely right, ma''am!" Pip saluted, seemingly impressed with Julia''s words of wisdom. Whatever it was, she wouldn''t have gotten past my warding. Julia glared at the Ninja on the screen. That black-haired Rapunzel didn''t stand a chance against Julia. I hope Lars isnt thinking that girl is any good, because I''m way better. Meanwhile, in Taurus''s camp... "Hey, Zephy!" Bruce thundered. "The hell was that shit, huh? Did you just let some chick beat ya?" "Not my fault," Zeph glanced aside. "She appeared outta nowhere and it became a 1v2. "Should''ve bought Stealth Wards, idiot." "With what money, exactly? I got enough now, but at game start? Its either one Stealth Ward or two normal Wards." "Should''ve made the right call, fam, Bruce shrugged. Also, I see you barely made any progress on lane. The fuck, man? How can you get that little tower damage with DK? Youre playing the class with the highest early damage, but youre hitting like a lil bitch." "I told you DK isn''t exactly my best class," Zeph ranted. "Besides, this Knight player... He''s pretty good." "He''s what?" Bruce spat a laugh. "Hold up right there, man. Do you even remember what team we''re playing again? It''s Stratus, ya know? The weakest team, remember? It ain''t got any good players. Even their captain is a chick because all of them are damn cucks." "I was surprised too, but that bastard is really good. He countered a lot of my stuff." "Spare me yo excuses. You fucked up, just admit it." "Sure, whatever," Zeph sighed. There was no changing Bruce''s mind anyway. But, that didn''t mean Zeph will go down without throwing any dirt back. "Okay, then they''re all scrubs, right? So, where are your kills at? And, your amazing lane advantage? I dont see shit." "Huh?" Bruce''s face contorted. "C''mon, it should be easy for you to win the lane against these scrubs, right?" "Yeah, these guys are nothing," Bruce claimed with a straight face. "I''m just taking my time with them. Playing with my food, ya dig?" "Sure," Zeph rolled his eyes. Thankfully, Bruce didn''t see that gesture because he was too concentrated on the game. The situation in Bot was far from hot. So much for stomping some scrubs. I have a feeling he gonna eat his words soon. Zeph thought. The enemy Impaler seemed like a fairly strong player, possibly on par with Chessmaster. She was apparently the teams cap. Zeph and the rest laughed at how Stratus was run by a girl, but this damn chick packed a punch. We called these guys trash, but look how we faring against them. Zeph thoroughly examined the status screen and the mini-map. He has already purchased everything he needed from the shop, so he didn''t have anything better to do while waiting to respawn. Might as well kill some time looking at the numbers. In Top, Zeph died and gave the enemy a great opportunity to push. The Knight and Ninja joined forces and rushed Zeph''s tower. They brought it down to 70%, then scrammed before they got their asses ganked. Shit, my tower got lower health now. Zeph clicked his tongue. He has been working so hard to establish lane advantage, yet the enemy overthrew it in a single push. Such bullshit. Top Lane was done for. Next, in Mid, the enemy had some random dude named Gunz. He was fighting Taurus'' captain, the big boi Raymond. They were actively firing back and forth, but neither side established a clear advantage. In short, it was a stalemate. These guys actually got someone who can give Ray a run for his money? Zeph couldn''t believe it. Raymond was the best player in the club, no question about it. He was more dedicated to the game than any other senior, so he was supposed to be the teams powerhouse, the unstoppable force thatd propel the team to the top. Yet, Raymond was struggling against somebody from a lowly team like Stratus. The heck was going on here? Was this some sorta bad dream? Was Zeph still sleeping or something? Nope, this was real life. Is it just me, or Stratus is looking kinda strong right now? Where the heck did they get all these good players? Zeph couldn''t wrap his head around this. Was their enemy really that good? Or, maybe the fault laid with Taurus. Maybe this year they were straight trash. Nah, no way. Zeph dismissed the thought. It''s the guys from Stratus playing way better than they should be allowed to. Anyway, to summarize, the enemy gained an advantage in Top and enforced a stalemate in Mid. So, the course of this game depended on the result in Bot. Will Bruce prove he''s a man and crush that captain chick? Or, will he eat his own words and get his ass whooped? Either way, Zeph will get a good laugh outta it. Vol.9 Ch.14: Kais Vendetta As the first game of the scrimmage began, Kai and Vincent headed to Bot after clearing the Orc and Wolf camps. Their lane opponents were TheLegend and TheMyth, a Pirate and a Lumimancer with matching names. That bastard said he was playing Carry, right? Kai glared at the Pirate. TheLegend, huh. Yeah, the name checks out. I''ll make sure he''ll become one hell of a legend by the time Im done with him. It gonna be a legend about the greatest loser that ever lived. Just thinking back about their brief exchange was enough to rile her up. Who the hell that scumbag thought he was!? He knew nothing about Kai, yet he disregarded her as trash just for being a girl. Boys like that were the worst kind of filth. SHE''LL MURDER HIS ASS! "Whoa, Beat," Vincent called out. "Where are you going? That''s dangerous." "Just shut up and support me," Kai advanced toward the frontline instead of clearing the minions. She was going to get an early start on that bastard and reap him apart! "W-Wait!" Vincent hurried after her. It all happened so suddenly, that he found himself too far away for providing proper support. Not good. Her Pheromone Buster is acting up! Vincents forehead began sweating. Kais unstoppable aggression might lead to an early kill, but itll more likely lead to her own death instead. I have to do something about it! But, what? "Heh, the hell?" Bruce sneered. "She''s coming at me herself? Is she asking to die or somethin? Haha." The next moment, without any warning, something appeared behind him. He couldn''t see it, but he knew that metallic sound. It was an Iron Maiden! "Oh crap!" Bruce rolled aside by instinct. He fought enough Impalers to know what was coming next. "Shit," Kai cursed as she fired her spear. It was going to whiff, she could already tell. The enemy rolled aside the moment she started the throw animation. Damn it! The only good news was that the Pirate didnt roll toward Kai. A close-quarters fight against a Pirate wouldve become an issue. Still, this was far from a favorable development. "Hah! Get cucked!" Bruce grinned as if he just won the lottery. "You saw that shit? Dodging on reaction like a pro!" "Yeah, sick," Bryan, the Support, gave his approval. "Though, you could''ve rolled at her and fought at close range. That way, you wouldve ended her whole career." "Huh, I guess I could do that. But hey, aint it amazing I can dodge on reaction like that? Ya gotta be a pro to roll like that!" "Yeah, of course," Bryan agreed reluctantly. He had to agree, for he knew what''d happen if he didnt. "So, what we do we do next?" "Gonna get some revenge, obviously!" Bruce turned his back to the enemy and activated Backfire Cannon. BAM! He closed the distance to the Impaler in an instant! "Whoa, man!" Bryan exclaimed. "At least gimme a warning or something! Dang it." It gonna be "my fault" if you die, ain''t it? Sigh. Bryan gave chase because he had no choice. He had to do what he could to prevent Bruce from dying. Well, not like there should be anything to worry about. Bruce could definitely hold his own against some chick who pretended to play games. "Haha, die, bitch!" Bruce drew out his cutlass and slashed at the Impaler from point-blank! Damn, I can''t get away in time...! Kai started backpedaling as soon as she saw the startup for Backfire Cannon, but she wasn''t fast enough. At this point, there was no choice but to roll away to create some distance. "Shit!" Bruce whiffed the attack. "Come here, you pussy!" The insult mustve reached the enemy somehow, because she immediately turned around and hurled a spear at him! "Whoa! Damn!" Bruce jumped. Where did that shit come from!? He was sure the girl will keep running away like the pussy she was. This wasnt in the plans! Fuuuuu! The spear impaled his shoulder. Damn, no way. That bitch actually landed the first hit on him! This shit ain''t gonna stand! "You wanna fight, eh? Eh!?" Bruce switched back to his pistol and fired. He gonna teach that bitch what it meant to mess with TheLegend! Bam! Clean hit! Smacked that bitch right in the chest. Whish! Another spear came flying at him right then! "Fu-!" The moment his brain figured he gotta dodge, it was already too late. The spear pierced his left arm. "Oh, yeah? Thats how it gonna be, eh!?" Bruce''s face contorted. "Two can play this game!" He fired back as soon as he recovered from the animation of the previous shot. Bam! Another hit, square in the stomach! Whish! Another spear back at him! Fuck! Take this! Bam! Whish! Bam! Whish! They''re like mad dogs. Vincent shuddered. It was wild. The two madmen barely moved around. Only their hands were busy, launching one attack after another without rest. There was no tactic and no elegance in this exchange of blows. They merely unleashed their anger at each other. It was an unsightly, low-level duel. Is this the level you want to play on? Vincent felt sad. Nevertheless, if things keep going like this, Kai should be able to win. Impalers early-game was strong thanks to its passive, Deep Wounds. It made Impalers basic attacks reduce the targets Physical Defense by a flat amount, allowing the Impaler to deal higher damage over time by stacking these debuffs. So, in an ongoing exchange of blows, Kai should be able to overtake a Pirate at this early stage of the game. Indeed, you might overtake this foe. But, only thanks to some numbers. Vincent thought. It won''t prove anything about your skill as a player. Is that what you want? This was all the fault of that accursed Pheromone Buster ability that possessed her. It poisoned her mind and made her forget her elegant combat technique, her almighty Rhythm Reader. Of course, the enemy also deserved some credit here. It was TheLegends Fury Inducer ability that wrapped Beats mind. Intentionally or not, the guy was a natural at fueling his opponents anger. This talent was definitely a double-edged sword, but this time it worked in the enemy''s favor. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Beat always had impaired judgment when she entered this moody mode. But, the Fury Inducer pushed her a step further, turning her into nothing more than a beast who only knew how to recklessly attack. Still, with all said and done, Beat was going to take the fight at this rate. Unfortunately, the situation wasn''t so simple. As the two mad dogs clashed, they drew the interest of nearby minions. The little soldiers won''t let this stand. Each side sought revenge for their captain. If the minions join the fray, this fight will most certainly end in a double KO. The power advantage Kai had will be overwritten by the extra damage from minions. Thats how scary the soldiers were during the early game. And, as it happens, my clearing speed is too slow to do anything about this. Vincent advanced to the front and unleashed Icicle Rain on the enemy minions, but that barely bothered them. The enemy army had every intention to keep hunting Kai down. If I at least had Cryo-Freeze... Alas, the game has just started. Vincent was only Lv.2, so there was no hope of using his ult. The only other spell he had was Ice Wall, but it won''t stall the enemy enough. So, what do I do? A shiver ran across his skin. This was this team''s first competitive match, the first time they set foot upon a grand stage like this. They had to prove their worth, here and now. It was imperative for them to start this on the right foot. If they mess up so early, they might lose morale for the rest of the day! It''ll be doomsday! The Armageddon! The SUPER DUPER BIG FAIL apocalypse! So, what do I do!? I have to keep her alive somehow! If only he knew ahead of time that Kai will aggress like this, then he would have leveled his Ice Coffin instead of Ice Wall. Normally, it was less useful at the very start of the game, so he left it for Lv.3. But, for this heated early battle, Ice Coffin would have been a game-changer. Alas, as always, the solo conductor told Vincent nothing about her plans. The team helped her calm down before the game and that therapy shouldve worked. But, as soon as the game started, this situation happened. Blast it all! Yo, these minions are bad news. Bryan calmly analyzed the situation. While Bruce was locked in a hectic fight with that Impaler chick, the minions were making their way into the fray. At this rate, the two aggressive dumbasses gonna get their asses whooped by the minions, haha! Jokes aside, this was bad. Bruce was playing dumb right now, but he gonna blame Bryan if something happens. That''s how shit always went. The Carry always blamed the Support for stuff. Seriously, this role was the worst. Bryan only played this shit because it was the only spot left on the team. Nobody wanted to touch this garbage, so Bryan volunteered. Or, rather, was pretty much forced to volunteer for it, since thats what Bruce always made him play anyway. Is it too late to change roles? Bryan smiled wryly. Welp, what''s done was done. He just had to keep doing what he always did. Meaning, keeping Bruce happy. Or, else... I''d clear these minions if I had the attack power for it. Bryan sighed. This damn role, Im tellin ya. Its always so weak and crap. How do people main Support? They gotta be legit insane. Still, a man gotta do what a man gotta do. Bryan signed up for this shit, so he gotta see it through. The top priority was to keep Bruce alive. More than anything, Bruce hated dying, thats something Bryan learned after years of experience. So, no matter what had to be done, even if Bryan had to put his own neck on the line, he had to make sure Bruce walks outta this alive. Guess I gotta do one of em suicide moves, heh. Bryan smiled wryly. Seriously, sometimes this role was the worst. But, he has been telling that himself for over two years now, so it became the norm. Sigh. Here goes nothing! Bryan activated Flash and blinked forward, right into enemy territory. Wha-!? Vincent couldnt process the information in front of him. The Lumimancer? What was he doing all the way over here!? What was the plan? How should Vincent respond? Whats up, fam? Bryan fired a ball of light at the Cryomancer, then rolled the heck outta there. Wha...? Vincent blinked. The Lumimancer left as abruptly as he arrived. What was the big idea here? Did he come here just to shoot one basic attack at Vincent? Oh, he came to aggro the minions! It finally hit him when all allied minions started focusing their fire on the Lumimancer. That Lumimancer blinked in just to get a hit on Vincent and grab the minions attention! The minions prioritized nearby offenders first, so they forgot all about the Pirate and focused on the Lumimancer first. What a bizarre play! He must have practiced this art for years to master it! Now, just to pray I dont die from this shit. Bryan chuckled nervously. One time out of five, this sort of self-sacrificial play would lead to his doom. It better not be one of those... All enemy minions focused their fire on Bryan because he was the closest offender. They forgot all about Bruce and chased Bryan instead. In that sense, the play was a success. It increased Bruces chances of winning the duel, without Bryan having to directly butt into it. Most importantly, it boosted Bruces chances of survival. Compared to that, Bryans survival could be damned. This is a disaster...! Vincent sweated bullets. With the Lumiancer distracting all allied minions, only the enemy minions were free to assault the duelists. In other words, Kai was in a pinch! At this rate, her demise was inevitable! Wait, perhaps I could try this aggro trick too. I only need to intercept the minions and hit one of our foes. Vincent looked around. Not good. I won''t make it in time. They''re all too far away! An entire eternity stands between us! It was hopeless! A disaster! The end of the world! There was no escaping from this Ragnarok! But, I can''t Kai die here! What do I do!? Vincent''s heart pounded. With each beat, the little villains took one step close toward Kai. They were almost there...! Vincent''s eye naturally laid on his kit. Oh, right! The Ice Wall! He still hasn''t used it. That was the solution! I just need to build a wall! Vincent carefully aimed at the Ice Wall. His hand was shaking. He felt drops of sweat dripping down his forehead. It was like Mission Improbable. He was the only one who could salvage the situation. Failure to do so meant Game Over. T-There! Vincent placed the wall. Alas, it appeared far from where he intended to place it. B-Blasphemy! The devil must have struck my hand right before I clicked! Instead of creating a divider between Kai and her foes, the clumsily-placed Ice Wall only stood between Kai and TheLegend. It didnt stop, let alone slow, the incoming minions. The army was still marching! "Wha-!?" Kai jumped when her spear crashed into an ice wall and fell on the ground. "Hey! What''s that for!?" "Ah, err, yeah, about that..." Words refused to roll on Vincents tongue for some reason. Whoopsie-daisy. He messed up big time. Nay! This was no time to cry over spilled milk. He had to warn Kai before it was too late! "The minions! They''re coming!" "Huh? So what? Our minions are coming too... oh." Kai realized that something was off. For some reason, instead of targeting the Pirate, her minions were heading in the opposite direction. They won''t be providing her with backup any time soon. "Got it," Kai turned around and dashed from the area. "Bitch, you running away?" Bruce sneered. "Yeah, run back to mama, girl." He circled around the ice wall and gave chase, but soon gave up. That scaredy-cat was already at her Turret. Lame shit. "Hey B," Bruce called out. "Whatcha doing over there? You should''ve landed me a hand to finish off that bitch. And, when the hell did you lose so much HP? C''mon, man. Focus." "I was luring the minions away from you," Bryan made a face. "Oh, that''s cool. Thanks, champ." "You''re welcome." "But damn, I lost tons of HP," Bruce realized that obvious fact just now. "Let''s scram." "Already on it." The two retreated from the area. "Heh, this whole thing turned out kinda lame, but we got this shit," Bruce reassured. "That chick ain''t nothin''. I can mop the floor with her with my eyes closed." "Yeah, you gonna kick that ass next time," Bryan nodded. "She seems basic as fuck. We just gotta be ready for the next time she charges in like a Bronze player. Then, we gonna whoop her ez." "Yeah, exactly. You know it." The first clash in Bot concluded on this note. Even though both sides lost a lot of HP, Bruce and Bryan were confident that, next time, they''ll win no problem. That Impaler just caught them a little off guard this time, thats all. Theyll be ready for her Bronze-ass plays next time. That chick was dead meat! Vol.9 Ch.15: Calming Down Kai and Vincent retreated all the way to the Turret. Despite the multiple hiccups, Vincent successfully rescued Kai. That was good and all. But... "Damn, I was so close," Kai cursed through her teeth. "If your stupid wall didn''t get in the way, I would''ve killed him." "Then, his minions wouldve killed you." "Hmph, who knows. I could''ve gotten away." "I find that hard to believe, Vincent insisted. You were so focused on the fight that you didn''t see anything around you. It''s like you were locked inside a Reality Marble." "No idea whats that, but yeah, I got a little one-tracked there," Kai frowned. Thinking about it, she should''ve taken the minions into consideration even before she delivered the first attack. But, murderous thoughts raged in her mind and clouded her judgment. "Yet again, the Pheromone Buster possessed you," Vincent shook his head. "You let the anger control you. That leads to the Dark Side, young Padawan." "Oh, shush already," Kai threw him a look. She finished clearing the minion wave and began recalling. "I''m going back to heal." "I hope you''ll also use this time to cool down." "I''m calm." "Indeed, as calm as a raging tornado that spins at the speed of light." "What does that even... Eh, forget it," Kai sighed. "I''m calm. I just felt like playing a little aggressive this time, thats all. I knew that bastard is all bark and no bite. I had to put him in his place." "And, you didnt deem it important to inform your Support about any of this?" "Ah, thats..." Kai didn''t have a rebuttal this time. "With all due respect, Vincent started. The way you played reminds me of one young and inexperienced troublemaker. She had a short-fuse and never cooperated with her teammates, always carrying everything on her own shoulders. I had the distinct impression that said troublemaker grew past such problems, but it appears I was gravely mistaken." "Do you have to talk like some pretentious poet?" Kai clicked her tongue. In truth, Vincents words merely echoed the same exact thoughts Kai has been wrestling with. Honestly? It was dumb of her to charge in like that as soon as the game started. She did have an early-game advantage, but that wasn''t the right way to use it. An advantage should be used for crushing the opposition, not for suiciding on them and getting a double KO. She could''ve cooperated with Vincent to increase the chances of securing a kill, but she didn''t. Why? Because it was her fight. That chauvinist Pirate called her names, so Kai had to beat that bastard to a pulp with her own two hands. Or, did she, really? What was the point? Aside from achieving a small vendetta, that sort of solo play had no value. Frankly, it was plain dumb. Vince got a point. I''m playing like I did at the beginning of the year. Kai cast her gaze downwards. What did she train on for the past few months? Why did she go out of her way to practice together with Yuel and Lars after school? She thought she overcame this problem by now. Nowadays, she rarely got mad playing Ranked, even though most of her teammates were boys. These guys were alright. They all treated her as a serious player despite being a girl, so she started believing that boys were alright. But, all it took was meeting one bastard. Everything came down crashing the moment she ran into TheLegend. Kai snapped at that bastard before she even realized she was getting mad. Naturally, the pressure of standing on a big stage didn''t do her any favors either. For a moment there, Kai felt she was alone against the entire world. All the encouragement that Lars and the others gave her vanished without a trace the moment the game started. Anxiety took the reins. Was she really stronger than TheLegend? Could she topple him in a fight? No matter how much Lars praised her skill, words were just words. Kai had to support them with actions. That''s why she recklessly charged in the way she did. She was like a moth drawn to fire. That play was dumb beyond redemption. She wasn''t alone in this fight. Vincent was right by her side, supporting her. Nia, Lars, and Yuel were here too. Kai had dependable teammates who believed in her mettle and fought alongside her. And yet, she was distracted by something petty like taking revenge on some scumbag. She was risking the teams chances of victory for nothing. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Alright, enough being stupid. Kai took a deep breath. She''ll definitely make TheLegend pay for his insults, but she''ll do it properly. There was no need to rush things. She had time. Establishing lane advantage came first. "Sorry..." Kai mumbled. "Oh? What was that? I didn''t quite catch it," Vincent pretended stretching an ear toward her, even though he was wearing headphones. "Did the stubborn amazon just grace me with an honest apology?" "Are you asking to be punched or what?" Kai shot him a glare. "Besides, what''s the deal with you? That Ice Wall placement was terrible. What were you even trying to achieve?" "Oh, about that..." "Also, what took you so long? You should''ve placed the wall as soon as you realized things were heading toward a double KO." "Yes, about that..." Vincent shifted his eyes from side to side. "Welp, let''s just say that a higher force made me stay my hand until the right moment. God works in mysterious ways." "Mysterious my ass. Not only he slowed you down, but he also made you misplay. That ''God'' of yours sounds like a real dumbass. I''d like a word with him." "Haha, I''ll try calling him." "No need. I know exactly where he is. RIGHT. HERE." Kai slammed Vincent''s knee thigh! "Ouch! What the-!?" Vincent jumped. "I''m calling violence!" "You''ve been drilling a hole in the floor with all that stomping. Your leg just won''t stop shaking." "What are you saying? My leg is perfectly... relaxed..." Vincent fell silent. His leg started jumping up and down in the middle of the sentence. "You''re still nervous, huh." "A-Am not!" Vincent cleared his throat and forced his leg to stay still by force. "See? The Shaking Leg Syndrome has been successfully neutralized!" "No need to bluff. We''re all nervous in here." "No, no, no. I''m perfectly fine! The Arbiter of Talents doesn''t even have the word ''nervous'' in his dictionary!" "Better study it up then," Kai smiled wryly. So, even this loudmouth can get nervous. Well, of course he can. He''s just good at bluffing with all the noise he makes. Unlike Kai and Nia, who exhibited clear signs of nervousness, Vincent hid his nerves pretty well. Nobody noticed he was secretly wrestling with the pressure, not even Kai. I should have figured it out sooner. Kai thought. Today was the first competitive match for Vincent as well, so of course the guy will be nervous. In fact, he dialed down his loudness ever since they set foot on stage. It was easy to ignore that fact because it didnt bother anybody, but in retrospect, it was odd. Why would the ever loud actor be silent now, of all times? Nerves, what else. "Anyway, calm down," Kai said. "It''s just a match." "Well, at the very least, I believe I''m calmer than a certain amazon who jumped the gun and nearly suicided on the enemy." "That was dumb, I admit," Kai nodded. "I''m over it already. Thanks for saving my ass back there." "Oh, it was nothing," Vincent bowed lightly. "The glorious knight is always here to help those in need. He already looks better. Kai nodded to herself. She was always the first person to make fun of Vincent about every little thing, but now wasn''t the time to poke at him. Even if it meant cracking her tough persona, she felt it was neccessary to treat Vincent a little nicer today. After all, in the past two years, Vincent was the only boy in the club who openly treated her as a serious player. The seniors looked down on her for being a girl and Luke parroted their stupid jokes. He didn''t harbor any ill will toward Kai, he was just trying to fit in with the rest. But, was any of it pleasant for Kai to bear? No, far from it. At the time, Kai hated the guys guts. And, to this day, she hasnt fully forgiven him. Similarly, Ben lacked any backbone whatsoever. If any senior pressured him enough, hed cave in and nod in agreement on any insults Kai received. He didnt mean any of it and always came to apologize afterward, but that only made things more infuriating. Like, he was a boy, yet he was acting like a total submissive weakling. Pathetic, He was technically on Kai''s side, but his support was never felt. Vincent was the only one who stood up to Kai, loudly and confidently. Time and again, he claimed she had this amazing "Rhythm Reader" skill. He always volunteered to play with Kai, even when the rest were hosting a "boys only" party in Ranked. It was embarrassing to admit, but the reason Kai pulled through all that mistreatment and stayed in the club - it was all thanks to Vincent''s support. If not for that one goofy guy, Kai wouldve flipped a table and stormed outta that shithole a long time ago. So, as much as she enjoyed jabbing the guy and talking smack about him, she was genuinely grateful to him. Of course, she''ll never admit any of that to his face. To Kai, Vincent always came across as an immovable force who pushed through any problem with his weirdness. Nothing could ever bring him down. He was always upbeat and loud. That''s the kind of invincible weirdo he was. But no, Vincent was just human, just a teen like everybody else. When it hurt, he felt pain. When something bad happened, he felt sad. When it was his first scrimmage on a big stage, he felt nervous. This time, it was Kai''s turn to help him. She overcame the pressure by letting off some steam, but Vincent was still stuck in that mud. So, Kai had to pull that idiot out. That''s the least she could do for him right now. "Let''s take it slow for a while," Kai suggested. "I won''t charge in. We''ll focus on slow and steady farming, just the way you like it." "That''ll be much appreciated," Vincent smiled. Phew, looks like I won''t have to worry about any stressing situations for a while. Praise be to the ancient gods. With that, Kai and Vincent calmed down a little. However, the battle was still in its infancy. Will they maintain their composure to the very end and defeat their opponents in the next clash...? Vol.9 Ch.16: Baby Steps of Cooperation As promised, during the next wave, Kai laid low. She summoned her Iron Maiden near the enemy bowmen and used it for farming, not for starting a war. Good, good. Vincent nodded in approval. He liked slow starts like this. They gave him time to gather as much information as possible about his opponents. Once enough data is absorbed into his Information Blackhole, he shall pass his verdict as the Arbiter of Talents! "What the hell?" Bruce ranted. "You ain''t coming at me? Where did ya fighting spirit go??" "Maybe she''s scared," Bryan snickered. "She fought you once and that put her in her place." "Haha, probably. She gotta be quaking in her boots right now. Fear the Legend, bitch!" "This plays in our favor," Bryan explained. "Impaler is stronger in the early-game, but Pirate gonna own it during mid-game. You just gotta farm slow and steady, then youll win no problem." "C''mon, what''s with that weak ass attitude?" Bruce sneered. "You saying we gonna kick back and farm 24/7 till mid-game? No way, man. We go hard or we go home!" "You want to attack?" "Of course! That bitch started it, so I ain''t a man if I don''t finish this. I gonna teach her a lesson she never forgets!" "But, you can''t compete with her damage yet," Bryan reminded. "Pft, you think I need that shit? Bruce snorted. Imma mop the floor with her even with this handicap, just watch." "You sure sound confident," Bryan smiled wryly. There''s no stopping him, is there? Sigh. "Okay, I''ll help you out." "Just keep their Cryo out of the way. I wanna rek that girl with my own two hands." "Sure," Bryan nodded. There was no talking Bruce outta this. Once the guy set his mind on something, there was no stopping him. Thats the reason he was the leader of the gang, but it was also one of his greatest weaknesses as a player. Oh well. Truth to be told, Bryan wanted to draw some blood too. Stratus was a crappy team, everybody knew that. So, Taurus better smash these guys like bugs. They gotta assert total dominance today. Fortunately, the enemy Carry was some Bronze level hot-head. This gonna be easy. That chick got the surprise element on her side last time, but it won''t happen again. This time, Bruce and Bryan will be the ones to open the attack! As soon as they finished clearing the minions, Bryan activated Blinding Light and blinked in using Flash. "Let''s go, let''s go, let''s goooooo!" Bruce turned his back to the enemy and fired Backfire Cannon, propelling himself into enemy territory! "They''re coming!" Kai rolled aside, in an attempt to dodge the glowing Lumimancer that appeared in front of her. Fortunately, she was fast enough to cast her gaze away from the blinding light. However, the explosion of light still grazed her and dealt minor damage. Did she just react to it? Bryan''s face contorted. Nah, no way. She''s just some chick. She cant outplay surprise attacks like this. "Die, bitch!" Bruce was the next to show up. Backfire Cannon sent him flying close enough to reach his target with his cutlass. So, he drew his sword and slashed that rolling ass. The chick didnt get any time to dodge this shit! She couldn''t even see it coming! He switched to his sword. Kai heard the sword being drawn. It was a distinct sound she was familiar with by now after facing countless Pirates online. So, a slash was coming. But, could she dodge the attack? Probably not. Still, this was a great opportunity to launch a counter-attack! She was guaranteed to hit him from this range while he was locked in the recovery animation. She could impale his cocky ass! Ah, but I used my Iron Maiden on the minions. Kai pursed her lips. To make the most of Impale, she had to shove the guy into some wall. But, she couldn''t create one right now... No, wait! There''s Vince! It struck her. The guy picked Cryomancer for this very purpose! Kai didn''t have to rely only on herself for creating opportunities, she could ask her Support to lend a hand as well. "Vince, make a wall behind him!" Kai barked as she turned around, spear in the ready. She didn''t have time to wait for a reply. She had to fire back, right here and now! There was no choice but to trust Vincent on this one. Yuel lectured Kai time and again about cooperating with the Support. He went on and on about how important it was to make use of the Supports resources and share the burden. After drilling Kais brain with this info on a daily basis, she started getting used to it, little by little. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Vincent seemed to welcome that change with open arms. He was always ready to help her out as much as he could. Therefore, a simple play, like Ice Wall + Impale, was something theyve coordinated countless times since then. And, theyll nail it again! Kai fired her spear without a moment''s hesitation. Even though she couldn''t even confirm that Vincent properly cast Ice Wall, she launched her spear. She trusted Vincent to do his part. It was blind trust, something that was alien to her a few months ago. But, through practice and experience, she finally realized it was possible to trust teammates in such a manner. It was a blind trust, but a well-founded one at the same time. Everything turned out exactly as she imagined. An ice wall appeared behind the Pirate and her spear shoved the bastard into the wall, stunning the hell outta him. How you like that, huh!? Kai threw another spear at the stunned target. Im SO going to kill you! "Fuck! What the-!?" Bruce couldn''t believe what just happened. In a split of a second, that bitch turned around and hurled a spear at him. And, that shit shoved him into a wall. Yeah, a wall... that didn''t even exist there a moment ago! WTF!?!? "Let''s retreat," Bryan was already on his way back. "Huh? The hell!? You want us to run? From some chick!?" "They countered our play. We gotta regroup." "Tch, fine," Bruce also turned around. But, not before firing one more bullet at that damn bitch! You wanna go? Let''s go! Kai sidestepped the bullet and hurled another spear at the bastard. "Shit!" Bruce rolled aside to dodge, but the stupid roll came out late. "Can''t you move faster, you fat fucker!? Whats with these lags!? Damn it all!" He cursed at his own Pirate. "Hey, man," Bryan called out. "Don''t let the tilt get to you." "Huh? What tilt? You think some scrubby chick can tilt me?" "It''s because ya think she''s scrubby that she tilts ya," Bryan explained. "Looks like she ain''t as bad as you thought. Just gotta accept that and move on." "Pft, yeah, right. She just got lucky, that''s all." "Lucky, you say..." Bryan smiled wryly. No matter how he looked at that shit, it looked nothing like luck. That girl came across as a brainless aggressive scrub at first, but this time she was calm and efficient. First, that timely dodge against Bryan''s Flash + Blinding Light. Then, that swift counter on Bruce. Bitch shoved the poor guy into an ice wall that appeared like a split second before he rammed into it. Shit was wild. So, yeah. Luck? I dont think so. Bryan shook his head. That girl had at least some skill, thats for sure. Bryan didn''t want to give the chick any undeserved credit either, but he had to face the facts here. And, Bruce should do so too. "Nah, its all dumb luck, I''m tellin'' ya," Bruce insisted. "Next time, just gotta attack faster so you catch that bitch with yo spell. Got it?" "Sure," Bryan nodded. Well, maybe Im really overthinking this shit a little. With all said and done, that chick played like a textbook Bronze player in their first fight. Maybe she just had a lucky dodge at the start of the fight, so it threw Bryan and Bruce off. Yeah, that''s probably it. That chick was trash. The next time they attack, they''ll mop the floor with that wannabe-player! "Nice Ice Wall," Kai said. "But, of course!" Vincent made noise. "Our very special Impale the Ice strategy has no weaknesses!" "Special"? Impale + Ice Wall is like the 101 of combo plays in the game. Kai made a face but didn''t say anything. It was a joyous moment, so Vincent was free to goof around this once. "Looks like you calmed down," Kai noted. "Yes, but of course! I''ve been calm from the moment I was born! I''m tranquility incarnate." "Yeah, yeah," Kai rolled her eyes. Looks like we''re both good now. We''re ready to play these guys for real. Next time, we gonna mop the floor with their ugly faces! Were getting that First Blood- An enemy has been killed! FIRST BLOOD! "Huh?" Kai blinked. Was it Lars? Or, Yuel? No, it was... Nia!? "Woohoo!" Lars made noise. "Nice kill, dude! Were rockin this!" "Marvelous!" Vincent hyperventilated. "As expected from the Vanishing Phantom! Silent, but deadly!" Everybody showered Nia with praise. It was the teams first kill on the competitive stage. The first kill of the first scrimmage. It was a huge deal. It definitely gave Kai an adrenaline boost, making her feel even more confident that she gonna wreck all these bastards! But... I should''ve been the one to score First Blood. Kai pouted. She was the captain, so it was her job to keep morale high. Not to mention, she had a point to prove against all these bastards who looked down on her, so scoring First Blood wouldve been the perfect revenge against them. Oh well. As long as the team is doing well. That''s what counts. Kai smiled wryly and hurried to congratulate Nia as well. "Good job. Nia happened to be the one who ignited the teams momentum, but it was up to everybody to keep this momentum going. So, Kai didn''t lose her opportunity to prove herself worthy of being the captain. She''ll tear TheLegend apart and increase the team''s momentum tenfold! "Play more aggressively from now on," Kai requested. "Try to get their Lumi out of lane so I can 1-on-1 the Pirate." "Are you back to the Dark Side?" Vincent asked. "I thought we agreed it was a bad idea." "Don''t worry, I''m calm now. I''m tranquility incarnate." "Yeah, right," Vincent pressed doubt on that one. "Just lemme 1v1 that guy and I''ll prove it to you. I''ve got a good grasp of what makes him tick. He''s trash." "Oh! So, your Rhythm Reader finished analyzing the targets?" "Um, yeah, that. Exactly." "Alrighty, then it means all preparations are set!" Vincent announced loudly. "We shall smite these evildoers with the power of rhythm deduction!" "No idea what you''re smoking, but sure, let''s roll with that." It was time to strike back at these bastards and score another kill for the team! Vol.9 Ch.17: Trust and Kill As requested by Kai, Vincent dialed up his aggression on the lane. Being on the offensive wasn''t exactly his forte, but he could do so when required. Instead of staying in the back all the time, he advanced to the frontline every now and then. Being a Cryomancer, that was enough to threaten the enemy. They wanted nothing to do with his Ice Coffin. This basic intimidation tactic worked surprisingly well. The enemy respected his Ice Coffin and backed away, making it harder for themselves to farm efficiently. It allowed Kai to easily outclear the Pirate and start an aggressive push. The enemy had no choice but to retreat to their Turret and clear the wave from there. After going through this routine three times in a row, enough was enough. The enemy decided to make their move. "Hey, fucker," Bruce approached the intruder. "Ya think you can just come here and invade our turf like that? I''mma kick yo- Gah! Shit!" Ice Coffin hit him right away and locked him in place! "You piece of shit! You think you can just do that to me!? Who do you think you are!?" Next, a giant spear came flying straight at Bruce! He couldn''t even budge. Fuuuuuu! "Ugh, this sure hurts," Bryan grimaced. He stepped in and body-blocked the spear. Even though Impale passed through minions, it couldn''t penetrate through players. Therefore, this little gig saved Bruce from the damage. "Nice one, fam," Bruce patted Bryan on the back. "Just keep me alive and I''mma make these shitheads regret they were even born!" "No problem, man," Bryan smiled weakly. To be honest, I only did it because I knew he''d blame me otherwise. It''s his damn fault for getting this close to Cryo, but of course, it''ll be my responsible if something happens. Welcome to the life of a Support player. We got unfair bullshit in spades over here. "Good one," Kai nodded. "Keep harassing them like that." "Roger," Vincent continued acting as if he owned the lane. Time and again, the TheLegend tried to confront Vincent, but it ended in a tragedy for him. "Damn, he''s here again!" Bruce roared. "I''ll end him!" This time, he rolled in! No way this Cryomancer scrub could hit him- FREEZE. "Wha-!? You gotta be shitting me! How!?" Bruce roared at his stupid ass Pirate. This useless piece of shit froze solid in the middle of the roll. "This damn Cryo is the luckiest bastard on earth!" Or, maybe you''re the dumbest. Just some food for thought. Bryan rolled his eyes. Though, he had to admit, this Cryomancer''s harassment was getting on his nerves too. That Cryo dude was sure something. He invaded left and right as if he owned the damn place, yet he always maintaining enough distance to get away from any punishing counters. Bryan has been carefully searching for a good opportunity to blink in and blind that fucker, but he couldnt find any. "Watcha doing just standing there watching?" Bruce ranted. "Doncha see what this mofo is doing? You do that too. Go out there and mess with them fuckers." "You want me to put myself at risk?" "Pft, risk. Talking like a real pussy. Grow a pair, man." "Okay, fine," Bryan didn''t exactly appreciate that remark. So, no choice but to do it, right? Otherwise, he ain''t a man. Very well. He wasn''t scared of some chick or a cocky Cryomancer. He gonna burn both these scrubs! During the next minion wave, Bryan took the initiative and advanced to the frontline. "I''m going in with guns blazing," Bryan informed. "Requesting artillery support." "We got ya covered, soldier. Haha," Bruce followed after Bryan. This time, they gonna take that cocky Cryomancer down! "Boss, the fish took the bait," Vincent informed. "What''s the plan?" "Separate them and freeze the Lumi," Kai said. "Divide and conquer? Brilliant planning, commander!" "Let''s aim for a kill here." "Indeed, let them taste the sweet embrace of death!" Vincent darted toward the frontline, just as he has done during the previous few waves. However, this time, he had a different goal in mind. It wasn''t just another ploy to trigger his opponents. This time, he and Beat were going for the kill! Let''s give them the Blackhole & Beat special! I dub it the Black Beat! First, o great Ice Wall, divide the enemy forces! Vincent summoned the ice wall of doom behind the Lumimancer. "Whoa!" Bruce exclaimed. "They walled you off!" "Huh!?" Bryan glanced behind him. A wall stood tall between him and Bruce. "Damn, what the- Shit!" A huge spear rammed into him and shoved him into the wall. There wasn''t enough time to process the situation, let alone dodge that shit. "Great, I''m stunned," Bryan muttered. "C''mon, bro. You''re better than that. Gotta dodge that shit." "Easy for you to say." I don''t remember you dodging her spear either. "Anyway, this aint good. They''re ganging on my ass here! Come help me out!" "I ain''t walking into that 1v2," Bruce said. "But, don''t worry. I''mma spook these scrubs with a Kraken! Ez save!" "RELEASE THE-" the Pirate yelled. Even though Kai and Vincent were on the other side of the ice wall, they could clearly hear the alarm. The Kraken was coming! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Stick to the wall!" Kai rolled forward. "Right behind you, cap!" Vincent rolled forward too. They were doing the exact opposite of running away. It was hard to guess whether this Kraken was real or just a feint. However, by sticking to the ice wall, they covered both options. "Khaha! Idiots!" Bruce laughed his ass off. "Youre really going in?! I gonna hit ya for real now, suckers!" He canceled the Kraken at the last moment and targeted it anew at the two foes. The ice wall stood in his way, so he couldn''t see his opponents directly. However, Bryan was on the other side of the wall, so he provided vision like a ward would. That''s right, Bryan was acting as Bruce''s eyes right now! That''s why they were the Ultimate BB Team! "Here it comes!" Bruce unleashed the Kraken at the new location! At least, that was the plan. BEEP. An annoying error sound. For some reason, this stupid game didn''t let him release the Kraken over there. What? Why!? He got both enemies right within range, it was the perfect setup! Yet, the game system was siding with the enemy for some reason. Whats this bullshit!? Oh, shit. That stupid wall is in the way! Bruce realized that the edge of the Krakens target location was touching the ice wall. "C''mon, are you for real!? This stupid wall...!" He tried to place the Kraken on both enemies without touching the wall, but it proved to be a challenge. And, while he was busy aiming, the enemies went separate ways near the wall, creating even more distance between each other. They were walking in opposite directions while barraging Bryan. Dammit! At this point, it became impossible to fit them both in the Kraken''s range. So, Bruce had to make a choice. Naturally, he gonna wreck that Impaler chick. That bitch deserved to die a hundred times over! "RELEASE THE-" the Pirate roared again. "It''s coming," Kai smiled nervously. "Go freeze the Lumi!" "On it!" Vincent used this opportunity to get closer to the stunned Lumimancer. The stun from Impale was about to run out, but Vincent had every intention to prolong it. Now, divine winter, freeze the unclean! He unleashed Ice Coffin on the immobile Lumimancer. It froze the poor sob in place. Playing the game? No such luxury was allowed around here. The guy had to remain immobile. "Fuck! Now they froze me too!" Bryan barked. "They ain''t letting me outta here, Im telling ya." He was already at 20% HP, practically dead meat. If the Impaler gets two more shots on him, he''s a goner. Fortunately, not all hope was lost. The giant squid monster emerged from the ground and slammed that bitch into the ground. Ha! That''s what you deserve! You gonna let me walk outta here alive- Ah, wait! No! NO! And now, the third and final spell of Armageddon! Vincent made dramatic hand gestures, but only in his head. To the audience, it almost looked as if he was having a spasm. I unleash upon thee the Icicles of Niflheim! They shall drive their cold claws into your skin and rend your soul asunder! In practice, all Vincent did was activate Icicle Rain. It rained icicles in a straight line, some of which hit the Lumimancer. The damage wasn''t high, but still much better than Vincent''s weak basic attacks. The icicles deleted 15% of the Lumimancer''s HP, leaving him with just 5%. When it came down to that much, even Vincent could erase it with a single basic! Beware of basics! Vincent shot an icicle. You have killed an enemy! "Damn..." Bryan slammed his head on the table. That shit was so lame. "Yo, my guy!" Bruce called out. "Watcha doing kickin'' the bucket over there!?" "What can I say? They caught me good." "Damn, now it''s a 1v2!" Bruce backpedaled from the scene. The enemy didn''t pursue him, so he got away unscratched. "Awesome. Now, I gotta sit under tower like some pussy until you return. Fun." I didn''t die on purpose, you know. Bryan made a face but chose to remain silent. It was impossible to reason with Bruce when he got angsty like that. If Bryan says the wrong thing, he might even get smacked for it. Hey, Dyl! Bruce called out to the Jungler. Come over here and gank or something. You want me to gank your 1v2 situation? Dylan made a face. I rather not. Tch, yeah, guess it wont fly, Bruce agreed. But hey, at least hang around. If they go all out against me, you gank them. You think they will? Dylan asked. Yep, these scrubs are dumb as a brick. They can go full offense outta nowhere for no reason. Can never predict what shit they gonna pull next. Gotcha, Ill hang around Bot Jungle until Bryan returns. Thanks, fam. With that, a line of defense was built. As annoying as it was, Bruce had no choice but to sit under tower like a good boy and defend the lane. If these bastards decide to invade, Dylan gonna be all over their business with his Lionfolk. Ez kills. "Good job," Kai said. "Why thank you," Vincent replied with a smile. "Everything went according to keikaku. Oh, and keikaku means plan." "Yeah, it worked out," Kai smiled wryly. Would have been way better if that Kraken hit Vince instead of me. Then, I would''ve taken the kill myself. Oh well. Their teamwork was still far from perfect, but things worked out nicely this time. Just a few months ago, Kai never considered such plays. After all, the success of this play heavily depended on somebody else, and said person was a total idiot to boot. But, Vincent was a trustworthy idiot. During her training, Kai picked up many duo tactics from watching Yuel and Lars play Bot. Then, she practiced them with Vincent. It didn''t go smoothly at first and they were out of sync on literally everything, almost making her give up on the whole idea. But, Yuel said these things took time and practice, so Kai had to keep trying. Yuel also helped them out by analyzing their mistakes. Of course, alongside a fair dose of criticism, in a classic Yuel fashion. At some point, it just clicked. Kai and Vincent started pulling off successful duo plays. Their synergy and execution weren''t nearly as good as Yuel and Larss, but Kai and Vincent became good enough to beat most Bot opponents in Ranked. Even the two schmucks from Taurus folded to them. Kai didnt score this kill, yet this play was only possible thanks to her contribution. And, above everything else, this success was the fruit of her and Vincent''s hard work. It gave a different sort of satisfaction compared to scoring kills by herself, she couldn''t quite explain it. But, it felt good. With this kill, on this stage, it truly felt like Kai and Vincent became a genuine Bot duo. Kai originally insisted to play Carry for herself, but over time it became more than just about her. It wasnt just about claiming the most important role on the team. It became about using this position to cooperate with her teammates and win games. Nia scored the first kill, Vincent scored the second, and next, it was Kais turn to score a kill. There was even a perfect target for her on lane: the scumbag Pirate, TheLegend. Shell tear that dumbass apart! But, she didnt have to do it all by herself. Shell borrow Vincents strength as much as needed for this cause. Even if its not going to be a pure 1v1 win, it didnt matter. Relying on the Support to gain the upper hand in lane was a part of the Carrys job. Yuel told her something to that effect the first time he played Support for her. The Support was like an extension of the Carrys body during the early-game, like another limb. By making good use of this extra limb, Kai will prove she was the superior Carry. Shell erase that smug from TheLegends ugly face! Next, lets arrange a kill on that guy, Kai said. Sure thing, Vincent nodded. One more kill, coming right up! They were riding a strong momentum. No, not only them. The entire team was riding this wave. They were going to push it all the way through! Vol.9 Ch.18: Removing the Jungler So, Vincent started. How would you like to cook TheLegend? Do I charge in and freeze him solid? Or, do we lure him in and close off his escape options? Hmm, Kai frowned. A difficult dilemma. With the Lumimancer out of the picture, the Pirate went on the defense. He stayed far in the back and ran away at the first sign of danger, even when it was just Vincent advancing a little to farm the bowmen. TheLegend barked loud as if he was all that, but right now he was playing like a scaredy-cat. With the classes Kai and Vincent played, there were two common ways to pressure a defensive foe. Vincent could buy Blink to get in and freeze the Pirate. Then, Kai will follow up with the classic Iron Maiden + Impale play. That might work, but it first required Vincent to recall and buy Blink. In addition, the cowardly Pirate will have to overextend a little more for this attack to work. If they freeze him near his tower, it wont help them whatsoever. The other line of play Vincent suggested was luring the Pirate to the frontline. A common way to achieve that was by pretending to retreat. However, it was questionable whether the Pirate will take the bait. In addition, to make the retreat look convincing, Kai would have to slow down her farming and potentially miss some last-hits. It wasnt exactly the kind of payoff she was hoping for after they successfully eliminating the enemy Support. They earned lane advantage, so gambling it away like this didnt sound inviting. On top of all that, the enemy Jungler was a Lionfolk. In both lines of play, there was a chance the Lionfolk will jump on them. They didnt have any solid counter-plays if that happens. So, both ideas were risky. "For starters, we should eliminate the Jungler," Yuel said all of a sudden, as if he read Kai''s mind. "He didnt come across as a strong opponent, so Nia can handle him." "Me?" Nia blinked. That came out of left field. "Yes, you. Their Lionfolk is camping around Bot, most likely waiting for Kai and Vincent to push and overextend. You should be able to take him out if you sneak up to him." "But, my Izuna isn''t up yet." "It will be by the time you get there." "Ah, yeah, probably," Nia nodded. "Ok, I can try." "Just make sure to go for the full setup with Imperial Spear." "Got it." "He should be hanging somewhere around here," Yuel circled an area on the mini-map. "Go into stealth as soon as you approach this area." "Ok." Nia set off. "Are you sure she can take him out by herself?" Kai asked. "The guy is healthy as a horse, so a simple gank wont finish him off." She''ll at least keep him busy while you do your thing. Yuel replied with a direct message. "Huh, is that so," Kai nodded. In other words, Yuel told a white lie to mobilize Nia and make her gank the Lionfolk. Unfortunately, that''s how they had to handle this girl sometimes, she was a difficult one. Unless somebody told her she could achieve something, she might never think it was possible. "Nia will eliminate the threat of being ganked by their Lionfolk," Yuel continued, this time out loud. "I recommend using this time to either push hard to try killing their Pirate." "Indeed, a marvelous plan!" Vincent made noise. "Shall we charge in and smite him down? Or, shall we reel him in like a siren and make him walk toward death of his own volition!?" "I doubt either will work," Kai shook her head. "That bastard isn''t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he''s still a competitive player. He knows a thing or two. These basic tactics probably won''t cut it." "Mhm, indeed," Vincent nodded. "My Information Blackhole detects that our target erected formidable defensive protocols. It won''t be easy to hack through them." "Yeah, everybody and their moms can tell that," Kai rolled her eyes. Damn, time is ticking and we haven''t come up with anything yet. How do we make that scaredy-cat to come out? "Kai, can you handle that Pirate in a 1v1?" Yuel asked. "Huh? Of course," Kai lifted her chin. "That bastard got nothing on me!" "Vincent, do you agree with that assessment?" "Yes, of course," Vincent nodded. "At first, I was a little worried. However! Beat sealed away her Pheromone Buster for now. Therefore, she can tap into her Rhythm Reader ability as usual to destroy the opposition!" "Okay, then I''ll have one unconventional plan for you," Yuel shared. "That Pirate appears to be rather simple-minded, so it might work on him. It''s a little risky, but your side has the advantage now, so you got some leeway to try things." Yuel laid out the tricky plan. It took into account everything he figured thus far about TheLegends playstyle. If Kai can defeat the guy in a pure 1v1, she''ll score a kill here. "Oh! Such a devilish plan!" Vincent snickered. "As expected from the one and only Chessmaster!" "Yeah, that''s a good one," Kai nodded. "Let''s do it." The next minion wave arrived. This was their last chance to exploit the 1v2 situation before the Lumimancer returns. However, precisely because it was a 1v2, TheLegend played like a wuss and refused to take more than three steps outta his tower area. To force this bastard to come out and fight, they had to prepare a juicy bait. And, Yuel just supplied them with a great bait idea. "Time to put your acting skills to some use," Kai said. "Huhuhu," Vincent giggled suspiciously. "Indeed, I shall become the Ultimate Bait! I''m the bait of my sword!" "You don''t have a sword, though." "Tsk, tsk. This unenlightened peasant," Vincent shook his head. Before the minions reached the middle of the lane, Vincent ran up to confront them all by himself. This naturally alerted TheLegend and made the guy backpedal. Are these fuckers finally coming? Bruce grinned nervously. Come, I''ll take you on! I''ll 1v2 your asses into oblivion! He threatened them in his head but continued backpedaling. Come if you dare! Come, bitches! Unfortunately, the Cryomancer didn''t advance much further. The guy only approached the bowmen and froze them solid. Meanwhile, Bruces swordsmen were clobbering the guy like he was a punching bag. "Pft, do you see this dumbass?" Bruce cackled. "The hell is he doing? Hes getting his ass beat by these minions." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Yeah, WTF," Bryan cracked a laugh. "Maybe they''re trying to reduce the damage on their minions? Ya know, to push harder and all that." "I guess?" Bruce shrugged. "Well, since he''s this close, I might as well get some shots on him-" A wild Ice Wall appeared! "What the...? What are these guys up to?" The ice wall stood in Bruce''s way, stopping him from interfering with the lane. Even though that suicidal Cryomancer aggro''d all these minions on his ass, he didn''t want Bruce to participate in that party. "Heh, okay then. I''ll just let the minions mess you up." Thanks to the vision granted by minions, Bruce could see what was going on behind the ice wall. The Cryomancer continued tanking the swordsmens hits, while the Impaler snipped the frozen bowmen. It was hard to tell whether these guys came here with a plan or were just messing around. Eventually, with some help from their minions, the enemy wiped out Bruce''s gang. Meanwhile, the enemys gang was in perfect health because the Cryomancer took all the hits upon himself. What a maso. So, the enemy won lane control, but at what cost? The minions roughed up the Cryomancer so hard, the guy fell to 40% HP from tanking all that shit. Bruh let himself be royally screwed. Where was his self-respect? Bruce would never let some minions do him in like this. Never. "Oh, noes! I lost so much HP!" Vincent cried out theatrically. "How could this happen!? Oh lordy, I''m so dead!" "You don''t need to act it out for us, you know," Kai made a face. "Nay, it''s of utmost importance! To fool the enemy, you first fool your allies!" "Yeah, right," Kai rolled her eyes. "Get going already." "On my way!" Vincent headed toward the jungle. It was common practice to get out of enemy view when recalling, even when the intent was obvious. Doing so kept the enemy on their toes at least a little bit, since they couldnt confirm that the player indeed recalled. No matter how confident they were, the "what if?" was stuck at the back of their heads. Maybe the player hid in the jungle and planned to gank? Or, maybe he rotated to gank another lane? If carelessly dismissed, both scenarios would lead to devastating results. Therefore, it applied pressure. "Yo, Dyl. Are you watching this?" Bruce called out. "It''s your chance. Go gank that Cryo boi." "Already on my way," Dylan rotated toward the area of interest. He has been hanging nearby the entire time, so getting to that dying Cryo was no sweat. He gonna catch that fool off guard! He''s distracted. Nia nodded to herself as she observed the enemy Lionfolk from within the jungle. Until now, the Lionfolk was cautiously moving around and scouting his surroundings. He was rather alert, so it was difficult to sneak up to him. However, all of a sudden, everything changed. It''s like he found himself a target and concentrated on it. Ok, this is the moment. Nia took a deep breath and dashed toward the Lionfolk''s back. The target was distracted, so the gank had a much higher chance of success. She snuck up to the guy in stealth and delivered a slash from behind! "Wha-!?" Dylan jumped. "Who!? Where did they- The Ninja!? Shit, I gotta roll-" It was too late. The Ninja already wrapped herself around him and leaped toward the sky. Look, I''m all for being hugged by chicks, but this ain''t it, chief! Dylan shouted internally. This shit gonna hurt so bad. "Vincent, lend her Nia a hand," Yuel advised. "Yes, of course," Vincent put the recalling plan on hold and ran toward the area of conflict. "This wasn''t in your script, but it makes it even better!" "It sure does," Yuel answered nonchalantly as if there was nothing surprising about this development. Wait, could it be...!? "So, it WAS part of the plan!" Vincent concluded. "You must have seen this possibility with your Mystic Eye of Future Perception!" "When did my ''mystic eyes'' evolve? I must have missed it." "Haha, but I''m right, right? Right? You knew this would happen." "I knew it might happen. I don''t have enough data about their Jungler, but I assumed he might be the simple type who''ll go for an easy kill. I simply made sure my plan was bulletproof against that scenario, thats all." "Bulletproof? More like, designed to capitalize on this scenario in the best way possible!" "The ''best''? I wouldn''t necessarily say so. This scenario invites its own share of complexities." "Like what?" "You''ll find out soon enough," Yuel said. "Focus on the fight first." "Roger," Vincent reached the area of interest just as Nia slammed the Lionfolk into the ground. This is a great chance to freeze him with my Ice Coffin... if I had one! Unfortunately, Vincent spent his entire kit on fighting the minions on lane. The only thing left was his ult, Cryo-Freeze, but it wasn''t a tool for combat. Therefore, the only support he could provide was firing basic attacks. It wasn''t much, but its better than nothing. At the very least, it forced the Lionfolk into a rough 1v2 situation. That alone will apply pressure on the guy. "Damn, they''re double-teaming me!" Dylan ranted. "These maggots keep messing with us," Bruce gritted his teeth. "You better get outta there. Don''t let these fucker kill ya, or else we gonna be in deep shit." "No need to convince me. I''m SO outta here!" As soon as Dylan was back on his feet, he activated The King''s Dominion. Lions popped into existence out of thin air and encircled the area, like policemen forming a blockade. "So long, suckers!" Dylan dashed toward the edge of the blockage. These lions were his pets, so they let him through the barricade no problem. On the other hand, when his pursuers tried to pass, the lions closed their formation tightly. Even a mosquito couldnt squeeze through. The Cryomancer was totally stuck in there, he didn''t have any leap or blink abilities. As for the Ninja, she did have a leap. But, it was a short one and was intended for creating distance, not for jumping over obstacles. Could that skill even jump over the lions? Maybe with optimal positioning. That Ninja chick probably wont be able to pull it off. WHISH. Just before he escaped the lion barricade, something hit him from behind. The enemy saw Dylan escaping, so they tried to get as much damage on him as possible. Understandable. Too bad. I''m already outta here! Dylan grinned. As soon as he was out, the lions closed the gap and the barricade was inescapable. Or, it should''ve been... SLASH. Something sliced Dylan from behind! "Whoa!? Who!?" He turned around in a hurry. "What? But she was... Oh." He finally realized his huge mess up. The "thing" that hit him before he escaped wasn''t some random ranged attack, it was Ninja''s Backflip Shuriken! The chick placed it on him like a tracking device and then blinked to it! "Damn you!" Dylan unleashed Mighty Roar. "Guh!" Nia shivered a little as the loud roar assaulted her. Even the screen shook a little. Scary. Maybe it was a bad move to chase here? She was now at close range, in a 1v1 situation, against this scary guy. And, now the Mighty Roar debuffed her too. No, it''s okay. He''s low on HP. Nia nodded to herself. Whenever she doubted herself, she should always ask what were her advantages in this position. That''s what Yuel recommended. It was a good tip. Nia had a bad habit of always thinking about the negatives, so it was a good idea to remind herself of the positives as well. I can do it. Nia continued the assault. Even with the debuff from Mighty Roar, she should be able to beat that Lionfolk in a 1v1. "Run to your mama already, girl!" Dylan clawed the Ninja girl, but she repaid him in kind with a slash. It seemed like she had no intention of backing away. Crap, this is legit bad. Dylan had to flee, no question about it. Running away from some chick was lame as heck, but what else could he do? He couldn''t die here, no way. "Watcha running away from that bitch?" Bruce criticized. "Kick her ass!" "I''m too low," Dylan said. "Even a Bronze player can beat me with this HP difference." "Heh, a Bronze player will beat ya any day if you always run away like a wuss." "Think you can do this better? Here, take my seat." "Id totally show ya, but I''m busy over here too." "Sure, sure," Dylan rolled his eyes. Maybe he could''ve turned the tables on this girl if she were a total amateur, but this Ninja was actually kinda troublesome. She even killed Zeph in Top. She was clearly more dangerous than anybody gave her credit for. Considering all that, Dylan couldn''t handle her right now. This time, he had to retreat. But, he''ll remember this! Next time, that chick will be dead! Hella dead! "Tch, he got away," Nia muttered as she gradually fell behind. The debuff of Mighty Roar slowed her down, so she couldn''t catch up to the Lionfolk. "Boo. No kill." Its all good. The gank served its purpose. Yuel nodded in satisfaction. "Kai, all green. Their Jungler has been dealt with. He got away, but it''s unlikely he''ll return to gank you with that HP." "Alright," Kai answered. "Thanks for the help, Nia." "Sure," Nia was still pouting about the missed kill, but being thanked felt nice too. Now, it''s just you and me. Kai concentrated all her attention on the Pirate scum. Nobody was going to come to save his ass anymore. This was a pure 1v1. That guy should realize that as well, so he''ll jump on the opportunity to fight her, expecting her to be some scrub. That''s when she''ll teach this scumbag the biggest lesson of his life! Vol.9 Ch.19: She Who Dodges Everything Finally, the team created a 1v1 situation for Kai and TheLegend. Surely, that bastard was going to come out and fight her now! Except, the guy didn''t budge. Kai even briefly placed herself inside the tower area while her minions were tanking it. But, TheLegend ignored her and worked on clearing the minions first. "Damn, what''s going on with you guys?" Bruce ranted. "Zeph died, Bryan died, and now Dyl almost died. The fuck are y''all doing?" "I warned you back then," Zeph shrugged. "These guys are better than you think. At least, the guy I''m fighting in lane is pretty damn high-level. To be honest, it doesn''t even feel like I''m playing against a middle schooler." "Bah, excuses." Bruce rolled his eyes. "I agree with Zeph," Bryan tuned in. "These guys know a thing or two. Im not saying they''re better than us or anything, but theyre better than we expected. We gotta treat them like decent players. Seems like this year, Stratus ain''t gonna be a free win like we thought." "No way," Bruce insisted. "These guys got two chicks on the team and their captain is one too. Are you seriously telling me ya think these guys are good? Aint buying it." "Then, how about you show us how it''s done, boss?" Dylan suggested. "You''re 1-on-1 with that chick, right? Kick her ass. Show us that these guys got nothing for us." "Yeah, do it, big boy," Zeph added. "Prove that you''re a man," Bryan egged him as well. "Heh," Bruce sneered. "That''s the kinda low IQ thinking that''s keeping you guys at low level. Yeah, a 1-on-1, sure. Doncha see the two players in the Jungle over there? They can rotate here anytime. I ain''t dealing with that." "Fair enough," Dyl nodded and the rest agreed too. "Heh, dumbasses," Bruce grinned triumphantly. "Ya gotta use that brain of yours sometimes, ya know?" Youre the last person I want to hear this from. Bryan narrowed his eyes. The rest had similar thoughts. At his core, Bruce was just a dumbass. But, he was pretty strong, both inside and outside the game. He had this something about him that made people follow his lead. That''s what made him the leader of the gang. He wasn''t the official captain of the team, but most people considered him such. In theory, Raymond, the actual captain, was stronger. But, he rarely showed off his strength and he never boasted about it, so he didn''t come across as a firm figure of authority. On the other hand, Bruce took any opportunity to stand out and pretend he was the hottest shit ever. So, at some point, everybody started believing he was really all that, even though, deep down, they knew he was just a show-off jackass. Even in this shitty situation, you ain''t gonna say anything, cap? Bryan threw a glance at Raymond. The number of words that came from the guys mouth since game-start could be counted on one hand. That was no way for a captain to be. That''s why nobody genuinely respected Raymond as the captain and instead treated Bruce as the true top dog. "Anyway, dont worry," Bruce grinned at them. "Once I get a proper 1v1 situation, I''mma mop the floor with that chick. She gonna uninstall the game after Im done with her, khaha!" Meanwhile, on the other side, the waiting game continued. "He''s not coming," Kai muttered. "I don''t get it. I thought he gonna attack me the first chance he gets." "Yeah, it''s a little odd," Yuel frowned. Based on the data he gathered on TheLegend, the guy was prideful and would take any opportunity to prove he was the best in the world. Even his IGN screamed that mentality. So, he should''ve jumped on the opportunity to fight Kai 1v1. And yet, TheLegend was avoiding combat. Why? "Just a thought," Vincent started. "Maybe he''s wary about me and the Vanishing Phantom being nearby?" "Possible, Yuel agreed. He does come across as the type who pretends to be confident and aggressive, yet hides away at the first sign of danger. "Tch, so he''s wussing on me?" Kai clicked her tongue. They finally arranged a great opportunity for Kai to 1v1 this bastard and get a kill, yet the bastard chickened out. "I wouldn''t say he''s being a wuss," Yuel said. "It''s a legit concern. I was considering asking Nia to gank Bot in case something goes wrong with the duel." "Wait, you don''t trust me to beat that bastard?" "I..." Can''t tell for sure, honestly. I don''t know how strong he is. The last time they fought, they seemed pretty evenly matched. But, it was a wild brainless exchange of blows, so that data doesnt work as a reference. That was Yuel''s objective analysis of the situation. But, his lips remained sealed. He had a gut feeling. If he shares his real opinion, it gonna set Kai off. It won''t do the team any favors. It was of utmost importance for the team to maintain high morale and good relationships. Yuel was there before, he witnessed StormBlitz''s second-string crumbling apart due to internal arguments. The trigger for it was a couple of small in-fights, which accumulated into a huge blowout. Yuel refused to be a catalyst for another such tragedy. "It was just plan B," Yuel said. "In case something goes wrong with the duel, I wanted Nia to be nearby and gank." "So, you admit you don''t 100% trust me to beat that fucker." "Ugh..." What a tough customer this girl was. "Don''t worry about it, dude," Lars interjected. "Yuel always comes up with plan B, C, D, and all the way to Z probably. He always be trying to cover all possibilities like that." "Yeah, I guess," Kai wasn''t entirely convinced but she dropped the topic for now. Kai seems very touchy about this fight. Yuel thought. Is it like a personal vendetta for her? That guy sure said some nasty things to her before the match, so I get where she''s coming from. There was still one way to arrange her desired 1v1. However, it involved a risk. Yuel had to completely trust Kai to come on top in the fight, or else shell wind up dead. Well, we got some leverage here, so we can take a risk or two. Yuel thought. Not exactly the healthiest way to come up with plays, but they had breathing room to act a little wilder than normal. No to mention, if Kai nails this one and the team gets yet another kill, theyll pretty much have the match in the bag at that point. Such an overwhelming early-game advantage will be nigh impossible to overcome. "There''s one way we can reassure their Pirate that we won''t gank," Yuel said. "Nia, Vincent, do you mind rotating together to Mid? Let''s see if we can start a big push there." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Works for me," Vincent said. "Um, I don''t have any skills," Nia pointed out. She spent her entire kit on the recent gank against the Lionfolk, so everything was on cooldown. "It''s okay, I don''t expect you to get a kill there," Yuel said. "I just want you to help push the Turret there, since Lars isn''t making much progress." "Hey, hey!" Lars objected. "I''m totally winning here! Believe it, yo!" "Anyway," Yuel continued. "The goal isnt to get a kill, but just to get lane advantage. Also, I want you to rotate along this path." He drew on the mini-map. "This looks predictable as heck," Nia commented. "Yes, that''s exactly the point, Yuel nodded. They probably got a ward around here, so they''ll see you rotating. That''ll reassure their Pirate that you won''t be ganking him while hes fighting Kai." "Oh, such brilliant thinking!" Vincent made noise. "In this cold war with radio silence, you invented an encrypted system that can deliver a message to our foes!" "Let''s do it," Kai supported it without thinking twice. "Youre game?" "Yes, I''m ready to dictate myself to this cause," Vincent saluted. "Ok," Nia nodded. The duo traveled through Bot Jungle toward Mid, running along the route Yuel drew for them. It was 99% guaranteed that at least one ward will spot them along the way, so the enemy will be alert. "Look, they''re rotating to Mid," Bryan pointed out. "Ray, they''re coming after you." "Hrm, I see," Raymond began retreating right away. "You know what this means, right?" Zeph snickered. "These guys ain''t gonna be ganking Bot any time soon. So, you got the 1-on-1 you wanted, Bruce." "Hell yeah, I did!" Bruce grinned. "Time to show y''all scrubs how this shit is done for real!" He took the bait. Kai''s eyes glinted dangerously. This was it, the fight she has been waiting for. She could feel her heartbeat quicken. This was one enemy she absolutely couldn''t lose against, no matter what. She gonna mop the floor with this bastard''s ugly face! The Pirate ran straight at her. As soon as he was about to step into her range, Kai fired a spear. "F-Fuck! Bruce couldnt sidestep in time. He wasnt expecting an attack from this distance. Shouldnt the spear whiff from this far? Unfortunately, it didnt. It hit him with the tip of its range. Shit, Imma kill yo ass!" Bruce fired back. However, his counter whiffed. "How the fuck did that miss!? Game, pls!" A split moment later, another spear darted at him. He reacted too late. The spear pierced his chest. Shit, what''s going on!? Bruce roared internally. This was bullshit. It ain''t happening! Was he gonna allow some chick to make fun of him like this? No way! "Die, you bitch!" Bruce pulled the trigger. However, his bullet missed again. How!? His aim was on point! It definitely was! Yet, for some damn reason, the bullet didnt connect. It almost grazed the Impaler, but it didn''t touch her. It''s as if some invisible force moved the bullet away to make it miss. Why!? How!? Alright, he''s flustered. Kai could tell from the way the Pirate was twitching. For the avatar to spasm like this, it meant the players mouse control was unstable. Players like that were the easiest to read. When they stopped shaking and took careful aim, it meant an attack was about to come out. It was so hilariously telegraphed. BAM. A bullet came flying at her, but she already sidestepped it the moment the Pirate took aim. He wasn''t calm enough to notice her movements and adjust his aim at the last moment, so that bullet was going to whiff. Without wasting any time worrying about it, Kai countered by hurling a spear. The enemy''s attack whiffed, but hers connected perfectly. Counter hit! Too bad that clean counter hits like these didn''t deal bonus damage in this game. "Oh, there it is!" Vincent shouted loudly into the mic so everybody could hear. "The Rhythm Reader has awakened! With its power, Beat will dodge each and every shot flying her way!" "T-That ain''t happening! I didn''t whiff that! I didn''t do that shit!" Bruce moved erratically. What the flying fuck was going on here!? All these shots should''ve connected! He knew he placed them right! Yet, not a single one landed. He has already missed four shots and ate four counters in the face. He was already down to 30% HP. How did that shit happen!? "Heh, so much for ''showing us how it is done''," Zeph sneered. "S-Shut up!" Bruce had the urge to punch that fucker till he breaks the guy''s nose. This was bullshit! This ain''t happening! It ain''t real! "You may want to retreat," Raymond suggested. "Shut the fuck up! I got this shit!" Bruce insisted and fired again. However, the shot didn''t connect. Why!?!? FUCKINSHITDIEBTICH!!! Am I legit gonna lose? To some scrubby chick!? Bruce gritted his teeth. He refused to accept such a reality. It was nonsense. This wasn''t real life. It had to be some sort of mistake. This bitch must be hella lucky. Yeah, that''s it! Shes just moving randomly like a scrub and thats throwing me off. Thats how she dodges my shit. She''s winning thanks to scrub luck! Bruce explained the bizarre phenomena to the best of his ability. There had to be some cheap trick to it. After all, he''d never lose to some basic bitch like that. This Impaler chick was just lucky this fight, thats all. So, Bruce ain''t losing. It was all bad luck. Yeah, that''s all there was to it. Therefore, he shouldn''t feel bad about making a tactical retreat. After all, this fight wasnt even fair. I''m out of this bullshittery! He activated Backfire Cannon and aimed it at the Impaler bitch. Good thing I kept this bad boy just in case. He originally planned to chase the Impaler with it once she starts feeling. But, in the end, he needed it himself to run away- Ahem, to tactically retreat! Yes, this was just a tactical retreat! It was smart! This bullshit situation was no place to stay in. Running away!? Kai summoned an Iron Maiden behind the Pirate as soon as she heard the metallic sound of a cannon. She instantly grasped the situation. Her enemy was planning to escape the scene with the help of his cannon. Over my dead body! "I''ll get you next time, bitch!" Bruce fired the cannon off. The recoil sent him flying across the lane! At least, it should''ve done that. But, for some reason, his flight was cut short. Like, hella short. He barely moved back at all! "Huh? Haha, what?" Bruce had no idea how to even begin reacting to this bullshit. First, his bullets refused to hit the target he was shooting. Now, even his Backfire Cannon didn''t work as intended. Did this stupid game bug out or something? Why the fuck was all this shit happening to him this fight!? It''s over. Kai fired Impale. The giant spear rammed into the Pirate and shoved him into the Iron Maiden. The torture machine swallowed the Pirate whole and executed him. You have killed an enemy! She did it. She really did it. This was Kais first kill on the competitive stage. And, it was a kill on the most despicable scumbag from the enemy team, the bastard who called Kai trash. "Who''s trash now, huh? Huh!?" Kai lifted her chin. It was over. She prevailed against that bastard and proved her worth. In fact, she kicked his ass without getting hit even once. It was a perfect win! That''s how much of a loser that guy was. "Marvelous! Beat scored a PERFECT on TheLegend!" Vincent commentated. "Stratus is leading 3 to 0! Will they ride that momentum all the way to victory!? Who will the goddess of victory smile upon!?" "Oh, shut up already," Kai cracked a laugh. But really, the team was doing great this match. Taurus was supposed to be a decent team, but so far Stratus has been mopping the floor with these losers. The game was still in its early stages, but everybody could already smell the victory. We won. Yuel concluded. He could already see the checkmate from this position. It still required a little extra work from here, but it was an almost guaranteed checkmate. Early kills on Dark Knight and Pirate were a big deal. Both classes wanted to get ahead as fast as possible during the early-game, but these kills set them back. In particular, the Dark Knight was done for. He might still pose some trouble for a while with his early-game strength, but it was already guaranteed he wont become a threat during mid-game. As for the Pirate, it was a class that started underpowered and relied on its passive to gain an incremental gold advantage. Once said advantage grew big enough to get ahead in the item build, Pirate could finally overpower the opposition. Unfortunately for TheLegend, being dead played against any such plans. He couldnt farm while dead, so instead of getting ahead, he was only lagging farther and farther behind. By cutting the enemys manpower so sharply, Stratus secured themselves the high ground. Unless they commit some grave mistake in the upcoming minutes, a defeat was unlikely. Their worst enemy at this point could only be their own arrogance, so Yuel had to make sure nobody felt overconfident or too relaxed. They should proceed safely and steadily, without any unnecessary risks. If they keep doing so, theyll eventually corner their enemies and get the win. No matter how Yuel looked at it, this was a checkmate. They were about to blast through their first competitive game as a team! Vol.9 Ch.20: Jaiden Back when the teams greeted each other on the stage, a small quarrel broke out. C''mon, I''ll take you all on, fuckers!" Stratuss captain declared boldly. Even though she was just some girl who surely didnt even deserve to be captain, she still had the nerve to look down on Taurus. Thats why Jaiden couldnt stop himself. He had to respond. "You gonna take us on? Try me," Jaiden stood his ground. "I''ll mop the floor with you in five seconds." "Oh, you sure sound confident. 1v1 me. I''m Challenger in Duel." What kind of dumb argument was that? "Duel rank means nothing, Jaiden stated matter-of-factly. Come at me in a real match and I''ll end your whole career, girl." "Jaiden, I said enough," Raymond put his foot down. Maybe he was right. All this arguing getting childish. "Tch, whatever," Jaiden shook his head. Why was he even still on this stage? The seniors wont let him play today and their opponent was trash tier. There was nothing interesting to see here. "Well, if Im not playing, may as well take a stroll or something. This game gonna be a snoozefest confirmed." Jaiden jumped off the stage. There was nothing for him here. Merely standing on the same stage as Stratus was enough to irk him. That team was a joke. A hot-headed girl as captain? Pls. Jaiden came here today with excitement, ready to watch Tauruss first scrimmage of the year. But, against opponents like that? The result was painfully obvious at a glance. There wont be anything interesting to watch. I need some fresh air. Jaiden proceeded toward the exit. Along the way, he passed by Stratus''s side of the stage. There, he noticed two boys. One was a tall blonde dude, he looked like a social beast. He was jumping around in excitement and whispering something to his pals, possibly cracking a joke or two. The boy beside him was the total opposite, calm and stoic. He looked like the smarty-pants type. These two were polar opposites, like a sun and a moon. Logically, there was no reason to link these two. They had particularly nothing in common. Then, why do they stand out? Jaiden cocked his head. He could swear he saw these two somewhere before. But, where? When? Maybe I saw them play before? Jaiden knotted his brows. Did he ever watch any of Stratus''s matches? Well, he watched one. It was the Taurus vs. Stratus match from last year. It was a one-sided beating. Taurus mopped the floor with Stratus last year, as expected. I don''t think these two played back then. Jaiden searched his memory. He didnt remember all the players by heart, but he had a hunch these boys weren''t related to that game. After all, the Stratus he watched last year was utter trash. Meanwhile, something in his mind whispered that these two guys were pretty good. Dunno why, but I feel like theyre good. Jaiden felt like the explanation was at the tip of his tongue, but his memory refused to cooperate. Maybe Id figure it out if I knew their nicknames. Well, whatever. He proceeded toward the exit. It didn''t matter who these two were. Taurus will emerge victorious today, even without Jaiden playing or watching the match. A team run by some barbarian girl had no business winning. That fox must have swindled the boys into making her the captain. That''s how girls always got what they wanted, even when they didnt possess a shred of the required skill. Whatever. Jaiden opened the door and left the stadium. "Hey, wait! Jai!" Two pairs of footsteps were on his tail. Nash and Rio followed him. "Whats up?" Jaiden turned around to wait for his pals. Youre not watching the match? "Heh, right back at ya," Nash cracked a laugh. "You''re always the first to get all excited about watching high-level gameplay." "Sure, I like watching some good matches," Jaiden nodded. "Emphasis on GOOD. We both know today gonna be a shitshow." "Haha, no doubt about that," Nash laughed. "I was hoping this year Stratus will have some fighting in them. Like, last year, we mopped them pretty hard, right? So, give us a challenge or something. "Why do you sound so proud? You didn''t even play that match." "Hey, neither did you." "True that. It sucks being young in a big club," Jaiden smiled wryly. The three of them were freshmen last year, so there was zero chance of them getting into the first-string. They had to be on the same level as Maker, the legend himself, to even stand a chance. Such was the reality of their big club. But, Jaiden and his pals were juniors this year. Having juniors on the first-string was uncommon in Taurus, but not unheard of. Therefore, the trio had high hopes for playing on the main team this year. But, no such luck. It wasn''t a question of skill, it was all about seniority. Bruce and his gang monopolized the first-string for themselves and didn''t let anybody else in. Well, they were decent players and all. I dont want to sound condescending or anything, Jaiden thought. But, I think me and my bros are a league above these guys. Well, maybe thats just me. In the first place, Bruces gang didnt exactly earn their positions rightfully. Taurus had some better seniors, but Bruces gang pressed hard until they got what they wanted. Honestly, almost an act of terrorism. Raymond, the captain, was currently the only one on the team who was a real beast. The guy barely talked and his presence wasn''t always felt in matches, but he always got the job done. Perhaps, if he was a little more assertive, he could''ve made a name for himself in the region as one of the top players. Full respect for the cap. "So, what''s the plan?" Nash interrupted Jaidens thoughts. "I dunno," Jaiden shrugged. "Thought Id hang out at the cafeteria. I need to cool down a little." "Yeah, you sure made a scene back there. Nash laughed. All like ''Oh noes, look! They got a girl captain! Literally a witch! I''m so shook right now!''. It was a riot, haha!" "I didnt say any of that." "Yes you did, bro. Well, not exactly like that, but ya catch my drift. I thought you were over that shit?" "Yeah, I''m over it," Jaiden claimed. "Oh, yeah? Nash snickered. Then, why you have this look like you gonna murder somebody? Look, even Rio is scared." "Im not scared" Rio gave Nash a look. "It was just... unpleasant to watch. It was? Jaiden blinked. Well, Rio hung his head. You were acting kinda like... Hmm, Jaiden wasnt sure what to make Rios low voice. Rio could be rather blunt, especially around people he knew. So, for Rio to fall silent like this, it meant Jaiden really did something bad. "Sorry if I scared you. I did yell a little and all." "No, it''s just..." Rio considered his words carefully. "C''mon, speak up like a man!" Nash smacked Rio on the back. In a friendly manner, of course. "A-Ah!" Rio jumped. It didn''t exactly hurt, but it almost made his heart leap out of his throat. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Hey, what are you hitting him for? Jaiden scolded. Cmon, its just a friendly gesture, Nash shrugged and turned to Rio. Youre a man, right? So, stand up and tell this bruh over here what you really thought about his lil stunt. Geh, Rio glared back at Nash, but then sighed and straightened his back. The slam was uncalled for, but maybe that shock was exactly what Rio needed to sort out his thoughts. "You didn''t scare me," Rio told Jaiden. "But, you almost looked like... a bully." He gulped as soon as he finished talking. A shudder ran through him. D-Did I just call Jaiden a bully!? Oh no, what have I done!? I should''ve kept it to myself. He''s so going to hate me... "A bully? Seriously?" Jaiden smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, man," Nash added. "You looked like you were about to start a war, word." "Hey, I didn''t threaten anybody," Jaiden took a sip of the cola he bought. "Well, I guess I was kinda pissed, though." "Heh, ''pissed'' doesn''t even begin to describe it, Nash said. You were out for blood. Its been a while since I saw you like this." "It was disgusting behavior," Rio added with a cast-down expression. His words cut Jaiden deeper than any knife. "A-Ahaha, no, I was just..." Jaiden couldn''t come up with any excuses. No matter how he tried to spin it, he totally blew a fuse back there on the stage. He made a huge scene. It was unbecoming of him. "You still can''t forget all that shit with Storm, huh," Nash nodded knowingly. Its like they opened an old wound. Feel ya, bro. "Heh," Jaiden cast his eyes aside. This was a topic he hasnt touched upon in a long time. He thought he buried that nonsense at the bottom of his brain, but just a little quarrel was enough to make everything resurface. It was an unpleasant topic. Itd be great if he just forgot everything and went on as if nothing happened. But, the bubbly fellow had to keep talking. "You totally should''ve gotten into StormBlitz," Nash continued. "Can''t believe some basic bitch stole your spot. You ever found who it was?" "No, I gave up on that," Jaiden looked aside. "I had a feeling I won''t be able to contain myself if I see her face-to-face." "Phew, then bullet dodged, man. I mean, you almost became a wanted serial killer, haha." "I see," Rio nodded in understanding. "So, you planned to kill her and take back your spot "Of course not!" Jaiden kicked Nash for suggesting that nonsense. "Yeah, I was mad as heck, but violence isn''t the answer." "Oh yeah?" Nash held out his leg. "Then what was that kick just now, you son of a biscuit!" "Just a friendly gesture," Jaiden snickered his pal. "Anyway, yeah, that whole thing with StormBlitz sucked ass. But, you know what? I''m glad I transferred. If StormBlitz is a club that picks girls over skilled players, then I want nothing to do with it." "Damn straight. These idiots have no idea what kinda genius slipped through their fingers." "Heh," Jaiden smiled softly. "And besides, transferring here wasn''t such a bad deal. I get to be in the same club as you guys." "Aww, you making me blush," Nash waved his hand. "Really, I mean it," Jaiden said. "It''s thanks to you two that I''m still playing. Honestly, that rejection from Storm was quite the shock for me. I was sure I gonna pass their exam no problem, but they went ahead and picked some girl who is apparently worse than me. And, there were the two guys who are apparently better than me. Though, who knows if they really did better than me in that exam, seeing how rigged it was." "Well, at least we know theyre good players," Rio pointed out. "Oh yeah, we saw them play last year on the second-string. They were pretty lit back there. Man, I wish we had a second-string too." "Why don''t we, really?" Nash asked. "Because it''s a hassle." Jaiden shrugged. "The school will have to book two stages host both first-string and second-string on the same day. So, they don''t feel like it." "Typical bullshit," Nash shook his head. Even though their school was nice enough to allow Taurus to recruit many members, it didn''t mean the school cared much for the club. It simply treated the Classmancers club a little more like a proper club than most other schools did, thats all. "So, anyway," Jaiden returned to the topic. "It''s thanks to you two that I''m still playing. You even convinced the club to give me a late entrance exam." "No big deal, man, Nash said. We didn''t even do much." "Actually," Rio smiled mischievously. "The captain back then didn''t like the idea. He didnt want someone who failed to get into StormBlitz. He said it made the club look weak and such." "Oh yeah, I remember that shit!" Nash cracked a laugh. "Cap legit thought you were a scrub at first." "But, Nash argued with him," Rio smiled softly. "He even said stuff like ''Jaiden is the next Maker!'' and such." "I-I didn''t say shit like that!" Nash coughed and looked aside. "Well, I did tell them Jai is good, but not THAT good. You still have a long way to go before you reach Maker''s level, fam." "So, you vouched for me," Jaidem patted Nash on the shoulder and called the waiter. "Hey, bring me and my pals some cola. My treat." "Your treat? Noice!" Nash opened the cola bottle without reservation. "Thanks, man!" "I should be the one saying thanks," Jaiden said. "If not for you two, I would''ve probably quit Mancers." "But, itd be such a waste," Rio said. "You''re an amazing player." "Don''t worry, all that dumb stuff is in the past," Jaiden reassured. "Now, I''m in a club with you two, so theres no way I''m quitting. We gonna conquer the whole competitive scene together!" "Hell yeah, now youre talking!" Nash brought his bottle up. The others followed and locked their bottles together. "For victory and stuff!" "F-For victory!" Rio did his best to shout with his low voice, but it came off like a mouse squeak. "Pft, haha!" Nash burst into laughter and spilled some cola on his shirt. "Oh, crap! Haha!" Everybody laughed. Being right here, alongside friends, was fun. The depressing past didn''t matter anymore. Jaiden somehow failed StormBlitzs exam, but maybe its for the best. Thanks to that, he was now playing with his bros in the same club. All Jaiden was looking for was the highest level of competition. He wanted to test his mettle against the highest caliber of players. A strong team like StormBlitz was in a great position to face the strongest opponents, but Taurus could get to that level as well. Once Jaiden, Nash, and Rio join the first-string, they''ll wreck the competition in the region and go all the way to nationals! Then, theyll win nationals too! They were unstoppable together! They were the Invincible Triangle! Yeah, screw StormBlitz. Jaiden concluded. Once I run into them at the tournament, I''ll make them regret favoring some scrubby girl over me. I can accept the two guys who got in, theyre actually good... wait. Something just clicked in Jaiden''s brain. It was unbelievable. He doubted his own sanity for a moment. Yet, he had a strong feeling he was right about it. Two boys passed the te third stage of StormBlitzs exam. What were their names, again? Nah, Jaiden didn''t know their names. But, their IGNs! He saw them last year! It was in this very place, during the second-string scrimmage between StormBlitz and the Leopards. That match piqued his interest, so he went to watch it with everybody. Nash was complaining at first, saying that StormBlitzs second-string gotta be scrubs. Honestly, Jaiden thought the same. He wasnt expecting much. But, what greeted them there was a scene beyond their wildest imagination. Both sides went hard at each other, but StormBlitz dominated that show. It was amazing! They were winning against the strongest team in the region! Well, to be precise, it was just the second-string of the strongest. But, still! These were some crazy games! Especially, there was this one mad lad. His IGN was... Bulletz? Riflez? Something like that. Anyway, bruh was sick! His Trickshooter was godlike! Whenever he activated Trickshow, he became a raging typhoon! "Yeah! That''s my boy!" Somebody in the crowd cheered when the Trickshooter scored a kill. It was a familiar face. That guy played for StormBlitz on stage just a short while ago, then stepped down for some reason. Jaiden and crew had no idea what was the story behind it, but the guy piqued their interests. If memory served, the guy was soaked in water for some reason. It was a small detail, but it stuck because of how random it was. Did the guy take a shower or something? Anyway, Jaiden decided to approach the StormBlitz guy. Something has been bothering Jaiden for a while now, so he had to ask about it. StormBlitz had a limit of 15 members, he knew that for a fact from the explanations during the entrance exam. Five members were playing for the first-string, whereas another five were on the second-string on stage. The way Jaiden understood it, StormBlitz split the 15 equally across years: five seniors, five juniors, and five freshmen. So, one would assume that the first-string had five seniors and the second-string had five juniors. However, something peculiar happened to the second-string that day; they substituted a member. In other words, 11 club members participated in the scrimmage that day. Therefore, at least one of them had to be a freshman. Jaiden had to know which one it was. Is that guy better than me? He better be. That''s all he could think about back at the time. Jaiden failed to get into StormBlitz, unlike the guy who was playing for the second-string on stage. Who was that freshman? Was he really better than Jaiden? He should be. He gotta be. But, was he, really? "The freshman? Actually, there are two of them on stage right now." "What?" Jaiden thought his ears were deceiving him. Two freshmen made it into the StormBlitzs second-string!? Wow! How good were these guys!? "It''s the Carry and Support duo", the StormBlitz guy explained. "They''re pretty good, right? Got nothing on me, of course, but they can kick some serious ass, haha." "The Carry and Support..." Jaiden mumbled. Impossible. That couldn''t be. The Carry was that amazing Trickshooter who was putting on an otherworldly performance. And, that Support player has been playing today from the start. Meaning, he was picked for the second-string over some Junior! These guys were fire! They were such an odd pair, too. The Carry dude was an energetic bro who moved around a lot and made noise. On the other hand, the Support was a stoic guy, sitting there all calm like a cold-blooded assassin. They made for an interesting pair. Wait, an energetic guy and a stoic one? Jaiden returned to reality. It wasn''t just his imagination. He DID see those two before! They were the two freshmen in that second-string scrimmage! But wait, what the heck were they doing in Stratus? Was there some sort of foul play afoot? Or, did they transfer schools for some reason? Anyway, this was huge! As he realized this unbelievable fact, Jaiden bolted out of the cafeteria. Vol.9 Ch.21: The Ex-StormBlitz Players "Hey, where ya going?" Nash jumped from his chair. "I realized something huge!" Jaiden shouted as she dashed toward the match hall. It can''t be. But, what if it is? Then, this match might actually...! DEFEAT VICTORY The giant letters were hanging on the screen. The match was already over. It was pretty fast for a high-level match. Matches only ended this early when one team was steamrolling. Earlier today, Jaiden was actually expecting a conclusion like this. Except, it was supposed to be backward. The DEFEAT was supposed to be hanging on the other side of the screen. But no, it was clearly on the left side, on the side Taurus played! Theyve lost. Taurus lost to Stratus, the lowly bottom tier team. No, it wasnt just any defeat. Looking at the stats, Stratus thoroughly and utterly crushed Taurus. It was a one-sided slaughter from start to end. The players names... Yeah, I was right! A shiver ran through Jaiden''s spine. He had no idea how this was even possible, but he was correct! The two players from StormBlitz were here: Gunz and Chessmaster. They were the awesome freshmen who kicked some serious butt last year! But, what were they doing in Stratus? No, that didn''t matter. Whats more important was the fact they were here today, playing on the stage. I gotta fight them! Jaiden was determined. No matter what his seniors say, Jaiden had to participate in today''s match. He gotta go out there and wreck the two awesome StormBlitz players! That way, he''ll finally prove his worth. He was just as good- No, he was better than them! StormBlitz made a mistake when they didnt pick them. Hell prove it today, on this stage! "Phew, you''re so fast, man," Nash arrived shortly, panting as if he just finished a marathon. Rio also appeared after a while. He was jogging lightly, but still looked half-dead from exhaustion. "W-What''s wrong?" Rio asked while catching his breath. "Just look at the results, guys!" Jaiden pointed at the screen. "Huh? The game''s already over?" Nash took a deep breath and straightened his back. The next moment, his eyes almost popped outta their sockets. "We... lost?" "It looks one-sided..." Rio was speechless as well. Nobody predicted this result. Todays scrimmage was supposed to be an easy win for Taurus. Yet, reality was the complete opposite. "I suddenly realized there are two big fish in Stratus," Jaiden shared his findings. "It looks like we''re in for a treat today! Guys, we gotta fight them! It gonna be awesome!" "Hell yeah! Nash pumped a fist. Let''s get these ex-Storm dudes or whoever they are!" "I''ll help too," Rio nodded. "You guys...!" Jaiden thrust a first toward. His pals locked their fists together with him. Together, they were the Invincible Triangle! There was no opponent they couldn''t beat! Invincible Triangle, assemble! Jaiden raised his arm. Invincible Triangle for the win! Nash also raised his arm. Do we have to do it? Rio reluctantly raised his arm. Cmon, say the word! Nash insisted. Do I have to? Rio shifted his eyes away. It sounds kinda lame. Cmon, cmon, cmon! Ugh... Haha, its okay, Jaiden came to the rescue. The Invincible Triangle isnt about saying the words, its about the heart! As long as hes our comrade and fights by our side, Rio is also a part of the triangle! "Um, anyway, Rio wheeled the conversation elsewhere. How will we convince the seniors to let us play?" With that one question, he killed all the hype. "Ah, shoot. He''s right," Nash scratched his head. "Bruce and Co. aint gonna let us play today." "We''ll see about that," Jaiden strode toward Taurus'' waiting room. There was no way in hell the team was happy with this result. In fact, knowing Bruce, the guy was probably throwing a fit right about now. This was a great opportunity to ask about subbing in. Bruce and his gang were quite the quitters sometimes, so they might give up their spots. Fingers crossed. "You really wanna go in there?" Nash gulped. The trio stood in front of Taurus'' door. There was no doubt that an unpleasant atmosphere laid on the other side of this door. In fact, they could even sense miasma slipping through the door. But, it was just their imagination. Probably. "Cmon, lets do it," Jaiden placed his palm on the handle. It felt a little wet. Or, maybe its his palm that was sweaty? "I''m opening it..." He slowly, very slowly, pulled down the handle. Gulp. This isnt going to be a pretty sight, is it? "FUCK!" That''s the first word to greet Jaiden. BAM! Something went flying across the room. It crashed into a wall and fell on the floor. A wooden chair. Bruce just kicked it like a soccer ball. "How did that shit happen!?" Bruce ranted. "How did we lose to these punks!? They''re Stratus, the weakest team! This ain''t real. This ain''t real, yo!" "Please don''t break the furniture," Raymond, the captain, picked up the poor chair. It seemed like the chair wasn''t damaged, a fact that made Raymond sigh in relief. "Gaaaah! I can''t fuckin take this!" Bruce punched the wall next. "Oh shit! It hurts!" "Haha, idiot," Bryan cracked a laugh. "Whatcha laughing at!?" Bruce stomped toward Bryan with clenched fists. "This shit ain''t funny. We were owned by such a scrubby team. That''s bullshit!" "Yeah, it''s ridiculous," Bryan nodded. "But, I kinda accepted it halfway through. These guys ain''t half bad. I''ve been trying to tell you, but you don''t listen." "Because I don''t listen to bullcrap," Bruce stated matter-of-factly. "That''s ain''t real. We shouldn''t have lost. Not like this, man. Not like this." "Just accept it already," Zeph shrugged. "I dunno about your opponents, but I can say for sure that their Top is hella good. The others also seemed decent during team fights. Say what you want, but facts are facts." "Dammit!" Bruce cursed and dropped on the sofa. He tapped his leg nonstop and wore a glare intense enough to kill. That''s when he laid his eyes on Jaiden. "What? Came back to laugh at us, eh?" "Not at all," Jaiden answered as calmly as possible. "I just saw the match was over, so I came to check what''s up." "Nothing to see here. Piss off." Charming as ever. Jaiden rolled his eyes. "So, is Stratus strong this year?" "Hell no, they ain''t nothing," Bruce insisted. "We only lost because some idiots on our team fucked up big time." Like you? Jaiden looked aside and tried his best to not burst into laughter. Judging by how mad Bruce was, he was clearly frustrated by his own performance as well. That douche cared firstmost about his own reputation. Even if the entire world were to sink at this exact moment, Bruce wouldn''t give a shit long as hes safe. On the other hand, if even the smallest misfortune hits him? It was a disaster! A crime against humanity! "Cap, what happened?" Jaiden turned to Raymond. "Hrm, it was rough," Raymond frowned and spoke slowly. It seemed he was also shocked by this development, even though it didn''t show as clearly on his stoic expression. "Did they catch you off-guard? Or, they had hard counter-picks?" "They did pull some unexpected plays and their picks were solid, Raymond said. But, that''s not all. They were just really well-trained." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "So, high-level players!?" Jaiden trembled. As I thought, there are strong guys here today! Dang, lemme on the stage! Lemme play...! "Tch, these scrubs ain''t high-level for shit," Bruce clicked his tongue in denial. He wasn''t going to accept that narrative, no matter what. "High-level or not," Dylan dropped his back on the sofa. "They sure did a number on us. Nobody expected this shit." "Was their Bot duo strong?" Jaiden asked, unable to contain himself. "The Bot duo?" Bruce grimaced. "Nah, they''re trash. But well, they''re probably the best that team had to offer. I mean, they did put up a fight against me, after all. While everybody else was losing to some scrubby shit out there, I was dealing with the enemys strongest shit and almost made it!" Sure, sure. Jaiden rolled his eyes. "That Bot duo was sure strong," Bryan nodded. "Especially, that Carry chick." "Huh? Chick?" Jaiden blinked. "Didn''t Gunz play Carry?" "No, he played Mid," Raymond confirmed. "He was my lane opponent." "Huh, weird," Jaiden scratched his head. "Do you remember what role Chessmaster played?" "Top," Zeph answered without hesitation. "That bastard is is a piece of work. Couldn''t make a dent in him with my DK." "Is that so," Jaiden had no idea what was going on. During the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage, Gunz and Chessmaster played Bot. That''s the position Jaiden saw them shine in. So, why Mid and Top this game? Maybe those were their sub-roles? Or, maybe Mid and Top were actually their best roles and Bot was the secondary position!? Whoa, just how good were these guys!? I gotta play a game against them! Ten games, even! No, a hundred! Lemme at theeeeeeeeeem!!! "Do you know those two from somewhere?" Raymond asked. "Yeah, but it''s kinda weird," Jaiden shared. "I realized it a little late, but I actually saw Gunz and Chessmaster last year. But, they were playing on StormBlitz back then." "Say WHAT!?" Zeph''s jaw hit the floor. "The hell? What are they doing in Stratus then?" "No idea," Jaiden shrugged. "Maybe they transferred." "Or, maybe they joined the match illegally," Dylan smirked. "The plot thickens." "Why would they do that, though?" Jaiden asked. "Beats me, Dylan shrugged. But, wont it make for a cool story if it''s true? Haha." "Wait, wont that be against the rules?" Zeph leveled an important question. "It sure is," Bryan nodded. "Also, if you think about it, StormBlitz got a motive for doing this. They might be trying to help a lowly team to win. With less competition, itll be easier for them to get seeded higher." "Damn, these fuckers!" Bruce roared. "I knew something was fishy! So, that''s why they were so good! It''s Storm, so of course they gonna give us some trouble." Wow, thats the fastest 180 I''ve seen in my life. Jaiden spat a sigh. "Hey, Ray!" Bruce called out in a demanding tone. "Go check with the ref the fuck these guys are doing here! We gonna ban their asses from this match! Heck, we might even get this whole scrimmage for free! Ez, haha!" "Yeah, I better ask," Raymond headed to the stage. When it came to verifying the identities of the scrimmaging players, the referees trusted the club supervisors. That left a big opening for exploitation. Nothing stopped the supervisors from bringing in strong players from other schools. Dang it, maybe I shouldn''t have said anything. Jaiden scratched his head. He also considered this possibility at first, but he quickly disregarded it because it didnt matter to him. He just wanted to play against Gunz and Chessmaster, thats all. Unfortunately, for the other people here, this situation was a huge deal. Dang, but I really wanna play them! Jaiden pouted. Whether this was legal or not didnt matter. This was a rare opportunity to test his mettle against those two. They were the two guys who made it into StormBlitz when Jaiden failed. If they were really that much better than him, they gotta prove it in a real match! But really, what are they doing here? Logically, there were only two explanations. Either they were illegal players from StormBlitz, or they simply transferred schools. Jaiden couldnt tell which sounded more plausible. I think I prefer them to be spies from StormBlitz. Otherwise, it means these guys... Jaiden clenched his fists. If the other option was true, he''ll be pretty dang mad. Raymond returned after a while. "I talked to the referee about this. We checked it with Stratus'' supervisor and she said they transferred to the school this year." "You gotta be kidding me..." Jaiden couldn''t believe his ears. So, Gunz and Chessmaster defected to another team? They passed StormBlitz''s entrance exam at the expense of other candidates, then they quit the club? Just like that? What the actual heck!? "The referee made a call to both schools to confirm, so there''s no mistake, Raymond explained. They transferred schools." "Is that so," Jaiden clenched his fists. Now, he absolutely had to fight these guys. Who the hell they thought they were!? Getting into StormBlitz like that, then leaving as if it was worth nothing. Did they even realize how many players out there were desperately trying to get into StormBlitz and failed!? Gunz and Chessmaster were among the few who actually made it, yet they threw that opportunity away as if it was garbage. Unforgivable. "Can I play in the next match?" Jaiden requested. "If anybody wants to switch with you," Raymond looked around. His eyes naturally laid on Bruce, the Carry. "No chance, kid," Bruce lifted his chin. "I''m the Carry." "But, you lost last time," Jaiden said. "In less than fifteen minutes." "Hey, watch your mouth, kid," Bruce stood up and waved a clenched fist. Jaiden had to choose his next words wisely, or else that dangerous fist will come flying straight into his face. "I mean, I just thought you might want to take a break to calm down. You look pretty titled. We can sub as many times as we want during scrimmages, so no harm in skipping one game." "I ain''t tilted." "I see," Jaiden backed off a little. He knew nothing good will come out from pushing that angle any further. Anything more than that might trigger Bruce for real and start a fight. Lets not do that. Everybody in Taurus knew that, in order to survive, it was best to stay on Bruces good side. He was somewhat of a dumbass, but also strong as a bull. There''s no beating this dude. Only Raymond had the strength to pin down that mad dog, but it was questionable whether the captain will intervene if something happens. "So, you got any plans for the next game?" Jaiden asked. "Sure do," Bruce nodded. "We go all in and kick their asses!" Brilliant plan. This guy is a natural strategist. Jaiden rolled his eyes. "Not to rub salt or anything, but the team lost pretty bad last time. We have to adjust." "Oh, you betcha we gonna adjust, now that we know they got some big shots," Bruce said. "We just underestimated these guys a little last time, that''s all. Right, guys?" "I guess," Zeph said. "I only agreed to pick DK because I thought these guys were scrubs. No wonder I got my ass handed to me. You should''ve told us earlier, Jai." My bad, Jaiden apologized. "I only figured it after the match. "Meh, it''s fine," Zeph waved his hand. "Next game, Im going Dragonborn. Gonna wreck that Cheese-master." "Cheese-master, haha," Bruce laughed. "Yeah, you show ''em. Bryan, we also gotta step up our game. We gonna show ''em the true power of BB!" "You betcha!" Bryan locked his fist with Bruces. They were the Bruce-Bryan duo, the almighty BB! They had no business losing to some potatoes. Well, at least they got their fighting spirit back. Jaiden smiled wryly. He had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he wanted his team to claim victory. On the other hand, he wanted to actively contribute to said victory. Meh, it''s okay. Jaiden shrugged. He and his pals might not make it into the first-string this year, but they still had next year. Until then, theyll support the first-string from the bench. "Too bad they wont let you play," Rio said as Jaiden returned. "Yeah. Like, c''mon," Nash shook his head. "You''re a better Carry than Bruce will ever be." "''Shh, he''ll hear you," Jaiden whispered. "It can''t be helped. We''re still juniors. This is the seniors last year, so they deserve to play. Besides, if we dont play together, Im not sure how much Ill contribute by myself." Dont worry, man. Youre plenty good! Nash gave a thumbs up. But yeah, guess theres no way theyre letting us play. "Maybe if Stratus beats them to a pulp next game..." Rio mumbled something scary. "Whoa, relax there, bro," Nash cracked a laugh. "I also wanna play, but that''s some extreme shit." In truth, Rios grim words merely echoed Jaiden and Nash''s true thoughts. A part of them was hoping to see Bruces gang lose badly in the next game. It might spark something. Maybe, just maybe, Jaiden and his pals will get a chance to play after that. "Anyway, we''re watching the next game," Jaiden announced. "Make sure to burn everything you see into your brains. We gonna play against these guys someday." "You betcha!" Nash gave a thumbs up. "Mhm," Rio nodded. On that note, the trio headed into the hall. For now, they were only there as part of the audience. Will they get a chance to show off their Invincible Triangle today? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Taurus gonna win today''s scrimmage, no matter what. Jaiden will do everything in his power to find Stratus'' weaknesses and bring them down. Especially, Gunz and Chessmaster, the two ex-StormBlitz players. Jaiden will bring them down no matter what, even if he has to do so indirectly. Hopefully, by doing so, he''ll finally be able to convince himself. He was a strong player. He wasn''t some scrub. He didn''t fail the StormBlitz exam because he was weak. That''s what Jaiden constantly told himself ever since. He had to repeat such thoughts like a mantra to not drown in the mud of negativity. Today was an opportunity to finally put all these statements to test. Was he good enough to compete against the boys who made it into StormBlitz? Or, was he merely deceiving himself the entire time? Also, there was Stratus captain girl. Naturally, she wasnt the girl who got into StormBlitz at Jaiden''s expense. Nevertheless, this girl was also far from innocent. She probably got the captain position by acting cute in front of the boys or something. Disgusting. I''ll put her in her place. Jaiden swore. With that determination, he sat down in the audience and glared at the stage. He wanted to play up there so badly, but he wasn''t allowed to set foot in there today. The stage was so close, yet so far. But, he won''t give up. Quitting wasn''t in his dictionary. Even from the audience, hell find some dirt on Stratus and bring these guys down! Vol.9 Ch.22: Julias Disapproval VICTORY The first match between Stratus and Taurus concluded. Stratus dominated the entire game and came on top. "It was amazing!" Pip wrote down notes. "Did you see that? They completely destroyed the opposition! As expected, Stratus is going to be a formidable opponent this year!" "Formidable, huh," Julia narrowed her eyes. On paper, Stratus looked pretty strong back there because they steamrolled Taurus. Yet, somehow, it didn''t feel that way to Julia. Why? She couldn''t quite put her finger on it. Lars didnt play in the right position. And Yuel neither, not that it matters. Julia frowned. Mid and Top weren''t their main roles. Those two excelled the most in Bot. At least, Lars shone brightly as a Carry. Yuel was just riding on Lars''s success, so that''s the only reason he seemed good. Hmph. Compared to their usual strong performances, today''s Lars and Yuel were lackluster. Neither of them has done anything particularly amazing. Lars went back and forth with his lane opponent the entire game. Meanwhile, Yuel easily countered the Dark Knight with the Jungler''s help but hasnt done anything impressive ever since. Well, not like this dumbass was capable of pulling amazing plays in the first place. Seriously, where were their mind-blowing plays? Where was the powerful duo that could terrorize Howard and Ellen? They were nowhere to be found. I didn''t come here to watch this sorry performance. Julia stood up. She couldn''t bear this any longer. She had to know what the flying heck was going on here! "Where are you going?" Pip asked. "Toilet," Julia strode out of the hall. Then, she realized there was a little problem. Um, wheres their room? There was one entrance right past the stage, but Julia wasn''t authorized to go through there. She considered sneaking by the referee but ultimately decided against it. No need to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. And so, Julia went into the hallway and searched for the other door to Stratus room. She knew such a door existed, for she visited ProCenter multiple times last year along with the team. But, where was that door? I probably have to circle around. She concluded and set off on an adventure. Roaming around blindly was a pain, but shell do it. She had to know what was up with Lars. And, with Yuel too. Maybe. I think this is it. Julia stood in front of a familiar-looking door. She visited StormBlitzs first-string a couple of times before during a scrimmages, so she was practically a pro here. With that said, she never went through this door. She was always on the backseat, always on the bench. Even Lars and Yuel got to play in one scrimmage last year, but not Julia. This year gonna be different. Julia clenched her fists. This year, she''ll pass through this door many, many times, both during scrimmages and at the regionals. Shell pass through it so many times, that the door will wear out and freaking collapse. Julia was different from last year. Everything was different from last year. But, anyway, this wasn''t about her right now. She came here to speak with Lars and the idiot. Here goes nothing. She took a deep breath and knocked. "Hey, what''s that?" A sound came from within the room. "Pizza delivery? Coming!" An energetic boy popped out of the room. Unfortunately, it wasn''t Lars, not even close. "Oh," The boy blinked in surprise for a moment, then grinned. "Hey, what''s up, cutie? Came here to cheer on us? Huehue, I bet you were impressed with our performance, right? I''m Luke, by the way." He stretched a hand. "I don''t care," Julia scoffed at him. "Heh, play it hard to get, eh?" The boy grinned suspiciously. What a weirdo. "Is Lars here?" Julia asked. "I''ll tell you, babe. If you go on a date with me!" Is he mental? Julia gave him a look. "Haha, just kidding," The boy winked and turned around. "Hey, Lars! Your girlfriend is here!" "Wha-!?" Julia jumped. "I''m not- Grrrr!" She fired a thousand curses through her glare, but that idiot didn''t even notice. However, she soon erased every trace of malice from her expression because her prince showed up. "Hey, July! What''s up!" Lars darted toward her and hugged her tight. "W-Wha-!?" Her body temperature shot beyond 100 celsius! She was about to evaporate on the spot! "Whew, hot," a guy whistled. "Look at them love birds!" The other members expressed some interest as well. That fact only tripled Julias body heat. Oh god, theyre all staring! Julia trembled. She couldnt tell whether this was the worst moment of her life, or the best. Whats up? Lars released her and flashed a grin. He wasnt embarrassed about any of this at all. Well, of course he wasnt. He didnt mean anything special by it. Julia smiled wryly. Even though her body was still hot from the contact, she knew that for Lars it was just a friendly gesture, nothing more. He was always overly friendly with everybody and it wasnt the first time he hugged her like this. Especially, when he was excited, he didnt pull any stops. I guess hes that happy about winning the first game. Julia smiled softly, but the smile soon vanished when she remembered why she came here. She didnt come here to celebrate. This is July, Lars introduced her to the rest. She plays Mid for StormBlitz. Cool ,right? Oh! A formidable foe makes her entrance! some guy made noise. A former friend turned rival! An unsung tragedy! Is that guy mental too? Julia narrowed her eyes. It was one weirdo after another with this team. So, shes a spy. A boy, who was wearing a black sports cap indoors for some reason, was giving Julia the evil eye. No, wait. Is that a girl? Yeah, she should be. Stratus had two girls, so this tomboyish girl had to be one of them. She better not have her eyes on Lars. Julia glared back. Invisible sparks cracked in the air. Thinking of it, shes the captain, isnt she? Was she the one playing Carry? Did she steal Larss role!? Julias insides twisted. She quite couldnt explain this irritating feeling, but she had a premonition. Julia will confront this girl. Someday, somewhere, they will definitely cross paths and clash. When that time comes, Julia will rend this girl asunder! But, now wasnt the time for that. Julia came here to discuss an entirely different topic and it only concerned Lars. Well, and Yuel, too. Can I ask you something? Julia directed the question at Lars. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Yeah sure. Whats up? Um, She threw a glance at him, then at the curious eyes staring at them. She didnt want to discuss this in front of all these strangers. Hey, my dudes, Lars turned to the rest. Imma go catch up with July on a few things. Ill be back in a jiffy. Nobody objected as Lars left the room. Yuel merely watched the entire event unfold, without budging a millimeter. Julia probably only came here to visit Lars, so this had nothing to do with him. You come too, Julia ordered with a lifted chin. Me? Yuel raised an eyebrow. What could this be possibly about? Sure. The trio walked a short distance away from the waiting room. In the past, whenever they hanged out in this hallway, they were no more than benchwarmers. Now, all three of them were first-string members. But, they no longer belonged to the same team. How did things change so much in the spawn of a few months? So, what was that game? Julia shot them a glare, aiming mainly at Yuel. However, truth to be told, she was mad at Lars too. What do you mean? Lars asked. We totally owned that game. We rekt these dudes, haha! And, Yuel added. Id say we did it rather convincingly, too. Yeah, it sure looked impressive, Julia said. But, only because these guys are total losers. It shouldve taken you half that time to murder their asses. You expect us to wrap up the game in seven minutes? Yuel asked. Thats a stretch. I agree that Taurus doesnt look strong this year, but they''re still a competitive team. Asking to finish them off in under ten minutes is too much. I dont care how long it actually takes to destroy the Colossus, Julia clarified. What I mean is, how long it took you to make it clear that you gonna win for sure. So, the time it took us to reach a position with a guaranteed checkmate. Eh, sure, you can call it that. You got an early lead, but instead of attacking you just sat there doing nothing. Whats up with that? With that kind of advantage, you shouldve wrapped things up way sooner. Its like you didnt even try. Thats not like you. It was already a checkmate position at that point, Yuel explained. As long as we kept playing safe and didnt overextend, we were going to win for sure. Thats what I concluded. So, thats why you barely did anything afterward? Julia made a face. Gotta say, it looked weak. It felt like the enemy could turn the tables on you at any moment. If thats what you thought, then you misread the situation, Yuel claimed. We were winning throughout the match. But, you didnt go for the kill for like ten minutes, Julia insisted. The fight just dragged on and on, till your opponent finally cracked. Youd normally push for a quick win in these situations. Why not today? Because it was unnecessary, Yuel shrugged. True, we could take a little risk and go for more aggressive plays, but why bother? As long as we pushed steadily, I knew well take the win. "Yep, Lars backed up. No need to pull anything crazy when were already on top. Just ride the safe road to victory. Ezpz." "Wha..." Julia''s lips quivered. What was that? Even Lars was saying such a thing? Why...? Normally, Lars was the first to go all-in on the enemy. He was strong and radiated his strength with every play he made. So, why was he talking like some weakling? Why was he siding with Yuel on this? Did Yuel brainwash Lars!? "Ya know," Lars went on. "Back when we played against Ellen and Howard, I was kinda reckless. I chased Ellen a lot and got my ass whooped. I was so sure I could win, but it backfired every single time. "That''s..." Julia didn''t know how to retort. Lars really died many times during the selection match. It was frustrating to admit, but it was true. "So, that''s why," Lars continued. "I figured I better play it safer. If we''re already winning, I better keep things as they are. No need to rush and put myself at risk. The Carry is super important and stuff, so he gotta think about the consequences. With great power comes great responsibility and all that." "I see," Julia couldnt say anything back. Bringing up the selection match was unfair. It was a painful memory for all three of them. It was the dreadful event that tore their friendship apart. Listening to Lars blame himself like this only made Julia want to console him. When he was wearing such a sad expression, she couldn''t help but give in. It almost made her stop the interrogation. But, she couldn''t stop here. There was something even more important she had to know. Lars mentioned something peculiar when he was explaining himself. He said that the Carry had to be especially careful. But, Lars didn''t play Carry this game. Why? That was the biggest mystery of the day. In fact, it''s probably because he wasn''t the Carry that Julia felt like Stratus lacked assertiveness. Lars was a good Mid, no doubt about that. But, his skill in Mid couldnt even begin to compare to his overwhelming strength as a Carry. I gotta stop beating around the bush. Julia took a deep breath. Everything she asked until now was just warm-up. It paled in importance compared to THE mystery. "Did you two change your main roles?" Julia asked. "Welp, about that..." Lars scratched the back of his head and threw a glance at Yuel. That''s where you''re putting me back in!? Yuel grumped, but it was only fair. After all, he was the one who asked Lars to go along with this arrangement until Kai changes her mind. Yuel expected the issue to be resolved by now, but Kai was sticking to her guns. What a pain. I was sure the scrimmages will get the job done, but it looks like Taurus isnt strong enough. Yuel sighed. He envisioned the team losing badly during a scrimmage, enough to convince Kai to step down from the Carry role. But, that probably wont happen today. "We''re experimenting," Yuel told a little lie. "It''s always a good idea to have secondary roles, just in case. It gives the team more flexibility." "Yeah, it''s fun to play other things sometimes," Lars backed up Yuel''s excuse. "So, you''re still maining Bot?" Julia asked. "I''m not sure we should be sharing this information with a spy from another team," Yuel averted his eyes. "Oh, snap! You''re right!" Lars jumped. "She came here to steal all our tech!" "Wha-!?" Julia staggered backward. Oh god! Lars saw her as the enemy now! She was doomed! Damn you, Yuel! You and your big mouth! "Well, it''s true Howard sent me..." Julia mumbled. Wait, was she supposed to reveal info like that? Like, she was technically really a spy. She came here to gather intel on Stratus, per Howard''s request. But, to tell the truth, it was just an excuse. She used it to skip on practice and come watch the scrimmage. In addition, this spying operation was treated as a club activity, so the club paid for it from its own pocket. It even covered the bus fare. Sick deal. So, Julia jumped on this opportunity to see Lars''s new team in action. Or, more specifically, to watch Lars shine brightly on the competitive stage. Howard insisted that Pip tags along, because the kid was apparently good at summarizing data. So, that''s how the two of them ended up here today. So yeah, they were basically spies. In truth, she wasnt even supposed to reveal herself to the enemy. What a great spy she was. 10/10. "Don''t worry," Yuel said. "You can report Howard that Lars and I have every intention to keep playing Bot." "Yep, no two ways about it," Lars gave a thumbs up. "Mid and Top are fun, but theyre not our final forms!" "That''s good to hear," Julia sighed in relief. "Because, if you were planning to play like this, youd never beat StormBlitz. You probably wont even get to challenge us. I mean, Taurus is looking like a Bronze tier team right now. You gotta be able to murder idiots like that in ten minutes. If you can''t, then your team is also trash." "Haha, harsh," Lars grinned. "No problem! We gonna kick their butts in ten minutes next game! No, make that five! We can totally do that, right?" "Five minutes is a stretch," Yuel said. "But, ten minutes? Definitely doable." "Then, let''s go, yo!" "You really want to do that?" Yuel considered various options for a moment. "Well, we can probably pull it off if we go for a hyper-aggressive early-game comp." "Okay, let''s go then! A three-minutes win, here we come!" "I said ten minutes..." Yuel sighed with a smile. Was it really possible to win in under ten minutes? Thats an interesting puzzle to solve. Any other time, Yuel would gladly take a few hours to think hard about this problem, but there was no time for that. Hopefully, a basic hyper-aggressive composition will suffice. If not, so be it. They didnt own anything to Julia. "We better go back," Yuel said. "There''s no much time left." "Oh, shoot!" Lars nodded. "Sorry, July. We gotta scram." "No problem," Julia smiled at him. "Good luck in the next game. I''m expecting a great performance." "And ya gonna get one, believe it!" As for you. Julia gave Yuel a look. I hope they gonna kill you at least twenty times next game. Isn''t she a charm? Yuel rolled his eyes. The boys returned to the waiting room and Julia went back to the stadium. "Welcome back, ma''am," Pip greeted Julia with his usual nerdy roleplay. I see you did some shopping on the way. Yeah, a little, Julia was carrying a popcorn box and a cola can. The next game should be pretty intense, so she better enjoy the show to its fullest. Stratus has to be strong this year. Julia thought to herself as she gazed at the two popcorn pieces in her palm. They better win a lot and climb all the way to challenge StormBlitz. Then, Ill destroy them! She crushed the popcorn into tiny bits. Once she proves her mettle against Lars and Yuel, she should finally be able to move on. Shell break free from the chains of guilt that have been strangling her since the selection match. Vol.9 Ch.23: Analyzing Taurus Yuel and Lars finished talking to Julia and returned to the waiting room. "You''re one smooth criminal, Lars," Luke grinned and smacked Lars on the back. "You never told us you got such a cute girlfriend!" "Haha, she ain''t my girlfriend," Lars laughed. "She''s a good friend and one heck of a player. She gonna be on StormBlitz''s first-string this year." "Whoa, for real!? Such a cutie!? Lukes eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Man, and here I thought all the girls who play video games are- He glanced around the room and noticed Kai and Nia were among the listeners. Ahem. Anyway, cool stuff, bro. "So, she came to spy on us?" Kai asked. "Yes, among things," Yuel said. "Don''t worry, we haven''t told her anything." "I hope you didnt," Kai gave them a look. For some reason, she seemed rather antagonistic about the whole affair. "So, shall we resume our secret meeting?" Vincent cut in. "We were in the middle of discussing our opponents'' strengths and weaknesses." "I said pretty much everything I had to say," Yuel admitted. Right before Julia arrived, Yuel shared intel about the various major flaws he discovered in their opponents. Most of Taurus'' players didn''t come across as high-level and their craft was unpolished in many ways. There was only one opponent who stood out from the rest. The captain of their team, Nirvana. The guy played solid Mid, enough to give Lars trouble. Yuel couldn''t find any glaring weaknesses in Nirvanas playstyle. "What about you?" Yuel asked Vincent. "Did they have any ''abilities'' that stood out?" His skin crawled as he asked the question. Did I seriously just ask that with a straight face? Yuel cracked a weird laugh. After months of interaction with Vincent, Yuel concluded this was the best method for inquiring about the clowns findings. Vincent definitely had the knack for spotting others'' strong points, but the way he laid out his findings always made Yuel lose brain cells. "Very well, so my turn has finally come," Vincent brought up his tablet. As soon as the game was over, he wrote down all the data he absorbed with his Information Blackhole, to make sure none of it will escape the gravitational pull. "Now, let me share the mysteries of the world with you!" "Didn''t you say there was barely anything important?" Yuel asked. "Well, yes. However...!" Vincent insisted with a dramatic tone, just to make a scene. "Cut to the chase already," Kai ordered. "We don''t have time for this." "Yes, indeed, time is of an essence," Vincent nodded. "If I don''t speak fast, the casualty of time and space will collapse and the world will implode into a black hole!" "......................." Everybody gave him a cold, silent stare. The invisible pressure felt like a knife pressed against his throat. "A-Alright, alright! I''ll speak! Just don''t torture moi!" Vincent waved his arms. "As I reported previously, I couldn''t find much. It appears our current opponents don''t have any specific talents." "So, basically, they''re scrubs?" Luke laughed. "They totally are," Kai nodded. "Nevertheless!" Vincent continued. "My Information Blackhole picked up a few things. Firstly, TheLegend, the enemy Carry. Im convinced his Fury Inducer skill extends beyond real-life Even inside the game, he often pretends to be almighty and that invokes the urge to smite him down. Even I nearly aggressed on him a couple of times when his plays showed no respect for our strength." "So, youre saying he''s good at being a scumbag" Kai summarized. "That''s some talent right there." "Hmm," Yuel considered this seemingly useless information. "So, it''s like a taunt ability?" "Indeed!" Vincent nodded. "It alters causality to make his foes seek vengeance against him! Though, as far as causality-alteration skills are concerned, it''s definitely on the weaker side." "I see," Yuel nodded. In other words, TheLegend acted like a natural scumbag and that invited hatred from his foes. It wasn''t exactly a talent to be proud of, but it was indeed a skill, in the sense that it could hinder the enemys performance. It was like a taunt effect that clouded judgment. It might cause an enemy to jump the gun and recklessly aggress on TheLegend, digging their own grave in the process. Kai was especially susceptible to things like that. "So, heres what we should take from it," Yuel summarized. "Always think twice before you target TheLegend. Make sure you''re not being reckless just because you want to see the guy dead." Everybody nodded in understanding. "Next on the list," Vincent scrolled on his tablet. "Nirvana, the enemy Mid Laner. He has been lying low for the most part, but his performance was very strong." "That''s true," Yuel agreed. Most of the enemy team came across as half-baked, except for Nirvana. Stratus easily gained an advantage in Top and Bot, but not in Mid. It was a big part of why they couldnt wrap up the game for a while. "As for his talents," Vincent continued. "It has to be the Silent Backer!" He shouted in excitement, as if this random combination of words meant anything. Everybody hit him back with the Silent Treatment attack. "Alright, I shall explain," Vincent cleared his throat. "Nirvana has been lying low during the first half of the game, despite being one of the more skilled players. Naturally, one reason for that was how Gunz gave Nirvana a hard time in lane." "Yeah, I totally rekt that guy. Lars gave a thumbs up. "Dude was strong, tho. He didn''t attack much, but his defense was on point." "Yes, he came across as a defensive player," Yuel agreed. Nirvana almost never actively initiated attacks, but he skillfully deflected incoming attacks. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "But, there was a shift in Nirvana''s attitude during mid-game, was there not?" Vincent asked everybody. "There was?" Yuel frowned. He didn''t remember such a thing. Based on his analysis, Nirvana remained a defensive player from start to end. Even during the team-fighting phase, the guy didn''t show much initiative. That was one of the reasons it was so difficult to uncover any weaknesses in his play. Nirvana''s biggest "weakness" was his lack of initiative, that''s all Yuel managed to gather. "Nirvana continued playing defensively during the mid-game as well," Vincent continued. "However, there was something amazing about his performance. He was almost always at the right place, at the right time, ready to help his teammates in moments of peril. He backed up his allies from the shadows without expecting any gratitude. The lone ranger, Silent Backer!" "Yeah, dude was pretty cool," Lars nodded with a grin. "I''ve been trying to get a kill on him for ages, so I was watching his every move. No matter where we attacked, that Nirvana dude was always there to defend." "Yes, I suppose he was," Yuel thought back on all the major assaults they mounted on the enemy during mid-game. And truly, Nirvana was there to defend against many of them. It didnt stand to Yuel at first, because he already branded Nirvana as a defensive player early on. However, it was indeed impressive. Nirvana didn''t just play defensively. He was often an active part of the defense force during critical moments. He often found his way to the scene of interest, as if predicting where Stratus will strike next. He''s like Howard. Yuel shuddered. Or rather, a mini-Howard. It didn''t seem like Nirvana was responsible for making defensive shot-calls the way Howard did. However, his ability to always reinforce the defense in the right place at the right time was very much like Howard''s. This type of opponent was guaranteed to be a pain in the neck. So, I should always consider the possibility of Nirvana being there to defend unless I distract him first. Yuel concluded. "Anything else?" Yuel asked Vincent. Putting aside that clown''s theatrics, his observations were proving to be valuable. They helped Yuel focus on pieces of information he didn''t pay enough attention to, bringing new facts to light. "Unfortunately, that''s everything my Information Blackhole absorbed," Vincent said. "I tried, I really did. I dug into the deepest layers of their subconsciousness, trying to unravel something of great importance. Alas, I failed to find anything else." His shoulders slumped. He probably wanted to come up with more silly talent names. "Don''t worry, man," Luke encouraged. "If you couldnt find much, it just means these guys are wack, haha." "I agree with Luke''s assessment," Yuel said. "Taurus doesn''t seem to be a strong team this year." "Or, maybe we''re just too strong!" Lars flashed his teeth. "We trained a lot, so we''re DA BEST, yo!" "Heh, perhaps," Yuel chuckled. That''s right, they trained plenty and improved tremendously over the past couple of months. They were no longer the infamous bottom tier team. That''s why Julia''s criticism irked so much. She claimed Stratus won only thanks to Taurus being a weak team. And, supposedly, the victory wasnt decisive enough. Seriously, what was she on about? Stratus utterly crushed Taurus. Well, Yuel did, in fact, take his time carefully cornering Taurus into submission. Stratus had an overwhelming lead, so he didn''t want to take any risks that might make them lose their winning position. Therefore, he focused on safe and steady shot-calls that didn''t harbor any risks. As a result, the game dragged on a little and they didnt deliver the finishing blow until the very end. They won via sieging their enemies. But, was there anything wrong with that approach? No, there wasn''t. Siege was a famous military tactic for a reason. It was an effective method for conquering and it definitely worked in Classmancers. You got an early lead, but instead of attacking you just sat there doing nothing. Thats not like you. That''s what Julia said. According to her, playing siege in that situation was uncharacteristic for Yuel. And, she was right. Or rather, she would have been right if they held this conversation a few months ago. Back during the selection match against Howard, Yuel was still stuck in the mentality of going for a quick kill after exploiting the enemys weaknesses. Striking fast and hard was his preferred way of competing. Not only in Classmancers, but in Chess as well. It was the playstyle he learned from his dad and the one that came most naturally to him. However, this very playstyle betrayed him. It led Yuel to his doom during the selection match. No matter how hard he tried, he couldnt crack Howards unbreakable defense. Thus, the conclusion was obvious: this approach didnt work on the highest level of play. Classmancers offered many ways to combat early-game aggression and Howard knew how to utilize them. Thats why, no matter how Yuel attacked, Howard always deflected the blows. Therefore, something had to change. Yuel had no choice but to face his defeat and analyze it. From that, he concluded his aggressive strategies wont cut it against the strongest opponents. It was impossible to penetrate through Aegis via brute strength. On top of that, the current meta didnt favor early offense either. According to statistics, most pro teams in A-League relied on defensive or balanced lineups. Few went with aggressive lineups. Therefore, Yuel had to adapt. If he truly wanted to defeat Howard, he couldnt keep relying on a suboptimal game plan. He had to reinvent himself and his strategies. That was the only way to advance. Nevertheless, a part of him never stopped asking. Was there a way to defeat Howard with a rushdown tactic? Maybe I just couldnt find it? Such pointless questions haunted him. During matches, something in him often tempted him to ramp up the aggression. Even when he was playing with caution, he couldnt stop himself simulating what would happen if he were to suddenly switch to offense. Its as if his instincts were screaming at him, asking him to strike as hard as possible at the enemys weaknesses. But, he had to keep such desires on a leash. It was tempting to strike every weakness in the enemys formation, but it often harbored risk. It was enough to fail once and the team will pay dearly. That was especially true against Howard, the captain who knew all about his teammates weaknesses. Anything Yuel tried to exploit backfired at him. Thats why Yuel reduced the frequency of such plays. They were tempting, but he stayed his hand. The risk was too high. But, Julia didnt know about any of that. For her, Yuel remained a strategist who relied on aggressive tactics. He began straying from that path a little toward the end of the selection match, but it wasnt enough. At the very end of the match, Yuel was tempted to continue the offense Julia started. A fatal mistake. Instead of forcing Julia to retreat, Yuel was stuck mulling over the options. As a result, he didnt order Julia to retreat in time, and then... I cant repeat that mistake. Yuel promised himself. I have to adjust my strategies so they dont fall prey to temptations like these. Nevertheless, Julia was expecting him to put on an aggressive show today. And, by extension, thats what everybody in StormBlitz was expecting too. Even though gathering intel probably wasnt Julias top priority today, she was still a spy from the enemy team. She came here to observe the way Stratus played and report back to Howard. We could feed them with a little misinformation. Yuel smirked. If they shift to an aggressive playstyle and dominate the next game, it''ll convince Julia that Stratus had every intention to play aggressively, the way Yuel always did. Naturally, this information will be relayed to Howard and he''ll draw the same conclusion as well. As a result, StormBlitz will conclude that Stratus was an aggressive team and thats the kind of matchup StromBlitz will be preparing for. However, itll be a grave mistake on their part. It might allow Stratus to catch them off-guard during their first game. Its probably nothing more than wishful thinking. Yuel smiled wryly. Still, Id take any leverage I can get, no matter how small. It was settled. Hell try rushing down Taurus in the next game. Worst case, theyll lose one game and learn from their mistakes. They gained some leeway by winning the first game, so it was fine to experiment. Of course, this wasnt Yuels decision alone. He had to convince the entire team to follow this strategy. But, he had a strong feeling the captain will like this suggestion... Vol.9 Ch.24: Rushdown Plan "About our strategy for the next game," Yuel started. "I was thinking about going with early-game aggression." "Oh! We gonna rush them down!?" Lars jumped in excitement. "Yes, I''d like to try rushing them down," Yuel already prepared some arguments for this seemingly random decision. "According to my analysis, the players from Taurus aren''t that high level. Vincent''s brief report about their abilities only further reinforces that notion. So, I say we should go all out and finish them quickly." "But, won''t that be incredibly risky?" Vincent asked. "Im not sure how aggressive were talking about here. But, if its the kind of rushdown that requires an astronomical early-game lead, we might get severely punished for it. We can get away with things like that in Ranked, but do you believe we stand a chance in a competitive match?" "I also didn''t think it''d be viable against a competitive team," Yuel admitted. "But, after playing Taurus, I changed my mind. Against a team of this level, we can pull it off. And, since we can, we better do it. The faster we finish this, the less information spies can gather on us. And, it might even spread some misinformation." "Misinformation?" Vincent was instantly intrigued. "Oh, I see! This is the Playstyle Misinformation strategy, isn''t it!? We will fool spies into thinking that our preferred playstyle is aggressive, even though it''s not!" "Heh, thats smart," Luke grinned. "Well make them study the wrong stuff about us. Them scrubs gonna come at us unprepared. Ez wins. I like that." "Indeed, it''s brilliant!" Vincent exclaimed. "I''m in. Let us unleash the most devastating rushdown strategy the world has ever seen!" "Yeah, let''s go!" Luke pumped a fist. "They tried to rush us down last game, so now''s our turn. Let''s knock their socks off!" "An eye for an eye, huh," Kai smiled dangerously. There was a sharp glint in her eyes. "Sure, let''s teach them a lesson for underestimating us. Nia, are you okay with that... huh." "Zzz..." Nia was curled up on the sofa chair like a cat. She knocked herself out as soon as they returned to the room. The pressure of the first game must have drained her out. "Her game plan won''t change much anyway," Yuel said. "So, it seems we''re all in agreement. Here''s what I got." He laid out the aggressive game plans he came up with after Julias visit. No, that wasn''t quite true. Yuel didnt come up with those ideas on the spot just now. All these options were sitting at the back of his head for a while now, but he didnt dare to let them out. In truth, he prepared various aggressive team compositions ahead of time. Even though he knew the team will stick with a more balanced game plan, he still wanted to have some rushdown options at the ready, just in case. What kind of case? He couldnt even tell. I guess a part of me still wanted to play rushdown today. Yuel smiled wryly. It was exactly as Julia said. His favorite playstyle was rushdown, the early-game aggression that took advantage of the enemys weaknesses and struck at them swiftly to deliver maximum damage. In his mind, it was the ultimate strategy. It was simple but effective, just the way all strategies should strive to be. "No much time left," Vincent interrupted. "Okay, we''ll discuss the rest on stage," Yuel nodded. "Let''s go." "Watcha gonna do about Sleeping Beauty over there?" Luke pointed at Nia, who was still fast asleep. Her breathing was so faint that one could mistake her for a corpse. "I can always sub in, just so you know," Luke winked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Hey, Nia," Kai shook Nia''s shoulder, but there was no response. That was some high-level sleeping tech right there. "She must have slipped into another dimension, no doubt!" Vincent nodded to himself, as if the nonsense he just blurted made perfect sense. "From this day forth, she shall be known as Vanishing Sleeper!" Unfortunately, even Vincent''s loudness didn''t make a dent in Nia''s uninterruptable slumber. It really felt like she was in another dimension. "Should I carry her to the stage?" Lars suggested. He already showed he had no trouble carrying Nia, so he could easily do that again. "No need," Yuel opened a very specific pocket in Nia''s backpack and searched through it. "There we go." He took out a bar of chocolate and unwrapped it. Then, he brought it close to Nias nose. "Um? Hm..." Nia''s nose twitched. She was like a hungry puppy reacting to the smell of food. "Am!" Nia bit the chocolate, with her eyes still closed. Nom nom nom. She drilled the chocolate with her teeth like a hamster. In a matter of seconds, the entire bar was gone. "Hm..." Nia''s eyes remained shut. The girl just ate an entire bar of chocolate. In her sleep. Without blinking. So, one isnt enough today. Yuel wasn''t concerned. He has witnessed this peculiar phenomenon before. Nia was very much capable of eating two bars of chocolate in a row without waking up. Eating snacks was as natural as breathing for her. "Here''s another one," Yuel brought a second chocolate bar toward Nia''s lips. She considered the foreign object for a moment, then gave a bite. Then another. And another. Soon, the entire bar was gone. However, there was still no sign of Nia waking up. Even two bars werent enough! This was new. The girl must have wanted to escape reality that badly. But, there was no reason for concern. Nia was properly reacting to the chocolate, same as always. There was still hope. Yuel just had to improve his tactic. Very well. I accept the challenge. Yuel was determined to destroy this curse of sleepiness. The better he becomes at this, the easier it''ll be to train Nia in the future. Therefore, hell absolutely overcome this ordeal! This is a little cruel, but let''s give it a shot. Yuel pressed another bar of chocolate against Nia''s lips. Naturally, the girl wanted to bite it. But, here came the twist! The moment Nia was about to take her next bite, Yuel pulled the chocolate away from her. "Ah?" Nia cocked her head. There should have been more chocolate there, she understood that even in her sleep. Nevertheless, her teeth hit nothing. How come? Maybe she already ate the whole thing and simply forgot? In that case, it was time to go back to sleep... So, thats how youre going to play. Yuel nodded. It was a strong move by his opponent. As expected, this match wont be easy. However! He no intention of giving up. He was prepared to repeat this process as many times as it takes. Here you go. Yuel brought the chocolate closer again and let Nia take a bite, but only one. Then, he pulled the chocolate away again. "Hrm...!" Nia was visibly unpleased by this. She grumped for a moment, then her facial expression relaxed and she returned to sleep. But, Yuel refused to give up. He was confident in his newly devised strategy. He just had to push until his opponent folds. Here it is again. Now it''s gone. Now it''s there. Now it''s not. Yuel kept moving the chocolate back and forth. The sleepyhead won''t get to eat in peace at this rate. Nia could give up on this obnoxious snack, but she didn''t. She kept trying to bite it and got frustrated every time anew. Eventually, she got fed up with it. "Gimme!" Nia grabbed Yuel''s arm and held it still. Now, she could enjoy the chocolate in peace. But, it only took her a few moments to realize her fatal mistake... I won. Yuel smirked. In order to grab Yuel, Nia had no choice but to wake up. Finally, the sleeping princess was up! "What was that? Kai made a face. Is she your pet or something?" Everybody was curiously watching the entire exchange. They had no idea how to comment on it. "I-I just did what I had to do," Yuel coughed. "Anyway, wake up, Nia. The next game is about to start." "Game...?" Nia tilted her head, still half-asleep. "Where are we? Ah, right. Competitive match..." she mumbled, about to drift back into slumber. "C''mon, let''s go," Yuel pulled her up from the sofa. "Ok..." Nia nodded vaguely and slowly stood on her feet. It seemed like she hasn''t retrieved all her brain functions from the Slumber Dimension yet. But, shell be fine. Probably. Finally, everybody was up and ready. And so, Stratus headed into the second game. They were about to unleash some rushdown finesse on Taurus! Vol.9 Ch.25: The Tilting Dark Knight Pick It was time for the second game between Stratus and Taurus. Both sides entered the stage and took their seats. Yuels team agreed to go with a rushdown formation during the break, but they didn''t have enough time to discuss all the finer details. So, they had to sort it out during the drafting phase. If they drag out every ban and pick, they should have plenty of time. "I''ll take Dark Knight," Yuel said. "But, I rather keep it a surprise, so I''d like to pick last if that''s alright." Nobody voiced any objections. Dark Knight was a risky class that had a chance to become viable only when the enemy wasnt expecting it. Of course, such strictness only applied to the pro scene. There was a chance a team of Taurus'' level didn''t know how to properly counter Dark Knight, but there was no reason to gamble on that. "So, our first picks are my Druid and...?" Vincent asked. "Ninja for Nia," Yuel said. "Her pool of options is limited at the moment, so it''s best to grab her class sooner than later." "Got it," Kai inputted their decisions. As the captain, she was the one responsible for the drafting. She could''ve given the role to Yuel, seeing as he made the most inputs regarding their picks. But, Kai wanted to be a captain through and through on this competitive stage, so she kept the role to herself. The drafting phase went on. The enemy picked Dragonborn, Aeromancer, and Pirate. The Dragonborn was most certainly their Top Lane pick, which was good. It meant Yuel will be free to pick Dark Knight this game. There was a chance the enemy will ban the class, but it was unlikely. As I thought. Yuel nodded to himself in satisfaction. After Taurus lost so badly in the previous game, it was unthinkable for them to pick Dark Knight again. It was nothing more than an arrogant pick last time, seeing as their Top Laner wasn''t even that great with the class. In general, after suffering such a horrible defeat, anybody would instinctively pick a different class for the next game. Thats why DragonMaster went with Dragonborn. However, that logic didn''t apply to the Aeromancer and Pirate picks. Last game, Nirvana used Aeromancer and TheLegend sported a Pirate. And, it appeared like they were going for the same lineup again. Nirvana performed well, so it was understandable why hed stick with Aeromancer. Yuel probably shouldve banned the class when he had the chance, but he had to ban other problematic classes first. There were some classes, like Cleric, which posed a threat to any rushdown plan. Such classes had to banned without question. The defensive strength of Aeromancer was a hindrance for rushdown as well, but it was fine because Lars was going to play Warlock. His primary goal in this game will be to help the team dominate team-fights, so he won''t have to push the lane early on anyway. Compared to the Aeromancer pick, the enemy''s Pirate pick was odd. TheLegend lost face with it multiple times last game. Was Pirate his best class? If so, he shouldnt be a threat this game either. "Is Pirate really alright?" Raymond asked Bruce again. "Yeah, yeah, and yeah! You already asked me like a billion times," Bruce made a face. "Besides, you already locked-in, so it''s too late." "I just don''t understand. Wouldn''t it be better to pick something else? Your lane opponent proved she can defeat your Pirate." "What, you think I gonna lose again?" Bruce sneered. "Don''t worry, I ain''t losing to that bitch a second time. She just caught me off-guard last time, that''s all. I was expecting these guys to be total scrubs, but turned out they got some chumps from StormBlitz. I aint going easy on them again." The players from StormBlitz are in Top and Mid, not Bot... Raymond retorted mentally but decided to let it slide. It was probably a matter of pride for Bruce. He seemed eager to get revenge on his opponent. I dont think thats a smart idea. Raymond thought. Bruce could come up with a thousand excuses, but in the end, Stratus''s Carry was just that good. Bruce should be thinking about how to counter her, instead of pretending he could beat her without any plans. Should I say something? No, he''s not going to listen and it''s too late anyway. Raymond sighed. Some captain he was. It was supposed to be his job to keep the team organized and lead them to victory, but last game he failed miserably at that. And, he had a bad feeling about the upcoming game, too... I should''ve spoken sooner. Raymond regretted his passiveness. This Pirate pick will come back to bite us. I just know it. And, since Raymond was in charge of the drafting, it''ll effectively be his fault. "Hey cap, you listening? It''s my turn." "Ah, yes, of course," Raymond came back to earth. "Which class, again? Vampire?" "Yep," Dylan nodded. "I would''ve gone with Lion again, but these cheapskates banned it. I mustve scared them shitless last game, haha!" "Lion is a strong pick against their lineup, so it makes sense they banned it." "C''mon, let a guy dream!" "Oh, sorry," Raymond apologized. Everybody probably wanted to believe they were stronger than they actually were. They wanted to believe theyll definitely win the upcoming game. Without that strong faith, they''ll recall the devastating defeat they just suffered at Stratus hand. Itd drain their motivation and make them succumb to despair. That''s probably why Bruce insisted to pick Pirate. It was one of his favorite classes, so he went for it without hesitation, despite everything that happened last game. It was his way of coping with reality. He wanted to believe he was strong enough to win a rematch. Bruce was always cocky like that, but in this situation, it wasn''t such a bad thing. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. If only I could encourage them somehow. Raymond bit his lip. As the captain, he was supposed to keep the team''s morale high. However, he didn''t have a way with words and wasnt charismatic in general. Therefore, Raymond couldn''t reassure the team. He couldn''t motivate them or drive them forward. He had no idea how to do these things. As a result, each member had to do whatever they could to salvage themselves. They acted cocky and confident to not crumble apart. "C''mon, pick Lumi again," Bruce urged Bryan. "We gonna have a rematch! This time, we''ll show em!" "Sounds cool, but I don''t think it''s a good idea," Bryan said. Last game, he couldn''t do much for Bruce as a Lumimancer. It was primarily a counter-pick to the enemys Ninja and it wasnt meant to be amazing in Bot. Stratus was supposed to be a bottom tier team, so Bryan thought he wouldnt have to work too hard in Bot. But, them bastards were pretty damn strong. That Impaler chick even beat Bruce in 1v1, and she went with Impaler again the game. Bryan suggested banning Impaler to be on the safe side, but Bruce was all like Nah, let her use her favorite class. That way, it gonna feel the best when I clap her! Thanks to that stupidity, the team didnt ban Impaler during the first banning phase and the enemy picked it as their third class, right before the second banning phase. That sucked. Theyll have to face that strong Impaler all over again. Knowing that, Bryan couldnt pick Lumimancer again. He needed a more effective Support that could rescue Bruce from his own dumb misplays. No matter what Bruce said, that Impaler was a strong adversary. She pretty much kicked Bruces ass. And, the same thing will most likely repeat this game as well. Bruce claimed that chick was lucky and whatnot, but she was clearly quite skilled. Bryan didnt want to admit it, but that girl was probably stronger than Bruce in a fight. It was hilarious that a girl their age could beat Bruce, but sometimes real life was stranger than fiction. With all of that considered, Bryan had to pick a Support class that will keep Bruce alive in things go south. Unfortunately, the enemy banned many of the best classes for achieving that. Paladin, Cleric, and Cryomancer were gone. Druid was taken. Its as if the enemy knew Bryan will be gunning for one of these classes. Damn it, I should''ve asked to pick earlier. Bryan clicked his tongue. It was common practice to keep the Support and Jungler roles for last in order to counter pick efficiently, but this time it played against them. Guess Ill settle on Aqua, Bryan informed with a sigh. Aquamncer? Got it, Raymond locked-in the teams final class. At least its somewhat of a counter. Bryan thought. The enemy had a Druid, who could grant a shield to his allies. However, Aquamncer had the rare ability to make that shit disappear. So, if that Druid was Support, Bryan should be able to get some mileage out of Aquamancer. Hey B, why not Lumi? Bruce demanded. We couldve recreated last games Bot lineup. And? Then what? Lose again? Bryan rolled his eyes. Whats with that pussy talk? Ya think we gonna fold to scrubs like that? Didnt you say youll be taking them seriously now? Bryan asked. Yeah, Imma be all serious. Doesnt change the fact theyre scrubs, tho. Underestimating them isnt exactly being serious. Bryan sighed. Well, whatever. Bruce was always stuck in his ways, no changing that. In a way, his unfounded confidence was amazing. It was one of these annoying traits that made people respect him... sometimes. Specifically, the times when that confidence didnt backfire and get his ass killed. Even though Bruce was in the wrong like half the time, sticking to ones convictions like that was impressive. At least, Bryan couldnt do the same. Hopefully, that overconfidence wont cost them the next game... Next, it was Stratus turn to pick a class. It was the final pick of the drafting phase. Aquamancer. I see. Yuel nodded. It was a good play. Yuel specifically banned problematic Support classes. Aquamancer was on that list as well, but the team could only ban so many classes. So, Aquamncer was left open. The enemy didnt fail to notice that and grabbed it. At least someone on the enemy team was paying attention. However, it didnt seem like Taurus figured Yuels ultimate plan, the one he was keeping under wrappers until the very last pick. They werent expecting to face the very class they picked last game due to arrogance. Their reactions will probably be priceless. Stratus picked Dark Knight Say WHAT!? Bruce jumped. These fuckers are screwing with us!? "Looks like they didnt like our DK pick last time," Bryan cracked a weak laugh. "An eye for an eye," Raymond frowned. "Now they''ve done it! Bruce raged. They''ve SO done it! Okay, listen, guys. We''re mopping the floor with them next game. StormBlitz or ShitBlitz, I don''t give a fuck! We''re killing these fuckers!" "Hey, hey, calm down, bro," Dylan tried to reason. "Dont let them tilt you before the match. It''s exactly what they want." "I don''t give a shit! We gonna destroy them this game!" Bruce yelled. "Zeph, you know what you hafta do, right? Mop the floor with that stupid ass DK! Make that scrub regret he was born!" "Sure," Zeph didn''t object. In fact, he was all for it! That Dark Knight pick was hella disrespectful. It was like an insult aimed directly at Zeph. The enemy Top Laner was confident he could trash Zeph in a fight. The nerve! Nevertheless, Zeph found himself strangely calm. He was boiling inside, but he didn''t feel like blowing up and yelling. Why? Probably, because Bruce was raging like a demon in his stead. The sheer fury Bruce expressed was enough to quell everybodys anger. It helped them retrain their cool. I''ll destroy that DK. Zeph proclaimed silently. He already admitted that picking Dark Knight last game was disrespectful of him. Like, it wasn''t even his idea. Bruce pushed him to do that shit. Zeph didnt feel like arguing, so he just went along with it. After clashing with Chessmaster, Zeph realized that disrespecting the guy with Dark Knight was a huge mistake. In fact, Zeph even developed some respect toward Chessmaster. Guy was hella good. Zeph wanted a rematch. This time, hell play with one of his best classes! Unfortunately, it seemed like Chessmaster didn''t feel the same way about Zeph. For him, Zeph was a weakling who deserved to be disrespected by a Dark Knight pick. That shit was lame. No respect for that bastard anymore. I gonna make him regret this shit till the day he dies. Zeph proclaimed. "C''mon! Let''s go hard at these fuckers!" Bruce kept making noise while the game was loading. "We gonna take this one by storm! These assholes gonna be running to their mamas after we''re done with them! "Yeah! Screw them!" "We gonna wreck their lives!" "They''re so dead." Bruce''s words riled up the entire team. Everybody was out for blood. They''ll tear Stratus apart and make these bastards regret they were even born! Stratus Chessmaster (Top): Dark Knight VanishingFlower (Jungler): Ninja Gunz (Mid): Warlock Beat (Carry): Impaler InformationBlackhole (Support): Druid Taurus DragonMaster (Top): Dragonborn Messi (Jungler): Vampire Nirvana (Mid): Aeromancer TheLegend (Carry): Pirate TheMyth (Support): Aquamancer Vol.9 Ch.26: Outplaying Draconic Rush The second game between Stratus and Taurus began. Everybody in Taurus was riled up about the enemy''s Dark Knight pick. They all thirsted for blood, but some more than others. "Yo, let''s invade these fuckers!" Bruce suggested. "We can strike them down before they get a chance to put a fight! Gonna teach them what it means to fuck with us." "Thats not a good idea," Raymond objected. "Their lineup has a strong early-game. They have the upper hand at this stage of the game." "C''mon, don''t be such a wuss!" Bruce argued back and turned to the others. "Y''all wanna invade, right? Right?" "I agree with Ray here," Bryan said. "These bastards are clearly trying to end the game early with that lineup. It gonna be hard to beat them right now. We should just stall them until late game." "Yeah," Zeph nodded. "I wanna wreck them as much as you do, but we can''t be reckless." "Tch, fine," Bruce piped down and followed the regular game opening. He, Bryan, and Raymond traveled to the Orge Camp together. I said all that, but I actually wanna start attacking that DK scum as soon as possible. Zeph was giddy. A tremble of ecstasy ran through his arms as he imagined bringing down his blade and decapitating Chessmaster. That bastard deserved nothing but cruel death. Everybody else mustve been eager to attack as well. But, they all managed to stop themselves and listen to reason. It was largely thanks to Bruce. The guy was acting like an enraged clown, so it made everybody realize how stupid and reckless their own thoughts were. It helped them to calm down and listen to reason. Thats probably one reason why Bruce was considered the "captain" of the gang. He was always the first to jump at anybody who trash-talked him or his homies. And, he was always the first to trash talk the enemy. In short, he was a dumbass in every sense of the word. But, a necessary kind of dumbass whose existence made everybody around him feel smarter. For example, after everybody shot down Bruce''s dumb invade idea, Zeph also woke up from his reckless delusions and developed some patience. He wanted to strangle Chessmaster ASAP, but he had to hold it back for now. There was no reason to rush. He''ll get countless opportunities to wreck that bastard during mid-game. For now, he had to focus on surviving through the early-game with minimal losses. Dragon got an alright matchup against DK. No problems there. Zeph nodded to himself. He had more than enough experience dealing with cheap Dark Knights in Ranked. Dragonborn was definitely one of the few classes that could give Dark Knight a hard time. The main reason for that was Draconic Scales, the passive. It reduced all received damage by a flat amount. It was the type of passive that became irrelevant from mid-game onward, but it was a huge deal during the early-game. For Dark Knight, who relied on terrorizing everybody with high flat damage, Draconic Scales was a hindrance. In addition, Draconic Rush was an awesome attack that also granted brief damage immunity. It was hella convenient for contesting the lane against a Dark Knight. Not to mention, Dragonborn''s ult allowed him to turn into a dragon. That was a huge game-changer in any fight. Dragonborn was ten times harder to kill in dragon form. Seriously, this class was sick. People often banned it in Ranked. Nobody wanted to deal with an enemy that was so hard to kill. If Chessmaster thought he gonna get ez kills here, he was about to have a very bad time. "I must ask," Vincent addressed Yuel. "Was DK really a wise pick? A Dragonborn will prove to be a strong adversary for sure." "In a vacuum, Dark Knight is never a good pick," Yuel said. "But, we agreed on a rushdown strategy, didn''t we? There''s no better Top Laner for that game plan. I''ll just have to work a little harder than expected for my kills, that''s all. Nia, I''ll be relying on your ganks again." "Ok?" Nia nodded. She was fully awake by now. The tension of being on stage, in front of the scary audience, slapped her awake. This was no time to sleep. She had to play and prevail. She''ll sneak up to each and every foe without fail. Easy. No sweat. Yeah, easy. The team has already won one game, so theyll win this one as well. Yeah, easy. No pressure. She wasn''t tense. Not at all. Yeah. Okay, lets see how this plays out. Yuel focused on the incoming minion wave. This laning phase will probably go in one of two ways. Either the Dragonborn will be cocky and contest the lane all the time, relying on the defense of Draconic Scales to keep him alive. Or, hell play it safe and let Yuel dominate the lane. Both approaches were viable and had their ups and downs. Contesting the lane meant putting himself in danger, whereas playing safe meant allowing damage on his Turret. Yuel was fine with either scenario since hell get his early-game advantage either way. Heh, that bastard. Zeph sneered at his opponent. Chessmaster advanced to the frontline without a single care in the world. He probably thinks Im scared of his DK. Think again, bastard! As a Dragonborn, Zeph had nothing to be afraid of during the early-game. Nobody could destroy his draconic body, not even a Dark Knight. Therefore, he gonna attack! Theres no way he gonna let Chessmaster dominate the lane! He activated Draconic Rush and charged straight at the enemy wave. The impact pushed the swordsmen back, bringing them closer to the bowmen. With all enemies packed in one place, Zeph activated Draconic Flame. He swung a fire blade in a cone, burning all minions in one fell swoop! Hows that, huh!? Zeph grinned. Whats wrong? Youre so shook you cant even move? Haha, thats what ya get! I aint scared of you! So, hes the type of Dragonborn who contests the lane. Yuel finished his observation. Before handling the enemy wave, his top priority was to discern what type of Dragonborn player DragonMaster was. With how fearlessly DragonMaster charged in, it was clear he was the aggressive type. I can work with that. Yuel moved to the side and found the perfect angle. Then, he unleashed a Dark Blast. The blast was supposed to travel through the Dragonborn and hit the minions behind him. Heh! Think it gonna be that easy!? No way! Zeph rolled aside. You aint hitting me, fam. Too easy. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Nice reaction. Yuel frowned. His Dark Blast rammed through the entire enemy wave, but it failed to hit the Dragonborn. So, hes going to contest the lane, but he wont drop his guard. Interesting. This made things a little tricker, but Yuel prepared himself for this. DragonMaster started the previous game on a weak note, but he slowly oiled his rusty performance. By mid-game, he became a decent opponent. It wont be that easy to submit him with a Dark Knight. A new minion wave arrived. More than likely, DragonMaster was going to charge in with Draconic Rush again. The attack had a brief damage immunity duration, so countering it with Dark Blast wasnt an option. There wasnt anything Yuel could do to stop Draconic Rush, but he could prepare a counter ahead of time. A Dark Knight couldnt allow an enemy to set foot on his territory and walk away unscratched. He had to dominate both sides of the lane, or else he wasnt doing his job. As expected, DragonMaster charged in with Dragonic Rush again, pushing all minions along the way. That was the cue. Yuel unleashed a Dark Blast. Whoa! Zeph saw the dark slash flying straight at him. Wait, for real? You gonna blast into my charge? It aint gonna do any damage, you know. However, the next moment, Zeph realized something. His Draconic Rush was just about to reach its destination. However, the Dark Blast hasnt hit him yet. It was still on its way, heading straight at him. N-No way! Zeph had a lump in his throat. This couldnt be happening. No freakin way. His damage invincibility was about to run out, yet the Dark Blast was still on the way. I-Its gonna hit! Zeph mashed his spacebar. He had to Dodge Roll that Dark Blast! It was going to hit him right after the damage invincibility ends! Such nasty timing...! Alas, it didnt help. In exchange for having the amazing damage invincibility effect, Draconic Rush had a rather clunky recovery animation. It was impossible to quickly cancel it into Dodge Roll. In other words, Zeph became a sitting duck! Wham! Zeph had no choice but to eat the Dark Blast in the face. It deleted 15% of his HP. Shit, how did he even time that!? Zeph roared internally. A split-second too late and Zeph wouldve safely rolled away. This stunt required extremely precise timing. Theres no way somebody from Stratus could pull it off. Gotta be a fluke. No way he can time it again. Delicate timing, but I got it. Yuel nodded to himself. The Dark Blast he just fired was carefully calculated to hit the target at the best timing possible. Hitting the Dragonborn during Draconic Rush would easy, but it would be waste due to the damage invincibility. So, in order to launch an attack on a Dragonborn, it was neccessary to wait until Draconic Rush ended. However, if Yuel waited took long, DragonMaster would be free to Dodge Roll the Dark Blast. Given the guys performance so far, he probably had the reaction speed to pull that off. So, Yuel wouldnt get any damage in this case either. Rushing was bad, but waiting too long was bad too. The optimal timing was firing Dark Blast right before the Dragonborn finished his Draconic Rush. The blast had to connect during the brief window of vulnerability, right when the Dragonborn was recovering from Draconic Rush. I didnt expect to pull it off on the first try, but Ill take it. Yuel nodded. It was difficult timing to pinpoint. In fact, he partially owned it to DragonMaster. The timing of the guys Draconic Rush was simply too predictable. That made everything easier. Yuel didnt have to react on the spot. Instead, he predicted when the Draconic Rush was about to start and derived the exact timing from there. Zeph understood the gist of it as well, but he still couldnt believe it actually happened. No way he timed that shit. Thatd be inhuman! Zeph gulped. Well, "inhuman" might be an exaggeration. Im sure some pros can pull it off. Probably. At the highest level of play, pros always pulled off amazing plays. So, perfectly timing Dark Blast on Draconic Rush wasnt beyond them. But, a middle schooler doing that? A brat from the same region? Not even a Korean prodigy kid or some shit? No way. Simply impossible. Gotta be a fluke. Zeph concluded. To his credit, Chessmaster probably had the right idea there. Theres a good chance he was aiming for that specific moment. The guy seemed to be smart, so he probably knew it was a possible play. But, actually landing that shot with that perfect timing gotta be a fluke. It won''t happen a second time. Therefore, it was safe to charge like this again next time. If Chessmaster attempts the same trick, hell mistime it for sure and Draconic Rush will soak all the damage. Or, alternatively, the Dark Blast will come too late and Zeph will have enough time to roll away. Either way, the next Dark Blast wont scratch him. Here we go. Zeph took a deep breath. The next minion wave arrived. He advanced to the frontline like before. First, he examined the Dark Knight''s movements. The startup of Draconic Rush was yet another vulnerable time window. Despite what haters liked to say, Draconic Rush wasnt an easy panic button. The damage invincibility was awesome, but it didnt come out right away. Therefore, it wasnt an easy button to press under pressure. Chessmaster surely knew that, so there was a chance hed aim for this opening. Many opponents in Ranked did exactly that. After suffering many bitter experiences, Zeph had no choice but to learn how to play around this weakness. In time, he even learned to use this weakness as bait. He pretended to go for Draconic Rush, just to bait out the enemys skill. Then, hed dodge the skill and go for Draconic Rush for real. Many greedy opponents fell for this 200 IQ bait. But, not Chessmaster. The guy was calm like still water. Basic baits didnt tempt him in the slightest. What an annoying bastard. Why couldnt he misplay more? Seriously. Well, here goes then. Zeph rammed into the enemy swordsmen with Draconic Rush. To be on the safe side, he started spamming the spacebar ahead of time. Gotta roll as soon as I recover. Ez dodges. WHISH. A heavy blade tore through empty space, leaving a trail of darkness in the air. As expected, a Dark Blast was coming! Here goes! Zeph finished the charge and began his dodge-roll. But, just a split second before that, the Dark Blast sliced through him. "You gotta be shitting me..." His lips trembled. There was no way. It was simply impossible. Zeph did everything possible in that situation. He spammed Dodge Roll ahead of time, so he shouldve rolled away at the first chance he got. But, such a chance never came. The Dark Blast hit first. And, it wasn''t just any hit. It was a hit that shaved off 15% HP. Again. Is this guy for real? Zeph shuddered. Was this level of execution even legal? Chessmaster gotta be some sort of cyborg with artificially enhanced motor skills, no other way to explain it. No human middle schooler should be legally allowed to pull shit like that. It should be banned! All of it! Okay, that went well. Yuel sighed in relief. There was no guarantee he''ll succeed the second time, but it went well. He would have liked to claim it was thanks to his mechanical skill, but thatd be a huge lie. A well-timed shot like this usually required superb execution, a thing Yuel didn''t possess. Lars would easily pull it off after a single day of practice, but not Yuel. It was simply impossible for him to react to Draconic Rush and fire his Dark Blast with precise timing. However, if he knew ahead of time when the shot was coming, it was a different story entirely. Fortunately, DragonMaster made life easy by being so predictable. The guy telegraphed his intentions by running forward right before activating Draconic Rush. He didn''t even try to hide his plans. He sprinted a little, then went for Draconic Rush. That gave Yuel enough time to prepare. Of course, even with all these advantages, he wasn''t going to perfectly nail it every time. But, so far, he scored two out of two. That should shake DragonMaster to the core. Eventually, DragonMaster will crack and commit a mistake that''ll cost him his life. Yuel just had to keep pressuring until then. Vol.9 Ch.27: Unbeatable Dark Knight Damn, what do I do? Zeph grimaced at the situation looming in front of him. He had plenty of experience playing against cheap Dark Knights in Ranked, but Chessmaster was on a whole different level. There was no catching this guy stumbling. Then, how the fuck do I win this!? Usually, hed bait out Dark Blasts with Draconic Charge. Some opponents aimed at him during the startup animation, so he learned to space them out properly. Sometimes he even baited them and dodge-rolled their blasts, then went for Draconic Rush. Other opponents tried to hit him while he was recovering from Draconic Rush, but they were always too slow. Zeph always dodge-rolled their asses. Ez. Most Dark Knight opponents realized that all their attempts were futile. So, the best move for them was not playing. They usually stopped contesting his Draconic Rush and let him run loose. This game plan was supposed to be bulletproof. But, Chessmaster proved there was a gaping hole in it. With precise timing, it was possible to land Dark Blast on Zeph before he regained the ability to roll. He always assumed that was impossible since none of his opponents ever exploited it consistently. But, turned out it was possible to perfectly time this counter. Everything Zeph believed in came crashing down. It rendered his entire matchup knowledge null and void. There was still a chance that the second hit was a fluke as well, but Zeph didnt dare to test it. He has already lost 30% HP. Another 15% would hurt way too much. So, what were his alternatives? How could he charge in and strike the enemy minions without getting hit by Dark Blast? There had to be some way to deal with this shit. In the first place, why do I have to make the first move? Zeph realized a simple fact. Man, I got way too triggered by that DK pick. That Dark Knight pick was insulting enough to tilt. Chessmaster mustve thought he could mop the floor with Zeph. It was so tempting to lunge on that bastard and tear his to shreds! But, Zeph had to be smarter than that. Recklessness wasnt going to help him win. Yeah, no reason for me to move first. Zeph concluded. I''ll just wait for him to shoot, then I''ll charge through it. Ez life. This was the more careful tactic he employed against good Dark Knight players. The tilt made him forget all about it. Also, its been a while since he last fought a decent Dark Knight. The class has mostly died out at higher ranks. Dark Blast was a relatively reactable attack and Zeph had plenty of experience playing against that broken shit. So, he should be able to pull off this plan no problem. Okay, lets do this shit. Zeph collected himself. The next minion wave arrived, but he didn''t charge at them. Instead, he carefully eyed the Dark Knight, to not miss even a single twitch. He was waiting for the moment black magic starts forming around the Dark Knight. Itll be the cue. He won''t miss it. Is he waiting for me to make the first move? Yuel wondered. He''s adapting fast. This is definitely a matchup hes more experienced with. That''s nice. It''s more interesting this way. The enemy''s plan was probably something along these lines: wait for Yuel to start casting Dark Blast, then charge into it with Draconic Rush. Thatll allow DragonMaster to bypass the damage while slowing down the blast and preventing it from reaching the bowmen. Dark Blasts casting animation was relatively slow, so mechanically skilled players could react to it. DragonMaster seemed to be decently skilled, so there was a chance he could pull it off. Okay, I can play with that. Yuel activated a skill. Dark energy gathered around him. There it is! Zeph grinned. Patience prevailed! Black miasma began to form around the Dark Knight. It was impossible to cancel Dark Blast once it started, so there was no turning back now. This was the cue! Zeph booted Draconic Rush and charged forth. He was going to crash into that Dark Blast head first! At least, that was the plan... Got you. Yuel smirked. He indeed activated a skill, but it wasnt Dark Blast. It was Nightmare, a feint! The startup animations for both skills started with dark magic forming around the Dark Knight, so it wasnt easy to tell them apart at a glance. Especially, not when the opponent was eagerly waiting for Dark Blast and wasnt even considering Nightmare. Even though Dark Blast was reactable for skilled players, the reaction was still rooted in guessing. The opponent had to actively expect the Dark Blast and intently observe Yuels movements with that expectation in mind. It was necessary to spot the earliest hint of Dark Blasts startup, or else itd be too late. Thats why it was so easy to fake DragonMaster with Nightmare. Under normal circumstances, nobody would say the two skills had similar animations. However, at the time, DragonMaster was eagerly waiting for a Dark Blast. It was the only skill he was expecting. He was 100% concentrated on it. So, even the smallest similarity to Dark Blasts animation was enough to make him act. Yuel fired a delayed Dark Blast at the baited Draconic Rush. same as before. The black slash sliced through DragonMaster right as he finished charing in. Clean hit. What is even... Zeph shuddered. Why in the world would a Dark Knight activate Nightmare in that situation? There was absolutely no reason to. Did I just get baited? You gotta be shitting me... Zeph used such a sophisticated tactic, but Chessmaster countered it in an instant. It was absurd. Impossible. Was that bastard some kind of mind reader? How was any of this even possible... Ah, right. Gotta retreat, Zeph shook his head. No matter how unbelievable this situation was, he had to keep it together. He unleashed Draconic Flame on the enemy bowmen, then rolled the heck outta there. Phew, just in time. Zeph sighed in relief. The Dark Knight almost clobbered him. It was a close one. This was no time to space out. Man, what the heck. I just cant beat this guy 1-on-1. Nothing works. A shiver ran through his spine. Everything he tried backfired on his ass. Chessmaster gotta be some sort of genius. There was no beating this mad lad. Is this the level of the competitive scene here? Zeph shuddered. Maybe he had it backwards all along. Maybe Chessmaster wasnt that special. Maybe it was Zeph himself who royally sucked. Nah, no way. Cmon, Im Diamond II. Im a good player. Zeph tried to reassure himself. His rank was actually among the best on the team, second only to the captains almighty Challenger V. Theres no way Zeph was a scrub. Its Chessmaster who was that good. Well, no wonder hes strong. Thats how good ya gotta be if you wanna play on StormBlitz. Supposedly, StormBlitzs entrance exam was some real bullshit. Even Jaiden didnt make it in. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. And, I know for sure that Jaiden is one heck of a player, so... Zeph had no choice but to accept this reality. In a 1v1 situation, he had no chance against Chessmaster. Thats probably what Chessmaster thought as well, hence his disrespectful Dark Knight pick. As frustrating as it was to admit, Chessmaster had the right to pick Dark Knight against Zeph. The skill gap between them was too much. I give up. Zeph sighed. Yep, cant do this shit. He was out of ideas and there was no point coming up with anything new, since Chessmaster will see through it in an instant. Chessmaster probably knew all the anti-Dark Knight countermeasures anyway, as well as how to shut them down. It was pointless to try anything sophisticated. Ill just go back to the basics. Theres only one surefire way to counter DK. Zeph couldnt win this fight by himself, so why fight alone? Hey, Dylan, my guy, Zeph called out. This DK over here is giving me some trouble. When can you gank? Gimme like a minute, Dylan said. Gotta get to Lv.5 first, then Ill be ready to bring some damage. Sounds good, Zeph nodded. Ill lure him in the next wave, so be ready. Gotcha. Okay, this should work. Zeph thought. He couldnt beat that Dark Knight by himself, but it didnt mean he had to surrender the lane. If 1v1 was impossible, he just had to turn it into a 2v1. Ez solution. No matter how godlike Chessmaster was, he wont beat both of them at once. Theyll end that bastards whole career! Zeph just had to be patient for now. With the next wave, his counterattack will begin! Here it is. Zeph grinned. The time has come. The next wave was approaching and Dylan was on his way to Top. Good, good. Once the wave arrived, Zeph took a passive stance. He didnt advance to the frontline like before. Instead, he was chilling in the back. He had enough of these nasty Dark Blasts that ate 15% HP per hit. Shit was broken beyond repair. Aint gonna let him hit me again. No chance. He changed his approach again. Yuel nodded in satisfaction. He picked Dark Knight with the intention of thoroughly crushing the opposition, but it wont be any fun if DragonMaster doesnt put on a fight. There was only value in winning when both sides adapted and struggled to the bitter end. Any less than that wont count as true competitive experience. Hes probably inviting me to get ganked. Yuel deduced. A ward revealed the enemy Vampire heading toward Top, so a gank might be on its way. DragonMaster was probably baiting Yuel into overextending and exposing his back to the Vampire. Getting hit by Vampires ult meant death in this situation. Their Vampire is Lv.5, but the Dragonborn is still Lv.4. Yuel assessed the situation. He was holding the upper hand in lane, which made it harder for his opponent to farm efficiently. DragonMaster was still a few minions away from Lv.5. In other words, he couldnt transform into a dragon yet. Okay, Ill play along with this. Yuel nodded. Nia, are you good to start ganking? Yeah, no problem, Nia answered. Im about to hit Lv.5 and I think Ive erased my presence pretty well. Perfect, Yuel said. Then, come over here. I need you to do me a little favor... After he laid out the details of his plan, Yuel advanced along the lane together with his minions. In other words, he was playing right into the enemys trap. There was no doubt that the Vampire will appear behind him any moment now. There was little Yuel could do about that. But, itll be fine. Heh. Hah. Haha! Zeph laughed at his foolish foe. Seriously? Thats all it took to bait him? And here I thought the guy was some sort of genius. Turns out hes just a basic scrub. We gonna rek him REAL good! Hes coming at me, Zeph reported. Gotcha! Dylan circled around the unsuspecting Dark Knight and activated Night Hunt. He transformed into a giant bat and darted toward his prey! Got his ass! Dylan rammed into the Dark Knight and dug his fangs into the victims neck. The intense bite paralyzed the Dark Knight. The guy became a tasty snack for the big bat. You rock! Zeph rushed to the scene. The tables have turned. Chessmaster was acting as the aggressor until a few moments ago, but now it was Zephs turn! Game over, fam! Zeph couldnt win this fight alone. But, together with Dylan, it was a walk in the park. Dylan was holding Chessmaster in place, while Zeph was unleashing a flurry of slashes on that cocky bastard! The Dragonborn is here, Yuel reported matter-of-factly. Even though the situation looked like a total disaster, he was in control of the situation. His opponents were as predictable as he expected, so everything was going according to plan. Coming, Nia entered the lane in stealth. Her target was none other than the overextending Dragonborn. The guy dared to set foot on the frontline with just 60% HP, before even reaching Lv.5. He was practically begging to be killed. But, the guy himself probably didnt realize any of that. He continued attacking Yuel without a single care in the world. Haha! Youre dead, fucker- wha!? Zeph swallowed his words. Something slashed him from behind. It was impossible, but it happened. This shouldve been a 1v2 situation. There shouldve been only three players here. Nonetheless, an unexpected fourth player appeared. An intruder that came outta left field. A stealthy assassin who crept right behind Zephs back! S-Stop! Noooooooo! Zephs cries fell on deaf ears. The assassin had no mercy to spare. The Ninja wrapped her arms around him and prepared to launch into the air. W-Wait! I can break out of it! Zephs instincts as a Dragonborn main kicked in. Transforming into a dragon cleansed all CC, including the grab of Izuna Drop. Yes! That was his ticket out! He just had to use his ult... oh. Im not Lv.5 yet. Heh. Haha. Fuck. Zeph smacked his forehead. He messed up bad. Like, real bad. The tilt got him. He was too eager to unleash vengeance on the Chessmaster. If he was his usual self, he would have remembered that his top priority shouldve been hitting Lv.5. Also, he wouldve considered the possibility of an enemy gank and played around it. Damn. Im screwed. Zeph sighed in defeat while the ninja was taking him on a tour through the sky They traveled high, then crashed into the ground like a meteor. Over 35% HP vanished in an instant. His Draconic Scales mitigated some damage, but it was a negligible amount. Against a single mighty strike, deducting a flat amount didnt change anything. If only Draonic Scales provided percentage-based damage reduction... Damn it all. Holy fuck, a counter gank!? Dylans loud voice brought Zeph back to earth. Damn, you better scram, bro. R-Right! Zeph shook his head. This was no time to sit here and complain. If he had the time to rant, he also had the time to run the heck outta here! That Izuna Drop was a lot of damage, but it wasnt over for him yet. He still had a little over 20% HP. He could still make it out of here alive! He recovered from the stagger that followed the crash and broke into a dash. SLASH! A dagger cut through his chest as soon as he set out. That damn Ninja attacked him right as he recovered! She was a ruthless assassin. Thankfully, Draconic Scales reduced the incoming damage from her strikes, and this time it was actually helpful. The damn Ninja wont be taking Zeph down so easily. Hell survive through this shit and get outta here! "Death to the feeble!" A metallic voice resounded throughout the area. It froze Zephs blood. No way... Zeph could only mumble. He knew exactly what was about to happen. Whats my HP, again? Oh yes, its below 20%. Haha. Its over. Goddamit! Zeph crashed into the table with his forehead. He didnt want to watch that shit. Nevertheless, the system voice made sure to deliver the depressing news right into his ear. EXECUTED FIRST BLOOD! "Dyl, you better get outta there..." Zeph mumbled under his breath. "Well duh, I''m already out," Dylan said. "That was one awkward gank." "Yeah..." Zeph''s words trailed off. His mind short-circuited. He couldn''t form coherent thoughts. Or rather, he didnt feel like thinking about anything. His entire laning experience this game was one disaster after another. The skill gap between him and Chessmaster was too much. He felt like an ant challenging a dragon. Chessmaster thoroughly and utterly destroyed him, in both body and mind. Is everybody in StormBlitz at that level? Zeph wondered. Man, good thing we arent scrimmaging with them this year, haha... He produced a hollow laugh as he slumped on his chair. Hopefully, the other lanes were doing better. If not, this game gonna be a wrap... Vol.9 Ch.28: Taurus Aggression in Bot EXECUTED FIRST BLOOD! These messages appeared outta nowhere on Bruce''s screen. One moment, Zeph and Dylan were delivering a hot gank in Top. The very next moment, Zeph kicked the bucket and Dylan fled the scene like a pussy. The fuck happened over there? Bruce was too busy with his own shit on lane, so he didn''t catch all the details. But, there was one thing he knew for sure. Zeph and Dylan done fucked up. "Yo Zeph, my guy," Bruce called out. "What are ya doing dying to a DK? Are you throwing the game, huh? Huh!?" Bruce''s anger transmitted clearly through his tone. Everybody heard that criticizing yell. But, Zeph didn''t respond. "Hey! Ya hear me? Heeeeeeey! Earth to Zephy Zeph!" Bruce shouted. "You fucker, are you asleep or something? ZEPH!" "Ah, sorry, I put you on mute, haha..." Zeph laughed awkwardly. "Watcha doing muting your cap, dumbass?" "Oh snap," Zeph realized he should''ve come up with an excuse instead of telling the truth. "Eh, I needed a moment to think about stuff." "It wouldve been great if you started with that ''thinking'' thing before dying, ya know." I knew this shit was coming. Zeph sighed. This was the reason he muted Bruce in the first place. Bruce was good at praising those who did well, but he unleashed hell on anybody who did poorly. Such was the harsh environment in this gang. "The fuck you doing feeding a DK?" Bruce ranted on. "It gonna screw us all if he snowballs!" "Yeah, sorry," Zeph didnt argue back. "That DK is something else. I can''t beat him." "What''s with that weak talk?" Bruce demanded. "Are you''re throwing!?" "I''m not throwing anything," Zeph said. "Thats just how things are. Sorry, but I don''t see myself beating that guy. He isnt an ex-StromBlitz player just in name, the guy knows his shit. I can''t outplay him." "Watcha wussing out about? StromBlitz or DerpFlitz, it doesn''t matter. He''s just a middle schooler like us. Nothing you cant handle." You can only say that because you haven''t fought him yourself. Zeph retorted in his head. "Tch, whatever," Bruce clicked his tongue and turned to Bryan. "Alright, B. Looks like it''s up to us to carry this team. Let''s wreck these fuckers!" "You wanna attack?" Bryan frowned. "Yeah! Let''s beat the living crap outta these scrubs! I''ve been lying low till Lv.5, just like ya asked. Now, lets go ham on their asses!" "Hah," Bryan sighed. To think that Bruce actually agreed to play tame for once, but then that bullshit in Top happened. Thanks a lot, Zeph. Then again, it was probably a matter of time anyway. Frankly, Bryan wasnt keen on the idea of assaulting their lane opponents. Judging by how things went last game, it was clear their opponents were pretty damn good. It was hard to tell which side was stronger, but these enemies definitely posed a challenge. They werent the types of opponents to challenge recklessly without an advantage. Therefore, Bryan preferred to proceed slow and steady. He wanted to gradually build lane advantage and reach mid-game in a good state. Their lineup favored the mid-game much more anyway. The enemy was all about the early-game this time, including their pick for Bot. Impaler was stronger during the early-game, whereas Pirate went online during the mid-game. So, it was best to be patient here. Once mid-game hits, Bruce will unlock Pirates full strength and itll be time for a counter-attack. That was the best game plan here. It did imply theyll have to play defensively and probably surrender some lane control, itll be worth it in the end. Bryan even convinced Bruce to follow that plan. At least, that''s what he thought... Bruce played tamely for a while, as if following Bryans game plan. But, in truth, he was like a ticking bomb. The whole time, he was searching for an excuse to throw that defensive game plan out of the window and go all-in. He only held it in until now because he was waiting to reach Lv.5 and unlock Kraken. Now, that Bruce finally got his Kraken, he thirsted for kills like as always. And, Zeph''s death served as a great excuse to seek revenge on the enemy. Sigh. "We gonna go hard at them in the next wave," Bruce declared. "What''s the plan, exactly?" Bryan asked. "Plan? We ain''t need no plan against these scrubs!" Bruce proclaimed. "I''mma just go in there and kick that chick''s ass. You cover me and all that." "You know they got a Druid, right? He might pull you at any time." "Hah! I wanna see him try. I''mma move all over the place. Hell never catch me!" "Yeah, sure sounds like a bulletproof plan..." "I know, right? I''m a genius, haha!" "Definitely," Bryan rolled his eyes. He knew this pattern by now. There was no stopping Bruce once the guy set his mind on something. Gotta pray that Druid sucks at pulling. Bryan sighed. Nature''s Grasp was a difficult skillshot due to how thin it was. There was a chance Blackhole wasnt skilled enough to confirm it across long distances. So, Bruce just might get away with his recklessness. Still, it was so needlessly risky... "Alright, let''s do it then," Bryan gave in. Ill just have to trust him. I know Bruce is a decent player, just not the most stable. Maybe he can pull it off this time. Maybe. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Either way, Bryan had to focus on supporting. He won''t hear the end of it if Bruce dies here. Even though it was Bruces reckless idea, itll be Bryans fault if it fails. Thats how it worked. It was an unwritten rule. Arguing any further was only going to distract them at this point. Bryan had to concentrate 100% on supporting Bruce here. They''ve already discussed how to deal with the enemy duo in a case of a 2v2, so it''s not like they werent prepared. Bryan even picked Aquamancer as a counter to Druid''s shield. Theyve been mentally prepared for this scenario for a while now. Besides, gotta admit, Im kinda raring to go too. Bryan smirked. The enemy struck out Zeph in Top, so Bryan felt like the team had to repay in kind by killing somebody too. Not to mention, there the debt from the previous game as well. Beat and Blackhole screwed with them last time. Gotta teach these bastards a lesson or two. "Okay, we''re doing this shit!" Bryan exclaimed. "Now ya talkin''! Lets go!" The plan was set in motion. In the next wave, they''ll unleash hell on their opponents! They ain''t gonna lose a second time to these scrubs! Neither of these guys was from StormBlitz, so there was nothing to worry about. "If possible," Bryan started. "Try not making it too obvious that we''re planning to attack. Just clear minions as usual." "Haha, we gonna surprise them? Got it!" Bruce gave a thumbs up. He dialed down his aggression and concentrated on efficient farming, without showing any signs of hostility toward the enemy. In fact, maybe he even overplayed it a little. He was acting a tad too peaceful compared to how he played until now. But, it was fine. Thatll only confuse the enemy more. Theyll never see this attack coming! As with all waves thus far, the enemy side gained the upper hand. Impalers basic attacks were more effective than Pirate''s thanks to their defense-reduction property, so Beat took care of the swordsmen faster than Bruce. It usually triggered him, but not this time. "Huehue. Soon, soon," Bruce smiled creepily at this result. The wave didnt matter. It was just the appetizer. Soon, he''ll move on to the main dish! With his frontline gone, Bruce retreated to the backline without putting on a fight. He allowed his opponents to advance into his territory for free. You better be grateful Im not charing you for this. Bruce lifted his chin. Its a free tour in Bruceland. I hope you gonna enjoy yo stay, khaha. Bruce stayed in the backline and barraged the incoming enemy frontline. Once he cleared all the swordsmen, it was time. Attack incoming! "RELEASE THE-" the Pirate''s voice boomed across the area. The Kraken was about to be unleashed! "W-Whoa!" Vincent jumped in his seat. On no! The mighty monster of the high seas was about to make its entrance! Itll eradicate everything in its path! Vincent had to get away! He rolled away before the king of squids had a chance to strike. Meanwhile, Kai remained rooted in place. What was she doing!? They had to get out, or else the Kraken... will do nothing, actually. "A feint!?" Vincent dramatically smacked his forehead. He completely fell for that one. He didn''t possess the necessary reaction speed for dodging Kraken upon seeing it, so he had no choice to rely on the sound cue. It was a waste of a Dodge Roll, but at least he avoided the worst-case scenario. I had a feeling its fake. Kai nodded to herself. The Pirate''s loud threat didn''t faze her in the slightest. Kai has already proved she could dodge Kraken on reaction, so the enemy would have to be an utter idiot to Kraken her before baiting out her Dodge Roll. Since the Kraken feint had no effect, the Pirate charged at Kai himself, with the Aquamancer following closely behind. Finally, these bastards decided to make their move. Kai has been waiting to settle this! "Shield," Kai ordered. "Right away!" Vincent cast Gaias Protection, granting Kai a shield effect. "Alright, let''s mop them," Kai said so, but she actually took a few steps back. As much as she wanted to destroy that pretentious bastard calling himself TheLegend, she knew better than to pick a fight in enemy territory. She had to back off to the center of the lane first. "Hah! Look at her quaking in her boots!" Bruce cackled. "We got this! Hey B, get rid of that shield, will ya?" "On it," Bryan threw a splash of water at the enemy Impaler. I''d like to keep this shield, but... Kai bit her lip. She could easily Dodge Roll that predictable Splash, but that''d leave her without a Dodge Roll against Kraken. Itd be like fighting naked. She wont have anything left to defend herself with. Therefore, sidestepping the splash was the best she could do. But, it proved futile. The water struck her and washed off her shield. Tch, she didn''t take the bait. Bryan clicked his tongue. He expected the girl to Dodge Roll the Splash, then Bruce would wrap things up with Kraken. But, that girl was smarter than she looked. Damn, these guys are a pain. But, that''s also fine. The girl showed them she understood the importance of saving her Dodge Roll. That was insightful information in its own right. It meant she''ll not roll against anything that wasn''t Kraken. There was a great way to exploit that fact. "I gonna shower her," Bryan said. "Yeah, give that bitch a wash, khaha!" Bruce didnt object. He wanted to settle this one-on-one with Beat, but he had no qualms about receiving some help. After all, the team''s achievements were his achievements, khaha! "Here goes," Bryan activated Rainfall around the Impaler. A heavy shower poured on the girl. It didn''t deal any damage, but it slowed down her Movement Speed and Attack Speed. Now, Bruce should have an easy time tearing her apart. This is bad. Kai frowned. With the heavy rain beating in her ears, it became harder to pick up the enemys sounds. She''ll have a harder time reading- SHOT. A bullet dug into her abdomen without warning. Damn, theyre acting fast! Kai grit her teeth. It was a difficult spot, but she had no intention of losing here. So, she immediately fired a spear! WHOOSH. The spear cut through the raindrops and darted toward the Pirate. But, it didn''t connect. "Hah! I can dodge that slow-mo crap with my eyes closed!" Bruce laughed. "How ya like that!?" He pulled the trigger again. Damn, this Attack Speed debuff is bad news. Kai ranted. But, not all hope was lost yet. She predicted that the enemy''s next shot was about to come out, so she just had to sidestep it- BAM. The bullet pierced her shoulder. No way... I dodged that! Kai ranted internally. Damn, the Movement Speed debuff is bad news too. "Impossible!" Vincent exclaimed. What he has just witnessed boggled his mind. Kai missed a counter shot and failed to dodge the follow-up. What happened to her Rhythm Reader!? Did the rain nullify her ability to use her special technique!? This was no good! I have to hurry and provide backup! Not so fast. Bryan activated a geyser right underneath the Druid''s feet, sending the tree guy flying. And, he gonna do it again, since he was using the Overflow version of the spell, the almighty Hot Spring Eruption! He had two more geysers up his sleeve. That Druid won''t be getting anywhere near the scene anytime soon. "My apologizes!" Vincent spoke in mid-flight. "It appears I''ve run into an obstacle." "Not like I was counting on you anyway," Kai already started retreating from the rain. There was no point with her Attack Speed and Movement Speed hampered this badly. She couldn''t land any hits and she couldn''t dodge anything. This was no position to fight in. Unfortunately, escaping from the rain wasnt easy either. The slowdown was rough. The Aquamncer built an Lv.3 Chains of Infinity as early as possible, so the raindrops applied two layers of slowdown on Kais Movement Speed. Its like she was moving through mud. What were her options in this disadvantageous position? How should she fight? There was only one thing she could say for sure: she wont go down without a fight! She wont let that Pirate scum kill her! Vol.9 Ch.29: Stealth Pincer Kai had no chance of defeating TheLegend while the rain was pouring down on her. Therefore, she focused on retreating. Alas, the enemy had no intention of letting her slip away unharmed. BAM. A bullet flew at her. She couldve tried to sidestep it, but she didnt bother. Her current Movement Speed couldnt keep up with her intentions. Instead, she counter-attacked on the spot! Even if my shots are slow, you can''t dodge them while you''re recovering! Kai hurled a spear through the rain. It impaled the recovering opponent through the chest. "Wha-!?" Bruce groaned. He didn''t even get a chance to react. "Damn, bitch! You wanna go!? Lets go!" He fired again. Damn, this is rough. Kai still hasn''t left the rainy area. Her Impaler was running as fast as a snail in a wheelchair. She had no choice but to eat another shot. At the very least, she''ll deliver a timely counterattack! It took time, but her hearing learned to filter the monotone sound of the rain. It was one of those cool things about hearing. Apparently, the brain knew how to filter background noise or something like that. Thanks to that handy feature, Kais senses returned to being sharp again. By reading the rhythm of the enemys attacks and listening to the sound of his gunshots, Kai knew exactly when the next shot was coming. Normally, she relied on this timing to execute a last-moment sidestep. However, that trick was useless for a slowed-down turtle who could barely move, so she used this timing for something else. Namely, to fire a counter-attack! Actually, it was debatable whether it even counted as a "counter". Kai threw her spear at the same time as her opponent fired, maybe even a little earlier. In that sense, she wasn''t countering an attack that has already happened. Instead, she was countering an attack that will happen. She was outplaying the future! "Again!?" Bruce ranted. "Fuck! You''re SO dead! DEAD, Im tellin ya!" BAM. He fired again. Kai the snail still hasn''t made it out of the rainy area, so she had to fire her future-countering spear again. It hit home without a problem. If they had this back-and-forth going from the start, Kai couldve out-damaged TheLegend. Impalers basics were stronger than Pirates and they reduced the defense. Therefore, Kai wouldve won if they kept trading hit-for-hit. Alas, Kai messed up earlier. She didn''t establish this easy routine right away and allowed the enemy to deliver the first strike. It gave the Pirate just enough early life lead to maintain the high ground. With the rain slowing down Kais attacks, she probably wont kill the Pirate first if they keep going blow-for-blow. The enemy landed five shots on her, leaving her at 50% HP. Meanwhile, she only landed three, bringing the Pirate down to 65% HP. With each counterattack, Kai closed the HP gap a little bit, but it probably wont be enough. There was no time to do the hard math, but there was a teammate who could provide her with an answer on the spot. "You''ll die first," Yuel answered matter-of-factly. "He needs five hits at most, but you need at least six." One hit short, huh. Kai clicked her tongue. If she didn''t let the Pirate hit her twice earlier, she could''ve won this fight via counters. But, no point crying over spilled milk. Once she gets out of the rain, everything will be fine- WAAASH. Water erupted from the ground and knocked Kai high into the air! It was the second time already! It was that damn Overflow version of Aquamncers Geyser Eruption, which allowed him to summon three geysers in a row. The geyser not only knocked her upwards but also a little backward. She was back in the rain again. You piece of shit...! Kai wanted to hurl something at that Aquamncer. She finally made it out, but that bastard had to drag her back in. Goddammit! To make things worse, as she was about to land, another bullet flew at her! Normally, she''d Dodge Roll that, but she couldn''t spend her Dodge Roll before the enemy played his Kraken. Therefore, she had to eat this damage. Even worse, she couldnt properly counterattack from this awkward landing position. The battle was already cutting it dangerously close, but the enemy has just gained a further advantage. Fuuuuuuuu! Yuel said the enemy needed at most five hits to kill, so that number has just gone down. Four more hits. Only four more and Kai will fold to that Pirate scum. No way. Absolutely no way. She couldn''t fall here..! "This is beyond terrible. Its a disaster!" Vincent cried. "I shall summon the mighty Ents!" "You might as well," Kai nodded. "They forced me into a tight spot. Honestly, I... don''t see myself winning this one." She forced these difficult words through her throat. "I mean, it''s not a fair fight in the first place. It''s not like I''d lose otherwise." "But of course, Vincent nodded with understanding. Alright, I''ll just get a little closer and-" "Wait," Yuel intervened. "No need to waste the Ents on this. Kai, keep countering like you''ve been doing. Help is going to sneak into your lane any moment now." Yuel pinged the mini-map to make sure they understood. The player heading their way was so elusive, that even her own allies failed to notice her at times. "Got it," Kai gulped. She''d be lying if she said she wasn''t nervous about entrusting her life to a freshman. But, it was better to take this risk than to waste Vincents Ents on this fight. There was no guarantee the Ents will even be enough to make the enemy retreat, so either solution harbored risk. Yuel''s judgment was reliable, Kai learned that over the past few months. So, if Yuel believed Nia could pull it off without a hitch, then Kai will believe that too. While still imprisoned inside the heavy rain, Kai continued struggling. BULLET. SPEAR. BULLET. SPEAR. The attacks flew at each other at the same. They repeatedly punched each other in the face without any regard for their injuries. Like before, Kai tried to get out of the rain in the middle of the fighting. However, this time, her main goal wasn''t actually to get out. She was retreating in order to lure the enemy into allied territory. The deeper this Pirate ventures, the easier it should be for Nia to kill him. Only 20% HP. That''s all Kai had left. Two more shots and she''ll perish. Meanwhile, the enemy was sitting at 50%. The gap grew too much. It was impossible to salvage this fight any longer. If they exchange two more punches, Kai will be the one to fall. Where was Nia at!? The next moment, It happened. WHISH. The sound of a dagger slicing through something. Out of the shadows, from an angle nobody was looking at, Nia popped into existence! "Wha-!?" Bruce jumped with a startle. Where? Who!? Damage flashed on his screen outta nowhere! "Fuck! Where did- Gah!" Next, a spear plunged into his chest. It was a pincer! He was surrounded! Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Yo, B! Bruce shouted. The hell are ya doing all the way over there!? Help me- FUUUUUUUU!" Another slash from behind. Before he could even figure WTF was attacking him, it was already over. The Pirate collapsed on his knees and kissed the ground. You have been killed! "Fuck! Shit! Damn it!" Bruce slammed on the table over and over. Why!? He was so close to killing that bitch! "GAAAAAAAAH! Damn you, B! Why didn''t you help me out!? You should''ve kept me safe!" "I..." Bryan was at a loss for words. He didnt see any of this coming either. One moment, they were dominating the situation. Then, out of the blue, everything came down crashing. What led to this? A mere gank, nothing more. Something simple that Bryan shouldve been able to prepare himself for. And yet, Bryan failed to consider it for some reason. Its like some bad joke. Bryan cracked a hollow laugh. He racked his brain so hard when coming up with this attack plan. He made sure they took everything into consideration. There werent supposed to be any loopholes. And yet, Bryan failed to account for the Ninjas existence. Such a basic, amateuristic mistake. No, wait. Bryan suddenly remembered. I DID factor her in, initially. I didnt miss anything during my planning. He thoroughly warded the jungle against incoming ganks. No gank shouldve slipped past his security cameras. He was so convinced of that, that he decided to not worry about ganks. In case a gank was coming, the wards will alert him ahead of time. Such was his absolute belief. Therefore, Bryan took a load off his mind by not thinking too hard about the possibility of a gank. And yet, a gank occurred. None of Bryans wards warned him about it. Seriously, where did this Ninja come from? Bryan shuddered. It''s like the girl popped into existence out of thin air. What path could she have possibly taken to arrive here undetected...? "Yo. Bryan! Bruce barked. The fuck are you standing there daydreaming!?" "Ah, shit!" Bryan snapped out of it. He remained alone in Bot and he was dangerously close to the center of the lane. The enemies shifted their focus on him, like a pack of wolves eying a helpless rabbit. Shoot! Gotta get the hell outta here! "Wait, why are you running!?" Bruce demanded. "Kill that Impaler bitch! I already did all the work. You just gotta shoot her a few more times!" Are you asking me to die!? Bryan ranted internally. What kind of damage are you expecting from a freakin Support!? I got none. NONE, Im telling you. Im outta here. Bryan ignored Bruces nonsense and continued toward Bot Turret. The Impaler and Druid were hot on his trail. Bryan didn''t have any escape tools, or any tools at all at the moment, so his only option was to keep running forward. Fortunately, his pursuers shouldnt be able to catch up with him. Neither of them had any movement speed buffs. The Impalers ult couldve meant trouble, but she had to spend it earlier against Dylans gank, so it should still be on cooldown. The main problem was the Ninja. She was fast on her feet, so shell catch up to him in no time. There was no escaping from her unscratched. If her Izuna Drop was out of cooldown, then Bryan was a goner. She used Izuna in Top a short time ago, right? Bryan tried to recall. It should be still down. It better be. Bryan had no choice but to keep running. Ninja didn''t have any CC besides Izuna Drop. So, long as Izuna Drop was out of the picture, the Ninja shouldn''t be able to outright stop Bryan. But, she could strike him. A lot of strikes. The Ninja caught up to him from behind and delivered relentless slashes. This was a great time to roll forward! However, instead of propelling himself far ahead, Bryan only rolled a tiny distance forward. He smashed into a wall. The roll ended right there. Iron Maiden!? With this timing!? Bryan groaned. I knew you''d roll with this timing. Kai smirked. In these sort of situations, the fleeing prey almost always went for Dodge Roll as soon as the pursuer caught up. It made sense since it was a good way to evade an invisible attack. However, it was also predictable. Too predictable. Therefore, Kai rolled forward and activated Iron Maiden right as Nia was approaching TheMyth. She placed the torture machine ahead of the Aquamancer and interrupted his roll. If Kai also had Impale available right now, she couldve followed up for some big damage. Alas, it was on cooldown. Still, they had something else they could follow up with on a dazed opponent. "Vince, pull him!" Kai called out. "Yes, sir!" Vincent aimed his Nature''s Grasp at the enemy. Once the tree branches pull in their foe, the trio will proceed to rip the guy asunder! It will bring them one step closed to victory! Vincent fired the branches. His aim was perfect if he could say so himself. The branches were heading right where the enemy stood, itching to grab the Aqumancer. The branches drew closer and closer and... missed!? "... eh?" Vincent blinked. "Huh..." Kai narrowed her eyes. "Did you really just miss?" "N-No, no way!" Vincent protested. "O-Oh, I see how it is! Our world must have merged with an alternate timeline, one in which I miss the shot. That''s why, even though I aimed right at the enemy, my shot missed!" "You aimed right at him?" Kai sigh in disappointment. "No wonder you missed. You gotta predict his movements at least a little and shoot to where you think hell move. This skillshot is too thin to hit otherwise." "O-Of course, that''s exactly what I did!" "Uh-huh," Kai rolled her eyes. In the end, the Aquamancer got away. Nia pursued the guy all the way to the Turret and delivered many slashes, but she only brought the guy down to 60% HP. They failed to score a second kill here. But, it was quite alright. "Good job, Nia," Kai said. "Thanks for the rescue." "No problem," Nia nodded with a small embarrassed smile. Failing to kill that Aquamancer was a sad story, but saving a friend felt nice too. "You''re not done there yet," Yuel said. "Theres still time until the next wave, so take the Dragon together. Then, push together on the next wave and take the Turret." Wait, I need to recall, Kai argued. Im almost dead. Its okay, just push, Yuel insisted. They cant do anything to you while you got two bodyguards by your side. Im not so sure about that, Kai said. Think about it. The Aquamncer doesnt have the damage to kill you. Their Mid is stuck fighting Lars, so he cant leave the lane. At best, the Vampire can gank you, he might even kill you. But, he doesnt have his ult, so Nia and Vincent will easily kill him. And, I doubt they want to feed Nia any more kills, Kai reasoned. Exactly, Yuel nodded. So, even though it might look like you absolutely have to recall, thatd actually be a misplay. Theres nothing to worry about right now, even at that HP. I see your point, Kai nodded. "Alright, let''s do it!" "Indeed, we shall slay the dragon!" Vincent made noise. "Ok." Nia nodded. Everybody was in high spirits. They generated impeccable momentum for the team. On the other hand, in Taurus... Phew, I made it. Bryan sighed in relief upon reaching Bot Turret. That was a close one. It almost turned into a Double Kill. "Dumbass, why did you run!?" Bruce was complaining the entire time. "I had that Impaler literally dead. Why didn''t ya finish her off!? Now we look like a joke!" "If I stayed to fight, I would''ve died," Bryan explained. "What? Are ya saying you''re that much of a scrub?" "It got nothing to do with being a scrub. It was a bad situation..." Bryan was getting a headache. All the joy he felt from surviving the ordeal went down the drain. Only irritation remained. "In the first place, why ya didn''t cover me!? Bruce demanded. How did ya let that chick sneak up on me like that?" Aaaaaaaaand here we go. Rants.exe started running. Bryan sighed deeply. Why do I even bother playing Support for this guy, again? Bryan did everything in his power to secure Bruces victory in that fight. He heavily warded the area against ganks, he slowed down the Impaler to turn her into a sitting duck, and he spaced out the Druid. He did everything and beyond to serve that fight to Bruce on a silver platter. If anything, Bryan deserved praises of the highest degree. And yet, one small gank slipped by him and suddenly everything became Bryans fault. All the hard work he put into securing the fight vanished without a trace. All Bruce could see was the one mistake Bryan committed. Life was so unfair sometimes. Im fed up with this shit. I just hope they end us soon. Bryan sighed. This game was already lost, anybody could tell. They started just a few minutes ago, but they were already 0-2 in terms of kills. To make things worse, the enemys team was heavily geared toward early-game, so this early advantage will only escalate from here. This game was hopeless... Vol.9 Ch.30: All Hope Crushed at the Early-Game Frankly, Bryan pretty much gave up on the game at this point. A Dark Knight was dominating in Top, while Bruce has recently died in Bot. No matter how Bryan looked at the situation, things were looking bleak. Nevertheless, the game went on. And, a loud bug was buzzing in Bryans ear, demanding an answer for a stupid question. Hey, are ya listening? Got nothing to say for yourself, huh!? Bruce kept rambling on and on, but Bryan didnt have the willpower to entertain that ungrateful dumbass. He came up with half-assed vague replies and tried his best to focus on the game. The three enemies in Bot ventured into the Jungle. Enemies missing in Bot, Bryan reported. They might be rotating to Mid. Or going for Dragon, Raymond suggested. Yeah, possible, Brayn agreed. We gonna do anything about that, or...? Theres nothing we can do, Raymond said. Were in a 3v5. They earned that Dragon. Hey, that Impaler is running low, right? Dylan smirked. I can probably kill her if I gank. Yes please! Bruce jumped. Do it! Kill that bitch! Do it now! A good idea, Raymond said. Except, how do you plan to escape from them without your ult. Touche, Dylan gave up the idea as quickly as he brought it up. Goddammit y''all, Bruce ranted. Somebody, anybody, just shoot down that damn Impaler. Dont put all my hard work to waste! Sorry, bro, Dylan apologized. I think shes out of reach for now. Goddamit, Bruce finally gave the topic a rest. Though, he continued stomping with his foot mumbling to himself. The guy just couldnt get over it. An enemy defeated the Dragon! The message verified their suspicion. The enemy has taken the Dragon and there was nothing the team could do about that. Shortly, the Impaler and Druid returned to Bot. Even though the Impaler was hanging on a thread, she refused to recall. Girl got balls. Bryan laughed. Its as if the Impaler was inviting them to attack. If Dylan rotated to Bot right now, he and Bryan could finish off that gal together. Oh wait, the Ninja is also here. Bryan noticed. Never mind then. We better avoid this fight. Shortly, the next minion wave arrived and all three enemies pushed together. There was nothing Bryan could do about this development. He chose to stay on the lane with his 60% HP and defend, but his presence barely had any impact. He couldnt stand up to three enemies alone. Cmon, kill her! Shes almost dead! Do it! Bruce insisted and insisted and insisted. And how do you suggest I do that without dying? Bryan didnt expect a real answer. He knew Bruce didnt really think things through. Bruh was just spouting salty nonsense. The Impaler was ballsy. She chose to push instead of recalling to base, despite having only 20% HP. It looked like a terrible misplay at first glance, but it wasnt. In fact, recalling to base would have been the true misplay here, since she wouldve missed on this juicy opportunity to push hard. Even though the girl was hanging onto 20% HP, there was no efficient way to kill her at the moment. Her two allies served as professional bodyguards, theyll shot down anybody who dared to approach. The Impaler must have chosen to push with that in mind. There was nothing Bryan could do about it. "Meh, whatever," Bruce gave up. Or, so it seemed. "Hey, Dyl! Come gank Bot! I already rekt this Impaler pretty hard, so ya just gotta get a few hits in. Ez." "You want me to gank that?" Dylan made a face. "Sorry, my ult is down." "So what? Just go in there and shoot her and stuff!" "That''s kinda..." Dylan wasn''t sure how to retort to that nonsense. He should able to get in there and kill the Impaler, but his chances of escaping alive were slim-to-none. The Ninja and Druid will immediately gang on him and kick his ass. It was risky as heck. "C''mon," Bruce urged on. "Don''t wuss out. Ya got this. bro!" "''Got this'', huh. Yeaaaah." Dylan had no idea what to say. Arguing back will only trigger Bruce, but following his instructions meant death. Dylan had to inject some reason into this conversation ASAP. "Hey Bryan, what do you think?" Dylan asked. "Me?" Bryan grumped. Don''t shift the responsibility to me, dammit. "Ignore that guy," Bruce said. "He''ll distract them by defending while you sneak up to them. The perfect plan!" "Perfect, huh. Yaaaaah," Dylan rolled his eyes. He hoped that adding Bryan to the discussion will make Bruce see reason, but Bryan clearly wanted nothing to do with this. Dylan had to figure a different way to deflect this request. What would a pro player do in this situation? Bruces silly demand was kinda like an order from the team captain. Bruce wasn''t the official captain, but his word carried that much weight. Because the real captain is acting oblivious all the time. Dylan threw a glance at Raymond, who hasn''t spoken a single word on this topic. If Taurus was a proper team, Dylan could''ve relied on the captain to talk some sense into Bruce. Alas, Raymond was too passive for his own good. He was a captain only in name. Even if Raymond had an opinion about this, he didn''t share it. He was fully concentrated on his situation in Mid. Apparently, the ex-StormBlitz dude was giving the captain a hard time. He had his hands full. On top of that, Raymond''s motto was something like let the players resolve things among themselves. A cute slogan, but it caused countless problems for the team and the club at large. It gave Bruce the "okay" to take the reins and order everybody around. Anybody who opposed the king had to suffer the consequences. If I refuse to gank, Bruce gonna complain. If I gank and die, Bruce gonna complain. Fuck my life. Dylan sighed. He was screwed no matter what he gonna pick. Why was life so unfair sometimes? Sigh. "C''mon, man," Bruce insisted. "Do it for your homie." "Okay, got it already," Dylan gave in. He''ll go there and get the damn kill, then probably die. Will that make Bruce happy? Probably not, but whatever. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. At least, itll become the teams first kill this game. Their situation was a depressing 0-2, so getting one kill could brighten things a little. At the same time, one more early death will make a grim situation look even grimmer... Whatever. Let''s just get it over with. Dylan knew he was probably committing a misplay, but it wasnt entirely hopeless. He might get a kill and escape alive. The odds were slim, but they existed. Worst case, if things go south, he''ll eject outta there right away. Actually, wait. I can just go there, distract them a little, and then run away! Dylan found a third option! It was brilliant! This way, he gonna keep everybody happy. It''ll even help Bryan with the defense efforts. With that ingenious plan in mind, Dylan made his way toward Bot Lane. Unbeknown to him, an enemy ward caught wind of his rotation... "Hes going to gank? For real?" Kai couldn''t help but ask out loud. "So it seems," Yuel also found that a little odd, but Taurus was no stranger to committing amateurish mistakes from time to time. It seemed as if their captain, or perhaps their shot-caller, was lacking in the decision-making department. Or, maybe they didn''t have a shot-caller at all. Thatd explain why they seemed so disorganized. "Let''s kill him," Nia suggested. "Yeah," Kai nodded. "Hes probably going after me. Lets strike him first." "Wait, let him come closer first," Yuel said. "Act oblivious for now and focus on pushing. Once he gets close enough, Vincent should place a shield on Kai and pull the Vampire." "A good plan, except I wouldn''t trust this doofus to pull anybody," Kai retorted. "Such harshness toward poor lil'' me," Vincent pretended to sob. "I agree," Yuel said. "His accuracy isn''t reliable." "Even the great Chessmaster belittles moi!?" Vincent pretended to sniffle. "I see how it is. Yes, its exactly as you say. After all, Mr. Blackhole is only good at gathering info. Hes a complete amateur when it comes to playing the actual game. Sob." "That nonsense aside," Yuel continued. "Kai and Nia, be ready to attack in case the pull fails. Iron Maiden into Impale, or Shuriken Flip and into a blink. Or both. Your call." "Ok," Nia nodded. "Got it," Kai nodded as well. They were more than prepared. If that Vampire thought he gonna suck out Kais remaining HP, he better think again! Meanwhile, Dylan was on his way to Bot, believing he was being sneaky. The enemy didn''t show any signs of anticipating his arrival. They were pushing onward in full throttle. They won''t even know what hit them! Dylan entered the lane and crept from behind toward the overextending foes. All three pushers were looking straight ahead, unaware of the super sneaky forward who was about to score a goal. It gonna be a perfect crime! Just as he thought that, the Impaler turned around for some reason. It''s as if she sensed Dylan behind her back. "He''s here!" Kai announced. No matter how quietly the Vampire was trying to creep up to them, no sound could escape Kais acute hearing. "Roger!" Vincent activated Gaias Protection and placed a shield on Kai. That alone was almost enough to thwart the entire gank. But, that was only the beginning. They were going to mount a counterattack! Vincent opened the attack by firing Nature''s Grasp! And missed. "Again!?" Vincent exclaimed. The success rate of his pulls was unbelievably low. It was 0% for this game so far. How could that be!? Blasmephy! "Really," Kai sighed and summoned an Iron Maiden behind the Impaler. Next, she gonna impale that bastard! But, she stopped at the last moment. The guy rolled aside. "Damn, they''re onto me!" Dylan shouted while performing a panic Dodge Roll. He knew this gank was gonna be bad news, but he didn''t expect such a fierce counter-attack. He didnt even have the chance to deliver one hit! Fortunately, he reacted fast and avoided the worst-case scenario, that of being impaled into the Iron Maiden. He rolled around the Iron Maiden, so no there was nothing to impale him into. Damn, I can''t shoot Impale now. Kai clicked her tongue. She was confident in landing the skillshot, but there was no wall to impale the target into. A raw Imaple will only push the Vampire father away from them. In other words, it''d help him escape. Dammit. We messed this one up. Kai sighed in defeat. Both she and Vincent failed to pin down the target. And, he rolled away so fast that Nia didn''t have a chance to throw a shuriken at him. Speaking of Nia, where is she? Kai looked around. Oh, there she is. The elusive Ninja was chasing after the fleeing Vampire. She must''ve really wanted that kill, huh. Wait, isn''t that just the clone? Kai took a closer look. Enemies couldn''t tell Nia''s clone apart from the real deal, but allies had an indicator for it. There was a small icon showing duplicating human figures, proving this was indeed a clone. Then, where was the real Nia? And, when did she even leave their side? Kai didn''t notice any of it. Wait, she''s already over there!? Kai couldn''t believe her eyes. Nia was already inside the jungle. She must have used Dodge Roll to get there so fast. Was she planning to intercept the Vampire in the jungle? "I''ll chase the Vampire," Kai told Vincent. "Stay here and start pushing with Ents." "Roger," Vincent unleashed Awaken the Ents right before allied minions entered the tower area. With the gigantic living trees tanking tower shots, even a push composed of only minions had deadly might. Meanwhile, a chase began in the jungle. Damn, they''re both after me! Dylan ranted internally as he glanced behind him. The Ninja and the Impaler were hot on his trail. He had to make a run for it! And so, he headed toward the nearby jungle entrance. Vampire had decent Movement Speed, but he was slower than Ninja. So, that damn Ninja might catch up to him. It was a bad idea to fight her at close range, so Dylan had to prioritize his escape. As soon as he entered the jungle, he made a sharp turn to the right. If he flees deep enough into the allied side of the jungle, his pursuers should give up. However, just as he thought that, a blade flashed in front of his face! It appeared outta nowhere and slashed him! "The heck!?" Dylan jumped. Who the hell was there!? He knew everybody''s positions through the mini-map, so nobody couldve possibly been there at the moment. Yet, someone was. It was the Ninja! She was right in front of Dylan somehow. But, how!? Wasnt she chasing him from behind just a moment ago... Ah! A clone!? Did she scare me away from the lane so I run over here!? Dylan couldn''t believe this was really happening in a middle school level game. Anyway, this is bad. I gotta backpedal and find a different escape route... Oh, fuck my life. The true gravity of the situation only hit him once he turned around. Turning around meant facing whoever was coming after him from behind. And, who stood there? The Impaler, naturally. Those two caught Dylan in a pincer! To make things worse, there were long jungle walls all around this area. There was nowhere to escape! Shit, she gonna Impale the living shit outta me...! Dylan booted Coffin Slumber by reflex. He summoned a coffin that swallowed him whole. That''ll prevent Impale from hitting him. Wait, she didn''t even shot it yet... Dylan face-palmed. He totally panicked. He pulled the trigger before the enemy even started their move. Thanks to that, Dylan became a sitting duck for his foes. Awesome... He sure pulled that coffin fast. Kai shrugged. I didn''t even start aiming yet. Well, that makes things easier for me. The Vampire willingly became a practice dummy for her, how nice of him. Kai and Nia repeatedly struck the coffin with basic attacks until they forced the Vampire out. Then, Kai fired Impale. It shoved the Vampire into a wall and sunned him. From there, it was an easy kill. An enemy has been killed! Nia delivered the finishing blow. Kai gave the kill away because she has already scored a kill on the Pirate the last time they worked together. Not to mention, Nia really deserved this one. This entire pincer was practically Nias work. Well, perhaps it only converted into a kill so smoothly because Kai quickly followed on Nias play. Nonetheless, even without Kai being here, Nia would have surely given the Vampire a hard time in the jungle. It was a great play from her either way. "Let''s get back to pushing," Kai said. "Ok," Nia ran back the way she came. Her chase ended up being anti-climatic and short. But, at least it meant she had time to join the push efforts in Bot before Vincents Ents perish. With the three pushers joining hands and the Ents tanking tower shots, the enemy turret stood no chance. A single defender couldnt fend them off. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! One tower already down, long before the game even started approaching mid-game. This signaled the beginning of the end for Taurus. With this momentum, Stratus'' early-game composition easily pushed all the way to victory. That was the end of the second game. The scrimmage became 2-0 for Stratus. An easy 2-0 to boot. If things keep going like this, Stratus will end the day with a perfect 5-0. That''ll be a great way to open the scrimmaging season. However, that''s provided their opponents will fail to adapt and continue playing on the same mediocre level. And, it also depended on whether Taurus lineup will remain the same after this game... Vol.10 Ch.1: Jaidens Observations Jaiden and Co. were in the audience during the second game. They sat in the front row to not miss any of the action. "Iwts, satwrating uwp!" Nash spouted some gibberish while stuffing his mouth with popcorn. "Hey, where did you get that?" Jaiden asked and thurst a hand into the popcorn box. "Gimme some." He grabbed a handful. "I want some too," Rio also grabbed a bunch without reservation. "Hey, hey, leave some for me!" Nash quickly shoved more popcorn into his mouth. He was planning the box to last him the entire game but, at this rate, everything will be gone before the game even loads! "C''mon, don''t be stingy," Jaiden grabbed some more. "Yeah," Rio also took some more. "This is robbery in broad daylight! You guuuuuys!" Nash complained, but he didn''t do much to stop his pals. He just sighed and resigned himself to this cruel fate. Welp, its not like he minded sharing with his friends anyway. While the trio was devouring the popcorn, the game began. Finally, Jaiden will get to see Gunz and Chessmaster play again. How good were these guys? How much did they improve? It gonna be fun to find out! Back in the drafting phase, Stratus made a pick that was both interesting and disappointing: Dark Knight. It''s a pick that always came across as BM. Jaiden was sure Stratus were feeling themselves too much and that this cocky pick will blow up in their faces. But, then the game loaded and something unexpected was revealed. Chessmaster was the one playing Dark Knight. That made things ten times more interesting. Did Chessmaster have the necessary skill to dominate in the lane against Zephs Dragonborn? Either his arrogance will be his undoing, or it''ll win Stratus the entire game. With how extreme of a class Dark Knight was, there was little chance for anything in-between. In fact, Stratus'' entire lineup was extremely early-game focused. There was no doubt they planned to quickly wrap up this game and they fully believed they could do that against Taurus. If these mad lads really pull it off, itll mean this years Stratus actually meant business. Gaaaah! If only I was on stage right now too! Jaiden roared internally. He wanted to be up there, on that dazzling stage reserved for the most competitive players. He wanted to clash swords with Stratus, to test his mettle against the ex-StormBlitz players, and to kick the ass of that captain girl, who surely secured her position through some sort of favoritism. Dang it, why couldn''t he be born one year earlier? Or, be some genius who could skip grades? Warming up the bench while watching the seniors play was such a torment! Gaaaaaaah! At least, the game itself was quite the spectacle. Chessmaster didn''t disappoint with his Dark Knight pick. He countered everything Zeph threw his way and thoroughly dominated the lane. Zeph''s Dragonborn was one solid beast, Jaiden knew that from club practice. And yet, Chessmaster made it look like a fight between an adult and a toddler. Yes, it was that one-sided. "Zeph is a goner," Rio quietly said these ominous words. "Yep, he''s done for," Nash agreed. "That Chessmaster bro means business." "Hey, c''mon. Don''t sell our guy short like that," Jaiden argued. "Zeph can still make things happen. He just gotta switch to defense and wait for Dylan to gank. C''mon, Zeph! Don''t let that DK push you around like this!" Maybe the words somehow reached Zephs ears, because he fell back just like Jaiden asked. Zeph gave up the offense and focused on luring Chessmaster in. "Yeah, that''s how you do it!" Jaiden pumped a fist. "Heh, let''s see if he can start something going now," Nash smiled mischievously, like an excited kid waiting to see a magic trick. "He''s still doomed," Rio said matter-of-factly, as if Zeph''s defeat has already been set in stone. Ever the optimist, heh. Jaiden smiled wryly. Rio rarely ever focused on the bright side of things, but many of his predictions were frighteningly accurate. It wasnt always clear how he reached the conclusions he did, but... DragonMaster has been killed! Just like this, the prediction came true. What transpired during that gank was too confusing for words to describe. Even from the audience, from where Jaiden could clearly see the positions of all players, he didn''t catch on that play in time. At first, it looked like Zeph and Dylan were about to give Chessmaster some heat. Their formidable opponent finally committed a misplay and overextended, giving Dylan a great opportunity to gank. And so, Dylan ganked with his ult, stunning Chessmaster from behind. It should''ve been a wrap right then and there, but it wasn''t. Far from it. In a blink of an eye, the entire situation flipped on its head. Stratus Ninja popped out of nowhere and trashed Zeph hard. He was dead meat. "Whoa! Where did that Ninja chick come from!?" Nash exclaimed. "Any of ya saw her coming?" "No," Jaiden admitted. Not until she got very close. "Dang, so sneaky. Zeph is hella unlucky. "Unlucky?" Jaiden asked. "I mean, Nash said. Bruh almost had it, then Ninja snuck up to him before anybody realized. Tough luck, man." ''Almost had it'', you say," Jaiden smiled wryly. "What if I told you it was probably staged?" "Wut?" Nash tilted his head. "Ya mean, someone paid Zeph to lose on purpose? It''s a rigged game!?" "What is this, WWE?" Jaiden laughed. "Im saying Zeph was probably baited. You saw how Chessmaster overextended, right? I think it was on purpose. He was reeling Zeph in." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "You pulling my leg. Youre saying that guy was on top of the situation all along!?" "I''m saying it''s possible, Jaiden nodded. Rio, what do you think?" I also think it was planned, Rio said. The overextension was too obvious. Chessmaster doesnt make mistakes like that." "You think so too, huh?" Jaiden nodded. "Whoa there," Nash said. "You guys are trying to spook me, arent ya? I mean, you telling me Stratus has a player who can pull stuff like that? That was some 200 IQ pro gamer move right there!" "I told you, Gunz and Chessmaster used to be in StormBlitz," Jaiden reminded. "These guys are something else. They can kick some serious butt." "Man, wish I could fight them myself. Like, right now!" "Me too, me too." Unfortunately, they had no choice but to remain as idle observers. They were juniors and they belonged to a club with many members. Therefore, their chances of setting foot on the stage were slim to none this year. Unless... Anyway, Chessmaster drew the first blood of the game. Well, to be more accurate, it was the Ninja girl who scored the kill. Chessmaster only got the assist. But, there was little doubt that Chessmaster was the one who staged the whole thing. He became bait to create that precious opportunity, so most of the credit belonged to him. That was a harsh opening for Taurus. A Dark Knight who dominated the lane this hard in the early-game was bad news. The team will have to shut him down ASAP, or else he''ll snowball out of control. As Jaiden expected, Chessmaster was proving himself as a formidable foe. So, how was Gunz doing? He was facing Raymond in Mid, the captain and strongest player in Taurus. This gotta be interesting. Well, it IS interesting. In a way. Jaiden thought. Gunz and Raymond constantly spaced each other out with their spells. They desperately searched for opportunities to strike each other and to increase their lane control, but without overcommitting to anything. Both sides were extremely cautious and refused to overextend. It looked like a boring deadlock on the surface, but a lot of high-level gameplay was going on underneath. Their spacing, timing, and execution were all top-notch. Nothing about their clashes was particularly flashy or intense, but there were many fine details to appreciate. Its not that exciting to watch, though. Jaiden smiled wryly. Neither side committed to any big plays, so the lane remained frozen. There wasnt a whole lot of action there. It was the kind of high-level fight thatd be interesting to analyze in detail from a replay, but at the moment it didnt move the game in any direction. Gotta say, Gunz is playing real tame there. Jaiden thought. The Gunz engraved in his mind was a wild beast with overwhelming might. Always on the offense, always hungering for kills. But, not so much this game. Gunz was playing it safe. He was undeniably strong, he held his own against Raymond. And yet, something was missing from his plays. There was no spark there. It was weird. The first time Jaiden saw Gunz on stage, he thought he was no match for that beast. But, the way Gunz was playing now, the guy didn''t seem like such a big deal. He was strong, but not powerful. Jaiden could probably hold his own against Gunz if they right fought now. Did he change his playstyle? Or, maybe he just plays more defensively in Mid? There was nobody to answer Jaidens inquires. Next, Jaiden checked out Bot. Thats where Beat, the female captain of Stratus, was playing. Thinking of it, they got two girls on the team. The Carry and the Jungler. I didnt even notice. Jaiden didnt remember seeing another girl in Stratuss lineup on the stage. The Ninja girl was sure an elusive one, both inside and outside the game. Anyway, back to Bot Lane. Bruce was about to initiate an attack on Beat. A little reckless of him, but it should work out. Bruce wont let some girl embarrass him in a fight, will he? Well, if things go south, Im sure Bryan will help out. Jaiden thought. The BB (Bruce-Bryan) duo was well-known in the club. Bruce delivered the aggression and mechanical skill, whereas Bryan brought in robust game knowledge and sharp decision-making. They complemented each other well. Well, it sounds pretty on paper, but its usually more like Bruce running into trouble and Bryan doing everything in his power to prevent a disaster. Jaiden cracked a laugh. Yeah, those two werent exactly the most amazing duo out there. But, Bruces reckless ideas, supplemented by Bryans effective support, worked out pretty well more often they should. This time as well, their attack on Beat started off on the right foot. Bryan was doing a great job weakening Beat with his rain and keeping her Support away with geysers. It allowed Bruce to easily mop the floor with his opponent. The fight was looking like a wrap. The slowdown from Rainfall was incredibly heavy, so Beat couldnt even get away. And, every time she was about to step outside, Bryan pushed her back with a geyser. His setup had no openings. The fight between Beat and Bruce was essentially a wild shootout. Bruce fired a bullet at Beat, but at the same time Beat flung a spear at him. It''s as if the two were synchronizing their shots on purpose, to not give the other any time to dodge. "Whoa, look at that timing!" Nash exclaimed. "Yeah, its interesting," Jaiden frowned. What are you doing, Bruce? You should be firing and dodging. You got the speed advantage in both attacks and movement, you gotta use it. Unless... It was curious. The shots definitely seemed synchronized. The first couple of shots mightve been a fluke, but it couldnt be a mere coincidence after theyre fired this many. That synchronization was on purpose. But, why? Bruce shouldnt have a reason to maintain such a routine, so it couldn''t be his idea. So, was the girl doing it? Was she timing her shots to land them during Bruce''s recovery animation? Given the slowdown inside the rain, Beat probably struggled to land any hits on Bruce by shooting normally. So, this routine of synchronized shots was probably her combat plan. If shes doing this on purpose, thats pretty impressive. Jaiden thought. Well, not that impressive, but not bad for a girl. She at least had some skils, which was more than Jaiden expected. At least, she wasn''t completely useless. How is she doing that? Jaiden carefully analyzed every shot. She must be predicting Bruce''s timing somehow. Is he shooting at a constant rate or something? If Jaiden were in Bruces shoes, he''d try switching up the tempo of his shots. That''d make it clear whether the girl was relying on prediction or reaction. Alas, Bruce continued shooting in the same exact way, oblivious to all these considerations. The guy was a simpleton like that. Well, he''s going to win anyway. Jaiden shrugged. Bruce had a head start because he landed two hits before this synchronized routine began, so he''ll kill Beat before she kills him. As for her Support... Jaiden checked around the lane. He probably wont be able to make a difference. Bryan is doing a great job spacing the guy out. So, it''s all over for their captain. Good job, Bruce. Let her taste how REAL players fight! However, right before the curtain fell on that play, something unexpected happened. An invisible shadow snuck up to Bruce and assaulted him! The Ninja appeared out of nowhere and slashed his back! "Again!?" Jaiden blinked in shock. This was so weird. He was in the audience, he could clearly see the movements of all players from both teams. Even though he was preoccupied with the situation in Bot, he should''ve spotted the Ninja girl rotating there. Yet, he didn''t notice her right until she appeared behind Bruce. Could it due to Jaiden not participating in the game? Maybe being a mere observer dulled his senses somewhat. Thats the only explanation he had for VanishingFlower''s unexpected appearances. Anyway, this is bad. Jaiden thought. The Ninjas sneaky gank completely shifted the tides of battle. The enemy turned the tables on Bruce and killed him. It was an unfortunate turn of events. Bryan escaped the clash alive, but the enemy has already dealt a critical blow to Taurus. They killed Bruce and used that opportunity to take the Dragon. Nobody dared to get in their way during this 3v5 situation. With this development, it became apparent that the game was heading in a bad direction for Taurus... Vol.10 Ch.2: The Gangs in Taurus Jaiden continued watching the second game between Taurus and Stratus. Hed give anything to be on that stage right now, but he had no choice but to watch from the audience. Nevertheless, even from down here, there were many things to study and analyze. Jaiden was going to do everything in his power to help Taurus win, even if he couldnt set foot on the stage itself. This is looking bad. Jaiden thought. The enemy killed Bruce in Bot and chased Bryan away. Next, they went after the Dragon. Nobody dared to stop them. Dylan seemed to entertain the idea of stealing the Dragon, but he ultimately decided against it. Yeah, Dragon isn''t worth the risk. We cant give them another kill. Jaiden thought. It was usually worthwhile to die in an attempt to steal the Overlord, but not Dragon. And so, nobody stopped the enemy from taking the Dragon. Next, the enemy trio consisting of Impaler, Druid, and Ninja rotated back to harass Bot. They were planning to push through with raw strength. Bryan couldnt fend off all three of them alone. On top of that, Druid''s Ents will be able to tank the tower for quite some time. It was a hopeless situation. "We probably gonna lose Bot tower," Jaiden shared his opinion with his pals. "What? No way!" Nash objected. "I mean, the game is basically over if they take Bot this early." "Yeah, but how would you stop them?" "Well, hrrrrrm..." Nash crossed his arms and fell into deep thought. Or, at least, he wore a difficult expression that made it look like he was thinking real hard about it. "You''ll fry your brain if you try to think," Rio said quietly. "What was that!?" Nash barked. He didn''t quite catch what Rio said, but his instincts were telling him it was some sort of insult toward this genius here. "Just so you know, I actually came up with something!" "You did?" Jaiden and Rio blinked in unison as if they''ve just witnessed the paranormal. "What''s with that reaction?" Nash grumped. "Anyway, listen to this! It''s the ultimate counter! Basically, they gonna use the Invincible Triangle!" "You realize that''s our move, right?" Jaiden asked. "Yeah, but no choice! They gotta do it. Here and now!" "They don''t even have the three players in Bot for it," Rio pointed out. "Oh, now that you mention it..." Nash scratched his head. "Eh, hmm, oh, I know! They should just do the Invincible Square instead!" "The heck is that even?" Jaiden asked. "Also, a ''square''? Sounds like theyd need four players. There are only three players alive, you know" "Oh, yeah," Nash shrugged. "Guess they''re doomed then." You dont say, genius! Jaiden laughed. "Rio, what do you think?" "I have nothing," Rio admitted. "I''d suggest the Invincible Pentagon, but they don''t have enough players." He smiled mischievously. "I see, so their only option is... the Invincible Hexagon!" Jaiden said. "They only got five players on the team, so to create a hexagon they gonna summon Maker to lend them a hand!" "Haha, sounds broken," Nash laughed. "Theres one thing I do know," Rio pointed at one of the screens. "This gank is a bad idea." "Yeah, it sure is," Jaiden frowned at what he saw. For some ungodly reason, Dylan was on his way to Bot. Even worse, he was apparently planning to appear behind the enemy. It was an incoming gank, no two ways about it. But, why? It was suicide. At best, Dylan will kill the injured Carry before dying. It might stop the enemy from taking Bot Turret in this push, but the turret will stay on life support after that. It''ll easily crumble in the next push anyway. Dylan was one of the brighter dudes in Bruce''s gank, so he should''ve known all of that. Nevertheless, he was about to commit a terrible misplay that might cost him his life. Why? Did somebody ask him to gank? I doubt it was Bryan. Jaiden knotted his brows. Bryan was undeniably the "brain" in Bruce''s gang, so he wouldn''t request a hopeless gank like that. In that case, there was only one logical conclusion: Bruce asked for it. Is he really going to be Bruce''s lapdog here? Jaiden smiled wryly. Most likely, Bruce was throwing a tantrum right now and asking for something stupid like "Kill that chick I fought!". He was a prideful dude like that. Bryan and Dylan knew that ganking the trio in Bot was hopeless. But, Bruce had control over them. Not because he was good at debating or could bring up reasonable arguments. Nah, he always just yelled real hard until he got his way. Everybody caved in against Bruce''s intimidating aura, even those who always hung out with him. Jaiden was on the receiving end of that treatment a few times as well. He also gave in most of the time. It was that much easier to simply shut up and do whatever nonsense Bruce was asking, instead of getting into a fight with that wild boar. That oppressing aura Bruce had turned him into the unofficial captain of the seniors. He was brash and strong to boot. Nobody could stand up to him, except for the real captain. But, Raymond was too much of a pacifist for his own good and didnt intervene much in others businesses. He was a good guy and a strong player, but a terrible captain. On top of that, the clubs size was another reason why Bruces gang managed to seize this much control. Players from other teams often envied Taurus on that front. Most schools in the region restricted the sizes of their Classmancers clubs, but Taurus was allowed to have up to 30 members. The club was second only the Leopards in size. However, it wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows. In a big club, it was impossible for everybody to be close friends. There were simply too many dudes in there. As a result, the club always had multiple dominant groups. Like-minded individuals grouped together to form a circle of close friends. Sometimes, it felt like the club was split into multiple ganks contesting for territory. Forming such groups was only natural. Nobody tried to stop it from happening. However, for a competitive team sport, these groups were an issue. The "gangs" didnt exist just to make friends. People in the same circle often played together and improved together. As a result, their affinity developed and they became great teammates. For example, Jaiden played the most with his best pals: Nash and Rio. Likewise, Bruce played the most with Bryan and Dylan, and recently with Zeph too. Of course, they also played with other clubmates every now and then, but everybody spent the most time playing with their closest friends. As a result, their game skill developed bias. They believed they couldnt play their best unless they were alongside their best pals, and it was true to some degree. For example, Jaiden was definitely at his best when fighting alongside Nash and Rio. They were the Invincible Triangle together! But, without them? Jaiden didnt consider himself particularly amazing. Still, that bias wasnt a problem at first. Anybody was free to team up with anybody during practice. If anything, training alongside friends boosted motivation and made the training more fruitful. The problems started surfacing once the gangs entered their third year. It was time to decide wholl compose the first-string and represent the club at the regionals. Logically, one would choose the best senior players for the first-string. However, what did it mean to be the best? In this club, where everybody formed circles of trusted comrades with whom they performed better, an objective best didnt exist. For example, Jaiden believed himself to be the best Carry player among the juniors. However, thats only provided he had Rio as the Support and Nash as the Jungler. As long as the three of them were together, their teamwork was top-notch and they crushed everybody with their Invincible Triangle! But, what if it was just Jaiden by himself? Paired with a different Support he wasnt used to, and with a Jungler who didnt cooperate nearly enough. Suddenly, it became an entirely different story. Was Jaiden still the best Carry among juniors without his pals by his side? He wanted to believe so, but it was impossible to prove. His strength laid in the trust and teamwork he built up with his best friends, so it was pointless to judge his own skill in a vacuum. After all, Classmancers was a team game. It was the strength of the team that counted, not the strength of each individual. Unfortunately, this problem wasnt unique to Jaiden. Anybody who spent the majority of their time playing with friends developed a dependency on them. Every player felt that, to play their best, they absolutely needed their friends as teammates. And, they werent wrong. Jaiden was really at his best only together with Nash and Rio. This was a huge hurdle when deciding on the teams first-string. Who was the best Carry in the club? The best Support? The best Jungler? Jaiden could confidently claim that, among the juniors, the best at these roles were him, Nash, and Rio when they were playing together. But, individually? Without each other around? Was any of them truly the best in any of these roles? Jaiden couldnt tell. Thats what made the selection process for the first-string so difficult. For example, if somebody wanted to put Jaiden on the first string, theyd have to consider adding Nash and Rio as well. Their participation was neccessary for unlocking Jaidens full potential. Not to mention, it was very likely for people to find Jaiden worthy of the first-string based on how he performed alongside his friends. Without them, he couldnt even qualify. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. So, just by wanting Jaiden as the first-strings Carry, it meant locking the spots for Jungler and Support as well. After that, only two options would be left: Top and Mid. But, what if the best Mid Laner in the club could only do his best when paired with his best pal Jungler? And, suppose said Jungler wasnt Nash. Bam! A conflict right there. Who gonna get the Jungler spot now? Nash, whod draw out Jaidens full potential? Or, that other Jungler whod help the Mid Laner perform his best? There was no clear-cut answer to these cases. They were a huge headache. All the first-string candidates wanted to play alongside their friends. They banded together and stood their ground, fighting for the right to join the first-string as a group. Therefore, it was suitable to calls them "gangs". They fought each other for territory, with the first-string being the ultimate prize of this war. Well, "fought" might be a harsh word. For the most part, the gangs just competed against each other, each trying to prove their members worth. However, some gangs took the fights literally. Bruce''s gang was one such example. Instead of competing for the first-strong via sheer skill, Bruce was notorious for applying intimidation on the competition. He was like a terrorist. It was unclear whether his pals fully agreed with his actions, but they followed him through, perhaps out of fear of becoming his next targets. Thanks to that support, Burces gang climbed all the way to the top of the club. Anybody who dared to cross them had to prepare themselves. Verbal abuse, and sometimes even physical abuse, soon followed. Yes, Bruce was no stranger to starting real fights. And, he was strong too, one of the few areas in which he really distinguished himself. There was even a time he took on two guys at once and pummeled them hard. The captain was the only one in the club who could stand up to Bruce. But, Ray never gets involved. Luke sighed. In such a problematic environment, a passive captain was like a curse. Raymond was a good guy, but way too passive for his own good. And so, Bruce continued intimidating clubmates without anybody there to punish him. With time, the other seniors understood they had no hope of making it into the first-string as long as Bruce''s tyranny continued. On top of that, the environment in the club became far from pleasant for them. Therefore, many of them started skipping practice. They didnt want to be in the same space as the almighty tyrant. On top of that, they misused their status as seniors to dismiss any criticism toward their attitude. "I''ve been attending properly for two years, so I can slack off a little in the end, right?" They used bad excuses like that to justify their actions. Bruce''s gang sucked out all motivation from these guys. They barely even cared about Classmancers anymore at that point. Only two survived through these dark times: Raymond and Zeph. Bruce didnt dare to do anything funny in front of the giant captain since everybody knew Raymond was the strongest in the club. Meanwhile, Zeph didnt have any such insurance, so he simply jumped ship and wiggled his way into Bruces gang before it came to crush him and his former gang. And so, thats how the current first-string came to be. Bruces gang was the core of the first-string, while Raymond and Zeph were the two survivors who made it through the harsh times. As far as skill was concerned, Bruces gang was alright, nothing more. Not the worst, but not amazing either. Jaiden could name at least two other seniors who deserved to be on the first-string way more than these terrorists. Alas, said seniors have lost their passion for Classmancers by now, so the current clunky first-string was all Taurus had. Unfortunately, this team didn''t quite cut in a competitive environment. Even Stratus, the team considered to be the weakest in the region, was mopping the floor with the current Taurus. It was a sorry sight. You hate to see it. Jaiden sighed. The first-string, the supposed representatives of the entire club, had their arse handed to them by Stratus. If only Jaiden and his pals were on that stage right now...! DEFEAT Taurus'' fate was all too predictable. After losing the early-game so hard, they had no chance of recovering against Stratus'' early game composition. The game was over in a blink of an eye. As expected, Gunz and Chessmaster performed well. Chessmaster dominated against Zeph and established the teams early game momentum, while Gunz held his own against a powerhouse like Raymond and later went on a killing spree during team fights. Those two were on a completely different level, even though they were the same age as Jaiden and his friends. It was amazing, but also baffling at the same time. If they''re so good, why leave StormBlitz? Jaiden still couldn''t wrap his head around that mystery. Players of their caliber should be playing for one of the strongest teams in the region, not dragging their feet in Stratus. Not to mention, these guys took Jaiden''s spot during StormBlitzs entrance exam. They had the responsibility to see things through. I cant leave things hanging in the air like this! Jaiden jumped on his feet. Stratus'' members were in the middle of leaving their chairs, so he ran up to them. "Hey! Gunz and Chessmaster!" The yell caught the boys'' attention. "Yo, what''s up?" the tall dude, Gunz, flashed a smile. Okay, they look friendly enough. Jaiden thought. "Can I ask you guys something? "I believe you just did," Chessmaster retorted. "Haha, dont mind him," Gunz laughed. "Sure, ask away." "You two used to in StormBlitz, right?" Jaiden cut to the chase. "..........." The two boys exchanged glances. Theyre probably wondering where I got my hands on this confidential information, hehe. Jaiden smirked. "Yeah, we were on StormBlitz. How do ya know?" Lars asked. "Are we super famous or something?" "I saw you playing on the second-string last year," Jaiden explained. "Heh, it feels like everybody and their moms saw that match," Gunz laughed. "No kidding," Chessmaster nodded. Jaiden had no idea what they were talking about, but it sounded like he wasn''t the only one who was mesmerized by that rare second-string scrimmage. "You guys gave the Leopards a run for their money," Jaiden grinned "Heck yeah, we kicked their butts! Ez!" Gunz gave a thumbs up. "I wouldn''t say it was that easy," Chessmaster argued. "But yes, overall we had the upper hand in that scrimmage." Good, looks like I buttered them up without even planning. Jaiden smiled mischievously. With these preparations in place, there was a good chance their lips will become loose. "So, how did you two end up in Stratus?" "........." Heavy silence again. The two boys looked at each other with difficult expressions. It felt like Jaiden stepped on a landmine. Nevertheless, he had to know the truth. "Reasons and stuff, ya know," Gunz finally gave an answer, or at least something that pretended to be one. "Reasons...?" Jaiden raised an eyebrow. That was as good as giving him nothing. "You''re from Taurus, aren''t you?" Chessmaster asked. "Yep, I''m a junior in the club." "In that case, I don''t see why we should share any information with the enemy." "Whoa," Gunz exclaimed. "Aren''t ya a little harsh on the dude? He just came here to talk." "Or, Chessmaster narrowed his eyes. Maybe he came to extract information about us." "Fair enough," Jaiden nodded with an understanding smile. Chessmaster''s words were a little cold, but it seemed like he was a harsh guy in general. True to his nickname, he was a strategist. He must''ve suspected the possibility of an enemy ploy at every turn. "Then, how about this?" Jaiden suggested. "If Taurus wins today, would you mind telling me the reason youre in Stratus? At least some of it?" "Why do you care so much?" Chessmaster asked. "I''m... something of a fan, I guess," Jaiden scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "It was cool how you gave the Leopards such a hard fight even though you were just freshmen. As a freshman myself at the time, it was very inspiring." "Okay, gotcha!" Gunz gave a thumbs up. "If ya dudes can beat us today, we''ll tell ya the whole story." "Seriously!?" Jaiden jumped. "It''s a deal then. My IGN is Renegade. You better remember it!" "You betcha!" "We should be going," Chessmaster cut the conversation short. It was only fair since Jaidens banter was wasting away their precious break time. "It was fun talking to you," Jaiden waved at them with a smile. "Catch you later. Hopefully, it gonna on this stage." On that note, Jaiden left. "An interesting dude," Lars said. "I can''t quite figure what''s his deal," Yuel frowned. "Have we met him somewhere before?" "Hmm," Lars titled his head. "Don''t think so." "I dont remember him either," Yuel crossed his arms. "But, I have this weird feeling like Ive seen him before." "Maybe you saw him in the audience last year?" "No, I think it was somewhere else. Hmm," Yuel was drawing a blank no matter how hard he thought about it. "Anyway, he''s definitely suspicious." "Hm? What gives? Lars tilted his head. He seems like a nice dude." "He slipped at one point," Yuel explained. "He said we were ''freshmen'' last year." "Yeah, we totally were." "Yes, but how did he know that?" "He just saw us play and... oh," Lars realized what was so peculiar about it. Most people wouldn''t just assume he was a freshman. Lars was pretty tall, so everybody always thought he was a few years older than his actual age. It was impossible to guess he was a freshman without being told. "Maybe he asked somebody?" Lars wondered. Who, exactly? Yuel threw the question back at Lars. And, if he did ask somebody, it means he investigated us. I dont like that. Dang, he sure sounds suspicious all of a sudden. "Well, let''s ignore that," Yuel said. "He''s a junior, so he won''t be playing today. I doubt we''re going to see him again." "Are you sure about that?" Lars smiled meaningfully. "Dunno why, but I got this gut feeling. I think we gonna be fighting that dude today. He didn''t come here to declare war for no reason. At least, that''s how it felt to me." Well see," Yuel didn''t believe thatll happen, but that boy was clearly suspicious. It was possible he knew something about Taurus''s inner workings thatd let him sub in. Taurus had a big club, so they should have had plenty of seniors ready to sub in. Logically, they shouldnt have any reason to sub in a junior. However, if they do sub Renegade in, itll imply he out-skilled most of the seniors. "C''mon, let''s go," Yuel said. "Wait, where''s July?" Lars scouted the audience. He was searching for a girl with a long ponytail. It took him a while to realize he was searching for the wrong target. "Oh, right. She cut her hair. Then... Oh, there she is!" He waved in her direction with a broad smile. D-Don''t wave at me like that... Julia shrunk in her chair. She felt curious gazes checking her out. Oh god, she so wished for the chair to suck her in and make her disappear. Well, at least hes not talking to me directly- "Hey, July!" Lars called out and waved. "Wha-!?" Julia jumped in her chair. Oh no. Oh no! OH NO! Now, even those who weren''t paying attention started looking at her. What''s worse, they even heard her name! Nuuuuuu! "How was this game?!" Lars asked with a booming tone, disregarding Julia''s distress. "We totally beat these dudes, right? Did it look convincing enough?" "Um, hmm," Julia chewed her lips. It seemed like Lars was actually expecting an answer, but Julia wasnt going to shout back toward him. Frankly, all she wanted was to get this awkward situation over with. So, she raised a thumbs up while averting her eyes. It was so embarrassing! "Heck yeah!" Lars triumphantly waved his fist at Julia''s response. Maybe I shouldnt have done it... Julia regretted her hasty action. She only gave a thumbs up because she wanted to end this embarrassing situation as quickly as possible. In truth, she wasn''t content with the way that game turned out. That wasnt the kind of Classmancers he was meant to play. As a whole, Stratus dominated the game. There were a few dangerous situations, but that''s how Yuel''s strategizing usually looked like. It was always hard to tell whenever a dangerous play was a reckless misplay or just some calculated risk by Yuel. What really left Julia unsatisfied was the skill level of the entire thing. Namely, the skill level of Taurus. That team was trash. They didn''t pose a real challenge. It was difficult to estimate Stratus'' current strength like that. If only somebody strong subbed in and pulled that crappy team together. Julia sighed. She knew it was not going to happen, but she prayed for it regardless. As if responding to said prayer, turmoil broke out in Taurus'' waiting room. The outcome of that in-fight will shake the foundation of the team to the core... Vol.10 Ch.3: Outbreak of Angst The second game was over. Both teams headed back to their waiting rooms. Jaiden spent some time talking to Gunz and Chessmaster, so he was late to the team''s waiting room. Nash and Rio were already there, standing outside the room with nervous expressions. They exchanged glances and took turns sneaking peeks into the room. It seemed like they wanted to step inside but couldnt find the courage. "What''s wrong?" Jaiden asked. "So, you''re here..." Nash''s voice was uncharacteristically weak. "Welp, just check it out, man. You''ll see what''s up." "It''s a bloody battlefield," Rio mumbled some dangerous-sounding words. "Lemme see," Jaiden approached the entrance and peeked inside. The air in the room was charged. It felt like the entire place could blow up at any moment. In the center of it all was Bruce, raging about like a beast with rabies. "I died because of your shitty ass supporting! How didn''t you see that Ninja coming!?" "I''m not a prophet, you know," Bryan clicked his tongue and shifted his eyes away. "Okay, then why weren''t you helping me fight that Impaler bitch!?" "I was busy spacing out the Druid..." Bryan sighed deeply. He has probably explained himself countless times by now, but it was never good enough. Bruce continued raging. BAM. Bruce slammed a table with his fists. Everybody in the room flinched at the booming sound. Even Jaiden jumped from it, even though he was all the way outside. Gulp. "Shit! Damn it!" Bruce kicked a chair and sent it flying across the room. His fury knew no bounds. He turned into a madman who wanted to destroy everything in front of him. "Why can''t you play a good Support for once!? You useless piece of shit!" Bruce mercilessly insulted the one who shouldve been his best friend. "BB" became a common nickname for Bruce & Bryan because they always hanged out together and played Bot as a duo. And yet, Bruce attacked even Bryan without any reservations. He was mad beyond control. It was doubtful whether he could still be considered sane at this point. "Yeaaaaah, okay," Jaiden awkwardly slid out of the room. "I see why you don''t want to go in." "Right?" Nash smiled wryly. "I say we let them sort things out themselves." "Not sure that''s going to happen," Jaiden glanced at Raymond, the captain and the only one in that room with enough strength to stop Bruce. Unfortunately, the captain was sitting silently at the corner of the room with a difficult expression on his face. He appeared to be deep in thought about something. About what? Nobody knew. Meanwhile, Bruce''s anger raged across the room like a typhoon. Nobody dared to stand up to the godfather. He claimed full authority over the clubroom through sheer terror. Nobody opposed him, therefore he reigned supreme. Somebody had to do something. Somebody had to speak up against Bruce and force that furious beast to calm down. Alas, nobody dared. Then, I''ll do it. Jaiden clenched his fists. He''ll go in there, stand face-to-face with the beast, and tell the guy to calm the heck down. With that brave action, he''ll rescue the club from ruin and will lead them to a better tomorrow! Yeaaaah, right. I''m not a cartoon superhero. Jaiden smiled wryly. He got into some disagreements with Bruce before, so he knew the terror of confronting Bruce''s fierce aggression. To make things worse, Bruce was especially agitated at the moment. It wasn''t a question of whether Bruce will punch Jaiden, but rather how hard will he punch and how many times. "We''ll back ya up!" Nash showed a thumbs up as if he read Jaidens mind. "If he starts a fight, we can take him down together! "Do you really think that''ll be enough to stop him?" Jaiden smiled wryly. "I don''t want to fight..." Rio caved in a little. "C''mon, man up, man!" Nash smacked Rio on the back. "We got this! If we combine our powers, we''re the Invincible Triangle!" "That''s only in the game," Rio retorted. "Then we''ll make it work in real life as well!" "Would be neat if it worked," Jaiden nodded with a smile. But, he knew all too well how strong Bruce was. The mad lad took on two seniors before and beat the crap out of them. So, even together, Jaiden and Nash probably didn''t stand a chance. At the same time, if nobody does anything about this, the team will be heading into the next game in this broken state. Needless to say, they''ll lose that game sure. In-fights will break out, dumb decisions will be made, and the match will be over in a blink of an eye. Taurus will suffer an embarrassing 0-3 defeat against the "weakest team". Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. We''d win for sure If they just let us sub in. Jaiden had such pointless thoughts. There was no chance in hell that Bruce would surrender the Carry position to anybody else, not even for one game. Jaiden wont get to play today, he had no choice but to come to terms with that fact. Nevertheless, he didn''t want his team to lose. Bruce''s gang was far from likable, but Jaiden didn''t hate them enough to wish for their defeat. Deep down, they weren''t such bad guys. Even Bruce was fine when he wasnt blowing a fuse. Therefore, Jaiden still wanted them to win today''s scrimmage. But, what could he do to help? He wasn''t on the first-string, but there had to be something he could do too. Itd be great if I could somehow stop Bruces rampage, but thats out of the question. Jaiden gulped. There was no way he could confront that gang leader. But, maybe there was no need for direct confrontation. Jaiden merely had to find a way to defuse the heavy atmosphere in the room and make everybody regain their vigor. Easier said than done. Jaiden contemplated. Everybody had grim expressions on their faces. They looked like death row inmates waiting for their executions. There was not a single glimmer of hope found on their faces. The crushing defeat at Stratus''s hand shook them to the core. Bruce was coping with that frustration by venting his anger, probably on the behalf of everybody else. If it wasn''t him, then somebody else would be raging and ranting right now. Everybody retained their composure thanks to Bruce making a scene all by himself. Even though Bruce was the only one actively blaming others, the rest of the team probably harbored similar feelings about each other. They just didn''t voice them, because Bruce was already busy loudly criticizing each and every one of them. It was a helpless scene. "And Zeph! Bruce continued. How could you lose to that DK so easily!? It cost us the whole game!" "He was strong. Too strong." Zeph hung his head. He looked like somebody who lost all hope in life. The devastating defeat he suffered at Chessmatser''s hand must have crushed his soul. Bruce shouldve spared some words of encouragement instead of yelling at the poor guy, but... "What? ''Strong''? That''s your excuse?" Bruce sneered. "Are ya a Bronze player or somethin? No, youre Diamond, for God''s sake! DK ain''t nothing! You gotta be able to handle that shit." "It''s not the DK, it''s the player..." Zeph gave up mid-sentence. He knew that everything he said will fall on deaf ears. Bruce wasn''t really asking these questions to get a satisfying answer, he was just looking for excuses to continue his tantrum. Maybe I shouldn''t have tried so hard to join this stupid team. Zeph questioned everything he has done up to this point. He pretended to be a good friend of Bruce and the gang in order to secure himself a spot on the first-string. Over time, the pretense became the truth. He got to know the guys better and realized they weren''t all that bad. They were just a little gangsta, that''s all. However, Bruce''s short temper was the one thing Zeph could never grow to like. It was like a dark cloud looming over their alliance. With the right catalyst, everything will come crashing down. And, the humiliating defeat they suffered mightve been that exact catalyst. Frankly, it was a terrible game. Even if Zeph ignored how everybody else played that game, his performance alone was enough to invoke harsh criticism. It was just him against Chessmaster in Top and he got outplayed left and right. He couldn''t make a single dent in Chessmatser''s flawless game plan. Maybe I wasn''t ready. Zeph sighed in defeat. There was an obvious skill gap between him and Chessmaster. If they duel ten more times, Zeph will lose those ten times in a row. It felt hopeless. There was no chance of beating that impossibly strong opponent. It was like fighting a pro. Considering how badly Chessmaster wrecked him, Zeph couldn''t really deny any of Bruce''s insults. It was frustrating to admit, but the harsh criticism was on point. Zeph fed that Dark Knight like an inexperienced Bronze player. It was a big factor in the teams humiliating defeat. There was nothing Zeph could say to excuse himself. It was all his fault. And so, Bruce''s complaints continued uninterrupted. After finishing one round, he went back to yelling at Bryan. "Next game, maker sure you actually support me!" Bruce threatened. "I don''t need a scarecrow there. I need somebody who gets shit done. Ya hear me!?" "Yeah, I hear you," Bryan nodded, then averted his eyes and sighed. Why do I even bear with this shit? Somebody among them had to play Support for Bruce. However, Dylan vehemently refused to do it. As for Zeph, things always blew up when he tried it, probably because he wasnt that close to Bruce and didnt know how to deal with Bruces whims. And so, the responsibility fell on Bryan. If he wanted to play in the first-string, he had to become Bruce''s Support. Mid is so much better for me, tho. Bryan sighed deeply. Unfortunately, Mid belonged to the captain. Raymond was surprisingly adamant about playing Mid, totally unlike his usual passive attitude toward everything. If he showed at least half of that assertion when handling the club, maybe we wouldn''t have ended up in this situation. Bryan shot a blaming glare at their captain, who was sitting at the corner of the room with a difficult expression. No matter how much you brood, it ain''t gonna help anybody. Ya gotta speak up and do something. Bruce is getting off the rails here. Honestly, I''m so tired of this shit. Bryan stomped repeatedly, venting his pent-up anger at the floor. He was tired of playing an ungrateful role out of necessity. He was tired of always nodding his head to whatever bullshit Bruce was spouting. All that shit was exhausting. Enough already. Maybe I should just quit? It wasn''t the first time this thought crossed his mind. Every time Bruce went on a dumb rampage, such thoughts crept into the back of Bryan''s mind. He felt the urge to just drop the whole thing and let it go. He couldn''t bear another moment listening to this bullshit. If only somebody came and confronted Bruce. I''d gladly back them up. Bryan had such idle thoughts. Nobody was going to come and stand up to Bruce. That gangster shot down anybody who dared to oppose him in the past. It set a clear example for others. Nobody will dare to try anything again. It was hopeless. Ever since this gang seized the monopoly of the club, nobody dared to oppose them. Nobody was going to do anything. Or, so Bryan thought... Vol.10 Ch.4: Bryans Decision Taurus room was enveloped in an ominous atmosphere. The air felt charged with electricity that could explode at any moment. Yet, a smiling invader bravely set foot into this danger zone. "Hey, what''s up, guys?" Jaiden greeted them with a smile. A bright and friendly smile, that looked too uncanny for the depressing atmosphere hanging in the air. "Good game there." "Huh!?" Bruce shot a glare. "What do ya mean ''good game''? You came here to make fun at us!?" "N-Not at all," Jaiden flinched in front of Bruce''s overwhelming aura. However, he managed to calm himself by glancing at the friends standing behind him. Its okay. Theyre there for me if something happens. Im okay. Itll be okay. Yeah. "Of course, a defeat is a defeat, Jaiden continued. But, you fought well. There were many times when you almost royally screwed the enemy. It''s just that something went wrong at the last moment every time. Tough luck." "Yeah, ya got that shit right, Bruce nodded. Damn luck screwed us hard this game." Bruce''s aggression softened somewhat. But, he was still very much an enraged lion, waiting to leap on somebody at a moments notice. "But, luck ain''t everything. We also had a bunch of dumbasses playing like literal crap this game." "Were they really that bad?" Jaiden asked calmly. "That''s not how it looked to me from the audience. Everybody had their share of good and bad plays." "Oh, yeah?" Bruce challenged Jaiden''s positivity. "Then tell me, where exactly did Zeph make a good play against the DK? He was screwing up the entire damn game!" "Actually, Zeph played pretty well overall," Jaiden threw a friendly smile at Zeph. "His Dragonborn was lit. He pulled a bunch of high-level plays there. It''s just that Chessmaster was prepared for everything. The guy knew every trick in the book. Hes not an ex-StromBlitz player just for show." "Well, doesnt change the fact we lost the game pretty hard thanks to Zeph," Bruce grumped. He didn''t have a good retort to Jaiden''s confident words, so he simply lashed out with blind anger. "Yeah, that''s how it turned out in the end," Jaiden didn''t deny. "But, Zeph handled the situation well. He figured he couldnt beat Chessmaster by himself, so he cooperated with Dylan. They even almost killed the DK. But, things started going wrong when the Ninja popped outta nowhere and counter-ganked them. Even we didn''t see that counter-gank coming, right, guys?" "Yeah, that counter-gank was a shocker," Nash followed up. "It''s like that Ninja traveled to Top through another dimension or some spooky shit. No joking, man," "Yeah, none of us saw it coming, Jaiden continued. So, I wouldn''t say Zeph played poorly. The enemy was just that sneaky. That unexpected counter-gank ruined everything. Zeph shouldve gotten a kill on the DK there, but ended up dead instead. Hmph, Bruce just listened without arguing back. He was probably waiting for an opportunity to strike back with something. Thats why Jaiden had to keep talking. Things finally started calming down, so he wanted to keep things this way. It was like a domino effect after that counter-gank, Jaiden continued. You know how it is, right? You give a DK one kill and next, he ends your whole career. So, nothing to feel bad about." Jaiden directed these words at Zeph. It was a pitiful sight. The guy was sitting in the corner with a pale face, questioning his life choices. He was beating himself way too hard over it. "Cheer up, man, Jaiden encouraged. It wasn''t as bad as you think it is. Your opponents were just that good." "Yeah, I guess," Zeph gave a weak smile. It didn''t feel like Jaiden''s words cured the guys depression, but at least Zephs face regained some vigor. He no longer looked like somebody who gave up on everything. It was the first step toward recovery. "Okay, fine," Bruce clicked his tongue. "Youre saying Zeph fought a tough opponent from StromBlitz and that the Ninjas gank was some serious shit. Then, how ya gonna excuse Bryan''s fuck ups? Bruh blew it all up! We almost had that Impaler, I almost killed that bitch! But, then that Ninja ran us over and Bryan didnt do jack shit about it. That was some high-level scrubbing if Ive ever seen one!" "What are you talking about?" Jaiden met Bruce''s anger with a blank expression. "Bryan set up everything perfectly. He pinned down the Impaler with the rain and spaced out the Druid like a pro. We all thought you had this one in the bag." Jaiden signaled with his hand behind his bag. "Yeah, totally!" Nash followed up. "It was hella convincing. Bryan set things up just right and you rekt that Impaler. No matter how ya look at it, you guys were totally dominating there. Aint nobody saw that Ninja coming. I''m tellin'' ya. That chick is like some sort of ghost. Gotta be hax, man." "Well, Bryan should have seen her coming," Bruce insisted. Thats part of his job, isnt it? He gotta support me, ya know? Hey B, ya hear that? You gotta be on the lookout for ganks and shit." He turned on Bryan again because it was easier than dealing with Jaiden and Nash together. 1v1 was always easier than 1v2. "Yeah, sure, whatever," Bryan shrugged. "Huh? Not sure I like your tone, bro." "Sorry, I''m just feeling a little down after that game." "Well, you better be. You played like a scrub." "Guh...!" Bryan clenched his fists. What''s his problem? Does he have to rub it in like this? How about you criticize yourself for a change, huh!? Bryan felt like he was about to explode. Even though he did his best as Bruce''s Support and planned everything to a T, he didn''t receive a single word of gratitude from Bruce. Even Jaiden, a bystander, appreciated Bryan''s efforts way more than the guy who was supposed to be his "partner". I''m tired of this shit. It''s the same damn thing every time. Playing Support was the epitome of suffering when the team was losing. Bryan put so much effort and worked so hard, only to find himself at the receiving end of Bruce''s senseless accusations. Sure, when things were going well, Bruce knew how to shower the Support with praise. But, the moment things went wrong, it was immediately the end of the world. And, of course, it was all Bryans fault. It was always Bryans fault, no matter what actually happened. When Bruce overextended and got ganked? It was Bryan''s fault for not covering for his partner. When Bruce lost a fight he picked himself? It was Bryan''s fault for not helping out enough. No matter what, everything was always Bryan''s fault. There was no justice to be found anywhere for the Support. It was all suffering. Bruce always made sure to drill that misguided lesson into Bryan. That''s not how a lane partner should be acting. Bryan shook his head. Bruce was supposed to be Bryans trusted partner on lane, but that dumbass was no good. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. A good partner would understand the circumstances and criticize accordingly. For example, Bryan''s only mess up in that situation was his failure to catch the sneaky Ninja in time. Other than that, he did everything else almost flawlessly. A good partner would understand all of that. Hed call Bryan out on that one mistake and discuss some solutions for the next game. He won''t be throwing a tantrum like a baby, yelling "YOU MESSED UP EVERYTHING! IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT! WHAAAAAA!" In that sense, Jaiden was a much better fit to play Carry. The kid was just a junior, but he already knew what''s up. The Support was the Carrys most trusted ally on lane, not some stranger to roast for fun. Jaidens words conveyed he perfectly understood that basic notion. In fact, the way Jaiden was analyzing the game inspired a lot of confidence in general. He even went out of his way to make Zeph feel better about that terrible game. The kid had some fine leadership skills. Everybody was already expecting Jaiden to become the captain next year. To be honest, Id gladly have Jaiden as the captain right now. Bryan glanced at Raymond, who was still sitting quietly at the corner. Instead of brooding, the captain was now attentively listening to the back-and-forth between Jaiden and Bruce. You better take notes, cap. Bryan thought. Jaiden is pretty much doing your work for you. If you just came here and said the same things Jaiden is saying, Bruce would shut up. That dumbass is acting high and mighty only because hes dealing with a junior. Sigh. "And, Dyl played like trash too!" Bruce kept yelling nonsense. "He couldn''t even gank the DK! What the fuck, man!?" Is this ever gonna end? Bryan sighed. Things were getting out of hand today. It usually only took a few minutes for Bruce to calm down after venting, but not today. His ranting had no end. Is it because it''s an official match? Did the nerves get to him? Bryan pitied Bruce a little. Despite acting all high and mighty, it seemed like Bruce cracked under pressure. He was never good at controlling his emotions, and the pressure of playing on stage only made things worse. He was probably mad about the way he embarrassed himself in front of the audience. It hurt his stupid ego. How dumb. "That Ninja excuse again!?" Bruce barked. "You keep bringing up that bitch like she''s some pro player!" The yelling was still going strong. There was no end in sight. Break time will be over in about five minutes, but nothing has been resolved yet. At this rate, Bruce will continue his ranting on stage. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. And more sigh. All Bryan could do was sigh. The next game was going to be even more unbearable than the previous one. Honestly, Bryan didnt even want to play anymore. If this were Ranked, hed come up with an excuse to bail out right here and now. Unfortunately, this was an official scrimmage. It was like the prelims for the regionals. He was one of the club''s representatives, so he had to put on a fitting performance. He couldn''t just quit because didn''t feel like it. Or, could he? They allow subs, don''t they? Bryan suddenly remembered that rule. Even if he quits, one of the seniors will be able to sub in. That is, if we HAD any other seniors here today. We kinda chased them all out, didn''t we? Haha... Bryan could only laugh at the irony. This gang worked very hard to gain control over the first-string. So hard, in fact, that the other seniors lost all motivation and pretty much quit. Thanks to that, there werent any seniors available as subs today. You reap what you sow, huh. Bryan smiled wryly. Well, I cant blame these guys for quitting. Honestly, Id probably quit too in their place. The club was no longer safe for them. Bruce did all sorts of nasty things to bring this gang to where it was today. Actually, no. It wasnt only Bruce. Bryan also actively participated in it. Applying intimidation, monopolizing the clubroom, and forcing everybody to say that the gang deserved to be on the first-string the most. They practically terrorized the club in order to secure their current positions. And, that''d where it brought us. Bryan sighed for the millionth time. Maybe they overestimated themselves. They thought they owned the team and deserved to lead it, but today they crashed and burned hard. It was a huge blow to their confidence. Maybe were not ready yet for this high level. I mean, even a team like Stratus is making us look bad. Thats embarrassing as heck when you got an audience. "Besides, what do you known!?" Bruce kept yelling. "You''re just lil junior! Ya think you understand the game better than me, huh!?" At this point, Bruce''s arguments derailed into nothing more than personal attacks. He has already spent the few real arguments he had, but he kept attacking as if his life depended on it. Honestly, it was pathetic. Bruce simply couldn''t let it go. He should''ve realized he lost. Nobody was on his side at this point. But, it doesn''t look like he gonna stop any time soon. Bryan sighed. Looks like this won''t end until somebody does something. But, what could be done? The best solution was to kick Bruce off the team for a while and let the guy cooldown on the bench. But, there was no chance in hell of Bruce peacefully agreeing to that. Only the captain could make that happen, but it didn''t look like Raymond was planning to make a move. But, not all hope was lost. There was one alternative. Instead of making Bruce quit, others could quit instead. If Bruce loses his footing in the team, it might be easier to make him give up and quit. Heck, he might even rage quit of his own volition at that point. But, what we gonna do about subs? Bryan knotted his brows. None of the other seniors came to watch the scrimmage. There were only juniors and freshmen on the bench today. So, even if somebody from the first-string will give up their position, who would sub for them? Bryans eyes naturally laid on the three juniors in the room. Jaiden, Nash, and Rio. These three always played together, so they had solid teamwork. Jaiden was well-known as a strong player, considered to be on par with the seniors. His two buddies weren''t particularly special as far as Bryan knew, but together they were a decent gang. They''re the next best thing we got. Bryan nodded to himself. There was no chance these inexperienced kids were even close to the level of seniors like Bryan. However, in the current climate, they might do a better job. Playing alongside Bruce in his current state was like asking to get stomped by the enemy. Welp, guess Imma head out. Bryan stood up. I''m leaving the rest to you, Jaiden. He communicated with his eyes on his way to the door. Hm? Jaiden blinked with a puzzled expression. Hey, Im still talking to ya! Bruce thundered. Whatcha looking at!? He turned around. What he saw was... odd, to say the least. "Hey, B!" Bruce called out. "Where are ya going?" "Ah, shit, ahem" Bryan cleared his throat. He didn''t expect to be caught red-handed before getting to the door. "To the... toilet?" He smiled awkwardly as he continued approaching the door. "Toilet? Then why are ya acting all funny like that?" "Well, actually," Bryan took a deep breath. He reached the door now, so it was time to drop the bomb. Hopefully, that bomb wont explode in his own face. If push comes to shove, he''ll just bolt outta here. "I''m done." "Done? What do ya mean?" "Done dealing with your shit," Bryan couldn''t stop the anger from seeping right his words. "If you wanna keep bitching about how everybody is playing, then find somebody else to play with. I''m done supporting you." "Huh? Bruh, are ya high?" Bruce''s face contorted. He was like a ticking bomb about to go off. "You throwing the match!?" "Yeah, I''m subbing out," Bryan declared. "Find somebody else to play Support for you, if you even can." "Hey, hey, bro. You can''t just quit like that," Bruce advanced toward Bryan. He was wearing a smile of disbelief, refusing to believe this was really happening. But, once reality sinks in, he''ll definitely explode into a fit of rage. Bryan had to get away before that. "Heh, look at that," Bryan produced a fake laugh and pointed past Bruce. "Huh?" Bruce turned around to check what''s up. Fell for it! Bryan busted the door open and blitzed through it. So long, sucker! "Wha-!? You fucker! Come back here!" Bruce gave chase. The door closed on him before he could hit the brakes, so he ended up ramming into it. "Fuck! B! Come back here!" Bruce flung the door open and stepped outside. "HEY! B! YOU PIECE OF SHIT! COME HERE!" Bruce wanted to give chase but he was too far behind. Fuck! What''s up with B!? Did he forget how to take constructive criticism all of a sudden? What the actual fucking fuck!? And so, the team began falling apart... Vol.10 Ch.5: The Captain of a Sinking Ship Bruce stepped outside the room to chase after Bryan. "Lock him outside," Rio suggested something dangerous. "Haha, that''ll be a riot!" Nash gave a thumbs up. "I approve of this idea." "Oh, yeah? Jaiden smirked. Then, you do it." "A-Ahahaha!" Nash produced an awkward laugh. "I''m still young, you know? I wanna keep on living, thank you." "Aren''t you older than me?" "Details! It''s just a couple of months anyway." "You''re that scared, huh," Jaiden smiled mischievously. "And you call yourself a man after that?" "Huh! A real man doesnt walk into a fight he can''t win. That''s what they call being smart," Nash pointed at his temple as if implying he actually had something inside that head. "Then, Jaiden started. I guess we still have to deal with him once he comes back. "How about you lock him out?" Nash suggested. "Nah, I''m not suicidal." "Heh, right?" They rather let go of their bravado than confront a beast like Bruce. That''s how strong of a force that guy was. The ultimate final boss of Taurus. "Fuck!" Bruce cursed on his way back. "That dumbass! Now we''re one player short now! What we gonna do, cap?" "Hrm," Raymond crossed his arms. "We''ll have to sub somebody in." "Like who? Nobody else from third-year came today." "Right. Thats why," Raymond looked at Jaiden''s gang. "We''ll have to sub one of the juniors." "Goddammit. Guess we got no choice," Bruce examined the juniors with a disgusted expression as if they were lowly bugs compared to him. "Hey, you. Whatcha name, again? Anyway, you play Support, right?" "Ah, y-yeah," Rio flinched at Bruce''s thundering voice. "Okay, perfect! You sub for B," Bruce commanded. "No," Rio answered briefly. "Huh?" A vein popped on Bruce''s temple. "What''s that, junior? I''m being kind and offer you a spot on the team, and you be spitting in the face like that? Is that how it gonna be, huh!?" "Ah, um," Rio backed away. Despite his confident answer, he was quaking in his boots. He didn''t want to be anywhere within a ten-meter radius of that chronic bully. "Hey, drop it," Nash stepped in between Bruce and Rio. "He''s saying he doesn''t wanna do it." "Nobody asked ya, kid," Bruce pushed Nash away. "Whoa-!?" Nash tripped and almost dived into the floor, but a supporting hand caught him at the last moment. "Phew. Thanks, man," "No problem," Jaiden nodded. He also positioned himself between Bruce and Rio. Jaiden and Nash were like knights who came forth to protect their princess. Guys, I... Rio pursed his lips. It was his fault. Just because he bluntly refused Bruce like that, his friends were about to get themselves into trouble. It was all his fault. Maybe he should accept the offer, even if it meant playing Support for this vermin... "Don''t worry," Jaiden threw him a confident smile. "We got this." "So, that''s how it gonna be?" Bruce lifted his chin in arrogance again the two bodyguards. "Gonna cover for that sissy friend of yours? Pft, alright then. Looks like somebody gotta spank ya kids real good. C''mon, you can come at me together!" He cracked his fists in anticipation. Beating the living crap outta somebody was a great way to vent, so he was all for it right now. "So, what''s the plan?" Jaiden whispered. "Huh? What plan?" Nash whispered back. "You said a true man doesnt walk into a fight he can''t win, right? So, how you plan to win?" "Oh, put a sock in it, " Nash produced a dry laugh. "I got nothing, man. I think we''re screwed, haha..." "Watcha rats whispering about?" Bruce drew closer and closer. He was like an executioner approaching the guillotine. Soon, three heads will be rolling on the floor. "Guess we gotta make run for it, too?" Jaiden didnt have any other bright ideas in mind. Bryan did the right thing to escape before the demon awakened. "Running is cool and all, Nash said. But, how we gonna get past this dude? Hes kinda blocking the exit. "Well, that''s the tricky part, isn''t it?" Jaiden had a difficult expression. There was one easy way to pull it off, but it required a sacrifice. Somebody will become a decoy to distract Bruce while the other two make their escape. However, that''ll put the decoy in immense danger. Jaiden had no problem doing it himself if push came to shove, but there had to be another way. A way in which nobody will get into trouble. But, is there really such a way? Jaidens eyes zigzagged around the entire room, desperately searching for something, anything, that could help. Then, he noticed Raymond. The big captain was heading in their direction. "Hey, cap! Jaiden called out. Send some help over here! Please!" "Huh?" Bruce stopped in his tracks and shot a sharp glare at Raymond. "Stay out of it, bruh. I don''t wanna punch you too." "Enough," Raymond spoke sharply, unlike his usual self. Even the eternal pacifist was getting mad at this development. Good, good. Jaiden nodded. I think were saved. "Hey, I aint doing anything wrong. Im just asking this junior to do his job," Bruce''s voice lost some of its hostility. He was visibly flustered in Raymond''s presence. "I was being nice all, ya know? I offered him to play Support for a pro player like me, but he refused in my face. Can you believe that shit?" "It''s his own decision," Raymond said. "Wait a second there. You said we gotta sub somebody in, right? This guy plays Support, so he gotta do it." "Only if he agrees to do it," Raymond corrected. "We can''t force anybody to play." "Goddamit, bro. This weak ass attitude is why nobody respects you as the cap," Bruce sneered. "Ya can''t just let people do whatever the hell they want." That''s rich. Jaiden thought. I cant believe thats coming from the very guy who abused Raymond''s passiveness to terrorize the club. "Rio, why do you not want to sub in?" Raymond asked calmly, ignoring Bruce''s criticism. "I, um," Rio stole a nervous glance at Bruce. "I don''t want to play with this asshole." Hmm. I wonder, how fast will I die after saying something like that? Itll probably take Burce about three seconds to close the distance between us. Then, one punch from him and I''m dead. So, I''d have at most four seconds to live. Let''s not do that. "I want to play with my friends," Rio went for the other main reason. "Aww, you," Nash smiled and patted Rios back. "Well, that''s how it is," Jaiden stepped in to negotiate in Rios stead. "What the hell?" Bruce grimaced. "Bruh, are you five? This is a scrimmage we''re talking about. An official match, ya dig? It''s not about what you want, it''s about what the team needs. So c''mon, step up, junior." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "He said he doesn''t want to," Jaiden repeated. "Besides, I suspect you two won''t mesh together well." "Well duh, Bruce agreed. I''ll probably have to work extra hard because his supporting will trash." Nah, its just a compatibility issue. Jaiden retorted in his mind. Your way of playing is way too reckless. Rio isnt Bryan, so he wont sacrifice himself to save your butt after every dumb play you make. "But still," Bruce continued. "We need five players. Even if that guy gonna be useless, at least he can be a meat shield or something, right?. C''mon, am I alone here with common sense or what? C''mon Dyl, you tell them too... huh?" Bruce blinked multiple times as he scanned the room. Dylan was nowhere to be found. Did he hit the toilet? Yeah, that was probably it... "Oh, ya searching for Dylan?" Nash grinned. "Dude snuck out a little while ago, right after Bryan." "What...?" Bruce failed to process this incomprehensible report. "He had this look of a sad bruh who got fed up with your bull- ack!" An elbow hit Nash in the rib, warning him against saying the rest. "Anyway, Dyl is gone." "What the-!? Bruce raged. If you saw him, why didnt you stop him!?" "I gave Dylan permission to leave," Raymond said matter-of-factly. "He said he''d like to sit this one out because he was underperforming." "Well yeah, he sure as hell was underperforming," Bruce spit. "But, that ain''t no reason to let him step down." I didnt see any problem with it, so I approved, Raymond said. We got enough subs. Thats not... Bruce experienced a sudden shudder. Wait a fuckin second here. If both B and Dyl are gone, then... He looked around nervously. The only one still left from his gang was Zeph, who was busy brooding over his crappy performance. Zeph only joined Bruces gang recently, so it wasnt clear how much the guy will support anything Bruce will do from here on out. In other words, Bruce was practically alone here. He was like the captain of a sinking ship whose crewmen jumped ship. They abandoned Bruce to let him sink alone. Them ungrateful bastards...! Bruce gritted his teeth. Did they forget its all thanks to me that we got to play on the stage today!? If I didnt work my ass off for everybody, wed never make it this far. Damn it all! What was Bruce even supposed to do now? On whom was he supposed to unleash all this bottled anger!? He legit wanted to punch the shit outta everybody in the room right now! Gaaaaaaaaah!!! Enough already, Raymond grasped Bruces wrist, right before the loaded punch had a chance to strike anybody. Dont touch me, bitch! Bruce shoved Raymond away with all his strength, but it was no use. It was like trying to move a freakin wall. This son of a golem weighted at least a few tons! Can we please not turn this into a fight? Raymond asked. He didnt want to resort to violence. But, at this rate, Bruce might force his hand This was no longer a situation in which Raymond could keep quiet and watch from the sideline. He had to assert himself as the captain, or else the situation will take a nasty turn. "Fuck, what is even..." Bruces teeth rattled. He was abandoned. This was a sinking ship and he was the captain of it. The other crewmen were gone. Only Zeph remained, but the guy was just absent-mindedly staring into the empty air. Yeah, that piece of shit aint gonna do anything for me. Bruce thought. He knew all too well why Zeph would join this gang. Zeph''s ulterior motive was getting into the first string. Yeah, getting into the first string, the very goal Bruce worked so hard to secure this entire time... Already as a junior, Bruce figured that he, Bryan, and Dylan weren''t exactly the top players of their generation. It became apparent that, even once they hit their third year of middle school, they might still not get to play on the first-string. Others will steal all their spots. "It can''t be helped, Bryan said to that. That''s how this system works." Yep, Dylan agreed. If they''re better, they''re better." That''s the sort of lame-ass responses the two gave whenever Bruce brought up the topic. They resigned themselves to their fate. They were fine with merely warming the bench during their last year of middle school. Nah, it was a fat ass lie. Burce knew it all. Same as him, his bros wanted to play on the competitive stage. They''ve been busting their asses off during club practice, training for hours three times a week. On top of that, they sometimes played Classmancers after school too. All that blood and sweat had to mean something. They didnt train so hard just to warm the bench in their last year. That aint fair. Nevertheless, Bryan and Dylan didnt show any intention of fighting for their spots. They talked about training harder to secure these spots, but they knew it was just empty talk. There were many talented players in the club, so no spot was guaranteed for anybody. No matter how hard Bryan and Dylan worked, they might not get in. Thats why Bruce took matters into his own hands. Stuff like working hard was a nice slogan, but it meant didnt mean jack shit when there when the competition was this fierce. Only the top of the top could make it in. Or, those who established their presence within the club to the point nobody could deny them entry to the first-string. Bruce focused on the latter. He became a demon who terrorized all his competitors. Intimidation, verbal abuse, and even violence. Bruce did everything that was neccessary to establish himself within the club. After he taught people a lesson or two, nobody dared to speak against him. It was awesome. He successfully made it clear to everybody that he was running things around here. Bruce was the boss in these parts. Everybody came to see him as the unofficial captain of the team. At the very least, it felt like his word carried more weight than Raymond''s. If anything, because Raymond didn''t speak much in the first place. Honestly, Bruce had to turn into quite the scumbag in order to achieve all that. Bryan and Dylan even protested against his extreme methods a few times, claiming he went too far. Admittedly, Bruce also questioned himself many times along the way. He even considered quitting mid-way. But, he couldn''t. Bruce wished to play on the first-string alongside his homies, to set foot on the competitive stage. It was going to be their last year of middle school, so their blood and sweat had to pay off. Reluctantly, his pals joined his cause along the way. It transformed from a solo operation into gang activity. It was clear that Bryan and Dylan weren''t entirely on board with this, so Bruce had to steel his heart in their steads. He was the godfather of this little mafia, so he had to act the part. Them godfather characters in movies were always cold-blooded scumbags who didnt flutter no matter who they faced. Bruce had to become just like them. He had to be unyielding in his conviction and not show anybody any signs of hesitation. And so, that''s exactly what Bruce became. He turned into a gangster nobody dared to object against. Even his pals seemed a little wary of him at times. Well, maybe he really acted a little too hard sometimes. But, it was all just an act. Or, was it? After roleplaying as the godfather for so long and committing so many questionable acts, even Bruce couldn''t tell anymore. Did he do all these things himself? Or, was it just the role he was playing? The line between the two became blurry. Everything got entangled and became one. Bruce was getting drunk on his own power, becoming the bold godfather he was pretending to be all along. But, there was no reason to be concerned about that. At least, thats what he told himself. Honestly, he never even stopped to think about this topic too much until today. Or, maybe he just pushed these difficult thoughts to the back of his head. He was too afraid to take off the lid and check what was inside him. Did he cross the line? Did he become a delinquent? None of that mattered. Even if he lost the ability to distinguish between his roleplay and reality, and even if his friends were growing wary of him, it was all fine. All that mattered was that he and his homies got to play on the first-string. They were planning to kick some serious ass on stage today! But, it all went to shit. Bruce''s fists trembled. I mean, sure. We got here. We played on that damn stage. We did all the hot stuff. But... They suffered two embarrassing defeats in a row. It tore them apart. Bruce couldn''t stand it. What did he work so hard for? For what purpose did he act like a scumbag godfather? For what? For this? For this bitter feeling that made him feel like a sack of shit? For these embarrassing defeats that turned them into a laughingstock in front of the audience? I feel like Im having some sort of nightmare. Bruce thought. This shit aint real. Whats with everybodys performance today? Shit was embarrassing. They were like a bunch of Bronze players matched against Diamonds. That''s how freakin bad it was. So, naturally, Bruce had to lecture his pals. He had to tell them exactly how hard they fucked up. They gotta fix up that shit ASAP. They didnt work so hard to get here just to screw over like this. So, that''s why Bruce had to make them snap out of it. He gave them the facts straight. Yall playing like trash today." Thats the message he tried to drill into them. But, they didn''t want to listen, and now they were gone. They abandoned the godfather who worked his ass off to bring these scrubs all the way up here. These ungrateful fucks! I''mma kick their asses once I find them! All of ''em! BAM. Bruce unleashed all his fury with a lightning speed punch. His target? Nobody in particular. Just the sheer whiteness spreading in front of him, the wall. "Fuck. This. Shit!" Bruce punched and punched, channeling all his anger into his fists. "Please don''t break things," Raymond spoke. "Tch, whatever," Bruce clicked his tongue and turned away. His best friends were gone, so he had no business here either. It was pointless to keep playing by himself. "I quit too," Bruce stomped out of the room. "You wanted to play with your friends? Well, nows your chance. You got three empty spots on the team. Just dont come crying to me after you get your ass whooped." "Heh, just ya watch!" Nash grinned confidently. "We gonna take them by storm!" "Yeah, leave it to us," Jaiden nodded. "We''ll avenge you guys." "Heh, avenge us?" Bruce sneered. "Good luck with that." That''s some confidence these kids have. Bruce thought as he closed the door behind him. This is dumb. It''s like were giving them a ticket for the first-string. It took us so much work to get here, but these mofos waltz in like its nothing. Ain''t that just BS? Honestly, he wanted to see Stratus crush Jaiden and the gang. Thats how it should go, right? Because, if Jaidens group actually happens to win... "Bah, no point thinking about that shit," Bruce shook his head. He''ll just watch the game once it starts. But first, he gotta find his dear friends... and beat the living crap outta them! And so, Taurus internal struggle came to an end. Bruce, Bryan, and Dylan all relinquished their spots for now. Instead, Jaiden, Nash, and Rio subbed in. The three juniors were about to shake up the entire scrimmage! Vol.10 Ch.6: Overflowing Confidence "Aww, yeah! 2-0, yo!" Lars pumped a fist. Everybody in StormBlitz was celebrating their second victory of the day. "Good work, everybody," Kai delivered a cliche line that sounded like something a captain would say. "Haha, you sound like a company boss," Luke laughed. "But yeah, that was a sick game! I was laughing my ass off at them scrubs." "That''s not a nice thing to say," Kai said that, but she secretly smiled. So, that''s how our game looked like? Good, good. The team has been doing surprisingly well today. It almost felt surreal. Everything was going too smoothly. "Indeed, it was a battle worthy of Valhalla!" Vincent made noise. "Our unstoppable offense crushed the opposition without mercy!" "I agree," Yuel said. Everybody did great. Of course, he had a few nitpicks here and there, but he didn''t feel like voicing them right now. Overall, the team performed well, thats all that mattered for now. Therefore, instead of bashing the few mistakes the team made, Yuel spent the break reviewing the enemys plays and decisions with the rest of the team. As it stood, Taurus wasnt a threat to Stratus. These guys felt a warm-up for the much stronger teams awaiting ahead. Yuel watched enough competitive middle-school matches to know that todays Taurus didnt represent the level of the regionals. There were far stronger opponents awaiting Stratus there. In a way, this was a good place to start. Everybody in Stratus was a greenhorn when it came to playing in official matches, so this low difficulty setting was a great opportunity to gain experience. Though, five games of this caliber might get a little boring. Yuel smiled wryly. It was great that they were winning, but easy victories often felt pointless. There wasn''t much to learn from them. Winning twice, maybe thrice, in a row could still be considered fun even against a weak team, but itll definitely become dull by the fourth time. "Hey, my dudes, I was thinking," Lars wore a grin as he grabbed everybody''s attention. "You? Thinking?" Yuel asked. "Dont lie to us." "Haha, harsh!" Lars laughed. "Anyway, catch this. I got this genius idea. What if we.... go even harder on the aggression next game!? All in! We go hard or we go home, yooooo! Aww yeah! This dude knows whats up! Luke gave a thumbs up. You guys should treat this like a speedrun. Go for a faster win next game! Speedrun? Thats disrespectful for the other team. Yuel thought. Truth be told, he didnt have much sympathy for Taurus. These guys picked a fight on stage by insulting Kai, so it was only fitting to give them a taste of their own medicine. But, still... Lets not get carried away, Yuel warned. They mightve learned from their mistakes. If they prepare a strong lineup that counters early-game aggression, we might dig our own graves. Dont worry, itll be fine! Lars started a fire with his words. Yeah, just go out there and crush them! Luke added oil. Indeed, we shall reap apart their very souls! Vincent threw in an inflammable object. They must suffer retribution for insulting our Valkyrian leader. Sure, lets do it, Kai kept the flame going. She was supposed to be the most reasonable player on the team after Yuel, but even she supported this dangerous idea. Ok, Nia nodded too. She had no reason to refuse. Sneaking around and killing enemies quickly was always fun. So, everybody wants to continue the aggression. Yuel frowned. It was worrisome. He had a bad feeling about this. his kind of reckless attitude could easily lead to disaster. At the same time, the teams morale was exceedingly high and they had the momentum on their side. If they keep going with this flow, the next game will be a breeze as well. Everybody will be performing their best and that''ll make it even easier to overpower the enemy. Maybe it''s better to play along. Yuel thought. Instead of being the usual voice of reason who put a damper on every euphoric situation, he''ll try to go along with his teammates for once. Keeping the team motivated and united was crucial for victory. It might be better to head into the next game with everybody still feeling confident. Some of us might be getting a little overconfident, but were in the lead anyway. Even if we lose one game, well still remain in the lead. We got some leeway. Yuel nodded to himself. Frankly, he didn''t see them losing to Taurus today. Even if they somehow end up losing the next game due to recklessness, they should be able to adapt and win the remaining games. There was nothing to worry about. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Okay, let''s do it," Yuel played along. "Let''s use the same lineup as last game. At least, as much as the enemy will allow us with their bans." "Okay, lets go!" Lars pumped a fist. "We gonna kick some serious butt!" With that overflowing motivation, the team entered the stage for the third game. However, before they reached their tables, the referee came up to them. "Your opponent made three subs," the referee informed. "Three? In one game?" Yuel blinked. "Yes, three," the referee confirmed. It was both sudden and extreme. Taurus replaced over half their team. Lets see here, the referee checked his tablet. "TheLegend, TheMyth, and Messi subbed out. Instead, you got Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace. Not sure if it tells you much, but now you know." On that note, the referee left. That changes things. Yuel thought. If we don''t know most of our enemies, then going in with an aggressive lineup becomes ten times riskier. "Bring it on," Kai spoke with confidence. "No matter who they pull out, we gonna crush them." "Yeah, let''s do it!" Lars pumped a fist. "Wait," Yuel argued. "They just replaced three players. That changes everything." "Nah, it changes nothing," Kai crossed her arms. "The new guys are either better or worse than the previous bastards. Doesn''t change the fact we gonna mop the floor with them." "Thats some impressive unfounded confidence, Yuel made a face. The problem is, we don''t know how good they are. We dont know anything about them. "I''m sure they''re no big deal," Kai sneered. "Think of it this way. If they''re weaker, we gonna beat them even harder. If they''re stronger, it means our opponents havent been taking us seriously until now. Don''t you think that''s hella disrespectful?" I wouldn''t be surprised if they did just that. Yuel thought. After all, Stratus had its reputation as the weakest team in the region. Perhaps, Taurus initially thought they could keep their best players on the bench today and handle this scrimmage using their second-string. That''d explain the low skill level Taurus has been showing thus far. If thats the case, it was all the more reason to prioritize caution for the next game. Yuel had to gather intel on the new opponents before he could make any educated shot-calls. Alas, it seemed like he was the only one thinking that way... "Not bringing their best dudes from the start is nasty," Lars agreed with Kai''s assessment. "If they still think we''re noobs, we gonna show ''em what we''re made of for real!" "Indeed," Vincent nodded as well. "Its blasphemy against fair sportsmanship! We shall respond in kind by thoroughly destroying their forces!" "Exactly," Kai nodded in approval. And so, this became a 1v3 for Yuel. Everybody wanted to go hard on the offense next game. Looks like I have no say here. Yuel pursed his lips. Well, thats alright. Even if we lose, at least well learn some things. Well know how well the new players deal with hyper aggression. He did his best to look at the positive side of this plan. I can think of it as gambling away our advantage in exchange for information. It wasnt the best trade in the world, but it was worth something. If our early aggression works, it''ll make things easier from there. With that said, I''m still surprised Kai went along with this. I thought she was more reasonable than that. Just you wait. Kai glared at one of the boys who subbed in. She only had a brief interaction with him, but it was enough to tell that he was a total piece of shit. "I''ll mop the floor with you in five seconds." That''s what that guy proclaimed in Kai''s face. Hopefully, he subbed in for the Carry. If so, Kai will be able to tear him apart in the first couple of minutes. The enemys substitution was a godsend. Kai has already wrecked the precious scumbag who insulted her, so now the next one showed up. She couldn''t ask for anything better.. With this match, she''ll prove to all of Taurus that she was a strong player. It''ll make them think twice before making fun of female players ever again. "Hey, Yuel," Lars pointed toward the enemy camp. "Look at that guy." "Isnt he the one who came to talk to us?" Yuel recalled. "Looks like he knew he''ll be subbing in." "Yeah, probably," Lars grinned. "I told ya, I had the feeling this dude got something." "If you think he''s strong, that''s all the more reason to play safer." "Nah, it''s the other way around," Lars shook his head. "If he''s really that strong, it means we totally gotta ram into these guys. I mean, if he''s one of the best players they got but he didnt wanna play us until now, that''s cocky as heck. We gotta show him what''s up, yo!" "I suppose," Yuel didn''t have a rebuttal. Frankly, that possibility irked him as well. He knew it was inevitable for other teams to underestimate Stratus, but it was still irritating. Nobody liked being looked down on. Therefore, just like the rest of the team, Yuel wished to rain pure destructions on their opponents this round. "Besides," Vincent added. "Maybe its not even their final form! They might be hiding even better players in store! Their third, final form!" "Oh snap!" Lars exclaimed. "So, ya say we''ve been fighting the third-string until now!? No way!" "You can never know for sure," Vincent said. "After all, their club is four times bigger than ours. They have spare soldiers for days." "A third form? That''s pushing it," Yuel said. Though, it''d be amazing if that was the case. The team has already gotten used to playing on stage, so itll be nice to tackle a harder and harder challenge after each victory. Itd be a great learning experience. In the end, everybody''s burning passion convinced Yuel as well. He was on board with the aggression game plan. There was still a tiny hint of reason at the back of his head, whispering against this idea. But, he ignored it for now. They will all-in on this one! At that time, Yuel couldn''t imagine the sharp turn this entire scrimmage will take starting from this third game... Vol.10 Ch.7: Banning Against an Enigma "Hey, dude. Why you''re still standing there?" Nash asked. Everybody was already seated, yet Jaiden remained rooted in place like a tree. "Just checking out our opponents," Jaiden said. It was true, but it was only one part of it. By standing like this while everybody else was seated, he drew attention to himself. This was his way of making a declaration. "I''m here to hunt you down." He made sure to convey that message. That aside, he felt like hed have trouble sitting still right now. This match was like a dream come true. Jaiden actually got to stand here, on the competitive stage, despite being a junior. On top of that, he had the honor to test his mettle against Gunz and Chessmaster. It was awesome! But, that wasnt even the best part. Nash and Rio were right by his side on this important occasion. Together, they gonna unleash the Invincible Triangle and take this game by storm! "Don''t forget to buy Teleport as soon as you can," Jaiden reminded them of their secret plan. Though, the reminder was mainly aimed at Nash, the most likely suspect. "Yes, mom," Nash cracked a laugh. "I''mma buy the shit outta that Teleport!" "What is that even supposed to mean?" Rio titled his head. "Gonna buy that shit so hard, there won''t be any left for you guys!" "Haha, that''ll be a problem," Jaiden laughed. "Zeph, make sure you get that Checkpoint Ward sometime early." "........" Zeph didn''t reply. He was just sitting there, staring into empty air. The harsh defeat he suffered in the previous game was still weighing on his mind. Hey, earth to Zeph! Nash called out. Respond, respond! .............. Yo, bruh! Are you alive over there? YOOOOOOOOO! Give him a rest, Jaiden said. He had a rough day. But, dude aint responding. We need him to do his part. Well, yelling isnt going to help, Jaiden reasoned. Hey Zeph, you hear me? Look, I get it, the previous game was real rough. But, no need to feel bad about it. You were playing against a strong opponent and he happened to adapt faster than you. .......... But, I dont think hes that much better than you. He just got into your head early on, thats all. Now, that you know exactly what things Chessmaster can counter, Im sure youll do just fine. You just gotta respect his DK and play safer. Hes not like those scrubby DKs in Ranked. Chessmaster is the real deal. Hmm, Zeph finally expressed something akin to a reaction. Maybe Jaiden got a point. That DK was countering my ass every time, so I got heated up. I started thinking hes some unbeatable pro material. I gotta try another match against him. This time, I wont fall for his bullshit...! So, are ya done moping? Nash grinned. Oh yeah, Im hella done with that, Zeph straightened his back. Hed normally say something back to that disrespectful junior, but he agreed he was acting lame until now. He gotta pull himself together. Zeph was a senior, so he had to serve as an example for the younger ones. So, youre on board with the plan, right? Jaiden confirmed. Yeah, Ill get the Checkpoint Ward for you, Zeph nodded. Until then, Ill play it safe. Nash, make sure you gank my lane often. Gotta keep that DK off me. Aye aye, sir, Nash saluted. You sure got an ambitious plan on your hands, Raymond frowned. Are you sure you can pull it off against opponents of this level? We can always give up mid-way if things arent looking good, Jaiden reassured. It depends on how smooth the early-game goes. Alright, Raymond nodded. Didnt expect Cap to question it. Jaiden smiled meaningfully. Guess hes starting to get more involved now. This should be fun. This team gonna go places! The banning phase began. Anything youd like to ban? Raymond asked. Can we maybe get rid of DK? Zeph suggested. I rather not deal with it again. Cmon bro, Nash objected. Dont run away from the challenge. Go in there and kick his ass! Hes right, Jaiden nodded. Theres no need to fear that DK. Im sure your Dragonborn can handle him now. Yeah, but... Zeph pursed his lips. What if I mess up again? Feeding a DK is the worst thing ever. It might cost us the entire game all by itself. Besides, DK is a great target for our game plan, Jaiden smirked. I say let them have DK if they want it. Itll be their downfall! I see what youre saying, Zeph nodded. Dark Knight was a great prey for Jaidens ploy. Alright, gotcha. Let them have DK. I just gotta man up and tackle that bastard again. This time, I wont lose to him so easily! So, any other banning suggestions? Raymond asked again. Lets get rid of the Impaler, Jaiden suggested. Their captain seems to fancy it, so lets see what she can do without it. Fair enough, Raymond submitted the ban. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Oh? Kai twitched slightly. So, youre coming after me first. Im honored. Yeah, very honored. So honored, I wanna crush your bones. Haha... Vincent laughed nervously. A chill ran down his spine. He could sense the miasma of malice spreading from his lane partner. This game was definitely going to be something else... It was Stratus turn to ban. Yuel and Kai played it safe and agreed on Shadow Walker, despite the recent nerfs that hit the class hard. Many claimed Shadow Walker wasn''t broken anymore and that it fell from S tier to A tier, or maybe even B bier. But, Yuel hadnt reached a solid conclusion about the changes yet. There was no doubt that Shadow Walker was still a strong class, so it was better to keep it out of their enemies hands. The only downside to banning Shadow Walker was that it limited Nias options. But, it should be fine. So far, the enemy hasnt expressed much interest in Nia despite her many great achievements. So, they probably werent considering banning any of her classes. The ball was back in Taurus court. It was time for their second ban. Suggestions? Raymond asked. Id ban Ninja, Rio said quietly. Oh, almost forgot about that one, Jaiden said. Yeah, make Ninja go. She caused a lot of trouble last time. Cant believe I forgot about it, haha. Now that you mentioned it, Raymond frowned. She did give us a lot of trouble, didnt she? Completely slipped my mind Oh yeah, I remember too, Zeph said. Shes the one who counter-ganked me and Dyl and killed me, right? Yeah, I dont like that Ninja in her hands. Alright, then Ninja it is, Raymond submitted the first ban. "Bullies," Nia mumbled. There was no doubt this ban was aimed at her. Her opponents were picking up on her. Bullies. So, theyve finally noticed. Yuel thought. Nia rarely participated in any of the big fights, but she often arrived at the last moment to drive the final nail into the enemys coffin. No matter how many times it happened, the enemy seemed to remain indifferent. Its as if they couldn''t register the threat of her existence into their minds. Truly, a Vanishing Phantom. Alas, all good things had to come to an end. The enemy was exposed to Nias plays for too long. They finally set their eyes on her. She most likely wont be able to abuse her stealth as much as before in the upcoming game. Maybe banning Shadow Walker was a mistake. Yuel frowned. He shouldve been more careful back there. Now, Nias options were reduced to but one. So, Nia, Yuel started. Heres a riddle. What should you pick instead of Ninja? .Rogu- No. Yuel shut down that idea before it even formed. Gufu... Nia twisted her lips. Then, Drow. Good, Yuel approved. It was unfortunate but, at the moment, Nia only played classes with stealth. Yuel tried to make her pick other assassins as well, but she always resisted. She was as obnoxious as Luke when it came to her favorite picks. Why did Junglers always have to be so difficult? Sigh. For now, Yuel had to let it slide. Nia still had many areas she had to improve in, so for now, it was fine to focus only on the stealth classes. Namely, Ninja, Drow, and Shadow Walker. But, not Rogue. Definitely not. That class wont cut it against high-level opponents. The banning phase went on. Since the enemy replaced the majority of their players with unknowns, it was impossible to target most of them with specific bans. Yuel could only specifically counter the two players that remained: DragonMaster and Nirvana. "Can we ban Aero and Sorcerer?" Lars requested. "That Nirvana dude has some nasty setups. Like, he shoots his stuff, then places the other stuff, and that stuff boosts the first stuff he shot! Dude be wilding. Cant deal with it." "Okay, granted," Yuel banned Aeromancer. Out of the two enemies the team could target with specifically tailored bans, Nirvana was definitely the greater threat. Nirvana has been giving Lars trouble for the past two games with his defensive playstyle. First, he did it with Aeromancer. Next, Yuel banned Aeromancer, but Nirvana kept making trouble with Sorcerer. He was one tough cookie. As far as player skill was concerned, he definitely stood at the top of Taurus, he was most likely the captain. It made sense to weaken him as much as possible. And so, after the Aeromancer ban, it was Taurus'' turn again. "I''d get rid of the Druid if possible," Jaiden said. "I dunno if they''re going for early-game aggression again. But, if they are, then we dont wanna let them have Druid and his OP lane pushing ult. It''s just too good for early aggression strats." "I think so too," Rio nodded. "Alright," Raymond submitted the Druid ban. The details shortly reached Stratus. "Hoho," Vincent smiled. "It appears our foes will not let us form the same lineup as last time. We will have to reinvent our aggressive opening!" "Seems like it," Yuel agreed. These bans are directly aimed at what we''ve shown last game. It looks like they want to ban our preferred options. This concentrated banning feels very different from what weve seen from Taurus until now. Interesting. This wasnt nearly enough proof but, nevertheless, Yuel had a gut feeling. Their new opponents will be tougher, he was convinced of that. As he feared, going all-in with early-game aggression was risky. But, he has already signed up for it, so he was going to see it through. Their aggressive game plan will either work or itll backfire in their faces. Either way, theyll obtain valuable information about their new opponents. For the third and final ban, Yuel went after Nirvanas Sorcerer as Lars requested. He originally considered banning Dragonborn too, as it was clear that DragonMaster was a very adept Dragonborn player. Even the guys nickname implied as such. Last time, Yuel got the upper hand against DragonMaster by making many good reads in a row. But, DragonMaster wont make things as easy the second time around. Alas, the bans on Nirvana took priority and they signaled the end of the first banning phase. Next, the selection phase began. The enemy immediately jumped on the opening Yuel left and grabbed Dragonborn. Looks like he recovered from the last game. Yuel concluded. The way Yuel outplayed DragonMaster time and again seemed to shake DragonMaster to the core. It felt like the guy lost all confidence in himself and that dulled his plays for the rest of the game. He became like a lifeless bot. He continued functioning, but his performance was painfully far from its peak. Honestly, it was a shame. DragonMaster was overall a solid Dragonborn player, he just wasn''t prepared to take on a competitive-level Dark Knight. Yuel was familiar with most anti-Dark Knight strategies the Dragonborn could employ, so he saw everything coming. But, it wasnt a completely one-sided battle. Little by little, DragonMaster adapted to the situation. At one point, Yuel believed that DragonMaster might start outplaying him. Alas, DragonMaster didn''t live up to these expectations. I hope he''ll do better this time. Yuel thought. Interestingly, the enemy hasn''t banned Dark Knight despite Yuel''s strong display with it. So, the matchup in Top will most likely be a repeat of the previous game. Itd be interesting to see whether DragonMaster figured something new over the break. Honestly, a part of Yuel wanted to pick something safer like Knight. But, the rest of the team was dead set on early aggression, so he had to play his part too. Dark Knight was the epitome of this strategy, so he naturally picked it before the second banning phase. The drafting phase came to an end. The third game of the scrimmage was about to begin! Yuel (Chessmaster): Dark Knight Lars (Gunz): Electromancer Nia (VanishingFlower): Drow Kai (Beat): Pirate Vincent (InformationBlackhole): Paladin Jaiden (Renegade): Gunslinger Rio (Laplace): Cryomancer Nash (StormMonster): Viking Raymond (Nirvana): Warlock Zeph (DragonMaster): Dragonborn Vol.10 Ch.8: Two Haters The third game between Stratus and Taurus began. The opening proceeded smoothly without any unexpected developments. The enemy team didn''t invade and Yuel advised his team against invading as well. It was better to play it safe until they get more intel on their new opponents For this team composition, the early-game was everything. Failing an early invade would doom them for the rest of the game. The risk was too high. So, they didnt do that. Yuel finished clearing the Wraiths and Wolves together with Nia, then proceeded to his lane. And so, his battle with DragonMaster began. So, how do you plan to come at me this time? Yuel brimmed with anticipation. DragonMaster didn''t give up on his Dragonborn despite suffering a devastating defeat last game. So, he mustve had some sort of plan. What challenges will he throw at Yuel this time? Yuel braced himself for impact. Alas, all that followed was a disappointment. DragonMaster didn''t try anything special. In fact, he hasn''t done much at all. He simply turtled, making it clear he was still wary of Yuel''s Dark Knight. So, he gave up? Yuel had a hard time believing that. DragonMaster struck him as the type who hated losing. Players like that would keep searching for ways to win until the bitter end. More than anything, the fact he stuck with Dragonborn implied the guy came up with something. But, what could it possibly be? Maybe it''ll only come into play later down the road? Maybe he''s waiting for me to wear myself out, then hell start an attack with his ult. Out of all the possibilities, Yuel could come up with, that one seemed the most sensible. Frankly, he didn''t have enough information to work with. All he could do was speculate based on what little data he had on his hands at the moment. I better dial down my aggression once my HP falls down to 50%. Yuel nodded to himself. For a while, he has been unleashing devastating attacks on the enemy minions, as any Dark Knight player should. Unfortunately, repeated uses of Dark Blast drained his HP. Therefore, he had to slow down over time. But, even as Yuel hit 50%, DragonMaster showed no signs of attacking. The enemys new Jungler, StormMonster, ganked the lane a couple of times, but Yuel elegantly disengaged every time. In the end, there wasnt much development in Top. Meanwhile, Bot Lane had sparks flying all around it. The situation was quite charged. Even though they were fighting inside a video game, the animosity in the air managed to invade that virtual world. Vincent could feel it with every bone in his body. They''re like mad dogs who aim for each other''s neck. Vincent gulped. This situation was like a ticking bomb. How did things come to this? Dr. Blackhole shall explain. The enemy''s first direct strike at Kai actually happened before the game loaded, back when they banned the Impaler. It was obvious Taurus targeted Kai with that ban. That incident ticked her off a little, but it was alright. She had no qualms about playing Pirate. That ban alone was no more than throwing a pebble into the water. It created small ripples, but it wasn''t enough to generate a real wave. It merely planted a little bit of irritation in Kais mind, nothing more. The real offense came after that. The enemy Carry, one Mr. Renegade, has been disrespecting Kai from the moment the game began. He was playing Gunslinger, a class that barely had any options under its belt until mid-game. By all accounts, a Gunslinger player should be wary of a Pirate during the early-game. But, not this Gunslinger, not Renegade. He seized every little opportunity to fire shots at Kai. Needless to say, Kai wasn''t thrilled about this in the slightest. "Damn!" Kai cursed as a bullet pierced her arm. She tried to sidestep the incoming shot, but she was half a beat too late. Somehow, that Gunslingers shots always connected. What the hell was going on!? "Heh, just like I thought," Jaiden reported to his partner. "She''s good at dodging consecutive shots, but she often gets hit by the first shot. She''s pretty good at predicting." "I see," Rio nodded. "So, we better poke her to death." "Yep, exactly," Jaiden grinned proudly, satisfied with his scouting work. Beats dodges were a mystery that has been weighing on Jaidens mind ever since he saw Bruce fighting Beat. Bruce had many flaws, but he wasnt a weak fighter. He wouldn''t let some girl kick his ass for no good reason. Therefore, there has to be some sort of trick to Beats timely evasion. Jaiden couldn''t tell how Beat predicted shots, but at least he verified that her method didn''t work on the very first shot. She had to be shot multiple times in a row before she could start dodging. So, Jaiden simply denied her such opportunities. He fired one bullet at a time, without any immediate follow-ups Every time a new minion wave arrived, Jaiden first focused on clearing it. He booted Fan the Hammer and landed critical headshots on the minions. It was tricky to nail all these headshots even against such predictable targets, but Jaiden has practiced enough to pull it off. Right before Jaiden completely annihilated the enemy wave, he searched for an opportunity to deliver an attack. Beat was busy clearing minions, so she had to let down her guard a little while she was concentrated on the task. Especially, there was a brief moment during which players often became vulnerable without noticing. It happened right before the minion wave was completely gone. The player always developed the "I''m almost done with this wave!" feeling. It clouded their judgment for just a moment, but it was more than enough to give Jaiden the opening he was searching for. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As expected, Beat was no exception to that rule. Maybe she knew a thing or two about the game, but she wasn''t competitive material, let alone captain material. She was ez. I''ll make her understand through this match. Jaiden promised as he fired another bullet BAM. "Again!?" Kai didn''t even get a chance to sidestep this one. Even though she was on guard against these loose shots, another one snuck under the radar and pierced her stomach. What''s the timing on this shit!? Kai bit her lip. This was annoying. The enemy fired only two bullets a minute, one bullet for each wave. Kai couldn''t grasp a pattern from that. For all she knew, there was none. Renegade randomly shot her whenever he felt like it and his shots magically connected every time. All these random shots have already brought her down to 80% HP. Dammit! "Hey Vince, can''t you do something about this?" Kai demanded. "I sincerely apologize for my lack of support," Vincent replied. He wanted to help, but there was a problem. Paladin was a melee Support, so Vincent constantly had to retreat from the frontline before all the ranged attackers concentrated their fire on him. As such, he never had an opportunity to do anything for Kai. Of course, he could do something random like fire a Justice Strike at Renegade. But, a Gunslinger didn''t rely much on skills aside from Fan the Hammer, and Renegade always stayed out of range before casting it. So, hitting that fellow with Justice Strike will earn them nothing. Itll merely trigger the enemy minions and make Vincent lose a lot of HP. What should one do in such a predicament? Vincent asked himself time and again. He had little experience against bold opponents who focused on the Carry this hard. Most opponents targeted Vincent when he stepped onto the frontline, but not Renegade. This guy was dead set on hitting Beat and nobody else. "O, great Chessmaster," Vincent summoned the evil god of tactical knowledge. "Please advise this little lost lamb." "Hmm," Yuel carefully considered the situation after getting all the details. It would have been best to observe the situation from up close, but that was impossible to do from the opposite side of the map. So, he had to fully trust Vincent''s description of the situation. The gist of the issue was the Carrys focused aggression on Kai. It was rare to see this approach at this level of play. It was a risky game plan. And, a cocky one, too. It implied Renegade had full confidence about winning these exchanges. He wasnt scared of Kai in the slightest. Against a game plan like this, a melee Support like Paladin indeed had trouble helping out. But, there were some methods. Unfortunately, there wasnt enough data to work with. Yuel couldnt make an educated decision. It called for experimentation. Vincent will have to stick out his neck in front of the guillotine to test the enemy out. Their response will give Yuel more valuable data to work with. So, I have to research our foes? Vincent sounded excited. Leave it to me! Information gathering is as natural as breathing for the Information Blackhole! Are you even gonna find anything? Kai made a face. Somehow, she didnt see it happening. Vincent was great at gathering intel, that much was true. But, his intel usually praised players instead of exposing their weaknesses. In a situation like this, Yuel would have been a much more dependable Support. If only the guy wasnt stubborn about playing Support for Lars... Its like hes also looking down on me. Kai clenched her mouse, threatening to crush it. It was obvious that Yuel didnt want to play Support for Kai because he didnt find her worthy to be the teams Carry. He didnt want to waste his efforts on somebody like her. And, that Renegade bastard was thinking along the same lines. He was aggressing on Kai without a single care in the world, as if she was a Bronze rank scrub compared to him. Unforgivable! You wanna go? Then let''s go! Kai roared internally and stepped forward. She gonna drill a thousand bullets into that bastard! "Wait, that''s-" Vincent''s plea was overshadowed by the loud sound of gunfire. BAM! Kai fired! However, her bullet failed to graze her target. "So it begins," Jaiden smiled meaningfully. "Rio, you ready? I''ll try luring her." "Go for it," Rio nodded. "Let''s see what she got," Jaiden took a fighting stance. He has been waiting for this moment all this time. Ever since he learned that Stratus had a girl for a captain, he had the urge to give her a good beating. BAM! Jaiden fired back. A clean hit. "Geh, you little...!" Kai stepped in even further and fired. "Whoa, dangerous!" Jaiden sidestepped the attack. He was maintaining the maximal distance between them to give himself enough time to react. That allowed him to dodge the girl''s incoming shots. As soon as the enemy''s shot whiffed, Jaiden fired back. I got it this time! Kai sidestepped the incoming shot. It was a quick counter, the likes only skilled players could deliver. Kai accumulated plenty of experience with those from sparring with Lars, so she was ready. "Whoopsie," Jaiden realized his mistake too late. He fired that quick counter like a robot. It was a swift shot, arguably the most optimal counter the world has ever witnessed! But, it was predictable. There weren''t that many players out there who could read shots like this and react to them in time, but some existed. Jaiden has met some before, especially in the Challenger division. Against opponents like that, it was best to mix up the shots. It meant sacrificing some attack speed, but a delayed shot had a much higher chance of hitting opponents who based their dodges on prediction. A delayed shot had an unpredictable timing, so it made living hell for these guys. BAM! A bullet dug into Jaiden''s side. It was punishment for the shot he has just whiffed. Yep, I deserved that. Jaiden nodded to himself. He took a deep breath, waited for a moment, then pulled the- Oh, look. She''s already moving. Heh, just like I thought. Jaiden adjusted his aim a little to catch his sidestepping target. BAM! Perfect hit! "Wha-!?" Kai grimaced. Did she mistime the sidestep? No, she should''ve moved with the exact same timing as last time. Then, maybe I didnt have the timing right all along? Maybe the previous dodge was a fluke. Anyway, I gotta tune myself fast. Now that Kai ate a shot, it was time to counter. She fired back as soon as she collected herself. Unfortunately, the shock she received from being hit slowed her down just enough to give the enemy time to sidestep the counter. Nice shot, but a little too slow. Jaiden effortlessly sidestepped the delayed shot. This girl isnt terrible. She got some stuff going for her. But, captain? Please. Ill put you right in your place! Beat wasn''t the girl who cheated her way into StormBlitz at his expense. Jaiden knew that. This wasnt the girl the one who robbed him of his important opportunity. But, there was no doubt that Beat acquired her captain position through similar trickery. She must have used the excuse of being a female senior to get the sympathy of the boys or something like that. Despicable. If you think you deserve to be the captain, then prove it to me. Jaiden demanded. Show me you can get things done. Try to me! I dare you. And so, the two haters crossed blades. Kai, who hated any guy who looked down on her for being a girl, and Jaiden, who hated any girl who pretended to be a big shot. Will their hatred lend them strength? Or, will it cloud their judgment? Vol.10 Ch.9: The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom It was a great opportunity to fire a counter back at Beat. However, Jaiden waited for a moment. He delayed his shot even more than last time. Yet again, he caught the sneaky Pirate sidestepping to the side ahead of time. This was the cue! Again!? Kai gritted her teeth. There was no way she mistimed her sidestep this time too. That shot came way too late. Its almost as if the opponent waited for her to sidestep, then fired. Did he figure me out? Already? Kai had no other explanation. That bastard in front of her knew that Kai was relying on patterns for her dodges. It was the first time they met in the game, yet Renegade has already found a way to shut down her prized evasion. Will high-level players always figure me out this quickly? Kai shuddered. It was the second time it happened. This was a repeat of the 2v2 she had against Yuel and Lars after meeting them. Back then, Lars also delayed his shots in order to hit her. She later learned it was Yuel''s idea, which made sense. The guy dissected players as a hobby so, of course, somebody like him would be able to figure Kai out. For the most part, she was fine with that development. Big brain players like Yuel were one in a thousand, if not rarer. Kai concluded she won''t run into such opponents all too often, if ever. Yet, there Renegade was, standing in front of her as if mocking her naivety. The guy figured her out in a couple of minutes. It gotta be THAT guy. Kai still remembered the boy who rubbed her the wrong way the first time they interacted on the stage. He insulted Kai in a totally different manner from TheLegend, who turned out to be a lame loser. This guy, Renegade, was a completely different beast. TheLegend insulted Kai in order to stroke his own ego and make his pals crack a laugh. It was easy to tell the guy was just trying to make himself look important, so it came as no surprise he turned out to be utter trash. On the other hand, Regendae didnt care for such petty things. His antagonism toward Kai was much more real and direct. The guy was filled with malice. He couldnt forgive Kais existence for whatever reason. And here he was, standing in front of her, trying to prove that everything he said was the truth. That Kai wasnt a strong player, that she had no place in the competitive scene, and that she was trash because she was a girl. Renegade was planning to beat her to a pulp and turn all these insults into facts. Like hell you will! Kai raged. You think youre so good? Fine, lets have at it! Ill mop the floor with your stupid face!!! Kai charged forth. She was going to force this fight into close quarters since Renegade was good at dodging bullets from afar. Itll be even better if she managed to get into melee range and make use of her cutlass. At that point, shell have the fight in the bag. Ill destroy him. Ill kill his ass. Only thoughts like that swirled inside Kais head. She demanded nothing less than the complete ruin of her opponent. Wait, Beat! Kai! Vincent failed to get the amazons attention. It was bad! Terrible! A disaster in the making! Beat activated her accursed Pheromone Buster mode again! I have to do something...! Pitiful, Jaiden shrugged in disappointment. Beat sealed her fate the moment she charged in. As Jaiden thought, that girl was bad. She didnt deserve to be any teams captain, not even Stratus. Im ready, Rio informed. Do it, Jaiden nodded. On command, Roi rolled forward into the enemy''s blind spot. "Wha-!?" Vincent was the one to exclaim. He wasn''t the target of the attack, so he saw things clearly from the sideline. The enemy Cryomancer, Laplace, closed onto Beat at some point. With a single roll, he appeared right behind her! It wasn''t hard to imagine what manner of disaster will follow. "Beat! Dodge-" It was too late. The spell was already cast. "Shit, what the-!?" Kai froze in place. Literally. A frosty breath covered her from behind, turning her into a human-sized lump of ice. When the hell did he get behind me!? Kai roared internally. How did I make such a mistake!? Damn it! It was embarrassing. She should''ve paid more attention to her surroundings. A Cryomancer sneaking up to her like this was a scrubby blunder. How come I didnt see him!? Kai ranted. Was I too absorbed in the fight? Yeah, I probably was. Thats a misplay on my part. But... "How come you didn''t warn me!?" Kai demanded from Vincent. "Apologies! I didn''t notice him until it was too late!" Vincent dashed to Kai''s side like a madman. He had to get there at all costs, or else this situation will end in a tragedy. Thankfully, he was loitering nearby the entire time, searching for a good opportunity to step into the fight. So, it didn''t take him long to reach the scene. BAM! The enemy delivered one headshot on the frozen Kai. It dealt hefty damage and reduced what little HP she had to 20%. She was two hits away from dying. BAM! Another headshot. But, this one didn''t affect Kai''s HP in the slightest. A golden aura of invincibility surrounded her and Vincent, nullifying all damage and CC. It was Paladins Aegis, the ultimate shield that nullified all sources of attack! "Tch, nice supporting," Jaiden praised the Paladin''s quick response. Thanks to Blackholes quick response, Jaiden only landed one headshot on the enemy. He shaved off a nice 14% thanks to Gunslinger''s 100% crit chance on headshots, but the Aegis completely negated his second headshot. Even though Jaiden had an easy frozen target right in front of him, he couldnt do anything to Beat. A golden protective aura enveloped the two enemies as they made their retreat. No amount of damage or CC could do any harm to them. But, Aegis only lasted a short time. This fight wasn''t over yet! "Rio, wall them off," Jaiden requested. "Got it," Rio summoned a wall of ice ahead of the enemy, cutting off their escape route. "Shit!" Kai heard an icy sound cue. An ice wall was about to appear! No way! I won''t let you block me off! If the enemy locked her out here, itll be over. Aegis''s protection will end shortly after and Kai will be as good as dead. She couldn''t let that happen. She won''t go down like this! Therefore, she rolled forth. Before the Ice Wall even began appearing, Kai was already rolling! "Nice reaction," Jaiden whistled in surprise. Beat rolled through the Ice Wall blockade before it formed. The ice wall molded itself into existence a split second after that. The wall forced the Paladin to a halt, but it failed to capture the main prey. Stolen novel; please report. In fact, this Ice Wall became a traitor. It walled off Jaiden and Rio, so they couldnt pursue their fleeing prey. My bad," Rio apologized. He set up that wall to imprison the fleeing prey but, instead, he imprisoned Jaiden and himself. "No biggie," Jaiden said. "Well just have to use our Invincible Triangle. Nash, you''re up." "Heck yeah, finally!" Nash flashed his teeth. It was the grin of a vicious beast, excited about the idea of driving his fangs into somebodys flesh. Especially, this time, it was double the fun because his target was a girl. He gonna wreck her so hard, she''ll think he was the strongest man on earth. She might even fall for him, huehue. "Let''s go!" Nash rolled out of the jungle and intercepted the Pirate. "Shit!" Kai gritted her teeth. Where did he even come from!? It was a pincer. With just 20% HP, her chances of escape were slim to none. However, that didn''t mean she was going to give up. I''m not dying here! Kai declared. She turned around, showing her back to the Viking. Then, she cast Backfire Cannon, propelling herself deeper into allied territory. I gotta get to the tower. Fast. Kai gulped. This was a race. She had to reach the Turret before the Viking cornered her. "Whoa, neato!" Nash grinned as the Pirate flew right past him. It shouldve been crystal clear to the girl that she was done for, yet she was still radiating such an intense fighting spirit. Not bad, girl. But, you aint going anywhere! No prey could escape from the jaws of the StormMonster. As Nash gave chase, the entire world around him slowed down, like a film playing in slow motion. He saw every motion, every twitch, in insane detail. His body felt light like a feather. Every motion was natural and effortless. He could tell exactly what he should do next, without even spending any time thinking about it. He hurled his axe ahead of him. It flew past the feeling Pirate, driving right into the ground. Did I just dodge it!? Kai surprised even herself. In her current agitated state, she barely even heard the axe being flung. She juked to the left at the last moment, but she didn''t expect to actually dodge anything with such clumsy timing. Nevertheless, the axe passed right by her side without hitting. She still had a chance to escape- Whish! A teleportation sound. The Viking blinked to his axe and appeared in front of Kai. Your ass is mine! Nash swung his axe and dug it into Pirate''s chest. That erased a sweet 10%! Everything was going according to his ingenious plan. From the beginning, Nash wasn''t aiming at the Pirate with his Axe Throw. Like, what would be the point? The girl was already on her death bed. A hit from Axe Throw wasn''t going to deal much damage anyway. And, hitting her with the throw meant sticking the axe into her back, which would only allow Nash to blink that far. That aint good enough. I wanna get ahead of her! Thats why, instead of wasting time aiming at the girls back, Nash lodged the axe into the ground ahead of his prey. It allowed him to outrace his opponent in a blink of an eye. He was as fast as the Flash! Now, all Nash had to do was swing at the opponent in front of him. One attack already connected. One more hit and itll be over! What can I do here? Kai bit her lip. There''s nothing, is there? Her Dodge Roll was still on cooldown. Her Backfire Cannon was also out of commission. There were only two skills still available for her. She had the option to switch her gun for a cutlass, or to summon the Kraken. Unfortunately, with her low HP, she had no hope of winning a melee fight. And, the summoning animation for Kraken was way too long. The Viking will cut her down before the Kraken comes out. So, Kai was already dead. She actually allowed these bastards to take her down this early into the game. She thoroughly lost to Renegade. Fucking hell... Fine! If I''m going to die anyway...! Kai drew her cutlass. She was going to swing and swing and swing! She won''t go down without inflicting any damage on her enemy! "Whoa! What a crazy chick!" Nash was taken back for a moment. At this point, most prey would resign to their fate and cease resistance. But, this girl was like a wild beast. Sensing danger, she lashed out with relentless bites! The aggression was overwhelming enough to faze even Nash for a moment. Mad respect for that competitive attitude. But, it''s over. All Nash had to do was bring down his axe once more. So, he did just that. The axe hacked through the Pirates neck and cut her across the torso, executing the fugitive. You have killed an enemy! Hell yeah! Lets go, lets go, lets gooooooo! Nash wasnt done yet, far from it. There was one more rat in the area, trying its best to flee the scene - the Paladin! Jaiden and Rio chased the guy from behind, so the Paladin headed in the only direction he possibly could. He was running toward his tower, straight into Nashs embrace! No homo. Come at me, bruh! Nash became a goalkeeper. It was a boring role in Soccer but, in Classmancers, it was da shit! He stood in the Paladins path, denying entry into the towers area. This is a disaster! A tragedy! Vincent cried out. Two agents were chasing him down from behind and a gatekeeper stood in his way. It was a pincer most foul! The enemy pressed Vincent between a rock and a hard place. Doom was imminent. Chessmaster! Orders, I beseech thee! Vincent pleaded to the only person who could flip this disadvantageous situation on its head. Maybe there was an opening somewhere. Perhaps there was a weakness in the enemys formation. Vincent prayed it was the case. He didnt want to abandon hope until the very end! Hmm, Yuel bit his lip. He overclocked his brain to simulate numerous lines of play, but nothing worked out. The enemies encircled the area perfectly. Vincents best bet wouldve been to take a sharp turn toward the jungle, but the Gunslinger denied that option. While the Cryomancer was chasing Vincent in a straight line, the Gunslinger turned toward the jungle and circled around the area as he chased. As a result, Vincent found himself caged inside a triangular formation. The three enemies were like three points of a triangle, with Vincent imprisoned in the center. No matter in which direction hell choose to run, there will always be somebody to intercept him. If he tried to turn around, the Cryomancer will be there to stall him. If he ventured into the jungle, the Gunslinger will cut him off. And, if he continued running along the lane, the Viking was waiting to execute him at the end of the road. There was no escape from this triangle. Your best option is to keep running toward the tower, Yuel delivered the bad news. If you try going to the jungle, theyll intercept you and gang on you. On the other hand, if you get close enough to the tower, they might give up. I highly doubt that, though. O, dios mio! Why such a cruel fate must befall me!? Vincent lamented. He was still alive and kicking thanks to his tankiness, but only 50% HP remained. If he gives his pursuers just a few more opportunities to hit him, hell die a terrible death. Following Yuels advice, Vincent pressed on along the lane. His pursuers were still behind him and only hit him once in a while. That much damage was still fine. It definitely hurt, but Vincent will survive it. The real problem was the gatekeeper in front of him. If Vincent had Dodge Roll, he couldve attempted to roll past this guard. Alas, he panicked hard during this escape operation and spent the Dodge Roll prematurely. Also, he spent his Justice Strike as well. In other words, Vincent was like a gunman with an empty barrel. He only had his legs to carry him. By relying on fundamental movements alone, he had to somehow sneak past the gatekeeper and reach the safe haven. Indeed, at this critical moment, he shall become the Ultimate Gatekeeper Sneaker- "Whoa!?" Two hands grabbed Vincent before he could even begin maneuvering! The Viking locked him into a suplex! Next, the wrestler flung Vincent backward like a rock. That set Vincent at least ten steps back. The gatekeeper won this one. Shortly, the Gunslinger and Cryoamnce caught up. The three enemies locked Vincent inside the Bermuda Triangle. There was no escape from this imminent doom. Vincent struggled his best until the very end, but there was no hope of winning this 1v3. You have been killed! "Heh, Vincent smiled meaningfully as he gazed toward the ceiling. All good things come to an end one day. "What are you acting all ''cool'' about?" Kai jabbed with her elbow. "You just died." "Why yes, indeed. I have perished. Such is the inevitable fate of all living beings. Nevertheless, I must say, those three made my heart skip a beat." "Huh?" kai raised an eyebrow. "Such teamwork! Such synergy!" Vincent sang praises. "None can escape from the grasp of The Barmuda Triangle of Certain Doom!" "''Certain Doom''?" Kai gave him a look. "You realize you''re talking about our opponents, right? It''s like you''re saying we''ve already lost." "Indeed, we will lose terribly if we underestimate their Bermuda Triangle of Certain doom. "Yeah, whatever," Kai shrugged. "I''ll get them next time." I just told you to not underestimate them, Vincent still had shivers dancing across his skin. Renegade, Laplace, and StormMonster orchestrated a sequence of plays that was nothing short of ingenious. They crushed Vincent like a bug, but he didn''t even feel bad going down like this. It was similar to being stomped by a pro. It was an honor, not a tragedy. This Bermuda Triangle was bad news. It had the potential to trample all over Stratus. The last time Vincent was this excited about unknown players was back when he watched Yuel and Lars playing against the Leopards. No, perhaps the Bermuda Triangle topped even that performance. It was swift, calculated, and destructive. Vincent knew better than anybody that the amount of excitement he felt directly attested to the power level of the skill. After all, he was the Arbiter of Talents. The cooler the talent seemed, the more overpowered it was. Therefore, there was no doubt. This Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom was going to run amok. This was but a prologue. The Bermuda Triangle hasnt unleashed its full potential yet. Renegade, Laplace, and StormMonster still had more in store. Much more. Vol.10 Ch.10: The Unexpected Teleport An enemy has been killed! "Haha, goteem!" Nash pumped a fist. "You could''ve given me that one," Jaiden sulked. "Nuh-uh, bruh," Nash grinned. "All your kills are belong to me!" "You greedy son of a gun," Jaiden chuckled. Well, it''s not like he really cared about Nash taking both kills. It didn''t bother him in the slightest. Not at all. Dang it, I''m taking the next two kills for sure! "Anyway, time for our grand plan," Jaiden grinned. "Are you all got enough money?" "Mhm," Rio nodded. "Hell yeah, bring it on!" Nash gave a thumbs up. "Alright then," Jaiden nodded. "Zeph, you can place it soon. We''ll be there in a jiffy." "Got it," Zeph rejoiced upon hearing the good news. He has been doing his best to play defensively against Chessmaster''s Dark Knight, but he wasn''t doing too hot. His tower already fell to 70% HP and he didnt have anything going for him. This guy is a monster. Zeph concluded. There was no way he could take on a demon like Chessmaster. He needed help. Like, lots of help. At first, Zeph thought that summoning the entire junior trio to Top Lane was overkill. But, now he found it neccessary. Chessmaster was that difficult of an opponent. So, Zeph did his part and placed a Checkpoint Ward as requested. The plan was set in motion. Jaiden, Nash, and Rio recalled to base and all three of them bought Teleports. Its a costly gimmick plan. Jaiden thought. But, it gonna pay off for sure! Nobody gonna expect us in Top. If this plan works, well have the game in the bag. Meanwhile, the other team could only wonder what this crazy trio was up to. They''re not pushing? Yuel examined the state of Bot Lane. A new minion wave arrived and the two sides clashed, yet nobody from Taurus was there to farm. It was peculiar. Just moments ago, the trio in Bot secured themselves the entire lane by killing Kai and Vincent. Yet, right afterward, all three enemies vanished from the scene without a trace. They didnt do anything with the advantage they worked so hard to gain. It was mind-boggling. Where did they go? To farm Dragon? Yuel wondered. No, thats impossible. Vincent has wards over there. We wouldve seen them by now. So, where else could the trio possibly disappear to? Did they abandon their lane advantage and chose to retreat? Their Gunslinger was injured, so it wasn''t entirely impossible. But, would they really give up on such a great opportunity? Bot was completely under their jurisdiction at the moment. They could do as they pleased with the entire area. It was a golden opportunity. Nobody would give up on a chance like this. But, if these guys weren''t pushing Bot and weren''t at the Dragon, then where were they? There weren''t any other big jungle camps around that were worth clearing as a group. Well, they could pay a visit to the Griffins, but... Yuel didnt believe it. The Griffin Camp was worth a pretty penny, but focusing on it would be a poor way to capitalize on the amazing advantage the enemy gained in Bot. It wasnt worth it. There was definitely something bigger afloat. Judging by the new players performance thus far, they were too good to ignore such a golden opportunity. They were planning something. Other than taking Dragon, what other lines of play could be worth more than pushing Bot? Yuel could only come up with one logical idea. "Lars, retreat," Yuel instructed. "They might be rotating to gank you." "Hm? Who?" Lars titled his head. "I dont see nobody." "Exactly, that''s the problem, Yuel explained. The enemy took control of Bot but theyre not pushing it. Then, where did they go?" "Oh, I see watcha mean. Yeah, that''s suspect alright," Lars retreated from the center of the lane. The idea of three dudes rotating together from Bot to Mid was pretty extreme, but it wasn''t too out there. Stuff like that happened sometimes. In fact, it didn''t just happen. "Wait, ain''t that our tech!?" Lars exclaimed. "We used to do that kinda stuff together with July." "It''s not like we have a monopoly over this tactic," Yuel said. Traveling around the map as a coordinated trio had its perks. If the three players had solid teamwork, they could terrorize enemy lanes to no end. They could rack up more kills this way, or get a chance to push more important lanes like Mid. The tactic involved many risks and demanded careful timing. But, when successful, it could propel the entire team into a winning position in a matter of minutes. Judging by how Vincent gave that trio a bombastic name like Triangel of Certain Doom, there was a good chance those three were experienced enough to attempt such an idea. Unfortunately, Yuels deduction was only half-correct. He was right about the enemy trio sticking together and preparing for a gank, but... "Heh, their Mid is retreating." Jaiden smiled meaningfully as he examined the mini-map. "Whoa, no way!" Nash''s eyes almost popped out. "Man, are you telling me they figured were the kind of mad lads whod gank Mid together? The game barely even started yet! They cant know that stuff." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "I hear you, but thats facts. I told you, these guys are something else. "Too bad for them, though," Rio smirked. "They guessed wrong." "Yeah, good thing I thought of this master plan ahead of time," Jaiden turned to Nash. "And you were trying to stop me, remember? Saying I was overthinking things and all that. Just look at the dang situation. Look at it, bro!" Haha, yeah, yeah Nash laughed. I still cant believe this is real life right now. But, we just gotta roll with it. Lets go get em, bois! The preparations were set. All three of them got Teleport and fully recovered. Now, it was time to begin their masterful attack! As Chessmaster predicted, they were planning to launch an organized attack together. However, their target wasnt Mid Lane. It was Top Lane! They booted Teleport at the same time and targeted the Checkpoint Ward installed by Zeph. In just two seconds, the three of them traveled from the base and all the way to Top! Wha...? Yuel was speechless. Who could blame him? Out of literally nowhere, three ominous figures appeared on his lane. And, they immediately launched an attack! T-Theyre all here! Yuel reported, barely containing the panic. He has been leisurely pushing the lane until now, advancing into enemy territory without any worries. But now, three enemies were right behind him! They caught him overextending! No, that wasnt quite right. Until a moment ago, Yuels push was perfectly fine. He ventured deep into enemy territory, but it was a calculated risk. He knew that the enemy jungler was near Bot, so there was no reason to be cautious about any ganks. But, a gank happened nonetheless. And, it was no simple gank by one opponent. All of Taurus new players were here. The entire so-called Bermuda Triangle showed up! Such a nasty Teleport gimmick! How didnt I think of that!? Yuel gritted his teeth. He didnt expect to see such a bizarre tactic here today, but here it was. What are my options? Yuel broke into a run before he could answer that question. Even without thinking about it, he knew he stood no chance against these opponents. He had to make a break for it. But, realistically, what were his chances of getting away? And, what could he do to increase them? Dark Knight didnt have any escape tools and he was slow by foot. Once forced into an unfavorable situation like this, there was no clean way to get out. For starters, Yuel booted Nightmare. It slowly sapped his HP, but it gave him a small boost of Movement Speed that he very much needed. Next, he rolled forward- CLANK. The Dark Knight rammed into a wall like a ball. I see. Yuel grimaced as an ice wall towered over him. Youre not going to give me any chances at all, are you? The enemy Cryomancer was quick at blocking the shortest escape route with that ice wall. It was impossible to continue onward. Yuel will first have to circle around the wall. Thatll waste a lot of precious time. But, there was no time to even worry about such matters. By the time Yuel recovered from his failed roll, the three predators have already encircled him. So, this is the triangle. Yuel looked around him. There were no openings. The ice wall was blocking the path ahead, the Gunslinger and Viking blocked the sides, and the Cryomancer blocked the back. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. They got him. Im through. Yuel didnt give up, he merely stated a fact. There was no way to come on top in this situation. Looks Im fighting to the death. He sighed in resignation. Despite being trapped in a 1v3 situation, he was still a Dark Knight, a powerful damage dealer. Therefore, his best option was to stand his ground and retaliate. Perhaps one of the enemies will be careless enough to let Yuel kill them. Who do I go after? Yuel didnt have enough data to choose the best target out of the three, so he went after the Gunslinger, the squishiest target. Oh, trying to kill the Carry? Jaiden grinned as a black sword slashed through him. Thats cute, but not gonna happen. Lets finish him, guys! Gotcha! Nash roared. Another kill, here I come! Hey, Jaiden made a face. Gimme this one, will you? Nope. You damn Kill Stealer, Jaiden cracked a dry laugh. Alright, its a race, then. Lets see who gets the last hit! The trio launched their attacks on the Dark Knight. But, the guy didnt just stand there and took it like a good boy. Chessmaster retaliated with violent swings aimed at Jaiden, going for a kill even under these desperate circumstances. The guy had no intention of giving them anything for free. Dang, this guy sure knows what hes doing. Jaiden gulped. Even though he and his pals had the absolute advantage here, the Dark Knights retaliation was oppressive enough to make Jaiden sweat. But, you not gonna get me. Get dead already! Jaiden fired while backpedaling. Nash hacked away with his axe. Rio shot icicles. There was no escape from the Invincible Triangle! An enemy has been killed! It was over within seconds. The Dark Knight collapsed on the ground and didnt stand up again. "Alright!" Jaiden pumped a fist. They eliminated one of the enemys stars. Never thought itd be this easy. We actually did it like it was nothing! Back when Jaiden saw Gunz and Chessmaster on stage for the first time, he felt like there was an infinite skill gap between them. Even a lifetime of training shouldnt have been enough to shrink that enormous distance. And yet, here Jaiden was, totally destroying Chessmaster. It was easy too, almost painfully easy. And, he got the kill too! "Goddamit, my kill!" Nash ranted. "Hey Rio, the heck was that freezing stunt!?" "My hand slipped," Rio averted his eyes. "Oh, yeah? Its mustve slipped real freakin bad to make you cast your ult on me!" Nash waved an angry fist. He couldn''t believe what just happened. Nash has been carefully waiting for the perfect moment to land the last hit on the Dark Knight. But, just as the time came, his body froze. Why? Because Rio decided to hit him with Cryo-Freeze outta freakin'' nowhere! He missed the kill because of that stunt. "Like, the heck, man?" Nash grumped. "Hey, Jai. You tell him something too." "Hmm," Jaiden knotted his brows. As Nash was saying, that Cryo-Freeze from Rio was a terrible waste of an ult. Itd normally deserve nothing less than capital punishment. "Good job, Rio!" "Say WHAAAAT!?" Nash almost fell off his chair. "You''re welcome," Rio nodded with a small smile. "You dudes be ganging on me like that?" Nash asked. "I''mma cry." "Just learn to share," Jaiden laughed. "I know you''ve been waiting for that last hit." "Who? What? Where?" Nash whistled innocently. "I saw how you stopped attacking near the end there. I was planning to let you have the kill because I''m nice, but I guess Rio didn''t wanna let that slide." "Ya both bullies. Bullies, I''m tellin'' ya!" Nash thrust his finger. "It''s on now! Let''s see who gets more kills by the end!" "Aaaaaaand nothing was learned that day," Jaiden sighed. "Gorilla brain," Rio agreed quietly. I spent my ult for nothing. Under normal circumstances, wasting the Cryomancer''s precious ult would be a grave mistake. However, at this point, Rio simply couldnt see them losing. Theyve been dominating the game thus far. They scored three kills one after another in a matter of minutes. The situation became an overwhelming 5v2. There was literally nothing their opponents could do against this offense. And, Jaiden had no plans of stopping any time soon. Theres more from where that came from! Jaiden grinned. He didn''t really plan this far because he didn''t expect things to go this smoothly. Even so, their next course of action was obvious. They gonna keep raiding the enemys territory! Vol.10 Ch.11: Group Rotation "Alright, let''s go!" Jaiden shouted. "Onward to Mid!" "Hell yeah!" Nash dashed ahead of the pack. He wanted to be there first to claim another kill. "Zeph, come with us," Jaiden said. "Are we really doing this?" Zeph raised an eyebrow. "Thats batshit is crazy. Why dont we just take Tops tower while we''re here?" "Nah, thats waste of time," Jaiden said. "Let''s go all-in on Mid! Thats where we gonna push." Sounds like you wanna put all your eggs in one basket. Dont worry, it gonna work! Cmon, its already a 5v2. What exactly do you think these guys gonna pull? "Fair enough. You guys are really something," Zeph cracked a laugh. This entire game plan was madness incarnate. It sounded like a naive pipe dream. Yet, Jaiden pulled it off. His insane gimmicky gamble proved to be effective. Heck, it even worked against Chessmaster, the guy who never overlooked anything. Shit was wild. And, now theyre going all-in on Mid? A five-man push? What sort of madness was that!? But, it sure as hell sounded like lots of fun. Plus, itd be hilarious if it actually worked. So, why not? "Alright, let''s go!" Zeph joined the march. Their target was Mid, guarded by a single opponent. Gunz was the last man standing, the only one holding the fort. If they remove that guy as well, itll pretty much be GG. Naturally, the enemy team mustve been feeling the bitter taste of despair right now. "What''s even going on with this game...?" Kai asked with a defeated expression. First, she died. Then, Vincent followed her footsteps. And now, even Yuel kicked the bucket. Everything about this situation was insane. The entire game was drowning in madness. "The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom strikes again!" Vincent continued hyping things up, almost as if he was cheering for the enemy team. "This time, they even got Chessmaster! What masterful display of..." A sharp glare stabbed him like a knife. "Ahem, anyway, they''re pretty good. Yeah. Not bad at all." "You understand this isnt the time for this, right?" Kai speared the loud idiot with her glare. "Yes, indeed. My bad," Vincent caved in under the pressure and pipped down. The enemy''s plays were nothing short of legendary, but this wasn''t the time to sing them praises. Vincent wasn''t a neutral bystander in this game, so his words had a direct impact on his teammates'' morale. If he continued celebrating the enemys strength, everybody will start thinking they stood no chance. Their fighting spirit will die out. That would be a disaster! I must avoid rubbing salt into their wounds. Vincent nodded to himself. Though, I must say. The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom is beyond splendid! It''s unbeatable! It devoured our entire team! Our future appears gloom... "Yo, my dudes," Lars called out in a cheery voice, but his shaky smile betrayed a sign of nervousness. "So, we lost both Top and Bot?" "In a way," Yuel explained things in order, drawing a clear picture of the situation for everybody, including himself. "Instead of taking Bot, they teleported to Top and ganked me." "Whoa! Dudes be wilding!" "You can say that again, Yuel nodded. I assume they''ll take Top now. With four pushers, they might even take the Golem. Or, maybe not...?" It was odd. The enemy should''ve started pushing Top already, but there was no sign of them. A new minion wave arrived at the center of Top Lane, revealing... nothing. There was nobody there. Not a single player. "Lars, retreat. Now." "Wait, are ya telling me they..." "I am," Yuel stated matter-of-factly. "They''re coming after you." "Haha, ya gotta be kidding me," Lars laughed in denial, but he nevertheless started backpedaling. Then, he broke into a dash and rolled in the direction of his Turret. He gotta scram. Fast! "Too late, scrub!" Zeph leaped out of the jungle in his dragon form! In this form, Draconic Rush became a long-distance leap with knock-up CC upon landing. Zeph gonna end Gunzs whole career with this thing! Thanks to the dragon''s giant body, it was hard to miss with this leap. Zeph crashed on his target like a meteor! However, nobody was sent flying. "Wha!?" Zeph''s face contorted. "Hey, come back here!" "Phew, close!" Lars grinned nervously after emerging a short distance away. He had to spend Thunderclap to dodge that dragon meteorite. "Damn, this is tense! The entire enemy team is on my ass, haha!" "Nice dodge," Yuel tried to mask the gravity of the situation to the best of his ability. Deep down, he knew the truth. This was a hopeless situation. Nevertheless, he wanted Lars to struggle against these impossible odds until the bitter end. Maybe, just maybe, the almighty goof will create a miracle. "Go toward Bot Jungle," Yuel advised. "They''ll probably cut you off if you keep running along the lane. The jungle should be safer." "Roger!" Lars took a sharp turn and dived into Bot Jungle. This meant he was completely abandoning Mid, but there was no other choice. In a 1v5 situation, the enemy would take the Turret no matter how hard Lars tried to defend. So, his top priority was to get away alive. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. As expected, he didn''t run into anybody inside the jungle. Phew, good. Lars sighed in relief. Them dudes are so wild, that I almost expected one of them to show up all the way over here. It was an extreme thought, but very much justified. After all, he was dealing with opponents who switched from attacking Bot to attacking Top in a matter of seconds. These dudes were wilding all across the map! But, not this time. Fleeing into the jungle successfully threw the enemy off. "Where is he!?" Nash emerged behind the enemy tower, in the best spot for cutting off the enemys escape route. But, his prey wasn''t there. And, nowhere else on the lane either! What the flying heck!? "He went into Bot Jungle," Zeph reported. "Dang. Smart," Jaiden had to admit. What a shame. Indeed, it was a shame he wont get to fight Gunz as well. But, it was understandable. After delivering so many successful assaults, it was only natural for the enemy to fear Jaiden and the gang. Even Gunz, who was a hyper-aggressive player, would flee in the face of that kind of terror. It was inevitable. There was nothing they could do about that. Looks like well have to let him go, Jaiden said. Okay, lets forget about Gunz and focus on taking the lane- "Nah, no way!" Nash hurled his axe into the jungle. "He ain''t getting away from me!" "Wait, don''t go alone-" It was too late. Nash already blinked into the jungle. A switch flipped in his mind. He entered his chasing mode. Once Nash became like that, there was no stopping him, for the better and the worse. "Do we follow?" Rio asked. "We seriously need to start pushing," Jaiden glanced at the lane. There was Zeph, still in dragon form, ready to tank the Turret. Meanwhile, Raymond was advancing the minion wave to raid the tower. They were alone here. Nobody stood between them and the Turret. Theyll easily take it with just three pushers. Ill go push, Jaiden told Rio. You follow Nash and make sure he doesn''t mess up. "Got it," Rio chased after the fool who ventured into Bot Jungle by himself. Meanwhile, Jaiden dashed into the tower area and started barraging the tower. While all this action was happening in Mid, the chase in the jungle was underway. "Okay, I think I''m safe here," Lars turned around and checked for pursuers. There was nobody behind him, not a single soul. The enemies were wrecking his Mid Turret instead of chasing him. "So, what''s next?" Lars asked. "There''s no much you can do," Yuel reasoned. "Recall to base and get ready to defend the Golem." "On it," Lars began recalling. "Not so fast, chump!" Nash rolled into the scene from behind his prey. He unleashed a wild swing across the enemy''s back! "What the-!?" Lars jumped. "Yo, the Viking dude is here!" He rolled away to create some distance. Fighting this dude from a close range would be suicide. "I think he''s alone," Lars said as he examined his surroundings. There was nobody else in sight. Do I fight this dude? No, its risky, Yuel argued. "Somebody might rotate over here if they see you staying to fight. You better retreat." "Yeah, agree," Lars nodded. He itched to test his mettle against this Viking, but survival took priority. If Lars falls here, there wont be anybody to defend any part of the map anymore. The enemy will be able to take whichever Turret or Golem they wished. Therefore, Lars had to survive no matter what. But, where do I go!? "Try reaching Bot tower," Yuel advised. "If it''s just one or two pursuers, they wouldn''t dive under tower to fight you." At least, I hope they wont. At this point, I can''t tell what these guys will pull next. "Roger, Bot it is," Lars turned his back to the pursuer and blitzed outta there. He was already halfway toward Bot Lane, so he didnt have much farther to go. He gonna make it out alive, yo! "Why are you running? Nash asked. WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!?" He pursued his prey with a mad grin on his face. He was like a horror film monster chasing a horrified victim. It felt the best! Yeah, thats right! Keep quaking in your boots till I get my hands on ya! Nash stared hard at the mini-map while running. What was the best path? Which route will allow him to cut off his target? "I think his chasing fetish kicked in,." Rio pouted. Its hard to keep up. "Yeah, it looks like hes in the zone," Jaiden smiled. "But, do me a favor and try sticking close to him just in case." "If that''s what you want," Rio was lagging behind but he continued chasing Nash. If they leave that fool without supervision, there was a good chance hed do something stupid like diving under tower. Rio had to be there to stop that from happening. Meanwhile, the chase continued. Okay, nailed it! Nash found the shortest route available to him. The path appeared clear in his mind, no doubt born from his genius! Now, the monster was ready to give a real chase! It''ll catch that puny human and tear the guy to shreds in some gruesome manner! Nash will transform into the very symbol of terror! However, at the time, the horror film victim didnt consider himself a victim at all. In fact, he was very hopeful about his chances. "Okay, I''m almost there!" Lars informed everybody with a relieved smile. The jungle exit leading to Bot was right in front of his eyes. Once he passed through it, the tower area will be a couple of meters away. Alas, Lars celebrated too early. Just as he was about to exit the jungle, a pair of arms emerged from the darkness. They wrapped themselves around him and stopped him in his tracks. "CAUGHT. YOU." Nash grabbed his prey with Takedown, then flung the guy back into the jungle. "Theres no escaping from the monster!" "Dang it! Lars cursed. How did he catch up!?" Hes sure fast on his feet, Yuel frowned. He owns some of that success to all the Movement Speed he built. But, that alone doesnt explain how he caught up so fast from that position. He must''ve picked a very optimized route. What a troublesome opponent. The impressive chasing technique stoned both Lars and Yuel. However, for the enemy team, this development was par for the course. "Awesome work as always!" Jaiden cheered. "Heh, thanks, bro," Nash grinned. "Ya know how it is. Ain''t nobody getting away from me." "You got that right," Jaiden nodded. Indeed, chasing opponents was one of Nash''s unparalleled skills. Chasing made him transform into a "monster", as he liked to call it. It was like in these cheap horror movies. The victims would run all over the place seeking shelter. But, no matter where they run, the monster WILL find them and WILL kill them. Itll be gruesome and there wont be any mercy. Just now, Nash became such an absolute monster. And, he finally cornered his prey. It was time to thoroughly devour the victim! But, Jaiden pondered. Can Nash really kill Gunz? Gunz wasnt just any victim. The guy was no pushover. His power level rivaled that of the last survival of the movie, the only one who had a chance of making it out alive. Did Gunz possess the necessary combat skill to stand up to the monster? This will prove to be an exciting fight for sure, way more interesting than all these senseless murder scenes in which the victim clearly stood no chance against the monster. This victim will stand his ground and fight! To the bitter end, if needed. Vol.10 Ch.12: Powerless Mage "You''re dead, fam!" Nash blitzed straight at Gunz to deny any escape. Once he got close enough, he booted Unstoppable Raid. Six savage warriors appeared around him. The monster multiplied! Nash and his brethren were going to tear this dude apart! "Welp, looks like I gotta fight after all," Lars activated Thunderstorm, summoning dark clouds above him. The entire area transformed into a high voltage danger zone. KABOOM! Lightning struck all the enemies in range! Not only the Viking, but his pals too. The strike was strong enough to reduce them dudes to 60% HP in one hit. But, it didn''t bother any of them in the slightest. They continued closing in on Lars because they couldn''t feel any pain. And, the Viking himself didn''t back away either, even though he was inside a deadly thunderstorm. Dude was a legit mad lad, no question about it. The pack of hungry wolves cornered Lars. There was nowhere to retreat anymore. His back was pressed again the wall. The enemies were about to strike...! BAAAAM! Another round of electrical discharge! Heavy lightning struck all his enemies at once! But, they were still alive, just barely hanging onto their lives. These dudes had no intention of stopping any time soon! The savage warriors encircled Lars around the wall and raised their weapons. He had to dodge them! Or, at least some of them! Roll to the left? Or, to the right? Larss eyes shifted from side to side. No matter which direction he was going to pick, something will definitely hit him. But, there was one more option: roll straight ahead! That''s right, he could roll toward his foes and pass by them! They wont see it coming! WHISH. The warriors brought down their blades and axes, but they sliced through empty air. Their target slipped right under their noses by rolling past them! "Whoa! This guy...!" Nash exclaimed. A dangerous grin surfaced on his face. "Haha, what the heck? Who''d casually do that kinda shit? This is rich! But, I ain''t falling for it!" Nash was the only one who hadnt started swinging yet. Therefore, he had the time to react to this bizarre development. Nash turned around and unleashed his axe at the rolling opponent. "Alright! Let''s go, let''s go, let''s goooo!" "Damn, seriously!?" Lars grimaced. His frontal roll shouldve caught the enemy off guard, but this dude was quick on the uptake. What a wild dude! StormMonster was a worthy opponent. Lars was almost happy that things turned out this way. This StormMonster dude wasn''t messing around, he was strong. It gonna be fun taking him down! BAM! Lightning struck again. It wiped out the viking warriors and also smacked hard the main Viking dude. The repeated lightning strikes have already reduced the guy to 65% HP, but he didn''t even bat an eye. He was fully intent on continuing this offense! There was no stopping him! "Crap!" Lars failed to create enough distance between them in time. As a result, he had to eat an axe to the face. Another big chunk of his HP vanished without a trace. Lars was already down to 50% HP. All the injuries he sustained against Nirvana in lane weren''t helping him right now. This was gonna be a rough fight. KABOOM! The fourth bolt of lightning boomed, but the Viking took it like a champ. He pretty much ignored it, as if it were a mere mosquito bite. All his attention was on Lars. The mad lad continued chasing without break. Why is this dude so fast!? Whats with this movement speed!? This is too sick, yo! Lars couldnt tell whether he was gritting his teeth in frustration, or just grinning too hard from the fun. The Viking was sticking to him like glue. It was impossible to create any distance between them. Lars even tried backpedaling without shooting in order to maximize his movement speed, but it was futile. This Viking as fast as heck. Dude just continued getting in Larss face and swinging. How could this dude be so fast!? Of course, part of it was thanks to all the Movement Speed that StromMonster built. But, there was more to it. There was something wrong with this Vikings movements. He always caught up in a blink of an eye, as if he already knew where Lars will move next. All of Larss juke attempts ended in failure. Such was the strength of the monster in front of him. Whew, Nash is killing it, Jaiden whistled. When my guy gets like this, nobody can beat him. Its over. Rio, dont mind Nashs safety, Jaiden said. Focus on stopping Gunz from escaping. Got it, Rio nodded. He almost caught up with them. Meanwhile, the duel raged on. D-Dang it! Lars was overwhelmed. He made that Viking eat so many lightning strikes, he reduced the guy down to 45% HP. And yet, Lars found himself overwhelmed. This Viking dude was all over him! Then, how about this, yo!!! Lars unleashed Electrical Explosion. Each lightning strike that hit StormMonster applied an Electric Charge, so it was time to detonate these bad boys! BAAAM! The Vikings body exploded in a flash of whiteness. It wiped out another 20% HP. But, the Viking didnt stop charging forward, not even for a moment. The huge explosion didnt faze the guy. He was pressing onward with just 25% HP, acting so boldly youd think he was at full health. Dude was legit crazy! Lars even had the HP lead now, holding up with 40%. By all means, the Viking shouldve considered retreating by now. At the very least, there shouldve been a hint of hesitation in his moves. Anybody would worry about dying once their HP dropped that low. But, StormMonster didnt care, not in the slightest. Youre awesome, dude! But, I gonna kill ya! Lars fired a basic attack at the fearless monster in front of him. The shot connected no problem. Theres no way the 200% accuracy sniper would miss from point-blank. Yeah, the shot definitely connected. But, it hurt as much as poking somebody with a pinky. It barely erased 2% HP. In response, the Viking brought down his axe once more. WHAM! 10% HP gone, just like that. Haha... Lars laughed dryly. Im not winning this one, am I? Of course not, Yuel stated matter-of-factly. Were you seriously thinking about staying to fight? N-No, of course not! Haha... Lars sighed in defeat and turned his back on the juicy kill opportunity. Even though he unpacked tons of damage on the Viking with his spells, it wasnt enough to kill the dude. Lars had to rely on his basics to finish the rest of the job. But, Electromancer was a mage. Dudes basic attacks were lame as heck. With his entire kit on cooldown, Lars couldnt fight back any further. Dang it, if only I was playing a marksman...! Lars clenched his mouse. If he were a marksman, his basic attacks wouldve dealt deal heavy damage. He couldve easily turned this situation around and scored a kill here. After that, maybe he could even mount a counter-attack on the enemy fleet in Mid. A 1v4 situation? Ezpz for his Trickshooter and Gunslinger! Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. But, as a mage, he was powerless without his spells. His basic attacks were slow and weak. Despite his life lead, he couldn''t fight back. Hed have to land like a million hits on his opponent to actually deal any damage. There was no way it gonna happen, especially not with the Viking already this close to him. Dang it! Lars ranted internally. Our whole team is dead. I can''t die too...! And so, Lars turned his back on his opponent and rolled away. He had to give up on the fight. Survival took priority. "Hey, come back here!" Nash rolled after his target. "Ya ain''t getting away, dawg!" Just a little more! Lars was already in front of the jungle exit. Once he passes through this gap, the tower area will be right around the corner! The hallway leading to his survival was right in front of him. But, the next moment, it disappeared from sight. A tall wall erupted from the ground and blocked the entrance. It was an ice wall. "Wha!? Ya gotta be shittin'' me!" Lars crashed into the wall. There was no way to pass through. And, there was nowhere to run either. His pursuer was already breathing down on his neck. It was over. You have killed an enemy! "Aww, yeah! Another one for me!" Nash pumped a fist. "That makes it three kills to one!" He lifted his chin as he threw a glance at Jaiden. "I didn''t know we were holding a competition," Jaiden smiled. "Anyway, great job." "Hehe, thanks," Nash grinned. Thinking back on it, he decimated over half the enemy team with his own two hands. He was the MVP of this game! The audience mustve been at awe from his stunning performance! But, of course, none of that was achieved with his power alone. It was all thanks to his pals. "Thanks for the wall there, Rio." Nash gave a thumbs up. "You''re welcome," Rio nodded. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! "Whew, these guys are fast!" Nash whistled. Shortly after he scored the kill, Jaiden and the rest have already taken down the Mid Turret. This game gonna be smooth sailing from here. At the same time, the enemy team was feeling the approaching dread. "Damn!" Lars smacked his face with both hands. "Sorry, my dudes. I failed ya." "It''s not your fault," Yuel said. "Our opponents played better this time. Plus, they caught us off guard." "Indeed, indeed," Vincent nodded repeatedly. "We''ve been caught in the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom! Escape was impossible from the start!" "Would you ever shut up about that Bermuda nonsense?" Kai lashed out. "It''s giving me a headache." "My sincere apologies," Vincent piped down. "Damn, Lars muttered to himself. If only I was playing a marksman..." A marksman. Yuel caught that pat. Yeah, Lars probably wouldnt have lost that fight with a marksman. In that fight, StormMonster unleashed unrelenting aggression with an apparent fixation on scoring the kill. His playstyle was very similar to Julia when she went berserk. Aggressors like that didn''t feel any pain. They won''t stop at anything and will never question themselves. So, they were the worst types of opponents to fight as a mage. Not to mention, Lars''s combat skill with mages was nowhere near his skill with marksmen. If he were using a marksman, Lars would have turned the tables on his pursuer. He probably wouldve scored a kill there. Even if the enemy Cryomancer joined the fray and supported the Viking, there was still a good chance Lars would prevail. That''s the kind of unstoppable force he was. Unfortunately, Kai''s unreasonable persistence to keep playing Carry denied Lars the option to pick a marksman. That''s why Lars, and the team at large, ended up suffering an undeserved terrible defeat. Things shouldnt have ended that way. In the first place, the enemy started their tremendous momentum when they killed Kai and Vincent in Bot. Judging by Vincent''s uncontrollable hype about the so-called Bermuda Triangle, it was safe to assume their new opponents were that good. Yuel used to question Vincent''s nonsense in the past, but he came to accept it by now. Whenever Vincent was hyped, then no matter what utter nonsense he spouted, there was always some sort of truth hidden inside. And truly, Yuel experienced it first-hand as well. The three players who subbed in were extremely coordinated. They completely shut down all his options when they surrounded him in Top. Their movements were quick and polished. They moved in and encircled Yuel like trained soldiers who have carried out such operations countless times before. They probably play a lot together. That''ll explain their airtight teamwork. Yuel deduced. That line of reasoning would also explain why the enemy team suddenly subbed in those three. The enemy must have been banking on this trio''s team-play. Perhaps those three werent that amazing individually, but together they formed a formidable team. It was similar to how things were for Yuel and Lars. Apart, they were strong players. Together, they were unstoppable. It was difficult to gauge the trio''s full potential from this game alone. The element of surprise rigged the results of this game too much. But, there was no doubt that Taurus transformed into an entirely different team with the inclusion of that trio. Perhaps that''s as far as we go. Yuel thought. With their current formation, they might not be strong enough to topple the new Taurus. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Lars and I have to take Bot. There was no other way. They couldn''t let their opponents get away with another easy win next game. Yes, "another" easy win, because this game was practically over. The entire enemy team gathered in Mid and pushed the Mid Golem together. Kai revived in time to defend, but there was little she could do alone. Vincent also revived before the Golem fell to 50% HP, but it was already too late by then. An allied Golem has been destroyed! This was a devastating blow. Dealing with super minions this early into the game was unreasonable. Even mages struggled to clear them at this stage of the game. And so, the entire team was stuck defending Mid from super minions while their opponents were free to do as they pleased. Yuel expected the enemy to split-push the other lanes, but they surpassed his expectations yet again. The Warlock recalled to base, while the rest continued pushing Mid. Sometime later, the Warlock returned to Mid while the other four returned to base. Finally, Stratus thought they had a chance to catch a breather and start pushing Mid. However, just a couple of seconds later, the entire enemy team was back in Mid! And, with upgraded items to boot. They definitely returned to base to gear up, yet they were already back in lane. They took advantage of Teleport again. The Warlock placed a Checkpoint Ward upon returning to lane and the rest of the team instantly teleported to it after gearing up. Such a nasty gimmick. Teleport was undoubtedly an overpowered utility skill, but it was balanced out by its high costs. Not only it was the priciest utility skill, but it also required teammates to buy Checkpoint Wards, which were effectively overpriced normal Wards for most purposes. In short, it was quite an investment. However, it happened to pay off for Taurus this game. Thanks to Teleport, they scored loads of kills and pushed Mid dangerously far. When Teleport ploys worked out, they were often overwhelming like that. The entire enemy team back in Mid, stronger than ever, and way ahead of Stratus in terms of levels and items. There was no hope of defending against this overwhelming assault. Stratus fought to the bitter end, but over time, their formation crumbled. First, Kai overextended a little while retaliating. The enemy didn''t miss that chance. An ally has been killed! Next, Vincent, who tried to rescue Kai, found himself in a bad position. An ally has been killed! Yuel, Lars, and Nia were the only ones left to defend. Nia actually joined the defense efforts of her own accord, which made Yuel a little happy despite the grim circumstances. She was a very defensive player in Duel, yet she tended to completely ignore defense in the MOBA mode. She always said it wasnt her job here, which was true to some degree. But, more than that, she didnt need to do any defending in MOBA mode in order to create opportunities for scoring kills, so thats probably why she didnt bother. Fortunately, Yuel''s coaching showed her the light. Nias awareness regarding the importance of helping the defense has been increasing in recent weeks. As a result, for the better or the worse, she was now defending Mid Lane as if it was her full-time job. Im touched. Im really am. Yuel thought. But, wouldnt it have been better to keep looking for opportunities to gank? Drow is decent at defending, better than all her other classes, but its still an assassin. Its better at killing. Drow was a ranged assassin, so it could contribute to the defense efforts from afar without putting itself in danger. That alone made it much better suited for defending than all the other assassin classes Nia played. Nevertheless, Drow was still an assassin, so its kit was designed around burst damage. And, said burst damage actually came in the form of a melee dagger strike. So, Nia couldnt burst opponents down from afar. She contributed to the defense efforts solely with her basic attacks. Those were decent, but not nearly as powerful as a marksmans. Still, Nias help was much appreciated. It delayed the enemy''s victory for quite some time. Alas, their victory was inevitable. DEFEAT The Colossus crumbled apart. It was over. After Stratus opened the scrimmage by scoring two convincing wins in a row, they suffered a devastating defeat in the third game... Vol.10 Ch.13: Turmoil in Stratus Stratus lost their third game. No, they didn''t just lose. The enemy utterly and thoroughly crushed them like a bug. It was an embarrassing defeat, even more embarrassing than the defeat they delivered to Taurus during the second game. The enemy''s Teleport shenanigans caught them off guard and messed up the entire flow of the game. How will they counter that gimmick? Actually, it was quite simple. "We just have to play safer," Yuel explained to everybody. "If we don''t let them gain any early advantage after they buy Teleport, they''ll fall behind on gold." It was something everybody here probably already knew. Nevertheless, Yuel said it out loud to make sure everybody heard how simple it was. They were all wearing such difficult expressions that Yuel felt the urge to inject some positivity into this gloomy atmosphere. But, how would an emotionless golem like him cheer anybody up? The only way he knew how: by analyzing the game and offering solutions. That''s all he could do. Normally, he''d leave the pep talk to Lars. But, there was no sign of the usual goofiness on the goof''s face. He had a grim expression. The frustration of losing to the Viking was probably still eating away at him. It was hard to watch. "It wasn''t your fault," Yuel said. "It was a bad matchup for a mage. And, we both know mages aren''t your forte in the first place." "Yeah, yeah, I know," Lars clicked his tongue. He knew all that, yet the whole thing frustrated him to no end. Expecting himself to win that 1v1 was probably asking for too much from himself, he understood that in his head. But then, why was he even playing mage in the first place!? That''s what irritated him most. I should''ve been a marksman! Lars stomped on the floor as if it were the culprit responsible for forcing him to play Mid. But, it wasn''t the floor''s fault. It was Kai who insisted to play Carry. But, it wasn''t exactly Kais fault either. It was all Lars. He was the one who accepted this crappy deal and bowed his head like some submissive loser. What the flying fuck was he doing playing Mid in this official competitive match!? "Calm down," Yuel patted Lars''s shoulder. "Geh," Lars just realized he has been punching the wall this entire time. His fist turned a little reddish. He couldn''t bear this. It was all his fault. He shouldn''t have agreed with Yuel on this. Lars shouldve stood his ground and forced Kai to let them play Bot. In fact, he gonna demand exactly that, right here and now! "Kai, listen," Lars tried to keep his tone as calm as possible. "We gotta switch lanes. These dudes are somethin'' else. Let me and Yuel handle Bot." "Huh?" Kai gave him a nasty look. "Are you saying I can''t handle these guys?" "Well, you saw how that game went." That was just a small mess up," Kai claimed. "I''ll wreck these bastards next time. No problem." "I dunno about that. These dudes are strong," Lars insisted. His heavy tone made it clear he had no intention of backing down. "Me and Yuel gotta handle Bot. Otherwise, we''ll lose again." "Tch," Kai clicked her tongue. Her clenched fists trembled. "We only lost in Bot because my Support wasn''t good enough." She shot a glare at Vincent. "I didn''t want to bring this up but alright, lets discuss this, shall we? Vincent just stood there like a scarecrow while I was fighting. Thats why we lost. Am I right?" "Um, I..." Vincent swallowed his words. He couldnt find the words, a rare occurrence for the ever loud clown who usually spouted nonsense like a machinegun. Everybodys eyes were on him as if judging every little twitch he made. "You know I''m right," Kai pressured. "Their Cryo got in and froze me, but what were you doing the whole time? Pretty much nothing. You didn''t even warn me the guy was approaching." "I-I simply didn''t notice," Vincent slowly regained his voice. "That Laplace player is not your average Support. He has the uncanny ability to approach his targets unnoticed and catch them off guard with CC. It is quite similar to the Vanishing Phantom, yet different at the same time. I dub it the Phantom Approacher!" "Cut the crap already," Kai lashed. "Just admit it. You didn''t want to commit to the attack, so left me there alone to die." "N-No, Id never!" Vincent stumbled over his words. "I admit that I wasn''t entirely confident about pursuing that offense. So, I was consulting the all-knowing Chessmaster, and..." "And then I got wrecked, while you were standing there not doing jack shit. "T-That''s not..." Vincent shifted his eyes away. He was very much aware of his faults in that play. He was stuck in analysis paralysis, racking his brain to determine what was their best line of play against the enemys cocky poking. While he was mulling over it and discussing it with Yuel, Kai suddenly took action and initiated an attack. Frankly, that sudden development threw Vincent off balance. One moment, he was calmly examining the situation from afar and analyzing his options. There was nothing urging or pressuring him. Its like he was floating high in the clouds, looking at his surroundings from birds-eye view. Then, out of the blue, somebody grabbed his leg and pulled him down to the ground. It was such a sudden transition that it left him confused. By the time he returned to his senses, it was almost too late. Yes, almost too late. After all, Vincent did make it on the scene before Kai died. He didnt completely fail at supporting. "May I remind you that I did rescue you with my Aegis? Vincent wasn''t even sure why he said that. It wasnt like he was trying to justify himself or anything, but... "Oh yeah, Kai said. THANK YOU for not letting me die after abandoning me there." She shook her head in disappointment and turned to the others. "So, there you have it. The only reason I lost there was Vincent''s awful support. If were going to replace anybody in Bot, it gotta be the Support." She threw Yuel a meaningful look. "You want me to switch with Vincent?" Yuel asked. "Yeah, that should do it. Kai nodded. If you''re the one supporting me, I''ll make quick work of these guys." "Hmm," Yuel considered it for a moment. Is she seriously claiming she didn''t do anything wrong at all? That it was all Vincent''s fault? Sorry, but I dont buy it. Going by Kai''s words alone, it sounded like Vincent should take all the blame. And, indeed, his response to the unfolding situation was too slow. He bore some of the blame, no doubt. But, that wasn''t the entire picture. It was always easy to point fingers at the Support when he didn''t follow up on the Carry''s attack. But, there was always one important thing to ask about these scenarios. "Kai, did you inform Vincent ahead of time about your attack?" Yuel interrogated. "I''m... pretty sure I said something." Kai shot a glare at Vincent as if to silence him. "How about it?" Yuel turned to Vincent. "Did she inform you at all?" "Oh, yeah, about that..." Vincent nervously shifted his eyes between Kai and Yuel. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "C''mon, don''t be shy," Lars urged Vincent to speak up. "We''re all friends here. No need to hide anything." "Kai didn''t inform me," Vincent admitted. "I didn''t receive any heads up at all." "Tch," Kai turned away and clicked her tongue. She was practically admitting to her crime with that body language. "So, most of the blame lies with Kai," Yuel gave Kai a serious look. "I agree that Vincent could''ve reacted faster. But, it would have been a hundred times better if you just informed him about your plans. Youre partners on the lane. Youre supposed to discuss everything." "So, there ya have it," Lars wrapped it up. "Me and Yuel won''t make that kind of mistake, so leave Bot to us." "No," Kai insisted even after hearing all of this. "But, why!?" Lars exclaimed. "We gotta win today! Let us play Bot and we gonna wreck em dudes ezpz!" "I can do it myself," Kai argued. She didn''t want to back down from this challenge. There was something about that player, Renegade, that irked her to no end. That bastard was looking down on her in the purest sense of the word. He wasn''t doing it for the laughs or to stroke his own ego. No, he just genuinely saw Kai as a piece of trash. Renegade was challenging her, Kai could tell it clearly. The guy was sneering at her the entire game, always daring her to come and fight him. And, after the game, their eyes met again on the stage. That bastard didn''t smile. He didn''t grin. He didn''t even sneer or scoff at her. Renegade simply gave Kai a pitying look, as if she was just some bug he squashed. Yeah, in that bastards eyes, Kai was nothing more than a bug, someone who didn''t belong on this competitive stage. That''s all Renegade saw in Kai. It was an insult on a whole different level. Kai didn''t even know how to respond to it. She was angry. No, furious! She wanted to snap that damn guy''s neck! Yet, at the same time, Renegades attitude sent a chill down her spine. Somehow, that bastard''s cocky attitude overwhelmed her. No, I''m not scared of that bastard. I''ll prove him wrong! Kai promised. And, in order to achieve her goal, she had to remain in Bot. She''ll face Renegade once more on lane. And, this time, she''ll mop the floor with him so hard, that hell see his own miserable reflection in it! "What if we lose again?" Lars argued back. "We won''t," Kai responded without hesitation. "But, we might! Them dudes ain''t no pushovers. I''m sure they''ll even give me and Yuel some trouble." "I''ll beat them next game, with or without Yuel''s help." The back-and-forth went on. The others simply watched from the sideline, unable to slip in a single word. It was like a roaring contest between two lions. Nobody dared to get closer. It''s rare to see Lars like this. Yuel thought. The goof usually maintained a positive attitude about everything, but right now he was aggressively lashing back at Kai. Fortunately, his arguments didn''t turn into personal attacks, and neither did Kais. Despite the heated argument, it was clear both players respected each others skill. They just refused to yield on this one point, so they fought it out the only way they knew how. By yelling nonsense at each other like two brats... "Me and Yuel got the powah! We can wrap it up no problem!" "I can beat all three of them myself. With my eyes closed, even!" A silly back and forth without an end in sight. Cant somebody do anything about this? Yuel wondered. We dont have time for this. Unfortunately, nobody made a move. None of them wanted to be caught up in that heated battlefield. Vincent remained on the sideline, seemingly contemplating whether he should say something. Luke was also far away, with an awkward smile plastered on his face. It was pretty clear they didn''t want to get involved with any of this. Then, what about Nia? Hm? Where is she? Yuel looked around. It took him a few moments to find the familiar black messy hair. In fact, thats the only part of Nia he actually could see. The rest of her body was covered by a blanket. Did she go to sleep!? In this situation!? Yuel lost all grip on reality. What the bloody hell was going on with the team!? "Hey, Nia," Yuel called out. "Wake up." "No. I sleep," Nia replied with a muffled voice from under the blanket. "We got two more games to play." "Good luck." "You''re also playing in them." "No. I sleep." This girl... Yuel checked the clock. It wasn''t 3 pm yet, so it was too early for the princesss daily beauty sleep. "C''mon, get up. At least one more game." "No." Nia tightly held onto the blanket with her little hands, stopping Yuel from pulling it away. "Its still early," Yuel insisted. Im sure you can keep going. "Too tired. Zero MP. Gotta recall." "You only played three games," Yuel argued. "Three games too many," Nia mumbled. "Playing on stage is scary. Drains all your life force. It shortened my life span by at least 10 years." "Really now," Yuel made a face. Though, he could somewhat relate to what Nia was saying. During Yuel''s first scrimmage, he was so exhausted he nearly collapsed afterward. If Lars wasn''t there to catch him, Yuel probably wouldve crashed into the floor and taken a nap right there on stage. An unpleasant thought for sure. Since Yuel became that tired during his debut, it only made sense that Nia was handling herself even worse. She wasn''t exactly the paragon of energy in the first place. So, this is as far as she goes today. Yuel nodded to himself. It was regrettable, but he knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. In fact, it was a miracle this timid girl even mustered the courage to play on stage today. That alone made her worthy of praise. Not to mention, Nia put on a strong performance during the first two games. The enemys skill level wasnt that high back then, but even so, everything went much smoother thanks to Nias sneaky kills. Okay, sleep well, Yuel said. If possible, try to recover enough energy so you can play in the last game. Hm, ok... Nia gave a vague reply. It was pretty clear she didnt believe thatll happen, and neither did she seem interested in making it happen. Its too stressful. Nia thought. She didnt want to be on that stage again today. Especially, she didnt want to experience anything similar to what happened last game. That game was awful. Not only because the enemy screwed her entire team across the board, but also because Nia didnt get to do anything. Everything happened so quickly. She couldnt even find an opportunity to insert herself into the unfolding action. Whats worse, their new opponents didnt show any openings. Everybody probably thought Nia was nowhere near the action scenes during the early parts of the game. But, she was actually there, hiding in the shadows. For example, back when Kai was fighting the Gunslinger to the death, Nia was not that far away. Ill sneak in and kill that Gunslinger. Thats what Nia thought at the time. She believed that Kai will eventually disengage from the fight and thatll give Nia an opportunity to sneak in and deliver the finishing blow. As a Drow, the best way to do things was to quickly get in while stealthed, deal tons of damage with the dagger, then get out. So, Nia was waiting for a good opportunity to do exactly that. But, the situation didnt develop as she expected. Instead of retreating, Kai continued fighting and almost got herself killed. Nia realized she should''ve ganked earlier, but it was too late at that point. But, not all was lost. The Gunslinger was still running low on HP. As long as Nia could sneak in on him, shell be able to get the kill. But, that was easier said than done. The Gunslinger always surrounded himself with other players, like a prime minister with his bodyguards. At first, only the Cryoamncer was in the way. Cryomancers CC meant trouble, but it was just one bodyguard. So, Nia patiently waited for a good opportunity strike. Just as she found it, the Viking appeared out of nowhere. Together, the three of them formed a tight formation that didnt have any openings. In the end, Nia gave up on the gank. She couldnt slip past them unnoticed, she felt that in her bones. Their formation was impeccable. The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom. Thats how Vincent called it and it rang true. If Nia dared to get any closer, shed be sucked in and torn apart. Scary. Unfortunately, that triangle-thingy wasnt a one-time stunt. Those three maintained their unbreakable position for the rest of the game, as if to bully Nia. They covered each other''s backs. There were no openings. She couldn''t slip past their defense no matter what. In end, Nia had no choice but to give up on ganking as a whole. So, she joined the defense efforts. She didn''t get to do anything impressive there but, hopefully, her presence made a little bit of difference. Either way, it was an unpleasant experience. I don''t want to go through that again. Nia pouted underneath the blanket. She was hiding her sulking face from the others. The atmosphere in the room was already as bad as it could possibly get, so she didn''t want to add her own frustrations to the mix. And, more than anything, she didn''t want to become the target of anybody''s hostility. The air in the room was charged with electricity. It felt like the smallest spark could make the entire place blow up. Scary. All of this stress was exhausting. She didn''t want to deal with any of this. It was easier to slip away into slumber and forget all her problems. And so, Nia left the stage for today. The team fell into disarray after their crushing defeat, and now they also lost their Jungler on top of that. Could they recover from this heavy blow before the next game...? Vol.10 Ch.14: Two Carries Nia went to sleep. She was forfeiting from today''s scrimmage. This left Stratus without a Jungler. But, Yuel was prepared for this. After all, when it came to Nia, nobody could say for sure how much the team could rely on her. In fact, it was impressive she made it this far. Yuel was prepared for the worst from the start. He even considered the possibility of Nia not playing today at all due to stage-fright. Fortunately, she proved to be a sturdier girl than that. Though, it took some effort to get her started... Either way, the team had a substitute ready from the start. It was Luke, the "Meme Jedi" himself. Luke was the last person Yuel wanted to rely on during an official match, but there was no other choice. "Luke, we need you to sub in," Yuel said. "Nia is too tired to keep going." "Oh! So, it''s finally my time to shine!? I''ve been waiting for this!" Luke clenched a fist and grinned broadly. "My body is ready! Hit me up any time, bro!" "Good to see you got the fighting spirit." If nothing else. It''s not like Yuel was looking down on Luke''s skill. On the contrary, Luke was a very accomplished player. He had the 3rd best mechanical skill in the club, his decision-making was airtight, and he sufficiently researched the game to better himself. Unfortunately, all these impressive qualities only applied within a very specific category of classes: memes. Despite possessing such skill, this guy restricted himself to bad picks. As a result, his performance was far from reliable. So, even though Lukes performance was often impressive, it was only within the scope of memeing. He was a top-tier player among memers, no doubt about that. But, compared to what players could achieve with meta classes, Luke didn''t leave much of an impression. To make things worse, the memes were so deeply rooted in Luke''s expertise, that it was impossible to expect him to perform well with meta classes even if he agreed to pick them. He barely practiced them, so he barely had any experience. It was a sad story, but thats the best Stratus had at the moment. "So, Luke pointed at Lars and Kai. What we gonna do about these guys? The quarrel went on without an ending in sight. "Look, dude. Just give us one game as Bot. Just one." "No, I''ll be playing Carry until the end." The two bickered like little kids. Both sides refused to yield even though neither of them was providing convincing arguments. And, even if one of them leveled a good argument, it was unlikely the other side will listen. They were just shooting their raw thoughts at each other, trying to submit the opposition by showing assertion. It was a sad sight. I''d like to take over Bot too. Yuel thought. But, it doesn''t look like Kai will agree any time soon. It was a difficult situation. It reminded him of the breakdown Trever had during last year''s scrimmage. Back then, Yuel had to come up with a solution as well. Is this going to happen every scrimmage? Yuel sighed deeply. Last time, Yuel resolved the issue with Trever thanks to Lars stepping in. But, in this situation, Lars was part of the problem. As far as Yuel was concerned, Lars was in right here. But, siding with Lars would look like playing favorites. It wont quell Kai. In fact, it might only make her angrier. So, Yuel had to find another way. It was important to make both sides agree on a truce. But, what could Yuel possibly do about this? He lacked the skill to make people calm down and listen to reason. What would Howard do here? Yuel couldn''t help but ask. If this were Howard''s team, hed calm everybody down in a matter of seconds. That''s the kind of dominance he exhibited as a captain. When he was commanding a team, everybody saw him as a king who couldnt be opposed. Compared to that, how did Yuel''s teammates saw Yuel? It didn''t feel like they thought much of him. Every time he suggested something, he had to justify himself to no end before anybody agreed with him. The only one who was always unconditionally on his side was Lars. Thats why itd be so easy to side with Lars here and 2v1 Kai. Together, they had quite the authority in the team. Everybody recognized them as the best players in the club, save maybe for Kai who always acted like she was the top dog. So, if Yuel and Lars teamed up against Kai, the rest of the club will probably side with them. Especially, after that terrible defeat in Bot that brought ruin to the rest of the team. Everybody will agree the team needed a stronger duo in Bot. So, Yuel and Lars should be able to get their positions with the help of peer pressure. But, at what cost? Kai won''t be pleased by such a development. Itll only tilt her further. There were various ways in which she could retaliate. For example, she could feed or go AFK. Kai should be mature enough to not resort to such childish sulking, but there was never telling what a tilted Kai was capable of. However, it was more likely Kai will object by picking a marksman despite what the team decided. This was a common stunt online when two players called the same role and neither was willing to step down. How did players usually resolve these situations online? Usually, they didnt. Both players just locked into the same role and then the game went to hell. That''s how online teams sometimes ended up with bizarre formations. Two mages in Mid, two bruises in Top, or two marksmen in Bot. Yuel has seen all these combinations before. Needless to say, these non-meta formations were far from optimal. They usually doomed the team to a devastating defeat, especially at higher ranks. We cant play like that against Taurus. Yuel thought. Perhaps, a gimmicky lineup would have worked against Taurus before they got their new subs. But now, the new players turned Taurus into a dangerous team. They were swift, calculating, and organized. If Stratus tried to face these new foes with a wonky formation, itll be another crushing defeat. Then, what was the solution? Kai had a personal grudge against the enemy Carry, so it''s unlikely she''ll step down from playing Carry. Yuel didnt have the skill to convince her. Then, do I ask Lars to give up? That didn''t feel right either. Lars''s frustration was well justified and Yuel felt guilty for it. After all, it was Yuel who convinced Lars to play Mid for now. Yuel believed that, in time, Kai will come to understand that Yuel and Lars were much better in Bot than her and Vincent. And, he was right. Kai won''t openly admit it, but she mustve realized that Yuel and Lars were the stronger Bot duo. That was evident by how much she trusted their performance during their after-school training, in which Yuel and Lars always played Bot. Nevertheless, Kai insisted to play Carry. She was refusing to come to terms with the facts. Or, perhaps she believed she''ll surpass Lars as a Carry with enough training. Either way, she didn''t step down and this was the result. The moment the team ran into a truly strong Bot duo, Kai and Vincent didn''t quite cut it anymore. Many unexpected things happened in that game, but everything started in Bot. The main reason the team lost so badly was due to their lack of dominance in Bot. It was all because Yuel and Lars werent the Bot duo. And, it was Yuel who approved of this situation. He convinced Lars that this setup was fine, that there was no need to rush Kai into surrendering her Carry role. So, it''s all my fault. Yuel bit his lip. He was the culprit here. If not for his passiveness, they would have easily scored their third victory of the day, which wouldve won them the entire scrimmage. Stratus couldve opened the season with a strong 3-0. Alas, now they were in a 2-1 situation and the team was thrown into disarray. It was all because of one bad decision Yuel made a while ago, long before this scrimmage was even announced. It was such a grave miscalculation on his part. If only there was a way to grant both Lars and Kai''s wishes at the same time. That''d be the ideal resolution to this entire mess. But, that was impossible. The team needed a magical damage dealer, or else the enemy will focus on building physical defense and Stratus'' offense will no longer pose a threat. The entire game will be one big uphill battle. So, somebody had to play a mage. And, that somebody had to be the Mid. Or, did they...? What if our mage wont be in Mid? The idea struck Yuel out of the blue. There were other positions in which a magical damage dealer could be played. For example, Kai could play Pyromancer as a Carry. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I doubt she''ll agree to it, though. Yuel reasoned. Pyromancer has received numerous nerfs throughout its life cycles to ensure it wasn''t a top-tier Carry. It was an understandable balancing direction since the class had to pay for its flexibility in some way. However, Bot wasn''t the only alternative position for Pyromancer. There was one niche, borderline a meme, alternative. Pyromancer Jungler was a thing that existed. Overall, it had more flaws than advantages. But, precisely because of that, there was one madman who''d gladly take on the challenge: Luke. For the better or the worse, Luke actually knew how to play Jungler with Pyromancer. Yuel was responsible for coming up with the teams lineups, so he had to learn the preferred classes of all his teammates. That included memorizing Lukes classes, which gave Yuel nothing but a headache. Memes, memes, and more memes. Memes as far as the eye could see. That was the list of Lukes preferred classes in a nutshell. However, within that mountain of garbage, Yuel spotted a couple of classes that were borderline acceptable. Extremely niche Jungler picks, that were only scarcely picked in the competitive scene and only under specific circumstances that most players werent familiar with. Most people would regard them as a joke without a second thought, but they were at least borderline viable. Yuel always focused on these classes for Luke when simulating the teams lineups. One such a niche Jungler pick was Pyromancer. This marksman-mage hybrid class was flexible enough to be played as a Jungler since it had a huge burst potential like that of an assassin. Based on how the previous game went, the team definitely needed a strong aggressive Jungler. It was the most effective way to instill fear in their new foes and make them second-guess themselves. That should stop the Triangle from going after so many risky plays. It wouldve been better if Luke were a sane player who could pick a proper assassin Jungler, but the guy insisted on subpar picks. Few of them had the kind of aggression the team needed right now, but Pyromancer was one of the best options among them, if not the best. Pyromancers main weaknesses for jungling were the lack of strong CC and good escapes, but there were a couple of advantages as well. It was an unusual Jungler because it dealt magical damage. Its damage might catch the enemy off-guard if they dont build enough magical defense during the early-game. In addition, Pyromancer cleared minions quickly. So, it was great for split-pushing and for defending lanes when the laners were absent. If Luke picks Pyromancer, the team will secure itself a magical damage dealer. Thatll make it more acceptable for Lars to pick a physical class for Mid. For example, a marksman. A Mid Carry, huh. Yuel knotted his brows. It was a niche formation that was used once in a while even on the competitive scene. Throughout Classmancers history, there were even times when Mid Carry was meta. Though it was usually formed with a mage playing in Bot, so it was a little different from Yuels idea Two Carries, thats what Yuel had in mind. That should resolve the bickering between Lars and Kai. They''ll both get to play Carry, one in Mid and one in Bot. Meanwhile, Luke will fill in as the teams magical damage dealer. But, Carry in Mid can be rough. Yuel leveled an argument against his own idea. The main reason mages were prioritized for Mid was their fast wave-clearing speed. Mid was the shortest lane in the game, so both sides wanted to position their best wave cleaners there. Fortunately, Lars mained Trickshooter, a marksman that excelled at wave clearing when utilized optimally. In Larss hands, Trickshooter will easily hold its own against most mages on lane. In fact, Larss wave-clearing with Trickshooter was probably better than his wave-clearing with actual mages. That''s how absurd was the skill level gap between his Trickshooter and his other classes. The more Yuel thought about it, the more he convinced himself of this lineup. Two Carries, one in Mid and one in Bot. The Jungler will be the mage. The team should have enough experience to pull this off. In addition, the weirdness of that lineup might catch the enemy off guard and give Stratus the surprise element. "Luke, can you please pick Pyromancer next game?" Yuel requested. "I dunno, man," Luke said. "I really wanted to show off my sick Rogue skills." "Pick Pyromancer," Yuel insisted. This was no longer a request. "If you pick Pyromancer, Lars and Kai can both pick marksmen. That should put an end to their bickering." "Oh, I see whatcha doing there," Luke nodded. "Alrighty, you got it. Pyro it is." "Thanks," Yuel cleared the first hurdle. Now, it was time to deal with the two troublemakers. Kai shouldn''t have any problem with this setup, but Lars might complain. The goof was unusually worked up about the whole thing. Lars has been doing his best to maintain his usually goofy smile, but Yuel could see through the cracks in that facade. Lars was a breath away from snapping at Kai and becoming really angry. It was a rare side of Lars that only surfaced during the most critical times. Yuel had to act before the sealed demon breaks out. "Can I have a moment?" Yuel interrupted the heated argument. "I have a suggestion." "Huh?" Kai turned to him with an annoyed glare. All her irritation was suddenly directed at Yuel. Yikes. "Go ahead, dude," Lars tried to sound as casual as ever, but there was a hint of irritation in his tone as well. Those two have been fighting over the Carry role for so long, that they started seeing everybody as hostile. It didn''t help that Yuel was the one who convinced Lars to play Mid until now, so it was possible Lars was blaming Yuel for all of this. "Kai, you insist you''d win against Renegade next time, right?" Yuel asked. "Of course I will," Kai answered without the slightest hint of hesitation. "I''d rip that bastard apart." "Then, how about we put that to test?" Yuel suggested. "You play Carry next game. If we win, you can keep playing Carry. But, if you lose to Renegade again, you''ll hand Bot to us." "Fair enough," Kai nodded. It was surprisingly easy to convince her. Perhaps, the possibility of losing to Renegade again didn''t even register as an option in her mind. She was going to win, no matter what. Such was her unyielding conviction. Okay, that''s one problem off the table. Yuel nodded to himself. Unfortunately, this wasn''t over yet. "Yo, dude, what the heck?" Lars demanded. "We gotta play Bot. We can''t be dropping games like that." "I agree, Yuel said. But, Kai insists she can win, so let''s give her another chance. The previous game was filled with many unexpected developments and we picked a hyper-aggressive lineup, so everything crumbled like a domino effect from one mistake." "That''s why I''m saying we gotta handle Bot ourselves. That way, there won''t be any mistakes." "Aren''t you a cocky one," Kai gave Lars a look. "I can get it done myself no problem." "I dunno about that." "I''ll show you, Kai declared. I''ll crush Renegade like a bug!" "Guys, please," Yuel intervened before war broke out again. "Lars, don''t forget we still have a lead of one game. We won''t lose the scrimmage even if we lose next game." "What''s with that weak mentality, yo?" Lars demanded. "Are you planning to throw the next game? Doesnt sound professional to me." "Of course I want to win," Yuel reassured. "I''m just saying it''s not the end of the world if we lose one more game. If Kai insists she can do it, let''s trust her on that. If we lose again, you and I will take over Bot for the final game to make sure we win the scrimmage." "Dude, but I wanna play Carry!" Lars bared his true feelings. What he wished for right now, more than anything, was to wield some strong guns and go PEW PEW BAM BAM BOOM! He didn''t wanna let dudes like StormMonster catch him defenseless like last game. As long as Lars had stable DPS, he could take on anybody! He could even topple Maker, yooooooo! "No problem," Yuel said. "You can play a marksman next game." "Wut...?" Lars blinked multiple times. "Wait," Kai started. "Didn''t you just say you were fine with me playing Carry? What the heck?" "How about you both play Carry?" Yuel suggested. "Huh???" Kai was completely thrown off, so much that she forgot she was angry just a moment ago. "What are you on about? I dunno what you smoked, but it gotta be some serious shit." "Lars will play Carry in Mid and you in Bot," Yuel explained his idea. "Nia went to sleep, so Luke will be subbing in." "Huh? Nia is out?" Kai checked around. It took her a while to find Nia, which didnt surprise anybody. However, in this case, it was more justified than usual because a blanket covered Nia from head to toe. It was almost as if the girl went into hiding. "She can''t go on," Yuel informed. "So, Luke will sub in." "Woohoo! The star of the show is here!" Luke pumped a fist and flashed his teeth. It was probably his own way of injecting some positivity into the air. "Oh, we''re done for," Kai sighed. "Hey, hey, hey!" Luke sulked. "Doncha write me off like that! I gonna meme these guys to death! Ez." "More like, you gonna meme us into losing" Kai rolled her eyes. "Anyway," Yuel interrupted. "You know how Luke can only play bad picks?" "Wow, wow, wow!" Luke exclaimed again. "It''s meme picks, bro. Get your facts straight." "Yeah, I know he can only play trash picks," Kai nodded. "It''s meme picks. Memes." "So," Yuel continued. "I thought about the list of horrible picks he has to offer." "Its meme picks, I''m tellin'' ya..." "And, Yuel continued. Pyromancer is one of the more viable options he has to offer." "Jungler Pyro? Seriously?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "That''s what you call ''viable''?" "Cut me some slack, I dont exactly have much to work with." "Yeah, fair enough, Kai nodded. Forgot you only had crappy picks to work with." "It''s memes..." A mosquito buzzed some nonsense but the two ignored it. "If Luke picks Pyromancer, we''ll have a mage," Yuel explained. "So, Lars won''t have to play a mage anymore. He can pick Trickshooter, who can lane just fine against mages." "Oh!" Lars exclaimed. "You''re a genius, dude! I''m lovin'' it." "Isn''t that risky?" Kai asked. "Mages are the meta in Mid for a reason, you know." "I know, Yuel sadi. But, Lars''s Trickshooter is better than all his mages combined. Common sense doesnt apply to it." "Ya got that right!" Lars flashed his teeth. "My mages are like Bronze rank compared to my Master rank Shooter, believe it!" "That''s not something to be proud of," Yuel retorted. "Work harder on your other classes." "Yeaaaah, weeeelp," Lars glanced aside and whistled innocently. "Anyway, there you have it," Yuel summarized. "You can both play Carry this way." "But, what if we lose because of this lineup?" Kai asked. "You''ll just use that as an excuse to kick me outta Bot." "Don''t worry, dude," Lars said. "I ain''t gonna lose with Trickshooter. And, if I do, that''s all on me. You just gotta kick Renegade''s ass. That''s all ya have to worry about." "Fair enough," Kai smiled for the first time since they entered the room. The two finally reached an agreement. Okay, lets roll with this plan. "Phew," Yuel sighed in relief. He wasn''t confident in his ability to defuse this charged situation, but it was a success. Unlike last year, he resolved the team''s turmoil without any help from Lars or Howard. Finally, he reached the point he was capable of such great feats without external help! And so, the team resolved its bickering and headed into the next game with renewed determination. However, will that be enough to topple the enemys triangle of doom...? Vol.10 Ch.15: Unexpected Draft The fourth game was about to begin. But first, the referee informed Taurus about Stratus subbing out VanishingFlower for LegendaryMemer. Huh? VanishingFlower? Nash cocked his head. Whod that, again? Their Jungler, Rio said. Oh, right, Nash scratched his head. Totally forgot about him, haha. It was a girl, Jaiden corrected. Ah, really? I dont even remember seeing her. Was she AFK or something? No, she was definitely there. Like, where? Um, well... Jaiden scratched his forehead. For some reason, he had trouble recalling any specifics about VanishingFlower. She helped defending Mid, Rio said. Thats about it. So, a useless scrub, basically, Nash nodded with a smug. She probably couldnt stand watching this alpha Jungler over here wrecking her entire team while she was being useless, so she gave up! I actually remember thinking she had potential, Jaiden admitted. I guess it was just Bruce and his gang being careless against her. Our formation probably gave her trouble, Rio reasoned. Im sure it did, Jaiden smiled confidently. Theres no beating our Invincible Triangle! Ya got that right! Nash pumped a fist. And so, the drafting phase began. You want to ban Impaler again? Raymond asked. Nah, Jaiden shook his head. I thought she might be a problematic opponent at first, but after fighting her... Basically, shes trash. So, I say, let her have her favorite class if she wants it. I dont care. Hrm, alright, Raymond proceeded to ban Electromancer. It was a direct attack against his strong lane opponent. As long as the team didnt request any bans, Raymond would gladly ban every class Gunz played. Huh, Kai narrowed her eyes after the first banning phase came to an end. For some reason, Taurus didnt ban Impaler this time around. She sensed a hidden message behind that decision. Come at me with everything you got, girl! Ill whoop your ass! Renegade was surely thinking along these lines right now. That bastard was looking down on her because she failed to beat him last game. Just you wait. Kai gritted her teeth. Ill destroy you. I dont even need Impaler for that. Ranger is good enough to wreck somebody like you. Kai has already decided to play aggressively this game. Ranger was a great pick for that playstyle because it only had to land its CC once, then the fight was pretty much over against any squishy. Renegade proved he wasnt an easy target to hit repeatedly, so Kai had to settle this in one go. Therefore, Kai picked Ranger, contrary to her opponents expectations. "She''s not picking Impaler?" Jaiden wondered. "I think she''s planning to gun for you," Rio said. "Heh, Id be surprised if she didnt," Jaiden amused himself with the idea that this girl was seeking revenge against him. It was fine by him. Rather, it was exactly what he wished for. Jaiden wanted to prove to everybody, and especially to the girl herself, that she was trash. Beat didn''t have the required skill for reigning as the captain of a team, the same way the girl who stole Jaidens spot on StormBlitz didnt have the necessary skill for that. They were both shams, nothing more. Therefore, Jaiden welcomed Beats quest for revenge. If the girl was going to come at him of her own volition, itll only make things easier for him. He''ll thoroughly beat her this time. The competitive stage was no place for those who only pretended to be players. This was the holy ground of warfare, where the best of the best gathered to do battle. Bad players, who wiggled their way in here without the necessary skill, were not welcome here. Only the strong players had the right to be here, and Beat didn''t belong to that category. The drafting phase went on. Jaiden grabbed himself Gunslinger again, Rio went for Cleric because the enemy banned Cryomancer, and Nash also had to settle on a new bruiser because the enemy banned Viking. "Haha, look at ''em being scared of me!" Nash lifted his chin with a smug across his face. "Yeah, they''re literally shook," Jaiden nodded. Nash''s put on strong a performance last game, so the enemy was naturally wary of him. All in all, the enemy''s picks and bans made a lot of sense to Jaiden thus far. So, Ranger Carry and Pyro Mid. Jaiden nodded to himself. Both picks were aggressive, but not hyper-aggressive like the ones from last game. It was clear the enemy decided to change their approach after losing so badly in the previous game. "Good job, guys," Jaiden smiled meaningfully. "We showed them we''re no pushovers. Theyre too scared to go for early-game aggression again." "Hell yeah, we mopped them good," Nash grinned. "Let''s pull them teleporting shenanigans again this time!" "I don''t think that''s a good idea," Rio said. "Why? C''mon, it gonna work!" Nash gave a thumbs up. "We gonna win the whole thing in like five minutes!" "We''ll see how it goes," Jaiden was neutral. "We''ve already shown them this trick once, so it''ll be harder to catch them off guard a second time. I bet they''ll be prepared for it." "Nah, they''ll never see it coming!" "Who knows. Maybe they will, maybe they wont," Jaiden said. He didn''t fully reject the idea, but he didn''t believe this trick will work a second time, especially not against a team with Gunz and Chessmaster in it. Those two will adapt for sure. The way they shifted away from hyper-aggression shows me theyre prepared this time. Jaiden thought. One of the main reasons his Teleport tactic worked so well last game, was because they were dealing with early-game classes. For most classes, early death wasn''t the end of the world. Sure, it was a bummer and setback, but it didnt rob them of their entire future. However, for an early-game class, early death was detrimental. The entire idea behind picking early-game classes was to dominate the early-game and ride to victory on that success. However, an early death completely robbed the player of such opportunities, and things only got harder for them from there. In other words, a single death could shut down the classs entire game plan. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Knowing that, Jaiden and Co. had the luxury to not push towers right away last game. There was no hurry. Instead of rushing tower, they could focus on scoring kills. Every time they killed an enemy who had an early-game class, they also killed that players chances of being relevant for the rest of the game. So, by making every opponent suffer an early death, Taurus secured the game by default. It was that easy. But, it won''t work this time. Stratus has just finished picking their Top Laner and it was a difficult target to take down. Monk, huh, Jaiden smiled wryly. It was a class with one of the best evasion skills in the game, as it turned the Monk immune to everything. On top of that, Monk was a late-game class, so early deaths wont tickle it. Yep, we wont catch him off guard this time. We better take this game slowly like we usually do. The Monk pick successfully planted that intentional mindset. This should discourage them from teleporting around. Yuel nodded to himself as he locked in his class. Monk was evasive enough to discourage enemies from ganking him too often. In addition, it was a late-game class that didnt lose too much from early deaths. Pyromancer and Ranger were also mid/late game classes. Therefore, the lineup Yuel came up with should be doing a good job discouraging the enemys Teleport shenanigans. I hope they just give up on it. Yuel thought. Frankly, he didn''t have enough time to come up with a proper counter for the enemys Teleport ganks. He knew this tactic existed, but he never faced it at such a high level. Their opponents almost made it look like a legit tactic. The drafting phase went on. There was only one more pick left. Until now, Stratus has been making "sensible" picks. Yuel ordered the picks in a way thatd look logical to the enemy. That should put the enemy at ease, making them think they understood Stratuss entire game plan for the upcoming game. However, Yuel was just putting wool over their eyes. Taurus probably assumed that Pyromancer will go in Mid. Hopefully, it influenced some of their decision-making for the worse All this calculated drafting was leading to this final pick, in which Stratus unveiled the big of their lineup. The last pick was none other than Lars''s Trickshooter for Mid! "... what?" Jaiden rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn''t imagining things. "Did they just pick Shooter?" "Yep, they sure did," Nash nodded. "What''s wrong?" "I thought they already had a Carry..." "Hm? Oh," Nash came to a stop. "What the actual freak? The heck are they doing? Did someone lock-in the wrong thing? Haha, scrubs." "Im guessing their Ranger is the Jungler?" Jaiden scratched his head. Pyromancer as Mid, Trickshooter as Carry, and Ranger as Jungler. On paper, that should make sense. Itd perfectly explain the enemys lineup. Nevertheless, his expression remained severe. Something was off. It was like a jigsaw puzzle in which all the parts seemed to fit perfectly at first but, once he took a step back to look at the bigger picture, there were numerous errors. Wait, if it''s Trickshooter... Jaiden found himself grinning all of a sudden. Could it be? Was Gunz returning to Bot to become Jaidens opponent!? HELL YEAH! Jaiden pumped a fist. He couldn''t ask for anything better! It was Gunz, the beast Jaiden wanted to challenge since forever! And, it was a Trickshooter, too! That should be Gunz''s strongest class. The guy dominated the Leopards with it last year. This game gonna be a blast! "Good for you," Rio smiled weakly. He knew this was a big deal for Jaiden. Ever since Jaiden watched that scrimmage last year, he has been working harder and harder to improve his skill alongside his friends. Chessmaster and Gunz motivated him that much. "These guys are the same year as us, but look at them go! They''re kicking some serious butt!" Jaiden was jumping around like an excited child back then. "No wonder these guys made it into StormBlitz. They''re way better than me right now. I gotta work super hard to catch up!" That dazzling performance dragged Jaiden out of the depression he was drowning in at the time. Back then, he was putting on a strong facade in front of everybody, but Rio knew there was boundless sorrow hidden underneath. The failure of getting into StormBlitz haunted Jaiden to no end. On the surface, Jaiden was training seriously like everybody expected him to, but his heart wasn''t in it. Rio''s heart ached when he watched Jaiden go about daily life like this. Jaiden was a zombie who pretended to be alive. He was strong and talented, but none of that amounted to anything without the necessary motivation. Then, things changed. The scrimmage between StormBlitz and the Leopards changed everything. The performances of Chessmaster and Gunz ignited a flame in Zombie Jaiden and brought him back to life. For the first time, he witnessed the skills of the other players his age who made it into StormBlitz. That made him realize many things. Perhaps StormBlitz''s selection exam was rigged to some degree, but not everybody cheated their way in. Some of them were really that good. They were strong enough to give even the Leopards some heat. It deeply impressed Jaiden and made him chase the backs of those two powerful players. They already defeated him once during the entrance exam, but next time he''ll win for sure, that''s what he promised Rio and Nash. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that Jaiden has been working all this time for the sole purpose of standing on this stage today and crossing blades with Chessmaster and Gunz. Though, I think he kind of forgot about them over time. Rio smiled mischievously. He didnt even recognize their faces at first. Though, it was only reasonable. Jaiden has only seen Chessmaster and Gunz once on stage. What left the biggest impression on him was their strong performance in the game, not their looks. As Jaiden immersed himself in hard training, he gradually stopped raving so much about Chessmaster and Gunz. His priorities shifted from beating those two opponents to winning the regionals. It was a good thing. There was no reason for him to be hung up on two strangers he never interacted with. Besides, it was unfair that Rio couldn''t lift Jaiden''s spirits no matter how hard he tried, yet some strangers from StormBlitz achieved that so easily. Hmph. Even though Jaiden stopped talking about Chessmaster and Gunz over time, he definitely remembered they existed. He wanted to test his mettle against them, to prove his worth. Thats why today was an important day for him. Good for you. Rio smiled. He was happy for Jaiden, he really was. Finally, Jaiden got his dearest wish granted. He was playing against Chessmaster and Gunz, the two who kindled a flame in his decaying heart. Finally, he got an opportunity to clash with them and thoroughly crush them, to prove he was the superior player all along. It was StormBlitz''s fault not accepting Jaiden. He totally deserved to get in. With all of that in mind, it was easy to understand why Jaiden was so excited about facing Gunzs Trickshooter. It was supposed to be the strongest form of that monster. If Jaiden prevails in this fight, hell prove he was stronger than Chessmaster and Gunz beyond a shadow of a doubt. On the other hand, I can''t say I''m thrilled about fighting this Trickshooter. Rio shuddered. Chessmaster and Gunz were amazing last year, even Rio was awe-struck by some of their plays. They were so amazing, that they scared him a little. It was difficult to accurately measure Chessmasters skill during that scrimmage. He seemed to be the team''s strategist, and probably the shot-caller too. Therefore, his biggest contribution wasnt through his personal plays, but rather through the orders he gave his teammates. Therefore, Rio simply assumed that every sophisticated play StormBlitz did was Chessmaster''s idea. That painted Chessmaster as an unrivaled tactician with bizarre ideas. Facing a team led by such a strategist was terrifying. On the other hand, Gunzs skill was much easier to analyze. Basically, the guy was a mechanical monster. He shot down everybody in his path without ever slowing down. Especially, with a Trickshooter in hand, that monster was unparalleled. Gunzs performance awed Nash the most, but even Jaiden probably considered Gunz to be the more dangerous player out of the two. On the other hand, Rio believed that Chessmasters calculated tactics were way more dangerous. Either way, Chessmaster and Gunz were the real deal. It wasnt a stretch to call them geniuses. If they finally decide to become serious and return to play Bot, Jaiden and Rio will have a hard time. But, well win. Rio clenched his hands. Jaiden will win. Hes way better than them. Once they topple Chessmaster and Gunz at the peak of their strength, Jaiden will finally be able to move on. With the enemy picking Trickshooter this game, perhaps the upcoming match will present such an opportunity. Or, maybe not yet... Lineups: Yuel (Chessmaster): Monk Lars (Gunz): Trickshooter Luke (LegendaryMemer): Pyromancer Kai (Beat): Ranger Vincent (InfromationBlackhole): Lumimancer Jaiden (Renegade): Gunslinger Nash (StormMonster): Lancer Rio (Laplace): Cleric Raymond (Nirvana): Warlock Zeph (DragonMaster): Knight Vol.10 Ch.16: Setting up the Undesired Aggression The fourth game began. Both sides finished their game-opening farming and everybody headed to their lanes. Now, it became clear which player occupied which lane, and... "Dang, that''s not what I had in mind," Jaiden smiled wryly. As he deduced, Gunz was the one who picked Trickshooter. Alas, the legendary beast didn''t grace them with his presence in Bot. Instead, Gunz was playing a Mid Carry, as odd as it was. "The heck are these dudes up to?" Nash laughed. "A marksman in Mid? Who the heck does that?" "Some pro teams play like that," Rio pointed out. "But, it''s an old meta. It was popular some years ago, then fell out of favor." "This thing was popular? How the in the heck?" Nash couldn''t wrap his head around it. "It makes some sense, if you think about it," Jaiden said. "If you pick a marksman who can clear minions fast, you can compete with mages." "Hmm. Yeah, I guess you can," Nash agreed. "But, don''t you always need a mage and stuff? That''s the meta, man." "Do you even know why it''s the meta?" "Eeeeeh, Nash scratched his head. Ya know, because that''s how you make a strong team and all." So, he has no idea. Jaiden smiled wryly. "You need a mage for the magical damage," Rio explained. "If your team is all physical, the enemy can go ham on physical defense." "Oh yeah, of course!" Nash nodded repeatedly. "I know all about dat stuff, ez. So, again, what the heck are they doing not placing a mage in Mid?" "They place the mage elsewhere," Jaiden explained. "Looks like their mage is the Jungler." "Wut? Their Pyro is the Jungler!? That''s some wild shit right there, haha!" "I agree, its a funny lineup," Jaiden turned to Rio, a professor on the topic. "Is Jungle Pyro viable?" "It''s passable," Rio said. "It used to be more common back when Pyro was released in OP state, but it''s still used by some teams today. Though, never by the highest-ranked teams." "So, it''s poop," Nash snickered. "Well," Jaiden said. "If their Jungler knows how to pilot that Jungle Pyro, it might work out for him. Still, that''s such an awkward lineup they picked. I wonder why." Even if Jungler Pyromancer was somewhat viable, why did Stratus even bother? It felt like a workaround for the sake of picking two marksmen. But, why did they even want two marksmen in the first place? And, why didnt they place a stronger one in Bot? Why Gunz and Chessmaster weren''t in Bot? Why, dang it! It''s almost like somebody doesn''t let them play Bot. Jaiden had a weird gut feeling. Maybe Gunz and Chessmaster actually wanted to play Bot, but somebody was in their way. Who could that culprit be? But of course, it had to be Beat, the so-called "captain" of their team. And, maybe that Blackhole dude was an accomplice too. Thanks to these guys, Jaiden couldnt fight his sworn rivals! It was a sad story. "Rio, Jaiden called out. Do you mind creating a 1v1 situation for me and their Carry?" "Which one of the Carries?" "Heh, right," Jaiden cracked a laugh. There were two options and Jaiden wanted to defeat both of them. However, one took priority over the other right now. "Their Ranger. I feel like she might be the reason Gunz isn''t playing Bot, so I wanna make her realize shes making a mistake." "I see," Rio wasn''t too thrilled about this. There was a hint of grudge in Jaiden''s tone. His bias against girls was speaking for him. Chasing revenge will only lead to his downfall. It wasn''t healthy. Nevertheless... "Okay, Rio said. I''ll see what I can do about their Support. "Thanks, man." "No problem," Rio smiled weakly, with a mixture of happiness and worry. He was glad to be of service to Jaiden. If there was anything Jaiden wanted and it was within Rio''s powers to grant, Rio would do it without hesitation. Even if the request was a little misguided, Rio will heed it any day. Meanwhile, on the other side of the lane, a similar discussion was taking place. "Vince, Kai called out. Help me get some shots on their Cleric. I wanna drive him out of the lane so I can fight their Slinger." "Are you sure about that?" Vincent couldn''t hide his worry. "Last time, things didn''t exactly..." He couldn''t bring himself to finish that sentence. "Huh? Are you saying I gonna lose?" Kai''s face contorted. "To remind you, last time I only lost because their Cryo froze me. And, that only happened because you didn''t support me like you should''ve." "Right..." Vincent still felt bad about that one. "Very well. If its a duel you desire, then its a duel you shall get. I will use every ounce of my power to arrange that sort of situation." "Good." Kai nodded. "Then, let''s start by shooting on that Cleric while farming." "Isn''t that a bit reckless? We''ll find ourselves on the receiving end of their minions." "I thought you agreed to help?" "Well yes, that I did. However-" "So, shut up and do as I say." "Hah..." Vincent was at a loss. How was he even supposed to retort here? This wasnt Kai speaking to him right now. It was the vile goddess of hatred possessing her body. She was the manifestation of Kais Pheromone Buster. This parasite of hatred hasn''t devoured all of Kai''s sanity yet, but it was getting there. For now, Kai still possessed some of her reason. She could probably use her Rhythm Reader without any trouble for now, but it was just a question of time before evil corrupts her mind. Once that happens, she''ll lose her sense of self and will entrust herself to her destructive urges. It was a tragic tale. What could Vincent do to prevent this disaster from happening? He was powerless. There was no surefire method to persuade Kai. And, it certainly didn''t help she pegged Vincent as the reason she lost to Renegade last time. That alone invalidated everything Vincent had to say. Kai won''t listen to the one responsible for her defeat. Therefore, Vincent had no choice. "I shall comply with your request," Vincent gave in. Now, he just had to pray for the best. Kai was a skilled duelist and she still had some of her reason intact. As long as she properly utilizes her Rhythm Beater, she might defeat Renegade. Vincent had to believe that, or else supporting Kai here would become a total misplay from start to end. From what Vincent could gather, there was nothing in particular that stood out about Renegades skill as an individual player. He was undoubtedly the God of Triangles, the one who commanded the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom. However, by himself, Renegade didn''t stand out. He was a decent player, nothing more. Therefore, if Kai challenges Renegade with her full ability, she should be able to topple this adversary. However, that''s only provided Kai will be able to control herself and will find a way to make her Rhythm Reader work against Renegade. The last time they fought, neither of these conditions was met. Will their next fight be any different? Vincent could only pray. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "So, that''s the plan," Kai explained. "Well poke the Cleric until he runs out of HP and leaves." "I''d say we''re more likely to grind him out of MP first." "Either works. As long as he leaves the lane, its good enough. "Right," Vincent nodded. For Cleric, who specialized in healing, MP was practically like an extension of his HP. Clerics kit was relatively weak, but the heals were on point. Especially, Gods Blessing was a quick spell, it healed HP in a burst, and it had a relatively low cooldown. Its only downside was the fact it was mana hungry. Therefore, before they grind the Cleric out of HP, they''ll have to grind the guy out of MP. It''ll be quite the challenge. Vincent didn''t fully agree with this idea, but he had no choice but to follow Kais lead. So, this time, he had to make sure he wont mess up. He''ll do his absolute best to bring Kai closer to her target, even if the entire endeavor might end in nothing but tragedy. "It''s a bad idea," Yuel raised an objection after listening to the details of their plan. He was expecting Vincent to stop this madness, but it seemed like Vincent was on board for some reason. Therefore, Yuel had to step in and slap some common sense into those two. "If you play aggressively like that, you''re only going to lose more HP than your opponents. The Cleric will outlast you with his heals." "Then, what do you suggest, genius?" Kai gave him the evil eye. "To not do any of this nonsense, obviously," Yuel said plainly. "Why do you want to push for an early fight so hard? Take your time and build your Ranger for the late-game. It''ll become much deadlier at that point." "And so will the Gunslinger," Kai pointed out. "We both got late-game classes, so it doesn''t matter when I choose to fight him. The moment I get my ult, I''m good to go. It''s even better to fight him early, before he unlocks all six shots." "I agree with that, Yuel said. It''ll be great if you get an opportunity to duel him during the mid-game, where Ranger is at its strongest. But, putting yourself at risk to create that 1v1 opportunity is a whole different story, especially against well-organized opponents. This is going to turn into a repeat of the last game. "Then, how about you come up with something better?" Kai argued. "It''s cute how you criticize my idea like that, but where''s yours, huh?" "My idea is very simple: wait until the team-fighting phase." "That again? Kai gritted her teeth. I''m not waiting for shit. I''m taking down Renegade the first chance I get!" "Trying too hard to force an early fight will only play to their advantage. You''ll be handing them opportunities on a silver platter. Is that what you want?" Actually, you know what? Youre right about that, Kai agreed for once. Even if we get their Support out of the picture, Im sure their Jungler will come after me next. Indeed, Vincent nodded with a meaningful smile. Such is the nature of the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom. So, any suggestions? Kai ignored the nonsense and cut to the chase. Keep in mind that, no matter what you say, I wanna have this 1v1 before team-fights begin. Because, once we get to that point in the game, itll be hard to find opportunities to duel the guy. Hell probably surround himself with bodyguards 24/7. Indeed, for thats the famous Bermuda Triangle- Yuel and Kai both muted the clown and continued their discussion. So, youre not going to back down? Yuel asked again. No. No matter what? No matter what, Kai insisted. I have to 1v1 him. Hes looking down on me. I cant stand that. Are you sure youre not imagining things? No, its clear as day, Kai clenched her mouse. He thinks Im trash. He even told me that on stage. I see, Yuel didnt have any good retorts at hand. Was there anybody else who could convince Kai to change her mind? Lars, what do you think about this? Hm? Me? Lars cocked his head, then flashed his teeth. I say, Kai gotta shoot for it, yo! It aint cool when somebody is disrespecting ya like that. Gotta give ''em the business! Damn straight, Kai nodded. I made a mistake. Yuel regretted this immediately. They were arguing so hard just before the game, but now theyre all buddy-buddy again. Well, shoot. Now, Kai will be even more stubborn. Sigh. In the end, Yuel couldn''t think of any decisive argument. The girl wanted to 1v1 Renegade no matter what, the rest of the world could be damned. If I keep arguing, itll only create bad blood. Yuel bit his lips. His hands were tied here. Out of the two of them, Kai was the more emotional one. She''ll be the first to snap and start rampaging like a blind berserker. She was already one push away from that, so it was best to not provoke her any further. She promised she''ll win this time, so I''ll let her handle things as she sees fit. Yuel concluded. If she loses while following her own plan, she''ll have no choice but to let me and Lars play Bot. It was a disgusting line of thinking. A part of him probably wished to see Kai crash and burn this game. He didnt openly exhibit his dissatisfaction with Kais stubbornness like Lars did, but Yuel was also storing a lot of angst on the inside. It was like a ticking bomb that could go off at any moment. Alas, the situation was as it was, with Kai playing Bot. Just because Yuel and Lars didn''t get their desired spots, it didn''t mean they had the right to throw this game. On the contrary, they should do everything in their power to secure victory despite the harsh circumstances. Just one more victory and they''ll win the entire scrimmage. They had to push hard through this hurdle! I see Lars understands that. Yuel nodded in approval at Lars''s strong performance in Mid. For the first time today, Lars was holding the upper hand against his lane opponent. Nirvana has previously established himself as Larss equal in terms of skill, but Lars''s Trickshooter had the power to overwrite that fact. With a Trickshooter in hand, Lars was a league above his rival. I also have to do my best with these negotiations. Yuel nodded to himself. Opposing Kai any further will only cause a rift between them. Therefore, Yuel will have to accept her plan for now. Kai will get to fight Renegade one-on-one, just as she wanted. As such, Yuel had to figure a way to elegantly arrange such a position. However, it wont be easy, not against Renegade. The previous game taught them that Renegade often surrounded himself with his trusty bodyguards, Laplace and StormMonster. That trio was like a team within a team. Their teamwork stood testament to how hard they trained together and how much they trusted each other On top of that, even individually, each of them was rather impressive. Vincents analysis of them went something like this: StormMonster had the "Storm Chaser" trait. He was a predator who could catch up to any fleeing target, even if it was a raging storm. His skill level increased across the board when he was on the chase. There was little to no chance of escaping from him alive. Next on Vincents exaggerated list, Laplace was coined as the "Phantom Approacher". He possessed the ability to approach opponents without being noticed. It sounded similar to Nia''s "Vanishing Phantom", but it was apparently more restricted in its utility. Nevertheless, it was effective enough to catch Kai off guard last game, so it was plenty dangerous. And finally Renegade, the one who earned the silliest and most bombastic nickname out of them all, the "God of Triangles". Apparently, Renegade didn''t possess any specific skills that stood out when he was alone. He was a skilled player, but that alone wouldn''t cause Stratus that much trouble. What really set the guy apart was the way he commanded the triangle he formed with StormMonster and Laplace. It always seemed like he was in the center of it all, as the one who initiated the triangles plays and directed them. He was the leader of that trio, no doubt about it. Those three were a consistent threat. They WILL find a way to join forces and they WILL run over anybody who wasn''t prepared to deal with their overwhelming teamwork. I have to separate them somehow. Yuel reached the obvious conclusion. But, how? They seem to be well trained. Can we break their formation without me and Lars there? To get all the way to the king, Kai will have to sneak past his bodyguards. Laplace was sticking to the king like a castled rook, so Kai had to take him out of the picture first. Next, there was StormMonster, the wildcard bishop who could cut through the jungle to deliver a timely gank. The only way to stop him from intervening was to block his best rotation routes toward Bot. Easier said than done. Yuel frowned. There were many available routes spread throughout the jungle, it was impossible to cover them all. Realistically, all they could do was to gamble on one of the jungle entrances leading into Bot and block it off. With some educated guessing, it should be possible to pick the entrance StormMonster will go for. "Okay, I have a plan for you," Yuel said. "First, focus on driving the Cleric out of the lane." "Sounds like a promising start." Kai considered Yuel carefully. She didn''t fully believe the guy was on her side, not yet. "Once the Cleric is out of the picture, the only problem is their Jungler," Yuel explained. "Luke, youll have to keep watch in the jungle once the duel begins." "So, I gonna stand there like a guardian dog?" Luke cracked a dry laugh. "Man, that''s why we can''t have nice things. But alright, sure. Cerberus, reporting for duty!" "You should keep watch around here." Yuel pinged above the jungle entrance on the left side. "Also, we need a ward over here." Yuel pinged a little more to the right. "This is usually not the most ideal spot for a ward, but it''ll warn you against incoming ganks from the center and the right side. "I shall take care of placing the ward," Vincent volunteered. "Good." Yuel nodded and concluded the explanation. That''s it. Thats the setup. "Sounds good," Kai nodded. "You see? You can come up with something decent if you try." "Something decent", you say. Yuel wore a difficult expression. He really tried his best to cover as many angles as possible for this problematic plan, but that didn''t make the plan "decent" by any stretch of the imagination. It was more akin to a desperate attempt at postponing an impending disaster. The only "decent" plan here would be for Kai to abandon the idea of challenging Renegade early. Unfortunately, that didnt seem like an option. She was stubborn as a bull on this one. Yuel could only pray that his plan will go as smoothly as possible and will prevent a disaster like the one from the last game... Vol.10 Ch.17: Baiting With Aggression The laning phase continued. Following Yuel''s plan, Kai first had to drive the Cleric out of the lane. Therefore, she used her wolf to quickly clear minions, then she shot the Cleric together with Vincent. As the Support, Vincent took the frontline during these assaults. He soaked up all the damage from Renegade and Laplaces retaliations. His top priority was to keep Kai as safe as possible and deliver her in a healthy state for her eventual duel against Renegade. The risky aggression forced Vincent to sacrifice much of his HP, dropping him to a mere 40%. But, in exchange, he and Kai landed many shots on the Cleric. Unfortunately, they didn''t get any opportunities to outright kill the guy. Laplace was playing it safe, and he became even more cautious after noticing the obvious aggression toward him. As a result, it was impossible to score any kills on him and he constantly patched himself up with heals. "Damn, his HP just refuses to go away," Kai ranted about the Clerics 70% HP. The numbers just refused to go down. "As I foretold," Vincent nodded like a know-it-all. "We''re unlikely to exhaust his HP. MP is the Clerics real lifeline." "Yeah, I know, but still." Kai clicked her tongue. She wanted to thoroughly wreck that Cleric, to the point nothing would be able to patch him up, not even healing magic. Unfortunately, Ranger didn''t have any anti-healing options. Kai will definitely have to build some anti-healing later, but thatll be more relevant around mid-game. For the early game, she prioritized power above everything. So, at the moment, she had no choice but to keep pushing through brute strength. "Do you guys need a hand?" Luke asked out of the blue. He has just finished farming the wolves near Bot, so he was nearby. It was no problem for him to lend a hand in Bot. "That''d help a lot, actually," Kai said. "Come here and give them some heat. But, make sure you focus the Cleric, not the Slinger. I need the Slinger alive and well, so I can beat the living shit outta him myself." "Aye aye, cap." Luke saluted and headed toward the lane. "Just make sure you do a safe gank," Yuel warned. "I suspect their Jungler is on the lookout, so you might get counter-ganked. If you extend too much, you''ll have a hard time escaping." "Indeed. Vincent nodded and spoke dramatically. Once he sets his eyes on you, the Storm Chaser will chase you to the ends of the earth! He shall catch his prey without failure, no matter how fast they are. Even if the prey runs away at the speed of light, then Storm Chaser shall exceed the speed of light!" I bet Einstein is turning in his grave right now. Yuel made a face, but he knew Vincent had a point. It was best to be cautious around StormMonster. The guy even caught up with Lars last game and won their duel, so he was plenty dangerous. "Alright, alright," Luke said. "I hear ya. I''ll just go in, shoot a little, and then get out." "Actually, Kai said. I was hoping for a little more than that. But, it works. Just make sure you focus the Cleric. Thats the guy we need to take out. Yep, yep, I heard you the first time. Luke nodded. Alrighty, Im on my way. Coming soon to the theater near you. Meanwhile, the enemy was about to make a move as well. I think we should retreat, Rio suggested. You think so too? Jaiden asked. Theyll probably gank soon. Yeah, lets back off a little. Jaiden backpedaled from the center of the lane. He had a feeling the enemy might come at them with a gank sometime soon, and the fact Rio agreed practically turned it into a fact. Rio had an acute sense of these things, so he was rarely wrong. Theyll probably go after me, Rio said matter-of-factly before they even confirmed that a gank was really coming. Nevertheless, Rio was convinced enough. There was a small change in the enemys attitude just now, which indicated they formed some sort of plan. That was all the evidence Rio needed. Until now, the Pyromancer and Lumimancer were focusing hard on Rio. They were undoubtedly trying to drive Rio out of the lane, probably to get rid of his heals and revive. After that, theyd probably proceed to attack Jaiden. The enemies were very upfront with their calculated aggression, almost to a fault. However, all of a sudden, their pressure lost its edge. They still fired at Rio whenever they got the chance, but they didnt press as hard as before. It was as if they suddenly decided to go easier on him, to make sure he wont run too far away. There was one common scenario in which a sudden change like that occurred in the aggressors behavior. It often happened when a gank was on the way. To make a gank go smoother, it was better to not push the target too far away. On the contrary, it was best to lure them to the center of the lane, to make escape difficult. That foreshadowing prompted Jaiden and Rio to retreat. At the moment, there was nothing of great value to be gained on the frontline anyway, so they didnt lose much from retreating early. Even if it turns out they were just paranoid about the whole thing, they wont pay too dearly for it. They conceded a little bit of farm and gave the enemy an opportunity to push forward, but thats all. Better safe than sorry. "Nash, be on standby," Jaiden requested. "If they try to force their gank to happen, you jump them." "Ya got it!" Nash licked his lips. He hasn''t done much this game so far, so he was hungry for some action. I hope these scrubs overextend real hard. Lemme feed on yall! "If possible, try not attacking their Ranger too much," Jaiden requested. "Huh? What gives? Nash cocked his head. The Carry is supposed to be top priority, isnt it?" "I know, but not this time," Jaiden said. "I want to defeat her myself." "Oh, I getcha." Nash smiled wryly. "Okay, I''ll do what I can. But, if I see a chance, I''m ganking dat ass." "Sure. If there''s a good opportunity, you better grab it." Jaiden nodded, albeit reluctantly. His hatred toward Beat didnt blind him to the point hed deny Nash an inviting kill, but he really didnt want to see that happen. If that girl is really standing in Gunz and Chessmaster''s way, I gotta beat her myself. "........" Rio had a lot to say about this, but he swallowed his words. Not prioritizing the Carry during a gank? That was wrong on so many levels. The trios strongest lines of attacks came to life once the enemy Carry was dead. It was like a signal for them to charge ahead. Therefore, the enemy Carry was always their top priority during the early-game. Yet, Jaiden dismissed that without a second thought. And, for what? Just to deliver some petty revenge on one girl. Jaiden was all confused. Beat had nothing to do with the girl who took his spot on StormBlitz. It was misdirected hatred. It wasn''t right. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But, Rio kept quiet. He couldn''t find it in himself to openly criticize Jaiden, especially since no disaster has happened so far. They might pull just fine through this situation, even without focusing on the Carry like they usually did. And so, Jaiden''s group finished its preparations. Jaiden and Rio began their retreat, while Nash positioned himself nearby in the jungle, ready to jump at any overextending prey. This defensive stance threw a wrench in the enemys plans. "Crap," Luke cursed. These guys already made it all the way over there? Damn, these bois are fast as heck. Luke finally arrived at the jungle entrance, but the enemy retreated too far away. It was impossible to lunch any practical gank from this position. "It appears they saw it coming," Vincent deduced. "As expected from competitive players. They will not allow themselves to be caught off guard!" "Tch, what a pain." Kai clicked her tongue. All she wanted was to rough up the Cleric until he retreats from the lane. Was that asking for too much? Damn it. This is taking forever. "Welp, I''ll just help ya farm a little," Luke unleashed Flame Wave on the remaining enemy minions. The flames devoured the minions alive, leaving only ashes behind. "Let''s push," Kai suggested. "We got plenty of minions alive. We can make things happen." "Wait," Luke objected. "Didn''t our strategist bro just warn us against pushing too far?" "Yes, I did." Yuel joined their very interesting conversation. He had to be a part of it, or else somebody might commit a terrible mistake. "Don''t push. Im sure their Lancer is lying in wait somewhere nearby" "Yeah, I rather not risk it," Luke agreed. "Pyro kinda sucks at escaping, ya know. I mean, I bought Blink and all, but still." "Then, what do you suggest we do!?" Kai ranted. This shit was so frustrating. How hard could it be to beat up one Cleric to a pulp!? "Hmm." Yuel knotted his brows as he examined the area around Bot on the mini-map. He blocked out the noise his teammates were making and imagined a board in front of him. Were there any strong lines of play available from this position? At the moment, the team had a Ranger, a Lumimancer, and a Pyromancer, all in one place. It''d be a waste to not put this group to use. However, pushing ahead was out of the question. The Lancer will pincer them and will most likely kill at least one of them. If his Gae Bolg lands on either Kai or Luke, it''ll lead to certain death. From there, the deadly trio will gain tremendous momentum in Bot, just like last game. Yuel couldnt allow that to happen, no matter what. Therefore, pushing the lane was not an option. Then, was there anything else this group could do in this position? Actually, there was one important fact to consider here. It was easy to overlook, but it could be used to great effect. At the core of Yuels deduction, there was the assumption that the Lancer was lurking nearby. Nobody has spotted the guy yet, but he was obviously alone in the jungle at the moment. On top of that, his two accomplices were far away from any jungle entrance, for they were busy hugging their tower. This was an opening. If he''s somewhere around here, it might work. Yuel examined the unwarded areas on the enemy side of Bot Jungle. The Lancer was lying in wait, outside the reach of the wards Yuel prepared. Nevertheless, the guy had to be close enough to the lane to be able to dash to the scene at a moments notice. By putting these two facts together, it was possible to estimate where the Lancer was positioned. If hes over there, then their triangle formation is far from tight. Yuel considered the distance between the Lancers position and the enemy Bot duo, who were hugging Bot Turret. Right now, they were far apart. The triangles forces were split into two. This can work. Yuel nodded to himself. At the moment, Kai and the rest were closer to the Lancers position than they were to the enemy tower. There was an opportunity to mount a surprise attack. "I have a plan for you," Yuel laid out the details. It was a gamble, but a relatively safe one. If it works, the payoff can be huge. If it fails, they''ll just have to retreat from the area as if nothing happened. "Sounds like fun." Luke grinned. "As expected from Chessmaster!" Vincent nodded repeatedly. "Let''s do it," Kai agreed right away. She was like a starved hound whod jump on any bone thrown her way. Following the plan, the three of them ran into the jungle. They completely ignored the inviting opportunity to push and abandoned the lane. Needless to say, their opponents found that rather puzzling. "Wut? Where are they going?" Nash asked. He was watching the enemies via the X-ray vision, but their movements didn''t make any sense. Am I missing something? What are they up to? "Going for Dragon, maybe?" Jaiden guessed. Honestly, he couldn''t tell what the enemy was thinking either. Maybe they thought they could steal the Dragon easily because they were grouped up? If so, they were in for a big surprise. "Hmm." Rio had a bad feeling about this one. It felt like the enemy trio was aiming for something more decisive than trying to take Dragon. They moved into the jungle like a group of manhunters. Maybe theyre planning to... But, who would normally do that? Theres no way. I don''t think that''s the case. But still... In the end, Rio kept quiet. He felt like the mere act of suggesting the idea might cause paranoia. Alas, the enemy proved his hypothesis correct, as unlikely as it sounded. "I shall illuminate this world and reveal all that is hidden! Solar Wrath" Vincent cast his ult dramatically. It was a map-wide spell attack that hit every opponent, regardless of their distance from Vincent. Solar rays pierced through the sky, creating five pillars of light across the map. Each of them torched one enemy without failure. Since Vincent''s build was that of a Support, he didn''t pack much magic power. As a result, Solar Wrath didn''t deal much damage. But, thankfully, dealing damage wasn''t the main goal behind firing the ult. What really mattered, was the fact Vincent hit every single opponent with a spell. Upon hitting an enemy with a spell, Lumimancer''s passive, Illumination, kicked in. It revealed the position of the hit target for a brief time, almost as if a ward was planted on their back. Since Solar Wrath hit every single enemy, Illuminations effect extended to all of these hits. In other words, Solar Wrath was like a map-wide ward. It exposed the entire enemy team! Among the exposed enemies was the Lancer, whose position Yuel could only roughly estimate until now. Now, thanks to Solar Wrath, everybody on the team knew StormMonster''s exact position. The hunt was on! The only downside to using Solar Wrath for gaining this knowledge was the risk of telegraphing the teams intentions. Thats why Kai, Vincent, and Luke had to get closer to the target before booting Solar Wrath. With this, the enemy surely understood that the trio was planning to mount an attack. But, will they be able to respond in time? "Ah!" Rio jumped. T-That ult! Then, it gotta be...! There was no other explanation. There was little to no point in wasting Solar Wrath if that group was headed to the Dragon. No, their real goal was...! "Nash, I think they''re coming after you!" Rio warned and broke into a dash toward the jungle. If worst comes to worst, he''ll have to revive Nash. "Oh shit, seriously?" Nash grinned, but his grin twitched a little. He was honored to become such an important target. It was like in those video games, where the player was an outlaw and could get an army of policemen chasing him all across the city. Nash had an entire department coming after his ass! And, unlike in the games, these policemen were actually kinda smart. They only made it clear they were coming after him after they have already gotten close enough. "Why hello there." Luke appeared before his target. He blinked through the wall to get to the Lancer first. It was a bit risky, but he knew what he was doing. His pals were right behind him, so there was no need to worry about the Lancer retaliating. "Wha-!? Ya gotta be shitting me!" Nash booted Lunge in a panic and jumped the hell outta there. He was confident he reacted pretty fast, but the Pyromancer''s Flame Wave still grazed Nash and shaved off a nice 20% from his HP. Shit! Nash cursed entirely. This damn Pyro mustve stacked heat like crazy to get this much damage off a single spell! Sorry, guys! Nash landed far away from his pursuers and broke into a dash. Im outta here! There was no way he could take on three enemies all by himself. Yeah, good call. Jaiden followed in Rios footsteps in case Nash needed help, but that proved to be unnecessary. Rio, lets head back as well- Ah! Rio jumped. Before he registered what happened, his Cleric was already on the ground, pinned down by a savage wolf. They got me. Where did they even-!? Jaiden couldnt believe his eyes. Instead of chasing Nash like everybody expected, the Ranger and Lumimancer set their sights on Rio. You fell for it, huh. Kai opened relentless fire at her defenseless prey. The Cleric couldnt retreat or use his heals. This was great! Kai could now tear this guy to shreds and remove him from the lane! That was the goal of this plan all along. It was a multi-layered tactic that involved a diversion, and it successfully caught the enemy off guard. So, they lured us in by pretending to target Nash!? Jaidens jaw dropped. Was that for real? Who could possibly come up with a tactic so bizarre!? Actually, there was one person. Chessmaster, the strategist with unusual tactics. He had exhibited his unconventional thinking many times against the Leopards last year, and here it was again! It was awesome! Finally, it felt like Jaiden got to clash with the ex-StormBlitz duo for real. This game wont be a breeze like last time. These guys meant business now! The situation was dire, but Jaiden was secretly brimming with joy. Hell gladly take on the challenge Chessmaster prepared for him. Hell find a way to save Rio and shatter this crafty tactic to pieces! Vol.10 Ch.18: Rescuing Rio! You should retreat, Rio said. Its over for me. The Rangers wolf pinned him to the ground, while the Ranger herself was drilling his body with bolts. There was no escape. If Jaiden tries to help, hell only be putting himself in unnecessary danger. Nevertheless... Im not abandoning you. Jaiden spun the hammer of his revolver, activating Fan the Hammer. Hell scare the enemy away with his lightning-speed shots! Stupid, you dont have to... Rio pouted, but a little smile crept on his face. Jaidens idea was extremely dangerous. If the enemies shift their focus on Jaiden, things will go south very fast. Jaiden shouldve understood the risk as well. Nevertheless, he was willing to put himself on the line to rescue Rio, even though Rio was the Support and Jaiden was the Carry. Their roles should normally be reversed during such situations, but Jaiden cast such notions aside. He gonna rescue his friend no matter what. Really, you dont have to save me all the time. Rio smiled wryly. He wanted to reject the help, yet he couldnt deny it made him happy. Jaiden always saved Rio like this, even outside the game. And, Nash was usually there to help too. Really, Rio was blessed to have such great friends. Get off him! Jaiden fired. The hell? Kai blinked in confusion. A bullet struck her forehead for massive damage. But, why? What was going on? Renegade surely understood he was at a great disadvantage here. Nevertheless, he didnt flee the scene. He stood his ground and even had the nerve to unleash Fan the Hammer, knowing all too well itll only make escaping that much harder. Works for me. Kai raised her crossbow and aimed at Renegade. Youre so dead! Wait, our top priority here is the Cleric, Vincent implored. Leave Renegade to me. Ill distract him. Are you sure? Youre running low, Kai pointed out. Vincent has been soaking all the damage during their previous attacks on Laplace, so he was down to 40% HP. It was dangerous for him to enter a fight. No need for concern, Vincent promised. Ill merely distract Renegade for a moment, nothing more. Alright. Kai returned to drilling blots into the Cleric. Before anything else, they had to get rid of this pesky Support. They wont be able to get anywhere as long as this guy remained on the lane. Therefore, Kai kept shooting Laplace. You have to guarantee this kill, Yuel said. Use your ult. No need. Im saving my ult for a bigger threat, Kai said. This Cleric is practically dead. Even if he stands up, Ill finish him off. I hope so. Yuel frowned. Kais stubbornness regarding saving up her ult wasnt a misplay per se, but it involved a risk that Yuel preferred to avoid. Rather than being greedy and saving the ult for Renegade, Kai would be better off spending all her resources on getting a guaranteed kill on Laplace. Naturally, that meant she wont be able to lunch a deadly attack on Renegade afterward. Nevertheless, securing this important kill on Laplace will give the team the early lead, and will open many strong follow-up options. Alas, Kai chose to keep her ult for Renegade. She only attacked the Cleric with basic attacks. Meanwhile, Renegade fired at her. BAM! Another swift bullet headed toward Kai. Like the previous shot, this one was also aiming for the head. Maybe I''m not a pro. Jaiden thought. But, even I can land headshots a target that isn''t moving! "Hmph." Kai sidestepped the shot at the last moment, without taking her eyes off the Cleric. She didn''t even need to see the shot coming. "Wha-!?" Jaiden exclaimed. No way! That shot should''ve been spot on! Did she move aside at the last moment? Another shot. This time, Jaiden wasn''t greedy. His target might move again, so aiming for the head was too risky. Instead, he went for the body. Yet, this bullet also pierced through empty air. Beat sidestepped the bullet at the last moment, all the while keeping her aim firmly locked on Rio. You''re not hitting me with this. Kai declared firmly. Bullets came out exceptionally fast during Fan the Hammer, but their frequency was consistent. The shooter had no way of mixing up their timing, so that made Kai''s life easy. After she was hit once, none of the other bullets were going to hit her again, that was a fact. You gotta be kidding me. Jaiden found himself smiling. As much as I wanna trash talk everything this girl does, at least her dodges are on point sometimes. And, I can''t delay shots right now. So, what do? Unfortunately, there was no time to think. There was a problem, a big one. It forced Jaiden to cut his thoughts short and focus on the situation at hand. The enemy Lumimancer was heading straight at him! And, the guy was illuminated by bright light! Blinding Light was incoming! Dang, it gonna hit! Jaiden exclaimed. The damage itself won''t be much, but the blinding effect will be nasty. In theory, all Jaiden had to do was turn around and avert his eyes from the light. But, even rotating took more time than usual during Fan the Hammer. Dodge Roll wasn''t an option either. The skill was sealed while Jaiden was performing Fan the Hammer. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Fortunately, there was one dodging skill that didn''t betray him even in this critical moment: Combat Roll. It was similar to Dodge Roll, yet critically different in niche scenarios like this. Dodge! Jaiden rolled away from the Lumimancer, making sure the blinding light won''t get on his screen. It was a success! Blinding Light boomed behind Jaiden. He didn''t see any of it, but the sound informed him that the storm has passed. Now, it was time to mount a counter-attack! As soon as Jaiden recovered, he was back in his Fan the Hammer stance. Not only did Combat Roll allow him to roll during the stance without canceling it, but it even allowed him to retain the stance after the roll. The barrage will continue! "Whoa!" Vincent exclaimed. A bullet pierced through his shoulder. Renegade recovered instantly and delivered a swift shot. Amazing! Perhaps he doesn''t possess the Gungnir Sniper, but Renegade''s aim is nevertheless worthy of praise! I have to get away- Too late. The next shot was already on its way! It was heading straight at Vincent and he wasn''t prepared in the slightest. Oh, woe is me. Vincent hung his head. Why didn''t the gods bless me with supreme reaction speed? The bullet pierced through his forehead. A critical hit! Vincent couldnt possibly dodge it. Mechanically gifted players had the luxury to move between each shot of Fan the Hammer, but not Vincent. The bullets came out way too fast for him, it was like a machine gun on steroids. After being hit twice, with one of the hits being critical, Vincent was already below 10% HP. The Gunslingers headshots were indeed scary. They could even reduce the Supports HP to nothing in a blink of an eye. From there, Renegades job was easy. Fan the Hammer came to an end, but Renegade only had to do was land two more hits. It was a tale with a tragic ending. You have been killed! "Apologies," Vincent said. "It''s alright." Kai didnt blame Vincent for this. His sacrifice was probably unnecessary, but it successfully distracted Renegade. That made Kais life much easier, so she was grateful for that. Looks like we''re trading Supports, huh. Fine by me. Kai nodded to herself. She didn''t plan to sacrifice Vincent to achieve her goal of removing Laplace from the lane, but it wasn''t a terrible price to pay. As long as Kai kills Renegade after this, Vincent''s death won''t be in vain. However, there was a little problem. Her wolf vanished, but the Cleric wasn''t dead yet! He was one hit away from dying, but he was still alive! You''re not getting away! Kai fired as quickly as humanly possible. She won''t give that guy a chance to dodge! But, Laplace didn''t even try to dodge. I probably won''t make it anyway with this HP. Rio gave up on going for Dodge Roll. Instead, he activated Gods Blessing and targeted nobody, which defaulted the target to himself. Right before the killing blow struck him, a surge of healing shot through his body. Then, the decisive moment came. A bolt dug into his back, but Rio survived. The burst of healing from Gods Blessing was strong enough to let him outlive the damage. It was one of the strongest healing effects in the game. Some even called it broken, and Rio couldnt argue against that. In fact, he was glad this spell was so broken. Thats what granted him a chance to escape from this predicament! Now, that Rio was patched up, it was time to roll out of here and hope for the best. "Wait!" Kai called after the rolling prey. Damn, this can''t be happening! I''m supposed to secure this kill! She desperately chased her target and tried to score the killing blow. She now needed two more shots to kill the Cleric. That damn healing! When will they nerf it!? It''s so obviously broken! Kai almost caught up, she had her target within firing range. However, she wasn''t confident about her aim during an ongoing pursuit. On top of that, once she fires a shot, she''ll inevitably slow down. It just might give the enemy the chance to slip away. Then, what was Kai supposed to do!? As she mulled over her options, an enemy appeared in front of her. Game over. Jaiden stepped in between Rio and Beat. You should''ve used your ult to kill Rio. You were close but too bad for you. Damn, did I fuck it up!? Kai gritted her teeth. Thanks to her, the enemy was about to gain a tremendous advantage in Bot again. Was this game going to become a repeat of last time? No, I wont allow that! Kai insisted. But, what could she possibly do to get that kill!? Her target was slipping away from her. It was dangerous to chase any further into enemy territory, especially with Renegade standing in her way. It was over. She messed up big time... "Excuse me, passing through!" "Huh...?" A hellish firestorm rained from the sky. The flames burned everything in their path, including the target they set their sights on. "Oh, this is bad." Rio resigned himself to his death as the flames engulfed him whole. His reaction was too slow. Then again, even on a good day, his chances of reacting to Blaze of Inferno were below 50%. So, this result was inevitable. "Rio!" Jaiden couldn''t do anything but watch his friend burn alive. He failed to save Rio this time. Dang it! Not like this...! Alas, no matter how much he shouted, it was over. The unexpected attack was a success. An enemy has been killed! "Heck yeah, let''s goooo!" Luke pumped a fist. His clean-up job was a huge success. "Ah, good job." Kai meant every word, but her tone came off weak. She didn''t expect things to turn out like this. But, it worked! Luke did it! He stabilized the situation with that kill. Now, both sides were even. Each of them only lost the Support. "Alrighty! Luke focused his eyes on Renegade next. Let''s get this scrub over here too!" Thanks to Lukes gank, the situation transformed into a pincer. Kai was facing Renegade head-on, whereas Luke was cutting off the guys escape route. It gonna be ez! It made the most sense for them to attack Renegade together, but... "Ah, eh..." Kai was caught off guard by Lukes suggestion even though it made perfect sense. It was a 2v1 situation, so they should jump on Renegade together and kill the guy as quickly as possible. But, I wanted to 1v1 that bastard. Kai pursued her lips. This was a difficult spot. On one hand, she wanted to tell Luke to leave this fight to her. On the other hand, she knew thatd be a huge misplay. Just a few seconds ago, Kai almost paid dearly for her stubbornness. She didnt heed Yuels advice about using her ult to secure the kill on Laplace, and that almost allowed the guy to slip away. In the end, Luke paid for that mistake on Kais behalf by using his own ult as the finisher. It was a miraculous turn of events that salvaged the situation at the very last moment. And, that dangerous situation was caused by none other than Kai and her stubbornness. She was guilty as charged about everything here. Therefore, she had no right to refuse Luke''s help against Renegade. Luke worked hard to create this advantageous situation, so Kai had to see it through. "Alright, let''s do it!" Kai nodded and fired a bolt at Renegade. "Heh, I''m in a tough spot here..." Jaiden smiled wryly. He was pressed between a rock and a hard place. A Ranger on the front and a Pyromancer on the back. There was nowhere to flee. Jaiden will have to break through one of these opponents to get out of this area. That was easier said than done, considering he was inside a jungle with narrow passages. Did he mess up that badly? Was it over for him? He couldnt see any openings to escape through... Vol.10 Ch.19: Duel Preparations Dang, I think Im done for. Jaiden found himself in a difficult spot. A Ranger in front of him and a Pyromancer behind him. A 1v2 that was also a pincer and took place inside the jungle. It couldnt get any worse than that. But, that doesn''t mean I gonna let them kill me! Jaiden broke into a run toward the lane. The Pyromancer was blocking that path, but that guy should be the less dangerous guardian out of the two. LegendaryMemer spent his ult on Rio, and he apparently also used Flame Wave against Nash a short time ago. So, the normally dangerous mage didnt have any burst at his disposal at the moment. "Oh, so you chose death by my hands?" Luke grinned and activated Burning Spirit, buffing his Attack Speed and Movement Speed. He was locked and loaded to give this Gunslinger chump some heat! "Don''t let him get away," Kai commanded. "We have to get this kill." "Roger!" Luke nodded. Eat this, bruh! He shot a fireball. Dang it! Jaiden didn''t have any spare time to dodge incoming shots while running. He had to eat this shot like a champ and continue running. Was he going to make it? He still had his Dodge Roll available, but he was saving it for a true emergency. With Combat Roll still on cooldown, Jaiden couldn''t carelessly spend Dodge Roll, his only escape tool in this situation. Still, even if he executes a perfectly timed Dodge Roll, Jaidens chances of making it out alive seemed grim at best. The Ranger was chasing him from behind, while the Pyromancer was barraging him from up ahead. Jaiden was so done for... "Hey Jai! Over here!" "Huh? Oh!" Jaiden''s eyes popped wide. Nash was heading in Jaidens direction from the other side of the jungle. "You didn''t escape!?" "I did, but then I realized nobody was chasing me. Then, I turn around and see all this wack shit going down. Figured I better join the fun!" "You''re the best!" Luke exhaled in relief. This was his ticket out. It was exactly the kind of timing to use his Dodge Roll. And so, Jaiden rolled forth to reach Nash as quickly as possible. Before long, the two reunited inside the jungle. "You''re my savior, man!" Jaiden sang praises. "Please let me have your babies!" "Ew, dodge me with that gay shit." Nash laughed. "Time to pay back these bastards! Let''s avenge Rio." "Totally." They both assumed fighting positions. It was a 2v2 now, so there was no reason to keep running. It was unfortunate they couldn''t fight together as the Invincible Triangle, but they were strong enough even as a duo. They''ll crush the enemy pair without breaking a sweat! "Uh-oh," Luke exclaimed. "The Lancer joined the fray." "Fine by me," Kai said. "Let''s just kill them both." "Yeaaaaaaah, about that plan... Luke smiled awkwardly. All my damage is on cooldown." "Tch." Kai perfectly understood what that meant for them. Pyromancer''s basic attacks were roughly on par with a Carry''s during Burning Spirit, but it was just a temporary boost. Once the Attack Speed buff ran out, Pyromancers combat strength dropped significantly, especially during the early game. So, they won''t be able to win this 2v2. "So, we retreat?" Luke asked. "Yeah, no choice." Kai nodded. "Alrighty, I''mma head toward Top next." "I''ll return to lane." The two split ways and began retreating. "Oh, look at ''em running!" Nash licked his lips. They probably gonna go separate ways after they retreat, so I can chase one of em! But, which one should he pick? The Carry chick who tortured Rio? Or, the Pyromancer who waltzed into the scene at the last second and stopped Rio from escaping? "Hey, who do I chase?" "Go after the Pyro," Luke said. "You sure? If we take the Carry, we can push Bot." "I''ll handle the Ranger myself," Luke proclaimed. "Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Nash nodded. The Ranger will most likely return to the lane, so Jaiden will handle her there. Then, Pyro it is! Come to daddy, boy! Nash grinned. Any moment now. He waited for the two enemies to split ways. They''ll pay for what they did to Rio. I''mma end their whole damn careers! The Ranger and Pyromancer reached an intersection inside the jungle. It was a good place to bid farewell to each other and go separate ways. But... "Wait," Yuel called out. "Stick together. Go to Bot first, then Luke will rotate out of the lane from the back. "Why tho?" Luke cocked his head. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Their Lancer seems to be good at chasing," Yuel parroted the knowledge he received from Vincent. "If you retreat individually, he might chase one of you down. But, if you''re together, you''ll be safe." "As expected from Chessmaster," Vincent tuned in. "Indeed, extra caution is neccessary for eluding the unstoppable Storm Chaser!" "Isn''t he StormMonster?" Luke raised an eyebrow. "That''s his IGN, but his ability is called Storm Chaser!" Vincent explained with brimming confidence as if it made perfect sense. "He is a monster who can chase down anything, even a raging storm!" "Haha, sounds wild." Luke laughed. "Okay, I''mma stick with Kai for now." Instead of going separate ways at the intersection as intended, Kai and Luke headed toward Bot together. Needless to say, that wasnt quite what the enemy expected to happen. "Wait, what?" Nash stopped in his tracks. "Where the heck are they going together? Theres nothing for them to do in Bot right now, is there?" "No, I don''t think there is," Jaiden agreed. "Interesting." "Maybe it''s a precaution?" Rio suggested. "Nash chased them pretty hard last game." "Oh, so they''re scared of me!" Nash''s nose extended all the way to the ceiling. "Yeah, fear me, scrubs! Run away like pussies, haha!" "Looks like we''re disengaging then," Jaiden said. "Yeah, looks like it." Nash shrugged. "Are ya gonna fight the Ranger now?" "If she wants to fight, I''ll gladly accept." "Then, I''mma stay around and wait for a good chance to gank her." "No need. I''ll finish her off myself," Jaiden declared. "Really? I mean, I trust ya and all, but we better take her out for sure if theres a chance." "I think so too," Rio tuned in. He felt like Jaiden won''t budge unless the two of them implore together. "Yeah, I guess you''re right," Jaiden gave in. "But, let me fight her one-on-one. Only gank her if she starts running." "Sure, go nuts." Nash nodded. He understood why Jaiden wanted to do this so badly. That Ranger chick was acting like some big-shot captain, but theres no way a girl could climb to such a position so easily. She probably cheated her way up there by acting cute and whatnot. That''s lame as heck, so Jaiden had every right to hate that shit. While they were discussing all of this, the Ranger and Pyromancer reached Bot Lane. "Well then, Im out." Luke saluted and headed into the jungle, passing through the entrance at the back of the lane. "Don''t wander too far," Yuel requested. "Stick around the lane for a while." "Again???" Luke made a face. "Fool me once, Im mad. Fool me twice, how could you?" "Their Jungler might still be around," Yuel explained. "Really? You think dude still hasn''t given up?" "I can''t tell for sure," Yuel admitted. "Vincent, your opinion?" "Hmmmmmmm," Vincent thought about it long and hard. "I shall admit that I, the all-knowing Information Blackhole, do not have the faintest idea!" I see. Yuel knotted his brows. So, the ''Storm Chaser'' tag doesnt necessarily mean that StormMonster is always on the lookout for targets to chase. At least, not by Vincents definition. Yuel didn''t have any hard evidence to support that line of reasoning either. Nevertheless, it was human nature to seek advantageous situations in which they could show off their skills. For StormMonster, the ideal scenario was a chase. Thats the situation in which he could bring out his everything to stomp the opposition. As such, it made sense for StormMonster to actively seek out scenarios like that. "He likes chasing injured targets, so he''s probably lying in wait," Yuel explained his reasoning. "Sounds legit," Luke nodded. "Alrighty, I''mma wait here like a good boy. Looks like Im not getting any farm again. He sighed. Hey, everybody! Listen, if I start lagging behind by a level or two, you all know who to blame, right?" "Yes, it''ll be my fault." Yuel took responsibility. Asking Luke to spend so much time helping out in Bot will definitely affect his farming. He''ll probably fall behind in exp and gold unless he scores another kill in Bot soon. Unfortunately, this was a necessary sacrifice for keeping Kai alive. If everything was up to Yuel, he''d simply stop Kai from pursuing this dangerous duel. Alas, he knew words won''t convince Kai at this point. The girl was hellbent on dueling Renegade. That was the only reason Yuel gave in and went out of his way to arrange such a convoluted plan to eliminate the Cleric. The end result was far from optimal. Both sides effectively traded Supports, a piece for a piece. Fortunately, Stratus earned a little more from this exchange. Removing the Cleric before he could use Arise was a big deal. So, at least Stratus had that going for them. All that was left, was to pray that Kai will defeat Renegade. There wasn''t enough data to compare their strengths, but they looked fairly even the last time they fought. So, this fight will probably be 50-50 That''s why Yuel wasn''t too thrilled about letting it happen. Kais chances looked as good as a coin toss. And yet, the entire team will be severely punished if she loses. These odds were far from fair. Alas, Kai wont back down. She insisted to take this risky gamble. "Alright, I''ll kill this bastard now," Kai declared with unwavering confidence. "Luke, just kick back and watch. You dont need to do anything unless their Jungler shows up." "Roger." Luke nodded. "Too bad I didn''t bring some popcorn, haha." Alright, the stage is set. Kai nodded to herself. After many trials and tribulations, she finally reached her desired 1v1 situation. It was just her and Renegade now. Unfortunately, the conditions of the duel were far from ideal. Kai was at 70% HP, whereas Renegade was at 90%. On the flip side, Kai saved her ult for this fight, whereas Renegade has just spent Fan the Hammer, which was his most deadly tool. Too bad my wolf is still on cooldown. Kai thought. It was great she saved her ult for this moment, but it wont be truly deadly without the aid of Wolf Companion. Well, that probably makes the odds fairer. Skill will be the deciding factor here. Still, one important question hanged in the air. Will Renegade actually accept this duel? For some reason, Kai was convinced he will. She couldnt explain it well, but it felt like Renegade was gunning for her as much as she was gunning for him. They both thirsted for each others blood. So, you did all of this just to invite me to a duel? Jaiden smiled thinly. Gotta say, you sent one heck of a roundabout invitation. But okay, lets settle this. Nash, dont jump on her while we fight, Jaiden requested. I want to have a fair 1v1. At least, as fair as we can get here. Sure, man. Nash nodded. But, once she starts running, Im going all in! I gonna take the kill, too. No problem. Jaiden nodded. If the fight reaches a point at which Beat will start retreating, itd mean Jaiden has already won. So, he didnt care wholl actually secure the kill at that point. Well, Id rather kill her with my own hands, but Im not gonna stop Nash. It was time to settle this, once and for all. Not only did this girl occupy a mighty role she didnt deserve, but she also possibly prevented Gunz and Chessmaster from playing Bot today. It was unforgivable. Jaiden had to put an end to that nonsense. Hell thoroughly destroy this girl, to the point shed want to quit Classmancers as a whole! There will be no mercy in this fight. The two raging forces were finally about to clash. This time, there wont be any outside interference. Itll be a pure 1v1 from start to end. Each fighter bore an uncontrollable hatred toward the other. The girl didnt want to be treated like trash, whereas the boy insisted she was an eyesore for everybody. Who will come on top in this fateful duel!? Vol.10 Ch.20: Beat vs. Renegade Finally, the two fated rivals were about to duel, and Yuel couldnt help but worry about the result. Do you need any advice about the fight? Yuel asked. Huh? Kai gave him a look. You think I need help to beat this bastard? Its an important fight, Yuel reasoned. If theres anything we can do to help you from afar, we better do it. No need, Kai declared. Did you forget Im a Challenger in Duel? I can handle myself just fine, thank you. Very well. Yuel tried his best to maintain an even expression, but his worries were eating him from the inside. If Kai loses this fight, shell most certainly doom the entire team. This was an incredibly dangerous situation. If there was any way Yuel, or anybody else, could increase Kais chances of victory, it was best to use that method. Alas, with the girl herself rejecting help, there was nothing that could be done. Trying to help Kai against her will would only lead to disaster. Itll tilt her and distract her from the fight. Basically, itd have the opposite effect of what it tried to achieve. Therefore, it was best to keep quiet and let Kai handle this on her own terms. Ill settle this myself. Kai advanced toward her opponent and fired a bolt. It signaled the beginning of the long-awaited duel. You not gonna reach me from there. Jaiden backstepped while firing his counter shot. The enemys bolt headed straight toward him, but it fell to the ground before reaching its target. On the other hand, Jaidens bullet crossed the same distance with ease. "Geh!" Kai tried to sidestep the bullet, but she was one heartbeat too late. Its just a flesh wound. Let''s go! Kai advanced again. This time, she was going to nail the shot for sure. Alright. Now! Youre still too far, girl. Jaiden halted in place and fired at the attacker. This time, he didn''t even need to move back to make the bolt whiff. The entire time, Jaiden has been matching Beats movements to maintain the ideal distance from her. As expected, the bolt didn''t reach. On the other hand, Jaidens bullet properly made its way to Beats chest. It was going to be a clean hit! Shit! Kai rolled forward, ducking under the bullet. If you think you can keep spacing me out forever, think again! Ranger''s basic attacks were a bit shorter than most marksmen''s, so it was only natural for Renegade to exploit this weakness. In Ranked, few opponents had the necessary sense of distance to pull this off. However, the guy in front of her was on a whole different level. He was a scrub that Kai totally gonna mop, but he was good. There was this competitive aura around Renegade that set him apart from the opponents in Ranked. He was dangerous. Messing up against him will spell doom. The moment Kai commits a mistake or gives Renegade a chance to strike, that bastard will take full advantage of it. Therefore, Kai had to close the distance between them as quickly as possible. She recovered from the Dodge Roll and fired another bolt. Bold move...! Jaiden moved to the side this time, not backward. Beat has gotten too close to him with her Dodge Roll, so backpedaling wasn''t going to save him this time. He had no choice but to evade via sidestepping. Alas, a bolt grazed his left side anyway. No dice, huh. Jaiden shook his head. He had the option to create some immediate distance with Dodge Roll, but it was risky to spend Dodge Roll before the Ranger spent her ult. So, Jaiden had no choice but to accept this situation and fire back. At least, his counters have been on point so far, so hell always deal some damage back to the attacker. Or, so he thought... You better not be expecting your obvious counters to land every time. Kai sidestepped the bullet flying her way. I''ve figured the timing for your counters. You''re not landing them again. Nice sidestep. Jaiden clicked his tongue. For a moment, he forgot Beat was good at reading patterns. Even when it came to the timing of a counter-attack, it seemed like Beat could sidestep it as long as the timing was consistent enough. What a troublesome ability. It sure forces you to think differently. Jaiden thought. Rather than firing a counter as quickly as possible, it was better to wait a little against Beat. She always started moving right when the bullet was about to come out, so Jaiden had to delay his shots a little to throw Beats predictions off. On their next exchange, Jaiden properly kept all of that in mind. There! He fired a delayed counter as soon as Beat twitched. "Shit!" Kai cursed. Her sidestep should''ve been perfectly timed, yet the bullet connected anyway. I don''t think I mistimed it. He took his sweet time with that one. He knows, huh. At this point, there was no question about it. Renegade, or maybe somebody else from his team, figured the gist of how Kai evaded attacks. They probably didn''t give it a ridiculous name like "Rhythm Reader", but they sure knew how to deal with it. Damn, why wont you just let me kill you!? Kai fired a bolt, but it didn''t reach. Renegade has already created enough distance between them to make Kais bolts whiff. Meanwhile, that bastards counters connected without fail. Dammit! It''s so hard to dodge these! Kai cursed internally. She stopped relying on patterns because Renegade''s delays had random variations to them. Instead, she concentrated on the Gunslinger''s movements and tried to dodge the counters on reaction. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Even when she successfully reacted in time and started moving as soon as the bullet came out, the attack still hit her two times out of three. It was rough. She already dropped to 40% HP, while Renegade was doing just fine at 70%. Kais Wolf Companion came out of cooldown by now, so this entire battle boiled down to spacing. If she can get close enough and pin Renegade to the ground, she''ll win. On the other hand, if Renegade continues spacing her out for the rest of the fight, he''ll eventually wear her down. Damn! if I knew it''ll turn like this, I would''ve picked Impaler. Kai gritted her teeth. She only went for Ranger because she thought it''ll let her score an easy kill on Renegade. On paper, all she had to do was get close to her opponent, pin him down with Wolf Companion, and then barrage him to death with her ult. It sounded like a child''s play. Yet, Kai couldnt achieve it. She had a deadly combo at her disposal, but she couldn''t get into a position to use it. "Shit, what do I-" Kai stopped herself right there. No, this isn''t the kind of fight in which I can ask for advice. I have to beat this bastard by myself. Otherwise, it''ll be pointless. Kai had to do this one alone. It was a raw competition of skill between her and Renegade. That scum claimed Kai was trash, so she had to prove him wrong. She had to come on top in this fight through her own strength, without relying on anybody. And, she''ll do it! She''ll crush that bastard! "I think she''s getting frustrated," Rio said. "Yeah? Sounds good." Jaiden grinned. Rio''s keen observations were great for finding moments like this. This was the opportunity Jaiden has been waiting for. The longer the defender stuck to defense, the more it agitated the attacker. At some point, the attacker was bound to start forcing their shots and commit a terrible mistake. That was the moment Jaiden has been waiting for. And, according to Rio, that moment was coming soon. If Beat is planning to go for the kill, then the main threat will be her Wolf Companion. The skill probably came out of cooldown by now, so shell definitely try to pin Jaiden down with it. If she manages to do so, itll be GG. Man, Jaiden said. My life would be so much easier if I could just bait out her wolf. I have an idea how you can do that, Rio said. Really!? Okay, Im all ears. Jaiden nodded strongly. Even though this was a personal duel against Beat, it never hurt listening to some advice. Think of it as a trap with three layers, Rio explained his devious plan. Dang, thats sick! Jaiden grinned. Okay, I like it. Lets try it out! Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Come. Let''s end this. Jaiden prepared himself. He focused on every little twitch the Ranger made, to make sure he didnt miss anything about her movements. The upcoming sequence of plays will most likely drop the curtain on this duel. As Rio predicted, the enemy made her move. Alright, let''s go! Kai darted forward. For starters, she had to get closer to the enemy. Nothing will get started until then. She didn''t have any blinking or leaping abilities, so she had to run over there on foot. No matter how many bullets come flying her way, she''ll keep moving forward! The extreme aggression took the enemy a little off-guard. Hm? Are you suiciding? Jaiden casually fired a bullet at the incoming attacker. It perfectly landed on the Ranger''s chest. Beat didnt show any signs of even trying to dodge. The girl kept running straight at Jaiden, like a train that couldn''t change course. I see what you''re thinking. Jaiden fired again, this time aiming for the opponent''s head. BAM. CRITICAL HIT. "Agh!" Kai felt that one. It was a big chunk of damage. Nevertheless, she had to press on. Her opponent was slower than her because he was backpedaling and shooting at the same time. On the other hand, Kai was running forward in a straight line without firing a single bolt. Thanks to that, she quickly closed the distance. Her HP fell down to 25%, but she was almost there! Kai was about to get Renegade within the reach of Wolf Companion. However, unleashing the wolf right would be dumb. Renegade was carefully saving his Dodge Roll even during this tense situation. If Kai launches a predictable attack, Renegade will simply roll out of it. As such, the first necessary step was to bait out the Dodge Roll. Its a little early for my ult. Kai frowned. But, I dont have any other ways to pressure him. And so, she booted her ultimate. The hunt is on! the Ranger proclaimed loudly. By marking Renegade as her prey, Kai gained a sharp boost to her Attack Power against him. Now, she could pressure him. Shell draw the Dodge Roll out of him, no matter what! Did she go for her ult before using the wolf? Jaiden didn''t expect that. But, this was a good sign. It meant Beat felt cornered. Most likely, her goal was to draw out Jaidens Dodge Roll. After that, shell go for the kill with her wolf. Just as Rio predicted, Beat started forcing her offense. As long as Jaiden stubbornly stuck to his defense, the girl was bound to show an opening during her offense. Therefore, Jaiden will continue making Beats life difficult. He ignored the fact his opponent has just powered up and fearlessly fired a bullet at her. Oh, you wanna go? Let''s go! Kai sidestepped the bullet and fired a swift bolt. It pierced through the air like a silver spear and penetrated through Renegade''s chest. "Whoa! Jaiden didn''t expect such an intense offense. Nevertheless, he fired again, this time with a slight delay. Is that all you got? You''re through! Kai sidestepped this bullet as well and fired another powerful shot. Seriously!? Jaiden exclaimed. The bolt pierced through his ribs. Dang, its so much harder to deal with her at this range! With just those two hits, Beat reduced his HP from 70% all the way down to 50%. It was impressive. The girl sacrificed over half of her remaining HP to get closer to Jaiden, but now she finally got her offense rolling. This might be bad, haha. Jaiden smiled nervously. These empowered shots meant trouble. Even though he still had twice as much HP as Beat, it felt like he had one leg in the grave. Okay, you''re not TERRIBLE. Jaiden admitted silently. This girl had some spank to her. The way she read patterns and dodged them in a timely fashion was praiseworthy, and her aggression was nothing to sneeze at. Even Jaiden felt a little overwhelmed for a moment, thats why he fired such sloppy shots that were so easy to dodge. Nevertheless, in the end, that girl was still critically lacking as a player. Jaiden was about to prove that here and now. Let''s go! Jaiden fanned the hammer of his revolver and assumed a firm stance. He was about to barrage the girl with a revolver that could rival a machine gun! "Wha-!?" Kai gasped. This bastard is pulling it NOW!? The Rangers The Hunt is On! versus the Gunslingers Fan the Hammer. A showdown between the strongest offensive tools of both classes. Given the HP difference between Kai and Renegade, it was obvious that the Gunslingers quick shots will erase Kai first. She should be able to dodge some of the shots thanks to the pattern of Fan the Hammer being consistent, but itll difficult to dodge them all from such a close range. In short, that bastard turned the tables on her. Renegade pulled an ace that made the close distance between them play to his advantage. But, Kai came too far to give up. Shell keep going hard until the very end! Kai rolled forward, right into the lions mouth. She had to get Renegade into the range of Wolf Companion. No, that wont be enough. Kai reasoned. Just getting the target within the range of Wolf Companion wasnt that hard. In fact, Renegade was already within that range. What Kai really had to do was to get so close to Renegade, that hell have no chance of dodging the wolf even if he tried. And thus, Kai rolled forward as fast as possible. Even if some bullets hit her along the way, shell win the fight as long as she delivers her Wolf Companion from point-blank! Shes rolling in? Jaiden grinned. This was an unexpected development, but a welcome one. He expected Beat to unleash Wolf Companion the moment he booted Fan the Hammer, but she wasnt hasty. It seemed like some of her judgment was still intact. The plan was to enter the vulnerable stance of Fan the Hammer as bait. Beat was supposed to see it as an opportunity to unleash Wolf Companion. Jaiden planned to dodge the wolf with Combat Roll, putting the enemys trump card to waste. However, Beat didnt fall for such a simple ploy. Not bad, but no problem. This only made things more interesting, thats about it. By recklessly rolling in, Beat undoubtedly planned to unleash her Wolf Companion from point-blank. Therefore, as soon as she recovered from the roll and turned to look at him - Jaiden rolled aside with Combat Roll! Dodge me with that wolf! He rolled away without issue. Beats wolf was going to whiff for sure. Except, no wolf jumped on him... Hah! You fell for it! Kai grinned madly. She could already smell the sweet scent of victory. As she expected. Renegade was fast to react. He instantly realized that Kai planned to hit him with the wolf from point-blank, so he rolled away. However, Kai knew hed figure that. Thats why she hasnt unleashed her wolf yet. This duel felt almost like fighting against Lars. That beast reacted to everything so quickly, it was impossible to catch him off guard with just fast plays. Thats why, in order to tackle such strong opponents, Kai had to learn some advanced feints. You got some skill, Renegade. Kai admitted silently. But, precisely BECAUSE your reaction is so good, I can fake you out with stuff like this. Youre through! Kai waited a moment to see where Renegade rolled, then summoned her wolf. The beast leaped on its prey and pinned it to the ground! At least, thats what shouldve happened. Strangely, the wolf landed on an empty area, with no prey to press under its claws. The beast tilted its head in confusion, then vanished into thin air. Huh...? Kai blinked. How did he...? But, the recovery... It didnt make any sense. She unleashed her hound as soon as Renegade finished the roll. The timing was spot-on! Then, how did Renegade roll away so quickly and dodged her wolf!? Phew, dodged! Jaiden breathed in relief as he recovered from his second roll, this one was the regular Dodge Roll. Heh, I bet you didnt expect that, did you? Youre not experienced enough, girl! He fired at the bewildered opponent. Beat probably believed that Jaiden wont be able to dodge her wolf while recovering from the roll. And, she was half-correct in assuming so. That logic indeed applied to rolls with long recovery time, like Dodge Roll. The long recovery was punishment for poorly-timed rolls. However, Combat Roll didnt play by the same rules. It was more than just a second Dodge Roll in the Gunslingers kit. Combat Roll also had some enhanced properties compared to Dodge Roll, one of which was its faster recovery. By design, the fast recovery was intended for launching a quick attack after the roll. However, it had other applications as well. Like, for example, quickly pulling off a Dodge Roll right after a Combat Roll, chaining two rolls one after another! But, that wasnt the only tricky part of this play. Jaiden smiled meaningfully. Rio really came up with a nasty trap here. Jaiden activated Fan the Hammer before he went for Combat Roll. One well-known fact about Fan the Hammer was how it couldnt be canceled in the middle. That downside brought a lot of grief to Gunslinger players. Jaiden knew that feel all too well. However, opponents often rejoiced at that fact. After all, once the Gunslinger booted Fan the Hammer, he practically sealed his own ability to dodge attacks. Combat Roll was the only maneuver available during Fan the Hammer. Other than that, the Gunslinger was practically a sitting duck. However, that wasnt entirely correct. In truth, the Gunslinger COULD cancel Fan the Hammer. But, that was only possible during a very specific scenario. Namely, during a Combat Roll. It was possible to continue Fan the Hammer after Combat Roll, but it was also possible to cancel Fan the Hammer before finishing the roll. And, after canceling, it became possible to extend the roll with a Dodge Roll, just the way Jaiden did it. Nobody ever does that, though. Jaiden snickered. In practice, it was rare to see Gunslingers cancel Fan the Hammer during Combat Roll. After all, Fan the Hammer wasnt supposed to be used in situations where the shooter had to dodge attacks. And, in case such an unexpected situation occurred, the Gunslinger player actually had to remember this option in order to use it. It was extremely rare. Thats why, even opponents who were aware of this option would often fail to consider it in the heat of battle. In fact, Jaiden was 100% sure hed also fail to consider it when fighting a Gunslinger. The idea that Gunslinger can only do Combat Roll out of Fan the Hammer was too deeply rooted in peoples minds. And, Rio used all of that to his advantage. Jaiden smiled proudly. Rios triple-layered plan took all that data into account. It strongly relied on how niche was the interaction between Fan the Hammer, Combat Roll, and Dodge Roll. Rio knew that most opponents would fail to consider it, and Beat was no different. It was a tricky plan, but it worked. Jaiden had to sacrifice three skills just to bait out Beats Wolf Companion, but it was worth it. He had the life lead, so his top priority was to take off any immediate threats from the table, even if it meant trading a lot of resources to achieve that. With her Wolf Companion wasted, and with her ult about to run out, Beat had no advantages left. You lost. Jaiden proclaimed. Admittedly, this girl pushed him further than he expected. But, in the end, she didnt stand a chance. If it was Gunz, I''m sure he would''ve done a better job. Jaiden thought. So, c''mon. Accept it already. You''re not good enough. Just let Gunz take your place! However, Beats fighting spirit didnt show any signs of diminishing. She was clearly frustrated, yet still aggressive. Shit! I messed up! Kai clicked her tongue. She was too hasty. That Dodge Roll after Combat Roll was unexpected, but Kai knew it was an option. She shouldve considered things more carefully before charging in like a bull. It was frustrating. Renegade executed that play so naturally, as if he practiced this niche scenario before. Or, maybe he was just planning it for a while now. He probably was. Kai grit her teeth. That bastard baited out her wolf by placing numerous traps along the way. Kai thought she was outsmarting him the entire time, but she walked right into his trap. The guy played her like a fiddle. But, it wasn''t over yet! She was still alive, she could fight! The guy no longer had any skills at his disposal, just like Kai. So, this fight came down to pure combat techniques. She won''t lose! Even though she only had 20% HP while Renegade had 50%, she will come on top! Vol.10 Ch.21: No Escape From the Monster Kai failed to catch Renegade with her wolf. She fell for the enemys bait and wasted her trump card. Nevertheless, she was still alive. Even with a difference of 30% HP between her and Renegade, she was going to win this one! "It''s over." Yuel shattered her delusion. "You lost. Retreat." "No, I can still...!" Kai insisted and fired a bolt at Renegade. Got him! You gonna stay and fight? Jaiden shook his head in disappointment. Fine by me. He fired back. A hit for a hit. If Beat intends to stay and fight, Jaiden will simply eat her shots and fire undodgeable counters at her. Given his absolute HP advantage, and the fact Beat ran out of trump cards, Jaiden was guaranteed to win this fight. "Kai, you lost," Yuel repeated. "Retreat before it''s too late. You can still make it if you turn back now." "No! I can win!" Kai unleashed another shot. It contained all her fury and hatred. She couldn''t lose! Not here! Not to this bastard in front of her...! Renegade has been looking down on her from the beginning. Even now, he was probably thinking of her as trash that had no business playing competitively. Kai was nothing but an eyesore for him. Thats why she had to prove him wrong. She''ll tear this bastard apart, even from this disadvantageous situation. That''ll teach him a hard lesson or two. I gonna win this one! She lost it. Yuel frowned. The situation was turning less and less salvageable by the moment. "Luke, gank the lane." "But, they''re still fighting," Luke said. "The cap asked to not interfere." "Dont you see whats going on? She has already lost. Shes just refusing to admit it." "Hmm. Yeah, I guess ya right." Luke nodded and booted Burning Spirit. "Alrighty, Im on my way!" Meanwhile, Kai continued her senseless attacks. She was like a mad beast with rabies. It reminds me of the times when Julia went mad. Yuel frowned. Except, unlike Julia, Kai cant seem to use her anger to her advantage. Kai landed one shot. Then, another one. Compared to her previous hit rate, she definitely seemed stronger than before. But, that wasnt the case. It was Renegade who was playing differently right now. Kais shots didnt bother him in the slightest. Instead of dodging them, he focused on landing his counters on Kai. It seemed he was fine with trading shots due to his life lead. "That''s it. We lost Bot." Yuel bit his lip. He had no idea what else he could possibly say to wake up Kai. It was probably too late anyway. This game was about to become a repeat of last time. "HEY! KAI!" Lars shouted on top of his lungs. "Pull outta there, dude! Ya wanna let him ''em take Bot? It gonna be like last game all over again!" "Ah!" Kai froze. Last game? What happened last game? The team lost terribly. But, why? Because Kai carelessly pressed her offense against Renegade and died. It was exactly like this situation right now! I fucked up. Hard. Kai gulped. Reason returned to reside in her heated-up brain. She lost this duel the moment she failed to land her Wolf Companion. So, what the hell was she still doing here fighting!? She had to retreat! She gave up? Jaiden wondered. His opponent came to a halt for no reason. Well, fine by me. Instead of waiting for an opportunity to counter, he initiated the attack himself this time. BAM! "Ah! Shit!" Kai sidestepped the bullet at the last moment. It was a smooth last-second dodge. This was a great opportunity to deliver a counter on the enemy! But, she didn''t do that. Instead, Kai turned her back on the fight and made a run for it. It was frustrating, humiliating, and embarrassing. She was fleeing with her tail between her legs. Kai allowed that cocky bastard to trample all over her. Nevertheless, she had to swallow her pride and keep running. The entire team will be doomed if she dies here. As the captain, she had to set an example for the rest of the team. Therefore, she couldn''t sacrifice the team for her selfish desires. Oh, so NOW you''re retreating? Jaiden shrugged. Way too late, girl. "Nash, you''re up." "Already there!" Nash leaped out of the jungle. He has been waiting around the corner ever since Jaiden dodged Wolf Companion. It was clear the girl will start running soon, so Nash was ready to jump on her at a moments notice! Already here!? Kai heard somebody landing behind her. It gotta be the Lancer. What a pain in the ass! She rolled forward to create some distance. "Ya like rolling? What a coincidence, I also like it!" Nash rolled after his prey. He ain''t letting her get away! Ain''t nobody escapes from the almighty StormMonster! Tch, he''s getting closer. Kai clicked her tongue. Cold sweat formed her forehead. She heard each and every footstep behind her, loud and clear. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The metallic shoes produced an ominous heavy sound. Every time the metal stomped on the ground, it sent a shiver down Kai''s spine. At times like this, her acute hearing was like a curse. Her pursuer was faster than her. He built items that boosted Movement Speed, for no reason other than chasing targets down. Kai will never outrun him by foot, not in a million years. Had Wolf Companion been available right now, she could''ve mounted the wolf and ridden away. Alas, there was nobody to rely on. Kai was completely alone here. Well, thats what I deserve. Kai wore a self-deprecating smile. She selfishly demanded to fight Renegade against everybody''s advice, so it only made sense for her to meet her end alone. "Yo, what''s up!" Luke appeared in front of her "Eh? You came?" Kai blinked. "Yep! Luke is here to the rescue!" "Ah, t-thanks..." Kai mumbled. Her eyes welled up a little. I''m such an idiot. What the hell I''ve been doing until now!? I got a team. We''re all here, fighting for the same goal. Why was I so stubborn about that stupid duel? Why!? Kai''s heart overflowed with regret as she made haste toward her Turret. Thankfully, with Luke here, they avoided the worst-case scenario. Once Kai reaches the tower, shell just have to recall, cool down a little, and start making up for the all trouble she caused. However, the enemy had different plans for how this story will end for her. "Reinforcements? Cool." Nash hit the brakes and assumed a firm stance. "You wanna die in her stead? Works for me! "GAE-" the Lancer shouted the first half. Everybody knew what was coming next. "Crap! He gonna bolg our asses!" Luke rolled away without thinking twice. It''ll be no laughing matter if Gae Bolg hits him. He''ll be as good as dead! "Thanks for opening the path, chump." Nash grinned. "- BOLG!" the Lancer''s voice thundered. He dashed forth with lightning speed, crossing a quarter of the lane in an instant. Heck yeah! I dodged! Luke exhaled in relief. Heh, dumbass. You weren''t even my target! Nash grinned. I only care about ending this girl''s career! His target was now within reach, so he thrust his lance with one arm. "Geh!" Kai flinched. Her HP dropped to 3%. It was the end. One more hit and it was over. The Turret area was right in front of her. If she can just step in, that might be enough to discourage her pursuer from chasing any further. It was unlikely, but she had to believe in something to keep fighting until the bitter end. Judging by the sound of the metallic footsteps behind her, Kai was still within the Lancers range. If Dodge Roll was available, this wouldve been the ideal situation to use it. Alas, it was still on cooldown. Therefore, Kai had only one option left: to predict the next attack and sidestep it! The enemy was eager to finish this as quickly as possible. Therefore, hell deliver the finishing strike as soon as possible. That was an important hint for the timing of the incoming attack. Running diagonally will be too slow. Kai lifted her finger off the W key. Holding W + A steered her diagonally toward the Turret, but it slowed down her ability to juke. Therefore, Kai stopped heading forward for a moment and sharply sidestepped to the left! Wha!? Nashs gasped. His decisive strike pierced through empty air. It almost grazed the girls right arm, but it didnt. That freakin Beat sidestepped in the nick of time! Damn, son! Nash exclaimed. Does she have eyes on her back or somethin? Thats the spookiest shit ever, Im telling ya. While the opponent was confused by this development, Kai sped up ahead. Now! Kai lifted her finger off the A key and pushed W all the way. While her opponent was recovering from the whiff, she was hitting all the gas and pulling up ahead! Haha, not bad! Nash enjoyed the challenge for what it was worth. It was always fun watching his prey struggle to the bitter end like a cornered cockroach. It made the kill that much tastier! As if to interrupt the fun, a fireball struck against his shoulder from behind. It seemed like the Pyromancer finally realized what was really going on. That guy was targeting Kai all along with his Bolg! Luke realized his mistake. He rolled aside in panic against the Gae Bolg, thinking the Lancer shifted focus to him. But, in truth, StormMonsters target was Kai all along! That Gae Bolg was just a scarecrow, a trick to get Luke out of the way. And, Luke fell for it like an idiot. Dang it, I gotta stop him somehow! Unfortunately, there wasnt much Luke could do in this situation. He chased the Lancer to the best of his ability and shot fireballs at the guy, but StromMonster didnt even flinch. This beast was dead set on capturing his prey. Nothing else in the entire world mattered to StormMonster right now. Dang it, stop already! Luke fired another fireball, and it hit the Lancers back without any trouble. It even dealt decent damage, at least for a basic attack from a mages class. And yet, it didnt do shit for improving the situation. The Lancer was still hot on Kais trail. There was no stopping this dude. If only I had some CC! Welp. Luke sighed in resignation. Thats what he got for picking Pyromancer as a Jungler. Pyromancer had all sorts of cool properties that could make him into an awesome Jungler, but it severely lacked in the CC department. This one flaw hurt so bad, that it single-handedly branded Pyromancer as a meme Jungler. And now, of all the times, this flaw came back to bite Luke in the arse. Luke couldnt stop StormMonster. He couldnt rescue Kai. The enemy was already breathing down on Kais neck. It was over. Youre through! Nash thrust his lance, impaling his prey through the back. The Ranger collapsed on the ground. It was over for her. You have been killed! The disheartening message appeared on Kais screen. What a lame ending. She insisted so hard on dueling Renegade, she even sacrificed Vincent for that. But, what did she get in return? Nothing. No, it was worse than nothing. She allowed Renegade to gain the upper hand in Bot again. There was a good chance she doomed the entire game with her selfishness. Im... Im not good enough. Kai clenched her black cap and pulled it downwards. She wanted to hide her face from the audience, from her teammates, and from the entire world. Kai wasnt good enough. She has been trying to deny that line of thought since the previous game, but it turned out to be the truth. Renegade was stronger than her. Kai had no choice but to admit that now. That bastard defeated her not once, but twice. The first time, she had some excuses up her sleeve, but this time was different. Kai faced Renegade in a pure 1v1 and on roughly equal terms, but she lost. Terribly so. Maybe Renegade was correct after all. Perhaps, Kai really wasnt strong enough to compete at this level yet. If Lars played Carry in her stead, he surely would have done a much better job. Hed kick Renegades ass without breaking a sweat. What was I even doing there? Kai looked at Bot lane as if it was some alien colony. That wasnt the lane she should be playing in. What was she even doing there this entire time? What was she trying to prove? To achieve? She couldnt even find the answer to these questions anymore... Vol.10 Ch.22: Mid Trickshooter You have killed an enemy! Haha, goteem! Nash pumped a fist. Nice! Jaiden nodded in approval. Now, lets kill the Pyro too. "Ya got it!" Nash did a 180 and ran at the Pyromancer. Double kill incoming! "Whoa!" Luke jumped. The Lancer was running at him from the right, while the Gunslinger was approaching from the left. Crap, I gotta scram! He turned around and dashed into the jungle. This was one heck of a scary situation. If he allows these guys get another kill here, itll pretty much be GG. I hafta get out! Watch me go! I''m fast as fuck, boi! Just as Luke thought that his Burning Spirit went out. The Movement Speed buff vanished. Weeeeeelp. Damn, that Lancer might catch up to me. Luke gulped. But, it should be fine, right? As long as nothing gets in the way, I should be able to slip away with this lead. Yeah, as long as nothing gets in the way... Unfortunately, something did. A roadblock appeared in the middle of the escape route. It was the enemy Cleric. Normally, a Cleric would be wearing a white holy robe. However, this dude customized his Cleric to wear entirely black. He looked more like a Grim Reaper than a servant of God. Just my luck. Did this guy revive and immediately go over here to block escape routes? These bruhs are hella organized, Ill give them that. Running straight ahead meant crashing into the Cleric. So, it might be a good idea to switch directions. This part of the jungle was convoluted enough to offer multiple equally good escape routes. Luke just had to turn around and... "Um, guys?" Luke cracked a dry laugh. "I don''t feel so good..." Picking another route wasnt an option, not at this point. The Lancer was approaching from the right flank, while the Gunslinger handled the left flank. They masterfully blocked Lukes alternative escape routes. These damn guys locked him inside a triangle! So, this is what Vince meant by a Triangle of Doom. Luke tried to maintain a confident smile, but he could already feel the Grim Reaper breathing on his neck. No choice. Luke thought. I gotta break through one of these blockades. Cleric, Lancer, or Gunslinger. Luke had to break through one of them if he wanted to get out of here alive. Well, of course I''m picking the Cleric! Luke continued straight ahead. This wasn''t even a dilemma. The Lancer and Gunslinger were dangerous dudes, but the Cleric couldnt cause much trouble alone. After all, Cleric had buffs and heals, but no CC. So, Laplace won''t be able to stop Luke! "Coming through!" Luke dashed right past the Cleric. A few basic attacks hit him along the way, but it was no big deal. Luke broke through the blockage with ease! Or, so he thought. The Cleric, clad in an ominous black robe, unleashed a dark spell befitting his edgy attire. A big skull appeared in the air, spreading ghastly miasma around the Cleric. It was Paralyzing Horror, a Utility Skill that applied a heavy slowdown to all enemies in range! It was most commonly picked by tanky Supports because the miasma spread in a circle around the caster. To make the most out of Paralyzing Fear, the caster had to venture deep into the enemy''s formation, so he could hit as many enemies as possible at once. As such, it was a rather niche Utility Skill for a Cleric, maybe even meme level. Nevertheless, this dude went for it, and it worked! Man, thats the last thing I expected to happen! Luke exclaimed internally. So much for it gonna be easy to get past the Cleric. Im screwed! They got him. Lukes chances of escaping alive went from good to nonexistent in a blink of an eye. "He''s slowed," Rio reported. "Good one!" Nash licked his lips. His fingers tingled. He could already sense the incoming double kill at the tips of his fingers. "C''mon, gimme the speed buff! I''mma finish that guy!" "But, you already got one kill," Rio pointed out. "Yeah, and now I gonna get a double kill! C''mon, bruh. Do it! JUST. DO IT!" "Fine..." Rio activated Godspeed. It was an AoE buff that granted a Movement Speed boost to all allies around the Cleric. For a moment, Rio considered casting Godspeed in a way that''d only apply the buff on Jaiden. That way, Jaiden will outrun Nash and score the kill for himself. Itd only be fair, seeing as Nash took the kill on Beat after Jaiden worked so hard to defeat her. But, in the end, Rio decided against it. This kind of prank would be too risky in this situation. They absolutely had to kill that Pyromancer, without fail. Therefore, Rio cast Godspeed once Nash and Jaiden both came into range. The buff applied to Rio as well, so now the three predators had a superior running speed. Meanwhile, their prey was heavily slowed down, like an injured person dragging his foot. It was over. An enemy has been killed! DOUBLE KILL "Yeaaaaaah, boi!" Nash pumped a fist. "Good work, guys!" Jaiden praised. "Next, we go to Mid. Let''s take Gunz out!" "Ya got it!" Nash nodded. "Triple kill, here I come!" "Okay," Rio nodded in approval. It was a good plan. The entire trio was gathered in one place and theyve already made it halfway to Mid during the chase, so it was only natural to keep going. They''ve pulled this tactic countless times in Ranked, so they knew what they were doing. If they kill the Mid Laner, this game will be a wrap. Especially, if they destroy the Mid Turret, it''ll be a blow the enemy won''t be able to recover from. "Ray," Jaiden called out to the captain. We''re coming to lend a hand. "Hmm, got it." Raymond nodded in approval. He didnt like troubling his teammates, but he really needed some help right about now. His lane opponent has been pushing him around the entire game. This had to stop. Gunz, the former StormBlitz player. Raymond knotted his brows. Just what is the full extent of his power, really? Raymond was facing this difficult opponent for the fourth time today. Based on their previous encounters, it felt like they were roughly on the same level. Their fights always went back-and-forth, with neither side gaining any notable advantage. However, that only held true for the previous three games. This fourth game was a different story altogether. Gunz went with Trickshooter, an unconventional pick for Mid. I thought itd be easy to outclear a marksman as a mage, but... Raymond was gravely mistaken. It was true that a mage could usually outclear a marksman, but Trickshooter was one of the few exceptions to this rule. With Giant Warhammer in the Trickshooters early build, his Trickshot rivaled a mage''s spell. And, in the hands of a skilled player like Gunz, this already-powerful skill became even deadlier. Instead of shooting the entire minion wave in a straight line, Gunz fired diagonally at the swordsmen. The bullet pierced through the entire front line, then hit the jungle wall on the side of the lane. For most skills, that''d be the end of the story. But, not for Trickshot. From there, the bullet bounced off and blasted through the bowmen in the back. It killed them all. Yes, this one bullet did it. It wiped out the entire rear in an instant. Before Raymond even had the chance to blink, his entire squad was reduced to three injured swordsmen and three dead bowmen. Compared to that speed, Im practically dragging my feet over here. Raymond thought. Against the Trickshooters amazing wave clearing speed, Raymond was playing Warlock, a class that wasnt exactly among the fastest wave-clearing mages. On top of that, he started off with Necronomicon, an item that granted minimal magic power. Warlock was a mana-hungry class, so it was often convenient to start out with Necronomicon, which provided MaxMP and MP5. However, in this game, that decision backfired. What Raymond needed right now was power, not sustain. With all these circumstances playing in Gunzs favor, it was no surprise he seized lane control with ease. There was nothing Raymond could do to prevent it from happening. The only thing I can do here is make sure I dont die. Raymond reasoned. For now, he had to back away and play defense from under his tower. Eventually, his clearing speed should be able to catch up with the Trickshooters. Until then, hell play full defense. It was a sad story when a mage was afraid of contesting the lane against a marksman, but better safe than sorry. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Gunz understood Raymond''s intentions, so he pushed the lane hard. At one point, the guy was drunk on his advantage, that he boldly invaded under tower. He probably thought Raymond wont dare to contest that offense. Well, he was wrong. Raymond immediately proceeded to punish this overextension. He cast Eldritch Blast combined with Power Invocation. The high damage shouldve scared Gunz away. However, Guz dodged the spell with ease, as if he saw it coming from a mile ago. He pulled a Trickslide and traveled to the other side of the Turret area, then continued the push from there as if nothing happened. Raymond was powerless against this push. He has already spent Eldritch Field while clearing minions, and now he also wasted his Eldritch Blast. With both skills on cooldown, he didn''t have any damage tools left in his arsenal. There was nothing that could apply pressure on Gunz. Of course, Raymond could always resort to basic attacks. However, that''d enrage Gunz''s minions and turn them against Raymond. Soaking the minions attacks will protect the tower from all that damage, but there was no telling how low Raymonds HP will drop in the process. Worst case, Raymond will drop to critical HP and Gunz will go in for the kill. Thatd be even worse than just letting Gunz take the tower. Because, after killing Raymond, Gunz might destroy the Turret soon after. So, hell get both a kill and a tower. Indeed, a dreadful worst-case scenario. Its too dangerous. Raymond reasoned. I cant attack Gunz. I have to clear his minions first. And so, Raymond patiently shot down the minions invading his territory, one by one. Meanwhile, Gunz relentlessly barraged the tower with his high-damage basics. After just one aggressive push, Raymonds tower was already below 90% HP. This situation was almost as oppressive as laning against a Dark Knight. On subsequent waves, Gunz continued to pressure hard. He was throwing a wild party, showing off his fast clearing speed and applying unblockable pressure. I have to find a way to counter him. Raymond steeled himself. Even in the face of this one-sided battle, he refused to give up. And so, he attempted various ploys. First, he aggressively used Power Invocation to boost the damage of Eldritch Field, his AoE spell. Its a big mana sink, but I have no choice. Raymond was at a loss. He was well-aware this routine will drain him of MP before long, but he didnt have any better ideas at the time. The damage buff from Power Invocation wasnt enough to beat Gunzs clearing speed, but it left the enemy minions more injured. Thanks to that, Gunz couldnt push for as long as before. His minions died much faster from the Turrets shots and Raymonds basic attacks. But, Im just delaying the inevitable with that. Raymond frowned. After long and hard thinking, he went for an unconventional move and purchased an Lv.1 Unholy Grail upon returning to base. He couldve used that gold to upgrade his Necronomicon to Lv.2 instead, but he decided against it. I need power right now. Raymond reasoned. Necronomicon barely gained any additional power upon leveling up, whereas Unholy Grail was a cheap option with decent power. It was more of a mid-game item, but it was necessary right now. With the Unholy Grail in hand, Raymond contested the lane much better. He got rid of the enemy bowmen before they entered the Turrets area, and even the enemy swordsmen were at deaths door by the time they got in. Thanks to that, Gunz barely got to push the tower anymore. Its good news, but I shouldnt be too happy about it. Raymond sighed. He understood all too well there was nothing to celebrate about this. Even though he ultimately countered Gunzs pushes, his tower already fell to 75% HP. He still trailed far behind his opponent in terms of lane control On top of that, Raymond was still stuck on the defensive. So, just because he stopped his opponent from delivering heavy damage on the tower, it didnt mean Raymond was winning In fact, the opposite was more accurate. Raymond was still at a disadvantage here. His tower was slowly, but surely, losing HP. On top of that, he was missing on a lot of farm because he was forced to kill minions under tower. There was nothing to be happy about. I cant handle this myself. Raymond concluded. As such, he requested Nash to gank the lane a few times. Unfortunately, that never led anywhere. Gunz always slipped away, nearly unharmed. As a result, Raymond was stuck defending the entire time. He could feel Gunz slowly choking him to death. I suppose I have to go for extreme solutions. Raymond was running out of ideas, so he decided to scrape the bottom of the barrel. The Warlocks most fearsome tool was his ult, Eldritch Nightmare. By turning the entire area pitch black, it''d leave Gunz with no means to fight back. Raymond could use that brief opportunity to gain some momentum. It''ll be a short-lived advantage, but at least it''ll make a dent in the negative momentum that sucked him in and didnt let go. Unfortunately, even this desperate idea wasnt easy to try. Raymond couldn''t simply unleash Eldritch Nightmare as he pleased. The enemy had a Lumimancer, whose ult instantly negated the most important feature of Eldritch Nightmare, the vision-robbing. Solar Wrath would reveal Raymond to all enemies, including Gunz. Thatd render Eldritch Nightmare borderline useless. I have to wait for him to use the Lumimancers ult on something else first. Raymond concluded. Eventually, the time has come. The Lumimancer unleashed Solar Wrath for some other purpose. Apparently, he used it to scout Nash''s position in the jungle. This was a golden opportunity. With the Lumimancer''s ult down, Raymond could finally unleash Eldritch Nightmare to his heart''s content. When the next minion wave arrived, he did exactly that. All shall be consumed by darkness!" The Warlock raised both arms and dark miasma erupted from him like a whirlpool. The darkness spread across the entire lane, sparing nothing on its way. Gunz found himself isolated in the darkness. Nevertheless, it didnt look like he was particularly flustered by this development. "Whoa!" Lars exclaimed as darkness stretched all around him. Everything was going smoothly until now but, finally, that Nirvana dude launched an attack. Awesome! That''s how it gotta be! C''mon, let''s do it! I''m ready! Lars installed a Stealth Ward he was carrying around for this very moment. Too bad for ya, dude. I''ve fought a bunch of Warlocks the past few months. I know all about dealing with this ult! Ez! To be exact, it was Yuel who taught him this trick. Eldritch Nightmare worked in mysterious ways. It was somehow susceptible to Stealth Wards, as if the darkness was just an illusion that granted stealth to everything in sight. Welp, the specifics dont really matter. Lars thought. The bottom line was that his Stealth Ward worked like a charm. It exposed the enemy lurking in the darkness. Time to strike, yoooooo! Its time for a trick show! the Trickshooter announced the opening of his grand performance. An eye for an eye, an ult for an ult! Is he ulting? Raymond was taken aback. In this situation? It doesnt make any sense. Perhaps it was like a panic button. Trickshow granted access to unlimited Trickslides with zero cooldown, so maybe Gunz was planning to get out of the area with their help. But, that guess couldn''t be further from the truth. The opponent wasnt planning to flee. The thought didn''t even cross his mind. No, Gunz went on the offensive! It was a relentless, unstoppable offense! "This is...!" Raymond could barely follow these movements. The Trickshooter transformed into a raging hurricane. He slid back and forth across the entire area, firing Trickshots left and right. But, he shouldn''t be able to see a thing! Raymond shuddered. Something was off. The Eldritch Nightmare has just begun. It enveloped the entire area in pitch darkness for the enemies. And yet, Gunz confidently fired a Trickshot at a wall. The bullet bounced off and pierced through Raymonds torso. It wasnt a shot made by a blind man. He can see. Raymond concluded. Most likely, Gunz placed a Stealth Ward as a counter. A nasty, but effective, counter to Warlock. Raymond was too naive. I have to dodge! Raymonds brain screamed, but his body moved sluggishly as if it just woke up from a coma. Normally, dodging incoming shots was as natural as breathing for anybody who played Classmancres on a regular basis. But, this was different. I cant tell where the shot will be coming from. Raymond gulped. None of Gunzs shots were aimed directly at Raymond. One bullet bounced off the left wall. Another bullet bounced off the right wall. Which of the two will hit? Which will come first? This situation was like chaos incarnate. The moment Raymond was started thinking about the various possibilities, it was already too late. Agh! Raymond grimaced as a bullet pierced his shoulder. Then, should I retreat a little? Raymond took a step back, but then another bullet hit his flank. It felt like every move he made only dug his own grave deeper. He was imprisoned inside a hell of bullets. This cant be happening. Raymond couldnt believe it. This was supposed to be my turn to attack. The entire point behind unleashing Eldritch Nightmare was to get a definitive edge over Gunz. Yet, Gunzs Trickshow single-handedly overruled the situation. Can I fight him now? No way. Raymond gulped. Gunz became the overlord of this land. There was no way to topple that monster. Raymond had no choice but to flee. Therefore, he canceled Eldritch Nightmare and rolled away. However, his pursuer was hot on his trail. "Ya ain''t getting way, yo!" Lars chased his prey by spamming Trickslides while firing Trickshots. He can aim like this even while chasing!? Raymond couldn''t believe this was real life. Everything here went far beyond common sense. A bullet bounced off the wall and dug into Raymonds left flank. It happened in the middle of Raymond running for his life. And, in the middle of Gunz sliding in pursuit. Amidst all that chaotic action, Gunz landed his bouncing shots without fail. I made a terrible mistake. Raymond realized it now. Gunz and I... were not at the same level at all! The past three games indeed painted Gunz as a strong player, but not much stronger than Raymond. For the most part, they were evenly matched. It sometimes felt like Gunz was pushing Raymond back a little, but just a little. In the end, they were on the same level for most purposes, or so it seemed. But, that was the wrong conclusion to draw. In this fourth game, for the first time, Gunz was showing the real extent of his power. Jaiden mentioned before how odd it as for Gunz to not use Trickshooter. But, Raymond didnt think much of it at the time. Gunz was already strong, so it was hard to believe hed do much better with a Trickshooter. But, now, Jaidens confusion made perfect sense. It was this Gunz, the one wielding Trickshooter, that captivated Jaiden last year. This was the true strength of the ex-StormBlitz player. Against this overwhelming strength, Raymond could do nothing but flee in terror. And, even as he ran away, he still received heavy damage. His HP fell all the way to 30% by the time he arrived at his tower. It was a devastating result. Raymond was the one who initiated this fight with his ult, yet Gunz turned the tables on him. As a result, Raymond was too injured to keep defending. He had to recall and surrender the lane to Gunz. It was frustrating beyond measure. This one exchange taught Raymond his place. He was at the bottom of the food chain here, whereas Gunz was the almighty predator who preyed on everybody in sight. It was the case of a hapless rabbit challenging a fearsome lion. There was no chance of winning, not in a million years. I have to avoid further fights with him. Raymond concluded. Or, rather, he was forced to conclude that. As much as he wished to be wrong, the reality he witnessed shattered all his confidence. That''s why it was great news that Jaiden and his friends were planning to rotate to Mid. Raymond couldn''t handle the wild beast alone, but the four of them together will make quick work of Gunz. No matter how mechanically skilled the guy was, winning a 1v4 was beyond his ability. At least, it should be... Vol.10 Ch.23: Fleeing From Mid "Lars, retreat," Yuel said. "Hm? What''s up?" Lars asked. "I''m wrecking this dude over here." "The trio from Bot is probably rotating to Mid." "Whoa, for real!?" Lars exclaimed. "Fine by me! Let them come! I''mma take them on! 1v3, no problem!" He wanted to say all that, but he knew these dudes meant business. They killed Kai and Luke like nothing. This aint good. "Okay, I''m out!" Lars gave up on his hard-earned lane control and retreated to his Turret. "Honestly, Yuela admitted. I almost want you to recall out of there." "Say what? They''ll take the tower if I leave!" "I know, but..." Yuel pursed his lips. What was the best course of action here? There was no telling how the trio will choose to assault Mid. Once they join hands with the Warlock, the situation will become a 1v4. Tower hugging will only get Lars so far against this fearsome group. If he doesn''t recall now, he won''t get another chance to get away once the action starts. But, recalling meant serving Mid Turret on a silver platter to the enemy. Against four pushers, the tower will crumble within seconds. This was a tough call. "Don''t worry, dude." Lars flashed his teeth. "I''mma defend the tower no problem. I gonna become an unbreakable wall! The Great China Wall!" If only this line was coming from somebody with a truly strong defense. Yuel sighed. Then again, the goof''s defensive skills have improved drastically over the past few months. Playing Mid forced him to handle defense on his own, he could no longer rely on Yuel to cover up for his recklessness. That experience, combined with the frustration of losing to Ellen during the selection match, forced the aggressive beast to learn caution. Larss defense was still rough around the corners, but he could handle most regular attacks. Unfortunately, the incoming attack was far from regular. "Okay, let''s go!" Jaiden and Co. invaded Mid from the jungle. Contrary to what the enemy was probably expecting, the trio didn''t arrive on the lane as one pack. Jaiden entered the lane through the front door and joined up with Raymond. Meanwhile, Nash and Rio circled behind the enemy tower. It was a pincer! Jaiden and Raymond were the main attack force. Their job was to quickly clear enemy minions, then push their own army into enemy territory. This combination of marksman and mage was best suited for that role. They blasted through enemy minions within seconds. Meanwhile, Nash and Rio assumed their positions behind the enemy Turret. Nash blocked the entrance to Top Jungle, whereas Rio blocked the path leading into Bot Jungle. They left no route of escape for Gunz. They completely trapped their prey from all sides. "Watch out!" Vincent called out. "This is the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom!" "This formation again..." Yuel muttered. The enemys formation looked like a standard pincer, but it was more elaborate than that. Drawing an imaginary line between Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace would reveal a triangle formation, with Lars sealed in the middle. The trio surrounded him perfectly to leave no chance of escape. It was an unusually cunning line of attack. Most of the time, when gankers pincered somebody near the tower, they only blocked the front and the back of the tower area. Their priority was to stop the target from retreating to the Golem. It wasnt a bad pincer tactic, but it left the sides of the lane completely open. So, while the enemy was busy blocking the route to the Golem, the pincered target could run to the sides of the lane and slip into the jungle. However, Renegade''s group sealed that option. They were aware that escaping into the jungle was Larss best chance of getting out of that situation, so they blocked off the jungle entrances before anything else. To make things worse, they stationed the Lancer near Top Jungle. Yuel frowned. That was probably intentional. If Lars had to make a break for it, heading to Top Jungle would be the better option. Yuel was still alive in Top, so he could rotate out of the lane to help. But now, heading toward Top meant running into the Lancer. It was no longer a particle escape route. Of course, there was always the option of simply ignoring the jungle and retreating straight to the Golem. After all, nobody was blocking the straight path along the lane. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. However, that was actually the worst option of them all. If Lars tries to break through the middle, he''ll find himself sandwiched between StormMonster and Laplace. They''ll simply abandon their posts and intercept him together. His chances of escaping alive would be slim at best. Is there nothing he can do!? Yuel gritted his teeth. He thought, thought, and then thought some more. There were multiple escape plans Lars could attempt, but none of them sounded particularly reassuring. Yuel couldn''t come up with a surefire way to deliver Lars out of that predicament. This might be a checkmate. Yuel gritted his teeth. It was already too late. It was a position from which all of Larss moves will be forced moves. It was only a question of time before the enemies corner Lars and finish him off. Yuel could only recommend the optimal moves he found for postponing the inevitable. But maybe, just maybe, if given enough time, Lars will be able to cause a miracle with his Trickshooter and escape this danger. "Listen, your best bet is to retreat toward Bot Jungle." Yuel delivered his analysis. "Heh, so it''s already decided I gotta escape." Lars smiled wryly. He kinda figured that by now, but it was still frustrating to hear it directly like this. These dudes are something else. Lars instinctively understood that even without diving into deep analysis like Yuel always did. Can I fight them off? Nah, no way. They gonna rek me real hard. I better scram. Bot Jungle it is! Lars turned his back to the Warlock and Gunslinger, who were partying on his lane. It was a shame he had to surrender his precious lane advantage like this, but there was no choice. He had to get to Bot Jungle. A mere Cleric stood in his way. This dude wont be a problem at all! Or, will he? "He''s coming to Bot," Rio informed everybody as he started shooting at Gunz. His Paralyzing Horror was on cooldown, so landing basic attacks was the most he could do to hinder Gunz. Everything depended on Nash''s chasing ability. "I''m on it!" Nash abandoned his spot near Top Jungle and opened a hunt. His target? None other than Gunz. He gonna nab dat boi and end the guy''s whole career! "Here you go." Rio cast Godspeed to buff Nashs Movement Speed. "Thanks, bro!" Nash flew into the jungle like a bullet. His movement speed was already higher than normal thanks to the Wind Blade in this build, but now he was even faster! I''m fast as fuck, boi! "Rio, follow him," Jaiden requested. "Do I need to?" Rio tilted his head. I thought Id help with the push on Mid. Yeah, you do that, Nash said with a cocky grin stretched across his face. Imma catch up to Gunz no problem. Aint nobody escapes from me alive! "Thats usually true, Jaiden agreed. But, this is Gunz we''re talking about. Better safe than sorry." "Okay." Rio headed into Bot Jungle as well. He couldnt possibly keep up with Nashs running speed, but at least hell be nearby if something goes wrong. Meanwhile, Nash was quickly closing on the fleeing target. Gunz had no chance of getting away. He''s catching up...! Larss smile twitched. The metallic footsteps behind him became louder and louder with every passing moment. A death truck was accelerating straight at him! It was both exciting and scary. Okay. Lars took a deep breath to sort his thoughts. What''s the rest of them are doing? He glanced at the mini-map. The Warlock and Gunslinger were going ham on Larss defenseless lane. The Cleric was nowhere to be found, but it''s not like that dude mattered anyway. So, its only that Monster dude chasing me. Lars concluded. And, we''re pretty far from Mid by now. The dudes from Mid won''t be able to rotate over here in time to help the Lancer if something happens. In other words, this was essentially a 1v1 situation. And, Lars would never lose in those! "Change of plans!" Lars announced as he hit the brakes and turned around. "I''mma kill this dude real quick!" "Fine." Yuel wasn''t too thrilled about taking such a risk here, but itll be a huge benefit for the team if Lars kills StormMonster. The team was losing on nearly all fronts at the moment, but this one kill could shift the momentum around. And, with Trickshooter at hand, Lars definitely could pull it off. And so, the change of plans was approved. Lars ceased his fleeing and faced the predator head-on. "Wow, wow!" Nash grinned. "You''re approaching me!? Thats bad manners, man." Nash was the monster here, and Gunz was supposed to be a helpless horror film victim. Bruh better learn his place in this food chain! "You wanna go? LET''S FUCKIN'' GOOOOOO!" Nash leaped high into the air, then shot downwards like a meteor. "Ya ain''t catching me with that!" Lars rolled aside. "Heh, scrub! That''s exactly what I wanted!" Nash never expected to actually land such a telegraphed Lunge. His true goal was to deliver the classic follow-up, the Sweep. Nash swung his Lance in an arc soon after landing. Once this hit connects, it''ll slow down the Trickshooter''s movements. After that, poor lil Gunz wont be able to get away no matter how hard he tries. Itll become a melee fight, so Nash will destroy that bruh ez! Classic Lancer. Lars smiled. Too classic for your own good, yo! He transitioned into a Trickslide as soon as he recovered from the Dodge Roll. The enemys lance wasn''t fast enough. The only thing it cut was Larss afterimage. That was the end of the StormMonsters strong offense, but only the beginning of Larss counterattack! He turned the momentum around by unleashing a Trickshot during the slide. The bullet bounced off a wall and dug straight into Nash''s ribs! "Gah! For real!?" Nash cursed. Not only did this guy dodge Nash''s beautiful setup, but he also landed an immediate counter hit with a bouncing Trickshot!? I''m sorry. Nash apologized. It was my bad. Youre no scrub, I see that now. Actually, you''re pretty damn good. That''s why I gonna enjoy kicking your ass! Try me, dude! Lars could tell the Lancer had no intention of giving up. Awesome! Finally, another fight to the death! Whats more, it was the long-awaited grudge match against StormMonster. But, this time, Lars was sporting a marksman. And, not just any marksman. It was Trickshooter, his best class! Lets go, yooooo! Lars had lots of pent-up frustration since the last game. It was time to unleash all of it on StormMonster! Vol.10 Ch.24: Lars vs. Nash Lets go, yooooo! Lars stood face-to-face with his opponent without fleeing. Heh, you want these hands? Then, lets go! Nash charged forth and thrust his lance. However, it didn''t reach. No try, dude. But, no dice! Lars fired while backpedaling out of the Lancers reach. BAM! A headshot, straight in the Lancers mug! It didn''t guarantee a critical hit like Gunslingers headshots, but it was still cool! Damn! Nash cursed internally. Looks like I gotta get closer. Like, WAY closer Instead of trying to hit the Trickshooter from maximum range, Nash ceased attacking and charged at Gunz like a bull. Against ranged opponents, the most important thing was to get as close as humanly possible. Gotta stick to these cheaters like super glue. Nash was the faster runner, so he had no problem closing the distance. He bolted forth in zigzags, taking sharp turns to juke incoming shots. He was like a raging storm, dodging bullets flying his way! At least, that was the image painted in his head. In practice, his zigzagging didn''t do Jack shit. Gunz landed each and every shot without failure. In fact, the jukes didnt even slow down the shots. Gunz fired nonstop as if dude had an aimbot installed. To make things worse, Gunzs attacks packed a serious punch. The guy built lots of early-game damage, and he was temporarily empowered by Attention Grabber, his passive. Damn, are ya gonna whiff something or what!? Nash ranted. Despite all the juking efforts, not a single shot missed Nash. All that hard work was a total waste of time. Nash was like a clown tripping over his own feet. This is starting to get a little dangerous. Nash glanced at his HP bar. Only 60% left. Not exactly the conditions I imagined starting with, but no problem! After eating tons of damage, Nash finally reached the Trickshooter. From here on out, it gonna be a one-sided massacre! "Nash, you might want to retreat," Raymond advised. "Pft, retreat?" Nash thrust his lance without even stopping to think. WHAM! It was a clean hit, right through the Trickshooter''s shoulder. Ez 10% HP deleted. Nash only had to deliver a couple more hits and their HPs will be even. Let''s go let''s go LET''S GOOOOOO! Listen, Raymond insisted. "His ult will come out of cooldown any second now. "Heh, don''t you know? Dead men tell no tales!" Nash thrust his lance again. Another hit! He was on a roll! I got this one in the bag! "This dude is wild!" Lars exclaimed. No matter how hard he tried to juke the incoming thrusts, everything connected without fail. This StormMonster was one heck of a duelist! But, that''s okay. Losing some HP was no problem. Because every time Lars got stabbed, he also fired back at his opponent. The Lancer was already down to 40% HP, and Trickshow just came out of cooldown. It was showtime! Time to rock n'' roll, yoooo! Its time for a trick show! "Heh, here it comes!" Nash grinned. I dunno why cap is quaking in his boots over this. Shooters ult is no biggie. I mean, it basically gives the guy cooldown reduction for a while, that''s all. I still gonna win ez from close range- eh!? Vanished. Gone. Disappeared. The opponent was nowhere in sight! "What the-!? Where did he go!?" Nash looked around in panic. One moment, he was swinging hard at the guy. Then, the Trickshooter vanished. But, where to!? Nash checked in all directions. Not up ahead, not on the left, and not on the right either. Did this mad lad just slide by me!? That was the only logical option. Out of all the tricks Gunz could possibly pull, the absolute mad lad went ahead and slid underneath Nash''s swing! "Doncha mess with me, ya- geh!?" Nash jolted. A bullet dug into his shoulder as soon as he turned around. And, it hurt like heck, too! Was it another bouncing shot!? Tons of HP vanished in a blink of an eye. REEEEEEE! "You little...!" Nash thurst his lance at the sliding aimbot machine. "Take that, asshat!" "Nope!" Lars canceled into another slide, this time going sideways. It was a sharp 90 degrees turn to the left. What the heck!? Nashs thurst completely missed its target. You flippin slide spammer! Go to Disneyland if you wanna slide so much! BAM! A gunshot exploded. It was another Trickshot in the middle of a Trickslide! But, it wasnt aimed at Nash. Instead, it headed toward a wall on the far left. Was this shot gonna rebound and hit Nash? Nah, no way- Geh! For real!? Nash jumped. The bullet bounced off the wall smacked Nash straight in the torso! Unbelievable! That Gunz dude was something else. His hit rate was a magical 100%. Nash was already down to 30% HP. Ya gotta be shitting me...! Nash gritted his teeth. What the hell was going on here!? His opponent was just using Trickshow, thats all. Nash has fought that shit a bunch of times before. It was nothing special. Right, it shouldnt have been anything special. And yet, the way Gunz was using this ult made it look like the most broken thing in the game. Dammit! Imma get yo ass! Nash thurst his spear again. But, it only pierced through empty air. Gunz slid aside in the last split-second. This wasnt real. That guy was like a raging typhoon. He zigzagged all over the place at sonic speed, yet he also sniped Nash perfectly without missing a single shot. BAM! Another bullet flew toward the wall. And, it ultimately gonna find its way to Nash, right? In that case...! You aint gonna get me! Nash rolled in Gunzs direction! He reacted to it!? Lars gasped as his bullet bounced off the wall and completely whiffed the target. My aim was on point, Im sure of that. That Storm dude just reacted to it. Sick, yo! It was awesome! This was the kinda stuff he wanted to experience on the competitive stage! Even as Lars was going all-out with his strongest weapon, there were still opponents who could survive through this bullet hell. Mad respect, yo! Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. And, things only got spicier. StormMonster didnt just dodge the shot. He rolled straight at Lars and thrust his spear! Crap! Lars couldnt dodge this one. He went for Trickslide as usual, but he was just a split second too late. The spear tore through his skull, an injury thatd definitely be fatal in real life. Thankfully, here it only counted as a normal hit. Still, a hit from a Lancer was no joke. Each strike erased 10% off Larss HP. By now, he was already down to 40% HP. Meanwhile, his opponent was clinging on to life with 25% HP. Lars had the life lead, but his Trickshow was about to end. There was only enough time for one last shot. Ill be in deep trouble if I dont finish him here and now. Lars gulped. A big grin naturally formed on his face in response to the challenge. These life-and-death situations were the best! From this range, dude gonna wreck me if we fight fair. Larss robust experience was doing all the thinking for him. He trusted his gut on this one. Despite how strong of a duelist he was, there was a good chance hell lose to StomMonster under these circumstances. Therefore, he had to end it with the next move! Unfortunately, damage from a single bouncing Trickshot wont cut it. StormMonster dodged the previous shot, so now Lars had to land two bouncing Trickshots to kill the guy. However, thatd require firing two shots. There wasnt enough time to pull that off. But, wasnt there a way to deliver that amount of damage with a single shot? Why, of course there was! Double bounce, here we go!!! That was the only way. Thanks to all the shooting, Lars has warmed up enough by now. It was time to unleash the secret tech! BAM! The bullet traveled toward a wall. Dang, gotta dodge...! Nash sidestepped blindly, without any idea where the bullet gonna come from. He just knew he had to move, or else hed be a sitting duck. The bullet bounced off the wall and headed toward its target. Ha! Ya missed by a mile, bro! Nash laughed. That bullet was way off. Bruh must be salty as fuck because I dodged his previous shot. Ez wins! Gunz was a worthy opponent, so too bad he fudged up at the very end. This was his last chance to turn the tables on Nash, but it didnt work out. Welp, now Nash just gotta seize the momentum and charge in- BAM! A bullet pierced through his back. It didnt deal the usual double damage of previous Trickshots. No, this one dealt... quadruple damage! It deleted all of Nashs HP in an instant! "Ya gotta be shittin'' me!" Nash yelled, gasped, and laughed all at once. This guy just double bounced my ass! By now, it became clear why Raymond warned Nash so many times about Gunzs ult. That thing was something else. Nash has never fought anything like it before. That ult was some broken-ass OP bullshit right there! #NerfTrickshooter Not to mention, Gunz himself was a demon wearing human flesh. Nash prided himself as the monster until now, but he was like a small puppy compared to Gunz. That guy was legit bonkers! Is he seriously a middle schooler!? Nash didnt buy it. Aint nobody plays at that level in middle school! Its a sham! Nevertheless, that unbelievable reality was right in front of him. Nash was lying wasted on the ground while Gunz was celebrating victory. "Heck, yeah! Goteem!" Lars pumped a fist. The fight came down to the wire, but he pulled through it with that double bounce. This kill should throw a wrench in the enemy''s momentum. It changed the situation from a miserably 2v4 into a reasonable 2v3. The enemy no longer dominated- A white ball of light appeared on the scene. Oh no. Nonono. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! "Stand up." Rio cast Arise on Nash. "Oh, you were here!?" Nash didn''t even notice He was too absorbed in that heated fight. "Hell yeah, baby! Let''s goooooooo!" "No way!" Lars shuddered. The corpse in front of him raised up like a zombie. When did that Cleric get in here!? Nooooooooo! My kill! "Retreat," Yuel said. "Yeah, on it!" Lars turned his back to the enemy and fled the scene. The Lancer revived with only 30% HP, so dude was still very much killable. But, Lars didn''t have any dangerous skills to fire off. As such, a 1v1 was out of the question. Not to mention, the Cleric was here too, so it was practically a 1v2. Lars had no choice but to resort to a tactical retreat. "Oh, ya think you can run away from me?" Nash locked his lips. "Come here, my guy! Dont worry, I only gonna FREAKIN DESTROY YOU! Nash became the predator again. He could feel the blood surging through his veins. Thump. Thump. His entire body throbbed in excitement. The world around him slowed down. Nash was the one and only StormMonster. As a predator, he became the fastest being in the world! None shall escape the terror of his might! He already caught up!? Lars flinched when a spear dug through his back. "That dude is like Sonic, yo!" It''s not just speed. Yuel thought. This guy also got optimal movement. Lars wasnt great at escaping, so he made unnecessary moves which slowed him down ever so slightly. Everybody made mistakes like that when running, especially during tense situations. But, not this Lancer. He chased his prey with optimal movements. Taking the shortest turns, not overstepping in any direction, and constantly monitoring the movements of the target ahead of him. StormMonster wasn''t just fast in terms of sheer movement speed. His chasing technique was an art in its own right. He was a decent player in general, but his chasing technique was on a whole different level. "You mustn''t attempt to outrun the Storm Chaser!" Vincent warned. "There''s no escape from his reality-bending chasing powers!" "Wut? Ya tellin me to stand and fight? Lars cracked a dry laugh. I''m dying over here, dude!" He was already down to 20% HP. WHAM! Correction, now it was 10% HP. One more hit and he gonna sleep with the fishies! "It doesn''t seem like you''re going to make it out alive," Yuel concluded. "You probably want to turn around and get a few hits on the guy before dying" "Dang it! Yeah, youre right." Lars grumped. He was supposed to be invincible with Trickshooter. Ain''t nobody could take on him! He was the top dog! Alas, the competitive stage wasnt that easy. There were strong dudes all over the place. Okay then. Lars turned around and fired at the Lancer. I just gotta wreck ya real hard and prove Im the strongest here too. Lets go! "Oh? You dare?" Nash sneered. The bullet drilled into his body, but it wasnt a big deal. With this ballsy move, Gunz sealed his fate. Nashs next attack gonna decide it! He thrust his spear- No, wait! He stopped himself at the last moment. Dodged! Lars rolled aside right after firing at StormMonster. A spear attack was coming for sure, so he had to dodge. The plan was simple. After the opponent whiffs, Lars will have another chance to shoot. He had no idea what gonna happen after that, but at least, his this next shot was basically guaranteed- STAB. "Eh...?" Lars blinked in confusion. A spear impaled him through the torso as soon as he recovered from the roll. "No way! He reacted to it!?" "Awwwww, yeah! Git ded, boi!" Nash laughed like a madman. He totally saw that Dodge Roll and reacted to it like a champ! You have killed an enemy! "Yes! Fuckin'' finally!" Nash pumped a fist. "Thanks for that save, bro." "No problem." Rio nodded. "Man, this made me sweat," Nash admitted. "Don''t remember the last time I had to work this hard when chasing." "He was pretty strong, right?" Jaiden smiled. "Yeah, he damn was." Nash nodded. "But, I''m way better! Clapped that bruh ez!" "Sure, sure." Jaiden rolled his eyes. Still, he had to hand it to Nash. This was a huge achievement. With this victory, Nash proved that Gunz was only human. Even when he was playing Trickshooter, it was still possible to topple the guy. It was great news. With the combined powers of Jaiden''s crew, they surpassed even the godlike beast! From now on, no matter what else the enemy brings to the table, Taurus will prevail for sure! "Dang it!" Lars hung his head. "I should''ve spammed Trickslides to escape." "Perhaps." Yuel couldnt say for sure. StormMonsters chasing technique was unparalleled. It was unclear whether anybody could ever hope to escape from that predators clutches. As such, staying to fight wasnt that bad of a choice. It even worked out well... until the Cleric showed up. Lars would''ve won if I was there to support him. Yuel thought. There was no question that Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace were strong adversaries. Even Lars, with his Trickshooter, couldn''t overpower them. However, it''d be an entirely different story if Yuel was there to support the wild beast. Together, they could surely outwit the unbeatable trio! But, for that, they needed permission from their stubborn captain. Thatll have to wait until next game. Yuel sighed. This round is pretty much over. With Lars''s death, the situation became a 1v5. The enemy took the Mid Turret and Mid Golem in one swift push. Yuel returned to base to defend, and Vincent joined him shortly. However, the two of them couldn''t fend off a five-man army. The enemy seized full control of the game''s flow at this point. DEFEAT For the second time in a row, Stratus suffered a clean defeat. Even Larss Trickshooter wasnt enough to turn things around. Will Stratus be able to mount a comeback in the fifth and final game...? Vol.11 Ch.1: The Worry Before the Fifth Game DEFEAT This message concluded the fourth game of the scrimmage. Stratus lost again. Utterly crushed. Once the enemy team seized momentum, they became unstoppable. And, the trigger for all of it was Kai''s stubbornness. Surely, she understood it too. "So," Yuel started. Did this game convince you enough? "Yeah, sure..." Kai mumbled. Her head was hung. She didn''t even raise it to look at Yuel. "Go ahead. Play Bot. I don''t care." What was the point of holding onto Bot if she couldnt win the lane? Why keep playing Carry if she couldn''t carry the team to victory? There was no reason to continue with any of this. Kai only brought ruin on the team by insisting to play Bot. I''m not good enough. I''m just not... Kai gritted her teeth. To the very end, she couldn''t defeat Renegade. Not the first time, and not the second time. To make things worse, both attempts ended in huge failures that gave the enemy tremendous momentum. It wasn''t a stretch to claim that Kai was responsible for the team losing twice in a row. Heh. Kai sneered at herself Look at me, thinking I''m hot stuff just because my first opponent was weak. Kai trashed TheLegend pretty convincingly, so she thought she was at the top of the competition today. But then, Renegade swept in and kicked her off the high horse. The guy was strong, there was no point denying it. Renegade was strong enough to duel Kai on equal ground and come on top. Just as Yuel warned, challenging Renegade to a 1v1 was a folly. A dumb decision. A misplay. It completely backfired in Kais face. And, in addition to Renegade, then there was also the damn StormMonster nobody could escape from. He caused a lot of trouble as well. Seriously, arent these new subs kinda OP? Kai ranted internally. They all should be nerfed in the next patch. Against such strong opponents, Yuel and Lars were the team''s last hope. Kai would never admit it out loud, but she knew Lars was the stronger Carry. And, when teamed with Yuel, they turned into an unstoppable duo. Kai played enough games with them to understand that much. Looks like Im just not good enough. Kai hung her head. Against these competitive opponents, she couldnt bring results. But, why? Even though she fought hard to get into the club, even though she trained so much, even though she became the captain... she wasn''t good enough. Why? What was she lacking? What was she missing? Perhaps she couldn''t reach the same level as the boys because she was a girl? No, that''s silly talk. Kai could give a hard fight to any of these guys. Nevertheless, she was lacking something decisive. Mechanical skill? Experience? Matchup knowledge? It was most likely some combination of those three. Whatever it might be, Kai was clearly not prepared enough. She believed she worked hard to get to this point, but she was naive. As it stood, she was trash. Taurus squashed her like a bug. Even in Mid, shell probably fuck something up and lead the team to its doom. "Hey, don''t be like that, dude." Lars patted her shoulder. "Everybody messes up here and there. Look, even I got owned by those dudes. They''re rea somethin''. This match became serious business for real after they joined." "Yeah..." Kai answered absentmindedly. Lars''s words barely registered in her brain. She wasnt a fan of being pitied, and she didn''t want to listen to any fake encouragement. I fucked up twice in a row. No need to sugarcoat it. "I hope she''ll be okay," Vincent whispered to Yuel. "Hmm." Yuel knotted his brows. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. It was difficult to read Kai''s state of mind. The girl often wore an even expression when she wasnt attacking anybody, so she was looking rather stoic right now. It was always hard to tell whats he was really thinking underneath that mask. "Shouldn''t you talk to her?" Yuel asked. "Lil'' ol'' me?" Vincent pointed at himself. "Yes, you. You''re the closest to her in the club." "Closest'', you say." Vincent scratched his head. For him, Kai was a close friend. But, did Kai ever see him in the same light? Usually, she treated Vincent as nothing more than an eyesore. "I do not believe my words will reach her." "I see," Yuel said. "Then, let''s leave this one to Lars. He can be surprisingly good with pep talks." "I concur." I''m sure Kai will back on her feet by the next match. Yuel convinced himself. For now, we have to focus on the upcoming match. There was much to analyze and discuss regarding the previous game, but they didnt have much time at their disposal. Therefore, Yuel had to quickly sort out the data and bring up the most important topics. The most immediate topic of discussion was undoubtedly the infamous triangle, the trio of Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace. The moment these guys subbed in, they leveled up Taurus as a team by at least ten levels. Their performance single-handedly decided the outcome of the last two games. "Aside from Bot Lane," Yuel said. "Everybody else should pick classes with good escape tools. In case something goes wrong in Bot, the enemy will surely rotate to Mid or Top like before. You have to be able to get away if that happens." "Escape tools, eh. Luke pointed at himself. Does that include me?" "Yes, you too." Yuel nodded. "Everybody who should have good escape tools if they can." "Hmm. Good escape, ya say." Luke crossed his arms and fell deep in thought, as uncharacteristic as it was. Right. Yuel understood the problem. It wasn''t so easy to pick a Jungler meme that had good escapes. When it came to regular Junglers, the possibilities were endless: Lionfolk, Lancer, Vampire, Ninja, Drow, and so forth. Almost all the meta classes had decent escape options. However, this troublemaker won''t pick any of these. No, hell insist to play a meme, even during this clutch situation. I''d like to give him a piece of my mind, but... Yuel clenched his fists, but he ultimately held back the urge to lash at Luke. There was the mental state of the team to consider. Kai seemed to be in shambles, and the rest were dejected as well. The two devastating defeats took their toll on everybodys spirits. If Yuel starts arguing with somebody now, hell only add more negativity to this already-heavy atmosphere. If he were his old self, Yuel would definitely start lashing at Luke here and force the guy to pick a meta class. Logically, that was the "correct" course of action. Alas, theory and practice were two different things. Some factors were more important than simply picking the right vehicle for the right job. Above all else, there was the human driver to consider. Hell be the one driving, so hell determine how well the vehicle will perform in practice. If the driver didnt like that vehicle, or he didn''t possess the necessary skill to handle it, then everything was pointless. No matter how good the vehicle was, this driver will simply crash and burn. Therefore... "How about Knight?" Yuel suggested something that''d definitely sound silly to any bystander, but not to the memer in front of him. "Jungle Knight? Alright, I''m in!" Luke gave a thumbs up. "As for Vincent," Yuel continued. "I suggest Viking." "I was about to suggest that myself." Vincent nodded. "As expected from Chessmaster! It''s the Mystic Eyes of Mind Reading!" Honestly, I wish their classes were reversed. Yuel sighed. Viking was the class with a great ganking potential, whereas Knight was best suited for Top. But, precisely because of that, Luke agreed to pick Knight and would never agree to pick Viking. Sigh. "As for Kai," Yuel turned to the zombie in the corner. "I suggest Electromancer. You okay with that?" "Sure..." Kai answered weakly. Not exactly the most reassuring response, but she shouldnt have any problem playing Electromancer. Kai played the class rather skillfully when she trained with Yuel and Lars, so she definitely had the necessary experience to pilot it. In fact, she even seemed quite fond of the class. So, everything should be fine on that end. At this point, the entire lineup was pretty much decided. Lars will be Trickshooter, no question about that. As for Yuel, it was a little tricky. The best Support options he had in mind didn''t excel at running away. Paladin would be a great counter to Cleric, thanks to the silence effect of Justice Strike. However, it was a heavy class with no way to shake off pursuers. Besides, with Viking and Knight in the lineup, the team had more than enough tanks. Therefore, Yuel settled on Aquamancer. It was another class without proper escape tools, but at least it had multiple ways to slow down pursuers. On top of that, Geyser Eruption was about as good as Justice Strike at countering Cleric''s ult. And so, the team was about to head into the next game with a firm grasp of their upcoming lineup: Trickshooter, Aquamancer, Electromancer, Knight, and Viking. At least, that was the plan. Naturally, adaptation will be in order if the enemy bans or picks some of these classes first. Yuel had to brainstorm some replacements in case that happens. However, just then, a knocking sound interrupted his thought process... Vol.11 Ch.2: Why Did You Play Like This? Knock. Knock. A sound interrupted Yuels thoughts. Apparently, somebody was at the door. Hey! Luke opened the door. Lars, its your girlfriend again! I-Im not...! Julia was there, spearing Luke with her glare. Her face was slowly, but surely, turning into a tomato. Oh, you two arent an item yet? Luke snickered. Then, how about you go out with me? In your dreams. Julia scoffed. Wow! Luke staggered backward as if he received a fatal blow. The way she plays hard to get is so damn nice. You better drop it, Yuel advised quietly. Shes prone to losing her cool. Trust me, you dont want to be on the receiving end of her fury. Heh, sounds like you got first-hand experience with that. Yeah, Im practically a pro in the field. It wouldnt be strange for somebody to sponsor me. Haha, damn. Luke smiled awkwardly. Sounds like shes a difficult gal. You have no idea. Yuel sighed deeply. She does act cute around Lars, tho, Luke pointed out. She sure does. Yuel made a face. Lars is about the only person Ive seen her act nice around. Everybody else is on her blacklist. Gotta admit, she sounds more attractive by the moment. How, exactly? Yuel narrowed his eyes. Are you into masochism? Haha, nah its aint like that, Luke reassured. She just sounds like a tough chick to conquer, thats all. If you arent already her love interest, then you probably have no chance. Challenges like that are the best! If you say so. Yuel shrugged. Honestly, he had no idea what Luke was on about. It sounded like the guy liked throwing himself at impossible challenges. Then again, that was a fitting attitude for somebody who insisted to play memes on the competitive scene. As always, I cant begin to comprehend this guy. While Yuel and Luke were whispering, Lars went to greet Julia at the door. The two exchanged some words. Lars was all smiles and sunshine, but Julias expression was stiff. She plastered a cute smile on it, a thing she has always done around Lars. But, the girl wasnt amused at all. Yuel could tell at a glance because he was a pro at dealing with her. Well, she probably came to see Lars, so its no my business. Yuel ignored the scene and returned to his brainstorming. But, just as he started turning the gears in his brain again, he felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. His hair stood to an end for no obvious reason. I know this feeling. Yuel sighed in resignation. There was only one person whose glare could spark static electricity in the air. Yuel reluctantly turned around, only to confirm his suspicion. Two sharp eyes were spearing him with obvious killing intent. Julia was glaring at him, and she wasnt amused. What is it this time? Yuel sighed and dragged his feet to the door. Did she come to chew us out for losing? I dont have time for this. I need to come up with a backup plan in case any of our classes gets banned. But, of course, the rude invader didnt care about any of that. She came here to complain, so she was going to unleash all her fury without holding anything back. Sigh. What is it? Yuel asked. Ive been asking about the two games you just had, Julia explained. What was that all about? Are you stupid or something? Starting off with insults, I see. Yuel wanted to get angry, but he didnt have the energy for that. This was the usual deal with Julia, so Yuel has already developed an Anti-Julia passive ability at this point. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "It''s as you saw," Yuel said plainly. "We lost." "Yeah, I have eyes, thank you very much. Julia scoffed. What Im asking is, what the bloody hell- Ahem. I mean, what was that all about? Why aren''t you taking this seriously?" "But I told you, July," Lars insisted. "We were totally serious. These dudes are just that good." "You were serious? Really? Then, what''s with that formation?" Julia''s expression conveyed obvious doubt. "And, if you were really ''serious'' that game and you still lost so badly to some B-grade team, then I don''t wanna know you anymore." "Haha, harsh." Lars laughed dryly and sent an SOS to Yuel. You want me to handle this? Yuel made a face. Really? Me? The guy she hates more than anybody? Is this some sort of harassment? It got to be, right? And, thinking of it, I totally deserve it. This entire situation was Yuel''s fault, so it only made sense for him to handle it. After all, Lars was against this formation all along. The guy has been insisted to play Carry since day 1. It was Yuel who decided to entertain Kai''s selfishness for so long. Of course, he had additional reasons for agreeing to that deal, such as helping Lars develop independence by playing Mid. But, that was something they could''ve practiced at any time. In the end, no matter how Yuel tried to sugarcoat it, this was a mistake he committed. And, by not sharing the details with Julia, Lars was actually covering for Yuel here. I have to clean up my own mess. Yuel resolved himself. As the culprit, it was his responsibility to appease the vicious beast in front of him. "I''m the one responsible for that formation." "Aha!" Julia exclaimed. "I knew you were the one to blame! As always, it''s you and your stupid decisions that ruin everything." "I had my reasons." "Oh, you did? Really? Pray tell." "I don''t think I''m obligated to share such information with an enemy." "Wha-!?" Julia exclaimed. She opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish. Clearly, she didn''t have a good retort to this one. "Haha." Lars patted Yuel on the shoulder. "C''mon, dude. Don''t be mean like that. We''re all friends, right?" "Sure." Are we, though? Yuel wasn''t really confident about that point. They played on opposite teams and they didn''t interact much nowadays. Honestly, it was a stretch to still call them "friends". Nevertheless, they were close friends at one point in time, even with all the bad blood between them. So, maybe that kind of cold treatment was really uncalled for. "Okay, I''ll tell you one thing," Yuel said. "You were asking about our formation, right?" "Yeah, it makes no sense! Why Lars isn''t the Carry? And, you don''t have to be the Support for all I care, but the current Support you got is even worse than you, and that says a lot." "Well, you see, there was a really good reason to use that formation." "Oh? I''m all ears." "It''s because people like you are here." "Eh?" Julia tilted her head. "Are you trying to pick a fight?" "No, I''m just stating facts. There are people like you in the audience today. Namely, spies from other teams." "Oh." Julia blinked. It seemed like she completely forgot her own role in all of this. "I was trying to keep information leaks to a minimum," Yuel explained. "I didn''t want to reveal our full strength to other teams just yet. "Oh, really!?" Lars jumped. Why are you acting surprised!? Yuel wanted to facepalm so badly. You should be backing me up here! "O-Oh, right!" Lars forced a grin. "Yeah, you totally said something like that before. I remember now! It was some sick 200 IQ tactic, yo!" "Really?" Julia examined them with suspicion. Apparently, she wasn''t entirely convinced. Well, half of it is a lie. Yuel admitted silently. It was true he wanted to conceal as much data as possible from the spies, but it was a consideration he only came up with after agreeing to play this formation. In other words, it was a post-facto excuse he came with to justify his poor decision. "Hmm." Julia gave it some careful thought. It sounded a little bogus, but it made sense. After all, she herself was a spy tasked with reporting this game to Howard. Naturally, other teams had their own representatives here as well. Yuel being Yuel, he came up with a stupid plan to confuse the spies. But, that plan backfired. It was no good anymore. "I understand what you were trying to do," Julia said. "But, you better not be planning to do it again next game." "Nah, don''t worry," Lars reassured. "Next game, we''re going all out!" "Good, that''s what I wanted to hear." Julia nodded in approval and turned around. "Sorry for taking your time. Good luck in the next game." "You better watch it." Lars grinned. "We gonna show them the business!" "You better do," Julia smiled softly. On that note, she left. Looks like I didn''t have to worry after all. Julia thought. Well, I was only worried about Lars anyway. Yuel can keep playing whatever he wants. Lars doesn''t need him to shine anyway. Finally, Julia could sigh in relief. She rushed to this room all anxious, but now she was at peace. If it''s Lars and Yuel in Bot, then they wont lose to a team like Taurus. Rather, they not ALLOWED to lose. Julia thought. They can''t lose until they get to face me. I''ll be the one to crush them! And so, the final game of the scrimmage was about to begin. It was the final showdown between Stratus and Taurus. But, with Lars and Yuel playing their main roles, it''ll surely be a cakewalk... right? Vol.11 Ch.3: The Captains Regrets It was time for the fifth and final game of the day. Everybody walked onto the stage with their hearts steeled for the upcoming battle. However, one of them was dragging her feet as she walked. It was Kai. "Is she okay?" Yuel whispered. "Hmm, I think she is?" Lars twisted his lips. "I told her shes an awesome player and that everybody got their bad days. But, Ill be real. I dont think it reached her." "That doesn''t sound reassuring." "Right? Haha..." Lars laughed awkwardly. "But hey, it gonna be A-Okay! She''s not the type to lose to some small stuff like that. No matter how depressed she looks, she always fights back, right?" "I suppose," Yuel agreed with that assessment. Even during training, there were times when Kai became incredibly frustrated about losing to some opponent. Sometimes, she even spent the entire day sulking about it. Nevertheless, even in that state, Kai always continued playing. She often underperformed because of it, but she rarely ever committed any terrible mistakes. At the very least, she almost never fed the enemy. I have a feeling her state is more extreme than usual this time around. Yuel frowned. But, she should be fine. Worst case, Lars and I can rotate to Mid to help her out. With the worries still abound, the drafting phase began. Yuel''s ideal lineup involved Trickshooter, Aquamancer, Electromancer, Knight, and Viking. However, the enemy had no intention of making it easy for him. "I consider banning Trickshooter," Raymond shared his thoughts. Mid Trickshooter wasn''t supposed to be a practical pick, but Gunz made it look broken. It''s as if Gunzs skill was on a completely different level when piloting Trickshooter. "Do we really have to ban Shooter?" Jaiden asked. "I mean, he was pretty good, but we whooped him in the end, right?" "Yeah, that scrub was ez!" Nash gave a thumbs up. "Even though you died against him, Rio added quietly. "I-I didn''t die!" Nash insisted. "I knew ya gonna revive me, so I kept that extra HP in mind! Yea, that''s how good I am." "Sure." Rio rolled his eyes. These guys... Jaiden made a face. I can''t tell if theyre helping my case or making things worse. All I want is to let Gunz have his Trickshooter again. This time, I''ll get to fight him in Bot. I''m feeling it. It had to be the case. After Jaiden thoroughly destroyed Beat in the previous game, the girl will surely surrender the Carry role to Gunz. Beats sore face only served as further evidence. There wasnt a lick of fighting spirit in her expression. She mustve been drowning in self-pity. It wasn''t cool to bully girls, but that''s what Beat deserved for biting more than she could chew. She was the one pretending she could carry the entire team, so she had to own up to it. But, instead, she got mopped. Jaiden snickered. So, all I have to say is QQ, scrub. Gunz will play Bot this time, he had to. And, it''d be the most fun to challenge the monster''s strongest weapon, his Trickshooter. Only by defeating Gunzs Trickshooter, Jaiden will be able to say he triumphed over Gunz and Chessmaster in the truest sense. Any less than that could be dismissed with an excuse like "It wasnt even Gunzs final form! or such. That wont do. Jaiden had to defeat Gunz while that monster was at his strongest! But, unfortunately, the captain didnt share the same enthusiasm. "I don''t understand why we should allow them to pick Trickshooter." Raymond frowned. "We successfully dealt with it last game, but that doesn''t change the fact it''s dangerous. This time, we might fail to subdue it." "Well, Jaiden started. If we know they gonna pick Shooter for sure, we can plan around it. Like, counter-pick and stuff." "How do you suggest we counter-pick it?" We pick Lion, I guess?" Jaiden didn''t think that one through. He just spouted the first thing that came to mind. "Lionfolk is already banned." "Oh, shoot." Jaiden laughed awkwardly. Of course, the obvious counter gonna get banned. I bet it was Chessmaster pulling the strings on that one. What other classes were decisive counters against Trickshooter? There werent many, honestly. Trickshooter was a rather well-rounded class, so Jaiden was drawing a blank. Damn, boss is being such a tough cookie. Jaiden pouted. How do I convince him to leave Shooter alone? "I also don''t like leaving Shooter open," Rio admitted quietly, making sure Raymond didnt catch it. "Honestly, I think you''re being unreasonable. When you know one of the enemys best classes, you ban it. Thats the rule." "Yeah, but..." Jaiden stumbled over his words. Man, even Rio is chewing me out on it? Well, it makes sense. It IS pretty dumb, I know that too. But... Despite all that, Jaiden wanted to face the Trickshooter. He wanted to defeat Gunz and Chessmaster while they were at their top form. Only this way, Jaiden will be able to prove that StormBlitz committed a terrible mistake when they disqualified him. "I think you''re being silly," Rio repeated. "But, I understand what you''re hoping for. So, I''ll help." "Really!?" Jaiden jumped. "Man, you''re the best!" He squeezed Rio tightly. "W-W-Wha!?" Rio shook. His face burned. "A-A-Ah, um, I..." He lost all his verbal functions like a short-circuiting robot. "A-Ahem, anyway." Rio turned away to hide his tomato face and spoke from there. "Compared to a mage, Shooter isn''t that good at clearing minions during to late-game. So, they''ll be sacrificing a lot by picking it for Mid." "Thats true, Raymond agreed. But, last game, they eliminated this issue by adding a Pyromancer. "But, Pyro isnt a good Jungler. If they pick it again, their ganking potential will be compromised." That might be true, but... Raymond frowned. He wasnt sure how to proceed from here. Am I the one in the wrong here...? Heh. Jaiden smiled proudly. Leave it to Rio to pull convincing arguments out of thin air. I feel like we almost got him. Ray needs just one more push. I totally agree with Rio, Jaiden spoke up. Theyll dig their own grave if they pick Shooter with Pyro again, so let them do it. Yep, yep. Nash didnt even understand half the argument, but he agreed anyway. Bring that Shooter again. Imma take you on, Gunz! Ya aint gonna kill me again, fam! Theyre pushing really hard for this. Raymond couldnt wrap his head around it. Rios argument was the most reasonable one so far, but it was still far from convincing. On the other hand, Jaiden and Nash sounded like brats who just wanted to take on a difficult challenge. There was little to no logic to anything theyve said. Nevertheless, three teammates were arguing against banning Trickshooter, it was a majority vote. As the captain, wasnt it Raymonds job to heed his teammates opinions and act accordingly? The banning timer was about to run out. Raymond had to submit something now. So, he settled on Monk for now Thanks, cap! Jaiden smiled. Im not convinced yet, Raymond retorted. There was still one more ban left. A voice in his head was telling him to ban Trickshooter despite everything. But, everybody seems to be against it. Raymond frowned. Zeph, what do you think? I dunno. Zeph shrugged. I havent really fought that Shooter much last game. But, I saw he gave you the business. So, if I were in your shoes, Id ban his ass for good. I wouldnt wanna deal with that kind of shit again unless you figured how to beat him. No, cant say I have, Raymond admitted. Even now, after the game was over and they emerged victoriously, he still feared that Trickshooter. That beast was on a completely different level from anybody else here. Raymonds gut feeling was whispering that he wont be beating Gunzs Trickshooter today. So, I better ban it. But, the juniors wouldnt like it... Raymond frowned. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. If he were making this decision all by himself, he wouldnt even have to think twice about it. However, with three teammates practically pleading him to let Trickshooter be, it turned into a serious dilemma. As the captain, Raymond was supposed to keep the team unified and satisfied. As such, he should leave the Trickshooter be, right? Thats what he believed until today. From the beginning of the year and until now, he has been trying to be a good captain, one who respected the majoritys opinion. Even when a clubmate committed a deed that Raymond didnt agree with, he let it slide as long as the majority willed it. In short, he believed in democracy. But, where did that mentality get him? To the current miserable state of the club. It was a club overrun by Bruce and his thugs, while all other seniors turned into ghost members. Such was the outcome of giving free rein to the most vocal members of the club. Bruces gang came just a little short from terrorizing the club, of course Raymond understood that. However, every time he wanted to step in and stop Bruce, he found himself backing away. Why? Was he scared of confronting those delinquents? No, that wasnt the problem. The problem was Bruces loud group of supporters. Bryan, Dylan, and even Zeph later. They were a big vocal group, almost big enough to form a majority. No other such group existed among the seniors, so nobody could outnumber Burces dominant gang. Therefore, Raymond couldnt bring himself to interfere. Was he scared? Perhaps a little. But, above anything else, he simply didn''t believe he had the right to say anything. Even though he was the "captain" in name, he understood little of what that title entailed. The seniors from last year didn''t coach him much and practically left him with "Youll figure it out. It was a little irresponsible. In fact, it was INCREDIBLY irresponsible. Due to these circumstances, Raymond had no choice but to come up with his own interpretation of the captain role. I suppose my job will be to listen to the majoritys wants and make sure the team stays unified. That was the gist of what he came up with. It became his mantra for the job. Following that mentality, it seemed wrong to get in the way of Bruce''s gang. After all, the gang had the most numbers, so it was a majority of sorts. If there was a united force that stood up to Bruce''s gang, then Raymond would have gained legitimization to step in and do something about it. However, in the face of Bruce''s terror, all the other smaller groups scattered apart. Nobody dared to stand against the tyrant. And so, Raymond felt like he couldn''t intervene either. The rest of the club didn''t express any desire to stop Bruce, so the captain had no right to act upon his own sense of justice. If he were to confront Bruce of his own accord without anybody backing him up, he''d be acting like a vigilante, not a captain. And yet, I probably shouldve done exactly that. Raymond thought. Today, he learned a valuable lesson that flipped all his beliefs on their heads. There must have been a strong will in the club to oppose Bruces acts of terror. However, everybody was scared of banding together. Most likely, they were all silently waiting for Raymond, the "big strong guy", to step in and intimidate the rascals. Perhaps, Raymond was picked as a captain for that very reason. A year ago, the seniors have already tagged Bruces gang as troublemakers. Therefore, the top priority for picking Raymond as the captain mightve been to ensure he had the authority to stop Bruce. However, Raymond was too slow to realize any of that. He ran away from this challenge just because there was nobody to back him up. He was a coward. No more of that. Raymond swore. The captain didn''t only exist to echo the opinions of the majority. From here on out, he''ll think for himself and make his own decisions too! Of course, he''d still do his best to minimize conflict among clubmates, and he''ll definitely take all their inputs into consideration. However, before anything else, he''ll share his own opinion with the rest and will stand by it. If the others fail to change his mind, Raymond will simply push his decision through, even if it goes against the majority. After all, the majority wasnt always right, as proven by the situation with Bruce''s gang. "I''m sorry," Raymond apologized to Jaiden''s group. "But, I still feel that banning Trickshooter is the right move. So, that''s what I plan to do unless you have any more convincing arguments." "Oh, um..." Jaiden was taken aback by this bold assertion. Since when Raymond was this pushy? Normally, it was easy to convince the guy of anything by ganging up on him, but this time the big guy stood his ground. He was acting like a real confident captain for a change. Somehow, I don''t think like we''ll be changing his mind on this one... The trio fell silent. There was a heavy atmosphere surrounding their captain. If they toss any silly protests at him, hell crush them on the spot. He was in no mood for jokes or any adventurous idea. Raymond was dead set on winning this game, nothing more and nothing less. The captain transformed into a completely different person at this moment. He wasnt a tyrant by any means, but he was no longer the goody-two-shoes "nice guy" captain. Raymond thoroughly seized the authority that belonged to him all along. He will not tolerate any of that nonsense Jaiden was trying to feed him. Dang, looks like that ship has sailed. Jaiden sighed in defeat. It was obvious all along that his suggestion regarding the Trickshooter served only his own self-satisfaction. So, he couldn''t really blame Raymond here. The captain made the decision that was best for the team as a whole, and the one that should increase their chances of winning. There was no fault to be found there. And so, Taurus'' third ban became none other than Trickshooter. That threw a wretch in the lineup Yuel envisioned. "Yo! They took my Shooter!" Lars exclaimed. "Yes, they did." Yuel nodded. "Maybe it was a mistake to show them your Trickshooter." "Looks like I scared them, haha." Lars scratched his head. "So, what''s next? Am I going Gunslinger? Or, is it time for my improved Elf to debut!?" "Your Elf isn''t ready yet," Yuel argued. "So, Gunslinger it is. But, we''ll have to grab it fast because Renegade plays it too. For our first pick, well get Knight for Luke before the enemy takes it. Then, we go straight for Gunslinger." "Okey-dokey." With that decided, the drafting phase started with Stratus picking Knight. "Heh, look at these guys." Zeph sneered. "First they ban my Dragon, now they take my Knight. Freakin'' assholes." "Is there anything you''d like to pick instead?" Raymond asked. "Berserker, I guess." Zeph shrugged. "If I can''t play Dragon and Knight, might as well rampage on their asses." "Just make sure you don''t aggress too hard," Raymond warned. "Chessmaster is a tough opponent. Hell turn the tables on you if you overextend." "Yeah, I know that all too well by now." Zeph smiled wryly. Even though Taurus dominated the last two games, Zeph himself has barely accomplished anything of note. He always joined the party after the team has already developed unstoppable momentum. It was all the fault of that damn Chessmaster and his pro-level skill. Even after four games, Zeph still couldn''t find a method to crush that nerd. So, if there was one lesson Zeph definitely learned today, it was to not push his luck against Chessmaster. Even the slightest mistake could lead to disaster against that ruthless guy. As such, despite picking an aggressive class like Berserker, he wasn''t going to go too wild on the lane. Hell save the aggression for the later parts of the game. Hopefully, with an aggressive class, hell score a lot of kills there. I just wanna feel like Im actually contributing. Zeph thought. Otherwise, what am I even here for? Just to follow others lead? Im sick of that shit. After the Berserker pick, Rio picked Cleric. The enemy didnt get to ban the class, probably because there werent enough banning slots during the first banning phase. It seemed like Rios Cryomancer left a greater impression on the enemy, so they preferred to ban it over Cleric. I was hoping my Clerics performance will unlock Cryo. Rio pouted. His master plan fell through. The enemy seemed to have figured that Cryomancer was his best class. Did they conclude that after just one game? Impressive. It was Stratus'' turn to pick classes. Their next pick was rather unexpected. It was Gunslinger. "Say what!?" Jaiden exclaimed. "Haha, the freak?" Nash laughed. "These bruhs be stealing our shit. First Knight, now Slinger. Do they thinking we''ve been winning because of these classes or something?" "I doubt it," Rio said. "This might be an extension of the banning phase. They banned some of our best classes, and now theyre taking some of our best secondary options. Maybe they''re betting on our third best options being weak." "Heh, they''re sure naive then." Nash grinned. "Who the hell do they think we are? We''re pros, man! Each of us can play like a hundred classes!!" "You can really do that?" Raymond asked. "Y-Yeah, sure! Ez." "That''s impressive," Raymond nodded. "Before the next club meeting, I''d like you to write down a list of all those hundred classes you can play. It''s important for me to know which classes everybody can play." "Eeeeeeeeeh," Nash shrunk. He was regretting his big mouth now. "Heh, just kidding," Raymond smirked. "Wha-!?" Nash was taken aback, and he wasn''t the only one. "Y-Yo, my guys, he whispered. Did cap just crack a joke on me?" "Yeah, sounds like it..." Jaiden was equally bewildered. It felt as if their captain evolved somewhat, like a butterfly bursting out of a cocoon. Perhaps, in this game, they''ll be witnessing their captains full potential. It gonna be sick! Jaiden grinned. But, I hope he leaves Gunz and Chessmaster to me and the boys. Well be the ones to take out these powerhouses! They better be playing Bot this game. The enemy''s next pick was Aquamancer, most likely the Support. It was a class Taurus haven''t played against today, so nobody knew what to make out of it. Next, the ball was back in Taurus'' court again. It was their last pick before the second banning phase. They haven''t banned Aeromancer this time. Raymond thought. They''ve been banning it every game since the first, but not this time. Why? Are they trying to bait me? Part of it was definitely the limited number of bans they had during the first banning phase. But, on top of that, they might have been baiting Raymond here. They were luring him into picking Aeromancer in order to counter him with an Electromancer pick. If that was their plan, then this was the perfect time to throw a wrench into it. "They left Aeromancer open, so I''m taking it," Raymond shared his thoughts. "And, they probably hope to counter it with Electromancer, so I''ll be banning it." "Heh, what a smooth criminal." Zeph smirked. Raymond grabbed Aeromancer, then eliminated Electromancer from the picture. It was an effective blow. So, they caught on. Yuel frowned. He left the Aeromancer open as bait, hoping to make the most out of the Electromancer pick he has already decided on for Kai. Alas, the enemy was smarter than expected. They grabbed the Aeromancer but also sealed the Electromancer. Instead of making the most out of Electromancer, now Stratus couldnt use it at all. Great What a blunder. I was a bit too greedy on that one. Yuel was forced to adjust the lineup for the second time now. It''s not like he didn''t think of alternatives ahead of time, but this development really hit them hard. Electromancer was one of the few mages with a good escape tool. The only other one of this caliber was Lumimancer, but it was a wonky pick for Mid. "Kai, change of plans," Yuel explained. "Electromancer is a no-go, so how do you feel about Sorcerer? It doesn''t have escape tools but it got range, so you can focus on farming from afar." "Sure," Kai replied with an indifferent tone. Even though the topic was the class she was going to play, she didn''t sound very involved in the whole affair. Well... Yuel thought. I know she can play Sorcerer, so it should be okay. And so, after the banning phase, Stratus picked Sorcerer for Kai. The final lineup turned into: Chessmaster (Yuel): Aquamancer Gunz (Lars): Gunslinger LegendaryMemer (Luke): Knight Beat (Kai): Sorcerer InformationBlackhole (Vincent): Viking Renegade (Jaiden): Pirate Laplace (Rio): Cleric StormMonster (Nash): Lancer Nirvana (Raymond): Aeromancer DragonMaster (Zeph): Berserker Vol.11 Ch.4: Jaidens Fall and Rise The final game of the scrimmage began. After the drafting phase was over, it was now clear which player had which role. Gunz took the Gunslinger, whereas Chessmaster went for Aquamancer. In other words...! "Yes!" Jaiden pumped a fist. "Watch out, guys! The StormBlitz duo is coming for Bot this time! And, they mean business!" "Awww yeah!" Nash grinned. "So, if we beat these guys, that makes us better than StormBlitz, right? Let''s fuckin'' gooooooooo!" "Actually," Rio started. They werent on the first-string there. "Only because they were newbies last year," Jaiden said. "I''m sure that, this year, they would''ve made it into the first-string easy." "Would they, really?" Rio leveled a difficult question. "StormBlitz had a strong Bot duo last year and they were Juniors, so theyre still around. Besides, if Chessmaster and Gunz could make it into the first-string this year, do you think theyd transfer schools like this?" "Transfer? What are you... Ah." It finally hit Jaiden. One question has been weighing on his mind for a while now. Why did strong players like Gunz and Chessmaster transfer to a school with such a weak team? Until now, he hasnt thought much of it. Or, rather, he was trying to not think about it. After all, there was one obvious guess anybody could make, but it''ll make him mad if it was true. As Rio suggested, it was possible Gunz and Chessmaster transferred because they couldn''t make it into the first-string this year. It was silly talk, but Jaiden couldn''t help but wonder. Its suspect that they transferred together like this. Jaiden thought. They dont look like brothers or anything. It''d still be one thing if one of them transferred while the other remained in StormBlitz, but both transferred? And, to the same school, too? That was suspect as heck. It really felt like they ran away from the challenge and chose to play on a weaker teams first-string But, Jaiden didn''t want to believe that. If that was true, he''d lose all the respect he had for them. In his mind, they were an unstoppable high-level duo who didn''t yield to anybody. So, for them to quit over such a petty matter would be hella lame. Not to mention, it''d be disrespectful toward everybody who didn''t make it into StormBlitz last year. Gunz and Chessmaster earned their place in StormBlitz by trampling over others. Such was the nature of a selection exam, so nothing wrong with that. Jaiden just happened to be one of the examinees they crushed on their way to the top, thats all. He didn''t hold it against them because, unlike the girl who got in, those two had actual skills. But still, Gunz and Chessmaster made it into the club at the expense of many other competitors. It meant they were carrying the weight of everybody they defeated. They were obligated to find success on the competitive in the place of those they trampled over. Therefore, if Gunz and Chessmaster turned their backs on that responsibility and simply abandoned the club, that''d be unforgivable. If that was the extent of their convictions and determination, then they had no business playing Classmancers competitively. Whats more, they had absolutely no right of robbing others of their chances to join a strong team. I also transferred because of Mancers. Jaiden thought. But, my case is totally different. He transferred to Taurus because he was one of those who didn''t make it into StormBlitz, partially due to Gunz and Chessmasters fault. But, unlike those two, Jaiden didnt abandon any hopes and dreams placed on him. No, that wasnt quite right wrong. There were two dreams placed on his back then. "Become the topdog in Storm, bro!" "I''m sure you''ll make it big." Two years ago, his two friends encouraged him with smiles on their faces. He informed them about his plans to attend Riverstock Junior High, and they applauded him for that decision. Of course, they wanted to follow after him and join StormBlitz as well. However, Riverstock was far from their houses, so their parents didnt agree to that arrangement. In the end, Jaiden had to venture into the unknown all by himself and abandon his friends. Nevertheless, they were smiling as they saw him off. Rio looked as if he was holding back tears, but he still forced a smile. Even though Jaiden was abandoning them. Even though he chose Classmancers over their friendship. Even so, his friends were smiling in front of him and encouraging him to chase the competitive scene he was dreaming about. And so, despite his heart being split in two, Jaiden stuck to his guns and decided on Riverstock as his middle school. He was serious about Classmancers, more so than anybody in his class. And, even more so than his closest friends. The three of them played together on a regular basis, but Jaiden often continued playing solo after that as well. He just really loved this game, it clicked with him on so many levels. Stuff like teaming up with his friends to wipe out the enemy always felt good. At least, it was a riot as long as his teammates were actually cooperative enough. That dedication to Classmancers led Jaiden to pursue StormBlitz, the second-best team in the region. It wasnt an easy decision. Attending Riverstock demanded him to take a bus, a train, and then another bus to get there every day. Nevertheless, Jaiden had the willpower to bear through these hardships. He wanted to play on the highest level the region had to offer. In truth, he would''ve gladly joined the Leopards, but Leo Junior High was on the opposite side of the region. Now that was too far, even for him and his boundless determination. Besides, joining the 2nd best team sounded cooler. This way, he''d be able to take on crowned champions of the region and make history by destroying their unstoppable winning streak. Yeah, that''d be sick! He was really pumped about it. Despite the fact he had to abandon his best friends, and despite the fact the school was so far he had to wake up two hours in advance to get there on time, Jaiden was still pumped up about it. He believed that was the best road toward the competitive scene available for him. But, then he blew the entrance exam. Honestly, it was a shock. It''s as if the entire world collapsed from underneath him. He fell into a bottomless pit of despair, with no chance of climbing back to the surface. Everything he dreamed about and worked toward - gone. Without warning, without a trace. It all vanished right in front of his eyes. Only he remained there, staring at that unbelievable reality like a tool. He couldn''t believe it. His friends couldn''t believe it either. It had to be some sort of mistake. Somebody as dedicated as Jaiden failed? How was that possible? "No fuckin'' way. It gotta be a mistake! Nash argued. Talk to them, man! Maybe they picked somebody else by mistake or some shit ." "I agree, you should investigate, Rio said. Maybe there was some foul play there." Jaiden heeded his friends'' advice and set out to investigate the matter. Instead of drowning himself in tears, he rather keep moving forward. That''s why he confronted StormBlitz''s captain. "I''m sorry to say, but there was no mistake on our side." The captain dropped the truth bomb. "You''re indeed a good player. If the school allowed us to pick one more player, you''d most likely be our next pick. Alas, were restricted to five newcomers a year." That was the end. The captain even admitted that Jaiden left a positive impression during the exam, yet he didnt make it all the way. It meant there were three other candidates who did a much better job than him. They out-skilled him, that''s all there was to it. Maybe Jaiden was just arrogant. He thought he was one of the best because he played the game so much. And, his friends always praised his skill, further boosting his ego. But, the world was a harsher place than expected. Jaiden was indeed a dedicated player, but there were others who were just as dedicated as him, if not more. There were enough kids his age whose skills rivaled and even surpassed his own. Even in this very region, in this very school, there were that many players who surpassed him. Such was reality. Yes, it was reality. It was time for Jaiden to leave Lala Land and confront the facts. He just wasn''t good enough. No matter how highly he and his friends evaluated him, it was all biased. Jaiden was trash. He was a nobody. A total scrub. Someone like him wasn''t good enough for StormBlitz. After he finished talking with the captain, Jaiden went around the corner and collapsed. Yes, he simply collapsed. With his back against the wall, he sat on the cold floor and gazed at the empty ceiling. It was as hollow as his heart. Then, he heard voices. It was a conversation he wasn''t supposed to hear, but he heard it anyway. A girl approached the captain with a playful tone. "Hey, Ronron. Who was that just now?" "Jaiden." "Who?" "You already forgot?" The captain sighed loudly. "He was the third candidate we discussed. You know, the one I was vouching for?" The captain of StormBlitz vouched for me!? Jaiden''s ears perked all of a sudden. That was unexpected. The captain actually wanted Jaiden for the team? And yet, Jaiden still didnt make it in? How was that even possible...? "He came to ask why he failed," the captain continued. "Apparently, he chose to attend this school even though it''s far from home, just so he could play on StormBlitz." "My, what a poor boy. His dreams must''ve been crushed." "You''re talking as if it''s not your fault," the captain criticized. "You manipulated everybody to pick Julia instead. It''s all on you." "My, pegging me as the villain here. Not cute. Not cute at all." "Truth to be told," the captain said. "I still think he should''ve made it in. Julia didn''t exhibit the same level of skill." "You just dont see what I see. That girl is something special~" "I''m still convinced you only vouched for her because she''s a girl." "My, do you really think I''d do such a thing?" "Honestly? Yes, I do. You always complain about being the only girl in the club. How did you phrase it? ''A rose among the thorns?" "Teehee~" Jaiden shouldn''t have heard that exchange. He didn''t mean to eavesdrop on anybody, but he did. His hearing only grew sharper with each word. He had to get all the details. He had to know exactly why and how things came to pass. The truth was far from what he expected. In a word, it was bullshit. Pure, undeniable bullshit. There was no fairness anywhere to be found there. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Apparently, there were two candidates who actually surpassed Jaiden in skill. It was hard to believe anything at this point, but Jaiden wanted to give the captain the benefit of the doubt on that one. Okay, so two guys were better than me. Jaiden sorted the evidence. But, he said I was supposed to be the third, right? Then... Somebody stole his spot at the last moment. And, that pick was based on total bullshit. From the sound of it, it was a girl who passed the test simply for being a girl. Jaiden had the necessary skills to be the third candidate, but that girl didnt. She got in thanks to favoritism. It was bullshit. It was unfair. How could such a competitive team pick a player based on such a stupid reason!? Skill was supposed to be everything. Only those who really loved the game and were skilled enough should have the honor to play on StormBlitz. Gender had nothing to do with it. Jaiden felt his insides were about to explode. He wanted to charge in there and yell at that girl, to give her a piece of his mind. But, he stopped himself at the last moment. I just hope you didnt make a mistake. Those were the final words the captain spoke on the matter. Even though the guy believed Jaiden was the better player, it didnt sound like he was going to fight for Jaidens sake. Isnt he the captain? Shouldnt it be in his best interests to get the best players? Jaiden couldnt wrap his head around this scene. His entire understanding of the world was crumbling apart, piece by piece. The dazzling image of StormBlitz, that he has always held in his heart, was now stained black. The world was a cruel, unfair place. Nobody was there to care about how much Jaiden loved Classmancers or how hard he trained. Even the captain, the one with the highest authority, didnt bother lifting a finger to help Jaiden. That irresponsible captain just shrugged it off, as if it couldnt be helped. As if it was perfectly fine to pick a girl over Jaiden based on nothing but gender. I almost wish I hadnt heard that conversation. Jaiden thought. It made him disillusioned with everything. For him, StormBlitz was no longer the amazing competitive team he believed it to be. No, it was a corrupt organization that people entered via favoritism and connections. At this point, it was questionable how many of its members got in via genuine skill. I quit. Jaiden stood up and left. There was no point in making a scene over this. StormBlitz has made its decision. They chose gender over skill, and they wont change their minds. For some ungodly reason, they believed that was alright. Honestly, it was disgusting. Therefore, Jaiden just gave it up. If thats how ugly reality was, then there was no point in pursuing the competitive scene in the first place. He might as well just quit Classmancers altogether. If thats how the world was going to repay him for his hard work and dedication, then fuck this game. He didnt need it. It wasnt worth his blood and sweat. However, two voices stopped him. "You''re an awesome player, bro! Nash claimed. Theyre hella dumb for not letting you in." "You should try transferring to our school, Rio suggested. There are still some undecided spots left in the club." "Oh, yeah! Great thinking! Come over, bro. We''ll tell the captain youre da shit!" The two called Jaiden over and over, desperately reaching out to a friend who was lost within the darkness of depression. Maybe Im really lost. Jaiden thought. He was roaming around like a zombie, going in and out of school without paying any attention to anything that transpired there. Every day, by the time he realized he wasnt paying attention, the school day was already over. The homeroom teacher urged Jaiden to pick a different club, but he made no effort toward that goal. It was a pain. Why couldn''t he just be in the Classmancers club? Why did they have to play favorites and pick some girl over him? Why!? That one unfair decision screwed all his plans for the upcoming years. He was planning to train hard and get into StormBlitzs first-string, then participate in the regionals and beat the Leopards. He was supposed to make history! But, instead, he became history. StormBlitz decided they didn''t need him. He was a nobody. A nobody who couldn''t even beat some girl they picked based on gender. Screw it. Screw it all! Moving from his current spot was a pain. Everything felt pointless. The entire world was painted in hues of gray. But, even in this desolate gray world, his friends kept talking to him. Their vibrant colors invaded the gray world and tried to paint it anew. "We talked with the cap, Nash informed. Come over tomorrow and show ''em watcha got!" "We arranged it so that we can play together, Rio explained. It should be good." "Yeah! Let''s kick some serious butt!" Jaidens friends were pulling him back to Classmancers. Even though he didn''t want it, even though he was tired of everything - they never gave up on him. They even came over to pick him up after school. Seriously, these guys... And so, Jaiden ended up attending Taurus''s entrance exam. Even though his heart wasn''t in it, he didn''t want to waste the efforts of his friends. Therefore, he feigned motivation and acted as if he was really trying to pass the test. In truth, Classmancers was history for him now. He hasn''t touched the game in a few weeks, maybe more. Just thinking about it brought bad memories. Yet, there Jaiden was, playing this accursed game again. Just the thought of it made him sick. I know Nash and Rio mean good, but... Jaiden gritted his teeth. His entire body trembled. He didn''t want to do it. He didn''t want to be there. Run. Just run away. That''s what his mind screamed. "C''mon, let''s rek these guys!" "I''m here to help whenever you need." His friends kept talking, ignorant of his painful feelings. Or, maybe because they knew how Jaiden felt, they found it necessary to keep talking like that. They meant no harm, but it was suffocating. Frankly, Jaiden should''ve just called it quits. Nevertheless, he jumped into the game and put on a fight. As expected, his movements were slow and sluggish. He was out of touch with the game for over a week, and more than anything - his heart wasn''t truly in it. He just wanted to get it over with. Winning or losing didn''t matter. "Are you even trying?" Rio criticized. "That''s not the Jai I know." "........." Jaiden had no retorts. His performance was really god awful. He missed many shots, and he allowed the lane opponent to land many counters on him. His spacing and aim were all over the place, but he couldnt be bothered to fix any of it. "The Jai I know is an amazing player," Rio continued. "He''d crush guys of this level in five seconds." The Jaiden you knew is dead. That''s the only response Jaiden could come up with. Even so, Rio didn''t give up, and neither did Nash. "Hey, watch out, man!" Nash delivered a counter-gank on Bot to rescue Jaiden. "Retreat. I''ll hold them down," Rio sacrificed himself to help Jaiden escape from a dangerous situation found himself in due to his own carelessness. Unlike Jaiden, his friends didn''t give up, not even for a moment. Even though his performance was as sloppy as it could get, barely better than a Bronze rank, his friends supported him. Truly, he was blessed to have such good friends. And, thats why watching their efforts was so painful. An ally has been killed! An ally has been killed! Every time they died during the early game, it was somehow Jaiden''s fault. Hed make a careless mistake and theyd rush to his aid. Sometimes, they successfully defused the situation. Other times, they paid for Jaidens mistake with their lives. Either way, it was all his fault. It can''t go on like this. Jaiden couldn''t bear to watch this any longer. His friends were dying for his sake, while he was wasting time mopping like a weak bitch. He only came here for the sake of his friends, so he shouldn''t make them suffer like that. "Let''s win," Jaiden said plainly as if it was easy to do. "Awww yeah, boi! Now ya talking!" Nash grinned. "About time you woke up." Rio smiled softly. "Sorry, I was a little out of it." Jaiden stepped forth against his lane opponent. "I''ll take him down. Nash, handle the cleanup." "You got it!" "Rio, make sure to heal me." "Of course." And so, the turnaround began. Jaiden suddenly transformed into an entirely different beast. It caught his opponent off-guard, granting him the powerful surprise attack advantage. "He''s all yours," Jaiden announced after reducing the Pirate to 25% HP. The guy figured he couldn''t win this one, so he was backpedaling. "On it!" Nash leaped out of the Jungle and chased down the hapless prey. At the time, they haven''t yet developed their Invincible Triangle formation, so the other two didn''t follow up on Nashs play. Nevertheless, even back then, Nash was already an amazing chaser who didn''t let anybody slip away from him. It was ez. An enemy has been killed! From there, the team mounted a full-blown comeback. Scoring a single kill during the mid-game was twice, maybe thrice, as impactful as killing during the early-game. Therefore, this one kill made up for all the sloppy performances from the early-game. It was comeback time! VICTORY Jaiden''s strong performance during the mid-game and late-game made everybody forget the numerous mistakes he committed during the early-game. He was strong, that''s the impression everybody got, including the captain. Thus, Jaiden passed the exam. Even though he didn''t put all his heart into it, he passed the exam. It was almost laughable. He worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get into StormBlitz, yet he failed that selection. On the other hand, in this exam, he played worse than usual, yet he still got in. It was irony of life at its finest. There was one truth he grasped during that exam. No matter how much pain it brought him, no matter how much he wanted to forget all about it - Classmancers was a genuinely fun game. Playing by his friends'' side and wrecking the opposition, there was no greater fun than that. After all was said and done, Jaiden still loved Classmancers. And, he loved his friends. When those two elements came together as one, they combined into something beautiful that made him forget all his sorrow. "I''ll join this club," Jaiden decided. "Let''s see how far we can go." "Awww yeah!" Nash pumped a fist. "We gonna run over everybody together! And, lets wreck StormBlitz while we''re at it. These fuckers gonna regret not picking you." "Agreed." Rio nodded. And so, Jaiden transferred from StormBlitz to Taurus. He relocated from a place where people got rejected for stupid reasons, to one where everybody welcomed him with open arms. In the first place, it was dumb of him to leave his friends behind just to pursue the highest level of competition. After all, Classmancers was the most fun when he played it together with friends. StormBlitz or Taurus, the team itself didn''t matter. Wherever Jaiden was, he wanted to play together with friends he could trust. Nash and Rio were definitely such friends. Together, they''ll conquer the regionals! Nevertheless, despite all that renewed positivity, a stain remained at the corner of his mind. In one word, it was revenge. He felt like exacting revenge on everybody in StormBlitz. That team was corrupt. It deserved to be exposed and crushed. Jaiden only failed to get in because StormBlitz had stupid priorities. At least, that''s what he thought at the time. But, things have changed after he witnessed the spectacle that was the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage. There, Jaiden caught a glimpse of Gunz and Chessmaster, the two freshmen who pulled through the rigged entrance exam. Those two meant serious business. They clearly didn''t get into StormBlitz based favoritism or anything unfair like that. Im pretty sure I wasn''t as good as them during the exam. Jaiden admitted. But, what about now? Can I and my homies beat Gunz and Chessmaster? I feel like it''ll be a tough fight. Watching that scrimmage made Jaiden change his mind about StormBlitz. He still blamed the girl who stole his spot, that part didnt change. However, Gunz and Chessmaster were fire! Unlike the scrubby girl who got into the club via unfair politics, the two boys were truly talented players. Therefore, Jaiden wanted to test his mettle against them. If he wins, he''ll have the right to rub it in StormBlitz''s face. If he loses, hell finally come to terms with his failure to get into StormBlitz. For the first time in a long time, his heart burned with genuine passion. Jaiden wanted to improve, to become stronger, and to wreck those two! I remember thinking 24/7 about that goal... during the first couple of months. Jaiden smiled wryly as he recalled his old burning passion. Once he started throwing himself at intense training regimes, there was no time to think about any distant goals. He had to focus on the challenges right in front of his eyes. Each and every day, he set himself short-term goals which he had to achieve together with his pals. And so, his grand motivation was pushed to the back of his head, to the point he forgot how Gunz and Chessmaster even looked like. Nevertheless, the flames those two sparked burned strongly to this day. Jaiden trained harder than ever alongside his friends, and together they brought their team play to new heights. That''s how the Invincible Triangle was born. It was one heck of a road. Jaiden thought. But, finally, I made it all the way here. At this very moment, Jaiden was here, locked into a decisive game against Gunz and Chessmaster, the rivals he swore to defeat a year ago. It was like a dream come true! However, there was one disappointing thing about the entire arrangement. Gunz and Chessmaster were no longer playing for StormBlitz. Just like Jaiden, they transferred from Riverstock. But, why? In Jaiden''s case, it was a justified transfer. There was no future for him in Riverstock. But, unlike him, Gunz and Chessmaster made it into the club. They reached the competitive environment Jaiden dreamed about. Then, why did they abandon it? Were they disappointed by what they found there? Was it never worth pursuing in the first place? I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but... Jaiden couldn''t lie to himself. Just like Rio, his first guess was that Gunz and Chessmaster left StromBlitz because they wanted to play on the first-string so badly. That''s why they joined the weakest team in the region, where it was guaranteed they''ll become superstars. If that was their reason, it was really disappointing. If they just stayed in StormBlitz, they would have made it into the first-string as seniors for sure. Waiting one more year wouldn''t have killed them. Well, maybe I''m just being hostile because they made my plans more complicated. Jaiden smiled wryly. Now, he had to beat Gunz and Chessmaster, and then also beat StormBlitz separately. It made things needlessly complicated. Heck, whatever. Come at me! Jaiden smiled. I''ll take you on! I''ll prove that, with my friends on my side, nobody is a match for us! Vol.11 Ch.5: Raymonds Cowardice Kai was matched against Nirvana in Mid Lane. How good was this guy? She couldn''t tell, because the guy hadnt left much of an impression during any of the previous games. At the very least, he was good enough to hold his own against Mid Laner Lars. Throughout the day, the lane situation in Mid was always frozen, save for the time Lars picked Trickshooter. So, how good was that guy, really? Hard to say. Kai had no choice but to discover things along the way. For now, the plan was to farm as efficiently as possible and wait for the enemy to make the first move. Kai summoned a Magia Orb in the middle of the enemy formation, then she booted Dimensional Collapse. The orb collapsed inwards and drew all minions into it, dealing them heavy damage as they crashed into each other. It was a simple but effective farming method that was could be performed across a very long range. Meanwhile, the Aeromancer used Whirlwind to safely clear the lane. He summoned a small tornado that continuously applied damage to minions. It allowed the Aeromancer to stay far in the back without advancing, but he had to sacrifice his clearing speed for that advantage. The slow damage-over-time was no match for Sorcerers burst damage. As a result, Kai cleared the wave way before the enemy. Her minions were injured but alive, so they charged onward into enemy territory. Kai could''ve pushed alongside them and she normally would. But, this time, she chose to retreat to the Turret instead. There was no need to take any necessary risks. She has already fucked up real bad during the past two games, so she won''t let that happen again. Ill play this slow and steady. Kai thought. Ill establish a gradual advantage, one wave at a time. It was an unexpected approach from a normally aggressive player. Needless to say, it caught the enemy by surprise. She''s not pushing? Raymond wondered. The Sorcerer gained the upper hand in their first exchange, but she didnt press it. Maybe she''s wary of a gank? But, would you normally expect a gank this early into the game? Well, not like I''m complaining. Whatever the enemys plan was, it made Raymond''s life easy. He didnt have to worry about a dangerous attacker leading the minions, so he simply cleared the injured soldiers with basic attacks before they reached the Turret. Unfortunately, one of the bowmen stepped into Raymond''s Turret area. The Turret eliminated the bowman before the guy even nocked his arrow, but it was still bad. A minion dying under tower meant reduced farm. This isnt good. Raymond frowned. He got away almost scot-free this time, but there was no guarantee luck will be on his side again. If the Sorcerer pushed alongside her minions to zone Raymond out, he would have had to allow multiple minions to die under tower. That would have resulted in a lot of lost gold. Most high-ranked Sorcerers always pushed hard during this matchup. As such, Raymond often had to borrow the help of the Jungler to turn the one-sided lane situation around. He was already prepared to do the same this game, he even discussed things with Nash ahead of time. However, Beat turned out to be an unusual Sorcerer. For the better or the worse, she chose to not aggress against Raymond despite the matchup being clearly in her favor. I cant tell if thats the right move. Raymond admitted. In his experience, it was a 50-50. Sometimes, the Sorcerers pushes were devastating enough to let them control the entire lane. Other times, they overextended just a little and the Jungler destroyed them. It seemed like Beat didnt want to take that risk. Even during the second wave, Beat played exactly the same way. She stayed close to her tower and summoned a Magia Orb from all the way over there. Then, she unleashed Dimensional Collapse to inflict heavy damage to all minions at once. After that, she simply walked away. She has no interest in pushing. Raymond concluded. The first time might have been a test of sorts, but the second time confirmed Beat''s intentions. She wasn''t going to leave the tower area. Beat was like a princess imprisoned inside an unapproachable castle, except she chose to stay there of her own volition. Why is she playing like this? I had the impression shes an offensive player. Is it because of how the last two games went? Raymond couldnt help but wonder. In both games, Beat''s early death sparked Taurus'' unstoppable momentum. Maybe thats why Beat, and perhaps Stratus as a whole, decided to play safer this time around. It was a reasonable decision on paper, but it might be their undoing. Theres such a thing as playing too safe. Raymond smiled wryly. He was an expert on the topic, with lots of first-hand experience to boot. The way Beat was playing reminded Raymond of the times he retreated into his own shell to mitigate all risks. More often than not, that decision turned out to be the greatest mistake of them all. Well, if that''s how you want to play, then I have no complaints. Raymond thought. During the next wave, he advanced to the frontline and attacked the enemy minions with basics before they left the range of Whirlwind. This way, he was able to eliminate all the minions before they got a chance to reach his Turret. All his gold earnings were perfectly secured. As for Beat? She didn''t budge from her spot. The entire scene unfolded in front of her very eyes, but she didn''t lift a finger to interfere with Raymond. She practically let him get away with robbery in broad daylight. You wont see me complaining. Raymond shrugged. Easy farming, easy life. Though, I do think it''s unfortunate when the captain sets that kind of example for the team. Was he still talking about Beat? Or, was it about Raymond himself? The turtling opponent reminded Raymond of how he used to behave in real life. Always avoiding unnecessary conflict, always playing it safe, and always waiting for things to resolve themselves. Even though he had both the strength and authority to step in and make a difference, he always watched from the sidelines and hoped for the problems to fix themselves. Why was he always so passive? It was mostly cowardice, but not the type many people experienced in such situations. His clubmates might have assumed he was scared of Bruce and the gang, but that wasnt true. If push came to shove, Raymond was confident in his ability to subdue that entire group of hooligans. After all, that giant body of his has never betrayed him before in a fight. And, thats precisely why he was scared. He wasnt scared of his opponents, but of his own strength. His big body wasn''t the result of obesity. His dad was a tall big man, and a bodybuilding addict to boot. As such, Raymond grew up with intense workouts being a natural part of his schedule. On top of that, he inherited his dads big genetics, and he was also visited by an early growth spurt. With all of that combined, he ended up with a big bulky body that didn''t belong to a middle schooler. In terms of raw strength, it was probably even above most high schoolers. As such, Raymond never feared the bullies or hooligans his age. If anything, it was the opposite. Everybody could only be gangsta until Raymond arrived. Instead of confronting this oversized boy, they usually awkwardly retreated. A single glare was enough to scare them away. Truly, this big body was convenient for peacefully resolving conflicts. However, it was unsettling as well. The same way his big body instilled fear in others, it made Raymond nervous as well. No, that was putting it lightly. Raymond was terrified by his own strength. One unfortunate incident seeded a sense of dread in him. It was the first and last time he got serious about fighting anybody. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A boy in his class became the victim of bullying. A group of older kids ganged up on the poor boy, and they were careless enough to commit the crime right in front of Raymond. Naturally, Raymond couldnt stand still. He had to act! That was the unfortunate decision that triggered everything. He charged at the bullies and tackled them, separating them from the victim. When faced with Raymond, anybody from the school would immediately give up. Everybody knew to not mess with the Golem. However, these hooligans didnt get the memo. They were apparently from a different school, so they knew nothing about Raymond. In fact, these boys looked a few years older, possibly middle-schoolers. Raymond was just a grade-schooler at the time, so it made sense theyve never heard of him. "Watcha doing, kid!?" One of the bullies thurst his fist and drove it into Raymond''s jaw! "Eh...?" Raymond staggered backward. It took him a moment to register what just happened. Did that boy just hit him? Why? Fighting was no good. They shouldn''t be doing that. It hurts. Raymond massaged his chin. The sense of pain lingered for a while. It hurt when he tried opening his mouth. It hurt. They werent playing nice. These kids crossed the line. Who do you think you are? Raymond clenched his fists. Blood rushed to his head at that moment. Who gave you the right the just hit others like this!? Raymond wasnt thinking straight. No, he probably wasnt thinking at all. His arms moved on their won before he could sort anything out. He struck, holding nothing back. A swift punch, straight in the stomach. "Gaaaaah!" The hooligan bent over and coughed violently. "You fatass! What did ya do to my-" BAM! A punch rammed into his face. His nose made a funny sound. "A-Aaaaaghh!" The boy wailed as he held his nose. Blood was dripping from it. "Y-You! My nose! Aaaaaah!" The injured boy charged at Raymond. What are you doing? Raymond couldnt help but question the futility of this action. Dont you understand you cant win? The boy was acting like a cornered prey who chose to strike the predator in a desperate attempt to survive. But, why? This wasnt some life-and-death situation. Fighting was so unnecessary. You should pipe down as everybody does. Raymond lightly pushed the attacker away. At least, it was intended to be a light push. However, the push was a little too strong. The boy wasnt firmly rooted in the ground while chagrin forward, so the push sent him flying all the way to the nearby wall. THUMP. The sound of something hitting the wall. It was the boys head. Thinking back on it, it was a dangerous situation that could result in death if not addressed immediately. But, at the time Raymond didn''t pay any attention to that. He simply shifted his focus to the third and last bully. Unlike the others, this one was quaking in his boots. It didn''t seem the guy had any courage to strike after witnessing his friends crushing defeat. That''s more like it. Raymond nodded in satisfaction. You see? If you don''t fight, I don''t need to hurt you. "Get lost," Raymond said coldly. "E-Eeep!" the boy squeaked and made a run for it. "That settles it. Raymond approached the bullied boy. "It''s okay now." "Ah, t-thanks..." The boy took a few steps back. "Hm? What''s wrong?" "N- Nothing. Can I go now?" "Sure." "T-Then, bye!" The boy ran away in terror as if fleeing from a monster. But, why? It didn''t make any sense. Raymond has just saved the kid, so what''s with that treatment? It''s almost as if the boy was more scared of Raymond than the bullies. Did I do something wrong? Raymond looked around him. The two bullies he injured were still there. One was crawling on the ground holding his stomach, while the other was lying on the floor with a bleeding nose, barely conscious. That''s when it finally hit Raymond. Who created this bloody scene? He did, with his own two hands. Raymond reduced these kids to such a miserable state of his own volition. Even though his dad always told him to not raise a hand on the weaker. Even though Raymond always tried to resolve everything peacefully. Somehow, this happened. "I-I''ll call for help!" Raymond broke into a run. Who should I call in this situation? Oh right, the nurse! Luckily, the nurse was present this time. He brought her to the scene and then... he left. He snuck away, without telling anybody he was responsible for all of this. Its just a bad dream. It has to be. Raymond tried to convince himself as he ran away. Id never do such a thing in real life. It was a nightmare. He didn''t do it. It wasn''t his fault. He was just trying to save a bullied kid. But, of course, the kids reported who beat them up. The school called up Raymond and his parents for a lecture. His dad was furious to learn about this act of violence. Fortunately, the bullied boy testified in Raymonds favor. In the end, the incident passed without Raymond being punished. However, the consequences of his actions will never truly disappear. "I''m proud of you for stepping in to help a bullied kid, his dad said. But, you have to remember to hold back. I told you many times: you''re bigger and stronger than most kids your age. So, you must avoid fights unless it''s an emergency. Did you really have to beat them so badly? Answer me." "No, I, didn''t..." Raymond hung his head. He overdid it big time. The two kids he attacked were sent to the hospital. One of them even had a light nose fracture, and it was all Raymonds fault. From that day onward, Raymond has been avoiding fights as much as possible. Not just physical fights, but any kind of quarrel that had a chance to make him snap. Its not like he had any special anger management issues, but better safe than sorry. That one bloody scene he caused burned itself into his mind. Every time he considered stepping into an argument, the bloody sight flashed in front of him. It made him question himself over and over. "Is it really worth taking the risk? I might hurt somebody again." A voice whispered thus. I better ignore it. Raymond always chickened out. He was undoubtedly a coward, one who feared none other than himself. That''s why he let Bruce get away with so many things. Instead of stepping in as a captain should, Raymond just watched from the sidelines. He was scared of hurting somebody again and sending them to the hospital. But, there was such a thing as overcompensating and Raymond definitely crossed into that territory. He was too nice and too forgiving. There was a big logical leap between "not hurting people" and "letting bullies get away scot-free". It took him a long time to realize he was overcompensating for that one incident. He was too passive, way too passive. In the process of avoiding conflicts, he hurt his clubmates more than his fist ever could. Some even quit the club due to the unpleasant environment, one which Raymond permitted to exist with his passiveness. It took Raymond so many months to finally wake up. Today''s incident with Bruce finally slapped him wide awake. As the captain, he had to take the reins over this club. Raymond committed a grave mistake as a child, but he has grown since then. It was time to move on. Living in constant fear of hurting others won''t get him anywhere. That''s why Raymond had to change. And, today was the beginning. He has already taken the first step toward a new future when he stopped Bruce. But, it was just the beginning. He still hasn''t become the teams captain in the truest sense. Perhaps, no amount of hard work will ever make up for all the damage he has caused with his passiveness. But, there was no reason to give up before putting on a fight. And, today will become a fresh new page in his story! And, since Ive already decided to change, Raymond thought. I should change my playstyle accordingly. People often claimed that Raymond could dominate opponents if he played more assertively, but he never took that advice to heart. However, here and now, he finally started feeling it. If he put his mind to it, he could achieve anything! Normally, his playstyle was focused on defense. He patiently waited for his opponents to aggress, then he counterattacked them. It only seemed fair. If the opponent was the first to strike, Raymond was allowed to retaliate in an act of self-defense. Initiating attacks was something Raymond has almost never done. It simply wasn''t in his nature. It always felt unnatural, the same way he avoided getting involved with arguments in real life. Perhaps, his cowardice extended to his playstyle as well. Even now, with the Sorcerer playing defensively, the idea of aggressing on her didnt cross Raymonds mind for a while. He was satisfied with playing defense in response and maintaining a status quo. There was no need to rush things. But, was that really alright? Should he keep playing like this? His opponent was showing obvious signs of caution. Beat wasnt comfortable with pursuing offense against Raymond. So, shouldn''t Raymond push? It was a great opportunity to gain lane advantage and build up the teams momentum. I can''t let the younger players do all the work. Raymond thought back on the past two games. Both times, it was the juniors who created strong momentum for the team. Shouldn''t the captain be the one to initiate such things? Besides, what captain-like things have Raymond accomplished today in general? Noting, really. And, if he keeps acting like a scaredy-cat, he won''t get anything done this game either. I''ll just do it. Raymond decided. Today was a day of big changes. Slowly but surely, he was crawling out of the cocoon he buried himself in. He won''t run away from challenges anymore. The captain shouldn''t be acting weak like that. This game will become a small, yet big, step for him. He''ll evolve his playstyle to new heights, here and now! Against a cautious opponent who was scared of committing mistakes, Raymond will respond with relentless offense! Vol.11 Ch.6: Raymonds Offense The next minion wave arrived. This was the perfect opportunity for Raymond to test his offense on Beat. Sorcerer''s range was great, but Beat still had to step out of her tower to clear the minions. That moment will be Raymonds best opportunity to strike. Aeromancer was best suited for defense, but that didn''t mean it couldn''t go on the offensive. If anything, many of its defensive tools were also great for offense. Raymond placed a Whirlwind on the incoming enemy wave. So far, it was nothing new. That alone shouldn''t arise the enemy''s suspicion. After Whirlwind, Raymond would normally retreat to his side of the lane. But, not this time. Instead, he fired a Squall toward Beat. Huh? He''s shooting? Kai blinked in confusion and instinctively backed away. But, that wasnt even necessary. There was no way Squall would reach her from that distance. Kai was convinced because she knew how to Aeromancer. She developed a good grasp of Squalls range- WHAM! The gust of wind slammed her! "Huh!?" Kai, staggered backward, unable to process the situation. What? How!? Squall couldn''t reach across such a big range, no way. Did they stealth-buffed the range or something? Kai frowned. No, there weren''t any recent balance changes as far as I know. And yet, the Squall undeniably reached her. In other words, it flew farther than it normally could. There was only one way an Aeromancer could make that happen: with Jet Stream. When did he place it? Kai spotted the culprit. As expected, there was a trail of wind blowing between her and her opponent. She didn''t even see it being placed, so thats why it took her a couple of seconds to figure what was going on. When did he...? The Jet Stream wasn''t there before Nirvana fired Squall, Kai could swear on that. So, did Nirvana place the Jet Stream after firing Squall? I know its just barely possible in terms of timing, but... Even Kai, who enjoyed the challenge of execution, wouldn''t risk trying this advanced tech in a critical match like this. Even the slightest miscalculation could ruin that entire setup and waste precious MP. In particular, it was too risky to try it online, especially in laggy matches. But, this match is more like offline. Kai reasoned. On this stage, there won''t be any lag spikes or unexpected delays, so difficult setups like this were far more viable. Damn, so he gonna zone me with that? Kai clicked her tongue. What a pain. The Squall, boosted by Jet Stream, ate 20% of Kais HP in one hit. It was no joke. While I farm the lane, hell be farming my HP. Kai frowned. To clear minions efficiently as a Sorcerer, Kai had to step out of her tower range and place a Magia Orb in the center of the enemy wave. However, doing so placed her in the range of the Squall + Jet Stream combo. She''ll have to pay with her HP for the ability to farm optimally. In that case, I''ll just have to dodge it. Kai thought. If the enemy was planning to Squall + Jet Stream her every time she approached, then Kai will simply have to avoid the attack. Next time, she''ll be ready. The next wave arrived. Kai advanced to the front in order to place her Magia Orb, but she also kept a watchful eye on the opponents movements. The moment Nirvana fires, she''ll move out of the way. WHISH! A gust of wind charged at her! That sound was the cue. Now, Kai just had to step to the right and- WHAM! The wind struck her! "Wha-!?" Kai exclaimed. How in the-!? I was ready this time! Even though Kai reacted on time, the Squall still hit her. Was she too slow? Even with her refined auditory senses? Oh, I see what''s up. The speed is deceptive. Kai figured. If she were dealing with a normal Squall, she''d be able to dodge it based on the sound cue. However, what Nirvana fired at her was no simple Squall. The moment Squall passed through Jet Stream, it gained a sudden boost of speed and rammed into Kai right after. Alright, then Dodge Roll it is. Kai concluded. Another wave arrived. Like before, Nirvana unleashed his Squall + Slipstream combo. But, this time, Kai didnt sidestep. Instead, she rolled aside as soon as she heard the sound of the wind blast. Alright. Good. Kai nodded to herself. This time, there was no incident. She successfully evaded the damage. How do you like that, huh? Kai lifted her chin. She recovered from the roll, then unleashed Dimensional Collapse on the enemy wave as usual. Youre welcome to try hitting me again. Keep wasting your MP as much as you want, I''m down for it. Unfortunately, her opponent wasnt greedy. I see she adapted. Raymond nodded. He knew this setup won''t work forever, but it did rob Beat of 40% HP. It was MP well spent. Next, let''s try this. During the next minion wave, Raymond assumed the usual position. He made it look as he was going to unleash Squall + Jet Stream again. Judging by the enemys movements, the bluff was convincing enough. Not giving up, huh. Kai sneered. Fine by me. Try me! Kai was ready. Her eyes were peeled. As long as she doesn''t miss the sound cue, she''ll Dodge Roll that Squall no problem. Yeah, she''ll dodge it. Whenever it comes. Any moment now. No matter when it happens. Anytime. No problem... Is he messing with me? Kai clicked her tongue. Alright, I''ll just ignore your bullshit. She activated Dimensional Collapse. At that moment - WHAM! A wind burst! "You little...!" Kai cursed. She spammed the spacebar to roll as quickly as humanly possible, but she was still stuck in the casting animation of Dimensional Collapse. That Squall was charging at her with the worst timing possible! Eventually, Kai recovered from the casting animation and started rolling away. But, it was too late. WHAM! Wind crashed into her. Another 20% HP gone. Damn, this bastard is good. Kai clenched her mouse. She had no choice but to admit her defeat this round. With 40% HP left, it was risky to remain in the lane. It was best to recall to base and heal up, even though it meant surrendering lane control for one wave. Tch. Maybe I should risk it and stay here anyway? Kai wondered. She didn''t want to admit defeat so quickly here, not like this. It was too lame. Alas, she had to suck it up. The last two games taught her a harsh lesson. She didnt want to become the trigger for the teams defeat again. Not to mention, she has already caught a glimpse of the enemy Jungler roaming around Mid. Against a potential gank, especially one coming from StormMonster, staying in lane with 40% HP was practically suicide. There was no other way around it. Kai lost against Nirvana and had to bail out. Was Lars holding down such a strong opponent this entire time? A shudder ran through Kai. Throughout the entire day, Kai barely got to see Nirvana in action or even hear much about him. There werent any noteworthy developments in Mid as long as the situation remained as Lars contesting Nirvana. Therefore, as a player, Nirvana didn''t stand out much. Kai assumed the guy was just another scrub, like the majority of Taurus players from earlier today. Of course, Lars mentioned a few times that things werent going easy for him in Mid. And, given Larss skill, it was logical to assume that Nirvana had some fighting in him. However, Kai was always detached from the events in Mid, and Lars never showed signs of experiencing real trouble. Therefore, it was easy to assume that Nirvana was no big deal. I was completely wrong. Kai realized only now, after fighting Nirvana face-to-face. Nirvana was a strong player. He figured that Kai was planning to play defensively and immediately applied pressure. And, once Kai adapted to the pressure, Nirvana immediately mixed things up. After just a handful of waves, Nirvana forced Kai to run with her tail between her legs. It was humiliating. Lars has been holding the fort in Mid the entire day, yet Kai lost the lane in just a couple of minutes. It was bullshit, there was no other way to describe it. So, I''m basically trash, huh. Kai bit her lip. At this point, she had no strength to deny it any longer. The enemy outclassed her no matter which lane she played. She was complete and utter trash. "Kai, you should''ve said you''re recalling," Yuel criticized. "Ah, yeah, sure." Kai hung her head. Another misplay. She has been making mistakes left and right today. Fuck it all. Let this horrible day just end already... "Luke, can you defend Mid until Kai returns?" Yuel requested. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Welp, I can give it a try, but..." Luke smiled wryly. "Yeah, I know." Yuel nodded. "Knight isn''t exactly fast at clearing but its all you have right now." "Gotcha." Luke rotated to Mid as requested. Let''s see if I can troll this guy, huehue. He cautiously advanced toward the frontline. The moment his opponent uses Whirlwind, Luke will activate his trap card! I got the 200 IQ strats. Luke smiled mischievously. The plan was to push enemy minions away with Shield Bash. Thatd create a distance between the two armies, forcing allied minions to chase the enemy. In the process, theyll leave Whirlwinds range with minimal damage. It was the ultimate Aeromancer counter! Cmon, go for it. Luke urged. Do it, bruh. Any moment now. Once this Aeromancer unleashes Whirlwind, it''ll be time for that sweet counter! Heck yeah, let''s gooooooooo! Um... let''s go? Whenever you''re ready. Luke''s smile twitched. Something was off. The Aeromancer was sure taking his sweet time. Unbeknown to Luke, his opponent was also waiting for something to happen. Hes not using Shield Bash? Raymond wondered. The staple wave clearing routine for Knight was to lump enemies together with Shield Bash, then slice through them with Blade Swing. However, LegendaryMemer wasn''t hurrying to do anything. Is it on cooldown? That was definitely possible. The Knight probably rushed over here at short notice, so maybe his Shield Bash wasn''t online yet. It was definitely possible, but somehow hard to believe. He must be really experienced with Knight to pick it for jungling. Raymond reasoned. Jungler Knight wasn''t a standard pick, but neither was Jungler Pyromancer for that matter. And yet, LegendaryMemer performed well with Pyromancer last game. The way he carried himself showed he had plenty of experience playing that niche pick. As such, it was fair to assume that the same applied to his Knight. Perhaps, as the name implied, LegenadryMemer specialized with niche classes. He accumulated enough tech and experience to compete against meta classes with mere memes. At least, that was Raymonds impression. Am I overthinking this? After all, his nickname is LegendaryMemer... Raymond couldn''t tell for sure. Maybe this player was picking unconventional Junglers just to meme around. If so, the guy was a disgrace to this competitive stage. I''d like to believe Stratus is above pulling such pranks. Raymond thought. They come across as a solid team this year, so I better take this Knight seriously. Due to these worries, Raymond was reluctant to summon his Whirlwind. Doing so would give the enemy an advantage. Shield Bash had a displacement CC, so the Knight will be able to manipulate the positions of minions on the lane. For example, he could push Raymonds minions away. Thatll make his minions give chase, leaving Whirlwind''s area of effect in the process. It was a risk Raymond didnt want to take Therefore, he just stood far away and fired basics at the enemy swordsmen. There was no hurry. The enemy didn''t dare to come closer, so Raymond effortlessly maintained lane advantage without spending any MP. It was a good arrangement. Sooner or later, this situation should force the Knight to commit to a move. Or, perhaps, LegendaryMemer was fine with just stalling Raymond a little, without outright contesting the lane. That''ll be fine too. But, should I really be satisfied with just that? Raymond had a weird thought. Normally, he''d combat such situations with his patience. Hed wait for the enemy to commit, then counter them. And, if the enemy refuses to commit, Raymond will simply maintain the status quo as long as it didnt play in his enemys favor. But, should he really be satisfied with just that? Raymond gained a tremendous lane advantage after chasing Beat out of the lane. But now, LegendaryMemer was trying to negate that advantage by simply standing there, staring Raymond down. The guy wasn''t even willing to come forth and commit to any plays. If I do nothing here, the advantage I worked for will be gone. Raymond reasoned. The Sorcerer will return to lane with the next wave, so the lane situation will be back to square one. Maybe I should be greedier? For a moment, Raymond couldn''t believe that thought crossed his mind. No, that wasn''t quite right. Such thoughts crossed his mind countless times before during similar situations. However, this was the first time he seriously considered acting upon them. Raymond had the lane advantage right now. The Knight only came here to put out the fire, not to regain lane advantage. And, in the first place, a Knight couldn''t possibly contest Aeromancer''s clearing speed. The entire lane was at Raymond''s mercy right now. He knew all that because he researched the game more than anybody else in the club. Given enough time, anybody could learn to recognize advantageous situations like this. What would guides advise him to do in this situation? Naturally, theyll tell him to pressure the Knight. Go all out and scare him out of the lane. Thatll probably be the gist of the advice. So, lets do exactly that! Raymond unleashed Squall. "Wha-!?" Luke jumped. That stuff came outta nowhere! He didn''t even get a chance to react as the blast ate away 15% of his HP. Heh, youre coming after me? Luke grinned. That''s ballsy of you. By injuring Luke, Nirvana became a bona fide criminal. The minions didnt let it pass. They charged straight at the Aeromancer, like apprentices seeing revenge for their master. However, the enemy anticipated that. Rather, he must''ve been aiming for it all along...! Good. Now, everybody is packed in one place. Raymond cast Whirlwind ahead of himself. The enemy squad was focused on hunting him down, so they didnt pay any attention to his minions. In other words, displacing Raymonds minions will no longer distract the enemy army. The threat of Shield Bash was off the table. Dang, bruh hit me with a 5-dimensional chess move! Luke facepalmed. It was a sad story, but firing Shield Bash no longer made any sense now. Derp. While he was giving up on the situation, his opponent considered taking things a step further. Do I ult him? Raymond wondered. More than likely, he won''t be able to get a kill here. The Knight was at 70% HP, so Hurricane won''t be enough to finish him off. Nevertheless, it will eat a lot of his HP and will likely force the guy to recall to base. That, in turn, will slow down his framing and will make LegendaryMemer lag behind the rest. I''ve already come this far, so I''ll go all the way! Raymond created a Jet Stream in the distance. "Whoa, for real!?" Luke grimaced as he passed through a gust of wind. It only slowed him down, that''s all it did. But, who in their right mind would slow down an opponent they had no intention of fighting? Nobody. In other words, something was coming! "Holy moly!" Luke turned around and caught a glimpse of the last thing he wanted to see right now. The Aeromancer was moving his hands in rapid circular motions. Bruh was cooking up a storm with his bare hands! Dang, this slowdown is the real shit! Luke felt sweat forming on his forehead. He couldn''t get away by just running. WHAM! He charged forth with Shield Bash. That was his last-ditch effort to escape the approaching hurricane. It was almost a success too, if not for his turtle tier movement speed. He was slow, painfully so. The hurricane was slowly but surely catching up to him, pulling him in stronger and stronger. "The Aeros ult is down!" Luke announced and he booted his Noble Steed. "I''m outta here!" Even as the wind was dragging him away, he still somehow mounted the skeletal horse. Yeah, that''s right. His horse wasnt just a white steed, it was a skeleton horse! This skin cost like 3 euro, but it was worth every penny. Unfortunately, this cool skin didn''t offer any actual advantages. The hurricane pulled the horse as strongly as ever, even though bruh was just bones. C''mon, you can do it! Ride like the wind, my boy! Luke cheered on his dead steed. Even with the horses speed, it was hard to flee from Hurricanes pull at this range. But, at the very least, the wind failed to suck him in. Slowly, but surely, Luke was making his escape. Like, reaaaaaally slowly... It was an inelegant escape, but it was an escape all the same. Against Hurricane from this range, any kind of escape counted as an achievement. Thats a good answer. Raymond nodded. I didnt expect him to counter with his ult. Well played. It seemed like Raymond won''t be getting any damage on the Knight after all. But, at least, they just traded an ult for an ult. Nobody lost more than the other here. "Knights ult is down," Raymond informed. Thats all he achieved with his aggressive play, for the better and the worse. Eventually, the hurricane died out and the Knight was free from the pull. Freedom! Luke sprinted full speed toward the allied Mid Turret. He unmounted inside the towers area and turned around to assess the situation of the lane. Yep, about what I expected... Luke smiled wryly. It was bad. Like, real bad. His entire minion wave was gone. And, who could blame them? These little guys ate damage from both Whirlwind and Hurricane. They never stood a chance. So, the situation was basically like this: Luke lost his entire army, while the enemy army was almost in perfect health and was heading straight to the tower. Fun times. Welp, this sucks. How am I supposed to clear anything? Luke shook his head in dejection. His Shield Bash was down and he couldn''t access Blade Swing either. All he had were his basic attacks and his taunt. Awesome. Welp, I got HP to spare, so I can at least soak some tower damage. Luke reasoned. The Hurricane failed to do anything to him, so he was still at 70% HP. The minions will give him hell if he taunts them, but Knight was tanky enough to endure that pain. I planned to recall soon anyway, so I might as well spend my HP. Its a resource, after all. Once the enemy minions entered the towers range, Luke activated Honorable Duel. Yeah, this looks real honorable to me. Luke snickered. A bunch of guys ganging up on one poor sob. Welp, I asked for it myself, so cant really complain. It was too risky to taunt the entire enemy wave, so Luke only targeted the enemy bowmen. These guys were the main source of DPS, so they had to go first. But, to reach the backline with Honorable Duel, Luke had to advance toward the edge of the towers area. That put him within the Aeromancers attack range. So, hes drawing away the bowmen? I see. Raymond fired a basic attack at the Knight. Dang! This guy doesn''t feel like giving me a break, does he? Luke grumped as he ate the damage like a champ. Well, it was just a measly 2% of his HP anyway. He could endure that much for days. Them mages are hitting like little girls. While the Aeromancers basic attacks were nothing to panic about, the bowmens arrows were a different story. They also dealt relatively low damage, only erased like 4% HP per shot However, there were three bowmen, so that turned the damage into 12% HP per attack. Yikes. Unfortunately, Luke had no choice but to suck it up. He had to become their practice dummy to divert their attention from the tower. Therefore, he ate the first round of damage unconditionally. Simultaneously, he also used that time to lure the minions deeper into the towers area. Once theyve ventured deep enough, it was time to smack these dudes! Eat this! Luke swung his blade and cut the bowmen down, one by one. During all that time, the little guys never ceased their relentless shooting. By the time the fight concluded, Luke was at 40% HP. It was a rough exchange, but it was worth it. Thanks to Lukes sacrifice, the tower only lost about 15% HP instead of losing like 50%. It sounded extreme, but the bowmen were that formidable of a force. When an entire wave was intact and bowmen were allowed to shoot the tower nonstop, the damage accumulated rapidly. Minion pushes were hella dangerous when the game was approaching mid-game, so Lukes sacrifice literally saved the future of the lane. "Well, I''m outta here," Luke announced. "Ive done what I could. Gotta recall." "Good work," Yuel said. He was hoping for a more peaceful resolution for that situation, but Nirvana has been aggressing harshly this game. First on Kai, and now on Luke. It was as if some sort of switch flipped in Nirvanas brain. Did he reach some sort of enlightenment? The guy was undeniably strong before, but in this game, he transformed into a real threat. Just great. Yuel sighed. Another difficult problem to deal with... As the game went on, the situation in Mid remained far from ideal. Even after Kai returned to lane, Nirvana has been giving her a hard time. The enemy conquered Mid in all but name. Kai was only there to delay the inevitable. To make things worse, the situation in Top wasn''t exactly favorable either... Vol.11 Ch.7: Oppressing Berserker In the fifth game, the grand finale of the day, Vincent was cast to play Top. Thats how things shouldve been from the start. Vincent reasoned. This inevitable arrangement was only delayed by their captains unhealthy obsessions. Though, to be fair, Vincent and Kai have been doing fine throughout most of the day. They did run into trouble here and there, but overall they came on top against TheLegend and TheMyth. However! Trouble struck once the Devilish Trio, the harbingers of the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom, set foot on the stage! Their presence shifted the entire timeline. It was no longer clear whether Stratus will grasp the victory in front of them. Flawless cooperation. Unbreakable trust. Pitch-perfect execution. Nobody could topple the Bermuda Triangle of Certain doom. The team''s only hope was the godly duo of Chessmaster and Gunz. Only those two, with their forces combined, could put an end to the enemy''s reign of terror. The fate of humanity is resting upon your shoulders! Thankfully, Vincent was relieved of his post in Bot. It meant he no longer had to contest that powerful Bot duo. Nevertheless, he couldnt relax. He was a Top Laner now and his opponent was none other than DragonMaster, the expert Dragonborn player. Following Yuel''s plan, the team has been banning Dragonborn for the past few games. That left DragonMaster weakened, unable to pick his favorite class. But, was Dragonborn the only class DragonMaster knew how to pilot? Nay, far from it. The guy has also proven his mastery of Knight. However, Luke grabbed Knight this game, so Stratus ended up denying another one of DragonMasters best classes. It most certainly made the guy mad, and thats why he picked such an aggressive class for the final game. Berserker, a Nordic champion infamous for his blood-chilling rage. A warrior who converted his pain into strength. Such were the popular images associated with the Berserker class, and that''s exactly how the class was implemented in Classmancers too. Berserker had a Rage Meter that filled up upon dealing and receiving damage. Once filled enough, the Berserker would enter his Berserk mode. Thats when all hell will break loose. It''s in my best interest to avoid that kind of scenario. Vincent nodded to himself. I should be rather safe as a Viking, but theres never knowing what disaster might strike. The main reason behind picking Viking this game was the safety the class promised. This bruiser was capable of blinking out of many dangerous situations and he could stall pursuers with CC. But, despite all that, it was always best to simply avoid dangerous situations in the first place. Therefore, Vincent took this game easy. Using Takedown for farming demanded some caution. Vincent picked up an enemy swordsman and flung the small man at the enemy bowmen, careful to not hit the Berserker. Itd be a disaster if I hit the Berserker by accident. Vincent gulped. Thankfully, he doesnt stand in my way much. In general, this Berserker was rather tame. DragonMaster didn''t aggress on Vincent at all during the first couple of waves. Just like Vincent, DragonMaster was playing it safe and steady. He farmed in a way that didn''t trigger any conflicts. For example, his application of Barbarian Slam was very delicate. The Berserker lifted both arms behind his head, then slammed two big axes on the ground, generating a shockwave that hit all enemies around, except for Vincent. It never reached Vincent. With such a decently sized AoE attack, it was a no-brainer to hit Vincent alongside his minions. And yet, DragonMaster decided against it. Instead of slamming the axes at the center of the formation, the guy assaulted the wave from the side in order to avoid hitting VIncent. Its like a cold war. Vincent thought. We both want to launch an attack, but we dont want to start a real war. And so, neither side made any notable progress. Both players were sizing each other up without committing to any big plays. He must be the nicest Berserker Ive ever met. Vincent thought. Most Berserkers in Ranked roleplayed the class to the fullest. They always went all-in, pressuring Vincent with relentless aggression. Compared to them, DragonMaster was calm and collected, as expected from a competitive player. Im thankful for the lack of aggression, but... Vincents insides turned. This is almost too good to be true. If thats how he intends to play, then why bother picking Berserker in the first place? DragonMaster surely picked Berserker of his own volition, yet he was playing tame. What was his agenda? Did he have some sort of master plan? Was it a 4D chess move thatll turn the situation in his favor!? I have to watch carefully. Vincent strained his eyes and analyzed every twitch his opponent made. There had to be some sort of mystery there. Vincent had to quickly solve this case so he could set up his defenses. In truth, there wasn''t much mystery to it. Zeph was just playing it safe for now. So, this guy isnt gonna pull anything? Zeph wondered. This was an unfamiliar opponent, so caution was neccessary. Zeph has had his fill of bitter experiences for today. He has underestimated Chessmaster enough times today to learn an important lesson. So, how did the new guy compare to that pro-level bastard? No idea. "Hey, Jai," Zeph called out. "You got anything to say about this Blackhole guy? Is he any good?" "He''s okay," Jaiden said. "He didn''t seem like anything special, but he''s not a scrub either." "So, you''re saying I should be able to kick his ass ez." "I''m not sure. At least, I don''t think he''s a threat to you. He''s nowhere near the level of Chessmaster, if that''s what you were worried about." I aint worried about anything. Zeph retorted. Anyway, he sounds like a scrub. That''s always good to know." Zeph got his reassurance. So, this scrub is nothing like Chessmaster. Sounds like I can walk all over him. For the past two games, Zeph has been holding back. He lost terribly against Chessmaster during the first two games, so he has been on the defensive ever since. But, that ain''t his playstyle. He liked starting slow and steady to get a good feel for his opponent, but after that - BANG! He wanted to go ham on the offense and tear his opponent to shreds! Unfortunately, he constantly had to stop himself from doing that today. It was simply impossible to contest the lane against a pro-level player like Chessmaster. That guy was something else. Each and every one of his moves was oozing with calculated precision. The bastard read Zeph like a book at every turn. It was an impossible matchup. As a result, Zeph was only ever permitted to switch to offense after the team has already seized control of the game. In other words, he was just backup. He didn''t achieve anything and let his teammates do all the work. He was like filler, just a fifth spot on the team needed. It was lame as heck. To make things worse, the enemy kept banning his Dragonborn. And, this game, they even took his Knight. What the fuck was their problem!? Its like they had a grudge against him or some shit. Fuck. Damn, I wanna kick their asses so bad! Thats all Zeph could think about during the drafting phase. That''s why, in the heat of the moment, he went for Berserker. A couple of minutes later, Zeph has already realized he was hasty. If he had to go up against Chessmaster this game, he''d be playing the most defensive Berserker the world has ever seen. Thatd be a whole new level of lame. Fortunately, he dodged that bullet. The enemy was nice enough to change their formation, so now Zephs opponent was this Information Blackhole scrub. It was a godsend, but also irritating in its own way. They''re pretty much looking down on me, arent they? Zeph clicked his tongue. Chessmaster went to Bot because that''s where his team struggled the most. He left just like that, without paying Zeph any heed. Meaning, the enemy thought Zeph was an easy opponent no matter who faced him in lane. Think ya can underestimate me!? Zeph raged internally. In that case, you got another thing coming. I ain''t no clown like Bruce and his gang. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was true that Zeph secured his current spot on the team by abandoning his former comrades and defecting to Bruce''s gang. However, even without that leverage, he was a favorite for becoming Taurus'' Top Laner all along. Yeah, I had to kiss up to that damn godfather. Zeph thought. But, it''s not like I did it to steal Top Lane from anybody. I was supposed to be here all along. It was just precaution, I didnt want to be kicked out of the role I deserved. Unlike the rest of Bruce''s gang, Zephs skill actually represented what Taurus'' seniors were capable of. The only reason he underperformed so badly this game was because he had Chessmaster as his lane opponent. That matchup was too rough. However, this Information Blackhole dude was a whole different story. This guy seemed like a pretty average player, so it was time. Zeph will finally get to show what he was worth! I better strike hard before the guy gets his ult. Zeph thought. Gotta take all the damage I can grab, here and now. The next wave signaled the beginning of Zeph''s offense. With that said, Zeph didn''t start by attacking Blackhole or anything dumb like that. He had to play this one smart. Instead of charging in with guns blazing, he intended to keep his plans under wrappers till the last moment. And then, BAM! Hell assault Blackhole with everything he had. The guy will become dead meat within seconds! Best story ever. Unaware of any of this, Blackhole conducted his farming as usual, using Takedown to toss one of Zeph''s swordsmen into his bowmen. There was no intention of hitting Zeph with that toss. Blackhole had every intention to maintain the peaceful status quo. Good, good. Keep thinking we''re playing nice here. Zeph grinned as he advanced into enemy territory, one cautious step at a time. His target was bowmen in the rear. Going after these guys was always a risky maneuver because it meant extending into enemy territory. How will Blackhole respond to this? Do you wish to trade bowmen first? Vincent wondered. I agree with that sentiment. It makes farming easier for both of us. Getting rid of the high DPS units slowed down the lanes progress. That made it easier to land last-hits, and it also ensured that no dangerous attackers remained on the lane after the clash. Vincents Viking was slower than Berseker at clearing minions, so this development played in his favor. As such, in response to DragonMaster''s advancing, Vincent also advanced into enemy territory and targeted the bowmen. Predictable scrub. Zeph sneered. Ya probably thinking this works in your favor because I clear faster. But, this time, I gonna be the slower one here. The reason for that was quite simple: Zeph didn''t unleash his Barbarian Slam on the enemy wave this round. Why? Huehue, that''s all part of the master plan! Instead of slamming the minions, Zeph assaulted the bowmen with his dual axes. The more he attacked in succession, the faster his attacks became. It was a nice trait of Berserker''s basic attacks. That feature wasn''t even mentioned anywhere in Berserkers ability list. Many people speculated it mightve been a bug, but ClassSoft confirmed it was working as intended. So, regardless of whether it was an intentional design decision or a bug that turned into a feature, this exploit remained in the game and Zeph knew all about it. Swing. Swing swing. Swing swing swing. Swingswingswing! The Berkserer was wilding! After delivering enough hits, his attack speed became lightning fast. He was swinging em axes at the speed of a marksmans shots! This shit was OP as fuck! Of course, it was hard to keep this combo going in an actual battle. However, against minions, it was free real estate. The bowmen succumbed to the brutal assault, one by one. This display of swiftness was completely different from how Zeph has been farming the lane until now. That fact caught the enemys attention. He''s not using Barbarian Slam? Vincent kept a close eye on his opponent''s movements. It was the first time he was observing such a paradigm shift from DragonMaster, so Vincent had to absorb as much new data as possible. What was the enemy''s goal here? Did DragonMaster really go after the bowmen to maintain the peaceful status quo? Or, was there an ulterior motive to all of this? Only after Vincent gathers enough evidence, hell be able to reach out to the truth. He went for the bowmen but he didn''t use Barbarian Slam. Vincent pieced the evidence together like a puzzle. Is there a special reason he didnt want to use Slam on the bowmen? Or, perhaps, he went after the bowmen BECAUSE he had no intention of using the slam from the get-go? But, why? The Rage meter was one consideration. Instead of MP, the Berserker spent Rage on his skills. So, perhaps, DragonMaster avoided using Barbarian Slam to save up some Rage. But, why would he want to save up Rage right now? Thats elementary. He was surely planning to enter Berserk mode eventually. That empowered state was practically Berserkers ultimate, even though it came in the form of a passive skill. Once the Berserker accumulated enough Rage, he could ravage everybody in his path! Then, is this like the quiet before the storm? Vincent shuddered. The truth has finally revealed itself to him! DragonMaster has been acting all nice and friendly, but he was actually saving up Rage for an eventual assault! I must be vigilant at all times. Vincent nodded to himself. Theres never knowing when the enemy will strike. I must observe him carefully and- oh! Goodness gracious! Vincent exclaimed. While he was busy thinking about complicated matters, he failed to notice the situation in front of him. The Berserkers gaze was locked onto Vincent and one of the mans arms was stretched backward. It was a casting animation for Hurl Axe! This is a disaster! Vincent had to dodge, but his fingers failed to catch up to his thoughts. By the time he pressed the spacebar to roll, the axe was already in his face! It plunged into his chest and stuck inside. It was a similar skill to Vikings Throw Axe, except far more devastating when used for offense. The axe didnt just hit Vincent and got stuck in his chest, it also stunned him! Thats what happened when the skill was charged up for long enough. With just a little bit of patience, Hurl Axe transformed into this devastating long-ranged CC tool! And, that wasnt the end of it. The similarity between Bserksers Hurl Axe and Vikings Throw Axe didnt end here. Both skills had a follow-up option...! In Berserkers case, the follow-up was Pull Axe. The axe sticking out of Vincents chest had a long chain attached to it, leading all the back to the Berserkers hand. And, what did the Berserker use that chain for? But of course, to pull enemies in! This is turning from bad to worse! Vincent cried internally as the chain dragged him across the lane, all while he was stunned. He had no say on the matter, none at all. This is bad news. Nay, terrible news! A disaster! Its an Armageddon in the making! Vincents brain raced. Was he going to die here and concede First Blood to the enemy!? That wasnt allowed to happen, no matter what! Even after being pulled, Vincent was still locked in a stun. He was likely a paralyzed rabbit standing in front of a vicious wolf. DragonMaster lifted both arms into the air, ready to unleash Barbarian Slam on the defenseless prey. However, he didnt bring his arms down right away. He waited for a little while, knowing his prey couldnt escape anyway. The longer the Berserker channeled Barbarian Slam, the stronger and bigger the AoE attack became. And, if charged for long enough, the slam will even stun! Is this a masterfully planned stun prison!? Vincent realized only now. Even though the enemys attack has just begun, Vincent was actually dancing to DragonMasters tune all along. It all started from the moment he accepted the trade of bowmen. Wait, hold it. I believe this stun chain doesnt actually connect. Vincent overclocked his brain to draw out the numbers as quickly as possible. A fully charged Hurl Axe stunned for 1.2 seconds. Then, for how long did Berserker need to charge up Barbarian Slam in order for it to stun? If memory served, it should be around- BAM! Two axes crashed on Vincents shoulders! While he was busy racking his brain against this math problem, the attack has already hit him. And, it stunned, too! It was a shorter stun this time round, but it was enough to give DragonMaster the initiative. So, was it a guaranteed setup!? Or, was I just too slow? Which is it!? Vincent couldnt collect his thoughts during this hectic situation! There was no time to think about the finer details. One thing was for sure: Vincent absolutely had to get away from this mad attacker! The moment the stun lifts, hell have to blink out of here! While he was preparing to make his escape, the enemy hacked away without mercy. "Heh, he really fell for it!" Zeph struck the stunned prey time and again. This entire setup he has just used was hella dodgeable. Somebody like Chessmaster would have outplayed it for sure. But, Blackhole apparnely had no idea. What a scrub! Get rekt! Swing. Swing swing. Swing swing swing! The Berserker''s hacked faster and faster with each strike. The enemy''s HP was plummeting at a blinding speed. Unfortunately, this setup wasn''t enough to kill in one go. The stun simply didnt last long enough to guarantee a kill at this point in the game, especially not against a bruiser. As such, the enemy had an opportunity to respond. Pardon me for interrupting your party, but I must take my leave. Vincent recovered from the stun and raised his axe. The plan was simple. Hell toss the axe as far as humanly possible, then blink to it. That will get him out of the woods... if it works. "Ya ain''t getting away, scrub!" Zeph saw the telegraphed throw from a mile away! Any Viking would go for Throw Axe in a pinch like this. Not today! Zeph sidestepped in the direction of the enemy''s throw. This axe aint going anywhere! "Wha-!?" Vincent exclaimed. This was bad! Extraordinarily bad! DragonMaster stood in the way of the axes trajectory! If Vincent threw his axe now...! Unfortunately, his body couldn''t keep up with his brain. He saw the events unfolding as if in slow motion but his body didnt respond to any commands. And so, he released the axe from his hand. It was supposed to fly all the way to his tower, but it came to a halt less than a meter away. It only reached as far as the Berserkers shoulder, not a centimeter further. A marvelous body-block by the enemy! Vincent exclaimed. However, this is no time to be impressed. I have to foot it! DragonMaster denied Vincent the opportunity to blink out of this pinch, so now he had to do things the commoners way. In other words, hell make a run for it! He rolled forward and sprinted toward the tower. Alas, hes after me! Vincent gulped. The Berserker was breathing down his neck, hacking at him over and over during the chase. If Vincent was at least Lv. 5, this wouldve been a great situation to jam in his ult. Unfortunately, the enemy mustve launched this early attack with full awareness of that danger. Truly, what a splendidly executed offense! Even though Vincent was the one kicked around, he respected this magnificent play. Phew. That was a dangerous one. Vincent breathed in relief as he finally reached the tower. He lost 50% HP in that exchange. Over half his health bar departed into the afterlife. That was quite an unfortunate way to open the game. Will DragonMaster keep subjecting Vincent to such oppression for the rest of the game!? I have to come up with an answer to this before I lose the lane... Vol.11 Ch.8: Countering DragonMaster So, about that setup... Vincent thought back on the flowchart of DragonMasters recent assault. That stun chain he used seems suspect to me. Now, that he was out of danger, his brain finally cooperated. He could now pursue the truth of the matter. The stun duration of a fully charged Hurl Axe was about 1.2 seconds. And, if memory served, Barbarian Slam had to be charged for at least 1.2 seconds to gain a stunning effect. If so, DragonMasters setup shouldn''t have worked. The numbers simply didnt check out. DragonMaster first stunned Vincent by hurling an axe. If that throw was fully charged, its stun shouldve lasted at most 1.2 seconds. After that, DragonMaster charged up Barbarian Slam long enough for it to gain a stunning effect. In other words, it was charged up for at least 1.2 seconds as well. By the numbers alone, it sounded as if chaining these two stuns was feasible given perfect execution. In fact, it surely was possible, but only from point-blank. However, he had to pull me in first. Vincent recalled. DragonMaster hurled the axe at him from quite the distance. Then, he activated Pull Axe to drag Vincent closer. The pull was very quick, it probably needed less than half a second to drag Vincent in. Nevertheless, it needed some time. Vincent had no idea how to exactly measure the speed of Pull Axe, but that didnt matter. Even if it were as fast as 0.1 seconds (which it surely wasnt), it still wasted time. That 0.1 seconds shouldve been the factor to interrupt the stun-chain setup. By the time Vincent was in front of DragonMaster, at most 1.1 seconds remained for his stun. Thus, he shouldve been able to dodge a Barbarian Slam that was charged up for over 1.2 seconds. At least, provided all of Vincent''s data was on point. "O, great Chessmaster," Vincent started. "Can you riddle me this? Say, a Berserker stuns you with a fully charged Hurl Axe. Then, he pulls you in as fast as humanly possible. And, finally, he slams you with a stunning Barbarian Slam. Can you break out of this setup anywhere along the way?" "Yes, but its difficult," Yuel answered instantly. He had a rough idea of what transpired in Top, so he has already analyzed that setup a few minutes earlier. "If he buffers in the pull right after the throw, youll barely get any breathing time. But, in theory, it''s still possible. According to Yuel, Vincent was on point with the numbers. A fully charged Hurl Axe stunned for 1.2 seconds, and a Barbarian Slam had to be charged for 1.2 seconds to gain a stunning effect. As such, theory suggested that this setup wasnt real. However, depending on how perfect the Berserkers execution was for buffering Pull Axe, the window for rolling away could be immensely small. And, on top of that, rolling away wont even work every time. The AoE of Barbarian Slam increased the longer the skill was charged. Once it went past 2 seconds, the AoE became so big it was effectively impossible to dodge the attack with a Dodge Roll from point-blank. In short, DragonMaster caught Vincent with a difficult setup. It was a dodgeable one, but Vincent wasnt confident he could actually dodge it every single time. Whats sure, he had no chance of dodging anything while panicking about the situation. This was all important information for him to process. "Thank you kindly for the explanation." Vincent bowed. "For some reason, a part of me was whispering that this setup might be guaranteed. No idea why such wrong information would be stuck in my database." "It used to be guaranteed," Yuel said. "I read that, back when the class was released, it was possible to chain these two stuns. The timing was very precise and required buffering the pull, so it went unnoticed by the designers. However, they eventually patched it out. They left the buffering tech in, but they nerfed the stun duration of Hurl Axe." "I see, I see," Vincent nodded. As he was listening to the details, he realized he read all that data at some point in his life. Vincent researched the game from head to toe, so he surely came across this information at some point. However, it probably didn''t strike him as particularly important at the time, so it was shelved away at the back of his head along with all the niche trivia he accumulated over the years. I have to be at the top of my game here. Vincent scolded himself. I''m not just fighting DragonMaster as an individual player, Im also wrestling against his class. As such, all relevant information about Berserker has to be unshelved at once! Unfortunately, his brain wasn''t configured to draw out such technical information at a moment''s notice. If it were about data related to a players playstyle, Vincent could instantly pull out a 30-minutes essay from his head. He''d flawlessly recite every notable play that player made. However, when it came to dry game knowledge, his reciting wasn''t as smooth. He had lots of knowledge, he researched many things. Nevertheless, he couldn''t pull that information out on the fly like Chessmaster. It was a disgrace to somebody who called himself Information Blackhole, but such was the reality of things. Well, at least, now Ive finally obtained the absolute knowledge. Vincent nodded to himself. DragonMasters setup is dodgeable. Next time, he will not catch me off-guard with it! I have to say, Vincent started. DragonMaster is much fiercer than I expected. It appears I havent analyzed him well enough. I cant blame you, Yuel said. I was lucky to get a few good reads on him early on. That discouraged him from trying anything funny against me, so he was lying low the last two games. You were lucky, you say? Vincent smiled meaningfully. In other words, youve read him like a book! He does play by-the-book quite often. Thats what makes him a strong player, but also a predictable one. In other words, your favorite type of prey. You could say so. Yuel smiled. Unfortunately, Im not confident Ill be able to counter him the way you did, Vincent admitted. But, Ill keep that information in mind. To counter somebody who played by-the-book, Vincent first had to own that book and fully memorize it. He skimmed over Berserker guides in the past, but it wasnt a class he played or even met that often. As such, Vincent was lacking in data here, and there was no time to ask for one of Yuels in-depth lectures right now. An unfortunate reality indeed. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Do you suggest I recall?" Vincent asked because having only 50% HP against a Berserker was no joke. The Grim Reaper was already hanging above his head. "You''ll get your ult soon, its presence should discourage any big attacks on you. But, with that said, you''ll be in trouble if the guy goes berserk or if somebody ganks the lane. There''s no correct answer here." "Fair enough. Then, what would you do in my stead?" "If it were me, I''d probably stay in the lane for a little longer and try to bait DragonMaster into my ult. But, you have to judge for yourself whether you can pull that off. "Indeed. Vincent knotted his brows. Staying on lane with 50% HP, in order to bait out a blood-thirsty opponent, was a 200 IQ pro-level play. However, pulling it off also required a certain degree of mastery. Can I actually do it? Against such an aggressive player? Judging by their last interaction, Vincents odds werent looking good. Chessmaster made DragonMaster look weak until now, but DragonMaster seemed to be quite stronger than Vincent when it came to 1v1 situations. I''ll play it safe. Vincent ended up recalling to base. DragonMaster was a tough opponent, an adversary Vincent probably won''t defeat on his own. Therefore, there was no reason to tackle this challenge alone. "Luke, I''m once again asking for your ganking support. "Sure thing, dude," Luke said. "How do ya want this guy cooked?" "Id like it well-done." Vincent smiled. "Ill be very thankful if you can rotate over here during the next wave. I shall serve as bait." "Ya got it!" Unfortunately, that plan didn''t come to pass. Kai was losing badly in Mid, so Luke had to rotate over there to defend. He suffered heavy injuries in the process and had to recall, further delaying the operation. Meanwhile, Vincent had to hold his ground all by himself. Frankly, it was easier than expected because the enemy didnt dare to aggress a second time. DragonMaster mustve been cautious of Vincents ult. Only a fool would approach a Viking who had his ult loaded and ready. Instead of aggressing, DragonMaster focused on beating Vincent in farming speed. After purchasing enough Attack Power, the damage of Berserkers Barbarian Slam became truly oppressive. Especially, when fully charged, its damage and AoE reach were off the charts. And, DragonMaster made sure to fully charge the attack every time, for he had no reason to not do so. Vincent tried to interrupt that routine a few times with Takedown, but unfortunately, he didn''t possess the Vanishing Phantom ability. DragonMaster spotted him every time and smacked him down before he could reach the target. These repeated attempts slowed down DragonMasters farming, but Vincent had to pay for that with his own HP every time. As such, it wasnt a routine he could maintain for long. Having to recall to base every couple of waves wasnt a solution. So, in the end, Vincent required Lukes aid after all. Thankfully, the issues in Mid blew over, so Luke was finally free to lend a hand. However, this time, Luke met the request with some reluctance. To be honest, I probably should be farming more. Luke was already lagging behind the enemy Jungler in terms of farm. It wasnt a gap of 2 levels yet, but it was getting there. Welp, that''s bound to happen with Knight. Knight was too slow at camp-clearing, that''s why he was considered ill-suited for jungling. In addition, his passive defensive aura was practically wasted because he barely hanged around allied minions. But, everything was A-OK. Levels didn''t matter much anyway as long as he thought of himself as a Support-Jungler hybrid thingy. He wasn''t here to contest the enemys farming or to compete for kills. His job as a Jungler Knight was to help his teammates defend lanes, as well as set up kills for them. Basically, he was a Setup Jungler. It was a fun way to play, way more engaging than the usual routine of simply farming camps and aggressively ganking. Of course, the standard jungling routine was fun in its own way, but Luke didnt want to be a slave of the meta every time. Jungler picks like Knight offered a completely different kind of playstyle, so it was like a breath of fresh air. Alrighty, Im coming for that ass, Luke answered the gank request. So, how ya gonna bait that boi? Well, about that... Vincent knotted his brows. I havent quite figured that part yet. Ever since I got my ult, he hasnt been aggressing nearly as much. I suppose well have to do this the classic way. Youll need to rotate around him and CC him from behind. Okey-dokey. Luke nodded. This gank will only work if you can avoid DragonMasters wards, Yuel interjected. Same as his offense, his warding is also by-the-book. So, you can trust him to ward the best spots for countering ganks. It gonna be a gamble, huh. Luke smiled wryly. Welp, its not like he got any good escape tools anyway. If he exhales, hell get more than enough Movement Speed to get away. Yeah, true dat. Berserker didnt have any good escape tools in his base kit. However, he had Relaxing Exhale, a skill that traded Rage for buffs. By trading 10% of his Rage, the Berserker gained a decent Movement Speed buff for a short time. Thatll be more than enough to let him flee the scene. Not to mention, by sacrificing 20% Rage, Relaxing Exhale also granted a temporary CC immunity, which will negate Knights taunt. There wasn''t much danger in trying the gank anyway, but it might waste Lukes precious farming time. He was already lagging behind the rest by almost two levels, so every extra second of farming was important. The more farm he missed, the more he fell behind. Not to mention, one failed gank attempt would be enough to put DragonMaster on guard for the rest of the game. That guy always acted mighty at first, but he was quick to crawl into his shell the moment things went south. He was cocky but not stupid. He knew when to switch from offense to defense. Therefore, it''d be optimal to kill him with a gank on the very first attempt. Thatll have a much higher chance of working out, and it will shake the guy that much more for the rest of the game. But, of course, the problem was nailing this one gank. As long as Vincent had his ult, DragonMaster won''t dare to overextend, not even a little. "So, do we give up the gank for now?" Luke asked. "Hmm." Yuel knotted his brows. A tough question. At a glance, there wasn''t any good way to approach this situation. With all that said, we can''t surrender Top. Yuel reasoned. The situation in Mid was already bad, with Kai underperforming and Nirvana exhibiting more strength than ever before. If Stratus loses advantage in Top as well, then 2/3 of the map will be under the enemy''s control. Against opponents of this caliber, thatll spell imminent doom. As much as Yuel wanted to fix the situation in Mid, that was difficult to achieve. He didn''t have enough firsthand data about Nirvana, and the guy was playing differently than usual anyway. As such, it was difficult to come up with an effective plan to seize control over Mid. On the other hand, Top was a different story. DragonMaster was a very familiar face to Yuel, theyve faced each other four games in a row. Yuel had plenty of time to study the guy. Therefore, he was convinced its possible to regain control in Top. It just required careful consideration of what type of player DragonMaster was and preparing the fitting bait for him. "I have an idea," Yuel said. "Oh! This is my favorite part!" Vincent exclaimed. "The time has come! You will bestow the wisdom of gods upon us, will you not!?" "It''s nothing that impressive," Yuel said. "We just have to eliminate one problem at a time. We can''t make DragonMaster overextend right now because of your ult, so let''s remove that threat." "How can I make that threat vanish? It sounds like Id have to leave the lane or such." "You can just spend it." "Spend...? My ult?" Vincent blinked. "Yes, just use it," Yuel said. "Pull a surprise attack with your ult. I doubt it''ll convert into a kill, but it''ll annoy the enemy and will grant you temporary lane control." "Haha! Luke laughed. Are ya telling him to waste his ult? That''s some 4D chess right there! I''m telling ya, you always come with the wildest ideas. Love it!" "Indeed." Vincent nodded. "Its an unconventional play, but I can see its benefits. Very well. It should be easy enough to make this assault appear genuine. DragonMaster is definitely waiting for me to crack under pressure, so I can easily pretend it happened" "Exactly." Yuel nodded. "He is also rather prideful, so Im sure hell seek revenge later." "Oh, and that''s how we make him overextend! Brilliant strategy!" And so, the plan was set in motion. Yuel gave Vincent a few pointers for the upcoming attack, and then the operation began. Vol.11 Ch.9: Reading Like a Book A new minion wave arrived. Until now, Vincent and DragonMaster always met up in the middle of the lane and cleared the swordsmen first. But, not this time. Following Yuel''s advice, Vincent advanced past the enemy frontline and aimed for the bowmen. That naturally took the enemy by surprise. "Huh?" Zeph raised an eyebrow. The hell you think you doing, scrub? Ya ain''t passing through! He stepped in between his minions and the approaching Viking, like a goalkeeper defending the goal. You better turn back before I make ya. So far, so good. Vincent nodded to himself. This development was within Chessmasters predictions, and the advised response to this line of defense was... ignoring it! Totally and utterly ignoring it! Vincent continued onward, passing right past the Berserker. Their shoulders almost touched on the way, but Vincent paid no heed to that. He didnt slow down in the slightest. It was a bold display of disrespect. Vincent was essentially treating his opponent like air. And yet, nothing happened. Vincent reached the enemy bowmen without any trouble. The enemy didnt lift a finger in retaliation. You little...! Zeph ranted internally. He SO wanted to crush that damn Viking to bits, to reap the scrub asunder! But, he couldn''t bring himself to move. Why? Because enemy minions existed. If Zeph lays as much as a finger on the Viking, all the minions will be on his case. Normally, that wouldn''t be enough reason to ignore such a ballsy invasion. However, in this case, there was another threat afloat, much scarier than all minions combined: Unstoppable Raid, Viking''s ultimate. It summoned a gang of strong minions that shouldnt be trifled with. These fellas would reap Zeph to shreds if he gives them the chance. Therefore, cocky invader or not, picking a fight with Blackhole was way too risky under these circumstances. That arrogant scrub probably knew that too, that''s why he was overextending like it was nothing. But, that doesn''t mean I just gonna let ya do whatever you want! Zeph knew all too well how these things worked. If he shows a weakness here, his opponent will take it for granted and will start abusing this shit. The damn Viking will start advancing like this during every wave and Zeph will eat shit every time. Therefore, it was mandatory to cut off this bullshit as early as possible. Zeph had to show that this situation wasnt a problem for him in the slightest. Think you can scare a Berserker? In that case, you have another thing coming then! Zeph ignored the overextending Viking and went after the enemy bowmen. Theyll just trade bowmen, thats all there was to it. But, there was no hurry. Instead of unleashing Barbarian Slam on the bowmen, Zeph simply hacked away at them. He didnt want to spend his previous Rage meter on something small like this. Hes preparing to go Berserk. Vincent figured. This, too, was within Yuel''s predictions. DragonMaster was too prideful to let such a bold overextension slide, so the guy intended to fight back. It seemed like even the threat of Vikings ult wont keep the guy at bay for much longer, not after Vincent committed such an insulting overextension right in the guys face. However, taking on Vincents ult would be no easy task for DragonMaster. How would one warrior combat an entire squad? Well, there was one way. DragonMaster simply had to become stronger, much stronger. In other words, he had to go Berserk. Thats why he didnt use any skills why clearing Vincents minions. Using skills like Barbarian Slam cost Rage, but Rage was also the thing the Berserker needed to go Berserk. Such was the duality of this class. The player had the option to either make tactical use of Berserkers skills or forfeit all reason and go full mashing mode with unstoppable strength. Deciding which mode was best suited for which situation was what made the class tricky to wield. And, in this situation, DragonMaster decided it was best to go Berserk. He intended to meet Vincent''s squad of warriors head-on using brute strength. At least, that''s what Yuel anticipated from DragonMaster. And, so far, his predictions have been on point. Brilliant! That''s where an opening shall present itself! Vincent successfully reached the enemy bowmen, but he turned his back on them. The little minions werent his real targets. Nay, my only target is DragonMaster himself! Vincent turned around and sprinted back to his side of the lane. Hell launch an attack before DragonMaster gets a chance to go Berserk! "Come forth, my minions!" Vincent summoned the deadly brigade of viking warriors. "What the-!?" Zeph realized it too late. By the time he turned around to assess the situation, the enemy has already surrounded him! "Shit, you bastard!" Zeph was played for a fool. The enemy reacted way too quickly to this development as if the guy has been waiting for Zeph to overextend like this. Was it all a bait!? Zeph grimaced. It gave him unpleasant flashbacks, almost as if he was fighting Chessmaster all over again. It was this crippling, disgusting feeling of the enemy reading every move he made. Chessmaster is here. Zeph shuddered. Maybe he was being paranoid, but every cell in his body was warning him. Information Blackhole was no big deal on his own, but now he turned into a puppet. And, the puppeteer pulling his strings was a real piece of work. Damn, I thought I''ll finally get a break here. So naive of me. Zeph sighed. Even without being here in the flesh, Chessmasters presence was still strongly felt in Top. If Zeph wasnt careful, he''ll end up eating shit. Ya got me good with this play. But, I ain''t gonna die to this! Zeph had to make a critical high-level decision here. It was a do-or-die situation. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. With an entire brigade of savage warriors charging at him, he had no chance of coming on top in this situation. He didnt even intend to entertain such amateuristic thoughts, for this was a clear-cut example of a losing situation. The real question is, how to best get out of this shit? Zeph gulped. Berserker didn''t have any good escape tools in his base kit. Zeph could only rely on Relaxing Exhale which exhausted his Rage to grant various buffs, the first of which buffed Movement Speed. And, by sacrificing even more Rage, it was even possible to gain a decent defense buff. Zeph had 65% Rage to spare, so he could exhale so hard itd blow all his lungs out. But, would all of that be enough to survive an onslaught from Viking''s gang? I feel like it depends on how well I slip past these shitheads. Zeph reasoned. Even if he successfully wiggles his way through that army, how much HP will he have left? Not much, probably. Therefore, breaking through these guys was hella risky. There was no guarantee Zeph will survive that shit. So, what if I go Berserk instead of exhaling? Logically, that should be considered suicide. However, it might actually be a viable option in this situation. While in Berserk mode, the Berserker lost access to his entire kit. However, in exchange, his Dodge Roll transformed into Savage Leap. It was a leap ability designed for chasing prey, but it was also a decent escape tool. It might be more effective for creating distance between himself and the incoming viking brigade. But, Im not at 80% Rage yet. Also, it takes time to transform. Zeph frowned. He needed another 15% Rage for Berserk mode to kick in. In other words, he had to either hit enemies or get hit by them, as thats what charged up the Rage meter. And, even provided he could do all that, it took a couple of seconds to enter Berserk mode from the moment he hits 80% Rage. During that time, all these bastards will run over him! Damn, I guess exhale it is. Zeph rooted himself in place and dramatically inhaled air into his lungs, then exhaled so hard he discharged a wave of energy. He paid 30% Rage in exchange for healing, Movement Speed, CC immunity, and protections. Go, go, go!!! Zeph ran straight at the enemy forces, fully intent on breaking through their formation. The vikings clobbered him as he passed through their ranks, but he didnt care. Zeph just had to get outta here as fast as humanly possible! He aint gonna die to this shit! WHISH. Something hit his back. It was a familiar sound effect, that of a heavy object being hurled. But, he didnt have the time to think too hard about it. Full speed ahead! Zeph sprinted while disregarding his countless foes. The viking warriors couldnt keep up with his buffed speed. They were rather fast compared to normal minions, but they were no match for a Berserker buffed by Relaxing Exhale. The scrubs hit him once or twice at most, then they fell far behind him. Im getting outta here, dang it! Finally, Zeph was about to reach his Turret. Just a few more meters and hell be back to safety! His CC immunity has already worn off, but it was no problem. There aint nobody to CC him here anyway- WHISH. A blinking sound. It sounded so close, almost as if somebody appeared right behind him. But, no way that could happen, right? Haha, yeah... No way... FUUUUUUUU! Zeph roared as two arms wrapped themselves around him from behind. It was Vikings Takedown! Damn, I knew I recognized that sound! He stuck his damn axe in me! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE The Viking flung Zeph backwards, right into the fray. Zeph crashed into the ground. A gang of thugs surrounded him while he was recovering. Fuck this game... Zeph rolled away from the danger as soon as he stood up. The thugs bashed him a couple of times, but his injuries were still far from lethal. He was still holding onto 30% HP. Okay, no problem. Zeph reassured himself. Just keep calm and fuckin'' get this done. I can still make it! Just gotta run like my life depends on it. Zeph blitzed straight ahead but the Viking stood in his path. The guy swung his big axe at Zeph, but that didn''t matter. Instead of slowing down to juke that shit, Zeph continued running. The Viking''s entire kit was on cooldown now, which meant no more tricks. As long as Zeph safely makes it to the Turret, everything gonna be fine from there. "Phew." Zeph exhaled in relief. Damn, this was rough. He was finally back at his tower, back to safety. He somehow survived that onslaught with 20% HP. That''s what ya call real skill! That fucker unloaded his entire kit on me, but I''m still alive! "Vincent, you should dive," Yuel advised. "Keep pressuring him." "Is that really necessary?" Vincent asked. "I don''t believe I''ll be able to kill him." "Just do it." "Very well." Vincent ventured into the towers territory and assaulted the nonchalant Berserker. "What the-!?" Zeph jumped. You still havent had enough!? You flippin...! Only 15% HP left. Could Zeph pull the greatest comeback of all times and kill that overextending bastard here? The tower was ready to help him in this endeavor, but he was like three hits away from dying. Nah, no way I can do it. Zeph shook his head. The rest of his gang is coming here too. Zeph had to keep running forward, all the way to the Golem if necessary. It was a lame option, but it''s the best he had. Surely, the Viking won''t dare to chase all the way to the Golem. At least, not unless he had a death wish. Zeph just had to get far enough away, then the Viking will surely give up the pursuit. I should be able to outrun him, right? Zeph felt sweat forming on his forehead. With his Movement Speed buff expired, Berserker and Viking were about the same in terms of speed. This might become a close one. But, as soon as he thought that... "RWAAAAAA!" the Berserker roared across the area and started hitting himself. All the veins on his body popped, giving his skin a reddish color. All his muscles burst out, almost doubling in size. It was Berserk mode! That last hit from the Viking pushed the Rage Meter past 80%, so the Berserker went berserk! Finally some good freakin luck. Zeph smiled wryly. In Berserk mode, it''ll be hella easy to escape. Not only he gained a slightly increased Movement Speed, but he also obtained Savage Leap in exchange for Dodge Roll. "So long, sucker!" Zeph leaped far away. From this distance, there was no way for the Viking to catch up anymore. The damn chase was over. "Ive lost the target," Vincent reported. "Yeah, no point chasing anymore," Yuel agreed. "You triggered his Berserk, that''s all I wanted." "Oh, I see now!" Vincent exclaimed. "You wanted me to keep attacking so I trigger his berserk mode! Brilliant planning!" "Its a basic tech. He was one hit away from 80% Rage, so it was best to hit him and trigger it," Yuel explained. "If anything, I messed up here. I didn''t expect this play to be this effective. If I had known, I would have asked Luke to be on standby for ganking. You could''ve killed him together." Kukuku. Vincent cackled. "It appears you have underestimated my powers!" Rather, I overestimated the enemy. Yuel thought. I expected DragonMaster to deal better with that situation, but it''s all good. Vincent gets to push hard now, and he prepared the ground for their next fight. I''m sure DragonMaster won''t let things end this way. He''ll seek revenge, and that''s when well get him. Just as Yuel speculated, the enemy wasnt very happy about this development. "Damn, that bastard!" Zeph ranted. Just you wait. Just wait, you fucker! You don''t have your ult anymore, so ya ain''t scary! Next time we meet, you''re dead! Dead, you hear me!? And so, Zeph promised to walk down the path of revenge. But, little did he know the enemy carefully prepared that path for him... Vol.11 Ch.10: The Monsters Counter Gank Zeph healed up at the base and returned to lane. Its payback time, bitch. Zeph psyched himself up for the absolute massacre he was about to commit. He ain''t gonna pull any stops while the Viking''s ult was down. And so, Zeph fearlessly charged into enemy territory. He slammed his axes on the bowmen, then hacked away at them with swift swings. And, as for the Viking? Dude couldn''t do shit about any of this. Well, he can always try. Zeph grinned and lifted his chin. Yeah, he can try. That is, if he got a death wish. But no, the Viking didnt lift a finger about any of this. The guy at least knew how to respect Berserkers superior strength. He''s definitely mad, I can sense it. Vincent thought. That bold overextension from DragonMaster was like him sending a message. This Berserker proclaimed he feared no man, and especially not Vincents Viking. It was tempting to deliver retribution on this cocky opponent, but Vincent decided against it. I''ll play it safe until he makes his big move. Vincent carefully observed the enemy''s Rage meter, which was displayed where the MP gauge would normally be. Since Vincent triggered DragonMaster''s Berserk transformation last time, the guy had to start working toward 80% Rage from merely 20%. That''ll take him more than one minion wave, especially when he also wanted to apply pressure with Barbarian Slam that cost Rage. Unfortunately, the meter filled up quickly. In the next wave, the Berserker will be ready to unleash his full strength. "I suspect things will go down in the next wave," Vincent shared his observations. "I agree," Yuel said. "He''ll open an attack as soon as he can, but you have to act oblivious about it. Let him do this thing, make him think he is in control." "Oh, so you wish for me to feign incompetence?" Vincent smiled mischievously. That was the kind of unorthodox tactics he enjoyed from Chessmaster. "Very well. I shall show him the greatest performance of the decade! Luke, can you get here in time for the next wave?" "Yeah, no problem," Luke said. "So, I wait for him to go berserk, and then I roll in?" "Yes, that''s the plan," Yuel nodded. "Alrighty, sounds dope. Let''s do it!" During the next wave, it happened. DragonMaster broke past 80% Rage. It was showtime. "RWAAAAH!" the Berserker roared. His veins popped and his muscles burst. He transformed into a red Hulk and he was mad, very mad. He was going to rend Vincent asunder! "You''re hella dead, chump!" Zeph roared. You gonna pay back for last time, with interest! It looks you didn''t even see this coming. Idiot! You''re through! Even though Vincent knew it was coming, he didn''t take any obvious precautions against this development. Why? Because that was the role Yuel cast him to play. Vincent was supposed to play the clueless, inexperienced opponent who had no idea about his enemy''s intentions. Dios mio! He caught me! Vincent acted like a shocked fool, but this development was exactly what he was waiting for. "Luke, the stage is set!" "Let''s goooooo!" Luke rolled into the lane and activated Honorable Duel. "Wha-!?" Zeph exclaimed. "Shit! A gank!? What''s with this timing!?" The two enemies pincered Zeph. They hacked and slashed him while he couldn''t control himself his Berserker. Thankfully, the taunt only lasted for a few moments. Berserk mode reduced the durations of all CC by 50%, so he was back in control in no time. Yeah, get that lame CC outta here! Lemme fight! But, even as control returned to him, what was the next move? It was a 1v2 situation. The enemy surrounded him from opposite sides and their timing was impeccable. It''s like they planned the entire damn thing. Zeph felt an invisible force suffocating him. It''s like he was underwater, where each of his moves was slow and predictable. But, who was predicting them? Who was coming up with these counters? Chessmaster. It had to be that cheeky bastard, the guy who read Zeph like a book at every turn. It was that way when they fought on lane, and it was still the same even now. It felt as Chessmaster wrapped a rope around Zeph''s neck and was slowly but surely tightening it, choking Zeph to death. Can I win this 1v2? Nah, who am I kidding? Zeph backpedaled from his opponents. Berserk mode was strong but it wasn''t that strong. If the Jungler was at least a squishy, then Zeph could quickly stomp that guy and get him out of the picture. But, against a Knight? Fat chance. So, looks like I gotta make a break for it. Zeph gritted his teeth. What a stupid situation. He has finally built up enough Rage to go Berserk and murder that Viking bastard, but instead he had run away like some wuss. Damn it! Can I even escape from these guys? Well, it should be fine, right? Zeph tried to reassure himself. I got the speed and I can leap too. I just gotta watch out for the Vikings axe- WHISH! An axe came flying right at him! Shit! I gotta dod- It was too late. The axe plunged itself into his chest and remained stuck in there. It was over. The enemy has marked Zeph as the prey. There was no escape anymore. The moment Zeph creates any distance from his enemies, the Viking will blink in and throw Zeph all the way back. This fuckin game... So, what options did Zeph even have in this situation? Die while running away, or die while fighting. Such amazing options. 10/10 game. Hey, Zeph! Nash called out. Dont worry, Im on my way over there! Thatd sound way more reassuring if you werent half a map away... Haha, soz! Just try keeping them busy until I get there. Easier said than done! Zeph stepped backward to evade the Knights slash, but that only put him in ideal range to get hacked by the Vikings axe. This 1v2 was impossible. The two bastards were running all over him. Yeah, I dont think I gonna make it... Then, at least deal enough damage before dying, Rio mumbled such heartless words. That little bastard was always a cold mofo. But, he was right. Damn, looks like I got no choice. Zeph clicked his tongue. Okay, Imma go out with a bang then! Zeph swung his first axe, then his second axe. Swift and accurate strikes! Well, they weren''t that accurate, but it was hard to miss the target in Berserk mode. These swings were so wild, they had an AoE property. Aint nobody gonna sidestepping that shit! "Whoa, this guy is actually fighting!" Luke exclaimed. Looks like he''s locked on ya. Indeed, so it seems. Vincent attempted to sidestep the incoming slash to no avail. The swing arcs were simply too wide. So, instead of wasting time trying to dodge, it was more beneficial to strike back and kill the Berserker as quickly as possible. It appears he has chosen death, Vincent said. Lets close on him and smite him down! I like the sound of that. Luke also gave up on spacing out the rampaging madman. Instead, he charged in and delivered as many hits as possible. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As a Knight, Lukes damage output wasnt anything to write home about, especially not when he was lagging behind by two levels. Nevertheless, his strikes were good enough to supplement Vincents attacks. The two of them pincered DragonMaster tightly, blocking him from fleeing or even stepping in any direction. However, they got a little too eager and DragonMaster noticed that. Heh, idiots! Youre too close! Zeph jumped high into the air, then came down crashing on the two scrubs. Take that, bastards! Imma destroy you! Savage Leap was one of the few leap abilities in the game which allowed the caster to jump in place. It was a hella cool tech, perfect for when enemies closely surrounded him. Zeph crashed hard on his foes. So hard, that he totally floored them. The crash stunned them for a second, so Zeph got a free follow-up hit on them. I probably gonna die, but Im taking you fuckers with me! Zeph promised. Even if I dont finish you off, Nash gonna come here to clean up. Youre through! The enemy flinched in front of Zephs overbearing fighting spirit. Dang, this guy is tough. Luke grinned. But, we got his ass! Toss him! On it! Vincent grabbed the Berserker and hurled the guy to the ground. Vincent has been saving Takedown all this time in case DragonMaster will decide to flee, but the guy chose honorable death instead. As such, Takedown was going to be the finishing blow against the rampaging madman! WHAM! Vincent slammed DragonMaster into the ground! While the prey was staggering on the ground, Vincent and Luke mercilessly assaulted the guy. It was over. An enemy has been killed! FIRST BLOOD! "Haha, goteem!" Luke pumped a fist. He took the kill this time because he was underleveled and really needed that extra exp and gold. "Marvelous performance." Vincent nodded. "Thank you kindly for the gank. Ive finally seized control of Top Lane thanks to your help!" But, he celebrated too soon. The next moment, a blood-chilling yell resounded. "GAE BOLG!" The enemy Lancer was here!? But, where!? Nobody saw the guy rotating at all! I don''t see anybody! Vincent glanced at the jungle entrance on his left, then at the entrance on the right. But there was nothing, no Lancer in sight. Then, where did that load sound cue come from!? "Whoa! It''s from above!" Luke rolled aside. "Above? Oh!" Vincent finally laid his eyes on the elusive enemy. It was no simple Gae Bolg casting. The enemy first leaped high into the air with Lunge, then cast Gae Blog from midair! I must dodge- It was too late. Vincent has just started pushing the spacebar, but the attack was already here. "Git dead, bruh!" Nash accelerated toward the ground like a meteor. VROOOM! He crashed into the Viking! "Agh! Soldiers, I''ve been shot!" Vincent dramatically threw himself backward, as if he received the impact of the crash in the flesh. You have been killed! "Such a devastating might." Vincent nodded with respect. The enemy masterfully set up that entire situation. It was all planned. The Berserker stood his ground and fought until the last moment, piling up as much damage as possible on Vincent. Then, the Lancer swept in to clean things up. In other words, the enemy traded a kill for a kill. Or, was it more than just that...? "Don''t ya relax just yet!" Nash grinned. He has just finished devouring one helpless prey, but there was one more tasty snack right in front of him! The Knight was at 60% HP after taking on Zephs Berserk mode, during which Berserker''s swings were wild as heck. They could even hit multiple enemies at once like an AoE attack. So, even though it looked like Zeph focused his attacks on the Viking, his wide swings roughed up the Knight as well in the process. Awesome work, Zeph! Nash sung praises. I can get a double kill here thanks to ya! Always welcome. Zeph smiled wryly. In the end, despite his determination to play a more active role in this game, he ended up setting the stage for somebody else again. But, it didnt feel too bad. Even though Nash will be the one scoring the kills, that entire situation was only made possible thanks to Zephs combat skills and perseverance. So, despite how it looked, Zeph actually contributed toward initiating the teams momentum this game! He did a thing! Are ya ready!? Nash spread the Knight with crazed eyes. Youre going down, bruh! "So, I''m next?" Luke chuckled nervously. "Alrighty then. Guys, I''mma foot it! That guy is onto me!" "Yes, that''s reasonable." Yuel closely followed the situation while he was recalling to base. The enemy countered strongly with that gank. StormMonster managed to salvage that losing position and even turned it around winning one. As expected, things won''t ever go smoothly against such a formidable team. Can Luke even get away here? Yuel frowned. After all, its StormMonster were talking about. Chasing enemies seems to be his forte. Vincent even dubbed the guy "Storm Chaser", a predator who never let his prey escape, no matter the circumstances. To make things worse, this gank caught Luke overextending deep into enemy territory, so he had a long run ahead of him. And, the situation was only turning from bad to worse by the moment... "Ya ain''t getting away, dawg!" Nash activated Sprint, a utility skill he bought exactly for moments like this. Aint nobody gonna get away him! He''ll chase his prey to the ends of the earth! He will catch them, he will hit them, and he will kill them. Such was the job of a horror movie monster. "Come on, stay a while!" Nash swept his lance. "He already caught up!?" Luke exclaimed. Bruh, what the actual heck!? Dude was like twenty meters away just a moment ago! To make things worse, the Lancers Sweep struck true. That attack was devastating for situations like this. The damage was just okay, but it applied a pretty heavy slowdown. This ain''t good. Ain''t good at all! The enemy was breathing down his neck. Luke sensed the cold touch of death reaching toward him from behind. Soon, very soon, death will claim him. WHISH. WHISH. A thrust. Another thrust. The Lancer impaled Luke from behind without rest. The guy wasn''t falling behind in the slightest. Damn, I gotta juke some of those! Luke sidestepped in the middle of the run. WHISH! The Lance still hit him! "No way! Then, how about this...!" A sidestep in the opposite direction! WHISH. Another hit. Jukes ain''t working! Luke ranted internally. Bruh is unjukeable! To make things worse, each attack hit like a truck. Despite being a bruiser, Lukes defense wasnt up to pa because he was lagging behind in level and build. Heh, this is legit bad. Luke produced a dry laugh. He might actually git dead here. The guy chasing him deserved to be called a monster, just like the nickname. Luke felt like he was cast into a horror movie, and not as one of the victims who survive to the end. His HP already dropped to 30% and there was still a fair distance until he reaches the Turret. There is no escape. Every cell in his body screamed so. Youll die to this monster. You cant get away. Yeah, this is just like Vince said. Luke gulped as he recalled Vincents analysis. This dude, StormMonster, was a legit headhunter. Bruh didnt let any target slip through his fingers. Luke has already experienced a little of that brutality last game, but now it was crystal clear: there was no escaping alive from StormMonster. I cant juke him and I cant outrun him. My roll is down. My ult is down. I got nothing. Luke reasoned. It was a hopeless situation. He was dead meat. Hey, Yuel, Luke called out. Soz, I cant get away from this guy. I see. Yuel frowned. It was unfortunate, but it couldnt be helped. StormMonster has already established a reputation as somebody whose chasing ability was unrivaled. Nobody could escape from the claws of that predator. No, actually, there was one person who made it out alive. Just once, he successfully threw a wrench in StormMonsters flawless chasing today. It was Lars. But, how did Lars achieve it? He didnt do it by running away. Instead, he turned around and mounted a counterattack on his pursuer. If I take Vincents analysis at face value, then StormMonster plays better from the position of a pursuer. Yuel reasoned. In that case, what about his skill in a normal fight? Hes definitely skilled, but he didnt come across as intimidating. Luke can probably give him a fair fight. Luke was hanging by a thread at 30% HP, while his pursuer was safely sitting on 80%. Under these circumstances, it was unreasonable to expect Luke to win a duel here. However, he might draw the fight out long enough for backup to arrive. It was a wild hypothesis. For any of this to come even remotely close to working, Yuel had to fully rely on Vincents shady analysis. In other words, StormMonsters skill level had to be vastly different between his fighting mode and chasing mode. All of this was dubious at best, but there were no other bright ideas. It was a sink or swim situation! Luke, youre right, Yuel said. You probably wont be able to get away from him. So, just turn around and fight. Wut? Luke blinked. Turn around and fight him. Im rotating over there. Bruh, you say fight, but Im almost dead over here! Luke jumped as a lance pierced him yet again. Only 23% HP left now. About four more hits and hell be dead meat. Yippers! Maybe you cant get away from him, Yuel said. But, you might be able to stall him by fighting him. Oh, I see! Vincent made noise. Brilliant idea! You seek to weaken the Storm Chaser by removing him from the position of a chaser! That way, youll seal away his special powers! Yeah, something like that. Yuel shuddered as he agreed with something so nonsensical, but that was really the gist of his plan. Okay, I think I get it! Luke turned around and charged forth at his foe. Basically, ya saying this guy is a god when he chases people, but hes no big deal when he fights, right? Okay, lets test this theory! THAT convinced him? Yuel made a face. As usual, Vincent and Lukes brains worked in mysterious ways. Still, the plan was successfully set in motion. Now, Luke just had to try and survive until Yuel makes it to the scene... Vol.11 Ch.11: Confronting the Monster Whoa! Nash jumped. A shield rammed right into him! Oh, you approaching me? The Knight guy has been running away until now, but he suddenly changed his mind. Now, he seemed hellbent on fighting. The guy opened an unexpected attack with Shield Bash, which successfully caught Nash off-guard and stunned him. Then, LegendaryMemer followed up with Blade Swing while Nash was still in stun. Just like that, Nash dropped from 80% HP to 65%. You really wanna do this? Ya got no idea what youre getting into, fam! Nash thurst his lance as soon as he recovered from stun. But, it whiffed. Safe! Luke sidestepped the thurst and countered with a slash. Ez hit! It brought the Lancer down to 58% HP. That was some fine damage! For an underleveled Knight, such high damage shouldve been impossible against a bruiser. However, landing that Blade Swing temporarily boosted Lukes Attack Power. Therefore, even underleveled, he could temporarily contest the Lancer in terms of raw damage output. In fact, if Luke brings the Lancers HP low enough, the situation might become even! Luke still had a chance to turn the tables on his opponent! Ya little shithead...! Nash backpedaled away from the enemy and thrust his lance again. Even after he created more distance between them, his lance still reached the target. This mid-range was Lancers domain. So, Nash could move back and forth and still reach his opponent with ease! However, his thrust whiffed again. Then, the Knight moved in and punished him with a slash. Down to 50% HP. Why!? How!? Nash ranted internally. It doesnt make any sense! I was whooping this guy just a moment ago! While Nash was confused about this unexpected development, his opponent understood exactly what was happening. Yo, hes really no big deal when hes not chasing, Luke reported to the team. Finally, he could breathe in relief. His HP was closer to zero than before, but he no longer sensed death looming over him. All of a sudden, this situation transformed into a level playing ground. And to think I was scared of ya. Luke snickered. I mean, youre really scary when youre chasing, gotta hand that to you. But, when its just us fighting like this, you aint nothing! Imma meme yo arse to death! StormMonster was a vicious wolf before, but now he was looking more like a harmless puppy. Luke had this one in the bag! He might even get a kill here! Another thrust flew at him. Ez dodge! From up close, dodging Lancers attacks was a no-brainer. The startup animation of the thrust animation was slow enough for Luke to react to it. He simply had to sidestep as soon as he saw the Lancers hands move. Dang it! Dont ya underestimate my powers! Nash canceled the recovery animation of his whiffed attack by using a timely Dodge Roll. He rolled away from the incoming counter-attack, then he recovered and struck back! Crap! Luke couldnt dodge this one. The thrust flew at him like a bullet. The thrusts had a slow startup, but the rest of the animation was hella fast. By the time Luke realized he should be sidestepping - it was already too late. But, it aint over! Luke charged straight at his foe even as the lance impaled him. It was but a flesh wound! He could still survive about three more hits like this! Lets goooooo! This scrub is taking me lightly. Nash grinned dangerously. Ya sure threw me for a loop there with that sudden attack, but I can fight too, ya know! Im not only about chasing people. Killing them in a fight is also a hobby of mine! Im Diamond in Duel, just for the record. Im not much of a duelist myself. Luke thought. Like, I think Im still in Gold? But, its not because I suck in duels. I just dont feel like grinding that boring mode. The MOBA mode is where its at, so Imma gladly fight anybody there. So cmon, lets see whatcha got, bro! This is an official pro-level duel now! Lets goooooooo! Luke closed in. Against Lancer, the secret tech was to always stay in close quarters. All was good as long as the Lancer couldnt get into mid-range. Really, this was one heck of a polarized matchup. If Luke gets in and stays in, itll almost certainly be a one-sided massacre. On the other hand, if the Lancer slips away toward mid-range, this fight will become nearly impossible for the Knight. Therefore, Luke had to keep charging at his foe nonstop. "Damn, this dude...!" Nash backpedaled as hard as humanly possible, but the Knight kept sticking to him like glue. "Damn, eat this!" "Too slow!" Luke sidestepped and punished with a slash. This bruh knows the matchup! Nash found himself grinning. Thats some awesome fighting right there! It was getting a little boring recently, what with all his prey falling down so easily. But, LegendaryMemer and Gunz were decent fighters who made Nash sweat a little. Thats how a competitive match gotta be! Gotta say, tho. What''s with this guy''s picks? Nash wondered. First Pyro, now Knight. Who the heck plays those in the jungle? Is this guy legit a memer? I feel like he''s making fun of us. Cant say I care for that attitude. Sure, it was cool to pick an unconventional class every now and then. Nash liked his fair share of memeing too, especially in Casual mode. But, this was the competitive stage. It was neither the time nor the place for such shenanigans. Did that bruh really think he could get away these trashy picks? I ain''t losing to some dang memer! Nash thrust his lance once more. From this range, it should be hard enough for Memer to react! Or, so Nash thought. Heh, ez! Luke saw it coming from a mile away. It was too easy! He sidestepped to the side, then slashed his opponent. WHISH! Down to 35% HP! It was an impressive performance. From the moment Luke started retaliating, it felt as if the momentum shifted in his favor. I didnt expect that. Yuel was impressed. He''s almost winning. If Yuel asked for Vincents opinion on this development, the clown would surely claim this was the result of Luke tapping into his Meme Force or whatever. It might even be true, except not in the way Vincent claimed it worked. The meme pick was probably just clouding the enemys judgment. The bizarre Knight pick threw the enemy off. And, on top of that, this pick came right after a Pyromancer Jungler pick. Both picks were unconventional and puzzling, probably creating the impression that Luke was looking down on Taurus. As a fellow Jungler, that probably triggered StormMonster. That''s why the guy was rushing the fight and blindly throwing out attacks. Perhaps that was the true nature of the "Meme Force", or at least its most widespread application. It wasn''t just about Lukes morale being higher while memeing. His meme picks also made his opponents underperform, either due to matchup unfamiliarity or due to pushing their buttons. It was an unconventional tactic, but a strangely effective one. If things continue like this, Luke might actually win this fight on his own. Yuel thought. But, I should still hurry over there, just in case. There was no telling how this fight will pan out. Both players approached critical health, so it was anybody''s game. If StormMonster just calms down and takes a few seconds to reconsider his approach, he might still win this. "Hey, Nash!" Jaiden called out. "Calm down, man. You''re whiffing left and right." "Well yeah, because this damn memer won''t stop sidestepping my shit!" Nash ranted and fired his Lance again. But, no dice. It was missed the mark like before. "I can sidestep too, dang it!" Nash dodged the enemys punish by a hair''s breadth. Ha, how you like that, huh!? I aint gonna let some memer walk over me like that! Imma end your whole career! "You need to take it slow, man," Jaiden advised. "No need to rush it. Just focus on your spacing first." "Oh yeah, spacing. I''d totally space this dude out," Nash complained. "If only he didnt stick to me like super glue!" "He''s only counterattacking," Rio pointed out. "If you don''t attack, you can''t get countered. Basic stuff." "Eh? Wait a minute..." Nash hit the brakes and took a moment to think back on the fight thus far. Rio was right. This entire fight was essentially Nash throwing out attacks, whiffing, and getting clapped. Why was he repeating that same routine this entire time? It clearly didnt work. Dang, looks like I was stuck thinking Im still chasing this guy. Nash shook his head. This entire fight started off in the middle of a chase against an injured prey, so Nash felt like he had the initiative all along. But, he was wrong. The moment Memer turned around and started fighting, Nash has lost his advantage. It turned into a fair fight at that point. The only thing Nash had going for him was his HP advantage, nothing else. As such, there was no need to rush. The two were fighting on equal ground here. Memer was no longer some prey to hunt, but a fair Duel opponent. Therefore, Nash had to switch his fighting style accordingly. It was no longer a chase, but a duel. Okay, okay. Calm down. Nash took a deep breath. It was a Lancer vs. Knight duel, nothing more and nothing else. Forget that this whole thing started from a gank. Forget that the opponent always picked silly Jungler classes. None of that mattered. This was just a regular, run-of-the-mill, Lancer vs. Knight duel. First, I need distance. Contrary to his words, Nash dashed forward. Heh, this dude never learns! Luke reacted to the movement and sidestepped the incoming thrust. He has already buffered his next basic attack, for he had to be that quick if he wanted to properly punish Lancers whiffs. Here comes another ez hit! However, the expected enemy thrust never came. Instead, the Lancer stepped backward and made Luke whiff his counterattack slash. "What the...?" "Ha! Get dunked, scrub!" Nash faked out that flowchart Knight! Even though Lancer''s attacks were kind of "retractable" from close range, it was still a guess by the end of the day. The enemy had to specifically wait for the attack to come in order to properly dodge and punish it. So, Memer was waiting for some movement, any movement, that seemed hostile. That''s why a simple dash forward baited that robot into attacking. While the fool was whiffing his fake "counterattack", Nash backed away and created some space between them. Then, he thrust his spear! "Crap!" Luke couldn''t properly react to this one. The Lance flew at him like a bullet! STAB. He was down to 10% HP. Hell survive only two more hits, maybe less if a critical happens. That''s how thin was the ice Luke was walking on. It''s over, fam! Nash grinned. I got the high ground! You underestimate my powers! Luke argued back. At least, that''s what I wanna say, but dude clearly got the high ground here. I done goofed with that whiff. So, now what? Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. How would a dying Knight win against a Lancer who has reclaimed the mid-range? This was going to be a super uphill fight. Luke now had to put in tremendous effort in order to get in against that Lancer gain. To make things worse, this opponent has learned from past mistakes, so things won''t be so easy this time. "Just retreat," Yuel advised. "Winning the fight was never the plan in the first place." "Oh, shoot!" Luke laughed. "Yeah, ya right. I was only supposed to keep the guy busy so I don''t die. Whoopsie." The entire situation was so hectic that both sides mixed up their priorities. Luke wasn''t fighting here to get any kills, he was fighting for his life. If the enemy isnt going to actively aggress on him, then he had no reason to push the fight. "So long, sucker!" Luke turned his back to the enemy and darted away. "What the-!? REEEEEEEEEE!" Nash gave chase. "Come back here, you little...!" The situation flipped on its head again, with Nash becoming the chaser once more. This was his favorite scenario. He transformed into a monster again, while his opponent became a helpless victim. Now, Imma get this kill real ez! "Take that!" Nash thrust his lance. "What the-!?" Luke jumped. A spear went right through his shoulder. "He''s already here!? How much speed does this guy pack!? Jesus almighty." Death. Cold, unescapable, and absolute death. It was looming over Luke yet again. He sensed cold hands reaching toward him, ready to drag him straight into the afterlife. No way I''m going down there without a fight! Luke turned around before the next attack arrived. There was no escaping alive from StormMonster alive while on the run. Therefore, Luke had to turn this into a duel once more! "You''re toast!" Nash fired the decisive attack. With that, the grand chase was complete... or wast it!? Not so fast! Luke sidestepped the attack. "Again!?" Nash gasped. "Yo, this freakin guy...!" You have no power here! Luke dashed in and delivered a counterattack. He wasn''t out of the game yet! Even against these impossible odds, he''ll struggle to the very end! Just get dead already! Nash did a sudden dash forward. Whoa! Luke sidestepped the incoming attack... that never came! "Ha! Fell for it again, idiot!" Nash faked out that scrub once again However, this time, he didn''t use the opportunity to back away. Instead, he went all-in for the kill! This drone will attack right after sidestepping. Thats where I finish him off! Heh, knew it! Luke rolled away in the nick of time. "Wha-!?" Nash whiffed the decisive blow. How!? His entire flowchart is about sidestepping and counterattacking! Hes not supposed to roll here...! Adaptation, ahoy! Luke grinned. What, ya think only you can put one and one together here? I also got some tricks for ya! Even though Luke sidestepped ahead of time in fear of the fatal blow, he didn''t rush to counterattack this time. After all, there was no point in taking that risk. As Yuel said, Luke''s job here wasn''t to kill but to survive. Besides, this Lancer has already proved he knew how to use his movement to bait out a reaction from Luke. Itd be dumb to not take that into consideration. Had a feeling you''ll try that shit again. Luke grinned. Read ya like a book, bro! That''s how he successfully reacted to the Lancers delayed attack. Though, Lukes response was far from perfect. He panicked a little at the last moment and rolled away, which was totally unnecessary. But, he was still alive, so nobody would complain. What''s next, though? I''m basically a walking dead. Luke gulped. He had 2% HP left. Yeah, just 2%. He could barely make out the pixels on his life bar. If not for the percentage showing his remaining health, he''d think he was already dead. If I start running now, he''ll catch up again and itll be GG. But, I can''t keep fighting him either. Luke moved back and forth to buy time. Okay, Im running away. No, on second thought, Im staying to fight! Haha, just kidding, Im actually running away... or am I!? The vague back-and-forth made the enemy hesitate. StormMonster didn''t want to carelessly rush in, to not lose his hard-earned mid-range spacing. The battle turned into a standoff between two gunmen. Except, one of the gunmen had an empty barrel and was essentially bluffing his way through. Luke didn''t really have anything going for him. The boldness he was showing was just a cover-up for his helpless circumstances. He didn''t want to be part of this shootout anymore. If only somebody came and saved him... "C''mon already!" Nash was losing his patience. Are ya gonna fight or what? If not, start running already. Do something, dammit! What an annoying limbo. Nash couldn''t chase an opponent who wasn''t running away, but he also couldn''t take advantage of his mid-range spacing against an opponent who wasn''t attacking. What the heck was this situation even? "Maybe he''s buying time?" Rio suggested. "Their Aqua is still missing, so..." "What the-!?" Nash finally connected the dots. Suddenly, it all made sense! Everything Memer did, he did to buy himself some time! The Aquamancer, and maybe others, were probably on their way to help this poor lad! So, even though he pretended to fight, he was running away all along! Nash ignited his dormant monster engines. He refused to recognize LegendaryMemer as a dueling opponent any longer. This dude is running away, no two ways about it. Our entire fight was just a sham! "Looks like I hafta come at ya myself then!" Nash charged forth. He didnt care about his mid-range advantage anymore. All that mattered was landing the final decisive hit. Enough is enough. Imma kill yo ass! Oh snap, I think hes going all in. Luke backpedaled as fast as humanly possible. No matter what, he didnt want to show his back to this vicious predator. But, backpedaling like this wasnt good either. It was slower than running forward, so Luke had no chance of getting away like this. Heh, looks like I gotta stand and fight. Lukes grin twitched nervously. In order to survive, he had to put himself in danger and fight back. Wasnt it just hilarious? Thats how terrible his options were. The enemy was pressing him between a rock and a hard place. WHISH! A lance darted at him like a bullet, but he sidestepped it! This was a great opportunity to counterattack, but Luke decided to skip it. StormMonster was still at 35% HP, so itd take too many hits to kill the guy. There''s no way Luke would be able to land that many hits before dying, so there was no point putting himself at unnecessary risk. This entire situation was already risky enough as it stood. "Yeah, keep running around like a cockroach!" Nash thrust his spear again. This time, the spear didn''t even reach the target. Yo, this guy is tripping. Luke smirked. Another ez dodge. He barely even had to move against that one. Even though the attacks were coming from mid-range, Luke dodged them with unexpected ease. It''s all because StormMonster was rushing things. Dude was way too aggressive, so his attacks were super telegraphed. Thrust. Another dodge. Thrust. Dodge. Man, if I counterattacked after each of these attacks, I would''ve killed the guy by now. Luke smiled wryly. For some reason, StormMonsters attacks became sloppy as heck. His offense was all over the place. His thrusts always strayed too far to one side or the other. It was too easy to dodge them. Yeah, its all a cakewalk. So, why do I feel so pressured? For some reason, Luke couldn''t relax, not even for a moment. It felt like inevitable doom was creeping onto him. Why? He couldn''t even begin to tell. It was just gut feeling, nothing more. But, it was one of these very convincing gut feelings. So, you ain''t taking any baits. Nash nodded with respect for his foes caution. His rushed attacks were meant to bait the Knight into attacking, to get that dying bruh closer, and then strike the guy down. But, Memer was obnoxiously cautious. He didnt fall for any of that shit. I guess low HP makes everybody more careful, huh. Nash grinned. Not bad. I respect that. This much was within Nashs expectations. Therefore, his haphazard thrusts had another purpose. Slowly, but surely, they were driving his prey into a corner. Nash was like a classic horror movie monster, playing with his food until the very last moment. Little did the victim know it was played with. Heh, I can keep this up all day. Luke smirked. If this gonna be the extent of the enemy''s attacks, it''ll be no problem to juke all that stuff for days. Luke simply had to maintain this safe distance and back away, one step at a time- Bump. His back hit against something. "Eh? What?" Luke checked behind him. There was a jungle wall. Oh-uh. "Yo, when did I get all the way over here!?" Luke was pressed against a wall. He couldn''t create any more distance from his pursuer. Did this guy just lead me all the way over here with his random attacks!? Bruuuuuh. "It was fun while it lasted." Nash grinned. "Now git dead, scrub!" "Nuuuuuuuuu!" Luke couldn''t dodge this one. The attack was gonna come from the ideal range, not close enough to juke and not far enough to out-space. It was over... SPLASH! Water erupted from the ground! It kicked the Lancer high in the air. Yuel has finally arrived! "Gah! Shit!" Nash found himself in the air. He was just about to deliver the finishing blow, but then this shit had to happen. Damn! I almost had it! No, its too early to give up. I can still make it! Even as the situation turned into a 1v2, Nash had no intention of forfeiting his offense. That kill belonged to him...! "You''re a lifesaver, dude!" Luke celebrated. "It''s not over yet," Yuel said. "You have to escape. He''ll chase you for sure." "Yeah, no doubt about that." Luke hurried into the jungle, the closest safe territory. Even though the situation became a 2v1, Luke was too injured to actually participate in the fight any further. One more hit and itll GG for him, and then Yuel would have to take on StormMonster all by himself. It was hardly a task fitting for a Support. As expected, StormMonster wont take this lying down. "Come back here, dang it!" Nash gave chase as soon as he landed. He completely disregarded the Aquamancer, that dude didn''t matter. It was far more important to secure the kill on LegendaryMemer. I aint gonna let you slip away! It''s not a good idea to ignore me. Yuel threw a water ball at the incoming Lancer, but the guy didn''t even flinch. For StormMonster, Yuel was like air. It made sense to ignore Yuel''s damage because his basics barely dealt any damage. However, ignoring the potency of his spells was a grave mistake. Didnt the enemy recognize that fact...? "Nash, where are you going?" Jaiden asked. "You gotta get outta there." "Nah, no problem!" Nash insisted. "I almost got that guy! I''mma catch up to him real quick. This Aquaman over here ain''t gonna kill me anyway." I counted his spells back when he was in lane, Rio shared. "He most likely has Overflow." "He has WHAT!?" Nash exclaimed. "We informed everybody a while ago..." Rio narrowed his eyes. He did his part and shared that info with Jaiden, and then Jaiden broadcasted it to the rest of the team. But, apparently, Nash missed the memo. Sigh. "No way! Then..." Nash glanced sideways at the Aquamancer. The guy didn''t even try to stand in Nash''s way. Why was that? "Oh no, pls no..." The Aquamancer stretched both arms into the air. He was channeling one of his mightiest and most devastating spells! "Fuuuuuuuu!" Nash couldn''t dodge that shit! A huge wave appeared outta nowhere and charged straight at him! It was a tsunami! Damn, he let me pass him on purpose! Nash just now realized his carelessness. From this position, the tsunami gonna push Nash hella deep into enemy territory, almost all the way to the enemy tower! And, there was no dodging that huge ass spell from this close! REEEEEEEEEEEE WHOOSH! SPLASH! The tsunami crashed into Nash and dragged him to the edge of the enemy''s tower area. Damn, forget chasing that Knight! Nash gulped. I gotta find a way outta here now! Checkmate. Yuel cast Rainfall, summoning black clouds right above the Lancer. The raindrops didn''t deal any damage, but they severely slowed down the Lancers Movement Speed. So, even with Yuel''s low damage output, it was easy to take care of an opponent who was fleeing at the speed of a turtle. You have killed an enemy! It was over. The Lancer collapsed and never stood up again. "Gaaaaah!" Nash held his head. "I was so close! Almost got that sweet double kill!" "Too greedy, man. Too greedy," Jaiden said. "Yeah, I fudged up." Nash slumped. "But, next time! Next time I''mma whoop that Knight for good!" "That''s the spirit. And dont worry, Im about to make up for that in Mid. With that, the fight in Top finally came to an end. It was a long and difficult struggle, far more difficult than what Yuel initially envisioned. His innocent plan for defeating DragonMaster turned out to be risky against opponents of such high caliber. No, thats not quite right. Yuel thought. In theory, I knew there was risk involved. Even though he was confident that a 2v1 situation would be enough for taking down a Berserker, he also knew that Vincent and Luke won''t come out of the fight unscratched. So, any gank on them could prove fatal at that point. And, indeed, StormMonster''s gank almost resulted in two deaths. It was a miscalculation that could''ve cost them the game. I thought I trained myself to avoid taking such risks. Yuel frowned. These opponents really forced my hand there. There was no way I could let them take control over Top. Our situation in Mid is already bad enough as it is. If the enemy seized absolute lane control in Top, they''d control 2/3 of the map. That absolutely wasnt allowed to happen, not against these opponents. But, did that warrant arranging such a risky setup? Yuel couldnt tell for sure. In the end, his plan somehow worked out. But, it almost ended in a disaster. One misfortune like that would spell doom for the entire team. They might lose the entire scrimmage to a small mistake like this. "Yo, that was tense!" Luke pumped a fist. "We gave that guy the biz, haha!" "Yeah... Yuel said. Except for the part where we almost fed two kills to their Jungler." "Yeah, that was close as heck." Luke grinned. "But hey, it was fun. Let''s do that again sometime!" "Fun...?" Yuel blinked. Was it fun? Well, if I look back on it now, then yes, it was quite a thrilling experience. They took a calculated risk and things almost turned for the worse. However, they overturned the situation at the very end and even scored a kill that Yuel wasn''t even counting on. Complex scenarios like this were the most fun to untangle and analyze. Despite the hiccups along the way, the play was a success overall. They got two kills and gained a tremendous advantage in Top. Now, Stratus was the one holding map advantage. Top Lane fell completely under their control, and they were also dominating Bot Lane for the most part. The team was about to head into the mid-game with a decent advantage. This fifth and final game was already shaping out to be a completely different kind of beast. And, this time, Stratus will win! Vol.11 Ch.12: Jaidens Curiosity For the fifth and final game of the day, Yuel and Lars finally reclaimed their rightful positions in Bot. With the two of them joining forces, they''ll make sure to keep the enemys Triangle of Doom at bay. The teamwork of their triangle is solid, but it''s nothing we can''t play around. Yuel reasoned. As long as we properly maintain our spacing and watch out for ganks, the Triangle won''t be able to catch us off-guard. That was Yuels resolution when the game began. The laning phase started off peacefully in Bot. Both sides focused on clearing minions without poking each other much. They''re cautious, just like us. Yuel nodded. Neither side was too confident about firing the first shot. Doing so involved a lot of risks and both sides understood that fact. At least, for the most part... "Yo, when are we fighting these dudes?" Lars asked. "They''re supposed to be hella good, they even gave Kai some trouble. We gotta fight them, yo!" "In due time," Yuel said. "If we make any careless moves, they might trap us. These two always cooperate with the Jungler, so overextending is extremely dangerous at all times." "Yeah, these dudes sure know how to gang on people." Luke nodded. He already had some experience going up against these trained cops. The barricade they erected to entrap him in Mid was top-notch. "But, no sweat," lars insisted. "If they pull their tricks again, we just gotta fight them off and win! Easy peasy lemon squeezy." "Sometimes, I wish I knew where you''re drawing all that baseless confidence from... "From the heart, yo!" Luke gave a thumbs up. "Just gotta believe it!" "Well, I believe that playing safe is best," Yuel said. "Haha, ok boomer." Luke laughed. "Seriously tho, what''s the master plan?" "I want to observe them first. After that, I''ll decide what''s the best way to handle them." "Okey-dokey. Just make sure to pick a strategy in which I get to shoot a lot." "I''ll do my best." Meanwhile, the enemy duo was having a very similar discussion. "Dang, they''re not attacking!" Jaiden pouted. "But, I don''t wanna be the first to commit." "Yeah, let''s wait for them to make the first move," Rio agreed. The lane opponents were ex-StormBlitz players, they were even strong enough to play on StormBlitzs second-string last year. Worthy opponents, no doubt. Even the smallest amount of carelessness could lead to devastating consequences. Nevertheless... "Dang, I so wanna test how good they are!" Jaiden jumped restlessly in his chair. For him, this was a long-awaited, fateful battle. Finally, he had the opportunity to test his mettle against the two who made it into StormBlitz in his stead. They were strong, there was no doubt about it. But, how strong? Did Jaiden surpass them after one year of intense training? He had to know! He had to know it now! "Alright, lets attack them once we get our ults!" Jaiden suggested. "Are you sure?" Rio made a face. "I don''t think we should rush it." "Welp, my ult is scary as heck in a fight, so they probably wont come at us themselves. So, I say it''s only fair that we initiate first." "Are you sure thats not just an excuse to fight them? "Maybe it is." Jaiden smiled. So easy to read. Rio sighed. Well, I understand how he feels. This is like an important exam for him. Besides, there was some real logic behind Jaidens reasoning. Pirate''s ultimate was indeed the most dangerous tool currently present in Bot Lane. Gunslinger''s ult was also plenty scary in the right hands but, in a 2v2 situation, its efficiency couldnt even begin to compare to Pirates Kraken. However, even with the ult advantage, there was no much incentive for a Pirate to initiate an early fight. It was a class that benefited the most from farming slow and steady until it gained enough gold advantage to overpower the competition. With that said, Gunslinger was also a class that grew much stronger as the game progressed. Fan the Hammer gained more shots the more it leveled up, which turned Gunslinger into a killing machine in the later parts of the game. At least, provided the player had sufficient mechanical skill to nail headshots. Given the skill level that Gunz has been exhibiting the entire day with other classes, he was probably proficient with Gunslinger too. As such, there was some justification for trying to shut down a Gunslinger early on. But, was it worth the risk? Theres no correct answer here. Rio concluded. Even though Jaidens suggestion was clearly fueled by personal feelings, there was no 100% objective reason to deny it. Besides, if possible, Id like to make Jaidens wish come true. That was the least Rio could do here to repay some of his infinite debt toward Jaiden. It was only thanks to Jaiden that Rio was here right now, instead of sitting in some isolated corner and sobbing all alone. Jaiden was like a hero, always dazzling brightly as he overcame every obstacle on his path. This hero pulled Rio from the darkness that was holding him prisoner, back when he was a loner without any allies. I shouldnt be thinking about that right now. Rio shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts. All of that was in the past. He was done with that depressing reality. Rio had Jaiden and Nash now, and they were playing together on this grand stage as a team. They were even winning! They struck fear in the hearts of their foes and forced Stratus to take them seriously. It was an amazing achievement! And, in the center of all this success stood none other than Jaiden. He was the core of their triangle, the glue kept them all together. Therefore, Rio will keep supporting Jaiden. Even though Jaiden was getting a little emotional about this fight, Rio will provide his support as usual, for such was his role here. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Alright, Rio said. Ill provide back up. Go get him. Really!? Jaiden smiled from ear to ear like an excited child. Thanks! Youre the best! B-But, only as long as your attacks keep working. Rio awkwardly averted his eyes. If things go south, we pull out. Sure thing. Jaiden flashed his teeth. It was time. Hell finally face his fated adversaries. Will he come on top and prove he was actually worthy of getting into StormBlitz all along? Or, will he lose terribly and feel like total trash? It was now or never! Lets goooooooo! During the next minion wave, Jaiden laid in wait for his big opportunity. He closely watched Gunzs movements, to be the first to spot even the faintest hint of that beast lowering its guard. Thats when Jaiden will have to strike! Some might say it was cheap of him, but Jaiden needed any advantage he could get. Finding the right moment to strike was skill too, so it was all fair game. I feel like Im being watched, Lars said. His beastly instincts kicked in. He knew this feeling all too well from experience. When somebody was following his every move, they were usually preparing to jump him. Yeah, looks like their Carry is planning something, Yuel said. Do you want to bait him in? If that means were getting some action, Im all for it! Lars nodded repeatedly. Im tired of playing nice. This is the last game, so I say we go hard or go home! Were going home after this game either way. Haha, smartypants. Lars laughed. Anyway, yeah. Lets do get this started! Whats the plan? We can use the oldest trick in the book, Yuel said. When you get to farming the bowmen, go a little deeper than necessary into their territory and show your back to the Pirate. That should suffice as a bait. Oh, the 200 IQ back-turned strat! Lovin it! Lars ran ahead like an excited puppy before even hearing out the rest of the plan. Ill be watching Rengedaes movements, so you can see him on my monitor. Yep, figured it gonna be my favorite sekret tech! They used a similar tactic on this very stage before, against the Leopards of last year. Since then, Yuel integrated it into their training regime so they could master it. The idea was simple: Lars will pretend he couldnt see the enemy with his back turned to them, but hell actually be watching their movements on Yuels monitor. Some would call it cheating, but there was no official rule against it. Besides, the usefulness of this tactic was extremely limited. It demanded godly mechanical skill like Larss to pull anything amazing out of this advantage. And so, the bait was set. Lars fearlessly turned his back to the enemy and focused his shots on the bowmen in front of him. He left himself wide open for attacks from behind. Heres my chance! Jaiden dashed forth. He only needed a couple of steps to get Gunz within firing range. He gonna land that sweet preemptive attack! Itll immediately set him ahead of his opponent. I got this one in the bag! I have a bad feeling about this... Rio silently followed Jaiden. The enemys defenses were fairly tight until now, so why did Gunz carelessly turn his back all of a sudden? Was it a slip-up? Or, could it be...? Got him! Jaiden fired. Too slow, dude! Lars saw that coming from a mile away... on Yuels screen! He rolled aside just in time to dodge the bullet, then he immediately fired back. Headshot! Wha!? Jaiden froze in place. His brain failed to catch up with this turn of events. One moment, he was shooting his foe in the back. The next moment, his shot missed and he ate a counter instead. And, it was a critical hit, a headshot, to boot! What in the-!? That wasnt the end of the bad news. In a matter of seconds, dark clouds covered the clean blue sky. It was Aquamancers Rainfall! Dang, they got me good...! Jaiden tried to backpedal, but he moved painfully slow. Its like he was stuck in the mud. Before he could gain enough distance, another bullet pierced through his skull. Another headshot, another critical hit. D-Damn! Take that! Jaiden fired a counter-attacked, but his Pirate was far too sluggish. Gunz effortlessly sidestepped the slow counter. And, while sidestepping, he fired another bullet! A third headshot, another critical hit! H-Haha, you gotta be kidding me... Jaiden twitched. Three headshots in a row, just like that. In no time, he lost 30% of his HP. It was insanity! From the moment he initiated, the entire world flipped on its head. Somebody must have tossed him into a bullet hell. Retreat! Rio implored. He cast Godspeed to cancel out the slowdown effect of Rainfall. It also granted Jaiden a boost of Movement Speed, exactly what he needed to flee the scene as quickly as possible. Thanks, youre a lifesaver- Jaiden froze mid-sentence. It was too early to celebrate. Just when he thought he was about to get away, water erupted from the ground! Whoa! Jaiden found himself high in the air. It was Aquamancers Geyser Eruption with its nasty knock-up CC. To make things worse, the eruption was carefully placed to kick Jaiden backward, sending him back into the bullet hell. BAM! Another gunshot rang before Jaiden even made his landing. Gunz was like a hungry beast, hed die from starvation if he didnt fire a bullet every other second. And, to make things worse, the shots were all headshots! Yes, even this fourth shot perfectly landed on Jaidens head. Even though he was still high in the air when it happened, Gunz sniped him without failure. How was that even possible!? I made a huge mistake. Jaiden gulped. I thought Gunz wont in top form when he doesnt play Shooter, but his Slinger is a monster too! Holy moly. This was all one huge mistake. Jaidens curiosity led him to open Pandoras Box. A vicious beast was unleashed from within, laying waste to everything in sight! Jaiden was a careless fool who overstepped his boundaries. He walked into a territory in which he had no power. This duo of Gunz and Chessmaster was on a whole different level compared to everybody else here, they were light-years ahead of his current skill level. Run away! Just run away! Quick! The voice in his head shouted like a broken record. There was nothing he could possibly do against these superior opponents. Absolutely nothing. As soon as Jaiden reached the ground, he rolled toward allied territory. However, no matter how agile he was, the enemy refused to slow down. BAM! Another gunshot resounded. It was another clean hit, even though Jaiden was in the middle of a roll. Luckily, this one wasnt a headshot. So, even Gunz can miss sometimes, huh. Jaiden smiled wryly. If only for a moment, Gunzs gunplay showed a hint of human imperfection. Theres no doubt that guy was a god among men, but he wasnt invincible. Therefore, Jaiden will be able to get away! Fortunately, Rios buff was still in effect. With this buffed Movement Speed, Jaiden gonna get the hell outta here- SPLASH! Water hit Jaiden from the side! It was Aquamancers Splash. Dang, these guys...! Jaiden grit his teeth. That Splash removed his speed buff, leaving him with nothing. The only option left for him was to keep running normally while an aimbot was breathing down his neck. BAM! Jaiden attempted to sidestep in response to the gunfires sound, but he was far too late. HEADSHOT. CRITICAL HIT. Damn, I cant... Jaiden hung his head. The rain continued to pour a shower ahead of him. The dark clouds painted a bleak picture. There was no hope to be found anywhere in this scenery. He had only two ways to deal with this obstacle: either cut through the rain and suffer a speed penalty, or take his time to circle around the rain area. Either way, hell lose a lot of precious time. And, thatll give the enemy more time to- BAM! HEADSHOT! CRITICAL HIT! He was already down to 35% HP. This felt like a bad joke. How could a single tiny misplay cost him so much life? And, it all happened so quickly, too. He barely even had a chance to blink before over half of his HP vanished without a trace. Nah, the real joke here was Jaiden. What was he thinking to himself? He knew Gunz and Chessmaster were on a whole different level, especially when they played together. Why did he think he could challenge them? Who the heck did he think he was? Yeah, thats right. Im just some failure who couldnt even get into StormBlitz. Jaiden bit his lip. The goddess of victory didnt smile on him during that exam, and she didnt smile on him today either. He got carried away just because his team did well in the last two games. It was foolish. He was foolish. Guess Ill die. Jaiden didnt see himself getting out of this situation alive. Whether he continues running through the rain or circles around it, the enemy will shoot him down before he gets away. Might as well just run straight through it. Jaiden sighed in defeat. It was over for him either way... Vol.11 Ch.13: Rios Hero Huh? Why is he running through the rain? Rio asked himself. You shouldve... His lips froze when he caught a glimpse of Jaidens face. It had a dark, worn-out expression. Jaiden was defeated, both physically and mentally. Thats why I didnt want you to fight them. Rio frowned. He has refrained from voicing his opinion until now, but he had a hunch that things will turn out this way all along. Chessmaster and Gunz were formidable adversaries. Aggressing on them was beyond Jaiden and Rios leagues. Therefore, this result was inevitable. I didnt want to admit it, but it looks like I was right. Rio felt powerless. His brain has been warning him against challenging this powerful duo from the beginning, but his heart refused to accept that his hero could be defeated. So, no matter how much the evidence suggested that the enemy duo was stronger, Rio refused to accept it. Thats why he kept quiet and complied with Jaidens request. Unfortunately, the end result was far worse than he expected. If he knew things will come down to this, he would have implored Jaiden from the beginning to forget about this dangerous idea. This was all Rios fault. That gloomy face doesnt suit you. Rio averted his eyes. He couldnt bear looking at Jaiden right now. It was too disheartening. The hero should never succumb to despair. Never. Only a weak-willed person like Rio had such a weakness. And yes, he had plenty of first-hand experience wearing that gloomy expression. In fact, he used to wear it all the time in the past. Before he met Jaiden and Nash, he was just a living husk. Rio had no friends to speak of and there wasnt a single enjoyable thing about attending school. If anything, there was only pain and suffering to be found there. It was a hellhole. Whats with these weak kicks!? One boy complained to him during a soccer match. Bruh, can you even throw a ball!? Someone else criticized him during a basketball match. No matter what activity Rio joined, there was always criticism regarding his performance. Each and every time, without fail, some boys ganged up and blamed him for the teams defeat. One day, he got fed up with that treatment. At the spur of the moment, he responded in the most poisonous way he could come up with: If you don''t like me being on the team, I can always leave. Of course, it was just a bluff. No matter how bad he was, his teammates wouldnt want to lose a player. At least, thats what he believed... Yeah, seriously. Get out! a boy yelled. Totally, another boy chimed in. Like, every time you get the ball, we gotta pray you wont immediately lose it. Youre like an obstacle for our passes, ya know. Haha, no kidding, a third boy laughed. I dont even believe in god, but even I pray to that brudda every time Rio gets the ball. Ah... I... Rio was at a loss. Did he miscalculate something? Rationally, there was no advantage to kicking out a teammate. There was nobody to sub for Rio, so losing him meant losing manpower. What was wrong with all of them? I... Rio stuttered. Why do I have to leave? I know Im not amazing, but Im still doing what I can. Im helping here and there, right? So, why...? It made no sense. The reasoning of these kids was beyond him. Were they too dumb to understand basic team sports principles? If so, Rio should enlighten them. Youre making a mistake, Rio claimed. If you have less players, the team will be weaker. Heh, as if you being here helps at all. His entire team laughed, and even the enemy team cracked some laughs. Rio was like a clown cast on a stage. Yeah, I see how it is. Theyre really all idiots. Rio concluded. Its simple math. The more players the team got, the more manpower it has. Huh? Whats this weirdo on about? Everybody exchanged looks with dumb smiles on their faces. So, Rio continued. Its dumb to get rid of a teammate when you dont have anybody who can sub in. Youre just losing manpower. Hey, did ya just call us dumb? One of the boys pushed Rio. A-Ah! Rio lost his footing and fell on his butt. It hurts... Pft, haha! Are ya for real? The boy laughed his ass off. Bruh, I barely touched him. Man, I betcha a little breeze can send this boy flying like twenty meters. Is he even really a boy? The gang laughed. Maybe you should go play dodgeball with the girls. I betcha you gonna feel right at home, you sissy boi! The cackling never ceased. The boys continued throwing more and more insults at Roi. Meanwhile, he was sitting on the ground with his bottom aching, silently staring at the scene with disbelief. Why...? Rio couldnt process what was happening in front of him. That boy over there has just pushed him to the ground and injured him, yet the other kids were celebrating it as if it was a joyous event. Why are you so happy? Are you enjoying beating others up? Pft, haha! Beating up, he says! I barely touched him and hes already crying. Hey, hey, listen, guys. One of the boys grinned. It just occurred to me that Rio might have a great future as a soccer player. I mean, he already nailed the part where he gets touched once and starts rolling on the ground crying for a foul, haha! Everybody burst into laughter once more. Not a single kid in that group was on Rios side. They were all looking down on him, thinking he was no better than a random rock on the ground. Seriously, ya should use these acting skills against the enemy, a boy suggested. Go out there and pretend like everybody and their moms are pushing ya on purpose. Who knows, it might get us a few free kicks, haha! Yo! Thats the ultimate strat! The team raved about this obviously dumb idea. Were they really serious about it? Rio couldnt follow their track of thought anymore. It was all too stupid for him to process. Ah... Rios lips quivered. He had no idea how to respond to any of this. Should he even bother responding to any of this stupidity? It was the first time such a situation occurred. The entire team ganged up on him and publicly shamed him. He could feel water welling up in his eyes. Oh, gonna cry? Pft, grow a backbone, man. Im tellin ya, thats aint a man, haha. There was no end to the abuse. The idiots continued running off their mouths without any shame or tact. So, thats what they all think about me. Rio slowly stood up and wiped his teary eyes. All this time, he believed he was fitting in despite all his shortcomings. But, apparently, he was wrong. Everybody saw him as an eyesore, nothing more. Theyd even go as far as kicking him out of the team even though it meant losing manpower. It was impossible to reason with such absurdity. I see now. Rio smiled. It was a twisted, painful smile. So, youre all idiots here, huh. He simply couldnt contain himself any longer. These dumb kids were running their mouths as they pleased, so Rio decided to do the same. He told them what he really thought of them. You dont want me here? Fine by me, Rio said. I dont want to associate myself with dumbasses either. It was a poor choice of words. The retaliation hit him immediately. Heh, get a load of this guy. The leader of the gang shoved Rio again, this time with clear hostility. Ya think you can talk to us like this, huh!? Ugh! Rio didnt stick the landing and crashed on his back. It hurt. The entire world flickered in and out. It was difficult to process what was happening around him. Look at this sissy boy, talking like hes the shit. Someone kicked Rios side. Bruh, what are these skinny legs? Someone stomped on Rios leg. Are ya even eating anything? Oh, whoops! Someone accidentally stepped on Rios hand. Sorry, didnt see ya there, haha! Ugh, agh! Pain hit Rio in waves from random directions. His consciousness was barely intact, but he definitely felt the pain. Thankfully, nobody seemed interested in injuring Rio for real, so there probably wont be any lasting effects. Nevertheless, it hurt. The kicks. The stomping. The insults. They all hurt. Agh, ugh! Rio coughed. He held in tears that were desperately trying to burst out. If he cries now, theyll make more fun of him. Theyll call him a crybaby girl or some other nonsense. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Therefore, he had to endure it. Hell stay quiet and endure. Endure. Endure. Endure. Eventually, the gang grew bored with bullying him and returned to the game. Rio remained on the ground, all alone. Some more shots flew his way during the match, perhaps intentionally. After getting hit three times by the ball, he finally gathered the strength to stand up. I better leave. Rio slowly pushed himself from the ground and limped away. That day was the prologue for the darkest chapter of his life. Normally, the birdbrains who ganged on him were the kinds of idiots whod forget anything that happens after a day. Alas, they refused to forget the words Rio used to retaliate against them. Their fragile egos didnt permit them to forget about being called stupid. And so, they started bullying Rio. They laughed at him, called him names, hid his things, and sometimes even got physical with him. School wasnt fun for him in the first place, but now it became a nightmare. Every single day, Rio imagined how nice itd be if he woke up and realized that none of that was real, that it was all a dream. But, unfortunately, it was the harsh, cold reality. Avoid talking to anybody. Avoid eye contact. Avoid everybody. It became Rios mantra. No matter what situation he found himself in, he always prioritizing finding a desolate corner in which he wouldnt draw any attention to himself. Attending school changed from suffering to literal hell. He constantly had to live in fear of getting attacked by somebody. Everybody preyed on him as if he was a small, helpless animal. There was no joy to be found anywhere at school. Before Rio noticed, a lot has changed about his behavior and expressions. His head was always lowered when he was walking around, to avoid eye contact as much as possible. And, whenever he raised his head to look in the mirror, all that reflected in them was a pair of dead eyes. Maybe Im already dead. Rio entertained such thoughts every now and then. Maybe they actually killed me back when they ganged on me during the soccer match. So, now Im just a wandering ghost. How nice would that be? But no, this was reality. Rio was imprisoned in a living hell, unable to escape. Day in and day out, he lived in such darkness. He was all alone, a hapless prey caged in a hostile environment. There were even times when he questioned the point of living on like this. Maybe I should just die... Other kids surely saw what Rio was going through, yet none of them reached out to him. Why? Why didnt any of them do anything? Were they really fine with watching a fellow classmate being beaten up all the time? The answer was simple. Rio became the official bullying target of the class, the punching bag delinquents used for venting frustration. There was usually at least one kid like that in every class; an unfortunate victim who was bullied on a regular basis, to the point it became a common scenery. Rio was in the bystanders shoes before, so he understood why they didnt lift a finger for his sake. He also always ignored such bullying even if happened right in front of him. It was that much easier to avert his eyes from the unpleasant reality and pretend it wasnt his business. And, thats exactly what everybody else was doing right now. All this bullying actually makes me enjoy studying. Rio thought sarcastically. The bullies couldnt cause any havoc during class, so lessons became like a safe haven for Rio. He found them boring like any other kid, but he was thankful for their existence. They were like an anti-bug spray that kept cockroaches away. The only nuisance during class was that one boy, who has recently moved to sit next to Rio. The teacher forced that troublemaker to change seats because he was talking too much during class and Rio happened to have an empty seat beside him. Hes really a chatterbox. Rio made a face. Every five minutes, the guy next to him would either start some trivial conversion or would ask for things. Hey, you got a spare eraser? Man, did you do homework? Can me and my pals copy them real quick? Dang, this question is tough! Hey, you got any idea how I solve this one? Frankly, it was a nuisance. Unfortunately, that boy was one of the popular kids, so Rio couldnt refuse him. If he opposes such a superstar, hell be in a world of pain. I should be thankful hes not part of the bullies. At least, not yet. Rio gulped. He had to stay on good terms with this popular boy. A single misstep could spark a flame of vengeance, Rio learned that much from experience. And so, Rio always acted friendly toward the popular boy. He landed the boy an eraser, even if it meant he might never get it back. He allowed the boy to copy homework, even though it was unfair. And, he also helped the guy to solve some questions during class, even though Rio also had loads of exercises to finish. Rio went through all that hassle to maintain a good relationship. Thankfully, this strategy worked. The popular boy didnt treat Rio too badly. He even apologized when he forgot to return Rios eraser. There was no malice in the boys mannerisms. Actually, I feel like all the bullying has drastically decreased recently. Rio realized one day. Not only the boy next seat was nice to him, but even the regular bullies in class paid less attention to Rio than usual. How did that happen? Who knew. Perhaps, the bullies grew bored with attacking Rio all the time. He always made sure to show as little emotion as possible while being bullied, so his weak reactions probably didnt satisfy these idiots thirst for inflicting pain to others. Heh, youve fallen into my trap. Rio snickered to himself. It was a long-term plan he devised to counter the bullying. By acting indifferent, he made these idiots lose interest in bullying him. He won by playing the long game! Truly, each and every one of these bullies was a sad excuse for a human being. They were bored out of their minds, so they entertained themselves by stomping on others. So, as long as Rio didnt give them the satisfaction they were looking for, they eventually gave up. He has lost countless fights, but he won the war! Unfortunately, not everybody grew bored with it quite yet. Some bullies still hanged around, searching for opportunities to shove Rio or to kick him for no reason. Especially, on that fateful day, things have gone out of hand for the first time in a long time. Hey Rio, whatcha looking at, eh? A boy shoved Rio into the wall. Why? For no reason, same as always. ....... Rio averted his eyes from the offender and walked on. By now, he has learned that responding to these imbeciles wont lead to anything good. Hey, whats with that attitude!? Im talking to ya! The boy grabbed Rio by the collar and shook him. Tch, its one of the annoying ones. Rio rolled his eyes. While most bullies lost interest after Rio didnt react, some got angrier instead. These were the most troublesome ones. Did ya just click yo tongue at me, eh? EH!? The delinquent tossed Rio. Agh! Rios back slammed into the wall. It hurt. It always hurt. No matter how many times he was pushed into walls, tables, chairs, or floor - it always hurt. It was impossible to get used to this. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. I-I just need to act neutral. This idiot will go away eventually. Rio did his best to maintain a poker face. He stood up and tried to walk away again. Heh, would ya look at that? The bully sneered. Ya think Im not even worth your time, huh? Is that what youre thinking, sissy boy!? The boy raged on, but Rio didnt even turn around to look at him. This was all stupid. When will these idiots tire of this? Even without looking behind him, Rio sensed that something was about to fly at him. A punch, a kick, a push, or perhaps a grab. These were the usual abuses Rio has experienced on a regular basis. It was all brute violence with very little creativity. Its amazing how doing this every time hasnt bored him to death yet. Regardless, Rio braced himself. No matter what it was going to be, hell simply absorb the hit and move on, the same as always. ............ Rio has been bracing himself for quite a while, but the attack didnt come. Instead, something, or somebody, crashed into the floor behind him. W-What the-!? The bully found himself on the floor for some reason. Did this idiot get so angry that he tripped? Rio smirked. Whatcha laughing at, eh!? The boy jumped on his feet, his fists clenched and ready to fire off. A-Ah Rio gulped. This was bad! He let his guard down. Making fun of these idiots in the open was an absolute taboo. It was like pouring fifty liters of fuel in a fire. I messed up. Im dead... Give it a rest. Someone put a hand on the bullys shoulder. It was a fellow boy, a familiar face. In fact, it was a face Rio was forced to see from up-close on a daily basis. The boy behind the bully was Rios neighbor in class, the one always asking Rio for random favors. His name was Jaiden. Hey, did you just trip me!? the bully demanded from Jaiden. Nah, I did it, man. Another boy stepped into the scene. It was another familiar face. He was the boy who always hanged around Jaiden, his name was Nash. I didnt mean to trip ya, tho. I saw you were throwing a party, so I decided to lend ya a hand. I mean, a leg. Haha! Geh! You motha...! The bully thrust both arms for a push. Easy there, bro. Trust me, you dont want this smoke. Nash caught the incoming hands and hurled them aside. The bully found himself flying to the side, almost crashing into a wall. Gah! Fuck! What do you fucks even want!? The bully seethed. Not much. Jaiden wrapped an arm around Rio for some reason and flashed a smile. I was passing by and saw you troubling my pal over here. Pal...? Rio blinked. When exactly did they become pals? As far as Rio was concerned, Jaiden was just another bully, one who constantly demanded things during class. Wait, maybe I misunderstood something? Rio realized. Why did I even assume it was bullying in the first place? It seemed logical because anybody who went out of their way to interact with me was a bully. But, maybe I was wrong about this guy Heh, thats some lame pals you got. The bully sneered. Hey, thats not true, Jaiden argued. Rio is a great guy. He helps me more in a single day than you ever would in a lifetime. Yeah, dude is fire. Nash nodded. His handwriting is real clean. Makes it so ez to copy homework, haha! So, youre just using him, huh. The bully sneered. Using him? Nah, were pals. Jaiden glanced at Rio. Right? Ah, um, yeah... Rio found himself nodding. It felt like the right thing to do in this situation. See? There you have it, Jaiden declared. Also, Im pretty sure I asked you and your pals to stop messing with Rio. Hes a homie. Tch, whatever. The bully spat and stomped away. The entire interaction remained confusing from start to end. When did Rio become pals with Jaiden and Nash? Also, judging by their last exchange, was Jaiden the reason the bullying rates drastically decreased in recent weeks? T-Thanks, Rio mumbled. Hm? No problem, man. Jaiden flashed a grin. If these guys mess with you again, just tell me. Okay, Rio smiled. Oh! Wow! Nash exclaimed. First time I see this dude smiling. Kinda cute. Ahem, no homo, of course. Im... smiling? Rio touched his lips. Indeed, a smile formed on his lips for the first time in what felt like ages. Gotta say, Jaiden started. You look way more approachable when youre smiling like this. Yeah, way better than that doom and gloom look ya always sporting, Nash added. I-I see. Rio lowered his face. His cheeks burned a little. On that day, light returned to Rios life once more. Jaiden and Nash pulled him out of the bottomless darkness and taught him how to enjoy life again. If not for them, Jin wouldve been drowning in despair to this very day. Therefore, when Jaiden was the one despairing, Rio had to do everything in his power to help out. After all, they were best friends. Dont give up! Rio fired healing magic and ran toward Jaiden. When the hero was feeling down, it was the sidekicks job to boost morale. Besides, when the Carry was in danger, it was the Supports role to mount a rescue operation. Therefore, Rio will definitely save Jaiden! He wont let Gunz get a kill here, not on Jaiden! Vol.11 Ch.14: The Fantastic Ex-StormBlitz Duo Dont give up! Somebody fired healing magic at Jaiden. Eh? Jaiden blinked. Whose voice was that? Rio? It was rare for that quiet guy to raise his voice like that. Ill cover for you! Rio passed by Jaiden and confronted Gunz. Just keep running! What? Oh Jaiden was fazed for a moment. His Pirate was soaked from head to toe as he ran through the heavy rain created by Chessmaster. Everything about him looked worn out and defeated. Jaiden resigned himself to his fate. Hell die by Gunzs hand, that was the most likely outcome of this one-sided fight. It was foolish of him to challenge that monster without a plan. Death was a fitting punishment for being this cocky, or so he thought at first. Thanks, Rio! Jaiden snapped out of it. Sorry for putting you on the spot like this. I messed up real bad, haha. No problem. Rio smiled softly. Just focus on getting away. You bet I will! Jaidens survival instincts kicked in once more. Die? Just like that? What was I thinking!? I got Rio to cover for me, I can totally make it out alive. Were not giving them any free kills here! He went full speed ahead. Ya aint getting away, yo! Lars rolled after his prey. He gonna nail this kill and generate one heck of momentum for the team! I wont let you pass. Rio stood in the beasts way. He knew he had no chance of beating this monster, yet he fearlessly stood there, blocking Gunzs path. Sorry dude, but I got no time to play ya. Lars turned to the side, planning to circle around the Cleric. However, the dude was stubborn. I wont let you. Rio moved to the side to block Gunzs path once again. Heh, thats how ya gonna play it? Okay, then Imma push right through ya! Lars blasted through the front door. Outta the way, dude! He fired bullets to scare away the scarecrow in front of him. But... No, I wont move. Rio stood his ground. Even in front of the bullets, he refused to budge. He didnt possess the necessary reaction speed to dodge such accurate shots anyway, so he just stood there and confronted the shots head-on. BAM. HEADSHOT. BAM. HEADSHOT. Yo, this dude be stubborn...! Lars blew off the Clerics brains twice in a row, yet the mad lad continued blocking the path like an immovable object. In the end, Lars rammed into the dude and slowed down a little. Geh, lemme through already! Lars fired from point-blank as he pushed past the Cleric. BAM. HEADSHOT. BAM. HEADSHOT. The Cleric lost over 45% HP from all of these attacks, almost half his health bar. And yet, dude refused to flee. He kept trying to block Larss path, like a defender marking a striker. No matter how much damage he suffered, this mad lad refused to budge. Ill save Jaiden. Im his support. Rio kept matching the enemys movements. As long as he stands in the way, Gunz wont be able to catch up to Jaiden so easily. Gunz broke through at one point, but Rio immediately rolled after him and stood in his path once more. When it came to blocking opponents, Rio had a fair share of experience. It was a skill he practiced specifically for situations like this. In Classmancers, it was impossible to fully stop somebody via body-blocking. Nevertheless, by repeatedly getting in front of Gunz, the Cleric and Gunslinger kept colliding with each other. Opposing inertia clashed and slowed down the Gunslingers momentum. It barely made a difference the first time, but it bore fruit via repetition. Ill block him, even if its the last thing I do. Rio continued getting in Gunzs way. Just like how Jaiden rescued Rio from the bullies, Rio will now rescue Jaiden from this bully! Rio, thats enough, Jaiden said. Im already safe. You gotta start retreating yourself. Oh, thats good. Rio nodded. While he wasnt looking, Jaiden has already reached safety. I think I went a little overboard with the body-blocking If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rio probably couldve started retreating a while ago. But, this overextension was a small price to pay for the important result he achieved. Jaiden made it out alive, thats all that mattered. Dang, I cant believe that dude slipped away! Lars smacked his forehead. Lets kill the Cleric instead, Yuel suggested. Oh, ya betcha! Imma rek this dude. Lars stopped chasing and pointed the revolver at the Cleric in front of him. Im getting a kill here, one way or another. Believe it, yo! BAM. HEADSHOT. I really overstayed my due. Rio gulped. He turned around and ran for his life. But, will he be able to get away? BAM. HEADSHOT. Only 30% HP left, with two pursuers hot on his trail. It was over for him. Well, at least I saved Jaiden... RELEASE THE- A voice boomed across the area. Oh crap-! Lars reacted immediately. The Big Squid Dude was coming! This was no feint. The real deal was about to attack! But, that aint gonna stop me! Lars did roll to evade the ult, but he rolled forward! He had no plans of stopping this pursuit. Even the Big Squid Dude wont scare him away! Whoa! Lars exclaimed amidst the roll. Hes here?! A gigantic sea monster penetrated through the ground right under Lars! A tentacle knocked him up, then slammed him into the ground! Yoooo, no way! Lars held his head in frustration. The Big Squid Dude totally caught him there. That was good placement, Yuel commented. Pirate players usually summoned Kraken in the center of the enemy formation, to hit as many enemies as possible at once. However, this Krakens placement was different. It served only as a defensive play, intended to discourage any further pursuit. Therefore, instead of summoning the Kraken close to Yuel and Lars, Renegade opted to place the Kraken ahead of them. That stopped them in their tracks. Well played. Nuuu! They got away! Lars pouted. That Kraken single-handedly put an end to his offense. Dang, we almost had them! Its okay, you lowered their HP enough, Yuel said. Itll secure us lane control for a while. Even with Clerics passive healing, it was impossible for both enemies to properly recover in time for the next minion wave. Therefore, at least one of them will have to recall, leaving the lane in a 2v1 situation. With numbers advantage, Yuel and Lars will be free to push hard. So, even though they didnt score any kills here, the entire exchange still counted as a victory for Yuel and Lars. That was close. Rio sighed in relief as he reached the Turret. If not for that timely Kraken, he wouldve been dead. Thanks for the save. I should be the one thanking you. Jaiden smiled wryly. Honestly, I kinda gave up back there. It was dumb, I know, but I lost the will to fight back. I just felt overwhelmed. Its okay. Really? Jaiden cocked his head. Youre not going to complain? Ah, um... Rio shifted his eyes away. Hed normally voice his complaints right away, but he didnt want to hurt Jaidens feelings more than they already were. That entire fight was one big blow-up. It was frustrating to admit, but Gunz completely stomped Jaiden as soon as that fight began. Rios hero suffered an embarrassing defeat. But, even more than that, Rio was mad. Not because Jaiden lost, but because of Jaidens attitude during the fight. The moment Jaiden realized he lost, he lowered his head and succumbed to despair. That was a no-no. Jaiden should never ever wear an expression like that. A bright, confident smile suited him best. Darkness shouldnt be able to overshadow somebody who shone like the sun. You want me to complain? Then I will. Rio puffed his cheeks. Im disappointed. Oh, you are? Jaiden cracked a laugh. Somehow, Rios attempt at pouting looked cute, probably because it was so uncharacteristic for this stoic guy. Im not joking. I know, I know. Jaiden nodded. Its fine that you lost to Gunz, hes a strong player. But, thats no reason to give up in the middle of the fight. True. Its like... Rio grumped. Its like you forgot Im here to support you. Yeah, sorry. Jaiden placed a hand on Rios shoulder. I was just too shocked. I thought I could do it, you know? I really believed I had a chance against Gunz. Its been a year since I watched him play, so I thought I became strong enough. But, this guy is a monster. I just cant... Hey, thats what you have us for! Nash tuned in. We gonna help ya take that monster down, bro. We gonna kick their asses so hard, theyll fly all the way back to StormBlitz, haha! Yes. Rio nodded. Theres no need to fight either of them alone. Lets beat them together with our... Invincible Triangle. Oh! He said the thing! Nash made noise. S-So what if I did? Rio turned away, but he smiled softly. Youre right, guys. Jaiden nodded. Its my bad. We havent been training together all this time to challenge people to duels. Were the Invincible Triangle! Apart, we might be nothing special. But, together, were unstoppable! Hell yeah! Nash pumped a fist. Tho, Im hella strong on my own too. Great job ruining the mood. Rio rolled his eyes. Haha. Jaiden laughed. His vigor returned. The embarrassing defeat no longer bothered him. Okay, that was a lie. Of course it bothered him. He couldnt believe there was still such a huge gap between him and Gunz. Its like they were competing on completely different levels. But, that was reassuring in its own way. At least, it proved that StormBlitzs selection process wasnt entirely horseshit. Some of the players, who got into the club in Jaidens stead, were literal monsters. Gunz and Chessmasters deserved to get in, no question about it. That made Jaiden feel just a little bit better. Regardless, that was all in the past. None of it held any bearing on the current situation. The Jaiden of today was a completely different person from one year ago. The amount of experience he had under his belt was on a completely different level. With his trusted bros by his side, they will crush the monstrous duo and claim victory in todays scrimmage! Vol.11 Ch.15: Silent Truce in Bot After the failed attempt at Gunzs life, Jaiden and Rio found themselves in a tight spot. They both lost over half their HP, which indicated they should recall to base to heal up. However, they couldnt leave the lane unattended. Somebody had to stay behind. Ill heal you until the minions arrive, Rio said. Then, Ill recall. Sounds good. Jaiden nodded. Only thing is, Rio added. Im a little worried about leaving you here alone. Heh, are you my mom? Jaiden laughed. You saw how dangerous those two are. Yeah, theyre definitely not messing around this game. The one exchange Jaiden had with Gunz was more than enough to teach him a lesson. He had to be extremely careful around the ex-StormBlitz duo. A simple misstep could easily result in his death. But, it was alright. Jaiden wasnt playing alone here. Even if Rio leaves the lane for a while, there was still one more pal who could help out. Hey Nash, Jaiden called out. Mind coming over here to farm with me? Meh, do I have to? Nash wasnt fond of babysitting laners. He liked rotating to get juicy kills, not some boring minion exp. No, you dont have to help if you dont want to, Rio said. But, if Jaiden dies, the blood will be on your hands. Heh, dramatic much? Nash smiled. Alright, alright. Imma head over there. Thanks, man, Jaiden said. Anything for ya, bro. And so, their defense plan has been decided. There was no telling how Gunz and Chessmaster will utilize their lane advantage, so Jaiden and Co. will have to handle this one carefully. They couldnt allow the enemy to run rampant on the lane, but neither was it safe for them to confront the enemy head-on. So, for now, theyll fortify their defenses and brace for impact. As such, before anything else, it was important to pull Jaiden out of the critical HP range. That was Rios last job before recalling. Rio remained stationary for a while, which triggered Prayer, Clerics passive. The Cleric joined hands and prayed, slowly restoring HP to nearby allies. In this case, it restored only Jaidens HP, as the effect of Prayer didnt extend to the Cleric himself. Rio was stuck with low HP and will have to recall after he finishes this mass. This healing didnt cost any MP and didnt have a cooldown, so it was a very convenient tool. However, to keep it fair, the HP recovery rate wasnt great. Jaiden only healed up to 50% HP by the time the next minion wave arrived. Rio further brought it up to 60% by casting Gods Blessing, then he recalled to base. As they agreed, soon after Nash rotated to Bot to help with the defense efforts. Hey, I got a brilliant idea. Nash grinned. How about we pretend were defending, then we jump these guys!? They wont see it coming! Lets not, Jaiden dismissed the idea. Theyre not enemies we can beat in a 2v2 without some advantage. Oh, cmon. Why are ya scared? These guys are nothing. I agree with Jaiden, Rio said. We shouldnt challenge them carelessly. Tch, fine. Nash pouted. To be honest, deep down, Nash knew these guys were the shit. Especially, Gunz was a beast. Nash still had a score to settle with that dude. Out of all the enemies Nash has preyed on today, Gunz was the only one who almost slipped through Nashs fingers. That was a disgrace for StormMonster, the ultimate horror who never permitted any escape for his victims. And so, all this time, Nash has been waiting for a chance to settle things with Gunz. The next time he chases that beast, Nash will seal the deal on his own, without any help from Rio. Hell live up to his name as a horror monster and will brutally murder Gunz! But, now wasnt his time yet. Nash had to lay low and wait for his golden opportunity. But, its a promise. Before this game ends, Imma get at least one kill on Gunz. Just wait for it. Meanwhile, the enemy was holding their own strategy meeting regarding the situation at hand. Are we gonna go all out on these dudes!? Lars readied his revolver. No, its too risky, Yuel said. Lets just farm, safe and steady. Geh, really? And after we went through all the trouble to win the lane... Lars made a face. Its unfortunate but better safe than sorry, Yuel said. I also had high hopes for whats to come, but these guys know how to set up an efficient defense. He was sure theyll get to push hard after the Cleric retreats, but the Lancers defensive rotation was a brilliant counter move. It tied Yuel and Larss hands. They couldnt press their lane advantage as aggressively as they wouldve liked. In the end, the only thing they gained from winning the previous exchange was locking the enemy Lancer into defending Bot. It was far less than what Yuel hoped for, but it had some merit too. Defending Bot meant the Lancer was missing on jungle farm right now, as well as passively stealing some of Carrys farm by splitting rewards. It was a nice, albeit short-lived, lane advantage that came to an end after just one wave. Yuel and Lars got to push a little, but thats all. The Lancer left the lane and the Cleric came in to replace him. The lane was back to square one. Theyre playing safer now. Yuel noticed. Ever since the incident, Renegade and Laplace have been playing cautiously. They didnt dare to aggress like before. Larss powerful counter taught them a harsh lesson. And so, the situation in lane became stale once more. Neither side wanted to commit to any big attacks, in fear of being countered in a big way. Considering Larss overwhelming strength, the enemy had more reasons to avoid confrontation. However, Yuel also gave them the respect they deserved and constantly stopped Lars from aggressing. We cant underestimate them just because we won one fight. Yuel reasoned. Those guys run all over Kai and Vincent two games in a row. With both sides respecting each others skill, the situation in Bot remained even. However, the same couldnt be said for the other lanes. Mid was in big trouble. Nirvana was showing aggression like never before, pushing Kai to a corner. Shes not playing like her usual self. Yuel criticized. Her defense is too turtly, she never goes on the offensive. Im not sure what I should say to her. Given Kais fragile state of mind at the moment, anything Yuel says might backfire terribly. In the first place, he was never good with words, and he apparently only had a talent for aggravating others. Still, Yuel tried a few things. For starters, he got Luke involved with the situation in Mid. It became a routine for Luke to drop by in Mid and fend off Nirvanas aggression. He practically became a babysitter for the lane, but he didnt complain. No problem, dude. Luke understood the gravity of the situation. He rotated through Mid whenever he had the chance, either to gank Nirvana or to defend the lane while Kai was away. Unfortunately, this routine wasnt very efficient. None of Lukes gank attempts led to anything worthwhile. Nirvana was always on guard, even while he was deeply invested in his offense. Catching him by surprise was practically impossible. On top of that, Lukes Knight had no hope of competing with Aeromancers wave-clearing speed. As a result, Nirvana always got to push hard even while Luke was defending the lane. It was an awful arrangement through and through. In conclusion, Mid was completely under the enemys thumb for now. Yuel couldnt come up with a way to reclaim it. Fortunately, things were a little different in Top. DragonMaster has been pushing Vincent around, but the situation wasnt nearly as one-sided as in Mid. On top of that, Yuel has faced DragonMaster enough times today. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I can use some of his tendencies against him. By using all his experience from facing DragonMaster throughout the day, Yuel came up with the plan to strike DragonMasters ego. Vincent executed Yuels instructions to a T and successfully triggered DragonMaster. The Berserker succumbed to madness and unleashed his Berserk mode on Vincent, just as Yuel planned. In the meantime, Luke rotated to Top and ganked the overextending foe. While all that action was going down in Top, Yuel recalled to base in order to gear up. That gave him an opportunity to sit back and watch his scheme unfold in Top. Everything was going according to plan. The only thing he miscalculated was the amount of damage the Berserker dished out against Vincent and Luke even after they banded together. However, that wasnt a big issue, or so he believed... GAE BOLG! The enemy Lancer joined the fray out of the blue. It was an unexpected counter-gank! Yuel was aware of this possible development the entire time, but he thought it was unlikely. I made a miscalculation. Yuel bit his lip. He was too naive. Even though everything was going according to plan, this was the competitive stage. The trio that subbed into Taurus were all competent players, they constantly get in the way of Yuels plans. He couldnt get away with simple tactics, not anymore. An ally has been killed! Vincent perished, and Lukes fate was looking grim as well. Based on the available data, and on Vincents bogus analysis, few could escape from StromMonster. So, it was almost certain Luke will perish as well. Fortunately, Yuel found a small hole in that premise. StormMonsters skill was overwhelming when he was chasing his prey, but he was a manageable foe in a straightforward fight. That much was proven by Lars, the only one to ever turn the tables on StormMonster after being chased. By following that thread of logic, Yuel came up with the idea to make Luke fight back despite the sharp HP disadvantage. Contrary to common sense, doing so might actually prolong Lukes life and give Yuel enough time to rotate to Top. At the very least, it was worth a shot. Im heading to Top to rescue Luke, Yuel informed. Go for it. Lars nodded. Save our dude, yo! This means youll be alone in lane for a while. No problem. I aint no little kid. I can handle myself, ya know. Yes, I know. Just make sure you dont get carried away, Yuel warned. Itll be a 1v2 situation. Yes, mom. Lars cracked a laugh. Dont worry. You focus on saving our legendary memer dude. Imma hold the fort. Deal. Yuel nodded. He still couldnt entirely erase his worry, but at least it sounded like Lars understood the gravity situation. With how good the goof has gotten at playing defense lately, he should be able to keep himself alive even without Yuels help. Maybe Im just projecting my own restlessness. Yuel frowned. The last few games took a heavy toll on him mentally. The team suffered one crushing defeat after another, so he felt pressured to turn the tables around. Thats what pushed him to come up with a plan that backfired so badly in Top. He was getting reckless in his pursuit of victory. I hope Lars is unaffected by this pressure... Hehe. Now, its just you and me. Lars grinned at his lane opponents, a Pirate and a Cleric. These wild dudes have given the team a lot of trouble in the last two games. And, even this game, they just barely escaped early death. Dudes were skilled, no doubt. Can I take on both of them at once? Lars couldnt help but ask. He itched to wreck these dudes real bad. This was the last game of the day, the decisive game. Stratus had to win here, no matter what. And, if Lars kills at least one of these big players over there, the game will instantly shift in Stratuss favor. I finally got all my favorite stuff back. His precious Carry role, as well as Gunslinger, one of his top two classes. I should be able to wreck them no problem even in a 1v2. Ez wins! Dont get carried away. Yuel left that warning behind. It poured cold water on Larss burning passion. Yeah, Yuel is right. I shouldnt force it. Lars took a deep breath. I can totally take them out in a 1v2, 200% confirmed. But, theres always a chance something will go wrong. I cant risk it, not in this important game. If Lars foolishly charges in and dies, itll be a repeat of the last two games. Thats exactly how they got Kai every time. She made one hasty move and the enemy trampled all over here. These dudes were a dangerous pack, no doubt. Okay, Imma wait. Lars nodded to himself. If a good chance presents itself, Ill totally strike. If not, Ill just wait for Yuel to come back so he can initiate something. Meanwhile, the other side was considering its own options too. Their Aquamncer is still missing, Jaiden informed the team after Rio made the observation. There was a good chance Chessmaster was heading toward Top or Mid, as both lanes were in dire need of assistance. If true, then Chessmaster wont be in Bot for a while. Itll be a 2v1 situation over here. Hey, isnt this our big chance? Jaiden grinned. Its 2v1. We can kill Gunz. You want to challenge him again? Rio shuddered. The terror of their previous fight was still fresh on his skin. The beast they were facing was a whole different level. It probably wasnt a stretch to assume that Gunzs mechanical skill was on par with that of pros. Last time, it was a 2v2, Jaiden argued. But, this time, we got a chance to 2v1 him. Lets beat him together! I dont have any CC, though, Rio pointed out. Cleric was a weak fighter like most Support classes, so Rio wont contribute much to the fight in terms of raw damage. While most Supports made up for that with strong crowd control effects, Cleric didnt have that benefit. He was a pure Support, utilizing heals, cleanse, buffs, and even a revival, but not CC. Its okay, Jaiden insisted. Just support me and Imma beat Gunz in no time. Do you really believe that? Huh? Y-Yeah, I... Jaiden fell silent there. Did he? Really? Wasnt it just wishful thinking on his end? Jin has already experienced first-hand how powerful Gunz was. He tasted the despair of being unable to do anything against that monster. None of his attacks worked. Every move he made was read in advance. And, worst of all, the enemy heavily punished every little misplay he made. Even with Chessmaster out of the picture and with Rios supporting, it was dubious whether Jaiden will be able to take down this monster. It was best to first assemble the Invincible Triangle, then launch a decisive attack. Unfortunately, Nash was still busy in Top right now, so that wont be happening any time soon. Still, I need to find a way to beat them soon. Jaiden continued racking his brain. Its not like you have to directly beat them prove a point. Whoa!? Man, did you just read my mind or something!? Its obvious just by looking at you. Rio sighed. Look, youve already forced them to play their strongest roles after beating their team twice. Now, you just need to win one more game. Thatll be enough to prove youre a better player than them. Hmm. Jaiden knotted his brows. Rio got a point, you know? Even though this was a team vs. team match, Jaiden was still thinking about surpassing Gunz and Chessmaster. A part of him was still stuck in the entrance exam from last year. As Rio said, killing Gunz and Chessmaster wasnt the victory condition for the team. The goal was to destroy the enemy Colossus, just like in any other Classmancers game. There were countless ways to reach that end goal. Was killing Gunz and Chessmaster necessary in order to get there? It would certainly help, but it wasnt mandatory by any means. On the contrary, pushing too hard for these kills might backfire and cost them the game. Ive already achieved my first big objective. Jaiden thought. We DESTROYED Stratus in the first two games. We wrecked them so hard, that Gunz and Chessmaster had no choice but to drag their butts to Bot. Its exactly what I was asking for. With the two legends returning to their rightful positions in Bot, they were now fighting Jaiden and Co. with everything they had. This was their final form. Well, Gunz isnt using Shooter, but his Slinger is just as strong, if not stronger. Jaiden reassured himself. There was no doubt that Gunz and Chessmaster were putting their everything into this fight, into defeating the Invincible Triangle. The stage was set. Right now, in this final game, Jaiden and Co. were facing Gunz and Chessmaster in their final forms. This was the fateful battle. The grand finale. Now, Jaiden and Co. simply had to win, and it didnt matter how that victory will be achieved. Even if Jaiden has to avoid confronting Gunz and Chessmaster for the rest of the game, it didnt matter. Getting the W was the only thing that counted in the end. Yeah, youre right, Jaiden concluded. No need to push for a risky fight here. Lets wait until we got an actual advantage, then we can go ham. Exactly. Rio nodded. We should focus on striking the enemys weak spots, not their strong ones.. You mean, striking the weakest link, right? Thats your favorite thing, huh. Yes, it is. Well, its a good strat. Jaiden nodded. Despite agreeing with Rio, it still royally sucked that Jaiden couldnt go ham against Gunz right now. But, it was important to understand that this game wasnt just about Jaiden. The entire team was fighting here together to get that sweet W Therefore, Jaiden will also focus on getting the W here. As Rio suggested, one of the best ways to achieve it was by striking the enemys weakest link. So, who was the weakest link in Stratus right now? The girl. No question about it. Jaiden didnt even need to think twice. Despite being the captain, Beat was the weakest player in Stratus. She had some minimal competence, but thats all she had. Compared to everybody else here, she was basically trash. Pure garbage. Thinking back on it, the last two games were so ez because she was our lane opponent. Turns out we were striking the weakest link without even planning to. Were natural at this. This game, Beat finally took her business elsewhere. However, she wasnt faring any better there either. Raymond was running all over her in Mid. Beat was apparently trying to play it safe, but she was still eating damage left and right. Gotta say though, Ray is rocking it this game. Raymond has always been a strong player, but now he was looking more unstoppable ever. His playstyle was usually slow and steady, but this game he confidently extended into enemy territory at every opportunity he got, while still paying careful attention to his defense. It was an amazing performance. Though, its the girls own fault for allowing all of this. Beats performance was so bad, that even a defensive player like Raymond had no qualms about going hard on the offensive against her. The girl was completely cornered. More and more damage accumulated on Beats tower. At this point, it was just a question of time. The tower will surely crumble sometime around mid-game. Raymond just needed a little bit of help for the final push. Wait, isnt this a great chance? Jaiden realized. Beat was the enemys weakest link, the target they should be focusing on. And, with just a little bit of help, the team will bust the girls defenses and take Mid Turret. It just so happened that Jaiden and Rio had the numbers advantage in lane right now, which meant they had some leeway to work with. It was a 2v1 situation, but they had no intention of exploiting it for fighting Gunz. Instead, they could use this advantage for other things, such as rotating to Mid to strike Beat down! And so, a sinister plan was about to hatch. Vol.11 Ch.16: Striking the Weakest Link! Hey Rio, my guy. I just had a stroke of genius, Jaiden started. What would you say if I rotated to Mid? That sure came out of nowhere. I know, right? But, stick with me here for a second. Were not gonna fight Gunz, right? So, theres no point for both of us to sit in lane. Instead, I can use this time to gank Mid and maybe take down the Mid tower. Sounds good. Rio nodded. Unlike Jaidens earlier suggestions, this was a level-headed idea that prioritized the teams victory. This is the Jaiden I know. So, what do you say, Ray? Jaiden asked. Want me to rotate over there? Thatll be a great help, Raymond said. Ive been pressuring Beat for a while now, but shes still holding up with some help from their Jungler. If you join in, I believe we can bust through that defense. Okay, then lets do it! Jaiden grinned. Rio, can you distract Gunz for me? I wanna sneak out unnoticed. Ill give it a shot, Rio said. Just dont get killed. If things get out of hand, make a break for it. Of course. Rio nodded. Frankly, Rio had little faith in his ability to do anything about Gunz. That guy was a beast wearing human flesh. Merely standing in front of Gunz was equivalent to attempted suicide. But, if its just about causing a diversion, even Rio should be able to do something. Okay, lets do it. Rio took a deep breath. There was at least a 30% chance Gunz will somehow kill him, no matter how careful he plays. Nothing ventured, nothing gain. Rio braced himself for the worst and mixed in with the incoming minion wave. Though, among the short soldiers, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Whats is this dude doing? Lars cocked his head. This was such an odd sight. The Cleric was traveling in the middle of the enemy formation, for some reason. The heck was that dude doing in there? Are they trying to start something? Lars glanced at the Pirate, but the dude was far away from the wave. In fact, he was too far away, much closer to the jungle entrance. It didnt feel like they were coordinating any sort of offense. Are they trying to intimidate me or something? Lars wondered. Because Im not scared, that for sure. Cleric didnt have any CC, so there was no danger in letting him get close. On top of that, DragonMaster was dead, Nirvana was in Mid. and StormMonster was in Top. So, nobody could gank the lane anytime soon. Weird. Maybe theyre trying to bait me? That Cleric was setting himself up as a juicy target, but Lars wont fall into such an obvious trap. The moment he hits the Cleric, the entire enemy gang will be on his business. I aint having that. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but Im not that dumb. But, not everything was up to Lars. The Cleric went a step further with his baiting. Once Lars started shooting the minions, the Cleric moved all over the place, trying to increase his chances of getting hit. An absolute mad lad, no other way to describe it. But, this is a legit thing. This was a niche tactic that looked bizarre at first glance, but it wasnt the first time Lars came across it. Some smartass players pulled that stuff from time to time, such as Ellen. Oh yes, she pulled that crap on Lars more than enough times. He learned a bunch of important lessons from it. Too bad for ya. Lars smiled confidently as he pointed his gun. If ya expecting me to misfire, then that aint happening! BAM. HEADSHOT. BAM. HEADSHOT. Lars fired fearlessly. He hit every single minion in the head, maximizing damage. At all times, he kept the Cleric in his field of vision, to make sure that crafty dude wont pull any sudden moves. So far, no problem. Ezpz. Such accuracy. Rio felt sweat forming on his forehead. He felt like a practice dummy with an apple on his head, while Gunz was throwing knives in his direction. But, no matter how scary the knives were, each and every one of them hit the apple on Rios head, not Rio himself. Rio even moved around to make things harder for Gunz, but not a single bullet grazed him. Gunzs accuracy was impeccable. Even if Rio were to start breakdancing and jumping all over the place, Gunz would still only hit the minions. His shooting skills put even aimbots to shame. But still, Gunz was only human. Rios presence mustve put at least a little bit of pressure on the guy. At the very least, Gunz shouldnt have the luxury to look around while he was busy keeping tabs on Rio. If so, the diversion has achieved its goal. It took Gunz a while to notice that something was amiss. Thinking of it, I dont see the Pirate do anything. Lars realized. Whats that dude up to? Last time I checked, dude was standing hella far away. Like, suspiciously far, as if he had no plans to participate in the farming. That was definitely suspect. Pirate was one of the classes that valued farming the most, yet Renegade wasnt lifting a finger to help with the farming. How come? Wait, where is that dude at? Lars looked left, right, then left again. Gone. The Pirate was nowhere in sight. Renegade vanished into thin air! What the...? Lars blinked multiple times, half-expecting Renegade to suddenly appear on the screen. But no, Renegade was gone for good. Dude just vanished, yo. Vanished? Yuel was on his way to Top, in the middle of a rescue operation, so he wasnt following the events in Bot to the finest details. The problems in Top and Mid were enough to occupy his mind. Yeah, Renegade disappeared, just like that. No idea where he went. You werent paying attention to one of your lane opponents? Yuel made a face. Well, ya see, this Cleric dude over here was making my life hard, Lars explained the situation. I had to keep my eyes on him so I dont hit him. Where did you last see Renegade? Hmm. He was kinda standing far away, somewhere around the jungle entrance. The jungle!? Yuel jumped. He connected the dots immediately. The Cleric was a diversion. Renegade slipped away into the jungle. Wha-!? Seriously!? Lars couldnt believe he didnt notice that. They planned that stuff!? Yo, these dudes are something else! Kai, a gank might be coming your way, Yuel warned. Sure, Kai answered indifferently. It didnt sound like she understood the gravity of the situation. Should she retreat? Or, maybe even recall? Yuel couldn''t tell for sure where the attack will come from, or how soon itll come. Lars didnt call missing on Renegade in time, so it was difficult to estimate Renegades current distance from Mid. As a result, Yuel had to make a call with multiple unknowns in the equation. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. No, recalling isnt an option. Mid has to be protected. Shivers ran across his skin as the gravity of the situation sunk in. If this gank goes through, the enemy will take Mid Turret right here. In other words, this game will become a repeat of the last two games. In those games, the strong offense always started from Bot. But, every time, it converted into a devastating push on Mid that sealed the fate of the game. Until now, Yuel and Lars have been keeping the enemy at bay in Bot. That shouldve been enough to prevent another disaster, but that mindset was too naive. Yuel failed to consider that the enemy could forgo Bot and strike Mid directly like this. With how much lane advantage Nirvana has established in Mid against Kai, the enemy had all the right conditions for striking the lane hard. This was a potential turning point for this game. Mid needed every help it could get. And, Yuel was still in the middle of rotating to rescue Luke in Top. He still in the jungle, relatively close to Mid. Do I turn around and go to Mid instead? Yuel weighted the value of his rescue operation against the safety of Mid Lane. Compared to the tremendous importance of Mid Turret, Lukes life was plenty expendable. If Yuel had to choose between saving one or the other, hed pick Mid Turret any day. In terms of game impact, a Turret was worth at least four kills, and a Mid Tower was worth even more. As such, defending the Mid Turret should always be a higher priority. But, that only applies when theres a similar chance of success. Yuel frowned. Im a lot closer to Top at this point, and it looks like Luke will be able to keep himself alive long enough for me to get there. So, theres a very high chance of success for this rescue operation. On the other hand, the chances my rotation will help saving Mid are... Even if Yuel makes it to Mid on time, he was just an Aquamcner, just a Support. His Overflow was in effect, but thatll only stall the enemy for so long. Alone, his presence will pose little threat. The enemy will most certainly choose to aggress on him under tower, a move he wont be able to counter well. To make things worse, StormMonster will probably kill Luke in the meantime. Then, hell be free to join the offense in Mid, turning the situation from bad to worse. We need somebody strong to defend Mid. Yuel thought. At present, there was only one option available. Lars, rotate to Mid! Stop them from taking the Turret! You sure? Lars double-checked. Dunno if I can get there in time. Maybe I should just push here? No, get to Mid. You have to stop them from taking the Turret, even if its the last thing you do. If they take Mid this early, itll be a repeat of the last games. Well, if you''re sure. Lars wasnt convinced, but there was bo time to argue. Yuel was the shot-caller, so it was best to trust his judgment on stuff like that. I dunno, tho. Lars thought. I feel like this is a great chance to push Bot. That Cleric cant do shit against me. So, while everybody is busy elsewhere, I could take Bot tower ez. That sounds more like a Yuel plan than what hes asking me to do right now. Oh well. Lars rolled forward with Dodge Roll, then immediately rolled again with Combat Roll. Gunslinger didnt have any speed buff abilities, so this was the best he could do to give himself a little head start. Hopefully, he wont get there too late... Gunz is leaving the lane, Rio reported. Looks like they realized. Well, too late! Jaiden popped out of the jungle, right behind the enemys Mid Turret. Im already here! Ill go there too, just in case. Rio ventured into the jungle as well. Even though the enemy left Bot completely defenseless for him, there wasnt much point in pushing alone as a Support. Rios DPS wasnt nearly high enough to quickly clear minions and deal substantial damage to the tower. As such, it was better to rotate to the scene of the action and provide support as needed. Thanks to the speed buff from Godspeed, he should be able to outrun Gunz and reach Mid first. An all-out attack was about to commence in Mid! The only one missing on the action was Nash. An ally has been killed! "Gaaaaah!" Nash held his head. "I was so close! Almost got that sweet double kill!" Dont worry, Jaiden reassured. Im about to make up for that in Mid. He fired at his opponents defenseless back. Agh! From behind!? Kai jumped. She heard a gank was coming, but she didnt expect it to come from behind her! How did her wards fail to catch the enemys rotation route!? Oh, looks like I barely warded. Kai realized as she glanced at the mini-map. She barely had any vision in Bot Jungle. What the hell was she doing until now? Why didnt she ward more!? Actually, there was a very good reason for it. Nirvana has been forcing her to farm under tower the entire game, which meant she was lagging behind on gold. That made her face a difficult dilemma: should she exclusively prioritize her item build to catch up with Nirvana? Or, should she spare some cash on wards too? With her gold disadvantage, she already struggled hard enough to keep up with Nirvanas build. So, spending extra gold on wards was only going to make her build fall behind. That wasnt allowed to happen. Kai had to keep up with Nirvanas build. This formidable opponent has been pushing her back the entire game. Nirvana was stronger than her, there was no point denying it at this point. She was already losing horribly against him in fights, so losing to him in item build on top of that would spell doom. Thus, Kai prioritized her item build over wards. She still squeezed in as many wards as she could between her purchases, but they werent nearly enough to cover both sides of the jungle. As a result, there were many blind spots in Bot Jungle. Far too many. Because of that, even though Renegade wasnt nearly as stealthy as Nia, even he slipped by unnoticed and surprised Kai from behind. In the end, it felt like Kai was doomed no matter whether she prioritized wards or items... Im just that bad, huh. Kai cracked a weak laugh. This was so lame. She was so bad. How did she even get herself into such an unwinnable position? She hasnt even done anything this game yet. This entire game, Kai was just playing it safe, making sure the enemy wont get the jump on her like in the last two games. And yet, it was happening all over again... No matter what she tried, Kai was just bad. A bad, weak, and terrible player. Total trash. Bronze rank would be a compliment for her. Looks like Renegade was right after all. Kai lowered her head. Maybe I really dont deserve to play on this stage yet. I wasnt prepared for any of this. Perhaps, all the cocky bastards from Taurus, who laughed at her earlier, were right as well. Kai did nothing but drag the team down. She couldnt win at anything. So, at the very least, she should try to avoid feeding the enemy. Can I get away somehow? Kai checked her surroundings. Behind her was Regendae, firing bullets at her back. In front of her was Nirvana, preparing his ultimate. Wait, hes casting his ult!? Kai jumped in her seat. Why didnt she notice sooner!? It was all over... No, not yet. Kai shook her head. What are my options? There gotta be something. At a glance, her best option was to retreat along the lane. Meaning, shed have to run past Renegade. Thatd lead to a world of hurt, but she should be able to survive. I dont remember anybody calling Renegades ult being down, so Kraken might be a thing. Kai searched her memory. Admittedly, her lane situation was so bad that she didnt have the luxury to pay attention to other lanes. But, Kraken is something I can roll, at least. On the other hand, if Tornado catches me, then its all over. The enemy pressed her between a rock and a hard place, and there was no time to mull over it. Kai had no choice but to pick the torture that sounded less brutal. I gotta run! Kai turned around and dashed in the direction of her Golem. Damn, the fuck is wrong with me? I shouldve started running way sooner! Run! Run!!! But, it was too late. The tornado was already chasing Kai, gradually pulling her in. All the while, Renegade was drilling her with bullets. Youre not getting away, Jaiden stated confidently as he fired. Like I thought, this gal is the weakest link. Beats laning has been awful the entire game, and even her response to this gank was terrible. She shouldve started running right away, but instead she wasted time looking around like a lost child. Raymond even had enough time to unleash his Tornado. The girl was doomed. Lame. Jaiden thought. Who in their right would follow a weak captain like this? This girl is trash. They shouldve made Gunz or Chessmaster their captain, not this scrub. This girl had no right to claim that important role, and neither did she have the necessary skill to compete on this stage. Jaiden will make sure to drill that truth into her! With each bullet, Jaiden stripped Beat of her rights. The right to be the captain. The right to play on the first-string. The right to be on this stage today. The right to play Classmancers competitively. He wont be satisfied until he destroys everything about this girl. She was trash and she belonged in the trash can. Ill make that crystal clear to everybody whos watching this game. Jaiden relentlessly fired at the girl, who was struggling to do something as simple as retreating into her own territory. No matter how hard Beat ran against the flow of wind, she couldnt escape the strong pull of Tornado. She was like a practice dummy for Jaiden. No matter how desperately she tried to get away, she could barely move anywhere. She was a sitting duck. You have killed an enemy! Jaiden murdered Beat. He severed the enemys weakest link. Now, it was time to take control over Mid and win the game! Vol.11 Ch.17: Fear of the Beast With Beat out of the picture, it was time to party hard on Mid! Okay, lets take the tower! Jaiden ran toward the enemys tower area. Yes, lets do it. Raymond also entered the tower area. They had a full squad of minions tanking the towers shots, so they were free to wreck the Turret to their hearts content. Or, so they thought. Not so fast! Lars emerged from the jungle, right behind Jaiden. BAM! HEADSHOT! Wha-!? Jaiden jumped. Already here!? Dang, thats not good! Terror gripped Jaiden, freezing him in place. It was the beast. The executioner. The deadeye sniper. Gunz was here! And, the beast was out for blood! W-We better pull away! Jaiden rolled across the tower area, heading deeper into the lane. He had to get away, or else a combo of headshots will assault him- BAM! CRITICAL! Another bullet, another headshot. Jaiden just recovered from the roll, but a bullet already found its way into his skull. It was amazing. Gunzs bullets were attracted to Jaidens head like magnets. There was no escape from them. Until Jaiden creates enough distance, he wont be safe. Nobody was safe against this raging phenomenon. Yes, it was a phenomenon. That was no human being assaulting Jaiden right now. It was a natural phenomenon that created bullets and hammered them into peoples skulls. That was the only way to describe Gunzs unnatural accuracy. BAM! Another bullet. This one didnt hit Jaiden, but it clearly hit something. There was an impact sound and everything. Did he miss me? Jaiden wondered. Nah, no way. That aimbot never misses. Gunz mustve hit something. But, what? Or rather, who? There was only one possible answer. Ray, you better get away from him! Jaiden warned. As he feared, Raymond was much slower on the uptake. Unlike Jaiden, who ran for his life at a moment''s notice, Raymond retreated slowly and methodically, getting as many shots as possible on the Mid Turret on his way out. He didnt understand the gravity of this situation! Why are you so flustered? Raymonds tone was eerily calm despite the terrifying situation. Its like he didnt register Gunz as a threat at all. There are two of us here and Gunz is alone. We got the advantage. Well, yeah, but... Logically, Jaiden understood that the odds shouldve been in their favor. However, hard as he tried, he couldnt shake off the sense of dread. If I get within three meters of that monster, he gone tear me apart. Jaiden gulped. Fighting Gunz just once taught him a harsh lesson. It was impossible to combat this monster, or was it? Id really appreciate your help. Raymond stood up to the monster. He fired Squall, then immediately summoned a Jet Stream between himself and Gunz. Crap! Lars rolled away in the nick of time. Ive seen this setup like a hundred times today. Ya aint hitting me with this crap again! The moment Lars saw the Squall, he knew it gonna hit if he didnt move. Distance didnt matter against that setup. The Jet Stream granted Squall an unexpected boost and distance that caught Lars off-guard many times today. But, enough was enough. Heck yeah, git rolled! Lars recovered from the roll and fired, aiming at Nirvanas head for that sweet critical damage. BAM! HEADSHOT! At least, it shouldve been... I missed...? Lars couldnt tell what just happened. He ate a counter-attack before he had time to process the situation. The enemy fired a gust of wind that traveled through Jet Stream, gained sudden acceleration, and then crashed into Lars before he had the chance to fully sidestep it. Thankfully, the damage wasnt that high, as it was the case with most mages basic attacks. Nevertheless, eating too many of these counters wont be healthy. More importantly, how did Lars miss his shot in the first place? His aim shouldve been spot-on, yet the bullet whiffed. How? Why? Maybe I fudged something up. Lars looked at the Jet Stream again. The wind current blew against him, which meant his bullets slowed down as they passed through the Jet Stream. On top of that, the bullets range was shorter. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. But, Lars accounted for all of that. From this close, none of these factors shouldve been being a problem. Larss bullets should still be able to reach their target no problem. As such, there was no explanation for that whiff. Imma just go for it again. Lars fired one more time, aiming at the Aeromancers upper body. This time, Imma land this headshot for sure! But, he didnt. Yet again, his bullet missed. Nah, I didnt miss. Lars grinned. That dude sidestepped it! This time, Lars had no doubt in his mind. His aim was on point, yet the bullet failed to graze Nirvanas head. Why? Because the guy moved aside right before the bullet reached him! I knew he was good, but not THAT good! Lars felt something burning inside him. This dude was awesome! Lars was using Gunslinger, his strongest form, and yet there was somebody who could stand up to him. It was the best thing ever! Lars definitely had to win this one! Lets see here. Lars stopped for a moment to better assess the situation. The wind is making things easier for him. I gotta figure how to play around that first. The reach reduction part of Jet Stream wasnt the problem. Larss bullets had no trouble reaching their destination even as they passed through the blowing wind. The real culprit was the slowdown the bullets suffered. That made them easier to sidestep. On top of that, the Aeromancer was moving fast as heck right now. He has just finished unpacking his entire kit, so his passive boosted his Movement Speed through the roof. He was the fastest sidestepper in the entire world! I hafta go all out if I wanna beat this dude. Lars concentrated his everything on this one foe. Forget map awareness, forget the other dude on the lane, and forget defending the lane. Me vs. Nirvana. Right here and now. Lets gooooo! Thats all Lars could think about. Ive been waiting for this the entire day. Theyve been clashing the entire day, but none of these fights truly satisfied Lars. As a mage, Lars wasnt strong enough to compete with a dude who genuinely mained Mid. And, when Lars played Trickshooter last game, Nirvana always dodged fights. But now, against Larss Gunslinger, Nirvana finally decided to stand his ground and fight for real. It was a proper duel! Neither side could yield. Lars had to keep fighting in order to protect the super important Mid Turret, whereas his opponent had to push hard because this was a golden opportunity to do so. Neither of them was willing to give up. Then, lets see how ya handle this! Lars rolled diagonally with Combat Roll, getting around the Jet Stream. This thing is in the way. I cant hit headshots with them slow shots. I hafta shoot fast and furious, yooooo! Even in Ranked, few players could sidestep Larss slowed bullets. However, Nirvana pulled it off without breaking a sweat. Dude was legit fire! Thats why I gotta shut him down, right here and now! To do so, Lars had to fire from an angle from which Jet Stream couldnt interfere. And, his new position was perfect to do just that. Im going all out, yooooo! Lars booted Fan the Hammer and took aim. BAM! HEADSHOT! BAM! HEADSHOT! Wha-!? Raymond barely had a chance to flitch. The bullets came flying at him one after another without rest, yet they were all so accurate. As soon as Raymond started sidestepping an incoming shot, the bullet has already dug itself into his skull. Gunz was firing like a machine. So, this has to be what made Jaiden so concerned. Raymond finally understood. Indeed, this combination of accuracy and speed is deadly. It was one critical hit after another. In a 1v1, nobody here stood a chance against this flawless machine. But, Raymond wasnt fighting alone here. As such, there was no reason to confront this beast all by himself. BAM! Another shot rang. Raymond already knew he wouldnt be able to sidestep in time. And, rolling wasnt an option either because the enemys two headshots crippled him. Such was the benefit Combat Roll granted to the headshots that followed it. To make things worse, a third headshot will outright stun Raymond. And, it was bound to happen at this point. There was no point in resisting the inevitable. Instead of focusing on dodging, Raymond addressed his lane companion. Jaiden, hit him with Kraken! He cant move right now. Ah, right! Jaiden snapped out of his analysis paralysis. He has been following the fight from afar this entire time, too scared to commit to any move. Raymond was supposed to fully retreat by now, just like Jaiden did. However, Gunz captured the captain and locked him in place. The third headshot connected and stunned Raymond. It was a terrible situation for Raymond, but this stun leaked an important piece of information that Jaiden failed to notice until now. The stun effect proved that Gunz used his Combat Roll when he rolled around Raymonds Jet Stream. It was difficult to distinguish between Combat Roll and Dodge Roll at a glance, so Jaiden wasnt entirely sure which of the two it was until now. The cripple effect would have been damning evidence as well, but it wasnt as visually obvious as a stun to a bystander, so Jaiden failed to pay attention to it. But, now everything was clear: Gunz has spent his Combat Roll! Fan the Hammer was a powerful tool, but it had one terrible weakness: it couldnt be manually canceled in the middle of the action. Combat Roll was the only skill the Gunslinger could use to interrupt his own Fan the Hammer. And, with that already spent, it meant Gunz literally couldnt move from his spot while shooting right now! No matter how much of a monster Gunz was, even he couldnt disregard the games rules. Therefore, he was completely defenseless against a Kraken! RELEASE THE- Ack!? Lars almost bit his tongue. Crap, I fudged up! He was so preoccupied with beating Nirvana, that he completely forgot about the existence of Renegade and the threat of Kraken. He was done for! Nuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!! Lars rotated here to defend Mid. However, instead, he somehow found himself overextending on the offense. Gah! We gonna lose Mid because of me! It was over for them. Lars will die here, then the enemy will take Mid and steamroll from there. And, itll all be thanks to Larss carelessness. This outcome was like the selection match against Ellen all over again... Vol.11 Ch.18: The Flaws of Playing Safe RELEASE THE- the Pirate shouted at the top of his lungs. He was about to unleash this devastating attack on a prey who couldnt budge from his spot! It was over. Jaiden was about to topple the unbeatable beast! WHOOSH! Water erupted from the ground. Whoa-!? Jaiden found himself floating in mid-air all of a sudden. His casting was interrupted. Dang, he made it!? It was Aquamancers Geyser Eruption. A wild Chessmaster appeared! Yooooooo, dude! Lars jumped in his seat. Hed totally hug Yuel right now if he had the luxury to do so. That was one heck of a save! Focus on the Aeromancer, Yuel said sharply. They had no time to waste. This was a critical situation and every millisecond counted. They had to diffuse this terrible situation as neatly as possible and keep the Mid Turret alive. Im on it! Lars whiffed his fourth headshot. The dread of the incoming Kraken distracted him for just a moment, making him lose the delicate concentration necessary for landing consecutive headshots. But, the storm has passed. Now, the 200% accuracy sniper was back in business! And, his target was still stunned, so this gonna be was ezpz. BAM! Another headshot! Nirvana was already down to 30% HP. Lars needed like three more headshots to seal the deal. With Yuel here, there was nothing to worry about! Lars could keep pressing this offense all the way through and kill Nirvana! Or, so he thought. In a blink of an eye, Nirvanas HP went up from 30% to 40%. Eh? Lars blinked. What kinda wizardry was that? Potions couldnt restore that much HP all at once. These little bottles always took their sweet time, filling up the health bar one pixel at a time. Aeromancer didnt have any healing abilities either and dude was stunned in the first place. So, what gives? As Lars strained his eyes, he noticed a figure standing behind Nirvana. It was the Cleric, Laplace. When did that guy even get there!? Retreat, Yuel ordered. Yeah... Lars grumped but nonetheless followed the instructions. With the Cleric here, the tides shifted back in the enemys favor. Lars and Yuel had no choice but to fall back to the tower. The unexpected rotation from the Cleric halted the entire momentum of the fight. Thanks, Rio, Raymond said. You saved me. I just healed you a little, Rio said. Its not just that. Your presence here made them give up their offense. Raymond deduced as much from the enemys movements. The enemy figured theyll struggle in a 2v3 situation, so they fell back. In fact, Rios presence here has shifted the tides in our favor. Raymond reasoned. Lane control returned to Taurus, so they could keep raiding the Mid Turret. But, should we? Raymond pondered. Normally, he wanted nothing more than to disengage once the situation became risky. But, was that really the right thing to do here? The Gunslinger no longer had his Fan the Hammer and the Aquamancers Overflow wasnt ready yet. On top of that, Geyser Eruption was on cooldown. In other words, the enemy didnt have access to their most threatening tools. Meanwhile, Jaiden still had his Kraken that was interrupted earlier, and Rio had his Arise. As such, Taurus was winning here not only in terms of sheer numbers but also in terms of utility and threat levels. No matter how strong Gunz and Chessmaster were, their skill alone wont be able to make up for this objective advantage. Therefore... Well keep pushing, Raymond declared. We will? Jaiden blinked. Where did that come from? I was SO ready to retreat. Taking on Gunz and Chessmaster together is suicide. We cant beat these pros. Im aware this is a risky move, Raymond explained. But, you still have your Kraken, Rio has Arise, and our opponents have just spent their best tools. But, theyre hella strong, Jaiden argued. Right, Rio? I think I agree with Raymond, here, Rio said. You do? The odds are in our favor. Their tower got less than 20% left. If you focus on attacking it, youll take it down in a couple of seconds. Thats true, but... Jaiden knotted his brows. This was dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Gunz was a beast and Chessmaster was like a professional bodyguard. Challenging those two together meant preparing for trouble and making it double. Rio talked so much about how dangerous it was to fight those two, but now hes agreeing? What kind of madness is this? Jaiden couldnt compute at first, but then it finally hit him. Wait, he got a point Sure, its risky to challenge them... unless we got a huge advantage! This was it, the perfect opportunity for Jaiden to challenge Gunz and Chessmaster! This 3v2 situation, in which Jaidens camp had better tools, offered exactly the kind of overwhelming advantage they needed against the ex-StormBlitz monsters. With this much advantage, Jaidens gang will easily crush Gunz and Chessmaster! Okay, lets do it! Jaiden grinned. Keep them busy. Ill take the tower. You got it. Raymond nodded. Thats the Jaiden I know. Rio smiled warmly. It seemed like Jaiden finally grew accustomed to the presence of Chessmaster and Gunz. They were formidable foes who shouldnt be challenged carelessly, but they werent unbeatable. With the right amount of advantage, Jaiden could and should tackle them. At their essence, Chessmaster and Gunz were just regular players in this game. Yes, they were skilled. Yes, they were monsters wearing human skin. Nevertheless, they were playing Classmancers like everybody else here, therefore they were bound by the same rules. When the situation was objectively disadvantageous, even geniuses like Chessmaster and Gunz were bound to struggle. In that sense, they were no different than any other player. Objectively, no matter how skilled they were, they had no method for coming on top in this situation. Therefore, this push will surely go through! So, they decided to push. Yuel frowned. The enemy advanced without fear. They were confident in their ability to contest the tower here and that confidence was well-founded. Yuel and Lars exhausted their most threatening tools, so they werent particularly scary defenders. On the other hand, the enemy still had Kraken in store. That alone was enough to put tremendous pressure on the defenders. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I think we lost the tower, Yuel reasoned. Lets just play this safe and defend as long as we can, then retreat. Gotcha, Lars didnt object. He could already tell it gonna be a futile struggle, but what else could they do? Attack? Haha, lets not. Lars went through enough near-death experiences in the last couple of seconds. He came here to defend the lane, so hell defend. This wasnt the time to launch any risky attacks. An allied Turret has been destroyed! In the end, Mid Turret fell. Yuel and Lars couldnt protect it from imminent destruction. They did their best to stall and injure the attacker. But, eventually, they had no choice but to retreat to their Mid Golem. At least we stalled them enough. Yuel sighed in relief. Luke has finished restoring himself to full health and joined them at the Golem. In addition, Vincent was about to revive and join the defense efforts as well. The enemys push will not go any further. Good job. Raymond nodded in satisfaction. Lets take our leave here. Hey, we can take the Griffins on the way, Jaiden suggested. Yeah, lets do that, Raymond agreed. The trio headed toward the Griffin Camp in Top Jungle and wiped it out. Hey, Rio, Jaiden whispered. Is it just me, or is Ray acting like an awesome captain all of a sudden? I think so too, Rio agreed. Looks like he finally started taking things seriously. Jaiden grinned. But, we cant lose to him. Lets regroup and pull some crazy stuff too! Yeah, totally! Nash tuned in. Ray is a beast and all, but we cant let these guys forget about us, the Invincible Triangle! We gonna end their whole careers! Since when this became a competition? Rio narrowed his eyes. Then again, this was business as usual with those two. It was a silly form of competition, but it was fun in its own ways. Even Rio was burning with a strong desire. Their opponents in this game were more than worthy of respect. They were strong and fierce, borderline unstoppable. Just like everybody else, Rio also wanted to go all out against Stratus and emerge victorious. And, more than anything, he wanted Jaiden to take this game. I hope itll finally free him from his past. Rio could only pray. Even now, after so many exchanges, Jaiden was still giving Chessmaster and Gunz the special treatment. I dont like that. It was painful watching Jaiden being haunted by the wraiths of the past. So, Rio will exorcise them all. These phantoms wont have power over Jaiden anymore. Winning as the Invincible Triangle should do the trick. Rio reasoned. The so-called Invincible Triangle was the fruit of Jaiden, Rio, and Nashs hard labor. It was the ultimate proof of their friendship and teamwork. It shall become the blade to cut the chains tying Jaiden to the past! Meanwhile, in the opposite camp, an air of uncertainty was hanging in the air. Say, was that defense really worth it? Lars referred to the feeble resistance they put on in Mid. Maybe Im missing something here, but it feels wack. We didnt achieve much of anything there. You think it was worth it? It was an attempt... Yuel pursed his lips. He was the one who suggested that plan, so he had a natural urge to defend it. But, this was no time to worry about his own ego. Yeah, it wasnt my brightest idea. Id even say it was a misplay. Yep, had a feeling. Lars nodded. Im not gonna pretend like I know much about them tactics and whatnot, but that rotation felt way too defensive. I was expecting you to tell me to push Bot instead so we can trade towers. Yes, youre right. That mightve been the smarter course of action. Yuel lowered his head. This was beyond embarrassing. Even the goof figured a better line of play than Yuel. Seriously, what was I thinking back then? Of course, he knew exactly what he was thinking at the time. To put it simply, he was scared. The possibility of the enemy gaining momentum in Mid terrified Yuel to the core. It made him recall the past two games and how they were single-handedly decided by such developments. As a result, he had a strong urge to prevent that from happening, no matter what. In the end, the plan backfired. They failed to defend Mid and they didnt gain anything in return for their efforts. Too defensive. Too cautious. Too slow. How many times has Yuel heard such criticism toward his shot-calling by now? Ever since joining Stratus, everybody was on his case. He heard it from Lars, from Vincent, from Kai, and even from Aron. Many different people criticized his shot-calling on various occasions. Yuel always made excuses, claiming he was playing it safe and smart to not overextend. It wasnt a lie, he truly believed that. In order to avoid repeating the mistakes he committed during the StormBlitz selection match, Yuel had to dial down the risks in his shot-calling. His team had to play safer to stand a chance against Howards StormBlitz, thats what he believed. But, where did that lead him? To the current situation. Yuel tried to play it safe and avoided trading towers, but what was the result? Mid Turret was lost and nothing was gained. Yuel wasted the Carrys precious time to reap zero benefits. It was risky, but I shouldve told Lars to push Bot. Yuel admitted. Playing safe was a misplay in that situation. It failed to stop the enemy and it didnt gain the team anything in return. It was a waste of time and resources. There was nothing smart or intelligent about that call. Unlike Yuel, the enemy team took a risk with that play and it rewarded them nicely. Renegades gank on Mid came with many risks, but Taurus accepted these risks and pushed ahead with the plan anyway. By accepting the risk, Taurus created an opportunity to take Mid Turret. It was a huge play that swung the entire momentum of the game in their favor. I wish I could play like that too. Somewhere deep down, Yuel was jealous. Risky plays with a big payoff were his favorite. That feeling of venturing down the dangerous path to find riches was second to none. It used to be one of the core principles of Yuels shot-calling. But, the selection match against Howard made Yuel realize the hard truth: risks were too dangerous on the competitive scene. Yuels shot-calls were great when they worked, but they led to devastating consequences when countered. As such, he couldnt rely on such flawed tactics against high-level opponents. Safety and stability were the most important. The team had to play safe and steady, that was Yuels new mantra. The team would play it safe until the enemy commits a glaring mistake, then the team will mount one big counter-attack. This was the core principle behind Yuels new shot-calling approach. He thought that, by prioritizing safety and minimizing risk, hell be able to avoid the disasters he suffered during the selection match. But, thats not good enough either. Yuel realized that now. Or, rather, the enemy forced him to realize that with their recent play. If the team plays it too safe and constantly avoids risks, the enemy will have too much freedom to do as they please. They wont be scared of any counter-play that involved taking risks because Stratus constantly avoided those. Renegade rotated to Mid with a lot of confidence, probably not even considering the possibility of Lars choosing to trade towers. After all, doing so required taking a big risk, so Stratus would definitely avoid a play like that, right? And, precisely because this possibility slipped past the enemys radar, Yuel shouldve gone for it. Tower trading wouldve served as a solid counter to Renegades rotation. Mid Turret was worth more than Bot Turret, so that trade would have still favored the enemy. Nevertheless, taking an enemy tower was a better trade than what they got from the defensive play, which was a whole lot of nothing. We wont win if we keep playing safe. Yuel concluded. A safe and steady approach didnt cut it against fearless opponents who were willing to go for high-risk high-reward plays. Of course, it couldve worked if the enemy committed more punishable mistakes. But, this was the competitive stage. Their opponents were strong. The few mistakes they made often demanded the punisher to take risks of their own in order to deliver proper punishment. Therefore, to take the initiative and swing the game back in their favor, Stratus had to commit to some big plays too. They couldnt keep hiding inside their shells the entire day, they had to go on the offensive as well. Especially now, that they had Lars to carry the team, it was more doable than ever. We have to attack, Yuel concluded. We cant keep defending all day. Yep, thats what Im talking about! Lars nodded repeatedly. Ya know, Ive also been playing it safe and all, thinking about how I cant make any mistakes and whatnot. But, that aint gonna cut it, not against these dudes. We gotta give em some heat too, yo! Just lemme at them. Imma carry the team all the way to the win, believe it! Yeah, I believe that. Yuel felt the same way. They both have been holding back this game. No, not just this game. Theyve been holding themselves back for a long time now, prioritizing caution over aggression. That was the important lesson they learned after losing the first-string to Howard. But, they clearly took it too far. At this point, they were overcompensating for their past mistakes. It was time for them to come out of their shells. They definitely learned an important lesson during the StormBlitz selection match. They understood they had to be more careful about how they conducted their offense, but that didnt mean they had to give up on it entirely. Sometimes, taking a risk was necessary in order to win. To turn this game around, Stratus had to strike at some point. If the enemy was refusing to show any openings, then Yuel shall create one himself. Hell tear the enemys defenses wide open and help Lars deliver a fatal blow! With that new determination, the clash between Stratus and Taurus was about to enter its final stages. It was already the mid-game and Straus was missing a Mid Turret. Could they still make a comeback from this disadvantageous position!? Vol.11 Ch.19: Playing Around the Triangle After Taurus destroyed the Mid Turret, they retreated and havent made any big moves for a while. They mustve been waiting for DragonMaster and StormMonster to respawn before conducting any big attacks. That actually played in Stratuss favor, since it gave Vincent and Kai time to respawn as well. Before long, the board state will return to its natural state of a 5v5. But, just because each side will all five soldiers available, it didnt mean theyll spread across the lanes like in the early-game. This was mid-game, the phase of team fights. Instead of maintaining a meta formation across lanes, players stuck together to fight as a team. Any form of solo conduct became much rarer and was usually frowned upon. Teammates prioritized traveling together in duos and trios, and sometimes they even all gathered in one area. Thats the kind of chaotic game board Im dealing with. Yuel thought. Regardless, I have to find a winning strategy on it. Stratus was at a grim disadvantage in Mid, but the rest of the playing field was mostly even. Taurus held an advantage in Top in terms of tower damage, but Stratus held a similar advantage in Bot. It was still anybodys game at this point, but the opening in Mid was like a gaping hole in the teams defenses. Id like to launch a preemptive attack to deflect attention from Mid, but... Yuel knotted his brows. Its no good. Were in no position to strike first. Ill probably have to give the enemy the first turn. Whats up? Lars asked. We aint attacking? Lets wait and see what they do first, Yuel said. Wait, didnt ya just say we need to attack more? We should go all in, like BOOM and BAM and smack these dudes! Yes, I said we need to get more aggressive, but we cant overdo it. No matter how you look at it, launching a preemptive attack from a 4v5 position is risky. Yeah, I guess thats fair. Kai was the last player to die, so she was the last one to revive as well. As a result, the enemy finished assembling their team first. It was a 4v5 situation, so launching an attack here would be beyond reckless. There was no choice but to wait for the enemy to make the first move. No matter what the enemy attempts, Kai will be up and running by the time their attack reaches Stratuss territory. Stratus should be able to deflect anything that comes. As expected, the enemy concentrated their main forces on Mid Lane. The infamous triangle of Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace opened an aggressive push. Here they come! Vincent made noise. The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom! Can we withstand its unstoppable force!? Calm down, man. Luke cracked a nervous laugh. Dont say ominous stuff like Certain Doom. Ya gonna jinx us all. These guys are ez. We got this! Yeah, no problem, Lars tuned in. Indeed, Vincent agreed. With the Golden Duo on our side, there is no telling what fate awaits us all. We might even trample over the unbeatable triangle of misfortune! Yeah, now youre talking! Luke pumped a fist. Lets wreck them scrubs! Lets go, yoooo! Lars also pumped a fist. The three goofs made a lot of noise, but it was reassuring somehow. It injected everybody with a much-needed dose of fighting spirit. Yuel usually disliked it when these goofs banded together to make noise, but right now he was thankful for their loud positivity. During difficult times, maintaining high morale was of utmost importance. Yuel wasnt very good at motivating his teammates, so it was great he had three loud goofs to cover up for him. While the trio was getting everybody pumped up for battle, Yuel also had to contribute in the best way he knew. We know where their triangle is going to push, but where are the other two? Yuel carefully examined the mini-map. So far, there were no signs of Nirvana and DragonMaster. Perhaps they were farming one of the jungle camps before heading to any of the lanes. Are they planning to attack Bot or Top? Yuel couldnt tell. They might even join the offense in Mid for all we know. In fact, a concentrated five-man push on Mid seemed extremely likely, given how things turned out in the last two games. A fierce push on Mid led to Stratuss defeat twice in a row, but not this game. Its okay, focus on Mid, by all means. This time, Im ready for you. Yuel has already come up with multiple counter ideas against a five-man push on Mid. Stratus will no longer sit under tower and stall 24/7. This time, if Taurus attempts a five-man push on Mid, Stratus will launch a counter-attack! Taurus hasnt gained nearly as much early-game advantage as in previous games, so Stratus had every reason to strike back against a risky push. But, unfortunately, the enemy seemed to understand the risks as well. Zeph, lets push Top, Raymond ordered after they finished clearing the Wraith Camp. Wait, were not joining the juniors in Mid? Zeph cocked his head. No, we dont. Why not? We got things rolling in Mid. These scrubs now gonna stand there and defend all day long, just like the last two games. Its the perfect chance to crush em and end this shit. We dont have as much advantage as we had in those games, Raymond explained. We took their Mid Turret, but thats about it. In terms of kills, were currently even at 2:2. We also dont have an advantage in terms of numbers right now, so focusing all our forces on one lane will do us little good. Yeah, makes sense. Zeph nodded. Alrighty, then Top it is. Ive already wrecked that tower pretty bad, so it gonna be ez to take it down. Also, I bet these scrubs gonna be scared shitless by that push in Mid, so they gonna focus all their defenses there. We might even take Top without any resistance. Easiest shit ever. Perhaps. I wouldnt count on it, personally. Raymond thought. It was more than likely the enemy will dispatch somebody to defend Top. Therefore, Raymond and Zeph had to launch their attack swiftly and give their enemies no time to react. So, theyre going for Top. Yuel deduced. One of his wards spotted Nirvana traversing through Top Jungle. Since this was the mid-game, it was unlikely the captain would travel alone, so DragonMaster was surely right behind him. These wards are already putting in work. Thats good. Yuel nodded in satisfaction at a job well done. During the short downtime, before the enemys push on Mid began, Yuel traveled all over the map and placed as many Sentry Wards as humanly possible. It cost him a pretty penny and delayed his build, but it was an extremely important investment. With Kai and Luke both lagging behind on gold, the team was missing wards in many spots. Having blind spots was fatal during the more critical moments of the match, so Yuel had to cover up for it all by himself. All in all, it was a good investment. Yuel thought. Thanks to his extra effort, the team spotted the enemys rotation as soon as it started. That gave Stratus more than enough time to respond. Who should I dispatch to defend? Yuel pondered. The enemy was coming after Top Turret with two attackers, Berserker and Aeroamcner. Was it possible to deflect both attackers with a single defender? Unfortunately, it wasnt doable. Stratus didnt have a class that could single-handedly defend against this mixed aggression. Berserker had an oppressive offense, especially when he booted Berserk mode. And, Aeromancer had good tools for supplementing that overwhelming offense, especially with fast wave-clearing and CC. One defender wont cut it against this duo. Yuel had to dispatch at least two people to Top. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Who should I pick? Yuel knotted his brows. They have to be able to contest Nirvanas clearing speed, as well as survive DragonMasters offense. Oftentimes, the only one who could challenge a mages clearing speed during the mid-game was a fellow mage. This game was no exception, so Kai will have to head to Top. As for countering Berserk, the team had access to only one ult terrifying enough to scare away a Berserker. It was the Vikings Unstoppable Raid. Vincent, Kai, Yuel decided. Can you please defend Top? Youre the best match against these attackers. Im on the case, sir! Vincent saluted. Sure, Kai replied indifferently. Kai still looks down. Yuel thought. Ever since the previous game, Kai hasnt been her usual self. She hasnt been emitting her usual fighting spirit, not even one bit. For a player who often got drunk on aggression, this felt extremely unnatural. It was no surprise her performance felt so lackluster this game. Lars, Vincent, and even Luke all tried to cheer her up every now and then, to no avail. Its as if Kai was drowning inside the mud and nobody could pull her out. And, naturally, if the others couldnt accomplish it, then Yuel had no chance either. Will they be alright in Top? Yuel gulped. Maybe entrusting Kai with this important task was a bad idea. But, what other choice was there? Sorcerer was their only class that could contest a mid-game Aeromancer. There were no viable alternative solutions here. Ill just have to trust Kai on this one. Yuel concluded. Its not like shes playing THAT bad. Even with her spirits dampened, Kai was still trying her best. She underperformed for sure, but she wasnt throwing the game by any means. Her responses were slower than usual and she was overly passive, but otherwise, she still contributed as much as she could. So, at least on defense, she should be able to get the job done. Hopefully. Unfortunately, I dont have the spare time to worry about this. Yuel thought. The enemys infamous triangle has already arrived in Mid. Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace. They were decent players separately, but together they turned into an unstoppable force. Yuel, Lars, and Luke will have to do their best to stop this force in its tracks. It wont be easy. Alrighty! Nash grinned as he charged in. Lets go, lets go, lets gooooooooo! Right behind you. Jaiden followed up. Dont do anything reckless, Rio warned as he ran by Jaidens side. Remember, Gunz is here. Heh. Nash lifted his chin. I eat scrubs like him for breakfast! Sounds like your breakfasts are very tough, Rio said. Nah, they go down real easy! Haha. Its okay, Rio, Jaiden reassured. Its true that Gunz is dangerous, but hes just one guy. He cant deal with all of us at once. But, he might pick one of us off if we overextend, Rio argued. Yeah, thats true. But, no problem. Ill be keeping tabs on him, so you can go wild, Nash. If Gunz gets close, Ill help you out. Counting on ya, fam. And so, their triangle formation for pushing was set. Nash was on the front, with Jaiden and Rio following him from the sides. It was a triangle that looked like the tip of an arrow, pointing straight at their destination - the Mid Golem. Nashs build prioritized power during the early-game, but he gradually integrated more defense into it, turning it into a balanced build. This was an intentional curve that allowed him to go wild during the early-game and also serve as the Triangles frontline during the mid-game. Unfortunately, Nashs tankiness wasnt quite ready yet. His death earlier held him back in terms of gold, so he didnt finish building all the items he wanted in time. But, we gotta strike while the iron is hot! Nash believed. Imma be the frontline, even if it means these dudes might focus me. Jai and Rio will cover for me if that happens, so no worries there. With that said, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding how the enemy will deal with this situation. They had three defenders: Knight, Gunslinger, and Aqumancer. In other words, a bruiser, a marksman, and a support mage. These were the same exact roles the Triangle had. In other words, as far as lineups were concerned, the enemy had all the right tools for contesting the Triangle, even outside the Golems area. But, will they, though? Say, Rio, Jaiden started. Do you think theyll fight us outside the Golem area? Hard to say. It depends on how much they value their farm. As the defenders, why would the enemy ever consider fighting outside the Golems range? Simple, because they didnt want to lose on any farm. Sitting under the Golem meant allowing minions to invade, which will result in a reduced gold gain. The defenders were already put in a position in which theyll have to split the earnings of a single wave among three people, so they wouldnt want that combined salary to be cut down any further. As such, optimally, the enemy would like to contest the minion wave outside the Golem area. And, to achieve that, theyd have to initiate a team fight against the Invincible Triangle outside the Golems range. If they fight us outside, lets focus Gunz, Jaiden suggested. If we take him down, itll be smooth sailing from there. My body is ready. Nash grinned. He already imagined himself jumping into the fray and wrecking Gunz. Cmon, dont wuss on us, bro. Come fight us fair and square! We gonna whoop ya! But, the enemy strategist had his own plans. Lets stay at the Golem, Yuel suggested. Wait, what? Why? Lars complained. They got three dudes and we got three dudes. Lets rock em! Is it because of that Bermuda Triangle thingy? Luke asked. Yes, basically. Yuel felt a lump in his throat as he agreed with that accursed terminology, but it was easier to speak in Vincents lingo to get the point across to those two. For some ungodly reason, Vincents bombastic naming sense was effective at swaying Lars and Luke, so Yuel used it to his advantage. This Triangle is very strong, Yuel said. Its one of these cases when the sum is bigger than its parts. Individually, those three are just alright players, so we can contest them. But, together, theyre dangerous. They must have a lot of experience playing together. Okay, sure, I get that, Lars said. But, then whats the big plan? Dont tell me we gonna sit under Golem like turtles. I thought you agreed we gotta start attacking? We aint gonna win by sitting here doing nothing. Dont worry, well attack, Yuel reassured. But, we wont attack the Triangle. Say what? Then, who we gonna attack? Not we. You will. Youre going to attack their Bot Turret. You want me to split-push? Yes, thats the best answer to this situation, Yuel explained his reasoning. The enemy trio, the so-called Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom, was a force to be reckoned with. Stratus lost the last two games trying to stop this trios overwhelming rampaging to no avail. It was truly a beautifully calculated triangle formation. It was neatly organized, yet also flexible at the same time. It probably had some tiny holes to exploit, but Yuel still hasnt found a single one. No matter how much he analyzed it, the triangle seemed airtight. Therefore, Stratus had to change its approach. Instead of confronting the triangle head-on, it was best to play around it. When there wasnt a surefire method to win a fight, it was better to avoid it altogether. So, Luke started. Were basically assuming these guys cant be beaten when theyre together? Yes, unfortunately, Yuel said. I know this doesnt inspire much confidence, but we dont have enough time to search for a way to beat them. So, instead of fighting them blindly, I rather avoid fighting them at all. Makes sense. Luke nodded. Geh, thats lame. Lars pouted. But okay, lets roll with that. We gotta do what we gotta do. So, you two are staying to defend and I split-push? Yes, thats my plan, Yuel confirmed. If there was one thing about the Bermuda Triangle that resembled a weakness, itd be the fact it required three specific players to gather in one place. That enforced a big restriction on how wide the enemy could spread their forces. Under normal circumstances, the moment the enemy realizes that Lars went to split-push Bot, theyd want to rotate somebody from Mid in order defend. However, the Bermuda Triangle made that impossible. The moment they rotate a single player out of Mid, the Bermuda Triangle will cease to exist. The remaining pushers will become normal players that Yuel and Luke will be able to fend off. Thats why a sudden split-push on Bot will put the enemy on the spot. Itll force the enemy to make a difficult decision. Should they break off the triangle to defend Bot? Or, should they rotate the entire triangle to Bot? Or, should they ignore the split-push and keep pushing Mid? The last option was what made this plan risky. Sending Lars to Bot meant leaving Yuel and Luke alone to defend against the triangle. That might give the enemy the opening they needed for breaking through Mid and taking the game. But, Yuel had faith in their ability to stall the triangle this once. And, his estimation wasnt based on some vague faith in his or Lukes defensive capabilities. Theyll have an objective advantage on their side when defending, that of a full health Golem. While Turrets started becoming less of a threat during mid-game, Golems were still a big deal. So, as long as Yuel and Luke sit under their Golem and borrow its aid, they should be able to keep the pushers at bay. One thing, tho, Lars said. Wont it take me way too long to reach Bot? It sounds like you dudes will be alone here for a long time before I even get started on their tower. How is that gonna work? Im glad you noticed. Yuel nodded. Youre right, the distance is a problem. Thats why I arranged Checkpoint Wards for you. He pinged at the Checkpoint Wards he placed near Top and Bot. Oh! I was actually wondering about those, Lars said. What are they for? For your split-push, obviously, Yuel said. After you farm the upcoming wave, you should have enough gold to buy Teleport. Oh, I get it! So, like, I gonna run back to base real quick to buy Teleport, then Imma get to Bot right away! I see whatcha did there. Real smooth. Im glad you like it. But... Luke cocked his head. Why did you checkpoint both Top and Bot? Because I didnt know how theyll choose to push, Yuel said. I had to cover both options. Wow, smart. Luke nodded in amazement. This bruh be playing 6D chess over here. I was just covering all bases, Yuel said. Its nothing that impressive. If anything, the unused Checkpoint Ward is essentially a money sink. Haha, isnt this guy just the spitting image of positive thinking? Luke laughed. Okay, this plan sounds dope! Lars nodded. So, first I farm a little, then I retreat ahead of you, right? Yes, Yuel answered. Lets do this carefully. Dont let them get the jump on you. Gotcha! And so, the plan was set in motion. Vol.11 Ch.20: The Triangles Restrictions A new minion wave was incoming, led by the enemys triangle of Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace. Yuel, Lars, and Luke advanced to the frontline to counter the offense, but they refused to step too far out of the Golems area. They had to stop as many minions as possible from reaching the Golem area, but they had no intention of starting a full-blown fight. They couldnt allow themselves to overextend, not against the Bermuda Triangle. Welp, they kinda came to fight us, but they kinda didnt. Nash made a face. The enemy did come out of the Golems range to contest the lane, but they did it ever so slightly. Do I jump them, or...? Nah, I wouldnt risk it, Jaiden dismissed the idea. The enemy took the middle ground between contesting the lane and playing it safe. They didnt fully stay in the Golems area, but neither did they extend far enough to get easily wrecked. What a smartass approach. I say we focus the minions and push them back, Jaiden suggested. What do you think, Rio? Sounds good, Rio agreed. Okay, lets do that then. Jaiden nodded. Nash, the frontliner, swept his lance across the enemy swordsmen. Meanwhile, Jaiden and Rio provided support fire from afar. The enemys frontline collapsed in no time. Next, the attack moved on to target the backline, the bowmen. At the same time, the enemy cleared only two swordsmen out of three. LegendaryMemer didnt charge in to attack, probably in fear of overextending. Therefore, only Gunz and Chessmaster actively contributed to the farming. The Knight served merely as a bodyguard. He was there to discourage Jaidens group from recklessly charging in, but nothing more than that. Little did he know that, under this seemingly normal defense operation, was hatching a much larger ploy. Okay, I got enough cash, Lars announced. Imma go now. Okay, were falling back, Yuel announced. Roger. Luke backpedaled away from the enemy, with his sights still locked on them just in case. This was the slower way to retreat but it was more intimidating. We aint running away. Were just tactically retreating. I still got my eyes on ya all. Fear me, yo! After retreating far enough, Lars turned around and dashed full speed ahead. He returned to base, purchased Teleport, and warped to the Checkpoint Ward in Bot. Meanwhile, Yuel and Luke barricaded themselves at the Golem and continued farming the minions with the help of the Golems AoE attacks. Damn, it aint easy to push a Golem during mid-game, huh, Nash ranted. The Golems AoE attacks were devastating. That big boi tossed huge boulders like they were pebbles. Their AoE wasnt that big, but they still hit at least two minions at once, sometimes even three. Shit was cheap as heck. Before long, the invading squad vanished without a trace. It was time to retreat. Lets fall back before Gunz returns, Jaiden said. Gotcha. Nash backpedaled from the danger zone. Theyve only reduced the Golems HP by 10% thanks to Jaiden concentrating his fire on it. They still had a long way to go before they conquer Mid. Fortunately, the next minion wave was already underway. With the enemys Mid Turret destroyed, the minions marched across the lane without slowing down or receiving any damage, all the way to the Golem. Such was the tremendous benefit of taking down Turrets. It allowed the Invincible Triangle to oppress their opponents nonstop on lane. Before long, Jaiden and Co. will be able to renew their offense in full throttle. Slowly but surely, theyll pressure Stratus into submission. After all, they were the Invincible Triangle! None could put a stop to their progress, not even Gunz! Gotta say, Gunz is sure taking his sweet time to return, Jaiden pointed out. You think theres a chance he rotated somewhere? Ah, look at Bot! Rio exclaimed. Hes split-pushing. Whoa!? Nash exclaimed. When did he get all the way over there!? That was fast. Jaiden frowned. Like, way too fast. He couldnt have traveled there. Teleport, Rio said after checking Gunzs items. Dang, when did they even have a chance to place a Checkpoint Ward!? Jaiden felt sweat forming on his forehead. This wasnt how he expected things to go! The trio was supposed to keep pressuring Stratus in Mid until the defense cracks and the Golem falls. It shouldve gone exactly like in the last two games, but Stratus adapted. Heh, thats good. It wont be any fun if its too easy. Jaiden smiled dangerously. Okay, so how do we answer here? Mid-game Gunslinger can split-push hard. Gunz gonna take Bot if we dont do anything about it. Who cares? Nash shrugged. A new wave is here, so lets push! They have less defenders now, so lets push the heck outta them! Yeah, youre probably right. Jaiden reluctantly agreed. Until now, Gunz was the most dangerous defender from the enemy side. Not because his defense was godlike or anything, but because his offense was so swift and overwhelming. This guy could turn the tables on the attacker in a blink of an eye and get a kill. His mere presence on the defense put tremendous pressure on the attackers. But, this dangerous fellow wasnt here anymore. Itll be that much easier to push the Golem now. Ignore the split-push for now, Raymond said the final word. Keep pushing Mid and take the Golem. Really!? Lets go then! Jaiden roared. I didnt expect Ray, of all people, to agree to this. Its like hes a totally different person all of a sudden. Sick! And so, the Invincible Triangle pushed forth! It was a 3v2 assault on the Golem. They were going to bust through! Not so fast. Yuel unleashed Tsunami, pushing back the entire enemy army, minions, and players alike. It dealt sizable damage to minions and delayed the incoming attack. Shit! Nash cursed. Theyre trying to stall us! I aint gonna let em! He was about to jump in and mess up these bastards. Wait, calm down, Jaiden said. We cant break formation like that. I know how yo feel, I also wanna push as fast as possible. But, we cant lose our cool here. Even without Gunz, one wrong move can cost us the game. Yeah, ya right. Nash took a deep breath. This was no time to be a hothead. He was in charge of the vanguard, so he couldnt be too reckless. If the enemy eliminates him, Jaiden and Rio wont have anybody on the frontline. Basically, thatll stop the entire offense in its tracks. They had to do things methodically if they wanted to win. This wasnt some Ranked match in which dropping a game only meant losing points. If they lose this one, theyll lose the entire scrimmage! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Lets do this fast but carefully, Jaiden said. They had the advantage in terms of numbers, so theyll destroy the Golem and drive the game to victory, long before Gunz makes any substantial progress in Bot. I see theyre not rushing it. Yuel nodded to himself. He was hoping that the pressure of the split-push would make the Triangle lose their cool and charge in, but they were better than that. I thought StormMonster was a hot-blooded player. Yuel frowned. I expected him to charge in and overextend, especially after I stalled them with that tsunami. The enemy was racing against the clock, contesting with Larss pushing speed. As such, being washed away by a tsunami shouldve triggered them enough to force a reaction. Yuel even calculated multiple moves ahead for how to severely punish StormMonster for an overextension. Alas, none of that came into play. They probably have a voice of reason in that group. Yuel concluded. Individually, StormMonster seemed like a rather rash player. As such, there was probably somebody in the Triangle who stopped StormMonster from overextending. Thats what made that Triangle so dreadful. Each of the three players was lacking in some areas, but they covered each others weaknesses when fighting as a triangle. Thats why Yuel could never tear that trio apart. Its almost as if the three of them had no weaknesses when banded together. Instead of being three individual pieces on the board, they fused into one powerful Queen piece that had no weaknesses. No, everybody has a weakness. Yuel corrected himself. Everybody had a weakness. This was one of the basic principles his dad taught him about chess, and it applied to any game at large. Nobody was truly invincible and every formation could be crushed. At least, in theory. If I could play five more games against them, Id probably find something. Yuel reasoned. But, we dont have time for that. We have to win this game. In theory, the Triangle definitely had some weaknesses. However, in practice, itd take too long to discover and exploit them. Not to mention, even after these weaknesses finally reveal themselves, it wasnt guaranteed that Stratus will have the necessary tools for striking them. Therefore, within the scope of this one game, it was best to create an unwritten game rule. This Triangle is unbeatable. Such was the artificial truth Stratus had to deal with. Since it was impossible to directly defeat the Triangle, all Yuel could do was play around it. He had to craft a strategy thatll win the game without ever confronting the Triangle. As far as he was concerned, the Triangle was like an invincible chess piece that couldnt be captured. Thats why we have to focus on other parts of the board. Yuel concluded. Thats the line of thinking that gave birth to the split-pushing in Bot. The Triangle was just one piece on the board, so it couldn''t be in two places at the same time. Renegade and his brigade had to choose between rotating to Bot and pushing Mid, and they chose the latter. Now, it was up to Yuel and Luke to stall that push for as long as possible. Make sure you maintain distance from me, Yuel reminded. Heh, Im already four parallel universes ahead of ya! Luke was on the opposite side of the Golem''s area, as far as humanly possible from Yuel while still within the safe zone and close enough to the frontline to be a menace. Good. Yuel nodded. To make the enemys life as difficult as possible, it was best for Yuel and Luke to position themselves far away from each other. This way, Renegades Kraken couldnt hit both of them at the same time, and it was impossible to focus on both of them at once in general. Memer or not, Luke definitely knows how to handle these situations. Yuel admitted. And, as unconventional as it is, there are some occasional benefits to his odd picks. Knight was a poor choice as a Jungler pick and it caused Luke to lag behind by two levels. However, in this specific situation, having a Knight on the defense was actually great. Knight was tanky enough to soak damage and the existence of his taunt skill constantly put pressure on the attackers. The moment somebody gets too close, Luke would aggro them and draw them into the Golem area against their will. As such, the enemy had to proceed with extreme caution. Whats more, Luke has been handling himself surprisingly well on the defense. From watching him play, one would think he was a Support main. In Yuels experience, Jungler mains usually didnt exhibit such finesse on the defense, for it wasnt a responsibility they were expected to handle too often. Ellen was about the only exception I knew, but shes an exception in about anything she does. On the other hand, Dan was more about offense and ganks. He did have a solid defense because anybody who wants to play on Howards team must have a solid defense. But, aside from that requirement, Dan definitely enjoyed offense and ganks a lot more, like any ordinary Jungler. But, Luke was no ordinary Jungler. He was a memer, and the classes he picked often had an unorthodox game plan. So much, that they strayed from the meta definition of what the Jungler role should be about. That usually made them inefficient as Junglers, but sometimes it also made them strong in areas that Junglers werent expected to excel at, such as defending. And, as someone who always played the unconventional picks, Luke had plenty of experience with situations that were alien to the average Jungler. Thats why Im sure we can stall the Triangle together. Yuel reasoned. Itd be hard to achieve that alongside a regular Jungler like Nia, but with Luke, we can defend just fine. And indeed, the enemy Triangle failed to deliver much damage on the Golem this round as well. They shaved off another 10%, so the Golem now stood at 80%. It was still plenty healthy, itll withstand many more rounds with ease. If the enemy chooses to continue pursuing this offense, this will turn into a drawn-out war. Meanwhile, in Bot... An enemy Turret has been destroyed! Woohoo! Lets go! Lars pumped a fist. I gonna keep pushing, right? Yes, go for their Golem, Yuel said. Even if they make a move now, youll have more than enough time to react. Okey-dokey! Lars grinned. Lets turn this game on its head! And so, Lars pressed onward with his offense. Man, that guy is still pushing!? Nash exclaimed. Cocky son of a gun. He took out that Turret in no time, Jaiden said. Meanwhile, we havent made much progress over here. They barely shaved off 10% from the Golem, while the enemy took the entire Bot Turret at the same amount of time. This definitely wasnt a favorable trade for them. Maybe we should go Bot? Rio suggested. Yeah, I was thinking that too, but... Jaiden knotted his brows. This was a difficult call. They couldnt allow the enemy to take Bot Golem. However, rotating the entire Invincible Triangle over there felt like a waste. Especially, with the Mid Golem right in front of their eyes. They were right there, right about to take the Golem that would pretty much win them the game. Alas, two tough gatekeepers stood in their paths. Chessmaster and LegendaryMemer boasted an airtight defense. They constantly threatened the trio with their dangerous CC, making it difficult to find safe angles to approach from. Especially, Chessmasters Tsunami was devastating. In the last attack, it reduced the entire waves HP before the push even started. As a result, there was no hope of getting much damage on the Golem from the get-go. Well, at least the next wave will be better in that regard. Jaiden reasoning. Chessmaster wont have Overflow for a while now. But, even without the tsunami, it was hard enough to crack this duos defense. How much longer will it take the Invincible Triangle to fell the Golem? Was it justified to leave Bot Golem undefended for that long? Dang it, comparing all these odds is SO not my strong point. Jaiden sighed. Rio, do you think we should rotate to Bot? Hard to say. All I know for sure is that somebody will have to defend Bot soon. True that. Jaiden nodded. If nobody goes to defend now, I already see us losing the Golem. With that said, what was the best way to go about this? Rotate the entire triangle? Or, break up the triangle and send only one of them to handle Gunz? Could a single defender even stop Gunz? Jaiden, Raymond called out. Do you think you can destroy their Mid Golem in the next two waves? Of course we can! Nash declared without hesitation. Where was he even drawing that baseless confidence from? Jaiden? Raymond repeated, ignoring the fool. Not sure, Jaiden admitted. Their defense is tight. It might take us three or even four waves. I see. Then, well have to postpone the push on Mid. Lets start defending Bot soon Makes sense. Jaiden nodded. They didnt have the luxury to continue pushing while a dangerous split-pusher was partying on an undefended lane. But, if they give up Mid for now, what should be their next move? There were two reasonable options. Either rotate the entire Invincible Triangle to Bot, or break it up and split its members between Top and Bot. But, which one was the right call!? I dont think that a single little split-push has ever given me this much headache before. Jaiden made a face. It felt like Chessmaster wrapped them all around his finger, making them wrack their brains to resolves a difficult dilemma he set in front of them. Will their next move also be within that masterminds expectations? Did that guy already prepare an appropriate counter to whatever theyll do next? There was no end to the question swirling in Jaidens head as he found himself stuck in analysis paralysis... Vol.11 Ch.21: Saving the Captain So, what would it be? Move the entire triangle to Bot? Or, split it between lanes? Jaiden couldnt make up his mind. Theyre still pushing Top, Rio pointed out. Oh, right! Jaiden exclaimed. There was another option all along! InformationBlackhole and Beat were the ones tasked with defending Top, and they were possibly the enemys weakest links. Beat was the weakest for sure, and Blackhole wasnt impressive either as far as Jaiden could tell. In other words...! The enemys defense is weaker in Top, Jaiden said. How about the three of us rotate to Top and help you take the tower? Hmm. Raymond knotted his brows. Its a sound idea, but wholl defend Bot in that case? Oh, right, about that... Jaiden didnt think that far. He was just excited by the possibility of crushing Beat once more and riding to victory on top of her corpse. But, Ray is right. This will leave Bot undefended. I can recall after you get here, Zeph suggested. Im starting to run low anyway, so I gotta head out soon. Its because youre not being careful enough, Raymond criticized. Chill, man. Im doing what I can. Its not my fault they got that obnoxious Sorcerer range on their side. I cant approach without getting hit by something or another. Very well. Raymond nodded. In that case, lets use your HP to its fullest. Well keep pushing until Jaidens group arrives, then youll recall and defend Bot. Works for me. Zeph grinned dangerously. So, were going all-out now, right? Just make sure you dont overdo it. If you die, itll ruin the entire plan. Dont worry, itll be fine. These guys dont look like they''re gonna attack any time soon. Theyre just turtling and poking. Cheap fuckers. Yes, theyre not very assertive, Raymond agreed. The enemy Viking and Sorcerer have been defending rather passively. Even though this was a fair 2v2, the enemy didnt dare to aggress on Raymond and Zeph. They played a turtly keep-out game that only stalled for time. It failed to discourage Raymond and Zeph from continuing this push, so they pressed on. Heh, and now we can push even harder! Zeph grinned. Full speed ahead! Lets go! Hell fight to the fullest, no matter how much HP he loses in the process. After all, HP was just another resource. As long as Zeph avoids dying, he can keep pushing and pushing and pushing some more, no matter how much HP it costs him. Lets go with this plan, Raymond summarized. Mid rotates to Top, then Zeph recalls and defends Bot. Okay! Nash exclaimed. Lets go, lets go, lets goooooo! Wait, I need to cast the buff on you. Rio ran after Nash, who was already all the way at the jungle. Oh, right. Nash hit the brakes and let the others catch up. Forgot Im too fast for ya, haha. Show-off. Rio made a face. You just built a bunch of Movement Speed. Theres nothing to brag about. Nash, you should go ahead with your speed, Jaiden suggested. Get there first and hit them hard. Well be right behind you. Sounds good! Imma get me a double kill by the time you get there! Do it, man. Jaiden smiled. Rio cast Godspeed, granting a Movement Speed buff to the entire trio. Then, without further ado, Nash sprinted off and vanished from sight. I hope that reckless fool wont get himself into unnecessary trouble. Rio thought. The trio wasnt particularly discreet about their rotation plans. In fact, they did the entire thing in plain sight, alarming their enemies ahead of time. Is it just me or theyre rotating? Luke asked. Looks like Top is their new target, Yuel deduced. Top, watch out! Theyre rotating! Oh no! The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom set its eyes on us! Vincent made noise. Its coming to claim us! Do we retreat? Kai asked. Yes, but not right away, Yuel said. If you start retreating now, theyll have enough time to cancel the rotation and change their plans. And, theyll still be able to take the tower with the pushers they already got over there. We cant surrender the tower like that. Then, we wait here until we die? Kai was brimming with positivity in this game. Retreat to the edge of the tower area, but continue clearing minions as much as you can. Lets see how the situation develops for now, then decide when to fully evacuate you from the lane. What about reinforcements? Vincent inquired. Yes, about that... Yuel considered their options. It made sense to respond to this rotation in kind and rotate the defenders from Mid to Top. Unfortunately, there was a big problem with that. The enemy still had lane advantage in Mid, so their minion waves had the upper hand. As such, somebody had to stay in lane and clear minions until the balance was restored in the lane. Stay here and clear the incoming wave, Yuel requested from Luke. Ill rotate to Top. Got it. Luke gave a thumbs up. I hope this is the right move. Yuel felt sweat forming on his forehead. He didnt anticipate this sudden rotation to Top, but he immediately recognized it as a strong move. Kai was underperforming, whereas Vincent didnt pose much of a threat if the enemy takes the fight to him. In other words, the defense in Top was paper-thin. Somebody had to rotate over there to help them, especially against the enemys infamous Triangle. It should be the right call to rotate me to Top over Luke. Yuel continued questioning this move as he was running toward Top. With Noble Steed, Luke could rotate to Top much faster, probably even outrun the Triangle itself. However, somebody had to stay and clear minions in Mid, and Lukes Knight was far better suited for the task than Yuels Aquamncer. Therefore, even though this resulted in a much slower rotation, this was the better play overall. Hopefully. Im surprised theyre still ignoring Lars. Yuel glanced at the mini-map. Lars was already at the enemys Bot Golem, ready to engage the giant guardian. At this rate, the enemy will lose their Golem to a one-person split-push. Were they really fine with it? No, of course theyre not. Theyre probably going to recall somebody once the gank begins. In that case, the situation in Top will actually be a 3v4, not a 3v5. Thats why it wasnt necessary for both Yuel and Luke to rotate together to defend Top. Three defenders against four pushers were more than enough. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Well probably still have to concede the tower in the end, but we wont give it to them for free. The longer we stall them there, the more time Lars will get to push Bot without worry. I just have to get to Top in time before things get out of hand- HERE I COME!!! Nash leaped over a jungle wall, diving straight into the tower area! Theyre already here!? Vincent exclaimed. Such speed! Unbelievable! Shit...! Kai heard the leap coming, but she was too slow to react. The Lancer landed right on top of her, dealing heavy damage. Next, he swung his spear, sweeping right through her! Shit, Im done for... Kai hung her head. It was over. The sweep slowed down her Movement Speed, so there was no hope of getting out of here alive. Damn, if only I dodged that stupid leap... But, Kai couldnt make it. She wasnt good enough. Once again, she was going to drag the entire team down with her incompetence. It wasnt even that long since she revived, but she was going to die again... Oh, no you dont! Vincents booming voice cut through the cloud of negativity. He grabbed the Lancer by the waist and tossed the invader to the other side of the tower area. Beat, now is your chance! Make your escape! Ah, right! Kai turned around and started running slowly, very slowly. Unfortunately, no matter how much she begged her Sorcerer to pick up speed, this was the best she could muster after getting hit by Lancers Sweep. RWAAAAAAR!!! A roar of fury resounded from behind her. The Berserker entered his Berserk mode. The enemy was about to launch an all-out attack. Top Turret was done for. Can I at least get away alive? Kai gulped. No, probably not. Sorcerer had an amazing attack range, but zero escape tools. On top of that, the Lancers Sweep drastically slowed her down, so even her regular running speed was far worse than average. Yeah, its over, no matter how I look at it. Kai gave up. At least, Vince should be able to get away. Vikings Axe Blitz was handy for getting out of sticky situations like this, so Vincent will be able to escape without a hitch. Only Kai will die here, alongside the tower. That shouldve been the most likely scenario, but... I shall use everything in my power to hold them down! Vincent proclaimed. Huh...? Ill hold them down even if its the last thing I do. So, make sure you escape alive from this hell! Huh...? Kai opened and closed her mouth. What are you talking about? Youre the one who should get away. Nay, nay, nay! You have to make it out alive in my stead! Vincent insisted. We shall need a mage to defend our Golem against the Bermuda Triangle, so your life is far more important than mine! Huh, is that so... Kai reluctantly agreed. For once, Vincents words werent filled with total nonsense. After taking Top Turret, there was a chance the enemy will extend their attack to Top Golem. In that case, whoever survives this assault will have to defend right away. And, it was always best to have somebody with fast wave-clearing speed on the defense Yeah, I guess it makes sense why he values me so highly. Or rather, why he values my CLASS so highly. Besides, youre the captain, Vincent added. Eh? I cannot allow our captain to perish like that, can I? Dont you agree, my soldiers!? Vincent activated Unstoppable Raid, summoning a brigade of warriors. They all roared in unison as if sharing Vincents sentiment. Captain? Kai spat a self-scoring laugh. Bullshit. Its just a title. In practice, I havent done shit... The last two games were big blowups, I understand, Vincent said. But even so, we must push onward! Did we come here today to lose? Nay, I say! We came to seize victory! No matter how many times they beat us down, we shall rise from the ashes like a phoenix! No matter how frustrating it is, no matter how much we screw up - we must rise and fight once more! Is he quoting one of his Chinese cartoons or something? Kai found the speech a tad cheesy, but Vincent was right. The team definitely didnt come here today to lose. They didnt struggle so hard the entire day just to walk away defeated. This was the competitive stage, not some Ranked match she could throw at any time because she wasnt feeling it. On this stage, at the pinnacle of the competition, quitting wasnt tolerated. No matter how many times the team screws up, they had to keep fighting until the bitter end. This was no time to drown in self-pity. Alright, Ill get away, Kai reassured. So, make sure you also get out afterwards. But of course. Vincent smiled wryly. Such was my plan from the start. Ill definitely get away tool. Ill be right behind you! But, it was a lie. As Vincent was throwing his empty promise into the air, his eyes laid on the axe he tossed a few moments ago. This axe was supposed to be his ticket out of this mess. He planned to confront the enemy under tower for a while, then blink into the jungle and make a break for it. Alas, their opponents were too good. DragonMaster read that intention from a mile away. As soon as he turned Berserk, he leaped over Vincents head to block off the path to the jungle. Whats worse, it was happening right as Vincent released the axe from his hand... The result was nothing short of comical. Instead of sending his axe all the way to the jungle, the axe firmly planted itself in DragonMasters shoulder. It traveled less than a meter. Instead of becoming a key to Vincents survival, it became an invitation to death. Ill perish here. Vincent was convinced of that. DragonMaster, StormMonster, and Nirvana. All three of them focused their attacks on Vincent under the tower. Even with his faithful army of warriors, Vincent couldnt stand up to this overwhelming force. Not to mention, two more enemies were on their way to gank the lane as well. It was the grand finale. Vincents tale of heroism came to an end. But, it was all worth it. Vincent smiled. As long as Beat gets away, we can still hold onto hope even in these dark times. If its to save the captains life, I shall throw away my life without a second thought! Beats tale was not done yet. The captain always maintained a confident front, but she was actually very vulnerable. A few unfortunate mistakes were enough to shatter her spirit and reduce her to her current sorry state. But, in truth, she was stronger than most. Yes, she truly was. Unlike Vincent and his mediocre skill, Kai was a real fighter. In terms of raw strength, she was second only to the almighty Gunz. Alas, she was struggling to awaken her full power on this grand stage today. Pressure, anxiety, and anger. This chaotic mixture was chaining her down, preventing her real strength from coming to the surface. Nevertheless, I believe shell overcome it all. Vincent smiled confidently. Like a chick busting out of its egg, Kai will tear apart the chains binding her. Shell show the world what she was truly capable of! Once that happens, nobody will dare to question the legitimacy of her position as the captain. Im nothing more than a humble servant. Youre the queen of this show, Kai. Vincent closed his eyes and exhaled. Then, he opened them dramatically! Therefore, I shall fight! To the bitter end! To death! Even if all I can do is buy you a couple of seconds, I shall restrain these enemies with everything Ive got! And so, Vincent challenged the three overwhelming forces. Thankfully, he wasnt alone. A brigade of strong vikings stood by his side, all sharing his will. And, there was the Turret too, contributing with its high damage output. Together, they were going to make their last stand here! Vincent swung his axe at the rampaging Berserker. His loyal army also ganged on this one rampaging foe. Swing. Swing. Swing! Even though Vincent knew death was nigh, he continued swinging to no end. Every swing was pregnant with the desire to strike down the powerful barbarian. If I smite down at least one of them, my death shall pay for its own cost and my contribution to this game would be immortalized! This wasnt just an operation to stall the enemy, Vincent had every intention to get a kill as well! Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Even though Vincent had the numerical advantage with his viking squad, a raging tornado struck all of them at once. Nirvana unleashed his ultimate, turning the entire area into a disaster zone for Vincents squad. The tornado sucked them in and tore rent them asunder. The viking warriors fell one by one. Vincent remained all alone. At the very least, I made him spend his ult. Vincent smiled. Yes, in the face of these depressing odds, he was smiling. His death has long since been prophesied, it was recorded in the Akashic Records. There was no escape from this certain demise. As such, there was only one thing he could do in this situation: make the enemys life as hard as possible! He shall not go down without a fight! Aeromancer ultimate is down! Vincent reported as he confronted his opponents head-on. Yes, keep focusing on me! Keep trying to kill me! Vincent smirked. Each second the enemy wasted on Vincent was a second that counted toward Beats escape. Even though Vincent was going to die for certain, Kai will be able to escape from this apocalypse alive! But, as if to crush this wish, an epiphany hit Jaiden. I think Nash better chase the girl, Jaiden suggested. Are you sure? Rio asked. Its risky. Whats risky about it? Its just that girl. Nash gonna make quick work of her. Sorcerer is dangerous during the mid-game, Rio warned. Cmon, you really think Nash would lose to that girl? Shes been playing like a scrub the entire game. Shes the enemys weakest link, your favorite kind of target. Well, yes, but... Rio couldnt explain it well but he had a bad feeling about this. Letting Nash chase Beat alone seemed risky. There was a decent chance of overextending and Jaiden shouldve been aware of it too, yet he was pushing for this play. Then, Ill go back him up, Rio presented a compromise. I dont think thats necessary, but you do you. Anyway, theres no time! Hey, Nash! Jaiden called out. Forget that Viking guy. Hes already dead. Go chase the girl. And from that one suggestion, a chain of unexpected events was born... Vol.11 Ch.22: Everybody Is Strong on the Competitive Stage Hey Nash! Jaiden called out. Forget that Viking guy. Hes already dead. Go chase the girl. Wait, I just gonna get this kill real quick. Nash thrust his lance through the Vikings back. Im the one who initiated this gank, so of course, I gotta be the one who gets the kill! Forget the kill, Jaiden said. If you dont chase the Sorcerer, she gonna get away. Nuuuu, but my kill! Are you five or something? Rio made face. Im pretty sure they cover this kind of math in kindergarten, but in case you didnt know: two is more than one. Meaning, two kills are better than one. What the-? Of course I know that! Then act on it.. Yeah, cmon, man, Jaiden urged as well. Tch, fine. Nash grumped as he shifted his focus toward the Sorcerer in the distance. Sorcerer didn''t have any escape tools, and Nashs Sweep slowed her down when he started this gank. So, that chick hasnt gotten too far away yet. But, Jai and Rio got a point. Nash agreed. If I spend any more time on this 100% dead Viking, I wont be able to catch up to the chick. I better get there pronto! And so, Nash broke into a run! This sudden action naturally alarmed the enemy. Nani!? Impossible! Vincent exclaimed. The Lancer ceased attacking and went straight ahead, heading in Kais direction! Beat, watch out! The Lancer is hot on your trail! Got it, Kai answered. It was good to know, but there wasnt much she could do with this information. She didnt have any escape tools or any immediate CC that could slow down the pursuer. I only got my orbs and ult. And, none of them is going to make it easier to escape. All Kai could do was continue running. She basically had to pray that the Lancer wont be able to catch up to her. Alas, her prayers fell on deaf ears... Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. It was the sound of metallic boots hitting against the ground. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Quick steps, much faster than Kais. Even after the slowdown from Lancers Sweep wore off, Kais legs couldnt compete with the speed of this pursuer. Stomp. Stomp. STOMP. The metallic sounds drew closer. The predator was about to reach for her back. Even though Vincent fought so hard to keep all three enemies at bay, one speed monster slipped by and was about to murder Kai from behind. Hes already so close!? Kai grit her teeth. A shudder ran through her. It was StormMonster, or Storm Chaser as Vincent labeled him. A predator who never let his prey escape alive. He was the kind of guy whod chase his target to the ends of the earth. Until now, Kai thought this was one of Vincents typical exaggerations. She has never had the opportunity to be chased down by StormMonster until now. Now I see whats the hype all about. Kai gulped. This pressure is something else. StormMonser was the ultimate predator, fast and oppressive. His mere presence piled boundless pressure on Kais back. It felt like a wild bear was chasing her down. And, the moment that beast catches up, hell tear Kai apart on the spot. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. The metallic sounds grew louder. StormMonster was already here! The metallic sounds were chasing Kai down along with the pursuer. And then - silence. The metallic sounds stopped without notice, indicating that the Lancer wasnt chasing any longer. But, its not like he gave up. It was the calm before the storm. Hes attacking! Kai rolled forward without thinking twice. She couldnt let that monster reach her, no matter what! WHISH. The sound of a spear cutting through empty air. As expected, the pursuer launched an attack. But, thanks to Kais speedy response, the thrust missed its target. Oh? You can dodge that? Nash blinked for a moment, but then his lips curved into a grin. Interesting! Looks like I gotta take this seriously then. Thanks for wasting your roll! GAE- the Lancer shouted loudly. Ah! Kai choked. A chill ran through her body. Lancers ultimate attack was coming and Kai didnt have access to her Dodge Roll. She has just wasted it on dodging a simple basic attack, instead of saving it against this much greater threat. What a blunder! Its over. Kai grit her teeth and hung her head. The best she could do right now was to run in zigzags, in hope of juking the ult coming at her from behind. Alas, against a player with a half-decent aim, it was probably futile. That Gae Bolg was going to run right through her. It was the end. All of Vincents efforts to rescue her were in vain. Kai couldnt get away after all. Well, at least Vince should be able to get alive just fine- An ally has been killed! Eh!? Kai froze. What? -BOLG! Nash lunged forth. Time to wrap this up! I got your patterns down, girl! That chick has been doing a decent job at zigzagging from side to side as she ran, but Nash figured her moves by now. He knew exactly where to aim his almighty spear! WHOOSH. The demonic spear cut through the air, leaving a trail of energy behind. It was a supersonic thrust that traveled across a long distance in an instant, lethally striking the first target it hit. Alas, this time, the spear pierced through nothing but empty air... What the-!? You stop!? Just like that!? Nash was certain he figured the girls ez jukes, but then she suddenly hit him with this unexpected no-mixup mixup. Of all things, he didnt expect her to suddenly freeze in place like this. Damn, now Im mad. Youre SO dead! Ah! Kai jumped in her seat. A lance shot right at her. She tried to move away from it, but it dug into her shoulder nonetheless. It wasnt the Gae Bolg, but it was strong enough to shook her out of the daze. Damn, I need to focus! Kai shook her head. The announcement of Vincents death fazed her for a moment. Before she realized it, the Gae Bolg was over and done with. The Lancer was right in front of her and he was furious. WHISH! One thrust. WHISH! Another thrust. WHOOSH! A third thrust. The Lancer relentlessly shot his spear at Kai. No matter how hard she tried, she failed to create enough distance to avoid the mid-ranged barrage. In a matter of seconds, her HP plummeted below 50%. The end was nigh. Sorry, captain, Vincent apologized. Looks like I failed you. Failed me? Kai didnt even have the spare time to respond out loud, for she had to concentrate 100% on dodging the incoming thrusts. Dodging a single attack from that Lancer demanded all her spare brain juices. The monster attacked relentlessly, confident in each and every strike. Its only thanks to Vince that Im still alive. Kai thought. If he didnt CC the Lancer as soon as the gank started, I wouldve been dead by now. And, if he didnt keep the Lancer occupied after that, I couldnt have escaped this far. So, did Vincent fail her? Not at all. If anything, it was foolish of him to put himself at risk for the sake of somebody like Kai. I really dont deserve it. She has been dragging the team down for the past three games. There was absolutely no reason for anybody to sacrifice themselves to prolong her life. Her Sorcerer was perhaps more valuable for the team than Vincents Viking when it came to fending off enemy pushes. But other than that, there was no reason for Vincent to sacrifice himself to save Kai. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. And yet, that fool insisted he wanted to save the captain. Kai partially deserved that title during the first couple of games, but not anymore. In the previous two games, she did nothing but drag the team down. Im just not good enough. Kai concluded. Fighting against Renegade and his gang made Kai realize the extent of her ability. She wasnt nearly as good as she thought. Before the scrimmage, Kai talked all big about winning the regionals, but she clearly wasnt prepared for this level. Unlike her, Yuel and Lars knew exactly how serious the competitive scene was, thats why they trained till exhaustion every day. Meanwhile, somewhere in her heart, Kai was underestimating the competitive scene. She believed that as long as the club practiced hard, theyll automatically get far at the regionals. Also, Kai was one of the best players in the club, second only to Yuel and Lars. As such, she believed she was one of the best players in the region. And, she even started training hard on a daily basis, so of course, she was going to make it big in the competitive scene as well, right? Arrogant and naive, thats all she was. On the competitive scene, everybody was skilled and everybody put in the effort. Kai wasnt special in any way. Just because she was a little skilled and trained a little hard, it wasnt enough to make her into a pro who could easily crush all the competition. There were many competitive players on the same level as her and even stronger. For example, as much as she hated Renegade''s guts, the guy obviously trained hard with his peers. Their powerful triangle formation wouldnt be possible without lots of blood, sweat, and tears. Similarly, Nirvana seemed like an inherently talented player who further polished his skill through hard work. His sharp decision-making and flawless execution all stood testament to his efforts. And, this StormMonster guy chasing her was the same. He mustve spent hours upon hours polishing his chasing technique to nigh perfection. He knew exactly which targets to focus on, which items to build, how to apply pressure, and so forth. As a result, nobody could escape alive from this monster. And, just like that, each and every player on this stage today had a story behind them. They all had the skill, they all trained hard, and they all sought victory as much as Kai did. Thats why Kai failed to stand out among this competitive crowd. There was plenty of fish in the competitive sea and she was just one of them. She was stronger than some but weaker than others. And so, she won some fights and lost others. It was only natural. Just because she hated the guts of a particular opponent, it didnt mean shed suddenly gain a magical power to crush that scumbag. She was strong enough to stomp a loser like TheLegend, but Renegade was an entirely different beast. That bastard wasnt an opponent Kai could consistently beat, not even in a 1v1. But, does that mean hes necessarily stronger than me? Hell no. Kai was convinced. Im sure if we fight 10 times, I can go at least 5-5 against him. No, even 6-4. Heck, 7-3 is possible too, Im sure. It just so happened that the two fights Kai has picked against Renegade so far took a turn for the worse. And, most of it was due to Kai losing her cool in the middle of battle. So, she couldve won if she just played like her usual self. And, the same applied to the current situation against StormMonster. Sure, the guy was a savage predator whose hunting technique was honed to unparalleled levels. Itll be tremendously hard, nigh impossible, to slip away from him. But, that was no reason to give up. Kai had to retain her cool and figure a way to survive against these impossible odds. Nothing was decided yet. She was alive, therefore shell struggle to the bitter end! Did we come here today to lose? Nay, I say! We came to seize victory! Vincent was right for once. The team came here today to win. They were supposed to make an impressive debut thatll make people forget how Stratus was once called the worst team. Kais personal defeats didnt matter. It was all about winning as a team. Even if she trips and falls a hundred times, everything will be alright as long as she stands up every time and ultimately helps the team win. This isnt the time to act like a weakling! Kai scolded herself. The next one is coming! WHISH! A spear came flying at her, but she sidestepped it in the nick of time. I can kinda follow the rhythm of his attacks. Kai realized. Her sharp senses were gradually returning. Even against this invincible predator, Kai was able to read the attack pattern and dodge in a timely fashion. Damn, this girl...! Nash cursed. Then, how about this!? He drew closer to his prey but he didnt attack right away. Instead, he delayed his attack just a little, to see how Beat reacts. Now! Kai turned to the right based on her prediction. However, the WHISH sound effect didnt play. It only resounded a second later. A delayed attack!? Kai instinctively rolled to the side. WHISH! The spear came dangerously close to hitting her, but it failed to graze her. She just barely escaped damage this time. Phew, made it. Kai breathed in relief. But, how long can I keep this up? She could read the opponents attack pattern to some degree and prolong her life somewhat, but she couldnt dodge everything against an opponent smart enough to mix in delayed attacks. On top of that, she couldnt counter-attack because her basics were weak. The risk simply wasnt worth it. So, all I can do is run after all? Kai grimaced. Yuel was on the way to provide aid, but he was still too far away. And, to make things worse, the Lancer cornered Kai long before she reached the Golem area. In short, she was in a terrible position. I can keep running toward the Golem, but this damn bastard will catch up in no time. Kai frowned. No matter what I do, I doubt I can escape from this guy alive. This wasnt just her being pessimistic; it was a fact. StormMonster was at his strongest when he was chasing, thats what everybody testified. And, Kai also experienced that first-hand moments ago. There was no escape. Kai was already down to 40% HP. She wont last long if StormMonster catches up to her and starts drilling her with his lance. But, there was one method that sorta worked against this guy. Kai recalled. Even Luke pulled it off somehow, so it might work again. So far, only one method worked against StormMonsters chasing technique. Earlier today, Lars and Luke chose to stand their ground and confront StormMonster instead of running away from him. Thanks to that, they prolonged their lives and Luke even survived the entire encounter. I gotta fight. Kai gulped. Is that even realistic? She was a mage facing a bruiser. StormMonster was at 60% HP after eating a couple of tower shots, but a bruisers 60% HP was worth quite a lot, much more than that of a mage. And, if thats not enough, Kai only had 40% HP, which was even less than that. The HP gap was HUGE. While StormMonster only needed to land a couple of hits on her, Kai would have to keep barraging him with basics for an hour in order to score a kill. This matchup was as uneven as it could get. But, I have more than just my basics. Kai reasoned. A mage wasnt designed to rely on basic attacks in the first place, it was all about the spells. And, at this stage of the game, Kai has already stacked a lot of cooldown reduction in her build. As a result, her Magia Orb had an incredibly low cooldown. It needed just a couple of seconds to recharge, almost becoming a replacement for her basic attacks. Unfortunately, the orbs formed slowly, so it was difficult to hit a moving target with them. And, their damage wasnt even that amazing in the first place. Their main purpose was to set up Sorcerers other spells. For example, Dimensional Collapse was out of cooldown. So, for example, Kai could place a Magia Orb at the distance, then pull StormMonster far away from herself. After that, maybe shed get an opportunity to escape? No, thats naive. Kai shook her head. Hes too fast on his feet. Hell catch up in no time. Then, what else can I do? She clenched her mouse. It felt like depression was about to claim her once more. After she finally lit up her fighting spirit, the enemys strength was about to blow it out. Repelling Force is still on cooldown, so I only got my ult left. But, I dont have any orbs to blow up... yet. Resonance Ignition was undoubtedly Sorcerer''s scariest tool, capable of delivering devastating burst damage in an instant. However, to deal truly massive damage, it required an elaborate setup. First, the skill required multiple Magia Orbs on the field in order to blow them up. On top of that, to dial up the damage from decent to amazing, the target had to be caught up in the intersection of the orbs explosions. The explosion of a single orb wouldnt deal that much damage to the Lancer. Itd probably erase somewhere between 5% to 7% of his HP. However, the Sorcerer could maintain up to 3 Magia Orbs on the field at the same time, so that was the upper limit on the damage of Resonance Ignition. And, this limit was far greater than the sum of the orbs individual damage. The resonance part of Resonance Ignition wasnt there just to sound cool. By blowing up multiple orbs and making their explosions overlap, it was possible to generate a resonance effect that amplified the damage of all the intersecting explosions. And, it was a HUGE amplifier. A resonance between two orbs resulted in quadruple damage in total. And, a resonance between all three orbs dealt 9 times the damage of a single orbs explosion! It might even be enough to kill! Kai couldnt do the math as fast as Yuel, so she had to trust her intuition here. She had more than enough experience playing Sorcerer and unleashing devastating Resonance Ignitions on her foes, so she knew how absurd the damage could get when optimized. Her intuition whispered to her: It can result in a kill. If she sets up three Magia Orbs and causes resonance with all three - shell kill StormMonster. Kai had a chance to win this! Itll be extremely difficult and risky, but there was no other option left for her. It was impossible to escape from StormMonster and she didnt have any other dangerous tools at her disposal. Therefore, she had to trust her skill and bet everything on a triple resonance! What are my odds, I wonder? Kai smiled wryly. If she attempted this challenge ten times in a row, shed probably only nail it once. Thats like a 10% chance. These were depressingly low odds. But, having low odds was no reason to turn her back on the challenge. After all, this one attempt, right here and now, could very well be that one successful try out of ten! Just the way Kai lost twice in a row to Renegade even though they werent that far apart in skill, so did Kai have a chance to pull off a less likely play like this. There was no certainty to be found anywhere on this competitive stage. Everybody here was high level, so there were no guarantees about anything. Nobody had a 100% success chance against opponents of the same level. And, on the flip side, it also meant that a 100% failure didnt exist either. Lets do it. Kai summoned the first Magia Orb. Shell do it! Shell grasp that 10% chance and unleashed the devastating triple resonance! It was too early to give up on her life! Shell struggle to the bitter end! Vol.11 Ch.23: Triple Resonance Triple resonance with Resonance Ignition. That was Kais ticket out of this desperate situation. If she can correctly place three Magia Orbs and blow them up with StormMonster in the center - she should be able to get a kill! But, was that actually doable? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Lets do it! Kai summoned the first Magia Orb. She didnt bother aiming at the Lancer himself, since the guy was constantly on the move. Instead, Kai placed the orb in a good spot for the triple resonance setup. To create a triple resonance, the Magia Orbs had to be positioned close enough to each other for their explosions to overlap. However, if placed too closely, the overlap area would be extremely small. Itd be difficult to lure StormMonster into such a tiny area. Therefore, the orbs had to be spaced out just enough. It should also make it harder for StormMonster to notice her plan. By the time he notices, itd be too late! But first, I have to actually survive to that point. Kai gulped. She was already at 30% HP, and every time she used Magia Orb, the skill went on a three seconds cooldown. In other words, she had to survive for over six more seconds. A short duration most of the time, but almost an eternity in this critical situation. Gotta keep running around. Kai moved from side to side in zigzags. She couldnt let the Lancer land any free hits on her. StormMonster needed about 3 to 4 more hits to kill her, so 6 seconds were more than enough for him to seal the deal. As such, Kai couldnt rest her fingers for even a moment. Calm down. I can predict his movements to some extent. Kai took a deep breath. StormMonster was moving all over the place rather hectically, but there was some consistency to his chaos. If I can pin these down, I can juke at least half his attacks! WHISH. A lance jumped straight at her, but it only pierced through empty air. Geh, again!? Nash ranted. His lance hit nothing once more. Not gonna lie, all this dodging is starting to get on my nerves. Every time, just as Nash started thrusting his lance, the damn Sorcerer moved aside by a few centimeters. And, at least half the time, the small sidestep was more than enough to juke the entire attack. What a damn pain. Am I rushing too much? Cmon, relax, man. Shes already cornered. I can take my time getting closer before I strike. I mean, its clear shes just buying time until help arrives. She aint even trying to fight back. This was similar to that fight Nash had against LegendaryMemer. Except, Memer did a much better job of making the situation look like a legit fight. Bruh at least retaliated every now and then while running in circles. But, Beat? This girl aint doing squat on the offense. She was just maintaining a distance between them and dodging some of Nashs attacks in a timely fashion. It was the most obvious stalling attempt ever. Beat had no intention of actually fighting Nash, it was clear as day. She was just waiting for somebody to rescue her like a princess. So, cmon. Nash urged himself. I just gotta treat her like prey thats trying to slip away. Shes not an opponent Im fighting. Nah, shes just a weak little prey and I gonna hunt her down! Chase Mode activated! Numerous engines ignited in his body, granting him the power to crush any fleeing prey like a bug. He was a horror monster, a terror incarnate who was born for the sole purpose of hunting down prey! CREAK. CRACK. CROOK. His engines died out as soon as they started. Nash lost the surge of power he just experienced. Huh? The hell is up with that? He frowned. Something was off. It shouldve worked. I dont get it. Beat was trying to stall for time, that was clear as day. She was nothing more than a cornered prey trying her best to flee the scene. She had zero intention to fight or retaliate against Nash. And yet, Nash couldnt quite finish her off. This zigzagging chick kept sliding past his attacks time and again. He only landed a hit once every three attempts. Shouldnt I be better than this when Im the monster? Nash had no idea what was going on. How could a prey like Beat stand up to the monster? Puny humans were not meant to survive this long in horror movies. As soon as the monster showed up, they should all become hella dead. That was the natural order of things. Well, I guess they DO sometimes win against the monster in the end. Nash had to concede on that one. But, that aint happening in MY movie. He gonna remain as the scary monster until the very end. There was no happy ending for the prey in his script. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. So cmon! Hit her! Nash thrust his spear again. This time, it connected. Yes! Almost there! Beat was already down to 20% HP. Nash needed like two more hits to finish her off. He gonna end this in a jiffy! Ezpz! Finishing off an injured prey was no sweat for a monster like him. WHISH. The next thurst. It was a prelude to his victory! He even played it safe this time. Instead of attacking as soon as he got Beat within range, he kept her on her toes by getting closer first. Then, he thrust the lance right in her face! The timing and distance were both perfect. Try to sidestep this, bitch! Nash grinned. There was no way Beat could dodge this point-blank attack! But, she did. Not with a sidestep, but with Dodge Roll. Damn, would you die already!? Nash ranted as he chased the rolling prey. By the time that elusive bitch recovers from the roll, Nash will already be in a position to strike her again. Ez! WHISH! He thrust his spear. It went right through the enemys back! Thats it. One more hit and itll be a done deal. Finally, he almost got her...! This was the last part of this overdue chasing session. All his senses were 100% focused on his prey, and thats why he didnt notice... Got you! Kai successfully lured the enemy into her trap by making the guy chase her roll. The three Magia Orbs were already set in place, forming a triangle around StormMonster. It seemed like he hasnt even registered their existence yet. Its time! Kai activated Resonance Ignition! The casting animation was very basic, but very satisfying at the same time. The Sorcerer merely snapped her fingers. Yes, thats all. A simple, little snap. And yet, this one snap held the power to erase over half of a bruisers HP. Huh? Nash saw the Sorcerer snapping her fingers for some reason, but his brain failed to register the meaning of that action at first. What was this girl snapping for? Which Magia Orbs was she planning to blow up? Actually, she placed a couple of these earlier, right? Nash checked around him, and thats when it hit him. OH SHIIIIIIIIIII- BAAAAAM! The Magia Orbs exploded simultaneously! Three magical explosions erupted and converged in the center, right where Nash was standing! It was a triple resonance! B-But, Ill survive, right? I mean, I got tons of HP... Nash sweated bullets. Math wasnt his strong suit, so he had no idea how much damage to expect. All he knew was that this ult was bad news! This shit always dealt a broken amount of damage! No problem. Ill make it through. I just gotta land one more hit on her! Nash thrust his spear once more. There was no escaping from the huge explosion either way, so he just had to go for the head while he still had the chance. If he lands this hit, hell get the kill...! Alas, it was too late. The three explosions converged on him. The triple resonance erased him from existence. You gotta be shittin me... Nash laughed in denial. What was this bullshit? He had 60% HP just a moment ago, healthy as a horse. And yet, that ult did him in. Yeah, just like that, in a matter of a second. Just how much freakin damage did that broken ass spell did!? The damage was just barely enough to erase all his HP, but those who knew math could estimate it well enough. Phew. Kai sighed in relief. Looks like my quick math was on point. The exact damage of the resonance was a little tricky to calculate. The biggest unknown was how much damage a single explosion would deal, and the rest of the math relied on this crucial piece of information. Thats where Kai had to trust her honed intuition. She assumed that a single explosion of Resonance Ignition would take about 7% of the Lancers HP. It seemed like a realistic assumption since the damage of a single explosion wasnt that amazing. A resonance of two explosions made each explosion deal double damage. In other words, quadruple damage! 7x4 = 28. Thatd already turn the puny 7% into 28%. But, that wasnt nearly enough. The Lancer had 60% HP, so the only option was a triple resonance. How much damage would that be? Triple resonance meant triple damage for each explosion. In other words, it amplified the total damage nine times over! 7x9 = 63. It was worth memorizing the multiplication table they teach in school just for this. Kai chuckled. Though it was a joke, knowing the multiplication table was literally what allowed her to come up with all these numbers on the spot. Thats how she figured that max damage might be enough to delete 63% of StormMonsters HP, which was higher than his remaining 60%. Without that certainty, she probably couldnt have convinced herself to gamble on such a difficult play. And, it all actually worked out. Kai won! She toppled StormMonster with her own two hands! But, it was too early to celebrate. An uninvited guest arrived on the scene and ruined the party. It was Laplace, the enemy Cleric.! N-No way...! Kai choked. When did that guy come here? Why was he here!? No. T-That cant be... No! But, words alone werent going to stop the Cleric from doing his thing. He cast Arise without asking for anybodys permission. Stop... Kai trembled. She finally achieved her first victory in this game, she finally saw the light at the end of this dark tunnel! But, this Cleric was going to take that small ray of hope and crush it in front of her eyes. He was going to cast Kai back into the endless darkness. StormMonster was about to get back on his feet. And, this time, hell finish the job. Hell execute Kai without batting an eye. And, yet again, Kai will prove to be nothing but a liability for the team. Shell go down in history as a weak player who could do nothing for the team except for dying left and right. She was the very definition of trash. The white magic of revival enveloped StromMonsters ashes. It was healing magic of the highest degree, so potent it could even restore a body that has completely vanished, so long as traces of the soul remained behind. No matter how strong the explosions of Resonance Ignition were, they couldnt fully delete StormMonster from the game. As such, Arise had no problem salvaging StormMonster from the dead and summoning him in front of Kai once more. The monster was about to return. And, once he does, hell deliver swift revenge. It was a dead end. Kai struggled until the bitter end to get this far, but it was all futile. Until the very end, she couldnt achieve anything in this game... Vol.11 Ch.24: The Hand From the Darkness OH SHIIIIIIIIIII- Nash shouted. A loud cry, filled with despair and disbelief, almost as if he was about to lose the fight. That seemed weird. Wasnt he winning until now? Rio wondered on his way to the scene. He couldnt quite see what was going on over there just yet, but based on HP values it seemed like Nash was dominating the fight this entire time. So, whats with that desperate cry? I feel like I better hurry. Rio rolled forward. He had to get over there as quickly as possible, he felt it in his gut. It was important to not waste even a second. I shouldve set out earlier. Rio criticized himself. He hesitated at first, and Jaiden also said it was unnecessary to help Nash in this fight, so Rio almost stayed behind. But, he had a bad feeling and it ultimately compelled him to act. Jaiden has been underestimating Beat from the beginning, and Nash also thought she wasnt a big deal. It was a bad sign. Knowing Nash, he might let his guard down and get himself killed by the very prey he was chasing. He never expected the prey to strike back, that was the biggest weakness in his technique as a chasing expert. And, turned out Rios worries were justified... BAAAAAM! A loud explosion erupted in front of Rios eyes. How many Magia Orbs were involved in the process? How many of them overlapped on Nash? Rio couldnt tell just by looking at the explosions, but he figured it soon enough. All of them. Rio gulped. Its a full resonance. How did he figure? It was elementary. Nashs entire HP bar vanished in an instant, that was all the evidence needed. Only a triple resonance would be strong enough to deliver that kind of damage in a blink of an eye. Did that idiot just walk into a huge trap? Rio sighed. Seriously. Hes such a good player, but sometimes he makes the dumbest mistakes. Sigh. Fortunately, Rio made it just in time. Even though the explosions reduced Nash to ashes, his soul still lingered in this world for a couple of seconds. And, Rio was already within range to cast Arise. Ill revive you. Rio sent a ball of light toward Nashs remains. Oh! Youre here!? Nash jumped. Brooooo! Youre the best! I love ya! No homo, of course. But man, talk about timing! I knew you might do something stupid, thats the only reason why I followed. Haha, harsh. Nash cracked a laugh. Yeaaaah, I kinda messed up. But, no big deal! Revive me and Ill finish what I started! This chick is a little stronger than I expected, but shes basically already dead. One more hit and its over. Lets goooooo! The holy magic wrapped around Nashs ashes and repaired his body to its original form. Soon, hell return to the realm of the living! The monster was coming back, baby! It was Episode 2: The Monster Strikes Back! Good thing I made it in time. Rio sighed in relief. They almost conceded a kill here and let the enemy mage escape. Even though they took Top Turret during this attack, these two losses would have neutralized that advantage. But, there was no point thinking about that now. The disaster was averted. Nobody could stop this revival ritual now. Somebody from the enemy team was probably on his way here and would arrive at any moment, but itd be too late. Once Nash revives, hell finish the Sorcerer in a single hit. Beat already started running away, but it was futile. Nash will catch up to her in no time. He didnt build all that Movement Speed just for show. It was a practical advantage that turned him into an uncontested predator. He will catch her and he will kill her, there was no doubt- SPLASH. The sound of water. Where did it come from!? Ah! Rios eyes widened. It was the Aquamancer! The guy popped from the jungle right after Rio cast Arise! And, that splashing sound just now as none other than Aquamancers Splash spell, directed at the reviving Nash. Rios holy magic was busy at work, stitching Nash together from the ashes. But, the process came to an abrupt halt. The Aquamancers Splash washed off the holy aura. Nashs half-regenerated body crumbled into ashes once more. Wha?! How does that even work!? Nash cried. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! No way... Rio was frozen. How was that possible? No, of course its POSSIBLE, I know about this interaction. But... Splash was an oddity among oddities, as it nullified various positive effects on touch. That vague description covered buffs, shields, and yes, even the revival effect of Arise. Arise needed about two seconds to finish reviving a target. In that brief window of time, Splash was more than capable of negating the effect. It was a niche interaction, but Rio was aware of it. So, the interaction itself wasnt the surprising part. What actually shocked him was the fact this play just happened. The time frame for countering with Splash was about two seconds. In other words, it was practically impossible to pull this off unless the Aquamncer was already in position, waiting to make this specific counterplay. I knew somebody was coming to rescue Beat, but this isnt how I imagined it going down... The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. No matter who was rotating to Top, their primary goal shouldve been to rescue their injured mage and drive Nash away. That was just common sense. But, that common sense apparently didnt apply to Chessmaster. Instead of hurrying to Beats side, Chessmaster went straight for that Splash counterplay. Without hesitation. Without wasting any time. Almost as if it was the most natural thing to do. Did he somehow notice me before I got here? Rio trembled. How? I bet even Beat didnt see me coming. I even made sure to stick close to the wall and everything. Rio did everything in his power to approach the scene as stealthily as possible. He had plenty of experience with that from the time he was targeted by bullies, so slipping by unnoticed was one of his best skills. As long as Rio was careful enough, most opponents didnt notice him approaching before it was too late. He would reach his hand toward their backs from the darkness and give them a jumpscare. He even played pranks like that on Nash in real life. And, this time as well, Rio was very careful about his rotation. He did his best to slip in unnoticed, to eliminate any chance of being interrupted by unexpected circumstances. And, same as always, he reached his hand toward Nash from the darkness. But, somebody saw that hand and grabbed it in mid-air. That elusive hand of support failed to reach its target. Chessmaster caught the arm and snapped it in two. He saw it coming and countered Rio in an instant. It shouldve been impossible. What were the odds of something like that happening? Probably below 1%. Yet, it was an undeniable fact. Chessmaster just did it and flipped the entire situation on its head. Ive been telling Jay and Nash that they dont understand anything. Rio shuddered. Its not Gunz they should be scared of. Its Chessmaster. Jaiden and Nash always raved about Gunz because the beasts mechanical finesse awed them. And indeed, the guy was a fearsome fighter who crushed anybody in his path. He was worthy of being revered. Nonetheless, as far as Rio was concerned, it was the other half of the ex-StormBlitz duo that was truly scary. Gunz was just a mechanical beast. It was clear in which areas he excelled, and it was very much possible to use tactics to take him down. Compared to that, how much did they really know about Chessmaster? He was Gunzs lane partner and the shot-caller, but what was the real extent and reach of his tactical skills? How should they outplay him? It was all unclear. Thats why, out of the two powerhouses, it was actually Chessmaster who scared Rio the most. That guy was a competent tactician who couldnt be defeated through direct means. He was an intelligent hawk, carefully eyeing his prey and studying their weaknesses. He was always out of reach, yet his words and actions influenced the world beneath him. There was no telling how many weaknesses Chessmaster discovered and what ploys he was coming up with. How much could he predict? What did he know? Everything was unknown. All of this placed tremendous pressure on the enemy. No matter how good a play was, Chessmaster might know a way to turn it into a misplay. Thats how fearsome his tactics were. For example, Rio didnt have a single doubt in his mind about his plans to resurrect Nash. There shouldnt have been anybody who could interfere with the process, so he went ahead with it at the first opportunity that presented itself. And yet, somehow, Chessmaster turned this simple play into a misplay. Somehow, the master tactician saw through Rios elusive movements, figured Rios intentions, and countered the entire play in the nick of time. Chessmaster thoroughly outplayed Rio on that one. It was a crushing defeat. Sorry, Rio apologized to Nash as he fled the scene. There was nothing more he could achieve here alone. Beat was gravely injured, but it was impossible for Rio to deliver the finishing blow under these circumstances. It was a 1v2 situation and his damage output was poor, so hed most certainly die trying to get this kill. Not your fault, man, Nash said. That guy just straight up showed outta nowhere. I wonder if he was waiting for it. He had to, Rio said. He couldnt have made it in time otherwise. So, like, he guessed you might try to revive me and waited to counter this specific scenario? Pretty much. Wild play. Nash nodded with some newfound respect. He wasnt too impressed with Chessmaster until now, but this was one heck of a crazy counterplay. Thinking of it, he also rescued that damn Knight I was chasing earlier. Bruh sure makes strong plays every now and then. Thats the tricky part with Chessmaster. Jaiden smiled wryly. You can never tell what hes going to pull next. Its also really hard to gauge what hes capable of. Even when hes not at the scene, theres a good chance hes the one calling the shots for the team. Sick! Nash grinned. Sounds like we better focus him the next chance we get. We gotta eliminate this dangerous guy! Stupid, Rio objected. Even if hes dead, he can still give orders. Oh, true that. Nash crossed his arms. Then, what can we do about this guy? Thats the problem, isnt it? Jaiden smiled wryly. The shot-caller is the only role we cant really kill. Hes always there, making our lives difficult. Theres pretty much nothing we can do. Gotta keep playing well and not show him any openings. Okay, I like that plan! Nash pumped a fist. Next time, I gonna chase and kill these guys for sure! Memer and Beat, just you watch! Thats the spirit, my guy. Though, I still cant believe you died fighting Beat. Jaiden shook his head. The heck were you doing there? Weeeeelp... Nash scratched his head. She caught me off-guard. One moment, I was sure she gonna be an ez kill, but then she somehow turned the tables on me. Its because you werent paying attention, Jaiden criticized. You shouldve noticed her orbs. Yeaaaaah, I kinda saw them. But man, she was almost dead! I thought Ill just kill her before she gets to pull anything, so I wasnt worried. But, she somehow stalled me just long enough to make it. Her dodges are some real shit, gotta admit. Nah, you just done goofed, Jaiden insisted. The next time I fight her, Ill show you how its done. Shes trash, man. I know you wanna be hating on her because shes a girl, but she aint that bad, Nash said something unexpected. I know shes been playing like hot garbage this game, but not in that fight. You better not underestimate her when she gets serious. Huh, if you say so. Jaiden didnt believe any of that. Nashs defeat was the result of his own negligence. Jaiden wont commit such an amateurish mistake, not against Beat. He wont give that girl any chances. Hell crush her thoroughly, leaving no room for doubt regarding the difference in their skill. But, thats only provided such an opportunity will present itself again in this game. Nashs death was a terrible setback for the team. It might even cost them the game in the long run. I hope this isnt the beginning of a turnabout... Rio frowned. In terms of map control, Taurus held an undeniable advantage. They were ahead in Mid and Top, while their enemy only advanced far in Bot. But, Nashs death tore apart the Invincible Triangle, the strongest pushing force of the team. In addition, it turned the overall situation from an advantageous 5v4 to a fair 4v4. Worst of all, it made Taurus lose the momentum they were building up in Top. Meanwhile, Gunz was pushing hard through Bot and the defense efforts over there werent looking too reassuring... Vol.11 Ch.25: Mid Laners Independency Dudes were throwing a party in Top Lane. There were ganks, fights, and kills. It sounded like lots of fun! Unfortunately, Lars had to miss out on it. While the others were partying in Top, he was pushing Bot all by himself. He demolished the Bot Turrent and continued pushing forward. He was overextending but it was a safe overextension. Nobody gonna come and gank him from behind since everybody else was busy in Top. This was the perfect opportunity to split-push! And so, Lars pressed on. After destroyed the Turret, he targeted the Bot Golem next. This is cool and all, but I wish I was fighting in Top instead. Lars smiled wryly. Taking on strong opponents was way more fun than split-pushing all by himself out here. But, somebody had to do this and he was the best man for the job. The team was at a disadvantage right now, and this was a golden opportunity to turn things around. Once he destroys the Golem, itll put a stop to the enemys momentum and will force them on the defensive. Thats when Lars will get plenty of chances to duke it out with strong dudes! So cmon, Golem Dude. Lets finish this real quick. Lars followed his minions into the Golems area. He had to shoot down this dude as fast as possible. One Fan the Hammer, coming right up! BAM. BAM. BAM. BAM. BAM. He fired nonstop. At this stage of the game, Fan the Hammer unlocked the ability to fire five consecutive shots. And, in a few levels, Lars will even be able to fire six shots! And, it could actually go all the way up to seven shots, but thats only at Lv.20. Thats when Fan the Hammer would become OP for real, but there was still some time until then. Okay, all of em hit the jackpot! Lars nodded to himself. He successfully landed all five shots on the Golems face. More specifically, on the big gem sticking out of the Golems forehead. There was no real point behind it. Headshots didnt count on the Golem, and there was no need for Lars to nullify the Golems resistance to skills at this time. The shots of Fan the Hammer counted as basic attacks, so they were already plenty effective on the Golem. As such, hitting the Golems core didnt yield any advantages in this particular situation. Nevertheless, Lars insisted to nail every shot on that forehead. Maybe it wasnt important right now, but itd be critical when he pushes with his teammates. If I go easy on this one, my muscle memory might go numb. Even though he practiced hitting the Golems core almost every day, itd mean nothing if he cant nail these shots in a real match. This wasnt like a regular daily practice. There was a lot of pressure when playing on the competitive stage and making critical plays. His body had to adjust to all these factors in order to perform as effectively as he practiced. Therefore, no shortcuts were allowed. He refused to go for the easy shots, especially when there was no enemy defender to pressure him at the moment However, that part was going to change soon enough. It appears DragonMaster has recalled, Vincent reported. Hes probably going to defend Bot, Yuel deduced. Okey-dokey! Lars replied. It was about time. The enemy allowed Lars to parade all over Bot until now, but there was no chance theyll surrender Bot Golem without a fight. Destroying this one Golem had the potential to flip the entire game on its head, so of course the enemy had to act. But, no problem! Lars will absolutely destroy the big dude! Shortly after Yuels warning, the Berserker showed up in Bot. DragonMaster came to defend the super important objective. But, this was no reason to stop pushing! Gotta keep going, yooooo! Youre not retreating? Yuel asked. I gotta take this Golem out. Lars continued shooting the Golem nonstop from the edge of the area. Every bullet perfectly struck the gem on the Golems forehead. Its dangerous, Yuel warned. You better retreat. I can retreat, but then what? What we gonna do next? Defend Top? Well, yes... Yuel answered reluctantly. The enemies were still threatening Top with their presence. They werent discouraged by StormMonsters death and continued pushing, no doubt aiming to reach the Golem. They had to be stopped in their tracks. So, itd be great if Lars returned and helped out with the defense efforts in Top. But, just as he asked, whats next? How will they win from that disadvantageous position? If all they do is continue deflecting incoming attacks without going on the offensive, theyll never win at this rate. Normally, the defending team would be waiting for the attacker to commit a mistake and then mount a counter-attack. However, for that to happen, two requirements had to be met. First, Stratuss defense had to be solid enough to outlast the enemys pressure. Second, Taurus had to be careless enough to commit a big mistake on the offense. Unfortunately, neither seemed likely. Stratuss defense was nothing special and Taurus was an airtight team with few openings. Not to mention, the enemys Triangle was incredibly overwhelming. More than likely, Stratus will cave in to pressure long before Taurus commits a punishable mistake. In fact, thats exactly how they lost the last two games. Larss concern makes sense. Yuel summarized. If we dont keep pushing now, when will we? The situation was turning from bad to worse by the moment. If Lars retreats from Bot now, the team might never get another chance to go on the offensive again. But, was that reason enough to let Lars keep pushing Bot against DragonMaster? It was incredibly risky. If Lars dies here, itll be checkmate for Stratus. The team will have no chance of recovering after losing the Queen. I mean, lets be real for a sec, Lars said. Ya really think this dude is good enough to kill me? I think not. But hey, you fought him the most, so you tell me. Hmm... Yuel mulled over this unexpected question. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. DragonMaster was a decent player, but not a particularly overwhelming one. Vincent struggled against the guy a little, but DragonMaster shouldnt pose much of a threat to Lars. At least, not in a regular duel. Unfortunately, the current situation wasnt a duel. Lars had to focus on pushing the Golem while fighting the defender, so the circumstances were playing against him. He was a handicapped challenger. And yet, despite understanding what kind of situation he was in, Lars still leveled that question. In other words, he was asking how big was the skill gap between him and DragonMaster. Was it big enough to cover for Larss disadvantage? I wish I knew. Yuel frowned. Accurately measuring player skill under various circumstances was one of the biggest challenges for him as a shot-caller. There was too much uncertainty and too many factors involved in this delicate process. One of Yuels biggest self-improvement goals was to be able to make such calls on demand. Unfortunately, he hasnt made much progress in that area ever since he set it as a goal. There was no obvious method for improving his skill in this particular area. Is it something I can only learn by experience? Yuel wondered Analytical techniques that didnt have hard rules were a pain to study. There was never a correct way to master them. They mostly boiled down to intuition, which was the result of accumulated knowledge and experience. In other words, vague mumbo-jumbo. Then again, some people say my shot-calling is just guessing. Yuel smiled wryly. By playing chess for years as a kid, Yuel developed the intuition for reading his opponents quirks. After repetition upon repetition, he acquired the ability to make educated guesses about his opponents mindsets based on how they played. And, when he applied that experience to Classmancers, it happened to work here as well. But, without all that chess experience, how would he start learning this intuition from scratch? Most likely, he wouldnt have had any clear directions to follow. Hed just have to play many games and carefully observe his opponents. With enough experience and knowledge, intuition will naturally mold into shape. I guess it works the same way for comparing player skill. Yuel concluded. So, was Lars strong enough to keep pushing against DragonMaster? Yuel couldnt find the correct answer, and he probably never will. It was all down to intuition and educated guessing. Im not sure I have enough experience to make a confident call here. Yuel thought. Or, maybe Im just lacking confidence? If I dont start making educated guesses at some point, Ill never get better at them. In terms of raw strength, Lars was much stronger than DragonMaster, especially when using a Gunslinger. If they fight each other, itll be like an adult fighting a baby. There was absolutely no chance DragonMaster will be able to win. But, that only applied to a fair. duel Things were completely different during a Golem push. Larss decision-making was still rough around the corners and he still committed careless mistakes every now and then, some of which proved fatal. And, a Golem push was the kind of situation in which a little bit of overextension could easily result in death. Was Larss superior skill enough to cover up for that grim disadvantage? Yuel couldnt answer for sure by himself. But, then he remembered something. There was another player on this team who was good at deconstructing players, but in a very different way from Yuel. Vincent, what do you think? Yuel asked. Do you think its safe for Lars to keep pushing? Oh, youre consulting moi? Vincent blinked. To think theres a puzzle that can even stump Chessmaster. Sorry, but we dont have time for that nonsense. Please, just tell me what you think. You also fought DragonMaster, so you should have some data to work with. Hmm. It is indeed a difficult question, one that has been stumping scholars for generations. Vincent nodded in agreement with the nonsense he was spouting. In my humble opinion, DragonMaster is a fine warrior, but he is no match for the God of Headshots. Heck yeah! Lars exclaimed. Im tellin ya, I got this! However, Chessmaster, Vincent continued. Youre the one who played with Gunz the most, and you also fought DragonMaster three games in a row today. As such, if anybody posses the forbidden knowledge here, it should be you. Yeah, I know. But... If you know that much but youre still reluctant, then you must have specific concerns. You better voice them now, for we humans arent gifted with telepathy. We cant tell whats weighing on your mind. Fair enough. Yuel realized he was committing the usual mistake. He was stuck thinking and overthinking everything inside his own head, without sharing his thoughts with anybody. In situations like this, it might be a good idea to take a page from Vincents book and blurt whatever was on his mind. There was no point mulling over this alone. I know Lars is stronger, Yuel said. But, hell be fighting with a handicap while pushing the Golem. One wrong move and hell die. A valid concern indeed, Vincent agreed. No problem! Lars insisted to hang around the Golems area, waiting for the next minion wave to lead the way. Ill be fine! I aint gonna do anything stupid, promise. I wish I could take your word on that. Yuel sighed. We all know you sometimes get carried away in 1v1 situations like this. Thats all in the past, my dude, Lars promised. Did ya already forget? Ive been playing lots of Mid the past few months. I admit, I needed some hand-holding at first, but nowadays Im not asking you for much advice, right? You still ask me what to build every game. Haha, ya got me. But, Im talking besides builds. Like, about my plays and whatnot. Ive been doing my own thing for the most part, right? Yes, thats true, actually... Yuel didnt realize it until now because it happened so naturally. Indeed, Lars stopped asking too many questions about playing Mid. The goof learned how to handle himself alone in lane and his performance has been steadily improving. He could take care of himself just fine without any hand-holding. Even during todays scrimmage, Lars held his ground against a strong opponent like Nirvana in Mid. He didnt ask Yuel for any advice aside from which items to build, as usual. Before Yuel noticed, Lars learned how to play independently and handle difficult situations all by himself. Mid was hard as heck at first, Lars admitted. It made me realize I was derping a lot. All this time, youve been supporting me in Bot and clearing up the messes I made. Im glad you realized. Haha, harsh. Lars laughed. So anyway, without ya in Mid, I suddenly had to deal with lots of stuff myself. I got rekt a lot at first, but it was all good. Thanks to all these failures, I became way stronger! Im no longer the same Lars I was before! Now, Im a Super Lars! I can do stuff alone no problem! Such confidence. Yuel smiled wryly. Was there a limit to Larss neverending confidence? No, probably not. This goof probably believed he could grasp the sun if he put his mind to it. Thats the kind of strong-willed player he was. Should I trust his confidence this once? Yuel wondered. It was all true, Lars improved tremendously in recent months. And, more than anything, his entire mindset underwent an overhaul. He became aware of the importance of defense and actively worked to improve in that area. I probably have Ellen to thank for some of that. Yuel smiled meaningfully. It was that trickster fox who forced Lars to realize the importance of making careful decisions. And, playing Mid allowed Lars to practice many situations in which careful decision-making was necessary. Its true that Lars hasnt been making many terrible misplays recently. Yuel thought. He rarely gets carried away and his defense is usually airtight. Even against Trever in the 3v3, Lars held his ground and waited for the right moment to strike. He really evolved, so... Okay, I leave it to you, Yuel said. If youre so sure you can handle it, then go for it. We need to take down this Golem in order to win. Aww yeah! Now were talking! Lars pumped a fist. Just remember: if you die, we lose the game. No pressure. Haha, works for me! Lars grinned. The higher the stakes, the more fun it is! And so, he stood his ground and waited outside the Golems area for the next minion wave. The enemy Berserker was fast approaching with full HP, ready to tear Lars apart. But, there was no reason for worry. Hell overcome this ordeal! Hell destroy the Golem while fending off the Berserker! Believe it, yoooooooo! Vol.11 Ch.26: The Ex-StormBlitz Monsters Zeph returned to base, geared up, and healed up. Now, he was more than ready to defend Bot. Though, its not like Ill need to do much. He thought. Im sure that scrub gonna run away like a pussy the moment I get over there. Imma scare him away real quick, then Ill join yall in Top, Zeph informed. Sounds good, Raymond approved. Just be careful. Huh? Careful with what? Dont underestimate Gunz, Raymond warned. Hes a league above everybody else in Stratus when it comes to fights. Wait, are you telling me he gonna stay and fight? Its possible. That entire split-push is a very aggressive play. I wont surprise me if they try to keep it going even with you there. So basically, ya telling me they gonna underestimating me. Zeph grinned. Fine by me. If he stays, Imma freakin destroy him! Didnt I just ask you to be careful? Yeah, yeah, Ill be careful, Zeph promised. Man, Ray is so pushy this game. Its like hes actually acting like a captain for once. I wish he was like this back when Bruce and the gang were causing mayhem. Taurus couldve had such a strong team of seniors. Oh well. This was no time to cry over spilled milk. Zeph had to wrap things up in Bot so he could join the offense in Top. We gonna win this game soon, I feel it. So, I wanna be there when it happens. Just a few more pushes and Stratus will crumble, and Zeph definitely was going to take a part in making that happen. But, before that, he had to deal with this pesky Gunslinger. Hey look, hes running away, Zeph said. The Gunslinger was backing away, no doubt planning to flee the scene. But, then he just stopped, right outside the Golems area. He didnt escape any farther. The guy straight up stopped there and waited. Okay, maybe hes staying after all, Zeph grimaced. For the better or the worse, Raymonds worries came true. This bastard is totally looking down on me, isnt he? Time to teach that scrub a lesson! Zeph dashed forth. He ignored the enemy minions invading the Golems area and went straight for the big fish. This Gunslinger gonna regret his arrogance! Hes dead meat! Come over here! Zeph hurled his axe. Once it connects, hell pull the chain back and drag that arrogant Gunslinger into the Golems area. One ezpz kill coming right up! Nope! Lars rolled aside while staying inside the Golems area. Damn, making me work for it Zeph clicked his tongue. This would have been a great time to become Berserk and go all out on that Gunslingers ass, but Zeph didnt have enough Rage meter for that. He spent almost all of it during the recent fight in Top. All these minions are almost dead too, so I cant farm much Rage from them. Zeph couldnt find any shortcuts for turning Berserk. So, he had no choice but to fight as a regular bruiser, without the explosive strength of Berserk mode. Meh, its fine. I got the Golem on my side. Zeph fearlessly charged at his opponent. If you aint gonna leave peacefully, then I gonna make you leave! Dead or alive, your choice. But, no matter how intimidating Zeph considered himself to be in this situation, his opponent didnt flutter. Okay, here it comes. Lars took a deep breath and sharpened his senses. His next play will be critical. It gonna expose what kind of player Lars was today. Was he still the reckless brat who didnt know how to gauge risk? The kind of fool whom the enemy baited into every little trap? Or, did he grow up since then? Im not the same I used to be and Imma prove it, here and now! Lars moved along the outer ring of the Golem area, maintaining as much distance as possible from his foe. All the while, he continued firing at the Golem. All his shots were locked onto the Golems forehead, he didnt spare a single bullet for the Berserker. But, its not like he didnt want to confront his opponent, its just that he couldnt. If he hit DragonMaster even once, the Golem dude would go bonkers. Lets not do that. And so, Lars avoided direct confrontation and continued running in circles around the Golems area. But, that couldnt last forever. Gotcha! Zeph finally cornered his foe. The damn Gunslinger has been running away the entire damn time, yet he insisted to stay inside the Golems area and keep shooting the Golem. Thats taking cockiness to a whole new level. But, I finally caught up. Zeph grinned. Its your own damn fault you didnt scram while you had the chance. Now, Gunz had no choice but to retreat from the Golem area and start running for his life. At least, thats what any sane player would do... What the-!? Zeph exclaimed. Instead of evacuating the premises, Gunz continued moving around the border and shooting the Golem without a single care in the world. Its as if Zeph was air for him. You piece of...! Zeph darted at the guy. You think youre a big shot because you used to be on StormBlitz or something? You gonna regret this one big time! Zeph darted at his foe, axe at the ready. He gonna end that bastards whole career! But, the opponent was more than ready. Here comes! Lars grinned. Cmon, dont be shy. Come at me, yo! The Berserker caught up with Lars and stretched his arm. A swing was coming! So, it was time. Combat Roll! Lars rolled out of the Golem area right before the axe sliced through him. But, he didnt roll too far. Rather than rolling away, he rolled in parallel to the incoming attack, landing just barely outside the Golem area. Did he mess up his roll? Zeph wondered as he brought down his arm. His swing whiffed, but Gunz just barely got away from it. The guys reaction speed was impressive, but the roll itself was garbage. He couldve rolled way farther than that. Looks like you panicked, kid. Zeph cracked a laugh. Thats what you get for acting cocky. Karma, bitch. And, now youre dead! Zeph had every intention to chase this clumsy opponent. The roll barely got Gunz outside the Golem area, so the guy was still very much within reach. I can still whack this guy real hard. Zeph was convinced. Maybe Ill even get a kill here! That should make up for the embarrassing death he suffered earlier this game, and for his overall lackluster performance today. This one kill right here would be as good as sealing the fate of this decisive final game! Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Here I come! Zeph darted toward Gunz, fully intent to strike down the fleeing foe. Or, at least, that foe should have been fleeing. But, for some reason, Gunz just stood there and spun the hammer of his revolver. Huh? Zeph blinked twice. Wasnt that...? Its showdown, yoooooo! Lars activated Fan the Hammer, which just came out of cooldown. He finished spinning the hammer of the revolver and took aim at the Berserkers head. Lets do this! BAM! Headshot. Critical damage! It was a clean hit. And, thanks to all the Physical Power and Critical Damage in his built, a single headshot deleted 15% of the bruisers HP. What the-!? Youre shooting!? In this situation!? Zeph couldnt believe the bullshit he was seeing right now. He, an aggressive bruiser, was about to ram into a squishy marksman. And yet, the marksman just stood there without a single care in the world. Even worse, the bastard was actively shooting Zeph, right in the face! Boi, youre SO dead! Stop it, Zeph. You better re- You wanna go!? Zeph roared. THEN LETS GO! He charged forth and closed the distance in just a couple of steps. BAM! The revolver fired relentlessly. In the time it took Zeph to get close, the revolver already fired a second time. CRITICAL The red letters popped on the screen. This was the second critical in a row, and each of them dealt nasty damage. Even against a bruiser, these criticals hit like a truck. Meh, its just a flesh wound. Zeph wasnt too concerned. Berserker was no squishy wuss, he could soak some damage. All that mattered was that Zeph finally got close enough. Now, it was time to wreck the cocky Gunslinger! Time for Barbarian Slam! Zeph lifted both axes high into the air. He wouldve liked to crash these bad bois on the Gunslingers right away, but it was best to charge up the attack first. After 1.2 seconds pass, Barbarian Slam will power up and gain a stun effect. Thats when itll be over for real- BAM! Another gunshot. Damn, this broken ass shit fires like a machinegun. Zeph had just lifted his axes and already ate a bullet to the face. BAM!CRITICAL Another headshot!? Damn, not bad. Zeph thought. Landing consecutive headshots during Fan the Hammer was hard as heck, he knew that from experience. Bruce once held a dumb contest in the club, in which everybody competed to score the highest number of consecutive headshots with Fan the Hammer. And, Zephs performance was embarrassing beyond belief. It was so bad, it single-handedly made him not want to play any marksmen for the rest of his life. So, enemy or not, anybody who could nail these headshots deserved some respect. That shit was cool, no question about it. Especially, landing three headshots in a row was nasty. If the Gunslinger pulled it off right after Combat Roll, then it also applied a stun wait. Three headshots? After a roll!? Zeph turned pale. The Berserkers arms turned limp just as the realization hit him. His Barbarian Slam was abruptly canceled, but that wasnt all. He couldnt move at all. The third headshot stunned him! Fuuuuuuuu! Zeph cried out. How did I miss that!? God, Im such a dumbass! I let this fucker tilt me! BAM! Naturally, it was another critical hit. Anybody who dared to play Gunslinger had to be able to confirm headshots from point-blank, especially on immobile targets. So, of course, Gunz wouldnt whiff shots like that. But, its okay. Zeph tried to convince himself. Everything is okay. Im still alive and Im a bruiser. Im tough enough to eat headshots like this all day long. The stun was going to end at any moment and then Zeph will strike back. Any moment now. Aaaaaaany moment. Cmon, let me out already! Zeph started spamming the spacebar. Dodge Roll. Dodge Roll. DODGE ROLL. Cmon, lemme out! End this damn stun! BAM! Another headshot, another 15% HP deleted. Zeph was already down to 25% HP. Yeah, thats right. A full HP bruiser reduced to 25% in a matter of seconds. #BalancedGame But, its okay. Im still alive. Zeph took a deep breath. Im right next to the Golem. I can at least make it out alive. This stupid stun just gotta end, then Ill be rolling the heck outta here! As if to answer his plea, the stun let go of him before the Gunsgliners next shot. Fan the Hammer ended, so Gunz fell back to using basic attacks, with an Attack Speed that was nothing to write home about. Yes! Freedom! Im out! Zeph hit the spacebar once more. This time, it was gonna get him outta here! Or, so he thought. What the-!? The button doesnt do jack shit! Then, he realized the disheartening truth. There was a red cross plastered over his Dodge Roll skill icon. The utility skill was sealed. He couldnt roll. Oh, fuck me. The cripple, I forgot. Zeph hung his head in defeat. He completely forgot about the other part of the Combat Roll + Fan the Hammer synergy. Originally, the CC that Combat Roll granted wasnt a stun but rather a cripple. The stun was just a bonus for three headshots in a row. Being inflicted with crippled while stunned didnt do much since Stun was the stronger CC anyway. But, with each headshot, Gunz continued piling up the cripple effect on Zeph and extending its duration. And, in the end, the cripple effect outlasted the stun and stuck around even after the stun was already over. Thus, even after Zeph finally made it out of the stun, the cripple still haunted him. It sealed all his mobility skills, including Dodge Roll. In other words, it was impossible to quickly get away! BAM! Another headshot from behind. Even though Zeph was in the middle of running, Gunz nailed the headshot without batting an eye. W-Whats with this guy? Zeph gulped. Is he using an aimbot or some shit? Thats way too many headshots, damn it! Zephs life was hanging by a thread. One more headshot and hell die. B-But, I already made it all the way over here. Zeph forced a smile. He had already escaped all the way to the Golem, and he was about to reach the base. So, he could definitely still make it out- BAM. CRITICAL. You have been killed! You gotta be shitting me... Zephs Berserker bent over and crashed into the ground like a lifeless sack of meat. He was dead. Completely, utterly, and thoroughly dead. How did it even happen...? Zeph laughed at the absurdity in front of him. He came here to defend, his job was easy. He was just supposed to scare the Gunslinger away, thats all. It was a simple task anybody could handle. And yet, Zeph found himself here, kissing the ground. One moment, everything was going his way and he thought he might even get a kill. The next moment, he was freakin dead. I told you to retreat, Raymond scolded. Ah, welp... Zeph felt a lump stuck in his throat. Yep, cap sure warned me. I think he also told me to retreat when I was about to charge in. He knew it all, but I didnt listen like a dang idiot. This one is on me. Zeph was naive. He shouldve already known that the ex-StormBlitz players were monsters. He recognized Chessmaster as pro-level material after fighting the guy in lane for four games straight, so he shouldve assumed Gunz was the same way. I guess I just didnt want to believe it. Zeph smiled wryly. To think that Stratus had not one, but TWO monsters of this caliber. Was that kind of shit even legal? How was anybody supposed to keep up with these guys? They were insane. Thats no middle-school level. I just made one mistake... Zeph cracked a dry laugh. Yeah, just one mistake. Zeph only fudged up once, but it cost him everything. If he just realized sooner that the third headshot was deadly and that he had to dodge it, then the outcome wouldve completely different. I feel you, Jaiden spoke out of the blue. Earlier, I tried to take on Gunz. I misplayed just once and he almost ate me alive. If not for Rio, I wouldve been dead for sure. This guy is a savage. Yeah, no joke. Zeph sighed in defeat. So, its not just me. He was disgusted with himself for feeling relieved over this fact, but he couldnt help it. Even though Gunz just thoroughly destroyed him, Zeph felt a little better knowing it wasnt just him being trash. Gunz was just too godlike. The only mistake Zeph committed was challenging this mechanical god as if they were equals. Sorry, Ray. I fucked up, Zeph apologized. Looks like they gonna take the Golem. No, they wont, Raymond stated matter-of-factly. Oh? Youre already here!? Zeph exclaimed. He didnt have any time to check the rest of the map during the chaotic situation, so he didnt even notice. At some point, Raymond made it back to the base. Whats more, the cap was already about to intercept Gunz! How did he get back so fast? Zeph wondered. Did he recall as soon as he saw me pick a fight? Yeah, it sounds like something Raymond would do. So, he basically gave up on me right away, haha It stung a little, but he couldnt blame Raymond for this. For those who knew of Gunzs strength, Zephs ballsy actions looked like suicide. It was frustrating, but it was the truth. Fortunately, not all was lost. The captain was about to save the day from StromBlitzs monster! Im sure Ray can handle this way better, if anything because he wont underestimate Gunz like I did. Zeph placed all his faith in the captain since thats all he could from beyond the grave. If the enemy claims the Golem this push, itll all be Zephs fault. So, he prayed from the bottom of his heart that Raymond will be able to put a stop to this critical push... Vol.11 Ch.27: Reborn Leader You have killed an enemy! Woohoo! Lets go! Lars pumped a fist. He totally rekt that Berserker. Poor dude didnt stand a chance. Awesome, dude! Luke exclaimed. Magnificent! Vincent added noise. As expected from the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse! Anyone who dares to stand in his path shall face death! Good job, Yuel praised the achievement with conflicted feelings. It was an unexpected turn of events. He was so afraid of Lars messing up that he almost canceled that push, but Lars surpassed all expectations. Not only did Lars survive, but he even scored a kill on the defender. This was a big deal, probably bigger than anybody realized. If he can take the Golem on top of that- Oh, drat. Yuels thoughts were cut short as a new defender showed up in Bot. The enemy had no intention of surrendering the Golem that easily. Whoa! Lars jumped. A blast of wind was coming straight at him! It was that wind burst spell thingy the Aeromancer used. Where did that thing come from!? No matter! I just gotta dodge! Actually, wait. Is it even gonna reach me? That wind blast was coming from far away. Larss intuition was telling him that the wind will lose all its momentum and disperse before reaching him. So, there was no need to panic. Lars could just retreat by foot and keep his Dodge Roll for later. But, just as the thought crossed his mind, a stream of wind formed between him and the incoming blast. It was that thingy the Aeromancer always installed to speed up his projectiles! Oh, snap! Lars exclaimed. It completely escaped him in the heat of the moment. Todays Aeromancer was no normal Aeromancer. It was Nirvana, the dude who has been giving Lars trouble the entire day! And, dude had this one sick setup...! Dang it! Lars resorted to rolling after all, but it was already too late. The blast of wind smashed into him right before he took off. It struck him hit hard and slowed him down. His split-second hesitation cost him dearly. Dang it! Lars dashed the heck outta the Golem area. At least, he wanted to dash, he really did. But, his legs were like lead. That slowdown from the wind was the real deal. BAM! A boulder crashed on his back right before he escaped the area. 15% of his HP vanished on the spot. It hurt, yo! Whoa, that Golem dude be mad. Lars smiled wryly. This was actually the second boulder in a row. The Golem attacked Lars once while he was chasing DragonMaster, but that was a calculated risk. He was already mentally prepared to get smacked by one boulder, but he thought hed escape the area in time before the second boulder comes. Alas, that wind slowdown ruined everything. Welp, my HP doesnt feel so good. Larss smile shook a little. After getting smashed by a boulder twice and also blasted by wind, he was already down to 60% HP. Things were getting a little risky. To make things worse, the opponent that appeared in front of him was none other than Nirvana, the enemy captain himself. This was gonna be tough. Heh, where did that dude even come from? Lars grinned. This Nirvana dude was something else. He had the uncanny ability to show up at the worst timing possible. How did Vincent call this ability, again? Something like Silent Sniper or such. It was lit as heck! He mustve recalled as soon as they started retreating in Top, Yuel reasoned. Nirvana had been confidently pushing Top alongside Renegade and Laplace, but at some point, they suddenly decided to retreat. At the time, their intentions werent immediately clear. It looked more like bait than a sincere retreat. As such, it was difficult to make the right call on that move. And so, Yuel chose to observe the enemys movements some more before drawing any conclusions. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. As it turned out, Nirvana exploited that brief period of Fog of War to recall to base and get ready to defend Bot. All of that was happening while Lars was still in the middle of attacking DragonMaster, so Nirvana mustve predicted the outcome ahead of time. Silent Backer, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. As Vincent claimed, Nirvana had that kind of skill. It was like a mini-Aegis. It didnt provide perfect map-wide defense, but it definitely had the ability to cover up holes in the teams formation. Truly, a troublesome ability. With this one defensive move, Nirvana single-handedly stopped an incoming checkmate. The Bot Lane Golem wont be collapsing any time soon. Lars, retreat, Yuel ordered. Yep, already on it, Lars said. As much as he wanted to challenge an awesome dude like Nirvana, he knew this was neither the time nor the place. Nirvana was one heck of a dude. He held Lars down in Mid for three games straight, and he didnt even crack against Larss Trickshooter. So, theres no way Lars could take on this dude in his own territory, not with 60% HP left and without Fan the Hammer. Next time, yo! Lars promised. Next time we meet, Imma beat ya for sure! He declared as he scrammed. He felt like a cliche villain who was fleeing the scene while yelling Ill remember that! It was a lame exit, but he had to run for now. No matter what happens, he absolutely couldnt let himself die here. Lars was the Carry, the one who had to propel the team to victory. If he falls here, the entire team will lose momentum. So, staying alive was far important than recklessly pushing after the Golem. And so, Lars ran away and the Bot Golem remained standing with 30% HP. Nirvana successfully put a stop to the intense split-push. But, to make sure the attacker didnt have any funny ideas, Nirvana made sure to give chase. This should be far enough. Raymond stopped chasing. After coming this far, it was clear Gunz was going to retreat, so there was no point in chasing any further. Its tempting to try and catch him, but I shouldnt fall for that temptation. Despite Raymonds great HP advantage, it was still very much possible for Gunz to turn the tables on him in a fight. Raymond had already experienced Gunzs intense Trickshooter last game, and the Gunslinger this game was looking just as strong. It was clear Gunz wasnt the kind of opponent to challenge without a decisive advantage. Besides, were not out of the woods yet. Raymond reasoned. I may have saved the Golem for now, but hes still low on HP. With just 30% HP, the Golem will easily fold to another enemy push. Therefore, it had to be defended at any cost. Jaiden, Rio, join me in Bot, Raymond ordered. Got it, Jaiden replied for the two of them. They were using the dead time to steal the enemys Wolf Camp near Top, but it was time for them to recall. Man, this was such a wild ride. Jaiden smiled wryly. One moment, we were going strong in Top. Then, the next moment, were falling back to defend Bot. What a rollercoaster. It was a mistake to neglect the split-push for so long, Rio spoke frankly. Whoa, harsh. Jaiden smiled awkwardly. I agree, it was a mistake, Raymond admitted. I shouldve recalled earlier and handled it myself from the start. Well... Zeph grumped. Im very sorry for being this unreliable. Its not your fault, Raymond said. At least, not entirely. You had the least experience fighting Gunz today, so you couldnt have known what to expect. Theres a big difference between hearing how strong Gunz is and actually fighting him. Yeah, true dat. Zeph nodded. No matter how much he heard about Gunz being amazing, none of that sunk in until he had to actually confront the beast by himself. Thats when he finally realized the immense skill gap between himself and that ex-StormBlitz monster. This game has been a bumpy road, but were still alright, Raymond reassured. We still have our map control. Lets defend Bot and wait for everybody to revive, then we can go on the offensive again. Sounds good. Jaiden nodded. That encouragement was huge coming from Raymond. The captain had always been a guy of few words and he didnt like deceiving people. So, when he said the team had a good chance to win here, he meant every word of it. Raymond was a skilled player with great judgment. As such, his few words were far more reliable than any nonsense Bruce liked to yell, like We gonna win this for sure! I just know it! Trust my baseless confidence!!! I cant believe Ive lived to see the day when Ray commands the team like a real cap. Jaiden almost got teary about it. Truth to be told, Raymond had always been one of the seniors Jaiden looked up to. The captain had solid mechanical skill, sharp decision-making, lots of game knowledge, plenty of accumulated experience, and he always retained his cool under any circumstances. He was the kind of well-rounded player that Jaiden always aspired to become. Raymonds only glaring flaw was his passiveness when leading the club. He handled all the basic responsibilities of a captain without a hitch, but he couldnt for the life of him deal with the more complex issues. For example, thats why Bruces reign of terror remained unaddressed for so long. But, all of that came to an end today. Here and now, in this very scrimmage, Raymond finally burst out of his cocoon and emerged as the powerful leader he was always meant to be! With such a reliable leader pulling the team, there was no chance they could lose this game. They had it in the bag! Taurus will emerge victorious in todays scrimmage! Vol.11 Ch.28: Who is Renegade? This is an interesting board position. Yuel examined the mini-map. At a glance, things were looking grim for Stratus. The split-push in Bot fell through, so the enemy successfully maintained their map control. Stratus had lost control in Top and Mid, whereas the enemy only had to worry about Bot for a moment. Getting Bot Golem all the way down to 30% HP surely put a lot of pressure on the enemy, but it wasnt enough to make them crack. All they had to do was to defend Bot until the rest of their teammates revive, then to initiate a decisive push as a team. Such a push would either make or break the game. And, unfortunately, the odds favored Taurus, especially with the infamous Triangle on board. We have to make a move before it comes to that. Yuel concluded. Fortunately, there was some leverage to work with. Even though the enemy put a stop to the push on Bot, Lars achieved something unexpected in the process. He killed DragonMaster, which turned the current situation into a 4v3. Not to mention, thanks to Kais efforts, StormMonster was also dead. In other words, the enemys fearsome Triangle was out of commission for a while. In short, the enemy team had fewer players and they were missing their greatest weapon. If this wasnt a golden opportunity to make something happen, then when would it be? I better get something done too. Yuel felt like he was left behind. Kai scored a difficult kill on StormMonster, whereas Lars took a great risk to get a kill on DragonMaster. Meanwhile, what did Yuel achieve? Nothing that was worth mentioning. If anything, Yuel nearly blundered twice this game. He was slow in rotating to Top, barely getting there in time to save Kai. And, his lack of confidence almost made him stop Lars from fighting DragonMaster. So, rather than achieving anything great, Yuel almost ruined the teams chances twice in a row. I better make up for it somehow. Yuel thought. My teammates worked so hard to create these great opportunities, so how can I call myself a shot-caller if I dont capitalize on them? As it stood, the enemy was more than likely going to be on the defensive for a while. Theyll band together to defend Bot, and wait it out until their entire team revives. They were unlikely to split up or to commit to any risky plays. Okay, think. How can I draw them out? Yuel racked his brain. Taurus was currently lacking in manpower but they had no reason to rush anything. Stratus were the ones losing in terms of map-control, so they had to make the first move to get something moving. Honestly, this was tough. Taurus players were maintaining their cool even under these circumstances, so itll be hard to crack their defense. There were no obvious openings to strike. If only I could force them to split up, then we could handle them individually. This sounded like wishful thinking. The enemy will definitely stick together for now. They understood the importance of traveling together as a group at this stage of the game. They wont spread themselves thin for no reason. But, what if they suddenly get such a reason? Can I come up with one? If the enemy splits up and Stratus scores one more kill, itll become the decisive blow they needed to turn the game around. A 4v2 situation would give them tremendous leverage. In fact, it might even propel them all the way to victory. Question is, how do I split them apart? Is there any way to bait them out? Yuel overclocked his brain. All in all, it seemed impossible. Nevertheless, as the shot-caller, Yuel had to find a way. He couldn''t let Lars and Kais efforts go to waste. Those two created a great opportunity to mount a counter-attack, so Yuel had to follow up on it. Okay, lets take a step back. What do I know about these three players? Nirvana, Renegade, and Laplace. Who had a weakness Yuel could exploit? Nirvana was a strong all-rounder, whose only weakness was his lack of assertiveness. But, even that one flaw disappeared during this game. The guy started aggressing hard and delivered great results, without showing any new weaknesses in exchange. In short, Yuel had nothing on this guy. Laplace was an elusive player who didnt stick out too much, similar to Nia. He didnt have any notable weaknesses either. The guy came across as a calm player who relied mostly on game knowledge and decision-making to carry himself, similar to Yuel. These types of players were usually the hardest to bait out since they understood the value of tactical thinking. So, the only option left was Renegade, the ringleader of the famous triangle, the one Vincent dubbed as the God of Triangles. He was probably something of a leader for that trio. From the moment they subbed in together, their Triangle teamplay had been terrorizing the game. But, the Triangle was out of commission right now thanks to Kais efforts. So, besides being the Triangles leader, how did Renegade perform as an individual player? He was good, no question about that. His mechanical skill and decision-making were both impressive. As a whole, he came across as an all-rounder. The only thing so far that could count as a weakness was Renegades occasional competitiveness. For example, like the way he picked a fight with Lars during the early-game. If not for Laplaces support, Renegade wouldve died right there and then. But, Renegade learned his lesson. Ever since that incident, he hasnt challenged Lars alone even once. In fact, it even looked like he was overcompensating for that trauma by keeping his distance from Lars. Most likely, Renegade was hoping to win this game without directly taking Lars down. It was similar to how Yuel was playing around the enemys Triangle because it was too difficult to defeat. What else do I know about Renegade? Yuel wondered. Not much, unfortunately. The last two games ended too fast, so I havent learned much. And, its not like Ive ever met the guy before... oh, wait. I DID meet him. It struck him only now. Yuel dismissed that bit of info at the time, but it came rushing to him all at once. My IGN is Renegade. You better remember it! someone from Taurus said this before. It was the boy who came to speak with Yuel and Lars after the second game. That guy was Renegade. But, that still doesnt tell me much. Yuel frowned. The only thing he learned from that exchange was that Renegade held some interest in Yuel and Lars. And, said interest came into play at the beginning of this game, in the form of Renegade challenging Lars in lane. However, Lars quickly extinguished that interest by stomping Renegade. So, theres nothing else left? Really? Yuel bit his lip. All this thinking and thinking, yet he had nothing. But, I feel like Im on the right track here. Renegade seems like the one who is most likely to have an exploitable flaw. But, where is it!? Was there any other information about Renegade? Anything at all? There got to be something. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. For example, Renegades class picks: Gunslinger and Pirate. What story did they tell? Not a particularly informative one, unfortunately. No, thats not it. Yuel frowned. I need to dig deeper, try to understand his patterns and quirks. The answer has to be in there somewhere. Who was Renegade as a person? The type of guy whod come up to his opponents and boldly declare his name, implying hed beat them in a match. A confident player, but not an overly cocky one. He simply sought to challenge the strongest players, thats the impression he was giving. Hmm. A player who wants good competition. Yuel mulled over that point. Also, the type to openly express his dissatisfaction if he doesnt like the competition... Wait, how do I even know that one? What piece of information helped Yuel reach that conclusion? It wasnt anything from the recent games, so it had to be something that happened before that. Was it from the time he talked to me and Lars? No, I dont think so. Yuel knotted his brows. It has to be something else. But, did I even interact with him before that? No, I didnt. But, I saw others interacting with him! There was one more scene involving Renegade, buried at the back of Yuels head. It seemed irrelevant at the time since Renegade wasnt even part of Taurus opening lineup. Yuel assumed the guy was just a sub at best, so there was no point worrying about him just yet. But now, with Renegade actually participating, that brief scene from before turned into an important piece of evidence! Stratus is a joke team confirmed, Renegade said something to that effect back when the teams were greeting each other. His comment came in response to learning that Stratuss captain was a girl. Like many others on Taurus, he scoffed at Kai and assumed she was a weak player. As the vice-captain, Yuel stood a short distance behind Kai at the time, so he saw these events from up close. He kept quiet and didnt say anything back then, but he closely listened to the unfolding conversation and analyzed the enemy team. Thats when he noticed something peculiar. Renegade, an unknown player they were supposedly meeting for the first time, was brimming with hostility toward Kai. Unlike the rest of Taurus, that guy wasnt just cracking a joke at Kais expanse to make his peers laugh. No, it wasnt anything innocent like that. His sharp glare was filled with genuine malice. I remember it weirded me out back then. Yuel recalled. The reactions of the Taurus players were immature, but they were in line with being bratty middle-schoolers. They laughed at Kai for being a girl and thought she couldnt play well, a common belief among egotistical boys who couldnt imagine the possibility of losing to a girl in a video game. If thats how Renegade acted as well, that would be fine. Itd deduct some points from his maturity, but at least itd make the guy easy to understand. However, Renegades beef with Kai seemed much deeper, much more personal. He was emitting clear hostility toward her as if she was his sworn enemy. Its odd because Kai didnt seem to know the guy. Yuel recalled Kais confused reaction. She also noticed this hostility and had no idea what to make of it. So, it was probably safe to assume Renegade wasnt familiar with Kai. Nevertheless, he treated her like trash from the moment they met and directed a lot of malice toward her. Why? Maybe he wasnt hating on Kai per se. Yuel guessed. Could it be he has a beef against female players in general? Or, at least something close to that? It was a leap in logic, as there wasnt enough evidence to support this theory. However, its the only way Yuel could explain Renegades peculiar behavior on stage. The guy had something against female players, so seeing a female captain triggered him. He even left the stage after that, refusing to watch the game. He didnt strike me as immature back when he was talking to me and Lars. So, whatever problem he has with female players must be running pretty deep. It actually reminds me of a certain boy-hater from our team... In short, Renegade possessed the Girl Hater special ability! At least, thats how Vincent wouldve presented this quirk. But, the clown didnt mention anything about this. Why? Because its not a positive trait. Its a flaw. Yuel deduced. Vincents insights were great, but they only ever presented one side of the coin. He only raved about the strengths of players, never about their weaknesses. It was Yuels job to figure out those. If I think back on it Yuel recalled the previous two games, the ones in which Kai fought Renegade in lane. He was clearly targeting her. Well, Kai was targeting him too, but Renegade accepted her invitations way too easily. He was eager to defeat her. In addition, it felt like the Triangle targeted Kai quite often this game. They gathered in Mid during the early-game to kill her and later rotated to Top together to gank her once more. It felt like Renegade, as the leader of the Triangle, was trying to send a message. He most likely viewed Kai as the weakest link in Stratus and planned to kill her over and over, to show everybody how bad she was. In fact, it was very much possible that StormMonster chased Kai in Top due to Renegades orders. Or, at least, he received Renegades approval for that dangerous act. No matter how great of a chaser StormMonster was, chasing an enemy alone into their own territory harbored great risk. It wasnt the kind of play anybody would make unless they were convinced Kai was a weak player with no chance of turning the tables around. Clearly, they were looking down on her. Especially, Renegade was looking down on her. And, that gave birth to an unexpected opportunity. By a stroke of luck, Kai recovered from her slump and mounted a magnificent comeback at StormChaser. She outperformed herself and turned StormChasers chase into a grave overextension. But, I doubt that was enough to change Renegades impression of Kai. Someone who looked down on female players so openly wouldnt change his mind after seeing a single strong play. Renegade definitely still saw Kai as a weak player whod lose to anybody from Taurus, especially to him. Thats it! Thats the flaw Ive been looking for. Yuel realized. He had to make a few leaps of logic to arrive at the current conclusion, but he was convinced the majority of his deductions were on point. So, I wonder... Yuel thought. What would Renegade do right now if he saw Kai pushing a lane alone? Maybe nothing will happen and Renegade will be smart enough to see through this bait. Or maybe, his hatred will blind him and will draw him toward Kai like a moth to a flame. Kai, can you please buy a Checkpoint Ward? Yuel requested in a hurry. Huh? Why? Kai asked. Just buy one before leaving the base, please, Yuel insisted. There was no time to explain. Kai was about to leave the base, so this was her last chance to get a Checkpoint Ward before returning to the frontline. Okay, sure. Kai shrugged and purchased the requested ward. Where do you want me to place it? Im thinking about that now. Huh??? You made me spend gold on a ward without a plan? Not exactly, but... Yuel pursed his lips. A plan was already coming together in his head at this very moment, but the board situation changed rapidly while he was taking his sweet time to deconstruct Renegade. Lars finally escaped far enough from Nirvana and started recalling. At the same time, Luke was defending Mid by clearing minions, and he was no doubt planning to push ahead because nobody was there to stop him. They were both about to do something irreversible thatll completely change the board state! Id like to properly explain the plan to them and get some opinions, but theres no time. It was now or never. If he wastes any more time, the plan he had in mind will no longer be feasible. Lars, dont recall just yet, Yuel requested. Oh? Lars took a step to cancel his recalling animation. I know that look. I know it! You got some sick game-winning plan for me, right? Right!? Something like that, Yuel said. For now, dont recall. Go take the Dragon instead. Luke, can you please tank the Dragon for him? Sure, but what about Mid? Luke asked. Kai, can you please handle it? Yuel asked. Ill be clearing Top. Sounds good. Kai left the base, with a Checkpoint Ward in hand, and headed toward Mid. Alrighty then. Luke left Mid and entered Bot Jungle. Im on my way to the Dragon. Waiting for ya, Lars replied. As odd as these shot-calls seemed at first glance, nobody objected to them. Going after the Dragon instead of reclaiming lane control seemed like a bad movie, but this was actually the best time to pull something like this. The enemy team was understaffed at the moment, so Stratus had an opportunity to steal some gold. Besides, I know that look. Lars grinned. Dude is cooking something up. I dunno what, but I know hes doing it. This gonna be good! With everybody following Yuels instructions, the plan was ready to be set in motion. Okay, all the pieces are in place. Yuel sighed in relief. He made all the necessary calls before it was too late. Luke and Lars will be on the Dragon, from where theyll be able to quickly get to Bot. Meanwhile, Kai will be pushing Mid alone. This was the required board state for executing Yuels plan. However, next came the hardest part. Yuels plan demanded Kai do something she definitely wont like. Basically, shell have to become bait. How was he going to convince a prideful player like Kai to commit to such a play....? Vol.11 Ch.29: Kais Persistence Yuel prepared the board for the upcoming plan. Kai set out to clear Mid by herself, carrying a Checkpoint Ward in her inventory. Meanwhile, Lars and Luke were taking care of the Dragon, after which theyll head to Bot. Everything was in place, but next came the hardest part. Yuel had to actually explain his plan to Kai and get her to agree to it. How exactly am I going to break it down for her? Yuel gulped. He could already sense a storm coming his way. Kai had been very competitive throughout the day, especially when it came to Renegade. So, there was no way in hell shell simply go along with Yuels plan. More than likely, his idea will tilt her to no end. She has just recovered from her slump when she killed StormMonster. Yuel thought. Im not sure how stable she is, so its dangerous to agitate her. In that case, maybe it was better to not inform her of the plan at all? Yuel could keep his true intentions under wrappers and make Kai dance to his tune without realizing it. By the time she figures it out, everything will be done and over with. It sounds like the safest bet. Yuel nodded to himself. This is pretty much how I used Julia as bait back in the selection match... oh. He shuddered. His entire body revolted against his own idea the moment the memory surfaced. That was one unpleasant memory... During the second game of the selection match against Howard, Julia was severely underperforming. As a result of that and other factors, Yuels team found itself cornered at its own Golem. They had little to no hope of fending off the pushers. Thats when an idea struck Yuel. By using Julia as bait, he created an opening that allowed the team to mount a comeback. It was an honorable sacrifice that allowed the team to regain its footing. But of course, Julia would never agree to become bait out of her own volition. So, what did Yuel do? He lied. The promise was that the team will keep Julia safe. But, in actuality, she was just bait for luring the attackers in. The top priority was to assault the overextending attackers, not to save Julia. In short, she was nothing more than a sacrificial goat in that play. But, there was no need for her to know that. In fact, a bait looked more convincing when the bait itself wasnt even aware of its role. So, keeping the details a secret from Julia was a rational and effective decision. At least, thats how Yuel saw it back then. But, that so-called ration and effective decision blew up in his face later. Julia found out about it and seethed with anger. In fact, she was probably still angry with him about this one incident to this very day, among the many other things she was mad about. Thinking back on it, that might have been one of the main catalysts for destroying their friendship. And, now Im actually considering pulling the same thing with Kai, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. Then again, this bait plan isnt nearly as bad as it was with Julia. Kai wont be in actual danger of dying here. It was a fairly safe plan this time, one which didnt demand any big sacrifices. Nevertheless, itll surely hurt Kais pride to learn she was used as bait in a situation like this. So, should I say something? Yuel wondered. But, shes going to argue for sure. What if she refuses? The game might become unrecoverable if that happens... What was more important here? To gain victory at all costs? Or, to maintain good blood in the team even after this game? It was a tough call. If they lose this game, they wont have another chance to recover. Theyll lose the entire scrimmage, which will hurt their seeding for the regionals. On the other hand, if being secretive was going to hurt Kai as badly as it hurt Julia, it might cause a rift in the team. Kai was already difficult enough to handle as it stood, but Yuel has been slowly getting on better terms with her. Alas, this one secret might destroy everything theyve built up to this day. I cant make the right call. Im not good enough with these things. Yuel bit his lip. I dont know whats the correct answer. The move that could potentially win them the game was right in front of him. It was so easy to set it into motion and claim victory. But, his hand was shaking. He was afraid to grasp it. This move might lead to irreversible consequences. Im sick of that. I dont want to lose any more friends to my inadequacy. That was Yuels entire career from the day he started Classmancers. All the way back then, his lack of consideration tore everybody apart. From the moment Yuel picked up Classmancers, he was quick to religiously research the game. That allowed him to improve leaps and bounds above his peers in a short amount of time. Using his robust knowledge, he had fun moving his teammates like chess pieces in order to mercilessly crush the opposition. But, it turned out he was the only one having fun. Neither his teammates nor his opponents appreciated any of this. His opponents resented his high-level shot-calling and the way he consistently struck at their most vulnerable spots. At the same time, his teammates felt like robots following commands, so they didnt feel happy about winning. Before long, Yuel found himself playing all alone. If he didnt meet Lars back then, he might have quit Classmancers right then and there. With Julia joining them later, Yuel felt like he finally made friends again. That time, he promised himself hell do a better job of treasuring his newfound friends. And yet, he messed up again. He destroyed his relationship with Julia using his own two hands. And now, he was one step away from potentially destroying his relationship with Kai, and possibly with the rest of the club as well. So, what would it be? Victory or friendship? Was there no way to get both? If only I knew how Kai will react to this plan... Yuel sighed. Kai was often hard to read. She typically appeared calm on the surface, but she was like a raging typhoon on the inside. She was a rollercoaster of a player, very much like Julia. She started the day agitated, triggered by Taurus provocations. Then, she recovered and played well, But, shortly after that, she lost herself again and fell prey to a slump. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. And now, she finally seemed to recover again, but it was impossible to predict whatll happen next. When it came to Kai, everything could flip on its head at a moments notice. As such, maximal caution was necessary. Im not sure I can handle this Yuel frowned. He wasnt exactly an expert on reading his teammates'' mental state. Not to mention, he had only known Kai for a few months. They trained a lot together, but its not like he knew her inside out. But, wasnt there somebody who knew her much better? A guy who had spent three years with her at the club? If there were anybody who could give Yuel any advice on the matter, itd be that wise clown. And so, Yuel briefly explained his plan over private communication. Hrm... Vincent took his time to respond. A tough one, indeed. I suggest you ask the test subject directly. Are you sure? Yuel asked. The way Beat is looking right now, I believe she has finally come to terms with many things. She conquered the darkness that was trying to swallow her. As such, I argue shes more ready than ever to put everything on the line for the sake of the team! At least, thats my impression. That sure sounds reassuring, until you remember who the speaker is. Yuel frowned. Ill back you up as needed, Vincent offered in a serious tone that only lasted for a moment. So, go for it! Let us craft the Ultimate Teleportation Bait together! Very well. Yuel took a deep breath. Somewhere at the back of his head, he has already accepted this conclusion before he even spoke to Vincent. Perhaps he just needed a reassuring push, and Vincent definitely provided that. There were rare occasions like this when being a nonsensical clown was actually a positive trait, as unbelievable as it sounded. Kai, I have a plan you might not like. I already dont like it, Kai retorted. I mean, if even you think I wont like it, then no way in hell Ill like it. But, Im listening. So, it goes like this Yuel explained it to the best of his ability, focusing on the benefits of the play. Naturally, he avoided calling Kai a bait, but it was no use. So, I gonna become a bait. Kai sneered. Looks like thats all Im worth this game, huh. N-No, thats not it! Yuel stumbled over his words. Drat! Im knew this will happen! Now what!? If she refuses, its all over! What am I supposed to do!? Um, well Yuel tried his best to come up with something, literally anything. I understand you dont want to do it, but- Okay, lets do it, Kai said plainly. Eh...? Yuel blinked in disbelief. For a moment, he was sure his brain was playing tricks on him. This had to be an auditory hallucination, right? Ill do it, Kai repeated. I dont like it, but it sounds like a good plan. If it goes well, we might even win the entire game right there. Really...? Just like that? Does she actually agree? Cmon, whats with that reaction? Kai gave him a look. Oh, I get it. You thought theres no way in hell Id agree, right? Well... yes. Heh, bastard. The way you say these things in peoples faces kills me sometimes. Kai smiled wryly. But, youre right. If you asked me to do this shit earlier today, Id punch you in the face. And, now you dont want to do it anymore? Nah, I totally still want to punch you, Kai said matter-of-factly. But, I get where youre coming from. Were a team. Instead of worrying about my own achievements, I gotta prioritize whatever will help the team win. Oh, you finally realized that? Hey kid, I seriously gonna punch your brains out! Kai waved an angry fist. But yeah, it took me a while to sort things out. This is actually a good opportunity to see how much I really learned today. Kai took a deep breath and lowered her head. Sorry for all the trouble Ive caused! Wha... Whoa. Bruh... The entire team was speechless. Not only did Kai raise her voice for something other than being angry, but she also sincerely admitted her own faults. It was a rarity among rarities. I know Ive caused a bunch of problems today, Kai continued. I wanna blame it on the pressure of playing on a big stage, but excuses arent going to help anybody. Im the captain, so Im supposed to set an example. But instead, Ive been dragging everybody down most of the day. Im really sorry for that. Everybody remained silent as they listened. Even Lars and Luke listened attentively, even though they normally jumped on every opportunity to cause a ruckus whenever something dramatic happened. Ive played like shit today, but I learned a lot, Kai said. I might still stumble every now and then, but I hope you can bear with me. This is the final game, so lets win! Heck yeah! Lars pumped a fist. We got this, cap! Luke also pumped a fist. Indeed, victory shall be ours! Vincent made noise as usual. Now is our chance to turn things around, Yuel added. I know my plan isnt the most pleasant, so thanks for bearing with it. Nah, I should be the one thanking you. Kai smiled wryly as she pulled her cap downwards as if to hide her face. Ive been messing up left and right, but now youre giving me a chance to make up for it. You also rescued me when I was about to die against the Lancer, so thanks for that too. I believe you already thanked me for that one. So what? I felt like doing it again, so shut up and accept it. Kai chuckled. It really saved me, though. I probably wouldve lost all my will to keep going if I died there. So, even though Yuel may not realize it, he pretty much saved me from the brink of self-destruction. And, it was only possible in the first place thanks to Vincent stalling the enemy. Thank you too, Vince, Kai said. Moi? Yeah, you. You stayed behind to stall the enemy at the expense of your own life. I wouldnt have gotten away without your help. Please, you flatter me. Vincent pretended to be ambivalent, but he was smiling from ear to ear. Its a cold day in Hell when the amazon sincerely praises me for my efforts. I shall indulge myself at this moment for as long as it lasts. Truly, it was an inspiring tale. Through blood and sweat, Beat crawled her way up from the pits of despair. And now, she returned to the surface twice as strong. It was an amazing feat. Few could pull that off during such a critical match. Thats why, despite her shortcomings, Beat deserved to be the captain. Hey Vince, why arent you the captain? Luke asked such a thing last year. I mean, I know Kai is a good player and all. But, I dunno about her pulling the team. Honestly, Id much rather follow you. At the time, Vincent couldnt provide a satisfying answer. It was something that couldnt be conveyed through mere words. Luke had to experience it first-hand to understand. Its her resilience and persistence. No matter how many times Beat stumbled, tripped, and fell - she always got back on her feet in the end. Of course, she was far from perfect. She got tilted easily, she sometimes lost sight of herself, and occasionally she succumbed to a slump. However, in the end, shell always rise from the ashes like a phoenix, twice as strong! It was something Vincent witnessed many times throughout the years. No matter how harsh and cold the clubs seniors were, no matter how many times Kai lost her cool and said shell quit - she always came back, twice as determined. She pulled through all the hardships and stayed true to herself until the very end. In my humble opinion, thats the most important quality for a captain. It was a trait that a weak-willed person like him didnt possess. He couldnt rebound from the pits of despair the way Kai always did. No matter how cheerful Vincent always acted, it was just a persona. Once cracks started showing up on this facade, Vincent was bound to crumble apart. A fragile player like him wasnt fit to lead the team. Thats why, between the two of them, Kai was the better fit for becoming the captain. Despite her numerous flaws, she had the strong will to overcome all advertisers on her path. Okay, Im going in, Kai reported. If Renegade takes the bait, we finish him off. Lets win this! And so, the baiting plan that revolved around Kai was set in motion. It was a crafty plan Yuel scrapped together from small pieces of information. But, will it work? Will the target take the bait? The answer to that question might decide the fate of this game and drop the curtain on this entire scrimmage. Vol.11 Ch.30: Jaidens Bitter Struggle Jaiden and Rio returned to base. The plan was to gear up and head straight to Bot in order to help Raymond defend, but something was odd. Hey look, theyre spreading themselves thin, Jaiden pointed out. They got lone pushers everywhere except in Bot. In Bot Lane, Gunz and LegendaryMemer were pushing together. They rotated to the lane shortly after taking the Dragon and continued working together there. This was the right way to do things. On the other hand, in Top, Chessmaster was defending alone. Likewise, in Mid, Beat was pushing the lane all by herself. It was a dangerous formation for the mid-game. During such a critical stage of the game, when a single misplay could cost the entire game, Stratus was spreading itself very thin. These guys were a cocky bunch. Is it just me, or theyre pressing their advantage a little too much? Jaiden asked. I know this is a 3v4 situation and all, but cmon. They cant just push like that and pretend there wont be any consequences. Youre right, its a risky formation, Raymond agreed. And honestly, its quite troublesome for us. Especially, the Sorcerer pushing Mid is a problem. Shell take the Mid Turret soon. We cant let her get away with this, Jaiden insisted. Its robbery in broad daylight! Yes, it is. But, I say let her be, Raymond said. If one tower is all we have to pay to pull through a 3v4 situation, then so be it. Were lacking in manpower, so we have no choice but to concede something to the enemy. Lets minimize risks and focus on defense until the rest of the team revives. I dont like that, Jaiden argued. We gotta punish stuff like that. If we pass on opportunities like this, theyll steal all our map control. Especially, that cocky Sorcerer in Mid is pushing her luck. Its a valid concern. But, intercepting the Sorcerer means taking a risk, and were in no position to take risks. Cmon, what risk? Jaiden asked. The enemy is scattered all over the place. The Slinger and Knight are in Bot, so youre keeping an eye on them. And, their Aqua is all the way up in Top, he isnt gonna get to Mid in time to try anything. I dont see any danger. I agree, Raymond said. They probably wont be able to you gank there. But, arent you forgetting the main threat in this entire idea? Main threat? Jaiden cocked his head. I cant say anything comes to mind. The Sorcerer herself, Rio provided the answer. Exactly. Raymond nodded. Youll have to confront the Sorcerer, thats the risk. Oh, thats it? Jaiden smiled confidently. No problem. Shes not going to kill me if thats what youre worried about. She did kill Nash, Rio pointed out. Yeah, but only because Nash done goofed, It was just a little accident! Nash jumped to defend himself. Next time, Imma kill her no problem! And, that Memer Knight too, for good measure! Yeah, anyway, Jaiden continued. I wont make that kind of mistake. She wont have a chance to pull her resonance shtick on me. But, if she does, youll die, Raymond pointed out. Its risky. Cmon, you guys worry too much. Its not like Im planning to seriously fight her or anything. I just wanna scare her away so she stops pushing Mid. Besides, shes been playing pretty defensively the entire game, right? Im sure shell retreat the moment she sees me. Yeah, shes been playing defensively for sure, Nash agreed. EXCEPT AGAINST ME! Gaaaaaah! How did I die there!? Regardless, I still think its a bad idea, Raymond insisted. Well, too bad. Jaiden smiled mischievously. Because Im already on my way to the Mid tower! While they were discussing things, Jaiden slowly but surely advanced toward Mid Lane. He was sure hed convince Raymond in no time, but the captain was stubborn. I guess Raymond is still Raymond after all. Jaiden smiled wryly. Even though Raymond was showing more initiative than usual this game, at his core he was still a player who favored defense and wanted to minimize risks at every turn. But, its fine. Nobody could pull a full 180 in their playstyle after a single day. Its okay. I just gotta prove to him it works. Jaiden nodded to himself. Rotating to Mid isnt dangerous or anything. Here, Ill show you. Aside from Beat, nobody else from the enemy team was even close to Mid. Therefore, Jaiden will have plenty of time to retreat if any of them decides to rotate for a gank. And, if the Beat herself chooses to fight, then Jaiden will just stomp her ezpz. She was the weakest link in the enemys team, so she didnt pose a threat. Then again, theres no way she gonna fight back. Jaiden was convinced. Pretty sure Rio and I taught her a lesson in the last two games. The only reason she fought back against Nash was that he got cocky and overextended. That wont happen to me. Unwavering in his beliefs, Jaiden pressed on toward Mid Lane, ignoring Raymonds objections. Look at this kid disrespecting the cap. Zeph shook his head. You better not get your ass killed, boy. Ill be fine. Jaiden sighed. It was tiresome to repeat the same lines over and over. Why couldnt they just take his word for it? Just make sure you retreat if she starts a fight, Raymond warned again. We cant let them get any more kills, no matter what. Even if you think youre stronger than her, just pull out and dont contest her. Better safe than sorry. Got it, got it. Jaiden sighed again. Yeah, Ill pull out after I give her some proper beating! Heh. Honestly, the enemys bold scattered formation was a little irking. These guys were borderline cocky. Its as if they really believed that entrusting Mid Lane to Beat was a good idea. In what world, exactly? Jaiden disagreed. That girl is trash. I thought Ive proven that enough times today, but I guess they need another reminder. Begone, thot! Jaiden eventually arrived in Mid Lane, but he didnt make it on time to save Mid Turret. Dang, this sucks but oh well. He shrugged. At least I wont let her push any farther. Unbeknown to Jaiden, his arrival here has long been calculated by the boy with the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception. Hes really here, huh. Kai smiled wryly. So, you underestimate me this much, huh. I SO wanna kick your ass! But, achieving victory as a team was more important than Kais personal vendetta. So, she couldnt keep putting herself first. Lars, are you ready? Kai asked. Whenever you are! Then, lets go! Kai placed her Checkpoint Ward near the enemy. This one small item was the secret weapon of the entire plan. With its help, theyll tear Renegade to shreds! Hm? Did she just place something? Jaiden wondered. A ward? I guess she wants to keep the lane warded after she leaves. Fair enough. But, surprisingly enough, Beat didnt retreat even after placing the ward. She just stood there, as if planning to take on him. You still havent learned your lesson? Jaiden scoffed. Okay then, looks like the third time is the charm. Ill properly destroy you this time! But, as he was about to open an attack, the sound of teleportation resounded nearby. Someone appeared out of thin air. It was a guy, but not just any guy. It was the last person Jaiden wanted to face this game. You gotta be kidding me... Jaiden gulped. The beast stood before him. It was the unkillable monster that ravaged everybody in its path. It was Gunz! G-Guys? I think I messed up big time, haha... All blood draining from his face and shivers overtook him. His body temperature mustve dropped at least by half. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Checkpoint Ward + Teleport, the classic gimmick combo. Given the costs of the wards and the utility skill, this was undoubtedly a money sink. However, when utilized efficiently, it became one of the most broken combos in the entire game! Im an idiot. I shouldve thought of that. Jaiden wished he could go back in time and smack his dumber younger self from a minute ago. Ill be fine. Who spouted that nonsense, again? What a clown that scrub was, haha... Most insulting, Jaiden turned out to be completely off the mark with his criticism of Beats actions. He assumed the girl failed to learn her lesson and was foolishly solo-pushing, but it was the other way around. She was solo-pushing because she learned her lesson. Well played, Jaiden admitted. Beat took advantage of the fact she was often targeted and placed herself as bait in plain sight. Before, she came across as a prideful player who thought she owned the world just because she was the captain. But, in this one play, she was fine with reducing herself to a mere bait for the sake of the team. It was applaudable. Yep, you caught me. Jaiden hung his head. But, that doesnt mean I gonna go down without a fight! Lets escape! Rio cast Godspeed, buffing himself and Jaiden. Whoa!? Jaiden jumped. When did you get here!? I was here all along, Rio said. I had a feeling I should follow you. Damn, I didnt even notice... Jaiden cracked a dry laugh. Rio was good at keeping a low profile, but Jaiden should''ve at least noticed the guy following him from behind. Dang, looks like I was so tunnel-visioned about coming here that I didnt even notice my surroundings. Yeah, I sure messed up big time. The enemy knew exactly what they were doing with this bait. But, with Rio here, the situation was still salvageable. With the Movement Speed buff from Godspeed, Jaiden and Rio could quickly evacuate the premises- BAM! CRITICAL HIT! Already!? Jaiden jumped. Gunz had just arrived on the lane, but he wasted no time in spinning the hammer of his revolver and initiating a deadly barrage. Cmon, run! Jaiden dashed forth. Im already running. Rio was actually way ahead. He had been following Jaiden from a distance the entire time, so he was way closer to allied territory. Ever the cautious type, heh. Jaiden smiled. Thats good. Even if I dont make it, at least Rio will. BAM. Another headshot. Another critical hit. Each hit erased 20% of Jaidens HP. Gunslinger was a monster like that during the late-game. Jaiden was already down to 60% within two hits. And, the shots were still coming! This is dangerous as heck, but I might be able to get away! Jaidens heart raced. The jungle entrance was right in front of him. Once he steps into the jungle and maneuvers around the corner, Gunz will no longer be able to barrage him. He only had to go a little bit farther! Just a little more and Jaiden will break free! Ill pull him back! Kai warned as she summoned a Magia Orb behind Renegade and immediately canceled into Dimensional Collapse. The black orb collapsed inwards, pulling Renegade toward the center of the dimensional distortion. Oh! Lars didnt have the time to respond with proper words, but he heard Kai loud and clear. It was a critical piece of information. A pull CC meant that Lars couldnt carelessly fire his next shot. He had to account for the gravitational pull of the orb and all that. Could he accurately land a headshot even under these circumstances, with the enemy being pulled backward? And, to do so despite the heavy recoil of Fan the Hammer? Okay, so dude was running over there and the orb is over here, so.! Lars adjusted his aim in the middle of deconstructing the situation. I just gotta shoot somewhere around here! No, wait. Lower! Lars lowered his aim a little in the last split-second. He gave up on the headshot in exchange for increasing his chances of hitting the target. This scenario was way too specific and complex, even for a fanatic of mechanical skill. I better practice this setup later. Lars nodded to himself. Even though landing a headshot in this situation would have been one of the coolest stunts ever, it was far more important to just land a hit, any hit, on the fleeing enemy. Dude was getting dangerously close to the jungle, so he had to be shot down ASAP. Dude might get away at this rate. Lars thought. Gotta make every shot count, yo! Gah!? Jaiden groaned as a dark force pulled him back. His poor Pirate was working his legs to the bone, dashing forward nonstop to escape this predicament. But, now came some simple CC that erased over half of his progress in a single second. Awesome. Dang it! Gotta be the Sorcerers pull. Jaiden reasoned. Well, at least it should throw off Gunzs aim a little. This isnt over yet- BAM. Another gunshot. It shouldve whiffed by all means and accounts, but it effortlessly hit home. What the? Jaiden was speechless. That bullet literally came at him the moment the pull ended. Meaning, Gunz fired it a little before that, and he did so with scary accuracy. Dealing with the recoil of Fan the Hammer was already a huge pain in itself, Jaiden knew that all too well as a Gunslinger player himself. But, on top of that, Gunz also had to account for the pull CC of Sorcerers Dimensional Collapse. That was way too hard. Only pros had a chance to pull something like this off. And yet, Gunz did it as if it was only natural and Jaidens HP dropped by 10%. It wasnt a headshot, but it was still a hit. Even under these insanely difficult circumstances, Gunz nailed the shot! What a guy, haha... Jaiden couldnt help but laugh. His rivals outclassed him in every way possible. Gunz was a beast with superhuman skill who could easily wreck Jaiden, whereas Chessmaster was a genius strategist who probably led Jaiden into this trap in the first place. The two ex-StormBlitz players exhibited skill that far surpassed Jaidens wildest imagination. Im not at their level, not even close. Jaiden had to come to terms with that fact. Even a year later, Jaiden still hasnt closed the gap between him and the two StormBlitz candidates who got into that prestigious team. These two definitely deserved to pass the entrance exam more than Jaiden, no question about it. Such was the bitter truth of the matter. But, that doesnt mean I just gonna go down without a fight! The pull of Dimensional Collapse came to an end, but Jaiden didnt resume running. There was no point. After being pulled all the way back here, his chances of escaping alive by simply running were slim to none. He had no choice but to be ballsy and obstruct his opponents. Therefore, he stood his ground and booted his ult. RELEASE THE- BAM! An immediate headshot. The Pirate didnt even have the opportunity to finish his sentence as Jaiden fell down to 25% HP. Nonetheless, he was very much alive! - KRAKEN! This was Jaidens only ticket out. If this Kraken properly does its job and slams Gunz down, Jaiden should be able to get away alive. Unfortunately, that was nothing more than wishful thinking. Right when the sea monster erupted from the ground, Gunz used Combat Roll to roll aside directly from his Fan the Hammer stance. He dodged the Kraken in the nick of time. Dang! Well, at least it should slow down his shooting... right? Jaiden cracked a weak laugh. No, its Gunz were talking about. This mad lad can headshot people right after rolling, Ive seen him do that. It was a cool stunt that few could reliably pool off, but Gunz definitely could. So, there was no question about it. A headshot was 100% coming right after the roll, and itll come with the added benefit of a Cripple effect. Youre really something else. Jaiden tipped his hat in front of Gunz. But, can you recover from a roll and headshot somebody who is also rolling!? Jaiden rolled toward the jungle entrance before Gunz recovered. This Dodge Roll was the lifeline he was saving for the most critical moment of the chase, which happened to be right now. Im toast if I let him cripple me! Cant let that happen. Crap! Lars already mentally prepared himself for landing a headshot on the fleeing opponent, but dude suddenly rolled! Yo, this persistence! Thats how it gotta be! Renegade was an awesome opponent. Even in the face of such a helpless situation, dude kept struggling to the bitter end with every trick he could pull. The guy deserved nothing but respect. But Im sorry, we gotta win this one! Lars adjusted his aim at the last second. He had to make every shot count. Could he land a headshot on a rolling opponent? Normally, yes. It was hard but doable. However, Lars was in the middle of recovering from a roll himself. So, could he really adjust his aim at the last moment to land a headshot on a rolling opponent? It was possible but too unreliable. He was far more likely to miss the target altogether if he tried too hard to go for the head. Therefore, Lars had to compromise. Rather than taking a risk, he settled on simply hitting Renegades rolling body, headshot or otherwise. BAM. Hit. Seriously!? Haha, this guy is a riot! Jaiden couldnt help but laugh in the face of this dreadful skill. Gunz was nailing the kind of shots that Jaiden didnt even believe were possible for a middle-schooler. That guy was playing on a whole different level. Nonetheless, despite being chased by a literal monster, Jaiden made it! The jungle wall was right in front of him! And, he still had 15% HP left, too! By the time Gunz fires his next shot, Jaiden will already make it around the corner. Then, nobody will be able to stop him anymore! THUD. A knocking sound. It almost sounded like a ball being kicked. What the? Jaiden couldnt see what was going on behind him. But, realistically, there was only one skill that could produce such a sound in this situation. Dang! I gotta juke that- It was too late. A black orb crashed into him from behind. You have been killed! Right, it was a 2-on-1, I forgot. Jaiden hung his head. He only considered Gunz as a real threat in this entire situation, so he completely forgot about the existence of the third party. Beat was also there, and she had one of the nastiest long-ranged spell setups in the game. You got me. Well played. Jaiden accepted his fate. He didnt have any criticism to shoot at Beat this time. That Magia Orb + Repelling Force setup was on point. The timing was nasty, too. The magical orb hit him right as he finished rolling, without giving him a chance to juke anything. I guess, in the end, I was the one who underestimated my opponent. Jaiden smiled wryly. Beat is... alright. Shes not amazing and I definitely dont see her as captain material, but she knows a thing or two. Yeah, shes fine. With that realization in his final moments, Jaiden perished. Next time, Ill do things properly. Jaiden thought. Ill gather the Invincible Triangle and make sure we steamroll all these guys. It was dumb of me to go here alone, no matter how safe it seemed. Next time, no more underestimating. This years Stratus was filled to the brim with tough opponents who all deserved respect. Some were stronger than others, but they were all decent. Therefore, Jaiden had to take them seriously and challenge them with the best weapon at his disposal, the Invincible Triangle. But, will he even get another chance to do that in this game? His death turned the situation into a 2v4. And, with the marksman and mage already grouped up in Mid, a powerful push was incoming... Vol.11 Ch.31: The End of the First Scrimmage An enemy has been killed! Woohoo! We did it! Lars pumped a fist. Great job, Kai! Sorry for stealing your kill, Kai apologized. Nah, you totally deserve it. Lars waved his hand. You did most of the damage. True, Lars agreed. But, he wouldve gotten away if ya didnt pull him, so I couldnt have done it alone anyway. Fair enough. Kai accepted that reasoning. Even though Lars wouldve thoroughly destroyed Renegade in a regular 1v1, even he needed a little help in securing a kill on a fleeing Renegade. Thats how good of a player Renegade was. Even after Renegade realized he foolishly walked into a fatal trap, the guy didnt waver for a second. He immediately shifted gears and focused on escaping. Despite suffering tremendous damage, despite being pulled back, and despite the situation looking helpless - Renegade continued struggling to the bitter end. I still hate the guys guts. Kai remembered the reason Renegade walked into this trap in the first place. That bastard was totally underestimating her. He probably thought hed quickly take care of Kai in Mid before heading to defend Bot. What an asshole. But, well played. Kai had to admit. The way Renegade struggled to the bitter end was a worthy display on this competitive stage. More than anything, it proved how competent of a player Renegade was. He was good enough to give even Lars some trouble. Thats the kind of strong opponent Kai was trying to defeat alone in the last two games. No wonder I failed so hard. Kai sighed. Renegade wasnt a better player than Kai, but neither was he worse. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Whenever they clashed in a 1v1, there was never telling who will walk away victorious. Thats how small the skill gap between them was. Even though Renegade also underestimated Kai, she mustve underestimated him three times over. Thats what led to her previous defeats. Next time we fight, Ill judge the situation properly. Kai promised herself. Prepare your ass, Renegade. Ill kick it all the way to the moon at the regionals! Good job in Mid, Yuel said. Lets group up there and push for the win. Okay, lets goooo! Lars exclaimed. Here come the big plays! Luke grinned. Indeed, let us smite down our foes, once and for all! Vincent announced. Except, youre still dead, Kai pointed out. Such trivial details shall not stop moi from joining the battle! Though Im denied from being physically present at the battlefield, my spirit shall fight alongside you all! Right... Kai rolled her eyes. But alright, lets do this. This is our chance to turn the game around! Hit the gas all the way on this push! The team grouped up in Mid and launched a direct assault at the enemy Mid Golem. They set their eyes on nothing short of immediate victory. They were going to win, right here and now! Meanwhile, Taurus camp fell into a slump. Jaidens death extinguished all hope of mounting a comeback this game. They were in a great position until recently, they could already feel victory within an arms reach. Alas, this one unfortunate incident made victory slip through their fingers. Im sorry for being such an idiot! Jaiden lightly banged his forehead against the table, over and over. Blame me to your hearts content. It was me. All me. I did it. Youll crack your skull at this rate, Rio commented. Thatll be a small price to pay for my crimes. Haha. Nash laughed. Relax, bruh, Shit happens. No, Zeph objected. I say the kid deserves every bit of it. I mean, everybody and their moms warned him to not get his ass killed, but he still went ahead and did exactly that. Yes, it was me. I did it. I fudged up. I deserve all your hate. Jaiden continued banging his head. Tch, thats why ya should never put juniors on the team. Zeph clicked his tongue. Yall inexperienced scrubs. Says the one who died to Gunz while defending the Golem, Rio retorted quietly, but loud enough for Zeph to hear. Huh!? What was that? Zeph grimaced. You tryin to start a fight, kid? Hmph, Rio averted his eyes and said nothing more. You fucker, doncha make me come over there! Zeph was about to stand up from his chair. Enough already. Raymonds strong tone slapped everybody back to their senses. Its not like his voice was loud or intimidating, but it was charged with unyielding conviction. Nobody dared to utter a word. Jaiden, you can stop beating yourself over it, Raymond said. But, its my fault. Jaiden banged his forehead once more. We may even lose because of this! Yes, we might, Raymond agreed. Aghhhhh! Jaiden doubled the pace of his banging. BANG. BANG. BANG. He had to drill this frustration into his brain, to never forget it for the rest of his life! It wasnt just your fault, Raymond said. I share some of the blame too. Huh? Zeph responded. The actual fuck? You literally told the kid to not go for that play. How is that your fault? Yes, I told him. But, did he listen? Nope, Zeph gave it straight. Thats why its this dumbasss fault. Theres a reason he didnt listen, Raymond explained. He didnt trust my judgment enough. Thats why its partially my fault as well. If I had been a reliable captain from the start, it would have been easier for everybody to trust my calls. Im really sorry about it. Hey, thats not... Jaiden had no idea what to say. He stopped banging his head in order to properly respond, but the words were stuck in his throat. Admittedly, there was some truth to Raymonds words. Jaiden didnt heed the captains warning because he didnt trust Raymonds judgment. Even though Raymond showed signs of becoming a true captain today, it was impossible for a person to make a complete 180 in a single day. Therefore, Jaiden assumed that the one trying to stop him was the old Raymond, the passive captain. But, does that really make it Rays fault? Jaiden couldnt tell. I mean, I guess a little? Kinda? But, like... eeeeeeh. The wishy-washy thoughts confused him. He stopped banging his head and carefully listened to the rest. Im aware I wasnt a very good captain, Raymond admitted. Todays lineup is all the proof you need. I was negligent about Bruce for too long. Before I realized it, things escalated this far. Im really sorry about that. He bowed his head. About damn time you realized it. Zeph sneered. Hey, Jaiden interjected. You dont have to be an ass about it. Its alright. Raymond stopped the argument before it had a chance to spark. Im sure the seniors are the most frustrated about how Ive been handling the club, and I cant blame them. This was supposed to be their year to shine on the big stage, but my mishandling denied them that opportunity. Some even quit the club altogether. In fact, I believe some of Zephs friends did, right? So, you were actually paying attention, heh. Zeph produced a dry laugh. Then, why didnt you act earlier, dammit!? If you just did something about it, I wouldnt have had to wiggle my way into Bruces stupid gang. Bleh, whatever. I plan to make big changes in the club starting today, Raymond declared. Ill do my best to act like a proper captain from now on. With that said. Im sure Ill keep making mistakes here and there, so I hope you bear with me. No problem, man. Nash gave a thumbs up. Yeah, Jaiden agreed. Im sure you gonna be an awesome captain from now on. Hmph, lets see what you got. Zeph refused to get his hopes too high just yet. So far, the club was in a terrible state under Raymonds leadership, so the guy had a lot of work cut out for him. Nonetheless, it was alright to give the guy another chance. Maybe Raymonds change of heart will be substantial enough to bring back the seniors who unofficially quit the club. If that happens, Taurus might become the strong team it was always meant to be. I doubt anybody from Bruces gang gonna be on Raymonds side. Zeph thought. So, I guess Ill have to land the guy a hand here and there as a fellow senior. It gonna be a pain in the ass for sure. But, if it gonna revive the club, then Im all for it. I dont want Taurus to become the new trash team of the region. We aint scrubs like that. While the team was having a heart-to-heart, the game went on. Following Jaidens death, the four enemies grouped up to push Mid Golem. And, there were only two people alive who could possibly put a stop to this fierce offense. This will be rough. Raymond returned to Mid and stood his ground against the enemy gang. Alongside Rio, the two of them were the teams last line of defense. Once the enemy breaks through them, the game will be over. We might still mount a comeback if we stop them here, but Raymond didnt have much faith in that. It didnt sound realistic, not against opponents of this level. I suppose were through... Cmon, show em what you got! Zeph cheered out of the blue. 2v4? Ez! Just let the Golem do all the lifting for ya! Oh Jaiden and Nash exchanged dumbfound glances for a moment. Then, a chain reaction went off. Yeah, cmon, cap! Nash caused a ruckus. Block em off like the Great Wall of China! And Rio, you help him out, bro! You two can still do it! Jaiden added. If you fend them off here, we can still take it back! I agree. Rio nodded. The situation is pretty much hopeless, but we still have a slim chance to salvage it. Is that supposed to sound encouraging? Raymond chuckled. Everybody laughed too while Rio turned reddish and sunk in his chair, but soon joined the laugher as well. In the face of certain doom, the entire team was laughing. Deep down, they all understood - this was the grand finale of the day. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Even so, they didnt despair. They all learned many valuable lessons here today on this stage. So, even though theyll end this day without seizing victory, they have already gained many other valuable things instead. While their teammates were showering them with words of encouragement, Raymond and Rio made their last stand. They refused to yield until the very end. Alas, their powers alone werent enough. DEFEAT Despite Raymond and Rios best efforts, Stratus took the game. The scrimmage ended in a 3-2 for Stratus. Woohoo! Lars jumped high into the air. We actually did it! Luke pumped a fist. Stratus is no longer meme tier, yo! Indeed! Vincent made noise. We have successfully cleared the clubs bad name! Good work, everybody. Kai nodded. Were now one step closer to taking the regionals. And the nationals, Yuel added. Haha! Luke laughed. Our guy here is already thinking about world domination! Thats how it gotta be! Lars pumped a fist. Whats after nationals? World Cup? Lets goooooo! The team gathered at the center of the stage and Taurus did the same. Once everybody was present, they exchanged farewells. Good game! Both sides proclaimed loudly. It was just a custom at official matches, but both teams really meant it this time. They all had their ups and downs throughout the day as they clashed with each other. They all stumbled, failed, overcame, and learned. Hey, who was that Knight memer? a boy asked with a grin. Thatll be me. Luke proudly pointed at himself. How did ya like my Jungler Knight? Sick tech, bro. The boy grinned. But, I gonna get you next time, tho! StormMonster, right? Luke confirmed. Yep, the one and only! StormMonster nodded and then thurst his finger at Kai. And, you too! That resonance setup was nasty, but I aint falling for it next time! Imma pay ya back at the regionals! Hmph, well see about that. Kai lifted her chin. Meanwhile, another boy approached Yuel and Lars. They already knew exactly who he was. You were amazing, as expected, Renegade said. Your Gunslinger is outta this world. Hehe, I know, right? Lars smiled mischievously. Imma make it even better tho. Next time, Imma headshot ya even while you roll. Whoa, you actually plan to improve even more? Renegade smiled wryly. Gotta admit, your skill is almost scary. Just how much do you train every day? I work on it every day, yo, Lars said. I even practice headshots and stuff before sleep. I see. Sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do, Renegade said that as a fellow Gunslinger player, then turned to Yuel. That last part, where you let the Sorcerer push Mid alone. Was that a bait aimed at me? Who knows? Yuel glanced aside. He had no obligation to share this valuable information with the enemy. It involved a weakness Renegade currently had, and it would be great if he retained that weakness until the next time they fight. But... Oh, yeah! Lars admitted. It was totally a bait. My dude here cooked it up all by himself! Genius, right? Hey. Yuel gave Lars a look, but then sighed and gave up. Whatever. It wont do that much harm. I see. Renegade nodded. Yeah, you totally outplayed me there. No wonder you made it and I didnt. Made it where? Lars asked. Ah, just talking about the scrimmage. Renegade waved his hand. Its impressive how you two are juniors like me and my pals, but youre already on a whole different level. If I may say, Vincent interjected. Your team play was also out of this world. The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom dominated the last three games! The Bermuda what? Renegade had confusion written all over his place. Hes talking about your triangle, Yuel explained in human lingo. Oh, you mean our Invincible Triangle. Renegade smirked. Yeah, it gave you some trouble, right? Invincible Triangle? Vincent narrowed his eyes. Is that how you call it? Yep. Pretty cool, right? Its nice and short, but I dare say it lacks impact, Vincent lectured. It hardly befits such an overwhelming formation. Therefore, I strongly suggest you rename it the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom! Nah, thats way too long. Renegade waved his hand. We like Invincible Triangle just fine. But, the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom sounds so much more powerful! It perfectly captures the essence of your unbeatable teamplay! Unbeatable? StormMonster joined the discussion. Heh, I like the sound of that! Hey Jai, maybe we should really rename it? Into that... how did it go, again? The Barbecue Triangle of Super Dudes? Its the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom, Vincent corrected. No, its the Invincible Triangle. Renegade insisted. Honestly, Yuel commented quietly. I think all these names are silly, Yes, they are, a third boy from Taurus quietly agreed. By process of elimination, this was Laplace, the third member of the Triangle and Taurus Support. He seemed like a guy with a head on his shoulder, so it was no surprise he agreed with Yuel. Nonetheless, the other boys ignored these remarks and continued arguing. Why can you not see the light!? The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom is a name that sends chills down ones spine! It instills absolute horror! Horror? I like that! Hey Jai, lets rename ourselves the Triangle of Horror! No, were the Invincible Triangle. This pointless discussion seemed like itd go on for a while. Yuel and Laplace found themselves sighing at the same time. Then, their eyes met. Um, good game... Laplace said timidly. Likewise. Yuel nodded. .............. .............. Silence. The two looked at each other without exchanging a single word. As the Supports of their respective teams, they were essentially rivals during the last three games. They both had things to say to the other, but neither spoke up. Hey, whats up with the staredown? Lars came between them. Its like you to pull guns or something, haha. Larss childish laughter shattered the tension in the air. Yuel and Laplace found themselves chuckling alongside as well. May I ask something? Laplace asked. You already did, Yuel retorted. Touche. Laplace bowed his head. So, do you remember that time you splashed our Lancer right as I was reviving him? Yes, of course. It was a clutch. That Arise almost turned the situation around. How did you pull off that play? Laplace asked. What do you mean how? I just got there in time and used Splash. Yes, but how did you know to go for that specific play? Laplace asked. Not to brag or anything, but I think Im pretty good at moving around undetected. So, how did you know I was about to arrive? Are you sure you should be discussing your skills with an enemy? Ah. Laplace was taken aback. Well, I figured you already knew, so... Yes, I do know about your sneakiness, Yuel admitted. Okay, fine. As a fellow hater of silly nicknames, Ill trade some information with you. Amen. We should spread our religion, starting with converting the Invincible Triangle into just Triangle. I 100% agree. Yuel nodded. Anyway, about that Splash play. Youre right about one thing: I didnt actually see you arrive. You didnt? Laplace blinked. Then, how...? Its because I didnt see you anywhere that I became suspicious. I didnt see you pushing the tower, so I had to wonder where you went. The only logical conclusion was that you followed the Lancer. Process of elimination, I see. Its amazing that you thought so far in such a short time. Lets just say I have some experience dealing with sneaky players. Yuel smiled wryly. Well, since you shared information so willingly with an enemy, let me repay you with a piece of advice, from one Support to another. Im all ears. Laplace intently stared at Yuel. He turned himself into a sponge that was going to absorb every single word Yuel was about to say. On second thought, maybe its a little risky to advise a player like him? Yuel instinctively backed away. Hating on bombastic nicknames wasnt the only similarity Yuel and Laplace shared. They were both players with mediocre mechanical skill who used game knowledge and decision-making as their weapons of choice. As such, a player like Laplace will be able to put any data to good use. He might even take Yuels advice far beyond Yuels expectations and improve tremendously by the time the regionals come. So, what is it? Laplace titled his head. His eyes were filled with innocent expectations. Perhaps he felt something akin to admiration toward Yuel. Um, well... Yuel decided to just shoot for it. About that play where Renegade was baited by our Sorcerer. Im sure everybody agrees it was his fault, but not only. As his Support, you share some of the responsibility as well. Yes, because I failed to save him. No, because you didnt stop him, Yuel said. Its true that, during the late-game, the Support is supposed to help everybody, not just the Carry. So, its not like you were obligated to follow Renegade and rescue him from every trouble. Right. But still, even during the late-game, youre still that same Support who babysat the Carry in the early-game. Youre the player who spent the most time at the Carrys side, so you should have the most influence over their decision-making. If you see the Carry is about to commit a misplay, you have to stop him. It doesnt matter what part of the game it is or where you are at the time. As the closest player to the Carry, thats one of your responsibilities. I see. Laplace hung his head. So, youre saying Im also guilty for the play that cost us the game. Partially, yes. As far as Im concerned, you share at least half the blame for it. Thats harsh... Laplace wasnt ready for criticism of this magnitude. He trembled a little and clenched his fists. Hey! Lars popped out of nowhere. He was busy debating the Triangles name with the other clowns until now, but he soon returned to watch over the two Supports. Dont bully our opponents, dude. Im not bullying anybody. Yuel grumped. Then, why is dude looking down as if you just killed his dog? Im fine. Laplace raised his head. He just hit me with some hard facts, thats all. Oh, yeah, I know that feel. Lars nodded. Sorry about that, our genius dude can be a little harsh sometimes. He doesnt mean anything bad by it, though. I understand. Laplace straightened his back and looked straight at Yuel. Youre right, it was partially my fault. Ill work on that aspect. Thank you for willingly sharing information with an enemy. Youre welcome. Yuel smiled meaningfully and stared back at his rival. The next time they meet in a match, things will surely be different. Laplace definitely took Yuels advice to heart and will find a way to fix his weakness. The duo of Laplace & Renegade will be far more stable the next time they appear in front of Stratus. While Yuel and Laplace were holding this fruitful conversation, the others were still stuck arguing over nicknames... Hey, how about Vicious Triplets? Luke suggested. Or, The Three Guns!? Lars added his own suggestion. At some point, almost the entire stage got involved in that nonsense. Random nicknames flew left and right without end. At this point, it didnt even feel like anybody was seriously trying to come up with names anymore. They were just having fun laughing at silly nicknames. Boys... Kai sighed as she watched that silliness from the sideline. Man, you guys tire me out. Renegade sighed as he stepped out of the noisy crowd. That brainstorming session turned into pure nonsense at this point. He didnt feel like being a part of it anymore. Ah. Renegade came to a halt as his eyes met with Kais. ............ Kai stared back at him, without blinking or averting her gaze. ................... Renegade continued staring too, also refusing to blink. Its on. Kai declared war. The first one to look away will lose. Who decided that? When did they agree on these rules? Details like that didnt matter. They both understood what was going on. Therefore, they stared! Intensely! As if they were locked in a duel that will determine the outcome of a competitive game! .................... .................... Pft! Renegade held back a muffled laugh. Dang, I give up. I won. Kai lifted her chin. Yeah, nice one. Too bad this wasnt a game of Mancers, though. I mean, you havent beaten me even once today. Oh really? Because I remember trashing you pretty hard in the last game. Nah, Gunz did most of the work there. But, I scored the kill. Yeah, but he dealt most of the damage, Renegade argued back. In proper 1v1s, I kicked your ass. .... yeah, thats true, Kai felt like she forced a rock through her throat to deliver these words. I was off my game. If we fight again, Ill destroy you no problem. Oh? Id like to see that. Renegade grinned. Come at me, girl. Ill mop the floor with you any day. In your dreams. Kai glared at him. But hey, if you actually survive long enough at the regionals to play us again, then Ill show you what I got for real. Okay, its a deal, Renegades eyes glinted dangerously. Lets have a rerun at the regionals. Next time, I wont go easy on you. Go easy? Yeah, right, Kai scoffed. I bet you pushed past your limits to even stand a chance against me. Damn girl, arent you just oozing with confidence. Renegade cracked a laugh. But, I gotta admit, I underestimated you a little. You sure got some skills. So, all in all, good game. Yeah, good game. Kai nodded in response. She still hated Renegade and his attitude with every fiber of her existence, but she had to admit the guy played well overall. Aside from that one fatal mistake he committed at the very end, his performance was very solid today. Even though Kai made all sorts of bold declarations, there was no telling how things will actually go if they cross swords again at the regionals. Will Kai be strong enough to defeat Renegade in a 1v1? Or, will she have to rely on her teammates to help her out again? Well, either way, well win. Kai declared. Her job as the captain was to ensure the entire teams victory, not to prioritize her own personal wins. Todays scrimmage made that beyond clear. She might be able to take out Renegade by herself, or she might not. Either way, shell be making the plays that lead the team to victory, that much she was sure about. Alright, pack it up, kids. The referee disbanded the commotion on the stage and everybody went back to their rooms. With that, the long scrimmage was officially over. Stratus made history that day, winning a scrimmage for the first time in many years. Will they find the same success in their next scrimmage? Itll be at least ten times harder than today, for their next scheduled opponent was none other than the powerhouse of the region - the Leopards. Vol.12 Ch.1: Stratus Is Different This Year The members of Stratus returned to their room to gather their things. Everybody was still hyper about their victory, except for the one girl lying on the sofa. Man, shes still sleeping? Luke made a face. Hey! Nia! Wakey-wakey! Mmm...? Nia slowly opened her eyes. Cmon, wake up. Kai gently shook Nias shoulder. Were going home. Ah, its over? Nia looked around in a daze. Her senses slowly left the Slumber Dimension and descended back to reality. Did we win? Yeah, we sure did. Kai nodded. It was a close one, but we won 3-to-2. Oh! Nias eyes shot open. We actually won against them in the end. Amazing. Yep. Luke nodded and pointed at himself. All thanks to my pro-level memeing. Actually, its the other way around. Yuel objected. We only struggled as much as we did because Luke refused to pick a good Jungler. Things wouldve been much easier if I didnt have to build our game plan around a clunky Jungler like Knight. But, Ill leave that discussion for later. I dont want to ruin the atmosphere. Then, Nia started. Sounds like its a good thing I went to sleep and let you sub in. Yep, you got that one right. Hey, Kai interjected. Luke, stop spouting nonsense. Dont worry, Nia. That idiot didnt do anything notable. Wow, wow, wow! Luke jumped. Excuse me? Did you forget that sick fight I had against their Lancer? Shit was intense as heck! Indeed. Vincent nodded. It was the fight of the eons! Luke shattered the Storm Chasers unstoppable chasing technique by choosing fight over flight! It prolonged his life just long enough for rescue to arrive! Yeah, that was well done. Kai had to admit. Good work there, Luke. Heh, I saw what you did there, cap. Luke snickered. You later stole my tech and also did the same thing to that Lancer. Actually, Yuel said. I believe that was originally my idea. Nah, I totally came up with it myself, Luke paused. Or wait, did I? Anyway, stuff was intense, man! I memed the crap outta that boi, heh. They all look happy. Nia thought. Sounds like they had fun while I was sleeping. There was a little sting of regret, just a little. Even though the team suffered a devastating defeat in the third game, everybody was smiling in the end. Maybe, just maybe, Nia shouldve tried a little harder to stay awake for one more game. If she tried her best, she couldve braved through another difficult game, even with the audiences gazes judging her... On second thought, good thing I went to sleep. Nia repeatedly nodded to herself. The enormous stage and the packed audience flashed in her mind. It was a scary experience. Shell never get used to playing there. Are they going to make me play here in the next scrimmage too? Scary. She gulped. But, compared to her... Man, when are we playing here again? Luke asked. I wanna go back in there and kick some serious ass! Arent you tired at all? Kai asked. The fatigue was visible on her face. Her stoic expression looked worn out. And, the same applied to the majority of the team. Yuel was wobbling a little and Vincent wasnt as vocal as usual. Though, Lars was still as upbeat as ever. Well, I only got to play in two games, Luke said. Thats not nearly enough. I wanna play a full five-game set! Was it really that fun? Nia wondered. Everybody looks so tired, but theyre all talking like it was a fun experience. Weird. Her feelings on the matter were complicated. In the first two games, after she somewhat conquered her nervousness, she caught the enemy off guard and killed them left and right. Yeah, those were kinda fun games. But, after that... The third game was a disaster. Nia couldnt do anything about the three enemies who subbed in. That trio had a fortified triangle formation with no openings. No matter how hard Nia tried, she couldnt find a good way to gank any of those three. And then the game just ended, with Nia achieving nothing. It was an embarrassing game, so it came as no surprise that drowsiness claimed her soon after. And yet Luke, who subbed in for her, was talking about the scrimmage as if it was lots of fun. How? It didnt make any sense. Maybe things got better after the third game? Nia wondered. I guess Ill check the replays when I feel like it... Zzz... Nia, are you coming? Yuel urged. Were leaving. Ah! Coming. Nia snapped out of it before sleepness won over her again. She jumped off the sofa, put on her backpack, and followed the others. Before leaving, Yuel did one final scan of the room. Looks fine. He concluded. It didnt seem like anybody made any mess of the room. The referee reminded multiple times how he was going to check the rooms after the match, so they had to leave everything tidy or else... Though, I think I saw the guy leaving the stadium right after he told us to pack up. Maybe it was just an empty threat. Well, itll be fine either way. On that note, Yuel joined the rest of the team in the hallway. They headed toward a cafe to meet up with Ms. Stone, who apparently spent the entire day there. Was she chugging on coffee cups this entire time? Yuel wondered. No, theres no way, right? Thatd be a lethal dose of caffeine. Idle thoughts popped up one after another. He was thinking about all sorts of random things for no reason. His brain was probably a little fried. The last three games pushed his mental capabilities to their limits. These were exceptionally difficult games to shot-call in. But, was that alone enough to exhaust Yuel? As a chess player, he was used to racking his brain for many hours in a row. Therefore, this much shot-calling shouldnt have tired him so hard. Its probably because there were many times when I wasnt confident in my calls. He made many difficult decisions today, many of which he wasnt entirely satisfied with. And, worst of all, he would have made many more suboptimal decisions if Lars didnt wake him up in time. Switching from defense to offense was necessary at times, regardless of the risk. Adaptation was a core principle in any strategic game, and Yuel shouldve known that better than most. Nevertheless, a part of him kept resisting the idea of going on the offensive. He wanted to keep playing safe until the very end. Unfortunately, that mentality wasnt good enough. By sticking to Yuels defensive shot-calls, the teams position almost became unrecoverable. Therefore, despite the internal resistance, Yuel had to take a risk. There was no choice but to go on the offensive. Making Lars split-push Bot was risky beyond measure, but it paid off. In fact, thanks to Larss explosive strength, that split-push created the opportunity to turn the game around. That outcome went far beyond Yuels windiest expectations. Technically, it was just a fluke. It couldve backfired just as easily. But, its only thanks to taking this risk that a fluke like that could even happen. Yuel will undoubtedly have to wrestle with many difficult decisions like that in the future. It was naive of him to think he could build a defensive team to counter Howard. Strong offense always had its place too, despite its numerous risks. Yuel just had to make sure to not rely on it all the time, or else defensive teams will eat him alive. Looks like Ill have to work hard on finding the balance between the two. Yuel added that to his homework. Ever since losing the selection match against Howard, risky offensive plays repulsed him. It was like a mental block, maybe even trauma. His aggressive shot-calls failed him over and over, and ultimately became the reason he and Lars lost against Howard and Ellen. As long as he restored to such shot-calls, he had no hope of ever beating Howard. At least, thats what he thought after that match. But, the problem wasnt with the approach itself. Risky offense was perfectly acceptable in some situations. In fact, sometimes it was even the best call out there. However, it had to be used in moderation. Before jumping on every inviting opportunity, Yuel had to take a step back and rethink his reasoning. While some risky plays had merit, others were unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs. Also, there were the in-between plays, the ones that harbored risks but could be tweaked to be safer. It was the shot-callers job to figure all of this out. Yuel had to improve his skill enough to be able to make such judgments in the heat of the moment. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In addition, he also had to overcome the phobia he developed toward risky plays. Because yes, it was a phobia of sorts. Whenever he thought about committing to an offensive play, his entire body repulsed in response. Thats probably why todays shot-calling tired me more so much. Yuel thought. He only played five games today, and the first two werent even that challenging. However, many times today, he had to push himself to go for risky plays. Each and every time, he felt like he was wrestling with something inside him. I better get used to this feeling. Yuel thought. Things will get even rougher against the Leopards and StormBlitz. A single game against them might get as exhausting as todays entire scrimmage. I have to sort out my shot-calling before I get to play them. As if to validate his worry, two figures showed up in the hallway. They were the StormBlitz spies. Good game! Julia smiled toward Lars. You were amazing. You turned the game on its head when you killed that Berserker in Bot! And, that kill on the Pirate at the end pretty much sealed the deal. Heh, thanks. Lars smiled. But, to be honest, Yuel deserves most of the credit there. He told me to split-push, and he arranged that bait on the Pirate. Ah, is that so. Julia threw an indifferent look at Yuel without giving a single compliment. But, I must say, the boy beside Julia spoke. It was a thrilling match! So much skill and strategy! And you are? Yuel asked. Oh, sorry for the late introduction, sir, the boy apologized. Sir? Yuel raised an eyebrow. The name is Philip, but most call me Pip. Im a freshman who had the honor to join StormBlitz. I see, Yuel said. The thick notebook in Pips hands attracted the eye. It looked worn out, so it must have been used quite often. Somehow, I have a feeling he did most of the scouting work today. Yuel thought. Julia probably only tagged along to watch Lars play. And, it was probably for the protocol. Sending a freshman to spy on scrimmages alone was ill-advised since they often lacked a sufficient understanding of the game. As such, it was preferable for somebody older to tag along and provide additional insight. Sending a senior was usually out of question, as they had to devote themselves to training. The first-string only ever took a break from training to watch the highest level scrimmages, usually the ones involving the Leopards. Thats why the freshmen and juniors handled most of the scouting work in StormBlitz. Yuel knew it all too well because he did a lot of that scouting last year. Interestingly, just because older club members accompanied the freshman, it didnt mean they did most of the work. For example, when Roi or Dan tagged along with Yuel on a scouting job, they just kicked back and enjoyed the match. They even bought popcorn and drinks. Meanwhile, Yuel was busy taking notes and deconstructing the games. It was probably the same today for this Philip fellow. He came across as the obedient type, so he probably took the scouting job quite seriously. Meanwhile, Julia was only here for the fun. This was the classic scouting duo arrangement in StormBlitz. I hope they didnt learn anything important from todays match. Yuel thought. Yuel and Lars only played in their main positions at the very end, so the enemy could only get a limited amount of data by definition. In fact, thats one reason Yuel was fine with playing Top as long as they were winning. The less he and Lars showcase their skills in Bot, the fewer opportunities their enemies got to study them. Unfortunately, the last game forced their hands. Im sure anybody who came here to scout will remember that last game the most. Yuel frowned. I can already see us getting countered hard in the next scrimmage. Gulp. While Yuel was having all these grim thoughts, Julia was happily showering Lars with praise about that very game. As for praising Yuel? Yeah, right. As if thatll ever. She only had cold glares to spare for him. Well, that was a given. No matter how well Yuel performed, this girl will never recognize it. Well, seeya! Lars waved. Bye! Julia waved back with a beaming smile. The team proceeded along the hallway and passed by the StormBlitz scouts. Yuel was at the very end of the line, so he was the last one to pass by Julia. Wait, Julia called out. What? Yuel turned around with a sigh, expecting some undeserved complaints. Pip, go buy me a drink, Julia shoved a few coins into Pips hand. Sure thing, maam! Pip saluted. What would you like? Apple juice. Yes, maam! On the double! Pip left at a quick pace, almost jogging. An interesting fellow, Yuel commented. Just an idiot with a military fetish. Julia shrugged. She laid her eyes on Yuel for a moment, then averted them, then checked him out again, then finally turned her back to him. As usual, a girl who could shuffle through a thousand different emotions in a matter of seconds. Lars said that at the end there, you made some shot-calls that werent complete trash. Well, they won us the game, so Id like to believe they were good enough. So, about that time you used the Mid Laner as a bait, Julia continued, with her back still turned to him. Did you turn her into a bait without her knowledge? Ah. Yuel was at a loss for words. It was a charged question. The answer was almost yes, if not for Yuel regretting his idea at the very last moment and asking Vincent for advice. No, I properly told her shell become a bait. Really? Julia asked. She struck me as a girl with some pride. Did she actually agree to do that? Yes, she agreed, Yuel said. She didnt like it of course, but she understood it was necessary for the teams victory. Is that so, Julia responded vaguely. What sort of complex feelings were brewing inside her at this very moment? That bait play was clearly bugging her, and Yuel understood why. After all, he ordered Julia to commit a similar play just a few months ago, without asking for her consent. Im sorry, Yuel said. I just realized I never properly apologized for turning you into a bait during the selection match without discussing it with you first. Oh, you actually remember that? Julia asked that without even turning to look at him. It was impossible to tell what sort of expression she was wearing. At the time, I didnt realize I was doing something wrong, Yuel said. I was only thinking about winning the game, nothing else. I was sure you wont agree with that play, so I led you into it without explaining the details. I shouldve communicated better. Im really sorry about it. You know, its really nice to receive an apology a hundred years after the fact. Better late than never. Hmph, I guess. Julia finally threw a glance at him from behind her back. Okay, fine. Apology accepted for now, but dont expect me to fully forgive you for it. You literally treated me like worthless trash with that dumb bait play. No, you got that part wrong, Yuel objected. I do know youre a good player, but you were underperforming that game. But, I was sure you wont admit youre underperforming, so... Oh, so its my fault? No, I didnt mean that... Yuel felt like he was stumbling over his words. Why did communication have to be so difficult sometimes? He was trying to clear things up, but it felt like he was only digging himself a deeper hole. Hmph, fine. Julia turned to face him, glaring right through him. Then, come at me. Bring your sorry excuse of a team all the way to StormBlitz at the regionals. Ill be waiting. Once we fight for real, Ill show you how good I actually am. You wont even dare to think about sacrificing me like that ever again! I already know that much. Yuel smiled wryly. Nobody who plays the game seriously should have to go through an unpleasant experience like that. I was just immature back then. I felt like I had to win, no matter the cost. It was wrong of me. Okay, its a deal, Yuel responded. Well get far enough at the regionals to play against StormBlitz, I promise. So, make sure to hold onto your position in the first-string until then. That goes without saying. Julia lifted her chin. By the time we get to the regionals, Ill be known as StormBlitzs Mid Laner. Gilbert will just be the backup plan. Mark my words. Im looking forward to it. They parted on that note. Until the very end, it was difficult to get a proper read on Julias feelings. Did she forgive Yuel at all for turning her into a bait? At least a little bit? Probably not. Yuel sighed. But, I think this conversation made her feel a little better. At least, she wasnt as hostile as usual. The Julia he had just interacted with was relatively agreeable. On a scale of 1 to 10 in how much she wanted to murder Yuel, this Julia was as low as 8/10. Normally, she was peaking 11/10 all day long, so this was progress! Did I grow up since the selection match? At least a little? Yuel wondered. It was difficult to gauge these things for himself, but he nevertheless felt like he took a big step forward today. He nearly succumbed to his usual immaturity and turned Kai into a bait without informing her, but he recognized his mistake just in time to avert a disaster. On top of that, he was resourceful enough to ask for Vincents advice during that critical time. Truly, he did pretty much everything he could in that situation. I need to get more used to this. Yuel thought. Things like asking teammates what they think, discussing tactics with them, and etc. Itll be difficult to do sometimes, but I feel like Im improving. This was an issue he had been wrestling with ever since he participated in StormBlitzs entrance exam. All that way back then, Aron fired harsh criticism at Yuels shot-calling. And, for the longest time, it felt like Yuel hadnt made any progress in that area. But, recently, he was definitely getting better. He had been improving his communication skills, one step at a time. Hopefully, by the time the regionals arrive, hell be as good as Howard with all this communication business. And then, with this team, Yuel will win the rematch! Ill make it work. Next time, well win! With this renewed determination, Yuel caught up to the rest of the team Shortly, they ran into Ms. Stone and Kai delivered the news of their victory. You... won? Ms. Stone blinked. It was as if she heard something impossible. Rude. Yeah, we won, Kai repeated. And, we gonna keep winning from here on out. After this year, Stratus will no longer be known as the weakest team. We gonna become a powerhouse. We already beat Taurus, and we gonna beat the Leopards next. You said it, dude! Lars pumped a fist. The underdog shall challenge the topdog. Vincent nodded dramatically. It will become an instant classic that will be taught for generations to come! Everybody tuned in to show their determination. With todays victory, it should be clear to everybody that Stratus was no longer the bottom-tier team it was used to be. This year, theyll reign supreme! Beat the Leopards? You? Ms. Stone gaped like a fish out of water. Are they the strongest in our region? You must be jesting. Yeah, theyre the strongest. Kai nodded. Theyre regional champions, but not for long. Well soon be taking that title from them. And, we gonna mop StormBlitz too! Lars added. The regionals are ours, yo! And the nationals too, Yuel added. The team boldly expressed its convictions. Contrary to what everybody expected from this tiny underdog team, today they seized victory from one of the better teams in the region. And, that was just the beginning. There was no doubt that Stratus will take the regionals by storm this year! And after that, theyll dominate the nationals, too! The nationals... Ms. Stone cracked a dry laugh. What was going on? These kids were out of their minds. And yet, she couldnt help but shiver as she looked at them. Their eyes were unwavering. These kids were looking straight ahead, toward a goal far beyond the present. In the five years that Clara Stone had been supervising this club, she had never seen anything like this. Maybe these kids can really pull it off. She never imagined such thoughts would ever cross her mind, but here she was, expecting something for the first time in years. Perhaps, this year, the other teachers will no longer see her as the supervisor of a laughingstock team. Maybe, just maybe, shell be able to hold her head high while saying she was in charge of this team. Im getting ahead of myself. Clara cut her delusions short. Well see how they do in the next scrimmage. Either way, the fact remained that this years Stratus wasnt filled with the usual, unmotivated younglings. This time, the team had passionate warriors who were willing to fight through blood and sweat to achieve victory. So, at the very least, they should go beyond the first round of the regionals this year. And who knows, they might even win the whole thing! Yeah, right. Vol.12 Ch.2: Resolutions After the First Scrimmage The long and exhausting match against Taurus came to an end. It was held on Friday, right before the weekend. As such, the team got two days to relax and rest after the intense scrimmage. But, not Yuel. He had a lot of work cut out for him. There were many things to review regarding the scrimmage. He had to carefully go over the entire match replay and jot down the main points of interest. The plan was to gather everybody on Monday and to go over all the details with them. For that, he had to prepare a detailed presentation, accompanied by a document of timestamps for key plays from the replay. That should help everybody review what they had to work on, but... Thats not as efficient as we did it in StormBlitz. Yuel frowned. Honestly, I shouldve looked into video editing ahead of time. Its probably not that hard to combine simple cuts, but I cant summarize the scrimmage AND learn video editing from scratch in just two days. Back in StormBlitz, match reviews were a big deal. Aron was in charge of analyzing replays in detail, often accompanied by helpers for additional opinions. Yuel was one such frequent helper, so he learned a lot about the process. As such, if nothing else, he was confident in his ability to deconstruct the replay. However, that wasnt the end of the process. After Aron compiled all the key points of the match and wrote down the timestamps of the important plays, he delivered those to a senior with video editing knowledge. Said senior cut apart and stitched together the replay footage according to the timestamps, always making sure the camera was focused on the area of interest. It wasnt some awe-striking editing quality or anything like that, but it tremendously contributed to the match reviewing process. Instead of pausing the review presentation every two minutes in order to skip ahead in the replay and find the right example, the edited video simply went over all the examples in the requested order. Sometimes, there were multiple such videos for a single scrimmage, split by different topics. Looking back on it, these videos were valuable beyond measure. Yuel thought. Doing a simple presentation cant even begin to compare. Not only did the video help the match review run smoother without wasting time and boring anybody, but it also made it easier for everybody to review the match again after the meeting. Of course, they can always review it themselves by simply booting the game. The replay feature of Classmancers was quite robust and offered many tools like skipping ahead, slowing down, moving the camera, and so forth. But, can I really trust anybody to go through all this trouble by themselves? Yuel sighed. The replay feature was great and convenient, but searching for specific plays from specific angles was still a chore that not everybody was up to. Trever and Roi were the usual suspects on that front back in StormBlitz, and Lars was very much the same. In our club, I think only Vincent will put in the effort. And, maybe Kai too, if she feels like it. The team sometimes analyzed their own Ranked matches in detail, but most goofs couldnt be bothered to mess around with the replay feature. They all said it was too complex or too bothersome. Lazy bums. Well, they werent exactly lazy. They were competitive players who wanted to learn from their mistakes and improve, they really did. However, navigating inside the replay feature to find all the right moments was too much work for them. Thats why a complied video is so good. Yuel thought. It spares them the busywork and only gives them the details theyre actually interested in. Case in point, Lars, Trever, and Roi watched and re-watched their own plays with great attention when a compiled video was presenting those. The goofs burned their own mistakes into their minds and made sure to work hard on them. Thats how potent compiled videos were for reviewing matches. But, unfortunately, editing videos wasnt a skill Yuel possessed. It probably wasnt too hard to pick up if he tried, but he was too preoccupied with Classmancers practice. He had to work on his shot-calling, on the Stratus teamwork, on Nias problems, and so forth. There was barely any time to breathe. Well, thats all excuses. Yuel shook his head. I just procrastinated a little too much. I reap what I sow. Fortunately, not all hope was lost. On the ride back from ProCenter, Yuel shared all these considerations with the team. Then, somebody spoke up. Oh, brave traveler! Vincent started up some sort of play. Ive heard youll be challenging the great quest of reviewing the scrimmage. If you so desire, then I, the God of Video Editing, shall lend you a hand. Are you good at it? Yuel asked. At the very least, I do possess the skill to rip videos apart and stitch them back to life, like a professional Video Necromancer! Sounds rather macabre, but Ill take you on that offer. Your mom does editing work, right? So, worst case, I assume she can help with basic video editing. Hold it right there! I was offering my own Video Necromancy skills, not my mothers! Well, I havent seen you in action, so I prefer to have a backup plan just in case. I see, I see. Vincent nodded. As always, the Chessmaster must prepare plan B, as well as plans C, D, and E just in case. Something like that, Yuel said. Anyway, your mom can help us if we get stuck, right? That already makes this sound a lot more promising. At the very least, it ensures this wont be a total waste of time. I see you have zero faith in my Video Necromancer skills. Sob. Ill believe it when I see it. Yuel shrugged. Anyway, itll take me some time to go over the replay and gather the material. So, can we do the video editing on Sunday? I hope one day is enough. If we spend the entire day on it and keep it simple, a single day should suffice, Vincent said. However, thatll be dull beyond measure. I shall spice things up with effects and commentary! Also, just the other day I learned how to make the To be continued meme. Itd be a waste to not put it to use! Haha, thats awesome! Luke laughed. Yeah, you totally gotta add some of that spice, or else I gonna fall asleep during the review. Please dont, Yuel objected. I have a lot to say about everybodys performances, and about yours in particular. Me? But I did great! Luke claimed. What kind of nitpicks are ya planning to throw my way? Oh boi. Lars smiled meaningfully. You have no idea, dude. Yuel is the realest pro when it comes to finding faults with how people play. Heck, ya show him a newborn and he gonna explain ya how the little dude misplayed. Oh lordy. Luke laughed dryly. Hey guys, I dont feel so good. I think I caught the flu or something, so I might not make it on Monday. Then well review the game on Tuesday, Yuel responded. Eh, I might still be sick that day... Then Wednesday. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Who knows if I recover by then. Thursday is fine too. Gonna be rough to come to such an intense meeting right after recovering... Next Friday works too. Dang. Luke slumped in defeat. Theres no escape, is there. No, theres none, Yuel said matter-of-factly. Fuuuuuuuun. Luke gave up and resigned himself to his fate. And so, they decided to on the schedule. Yuel will compile all the necessary match data tomorrow, then hell borrow Vincents video editing skills on Sunday. To be honest, Im not even sure what to expect. Yuel thought. No matter how confident Vincent sounded about his own craft, there was never knowing for sure with that clown. Sometimes hes putting on airs, other times his skill is legit. Such a troublesome fellow. Nevertheless, Yuel decided to trust the unreliable clown this once. After all, the guy did a decent job preparing a flyer for the club back when they were recruiting new members. So, he clearly had some editing knowledge at least. And, in the worst-case scenario, Vincents parents should be at home on Sunday, so they might be willing to lend some assistance as needed. This is also a good opportunity to see some live video editing. Yuel thought. Maybe Ill even learn a thing or two. At the very least, Ill pick up the basics and know which programs to start with. For the rest, I assume Ill have to read tutorials. So, Lars interrupted that thought process. Are we training at yo place today? Of course. Yuel nodded. Though, I need a short rest before we begin. No problem, dude. Are you two for real? Kai scowled. Weve just finished a long-ass scrimmage. Havent you had enough Mancers for today? But, it was only five games, Lars said. We usually play way more than that even at the club. Just five games, huh. Kai had no idea how to react to that statement. It was objectively true, but also horribly wrong. Todays scrimmage drained everything from her. Sure, on paper it was really just five games, but every game was as exhausting as playing ten Ranked matches in a row. Im spent. Kai thought. The only thing I can think about right now is how I gonna drop on the bed as soon as I get home. And yet, these guys gonna keep playing more? After such an intense day? Theyre really something else, huh. Until today, she thought she was relatively close to them in skill. The three of them were like the pillars of the team. However, there was a huge gap between Kai and the ex-StormBlitz players. Yuel and Lars both lived and breathed Classmancers. It was always the main activity of their day. Therefore, even after finishing an intense scrimmage, the first thing they thought about was playing Classmancers again. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that they had to play Classmancers regularly, the same way humans needed to breathe. Their unrivaled dedication and competitive attitude allowed them to perform so well under any circumstances. Even during the most critical moments of the scrimmage, these two never wavered. They didnt break down or succumb to despair. They werent weak like Kai. I dont wanna lose to them. Kai thought. Im the captain, so I have to set a better example than this. I cant have any more slumps like that during games, and I need to get closer to Yuel and Larss level. If Yuel and Lars were going to play some more today, then Kai should do the same. Shell join them and practice Classmancers until she drops! But, just as the thought crossed her mind, her eyes grew heavier and she almost dozed off. There was no energy left in her body. She was thoroughly spent. Alright, maybe next time... Kai promised herself while fighting off her drowsiness. Ill train even harder from now on until I catch up to the boys. In the next scrimmage, Ill put on a performance befitting a captain, thats a promise. By the way, Yuel addressed Kai. Can we make todays positions official? I believe this scrimmage sufficiently proved that Lars and I should be playing Bot. Id like the club to concentrate on this team formation during practice. Hrm. Kai grumped. She was in the middle of psyching herself, but Yuel had to come and splash a bucket of cold water on her. Seriously, this guy lacked any hint of delicacy. But, I guess hes right. Kai had to concede. Im sure everybody already knows that these two should be playing Bot instead of me and Vince. If anything, Im surprised Yuel and Lars allowed me to monopolize the Carry role for so long without arguing. They mustve been respecting Kais whims because she was the captain. Its like they were entertaining a child, waiting for her to crash and burn on her own. Kai had already realized the truth a long time ago. She was no match for Lars when it came to carrying. It was frustrating to admit, but it was true. That mechanical beast was on a whole different level. In addition, Larss teamwork with Yuel was unrivaled. They brought out the best in each other, dominating every fight. Kai couldnt compete against any of that. Even if Yuel stopped being such a snob and agreed to play Support for Kai, their duo-play would surely pale in comparison. These tryhards were simply that amazing when paired together. Okay, fine, Kai said. You can take Bot, but remember that it comes with great responsibility. If you dont properly do your job, Ill be taking it right back. Of course. Yuel turned to Vincent. I trust youre also fine with this arrangement? But of course! Vincent nodded repeatedly. Ive been waiting for this moment from the time I laid my eyes on you at school! I knew youll become the Golden Duo thatll carry our team to victory! Huh. Kai frowned. So, thats how little faith you had in my carrying. I see how it is. Ah, well, thats... Vincent stumbled over his words and tried to laugh it off. The rest of the team soon joined the laughter. And so, the bus ride continued, accompanied by chatter and banter. One by one, the players dropped off at their respective bus stops until only Yuel and Lars remained. Man, today was sure fun. Lars thought back on the battles he waged on that dazzling competitive stage. The entire event lasted for less than 3 hours in total, but itll be forever burned into his memory. I wanna play strong dudes like that again! Whens our next match? In about a month, Yuel said. Well be playing against the Leopards. Awww yeah! The big boy league. Lars grinned. Well become the best in the region if we beat them, right? Yes, in theory, Yuel said. But, the losing team will have time to learn from its mistakes and to improve before the regionals. No problem, dude! Lars gave a thumbs up. Well beat them twice if we have to, both in the scrimmage and at the regionals! Thats the spirit. But, before that, our team has to get stronger. We were cutting it dangerously close today. Yep, it was a bumpy road alright. I gotta get even better than that. You did great, actually, Yuel said. I dont even have much criticism toward your performance today. Whoa, really!? Lars gasped. You usually lecture me for like ten hours after a match. Whats wrong? You just played that well, Yuel admitted. Your offense was as strong as ever and your defense also substantially improved over the last few months, so you didnt make any big mistakes. Compared to that, my shot-calling was... What about it? Lars cocked his head. It was sick, as always. You totally rekt em dudes with your tactics stuff! You know as well as I do that it wasnt sunshine and rainbows like that. I made too many defensive calls because I was too scared of taking risks. We almost lost because of my hesitation. Welp, Im not gonna pretend I understand any of that 1000 IQ stuff you always gotta think hard about during the game. Its actually amazing how you can think about so many different things at once and still give such awesome orders. Ill never be able to do that. Well, thats my job as the shot-caller. Yeah, I get that. But, youre doing the kind of big brain stuff that nobody else on the team can do. So, I get why you feel bad about making some bad calls, but your role is just that hard. Thats not an excuse, Yuel argued. If I want to beat Howard, I have to make the right calls. Sounds rough, but I get ya. Lars nodded. So, lets get back to practice and perfect all dat stuff! Yeah. The weekend is already here, so lets spend it playing Mancers 24 hours a day! We gonna become pros by Monday! Id gladly do that, but I have to go over the scrimmage replay tomorrow and take notes. That sucks, but we still got Sunday open! Well just have to play 48 hours that day to make up for the lost day! Ez. Heh, as if thats possible. Yuel chuckled. Anyway, I might not be able to play on Sunday either. Ill have to work with Vincent on compiling a video for the match review. Nuuuuu! But, all our big plans to become pros over the weekend...! Its okay, we have time, Yuel reassured. As long as we keep training regularly and learn from our mistakes, well be in a much better position next month. If all goes well, we might even stand a real chance against the regional champions. Nah. Lars shook his head. Not a chance. We gonna WIN. For sure, yo! Youre right, well win. Lars nodded. And, after that, well beat StormBlitz too. Yeah, I like that plan! Lets go, yooooooooo! They spent the rest of the day playing Classmancers, all the way into the night. Even though they just won their first scrimmage, there was no time to rest. They had to keep getting better and better before they could challenge StormBlitz for a fair rematch. But, once the time comes, theyll defeat Howard and Ellen! And Julia too, if it comes to that. Vol.12 Ch.3: Information Absorber Saturday came around. It was one day after the Taurus scrimmage. Yuel spent the entire day watching and rewatching replays of the scrimmage, examining every nook and cranny. He listed down all the important plays with the appropriate timestamp for each play. Hmm. I shouldve asked somebody to go on the offensive here. Yuel criticized his own decisions as he watched the many embarrassing defeats the team suffered that day. But, Im surprised. This game was actually a lot closer than how I remember it. Frankly, the first two games against the enemys infamous Triangle felt terribly hopeless at the time. However, after watching the replay, things no longer seemed as one-sided as he remembered them to be. There were multiple ways to counter the enemys offense, but Yuel failed to pick them. Some of these counters are even pretty obvious. Why didnt I go for any of them? Yuel knew the answer to that himself. He was stuck in the mentality of playing safe and steady, which wasnt the right response for the enemys Triangle formation in many of the critical situations. The team was pushed back and its defense couldnt withstand the enemys pressure, so they had to find a way to go on the offensive. But, Yuel ignored that fact and insisted to stick to defense, as pointless as it was. If I just told Lars to split-push back then, we mightve won the 4th game. Instead, it took Yuel all the way until the 5th game to finally wake up and go through with this obvious solution. They had a chance to end this scrimmage with a score of 4-1, but Yuel let that opportunity slip right through his fingers. But, I have to say, I thought Taurus pressured us much harder than this in the 4th game. But, turns out we were actually doing alright. It was another case of his memory not aligning with the footage. Memory was a curious thing. The subjective impressions and feelings Yuel experienced amidst the intense situation trampled over his objective reasoning. Thats why analyzing the scrimmage post-facto was so important. The replay footage was unbiased, showing only the objective truth of the game. By watching the game again through an objective lens, Yuel corrected the biased memories he formed during the game itself. Thanks to that, he could arrive at many new realizations. This was one reason why compiling a video of important plays was absolutely necessary. Everybody will learn a lot by watching objective footage of themselves playing these critical games. Unfortunately, not everybody had the patience to sit through the entire replay and search for such important moments. Therefore, Yuel had to find all the juicy scenes for them. And, in order to compile everything into a video, Yuel went to visit Vincents place on Sunday. That clown apparently had some video editing skills, but it was best to take it with a grain of salt. I wont believe it until I see it for myself. Yuel thought on his way to Vincents place. But, he seems to have SOME credibility, at least. Back on Friday, Yuel demanded some proof from Vincent. Itd be a waste of time to travel all the way to Vincents place only to achieve nothing, so some proof was in order. Surprisingly, the clown complied with the request. In fact, he sent no less than 10 videos. Yuel checked them out one by one, and... And then, he goes for the triple kill! What a marvelous display of skill! Truly, he is the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse! Vincents voice boomed. The microphone is a little loud. Yuel criticized immediately. But, that wasnt a real issue, so he continued watching. The video itself showed Lars fighting his way through multiple enemies in a row, scoring a triple kill in the process. It was simple footage cut from a replay, with a few fake camera effects to make certain moments look more intense. It was nothing spectacular but it got the job done. The rest of Vincents videos were the same. They showcased the plays of various teammates in Ranked matches, accompanied by Vincents loud commentary. All in all, it was passable content. With a little bit of polish, Vincent could even start a career as YouTuber by posting these. Itd be titled something like TOP 10 PLAYS WITH LOUD COMMENTARY! Thatll attract an audience. Probably. Either way, these videos were proof enough that Vincent possed at least minimal editing abilities. In fact, it mustve been one of his hobbies, seeing as he sent over 10 videos right away. Just how many videos did he actually make in his free time? That had to be a lot of work. If he enjoys making videos of hype moments, maybe I should ask him to make videos for us on a regular basis. I can compile important moments from our Ranked matches and hell turn them into a video. OR, maybe I should stop being lazy and learn some video editing myself. Yuel really had to step up his game in that area. Compiling replay footage was an important tool for self-improvement. As such, he was hoping to learn the basics today by watching Vincent do the job. Oh, thats the station. Yuel cut his thoughts short and got off the bus. So, you have finally, o brave traveler! Vincent started with a dramatic greeting, as usual. Yeah, Im here. Yuel threw nervous glances around them, to make sure nobody was giving them funny looks. If anybody asks, I dont know this guy. Fortunately, there werent many people around. Maybe thats why Vincent allowed himself to act like his usual eccentric self in public like this. Let us proceed to the den of my hidden craft! Vincent stretched his arms theatrically and led the way. Right... Yuel followed with fast paces. Lets get out of here ASAP. Really, how can he act like that in public? He must have nerves of steel. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It didnt take them long to reach their destination. Here it is! Vincent presented a building by stretching both arms like a hyped tour guide. This is the Den of Video Crafting! Here, youll find mages who religiously practice videocrafting on a daily basis. Great story. So, can we go in already? Yes, but of course! Normally, only the chosen ones may pass through these magical gates. But, worry not! As a pupil of the videocraft school, I can grant thee free entry this once! With that said, Vincent pressed on the intercom. A buzzing sound came out, informing them that the entrance was now open. It appears we were granted permission. Yeah, impressive Yuel rolled his eyes. The two of them rode the elevator to the seventh floor. The entire time, Vincent was hyping up this mundane situation. This electric beast shall deliver us to our destination, Vincent was making zero sense as usual. In fact, it felt like he was spouting more nonsense than on an average day. I hope my brain cells will stay intact after today. Yuel thought. Being exposed to Vincents nonsense the entire day was probably as unhealthy as radiation. At long last, they arrived on the seventh floor. Thanks to Vincents constant narration, that short elevator ride felt like a grand fantasy adventure. They didnt even start working on the video yet, but Yuel was already feeling tired. Here it is, the Den of Videocraft! Vincent led Yuel into the apartment. Welcome, welcome, a man greeted Yuel with a friendly smile and stretched his hand. This was probably Vincents dad. The names Fabio. Yuel. Nice to meet you. Yuel shook the offered hand. Mhm, Ive heard many things about you. Fabio nodded repeatedly and formed a camera with his hands. A Genius Middle-Schooler. I like the sound of that! I can already see the view count exploding! Hah. Yuel instinctively backed away. There was a grown-up man in front of him who was acting as goofy as his son. Gulp. Like father like son, I guess? Yuel smiled wryly. Mom also sometimes says I resemble dad, so maybe its a common thing? Ugh. Two doses of Vincent would be the end of me. So, let me ask you this. Fabio brought a hand toward Yuels face, it was probably supposed to be an imaginary microphone. How do you feel about the teams recent victory? Agh... Yuel wanted to get out of here. Now. Even though they were inside a house, the mans presence was incredibly convincing. It felt like a real reporter was interrogating Yuel. Wait, he IS a reporter, isnt he? No wonder it feels so real. Yuel gulped. He somehow walked into an interview without his knowledge. Drat... So? How was it? Fabio continued. It was the teams first official scrimmage, wasnt it? How did it feel to stand on the competitive stage for the first time? I feel the team still has a long way to go. Yuel found himself answering seriously. So, I came here today to compile a video for our match review. Blunt and to the point, I see. Fabio nodded with a smile. Most kids your age would be throwing a party to celebrate the teams first victory, but I see youre already thinking about the next fight. It was just the first scrimmage. Well be facing stronger opponents in the future, Yuel found it oddly easy to keep talking. Its as if the words just wanted to roll out of his mouth on their own. Our next opponents are the Leopards. We have to improve as much as possible before we challenge them. Oh yes, the Leopards. The reigning champions of the region. Right. This scrimmage will be the real test. I see, I see. Fabio nodded. So, I presume your goal is to win the regionals this year and go to nationals? Thats the first goal, yes. The first? Hoho, ambitious. Then, youre also planning to dominate the nation. And the world cup too. Such bold words! Fabio clapped. Indeed, these are words befitting a young genius! I wish you all the luck in the world! Thank you. Yuel nodded with a smile but something was bugging him. Wait, how did we even end up talking about all of this? Before Yuel realized, he went on and on, sharing everything on his mind with Fabio. It was an odd experience. Kukuku, it appears youve finally reached the truth. Vincent smiled meaningfully. Once youve fallen into the web, it is nigh impossible to climb your way out of it. What are you talking about? Yuel asked. Youve been captured by none other than the Information Absorber! Vincent stretched his arms theatrically. His ability is to extract all the information the victim has! Its an EX rank Noble Phantasm, a one-of-a-kind absolute skill! All your data is as good as naked in front of it! Thats the Information Absorber! You and youre chuuni stuff again. Fabio smiled wryly and ruffled Vincents hair. I apologize on my sons behalf. He has a bad habit of talking like this, using terms that probably nobody around him understands. Its okay, Im already used to it, Yuel admitted. Basically, hes saying youre a talented reporter whos good at making people talk. Oh, impressive. Fabio blinked. You understood all that? Yes, unfortunately. Yuel cracked a dry laugh. I feel like Ive been forced to study an alien language to understand all this nonsense. And, the scariest thing is that I actually learned to understand most of it. Haha, I understand, I understand. Fabio nodded. I know my son can be a little oddball like this, but I hope you stay his friend. Um, sure. Yuel was at a loss for words for a moment. Friend? Well, I guess we are friends, sorta. Ive never really thought about that. Back in StormBlitz, there was a clearer distinction between a clubmate and a friend. Lars and Julia were Yuels friends because they always hanged out together. On the other hand, everybody else was just a clubmate. Yuel was on good terms with most of them, but they werent particularly close. In this way, everybody had their own small circles of friends. However, things were a little different in Stratus. The club only had seven members, six of whom regularly attended practice. Their lineups for Ranked matches were almost always the same, give or take one person. In other words, everybody spent time together in the club. As a result, they grew closer to each other. At least, Yuel felt closer to most of them than he felt close to the members of StormBlitz. He was on good terms with Vincent, he had a truce with Kai, and he worked as Nias personal trainer. Even though Lars remained his closest best friend, the others were also important to him. Maybe this is the kind of club I was looking for all along. Yuel smiled softly. Back in elementary school, his desperate attempts to fit into various team sports were likely born from the desire to find friends to play with. And, in a way, thats also what made him interested in Classamancers in the first place. However, somewhere along the way, that motivation took a back seat. Yuel focused more and more on improving at that game, paying little heed to making friends. Nonetheless, these thoughts never truly left the back of his mind. All this time, he was seeking more like-minded players with whom he could enjoy Classmancers to the fullest. Who wouldve thought Id find them in the club of the weakest team in the region? Of course, this club presented many challenges of its own. Its members had tons of issues that had to be addressed before they were ready to take on the powerhouses of the region. But, Yuel believed theyll be fine. As long as they keep practicing as hard as theyve been doing until now, theyll be ready to take on anybody. From there, Yuel will just have to make sure to provide good shot-calls and help to lead the team to victory in any way he could. For that reason, he had to work hard with Vincent today on compiling a match review video. He believed he was best suited to handle this operation, therefore it was his responsibility to do so. With Vincents help, theyll produce that important video and boost the clubs skill level tenfold! At least, provided that Vincents video editing skills were really up to par... Vol.12 Ch.4: When the Video Is Too Good Vincents dad finished interviewing Yuel and they proceeded to Vincents room, the so-called Den of Videocrafting. There was no sign of Vincents mom anywhere. Shes still sleeping, Vincent said. Yesterday, as always, she braved through the depths of the night to unleash her art on the world, for she is the Nightowl Designer! So, she pulled an all-nighter? Indeed. Vincent nodded. She works from home, so her schedule can get quite peculiar indeed. But, she will wake up at some point during the day, right? Indeed, indeed. Fret not, for we shall be able to borrow her advice if we find so necessary. Good. They reached Vincents room. Welcome to the production studio! Vincent stretched both arms to present his room as if it was some big agency. Please, come inside. Dont be shy. Sure. Yuel stepped in. A loud and colorful sight assaulted him immediately. No walls. There were none. This room had no walls anywhere in sight. Well, that wasnt accurate. Of course, the room technically had walls. However, none of them were visible. Why? Because countless posters covered them from head to toe. There were many different colorful posters of eastern cartoons, the ones Vincent referred to as anime. The entire background was so stacked with images, to the point it was impossible to tell the actual color of the walls. How do you like my shrine? Its... colorful, I guess. Yuel instinctively took a step back. This room was as loud as its owner. It had this uncanny ability to make Yuel shudder. By the way, have you watched the anime I recommended? Vincent pointed at one of the posters. Here, you know which one this is? Um... Yuel had no idea. He didnt have the time to check out any of these shows. There was nothing wrong with admitting that, so he should just give a straight answer. With that said, being inside Vincents territory made that difficult. All the colorful huge eyes on the were staring at Yuel, judging him with their smirks and smiles. So, you havent watched them, Vincent concluded. Sorry, I havent, Yuel apologized. Not sure why Im apologizing, though. This is Kill Note, Vincent explained. The poster showed a man holding a notebook, with some grotesque creature standing behind him. What kind of show was it? Knowing Vincent, it was probably something about a boy summoning demons from a cursed notebook. This is Psycho License. Vincent pointed at another poster. This one had people holding comically oversized guns. It looked like some sort of action flick, just drawn in anime style. It was probably all action and no substance, the worst kind of shows. And this is Mono Piece. Vincent continued presenting more and more posters, trying to get Yuel tempted to watch something, anything. Im not going to bite. Yuel resisted. We didnt meet up to do an anime tour. Then, how about we watch the first few episodes together? Vincent suggested. Im sure youll love it! Its a brilliant series of suspense and mind-games! Ill watch it when I have the time, Yuel made an empty promise. Im here for the review video, not to watch shows. Worry not, for we have the entire day ahead of us! One episode is but 20 minutes long. That sounds like something a procrastinator would say, Yuel remarked. It starts with a small distraction, but then time flies by and you havent even started. Sounds like you have personal experience with that. Thats basically every group study ever. Yuel sighed. Many kids, and even teachers, raved about studying in groups. However, in Yuels experience, it was always a recipe for disaster. Every study group he joined was a circus. The other kids were more busy messing around, thinking they got plenty of time on their hands. Then, before they realized it, the group study was over and they hadnt done a single thing. What Vincent suggested was dangerously close to that mentality. In theory, they had at least 10 hours to work on the video. It sounded like a tremendous amount of time thatd be enough to accomplish about anything. But, the moment you got sidetracked, it always took an indefinite amount of time to get back on track. Even though Vincent said each episode was only 20 minutes, that was a trap. It was going to tempt them to watch more episodes, which in turn will waste many precious hours of their day. Its just another 20 minutes, no problem. Vincent will surely say after every single episode. I can already imagine how the entire thing will play out. Yuel shuddered. In the hypothetical alternative timeline, in which he agrees to watch an episode, they will waste at least five hours on that side-activity. As a result, they wont finish the video in time and the match review will become a disaster. Due to that, the team wont improve fast enough and they will eventually face StormBlitz unprepared at the regionals, leading to their crushing defeat. Thats one future I absolutely cant allow. Yuel gulped. No, were not watching anything. Lets get started on the video. I see, I see. Uptight as ever. Vincent nodded in understanding. Truly, such overwhelming seriousness, befitting the supervillain known as Chessmaster! A villain...? Yuel decided not to ask, to avoid further sidetracking. It felt like Vincent was always searching for the best ways to derail conversations. He was a happy man as long as he could spout his over-the-top nonsense. Thats why I cant give him any opportunities to start anything. Yuel steeled himself. I have to be straight to the point. This is like dealing with a wild animal that can attack at any moment. Very well then. Vincent sat down in front of the computer. Let us begin our videocrafting! I sent you the timestamps yesterday, Yuel said. Did you see them? Did I see them? Kukuku, who do you take me for? Im the man known as Information Blackhole! As soon as you decided on the timestamps, I already knew their exact contents! Yes, thats right, I was aware of them before you even sent them to me! Thats an impressive skill. Yuel nodded. Too bad its all nonsense. With that said, Vincent at least glossed over the timestamps document. It was already open on his PC before they came into the room. And, the video editing software was also ready. Despite how hard the clown was trying to procrastinate a moment ago, he was unexpectedly prepared. He was raring to go, just like Yuel. In fact, this happy-go-lucky clown even went the extra mile. These marked timestamps... Yuel mumbled. Kukuku, so you have noticed! Such a sharp eye, as expected from the one who can tell others weaknesses at a glance! This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. What sharp eye? Id have to be blind to not notice all these marked timestamps. Theyre literally bolded, italicized, and marked in yellow. And, these timestamps... arent mine. Theyre my additions, Vincent explained. Just as you dedicated your precious time for the noble cause of analyzing the replay and finding the greatest of moments, so have I. Combined, our timestamps shall reveal all the truths of that fateful match! You did all that? Yuel blinked. There were many marked timestamps and they had brief descriptions attached to them, similar to how Yuel organized his own timestamps. Vincent clearly poured hours into compiling all of this. That was so unexpected. This duality of Vincent always made the guy difficult to read. Was he a lazy bum who only cared about messing around and procrastinating? Or, was he a serious hard-worker who did everything in his power to help the team? He was both and neither. Truly, a mysterious existence that followed alien logic. Wait, these timestamps... The descriptions attached to them were a little odd. They were stuff like VanishingFlower strikes down the unsuspecting Dark Knight! and Gunz exhibits his skills as the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse and strikes down DragonMaster! The defender becomes the victim! The timestamps had bombastic names that sounded like clickbait titles. And, in a classic Vincent fashion, they were filled with many silly terms. Yuels brain was losing cells just from skimming through this content. But, silly titles alone were still alright. What really bugged Yuel about these timestamps was the content. There was an odd consistent theme for all of them. None of these are misplays by our team. Indeed, they are not, Vincent agreed. On the contrary! These are glorious moments of victory! The first time VanishingFlower overcame her stage-fright and correctly ganked the Dark Knight. Or, that one time Beat conquered her anger and taught TheLegend a hard lesson! Those were all amazing fateful moments! But, since they were good plays, theres no much to criticize about them. Theres no point reviewing them. Oh, thats where I vehemently disagree with you, o cold-hearted Chessmaster, Vincent objected. Reliving your moments of defeat is definitely insightful, but reliving your moments of victory is just as important! I dont see how. If you only focus your attention on your mistakes, youll start believing you played terribly the entire match. It will shatter your confidence as a player and will make you lose faith in your own skill. Not to mention, it could be detrimental to your future performance as well. It might spell doom for your entire future career! Thats an exaggeration if I ever heard one, Yuel said. Nobody is going to think theyre bad just because you show them their mistakes. If theyre serious about improving, theyll accept the criticism and learn from it. Such heartlessness, as expected from a supervillain. Vincent nodded. In theory, youre correct. A serious player wouldnt get depressed over a single piece of criticism. But, what if they go through an entire session filled with nothing but criticism toward them and their teammates? Isnt that depressing beyond belief!? No, I dont think it is. Mistakes were made and were going to discuss them. Thats all there is to it. Indeed, mistakes were made, Vincent agreed. However, imagine this scene: Youre being shown one mistake. Then, another mistake. And then another, and another, and another. Before long, the entire match will be painted as a pile of mistakes. The entire team will look like a dysfunctional unit capable only of committing mistakes. Is that the kind of grim picture you wish to paint with your match review? No, of course not, Yuel said. All I want is to discuss the mistakes. Im not trying to say we played poorly. We won, so everybody should already know we performed well overall. Just because theyre aware of such truths at the back of their heads doesnt mean theyll remember them throughout the match review. If you hammer them with nothing but showcases of their mistakes, all that negativity will fill up their brains to the brim. Before long, theyll start thinking that they severely underperformed and that their victory was but a fluke. I think youre exaggerating, Yuel argued back but he wasnt too confident. There might be some truth to Vincents words. Going over replays of a players mistakes was similar to scolding them over and over. At some point, the target might start seeing the scolder as a villain whose entire purpose in life was to scold. Even if all that scolding actually had good intentions behind it, none of it will reach the target audience. For example, there was Yuels bumpy relationship with Julia. Frankly, that Cryomancer played terribly. Thats how Yuel criticized Julias performance the first time they met. It sounded brutal and Yuel probably shouldve phrased it better, but he had no ill intention. He simply wanted to make it clear that Lars was losing in that 2v2 game due to Julias shortcomings as a Support. It wasnt his intention to belittle her or anything like that. He simply pointed out her mistakes in the hope she learns from them. But, Julia didnt see it that way. She thought Yuel was acting like a jackass who was looking down on her. If Yuel just presented his criticism better and mixed in a couple of praises in-between, then Julias first impression of him would have been far more positive. Perhaps, they wouldve started out on much better terms and could avoid dramatic fights like the one that tore their friendship apart. Okay, you may have a point, Yuel conceded. We can include a couple of good plays in the video. Indeed, we shall! It will boost the teams morale through the roof! But, lets not overdo it, Yuel insisted. We dont have time to compile all the good and bad plays together. We need to focus on misplays that can teach us valuable lessons. Worry not, for Ive already begun my craft yesterday! Vincent dramatically zigzagged with his mouse, passing through many folders at lightning speed. Behold, the fruits of my labor! He opened a video, showing the first sample from his big list of good plays. It captured the moment Nia successfully snuck up to the Dark Knight and killed the guy. It was definitely an important turning point in that game, an occasion to celebrate. Nia will probably feel good if she watched this, but... This is definitely something... Yuel wasnt sure how to respond to the editing work on this video. The footage started with Nia creeping toward Top Lane. So far, so good. But then, dramatic ominous music started playing in the background, accompanied by Vincents narration. VanishingFlower is slowly but surely making her way to Top Lane. Is the enemy aware of this incoming rotation!? The video cut to the Dark Knight. The guy was playing confidently on the lane without showing any hints of caution. It appears not! DragonMaster isnt expecting it in the slightest! The video cut back to Nia and the music escalated. It turned into a full-blown action theme as Nia appeared on the lane and assaulted DragonMaster. AND ITS A KILL!!! Six and a half minutes into the game, Stratus draws first blood! Will that become the first step toward their victory!? The video ended on that cliffhanger. So, how was it? Vincent asked with a confident smile. It was... well done, actually, Yuel admitted. Im not a fan of ventilated commentary, but it can work well when its in small doses like that. Right? Right!? The cuts back and forth were also nicely done. They created a nice cinematic experience. Im sure Nia will be happy to see it. Oh, stop it. Your words are too kind for little old me. Vincent wore an embarrassed smile. But. Oh lordy, theres always a but, isn''t there? Vincents shoulders slumped. Very well. Hit me with your worst criticism! Is it the quality of the voice recording? Or, do the cuts feel a little forced? Simply inform me of my wrongdoings and I shall fix them post-haste! Theres nothing particularly wrong with the video itself, Yuel said. The production is decent. But of course it is! My mother personally supervised the birth of this piece of art. She would not miss a single detail! Hes getting way too defensive before I even said anything. Yuel smiled wryly. Listen, Its not about the quality of the video. Well, technically, it IS about the quality, but- Indeed, Im aware! Its not 4k. Thats one of your complaints, isnt it? I wished for it to 4k as well, but mom said itll take an eternity to process it and the video will weigh more than a tank. So, as I didnt have much time on my hands, I had to cut corners and produce it in 1080p. Im terribly sorry for such a low-quality production! Low quality? Yuel narrowed his eyes. 1080p is HD, literally high definition. Thats not low quality by any means. Just calm down. I wasnt actually going to criticize your video. Nay, impossible! Lies and deceit! Theres no way the bearer of the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception would not find numerous faults with something he lays his eyes on! There is one big fault and its in the amount of effort put into this video. Tell me, how long did you spend making it? It was a labor of many hours. Vincent puffed his chest proudly. For example, this segment here had to be recorded thrice to deliver three different perspectives. Then, I had to slice them and combine them with perfect timing. Oh, and the narration! That took a couple of shots, but I believe it turned out well. And of course, the music and some visual effects, and...! Thats my problem with it, Yuel cut in. You created something great, but youve spent way too much time on this one play. Dont tell me you plan to spend that much time on each and every play. Such was my intention, Vincent admitted. Im already halfway done with the second play on my list. Im certain that, by the end of the day, Ill finish producing all the plays from both our lists! No, you wont. Not if you put that much time into every single play. We dont have time for that. All we need is to record the replay at the important moments and stitch these recordings together. No need for special cuts, music, or narration. B-But what about the impact!? Moments of glory should feel epic, whereas moments of failure should feel devastating! Isnt it so!? Youre right, its nice to have extra effects. But, theres no time for that. Im planning to do the match review tomorrow while the scrimmage is still fresh in everybodys memory, so we have to finish it by then. So, were not doing any narration? No. Ill handle the explanation during the presentation. T-Then, how about some dramatic music, at least!? Unnecessary. Besides, I believe it can always be added later. Indeed, thats true. Alright, then no music or narration. But, well still show each play from multiple perspectives for maximum impact, right? Right!? Itd be nice but theres no time to plan it out. All Im asking for is a simple compilation video. Please. But, but...! Vincent was desperately trying to come up with something. He couldnt imagine these videos delivering maximum impact without all the flashy elements. The videos had to be memorable! They had to burn themselves into the players minds and be desirable for rewatching, to make the players revisit both fortunate and unfortunate moments alike! That was the ultimate videocrafting technique...! Vinnie, give it a rest. A womans voice invaded the room. The Nightowl Designer made her entrance! What a complicated mess this was turning into. Yuel merely came here to create a basic compilation video, but new things kept popping up one after another. We havent even started and Im already getting tired... Vol.12 Ch.5: The Former Chess Champion Vinnie, give it a rest, a woman interrupted Vincents passionate lecture about the importance of high-quality production. Oh, mom. Vincent stopped. Youre up. Yeah, I am. the woman nodded. Her big glasses almost slid off her nose, but she pushed them back right before the accident happened. I introduce thee my birth giver! Vincent dramatically stretched both arms. The one and only Nightowl Designer! If you ever find yourself in a need of an eye-catching ad or a masterfully edited video, dont hesitate to apply! Cheers. The woman lazily waved with one hand as a greeting while covering a big yawn with the other. The names Nicole. Yuel. Yeah, I know, Nicole said. This kid wont stop bragging about the amazing players the club got this year. She wrapped a hand around Vincent and caressed his head. M-Mom! Vincent shifted his eyes away. His cheeks turned reddish. What? Nicole pouted. Im not allowed to show my affection for my child anymore? Did you already grow out of it!? Oh, how fast kids grow up! Her eyes teared up a little. N-No, thats not what I meant! Vincents voice was shaky. He was pressed between a rock and a hard place. Just, not in front of others... What is there to hide? Nicole asked innocently. Theres nothing deviant about a mother loving her son. She hugged Vincent tightly. Guh! Vincent produced a silly sound. His cheeks flushed and he shifted his eyes between Yuel and the ceiling. So, there are things in this world even the clown finds embarrassing. Yuel thought to himself. The loud clown usually seemed immune to the concept of embarrassment, as if the word didnt even exist in his dictionary. But, turned out there were simple things like this that embarrassed him just fine. It was kind of cute. Id also have a stroke if my mom fawned all over me in front of my friends. Yuel smiled wryly. But, at least, it was good to know Vincent was on good terms with his parents. Honestly, with how hes always acting, I couldnt help but question the parenting he was receiving. But, turns out theyre nice and caring parents, although a little eccentric I admit. Fabio and Nicole were on the quirky side, but there was nothing wrong with that. If anything, they were probably spoiling Vincent too much, seeing as they turned a blind eye to the nonsense he was spouting 24/7. What would Yuels mom do if Yuel started acting like Vincent? Id be dead. Totally dead. Yuel gulped. He could already imagine his head rolling on the floor after being run over by a guillotine. Yes, itd be that macabre. His mom would bring him back to his senses in a snap. She was that sort of scary woman. After a while, Nicole released Vincent and continued the topic she started earlier. Vinnie, Im sorry to break it to you, but Yuel here is right. You spend too much time on each video. Its alright when you do it as a hobby, but its a different story when you got a deadline. In these cases, finishing on time is more important than quality. But, the impact of the videos... Vincent pouted in protest but his weak tone implied he gave up. Just stick to the basics this time, Nicole advised. Its not like the raw footage will be gone after you finish the video. You can always enhance it later if you need to. Oh, thats true indeed. Vincent nodded. In that case, the first version we produce will merely be a draft for our future Oscar-winning production! Yeah, thats a good way to think of it, Nicole said. Im here if you need any help. Thanks, mom! Vincent saluted his superior from the Videocrafting Division. Oh. Nicole turned to leave but then stopped to stare long and hard at Yuel. I may be mistaken, but are you a chess player? I do play chess as a hobby, Yuel said. Did you enter any tournaments around here? Like, a couple of years ago, maybe? I did. I even won the regionals once. Aha! I knew it! Nicole dashed out of the room. Wait right here! A few minutes later, she returned with a printed article. It was titled The Landberht Princess Is ELIMINATED at the Finals! Thats you, right? Nicole pointed at the boy featured in one of the smaller images of the article. Yeah, I think so, Yuel said. Honestly, it was hard to tell. The shot was taken from far away and wasnt very clear. Oh! I was not aware of this legend! Vincent grabbed the article and scanned it with great interest. I see! As expected from the man who calls himself Chessmaster! Youre indeed a master of chess! Um, yeah, right... Yuel produced a dry laugh. Yeah, I picked Chessmaster because I play chess, lets go with that... Its amazing, Nicole said. Chess isnt some easy game for kids. Also, the article mentions this Landberht Princess received private lessons from many top-level professionals, so shes probably ahead of the competition from just that. This is what money can get you, huh. Nicoles eyes glinted with jealousy and it was only natural. Anybody would feel like a peasant in front of the Landberht Princess. From her doll-like features to her fashionable clothes which surely cost an arm and a leg - everything about the Landberht Princess screamed WEALTH. As such, the average peasant couldnt help but be awed. Even Yuel was a little overwhelmed by that girls presence at first, which was why he crashed and burned so hard during their first game. Thankfully, he calmed down by the second game and mounted a comeback. And, in the end, he even grasped victory. Oh! Vincent exclaimed. It says the Landberht Princess is a former national champion! She even went to compete against kids from other countries! Yeah, Ive heard of that, Yuel said. I believe she ended in 3rd place in the world championship. Its a great achievement. Third place in the entire world of chess!? Vincents eyes sparkled. Only among kids that age, so mostly grade-schoolers. Nonetheless, thats spectacular! Vincent made noise. Third place in the entire world! She is a mighty valkyrie who wont lose to anybody! You speak lightly of this, but you took down a real superstar with your own two hands! Youre practically a world-class chess player! If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sorry to disappoint, but I never made it to the world championship. Impossible! How so!? Didnt you win the regionals by trampling over the Landberht Princess!? Yes, but I lost at the nationals. I came in 4th. 4th? I see... Vincent finally quieted down a little. Thats still impressive, of course. But, how could it be? I mean, you crushed the idol who established herself as a world-class fighter! You were destined to win the nationals and prove your mettle at the world championship! I wasnt good enough, Yuel said matter-of-factly. There were strong opponents at the nationals. But, didnt the Landberht Princess defeat these opponents before? And, you defeated the princess, so... She played them a year before that, Yuel explained. Its possible they improved a lot since then. Indeed. I see, I see. Vincent nodded repeatedly. They were bitter rivals whom the princess mercilessly crushed a year earlier. They mustve spent the entire year working themselves to the bone, training day and night in preparations for the fateful rematch! Alas, the target of their revenge was not present at the nationals that year, so they unleashed their revenge on you, the substitute who vanquished her! Such intense drama! Perhaps. Yuel shrugged. Also, honestly, I think she was just better than me. The Landberht Princess? Better than you? Even though you defeated her? Like in every sport, skill isnt one-dimensional in chess. Just because I defeated somebody, that doesnt automatically make me better than them. Bad matchups exist, as well as other factors such as pressure and lack of preparation. Oh, I see! Its like the classic story of the underdog team taking the reigning champions by surprise and pulling the rug from under them! Id like to believe I was better than just an underdog at the time, but yes, thats about right. It was overall a bad matchup for her. Oh! The plot thickens! Vincent leaned in to hear some more. So!? How did you do it!? How did you outdo the world-class valkyrie!? Yeah, Im interested too, Nicole leaned in as well. It seemed she shared a similar passion for sports stories as the rest of this household. Um... Yuel backed away a little. The pressure was on. Im not sure how well I can explain it to people who dont play chess. Hmm. Explain it to me like Im five, Nicole requested something absurd. Well, in a nutshell, it was a bad matchup for her, Yuel repeated. You already told us, Vincent said. But, we wish to hear details! This article only goes on and on about the Landberht Princess herself. It only mentioned your name once between the lines, even though you were the winner! Whoever wrote this article is a disgrace to journalism! Yeah, exactly, Nicole agreed. When they first gave me an outline of the article, I thought the focus will be on the winner. But, all they sent me were photos of that princess. They even instructed me to make sure her photos were the most eye-catching part of the article. I literally had to beg them to send me at least one photo of the actual winner. Such corrupted journalism! Vincent waved an angry fist. The industry is rotten to the core! I cant believe you accepted such a work, mom! Work is work, Nicole said. It was good money. I couldnt refuse it just because I didnt like what they were focusing on. My job is to make the photos go well with the article, not to decide the articles content. Thats true, but... Vincent hung his head. The journalist inside him was screaming and kicking like an angry baby. You cant really blame them, Nicole said. Journalism is just business in the end. The Landberht Princess already made a name for herself back then. Besides, shes a looker and shes from a rich family, so its no surprise they put the spotlight on her instead of an unknown like Yuel. But yeah, it didnt sit well with me either, so thats why this article was stuck in my head for all these years. So, thats how you recognized Yuel on the spot, Vincent realized. I understand, mom. That article was haunting you in your dreams all this time, wasnt it? Yeah, ever since that day, I could never get any sleep at night. Nicole leaned on her son as if about to fall asleep. Every night, I would recall the sins Ive committed. Every time I placed a picture of the Landberht Princess on the article, a part of me died along with it. It mustve been rough. Vincent patted his moms shoulder. Yeah, it was. I even used all my knowledge to enlarge the one photo I had of Yuel, but all I got was this blurry mess. Im terribly sorry! Its okay. Yuel had no idea how to react to this sob story. The details were probably exaggerated beyond measure, but it sounded like Nicole genuinely felt bad for how this article turned out. Maybe she even really lost some sleep over it. Alright, Nicole said. Jokes aside. It was a joke!? Yuel facepalmed so hard he almost sent his head flying. Dont worry, I didnt lose a wink of sleep over it. Nicole smiled. But, I really didnt like this article, thats why I still remember it. I see... Yuel felt like an idiot for falling for that one. When Vincent was putting on a show, it was usually over-the-top and very obvious. Compared to that, his mom was like an Oscar-winning actress. Ill have to carefully examine everything she says from now on. She wont trick me again! Somehow or another, the conversation derailed into discussing the corruption of the journalism industry and how they were pushing a narrative with this article. But, it was fine since it excused Yuel from talking about the match against the Landberht Princess. Or, so he thought... Well? Vincent turned to Yuel as the conversation died out. In the end, how did you dethrone the princess!? Yeah, tell us. Nicole pressured as well. This duo is really something. Yuel was overwhelmed. This felt exactly like overextending into enemy territory without backup. Enemies were ganking him from both sides, going straight for the kill. It was a hopeless 1v2 situation. Zero chance of escape. Basically, I threw her off her game. Details! Vincent insisted. More. Details. Yes, please. Nicole backed him up. Ugh... Yuel backed away from the interrogators, but his back eventually hit the wall. There was nowhere to run. He was cornered! Guess Ill just have to talk. Yuel sighed. Feel free to stop me if you dont understand what Im talking about. No problem! Vincent promised. My Information Blackhole shall absorb all your input and process it into tiny digestible bits of information that even a baby would understand! Thats a convenient tool you got, Nicole said. Where do I order one of these? Im afraid you wont find it in any regular store. After all, its crafted by none other than yours truly.. How much do you charge for it? Sorry, maam. This item is not for sale. Stringy. Nicole pouted as she gently pinched Vincents cheek. Ahem, anyway. Yuel cleared his throat. Long story short, the Landberht Princess is a strong theory player who plays by-the-book. She clearly studied all the positions we went through in our first game and I didnt try anything unorthodox to throw her off. Thats how I lost the first game. I see, I see! Vincent nodded repeatedly. So, you lost the first bout, but your Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception perfectly captured the flaw in her game plan, didnt they? Then, in the next game, you mixed things up and played wildly! Something like that, Yuel said. I stayed away from standard moves in order to drag her into unexplored territory. Thankfully, some of my moves successfully confused her, and in turn, her solid game plan fell apart. Devilishly brilliant! Vincent exclaimed. So, how did the final game go!? What manner of genius trickery did you pull there!? I didnt do anything different. I think she was still hung up on her mistakes from the previous game, so she was very distracted. So, she was her own undoing, Nicole commented. Interesting analysis. I wish they included at least half of that in the actual article. Exactly my thoughts, Vincent agreed. They only presented the princess perspective, making blank statements like she fought hard until the bitter end. Thats a disgrace to professional match analysis! Theyre selling a braindead narrative for the common folks! Thats such low-quality journalism. They shouldve asked dad to cover it instead. Yeah, hed weave a nice tale out of it, Nicole said. Hed also take some good photos of the actual winner. Even with elaborate match analysis, Im not sure itd make for a better story. Yuel smiled wryly. In the end, you could say I was just lucky. If I played her again after that, Im sure Id lose by a huge margin. Shes a better player than me overall. I just took her by surprise that day. Victory is victory, Nicole said. On that day, in that match, you were the better player. You should hold your head up. Thanks. Yuel smiled softly. I wish my dad saw things that way. He criticized me to no end about that match. And, that was the last serious match review I had with him... They discussed the chess article some more. The duo of mother and son dragged Yuel into a flow that was impossible to escape. Thankfully, at some point, he managed to wheel the conversation back to todays main topic: compiling a video for tomorrows match review! Oh, indeed. Vincent nodded. I completely forgot about it. Great. Thats only kinda the entire point of me coming here today. Yuel sighed. And so, after yet another unexpected detour, the two of them returned to the main topic of todays meeting... Vol.12 Ch.6: Vincents Dedication Sorry for taking your time, kids, Nicole said. Good luck with your project. Ill help with whatever you need. Also, Vinnie, you can borrow my PC for this. I dont have any urgent work, so I feel like taking a break today Oh, so well have two powerful machines at disposal!? Vincent smiled meaningfully. With two PCs, well have double the power! Is there a good way to split this task between two PCs? Yuel asked. Why yes, there is, Nicole said. You have two separate tasks, right? You need to record raw footage from the game itself, and you gotta combine these recordings in a video editor. Yes, that sounds about right. So, thats the two tasks for you. One will go over the replays and generate the raw footage, while the other will handle the video editing. Itll save you a lot of time. Indeed it will, Vincent agreed. Naturally, I shall be in charge of video editing. Therefore, Chessmaster, Im leaving the recording in your care. And so, everybodys roles were decided. Vincent and Nicole instructed Yuel on how to use their video recording software. Capturing footage from the replays was the easier part of this entire task, so it made sense they assigned it to him. If I knew itd be this easy, I wouldve prepared all the footage myself yesterday. Yuel already went over the entire scrimmage yesterday, so he couldve recorded everything along the way. Unfortunately, now hell have to go over everything again. Oh well. I already have all the timestamps and their descriptions, so Ill just have to jump to these scenes one by one. And so, Yuel went over every timestamp and made the software record the game footage from the relevant camera angle. The hardest part was to position the camera efficiently for every play, which sometimes required him to record the same scene multiple times until he nailed it. Vincent was helping him at first, but a lot of footage accumulated over time, so Vincent had to start stitching it all together. The two of them worked tirelessly through the morning, then took a break around lunch. Yuel joined the family at the table and had spaghetti with meat. It was good. Contrary to Nicoles messy appearance, it seemed she had her cooking down. Actually, my dear father is the one who handles the toll of cooking, Vincent whispered. My mother is a mutant who can live off instant noodles. Oh, I see, Yuel said. Instant noodles are great. He felt a sense of comradery with Nicole. No matter how much the rest of the world ridiculed instant noodles, Yuel had allies out there who supported instant noodles from the shadows! Viva la instant noodles! After lunch, Vincent came up with a suggestion. Let us take a little break after eating. Im fine with a little more rest, but do you have something in mind? Allow me to show you some of my glorious videocrafting! As long as it doesnt take too long, Yuel said. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Worry not, for itll take but a fleeting moment. Im sure you will find the contents of these videos most interesting. Is that so. Yuel had his doubts, but he played along for now. Tiredness assaulted him after eating lunch, so he needed some rest either way. Alright, lets see. Vincent navigated through the many folders inside the general Videocraft folder. It seemed he was saving all his video editing projects there. There were folders inside folders inside folders. Some of the folders had nothing but a single folder inside it. Vincent probably prepared the ground for producing multiple videos for that particular topic, but then stopped after a single one. Such meticulous organizing. I approve. Yuel nodded. Here it is! Ive found the Holy Grail! Vincent exclaimed. Lo and behold, the glory of your past! Ah, its that match. Yuel recognized it immediately, for it featured unforgettable names such as ComboBreaker and Freezer. It was StromBlitzs second-string scrimmage from last year, the one in which Yuel and Lars debuted on the competitive stage. Like Vincents previous showcase, this video was also accompanied by loud commentary. And, another one bites the dust! ComboBreaker exhibits her lightning-speed killing technique once more! Vincents voice boomed from the speakers. For once, Vincent was on point. This was indeed an interesting video to watch. It went over the key plays of the scrimmage and even provided semi-informative commentary about the unfolding events, albeit with a little too much hype. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. It appears WildDragon subbed out, the commentator informed. Instead comes in... Gunz! Who is this young man? The team must have strong faith in his skill to drop him into the game at such a critical moment. Will he live up to the expectations!? Not too long after that, Lars already established himself as a threat. AND ITS A KIIIIIIILL!!!! the commentator hyperventilated. Gunz just subbed in moments ago, but hes already delivering results! Such overwhelming strength! Is he really just a second-string player!? Just how powerful is the main roster of StormBlitz!? The video covered the scrimmage from start to end by jumping through the most important moments. The commentary was both hype and informative, giving the match a narrative that was mostly on point. Its well-made, Yuel admitted. Surprisingly so. C-Could it be!? Is that a compliment from the ever-critical Chessmater!? The man with the Mystic Eyes of Nitpick Perception!? I can nitpick it if you want, Yuel said. Some of the cuts were a little abrupt. Also, your commentary got way too loud a few times. Indeed, its as you say. Vincent slumped on his chair and created a new text file called Chessmasters Criticism. Inside, he wrote down the points Yuel brought up. Yes, what else? Hit me with your worst shot! I fear nothing! Thats quite the attitude. Yuel blinked in surprise. Few people could accept criticism so willingly. Most people, especially kids their age, were immediately repulsed by any hint of criticism. But, not Vincent. He took the matter seriously. There was a genuine desire to learn from his mistakes and improve. Therefore, Yuel couldnt hold back. Itd be disrespectful for the person who wanted to improve their craft. This rotation to Top was pointless in the grand scheme of things, so you might want to cut it out. The video is already long as it is. Also, about this fight between Average and ComboBreaker, you almost had it right. It was bait but it wasnt a spontaneous one. I arranged it ahead of time. Also, the reason we went for this play here was because... On and on, Yuel pointed out small mistakes in Vincents delivery and Vincent accepted it all with open arms. In turn, that gave Yuel more motivation to continue. Diligent students like that were the best. Yuel could lecture them for days. Thats about all I have, Yuel concluded. Phew, that was a torrent. Vincent sighed in relief and slumped on his chair. After a whole hour of reviewing, he ended up with a huge text wall of notes. You tore my beautiful video to shreds. I feel like a part of me just died. It looked like you wanted honest criticism, so I didnt want to hold anything back. When somebody is genuinely trying to improve, I have to hit them with everything I got. I see. I shall be more careful in the future. Yes, you really should be. Yuel smiled wryly. But, all these problems aside, your video is really well-made. Do you have any other videos of the same quality? I have a few others I worked hard on, Vincent said. Alas, none of them lives up to this quality. This one video is my personal masterpiece! The ultimate S tier videocrafting sorcery! I see. Honestly, I think you have a knack for it. Really!? Vincent jumped. W-Well, of course I do! After all, I hail from a lineage of great journalists and editors. Ill disgrace my family if I dont prove myself worthy in the same fields! Did you upload these videos anywhere? About that... Vincent fell silent for a moment. I did not. Theyre for personal use only. I see, Yuel said. Thats a shame. You could start a ClassTube channel with this content. Its already a hundred times better than the average clickbait content that gets thousands of views it doesnt deserve. You really mean it!? Vincent teared up. Yeah, I meant it. Its that good. This must be a cold day in hell. To think that Chessmaster, the arch-demon of criticism, is approving of my hard work! Hey now. Yuel made a face. But really, its a shame. You should consider sharing these videos online. Itll definitely bring more interest to the middle school competitive scene. Indeed, that might happen. Vincent wore a difficult expression. I might start uploading the videos one day. But, Im not ready yet. Im sure your parents can advise you on the topic. Theyve advised me plenty, Vincent admitted. But, its just... I dont feel like Im ready to face the world yet. I see. Yuel had nothing else to add. If Vincent himself was so opposed to the idea, then there was nothing that could be done. Somebody like me doesnt deserve to... Vincent mumbled these last words but Yuel didnt catch them. After a moment of awkward silence, Vincent was back on his feet. Very well! Let us continue our videocrafting! With our combined strength, we shall conquer this difficult task! Right. Lets get back to work. The two of them parted ways, each returned to their respective working station. Yuel continued recording raw game footage, whereas Vincent cut and stitched the content together. Nicole gave them a few tips along the way, mainly to make sure her son wasnt going overboard with adding effects. The moment everybody took their eyes off him, he slapped a special effect or twenty on the video, just because. By the end of the day, Yuel finished recording all the relevant parts and Vincent was nearly done with the editing. I shall finish the remaining work by tomorrow, Vincent promised. Okay, Ill hold you to that, Yuel said. Vincent had already proven how serious he was about the entire thing, so it was alright to give him the benefit of the doubt for once. Probably. Vincent carried himself like an incomprehensible clown, but deep down he was a dedicated kid who genuinely wanted to see his teammates do well. There was no greater fun for him but to capture others moments of glory. He wanted Stratus to improve and perform even better in the next game, for itll make for a glorious story. I almost feel bad for doubting him before. Yuel smiled wryly. For example, there was that silly incident with the flyers the club used for advertising itself. Everybody agreed that Vincent will handle that task, but Yuel came that day with a few printed flyers of his own, just in case. Fortunately, it proved to be unnecessary. Vincent brought a stack of flyers and they were even well-designed, courtesy of his mom. That was the first time Vincent proved himself as a dependable teammate despite his eccentric personality. I really dont get this guy sometimes. Yuel smiled to himself on the way back. But, I dont dislike him. He might be a goof, but a dependable one. And so, Yuel was convinced that Vincent will live up to the promise and will deliver the finished video to school tomorrow. Or, will he? Vol.12 Ch.7: Match Review Preparations Monday arrived. It was the day of the match review. The night before, Yuel rehearsed the presentation he prepared until late into the night. He memorized all the major details from the Taurus scrimmage and in which order he wanted to go over them. There were many things to discuss. Hopefully, everybody will stay attentive throughout the entire thing. The compiled video should help with that cause. Itll shove everybodys mistakes right into their faces, to make sure the problems were impossible to miss or ignore. On top of that, itll be great material for them to review on their own in their free time. Truly, this one video will play an enormous role in the entire process. That is, provided Vincent finished it on time... Im terribly sorry! Vincent opened with this intense apology. I couldnt finish it in time! Wha-!? Yuel jumped. But, you said youll have it done. Im well aware of the pact I made. Therefore, I must repent by swallowing a thousand needles! Im guilty as charged! End me now! Ugh. Yuel gulped. This was bad. Terrible, in fact. Without the video, the match review was doomed! How was Yuel going to hold the presentation without the finished video!? Everything he prepared for today was under the assumption hell have the finished video at his disposal! No, wait. Calm down. Yuel took a deep breath. Yesterday, when he left Vincents house, more than half of the video was already done. So, its not like everything was lost. In the worst-case scenario, theyll just have to split the review into two sessions. Or, if too much is missing, we can postpone the review by one day. Though, I rather strike while the iron is hot. After so many days, everybody might forget what they experienced on stage back on Friday. As such, it was crucial to deliver the match analysis as soon as possible. So, how much of the content is missing, exactly? Most of it. Vincent hung his head. ... excuse me? Almost the entire video! Its pure silence! It has nothing! What? The narration! Its not there! Vincent facepalmed with both hands in a dramatic fashion. My grand plan was to narrate each and every segment of the video, but time is a cruel mistress. It didnt slow down to allow me to do so, not even for a moment. As a result, were left with a silent, raw video. Im terribly sorry! Wait, forget the narration. What about the actual content? Which parts you didnt put in? Hm? What are you talking about? Vincent cocked his head. Obviously, Ive finished compiling all the parts you requested. However, the narration and music! Theyre not there! Im terribly ashamed! ........... Yuel felt like smacking this clown. The guy almost gave him a heart attack with that dramatization. So, only the narration is missing? Yes, and some of the music. If you wish to call me a traitor, Ill understand. After all, Ive failed you! No, not really. Yuel shrugged. I never expected any narration or music to begin with. I just needed you to arrange the recordings in the right order. I trust you did that? But of course. I followed your instructions to a T. I also compiled a separate video for each player, to make it easier for them to find their own plays. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Thats great thinking, Yuel said. This way, even lazy bums like Luke wont have an excuse. Indeed, indeed. Yuel opened the videos on the clubs old-gen PCs. The PCs were old, but they were more than enough to run this presentation. In addition, they connected a projector to the PC. One of the few benefits of their basement club was the easy access to all the random things lying around, such as that projector. Unfortunately, there wasnt a white screen to project onto, but the white walls of the basement sufficed. One by one, the club members came in. Kai, Lars, Luke, and Nia. Everybody else was here, except for the usual suspect. Looks like Ben wont be coming, Vincent informed after checking his text messages. Again!? Yuel ranted. Is he a member of this club or what? Well, Bens situation is a little... He didnt come to the scrimmage and now hes skipping the match review. Why are we allowing all of this!? Yuel was so busy with the match review over the weekend that he completely forgot about Ben. But, this was a big topic. Ben skipped on the clubs first scrimmage. Skipping practice was one thing, but skipping the scrimmage as well? And, even the match review? That was too much. As far as Yuel was concerned, Ben couldnt be considered a real part of the club at this point. That guy was a parasite occupying a spot that could be given to someone more worthy. This couldnt be tolerated! Relax, dude. Lars massaged Yuels shoulders. Ya stressing yourself out before we even started. Ya got a meeting to run first, remember? Lets talk about Ben after that. Guh. Yuel realized everybodys eyes were on him. They were all waiting for him to start the match review. Youre right. My bad. Lets get started then. The pressure must be getting to him. He rehearsed the contents of this presentation many times over the weekend, but delivering them in front of a real audience was a different story altogether. The nerves kicked in before he even noticed. Its okay. Ive done this before. Yuel took a deep breath. By Arons demand, Yuel delivered a couple of presentations like this back in StormBlitz. Looking back on it, that was an unusual responsibility to place on a freshman. Most likely, Aron was setting Yuel up as a vice-captain already back then. Alas, it was a responsibility Yuel abandoned in order to stand right here, in this godforsaken basement. But, there were no regrets. Stratus was definitely a team ridden with problems, but it was a small united team where everybody hanged out together. Yes, everybody, save for the one frequent troublemaker... Okay, forget Ben. Yuel shook his head. This isnt the time for that. Ill make sure to interrogate Vincent after the presentation. For now, I have to concentrate on the match review. Thanks for coming, Yuel started out. Haha, what is this, a seminar? Luke laughed. Shush. Kai shot the guy a look. Thanks, Yuel said quietly and continued. Vincent and I put together this presentation and video. Youll each get a copy of it, as well as a personalized video featuring your own plays. So, I expect you to review them on your own afterward. Geh, sounds like homework. Luke made a face. Now then, Yuel continued as if he didnt hear that. The purpose of this match review is to analyze the major plays we made, focusing mainly on the misplays that couldve been avoided. Keep in mind that Im not doing this to shame anybody, but to bring these plays to everybodys attention and to make sure we learn from them. In short, Luke said. Ya gonna make us look like Bronze players, aint ya? It might end up looking that way, so I feel I should apologize ahead of time. I know I can be a little brash at times, but really, all I want is to bring these plays to your attention and help you improve. Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded. Fear not, brave warriors. No matter how many defeats you see yourself suffer in todays show, you must always remember its not the end of the world! Whats done is done. Learn from your history in order to create a better tomorrow! Heh, I bet he spent all night coming up with that one. Luke snickered. Haha, probably. Lars laughed. But real talk, my dudes. Dont worry too much. After you listen to what Yuel has to say, youll probably feel like the worst players in the world and youll regret all yo life decisions. How is that supposed to console them!? Yuel made a face. But, Lars continued. Just give it a few days to sink in, then youll realize everything he said was true and you should learn a lot from it. Not the most encouraging of introductions but its something, I guess. Any injection of extra energy was welcome here, as Yuel was too stoic for his own good. So, it was good to have loud goofs like Vincent and Lars to hype things up. So, lets begin. For the next few hours, hell be tearing everybodys plays to shreds and pointing out their gravest mistakes. Hopefully, everybody will take the criticism the right way and will use it to improve, instead of losing all their confidence... Vol.12 Ch.8: Kais Resolution Yuel started the long-awaited match review, the dreadful ritual thatll expose everybodys weaknesses in public. His first victim was Kai. Lets start from the first game. Yuel played the video. The first scene showed Kai recklessly picking a fight against TheLegend and almost getting herself killed. Were really going there, huh? Kai averted her eyes. They had just started the meeting and she was already shuddering. It looks like Luke was right for once. This thing is going to be one serious public shaming rollercoaster. Please make sure to watch it, Yuel insisted. I know its hard to come face-to-face with your mistakes, especially the embarrassing ones, but you have to get used to it. Yep, Lars followed up. Take it from me, yo. When we just started playing together, Yuel reminded me 24/7 that Im a total scrub, haha. I dont think I ever called you a scrub. You didnt use the word, but thats what you were basically saying. Anyway, the point is, dude made me sit through tons of scolding lectures like this. Was it fun? Nope, not at all. But, Im still alive, right? And, I think Ive gotten pretty good thanks to that. No pain, no gain, Vincent added. There is no doubt we all will encounter countless hardships along the way. However! Overcoming these hardships shall steel our hearts and make us better players than we ever before! Alright, alright. Kai sighed and turned back to the screen. Everybody and their mom were on her case, so she couldnt wiggle her way out of this. Just you wait until your turns. I wanna see you talking big then. Okay, so about this play, Yuel continued. Lets watch it first from start to end. In the video, Kai assaulted TheLegend, got into an awkward 10 IQ duel, and the entire thing ended with her running for her life. It was a beautiful Bronze-quality performance. Just kill me. Like, right now. Kai facepalmed with both hands and hung her head. This might just be the most embarrassing moment of her life. Lets keep watching, Yuel insisted. Theres more. Next, it showed another stupid fight she picked against TheLegend. After that, there were two examples of reckless fights she picked against Renegade. In all these cases, Kai recklessly took the initiative and went on the offensive. And, every time, it ended in a disaster. She either barely made it out alive, or she didnt survive at all. In Games 3 and 4 in particular, Yuel said. These deaths gave the enemy tremendous momentum. It wont be an exaggeration to say they sealed the teams fate. Yeah, youre right. Kai didnt have the willpower to resist. She felt naked in front of the crowd. This video laid bare her most embarrassing mistakes. She was hoping to sweep all these embarrassing moments under the rug, but there was no escape from her scrubby past. Now, let me ask you this, Yuel leveled a question to the audience. What was the recurring mistake in all these examples? Kai got her ass whooped real hard! Luke laughed. Yes, that was the end result, Yuel agreed. But, even if she won some of these fights, Id still count them as misplays. Wut? Luke cocked his head. How will it be a misplay if she wins? That shit makes no sense. Victory or defeat, thats just the end result. Its the decision-making process that matters. Do you agree, Kai? I think I know what you wanna say. Kai sighed. Youre saying I picked bad fights. Yes, thats right. Can you explain what was so bad about them? Well, I didnt really have anything going for me in these fights, Kai explained. No life lead, no power advantage, no better positioning. Nothing, basically. There wasnt any good reason to believe Id win, except for thinking Im better than these scrubs. Im glad you figured it all out by yourself. Well, thanks. Im not an idiot, you know? You saw how many times I tried that shit and it blew up in my face. I had to learn a lesson at some point. If you understand this much, then that makes things easier, Yuel said. Since you know what you did wrong, do you mind sharing what led to these misplays and how you plan to improve for the future? What led to them, huh. Kai smiled wryly. My own damn arrogance, thats what. Kai was Challenger rank in Duel, so she thought she was some hot stuff when it came to fights. In fact, just as her rank implied, she crushed most opponents in 1v1s even in the MOBA mode. So, whenever she had to 1v1 somebody, it usually made sense to assume she gonna win. Alas, that kind of thinking was too naive for the competitive scene. The players who gathered there were all strong. Its like these rare cases when Kai happened to encounter an exceptionally powerful opponent in Ranked. Except, in this case, the entire enemy team was stacked with opponents of that caliber. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Unfortunately, she didnt realize that in time. She allowed her anger to get the best of her, which made her attack every bastard who insulted her. And, the end result was usually far from positive. As Luke put it, Kai got her ass whooped. I underestimated our opponents, Kai summarized. I thought Ill beat them easy in a 1v1, but that clearly didnt happen. Thats correct. Yuel nodded. You may be a Challenger in Duel, but the players youll face in competitive matches will be just as good. So, even when you think youre stronger than your opponent, you should always assume its going to be a hard fight in which nothing is guaranteed. Which means, unless you have a clear advantage, you should avoid challenging them alone. Yeah, I already figured as much. The same applies to everybody here. Yuel looked at each of them in order. Dont start fights unless you have a leg up on your opponents. This is a common bad habit from Ranked, especially for those who play Duel. No matter how good you think you are, you should assume your opponents are going to be just as good. Yeah, that sure applies to everybody, Kai said. That is, except for Lars. Me? Lars pointed at himself. Yeah, you. Kai shot Yuel a look. I agree with what youre saying, but you dont follow your own suggestion. You let Lars fight 1v1 multiple times even when he had nothing going for him. Care to explain why Lars is an exception to that rule? Lars by himself isnt an exception, Yuel said. If he starts a fight without a clear advantage, Ill stop him too. You say so, but you let him fight alone many times during the scrimmage and he didnt have any big advantages in any of these cases. For example, that one time he fought the Berserker while pushing Bot. The odds were stacked against him, but you approved it. Its was a difficult decision to make, Yuel admitted. I mulled over it for quite some time. In fact, it took me so long to reach a decision that it was almost too late. But, in the end, you still approved it. Yeah, I did,. Lars is strong in 1v1s, but not to the point he can consistently win against competitive opponents. Normally Id stop him, but its a different story when hes playing Trickshooter or Gunslinger. With these classes, I believe his skill level transcends common sense. Huh, sounds like youre playing favorites. Kai rolled her eyes. I admit, it sounds like bias, Yuel said. But, you should know what Im talking about. You have been dueling Lars every now and then, right? Sure have. So, how often do you win against his Trickshooter and Gunslinger? Eh... Kai opened and closed her mouth. She had nothing. Did she ever win against these two classes? She did score a clutch victory once by outsmarting Lars, but other than that... DEFEATDEFEATDEFEATDEFEATDEFEATDEFEAT She could only recall the red letters informing her of her downfall. There was no question that, with Trickshooter and Gunslinger, Lars was in a league of his own. Well? I assume you havent won much. I-I won a couple of times... Kai averted her eyes. Did ya? Lars cocked his head. Pretty sure ya beat me only once. That was a sick game, tho! Totally fooled me with that backdoor, haha. I see. Yuel nodded. So, you beat his best classes in Duel once. Thats very impressive in its own right, but it sounds like you used the rules of Duel mode to your advantage. You didnt actually defeat him in a proper 1v1, did you? Yeah, I guess I didnt. Kai gave up. So, there you have it, Yuel said. Id normally stop Lars from picking reckless fights, just as Id stop anybody else. But, when hes playing Trickshooter or Gunslinger, I just cant imagine him losing a fight, even against competitive players. I hope this answer satisfies you. Yeah, sure. Kai didnt exactly like it, but it was a reasonable compromise. Of course, Ill be keeping a close eye on things, Yuel said. The further we go, the stronger our opponents will be. So, we might eventually run into opponents even Lars wont be able to handle, not even with his best classes. If that happens, some adjustments will be in order. Cmon, that aint gonna happen! Lars flashed his teeth. Bring em on, yo! My Shooter and Slinger gonna make quick work of them! Well said! Vincent hyped things up. Thats the unbeatable Insane Beast of the Apocalypse that I know! So, lets summarize. Yuel cut off the excitement before it derailed the meeting. Kai, make sure to work on your bad habit of challenging players to duels. I recommend practicing this in Ranked. From now on, pretend that all your opponents in Ranked are strong competitive players and play accordingly. Sounds like an annoying handicap. Kai made a face. Yes, considering how often you win duels in Ranked, thats definitely going to be a handicap for you. But, in the long run, itll help you develop better habits for real matches. Of course, if you can think of better methods to practice it, then go for it. Got it. Ill work on it, Kai promised, both to Yuel and to herself. However, that wasnt all she promised. With all that said, I still think this is a waste. I mean, I dont grind Duel just to get that pretty rank. I wanna get to the level where I can consistently win 1v1s against anybody, even competitive players. Kai was Challenger rank in Duel, so she was supposed to be a major threat to the enemy team. And yet, Taurus didnt care about her combat skills in the slightest. They never showed any signs of being scared of her and they didnt think twice before picking a fight. Worst of all, many of the fights didnt go her way. That only further made her look like a weakling who couldnt fight back. It was pathetic. Each time I messed up, they probably laughed their damn asses off. I bet they were all like Look at this girl, thinking she can play video games. Theres no way I gonna sit there and let our next opponents laugh at me. Ill make everybody fear me as a 1v1 specialist! But, that was easier said than done. Everybody was strong on the competitive scene and Kai only experienced the tip of the iceberg so far. The Taurus they fought had plenty of strong players, yet the team wasnt even considered that good compared to previous years. And, it definitely couldnt begin to compare to powerhouses like StormBlitz and the Leopards. Ill have to fight even stronger opponents from here on out. Kai clenched her fists. If I want them to respect my dueling skills, I have to improve more, a lot more. Honestly, it almost sounds like an unachievable dream right now. But, it was very much possible. In fact, there was one clubmate who had already reached that higher plane of existence: Lars. The guy legit instilled fear in his opponent as an unbeatable powerhouse. I have to get to the point I can put up a fight against his Shooter and Slinger. Once that happens, Ill become somebody my opponents have to respect. That was Kais main resolution for the near future. Of course, as promised to Yuel, shell work on developing better habits. Shell get used to avoiding 1v1s in which she didnt have a decisive advantage. However, at the same time, shell also work on boosting her dueling skills. And, the first milestone would be to fight Larss strongest classes on equal ground. Its a long-term project, but Ill get it done before the regionals. If all goes well, even powerhouses would soon recognize her as a threat. And, with that strength, shell carry the team to victory as the captain! Vol.12 Ch.9: The Effects of a Positive Video The match review went on. The next victim on the list was Nia. First of all, your stage-fright, Yuel said. Its a difficult problem and I dont have a foolproof solution to it. You seem to calm down as the game goes on, which is great, but you still need to understand the consequences of this issue. Yuel played the video. It showed the time Nia was trying to gank DragonMaster during the first game. Back then, stress and anxiety pilled up on her, pressuring her to hurry. As a result, she passed near enemy wards and telegraphed her rotation Normally, you stay calm and take the longer route to avoid wards. But here, you ran through areas which are usually heavily warded. Gufu... Nia curled up on top of the chair. Perhaps it wasnt as noticeable, but you had similar problems at the beginning of every game. Yuel let the video play. For example, here you messed up your farming routine by taking a bad turn. Here, you rotated to the Griffin while the enemy was farming it. These are all small and relatively harmless mistakes, but its important to recognize that they exist. Yep, they exist. Nia twisted her lips. She didnt like what she was seeing but she had no idea what to do about it. Playing on stage was too stressful, too scary. From what I see, Yuel continued. It takes you about five minutes from game-start before you return to your usual self. As I said, Im not an expert on the subject, so I dont have a real solution for you stage-fright. But, if possible, Id like you to try stabilizing your early-game somehow. Small mistakes like this pile up and place the entire team at a disadvantage. Ok, Nia said so, but she had no idea how to actually fix any of that. It was impossible to not feel the pressure of the competitive stage, not when a thousand eyes were focused on her. So, Yuel continued. If anybody here has any tips for dealing with stage-fright, make sure to share them because Nia really needs those. And, they might benefit others too. Its ez, Lars claimed. Imma just introduce her to the audience again. It worked like a charm! Pls no. Nia hugged her knees and shuddered. Dont be scared, dude. It totally works! Believe it. Um, how do I inform the school I want to quit the club? Haha, dont be like that! Lars laughed. Its a little extreme, but it gave ya that rush you needed, didnt it? No, Nia objected even though she knew there was some truth to it. When that bully introduced her in front of the entire audience, that was such an embarrassing moment it felt like things couldnt get any worse from there. It was a terrible experience for sure, but it also made her feel like the worst was already behind her. As a result, it was easier to concentrate on the game after that. But, I dont wanna go through it ever again. Nia gulped. Merely thinking back on it made her spasm in terror. I prefer any other idea instead of this, Nia said. Please, tell me somebody has a better one. ........................................ There was only silence. Nobody in the room had anything to offer. They were all bullies who wanted to see her suffer. Sob. You should look into the topic, Yuel suggested. Im sure there are some generic tips for combating stage-fright. Ill run a search too. Ok. Nia nodded. Tell me once you find something. Hey now. Yuel made a face. You have to search too. Its your problem, not mine. I believe in you. Im flattered, but it doesnt excuse you from working hard. Gufu... Nia pouted. This entire thing sounded like a huge pain. But, everybody is working hard to win. I have to put in some effort too. Now, Yuel continued with the match review. This was only the first problem I saw. There are many more. Many more? Nia wanted to go home. Like, this very instant. Teleportation initiated! I see you there, Yuel said. Get away from the door. Gufu... Nia stopped right in front of the exit. She was so close, yet so far. Whoa! Luke jumped. When did she get all the way over there!? I didnt even see her move. The Vanishing Phantom exhibits her powers once more! Vincent made noise. Come back, Yuel ordered. Good, now sit down. Were not done. Guu... Nia pouted. She really hates criticism, huh. Yuel sighed. Then again, nobody likes it. Some just hate it more than others, and she seems to be one of the worse cases. So, I have to deliver things in a way that wont make her want to run away. That was easier said than done. Yuel was infamous for being too blunt for his own good, and this match review was largely about tearing everybodys performances to shreds. So, it was nigh impossible to be nice here. Maybe I can soften the blow by mixing in some positivity too. I didnt mean to play this video during the review, but... Before we move on to other problems, Yuel said. Id like to play another video Vincent prepared in his free time. Yuel opened one of the other videos Vincent prepared, titled The Vanishing Phantom Shows Her Phantasmic Skill!. The video started off with a familiar booming voice. VanishingFlower is slowly but surely making her way to Top Lane. Is the enemy aware of this incoming rotation!? The footage showed Nia sneaking up to DragonMaster and pulling off an Izuna Drop. AND ITS A KILL!!! Six and a half minutes into the game, Stratus draws first blood! Will that become the first step toward their victory!? Wow, sick! Lars jumped and turned to Vincent. Dude, youre like a pro movie director! Please, you flatter me. Vincent waved his hand as if to imply this wasnt a big deal, but he nonetheless had an embarrassed smile on his face. Yo, its awesome! Luke exclaimed. Did you make stuff like this for other plays? Not yet, but Im planning to. Bruh, this is pure gold. You better tell me right away if you make one for me. But of course, Vincent promised. Ill make sure to edit a video for one of your most glorious plays as well. Heck yeah! Youre the best, man! Waiting for it. The usual loud goofs made a lot of noise regarding the video and the girls were impressed as well. Its... surprisingly well-made. Kai almost choked as she said these words. Ah, such flattery! Vincent held his chest as if experiencing a stroke. To think that even the cold-hearted amazon would flatter a peasant like me! Well, its not THAT amazing. Kai already started backpedaling. Your voice is way too loud and the cuts are a little too much. Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded as he jotted down the criticism on his tablet. Ive received similar complaints before, so I shall adjust it posthaste! In the end, despite the visible reluctance, even Kai praised the video. Before long, the entire room was hyped up. Even though the meeting was so serious and tense until now, a single positive video was enough to inject the entire team with energy. And, its not like this video added much to the discussion or helped anybody improve. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. No, it was just a nicely cut video with overhyped commentary, thats all. Yet, it invoked more reactions from the crowd than Yuels informative match analysis. I feel somewhat defeated. Yuel hung his head. But, I guess its only natural. Nobody likes criticism. They rather watch their best moments, not their failures. Unfortunately, watching moments of success wasnt going to help them improve. If anything, it might give them the false impression that they performed extremely well and had nothing to improve. That was the worst-case scenario Yuel had to avoid no matter what. With that said, it couldnt be denied that showing a few good plays did wonders to everybodys concentration. Suddenly, they saw something positive and wanted to rave about it. It was a good breather in an otherwise suffocating atmosphere. In the future, I should prepare a couple of positive videos for every match review. Yuel took a mental note. Oh, wait. I almost forgot why I even showed this video in the first place... The positive video was indeed very effective. The goofs celebrated it and even Kai praised it. But, what about the star of the show? The entire purpose of showing this video was to encourage Nia to bear through the criticism. Ah... Nia was sitting there with her mouth hanging. Did you like it? Yuel asked. Y-Yes! Very much! Nia suddenly jumped. C-Can we watch it one more time!? Thats the most energetic Ive ever seen her. Yuel was taken aback. Looks like she really liked Vincents video. I can use that to my advantage. Sure, I can play it again. Yuel smirked. But first, we need to discuss your other plays. Gufu... Nia slumped as quickly as she raised. But, wait! This was no time to give up! She grabbed her bag and flipped it upside down. An avalanche of chocolate poured from within. Ill trade you all of these. So, play the video again. Please. Wow, wow! Luke jumped. Look at all this gold! Dont mind me if I grab a few hundreds of these! He shoved his hand into the chocolate mountain without reservation. Dude, where do ya get all this stuff? Lars also grabbed one bar. She is the Chocolate Phantom! Vincent made noise. The entire meeting turned into a mess. The mountain of chocolates completely distracted everybody. It was like a shiny pile of treasure that grabbed everybodys attention. I dont need that many. Yuel sighed and also took one bar of chocolate. Fine, Ill run the video one more time. But, after that, were back to reviewing your gameplay, okay? Ok, ok! Nia nodded repeatedly. And so, Yuel played Vincents hyperventilated video one more time. Even the second time, it invoked many reactions from the crowd. From loud laughs to hype shouts and everything in-between. Contrary to all that energy, the star of the show was very quiet. She was just sitting there like a rock, glued to the video without blinking. She really likes it, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. It was rare for Nia to ever show strong interest in something, but this video successfully grabbed all her attention. AND ITS A KILL!!! This loud announcement was like the curtain drop of the show. The Nia on-screen successfully executed DragonMaster and scored the games First Blood. It was undoubtedly a great achievement at the time, but there were more important matters to discuss right now. Namely, the less impressive plays Nia made- Again! Nia requested. No, Yuel objected. We had an agreement, remember? I played it one more time, so now were back to the match review. Here. Nia shoved a fistful of chocolate bars in Yuels face. Again. No. Gufu... Nia hung her head and pouted. You can watch it as many times as you want after the meeting. But, right now, we have to keep moving on with the match review. Bully... Nia pouted. This girl... Yuel sighed. Anyway, back on topic. He cleared his throat and returned to the main video, the one showcasing the players failures instead of their moments of glory. So, we were talking about Nia. Yuel turned to the girl in question. Other than the glaring issue of your stage-fright, you performed well for the most part. But, I do have a few things to say about your jungling. Yuel skimmed through segments in which Nia delivered suboptimal jungling. For example, here. Yuel paused the video. Why did you rotate to farm the wolves in Top? It was better to farm near Bot first. There were more camps there. B-But, thats the jungling order guides advise. Nia pouted. She probably recognized it as a mistake by now but she still argued. Even Tipmancer recommends it. Tipmancer again. Yuel sighed. Yes, under normal circumstances, its better to rotate to Top during this time in the game. But, the enemy Jungler cleared our wraiths and hyenas in Top. We had the camps warded, so we caught him red-handed. Right... So, you knew that two out of the three camps were missing in Top while everything was about to respawn in Bot. Thats why picking Bot is better in this particular situation, even if goes against the guides. Hm, yeah. Nia nodded. She seemed to understand what Yuel was saying, but she had trouble fully agreeing to it. It was easy to understand why. No need to worry about straying from the recommended jungling routes. There will always be unexpected developments during a match. Your job as a Jungler is to adapt to these changes and find a way to maximize farm. Jungler is the only role that has to make such difficult decisions when it comes to farming, but it cant be helped. Ok. Nia nodded. It looks like she at least understands what Im saying. Yuel thought But, I dont think she has any idea how to improve in that area. She probably only practices the recommended Tipmancer routes. Sigh. Tipmancer, the popular app that supplied newbies with advice about every facet of Clasmancers. Such an effective, yet wicked, app. The advice was generally on point but it was too surface level. As such, Tipmancer was a great tool for beginners who hadnt experienced the game enough yet. For those willing to learn, the app was no doubt a great companion. However, relying on the app too much could be detrimental to the players personal development. Unfortunately, Nia was one such example. She trusted everything Tipmancer fed her as if these were the words of God. So, no matter how many times Yuel lectured her about the importance of thinking for herself, Nia still often found herself relying on Tipmancers teachings. Especially, during tense matches or when she wasnt feeling confident. I thought Ive already taught her to think more for herself but looks like we still got a long way to go. Yuel sighed. Back when they first met, it took Yuel a couple of days just to convince Nia to rebel against Tipmancers advice and start ganking Dark Knight in the early-game. So, how long will it take to teach Nia to think for herself during jungle rotations? Looks like Ill have to form a long-term training plan... Moving on, the next topic of interest was Game 3. Thats when the infamous trio of Renegade, StormMonster, and Laplace subbed in. It was the game in which Stratus suffered its first devastating defeat of the day. So, what was Nia doing during that game? Not a whole lot, and that was the problem. In this game, you didnt seem to attempt any ganks, Yuel analyzed. You just farmed camps and joined the defense efforts. I know you like playing defensively in Duel, but thats not how an assassin should be playing in the MOBA mode. Im sure you know that as well, so why? I couldnt gank anything. What do you mean? There were no openings. Nia grumped. Those three kept an eye on each other. Theyd spot me if I came close. By they, you mean to the three players who subbed in, right? Mhm. I see, Yuel said. So, you felt like the Triangle wasnt showing you any openings. But of course it didnt! Vincent interjected. For its The Invincible Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom! It has no openings! He mustve shouted that just to remind everybody of the unnecessarily long nickname he made for the Triangle. Also, didnt the name get longer since last time...? Too long. Im not calling it that, Yuel said. Putting that nonsense aside, this was an interesting discovery. It seemed like Nia naturally sensed how airtight the Triangles formation was. This was probably a part of her talent as a walking stealth machine. After all, in order to be stealthy, she first needed to have a good grasp of the enemys attention span. It just goes to show how good the Triangle really was. Yuel thought. Even after reviewing the entire match so many times, I still couldnt find a good way to counter the Triangle. Even now, I still think its best to play around it. Anyway, back to Nia... Okay, I understand why you didnt gank the Triangle, Yuel said. But, why didnt you gank any of the other players instead? You couldve focused on their Mid or Top. I thought about that, but... Nia twisted her lips. I wanted to find a way to gank that Triangle. They felt too dangerous. Too scary. So, you focused on the ungankable Triangle the entire game instead of ganking literally anybody else? M-Maybe. Nia shifted her eyes away. I see. Yuel sighed. Say, did you watch the two games you slept through? Mhm. Did you see how we dealt with the Triangle there? You dealt with it? Nia cocked her head. I dont remember that part. Of course you dont because it doesnt exist. Until the very end, weve never really dealt with it. We played around it and focused on other things. Oh, smart. Nia nodded. Thats what you shouldve done as well, Yuel explained. Instead of challenging the impossible, you shouldve focused on ganking on other lanes. I-I planned to gank other lanes too, honest! But, right when I decided to give up on the Triangle... I see. Yuel didnt need to hear any more. With how Game 3 played out, it was clear what happened. In short, enlightenment struck too late. By the time Nia decided to give up on ganking the Triangle, these guys had already pulled the game-winning move. They killed Kai in Bot and teleported to gank Top. That threw the entire game into chaos. From that point onward, Nia couldnt find many good opportunities to gank and thats how she ended up playing defense for the rest of the game. She missed her chance in the early-game and the rest was history. I shouldve realized her struggles sooner. Yuel thought. I always leave her alone during the early-game because she has her own way of doing things, but maybe its a little careless of me. Future matches will only get harder from here on out. She wont always be able to play in her comfort zone during the early-game. With all the smaller problems analyzed, it was time to address the elephant in the room. There were two glaring issues that were Nias biggest flaws at the moment. These problems were impossible to capture on video, so they had to be explained upfront. Hopefully, Nia was willing to listen... Vol.12 Ch.10: The Daily Schedules of the Stars Thats all I have for you in the video. Yuel paused the marathon of Nias failures. Phew. Nia sighed in relief. Finally, all this bullying was over... or, so she thought. Now, onto issues I cant show you in the video. Theres more!? Nia slumped in her chair. Is this torture ever going to end!? But, I better listen. Yuel is always a bully, but he says good stuff every now and then. First, Yuel started. Theres an issue that I dont expect to resolve immediately but itll have to be addressed at some point: your limited pool of classes. You pretty much only play three classes at the moment Four. Rogue doesnt count. But, I like it. Nia pouted. Yeah, you tell him! Luke tuned in. Rogue is awesome! One of the most satisfying classes to play against good teams. They gonna try to counter the heck out of you, but if you manage to play well anyway - youre a legend! And thats exactly the problem, Yuel said. Good teams will counter you. This isnt Ranked. Were not playing in official matches just for practice. We need to win and thats why Rogue is too unstable. No matter how good your Rogue is, the enemy will shut you down. Nah, youre exaggerating. Luke waved his hand. Lemme play Rogue against the Leopards and Imma show ya it can work. No thanks. I dont want to give them any free wins. Yikes, harsh. Luke cracked a laugh. You really got a beef with Rogue, doncha? Not really, Yuel said. I just look at things objectively. Rogue is a flawed assassin. Theres a very clear limit to how far it can get you in a competitive environment. Its sort of a passable pick for Ranked, but it doesnt cut it on the competitive level. Whatever you say, man. Luke shrugged. Anyway, back to Nia, Yuel focused on the current victim of the match review. As I said, its not an urgent problem, but you need to start considering which other classes you want to play. I doubt any of our opponents will ban all three of your classes, but its something that can happen. I hope not, Nia said. I hope so too, but thats not all. Playing more classes means having more options. Youll always be able to pick a class that suits the situation best, which is a very valuable advantage for a Jungler. So, make sure you start looking into other classes. Ok. Nia nodded half-heartedly. It didnt sound like she was going to do anything about it, but at least Yuel planted the idea in her mind. I just need to regularly nag her about it. Yuel thought. At some point, shell have to start taking it more seriously. Anyway, that issue paled compared to Nias biggest flaw, which was a problem so big it couldnt even be showcased in the video. Or, rather, the fact it couldnt be captured on camera was the very reason it was so grave. Next, Yuel continued. The most concerning problem you have right now is the fact you cant stay awake for five games. Gufuu... Nia made a weird noise and shifted her eyes away. As far as Im concerned, thats the most critical issue at the moment. If we cant trust you to stay awake throughout the entire match, then we cant count you for anything. Guuu... Nias shoulders dropped. It was a critical hit. Isnt that a little too harsh? Kai objected. She played the first three games just fine. Most of the matches at the regionals are best-of-three anyway, so shell be just fine. But, the finals are best-of-five, Yuel responded. Didnt we say we want to take the regionals? If so, we have to be able to perform during the finals too. Not to mention, all the scrimmages are going to be best-of-five. Fair enough, Kai conceded. I know I might sound harsh, Yuel admitted. But, its because this is a problem Ive brought up many, many times. Even during club practice, Nia always takes at least one nap, sometimes more. Zzz... Nia was curled into a ball with her eyes closed. Haha! Lars laughed. Did she just fall asleep again? For real? Truly, shes the Phantom of Napping! Vincent made noise. Nia... Kai sighed. Even she didnt have it in her to defend Nia at this point. I think shes faking this one. Yuel came closer and pinched the girls nose. Guh! Nia jolted. I know you dont want to hear this, but it has to be said. You have to do something about your napping tendencies. We cant rely on a player who might fall asleep at any moment. Sleep is neccessary, Nia argued. Ill die without it. Yes, all humans would die without sleeping. But, theres a difference between sleeping at night and taking a nap during a match. Naps are also essential. No, theyre not, Yuel argued back. You just have to get your body used to not napping. Or, if you really have to nap that badly, then train yourself to nap at other hours, like in the evening. That way, you wont doze off during practice and matches. Impossible. Nia pouted. Its a biological problem. No, its not. You can train your body to work differently Gufu... Nia took out a bar of chocolate and munched on it with rapid, but small, bites. She was like a cornered hamster eating her last meal. Look, Im not trying to be mean, Yuel said. I understand this is easier said than done. This isnt like learning new strategies or practicing your mechanical skill. Napping in the afternoon is probably a habit youve had for a long time, so I dont expect you to fix it overnight. But, please understand that it has to be addressed. Gu.......... Nia stopped munching and slowly raised her head. I understand that, but... Of course, I didnt bring this up just to bash you. I got a couple of ideas. Like what? You dont exercise regularly, do you? I do exercise. Really? Yuel was taken aback. What kind of exercises do you do? Napping exercises! Nia declared proudly. Watch this. Her head dropped and her entire body relaxed in an instant. She was like a robot whose batteries ran out. Zzz... Seriously? Yuel made a face. Such an amazing technique! Vincent clapped for some reason. To think that the Napping Phantom had mastered such a high-level technique, the Instant Nap! Yo, this chick is golden! Luke laughed. The others giggled too. Ahem. Yuel cleared his throat. Thats an impressive ability and all, but how about you also exercise being awake? Zzz... And, shes not listening... Yuel sighed deeply and pinched the girls nose again. Gunya!? Nia jumped. Oh, good morning. Its already noon! At this point, all Yuel wanted was to be released from hell. Wasnt he supposed to be the bad guy here today? The one who tortures everybody with what he had to say? At some point, this sleepy girl turned the tables on him. Thats some crazy skill she got. And, the scariest of all, she probably doesnt even realize it. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ANY. WAY. Yuel desperately tried to wheel the conversation back on topic. You dont exercise, do you? And, by exercise I mean physical exercise, not this napping exercise nonsense. Im talking things like jogging. Nope, I dont. Okay, so I suggest you start doing that. Itll make you more energetic. What? How? I always wanna nap right after PE. Youre right, exercising does tire you out. But, if you do it regularly, your body will get used to exerting that much energy and will try to meet the demand. Hm? Nia tilted her head. I dont get it. Basically, your body will get used to spending a lot of energy on a regular basis. As a result, itll produce more of it and youll have more energy throughout the day. Really? Nia eyed him with a skeptical eye. Sounds like wizardry. Not at all. I can even send you some articles about it. Hmm. Nia twisted her lips. Sounds like a pain, though. Yeah, it sure is. Yuel smiled wryly. I also had a hard time starting. Im not very athletic, so I thought that jogging regularly was impossible for me. To tell the truth, I was half-dead after jogging for like 5 seconds. Oh, that sounds like a world record. Heh, it might as well be. Yuel cracked a dry laugh. But, Lars pushed me to keep trying so I stuck with it. Its really amazing how much easier jogging became over time. Nowadays, I dont even think much of it. It became just a routine. So, you jog daily? Yes, pretty much. Wait, Kai interjected. When do you even have the time for that? When I visit you for practice, were stuck playing Mancers until evening. Evening isnt the end of the day, Yuel answered plainly. There are usually at least six hours left after that. I usually train some more with Lars, then we go jogging. Though, I only do half his distance. Ya gotta get better, yo! Lars exclaimed. We gonna go to jogging nationals, believe it! You go. I believe in you, Yuel said. Youll take the competition by storm with that jogging speed thats probably faster than my sprints. Alright, Ill do it! Nationals, here I cooooooome! These guys... Kai couldnt believe it. Not only do they continue training after I leave, but they also exercise on top of that? Do they even have a life? Say, just wondering, Kai started. Do you guys even have any free time? Yes, of course, Yuel answered. I usually have a couple of hours after all that. And, let me guess, Kai said. You spend them on researching Mancers some more? Sometimes. But, unless we have something important coming up, I usually do other things. Like what? I dont mind answering, but were going on a tangent here, Yuel said. Whats with the sudden interest? Were still in the middle of reviewing Nia, remember? Oh, yeah. Youre right. Kai shifted her eyes away. Curiosity got the better of her. After learning that Yuel and Lars also exercising after a full day of training, it made Kai realize she was being naive. All this time, she used her guitar practice as an excuse to practice Classmancers less. She didnt talk about it much with other people, but she definitely used it as an excuse for herself. I got such a serious hobby in addition to Mancers, so I dont have time to practice Mancers all day. I need some free time too. Kai always came up with lame excuses like that whenever she considered extending her training regime. But, Yuel and Lars made no excuses. They trained longer and harder than Kai ever did, and they also regularly exercised on top of that. Exercising was a healthy activity in general, but it also mustve contributed to their amazing performance in Classmancers. And, it was also a rather serious regular activity, almost as serious as Kais guitar lessons. So, in the end, it turned out Kai had nothing on these guys. If Yuel and Lars could achieve all that every single day, then there was no reason why Kai shouldnt work just as hard. I guess thats why I wanna know what they do in their free time. Kai smiled wryly. If its any more stuff related to Mancers, I gonna might cry. If I may, Vincent interjected. Discussing Chessmaster and Gunzs daily schedules is, in fact, very important! And, its 100% relevant to the topic at hand. How so? Yuel asked. I believe everybody here agrees that you two stand above the rest when it comes to your Classmancers skill, am I right? Vincent turned to the others for affirmation. Luke and Nia nodded immediately, but Kai just chewed her lips and looked away. Well yeah, theyre pretty good, Kai answered against her will. She didnt want to admit it so openly, but she understood where Vincent was going with this so she played along. And well, I guess it IS true. All this time, I thought the skill gap between us wasnt that big. But, that scrimmage showed me how wrong I was. These guys are something else. Ergo! Vincent continued. I believe itll be beneficial for us all to hear whats the daily schedules of our two stars. At the moment, you two seem like geniuses playing at a level unattainable for us mortals. However! If we hear more about how hard you work every day, it shall give us a clearer idea of how much we have to work in order to catch up. In other words, it will motivate everybody to train even harder! I see... Yuel decided to play along. Honestly, Vincents excuse sounded like that of a desperate journalist trying to get an interview. Nevertheless, there was no harm in discussing this topic some more. It may indeed motivate the other club members to work harder. Also, if anybody in the club thought that Yuel and Lars reached their current level just by being geniuses, then this was a good opportunity to destroy that false impression. There isnt a whole lot to add, though. Yuel simply rehashed the things he said previously. He and Lars trained until evening every day, except for the rare occasions when one of them was busy. After practice was over, they jogged together for a while. Yuel was always the first one to call it quits but Lars continued running some more after that, with increased speed to boot. Heh, thats a real sports monster for ya, Luke joked. Its just a routine from my basketball days, Lars said. It keeps my concentration at 200% at all times, yo! Expect for when you need to study, Yuel pointed out. Everybody chuckled. Anyway, Yuel continued the overview. After I finish jogging, I have some free time. And, what is it you do during these free hours? Vincent inquired. Studying? Yeah, sometimes theres homework, but I usually finish most of it in school. I work on it during lunch breaks and during other classes. Huh, not bad. Kai smiled wryly. I wish I had that level of motivation. I usually postpone all that crap until the last moment. So, Vincent continued. If not homework, what else do you do in your free time? Online chess, usually. As expected from the Chessmaster! Huh. Kai made a face. That doesnt sound like the daily life of a middle schooler at all... Hold it right there! Vincent exclaimed all of a sudden. Are you not an honor student as well? If youre asking about my grades, then yes, theyre good, Yuel answered plainly. Then, pray tell, where in that packed schedule do you even get the time to study? Are you operating during the Dark Hour!? Im not sure what that is, but I dont actually study that much. Yuel shrugged. I memorize most things just by listening in class. I only have to review material when theres an upcoming exam. Though, even then, I try to do it at school as much as possible. This bruh is legit a machine. Luke cracked a laugh. Right? Lars agreed. Dude is like a pro player at playing school. Somebody better be paying him a salary, haha. I agree, Yuel said. You should be paying me for helping you with your studies all the time. Hey, I didnt ask for that kind of help. Oh, so youre saying youre fine with failing all subjects other than PE? Weeeeelp, thats... Dont forget that getting into Ivy High demands a decent score and yours is only halfway there. Im very sorry. Please continue tutoring me, teach. Lars joined his hands together and bowed, worshiping the god of academics. Good, good, Yuel nodded in satisfaction. So... Kai turned to Lars now. What do you do in that free time? All sorts of stuff, Lars said. Sometimes, I go play some basket with dad and his pals. Other times, I just watch TV and stuff. Ya know, fun stuff. This sounds more normal than Yuel. Kai nodded. He still trains more than I do, but at least Lars doesnt forget to have fun in his free time. Oh! Lars suddenly remembered. I also practice my main classes for an hour or two before bed. More practice!? Kai roared internally. Just what is wrong with these guys... So, Vincent started. I take it you finish all your homework in school as well? Homework? The heck is that? Lars laughed it off. Aye, thats my guy! Luke high-fived Lars. Thats not something to celebrate, Yuel criticized. I understand that homework usually comes across as boring and I also question the efficiency of this entire system. But, at least it gives you a reason to review the material on your own every now and then. In my experience, self-study like this is a great way to improve at any subject. Dang, who let a teacher into the club? Eject him, guys! Luke laughed and the others chuckled along. In the end, it didnt seem like anybody took Yuels words too seriously, but that was fine. Most kids this age only thought of homework as a chore, so that kind of reaction was to be expected. So, Vincent summarized. I believe we got a clear image of our stars daily routines. No doubt, it is filled with much blood and sweat. However! It is thanks to this routine that they had ascended to a higher plane of existence and gained skills that rival professionals! Heck yeah! Lars pumped a fist. Were ready to debut at the pro scene at any time, yo! I dont think were ready just yet, Yuel objected. But yes, we do train a lot. I hope nobody here was thinking we just picked up Classmancers one day and immediately became this good. If you want to get better, you have to train hard, thats how things work. He directed these words mainly at Nia, who was the original topic before this little side trip. Oh. Nia blinked in surprise. So, youre not aliens from planet Mancers? Definitely not, Yuel said. Were humans, just like you. I know it might not sound the most convincing coming from me considering Im already at this level, but trust me, everybody had countless flaws when they were starting out, even Lars and me. Whats important is to notice your flaws as early as possible so you can start working on them. Reasonable. Nia nodded. It seemed like discussing Yuels schedule really helped a little. At least, Nia seemed more agreeable than before. So, Yuel continued. You should start exercising. Nope. Eh...? Sounds like a pain. Nia puffed her cheeks. Dont wanna. This girl... Yuel felt like collapsing in defeat but he held himself together. Okay, fine. I know its hard to convince an unathletic person to start jogging. Im a living example of that myself, so Ill give her some time. Little by little, Ill keep nagging her until she folds. And so, Nias part in the match review came to an end. Next in line was arguably an even greater troublemaker... Vol.12 Ch.11: Flawless Memeing Yuel finished tearing Nia apart. It was uncertain how much of his criticism actually sank in, but that was fine. He was already prepared to provide her with long-term coaching anyway, for she was the least experienced player in the club. She wont suddenly change in a day or two, and that was fine. Itll be a long process. Next, it was time to deconstruct the last troublemaker of the team. This will probably be the hardest lesson to teach because the subject in question will refuse to listen no matter what. Nonetheless, Yuel had to give it a try. He had to preach, and preach, and preach some more until that memer will finally face reality. Hey, doncha worry about Nia, Luke said. If she wanna nap so badly during the match, I say let the girl nap. After all, you always have yours truly to sub for her! Im always ready, just say the word, man, Thatd be very reassuring, Yuel said. That is, if I could actually count on you to help the team instead of dragging it down. ... huh? Lukes smiled cracked. What was that? You heard me. Your memeing is a liability for the team. Whoa, shots fired. Luke tried his best to maintain a smile. Okay, okay. So, its my turn to get roasted now? Alright, go on. Hit me, daddy. I have no intention of hitting you. Yuel resumed the video. But, Id like to show you a couple of things. Alright, show me then. Luke crossed his arms in confidence. I wanna see how bad I misplayed. Because, the way I remember things, I actually did pretty damn well. Actually, youre right, Yuel admitted. You performed well overall. At least, as well as meme picks go. There actually arent that many misplays to discuss in your case. Yuel skimmed over a couple of plays in which Lukes performance was sub-optimal. For example, one time, after Luke ganked DragonMaster in Top, he was too slow to retreat from the scene. Thats what gave StormMonster enough time to counter-gank both Luke and Vincent at the same time. It was a disastrous scene and Luke just barely escaped alive thanks to Yuel coming up with a method to stall StormMonster. It was dangerously close and couldve cost the team the entire game right there. Yep, that one was legit me being careless, Luke admitted. But, Im still not seeing it. Were any of these mistakes you showed really that bad? I mean, sure, I misplayed a little here and there. But, these arent some huge blunders or anything, right? What do you think, guys? Indeed, Vincent agreed. None of this strikes me as terrible performance. Totally. Lars backed up. My dude played hella solid if thats the worst mistakes he made. Yeah, Kai said. Even I have to reluctantly agree with that. Cmon, cap! Luke snickered. I totally did fine there, admit it. I guess you did. Kai averted her eyes as she said that. After Yuel roasted Kai and Nia so hard, it was irritating to admit that Luke didnt do much wrong. But, it was true. So far, the video hadnt shown any grave mistakes from Lukes end and Kai couldnt remember any from the match itself. Somehow, this dang memer actually put on a decent performance. As I thought. Yuel frowned. This will be the hardest part of the review. Nobody can point out any problems with Lukes performance just by watching the video. It was hard enough to gather any evidence against him and most of it is small mistakes. Luke only participated in two games, so there wasnt much data to work with. And, even in these two games, this accursed memer avoided misplaying in any big way. Perhaps, that was only natural. Luke was a serious memer, as contradictory as that sounded. Even though he played memes for fun, he also genuinely tried to perform well with them. For example, Luke knew best how to make use of the Pyromancers explosive burst during ganks, and he also understood his role as a Setup Jungler when playing Knight. So yes, given the classes he used, Luke did his part. Truly, Luke played well... for a memer. And, therein was the real problem. It was something that couldnt be explained with just video footage. Yuel had to present this argument through words alone. Thus, it was the biggest challenge of this entire match review. Okay, here goes. Yuel took a deep breath. He had a speech ready for this, filled with many lines of play. He prepared arguments and counter-arguments for about anything Luke could say. Hopefully, thatll be enough... Youre all correct, Yuel said. All in all, Luke didnt make any blunders. There were sub-optimal plays here and there, but thats about it. Yep, exactly. Luke nodded. And hey, nobody is perfect, right? This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Right. Wait, youre actually agreeing? Luke was taken aback. Then, what was all that trash talk about me being a liability and all that shit? Dont tell me you tried to trigger me just to make me pay attention, because it sure worked, haha. Thats an interesting technique. I should adopt it. Haha, pls no. Anyway, Yuel continued. That wasnt my intention. I really meant what I said. Your memeing is a liability. How so? Luke pointed at the screen. Watch the video again, man. You mustve spent hours to find all that dirt on us. But, what do you have on me? Almost nothing. Thats right. As far as video footage is concerned, I have very evidence against you. Right? So, how can ya call me a liability? If anything, it sounds like Im one of the best! I didnt say you were the liability, Yuel corrected. I said your memeing is a liability. As a player, given the classes you played, you performed well. Unfortunately, the classes you picked were a liability for the team. Wut? How can that be? My classes were a problem even though I did well? How does that work? Exactly as it sounds. You did well given the constraints you placed on yourself. But, if you played better classes, you would have contributed much more to the team. Hey, hey, I dont remember when I signed up to become a Messiah. I aint some savior who can magically solve all of the teams problems, ya know. Right, you arent, Yuel agreed. But, you couldve contributed a lot more. The moment you pick a semi-functional Jungler you hamper your ability to contribute to the team. It might be difficult to properly explain this but I hope youll follow along. Alright, Im all ears. Luke crossed his arms. Game 4, when you played Pyromancer, Yuel started. Pyromancer is actually almost a viable Jungler, so you had a real chance to perform well. But still, despite rivaling assassins in burst damage, Pyromancer doesnt have any hard CC. So, you couldnt as easily finish off your targets. Yep, it doesnt have any good escape tools either, Luke added. Always gotta wait for the enemy to become isolated, then smack them hard. But, did the enemy ever give you such an opportunity? Eh, I think once or twice. Exactly. Therein lies the problem. In the few opportunities you got, you played well. But, since you picked a semi-functional Jungler, the number of good opportunities you had was very small. Well, it aint my fault the enemy was strong. Luke shrugged. They started dominating the game early on. What was I supposed to do about that? Youre right, Game 4 was a rough ride, Yuel agreed. Then, I hope Game 5 will illustrate the problem better. Alright, come at me. Initially, I had high hopes for your Pyromancer since its one of the more functional Junglers you play. But, Game 4 made me realize that even your Pyromancer wont cut it against these enemies. Theyre too organized to be taken down by an assassin who didnt have any CC or escape/chasing tools. Yep, them dudes were some tough cookies. If it were possible, I wouldve made you pick a high tier assassin instead, or maybe even a bruiser, Yuel said. We needed a reliable Jungler to keep the opponents aggression in check, but you dont play any of those. Yep, ya know it. So, in the end, I had to settle on something subpar like Knight. Hey, rude, Luke objected. Apologize to mah boi Knight. Bruh can get the job done. Didnt I do just fine with it? Again, fine is a relative term here, Yuel explained. If youre asking whether you played a decent Setup Jungler, then yes, you did fine. You created some favorable situations and helped your teammates score kills. Right? Aint I just awesome? But, my problem is that you played a Setup Jungler in the first place. The current meta has little place for those. The Support is more than enough for setting up opportunities and initiating. What the current meta favors for Junglers are assassins and aggressive bruisers. Hey, you made me pick Knight, so ya cant blame me for that one. I... made you? Yuel twitched. Yep, you told me to pick Knight, remember? Oh yes, of course... Yuel trembled. Because what other choices did I have!? No matter how many times I ask you to pick a proper class, you only ever pick memes. So, what else could I do? I had to settle on something youd agree on picking! Did I want you to pick Knight? Hell no. Did I have any other choice? Also no. Hey, easy, bro. Luke smiled awkwardly. Alright, I get it. You hate my memeing. No, you dont get it, thats the problem! Yuel could tell that blood was rushing to his head but he couldnt stop himself. This had to be said. You dont seem to realize it so let me explain: I constantly have to adjust the entire teams game plan in order to work around your subpar picks. While youre out there, having fun memeing, the rest of the team is suffering at your expense! Welp, arent we being a little melodramatic here? No, not at all, Yuel insisted. The fact it was so difficult to convey this important point was getting to him. Even though he thoroughly prepared for this conversation and expected it to be difficult, it still managed to trigger him. How can he not understand that hes causing so many problems for the team!? Yuel, my dude. Lars waved. Take it easy. Were not here to fight, right? Yeah, youre right. Yuel took a much-needed deep breath. He almost lost himself in his ranting. He wanted to drill this point into Luke so badly, but the guys skull was made out of diamond. Nothing was getting through. This was getting aggravating, but it wont do any good for anybody if Yuel lost his cool here. The moment he snaps, nobody will be willing to listen to him anymore. If I may say, Vincent started. Perhaps you should try using a positive example instead? A positive example? Yuel asked. Indeed. You mustve had alternative team compositions in mind for Games 4 and 5, am I right? Then, tell us about those and how they couldve achieved better results. An interesting suggestion. Yuel didnt prepare that kind of speech, but it was something he could handle. He still remembered most of his brainstorming for the scrimmage, so he could draw out that information. But, will he be able to drill any wisdom into Lukes thick head by explaining what better options they had for Games 4 and 5? As long as theres a chance I can get through to this unruly goof, I suppose I should try it... Vol.12 Ch.12: Fangless Jungler Okay, lets take a step back for a moment, Yuel said. I want to discuss games 4 and 5 again in more detail. Ill explain what sorts of plans I had in mind initially. Plans that, unfortunately, I couldnt realize. After the enemy mopped Stratus in Game 3, Yuel had been racking his brain to come up with a solution. He had to find a way to counter the new opponents and their organized Triangle teamplay. I concluded it was best to let our Jungler disrupt them, Yuel explained. I was hoping Nia would do that for us, but... The Napping Phantom unexpectedly succumbed to slumber. In her stead, the memer entered the stage. It was an unfortunate turn of events, Yuel said. Hey, hey, Luke objected. Is it just me or did ya just call me bad? Anyway, Yuel continued like it was nothing. Even though Luke replaced Nia and that threatened to ruin all my plans, I didnt want to give up just yet. Strong ganks were the best way to thwart the enemys Triangle formation, Yuel was convinced of that at the time. A strong Jungler would make the enemy sweat and think twice about every move. That would have slowed down the enemys aggression and gave Stratus more time to respond to the enemys strong plays. Unfortunately, the words strong Jungler and Luke didnt mesh together in one sentence. It was a problem not of player skill but of class preferences. Luke was physically incapable of picking a strong Jungler class. Even so, it didnt change the fact the team needed a strong Jungler at the time. Therefore, Yuel had to find a class that had the potential to be intimidating but also be a class that Luke would be willing to pick up. Lars and Kai were also making things difficult for me at the time, Yuel said. They both wanted to play Carry and I had to find a solution for that too. He sighed and shot a look at the two troublemakers. Yeah, I guess that happened... Kai averted her eyes. It did? Lars asked with a dumb smile. I already forgot, haha! Anyway, Yuel continued. With all these constraints in mind, I just barely managed to find one class thatll work out, if we can even call it that. Pyromancer, a mage with enough burst damage to qualify as a pseudo-assassin. With a magical Jungler in the team composition, Lars and Kai were both free to play physical classes. In other words, they could both play Carry that game. Of course, Pyromancer is far from being the best magical Jungler out there. But, its about the only one Luke would be willing to play. Hey, hey, Luke objected. I can play lots of them, ya know? Jungle Warlock, Jungle Lumi, I got it all! Sorry, Ill correct myself. Pyromancer is the only practical magical Jungler youre willing to play. Throwing shade at mah bois Warlock and Lumi like that. Luke shook his head. Anyway, Yuel continued. Thats how I ended up settling on Pyromancer, due to a lack of other practical options. Honestly, I wanted to believe we had a realistic shot with it, but I was optimistic... Pyromancer was indeed a practical Jungler. During the mid-game, it transformed into a threatening existence which the enemy had to respect. But, unfortunately, Pyromancer didnt have much going for it during the early-game. It was perfectly fine during that phase when laning in Mid, but as a Jungler it was just a unit with decent burst damage, but with no CC and with very weak escape options. So, during that phase of the game, every legit assassin class outclassed Pyromancer, save for Rogue. Actually, even Rogue is probably better in the early-game. Yuel couldnt believe he just said that, but that was his honest analysis. Yep, Im with you on that, Luke actually agreed for once. I also think my boi Rogue is way better in general. Hes a hella good Jungler, honestly. Dunno why you keep hatin on him. Rogue might be better than Pyromancer in the early-game but he has many other flaws. Welp, I still say you shouldve let me pick it over Pyro if you wanted a proper assassin. It wouldve been great if I could just convince you to pick a proper magical Jungler, but maybe youre right. Yuel sighed. With how badly the Pyromancer pick turned out, it was hard to tell which pick was better. Perhaps Yuels bias against Rogue blinded him at the time and made him choose wrongly. Either way, the current discussion wasnt about Yuels mistakes. It was about his plans for Games 4 and 5, and how Lukes restrictive picks made it impossible for Yuel to form a proper winning game plan. As you all know, we lost Game 4 quite decisively, Yuel continued. A big part of it was due to Luke not being able to threaten the enemy with strong ganks. So, youre saying its all my fault? Not all of it, but definitely some of it. I couldnt come up with many good shot-calls for you and you didnt find many good opportunities yourself. You at least agree with that much, right? Yeah, thats fair, Luke said. Its true that, during the early-game, Pyro isnt that hot. Huehue, get it? 2/10 joke. Yuel scoffed and played a regular unedited replay of Game 4. As you can see, one thing led to another and we lost control of the game fairly early, just like it happened in Game 3. From that point onward, Luke had to stay on the defense most of the time. Yep, sure did. Luke nodded. I hope you not gonna say my Pyro sucked on the defense or some shit. No, not at all. You played solid defense. Pyromancer is a Mid Laner in the first place so, naturally, you contributed a lot. Hey, hear. This guy can actually praise people too! You can take it as a praise if you want, but it shows an inherent problem with your pick. The fact it was better for you to stay on the defense than to jungle was a big issue. Oh shit, here we go again... Its true, though, Yuel continued. Your Pyromancer had very little hope of achieving anything meaningful if you continued jungling. Even a perfectly timed gank could easily miss its mark because Pyromancer isnt a real assassin. We both knew that. Thats why you didnt object to playing defense in the second half, right? Welp, thats true... Luke smiled wryly. If you picked a proper Jungler, we wouldve had far more options to try. There were some opportunities to gank the enemy in a big way, but nobody was up to the task. Eh, I dunno. Luke shrugged. I think we were just losing pretty dang bad back there. I didnt see any of these opportunities youre talking about. Everybody had to be on the defense in order to survive. Thats not true, Yuel objected. Staying 100% on the defense wasnt going to improve our position. We just had to wait for the enemy to overextend. Ez. Ill remind you we werent playing against online opponents who had a high chance of blundering. Taurus is a competitive team. They werent going to commit any big mistakes from an advantageous position. Yeaaaah, I guess ya right. Then, what were we supposed to do? Launch an attack? From that position??? Perhaps. It would have been possible to do if we had a reliable Jungler. At the very least, we couldve tried turning the tables around with a strong gank. I dunno about that, chief. I mean, you said it yourself, right? Them bros were pretty damn good. They wouldnt fall for that shit. True, its possible we would have failed to turn things around even with a stronger Jungler. But, just having a strong Jungler on the team would have put a lot of pressure on the enemy. They would have had to think twice about launching such a reckless offense, so Im sure we wouldnt have found ourselves in such a bad position in the first place. Thats a lot of assumptions. But, I guess I can see it, sorta. Luke shrugged. So, Yuel concluded. Thats Game 4 in a nutshell. My entire idea of countering the enemy with a threatening Jungler didnt come to fruition. Why? Because we didnt have a Jungler that was up to the task. Again with them insults, huh. Right, Ill correct myself. We didnt have a Jungler class that was up to the task. We simply couldn''t pick one. The team couldnt realize the game plan I had in mind, all because somebody insisted to pick memes. Hey, dont only blame me, Luke said. You just gotta come up with a better plan next time, haha. Actually, youre right, Yuel admitted. Thats what I tried to do for Game 5 after learning from my mistake. But, then I realized we barely have any viable options to work with. What do you mean? I can play lots of stuff. Druid, Cryo, Lumi- Yes, thats what I mean by nothing. None of these are good Jungler picks. Hey, dont insult mah bois like that! Luke smiled mischievously. Theyre all fine Junglers in the right hands. Just gimme the stage and Imma make them shine on it! I hope he knows hes talking nonsense. Yuel sighed. Anyway, due to the lack of any good options- But they exist, thooooo! Due to the lack of any GOOD options, Yuel stressed. I had no choice but to settle on something like Knight. Knight is dope too. Whats your problem with it? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Except for the fact its not a class designed for jungling. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Meh, thats a narrow-minded way of thinking. Sometimes, a class can surpass the designers intents! Sounds like a line you picked up from a memeing guide. Yuel narrowed his eyes. Anyway, thats how we got stuck with a Jungler Knight in the last game. By no means was it a choice I was happy with. Its just that I couldnt find anything better in what little time we had to prepare. Bruh, I keep tellin ya. You shouldve just let me play Rogue. I would''ve rekt these guys! I dont believe that for a second, Yuel continued. Anyway, about Game 5 itself. Yep, what about it? Luke asked. You gonna say I played an awesome Jungler Knight, right? Right? In fact, yes, you did play a decent Jungler Knight, Yuel agreed even though he wanted to deny it with every fiber of his existence. But, all I mean by that is that you played Knight decently in that role, a role that Knight has no business playing in the first place because his kit isnt suited for it. So, I blew it out of the water, didnt I? Mustve totally surprised ya, hehe. Not at all. I already knew how well you play Jungler Knight. I wouldnt let you pick a meme class I wasnt confident you could play. Fair enough. But anyway, I played just fine, right? So okay, GG. My turn in the roaster is over. Time to pack, guys! Sit down, young man, Yuel ordered. I havent gotten to the main point yet. Alright, alright. Luke sighed. Then, out with it already, Mr. Roaster. Hit me, daddy. Ill start by saying something general about Game 5 as a whole. Yuel took the conversation a step back. It was a close game, wasnt it? He directed the question to everybody in the room. Yep, sure was, Luke answered without thinking twice. Indeed! Vincent made noise. It was a worthy showdown! Both teams invoked the utmost of their abilities, fighting to the bitter end! Our chances of victory looked slim to nonexistent. Nevertheless, at the very end, we made a magnificent comeback and crushed the opposition! Yeah, it came down to the wire, Kai agreed. I thought youll lose... Nia mumbled her honest opinion about the replay she watched. That game was scary. It was one heck of a rocky ride. Lars smiled meaningfully. But, I know that look. Its a trick question, isnt it? So, nope! It was actually ezpz! We totally wrecked these dudes, yo! You might be joking, Yuel said. But, thats actually much closer to the truth. In Game 5, with me and Lars in Bot and Lars playing Gunslinger, our team was actually quite stronger than Taurus lineup. We shouldve had a much easier time winning. Heh, good job patting yourself on the back there. Luke snickered. Say what you will, but its undeniable that Lars and I fared well in Bot. We had the lane under control. Welp, thats facts alright. Luke didnt have any objections there. At the same time, the situation in Top was more complicated, but it eventually started swinging in our favor as well. So, Mid was the only lane we were clearly losing in. Geh... Kai shifted her eyes away. It was unfortunate we couldnt gain an advantage in all three lanes, Yuel continued. But, thats alright. Controlling Mid alone shouldnt have given the enemy enough footing to gain map advantage. But, Luke interjected. These mad lads just went ahead and ganked Mid outta nowhere, haha! Yes, they did. Yuel nodded. Do you want to know why? What do you mean why? Them dudes be crazy like that. Its a ballsy move, for sure. But, thats not all there is to it. They were clearly not afraid of committing to such a play. Can you guess why? Because their cap was totally mopping the floor with Kai in Mid? Grr... Kai gritted her teeth and shot a glare at Luke, but said nothing. As much as I hate to admit it, hes right. I had my ass handed to me in Mid in the early-game... Youre not entirely wrong, Yuel continued. The fact Kai was losing in Mid definitely played a factor. Also, some of them were actively underestimating Kai as a player, so that boosted their confidence. But, these werent the only factors. Theres more? Luke titled his head. Are ya sure youre not just overthinking this? Dudes just wanted to act cool and gank Mid together. What more is there to it? In addition to all that, its clear they werent afraid of being counter-ganked, Yuel explained. A bold push like that on Mid was like sending us an invitation to gank them, yet they didnt care. Why? Because our team didnt have a real Jungler to speak of. Hey, rude! You offended my feelings just now, man. Sob. Are you saying you were an actual Jungler in that game? Please. Yuel shook his head. You were just a roaming Support, thats why the enemy wasnt scared of you in the slightest. They knew you werent dangerous by yourself. You could only gank them hard when you had teammates to cooperate with. Makes sense, I guess, Luke reluctantly agreed. If you played a more intimidating Jungler, theyd have to think twice or thrice about making such a bold rotation to Mid. Theyd constantly have to keep in mind that our team had a dangerous Jungler who could single-handedly gank and kill any of them. It would have put a lot of pressure on them and might have discouraged from pushing Mid altogether. Thats a lot of hypothetical talk there... Luke forced a smile. This is all part of the games rules, Yuel insisted. Im sure even you agree that, if the enemy has an intimidating Jungler, then youd always have to think twice about overextending anywhere on the map, right? Thats true, I guess, Luke reluctantly agreed. But, just because theres a srs bsns enemy Jungler, it doesnt mean you never gonna extend anywhere. Correct. Nothing is absolute, Yuel agreed. But, youd be far more willing to take the risk when the enemy doesnt have such a dangerous Jungler, right? Well, yeah. Thats common sense for ya. And therein lies the problem, Yuel repeated his point. Your Knight wasnt intimidating in the slightest as a Jungler, so the enemy felt like they had permission to do whatever they wanted. You were like a Knight piece that hasnt moved from its starting position, so you couldnt apply any pressure on the rest of the board. Wut? Oh, right. Yuel realized he got carried away. There was no way Luke would understand that. My bad, it was a chess analogy. Is there any other team sport you know well? Soccer! Explain it to me in soccer terms, man. Im dying to hear it. Luke grinned confidently. Kek, goteem! No way this nerd knows anything about soccer. Soccer? Okay. Yuel took a couple of seconds to come up with an appropriate example. Wait, is he really gonna do it? Luke gulped. Dont tell me this guy is also some sort of big brain in soccer too. I have a bad feeling about this... For example, Yuel started. Imagine youre a forward. You bet I am! I be scoring goals left and right, boi! Right. As the forward, your main job is to score goals. As long as youre consistently posing that threat, the enemy will have to pay attention to you. Damn straight! Gotta make em scrubs sweat. Right. And, naturally, the enemy will constantly try to stop the ball from ever reaching you if youre that good. Totes, man. You betcha the ball gonna be rolling to me all the time so I can get them goals! Correct. Thats a rough description of how an ideal forward should be like. Unfortunately, youre not that kind of forward. Wait, what!? Nuuuuuu! My glorious soccer career ended before it even started...! Dont worry, you have other things going for you, Yuel explained. You might not be an ideal forward, but youre decent at passing the ball around and organizing plays. So, that makes you strong in the midfield. Dang, sounds like Im carrying that entire team! Perhaps you are, Yuel said. Anyway, since youre so good in the midfield, you often go over there to help the team despite being a forward. Welp, aint I just the nicest dude in the world? You really are. But remember, youre a forward. Your job is to score goals and put pressure on the enemy defense. But tell me, how scary is a forward who hangs out around the midfield the entire game? Thats not really a forward at that point. Thats a mid-fielder. Correct. But, nevertheless, you are the teams forward. The team needs somebody on the offense and theres nobody else for the job. Now tell me, how much pressure do you think a forward like that applies on the enemy team? Welp, I feel sorry for the guy, but it doesn''t sound like he gonna score much this season. Exactly. And, the other team wont feel pressured by him either, Yuel explained. So, how do you think the enemy defenders will be playing that game? Hmm. Luke crossed his arms. Well, if they dont have to worry too much about defending, they can just take it easy. Like, ya know, bring a nice sofa over there and take a good nap, haha. Or, they can advance their line of defense closer to the midfield, to put more pressure on the center. Yep, I guess they can try that. Sounds a little risky, tho. Yes, its risky to do when a dangerous forward is around. But, without that threat? Theyre free to neglect the defense a little in favor of placing more pressure on the midfield. By controlling the midfield, theyll seize control over the entire game. Heh, smart bastards. Thats exactly what happened in Game 5, Yuel said. Your Knight was the forward who played more like a mid-fielder and didnt pressure the enemy enough. As a result, they felt they could take risks that normally shouldnt be allowed. Hrmmm. Luke crossed his arms. It seemed he still wasnt sold on this analogy. Lets put it this way, Yuel said. In soccer, do you agree that a forward who sticks to the midfield wont put too much pressure on the enemy defenders? Well yeah, duh. And, do you agree these defenders are far more likely to ignore the forward and focus on controlling the mid? Well, it depends on the team, but yeah. I can see that happen. So, its the same logic for Classmancers. When you play Setup Jungler, you dont put enough pressure on the enemy. And, if the enemy doesnt fear getting ganked, theyll play bolder and try to dominate Mid. Yeah, I think I see what youre saying. Luke was finally cracking. The soccer analogy was working surprisingly well. Man, I didnt expect you to know your stuff in soccer too. Totally pwned me there, haha. Are you some sort of professional sport tactician or something? I just enjoy the tactics of sports games, Yuel said. Soccer happens to be one of the games Ive researched before. Sounds like youre into it as well. Yeah, I... used to play it a lot. Luke shifted his eyes away. A fun game. We play sometimes during lunch breaks. Wanna join us? Thanks, but Ill pass. Yuel smiled awkwardly. Ive already come to terms with the fact I cant play any games that require proper coordination and stamina. I just dont have these. Hey, I wanna! Lars raised a hand. I usually play some basket during lunch, but I can join ya dudes sometimes too. Awesome! Luke grinned. I have a feeling youre one heck of a player! Believe it, yo! The two exchanged thumbs up. So, back on topic, Yuel said. Luke, do you understand the problem now? Yeah, I kinda get it. Luke sighed. Youre saying Im not gangsta enough. Thats why nobody is scared. You can put it that way, I guess, Yuel said reluctantly. Did you see how StormMonster plays? Thats how a proper Jungler should be. He should be a presence that constantly puts pressure on the entire enemy team. Thats the main thing youre lacking for becoming the teams main Jungler. Wait a sec, Luke objected. What about Nia then? I dont see you chewing her out on this stuff. Nia doesnt have that problem. Really? I never see her putting much pressure on anybody. Doesnt everybody forget she even exists? Shes a dang phantom. True, but she plays proper assassin classes that can gank efficiently. So, when the enemy team forgets about her existence and goes for a reckless play, Nia can capitalize on that and gank them. On the other hand, you usually cant do that. Man, this is getting way too complicated for me. Luke made a face. In short, you want me to play something like real scary, right? Something that gonna scare them scrubs shitless. Yes, thats the gist of it. In other words, I want you to play high-tier Jungler classes. Aint happening. Luke waved his hand. I see... Yuel twitched. Even after this long talk, Luke remained unmoving in his position. Just how much of a blockhead could this guy be!? But, I hear ya, Luke said. Ill cook something up. Im sure theres a meme class that can get the job done. I highly doubt it, Yuel said. Memes are memes because they cant perform as a proper Jungler should. If they could, theyd no longer be memes at that point. Nah, dont worry, man. Ill find it! Imma hit all my online groups and ask them to give me the absolute best meme! Good luck with that. Once youre ready to give up, I hope youll finally consider picking high tier classes. Naaaaaah. And so, the advice fell on deaf ears. Or, did it? Perhaps the Meme Jedi will find a unique solution while sticking to his values. Hell harness the Meme Force and become a true master! By the time the next scrimmage comes around, hell have a spicy meme up his sleeve thatll knock everybody off their feet! Or, maybe not. Who could tell? Vol.12 Ch.13: Accessible Replays The match review was approaching its end. Yuel finished talking about the three main troublemakers, so only Vincent and Lars were left. Next, Vincent, Yuel continued. All in all, you played well. There are many things I can say about your performance as a Support, but I believe thats not so important for us going forward. After all, youll be playing Top from now on. Indeed, I will. So, if you want to hear my criticism regarding your supporting, we can discuss it in private later. I dont want to drag out this match analysis any longer than it needs to be. Mhm, a reasonable decision indeed. As for your performance in Top, you did well overall. DragonMaster overwhelmed you a little at first, but you successfully turned the tables on him with Lukes help. All thanks to your genius advice. I did throw you a bone, Yuel said. But, it was you who successfully organized and pull off that strong play. So, its your accomplishment. My, you flatter me. Vincent waved his hand as if embarrassed. With that said, you made a couple of mistakes. Yuel made sure to state that before Vincent got carried away. Id like to briefly go over them now. The video showed plays in which Vincent committed a small mistake or didnt perform as optimally as he could have had. But, all in all, none of the plays received any harsh criticism. Theres only one play I consider very questionable. Yuel paused on the final section. It happened when the enemy rotated to push Top as a group. You and Kai were defending the lane at the time. Oh, that intense moment is burned into my memory! Vincent made noise. It was such a nerve-wracking situation! I could feel the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom closing up on me! The end was nigh! It was a difficult situation, thats true, Yuel agreed. But, the way you responded to it only made it that much worse. Instead of retreating immediately, you stayed behind to stall the enemy. That was a mistake. But, wasnt it thanks to my noble sacrifice that Kai made it out alive? Vincent took pride in that sacrifice. By stalling StormMonster just enough, Kai successfully escaped from the clutches of death! Whats more, she gathered the courage to stand up to that evil and turned the tables on her pursuer, killing him in the process! It was a glorious moment! Youre using hindsight to justify your actions, Yuel said. Kai nearly died despite your sacrifice. The situation was down to the wire. You couldnt know for sure whether shell survive. Nevertheless, I believed in our valkyrie! Vincent proclaimed proudly. I knew that if I keep her alive, shell bring about greater results than me. And indeed, she did not disappoint! Its nice that you have faith in your teammates, but it was blind faith in this case. You had no reason to believe Kai will make it out alive. You knew all too well how good of a pursuer StormMonster is. A little bit of stalling wont stop him from catching up to his target. Very well, I concede. Vincent gave up. Indeed, it wasnt one of my brightest ideas. I mustve fallen prey to anxiety. I assumed as much, Yuel said. Next time you find yourself in a tight situation, make sure to ask yourself twice whether your planned course of action is sound. Maybe share the details with somebody else to get more opinions. You might notice you were about to commit a misplay due to being nervous. Yes, sir. Aside from that, all in all, youve accomplished everything I requested from you in Game 5. It was a solid performance. Thats all Yuel had to say about Vincent. The guy wasnt overly talented and didnt have anything special going for him skill-wise, but he was a solid balanced player, similar to Gilbert. So, even though Vincent didnt accomplish anything great by himself, neither did he commit any grave mistakes. There wasnt much for him to fix. He simply had to polish his existing skills and gain more experience. Next, it was Larss turn on the chopping block. At least, thatd normally be the case, but... Lastly, Lars... Oh boy, here it comes! Lars gulped and smiled awkwardly. Theres not much to say. Wut? Lars almost slid off the chair. Nothing to say? Okay, who are you and what did you do Yuel? I know this is rare, but thats how it is, Yuel said. You didnt play Carry in games 1 to 4, so these arent relevant. As for Game 5, you played a solid game from start to end. No way! Lars exclaimed. Did I just score a hundred on a test!? No, not a hundred. Yuel was obligated to deny that on the spot. There are many things I can say about your performance in Mid and well review all of that later today. Oh noes... Fortunately, those problems arent important for the team going forward. After all, youre going to play Carry from now on. You betcha! So, to keep this review short and concise, Ill skip discussing your performance in Mid. Heh. Luke snorted. Short and convince my ass. It feels like weve been sitting here listening to this lecture the whole day. Shit is more tiring than studying, word. In that case, Im sure youll be happy to know this concludes the match review. For real? Thats it? Are we finally free!? Luke jumped from his chair and stretched his arms. YAAAAS! FREEEEEEDOM! Or, is it really the end? Huhuhu. Vincent smiled meaningfully. I believe I prepared one more treat for Gunz. Oh, thats right. Yuel remembered. You had more footage prepared for Lars, didnt you? Indeed, indeed! Footage that showcases our aces glorious achievements like none other! Okay, okay. Yuel sighed and turned to Lars. Since Vincent insisted so much, we included some footage of your best plays from Game 5. Do you want to watch them? Oh!? Lars jumped like an excited puppy. Show me, show me! Okay, here they are. Yuel played the video. The footage showed how Lars dominated against Renegade during the laning phase, how he defeated DragonMaster while pushing the Golem, and how he killed Renegade with Kais help at the very end, which was the play that essentially sealed the fate of the game. Yooooo! This is sick! Lars jumped in excitement. Can ya run it one more time? Pretty please!? If thats what you want... Yuel rewound the video and run the segment again. He had nothing else to show anyway, so he might as well let the goof enjoy the show. The other club members seemed entertained as well, so there was no harm in running it one more time. Maaaan. Luke nodded repeatedly. This mad lad makes pro plays look easy. This is a Top 10 Plays compilation video right there. Indeed, indeed Vincent agreed. The superb performance of the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse is a sight to behold! My one and only regret is that I didnt have the time to narrate over all these plays. Im terribly sorry for that! No worries, dude, Lars said. This video is awesome. I wanna show it to my folks too. They keep saying I shouldve focused on basketball and stuff, but Imma show em how cool Mancers can be! In that case, Vincent said. I absolutely must add narration and extra effects. If you give me but a couple more days, I shall deliver you a far superior version of this showcase! Really? Isnt it a lot of work? Indeed, it is quite an ordeal. But, worry not. I also do this for my own entertainment and to practice my craft. Its no hassle at all. Okay, then Imma wait. Lars nodded. I bet you gonna make it a thousand times more epic! I shall do my best to live up to these expectations! This one video invoked a lot of chatter in the clubroom. Even though the long match review should have worn everybody out and they all showed signs of losing focus, they instantly became energetic the moment Yuel played this positive video. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Its amazing what a showcase of a few good plays can do to the atmosphere. Yuel thought. If he went ahead with his original plan and focused only on everybodys misplays, hed be dealing with a room of drowsy zombies by now. Most of the audience wouldnt have been able to maintain their concentration all the way to the end. Fortunately, the few positive clips revitalized the entire audience on the spot, helping them regain their concentration. In fact, these positive parts even gave everybody the incentive to discuss the topic among themselves, something they barely did during the rest of the meeting. Looks like mixing in some positive clips during match review is the winning formula. Yuel concluded. It sounded like a waste of time on paper, but it had amazing results in practice. Humans werent entirely logical creatures, so the most efficient method didnt always work the best for them. As such, even though focusing on the important misplays shouldve been the most efficient way to review the match, it didnt necessarily work the best in practice. Sidetracking to show a couple of good plays proved to be exceptionally helpful too, as wasteful as it sounded. The more you know. Yuel took a mental note of these results. The art of communicating with people and conveying information was endlessly deep. It felt like he still had a long way ahead of him before he masters it. As the chit-chat died out, Yuel took the opportunity to say one last thing about Larss performance. As I said, you did great in Game 5, Yuel repeated. I have no real complaints there. Praise me more, teacher! Dont get carried away. You definitely made a couple of plays that werent optimal, so well discuss those later today. Dont even worry about it. Oh boy, sounds like Im in for a day full of lectures... Lars smiled wryly. Anyway, Yuel continued. Theres one important fact to keep in mind regarding Game 5. You played Gunslinger that game, which is one of your two best classes. Yep, Shooter and Slinger for days, yo! You made a lot of impressive plays that game. Plays that you couldve only made with these two classes. Hey, you never know! But yeah, some of these situations wouldve been pretty dang tough if I wasnt playing Slinger. Right. And, as you all saw, there was an audience watching the scrimmage, most certainly filled with scouts from other teams. So, from this point on, we can expect all our future opponents to know how good Larss Trickshooter and Gunslinger are. Oh, dang! Lars jumped. We got exposed!? That aint fair, yo! We gotta find all them spy dudes and tell them to forget what they saw! Too late. Im sure they already showed the replays of the scrimmage to their teams. Wait, replays? Lars cocked his head. I know we got them because we actually played the games, but why would dudes from the audience have them? You think they recorded some stuff with their phones or something? No, they could simply purchase them. They can buy the replays!? Is there a black market selling our stuff!? Yes, there is. Its ProCenter itself, Yuel explained. They allow visitors to purchase the replays of the games they watch. Yo, thats shady as heck! Its like theyre selling all our secret tech! The fact they charge money for it is a little questionable, but otherwise theres nothing strange about it. Scouting is something youll find in any competitive sport. Even for basketball, Im sure your club had people who went to scout and record other teams games. Oh, now that you mention it... Lars was struck by a sudden realization. We sometimes watched videos of rival teams before playing them. Coach usually gave us pointers about the enemy players and all that. And, where did you think these videos came from? Surely, you didnt think the enemy recorded the video and sent it to you as a gift? To be honest, I never really thought about it, haha. Somebody from your club went to record it, either the staff or fellow club members. Or, maybe they purchased the videos from somebody else. Either way, there was some spying involved. Man, so much spying in this world. Thats an inevitable part of any sport, Yuel said. Information is power. The more you know about the enemy team, the more countermeasures you can come up with. Its only natural for serious teams to investigate each other. Yep, makes sense. Though, I still dunno how I feel about ProCenter selling our replays. I thought it was just a nice place for dudes to get together and play games, but turns out it had some shady business running on the side. I think its a nice service, Yuel said. It would be nicer if ProCenter gave out the replays for free, but they already sell each replay cheaper than itd cost you to buy a soft drink from a vending machine. Oh, really? Thats practically nothing. Right. You even get a discount if you buy the entire bundle, so its really nothing. Its more like a good faith deposit than anything. You make it sound nice and all, Luke interjected. But, its still a shady practice. Its like paid DLC for stuff that should be free. Like, do they even legally own these replays? The replays are recorded while we play in ProCenter, so yes, Id say they have a right to them. I dont know much about the legal side of it, but Im sure theyre covered. But, they cant make any replays without us, the players. So, where is our cut in all of this? Well, we do get the replays for free. Heh, how nice of them. Imagine you were an actor for some big movie but, instead of paying your salary, theyd only let you watch the finished movie for free. Big stonks. Except, its not a movie and were not professional actors. I agree that the service couldve been more consumer-friendly, but its actually an amazing service for small teams like ours. Why so? Luke tilted his head. Think about other sports, Yuel said. Teams have to send trained scouts to manually record the games of other teams, right? Yep, I knew a few guys who handled that job in the soccer club. They always complained it was a pain in the neck, haha. Right, its not easy work, Yuel explained. They have to bring a camera and manually rotate it around to capture the flow of the match. It can get especially difficult in a sport like Soccer which has very a wide court. You cant just leave such an important job to anybody. You need to train these scouts and provide them with appropriate equipment. Yeah, sounds about right, Luke nodded. I heard they usually do this in groups, too. Like, one dude handles the camera, the others take notes and discuss things, etc. Yes, its quite the operation. Not to mention, the club also has to finance all the equipment used for scouting, on top of financing all the regular club equipment. So, you can probably imagine that any small soccer club will find it difficult to get all the right equipment for scouting. And, they probably wont have as many free hands to send people to scout all the time, not to mention the problem of training such scouts in the first place. Dang, sounds rough. Luke nodded. But, why are we pitying low-budget clubs, again? Maybe because our club is one of them? Oh snap, youre right! Luke held his head. This is terrible! Unfair! Capitalism at its finest! Thats reality for you, Yuel said. Fortunately for us, none of that applies to Classmancers thanks to the ProCenter service you complained about a moment ago. How so? Think about it. Were a small team, right? Itd be difficult for us to scout other teams in a professional manner. Yeah, I dont think the school gonna give us a pro camera for it. Right. But, thanks to ProCenters services, we can just pay a small amount to get ourselves the full in-game replay of the entire scrimmage. Its the best recording you could ever ask for, with zero recording mistakes and lots of built-in analysis tools. Nobody can get better game footage than that, so we can compete against rich powerhouses like the Leopards on equal grounds when it comes to information gathering. Dang, never thought of it that way. Luke nodded. Alright, maybe that paid DLC they provide isnt that bad after all. Though, I still say they should give us a cut of the profit. Or, they could just hand them out for free, Yuel suggested. Anyway, back to my initial point. As you all understand by now, the scouting meta is very strong in this competitive scene, seeing as everybody got easy access to replays. So, Lars. Yes? Make no mistake, all our future opponents will know about your Trickshooter and Gunslinger. Theyll most certainly ban them, so dont expect to get any more easy opportunities like you had against Taurus. Weeeelp, thats a bummer. Its not just a bummer, its a serious issue. If we want to make it far in the tournament, well need your overwhelming strength as a Carry. Leave it to me! Lars gave a thumbs up. Imma carry you dudes all the way to the moon! Yes, you will. That is, if you play your best classes. Unfortunately, those will be banned. No problem! I can carry with any marksman! In Ranked maybe, but definitely not in the competitive scene. Im sure you understand that too by now. Heck yeah. Lars grinned. They got some serious dudes over there. That Nirvana dude was tough as heck! I even had some trouble against him with my Gunslinger. Thats why its important to not relax just yet, Yuel said. Even though I said you performed well against Taurus in Game 5, it doesnt mean you dont have anything to improve on. Its just that Taurus wasnt prepared for us, thats all. Our future opponents will ban your best classes for sure. So tell me, what will you do then? Beat them with my second-best classes! It wont go that smoothly, Yuel objected. You know better than anybody how big of a skill gap there is between your best classes and the rest. If we want to keep on winning, the team will need the power of your best classes. Any less than that wont cut it. And, unfortunately, you only have two such classes. You need more. No problem! Lars gave a thumbs up. Im already working on my Elf. Dude is getting stronger by the day, yo! Good. Yuel nodded. Please focus on it for the upcoming weeks. Make sure your Elf is ready by the time we face the Leopards. Okey-dokey. Im working on it almost every day. Make it every day, Yuel insisted. You told me before that you practiced Trickshooter and Gunslinger every day to bring them to this level, right? Then please put the same amount of effort into your Elf as well. Okay, Imma give it some more love, Lars promised. But, I still gotta maintain my Shooter and Slinger, or Imma go rusty. Im sure thats important too, but its far more important to get a third class up to par in time. Even if the skill levels of your Trickshooter and Gunslinger drop a little, it wont affect things too much for the next scrimmage because these two will most certainly be banned. I get what youre saying, but I cant just neglect my Shooter and Slinger, Lars insisted. There are all sorts of strong dudes competing out there. If I ever get a chance to fight them with Shooter or Slinger, I have to be able to beat them! Youre right, but thats only relevant for the far future. We first have to reach the point where we can force our opponents to leave these classes unbanned. Until then, you wont get any chances to play your main classes. So, please prioritize your Elf. Okay, will do. Lars scratched the back of his head. I get what Yuel is saying about Elf, but I cant just drop my daily routines with Shooter and Slinger. Them dudes gotta be in top shape, ready to be deployed at any time. Welp, it sounds like I hafta train more hours every night to polish all three classes. Ez, yo! Lars will master Elf while also working hard on his Trickshooter and Gunslinger, such was his resolution. He definitely had to add new scary weapons to his arsenal, but he also had to make sure that none of his existing weapons rusted. Night training was going to become even more intense than ever! On that note, the long match review finally covered every single team member. Or, at least, every member that was present... All that was left was to discuss the future of the club as a whole and the upcoming opponents, the Leopards. Vol.12 Ch.14: Yuels Self-Criticism What I told Lars applies to everybody here, Yuel said. Weve pretty much played all our cards in this scrimmage, so you can expect all our future opponents to know everything were going to bring to the table. So, its a good idea to innovate some of your gameplay before the next match. But, Kai interjected. The same way they gonna know our tech, we also gonna know their tricks. They can get our replays and we can get theirs. Correct, Yuel agreed. Especially, a lot of data should be available on the Leopards because their tradition is to scrimmage against every team in the region. Every team!? For real!? Luke jumped. Man, these guys dont skip leg day. Yes. theyre quite busy. Theyll have their first scrimmage in two days, and then another one a week and a half after that. So, well have two of their matches to study before facing them, whereas theyll only get to see one match of ours Information advantage! Vincent pumped his fist. I love the sound of that! The underdog shall triumph over the regional champion thanks to the power of information! Thats only provided theyll actually show all their cards in these two games, Yuel said. They have a big club, so they can rotate many different players for these scrimmages. Ive studied them last year, so I know a few things about how their coach operates. The Leopards had the biggest middle school club in the region because their school treated it as a prestigious sports club. Their club was far superior to the rest of the Classmancers clubs in the region, so much that it was the only club with a professional coach. Since the school passionately supported the club and urged students to join, naturally the club housed many players every year As such, the Leopards had the luxury to rotate through many different players across their many scrimmages. And, thats exactly what their coach did. Instead of making the Leopards first-string play through all the games, the coach often let other players fill in every now and then. Based on what I observed last year, Yuel explained. They start out most games with their first-string. Then, after the first couple of games, their coach makes a call. If the Leopards first-string overwhelmed the enemy, then it was time to rotate players around. Essentially, such weak opponents lost their rights to compete against the Leopards best. Such was the inevitable fate of many teams in the region. Most of them only lasted for 2~3 games before being deemed unworthy. In fact, in Stratus case, the call was usually made after a single game. Thats all it took to convince the Leopards that Stratus was no competition for them. StormBlitz was one of the few to consistently earn the right to fight until the very end. Last year, they held their ground against the Leopards first-string during the entire scrimmage and even won. Though, they ultimately lost at the regionals. So, Kai said. If they start subbing different players against us, it means they dont consider us a threat? At the very least, it means their coach doesnt consider it necessary to go all out against us to win the scrimmage. So, hed most likely choose to sub out the first-string in order to minimize the amount of data they show their rivals. Tch, cocky bastards. Kai clicked her tongue. Personally, Vincent said. I believe this is an act of mercy on Mr. Rodriguezs part. Mercy? Kai raised an eyebrow. Theyre literally making fun of their opponents. Not at all, Vincent argued. Mr. Rodriguez would only ever sub out the first-string when it overwhelms the opposition too much, to the point its not even a competition. In other words, only when the other team is completely, utterly, and thoroughly crushed. Okay, so? It doesnt change the fact he looks down on that team. No, no, no, you misunderstand. He doesnt look down on them at all. He masterfully gauges their skill level with the eyes of an experienced veteran and only then makes the appropriate call. Thats because, if the Leopards first-string is found too powerful for the enemy team, then the scrimmage will lose its value for both sides. The strong wont get enough challenge, whereas the weak will struggle to learn any valuable lessons from their crushing defeats. And? Kai asked. Are you saying that justifies switching out their best players for some second-string guys? I dont like that. I rather keep fighting against their main team even if it means losing. Whats the point of fighting their weaker players when we have to beat their first-string at the regionals anyway? Thats dumb. Hmm. Indeed, that is also true. Vincent nodded. Nonetheless, I claim thats a mentality you can only maintain as a strong player from a strong team that actually holds a chance of winning. For example, suppose we play against the Leopards and get completely destroyed in the first three games. Would it not be better to lower the difficulty a little at that point? Hmph. Lowering difficulty is for losers. You gotta keep challenging that Expert difficulty until you nail the perfect score. As expected from the ironclad amazon. Vincent nodded with a meaningful smile. Nevertheless, I believe my take on the topic is far closer to how the average joe would see it. If the team stands no chance, they rather fight the Leopards second-best players. This way, both sides will get to experience a fair challenge thatll help them improve their mettle. Its a win-win for everybody! Indeed, such ingenious planning from Mr. Rodriguez! You really like sucking up to that guy, huh. Kai made a face. I admit, I hold admiration toward Mr. Rodriguez, Vincent said. He is the only one in the region who agreed to become a coach for a middle-school Classmancers team. From what I gathered, most coaches prefer to work with high-schoolers, given the unruly nature of younger students. I can see that. I wouldnt want to deal with brats either. However! Mr. Rodriguez is different. He deemed it necessary to lead the younger generation from an earlier stage of their lives, so he dedicated himself to the task. The man is doing Gods work at the expense of his own life! A little melodramatic, but I get what youre saying. Kai nodded. So, you admire him for that? That and much more! Vincent proclaimed loudly. His principles and teaching techniques deserve endless praise! He evolved the Leopards from a no-name team into the reigning regional champions theyre now! Even if another middle-school coach were to show up in our region, Im sure theyd struggle to compete against the many accomplishments of the genius Mr. Rodriguez. Well, Yuel interjected. I dont mind you being a fanboy, but you have to look at things objectively. Meaning? Vincent tilted his head. There might be some goodwill in Rodriguezs intentions when he rotates players during scrimmages. Maybe he really wants to keep the competition fair and challenging for both sides. But, you cant deny the fact these rotations are also very convenient for the Leopards. The fewer opportunities the first-string gets to show its full power on stage, the harder it is to gather data on them. That is also correct, Vincent conceded. However, I claim thats a secondary consideration at best. If Mr. Rodriguez truly wished to hide the first-string, he wouldnt issue so many scrimmages for the team. After all, his principle is to hold a scrimmage against every team in the region. That does not sound like the actions of somebody who is trying to be secretive, does it? Youre right about that, Ill give you that much. But, this is yet another example of a goodwill routine that benefits the Leopards too. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. How so? Playing against many different teams has its own benefits. For one, it pretty much guarantees that the Leopards will become the first seed at the regionals. Even if they happen to lose a couple of scrimmages, it will barely hurt their overall standing. These few losses will be a negligible percent from the total number of matches they play. But, didnt they only get 4th seed last year? They suffered many defeats. The big number of scrimmages theyve gone through definitely played against them that year I suspect thats intentional, Yuel said. They probably wanted to avoid facing StormBlitz at the finals. Last year, StromBlitzs first-string triumphed over the Leopards first-string in the scrimmage. However, it wasnt exactly smooth sailing for StormBlitz. They only won because the scrimmage ended up being a long, drawn-out fight. At first, StormBlitz was losing and struggled to adapt to the enemy. However, little by little, they started gaining momentum and turned things around. It came as no surprise that the StormBlitz of that year was a slow-starter, given it had adaptive late-game players like Aron and Ellen on the team. Both of them were at their strongest after theyve thoroughly deconstructed their foes, and doing so usually took a while against strong opponents. Once StormBlitz finished adapting, they went on a winning streak and ultimately defeated the Leopards. That mustve left quite the impression on Rodriguez. He probably figured it was best to avoid meeting StormBlitz at the finals, which was a best-of-five match. The rest of the tournament was best-of-three matches, so the Leopards had a very high chance of winning there. As such, it was very much possible the Leopards went on a losing streak in the following scrimmages in order to lower their seed all the way down to 4th. The 4th seed was guaranteed to run into the 1st seed at the semi-finals, and thats exactly where the Leopards eliminated StormBlitz from the tournament. So, Yuel said. Im sorry to burst your bubble, but I find it hard to believe Rodriguez is the holy man you think he is. Hes a shrewd coach, no doubt about it. Though, personally, I respect that part of him. I see, I see. A shrewd strategist respects his kin. Vincent smiled meaningfully. Very well. I concede that your conspiracy theory has some footing. I wont deny that its definitely possible and not out of the question that Mr. Rodriguez occasionally pulls some strings to secure the Leopards victory. You bet he does, Luke said. The school gave that bruh a huge club and all them nice conditions. They gonna fire his ass if he cant at least take regionals, haha. Sounds about right, Yuel agreed. I dont know the man personally, so I cant confirm or deny how much he cares about fair scrimmages. But what I do know, is that he absolutely wants to see the Leopards take the regionals every year and hes willing to use any weapons at his disposal to that end. So, with that in mind, its only natural to assume he rotates players during scrimmages to benefit the Leopards as well, not only to hold fair matches. Very well, Vincent conceded. I still believe in Mr. Rodriguezs good intentions but your hypothesis sounds plausible too. Either way, we can conclude that the Leopards wont necessarily reveal all their cards in the two scrimmages well get to witness. Correct. Well most likely uncover many new things once we face them ourselves. So, in that sense, the enemy will most likely have the information advantage. That is, unless we develop new weapons for the next scrimmage. Yuel glanced at every club member in order, making sure they were all attentive for this final part of the meeting. First, I suggest you all work on the problems Ive presented here today. After that, itll be a good idea to start thinking about how you can improve your performance further. Maybe theres a mechanical skill you can polish or a good class you can get more experience with. There are many ways to go about this. If you feel like youre stuck, its always a good idea to discuss this with the rest of the club. You mean, discuss it with you. Luke snickered. Ya know, I just realized something. Youve been lecturing our asses for hours now, but I havent seen the part where we roast you. You aint gonna pretend you played perfectly, are you? Not at all, Yuel answered. I considered adding the critique I have toward myself to the meeting, but theres too much of it and most of it is very high-level. Not to mention, itd be difficult to present these misplays via footage. Heh, sounds like excuses to me. You just dont wanna be roasted, admit it. Hmph. Very well. Yuel pulled out a stack of papers from his bag. If you insist, we can go over my misplays as well. It should take about 4 hours. What the heck? Luke flipped through the stack of papers. There were loads of timestamps and notes about many different plays. It was kinda like the contents of todays meeting, but... Bruh, is this the Bible? Luke made a face. Look at all this text! Theres no end to it! Stahp it! Stahp! There were walls upon walls of text under every single play, analyzing the plays with unbelievable depth. Dang, I bet ya really like Geometry, doncha? Luke cracked a laugh as he found some pages with complicated diagrams. Of course, he understood these werent just some abstract ass geometric shapes like the boring ones they teach at school. Nah, these were all legit drawings of map positions and team formations. Man, maybe I shouldve listened a little harder during Geometry lessons because I cant make head or tails of this, haha. It has nothing to do with Geometry, Yuel said. I doubt anybody here will be able to understand these diagrams unless I explain what specific information I was trying to present there. But, if you insist that we should discuss my misplays too, then let me teach you. Haha, fun... Luke realized he stepped on a landmine. This bruh is a mad scientist! I shouldnt have said anything! RIP. Haha, just give it a rest, dude. Lars patted Luke on the shoulder. Yuel is always harsh as heck on everybody, but thats actually just his nice mode Fo real? You telling me hes holding back when he roasts us at like 1000 degrees? Yep, he can do way worse. Like, way, way, WAY worse. But, he holds back to not make us feel like total scrubs. Welp, I already feel like a total scrub after todays review so thanks for nothing I guess, haha. So, like, when does he get all serious? Usually when dude criticizes himself, Lars explained. If ya think he was harsh on anybody here today, then just imagine hes like ten times harsher on himself. Hes that kind of dude. You kidding me... Luke glanced at the stack of paper again. All these text walls and diagrams mustve taken a long ass time to make. And, they all seem to be critiques of Yuels own shot-calls. There was an in-depth analysis of every single play, covering everybodys positions, mentioning the various important factors to consider, and going over the different options Yuel couldve gone for, including pros and cons. Bruh legit sat down for HOURS to write this HUGE self-hate Bible. Luke smiled awkwardly. There are papers, papers, and more papers of mistakes he made. This is insanity! So? Yuel asked. Do you want me to discuss my own mistakes as well? I havent finished analyzing all of them thoroughly but theres enough material for a couple of hours. No, no! Its alright! Luke replied in a hurry. Forget I asked, man. Please spare me the lectures. I hate Geometry! Everybody laughed at Lukes nonsense. With that, the match review came to an end. They discussed many things here today and everybody found at least one area they had to improve on during the upcoming weeks. For most people here, it was their first time sitting through such a long and intense Classmancers meeting, so the club agreed to disband for today without any training. It was best for everybody to go home, take a rest, and reflect on what theyve learned here today. Of course, Yuel and Lars had every intention to do their after-school training routine as usual. Yuel was already used to straining his brain for long periods of time, whereas Lars... Well, that goof probably didnt even use much of his brain in the first place, so he was fine. I present thee the blue key thatll lead you to the sealed records of your achievements! Vincent passed around a link to the folder in which he stored all of todays videos. His mom had a premium account for a lot of cloud storage, so he borrowed some of that space for his recordings. And, turned out there were additional, yet unseen, videos in that same folder. Behold my videocraft! Vincent made noise. I ripped apart the main video, cutting it down into smaller bits for your convenience. Each and every one of you can find a video dedicated personally to them. Thats really convenient, Yuel said. He didnt even request such a thing, yet Vincent went the extra length to ensure everybody could make the most out of this match review. This guy is usually such a clown but he pulls through when it counts the most. And, thats why I need him to help me one more time so we can wrap up this match review in the truest sense. There was one club member who wasnt present here today and was absent back during the scrimmage as well. One elusive club member who dodged all the harsh criticism he undoubtedly deserved. Why was Ben getting a free pass for all of this? Vincent surely knew the answer. Enough is enough. Yuel decided. Its time to get to the bottom of this problem. Either Ben was a part of this club or he wasnt. This team was aiming to win the regionals, so they needed any manpower they could get their hands on. As such, the situation with Ben had to be resolved ASAP. Well then! Vincent said loudly after noticing Yuels lingering gaze. Excuse me, but I have to run today! Indeed, I have a lot of work in my packed schedule! Farewell, my friends! Let us meet again someday in this Den of Undiscovered Potential! Vincent paced toward the exit with quick strides, almost as if running. No, in fact, he was running away! But, Yuel was prepared for the possibility. Wait, Yuel grabbed Vincents shirt from behind. We still have one unfinished business. Yuel wasnt going to let this topic slip away. Not this time. Vol.12 Ch.15: The Truth Behind Bens Circumstances Wait, we still have one unfinished business. Yuel grabbed the fleeing criminal. I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about. Vincent tried to pull his shirt away to no avail. Time is of the essence! I must get home at once! To do what, exactly? The Great Archmage of Videocrafting never rests! There are countless edits to finish, numerous videos to polish to their maximum potential. For example, I must add narration to Gunzs mind-blowing plays. Itd be a crime against videocrafting to leave that precious footage without proper narration and effects! Okay, I understand. Yuel nodded. So, basically, nothing urgent. Wha-!? Vincent thought he almost fooled the enemy, but he got fooled instead! Stick around for a few minutes. As I said earlier, I have to ask you about- You''ll never catch me alive! Vincent broke out of Yuels grip and made a run for it! No, that wasnt quite right. Yuel was still holding onto the shirt he grabbed earlier. Instead of overpowering Yuels grip, Vincent masterfully slipped out of his shirt and dashed across the room half-naked! This guy... Yuel sighed. It was a slick maneuver, but such basic trickery wasnt enough. Yuel already read this line of play from a few turns ago. Lars, catch! On it! Lars lunged forward like a bullet. He transformed from a stationary object into a speeding car in an instant. W-Whoa!? Vincent cried out. Two strong arms wrapped around him and locked him in place. Gotcha! Lars seized the half-naked criminal. Impossible! Vincent cried out. I made such a perfect escape, yet Larsman tracked me down!? Yep, Larsman is here to serve some justice, yo! Drat. And I would have gotten away with it too, if not for that meddling Larsman! Somebody, send help! Ill pay you! Whats going on? Kai made a face as she approached the bizarre scene. She was the last club member who hasnt left yet. Help me, captain! Vincent cried out. Im being assaulted! His half-naked form made his words rather convincing. One could easily misunderstand the situation as Lars trying to undress Vincent. Sounds interesting, Kai said. Maybe I should stay to watch. Ah, what a terrible mistake on my part! Vincent cried in despair. I shouldve known that I wont receive any help here from a potential fujoshi! A what? But, I shall not yield! Vincent continued wrestling against Larss tight grip. Ill take the truth to my grave! Cmon, dude. Lars smiled. Just stop being silly and tell us whats up. Why are you resisting so much? Because its a national secret! Believe me, Im doing this for your own sake. I dont want to involve you in this evil conspiracy. Haha, sounds dangerous. Lars grinned. Is Ben agent 007 or something? Oh! Now it all makes sense! He must be getting secret missions all the time, thats why hes skipping club, right? Well... Vincent averted his eyes. The truth is a tad more complex than that... So, its about Ben? Kai asked. Yes, Yuel answered. Im done feigning ignorance. I could tolerate Ben skipping club activity every now and then, but missing an entire scrimmage is too much. Were not here to play around. Hes either a part of the club or he isnt. We have to make it clear whether we can rely on him for competitive games. Thats fair. I assume you know about his circumstances as well? Yuel confirmed. So, one of you, please tell us whats going on. I dont care who does it. Just tell us. Yeah, you deserve to know, Kai agreed. Vince, Im leaving this one to you. Wha-!? Vincent jumped. Captain, are you abandoning a hostage!? Just like that!? I really dont want to talk about this, especially not right now. Kai wore a difficult expression. Besides, you know more about it than I do. So, just tell them. Very well. Vincent sighed in defeat. He stopped struggling, so Lars finally released him. Good luck. Kai waved behind her back as she passed through the exit. Sorry, Vince. I know its unfair of me to dump this responsibility on you, but I really dont want to talk about it right now. Itll only remind me how powerless I am... Before long, Kai vanished from view and Vincent remained on the battlefield alone, with no allies to back him up. Very well, Vincent started. It appears the burden of explanation has fallen on me- agh!? A piece of cloth landed on his face. Get dressed up first. Yuel tossed the shirt he was holding onto. Very well. Vincent slid into his shirt and continued. So, you wish to know the circumstances of one Ben Miners. I must warn you that the information you seek is sealed away in the depths of the Akashic Records, in areas which none should access carelessly. Once you peer into the truth within, you will not be able to live in ignorance any longer. You shall lose your innocent selves and- Get to the point already, Yuel urged. I understand its probably a heavier topic than I expected. Move on. Yeah, cmon, dude! Lars gave Vincent an encouraging smack on the back. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Gah!? Vincent almost tripped from the impact. As usual, the smacking technique Lars inherited from Trever showed no mercy to anybody. I see, so youd even resort to torture. Very well. In that case, I have no choice but to unleash the forbidden knowledge upon this land! Vincent took a deep breath. It seemed he had to steel his heart before delivering the details, for some reason. Just how touchy is this subject? Yuel had no idea what to expect at this point. Judging by Kais reaction earlier, it was definitely going to be an unpleasant topic. Did Ben have some sort of illness that prevented him from regularly attending club activities? Or, maybe he had many siblings to take care of in a poor household? Various such possibilities crossed Yuels mind but the truth was quite different from what he imagined. Ill start from the end, Vincent said. Ben is being bullied. Bullied...? Yuel blinked. It suddenly became very clear why nobody felt comfortable talking about it. This topic was one huge can of worms. Yo, that sounds bad! Lars exclaimed. Ben is such a nice dude. Who the heck would wanna bully him!? His friends, Vincent said. Or, at least, they used to be his friends. His own friends are bullying him? Yuel asked. Do you know any details? Indeed, I know a few things. Vincent was about to hype up his ever-impressive pool of knowledge, but he stopped himself at the last moment. This wasnt the time to clown around. I dont know much about their relationship before Ben joined the club, Vincent reported. But, I do know theyve been treating him worse and worse ever since he joined the club. At first, they only verbally abused him. But, over time, they started dragging him away under the pretense of hanging out. Thats the truth behind the club activities he has been missing. He cant refuse them? Yuel asked. You know how Ben is. Vincent smiled wryly. He easily cracks under peer pressure. He has no chance against three people, especially not when they pretend theyre his friends. Man, these dudes sound like a piece of work, Lars said. Tell me their names. Imma talk to them. Wait, lets not rush things, Yuel advised. But, we gotta rescue our dude! I know, but you cant just resolve violence with violence. Who said anything about violence? I just wanna talk to them. And, you think they just gonna peacefully agree to leave Ben alone? You never know till you try. Ever the optimist, huh. Yuel smiled wryly. Lets hear out the entire story first, then well decide what to do. Okay, gotcha. So, Yuel continued. Do you know why his former friends are bullying him? I havent received an official statement, Vincent admitted. But, I pieced some evidence together. Youre aware that our club only had two juniors before you and Lars joined, right? Yes, Ben and Luke. Correct. What do you think that is? The schools restrictions, right? They only allowed you to recruit two new members last year. Indeed. But, as you might expect, more than two people applied for the club that year. And, Bens friends were among them. Uh-oh. Lars exclaimed. I think I see where ya going with this. You gonna say theyre mad because Ben made it while the rest of them flopped, right? Yes, thats my deduction, Vincent concluded. I only got a partial confirmation about this from Ben, but Im fairly certain thats the truth of the matter. Their relationship mightve been shaky even before that, but I dont have enough data to claim either way. Regardless, I believe its their failure to enter the club that triggered the bullying. Man, some dudes just dont know how to move on. Lars smiled wryly. We always had some dudes in the basketball club who went ballistic when they didnt make it into the first-string. Tai was often the boss of that gang, haha. Why can I imagine it so vividly... Yuel made a face. Incidentally, Vincent said. The three bullies in question are part of the basketball club at present. Oh, so thats why Ben always says he gotta help out at the basketball club! Lars figured. I always thought maybe Ben plays basketball on the side or something, but looks like I had it totally wrong. It seems he does in fact attend the basketball club, albeit against his will, Vincent explained. Part of the bullying involves dumping various menial tasks on him at the club, such as fetching the ball or cleaning up. Most likely, they force him to do the chores they were assigned to do. Man, these dudes are playing dirty! I had enough. Imma talk to them right now! Calm down for a second. Yuel grabbed Larss arm, stopping the fool from embarking on an adventure to seek trouble. Lemme go, yo! Imma settle this in a jiffy, just you watch. You dont even know their names or how they look. Oh, right. You got me there, haha. Lars piped down. I figured I might find them at the basketball club right now, but I gotta at least know their names first. So yeah, how do these dudes call themselves? Wait for a second with that, Yuel interrupted. There are a few other things Id like to ask first. Vincent, dont tell him the names until I say its okay. Very well. Oh, cmon. Lars pouted. What else you wanna know? Weve heard enough. These dudes are being assholes. We gotta put them in their place! I agree, Yuel said. But, this is a complicated topic. The fact this situation has been going on for so long tells me its not as simple as you think. So first, Id like to clarify a few more things. I shall answer all your queries, Vincent had no intention of keeping anything secret anymore. In fact, the more he talked on the topic, the looser his tongue became. Deep down, he must have wanted to share this story with everybody all along. It wasnt easy to bottle to a problem like this. Both you and Kai knew about the bullying for a while now, right? Indeed, weve become aware of this issue for a long time. And, I assume you tried to do something about it? Did you talk to Ben about it? Yes, of course we did, Vincent said. But, it was to no avail. He insists that these bullies are his friends and that everything is okay. Say what!? Lars jumped. What the heck!? Why??? I cant say for sure, Vincent admitted. I suppose he still wants to hold onto the friendship they once had. Or, perhaps, he feels too threatened to speak up. Either way, he denies the existence of any bullying. That makes things difficult. Yuel frowned. Indeed, Vincent agreed. Ive researched the topic of school bullying to combat such issues before, and apparently its common for the problem to start with the victim. More often than not, the victim would pretend that everything is alright instead of reaching out for help. What about the teachers? Yuel asked. Did you try talking to Ms. Stone? Yes, Kai and I reached out to her. She took the matter quite seriously and summoned Ben for a talk. But, it was no use. Ben denied everything? Yes, that he did. Vincent sighed in defeat. Ms. Stone chewed us out after that, saying we worried her for no reason. She never truly got to the bottom of the matter. Did you try any other teachers? Yuel asked. We have to explain the entire picture. Not only that theres bullying, but also that Ben is denying it. Maybe one of them will believe us. Personally, Im against relying on the teachers too much, Vincent admitted. In fact, I was even reluctant about asking for Ms. Stones help. It was Kai who pushed for that solution. Whats wrong with relying on the teachers? Theyre here for the students. If somebody is being bullied, the staff has to deal with it accordingly. Indeed, thats what common sense would suggest. Vincent smiled wryly. But, reality is often disappointing. Sometimes, relying on the teachers might only make the situation worse. How so? Theres no harm in trying. There is, in fact, potential harm. Do you mind if I humor you with a little story? A story about a naive boy who thought the system is absolute and that justice always prevails. Its a sad, sad story. Vincent lifted the lid on one of the darkest memories from his past. It was a memory that affected him like no other and has been haunting him to this day. It was one of the biggest failures of his life, one that hell not be able to apologize enough for no matter how much time passes... Vol.12 Ch.16: Vincents Regrets Its a story about a boy in grade school, Vincent began his tale. A quiet, nice boy who never hurt a fly. Unfortunately, being quiet meant he had trouble making any friends. Bullies often leeched off opportunities like that. And so, the boy found himself bullied. At first, nobody in class noticed that something was wrong, not even Vincent. The bullies just casually started hanging around the shy boy, acting overly familiar with him. Hey, I forgot my lunch money. Can you lend me some? It all started with indirect requests like this. The bullies mustve been testing this boy, to see how gullible he was. They probably wanted to see how easy it was to exploit him and get away scot-free. It was unclear what the boy himself thought of these suspicious approaches. Perhaps, he saw it as an opportunity to make friends. After all, these kids were reaching out to him, asking for his help. Perhaps he thought that, by playing along, they could start something going. So, the boy happily lent his money, probably thinking it was an early investment for developing friendship. Unfortunately, it didnt lead to the kind of relationship he was hoping for. On the surface, the gang of bullies acted as if they became the boys friends. However, it soon became apparent that their relationship was nothing like true friendship. The boy merely became the bullies plaything. They asked him to lend them money, to run errands for them, and even to pull pranks on other people in their stead and take the blame for it. Their demands escalated further and further. Its like they got their hands on a brand new toy and wanted to stretch it to its limits. And so, they continued making the boy commit all sorts of evils. Before long, the boy became known as a delinquent in the class even though none of it was his own will. Thats when Vincent started following the story more closely. His journalism senses tingled, he felt something was wrong. I wasnt particularly close to the boy, Vincent admitted. But, as an avid pursuer of the worlds truths, I made it a point to learn as much as possible about my classmates. You may call it Journalists Unstoppable Curiosity, a personal skill I inherited from my dear father. This guy is a natural-born stalker. Yuel made a face. But, he means no ill so its fine. Anyway, Vincent continued. Even though I didnt have a close relationship with the boy in question, I knew enough to tell that his behavior didnt match his personality. He knew the boy was the quiet type who wouldnt hurt a fly. Yet, after the boy started hanging out with his friends, things took a turn for the worse. These rascals clearly had a bad influence on such a good kid. I-I dont want to do this... Every now and then, the boy gathered the courage to resist the bullies demands. He clearly didnt want to do bad things but his resistance was too weak. What the heck, man? You not gonna do me this favor? I thought we were friends. The bullies ganged up on the poor boy whenever he dared to utter a single word of objection. They overwhelmed him through peer pressure, forcing him to submit. Sometimes, they even got physical with him. They shoved him, threw his things around, verbally assaulted him, and so forth. They did many things to keep their little toy under their thumbs. Honestly, it was sickening, Vincent said. I couldnt believe that such injustice could be happening in our modern times, right in my own class. Worst of all, everybody pretended like nothing was wrong. Everybody averted their eyes whenever the bullying was taking place. They protected themselves by avoiding eye contact. Nobody reached out to help the victim. And, Vincent didnt either. He was a coward like the rest of them. The bullies had some reputation to them. Especially, the leader of the gang was one of the so-called popular kids. He had a lot of influence and he seemed physically tough as well. Therefore, there was nothing Vincent could possibly do about this. At least, it was impossible through frontal confrontation. He wasnt some cartoon hero who could simply put on a colorful cape and save the day. Fortunately, there were other ways to deal with this problem. Not everything had to be resolved face-to-face, thats what Vincent realized after discussing the matter with his parents. Its best to speak with the teachers, his dad advised. You need to convince the victim to report the bullying. It sounded easy enough. All Vincent had to do was to convince the boy to report the bullying to their homeroom teacher. The staff will surely handle things from there. Perhaps there wasnt any hero around to rely on, but the school system was there for the students. Itll surely resolve this little issue in no time, right? Alas, reality proved to be far more complicated than Vincent expected. Bullying? What are you talking about? Theyre my friends. the boy insisted in front of Vincent. Even though he looked pale, beaten up, and fragile enough to collapse at any moment, the boy insisted to hold onto such falsehood. There was fear in his eye, the fear of disobeying a predator. The boy felt caged. If he tried to stir any trouble with his so-called friends, theyll stomp on him like on a useless toy. The boy mustve felt he couldn''t do anything about his own situation. Even though the solution was right in front of him, he was too afraid to reach out to it. No matter how hard Vincent pleaded with the boy, it was to no avail. Just leave me alone! Everything is okay! Everything is okay... The boy rejected Vincents hand until the very end. It was impossible to convince the boy to speak to the teachers. And, of course, nobody in class will do that for him. So, Ill do it. Vincent reached a conclusion. If the victim wasnt going to speak up, then it was up to Vincent to say something. Crimes like this couldnt go unpunished! Reporting was the right thing to do! It was justice! And so, he spoke of everything he knew. About the victims situation, about the bullying, and about the identities of the bullies. Vincent presented all the facts he gathered from observing the situation. He even mentioned that the victim was refusing to seek help and was pretending that everything was fine. I delivered all the necessary information to the authorities, Vincent explained. I felt it was my duty as the boys classmate. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Thankfully, the homeroom teacher acted on the information at once. She made Vincent retell the story a few more times in front of other teachers, including the principal himself. They mustve been trying to ascertain the truth of his words, as the matter was quite grave and complicated. Vincent spoke nonstop. He laid out all the details time and again, without missing a beat. The staff asked him numerous questions and he answered everything to the best of his ability. He has been following the situation closely, so he was confident in all the knowledge he accumulated. As the son of a journalist, itd be embarrassing for him to be stumped by simple questions like that, so he aced all these verification tests. In the end, Vincents passionate pleading convinced the staff that something was afoot. And so, they began the investigation by talking to the victim in private. Unfortunately, that didnt yield any results. The victim insisted the bullies were his friends and that no bullying was taking place. Such persistent foolishness. For the better or the worse, the teachers didnt stop there. Vincent already informed them about how the victim was refusing to seek help, so they dug deeper into the issue. They called over other classmates and questioned them on the topic in roundabout ways. Vincent had no idea how these conversations went but, apparently, the teachers managed to gather additional evidence. There were probably many other classmates who didnt approve of this bullying but were too afraid to speak up. So, a few of them might have let something slip during a private conversation. In the end, the teachers decided to address the issue directly. They organized a meeting with the bullies and the parents. The contents of the meeting remain a mystery, but they must have involved a lot of scolding and the like. That was it, Vincent said. Justice was served and everybody lived happily ever after. Or, so I thought... Unfortunately, the bullies punishment was far too light. They were expelled from school for a week, then returned as if nothing happened. For brats like them, being excused from school was probably more like a reward than a punishment. It was a dumb idea. Who the heck snitched on us, huh!? The bullies interrogated the entire class. Their suspicions were primarily targeted at the victim of the story, but they also suspected other classmates just in case. Somebody reported them, they knew that for sure. It wasnt hard to imagine what theyd do once they get their hands on that rat. Thankfully, Vincent remained an anonymous reporter. None of the teachers brought up his name during the investigation, so he could keep quiet and nobody would ever find out it was him. In fact, Vincent had to stay quiet. If he were to confess, the bullies would definitely turn him into their next target. So, he couldnt possibly speak up and there was no reason to. Justice was served. The heroes won. There was no reason to expose himself to further danger anymore. Therefore, Vincent remained quiet. And, naturally, nobody else spoke up either. Even if there were others who reported the bullying, they didnt step forth to admit any of it. Everybody was scared of becoming the next victim. Alright then, looks like we only got one bastard we can blame. The bullies focused their attention on the usual target. It was you, wasnt it? You filled the teachers heads with all that nonsense about bullying and whatnot, didnt ya? And here I thought we were friends, Matt. And so, the bullying resumed. Even though the bullies had just returned from their so-called punishment, they were back in action right away. However, this time, their bullying was twice as harsh. Their demands toward their friend grew more extreme than ever before, reaching borderline criminal levels. One time, they even made him burn school property. The physical and verbal assaults turned fiercer as well. In the end, instead of the situation being resolved, the victim found himself suffering twice as much as before. They victimized the poor boy to the point his eyes lost all their color. His head was constantly hung down as he wandered through the hallway. The will to live was no longer present on his withered face. While all of this was taking place, Vincent was just sitting on the sidelines. He silently observed this cruel situation from afar, outside the danger zone. I... I made all of this happen. Its all my fault. Vincent blamed himself. It was his meddling that triggered this situation. The bullying was already bad enough before, but now it turned into a literal hell. And, it was all because Vincent reached out to the authorities. What can I do? Should I speak to the teachers again? Vincent was at a loss. He thought he won when the teachers agreed to handle the situation, he thought justice was already served. Yet, his intervention only powered up the villains. They made a comeback from their defeat, returning twice as cruel. I was hesitant about turning to the teachers again, Vincent explained. I was afraid it might escalate the situation even further. A second intervention from the teachers would only anger the bullies further. Theyd undoubtedly become crueler and punish their victim even more. And, itd all be Vincents fault. I dont know what I should do... Vincent was at a loss. The system he naively believed in turned out to be useless. As the son of a journalist, he believed that exposing the truth would bring justice to the world. Unfortateunly, reality was disappointing. Instead of making things better, the truth only escalated everything for the worse. Therefore, Vincent continued sitting there on the sidelines. He mulled over this problem from afar, unable to take a single step forward. What will happen if I confess? Vincent wondered. I can tell them Im the one who reported them. The thought crossed his mind multiple times but he didnt care. In the end, he was just a coward like everybody else in the class. Like the rest of them, Vincent was afraid of becoming the target of bullying. I thought I was brave when I reported the bullying to the authorities, Vincent said. But, in the end, I simply lacked the courage to face the bullies myself. Vincent was just a little kid pretending to be a hero of justice. He couldnt do anything to resolve the injustice happening right in front of him. Nevertheless, he wanted to do something, anything, to make the situation better. But what? What could he possibly do!? While he was still mulling over his options, the bullying escalated. In the end, before Yuel reached any sort of conclusion, the victim transferred from the school. The poor boy simply couldnt take it anymore. That was probably for the best. It was unfortunate that no punishment ever befell the bullies, but at least the situation calmed down. The boy escaped the harmful environment and lived on. He should be able to start his life anew in a new school. At least, thats what Vincent desperately wanted to believe in order to keep his sense of guilt in check. That was the end of this unfortunate tale. I have no idea what became of the boy after that, Vincent said. I can only pray he found happiness elsewhere. Damn, thats... Lars was at a loss for words. He gave Vincent a pat on the shoulder and spoke softly. You did what you could, dude. Its not your fault. I agree, Yuel said. Im sure I wouldnt have accomplished more than you did in that situation either. I doubt I would have even taken the first step of involving the teachers. T-Thank you. Vincent turned away. How peculiar. Something appears to be stabbing my eye. It was the second time in his life that he shared the full story with somebody else. The first time was with Kai, when trying to convince her to not rely on teachers too much for Bens issue. It was an embarrassing story. Vincent failed to salvage that situation. In fact, he only made it worse by meddling. Even though he discussed the situation with his parents at first when seeking advice, he couldnt bring himself to report to them the entire result of his efforts. After all, how could he? Theyd surely say it was all his fault, that he committed a disappointing mistake even though they fed him with so much advice. But surprisingly, even as Vincent opened the lid on this sealed story, none of his friends blamed him. Not Kai, not Lars, and not even Yuel, who always had a fair share of criticism to spare. Nobody found any fault with Vincents actions. Everybody said he did the best he could given the situation. Perhaps it really wasnt so bad after all. Vincent thought. I did commit a mistake, but Ive learned a valuable lesson from that incident. I can do better this time! Vincent simply had to apply all these lessons to the current situation with Ben. He shall not commit the same mistake again! There had to be a safer, more efficient, method to save Ben from the bullying! And, Vincent promised he shall find it, alongside the friends who were raring to resolve the situation as much as he did! Vol.12 Ch.17: Violent Bullies I hope you now understand where Im coming from, Vincent said. Theres no telling what will happen if we rely on teachers for Bens problem. It might make things better, but it might also escalate the situation for the worse. Its a deadly gamble. I understand, Yuel said. I admit, I didnt consider that direction. I also naively thought that speaking to the teachers would magically resolve the entire issue. But, now that I think more about it, the teachers options are really limited. Indeed. They cant send the bullies to prison, so temporarily expelling them from school is about the best punishment they can enact. I understand. And, just like in your story, the bullies will eventually return to seek revenge. Yes, theyll no doubt return, twice as evil. Its a vicious cycle. This sure makes things difficult. Yuel frowned. I feel like a piece of shit for being angry with Ben all this time. I had no idea he had such complicated circumstances. None of this was Bens fault. The poor guy found himself in a toxic situation and had no way out. Even if he were to report the bullies directly, there was no telling how thatd pan out. Like in Vincents story, things might only take a turn for the worse. So, it was impossible to blame Ben for any of this. Nonetheless, his situation was a problem for the club. For one, his frequent absences turned him into an unreliable teammate. But, at this point, that was the lesser issue. The real problem was that a fellow club member was bullied outside the club. It was the first time Yuel faced such a difficult situation. He wasnt particularly close to Ben, mainly because the guy was forced to skip club practice half the time, but a sense of comradery existed between them nonetheless. They were part of the same team, aiming to win the regionals together. Maybe calling them friends would be a stretch, but Ben was an agreeable guy and a decent player, so Yuel was on good terms with him. Therefore, it was painful to know that such a good guy was harassed on a daily basis. Something had to be done about it. So, when are we going? Lars asked out of the blue. Going where? Yuel asked. To solve the problem, duh, Lars answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Solve it how? You heard Vincents story. We have to be careful about how we handle this. We cant just expect the teachers to solve this for us. Wut? Who was talking about teachers? Lars cocked his head. We dont need no teachers. We can solve this ourselves ez. Easy, you say... Yuel couldnt believe this carefree goof. You do understand its bullying were talking about, right? Theres nothing easy about this topic. Sounds easy enough to me. Lars shrugged. Vince had a real rough experience, but his situation was WAY harder. Its nothing like this one. Different? Vincent interjected. How so? Well, you said the boy they bullied was a loner, right? He didnt have anybody to stick up to him, so it was hard to help him out. Yes, thats correct. Thats why its totally different, Lars proclaimed confidently. I mean, Ben got all of us, right? He got the whole club worrying about him. I understand its hard as heck to do something about bullying by yourself, but you got us this time, ya know? We can handle it together! Oh, I see! Vincent blinked in surprise. He didnt even realize such a simple fact. Back when he tried to help the bullied boy in grade school, he was fighting that war all by himself. Thats why his only option was to rely on the system. After all, by himself, he was powerless to change anything. But, that wasnt the case this time! Yuel and Lars were both here, treating this topic with utmost seriousness. And, Kai also tried to resolve this problem before in her own ways. In other words, the entire club was coming together as one to purge evil! It was a beautiful display of the power of friendship! It all sounds nice, Yuel interrupted the early celebration. But, do you have an actual plan in mind? Plan? What plan? Lars asked innocently. Lets just go talk with them bully dudes. That should do it. You want to negotiate with terrorists? Yuel frowned. What are you going to say to them, exactly? I just gonna give it to them straight, that they should stop messing our with our dude. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Thats dangerous, Vincent warned. That trio are quite the savages. Are they violent? Yuel asked. Not usually, but they can snap if angered. To tell you the truth, Kai tried to confront them after Ms. Stone failed to resolve the issue. How did it go? Kai will probably never forget it for the rest of her life. They hit her. Wha-!? Yuel gasped. Theyd even raise a hand against a girl? Darn, they sound really nasty. Admittedly, Kai was almost asking for it, Vincent explained. She approached them first and started arguing, with as much intimidation as she could muster. I doubt she was planning to pick a fight, but thats how the other party probably saw it. So, they shoved her away in an attempt to get rid of her. In turn, the amazon blew a fuse and Ragnarok broke out. I can sort of imagine it. Yuel frowned. I guess it didnt go well? Of course not. The boys easily overpowered her. She ended up walking away in shame. Ever since, she has been avoiding the subject. Her pride as the clubs captain was in shambles. I see. Thats why she didnt want to talk about this. So, Lars, you heard all that? Hm? Lars tilted his head. Heard all what? These guys arent afraid of fighting back. Its dangerous to confront them. Dont worry, I aint gonna fight them, Lars promised. We just gonna talk a little, thats all. And, what do you plan to say, exactly? That they better release our dude from all that crap. He doesnt deserve it. And, you think theyre going to agree? Just like that? No harm in trying, Lars insisted. I mean, what do we have to lose here? Its not like anybody gonna arrest us for talking. These dudes aint nobody special. Theyre just students like us. No reason to be scared of them. This goof knows no fear. Yuel gulped. In his imagination, these bullies were a bunch of savage criminals who shouldnt be messed with. Yet, in Larss eyes, these guys were run-of-the-mill students. They were just some kids of the same age, so it was natural to try communicating with them. It was such a simple and naive, yet oddly convincing, line of reasoning. Fine, Yuel surrendered. We can try meeting them, at least. Okay, lets go then! Lars pumped a fist and marched toward the exit. Wait, Yuel said. Do you even know where to find them? Oh. Lars stopped in place for the second time, with his fist still stretched high into the air. He backpedaled and turned to Vincent. Any idea where we gonna find these dudes? Im afraid not, Vincent said. Really? I thought that Information Blackhole thingy of yours knows everything. Guh! Vincent grimaced. He received an invisible blow to his pride. To think that he, the great Information Blackhole, the one who held access to the Akashic Records, would not know the location of these people of interest! It was unacceptable! Nay, it wont stand! He had to deliver some sort of answer, even if it was imperfect! They... might be in the basketball club, Vincent suggested. The club was practicing today and theyre members, so it stands to reason they attended. I suspect practice is over by now, but they might still be in the area. So, the basket club? Okay, I know where that is. Lets go! Lars paced out of the room with confident strides. Are we really doing this? Vincent exchanged glances with Yuel. Looks like we are. Yuel smiled wryly. Its almost impossible to stop Lars when he gets like this. And, honestly? I dont see a reason why we should. Does that mean you approve of Larss reckless plan? Not entirely, but what else can we do? You dont have any better plans, do you? Its usually the Chessmasters job to come up with craft ploys. This isnt chess or even Classmancers for that matter, Yuel said. Ive never dealt with this sort of situation before, so theres no way Id have a tactic prepared for this. If anything, these types of interpersonal problems are my weakness. Ive never been great with resolving arguments. What a humble Chessmaster we have. Vincent smiled meaningfully. You say youre not good at it, but you perfectly stopped Kai and Lars when they were arguing over the Carry role during the Taurus scrimmage. That was an awe-striking performance! I guess Im getting a little better through experience, Yuel said. Though, Id rather not experience such situations in the first place. So, Vincent started. Tell me honestly. Do you believe Larss idea will work? Who knows, Yuel gave it straight. This guy is as unpredictable as they can get. Hes the master of pulling random nonsense that ends up working in the end. If its him, anything is possible. Indeed, I feel so too, Vincent agreed. When he insisted this was easy, I almost started believing its indeed that easy. Even though I should be perfectly aware of how difficult this topic is, something about Larss unyielding conviction almost swayed me. Yeah, he has that kind of effect on people. Thats why I almost believe he can actually pull this off. Im tempted to believe in him as well, yet my spidey senses are tingling. Vincent gulped. I have a feeling things will no be so pretty. Oh, Im sure they wont be, Yuel agreed. Thats why we need to be there too. If the situation gets out of hand, we might have to intervene. I must say, Im not confident about enlisting as a soldier. I doubt either of us will be much help in a fistfight, so we should avoid escalating things to that point. Our best weapons are here. Yuel pointed at his temple. If Lars is going to play the part of the brawn, then well be the brain. Thats our role in this match. Very well. Vincent nodded. I shall overclock my brain all the way to infinity and draw out all the existing information that can possibly help us emerge victoriously! Meanwhile, the Chessmaster shall use his Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception to find the villains weak spots and weave a ploy to strike them down! Ill do what I can. With these convictions, the trio headed toward the basketball club, to face the bullies that have been terrorizing Ben for the past two years. Will they be able to resolve this complicated situation peacefully? Probably not. Nevertheless, they braced themselves for the worst and pressed onward, believing in Larss ability to create an opportunity thatll flip this situation on its head! Vol.12 Ch.18: Bens Two Worlds The gym was just recently occupied by the basketball club, but now it was almost empty. Only four figures remained, apparently in charge of gathering the loose balls and tidying up the place. It was an easy enough task. With four pairs of hands, they shouldve finished the job a long time ago. Yet, an accident took place. Bop. Bop. Bop. A basketball jumped away, like a rabbit making its escape. Oh, crap! Larry apologized. Sorry, my hand slipped. Hey, Meatball! Can you bring that ball too? O-Okay, Ben answered through labored breaths. Sweat was dripping off his forehead. For how long has he been doing this? He lost track of time by now. His legs were aching. The muscles were screaming in pain. But, he couldnt stop in place. His friends asked him to bring the ball, so he had to comply. Thats what friends were for, right? They were supposed to help each other. Cmon, chop-chop, James urged. The ball is getting away. We don''t have all day, ya know. Im on it. Ben collected his breath and ran after the fleeing basketball. Why was he running? There was no hurry, there shouldnt have been. This was just an easy task of collecting all the balls and placing them back in the basket. Thats all they had to do here today. Ben couldve just walked to the ball at his own pace and collected it. But... Whats with that speed, Meatball? Mike demanded. Thats what you call running? A granny walks faster than that! I-Im sorry! Ben choked as he tried to apologize through labored breaths. It was painful. The very act of breathing felt like it was choking him from the inside. After running back and forth countless times in a row his whole body turned to lead. Every time he pushed his body forward, it felt like dragging a sack packed with bricks. I... I need... I need to get the ball... Ben repeated time and again in his head. If he didnt remind himself of the importance of the task, his body would buckle over right away. Theyre asking me to help... I need to help... Yeah... Finally, Ben reached the ball. It rolled all the way to the edge of the gym as if trying to escape from the area. As silly as it sounded, Ben found himself sympathizing with this ball. I wish I could just roll out of here as well... But, Ben couldnt do that. His friends were here, relying on his help. Therefore, he had to help. It was his punishment. Cmon! James yelled across the court with a grin. I gonna time ya. Sprint like your life depends on it! O-Okay! Ben shouted a reply across the court and almost tripped from the daze. His body couldnt keep going for much longer. When will this be over? I need to rest... But, Ben didnt voice any of these complaints. He did as he was told and dashed along with the ball. That was his job here. He was like a soldier following orders. As long as he accomplished his missions, nobody will complain and nobody will hate him. Therefore, Ben ran to the best of his ability. You call that running? Mike criticized. I can crawl faster than this. S-Sorry! Ben apologized as he wobbled forth. Almost there... Just a little more... Just a little... A few more steps and hell safely deliver the ball to its destination. After that, it will no longer matter what happens to his body. I just need to complete this last mission and were done...! Ben pumped up what little strength he had left to propel his body forward. The goal was right in front of him, it was the basket storing all the balls. Just a few more steps and hell safely deliver this last ball to its home. His body was more than ready to crash into the ground, but he endured. He firmly planted his feet into the ground and walked on. He wont collapse, not until he was done. Just a little more...! It was a walk of just a couple more meters, yet it was as exhausting as running five kilometers. His entire body screamed at him, complaining about the abuse. But, it was alright. It was almost over. H-Here... Ben finally reached his destination. He placed the last ball in the basket. It was over. His mission was complete! At the same time he delivered the ball, all strength left his knees and he collapsed on the floor. It was a little embarrassing, but it couldn''t be helped. He was drained beyond belief. Todays work was harder than usual. Normally, his friends would grow bored of collecting balls by now. Yet, today, the busy work was dragging out. The basketball practice ended a long time ago, yet Mike, Larry, and James have stayed behind for quite some time now. Well, that didnt matter anymore. Ben faithfully carried out his duty and delivered the final ball. He endured todays punishment and satisfied his friends demands. It was over. Bop. Something made a sound as it jumped off the ground. Eh...? Ben slowly turned around. What was that peculiar sound? Bop. Bop. It was so weird. Nothing should be making that sound right now. Bop. Bop. The sound persisted and gradually grew fainter as if escaping from Ben. Whoopsie! Larry grinned. Damn, these balls gotta be hatin me or something, Im telling ya. Hey, Meatball! Can you be a doll and bring it over here? Ah... Ben trembled. At this point, he couldn''t even tell whether the liquid in his eyes was tears or sweat. Whichever it was, it stung him and made him rub his eyes. But, his hand was sweaty too so it only stung him more. Please, just stop it. Please. Ben grit his teeth. Why are we still here? Dont they realize theyre wasting their own time too!? Why. Why? WHY!? Even though Ben deserved punishment, this was too much. This no longer made any sense. What was the point of sending the balls rolling like that? Over and over and over. They were just wasting their own time. Didnt they have anything better to do? Nothing at all? Really? At first, Mike, Larry, and James were doing something fruitful here. They were simply practicing shots after the club activity was over. They assigned Ben as their ballboy and he had no qualms about that. As long as his actions were genuinely helping his friends, he had no problem running around and getting a little sweaty. If anything, it was great to see the trio practicing basketball after-school like that. They didnt seem too invested in the club last year, but it mustve been slowly growing on them. They even let Ben shoot at the basket a few times too. His heavy body was an ill fit for playing an intense sport like basketball, but scoring shots was something even he could do. It only required the right stance and an accurate application of strength, so even Ben got a little better at it with enough practice. At first, it was genuinely fun. Even though Ben felt bad about missing his own club activity, he didnt mind spending that kind of time with his friends. The trio seemed nicer than usual today, so it felt like he was really hanging out with his best friends. But, that was only the prelude. As time went on, their attitudes shifted. Maybe they couldnt stand seeing Ben enjoying himself with them, or maybe they just grew bored with the activity. Either way, thats when things started taking a turn for the worse. Instead of practicing free shots, they started practicing shots from half-court. It was unrealistic to consistently score anything from there, but it was cool to get some shots in across such a distance. So, it wasnt too strange for the trio to try it out for fun. At least, thats what Ben told himself. The only negative thing about this change in routine was how the balls started rolling farther and farther away. Ben had to run all over the gym to collect these loose balls. It taxed on his body but he endured. Its fine. They wont be doing this for long. He was convinced. Shooting from half-court was just the guys messing around. Theyll get bored of it soon enough for sure. Alas, it took them over 20 minutes to give up on this activity. By that time, Ben was already drenched in sweat and his muscles screamed in pain. Unfortunately, that wasnt even the end of it. As Ben was about to finish collecting all the balls to call it a day, Larry accidentally let one ball slip away from his dribble. And so, Ben had to run and collect that ball as well. Then, the same thing happened with James ball. Seriously, these two should polish their dribbling skills, haha... Then, a third ball rolled away, yet again from Larry. So, Ben had to run across the court once more. At this point, his body was already at its limit. Nevertheless, he endured and delivered the ball yet again, believing it was the end of todays punishment. But, Larry let another ball slip away. Again. Whoopsie! Thats all Larry had to say for himself, with a fake smile plastered on his face. Stop it. Please. Just stop it already. Ben felt like crying. In fact, perhaps he was already crying and simply didnt notice it amidst the sweat. He deserved punishment, he was well aware of that fact. But, was it necessary to go this far? Did his friends really have to torture him to no end? To the point his entire body ached all over and he could barely take a step? Just why...? Whats wrong? Mike demanded. The ball is calling for you. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Yeah, yeah, James tuned in. Cmon, get on the job, Meatball. Y-Yes... Bens legs already buckled over, so he first had to push himself off the floor. UGHHHH! It was impossible. It felt like his body weighed twenty tons. He knew he was a little obese, but this was too much. In reality, weight wasnt the problem. Its his muscles, they ran out of juice. They screamed in pain at every twitch he did. This was way too much exercise for one day. It was impossible to go on... Cmon, Meatball! Stand up! Larry cheered. Or what, youre too heavy for it? Thats why you gotta exercise more, haha! Yep, James agreed. You should be thanking us, really. Youre such a lazy fatass, so were wasting our precious time to help you lose weight. Well, thats what friends are for, right? Y-Yeah... Ben answered weakly amidst labored breathes. It was painful. Everything was painful. He just wanted to be released from this hell already. Get moving, Mike kicked Ben on the back. We dont have all day. Get that ball so we can wrap things up. R-Right away! Ben pushed himself from the ground again but it was to no avail. His limbs no longer had the necessary energy to stand up. He needed a rest. A good, long rest. But, his friends wont permit him any. They wanted him to collect the ball ASAP. There was no other option but to comply. I have to get the ball. Ben crawled forward. He had to move forward, no matter how miserable his form was. If he didnt move at all, his friends will get angry again. So, if his legs refused to move, then hell just have to crawl. Haha, lame. James laughed. Ya look like a pig, dude. Cmon, at least stand up, Larry urged. Yeah, we dont have all day here, Mike added. Ugh... Ben gritted his teeth and continued crawling forward, unable to grant that wish. Judging by the guys tones, they were mildly amused by the sight of Ben crawling desperately like this. Therefore, theyll probably forgive him for being so slow. After all, as long as they were amused, they could turn a blind eye to many things. With that said, the possibility of further punishment wasnt completely off the table. They might be laughing now, but their mood was a fickle thing. They might criticize him further once he returns. Ill worry about that once it happens. Ben resolved himself. For now, his task was to get the ball back, no matter what it took. The ball was still many meters away. Crawling toward it was so painfully slow. Ben felt like he understood what it meant to live like a snail. He prayed that, in his next life, he wont be reborn as one. The ball was about five meters away. He was getting there. Slowly but surely, he was making progress. Hell retrieve this ball and put an end to this nightmare! But, will it really end there? Even if Ben obediently delivers the ball, there was no telling what his friends will demand him to do next. They clearly didnt care he was exhausted to the bone. Theyll make him run, jump, or crawl, anything thatll provide them with fleeting entertainment. And, Ben had no choice but to obey, for this was his neverending punishment. He deserved all of this, every last bit. At least, thats what his friends insisted. But, was it really the case? Did Ben really deserve all this torture? Wasnt it enough already? For how long will they continue punishing him for his crime? Until the end of middle school? Or, will they keep doing this in high school, too? And, maybe even beyond that? At this rate, Ben will continue suffering like this forever. His friends will continue to torment him at every turn, to remind him of his betrayal. Theyll make him regret joining the Classmancers club until the end of his life. Was it really worth it? Ben couldnt help but ask. He wanted to get into the Classmancers club so much, yet this was the payoff. Was it worth it? At first, Ben was convinced he did the right thing. No matter how much his friends resented him for it, joining the Classmancers club wasnt a mistake. Surely, with time, they would forgive Ben for his actions. But, they didnt. They started harassing him as punishment and the offenses grew worse by the day. So, at this point, Ben could no longer claim with confidence that he did the right thing. Maybe I shouldnt have joined the club after all. He hung his head. If I didnt try so hard to get in, we could still be friends like before. I wouldnt have to crawl on the court like this, chasing these loose balls. Maybe I should just quit The thought crossed his mind numerous times by now. Sometimes, he just couldnt bear it anymore. It was too much. They even made me miss this years first scrimmage. Ben shuddered. I bet everybody in the club is furious with me. And, I cant even promise that Ill make it to the next scrimmage Yeah, I should just quit. There was no point enduring this anymore. It was one thing when his friends were punishing him alone, but now their actions were also negatively impacting the rest of the club. Yuel even mentioned he had plans to sub Ben into matches depending on the circumstances, but Ben disappeared at the most critical moment. This was unacceptable. Yeah, quitting sounds best. Ben concluded. Maybe thatll appease his friends. It might finally put an end to all this malice. But first, the ball. Ben shook his head and focused on the target in front of him again. The ball was a few meters away. Itd be a short walk by foot but his legs were like dead meat. Thus, he had no choice but to crawl there. With this snail pace, the distance felt painfully long. Nevertheless, Ben braved through it. He was determined to put an end to all this torture. To that end, he had to pump out as much strength as possible. And so, he crawled against the cold floor. No matter how miserable or pitiful he looked, he had to accomplish the task his friends set for him. He crawled, crawled, and crawled some more. With each passing second, he accomplished less and less. Eventually, his body halted altogether. It refused to budge anymore. The ball was just there. He would reach it if he could take just a couple more steps forward. But, at the very end of the struggle, his muscles gave in. They refused to move as he commanded. Not good. I need to get it or theyll be mad. Ben pleaded with his own body, begging it to ignite the engine one last time. But, it refused to listen. His own flesh and bones were no longer under his command. They gave in to exhaust. After all that running for the past hour, Ben was completely out of gas. Theyre going to be mad. Ben knew for sure. His friends wont show him any mercy. He failed to accomplish his task, so hell be punished accordingly. Getting the ball was already punishment in its own right, but that didnt matter. Theyll punish him extra for failing the punishment, as they were the ones writing the rules of the game here. Please, just get the ball... Ben pitifully stretched his arm. If he could at least reach the ball, then this operation wont look like a total failure. It might appease his friends just a little, just a tiny bit. Alas, no matter how hard Ben stretched his hand, he couldnt reach the ball. It was so close, yet so far. And so, he failed the task. It was over for him. What sort of punishment will they hammer him with next? Ben shuddered at the mere thought. Itll probably be even worse than what he was doing here today. It might even be something dangerous, something thatd injure him for real. All of this because of one little basketball. This round, faceless creature, that only knew how to hop away like a rabbit. It never bothered to stop and think of the trouble it was causing Ben. Im too tired. My brain doesnt even make sense anymore. Please, just come over here. Ben pleaded to this indifferent creature. As expected, it was a fools errand. Ben didnt have telekinesis or anything of the sort, so he couldnt make the ball move on its own. And, of course, the ball didnt have a will of its own either. There was no way itd budge from its current spot. Nonetheless, something happened. BUMP. It was a brief motion. Ben could barely make it out through his hazy vision. The pouring sweat from his forehead was stabbing his eyes, but he did his best to open them wide and see the blurry figure in front of him. It looked like a hand, reaching toward the ball as if from the heavens. By applying a couple of brief motions, the hand made the ball jump upwards. It looked like an excited puppy greeting its owner. Who...? Ben directed his hazy eyes upwards. A boy was standing there, towering over Ben like a being of a higher existence. Was this the God of Basketball? Did he descend from the heavens to help Ben pick up this ball? Yo, whats up, dude? The boy flashed his teeth as he played around with the ball. It moved around smoothly as if it was an extension of the boys own body. This cold-hearted object, which had been torturing Ben for hours now, looked like an obedient pet in the boys masterful hands. Why...? Ben barely squeezed that one word out of his mouth. He couldnt understand why this was happening. The two different worlds he was living in were about to collide and explode in front of his very face. The fun times he spent at the club with everybody and the difficult times he endured with his friends. These two separate realities were about to make contact with each other. That wasnt allowed to happen! Theyll crash into each other! I dont want that. Ben bit his lip. The rest of the club shouldnt get involved in the uglier side of his daily life. They might get hurt if they step into this territory. In fact, it already happened to Kai before. So, they should know better than that. Then why? Why was Lars here, standing tall as if it was the most natural thing in the world!? Dont come. Please. Ben pleaded silently. Dont get involved in this. They wont go easy on you. You better run away while you can. I cant run away, but you can. Alas, nobody listened to his silent prayers. On the contrary, the situation only escalated for the worse because it turned out Lars didnt come here alone. Are you alright!? Vincent hurried to Bens side and offered a hand. Here, Ill help you out. Ah... Ben raised his trembling arm. Was it trembling from exhaust? Or, from fear? Either way, he instinctively reached out to the offered hand even though he knew it was a mistake. No, I cant. Ben stopped himself midway. If I accept their help, theyll get involved in this mess. They dont deserve this. Its my problem. My alone. This was probably a sign. Ben was just thinking about quitting the club for good to not trouble anyone anymore. And, right as he reached that conclusion, his clubmates arrived just in time to receive the news. Dont worry, Vincent whispered. Well save you. Eh...? Ben blinked. He could swear his ears were playing tricks on him. Save? Who? The ones who needed saving right now were the people in front of him. There was no chance Mike and Co. will let any intruders walk away unscratched. I have to stop this before something bad happens. In the end, Ben accepted Vincents hand in order to stand up. He had to get his strength back as fast as possible in order to stop the club from getting involved in this mess. And, along with that, hell also notify them about his plans to leave the club. I need to tell them. Itll be my fault if something happens to them. Bens knees trembled, either from tiredness or fear. In fact, it was probably both. I have to tell them to go away. Hurry...! Ben couldnt bring himself to speak up. Why!? At such a critical time...! You better take a break, dude. Lars flashed a confident grin. I gonna exchange a word or two with yo pals over there. You dont mind, right? N-No, thats... Ben had to stop this disaster. His two worlds were about to crash into each other right in front of his eyes and itll all be his fault. He had to prevent this! Alas, Lars was already moving ahead at lightning speed. Okay, Imma be back in a jiffy. Lars saluted and headed toward the other side of the court with confident strides, dribbling the basketball along the way. N-No! Thats not good... Ben resisted with everything he could but his voice was too weak. His throat was dry as a desert. Here. Someone offered Ben a bottle of water. Turned out there was a third entity foolish enough to invade this dangerous territory. It was Yuel. Ah... Bens shoulders slumped. It was over. If it were just Lars and Vincent, itd still be possible to chase them away and pretend like nothing happened. But, with Yuel here too, the number of intruders jumped up to three. That was too much. They matched Mikes team in numbers at this point. There was no way Mike will overlook this. Thanks... Ben accepted the bottle of water and quenched his unbearable thirst. With all that nonstop running around, he didnt have any free time to drink. His entire body was drenched in sweat, he was clearly losing fluids by the moment. Yet, only now he was finally allowed to replenish himself. I want to thank them for coming, I really do. But... Ben hung his head. He had no right to thank them. He could only apologize for causing them so much trouble. They were about to suffer terrible consequences for getting involved in this and all of it will be Bens fault... Vol.12 Ch.19: The Mighty Bully Leader Lars, Yuel, and Vincent arrived at the gym. As Vincent suspected, they found Ben in there along with his friends. Even without hearing all the details from Vincent, it was easy to understand this situation at a glance. Ben was pitifully crawling on the floor, drenched in sweat. His arm was stretched forward, desperately trying to reach the ball lying a couple of meters away. Most likely, Ben served as a ballboy for his friends here today. Except, he was an overworked ballboy who wasnt going to get any rewards for his hard work. Yep, this smells like bullying alright. Lars nodded to himself and walked toward the innocent basketball lying on the floor. This poor dude was used as a bullying device, wasnt it? It clearly didnt wish for any of this. A basketball existed for people to have fun with, not for torturing others. Lars tapped the basketball a few times and made it bounce off the floor. It was a good ball. The density felt just right and it didnt seem worn out. The ball maintenance in this club was clearly pretty good. Nice, nice. Alas, there were villains here who used such a nice place to commit crimes. That was unacceptable! This was no longer just about Ben. Lars had to teach these delinquents a proper lesson. They were part of the basketball club, so they gotta respect the equipment and this nice gym they got. I gonna exchange a word or two with yo pals over there. You dont mind, right? Lars went on without waiting for an answer. Okay, Imma be back in a jiffy. He advanced deeper into the court, making sure to dribble the ball as much as possible. This poor lil ball probably suffered a lot during these circumstances. It deserved to be played with, not mindlessly tossed around like trash. Meanwhile, Yuel and Vincent helped Ben by picking him off the floor, giving him water, and arranging him a chair. It was good work. Dude definitely needed a long, good rest. Stay with Ben, Yuel told Vincent. Ill go with Lars. You wish to venture into the lions den!? Vincent exclaimed. Thats beyond dangerous! Truth be told, Im not confident about Lars handling this either. Im sure you can tell at a glance what manner of gentlemen were dealing with here. Yeah, they look like savages, alright. Yuel nodded. Thats why I cant leave Lars alone there. I dont how much Ill help, but it should be more reassuring for him if Im there. I see. Vincent smiled wryly. Very well. You are his Support, after all. So go ahead, support the hero! From this moment forth, youre the heros sidekick! Im not sure how I feel about that title but Ill do it. D-Do you perhaps require my presence over there as well? Vincent asked reluctantly. He clearly didnt want to face the bullies, it was written all over his face. Nonetheless, he mustered the courage to suggest it anyway. Its okay, Yuel said. Stay with Ben. I think hes a little shaken by all of this. Indeed, that he is. Vincent nodded, then saluted to the departing duo. Very well, soldier. Have a safe trip! If you fall in battle, Ill make sure to inform your family of your heroic deeds! Heh, what a distasteful joke. Yuel smiled wryly and ventured into the battlefield. Vincents bad joke didnt sound like a joke at all. This basketball court really felt like a war zone. Yuel and Lars were about to confront three dangerous savages. There was a good chance they wont get away unscratched. Shivers danced on Yuels skin from the mere thought. Nevertheless, he moved forward, determined to bring the curtain down on this foul play. This unfortunate saga with Ben had to come to an end, one way or another. The resolution will probably be far from pretty but Yuel had to see it through. Thus, he followed Lars from behind all the way into enemy territory. As a Support player, it felt a little awkward to tail his Carry. Normally, it was Yuels job to stand on the frontline and soak all the hits. But, Lars was far more qualified to handle this one. He was the charismatic goof whose words might get through to these savages. Yuel didnt have the communication skills to pull off such a feat, and neither did he have the patience for dealing with savages who entertained themselves by bullying others. Scums like that were among the lowest forms of life on this planet. I dont know how he can smile in this situation. Yuel wondered as he followed Lars from behind. Its as if this situation doesnt affect him at all. Such nerves of steel. Unlike Yuel, Lars seemed perfectly composed. In fact, he was having fun while dribbling the ball along the way, as if there was nothing tense or dangerous about the current situation. Your club sure got a dope gym to practice in. Lars looked around like an excited child in an amusement park. Heh. One of the boys snickered. Yeah, way better than practicing in the basement, am I right? His pals cracked a laugh. I know, right? Lars laughed along with them. I mean, who in their right mind thought to shove students down the basement? That gotta be breaking some laws, yo. Thats what you get for pretending a video game is legit club activity, haha. Another boy laughed. Lars didnt know his name. In fact, he didnt know any of their names, and they probably didnt know his either. Nonetheless, these dudes immediately mentioned the basement. So, they knew Lars was from the Classmancers club. Thatll make things faster. Im Lars, by the way, Lars casually introduced himself with a friendly smile. ......... The boys exchanged glances, unsure how to deal with this friendly goof. There were three gangsters over there, but two of them glanced toward the bigger dude in the center. So, thats the boss. Lars concluded. For the better or the worse, he had some experience dealing with wannabe gangs like this. When somebody stumped the gang with something unexpected, everybody naturally turned their eyes to the leader. There was always one dude who held the most authority. Tai was often that dude back in grade school. Lars smiled wryly. For a moment, the image of the three bullies overlapped with Taison and his former lackeys. Taison often stood in the center and his subroutines sought his guidance on every little thing. This looked exactly the same. So, this gonna be ez. Lars smiled confidently. I just gotta convince the boss dude, then were done. If the leader decided to stop bullying, the others would follow suit, thats how this system worked. Now, that there was a clear target in front of him, Lars focused all his attention on the boss in front of him. It seemed the guy felt the gaze. Mike, the leader introduced himself in response to Larss introduction. The others saw it as a cue. Larry. James. The trio greeted Lars with gauging eyes. They were probably trying to intimidate him into submission. The conversation seemed civil on the surface so far, but these guys were like hungry hyenas. They were waiting for an excuse to jump him. The smallest spark would blow up the entire place. But, after coming this far, Lars couldnt turn around and leave. Especially, not after seeing Bens sorry state. That was just terrible. These rascals probably made the poor dude run all over the place, chasing balls to no end. Taison used to pull similar crap before, so Lars knew how this worked. It was such a distasteful method of bullying. Why do this? The ball didnt ask for any of it. Lars looked at the ball in his hands. It was yet another victim here. This ball was born to let people enjoy the fun sport that was basketball. It wasnt meant to be a torturing device used for bullying. If Lars were part of the basketball team here, hed lash at these dudes for mistreating the equipment like this. But, right now, he was an outsider. He had no authority over this club. Rather, he was like an invader overextending into enemy territory, unafraid of enemy ganks. The enemy clearly held the advantage here, so he had to play this one slow and steady. So, Lars started. Ya figured Im from the Mancers club, right? Yeah, Mike, the leader, answered. I saw you before. You joined this year, right? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Yep, that I did. Youre not a freshman though, are you? Nope, a junior, Lars answered. I transferred this year, so they let me join as if Im a freshman. Huh. Mike didnt show much reaction. Something about this detail clearly bugged him but he let it slide. Hes a little different from Tai. Lars realized. Whenever Taison was leading some sort of gang, he was openly hostile toward anybody who confronted him. Hed respond with loaded remarks and verbally attack his opponents at every turn. But, this Mike dude was different. He was kinda chill for a leader. This was the worst kind of opponent to deal with... So... Lars looked around, searching for a way to break the ice. I dont think I can just dive into the main topic without some preparation. He gulped. The two dudes beside Mike looked like they were ready to gank Lars at any moment. Wheres the rest of the club? Lars asked. Is practice over? It ended early, Mike said. Yep, James added. Coach was sick or somethin so he ditched practice early, haha. This is the best timeline. Larry smirked. No practice is best practice. Im not sure I agree with that one, Lars said. But, I see how it is. Practice ended early but you dudes stayed behind to practice some more. Thats some dedication, yo! Yeah, sure. Mike merely sneered at this comment, neither confirming nor denying it. What was the truth, then? They probably just stayed behind to mess with Ben. Lars figured. Welp, I hope they got at least some practice in. Otherwise, itd be a real waste. So? Mike cut to the chase. What are you losers doing here? Haha... Lars clenched the basketball in his hands. Keep it cool, dude. Keep it cool. Hes just trying to get me to start a fight. I aint falling for that. We came to check on Ben, Lars explained. Ya know hes part of our club, right? So, we were wondering why hes missing practice all the time. He was helping us with practice, Mike spouted obvious bullshit with a straight face. Unlike you frauds, were playing a real sport over here. So, it only makes sense for Ben to support us, dont you think? Hes a smart guy, he knows wheres the real competition at. But, hes part of our club, Lars argued. I agree basketball is serious business and all, but its aint nice to borrow him all the time for your own needs. Hmph. Mike sneered. If he didnt wanna do it, hed just refuse, wouldnt he? Its his decision. His decision, huh. Lars smiled wryly. This dude be spittin facts. Its true that everything is up to Ben in the end. This is some solid logic right there, but... Its obvious these dudes were forcing Ben into this crap. The poor guy had no real say in the matter. They mustve threatened him into it, probably even roughed him up a few times to teach him a lesson. Its no good. Lars shook his head. I feel blood rushing to my head. Maybe I was a little too cocky. I said I can handle this, but Im not so sure anymore. At least, I dont see a pretty resolution right now... Ya right, Lars said. Ben is free to do whatever he wants. But, hes part of our club, so he gotta discuss that stuff with us first. So, do me a favor, will ya? The next time you ask him to help you out, I wanna be present there too. What for? To make sure its really Bens own decision. Hmph. Mike raised an eyebrow and shot a fierce glare. Are you implying something? Who knows. Lars glared back. Their lines of sight clashed with each other like blades, generating dangerous sparks in the air. For real, it was so hard to play nice in front of this sneering scumbag. Mike wasnt the type to lose himself to anger like Taison. Lars couldnt crack this dude as easily as he hoped. This was getting frustrating. The more they talked, the thinner Larss smile grew. He struggled to maintain a positive facade at this point. Mike was slowly, but surely, pulling Lars toward overextending. Dang it! Lars let out some steam by dribbling the ball. Calm down, calm down! These dudes gonna jump me the moment I say anything they dont like. Gotta keep my language clean. Yeah, keep it clean. Real clean. All sparkling and shiny-like, yo. Anyway, Lars continued. Please dont drag Ben away before confirming hes available with the rest of the club. Pft, get a load of this guy. James laughed. Who died and made you god, pal? Larry added. I didnt know Ben is your personal pet and we need permission to hang out with our friend, Mike said. Friend, eh. Lars wanted to say something but stopped himself at the last moment. No, he aint nobodys pet. But, hes part of the club, ya know? If he decides to skips practice, the club hafta be informed. right? Hah. It almost sounds like youre running a prison over there. Mike sneered. Club or not, Im pretty sure Ben is free to do whatever he wants. If he wants to help us practice basketball, who are you to stop him? Well... Lars failed to find a counter. He was never good at these sorts of debates in the first place. He came here expecting some hot-headed opponents who couldnt string two words together, but this Mike schmuck was a tough nut to crack. The back-and-froth was growing tenser by the moment. The atmosphere in the gym was becoming thick and heavy. It felt like a single spark would ignite the entire place and bloody war would soon break out. Despite all that, Yuel continued watching the conversation from the side without saying a word. He could tell things were rough for Lars, but he couldnt bring himself to step in and say anything. They would swallow me whole if I dare to say anything. Yuel gulped. Only Lars can stay unfazed in front of these guys. But... Lars wasnt invincible. He had no trouble confronting the bullies without flinching, but he wasnt exactly a debate expert. Compared to him, the enemy leader was rather sly. He deflected everything Lars threw his way and he wiggled his way out of every argument. This was bad. At this rate, Lars will lose. Not in terms of fighting spirit, but in terms of debate skills. This was a rather unexpected situation. Ive always imagined bullies as a bunch of hot-headed scumbags. But, this guy is more like a veteran criminal who is used to getting away scot-free. Can Lars really handle this...? A debate was like a 1v1 mind game, similar to chess in some ways. The winning condition was to break through the enemys layers of defense and to corner them with a decisive argument. As such, Yuel was somewhat adept at it. At least, more adept than Lars. Maybe I need to man up and step in? Yuel gulped. Things arent looking too hot for Lars right now. Mike checked Lars with a strong argument. He claimed Ben had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. As such, if Ben deems it more important to hang out with his friends than to attend club practice, then it was Bens right to do so. It sounded like a nice argument, so it was no wonder Lars struggled to counter it. And, indeed, there was some truth to it as well. Ben definitely had the freedom to decide his actions. Forbidding him to hang out with his friends would come off as tyranny. That was probably the part that stumped Lars the most. Nonetheless, Mikes seemingly strong argument was clearly flawed. Yuel had already come up with five different lines of play to counter this argument and gain the upper hand in this battle. But, he didnt dare to voice any of them. The three bullies were playing nice for now, but their glares were loaded with malice. They clearly werent amused by this situation. If Yuel utters just one wrong word, theyll use it as an excuse to start a war. Gulp. Maybe I should give Lars some advice? Yuel had a naive thought like that for a moment but it clearly wont work. Even if he passes on some of his counter-argument ideas to Lars, itll be like a broken telephone. Lars will simply parrot whatever Yuel had to say, probably without fully understanding the depth of the arguments. Mike will corner him again soon enough. Not to mention, the bullies probably wont approve of cowardly behavior like that. Theyd call Yuel out, telling him to speak up instead of whispering to Lars. Worst of all, Larss credibility will plummet if they see him rely on somebody else. The only reason Lars was successfully keeping the bullies at bay was that he looked them straight in the eye without flinching. If he breaks that eye contact, itll be almost like admitting defeat. So, are we done here? Mike asked in an arrogant tone, believing he won. Eh, wait, about that... Lars struggled to form a coherent sentence. He probably fried his brain thinking about a good counter-argument. His internal hardware didnt have the specs to deal with such processor-intensive tasks. I have to speak up. Yuel gulped. His heart hammered in his chest as if objecting to this idea. I know this is risky but we cant back off now. Lars created this great opportunity to settle things once and for all. If we dont seize it now, we never will. And so, Yuel stepped forth and stood closer to Lars. He couldnt remain on the sidelines anymore. Yuel was Larss Support, so he had to support this courageous guy to the very end. Youre right, Yuel spoke to Mike. Huh? Mike raised an eyebrow. He seemed confused. This was a good start. Ben has the freedom to do as he pleases, Yuel continued. We all have the right to freedom and Ben is no exception. Exactly. So, if you understand that much, would you kindly fuck off already? Youre interfering with our club activity. Ugh... Yuel flinched in front of Mikes intense gaze. This was bad. The plan was to strike while Mike was still confused, but the guy immediately recovered. There were no openings. Yuel was wrong about one thing regarding the chess analogy. Debate was indeed like a 1v1 game, but it was a game with loose rules. There were far too many tricks and techniques out there, some of which would definitely be illegal in an official game. Mikes fierce intimidation was one of them. Even though the guy held his ground just fine via arguments, he had no intentions of playing by the rules. Hed use every dirty trick in the book to secure his victory. Fair competition was an alien concept that had no place here. I-I dont think I can do this. Yuel caved in against Mikes piercing glare. For a moment, he forgot how to form sentences. He became a helpless rabbit who was about to be devoured by a merciless wolf. Hey, were real sorry for intruding like this and all. Larss strong voice cut through the suffocating atmosphere. But, this is only fair, ya know? Ben is part of our club, so it interferes with our club activity when hes missing. So, its like your club activity always interferes with our club activity, so now its our turn, haha. Hmph. Mike was forced to divide his intimidation between the two opponents. That lessened the burden on Yuel. Hah... Yuel felt like a boulder fell off his shoulders. His body was so tense a moment ago that he couldn''t speak a single word, but now he was returning to his usual self. Lars really saved him with that interjection. Dont worry, dude. Lars showed a small thumbs-up behind his back. I gotcha back. Go floor that dude with your 200 IQ stuff, yo! Got it. Yuel took a deep breath. He wasnt alone in this fight. Even though he stepped in to help Lars, it didnt mean Lars suddenly ceased to exist. The ever-confident goof was still here, standing less than a meter in front of him. While Yuel searches for a way to corner Mike through debate, Lars will deflect all the incoming intimidation. Together, theyll force Mike to play by the rules and beat this guy at his own nasty game! Vol.12 Ch.20: Basketball Challenge With Lars by his side, Yuel found the courage to speak up against Mike. As you said, Yuel continued. Ben has freedom. But, as a club member, he has responsibilities as well. For example, if you skip club practice without notice, somebody will complain, right? Haha, true dat. James was the one to respond. That dang coach likes chewing everybody out, word. It sounded like he had plenty of experience in the area. ........ Mike didnt respond right away. Instead, he shot a glare at James. Haha, yeah... James piped down with an awkward smile. He messed up. By agreeing with Yuels argument, he strengthened the arguments footing. It gave Yuel extra power to continue pushing from that angle. Yeah, I guess club members got some responsibilities, Mike agreed against his will. You gotta attend club practice and all that boring shit. Right. Yuel nodded. But, Ben is skipping that very practice on a regular basis. I hope you agree that this is wrong and has to be addressed. Sure. Mike shrugged. Go scold him, or even smack him for all I care. What does that have to do with us? Were just practicing in our own club, not getting in anybodys way. Its you guys who are intruding without an invitation. Hes going to keep abusing the ignorance card, huh. Yuel frowned. I have to admit its very effective. There was one delicate topic that hasnt been touched upon in this entire discussion even though it was the key to everything: the bullying. Lars didnt openly accuse the gang of bullying Ben. There was a very good reason for that, one which he shared with Yuel and Vincent on the way here. I got some experience with dudes like that, Lars said. Its best to play nice with them. If you go all-in and accuse them of bullying right off the gate, you gonna overextend real hard and get ganked real bad. Following his own advice, Lars avoided bringing up the topic in front of the enemy, and Yuel has been doing the same. It sounded like a reasonable long-term game plan. Instead of aggroing the enemies right off the bat, it was best to keep them calm. Mike knew his gang had the numbers advantage in this situation, so he was more than ready for a direct confrontation. The provocative insults he slipped into his arguments were undoubtedly meant to trigger a fight. Fortunately, Lars played it cool for once and has been thwarting Mikes plans so far. Alas, Mike was quick to adapt. He figured that Yuel and Lars were cautiously avoiding a direct confrontation, so he used that to his advantage. As long as they were hesitating to accuse him, he could keep feigning ignorance on the topic. This is difficult. Yuel frowned. He entered this debate with confidence but now he wasnt so sure he could win. Itd be easy to attack Mike by exposing him as a bully, but thatd break negotiations off. More than likely, the situation would be reduced to a fistfight at that point. Lars would be the only one with sufficient power to carry in that situation, so itd turn into a 1v3. I understand, Yuel finally spoke up. I admit, were intruding into your club activities right now. Im sorry about that. Hmph. Mike sneered. If you understand, then how about you get the fuck outta here already? We dont have all day to entertain fake athletes like ya. Its okay, well be leaving soon, Yuel said calmly. But first, Id like to clarify something. When we step into your club activities to speak with you, then were interfering, right? You sure are. Then, please tell me how is that any different from what you do to Ben? You come to him during his club hours and drag him away. Huh? Mikes face contorted for a moment. He probably sensed the underline accusation. Is this the right direction? Yuel gulped. Maybe I took it a little too far... This conversation was drawing dangerously close to triggering Mike, it was written all over his demonic expression. It was important to deliver a decisive blow but Yuel had to do it silently like a trained assassin. Unfortunately, he allowed his true thought to slip through his mouth... Who drags whom away? Mike asked in a condescending tone. Ben comes to help us of his own volition. Hes a good homie like that. Right, guys? Yep, totes. James nodded. Yeah, Ben practically begs to let him help us. Larry snickered boldly while telling such an obvious lie. Unfortunately, Yuel and Lars couldnt refute these claims. They had no proof that Mikes gang pressured Ben into hanging with them, even though that was most certainly the truth. The only decisive argument they could mount with this line of attack was to accuse the gang of bullying, but that was too dangerous of an attack. The chances of overextending were too high. It doesnt matter whether Ben sings up for it himself or somebody asks him to, Yuel said. The bottom line is that Ben skips club activity to hang out with you. And, Im sorry to inform you, but that interferes with our club activity. It doesnt matter whether youre doing it on purpose or not. The end result is the same. Oh, yeah? Mike shrugged. Hows that our problem? Youre Bens clubmates, you scold him for that shit. It got nothing to do with us. Rest assured, well scold him properly, Yuel promised. But, youre the ones who always agree to hang out with him even though you know he got club activities. Yet, instead of acting like the good friends you claim to be and telling him to attend club practice, you let him spend time in your club as if its alright to skip practice. So, dont you think youre also partially responsible here? Tch, am I supposed to be his mom or something? Mike scoffed. Hes a big boy, he can do whatever he wants. Hes also smart enough to understand where the real sport is at. He knows your club is just a bunch of frauds who pretend they play competitively. But, this basketball club right here? Thats the real shit right- BAM! A booming sounded cut Mikes sentence short. A basketball loudly bounced off the ground. It flew in a high arc, then elegantly landed into the sack where the other balls were stored, as if drawn to his family by an invisible force. Yo, my dude, Lars spoke up, his eyes locked on Mike. You keep saying all that crap about frauds and whatnot. Lets not beat around the bush, okay? Basically, you tellin me you think the basketball club is the hottest shit around while our club is doodoo, right? Hmph. Yeah, thats exactly what Im saying. Mike wore a smug. Finally, he achieved his goal. He cracked Lars. Im saying your club is trash. Hell, even the school thinks that way. Thats why they shoved you into the basement. Yeah, the school is sure being disrespectful as heck. Right? Because they know whats up. Your club is just an excuse to play video games instead of doing some real club activity. You guys aint no competitive players or anything. Are you implying Classmancers isnt a competitive sport? Yuel frowned. Nah, I guess its kinda competitive, Mike said. At least, as competitive as a video game can get, am I right, guys? Yep. James nodded. Its a sport for people who are too lazy to move their asses from the chair, haha. And people who are terrified of sweating, Larry added with a snicker. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. They delivered a low blow, but Yuel and Lars just stood there and faced the attack head-on. These insults were effective but not quite enough. Mike had to push harder to crack these nutcases. I guess there are some competitive Mancers clubs out there, Mike continued. Say, the Leopards are supposedly some serious shit. But, your club? Please. I heard the team hasnt won a single game in forever. They cant even win for shit during scrimmages, haha! My dude. Lars smiled confidently. Thats some old news you got there. Weve just rekt Taurus the other day in our first scrimmage. Huh, is that so. Mike frowned. He probably hasnt heard this news. Who did you fight, again? Never heard of them. Probably another trash team that pretends it has a right to exist. Okay, fine. Lars grinned. Our next scrimmage is against the Leopards. And dont worry, we gonna win that one too. Were going to national this year, yo! Bullshit... Mikes face contorted. It was evident he had a hard time dealing with Larss unwavering confidence. This is good. Yuel nodded to himself. The tables have turned. Even though Yuel failed to defeat Mike with words, he bought enough time to help Lars restore his confidence. With the overconfident goof in perfect shape, even Mike was overwhelmed! Its okay, Lars said. You dont have to take my word for it or anything. Lemme prove you we mean business, here and now. How, exactly? Well, what did you say about Mancer players, again? They never leave their chairs? Theyre scared of some sweat? Sounds about right. Alrighty, then lemme show why thats bullshit. Lars thrust his finger and pointed straight at Mike. You and me, dude. One-on-one basketball match. Lets see whos the real fraud in here! You wanna challenge me? In basketball? Mike raised an eyebrow. Any last traces of smiling vanished from his face. Yep, thats what I said! You guys are supposed to be awesome, right? True competitive athletes and all that. So, you gotta be able to mop the floor with some chair-bound sweat-hater from the Mancers club. ............ Mike just stood there, sizing Lars from head to toe. This turn of events came from left field. He has been throwing insults to aggravate these idiots and make them snap, but the bastards stood their ground. Even worse, that lunatic over there challenged a member of the basketball club to a basketball match. The guy wasnt right in the head. He gotta be some sort of natural masochist. But then, why did Mike hesitate? This should be a great opportunity for him. Hed accept the challenge, mop the floor with this grinning dumbass, and then send all these fuckers packing. It was the ideal turn of events for him. Yet, he couldnt bring himself to accept the challenge just like that. Something about Larss overbearing confidence was... almost intimidating. Even though this was Mikes turf and he had the bigger gang on his side, it felt like was a strong invisible force was pushing him back. How good was this dumbass at basketball? Was he just putting on airs to scare Mike? Or, was he legit? Judging by the guys sturdy frame, he was probably no stranger to sports. At the very least, he didnt look like a nerd who sat on his ass the whole time playing video games. But, a good body frame wasnt enough to turn somebody into a basketball player. Like any sport, basketball demanded practice and experience to become good. These were things Mike and his pals had plenty of, for they were part of the basketball club. Well, Mike wasnt exactly the most enthusiastic member when it came to practice, but he nevertheless practiced every now and then. So, he was clearly five parallel universes ahead of any scrub who never touched a basketball. Therefore, by all means, Mike should accept the challenge and mop the floor with that clown. Yet, his instincts screamed against it. Larss confident grin didnt look like a bluff. The guy was convinced hed easily win this one-on-one. There werent any cracks in his grin. On top of that, there was that bizarre bounce a few seconds ago. Lars threw a ball at the floor and it bounced up high, then it neatly landed inside the sack. Its almost as if he aimed the ball right there, taking the trajectory of the bounce into account. Thats not possible, right? Mike almost shuddered at the thought. It sounded like something straight out of an exaggerated action movie. It didnt feel real, yet it definitely just happened. As much as he wanted to, Mike couldnt simply ignore that. I have no problem beating you one-on-one, Mike finally responded to Larss challenge. But, thatll be dumb. Basketball is a team sport. If youre coming at me, then youre coming at all of us. Mike stretched his arms to present James and Larry as his teammates. He had no intention of taking on this challenge by himself. If you wanna play, then itll be against all three of us. Okay, I gotcha. Lars nodded. So, a 1v3? Im down, yo! Wha-!? Yuel gasped. What is he doing!? Did he lose his mind!? Haha, look at this clown. Mike laughed with a hint of contempt. He really thinks he can take on all three of us together. Thats not even what I was suggesting. Bruh is mental, haha. James laughed. I bet hes the type who dreams about becoming the president or some shit. Larry cackled. Its okay, Lars made an irresponsible claim. Imma take you all- Time out! Yuel urgently shook Larss shoulder and whispered rather loudly. What are you doing!? What do you mean what? Lars tilted his head innocently and whispered back. Im taking on these dudes, yo. Somebody gotta kick em off the high horse, ya know. I gonna prove them our club is every bit as serious as theirs. And how is that going to help Bens situation, exactly? That guy just baited you into a trap by riling you up. Nah, it aint like that. I figured if I show them we mean business, theyll have nothing to say anymore. Im not sure about that... Then, lets ask them. Lars turned to Mike. Hey, my dude. If I beat ya guys, you gonna let Ben attend the Mancers club regularly, right? Huh? Mike feigned his usual ignorance. Since when were responsible for what Ben chooses to do in his free time? Haha, right, right. Lars changed the question. What I mean is, if Ben comes to hang out with you during his club time, youll convince him to go back and practice, right? I might consider doing that. Mike didnt make any promises. Its not like your silly hypothetical scenario matters anyway. You gonna get stomped real hard if you think you can take on the basketball club in their own court. Well see about that. Lars grinned boldly, without a hint of hesitation in his expression. It was bulletproof enough to make even Mike twitch. Ya see? Lars turned to Yuel and spoke quietly. If Imma wreck them at their own game, theyll own up to it. They might be doing all sorts of shady things, but Mike looks like a dude who got pride. He gonna step down once I beat him, Im sure. Im not entirely convinced, but alright. Yuel sighed in defeat. The situation escalated beyond his wildest imagination. He had trouble wrapping his head around what was going on anymore. Maybe Lars was right. Mike had been throwing shade at the Classmancers club from the moment they entered the gym. Therefore, beating him at his own game would deliver quite the mental blow. Itd shut him up for good. I just hope they wont resort to violence after that. Yuel gulped. There was no telling what delinquents like these would pull after suffering an embarrassing defeat. They might go ballistic and initiate a fistfight. Thatll be the worst-case scenario. But, Yuel didnt even have the luxury to worry about that kind of outcome. Before anything else, Lars would have to actually defeat the enemy team. At present, his odds were looking grim at best. Okay, I understand, Yuel finally responded. As you said, it might be a good idea to challenge them. But, are you seriously planning to take on all three of them by yourself? Yep, no problem. Lars gave a thumbs up. Imma show them the business. Are you for real? Yuel made a face. I dont know how good they are, but at the very least theyre part of the basketball club. They must be practicing on a regular basis. Theyre not some newbies. Yep. They aint no Bronze rank, thats for sure. Right. And yet, you actually believe you can defeat all of them by yourself? Welp, I challenged them, so I gotta own up to it, Lars said matter-of-factly. I was hoping for a 1v1, but no big deal. Even if its a 1v3, Imma win this thing, yo! Youre not thinking straight, Yuel criticized. You should know better than anybody how a numbers advantage works in basketball. In fact, who was it who complained about how defenders always ganged on him? Ah, welp, thats... Lars shifted his eyes away. His confident smile twitched a little. Lars loved basketball, he really did. But, there were some problematic aspects to the flow of the game that he didnt enjoy as much. The biggest of them was the way multiple defenders could gang up on the teams best player and shut them down. Thats how his team suffered defeat at the regionals back in middle school. It was frustrating. The enemies quickly recognized that Lars was the biggest threat, so they surrounded him every time. He barely got to touch the ball that game. And, every time he did get the ball, he had to fight through a horde of oppressive defenders. It was hell. Thats when he started wishing for a game in which clear-cut situations like that didnt exist, or at least couldnt be reproduced as often. A game with multiple objectives, in which all team members had active roles they played simultaneously. Thats how he found Classmancers, a game that didnt revolve around the one player holding the ball. In this game, if the enemy focuses all their forces on one teammate, the rest of the team would simply push other objectives. That that was the best stuff ever! But, right now, Lars was about to compete in basketball, not Classmancers. It was the kind of game where multiple defenders could concentrate all their forces on him to completely shut him down. To make things worse, he almost challenged that trio all by himself. Even in basketball, there were risks to concentrating all the defenders on one target. If the target could get just one pass through the defenders, the ball will surely reach an unmarked teammate. From there, itd be easy to score. But, if Lars takes on Mikes gang alone, there wont even be any teammates for him to pass to. The enemy gang will block him all the time and he wont be able to do squat! And so, by agreeing to these impossible conditions without thinking, Lars was about to doom them all! Vol.12 Ch.21: 3v3 Basketball Dang, I didnt think this through! Lars held his head. You sure didnt, Yuel criticized. But, I dont think you can turn back now. I sure as heck cant. Lars gulped. Look at em dudes. They be glaring daggers at me for all the stuff I said. They wanna kick my ass real bad. If I tell them I quit, they never gonna take me or the club seriously. Yeah, Yuel agreed. If you forfeit, well lose this entire argument on the spot. Theyll probably not listen to a single word we say from that point onward. Bens situation will remain unresolved forever. Gaaaaah! I messed up big time! Lars facepalmed with both hands. It almost looked as if he was mourning. But then, the very next moment, he jumped straight up as if nothing happened. Oh, I know! I just gotta ask for a 1v1 again! If its one-on-one, I aint gonna lose to anybody, yo! I doubt thatll work. Yuel threw a cautious glance at Mike. He refused your challenge for a reason. Reason? What reason? Im not sure, Yuel said. Maybe hes not confident in his own skill. Or, maybe hes just being cautious against an opponent he never played before. He cant embarrass himself here, especially not in front of his gang. So, are you saying hes shook? Lars grinned. Looks like he understands hes dealing with a pro here, hehe. Is this really the time for jokes? Yuel made a face. What are you planning to do about this mess? Welp. Hmm. Umm. Geh. Agh. Gaaaaah...! Lars scratched his head. He dug his own grave here, no two ways about it. He accepted a challenge that was far beyond his level and he couldn''t back out. Basically, he played right into Mikes trap. It was a dead-end! Looks like we have no choice, Yuel said. They got three players, so well have to use three players too. Wut? What three players? Lars looked around. Ya mean, me, you, and Vince? Yes, thats all we got. Yuel wore a difficult expression. Im not sure how good Ben is but he looks exhausted, so I dont think its a good idea to let him play either way. So, the three of us should handle this. Are you sure, dude? Lars asked. Im the one who jumped the gun and accepted that derpy challenge. I dont wanna drag you guys into this mess. Its too late for regrets. Besides, we all came here together so were already involved. We started this, so we better see this through. Im sure Vincent will agree. Okay, gotcha. Lars nodded. Then, it''s gonna be a 3v3! We gonna win ezpz! Actually, this is even better than my 1v1 idea. The more dudes from our club participate, the harder itll prove that were all serious players. We aint no frauds, yo! Except, Mike isnt entirely wrong. Most of us who play Classmancers are not very athletic. What do you mean? Im fit as heck, yo! Yes, you. But, youre the exception here. Meanwhile, Vincent and I arent couldnt be farther away from athletic. But, you also exercise and stuff. True, but that doesnt turn me into an accomplished athlete. I only do it to stay in shape. So, Im sorry to say, but this match will be rough. Even though having us on the team would technically turn it into a 3v3, youll still have to pull most of the weight. Thats okay, Im used to it. Lars nodded. And hey, I dunno about Vince, but youre not too shabby at basketball. You showed me some nasty tricks the last time we played. The only thing is, your aiming skills are kinda... Theyre atrocious, yes. Yuel nodded. Back in grade school, when Yuel tried to fit in with the other kids by playing sports, two obstacles stood in his way: his nonexistent stamina and his terrible coordination. After Yuel started exercising on a regular basis, he overcame the first problem for the most part. He was by no means a paragon of vitality, but he could at least survive through a sports match as long as he didnt push himself too hard. However, the second problem remained unresolved to this day. Yuels coordination was still terrible when it came to handling the ball. Everything from his passes to his shots obeyed some alien laws of physics that shouldnt exist. Its as if it was physically impossible for the ball to reach its destination when Yuel was involved. That must have been Newtons Fourth Law. I wonder how much I wouldve improved if I practiced regularly. Yuel smiled wryly. His coordination problems extended beyond sports and affected his performance in Classmancers as well. However, in Classmancers, Yuel became better and better over time via practice. He was no sharpshooter by any means, but he could reliably land shots. Sometimes, he could even go for quick shots and land a few of these in a row as well. If he practiced basketball as much as he practiced his aim in Classmancers, could his poor coordination improve as well? Maybe, just maybe, he wouldve been able to execute proper passes and to score some goals. That wouldve been neat. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Well, this isnt the time to regret my life choices. Yuel shook his head. He couldnt travel back in time and start practicing basketball now. There was no choice but to confront the challenge in front of him with his poor skill. Lars will have to pull most of the weight in this match. Are you girls done whispering? Mike demanded. So? What it gonna be? Are you gonna 1v3 us, you jackass? Yeaaaah, about that... Lars smiled at Mikes provocation without batting an eye. My bad, I got carried away there. No way I can win a 1v3. I mean, ya guys must be hella good and all. You even stay after school to practice. Mad respect for that. Heh, this guy gets it. James nodded. Yeah, looks like hes smarter than he looks, Larry agreed. He knows hes dealing with pros over here, haha. So? Mike asked again and glared at Lars. Are you quitting? I thought you were gonna prove how serious you nerdy ass club is. Nah, aint nobody quitting, dude, Lars responded to Mikes glare with an unwavering gaze. Lets do this thing, but lets do it fair. Ya got three dudes, so well also bring three dudes. Thats fair, right? Hm, I see. Mike shot a glare at Yuel, sizing the guy from head to toe. Ugh... Yuel instinctively backed away. That gaze pierced him like a blade. He was like a helpless rabbit eyed by a ruthless hawk. Nevertheless, Yuel stood his ground. Theyve come this far, so they couldnt give up here. Even though their chances looked grim at best, they had to give it a shot. This was their best shot at resolving Bens conflict peacefully. Since Yuel signed up to this madness, he had to do everything in this power to secure victory for the team. He didnt possess even half the physical skills Lars had, so he had to make up for it with mental finesse. Can we please use standard 3v3 rules? Yuel asked. Meaning? Mike raised an eyebrow. There are tons of variations. I believe the most popular variation is played on a half-court until one team scores 21 points. Yeah, sounds about right. In this variation, a normal shot scores one point instead of two, whereas a three-pointer scores two points. Is that fine? Geh. James made a face. Whats with that bullshit? I remember playing a game like that before and its confusing as fuck. Git gud at math, bro. Larry laughed. Hmm. Mike eyed Yuel intently, trying to infer the guys real intentions. Is he really just verifying the rules? It feels like this smarty-pants is planning something... Was there anything disadvantageous for Mikes gang in these rules? Playing a 3v3 on a half-court was common practice and playing until 21 points was common as well. Likewise, the aforementioned scoring rules were widely used in 3v3. Therefore, at face value, there was nothing wrong with the rules the guy presented, was there? These were all standard rules, so they shouldnt benefit the enemy in any way. Meh, Im probably overthinking it. Mike concluded. Sure, lets roll with these rules, Good. Yuel nodded to himself. It was a small thing, but it nonetheless increased the teams chances of winning. With Lars on the team, the alternative scoring rules played to their advantage. But of course, the enemy had no way of knowing that since they havent seen Lars in action yet. Okay, its on! Lars pumped a fist. Our team gonna be me, Yuel, and Vince. Wait, Mike interrupted the early celebration. Considering youve been droning about how important Ben is for your little club, I say its only fair to have him represent the club in the game, dont you think? Eh? Lars blanked out for a moment. Why, tho? If you wanna convince us your club is some serious shit and that Ben is competing there in a real sport, then I say he should show his determination on the court. Dont you agree, guys? Totes, haha. Yeah, make him run. The subroutines wholly supported their leader. Just like that, Mike gained a majority in this discussion for a random suggestion he came up with on the spot. This smartass...! Yuel grimaced. Their side was already at a grave disadvantage, yet Mike was trying to boost the delinquents odds even further. This godfather was going to pull every dirty trick in the book to secure the gangs victory. But, Ben is tried, Yuel argued. Then let him rest a little. Mike shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him. Well give you ten minutes to prepare. Arent we just the nicest? I dont think ten minutes is enough to rest up... Thats not my problem, Mike asserted. Its Bens own fault for being such a fatass. He shouldve exercised more if picking balls can tire him so much. Yep. James nodded. Bruh be acting like he finished a whole marathon or something, haha. Lame, Larry added. He should be thankful were wasting our precious time to help him get in shape, seriously. Ugh... Yuel couldnt come up with a retort against any of that nonsense. The trio was patting each other on back, pretending their lies were the absolute truth. It was impossible to tackle them. Okay, no problem, Lars spoke up all of a sudden. Well have Ben play. What...? Yuel could swear his ears were playing tricks on him. Are you serious? Yeah, no problem. Lars gave a thumbs up. Itd still be a 3v3, so we gonna win ez. Besides, they make a good point. If Ben plays for our team and we win, that outta convince them even harder that our club means business. I suppose thats true, but... Yuel frowned. Did you see Bens condition? He can barely stand. I dont think he can play very well. Besides, he is... Yuel didnt want to come off as insulting, but he had to be realistic here. Ben was quite obese for his age, so he most likely wasnt very athletic. Combined with how exhausted he looked when they came to the gym, it was clear as day that Ben wouldnt be able to contribute much in this game. And, Im not exactly a great player myself Yuel shook his head. Add us up together and were probably worth less than one half-decent player. At this rate, this game will be a 2v3 at best, maybe even a 1.5v3. Dont worry, dude. Lars flashed his teeth, wearing his usual confident grin. I know Ben looks half-dead over there, so we just gotta carry the team together. Besides, if Ben always hangs out with these basketball dudes, he mightve picked a thing or two. Dont write him off just yet, yo. Sounds like wishful thinking to me. Yuel frowned. Unfortunately, it was too late to argue about this. Lars has already accepted Mikes unfair condition, there was no turning back at this point. They had to win this 3v3 with Ben on the team, such were the conditions. Will this makeshift team be able to compete against three members of the basketball club...? Vol.12 Ch.22: What Ben Really Wants Both sides agreed on holding a 3v3 basketball match. Or, more correctly, Mike baited Lars into accepting this unfavorable deal. Their chances of victory seemed slim at best. They had ten minutes to prepare. It gave them a little time to warm up and form a strategy, as well as let Ben rest up before asking him to run around the court again. So, thats how things turned out, Yuel explained the circumstances to Vincent and Ben. Such an unexpected twist! Vincent made noise. The underdog Classmancers club challenges the basketball club! Who will walk away with victory!? Its the match of the century! That was probably the clowns attempt to inject some positivity into their grim situation. Admittedly, listening to that overhyped nonsense made Yuel smile a little. And, Lars was totally into it as usual. Ya got it, dude! Lars pumped a fist. Were about to make history here! This match gonna make it into the newspapers, yoooooo! Unlike them, the last member of the team wasnt nearly as enthusiastic. A match? Ben mumbled weakly. But, why? As I explained, Yuel repeated. Were trying to prove our club is every bit as competitive as theirs. Does it make sense? Not a whole lot, to be honest. Then, why? The way I see it, this is a roundabout way to solve the problem by force without resorting to actual violence. But, were going to lose I agree, the odds are against us. But, Lars might pull through for us. You might not know it but hes pretty good at basketball. Yeah, pretty good. Lars nodded. Wait, pretty good? What do you mean pretty good!? Im da best, yo! These dudes are nothing, believe it! Yes, you are. Indeed, Lars was a prodigy basketball player. In fact, this goof was so strong that many would consider it a waste that he was focusing on Classmancers instead. Unfortunately, this wasnt going to be a 1v1 match. Itll be a 3v3 and the enemy team was packed with three members of the basketball club. Their average power level was clearly above Larss team. Therefore, Yuel couldnt completely ease Bens worries. They were the underdogs in this fight, no two ways about it. Itll be an uphill battle. I think its better to give up, Ben said weakly and hung his head. Theres no way we can beat them. They dont take the club that seriously but theyve been playing from a young age. Theyre strong players. Oh, cool! Lars grinned. Sounds like they might actually pose some challenge, hehe. Ah... Ben was speechless. It felt like everything he said backfired at him. Even in front of such an impossible challenge, Lars didnt waver in the slightest. It was amazing, even dazzling. I wish I could be this fearless. Ben thought. Unlike Lars, Ben has been quaking in his boots ever since he learned of this match. His insides twisted to no end. He felt like an impending disaster was on its way. Why are they doing this? Ben couldnt fathom it. They should quit before something happens to them. Who knows what Mike and the others will do if they snap. This is supposed to be my punishment, nobody else should get involved. Why? I dont understand, Ben said. Why do you need to get involved in all of this? Thats elementary, my friend. Vincent smiled meaningfully. Its because youre our friend. We cant throw you to the wolves like this. In fact, I must apologize to you. Ive been aware of your situation for quite some time but I havent found a solution until now. My situation? What situation? Ben feigned ignorance. Is it about me missing club activity? Im really sorry about that. Its all my fault. I often end up hanging out with Mike and the others and forget we have club activity, haha... Stop that, Yuel said sharply. Are you going to pretend like nothing is going on even after we came this far? Well, thats... Ben clammed up. Dude, lets be honest here, Lars said. We know these guys are forcing you to skip practice. I gonna bet they also bully you and all that. T-They dont bully... Ben resisted weakly. It was all part of his punishment. He deserved all of this. Mike, Larry, and James were his friends. They were just a little mad at him for the stunt he pulled a year ago, thats all. Just let it all out, Vincent advised. No need to keep bottling it. Weve already come this far, theres no turning back now. Be honest with us about the situation so we can help you. Im sure you also want to put an end to it. Put an end... Ben clenched his trembling fists. He had no idea how to react to this suggestion. It was terrifying. There might be more victims again. Ben was aware that Vincent and Kai tried to do something about his situation last year. He heard about it post-facto but apparently Kai spoke Mike face-to-face. Their argument became heated and Kai raised her voice. That was a critical mistake. Once Kai accused Mike of bullying, he took it as a cue to retaliate. From what Ben heard, it developed into a scuffle. Kai actually tried to physically confront the guy without running away. Of course, that didnt go well for her. No matter how strong she was for a girl she couldnt take on Mike, whose strength was feared even among the boys. As such, the incident ended with a terrible defeat for Kai. She was even a little injured during the fight, but thankfully it wasnt anything serious. Mike probably went a little easier on her because she was a girl. Nevertheless, that result was enough to teach everybody a lesson. Anyone who dared to confront Mike had to be prepared for a world of hurt. I cant let anybody else suffer like this. That only strengthened Bens conviction that he had to suffer through this situation alone, that nobody should get involved in this mess. Nobody else should be harmed because of Bens situation. This was his problem, his alone. It was his punishment. Therefore, he had to bear with it quietly until Mike and Co. were satisfied. But, when will that day come? More than a year has passed since Ben joined the Classmancers club. Yet, instead of becoming lighter, his punishment only increased in severity over time. It begged the question: will this punishment ever end? It was unclear at this point. There was no foreseeable ending anywhere in sight. At this rate, his punishment might continue forever and ever. Or, until he leaves the Classmancers club. Since it was the cause of everything, it should also be the thing that could put an end to everything. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. That was the conclusion Ben finally reached today as he was crawling on the court. It was pointless to keep waiting for the punishment to end. If Ben does nothing, hell spend the rest of his life atoning for the one sin he committed. If so, it was better for everybody if he just quit the club. Even though Ben resolute himself to make this announcement some minutes ago, his clubmates interrupted the moment and he missed his opportunity. And, before he regained enough strength to speak again, the situation escalated beyond his wildest imagination. Somehow, a basketball match was about to be held and his clubmates were participating in it, fighting for his sake. This is all my fault. Ben thought. His clubmates didnt do anything wrong but they got dragged into this mess because of him. And, it was too late to stop any of this now. The conflict already started rolling. It was like a boulder coming down from the top of a mountain. It will only accelerate further and further until it crashes into the ground and destroys everything. I was too wishy-washy. I hesitated too much. Thats why this happened. Ben bit his lip. He didnt try to properly resolve the situation with Mike and Co., but neither did he take any steps toward quitting the Classmancers club to appease them. All this time, Ben was stuck between a rock and a hard place, yet he varied on with his daily life, pretending there was nothing wrong with it. Maybe Lars was right. Enough was enough. Ben had to put an end to this situation, one way or another. Therefore, before this conflict gets out of hand, Ben should straighten his back and speak to his clubmates. I... Ben swallowed. The words were stuck in his throat like rocks, choking him almost to the point of tears. Nevertheless, he had to say these words before the situation escalated any further. I... I think I should quit the club. Ah! I finally said it! He exhaled in relief. ......... The trio considered him for a moment without saying a word. Is that your true desire? Vincent asked. Is that how you want your story to end? Are you going to let the villains be victorious? Villains? Thats not... Ben understood it all but he couldnt bring himself to think that way about Mike and the rest. They were his friends. Its just that, at the moment, they were a little mad at him, thats all. Besides, Ben deserved all of it. It was his fault for backstabbing his friends. Lets get this straight, Yuel said. I heard you think you deserve this treatment, thats why you dont object to the situation. I dont have all the details and I dont think we have time to discuss them right now. But, no matter what you think you did, nobody deserves to be bullied. But... Ben hung his head. I do deserve it. I did something unforgivable... Even if you offended your friends in some way, they shouldve eventually forgiven you. But, from what I understand, this situation has been going on for over a year now. Yeah, exactly, Lars followed up. Like, cmon dude. If theyre still mad at you for something you did over a year ago, ya gotta tell them theyre being petty. Thats not how real friends act. Thats... Ben didnt have a good retort. The same thoughts crossed his mind many times as well. Are Mike and the others still my friends? This heavy question weighed on his mind every now and then. Every time his friends pushed him to the brink of breaking apart, he couldnt help but ask that question. Forget about these dudes for a sec, Lars said. What do you wanna do? Do you really wanna quit the club? If thats what you really want, then nobody gonna say no. But, is that really how ya wanna end this? What I want is... Ben mumbled. His clenched fists trembled. It didnt even require any thinking. In his heart, Ben knew exactly what he wanted all along. He was just pretending like theres a dilemma because he felt obligated to appease Mike and the others. But, what Ben really wanted was...! I-I want to stay in the club! Ben raised his voice to a volume nobody thought was possible. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he continued in a shaky, yet strong, voice. I want to properly attend practice, get better at the game, and contribute to the team! I also want to try playing competitively and maybe even help the team win! Then lets do it, dude! Lars patted Bens shoulder. This is your chance. Lets go out there and give these dudes some heat. O-Okay! Ben answered strongly as he wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes. His expression underwent a complete 180. He had a fragile defeated expression until now, but it transformed into one filled with uncharacteristic determination. It was an expression nobody here has ever seen on him before. No, that wasnt quite right. Ben wore this serious expression every now, but only when he was playing Classmancers. The game allowed him to escape from his real-life problems and to be truly passionate about something, without any chains dragging him down. Unfortunately, every time Ben put the game down, reality washed over him like a fierce wave. Remembering his real-life circumstances cracked his spirit all over again. Thats why he couldnt wear this kind of impression outside the game. But, no more. Today, everything will be resolved. No matter whether Bens team wins or loses this basketball match, something will surely come to an end today. If they win, Mike might finally free Ben from eternal punishment. If they lose... Ill just quit the club. Ben decided. This is probably my one and only chance to change something. If this attempt fails, there probably wont be another opportunity. Therefore, itll be for the best if Ben takes an early leave and spares his clubmates the trouble of worrying about him. Beautiful! Vincent made noise. Finally, the story is about to reach its climax! The heroes shall now confront the villains and emerge victorious! If only it were that easy, Yuel retorted. Cmon, dude, Lars said. Dont be such a downer. Imma carry you two no problem! Ya just help me out every now and then and Imma get the score rollin! I dont doubt your skill for a moment. But, Im not so sure about myself and Ben. We might drag you down. Oh! Vincent gasped at these words. Could it be!? Are you not a genius in Basketball as well!? I wouldnt call myself a genius at anything, and especially not in any physically demanding sports. I-Is that so. Then, Ben... Vincent turned to his last hope. How grand is your skill at basketball? Um, I think Im okay at shooting and passing, Ben said. But, everything else is... He looked awkwardly at the belly sticking out in front of him. This sack of meat was unnecessary baggage that prevented him from ever performing well in any sport. Dios mio! Vincent held his head dramatically. Then, our team has only one proficient basketball player!? Meanwhile, our opponents have a full team of experts!? Yep. Lars nodded with a confident grin. But, no problem. We gonna win. H-How, if may I ask? With the power of friendship, yo! Lars pumped a fist. Haha, just kidding. Real talk tho, I think we can get this done. I may be the only one here who plays basketball regularly, but Im pretty dang good. Besides, Yuel has a few cool tricks too. Thats right. Yuel nodded. Basketball, like any team sport, isnt just about your physical ability. There are strategies that can help the weaker team win. Yeah, exactly! Lars hyped things up even though he didnt know the first thing about the topic. Nonetheless, there was one thing he did know: a motivated team was hella stronger than an insecure one. Therefore, Lars had to maintain a confident smile that put everybody at ease. It aint gonna be easy, even I know that much. Lars was honest with himself underneath the unwavering facade. But, we gonna do it! I gotta draw out 300% of my power so we can win this, yo! And, Im sure Yuel will come up with something to help us too. Oh, nice! Hes already at it! Ben, what can you tell us about their playstyles and quirks? Any weaknesses youre aware of? I-I know a few things... Ben tried to speak strongly but hints of lingering hesitation remained in his voice. Nevertheless, he successfully shared a few important details with Yuel. So, theyre really doing it. Vincent couldnt help but gulp at the unfolding scene in front of him. A makeshift basketball team from his club was going to go up against proper players from the basketball club. It was the ultimate underdog sports story! Despite being the one who originally incited this entire turn of events, Vincent became nothing more than a background character in this epic tale. He couldnt do anything to help his peers in this critical situation. Yet again, he was completely powerless... Or, am I? Vincent wondered. He couldnt be considered good at basketball by any stretch of imitation. He was as far removed from athletics as Yuel. Nonetheless, Yuel had his ways to contribute in this situation. He didnt possess the brawn but he had the brains. There was no doubt theyll soon witness some brilliant basketball strategy from the one and only Chessmaster. Then, what about Vincent? Couldnt he also contribute in some way? Was there really nothing for him to do? Theres one thing I can try. Vincent clenched the cellphone in his pocket. There was no telling whether itll help the team in any way but it was worth a shot. Besides, he couldnt think of any other way to contribute right now, so it was better to try and fail than do nothing at all. We still have a couple of minutes, right? Vincent asked as he backpedaled toward the gyms exit. Ill be right back. Everybody nodded in approval and continued discussing the upcoming match. Despite all the odds being stacked against them, everybody looked ready to take on this Herculean task... Vol.12 Ch.23: Basketball Game, Start! Before the basketball match kicked off, both sides agreed on a 10-minutes recess. Mikes team used this time to warm up. They partially warmed up back when they were practicing shooting drills, but they had cooled down since then when they were busy messing with Ben for the past hour or so. Say, Mike, Larry spoke while stretching his arms. Why didnt you just accept the 1v1? Wouldnt that be faster? Hm. Mike gave a vague response as he dribbled a ball. Honestly, he had no idea either. Why didnt he accept a 1v1 against that clown? He couldnt quite put it into words but his instincts told him it was risky. Heh. James snickered. Dont tell me youre scared of that dude? Hmph, as if. Mike shot a glare at James, making the guy squirm a little. It just makes more sense to play 3v3. I mean, basketball is a team game, right? It should be played with teams. Really? Larry asked. Isnt 1v1 your strongest suit? So what if it is? It doesnt change the fact this is firstmost a team game. Besides, if they think they can challenge us as a club, it makes sense to make them bring more than one player, right? That Lars guy might be good at basketball but Im sure the rest of them suck hard. It was difficult to assess Larss skill level at a glance, but his tall posture and sturdy frame implied he was quite the athlete. And, seeing as he dared to challenge Mike head-on, it was clear he had some basketball experience. But, the same couldnt be said about the nerdy boy by his side. Yuel, was it? Mike vaguely recalled the name. Honestly, the guy didnt leave much of an impression. He was nothing more than a backup for Lars, who was the actual main force of the club. I gonna bet this Yuel guy plays Support, heh. Unlike with Lars, there wasnt any hint that this Yuel fellow was any good at basketball or at sports at all. Maybe he wasnt a fatass like Ben, but neither did he have an athletic build. Yuel looked like one of these skinny nerds, the typical gamer who pretended he was an athlete while sitting on his ass the whole day. Seeing this guy was what sparked the 3v3 idea. It was far safer to challenge an unknown enemy when he had weak teammates dragging him down. This way, no matter how good Lars was at basketball, there was no chance hed ever win, not even by accident. And, to add some more spice to the setup, Mike nominated Ben as the third member of that lousy team. That was going to be the final nail in Larss coffin. It was the perfect setup, far safer than accepting a 1v1 against an opponent of unknown skill. Hmph. Its not like I think Lars actually got anything on me. Mike scoffed. But, better safe than sorry. I cant embarrass myself in a 1v1. They challenged us in our own game, on our own turf. So, we gotta mop the floor with them no matter what. Mikes preparations were flawless. No matter how good Lars turns out to be, the guy wont be able to carry that sorry excuse for a team all by himself. That dumbass dug his own grave when he challenged Mike. The agreed 10 minutes have passed. Both teams gathered at the center of the court. Good. Mike smiled to himself. The enemy team complied with his request to a T and dragged Ben to participate in this match without objecting any further. Honestly, I was expecting them to resist a little more. Oh well. It gonna a cakewalk. Though, Im not sure I care for that look on Bens face... Huh, so youre playing. Mike towered over Ben and glared at the fat kid. A-Ah, yeah... Ben stuttered and averted his eyes. You asked me to play, right? I sure did, Mike said plainly. Heh, thought youd run away or make excuses. Looks like you got some balls if nothing else. Hey, Lars interrupted the intimidation session. Whats up, dude? Hmph. Mike shrugged. I was just making sure our friend over here got his shit together. Itd be a shame if you lose this match because of him, you know? No problem. Lars grinned confidently. Ben gonna rock this game, just you watch! Hah. Yeah, right. Mike snorted and turned his back to the two clowns. I-I am...! A squeaky voice made Mike pause and look back. Huh? W-We plan to win! Ben mustered all the fleeting courage in his body to squeeze out these words. S-So, I can play to the win, right? Huh? Mikes face contorted a little. Well, duh. Of course you gonna be trying to win. Or what, you were planning to be a scarecrow or something? O-Okay then. Ben nodded strongly. There was an irking glint of determination in his eyes. Wait, dont tell me you actually believe you can win? W-We wont know until we try. Ben averted his eyes from Mikes spearing glare. Yeah, exactly! Lars tuned in. You never know how things gonna turn out until it happens, yo! Hmph. Mike scoffed. Im already used to seeing this idiot spout whatever nonsense he wants, but now even Ben is saying that shit? That unfounded confidence gotta be infectious or some shit. I better not catch the flu from it. Where was that nonsensical confidence coming from? The enemy team was at a clear disadvantage from every possible angle. Mike pulled all the necessary strings to guarantee that was the case. And yet, their morale was abnormally high. They werent quaking in their boots as he expected. These fuckers are really thinking they got a chance. Mike grimaced. Okay, bring it on. Well destroy your asses. Youll be crying to your mamas after were done with you! Well start on the offense, Mike declared. His sharp tone made it clear there was no room for bargaining. Okay, Lars didnt even try to object. Tch, youre that confident, huh. Mike clicked his tongue as he hit the ball against the floor. I really hate guys like you who pretend they can achieve anything so easily. Do you think youre special just because you made it into the Mancers club or something? If so, youre in for a world of pain! James, Mike passed the ball. You know what to do, right? Yep, no problem! James saluted. Leave the passing to me. Right. Mike nodded. Out of the three of them, Jamess passes were the slickest. As such, he was the best fit for opening the game. Hell definitely deliver a convenient pass. Give it to me, Mike ordered as positioned himself on the three-pointer line. Ill score in 5 seconds. Roger. All six players assumed their positions on the court. Meanwhile, the fourth guy from the Classmancers club stood near the scoreboard. They agreed hell handle that part. This mofo better not be cheating. Mike shot the guy a glare just in a case. Judging by the nervous reaction the message got across. You try cheating and Imma dunk your ass into the basket. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Everything was set. The game was about to start with Mikes team on the offensive, per his demand. It was a little forceful of a demand even by his standards. Things like that were usually decided by a coin flip. But, Mike didnt want to cut any corners. He capitalized on anything to gain the upper hand, no matter how small it was. Thats how you win games. Mike thought. Gotta be prepared for anything. Im not gonna give them any chances to catch me with my pants down, especially not on my turf. With James opening the game on the offensive, the team should be off to a good start. But, unbeknown to them, one player was carefully analyzing all their movements and words, brewing a counter-plan right under their noses. So, thats how they start off. Yuel nodded to himself. So, lets go with plan No.3 then. Ill challenge him, Yuel announced. You sure? Lars asked. I believe this is the best arrangement. Meanwhile, you should stick close to Mike as we discussed. According to Ben, hes the most dangerous player they got. Okay, gotcha. Lars nodded and lowered his voice. So, watcha plan to do? For starters, Ill try to steal the ball, Yuel said plainly. Then, Ill pass it to you. Sounds solid but ya think it gonna be that easy? Well see, Yuel said. I have a trick that might work at least once. Hehe, sounds good! Lars snickered. It was always fun watching the wild things Yuel came up with for basketball. This 200 IQ dude played so differently from everybody else. Stay outside the three-pointer line, Yuel instructed. You can score from there, right? Of course! Who do you think I am? Lars flashed his teeth in confidence. Good. Ill pass to the outside. They wont expect that the first time. Gotcha! With the plan set in motion, Yuel advanced toward the center of the court to intercept the enemys opening attack, to confront James, the passing expert according to Ben. For the first round, the team on the offensive started off from the center of the court. Yuel received the ball and then gently passed it back to the opponent in front of him. This was the handshake gesture that signaled the beginning of the game. Now, lets put Bens information to test. Yuel concentrated on the target in front of him. According to Bens intel, James was the passing specialist in this trio. He was often tasked with opening attacks or and delivering the ball to the best attacker, Mike. As for Jamess skill in other areas, Ben didnt have anything special to say. Most likely, the guy was rather mediocre. At least, thats what Yuel was counting on. Thats why, out of the three opponents, Yuel had the most confidence in facing James. It sounded like this guy was the weakest link when it came to one-on-one situations. On top of that, James seemed like the biggest brat of the gang. Ben attested that James tended to be too spontaneous for his own good. Similarly, Yuel also profiled the guy as a goof. Players like that are the easiest to trick. Yuel lowered his arms and stood straight in front of his opponent. His entire body was relaxed. He didnt apply even the smallest hint of pressure on his opponent. Naturally, that made the opponent raise an eyebrow. The heck? James cocked his head. Whats with this lazy stance? Is this guy a total scrub or something? That aint how you defend, bruh. James dribbled the ball a few times as he carefully examined the boy in front of him. There was nothing intimidating about this guy, not in the slightest. He wasnt tall, his frame wasnt buff, and his stance made him look like a scarecrow. I can get past him ez. James cracked a laugh. Yeah, lets do that. No need to pass from all the way out here. Imma get past him and then pass. Ezpz. James dribbled the ball a few more times, then he caught it in his hands. He had to get moving soon or else somebody will complain about the shot clock. Okay, lets play this cool. James snickered. Imma pretend like Im going for a pass, then Imma break through! The coolest shit ever! I probably dont even need to do that kinda stuff against a scrub like him, but its more fun this way, hehe. James raised the ball with both hands and directed it in Mikes direction as if he was about to pass the ball. However, his true intention lied elsewhere! And, there was no way his scrubby opponent will ever figure it out! Or, so he believed... Its a feint. Yuel could tell by Jamess body language. The snickering boy looked like a brat about to pull a prank. As I suspected, hes not that good in 1v1 situations. James raised the ball as if to pass it to the right, then broke into a dribble on the left! Gotcha, bitch! James grinned as he dribbled past his scrubby opponent. That scrub stood no chance! Even without this feint, that Yuel guy probably couldnt steal a ball even if his life depended on it. And, James just outplayed that n00b with a pro move! This was an absolute victory! Okay, now who do I pass to? James checked both sides. From this awesome position, it was easy to get the ball to either Mike or Larry. Once he gets the ball to either one of them, the attacker will convert into a goal ezpz. James just had to pick one of em and get them the ball... wait, what ball? Wut? James blinked. His hand continued the dribbling motion by instinct, but it was dribbling through empty air! Wha-!? James jumped in panic. Where did the ball go!? Did he drop it somewhere during the feint? No, he wouldnt make a dumb mistake like that, would he!? Where the heck...!? James turned around and searched the area behind him. The ball was nowhere on the ground. Well duh, of course it wasnt. There was no way James would drop the ball like that in a middle of a simple dribble. Sure, he didnt take club practice too seriously but he wasnt a scrub. Then, where? Where did that dang ball go!? Think! James racked his brain. Where could I lose it? I dribbled past that scrub and now Im here... oh. He finally found it. The ball was right there, in the least likely position. It was in the opponents hands! What? When? How did he... James was at a loss for words. It was impossible. That dude was standing there like a scarecrow! He doesnt even know how a defensive stance looks like! Not to mention, I faked him like crazy! Then, how...? James, you dumbass! Mike barked. What are you standing there for!? Get the ball back! A-Ah, right! James sprinted toward his opponent but it was too late. The enemy won this exchange. I did my part. Yuel passed the ball toward Lars. It was an easy pass to deliver. Mike was partially marking Lars, but he was only cautious about Lars venturing deeper into the court. It was the most natural line of play to defend against, as most players had to get close to the basket in order to score. However, Lars was an exception to that rule. He was a special type of player who didnt care about getting close to the basket. Therefore, it was easy to send him a pass to the outside that wont be interrupted. Although... Sorry, its a little off! Yuel warned. His amazing coordination struck again. No problem! Lars darted toward the ball. Im already used to it, haha! Im glad to hear it... Yuel made a face. This was so lame. Even though Yuel successfully outsmarted James and stole the ball, he failed to do something as simple as delivering a proper pass. Sigh. Luckily, Lars was the receiver. That athletic goof will get the ball for sure even from this subpar pass. Got it! Lars reached the ball and started dribbling. As he turned around, he came face-to-face with a defender who has been sticking to him like a gumshoe. Mike stretched his arms wide to block the path ahead. Youre not getting through. Yeah, ya right. Lars grinned confidently and glanced at the basket. I aint getting through. Huh? Mike raised an eyebrow. That wasnt the reaction he was expecting. And, whats with that confident grin? It didnt make any sense. Lars should be feeling pressure from this tight mark, not laughing it off. More like, I dont need to get through. Lars assumed a shooting position, with his eyes locked on the basket. Huh? Mike could only blink in confusion at this. Is this guy for real? Hes going for a 3-pointer from all the way out here??? Scoring a 3-pointer was already hella hard even when attempted from the very edge of the 3-pointer line. Yet, this madman was about to shoot the ball from at least five steps away from said line. Hah. Whatever. Mike turned around and ran toward the basket. Assuming hes not playing mind games with me and hes actually shooting, then he gonna miss for sure. Ill just get the rebound and start an offense. WHISH! Lars actually sent the ball flying toward the basket. Turned out this wasnt an attempt to lower Mikes guard or anything sophisticated like that. This idiot really thought he could score from all the way over there. The nonsense of this clown knew no bounds. Fortunately, Mike was prepared. He positioned himself underneath the basket, ready to snatch the ball at any moment. Once the ball misses the target and falls down, Mikes team will restart their offense! Alas, things didnt quite go as expected. The ball... it passed through the basket. It actually went in, without even grazing the hoop. It was a clean goal. Whoa! James exclaimed. Yo! Did you guys just see that shit!? Heh, that was sure something... Larry shuddered a little. He actually did it. Mike couldnt believe it either. A fluke? No, he was confident hell score it from all the way over there. Is that for real? The trio locked their eyes on the magician who pulled this impossible trick. They expected to see some hint of surprise on his dumb face, but he only had one thing to say to them. First blood, yo! At that moment, Mike and Co. started realizing they were dealing with a basketball freak here... Vol.12 Ch.24: Basket Sniper Two points! Vincent announced as he flipped the scoreboard. He counted the goal Lars had just scored from outside the 3-pointer line. This shot would have been worth 3 points in a normal game, but it earned only 2 points in this 3v3. It was nothing short of brilliant! Vincent commentated internally. A shot that arrived from such an immense distance yet landed so beautifully into the basket! Its the first time Ive seen anything like this in real life! Can he also pull a Full Court Shot!? The clean long-range shot fazed everybody on the court, save for Yuel and Lars for whom it was just part of the plan. Though, admittedly, Yuels jaw also hit the floor the first time he saw this skill. They casually played basketball a few times when Lars insisted he needed a break from Classmancers, so Yuel got to witness these superhuman 3-pointers from up close. No matter how many times he saw Lars nail these shots, they always looked like nothing short of a miracle. These goals were as amazing as Larss ability to land Trickshooters bouncing shots. Both inside and outside Classmancers, Lars was superhuman. After witnessing a stunt like this, it was no surprise that even the bullies fell silent. This one amazing shot made a dent in their confidence. However, one of them immediately conquered his fears through sheer force of will. Cmon, wake up! Mike yelled as he caught the ball from under the basket. Its our turn to attack! Larry! He passed the ball outside the three-pointer line, which was a requirement for starting a new legal offense. G-Got it! Larry snapped out of it and focused on the ball heading his way. The weight of the ball in his hands finally brought him down to earth. Yeah, so what if dude scored that crazy shot? Larry forced himself to think. It gotta be a fluke or some shit. We gonna even the score in no time! Y-Yeah, ez! BAMP. The sound of something bouncing off the floor. It sounded heavy, almost like a basketball. Wait, it WAS a basketball! More specifically, THE basketball, the one Larry was holding in his hands a moment ago! What the-!? Larry turned to the criminal who hit the ball out of his hands. Ben, you piece of...! A-Ah, sorry! Ben backed away. B-But, I didnt do anything wrong, did I? Were playing on opposite teams here... Truly, it was a perfectly justified play. He simply knocked the ball out of Larrys hands and the ball jumped away to the distance. Nonetheless, Larry raged on. Damn, Ben! Larry waved an angry fist. Even if youre on the enemy team, that doesnt mean I gonna forgive this shit! A-Ah! Ben turned pale. Maybe he shouldnt have exploited Larrys momentary confusion like this. It was obvious Larry was still a little fazed after witnessing that amazing shot Lars scored, so Ben thought it was a great opportunity to hit the ball out of the guys hands. But, that was a little underhanded. Larry had every right to be angry. I hope it doesnt hurt too much. Ben gulped. He was very much expecting that clenched fist to come flying toward his face any moment now. But... Larry, the ball! Mike barked. Stop wasting time and get the ball! Oh snap, youre right! Larry lowered his fist and broke into a dash. He had to reclaim the ball he just lost, or else Mike will be REAL mad. I wont hear the end of it if they score another goal from this. Gulp. Fortunately, Ben was wack when it came to basketball. Dude was a loser who wouldnt hurt a fly, so he didnt hit the ball too hard. The ball bounced away, but it didnt go far. Larry gonna reclaim it ezpz. But, just as he was about to reach the ball, a foreign hand slapped it aside again! It was Yuel. He predicted where the ball will end up and positioned himself accordingly. Lars! Yuel informed about the incoming pass, as clumsy as it was. Its drifting a little to the outside. Yep, same as always. Lars nodded with an amused smile. It was always funny seeing Yuel pull some unexpected tricks that totally outsmarted the enemy team, but then fail to deliver a simple pass. Ive never seen a player like this. Dude is on a whole different level of genius, haha. Lars caught up to the drifting ball before it went out of bounds. In the end, the pass was a success despite how inaccurate it was. So, Yuel did his job. Now, it was Larss turn. Youre not scoring another one! Mike dashed straight at Lars, like a mad bull going for a tackle. Too slow, yo! Lars grinned confidently. Even though he was close to the center of the court, near the very boundary of the half-court, he still assumed a shooting position without hesitation. Wha-!? Mike coughed as if he just witnessed the impossible. Hey, now. You not gonna shoot from all the way over THERE, are you? Nah, thatd be dumb. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Yet, Lars did exactly that. With a quick jump, he released the ball from his hands. It flew in a clean arc, heading straight toward the basket. This one wont get in. Mike was convinced. The previous shot was already sketchy but it was still doable. Even I can score from there if you give me enough chances. But, shooting from the center... thats just dumb. Mike headed toward the basket, expecting a rebound at best. But, no such thing happened. The ball cleanly went through the basket, without even grazing the hoop. Two points! Vincent announced as he flipped the scoreboard. It was already 4-0 for Larss team. You gotta be shitting me... Mike felt sweat forming on his forehead. This development was beyond his wildest imagination. He was prepared for the possibility Lars was a decent basketball player, but what the flying fuck was this shit!? Even in our club, theres nobody who can score like this! Mike glared at Lars, the unexplainable alien. Who the fuck is this guy!? Where did he come from!? Mike was losing his wits by the moment. The first goal shook the team a little, but the second shot delivered one heck of a mental blow. What the hell were these Olympic gymnastics!? No, calm down. Mike took a deep breath. He couldnt lose his cool, that was of the most important rules of battle. The one who lost their cool first was usually the loser. Thats why it was Mikes tactic to maintain his cool while rattling his opponents. This approach brought him many victories. So, before anything else, he had to calm down. No matter how absurd the situation was, he had to analyze it with a cool head. As long as he stayed level-headed, his teammates should have an easier time retaining their cool as well. Cmon, guys! Mike raised his voice. Its our offense! Dont worry about their shots. No matter how much they score - we just gotta score more, its that simple. James, you start this time! R-Right! James prepared to receive the opening pass. He positioned himself just a little outside the three-pointer line, to be as close as possible to the basket the moment his offense turns legal. Okay, got it- whoa!? James jumped. A wild beast appeared in front of him! Lars was already there, blocking Jamess path! D-Dang, this dude! James gulped. What a presence. Is this guy a pro or something!? Jamess arms shook a little as he stood in front of Larss intimidating defensive pose. There were no openings to break through. I have a feeling this guy is way above my league. James hated to admit it but thats how it seemed. This guys speed and skill were top-notch, just as his insane shooting ability. He was a monster, through and through. Hey, James! Mike called out. Pass to Larry! He clearly said that, yet he was strongly pointing at himself. Hehe, got it! James snickered. This was one heck of a sick mind game. The tension he felt from Larss presence vanished without a trace. Yeah, I dont have to fight this crazy dude myself. Thats not my strong point anyway. Im a passer, not an attacker. James prided himself in his passing ability. He hated boring hard work more than anything else, so he always sought ways to leave most of the work for his peers. Thats how he became good at passing. It was the least physically demanding role out of the bunch. He only had to accurately deliver the ball to others and theyll do the rest from there. Ez life. So, instead of trying to do something difficult like confronting a strong opponent, James should just pass the ball to somebody more capable. That was his forte. Following Mikes orders, James raised the ball and directed it in Larrys direction. After all, Mike yelled Pass to Larry! so thats where James gotta pass, right? Hey, Larry! Catch! The beast in front of James reacted to these words right away. Lars jumped forward to cover the fake pass route. Fooled ya, bitch! James grinned triumphantly as he threw the ball in Mikes direction. With nobody standing in his path, it was an ezpz pass to deliver. The ball beautifully cut through the air as it flew toward Mike. The aim was pinpoint. Nothing couldve gone wrong at this point. Yet, something did! Got it. Yuel reached his hand toward the ball and blocked it in mid-air. What the-!? James couldnt believe it. My beautiful pass! How the hell!? Your signs are too obvious. Yuel criticized. He has been carefully observing Mike this entire time, so he noticed the contradiction between Mikes words and movements. It was a clear attempt at diversion. In a way, it was commendable that these guys actually used some tactics. That was already more brainwork than expected from a bunch of delinquents. Nonetheless, their ploy was far too easy to see through. Damn you! Mike roared. Gulp. Yuel shuddered. Even without seeing the enraged demon behind him, the loud fast-paced steps made it clear Mike was charging straight at him, like a train ready to crash into a wall! Lars! To the outside! Yuel passed the ball before Mike ran over him. Gotcha! Lars ran toward the outskirts of the three-pointer line and caught the ball. No, you dont! James hurried to intercept Lars but it was too late. As soon as Lars grabbed the ball - he already assumed a shooting position. It was yet another shot from outside the three-pointer line. It wont be as mind-blowing as the others in terms of distance but the execution was still superb. Its like the guy was using an aimbot to instantly target the basket. Hax, yo! Just like before, the ball went into the basket without even grazing the hoop. A clean, perfect goal. Two points! Vincent announced for the third time as he flipped the score. It was already 6-0. The basketball club was getting mopped hard. Damn, theyre making fun of us. Mike ranted internally. His cold blood was boiling. Who couldve predicted such an outcome? To think that the nerds in the Classmancers club had somebody who could play like this... Why the hell is somebody like him wasting his time on Mancers!? Mike clicked his tongue. This made no sense. With Larss skill, the guy would easily make it into the first-string of the basketball club. Why waste his talent on some dumb video game? Whatever. Enough games. Mike dribbled the ball a few times under the basket and took a deep breath. I cant leave anything to these idiots. Fine, Ill do it myself. Vol.12 Ch.25: Mikes Offense Fine, Ill do it myself. Mike decided to open the attack by himself. But first, he had to drive the ball beyond the three-pointer line. It was a hassle but it was better than passing the ball to one of his useless teammates. Larry and James are messing up too much right now. Mike scoffed. The boys were probably still shaken by Larss unexpected performance. They werent playing their best. Then again, could anybody blame them? The score was already a whopping 0-6 and it was against these scrubby opponents. This turn of events was bound to faze Larry and James. Worst of all, they havent scored a single goal yet. That was the most devastating fact. It created the false impression that Mikes team couldnt do shit against these guys. Therefore, he had to take matters into his own two hands and get something started. Hell score the first goal and instill some confidence in these weak-willed doofuses. Thatll get the game rolling for real. From there, theyll make a comeback in no time. And so, instead of opening the offense with a pass, Mike sprinted toward the outskirts while driving the ball. The enemy was busy keeping tabs on his teammates, so he gonna catch them off-guard with this stunt! Alas, the enemy was quick to adapt. A wild beast rushed right at Mike, fully intending to steal the ball. It was Lars! Damn. Mike clicked his tongue. The enemy captured him before he even crossed the three-pointer line. Lars was blocking his path like an impassable wall. The guy sure knows how to apply pressure, Ill give him that. Mike tensed up a little. The enemy in front of him was like a wild beast with superior strength, ready to overwhelm Mike at any moment. Mike was confident in his 1v1 skills, he had plenty of experience destroying weaklings. And, after tackling many opponents of different levels, Mike developed sharp instincts on the matter. Thats why he could tell beyond a shadow of a doubt: Lars was strong. That oppressive defensive stance left no openings. Mike wouldnt be able to break through so easily, if at all. You gotta be shitting me. Mike ranted internally. Not only he shoots 3-pointers from literally anywhere on the court, but hes also strong on the defense? Thats freakin cheating. Nevertheless, Mike had to confront this challenge head-on. Nothing will get started until his team scores at least one goal. And, as the leader in charge of this gang, Mike had to be the one to pull them forward. Cmon! Mike roared. Stop me if you can! Youre on! Lars grinned in response, confident that hell snatch the ball without any trouble. Try to keep up with me if you can! Mike dribbled the ball from side to side at lightning speed. WHAM. WHAM. WHAM. The ball was on one side, then immediately on the other. Unfortunately, as cool as it looked, this wasnt the most practical of techs. The real purpose was to apply pressure on the defender, to make them second-guess themselves as they were trying to read this speedy pattern. And, while the defender was distracted, Mike will break through! But, the trick didnt work as intended against Lars. The guy was like an overexcited dog who chased the ball from side to side without rest. It seemed he had no trouble following the quick movements with his eyes and responding to them in a timely manner. Every time Mike considered breaking through the right flank, the right flank was blocked. Likewise, when he considered breaking through the left side, the left side was blocked. Is he reading me like a book? Mike wondered. No, I dont think hes that smart. Its his nerdy pal who got a head on his shoulders. On the other hand, Lars looks like a regular doofus to me. But, if hes not predicting my movements, then does that mean he... It was pure reaction speed. Lars wasnt thinking too deeply about what Mike was trying to achieve. This guy was simply reacting to the stimuli in front of him, like a wild beast with sharpened instinct. Ive met some players like that before. Mike frowned. Cant say I like them. It always feels like theyre showing off their reaction speed on the court. I cant stand that shit. This was a problem. But, it wasnt all bad. While it was definitely difficult to drive the ball past players like this via sheer speed, it was usually easier to trick them with a good feint. Players who relied on their beastly instinct often jumped at the first opportunity they saw. That was an impressive ability under most circumstances, but sometimes it led to their downfall. Hey, Larry! Mike grabbed the ball with both hands and turned in Larrys direction. Catch! Not gonna happen, yo! Lars jumped to block the pass route. The reaction was instantaneous. If Mike really tried to pass the ball right now, Lars wouldve certainly blocked it. But... You fell for it, sucker! Mike sneered. He turned around and drove the ball toward the exit. While Lars was still restoring his form after performing the block, Mike successfully made it past the three-pointer line! Finally, their offense became legal. This is where things will start going their way! Mike will definitely score a goal here and get things rolling. But, that was easier said than done. Tch, already here? Mike clicked his tongue. When he turned around to face the basket, the pesky defender was already there, blocking all lines of attack. Even if I throw him off, he rebounds right away. Hate players like that. Well then, guess Ill try the same trick again. Hey, Larry! Mike called out and turned in Larrys direction. This time for sure! Catch! Alas, this time, Lars didnt budge. He kept his defense firmly rooted. Whats wrong? Lars smiled meaningfully. You ain''t passing? Tch. Mike lowered the ball and continued dribbling. Well, that was to be expected. Lars seemed like a dumb guy, but he wasnt dumb enough to fall for the same trick twice in a row. With all said and done, he clearly had some experience in basketball. It wont be that easy to crack this one. Do I try to break through this time? Mike wondered. Itll be bad if he grabs the ball. Not only theyll score again, but itll also make me look bad. Larry and James will lose all motivation if they see me lose a 1v1. I cant give these lazy bums an excuse to throw the game. Considering all that, it was best to pass the ball to somebody else and pray they wont mess things up again. Who do I pass to? Mike checked both sides. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. On the right, Ben was marking Larry. Of course, Ben being Ben, that fat Meatball wasnt much of a threat. Still, he stuck pretty closely to his mark and that seemed to irritate Larry. Despite being a fatass, there were a few aspects of basketball in which Ben didnt completely suck. Marking targets was one of them. Then, what about the other side? Thats where that nerdy guy was supposed to be marking James. Pft. Whats with that marking? Mike sneered. It was questionable whether one could even call that marking at all. Yuel positioned himself a few good steps away from James. It seemed he was more concerned about not letting James approach the three-pointer line than intercepting passes. By standing all the way over there, its like he was telling his enemies that passing to James was free real estate. Amateur. Mike made his mind. Hey, Larry! The third time is the charm! Catch again! Mike shouted that, but he sent the ball flying in the opposite direction - toward James! Oh! Lars thought this one was a feint as well so he didnt react in time. He stretched his arm toward the ball but failed to even graze it. James! Mike already started running toward the basket. Get the ball to me right away! Dont even try to dribble, you hear me!? Aye aye, cap! James casually jogged to catch the pass. However, right before the ball landed in his hands, something got in the way. You again!? Yuel successfully intercepted the pass. Wha the-!? Mike exclaimed. What the fuck!? I know Im not a pro at passing, but Im pretty damn sure I sent this one straight at James! How did that guy get there in time to intercept!? It didnt make any sense. The whole reason Mike chose to pass to James was because of how loose the marking was. This was supposed to be an easy pass that had zero chances of being intercepted! And yet, Yuel intercepted it. How? Actually, it was elementary. Im glad you passed over here. Yuel nodded to himself in satisfaction. It was bait all along. He positioned himself far enough from James to make the marking seem loose. Once Mike glanced in their direction, this misleading picture successfully planted itself in his head. It gave birth to the idea of passing the ball to James. Thats when Yuel started moving toward intercepting the ball. After Mike confirmed that James was free, he spent a couple more seconds dribbling in place and feinting a pass in Larrys direction. That brief window of time was more than enough for Yuel to mark James properly and intercept the pass. Shit! Mike hit the brakes and ran back to mark Lars. That bastard was the most dangerous shooter on the enemy team so the ball wasnt allowed to reach him, no matter what. Hey James, make sure you grab that ball! We cant lose this offense! On it! James leaped at Yuel. Im tired of your shit, dude! Gimme the damn ball! Fortunately, his target was wide open. Yuel grabbed the ball with both hands and spent time examining the court, probably checking whether hell be able to get a pass across. As such, he wasnt paying any attention to James at all. The ball was completely defenseless! Mine! James channeled all his frustration into his muscles and dashed forward. I gonna smack the ball right out of this nerds hands! Here it comes. Yuel could tell by the aggressive footsteps. He was anticipating this kind of aggression. But, if thats the case, why didnt he bother driving the ball away to safety? Why was he holding it out in the open, inviting the enemy to strike? Im not skilled enough for that. Yuel knew that better than anybody. If I try to compete against any of them with standard basketball moves, theyll eat me alive. As such, trickery was the only tool he had to combat these physically superior opponents. Therefore, instead of challenging the aggressor, it was best to turn their aggression against themselves! Just before the enemys attack arrived, Yuel loosened his grip on the ball. He wasnt going to put up on any resistance whatsoever. Mine! Mine! James roared internally as he swung his arm like a whip. Im tired of your bullshit, man! Ill be taking this ball! James thrust his hand with all his strength, fully intent to overpower the enemys grip. BAM! He slammed the ball real hard! In fact, he mightve struck the ball a little TOO hard. It felt like there was no resistance whatsoever. None at all. Nada. The ball crashed into the floor, then jumped right back up... toward James face! GAH! The ball rammed into his face like a truck! The impact almost knocked him off his feet. The world around him became a blur. Thank you for your cooperation. Yuel grabbed the dangerous culprit that just finished assaulting a fellow human. The ball carried out its assassination mission flawlessly, even better than Yuel expected. It was quite the assault. James was staggering for a while with tears in his eyes. Shit! This hurts, dammit! Haha! Larry laughed in the distance. The heck are you doing? Stop messing around, Mike criticized. Get the ball back! IT HURTS THO! James massaged his reddish nose. He was in no condition to pursue Yuel at the moment. It was a gamble but it turned out well. Yuel nodded to himself and started dribbling the ball toward the three-pointer line. Now, that his mark disappeared, he was free to do whatever he wanted. In fact, he could dash straight toward the basket and score a goal! At least, thats the possibility his enemies should be afraid of right now. Damn! Mike charged at Yuel like a mad bull. Do I have to do everything myself here!? Youre not getting this shot! Dont worry. Yuel turned around and lifted the ball. I wasnt planning to shoot in the first place. Wha-!? Mike almost stumbled in the middle of the dash. What the hell is he...!? Instead of aiming at the basket, Yuel turned around and threw the ball in Mikes general direction. But, of course, his target wasnt Mike. No, it was the unmarked player Mike left behind! Shit! Mike hit the brakes and turned around but it was too late. The pass snuck by him and reached its destination beyond the three-pointer line. In truth, the ball didnt actually reach the spot Yuel was aiming for. His poor coordination struck again as usual. Nonetheless, the end result was the same. Yet again, the ball was in Larss possession and he was beyond the three-pointer line. No, you dont! Mike charged at the distant opponent even though he already knew whatll happen. It was far too late. Lars has already assumed a shooting stance. WHISH! The ball flew beautifully through the air and pierced right through the center of the basket. Two points! Vincent announced. The score was now 8-0. You gotta be shitting me. Mike gritted his teeth. His clenched fists trembled. He and Co. were part of the basketball club, yet these amateurs were mopping the floor with them! How was that even possible!? How could some nerds be so good!? No, thats not the right question. Mike realized something once he sorted out his thoughts. Im starting to think its only this doofus who can play. So far, hes the only one scoring shit. The score was a crushing 8-0 but it was actually caused by only 4 shots. And, all of them were scored by none other than Lars. Ben didnt get any opportunities to do shit, and as for Yuel... He got the ball a few times. Mike thought. But, he never shoots. He only passes. Even this time, he was right under the basket, but he opted to pass. It was odd. Yuel was completely unmarked back then thanks to James making a fool out of himself. The guy got so close to the basket, to a distance from which any scrub could easily score. Thats the reason Mike disregarded everything and charged at Yuel like a mad dog, believing the guy will shoot for sure. And yet, Yuel opted to pass. Why? Just because he wanted to score 2 points? That seemed like an unnecessary risk. When you have a great opportunity to score, you gotta score. You shouldnt be thinking about stuff like scoring three-pointers, not in situations like this. Then, why did Yuel pass the ball to Lars back there? He seemed like a guy with a head on his shoulder, so that was surely a calculated move like the rest of his plays. Hmph. Lets think about it the other way around. Mike reasoned. Maybe he COULDNT shoot from there. And, if my guess is right... Mike analyzed Yuel from head to toe. A skinny guy who didnt look athletic in the slightest, yet fooled everybody into thinking he could play the game. So, thats how it is. With that realization, the tides of this match were about to turn in a big way... Vol.12 Ch.26: The One Who Cant Play Basketball Looks like the gig is up. Yuel frowned as he watched Mike and James exchange whispers. A few seconds earlier, Mike was analyzing Yuel from head to toe, like a scientist dissecting a lab frog. He probably figured everything out. It was just a question of time. Yuel thought. I knew we wouldnt be able to keep this a secret forever. Though, I hoped well score more points before the cat is out of the bag. I shouldve been more careful. The way Yuel chose to pass the ball to Lars instead of shooting was a big tell. He practically shouted, I cant shoot for the life of me! Mike was sharp enough to pick on things like that. No use crying over spilled milk. Yuel shook his head and concentrated on the enemys next offense. A lead of 8 points should be plenty. Even if things start getting rough, we should be able to hold on. Unlike with the previous attacks, James was handed the ball for opening this one. The enemy mustve wanted to take advantage of the guys smooth passes right at the start, on the very first play. The guy grabbed the ball under the basket and aimed in Mikes direction. It was Yuels job to mark James, so he stepped in between the two. I doubt I can intercept his passes. Yuel thought. So, I need to tempt him into driving past me. It was the same as last time. Yuel loosened his form. He stood in front of James like a scarecrow that posed no threat. It should be easy enough to break past a defender like this. But... Heh, dodge me with that shit! James grinned. I aint falling for this again. Mike told me you gonna try to pull something, so Imma just ignore ya. Just gotta pass, thats what I do best! Yuels ploy fell through. James delivered a sharp pass across the court, right into Mikes hands. Dang! Lars tried to intercept the pass with his long arm but the ball found its way to Mike anyway. Sick pass, yo! Right? Right? James nodded in approval as he charged at Lars. Until now, James was tasked with keeping tabs on Yuel. But, not this time. He ignored his usual mark and went straight after Lars as if everything was planned in advance. So, it begins. Yuel frowned. It was clear enough what kind of tip James received from Mike. The game was about to become ten times harder. Lars! Hes coming behind you! Yuel warned as he gave chase. He couldnt keep up with Jamess speed, so the best he could do was to warn Lars about the incoming danger. Theyre going to screen you! Too late for warnings! James already reached Larss right flank and assumed a firm stance. Yo! You aint passing through. At the same time, Mike broke into a run while driving the ball. He passed by Larss right side, the same side James was blocking like an impassable wall! If Lars charges straight ahead, hell crash right into that wall. Either hell get overpowered and get knocked back, or hell knock the opponent away and cause a foul. In any case, he wont be able to properly chase Mike. At least, not if he charges straight ahead. Ya aint getting away! Lars gave chase regardless! However, instead of dashing forward, he first maneuvered around Jamess screen. Wha-!? This guy...! James exclaimed. He rooted himself in place like a tree, bracing for any incoming impact. However, instead of running into him, the wild beast circled around and passed through! James was so concerned about getting tackled that it took him a while to respond to this unexpected turn of events. Crap! James cursed. Mike, hes after your ass! Doesnt matter. Mike already got close enough to the basket. It was time to shoot. He raised the ball over his head and released it. No, you dont! Lars jumped into the scene at the last moment and slapped the ball away! Wha-!? Mike couldnt believe it. He had already released the ball, yet Lars still reached it in mid-air. Just what sort of monstrous agility and jumping ability did this guy possess!? The ball jumped away from both of them and ended up in Yuels hands. It looked like a lucky fluke, but that wasnt the case at all. Even as Lars hastily smacked the ball in mid-air, he still did his best to aim it in Yuels general direction. And, Yuel made sure to position himself ahead of time in a good spot for receiving this sort of pass. He calculated that, at best, Lars will only manage to hit the ball out of Mikes hands, that he wont have the luxury to make a proper pass. And with that, the tides have turned. Now, Yuels team was on the offensive! But, there was a problem. A big one. Even though Yuel was in a pretty good position for taking a shot at the basket, Mike didnt dash at him like last time. Instead, the guy stuck close to Lars and blocked all pass routes. Dont mind that nerd! Mike shouted. Focus on this three-pointer machine over here. Following the instructions, James blocked Larss other side. There was no getting out of this double mark. Even though Yuel was holding the ball and was so close to the basket, the enemy chose to ignore him and gang on Lars instead. As I thought, they figured it out. Yuels role in this game was that of a delivery boy. All he had to do, all he could do, was to deliver the ball to Lars. The enemy realized Yuel wasnt going to score any shots. Why? Because he couldnt. His aim was atrocious. And, Mike probably figured that out from their previous exchange. After all, what kind of player would choose to pass the ball when the basket was right in front of him and there were no blockers? Only somebody who couldnt score goals would resort to an inefficient move like that. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Of course, its not like Mike had any solid proof, so leaving Yuel unmarked was a gamble. In other words, Mike was willing to sacrifice one point to determine just how bad Yuel was at shooting. Its the smart thing to do. Yuel had to admit. If they learn they can ignore me, they can start using numbers to shut Lars down. Thats when the game will start for real. Was there anything Yuel could do to prevent this development? No, there wasnt. He had been racking his brain about this predictable problem before the game even started, but he couldnt find a solution. The enemy was bound to learn of his terrible athletic skills sooner or later, there was no way to hide it. And, once they learn that, they were bound to focus their manpower on the rest of the team. Namely, on Lars. But, theres a one in a million chance I can keep deceiving them for a little longer. Yuel glanced at the ball in his hands, then at the basket in front of him. If I shoot and score, itll make them wary of me again. Itll show them they cant just leave me unmarked all the time. As unlikely as this plan sounded, Yuel nonetheless dribbled the ball toward the basket and carefully took aim. Even though his aim was terrible, its not like he couldnt score any goals ever. As long as he carefully aimed toward the basket and released the ball in that direction, there was always a chance the ball will land inside the hoop. Its just that, in Yuels case, the chance of that happening was about 1 in 10000000000000000000... Theres nothing else I can do anyway. Yuel glanced one last time at his teammates. Mike and James were still pinning Lars down, while Larry was keeping Ben strictly behind him. There was no way of passing the ball to either of them. So, Yuel had to take the shot and pray for that nano-chance of success. He took his stance and fired toward the basket! Or, at least, the ball should have gone toward the basket, but... The ball flew through the air, then landed on the floor outside the court. BUMP. BUMP. BUMP. It bounced a few times, then went silent. And, all sound on the court died along with it. ........................... There was a loud silence. Yuel felt countless stares prickling his back. Everybody mustve been staring at him, wondering what kind of alien he was. Needless to say, the ball he sent flying didnt score. In fact, it didnt even touch the hoop. But, that was still fine. It wasnt unusual for amateurs to miss the hoop when throwing. But, Yuel missed more than just the hoop. He missed the entire backboard! He threw the ball from such a close distance, yet it went completely off-bounds... That made Yuels entire resolve sound like a joke. Score a goal to make the enemy wary. Yeah, right. It was a nice short-lived dream, thats all it was. Instead of establishing himself as a threat, he only proved how utterly incompetent he was. This terrible shot was practically shouting: You can ignore me for the rest of the game. A-Ahem. Yuel cleared his throat to break the heavy silence. I believe its your ball. No shit, Sherlock. Mike gave a half-hearted reply. It seemed he was still a little shocked by what he had just witnessed. The first one to truly break the heavy silence was James, with his usual annoying laugh. Hahaha! The heck was that, man!? The heck were you aiming at? Hahaha! There was a mosquito there. I was trying to hit it. Yuel made a dumb excuse and averted his eyes. His cheeks were heating up. Haha! This bruh is trash! Larry joined the laughter. So, this is a 3v2, huh. Pretty much. Mike nodded. Alright, so this is our new formation. Two will mark Lars, the remaining one will keep tabs on the Meatball. Gotcha! Larry gave a thumbs up. Alrighty. James grabbed the ball and grinned. Lets get this offense rolling! He passed the ball to Mike. It was a clean pass as usual. Lars failed to intercept it. Your gig is up. Mike declared boldly. Now the game starts for real! Oh, yeah? Lars smiled confidently. Come at me, dude! Oh, you bet I will! Mike dribbled the ball back and forth, trying to throw Lars off balance. But, the bastard didnt yield. He followed every motion without failure and responded immediately whenever Mike tried to make a move. It was impossible to get past him. Nah, its totally possible. Mike reassured himself. Its just hella risky. I cant be sure he wont grab the ball somehow. In a 1v1, Mike wasnt 100% certain hell be able to break past Lars. So, there was no reason to keep it as a 1v1, was there? Lars! Yuel called out. Another screen is coming! Geh, that stuff again!? Lars glanced behind him. Indeed, James was slithering closer to him like a snake. But, executing the screen wasnt even the main point here. Mike just needed something, anything, to break Larss concentration. So, the brief glance Lars threw behind his back was going to cost him dreary. Got you! Mike broke into a sprint and drove the ball toward the basket! Gah!? Lars jumped. No, you dont! He turned around and darted after his target. Im not lettin ya score, yooooo- geh!? Lars crashed into a wall! Or, more accurately, into a screen! Hello there. James grinned while flinching. The collision hurt him a little, but the pain was numbed by the sense of satisfaction. Finally, he stopped this beast and allowed Mike to break through! The game was about to start rolling for real now! Its all up to me. Yuel was the only one in position to defend against Mikes shot. He advanced toward the charging boar and assumed a defensive stance. Fortunately, defending was actually one of the few areas in which Yuel wasnt completely terrible at. As long as he could predict the opponents movements and drag them into psychological warfare, Yuel had a chance of defeating them. But, that only worked on opponents who agreed to entertain him with mind games... Move, trash! Mike didnt slow down in the slightest, even with Yuel standing in his path. He was like a speeding train with a fixed course. Forward! Only forward! H-Hell run over me! Yuel shuddered. An avalanche was heading his way! B-But, if he pushes me away, itll be a foul. Yuel gulped. Itll hurt for sure but its better than letting them score and gain momentum. I have to stand my ground! Yuel raised his arms and braced for impact. Tch. You got guts, if not else. Mike hit the brakes at the very last second. He also understood the importance of this first goal all too well. The moment he scores it, the tides of the game will shift in a big way and the team will gain momentum. Therefore, he had to score no matter what. As much as he wanted to ram into this twiggy nerd, this was not the time to foul scrubs. Gotta say, though. This guy is crazy. Mike thought as he raised the ball. Like, Id understand standing his ground like this if he were some well-built mofo. But, look at this scarecrow. Hes just a skinny lil bitch. Id freakin kill him if I crash into him. Does he have a death wish or something? Seriously, the members of the Classmancers club were a bunch of weirdos. There was Lars, who had such amazing talent for basketball yet wasted it all on playing a video game. And, there was this nerdy scrub who apparently sucked ass in basketball, yet employed some nasty tricks to throw everybody off guard. And, even against Mikes intimidating drive, this guy barely flinched. I dont get it. These guys are supposed to be nerds pretending to be athletes. Whats with all this fighting spirit? Fuck off with that shit! Mike shot toward the basket. Despite his anger, the ball flew in an elegant arc and went in. I cant stand this. Ill crush you all. Mike declared. Ill crush you so hard, you wont want to compete at anything ever again! Finally, Mikes team scored the first point. It was just one point, but it was the turning point of this entire game... Vol.12 Ch.27: The Enemy Is Catching Up One point! Vincent flipped the enemys score for the first time today. At long last, Mikes team scored a point! With that said, the score was still 8-1 in favor of Larss team. They shouldve had an absolute advantage here. Alas, that advantage was more fragile than they realized. It already started crumbling. Given Yuels terrible passing skills, Ben was tasked with opening the game for the team. He handled the task surprisingly well, delivering a clean pass to Lars. Though, part of the reason the ball had no trouble reaching Lars was that nobody bothered to intercept it. Instead, the enemy defenders focused on surrounding Lars. Youre not getting through, Mike declared as he stretched his arms in front of Lars. Its okay. Lars grinned and raised the ball. I dont need to get- agh! Hey there, whats up? Larry entered the scene from the side and slapped the ball out of Larss hands. Good one. Mike grabbed the loose ball. They had this one in the bag, or so he thought. No, you dont! Lars was quick to switch gears. Upon losing the ball, he immediately shifted gears toward reclaiming it. Tch, hes sure fast. Mike sneered at the speedy defender who was already blocking the path. Just a moment ago, Lars was on the offensive and about to shoot the ball, but the next moment he was already blocking Mike off. This guy was something else. But, you cant carry an entire team by yourself. Mike didnt bother facing Lars upfront. Its not like he couldnt win this 1v1, its just that it was an unnecessary risk. It was far smarter to play this safe and ensure they score the next one. As such, instead of breaking through, Mike passed the ball to James. However, an opponent attempted to intercept the pass. It should be around here. Yuel stretched his arm as he ran toward the calculated destination. He anticipated a pass to James in this situation, so he moved over there ahead of time. The core of the enemys offense revolved around getting the ball to James, the best passer. He was the best man for delivering a decisive pass to one of the two attackers, a line of play that was very likely to result in a goal. Thats how the enemy has been scoring most of their points thus far. It was an effective, but predictable, strategy. Therefore, Yuel could anticipate it in advance and interrupt it! Ugh! Yuel gritted his teeth. His fingers just barely failed to graze the ball. He was one step too short to intercept the ball. Got it! James grabbed the ball with no problem. He drove it forward for a couple of steps, then prepared to pass. This was the most difficult part of predicting the enemys offense. Who will James pass to? Both Mike and Larry were viable options. Mike was clearly the superior attacker but Larry wasnt shabby either. Either of them will score given the opportunity. Unfortunately, Lars couldnt mark both attackers by himself. Especially, since Mike and Larry always positioned themselves on opposite sides of the court for receiving Jamess passes. As such, Lars had to prioritize marking one of the options and he chose Mike, the greater threat out of the two. Yuel agreed with this decision. Meanwhile, Ben was the one who had to keep tabs on Larry. But, unfortunately, Ben didnt have the necessary level of assertiveness to consistently interrupt Larry. So, its going to that guy this time. Yuel deduced and he was right on the money. The pass traveled toward Larry in a clean, fast motion. Ben was unable to intercept it. Alright! Larry caught the ball. Now, he only had to shoot past Bens defense. Bens defensive skills were surprisingly decent, he even knocked the ball out of Larrys hands a few times. These were all lucky flukes of course, but that Meatball sure knew how to be a real nuisance every now and then. Fortunately, there was one godlike trick to trample over Bens defense in an instant. It was an unblockable tech. Hey, Meatball! You gonna lemme pass, right? RIGHT? Dont make me beat you up, man! A-Ah! Ben flinched. His body froze in place. Larry usually barked more than he bit, but that didnt mean he wasnt capable of turning violent. Ben was used as a human punchbag more than a few times in the past. H-He wouldnt do such a thing during a game, would he? Ben wanted to believe that with all his heart but he simply couldnt. His body turned stiff on instinct. He couldnt properly challenge Larry, not with the threat of violence lingering in the air. While Ben was fighting to overcome his inner turmoil, Larry passed by him without any effort. And then, he shot toward the basket. One point! Vincent announced as he flipped the score. In this manner, slowly but surely, the enemy was catching up. Before long, the score became 12-6 in the favor of Larss team. They still had a great lead but it was shrinking by the moment. Man, that point difference. Larry made a face. Like, we scored the same number of goals, right? But, these fuckers got twice our points. That illegal. Yeah, Mike agreed. These 2-pointers are a problem. We let them score too many. That nerdy bastard probably had this in mind all along. He glared at Yuel, the perpetrator who suggested using this scoring system. At first glance, there was no major difference between the 2/3 system and the 1/2 system. In both cases, shooting beyond the three-pointer line gave one extra point. However, as this game went on, the difference between the two systems became apparent. In the 1/2 system, that one extra point actually DOUBLED the score. Thats why, despite both teams scoring 6 goals by now, the score was 6-12, with the enemy holding double the points. That wouldnt have been the case in the 2/3 system. Mike was no genius in math, but even he knew how to count. If they played this exact same game with the 2/3 system, the score wouldve been 12-18. There would have been a gap of only 6 points between them, which they couldve easily closed with just 3 more goals. That smartypants probably calculated all that shit from the beginning. Mike scoffed. He knew Lars is a freakin sniper who can shoot three-pointers from anywhere. I totally fell for that shit. Was it too late to request a change of rules at this point? Unfortunately, yes, it was. If Mike requests such a thing at this point in the game, itll make him look like a loser who wasnt confident about winning on his own turf. His policy was to use every dirty trick in the book in order to gain the upper hand, but not when it tarnished his image. And, unfortunately, requesting a change to the scoring system will definitely make him look bad. We just gotta suck it up and keep playing. Mike concluded. As long as we keep double marking Lars, he wont get many chances to shoot. Well catch up in no time. While Mikes camp was gradually gaining confidence and momentum, the enemy team was getting flustered over the recent developments. Unfortunately, Yuel said. Well have to stop relying only on 2-pointers. You need to start mixing them up. Gotcha! Lars flashed his teeth. He had a bunch of other cool tricks so he was fine with that. This is the critical phase of the game. Yuel inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to stabilize his ragged breathing. The enemy figured how to shut down our strongest weapon. From here on out, its going to be a real struggle. I hope an advantage of six goals will be enough to carry us. A new round began. Yuels team started on the offensive, with Ben handling the ball under the basket. Hes the only one who can handle the opening. Yuel smiled wryly. It shouldve been him instead, but he couldnt possibly pull it off. His passing skills werent good enough to open an attack. The ball always strayed too far from the intended target and it was anybodys guess wholl get it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. On the other hand, Bens passes were decent. They didnt rival Jamess clean passes, but they often got the job done. Okay. Yuel effortlessly received Bens pass beyond the three-pointer line. The teams offense now became legal. They could aim for the goal! But, who was going to score? Not Yuel, thats for sure. In the first place, the only reason he received this pass so easily was because nobody was marking him. The enemy team deemed Yuel powerless. As long as he couldnt get the ball inside the basket, he didnt pose a real threat even with the ball in hand. Thats fine with me. Yuel thought. Keep underestimating me all you want. It makes my life easier. He examined his options. Mike and James were tightly marking Lars, while Larry covered Ben. There werent any easy targets to pass to, especially not with Yuels poor passing ability. If he had even 10% of Jamess passing skills, Yuel mightve been able to safely deliver the ball to one of his teammates right now. Alas, that was but a pipe dream. He couldnt get the ball to anybody right now. But, he was used to situations like that by now. Thats how things always played out for him, no matter what sport he played. Always underestimated, always disregarded. Both by enemies and teammates alike But, that was no reason to lose spirit. He just had to be sneakier with his conduct and rely on unconventional tactics. Lars! Back! Yuel called out as he threw the ball to the far back, toward the center of the court. Gotcha! Lars shook off his mark and broke into the lightning speed dash toward the ball. Mike and James were blocking his front and side, so they werent prepared for him turning 180 degrees and making a break for it. What the-!? Mike jumped and gave chase. He immediately realized the dangers this play posed. Normally, passing the ball that far into the back was a dumb move. It set back the teams offense by a lot. But, what if the team had a professional sniper who could score a goal from anywhere on the court? That flipped the entire situation on its head. All of a sudden, it didnt matter that the ball was far away from the basket. As long as Lars got his hands on it - hell score! No, you dont! Mike had to prevent that shot, no matter what! He was a little slower than that cheetah ahead of him, but only by a little. Hell have to slow down to pick the ball. Ill catch up to him then! As predicted, Lars had to hit the brakes in order to grab the ball. In addition, it also took him a moment to turn around and take aim at the basket. In that brief amount of time, Mike caught up to his prey. The bastard was just about to release his shot, but Mike made it in the nick of time! No, you dont! Mike jumped with all his strength to block the shots path. Youre not shooting any more of these, not under my watch! Its okay. Lars lowered the ball. I wasnt going to shoot anyway! He broke his shooting form and drove the ball past the confused blocker. What the-!? Mike exclaimed. It was a fake!? Damn! Mike jumped real high to block the ball, and the sudden turn of events made him mess up the landing. He strumbled forward after hitting the floor and had to use all his strength to avoid crashing into the floor. Meanwhile, Lars was getting farther and farther away. It was impossible to catch up to him at this rate. Jay! Mike roared. You gotta stop him as if your life depends on it! Aye aye, boss! James planted himself in Larss way. He had no plans of backing away, even if Lars ends up crashing into him. I hope he doesnt, tho. It gonna hurt real bad. Alas, Lars didnt seem to slow down in the slightest as he was heading in Jamess direction. This dude knows how to block shots. Lars recalled their past exchanges. But, he aint nothing when it comes to stealing the ball in 1v1! Trusting that conviction, Lars dashed forward and maneuvered around James, who stood there like a scarecrow with his arms stretched. Maybe dude thought Lars will ram into him or something because he flinched for a moment. That split-second freeze-up decided the outcome of the entire duel. D-Damn. James breathed in relief. This shit shaved a few years off my life. How can somebody sprint forward like an Olympic champion, but then maneuver around so smoothly? Bitch is crazy. James turned around to pursue the attacker but he could tell it was pointless. Lars successfully broke past him and went for the shot. One point! Vincent announced as he flipped the score. It was 13-6. Damn, Jay, Mike ranted. What was that!? Are you trying to become a scarecrow or some shit? Block the guy like you mean it. Haha, my bad. James scratched his head apologetically. Well, at least its just one point, Mike said. Cmon, get the attack started. We gotta take that point back! On it! James collected the ball underneath the basket. Now, it was his teams offense. Following Mikes decision, James was responsible for starting the teams offense every time. It only made sense, since Jamess passes were the best out of three. Hehe. I get the easy job. James snickered. All I gotta do is pass. From there, my bruddas will handle the rest. He passed the ball to Mike outside the three-pointer line. With the offense now turning legal, it was time to score a goal! But, things were never that easy. The moment Mike grabbed the ball, a wild beast blocked his path. Tch, You never rest, do you? Mike clicked his tongue. Lars was already there, applying pressure. I can break through. Mike was convinced. But, why take the risk? Lets see if anybody is free. Larry was usually the best target for a pass, but Ben was currently doing a decent job marking him. On the other hand, James was practically free since Yuel still hasnt gotten into a position to intercept any pass routes. Therefore, the choice was obvious. Jay! Mike passed the ball back to where it came from. With how close James was to the basket, even he could score from there. Anybody who attended the basketball club, no matter how lazy they were, had to be able to do at least that much. But, all of that provided the ball will actually reach him without any accident. And, it just so happened that somebody predicted this pass and stepped in to intercept it! I knew it was coming. Yuel ran forward and stretched his arm. He was slow in marking James on purpose, to lure Mike into throwing this predictable pass. Now, all Yuel had to do was interrupt it and reclaim control of the ball. Ah! Yuel saw the ball flashing right in front of his stretched hand and then it continued onward, right into Jamess hands. The interception attempt failed. Heh, ez! James shot the ball as soon as he received it. One point! Vincent announced. 13-7. Haa... haa... Yuel leaned forward to catch his breath. Yet again, he was too late in intercepting the pass. I baited that pass successfully and I predicted exactly where it was going, but... In the end, he failed to reach the ball in time. He was just a centimeter away. His predictions regarding the balls movements were on point, yet his predictions regarding his body movements were amiss. He didnt move as well as he imagined in his head. This scenario has been occurring more and more in the recent rounds. Yuel has been failing to intercept passes left and right. He was doing such a great job when the game started, but almost every pass slipped past him. Why was this happening? The answer was obvious. Im getting fatigued. Yuel had no choice but to admit that. The game hasnt been going for that long yet, yet his body already started turning to lead. It was so heavy as if he gained twenty kilos during the course of the match. And, the heavier his body felt, the hazier his thinking became. It was becoming harder and harder to maintain a consistent track of thought and to accurately calculate the enemys movements. I knew itll happen eventually, but isnt this a little too early? Yuel bit his lip. Im supposed to last longer than this. I exercise every day, so my stamina should be better than this. But, apparently, an aerobic exercise like jogging didnt improve his stamina much for anaerobic activities. Its as if the human body had two different types of MP bars, one for casting aerobic skills and one for unleashing anaerobic sorcery. Therefore, even though Yuel increased his Max MP in one area, he remained with a pitifully low Max MP for the other. Basketball is such a rough game. Yuel sighed. Or, at least he thought he did. It was hard to tell with how labored his breathing has become. Theres barely any time to rest in this game. We havent started that long ago but Im already spent. I wish we were competing in something else... For example, soccer was a game with a much slower pace, mostly aerobic in nature. Players had plenty more time to rest between plays, especially the defenders. In sports like that, Yuel could last for quite a while and make himself useful until the very end. On the other hand, in basketball, he constantly dashed around while keeping tabs on his mark. The ball moved all over the place and anybody could score a goal at a moments notice. There was no rest to be had. This is the critical moment of the match. As time goes on, hell most certainly become more and more useless for his team. Thats usually how things went for him when he tried to participate in team sports back in grade school. Nobody ever wanted Yuel on his team due to how quickly he ran out of steam. At this point, the match was already a 2v3, maybe a 2.5v3 at best. And, things were only going to get worse from here. But, Ive already signed up for this, so theres no turning back. Yuel took a deep breath to stabilize himself. He had to keep on going even if his lungs threatened to explode. Looks like I cant intercept passes the way Ive been doing until now. Yuel concluded. And, in general, I feel like I wont be able to pull too many tricks from here forward. Ill have to play by the book. The bodys fatigue extended all the way to his mind. When the body was tired, so was the brain. It was an unfortunate flaw in the otherwise impressive construct that was the human body. From here on out, Yuel will have to stick to the basics. Hell closely mark James and will try to make the opponents lives as difficult as possible. Thats all he could do at this point. The rest was up to Lars. The game will end once the team scores 8 more points. They were already close to the end goal Therefore, Yuel will just have to keep dragging his body around the court until then. I wish there was somebody who could sub in for me... Vol.12 Ch.28: Timely Substitution The basketball match went on. Slowly but surely, Mikes team has been closing the gap. The score was already at 16-13. From a decisive lead of 6 points, Larss team was now ahead by only 3 points. This is my fault. Yuel thought. It all started when he showed the enemy he was a terrible shooter. Since then, the enemy has been double-teaming Lars all the time, stopping the sniper from scoring his trademark long-ranged shots. To make things worse, Yuels MP has been running out like crazy. His breathing grew more and more labored by the moment and his eyes struggled to stay focused on the ball. Even something as simple as marking one opponent became a herculean task. Heh! James effortlessly snuck past Yuels loose mark and raised his arm. Here, here! Got it. Mike passed the ball without hesitation. It headed straight toward James. A clean pass, but also a rather predictable one. I should be able to block it. Yuel stretched his arm but it hit nothing but air. The ball flew right past his reach. If he was just a little faster, he couldve easily intercepted this predictable pass and gained the initiative. But, it was over now... No, its not yet! Yuel shook his head. This was neither the time nor the place for giving up! He failed to stop that pass, but what of it? It wasnt the end of the world. Nobody has scored a goal yet. There was still time. James had to assume a shooting stance before he could deliver the ball to the basket. There was time to catch up to him and block the shot! I have to stop it! Yuel jumped! But stumbled along the way and flew right past the target. Haha! What the fuck? James cracked a laugh, then shifted his focus back to the basket. Ez! One point! Vincent flipped the score. 16-14. Ugh! Yuel clumsily crashed into the floor after he slid right past James. Hahaha! James continued laughing. Nice long-distance jump practice, bruh. Ugh... Yuel had nothing to say back. That was embarrassing. Who would jump to block a ball but end up flying right past the target? It was like a scene from a cartoon, with Yuel as comic relief. How How long am I going to last at this rate? Yuel wondered as he tried to calm down his breathing. His body felt like lead drenched in sweat. His muscles creaked with every twitch he made. Theyre about to overtake us. Yuel glanced at the score. It was already 16-14. The great advantage the team had at the beginning was about to vanish. Worst of all, Im the one pulling this team down. Yule bit his lip. At first, he thought he was doing a fine job. He arranged the advantageous 1/2 scoring system, he intercepted passes, and he delivered the ball to Lars time and again. It wasnt an exaggeration to say he played a key role in building up the teams initial momentum. But, as it was often the case for him, Yuel only had a strong plan for the early-game. Once the game transitioned into the mid-game, things were getting more complicated and his bag of tricks was running out of content. At this rate, Yuel will drag the entire team down to oblivion. He was a helpful teammate for the first couple of minutes but, at this point, he was nothing but dead weight. And, that was about to outweigh all the contributions he has made during the early-game. Maybe I should ask Vincent to sub in. Yuel thought. He doesnt seem like the athletic type, but Im sure hell do far better than me. But, will Mike allow a substitution? I feel like he wont. As Yuel was lying on the floor defeated, a stretched hand interrupted his track of thought. Need a hand? Ah, thanks. Yuel grabbed the offered hand and pushed himself off the ground. Then, he realized something was strange. Whose voice was that just now? It wasnt Lars or Ben. It was...! Wha!? Yuels eyes almost popped as he noticed the sports cap on his helpers head. Hed recognize that black cap anywhere. The girl wore it indoors, outdoors, and maybe even in bed. Whats up? Kai greeted him casually as if it wasnt strange for her to be here. W-When did you get here? Just now, Kai answered plainly and shot a serious look at the court. Youre really doing this, huh. I thought Vincent was pulling my leg at first. No, this is very much happening, Yuel reassured. I see. Vincent mustve informed her of the situation. He glanced at the mastermind who orchestrated this situation. All according to keikaku! Vincent gave a thumbs up. Keikaku means plan, by the way. As usual, the clown was spouting incomprehensible nonsense. But, just this once, Yuel was glad to hear it. There was a chance the clowns mischief will become the teams salvation! I remember hearing Kai is good at sports. Yuel never saw her do any sports with his own two eyes, but Kai was supposedly one of the more skilled athletes among the girls her year. In fact, some sports clubs apparently still tried to recruit her despite knowing she was the captain of the Classmancers club. All of that was second-handed information from Vincent, but his information was few reliable things about him. Question is, how good is she at basketball? Yuel wondered. The term good at sports was too broad. Even talented athletes would mess up in a sports game if they didnt have any experience. Youre wondering how good Im, huh. I havent said anything. Its written all over your face, Kai said as she picked up the ball. You may be unaware, but you have this bad habit of being very obvious about evaluating people right in front of their faces. Is that so. Yuel had no idea how to respond to that. It was true that he often analyzed the people he met, but he wasnt aware he was so obvious about it. Maybe thats why some people seem to dislike me the moment they meet me... Dont worry, Kai dribbed the ball from side to side. My skills are good enough. I actually often play with the guys during PE because girls cant keep up with me. Reassuring enough? It sure is. Yuel nodded. Then, Ill leave this up to you. Sure, you do that. Though, well first have to see if his highness approves of this. Kai threw a glare at Mike, who was pretending he was the king of the court. It looks like he got a thing or two to say about this. You again? Mike clashed with Kais glare with one of his own. Sparks formed in the air, threatening to set the entire court ablaze. What did come here for, girlie? I heard you were having some three-on-three action here. I thought Ill join in. Huehue. Larry cackled. How about we have some three-on-one action with you instead? Huh? Kai shot the guy a deadly glare. Under other circumstances different, she would have fired the ball into the bastards face. No, I cant. Just take a deep breath and relax. Dont let these fuckers trigger you. Sorry, but were already booked, Mike said. Your team already got three players, so fuck off. This guy was just stand-in for me. Kai pointed at Yuel. Sorry Im late for the party, but Im here now. Its my duty to play this one. Oh, how so? In case you forgot, Im the captain of this club. Ah, right. You did claim something dumb like that the last time we met. Mike sneered. Seriously, a girlie like you? A captain? Man, this Mancers club is more of a joke than I thought. Hey, hey. James posed a fake objection. At least theyre feminist or something, haha! Can you imagine joining a club where a bitch like that runs things? Larry snickered. Like, what the heck? Im actually glad I didnt join. The trio cracked laughs as they threw shade at Kai. Mikes psychological warfare was in full effect. This is bad. Yuel glanced at Kai. The girl was clenching the basketball as if trying to snap somebodys neck. She was like a ticking bomb. I need to think of something. Fast. Yuel took a deep breath. This was no easy task when his body was aching all over, but he had to realign his brain gears and make them turn again. The game came to a halt thanks to Kais intervention, so Yuel finally got the much-needed rest his body was aching for. This moment of reprieve did wonders for rebooting his brain. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. So, he had to come up with something, thats the one area he was good at. Out of everybody on the court, Yuel had the best chance of breaking through Mikes carefully crafted psychological defense. Im very sorry about this. Yuel directed the apology at Mike. Huh? It seems like I cant continue playing. My body barely moves. And, what do I care? You signed up for this shit. If you cant keep playing, youre free to step out. We can continue this as a 3v2 without you. No problem. Thatll be too unfair for us, dont you think? After all, were the inexperienced nerds here, remember? Heh, inexperienced my ass. Mike sneered. I agree that YOU are trash, but that Lars guy means business. He turned to face Lars. Gotta hand it to you. With your skill, you could make it into the first-string in the basketball club. Youre hella wasted on Mancers. Nah, I aint wasted on anything, Lars reassured. I like basket, but I wanna play Mancers more. Huh. Whatever. Mike shrugged and turned back to Yuel. Anyway, dont you dare sell me that inexperienced bullcrap. We dont have any mercy to spare. If you think we gonna be nice enough to let you sub - youre dreaming. Were also tired but you wont see us bitching about it. I understand. Yuel nodded. I agree that requesting substitution out of the blue isnt fair, especially after we already discussed this games rules. No shit, Sherlock. Nonetheless, I believe the captain should represent the club, dont you think? I dont give a rats ass about that, Mike retorted. Theres nothing captain-like about that girlie anyway. Besides, this is a game between guys. That little girl better stay on the sideline and cheer or something. Tch. Kai shuddered in disgust. Just so you know, Im one year older than you. I missed the part where I was supposed to give a fuck. Oh, you WILL give a fuck, I assure you. Just let me play and Ill mop the floor with your ugly face, little boy. Kai and Mike were at each others throats. Theyll never reach a compromise at this rate. Theres still one more thing I can try. Yuel thought. But, itll put the team at a grave disadvantage... The score was 16-14 right now. Yuels team was winning right now, if just barely. That fact definitely played a role in the negotiations. Mike felt threatened at the moment, so he refused to give the enemy any advantages, no matter how small. Then, what will happen if said threat disappears? Mike might approve the substitution request then. But, will Lars and Kai be able to win from there? Yuel frowned. At least, Im sure itll be better than our current predicament. Ill just shoot for it. We can balance out this substitution to make it fair, Yuel suggested. Well offer you compensation. How about we take three points off our score? Lars, youre okay with that, right? I dunno, Lars admitted. I dont like the idea of messing with the score. Its like youre undoing my scores. Feelsbadman. But, if ya think thats a good idea, then lets go! Take three points off. We still gonna win this, yo! So, you want to bribe me with three points to let the sub through? Mike knotted his brows. Hmph. Interesting. What do you say? Yuel asked. I think it sounds fair. Youll have the lead after this exchange. Hmph. Thats true. Mike didnt rush to take the bait. He carefully studied Yuels suggestion and weighed the options. Hes not biting? Yuel frowned. Hes tougher than I expected. I feel like I need just a little push to get through. Cmon, Kai spoke up. Why are you hesitating like some pussy? Your team gonna be in the lead after this, what more do you need? Or what, are you scared of losing? Is that it? Heh. Mike sneered at the accusation and shot a glare at the cocky girlie. But, she replied in kind with a glare that didnt lose in sharpness. I see youre still running your damn mouth as you please. Looks like you didnt learn your lesson last time. Maybe I shouldve hit you harder. Do you know who usually resorts to blind violence? Kai smirked. Its the cornered animal who thinks theyll be eaten alive. Youre the spitting image of that right now. Tch, you sure have a mouth. Well yeah, Im a human. Those usually got mouths, you know. The two speared each other with their glares. It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like their gazes were locked for eternity. No matter how much intimidation Mike shot in her direction, Kai didnt flinch in the slightest. She bravely stood her ground against the bully mastermind. Fine, Mike conceded. You can have your sub. Take off these three points. Right away! Vincent flipped the score back. It was now 13-14. The team has lost its precious lead but it was still anybodys game. Then, lets do this shit. Mike gave Kai one last look. Just so you know, we wont be holding back just because youre a girl. The only reason I hesitated was that I didnt want to injure you too much. Itd look bad for the club, you know? Wow, I had no idea you were such a gentleman. Kai scoffed at that nonsense. Thank you for your concern but no need to worry about me. I can handle myself. Hmph. If you say so. Mike waved his hand. Then cmon, its your teams offense. Lets see what you got, girlie. The names Kai. You better remember it. Kai casually tossed the ball in the middle of her sentence. Wha-!? Mike didnt expect this one. Not only did this pass come out of left field, but it was also boldly heading in Mikes general direction, most likely toward Lars behind him. The nerve of this bitch. Its like shes looking down on me! Mike stretched his hand to stop the ball. It was flying fast, an impressive feat for a mere girl. But, that wasnt enough to get past a pro like Mike! But, just as Mike was about to intercept the ball... it ducked under his hand!? Wha-!? Mike gasped. The fuck was that!? He checked underneath his stretched arm in confusion. Its as if the ball had a will of its own. It refused to be stopped by Mike and decided to dive right under him. Haha! James laughed at that lame performance. The heck was that, man? Youre tripping, bro. Larry cracked a laugh too. To most bystanders, it looked like a dumb misplay by Mike. The guy failed to properly intercept a pass that was heading in his direction. Amateur mistake, no two ways about it. But, one bystander was able to discern the true nature of that pass. By accessing the infinite knowledge of the Akashic Records, he unveiled the mystery of this diving ball! The ball had a wild spin! Vincent commentated in his head. Its trajectory sharply fell downwards as it flew, just like a breaking ball in baseball! I shall name it, the Magnus Pass! Just as Vincent analyzed, the ball sharply dove toward the floor while spinning. Then, it bounced off and accurately jumped to Larss embrace. Yo, what a weird pass, Lars stated his opinion honestly. With his refined basketball sense, he could tell there was something peculiar about this pass. It wasnt just your average low pass. The way it went underneath Mikes arm was irregular, and it was practically a miracle the ball successfully reached Lars without an accident after that bounce. Welp, Im not complaining! Lars grinned as he raised the ball. Thanks, Kai! Im free! Kai raised a hand. She has already positioned herself in a great spot for shooting, and she did so while avoiding Jamess mark. That dumbass was too busy laughing at his leader to pay serious attention to Kais movements. The moment the ball crossed the three-pointer line - this offense became legal. As such, Kai immediately secured a good shooting position after delivering the pass. Now, if Lars just gets the ball back to her, shell score right here and now! Thats a good plan. Lars nodded in agreement. If they were a normal team, itd make the most sense to pass the ball back to Kai and let her score. But, this team was anything but normal. Why restrict themselves to scoring only one point when they could score two points in one shot!? Im totally free right now. Lars flashed his teeth. The annoying mark was temporarily gone. It was just him and the basket right now, nothing else stood in the way. Sorry, but Ill be taking this one! Lars assumed a shooting position. Huh...? Kai blinked in disbelief. Her lips opened and closed like that of a fish. W-What is he doing!? Is he stupid!? Theres no way he can score from all the way over there! Kai made haste toward the basket. Larss shot was going to miss for sure, so shell have to get the rebound. Hopefully, the ball will at least make it all the way to the basket... Here goes! Lars threw the ball. It flew in a clean arc and passed right through the basket. Two points. Yuel was the one to flip the score this time. He traded places with Vincent shortly after the round began. Vincent was now standing on the sideline and fiddling with his tablet, handling a super important task. With this one shot from Lars, the score turned on its head again and became a 15-14. The team regained its lead within seconds! Wow... Kai blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then blinked some more. What did she just witness? Was that for real? But, he was almost at the center of the court... Kai couldnt believe it. Sure, its not IMPOSSIBLE to score from there, but the way he went for it was almost as if... It was scary to finish that line of thought. The mere idea gave her goosebumps. Could a superhuman like that really exist? And, he was a member of her club all along? No way. And yet, the guy himself insisted that was the case. I didnt have the chance to tell ya, Lars said. I can score em shots from anywhere in the half-court. So, if ya just get the ball to me, Imma get it in for sure! That is, as long as Im not marked, haha. Huh... Kais brain short-circuited while trying to process these words. She had no idea how seriously she should be taking him. This has to be an exaggeration, right...? And yet, Yuel nodded to her from the sidelines in confirmation of this absurd claim. It was real. Lars could seriously score from anywhere in the half-court. In that case, it sounds like they already had this game in the bag even before I got here. Kai concluded. I thought I was going to radically shift the odds in our favor with my skills, but looks like Ill be little more than Larss Support in this game. Lars will be the main star of the show, just as he was in Classmancers. Kai was nothing more than a backup plan in case the enemy doesnt give Lars any room to breathe. Looks like Im not at his level no matter where I go. Kai sighed in defeat. But, this isnt the time or place to feel jealous. Were here to beat these bastards to a pulp. If I have to play Support, so be it. No matter what, well win and get Ben out of their clutches! Ben, dont worry, Kai reassured. Well win this. T-Thanks, Ben answered timidly. Honestly, he felt terrible for dragging the captain into this, especially after Mike hit her last time. Nonetheless, despite being threatened by physical abuse, Kai challenged Mike once more. She was brave. Unbelievably brave. I also need to strengthen my resolve. Ben clenched his fists. Even though Im going up against Mike and the rest, I have to do my best. I cant let the entire club struggle for my sake. Its not their fight, its MY fight. His resolve soon showed up on his face, much to his teammates surprise. Huh, would you look at that. Kai gave Ben a curious look. The only times she saw this timid boy wear such a resolved expression was when he played Classmancers and fought his best to win. This is good. Kai nodded. If Ben is this determined, we can actually win. At first, when Kai heard about Ben being forced to participate in the game, she was sure Larss team will be crushed within minutes. Yet, the team had successfully survived for this long. And, they didnt just survive. They were actually in the lead when Kai got here. Obviously, Lars was pulling most of the weight to make that happen. But, without reliable teammates, the guy couldnt have made it this far by himself. It meant Yuel and Ben have been doing a decent job supporting him until now. And, now that Im here, were going to win even harder! Vol.12 Ch.29: Rhythm Breaker!? A new round of offense began. The score was 15-14 for Larss team. After the previous clean two-pointer, it was now the enemys turn to attack. James collected the ball under the basket and opened with a calculated pass. Since Lars was tightly marking Mike, the only option was to pass to Larry. Got it- Agh! Larry exclaimed as the ball jumped out of his hands. Its not like he failed to receive the pass, he wasnt an amateur like that. And, Jamess pass was definitely not shabby either. No, somebody straight up smacked that ball out of Larrys hands. It was Ben! You piece of shit! Larry roared. S-Sorry. Ben averted his eyes as he apologized. But, I did nothing wrong. Im your opponent, so Im only doing what I must. The ball hopped all the way back beyond the three-pointer line. It was heading back to James. Heh, nice! James jogged toward the incoming ball. Since Larry had already touched the ball beyond the line, it meant this offense became legal. So, all James had to do was to casually collect the ball and score. Run to the ball, dumbass! Mike barked. She gonna take it! Wut? James turned his head in confusion. Just then, a black sports cap flew right past his eyes. It was that new chick that subbed in! Got it! Kai snatched the ball before James. While that lazy bum was leisurely jogging toward the ball, Kai gave the sprint of her life to get the ball ASAP. Crap! James hurried to confront the opponent. You guys got no chill, huh. Welp, thats no biggie. Perhaps James was late to grab the ball but that wasnt the end of the world. All he had to do was steal the ball back from the girl, then everything will be alright. If anything, he was thankful to that tryhard girl. She went out of her way to collect the ball for him. Thanks for the service. Youre doing a great job as my lackey, huehue. James snickered as he blocked the girls path. Whats with that stupid smile? Kai narrowed her eyes. That idiot was smiling to himself for some reason. He clearly didnt register Kai as an opponent. Youre going to regret this. Kai started dribbling. First to the left, then to the right. The ball went from side to side in random patterns. Naturally, the opponent paid attention to every motion with great interest. He carefully followed the ball with his eyes. From left, to right, to left, to right. He didnt want to give Kai any openings. But, it wasnt just his eyes that followed the balls movements. Ever so slightly, his feet also moved along with the balls direction, to be ready to give chase the moment Kai starts driving. The movements were so minute they were practically invisible to the naked eye. But then, how did Kai notice them? I can hear them. Kai perked her ears to the max. Squeak. Squeak. The sound of the opponents sneakers was loud and clear for her sensitive ears. From that, she could tell this opponent was jumpy. He was eagerly waiting for the right moment to launch an attack. This is good. Kai smiled confidently. This was the sort of movement she expected from an experienced player. In order to be able to follow and steal the ball at a moments notice, it was necessary for the guy to stay on his feet like this. However, against Kai, these minute movements will be that bastards undoing, for she could hear each and every twitch the guy made. So, by moving the ball from side to side as she pleased, she could manipulate these tiny movements. She affected their direction and their timing. With the ball in hand, Kai was in total control of her opponent right now. The guy was like a dancing puppet to the tune of her moving ball. And so, via repetition, she made the opponent lock into a certain rhythm that made him easy to read. Thats a nice pattern. Kai nodded. Next, you gonna move my right. The guy was expecting Kai to move the ball to the right. Why? Because thats the pattern she had established thus far. Therefore, at this exact moment, shell break through the left side! Ah! James jumped. No, you dont- wha!? Something was off. James tried to respond to the chicks sudden change of directions but there was an odd resistance. He commanded his body to move to the right, yet it wanted to move to the left regardless. What the heck is- whoa! James felt his body falling backward. Did he just slip!? Nah, no way. He wasnt an amateur like that. And yet, he was definitely falling backward. Dang! He landed on his butt. Agh! It hurts, dang it! Heh. Kai sneered as she confirmed her opponents downfall. Her trick worked even better than she expected. Looks like this guy is pretty damn weak in 1v1s. Ill remember that. With nobody to stand in her way, Kai immediately went for the shot. One point, Yuel announced. It was 16-14. Damn, James! Mike ranted. What the hell was that!? Cmon, man. Larry cracked a laugh. Youre already out of gas? We still got lots of points to score. Haha, no problem. James got himself off the floor with an awkward smile. I just slipped, thats all. It not gonna happen again, word. It better not. Mike shot a glare at James, to make sure that idiot understood the gravity of what he had just done. H-Haha, Ill get the ball! James hurried to start a new offense. For most people who saw this exchange, it was easy to take Jamess words at face value. He just slipped. Thats probably what most of them thought about that incident. But, as always, there was one intellectual here who understood this deep exchange in its entirety. By accessing the forbidden records sealed at the edge of the universe, this man could discern the entire truth of the incident. It was... the Rhythm Breaker! Vincent announced loudly to an imaginary crowd in his head. Nani!? Maska! What is this ougi!? Such flabbergasted reactions resounded from the audience in his head. I cant believe I have the opportunity to catch such a brilliant play on film! Vincents eyes glittered as he confirmed that he captured the entire exchange with his phone. Itll be worth applying some of my Videocraft on this later to create the ultimate evidence! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Indeed, that was an amazing showcase of a new Personal Skill. It was the one and only Rhythm Breaker! A natural upgrade for her Rhythm Reader. First, Kai used her Rhythm Reader to read the opponents rhythm. She forced James to move from side to side with her fast-paced dribble, to make him reveal all his quirks. Then, once Kai had the entire pattern figured out - she struck in the opposite direction! While Jamess body was naturally trying to move to the left, Kais sudden attack urged him to move to the right. At that moment, a conflict was born! A body that was trying to move to the left versus a brain that commanded to go to the right. Due to that momentary clash between mind and body, James lost his balance and failed to go in either direction. That was the true nature of this new skill, the Rhythm Breaker! Such a magnificent high-level skill! Vincent hyped it up to no end. If she can master this technique in Classmancers as well, shell become a true force to be reckoned with! Taking on the regionals will no longer be a dream for this underdog team! While Vincent was absorbed in commentating the events to an imaginary audience, the game moved onward. It was the enemys turn to attack now. Change of plans, Mike announced. Larry, you mark the chick. James, youll handle Ben. Haha, cmon now. James produced a dry laugh. I know Im no pro, but even I can handle a girl, ya know. Kek, right. Larry snickered. We saw how you handled her just now. That was some pro ass slipping, haha. Its not just that, Mike said. His sharp eyes conveyed he wasnt in the mood for jokes. She might be a girl, but shes not all talk. You saw how fast she went for the shot right after tripping James? Shes more competent than Ben, at the very least Heh, I bet she is. Larry nodded. Ben is just a meatball. He cant move his 200-kilo ass that fast, haha. The trio cracked a laugh. Change marks as soon as you get the chance, Mike ordered. Got it! James collected the ball under the basket to start an attack. Oh? You coming at me again? The one who stepped in to intercept his pass was none other than the girl who embarrassed him a moment ago. Heh, get lost. How about no? Kai stretched her arms to the sides. Perhaps she wasnt allowed to attack the player initiating the attack, but she was allowed to block his passes. I need to at least touch the ball. Kai thought. Outright stopping the pass will be difficult. But, if she at least knocks the ball off course a little, the ball might become loose and end up in anybodys hands. Thats what Kai was aiming for. To pull that off, Kai had to carefully follow the dribble motions and listen to every twitch her opponent made. By piecing all this information together, she should be able to read the guys intentions. Ya know, James said. Being stared like this by a girl is kinda embarrassing. Sounds like noob problems. A veteran player wouldnt be distracted by nonsense like that. Hah. You sure can talk, bitch. Jamess face contorted for a moment, but he plastered his usual smirk over it. Relax, bruh. Shes just trying to get under your skin. Gotta stay focused here. James checked his passing options. As usual, Mike was a difficult target. That dang Lars guy didnt give him any room to breathe. Though, Mike did the exact same thing to Lars when the enemy had the ball. They were at each others throats the entire game, refusing to let go of their marks for even a millisecond. So, I gotta pass to Larry. James concluded. Meatball is trying to mark him over there but he aint gonna stop my passes. On the other hand, this chick can be a problem, so lets do this smart. And so, the plan was set in motion. Mike! James raised the ball and glanced in Mikes direction. To the left! Kai jumped to cover the left flank. She didnt have the time to fully deduce the opponents intentions from his movements, but thankfully the guy made his plans public. He was loud and clear about it. I got it! Kai was certain. Get rekt, bitch! James turned in the opposite direction and sent the ball flying to Larry! A feint!? Kai grit her teeth. Shit, I totally fell for that one! I underestimated him. Based on their earlier 1v1 exchange, James seemed like a weak opponent. But, this smooth feint implied otherwise. His 1v1 skills were wack but his passes were a whole different level. Thats probably why the enemy leader ordered his teammates to switch marks. This James scrub wasnt going to beat Kai in 1v1 but his passes were a valuable asset, so the enemy wanted to keep him safe. Instead, Kai will have to face the guy who was (probably) stronger in 1v1s. Or, maybe he was just less valuable in general for their team, who knew. Either way, Kai couldnt sit in place while the ball was getting farther and farther away from her. Looks like well get to face each other faster than I expected. Kai darted after the fleeing ball. I wont let you shoot The pass neatly landed in Larrys hands. However, just as he was about to shoot, a hand stretched in front of him! Ben, you piece of shit! Larry dribbled to the side to avoid the fat blockade. You can block some shit, Ill give you that. But, your fat ass aint gonna keep up with my speed! Larry easily maneuvered around the slow defender and assumed shooting position once again. But, just as she raised the ball, another opponent appeared! This time, it was that chick who wore a cap indoors! Dang, this girl be fast. Larry clicked his tongue. James did a clean feint on her but shes already here. I dont like where this is going. There were also these weird plays this girl pulled off. Like, the way she tripped James on his ass, and the way she delivered a pass right under Mikes nose. No to mention, her smooth movements had this aura about them. I get now what Mike was saying when he told us to swap marks. She might be a chick, but I cant be too careless against her. She might actually snatch the ball if I dont proceed carefully. So... Larry jumped for a shot. No, you dont! Kai jumped to block it. Thanks to the momentum from her sprint, her leap had an explosive burst to it. She reached high enough to block the ball! Yep. Larry nodded to himself. Had a feeling itd be dangerous to shoot right away. Good thing I was born smart, kek. The jump was a feint. Instead of shooting, Larry sent the ball flying sideways from his jumping position. James, back to you! Shit! Kai cursed. Another feint!? These bastards sure know how to play. Damn! Got it. James collected the ball and delivered it into the basket. One point, Yuel announced. The score was 16-15. It was too close to comfort but Larss team still had the lead. Ben, quick! Get the ball to me! Kai motioned to Ben as she ran to the outskirts of the three-pointer line. Okay! Ben nodded in response and hurried to collect the ball under the basket. Then, he passed the ball without delay. Whoa! Larry jumped. Already starting!? Shit, wheres the girl!? He looked around in panic. The girl was a few meters away from him and she already had the ball! Youre slow. Kai drove the ball forward to increase her chances of scoring. Then, she stopped in place and jumped. Damn you! Larry stretched his long arm but he was too far... One point, Yuel announced. 17-15. They regained their safe lead again. Shit. Larry clicked his tongue. Thats some dirty trick you pulled there, girl. Dirty? Thats how you play basketball. If youre too slow to keep up - youll be left behind. Heh, cant argue with that. Kai had some experience playing 3v3 basketball, so she knew the importance of speed for this game mode. Both teams were focusing the half-court, so there was nonstop action. As such, initiating fast attacks after losing a point was an integral part of gaining momentum. These bastards sure can play but theyre rough around the corners. Kai concluded. Truth to be told, the idea of going up against members of the basketball club sounded a little intimidating at first. There was no telling how Kais skill will hold up against these boys who practiced the sport regularly. But... I can do this. Kai was convinced after this play. With her and Lars carrying the team, as well as Ben supporting from the side, they had a very real chance of victory! Today, Ill pay you back. Kai glared at Mike. For how long has she been waiting for this moment? Ever since that bastard tackled her a long time ago, the vengeance inside her has been heating up. By now, it has already passed its boiling point by a long shot. Shell never forget that moment for the rest of her life. Kai was the captain of the Classmancers club. It was her responsibility to take care of the other members, but she failed to do anything for Ben for all this time. However, thatll end today. By winning this game, Kai will finally fulfill her duty! I have Yuel and Lars to thank for this opportunity. She smiled wryly. Ive been thinking long and hard about how to confront these bastards, but the two mad lads just went ahead and challenged basketball players to a basketball match. Isnt that just the epitome of madness? Heh. Yes, it was crazy. Everything about this situation was insane. But, here they were, representing a MOBA club by duking it out in basketball. And, theyre going to win! Vol.12 Ch.30: Cant Break Through The enemy was about to begin a new attack. Like before, James was the one to open it. This guy sure can pass, if little else. Kai concluded from her previous attempt to intercept the guys pass. I can try stopping his pass again, but I doubt itll work. Better focus on his pass options instead. Ben, Kai called out. Do you mind marking this guy instead? Ill mark this one. She pointed at Larry. Okay. Ben nodded and went ahead to challenge James. Meanwhile, Kai stood in front of Larry. Whats up, girl? Larry snickered. You prefer me over James? Well, I dont blame you for finding me more attractive, heh. ....... Kai merely threw him a disinterested glance before focusing on the incoming pass. There was no point entertaining trash like him. Giving me the cold treatment, eh. Larry shook his head. Well, no problem. Go ahead, challenge me, by all means. Youll become my no.1 fangirl after I mop the floor with ya! In your dreams. Kai ignored that nonsense and stretched her arm to intercept the incoming ball. As expected, Bens ability to interfere with Jamess skillful passing wasnt any better than Kais. The ball cleanly slipped right past him. Therefore, Kai had to stop the pass with her own two hands from this position. Tch, this bastard is really good at it. Kai clicked her tongue. Her arm failed to reach the ball. Truly, it was a high-caliber pass, especially for a lowlife like that. Got it! Larry easily caught the ball. But, youre not getting through. Kai blocked the guys way. Oh? Larry was almost impressed by how fast that girl appeared in front of him. For a moment, he believed hed drive the ball toward the basket in no time. But, that girl just went ahead and dropped a big NOPE on his plans. You wanna go? Larry smiled confidently. Then, lets go! He dribbled the ball underneath his legs, pretending to be some sort of pro. Childish tricks. Kai didnt care about any of that. When an amateur used cool-looking dribbling techniques, nine out of ten times it was for show. This dumbass was just trying to impress Kai, or maybe intimidate her. Either way, it didnt work. Bump. Bump. Bump. Kai concentrated on the sound of the ball hitting the floor. That repetitive rhythm gave her a good idea of Larrys intentions. In short, he was just putting on airs. So far, he had no intention of actually attacking. That was also apparent from the way he constantly shifted his eyes from side to side, most likely searching for an opportunity to pass. He talks big but hes cautious. Kai concluded. I thought theyll underestimate me more. Well, its probably the score. Theyre lagging behind, so they dont have the luxury to go easy. Works for me. Tch, this girl. Larry clicked his tongue. He was having fun doing fancy dribbles at first, but it soon became a chore. His slick moves were supposed to impress the girl and make her lower her guard, but she completely ignored all of it. Dang, Mike and Jay are marked pretty hard. Larry thought. Welp, guess its up to me then. Lets play, girl! Larry made a sudden move for the left! But, little did the girl know it was a feint! Its a feint. Kai concluded instantly. She was carefully listening to the sound of the ball hitting the floor, so she could tell the latest bounce was different. It was shallow, making it feel fake. Nonetheless, Kai moved a little in the direction of the incoming attack. By reacting to the attack, the opponent would be led to believe that Kai really fell for the feint. Then, during that moment of carelessness, shell launch her counter! Fell for it! Larry changed directions and drove the ball to the opposite side! Ez, almost laughably ez. Heh, lame. The girl sure carried herself like a serious player at first, but turns out all I needed is a simple feint to- WHAM! Eh...? Larry blinked. A foreign hand grabbed the ball right under his nose. A steal! The girl reacted to his movements and stole the ball right as he tried to pass her! Easy. Kai snatched the ball and drove it toward the basket, then stopped in place. This should be close enough. I have to shoot before he catches up- WHAM! And big hand slammed the ball out of her hands! Already here!? Kai grimaced. Yo, whats up? Larry grinned, his eyes filled with contempt. Stealing the ball is one thing, but getting past me? In your dreams, girl. Hmph. Kai scoffed at the provocation and ran to collect the ball. The opponent struck the ball so hard it flew all the way outside the court. Whats the rules for out of bounds? You restart from the center. Larry pointed at the ring in the center of the court. From all the way over there? Kai made a face. Well, at least we retain ball possession. She picked up the ball and darted toward the center. The faster she gets there, the faster she can initiate the next attack! She didnt want to give the enemy any time to prepare. Alas, by the time she got there, all the opponents were already in positions. Mike was marking Lars and James hanging out in front of Ben. And, of course, Larry stood in Kais way. This is very far from the basket. Kai gauged the distance. I should probably pass, but... Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Kai checked left and right. There werent any good angles for safely delivering the ball to either teammate. Nonetheless, if she applies a proper spin to the ball, she might sneak it past one of the defenders. She just had to carefully aim and- Heh, whats wrong? Larry snickered. Too scared to face me? Well, of course you are. A chick like you cant go up against a chad like me. So cmon, pass it already. Hes really egging me up, huh. Kai shot the bastard a glare. Alright, fine. Ill take you on! Kai dribbled the ball from side to side with rhythmic movements. Oh, think you can get through? Larry sneered. Heh, shes easier than I thought. Though, her dribbling isnt half bad. Larry carefully followed the balls movements. It bounced from side to side with a nice rhythm to it. It was almost like music. Got him! Kai messed up the rhythm right as the opponent got used to it. So, you finally attack- eh!? Larry reacted to the sudden attack, he definitely did. But, his legs didnt move like they were supposed to. His brain told him to move to the right in order to intercept his opponent, yet his body wanted to move to the left for some reason. The two desires clashed and messed him up. Whoa! He tripped backwards and almost fell on his butt. Meanwhile, the chick passed right past him. No, you dont! Larry thrust his long arm like a spear, aiming at the ball. WHAM! Headshot! He knocked the ball out of the chicks hands! Thats the best he could do from this awkward position. Damn! Kai cursed internally. Even though she successfully broke the enemys stance, that bastard still managed to knock her ball away. Seriously, what was the deal with these long arms? This bastard was like a walking noddle man. Worst of all, he knocked that ball away with quite the force. It threatened to escape from Kai even as she chased it. No, you dont! She finally caught up to it and regained control of the situation. She ended up running all the way past the three-pointer line to get it catch it, but now it was in her possession once more. This was good! From this position, she could score! Watch out! Huh? Kai hesitated for a moment due to Larss loud voice. Just then, a big figure appeared in front of her! Mike jumped in to block! Phew, that was close. Kai lowered the ball and backpedaled with a dribble. If she fired just then, this bastard wouldve completely blocked the shot. Youre not getting through, girlie, Mike declared. It wasnt some lame attempt at intimidation or provocation. It was just him stating an absolute truth of this universe, nothing more and nothing less. Fucker. Kais blood boiled. With this head honcho bastard right in front of her, she couldnt help but recall the last time she confronted him. Back then, they exchanged verbal blows for quite a while. In the end, Kai lost her cool and resorted to yelling. Looking back on it, that was an embarrassing display of incompetence from her side. But, at the time, she felt like she had to do something, anything, to get through to that bully godfather. Unfortunately, raising her voice was the last straw for Mike. At that point, he regarded her as irrefutably hostile and tackled her. She didnt expect violence to actually come into play, so she was caught off-guard. As much as Kai hated the whole boys shouldnt hit girls defense, she was subconsciously relying on it at the time. Thats what compelled her to raise her voice against Mike in the first place. She didnt believe the guy would seriously retaliate against her even if she struck first. But, Mike didnt care for such silly notions. Whether it was a boy or a girl - hed retaliate against any hostility. That was both an admirable and an irritating trait. After being assaulted, Kai had no choice but to concede defeat. She had no chance of winning a frontal confrontation, even she had to admit that much. Mike was tall, towering over most guys his age. His frame alone was probably enough to scare away most opponents. As such, there was no way Kai could compete with this Goliath. In the first place, violence doesnt solve anything. Kai reached that conclusion a long time ago. Even if she learned any martial arts in order to defeat Mike, that probably wouldnt solve anything. Itd anger the entire gang and theyd join forces to take her down. Violence will beget more violence and there will be no end to the conflict. So, violence definitely wasnt the answer. Kai had to find another way to defeat Mike and make him give up. And today, finally, this opportunity arrived. Though, who wouldve thought that, of all things, shell be challenging Mikes to a basketball game? Its so stupid but so genius at the same time. Kai smiled wryly. Challenging the godfather on his own turf, in his own specialty, sounded like suicide. But, it was exactly the kind of impact they needed in order to crush this bastards pride. After they mop the floor with his sorry ass today, the guy will be too embarrassed to ever show his face around them. It was a foolproof plan. And, best of all, this game finally gave Kai the opportunity to get revenge. She was confronting Mike once more but, this time, with a ball in hand. It was a continuation of their previous fight but there was no shouting or shoving. No, this time, theyll duke it out in a perfectly civil manner, via sports. Even better, it was a sport that bastard prided himself in. The expression on his face will be delicious once Kai mops him- Here! The voice cut Kais line of thought. Lars was running to the back of the court while raising his hand. That gesture was saying Im free! With Mike busy handling Kai, it left Lars completely unmarked. Apparently, Larry was on his way to handle that task, but he probably wouldnt make it in time if Kai tried to pass. I bet Lars will score if I pass to him. Kai thought. But, I Her nemesis was right in front of her. This was a golden opportunity to defeat this bastard and execute her overdue revenge. I cant run away from this. She ignored Larss call and focused on the opponent in front of her. This was a showdown between the two leaders. Mike, the godfather of the bullies, vs. Kai, the captain of the Classmancers club. It was her duty to accept this duel and win! Lets do this. Kai dribbled the ball from side to side with a consistent rhythm. Youre actually coming at me? Mike sneered. He clearly didnt register Kai as a threat at all. But, hell change his mind soon enough. Once Kai breaks past him, shell destroy every last ounce of pride this coky bastard had. And to accomplish that, all she had to do was to trap her opponent in the carefully crafted rhythm and then get past- WHAM! Ah! Kai gasped. I got no time for your games. Mike swung his arm at lightning speed and snatched the ball! N-No, you dont! Kai forced her body to move despite how confused her brain was. How did this happen!? I was dribbling so carefully, yet this bastard... Tch, no time to cry about it! It was bad. Kai lost the ball so dangerously close to the basket. From here, Mike could score without breaking a sweat. She had to stop him! Heh. Mike merely sneered at the girlies feeble attempts. She couldnt keep up with him in the slightest, not in terms of speed and not in terms of jumping ability. Agh! Kai jumped with all her strength and swung her arm toward the ball, but she was too late. Mike already shot toward the basket. One point, Yuel announced. It was 17-16 now. Thanks for the free point. Mike scoffed. Grr...! Kai grit her teeth. For once, this bastard was right. The blood for this goal was on Kais hands. She was too careless. Just because her technique worked on Larry and James, she was confident itll work on Mike as well. But, this guy clearly stood head and shoulder above the rest. That shouldve been obvious by now, seeing as Mike has been keeping up with Lars all by himself. But, I just lost this once. Kai thought. Next time, Ill get past him for sure! She promised that much, but will she live up to that promise? Vol.12 Ch.31: Duels Arent Everything After Kai lost the ball and allowed Mike to score, it was time for a new attack. Ill get him this time! Kai dashed outside the three-pointer line. Ben! Tch! Mike quickly gave chase. He was the closest one at the moment, so he had to mark the girlie for now. Unfortunately, he was too late. By the time he got to his target, the girl had already received the ball. The way she constantly urged her teammates to move was worthy of a little respect, but just a little. I better yell at Jay too so he speeds things up. Mike thought. Anyway, time to wreck this girl again and even the score. It was their second confrontation. A duel between the two captains, so to speak. Though, as far as Mike was concerned, Lars was the real leader of that team. Meanwhile, this girl was just a mild annoyance, nothing more. Whats with that smug? Kai daggered the bastard with her glare. You think youve already won, huh? A wave of heat passed across Kais body. She felt blood swirling inside her like a storm. This time, she was going to mop this- Heeeey! Larss voice interrupted her thoughts again. Over here, dude! Once again, Lars looked like a good target for a pass. Larry was already marking him, but it seemed Lars had no trouble shaking that mark off. Kai could probably get the ball to him quite easily. Yeah, she definitely could, but... Sorry, but I have to do this. Kai dribbled the ball as she glared at her opponent. Oh? Mike sneered as he towered over her. She still thinks she can beat me? Shes dumber than I thought. Mike thought all that but he didnt say it out loud. It could serve as a nice provocation, but it was a little risky. This was a convenient situation for him, so why tell the girlie she was committing a grave mistake? In fact, the possibility of the girl passing the ball to Lars was a little scary. Larry was a decent defender but he wont be able to keep up with Lars. So, if the ball reaches Lars right now, itll result in two points for the enemy. Mike had to prevent that at any cost. Cmon, Mike urged the girl with a smug. Show me what you got, girlie. Oh, Ill show you. Kai dribbled the ball from side to side again. But, this time, she made sure to create extra space between herself and the opponent. Itll be bad if Mike goes for another sudden steal, so Kai had to be on her toes against that. I dunno what shes doing. Mike thought. But, its a fact she somehow tripped both Jay and Larry. Well, Jay is a dumbass, so even a grade school could whoop his sorry ass in a 1v1. But, Larry knows his stuff. He wouldnt just slip on his ass like an idiot. Taking all that into account, it was clear this girl had some sort of trick up her sleeve. She probably went for some unexpected move that confused the defender. There were a few players with weird techniques like that in the basketball club so it wasnt anything new. Sure, it was a little surprising that this girlie like her had a weapon like this, but thats about it. Ill just crush her before she gets a chance to pull anything. Mike charged forward. I knew youll come. Kai carefully dribbled away from the assaulter. Youre acting like Im trash but its clear youre wary of what I can do. A classic coward whos pretending hes confident. It was becoming more and more apparent that Mikes arrogance was just a facade he wore to provoke her. In truth, the guy was scared shitless of her high-level technique. That scum was like a cornered animal that lashed at its attacker out of fear. What an annoying guy. Kai clicked her tongue. I thought being recognized as a strong player always feels good, but hes somehow turning it into a nasty experience. That contradiction between Mikes attitude and his actions was off-putting. He insisted to call Kai trash, yet he cautiously played against her as if she was strong. As a result, Kai didnt get any of the benefits of being recognized as a good player. Her opponent didnt show her any respect but neither did he lower his guard against her. It somehow became a lose-lose deal. He wont give me enough time to establish a rhythm. Kai concluded so after evading Mikes third attack. She tried to set up her technique time and again, but Mike refused to give her any time to breathe. Ill just have to break through! Kai went on the offensive before her opponent got another chance to attack. She drove the ball forward in a diagonal, smoothly maneuvering around the wall in front of her- WHAM! Ah! The tall wall caught up to her in an instant! Whats more, the bastard snatched the ball right under her nose! Hmph. Mike sneered. Thats all you got, girlie? Lame. Keh! Kai grit her teeth. Am I going to lose to him even in a sports game!? No way! This wasnt over yet! The enemy hasnt scored yet. Kai still had a chance to reclaim the ball! Shes sure quick. Mike found himself mildly impressed. For a girl, this chick sure had some smooth moves. She could almost measure up to boys at her level. But, the keyword was almost. You can mop Jay and you can give Larry some problem. Mike admitted. But, you got nothing on me, girlie! Relying on nothing but his raw strength and speed, Mike broke past the weak blockade in front of him. He drove the ball past the girl and went for the goal! One point, Yuel announced. 17-17. The score was tied once more. Hah... hah... Kai panted. Her nails dug into her knees and her teeth threatened to grind each other to dust. Why!? Why cant I... Kai did her utmost, she really did. She pushed her ability to the limits when she confronted Mike. And yet, the guy got past her as if it was nothing. Why? Why couldnt she beat him!? This was her chance to take revenge! Finally, she had an opportunity to beat this bastard! And yet, Mike reigned supreme once again. He was sneering at her powerlessness, just like last time. Nothing has changed. Kai was still weak and helpless against this gang leader. Some captain I am. She bit her lip. In the end, she couldnt do anything for her club. Even when given such a golden opportunity to do something meaningful, Kai couldnt handle it. Why? Why was she so powerless when it counted the most? She wasnt a weak player, right? No, she definitely wasnt. And yet, every single time, she found herself in these helpless situations, like some damsel in distress. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I hate that shit. Kai cursed. She was a competitor like everybody else. She didnt come here to be crushed like a bug. And yet, when it counted the most, thats exactly how her battles went down It was a similar outcome to what happened in the recent scrimmage, where she failed to defeat Renegade no matter how many times she tried. This time, she failed to defeat Mike. Why? How could she mess up every important duel so badly? This guy is a bastard. A bully. A total scum. Kai ranted. Yet, I cant even defeat some trash like that. In the end, everything came down to raw skill, and Mikes was simply superior. Maybe if Kai practiced basketball more regularly, she couldve held her ground better against him. But, that was irrelevant at this point. Kai was right here, competing against Mikes gang at this very moment. She had to somehow triumph over the opponents with her current skill, as inferior as it was. Such was the harsh reality of this unjust situation. What else can I try on him? How do I get past him? Kai was drawing blanks. It felt impossible. The skill gap between them seemed infinitely large. She couldn''t defeat that bastard... Yo! Larss loud voice pulled Kai back to earth. Kai, dont worry! That dude is pretty dang good. Just pass over here, quick! Well take em down together! Ah... Kai blinked. There was a dark cloud hovering over her mind but Larss words made it vanish. Yeah, what the hell am I doing? Kai slapped her own cheeks. What was she getting so worked up about? She couldnt beat Mike in a 1v1, so what of it? Its not like that fact was going to decide the entire game. Im the captain. Kai repeated to herself. But, its not like I gotta beat everybody myself. Lars seems better than me at basketball, so Ill leave Mike to him. We gotta win this one as a team. Stuff like getting revenge and restoring her pride - they didnt matter. The team gathered here today to solves Ben situation once and for all. Kais personal feud with Mike didnt matter in the grand scheme of things. And, to think that Yuel lectured me about this very topic just earlier today. Kai smiled wryly. I guess I can be a slow learner sometimes. This situation reminded her a lot of the recent scrimmage. Kai got too heated up about confronting Renegade. In her attempt to prove herself superior, she dragged the entire team to ruin. Thats exactly what she was doing right now. By challenging Mike twice in a row she allowed the guy to score two points for free. The team has been holding onto such a nice advantage until now, but Kai ruined everything. What the hell was she doing!? I gotta stop doing this shit. Kai took a deep breath and rearranged her thoughts. Mike didnt matter. Getting revenge didnt matter. Actually, no. Scratch that. Kai shook her head. Thats not how I actually feel. I cant deceive myself. Getting revenge on that bastard definitely mattered. No matter how childish it mightve looked, Kai had to repay that bastard for everything he has done. Alas, she was unable to deliver that revenge with her own two hands. But, that was alright too. Instead of tackling this difficult task alone, shell achieve it with the aid of her teammates! Ben, quick! Kai motioned. As usual, she rushed her teammates to initiate fast attacks. But, this time, she didnt hurry to get beyond the three-pointer line. After all, its not like she was planning to score by herself. Nah, she was going to play the support from here on out. Here! Ben passed the ball as soon as he got it. The enemies werent ready for this fast development. Mike was clearly expecting Kai to get past the three-pointer area before receiving a ball, so his mark wasnt too tight yet. Thats a big part of why Kai asked for this quick pass in the first place. You know you cant score from here, right? Mike leveled the question as he jogged toward her. You have to get outside first. He didnt hurry to lock Kai down but he was cautious nonetheless. That duality of his nature was irritating to no end. Of course I know I cant score from here. Kai didnt bother wasting her breath answering. The question was probably meant to distract her. This was no time to entertain Mikes nonsense. Alright, lets see. Kai carefully scanned the half-court. While Mike was over here, Larry was the one responsible for marking Lars. But, Lars was clearly leagues ahead of that guy. In fact, the mechanical monster was probably a league or two ahead of everybody here, especially with his superhuman half-court snipes. Mike was the only one who could keep up with Lars one-on-one but Kai successfully lured the final boss away. That opened up possibilities. This makes things easy. Kai nodded to herself. She merely had to deliver the ball to Lars and the rest will happen naturally. So, I only have to get the ball past this bastard. Kai shot a glare at Mike. Given the guys skills, he was probably good at intercepting passes too. But, thats only as far as generic passes were concerned. Not to brag or anything, but Im pretty confident in my passes. Kai carefully raised the ball and gripped it in a peculiar way. It was time for a little bit of trickery. Boys often relied on their speed and strength when playing basketball. They liked showing off how cool they were by overwhelming the opposition through raw strength. Kai understood that sentiment all too well, so her playstyle was definitely tainted a little by that macho attitude. Nevertheless, as a girl, she also had plenty of experience playing against fellow girls. And, thats how she learned that girls handled themselves quite differently from boys. Instead of relying on individual strength, girls prioritized team play. Personally, Kai wasnt a big fan of that playstyle. More often than not, she resorted to overwhelming the other girls with an aggressive playstyle. However, one day, she had the honor to play against girls from the schools basketball team. Long story short, they schooled her. These girls passed the ball all over the place and forced Kai to chase it like a dog. And, whenever she tried to break through, they ganged up on her and contested her strength via numbers. She wasnt that good at passing back then, so she always struggled to wiggle her way out of these difficult situations. That experience was what drove her to practice passing. The captain of the basketball team even coached her a little. Thinking back on it, that crafty captain was probably trying to recruit Kai with that gesture. But, Kai was already a part of the Classmancers club at the time, so she wasnt interested. She did accept the lessons, though. After all, they were free of charge. Thanks to that coaching, Kai became fluent at passing and even developed an unusual passing technique. The captain even said she was talented, though that was probably part of the scheme to recruit Kai. Time to put that talent to use. Kai tossed the ball with a spin. It wont get through. Mike stretched his arm to intercept the ball. It was a quick pass, almost admirable for a girl. But, it was nothing he couldnt handle from this distance. But, just as he thought that - the ball evaded his hand! This shit again!? Mike frowned. It was the second time he failed to intercept the girls pass. Something about them was wack and unpredictable. Its like they got a wild spin. But, if its really a spin, then the ball should go off course. Making the ball spin wildly wasnt rocket science. Anybody could do that to the ball when passing. However, for most people, thatd be a useless thing to do. Accuracy was the most important thing when passing, and a spinning ball was anything but accurate. Therefore, this wild pass was nonsensical. Sure, it slipped past Mike, but where it was going to go next? Nobody could tell because a spinning ball was always unpredictable. It was questionable whether this pass will reach anywhere remotely close to its intended target. But, it actually did. Despite being an unpredictable wild pass, the ball found its way to Lars without any trouble! Larry! Mike shouted. Block his shot like your life depends on it! On it! Larry had been having trouble keeping up with Larss quick maneuvers, but he finally caught up when Lars had to slow down in order to catch the ball. He still had at least a second to try to steal the ball before the sniper got his shot! No, you dont! Larry jumped up to cover the basket from the enemys view. His long arms stretched like polearms and covered all the easy courses. Youre not getting another 2-pointer, not on my watch! Heh. Lars merely smiled at the wall towering over him. Thats some nice defense you got there, dude. But...! Lars canceled his shooting form and drove the ball forward instead. It was a feint all along! He pretended to shoot, knowing itll put Larry on edge and make the dude panic. 200 IQ playz, yooooo! Lars maneuvered around the defender and went for a quick shot from there. Two points, Yuel announced. 19-17 Woohoo! Lars pumped a fist and sent a thumbs up to Kai. Sick pass, dude! Good shot. Kai nodded in response. It was her second time seeing this super long shot in action but it was every bit as impressive as the first time. Truly, Lars was some kind of basketball god. At 19-17, the game was fast approaching its showdown. Larss team had to score only two more points to drive this game to victory. A single 2-pointer from Lars would suffice to bring an end to this battle... or, will it? Vol.12 Ch.32: Bens Betrayal The score was 19-17. Lars''s team was one 2-pointer away from driving it home and teaching the bullies a lesson. However... "By the way," Mike spoke up. "Do you know there''s a special rule about winning in a 3v3 game?" "What rule?" Kai borrowed her eyes. "You can''t win the game with a 2-pointer," Mike explained. "The final point has to be a 1-pointer." "Huh." Kai frowned. So lame. He feels cornered so hes grasping at anything he can to get an advantage. Unfortunately, the rule he talked about really existed. It wasn''t used in all variations of 3v3, but it was popular in some. It was an odd rule that Kai never paid much heed to before, but right now it was critical. At 19 points, a 2-pointer was exactly what the team needed to win. On top of that, they had the right man for the job, the godlike basket sniper. Alas, Mike was trying to deny that easy winning option. What a scumbag. "You should''ve mentioned it earlier," Kai argued. "It''s lame to start changing rules now." "I''m not changing anything, Mike insisted. We never said were not using that rule. At least, on our side, we knew that rule was in place all along, right guys? "Yep!" James nodded. "Totally," Larry agreed. Their acting is so bad... Kai made a face. It was clear those two never gave this rule any thought until now. It was all Mike''s doing, but of course, the goons supported the godfather. This is unfair. Kai ranted. Who does he think he is, coming up with new rules on the fly? There should be a limit to how much of a scumbag you can be. I won''t stand for this! "Okay," Lars agreed without hesitation. "Wha!? Kai jumped. Wait, what are you-" "So," Lars continued. "If I score from afar now, what gonna happen? Will it count as one point?" "No, you won''t get anything," Mike stated matter-of-factly. "Say what?" Kai objected. "That''s plain dumb." "There are many variations to this rule, but I like this one the best. It forces the end-game to be close to the basket. That''s the more fun, don''t you think?" "More fun? Youre just trying to make things easier for yourself, arent you? "Hmph." Mike ignored the comment with a sneer. He clearly had no intention of discussing this with Kai. His gaze was wholly concentrated on Lars, demanding a reply from the teams true leader. He doesn''t even register me. Kai clicked her tongue. Her fists itched to punch the hell outta that bastard, but this wasn''t the time to lose her cool. That''ll just be playing into the bastards hand. Instead of arguing with the cunning bastard, it was best to convince the "captain" of the team to reject that rule. "Lars, we shouldn''t agree to-" "Okay," Lars accepted without hesitation. "Wha-!?" Kai jumped. "Wait, but...!" "It''s okay." Lars flashed his teeth. "The rule gonna apply to them too, so it''s all fair." "Yeah, but still...!" Don''t you get it!? It''ll put us at more disadvantage! No, of course he gets it. But then, why is he smiling like it''s nothing!? There was only one explanation: Lars was confident. Even with his 2-pointers sealed, he was confident about beating Mike''s team. That confidence is sure on another level. These guys arent exactly pushovers. Kai sighed. Okay, fine. Let''s roll with it. We got the lead right now so we just have to score two more times. We can win this. "So," Lars verified one last time. "We can only score from inside, yeah?" "Right." Mike nodded. "Of course, the same will apply to us once we get that many points." "Nah, don''t worry. It won''t apply to you." "What?" Mike raised an eyebrow. "Because your points won''t get that far, yo!" "Hmph." Mike glared at the grinning fool. "We''ll see about that." That brief exchange made everything clear to Kai. Of course. Kai nodded. Lars isn''t happy about this rule either, but he''s maintaining that smile to not show any of it. He doesn''t want to give Mike the satisfaction of coming on top. Meanwhile, I... Well... In short, she has been overreacting to every little thing Mike threw her way. That bastard was probably having the time of his life when messing with her. It''s not good. I better learn a thing or two from how Lars acts. Kai smiled wryly. Huh, I never imagined Id ever think of doing anything like this. "Don''t worry." Lars tapped on Kai''s shoulder. "Let ''em set the rules. We just gotta beat em at their own game, that''s all. The more control they got over the rules, the more embarrassing it gonna be when they lose." "That''s true," Kai agreed. The harder they shatter the enemys pride, the more convincing their victory is going to look. From the summary Kai received, the spark for this entire basketball nonsense was that the delinquents insulted the Classmancers club, calling them "fake athletes". Therefore, mopping these bastards on their own turf, under their house rules, would be the most fatal blow ever. And so, the game went on. The enemy opened with another attack and Larry received the opening pass. No, you dont! Kai failed to intercept the pass but she didnt give up there. She thrust her hand toward the ball immediately! Alas, her hand only touched empty air. Shit! Kai grit her teeth. "Payback time, baby!" Larry smoothly maneuvered around Kais predictable attack. She was far too eager to get the ball. You little! Tch. Kai stopped herself there and took a deep breath. She couldnt allow herself to be triggered by such small things, itd be detrimental to her gameplay. I''ll get him next time. Kai convinced herself to think this way. There was no point getting agitated every time she lost a duel. I need to get used to taking an L every now and then. Of course, deep down, it was infuriating. She didn''t want to submit to these wrong-doers. But, they were the ones who played basketball on a regular basis, it was their sport. So, as douchy as these bastards were, they were bound to be at least semi-decent at the game. There was no point denying that much. Mike was somewhat stronger than Kai and Larry seemed close to her level. These were simple truths that Kai couldn''t overwrite, no matter how much they frustrated her. Therefore, there was no reason to lose her head over every single defeat against them. She just had to adapt and move on. The score was 19-18. Larss team attacked next. As usual, the offense started with Ben passing to Kai. Phew. Kai let a breath of relief. Larry almost intercepted the pass with his needlessly long arms, but the ball safely got to Kai in the end. It was her turn to attack. "Ready for a payback for your payback?" Kai dribbled the ball from side to side. "Come at me, baby." Larry grinned confidently. This time, Ill get past you! Kai drove to the right! "No, you don''t!" Larry dashed in to block the path! But, he soon realized his mistake. Even though the opponent was running in one direction, her hands were moving the ball to the opposite side! Fell for it. Kai passed the ball to the left. I really wanted to pay him back and drive past him, but It was unnecessarily risky. But, its not like she couldnt do it or anything, okay? She was definitely capable of driving the ball past this bastard. Easy. But, the risk was there and it was undeniable. Therefore, carelessly challenging this bastard for the sake of a petty vendetta was plain dumb. It might cost points and put the entire team in jeopardy. So, instead of confronting that bastard, Kai opted to pass the ball. "Ben!" "O-Okay!" Ben caught the pass. "Shoot, dude!" Lars encouraged. "Y-Yeah!" Ben aimed at the basket and- "SURPRISE MOTHAFUCKA!" James jumped in to block! But, he was one breath too late. "Craaaaap!" The ball launched toward the basket but not all was lost. Perhaps James failed to block the shooting course, but it seemed his yell startled Ben more than enough. The aim was off. It''s going to rebound! Kai discerned at a glance and darted toward the basket. Unfortunately, her rival noticed it as well. Mine! Larry caught up to her and jumped to grab the rebound too. Even though Kai jumped first, that bastard beat her in terms of reach. Damn, these long arms...! Kai lost the air battle. Their speed and jumping ability were roughly the same, but Larry had these long snake arms that stretched to infinity. He snatched the rebound and passed the ball to Mike. Wasting no time, Mike aimed at the basket from his current position. However! A wild Lars appeared and smacked the ball away! The ball hopped and hopped until it rolled out of the half-court. As a result, the ball went to the enemy''s possession. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. If only I scored back there... Ben bit his lip. This entire sequence of events started with him. It was his fault. Kai properly passed him the ball, yet Ben completely messed up the opportunity. As a result, the team lost possession and the enemy got another chance to attack. "One point," Yuel announced. 19-19. The enemy caught up and it was all because of Ben. Throughout the entire match, Ben hadnt scored a single shot. He had multiple opportunities but the ball never went in. The only thing he did somewhat reliably was to get passes across to his teammates, though even that didnt always go smoothly. But, that''s all I can do. Ben hung his head. I can''t help the team in any other way, so my job is to get passes across. But, anybody can do something as simple as that. In practice, Ben was just dragging this team down. He didn''t possess even half the skill his teammates possessed. Neither his speed nor his accuracy was anything to write home about. Mike mustve forced Ben to participate in this match to be nothing more than a handicap for Lars''s team. If we lose, it''ll be my fault. It wasn''t just his usual pessimism speaking for him. It was an undeniable truth. He was the one who couldn''t keep up with the rest of the team. Even though this entire situation is my fault, I''m being completely useless here... The sense of guilt was eating away at him. He was the one who allowed all of this to happen. His clubmates got dragged into this mess because he wasn''t decisive enough. I should''ve quit the club earlier. Ben thought. A cheater like me didn''t even deserve to join the club in the first place. Yes, cheater. Ben was practically that. It was shameful trickery that got him into the club, not his actual skill. It just so happened that he was the only one in the group to resort to such measures, so thats why he got in while Mike, Larry, and James had to stay behind. Back then, the four of them used to play together. They queued into Ranked as a premade team and destroyed the competition together. These were the fun times, back when everybody was still friends. They played together on a daily basis and ranked up a lot. By the time they entered middle school and applied to the Classmancers club, all of them were at Gold III. These were probably the happiest day of Bens life, though a couple of caveats were present even then. For one, his friends always made him play Support. It was the role nobody ever wanted to play but it was crucial for somebody to pick it. With a 4-man party, at least one of them always had to play in Bot. So, to enable smooth cooperation in the lane, his friends insisted that two of them had to populate Bot. That approach made a lot of sense and thats why Ben never openly complained about being stuck as the Support. In truth, Ben didn''t even dislike the role. Helping his teammates and keeping them safe generally felt good. Especially, when things were going well, his friends even praised him for it. "Yo, you totally saved my ass there!" "Nice initiation." Moments like that were some of Ben''s fondest memories. Most likely, they were the very reason Ben fell in love with the game. For an unathletic boy like him, Classmancers was the first team game in which he was actually helpful for the team. It felt great! In fact, Mike probably introduced the game to the group with that very intent. He didn''t say it out loud, but it seemed he wanted Ben to join in on the fun when everybody played together. It was something Ben couldnt do that well with real-life sports, so Classmancers was the next best thing. Mike is a nice guy. At least, he used to be. These were Ben''s honest feelings. Mike always protected Ben from bullies with his mere presence. As long as Ben hung out with Mike, nobody dared to lay a finger on him. It was like an unwritten rule in the class. For an obese boy like Ben, who was no stranger to being targeted by bullies, Mike and Co. were like saviors of sorts. Therefore, Ben was glad to repay them by playing Support all the time. Nonetheless, there was a little friction in Ben''s heart. He didnt dislike Support, he really didn''t. And yet, over time, he found himself yearning to play other roles as well. Perhaps it was an overdose of playing the same role all the time. Or, maybe he just felt like rebelling a little because the role was practically forced on him. And, on top of all that, there was the occasional toxicity he found himself surrounded by. It started happening more and more as they climbed up the ranks. From the moment they hit Gold V, there were more complaints than praises. "C''mon, Ben! You should''ve saved me there! It''s your fault I died!" "Why are did you retreat so early? We died because of you." When things went wrong, they usually blamed Ben first. No matter who was truly at fault there, it was always somehow Ben''s fault too. As hard as Ben tried to pretend he didnt care, it actually hurt him deeply. He was their Support, the one who was helping them out by playing a role they didnt want to touch. And yet, they repaid him with nothing but rants. Not to mention, it seeded doubt in his heart. Even though he was 90% convinced that none of it was really his fault, the remaining 10% haunted him. But, what if I really did something wrong? Maybe I couldve done something better? Every time it happened, a new dark memory formed in his head and tormented him for hours, sometimes days. It sucked out a lot of the fun from this otherwise amazing game. Thats why, sometimes, Ben let off some steam by playing alone in solo queue. It was a completely different experience, one which didnt reward him with the joy of helping his best friends. But, on the flip side, it gave him the freedom to play any role he wanted and he wasnt blamed for mistakes he didnt commit. ... okay, that was a little lie. He met many toxic people in solo queue. They usually blamed the Support, but sometimes they targeted other roles too. But, it was easy enough to ignore them because Ben didnt know them personally. It had a different impact from when his best friends blamed him for something. All in all, solo queue was a liberating experience for the most part. Nobody forced him to play any specific role, so Ben could be anything he wanted: Top, Mid, or Jungler. He played all these roles to his hearts content while taking a break from supporting. Carry was the only role he always avoided. It was mechanically demanding and often required the player to initiate pushes, something Ben wasnt too fond of doing himself. It was far more comfortable to follow the teams lead from behind, thats how he always played. Aside from Carry, the rest of the roles were all fun. Especially, Top Laner appealed to him the most. Its classes usually had defensive utilities like Supports did, and some of the classes even really doubled as viable Supports. And yet, the game plan in Top was very different from Bot. In Top, it was just Ben fighting against one opponent. He didnt have to live up to the expectations of a lane partner and nobody blamed him for every little thing that went wrong in the game. It was a chill role in which Ben could take it easy and enjoy the slow development of the game. It was probably extra chill because he queued into Casual mode. He tried solo Ranked a couple of times but it was too toxic to his taste. In addition, he didnt want to accidentally rack up too many points and surpass his friends ranks. None of them really talked about it, but there was something of an unwritten rule between them. It stated that everybody had to stay at the same rank, which was Gold III at the time. Of course, Ben had every intention to stick to that rule as well, at least at first. Then, middle school happened. As regular tryhards in Ranked, the group was interested in joining the Classmancers club. Too bad they dont have enough open spots for us, Mike said. But, lets apply anyway. They said there are two spots, so at least two of us can make it. And so, the entire group applied for the Classmancers club. From what they heard, the selection process was primarily based on rank. The players with the highest ranks and impressive match histories were prioritized over everybody else. But, were all the same rank... Ben thought. How are they going to pick between us? It was worrisome. Ben wanted to get into the club and find more people to play with. It was the only team game in which he ever felt useful, so he wanted to go further and play with more people so he could feel even more useful. Of course, it was still the most fun to play with Mike, Larry, and James. But, beyond just playing with friends, Ben also genuinely enjoyed the game in general. The games in Casual as a Top Laner were really fun too. So, he wanted to experience more the game, to go further, to improve. Lets grind Ranked this week, Mike said. Were pretty far from Gold II but we might make it in time if we win enough. That was a great suggestion. Ben wholeheartedly agreed with this crunch time idea. The higher they climb, the more likely it was for the Classmancers club to accept them. But, is it enough? Ben couldnt help but worry. I dont think we can rank up in a week. Also, if we all rank up together, well still be tied for the rank... In other words, Bens chances of getting into the club will barely improve, if at all. Hell still be competing against all his friends. But, he had to get in! This was the club he wanted to spend his middle school years in, he was 100% convinced of that. Maybe I should grind Ranked a little in solo queue too. It was this innocent idea that gave birth to a disaster. A devil must have whispered that idea into his ear, tempting him to commit this betrayal. But, Ben ignored the tingling sense of guilt. He pretended he was just going to work a little harder than the rest, fooling himself regarding the true meaning of what he was about to do. I need the extra points to keep up as a Support. Ben excused himself. As the Support, his KDA and other stats were often inferior to his teammates, so the system sometimes awarded him with fewer points. As a result, he was always lagging a little behind his friends. And, its not like I play Support all the time because I want to. Ben complained. I keep doing it because of Mike and the others. I give them what they want, so it should be fine if sometimes I do what -I- want, right? After coming up with many justifications for his actions, Ben started grinding Ranked in solo queue. He focused on playing Top and Mid, the two chill roles in which he didnt have to report to anybody. It was a simple, consistent experience. Time flew in a blink of an eye. Before long, it was time to apply for the Classmancers club. And, as Ben initially feared, they didnt make it to Gold II in time. Everybody had to apply for the club as Gold III players... except for him. Yes, Ben made it. The night before the application process, he hit Gold II. His chances of getting into the club skyrocketed! When did you get to Gold II? Mike demanded. Um, I just played a little in solo queue... Ben clammed up. He made a few excuses to defend himself but all of them were met with a frown. Thats when the fraction between them started to form. As expected, Bens superior rank made the Classmancers club prioritize him over his friends. To add insult to injury, he was the only of the group to make it in the club. The other spot was taken by a fellow Gold II player - Luke. Surprisingly, despite the guys frequent memeing, he grinded lots of Ranked at the time. His natural skill carried him far enough even with his questionable picks. But, that was a story for another day. The biggest shock was that only Ben made it. Only me...? Ben stiffened as he learned the news. That was bad. His plan was to only increase his chances of getting in. He definitely didnt expect to be the ONLY one to make it. Now, it looked like a complete betrayal... You sure pulled a fast one on us, meatball, Larry criticized. That was a low blow, man, James agreed. I thought we were buddies. .......... Ben couldnt say anything back. What could he say? He practically cheated his way into the club. It was a scumbag move; a complete betrayal. From that day on, their friendship became rocky. The other three constantly reminded Ben of his betrayal and forced him to run errands for him. Before long, the situation escalated into something akin to bullying. But, it wasnt just some unjustified harassment. His friends were angry about his betrayal so they were punishing him. Yes, its just punishment, not bullying. Ben convinced himself. I totally deserve this. If only I didnt try so hard to cut in ahead... Ben had to own up to his crimes. The punishment was painful but it wont go on forever, so he just had to endure and wait. Surely, before long, the four of them will return to being best friends. At least, thats what he thought... When will this end? There was no end in sight. If anything, the punishment was only turning fiercer and fiercer as time went on. How long will it take them to forgive me? I know Ive done something bad, but arent we friends? They should be able to forgive me after this long... Alas, even a year later, there was no sign of the situation improving. Ben was still on the receiving end of his friends punishment. It started looking like plain bullying and his clubmates definitely believed that to be the case. Thats what led to the current situation, to this basketball match between Mikes group and the Classmancers club. Everything started from a sin Ben committed. He was responsible for this entire situation. But, wasnt it enough already? Hasnt he repented enough? I cant take it anymore. Ben clenched his fists. They trembled in an uncharacteristic manner. Staying calm was one of the few things he believed he was good at. Locking his feelings away was one of the few skills he possessed. He believed thats an important skill all humans should learn, itll surely bring the world one step closer toward peace. But, right now? Ben was mad. No matter how hard he tried to justify his friends actions, he couldnt convince himself he deserved that treatment. Yes, I betrayed them back then. Ben admitted. But, I just really wanted to play Mancers. I was trying to get into a competitive club for a competitive esports game. So, it made sense for me to grind as much as possible in order to get in, right? Enough was enough. This situation has gone on for far too long. No matter what the result might be, Ben wanted to drive this situation to closure. And, the first step toward achieving that was to win this basketball match. Hopefully, itll prove to Mike that the Classmancers club was a very competitive place and that Ben had every intention to work hard there. He didnt work so hard and outranked his friends out of spite. He genuinely loved the game and wanted to go as far as he could with it. To that end, Ben will do everything in his power to help to achieve victory in this decisive match...! Vol.12 Ch.33: Determined Shot Ben was determined to put an end to the vicious cycle he was imprisoned in. And, the path to freedom lied with winning this basketball game! Unfortunately, his performance was mediocre at best. He mostly passed the ball to others and occasionally stole the ball from those he marked, but thats all. He hasnt scored a single point the entire game. I have to get at least one shot in. At least one. Ben was determined. He had to show Mike how serious he was about playing competitively. While Ben was busy working on his courage, the game had already reached a critical point. The score turned 20-20. Both sides were one point away from victory! Things developed this way thanks to the rule Mike enforced at the last second. By removing 2-pointers from the game, everybody had to crowd around the basket. It shifted the game toward being more close contact. Under these conditions, Mikes group evened the odds with their teamplay. They played lots of basketball together, so they knew how to efficiently maneuver around the small area while cooperating. Okay! Lars received the ball and got ready to shoot. Alas, Mike was already there, jumping right in front of him! Youre not getting this shot! Mike proclaimed strongly with his intense glare from above. Dang it! Lars was sure he had this one in the bag, but Mike was blocking the basket from view. In that case, Imma just go around ya! Lars canceled the throw and drove the ball to the side. But, another enemy was already waiting for him there! SMACK! Larry stole the ball and ran away with it. Gotcha, bitch! Larry drove the ball away from the three-pointer line to create some distance from Lars. Okay, safe. Larry sighed in relief once he stepped out of the danger zone. He couldnt score from here, which sucked ass, but it also meant nobody was going to be too gung-ho about stealing the ball from him all the way out here. Thats how chaotic this game had become. Nobody had even a moment to relax. It was necessary to step out of the battlefield to get any breather at all. Alright, I need to pass now. Larry scanned the area for good targets. But, the enemy had no intention of giving him much time to do so. Shes already here!? Larry cursed. The enemy chick caught up to him while he was dribbling! Even beyond the three-pointer line, there was no rest for anybody! Youre not getting anywhere with that ball. Kai went for the attack. Shit! Larry backpedaled while dribbling. I dont have time to deal with her. I need to get the ball to somebody who can score...! Larry! Behind you! Ah!? Larrys back hit against a wall! At least, it was something as big and as immovable as a wall! A screen!? Larry grit his teeth. His back crashed into none other than Lars, who followed up from behind to block Larrys retreat path. It was a perfect pincer. Lars was blocking the retreat path, while the girl was assaulting Larry from the front. He stood no chance. James! Try to get this one!! Larry tossed the ball aside. He didnt have the luxury to ascertain Jamess exact location, so he simply threw the ball in the general direction. It was a lame play but there was no other choice. If he didnt get rid of the ball somehow, the two attackers wouldve stolen it from him. It was better to send the ball to the unknown than let Lars or Kai get their hands on it. Whoa! James exclaimed as he chased the ball. Phew. Somehow got that shit. Man, that pass sucked. Oh, zip it. Larry breathed in relief. One way or another, the pass got across. The match wasnt over it. It was still anybodys game here. If anything, the odds strongly favored their side now. With the ball in Jamess possession, this was a great chance to initiate a strong attack! That guy was a clumsy goof in everything except for passing. But, at the same time, he was godlike in that one area. So, if he skillfully gets the ball across to somebody in a good position, it might end the game right there! Man, what a stuffy situation. Jamess eyes shifted from side to side. With everybody packed so tightly around the basket, it was hard to get a proper pass across. Cmon. James urged his friends with his eyes. Shake off your marks already. Make my life a little easier here. James lazily dribbled the ball as he searched for a good pass route. This was a critical play so he couldnt do anything stupid. I wont hear the end of it if I mess up here. James gulped. He could already imagine himself becoming the new punchbag of the group instead of Ben. Mike can be scary like that sometimes. I gotta be careful. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The weight of this responsibility was pressuring his shoulders. Its like he was carrying a boulder on his back. Man, this aint funny. Can we end this already? James shook his head. Dang, their marking is too tight. Speaking of which, where did Ben go- ack! SMACK! Ben stole the ball from his distracted opponent! W-Whoa! James jumped backward in surprise and slipped. Fuuuuu! He landed on his bottom. Crap! Not like this! James shouted internally. In the most critical moment, he ended up looking like the biggest clown of all time! Nuuuuuu! B-But, its only Ben. Its alright. He cant score. James tried to convince himself as he hurried to get on his feet. Hes probably just going to pass anyway. The others can handle it. But, contrary to his expectations, Ben was running forward with the ball. It almost looked like he was driving it toward victory...! I have to get it in. Ben ignored the screams of his aching muscles and drove the ball forward. No matter how exhausted he was from all the activity today or how hard his legs threatened to buckle over, he had to help his team win! Ben has been passive about his problems for a long time now. Enough was enough. Nothing will be resolved as long as he keeps averting his eyes from the problems. As scary as it was, he had to face his problems head-on and do something about them! Ben drove the ball past the three-pointer line and found a nice shooting position. From here, he could deliver the winning shot! BEN! Larry roared as he jumped in to block. YOU PIECE OF SHIT! DONT YOU EVEN DARE! A-Ah! Ben flinched. His legs froze in place. As always, these roars shook him to the core. The loud curses were pregnant with malice. They blamed Ben for the sin he committed against his friends. But, it was an old sin. Hasnt Ben already repented enough!? S-Shut up! Ben shouted in response. His raspy voice wasnt even half as intimidating as Larrys but his soul was roaring like lion. He cant block in time! I can get the shot in! Ben erased Larrys loud existence from his mind. There was only Ben and the basket there. No need to worry about anything else. Ben raised the ball and released it in an arc. It was the cleanest shot he had fired today. His normally shaky arms were surprisingly stable during the shot. He had many opportunities to get the ball into the basket today but he failed every time. Whenever he had a golden opportunity, Larrys curses assaulted him and threw him off. But, not this time. Ben was confident in his own convictions. Ive served my sentence. Its time to end this! The ball approached the basket and... didnt get in. But, it didnt bounce away either. It landed on the rim and rolled around and around. Everybody was anxious. This could very well be the decisive shot of the game. Ignorant to that tension, the ball was taking its sweet time to decide where it was going to land. It circled along the rim again and again, without getting in and without falling off. It was stuck in a neverending purgatory. Get in! Ben prayed. Stop stalling and finish it already! As if heeding Bens orders, the ball finally made its call. It received Bens passionate spirit and decided to answer the boys determination. One point, Yuel announced. We won. It was over. It was really finally over. Ah... Ben collapsed on his knees. His leg muscles hurt. Breathing was painful. But, he finally did it. He nailed the shot! The team won! At long last, he broke away from the miserable cycle! YOU DAMN MEATBALL! Larry stomped toward Ben with clenched fists. Ah... Ben understood the incoming danger but he was too exhausted to respond. Hit me all you want. If thats what really going to make you feel better, then go for it. Ill accept it, as long as itll finally put an end to this. Hey, dude. Chill. Lars stood between them. Shut up! Larry waved an angry fist. You wanna eat this shit in his stead!? Nah, cant say Im into getting punched, haha. Lars laughed it off. His confident smile didnt show a single hint of concern. Naturally, that only further served to ignite the enemys fury. You piece of shit-! Larry shot a punch! Or, at least he tried to. His arm refused to jump forward for some reason. Give it a rest. Mike grabbed Larrys trembling arm. Watcha stopping me for!? Larry roared. What, did you already forgive that damn Meatball or something!? Its not that, Mike said. Its bad sportsmanship to fight after a match, dont you think? Heh, since when do you care about sportsmanship? Right, I dont, Mike admitted. Im stopping you for your own sake. He threw a cautious glance at Lars. Look at us, then look at this guy. Do you see a difference? Huh? What? Larry cocked his head. Are you talking about how hes smiling like an idiot? No, its about the sweat, Mike whispered. Look at us, all drenched like greenhorns without stamina. Meanwhile, this guy looks perfectly fine. Its almost like all of this was just a warm-up for him. Huh, youre right... Larry swallowed his spit. Even though Lars was the one who terrorized the court the most, the guy looked completely unfazed by everything that transpired. This intense game was nothing but a childs play for him, or at least thats how it looked. To be honest, Mike whispered. Id gladly gang up on him and beat him to a pulp. But, with how tired we are and how fine that dumbass looks, we might actually lose. You gotta be shitting me. Larry couldnt believe that Mike, of all people, would say something like that. Out of the entire gang, the leader was the most adept at fights. He wouldnt wuss out against some random dumbass. Its just a gut feeling, Mike said. The guy acts all friendly, but I see the glint in his eyes. If you go up against him for real, hell not hold anything back. Hell trash you fully, smiling while doing it. Lars was like a beast wearing human cloth. Most of the time, he was acting like a friendly harmless goof. However, if something makes the beast come up to the surface - itll ravage everything in sight. At least, thats what Mikes gut was telling him. Just drop it, Mike said as he stepped forward. Ill handle the rest from here. They mightve won, but so what? We didnt promise them anything anyway. Heh, thats true. Larry nodded with a snicker. With a last desperate card up his sleeve, Mike was going to try to gain an advantage in this situation once again. But, wasnt that just the most cliche of developments? A villain who had lost the fight but stubbornly refused to accept defeat until the very last moment. Somebody like that was bound to pull one last trick at the very end. Thankfully, it was such a predictable development that somebody already prepared a line of play against it... Vol.12 Ch.33: Those Who Are Stuck in the Past The two teams gathered at opposite sides and stared each other down. Even though the game was over, the tension between them still hadnt died out. Good game. Lars stretched his hand. Hmph. Mike refused the handshake. You only won because you took us by surprise. We underestimated you too much. Cmon, dont be like that. Lars thrust his palm... at lightning speed! H-Hey! Mike failed to react on time! It was a good game. Lars grabbed Mikes hand and shook it against the others will. If ya underestimated us so hard it made ya lose, thats on you, ya know? You had the entire match to adapt. Hmph. Mike glanced away. He didnt have a good retort at hand because it was true. They did have a lot of time to adapt, yet they still lost in the end. This shit is so embarrassing. I cant stand it. Mike pulled his hand away and glared at Lars. Yeah, we had some time to adapt. But, we sure werent expecting to be dealing with a basketball freak. What basketball freak? YOU, dumbass. Mike just barely held himself from snapping at the smiling idiot in front of him. How can he keep smiling like that even now? Were enemies, so hes supposed to hate our guts and to get angry at my provocations. But, this guy... Youre a weirdo alright, Mike said. How so? Nothing about you makes sense. You can play basketball this well, so what the fuck are you doing in a video game club? You should be on the schools basketball team, for fucks sake. I used to play basket back in grade school, Lars said. It was fun times. But, then I came across Mancers and I like it more now. Hmph. What a waste of talent. Mike scoffed. The guy in front of him was so skilled that Mike was willing to swallow his own pride and complement the guy. And yet, that idiot was wasting it all away. Nah, its not a waste, dude, Lars insisted. If ya think Im good at basketball, you should watch me play Shooter and Slinger in Mancers. Im mopping the floor with everybody there, yo! Is that so. Mike found himself submitting against Larss unwavering confidence. This guy isnt right in the head, Im convinced of that now. And, thats why Im sure hes telling the truth. Hes probably good at Mancers too, just as he claims. A mechanically skilled freak like this, combined with an overdose of positivity and confidence, could probably perform well in about any competitive sport. It was part of his genes. This dude was a sports freak. So, how about it? Lars asked. Did we convince ya enough that our club is super mega competitive and all? Hmph. Maybe just a little. A little? Dude, we beat ya! Hows that not impressive? You just happened to have members who are good at basketball. Mike shrugged. Nothing impressive about that. Huh, really? Kai interjected. Then, you also dont feel anything about the fact you lost to a team with a girl? She lifted her chin. And remember, we started from an even score, so its not like we even had the lead there. "Tch." Mike grimaced. "It''s a stretch to call a player like you a ''girl''." "Thanks for the compliment," Kai replied with a confident smug. "Anyway, you''re going to leave Ben alone now, right?" "I have no idea what you''re talking about." Mike shrugged. "We''re just friends who sometimes hang out, that''s all." "Wha-!?" Kai jumped. "Wait, didn''t they promise to stop if they lose?" She turned to her teammates but everybody averted their eyes. Nobody wanted to face her head-on. After all, Mike was technically correct. "I didn''t promise shit," Mike said. "You guys just begged to prove a point by challenging us. And yeah, you lucked out and beat us, that''s all there is to this story." "Bastard...!" Kai clenched her fists and strode forth with heavy stomps, but Lars stretched a hand in front of her. "Relax, dude." Lars smiled. "Everything is A-Okay. Dude is right. He didn''t promise anything. He just agreed to play us." "But, that''s...!" Kai couldn''t believe it. Then, what did we even play so hard for!? It makes us look like idiots! "We just proved a point," Lars explained. "Dude said were a casual video gaming club, so we showed him we''re all serious dudes here." "And? That''s all?" "Yep." "Huh..." Kai sighed in defeat and turns to Yuel. "Are you guys for real? Is that the best you could come up with, ''Chessmaster''?" "We didn''t have that many options," Yuel explained. "But, I had a feeling it might come to this. Thanks to you subbing in, we got a nice guarantee." "Thanks to me...?" Yuel stepped forward and faced Mike head-on. "Just so you know, we recorded the game." "You did what, now?" Mike flinched. "We got it all on camera," Yuel repeated. "It mostly features the second half, but that''s the interesting part anyway." "You''re bullshitting me. You don''t even have a camera." "Oh, you didn''t know? Tablets come with cameras these days." "Are you picking a fight, fucker?" Mike was becoming visibly agitated. For the first time today, the guy was finally cracking under pressure. "You''re bullshitting. You couldnt possibly have any free time to... oh." His eyes laid on the boy standing behind Yuel. It was Vincent, the guy who handled the scoring during the first half. After the girlie subbed in, Yuel and Vincent switched roles for no apparent reason. I thought he was just letting the other guy rest, but this is what they were up to...! Mike couldn''t believe they pulled such a stunt right under his nose. What an annoying bunch of shitheads! "We also happen to have a guy who excels at video editing," Yuel delivered another blow. "I''m sure he can make you look really bad in that video, am I right?" "I wouldn''t stoop so low," Vincent replied with a smile. "I have no interest in making anybody look bad. However, I am very much obsessed with making good players shine. Therefore, I shall capture all their greatest moments! For example, all the times Kai tripped her opponents with Rhythm Breaker!" "Geh." Mikes punch itched. He wanted to sucker punch these two nerds, but a guardian hound was in his way. As long as Lars was standing there, Mike couldn''t touch these fuckers. There was no other choice. He''ll have to wreck these nerds in their own mind games. "Recording people without permission is a crime, you know." Mike leveled an argument. "We can get the teachers involved." A predictable counter. Yuel saw this move from a mile away. "If you get the teachers involved, you''ll be digging your own grave." "How so?" "Don''t you think it''ll make them investigate all the circumstances of what transpired here today? And, this time, Ben won''t keep his mouth shut. Right, Ben?" "Y-Yeah," Ben nodded. "Sorry, but I''m done covering things up. If they ask me what''s being going on, I''ll tell them everything." "You what?" Mike grimaced. "Youll tell them what, exactly?" "Everything," Ben repeated. "Do you really want me to explain?" "You know what gonna happen if you talk, right?" Mike glared with all the intensity he could muster. "Haha." Lars countered with a casual laugh. "Is that a threat, dude?" "Who knows." "May I say something?" Ben sheepily stepped to the frontline. He was done with being protected by everybody around him. This was his problem, so he had to give the final push himself. It was time to resolve this issue once and for. "Mike, Larry, James," Ben addressed each of his former friends in order. "I''m really sorry for what I''ve done." How many times had he apologized by now? It was never enough to convince the boys to forgive him. Nevertheless, this was Ben''s final apology. He had been apologizing for over a year. If they still can''t forgive him after all this time, then sorry to say, but it was their problem. Ben finished serving his sentence. It was time to set himself free and focus on the club he worked so hard to get into. "Sorry, but I can''t hang out with you anymore at the expense of club activity. Our team is competitive and were training toward winning the regionals. I have to work hard as well." "Hah." Mike sneered. "Are you even going to play in any tournament matches?" "I don''t know yet," Ben admitted. "But, I want to keep on improving so I can get closer to that goal. Even if I remain a substitute this year, I want to make sure I''m ready to do my job when I''m subbed in. I want the team to win!" That was the roar of his soul. It was the first time in his life that he came at Mike so strongly. Mike was bound to be furious about this, or so Ben thought. "You feel that strongly about it, huh." Mike pursed his lips and gave Ben a long, hard look. For a moment, he couldn''t recognize the boy in front of him. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Was this really the same wimpy Meatball who always followed the trio like a helpless puppy? When did Ben develop such a strong passion? All of a sudden, that Meatball was showing unrelenting determination. It almost felt like the competitive spirit of a real warrior. What the fuck is going on? Mike shuddered. Are you saying this scrubby Mancers club is really such a big deal? "Winning the regionals"? Are you dumb or something? This team gets eliminated in the first round every damn year! And yet, Mike had to concede on one point. The group in front of him didn''t look like a bunch of losers. As frustrating as it was to admit, these guys just mopped Mike''s team in basketball. Yes, mopped. The game ended as 21-20 on paper but it was more like 24-20 without the point correction. On top of that, these guys had a deadweight like Ben on the team, yet still, they prevailed. Maybe, this year, the Mancers club isn''t as lame as it used to be. Mike examined the group in detail. It''s probably these guys. They seem like competitive monkeys, so they probably reinvented the club. Lars, Kai, and probably that smartass Yuel too. With tryhards like that in the club, it wasn''t hard to imagine how they painted everybody else in their own competitive colors. These guys even influenced the wimpy Ben so much. One way or another, Ben found something to be passionate about. Mike looked at his own palms. Then, what about me? Or Larry? Or Jay? Did we find anything like that in the past year? The three of them joined the basketball club on a whim after being rejected by the Classmancers club. They enjoyed competing as a trio and they liked basketball as a whole, but that was the extent of their passion. More than caring about improving at basketball, they focused on being butthurt about how nobody except Ben made it into the Classmancers club. It hurt their pride, so they took it out on Ben, the one who "cheated" his way in. But, was that really "cheating"? Did he break the law in some way? Did he commit any fouls? No, Ben hasn''t done any of these. He was just a little more passionate, a little more determined, than the rest of them. Therefore, he worked just a little harder than them and got ahead. Thinking back on it, he was probably the most serious about the game already back then. Perhaps it was inevitable. After all, Mike brought Classmancers to the table largely because of Ben. The Meatball sucked at pretty much every sport, so playing together with him always felt like carrying dead weight. Therefore, when Mike heard about Classmancers, a video game team sport, he decided to suggest it to the group. It sounded like a competitive game in which Ben won''t be totally useless, so it was worth a try. Turned out Mike struck gold with that suggestion. Not only did Ben finally become useful in a team game, but the others enjoyed the game too. It was an unexpected development born from a simple whim of Mikes. And yet, this one innocent whim changed Ben so much. It gave the guy something to be genuinely passionate about. Unfortunately, Mike and the others havent found anything like that to this very day. Maybe, deep down, it seeded jealousy. Mike liked competition, so the idea of improving at a game for the sake of trampling strong opponents sounded appealing. But then, why didn''t he pursue any such goals? Even though Mike was a member of the basketball club, he barely put any effort. He and his homies often skipped practice and didn''t take the drills seriously. But, why? Why didn''t Mike put more effort? It''s not like he didn''t possess the talent. If anything, the way he rivaled a beast like Lars in 1v1s attested for his skill. Nonetheless, why didn''t he pursue the competitive scene as strongly as Ben? Instead of spending the past year doing something meaningful with his life, Mike was stuck in the past, blaming Ben for dumb shit. What was the point of it all? After coming this far, Mike couldn''t even fathom the answer. It just kind of happened. There was no deeper meaning for any of it. While Mike''s time was frozen in the past, Ben slowly but surely pulled ahead. The wimpy kid became a determined player who sought to stand at the top of the competition. That realization sent a shudder down Mike''s spine. What was I doing all this time, seriously? Mike sighed. Before I noticed, Ben got so far ahead of me. I also want to live like that, challenging stuff with my pals. So, you know what? I should just freaking do that. "I''ve had enough." Mike smiled wryly. "Eh?" Ben blinked. The sudden change in demeanor caught him off guard. For the first time in ages, Mike''s expression was soft and friendly, just like it used to be. "Do whatever you want," Mike said. "If Classmancers is that important for you, then go ahead, keep chasing that dream of winning the regionals." "Ah! T-Thanks!" Ben''s eyes turned glossy. "Idiot, what are you crying about?" Mike made a face. "Besides, you got nothing to thank me for." "That''s not true at all. It''s thanks to you that I started playing Classmancers." "Ah, well..." Mike didn''t have a retort. It was true, albeit exaggerated. It all started on a whim, nothing more. But clearly, for Ben, it was a life-changing event. "You do what you have to, and I''ll do my own thing," Mike proclaimed. "I''ll also try throwing myself at something and see how far I can go." "Are you going to take basketball seriously!?" Ben''s eyes lit up. He looked like an excited puppy who spotted a bone. "I always thought you can become a pro if you try!" "P-Pipe down, will you." Mike averted his eyes. "I haven''t decided on anything yet. But, for starters, me and the homies gonna take practice seriously. We''ll see where things go from there." "Hey," Larry interjected. "Where the heck did that decision come from? Don''t drag me into random shit youre making on the spot, man." "Then, are you saying youre satisfied with this result?" Mike pointed at the score, the 20-21 that was effectively a 20-24. "Maybe were not the stars of our club but we still play regularly. And yet, we just got our asses handed to us by some nerds who play a video game. Don''t you think that''s lame as fuck?" "Well yeah, it''s lame, but..." "So, let''s make sure it won''t happen again," Mike said. "If Ben can aim for something big like winning the regionals, then why can''t we, too?" "Whoa..." Larry blinked. "Alright, imposter. Who are you and what did you do to Mike?" "Heh." James snickered. "It''s more like ''Welcome back, real Mike.'' The imposter finally left." "Huh, maybe that''s true." Larry smiled wryly. "But, are we really gonna give Ben just like that?" "Ive been always saying it''s dumb to keep this grudge going for so long," James argued. "Yeah, that dawg pulled a fast one on us, but c''mon. He didn''t deserve all that." "Wha the-!? Flippin'' opportunist! "Whoa!" James made a dash for it. "Come here, you little...!" Larry gave chase. The rest of the group watched that childish display in silence. A few of them cracked a muffled laugh. "I won''t lose to you." Mike stretched a hand toward Ben. "Let''s see which of us wins the regionals first." "Deal!" Ben did the handshake with both hands as if the guy in front of him was a celebrity. Then again, for Ben, that wasn''t too far from the truth. In the past, Mike was kinda like a hero for Ben. But, for the past year, this same hero has been acting more like a villain. He lost against the negative emotions that dwelled inside him. However, at long last, Mike broke free from these shackles. He regained his former vigor and was ready to take on the world, just as he used to do in the past. As far as Ben was concerned, this was a happy ending. But, some disagreed... "So," Kai whispered. "Are we just going to let these guys off the hook? They''re bullies, you know." "Ben appears to be satisfied with this outcome," Vincent said with a teary eye. "Are you crying?" "Indeed!" Vincent admitted. "It is such a touching scene! Former friends turned rivals turned friends again! The redemption arc has reached a happy ending!" Thats what he said. But, in truth, that was only half the reason for his tears. He was happy for Ben, but this scene touched him beyond just that. I''m so glad it worked out! Vincent had to stop himself from wailing like a newborn. This rescue operation meant the world for him. Even though he was three years too late to achieve anything of substance, Vincent finally rescued somebody from bullying. He made up for the crushing defeat he suffered when he tried to help the bullied classmate back in grade school. Of course, its not like this small amount of redemption was going to enough to erase his sin. But, at least it made him feel a little better about himself. For once, he achieved something of substance! I''m sorry I wasn''t strong enough to help you back then, Matt. Vincent apologized to a person who wasn''t there. Where was that boy now? What was he doing? Hopefully, he found his own place in this world and was leading a happy life, one free of any bullying. Vincent failed to save that boy, but the experience made him learn a couple of important lessons. Thanks to that, he and the others successfully toppled the bullies today and rescued Ben! Everything was coming together like one big jigsaw! Therefore, frankly speaking, Vincent didn''t care about going any further here. It was up to Ben to decide whether these bullies deserved any additional punishment. Those four supposedly used to be real friends, so things werent so simple here. There was a long period of ongoing bullying but there were also good times, back when they had a genuine friendship between them. Therefore, forgiving Mikes gang might be alright here. "I also think it''s okay," Lars said. "Mike became a changed man, I can see it in his eyes. He''s a real basketball player now! You better start following his progress from here on out. Dude gonna win the regionals for the school, believe it!" "That sounds like a load of crap." Kai made a face. "I guarantee it!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "Dude can already almost match me in a 1v1. Not to brag or anything, but that''s a pretty big deal. If he puts some more effort into it, he gonna become a national-level beast." He grinned with an excited glint in his eyes. "Huh. Kai scowled. "So, we gonna forgive that scum because Ben doesn''t press charges and because he''s apparently a good athlete???" "I''m also not entirely satisfied with this conclusion," Yuel admitted. "But, for now, Mikes change of heart looks genuine enough. The world isn''t made of heroes and villains, everybody got circumstances. From what I gathered, Ben supposedly did something to hurt them in the past, thats why they were mad at him for all this time." "Yeah, right. I bet he just felt bad about the fact he got into the club while his pals failed." "Maybe thats all there is to it, but I suspect its more complicated than that. Either way, I agree we should wait and see what happens. If these guys really stop the bullying, I say we can forgive them. After all, hatred only begets more hatred. It''s an endless cycle." "You''re all too soft." Kai refused to let go. "What if they act like goody-two-shoes for a few days and then return their usual routine?" "Well," Yuel said. "For starters, we have the video recording of this match." "Were you seriously planning to use that?" Kai couldn''t believe that daredevil. "Yeah, I was. I noticed these guys hold their pride in high regard, so anything that can stain their reputation can be an effective threat." "You legit scare me sometimes." "I''ll take that as a compliment." Yuel smiled. "Anyway, even without the recording, Ben said he won''t keep quiet anymore if the bullying resumes. So, no matter how you look at it, these guys already lost. Doing anything more to them is like trapping the enemy king without delivering a mate, then promoting all your pawns into queens before you go for the kill." "No idea what that even means." "Basically, it''s like pounding a knocked-out opponent." "So, youre saying its an overkill, huh." Kai crossed her arms and gave it a thought. "Alright, we can let them off the hook this once." "Why thank you," Mike interjected sarcastically. "But don''t worry, we''re done being stupid. I mean, Larry still looks a little unsatisfied, but I''ll make sure to smack some sense into him if he tries anything funny." "Sounds good enough for now," Kai answered flatly. She wasn''t fully convinced yet. This gang leader was a sly bastard at times, so all of this might be just an act. "You don''t trust a thing I say, do you." Mike scratched the back of his head. "Well, youll be convinced with time." He turned to Yuel next. "Say, about that video you recorded..." "Don''t worry, we won''t post it," Yuel promised. "But, we already uploaded it to cloud and we won''t hesitate to use it if you start things up again." "Right, but that''s not what I wanted to know," Mike said. "Can you send me a copy? It might be worth reviewing so we see what embarrassing mistakes we made." "Oh." Yuel blinked. Could it be Mike was originally a very competitive player and simply lost his way somewhere along the way? "Sure, we can send you a copy." Thanks. With that, the two sides parted ways. The gang of ex-bullies left peacefully without pulling anything. It seemed they were really about to turn over a new leaf, and the same applied to Ben as well. "T-Thank you very much!" Ben bowed to each of them in order. "I''m really sorry for dragging you into all of this. It was all my fault. If only I spoke up sooner..." "It''s alright now." Vincent patted the boy on the shoulder. "You were in a difficult situation. There''s nothing for you to apologize for, not a single thing." "Thank you." Ben smiled brightly, brighter than he ever did at the club. A gigantic load fell off his shoulders. "From now on, I''ll make sure to attend all club practices! And, I''ll always still until the very end! S-So, let''s win the regionals this year!" At long last, Stratus became a truly unified team. With Ben joining in as a full-timer, their strategic options increased tenfold! In particular, Ben''s defensive playstyle might come into play in case they run into a strong aggressive Top Laner. And so, the team was now ready to start preparing for the next scrimmage. This second match will be their greatest challenge yet, a fight against the most fearsome team in the region - Leopards, the undefeated regional champions. Vol.13 Ch.1: Killing Race In one of ProCenters stadiums, a scrimmage was taking place. It was a rather one-sided match, one that escalated more and more the longer it went on. DOUBLE KILL UNSTOPPABLE These messages popped up on Cato''s screen. Unfortunately, the achievements didnt belong to him. "My, aren''t you feisty today. Cato smiled impishly. "I just want to get this over with," William said. "This is getting old. They''re clearly not at our level." Even though they were on top of a stage, playing in front of a big audience, their voices didn''t betray a single hint of tension. And, why would they be tense? This was already their second scrimmage this year. Not to mention, todays match was just as one-sided as the previous one. The score was already 16-1. Oh wait, thats wrong. Its already 17-1, thanks to William being such a reliable killing machine. He killed enemies faster than Cato could count up. Of course, Classmancers wasn''t so simple of a sport, so the kill count didnt always tell the entire story. However, when the gap was this big, it painted a very clear picture. "My, you really don''t know how to chill, do you? Cato smiled wryly. "Think about these poor guys. You''ve been whooping them for three games straight now. Don''t you think they deserve a little breather?" "Hmph. It''s not my fault they''re so weak." William scoffed. "Honestly, I don''t know what we''re still doing here. Coach should''ve subbed us out after the second game. The result should''ve been decisive enough." "Oh, I''m sure it was." Cato recalled the last two rounds. The team thoroughly crushed their opponents with scores of 26-0 and 39-1. Not only did the enemy fail to adapt for the second game, but they folded even harder than before. Calling it one-sided didnt even begin to describe it. But, that outcome was only natural. The enemy team had much weaker pieces: four players that were as good as pawns, and one player that could roughly qualify as a knight. On the other hand, Cato''s team was filled to the brim with strong pieces. Just he and William already counted as two rooks, though William probably saw himself more on par with a queen. If there was a piece stronger than a rook and weaker than a queen, then thatd be his piece. Cato smiled to himself as he analyzed the game board as if it was chess. With such a substantial difference in specs between the two teams, a result like 26-0 for the first game was inevitable. On top of that, the first game allowed Cato to get a better read on his opponents. So, with better-optimized shot-calling, he enforced a 39-1 for the second round. The team played both games almost perfectly, dominating the opposition while suffering minimal losses. There was only one rush idiot who stained their perfect record twice in a row, both last game and this game... "Dang, bro!" Ronald exclaimed. "You sure work fast! Nice kill!" "These guys are just that easy," William said evenly. "Yep, they''re scrubby alright." Ronald nodded. "But, don''t you think youve won just yet! You''re only two kills ahead of me, so I''mma catch up in no time!" "You will try." William felt no pressure from his younger brother''s bold deceleration. I''ll win again for sure. "Hey Ronald," Cato spoke up. "I don''t mind you competing for kills, but don''t chase them too hard. You''re ruining our perfect score and I don''t want another lecture from the coach." "Sacrifices gotta be made sometimes," Ronald retorted with a nonsensical argument. "As they say: no pain, no gain!" "Listen, kid. Quoting idioms isn''t going to excuse your mess-ups." "Hey, who are you calling a kid!? You want them hands, dude!?" "No, but their Lancer probably does." Cato pinged two areas on the mini-map. The enemy Lancer was probably going to rotate from one of these spots and pick off Ronald, who was grossly overextending to score his precious kills. What a brat, The enemy Jungler was the only one who ever scored kills on Ronald today. He was the knight piece on the enemy team, the only one with sufficient skill to not embarrass himself on the competitive scene. So, naturally, there was some reason for concern. "The Lancer is probably coming. So, unless you''re planning to give him a free kill, you better foot it, kid." That dang dude again! Ronald exclaimed. Okay, fine." He retreated from the frontline. No matter how badly Ronald wanted to pass his brother''s score, he still had to retreat when danger approached. After all, if he dies, he wont be able to get any more kills! Besides, he was a part of the team. Even though they were totally stomping the enemy at the moment, his death would slow them down and make them look bad. Thatd be unacceptable. Im glad he realizes at least this much. Cato thought. If he couldn''t figure out something so basic on his own, I would''ve booted his butt out of the team a long time ago. It was no empty threat. Cato wouldve really pushed for it to happen and he probably wouldve achieved it too. After all, he was the captain. His word carried the most weight in this team. I''m the overlord here, son. Cato snickered. If you disappoint me, then off with your head! In the first place, somebody like Ronald shouldn''t normally be allowed on the first-string. Juniors should only cheer on the first-string from the sidelines. Their time to shine was next year. But, the coach insisted. He shoved Ronald into scrimmages to let the brat gain practical experience for next year. Somehow, this absolute tool was the best candidate for becoming next year''s captain. I guess next year the team will finally drop its win streak. Oh well. Cato shrugged. That wasn''t his concern. This was his last year of middle school and his last year on the team. All he cared about was making the best out of this year and incrementing the teams everlasting win streak count. After all, they were the Leopards, the undefeatable regional champions. Victory was as expected as it was inevitable. And, as the captain, Cato was in charge of delivering the team to said victory and living up to the legacy he inherited with the role. But, its not like he was going to do everything with his own two hands. Thats what he had his useful chess pieces for. Yes, even flawed and unreliable pieces like Ronald played an important part in all of this. An enemy has been killed! "Goteem!" Ronald pumped a fist after smiting the Lancer, the biggest threat the enemy posed! Even though he originally retreated from the scene to avoid getting ganked, he patiently waited nearby to see what followed. As expected, the Lancer arrived shortly after, no doubt planning to punish Ronald for the overextension. Alas, Ronald was no longer there! Or, so the Lancer thought. After concluding that Ronald completely evacuated the area, the Lancer started casually clearing the nearby Orge Camp. Then, BAM! Ronald jumped that scrub! A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "That''ll teach you a lesson, fam. Don''t you mess with the AbsoluteChallenger!" "My, you actually killed the guy," Cato said. "Yep, mopped that scrub real good! He probably thought hes a hotshot because he killed me once or twice, but these were just flukes, Im telling you!" "They were far from flukes, but alright." Cato didn''t feel like wasting any more breath on this kid right now. Theyll have more than enough time to review this after the scrimmage. For now, as long as Ronald delivered results and followed Cato''s orders when it counted, everything was fine. An enemy has been killed! "My, you guys have no chill, do you." Cato sighed. "I told you, I want to get this over with," William said after claiming yet another soul. "These guys are no match for us." "That''s true, but you don''t have to bully them like that. Go easy on them, give them at least a little bit of hope." "And why should I do that?" "So you can later CRUSH that hope and BREAK their spirits~" Cato smiled dangerously. "You damn sadist." William made a face. "I''m trying to give these guys a quick and merciful death, but you just want to play with your food." "Maybe I do~" Cato admitted with an innocent smile. "After all, this is our last game for the day. I want to savor it as much as I can~" "Go bully people in your free time. I''m bored of this. The only thing that keeps me going is that brat over there whos trying to compete with my score." "And I gonna beat you, bro!" Ronald proclaimed. "In your dreams." And so, the two rascals continued to compete. An enemy has been killed! UNSTOPPABLE An enemy has been killed! An enemy has been killed! An enemy has been killed! TRIPLE KILL LEGENDARY The kills didn''t stop coming. Every time William scored a kill, Ronald soon scored one of his own. And, as if in retaliation, William swiftly found another victim to secure his lead in the race. In turn, that motivated Ronald to seek yet another kill ASAP. What a beautiful brotherly bond between two killing machines. Cato smiled impishly. Even as the two brothers competed with each other, they also cooperated with perfect synergy. After clearing all the threats in Top and Mid, they split Top Jungle into two halves and devoured all the farm there. The execution was fast and methodical, with minimal communication required. Maybe they communicate telepathically? Cato entertained the idea even though he knew the truth was much simpler. The brothers were very dedicated to the game for a long time now. As a result, after playing together for so long, they naturally developed impeccable teamwork. Perhaps they were rivals as far as scoring kills was concerned but, aside from that, they were also each others most trusted ally. Surprisingly, it was Ronald, the younger brother, who came up with most of their teamplay ideas. That brat seemed like all brawn and no brain at first glance, but he actually had an unexpected game sense and a knack for teamplay. These were probably the qualities that made him qualify as next years captain in the coachs book. I mean, there''s literally nothing else thats good about this brat. Cato reasoned. With that said... An enemy has been killed! Ronald scored another kill. That brat and his brother were the teams two main cannons. While the rest of the team prioritized defensive play, the two brothers were frequently on the offensive, competing for kills. My, so uncivilized. Cato shook his head. As the herald of defense, the brothers barbarian aggressiveness wasnt much to his liking. Nonetheless, they were a necessary evil for this team. Catos forte laid in defensive shot-calls, so he didnt excel nearly as much when it came to launching decisive attacks. Therefore, sometimes it was convenient to let the two brothers loose. They added a much-needed flavor of offense to the team, Not to mention, when they cooperated - they unleashed hell on earth. Their offense was the Yang to Catos Yin. Thats probably why the coach decided to add Ronald to this lineup, as much as Cato disliked that decision. Well, in the end, hes just a replacement for our REAL fifth member. Cato shrugged. At least his offense does the work for now during these easy scrimmages, so its not a big deal. Once we face StormBlitz and the nationals, well be playing with our real lineup anyway. Though, I cant genuinely say Im a huge fan of that one either... Regardless of what Cato felt on the matter, the berserker brothers swatted the enemies like flies. The team was steadily pushing forward and cornering the enemy base. The score was already 31-1, an irreversible situation no matter how hard the enemy tries. Even a miracle from God himself would be hard-pressed to help them here. It was over in every sense of the word, but the enemies nevertheless fortified their defenses and fought to the bitter end. They deserved applause for their unrelenting fighting spirit, if nothing else. I wish I could see their faces right now. Cato snickered. They must be looking rather devastated~ Unfortunately, the enemy team was positioned on the other side of the stage, and monitors covered most of their figures. As such, it was impossible to make out anything about their expressions, no matter how hard Cato squinted his eyes. Nonetheless, he had plenty of experience watching such expressions on his chess opponents. Thanks to that, he could imagine the enemys frustration quite vividly. The gritting of their teeth, the tapping of their feet, and the agony twisting their faces. Cato could clearly see all these delicious sights in his head. Muhaha! Tremble in front of the champions! Cato terrorized the enemy team like an overlord, at least in his head. That was his only source of fun in this otherwise lackluster game. As William said, these opponents were no match for the Leopards. It wasnt even remotely close. We pounded them pretty bad. Cato looked at the current score of 33-1. It was going to be an overwhelming one-sided victory. Nobody would dare to question the Leopards strength after witnessing this convincing performance. Alas, the result wasnt entirely perfect. One brats death stained this otherwise amazing score. We shouldnt have conceded any kills to a team like that. Unfortunately, it was outside of Catos control. It wasnt his fault that Ronald was a reckless brat who sometimes forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. On his end, Cato did everything he could to avoid such accidents. He warned Ronald multiple times about the possibility of a gank. And yet, Ronald still managed to get himself killed in both games. What a damn troublemaker. This one death stained the record of the entire team. And, in turn, it also stained Catos personal achievements as the captain. Especially, as a shot-caller who prided himself in defensive tactics, conceding kills against a weak team was one of the greatest insults. Of course, accidents will always happen. Cato reasoned. But, thats not a professional mentality. Accidents were like a force of nature. No human being was capable of developing a 100% foolproof resistance against them. Nonetheless, a pros job was to strive toward that 100% by reducing the average number of such accidents to near zero. Consistency was the key to success. Thats how Cato has always handled himself in chess, and thats the mentality he brought into Classmancers as well. It applied to pretty much every competitive field out there, which was why this one death irked him so much. I hope Coach chews Ronald out on this. Well, Im 80% sure he will. And, if he doesnt, Ill make sure to bring that up myself. He had no intention of tolerating such gaps in his teams defense. If Ronald could get himself killed against such weak opponents, then how many times was he planning to die against stronger teams? It was a big concern. Such were the thoughts that occupied Catos mind during the final parts of this predictable game. The enemys feeble resistance didnt matter in the slightest. These fellas have already lost, it was just a matter of how to take them out. Hmm. I say we drag out the game just a tiny little bit more~ Cato smiled impishly. Lets let them struggle in vain some more. After all, thats the best part about cornering the opponent and dominating the board~ However, not everybody was on the same page here. Lets kill the Overlord and get this over with, William suggested. Though, his strong tone implied it wasnt a mere suggestion. It was a statement about how killing the Overlord was objectively the best move they had available. Yeah, I agree! Ronald joined in. Theyre all busy fending off super minions, so thats our chance. The other members also echoed similar thoughts. Nobody quite shared Catos interest in dragging the game out and watching his foe suffer. Oh well. I suppose its time to wrap it up then. Cato decided to approve of the plan, seeing as the majority voted in favor of Williams idea. And, it was indeed a strong play, one that Cato was obviously aware of, yet chose to postpone for his own entertainment. The team ganged on the big boss and eliminated the fellow within seconds. They were so powerful at this stage of the game that even the strongest mob on the map posed no challenge for them. With the Overlords buff boosting their powers further, they relied on raw strength to bust through the enemys fort and claim the Colossus. So uncivilized. VICTORY Vol.13 Ch.2: The Leopards Substitutions VICTORY A predictable outcome that was way overdue. This game couldve ended 5~10 minutes earlier if only the shot-caller bothered to come up with a proper plan of attack. Instead, the guy chose to wait and watch the enemy suffer, as he often did. So unnecessary. Finally, its over. William sighed. It was largely thanks to him that they finally wrapped up this game. If it were up to Cato, theyd continue this pointless game for at least 40 more minutes. Dang, I lost again! Ronald held his head. Bro, what the heck? Youre 4 whole kills ahead of me! How do you always get so many!? I just kill, William answered plainly. There was no magic involved. The strong simply crushed the weak, thats how it worked. With the long game finally over, the team walked off the stage and entered their waiting room. The coach, Rodriguez, was already waiting to review the game. Cato, William, Ronald, Sonya, and Matthew all lined up in front of the coach to be judged. It was supposed to be but a brief game review, but they were mentally prepared for being chewed out. Thats how these things usually went. Good work, Rodriguez opened with praise, but everybody knew whats going to follow. Whenever the conversation started on a positive note, a blow of criticism always followed soon after. At least, I should be in the clear. Cato thought. He believed he was critical enough of his own performance to know whether he committed any grave mistakes. Alas... First of all, Rodriguez started. Why did the game go on for so long? Youve had the decisive advantage for a long time. Why does it always take you so long to wrap things up? Because a certain somebody didnt feel like ending it, Sonya answered plainly. Everybody knew who she was referring to, but she elegantly avoided pointing fingers. A sly one, that girl. Yes, yes. Cato raised a hand. I didnt make any shot-calls for ending the game sooner. My bad. It always comes back to you, doesnt it. Rodriguez frowned. Ehe~ Cato smiled playfully. Well, officially, our team doesnt really have a shot-caller, does it? So, you cant really pin it on me. Youre partially to blame if you realized the team was dragging the game out and you didnt say anything about it. Then, what if I thought we were proceeding at a good pace? Am I in the clear then? Yes, in that case, youd be clear on this account, Rodriguez said. But, then I''ll be worried about your understanding of the games pace. It sounds like a 3-hour lecture on the topic is in order. Ahaha, I concede then, Cato replied immediately. Yes, I realized we were dragging our feet a little but I just let it happen. A little is an understatement. The game lasted almost twice as long as it shouldve. Perhaps. Cato raised a finger. But, our team is more inclined toward defense, right? So, wrapping up games quickly isnt exactly our expertise, am I right? He turned to the others for support. .................. Yes, quite the splendid support it was. William and Sonya made faces of Are you serious? while Ronald knotted his brows and fell deep in thought. Apparently, the question overclocked his peanut brain. Only one comrade here could be trusted to support Catos agenda. Unfortunately, that fellow was too passive for his own good... I kinda like taking it slow and easy, Matthew said. So, I dont really mind either way. Eeeeeh... Cato twisted his lips. Not exactly the support I was looking for. He gets an A for effort, I suppose. It doesnt sound like all of you are on the same page here, Rodriguez pointed out. In fact, Id say the majority seems to be against you. It kinda does, doesnt it? Ahaha... Cato laughed dryly. All these rebels going up against their captain. Shame on you. Theres a difference between captain and dictator, Ive told you that a hundred times. Just because Cato is the captain, it doesnt mean everybody is obligated to agree with every decision he makes. Rodriguez eyed the kids in order, to make sure he properly drilled the message into each and every one of them. He had done that many times by now, yet it seemed like this particular message refused to engrave itself onto their brains. Even today, they left most of the shot-calling responsibilities to Cato, for the better or the worse. As Cato said, I didnt nominate any of your to be the teams shot-caller. Naturally, some of you are bound to call shots more often than others. But regardless, none of you should be considered the voice of authority on the matter. If you find yourself disagreeing with somebodys call, you must say so. Right, right. Cato nodded. So, maybe Im partially responsible here, but its not really my fault. After all, Im not the official shot-caller~ Oh? Sonya cocked her head. So, youre saying we should just ignore your calls whenever we feel like it? Noted. Wait, wait, wait! Thats taking it too far! Cato backpedaled. Lets just say youre free to raise an objection every once in a while. Yeah, that sounds good. Mhm. As I always say, Rodriguez reminded. Voice objections as much as you deem necessary, as long as it doesnt distract the team too much. You all bring your own game knowledge and experience to the table, so you ought to share it with each other to maximize the teams performance. No matter how good somebody is at shot-calling, theyll never be perfect. The kids were probably already tired of hearing these same lines over and over, but Rodriguez couldnt stress enough how important this topic was. They simply hadnt realized the gravity of the matter yet because their scrimmages were too easy so far. Once they run into strong opponents, then theyll realize how much their passiveness can cost them. Hopefully, it wont happen too late in their career, or else theyll find themselves struggling to adapt during a critical game. It may cost them an entire competition. But, that was a long-term problem. Rodriguez will have plenty of opportunities to lecture them on the topic later. For now, it was best to focus on the problems staring right in their faces. On another topic. Rodiguez turned to the biggest troublemaker of the day. Ron, I understand you think your opponents today arent at your level? Well, duh. Like, I dont wanna throw shade or anything, but these guys are clearly no match for us. Hmm. Yes, that much is true. But, is that a reason to turn the game into a killing race between you and your brother? Weeeelp, about that Ronald glanced at his big bro with an awkward smile. Help me out here, bro! Hmph. William simply averted his eyes. So cruel! Ronald was on the verge of tears. To think that his dear brother has forsaken him at this critical moment! Well, I do feel a little bad for these dudes and all, but Ronald stumbled over his words. He didnt actually think he did anything wrong, but it was pretty dang hard to justify these actions in words. It sounded like bullying no matter how he phrased it. Dont get me wrong, Rodriguez said. I dont condemn you for playing a mini-game to keep yourself motivated. Its not exactly the most respectful attitude toward your opponents, but things like that are inevitable when the skill gap is so big. Yeah, yeah! Exactly! Ronald nodded repeatedly. So, Im in the clear, right? Right? On that particular account, yes. But, thats not the issue here. If I had a problem with your killing races, I wouldve addressed them much earlier. Oh, now that you mention it, thats true. Ive been doing that every game so far, but its the first time Ive been called out on it. You seem to have slight issues with your short-term memories, young man, Rodriguez said. I believe this is the second time I bring up this topic today. Really? Ronald tilted his head. Ooooh! Yeah, I think you said something about it last game, didnt you? My, this kid got the memory of a sieve, Cato commented. Hey, its not my fault! Ronald claimed. I was half asleep after that game, thats how boring it was. And, this one wasnt any better, to be honest. He yawned to support his case. If thats the case, Rodriguez started. Maybe I should prepare a bucket with cold water? Wow, wow, wow! Ronald waved his hands. Everything is A-Okay, coach! I was a little sleepy a moment ago, but now Im 100% awake! Thats good to hear. Rodriguez nodded. Anyway, as much it pains me to hear, it seems my previous criticism went in one ear and out of the other. Apologizes, sir! Ronald saluted. Im all ears, sir! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The bucket of cold water was no empty threat. Rodriguez did that once before during the previous scrimmage. It came as a shock to everybody, but especially to the victim of the entire thing - Ronald himself! Brrr! Just remembering that gives me the jibbers. Ronald shuddered. And, just getting splashed is still one thing. After that, I also had to wipe the place clean. Im not going through that again, no thank you! He learned a hard lesson that day. If somebody ever dared to imply they were bored to the point of falling asleep - they gonna get the bucket. No ifs or buts. Im listening! Ronald repeated to stress just how awake and attentive he was. Good. Rodriguez nodded. So, as I said, I have no problem with you and Will turning the game into a race to keep yourselves entertained. But, thats no excuse for letting your guard down. You know what Im referring to, right? Yes, sir! Ronald answered. Its about that one random fluke that happened during the game, isnt it. Oh? Was it just a fluke? Totally a fluke, sir! I was just minding my business chasing a kill, and then that dang Jungler showed out of nowhere! Darn that guy! Nobody ever shows out of nowhere. When you fail to anticipate a gank, it means your map awareness wasnt good enough. Or, that you were distracted by something else, which I believe was the case this time. Yeah... By the way, Cato interjected. Id like to add that I warned him about the risk on both occasions, both this game and last game. But, he chose to ignore both warnings. Oh cmon, man! Ronald exclaimed. Are you really throwing me under the bus!? Its what you deserve. Cato scoffed. Next time, maybe you should try not staining the teams score with your stupidity. It makes me look like an incompetent leader here. I understand. Rodriguez nodded at Catos words. Contrary to how it looked, this wasnt just Cato throwing shade at a fellow teammate to make himself look better. No, it was about sending a message. That comment was Catos passive-aggressive way to express his dissatisfaction with Ronalds presence on the team. I also agree that the boy needs more sharpening before hes ready. Rodriguez thought. And, thats exactly why Ive put him on the team this early. Ronald was an impressive player in certain situations, but he also severely lacked at other times. Therefore, for Cato, who prioritized consistency and stability above all else, it was only natural to find Ronalds rollercoaster performance to be unattractive. Theyre like oil and water. Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. Itll be interesting to see how they affect each other as they keep playing together. They both have something to learn from each other. That agenda aside, it was important to teach Ronald a lesson here. In both scrimmages, the kid showed signs of losing concentration in the middle of the match. Hed develop into an unreliable player at this rate unless something is done. Easy matches like these were one of his greatest weaknesses, and thats precisely why it was best for him to experience them as much as possible. After all, it was of outmost importance to never lose ones focus during competitive games, no matter how weak the enemy was or how easy the game felt. Ill be switching out most of you for the next two games, Rodriguez announced. This was par for the course when the team scored 3-0 so convincingly. There was no point in pounding a weaker opponent any further. Instead, it was best to give the enemy team a chance to actually win something today. Crushing their spirits was the last thing Rodriguez desired. Unrooting young potential before it had the chance to bloom was borderline criminal. Which was why, even though he permitted Ronald and William to go on a merciless killing spree, he was no fan of that bratty behavior. The brothers just wanted to satisfy their egos and alleviate their boredom, that much was understandable. Nonetheless, their overwhelming performance had a chance to permanently scar their opponents. Unfortunately, they were probably too young to think about things like that. Then again, Im not a saint here either. Rodriguez thought. Only a part of this decision is out of considerations for the other team. Theres mutual benefit to be found here. The goal was to help flourish as much young talent as possible. That applied to the other teams players as much as it applied to the Leopards club members themselves. There were many dedicated players in the club who didnt get into the first-string just because somebody else from the club was a little better. Nonetheless, these hardworking kids definitely deserved to experience the competitive scene, so the easier scrimmages were a great opportunity to do so. Hopefully, the enemy team would also learn something valuable in the process by getting a fairer fight. Thats why Rodriguez always did his best to match the level of the sub-team to the enemys level. This way, both sides benefited from a balanced exchange of experience. But, thats easier said than done. Rodriguez thought. The first few games usually take quite the toll on the other team. Far too often, the enemy team would lose most of its fighting spirit after confronting the Leopards powerful first-string. The gap in skill was sometimes too much to process. And, the blow was usually far worse when the Leopards scored an unfathomable amount of kills. The Apples were one of the weaker teams in the region, so they probably had many players who werent mentally prepared for such a one-sided fight. Therefore, suffering such a devastating defeat time after time was bound to drain their fighting spirit. I hope Im wrong about this. Rodriguez knotted his brows. No matter how much I adjust the teams balance with substitutes, it wont do any good if the opponent has no willpower left. Aside from Ronald, William was also largely responsible for creating this situation. In fact, he was arguably the bigger culprit here, as he had authority over the younger brother. If there was one person Ronald listened to, it was William. The older brothers word was gods word. William had all the necessary resources for stopping the killing race from happening, and Rodriguez even asked him to focus more on defense for the third game. And yet, William still enacted the killing race. The worst part is that I dont have anything to criticize him for. Unlike Ron, Will didnt lower his guard while he was busy chasing kills. His performance was near perfect. In that sense, the older brother was actually a much bigger troublemaker, as odd as it sounded. The younger one was a brat, but at least he committed mistakes and that made it easy to lecture him. Meanwhile, William was a brat at heart but he carried himself in a mature manner and didnt commit as many mistakes, There wasnt anything easy to criticize him about. Hes out in the next game, thats for sure. Rodriguez thought. I Just hope he didnt inflict irreversible damage to the Apples. Thatd be no good. Without any fighting spirit, the Apples wont pose any challenge for the Leopards today, not even to the subs. As a result, neither side will gain much experience today. Itll be very sad, especially for the Apples who could learn a lot today under fairer circumstances. Im not paid to do it, but I want to raise the entire regions skill level. That was Rodriguezs agenda. The school only paid him for creating champions but that goal was too narrow-minded. These are kids. They absorb new experiences like a sponge. Rodriguez thought. Anything they pick up during these tender years will shape them up as they grow. Especially, the games they play on stage might single-handedly determine whether decide to go pro or not. As such, it was critical to not pound the Apples any further. For the next two games, they needed fairer competition. It meant that some of the Leopards first-string members had to sub out, as they were far too strong to provide any fairness here. However, subbing everybody out was too drastic of a move. Therefore, some of them will have to remain on the team for now. In particular, one troublemaker will have to stick around until the very end. "Ronald, you''ll keep playing for the next two games. "Really!?" Ronald grinned. "Heck yeah! Man, I was sure I''ll get booted right away like last time, haha." "I wouldn''t be celebrating in your place," Rodriguez said. "The reason I''m keeping you in is that your performance was lackluster." "Say what!? But, I got so many kills!" "And, you also died. Twice." Rodriguez stressed. "As you said, the Apples are not on the same level as you. Therefore, I believe it''s reasonable to expect a game with near-zero mistakes. And, most of you lived up to that expectation, save for you." "Geh." Ronald made a face. "Yeah okay, I guess I messed up a little more than the others. But hey, at least I get to play more games! Yay me." "You better not take these games lightly," Rodriguez warned. "My expectations are still in place. I expect everybody on the first-string to be able to avoid deaths against opponents of this level. "Wait, you want me to have zero deaths in the next two games too!?" "Yes. Rodriguez nodded. Of course, it''ll be quite harder to achieve than before because your team will be filled with substitutes. I wont hold it against you if you die due to your teammates mistakes. Phew. Ronald sighed in relief. Nonetheless, youre currently part of the first-string. Therefore, I expect you to play as flawlessly as possible. So, please dont think you can die whenever you feel like it and then pass the blame to your teammates. Ill be closely monitoring everything you do. Geh. Strict. "Also, keep in mind that your spot on the first-string depends on your performance. If you can''t live up to expectations, Ill have to choose another player to fill your spot." "Whoa, the pressure is real now..." Ronald gulped. "There are many seniors who''d gladly take your spot. Not to mention, it''s very rare for a junior to join the first-string in the first place. You have to realize I''m making a big exception here because I have faith in your ability. Please dont betray that faith" "Yes, sir!" Ronald saluted. "Ill do it! No problem! Two games, zero deaths! Easy!" "Good." Rodriguez nodded and turned to the others. "Matt, Sonya. Id like one of you to stay on the team as a safeguard, just like we did in the previous scrimmage. What a drag... Matthew sighed. Im fully aware that youre above these opponents, but we need at least one experienced senior to keep the team in check. Youll be the acting captain of this sub-team. I volunteered to do it last time. Sonya touched her glasses. Honestly, I cannot say it was a very fruitful experience. I didnt learn anything new there. My, what a tough crowd~ Cato commented. In that case, I can take on the role. He wore an innocent smile to mask the devilish intentions hiding underneath. "No you dont, young man," Rodriguez stated. There was no room for argument about this one. "My, that''s too bad." Cato shrugged in protest but he didn''t pursue the topic any further. He was a smart boy, so he understood why Rodriguez couldn''t allow it. Hes not an aggressive player like Will, so its not like Im worried about the sub-team bullying the Apples with lots of kills. Rodriguez thought. But, hell bully them in other ways. In fact, hes the one who is most likely to mentally break them if he stays in. Cato was the worst person to leave on the team in this situation. His playstyle had a natural affinity for bullying those weaker than him. The Apples might not realize that right away, but despair and frustration will surely kick in eventually. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise that William and Ronald were rogues who sometimes ignored Catos shot-calls. Their killing race was quite disrespectful and overwhelming, but not nearly as mentally scarring as the things Cato had in store. Either way, with Cato off the table, it left Matthew and Sonya as the only viable options. Rodriguez could nominate either of them himself, but he preferred letting the kid decide among themselves. Fine, Ill do it. Matthew caved in. Sonya did it last time, so Ill do it this time. Thanks, Sonya said. And so, the sub-team was formed. Rodriguez replaced three of the five players with less experienced members. That was supposed to even the odds and give the Apples a real chance. Alas, it was too late. The Apples fighting spirits were in shambles after the first three games. The neverending one-sided kills did a number on them. At this point, it was unclear whether they were still even trying to win. Thus, even with three less experienced players on the team, the games nonetheless resulted in a one-sided massacre. Truly unfortunate. In the end, the scrimmage ended as a predictable 5-0 victory. With that, the Leopards finished their second scrimmage in a row with a perfect score. Their next opponents will be none other than Stratus. Normally, that would be another guaranteed 5-0. However, with Chessmaster and Gunz on the team this year, the upcoming match was shaping up to be an interesting one... Vol.13 Ch.3: The Leopards Strategy Meeting One day after the scrimmage with the Apples, the Leopards already met up to discuss their next opponents. There was no rest for the champions. Such was the packed schedule Rodriguez prepared for them. It almost felt like a world tour, with a match scheduled every other week. "Alright, so everybody is here." Cato nodded in satisfaction. "Isn''t the ''Emperor'' missing?" William asked. "He''ll not be attending." "Is that so." William frowned. "That''s a first. Usually, he at least attends the meetings." "He promised to look over the data later and read the summary." "Yo!" Ronald raised a hand. "Where do I sign up for that deal?" My, my. Is that the right attitude for a captain-wannabe? Cato criticized. I have the feeling the Leopards will struggle HARD next year. Meh. Ronald made a face. Ill handle these meetings way better once Im the captain. Yours put me to sleep half the time. Well, Im very sorry about that. Cato glared at the brat, and the brat glared back at him. They were at odds about anything and everything, as usual. Anyway, Cato moved on. I trust the Emperor to go over the details once hes free. You all know how serious he is about these things. Thats one of the few things I can appreciate about that rascal. Fair enough, William agreed with that sentiment. The others shared a similar sentiment. Emperor was the nickname Ronald coined for the teams sixth phantom player. Though, technically speaking, it was more accurate to say that the Emperor was the fifth player while Ronald was his temporary sub. But, in practice, Ronald was scheduled to play in most of the teams scrimmages this year. The Emperor will only make an appearance when he deemed it absolutely necessary. It was a peculiar arrangement, but everybody had no choice but to accept it. In fact, most of them preferred it when the Emperor was away. Between Ronald and the Emperor, even Cato wasnt sure which troublemaker hed rather have on the team. What is that dude up to, anyway? Ronald asked. He has a practice match today against pros, Cato explained. With pros? William frowned. A team from the region? Yeah, the Sweepers. It was a well-known name around these parts. It even made a certain smartphone addict unglue his eyes from his precious phone for a moment. Oh. Matthew raised his head. It was only natural for him to be curious. After all, the Sweepers was Esmeraldas team. Its an odd arrangement, Cato said. From what Coach told me, StormBlitz has a practice match against the Sweepers today. And, our Emperor will be taking a part in that. StormBlitz is practicing with the Sweepers? William frowned further. Yep, thats a thing, apparently, Cato said. Not the most legal arrangement, Im sure. You remember Aegis from StormBlitz, right? Ignis from the Sweepers is his older sister, so they get special opportunities like that. An awesome deal, I gotta say. It sure is. William grumped. Hed also rather spend his time practicing against pros instead of playing Ranked or preparing for these boring middle school matches. From the two scrimmages so far, it was clear that most of the region was nowhere near the Leopards level. Fighting these guys was a waste of time. It was always one-sided stomping that didnt benefit either side. My, is somebody jealous~? Cato smiled impishly. A little, I suppose. William didnt deny it. Id gladly trade Ron away to get a brother on a pro team who can arrange games for me. Say what!? Ronald jumped. Bro, thats just plain cruel! You gonna forsaken me just like that!? Maybe. I cant believe it sob. Oh, no! You broke his fragile little heart! Cato pretended to care. Anyway, this is whats happening today. I get the jealousy, I really do. Its a huge privilege to be able to face off against pros. But, then again, we also get the same deals, dont we? Fair enough. William nodded. Thanks to Rodriguezs connections, the Leopards also got to experience a handful of practice matches against C-League and B-League pros. They stopped doing that recently in order to concentrate on the upcoming scrimmages, but they definitely gained lots of experiences from these difficult fights. "So," Ronald started. "Lemme get this straight, the Emperor gets to skip this entire meeting in order to play with pros? Dang freakin lucky! How do I sign up for that deal? By getting three 10/10 scores on my player ranking list, for starters, Sonya commented. Dang, thats harsh! Ronald held his head. How far am I, again? Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Quite far, Id say. Gaaaaah! Ronalds head dropped for a moment, then jumped right up. But, Imma get there, mark my words! Sure. Everybody expressed it in different ways, but all of them were rather unsatisfied with this arrangement. It was always the Emperor who got special treatment on topics like this. "All in all," William started. "I say its a good thing. The pros will trash him hard enough to kick him off the high horse." "My, quite harsh, aren''t we?" Cato smiled innocently even though he was of the same mind. In fact, it wasn''t just Cato and William. Pretty much everybody in the room thought the exact same thing. The only exception was Matthew, who already returned to his phone games and refused to spare a single nanosecond of his attention on this trite topic. "Anyway." Cato clapped once to get everybody''s attention. "The Emperor went to do what the Emperor needs to do, thats not todays topic. We''ve gathered here to discuss Stratus, so let''s get started. I trust you all watched the replays?" "Yep," Ronald replied. "That was some unexpected clown fiesta." "Its definitely not what I expected to see in this match." William nodded. It defied many expectations, yes. Sonya agreed as she pushed her glasses Mhm. Matthew merely nodded in affirmation, with his eyes still glued to his phone. Even as the meeting started, he was still absorbed in his games. But, I know he''s listening. Cato performed attention checks from time to time and Matthew always passed them with flying colors. The guy was a multi-tasking machine. So, Cato continued. I assume that means you also watched the replays from last year''s scrimmage. Chessmaster and Gunz played on StormBlitzs second-string there, as unexpected as it is. "They sure pulled a number on Jenny''s team last year." Ronald laughed. "It was a close match," Sonya objected. "Jennifer did a good job leading the team. They only lost because Alex didnt bother to try." Yes, Jennifer played well overall, Cato agreed. But, she wasnt perfect. For one, her combo playstyle was a big drawback. I agree, I suppose. Sonya bit her lip. That scrimmage made me discover a couple of flaws with the game theory I provided her, so part of the responsibility lies with me. My, always so quick to defend your girlfriend~ "Ugh." Sonya pressed the thick-framed glasses up her nose. "Are you picking a fight?" I would never. Cato pretended to be shocked at the mere prospect of somebody suggesting he was picking a fight, even though in actuality he did that on an hourly basis. "History aside, Cato continued. It''s clear that Chess & Gunz are two opponents we have to be conscious of. It''s also worth mentioning they were just freshmen last year, yet they were good enough to compete against some of our best seniors." "Man," Ronald said. "Can''t believe Jenny was mopped by some greenhorns." "Nobody wasn''t mopped." Sonya gave him the evil eye. "It was a close match." "Anyway," Cato continued. With players like Chess & Gunz on board, even a team like Stratus can become a threat." "C''mon, you''re exaggerating." Ronald waved his hand. "They seem alright, but they''re no match for us. Am I right, bro?" "I hope they''ll serve as a good warm-up practice, at least," William said evenly. "The last two scrims were complete disappointments, so Im not expecting much." "Yeah, I feel ya." Ronald nodded. "But hey, Gunz sounds like a fun opponent. Let''s see who gets to kill him first!" "You''re on." The killing machines have already decided on a new killing race before the scrimmage even began. As always, they didn''t have a shred of doubt regarding their victory. "My, I''m glad you''re so pumped for the scrim," Cato said. "With that said, well be leaving the topic Chess & Gunz to the end of the meeting. Lets discuss the rest of their team first. Whaaaaaat? Ronald exclaimed. Cmon, man. Theyre the only ones that matter, right? The rest are just scrubs. The fact you say that is the very reason Im leaving the big fish to the end. If we cover them first, itll give you an excuse to stop paying attention for the rest of the meeting. Nah, I would never. Ronald smiled innocently and shifted his eyes away. It was clear this rascal was only interested in talking about Chessmaster and Gunz. He didnt register anybody else because they didnt have a shiny title like The guys who defeated Jeniffers team. Anyway, lets get started. Sonya, if you will." "Right." Sonya gave one final glance to the summary paper in her hand, then turned to the audience. "As usual, there are printouts that go along with the presentation. Flip through them as the presentation goes on. "Geh." Ronald flipped through a couple of pages from the huge stack before giving up. "Just give us the presentation, man." "On it," Cato informed. He tinkered with the projector''s settings until the image showed up just right. "Nice!" Ronald pumped a fist. "The presentation is the only thing that matters, to be honest. Do we also have some videos to go along with it? Yes, Cato said. The Filmmaking Club didnt have the time to finish all our requests, but we already received most of the videos. As always, they have great quality. Hell yeah! Now that''s what I''m talking about. Nobody got time to read all this stuff. Just show us a presentation and some videos. Thats the good stuff." "The printouts are mostly for reference anyway," Sonya pointed out. "Well, I''m not reading any of that." Ronald shrugged. "Just hit me with that PowerPoint and some nice videos, that''s all I need in life. It''s way easier on the eyes than this Bible you printed here." "I hope youre aware that this Bible I printed actually has the notes I used for making the presentation. This presentation couldnt possibly exist without the notes." Well, good job adapting that boring stuff into a way better format! Ronald gave a thumbs up. Is he making fun of me? Sonya pushed her glasses. "Don''t pay too much attention to that idiot," Cato whispered. "He says whatever comes to mind." "That''s true." Sonya sighed. Still, it''d be nicer if he praised me for my hard work instead of calling it boring. The presentation is more like a summary of what I did. The notes are the main part Ive spent many hours writing and revising. Oh well. "You did a great job putting all these notes together!" Cato showed her with praise out of the blue as if he read her mind. "You''re doing outstanding work as my secretary." "Who are you calling a secretary?" Sonya made a face. "It''s a prestigious position, you know? Youre the right hand of the man who''ll one day rule the world. Its a great honor." "Sounds like I''m the right hand of a kid with childish dreams." "BUUUURN!" Ronald laughed out loud. "Man, she just TRAMPLED all over your sorry ass." "Oh, didnt you know?" Cato smiled impishly. "This is how our dear Sonya shows her affection toward others~" These two tire me out. Sonya sighed in defeat. What was the thing that annoyed her a moment ago? She already forgot. Cato''s nonsense washed all of it away. As the chit-chat died out, it was time to discuss the actual topic at hand: their next opponent, Stratus. Vol.13 Ch.4: Deconstructing Blackhole & Memer "First, InformationBlackhole," Sonya started. Alright. Cato clicked once, advancing the presentation by one slide. The summary of InformationBlackholes profile appeared on the projected screen. It listed the main roles he played and his stats. Roles: Top, SupportClass Variety: High Mechanical Skill: 5/10Decision-making: 8/10Game Knowledge: 8/10 Playstyle: Adapts to the opponent. Can play offense or defense on demand but doesnt specialize in either. All in all, he comes across as a rather standard theory player, Sonya concluded. His mechanical skill is average at best but his decision-making and game knowledge make up for it. Man, Ronald started. I cant for the life of me figure how you rate peoples game knowledge without knowing them in person. Its the least reliable stat, I concede that much. I mostly infer it from the players class variety and from their builds. If they know how to play many classes and they know how to build them in different ways to suit the situation, it implies they have extensive game knowledge. Makes sense, I guess. Still sounds a little dodgy, though. There are other indicators as well, such as taking advantage of certain niche interactions. If they do that often, it means theyre the type to research things, which naturally implies they have robust game knowledge. Hmm. Makes sense, I guess. If youre questioning game knowledge, Cato said. Then you might as well question decision-making too. After all, you cant know for sure which decisions the player is responsible for. Maybe theyre actually dumb as a brick and the shot-caller is making all the calls for them. Hmm. Yeah, thats kinda sus too. Ronald nodded. Are you two done throwing dirt at my analysis? Sonya made a face. Im not throwing dirt at anybody, just asking, Ronald said. Im sure you did your research and all, you always do. Im just trying to assess how seriously I should be taking these stats. Theyre just a rough summary of the players ability based on the game footage. Youre free to draw your own conclusion after we discuss his plays in more detail. Gotcha. But really, I think we should remove these vague categories and stick with just mechanical skill. I mean, everybody knows what mechanical skill stands for, right? Basically, how good you are at kicking ass. Straightforward and to the point. I have the distinct feeling youre trying to shoot up the rankings with this ploy. Heh, maybe. Ronald rolled his eyes. This wasnt the first time he expressed protest toward the two vague stats. The reasons for it were pretty clear. Sorry, but the stats are saying, Sonya stated. If youre unsatisfied with your scores, then you better spend your energy on improving them, not on bitching about them. Dang, what a burn. Ronald smiled wryly. The girl swatted yet another one of his attempts to climb up the ranks. Oh well. One day, hell overcome that hurdle for sure! Back on topic, Sonya continued. As I said, Blackhole is a player who relies mostly on game theory. His game plan seems to consist of adapting to whatever is thrown at him by his opponent. He balances offense and defense as needed, but neither side left a last impression. They went over compilation video the Filmmaking Club prepared at Sonyas request. The video focused on the strong and weak sides of Blackholes plays. Namely, his strong ability to switch gears and adapt to his opponent on demand. But, it also depicted his weak performance in fights against DragonMaster, a player who was just a little above average in terms of mechanical skill. Honestly, William said. He looks like a weak link in their team. Everybody else achieved at least a thing or two against Taurus, but this guy just was there. He didnt do anything notable. Yeah, hes free as heck, Ronald agreed. I gonna kill him at least 10 times in Top. You probably wont, Cato said matter-of-factly. Wut? Ronald raised an eyebrow. You think this dude can match me? No, he cant. Youll probably overpower him easily, but I doubt youll actually get many kills on him, if at all. Whys that? As Sonya explained, hes an adaptive player. Once he recognizes the difference in power between you, Im sure hell shift to defense. So, dont expect to catch him overextending or anything easy like that. So, he gonna turtle. Ronald pouted. Well, thats no problem either. Bro gonna help me with some ganks if that happens, right? Sure, William said. But, Ill be taking the kill too. Over my dead body! I gonna let you gank as much as you want, but youre not taking these kills! Oh, so you permit me to gank your lane under condition? How kind of you, your majesty. William sneered. Ill be ganking your lane whenever I feel like it, and Ill be taking all the kills. Heh, its a race then! Ronald grinned. Ill make sure to pick the best class for stealing kills. Sure, go for it. Lets see how well that works for you. A discussion about InformationBlackhole somehow turned into a talk about scoring kills. Leave it to the serial killers to make everything into a killing competition. They didnt even have Blackhole in their sights. They thought of him as nothing more than fodder for boosting their KDA. The question wasnt Can we defeat him? but rather How many times we gonna kill him? The confidence was through the roof. "Moving on," Sonya said. "Next is... this guy. LegendaryMemer." Roles: JunglerClass Variety: ??? Mechanical Skill: 8/10Decision-making: 8/10Game Knowledge: ???/10 Playstyle: Has decent skill but plays meme.. Like before, a player profile appeared in front of them. Though, this one was missing a few of the details. What are these question marks Im seeing? Ronald asked. Its hard for me to estimate his game knowledge and class variety with the information I have at hand. If it were up to me, Id peg him as a 1/10 on game knowledge. But, I know thatd be a very biased score. Dang, 1/10? What do you even have to do to fall so low? To be a total idiot, basically. And, thats exactly what Memer is. Maybe I should have written it down as Idiot/10. That summarizes his entire profile quite nicely. "My, such a harsh evaluation," Cato said. "I didn''t think the guy was that bad. His stats actually look pretty decent too." "As an individual player existing in a vacuum, Memer really isnt that bad. But, his class picks were atrocious." "That''s whats so cool about it!" Ronald exclaimed. "My guy picked terrible classes for juggling but he still kinda made them work! Emphasis on kinda. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Yeah yeah, he wasnt perfect, nobody is. But, he still performed hella fine. Dude deserves a medal, for real." "A gold medal for idiocy, yes. "Daaaamn, Sonya is burning people left and right today." Ronald laughed. "I just hate things that are clearly stupid, that''s all." A fitting response for somebody who named herself TheTheorist. Cato thought to himself. For somebody who valued game theory above all else, memers were the bane of Sonyas existence. They were foolish creatures who had all the required information for picking the right classes, yet they chose the weak and unconventional, hampering their own performance in the process. That''s probably how Sonya sees it. Cato reasoned. I agree with her for the most part, but I wouldn''t go so far as calling Memer an idiot. After all, if I start calling unconventional tactics "stupid", then Ill end up pegging myself as one of the greatest fools around~ Unexpectedly, there was another member here who shared a similar sentiment. Cato and Ronald were usually at odds about every single topic in existence, but in this case, they saw eye to eye. At least, to some degree. "I dunno," Ronald said. "I got nothing but mad respect for the guy. He picked these low tier classes but still performed pretty dang well." "I''ll concede on that point," Sonya said. "Despite picking terrible classes for jungling, Memer handled himself surprisingly well. He almost made the classes look viable against mediocre opponents." "Bruh be trying to revolutionize the scene, I feel it." "It could be a trap as well," Sonya pointed out. "Given that Memer is decently skilled in both mechanical skill and decision-making, it would make sense if they didnt want to expose his full strength. "My, are you saying they pulled a fast one on us?" Cato asked. "That the memer only pretends to be a memer to conceal his real strength?" "It''s a possibility, isnt it?" Sonya said. "At the very least, I rather believe that than accept that somebody at his level would choose to play memes." The extra evidence from last year speaks against you, though. Thats true, I suppose. Sonya conceded on that point and showed the video in question. We didnt want to bore you with this sorry excuse of a match, so I didnt ask you to watch this one as homework. But, Memer actually played in one scrimmage last year. Whoa! The twists! Ronald exclaimed. How did my guy do there? Awful, as youd expect from a memer. Sonya briefly summarized that old game, though there wasnt much to summarize in the first place. In a nutshell, it was a clown fiesta. Stratus had a scrimmage against the Tycoons last year and LegendaryMemer subbed in for it. The reason was unknown, but its likely that the fifth member of the first-string was absent that day and Memer was the best sub they had. Thats sad if true, Sonya commented. To think that a memer was the only thing they could rely on in that situation. I wouldve probably quit in their stead. My, so harsh. Cato shook his head. And, thats despite the fact he was the best player on their team. He was!? Ronald jumped. Show us already! Im telling you, bruh is sick! Being a little better than a bunch of incompetent fools hardly warrants any praise, Sonya said. Anyway, this match is a pitiful sight and there isnt much to learn from it. But, as I always say, the more data, the better. I compiled a quick rundown of Memers most notable plays. And so, the clown fiesta began. Memer played a bunch of memes that year as well. He was in the Jungler role like this year, and he picked every class that was NOT meant to be a Jungler, not even close. Knight, Cryomancer, and Pyromancer. Watching these picks had the power to make people lose brain cells, thats how dumb it was. However, to his defense, Memer also picked Rogue twice in that scrimmage. It was a meme-level class at the moment, but at least it was intentionally designed for jungling. Though, ultimately, it underperformed in that role. As sad as it is, Sonya said. Cato is right about one thing: Memer was pretty much the best player on that sorry excuse of a team. As I said, being a little better than absolute trash hardly deserves any compliments, but at least it points toward a certain conclusion. Anybody cares to guess what it is? That this dude is the real thing! Ronald yelled like a fanboy. He got the balls to bring memes on stage and make them work! Mad respect. ... yes, youre largely on point, Sonya said through her teeth. This match from last year further reinforces the notion that Memer is, as his name implies, really a memer. Yep, he sure is! Dang, thats so cool. So, Sonya continued. Even though I rated his skill and decision-making as 8/10, in practice he turns both into 1/10 due to his terrible class picks. And, his game knowledge is somewhere around -1000 out of 10. Such unwarranted harshness. Cato shook his head. I understand that you dislike the idea of memeing, but you should keep your personal feelings out of this analysis. My feelings? Sonya tilted her head. I didnt express any feelings on the matter. These were all straight facts, nothing more. Sure, sure. Cato smiled meaningfully. In conclusion, Memer is a memer, and he actually performs quite adequately for one. Its clear he put lots of time and effort into mastering his memes. I cant believe people waste their time on pointless stuff like that... Says the one who worked overtime to supply Jenny with ideas for improving her Combo playstyle. Thats... different. Sonya chewed her lips. I know that Combo is off-meta, but its definitely not a meme. There are pros who put it to great use, like DimensionShift. Ah yes, the guy who only uses Combo in like 5% of his games, yet somehow became the face of the entire playstyle. Curious. He uses it in the right place at the right time, Sonya explained. Thats how Combo should be used. Its a niche playstyle that can bring amazing results in certain situations. But, Ronald started. Didnt Jenny use it, like, all the time? ... yes, she did. Sonya sighed. Ive told her many times she should only use Combo in certain situations, but she insisted to make it an all-purpose playstyle. I tried to help her as much as possible with that experiment, but I definitely wasnt a big fan of the idea. Well, then lets pretend Memer is like Jenny, Cato suggested. Except, instead of Combo, this guy is trying to make memes viable. Absolutely disgusting. Ahaha, theres no changing this girls mind, is there? Memes are the devil, plain and simple. And thats an objective take? Yes, 100% facts. Sure, sure. They moved on to analyze some of Memers plays from this year. As previously established, the guy was a memer but one who performed quite adequately. A score of 8/10 for both mechanical skill and decision-making was nothing to sneeze at. I wonder what kind of mental gymnastics Sonya had to do to convince herself to honestly rate the guys skill like that~ Cato smiled to himself. No matter how much the girl loathed the idea of memeing on the competitive scene, she had no choice but to admit that the guys performance was solid against Taurus. His mechanical skill was rather high and his decisions as a Jungler were on point. Though, I wonder how many of these decisions were actually his. Cato glanced at one of the players on the screen, the supposed shot-caller of the enemy team - Chessmaster. Many of Memers plays feel like something HE would go for. Interesting, interesting~ Memer or not, Cato said. Make sure to exercise caution. He might be memeing right now, but nothing stops him from picking up meta classes later on. Jenny did exactly that after getting trash last year. Nobody was trashed, Sonya declared once more but it fell on deaf ears. Either way," William said. "Im sure that playing against us will make Memer realize how dumb hes being by sticking with memes. I dont have anything against memeing, but there is a time and a place for experimental stuff, and the competitive scene isnt it. "Haha, dang." Ronald chuckled. "Everybody be roasting my guy. He''s actually my second favorite dude from that team, you know? Other than him and Gunz, the others are kinda whatever." After everybody dropped their two or three cents on the topic, they moved on to watch Memers ganking techniques. "He seems to prefer playing as a Setup Jungler," Sonya explained. "He did play Pyromancer in the first game and he also played it last year, but even then he heavily relied on cooperation. It doesnt seem like hes keen on the idea of ganking lanes by himself. "He probably doesn''t have much choice," Cato said. "If youre memeing as a Jungler but youre also seriously trying to win, then youd most likely go for a Setup Jungler. The guy understands that much and I respect that." I cant believe I just heard the word meme in one sentence with win. These two dont mesh together. Youd think so, but Stratus just proved the opposite, didnt they? They didnt win thanks to the meme picks, thats for sure, Sonya asserted. If anything, it only made their performance look clunkier than it really was. Im sure they would have won far more convincingly if Memer wasnt an actual memer. It still puzzles me why they subbed him in over VanishingFlower. Circumstances, probably. Cato shrugged. We can leave the guessing games for later. Right now, were still talking about Memer here. Right. Sonya nodded. Reasons aside, hes definitely leaning toward being a Setup Jungler. Memer or not, we need to be cautious when he teams up with others. On the other hand, if hes coming toward you all by himself, then hes usually not much of a threat. We might even be able to ignore solo ganks from him under certain circumstances. "Hmph. Weak." William scoffed. "If you''re a Jungler, you have to be able to go for kills. Otherwise, youre just a roaming Support." "True," Cato agreed. As a player whose two main roles were Jungler and Support, Cato completely agreed with that analogy. The way Memer played resembled the role of a mid-game Support, whose primary job was to travel all around the map and set up kills for his allies. It was viable to play Jungler that way but it was suboptimal. A good Jungler should know how to set up kills AND how to score them by himself if needed. It was a dynamic role that demanded the player to constantly adapt to the situation at hand. Thats what made it so rewarding to play. In conclusion, LegendaryMemer was a Setup Jungler who picked meme classes for personal fun. Not exactly the most impressive resume. The guy was reasonably skilled so he''d definitely be a threat if he played any meta classes. But, as it stood, he was a secondary threat at best. They watched a few more clips featuring LegendaryMemer, then moved on to the next subject. It was perhaps the weirdest and most mysterious player of them all - VanishingFlower. Vol.13 Ch.5: Countermeasures Against VanishingFlower "Next up is another oddball," Sonya said. "VanishingFlower. She appears to be the team''s main Jungler, with Memer being the sub." "Vanishing who?" Ronald scratched his head. "Oh, yeah. That Jungler they had at the beginning, right? Totally forgot about her, haha." "She didn''t leave much of an impression on me either," William said. "It''s a peculiar thing, isn''t it?" Cato smiled meaningfully. "This girl played more games than Memer did and she was in the games in which Stratus actually won. And yet, somehow, it''s easy to forget about her, isn''t it?" "Is it, really?" Sonya blinked. "I remember her. If anything, there a few plays she made that I cant forget even if I tried to." "I also remember her, of course," Cato said. "But, I admit I caught myself forgetting about her multiple times when analyzing the replays. She''s a sneaky one. If you don''t keep her in mind all the time, she''ll slip away." "Is that how it works?" Sonya pushed her glasses. Honestly, she didn''t relate to any of this. The two of them discussed this topic before today''s meeting, but it sounded as bogus as it did back then. "If you can forget about a whole enemy player, then your map awareness isn''t up to par." "I agree," Cato said. "It''s a crucial point against Vanishing. As her name implies, she''s going to vanish on you if you don''t keep your eyes on her." "Dang," Ronald said. "Sounds like a ghost, haha." "She might as well be," Cato admitted. "My map awareness is airtight, if I say so myself. But, even I caught myself losing track of her. As a chess player, that''s quite embarrassing. It''s like forgetting that a certain enemy piece is on the board. That usually leads to the biggest blunder." "Haha, maybe you just suck at chess then." Ronald stuck out his tongue. "Do you want a first-to-ten against me? I''ll let you win the entire set if you beat me just once." "Haha, no thanks. I don''t play that boring stuff. It''s a game for old men." "My, my, my. A victim of the common misconceptions, as usual." Cato shook his head in disappointment. "Anyway, from what Sonya and I gathered, it''s crucial to be vigilant when Vanishing is in the game. If this girl slips out of your mind even once, you might forget all about her until she appears behind you and stabs your back." "Hmm. Odd," Ronald said. "If she''s that forgettable, doesnt it mean shes not doing much the entire game?" "That''s the peculiar part," Cato said. "It''s not like she doesn''t have any achievements under her belt. In fact, she seems rather capable if we go over her plays." He navigated to the next slide in the presentation. "May I?" Sonya stood up from her chair. "What''s wrong?" "I''d like to cover this part of the presentation." Sonya''s eyes conveyed unyielding determination. It almost felt as if lecturing about VanishingFlower was the very purpose she was born for. "Sure, you do you." Cato handed over the controller without any objections. Okay, break time. He sat down and let Sonya take the stage. "A-Alright then." Sonya cleared her throat. She was a little fidgety now that she was standing in front of the audience. "S-So, VanishingFlower..." Sonya stumbled over her words a little but gradually got the hang of it. She started by bringing up Vanishings stats to buy herself some time to compose herself. Roles: JunglerClass Variety: Low(?) Mechanical Skill: 8/10Decision-making: 3/10Game Knowledge: 5/10 Playstyle: Plays assassins and sneaks up to her opponents. Follows farming flowcharts. After everybody got a couple of seconds to process the information, Sonya spoke up again. "Vanishing seems to stick with assassin classes. She might be able to play bruisers too, but she hasn''t picked any in the three games she played." "Also," Cato added. It looks like she likes stealth in general. "Oh, r-right." Sonya almost forgot that part in her nervousness. She quickly scanned the paper in her hand to make sure she wasn''t forgetting anything else. "Ninja and Drow, that''s the two classes she played." "She picked Drow right after Ninja was banned," Cato added. "It''d be great to have a third example to go by, but I think theres already strong evidence to suggest she''s into stealth classes. Her playstyle further reinforces that impression." "Right." Sonya nodded. "Her game plan is like a textbook example of an assassin, though it struck me as an amateurish one at that. For the most part, she stays in the jungle for long periods of time and follows farming flowcharts to a T. Wait, Ronald said. How is that amateurish? Sounds like shes following the good ol meta. I argue she follows it too much, almost blindly at times." First, Sonya presented clips in which Vanishing followed standard farming routines. So far, so good. Based on this footage, Vanishing came across as a knowledgeable Jungler who studied the meta. However, next came the incriminating evidence. It exposed Vanishing for the flowcharter she really was. There were scenarios in which Vanishing had the opportunity to counter-jungle after killing an enemy, yet she chose not to. Similarly, she had opportunities to alter her rotations ever so slightly to apply pressure on one of the lanes for free, without losing on any farm in the process. Alas, she skipped on all these optimizations like a clueless fool. With that said, some of these were advanced scenarios. Out of the entire audience, probably only Cato and William fully understood all the examples. Of course, Sonya knew all about them as well. Going by game knowledge alone, Sonya could play any role. Top Laner and Mid Laner were simply the roles she chose to focus on for the team. For the better or the worse, Sonya continued. Flowcharting is the least of her problems. Vanishings decision-making as a whole is... bad. So bad. Sonya moved on to another detailed example. It featured a drawing of the mini-map with various rotation paths on it. "My, you sure put a lot of effort into this segment~" Cato smiled meaningfully. "Effort? Not really." Sonya glanced aside. "There''s just too much to say about this player, that''s all." She''s really passionate about this one~ Cato giggled to himself. Sonya always enjoyed analyzing and discussing everything in depth. But, usually, she knew how to stop herself in time before the topic became bloated. But, not with VanishingFlower. For this one, Sonya was hellbent on exploring every angle. She even personally took the stage, which was even rarer. "A-Anyway" Sonya continued in a hurry. "Here you can see the route Vanishing took when she rotated to gank the DK in Top. As you can see, this rotation route is... atrocious, to say the least." The diagram showed Vanishing taking a long and roundabout route to get to Top Lane. There were plenty of paths she could''ve taken to sneak into the lane, yet she chose one of the most convoluted options possible. "Yeah, I see what you mean," Ronald said. "She sure took her sweet time getting there. Did that gank work in the end?" "Yes, it happened to work this once," Sonya admitted against her will. She played the clip for this segment, showing how Vanishing successfully infiltrated the lane and scored a kill. It was a successful play overall, but it couldve been executed much faster and with far better efficiency. If Vanishing took a shorter path, they could''ve killed the Dark Knight sooner and it wouldve given them more time for counter-jungling before the next wave. "All''s well that ends well, I guess?" Ronald shrugged. "I mean, she took the long path but she got the kill in the end, so thats what matters, right? It means shes a little slow but she gets the job done." "You don''t seem to understand," Sonya scolded with a stern expression. "She wasted a lot of precious time. And, this wasnt a one-time occurrence either. Sonya presented more plays in which Vanishing chose convoluted routes. With every new example, Somya''s scowl grew bigger and bigger. All these deliberate misplays are killing me. Sonya ranted internally. There was a limit to how much nonsense she could stomach at once. Why did nobody scold her about it? Their shot-caller should''ve made her stop this foolishness. I thought hes smarter than that. Alas, nobody stopped Vanishing, not her allies and not her foes. The criminal kept running in circles in the jungle, taking the most inefficient routes in existence. And, the worst thing? Somehow, amidst all this absolute inefficiency and redundancy, Vanihsings ganks just worked. Yes, they did. Most of the time, her ganks were on point, much to everybodys surprise. Everything Vanishing did was an insult to game theory. It made no sense! "Okay," Cato interrupted. I understand you''re passionate about this, but- "I-I''m not! Not really." Sonya denied it as if her life depended on it. "I just wanted to make sure you all understand her weaknesses." "And, you''re doing a great job at that, no question." Cato nodded. "But, aren''t you forgetting something here? Or, are you deliberately ignoring it?" "Did I miss something?" "Yes, a small but vital piece of information. I remember mentioning it when I went over the presentation." "Hmm." Sonya pressed her thick-framed glasses up her nose and knotted her brows. She scrolled back and forth in the presentation, but she couldn''t spot that important detail she supposedly missed. Did I get nervous and forget something again? I don''t see it. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "The wards," Cato dropped a hint. "I told you this last time. You''re right that Vanishing''s routes are needlessly long and convoluted, but you also have to factor the wards in that equation. I''m surprised you forgot." "Oh, I didn''t forget," Sonya said. "I examined all the cases you brought up." "As expected for TheTheorist." Cato nodded. "So, how come you haven''t said a single word about it" "I concluded it''s all conjecture." Excuse me? Its not real. You only have minimal circumstantial evidence to support that dodgy theory. "Okay, just so we''re all on the same page," Cato addressee the others. "Were talking about how Vanishing''s rotations, as odd as they are, often played around enemy wards. Taurus werent cheapskates about warding but Vanishing often slipped through their surveillance." "I noticed that too," William said. "I agree her rotations are silly and inefficient. But, as a fellow Jungler, I have to hand it to her when it comes to slipping past enemy wards. I wish I could be as unnoticeable as this girl." "Except," Sonya argued. She didnt even rotate that often in the first place. So, we dont have that many samples to begin with. "Thats actually what makes it even more interesting," Cato said. "She doesn''t rotate enough and she always takes the convoluted routes. Combined, that makes her sound like a total amateur, doesnt it? And yet, the few convoluted ganks she went for managed to catch the enemy off guard and seal the deal. Her success rate is actually very high." "Youre trying to make it sound more conclusive than it actually is," Sonya objected. "In practice, she didn''t provide us with enough samples of her playstyle. Yes, the few rotations we saw happened to work, but otherwise, she didnt rotate nearly enough. Especially, in the third game, she was lying low the entire game. "Well, you know how it is," Cato said. "We have to work with whatever data we got in hand. Finally, something we both agree on. With that said, I rather stay away from conjecture. Youre right that the sample size is small, Ill concede that much. But, the same applies to many things weve discussed today. We''ve barely got any reliable data about any of these players." "That''s... true, I suppose," Sonya admitted reluctantly. Admitting such a thing stung a little because it put all her efforts into question. She spent days preparing for today''s presentation together with Cato, but they derived most of their conclusions from small sample sizes. Therefore, there was no guarantee that anything from Sonya presented today was actually true. It was a depressing reality for an analyst like her. I say, lets just keep this little trivia in mind and move on. Cato offered a compromise. Neither of us can prove anything about Vanishing at the moment, so lets just agree to disagree. Fair enough. Sonya nodded and turned to the others. With that said, I analyzed the matches the most and prepared most of todays presentation. Keep that in mind when deciding with whom to side on this matter. My, is that a coup d''tat Im smelling here? Could it be? Is my secretary secretly planning to overthrow me!? Who are you calling secretary? Sonya gave him a look. Yes, I did most of the preparations for today, but its not like Im working for you. The denial is strong with this one. Im the captain, so youre all working under me~ The word delusional doesnt even begin to describe you. Sonya sighed. I took on this responsibility because I believe it suits me the best. Thats my way to contribute to the team. And, Im very grateful for it, Cato said. You make my life at least ten times easier. Thank you for being such a helpful secretary~ Hah Sonya couldnt even find it in herself to retort anymore. Instead, somebody else spoke up. "Man, this dude be dodging responsibility like crazy," Ronald said. "Isn''t it the captain''s job to prepare these meetings and all that?" "I don''t remember such a thing being specified anywhere in my employment contract," Cato said. "The way I see it, the captain''s job is to assign the right person for the right job. And, there''s nobody better at analyzing matches than our dear Theorist." Oh. Sonya blinked in surprise for a moment, then cleared her throat. You wont get anything from sucking up to me now. I would never. Im just stating facts. Is that so. As much as she didnt want it, a smile crept up on Sonyas face. "By the way," Cato continued. "You''re free to take a seat. I can continue from here." "Oh, thanks." Sonya returned to her previous position, one from which it was much easier to deliver the rest of the presentation. Thinking back on it now, she put herself in an awkward position for no reason by standing up. It was quite unusual for her to challenge the demons of the stage of her own volition. Having so many eyes on her was rather stressful. I''m not even sure how well I delivered the message. Sonya wondered. I nearly missed some key details at first. Good thing Cato reminded me. Truly, lecturing on stage was not for her. Sonya was fine with collecting data, explaining it to others, and even reading it out loud in the meetings. However, standing in front of an audience was too nerve-wracking for her. Its like the spotlight was concentrated wholly on her. I wonder if Vanishing also hates the spotlight? Maybe thats why she plays the way she does. But, that was also conjecture. For now, it was far more reasonable to write Vanishing off as an inexperienced player with weak decision-making. Hopefully, after playing against her in a real game, Sonya will be able to reveal more about this oddball. "So," Cato clapped once. "One last thing about Vanishing and wards. Normally, youd advise exercising caution even against rather unlikely theories. So, is there any reason why youre denying this particular theory so much?" "Yes, there is," Sonya replied without hesitation. Now that she was seated, a big load lifted off her shoulder and she could employ 100% of her usual brainpower. That''s how she remembered she actually prepared a counter-argument for this exact conversation. "After you pointed out that her routes played around wards, I looked into the matter in more detail. As expected from my secretary~! ... anyway, my conclusion is that its impossible. "Impossible?" "Yes, impossible. Vanishing couldn''t possibly know the positions of most of these wards. Some of them were meta wards, but others were more niche choices that nobody would play around. How niche are we talking about here? Hmm. Sonya knotted her brows. I suppose most of them were still rather popular warding spots, just not the first choices youd usually go for. Either way, it doesnt sound sensible to me that somebody would go out of their way play around all these warding options without any hints. "I see," Cato said. "Thanks for checking it out." "No problem." "Will, what do you think about this?" Cato asked. "I can''t really tell," William admitted. "As you said, we dont have enough footage of her games. But, if I had to go by my gut, I''d say this girl got something. Oh? Do elaborate. She comes across as a very sneaky player in general. So, sneaking past wards sounds up her alley. "My thoughts exactly." Cato nodded. "The way she sneaks past wards just fits too well into her profile. Her strong point is to sneak up to people, and playing around wards is what enables her to do it. But, that''s just my intuition speaking." "Intuition..." Sonya mumbled. It was a word that never made any sense to her. What exactly was "intuition"? Dictionaries defined it as an ability to understand or know something immediately based on your feelings rather than facts or reasoning. That that sounded vague at best. It''s not scientific in the slightest. Sonya criticized. Why would intelligent creatures like humans even come up with a term like this? They should always operate based on facts and logic. That was the ideal way to solve problems. Adding vague feelings into the equation only clouded ones perception of things and made them commit terrible mistakes. Still, that ''intuition'' thing of theirs hits the mark every now and then. Sonya debated against herself. Even though the concept was rather alien to her, she had to admit it had merit at times. On rare occasions, there were things that this "intuition" deduced correctly despite the lack of hard evidence. But, I argue its not so much intuition as its an educated guess. Cato and William were the logical types, so they''d never rely on a vague gut feeling without anything to support it. Their "intuition" was a product of their robust experience and game knowledge. Over the years, they developed the ability to "intuitively" grasp certain things that were difficult to explain with logic. "Alright." Sonya brought her notebook closer. "Since you both insist that Vanishing can play around wards, I''ll add it to the list of things we have to look out for." "It''s just a little bit of extra caution," Cato reassured. "Vanishing strikes me as Stratus'' wild card, so we have to be extra careful about how we handle her. If we dont watch out, she might pull the rug from under our feet." "I agree, Sonya said. "To minimize her chances of surprising us," Cato continued. "We have to make sure somebody always keeps tabs on her. That person will be responsible for warning others about the possibility of incoming danger." The most dangerous element about Vanishing was the way she made her opponents forget about her existence. That, combined with the fact she rarely allowed wards to expose her position, made it very easy to lose track of her during the game. As such, it was necessary to assign a watchdog whose job would be to keep tabs on Vanishing throughout the entire game. "I can handle this job when I''m the Jungler," Cato said. "But, I''m not sure I''ll be able to do it as a Support. Especially, not against this team''s Bot duo." "I can be in charge of Vanishing in both lineups," Sonya volunteered. "My, are you sure? Focusing on Vanishing means you have to sacrifice the rest of your map awareness to some degree." "I can keep tabs on her while maintaining my usual map awareness. It shouldn''t be that hard." I feel like she''s underestimating this problem. Cato smiled wryly. Well, I kinda get where she''s coming from. Even I think I sound a little paranoid about this whole topic. But, better safe than sorry. It was questionable how well Sonya understood the gravity of the matter. For her, Vanishing wasn''t anything special. As far as she was concerned, the only reason Vanishing successfully snuck up to so many people was because they lacked map awareness. It wasn''t wrong per se but it wasn''t the entire truth either. These players found themselves ganked by Vanishing time and again. Perhaps they werent the sharpest tools in the shed, but they were nonetheless players with adequate experience. So, they should have adapted to the situation and started paying more attention to Vanishing. But, they didnt. At least, their actions didnt show any indication of any such adaptation. It meant Vanishing had some true expertise at disappearing and delivering unexpected ganks. Therefore, caution was required. Just because the Leopards had strong players with a solid map awareness, it didn''t mean Vanishing wouldnt be able to surprise them at all. After all, nobody here was at pro level, save maybe for the Emperor. Honestly, itll be a riot if Vanishing sneaks up to that arrogant brat~ Cato snickered. But, that''s not going to happen. They won''t even get to play each other in the scrimmage. After Cato, the next best person for keeping track of Vanishing was undoubtedly Sonya. She possessed the necessary analytical skills for reading the map''s data at any given time, so she won''t lose track of anybody no matter how low profile they were. The same way Cato translated the map to a chessboard, Sonya read it up like a book. However, that strong point of Sonya was also one of her weaknesses. She was so serious about maintaining map awareness that she won''t forgive herself for missing any details, no matter how small. Therefore, no matter what she says, she wont permit herself to give Vanishing any special treatment. Sonya might be able to force herself to give that phantom a little more attention than others, but shed surely insist to keep examining and analyzing the rest of the map as well. As a result, her attention will be split across the entire board and she might let Vanishing slip past her. Isn''t there anybody else who can handle this? Cato glanced at the rest of the room. Matthew couldn''t do that in Lineup A because he was the Carry. The duo of Chess & Gunz won''t give him a moments rest, the same problem Cato had in that lineup as the Support. Then, Ronald? No way. That kid had the attention span of a goldfish. If anything, he had the greatest chance of becoming one of Vanishings victims. The last option was William, but the older brother was almost as dubious as the younger on this matter, albeit in the opposite manner. His map awareness was airtight, but it wasn''t a "global" one. While Cato and Sonya analyzed the entire board for the sake of the team, William focused only on matters that were important for his personal needs. Therefore, he might flat-out ignore anything that wasn''t directly related to him. He hasn''t offered to take on this job either. Cato thought. It means he either doesn''t want to do it or that he knows he might not be up to the task. In the end, there were no other viable alternatives. Sonya will have to handle the tracking role in Lineup A, whereas Cato will be in charge of it for Lineup B. With that decided, the discussion moved on to Beat, the female captain of Taurus. Vol.13 Ch.6: Deconstructing Beat & Chess Next in line, Beats profile appeared on the screen. Roles: Mid/CarryClass Variety: Average Mechanical Skill: 9/10Decision-making: 6/10Game Knowledge: 7/10 Playstyle: An inconsistent player. Quite strong at her highest, but very weak at her lowest. After a couple of seconds, Sonya started the usual summary. "Overall, Beat is an inconsistent player. She has very high mechanical skill as shown on a few occasions, but she cant output it consistently. Sometimes she looks very strong, other times very weak. Sonya presented clips that showed both sides of Beats performance. Sometimes the girl took obvious baits, got into unnecessary fights, or played too defensively in lane. But, other times, she overwhelmed opponents in combat, dodged shots by a hairs breadth, and even executed a complicated Resonance Ignition setup on the brink of death. Dang, that explosion was sick! Ronald exclaimed. This girl is wild! Yes, she sure is, Sonya agreed. Honestly, its difficult to get a proper read on her. Sometimes she comes across as a brainless hot-headed, but other times she methodically executes high-level plays. A woman of many moods, it seems, Cato said. With how inconsistent Beat was, she didn''t pose a clear threat to the Leopards. But, that vagueness was a curse in its own right. It was harder to convince the team to be on guard against an opponent who wasn''t consistently strong. That''s where I come into the picture. Cato thought. As the captain, it was his job to make sure the team stayed on its toes. Babysitting his teammates like this was one of the more interesting, albeit tiresome, aspects of team sports. As the overlord, it''s my duty to keep my minions in line. Cato giggled to himself. Without order, world domination will remain naught but a dream! "About Beat," Cato started. "Her inconsistency probably stems from her emotional state. In other words, she''s a player whose performance will greatly depend on how she''s feeling on a particular day, or even in a particular game. Which makes it difficult to properly evaluate her, Sonya added. Right. So, when Beat is going to play against us, she might be one of the best players in the region on that day. Or, she might be a Bronze player. OR, anything in-between. There''s no saying for sure." "Man, thats sure a wide spectrum of skill levels, Ronald said. Them emotions this girl got sound hella wack. "Hmph. Women." William scoffed. "Well excuse me." Sony made a face. "But yes, I overall agree with that assessment. Beat is probably an emotional player, or at least mentally unstable in general." "As such," Cato added. "Make sure you never let down your guard around her. If you do, you might end up like this guy." Cato replayed the clip of a critical moment from Game 5. There, Beat was fleeing from StormMonster, a savage predator who always caught up to any prey. Realizing she had no chance of escaping, Beat turned around and mounted a counterattack. It was a desperate last stand that should have failed by all accounts. At best, Beat was only going to injure StormMonster a little with her feeble resistance. StromMonster must''ve assumed as much since he relentlessly assaulted Beat without paying any heed to his surroundings. And, that was his downfall. At that critical moment, he underestimated Beat. The girl was never planning on dying there. In a last-ditch effort, she surrounded StormMonster with Magia Orbs and snapped her fingers. And so, the predator vanished from existence. "I''m sure you don''t want to end up like this guy," Cato repeated. "So, don''t underestimate her, no matter how poorly she performs." Everybody nodded in agreement, even Matthew who was half distracted by his phone. The message got across, which was a good start. Of course, theory and practice were two entirely different things. In the actual match, some of them might be tempted to lower their guard. But, that was alright. If any of them strays off the path, Cato will be sure to kick them back on track. "One last thing Beat''s playstyle," Sonya said. "She seems to have a lot of 1v1 experience. In particular, her juking skills are noteworthy. Though, I find it difficult to explain what exactly she excels at. Sometimes she dodges very difficult shots, but other times she fails to dodge attacks that look far easier. "I think she reads patterns," Matthew spoke up, as rare as it was. His eyes were still partially glued to his phone, but he was paying attention to the discussion all along. "If you mix up the timing of your attacks, she''ll have a hard time adapting." Matthew rarely voiced his opinion unless he believed it was at least 99% correct, so his words had weight. Especially, because he was also a master of dodging attacks. "Wait, so," Ronald started. "What does that mean, exactly?" "She gets used to peoples patterns, I think. For example, if you slow down your attacks, you might catch her off-guard." "Slow down? Ronald raised an eyebrow. But, my guy. If I slow down, I give her a bigger window for dodging." "That''s true. You have to balance it out somehow." "Balance it? Hmm." Ronald crossed his arms and gave it a long thought. "Its like going for a drop shot to throw your opponent off," William said. "Ooooh! I see!" Ronald exclaimed. "So, it''s like dealing with somebody who hugs the baseline all day and returns all your shots, no matter how hard you strike?" "Yes, pretty much." "Okay, gotcha." Huh. Cato raised an eyebrow. So, THATS the kind of example this kid understands? Seriously, I feel like I should start learning Tennis terms to better communicate things to this goof. The discussion about Beat came to an end. As a whole, the team regarded her as a potentially formidable player who was bogged down by her inconsistency. If she performs well against us, well have to rile her up. Cato concluded. She looks like a typical emotional player, so well just have to push her buttons. It might have sounded cheap, but riling the enemy up to make them commit mistakes was a valid tactic in any competitive game. Everybody knew that, but some liked to pretend it was unsportsmanlike or any other such nonsense. Worst case, Ill do it myself. Cato snickered. He already imagined himself poking at Beats sides until she lashes at him with all the anger she could muster. That would be her downfall. It would make for such a nice scene~ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The discussion moved on. It was time to address the two biggest elephants in the room, the ex-StormBlitz members: Chess & Gunz. Cato saved the best for last on purpose. Lets start with Chessmaster, Sonya said. Man, youre really drawing this out, arent you? Ronald pouted. Who cares about that guy? Lets talk about the real star of their team! My, how impatient. Cato smiled meaningfully. Trust me, you should care a lot about Chessmaster. Your puny brain might not be able to comprehend it yet, but Stratus owns much of its success to Chessmaster. Huh? Really? You arent pulling my leg, are you? I mean, the guy plays a pretty nice Top and his Support is solid, but thats all I saw. Hes also the teams shot-caller. Oh, so hes the bossy dude who tells everybody what boring plays to make? My, are you implying something here? Cato smiled, but his eyes pierced through Ronald like spears. As the captain, I have major influence over whether youre going to stay on the team or not. I hope youre aware of that~? H-Haha, yeah! Thanks for having me! Ronald responded with a fake smile. The two locked into a glaring contest for half a minute until somebody finally interjected. Are we running a kindergarten here? William asked. No no, of course not. Cato waved his hand with a smile. The only child we got over here is that youngling over there. Say what!? Ronald exclaimed. You wanna throw hands, dude!? First-to-ten me, lets go! Pipe down already. William placed his hand on Ronalds head and rubbed it wildly. Okay, okay. Ronald pouted as he looked away. Then, he shot one last thing at William. Just you watch. By the time we get to the regionals, Ill become this teams captain! Big dreams, kid. Cato scoffed. For starters, if you really want to become a captain in the future, you better start by actually listening during meetings. I saw you sneaking peeks at your phone here and there. Geh. Ronalds expression made it obvious he was guilty as charged. Man, thats not fair. Why are you chewing me out when Matt has been on his phone the entire meeting? Look at him! Bruh is literally glued to it! You only give him a free pass because hes your best homie. I call discrimination! My, what a wild accusation, Cato said. I just trust him to listen to the important parts. Unlike you, he can focus on two things at once. If anything, I learned his concentration improves when he distracts his hands with something. Whoa, for real? Ronald blinked. Hey Matt, what were we talking about just now? About your pipe dreams of becoming the teams captain this year, Matthew gave it straight. Daaamn, the burn! Ronald laughed. Okay, fine. Here. He pulled out his phone and placed it on the table near his brother. Bro, if I grab the phone again this meeting, youre legally allowed to punch me! Gladly. William cracked his knuckles. H-Haha, spare my nose though! Tch, thats the first target I had in mind. William smirked uncannily. Knowing the guy, it might have been the truth. After the short distraction, the discussion returned on track. It was time to discuss Chessmaster. As the nickname implied, he was Stratus strategist. Roles: Support/TopClass Variety: High Mechanical Skill: 7/10Decision-making: 10/10Game Knowledge: 10/10 Playstyle: The teams shot-caller. His mechanical skill is only decent, but everything else is top-notch. This was the segment Cato and Sonya worked the hardest on. Out of all roles, shot-caller was the hardest one to profile. Oftentimes, it wasnt clear which plays the shot-caller orchestrated. Any decision made throughout the game could be either the shot-callers work or a players individual idea. Fortunately, the team had extra footage to work with as far as the Chess & Gunz were concerned. That gave them a better perspective on how the duo played, including more details about the style of shot-calling Chessmaster had. Ive summarized everything we know about Chessmaster from both scrimmages, Sonya explained. Even though her expression seemed as even as ever, there was a faint hint of contempt mixed into her tone. This is personal for her. Cato smiled meaningfully. Im sure she wants revenge for how things turned out last year. The second-string led by Jennifer suffered a rather brutal defeat last year. For Sonya, it mustve felt like a personal attack. She wasnt directly involved in the match itself, but she was invested in it for other reasons. And, Cato was the same as well. It was a beautiful match. Cato smiled impishly. I feel a little guilty toward Jenny, but Im actually glad StormBlitz won that one. Under Chessmasters lead, StormBlitzs second-string successfully toppled the Leopards powerful second-string. It was a delight to watch because it showcased Chessmasters shot-calling talent. Its funny running into Yuel again like this. Cato smiled meaningfully. I thought Ill never get to play him again, but here he is, coming at me with the most unlikely team ever. It was such an odd script. On one hand, Cato had a chance to compete against Yuel, who proved himself as a worthy adversary the same way he was in chess. On the other hand, Yuel was playing on the weakest team in the region. Ill admit, Stratus is looking better than ever this year. But, I wouldnt even put them in the regions Top 4 just yet. Its really a shame. I wouldve liked to see what Yuel can do with a decent team. Alas, beggars couldnt be choosers. If Yuel stayed in StormBlitz, then Cato probably wouldnt have gotten the chance to play him pretty much ever. After all, this was Catos last year of middle school. It makes me feel like an old man, even though Im not even that much older. Cato pouted. His birthday just barely satisfied the requirements for being a senior. If he was born just a couple of weeks earlier, then he wouldve been a junior right now. In that parallel universe, he couldve faced Yuel next year, as a senior vs. a senior. Alas, the current timeline had different plans for them. Well, at least Ill get my re-run. Cato had to compromise on whatever he was given. For the longest time, he wanted to challenge Yuel again. Their one and only chess match ended in a way that was far from satisfactory. Ever since, Cato was hoping for a serious rematch. What kind of player was Yuel? How did his brain work? How strong was he, really? The match didnt really satisfy any of that curiosity. I wonder what our dear Princess will think of this development. Cato snickered as he imagined the young ladys stoic expression contorting with a mixture of shock and disgust. Ah~ Itll be a pleasure to see for sure. I better tell her today, hehe~ While Cato was having fun with all these complicated thoughts, Sonya finished going over Chessmasters strengths and weaknesses as an individual player. Overall, Sonya summarized. He seems to be a strong theoretical player. He can play a variety of classes and all of them are well optimized in terms of decision-making. His only weakness so to speak is his relatively weaker mechanical skill, which is still above average anyway. But, at the very least, he isnt much of a threat to any of us in a 1v1. In other words, Ronald said. I gonna mop that guy easy! Yes, thats a fair assessment. Sonya touched her glasses. The best way to eliminate Chessmaster is by catching him alone and applying brute force. I believe William and Ronald are best suited for this task. Leave it to me! Ronald thumped on his chest. Sure, William replied indifferently. There was nothing rewarding about crushing weak opponents, so he didnt particularly care either way. Hell just get the kills he can get, thats all there was to it. Well, you see? Ronald asked. Its like I said. Nobody really cares about Chess. Dude sure can play, but thats about it. No need to worry about him. Lets move on to the juicy one! Oh, how green you are. Cato shook his head. Youre right that Chessmaster doesnt stand out too much as an individual player. But, once we get to discussing Stratus tactics, youll understand what makes him deserve our attention. Yeah, yeah. Ronald waved his hand. Can we move on to the big fish already? Im literally going to fall asleep at this rate. My, should I prepare a bucket of cold water? VERY funny. Ronald shuddered. Dont worry, were done with Chess for now. Sonya flipped through her notes. The last member we have to discuss is Gunz. Yeah boy! Ronald rubbed his hands. Here it comes! Everybody perked their ears, even Matthew who was absorbed in mobile games until now. The entire room understood the importance of this one topic. Gunz was the biggest elephant in the room, which was why Cato left this topic for last. Lazy bums like Ronald needed that kind of hook to stay awake throughout the rest of the meeting. They had to know that something interesting will happen further down the road, or else they''ll lose their motivation. You''re but a puppet dancing to my tune! Cato snickered. Your motivation is entirely under my command! Bow before the overlord! Jokes aside, it was time for one of the most critical parts of todays meeting. Vol.13 Ch.7: The No. 2 Strongest Player "Same as with Chess, we have footage from both years about Gunz," Sonya explained. "Let''s go over them first, to make sure everybody is on the same page." "Oh boy!" Ronald swung back and forth on his chair. "Too bad I didn''t bring popcorn. This gonna be wild!'' Roles: Carry/MidClass Variety: Low(?) Mechanical Skill: 10/10Decision-making: 6/10Game Knowledge: 6/10 Playstyle: A strong mechanical player with decent enough fundamentals. In 1v1s, hes strong enough to turn misplays into strong plays via brute force. The displayed stats made more than a few of them cock their heads in confusion. Wait, what? Ronald asked. Arent these stats too low? I think you did my guy dirty there. No, thats my honest evaluation of his ability, Sonya said. His mechanical skill is indeed impressive, but the rest is just passable. No way! Bruh literally DESTROYED people! How can he bad this weak!? I think even I got better stats than that. What the heck. Yes, your decision-making and game knowledge are a little better, at least the way I see it. Gunz is rougher around the corners, albeit this year he showed plenty of improvement compared to last year, so maybe 6/10 is too harsh. Definitely too harsh, Ronald insisted. This bruh is supposed to look like a BEAST! These stats dont do him justice. None at all. Nada. It seems like you dont understand what these stats are meant to represent, Sonya said. Theyre supposed to give us an idea of how the player performs on average, across a myriad of different situations they encounter during a match. And youre saying my guy is that bad on average? No way! Ive seen him mop the floor with people like theres no tomorrow! Yes, youre right. He does excel in battles, especially in 1v1 and 2v2 situations. But, if you think back on all the battle examples you saw, whats the main stat that helped him emerge victorious? His sick mechanical skill, duh. And, did his decision-making or game knowledge impress you any? Eeeeh, hard to say. Like, how do you even gauge somebodys game knowledge from a replay? We already established thats a challenge, so lets ignore that for now. How about his decision-making? Hmm. Hmmmmmmm. Ronald crossed his arms. Dang, asking them trick questions. Its a pretty straightforward question, I believe, Sonya said matter-of-factly. About other types of situation I could answer probably, but when it comes to 1v1s? And even 2v2s for that matter. Its hard to say what counts as decision-making and whats an extension of that guys awesome mechanical skill. The more skilled you are, the easier it is to react to stuff without thinking and all that. Exactly, Sonya affirmed. So, what did you just prove here? That his decision-making and game knowledge didnt leave much of an impression on you. Oh. You got a point there. It finally dawned on him. It was really all mechanical skill. The rest of Gunzs stats werent necessarily that high, if at all. But, I still dont like that, Ronald argued. Like, whats the point of showing these stats as the big three if they dont even give a proper representation of the players skill? I mean, Gunz is a BEAST, nobody gonna argue against that, right? He checked everybodys reactions and they all seemed to side with him on this one. There was no denying that everybody in the room considered Gunz a serious threat, even Matthew who finally unglued his eyes from his phone for once. Everybody was focused to the max when the topic switched to Gunz, indicating just how big of a deal this guy was. Youre running too far ahead, Sonya said. For now, I only showed his average stats. As for his combat capabilities and the threat he poses with them, its something were going to discuss in detail soon. Oh, is that so? Okay then. Ronald nodded. I hope you do my guy justice real soon then. Dont worry, Im not planning to belittle him if thats what youre worried about. Hes undoubtedly one of the biggest threats in the region. Heck yeah! Thats what I wanted to hear. With Ronald finally convinced that his homie was going to get the proper treatment, the meeting moved on to showing clips of Gunzs best plays. As Sonya foreshadowed, most of them were either 1v1 situations or 2v2s alongside Chessmaster. Gunz overpowered everybody in this years scrimmage. Even Nirvana, the skilled captain of Taurus, folded against Gunz''s Trickshooter. The two of them fought a lot in Mid and were mostly even, but then Gunz picked Trickshooter and it became an entirely different story. "Trickshooter seems to be his best class," Sonya explained. She backed up her argument by showing footage from last years scrimmage. There, Gunz also played Trickshooter during his debut. It was unpleasant to see these events again, but Sonya had no choice but to present the evidence to the court. Everybody had to understand the extent of Gunzs strength, even if it meant showing examples of Jennifers team being stomped. Id like to clarify that these are handpicked examples, Sonya said. They show Gunz at his strongest in that scrimmage, which is why these plays may seem very one-sided. Its not like the entire scrimmage was like that, not even close. The copium is strong with this one. Ronald chuckled. ANYWAY, here are the examples. Sonya played the clips from last years scrimmage. There, Gunz dunked on his foes with Trickshooter. It was hard to believe these fights were between a freshman and the Leopards seniors. Second-string or not, Jennifers team was filled with skilled seniors. And yet... "Yikes." Ronald smiled wryly. "It''s even wilder than I remembered. The second-string was no pushover, that''s for sure. But, this guy..." Moving on, Sonya continued. It seems Mid is his secondary role. At least, so far, he only established himself as a threat when playing Carry. And, based on the data from both years, it seems there''s a big gap between his mastery of Trickshooter and other marksmen." "Hey," Ronald interjected. "His Slinger is hella dope too! Did you see all these headshots? Dude is wild!" "Yes, of course I saw." Sonya nodded. "There''s only one game showing him play Gunslinger so far, but his performance was very convincing. My impression is that his Gunslinger is about as good as his Trickshooter." "Nice!" Ronald rubbed his hands. "Finally, a worthy opponent! Can''t wait to take on his Shooter and Slinger!" "My, in that case," Cato said. "You''ll be waiting for a long, long time." "Yeah, we still got a week until the match, right?" "That''s not what I meant. Even during the scrimmage itself, you won''t get to play against his Shooter or Slinger." "Excuse me what?" Ronald cocked his head. "We''re obviously going to ban them. "Wha-!? Ronald jumped. C''mon, man! Until we finally get a fun opponent, you not even gonna let us fight him!?" "If hes only strong with specific classes, then why should we let him play those? The banning phase exists for situations like this." "Yeah, I know, but..." Ronald twisted his lips. "Lets just hope he got other tricks up his sleeve," William said. "If he''s the kind of player who can only play two classes, then that''s all there is to him." "Yeah, guess that''s true." Ronald nodded. "So, Sonya, how are his other classes?" "Insufficient data," Sonya said. "Last year, only his Trickshooter stood out. But, considering he was just a freshman and a lot of time has passed, he probably leveled up some other classes by now. The Gunslinger is evidence of that." "Heck yeah!" Ronald grinned. "I hope he mastered at least four classes!" "Let''s hope he didn''t," Cato objected. "It''ll make it much harder to ban all his options." "Man, what a buzz killer. That''s why everybody says you''re boring." "I prefer to be boring and win than be ''interesting'' and lose. If you prefer to lose, then you''re free to step down from your position. There are many who''d gladly take your place." "Heh, just you watch. I gonna be both interesting AND win!" "Sure, sure." Cato shrugged. Next, they discussed a few more aspects of Gunz''s playstyle, primarily his offense and defense. Last year, Sonya started. His offense was exceptional but his defense was lacking. So much, that I wouldnt have considered him a serious threat if that remained the case But, he leveled up since then, right? Right? Ronald asked. Yes, he did, Sonya confirmed. His solo performance in Mid was quite stable. I wouldnt go as far as saying that his defense is anything special, but his fundamentals are much better than before. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Alrighty, lets goooo! Bruh means business! I suppose he does. Sonya frowned. This is fine by me. Hes stronger than he was last year, but Im still going to take revenge on him. I hope Jenny will come to watch this game. After some more analysis, the discussion about Gunz came to an end. But, one big question remained. "So," William started. "Out of all the strong players in the region, how high is Gunz on your list?" "That''s..." Sonya chewed her lips and glanced away. There it comes. Cato has been waiting for this. Even though Sonya tried her best to avoid touching on the subject, it was only natural for William to ask. After all, the guy held great pride in his prestigious position on Sonyas vaguely defined "power ranking" list. She doesn''t want to say it. Cato knew about it before the meeting. Sonya looked troubled when she delivered this information to him a few days ago. The girl had a hobby of rating and ranking things. So, she started up a list of "power ranking among the players in the region. An innocent idea, but it soon turned into a big topic once the brothers got caught wind of it. William trusted Sonyas analysis on most things, and Ronald trusted his older brothers perspective on most things. As a result, the two got interested in their rankings on said list; they wanted to know how they compared to other players in the region. Naturally, they both wanted to be as close as possible to the top. Since William cared so much about his rank, Sonya now felt uncomfortable sharing her new findings with him. There were multiple reasons for that, but the specifics weren''t Cato''s business. The point is, she doesnt want to be the one who says it. Cato thought. I told her she can just dodge the topic but looks like she didn''t like that advice. Well, of course she didn''t. As somebody who prided herself in delivering robust analysis, omitting any information from her teammates was like betraying her own beliefs. No matter how unpleasant the facts were, she had to suck it up and keep sharing the information, that''s what she believed. Well then, I can play the villain here. Cato already prepared a line against this scenario. "Sonya and I talked a lot about where to place Gunz on that list," Cato said. "In the end, it seems shes not too sure where to place him." "Is that so." William looked at Sonya for confirmation. "Yes, that''s true..." Sonya mumbled. Failing to rank a player on her list was embarrassing to admit, but at least it wasn''t as bad as serving the facts raw to William. "That''s rare." William was visibly disappointed. Judging by his reaction, it looked like he''d press Sonya on this topic some more in the upcoming days. Looks like I have to casually spill the beans. Cato concluded. Well, I really wanted to say this anyway, so it''s all good. Hehe~ "You can''t really blame her," Cato said. "Gunz is a wildcard. Sometimes he''s incredibly strong, other times he shows glaring weaknesses. Not to mention, he seems overly reliant on his main classes." "That''s true," William agreed. "But, there should still be a way to rate somebody like that. I expected Sonya to be able to." "Well, it sounds like she needs more data," Cato lied. "But, I''m fine with giving you my own verdict based on what weve discussed so far, if you really want to hear it. I''ve analyzed plenty of players with her, so I''m usually pretty on spot with my predictions." "Huh." William carefully judged the smiling guy in front of him. "Alright, where would you place Gunz on the list?" "If I had to say," or rather, if Sonya had to say, "then Gunz is the second strongest player in the region in terms of raw strength." "......................" Silence. Everybody simply stared at Cato for what he had just uttered. Even though he wasn''t the official maintainer of the ranking list, there was still weight to his words, especially when he dared to claim something outrageous like that. "Do you agree with that?" William asked Sonya. His voice was calm, but there was a hint of venom in it. "There''s not enough data to say for sure." Sonya used the rescue wheel Cato prepared for her. "But, you''re not denying the possibility." "Right..." Sonya glanced aside. "Hmph, I see." William scoffed. "Then, looks like it''s up to me to provide data that''ll contradict this evaluation. Very well." His outward demeanor seemed calm, but a storm was raging inside his stomach right now. He was like a shaking volcano, ready to explode without warning. "Yeah, you show ''em, bro!" Ronald cheered. "There''s no way that dude is better than you!" Being No. 2 on Sonya''s list had heavy implications. Especially for William, it was a big deal. The player who held No. 1 on the list was far beyond their level. William knew that for a fact because he tried to topple that rival many times, enough to conclude that he stood no chance right now. Therefore, there was no question about who deserved to be No. 1 on the list. Then, who was next in line? Until now, it was none other than William himself. He held the prestigious spot of No. 2. Indeed, Sonya deemed William the strongest middle schooler in the region, second only to the monster whose skill level couldnt be judged by middle school standards anyway. Therefore, being No. 2 on the list was a highly regarded position, one deserving of everybodys respect. But, now Cato was trying to cause a coup d''etat. He was suggesting that Gunz was the rightful heir to the position and that William should be dethroned. Such nonsense. "Keep in mind," Cato said. "The idea that Gunz might deserve the No. 2 spot only applies to when hes playing Trickshooter or Gunslinger. It''s unclear what his rank would be otherwise. William might be stronger in those cases." "Hmph. I dont need a consolation prize." William scoffed. "After we get three wins from them, I say let Gunz pick Shooter and Slinger. Ill make sure to take him down" "Very well," Cato said. "We''ll need Coach to approve first, but I''m sure I can convince him." Despite everything he said about Gunz being the No. 2 of the region, Cato wasnt entirely convinced either. Ultimately, it was mostly Sonyas conclusion. Just like William, Cato also trusted that robots analysis on matters such as this. But, was it really true? Was Gunz so strong he could rival the strongest member of the Leopards? Itll be interesting to see for sure. And, if Gunz was really that strong, would other members of the team be able to handle him at all? "Matt, what do you think?" Cato asked. "Can you nullify Gunz''s offense if you fight him?" "Hard to say," Matthew answered. "I''ll have to run some simulations to understand his playstyle better." "I see." Cato nodded. "I''m sure Sonya can help you with that. She gathered lots of data on Gunz, right?" "Of course." Sonya nodded. "In terms of raw combat potential, hes the No. 1 threat on the enemy team. So, we need all the data we can get on him." Sonya shared where to find additional notes and clips she made about Gunz. From the sheer amount of data she gathered, the girl almost came across as a stalker. She must really want to avenge Jenny~ Cato smiled meaningfully. Personally, I think Yuel will be our greatest problem in this match. Gunz is like a big cannon, but Yuel is the one who decides when to fire it. Even last year, Jenny owned most of her defeat to Yuel, not to Gunz. "Alright, Cato continued. Now that were familiar with our opponents, its time to discuss their tactics a little." This was always the part where most of the audience lost their interest. Matthew returned to his mobile gaming, Ronald nodded off, and William yawned, just barely keeping himself together. Well, I can''t blame them. Cato thought. Unlike the process of deconstructing specific players, tactics and strategy were far more abstract. They were difficult to fully comprehend, let alone remember. Nonetheless, the topic was very important to cover in this case, so Cato and Sonya pressed on regardless. They did their best to accompany their explanations with interesting footage that showcased Chessmasters irregular shot-calling in action. Some of the plays managed to impress the audience, while others were too dubious to be taken seriously. "Are you sure that one was intended?" William asked. "To me, it looks like the Lancer just happened to run into Jennifer." "That''s the beauty of it all," Cato sang praises. "Even when you analyze this play from the side, it''s not obvious whether it was calculated bait or a happy accident. But, even if you want to disregard all these examples as ''happy accidents, you have to agree there are far too many of them in one scrimmage, right?" "I suppose." William remained unconvinced. He probably won''t be entirely on board until he experiences Yuel''s shot-calling firsthand on stage. "Well, no need to worry your pretty little heads over this right now," Cato said. "Just remember that their shot-caller leans toward aggressive shot-calls and he likes unconventional plays. So, make sure you question things. Don''t take anything for granted." "Heh." Ronald produced a dry laugh. "Sounds like you''re asking us to be paranoid." "Not paranoid, but vigilant, Cato clarified. Of course, I''m not telling you to be cautious to the point it''ll negatively affect your performance. In the end, it''s primarily the shot-callers role to outplay the enemy shot-caller." "Heh, too bad our team doesn''t have a shot-caller." Ronald snickered. "Kid, it really sounds like you want to be kicked out of the team." "Haha, I''m just saying, man." "Well, he is right," William interjected. "This team doesn''t have a shot-caller. That''s the narrative, at least." "Fair enough." Cato nodded. "Anyway, I''ll make sure to come up with countermeasures for Yu- Ahem. I mean, countermeasures for Chessmaster''s shot-calling. You just focus on studying the players and thinking on how you''re going to beat them." Everybody nodded in approval. "As for our lineups," Cato said. "I was thinking of opening with lineup A. As you all hopefully understand by now, it''s important for us to assess Gunz''s current skill level as soon as possible so we can decide how to deal with him. And, there''s no one better than Matt for this detective job." "I can do it too," William said. "I want to start with lineup B. Let me fight Gunz." "Wait, we can do better!" Ronald interjected. "Let''s start with lineup C! It''s the best formation!" "Lineup C doesn''t exist," Cato said. "C''mon, it''s totally real!" Ronald pouted. "It''s like B, except I''m the Carry! Lemme at Gunz! I''ll prove you he''s NOT No. 2. That spot belongs to my bro." "I appreciate the sentiment," William said. "But, I can handle him myself." "Yeah, I''m sure you can, no doubt about that." Ronald nodded. "I''m just saying dude isn''t worth your time, bro. I can wreck him real quick for ya." "Sure, sure." William rolled his eyes. "You want to fight him, I get it. Maybe after I trash him hard enough, I can let you play Carry for one game." "Really!?" Ronald jumped. "You''re the best, bro!" The brothers reached an agreement without even consulting the captain. My minions are revolting against me! Sob. Cato wiped a nonexistent tear. Well, its alright. It''s just a scrim anyway, so I can entertain them for now. If I let them do whatever they want and they end up losing, they''ll be more obedient in the future. Kukuku, it''s the ultimate subjection plan! "Alright," Cato said. "We can open the match with lineup B." "Are we really doing this?" Sonya frowned. "That wasn''t the plan we outlined." "I know, but real life doesnt always go as planned. For the better and the worse, we have to consider the quirks of our teammates." "Hah." Sonya sighed in defeat. It was one of these irrational topics she wasn''t good with. As far as TheTheorist was concerned, sticking to the optimal game plan was always the best move. It made no sense whatsoever to bend the knee for somebody''s illogical caprices. And yet, Cato was partaking in that very foolishness. Fine. Sonya surrendered. Just dont come crying to me if it doesnt work. Dont worry, I wont. After discussing a few more details, the meeting came to an end. Everybody knew exactly what they had to focus on in the upcoming days. "As usual, therell be another review meeting with the Coach in two days," Cato informed. "Make sure you have something good to report. And please, for the love of God, don''t forget the key details we discussed today. Coach is going to question you about them for sure. Geeeeh. Ronald made face. I know, I know. Tests arent ever fun, but it is what it is. So, make sure youre prepared. I suggest you review Sonyas notes a day before to refresh yourselves. Yes, you better do, Sonya said. It might be an exam, but you pretty much have all the answers at your disposal. Its just a question of memorizing them. Right. Cato nodded. I know its a little tiresome, but keep in mind that you make the entire team look bad when you can''t answer a question. So, make sure you can do it. "No problem!" Ronald saluted with a smile. If only his promise was at last half as convincing as his confident expression... Vol.13 Ch.8: The Obedient Minions With the meeting over, the two brothers jumped on their feet. "Alrighty!" Ronald pumped a fist. "Time to go get some games in!" Yeah, itll be a good breather, William agreed. My, are you sure its alright? Cato asked. I believe you should first take some time to reflect on what you learned in the meeting, or else you might forget everything. Nah, dont worry! Ronald gave a thumbs up. My memory is perfect! I gonna remember everything! Maybe everything about Gunz, at best. Thats the most important part anyway. Is that so. Cato made a face. "Don''t worry," William reassured. "I''ll make sure we review the meeting later tonight." "I''ll hold you on that. On that note, the brothers bid farewell and left to play in Ranked. "Hah." Sonya stretched her arms. "It''s finally over." She rotated her shoulders, producing creaking sounds. They sounded as stiff as the shoulders of a statue that just came to life. "You okay?" Cato gently placed his hands on her shoulders and applied pressure. "A-Ah!" Sonya jumped. What a cute sound~ "You can''t just place your hands on a girl like that." Sonya shot him a look. "I can report you for it." "I see. Then, I better stop." "N-No, do go on..." Sonya''s words contradicted themselves. Her brain said one thing but her body responded in the opposite manner. She wasn''t a fan of how casually Cato crept up to her, but she had to admit he was a pro at the job. "Aah~" Sonya produced the sound against her will. Massages were such an illogical experience. They hurt, yet they felt so good. One moment, she felt like pulling away from the pain. Yet, the next moment, she found herself yearning for that pressure. Aaaaah~ Nice sounds~ Cato smiled impishly behind the girl''s back. There was something so satisfying about the process, he didn''t even fully understand it himself. He was definitely inflicting pain on Sonya''s shoulders, no question about that. Yet, it was seemingly a harmless pain. In fact, it even helped to relax her muscles. Nonetheless, the girl produced these sweet moans in the process. It meant she felt the pain to some degree, yet she embraced it instead of running away. It was truly wondrous. Its like Im free to apply as much pain as I want without being judged for it. The epitome of a good time~ And so, he rubbed the girls stiff shoulders some more. A-Aaaah~ Her soft moans were like a sweet melody. Even I think I''m a little strange for enjoying this. Cato thought. But, I just can''t stop. This is genuinely fun. Moan some more for me, my dear~ But, all good things had to come to an end. Eventually, Sonya stopped responding as pleasantly because her muscles reached relaxation. And, Cato also grew a little tired of the process. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Thank you," Sonya said. "Always my pleasure." Cato bowed like a gentleman, taking off a nonexistent hat. "Heh." Sonya smiled softly. "The massage was nice too, but I meant to thank you for handling the topic of Williams rank on my list." "Oh, that thing." Cato shrugged. "No big deal. With how proud he was of his No. 2 spot, I can understand why you didn''t feel comfortable telling him what you really think. Nobody wants to be hated by their crush." "C-Crush?" Sonya stuttered. "That''s not how it is." "Really? To me, you look like a maiden in love." "I''m telling you, that''s not how it is!" Sonya pouted. "I just admire his skill, that''s all." "Heh." Cato snickered. "Sounds like what you used to say about Jenny. And, we all know you were lesbo for her." "DID NOT." Sonya glared daggers at Cato. But, it didnt take her long to give up and sigh in defeat. She knew better than to entertain this joker. "Anyway, its not like that. I just admire players who have impressive mechanical skill because theyre the best at turning theory into practice, that''s all there is to it." "Admiration can always develop into love~ "Put a sock in it, will you? Or what, are you supposed to be a cupid or something?" "Nah, not at all." Cato shook his head. "I''m just worried about my secretary." "Who''s your secretary?" Sonya made a face. "It''s really such a shame," Cato went on uninterrupted. "My secretary is such a good girl but she is too serious for her own good. Will she ever find love!?" "You know, just because I''m a girl, it doesn''t mean I have any interest in romance." "Right, of course." Cato nodded. "Some roses are late bloomers." "I''ll get mad for real." "Haha, alright, alright." Cato dropped the nonsense. "Good job on the presentation. As expected from my secretary." "Right, right." Sonya sighed in defeat. She didn''t have any energy left to combat Cato''s teasing at the moment. "Are you done messing with her?" Matthew asked. "''Messing''? Please, you make it sound so vulgar." Cato placed a hand on his chest as if he was shocked by the offense. But, Matthew completely ignored that. "Are you going home, or...?" "Sorry, not today. I got a date with the Princess." "Oh, it''s today." Matthew nodded in understanding. "Good luck. Try not to feel too bad." "Hey, hold it there!" Cato objected. "Why would I need to feel bad about anything? I''m going to win today." "Well, if you really believe so..." "Oh, I see how it is. You''re teasing me because youre jealous I won''t be spending that time with you." "Can''t say I care either way." Matthew shrugged. "Well, since we''re not practicing together today, I guess I''ll run some simulations on Gunz." "Ah, such dedication~ It brings a tear to my eye." Cato wiped a nonexistent tear. "You should get Sonya to help you with that." "That''d be great but I don''t want to trouble her too much." Matthew glanced at Sonya. "You must be tired from the meeting." "Just a little," Sonya said. "But, no need to worry. My curiosity can overpower my fatigue. Im actually very interested in seeing what''s your impression of Gunz''s playstyle and how you plan to combat it." "I don''t think you''ll see any results in one day." "Of course not, I wasn''t expecting to," Sonya said. "Id have to peg you as a genius if you could adjust to an opponent like Gunz after one day of practice." "Fair enough." Matthew nodded. "Alright, then if it''s not too much trouble, let''s run some simulations." The two of them headed out to practice. Cato didn''t even need to lift a finger to make these delight minions work. Good, good. Cato nodded in approval. That''s how I like my minions: obedient and hardworking. There were two camps on this team. There were the two brothers, who constantly challenged Cato''s authority and did whatever they wanted because they were strong. And, then there were Matthew and Sonya, the two loyal minions who followed everything Cato said and studied hard for the sake of victory. I wish I could just clone them. Cato thought. A team with 2 Matthews and 2 Sonyas would be paradise. But, life is never that easy. Cato sighed in resignation. Then again, dealing with problem kids is part of what keeps the job engaging. Id have nothing to do if everybody always followed my instructions to a T, as contradictory as that sounds. On that note, Cato headed toward the door. "Work hard," he said on his way out of the clubroom. "I''m expecting to hear good news by tomorrow." "We''ll see." Matthew didn''t promise anything. "Enjoy getting rekt." "Nobody is going to get ''rekt''!" Cato fired on the way out. He said that, but he knew the truth. Matthew''s prediction was very reasonable. Losing was the usual routine at this point, as much as Cato wished to deny it. Though he said he had a date with a girl, it wasn''t anything romantic. Quite the opposite, it was a harsh and frustrating meeting. He was heading straight into a battle zone. And so, Cato was on his way to meet the Landberht Princess. Vol.13 Ch.9: Karen Landberht A gigantic mansion, surrounded by a metallic fence as far as the eye could see. It was a visage so majestic, it was bound to invoke a sense of inferiority in whoever gazed upon it. It was the Landberht residence, and Cato came here to do battle. The guard welcomed him at the gate without any questions. That was a given, for Cato has been frequenting this mansion from a young age. This place is like the extension of my own house. Cato pretended. I can walk in and out as I please. One day, this territory will belong to me, like the rest of the world! It was a nice dream to have. On his road to world domination, owning a grandiose palace like this was more than acceptable. As he approached the mansion''s entrance, a girl stood there. She was a year younger than him, yet her frowny expression didn''t have a lick of respect toward her elder. What a brat. "Tch. So, you''ve come." Karen made sure to click her tongue, to show just how much this development displeased her. "Indeed, I''ve arrived." Cato drove the point home. It was the same as throwing a jab in a boxing match. "Tch, I was hoping you''ll have an accident on the way or something." "My, that''s a dangerous thing to wish on your guest. A lady shouldn''t be acting like that." "Yeah, yeah." Karen put both hands on her waist, asserting dominance. She was wearing an expensive dress that was in line with the majesty of the gigantic mansion. And yet, despite layering herself with such elegant clothing, she didnt radiate a lick of ladylike behavior. From her tone to her expression and all the way to her body language, there wasn''t a single refined attribute about her. She was like a country bumpkin dressed up as a princess. And yet, she was a legal resident of his household. Not to mention, she held a high position to boot. "Well, you had a chance," Karen said. "My chance?" "You couldve canceled the meeting, missed the bus, or turned around at the gate. But, you chose to show your face here anyway." "That I did." "So, you chose death." Karen pulled something out of her pocket. It was thin and silver, flashing for a moment against the sun''s rays. It was... "A knife!?" Cato jumped. "GAME OVER!" Karen lunged forth with superhuman speed! As expected from a member of the Landberht household, she was no mere mortal! "W-Wait!" Cato staggered backward. I-Is she for real!? I thought I was used to her pranks, but this one is something else...! The girl moved like a bullet of lightning. The knife cut through the air and lodged itself into Catos stomach. Even though he saw it coming, there was no chance of dodging. Such beautiful technique... Cato hated himself for thinking these silly things in his last moments. Contrary to the girl''s rowdy appearance, her blade technique was swift and clean. She probably practiced some fencing, just like the princess of the manor. I-I thought she''d stop, but she didn''t... Cato couldn''t believe his eyes. Just like that, his life came to an end. That was a fatal wound, no doubt about it. It was indeed Game Over for him. Though, strangely, there wasnt much pain. He definitely felt the knife piercing his stomach, but did it reach his insides? Is this what they call painless death? Cato wondered. Mom, dad... I''m sorry, but I''m going on ahead... He collapsed on the ground. It was the end. "Oh wow," Karen said evenly. "I actually ended up killing him. Whoopsie. Well, I''m sure sis won''t mind." "............" There was no response. After all, dead men told no tales. What laid before Karen was a lifeless corpse... of course not. "Hey." Karen kicked the dead body. "Did you seriously kick the bucket?" "Yes, I''m dead." "Yeah, right. I wouldn''t have to tolerate you all these years if you were that easy to get rid of." "Aha, so you understand." Cato slowly rose on his feet, like an overlord reviving from the ashes. "A mere mortal like you cannot defeat the man who is destined to rule this world! Muhaha!" "Are you, like, five?" "Jokes aside," Cato said as he rubbed his stomach. "That did hurt." "Oh, it did? Good." Karen proceeded to stab her own stomach a few times. It looked like a suicide scene, but of course it wasn''t. The knife didn''t deliver any damage. It was a retractable knife prop. In other words, a toy. Once it clashed with something, the blade retreated into the handle without dealing much damage. "Hmm" Karen stabbed herself a few more times and tilted her head. "It doesn''t hurt much when I do it like this. But, gotta admit, I never tested it with that kind of momentum." "Well, it does hurt." Cato rubbed his stomach some more to stress the point. Even though the knife wasn''t sharp, being stabbed at high speed wasnt exactly fun. "So, it hurts with that much force." Karen nodded in understanding. "Got it. Thanks for participating in the experiment." "You rascal..." Cato made a face. Upon hearing Cato''s complaint, the girl merely smiled. It was an innocent pretty smile, yet it sent a chill down Catos spine. Though, that was charming in its own way. "So, you''re not apologizing, huh." "Hm? For what?" "Right..." Cato sighed. This kind of abuse was the norm. He grew up with it, therefore he accepted it for what it was: a childish prank. This was Karen Landberht in a nutshell, the rascal "younger sister" of the Landberht Princess. She was a noble without a speck of refinement and she had an attitude only a masochist would consider attractive. Truly, this girl was the bane of Cato''s existence. "You really had to come, didn''t you?" Karen continued to complain even as they entered the hallway. "Well, excuse me," Cato said. "It''s the weekly schedule. I mean, I did skip it for the last few weeks, but still." "Hmph. I was already counting on you to not come. Like, I had plans with sis and all, you know? But, you just had to come and ruin them." "Yes, yes, I''m very sorry about that." Cato made a face. This girl, I swear... "You must be really busy these days, huh. You never missed matches against sis before." "Turned out that being the captain of the champion team is a little more demanding than I expected," Cato confessed. Now that scrims started, theres just so much to do. "Hmm, sounds rough," Karen said evenly. From the tone alone, it was hard to tell whether she cared at all. She doesn''t. Cato was like 90% convinced. "Well, sis is handling the captain job no problem on her end. She can even allocate some of her precious time to meet up with you even though she''s busy with so many other things. You better be grateful." "I really appreciate it," Cato spoke honestly. "I know her schedule is packed to the brim. Though, I trust her to cancel our meeting when she''s overscheduled." "You know sis wouldn''t that. She always finishes her tasks, no matter how small or insignificant they are. Like this pointless weekly meeting, for example." Throwing shade, are we now? Cato smiled wryly. "We''ll see how ''insignificant it is. I had three weeks to review our games and prepare some good lines." "Wow, amazing!" Karen clapped. "Oh wait, you say that every week and then lose like a scrub." "Today will be different, okay?" Cato had to urge that or else his fighting spirit will crumble apart. As frustrating as it was, he understood the odds better than anybody. Based on countless past experiences, he had almost no chance of stealing a single win today. Especially, not when Im this busy with Classmancers. Cato thought. On a good day, I can get at least a win or two, but with how busy Ive been recently... Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. There was little to no hope. The more time Cato invested in Classmancers, the bigger the gap between him and his nemesis grew. Then again, she''s also supposedly a captain of a Mancers team, just like me. Cato grumped. And, shes also into a bunch of other sports, too. How can she handle everything at once as if it''s so easy? That girl isn''t human, I''m certain of it now. While all these thoughts were eating at him, he and Karen reached a big guest room. A chessboard was already prepared, alongside drinks and sweets. "So," Cato started. "Judging by the fact you''re the one who came to greet me, I take it Fiona is still busy with her previous appointment?" "Yep." Karen dropped on the sofa. "Gotta wait until sis is free to grace a nobody like you with her presence. Just stuff yourself up until then or something." She grabbed a cookie from the table and threw it into her mouth as an example; unladylike to the bone. "Thanks, but I''ll pass." Cato filled up a cup of water instead. This was his statement against the poison lying on the table. Yes, it was all poison. These expensive sweets looked very attractive, no question about it. They must''ve had some rich flavors to live up to whatever costly price they had. But, eating them before the match was no good. Sugar was a great way to gain a temporary boost of energy, but it never lasted long. Half an hour later, the "crash" was bound to happen. Cato''s concentration will start slipping away and his eyes will grow heavy. I know that all too well from experience. Cato reminded himself. I lost one important tournament match thanks to that kind of poison. Never again. He absolutely wasnt allowed to lay his hands on any of these fine-looking cookies. Absolutely not. No matter how expensive they were, no matter how tasty, and no matter how rich the wrapping looked - he had to resist! And so, he filled his mouth with water. Nothing beats good old water. "Hah. Your loss." Karen shrugged and grabbed a few more cookies. The table was clearly laid out for guests, yet she gobbled the cookies up without any reservations. "So good~" She smiled from ear to ear like a carefree child. She''d actually be cute if she smiled like that more often. "What?" Karen shot him a look. "Nothing." Cato cast his gaze aside. "Hmm." Karen gave him a long dubious stare, then stuffed herself with some more cookies. "You''ll get fat." "Nah. Exercise gonna burn all these calories." "Maybe it will." Cato sized the girl from head to toe. Nobody in their right mind would even think of calling this girl "fat", that''s for sure. She was slim enough to maintain an attractive form, but she wasn''t just skin and bones like many other thin girls. There was a good balance between her slimness and her muscle. This girl is lifting. "Whatcha staring at?" Karen raised her chin. "I''m sorry if I stole your heart, but I''m not available." "Yes, yes. You belong to your dear sister, I know." "That''s right." Karen''s eyes sparkled. "Sis is the most perfect being in this world. Youd have to be at least half as perfect as that to have a chance with me." Perfect to the point of madness, if you ask me. Cato retorted mentally. Though, it wasn''t an attempt at insulting anybody. These were his honest thoughts. The girl known as Fiona Landberht was... a special kind of person. There was definitely something amiss in that otherwise brilliant brain of hers. Heh, as if I''m one to talk. Cato smiled wryly. Nobody in this circle could be called "normal" in the truest sense. Each of them was a weirdo in their own way, an exception to the norm. Maybe that''s why they meshed together so well. And, by "meshing well", I mean we all want to bully each other~ Cato smiled impishly. And so, they waited for the perfect Landberth Princess to grace them with their presence. But, there was no sign of that happening in the upcoming minutes, It was a common occurrence, unfortunately. "Is it going to take long?" "I''m not sure," Karen admitted. "Sis got a piano tournament coming up, so her lessons run longer these days. Besides, you arrived too early." "Fair enough." Cato conceded on that point. He cut club activities short after they had a loaded meeting about Stratus, so he indeed arrived earlier than expected. "Then, how about we play a few rounds?" Cato pointed at the chessboard. "Huh? Why?" "Well, you''re here to keep the guest entertained, right?" "Bitch, I''m not a clown." "Now, now." Cato smiled impishly. "Don''t be so scared. I''ll go easy on you." "Who''s scared?" Karen shot him a glare. "It''s alright, really. I know we''re not on the same level, so I''ll use a handicap." "I don''t need any handicaps to beat a loser like you!" "Bold words, young lady." Cato snickered. Baited. "Fine, let''s do it then!" Karen brought down her foot and slid toward the chessboard. "You can take white." "I said I don''t need any handicaps. You go first." "Very well." Cato shrugged and accepted the offer. I actually prefer black because its better suited for defense, but oh well. He opened with d4, moving a pawn toward the center. It was one of the two most common openings for white, therefore he had to go forth with it despite finding it a tad too aggressive to his tastes. As much as he would have liked to reinvent the entire meta, the opening moves of chess have been researched to death. There was little room for innovation in the first few moves. Karen instantly responded with pawn to f5, attacking Catos territory from the other side of the board. Though this response was called the Dutch Defense, it was anything but a defensive line. On the contrary, it created an asymmetric board state at the very start and invited nothing but chaos. If you gonna attack from that file, then Ill attack from here! Thats the bold declaration Karen Landberth made with this move. This aggressive play fit her bratty personality like a glove. As the younger sister of the Landberth Princess, it was only natural for Karen to also learn some chess. Therefore, she surely knew how wild and unpredictable the Dutch Defense was. Not to mention, her sister probably warned her against this dangerous line. The Dutch Defense was only strong in the hands of very experienced players who researched that line extensively. Yet, despite all that, Karen went ahead with this aggressive play. That was very much like her, which made her both a distasteful and an amusing lass all at once. Against a high-level opponent, Id be a little worried if I saw this response. Cato admitted. But, Karen isnt at that level. So, lets just kick back and have some fun here~ Cato confronted the girls offense with a wall of defense. But, that didnt discourage Karen in the slightest. On the contrary, her attacks only grew fiercer in response. Every move Karen made was like a fist thrust toward Cato''s face. She invaded his territory, sacrificing her pieces to mess up his position, and so forth. All these violent exchanges set her a little back on material. However, in exchange, she had a well-developed oppressive formation, with many pieces occupying active spots. Meanwhile, Cato had mostly utilized his pawns up to this point. Half his pieces remained rooted at their starting positions. They werent hurrying to make an appearance. Generally, being stuck with a bunch of inactive prices was considered a disadvantage in chess. The strengths of pieces like knight and bishop didn''t matter if the pieces werent properly utilized. That''s all true. Cato agreed with that general assessment. But, why apply more strength than I have to? My minions are more than enough to control this game. His stronger pieces were severely undeveloped, but his pawns formed a beautiful formation all around the center on the board. Almost every open spot was eyed by a pawn who was waiting for a chance to strike down a careless invader. Her knight can''t move anywhere. Cato thought. And, if I do this, then this bishop has to retreat all the way back. "Geh." Karen grit her teeth. "Why is it always so..." She bit on her thumb. The hell am I supposed to do here!? The enemy pawns spread throughout the entire board. There were no openings to bust through, no angles to strike from. Do I have to sacrifice something to get through? But, what? Karen didn''t have the faintest idea. That pesky Cato literally erected an unbreakable wall. The army of lowly minions was slowly but surely pushing Karen back. "Why is it always like this." Karen ranted. No matter how aggressively she struck during the early-game, Cato always found a way to establish this obnoxious Wall of China sort of defense. It always forced Karen to rack her brain to find a single decent move. And, even when she did find a move, it was usually dubious at best. Lemme attack already! C''mon! Karen pushed and pushed, but none of her attacks went through. The Great Wall of China had no openings. No matter how hard Karen pressed, she was unable to get in. And, after she delivered countless attacks, it finally happened... "That''s a blunder," Cato said matter-of-factly as he captured Karens bishop with his knight. "Huh? Blunder? No, its not. I just have to..." She was about to capture the enemy knight with her pawn, turning the exchange into a fair trade. "Check." "Ah, crap!" Karen smacked her forehead. She didn''t notice that when Cato moved his knight, it opened a discovery for the bishop chilling in the back. After the knight moved in for the kill, the bishop was now staring down Karens king. It was a check, which meant she couldn''t immediately recapture the knight. Shit, that knight gonna get away scot-free! Karen grimaced. "Ready to throw the towel?" "Hmph, as if." Karen moved her king out of harm''s way. "I''ll get that material back in no time." "My, how reassuring." Cato smiled. But, struggle as you may, this is a wrap. At his level, he could already read how this game will end. There were countless ways to reach a swift checkmate from this position. But, Cato didn''t take any of them. Why risk it? He had the upper hand, so he could keep cornering his opponent, slowly and surely. His army of minions already invaded the enemy territory and pinned down most of Karen''s options. If this were a wrestling match, then Cato would be on top of Karen right now, locking all her joints without giving her any room to breathe. "L-Let go of me! A-Ah!" She''d cry with a cute moan as she struggles out of his iron hold. Delicious. Absolutely delicious. Cato licked his lips. Shes not a strong player, but taking her apart is always fun~ Slowly but surely, Cato drove Karen to a corner. He forced trades that favored him and slowly encircled her king. At this point, even Karen understood it was over. "Shit..." Karen bit even harder on her nails. Despite the desperate situation, she was trying to find something, ANYTHING, she could still do about this. Maybe I can at least force a draw somehow... That was all that remained from her fierce fighting spirit. She already came to terms with the fact she wont win here, but she didnt want to lose either! I haven''t lost, not yet...! Admirable fighting spirit, if nothing else. Cato smiled meaningfully. It was delicious. Opponents who refused to give in until the bitter end were the most beautiful of them all. These were the types of opponents who were most worthy of being broken apart~ At this point, Cato could''ve easily put the girl out of her misery. At a glance, he already spotted a couple of lines for checkmate. All of them needed less than 5 moves. Nonetheless, instead of advancing on the enemy king, Cato pushed his pawns forward. Go forth, my minions! Muhaha! I''m going to get my sweet revenge for that stabbing prank! And so, Cato continued playing with his food as he awaited the arrival of his true nemesis... Vol.13 Ch.10: The Landberht "Princess" "Promoting to queen." Cato took his pawn off the board and replaced it with one of the spare queen pieces. "Geh..." Karen grit her teeth. This was a depressing position to look at. She had zero queens at her disposal, whereas her opponent already had two. Sis, what am I supposed to do here...? There was no line of play that could win her the game, that was clear for a while now. But at this point, even forcing a draw looked like a pipe dream. What was a single rook supposed to do against an army led by two queens? Not to mention, Cato still had a rook and a bishop at this disposal... Feeling the despair yet? Cato snickered as he watched Karen''s pretty face contort. It was delicious~ The girl was writhing with pain and frustration. Good, good~ So, allow me to make that expression even prettier~ Cato advanced another one of his pawns. "Promoting to queen." "H-Haha..." Karen laughed at this ridiculous scene. Three enemy queens on one board. What kind of madness was that? This sort of nonsense never happened when Cato played against Karens sister. But, against Karen herself? Bullshit like this took place at least once in three matches. During games like this, she felt like a clown whose only purpose was to entertain that scumbag. Damn, I SO freakin hate how he plays. Karen ranted. Cato''s playstyle was simply disgusting, no other word to describe it. The guy turtled the entire game, slowly advancing his troops along the different files. Then, toward the endgame, he just LOVED playing with his food and taking his sweet time to corner Karen from all sides. And, whenever the opportunity struck, he always made sure to bully her further by promoting a billion queens. What a shithead. "Not throwing the towel yet?" Cato asked. "N-No," Karen forced the reply through gritted teeth. "Cool," Cato smiled in delight. My, she doesn''t even care that much about chess, yet she''s taking it so hard. She really hates losing that badly, huh. That''s one of the few traits she shares with her older sister. The enemy wasn''t broken quite yet. Therefore, Cato played with his food some more. "Promoting to queen." "Are you building a flippin'' harem here or what!?" Karen cursed. Signs of resignation were already apparent on her face. As tough as she was, even she didn''t have the willpower to combat this bullshit anymore. Mission accomplished. Cato smiled to himself. From here, delivering a mate in one move was a no-brainer. With four queens on the board, it''d be harder to not win right away. "Checkmate." "FINALLY." Karen sighed in relief. Damn, what a shitshow. He walked all over me. Well, not like I care about this boring game anyway... "So, you think you''re hot shit? How about you first-to-ten me in Mancers, big boy?" "My, you sound awfully confident." "Oh, I am. It''ll be a clean 10-0." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Nah, don''t be pessimistic like that. I''m sure you can steal at least one game from me~ "I meant 10-0 for me. I''ll mop the damn floor with your smug ass!" "Heh, I''d like to see that." Sparks formed in the air from their interlocking glares. If they had the ability to shoot lasers out of their eyes, theyd be unleashing that power in full force right now. They were so busy spearing each other that they failed to notice the third person in the room. "Ahem." Fiona Landberht made her presence known. "Ah, sis!" Karen jumped from the sofa. "Sorry, I didn''t see you enter! Why didn''t you say something sooner?" "I saw you were having fun, so it felt wrong to interrupt." "Fun??? Who with whom?" Karen threw a disgusted look at Cato. "That guy was bullying me, sis~" She ran into her sister''s embrace, pretending to cry. "There, there." Fiona patted the girl''s head. "This match does appear to be in bad taste." She understood the situation at a glance. With four queens on the board, it was easy to imagine for how long Cato was dragging the game out. "Honestly, I cannot say this is very sportsmanlike of you." "I was just messing around a little." Cato also left the sofa to greet Fiona. Logically, there was no reason to do that. He was the guest here and Fiona was just a girl one year younger than him. Nonetheless, something compelled him to stand up in the presence of her majesty. "Besides," Cato continued. "It was a little revenge for how your sister pulled out a toy and-" "A-Ah!" Karen jumped hysterically. Good reaction~ Cato smiled impishly. This type of revenge was far more effective than bullying the barbarian girl in chess. "Yes?" Fiona titled her head. "She pulled out a toy and...?" "She demanded me to buy her another one like it. The nerve, am I right?" "Oh, I see." Fiona nodded. "Karen, you can''t demand presents like that, not even from your boyfriend." "W-Who''s my boyfriend!?" Karen exploded. "Now, now." Fiona calmed down the rating tiger with a soft head pat. It was super effective. "Prrr." Karen purred while snuggling against her sister. This brat was sure acting all sweet and innocent in front of her sister, but she wasnt fooling anybody. There was a dormant tiger inside of her, ready to pounce at Cato at any moment. "Sorry for making you wait," Fiona apologized. "Don''t sweat it," Cato said. "Your cute little sister entertained me enough." "Hey!" Karen retorted. "I''m not your personal clown, you know." "Karen, please." Fiona calmed the girl down with a gentle head rub. It was like watching a tamer subduing a tiger cub. "Sis, please avenge me!" Karen pleaded. "Of course." Fiona nodded with a smile. A gentle smile, yet a majestic one. It was brimming with unwavering confidence. "I''ll not lose." Everything about her radiated that message. A girl with the gentleness of a mother, but also the ruthlessness of a beast. She was pretty and elegant like a porcelain doll, but also surprisingly strong and hard-boiled like a veteran soldier. This was Fiona Landberht, or the "Landberht Princess" as the media called her. But, Cato knew better than that. This girl was no princess by any stretch of the imagination. Shes at least a queen, if not a goddess. Despite knowing Fiona for many years, Cato always felt like he was in the presence of a supreme being. It was hard to believe that Fiona was made of the same flesh and blood as him. The word "perfection" must have been invented to describe beings such as her. Her golden long hair, her deep blue eyes, and her slim yet muscular limbs. One would not be able to find a single fault with her form, no matter where they looked. Even her height struck the perfect balance, rivaling that of boys her age but not surpassing it to the point of ridicule. Likewise, there were no faults with the way she carried herself either. Always calm and collected, respectful and reasonable. Truly, this queen was blessed with everything. But, as somebody who had been hanging out with Fiona from a young age, Cato knew this was all a facade, a persona she wore to live up to expectations. And today, once again, he came here to make a dent in that perfect mask. Unmasking this goddess and dragging her down to earth was perhaps his greatest wish. Thus, he''ll challenge her to a duel! And, he''ll do everything in his power to trample all over her! Vol.13 Ch.11: Engine Lines "Shall we begin?" Fiona asked. She already finished rearranging the chessboard and sat down in front of it, maintaining the perfect posture of a lady. "Alright, let''s get this rolling." "You can take white if you wish." "Haha, no." Cato tossed a coin to decide sides. For the better or the worse, he didn''t get white. "So stubborn," Fiona said. "In my humble opinion, you should first focus on beating me with white." "I can beat you with black just fine." "Is that so." Fiona disagreed but she didn''t pursue the topic any further. And yet, Cato couldn''t help but sense pity from her expression. Tch, that''s the most aggravating part about her. Unlike Cato would have done in her shoes, Fiona didn''t say those things to irritate her opponent or throw them off their game. As far as she was concerned, she was merely stating the truth. She was just innocently and unintentionally trampling all over Cato''s pride. I''ll show her. Cato declared silently. I''ve had more than enough time to study our previous games. I''m ready for anything! In the past few weeks, he went over every single game he lost to Fiona this year. Each and every dubious play he made had to be analyzed in detail. Thankfully, many smart chess engines existed today. They deconstructed the games for Cato and advised him what he couldve done better, even showing him predictions of how the opponent wouldve likely responded to these alternative lines. That made the reviewing process both easier and fruitful. I have strong answers this time. I can steal a win or two from her. Cato was convinced. Fiona opened the game with pawn to e4. And so, the test began. Could Cato''s new insights defeat the "Landberht Princess" this time? "Princess", huh. More like an Ice Queen. The girl in front of him was like a manifestation of cold winter. There was not a trace left of her earlier friendliness. The moment the game began, her face turned stone cold. When competing in anything, Fiona was like an empress who stood at the top above everybody. She exhibited unparalleled skill with ice-cold precision as she crushed everybody in her path without any mercy. There wasn''t a single crack in her current expression. There were no hints of happiness or sadness. There was only unbreakable concentration on the task at hand. My, a truly irritating girl. Cato smiled impishly. But, that''s what makes her all the more worthy of breaking apart~ Every time he found himself in front of that stoic face, Cato had the urge to claw at it, to tear down that mask of confidence. Doubt, anger, anguish, or despair. This girl should show at least a fraction of any of these emotions. But, Fiona always refused these demands. She fired one calculated move after another, all the while wearing her stoic expression. This is getting bad... Cato frowned. The game was about to hit the mid-game, but he could already tell his position was very suspect. It was difficult to fully analyze all aspects of the position at hand. He wasnt a chess engine, so couldnt deconstruct all the possible lines on the spot, definitely not within the limited time he had to make his moves. Nonetheless, he had been in similar scenarios before. So, he could tell where this game was headed. Unlike Karen''s kamikaze playstyle, Fiona played chess by the book. She valued swift, but steady, piece development for the early game. Then, during the mid-game, she made smart use of all the pieces she installed across the board, submitting her opponent through the flexible strength of her army formation. Compared to Fiona''s well-developed army, some of Catos strong pieces were stuck in the back row. As usual, he valued developing his pawns alongside his other pieces. That allowed him to establish tight control over his side of the board and erect an airtight defensive wall. Therefore, breaking past his defenses was no easy task. Nonetheless, Fiona always found a way to maneuver around it. While Cato was busy building up his wall, Fiona masterfully snuck her developed pieces through the cracks. And so, by the time Cato finished establishing his almighty defense - it was too late. Too many enemies invaded his territory and threatened to oppress his king. Looks like I got a long way to go before I can play like an engine. Cato sighed. The standard chess theory was to develop pieces as quickly as possible during the early-game and then castle. That was the basic strategy everybody preached to newcomers, and that''s how Cato started learning chess as well. It was an effective approach for building a stable position, as Ms. By-The-Book over there was proving. However, Cato always found that concept a little odd. Pawns were the weakest and most expendable units at ones disposal, so why not send them to the frontline first? It made more sense to first send scouts into enemy territory and establish a line of defense, and only then start attacking. Alas, Cato didn''t have much success with that approach. Once he started experimenting with pawn tactics, even weaker opponents started beating him every now and then. Frankly, it was a little depressing. The strategy that made the most sense to him and seemed like the most fun - never worked out. After trying and trying and trying for nearly half a year, Cato was ready to call it quits. He concluded that the defensive pawn tactic had no place in the modern chess meta, so it was better to play by the book like a goody-two-shoes. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. But, just as he was about to give up, his chess teacher introduced him to a chess engine. It was equipped with advanced AI that could even beat the strongest players in the world, even with the handicap of starting with one less pawn. The engine could analyze a match step-by-step and criticize every single move Cato made, as well as advise better moves. That allowed him to quickly study his games and learn from his mistakes. But, that wasn''t the most impressive thing about chess engines, not for Cato. What fascinated him even more was watching how engines played the game. In particular, engine vs. engine matches was a sight to behold. Unlike humans, engines had no reason to conform to standard theory preached by mentors. These engines had one goal only - to win. They didn''t care how they were going to achieve it. They just wanted to get the best results, to grasp victory in the most reliable way. That''s why their moves came off as "inhuman" at times. And, that''s also why they used strategies that were never seen before by humans. And, one such strategy was... "Pawn development!" Cato jumped in joy the first time he saw it an engine vs. engine match. Instead of using the normal "human" game theory, the engines developed their own idea of what it meant to "play chess". And, one of their strategies involved developing their pawns as aggressively as their other pieces. "I knew it! That''s how chess was meant to be played all along!" Cato regained his determination. No matter what human teachers preached him, only the engines knew how to truly play Chess at the highest level possible! These AI were superior even to genius grandmasters who dedicated their entire lives to chess. Truly, the AI was the closest to "solving" the deep game that was chess! If the engines believed that developing pawns during the early game was a valid strategy, then they were surely correct. Therefore, no matter how much the mentors insisted, Cato was determined to study pawn defense! As expected, it was a rough road. The teachers didn''t warn him just because they were stuck in their old ways. Their concerns about this tactic were legit. It was hard to win with this method, way harder than with standard human theory. The engines made it look so easy, but Cato often found himself fighting an uphill battle. "These engines are geniuses." That was Cato''s honest impression as a kid. The AI made the pawn tactic look like one of the strongest tactics available, but Cato experienced first-hand how fragile it was. Pawns were the only pieces that couldn''t move backward. Once they started marching, there was no option of withdrawing them from the battlefield. That flaw made them interesting, but also that much harder to pilot correctly. As a result, moving a single pawn was a complex move that bore many consequences for the rest of the match. And, moving multiple pawns in a row was exponentially more complex than that. As such, one needed amazing foresight to avoid committing any fatal mistakes while deploying pawns. The player had to be able to read the game many turns ahead and adjust accordingly. That was something AI could do easily, but humans not so much. No matter how much Cato studied the lines made by engines, it was difficult to fully comprehend their "thought process", so to speak. How much ahead do they see? Can humans even learn to calculate that far ahead? Cato couldn''t help but wonder. As time passed, he started agreeing with the teachers. Playing like that was beyond reasonable human ability. But, did that mean Cato had to entirely abandon that playstyle and stick only to standard theory? Hell no. Even if humans couldn''t quite play like engines, they could at least strive to get closer to that ideal. "I like making my minions charge forward. That''s what makes the most sense to me." Some of Cato''s childish ideologies mixed into that motivation, but it was all good. As long as he could play in a way that satisfied him and still get wins, that''s all he needed from chess as a competitive game. It''s not like he was aiming to become a grandmaster and dedicate his life to chess. Therefore, as long as he got satisfactory results with a strategy he enjoyed, he was a happy man. But, as always, it''s rough. Cato frowned as he examined the board state. He fell too far behind in piece development and the defenses he erected didn''t make up for the lost time. Where did I blunder? Was it better to keep that pawn on b6? He wondered about a move he made five turns earlier. At the time, it seemed like a decent move that strengthened his control on the right side of the board. But now, much later, he had to bear the consequences of making the pawn on b6 advance. There was no way to return the pawn back to b6 and Fiona knew that. Thus, she built her game plan around pressuring this small crack in Catos otherwise impenetrable defense. She got me. Cato sighed. Itll be an uphill battle from there. My best bet is to drag this out into the end-game and hope I can get something rolling there. Alas, against this stone-faced queen, the phase of the game didnt matter. Early-game, mid-game, or end-game - she excelled in all of them. Cato had no chance of recovering from the weak position he found himself in. It was over. "I resign," Cato said. It was an unfortunate outcome but knowing when to give up was important too, especially in a game like chess where matches could last hours. Cato had a terrible disadvantage and he was playing against the Landberht Princess, the crowned champion of this region. There was no chance of a comeback from there. Instead, it was best to switch gears and move on to the next game. After all, he didn''t come all the way here to play just one game. Likewise, he wasnt naive enough to expect to win on the first try. Itll be a thorny path, but eventually, hell seize victory through adaptation and preservation! "Great job, sis!" Karen sang prises, smiling from ear to ear. "You''re the best~!" "Thank you." Fiona smiled softly and accepted her sister''s affectionate snuggle. "Well then." Karen smirked as she laid her eyes on Cato. "You lost, so you can leave now. Shoo shoo." "My, is that how the Landberht household treats its guests?" "Karen." Fiona said strongly. "No need to be rude. He came all the way here despite his busy schedule, so well play until he''s satisfied." "But, I wanted to play some Ranked together~" Karen pouted. "The day is still young. Don''t worry, I''ll win two or three more games, then well move on." My, so confident, arent we? Cato made a face. Alas, he couldn''t retort because statistics supported Fiona''s unwavering confidence. Cato''s win rate against her was exceedingly low. In fact, it was so low it could break any regular man''s fighting spirit. But, not me. Cato took a deep breath and oiled his brain gears for the next fight. I can beat her. I just have to wait for her to make an inaccuracy, then I can strike her down! "Do you wish to review the game?" Fiona asked. "No need," Cato said. "I more or less know where it went wrong." "Your piece development was on the slower side." "Yeah, that." Cato made a face. She just had to go ahead and say it, huh. I''m so tired of hearing this one. Sigh. Of course his piece development was on the slower side, that was his playstyle. The way Fiona felt the need to criticize it every single time almost felt like a personal attack. In fact, maybe it really was. For the heir of the prestigious Landberht family, anything less than the "best" was unsightly. So, most likely, Catos suboptimal playstyle disgusted the girl to the core. Good, good. Cato snickered. I''ll use this "disgusting" strategy to bring you down! Let''s see how it makes you feel, hehe. And so, they moved on to their second game of the day... Vol.13 Ch.12: Phantom From the Past The second game began. This time, Cato was more attentive to the way Fiona developed her pieces. That whippersnapper was certainly planning to sneak past Catos wall of defines again, so he had to make sure to catch the burglar in time. I remember this line. Cato realized. Thus far, the game has been progressing in a very predictable direction. I researched this line last week. Since the game began, the two of them have only been exchanging theoretical by-the-book blows. They were both familiar with these positions, so they knew how to optimally respond to each others moves. They were essentially playing on autopilot from their memory. But, like in any match, the position gradually deviated from known theory. They were approaching unfamiliar territory for which memory wouldnt be enough. At least, for one of them, it shouldnt be. I remember checking this position out. Cato thought back on the extensive research he did with the chess engine just the other week. She''s going to stump me with that knight in two moves. Thats how it played out the last time we reached this position. It was impossible to forget that nasty move. It was a sneaky knight that slipped past his attention. It was a mistake that cost Cato the game about a month ago. Naturally, being the theory lover he was, Cato made sure to record the game and add it to the many other losing positions he had to research. It took him a couple of weeks to finally get around to studying that position, but it was a good thing he did. That knight is bad news. Cato thought back on the engines board evaluation. The position was more or less even until Fiona moved her knight, then the odds shot up astronomically in Whites favor. At that time, Cato vaguely understood it was a blunder on his end, but he didnt expect that one play to be SO devastating. According to the engine, it rendered the entire game unwinnable for Black. As such, Cato absolutely had to research that devastating position and learn how to prevent such shenanigans in the future. And, after an extensive research session, he found a couple of answers the engine approved of. Allow me to casually move this pawn over here. Cato smiled impishly. C''mon, now go for the same line. You got a series of "good" moves ahead of you, so you wouldn''t miss them, will you? Just play like last time, it''ll be good for you~ But, Fiona didn''t move right away. Unlike last time, when she went for the good moves right away, this time around she was taking her sweet time. My, is something wrong? Cato''s smile twitched a little. You got all this great setup, so itd be a shame if you dont utilize it, right? Last time, you went for it without batting an eye. Why not this time? Yet, Fiona continued thinking. It was a little uncharacteristic for the Landberht Princess, who was known for her fast and precise playstyle. The way she carried herself always made it seem like she could find the best move for any situation in less than a second. But of course, chess wasn''t such a simple game. There were always moves and positions that stumped players, and the Landberht Princess was no exception. "It was a splendid response," Fiona said as she finally made her move. Unfrotatuenly, it wasn''t quite the move Cato was expecting... "My, that''s new." Cato did his best to maintain a smile but his brows joined into a frown. "I was sure you''ll capture my knight." "I almost did," Fiona admitted. "But, then I remembered we played a similar position a few weeks ago." "Impressive memory as always," Cato said. It wasn''t sarcasm, he truly meant it. For him, that game was memorable because he found himself mopped by a nasty move he wanted to research. However, for Fiona, that game was just another victory, one of countless. And yet, she seemed to have a vague recollection of it. "I''m surprised you noticed what I was aiming for," Cato admitted. Even with how much time Fiona took to analyze the board, the trap Cato laid out should''ve been difficult for a human to spot. The importance of the pawn he moved was only going to reveal itself later, in a tricky way that wasnt immediately obvious. Therefore, unless Fiona literally had an engine installed in her head, she shouldn''t have been able to figure it out. At least, not this quickly. "Truth to be told," Fiona confused. "I still can''t quite tell what this pawn is supposed to achieve. But, it looked like a very deliberate move. Knowing you, I am sure you have researched this position after losing. So, if that''s a response the engine advised, then it must be a trap of some sort." "Haha, maybe..." Cato was too naive. Just because he spent hours researching this position and found a strong counter, it didn''t mean he''d be able to coast to victory just from that. What a bummer. Cato grumped. I demand compensation for all the hours I spent researching this position. Sigh. After Fiona sidestepped the trap, the pawns position became a little suspect. As the game went on and Fiona consistently refused to take the bait, the pawns position became one of the weak spots in Catos defense. Don''t people always say that "hard work is rewarded"? Cato smiled scornfully. That''s a load of bullcrap when you''re faced with genuine talent. His game theory was weaker, his analytical skills were inferior, and even his research wasn''t good enough. On all fronts, Cato was losing to Fiona. She was like an almighty goddess with no openings. Looks like I have to rely on some good old psychological warfare to shake her up. He no longer felt like he''ll be able to win through regular means. It was time to try attacking Fiona''s mental state. "By the way," Cato started. "About Yuel." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Yes?" Fiona''s eyes immediately unglued themselves from the board. Good reaction. Cato already found one weakness he could strike. "Remember how he was supposed to play for StormBlitz?" "Of course." "So, you wont believe it. About a week ago, he played in a scrimmage... as part of Stratus! "........... Fiona blinked with a frozen expression. It seemed that information was too much to process, even for her. Oh, in case you don''t know, Stratus is supposed to be the weakest team in the region." ... yes, I have heard as much. It is a team that has never gone past the first round in the regionals." "Yeah, that''s the one. And, for some ungodly reason, Yuel plays for that team! What do you think of this development? Bizarre, isn''t it?" "Yes, it is." Fiona''s stoic expression cracked for the first time today. There was visible disgust on her face. Good, good. Cato smiled to himself. Let the anger consume you~ Do you know for what reason is he playing on Straus instead of StormBlitz? Apparently, he switched schools. Cato shrugged. I doubt his goal was to switch teams, but who knows. Any ideas? "None. In truth, I never seem to understand what Yuel Fermond is thinking. It appears his actions continue to be as bizarre as they have always been." "I know, right? Imagine leaving the 2nd best team in the region to join the bottom-tier underdogs. Even for a sports drama story, that''d be a stretch." "Right. I also found it hard to believe the first time I heard it." "Wait, you already knew about it?" "Yes, I happened to come across this unfortunate information a short while ago." Fiona sighed deeply. "I believe it is imperative for me to familiarize myself with all the teams in the region, so I watched a replay of the Taurus-Stratus scrimmage. It was... quite different from what I expected." "Yeah, I don''t think a single person out there expected to see anything quite like it." Cato smiled wryly. Drat, even this news couldn''t catch her off guard! Then again, I guess it''s too late to call it "news" at this point. It was naive to think that Fiona wouldn''t be at the top of her game in terms of information. Even though she picked up Classmancers only recently, she already knew everything about the regional scene. Thats the kind of perfectionist Fiona Landberht was. Despite possessing unparalleled talent in everything she touched, this girl never neglected her studies and practice. Thus, it was virtually impossible to catch up to her. How are we, commoners, supposed to defeat a genius who practices just as hard as us? Cato pouted. That should be illegal. It kills any chances of hard work triumphing over talent. Life can be such a shitshow sometimes. Sigh. The news Cato brought wasnt even news for Fiona, but at least the topic itself seemed to weigh on her mind a little. There were subtle hints of irritation on Fiona''s stoic expression now. It took a really keen eye to notice them, but Cato was more than qualified. After all, he has been observing Fionas mask for years now, always searching for the faintest cracks. And, whenever Yuel was the topic of discussion, these cracks often showed up, small as they were. Yuel was like an anomaly in the fabric of reality. Whether it was luck or not, he was one of the very few opponents who successfully tore down Fiona''s stoic mask and flustered her with unorthodox moves. Therefore, she probably wont forget this grudge until the day she dies. I thank you kindly, Yuel. Cato snickered. Thanks to you, I now always have a topic I can annoy Fiona with~ Ever since Yuel was mentioned, Fiona clearly lost some of her edge. Of course, she still unleashed strong tempo moves and terrorized the battlefield with her queen, but Cato found a couple of openings here and there. His defensive pawn formation hasn''t been broken yet and he was slowly, but surely, advancing on the enemy king. "Check." Fiona declared. Her queen cut through the center of the board and invaded straight into Cato''s territory, bypassing his marvelous defensive formation. My, arent you overextending a little with that queen? Cato had no choice but to move his king out of harm''s way, but that''s all Fionas scary move achieved. Now, Fionas queen was deep within Catos territory. She was eying one of his pawns and controlling the rank she was one, but that was the extent of her threat. Nothing to worry about. I think this is time to attack. Cato ignored the queen and went on the offensive. Her moves are clearly softer than usual. This is the time to bring her down! Cato delivered one attack after another. He forced Fiona''s king to turtle up at the corner of the board with few options of escape. In addition, he even forced some unfavorable piece exchanges on her. Slowly but surely, Cato was driving the Landberht Princess to a corner...! I should be good from here. Cato was almost convinced. Lets see here. I capture, then she captures, then I capture. Then probably captures, captures, and captures. Then, I go in with the rook and that''s GG, right? But, Fiona threw a wrench in that prediction at the very start. She didn''t capture Cato''s knight in response to his capture. Instead, she moved her overextending Queen even further into Catos territory. "Ack!" Cato couldn''t help but produce a silly sound. This dang queen...! It was an unexpected factor. The queen had been overextending in his territory the entire time with minimal options, so he didn''t care much for her presence while he was busy mounting his offense. If anything, it was a joyous situation. For once, Fiona''s queen wasn''t placed on the most oppressive spot possible. She wasnt terrorizing the entire board, allowing Cato to breathe in relief. But, I was naive. Cato bit his lip. The joy was temporary. Even when it was a little dulled, Fiona''s brain was sharp enough to slice a mountain. From a seemingly weak position, she returned her queen into the game with a tempo, forking his knight and rook. It stopped Cato''s offense in its tracks. My, this is not good. Not good at all... Cato recalculated his options. With the queen simultaneously applying pressure on his attacking pieces and also on his king''s general direction, the entire evaluation of the board flipped on its head. Now, Cato was the one who had to rack his brain to find a way to defend himself. "That was careless of you," Fiona criticized. "You had a strong game going, but you pushed a little too hard and a little too early." "That I did." Cato had no reason to deny it. He blundered somewhere in that offense. Most likely, the critical move was three turns ago, when he made his rook join the offense. He was preparing to harass Fiona''s king by controlling the D file, but he created an unexpected opening in his backline in the process. My, what a disaster. That''s what happens when you try to be a smartass and plan your offense many turns in advance. Cato sighed at his own rashness. He felt like a kid who got baited by a candy. Just because Fiona wasn''t at the top of her game for a moment, Cato was tempted to go for all that uncharacteristic aggression. Offense has never been his forte, so trying to dabble at it out of the blue became his undoing. That''s a wrap. Cato sighed. In the end, he couldn''t recover from that one tempo move of the enemy queen. After the unpleasant fork, Fiona followed up with a flurry of tempo moves, most of which were handled directly by the queen. Rather than letting the soldiers do the lifting, Her Majesty left her throne and traveled all around the battlefield, terrorizing everybody with her supreme might. Through unparalleled flexibility and raw strength, the queen almost single-handedly tore Cato''s position apart. It''s like the queen was Fiona herself, flexing that godly talent she had. And so, another match came to an end. Yet again, Cato lost... Vol.13 Ch.13: Vengeful Queen "This was the mistake that cost you the game." Fiona quickly rearranged the position from memory and showed Cato just how greedy his rook move was. "The engine will be able to tell for sure, but overall I agree." Cato nodded. "I should''ve waited a few more turns with that." "If I had to share my honest opinion," Fiona said. "No offense, but your skills have dulled." "Did they?" Cato smiled wryly. "Maybe you just became that much better this year." "I don''t believe that''s the case. At the very least, I haven''t had an easier time against anybody else in particular. However, matches against you have been disappointing as of late." "Haha, harsh..." Cato tried to shrug it off with a laugh, but he couldn''t deny that Fionas words pierced through his chest like a knife. So, what did this mean, exactly? That, instead of getting closer to his ultimate goal of beating Fiona, he was only drifting farther and farther away. And worst of all, he felt that too even without Fiona saying that in his face. "It seems that managing a competitive team is taking its toll on you." "I guess it does." Cato sighed amd threw his back at the comfy sofa. "It''s no easy job, especially now that we have a scrimmage every other week. I''m busier than ever. We have to review every enemy team, strategize against them, and then practice all these strategies. There''s no end to the amount of work." "Sounds rough." Fiona nodded in understanding. "Heh, weakling." Karen lifted her chin. "Sis is also a captain now but she doesn''t make excuses like that." "Karen." Fiona placed a hand on her sister''s head as always. "Meow~" Karen rubbed her head against the hand like a kitten. It almost made her look cute, if not for the rest of her personality. "Speaking of being a captain," Cato said. "How is your fresh team doing? I heard you finally got approval to play at the regionals?" "Yes, that we did." "And here I thought it was a lost cause. Didn''t they say it was too late to apply with a new team at this point?" "It was just a matter of their personal convenience," Fiona said. "They have already started preparing for the upcoming season, so they didn''t want to make any last-moment adjustments. Lazy of them, if you ask me. The sport is far from thriving in our region, so they should be thankful for any additional talent they can get their hands on." "I''m with you there." Cato nodded. "To be honest, I''m even more surprised that your school allowed you to form a Mancers club. I was sure that ''video gaming'' is as far as you can possibly get from the image of a ''proper lady'', or whatever theyre preaching there." "Times are changing," Fiona explained. "Sports were traditionally considered a men''s activity, but nowadays it is not politically correct to disregard women''s sports. Even an old-fashioned school like ours has no choice but to adapt to the times, or else they will hear complaints." "For real, though." Karen spat a sigh. "I wish they hurried up with that ''adaptation'' thingy. This school is like a fossil." "Don''t say that." Fiona patted the cat''s head. "It''s a prestigious school with a long history." "More like, its stuck in history." Karen pouted for a moment, but soon dropped the topic in favor of rubbing her head against her sister''s hand. "All in all," Fiona said. "Things are proceeding smoothly on my end. We successfully arranged three scrimmages, one of which is against your team." "Oh, so Rodriguez pulled through, huh." "Yes, he was very helpful throughout the entire process," Fiona said. "As the only middle school coach in our region, and one who consistently delivers his team to the nationals, his words carry considerable weight. I''m very thankful for his hard work." Well duh, of course he''d work hard. Cato snickered. I bet there was a fine sum involved in the process. Fiona, or maybe her father, must''ve come forth with a juicy offer in order to convince Rodriguez to join this expedition. After all, Coach already had his hands full managing the Leopards and the gigantic club, so he shouldnt have time for anything else. And yet, Rodriguez agreed to serve as Fiona''s personal coach and even negotiated with the tournament organizers to enter Fionas team into the regionals. Surely, no adult man would go to such lengths without appropriate compensation. Well, I''m sure part of it is passion. Cato gave credit where credit was due. Rodriguez wasn''t some clout-chasing coach who only cared about crowning his personal team as the champions. He genuinely cared about the competitive scene in the region and worked to promote it at any opportunity. Therefore, adding a prestigious girls'' school like St. Mary to the competitive scene must''ve been an appealing opportunity for him, regardless of any potential cash involved. Of course, Fiona deserved much of the credit as well. This girl successfully convinced her father that Classmancers was a legitimate modern sport, and she somehow pressured for old-fashioned school into allowing a Classmancers club to exist. As always, It felt like this girl could achieve anything she set her mind to. Truly, a human from a higher plane of existence. Then again, with enough money and the right connections, nothing is impossible. As a renowned politician, Fiona''s father could make many unthinkable things happen thanks to his reputation alone. Fiona merely had to introduce herself as the man''s daughter and people would roll out a red carpet for her. Indeed, the nickname "princess" sounded quite fitting here. "So, you''ll have a scrim against us, huh." Cato smiled impishly. "Don''t worry, we''ll go easy on you." "No need for that," Fiona asserted. "By the time we get to face you, our team will already be at a national level." "My, that''s quite the declaration. Is your team filled with a bunch of geniuses?" "Not at all. I simply believe that, as long as our team trains hard enough, it will reach that level. You do not have to be a genius to get results." If only real life was that simple. Cato smiled wryly. There are plenty of people out there who don''t achieve their goals no matter how hard they work. Then again, I guess a true genius wouldn''t understand the struggles of us commoners. There was no chance that Fiona Landberht, the natural-born genius, would relate to the struggles of normal people. She was the type to succeed in anything she tried her hand in, no matter how difficult it was or how many such activities she was busy with at the same time. Even now, she was active in track-and-field and volleyball at school, as well as practiced piano and chess. She also apparently had regular swimming lessons, alongside other fitness activities. And, these were only the things Cato was aware of. Who knew what else Fiona squeezed into her packed schedule. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. On top of all that, she recently set her eyes on Classmancers as well. This girl was like a machine. She was a master of both sports and strategy, the kind of perfect being that wasn''t allowed to exist in this world. Whenever she claims she can do something, it always feels like she''ll definitely achieve that goal, no matter how unrealistic it seems. Cato thought. So, shes right. I better not take her lightly just because her team is filled with greenhorns. She might catch me off guard. Of course, Cato didn''t really believe that a player with less than one years worth of experience would pose a real challenge to the Leopards. Nevertheless, a little bit of extra caution never hurt. There was no question that Fiona Landberht wasn''t a girl to be underestimated, regardless of her experience. "So," Cato continued the conversation, hoping to distract his opponent some more during the game. "What''s your impression of Mancers so far?" "It''s an interesting game," Fiona said as she shot a strong move that stumped Cato on the spot. She isn''t losing her focus at all! Cato ranted internally. In fact, it felt like Catos performance was the one that dropped the most during the conversation. My, what an ironic example of ''you reap what you sow''. Well, no matter. At least, I can use the chit-chat to distract myself from this agony. "So, you like Mancers more than Chess?" "Hard to say," Fiona answered. "They''re completely different games. But, Classmancers does demand an acceptable combination of study, practice, and skill in order to master it. In that regard, I fully understand how it became a competitive game." "That''s right!" Karen tuned in. "It''s one heck of a deep game! Sis and I gonna master it and win nationals this year!" "You''ll try," Cato retorted with a smirk. "Honesty, I expect much more from Fiona who just picked the game, than from you whos been playing it for years." "What was that!?" Karen shot him a glare, but soon relaxed after giving it some more thought. "Well, of course sis is amazing at anything she does. I''m sure she''ll reach pro-level in no time, so yeah, I guess I kinda agree with that." "My, no faith in your own skill?" "Of course I got skill," Karen asserted. "Enough skill to beat some kids'' team like the Leopards." My, the slander. Just you watch, well mop the floor with you! Karen asserted. Youre small fry for sis. She gonna reach pro level real soon. "These are very high expectations." Fiona smiled softly as she patted her sister''s head. "I doubt my level will reach that of a professional player in just a year. However, within the realm of rivaling other players my age, I am quite sure I can reach the top." "My, such confidence. Keep in mind there are some scary players even at our age," Cato warned. "Even at our very club, we got one guy who is... special, for the lack of a better word." "Yes, I''ve heard about the Korean transfer student," Fiona said. "According to Rodriguez, he can hold his own against C-League professionals." "Indeed, Ive seen it with my own two eyes. In the few times we got to scrim against pros, that guy actually gave them a hard time. Hes something else." "From what I have heard of his backstory, I do not think I will be able to reach his level in a single year. Apparently, he has been working himself to the bone for many years to reach his current level." "That''s what Ive heard too." Cato shrugged. "I dunno how brutal the training regime in Korea is, but the guy is definitely a beast. There''s even one very proud player on our team who really hates losing to others, but even he had to admit the Korean player is on a whole different level." "Heh, no problem!" Karen grinned. "By the time we get to the regionals, sis will be ten times better than that Korean dude!" "I appreciate the faith you have in me. "Real talk though," Karen said. "I still can''t believe sis and I gonna compete together in a video game of all things. I never thought you''d give them a try." "Admittedly, due to the way I was raised, I have never held video games in high regard," Fiona explained. "I was taught that video games are a cheap form of entertainment that solely exists to lure kids into spending all their time and money. As such, I always imagined video games as some evil creature that wanders around, tempting kids into braindead fun in order to suck dry their souls and wallets." "My, that''s quite the image." Cato giggled. The picture Fiona painted was entertaining enough on its own, but Cato had even more fun imagining a small Fiona living with that image in her head. A small and honest little girl, traversing through the foggy darkness all by herself. Behind her, a cackling wrinkly wizard chasing her, his words echo throughout the area: "Come play this video game, little girl~" Truly, it was a thing of nightmares~ "Little by little," Fiona continued. "My opinion on video games started changing after I watched Karen play them." "Mhm." Karen puffed her chest. "That''s right, I''m the one who introduced sis to the fun world of video gaming!" She was really proud of herself for some reason. "That''s true, though I still do not play them much," Fiona said. "I simply do not have time to get into them." Imagine a middle schooler saying they have no time to play video games. Cato shook his head. Worst of all, its 100% true in her case. I dont know where she even finds the time to BREATHE with her schedule. "You could say Classmancers is the first video game I am seriously getting into. Karen fervently recommended it and you picked it up as well. And, also..." "Yuel plays it too," Cato completed the sentence for her. "Admit it, you started Mancers just to get back at him~" "Not at all," Fiona said evenly. There were no visible cracks in her stoic expression, so it was hard to tell whether it was a lie or not. But, my gut is telling me I''m on the money here. Cato snickered. She got extra interested in the game after I mentioned Yuel was also playing it. Throughout Fiona Landberht''s impressive chess career, there was one stain she couldn''t wipe away no matter how hard she tried. It was her infamous match against Yuel, a one-in-a-million incident in which she lost her cool and cracked under pressure. For this proud lady who held composure in the highest regard, losing herself during a match was perhaps the highest degree of disgrace. And, Yuel was the one lucky opponent who drove her into that dark corner, tearing her apart limb by limb. Naturally, being the sore loser she was, Fiona sought revenge against that offender. She practiced, practiced, and practiced some more, aiming to improve tremendously for their inevitable rematch... that never came. In the following year, Yuel became a completely changed man. His interest no longer laid with chess and he didn''t even reach the finals that year. Needless to say, Fiona was fuming over the fact. No matter how hard she tried to conceal her true feelings on the matter, it was clear as day to Cato. After all, I felt it on my own flesh that day. She lashed hard at me. Cato smiled wryly as he recalled the finals from that day. It was a massacre, pure and simple. Fiona one-sidedly mopped the floor with Cato on that day. It was a tale of horrors. All the pent-up frustration Fiona accumulated throughout the year came gushing out, sweeping Cato away like a tsunami. He almost considered quitting chess after that crushing defeat. In fact, that soul-crushing experience was probably what gave him the push to pursue Classmancers more seriously, for it was an alternative for satisfying his competitive fix. Anyway, that was the entire tale of Fiona''s revenge story. Or, more correctly, it was a tale about undelivered revenge. In the end, Fiona never got a chance to enact revenge on her target. And, she pretty much lost the chance to do so forever that day. Yuel openly stated he was going to focus on Classmancers from there onward, which explained why his chess skills fell so flat that day. And, his skill might never improve in the future, not as long as he was so deeply invested in Classmancers. In that sense, Fiona will never be able to get true revenge on him anymore. She''ll never get to face Yuel at his peak. The guy became a shadow of his former self after getting into Classmancers. At present, he was nothing more than a lowly being who wasn''t worth Fiona''s time. And so, Fiona had to find another way to deliver that pending revenge. And, what better way was there to get revenge than to beat the guy at his own game? That''s why the Landberht Princess was now trying her hand at Classmancers. At least, that''s the way I see it. Cato smiled impishly. Even if Im only half correct on this, Im still very proud of myself for how much oil I added to this fire~ Cato felt like a puppeteer, manipulating Fiona into joining the Classmancers scene. And now, the proud queen found herself as an amateur in a complex game where Cato was already an expert. It''s time for my sweet sweet revenge, muhaha! Cato barely held back his laughter. Finally, he got the chance to compete against Fiona in something other than chess. He''ll drag that amateur through the mud in front of everybody! Itll be so fun~ At long last, Cato will make up for all the years he suffered under the queens merciless reign in chess. She had no power in Classmancers! Muhaha! "Checkmate." "Geh..." Cato''s shoulder slumped. It was a nice dream he had there. But for now, in the real world, he was still under Fionas heel when they competed in chess. Regardless, the tables will turn once they face off in Classmancers! There, Cato will be the bully~ Vol.13 Ch.14: The "Esmeralda Strat" They played two more games but Fiona came on top every single time. Cato was never at her level in the first place, but his performance was even duller than usual today. It seemed that being the captain of the Leopards truly took its toll on him. Two hours flew before anybody noticed. It was time to wrap up the chess games. "Well then..." Cato pushed himself off the sofa, a simple action that felt like it required too much effort at the moment. His body felt like lead, heavy and stiff. She completely mopped me. Cato admitted, if only to himself. Looks like I''ve really lost my touch. I better resume my regular practice, or else she''s going to run all over me every time. "If you are not too tired," Fiona started. "May I trouble you with a few duels in Classmancers?" "Oh, that again?" Cato smiled impishly. "Last time, things didn''t go that well for you~" "As they say, failure is the best teacher. It is important for me to test my mettle against a competitive player from our scene, especially against somebody who plays for the strongest team in the region. I believe it is not too much to ask, considering I always honor your match requests." "That''s right!" Karen tuned in. "Sis always crams your chess games into her packed schedule, so you got no right to refuse here. "My, such pressure." Cato smiled wryly. "It''s not like I had any intention of refusing in the first place. With that said, I do need a little break. My brain is a little fried at the moment, haha." "Very well." Fiona nodded. "Do you want coffee, perhaps?" "Coffee, huh. Let''s see..." Cato counted how many hours have passed since the last time he ingested caffeine. Though it was a very helpful substance, it wasnt good to overdose on it. I last drank coffee before the club meeting, so at least three hours ago. Cato nodded to himself. Yeah, a good time for coffee." "Very well." Fiona called a maid and requested coffee for Cato and Karen, as well as tea for herself. Yes, she indeed called a maid. This huge mansion wasn''t just for show. It even had maids and butlers working here, as well as private guards and whatnot. Truly, it was like a mansion straight out of a movie. I wish I also had somebody serving me everything like that. Cato grumped. Maybe one day, once I become the overlord of the world, Ill have such privilege... Yeah, right. The trio consumed their drinks of choice while engaging in chit-chat. Half an hour later, break time was over. "Shall we begin?" Fiona asked as they reached the computers room. "Whenever you''re ready to take these Ls." Cato smiled at her. "Hah, look at this guy going." Karen crossed her arms. "Just so you know, sis has been practicing reaaaaal hard. She''s WAY better than you now!" "We''ll see about that." "Also hey, lemme play too!" Karen requested with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Let''s do a 1v1v1." "Hell no." Cato shot that idea on the spot. "You''re going to team up with your sister against me." "Who? Me? Naaaaah." Karen innocently rolled her eyes. "You were totally planning that, huh." Cato gave her a look. "Do not worry, Karen," Fiona reassured. "It has been a couple of months since we last sparred. I am no longer at the level I was back then." "Yeah, that''s true, sis." Karen nodded. "You''re a total pro now! Cato boy, you better watch your ass here~" "Karen, language." "Whoopsie, hehe~" The entire exchange ended with them smiling meaningfully at each other. It seemed they both agreed that Fiona improved substantially since the last time she faced Cato in a duel. I destroyed her quite decisively last time. Cato thought. It was crushing enough to discourage her from asking for any further spars for a while. So, she must be rather confident about her progress. How much could a player improve in just a couple of months? When it came to Fiona Landberht, any amount would be believable. Not to mention, she was practically a newbie the last time they played. Talented new players usually improved at an amazing rate, so there was that. "Alright, let''s see what you got." Cato scanned the game''s QR code with his phone, granting him an easy login with his account. "As a fellow Jungler," Fiona said. "I will be thankful if you pick a Jungler class. No need to hold back against me." "Well, if you''re sure." Cato went for Vampire, one of his favorites. It was the ideal class for testing the waters because it had tools to deal with practically any situation. No matter what Fiona brings to the table, Cato was confident he''ll be able to get out of any trouble. Besides, she deserves to be bullied a little~ Cato smirked. I can''t quite get my revenge on her in chess, so Mancers will have to suffice. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The duel began. Fiona picked Lionfolk, a class she often went for against Cato. It must''ve been one of her favorites. Quite fitting for this lioness, if you ask me. Cato nodded to himself. But, right now, she''s just a cub. And so, the laning phase began. However, for the most part, their exchanges were minimal. They threw a few hits at each other, but overall they focused on clearing minions as efficiently as possible. They respected each other''s tools and didn''t overextend. Her farming got cleaner. Cato thought. She has pretty much mastered last-hitting. I remember she missed on a lot of farm the last time we played, but now she gets all last-hits even when I try to distract her. The last time they played, things went incredibly smoothly for Cato. He simply triumphed over Fiona in the laning phase, getting far ahead in farm thanks to his trained last-hitting skills. From there, it was simply a question of getting ahead in level and gold, then crushing Fiona via raw stat advantage. But, not this time. Fiona has clearly done her homework. She realized her farming was lacking, so she made sure to remedy that problem. She''s also ignoring my harassment more now. Cato frowned. As Vampire, his basic attacks had a longer reach. So, he neutrally took advantage of that to harass his lane opponent as much as possible. That was a big part of what made Vampire fun in 1v1~ Normally, such harassment was very distracting for the enemy. It frustrated them, making them want to retaliate against the offender, or at least change something, ANYTHING, about that annoying situation. And, more often than not, that pushed them toward committing a bunch of mistakes~ Even Fiona wasn''t immune to this at first, for there was a sore loser hiding underneath her stone-cold expression. No matter how rationally she tried to deal with Cato''s harassment, there was always a breaking point, even for her. And, beyond that breaking point was where Cato usually struck his opponents down~ But, looks like we got a real fight on our hands this time. Cato concluded. There were no signs of Fiona caving in. She played calmly while Cato''s harassment struck her time and again. Not only did the harassment fail to tempt her into mounting a counterattack, but she even dodged many of Catos attacks. There was no sign of her being triggered by this routine. Good, good. Cato nodded. It''s not fun when a toy breaks too easily~ Struggle with all your strength, struggle until the very end. I want to have fun breaking you apart~ Fiona was a mentally strong girl, or at least that''s what her persona convinced everybody of. In chess, she never showed any signs of caving under pressure, save for a few very rare occasions. And, the same mental strength extended to Classmancers as well. That''s how it should be. Cato smiled in delight. It won''t be fun breaking her apart unless she comes across as strong as she does in chess. Eventually, the duel transitioned into mid-game, with both sides finishing half of their builds. My, that''s quite the aggressive game plan you got there. Cato smiled as he examined Fiona''s build. It concentrated mostly on power, leaving little room for protections. Is she building like that because I play Vampire? Vampire was a sneaky class whose entire kit was great for getting out of trouble. As such, it was difficult to lock a Vampire in place and pummel him to death. Therefore, the more DPS Fiona had, the easier it''d be for her to deliver a lot of damage on Cato before he uses any of his escape tools. At least, that''s probably what she was thinking. Well, she isn''t exactly wrong. Cato thought. There is some merit to the way she''s building her Lion. Question is, does she have enough skill to see that aggressive game plan through? Their inevitable clash was drawing nearer and nearer. No matter how peaceful they were trying to act on lane, it was inevitable for them to start dueling at some point. After all, the name of this game mode was none other than Duel. Not to mention, lane control was never born out of thin air. They had to establish it with their own two hands. But, you''ll be the one coming at me. Cato smirked. If you don''t, I''ll suck out your blood little by little, one drop at a time. I''m a very patient vampire~ Cato advanced toward the middle of the lane, fired a few bats at Fiona, and then immediately backed away. This was the legendary "Esmeralda Strat". At least, that''s how Cato and Matthew jokingly called this ultimate form of harassment, which was passed to them by their former mentor. "Just tickle them a little, then back away." That''s how the woman described this harassment strategy. That was certainly an interesting way to phrase it, but it made perfect sense for somebody with a charmingly sadistic personality like hers. That woman must''ve treated all her opponents as cute little animals to be tamed. Unfortunately, I have to tame a whole lioness here. Cato smiled wryly. Then again, I find that extra interesting in its own way. The "Esmeralda Strat" was very effective. By repeatedly going in and out, Cato reduced Fionas HP all the way down to 70% She was starting to approach dangerous HP levels, especially for somebody who built as few protections as she did. Maybe I should go on the offensive now? Cato wondered for a moment, then perished the thought. There was no need for any drastic measures quite yet. As long as he keeps harassing Fiona like this, he''ll win the fight in the long run. So, there was no reason to take any unnecessary risks here. Even against a player who was clearly below his level, Cato preferred to win slowly but surely. After all, it''ll be far too embarrassing for him to lose this fight due to rashness. And so, the "Esmeralda Strat" continued. Poke, retreat, poke, retreat. A simple, effective tactic. Im still waiting for her to properly respond. Will she get frustrated enough to open an attack soon? Most opponents Cato faced in Duel fell for these types of traps. This poking tactic was great for pushing peoples buttons~ Therefore, at some point, the opponents threw caution to the wind and chose to aggress on Cato. But, little did they know Cato especially trained himself to counter such reckless aggression. For the better or the worse, Fiona didn''t fall for that trap. At least, not so far. Judging by the way shes playing now, shell probably only aggress if she gains sufficient advantage. Otherwise, she''ll keep playing it safe. And indeed, once Fiona''s HP dropped to 40%, she retreated from the battlefield and recalled. Cato could try pursuing her with his ult, but why risk it? It was easier to just keep pushing the lane while the enemy was absent. I''ll just slowly strangle you to death. Cato found himself snickering at the thought. I wonder, what kind of expression is she wearing right now? Is that beautiful stoic face of hers filled with any agony yet~? The mere idea that his tactics were causing distress to Ms. Perfect filled him with great joy. It was sweet, sweet revenge for all these years. Until now, there was not a single thing in which Cato surpassed Fiona. The queen flawlessly conquered any field she tried her hand in. Even in academics, her scores were always superior to Catos. But, Classmancers was an exception to that rule. Cato started playing it long before Fiona did, and the girl wasnt even an avid gamer in the first place. As such, it was only natural for Cato to be superior here. Finally, there was one thing in which he surpassed Fiona! At long last, after all these years of losing to the queen in everything, Cato will have his vengeance! Vol.13 Ch.15: The Lionesss Confident Aggression The duel between Cato and Fiona continued. Cato was holding the upper hand the entire fight, but... She''s really playing well this time. Cato almost found himself grumping. After recalling, Fiona soon returned to lane and contested it. But, thanks to Catos continued harassment, the so-called Esmeralda Strat, Fiona lost a lot of HP once more. So, how did the girl respond? She simply recalled again, without trying any funny ideas like attacking Cato. What a shame. In fact, Fiona repeated this routine three times in a row without batting an eye. Her perseverance as a chess player was showing itself. My, you think you''ll get your chance if you keep playing like this? Cato respected the fighting spirit, if nothing else. Even when faced with such a depressing situation, the strategist in Fiona must have been whispering to her: "As long as you preserve, you''ll get your chance." That must have been the underlying belief that motivated her to keep going despite Catos continued harassment. What a tough nut to crack. Cato smiled wryly. This was both amusing and irritating at the same time. Every time Fiona retreated, there was a slight urge to chase the girl and smite her down. And, with each recall, that itch grew stronger and stronger. It''s almost like she''s turning the tables on me psychologically. Cato realized. Instead of being the aggravator, somehow he was the one who started feeling aggravated. Five times. Yes, five times Fiona endured Cato''s bullying, retreated, and recalled to base. This was a miserable Duel in every sense of the word. There was neither strength nor beauty to be found in how Fiona conducted herself. And yet, her method was effective. Her unyielding fighting spirit was as delightful as it was irritating. C''mon, do something. Cato ranted. Attack me. Hit me. Surely, you arent planning to continue like this the entire game, are you? His Golem was perfectly healthy while Fionas already fell all the way down to 40%. As such, it was clear beyond a shadow of a doubt who was dominating the lane. Truly, Cato was winning in every possible aspect. He even out-leveled his opponent. And yet, somehow, the situation almost looked even. It felt as if Fiona was properly matching Cato as an equal, as absurd as that sounded. But, I''m stronger! Cato proclaimed. Alright then, let''s do it in the next wave. Once I gear up, I''ll be ready to kick that princess off the high horse. Cato forced Fiona to retreat once more. She ran past her Golem and disappeared around the corner. As always, Fiona made sure to recall outside Catos field of view to keep him on his toes. It was a very textbook play. Even when it was 90% confirmed that a player was going to recall, it was always good to make the opponent question the remaining 10%. Anything that made the opponent doubt their data had a chance to affect the course of battle, no matter how small it was. But of course, I know she''s going to recall. Cato ignored that mild trickery and began recalling on the spot. Yes, he recalled right there, right in front of the enemy tower''s area. Why? Because he had nothing to worry about. The faster I recall, the faster I can get back to lane. It was as simple as that. There was nobody for him to fear and there was no need to hide his actions from an enemy who was on her way to recall. Therefore, Cato simply went for the fastest and most efficient recall. A magical aura surrounded his Vampire and consumed him whole. The next moment, he was back in his base, far away from the battlefield. Gearing up took less than a second. Cato already pre-selected everything he was going to buy while he was recalling. The moment he returned to base, the system instantly granted him all the upgrades he requested. As such, he only had to spend but a couple of seconds at the base to fully restore his MP. Alright, I''m ready to go. Cato left the base. Time to dial up my aggression a little. The end is nigh. Duel was a swingy mode where a single kill could decide the entire match, but only if it happened during the mid-game or later. As such, there were diminishing returns for killing Fiona during the early-game. It would have given Cato a further edge, but it wouldnt have been enough to seal the deal on the entire game. As such, going for a frontal assault was an unnecessary risk at the time. But, now the situation was different. It was the mid-game, so killing Fiona would prove fatal. But first, let''s make sure the wards are up and running. Cato stopped by the Wraith Camp on his side of the jungle and cleared it, then placed a ward nearby. After that, he headed downwards on the map, toward the Ogre Camp at the bottom. Im not sure I want to waste any time clearing it right now. Cato thought on the way. But, I have to at least ward it. All this advantage I had in lane really made me neglect warding, haha. Even in Duel mode, wards played their role. While different players had different opinions regarding the wards overall importance in Duel and how many of them should be placed, Cato firmly believed they were of utmost importance. Vision granted information, and information was power. Therefore, the more wards - the better. Therefore, even against a weaker opponent like Fiona, Cato made sure to buy wards whenever he recalled. It just so happened that he didnt have much need to recall thus far, seeing as Fiona didnt bother counterattacking him at all. Nonetheless, at game start, Coto properly placed the two wards he was about to refresh. One ward near his Wraith Camp to spot counter-jungling and ganking attempts, and another ward near the Ogre Camp that was a juicy objective for both sides to contest. But, all of that happened a while ago. Eventually, his wards expired and vanished, but Cato had no opportunity to replace them until now. It was a little careless on his end, but it was alright. With how badly Fiona was lagging behind, she didn''t even have the chance to target the Ogre Camp... or did she? Its... gone. He arrived at the Ogre Camp but the only thing to greet him was an empty field. There was no sign of the big ogre nor his minions. All of them vanished without a trace. Did she take the red buff...? Cato asked a dumb question. I mean, of course she took it. Who else could do it? There aren''t any secret players in this match. But, when did she...? Cato returned here as quickly as humanly possible. He spent minimal time at the base and went straight to the Ogre Camp after clearing the Wraith Camp. Maybe she took it while I was clearing the Wraiths? No, she couldn''t have done it so quickly. In that case, when did Fiona steal this camp? There was only one logical possibility but it was hard to believe. Maybe she didnt recall back then...? That was the only realistic scenario Cato could think of. Back when Fiona went around the corner to recall, maybe she decided against it in the end. It was that rare 10% chance of trickery. But, why wouldn''t she recall? She was running low on HP. Cato knotted his brows. It made no sense at first, but then it struck him. In fact, it struck him so hard he couldn''t help but facepalm. It''s because she saw me recalling. Cato sighed. What a blunder. Fiona must''ve seen Cato recalling. But, how could she see him from around the corner? It was elementary. She had a ward in lane, but not just any normal ward. The Golem. Cato grumped. I shouldve at least distance myself from it before recalling. What a mistake. A big reason why any tower was always such an important objective was that it granted vision of its surroundings. It was like a permanent ward on the lane that came free of charge. Whats not to like, right? And, it was this free ward that Fiona used to peek at Catos actions at the time, And, what she saw apparently prompted her to cancel her Recall and go after the Ogre Camp instead. Did she even know the camp was up? Cato wondered. He has been clearing that camp every now and then throughout the match because he had plenty of opportunities to do so. As a result, there were many times when the Ogre Camp was on cooldown thanks to Cato''s efforts. And yet, Fiona still went after that camp instead of recalling. Did she really just take a big gamble on a camp that might have been down? This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. No, that doesnt sound like her. Cato thought. She probably placed a ward there sometime earlier. That was the only logical conclusion. Fiona wasn''t the type of player to leave things to chance. She only followed game plans in which she had absolute confidence. Therefore, surely a ward supplied her with the necessary information for making this play, no question about it. So, she reached the point where she knows how to take advantage of vision. Cato smiled wryly. What a bitter-sweet feeling. It was both fun and depressing to watch this girl''s growth. She clearly advanced much faster than any other player her age. In just a few months, she was already at this level. That''s where dedication and proper tutoring get you. Cato thought. Unlike most kids who picked Classmancers for fun and giggles, Fiona got into it with a firm goal in mind: she wanted to learn how to compete at the highest level in this game. In fact, even before any of that, she first researched the competitive level of this unknown video game and made sure it lived up to her standards. As pompous as it sounded, nobody had the right to criticize Fiona for this attitude. For somebody who already competed in chess, running, volleyball, and piano, it only made sense to be picky about adding another sport to the catalog. Even more so when a video game was involved, a medium not many people considered a "real sport". But eventually, based on the data Fiona gathered and thanks to a few pushes from Cato and Karen, Fiona ultimately decided to give the game a try. Though, surely, one of the greatest motivators was the fact Yuel played the game, even if the girl would never admit to that. Regardless, in the end, she picked up the game. But, her sights were directly set on the competitive scene. She didnt even bother with casually learning the game as any normal kid would. But then, how did she study the game? By hiring tutors, of course. The Landberht family had money in spades, so hiring a couple of tutors didnt even sting their wallets. Among said tutors was the all-familiar Rodriguez. A school club coach in the day, and a private tutor at night. Truly, a busy man he was. Apparently, there were a few other mentors as well. Fiona claimed it was best to get as many perspectives as possible on the game, as there was never one correct way to learn a sport. Among said mentors was also Esmeralda, who taught Cato and Matthew before. Though, apparently, that relationship didnt last long. It seemed Fionas playstyle was incompatible with Esmeraldas trickery. It was such a wasted opportunity for Fiona to pass on learning some of the greatest tricks available, but Cato wasnt going to complain. Evidently, shes already getting very strong. Cato thought. She had her reservations about the game at first, but now theres no longer any question about it: shes serious about the game. And, shes getting good enough to make such strong plays. After stealing the Ogre Camp, it was obvious Fiona will try to mount a counterattack of some sort. Her aggressive build supplemented the attack buff, turning her into a very dangerous piece on this board. Given Fionas knack for strategy, it wasnt a stretch to assume she has been waiting for this moment all along. The aggressive build she was quietly building was for this very moment! So, she''s already at a level where she can come up with such a game plan. Cato smiled wryly. Playing with a concrete game plan in mind was one of the biggest differences between a veteran and a beginner. Newbies usually winged it and did whatever they thought worked best for the situation at hand. On the other hand, experienced players had specific lines of play which they practiced and researched in order to optimize their performance. And Fiona, despite the humble amount of experience under her belt, was already at a level where she had a firm grasp of how she was going to play. Truly, her growth as a competitive player was ever terrifying. It was always like that in every field she tried her hand in. As Cato was thinking about all that, a new minion wave arrived. As expected, Fiona greeted it with a red buff in hand. So, how is she going to utilize it? Cato was already bracing himself for the worst. Theres no way she worked so hard to get the buff just for fun. She surely has a master plan. And indeed, Fiona Landberht didnt disappoint. Before the minion waves clashed in the middle of the lane, Fiona leapt forth to assault Catos minions by herself. BAM! The Lionfolk crashed on the entire minion wave! The swordsmen and bowmen still havent parted ways, so they were just close enough to each other for Fionas Majestic Leap to hit all of them at once. Thats quite the damage. Cato frowned at the sight in front of him. His entire minion wave lost over half their HP from that single strike. Even with the buff, thats a lot of damage. Just how much power did she build? Cato glanced over FIonas upgraded build. Same as before, she was pursuing offense more than defense. On top of that, she threw some decent cooldown reduction into the mix. Her build resembled that of a Lionfolk designed to play Jungler, rather than one designed to play Top Laner. Is she autopiloting a Jungler build? Cato wondered. Or, did she research the two options and conclude that a Jungler build was better than a Top build for Duel? Or, maybe, she believes its more efficient against ME. There was no way to tell how deep the analysis of the Landberht Princess ran. Nonetheless, there was one undeniable fact Cato learned from the many years he watched Fionas chess. Whenever Fiona was playing fast and aggressive, it meant she felt confident about her moves because she researched them thoroughly. Therefore, the unfolding scene convinced Cato beyond a shadow of a doubt: Fiona prepared for this specific matchup. RAWWWR! the Lionfolk roared loudly as she landed in the middle of the enemy formation. It was a smooth skill cancel from Majestic Leap into Mighty Roar. Fiona sure knew her stuff. With that said, this entire play was rather risky. Being the vanguard of the assault meant drawing the attention of enemy minions. The moment Fiona landed in the middle of the minion wave, the entire wave had its eyes on her. The minions were more than ready to gang up on her and smite her down. But, the Mighty Roar threw a wrench in their plans. All of them lost tons of HP after her Majestic Leap, so that made them inferior compared to Fiona, who was healthy at 100% HP. As a result, her Superiority passive kick in against them. It made Mighty Roar instill the entire minion wave with a sense of dread. Though the minions already raised their blades and nocked their bows, a sudden sense of dread made them lower their arms and run away in terror. Catos terrified swordsmen thoughtlessly ran forward along the lane, heading straight into the enemy frontline. Meanwhile, the bowmen fled back toward the tower, but Fiona didnt let them. Her sharp claws slashed through their flesh, making them drop one by one. In a matter of seconds, Fiona wiped out Catos entire minion wave, before he even got a chance to lift a finger. My, thats a strong line you prepared. Cato smiled wryly. Though he knew the Ogre Buff was very dominant in Duel, he never faced a situation in which this buff single-handedly decided the entire outcome of the laning. Fiona didnt just get an Attack Power boost with that buff. She supplemented it with clever plays and a strong build, which together allowed her to gain a free winning ticket here. By studying the numbers on all the involved factors, Fiona developed this unstoppable line of play. It couldnt be countered the moment it was set in motion. I really took her lightly. Cato smiled from ear to ear. It looks like she really studied for this. Good, good~ Finally, their positions have been reversed. Unlike in chess, where Cato was always the one to study plays thatll counter Fiona, here she was the one who had to do homework in order to beat him. And of course, Im much obliged to dismiss all that effort by crushing you. You know, just the way youve been doing to me for years. Cato smiled impishly. At long last, the ever-dominant queen was about to get a taste of her own poison! But, while Cato was busy thinking about such things, Fiona already made her next move. Apparently, her exceptional line of play didnt end with just eliminating Catos minion wave. It went beyond that and transitioned... into an attack!? My, my, my! Cato jumped in his seat when he spotted a ball of fur rolling outward him. Right after Fiona finished taking care of the bowmen, she rolled straight toward him! Forcing a battle in close-quarters? How crafty of you. Cato turned around by instinct. He knew all too well he wont be able to handle a Lionfolk from point-blank, especially not a lioness powered up by both the red buff and Mighty Roar. Fionas sudden attack was a bit reckless but it made perfect sense. Catos minion wave was almost entirely gone at this point, so there was nobody to back him up. Meanwhile, Fionas army was perfectly healthy, so they wont hesitate to strike Cato down if he lifts as much as a finger on their queen. From every possible angle, Cato was the one losing here. Therefore, retreating was the only option. Alas, even that proved difficult against this deeply researched line of play... RWAAAR! RWAAAAR! Roars resounded all around the area. In a blink of an eye, countless lions surrounded the area! They were like policemen forming a blockage, and Cato found himself in the middle of it all. My, caging me as well? Cato smiled wryly. Are you really going to reveal all your cards just like this? Cato stopped for a moment to consider his options. There was no point running any further because the lions blocked all escape routes. For many classes, being caged like this could prove fatal. But, not for Vampire. Cato could bust his way through by assaulting one of the lions, something any class out there could do. But, thatd take too long and would surely lead to his demise. Instead, Vampire had access to one trusty escape tool that worked splendidly in situations like this. Except, it was his ult, which wasnt meant to be spent on something small like this. But, things might get hairy if I dont escape now. Cato pondered. So, maybe I should- SLASH! A vicious claw interrupted his track of thought. Ack! Cato jumped. He spent but a moment to consider the situation, yet the lioness was already breathing on his neck! She ruthlessly slashed his back, going for the kill! My, what a pain...! Cato rolled away. Everything shes doing is so fast. Theres literally zero hesitation in all these plays. She definitely practiced this line. It was like facing Fiona in chess when she knew everything about the position at hand. Each of her moves was swift and decisive. Even grandmasters would sweat against this prodigy under such circumstances. SLASH! SLASH! Fiona moved in for the attack like a machine without a single doubt clouding her mind. For Cato, who was still racking his brain over his options, Fionas confident moves seemed lightning fast. The lioness was about to overwhelm him with her relentless offense...! The more time I spend here, the worse itll get. Cato concluded. When in doubt, go for the easiest and fastest solution. Thats what Coach always says, right? So, Cato turned off his brain. The more time he spent thinking about the optimal counter, the more opportunities he gave Fiona to attack. It was dangerous to give this lioness any momentum, so Cato had to cut her off right here and now. There goes my ult. Cato activated Night Hunt. He transformed into a giant bat and flew out of the lion prison. And so, Cato successfully escaped The Queens Dominion. Though he received some damage and burned his ult, thats all Fionas reckless play managed to achieve. Ultimately, the moment Cato decided he had to flee, he got away without any trouble. He was never in any grave danger to speak of. So, what was the point of that entire fiasco? Fiona went as far as spending her ult for this play, yet it proved pointless in the end. A desperate attempt to turn the tables, perhaps? At the time, Cato had no idea what the Landberht Princess had in store for him... Vol.13 Ch.16: False Dilemma Cato escaped from Fionas Queen Dominion. And, he did so easily. Too easily, in fact. Vampires ult was like a free ticket out of The Queens Dominion. Im sure she knew that as well. Cato reasoned. At best, she traded an ult for an ult. Was it worth it? Is there something so scary about my ult that warrants a trade? Hmm. While pondering on that point, Cato flew all the way back to his Turret in bat form. Once he landed, he focused on assaulting the incoming minion wave while safely hugging his Turret. But still, the question refused to leave him. Why did Fiona ult at the time? From start to end, everything about that line of play seemed thoroughly researched. Therefore, Fiona surely knew she was going to achieve nothing more than trading ults there. And, she still went for it. Why...? If anything, it was better for her to wait until I spend my ult first. Cato reasoned. Once I lose my escape ticket, then getting surrounded by lions will be the death of me. For example, if Cato ever decides to go on the offensive with his ult, then hell ram into Fiona and stun her. Thatll give him a great opportunity to deliver heavy damage on the hapless prey, but it might not be enough to kill. Then, once Fiona sets herself free, shell have a great opportunity to turn the tables on Cato by activating her ult. Shed imprison Cato in a cage of lions and pummel him to death. Without his ult, Cato will not have an easy way to escape that deadly violence. To avoid a scenario like this, Cato had to be very careful about when and how he was going to spend his ult. It was his best offensive tool, but it was also his lifeline against The Queens Dominion. And now that lifeline was gone, but the same was true for the great threat of Fionas ult. The two ults canceled each other out, simplifying the game board. Both ults got the same cooldown too. Cato recalled the numbers from the top of his head. So, theyll come back online at around the same time... or, will they? Cato brought up Fionas build again. It was stacked with power items, but she also snuck in some cooldown reduction recently. The CDR affected all skills, including the ultimate. Her ult will come back a little faster. Cato frowned. She has more CDR and she used her ult first. My, what a situation. With these two factors combined, it was obvious Fionas ult will come online faster. But, by how much? Id say about 10~15 seconds. Cato ran rough estimates in his head. My, I really dont like this position... Worst of all, Fiona had the information advantage here. She knew exactly when her ult will come out of cooldown and she knew that Catos ult wont be ready in time for that. Thats all she needed to open another timely attack. Except, this time, Cato will not be able to escape. Well, it should be fine as long as I keep that piece of information in mind. Cato reasoned. I''ll be on the defensive for now and make sure to stay out of her range. Shouldn''t be too hard. All of a sudden, the momentum shifted in Fiona''s favor. Between her lightning-fast clearing speed and the threat of her ultimate, Cato couldn''t do anything but hug his tower. He was forced to farm minions under tower, losing on valuable exp and gold in the process. On top of that, the invaders gradually damaged his tower. And, theres not much I can do about any of this. Cato frowned. Patience is key here. In a situation like this, inexperienced players would surely be tempted to mount a risky counterattack. But, not Cato. He knew all too well that patience was rewarded in this game. He merely had to wait until Fiona''s power buff runs out and his ult comes online, then he''ll be able to contest the lane like before. The buff will run out in the next wave. Cato deduced. He remembered the timestamp of when he discovered that the red buff was stolen, So, from there, he could roughly estimate how much longer the buff had. Our ults will also come online sometime after that. Cato smiled confidently. Its a crafty idea you had there but looks like its all in vain. It appears the heroine''s efforts were not enough to topple the overlord, muhahaha! The next minion wave arrived. As always, Fiona went all out by leaping onto Cato''s army and roaring in their faces, scattering them around. Then, she sliced them from behind as they fled, clearing a path for her army to advance. Such a solid routine. Cato nodded in approval. The tells were still faint, but he already saw the makings of a competitive player in Fiona. One day, she might even become better than me at duels. But, that day is not today. Cato patiently waited for the enemy army at his tower. He didn''t dare to set a single step outside, to not give the opponent any openings. He''d gladly sacrifice some farm and tower HP for the sake of guaranteeing his own safety. After annihilating Cato''s minions, Fiona''s usual routine was to lead her army into Cato''s tower area. Then, she and her minions would open a relentless attack on the poor Golem. But, for some reason, Fiona didn''t step forth this time. Instead, she abandoned her army and ventured into the small jungle at the bottom of the map. Is she going after the ogres again!? Cato failed to consider this line of play. My, my, my! Such smartassery. Leave it to the Landberht Princess to come up with a nasty line like that. Cato couldn''t tell exactly how long it''ll take for the Ogre Camp to respawn, but it should be happening at the same time Fiona''s power buff wears out. And, when will the buff wear out? Any moment now, according to Cato''s estimation. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. She''s using my own passiveness against me. Cato frowned. I thought the storm will pass if I stay on the defensive, but now she pulls this move. It''s a check. Shell keep dominating the lane if I do nothing. Cato''s Golem was already down to 70% from all the attacks thus far. And, that percentage will go lower and lower as long as Fiona holds the power advantage. I won''t even be able to contest her at all this rate. Cato bit his lip. If I approach her, she''ll try to ult me. Then, I ult out of her ult, and we''re back to the current situation. As long as she has more cooldown reduction, her ult will always come online faster. What an ugly position to play from. Fiona pressed Cato between a rock and a hard place. I have to stop her from getting the buff. Cato concluded. But, I bet shes anticipating that. She WANTS me to chase her to the Ogre Camp. Thats why shes being so obvious about her plans. Cato''s ult wasn''t online yet but it''ll come back in 15 seconds. Then, how was Fiona''s ult doing? It might already be out of cooldown. At worst, it''ll be back online right as Cato intercepts Fiona. At that time, his ult won''t be ready yet. So, if Fiona cages him, he''ll have no means of retreating from the scene. The lioness will tear him asunder inside her domain. At a glance, Cato only had two options here. He could either feign blissful ignorance and stay at his tower, or he could place himself in tremendous danger and pick a fight with Fiona. Neither of these was a real solution to the problem. But, only an amateur would think there are really only two options. Cato smiled confidently. Its a false dilemma, no doubt. The world wasn''t black and white, there were countless shades of gray in between. Cato just had to carefully walk on the edge of the two colors without tripping in any direction. Looks like it''s time for the "Esmeralda Strat". Cato smiled impishly. It was practically invented for situations like this. Esmeralda would be so proud right now~ Cato left his tower range, ignoring the invading army. Yes, he chose to take the risk, as uncharacteristic as it may have seemed. His goal was to stop Fiona from obtaining another power buff, which was undoubtedly a very dangerous task. However, it didn''t mean he had to actually fight her upfront. Badgering would suffice~ She probably expects me. Cato entered the jungle with caution, sticking to the far wall. He had to make it as difficult as possible for Fiona to jump him. There she is. Cato caught a glimpse of the troublemaker around the corner. As expected, the lioness was expecting him. She was ready to jump him the moment he came into view. I should be fine at this distance. Cato peeked from around the corner to establish his presence on the scene. Then, soon after he appeared, he vanished back behind the very same corner and backpedaled. Are you going to make a move? No? Alright then. The first bait attempt fell through. Looks like she won''t fall for anything too obvious. Cato altered his plans accordingly. Instead of staying as far away as possible, he stuck close to the wall separating him and Fiona. This meant he was much closer to the danger zone, but thankfully the big wall was keeping him safe. It was too tall for Lionfolk to jump over, which meant Fiona didnt have an easy way to aggress on Cato at the moment. Truly, this wall was such a trustworthy minion! Time for a little bit of whack-a-mole action~ Cato popped from around the corner, fired one bat at Fiona, then retreated behind the wall again. Rinse and repeat every couple of seconds. Even though he couldnt see Fiona directly while he was hiding behind the wall, Cato had another pair of eyes on the scene. Namely, the trusty ward he placed at the camp earlier. It allowed Cato to jump out of the corner and land an accurate shot without wasting any time assessing Fionas position. We''re FPS now. Cato snickered. This sort of peek-shooting technique was commonly used in shooters, but obviously, Clasmancers had some of it as well. So, how are you going to deal with this~? The tables have turned. Now, Cato was the one forcing a dilemma on Fiona. Should she waste time aggressing on him even though he could easily escape from this position? Or, should she ignore his harassment and focus on Ogre Camp that''ll respawn shortly? Looks like she chose the latter. Cato concluded. Fiona backpedaled to the far end of the Ogre Camp, staying as far as humanly possible from Cato. She probably concluded that dealing with Cato''s polished harassment will be too much trouble. Instead, it was easier to focus on the camp and force Cato to come out of his hiding if he wanted to intervene. Sharp thinking as always. Cato nodded with a wry smile. It''s scary to think she picked the game just recently. Her decision-making is no joke. But, for now, I''m still superior. Cato stepped out of his hiding in order to further harass his opponent. Of course, he did so cautiously while sticking to the wall like glue. It''d be bad news if he overextends here, so he had to approach his prey slowly and carefully- "Shit!" Cato jumped. It happened so fast his brain failed to process the situation in time. As soon as he took a single step out of his hideout - Fiona jumped him! It''s like she was waiting for this! Its as if Fiona knew he was coming before he even stepped out of the corner. Perhaps she, too, was spying on him with a ward. It wasnt exactly a bad spot to place a ward, so it was possible. Not good! Gotta turn back! Cato''s instincts took over. He turned around and rolled forth, quickly retreating behind his precious corner. And, thanks to his speedy response, Fiona''s Majestic Leap whiffed. Good thing I never skip practice. Cato sighed in relief. Normally, his reaction speed was nothing to write home about. However, regular practice against such scenarios allowed him to develop instincts that buffed his reaction speed. Lionfolk was a common pick for Jungler and Majestic Leap was its most utilized gank opener. So, naturally, Cato practiced plenty against this move. Anybody who dared to call themselves a "competitive player" had to be able to react to the telegraphing roar of Majestic Leap. Phew, bullet dodged... or not!? Cato jumped. As he turned around, the face of a lioness was right in front of him! Did she cancel her leap into Dodge Roll!? Such advanced maneuvers...! To make things worse, Fiona didn''t attack right away. First, she made sure to unleash her ult, which came out of cooldown as Cato feared. The jungle hallway in front of them was too narrow for the lion cage. Therefore, it would have made sense for the game to deny Fionas request to summon The Queens Dominion in this tight area. However, the devs disagreed with that sentiment. They claimed they worshiped "fun" above anything else, so they made "The Queen''s Domain" a more fun skill a few years ago. Instead of being canceled because the target area was too small, the lion cage dynamically fit itself to the terrain, like water in a bottle. The lions formed a blockage around the walls like soldiers called to duty. And, with Cato always sticking so close to the walls SLASH! Ouch! Cato grimaced. One of the lions already clawed him. And, the others were raring to do the same if Cato continues sticking close to the walls. Thank you very much for this "fun gameplay", CashSoft. Cato ranted internally. The devs'' unnecessary meddling with Lionfolks design put Cato in an awkward spot here. The threat of the Lionfolks ult became a reality. Cato found himself imprisoned inside the Queens Dominion without an easy way out. What was he supposed to do about this dreadful situation!? Vol.13 Ch.17: Mate by Pawns What a nasty position. Cato was right inside the lion''s maw, almost literally. The already narrow area around him was now further enclosed by lions, raring to claw him to death. And, in front of him stood the queen in charge of this territory who received countless buffs just for being here. To make things worse, Cato''s ultimate wasn''t up yet. Therefore, he didnt even have the option of going for an emergency evacuation. What a nasty and difficult position. What was the best line of play here? I need to sleep on this. Cato meant that quite literally. He activated Slumber Coffin, taking a nap inside a safe invulnerable coffin. Alright, now I have time to think. Cato took a deep breath to relax and sort his thoughts. There was no point getting too agitated over the situation at hand. The circumstances were as they were. No amount of denial would change that reality. Instead of cursing, Cato had to figure a solution on the double. His ult will come out of cooldown in less than 10 seconds, so there was no reason to worry about survival. He will make it out of this cage alive, that much was guaranteed. Question is, where do I go from there? Cato knotted his brows. When faced with such an overwhelming force, the first instinct was to flee the scene as fast as possible. So, Cato''s immediate instinct was to fly all the way back to his Golem after escaping the blockage. That was the safest line of play. Not to mention, the enemy minions were currently partying at his Golem. So, it was reasonable to return to the tower and become ruin their party. But, that''s probably what she wants me to do. There was one gaping hole in that line of play. By fleeing back to the tower, Cato will have to leave Fiona completely unsupervised over here in the jungle. And, with her being so close to the Ogre Camp... She''ll take the camp while I defend. Cato figured. Most likely, that''s also a part of her grand scheme. If she researched this position ahead of time, then she surely considered all these options There was no easy way out here. Cato had to somehow clear multiple conflicting missions at the same time. He had to guarantee his own safety, guarantee the Ogres safety, and guarantee the towers safety. Yes, he had to accomplish all of that at the same time, even though like most humans he only had two hands at his disposal. It seemed like mission impossible, certainly. Nonetheless, there was one method that could potentially work. As unlikely as that sounded, it wasnt entirely impossible to meet all these conditions at the same time. CREAK. CRACK. The sound of wood cracking apart interrupted his thoughts. Times up. Cato nodded. He had a couple of seconds to sit there and contemplate over his options, but Fionas relentless clawing soon demolished his coffin. And so, Cato was back in the sunlight now, something no vampire ever appreciated. Alright, let''s do this. For starters, Cato rolled away from his dangerous foe. Few classes could contest a Lionfolk inside its royal domain, and Vampire certainly wasn''t among such classes. Therefore, until Catos ult comes off cooldown, he had to run around the area and minimize incoming damage- SLASH! "Ack!" Cato gasped. Claws reached him as soon as he recovered from the roll! Drat! Shes so fast and accurate...! Fiona didn''t waste a moment in resuming her offense. Before Cato even started rolling, the lioness was already heading in the direction he was planning to escape to. She caught up to him in no time! Tch. A nice outguess. Cato commented. Then again, its not that hard to guess where Ill be going next. Its not like I have that many options here in the first place In such a narrow space, Cato didn''t have many safe spots to roll toward. As such, he focused on getting to the closest safe area, and Fiona very much expected that. SLASH. SLASH. The lioness clawed furiously. She had no intention of letting her target slip out of her range! My, such flawless execution...! How can a newbie be at this level??? This didn''t feel like a fight against a greenhorn who has only picked the game recently. Fionas pressure was real. In fact, it was embarrassing to admit, but the lionesss aggression almost made Cato shudder. That was a big achievement, one that only a handful of mechanical monsters unlocked before. Of course, Cato trained himself for difficult situations like this. Despite the pressure, his fingers smoothly moved on the WASD as if playing an instrument. He zigzagged around the narrow area, doing his best to distance himself from the enemys dangerous claws. But, it proved futile. There was no escape from Fiona Landberht. Once she got her claws on Cato she didn''t let up, not even for a moment. The Queen''s Domain boosted her Movement Speed, allowing her to stick to Cato like glue. All his juking attempts were practically useless. At most, he forced Fiona to be on her toes the entire time. Well, that''s also something. As long as I make it difficult for her, she won''t be performing at 100%. Probably. And so, Cato had to keep running around like that for five more seconds. These were possibly the longest 5 seconds of his life. The lioness ravaged him nonstop during that short time. His HP dropped all the way down to 50% from all that aggression, and thats despite his defensive build. It was all very impressive indeed. Nonetheless, Fiona''s time was up. Cato''s ultimate finally came out of cooldown. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Adios! Cato booted Night Hunt, transforming into a giant bat. Next, he launched toward the sky like a rocket, desperate to get away from the lioness as quickly as humanly possible. Once he ascended high enough above the lion cage, he was practically untouchable. The lions couldnt reach him and Fiona didnt have any long-ranged tools at her disposal to shoot him down. Now, he was the one in control of the situation! He was the overlord! Muhaha! With that said, whats next? Cato frowned. Though he had some time to consider his options earlier, he failed to reach a conclusive decision. These minions are making quick work of my Golem over there. Cato glanced at the mini-map. A part of him itched to return to the tower and defend. However, the circumstances didn''t permit him to do so. I cant let her take the power buff again. Cato thought. I have to cut off her momentum, here and now. So, that only leaves the last resort I thought of... How could Cato both defend the Ogre Camp and also avoid losing any further lane advantage at the same time? Only one answer came to mind, as tricky as it was. And so, Cato raised high into the air and set his course. However, he was not heading toward his attacked tower. Quite the opposite, he was toward the Ogre Camp! I''ll just have to take the camp for myself! Thats the solution Cato reached after prolonged pondering. It was an absurd idea at first glance, yet it held the potential to resolve all his problems. By securing the power buff for himself, hell kill Fionas momentum on the spot. But, there was more to it. With the boosted power hell gain, Cato will be able to fully reclaim lane control in the upcoming waves. So, by neglecting his tower just for one wave, Cato will secure the upper hand for many waves to come. Truly, despite how extreme the idea sounded, this play held the answer to all his current problems! It wont be easy, but Im sure I can pull it off. After all, my opponent is an amateur. Cato landed in the middle of the Ogre Camp, right between the ogres. Despite their scary looks, the ogres were, in fact, peaceful fellows. They didn''t raise a finger against Cato even though he was clearly invading their personal space. This was the standard behavior for jungle creeps. They never attacked players until somebody provoked them. As much as Cato enjoyed provoking others, he had had no intention of doing so to the ogres at the moment. Instead, the one he was proving with this move was none other than the Landberht Princess. C''mon, try to take this camp. I''m ready. Cato smiled impishly as he squeezed himself between the ogres. From this moment, the neutral monsters became his personal minions. They pledged their undying loyalty to the one and only overlord. It was a check. If Fiona tries to assault Cato here, she''ll have a hard time avoiding the ogres. And, once she touches any of them, the entire family will gang up on her. It''ll become a 4v1 situation~ I dare say it''s mate in a couple of turns if she tries that. Cato smiled confidently. Ive won. I''m sure that, at your level, you understand that much, dont you? Cato smiled from ear to ear as he presented this beautiful chessboard position to Fiona. What''s your next move? How do you plan to untangle this problem, o genius? There was no response. His chess opponent didn''t lift a finger for a while. She was still somewhere around the corner, deep within The Queens Dominion. There werent any signs of movements, at least none that Cato could see from his current position. Was Fiona deep in thought? Perhaps, for the first time since gaining momentum, the lioness actually had to stop and carefully think about her next move. My, is something wrong? Cato chuckled. Youre sure taking your sweet time to make a move. I dont have all day, you know. Fiona was bound to emerge from around the corner, sooner or later. So, any moment now. Will she aggress on the Ogre Camp despite Cato standing guard here? Or, will she give up on the whole ordeal and retreat back to lane? Either way, Cato will come on top. For a few good seconds, there was no sign of anything happening. Fiona simply refused to come out of the corner. Was she too shy? No, of course not. The Fiona Landberht that Cato knew was anything but a shy person. Even in the face of the most unexpected developments, the girl always maintained her cool and bravely threw herself at the challenge. So, whats wrong? Cato frowned. Dont tell me she used this opportunity to recall? Thats certainly possible but itd be a huge waste for her. With that said, if she didnt recall, then what else could she be... oh. Oh, my! Cato realized another possibility. He certainly didnt expect a bold move like that from a greenhorn, but it was a sensible counter to his great move. In fact, it was arguably the best play Fiona could go for in this situation...! As he suspected, Fiona didnt recall to base. However, neither did she show any signs of emerging from around the corner. Instead of heading to the Ogre Camp, Fiona headed in the opposite direction... toward Catos tower! I blundered! Cato realized far too late. While he was hanging out with his ogre minions, Fiona joined her army on the frontline. Her entire minion wave was assaulting Catos Golem, and now she the effort! This is bad. Very, very, VERY bad. I have to defend! Cato absolutely had to get back there and chase the intruders away! But, he couldnt. The tower was simply too far away and he didn''t have his ult anymore. Worst of all, if his calculations were correct... I lost the Golem. Cato summarized. Its a checkmate. There was no way to prevent the impending disaster, not from his current position. Fiona WILL claim the tower. ... alright, then. Cato turned to the ogres, his trusty minions. I need you to sacrifice yourselves for my cause. Cato unleashed bats on the ogres. It was impossible to defend against Fionas push at this point, so at least hell take the power buff as originally planned. That was the most he could make out of this sad situation. Unfortunately, compared to what Fiona gained from this exchange, the red buff wasn''t going to be worth much... An allied Golem has been destroyed! Cato''s Golem was reduced to dust. In place of a mighty guardian, all that remained in the area was a pile of rubble. Fiona busted the most important line of defense. And, to make things even worse, felling the Golem also powered up Fiona''s minions. Even though the Golem was the "first tower" in Duel, it granted similar benefits to the Golem of MOBA mode. This greatly rewarded whoever claimed a tower first. In fact, it made them almost unstoppable for a while. This is bad. Very bad. Cato gulped. He cleared the Ogre Camp and recalled to base. Then, he confronted the next wave that came knocking on his door. It was a regular wave of soldiers that spawned before his Golem perished. Thus, with the power buff at hand, Cato had no trouble eliminating these pesky invaders. The real problem started with the following wave that featured super minions. These minions were no longer small fry that Cato could kill in a couple of hits. They were beefy and persistent opponents. She has all the momentum. All of it. Cato frowned. I might not be able to recover from this... In Duel, without any allies to call for backup, it was extremely difficult to mount a comeback from such a disadvantageous position. It was similar to being stuck in a terrible mid-game position in chess. It didn''t always decide the winner, but it often did. And, it just so happened that this game was no exception... DEFEAT Vol.13 Ch.18: Those Who Never Rest DEFEAT The disheartening message appeared on his screen. It was a message that every player was familiar with, yet Cato found himself staring at it in disbelief as if it was some sort of alien creature. That wasn''t supposed to happen. Cato closed his eyes and opened them again, hoping it was all a dream. But no, this was reality. He lost to none other than Fiona Landberht, a fledging rookie. "Hahaha!" Karen''s laughter only further mocked him. "Get dunked, boi!" "Karen, that is inappropriate," Fiona scolded. Yeah, yeah, sorry, sis. Karen barely held in her muffled laughter. But real talk, you just wrecked the so-called captain of the Leopards! Thats so awesome! Yes, that is quite the achievement indeed. It shows I am improving, slowly but surely. Im sure theyre laughing at me deep down. Cato grumped. And, I deserve all that mockery. To think that the captain of the Leopards would lose to some newbie like this. I know duels arent my expertise, but that still shouldnt happen. Coach wouldve lectured me to death if this was an official game, haha... "That''s some nice plays you had there," Cato said. "Did you prepare them just for me?" "Not quite," Fiona answered. "I researched situations such as these while learning Lionfolk''s matchups." "Is that so. Even though Fiona denied it, much of her research probably focused on countering Catos favorite classes. Sure, that still counted as "learning matchups", but she most likely prioritized certain matchups over others. Of course, learning how to defeat Vampire was always important due to the classs popularity. So, Fiona really had a good excuse here. She was like "I did not prepare for this matchup to beat YOU in particular. Vampire is a common pick that I must know how to deal with." In short, Fiona exposed how big of an impression Catos Vampire left on her. She lost to it the last time they played, so she thoroughly researched the class since then. But, in the end, she''s still a greenhorn. Cato cracked his neck. Time to expose her for what she really is. I think I got a good understanding of the solution she came up with for this matchup, so I just have to adjust accordingly. Fionas strategy boiled down to preparing for the mid-game. She built power and cooldown reduction, but she didnt take much advantage of them in the early-game. She carefully hoarded an arsenal of guns, waiting for the right moment to go in with her guns blazing. That approach was far more effective than trying to assault Cato at any good opportunity that presented itself, which was Fionas game plan before that. It made sense to assault him frequently due to his passive playstyle, but thats exactly what he wanted his opponents to do~ Cato''s poking playstyle, the so-called "Esmeralda Strat", was specifically designed to counter aggressive opponents like that. Fiona always came swinging at him but he retreated and countered with a couple of jabs, slowly withering her down. It took multiple crushing defeats, but it seemed Fiona learned her lesson that day. Or, maybe somebody gave her a few pointers. Cato thought. I can see Coach, or even Esmeralda herself, advising Fiona to play like that against me. That''s the kind of fast progress you can make when you have a good tutor. I know that much from experience. As the chit-chat died out, it was time for Game 2. "I believe giving you a one-game advantage will suffice." Cato smiled impishly. "From here on out, I''ll come at you with everything I got." "Seriously?" Karen was the one to respond to that provocation. "You got royally mopped there, don''t even dare to deny it. Sis is a million times better than you!" "I would not be so sure about that," Fiona objected. "I believe I caught him off-guard, but I''m sure he will adapt. It is after he adapts that he will pose the greatest threat." "So, you understand." Cato smiled confidently. Even for high-level competitive players, mistakes and blunders were unavoidable. They were only human, and humans erred every now and then. As such, Cato''s defeat in Game 1 was just that, a mistake. What separated a casual from a competitive player was their ability to adapt to the unfolding situation. Instead of admitting defeat, they sought solutions to the problems that stumped them. And, if they were proficient enough at the game, they should be able to come up with some sort of answer. Her strategy is solid, but I know how to play around it. Cato already figured an answer. In fact, he found a couple of those and simply had to pick the most reliable one. Game 2 wont be anything like Game 1, thats for sure. And so, they played once more. This time, Cato integrated more power in his build early on. This way, he secured a much better position for contesting Fionas mid-game aggression. Normally, that wasn''t his preferred way to build his character. Alas, faster development was necessary for situations like this. The same way he couldn''t kick back and slowly develop his pawns in every chess match, he also couldn''t take his sweet time building power in every duel. Sometimes, it was necessary to speed in order to match the opponent''s pace. I got you this time. Cato pushed Fiona back, time and again. He didnt give the lioness any chances to deliver strong attacks or to steal the power buff. On top of that, Cato built just enough power to make it risky for Fiona to directly confront him. At the same time, he didn''t neglect to buy his favorite items, the ones that powered up via permanent stacks earned throughout the game. Items like that always turned extremely powerful in the late-game. That secured him a good position for the endgame. In short, Cato was dominating against the greenhorn on all fronts. As the veteran, the adjustments he made on the fly were far superior to his opponent''s. Fiona tried as hard as she could to keep up with adjustments, but she was always a step or two behind. Even for a genius, there was a limit to how much experience she could accumulate in just half a year. VICTORY Cato secured the second game, as well as the games that followed afterward. And so, the final result of the day was a 4-1 in his favor. In the end, his adaptation proved superior to Fionas. Though, that was to be expected from a veteran who spent the past two years training in the Leopards. Not to mention, he also received professional tutoring even before that. So, no matter how many mentors Fiona hires, she wouldnt be able to catch up to Cato in just half a year. It was simply impossible. Guuuuh! Karen was the one who exhibited the most frustration at this turn of events. Lemme play him, sis! Ill avenge you real quick! I am sure you would. Fiona nodded. But, there is no point if I cannot defeat him myself. You can totally beat him! Youre way better than this nerd! I wish that was true, but it appears I still lack the necessary experience to match the level of the Leopards. Fiona seemed to understand her shortcomings all too well from the few matches they played. Fear not, I will be up to the challenge by the time the regionals come around. Let us topple the Leopards together. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Yeah, well do it! Karen pumped a fist, then boldly pointed at Cato. You better watch your back at the regionals! Were coming for that ass! Karen, language. Whoopsie, hehe~ The two sisters exchanged confident smiles. Though their newly founded team had no records to speak of, Fiona and Karen alone were already a force to reckon with. So, if their team has are any other promising players, they MIGHT have a chance to become a key player at the regionals this year. Thats a big if, though. By the way, Cato started. Does your team already have an official name? Valkyries, Fiona answered. Hehe, pretty cool, isnt it? Karen snickered. I helped sis come up with it. I suppose its fitting. Cato nodded. As the name implied, Valkyries was an all-female team. However, unlike some other such teams that popped up in the past, this one wasnt formed as a publicity stunt. Fiona definitely wasnt trying to promote gender equality in gaming or anything of the sort. The team was formed this way out of necessity. After all, it was born within the suffocating environment known as St. Marys Junior High for Ladies. Im really curious how Fiona convinced a traditional school that esports is a fine activity for a proper lady, or whatever nonsense that school preaches. But, at the same time, Im a little scared to ask. It was probably all about money anyway. The Landberht family has been making very generous donations to the school for generations, apparently due to some ties to its foundation or such. So, even when the Landberht Princess came forth with such an absurd request, the school couldnt turn her away. At least, thats how Cato pictured it going down. Ultimately, what mattered was the end result: Fionas participation in this years Classmancers regionals, alongside her sister and some other unknowns from a prestigious all-girls school. So, regardless of whether the Valkyries will grow strong enough to rival powerhouses like the Leopards and StormBlitz, the freshly baked all-female team was bound to make waves in the scene. For one, theyll attract lots of media attention for sure. And, Ill make sure to be there to watch them crash and burn~ Cato smiled impishly. He wished for Fionas success as much as he wished for her inevitable failure. As unlikely as it is, I sincerely hope she climbs all the way to the finals this year. Then, Ill have the pleasure of tearing her apart in front of the greatest crowd~ With that, the weekly meeting with the Landberht Princess came to an end. The final score of their chess matches was as depressing as usual, but even in Classmancers Cato found himself stumbling a couple of times today. Truly, what a long and exhausting day it was. "Karen, can you please escort our guest out?" Fiona requested. "Eeeeh?" Karen sulked. "I am sorry. This took a little longer than I expected, so I have to start getting ready for swimming practice." Is she still not done practicing for today? Cato made a face. This girl is a machine. Before meeting up with Cato, Fiona was apparently taking piano lessons. After that, she played chess and Classmancers, both on a fairly high level. And, next, shell go swimming? Truly, there was no rest for this superhuman. "Okay, gotcha." Karen saluted. "I''ll escort this loser." "Thank you." Fiona smiled warmly and patted her sister''s head. "Okay, let''s get going!" Karen led the way with great enthusiasm. My, wasn''t she bummed out about this task just a moment ago? Cato made a face. It appears that when it''s for the sake of her dear "sister", this brat is hyper-motivated to do absolutely anything. So simple-minded~ I''d even dare to call it cute. "You don''t have to escort me if you don''t want to," Cato said. "I''ve been here enough times. I know where''s the exit." "No can do," Karen said. "Sis''s orders are absolute. Well, I mean, I also think its kinda unnecessary, but I guess it''s etiquette or whatever?" "How very noble of you." Cato smiled wryly. Even in this modern age, the Landberht family cared a little too much about its noble image. Though Cato was a frequent guest, the household never cut any corners with hospitality... aside from Karens shenanigans, of course. "So, how was it?" Karen asked with a wide grin. "Sis is getting better and better, right? Right?" "Yes, she is. Frightenedly so," Cato admitted. "She felt like a completely different player compared to the last time we played, and it wasnt even that long ago." "Hehe~! Amazing, right?" Karen smiled proudly as if she was the one who deserved the achievement. "Looks like all the extra lessons paid off. And, of course, she had plenty of practice with yours truly." "I figured you spar a lot," Cato said. "Some of her plays reminded me of the tricks you pull. Though, too bad I''m used to them by now." "Hmph. You ain''t used to shit, boy. C''mon, first-to-ten me once you get home! I''mma run all over you!" "Spare me, milady. I''m but a human, so I need to rest sometimes." Cato sighed deeply. Today''s schedule was so packed it sucked all his energy dry. He had the usual intense Classmancers practice at the club, which was cut short for the sake of a far more tiring strategy meeting, which was followed by chess, and then followed by Classmancers duels. There was no rest for the wicked. "Hmph, weak. And you call yourself a boy?" Karen placed both hands on her waist. "Just so you know, sis practiced track after school, then piano, then she played you, and now she got swimming. AND, after all that, she gonna have a chess match against a grandmaster." "My, what a schedule. Theres no doubt in my mind shes a machine. "Sis is just that amazing~" Karen''s eyes sparkled as she talked. She sounded like a fanatic worshipping a goddess. Well, it''s not like I don''t understand. Cato thought. Even he, who has known Fiona for years, felt a little bit of reverence in Fiona''s presence. The Landberht Princess was like a real royalty, with a majestic aura that submitted everybody around her. Karen continued raving about her dear sister even as the two of them reached the gate. "It''s fine to worship your sister, but what about you?" Cato asked. "You got such a great environment for developing yourself. Why don''t you also practice track, piano, swimming, and especially chess?" "Are you implying I''m being lazy?" Karen shot him a glare. "Just so you know, I join sis for jogs and swimming most of the time. Even now, I''d rather join the swimming lesson than escort some eyesore." "Is that so. What about chess, then?" "Dodge me with that shit. Some things are just too nerdy. And, piano isn''t my thing either." "I hope you join her Mancers lessons, then." "You bet I do." Karen nodded. "Rodriguez is real good at teaching, totally different from that weird witch. Like, she''s sorta good at teaching I guess, but that playstyle... ugh." "I get what you mean." Cato smiled meaningfully. "Esmeralda''s playstyle is definitely an acquired taste. You need a really good understanding of the game to consider playing like that." "Nah, it''s just lame," Karen argued. "What''s the point of playing like some wuss? It''s just lame. It''s like you''re giving the opponent the upper hand for no reason. That shit is dumb." "It works for me." "Yeah, because you play like a pussy. Real talk, first-to-ten me after you get home. I''mma mop you ten times straight!" "If I feel like it." Cato ignored the provocation. They''ve faced each other frequently enough for him to know their standings. Their BO10 tournaments usually ended with at least 6-4 in Cato''s favor. Though recently, there has been a couple of 5-5s in the mix. Unlike the "newbie" older sister, Karen was a player with years of experience under her belt. And, when it came to barbaric combat like the one promoted in Duel, this girl had what it took to rival Cato. Karen and Fiona alone already make the Valkyries a dangerous team. Thats good, very good. The stronger the enemy, the more satisfying it is to crush them to bits~ "Well then." Cato passed through the gate. "I hope Fiona will get even better by next week." "Just you wait. Sis will kick your ass all the way to the moon by then! And, I''m ready to do the same right here and now, so stop running away and come BO10 me!" "My, do you really want to play with me so badly? I''m honored." "Hmph. Who''d want to play with a scrub like you?" Karen shoved her finger into Cato''s face. "I just wanna avenge sis for today, that''s all. I can''t let you go to sleep thinking you won today, you know." "Heh, alright," Cato said. "I''ll hit you up later if I feel rested enough." "You better do, or I''ll go over there and stab you in your dreams." With the toy knife, I hope. Who knows~ "I''ll report you to your dear sister." "Dead men tell no tales, biach." On that note, the two of them parted ways. It was the end of Catos busy schedule for the day... or, at least, thats what some would think. In truth, with or without Karen''s invitation, Cato intended to practice Classmancers some more in the evening. The word rest ceased to exist from the moment he donned the mantle of the Leopards captain. From the moment school ended, it was all about Classmancers, Classmancers, and some more Classmancers. And, occasionally, he managed to slip in some chess into the mix. Perhaps, a machine like Fiona would merely sneer at a schedule like this. But, for the average middle schooler, it was quite the job. With that said, Cato wasn''t the only member of the Leopards with such a packed schedule. While he was busy playing against Fiona today, another member of the club was partaking in an important battle elsewhere... He was the last member of the Leopards, the mysterious "Emperor" nobody outside the club has seen on stage so far. And, his opponents? None other than the Sweepers, the region''s C-League team starring familiar names such as Ignis and Esmeralda... Vol.13 Ch.19: The Korean Wonderboy The Sweepers, a pro team belonging to the B-League. Even among the few B-League teams this region had, they were one of the weakest, only slightly ahead of the Falcons. In the first place, the competitive level in this country wasn''t very high. Therefore, a B-League team here was equivalent to a C-League team back at home, if not below that. In other words, the Sweepers were basically at the bottom of the professional food chain. I wonder how weak theyre going to be. Such were Young-jins idle thoughts as he headed into the building together with the coach. "What''s with the difficult face?" Rodriguez asked. "Getting nervous?" "No," Jin answered evenly. "I worry they not very strong." "Aren''t you a cocky one." Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. "You know, most kids your age would be thankful for the opportunity to play with pros." "Thats not new. I played pros before." "Right, you did, didn''t you." Rodriguez nodded in understanding. For any ordinary kid, playing against the Sweepers was a golden opportunity. But, Young-Jin was far from ordinary. "Oh, you''re here!" An elderly man greeted them at the elevator, full of smiles. "So, you''re the wonderboy Ive heard about so much! Indeed, indeed. I can see potential oozing from you!" "T-Thank you." Jin bowed weakly. "Potential"? What is this guy talking about...? I even heard you mastered the Chinese Step Cancel despite your young age! Is that true? Um, yes, I guess... Actually, its called the KOREAN Step Cancel... Frankly, Jin found himself a little overwhelmed by Ronshfelts presence. The guy spouted so much nonsense with absolute confidence that it was difficult to confront him. Jin burned with a desire to retort on every single thing Ronshfelt uttered, but it probably wasnt the smartest idea. After all, Ronshfelt was a figure of great importance. Therefore, Jin had to be on good terms with this clown of a man. Fortunately, the coach came to his rescue soon enough. "Long time no see." Rodriguez offered a hand, which the smiling man happily accepted. "Fernando, my boy!" The man, Sebastian Ronshfelt, eagerly shook Rodriguez''s hand. "Look how much you''ve grown!" "I believe you said the same thing the last time I came here. Perhaps I did, perhaps I did. I doubt Ive grown at all since then. It was only a couple of months ago. Perhaps it was, perhaps it was. Nonetheless, the growth of young potential never ceases to amaze me! I wouldnt call myself young anymore. Perhaps. Ronshfelt nodded. Nonetheless, for me, youll always be a young aspiring pro. This is the place where you grew up, after all. In a way, I suppose, Rodriguez didnt argue with that. Though it was clearly an exaggeration, like most things to come out of Ronshfelts mouth, there was some truth to the matter. So, what do you say? Ronshfelt asked. Would you like to return to the pro scene?" "Sorry, but I''ll have to decline. I have my hands full with coaching the future generations." "Indeed you are, indeed you are." Ronshfelt nodded. "The regional champions, was it? Indeed, your high school team never fails to disappoint." "It''s middle school, actually." "Oh, correct, correct." Ronshfelt nodded. "I got our champions mixed up for a moment there. We have both middle school champions and high school champions in our small city. Isn''t that simply amazing!?" Not really. Jin retorted silently. If the same champion dominates every year, it means theres a big skill gap in the region. Thats a bad thing. However, that remark didnt enter the conversation. Ronshfelt carried on with his pleasantries as he led Rodrigeuz and Jin through the hallway. Stolen novel; please report. Most of what Ronshfelt spouted sounded like pure nonsense. However, the man was clearly an important figure here, so Jin didnt dare to interject. Well then, Fernando. Ronshfelt stopped in front of a door. We can leave the talk about your plans to rejoin the team for a later date. Im sure itll be a very short talk. Haha. Perhaps it will, perhaps it will. Either way, the man of the hour is our young prodigy over here. What was the name, again? Young-jin. "So, Jin. I can call you Jin, right? The Sweepers are about to wrap up a practice game. You''ll join in the next one." "In which role?" Jin asked. "Role? Simply pick whatever youre most comfortable with. You''re the star of the show today, so no need to be shy." "Understood. In that case, I take Top." "Very good, very good. An assertive boy. I like that." Ronshfelt nodded nonstop as he spoke. "Follow me." He opened the door and led them inside. So, this is it. Jin gulped. Despite trying to maintain a confident front, his pacing was slow and his eyes darted from side to side. The nerves were getting to him no matter how hard he fought to keep them under control. The trio entered a big room at the far end of the floor. There were two rows of computers positioned at a fair distance from each other. It was clearly meant to simulate the arrangement of the two pro teams on a stage. With that said, there was no big stage anywhere in sight and there werent many seats for the audience. Therefore, the simulation was incomplete. I''ll give it 6/10. Jin rated the room based on other pro facilities he visited back in Korea. This place satisfied the minimal requirements for pro practice, but it didn''t seem to go any further than that. The fact the room barely had any audience seats implied this setup wasn''t professional enough to host any exhibition matches here. "Good, good." Ronshfelt nodded as he looked at the monitor hanging in the center of the room. "Looks like they''re about to finish their spar." Are they? Jins eyes zigzagged across the screen to absorb all the available information. As expected, the Sweepers are in the lead. Though, I''m not sure it can even be called "sparring". This is more like practice for the pros. The Sweepers, a B-League team, were facing a much weaker opponent. It was a team from another middle school - StormBlitz. They were considered one of the strongest teams in the region, second only to the Leopards. And, judging by their performance in the recent middle school scrimmage, that was probably a good estimation of their power level. StormBlitz seems a little below the Leopards, so they''re probably really the 2nd or 3rd best in the region. Jin concluded as such after the Leopards had a meeting in which they analyzed StormBlitzs scrimmage. So, how was this 2nd best middle school team faring against the Sweepers? Naturally, they were losing pretty badly. With that said, the kill count and the map state didn''t make it apparent right away. StormBlitz at least had the decency to not lose too badly in obvious areas. Nonetheless, other numbers on the screen exposed the undeniable truth. The Sweepers are far ahead on farm. Jin noticed. If they really wanted, they could''ve finished this game at least five minutes ago. But, they''re taking their time. Its probably to give StormBlitz a chance. The unfolding situation on the screen was all the proof Jin needed. StormBlitz was reduced to only two living members, yet the Sweepers didn''t hurry to abuse the situation. If the pros really wanted, they couldve won in many different ways from this position. For example, they could''ve gone after the Overlord buff and become an unstoppable force. Or, they could mount a big push on Mid and most likely win that way. There were countless easy options. And yet, the Sweepers avoided delivering the killing blow. Instead, they continued giving StormBlitz some chances to recover. I think this is going to take a while. Jin concluded. The match reached its conclusion only ten minutes later. As expected, the Sweepers emerged victorious. Despite how long it took, that match was nothing more than one-sided stomping. The Sweepers held the upper hand all along. They simply postponed the final blow for a while, taking it easy against the younger players. "Oh, it''s over!" Ronshfelt clapped once. "What an intense battle! It looked like a done deal at first glance, but the kids sure held their ground until the bitter end! I can''t believe such young talent exists nowadays!" They only held on for so long because the Sweepers let them. Jin made a face. The more this old man talks, the more I feel like he has no idea what he''s talking about. "A very nice match!" Ronshfelt clapped as he approached the Sweepers. "Now, attention please, everybody. The man of the hour arrived! Im introducing you Jin, the Chinese Wonderboy!" Korean. Jin retorted mentality. Normally, he''d shove that correction right into the speaker''s face, but this clown was too big of a figure. According to Rodriguezs briefing, Ronshfelt was the owner of the esports team, and of the entire building in fact. Yes, that old fool was like the king of this entire territory, so Jin had to tread carefully. It wouldn''t be wise to get on the Ronshfelt bad side and lose this important opportunity. Following the loud introduction, the pros left their seats and sized Jin up with curious looks. Some of them seemed interested to hear more. Meanwhile, others scoffed in response, maybe at the fact Jin was a kid or at the fact he was a foreigner. Naturally, none of them knew him or had any idea at what level he played. On the other hand, Jin knew each and every one of them. He did his homework for today, so he learned what level of threat each member of the Sweepers posed. On top of that, Jin knew exactly what these people were for him right now: his sworn enemies. They were foes he had to crush today in order to advance toward the pro scene and escape the skillless middle school swamp he was stuck in ever since he left Korea... Vol.13 Ch.20: Challenging the Sweepers "So, this is the runt Rodriguez brought over?" A voluptuous woman came forth and examined Jin from head to toe. "Hey kid, do you know who I am?" "Ignis, the Top Laner," Jin answered. "Oh, you''re good!" Ignis grinned. "Hey guys, check this out! Looks like I''m so famous they even heard about me in China! You wish. Jin retorted silently. I only learned of a lowly player like you because I had to research my opponents for today. And its Korea, not China. Ignis. Top Laner. Favorite classes included: Knight, Viking, Berserker, and apparently Warrior as a situational pick. This woman was a brute who relied on her mechanical skill and snappy decision-making in combat. If she were a character in a fighting game, she''d definitely be a gorilla archetype who promoted mashing buttons all day without thinking. If I really get to play Top, then she''ll be my opponent. Jin reasoned. That''ll be much easier than fighting against "her" in Mid... "My, what a cute little boy~" A pale woman approached him with a playful smile. Her porcelain skin was in stark contrast to pitch-black dress, making her look like a vampire or a witch. In fact, thats the kind of persona she role-played during her streams. "So, do you know me as well, perchance?" The woman pointed at herself with an innocent smile. "Esmeralda, the Mid Laner." "My, I''m honored~" Esmeralda patted Jin on the head for a job well done. Like I thought, this one is annoying. Jin averted his eyes and did his best to endure the "little kid treatment. Just from watching a couple of Esmeralda''s streams, it was evident she was an eccentric person. At first, Jin thought Esmeralda only role-played for the camera. However, he later found more evidence to suggest this weirdo acted this way even outside streams, and his fears became reality just now. Esmeralda was an eccentric, through and through. Even her playstyle was quirky and odd, making it difficult to analyze. It''s too risky to face her in lane during such an important game. Jin concluded as such. Technically, she seems like a very weak player. So weak, that she shouldnt have any business playing on a B-League team, even in the west. Yet, here she is... Esmeralda''s playstyle was... unusual, to say the least. It seemed weak, yet it also delivered decent results at times. It was truly a mystery, like the woman herself. Even though Jin studied that eccentric playstyle and thought of many ways to counter it, he still didnt feel confident facing this woman. Especially, not with so much hanging in the balance here today. "So, your name is Jin?" Esmeralda tilted her head. "Officially, it''s Young-jin." "My, are you Korean?" "Yes, I am." Finally, somebody gets it right! "Pft, haha!" Ignis broke into laughter for some reason. "''Young Jin? Seriously? Haha!" "My, it''s rude to laugh at people''s names like that," Esmeralda pointed out. "But, it''s ''young'', haha! Imagine this kid in like 80 years from now. A total geezer, but everybody still calls him ''young'', haha!" "In Korean, ''young'' means eternal," Jin informed. "Yeah, eternally ''young'', haha!" Ignis laughed until her sides hurt. "It means you''re too young to challenge us, kid." "We not know that until we fight." Jin confronted the insult head-on. Compared to the pros I played back in Korea, this woman is small fry. I believe I have a real chance of beating her in 1v1 on lane. "Oh?" Ignis lifted her chin. "Not sure why, but my senses are tingling. Don''t tell me you think you can actually win against us, kid." "I will not know until I try," Jin responded as evenly as possible. Regardless of how unskilled the woman was, she still deserved minimal respect as a pro. Though, I''ll most likely lose any shred of respect for her if I can defeat her. "Dang, this brat is totally looking down on me, I can feel it!" "Give it a rest." A bulky man came in between them. His entire body was made of thick muscle, to the point he looked more like a bodybuilder than an esports player. That was IronWall, the captain of the Sweepers. His presence is even more intimidating than I imagined. Jin gulped. IronWall was a mountain of a man. He towered not only over Jin but over everybody present. And, his sturdy muscles made it seem like he could snap any of them in half with his bare hands if he wanted. It was definitely best to stay on this guys good side... But, unlike Jin, the others werent fazed by IronWalls presence. "Watcha want, Dima?" Ignis scoffed. "You better scold that brat, not me. He''s the one looking down on me!" "Is he really looking down on you? How do you figure?" "I can feel it!" Ignis insisted. "My gut never lies." "So, you''re yelling at a child because of some vague gut feeling? Are you serious?" "Geh... B-But...!" "Just give it a rest. Now." IronWall smashed the entire conversation to piece with his heavy commanding tone. After that, he turned to Jin. "Sorry about that, kid." "I''m sorry as well." Jin bowed slightly. "It seems I wasn''t respectful enough. I''ll make sure to learn from this mistake." "My, Jinjin is such a polite boy~" Esmeralda noted. Jinjin...? "Oh, such maturity!" Ronshfelt clapped. "As expected from a genius wonderkid!" "So, Boss..." IronWall examined Jin from head to toe. "This is the boy you plan to scout?" "Yes, this is the Chinese wonderboy in the flesh!" I''m Korean. "But," Ronshfelt continued. "Given his young age, this is no simple matter." He turned to Jin. "I hope youre not offended by the caution we exercise. It''s just that unusual to scout such a young player, at least on out part of the globe." "Yes, I understand. It was unfortunate, but such was reality. As far as the pro scene was concerned, Jin was just a 12 years old brat who claimed he played well. Apparently, it was always complicated to hire children for any kind of job. As such, everybody proceeded cautiously on this matter. "I just prove my skill in battle," Jin said plainly. "Yes, yes. That''s the spirit!" Ronshfelt nodded repeatedly. "It''s so refreshing to see such a strong fighting spirit from somebody so young!" "Thank you," Jin made sure to thank the overly-excited for any random praise. It was a little tiring, but Jin had to make sure he stayed on the man''s good side. As long as Ronshfelt liked Jin, his chances of being scouted increased tenfold. "Of course," Ronshfelt continued. "I said ''scout'' but it''s not for the Sweepers, obviously. No matter how talented you are, you''ll have to start from C-League, young lad." "Yes." "The truth is, I wanted you to play a game with them so they could judge your skill for themselves. But unfortunately, they''ll be busy with the world tour for a few good months." That''s too bad. Jin thought. It probably wouldve been easier for me to prove my mettle against them. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In preparation for today, Jin studied as much as possible about the teams owned by Sebastian Ronshfeld. The man owned two teams at present: the Sweepers in B-League and the Cleaners in C-League. Surprisingly, out of the two, the Cleaners were actually more successful within their own league. That much was evident by the fact they were playing abroad at the moment, as part of an ongoing world championship. Unlike them, the Sweepers hadnt reached any such recognition within the B-League. Of course, being a league higher meant the Sweepers were actually stronger than the Cleaners. However, their lack of success in their own league made them seem like failures. Though, that''s probably just a prejudice on my end. Jin was smart enough to realize as much. In fact, I probably should be glad I got to play the Sweepers today. The team''s reputation aside, theyre definitely stronger than the Cleaners. So, theyll make for better training. To be on the safe side, Jin researched both the Cleaners and the Sweepers before coming here today. So, he knew the Sweepers packed a punch despite their relatively unsuccessful performance. "As such," Ronshfelt continued as he turned to the Sweepers. "I know your schedule is also packed, but you''re the only ones available. So, I''d like you to play with the Chinese wonderboy." I''m Korean. Jin corrected for the 100th time today. "No problem," IronWall said. "We''re already in the middle of wasting our time on middle schoolers, so this changes nothing." "Hey!" Ignis interjected. "What do you mean ''wasting our time''? This is important training for my brothers team, you know." "And?" IronWall shrugged. "How does that help us improve as a team, exactly?" "Heh. Obviously, we''re preparing him for when he gonna join the team. Then, we''ll finally break through that damn A-League barrier!" "Yeah, right." IronWall shrugged. "You just want to help your brother win his little school competition. "Yeah, that''s a part of it of course." Ignis nodded. "He gonna become the hero who destroys the Leopards'' win streak!" "Bold words," Rodriguez cut into the conversation for the first time. "Geh, so you''re also here..." Ignis made a face. "What did you come for?" "I''m the coach of the Leopards, in case you forgot. This boy is under my care." "Heh, so the little brat needs an escort? Doesn''t sound like he''s ready for the adult world of the pro scene." "That''s just regulation," Rodriguez explained. "I cant leave my pupils unsupervised when I send them to a place like this." "What, are you saying we gonna bully him or something?" "No, of course not." "Well too bad, because youd be totally right!" Ignis thirst her finger at Rodriguez. "We gonna bully him so hard, he won''t think about joining the pro scene for another ten years! Theres no way in hell I gonna let one of your students get in here so easily!" "I have a distinct impression I''m being hated here." Rodriguez smiled wryly, but he didn''t linger on that point. Ignis was the same during her middle school days too: brash and upfront. If she didn''t like somebody or something, she always threw shade in their face without thinking twice. So, there was no need to be too bothered by her attitude. Thats just the kind of person she was at her core, even after so many years have passed. "Just you wait," Ignis said. "Wardy will kick your team''s ass this year! I''m preparing him real good for that. It gonna be sweet, sweet revenge!" "Yes, itll be quite the fateful revenge if your brother successfully defeats my team," Rodriguez agreed. "He''d put an end to a winning streak that started with his sister." "I-It didn''t start with me!" Ignis denied. StormBlitz were the favorites that year if memory serves. You were expected to take the regionals. "Yeah, but then some meddler came outta nowhere and boosted the damn Leopards through the roof. Nobody was ready for that shit!" "Is that the kind of excuse you also make today when the Sweepers lose?" "Nah." Ignis shook her head. "When we lose, it''s always Hawk''s fault. That''s the script." "Hey!" Somebody from the team objected, most likely that "Hawk" guy. The rest of the team laughed in response. "Anyways!" Ignis insisted. "Wardy will take you down this year, mark my words!" "He''s indeed a talented young man," Rodriguez agreed. "I''m very curious to see what kind of team he brings against us this year." "Aha!" Ignis pointed a blaming finger. "I knew it! You arranged this whole charade to spy on Wardys team, didn''t you? You''re so scared of StormBlitz that youre going the extra length to study them, thats how shook you are." "Not really," Rodriguez denied. "They already had their first scrimmage a few days ago, and they''ll have another one before facing us. So, well have plenty of data to work with. "But, I bet you want more!" Ignis insisted. "You''re planning to expose all their weaknesses from up close!" "That''s why I was against this idea." A third party joined the hectic discussion. It was none other than Howard, the captain of StormBlitz. "Howard, right?" Rodriguez stretched a hand. "I believe this is the first time we get to speak face to face like this." "Yes, it is." Howard politely accepted the handshake but there was obvious hostility in his eyes. "I apologize for being blunt like this, but I have to say I also don''t like this arrangement at all. Letting an enemy coach watch our games from up close is like handing out free candies. Were not running a charity here. "But, my boy," Ronshfelt interjected. "I believe we had an agreement. Your team is allowed to play the Sweepers today under the condition youd accept this arrangement. "Yes, I''m aware," Howard said. "Don''t worry, it''s not like I''m planning to cancel the deal. I just felt like expressing my dissatisfaction, that''s all. Kids are always a little selfish like that, right? Haha." "Heh, as long as you understand." Ronshfelt didnt say anything more on the matter. "You can rest assured," Rodriguez said. "This arrangement will be very beneficial for your team as well. In fact, it''ll be so informative that I hesitated about this idea at first. But, my team is too busy with scrimmages at the moment, so I had to make do." "I don''t see how this exchange is going to be too informative for us," Howard insisted. "You get to spy on four of our players, while we only get to see of yours in action. And, your player hasnt even shown up during any scrimmages so far. If thats not bogus, then I dont know what is. thats exactly the reason this will be so informative for you. Excuse me? "Young-Jin isn''t a regular player." Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. "The truth is, I was planning to keep him off the stage until we run into sufficiently difficult opponents. That may, or may not, be your team. Surely, you understand what that implies?" "Yeah... Howard frowned. You''re saying we might''ve only learned of his existence on the very day of our scrimmage. Or perhaps only at the regionals, depending on how that scrimmage goes. I assure you, it wouldve been quite the shock for you to run into him at the finals for the first time. That does sound wicked. "Right?" Rodriguez nodded. "That''s why, giving you a chance to learn of Young-Jin''s existence so early, and even team up with him, is invaluable information. So frankly, I believe this intel is worth more than anything your team can offer us." "That''s provided he''s at least half as good as youre advertising." Howard scoffed. He examined the Korean boy from head to toe but he couldn''t sense anything special. Judging by looks alone, Jin looked like a run-of-the-mill Asian kid, nothing more. "His skill is the real deal. You''ll see that for yourself very soon." "Is that so." Howard wasn''t entirely convinced. Hes so cautious. Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. That''s a very mature and professional approach. He understands the Leopards will be his biggest obstacle this year, so he''s very serious about withholding information. Impressive for his age. Most kids that age, even the serious players, only concerned themselves with winning games They didnt give as much thought to factors outside the game, such as hiding important information from enemy teams. But, then there was Howard. A kid who hasn''t received any professional coaching, yet conducted himself almost like a young pro. No, that''s not quite true. Rodriguez glanced at Ignis and Esmeralda. Those two probably taught him the importance of such matters. Im not so sure about Ignis, but I know Esmeralda is a good teacher. Cato and Matthew are very mature players thanks to her coaching. The chatter died down and the two teams returned to their respective stations. The Sweepers'' coach joined the audience in order to give his two cents on Jin''s upcoming performance. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that Jins fate was at this mans hands right now. With all due respect to Mr. Ronshfelt, the man was a businessman. His observations regarding Classmancers were amateurish at best. Therefore, it was unnecessary to have a more knowledgeable spectator in the audience. And, it had to be one with a neutral stance, unlike Rodriguez. Shortly, both teams arrived at their stations. And so, preparations began. "Sorry Roi," Howard apologized. "You''ll have to sit this one out." "Lol, you kicking me out?" Roi laughed. "Man, thats harsh. I mean, I made only one misplay that was REALLY bad. "It''s not about that overextension," Howard said. "The Chinese kid here wants to play Top." "I''m Korean," Jin corrected. "Yeah, of course." A dark cloud hovered over their interactions. Though Howard went along with Rodriguez''s explanation for now, he still had his doubts about Jin''s actual skill. Really, just how strong could a kid like that possibly be? Suppose, for the sake of argument, that Jin was the best player in the region. Even then, he probably wasnt that much above the rest of the competition. Therefore, this practice match was a bad trade for StomBlitz either way. They were trading information about 4 of their players in exchange for getting to know one mysterious player. So, unless Jins skill was literally godlike, this trade had no chance of ever evening out. Well, no use thinking about it so hard. Howard concluded. I already agreed to this arrangement, so lets see how things play out. It was a good thing Jin picked Top, for it meant hell have to face Howards sister in lane. Unlike the other pros, Ignis definitely won''t hold back too much, especially not after their brief exchange. So, it should be easy enough to determine whether Jin was truly a genius who could rival pros, or just a skilled middle schooler like the rest of the Leopards. "Just so we''re clear," Howard said. "Even though everybody seems to be treating this as an exam designed for you, for the rest of us this is just another practice match as a team. And, I''m the captain of this team, so you gonna follow my orders." "As long as they''re good orders," Jin responded. "Fair enough." Howard respected that bold attitude. Considering the few details he heard about Jin''s background, it made sense for Jin to not be too trusting of other children''s skills. Apparently, the training this boy underwent back in Korea was quite intense. So much, that the competitive middle school scene in the west looked like a joke to him. And that''s why he was here right now, applying to join a pro team at such a young age. But, I''m sure Rodriguez exaggerated when he explained all of that. Howard thought. Still, a match is a match. As the captain, Ill do everything I can to win this game, even if it ends up helping a snobby Korean kid get into the pro scene before me. And so, another practice match between StormBlitz and the Sweepers and was about to begin. Will the Korean wonderboy be able to live up to his reputation and give the pros a hard time...? Vol.13 Ch.21: Young-Jins Preparations The drafting phase began. To simulate a high-level match as realistically as possible, StormBlitz didn''t cut any corners during this practice. Howard drafted classes methodically as if the teams fate was at stake. On the other hand, the pros... "Just let them pick whatever they want." Ignis shrugged. "No matter what he comes at me with, I''mma kick this brats ass. Ill show everybody hes in no way better than Wardy." "My, you have such a brother-complex~" Esmeralda giggled. "I mean, it''s Wardy we''re talking about." Ignis smiled proudly. "There''s no way he gonna lose to anybody his age. We raised that boy." "Yes, he''s like our child~" "Err, I wouldn''t go that far." "No no, he''s definitely a labor of our passionate love~" "Okay, now you''re just spouting nonsense." "Teehee~" The middle school team made their first ban, so it was the pros'' turn. "So," IronWall addressed everybody. "Any bans you''d like?" "Can''t we just skip our banning phase?" Ignis asked. "Let''s let them play whatever they think is best. I mean, we gonna beat them anyway." "No, we''ll ban properly," IronWall insisted with the usual heavy tone. "This is supposed to be a serious match, so we have to take the drafting phase seriously as well." "As uptight as ever." Ignis shrugged. "Well, I don''t need any bans for Top. I don''t wanna hear excuses later like ''you banned my best class''. I say, let the Chinese boy play whatever he wants." "He''s Korean," IronWall corrected. "Meh, same thing. They''re all over there together, on the other side of the globe. Anyway, point is, I don''t wanna ban anything for Top." "Fine." IronWall clearly had a thing or two to say, but he merely sighed and gave up. "What about the rest of you?" In the end, without Ignis requesting anything, the team defaulted to banning the usual suspects. By now, they already knew which classes StormBlitz favored, so it was easy enough to target those. Among them were Paladin and Ranger, much to Howard and Ellen''s dismay. While Ignis was indifferent toward the banning phase, the phase itself seemed to care a lot about her. The enemy banned the following classes: Viking, Berserker, and Fighter. All of them were Top Laners. This guy did his homework. Howard thought as he satisfied Jin''s selfish request. Normally, it was unthinkable to spend the entire banning phase on banning a single role. But, these weren''t just any random Top Lane classes. They were the classes his sister played the most. Did he know that? Howard wondered. Who am I kidding, of course he did. Theres no way he shot in the dark and hit these three specific classes. This kid might be more dangerous than I expected. When Howard heard about a "Korean genius", the first thing that came to mind was superb mechanical skill. He expected Jin to be a wild beast with superhuman reaction speed, similar to Lars. Beasts like that usually didn''t pay as much heed to tactics and didnt bother studying their opponents. Instead, they relied on their raw strength to bust through any obstacle. However, Jin was proving to be a different kind of player. He definitely studied Ignis, no two ways about it. I guess that''s expected from somebody who was trained in a professional environment. Howard thought. I wonder, will he admit to this if asked? "Impressive." Howard broke the ice. "Looks like you researched your lane opponent quite well." "Yes," Jin answered plainly. "Studying your opponent is the first step to victory." "I agree." Howard nodded. So, he doesnt think its underhanded to gain an information advantage like that. If anything, he treats it as an accomplishment. Its unfortunate. I''m sure we would''ve become good friends if we met under different circumstances. "Im surprised," Jin said. "I didn''t think you agree to all these bans, not this easily." "You''re right. Normally, I wouldn''t let that stand." "Then, why?" "It''s a special occasion, so I have to be more flexible," Howard explained. "It''s like an exam for you, so I don''t want to be blamed for being the one who made you fail." "I see." "Besides, I''m sure you would''ve argued with me to death if I disagreed, right?" "Maybe." Jin gave a vague answer but the prediction was on point. He did his homework on the Sweepers favorite classes and he had every intention to make use of that information advantage. Therefore, he wasnt going to accept no for an answer here. So really," Howard continued. "I just prefer to avoid drama when possible. After all, we don''t even know each other yet, right? Heated arguments between strangers are the worst, haha." "Is that so." Jin stared at Howard for a long moment. This captain is adequate, it seems. Instead of causing needless friction, the captain chose the most peaceful way to resolve this situation. He took the road that undermined his authority a little, but in exchange, he improved the team''s chances of winning as a whole. It was a smooth way to handle this particular situation in which one of the team members was a stranger. This VIP treatment" made Jin feel welcome here, which raised his appreciation toward the captain and the team at large. Was that also part of his plan? Jin wondered. If so, he might be somebody worth considering a "dangerous opponent" for the future. But, it''s too early to tell. StormBlitz finished their banning phase, with all three bans aimed directly at Ignis. Next, it was the Sweepers'' turn to deliver the final ban of this phase. "Heh, look at this brat going." Ignis grinned dangerously. "Are you seeing what I''m seeing? Like, I''m not imagining it, right? These bans are all aimed at me." "They sure are." Esmeralda smiled. "This is so cute. Reminds me of how boys harass the girls they like for attention~" "Yeah, totally. Like, totally NOT. What the heck are you even on about? That brat is just a kid." "Perhaps he was mesmerized by your voluptuous form?" "The kid is like 12. What the heck?" "My, you got zero imagination, Igny." Esmeralda pouted. "Forbidden love like that is everywhere~" "Yeah, everywhere in your head." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "But, he''s a cute serious boy, don''t you think?" "Are you trying to make me call the police on you?" "So mean~ Sob. Sob." "Yeah, yeah." Ignis shrugged. "Anyway, let''s get the show rolling." "Alright," IronWall agreed. "Now that you''ve finished your questionable conversation, let''s address the last ban. I''m sure it''s clear to everybody that the enemy''s bans are aimed at Ignis." "Yep, they sure are." Ignis nodded. "Thats not so weird, though. The Storm kids know what I play, especially Wardy and Elly. Though, I didn''t expect them to betray me like this and give the Chinese boy all this advantage..." "Either way" IronWall continued. "My guess is that the Korean boy himself will pick Knight, the one important class he left alone." "Yeah, sounds feasible." "And, that''s all you have to say?" IronWall raised an eyebrow. "What else do I need to say?" "Hmm, I really don''t know. Something like ''ban Knight'', maybe?" "Nah, let him pick whatever he wants." Ignis waved her hand. "The more freedom we give him, the stronger he should be, right? I wanna smash that kid at his strongest!" "My, how kinky~" Esmeralda commented. "Huh? Oh, shit!" Ignis shuddered the moment she realized what she has just uttered. "Eh, I mean, ya know... I wanna spank that kid real good!" "My, so that''s the kind of fetish you''re into~? "Oh, shush already." As the silly banter died down, IronWall wheeled the conversation back on topic. "So, we''re not banning Knight?" "Nope." "Alright then." Until the very end, Ignis ignored the banning phase and allowed her lane opponent to do whatever he wanted. And so, the Sweepers placed their final ban on Shadow Walker. The class has fallen out of S tier according to most people, but it was still a pain to deal with. Not to mention, StormBlitz''s Jungler played this class quite adequately. With the drafting phase out of the way, it was StormBlitz''s turn to pick the first class. According to the meta, the Top Laner was often the first to pick. "Knight." Jin placed his order. "Very well." Howard locked the class in. An obvious pick. So obvious that Im surprised sis didn''t ban it. I really hope she''s taking this seriously... With the first pick decided, it was the Sweepers'' turn. "Knight, huh." Ignis shook her head. "Textbook first pick." "Like I told you." IronWall sighed. "You should''ve banned it." "Nah, no problem. If anything, it''s great he picked Knight. It means he won''t have any excuses after I kick his ass." "So," IronWall continued. "What''s your pick?" "Heh, wouldn''t it be hilarious if I pick DK here?" "Please don''t." "C''mon, that''s the best way to put that kid in his place, don''t you think?" Ignis snickered. With Dark Knight, she could easily crush the brat during the early-game and not give him any opportunities to shine. That way, she''ll shoot down all his chances of making a positive impression on Ronshfelt! "My, Igny is such a bully~" Esmeralda giggled. "Hey, that''s not bullying. Lets just call it strict education. We''re the adults here, so we gotta teach brats to not bite more than they can chew." "Actually, I''m not so worried about the boy here," IronWall said. "I''m more concerned with the possibility he''ll stall your DK to oblivion." "Whoa there!" Ignis exclaimed. "So, you don''t want me to pick DK because you think I might lose? Seriously? Sounds like somebody got infected with the owner''s overhyping disease." "I''m not hyping anything up," IronWall said. "Countering DK is one of the most basic things any competitive player should know. So, there''s a good chance he''s better at countering DK than any other class." "Sounds great, actually." Ignis nodded. "It means hell be at his strongest. That''s exactly what I wanna crush!" "It might backfire," IronWall said. "To win with DK, you need to play much better than your opponent." "And? You''re saying I can''t play better than some middle schooler?" "That''s the problem, I don''t know. It''s the first time Fernando is recommending one of his students to the pro scene, He had plenty of talented kids over the years but he never suggested anything absurd like this. So clearly, this kid is special somehow." "Are you gonna trust a guy who quit the pro scene more than you trust your teammate? Jeez, thanks for the faith, cap." "Me and Fernando played in the Cleaners together before so he''s also like a teammate to me, just a former one." "Wait, you played in the pro scene together? First time I hear it." "It''s been many years since then. But, one thing I still remember is that Fernando always had an eye for recognizing talent. He was usually our main guy for analyzing opponents and scouting new players. So, if Fernando says this boys skill is exceptional, I believe it." "Hmm." Ignis crossed her arms. "Wait a minute. You both played on the Cleaners, right?" "Yeah." "And, it was C-League back then too, right?" "Right. We didn''t have a B-League team back then." "Aha!" Ignis pumped a fist. "It means he never got into B-League! I surpassed that guy! Get dunked, scrub!" "Anyway..." IronWall ignored that noise and picked Cryomancer for himself. "I don''t approve of you picking DK. Its not like Im trying to belittle you or anything. We just don''t know how good that boy is. So, as long as there''s a chance he can stall your DK then we can''t pick it, not with the boss watching." "My, are you afraid of dear Ronny?" Esmeralda titled her head. "You know how that guy is," IronWall whispered. "He''s all smiles but he''ll chew us out if we do poorly against kids. He doesn''t really like these arrangements in the first place." "My, he doesn''t?" Esmeralda blinked in surprise. "I thought he was into promoting younger talent." "That''s just what he says," IronWall explained. "Maybe, at first, he was genuinely hyped about letting kids practice against us. But, over time, he must''ve realized it doesn''t bring any direct benefit for the team. We don''t gain any money, fame, or skill from it. So, why support it?" "Man, what an ass." Ignis grumped. "Now I get why it''s been getting harder and harder to arrange these practice matches. He probably asks the coach to overpack our schedule on purpose, doesn''t he?" "I''m sure that''s the case." IronWall nodded. "Damn. I can''t believe I never noticed." Youre just a dumdum like that~ Esmeralda giggled. He did what he can to make it less obvious, IronWall explained. But, he was very direct on the topic with me the other day. "My," Esmeralda commented. "Our poor captain sure has it hard." "I really do, so please don''t make it harder for me." IronWall sighed. "He''ll give me an earful if we show him a shabby performance against kids. That''s why I cant allow DK." "Alright, alright, I get it," Ignis said. "My bad, I had no idea he was giving you so much shit for it. I''ll pick something else then." "Thank you." "Hmm. I''ll go with Warrior then." Ignis grinned. "This gonna be fun!" "Are you sure?" IronWall confirmed. "It might be better to pick a higher tier class." "Nah, it''s perfect here. You know my Warrior is solid, right? And, it also got a good matchup against Knight." "A tentatively good matchup," IronWall corrected. "But alright, it''s a passable pick. At least, I don''t think I need to worry about you messing up with Warrior." "You didn''t need to worry about my DK either, you know." "You''re probably right, but better safe than sorry." IronWall locked-in Warrior for Ignis. It was a pick that a certain somebody was very much anticipating. She really went for it. Jin had mixed feelings about this development. On one hand, his research proved accurate enough to predict this outcome. On the other hand, it meant Ignis was probably looking down on him a little. Warrior wasn''t exactly a "weak" class but it was considered low-tier due to the existence of Knight. For most intents and purposes, Knight was straight up a "better" Warrior. It almost felt like power creep. According to ClassSoft, Knight was intended to feel like a class upgrade for new players. It was a common concept in MMORPGs. All players had access to Warrior as soon as they started the game. Later on, they unlocked Knight for free once their account hit Lv.30. In short, ClassSoft openly admitted that Knight was designed to be an upgrade for Warrior, thus dooming Warrior to be forever low tier. Though admittedly, there were a couple of cases in which Warrior was slightly better than Knight. However, those were few and far between. In other words, for almost all situations, Knight was the superior class. Everybody knew that, so Ignis surely knew that as well. And yet, she picked Warrior against Jins Knight. Not only that, but she failed to ban Knight before Jin stole the class. It further proved how much that cocky woman was underestimating him. About the only advantage Warrior has for this matchup is the AA range. But, it''s not a big enough difference to justify the pick. How disappointing. The rest of the drafting phase proceeded without any interesting developments. Jin dropped a few bits of advice here and there as he saw fit. Some of them went through, others were rejected. He didn''t feel too strongly about it either way. And so, the final lineup came down to... === StormBlitz ==== Aegis (Support) - Druid Athena (Carry) - Elf Adapting (Mid) - Aeromancer Average (Jungler) - Lancer Apprentece (Top) - Knight === Sweepers === IronWall (Support) - Cryomancer Argus (Carry) - Gunslinger Esmeralda (Mid) - Warlock MegaHawk (Jungler) - Vampire Ignis (Top) - Warrior Vol.13 Ch.22: Flawless Farming === StormBlitz ==== Aegis (Support) - Druid Athena (Carry) - Elf Adapting (Mid) - Aeromancer Average (Jungler) - Lancer Apprentece (Top) - Knight === Sweepers === IronWall (Support) - Cryomancer Argus (Carry) - Gunslinger Esmeralda (Mid) - Warlock MegaHawk (Jungler) - Vampire Ignis (Top) - Warrior Our lineup is overly defensive. Jin thought as he examined the final picks. StormBlitz had Paladin, Elf, and Aeromancer. These were all classes known for their defensive potential. As I thought, theyre a hyper defensive team. Jin didn''t only research his foes. He was told ahead of time he''ll be playing alongside StormBlitz, so he researched his potential teammates as well. It was useful information to have, both for todays match and for their inevitable clash at the regional. The enemy of my enemy is a friend this time. Jin reasoned. I''ll have to make sure they don''t fall behind, or else they''ll drag me down with them. Even though this was an exam intended for Jin alone, he had to pay at least some attention to the baggage that was StormBlitz. No matter how well Jin plays he won''t be able to carry an entire game by himself, not against pro players. As such, it was necessary to know what this team lacked in order to fill in the gaps. All of them will focus on defense, so I''ll have to go with a more aggressive build. Jin concluded based on the information at hand. "Just so we''re on the same page," Howard suddenly spoke up. "In case you''re not aware, our team generally prefers to play defensively. So, keep that in mind when you build items." Did he just read my thoughts? Jin knotted his brows. "Yes, I figured you play defense. So, I plan to build power to compensate for weak offense." "Compensate?" Howard blinked. "No, no. You got it all wrong. You see, this isn''t a weakness in our formation. Thats just our playstyle. We focus on defense and win in the late-game." "I understand that," Jin said. "But, if nobody builds some offense early on, the team will lose both early and middle game." "We just have to defend well enough to prevent that from happening," Howard said plainly. "As long as we maintain solid defense, we dont have to worry. We''ll safely reach the late-game and then turn the tables on our opponents." I feel like I''ve heard these exact same words before... Jin made a face. "Is this a popular strategy in the west?" "Hmm. No, I wouldn''t say so. At least, I''m not aware of pros favoring defense over offense in particular." "Is that so." Jin didn''t have any statistics to back up either claim so he left it at that. But, it''s peculiar. The captains of the two strongest regional teams are hellbent on defense. Is that just a coincidence...? "Alright, I understand," Jin said. "I''ll keep my build balanced." "Thanks." "But, I want to start with power. I need it to compete with Warrior." "Alright, you do you." And so, Jin got the green light to open this game with a more aggressive build. Then again, he would''ve gone for that build even if his teammates objected. Nonetheless, it was more efficient to stay on their good side. All of them were together here in this difficult match, so they''ll have to cooperate to grasp victory. At the very least, their defense should be able to slow down the pros a little. That''ll give me more time to make strong plays that leave an impression. After finishing his preparations, Jin headed into the jungle alongside Average, the Jungler. The team captain briefly introduced Jin to everybody, including their real names, but Jin couldn''t be bothered to remember that many names at once. Besides, none of these players seemed like they''ll leave much of an impression on him, so there was no reason to remember their names. It was that much easier to address everybody by their IGN since those were always visible in-game. So, the Jungler was just called Average, no other name. "Heya, what''s up?" Average saluted with a smile. He seemed like the chatterbox type. "Hm." Jin frowned. A professional match was no place for idle chatter, that should be known to anybody. And yet, this Average guy seemed like he was planning to strike some casual conversation. His eyes were filled with curiosity, no doubt regarding Jins background. I''d like to ignore him but I don''t know how he''ll react if I give him the cold shoulder. The captain and the Jungler are the two people I have to stay on good terms with, so I suppose I''ll have to entertain this guy a little. "Hey," Jin responded weakly. "Say, I was wondering," Average continue the conversation as if it was the most natural thing to do. "How the heck did you manage to grab a cool nickname like Apprentice? Aren''t there tons of players who''d grab if it was available? Like, I''d understand it if it was TheApprentice or Apprentice69, but just Apprentice? Wild." "Please, Danny," Athena interjected. "I think you better learn how to read." "Say what?" "Look carefully at the letters. Does it really say ''Apprentice''?" "Pretty dang sure it does. Its Apprent... Apprentence!? The heck is that!? It got ''e'' instead of ''i''! I feel so robbed, WTF. What''s the deal with that?" "Its similar on purpose," Jin delivered his usual explanation, the one that made him sound smart. "Humans don''t read words letter by letter. They see the beginning and ending of a word and usually assume what entire word is. So, I used that to make the name look like Apprentice." "Damn, son. That''s some 200 IQ strat right there! So, the mind games start all the way at the selection screen, huh." "Sure." Jin simply nodded without asking to elaborate on that nonsense. After all, the first rule of dealing with chatterboxes was by communicating as little as possible, to not give them any topics to latch onto. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. On top of that, his IGN was one topic he definitely didn''t want to linger on. The more he had to talk about it, the more awkward the whole thing would become. After all, the "smart" explanation he gave regarding his name was just that, a "smart" explanation he prepared in advance. The real story behind it was far more embarrassing. "Alrighty, we''re done here," Average announced as they finished clearing the wraiths and wolves. "Seeya! Don''t hesitate to call if you need help." "Sure." Jin nodded. You''re the Jungler, so of course I''ll use your services. You exist to help the laners, so I''m glad you understand that much, at least. All in all, the first contact with this chatter-box was a success. Jin ended the conversation without coming across as rude or uncaring. That was a good start. For now, the Jungler was very much willing to cooperate. So, it begins. Jin stepped into Top Lane. His minions had just arrived, and so did Ignis. She was sporting a mana buff and already at Lv.2, just like Jin. It was good. They started off on equal footing. From here, it was up to Jin to prove his individual skill in lane. Top Lane was usually the most uneventful part of the map. It was subject to fewer ganks because the classes there were tanks or bruisers, making them unappealing targets for assassination. As a result, the majority of the laning process was a pure 1v1 contest between the two laners. It was almost like playing Duel mode within the larger MOBA mode. That''s why this is the best role for me to play during this test. Jin reasoned. Across his many years of practicing Classmancers, Jin had a fair share of experience playing alongside inferior players. His conclusion was that the best way to carry a weaker team was by playing Top or Jungler because Mid and Carry were too fragile for the task. So, as long as Jin played Top, his weak team wont be too much of a baggage. That logic applied to the current game alongside StormBlitz, and it also applied to when Jin played with the Leopards. Whenever the team was untrustworthy, it was best to play Top. However, his lane opponent looked at it differently. You made a grave mistake picking Top, kid. Ignis grinned. Nobody will save you here. I''m free to crush you whenever I feel like it. The poor boy was like a cornered mouse. There was nowhere for him to escape here. Well, for now, let''s see if you even know how to farm. Ignis didn''t attack the enemy swordsmen. Instead, she ran past the frontline and reached the bowmen in the back. And, as she passed by the swordsmen, she saw the Knight heading in the opposite direction. Both of them broke past each others frontlines while ignoring the swordsmen. Why? Because that was the superior tactic for their classes, especially in this matchup. So, he knows the basics of high-level play, at least. Ignis nodded. That''s a start. Among intermediate-level players, it was more common to see Knights and Warriors charge through the front gate. They usually pushed the swordsmen toward the backline, then finished the job there. However, in most cases, starting from the backline was actually the superior high-level approach. Even the Chinese kid seemed to understand that much. So, we had the same idea. Jin nodded in approval as he watched Ignis head in the opposite direction. It was only natural for a pro to capitalize on the best farming method in this matchup. Finally, I get to have a high-level match here. It''s been a while since I faced anybody who was worth my time. Jin and Ignis circled around each other''s backlines. From these positions, they were ready to push the unsuspecting bowmen all the way to the frontline. Knight had Shield Bash whereas Warrior had Fearless Charge. Both skills involved charging forward and pushing all enemies along the way. And so, Jin and Ignis booted their skill at about the same time. They knocked all the bowmen toward the heart of the battlefield. As a result, the center of the lane turned into a messy crowd. But, thats exactly what Jin wanted. After Shield Bash, he followed up with Blade Swing, slicing through the entire enemy squad. The blade spared nobody, neither the swordsmen nor the bowmen. The blow wasn''t enough to kill but it sufficiently injured the enemy forces, bringing some of them down to 50% HP. From there, Jin simply had to cut down the enemies one by one. Unlike Jin''s combo of Shield Bash into Blade Swing, Ignis didn''t have a direct follow-up for her Fearless Charge. This combo was one of the main reasons Knight was considered a "better Warrior", for it was such an important laning tool. Nonetheless, experienced Warriors knew how to compensate for that difference in burst damage. And, even as a low-ranking pro, Ignis knew to do that much. Soon after she pushed the bowmen toward the swordsmen- BAM! Her entire body exploded! Jin''s whole squad was caught up in the powerful explosion! Such an over-the-top skin effect. Jin shook his head in disapproval at the large explosion. I''m pretty sure this one is banned in official matches. It looked as if a bomb just went off, but in truth, it was just Warriors shield from the War Cry skill. Once the shield expired - it exploded and dealt AoE damage around the Warrior. The damage was proportional to the percentage of the shields remaining health. Since nobody has damaged Ignis'' shield during this entire exchange, the shield exploded with maximum power. The damage wasn''t anything special by itself. However, when combined with the damage of Ignis''s Fearless Charge, her total damage rivaled Jin''s output. And so, the two of them still remained on equal footing even after this first exchange. But, the round wasnt over yet. Next, they had to finish off the minions in front of them as efficiently as possible. And, to gain an advantage during circumstances like this, Knight had its trusty passive. The Chivalry passive boosted the defense of nearby allied minions, making them harder to kill. Therefore, when starting from equal footing on lane, this passive should have tilted the odds in the Knights favor. But, it just so happened that his opponent was Warrior who had the Battle Thirst passive. The skill buffed the Warriors Attack Power based on the number of nearby enemies. So, while Jins entire army was alive and kicking, Igniss basic attacks hit pretty hard. The two passives almost canceled each other out. Knights Chivalry was still the superior passive because it buffed each and every minion, unlike Warriors selfish Battle Thirst. And yet, the end result of this round was a draw. As expected, even with building extra early power, its not enough to outclear a pro-level Warrior. Jin nodded in satisfaction. This is good. It''s been a while since I got to face somebody of this level in lane. I''m glad to see that being a B-Leaguer means something in the west too. B-League was the level at which a player was considered a "real pro". Below that, in C-League, the "pro players" were more like "aspiring pros. They were pretty much newbies who were trying to climb their way into the real leagues. Thankfully, Ignis was a B-Leaguer so she should be above such amateurism. Her farming was pretty much flawless even with a rather niche class like Warrior. She knew exactly how to time her shield so it''d explode the moment she grouped up the minions. It was fast and accurate execution. But, that''s just the basics. Jin thought. In Korea, even C-Leaguer are held to a standard like this. The real question is, how is she going to play from here? The farming race ended in a draw, with both sides eliminating each others armies. And so, only Jin and Ignis remained in the lane. The next minion wave was already on its way, but it''ll take a while before it arrives. In other words, this was a pure 1v1 situation at the moment. What''s more, each of them was currently extending a little into enemy territory. That was the result of the farming technique they used to optimize their clear times. By starting from the backline, they inevitably finished their farming on the enemy side of the lane. Of course, they were sure to stick close enough to the center for it to not count as an extension. But, it didnt change the fact they were currently standing in each others territory. In other words, they had no choice but to run into each other as they switch sides. I''d rather avoid fighting this early if I can help it. Jin cautiously circled around his opponent. His plan was to peacefully return to his territory without any unnecessary clashes. Early-game fights are more prone to RNG because we have low HP and defense. So, surely you agree we shouldnt gamble here, right? He directed the question at his lane opponent, who was eagerly watching his every move. Ignis was like a hawk watching her prey. It almost felt like she was planning to initiate combat right here and now, despite how unprofessional it was. What''s wrong, kid? Ignis grinned. Too scared to fight early on? Then, I''ll strike first! Fighting early was dangerous, but that''s exactly what made it so exciting! The line between success and failure was so thin it made the heart race! Batting an eye for just a moment could prove fatal here. Every second, every millisecond, counted. It was the epitome of how intense duels should be like! Alrighty, let''s pretend I also plan to walk away peacefully. Ignis moved toward her side of the lane without starting anything yet. Nevertheless, she kept a close watch on the brat from the corner of her eye. In addition, she ensured they were close enough to each other as they passed by. And, the moment their positions aligned horizontally - Ignis went for it! She Dodge Rolled to close the distance in an instant, then swung her giant blade at the enemy! She''s really going for it!? Jin gulped. And so, an early brawl broke out! Will Jin be able to fend off this early-game berserker woman!? Vol.13 Ch.23: The Kids Impossible Tech WHOOSH! A giant sword leaped at Jin, aiming for his torso! But, it failed to reach him. That sure gave me a jump. Jin thought. Good thing I didnt give her the benefit of the doubt. Even though he didnt think a pro would resort to an early RNG battle like this, he nonetheless kept a close watch on every move Ignis made. Thanks to that, he responded to her Dodge Roll in a timely fashion and distanced himself from the danger zone before the sword assaulted him. And so, Ignis attack failed. Or, at least, the first part of it did. "Not too shabby," Ignis said. "But, this is only the beginning!" She pressed her offense further. As the aggressor, the momentum was on her side. It was her opponent who had to adapt to this sudden burst of aggression! Tch. I see shes going all out with this offense. Jin just barely evaded Ignis'' second swing. It was a close call, a very close one. Even though Jin was fully concentrated on evading the incoming assault, it took everything from him to just barely step out of range. The pressure is solid. Jin thought. I saw her use early aggression in pro matches before, but its much more overwhelming in person. The offense is very polished. There''s no hesitation in her attacks. Ignis swung her blade time and again. Each slash was clean and sharp. This woman knew no fear. In such a risky early game situation, where both sides were vulnerable to damage, Ignis had no problem throwing her everything into this offense. It was as foolish as it was brave. No doubt, the woman trained a lot to develop such a fearless attitude. Either that, or she was a natural fool. Either way, her offense successfully piled pressure on Jin. Mentally, he was exactly where his opponent wanted him to be. This is one of the best things ever! Ignis grinned. Nobody ever expects a hardcore fight like this early on, so they''re never ready. But, not me. I''m always ready. I''ve learned all these Lv.3 matchups, so I know exactly how far I can go and what I can get away with! I wonder if she''s looking down on me. Jin wondered as he barely stepped out of another attack. The offense is sharp but it hasnt achieved anything yet. Despite the relentless assaults, Ignis hasn''t landed a single hit on Jin. He successfully maintained his cool and juked the attacks as they came. But, no matter how many times Jin proved this offense was futile, Ignis continued throwing attacks his way. It''s like she had absolute confidence she had the upper hand here, as if Jin was a random weakling who couldn''t do anything but let himself get bullied in lane. In other words, she was totally looking down on him. Do I let her continue? Jin pondered. I don''t mind being underestimated for now if that eventually gives me an opening. Against a pro player, any trickery was fair play. Even exploiting Jins status, that of just a kid, was perfectly fine here. So, I''ll take advantage of the way you underestimate me. Jin turned around to face the attacker. He could''ve simply rolled deeper into his territory to get away, but he didn''t. Instead, he stood face to face with the bold assaulter. "Oh?" Ignis blinked. What''s this? You challenging me, kid? Heh, you''re ten years too young to even try that shit! Ignis went for another attack. She still had the momentum, so her opponent was the one who had to defend! Besides, Warrior had the range advantage here. It was a tiny advantage, one that many players weren''t even aware of, but it definitely existed. I bet the kid has no idea. Ignis snickered. C''mon, try counterattacking. I''m waiting. She threw all her body weight and swung her giant blade once more, but it whiffed again. This brat was not terrible at spacing, at least. He was evading Igniss attacks by a hair''s breadth. You lucky son of a...! Ignis clicked her tongue. Her prey was right there, right within her reach! But, luck kept saving him time and again. Somehow, the kid was always just barely outside her reach. Or, is it really just luck? Ignis doubted. Maybe he has been spacing me out this entire time? Nah, no way. A kid can''t pull it so cleanly. It gotta be luck. Nevertheless, it was peculiar. No matter how many times Ignis swung her blade, none of her attacks hit home. The kids luck seemed endless. Or, maybe that was his way of running away? After all, despite Igniss countless whiffs, the kid hasnt launched a single counterattack at her yet. Maybe he was 100% focused on dodging and nothing else? Without entertaining Ignis with a proper answer, the kid continued dodging. This is getting difficult. Jin frowned. He stepped outside the enemy''s range in the nick of time yet again, but that alone didnt bring him any sense of satisfaction anymore. Because, once again, he didnt find an opportunity to mount a counterattack. Its not like Jin wasnt shooting any counterattacks because he didnt want to. On the contrary, he constantly searched for an opportunity for a while now. But, he simply couldnt find one. Despite how savage the enemys enemys offense was, it left no obvious openings to exploit. I can''t attack carelessly since she got the range advantage. Jin was well-aware of Warrior''s minor advantage over Knight in that particular area. It was a niche piece of knowledge, one that he admittedly forgot about until recently. However, watching some of Ignis''s matches reminded him of that obscure fact. The woman really liked abusing it, so much that this small advantage made Warrior seem like a viable pick. In fact, the reason Ignis was allowing herself to swing her blade so wildly was that very range advantage. It was just half a step of a difference, therefore negligible in most people''s eyes. However, in high-level duels, that tiny advantage allowed Ignis to press her offense nonstop without being afraid of retaliation. On top of that, Ignis''s swings were far from "random". Despite how they looked, these were all calculated moves. She always aimed to hit Jin within the very tip of her range, to keep her target out of counterattacking range. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. In other words, Ignis was baiting Jin into taking a risk if he wanted to strike back. He had to step in in order to make his sword reach the target. It was extremely dangerous. The minions are almost here. Jin glanced at the mini-map. The next wave was about to arrive in a couple of seconds. So, should he just ignore Ignis''s aggression and retreat for now? No, not like this. Jin shook his head. I want to land at least one hit on her. This woman is looking down on me right now, so I have to exploit that fact. Besides... Jin didn''t have time to conclude that thought. Time was ticking. In a few seconds, the lane will revert to a normal laning phase. Once that happens, the two of them will be forced to disengage and Ignis will walk about triumphantly. Not only will it give her more reason to continue looking down on Jin, but it will also look bad in the eyes of the audience. I have to rough her up, at least a little. Jin waited for Ignis to whiff once again. And this time, he went for a counterattack! As usual, Ignis didnt leave any easy openings. Therefore, Jin had to step forward to launch his counter. He invaded Ignis''s personal space and swung his blade. It cut through the woman''s torso, erasing 12% of her HP. That''s how squishy players were against each other in the very early-game, especially when both sides built power. "Oh?" Ignis exclaimed. "Heh, bold whippersnapper! But, you walked right into my trap!" Ignis had the boy exactly where she wanted him. The kid overextended in order to reach her, so she''ll hit him on the way out before he retreats out of her range. It was a free hit! Take that! Ignis swung her blade at the invader. Really, what a blunder on the brats side. The moment the kid stepped into Igniss personal space, he was doomed to be counterattacked! Admittedly, the kid did a good job striking Ignis from the very edge of his attack range. But, it was all for naught! With Ignis''s longer reach, she''ll hit the kid even if he tries to back away after attacking! Or, so she thought. "What the-!?" Ignis exclaimed. It was impossible. She knew this situation like the back of her hand as she had plenty of Warrior vs. Knight experience. Therefore, it was a FACT that the Knight couldnt possibly recover in time to step out of Ignis'' attack range. And yet, somehow, her big sword whiffed. It missed the Knight by a hair''s breadth. It was impossible. What the actual fuck!? Ignis shook her head, trying to wake up from this unrealistic dream. But unfortunately, it was undoubtedly real. Somehow, the brat evaded her guaranteed hit! What the heck did he do!? Ignis couldn''t wrap her head around it. Ive tested a billion Warrior vs. Knight interactions like this. It''s impossible to step out in time, thats a fact. And, the kid didn''t build any Attack Speed either, so it''s not like his recovery was supposed to be any faster than usual. Then, what in the bloody hell...? Alas, Ignis didn''t have much time to stand there and think about it. The next minion wave arrived, so she had to switch gears and focus on that. She returned to her side of the lane and patiently waited for the two armies to clash. Then, she ventured into enemy territory again to execute her efficient farming routine. Meanwhile, her lane opponent did the same. Okay, activate the shield. Now, push. Ignis executed her routine by instinct. The routine has been beaten into her through years of practice. At this point, the motions were as natural as breathing. While she was flawlessly clearing the enemy minions, Ignis couldn''t help but wonder about the odd exchange she had with the kid earlier. It was an impossible situation. Shit like that only ever happened in online matches with high ping. But, in an offline setup? Impossible. Straight up impossible. But, no matter how much I keep saying "impossible", it definitely happened. I gotta be missing something here. The kid didn''t buy any early Attack Speed, so his attacks weren''t particularly fast. In other words, there was no chance the kid recovered from his attack animation any faster than Ignis expected him to. In the first place, she even tested counterattacks like this against a Knight with Attack Speed. The Knight player would have to build LOTS of Attack Speed in order to recover in time and step out of the Warriors counterattacks range. So, Attack Speed definitely wasn''t the culprit here. Another potential culprit was Movement Speed. If the Knight had high Movement Speed, he could''ve quickly back stepped out of Ignis'' range. However, same as with Attack Speed, the Knight would have to buy LOTS of Movement Speed to make that possible. Not to mention, the kid didn''t even buy any Movement Speed in the first place. Then, what else could it be? This was an offline setup like in tournaments, so lag was out of the question. Did Ignis commit some sort of mistake on her end? Maybe she miscalculated the range or timing in the heat of the moment? Nah, no way. Ignis shook her head. I was eagerly waiting for that moment. No way I gonna mess it up. She swung her blade as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Her reaction speed was one of her stronger points, so she couldn''t have messed up something as simple as that. I just don''t get it. Ignis frowned. It''s like the kid cheated the system somehow. He doesn''t have extra Attack Speed or Movement Speed, yet it feels like he recovered hella fast and stepped out of range instantly. It''s almost as if he canceled his basic attack into a backstep... ah. Finally, another possibility hit her. It seemed incredibly unlikely at first, so much that she wouldn''t even bother considering it against most opponents. Especially, not against kids. But, this Chinese brat was no normal kid. Actually, he wasn''t even Chinese, was he? No, he was Korean. And, there was one advanced maneuver that was associated with Korean players, so much that it even had "Korean" in its name. It can''t be, right? Ignis chuckled nervously. I gotta watch him carefully this time. Both players cleared the minions at about the same time. As frustrating as it was to admit, the brat did his job perfectly, landing a last hit on every single minion. On the other hand, Ignis messed up one of her last hits this round. Thinking about the brats impossible evade clouded her focus. Especially, the shocking realization she reached was very distracting. Damn, I''m thinking too hard about all this shit. Ignis shook her head. I just gotta see how he moves, then I''ll know for sure. And so, with the minions out of the way, Ignis mounted another attack at her opponent! This time, she didn''t even wait for them to meet up in the middle of the lane. Instead, Ignis rolled toward her target and went all-in on the offense! So aggressive. Jin responded with a Dodge Roll of his own. And so, while Ignis was rolling in his direction, he rolled toward his side of the lane. "Shit!" Ignis ranted. Nice reaction speed, kid. But, you''re not getting away! Ignis gave chase as soon as she recovered from the roll. That infuriating brat rolled just far enough to stay out of Ignis'' range, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t chase him down. I''ll smack you real good, just you wait! In the end, the situation became a repetition of last time. Ignis chased the brat down while swinging her blade at him, but the cowardly brat constantly stayed out of her reach. C''mon, show me that KC, if you even can. Ignis urged. Can you do it or not? You can''t, can you? Of course you cant. That''s the realm of godlike Korean pros. A brat like you can''t possibly- That''s when it happened. Just like last time, the brat methodically waited for Ignis to whiff, then he stepped in to deliver a counterattack. Another chunk of Igniss HP was gone, but that didn''t matter. This is where it gets interesting. Ignis focused 120% of her sight on the Knight, to make sure she didnt miss a single twitch from that kid. Then, she swung her blade in retaliation just like last time. From this range, with this perfect timing, Ignis was guaranteed to land this hit, unless...! "No way!" Ignis definitely saw it this time. I wish my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it actually happened... Ignis whiffed again. By the time she started swinging her blade, the Knight was already moving backward! He recovered from his attack almost at the same time Ignis recovered from her earlier whiff. That kind of development was impossible under normal circumstances, unless... That was it, right? Ignis doubted her own knowledge for a moment. She hasnt seen this high-level technique that often, especially not from up close. Nonetheless, the Knights movements definitely resembled the moves from Korean pro matches. It was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the infamous... Korean Step Cancel! Vol.13 Ch.24: Korean Step Cancel "I can''t believe it..." Ignis muttered. "My, what''s wrong?" Esmeralda asked. "You look as if you saw a ghost." "Trust me, I saw something WAY worse than a ghost. I saw this damn kid... using KC! Can you believe that shit?" "But of course. He is Korean, after all." "Oh, yeah. Right. Makes perfect sense... except it totally doesn''t! Even if you''re a Korean, you''re not supposed to KC as a kid! Nobody is born with KC in their skillset, you know? Seriously, what the flying fuck is up with this kid...!?" "So," IronWall started. "He can do Korean Cancel?" "Yep, he sure can." Ignis delivered the details to the rest of the team. "Are you sure you''re not drunk again?" Hawk asked. "No, I''m not drunk. Not this time. This kid really did it." "Huh. Wild stuff." Hawk shook his head. Everybody had a hard time buying Ignis''s story. Worst of all, she couldn''t even blame them. Why? Because she had a hard time believing it herself. The Korean Step Cancel, usually called Korean Cancel or KC, was an advanced type of attack-canceling. As the name implied, it was first discovered by Korean players. Under certain circumstances, KC allowed the player to take a single step during the recovery animation of a basic attack. It started off as a bug but eventually turned into a feature based on the pros'' reception. The technique gained popularity in the east, mainly in Korea and China. However, it remained niche in the west, even in the pro scene. Why? Because it was hella difficult to execute consistently. KC required extremely precise timing, so much that it was practically impossible to do online. And, even offline, it was a challenge no matter how much the player practiced. In addition, there was the danger of buffering in a late step when executed poorly. It might sound like a small deal, but at the highest levels, a single misstep could make the whole difference between winning and losing. Thats the most annoying part, really. Ignis remembered her past failures. Id totally try harder to master this thing if it wasnt such a double-edged sword. Like many pros, there was as a time when Ignis entertained the idea of learning KC. She spent many weeks trying to tame that beast. But, in the end, she gave up on the challenge. It was impossible to master KC to any reliable degree, not without YEARS of practice. At least, that was Ignis''s impression of it. It seemed that most western pros concluded the same. As a result, KC became an obscure super high-level technique that only a few bothered to wield. On the other hand, in places like Korea, the pro scene embraced the mechanic with open arms and relentlessly trained to master it. They were so obsessed with it that they apparently even taught it to kids. If he can use KC consistently, then this kid might be more trouble than I expected. Looks like I gotta take this more seriously. Heh. Can''t believe I''m saying this when my opponent is a flipping middle schooler, but that''s how things are now. Thus far, the kid''s performance was borderline perfect. His farming was quick, his last-hits were on point, and he even managed to counter Ignis''s aggression. There was no doubt he was cut above other kids his age. Gotta admit, so far it feels like playing an actual pro. Ignis couldn''t deny it any longer. Even though taking a kid so seriously was embarrassing, losing to a kid would be a hundred times more embarrassing. Alright, fine. I''ll take you seriously. That''s what you wanted, right? The next minion wave went as smoothly as the previous ones. Ignis swept through it with Fearless Charge and War Cry, whereas the kid used Shield Bash into Blade Swing. As long as Ignis was 100% concentrated on farming, she didn''t miss a single last-hit. I won''t be distracted again. Shortly, both sides finished clearing the minions. Ignis was a little faster this time, so the kid received one hit from her bowman before he finished the job. Of course, this one little hit didn''t even begin to compare to the two hits the kid landed on Ignis earlier, but it was a start. From here on out, Ignis will steadily reclaim her advantage. There was no need to rush and fight the kid, itll only put Ignis at risk. Instead, she''ll slowly but surely grind him down. After all, Warrior was stronger than Knight during the early-game, so she''ll use that fact to her advantage. This time, when both players were returning to their respective sides of the lane, they didn''t even try to touch each other. Ignis didn''t raise a finger against the invader, she simply let him go. And naturally, the kid did the same. He didnt have the balls to get anything started against her right now. So, she''s not attacking this time. Jin nodded. Looks like showing it to her twice was enough. From here on out, she''ll have to respect my KC every time we fight. I wonder, how much experience does she have against KC? The Korean Step Cancel was almost nonexistent in the west, that was one of the shocking truths Jin learned after moving here. And, it wasnt just at school level. Even in the pro scene, few westerns bothered to learn KC. According to Rodriguez, most pros deemed KC too difficult and unreliable, so they didn''t want to "waste" so much time practicing it. Apparently, they preferred to spend that time polishing other "more important" skills, whatever those were. That''s so strange. This was probably the millionth time Jin had this thought since coming to this country. The difference in how Korea and the west treated KC was simply mind-boggling. In Korea, KC was a fundamental skill that every self-respecting competitive player had to possess. It was even used as a filter during various exams. Kids who couldnt learn KC had a much harder time getting accepted into any serious Classmancers club. But of course, nobody was born with the ability to KC right away. Therefore, it was unreasonable to expect many kids to be able to master KC at such a young age. Instead, the coaches paid more attention to how the kids handled themselves during intense KC training. Surviving through that training was the real exam. It was hell. Jin shuddered at the mere thought of it. Back then, neither his mind nor his body were sturdy enough for that kind of exam. He was just a kid in grade school who wanted to try his hand at Classmancers after seeing some amazing pro matches. For kids that age, video games were just a fun pastime. So, Jin definitely didn''t expect such a difficult mechanical exam right off the gate. In fact, it was unclear whether the examiners even expected any grade-schoolers to survive that insane KC exam. Most of the examinees that day were at least middle schoolers, so Jin and his friends were the exceptions there. I believe I''m the only grade-schooler who made it back then. Jin reminisced. It was hard to say what kind of feelings he harbored toward that exam now, three years after the fact. However, at the time, it was soul-crushing. Jin challenged the exam alongside his two best friends. Together, they promised to become the next generation of pros wholl dominate the Korean pro scene, the strongest scene in the world! Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. But, the exam was harsh. Too harsh The amount of work and dedication demanded from the kids was far beyond their naive expectations. For a while, the trio stuck together through trials and tribulations. They encouraged and motivated each other, which helped them endure the hell they were burning in. But eventually, they reached a breaking point. "I can''t take it anymore! Im done with this!" With that one outburst - everything crumbled apart. All three of them shared similar thoughts but they did their best to keep their true feelings hidden. They knew that putting such thoughts into words would destroy their motivation. But, it was impossible to stay silent forever. Eventually, the frustration was bound to explode in their faces, just like that. "We can''t quit now," Jin argued. "We''ve come this far. Just a little bit left!" "I''m sick of it! Everything else was still fine, but this stupid KC training is too much! Isn''t that something only pros do? Why do they insist we learn it!? Honestly, Jin thought the same thing. Given their beginner level, none of the kids could truly appreciate the importance of KC at the time. Therefore, being forced to practice such an incomprehensible technique, day in and day out, was like torture. Over and over, they had to keep repeating KC until their success rate satisfied the examiners. And, once they achieved that goal with one class, they had to repeat the same process with another class. Given how the timing of KC was tied to the attack animation, the execution varied from class to class. It was a slight difference on paper, but in practice, it was akin to retraining all muscle memory from scratch. Every time, the kids had to break their muscle memory apart and rebuild it anew. It was a long, agonizing process. "We just have to bear with it a little longer," Jin argued. "I heard some examiners talking. They said they dont actually expect us to master KC at this stage. They just want to test our endurance and see how long we can keep up with this training." "Hah, easy for you to say. You''re already a pro at KC, so you don''t have to worry either way." "I wouldn''t call myself a pro," Jin said. "I only fluke it every now and then." "That''s more ''flukes'' than two of us combined. Very convincing." "Maybe it''s because I practice it at home too." "You do WHAT?" "Hm? What''s wrong?" Jin blinked. "You dont practice it at home at all? "Are you serious? We go through this hellish training every day, but you still have the energy to practice some more after that?" The two friends exchanged awkward looks and smiled wryly. Jin was clearly the odd one out in their eyes. Looking back on it, that was probably the beginning of the end. Upon learning this information, his friends could no longer hide behind excuses. They couldnt claim that Jin had any special talent for KC or any such nonsense. They came to realize it was all the result of Jin''s hard work, which far transcended the amount of work they were willing to put in. At first, Jin''s hard work motivated his friends to try harder. As a result, they started practicing at home as well. And so, everything was heading in a good direction, or so Jin believed at the time. Unfortunately, the extra training wasn''t as helpful for his friends as it was for Jin. They definitely improved at KC, but their results were still discouraging. At this rate, they might fail the final evaluation exam. Not to mention, all their improvements came with a cost. They did extra training on top of regular training, which slowly but surely wore them out mentally. "I... I can''t do this anymore." It all started with that breakdown. One of the friends finally called it quits, and the other followed soon after. "Are you really going to quit?" Jin demanded. "What about our dream of dominating the pro scene!?" "Sorry, I really can''t go on." "Yeah, this way harder than I expected... I''m getting sick of playing Classmancers these days. They sucked out all the fun from it." "But, we trained so hard for this..." Jin found himself trembling in disbelief. All that hard work, all these countless hours of practice - his best friends were about to throw everything out of the window. The trio was so close to passing the exam and getting into a high-level club that gave birth to many pros. Alas, right before the final stop, his friends were about to drop out. "Let''s keep trying for a just little longer!" Jin pleaded. "We''re definitely going to make it in!" "Sorry, Ive already decided. I''m out." "Yeah, me too." There was no changing their minds. No matter how hard Jin tried to convince them, his friends were hellbent on quitting. They gave up on becoming pros and on Classmancers as a whole. "But, you should keep competing, Jin. You got the makings of a pro, I feel it!" "Yeah, 100%. You gonna be one of the best players in the world in no time. We''ll be rooting for you!" "A-Alright," Jin promised with a shaky voice. "I''ll keep trying to get into the pro scene." "Yeah, that''s how it gotta be!" "Go wipe them out!" At that moment, Jin inhered the will of his friends and swore to carry it all the way to the pro scene. As such, practicing and improving at the game was no longer something he only did for himself. Was that a blessing or a curse? It filled him with both determination and pressure. He felt obligated to keep pushing forward for the sake of the friends who couldn''t keep going. And so, Jin ended up being the only grade-schooler to successfully clear that exam. There were very few examinees at his age to begin with and all of them dropped out. Only Jin pulled through, no doubt thanks to the encouragement he received from his friends. He passed in most categories with flying colors, and he even learned to do KC semi-consistently. And so, he embarked on the road toward the professional scene! But, that was just the beginning. The entry exam wasnt made so harsh just to discourage players. It was but a small taste of what awaited those who successfully entered the club. Jin had to spend hours upon hours after school practicing at the club''s facility. And, even after returning home, he continued training some more because the threat of being discharged was ever-present. The coaches tested each and every member near the end of the month. Those who were found unworthy were given the boot. Therefore, even after the entrance exam was over, the competition between fellow players never ended. Everybody had to keep struggling and struggling, fighting tooth and nail to remain in the club. At that point, Mancers pretty much became my whole life. Jin thought. I started working hard because of my friends, but we lost most of our contact in the process. It wasn''t anybody''s fault Jin simply didn''t have enough free time to hang out with his best friends, so they gradually drifted apart. Before long, the two friends replaced Jin with another third member. But, it''s not like their relationship turned sour or anything. They still talked in class from time to time. For what it was worth, the two friends still cheered on Jin and wanted to see him become a pro. Alas, their relationship couldnt ever become any more than that. The moment Jin stepped into a professional club, he started living in a different world from the rest of the kids. Training regimes, practice matches, and retention exams. Thats what Jins life revolved around at that time. While other kids spent their time messing around, Jin was fighting for survival as he climbed the ranks in the club. And, I was doing so well, too. Jin couldn''t help but grump. I was always in the top 3 for my age at the club, and I even did well in scrims with pros. But... Abruptly, all of that came to an end. Jin''s father got a job offer in the west and had to leave Korea. And, he dragged the rest of the family along with him. No matter how much Jin pleaded to stay behind with relatives, it was to no avail. "You can keep playing your video game over there too." That''s what his parents said. They weren''t against Jins dream of becoming a pro player, but neither did they practically care for it. Not to mention, their understanding of how the competitive scene worked was flawed at best. In the end, Jin''s resistance came to naught. Thats how he found himself in his current position, in an environment where the skill level was laughable compared to Korea. It was truly depressing. The team he joined, the so-called "best middle school team of the region", was just a joke. The best players there were about as strong as Jin was two years ago. Yes, the gap between them was that big. But, it''s not like they''re not taking the game seriously. Jin didn''t mean to insult them, he really didnt. There was no doubt that the members of the Leopard believed they were dedicating their lives to Classmancers. But, compared to the harsh training Jin underwent, the Leopards training regime looked like a sad joke. Therefore, as much as Jin understood that they were "doing their best", deep down he couldn''t help but scorn their meager efforts. That training regime didn''t satisfy Jin at all. It was far too simple, far too forgiving. It didnt invoke the same sense of urgency or competitiveness he was used to. Rodriguez went out of his way to prepare a special advanced training menu for Jin, but even that wasn''t enough. Without any strong rivals to contest him at every step of the way, there was little hope of improving in any meaningful way. At this rate, Jin was bound to rust. That''s why I had to take action. Jin thought. I''ll lose my touch if I only train with the Leopards. I have to aim higher. Thats what led Jin toward the idea of joining a pro team. It was an unconventional request, especially in the western scene. Nevertheless, Jin had to push for it. Otherwise, hed lose his mind from being surrounded by players far below his level. Back in Korea, I never even thought about getting into a pro team during middle school. It seemed impossible because of how high-level the competitive scene is. But here, in the west, its definitely possible. The same way the average middle schooler was a much weaker player in the west, the same held true for the pro scene as a whole. The pros in the west didn''t compare to the godlike Korean pros. Therefore, against these lowly imitations of pros, even Jin stood a chance despite his age. I can even hold my own against a B-Leaguer. Jin swung his blade, cutting right through Ignis. And, before the blade retreated all the way back, Jin canceled the recovery animation and stepped backward, getting outside of Ignis''s retaliation range. I can do this. I can get into the pro scene here...! In this country, Jin could definitely rival a pro. He intended to prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt here today! However, Ignis had no intention of taking this beating lying down... Vol.13 Ch.25: The First Round in Top Goes To...! Jin sliced through Ignis, then immediately used the Korean Step Cancel in order to retreat out of Igniss attack range. This shouldve made Ignis whiff a counter-attack like before, but... "You''re not getting away, kid!" Ignis didn''t retaliate right away. Instead, she charged straight at her opponent! This KC shit is sure cool but it''s not invincible. Ignis grinned. I''ve already figured it out. Yeah, I''m that smart! She''s catching up. Jin frowned. Even though he used KC to cancel his recovery animation early, he had to step backward in order to get out of Igniss superior attack range. Unfortunately, backpedaling was slower than running forward, such were the rules of this game. Therefore, instead of retaliating right away, Ignis chose to run toward Jin. Within moments, she caught up and placed him back within her attack range. Then, she swung her big blade! Good play. But, it''s no problem. Jin simply turned around and rolled out of danger. "Shit!" Ignis cursed. "This kid, I swear." "My, are you having trouble against a middle schooler?" Esmeralda giggled. "Nah, I''m just warming up," Ignis said. But seriously, what''s up with this brat? I''ve never seen a kid who plays this smoothly. He moves like somebody who has been playing since birth. Hes like a machine. Ignis has been slowly adapting to the kid''s KC shenanigans, but their contest nonetheless felt like an uphill battle for her. Yes, an uphill battle... for a pro against some brat. It was absurdity in the making. Well, I''m just not used to playing against KC, that''s all. Ignis stuck to that excuse. I''ll mop the floor with this little shit once I adapt to his tricks. And so, Ignis continued struggling to the best of her ability against this foreign technique. Each and every one of her blade swings was cautious and deliberate, aiming to bait her opponent into misplaying. She already figured one weakness KC had, so she just had to find a few more in order to corner this whippersnapper. Unfortunately, Ignis''s HP wasn''t infinite. So, even though she has been getting better and better at responding to the kids KC, Ignis was bound to run out of HP first. After all, she started this struggle at disadvantage. That damn KC caught her off-guard during the first time, so she paid dearly with her HP for that mistake. At this point, she couldn''t hold onto the lane for much longer, not with 30% HP remaining. I''m already pushing it. Ignis smiled wryly. Against a real pro, I would''ve recalled at 40%. Tch. I just don''t wanna lose to this kid, damn it! But, looks like he got me in the first round. Swallowing her pride, Ignis had to concede defeat to the kid at this time. Retreating was embarrassing, but dying would be downright shameful. "Hawk, get your ass over here," Ignis commanded. "I gonna recall, so you have to defend Top for a while." "For real?" Hawk cracked a laugh. "You''re recalling first? Against a middle schooler? Must be a cold day in hell." "Hmph. This brat isn''t half bad, I''ll give him that. I''m also not used to playing against KC, so that doesnt help." "Heh, youre making excuses against a kid?" "You wanna get punched, bitch?" "Haha, okay, okay." Hawk laughed. "I''m coming over." "Make it quick." "Man, you sure know how to ask for favors, don''t you?" "Its not a favor. I''m just telling you to do your job, junior." "Fine, fine." Hawk smiled wryly and shrugged. Man, everybody here bullies me. I almost feel like crying... Well, not really. Hawk rotated to Top and switched places with Ignis. It was an inevitable development given how things were going for Ignis, yet the situation still astonished everybody. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sis retreated first!? Howard couldn''t believe it. I saw she wasn''t doing so hot, but this is... Howard didnt have the luxury of following everything that happened in Top, his lane opponents didnt give him such freedom. As such, he had no idea what tactics Jin pulled to gain the upper hand against Ignis. The unknown made Howard shudder a little. Sis got her weaknesses, Im not going to deny. But, fighting 1v1 in lane is the one area where shes an absolute beast. So, how can somebody so much younger contest her...? Perhaps Rodriguezs exaggerated evaluation of Jins skill wasnt so exaggerated after all. StormBlitz might indeed gain valuable information here today from watching Jin in action. To think that they have a player at this level on the team... Howard gulped. It looks like taking the regionals this year won''t be as easy as I hoped. Until now, Howard thought only the Leopards stood between him and winning the regionals. In other words, the Leopards should have been the only real challenge hed have to overcome in order to get a recommendation letter to Grandview High and join Utopia, the strongest high school team in the country. But now, this Korean kid showed up out of nowhere. Technically, he was also part of the Leopards, but he was clearly a threat on an entirely different level. I feel like we''ll have to review the heck outta this game later. Howard took a mental note and shifted his focus back to his own lane, where he and Ellen weren''t doing so hot. "Ah!" Howard realized a moment too late. While he was busy examining the situation in Top - the enemy made their move! IronWall erected an ice wall behind Ellen while Argus activated his Fan the Hammer. They were going in for the kill! "My, they caught me~!" Ellen smiled nervously. "My leap is on cooldown, too. This might get a tiny bit ugly~" "No problem. I''ll get you out." "Oh, my prince is coming to the rescue? Aww, how sweet~" Howard rolled toward the scene and activated Gaias Protection, granting Ellen a thick shield. Itll be able to withstand a few hits, but... BAM! BAM! BAM! The Gunslinger fired nonstop. Bullets mercilessly barraged Ellen as she was forced to waste time circling around the pesky ice wall. Eventually, she got out of the danger zone, but not without hefty injuries. This was clearly a misplay, from both of them. "Sorry~" Ellen apologized. "They caught me at an awkward position there." "Yeah, that wasn''t the safest spot to farm from," Howard agreed. "But, don''t worry about it." "Of course I don''t." Ellen smiled meaningfully. "After all, it''s your job to watch my position and tell me if I''m doing something wrong, right Wardy?" "Huh, so it''s my fault now?" "Hehe~" Ellen giggled innocently. "But seriously, what''s wrong? You''ve been distracted the entire game. Normally, you''d spot such a terrible misplay right away and scold me." "Maybe I''m just getting a little tired. This is our third game, after all. It''s exhausting to play our best every game and still get beaten so badly every damn time." "You can say that again." Ellen nodded. "But, that''s not all, is it? I mean, youve been getting better and better at maintaining your focus over long periods of time. I''m not sure what kind of training you started doing in secret, but it''s sure paying off~" "I haven''t started anything." Howard averted his eyes. "Im just starting to lose focus during the 3rd game. It always happens, doesnt it? "But, recently youve been lasting until the 4th game just fine. Are you sure you''re not distracted? For example, by worrying about your dear sister~?" "Does she look like somebody I have to worry about?" Howard asked. "Besides, she''s fighting a middle schooler." "That''s why its so worrisome, isn''t it? To think that Igny can lose a duel to someone our age. I''m shocked beyond words." "Yeah, that''s pretty unbelievable..." Howard agreed. "I couldn''t even tell what trick he used to get the upper hand." "Aha! So you were distracted by what''s happening in Top!" "Agh." Howard walked into that one. "My, Wardy is such a worrywart when it comes to his dear sister~" "No, Im not! I was just wondering what kind of monster we''ll be facing at the regionals this year, seeing as he can do this much against sis." "True, that is worrisome." Ellen nodded. But, well cross that bridge once we get there. For now, we have to focus on whats in front of us. Youre right, Howard agreed. Alright, lets show those two what were made of. They wont catch us off guard again. Im counting on you to protect me, Wardy~ How about you first count on yourself to not end up in a bad spot? But, if I dont put myself in trouble, how can I play the damsel in distress~? Look, I have to watch the entire map, not just you. Howard sighed. So, Id be grateful if you dont put more work on my plate than absolutely necessary. Roger~ Ellen saluted, but was she really going to follow on that? Who could tell. And so, Howard stopped focusing on how his sister was doing in Top and returned to observing the entire map as Aegis, the teams shot-caller. And naturally, he paid the most attention to the two enemies in front of him. Still, he couldnt entirely forget what he had just witnessed. Howard and Ellen always played their best against pros, but they nonetheless struggled against IronWall and Argus. Meanwhile, Jin somehow dominated Top without much trouble. The difference in their performances was scary to think about. That guy is going to be our greatest obstacle at the regionals, no question about it. But for now, I have to figure how to survive against these two merciless pros in front of me... Vol.13 Ch.26: Luring the Hawk So, she decided to retreat. Jin concluded from Igniss actions. The woman ventured into the jungle to not make her schemes too obvious. However, given her remaining HP and MP, she was certainly planning to recall. Nevertheless Top missing, Jin informed just in case. She is probably recalling but I cant know for sure. Got it. Adapting, the Mid Laner, replied. Hes the only one who had to worry about that piece of information at the moment. If Igniss plan was to rotate somewhere, it could only be toward Mid. With that formality out of the way, Jin focused on his lane. I booted Ignis out of the lane, thats a good start. But, shes adapting to my KC. I have to press my advantage now while I have the chance. After clearing the enemy minions, Jin pushed onward with his army. Despite the risks, he was planning to invade deep into enemy territory and deliver a hefty blow at the enemy Turret. At least, thats how it seemed. Arent you overextending a little too much? Howard asked. Their Jungler should still be around Top Jungle. "Yes, he most likely heading over here," Jin reasoned as he continued charging forward. "If you''re aware of it, then why are you overextending? You remember that you''re playing against pros, right?" "Yes, I noticed we''re playing against pros. That''s why I''m going for a play like this." "Say what?" Howard raised an eyebrow. "Against pros, you should be playing safer, not riskier." "No, the opposite," Jin claimed. "When opponent is stronger, the only way to win is by taking risks with big payoff. If you play safe, you let the strong opponent remain strong." "So, you''re saying you have to take some risks if you want to win against them?" "Yes. If I take a risk and it pays off, I have a chance to beat a stronger opponent." "Is that so." Howard made a face. That sounds like something Yuel would say. I bet those two would make good friends. "Alright," Howard conceded. "You do you. But, keep in mind that I advised you to retreat. So, its not my fault if you end up dead." "Sure," Jin responded. What a nosy captain. It reminds me of Catos shot-calling. Its really weak. Jin had no intention of turning back. Despite the danger, he pressed onward, right toward the enemy Turret area. However, he didn''t dare to step inside, that would truly be too dangerous. His primary goal here was to safely deliver his minions to the tower. While Jin was blatantly overextending like this, a confident predator was creeping up to him. "Look at this kid, overextending in our face like that." Hawk snickered. "It''s like he''s asking to be ganked." "That damn brat." Ignis scoffed. "Looks like hes partying hard right now, thinking he ''won'' just because I recalled first." "Is that really the case?" Esmeralda tilted her head. "From the way you''ve been saying about Jinjin, it sounded like he''s a very skilled boy." "I only said he does a passable job in fights. I bet he sucks in everything else." "My, but wasn''t his farming solid as well?" "Yeah, I guess it was. But, that gotta be all he''s good at." "Is that really so?" Esmeralda didn''t buy that. A cute boy who can match Igny in both laning and combat wont suddenly overextend like that. It has to be a trap of some sort. This is getting more interesting by the moment~ As an expert at baiting opponents, Esmeralda could tell that Jinjin''s overextension was some sort of ploy. The boy put a mark on his own back. He was baiting Hawk. "Hawky, be careful," Esmeralda advised. "This wonderboy is planning something for you. Keep your eyes peeled." "Excuse me? Are you seriously worried I gonna have trouble with some kid?" Hawk made a face. "C''mon, you guys. I know you like making fun of me for being new on the team, but I''m not that bad." "Reminder: even Igny didn''t fare so well against that wonderboy." "Hey, no true!" Ignis butted it. "It was just a warm-up, that''s all. Yeah, I was just testing the waters." "I''m sure you were~ Esmeralda smiled sweetly. "Next round, I''mma kick his ass!" "Of course you will~ You''re the best~" "Yeah, you got that right!" Ignis lifted her chin. Alrighty, now that we''re done with the ego trip... Esmeralda returned on topic. "Hawky, I''ll just say this: don''t take anything for granted. Jinjin is clearly a league above the other children. So, don''t assume you can run over him that easily." "Sure, sure." Hawk shrugged. "Man, you always worry too much about everything, dont you?" "Mommy has to worry about her children~" Despite the advice, Hawk had every intention to open an attack on the overextending Knight. He wasn''t worried about any of this in the slightest, but he couldn''t entirely ignore Esmeralda''s words either. I mean, this kid did give Ignis some trouble. Hawk thought. Like, shes not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and I bet she underestimated the kid on top of that. But still, it doesnt look good. With that said, Ignis was a veteran member of the team, so everybody gave her a free pass. But, they surely wont be as nice toward Hawk if he makes a similar mistake. I''m still on my trial period so I cant afford to do anything too stupid, not even against middle schoolers. As the fresh meat of the team, who only recently advanced from the Cleaners, Hawk was at a delicate moment of his career. There were countless stories out there about C-Leaguers who prematurely entered the B-League and performed poorly. In some of these cases, the player left a terrible impression on everybody and got demoted back to C-League right away. After that, it took them years to get back to B-League again. And, thats only for those who did make it back. Some of them just straight up didnt. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I definitely dont want that. Hawk thought. Ronshfelt is here watching, so I cant do anything stupid. This old man is always smiling and all, but I know he can be ruthless. If he doesnt like what he sees - he gonna give me the boot without batting an eye. Hawk absolutely wasnt allowed to mess up this gank. Therefore, given how little he knew about the extent of the targets potential, he couldnt make any assumptions. I better take Esmeraldas advice into consideration here. There are many things I can say about that woman, but her intuition tends to be on point. So, Ill pretend Im about to gank a pro. Though, a real pro wouldnt overextend so obviously like this Nonetheless, Hawk did his best to disregard that bias and analyze the situation as thoroughly as possible. Data gathering was the most crucial part of the Junglers job. It was the key to delivering the most optimal ganks possible, far more important than the Junglers mechanical skill. As long as the Jungler had all the right information, he could always go for the winning move. Such was Hawks belief. So, hes pushing the minions into the tower. Hawk carefully analyzed the scene, like a detective searching for evidence. Is this kid really going to enter the tower area? No, of course not. Hes not that suicidal, at least. The target halted before stepping into the tower area. It was both surprising and understandable at the same time. No matter how bold of a player Apprentece was, he wouldnt dare to place himself in imminent danger like that. After all, getting ganked inside the enemys tower area was about as bad as it could possibly get. Looks like Esmeralda was right on the money. This kid is up to something, I see that now. At the very least, it was clear Apprentence wasnt blindly overextending. The kid wasnt drunk from his recent victory against Ignis. No, Apprentece came here with a clear plan in mind. And, Hawk almost fell for the trap if not for Esmeraldas timely advice. Odd. Jin thought. I was expecting to be ganked by now. Did I overestimate how fast their Jungler can get here? Or, maybe they decided to give up on this wave? No, I doubt it. Jin researched everybody from the Sweepers, so he knew what kind of player Hawk was. Despite being a newcomer to the Sweepers, there were plenty of match records from Hawks time in the Cleaners. The guy didnt stand out when it came to mechanical skill, but he made up for it with his sharp decision-making. As such, Hawk wasnt the kind of Jungler who instilled much fear when he launched an attack all by himself. However, he excelled at being at the right place at the right time, oftentimes doing the right thing considering his skill level. So, he was supposed to get here by now. Jin thought. Theres no way somebody like him would let my minions push the tower for free. Getting to the scene on time is about the only impressive thing about Hawk as a player, so he should be playing to that strength. But, considering he hasnt ganked yet There was only one possible explanation: Hawk saw through Jins plan. Most likely, the predator was currently in the process of closely observing its prey from around the corner, carefully planning his line of attack. This puts me in an awkward spot. Jin thought. The entire idea behind this overextension was to intercept the Jungler and divert his attention from the minions. By presenting himself as an easy target, Jin hoped to bait Hawk into attacking him instead of clearing the minions. And, while the two were engaged in combat, Jins minions would deliver hefty damage on the tower. It was a risky plan but it was a calculated risk. After all, Hawk was one of the weakest members of the Sweepers when it came to 1v1 combat. And, Ive already confirmed I can match Ignis in combat. Jin nodded to himself. Ignis is one of the better duelists on their team. So, if I can handle her, I can surely handle Hawk too. That belief was at the core of Jin''s calculated risk. He overextended in order to lure in an opponent who shouldn''t pose too much of a threat in a duel. From there, all he had to do was to confront Hawk and drag the battle out. Alas, for one reason or another, Hawk was taking his sweet time rotating to the lane. As a result, Jin''s minions have already started ganging up on the Turret. In a way, everything was going even better than expected. But, why? Are they underestimating me? Is that why Hawk didnt bother to rotate? Jin wondered. Or, maybe Ignis decided to give herself some sort of handicap? She totally seems like the type to give an advantage to somebody she underestimates, just so she can prove her superiority by beating them from a bad position. If any of that was true, itd be rather sad. Itll surely make Jins life easier during this exam, but itll also mean that the Sweepers werent taking him seriously so far. Besides, all of that was conjecture at the moment. There was also the very likely possibility that Hawk planned to rotate to the lane as Jin predicted, but then stopped at the last moment for whatever reason. It was best to stay vigilant. Is Hawk studying my actions right now? Jin wondered. This isnt a bad outcome for me, but it does put me in an awkward spot. Jin advanced all the way here with his minions, but he never had any intention of stepping into the tower range. The plan was to retreat as soon as enemies arrive, yet there were no enemies in sight at present. In other words, this looks like a great opportunity for me to push. Yet here I am, standing outside the tower area like a scarecrow. I bet this doesnt look too good for the audience. Hopefully, the ones judging his performance in this game will understand the situation properly. That, even though there was no solid proof, it was best for Jin to act under the assumption that Hawk was nearby, biding his time. So, assuming hes there, how will Hawk respond to this situation? Judging by how that Jungler usually played, he''ll most certainly attempt to intercept Jin in the middle of the lane. That was the best way to cut off Jin, an option that only opened up for Hawk because he patiently waited before making his move. Hawk excelled at decision-making, so he would see this as a great opportunity to strike. Jin was at 60% HP and the Sweepers probably haven''t registered him as a major threat yet, so Hawk had every reason to strike. This is a slightly worse situation than how I envisioned my original plan. Jin thought. But, I can still make this work to my advantage. The question is whether I trust StormBlitzs Jungler. The team''s Jungler, Average, was in the middle rotating to the Wolf Camp near Top Lane. In other words, he was close enough to provide Jin with assistance in case a fight breaks out. But, how useful was this guy actually going to be? For laners, the teams Jungler was like an additional resource that was occasionally available for them. And, to use this resource efficiently, it was important to first understand its potency. Alas, that was one piece of information Jin didn''t have. I saw a replay of StormBlitzs first scrimmage, but their opponents were too weak. So, I can''t determine how Average will fare against pros. I can only judge him based on what little I saw of the previous game when I arrived, but even that information is probably far from reliable. Nonetheless, Jin had to use anything he could to gain information, for information was power. Judging by the previous game between the Sweepers and StormBlitz, Average did a passable job overall. Of course, that was far from reassuring, but at least it suggested that using this Jungler won''t be a complete disaster. Probably. "Jungler, can you please rotate to Top?" Jin requested. "The enemy Jungler is going to gank me soon, so I appreciate some help." "Sure thing, buddy!" Average replied. "By the way, the name is Dan." "Thank you." With that, the stage was set. Jin prepared all the pieces he needed against Hawk''s most likely course of action. The ball was now in Hawk''s court. Will this Jungler pro really go for the play Jin was anticipating? I can cut the kid off in the middle. Hawk invaded the lane from the jungle. "Sorry Igny, I can''t clear the minions for you at the moment. I got this great opportunity to gank the kid." "Tch." Ignis clicked her tongue as she watched her tower getting demolished. "You really think you gonna get anything good started there? I mean, brat or not, this whippersnapper even gave me a tiny bit of trouble." "Yeah, I probably won''t get a kill," Hawk admitted. "But, pretty sure I can at least kick him out of the lane." "You better do, or else your entire rotation would be a waste." Nice encouragement there, teammate. Hawk made a face, but then shook his head and concentrated on the upcoming play. That kind of treatment was nothing new, so it was fine. Hawk hasn''t had many opportunities yet to prove himself worthy of playing on this B-League team, so this was one chance to show off a little. He''ll smack this Korean kid who gave Ignis trouble. That should make him look good compared to Ignis, who was a veteran on the team. It was a tiny step, but itll nonetheless bring him a little closer to establishing himself as an adequate B-Leaguer in everybodys eyes. Okay, let''s go! Hawk arrived in the middle of the lane, ready for combat! Even though he wasn''t as strong of a fighter as Ignis, he had one great advantage for this fight: his ranged basic attacks as a Vampire. So, by cutting off the enemy''s best escape route like this, Hawk had the opportunity to bombard the incoming opponent nonstop! Let''s get this party started, kid! Hawk fired a bat at the approaching Knight. And so, the fight was on! Vol.13 Ch.27: Jin vs. Hawk There he is, just like I thought. Jin nodded to himself. As expected, Hawk showed up in the middle of the lane. Not even a second later, a bat was already flying toward Jin! But... A shallow shot. Jin didn''t even try to dodge that one. He simply swung his blade, cutting the bat in half. A parry!? Hawk jumped. Also, is it just me, or did he dash a little forward after parrying? Hawk has seen countless parries throughout his career, so he could tell something was off about the way this kid moved after that successful parry. The Knight''s attack animation got canceled early following the parry, which was normal. But, on top of that, the Knight also apparently stepped forward immediately. Normally, it should be impossible to move again that quickly after using a parry. But, that Knight definitely jumped forward a little as soon as he parried. That had to be... The famous Korean Step Cancel. Hawk figured. Man, this kid really means business. Em was right on the money, I better take this one seriously. I got so used to fighting the other kids today that I almost let my guard down. Hawk flipped a switch in his head. Instead of just attacking quickly for the sake of attacking quickly, he slowed down his shots and aimed carefully. Against Top Laner pros, it was necessary to fire well-aimed shots which weren''t too obvious. Anything too predictable will simply get sidestepped or parried. Here goes! Hawk fired a proper, pro-level bat! I can''t parry this. Jin concluded in the last split-second. He stayed his hand to not slow himself down with a whiff, but it was futile. He already wasted too much time analyzing the incoming shot to determine whether it could be parried. I mightve been able to sidestep it, but its too late now. The bat rammed into Jin''s side. It was a clean hit, befitting a pro Vampire player. Looks like one parry was enough to make Hawk take me seriously. Jin thought. For the better or the worse, he''s not as stubborn as Ignis. Another bat darted toward Jin. There was no time to rest! Ill have to start guessing here. Jin randomly sidestepped to the right. He didnt have the necessary reaction speed to reliably dodge a pros shot, especially not while he was on the run. Therefore, guessing in which direction to juke was the most he could do. Lucky! Jin successfully dodged the bat. His guess happened to be on point. Damn! Hawk cursed internally. Was it luck? Or, are you telling me this kid can actually juke my shots? Nah, no way... right? Hawk fired another bat. And, yet again, the brat sidestepped it while running. This dang kid, I swear. Hawk chuckled nervously. No way a middle schooler can dodge my shots like that. It gotta be blind luck! And, unbeknown to Hawk, his opponent was thinking the exact same thing. Looks like Im lucky today. Jin thought. But, this isnt exactly a 50/50 guess. The odds are slightly in my favor. In theory, guessing in which direction to sidestep had a 50/50 chance of working. However, that only held true against robots. All humans had patterns, and Hawk was no exception. Good thing I checked his tendencies ahead of time. Jin nodded to himself. Amidst his extensive research of the Sweepers, Jin made sure to examine the pros attack patterns in detail. Especially, he was interested in the players who employed ranged attacks. Namely, Argus, Esmeralda, and also Hawk, who seemed to like picking ranged Junglers based on his high pick rate of Vampire, Ranger, and Drow. Naturally, the goal of the research was to find weaknesses to exploit in the attackers patterns. Ranged players were often laxer because the range advantage made them feel safe. As a result, some of them didnt have particularly polished shooting techniques. Unfortunately, Argus had a very high-level execution that was difficult to deal with. And, Esmeraldas shooting patterns made little to no sense, to put it lightly. She didnt seem particularly high level, yet her shots worked oddly well, even against opponents who were competent at parrying. As such, Jin couldnt find any obvious weaknesses to exploit. That left Hawk, whose execution was decent but a little rough around the edges. His shots liked following certain patterns, probably subconsciously. Jin noticed that detail when one pro player juked all of Hawks with great success, reading the guy like a book. And so, after studying that match extensively, Jin was now using the same tactic as the pro who countered Hawk. As I thought, he likes shooting to my right during these situations. Jin sidestepped to the left in the nick of time. Thanks to his research, he juked three shots in a row. However, by constantly moving to the left, Jin found himself pressed against the border of the map. His shoulder grazed the outer border as he ran. This isn''t just a random habit. He likes shooting to my right side because that pushes me away from the jungle side, making it harder for me to escape. But, the specifics didn''t matter right now. The important part was that Jin successfully juked all three shots in a row, and finally got close enough to his foe. From here, he''ll begin his counterattack! At the time, his opponent had no idea what was coming... "Man, this kid, I''m telling you." Hawk shook his head as he aimed at Apprentece for the fourth time. Did he just seriously juke three of my shots in a row? That''s some bull. Is he actually predicting them or just reacting to them? I can''t even tell. This was starting to look insane. Hawks mechanical skill was plenty passable for B-League. It wasn''t anything outstanding but it got the job done. In fact, among all the B-Leaguer he has faced so far, only a handful of them managed to juke his shots repeatedly. Hawk chalked up these situations to bad luck and unusual enemy skill, so he didn''t think too much of these occasions. And yet, right in front of his eyes, some middle schooler was recreating the same kind of scenario. It was absurdity in the making. C''mon, don''t tell me I have some kind of tic I haven''t noticed. Hawk frowned. Well, no point getting distracted by that right now. If I havent noticed it until now, then theres no way I''ll figure it out on the spot here. Better focus on landing the last few shots I can. Hawks prey was about to slip past him, completely unharmed. He couldnt allow that to come to pass. Igny will chew me out if I let her opponent get away unscratched, especially after I skipped on defending her lane. Hawk gulped. Alright, time to start landing them shots! Hawk started moving toward his distant opponent with confident strides. Despite how bad the situation looked, there was no reason for concern. After all, Hawk was the predator and Apprentece was the prey, so there was nothing to be afraid of. Alas, due to that very confidence, Hawk failed to anticipate what came next. "Wait, wha-!?" As Hawk started approaching his foe - a shield flew straight at him! And, the shield had a human attached to it! It was the Knight, charging forth with Shield Bash! Is this kid actually attacking me!? Hawk couldn''t keep up with this sudden turn of events. By the time he pressed to Dodge Roll - it was already too late. The shield rammed into him and stunned him on the spot! Unbeknown to Hawk, this was actually the enemys plan all along. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Alright, let''s see how far I can go with this. Jin followed up on Shield Bash with Blade Swing, slashing through the defenseless stunned Vampire. In a matter of seconds, he brought his opponent down to 80% HP. And so, the HP gap between them wasn''t that big anymore. They almost stood on equal ground here. As such, it was reasonable to challenge Hawk to a duel under these circumstances. "Haha, this kid is bonkers!" Hawk exclaimed. You''re totally underestimating me, aren''t you? No, I can''t have that. I mean, I got my reputation to consider. Ronshfelt is watching, so I can''t show him anything embarrassing. As soon as he broke out of the stun, Hawk rolled away from his blood-thirsty opponent. Apprentece was already in the middle swinging his blade a second time, so he couldn''t change the blade''s trajectory at that point. And so, Hawk successfully dodged the second slash. You''re wide open! Hawk fired a bat as soon as he recovered. The plan was to hit the kid during his recovery animation, but... "Wait, what?" Hawk blinked in confusion. He was 100% sure he nailed that quick shot. I saw where he was standing and that''s exactly where I shot, but... Somehow, the brainless bat flew right past the target and missed its mark. Is that his KC shenanigans at work? Hawk wondered. That was the only explanation for what just happened. There was no way Hawk would miss such an easy shot otherwise. Apprentece shouldn''t have had enough time to recover and sidestep that shot. Hawk knew that for certain, for he mained ranged Junglers and faced countless melee opponents. I''m starting to see why Ignis had so much trouble against this kid. Hawk smiled wryly. This KC thing sounds like a small deal on paper, but it breaks certain conventions were used to. I feel like its extra efficient against us, pros, who rely so much on our accumulated experience. Unfortunately, this was no time to admire the kid''s tech. Right after Hawk''s bat whiffed, the enemy went for another attack! There was no rest for the wicked! So, hes really planning to go all the way, huh. Cocky little...! Hawk recognized the Knights next move. It wasnt going to be another slash. Instead, the Knight raised his weapons. "LET US FIGHT HONORA-" No thanks! Hawk booted up Coffin Slumber right in the enemy''s face. The Vampire summoned a coffin out of thin air and hid inside. The coffin provided full immunity to both damage and CC, so the taunt of Honorable Duel failed to affect him. It was a panic button move, but it was the best he could do in this situation. I can''t believe this little bastard forced my hand like this. Hawk clicked his tongue. The irritation was getting to him. Fortunately, Coffin Slumber gave him a moment to relax. It was time to gather his thoughts and reevaluate the situation. So, this brat is hella confident about his fighting skills, huh. Hawk analyzed. Hes pretty good, I gotta hand it to him. The way he moves and reacts to things is top-tier, and that KC also messes me up all the time. Frankly, I wouldve never believed my opponent is a middle schooler if I didnt already know. So, whats next? What was Hawks best course of action from here? He started off this operation as the predator but Apprentece has been turning the tables, one slash at a time. I still got the HP lead, but its not a big lead. Hawk reasoned. Were going to be face-to-face once he forces me out of the coffin. Hell have the advantage from that range. My HP lead is barely going to be enough to compensate for that. Aside from HP, Hawk held two more advantages over his opponents. Namely, his two remaining skills: Hungering Horde and Night Hunt. On the other hand, the enemy has already spent both Shield Bash and Honorable Duel. So, Hawk actually had more options here. The only thing he still has going for him is his ult. Hawk concluded. But, thats only good for escaping or chasing, so it wont help him beat me in a fight. Considering all these factors, Hawk clearly held the upper hand overall. And, he was the pro player here, so of course, hell be able to beat Apprentece in a duel, right? Thats what Id normally say, but I still havent gotten a good read of how strong this kid actually is. Hawk frowned. So far, he countered everything I threw his way. But, thats probably just a stroke of bad luck, combined with me not being used to KC. If I keep fighting, Im sure I can take him down. It was a tempting situation. Beating the kid to a pulp would make Hawk look good after Ignis failed to do that earlier. It should also make up for all of Hawks earlier mess-ups. It may be immature of me to get this serious against a kid, but I really wanna smack this brat hard. Hawk smiled boldly. This kid is way too cocky. Somebody gotta show him his place. The more Hawk thought about it, the more he was convinced - he wanted to tear Apprentece apart and make this brat look bad. It gonna be a sweet, sweet revenge for making Hawk look bad. You chose the wrong opponent, kid. Hawk snickered. Once I step out of this coffin, then youre dead meat! Though, I gotta say, Ive been sitting in this coffin for quite a while now Apprentece shouldve forced Hawk out of the coffin by now. After all, every second the Vampire spent inside the coffin replenished his HP. Therefore, to prevent the HP gap from growing any further, Apprentece should have been knocking hard on the coffin to force Hawk out. And yet, Hawk got to spend quite a while in the coffin. He had plenty of time to sort out his swirling thoughts and even arrive at a solid conclusion. It was good and all, but why? How come Appretence was giving him all the time in the world? Hes right next to the coffin and he has been menacingly moving around it, but he isnt attacking. Hawk frowned. Id understand if he used this opportunity to run away, but he isnt. He chose to stay behind, so he clearly wants to continue the fight. And yet, hes allowing me to heal HP for free. How come? Hawk instinctively glanced at the mini-map. Where did their Jungler last show up? If memory serves, he was somewhere in the lower parts of Top Jungle, heading upwards. In other words, there was a very good chance that Average was on his way to the lane. I see what you''re going for. Hawk broke out of his coffin and fled toward the jungle. "These kids are trying to pincer me, so I''m out." "Sure." Ignis made a face. "Thanks for all the amazing help." "Haha, soz." Hawk felt bad about this, he really did. This entire rotation turned out to be a huge waste of time. Not only did he fail to slow down the enemy minions, but he didn''t even deliver any damage on Apprentece. It was a legit shitshow. Looks like I have no choice but admit that this Korean kid is actually pretty decent. Hawk sighed. I can''t believe a middle schooler can play at this level but I can''t argue with facts. He''s not the kind of opponent I can just willy-nilly attack. Just Hawk was about to reach the jungle entrance and evacuate from the area for good, the enemy Lancer made his appearance! "I''m going all in against this dude!" Average jumped high into the air and aimed his spear. "I''mma block the jungle entrance, so you pincer him from behind!" "Alright." Jin followed up on the play, albeit reluctantly. If he had more time, then Jin would''ve advised a different course of action. But, it was too late to change anything now. Average already jumped in. It''s my own fault for not anticipating this. Jin sighed. I expected too much from this Jungler. I thought he''ll know how to correctly adapt to the situation. The moment Hawk figured out the plan and started evacuating, the gank''s success rate plummeted through the ground. It was pointless to continue with that plan at this point, so Average should''ve just called it quits. Unfortunately, the guy didn''t get the memo. That''s why he already jumped over the wall without thinking, planning to crash on Hawk. It was an exercise in futility. The plan itself isn''t that terrible. Jin had to admit. If he successfully scares Hawk away from that jungle entrance, then we can pincer him and deal some good damage. But, a play like that wont work at pro level. Especially, not against an escape artist like Hawk. "GAE-" the Lancer started shouting while in midair. But, as Jin predicted, Hawk smoothly reacted to the situation without being shaken. So, he wants to cut me off? Hawk realized in an instant. Cute idea, but it not gonna work. He rolled forward, sliding right into the Jungle entrance. "-BOLG!" the Lancer came down crashing into the gap between the two walls. The plan was to either crash on Hawk if he gets this far, or to block the escape path. However, Hawk denied both options by getting ahead of the checkpoint. His Dodge Roll carried him into the jungle itself, far beyond the entrance. I''m out. Hawk retreated to his side of the jungle, to his territory. With that, the enemy''s pincer attack fell through. "Dang, I was so close!" Average exclaimed. "Yeah," Jin said indifferently. This whole operation was my idea, so I wont criticize his decision-making too much. Let''s just pretend he did well and move on with the program. It was an alright play for his skill level. This wasn''t going to be Jin''s main team, so there was no point criticizing every little play his temporary teammates made. In fact, as long as these players performed at least half-decently and didn''t drag Jin down, it was already a blessing. Besides, this Jungler still has another use for me. Jin thought. Truth to be told, he didn''t expect this gank to go too smoothly in the first place. Therefore, the gank wasn''t the only reason he went through the trouble of summoning the Jungler here. "Since you''re already here," Jin said. "Can you please defend the lane for one wave? I want to recall." "Sure thing, man." Average nodded. "Thank you." Jin began recalling right in the middle of the lane without wasting any time. Ignis has already approached the lane, so she saw Jin''s obvious recalling animation. But, that didn''t matter. Rather than wasting time on a weak attempt to conceal his Recall, it was best to return to base as quickly as possible. I just hope this Jungler won''t immediately lose all the lane advantage I''ve gained. Jin frowned. Really, playing with unreliable teammates is so tiring... Thats why Jin absolutely had to pass this exam and join the pro scene. He couldn''t stand playing alongside amateurs who needed babysitting. Even though he was younger than his teammates, his skill was at least five years ahead of theirs. It was a depressing reality. While Jin was gearing up in the base, Ignis made her way back to the lane, right in time for the next minion wave. For now, Average will have to protect the lane all by himself from her... Vol.13 Ch.28: Enforcing Fair Odds So, it''s just Dan this time. Ignis shrugged. Her lane opponent for the next round was none other than the enemy Jungler, defending the lane all alone. I was planning to blast that Chinese brat to pieces, but he had to stand me up like this. Damn, who am I supposed to vent this anger on!? And so, Ignis unleashed her fury on the enemy minions. She pushed the swordsmen to the backline with Fearless Charge, then exploded on the entire enemy squad with the shield from War Cry. This was a different farming routine, less optimized but more aggressive. With this method, the bowmen didn''t get a taste of her Fearless Charge, so they survived the shield explosion with moderate HP. That slowed down the farming overall speed, but it opened doors to new types of plays. By pushing the entire enemy wave to the backline and clearing out the frontline, the bowmen were now wide open to be assaulted by Ignis''s entire army. In other words, with this aggressive approach, Ignis penetrated the enemy''s defenses and was about to destroy them from point-blank! That should do it. Ignis cut down the last swordsman. Now, only the enemy bowmen remained. I don''t care about these scrubs. Time to get to the main dish. Ignis turned her back on the enemy bowmen and sprinted at Dan. The kid was still in the middle of attacking Ignis''s advancing minions, so it took him a moment to notice her intentions. "Oh snap!" Dan jumped. "She''s coming at me!" "Run," Howard advised immediately. "She must be out for blood. You won''t last long against her when she gets like this." "Haha, as if I''d last long against her any other day. Your sis is a beast." Dan chuckled nervously. He braced for impact and began his retreat. That was rather a speedy shot-call. Jin commented. As I thought, the captain here is a league above the rest. Hes always quick to issue defensive orders to everybody, although he plays a little too safe on occasions. There are many similarities with Catos shot-calling too, but at least its not as turtly. Is this the wests meta? Out of all the players on this team, the captain was the only one who seemed somewhat reliable. Compared to him, the Jungler defending Jins lane right now was a sad excuse of a clown. Jin had to pray for this guy to not screw everything up... Please make sure you dont die, Jin implored. Haha, are you worried about little ol me? Dan smiled. Im so moved, man. Its a shame you gonna be our opponent later down the line. You seem like a cool dude. Hrm. Jin didnt respond to that praise, for it was completely off the mark. Normally, he couldnt care less about what happens to a weak player like Average. However, the guy was tasked with defending Jins lane right now, so his actions might have consequences for Jin as well. I cant have him die. Jin thought. Itll give Ignis an edge. That woman was already a difficult opponent to deal with. So, if she gets ahead in exp and gold, itll become nigh impossible for Jin to catch up. Maybe I made mistake. Jin thought. I shouldnt have asked this clown to defend the lane. As absurd as it sounds, it might have been better to just let Ignis push one wave for free. I would have lost a lot of tower HP, but its still better than feeding Ignis. Thats how little faith Jin had in Average. It was a sad mentality that often came hand in hand with playing alongside inferior players. It was hard getting used to it. Rather, I dont WANT to get used to it. Jin thought. I want to play with teammates who can get the job done. Is that too much to ask for? That''s why Jin absolutely had to ace this exam and join the pro scene ASAP. Alas, that useless Jungler was about to get in the way of this grand plan... "Dang, she caught up!" Dan exclaimed. "And, she went straight for her ult!" Ignis rolled after him, then canceled the roll into Swordwhirl. She started spinning with her giant blade, right in Dans face! B-But, no problem! Dan tried to convince himself. The jungle is right over there. I just gotta roll toward it. He jumped forth and rolled on the ground. Then, he started running... slowly. Very slowly. His Lancer didn''t look serious at all about escaping from the scene. Dude was moving in slow motion. That was the result of getting repeatedly hit by Swordwhirl. That nasty ult applied not only damage but also lowered Movement Speed and protections. Dan''s entire body was sluggish and heavy. He was fleeing from the scene as quickly as a turtle would. By the time he got close to the jungle entrance - Ignis has already caught up amidst her spinning. And so, she continued hitting him with her Beyblade attacks. There was no escape. Dan was like a fly caught in a spider''s web. I really need my leap right now. Dan nervously glanced at the cooldown on his Lunge skill. C''mon, do something! For now, his only option was to continue running forward while enduring the abuse from the spinning monster. So, thats what he did. In the process, his HP plummeted at the speed of light. He didn''t buy any protections this early into the game, but his pursuer sure jacked herself up with power. And, the result spoke for itself. Crap, I''m actually about to die here...! Dan gulped. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Back when he arrived in the lane, he was already at 70% HP. And now, after repeated abuse from Ignis, his HP fell all the way down to 20%. Basically, he was moments away from dying! The entire time, his eyes darted back and forth between the road in front of him and the timer on Lunge. This gotta be the longest cooldown in the history of cooldowns, word. It wasnt long yet. Soon enough, Lunge will become available and Dan just might be able to escape the scene in the nick of time. But, will his strong opponent allow such a thing? Of course not. You''re dead, kid! Ignis finished spinning but her relentless assault continued. Her prey was still slowed down, so she had no problem slashing the kid from behind while giving chase. The defenseless Lancer was already below 10% HP. One more hit and Ignis will squash the kid like a bug. Should I do it? Ignis stayed her hand at the last moment. Her rush of adrenaline quieted down after her destructive urges were satisfied. Suddenly, a wave of clarity washed over her. Nah, let''s let him live. Ignis decided. Dan did an alright job responding to my attack, so we can leave it at that. If his pursuer was just a little slower than me, then he probably wouldve gotten away. He cut it close, really. As she predicted, the Lancers escape tool entered the picture a moment later. Dan kicked off the ground and jumped over the wall in front of him. And so, Ignis lost her means of pursuing the dying prey. By granting the kid just one extra second, he successfully made his escape. Not too shabby. This is fine. Ignis convinced herself. A part of her itched to get a kill, but her reason trumped over such thoughts. "Man, you were so close," Hawk commented. "Can''t believe that kid slipped away from you." "I let him slip away," Ignis corrected. "I don''t need an unfair advantage to beat some Chinese brat." "Oh, I see." Hawk nodded. "Then, you dont mind if I finish the meal for you, right? "Hmph. Do whatever you want." While the two of them were casually discussing the fate of their prey, the Lancer made his way through the jungle, fleeing like a hapless rabbit. Is she gone? Am I safe!? Dan gulped. He didn''t even have the luxury of checking behind him because doing so would slow him down. Okay, Ill go all the way to the back of the jungle, then I''ll recall. Dan nodded to himself. He exercised maximum caution even though he was already back in allied territory. The jungle was a merciless place. Even though this area was technically on allied territory, there were no allied minions or any other automated defense mechanisms to save the Jungler from threats. Dan was back in his kingdom, but this kingdom had no guards or any defense to speak of. He was all alone in the wild. The threat of death still loomed large. "Dan, head downwards toward Mid," Howard advised. "I don''t think sis continued chasing you after you jumped over the wall, so the only one you have to look out for is-" An ally has been killed! It was good advice, but it came a little too late. Just as Howard started directing Dan away from the one and only threat - that very threat sunk its teeth into Dan. "Dang!" Dan exclaimed. "Where did this dude even come from!?" "You can always expect him to be at the right place at the right time, thats how he plays." The one who finished off Ignis''s prey was Hawk. The Vampire turned into a giant bat and rammed straight into Dan. The crash alone dealt enough damage to strike Dan down. It was unclear how exactly Hawk made it all the way there despite leaving Top a while ago, but it wasnt surprising either. Thats the kind of plays Hawk was best known for. He was always there, at the right place, at the right time, and usually making the right play. Hawk didn''t stand out too much as a pro in any other particular area, yet he possessed the one godlike skill that every Jungler would like to have. Or, so people tended to think... Man, talk about lucky timing. Hawk chuckled. I just invaded their side to counter-jungle for a little. Didnt expect to see that brat running half-dead over here, haha. Good thing I kept tabs on Top just in case something interesting happens. Hawk just happened to be in enemy territory when the dying Lancer was passing by. It was all pure luck or was it, really? Either way, for everybody else, this play probably looked like another one of Hawks impressive plays. But for him, it was just a lucky situation. Anyway, this should redeem me in front of the owner. Hawk glanced at Ronshfelt, who was wearing his ever-present plastic smile. It was impossible to tell what that sly fox was thinking, but at least he didnt look disappointed with the match so far. But, he doesnt look too interested either. Hawk shrugged. He only has an eye for the Korean boy, doesnt he? Oh well. For the better or the worse, Ronshfelt will be able to enjoy the next part of his favorite play soon enough. After all, while all this exciting action with Dan was taking place, the star of the show was already on his way back to Top. So, I didnt make it Jin frowned. He was hoping to arrive on the lane before disaster struck, but he was far too late. The situation in Top developed way too fast for anybody to respond in a timely manner. Ignis sure can get dangerous when she goes wild on the offense. Jin reminded himself of that important fact. For the average player, going all-in with extreme offense was often a recipe for disaster. Most of the time, extreme aggression clouded their judgment and made them overextend, leading them to their doom. However, that rule didnt apply to Ignis. In her case, going wild usually empowered her. She was like a Berserker who activated the Berserk ult, receiving a sizable stat boost. However, unlike the Berserker, Ignis retained enough of her reason to utilize her kit efficiently. That made her an A+ tier threat. Only those who were mechanically superior to Ignis could take advantage of her wildness and strike her down while her defense was down. However, against most opponents, a wild Ignis was efficiently a powered-up version of the usual Ignis. And, Ill probably have to deal with this from now on. Jin nodded to himself. I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. Our fight until now was like a warm-up. This is where things will become difficult for real. And, I suppose I should be grateful she stayed her hand and didnt take the kill. Yes, Ignis permitted that kill to slip through her fingers. She had the kill in the bag and she probably planned to go all the way at first. However, at the last moment, Ignis stayed her hand for just a moment. Few wouldve noticed the brief delay, but Jin closely watched the unfolding events with the x-ray vision. Therefore, he knew for sure: Ignis refrained from landing the killing blow. Im sure she still got the assist for it, but that only evens out our positions. Jin reasoned. She was a little behind before recalling, so now were on equal footing. Ignis deliberately avoided taking the kill to not get an unfair advantage against Jin. At least, thats how it seemed. For a prideful player like Ignis, it made perfect sense. She saw Jin as nothing more than a cocky brat challenging adults. Therefore, she wanted to put him in his place by crushing him without any unfair advantages. I knew shed be the best lane opponent for this match. Jin nodded to himself. As long as she holds onto her pride, shell refrain from getting ahead. So, Ill have many chances to fight her on even ground. Thats the best arrangement for showing off my skills to the audience. And so, Jin returned to Top Lane once more. It was time for Round 2 of the Apprentence vs. Ignis match. Who will emerge victorious in the next clash!? Vol.13 Ch.29: Last Chance Before the Mid-Game With Jin back in commission, the tug-of-war for lane control resumed. Both sides cleared minions as efficiently as possible. They were more or less equal in terms of speed and accuracy. However, Jins movements werent quite as crisp as before. Something weighed on his mind, enough to make him miss one last-hit. I thought she''d attack me as soon as I return. Jin pondered. I see. It looks like I misunderstood. Even though Ignis seemingly entered her berserk mode, it didnt mean she was going to indiscriminately attack Jin at every opportunity that presented itself. Thats part of what made her so unpredictable in this state. Ignis was clearly burning with a desire for vengeance. However, so far, she hasn''t launched any obvious big attacks against Jin. Why? Perhaps she vented some of that pent-up anger when she attacked our Jungler. Also, she might be waiting for her ult to come back online. The latter was probably the bigger consideration. Without Warriors ult, Igniss chances of killing Jin were slim to none. She needed every offensive tool she could get in order to strike him down. Which probably means I don''t have to worry for a while. Jin concluded. Until she gets her ult back, she probably won''t strike unless I present a big opening. In other words, Jin could ease up for now. There was no need to be so tense about incoming attacks, at least not for a while. Of course, he still made sure to be alert in case Ignis decides to surprise him. But, he poured most of his focus into clearing minions, as he normally would. Thanks to that, he flawlessly kept up with the pro''s farming speed. As a result, the lane remained at a standstill and Ignis couldn''t make any big moves just yet. Without any minion advantage, she resigned herself to playing nice, at least for now. Tch, what an annoying brat. Ignis clicked her tongue. He sure can farm, I''ll give him that. Im really itching to go in and kick his ass before we clear the minions, but I no longer got any power advantage here. Lame. Earlier in the game, the Warrior''s Attack Power was decently boosted by its passive, Battle Thirst. But, it was a flat boost, so its value decreased as the game went on. So, at this point, it meant almost nothing. I mean, I''ll still royally whoop his ass if we fight. Ignis asserted. But, I doubt I can get anything out of it. He''ll run away like a pussy the moment I beat him, so I really need my ult back to put the heat on him. And so, the waiting game continued. Ignis patiently contested the lane, waiting for the right time to strike. We''re approaching the mid-game, so Ill probably only have one chance to do it. She reminded herself every time she had the itch to smack the kid. We''ll have to start rotating for team fights soon, so this will be our last clean 1v1 showdown. Surely, her opponent was smart enough to realize that as well. So, how did he want things to go down? Our next fight is probably going to be our last "real" duel. Jin reasoned. From the mid-game onward, any duel opportunity will have a lot more factors to it than just the fight itself. Unlike the early-game, where everybody''s roles and positions were relatively fixed, the mid-game was a chaotic playground. It revolved primarily around team fights and rotations, so anybody could be anywhere at any given time. So, there was rarely any time to duel anybody in an isolated 1v1 situation. In the first place, getting into 1v1 situations is often a misplay in the mid-game. Jin thought. It probably happens often in low-level matches, like in the middle school scene here. But, these are pros Im dealing with here. Even if theyre taking it easy on us, they surely wont commit big misplays like that. The mid-game was the phase when respawn timers started becoming really long, to the point where a single death could have long-lasting consequences. As such, acting alone involved tremendous risk. Everybody had to group up, or at least to stay within the vicinity of each other as much as possible. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I assume the mid-game will mostly be team fights, or at best 2v2s and 3v3s. So, there might not be many good opportunities for me to show my skill. Since Jin was playing with StormBlitz for the first time, it was impossible to expect any impressive cooperation between them during team fights. Not to mention, nobody in StormBlitz was even half as good as Jin, so they''ll always be deadweight for him in fights. Even if Jin himself performs splendidly in a 2v2 or a 3v3, all of it will be overshadowed by his teammates dragging him down. I dont know if Ill get more opportunities to play the Sweepers today. Jin thought. So, the upcoming duel with Ignis might really be my last big chance of the day. I can''t mess it up. Most likely, Ignis recognized the importance of this duel as well. That''s why she was patiently waiting for her ult to come online and grant her a decisive opportunity to strike Jin down. Should I act before she gets her ult? Jin wondered. I''ve already got all my tools in hand, so there''s nothing for me to wait for. But... Striking first always ran the risk of overextending. Whoever makes the first move will seize the momentum of the battle, but they will also give the enemy the opportunity to dish out a powerful counter. Therefore, against pros, who were expected to know the right answer for practically every situation, striking first was extremely dangerous. No matter how confident Jin was in his mechanical skill, even he didnt dare to do it. But, I have to go for it before her ult comes online, right? Jin frowned. No matter how dangerous it is, itll still be better than dealing with her ult. But, then again, her ult should be coming back online any moment now, so how much time will I actually have to abuse here? Jin glanced at the timer. Ignis used her ult sometime around 8:50, and now it was already 9:40. So, she''ll get her ult back in a matter of seconds. I should have acted earlier. This is what happens when you overthink. Jin criticized himself. If only he finished analyzing the situation sooner, he would''ve arrived at the right conclusion half a minute ago. Alas, most of his attention was preoccupied with farming minions and watching out for incoming attacks, so he didnt have the luxury to finish his thought process earlier. That''s all excuses. Jin shook his head. If I want to play on even ground with pros, I have to be able to make snappy decisions like this without wasting any time. Hmm. I suppose I shall add this to my homework. It was already past 9:50. Ignis''s ult was online, so the time was nigh. Their final showdown will commence shortly, they were both aware of the fact. Heh. So, youre not gonna take the initiative until the very end, huh. Ignis smirked. You must be scared shitless of how strong I am, arent you? Well then, time for the pro to put the brat in his place! I see your ult is up, Hawk commented. Are you going in now? Yeah, I am. Im pretty close by, actually. So, I can lend a hand if you want to thoroughly wreck this kid. Stay out of it. This is my fight. I have to mop him in a duel, or else he wont learn a real lesson. Alright, gotcha. And so, Ignis advanced toward the enemy army. However, instead of circling around the enemys formation in order to reach the rear, Ignis had every intention of ramming into the swordsmen this time. The goal was to bring the fight to the enemy. By pushing the frontline toward the rear and then getting rid of the swordsmen, Ignis will leave the enemy bowmen at the mercy of her army while she pursues her prey. However, her movements were a bit too telegraphed. Her opponent saw through them in an instant. This is the same setup as last time. Jin figured. Shes planning to push and clear the frontline, then go for the kill from that position. Its exactly what she did against our Jungler. It was an efficient setup. It eliminated the beefy enemies first while simultaneously pushing her own army forward, like an organized invasion. With the swordsmen gone, only Jins bowmen will remain. And, even though they had higher DPS than the swordsmen, the bowmen were far squishier and will shortly die at the hand of Igniss minions. Meanwhile, Ignis will have more than enough opportunity to aggress on Jin with everything she had. A solid plan, but a predictable one at this point. Is she really going for the same exact setup? Jin wondered. Its not wise to use the same trick twice in a row. Though, she does strike me as the type wholl abuse the same strategy over and over as long as it works. In the match footage Jin researched, Ignis had no problem going for the same lines of play over and over like a broken record. If the enemy couldnt adapt, then Ignis had no reason to change her approach either. And so, she often spammed the same tactic until it stopped working. It was a straightforward, but effective, way of submitting the opposition. But, I already know a couple of ways to deal with this setup. After seeing it once already, Jins brain automatically came up with multiple solutions to that scenario. Therefore, if Ignis was indeed going for the same exact setup, then Jin will counter it, simple as that. LETS FIGHT! the Warrior roared. It was the activation of War Cry. Ignis was about to make her move. Looks like youre really doing this again. Jin concluded. You underestimate me. Jin dashed toward his frontline. He already simulated this line of play in his head, so he saw a few steps ahead. Therefore, hell win this important exchange, no matter what! Vol.13 Ch.30: Anticipated Counter Jin has already come up with a way to counter Igniss aggressive setup. So, with how obvious she was about going for it again, it should be easy enough to turn the tables on her. The counter-plan was as such: First, he''ll crash into Ignis''s Fearless Charge with his Shield Bash. The two of them will collide and come to a halt. That''ll successfully thwart the first step of Igniss plan. But, that''s not all. Shield Bash also inflicted stun, unlike Fearless Charge that only stunned the enemy when it shoved them into a wall. So, Ignis should be stunned after the collision. Yes, should be. This interaction can be a little iffy sometimes. Jin admitted. Shield Bash failed to stun when it didnt properly move the target. Therefore, depending on the specific angle of collision between Fearless Charge and Shield Bash - there was a chance Shield Bash will fail to move Ignis in a way thatll proc the stun. It would be a shame, but its not a big deal. Jin thought. Ill just have to adapt accordingly. He already analyzed the two branching paths of the flowchart. If the stun takes place, Jin will be in a great position for pressing the offense. He''d follow up with Blade Swing on the stunned prey, then drag her closer to his minions with his taunt skill. In the other scenario, if Shield Bash fails to stun, then Jin will probably have to give up on Blade Swing. He''ll most likely have to roll away to get out Igniss range, depending on whether shell respond with her ult right off the gate. Both outcomes are manageable, so this is fine. Jin confirmed. Though, I suppose there is one more scenario, as unlikely as it is. I remember they patched Fearless Charge about a month ago, so she might take advantage of the new change. But, that shouldnt make a big difference either way. Jin accounted for all the likely scenarios that could develop from this play. Now, all thats left was to execute his counter-plan. Here it comes. Jin spotted the startup animation of Fearless Charge. His finger was already half-pressed on the key for Shield Bash, to unleash it as quickly as possible in response to Igniss movements. And so, he confidently charged forth with Shield Bash, aiming to clash with the Fearless Charge! However... I see you there, kid! Ignis smirked. I had a feeling you''ll try to pull something like this, so I''m ready! Ignis canceled her Fearless Charge into Dodge Roll in less than half a second. The timing for this specific cancel was really strict, but it was something she practiced extensively as one of the few pros out there who dared to bring Warrior to the competitive scene. The startup of Fearless Charge gave her initial momentum, from which she further accelerated with Dodge Roll. In a blink of an eye, her body shot past the incoming attacker! You didnt expect this, did you? Ignis grinned. Of course not. They patched in this cancel like a month ago, and almost nobody appreciated it back then. But, I did! As a Warrior enthusiast, Ignis saw the hidden potential of this tricky animation cancel. It was a great tool for catching opponents off guard, just like this! Look who''s behind you now! Ignis grinned as she recovered from the roll and booted Fearless Charge again, aiming at the target''s back. Eat shit, you damn whippersnapper! This was the best angle to attack from. Ignis was almost exactly behind the brat, so her Fearless Charge was going to push him deep into Igniss territory. There, shell force him into a fight and her minions will swarm the brat! Ignis was about to win this fight by a landslide! Unfortunately, her imagination got too far ahead. Her opponent wasnt the pushover she expected him to be, despite his young age. So, she really used the roll cancel. Jin frowned. His Shield Bash completely whiffed its intended target, hitting only the enemy swordsmen. He specifically aimed his Shield Bash in such a way that the strike will hit both Ignis and some swordsmen, but in the end, it only hit the swordsmen. So, the less likely scenario happened. Jin thought. I see she is a real Warrior enthusiast. Her dedication is almost respectable. Almost. In the end, even this unlikely turn of events was within expectations. Though Jin didnt play Warrior, he always tested all the patch changes in Practice mode to better understand their implications. And, the same applied to the recent buff to Fearless Charge. This was his first time seeing somebody who actually employed the roll cancel in a serious match, but he already practiced answers to this play a while ago. So, he was mentally prepared for this unexpected attack and his body remembered the practice he put himself through. She''s probably going to charge at me from behind. Jin deduced as much as soon as he saw Ignis rolling past him. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It''ll be the worst-case scenario for me if she pushes me toward her minions. And so, Jin went for a Dodge Roll without batting an eye. He dodged sideways against an attack he couldnt even see coming. The Fearless Charge arrived shortly. As expected, it was aimed at Jins back, but it whiffed. It was a 1-1 now. Each side whiffed one of their big attacks. Soon after Ignis ended with Fearless Charge, her shield exploded to deal extra damage. However, Jin was already far away from her, so the explosion only damaged the minions near her. All things considered, Jin came on top in that exchange, ever so slightly. Ignis burned both of her skills on this operation, whereas Jin still had Honorable Duel and hit ult at his disposal. Regardless, her ult remains the most dangerous tool here at the moment. Jin reminded himself. The existence of Swordwhirl made it practically impossible for Jin to directly contest Ignis in a 1v1, not unless he first forces her into a very disadvantageous position. Fortunately, Honorable Duel was exactly the kind of skill that could accomplish that. Jin simply had to sneak it in the middle of battle, then he''ll have a chance to manipulate Ignis like a puppet and force her into a bad position. In a way, this outcome is better than the scenarios I simulated. Jin realized. Since both Jin and Ignis whiffed their charges, neither of them landed a hit on each other thus far. In other words, despite their attempts at each other''s lives, the minions pretended the lane was peaceful at the moment. Thus, the two armies were casually bickering among themselves, paying no heed to Ignis or Jin. This outcome was the complete opposite of the setup Ignis was trying to achieve. The other factor that played in Jin''s favor was the fact Ignis has spent both of her movement skills: Fearless Charge and Dodge Roll. As such, it''ll be difficult for her to escape the range of Honorable Duel. If I can take advantage of both these factors, I can set myself up for a win. Jin dashed into enemy territory. He had to reach Ignis before she realizes how grave her situation really was. Is he coming at me, or at the minions? Ignis cocked her head. In this chaotic situation, it was difficult to get a read on what was coming next. Ignis thwarted the kid''s plan, then he replied in kind by thwarting hers. That turned the situation into a mess, so it was hard to tell what will happen next. Oh shit, he''s planning to taunt! Ignis concluded via a process of elimination. But, she was a little too late to catch on. Only now, it dawned on her how terrible her position actually was. She should''ve prioritized retreating from the scene as soon as possible. But, instead, she stuck around and smacked some minions. Such an amateur mistake! "Let us fight honorably!" the Knight shouted loudly while raising both arms into the air. "Fuuuuuuu!" Death was coming. Ignis could feel it creeping up on her. If the taunt lures her into enemy territory and makes her strike the Knight, then all enemy minions will be on her business. Theyll tear her to shreds while the dang kid will be watching, laughing at her misery. I cant let that hit me! Ignis instinctively went for the only answer she had at her disposal: her ult. She booted Swordwhirl and started spinning, becoming immune to all CC. The Knights loud yell vibrated across the area, but it had no effect on Ignis. She continued spinning as if nothing happened. So, she chose to counter it. Jin anticipated such a possibility. I have to admit, Im a little surprised. I thought shell underestimate me all the way and will let me taunt her. Yet, she chose to throw away her strongest weapon just to counter me. Well, Im not complaining. Ignis turned into a living tornado, slicing through everything around her. However, this lethal attack couldnt reach its primary target, so it looked more like an unfortunate misfire. Damn it. I was saving this to kill the dang brat. Ignis grumped. Whatever. Ill pressure him with lane advantage instead. Ignis hasnt given up. Even though she prematurely activated her trump card, it was still possible to get a kill in this fight. And, to get closer to that goal, the first step was to dominate the lane. Therefore, instead of trying to reach the brat with Swordwhirl, Ignis directed her Beyblade toward the enemy swordsmen. SLICE. SLICE. SLICE. She repeatedly cut through the entire pack, erasing their HP in a matter of seconds. While she was spinning wildly like this, Apprentece couldnt possibly approach the area to attack her minions. The kid had no choice but to watch the scene unfold from afar, as Ignis was slaughtering his precious frontline. Before long, the odds heavily tilted in Igniss favor. She wiped out the entire enemy frontline while her own frontline was fully intact. With three swordsmen and three bowmen at her disposal, Ignis was about to wage war against the kids lousy lineup of just three bowmen. Apprentece stood no chance! Alright, now we''re talking! Ignis nodded in satisfaction. With this lane advantage, she''ll smack the kid into submission in no time! Of course, her opponent understood the situation just as well. Will he run away with his tail between his legs? That''ll be a disappointing outcome, but it''ll count as Ignis''s victory all the same. The ball was in the kids court now. This isn''t good. Jin frowned. Just a moment ago, he had the high ground in this duel. Then, Ignis''s ult turned the tables on him. Now, Jin was the one in a disadvantageous position, and he didnt have any tools to turn the situation around. How do I deal with this? It was a difficult question. For the first time in a while, the next course of action didn''t come to him immediately. That stood testament to how delicate the situation was. Can I retry this during the next wave? Jin wondered. No, probably not. I already see players rotating. The enemy Support left Bot and headed to help out in Mid. This one small move effectively signaled the beginning of the mid-game. Once somebody breaks the established positions this boldly, it often caused a domino effect. As result, it threw the entire game into a disarray known as the mid-game. My initial conclusion was correct. I won''t get another chance to show off my skill in a proper duel. Jin nodded to himself. So, this is it. My last big duel opportunity. If I run away here, it''ll leave a lasting impression of me losing to Ignis, and I probably won''t be able to fix that image for the rest of the game. Running away wasn''t an option. Despite the disadvantageous position, Jin had to stand his ground and fight. He had to cause a miracle and win this lane exchange with just three bowmen, against Ignis who was leading a full platoon of minions... Vol.13 Ch.31: Small Force vs. Big Force No, I cant win here. Jin had to admit. The enemy forces vastly outnumbered him, so there was no chance to turn the tables around. But, if I prove I can stand up to Ignis even in this situation, then it should give me some credits. So, that begged the question: how should a small army fight against a bigger one? Unlike the military commander of a real army, Jin didn''t have direct control over his minion. So, he could only operate within the restricted rules of the minions'' AI, which followed very basic principles and didn''t leave much room for creativity. Nonetheless, there were some tactics for coping with this kind of situation. It required taking a risk, but Jin had to shoot for it. I never thought I''d play like this in a high-level match, but I have no choice. He advanced toward the enemy commander. As absurd as it sounded, the plan was to start this fight by striking none other than the most dangerous foe. "Please tell me you''re not planning to continue this fight," Howard intervened. "I have to give it a shot." Jin didn''t have time to explain his reasons. "It''s beyond reckless," Howard insisted. "Not only you''re at a disadvantage, but you might also get ganked. Hawk has been MIA for a while now. I suspect he''s counter-jungling." "Most likely," Jin answered without stopping his advance. He reached the enemy frontline and brandished his blade, slashing through Igniss arm. "I''ll be honest, this is foolish." Howard''s tone turned stern. "I didn''t expect somebody whos aiming to be a pro to play like this." "I know. This play is far from ideal," Jin agreed he retreated to the side of the lane. "But, it''s something I have to do." Hitting Ignis triggered the entire enemy army. They all focused their attention on Jin instead of attacking his bowmen. As dangerous as it was, at least it provided more longevity to his little squad. As long as Jin distracts the enemy forces, his bowmen will stay safe and continue raining arrows on the enemy. "Hrm." Howard wasn''t convinced in the slightest, but the die was already cast. There was no stopping this absurd play anymore. "You should''ve at least cooperated with the Jungler on this." "I suppose so." Jin gave a handwavy response. He didn''t have the time to be distracted by chit-chat. In this dangerous and disadvantageous situation, a single misstep could cost him his life. He had to fully concentrate on the challenge in front of him. "Fine." Howard gave it a rest as he realized the importance of that as well. "Dan, drop everything and rotate to Top. Even spend your leap if you have to. Just get there ASAP. "Oh man, I had such a snazzy farming route ahead of me. Everything just finished respawned." Dan pouted, but he didn''t argue with the command. The urgency in Howard''s tone made it clear how important this mission was. "Okay, I''m on it. Im gonna be there in a jiffy, my guy!" And, how are you going to help me, exactly? Jin scoffed. On paper, Howards call made perfect sense. It was best to cooperate with the Jungler for what Jin was trying to accomplish. In fact, Jin also considered reaching out to the Jungler before going forward with this risky attack. However, the idea only crossed his mind for a brief moment, then vanished without a trace. I''d rely on a good Jungler, but this one is just bad. Jin thought. William would at least be helpful in a situation like this, and even Cato could get something done. But, this Jungler? I don''t expect much. If anything, I''m more concerned he might get himself killed if he comes here. Regardless, there was no time to argue with this development. Jin had to keep running around to distract the enemy minions. Each of his steps had to be flawlessly calculated. He didn''t have the luxury to be distracted by petty matters. Worst case, if something happens to the Jungler, it''ll be Howard''s responsibility. Jin concluded. I just have to make things work on my end. That''s the only thing worth worrying about right now. Jin masterfully drew the enemy army away from the center of the lane, toward the upper border of the map. But, unfortunately, this was as far as he could go. From there, he could only retreat back into allied territory, which wasnt ideal. But, I have to keep driving them. Jin reasoned. As long as they''re chasing me, they can''t harm my minions and they barely get to attack me either. The bowmen''s arrows threatened to reach him every now and then. However, he made all arrows whiff by maintaining optimal spacing and by tactically pausing at carefully calculated moments, tricking the bowmen into nocking their arrows for nothing. Doing so required delicate execution and unbreakable concentration, but it was doable. Manipulating minions was one of the many arts of war that were drilled into Jin back in Korea, so he had confidence in his execution. As long as he stayed focused, he''ll lead these minions by the nose and get a chance to turn the tables around. But, naturally, Ignis wasnt sleeping while this while taking place. So, while Jin was distracting her minions, she went after his bowmen. Tch, this brat sure knows how to move, Ill give him that. Ignis had to admit that the kids minion manipulation was pretty much flawless. Most players would get hit by at least one arrow by now, yet this Chinese brat consistently stayed out of range, just by a hairs breadth. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. But, youre really pushing it, kid. Ignis shook her head. You shouldve retreated while you had the chance. Like, what are you even hoping to achieve here? You really think Ill let this pass? Ignis raised her big sword and sliced through the enemy bowmen. She wrecked them one by one, turning them to dust. These bowmen were like the lynchpin of the kids entire plan here. Therefore, taking them out would put an end to whatever nonsense the brat was trying to pull here. Aaaaand done. Ignis nodded in satisfaction. All minions were deleted. The kid remained alone. Admittedly, his not-so-terrible maneuvers bought his bowmen some precious time. Before Ignis cut them down, the little guys rained enough arrows to eliminate Igniss injured swordsmen. But, that was all they achieved. Igniss frontline might have fallen, but her bowmen remained intact. And, they were more than willing to drill a couple of arrows into that cocky brat. So, tell me, kid. What did you even achieve here? Ignis shook her head. I still got the upper hand by a long shot. You got some nice moves there but they brought you nowhere. If anything, you just cut off your own chances of escaping. At least, that was Igniss evaluation of the situation. And, to a degree, her opponent concurred. This definitely isnt a good look. Jin thought. But, so far, everything is going according to plan. He was left all alone in the lane, tasked with confronting Ignis and her three healthy bowmen. These were terrible odds, to say the least. However, that was exactly the finale he envisioned from the get-go. He was waiting for this exact situation, with this exact timing, so he could bring an end to it. Right on time. Jin glanced at the cooldown on Shield Bash. The counter has just hit zero, informing him that the skill was ready to use. That was the trump card he was betting on all along. And so, Jin switched gears. Instead of fleeing from the bowmen, he turned around and charged forth with his shield. One full round of arrows rained on him, delivering damage that wasnt negligible. But, that was the end of it. The bowmen didnt get a chance to nock their arrows a second time. Jin rammed into the bowmen with his shield and stunned them. Next, he followed up with Blade Swing, slicing through the entire line of bowmen in one fell swoop. That was enough to wipe them all out. Neither side had any minions left, so it became a pure 1v1. From an overwhelming disadvantage, Jin found a way to bounce back and even the odds! But, it wasnt all sunshine and rainbows. He had to pay about 15% of his HP for this trade. And, I''m also at a disadvantage when it comes to skills. Jin reasoned. My Shield Bash is down, but her Fearless Charge should be up by now. And, she has War Cry, too. Even though Jin worked so hard to neutralize the enemy''s advantage, this was the best he could achieve. The enemy still held the lead, albeit it was a smaller one than before. As far as Jin could tell, this was the best outcome he could possibly reach in this situation. He started off at a "grave disadvantage", and he changed the odds into a "slight disadvantage". Still, a disadvantage is a disadvantage, no matter how small. Jin reminded himself he was facing a pro here. In high-level play, even a tiny bit of advantage could make the whole difference between winning and losing, especially in a duel. I think I''ve achieved enough here. Jin nodded to himself. I showed everybody I can turn a 4v7 situation into a 1v1 with minimal cost. That should be convincing enough. Of course, it''d be the icing on the cake if he could also defeat Ignis on top of that. However, it''d be foolish to pursue this fight any further. It was best to retreat here. Alas, Ignis had other plans for him. Right after she cleared Jin''s bowmen - she rolled toward him! Is she going to force this fight!? Jin flinched. This was no time to idly analyze the situation. He had to get out as soon as possible! Unfortunately, the evasive maneuvers he used against the minions put him against the wall at the very edge of the map. As such, his escape options were limited. He could roll parallel to the wall and reach allied territory, or roll toward the center of the lane in the hope to outmaneuver the enemy from there. The former sounded like the obvious choice, but it wasnt that simple. As odd as it might''ve sounded, the latter had some interesting benefits to it as well. However, there was no time to analyze the pros and cons at the moment. Jin had to act. Now. I''ll go with the more stable option. Jin rolled along the wall. It was the fastest way to get back to allied territory. His ultimate goal was to reach the tower, and this was clearly the shortest path there. At first glance, this sounded like the correct play. However... "Ha! I knew you''d do that!" Ignis grinned madly. She had her prey exactly where she wanted. Before she finished the roll, she canceled it into Fearless Charge, aiming diagonally at her fleeing foe. Gotcha! Ignis shoved the brat into the nearby wall, stunning him in place. Now, it was time to teach this kid his place! This isn''t good! Jin could feel his heartbeat quickening. Perhaps for the first time this match, he found himself in a truly dreadful situation. She read me like a book. Jin bit his lip. This was definitely the more predictable escape route. If Jin had more time to consider his options, he might''ve chosen to roll toward the center of the lane after all. Staying away from walls was supposed to be the 101 of countering Warrior, but there was no time to weigh the importance of that against other factors. It was harder for Warrior to get a stun going compared to how naturally it came to Knight. However, in exchange, Warriors stun was that much longer. Ignis slashed him twice before he recovered. And, her third slash was also effectively unavoidable at this range. I misplayed here. Jin frowned. It was difficult to make the right call in the heat of the moment, but that probably didn''t matter to the audience. As far as they were concerned, Jin made a bad call and got trapped by Ignis. That was going to leave a lasting impression... At the very least, I have to avoid dying. Jin hurried toward his tower as soon as he recovered from the stun. As long as he gets out of this situation alive, the damage to his reputation should be minimal. It''s unfortunate. Jin thought. Right after I managed to even the odds, something like this had to happen and leave a stain on my performance. The current predicament might completely overshadow his earlier achievements. His hard work to leave a good last impression might come to nothing. So, at the very least, he had to avoid dying. I''ll survive this. Jin concluded after a quick analysis. He was down to 60% HP, which was plenty for making his escape from the scene. However, that''s provided Ignis will remain his only problem here... "Hey there." Vol.13 Ch.32: The Junglers Distraction Just as Jin concluded that hell be able to get away from his pursuer, an unexpected invader appeared. "Hey there." Hawk popped up from the jungle. "Huh? What do you think youre doing here?" Ignis scowled. "I told you to not interfere." "Don''t worry, I''m not going to," Hawk promised. "I just gonna spook this brat a little. If he sees me blocking this path, then he''ll have to change his escape route, right? Should make it easier for you to finish him off." "Heh, that''s not a half-bad plan, coming from you." "Danke, danke." Hawk smiled meaningfully. But, if the kid comes any closer to me, then I gonna hit him with everything I got. After all, I''m here for one reason and one reason only: to repay this brat for last time. So, if I can get my revenge with my own two hands, then all the better. Still, even preventing the brat from getting away alive would be sweet enough of revenge. What kind of expression was this cocky kid wearing right now? It was a delight to imagine. The kid noticed Hawks presence right away. Nonetheless, his movements didnt slow down in the slightest, as if he saw it coming all along. I expected a gank sooner or later. Jin thought. But, I didn''t think itd it to come from all the way over there. Hawk didn''t gank the lane from any predictable angle. Instead, the guy showed up deep inside Jins territory, waltzing in through the jungle entrance as if he owned the place. He has been contesting my wards there for a while now. Jin recalled. He knew I didnt have vision there, so I couldnt see him coming. Based on Jins research, Hawk has always been a wildcard like this. He arrived from unexpected places and delivered the unpredictable ganks. Thats why it often felt like he was at the right place, at the right time. I suppose its in part because he often counter-jungles. Jin connected the dots only now. In many of the cases in which Hawk seemed to magically appear at the right place at the right time, it happened because he often counter-jungled throughout the match and got away with it. Hanging out in the enemys jungle created many unexpected opportunities for him to strike. The allied jungle was always a gray area in that sense. It was supposed to be under the teams control, but it wasnt as tightly defended as the lanes. As a result, the enemy Jungler could easily sneak in and counter-jungle for extended periods of time, provided he paid careful attention to the position of the enemy Jungler. So, Hawk exploited that weakness. It was easy to do in this game, where the skill gap between the two Junglers was huge. He cut off my fastest escape route. Jin frowned. If I keep heading straight to the tower, hell most certainly ult me. Then, Ignis will catch up while Im stunned and theyll finish me off together. Heading directly to the tower spelled imminent doom, that much was a fact. But, what other options did Jin have here? If I turn around and fight Ignis, the situation will still become a 1v2 in no time. Jin reasoned. And, even if they take pity on me and let me 1v1 Ignis, I still have a high chance of losing. At 60% HP, he had very little chance of defeating Ignis who was sitting on full health. Even though Ignis was barely at the skill level of a Korean C-Leaguer, she was still up there. As such, Jin couldnt possibly hope to defeat her, not with this HP gap. My only other option is to flee toward the jungle. Jin glanced to his right, toward the jungle entrance near the center of the lane. Perhaps, if he slips in there, hell be able to get away from both pursuers. I shouldve rolled in that direction back when Ignis started her attack. Jin regretted his hasty decision. He dismissed the idea earlier because he didnt have enough time to consider all the factors. However, now, it was clear that rolling toward the center of the lane wouldve been the superior play in this situation. Not only it wouldve canceled out the possibility of Ignis pushing him into the wall, but it wouldve also played around Hawks gank. Indeed, it couldve killed two birds with one stone. Truly, a wasted opportunity. But, whats done is done. Jin focused on the situation in front of him. It looked doom and gloom, but he had to keep searching for a solution until the bitter end. It was then that he saw a ray of hope. A small and unreliable ray, but a ray nonetheless. The team''s Jungler, Average, was heading toward Top. Right, the captain asked him to rotate here. Jin recalled. He didn''t pay much heed to that interaction at the time, since he had absolutely no intention of relying on that unreliable Jungler. However, the situation has changed. Under the new grave circumstances, borrowing the unreliable Jungler''s aid was Jin''s last hope, as sad as it sounded. "Average," Jin called out. "Please focus on Hawk when you arrive. But, don''t spend your Gae Bolg right away. Keep it as a threat." "Yep, that''s the plan." Average nodded. "Also, the name''s Dan." "Right, Dan. Thank you for the help." "You welcome, bro!" In truth, Jin couldn''t care less for the Jungler''s name. Average wasn''t some skilled player whose name was worth remembering. In fact, normally, a player of that caliber wouldn''t even be allowed to play on the same stage as Jin. However, due to the unusual circumstances of this match, Jin had no choice but to borrow this Jungler''s help. Therefore, the least he could do was to act politely toward his helper. Alright. Jin directed his gaze toward the distant tower. Let''s try to break through. Honestly, I doubt Average will do a good job keeping Hawk busy. But, at least, the threat of his ult should put enough pressure on both opponents. And so, Jin took the gamble and ran straight ahead, right toward the dangerous Vampire ahead of him. It might''ve looked like a suicidal move to others, but this was the best option he had in this situation. Naturally, his opponents didnt think much of this play either. "Heh, look at this brat." Hawk snickered. "The disrespect, I''m telling you. He actually expects to get past me." "Maybe its because you''re that bad." Ignis wore a smug. "He knows he can''t get past me or beat me in a fight, so hes risking it all on getting past the weaker player. It makes perfect sense, right? Haha." "Heh, you keep laughing. We''ll see who gets the last laugh when I get into A-League before you." "Hah, you wish." You''ll eat your words one of these days. Hawk promised. But first, this cocky brat over here needs some spanking. Who does he think he is, judging me as "weaker"? A kid like you has no right to judge a pro''s skill level. I''ll prove that to you right here. Hawk wasn''t the best out there when it came to duels, but he was an expert at apprehending fleeing foes. As a Jungler, he was obligated to polish such techniques to perfection. So, I can say one thing with confidence. Hawk asserted. No matter what you try to pull - you''re not getting away, kid! Hawks ult came back online by now. So, using it would be the easiest and most efficient way to apprehend the brat. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. But, Hawk was a pro and his opponent was just a kid. Also, this was a 2v1 situation. So, Hawk merely had to slow down the boy enough for Ignis to catch up, and itll be an easy kill from there As such, going for his ult would be a waste in this situation. Night Hunt was Vampire''s ultimate tool for ganking, so it was best to keep it online until the juiciest of opportunities presented itself. The current situation hardly justified it. Ill just have to hit you with my other stuff. Hawk aimed his Hungering Horde at the approaching escapee. No, wait. Hawk stopped himself as he recalled their precious exchange. Unlike the other kids here, this one is good at predicting attacks. I can''t just casually shoot something at his face. It may have seemed like overkill, but it was necessary to take such factors into consideration against this particular brat. No matter how much Hawk wanted to deny it, this Korean pipsqueak wasnt too far from a C-Leaguer in terms of skill. So much, that it was almost reasonable for him to seek the pro scene at such a young age. But, I''m a B-Leaguer. Hawk asserted. Maybe I''m still a newbie in this league, but my skill was recognized back in C-League; thats how I got here. So, even if this kid is C-Leaguer level - he got nothing on me! "Hey Igny," Hawk called out. "Does the kid have his Dodge Roll?" "Yeah, he got it," Ignis confirmed. She could tell that much for sure because her own Dodge Roll already came out of cooldown. The kid last used his Dodge Roll shortly after Ignis did, so it surely went online by now as well. "Okay." Hawk nodded to himself. The kid is probably waiting for my attack with his finger already on the space bar. In that case... Hawk held off the Hungering Horde. Instead, he approached his foe and fired a regular bat, his basic attack. From the look of things, the kid didnt quite expect that. Unlike his usual sharpness, he completely failed to respond to this attack. So, he''s not opening with Hungering Horde or his ult? Jin frowned. Alright, I see how it is. He respects my Dodge Roll. Jin was ready to use Dodge Roll the moment something came flying at him. In fact, he nearly went for Dodge Roll against that basic attack just now. He only stopped himself at the last moment thanks to the slight difference in the startup animation. Though there were some similarities, it was still possible to tell apart the Vampire''s basic attack from his Hungering Horde. It required acute concentration, though. Jin had to actively expect the possibility of a basic attack in order to be able to analyze the minute difference in the heat of the moment. Fortunately, despite expecting Hungering Horde, Jin also considered the possibility of a basic attack. Thanks to that, he spotted the difference in time and continued running forward instead of wasting his Dodge Roll As a result, he took direct damage. However, getting hit by a mere bat was no big deal for him. And so, the escape effort continued. How was the enemy going to continue from here? "Huh." Hawk made a face. Maybe I gave him too much credit? He didnt react to the shot at all. Logically, he shouldve been waiting for an opportunity to roll my skill, but nope. Hmm. Maybe he took a guess and assumed I won''t go for the skill right away? That was the most reasonable explanation. In fact, something like that would explain a lot of the impressive plays Apprentece has pulled throughout the day. In short, the kid was good at making educated guesses based on prior information. It was becoming increasingly obvious that he studied the Sweepers before coming here. So, it wasnt surprising at all that he knew a thing or two about how Hawk usually played. So, do I go for Horde now? Hawk wondered. No, that''s the classic, isn''t it? One basic attack, followed by an immediate Horde. Way too predictable. I bet that''s exactly what this kid gonna guess. Then again, it''ll be a problem if I don''t do use Horde now... The approaching Knight was already a short distance away. Soon enough, hell pass past Hawk. At that point, the situation will turn into a chase. As such, it was best to slow the kid down before that happens. Otherwise, he might actually slip past them. This is all too much thinking. Hawk scowled. When in doubt, it''s always best to keep things simple. Less thinking, more action. Instead of mulling over whether to throw out a basic attack or to go for Hungering Horde, it was far easier to pick the one option the kid won''t be able to dodge no matter what. It''s a bit of a waste, but oh well. Hawk shrugged. "I''m going for my ult." "Seriously?" Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a waste to me, but you do you." "Get ready to smack him hard once I grab him." "No need to tell me twice." Hawk already half-pressed the key for his ult. But, just then, his Sentry Ward spotted an invader arriving from the jungle. It was the enemy Jungler, Average! "Oh shit, it''s a counter-gank!" Hawk gently removed his finger from the key, careful to not trigger the skill. "Damn, looks like I can''t ult, after all." "Huh? What are you afraid of? Just stun this Chinese kid and I''ll kill him real quick." "Sorry, but I prefer to not set myself as a sitting duck for Gae Bolg." As Ignis suggested, it''ll be easy to kill Apprentece with Night Hunt. However, that''ll require Hawk to stand in place and keep the Knight pinned down. In other words, hell be an easy target for anything the enemy Jungler decides to throw at him. And, that included Gae Bolg, which was no laughing matter. It''s no joke getting hit by that thing. Hawk thought. It gonna weaken me so hard that even Average might be able to get a kill on me. I mean, sorry, but I have no plans to die to either of these kids. Hawk considered how the situation will look three steps ahead from now. And so, the best course of action revealed itself. "If I miss this shot," Hawk warned. "Let''s focus the Lancer instead." There was no time to wait for a reply. Hawk fired Hungering Horde at Apprentece despite how predictable it was. It''s finally here. Jin spotted multiple bats forming around the Vampire''s hand. In other words, Hungering Horde was coming! Jin rolled forward, right underneath the pack of blood-thirsty bats. That should do it. Jin sighed in relief. The only other CC he got is his ult, but the threat of Gae Bolg should discourage that line of play. That was the end. Thanks to the slight distraction from the teams lackluster Jungler, Jin successfully got away from that terrible position. Perhaps this once, and this once only, Average deserved some praise, just a little. However, in actuality, the battle was far from over. Little did Jin know that the enemy was already prepared for this development. They were one step ahead. Fortunately, somebody on the team did realize that. Dan, jump out of there! Howard cried out. Huh!? O-Okay, gotcha! Dan had no idea what was going on, but the urgency in Howards tone was enough to convince him. I bet something is coming, and its coming fast! Without wasting a moment, Dan leapt out of the area. He used Lunge to cross over the nearby jungle wall. This speedy response caught the enemy off-gaurd. "Wha-!?" Hawk exclaimed. His finger already pressed the critical button. His ult activated, turning him into a giant bat. This isnt how it was supposed to go... The enemy Jungler wasnt supposed to suspect a thing. The plan was to focus on him in case Apprentece got away. But, somehow, Average saw through Hawks plan. Now, Hawk was the one who found himself in an awkward situation. Well, I already booted this thing, so might as well chase one of them. Hawk compared the two options. Apprentece already got close to his tower, so pursuing that kid was out of the question. On the other hand, Average was still inside the jungle. Sure, a wall stood between them, but Hawk could fly around it. And so, he tried his best to give chase in bat form. Alas, it proved futile. Even though this form could fly over walls, it had to gradually ascend upwards first. Unfortunately, flying upwards was nowhere as fast as jumping, so it took Hawk some time to get over the wall. In fact, it took so long that it was barely any faster than going around the wall on foot. Therefore, by the time Hawk reached beyond the wall, it was already too late. "Damn, he got away," Hawk reported. "Must be Wardy''s doing." Ignis nodded with a proud smile. "You should''ve used your ult earlier, back when the Chinese kid was running toward you. It''s all your fault, you realize that, right? We let both of them slip away because you took your sweet time." Wait a minute, who was it that agreed with me its a "waste" to use my ult in this situation? Hawk made a face, but he didn''t retort. Even though Igniss hypocrisy was through the roof here, in the end, it was Hawks decision when to use his ult. And, he made a poor decision, no two ways about it. At the end of the day, he got outplayed. The Korean brat had enough mechanical skill to get past Hawk, whereas Average was trained in the arts of defense, so the kid knew how to swiftly evacuate from dangerous situations. I underestimated both of them. Hawk admitted. So, instead of paying back for last time, I now got yet another score to settle with that Korean kid. Hawk could barely believe it himself, but he was actually getting all competitive-like against this kid. Pretty absurd, right? But, thats how slick that brat was. Oh well. Hawk shrugged. Team fights are around the corner. That''s where I''ll farm up all the reputation points I lost. Meanwhile, for the examinee of this match, that was pretty much his last chance to farm credit points. Not the best outcome. Jin thought. But, not the worst, either. In the end, despite all the action, the situation in Top remained a stalemate. Jin didnt triumph over Ignis, but neither did he outright lose to her. In a way, the fact Jin successfully enforced a stalemate against a pro attested to his remarkable skill despite his young age. Surely, no other kid from the region could put up a fight like this against Ignis. But, will this result be enough to convince Ronshfeld and the Sweepers'' coach? Will they evaluate Jin as a fitting player for any of the company''s pro teams...? Vol.13 Ch.33: A Second Chance "Dan, jump out of there!" That timely order saved the team''s Jungler in the nick of time. If not for that warning, then Hawk would have surely killed Average. It was an impressive read. Jin had to give credit where it was due. Even I didn''t read the situation that far ahead. Hawk must''ve been sitting on that plan B for quite some time. It was quite unexpected. Jin was certain the enemy will prioritize him above anything else, but Hawk was quick to shift gears and target the Jungler who came there to help Jin. If Average died there, then it would have been my fault. Jin reasoned. Even if nobody else directly associated that mistake with him, Jin would have still treated it as his fault. That lane situation was his problem, and the Jungler only rotated there to help. I accepted the help, so it was partially my responsibility to look out for him. So, the moment I safely got away, I should''ve properly considered how dangerous the situation was. I shouldve been the one to tell him to run away. Alas, Jin failed at this job as a teammate. It was rather frustrating. Of course, he didnt particularly care about Average. This was purely about Jins personal skill as a player. Being a good teammate was part of what made somebody good at Classmancers, and Jin completely blundered back there. I''m sure I would''ve realized Hawks intentions as well if I had a few more seconds. But, it would have been too late at that point... Against pros, fast decision-making was crucial. Falling behind by even a single second could make all the difference between life and death. I was at the scene, yet I missed it. But, the captain didn''t. Jin thought. Even though he''s all the way on the other side of the lane, Aegis still managed to issue such a timely call. And, the Jungler responded instantly, without asking any questions. I had to admit, when it comes to defense, this team can really deliver results. A perfectly timed shot-call like that was impressive, even by Jin''s standards. There was no doubt that, out of everybody in StormBlitz, the captain was the closest one to pro level. Under Aegiss lead, StormBlitz''s defense was good enough to fend off pros. As such, this team will surely be a formidable opponent for the Leopards this year. But, that''s not my business. Jin pushed such thoughts to the back of his head. I''m here today in order to graduate from that mediocre competition. I have to get into the pro scene as soon as possible. It must be done. His thoughts were growing frantic. At the back of his head, Jin already realized the truth: he butchered his last chance to leave a good impression. The way he cleared Ignis''s minions from disadvantage was good, but then Ignis turned the tables on him. On top of that, he chose a bad direction to escape to, which allowed Hawk to easily block his path. That whole scene was bound to leave a bad impression on the audience. And, I also have to recall now. Jin frowned as he looked at his remaining HP. The entire exchange brought this health dangerously low. So, even though he escaped alive, he surrendered a lot of lane control to his opponent. The next minion wave was about to arrive, and Jin wouldnt be there to greet it. In other words, Ignis will get a free opportunity to push his tower. I''ll have to ride back to lane with my ult. Jin concluded. That was the only thing he could do in order to not lose his entire tower. Alas, the enemy had every intention to make it as difficult as possible for him. "Hey Hawk," Ignis started. "Since you failed to catch any of the kids, you better stay here and help me push." "Sure." Hawk shrugged and flew over the jungle wall once more. In retrospect, he did nothing but waste his time when he tried to chase Average across the wall. His ult was utterly wasted here. With nothing better to do, Hawk had no objections to helping Ignis on lane. With the enemy Top Laner forced to retreat, this was a great opportunity for them to demolish the tower. When the next minion wave arrived, the two of them swept through it and gained overwhelming lane control. If the enemy team doesn''t make a move here, then the Top Turret would be lost. "Average," Jin called out. "Can you please defend Top? I try to get back as soon as possible." "No problem," Average agreed. "I was already on my way there anyway." True to his words, he was in the middle of rotating to the Top Turret from the back of the jungle. "And I already told ya, the names Dan." "Right. Thanks, Dan." "You welcome!" Thanks to Average''s efforts, the worst-case scenario was averted. The enemy failed to demolish the Top Turret, but they still reduced its HP to 60% by the time Jin return. This outcome definitely didnt give him any credit points. Still, this is a hundred times better than losing the whole tower. Jin thought. If not for Average, the examiners would have probably disqualified Jin on the spot for losing his tower before mid-game. It was fortunate that even a subpar player like Average wasnt entirely useless when fighting pros. The match shortly transitioned into mid-game, the team-fighting phase. As estimated, Jin didn''t get any more opportunities to show off his skill. The Sweepers stuck together as they conducted their operations. As such, there were no more chances to strike any isolated targets. Actually, thats not entirely true. Jin thought. I spot Esmeralda alone every now and then. But, I suspect these are all baits. Esmeralda wasnt a typical player, so her plays shouldnt be analyzed by normal logic. She was arguably a weak player, yet a very shrewd one. When it came to Esmeraldas plays, it was impossible to tell what was a misplay and what was bait. She was a great actress if nothing else. I can probably defeat her if I get a proper chance to fight. But, I dont want to risk it. Many fools underestimated Esmeralda in the past, flying right into her spider web like careless flies. Jin had seen countless examples of such victims when he analyzed the Sweepers footage. Im not going to join their ranks. Jin had no intention of being misled by this witch. Still, time and again, Esmeralda tried to bait people into thinking she was isolated. Thankfully, nobody in StormBlitz fell for it, and neither did Jin. Looks like Im not getting any more duel opportunities this match, after all. Jin had no choice but to come to terms with that fact. In that case, Ill have to prove my worth in team fights, as hard as that sounds. It was going to be harsh, but not impossible. At least, thats what Jin told himself in order to keep moving forward. Remember, its all over the moment you lose your motivation. Jin reminded himself. As long as theres a chance - I have to keep trying. And so, Jin forfeited any delusions about finding a duel opportunity. Instead, he focused on cooperating with the rest of the team. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He tried his best to find 2v2 situations, which was as close as he could get to a 1v1. Unfortunately, StormBlitz was too defensive of a team for that. Under Aegiss leadership, everybodys positions were carefully arranged and monitored across the entire map. The team was at a disadvantage in terms of map control, and they were weaker than the Sweepers in general, so Aegis apparently intended to drag the game out via turtling. This organized defense is solid. Jin admitted. But, is there really any hope of winning like this? Against pros, I dont see how this approach is ever going to pay off. With that said, Jin kept his skepticism to himself. As an outsider who joined this well-organized team for the first time, he was in no position to criticize their questionable philosophies. Instead of bickering with his teammates and getting on the captains bad side, Jin focused on cooperating with the team to the best of his ability. As unfortunate as it was, he had to borrow their help to get anything done at this stage of the game. Alas This isnt going anywhere. Jin shook his head. Despite his best efforts, the team didnt perform well. That was only natural, given his lack of experience playing with them. No matter how well oiled of a machine StormBlitz was, a single clunky gear could throw the entire system awry. And, in this case, Jin happened to be that defective gear. He was a foreign element in this system, so no matter how hard he tried, he couldnt achieve perfect harmony with his unfamiliar teammates. On his end, Jin did his best to follow up on the team''s defensive tactics. Despite his disagreement with the captains approach, he adjusted to StormBlitzs game plan for the most part. But, that''s as far as he went. He merely played along with the teams strategy, which was flawed from its inception. We''re not going to win by defending all day, not against pros. Jin ranted internally. Unfortunately, he was in the minority here. All his teammates were on board with this defensive strategy. Therefore, there was no way he''ll be able to sway their opinions on the matter in the heat of battle. And, attempting to do so might even backfire at him. They''re decent players on defense for the most part, but I''m not sure how good they are on the offense. Jin thought. And, judging by how adamant they are about defending, I better assume the worst about their offensive capabilities. With all of that in mind, Jin had no choice but to continue following the defensive game plan. He joined in during the 2v2 and 3v3 fights as much as possible, trying to earn as many credit points as possible during combat. Alas, that was easier said than done. With his teammates constantly dragging him down, Jin often found himself covering for their mistakes or rescuing them from trouble. He had no time to put on an impressive performance to earn any favors with the crowd. Eventually, after a long struggle that last over 30 minutes, StormBlitz''s Colossus finally crumbled. DEFEAT It was a predictable conclusion. Nobody even entertained the possibility that this game would end in any other way. Its not possible, not with this level gap. Jin thought. With such low-level teammates, he had no hope of ever besting pro players, not even western ones. As I thought, duels are my best chance to prove my worth. Jin reasoned. I need another game. Next time, I''ll go even harder on the offense early on. On that note, the first game concluded. "Bravo, bravo!" Ronshfelt clapped repeatedly, with the usual plastic smile on his face. "That was a marvelous performance from the Chinese Wonderboy! Frankly, I''m deeply impressed. Yes, very, very, impressed!" The old man hyped up Jin''s performance and praised it to no end, but that wasn''t proof of anything. It seemed Ronshfelt always hyped up anything that moved. His opinions were often exaggerated, so it was hard to take him seriously. The ones I really have to impress are the Sweepers and their coach. Jin thought. Still, impressing this old man is important too. He is the owner of the team, after all. "So, how was he?" Ronshfelt directed the question to Ignis and Hawk. "You two fought the Wonderboy the most, so what do you have to say?" "Hah." Ignis crossed her arms and lifted his chin. "He''s a total scrub. It wasnt a challenge at all." Say WHAT!? Jin almost exploded. There''s no way that''s true! I gave her a good fight. She has to evaluate me higher than that! But no, Ignis continued protecting her ego, claiming that Jin was just a cocky brat who chewed more than he could bite. According to her, she stomped Jin without breaking a sweat. Such blatant lies! "With that said," Ignis continued. "I can kinda see what''s all the fuss about. For a kid, he''s not half-bad. Like, he''s almost as good as my dear Wardy, so that''s not too shabby." Almost as good? Jin threw a glance at StormBlitzs captain, who was listening to the analysis with visible amusement. I''ll admit this guy is cut above the rest within his team. But, is he better than me? Definitely not. That was surely Ignis''s bias as a sister speaking for her. In fact, her entire analysis reeked of unparallel bias. Most likely, this proud woman hated how Jin forced her into uncomfortable situations during the game. So, she was getting back at him by downplaying him in front of Ronshfelt. So mature... To add insult to injury, Hawk''s opinion reeked of similar bias. "The kid is pretty good at fighting," Hawk said. "But, he''s way too cocky. I caught him overextending way too many times." "True, true," Ronshfelt agreed with everything he was fed without objecting. Did this geezer have no opinion of his own? He just smiled and nodded at everything, even as the two pros blatantly lied in his face. "But hey." Ignis grinned. "I''m down for another mock game. I bet it wasn''t clear enough how big of a gap there is between us and the kid, so we can do one more." "Yeah," Hawk agreed. "I mean, we were mostly testing the waters against each other in the first game. So, in Game 2, we can show off how much we''ve learned and adapted." "Oh! I see, I see." Ronshfelt nodded in agreement, as he always did. Wait, why are they helping me out all of a sudden? Jin was taken aback. They were salty enough to unjustly bash me in front of the team owner, but now they''re asking to give me another chance? Whats their agenda? Ignis and Hawk didn''t come across as the types to help Jin in any way. On the contrary, so far, they have been doing everything in their powers to sabotage him. So, they probably sought revenge. They believed that, in the second game, they''ll be able to run all over Jin. And, unfortunately, that was very much possible, given how well they adapted to his Korean Cancel throughout the game. So, for Game 2, Jin won''t have that element of surprise anymore. But, a second game is a great chance for me too. Jin thought. I''ll have more opportunities to duel and show what I can do when I''m not dragged down by mediocre players. So, regardless of their real intentions, their request plays in my favor. The suggestion to hold a second game excited Ronshfelt. So, without further ado, he asked for everybody''s opinions. "I think that''s only fair," IronWall said. "Adaptation is one of the most important qualities of a pro player, so we better test that, too." "Its, in fact, the most important quality~" Esmeralda interjected as she winked toward Jin. "I''m sure Jinjin can show us an even more spectacular performance in the second match, am I right?" "Definitely," Jin responded without hesitation. He had been waiting for a good opportunity to insert himself into this conversation, and finally, Esmeralda gave him that chance. Is she helping me out? I have no idea what she''s thinking. She''s as weird as her playstyle. "Good, good." Ronshfelt nodded, smiling as usual. "So, everybody agrees to a rematch, yes?" "I''ll never refuse an opportunity to scrim with pros," Howard said. "Very good, very good." Ronshfelt clasped both hands together. "Looks like both sides are on the same page, how wonderful! Well then, Berny, what do you say?" He addressed the Sweepers'' coach. "Can they get another round?" "Alright." The stoic coach replied without letting his feelings show. Did he actually want to see another game? Or, has he already lost interest in Jin at this point? It was impossible to tell. Out of everybody here, this coach will probably have the biggest say in whether I passed the exam. Jin reasoned. While Ronshfelt was higher on the food chain, it was clear the guy didnt know left from right when it came to Classmancers. Therefore, the coach''s opinion will probably decide Ronshfelt''s opinion as well. "This is a good sign," Rodriguez whispered to Jin. "Bern is very peculiar about his players time. So, he wouldn''t let them play again unless he wanted to see more of your performance." "I see." Jin nodded. As it turned out, there was some light at the end of the tunnel. Even though Jin put on a mediocre performance in the first game, he now had another chance to prove himself. This was a rare opportunity, something that shouldnt be taken for granted. Back in Korea, there were many times when a single failure could doom the entire career of the player. Coaches demoted players without mercy over a single mistake, forcing them to practice with the less accomplished players. Since nobody expected anything from that failure group, the coaching they received was less professional as well. It was like falling into Bronze rank and trying to crawl your way out while being surrounded by terrible players who only drag you down. It was a terrifying hellhole. The fear of falling into that group was perhaps the strongest motivator for everybody to do their best during practice and exams. Jin experienced a fair share of such terror as well. Every time he got demoted over a mistake, he had to pray he wont fall to the very bottom. Fortunately, the western was more lenient when it came to such matters. Thats why the pros granted Jin another opportunity without dissing him for his mistakes. This was perhaps the first time he was thankful for the western scene being more lax and forgiving. I can still make it. Jin asserted. In this second game, Ill make the necessary impact to convince them I can play at pro-level in this scene! Vol.13 Ch.34: Suggesting Offense "Let''s take a five-minute break," IronWall suggested. There were no objections. Everybody must''ve been a little tired after the last game, which certainly dragged out longer than it was necessary. Jin welcomed the recess as well. He revitalized himself by drinking half of his water bottle in one go. It was crucial to stay hydrated at all times to not lose concentration, especially during such important matches. The coaches in Korea drilled that creed into him, so drinking water between matches became as mandatory as breathing. There are a few more minutes left. Jin thought. Everybody else was taking a break, but he didn''t have such leisure. The upcoming game was going to be his last chance to prove himself today, so he had to come up with a winning game plan. Honestly, as an individual player, I believe I performed alright. Jin analyzed. The rest of the team is the real problem. They''re far too weak. And, it doesn''t help that they''re hellbent on playing defense 24/7. Can I change anything about that? Jin didn''t dare to complain during the game itself. He was cautious to not cause a rift between him and his teammates. But, now was the perfect time to voice his opinion on the matter, as a fellow teammate who was going to play with all of them again. "May I have a word?" Jin called out to the captain. "Sure," Howard answered and stepped forward. "By the way, I gotta say, you''re being way too polite. We''re all middle schoolers here, right? No need to be so uptight." "I still getting used to the language." "Oh, is that so? You''re pretty fluent, so I thought you''ve mastered it by now." "I''m still Gold rank, at best." "Haha, alright." Howard smiled. "So, what is it? You got such a serious look on your face." "I want to talk about this team''s game plan." "Oh, what''s this? Trying to get info on the Leopards rivals?" "No, I have no such interest," Jin replied honestly. It''s not like this team will pose a threat to me even if I have to compete against them with the Leopards. "Then, Howard continued. What kind of game plan are we talking about here?" "This teams defensive game plan," Jin specified. "This team excels at defense, I can tell. But, it too defensive. We can''t defeat pros with this method." "Well, that''s a hot take if I ever heard one." "Hot take...?" "A controversial opinion," Howard explained. "Its a way to say that people would disagree with what you just said." "So, you disagree?" "Yeah, for the most part," Howard said. "But, it looks like you got some experience playing against high-level players So, shoot. What do you think we should do in order to win?" "It simple, Jin said. The team needs better offense. At least some players need to be able to attack after defending. Without that, we never win no matter how long we defend." "I see your angle." Howard nodded. "Honestly, it''s not like this team''s offense is bad or anything, you know? It''s just that it''s dangerous to go on the offensive against pros until you have an advantage." "But, how that advantage ever going to appear? By waiting on the defense? Maybe it works against school teams, but against pros?" "Touche." "Sorry, what?" "It means you made a good argument," Howard explained. "It''s not even English, I think. Probably French or something. Huh. So, you agree? To a certain extent, yes. I admit, our current game plan has never brought us even remotely close to winning against the Sweepers. But, then again, it''s not like we''re exactly expecting to win in the first place." "You''re not expecting to win...?" This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Oh, my bad. I phrased that poorly, Howard admitted. Of course, we''re trying to win as hard as we can. But, we know that our opponents are much stronger, so we''re not exactly expecting to get any easy wins from them." "So, you fight with the mindset that you probably will lose?" "Well, not quite, Howard insisted, even though it was just a matter of semantics at this point. We recognize that our opponents are stronger, so our top priority is to survive against them for as long as possible. But, of course, if we get an opportunity to turn the tables on them, then we''ll take it." "Classmancers is no survival game," Jin criticized. "No matter how strong your opponent is, you have to search for opportunity to attack." "Attacking involves a lot of risks, especially against pros. We cant do that often." "Yes, risky plays are bad if happen a lot. But, it necessary to take a risk sometimes. When you play against a better opponent and you only play safe, then you never defeat them." "Heh, this sounds like something that guy would say." "Sorry?" "Just talking to myself here." Howard smiled wryly. "Anyway, I get what you''re saying. As long as we play it safe, we won''t be creating any big opportunities for winning. Yes. In truth, Ive been focusing mainly on testing the teams defense during these scrimmages. I want to see how our defense holds up against pros, and find what areas we still have to work on." "That doesn''t sound like a winning game plan." "It totally doesn''t, does it? Haha." Howard laughed. "I''ll be real with you, I didn''t even consider it was possible to win at our current level. I mean, I also entertained such ideas at first, but it didn''t take long to realize the huge skill gap between us and pros." "So, you gave up on winning?" "Not quite. I''m just trying to make the most out of these matches, Howard explained. I focus on the team''s strongest points, like its defense, and test how efficient they are against pros. But, that doesnt win games. Yes, its harder to win this way. But, well be instantly destroyed by them if we dont focus on our strengths. So, we have to stick to defense if we want to have a fighting chance at all. Any talk about winning can only come after that." "Hmm." Jin wasn''t sure how to respond. So, for him, testing out the teams skills is more important than winning. Instead of taking calculated risks in order to get a chance to win, he would rather play it safe and stretch out the precious scrim opportunity. There is some merit to this mentality, but I think its a waste. By the end of the day, the pros were just regular opponents. There was nothing special about them except for their high skill level. Therefore, it was best to treat them as such and fight hard in order to seize victory. That was the ultimate form of practice. It simulated real matches as accurately as it could possibly get, which should help the team grow the most. Then again, I was never in charge of an entire team. Jin thought. Maybe priorities change somewhat when youre in those shoes. Perhaps it was reasonable to allocate a few of the matches for testing out specific team skills. However, it was definitely a sin to waste all the pro matches on that alone. But, itd be rude to phrase things like that. So, Jin took a moment to consider his words. "I understand your position, he said. But, can I ask you to change that approach for one game? I want to aim for a win and show we can fight back, not only defend." "In other words, you want to leave a good impression that badly, huh." "... yes, thats how it is." Jin considered denying it for a moment, but this captain should be reasonable enough to understand. "We can switch to a more aggressive game plan," Howard said. "But, are you absolutely sure you want that? He paused for a moment as if contemplating something. I really shouldn''t be sharing this info with an enemy, but let''s just say that our best offense is still a work-in-progress." "Meaning?" "We have a player who can provide great offense, but it comes at the cost of creating many, many openings in our defense. I actually tried using her offense a few times before, back when I believed we had a chance at winning. But, let''s just say it convinced me to stop doing that for now, haha." "I see." Jin realized he was probably asking for too much. By the end of the day, his teammates for this match were low-caliber players. They weren''t playing defensively just because they wanted to, they were just that much more confident in their defense than in their offense. Depending on how flawed their offense is, this entire idea might backfire horribly. Jin reasoned. From what Ive seen so far, this team''s defense is about the only good thing about it, so we might be in real trouble if we seal away that trump card. "Alright, I understand," Jin said. "In that case, may I play the offense? The rest of the team can keep playing defense like usual. I only need the team to back me up when I open an attack. Is that possible?" "An interesting idea. Sure, we can try that." Howard nodded. Julia might actually synergize well with this sort of game plan, but I prefer her to sit this one out. I dont want to show her playstyle to the Leopards before we get to play them. Besides, she''s not ready for this level of competition; shes far too unstable as it stands. Therefore, Howard rejected the idea of having Julia play as the teams offense. However, he had no qualms about Jin fulfilling that role. In fact, the more this guy revealed about his skills, the better. This is all precious info. Howard thought. The possibility of us facing this guy at the regionals is still not off the table. So, I have to use this opportunity to study him as much as possible. With that, the team''s new game plan was decided. The StormBlitz players will focus on defense, their strongest point. Meanwhile, Jin will be in charge of organizing attacks, which the rest of the team promised to follow up on. As far as Jin was concerned, this was a good arrangement. He achieved his goal of shifting the teams playstyle, ever so slightly. I should be able to leave an even better impression this game. Jin clenched his fist in confidence. I''ll show them that good offense can stump even these so-called pros. With the plan set in motion, Jin was slated to impress the judges in this game and earn himself a spot on the pro scene. Or, so he believed... Vol.13 Ch.35: Confident Ignis For Game 2, Jin picked Viking. It was a great class for initiating and ganking, which will help him organize the teams offense. In response to this obvious intention of playing aggressively, Ignis dialed up the aggression by picking Orc. She''s making a statement. Jin was convinced. Basically, shes saying she can easily win the early-game against me. Perhaps it was an attempt to taunt Jin before the game, but more likely, Ignis genuinely believed she''ll get away with this extreme pick. It seemed there was no limit to how much that woman could underestimate her opponents. Oh well. If she wants to dig her own grave, so be it. Jin thought. This is great for me. If I can just counter her during the early-game, then winning the entire game would be that much easier. Similar to Dark Knight, Orc was also an exceptionally strong class during the early-game, but it fell off hard afterward. So, Ignis would have to establish an impressive advantage against Jin in order to have a chance. Admittedly, Orcs power curve was far more stable than Dark Knights, but it was still an extremely risky pick at high levels. So, pro players only ever picked it when they believed their lane opponents were substantially inferior. And, thats probably what Ignis was implying about Jin as well. Should I just focus only on defending? It was ironic. Jin was the one who brought up the whole idea of expanding the teams offense for this game, yet now, he found himself wondering whether he should focus exclusively on defense, at least for the early-game. As long as I don''t let her gain early momentum, then it''ll be my win. But, I''m not sure how impressive thatll look from the side. He glanced at the Sweepers'' coach, who was watching the match like a hawk. Judging by the man''s ever serious expression, he was a tough customer to satisfy. So, even if Jin manages to defeat Ignis via turtling, it probably won''t do much for his reputation. In order to leave a positive lasting impression, he''d have to challenge Beat head-on and overpower her. With that said, I''ll end up looking even worse if I challenge her and then lose. It''ll peg me as a reckless player with bad decision-making. Jin was pressed between a rock and a hard place. It was unclear whether Ignis placed him in this dilemma intentionally, but her decision to pick Orc definitely made things awkward. "I''d stick to defense if I were you," Howard interjected, as if he read Jin''s thoughts. "I bet youre thinking about showing off by fighting Ignis, right? Dont do it. You''ll run your entire reputation into the ground." Run into the ground...? It means youll ruin it, your entire reputation. "Oh, yes, I''m aware of that," Jin said. Such timely advice, almost suspiciously so. It was good advice, very much in line with the mentality of a defensive player. If Howard were in Jin''s shoes right now, he''d definitely deflect Ignis''s Orc by playing defensively. His advice is on point every now and then. Jin could recall multiple instances in which Howard''s shot-calls were exceptionally on-point As much as Id like to rely on my own judgment, there is some merit to considering his advice. Jin admitted. He is Ignis''s brother, so I assume he knows how he plays better than anybody. So, unless he has an ulterior motive, he must be warning me because he knows how well his sister plays Orc. Jin could more-or-less imagine it as well. He researched and experienced Ignis''s playstyle enough to understand how much she favored an aggressive playstyle. She was the stark opposite of her younger brother in that sense. Orc wasn''t one of her most common picks, but she went for it a couple of times in official matches. It was mostly against opponents who didn''t strike Jin as particularly skilled. What were the results of these matches, again? Jin racked his brain to remember. I believe she came on top in most of them, but I didnt spend too much time analyzing these matches. But, I definitely remember one match in which Ignis fell behind because her opponent played defensively. In short, it was difficult to estimate how Jin will fare against Ignis''s Orc. Aggressing on her was a gamble without a clear chance of success. I think the captain is right on this one. Jin concluded. I already underestimated Ignis once and that cost me dearly. I can''t let that happen again. This second game is an opportunity for me to make up for my previous mistakes, not to make new ones. And so, Jin decided on playing defensively against Ignis''s Orc, at least during the early-game. Was it the correct decision? It was hard to tell for sure at the time. As the game started off, Ignis immediately went on the offense. You think can challenge me in aggression, kid Think again! Ignis swung her sledgehammer, blasting the enemy frontline. That single skill hit erased 40% of their HP in one fell swoop. With the Orcs early-game power - she was unstoppable! And, that was still the tame side of the Orcs damage. Its true damage lay in its basic attacks, which Ignis planned to unleash next. If you think you can contest this, then I wanna see you try! Ignis grinned. Come, lets see what you can do with that Viking! Alas, her opponent decided to play it safe. He had the balls to pick an aggressive class like Viking, yet he didnt have what it took to pick a fight with Ignis. Hmph. Boring. Ignis shrugged as she swung her sledgehammer time and again, demolishing the enemy army. Meanwhile, her opponent, the supposed general of the enemy army, was completely helpless against this relentless assault. She keeps pushing me back. Jin frowned. It was already the third minion wave. He was forced to retreat to his tower once again, for the third time this game. His Viking simply couldnt contest the Orcs overwhelming clearing speed, especially not when the attacks were unleashed by Ignis, an expert on aggression. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Every time a new minion wave arrived, Ignis immediately unleashed the Sledgehammer skill at the swordsmen, deleting 40% HP. After that, she swung her sledgehammer once again, this time as a basic attack. That hit deleted the remaining 60%, eliminating the entire frontline. All that remained were Jin''s bowmen, who didn''t couldn''t possibly contest the enemy''s entire army. And, every wave started from a vastly disadvantageous position like this. On his end, Jin did everything he could to speed up his own farming. He grabbed an enemy swordsman with Takedown and hurled the guy at the enemy''s backline, damaging all the bowmen in the process. Then, he extended into enemy territory and swung his axe at the bowmen. It was an approach that involved some overextension, but there was no other choice. Viking wasn''t the best when it came to farming an entire minion wave because he relied on basic attacks. As such, Jin had to approach the bowmen and directly strike them. Naturally, extending this deep into enemy territory involved tremendous risk, but not so much for Viking. Jin could always blink out of the scene with Axe Blitz, so he was relatively safe as long as he kept that escape tool at hand. Thats probably why she doesn''t bother to attack me. Jin reasoned as he closely watched Ignis''s movements. After clearing the frontline, Ignsi always proceeded to wipe out Jins backline. She never paid much heed to his blatant overextension. That gave Jin the freedom to strike down Ignis''s bowmen one by one. However, even with this freedom, he couldnt possibly contest Orcs swift farming speed. By the time Jin killed 2 bowmen, Ignis has already eliminated his entire backline. And so, it always became a 1v5 situation. Jin alone vs. Ignis, her bowman, and her 3 swordsmen. It was a losing position no matter how one looked at it And so, every time, Jin had to immediately retreat. He hurled his axe deep into his side of the lane, then blinked to it and ran back to his tower. From that position, all he could do was to clear the minions once they invaded the tower area. That resulted in a substantial farm loss, but at least he neutralized the situation with minimal risk. And so, this one-sided routine repeated itself three times already. Even if I wanted to aggress on her, it''d be difficult to find an opportunity to do so. Jin reasoned. Of course, I have some ideas about how to initiate against her. But, there are many risks involved. I have to wait for my ult, at the very least. And so, Jin was stuck on the defensive, showing the audience a far-than-staller performance. From watching these forced exchanges, nobody would ever regard Jin as a high-level player. Therefore, he absolutely had to defuse this pro-level Orc. Level Up! After bearing through this routine for long enough, Jin eventually hit Lv.5. That was the point in the game at which Viking turned into a serious threat. His ult was something even Ignis had to respect. Except, she totally didn''t... Heh. Ignis grinned as she smashed the swordsmen''s faces with her sledgehammer. This kid probably thinks he''s a big shot because he got his ult. Well, guess what? I don''t give a fuck. Ignis continued her aggressive farming routine without paying any heed to Apprenteces movements. Even though the Viking could easily unleash Unstoppable Raid on her and force Ignis into a difficult fight, she simply didn''t care. I bet he doesn''t have the balls to go for it anyway. Ignis smiled confidently. I roughed him up well last game. Hes probably quaking in his boots whenever he thinks of attacking, haha. But, little did she know that her opponent was thinking the exact opposite. She is being cocky. Jin concluded. It''s like she''s thinking she can easily counter my ult even as she overextends. Or, maybe she thinks Im too scared to go for it? Admittedly, it was often a waste to go for Unstoppable Raid unless it guaranteed a kill. It was a high-cost skill with a long cooldown, so it shouldn''t be used carelessly. But, I''ll have to condition her sooner or later. If I do nothing, she''ll keep outfarming me and pushing me to the tower. To make a cocky aggressor stop their aggression, it was necessary to give them a convincing reason to stop. And, nothing worked quite as well as brute force. If Jin successfully intimidates Ignis with his ult even once, she''ll have to think twice about aggressing next time. "I wouldn''t recommend aggressing on her with your ult, if that''s what you were thinking of." Howard delivered the advice out of the blue as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Why not?" "I know how sis plays," Howard explained. "When she''s being bold like that, it usually means she knows what she''s doing. Believe it or not, she becomes a lot more cautious when she''s unsure about her chances of winning. So, when she plays this boldly, you know she got it all figured out." Should he really be telling me this about his sister? Jin wondered. Can I even trust this intel? "Oh, and don''t worry," Howard added. "I''m not trying to pull your leg or anything. We''re all on the same team here, and as you said, we should aim to actually win every once in a while. With someone like you handling the offense, we might have a real shot at winning, so it''d be a shame if something happens to you this early." His argument makes sense, but he''s always a smooth talker. Jin wasn''t sure what he should believe in. As far as he was concerned, Ignis was underestimating him, just as she did last game. With that said, there were also times when Jin thought he was being underestimated, only to discover that Ignis actually had a trick up her sleeve. She seemed like a straightforward hothead player, but she was surprisingly difficult to read at times. The line between her arrogance and craftiness was paper-thin. "Alright, then what you suggest?" Jin asked. "Things can''t keep going like this, Im sure you understand." "In your place, Id cooperate with Dan. He could rotate over there once you''re ready to launch an attack." Dan who? Jin knotted his brows. I mean the Jungler, Howard added. Ah yes, I knew that, Jin lied. "A reasonable suggestion, but..." That won''t do. Average has already proven he was mediocre at best when it came to ganks. Perhaps his level was acceptable for the middle school scene here, but it definitely wont cut it against pros. But, I cant keep mulling over this forever. The longer I take to decide, the worse my position will be. Jin felt as if a rope was tightening around his neck. If he allows this lane situation to go on for too long, then Ignis will suffocate him to death. I dont think I should rely on the Jungler here. Asking him to gank opens up too many counter possibilities for the enemy. For one, it might give Ignis extra time to retreat. The pros must have thoroughly warded the jungle, so theyll see Average coming ahead of time. Even worse, the enemy may decide to counter-gank Average, which they already did before in the previous game. That''ll probably be the worst-case scenario, as Hawk''s gank will be ten times more dangerous than Average''s. In the worst-case scenario, the enemy would kill both Average and Jin. Itll be a blunder from which Jin will not be able to recover. Itll stain his reputation in unwashable black. I can''t entrust my life to a player of this caliber. At least, not when it comes to offense. Jin concluded. Average did an alright job rescuing me in the last game, but that was a defensive play; thats the team''s strong point. Thats the only type of situation in which Id consider borrowing his strength, but even then, I rather avoid relying on him too much. "Setting everything up with the Jungler takes too long," Jin summarized. "I have to stop Ignis''s momentum quick, so I open an attack with the next wave." "Alright, you do you." Howard shrugged. "Just remember that I warned you." "Noted." Jin nodded. The last time he said such words, I really found myself in a difficult situation right after. But, that was probably just a lucky guess. Howard was a worrywart who often avoided risks, similar to Cato. So, as long as he warned his teammates about every potential danger, he was bound to get it right every now and then. But, that didn''t mean all of his warnings were legit. I''ll turn the tables on her with my ult. Jin was confident, both his skill and in the overwhelming strength of Unstoppable Raid. Even against Orc''s devastating attacks, Jin should be able to get a lot of work done. And so, the next wave arrived. It was time. Vol.13 Ch.36: Resetting Against an Orc A new minion wave arrived. Like always, Jin approached the enemy frontline. Normally, he would grab one of the swordsmen and hurl the minion into the backline with the Takedown skill. However, this time, he didn''t go for it. Instead, he turned toward Ignis and unleashed Unstoppable Raid, his ultimate. "Odin owns ye all!" The Viking roared, summoning his allies into battle. This was meant to be a surprise attack, but Ignis seemed ready for it. Nice! I was getting tired of waiting for this! Ignis licked her lips. She has been pretending she was preoccupied with farming, but she secretly paid close attention to the kids movements, anticipating the moment he casts his ult. Therefore, the sound cue of the ult was enough to immediately set her into motion. Let''s get this party started! Ignis whipped out her scourge and lashed at the cocky kid, stunning him in place. Considering his slow response to this counterattack, it seemed he wasnt expecting this turn of events. Was she waiting for this? Jin frowned Ignis lashed at him as soon as he finished casting this ult. It was impossible to perform this play so quickly unless she was watching him the entire time. So, even though she was acting cocky, she was actually paying careful attention to what I''m doing. Damn. Its so difficult to get a proper read on her. It turned out that Howard''s advice was on point. Ignis indeed had a plan all along. Despite how barbarically she has been playing, there was always a certain amount of calculated decision-making mixed into her plays. That''s what made her into an opponent who was largely straightforward but also unexpectedly tricky. The Scourage kill stunned Jin because he was the only target it hit. The brief stun gave Ignis the opportunity to hit Jin with the scourge once more, this time with a mid-ranged basic attack. The damage was lower compared to Orcs other weapons, but it was nonetheless a basic attack from an early-game Orc. In other words, it hurt. Badly so. So, it deletes almost 10% HP even with all the defense I built. Jin frowned. I can''t let her hit me again. He rolled aside as soon as the stun ended, making Ignis''s attack whiff. Or, so he thought. However, Igniss scourge successfully hit its target. Except, her target wasn''t Jin but one of his vikings. She probably expected me to roll in time, thats why she didnt bother targeting me. Jin concluded. This is so weird. Even though she always acts as if shes underestimating me, sometimes she pulls moves like this that respect my skill level. Its so hard to get a consistent read on her. Thankfully, in this situation, Jin didnt have to worry too much about that. After all, it was no longer just about him vs. Ignis. Now, he had 5 trusty vikings at this side. On top of that, all his minions had their eyes on Ignis. That was her karma for the earlier whipping. I have her surrounded. Jin thought. But then, why doesn''t it look like shes concerned about any of this at all? Ignis stood her ground confidently, expressing zero intention of retreating. She only made minimal effort to create some space between them by backstepping after every whiplash. Is she planning to fight in this situation? All by herself? Jin couldn''t believe it. There was probably more to her plans than met the eye. Of course, technically speaking, Ignis wasn''t alone. She had her minions, who helped her not only by dealing damage to Jin''s minions but also by contributing toward Orc''s Gang Up passive. In fact, Ignis''s whipping hurt so much thanks to the presence of her minions. Just by being nearby, they were buffing her Attack Power. Sure, her damage is good, but can she really take on my entire squad? Jin tried putting himself in Ignis''s shoes to better analyze the situation. He took her position and item build into account, trying to understand what she could possibly be thinking. No, I don''t see how she can win here. Jin concluded. At least, its not doable unless shes prepared to receive heavy damage in the process. I wouldn''t try it in her place. But, apparently, Ignis cared very little about common sense. Therefore, she lashed with her scourge without any intention of running away. She only backstepped away from incoming melee opponents, to make the most out of her attack range advantage. Meanwhile, Jins entire army was focusing Ignis. And, to make this assault even more devastating, Jin could enlist into the army and join the attack as well. However, he decided against it. She still has her hammer, so I rather not take any more Orc-level damage. The earlier 15% HP he lost was still weighing on his mind. It was just one hit, but it erased almost a fifth of his health bar. These powerful basic attacks were the reason Orc was a hyper early-game class. It couldn''t be trifled with. So, instead of getting involved in the attack on Ignis, Jin swung his axe at her bowmen. The fewer minions that Orc had on her side, the harder it will be for her to eliminate enemy minions. So, while Jin''s trusty army was on the offense against the enemy commander, Jin was cleaning up the backline. She''s probably waiting for a good opportunity to use her hammer. Jin concluded from Ignis''s movements. As soon as the thought crossed his mind - it happened! Ignis stashed away her scourge and pulled out a giant sledgehammer, swinging it at all the enemies who dared to approach her! It was a masterfully executed play. The whole time, Ignis has been patiently waiting for the swordsman and vikings to gather around her. And, once they finally lined up in front of her - Ignis busted all of them with one heavy swing! However, the damage was far from enough to wipe out the frontline. In fact, it didn''t even erase half of the vikings HP. Unlike how strong the Orcs basic attacks were, her Sledgehammer skill only dealt "decent" damage. It was because of the difference in base damage. Orc''s basic attacks were devastating thanks to their high base damage, but the base damage of Orc''s skills wasn''t anything to write home about. Of course, it wasn''t bad damage by any means. However, it certainly paled in magnitude compared to the devastating damage of the basic attacks. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The real point of using the Sledgehammer skill was to gain access to the sledgehammer as a weapon. The Orc kept the weapon in hand even after the skill was over, and this allowed Ignis to swing it once more, this time delivering big damage that scaled like a basic attack. BAM! A powerful blast. It felt like a truck rammed into the frontline. All three swordsmen evaporated on the spot, and two out of the five vikings collapsed as well. They were tankier than the swordsmen, but Ignis whipped them good with her scourge earlier. It was a powerful counterattack from Ignis, but it failed to eliminate all her foes. As such, she was bound to receive some damage. SLASH. SLASH. SLASH. The vikings sliced and diced Ignis from three different angles. She stepped away to make one of them whiff, but the remaining two struck home. Combined with the periodic arrows that flew her way, Ignis was already down to 60% HP. Damn, these fuckers sure know how to throw hands. Ignis cursed. But, it''s okay. I gonna wipe them out real soon! Ignis swung her hammer once more. The Orc''s movements with the sledgehammer were somewhat sluggish but the swing had a good ass AoE, hitting all enemy minions within range. BAM! Two of the vikings flew five meters away, like the sacks of trash they were. However, the third one still lived with some magical pixel bullshit. Damn, these vikings are real tough, huh. Ignis clicked her tongue. I was sure Id kill them all by now. Oh well. The next attack gonna end it. The last-standing viking slashed her without mercy, but she didn''t care. Even as her HP plummeted toward 50% and below, Ignis confidently raised her sledgehammer once more. She''s going to attack again. Jin hurried to the scene. It''ll be over once she connects this hit. I have to stop her here. Jin rotated around Ignis to enter her blind spot, then he rolled forward. And, as soon as he recovered, he went for Takedown! Not so fast! Ignis rolled underneath the Viking''s grab. "Ah!" Jin gasped. Did she know I was coming? I even made sure to sneak up to her from behind. How could she know? I heard you rolling. Ignis smirked. You gotta be more sneaky than that if you wanna catch me off-guard. She finished her roll and swung her sledgehammer. But, she swung not only at the viking bot. Her main target was the real Viking, Apprentece himself! The recovery animation on Viking''s Takedown was rather lengthy, so the poor kid couldn''t possibly dodge this one. BAM! The hammer rammed into Apprentece and his viking ally. The bot perished on the spot, whereas Apprentece over 15% HP. With this, the brat''s entire frontline was gone. However, he still had some pesky bowmen in the back, firing arrows at Ignis as they pleased. She was already down to 40% HP because of these whippersnappers. These bastards had to be dealt with before Ignis continues her offense. And so, she ignored the brat in front of her and dashed toward his bowmen. But, things were never that easy. WHAM! An axe hacked through her! Oh, youre picking a fight, kid? Ignis grinned. She itched to strike back at that cocky brat, but she didn''t slow down in the slightest. Despite how provocative that attack was, Ignis had her properties straight. The bowmen come first. After that, I''ll fight you all you want. That is, if youre not gonna wuss out on me at that point. Ignis reached her destination and swung her giant hammer. BAM! BAM! The bowmen went flying in three different directions. They fell like flies in front of Ignis''s superior might. While she was busy crushing the enemy backline, the brat stuck to her like glue from behind. He was definitely planning to continue this fight. I have to get this kill. Jin swung his axe, hacking away at Ignis''s back. Ignis was already down to 25% at this point. Jin was so close to scoring a kill, yet so far. Compared to Ignis''s overwhelming damage output, Jins attacks did less than 10% damage to her. Therefore, he had to land at least three hits to kill her. And, he had no crit rate in his build, so there was no chance of a lucky hit either. Nonetheless, at 60% HP, Jin didn''t have much to worry about beating Ignis in a 1v1. Except, this was no 1v1. Ignis still the remains of her minion wave: three swordsmen and one injured bowman that Jin didnt finish off. And, all of them were all after Jin''s blood now. I can''t get this kill. Jin concluded. But, at least, I''ll make sure she has to leave the lane after this. Jin swung his axe at Ignis once more. Without a Dodge Roll, she had no chance of dodging this attack from point-blank. "Look at this kid going." Ignis grinned as she swung her hammer in retaliation. The same way she couldn''t dodge the incoming axe attack, the kid also couldn''t dodge this hammer! BAM! Another 15% erased! Ignis was like the Hulk, smashing everything in her path with brute strength! That sure taught the kid a lesson. He didnt dare to continue the offense any further. This is as far as I go. Jin turned his back to the enemy and began his retreat. Falling below 40% would be too dangerous for this situation. There''s also the possibility I''ll be ganked, so I have to get away now. At a glance, it looked as if Jin needlessly placed himself in this terrible position in order to hit Ignis one last time. However, it was a crucial strike that made this entire play worth it. As Ignis fell below 20% HP, she was bound to recall back to base after this. No matter how confident she was in her strength, there was no way she''ll remain in lane with such grave injuries. To confirm this, Jin briefly turned around during the escape. As he predicted, Ignis wasn''t chasing him. Instead, she retreated toward the jungle entrance on her side of the lane. And, soon after their eyes met, Ignis began recalling. She probably realized that Jin read her intentions, so there was no point venturing deeper into the jungle to hide the fact she was recalling. Itd be just a waste of precious time to try and hide such an obvious play. Alright. Jin nodded in satisfaction and continued retreating. He reached all the way to his tower area but he didn''t step inside. Instead, he turned around once and faced his foes head-on. At over 40% HP, he had more than enough leeway to deal with such a small squad of minions. So, she''s already gone. Jin glanced at the area around the enemy jungle. As expected, Ignis was nowhere in sight. While Jin was making his escape, Ignis successfully recalled to base. Wasnt that a little too fast? Jin wondered. I thought Ill get to see the end of her recalling animation. Hmm. Maybe I miscalculated. It felt like the recalling animation should have taken a second or two longer, but it was hard to tell for sure. Jin was probably so focused on executing a flawless escape that his sense of time was distorted. Anyway, I need to get rid of the minions and also recall. The plan was to reset the lane situation. Jin failed to get a kill, so this was the next best thing he managed to arrange. For this to be called a true ''reset'', I need to recall soon as well. Itll be my loss if I dont return to lane as quickly as Ignis does. To that end, Jin refused to use his Throw Axe skill even now. The Axe Blitz follow-up of the skill was more than just an escape tool, it was also a handy mobility skill in general. Throwing the axe across its maximum distance and blinking to it was faster than running the same distance by foot. Therefore, Jin planned to use it after recalling to base. It was meant to cut down the time itd take him to return to lane, Alright then. Jin cut down the swordsmen and the bowmen, keeping himself alive at 20% HP. It was an extremely dangerous HP value, if not for the fact he was just a few steps away from his tower area. Nobody could gank him to death here. Hawk was on the other side of the map when this entire play started, so no matter how good he was at showing at the right place, at the right time, some things were outright impossible, even for a man of his skill. Technically, I believe he had enough time to rotate all the way over here. But, thats assuming he started rotating right when this play began. Thatd be too perfect, even for him. As such, Jin dismissed that unlikely threat. He concluded that, despite his low HP, he was actually perfectly safe here. Life is just a resource like any other. Jin thought. If I can sacrifice HP to get a better result before recalling, then its best to do so. And so, he retreated closer to his tower. Overall, this was a satisfactory result. He merely forced a draw, but that was plenty an achievement against an early-game Orc. At the very least, it was a big improvement compared to the state of the lane before that. But, little did Jin know about the surprise lying in waiting for him on his way back... Vol.13 Ch.37: Devastating Duo: Orc & Beastmaster "Alrighty, the kid is out of the house," Hawk reported. "Yeah, I have eyes too," Ignis said. "Besides, Im the one who placed the ward there, you know." "Of course, of course." Back when Ignis was wrestling with the enemy minions and the vikings, she snuck a ward into the lane. There was a brief moment during which the kid was preoccupied with fighting minions, so Ignis used that moment to execute her scheme. Now, the very same ward showed how Apprentece was recalling back to base. In other words, the kid left the lane completely empty. Heh, just like I thought. Ignis lifted her chin, unable to contain herself. He has no idea where I am right now. Contrary to her enemys expectations, Ignis wasnt watching the scene from her base. After all, she never actually recalled in the first place. She only pretended to cast Recall when Apprentece looked in her direction. After that, the kid turned his back to her and continued retreating, so Ignis used that opportunity to roll into the jungle. Everything is going according to plan, heh. Ignis knew that if the kid was gullible enough, then he''d leave the lane deserted after clearing all the minions. He probably left the lane thinking that he equalized the lane situation, completely unaware of Igniss ploy. "Alright, now you can come out," Ignis said. "Why thank you." Hawk rolled his eyes. I really don''t like how she straight up took command of MY plan, but I guess that''s typical Igny for you. He sighed as he emerged from the jungle, all the way on the enemy side of Top Lane. Back when Ignis and Apprentece were having their little bout, Hawk was busy scouting the enemy jungle via counter-jungling. One of his tasks was to find out whether the enemy Jungler was planning to rotate to help in Top, but his primary mission was to get into position for invading the lane once the kid leaves. This entire plan was born from Hawks desire to fully capitalize on the Beastmaster class he picked. Ignis took all the credit to herself as usual, but it was Hawk who originally planted this scheme into her mind. For a Jungler, Beastmaster wasn''t particularly amazing at clearing comps or even ganking. However, there was one area it excelled at: pushing lanes. The class was even tagged with a "Pusher" label. As a Jungler, Beastmasters game plan revolved around taming strong monsters, then unleashing them on one of the lanes. And, one of the best scenarios for utilizing the Beastmasters strength was a deserted lane. That''s exactly the situation Hawk was hoping to exploit here in Top. And, he had an accomplice as well. Cooperating with an Orc on this expedition was going to be an immense boost. "Alright, let''s go!" Ignis led the way. "Get your minions out." "Here they come." Hawk activated Let the Dogs Out, summoning the five creeps he prepared for this very moment: three Griffins, an Ogre Leader, and a Wraith Leader. However, that wasn''t the entire extent of his army. Here comes the big boy! Hawk activated Legendary Beast, his ult. At skill Lv.1, Legendary Beast only permitted him to summon a mammoth. It wasnt the best legendary beast for pushing towers, but it had to suffice in this situation. The mammoth roared loudly upon appearing on the scene, attracting the attention of all enemies in the area. Except, there were no such enemies present at the moment, so there was nobody to aggro. With no nearby enemies to target, the mammoth settled on the enemy Turret. And so, the giant started running. Faster, faster, and faster! Then, BAAAAM! It rammed into the enemy tower! Unlike the intensity of the impact, the damage itself wasnt anything to write home about. However, the mammoth did great by charging into the tower area before anybody else. Thanks to that, the Turret had no choice but to aim its shots at this chunky beast. With the tank in place, the rest of the army followed up on the attack. Ignis, Hawk, and all the tamed jungle creeps entered the tower area in order to unleash destruction on the abandoned tower! Despite how it looked, they werent just some big unorganized mob. This joint attack actually had immense synergy. Igniss Gang Up passive buffed her Attack Power for every ally in range. Therefore, with Hawk and his six minions, Gang Up buffed Igniss power seven times over. It was a flat buff, which meant itd fall off in the mid-game. However, at this early phase of the game, this amount of buffs was stupidly strong. On top of that, Hawk''s Whipping into Shape passive buffed all the creeps he summoned. This buff turned them into far stronger versions of their regular jungle counterparts. With a terrifying army like this, it was very much possible to annihilate a tower from 100% HP in a single push. And, that was precisely their plan here! Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! While the mammoth was tanking the towers shots, the rest of the striking force ganged on the tower. Everybody encircled the tower and ravaged it from point-blank, except for Hawk who lashed from mid-range, and the Wraith Leader who fired magical balls from afar. The mammoth also banged its head at the tower, but its damage wasnt that impressive compared to its gigantic size. On the other hand, its HP and defense were very high, so it tanked many tower shots for the army. And, even as the beast was about to collapse, Ignis didn''t allow that to happen. "Stand your ground, grunts! the Orc roared as Ignis activated Last Stand. You''re not permitted to die until I say so!" Last Stand emitted an aura around Ignis, imbuing her allies with an unyielding spirit. In this state, they wont die no matter what disaster befalls them. The Turret reduced the mammoth''s HP to nothing, yet the beast continued tanking the tower shots. Even without a single pixel in its HP bar, the giant beast refused to collapse. Ignis didn''t give the mammoth permission to die, therefore the beast had to keep working overtime, even beyond the grave. And so, while the zombie mammoth continued tanking shots, the rest of the squad assaulted the tower without rest. Eventually, the effect of Last Stand came to an end. Once it expired, the mammoth collapsed immediately, finally getting its long deserved rest. Well, that''s that. Hawk nodded. It served its purpose. We''re pretty much done here. The tower was already down to 25% HP. Even with their main tank was gone, there were still five more creeps available who could be used as sacrificial pawns. With that said, Ignis was very low on HP after her earlier battle with Apprentece. Therefore, if the tower decided to focus her now, then itd kill her in one or two shots. Fortunately, the tower prioritized the jungle monsters over Ignis, the same way it always prioritized lane minions over players. Therefore, Ignis and Hawk didn''t have to worry about getting hit any time soon. As the tower shot down the jungle creeps one by one, the onslaught continued in full throttle. And, before long... An enemy Turret has been destroyed! It was over. Less than five minutes into the game, Ignis and Hawk claimed the Top Turret! Such was the overwhelming strength of the Orc + Beastmaster combo. Alone, each of the classes wasn''t particularly popular due to their various shortcomings. However, when together, they could execute one of the most destructive tower rushes available for the early-game! Hell yeah, lets go! Ignis pumped a fist. That oughta teach that brat a lesson! Im sure it will, Hawk agreed. Seriously, hes like 10 years too young to be talking about getting into the scene. The nerve of todays youngsters, huh. My, poor Jinjin~ Esmeralda commented. You two are such bullies. So immature of you. Immature, huh. Hawk smiled wryly. Yeah, maybe its a little childish to hold a grudge against a kid. But, somebody gotta put him in his place. Its not like Hawk was into bullying aspiring youngsters. In fact, he was the youngest and newest member of the Sweepers, so he probably related to Jins desire to climb the ladder more than anybody else here. But, this kid crossed me. He made me look bad last game. Hawk thought. So, Im sorry for being immature, but I cant ignore shit like that. Thats why I told Ronshfelt Ill be fine with another round. I had to get my sweet, sweet revenge, heh. Though, now that I think about it... Hawk was in a foul mood after the previous game, and so was Ignis. Neither of them liked how that Korean kid made them look bad in that game. The brat almost made it look as if he was on par with them, on par with B-Leaguers. It was absurd. Therefore, if asked for an opinion on Apprenteces performance, Hawk and Ignis agreed to give a negative review. They didnt outright discuss it, but it was a silent agreement they reached amidst their rants. But then, somebody intervened. My, you make such scary faces~ If youre so frustrated with how that game turned out, then why not ask for a rematch? Now that you know what hes capable of, Im sure you can teach him a lesson or two~ It was the witchs whispers. They swayed Hawk and Ignis, making them change their plans a little. They still delivered a negative review on Apprenteces performance, claiming the kid was trying to bite more than he could chew. However, on top of that, they also indirectly requested Ronshfelt to give the kid another chance. The entire time, I was sure I came up with the rematch idea myself, but... Hawk frowned. Also, that wasnt all Esmeralda told, was it? Im pretty sure she also... Hawk paused. At that moment, a shiver ran across his body. Wait a minute, Hawk said. You call us immature, but Im pretty youre the one who casually threw the idea of Orc + Beast into the air. My, did I? Esmeralda covered her mouth as if surprised. It was hard to tell whether she was faking it or whether she genuinely didnt remember. Im pretty sure youre the one who brought up that idea first, Hawk insisted. You said how it might be a good idea to catch him off-guard with something unexpected, or something to effect. Hmm~ Maybe I did, maybe I didnt. Esmeralda dodged the accusation. Damn. Hawk thought. The whole time, I was so sure this whole operation was my idea. But, I feel like shes the one who planted that idea in my head first. The scariest thing is that I have no idea whether it was intentional or not. A witch, thats what Esmeralda was. Not just in appearance, but in personality as well. She had the knack for pulling the strings on everybody, manipulating them to do their bidding without them even noticing. To what end did she plant all these ideas in their heads? Did she want to give the Korean kid a second chance to shine? Was it out of the kindness of her heart? Or, was her soul pitch-black like her attire? Perhaps she sought nothing less than the kids absolute ruin? It was impossible to get a proper read on this enigma. Out of all the members of the Sweepers, Esmeralda was the one Hawk understood the least. And, he wasnt even sure he wanted to understand her, either... Anyway, the die was cast. Hawk concluded. We destroyed the tower. Thats oughta make the kid look REAL bad. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Regardless of how the idea behind this play was formed, the fact remained that Hawk and Ignis demolished the Top Turret. And, they did so exceptionally early, with only 5 minutes on the clock. That was a hefty blow. Not only to the enemy Top Laner, but also to the entire enemy team at large. It was very much possible for this one misplay to doom the entire game for them. They probably had no way of coming back from this... Vol.13 Ch.38: Crumbling Apart After One Misplay An allied Turret has been destroyed! I messed up. Jin grit his teeth. This has to be my biggest misplay today. It was such a blunder. Why didn''t he consider the possibility of Hawk invading the lane while it was undefended!? No, I did consider that. Jin remembered. But, I didnt see any signs of Hawk targeting Top. He mustve set this plan in motion quite a while ago, while I was still wrestling with Ignis. Damn. In retrospect, this shouldve been such a predictable play. A Jungler Beastmaster could only justify this off-meta pick by exploiting opportunities like this. For him, an undefended lane was like a gold mine, But, Jin didn''t pay it enough heed. At a glance, it seemed unlikely for Hawk to make it all the way to Top in time. Though, I did consider what will happen if he shows up right as I leave. Jin had all possibilities covered in his head, thats what he thought at the time. I concluded that, by himself, Hawk wont be able to erase more than 30% of the towers HP. Jin treated that possibility as an unavoidable price he had to pay in exchange for driving Ignis out of the lane. It would have been an unfortunate outcome thatd certainly make Jin lose some credit points, but it wasnt so bad. But, all of that assuming Hawk will push alone, which he didnt... Thats where all of Jins analysis crumbled apart. Ignis played him for a fiddle back then. She probably escaped into the jungle after Jin saw the start of her Recall animation. Jin was busy retreating from the lane at the time, so he couldnt watch the entire Recall animation through. At some point, he had to turn his back to the enemy, and Ignis exploited that moment to roll into the jungle. Jin couldnt see what was happening behind him, and neither could he hear Igniss movements from that distance, so he had no way of knowing what she actually did. All he knew was that, when he turned around again, Ignis was already gone. I did think she finished recalling a little too fast. Jin remembered. But, I didnt take it seriously enough. I was sure she recalled to base. Alas, it was just an elaborate trick. In truth, Ignis was hiding in the shadows the entire time, waiting for her opportunity to strike. She played me for a fool. Jin grimaced. I wasn''t ready for such a gimmick, especially not from her. In fact, I have a hard time believing she came up with that herself. I am sure Hawk played a big role in the planning process. Regardless, none of that mattered now. The fact remained that Jin lost his tower five minutes into the game To make it worse, he let that disaster happen against a hyper early-game class like Orc. That was as good as dooming the entire game for good. They got me good. Jin sighed in defeat. Now, I understand why they asked the owner to give me another chance. They were planning to drag my reputation through mud all along. In a way, it was impressive that a middle schooler like him managed to trigger pros to this extent. That stood testament to how skilled he was. Perhaps, hell be able to use this argument to earn himself some credit points. But, I''m not satisfied with this. Jin thought. I don''t want to just be a "middle schooler who can trigger pros". I want to properly defeat them, to show that Im their equal. But maybe, just maybe, Jin was shooting too high here. Even though the western competitive scene was nothing compared to Korea''s, the pros here were still pros. They possessed more than double the experience Jin had, so it was only natural they''ll be able to defeat him once they got serious. But, I dont think I''m THAT far from their skill level. Besides, theyre B-Leaguers. If I become a pro, Id have to start from C-League like everybody else, so the entry bar should be lower than this. And so, Jin continued holding onto hope as he fought hard to overturn the desperate situation he created with his misplay. With Jins Top Turret gone, Ignis had the leeway to rotate out of the lane as she pleased. And, an early-game Orc with the freedom to rotate applied immense pressure on the rest of the map. Everybody in StormBlitz had to carefully consider their moves ten times over. A single misstep could cost them their lives. There''s not much I can do to remedy this situation. Especially, not with this team. Jin thought back on the peers he used to play with back in Korea. It''d be a stretch to call them "friends", as all of them were rivals competing for their positions in the club. But, precisely because they were all molded together within the same harsh environment, they were all extremely trustworthy companions in battle. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Everybody there fought as if their lives were on the line, drawing out 120% of their power at all times. With teammates like that, defeating the Sweepers would have been a very real possibility. It''s hopeless. Jin sighed in defeat. I can''t organize a single good attack with this team. For once, I have to agree with the captain that playing defense is the best move here. Of course, even on the defense, Jin was a great help to this subpar team. No matter how well-trained the players were in the arts of defense, the skill gap between them and the pros made that almost irrelevant. Though, the captain''s shot-calls are often on point. Jin admitted. Most likely, even I would have missed some of these openings if I were the shot-caller. But, his high-level calls are wasted on a team that can''t compete with pros in the slightest. Even when the captain discovered a potential hole in the team''s formation and asked his teammates to cover it, the result wasn''t always on point. Sometimes, the pros launched the predictable attack regardless and got away with it. That shouldnt happen, not in a real game. A predictable attack should be swiftly countered. So, it was truly embarrassing. The superb shot-calls should have turned the teams defense into impenetrable, yet the soldiers couldnt live up to the expectations. Even if they deflected some hits, they could never launch a proper counterattack to capitalize on their advantage. I can''t let that stand. Jin asserted. Even if the rest of the team was too weak to take advantage of their defensive moves, then Jin definitely wasn''t. "I blink in and throw Hawk here," Jin informed as he hurled his axe at Hawk, landing a perfect shot. Next, he blinked in and tackled the guy with Takedown, tossing Hawk into the Golem''s range. "My, nice moves there~" The Ranger, who was Jin''s partner on the defense, followed up on his play with Wolf Companion. A white wolf emerged out of thin air and pinned Hawk to the ground, right inside the Golems area. Needless to say, it was the end for him. An enemy has been killed! Athena was the one who actually scored the kill, but surely everybody will appreciate Jins assertive play that made it possible in the first place. That should earn him some credit points, even though it probably didnt look nearly as impressive as the times he went neck-to-neck with Ignis. Alas, thats the kind of breadcrumbs Jin had to collect right now. It was impossible to launch any decisive attacks on the enemy, so Jin had to search for the rare opportunities in which he could turn the tables on the assailants. Even then, he still often found himself at the mercy of his teammates. These subpar players had to be able to follow up on Jins quick counterattacks, which didnt always go well. Though I have to admit, Athena does a passable job at that. Jin thought. Shes the fastest one to adapt to my plays. Shes even better than the captain at this. Athena was an oddball player. She didn''t come across as particularly talented, yet she delivered impressive results every now and then. Her playstyle was rather flexible. She was good at adapting to both her allies and her opponents, which wasn''t a trivial trait for players at this level. Compared to her, Average and Adapting weren''t nearly as good. They responded too slowly to Jins plays, and from there the entire counterattack fell apart. Though, to Adaptings defense, the guy was at least good at adapting to the enemy''s movements. Without that, his IGN would have been a total lie. At the bare minimum, Adapting knew how to respond to the enemys advances in an efficient manner. Though the guy''s mediocre skill hampered his ability to properly counterattack, at least his foundation was solid. So, at the very least, he wasn''t entirely useless as a defense companion. I wonder, when did I start paying so much attention to all these players? Jin frowned. Perhaps somewhere, at the far back of his head, Jin had already come to terms with the fact he probably won''t pass today''s exam. This second game was most likely the last chance to prove himself today, and he royally blew it. As such, Jin will most likely have to keep playing as part of the Leopards for a while longer. If so, then StormBlitz, his current allies, will become his greatest rivals at the regionals. The moment that realization sunk in, the gears in his brain started turning on their own. He started paying closer attention to the strengths and weaknesses of each teammate, deconstructing their efficiency at attacking, defending, and adapting. As it stands, I do not see myself losing to them. Jin asserted. They''re about as good as the Leopards, so it might be a close match if I dont participate. But, with me there, the Leopards would win with ease. StormBlitz wasn''t a threat, not at their current state. Most of their players had a solid foundation and could perhaps develop into good players with time, but for now, they were nothing special. That was the only relief Jin had in this otherwise depressing situation. DEFEAT The outcome was all but expected. From the moment Jin allowed Ignis and Hawk to parade on his lane and destroy his tower, there were no opportunities for a comeback, not with such an inferior team. Allowing a hyper-aggressive class like Orc to gain early momentum was one of the worst mistakes a team could commit. In the hands of a skilled player, Orc was practically unstoppable when it had early momentum. And, it will be considered my fault. Jin accepted the blame. I should''ve heeded the captain''s advice and waited a bit longer before bringing my ult to battle. Even though Ignis thoroughly dominated the lane at the time, Jin''s ult served as a gatekeeper of sorts. As long as his ult was available, Ignis couldn''t push the lane too freely. She constantly had to respect the possibility of being surrounded by a gang of strong vikings who''ll rend her asunder. Therefore, the moment Jin spent his ult, he opened the gates wide open. He granted Ignis free entrance to his side of the lane. Once there was nothing to stop her, Ignis blasted through the lane with Hawk''s help. From there onward, she became unstoppable and steamrolled the entire game. I feel she was trying harder than usual to wrap things up. Jin thought. Its almost like she was rubbing my mistake in my face. I''m sure the bystanders would attribute her snowballing to my mistake, which would make me look even worse. Intentionally or not, but thanks to Igniss great efforts, Jins score for this exam was going to be beyond terrible... Vol.13 Ch.39: First, the Nationals "Heh! Take that, kid!" Ignis flexed on the Chinese brat after the game. "How did you like that, huh? Git steamrolled!" "........." Jin ignored the provocation. Despite being older, that woman was acting like a total brat, so there was nothing to say to her. "Heh, you''re so depressed you can''t even speak?" Ignis went on. "That''s understandable. After all, you went up against The Great Ignis! It''s an honor for a kid like you to even have a chance to fight me, you know?" "My, isn''t that enough bullying for one day?" Esmeralda interjected. "Huh? What bullying? I''m just teaching this brat here an important lesson. He''s the one who started with all that disrespecting nonsense." "Yes, and I believe youve already taught him a good lesson, havent you? I''m sure he understands how amazing you are by now." Not really. Jin retorted. I bet if she didnt cooperate with Hawk, then she wouldnt be able to pull off a ploy like that. Jin ignored Ignis and Esmeralda and went on to speak with the bystanders, the judges of this entire event. Unfortunately, their reaction was about what Jin expected... "Well then, that was a rough ride, haha." Even Ronshfelt, a guy with practically zero understanding of Classmancers, was saying as much. "Do you understand why the game turned out the way it did?" the Sweepers'' coach inquired. It must have been an exam question. "Yes, I do." Jin was prepared for this one. "I rushed during the early game because I felt pressured. That gave Ignis and Hawk the opportunity to push the lane when I wasn''t present." "Correct, that was the first turning point of the game," the coach agreed. "Even though you were facing an Orc, you held your ground well until that point. But, that one decision to rush things with your ult cost you everything. "Yes, it was all my fault..." Jin lowered his head. It was so stupid of me. I let the pressure get to me. The coach even recognized that I was handling the Orc well, despite how one-sided it looked. Part of what fueled Jins rashness was the fear of being perceived poorly by the judges. He felt that Ignis was acting way too cocky with him, so much that he was obligated to punish her for it. I thought that if I let her get away with it, then itll reflect poorly on my performance. But, turns out the Sweepers coach is much more reasonable than I expected. In the end, that entire play proved to be inherently pointless. There wasnt much for Jin to gain from it, yet it was so risky that it single-handedly ruined the entire game. "How dreadful, how dreadful," Ronshfelt said. "To think that even the Chinese Wonderboy can make such mistakes." For the hundredth time, I''m KOREAN. Jin barely held that one in. With so many layers of frustration piling up, he was in no mood to entertain this old man''s nonsense. Alas, he had no choice in the matter. The old man continued pursuing the topic. "How did you let that happen?" Ronshfelt asked. His vague phrasing reeked of ignorance. The old man probably had no idea what he was really asking, or what would be the correct answer. Nonetheless, he fired the question anyway, as a formality of sorts. It was probably some sort of personality test. The goal here wasn''t to get an objective explanation, but rather, to see whether Jin will own up to his mistake. "They outplayed me," Jin answered. "I didn''t expect them to use such a tactic at that point in the game, so I let my guard down." The explanation was as generalized as possible, without diving into any specifics. Ronshfelt won''t be able to understand anything more complicated than that, so it was best to keep this simple and straightforward. "I see, I see." Ronshfelt nodded even though he probably had no idea what Jin was talking about. "And, what are you planning to do to prevent the same mistake in the future?" Another typical ignorant question. Jin thought. It wasnt the kind of mistake thatll happen that often, considering the trickery that was involved. But, of course, he cant understand such delicate matters. "First of all, I will review the game to see all the circumstances of that situation. That should give me a better idea of what made me make the mistake and how it could be avoided in the future." A generic answer to a generic question. This was probably the kind of thing Ronshfelt wanted to hear. "Oh, so you plan to review the game?" "Of course," Jin said. "It is the first thing I do when I return home. I already took important notes for each game." He showed his phone screen, which was filled with notes he jotted down after each game. It was always best to leave a proper recording of his mental notes, to ensure they were not forgotten. Especially, for these two games, there were so many things for him to review. "I see, I see." Ronshfelt nodded in satisfaction, with his big smile refusing to leave his face for even a moment. "Very good, very good. You''re already conducting yourself like a pro, haha." "Thats the idea." Jin nodded. The club in Korea trained him toward becoming a pro, so they drilled the pro mentality into him from a young age. Therefore, even though some of his actions might have looked "impressive" to others, for him it was as natural as breathing. He was born into that kind of environment, molded in it. Therefore, in this new lax environment, he had to ascend to the level of a pro ASAP. The other kids here grew up in a far lazier, far more forgiving environment. They didn''t experience even half of what Jin went through in order to get to his current level. As such, even though they were close in age, their skill couldn''t be further apart. "But," Ronshfelt started, his voice more stern than usual. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but avoiding blunders is a big part of what defines a pro, right?" "Yes, that true..." Jin had no retort against this. It was an unexpectedly sharp observation, especially coming from that clueless oaf. "It''ll be quite the problem if we put you on stage and you accidentally do something like this, you know." "That true," Jin agreed. "Everybody makes mistakes, but a pro is obligated to make less than others. Most importantly, critical mistakes should be close to zero." "True, true." Ronshfelt nodded repeatedly. "So, you really do understand what it means to be a pro, despite being so young. As expected from the Chinese Wonderboy!" It''s KOREAN. Jin grumped. But, I have to say, this old man is really sly. He acts all nice and clueless, but then he catches you off-guard with serious questions like this. This is almost like a surprise interview. Honestly, I wasnt quite prepared for this. The only reason Jin was able to quickly deflect Ronshfelt''s tricky questions was because of the training in Korea. The coaches over there interviewed everybody on a regular basis in order to monitor and gauge the players mindsets. So, through rough experience, Jin learned what these examiners usually asked and what answers they wanted to hear. "If I may add," Aegis stepped into the conversation. "Even though it''s about my sister, I have to admit she did him dirty back there." "Oh, is that so?" Ronshfelt blinked. "Yes, she and Hawk pulled a nasty trick on him. It''s not a play you see every day, especially not in a friendly scrimmage. They specifically targeted him with that play." "I see, I see. They tried to take him down on purpose." "Yes, that''s how it looked to me. It seems he made these two pros take him 100% seriously. It''s quite the achievement, really." "As expected from the Chinese Wonderboy!" Ronshfelt celebrated. "To think that he''s good enough to drive our B-League into a corner! Impressive work, isn''t it, Bernny?" "Yes, he played well..." Bern resultantly agreed, despite the somewhat insulting wording toward the team he was coaching. While Ronshfelt was raving about this new piece of information, Aegiss eyes met with Jin''s. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I hope this helps you out a little." Aegis conveyed that message with a sophisticated smile. Is he trying to help me out? Why would he? Jin wondered. Is he feeling some sort of camaraderie toward me because we played on the same team? No, I doubt thats the case. Two games arent enough for that. "I just really want to help you out, that''s all there is to it." Aegis responded with a smile to Jin''s suspecting stare. There is no way I will believe that. Jin deepened his suspicion. StormBlitzs captain was a smooth talker who excelled at reading people and the mood. A crafty player like that wouldn''t make a move unless there was a motive behind it. Well, no point worrying about that. Jin shrugged. As long as he isn''t trying to sabotage my chances, I dont mind. In fact, I should welcome his good words with open arms. Jin needed any support he could get to pass today''s selection. His chances seemed decent during the first game, but they fell into oblivion after the second game. So, any positive words from others were much appreciated; they should help his case immensely. "Well then," Ronshfelt addressed the Sweepers'' coach. "What is our verdict, Bernny?" "You make it sound like an easy question I can answer on the spot." Bern sighed. "Its not like hell immediately play on the Sweepers even if he does pass, you know. Right, right. I''ll have to run this by the Cleaners first. Id say its more Collens decision than mine. "Collen is the Cleaners'' coach," Ronshfelt explained to Jin, then returned to the conversation at hand. "Alright, alright, that''s fair. Collies input will have the most weight, so its best for him to see the wonderboy in action." "I''ll send him replays with some pointers. "Good, good." Ronshfelt nodded. "That aside, whats your current take on our wonderboy? Is he pro material?" "Honestly, I dont think hes ready for the pro scene quite yet, Bern stated. He shows a lot of promise, especially for his age, but hes still rough around the edges. Id say he needs at least one more year to develop and improve." "I see, so you say he''s half-baked at the moment." Jin took the beating without interrupting the coach. The judgment was about as harsh as he expected, so he didn''t have anything to say in his defense. "I say, he''ll benefit greatly from sparring with pros on a regular basis," Bern continued. "I can''t promise the Sweepers will always be available, but I could probably fit in a scrim every now and then." "That''s good, that''s good. On that note, how about putting him on the Sweepers during pro scrims? That might just give him the kind of experience he needs, dont you think? "... I''ll have to check the legality of that Bern frowned, clearly not too amused by the proposition. However, Ronshfelt ignored that and turned to Jin. "Of course, youd be interested in that, right? "Definitely." "Good, good. Spoken like a real young pro, haha! But anyway, Bernny Ronshfelt continued inquiring about the outcome of the exam, almost begging for an immediate verdict. However, the Sweepers coach refused to entertain this silly old man. Its really important for us to decide how to proceed from here, though, Ronshfelt insisted. "It''ll be nice to see more of his games in a competitive environment. For example, the middle school regionals can be a good place to start." The regionals Jin made a difficult expression. He had a lot he wanted to say, but he had to hold it in. It wont do me any favors to sound rude, but... His entire reason for coming here today was so he could get away from that lowly competitive scene. But, if he says it like that, then itll sound very arrogant and might cost him some credit points. Therefore Im fine with proving my skill at the middle school regionals if that what you want. But, if Im honest, the competition there wont let me exhibit my full power. "Even if you believe the level of competition there is beneath you, there isnt really any better alternative for someone your age. Besides, if you think its going to be a breeze, then youre greatly underestimating Classmancers as a game. That wasnt my intention. Jin was quick to retort. Looks like I didnt hide it as well as I hoped... Regardless of individual skill level, youll be facing players who are just as serious as you about winning. Itll be a valuable experience." I see Jin wanted to object, but he wasnt sure how thatll pan out for him. So, instead, he bowed his head, as if agreeing to the coachs assessment. We should keep observing his progress throughout the year, Bern delivered his verdict to Ronshfelt. If he does well during pro scrimmages, and he does well in the school scene, then we can conclude hes ready. In that case, I say he should go all the way and win the nationals!" Ronshfelt smiled like a fox. Surely, a wonderboy like you can carry his team that far, am I right? Of course, Jin responded without hesitation. If winning the middle school nationals is a requirement, I will get it done. Honestly, it was an unfortunate turn of events. Jin was trying his best to avoid that low-level competition, deeming it a waste of time for his skill level. And yet, that same underwhelming competition somehow turned into Jins ticket for the pro scene. So be it. Jin thought. If I have to destroy that lowly competition in order to prove my worth, then I''ll do it. I''ll carry the Leopards all the way through nationals. Once I achieve that, nobody will dare to question my skill level ever again. On that note, the exam came to an end. Jin and Rodriguez left the Sweepers'' private training room and headed down the elevator. "Disappointed?" Rodriguez asked. "Yes," Jin replied. "But, I didnt perform best. The pressure got to me." "I saw. You cared just a little too much about showing off, didnt you?" "I suppose. In my experience, better play a little different when it''s an exam." "Hmm, that makes some sense," Rodriguez agreed. "Do you have a lot of experience with evaluation exams like this?" "Yes, more than I''d like." "Haha, sounds like the selection process in Korea was really rough." Rodriguez smiled wryly. "So, what are your plans from here?" "I must win the nationals," Jin replied without hesitation. "I see. So, you''ll be joining the rest of the team for practice, right?" "What other choice do I have?" Jin sighed. "But, no point joining the training regime. At this level of competition, we only need to cooperate on a minimal level. So, Ill only join matches." "I see. That''s a decent plan. Rodriguez nodded. Though, truth to be told, I was planning to keep your existence a secret from the other teams, at least until we face a strong team. Why? Simply because youll destroy most of the teams in the region. That isnt beneficial to anybody, Im sure you agree." "Yes, its a waste of time. I have no problem sitting out on matches like that," Jin said. In fact, I would sit out on this entire tournament if it were up to me. "The way I see it," Rodriguez said. "In our region, the only team that has a chance of giving us trouble is StormBlitz. So, that''ll probably be the only match in which you''ll come on stage, at least until we get to nationals." "Good." "With that said, youll still have to attend every scrimmage, just in case." "No problem. Jin nodded. Does that apply for next scrim as well? From what I understand, thats the least likely team to cause any trouble." "I wouldn''t be so sure about that," Rodriguez argued. "Stratus might''ve been the weakest team in the region for a long time, but they got an interesting lineup this year. I''m very much looking forward to what they can do." "It will be embarrassing if the champions struggle against the weakest team. I wouldnt be able to show my face in public if that happened to me." "Yes, I''m sure the audience will roast the team quite badly if that happens." "Well, it doesnt really matter." Jin''s eyes glinted dangerously. "If the Leopards mess up, I step in and defeat the enemy instead." "That''s the spirit." Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. Looks like the trip was worth it. From the get-go, he estimated that Jin had about a 10% chance of passing the exam. These were rather impressive odds for a middle schooler, but failure was practically inevitable. "It''d be a waste to come all the way here just to fail." Thats what Rodriguez thought to himself back when he considered this whole proposition. He genuinely wanted to help the talented boy to reach great heights, but reality had its limits. Young-jin was too young and his skill level wasnt quite up to par with the standard of the competitive scene. He definitely wasnt too far off, which was impressive for his age, but probably not impressive enough for a team to recruit him. A young prodigy had to be truly exceptional in order to break through the age barrier. Therefore, it was only natural to assume hell likely fail. And, after failing, he''ll just be back to square one with all his problems. "That is, unless I can convert his failure into motivation." And so, Rodriguez''s little scheme started that day. Failure was an important ingredient for growing up as a competitive player. After all, it was none other than failure that motivated humans to keep working harder. Therefore, Rodriguez wanted to ensure that Young-jins failure today will bear the same fruit. "If he doesn''t pass, then ask him to win the nationals." That''s the tip Rodriguez gave to Ronshfelt and Bern. It was a mutually beneficial suggestion, so they had no reason to refuse. And so, from a hopeless exam that was bound to deliver nothing but failure and disappointment, todays exam transformed into one with many benefits. Jin got a taste of the pro scene, he learned some important lessons through battle, and he impressed the Sweepers coach enough to be invited for more practice matches. On top of all that, he now had a clear achievable goal to strive toward: winning the middle school regionals, and even the nationals. Truly, the exam turned out to be extremely beneficial. And of course, it makes my life easier too. Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. Now that the boy is motivated to win the nationals, hell be more cooperative with training and matches. It probably won''t be necessary for him to take the stage anytime soon, but once the time comes - he''ll do it without any objections. That''s the kind of serious boy he is. And so, it was decided that Jin will function as the Leopards trump card. It was yet unclear what role hell play at the regionals, but the Leopards will definitely need to borrow his services for the nationals. For now, the team probably wont be facing any serious threats thatll require using the trump card. For example, the Leopards vs. Stratus scrimmage was just around the corner, but that was just a joke matchup in most peoples eyes. After all, it was a game between the "reigning champions" and the "weakest team". Though, I wonder... Rodriguez didnt want to write them off just yet. Stratus had two big surprises this year: Chessmaster and Gunz. Those two were high-caliber players, definitely good enough to rival StormBlitz''s finest. So, that duo should pose a challenge to Cato, at least. But, will Stratus be impressive enough to push the Leopards into a corner and force Young-jin onto the stage? Probably not, but only time will tell... Vol.14 Ch.1: Preparing for the Leopards The day of the Stratus vs. Leopards scrimmage has come. This was going to be Stratus biggest hurdle to date. Of course, nobody was expecting a lowly team like Stratus to even tickle a giant like the Leopards. However, Yuel and Lars, along with the rest of the team, were planning to prove everybody wrong. "Let''s go over their profiles one more time," Yuel scrolled through his tablet as he addressed everybody on the bus. "First, TheTheorist. What do you remember about this player?" "Oh, I shall tell you!" Vincent jumped. "She is-" "Somebody other than Vincent, please." "Aww, rejected..." Vincent pretended to mop, but he quickly accepted the discrimination. Intel was Vincent''s specialty, after all. He probably researched the Leopards members more than anybody else on the team, so of course he knew the answers. He was almost at paparazzi level in his research! Though, unlike the paparazzi, he did respect the players privacy. Vincent only researched them as players, not so much as individuals. For example, he knew Theorists playstyle and favorite classes, but not her real name. Thats where Vincent drew the line for his paparazzi activities. Why didnt he also look into the players personal lives? For one, it was a lot more work. It required him to actually dig up info on a real person, which felt like an invasion of privacy. Still, Vincent was the son of a journalist. So, if he truly desired to know, then nothing and nobody would have been able to stand in his way! The ever-expanding Blackhole of Information shall consume all! Nonetheless, Vincent decided against it. Why? Doing so shall ruin the immersion! Such was Vincents stance. He preferred to see the Leopards members as competitive players, nothing more and nothing less. That created the illusion of distance, the same distance people felt when they watched pro players. As long as Theorist was just Theorist, it was easier to detach her image from the fact she was a fellow middle schooler like the rest of them. This turned her into a far more fearsome existence, for she was nothing else but a member of the renowned Leopards! So yes, Vincent couldnt answer anything too specific about Theorists personal life, except for her gender which was visible within the game anyways. However, on any topic related to Theorist and Classmacners - Vincent was a walking trivia machine! Thats why Yuel sealed this forbidden book of knowledge. And so, Vincent was denied the opportunity to answer any questions. "I''m most interested in hearing what the Junglers have to say." Yuel turned to Nia and Luke. "Theorists playstyle has some important details to keep in mind." "Eeeeh..." Luke scratched his head. "Theorist is the chick, right?" She is a female player, yes, Yuel answered. Huh. Kai made a face. Is her gender the only thing that matters to you? Nah, man. Its just easier to remember girls because there arent that many of them competing. Sus. Honest, man! I remember they have only one chick, so that makes it easier to attach some details to her, ya know? If you say so... For real! Anyway, Yuel continued. What can you tell us about her besides her gender? Eeeeh, shes kinda there, I guess? Why yes, she is, indeed, a member of the Leopards. Thank you for reminding us. Always welcome! Luke gave a thumbs up. And, seriously, now? Yuel demanded. What do you remember about her? As the Jungler, how are you planning to gank her? Eeeeh, Ill just kinda wing it? Luke shrugged. Look, I dunno, man. Ill be real, she didnt really stand out that much. Yes, shes not the kind of player who stands out, that much is true. But, as the Jungler, you still have to pay close attention to every opponent, to know whats the most efficient way to deal with them. Yeaaaaaah, welp. If she got nothing special that comes to mind, then it means I dont have to do anything special when I gank her, right? Did somebody say special!? Vincent jumped again. Indeed, indeed! At a glance, it might seem as if Theorist doesnt have any outstanding talents. However, that is entirely false! In truth, she is the- Something something, Yuel censored the spoilers. I believe I asked you to let others answer. Oh, that is right. My bad. Vincent quietly retreated. He was acting like that one kid in class who knew all the answers and was eager to show that to everybody. "So, you really don''t remember anything specific?" Yuel verified again, just in case Luke was messing around. "Aside from her being a chick? Nah, not really. I focused more on the dudes, like the ABSOLUTE FREAKIN'' CHALLENGER. And, there''s also the ABSOLUTE FLIPPIN'' WINNER. Man, the names of these guys are cracking me up, haha." So says the LEGENDARY MEMER himself. Yuel made a face. "It''s true that those two stood out a lot more, but as a Jungler, you have to know Theorist''s quirks as well." "She is... an adaptive... defensive... player..." A mumble resounded in the air. It sounded as if a ghost was whispering the answer from another dimension. "I thought you were asleep," Yuel addressed Nia. "I''m... sleeping..." Nia responded with her eyes closed. She looked completely detached from reality, yet she still somehow responded to the scene around her. "Dang," Luke said. "The girl is straight up answering from her sleep. Look how hard you made us study all that crap, haha." "I did make you study a lot, I admit, Yuel said. But, we must know all these details if we want to have a shot at winning. Indeed, Yuel drilled the matchup knowledge into the team over the past two weeks. He held review sessions on a daily basis, discussing the Leopards'' players and sharing any new insights discovered by him or Vincent. Unlike with the Taurus scrimmage, for which the team couldn''t properly prepare, there was plenty of footage about this years Leopards. After all, the Leopards already had two scrimmages this year. So, there was a lot of data to analyze. With that said, their first-string didn''t play in all 10 games. After getting three wins with ease, the Leopards always altered their lineup, most likely filling it up with second-string players. Interestingly, AbsoluteChallenger remained on the team even after these alterations. Perhaps it was a punishment for performing a little poorly, at least compared to how solid the rest of the team was. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Regardless, footage from six games was plenty of data to work with. Yuel and Vincent cooperated once again to create an extensive review video, focusing on the Leopards'' best plays and tactics. Overall, the Leopards this year were a defense-oriented team. Their shot-caller prioritized defense over offense for most situations, even when the team had an overwhelming lead. Though, maybe they just wanted to play with their food. Yuel took everything with a grain of salt. It''s unfortunate, but both of their opponents were rather weak. So, I don''t think these matches gave us an accurate representation of how the Leopards play when they''re 100% serious. With that said, the footage of these easy games was the best material Stratus had at hand, so Yuel made everybody study it extensively. But unfortunately, some goofs didn''t do their homework properly, like Luke. On the other hand, there was a certain sleepyhead who normally didnt take things too seriously. And yet, right now, she was answering all Yuels questions... "Merlin is... a baiter... he lures people in... zzz..." Nia answered with a mumble as if she was really in the middle of sleeping. "She really studied, huh." Kai nodded in approval. "That''s how a dedicated Jungler should look like. Take notes.." "Yeah, yeah." Luke shrugged. "Im REAL sorry for not being a walking encyclopedia. But yeah, this girl sure crammed all that stuff, huh. I bet she stayed up late at night, reciting all this crap. I bet that''s why she''s so sleepy right now, haha." "I didn''t... cram... that much... zzz..." Considering she bothered to defend herself, I have a feeling she crammed a lot last night. Yuel deduced. He has spent plenty of time coaching this troublesome girl, so he learned her quirks by now. Nia always got defensive whenever somebody exposed an embarrassing quirk or secret of hers. So, the girl definitely crammed last night. Her denial pretty much confirmed it. Maybe that''s really the reason she''s so sleepy today, more than usual. Nia''s sleepiness usually struck later in the afternoon, but today she dragged herself like a zombie to the bus. It was clear she missed sleep over something, but what was the cause? Yuel has been wondering that ever since they boarded the bus. But now, the mystery was finally unraveling itself: Nia was studying. And, judging by how defensive she got over Lukes comment, the girl probably stayed very late into the night to go over Yuels notes. Is it my fault? Yuel frowned. I did tell them over and over how important it is to be ready for today. Maybe Nia took it a little too far... Then again, Nia being Nia, she was probably very nervous about todays match anyway. After all, she mentioned countless times how "scary" it was to go up against the regional champions. So, she probably would have had a hard time sleeping either way. Perhaps, she only went over Yuel''s notes because she couldn''t fall asleep. Yeah, let''s go with that. Yuel deflected the blame for now. I sure hope it doesnt cause any trouble for us... While the bus was on its way to ProCenter, Yuel continued the final review session before the big match. This year''s lineup was looking as strong as ever, living up to the reputation of a champion. The scrimmage was going to be an uphill battle, thats for sure. Judging by the teams responses, Kai and Vincent learned the matchups well. They were at the top of things, familiar enough with every member of the Leopards. So, for them, this was a simple review session. The same applied to Ben, whose diligence finally got an opportunity to shine. He properly studied all the notes Yuel and Vincent prepared. So, even though he was quiet and didnt look for opportunities to loudly boast about his knowledge, Ben usually knew the correct answer when directly asked. And, there was also Nia who somehow quoted notes from her sleep. So, overall, the majority of the team took the studying seriously and prepared their the upcoming scrimmage. The only troublemakers were Lars and Luke, who had a bad case of selective memory. Lars only remembered the players who played in Bot, whereas Luke only focused on the Leopards aggressive players: AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger. So, the last-moment cramming during the bus ride was primarily meant to educate these goofs. Of course, Yuel didnt delude himself into thinking this would make a huge difference, but even a small difference was better than nothing. Stratus needed every advantage it could get for this scrimmage, no matter how tiny. While the team was busy reviewing the details, the bus arrived at its destination. "Nia, let''s go." Kai nudged the sleepyhead. "Are you alive? Hey, earth to Nia." "Gufu..." Nia stood up, with her eyes still closed. "C''mon, let''s go." "Gufu..." Nia wobbled out of the bus, almost tripping a few times in the process. Then, once she was finally outside, she lay down on the sidewalk. "What do you think you''re doing?" "Sleeping..." "C''mon, get up." Kai pulled Nia up, forcing the sleepyhead up on her feet. However, the sleepy girl had no strength. Nias body tilted from side to side, threatening to collapse on the road once again. "Dude looks totally wasted, haha." Lars laughed. "Should I carry her?" "I''m sure she can walk by herself," Kai insisted as she shook Nia. "C''mon, girl. Wakey wakey." "No." "What the-!? Cmon, stand up already...!" Kai pulled the jellyfish off the ground once more and made the creature stand on its own feet. But, Nia''s legs had no strength to them and she immediately buckled over again. "Just carry her," Yuel said. "We need her to be ready for the first game, so its best to let her rest as much as possible before the match begins. "Okey-dokey!" Lars approached the knocked-out girl. "Leave the carrying to me. That''s my specialty, yo!" Lars loaded Nia on his back and gave her a ride to ProCenter. Plan... successful... Scattered thoughts crossed Nia''s mind as she was riding her mount. If she REALLY wanted to, she probably could muster what little strength she had left in order to walk by herself. But, it was so much comfier to be carried like this... And so, with Nia riding on Lars''s back, the team reached ProCenter. "What took you so long?" Ms. Stone, the club supervisor, showed them a scowl. "Lets go, you have to register that youve arrived." This entire event was clearly a hassle for the woman, that much was obvious from her businesslike attitude. She had zero interest in anything that was going to transpire here today. Or, so everybody thought. "I''ll be in the cafeteria if you need anything," Ms. Stone said. "By the way, they sell good coffee there. It looks like one of you might need just that." She eyed the sleepy girl on Lars''s back. "Oh, that''s an awesome idea!" Luke exclaimed. "Make her chug on that caffeine so she wakes up! Ez solution." "Indeed, indeed." Vincent nodded. "The Caffeine of Ultimate Awakening shall instantly bring anybody back on their feet!" "I wish it was that easy." Yuel sighed. "I actually made her drink coffee once so she wouldnt fall asleep during practice. The result was... not quite what I expected." "Oh, I think I remember something like that," Kai said. She was acting kinda weird, right? "Yes, she got... drunk. Thats the best way I can describe it." "That''s wild, yo!" Lars laughed. Did you mix coffee with vodka or some such? Of course not. It was regular coffee. "Pft! Luke joined in on the laughter. How do you even get drunk on coffee???" "I don''t have the slightest idea," Yuel admitted. "But, she definitely started acting strangely after drinking it. Like, stranger than she usually is." "Strange how, tho?" "It''s hard to describe." Yuel shuddered as he recalled it. "She was all fidgety and her gameplay was far more proactive than usual. It was a mess. Its as if somebody injected her with hyperactivity drugs." "Haha, that''s sure some shit." Luke laughed his ass off as he imagined Nia as a hyperactive zombie. "So, she''s weak to caffeine?" Ben asked. "Apparently?" Yuel shrugged. "Either way, the experiment didn''t end successfully. I havent tried giving her coffee ever since, and looks like shes not too keen on drinking it herself." "Man, I totally gotta try giving her some." Luke snickered like a child preparing a prank. Just make sure you dont do it on a day when we have a scrim. Yeah yeah, of course. After registering at the counter and receiving a key, the team proceeded to their waiting room. It was their second time here in ProCenter as participants, so none of them was too awe-struck by the scenery anymore, except for Ben who missed the previous visit. Along the way, the team passed by a few men in black. Is that the security? Or, bodyguards? Yuel noticed how the men stood at a calculated distance from each other as if forming an invisible blockade. They wore the typical attire often seen in movies, with black sunglasses and an earphone on one ear. "Hey, look." Luke pointed at one of the black suits. "You think theyre filming a movie or something?" "Yo, it sure looks like some 007 stuff!" Lars''s eyes lit up as he surveyed the area. Alas, there were no cameras in sight. They''re probably the real deal. Yuel thought. But, I don''t remember seeing security like this before. Did something happen here? Or, maybe theyre escorting someone important? The answer soon revealed itself. In between the bodyguards'' careful positions, there stood a tall, blonde girl. Her beautiful gallant form would make it easy to mistake her for a supermodel. But, Yuel knew better than that. Why? Because, unfortunately, he recognized that majestic figure... Vol.14 Ch.2: A Greeting From the Landberht Princess There was a pack of bodyguards in black suits, surrounding a familiar blonde girl. Thats the oppressive scene that greeted Yuel and the others on their way to the waiting room. Perhaps this image didnt tell much to the others, but it sent a shiver down Yuels spine. "Um, guys... Yuel nervously looked around. Let''s take another route-" "Yuel Fermond," the blonde girl called out as if sensing Yuel''s intentions from afar. Oh no... Yuel forced a weak smile as he slowly turned to greet the gallant figure. "Good day to you," the girl greeted him. "G-Good day..." Yuel squeezed out a reply while gulping. Why is she here? This is the last place where I''d ever expect to run into her... "Oh!" Vincent exclaimed. "Are you not Fiona Landberht, the princess of the chess world!?" "Yes, I''m Fiona," the girl replied with an elegant smile. "Nice to meet you all, fellow members of Stratus." Wait, what? Sweat formed on Yuel''s forehead. Why would she know the name of a Classmancers team? There''s absolutely no reason for somebody like her to possess such knowledge. Unless shes... gulp. "tis must be a whim of fate!!" Vincent bowed deeply. "I''m honored to be in your presence, your highness!" "Please, raise your head," Fiona requested. "The title of a ''princess'' is nothing more than the media''s exaggeration In truth, I''m but a teenager, just like the rest of you." "One heck of a beautiful teenager, Luke whispered to his clubmates, but they ignored his usual shenanigans. At least, he had the decency to say that in a low voice instead of openly hitting on the princess. Playful as he was, the peasant knew his place in the hierarchy. However, not everybody shared the same sentiment about the gallant figure in front of them. "So, is she someone famous?" Kai asked. "But, of course she is!" Vincent exclaimed. "In the media, she is known as the ''Ladnberth Princess'', the young sensation of the chess world!" "A princess?" Kai raised an eyebrow. Well, she does look kinda pretty It was a bit irksome that Kai had to raise her head a little in order to look at Fionas face. Even though Kai was decently tall for a girl her age, Fiona was even taller. The so-called princess was definitely pretty. There was no need to be a playboy like Luke in order to realize that. However, at the same time, there was something a bit intimidating about this gallant figure. She was pretty and elegant, but also tall and majestic. It was a combination Kai has only ever since in movies, not in real life. Still, I dunno about calling her a princess. Kai was stuck on that one point for some reason. Shes more than just a pretty face, thats for sure. A closer inspection of the girls features revealed that her arms were a bit muscular. Not in a way that stood out too much, but definitely a lot more than youd expect from some princess. Anyway, this girl wasnt the sheltered type, thats for sure. This put Vincents info into question. "Is she really a chess player?" Kai asked. "I mean, with a build like this..." "A good observation, cap!" Vincent nodded as if he has been waiting for this. "Chess is simply the topic that makes the headlines most frequently when it comes to the Landberht Princess. Frankly, I suspect there is some marketing propaganda behind it. Perhaps, the media devils are trying to tempt other girls into partaking at chess." "Im afraid that isnt too far off from the truth," Fiona concurred. "They are most definitely using me to promote chess among the younger audience." "Sounds like a pain in the- Kai stopped herself in the last second. a pain in the neck." She resorted to the more kiddie-friendly version. Somehow, it felt inappropriate to utter any vulgarity in front of this elegant girl. "It can get a bit bothersome at times, but I do not mind, Fiona said. If this sort of marketing can attract more young players to the chess world, then I shall gladly play my part in it. Yeah, I bet chess needs all the advertisement it can get. Indeed. It is a very old game, after all. It struggles to maintain its relevance today when we have so many competitive games on the market. In fact, Classmancers is one example of such a competitor." She cast a meaningful gaze at Yuel, one that he immediately avoided. Is she here to roast me about leaving chess for Classmancers? Yuel made a face. This is my life, I can do whatever I want. He wanted to shove that statement right in the princesss face, but he didn''t have the courage to do so. "Anyway," Vincent continued. "As Kai masterfully deduced, there is a lot more to Fiona Landberht than just chess. She is an active participant in many different sports, aiming to conquer them all!" "I see that you are well-informed." "Oh, please. Your words are too kind." Vicent bowed. "I''m but a peasant whose parents happen to work in the journalism industry. As such, I do my best to follow on the news of many sports, which is how I happened to learn about your impressive career" "Yo, so shes a multi-sport pro!?" Lars jumped. "That''s rad, dude! So, which sports?" "Unfortunately," Vincent said. "My latest information on the topic is a couple of years old. Therefore, I''m unsure whether my answer will be accurate for the present state of our universe. My archives happen to be incomplete at the moment, so to speak." "Then I shall answer," Fiona took the reins of the conversation. "Currently, I''m most active in chess, racing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and piano. Though, I have also dabbled in other fields as well, such as judo and fencing. Wow, wow! Luke whistled. Everybody else was equally taken aback by that long list, save for Vincent and Yuel who were already expecting as much. The newspapers always liked to mention how Fiona was into many different sports. They did so to advertise her as a prodigy who could do virtually anything she set her hand to. Therefore, as impressive as that list was, Yuel and Vincent more or less saw it coming. Its the next part that truly caught them off guard. In addition, Fiona continued. Over the past year, I''ve been dabbling in Classmancers as well." "Excuse me, you what?" Vincent paused with a dumb smile on his face. The rest of the team froze as well. Looks like my bad feeling wasn''t unbased. Yuel shuddered. She actually went ahead and set foot in the world of video gaming. And, she had to pick Classmancers of all things... "In fact," Fiona continued. "I came here today to greet all of you, as the captain of the Valkyries. It is the representing team of St. Marys Junior High." Her gaze addressed each and every opponent in order until it finally laid on Yuel. "I hope we will have a good match if we run into each other at the regionals." "Y-Yeah..." Yuel wasn''t sure how to respond to this sudden declaration of war. Fiona literally dropped a bomb on the entire team out of nowhere. The declaration fazed most of them, yet some managed to retain their reason. In fact, these few were even excited about the prospect. Oh! So thats what the mysterious Valkyries are all about! Vincent exclaimed. We saw this unfamiliar name show up on this years roster, yet we couldnt make heads or tails of it. To think that none other than the Landberht Princess is going to lead this team! Yeah, we couldnt find out much about this team. Yuel recalled. The committee in charge of the regionals posted an updated list of this years participants, a list that featured an unfamiliar team by the name of Valkyries. It was a brand new team that formed in St. Marys Junior High for Ladies. St. Marys was essentially a school for rich girls, that''s about all Yuel gathered from a quick google search. Apparently, it was an old-fashioned school, so it was odd to see it join the esports scene. Regardless, Yuel didn''t think much of it at the time. But, now I know who was pulling the strings. Yuel thought. Im not sure whats her agenda, but Im almost certain its her doing. The Landberht Princess surely had enough influence to push for something like that. She was a public figure and hailed from a rich family. Combine that with her dominant personality, and it wasnt hard to imagine even a traditional school bowing to her majesty. In fact, it was a little surprising that Yuel, and especially Vincent, hadnt caught wind of any of this until now. The media should have jumped on the opportunity to advertise the Landberht Princess some more in this context. For example, with a clickbait title like The birth of the Esports Princess!? Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. However, as far as Yuel was aware, nothing was reported in the newspapers yet. Perhaps the journalists havent caught wind of the fact the Landberht Princess was related to the Valkyries? Or, were they waiting for the teams debut before going ham? Either way, the fact remained that Fiona Landberth was definitely here, right in front of them. And, she was declaring war. "Truth to be told," Fiona addressed Yuel. "I expected to eventually face you as a member of StormBlitz. I was rather surprised to learn that you transferred to another team." "Is that so..." Were you stalking me or something? "I do not wish to offend anybody by saying this, but according to my research, Stratus is a team with a reputation that precedes it, and not in a good way. From what I gathered, it appears to be the least accomplished team in our region, which is quite worrisome." Nah, dude. Thats old news, Lars casually rebuked the princess without minding his manners or anything. Maybe it was a meh team in the past. But this year, its full of pros! So, we gonna make it the strongest in the region, believe it! Thats right. Kai reinforced. This club used to have carefree players who didnt take the competition seriously, but not anymore. This year, were seriously aiming to take the regionals. Indeed, indeed! Vincent tuned in. We shall conquer all our opponents, and place Stratus on the pedestal it deserves! In fact, weve already started our crusade by besting Taurus a few weeks ago. Yes, I heard you got a win. Fiona nodded. Apparently, this was Starus first official victory in years. "Indeed, we made history that day!" Vincent made noise. "Yeah, we''re the best!" Luke added. "Thats right, my dudes! Lars added hype. We gonna take on everybody and win the regionals, yo!" The rest of the team responded with strong nods to these loud assertions. Even in the face of a royal princess, none of them showed any signs of hesitation. "I''m glad to see you are aiming high this year." Fiona nodded. "The higher you aim, the higher you''ll eventually reach, such is my belief. Indeed, this is quite reassuring. Seeing as you''re all so confident, it sounds like we might have a chance to do battle this year, after all." She seemed to direct these words specifically at Yuel, for some reason. Look at her go. Yuel scoffed. She''s already 100% confident she''ll win the entire thing with her greenhorn team. As far as shes concerned, we''re just a small obstacle that shed like to meet along her road to the top, nothing more. This boundless confidence was the very definition of the Landberht Princess. She wasn''t arrogant or condescending, not on purpose anyway. She was simply confident in herself and her skill. Therefore, her words werent an empty promise, at least not for her. Fiona genuinely believed she will reach the top of the competition with her greenhorn team. "Sure," Yuel said. "If you can really bring your brand new team that far, then let''s have a good game." "Is that doubt Im sensing? I assure you, there is no need to worry about my team," Fiona asserted. "I personally oversee everybody''s training, and I have employed the help of multiple professional coaches. On top of that, I have scheduled a couple of scrimmages against pro players So, my team will not be lacking in either expertise or experience, I assure you." "Whoa! Professional coaches!?" Luke exclaimed. "And, matches against pros, too? Damn, it sounds like you guys got some srs bsns VIP stuff going on there, haha. How can you even afford all that stuff?" "Money is a nonissue for the Landberht family. "Dang, talk about being pay-to-win in real life, haha." "Personally, I believe that much should be the standard for all teams," Fiona said evenly. "If you are seriously planning to compete, then you must seek advice from the best coaches in the field, as well as test your mettle against the pinnacle of the competition. Do you not agree?" "Y-Yeah, of course! Shes totally right, guys." Luke found himself nodding repeatedly, more intensely than he ever intended. Fiona''s impeccable confidence made him submit like an obedient dog. "Well then," Fiona bowed courteously. "You have an important match ahead of you today, so I shouldnt take any more of your precious time." Despite saying that, she directed her unwavering gaze at her main target once again. "Lastly, Yuel Fermond. If you are truly serious about this sport, serious enough to drop chess for it, then naturally I''m expecting great results from you today." "Sure, I''ll do my best to live up to your high expectations," Yuel responded half-honestly and half-sarcastically. Who does she think she is, coming out of nowhere and saying she expects things from me? From the sound of it, I''ve got far more experience with Classmancers than her. Im the senior here. However, such logic didn''t matter to Fiona Landberht. Though the media nicknamed her "princess", she was more like a dominating queen who planned to conquer any field she touched. Therefore, in her mind, the top of the regional competitive scene was already at her fingertips, despite the fact she has picked up Classmancers only recently. But, I can''t deny Im curious to see how far she can get Yuel admitted. She does have an impressive background in many different sports, and I know first-hand how overwhelming she can be in chess. Contrary to what some may have believed, Fiona wasn''t just the media''s pet. She wasn''t some average "pretty girl who plays chess". No, she was the real deal. During elementary school, she dominated the regional competition. And, even now in middle school, she remains at the top even when competing with boys. Truly, the Landberht Princess was a relentless conqueror. She had the ability to place anybody under her heel. In this region, the only one who ever put a stop to the queens reign of terror was Yuel, who defeated her in chess back in fifth grade. Though, the actual story wasnt nearly as pretty as that. It was a nerve-wracking match, one that seemed hopeless at first. In fact, luck and coincidence probably played a big role in that outcome. Yuel just happened to find the right approach for dealing with this theory monster, who instantly dished out the correct response to any strong meta move. Somehow, Yuels unconventional moves managed to rattle Fiona a little, just enough to make her slip up. Any other day, under calmer circumstances, the ice queen probably wouldn''t have paid any heed to the schemes Yuel employed. Most of them were risky moves, so Fiona probably would have bested him with ease if she just stuck to her usual playstyle. However, such details apparently didn''t matter to Fiona. As far as she was concerned, that one defeat stained her otherwise perfect reputation in the region. Thus, she couldn''t let it go. Even now, a part of her sought revenge. "I hope you''ll offer me a satisfying rematch," Fiona said. "I trust that this time, you won''t have the excuse of not taking the sport seriously." "Of course not," Yuel asserted. "Its not an exaggeration to say that my life revolved around Classmancers for the past two years. So, it''s the best sport I can compete in, I can assure you." "That is good to hear. In that case, you must make absolutely sure that you reach the top of the competition and get a chance to play the Valkyries. Also, you are not allowed to pass the blame onto your team after you lose to me. I wouldnt dream of it, Yuel reassured. "With this team, we''ll reach the top. And, if we run into you along the way, then we''ll defeat you." "Very well." Fiona nodded in satisfaction. "But first, I believe you will have to find a way to deal with Catos team." "Cato?" Yuel cocked his head. "Oh, are you not acquainted?" Fiona was taken aback. "From the way he talked about you, I could swear you two knew each other." "Is that a player from the Leopards?" "Yes, but it appears I was mistaken about your relationship. Pay it no mind." "So, youre saying someone from the Leopards knows me personally? Now you made me curious. How are we supposed to be related?" "You competed in chess at the regionals, almost two years ago now. But, it appears you do not even remember the match that eliminated you from the tournament." "Two years ago..." Yuel searched back in his memory. Shes talking about the last regionals I played in elementary school. Honestly, my memory is a little hazy on that one. Back then, Yuel was already getting deep into Classmancers. The MOBA practically took over his life, so he didnt have much time to spare for chess. He absorbed more and more knowledge about the new game he picked up, as there was an infinite amount of things to learn. So, I didnt pay much attention to chess, even at the tournament. That might sound disrespectful toward my opponents, but its the truth. Did he face someone named Cato? The name didnt ring a bell, but there should still be a recording of the game on Yuels chess account. All official games were recorded nowadays, so it should be easy enough to find out. Well then, Fiona said. I have already taken more of your time than I should have, so I shall wish you farewell here. Good luck. Fiona bowed lightly and left the scene. Damn, son! Luke jumped. You never told us you got friends who are royalty! Haha. Its a stretch to call us friends, Yuel said. Were acquaintances at best, and even then weve barely ever interacted. How did you get to know that girl, anyway? Lars was curious. We played chess once at the regionals, Yuel explained. And- And he won! Vincent exclaimed. Using the Mystic Eyes of Weakness Perception, the one and only Chessmaster tore apart the Landberht Princess! With his own two hands, he put a stop to her unbeatable record! Yo, thats cool! Lars jumped in excitement, almost throwing Nia off his back. Its not such a big deal. Yuel averted his eyes. There was a fair amount of luck involved. The ever-humble Chessmaster. Vincent nodded. Ive actually gone over the match records, and I have to say it was a truly unique bout. Did you even understand any of it? Yes, I understood absolutely nothing! Vincent declared proudly. It was a truly mind-boggling battle, with many unexpected twists and turns! I struggled to make heads or tails of it! Thats how amazing it was. Yes, thats kinda how the match went. Yuel smiled wryly. Thats why I cant say Im too proud of winning that match. Hey, a win is a win, dude, Lars insisted. You beat some awesome opponent, so you should be proud of it. Right... Yuel reluctantly agreed. He wasnt so sure that win was worth it if it meant being chased to the ends of the world. Theres no way she started Mancers just to get a revenge match against me, right? Nah, Im sure Im overthinking this. Regardless, the fact Fiona showed interest in a rematch was going to be a pain in the neck. As long as they both continue playing Classmancers in this region, this surely wont be the last time they cross paths. But honestly, Im a little curious. Yuel admitted. How far can she get in this scene? Fiona was an accomplished competitor in any field she tried her hand in, so Classmancers will probably be no exception. It''ll be interesting to see what sort of strategies she''ll bring to the table, especially as a fellow chess player. Perhaps, aside from StormBlitz and the Leopards, the newly formed Valkyries was another major threat to consider this year. Its unfortunate, but I can''t honestly enjoy having more competition when my future is riding on these regionals. Yuel gulped as he recalled the hasty promise he made with his mother. She allowed Yuel to transfer to Stratus under the condition that he wins the regionals. But surely, she wont be entirely unreasonable. If Stratus happens to lose to the Leopards or to StormBlitz, the two powerhouses of the region, then his mother will surely understand. Therefore, Yuel was confident hed be able to negotiate the terms with her in case that happens. But, what will happen if Stratus loses to the Valkyries? It was a brand new team, with members who were probably far less experienced than anybody from Stratus. So, losing to them would be a total disgrace. Mom would kill me. Yuel gulped. Id really like to be happy about having more competition, but the huge risk makes it difficult to enjoy. There was also the Invincible Triangle from Taurus, which may or may not take the stage at the regionals. They were a worthy adversary as well, with a very real chance of stumping Stratus in a rematch. Truly, there were many strong opponents for Stratus to conquer before they can claim the championship. It wont be a smooth sail, thats for sure. But, well win. Yuel clenched his fists. No matter strong all these teams are, as long as I can uncover their weaknesses - we can defeat them. With that determination, the team proceeded toward the waiting room. However, the entrance was blocked by yet another visitor, this time from StormBlitz Vol.14 Ch.3: Howards Intel "Greetings." A boy was standing outside Stratus waiting room as if waiting for them to come. He wore a sophisticated smile as if he knew all the secrets of this world. It was none other than Howard. "Yo, what''s up dude!" Lars waved. "Loud as ever, I see," Howard replied with a wry smile. ".............." Yuel didn''t say a word. What is he doing here? Thats the only response he could muster. Seriously, its one unexpected encounter after another today... As if to kill the silence, Vincent exclaimed loudly. "Oh! This is none other than the great Aegis, in the flesh!" "You mean, the captain of StormBlitz?" Kai asked. "Indeed, the one and only! The unbreakable wall, the ultimate last line of defense - Aegis!" "Huh." Kai tensed up a little, and so did Luke and Ben. "So, to what do we owe the honor?" "Honor? Please, Im just a middle schooler like the rest of you, right?" Howard chuckled. "I came to watch todays scrim, so I figured Ill drop by to wish you good luck. I''m sure you''ll need it. "Why thank you." Kai made a face at the obvious underlying message. Rest assured, were going to win today, with or without luck. Oh, confident, arent we? Howard nodded. The Stratus of this year is really made different, it seems. Of course. Dont even think of comparing us to that sorry excuse of a team this club had before. This is a brand new Stratus. Totally, yo! Lars reinforced. Indeed! Vincent added. We shall conquer the regionals together! With our powers combined, even the nationals are no threat to us! Y-Yes, we can do it, Ben added meekly. Damn straight, Luke agreed. Were real serious about taking it home. This is no longer a clown club. So says the memer. Yuel retorted mentally, but he stayed quiet throughout the entire exchange. Can we pass now? Kai demanded. "Oh, Im blocking the entrance, right? You can go ahead." Howard moved away from the door. "Before you go, Id like to borrow my ex vice-captain for a moment, if you dont mind. I have a private matter to discuss." "... sure." Yuel finally responded to the scene for the first time. Well, were going ahead then, Kai said as she passed through the door. And, despite their curiosity, the others followed suit. And so, only Yuel and Howard remained in the hallway. "How is the club doing?" Yuel asked. "Heh. You got some nerve asking that after you abandoned your post." "I don''t remember signing a contract to be StormBlitz''s vice-captain forever." "I totally should''ve made you, though." Howard sighed. "Is Gregory that bad at his job? I heard hes the new vice-captain." "Let''s just say he requires a lot more maintenance than I''d like to spare. The whole point of having a vice-captain is to make the captains life easier, but with Greg thats not really the case, haha" "My condolences." "Heh, why are you talking about it as if it''s somebody''s else business? It''s all your fault, you know? You were supposed to become the perfect vice-captain, the type who''d handle everything by himself without ever bothering me." Howard sighed again. "It''s true that I wouldn''t have minded doing most of the work for the sake of improving the club," Yuel said. "But, even for me, its not easy to muster the necessary motivation when Im not even part of the first-string. "Honestly, if I knew things will turn out this way, then I would''ve made you and Lars play Top and Mid on the first string. You weren''t half bad in these roles against Taurus." So, he watched the replays. Yuel concluded. "Sorry, but playing Top and Mid isn''t for us." "And yet, you had no problem playing them in an official scrimmage for four games straight." "We were just testing the waters," Yuel said. "I wanted to see how far we can get without showing our cards. But, the enemy forced our hand." "You mean the trio that subbed in, right? Not gonna lie, these guys look like a real pain in the neck, haha." "I''d watch out for them if I were you," Yuel warned. "If they become starters for the regionals, then Taurus won''t be an easy team to take down, even for StormBlitz." "Duly noted." Howard nodded. "But, no need to worry about my team. I don''t see us losing to someone of that caliber. I admit they might pose a challenge or two, but that''s about it." "Confident as ever, I see." "I have every reason to be. This year, StormBlitz is going to be the strongest it ever was." "Huh. Do you have statistics to back that up?" "No, but I''ll make it obvious beyond a shadow of a doubt by winning the nationals." "Is that so." Yuel had nothing to add. Howard''s confidence was as high as ever. The guy had no doubt in his mind that he''ll achieve the grand goals he set out for himself. And, just from listening to him talk so boldly, even Yuel started believing that Howard might be able to pull it off. But, we''ll take him down. Yuel promised silently. Thats one of the reasons I defected to another team in the first place. Well have our rematch, and this time, well win! "Anyway, Howard continued. From the teams I''ve seen thus far, the only ones who gonna pose a challenge to us are the Leopards." "Is that supposed to be an indirect insult?" "Sorry to tell you this, but your team hasnt convinced me yet. Sure, youre not the Stratus of the past, but thats about it for now. Is that so. I mean, you struggled pretty bad against Taurus, right? Your team made plenty of misplays. A stronger opponent would have ripped you apart for that." "That''s true, I suppose," Yuel admitted. But, Lars and I didnt play in our main roles throughout the whole scrim. So, most of the statistics there are irrelevant. "If you say so. Either way, today is your chance to convince me that your team is worthy of my attention. Will do. "Honestly, I rather you dont. Howard smiled wryly. We got enough problems to deal with as it is. Please, dont increase my workload any further. Sorry, but Im planning to do exactly that. Youre the devil incarnate. Howard chuckled. Anyway, I think its about time I get to the real reason why I came here. Oh, are you saying you didnt come here just to insult the team and hit our motivation? Cmon, you make me sound like a villain. But, isnt that your favorite trick? Is it? Howard smiled, yet his eyes turned sharp like that of a hawk. He was silently telling Yuel to not pursue this topic any further. Its totally something he would do, though. Yuel was convinced. I wont be surprised if he told something to Roi and Dan before we had that selection match. That might be why their performance suffered the way it did. Not to pass the blame or anything, but part of the reason Yuel and Lars lost the selection match was due to Roi and Dans lackluster performance. The two of them were good players, and they were cooperative during the practice leading up to the match. Alas, they fell short on the critical day itself. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Of course, part of it was definitely Yuels fault. He prioritized his own agenda over the interests of his teammates, believing that his strategy was the only thing that mattered. That already caused some dissatisfaction during practice, and it exploded in his face during the real match. But surely, thats not all there was to it. As dissatisfied as they were, Roi and Dan were mature enough to adjust. Though Roi complained about Yuels firm decision to include a Dark Knight in the lineup, the two of them still reached a compromise in the end. They were reasonable players, all things considered. So, I dont see them falling apart the way they did just because they didnt like some of my decisions. There was more to it, surely. Something happened on the day of the match, something that Yuel wasnt informed of. I never properly talked to them after the match, so I dont have proof. But, I suspect Howard mightve told them something. It was very much possible that foul play was afoot, but there was no evidence. If Howard really pulled anything, then he did a good job covering his tracks. Nonetheless, that sounded like a very Howard-like scheme. Therefore, Yuel was sure that the guy only came here today in order to mess with Yuel and his teammates. But, apparently, that wasnt the case? Believe it or not, Howard said. I came to share some intel with you. What kind of intel? About the Leopards, of course. You know something about them that we dont? Yuel had a hard time believing that. I assure you, we researched them quite thoroughly. By watching replays of their scrims, right? Yes, naturally. But, what if I told you I have a piece of information that you wont find in the replays? Ill press doubt, Yuel answered. Whats your agenda? Nothing special, really, Howard promised. Its not some amazing information thatll skyrocket your chances of winning. But, its still something I think you should know, just in case. Well, Im listening, Yuel said. No harm in hearing him out, at least. Before I get to the chase, Howard said. I take it you saw the two scrims the Leopards had so far, right? Of course. Now tell me, whats your impression of their skill level? Is he fishing for some sort of information? Yuel wondered. They seem fairly strong. Id say theyre on par with whats expected from the regional champions. Theyre not as strong as last years team, though, Howard argued. For example, they dont have anybody of Fenrirs caliber. You remember Fenrir, right? Of course. Yuel nodded. He gave you a lot of trouble last year. Yeah, I dont even want to remember that... Howard sighed. His reaction was only natural, for Fenrir was the main driving force behind StormBlitzs defeat last year. That beast instilled terror in his opponents, making them underperform. Even the skilled players of StormBlitz werent entirely immune to that effect, and that created holes in their defenses despite Howards best efforts to cover everything up. It was a rare example of somebody actually ripping Howards defense apart. At present, Yuel could only dream of achieving a result like this. The rest of the Leopards were strong as well, but Fenrir definitely stood head and shoulders above them. Fortunately, it didnt seem like the Leopards had anybody of that caliber this year. I agree on that point, Yuel said. Overall, this years Leopards are probably weaker than last year. Right. Except, thats not true at all, Howard said. What if I told you they got a secret sixth player? A secret player? That sounds like a conspiracy theory if I ever heard one. Yeah, I know what youre thinking. Howard chuckled. Something like Look at the nerve of this guy, wasting my time on some conspiracy nonsense, right? Haha. Yes, it does sound rather dubious. I cant blame you. Id probably not believe it either if you came to me with that kind of fairytale. And, it only gets more surreal from here, so I hope you brought your suspension of disbelief along today. Well, Im listening. This secret sixth player is... Korean! Okay, now youre pulling my leg. No, Im dead serious. Howards hawk eyes left no room for argument. I dont know the whole story, but he used to live in Korea and moved over here because of his parents work or something. Huh His English is pretty decent though, so I bet he has been around for a while now. Maybe a year? The fact hes questioning his own lack of data makes it sound more real. Yuel thought. Either that, or hes coming up with all of this on the spot. Hard to tell for sure. Regardless, Yuel decided to play along for now. Okay, so they got a sixth player who happens to be Korean in origin. Since youve come all the way here to talk about him, I take it hes good? Oh yes, hes good. Too good, Id say. Howard grimaced. Have you ever heard these absurd stories about how seriously Koreans take pro-gaming? Ive read a little here and there. Nowadays, it was practically impossible to be a part of any esports scene without hearing some tales about Korean players. There were various articles, news, and interviews that covered their lifestyles and training regimes, highlighting their immense dedication to the craft. Honestly, a lot of it sounded dubious and exaggerated. Nonetheless, it was a fact that Korean players stood at the top of the competition in many esports, including Classmancers. Famous names like Maker and DimensionShift all belonged to the Korean pro scene. For years now, theyve been dominating the competition on a global scale. Apparently, much of it was the result of how dedicated Koreans were to their esports scene from a very young age. There were some articles that covered the harsh competitive environments of their esports clubs, which showed no mercy even for grade-schoolers. Ive also only heard bits and pieces until now, Howard admitted. A lot of these articles sound like exaggerated clickbait stuff, right? I mean, they make it sound like the coaches force kids to work full time, almost as hard as pros. Its pretty nuts. Yeah, it does sound extreme, even to my taste, Yuel agreed. Even he, a fanatic of training hard every day, found the Korean methods in the articles quite extreme. For example, one article mentioned a very spartan training environment. Not only did the coaches ask the kids to dedicate every nanosecond of their lives to the craft, but they also pitted students against each other. Essentially, the training environment turned into a battle royale. It was survival of the fittest. Anybody who fell behind was doomed to be exiled. It sounded too extreme, too different from how training was done in the west. As such, it was easy to write it off as exaggerated media coverage. But, you know what? Howard said. After seeing this Korean guy in action, I started to think maybe these stories are true. They might really be holding some insane training regimes over there. How and when did you see him play? Yuel interrogated, still uncertain about this whole little story. You remember how StormBlitz gets opportunities to play with the Sweepers, right? Largely thanks to your connections, yes. Yuel frowned. This reminded him of a salty moment from the past, of the time he discovered that StormBlitzs first-string occasionally scrimmaged with pro players. It was like a slap to the face at the time, as he realized that he and Lars will never be a part of that high-level experience unless they can get into the first-string. In fact, that was one of the things that pushed Yuel to hold a selection match against Howard and Ellen. So yes, of course he remembered that little tidbit. He remembered it VERY well. In a recent scrim with the pros, Howard said. This Korean player joined in, as part of my team. He played on your side? Yuel raised an eyebrow. I know, right? Pretty damn outrageous, haha. Sounds like an odd arrangement. Wouldnt it make more sense for him to play alongside his team? It totally would, but there were some time constraints at play. As you probably know, the Leopards have lots of scrims at this time of the year. Right. So, the coach didnt want to distract them with pro scrims in the middle of it all. Then, why not wait for a better time? Thats what I asked, too. Howard sighed. Say, do you know Ronshfelt? I believe thats the man who owns the Cleaners and the Sweepers? Yep, youre well informed as always. Howard nodded. Ever met him? No. Well, lets just hes the easily excited type, to say the least. He got all hyped when he heard about this Korean player. His every other sentence was wonderboy this or wonderboy that, like a broken record. The owner of pro teams was excited about some middle schooler? Why? Rodriguez probably fed him something. Howard sighed. The guy used to play on the Sweepers, so the two know each other. I bet Rodriguez overhyped that Korean kid to make this pro match happen ASAP. That part makes sense Yuel agreed. But, what I dont understand is why would Ronshfelt be so interested in a middle schooler in the first place? Hes in charge of pro teams, not middle school ones. Oh, right. I forgot to mention one small but important detail. That pro scrim? It doubled as an entry exam. ... what entry exam? For whom? Yuel frowned. Wait, dont tell me its Yeah, its probably what youre thinking about but dont want to believe. Yes, Ronshfelt seriously considered recruiting this Korean kid to the pro scene, probably into the Cleaners. Wha Yuels mouth opened and closed. Is he really that good? Oh, I got your interest now, right? Haha. Howard smiled triumphantly. Hmm. Is this Korean kid good enough for the pro scene? Thats a hard question to answer. I take it he didnt pass? Otherwise, we probably wouldnt be having this conversation right now. A sharp observation. Howard nodded. Yeah, he didnt pass. But, he didnt exactly fail either. What do you mean? They put him on hold. They first want to see how he fares in the regular competitive scene. But, the offer of going pro as a middle schooler isnt entirely off the table. Thats impressive. Very impressive. I know, right? I wish I got an offer like that. Is he really that good? Yuel asked. Did he achieve anything impressive in that scrim? Ill put it this way: he gave sis a fight in Top. Like, a fair fight. She couldnt go easy on him at all, and she was mad salty after every fight with him. So, he can contest Ignis in a duel? Yuel frowned. Thats definitely huge. He had first-hand experience fighting Ignis, so he could attest to how strong she was. Even when she was drunk and taking things easy, she mopped the floor with Yuel in a 1v1. Yuel managed to outsmart her a few times by taking advantage of her drunkenness, but it never took her too long to adapt and turn the tables on him. And, if Ignis fought him at 100% of her power the entire time, then Yuel probably wouldnt have been able to even touch her. Indeed, Ignis was a pro player, through and through. I know Im not an expert duelist, but Im still decent for the middle school level. So, losing that badly to Ignis shows how much ahead she is in terms of skill. So, if theres a middle schooler who can actually contest her... The more Yuel heard, the more concerning this intel was sounding. Of course, it was still too early to fully trust everything Howard said. Maybe this secret Korean player was just a boogeyman, and Howard actually came here to put pressure on Yuel for whatever reason. But for now, it was best to listen to the story, as absurd as that story sounded... Vol.14 Ch.4: The Sixth Korean Player This is all hard to believe, right? I dont blame you. Howard nodded. But rest assured, sis proved she was stronger in the end. I mean, shes still a pro, right? Haha. But, Yuel started. Youre saying it was a close fight. Yeah, it was pretty neck-to-neck, which was a shocker to pretty much everybody. Sis went to drown all her salt in alcohol afterward. Even though she won? Yeah, even though she won. Howard nodded. Thats all hard to take in... Yeah, I know the feel. But, its all true. This Korean player is a real monster. He makes Fenrir look like a cute puppy in comparison. If hes that good, then why didnt he show up in the previous scrims at all? Its because hes that good, Howard explained. If you let a guy like him on the stage, hell slaughter any team by himself. Yeah, I can see that happen. The two previous teams already got steamrolled by the Leopards. Right. Now, imagine what would happen if they add the Korean player to the lineup? Itd be overkill. Does this Korean player have a name? Oh, right. Its Young-jin. His IGN is Apprentice or, was it? Howard tried to remember. Actually, I think it was spelled a little differently? Like Apprentece or something? Anyway, thats your guy. As much as I dont want to admit it, so far Howards responses seem genuine enough. Yuel thought. It sounds like hes telling the truth, as much as I dont want to believe it... A secret sixth player, a Korean player, and a middle schooler who could rival pros like Ignis. It was a mixture of elements that were hard to digest. Each of them alone was still fine, but when they all converged together into one person... Well, Howard said. Im not going to force you to believe it. I just wanted to inform you, thats all. What for? Yuel demanded. To scare me? Heh, not at all. Howard smirked. But, I figured this story might be a little disheartening, which is why I made sure to speak with you alone. After all, Im sure your team prepared long and hard a lot for this match, right? Itd be a shame to learn that there was a secret sixth player they know nothing about, an opponent who is far stronger than the rest of the Leopards combined. Thats true, Yuel agreed. Hearing something like that right before the match could be a heavy blow to morale. Most of the team members were probably already on edge from the fact they were about to face the regional champions. So, if shocking news like this were to hit them right now... I suppose I should be thankful for Howards consideration here. Though, that still doesnt explain why he decided to share this information with ME. So, Yuel started. You were considerate enough to not drop this bomb on the whole team, thank you very much. Yet, youre still fine with piling this kind of pressure on me, huh. I trust you to not lose to this pressure. Howard smiled meaningfully. Whats your agenda in all of this? Nothing much, really. Im just helping out my former vice-captain. Ive always been this nice, havent I? Yeah, right. Yuel made a face. He definitely wants me to do something based on this information. But, what could it be? By itself, this info isnt worth that much. I should try fishing for more details. Im still not convinced, Yuel said. This story still sounds kind of bogus. You havent even told me anything about how this guys playstyle. You only told me hes very good, which doesnt say much. Thats fair. Howard nodded. Alright, Ill share the few things I know. Please do. Alright, so first of all, the guy is strong across the board. Yes, I believe we already established that. I know, I know. Just make sure you dont forget this little tidbit while I tell you the more specific things I learned about him. Ill keep it in mind. Yuel nodded. So, the first thing you should be ready for is Korean Cancel. You know what it is, right? Of course. Korean Step Cancel, which was usually called Korean Cancel or KC for short. It was an advanced method of exploiting the input buffering of the game, allowing players to skip portions of the recovery animation. The technique was fairly well-known in name, but its popularity varied in different parts of the world. For example, Korea and China wholly embraced KC and integrated it into all levels of play. Likewise, other competitive scenes in Asia also frequently made use of KC. On the other hand, the western scene was far less interested in mastering KC. The technique almost never showed up in pro matches over here, except in the highest echelons of A-League. And even then, whenever a western A-Leaguer used KC, the commentator would often overhype it as a godly technique that only the chosen ones could wield. Honestly, I didnt pay it much attention either. Yuel admitted. KC demands too much practice for too little of gain. As somebody who strived to research every facet of Classmancers, Yuel naturally dabbled in KC as well. He studied the technicalities behind it, the advantages it offered, and how to execute it. And then, after absorbing all that theoretical info - it was time to reproduce the technique! If only it was that simple. Yuel frowned. I spent about a week trying to figure it out, but I felt like I made zero progress. No amount of tutorials or guides helped Yuel whatsoever. He understood the theory behind the technique, yet he was unable to pull off these frame-perfect inputs. It was beyond human capabilities, surely. And so, after a long week of experiments, Yuel ultimately gave up. For truly, mastering the Korean Cancel was but a pipe dream for a mechanically-challenged player like him. I remember thinking Lars will be able to master it in a few days. How wrong I was... Even Lars, the mechanical beast, struggled with KC. His response times were definitely on point, so he should have been able to nail these perfect sidesteps. And yet, he couldnt do it consistently at all. There was some sort of mental block that he had to overcome in order to be able to perform KC consistently. It seemed that the technicalities of the exploit went over his head, so it was hard for him to frame his mind correctly. Im sure he would have been able to master KC if he focused exclusively on it for a few good months. But, we never have such luxury. The goof had plenty of other important things to learn and master first, so practicing KC was at the very bottom of the backlog, gathering dust. And so, Yuel and Lars never got around to discussing KC again ever since. And yet, there it was, on its way to greet the two of them again. Apparently, the Leopards Korean player was going to bring this complex technique to the table today. "How good is his KC?" Yuel asked. "Its good enough to make sis rant about it all night." Howard smiled wryly. "From the sound of it, that KC gave her lots of trouble in fights." So, his KC has a high success rate. Yuel frowned. Due to the strict timing of KC, it was practically impossible to have a 100% success rate with it. The smallest human error was enough to throw the entire thing awry. Even the best Korean pros admitted in interviews that they made sure to not overuse KC. The more often they used it, the more likely they were to mess it up in a critical moment. So, even if their success rate with KC seemed like 100% on paper, in practice the pros made sure to choose the best and most comfortable times to utilize the technique. Thats how they maximized their success chance, making it look as if they could pull off KC in their sleep. And apparently, Apprentece wielded his KC on a similar level. It wasnt just some fancy technique he used in order to impress the audience. He really knew how and when to utilize this advanced tool in order to give himself an advantage in combat. This is all useful information. Yuel thought. But, with that said, there isnt much I can do to counter KC. Its all about seeing it in action and adapting accordingly. I want some more concrete details about Apprenteces playstyle. "They fought in Top, right? Yuel asked. So, I take it Apprentece is a Top player." "I wouldn''t be so fast to conclude that," Howard objected. As I told you, this guy is strong across the board. So, I wouldn''t be surprised if he can play more roles. Heck, I wont be surprised if he can play all of them equally well. So, youre saying hes that good, huh. Well, maybe Im exaggerating a little, Howard admitted. But trust me, Im not trying to scare you for nothing. I really think he might be at that level. After all, he gave sis a fair fight, remember? How many middle schoolers do you know who can pull that off? This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. It sounds like the experience left a mark on Howard. Yuel gulped. He always tries to look strong and confident, so its rare to see him railed up like this. Should I be getting worried, too? At this point, Yuel no longer harbored any suspicion regarding Apprenteces existence. He had no choice but to accept that such a skilled player lurked in the shadows of the Leopards. And so, Yuel had to brace himself. Even if Stratus defeat the Leopards today, there was a secret final boss awaiting them at the end of that road. As the only member of the team currently aware of this, it was Yuels responsibility to get as much intel as possible on the topic. Okay, Yuel started. I understand that he can use KC and probably play multiple roles. Is there anything else? Tell me everything you know." "We''ll be here all day if I give the full version. Howard chuckled. Heres the gist of it: he''s practically a pro. Mechanical skill, decision-making, game knowledge, adaptation, parrying, KC, and even his ability to fit into new teams. Everything is top-notch with this guy." "You make him sound invincible." "For middle school level? Yeah, he might as well be." "But, your sister defeated him, right? So, he must have some weaknesses." "Whoa there. Did you really just compare sis to middle school level?" "That wasn''t my intention," Yuel clarified. "I was just thinking about what you said earlier. Ignis struggled against him at first, right? But, she won in the end. So, she must''ve figured something out." "I''ll be honest, it felt like the main reason sis won was because Apprentece rushed things a little." Howard briefly summarized the two big occasions in which Ignis came on top against Apprentece. In both examples, Apprentece went for uncharacteristically rushy plays that led to unfortunate conclusions. The first time, he challenged Ignis to a fight despite having fewer minions on his side. He did a good job evening the odds at the cost of his HP, but then the enemy Jungler, Hawk, showed up. Thankfully, I made Dan rescue that blockhead before the situation got out of hand. But, it was still a close call. I see Howards absolute defense saves lives, as usual. Yuel made a face. Then, Howard continued. There was one other notable play in the second game... He retold how Apprentece prematurely aggressed on Ignis by using the Vikings ult. That, too, was a play born out of a sense of rushiness. Most likely, the guy thought that being pushed back 24/7 was bad for his evaluation. Therefore, he decided to act. I advised him against it, mind you, Howard mentioned. But, the fool still went for it. And, he performed well, all things considered. Apprenteces risky play did reset the lane situation, forcing Ignis into recalling with low HP. That was a rather impressive achievement against an early-game Orc. Alas, Ignis outsmarted the kid. Instead of recalling, she hid in the jungle and waited for the best moment to rendezvous with Hawk. Then, the two of them delivered a devastating combined attack on the tower, demolishing it wholly. A nice tactic, Yuel said. I had a feeling youll say that. Howard chuckled. Scammy tactics like that really speak to you, right? Haha. Its a perfectly valid strategy, Yuel argued. She took advantage of her classs strengths and of the synergy between Orc and Beastmaster. It was a brilliant play. So much, that I find it hard to imagine Ignis doing this. Are you throwing shade at my sis? I just had the impression shes a more straightforward type of player. Yuel sidestepped the accusation. Yeah, I know what you mean. Howard nodded. Sis insists shes the one who came up with that play, but I have my doubts. It was probably Hawks idea. Or, maybe Esmeralda fed both of them something, who knows. Regardless, the fact remained that this ploy completely destroyed Apprenteces reputation for that game. That entire situation looked like a blunder that started the moment he prematurely activated the Vikings ult. Both times, he was probably getting anxious about the exam, Howard said. Thats why he went for plays that were a little rash and risky like that. Hes not like that normally. I see, so Igniss victory was mostly a circumstantial thing. Yuel frowned. Apprentece lost to pressure both times because it was an important exam. I doubt any of that will happen to him in a normal game. In conclusion, there was no intel about any obvious weaknesses in Apprenteces playstyle. He rivaled Ignis from start to end, except for the few moments where he had a lapse of judgment because he was thinking too hard about being evaluated by the audience. Theres no way Ill be able to find any weaknesses in an opponent like this, not without lots of footage data to analyze. Ill just have to treat him like Taurus Triangle. In other words, for now, Apprentece will have to be treated like a force of nature. It was best to play around this powerful foe and target other weaknesses. Nonetheless, Yuel wanted to gather as much information as possible in preparation. After all, knowledge equaled power, especially for circumstances like this. "About that second example, you said you warned him against attacking, right?" I sure did, but he didnt listen. Howard shook his head. He was too confident and that cost him. It looks like deep down hes still a brat, despite his impressive skill. "The fact he went for such a risky play in the first place is suspect. If he''s really that amazing of a player, I would have expected him to cooperate with the Jungler for something like this." "I advised him that as well, actually." Howard sighed. "But, he said it''ll take too long for Dan to rotate over there, so hed rather take matters into his own hands. That doesnt sound convincing. Yuel frowned. Id expect a high-level player to be more flexible than that. He shouldve timed his play better to sync up with Dans rotations. Im with you. But, it felt like he didnt want to rely on Dan in both games. Any reason for that? Did he think itd hurt his evaluation or something? I doubt it. I mean, knowing how to cooperate with the Jungler is a big plus, right? Definitely. The Jungler was like a free resource that roamed around the map. As such, any laner could put the teams Jungler to good use in order to promote their interests, and it was very much advised to do so. Therefore, efficiently cooperating with the Jungler shouldve earned Apprentece some points. And yet, he decided against it. Why? I could tell he wasn''t too happy with Dan''s level as a whole, Howard explained. Maybe hes too used to playing with higher caliber Korean teammates, so he didnt want to give Dan the time of day." "So, he wasnt very cooperative in general?" "Oh, he cooperated plenty, Howard said. For the better or the worse, he''s pro material. He was able to set his prejudice aside for the sake of winning. But then, why didnt he cooperate with Dan? Well, he cooperated with us as necessary, but it didnt feel like he really trusted any of us. So, if he thought he could accomplish something alone, then he preferred doing that alone." "I see." Yuel nodded. Interesting information. I feel like I''m starting to get a picture here. Apprentece was like an alienated king. He was a foreigner to this land, both in his roots and his skill level. In matches, he probably felt like an aristocrat who was forced to play along with filthy commoners. Nobody here was deemed worthy in his eyes, yet he also recognized the necessity for occasional cooperation. As such, Apprentece cooperated with the lowly players but only for as long as it was absolutely necessary, and not a second longer. For example, in the mid-game, he probably stuck close to his teammates in order to participate in team fights. However, in the early-game, Apprentece was all by himself in his lane. So, he preferred to accomplish everything with his own two hands, without relying on any of these commoners he was playing with. This sounds like an angle thatll help me find some of his faults. Yuel reasoned. But, its too early to tell. I need more data. Yuel asked some more questions but he didnt learn anything new. There were many things that even Howard didnt know on the topic, despite him playing the role of the informant here. It almost feels like an interrogation, haha. Howard laughed dryly. "I only came here to give you a little bit of info, but now Im getting flooded with questions. "You only have yourself to blame for it," Yuel said. "You can''t just drop a bomb like this and then leave as if nothing happened. If you''re going to give me information, then you better give everything." "Well, now you know about everything I know, provided I didnt forget something." "It feels like the main thing Ive learned is that you dont know much about him either. "Haha. Harsh, aren''t we?" "But, it''s true, isnt it? That''s why you came to me with this information in the first place. You shared what you knew to make sure I keep digging deeper from there, right? "No idea what you''re talking about." Howard smiled meaningfully. "I just came here to give a tip to my ex-vice-captain." "Okay, we can leave it at that. Im fairly certain Im right on the money here. The Leopards were Howards enemy too, so it could be argued that Yuel was currently the enemy of an enemy. Nonetheless, it was unlikely for Howard to do a favor like this to Yuel based on that alone. No, Howard definitely believed he had something to gain from this exchange, and that something was probably further information about Apprentece. Especially, information concerning Apprenteces weaknesses. He gave me as much info as he could to make it easier for me to expose Appretences weaknesses. Why? Because hes also searching for a good way to deal with this threat. StormBlitz will eventually confront the Leopards as well, and they will likely run into Appretence there. So, Howard wanted to be as ready as possible for that encounter. I assume that''s the gist of it. Yuel deduced. As always, he''s good at making others do the work for him. But, I can''t deny this exchange of information is mutually beneficial. "Alright then," Howard said. "I''ve said my piece. Hopefully, you can put this information to good use. Don''t disappoint me." He speared Yuel with his hawk eyes, implying that failure was not an option. By disappointing, I assume he means failing to drag Apprentece onto the stage. Even though theyve been discussing Apprentece for a while now if the guy was an inevitable opponent, that wasnt the case at all. After all, Apprentece was the secret sixth member of the Leopards, a final boss who hasnt officially revealed himself yet. Therefore, to even get a chance to play against this powerful opponent, it was first necessary to force the Leopards into a corner. That alone was already a high bar to set, given how skilled the known members were. And yet, Howard was practically demanding that from Stratus. He tasked them with beating the Leopards to a pulp and forcing the Korean player onto the stage. No sweat. As if its that simple. Yuel made a face. Before I can even start coming up with any plans against Apprentece, I first have to 100% concentrate on beating their main team. Otherwise, well crash and burn before we get anywhere. Well, thats all from me. Howard turned around and lazily waved behind his back. I leave it to you to decide how to share this information with your team. I have no idea how they tick, so I cant advise you on that one. Ill probably keep it to myself for now, Yuel said. No need to distract them with unnecessary noise until we actually get close to playing against Apprentece. Thats probably for the best. Howard nodded. So, he actually agrees. Yuel voiced his thoughts out loud to fish for Howards opinion, and it was a successful catch. When the two of them were in agreement on something, there was a very good chance it was correct. By the way, if you happen to win today, then you know who to credit, right? Yes, myself and the team. Haha, alright then. Good luck out there, youll really need it. Ill be watching from the audience, so make sure you put on a good show today. And on that note, Howard left. This guy is really something. Yuel made a face. He just came here, dropped a bomb, placed tons of expectations on me, and then left as if nothing happened. The nerve. Nonetheless, this exchange was mutually beneficial, so Yuel couldnt complain too much. As minimal as the intel about Apprentece was, it still gave Yuel a few hints about how to deal with this pro-level opponent. But before that, Stratus first had to defeat the Leopards regular lineup. And at the moment, there was a very real chance of the team not making it all the way to Apprentece, in which case all of Howards intel will go down the drain. So, until we start winning, Ill keep this information to myself. Yuel decided. And so, with this important piece of information in hand, he finally joined the others in the waiting room. Vol.14 Ch.5: Cato, a Blast From the Past Stratus arrived early for the scrimmage, so they had some time to kill in the waiting room. Some of them used their free time to review the material on the Leopards, while others chose to relax or mess around. Meanwhile, Yuel dug deep into the history of his chess matches. All his official matches were recorded on his account, so it was easy enough to find matches from two years ago. "You competed in chess at the regionals, almost two years ago now. Thats the hint Fiona gave Yuel regarding the identity of Cato, whoever that might be. Apparently, the guy was somebody from the Leopards and he played chess against Yuel before. Im not sure if any of this is important at all, but I might as well look it up. Maybe Ill learn something new about one of their players. And so, Yuel went over the few matches he had in the last regionals he participated in, almost 2 years ago now. His game history was uncharacteristically short for that particular tournament, for he was eliminated in the early rounds. In retrospect, that was very unbecoming of him. He won the regionals a year before that, so people probably expected a strong performance from him that year as well. And yet, he dropped out very early after losing to a minor opponent whose name he couldnt even remember. Maybe I shouldve prepared a little harder. Yuel thought. But, it couldnt be helped. I was already busy with Classmancers back then. There was no time to spare for chess. To Fiona, words like that might sound like a lame excuse. After all, she was a madwoman who threw herself at a plethora of different sports, expecting to excel in each and every one of them. Sorry, but Im not as good at multitasking. Yuel excused himself. I believe its far better for me to focus on one main sport and train to become a pro at it. Everything else is secondary. He held onto this exact mentality two years ago as well, therefore he neglected his chess practice. He only did the bare minimum to keep himself in shape and improve on some of his smaller faults, but he didnt intensely research any new positions or such. To be fair, I still expected to go further than this. Yuel thought as he scrolled through the three matches he played that day. The tournament had a single-elimination format, so a single defeat spelled his doom. And, said defeat happened to come as early as the third round. Truly, it wasnt a befitting performance for a former regional champion. So, who did I lose to, again? Yuel checked his last game. Im surprised I dont even remember who defeated me. Im usually way more attentive to my own defeats, but I guess I was too obsessed with Mancers at the time to really care. Yuel opened the overview of the third game. Before anything else, he checked the name of his opponent. The name displayed there was... Cato Francis. Just great. Yuel frowned. I have a bad feeling about this... He loaded the game and examined it move by move. The early-game was according to standard theory for the most part. The enemys development was on the slower side, but the guy smoothly deflected every attack Yuel launched at that point. Nonetheless, nothing in particular seemed too impressive about this opponent. As far as Yuel could tell, he had an obvious board advantage from early on. Did I really lose this? Yuel wondered as the early-game went on. With how slow his development is, it shouldve been easy enough to take control of the board. I know I was less invested in chess at the time, but this looks like an open-and-shut case... or not. The match proceeded into the mid-game with a rather awkward position. The enemys development was extremely slow, so much that it seemed as if Yuel will be able to steamroll the guy within minutes. However, upon closer inspection, things werent so simple. What a nasty pawn formation. Yuel paused the game and examined the board from various angles. Many of the enemys pieces were undeveloped, so Yuel held control over the center of the board, which was considered the most important territory. Nonetheless, it proved difficult for him to push that advantage through the enemys defensive formation. Instead of spending the early-game on developing his pieces, Cato chose to advance his pawns in order to form a tight blockade. From there, every line of attack Yuel used was shut down on the spot, before it had the chance to achieve anything. As a result, Catos tight formation completely stopped Yuels momentum. It felt as if Yuel constantly held the upper hand, yet he couldnt do anything worthwhile with that advantage. I suppose this position wasnt as simple as it initially looked. Yuel frowned. I probably didnt pay enough attention to realize that at the time. Thats why I overextended a little here and there. Back then, when he noticed that the enemy was lagging behind in development, it prompted Yuel to speed up his own development even further. The plan was to swiftly seize control over the entire board and force the opponent into submission. Alas, in the process, Yuel created multiple weaknesses in his formation. He positioned his units with certain textbox expectations in mind, but his opponents refused to play along with the standard theory. I can already see how I might end up in a bad position from here. Yuel skimmed through the next few moves. Like I thought, I tried to bash my head against this wall of defense. That didnt quite work out for me. His younger self continued developing pieces at a rapid pace while desperately searching for an angle to attack from. Unfortautnely, in the process, he very much neglected his own backline. Yuel didnt exactly blunder at any specific point along the way, but his sub-optimal decisions sure piled up. Slowly but surely, he was driving himself into a corner. With that said, I see Cato took his sweet time. Yuel frowned. So distasteful. Even after it became clear that Yuel was at a tremendous disadvantage, his opponent didnt hurry to deliver the finishing blow. No, this Cato guy continued playing slow and steady, developing his pawns and pieces at his own pace. What a disgusting playstyle. Yuels skin crawled. Its like he was enjoying this. Slowly, very slowly, Cato was tightening a noose around Yuels neck. And slowly, very slowly, he was choking Yuel to death. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. No wonder I erased this game from my mind. Even looking at it now makes me feel a little sick. It was plain suffering. For Yuel who advocated quick aggressive strategies, a slow game like that was equivalent to torture. At some point, it became crystal clear that he lost, and yet his opponent refused to deliver the killing blow. Instead, that sadist continued to slowly, very slowly, torture Yuel. It was hell. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But, I couldnt just throw the towel, could I? Yuel reasoned. It was an official tournament and I remember people spectating my matches that day, probably because I was the previous champion. So, I didnt want them to see me quitting like that. And so, Yuel had no choice. He had to keep struggling to the bitter end, even against these frustratingly impossible odds. As the game dragged on, it was becoming painfully clear that Yuel was getting fed up with everything. He started losing concentration, making one suboptimal move after another as he desperately tried to salvage this godforsaken game. I admit I couldve played a lot better there. Yuel criticized some of the moves of his younger self. Even though he has only been playing chess on the side for the past two years, his chess brain still matured and he learned many important things since then. Therefore, if he played the same game today, he wouldve done a far better job. But, from this position, Id still probably lose. He admitted. This was a lost position, no matter how I look at it. Trying to win from here is an exercise in futility. Yuel skipped up ahead in the game, ignoring all the nonsensical moves Cato made in order to drag the game out even more. Its as if he was enjoying every second of this. Yuel frowned. Considering how he plays, I wouldn''t be surprised if he enjoys watching his opponents when theyre filled with disgust and despair. The game eventually concluded, with Cato coming on top. It was the game that eliminated Yuel from that tournament two years ago, kicking him off the high horse known as the regional champion. Truly, his legend was a short-lived one. After that, Yuel hasnt participated in any offline chess events. He still played chess online every now and then, but he no longer considered himself a true competitive player. Chess was just a serious hobby for him, nothing more. In that sense, the final game against Cato was like Yuels retirement game, yet he completely forgot about it until now. Or rather, he deliberately erased that obnoxious game from his memory. Honestly, as far as chess is concerned, there isn''t even much I can learn from this one game. Modern game theory dictated that piece development was the most important thing during the early game. Therefore, postponing early development in exchange for pushing pawns was extremely rare. It was simply too inefficient. If I was more composed, I wouldve easily won. Yuel concluded. Indeed, that game was an exception, an odd one-time defeat. If Yuel had another chance to play Cato, even on the very same day, then he would have surely won. As long as he could anticipate that pawn strategy ahead of time in any capacity, then there were countless ways to outplay it. In other words, Yuels defeat was something of a fluke. Fiona said this guy plays for the Leopards. Hmm. Yuel went over the enemy''s roster in his mind. AbosluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger were out of the question. Those two were the pinnacle of the Leopards'' offense For the Cato from that chess game, the very concept of offense was as alien as it could possibly get. So, it was highly unlikely he decided to try offense in Classmancers. Old habits like that die hard. TheTheorist was also out of the question because she was a girl. As little as Yuel remembered about that match, he was certain he didnt lose to a female player that day. By following this process of elimination, the only remaining options were Merlin and Rook. They were both defensive players who took things slowly, pressuring the opposition into submission through a persistent defense. I can see either of them playing chess in the same way Cato did. But, if I had to pick one of them, then I''d go with Rook. Rook was the leader of the Leopards, and most likely their shot-caller. So, judging by the defensive formation the Leopards employed, this shot-caller clearly liked defensive strategies. In addition, there were strong hints that suggested this shot-caller enjoyed dragging the games out more than necessary. That, too, was in line with how Cato played against Yuel. And, his name is also a dead giveaway. Yuel reasoned. The nickname "Rook" most likely referenced the rook piece from chess. To be honest, in his case, I think Pawn would fit better, seeing as he likes his pawns so much. But, I can understand why he didnt want to call himself that. Despite its importance, the Pawn was considered the most disposable piece in chess. Therefore, no self-respecting chess player would like to associate himself with that image. On the other hand, the Rook was a strong and respectable piece, second only to the Queen herself. Therefore, it was a fairly attractive nickname. Now that I think about it, this guy stole my nickname! Yuel grumped. I remember trying to choose Rook as an IGN but it was already taken. Because of that, I got stuck with a needlessly bombastic nickname like Chessmaster. This is all Catos fault! At this point, Yuel has already developed two personal reasons for defeating Cato in particular. The upcoming scrim turned into an opportunity to enact revenge on a long-forgotten nemesis. I''m glad I checked out this game. I feel like I understand Rook much better as a shot-caller now. Before, many aspects of Rook''s defensive shot-calls were questionable at best. But now, they all made a lot of sense after understanding what kind of chess player stood behind them. Of course, there will still be many differences between his shot-calling his chess tactics. But at least, I now better understand how his ideal game plan looks like. With that, the brief research on Cato came to an end. Yuel unearthed some unexpected new information, and now it was up to him to figure out how to utilize that information in the upcoming game. First Fiona revealed she picked up Mancers, and now I learn Cato did as well. It''s as if my chess past is chasing me. But, I dont mind. Strong chess players were likely to be good strategies, so they should be able to challenge Yuels shot-calling in interesting ways. Matches against them will likely involve lots of planning and outsmarting, the kind of challenge Yuel enjoyed the most. Not to mention, there will probably be a lot to learn from the tactics these players bring to the table. Especially, itll be interesting how Fiona will approach Classmancers, seeing as she was an outsider to video gaming in general until recently. But, first is Cato. Im sure hell turn todays scrim into a fierce clash between offense and defense. It has been many months since Yuel last faced a real hyper-defensive team. Aside from a few rare encounters in Ranked, the last time somebody tackled Yuel in this manner was during the selection match against Howard, which didnt end favorably. But, I won''t lose this time. Ive come a long way in that department since then. Yuel has already learned the importance of integrating defensive shot-calls into his game plan. The fateful match against Howard taught him a good lesson on that front. However, the Taurus scrimmage also proved that fierce offense was just as important as defense. Therefore, Yuel was free to utilize his favorite offense as he pleased, as long as he wasnt playing against a hyper-defensive team that knew how to counter it. Its a balancing act. Yuel thought. Against most opponents, my offense works very well. However, against opponents like Howard (and probably Cato) Ill have to tone down the offense a little and make sure to reinforce the defense too. Offense and defense were like two sides of the same coin. They were both necessary to form a formidable game plan. Many times, a fierce offense was good enough to overwhelm the enemy and destroy them on the spot. Thats why Yuel largely preferred strategies like that, as they allowed him to control the flow of the game from the get-go. However, some opponents refused to be controlled. They hid in their shells, ignoring and deflecting everything Yuel threw at them. It was very tempting to continue striking at the shell in hope of tearing it down. But, the harder Yuel attacked, the more holes he left unchecked in his backline. And then, at some point, the enemy would come out of the shell and deliver a fatal counter. Thats exactly how Yuel lost to Cato in chess two years ago, and thats roughly how he lost to Howard in the selection match as well. Against defensive opponents like that, it was necessary to use a more moderate offense. It was fine to stay on the offensive for the most part, but it was crucial to reinforce the defense as well. In long matches like that, the slightest overextension could cost the game. Therefore, Yuel had to be careful to not let that happen to his team ever again. I''ve spent much of the past month studying how to balance offense and defense. So, in a way, I couldn''t ask for a better opportunity to put it all to test. A hyper defensive opponent is exactly the test subject I need. The upcoming match was going to be a great simulation for Yuels inevitable rematch with Howard. Itll tell how much closer he got to the goal of busting through hyper defensive teams. Of course, there were some major differences between StormBlitz and the Leopards as defensive teams. Nonetheless, there were also many uncanny similarities between Howard and Catos shot-calling. It almost felt as if they were inspired by the same pro player, whoever that might be. Honestly, my impression is that Howard''s defense is superior. But, it might be just my bias speaking for me. After all, Ive lost to him so many times in practice matches.... Regardless, Howard and Catos defenses were roughly on the same level and they shared some similarities too. That should be good enough for a simulation. By triumphing over Cato''s defense today, Yuel will be one step closer to catching up with Howard. The upcoming match was like a midterm exam that''ll give a glimpse of how well Yuel will do in the finals. Therefore, this was one scrimmage he absolutely had to ace, no matter what! Vol.14 Ch.6: Sleepy Troublemaker In less than 5 minutes, the long-anticipated scrimmage against the Leopards will begin. This match will put Stratus to the test like never before. Theyll be facing no less than the undefeatable regional champions! But, according to Howard, thats only the first part of the test. Even if they clear that hurdle, a far more difficult challenge will be awaiting them next. Ill find a way to clear both. Yuel was determined. I''ll defeat Cato''s shot-calling and Ill find some weakness in that Korean player. The team is ready for anything. They improved a lot over the past month. We properly reviewed our mistakes from the Taurus scrimmage and we all worked on them. At least, most of us did... There was one guy who refused to cooperate throughout the whole period. He refused to change his ways no matter how much Yuel argued with him. It was none other than Luke, the so-called LegendaryMemer. "Don''t worry, man. I''mma do my job just fine in tournaments. Word." That''s the kind of nonsense Luke usually used to dismiss Yuel''s complaints. These conversations felt like bashing his head against a wall. So, at some point, Yuel simply stopped trying. There was no reasoning with that fool, thats the only viable conclusion. I just hope Nia will last longer today. Yuel glanced at the problematic girl, who also neglected to work on one of her greatest weaknesses. Namely, her sleepiness. "This is how my body functions. I can''t go against it." That was Nia''s excuse. The girl was cooperative enough when it came to fixing her problems in the game itself. But, outside of that? She was stubborn as a mule. It was impossible to make her budge. Lars suggested that Nia should start exercising on a regular basis in order to inject her body with more energy. The girl was thin as paper, but not because she was athletic. She was just one of those kids who didnt gain any visible fat no matter how much they ate. So, no matter how much she stuffed herself with chocolate, there were no obvious consequences for this unhealthy lifestyle, at least for now. Im sure itll hit her hard when she gets older. But, arguments like that never convince kids our age. Turning old sounds like such a distant event that it barely even feels real. Regardless, Yuel tried to push that narrative. He seconded Larss idea and he lectured Nia about the many benefits of exercising, both for the near future and the far future. He even used himself as a living example. Exercising helped him plenty back when he was starting out with Classmancers. It tremendously improved his concentration, reaction speed, and stamina. It was so effective, that he stuck with the routine to this very day, despite thinking it was pure hell at first. Unfortunately, all of it went in one ear and out of the other. Nia blocked out the information and insisted she couldn''t fix how her body worked. And now, a month later, her stamina wasn''t any better than it was during the Taurus scrimmage. It was rather worrisome. On top of that, it also looks like she didn''t get much sleep last night. Yuel examined the troublemaker, who was lying motionless on the sofa. She was clearly sleep-deprived, no question about it. She had time to nap at the bus, but she kept answering my trivia questions from her sleep. So, that nap probably didnt do much for her. Judging by how well Nia answered Yuels review questions, it was clear she diligently prepared for todays match. Even though she didnt admit it, she probably stayed late into the night memorizing various details against todays opponents. It was very much unlike the usual Nia, who normally only searched for excuses to slack off outside the game. Did she cram everything at the last moment? Yuel frowned. Its definitely possible. I stressed so many times yesterday how important it is for the Junglers to be prepared, so maybe Nia took it to the extreme. In fact, Im almost convinced its the case. Sigh. Now, the result of that last-moment crunch time was staring Yuel right in the face. Nia was lying on the sofa like a corpse, exhibiting no signs of life. There was a good chance she already succumbed to a deep slumber and wont be able to wake up for the first game. But, theres no way I can allow that. Yuel approached the sleepyhead. We dont have the luxury to meme around against the Leopards, especially not until we bring out their secret player. So, no matter how much she wants to sleep, Nia has to play. Nia, we have to go soon. ................. Nia. Wake up. Yuel gently shook her. ............................................. No response, huh. Yuel sighed. I wish I was surprised, but Im not. Nias sleeping technique was definitely something else. Vincent described it as slipping into another dimension and it really felt that way sometimes. The girl wouldnt budge even if an atom bomb went off in the same room. But, I know just the thing to lure her out of that other dimension. Yuel didnt waste any more time trying to shake the girl awake. That was futile, he knew that from experience. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Instead, he approached Nias bag and fished inside. As always, one of the pockets was packed to the brim with countless brands of chocolate. From my experience, this one is the most effective. Yuel grabbed a bar of chocolate, unwrapped it, and brought it to Nias nose. This brand seems to have a stronger aroma than the others, so it has the best chance of tickling her senses. Nia, theres something you really like over here. How about you take a bite? ........... gufu... Nias nose twitched. Its working! Yuel pumped a fist. The experiment is a success! Like I thought, this brand is the most effective method to date. Gu... fu... Nia took a bite of the chocolate in front of her. Good, good. Now, I just need to annoy her a little. Yuel slowly pulled the bar of chocolate away from the hungry critter. After each bite, Nia had to work a little harder for the next one. It was like taming a wild animal with food. After giving the pet four bites, Yuel completely removed the bar of chocolate from the scene. Now, what will the sleepyhead do? Gu... Nia tried to bite once more, but her teeth only clanked against each other without hitting any chocolate. Nonetheless, that didnt discourage the chocolate-addicted animal quite yet. She blindly searched for her prey without opening her eyes. Alas, all her random bites came to naught. The chocolate was no longer in the vicinity. Guuu... Nia reluctantly opened her eyes after failing five times in a row. The situation has successfully irritated the Chocolate Devourer, forcing her to descend to the mortal realm. Finally awake? Yuel asked as he brought the chocolate closer. Gu... Nia bit the chocolate without responding to his query. I understand that youre sleepy, but we need you to play in the first game. Gu... gu! Nia went for another bite, but Yuel pulled it away at the last moment. Youll get the rest after you promise to wake up and play. But, Im tired... Its okay, Im sure your stage fright will kick in once go onto the stage. It should give you the adrenaline you need to stay awake. Im sure todays audience will be much bigger than last time, so look forward to it. Goodnight. Nia gave up on the chocolate and knocked herself out. Hey now. Yuel shook her. You cant run away from it. Youre the teams main Jungler, so you have to fulfill that role. Gufu... Dont wanna... Too scary... And here I thought shell overcome her stage fright after the first scrimmage. Yuel sighed once again. Hed be rich if he got paid for every time Nais shenanigans made him sigh like this. Soooooo. Luke snickered. Does that mean its my turn to shine!? Shush, you. Kai shot him down. Nia will play. Right, Nia? Gufu... Nia puffed her cheeks. Weve talked about this how many times already, right? You cant keep running away from the stage. Totally, dude, Lars tuned in. Yall never overcome that stage-fright thingy unless you throw yourself into the fray. Scary... Indeed, it is a harsh trial, Vincent joined out of nowhere. However, once you conquer it, you shall burst out of your cocoon as a powerful butterfly! The name VanishingFlower will ring loud across the entire competitive scene! Sounds even scarier... Youre not helping. Kai shot Vincent a glare. Apologies. Vincent bowed like a nobleman. It appears this heroine is not yet ready to accept her call to adventure. But it shall happen with time, surely. One after another, everybody joined in to try and talk Nia into leaving the bed. Even though Yuel was the most experienced in the field, it wasnt just his personal responsibility and Kai recognized as much. Therefore, she made sure to intervene in the matter more frequently recently. The more peer pressure they could pile on that sleepyhead, the better. To be honest, Ben said weakly. Im also a little nervous. Im not sure Ill even get to play today, but knowing that many people will be watching is kind of scary. Cmon man, Luke said. Are you trying to encourage her or to scare her? S-Sorry, I thought she might feel a little better if she knew shes not alone like that... Thats a good point, actually, Kai said. Look, Nia. Youre not special, okay? Were all hella nervous here. Just because we arent openly complaining about it, it doesnt mean we dont feel the pressure. Yeah, true, Lars backed it up. I always act all gung-ho and stuff, but even I get goosebumps before we go on stage, for real. In your case, Yuel thought. I have a feeling these are goosebumps from excitement, not from pressure. But, Nia doesnt have to know that. Even you get nervous...? Nia slowly opened her eyes. Raising her eyelids took as much effort as lifting 200 kg weights, but she did it. Larss confession turned out to be that impactful. Ok, then Ill try... Nia finally decided to lift herself off the sofa. She pushed her hands against the soft surface and raised her back... only to collapse a moment later. Too tired... no energy... Here, eat some more. Yuel brought the chocolate bar closer. Mufufu. Nia nibbled through the bar like a hamster. Ok, a little better. But, still so sleepy... Seriously? Kai sighed deeply. So, anybody else got any ideas on how to wake up this girl? We dont have much time, Yuel pointed out. We have to start heading to the stage. Dont worry, guys! Luke reassured. Ill sub in for her. I can even pick Rogue so you wont feel her absence, haha. No, shes awake enough to play, Yuel insisted. Sorry to ask you again, Lars, but could you please carry her? Im sure the pressure of the stage will wake her up really fast. Okey-dokey. Lars lifted the log in his arms. And so, with Nia in hand, the team headed to the grand stage. There, theyll face their greatest challenge yet - the Leopards. And, there was also the phantom Korean player lurking in the shadows. Itll be a difficult matchup, no question about it. In fact, according to Yuels initial estimation, Stratus odds werent that favorable. Therefore, every single member of the team had to do their absolute best here today, or else the team wont even have a glimmer of hope. And, that especially applied to Nia. She better fully wake up before the game starts. Yuel thought. I dont know how many games shell last, so we have to start off strong and steal as many games as possible before they adapt to her. With such heavy thoughts weighing on Yuels mind, the scrimmage was about to kick off! Vol.14 Ch.7: Catos Greeting The competitive stage. It was a dazzling arena in which warriors had the opportunity to show off the results of all the blood, sweat, and tears they shed to get this far. And once more, Stratus set foot on this holy land. This time, they came to challenge the Leopards, the regional champions. The entire enemy team was already organized on the stage, waiting for Stratus arrival. It was apparent that their coach, Rodriguez, was very strict about appearances. He stood at the back and watched over all his soldiers like a commander. But, thats not the entire squad. Yuel reminded himself. There should be another player out there, someone who has no intention of showing his face until its absolutely necessary. Yuel scanned the stage. Unfortunately, there was no special sixth player on the front line, but that was a given. If Apprentece was anywhere in this stadium at the moment, then itd be either in the audience or at the back of the stage. The audience I wouldnt find him there even if I tried. The front rows were filled with the Leopards supporters. They were probably younger members of the club, potential opponents for the future. There were a couple of kids there who looked somewhat Asian, so searching for Apprentece there would be pointless. As such, Yuel directed his gaze to the back of the stage, to the area around Rodriguez. There, he saw yet another kid and he looked Asian to boot. Maybe thats him? Yuel wondered. He does look rather unpleased with the entire situation. The Asian boy was standing far behind the Leopards first-string, as if trying to stay out of view. From the side, it looked as if he didnt appreciate being involved in any of this. Oh? Yuel blinked. For a moment, his eyes locked with those of the Asian boy. Its as if the guy had a sixth sense and felt that Yuel was watching him. Or, maybe it was just a coincidence? Regardless, the Asian boy scoffed and turned away from Yuel. He had no intention of giving them the time of day. They were all insignificant as far as he was concerned, thats what his body language conveyed. Ill definitely drag you to the stage today, mark my words. Yuel asserted. But first, I have to make sure we can defeat the Leopards we know. It was time for the official greetings. As the captain, Kai stepped forth to greet Rook, the enemy captain. As the vice-captain, Yuel followed a few steps behind Kai. Likewise, a female player did the same for Rook. She was TheTheorist, the only female player on the Leopards. But, why did the two of them even step forward along with their captains? Unfortunately, nobody could quite answer that question. I hate how undefined the vice-captains role is. Yuel made a face. Some referees tell us to participate in the greetings, while others give us weird looks as if asking why we even stepped forward. Nonetheless, to be on the safe side, Yuel followed behind Kai. And, Theorist did the same, probably due to the same considerations. Better safe than sorry. Unlike the time with Taurus, the greetings went by smoothly this time. Nobody from the Leopards disrespected Kai for her gender here, which was only natural for a team that received professional coaching. Not to mention, Theorist was their vice-captain, so they definitely didnt discriminate against female players. And in general, it felt like they respected the competitive stage and their opponents. Actually, Im not 100% sure about that. Yuel corrected himself. They''re not showing it, but theyre probably looking down on all of us as a team. Their confidence is practically oozing out. Especially Rook, the enemy captain, wore an ever-present smile on his face. He was smiling nearly the entire time, but it wasnt a smile that invoked a sense of friendliness. No, it was a smile of confidence, the smile of somebody who believed they were above others. They probably think of us as a warm-up practice, nothing more. Yuel thought. Im sure they expect to beat us 3 times in a row, then switch over to their second-string just like in previous scrims. But, that wont happen today. The Stratus of this year was unlike ever before. They were no longer the dark horse of the region, and theyll prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt today by defeating the powerhouse in front of them. The greetings concluded briefly after the referee said a few words to both sides, all according to protocol. Thats where the formalities should have ended, but instead of returning to his team, Rook stepped toward Yuel. Fancy meeting you again on this stage. Cato, right? Yuel verified. My, you even remember my name? Im honored. Looks like our match left a long-lasting impression on you. I suppose it did... Actually, I deleted it from my memory five seconds after it ended. As were both shot-callers here today, Cato continued. It looks like well have another chance to play chess against each other. He stretched his hand. Who knows, maybe this time youll fare better~ I definitely will. Yuel accepted the handshake. In fact, I couldve easily beaten you that day as well if we had a rerun. Oh? Is that how you remember it? Cato titled his head. Because, if my memory serves, I stomped you pretty hard that game~ Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. You took me by surprise, thats all. I wasnt prepared for that pawn barricade you created. My, you remember that match down to the last detail? Cato smiled impishly. I cant imagine how salty it mustve made you to lose to such an unorthodox strategy. Salty? Not at all, Yuel said. I was just caught off guard by a strategy that had a very poor affinity with my own, thats all. It was a combination of my inability to adapt fast enough and my lack of research regarding your playstyle, thats about it. At least youre honest about your shortcomings, I respect that. But, you still seem to be implying that my playstyle didnt impress you much, even though I destroyed you so thoroughly~ As I said, it was just a case of bad affinity and me being unprepared, thats all, Yuel repeated. At the time, I already started getting into Mancers, so I had to divide my free time between researching the two games. I ended up focusing more on Mancers, which is why my chess performance suffered. Sounds like excuses if you ask me. Then, Ill let todays scrimmage convince you. Oh? As you said, were both shot-callers, so this scrim will be similar to a rerun of our chess match, right? Lets see whose shot-calling comes on top today. I like that. Cato nodded, with a confident smile not leaving his face for a single millisecond. Honestly, Im a bit skeptical about the specs of your army, But, if youre so confident, then I wont say anything. Our specs are just fine, thank you for your concern. Haha, alrighty then. Then, lets enjoy this rerun. Ill make sure to stomp you five games in a row, so youll stop spouting nonsense about how you could easily beat me if you were prepared. Well see about that. The two of them turned their backs to each other and returned to their respective teams. You know that dude? Lars asked. Yeah, it turns out I do, Yuel confirmed. I played chess against him once before. Oh! Vincent made noise. Such a fateful coincidence! Former chess rivals reunite on the competitive stage of Classmancers! So, whats the story? Lars asked. Dude is seeking revenge on you because you beat him hard or something? ... something like that. Yuel felt it was unnecessary to go into specifics. Telling them that I lost might harm their morale. Theres no good reason to share that info with them. "Sick, yo!" Lars pumped a fist. "So, it''s like weve already won! Yuel gonna use that strategy thingy of his to mop dat Rook dude, right? He did it once, so he can do it again no problem!" "Indeed, indeed!" Vincent hyped it up as well. "It appears we already possess a definitive advantage in the strategy department. "Right" Yuel felt like the hype was getting a little out of hand but it was too late to stop it. Well, Ill just have to deliver the results they''re expecting, then it won''t be a lie. I''m sure I can crush Cato''s defensive game plan in chess, so I''ll just have to do the same in Classmancers. The other team showed some interest in Yuel and Catos exchange as well. "You never mentioned you knew their Support," Sonya said. "It''s a trivial detail, not even worth mentioning." Cato shrugged. "We played each other in a chess tournament two years ago, thats all. Nothing too special." "Is that really all? You wouldn''t remember a random opponent you faced two years ago unless they left an impression." "My, as perceptive as ever. As expected from my secretary." "Who''s your ''secretary''?" Sonya gave him a look. "Anyway, how come you remember a random opponent from two years ago? Don''t you try switching topics on me." "My, always blunt and to the point, aren''t you? That''s why boys are afraid to approach you~" "As if I care." "Oh right, you dont, do you? After all, Jennifer is the only one for you~" "What are you even..." Sonya sighed. "Well? Did you hit your joke quota yet? I''d appreciate an answer to my previous question. How come you remember a random chess opponent from two years ago?" "It''s cute how serious you get about every little thing~" "Can you blame me? You just casually revealed important data I wasnt aware of. Depending on how the two of you are related, it might have a big impact on the match." "Alright, alright, I get it. Relax." Cato smiled wryly. "But really, as I said, it''s nothing important. We just played each other two years ago at the chess regionals. The reason I remember him? It''s because he won the regionals a year before that." "So, he has a record like that." Sonya made mental note. "Did you only recognize him now on stage? Or, did you know he was Chessmaster all along?" "Who knows~" "It''s not funny. If I knew he''s a chess player of that level, I would''ve looked into his match records. It couldve helped me profile him better as a shot-caller." "Is that really necessary?" Cato asked. "Chess is chess, Mancers is Mancers. We got plenty of data about him already, from footage thats a lot more recent than some oldie from two years ago." "I rather leave no stone unturned. We have limited information about our opponents as it is, so every little bit helps. I thought you understood that much." "Oh yes, of course I do. But as I said, you''re taking it way too seriously. It''s just one chess match, nothing more." "Oh, I think I figured why you kept quiet about it. You lost that match, didnt you?" "Not at all. I crushed him thoroughly." Cato smiled confidently. "He stood no chance against my unbreakable Pawn Wall." "Pawn Wall? Really? Do you play like that even in tournaments?" Sonya made face. She had the honor of playing chess against Cato a couple of times before. These bitter experiences made her develop conflicted feelings toward his playstyle. It was a defensive style that definitely worked, but it went against so many chess conventions. As somebody who improved in chess by studying theory, Sonya had a hard time stomaching Catos Pawn Wall nonsense. "Anyway, Sonya said. I''d like to review that match you had with Chessmaster, if you don''t mind." "My secretary is ever busy, isnt she?" Cato smiled impishly. "No problem, I''ll send you the records during the break." "Thanks. And, next time, I''d appreciate it if you informed me ahead of time. You never know where we might find crucial data." "Duly noted." Cato saluted with a smile. Of course, there was a very good reason why he didn''t share this piece of information until now. And no, it wasn''t just to tease Sonya, even though that was definitely part of the fun. The real reason was a little too awkward to share. Basically, Cato wasnt sure whether Yuel even remembered their match. If I bragged about how I crushed him at a chess tournament", but then turns out he doesnt even remember the match, itll be a little embarrassing, wouldnt it? Would make it sound like Im obsessed with that one random match or something. Awkward. It was a pathetic reason, Cato was perfectly aware of that. But, in the first place, he didnt consider any data from that chess match to be too relevant for today, so it really wasnt worth losing any reputation over it. But, I''m glad he remembered~ Cato smiled impishly. Now, I can publicly announce how I crushed him at that chess tournament and traumatized him so much he still remembers the match~ And, he was a former regional champion to boot, which says a lot about my own level, hehe~ With these funny thoughts swirling in his mind, Cato returned to the team along with Sonya. And so, the formalities between the two teams were over. Now, it was time to do battle! Vol.14 Ch.8: Professional Warm-Up Before the actual game, there was a warm-up phase. Both teams were allowed to enter practice mode and check out the settings, controls, etc. It was a brief phase but one of utmost importance. It allowed the players to warm up their fingers for the upcoming bout, as well as get used to the unfamiliar equipment. Rodriguez stressed many times how important it was for pro players to be able to adapt to unfamiliar game gear. After all, they had to play on many different stages throughout their career and the equipment was different everywhere. He shared some stories about spoiled novices who blamed their poor performance on the uncomfortable equipment. That was an unacceptable excuse unless the equipment was outright malfunctioning. Suffice to say, such players never survived long in the pro scene. To get the Leopards used to this harsh reality, Rodriguez periodically switched up the equipment which the first-string was allowed to use during club practice. He rotated through a couple of different popular models of keyboards and mouses, the ones that were radically different from each other. It''s such an overkill, really. Cato sighed as he went through his usual warm-up routine. But, it has its merit. One of the models we use at the club is pretty much like this one, so I already feel at home here. Cato has already played on this stage twice this year, but that alone wasnt enough to let him master the equipment of ProCenter. It was only thanks to Rodriguez''s over-the-top attention to detail that using this equipment felt like second nature. On the other hand, for a club that didn''t have the luxury of trying out this model during practice, there was always a period of adaptation. "Dang, it missed!" Lars pouted. "C''mon, I should''ve landed that headshot!" "Just try again," Yuel said. "You''ll get used to it. Or rather, it''d be a problem if you don''t." "Yeah, no problem. I''mma get the hang of it, I always do. It usually takes me a couple of minutes, tho." "Yes, thats understandable." Yuel frowned at the results of his own shooting practice. Perhaps he was never known for his sniping skills, but even so, the result in front of him was worse than usual. And, it wasnt just the aim. His Cryomancer didn''t quite move as he commanded. There was extra sensitivity and offset that he had to get used to. Fortunately, since the players had to log in with their own accounts, the game was smart enough to load their game settings. Whats more, it was possible to create multiple setting profiles for different occasions. Thanks to that feature, under the ProCenter profile, Yuel arranged special configurations for audio, sensitivity, and so forth. These were the settings he considered best for the equipment in ProCenter... or so he thought, back when he configured them. This feels a little off. Yuel frowned. Is the equipment different? Or, did I get used to different settings during practice? Since Yuel only played in ProCenter once in a while, he couldnt tell what actually changed: his preferences or the equipment. Either way, the settings he loaded felt a little off, so he had to adjust them yet again. This is irritating, Yuel muttered. "I wonder if we can purchase the same models of keyboard and mouse for the club.." "Oh! That''s real smart, actually!" Lars agreed. Except, our club has effectively no budget. Thats true, haha... I guess well have to buy it individually. "Yeah, makes sense. I''mma ask my folks about it later. I haven''t asked them for anything pricey in a while, so it should be A-OK." "Good for you." Yuel smiled wryly. "As for me, that probably will never happen, not with my strict allowance." "Can''t you just ask your mom to buy da stuff?" "I can, but I have a strong feeling she wont be interested in covering this expanse. Shes not exactly thrilled about me playing Mancers." "Okay, no problem! I''mma just ask my folks to buy one for you, too." "I appreciate the thought, but I can''t accept such a generous gift out of nowhere. Gaming equipment isnt exactly cheap." Yeah, thats true. Then, how about I sneak it in as a birthday present? Thats a 200 IQ play right there! My birthday is still months away, though. Then... itll be an early birthday present! Youre really pushing it, but its not entirely unreasonable, Yuel said. Anyway, we can discuss this later. Focus on your warm-up for now. Out of everybody here, its the most important for you to be in top shape. No problem, yo. Gimme five minutes and Imma draw out 200% of my power, believe it! Thats good to hear. Yuel nodded. I wish everybody was as motivated as you about the warm-up phase. Especially, a certain somebody who thinks this is a good opportunity to take a nap. Gufu... Nia twitched in her chair, with her eyes closed. While everybody else was busy in Practice mode, Nia took the opportunity to close her eyes and drift into slumber. Cmon, wake up, Yuel urged. You need to warm up, too. So sleepy... Then do the warm-up, itll wake you up. I can join your room and duel you if thatll help. Maybe it will... Nia put her hands on the mouse and keyboard, with her eyes still shut. She had to search for the equipment by touch as if she was blind. This looks worse than her usual sleepiness. Yuel thought. Shes not just faking sleepiness to dodge responsibility, shes actually sleepy this time. I hope this doesnt cause any problems... You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Perhaps it was hasty of Yuel to force Nia on stage. The girl barely even reacted to the fact she was on a big stage with a large audience. Her stage fright didnt even kick in, thats how sleepy she was. It was mildly concerning, to say the least. Well, Im sure shell wake up once things get serious. Yuel reassured himself. Cmon, Ill join your room. Pretend like this is a real fight, with the teams victory on the line. Ok... Meanwhile, on the other team, the warm-up phase proceeded without a hitch. All members of the Leopard were accustomed to this brand of gaming gear, so nobody had an issue adjusting. And, since Rodriguez droned about the importance of warm-up countless times by now, nobody voiced a single objection to the procedure With that said, some of them were definitely more gung-ho about the procedure than others... You have been killed! Dang, bro! Ronald exclaimed. Cmon, one more time! Imma win this one! Youll try. William was unfazed by the bold declaration of his younger brother. Their score was 4-1 so far, so William was confident about his chances. Im in a good condition today. William examined his own hands. His body felt light and his mind was sharp. The light workout he did before getting on stage was showing off its effects. Not to mention, todays scrimmage was special. It was the first time this year that he was expecting to run into an actual challenge, one by the name of Gunz. Good, good. Cato smiled meaningfully as he watched the two brothers spar. Looks like the No.3 Strongest Player is wholly motivated to defeat Gunz and claim the No.2 spot. This is what I like seeing~ Hah. Sonya sighed as she watched the two siblings go hard at each other as if they were fighting for their lives. Where do they even get all that energy from? They better not burn themselves out before we get to the actual game. Well, they feel motivated about a scrimmage for once, so thats good as far as Im concerned, Cato said. Its the first time this year we might face an actual challenge. I suppose they really view Stratus as a potential threat. Ironic, isnt it? The weakest team might turn out to be one of the strongest well get to face this year, at least in this region. Perhaps. Oh? Cato tilted his head. It doesnt sound like you think Stratus is going to pose much of a challenge. They might, but it remains to be seen. The way I see it, their entire team is riding on the backs of Gunzs mechanical skill and Chessmasters shot-calling. If we shut those two down, it should be a cakewalk from there. My, I think youre underestimating the other members a little. We analyzed them thoroughly, I even rated all of them. We know where theyre standing. Yes, I get what youre saying. For sure, Chess and Gunz are the biggest threats for us. The rest are decent at best, so they got nothing on our lineup. Exactly. Sonya felt like there was nothing more to say on the topic, so she returned to her own warm-up routine. Hers wasnt nearly as intense as that of the brothers. It was very methodical, going over specific motions she prepared according to the coachs advice. Sonya swapped to Electromancer and landed a couple of hits on moving targets. Then, she dashed through the jungle and placed a ward along the way before reaching the Griffin Camp. After taking out the camp, she swapped to Knight and challenged an Ogre Camp with basic attacks, making sure to dodge all their incoming attacks as she sliced them down. After that, she swapped to Areomancer and held a mock duel against a Pyromancer bot configured for the highest difficulty. She made sure to zone out the Pyromancer thoroughly in the lane, not giving him any chance to get close, just as she should be doing against a real Pyromancer opponent. Sonya prepared all these training routines ahead of time and loaded them one after another. This was possible thanks to one of the many handy plugins for Practice mode that the game allowed to install. There were many such extensions that ClassSoft officially approved of and added to the in-game store. Some were free, some had to be purchased, and others had subscription plans. Thankfully, many of them were discounted or made free for competitive players, so Sonya didnt have to spend a cent on this one. Thanks to that, Sonya was able to comfortably and efficiently rotate through the pre-programmed training scenarios. It made her use multiple different classes and practice different common situations. It was almost like watching a speedrun session for a game tutorial. She went from practicing shots against moving dummies, to placing wards, to clearing camps, to laning against an AI opponent, to chasing a low HP opponent, to fleeing from an opponent, and so forth. Yikes. Id never be able to do something like this. Cato thought. Warm-up is important and all, but shes definitely taking it too far. Compared to Sonya, Catos training regime was far more conventional. He did some basic target practice, dodged some incoming enemy attacks, and simulated simple laning situations. These were the main scenarios a player encountered throughout a match, so these were the only activities Cato focused on. In the remaining time, he simply repeated the same motions with a melee class, to make sure his brain wasnt only warmed up for the controls of a ranged class. It was a simple and efficient routine, one which maximized results for minimum effort. That was always the best way to go about things. Besides, Im not even the laziest one around. Cato excused himself. Matt always does far less than that. Cato glanced at the neighbor sitting on his right. Out of everybody here, Matthews warm-up routine was the most basic. This lazy bum straight up logged into Practice mode, moved around a little, shot a couple of targets, cast a skill or two, and then called it a day. Yeah, just like that. The entire endeavor took him less than two minutes. Hes always like that, huh. Cato smiled wryly. Lazy but efficient. I cant say I hate that. With that said... Even for Matthew, todays warm-up routine was extremely short. He barely touched the keyboard at all. After rushing through a couple of basic motions, he just sat there and gazed to the distance, toward the table on the opposite side of the stage. Whats wrong? Cato asked. Are you trying to study our opponents from afar or something? Nah, Matthew replied. I was just wondering about one of their players. Is there someone you know? Maybe. Matthew wasnt sure. InformationBlackhole... what was his real name, again? Um, what was it? Cato scratched his head. Sec, Ill ask my secretary. Whos your secretary? Sonya lashed. InformationBlackhole is Vincent Valentine. My, you even remember the family name? As expected from my secretary~ Yeah, yeah. Sonya rolled her eyes. Then, its him, Matthew said. Even though he last saw that eccentric journalist wannabe almost three years ago, it seemed as if not too much changed about the guy. The same couldnt be said about Matthew, who was very different from back then. A friend of yours? Cato asked. Not exactly. But, we went to the same elementary school. Oh. Cato took a moment to choose his words. This was a delicate topic. Is he one of the bad guys? He whispered. No, he isnt. Although... Matthew opened and closed his mouth without producing any words. He had no idea how to continue that sentence. His feelings on the matter were jumbled. Nevermind. Hes just a former classmate, thats all. If you say so. Cato deduced there was more to the story, but it seemed Matthew wasnt comfortable about sharing the details at the moment. I better avoid opening any past wounds, especially right before the match. We cant afford to lose today, not to this team. This wasnt just another game they had to win for the honor of the Leopards. It was an important match that Cato had to personally deliver to victory, for it was a long-anticipated rematch against Yuel, the one-time chess champion. Youre not going to win the rematch, I guarantee you. Cato was confident. Ill prove to you that I can beat you even when youre fully prepared for the match. Todays game was more than just a scrimmage between two teams. It was a rematch, and possibly a showdown, between Cato and Yuel as strategists. Only one of them will walk away victorious today! Vol.14 Ch.9: A Game for Experimentation Moments before the warm-up period ended, Rodriguez went on stage to give one of his usual speeches. To start off, he got everybodys attention with a BIG THUNDERING CLAP. Ah! Everybody jumped at the explosive sound. No matter how many times theyve heard it by now, they could never get used to the sound of a bomb going off right next to them. And so, Rodriguezs speech began. As usual, it had a rather lengthy intro about the Leopards image as the regional champions and how the team was expected to perform spectacularly in order to inspire others to work harder. However, this time, Rodriguez cut to the chase much faster. With all certainty, your opponents today are a league above the previous ones youve faced, so make sure you dont underestimate them. Stratus was known as a weak team for many years, but that has nothing to do with their lineup this year. Yes, sir, Cato replied and the others nodded in approval. With that said, Rodriguez continued. Im still expecting you to win three games in a row. Stratus indeed has some very talented players, but remember - each and every one of you is a first-string player of the Leopards. Therefore, on this team, each and every player is talented beyond measure. I know that for a fact, for Im the one who handpicked you for the first-string. Rodriguez reminded them how everybody on this team went through two long years of advanced training in the club, save for Ronald who was a year younger than the others. The four seniors accumulated priceless experience, both in the club and in practice games against pros, making the team ready for almost anything that might come their way. The coachs lectures always got needlessly lengthy like that, but they did their job of instilling the players with confidence. And, theyre also great at applying pressure. Cato twitched uncomfortably. He was the captain of this prestigious team, so everybody placed their expectations on him. It was no easy burden to carry. But, theres no such thing as effortless world domination. Cato smiled impishly. If I want to command this army of minions and dominate the world with them, I got no choice but to subject myself to some stress and pressure. So, I gladly accept this burden. While the coach droned on, the other team was also mentally psyching itself for the upcoming match. Stratus didnt have a coach to give them a speech, so they had to improvise. After they warmed up enough, the entire team grouped up at the back of the stage. They joined together with the subs who had to sit this game out, by Larss passionate request. Lets do this, yo! Lars thrust his hand forward, signaling the others to do the same. Are we seriously doing this? Kai made a face. Cmon, yo! We should turn this into a tradition! I agree. Luke placed his hand on Larss. This is what all the cool sports teams in the movies do, right? Indeed! Vincent also placed his hand. This ritual shall announce our comradery to the universe and grant us access to the unbeatable power of friendship! Honestly, its a little embarrassing, Yuel said. But, I think its good for the teams morale. Thus, he placed his hand all the same. If you say so... Kai couldnt be the only one to object, so she joined in on the ritual. Then, me too. Ben also joined in after everybody else agreed. Cmon, Nia, Kai urged. You too. Gufu... Nia wobbled closer to the pack, with her eyes half-closed. Her steps were so unsteady that it looked like shell collapse at any second. Eventually, Nia successfully reached the pack and brought her hand closer... but completely missed the mark and tripped forward, landing with her face on the pile of hands. Zzz... Is this girl for real? Haha! Luke laughed. Shes one heck of a riot. Nia, thats not the body part youre supposed to place here... Kai criticized with a muffled chuckle. No big deal. Lars proceeded with the ceremony as if everything was in order. Cmon! One, two, three! They raised their hands simultaneously, ignoring the human head lying on top. Gufu! Nia got tossed away to the distance. Haha! Luke laughed. That was some big yeetus! Nia, you okay? Kai asked, but she didnt get a response. Zzz.... Nia already seized the opportunity to take a nap on the floor after being yeeted. Cmon, wakey-wakey. The match is starting up. Zzz... Everybody in the audience is watching, Yuel added. You dont want to sleep on the floor in front of them, right? Gufu! Nia jumped on her feet with an unexpected burst of energy. Then, she slowly, very slowly, turned her eyes to the audience. A shudder ran through her once she registered the sheer number of the people watching her every move. I-Im going! Nia strode toward her chair with robotic motions. For the better or the worse, her stage-fight finally kicked in. It was both a blessing and a curse. The pressure might help keep her awake, but itll probably also hurt her performance in the process. I really hope shes going to be okay... Yuel frowned as he went back to his seat. After taking a deep breath, he finally came to a decision. Well, that settles it. I was already thinking of turning the first game into a test run of sorts, and now it looks like I have no choice but to treat it as one. Before anything else, we first need to see how we measure up to our opponents. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. In the two scrimmages the Leopards have had thus far, the regional champions thoroughly decimated their opponents. With that huge skill gap, the matches didnt look like anything that even remotely resembled a competition. As a result, it was difficult to tell where the players of Stratus stood compared to that powerhouse. Were they close in skill level? Or, were they terribly far? Im sure Lars and I will be fine. Yuel thought. And, Kai should have no problems either as long as she plays like her usual self. But, what about the rest? And overall, how do we measure up to the Leopards as a team? These are questions we have to answer before anything else. Without that information, its impossible to form a reliable game plan. Listen, Yuel started. Do you remember how I mentioned before that we might want to treat the first game as a test run of sorts? Keep that in mind as you play this game. This isnt a tournament match and its a best-of-five, so its more important for us to gain information from this game than to outright win it. And like I said last time, Kai argued. I dont like the sound of that. Its almost like youre telling us that its fine to throw the game. Im not saying you should be fine with losing. You should definitely strive to win as much as you usually would. Then, whats the difference? The only difference is right here. Yuel pointed at his temple. Its a mentality thing. When I say test run, I mean we should pay extra attention to our opponents in this game and try to draw out as much information as possible from them. Especially, information concerning the gap between our skill levels. Mainly, whether it exists and how big or small it is. So, basically, Lars said. We gotta test how much stronger we are! Thats one way to look at it, I suppose. Yuel smiled wryly. Consider this a discovery game in which you are free to try things out, even plays youd otherwise be reluctant to try. The goal is to understand our opponents as much as possible, and to understand where we stand compared to them. I still dont get it, Kai said. For example, what are you gonna try out for this test run? It depends on how exactly the game develops, but for example, Ill probably try out some less conventional shot-calls. Also, Im making Lars pick something other than Elf for this game. Say what!? Lars jumped. What do you have against my Elf, dude!? Where did he hurt ya, yo!? We discussed this before, remember? Nope. Is that so. Yuel sighed. Basically, I want to see how you measure up to our opponents without Elf. Why tho? Theyre assuredly going to ban Trickshooter and Gunslinger, so Elf is the only last resort we have at the moment. We need more information before we can decide whether this is the right stage for revealing this ace. Oh, so its like a trump card! Lars grinned. Okay, gotcha. So, the first game we just gonna chill and use some standard stuff. But if we lose, then we gonna go all hardcore on them, right? Something like that. Okay, Im down! Heck, Imma show I can beat them just fine even without Elf. I dont even need to pull out my strongest classes today, yo! More like, you CANT pull most of them out. Yuel corrected. And, your Elf is definitely strong, but... There were some concerns regarding Larss power level with Elf. The goof definitely spent a lot of time polishing the class over the past few weeks and he improved a lot. But, was his Elf even close to his Trickshooter and Gunslinger...? Okay, I think I see you mean by test run, Kai said. Basically, youre saying we dont have to go all-in with everything we got. We can start out by testing the waters. Yes, exactly, Yuel said. Its a rare opportunity for us to face such a strong team, so its important to first understand where we stand. Theres still a lot we dont know about them, so if we go all-in right off the bat - we might crash and burn horribly due to a lack of information. And worst of all, well be giving them a lot of information in that situation. Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded. We mustnt show them all our trump cards right off the gate, for it shall give them plenty of time to brew a counter-attack. Firstly, we shall conduct an experiment and interrogate our foes for information! ... I guess thats one way to phrase it. Yuel rolled his eyes. Okay, Kai said. I actually have a class I wanna take for a ride. Ive been working on my Bomber over the past week, so Id like to test it out in a serious match. Bomber, huh. Yuel gave it some thought. Bomber was a class with a very high skill-ceiling, one that demanded mastery of execution in order to be utilized optimally. It demanded the player to be aggressive yet calculated in order to reap maximum benefits, as it was necessary to regularly attach bombs to enemies in order to deal big damage. As a result, Bomber was considered decent in the meta, but its usage rate was bogged down by the amount of dedication and mechanical skill required to master it. That wasnt a big issue in the pro scene, but in Ranked the execution barrier made the class scarce even in Challenger rank matches. Kai has been frequently picking Bomber in Ranked over the past few days, so it wasnt a bad idea to try it out on stage during the first game today. But, was it worth it? Its not like shes bad with Bomber. Yuel though. I just think shes still a little far from fully utilizing the class. Bomber is only high-tier when optimized. Otherwise, its a rather mediocre class. With that said, it was a rather aggressive but flexible pick. It had the ability to dish out a lot of burst damage, but it also provided great artillery support for teamfights. Therefore, in theory, it was a very strong pick against a hyper-defensive team like the Leopards. Sounds good to me, Yuel finally replied. If you want to test your Bomber against the competitive level, then this is your best chance to do it without risking elimination. But, are you sure you want Bomber of all things? I saw you trying many different mages over the past month. Yeah, Ive been trying to level up my skill in many of them. I wanna make sure Im ready for anything. After all, the last scrimmage really showed me how much skill Im still lacking. I have a lot of room for improvement. Are you sure you dont want to focus on a few main classes like Lars and Nia do? You might be spreading yourself too thin by focusing on so many different classes. Huh. Says the guy who plays the entire roster. Kai rolled her eyes. Its a different story for Support, Yuel explained. Unlike you, I dont have to directly overpower anybody in a fight. So, I have a lot more leeway in that sense. But, youd still be able to provide better supporting with a class youve properly mastered. True, but I dont think its worth the cost. I believe its more important for a Support to be flexible and counter-pick efficiently, rather than mechanically excel with specific classes. Id say flexibility is pretty damn important for Mid too. Its important for every role, but its more important for certain roles than it is for others. Yo! Lars interjected. No idea what you two arguing about over there, but the referee dude be staring at us. I think he wanna start things up. Right. Kai and Yuel disengaged from their debate and gave the referee their attention. Anyway, Ill be picking Bomber, Kai declared in a whisper. Okay, if thats what you want. Yuel didnt argue any further. If anything, this was a good opportunity for Kai to get a reality check. Of course, Ill be glad if she performs well. But, either way, itll be a good lesson for her. As both sides quieted down, the referee went over some final rules. It was the usual routine that followed the protocol to a T. And then, finally, he announced the beginning of the drafting phase. The long-awaited clash between Stratus and the Leopards was about to set off! Vol.14 Ch.10: Banning Main Classes The drafting phase began. For the first two bans, the Leopards targeted Gunz by removing Trickshooter and Gunslinger from the picture. Hmph. So unnecessary. William scoffed. Youre being too cautious. I can defeat him even if he plays these classes. Maybe you can, maybe you cant. Cato shrugged. Either way, why should we take the risk when we can just eliminate it entirely with a simple ban? Hmph. Whatever. You better keep your promise and let him play his main classes after we get three wins. Of course, of course. Im not exactly a fan of being restricted like this during the banning phase, you know? If it turns out his main classes dont pose much of a threat, then Ill gladly leave them unbanned in the future. With how outstanding Gunzs performance was with Trickshooter and Gunslinger, itd be foolish to not ban these classes. However, being forced to ban them also meant that Cato couldnt ban other classes he might have wanted. It was rather suffocating. Banning Trickshooter and Gunslinger already took 2/3 of the bans Cato had available for the first banning phase. On top of that, he would sometimes have to ban Shadow Walker too, as it was still unclear whether the class truly fell off from S tier or not. There was a lot of heated discussion on the recent changes related to Shadow Walker. Regardless, at the bare minimum, the class remained a dangerous A+ threat that nobody wanted to deal with. Though, part of it was probably a result of PTSD from dealing with the S tier Shadow Walker. Humans were such fragile creatures~ Personally, I wouldnt mind leaving it unbanned against other teams. Cato thought. But, Stratus got Vanishing. I feel like this class is right up her alley. Nobody has seen VanishingFlower play Shadow Walker on stage, but she seemed to main Junglers with stealth abilities. Therefore, she most likely knew how to play Shadow Walker and could cause a lot of trouble if she picks it. So yeah, no thank you. Cato and Sonya have already agreed on banning Shadow Walker for the third ban. There were no ifs or buts. And so, just like that, Cato was forced to burn through all three of his available bans. He didnt even get an option to make any meaningful decisions here. Everything was scripted ahead of time. This isnt exactly my idea of a fun chess game. Cato made a face. So, I really hope our No. 3 can defeat Gunz and reclaim his No. 2 spot. Itll give me a lot of breathing room during the banning phase. Meanwhile, unaware of Catos woes, the other team had total freedom with their bans. However, at the same time, it was also difficult to make many smart bans against the Leopards. They havent banned Shadow Walker yet? Yuel wondered. Normally, thatd be the first class you ban when you go second. Are they underestimating us? Or, do they no longer consider it an S tier class? Shadow Walkers current standing on the tier list was still a heated debate among top-level players. Now that its most broken build received a nerf, it was yet unclear whether Shadow Walker remained a powerful S tier class or was relegated into a decent A tier. Either way, even if its A tier, then its probably A+. Yuel believed. Nia can play Shadow Walker well, so itd be a mistake for them to leave it open. Not that Im complaining, of course. It was an interesting theorycrafting topic, but Yuel didnt have the time to linger on it. He had to pick one more ban, which was no easy task with the limited information he had at hand. Next is Warlock, Yuel informed the team. We dont know whether Theorist or Merlin will be playing Mid, but this is a class theyve both used to great effect. Sounds good, Kai said. It was truly fortunate that the Leopards exposed Warlock as a shared class between their two Mid Laners. There was almost no correlation between the classes their members played, which was the main reason this banning phase was so tricky. Still, its pretty vexing when I dont even know wholl be playing in which lane. Per tradition, the Leopards had two completely different lineups. Both comps consisted of the same members, but all their positions were swapped around. Not a single player retained the same role across the two lineups. According to an interview with Rodriguez, the Leopards coach, this Mixup strategy served two purposes. First, it demanded every member of the team to learn at least two different roles. That turned the players into more flexible competitors, both in mind and body. In the interview, Rodriguez mentioned that many young players mained a single role. They naively believed that theyll definitely get to play that role in the pro scene. But, what would happen if the pro teams they applied to had no open spots for that specific role? If the applicant had no backup roles to offer, then their chances of joining any of these pro teams were nil. Therefore, Rodriguez drilled the importance of role flexibility from a young age. He forced all members of the club, not only the starters, to pick up at least two roles. Thats some good long-term thinking. Yuel agreed. But, right now, it makes my life harder... That tied into the second purpose of the Mixup strategy. With two possible comps in hand, the Leopards could easily adjust their lineup in order to best counter the enemy they were facing. On top of that, since the two lineups featured the same players, it meant the Leopards could always adjust their plans on the fly even during the drafting phase. They had the freedom to postpone their decisions until after they saw the list of banned classes. For example, even if Yuel were to ban all the best classes the Leopards used in formation A, then the Leopards could simply choose to use formation B in that game, and vice versa. It was impossible to counter them in the truest sense of the word. No matter what I ban, I cant always account for both lineups. Yuel frowned. But at the same time, any class that showed up in both lineups is definitely ban-worthy. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Thats why Warlock was a good ban against the Leopards. In fact, it was the only good ban against them at the moment, as it was the only class that showed up twice with different players. Merlin and Theorist both played Mid, and both of them used Warlock before. Thus, banning Warlock removed an option from both lineups at once. And unfortunately, with the currently available data, this was the only ban that could achieve this result. Unbeknown to Yuel, this ban was an even more effective blow than he expected. Too bad, Cato said. They banned your favorite. What a pain. Matthew sighed. Welp, I told you its best to not flaunt your Warlock until you get into a serious game. You reap what you sow. I guess so. Matthew didnt have any viable objections to this. It was none other than his own laziness that brought about this result. Warlock was a high-tier class that was very easy to play, so it was always tempting to pick it. Especially, against weak opponents, playing Warlock made things that much easier and smoother. Then, Matthew started. Ill go Aero. Already deciding? Cato asked. We havent even seen their lineup yet. Its not like they can pick anything that directly counters Aero. Electro says hi. An overrated counter-pick if you ask me. Electro only counters Aero if we exchange ult for ult. Thats not a big deal. My boy, you gotta remember this is the competitive scene, Cato reminded. Our opponents arent just some pushovers from Ranked. Well, at least, two of them arent. So, you dont want to give them any advantages if you can help it, no matter how small. Of course not. Matthew nodded. So, Im trusting you to ban Electro in the second banning phase. My, what a cheeky little... Cato smiled wryly. Alrighty, then an Electro ban it is. We dont really have any other important candidates anyway, am I right, my secretary? Whos your secretary? Sonya shot him a look. But, youre right. There arent any other important bans for the second phase. Though, that may change after we see their picks. True. So far, we cant infer much about their plans based on their bans alone. Yes. Theyre just banning classes that weve played in previous scrims. Oh, right. Now that I think about it, you played Warlock too, didnt you? Yes, I did. Though, unlike Matthew, I only picked it once, not every single time I played Mid. Sonya gave Matthew a judging look, implying the guy dug his own grave. No big deal, Matthew reassured. Warlock isnt the only class Im maining, you know. Of course it isnt, Sonya said. Youd never make it into the first string if you could only play one class. Though I have to say, youre really cutting it close with how few classes you actually play. You need to work on expanding your roster. Now, now, Cato calmed down the discussion. We can discuss this in more detail after the scrim, alright? Sure. Sonya nodded. Id rather not discuss it ever, but okay. Matthew shrugged. Alrighty then, Cato continued. If nothing changes, then Ill ban Electro in the second banning phase so you can pick Aero in peace. Yay. Matthew gave a half-hearted fist pump. Seriously, he can be such a handful. Cato sighed on the side. Hes a good player, but that lazy part of him holds him back sometimes. Though, in a way, thats also a part of what makes him so good. Matthews philosophy was best summarized as quality over quantity. Hed rather master a handful of classes than dabble in many of them. That mindset was undoubtedly born from the lazy part of his personality. However, this mentality wasnt without merit. Focusing on just a couple of classes allowed the player to master them. This often led to exceptionally good performance in matches, far better than what the player couldve achieved by maintaining an average skill level across the board. Matt is actually among the best players in the region when he plays his best classes. Cato thought. But, Sonya strictly refuses to place him as high as he deserves to be, just because she doesnt like his attitude on this topic. So immature` With a Warlock or an Aeromancer in hand, Matthew was definitely a contender for being the No. 5 strongest player on Sonyas list. The No. 4 spot was recently claimed by Nirvana, the captain of Taurus. He proved himself as a powerhouse of a player, so it was reasonable to assume that Matthew was somewhere below this guy. Therefore, the No. 5 spot felt just right. Aside from No. 1 to No. 4, there werent any other notable players in the region who quite measured up to Matthew, at least not in Catos book. Well, I might be playing favorites here just because I know how good Matthew can get. Cato admitted. But, I really believe hes high up there. He might seem lazy and all, but he knows how to get the job done. So, even though its out of laziness, focusing on a handful of classes allows him to perform very well. In fact, Gunz was potentially another example of such a player. Though it remained to be seen how well the guy will perform without Trickshooter and Gunslinger, there was evidence to suggest that these two were his exceptional main classes. Last year, Gunz stopped posing much of a threat after his Trickshooter was banned. Therefore, with both Trickshooter and Gunslinger banned, there was a very good chance he wont be much of a threat today. That is, unless he mastered a third class. Cato smiled wryly. Well have a very big problem if thats the case. I mean, we cant afford to spend all three of our bans on him every game, right? Its just not practical. Even right now, Cato had no choice but to spend his last ban on Shadow Walker as dictated by protocol. So, what would he have done if Gunz had a third main class? Id have to choose between banning that class or Shadow. Itd be impossible to eliminate both of them at once. Not fun, not fun at all. Cato sighed. But well, at least I got the chance to play around a little with this last ban~ Normally, a team that intended to ban Shadow Walker did so at the very start of the banning phase. It was a "protocol ban" that didn''t give the enemy any information, so it was the "safest ban to start with. But, that''s just a waste. Cato thought. It''s not like any of my bans are going to be super informative, anyway. Its pretty obvious Im just banning Gunzs classes, so I can ban things in any order. As such, it was more fun to keep the Shadow Walker ban for last. It kept the enemy on their toes, making them outguess whether or not Cato would actually ban Shadow Walker. I can totally imagine the frown on Yuels face~ Cato smiled impishly. I bet hes asking himself Why in the world they havent banned Shadow yet!?!?!?! What is going on!?!?!?. Ah, this delicious mixture of confusion and frustration~ This was the only joy Cato managed to derive from this otherwise suffocating banning phase. With his hands tied so tightly during this phase, it was difficult to enjoy any of this. With that said, these mind games werent entirely without merit. Confusing the enemy strategist, even slightly, could make a difference. Once you start wondering about the late ban, you can''t easily forget it, can you? Cato snickered. Even if you push the topic to the back of your head, it''ll still remain there and will keep distracting you for a while. Oh, the human brain is so wonderful, isnt it~? On the competitive stage, amidst the heavy pressure, even the smallest distraction could prove fatal. And, Yuel was probably already struggling with the banning phase quite a lot, so being distracted by the Shadow Walker definitely didnt make his life any easier~ But unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. It was time for Cato to select the teams third ban, which was Shadow Walker, of course. And so, the first banning phase was over. Next, the game moved into drafting... Vol.14 Ch.11: Picks From Limited Data So, they banned Shadow Walker, after all. Yuel nodded. Then, was there any point in dragging this out for so long? Normally, you''d ban it first. Was it just for the suspense? It sounds silly, but considering who the enemy captain is... It was almost certainly done for the suspense. Specifically, to distract Yuel from other things. That was definitely a very Cato-like thing to do. He seemed to enjoy drawing things out needlessly in order to irritate his opponents. I should keep this in mind. Yuel thought. Hes the type whod take a less optimal route just for the sake of playing some petty mind games with his opponent. I cant let him get to me. With the banning phase over, the game moved into the first drafting phase. Stratus had the privilege to make the first pick. Since Kai wants to pick Bomber, Yuel said. Then its better for Top or Jungler to be magical. But, Nia doesnt have any magical classes she can play, so... No problemo, my good sir! Vincent proclaimed. I shall satisfy the demand and unleash my Spellblade upon the Leopards! Would that be acceptable? Yes, Spellblade works fine. But, how confident are you with it? As confident as I am with any other class, I would say. Thats good, then. Spellblade was a decent class but it wasnt picked up all too often. It was a magical damage-dealer, which was already unusual for a Top pick, and it also wasnt very tanky compared to other common Top picks. Therefore, Spellblade certainly couldnt be played as a tank, and it barely even passed as a bruiser. That put the class in an awkward spot for Tops meta, despite being fundamentally a solid class. As such, Spellblade usually only showed up in some specific team comps. For example, in a comp where the Mid Laner was a physical damager dealer, like Bomber. With Vincent taking on the role of a magical damage dealer, it allowed the team to have access to both physical and magical damage as usual. That was of utmost importance, as itll force the enemy to build both Physical Defense and Magical Defense. Otherwise, the Leopards would have gladly focused on building only Physical Defense. As a result, they would have become so tanky that killing them would be a nightmare. In conclusion, a mixture of magical damage and physical damage was absolutely necessary. However, just picking Spellblade wasnt quite enough. So, Vincent will be our main magical damage dealer, Yuel explained. This means your build has to lean toward offense. Indeed, it implies as much. Vincent nodded. Its of utmost importance for me to output enough magical damage to warrant building Magical Defense, after all. Exactly. So, in the long run, this means youre going to be far squishier than even a bruiser. In other words, Ill have to be the tank. Indeed, indeed. You have figured it all out in a flash! As expected from Chessmaster! This is just basic logic... Yuel made a face. Anyway, Ill start by picking Druid for myself. Since it can be played in Top too, this hides our intentions well. No objections, Kai said. And so, Stratus first pick became Druid. Next, it was the enemy''s turn to pick. "Druid, huh." Cato smiled. "A cute first pick since we can''t tell whether it''s for Top or Support." "According to data..." Sonya searched the database in her head. "Chess played Druid last year. On the other hand, Blackhole hasn''t played it even once so far. With that said, it''s not like we have nearly enough statistics to draw a conclusion." "True. So, it''s best to assume that this Druid can be either Top or Support." "Agreed. I''ll take Monk, then." "Alrighty, a solid choice. Nobody got any objections, right?" Cato confirmed with the rest before locking the pick. It was a first pick that revealed quite a lot of information. It implied what kind of pace the Leopards were looking for in the upcoming game, which was very valuable information. With that said, everybody and their moms must have researched the Leopards previous scrims to death. Therefore, everybody knew the Leopards were a defensive team. So, there was really no point in hiding such basic information at this point. And naturally, the Monk pick didnt surprise the enemy team at all. As expected, theyll be playing the long game. Yuel nodded. As far as Top Laners were concerned, Monk was an extreme example of a late-game class. It started off with a handicapped kit due to having access to very little chakra, but in the late-game it turned into a monster that was capable of one-shotting enemies with its ult. Hmm. Monk has both defensive and offensive tools. Yuel thought. So, I cant tell wholl be playing Top in this game. It might be TheTheorist, who was an all-rounder strongly leaning toward defense. Or alternatively, it might be AbsoluteChallenger, an aggressive beast who challenged opponents at every opportunity in order to score kills. Either way, Spellblade is a good pick against Monk, so were good. On the other hand, this second pick is not so good for us... Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The enemy team selected Lumimancer. A counter against Nia, no doubt. Lumimancer excelled at exposing stealthed opponents, and Nia could only play the classes that had stealth. I figured enemy teams will pick up on this eventually, but I didnt think itd happen so soon. Yuel frowned. Still, all her classes have stealth, so thats what I have to pick for her. Since it was clear that the enemy figured Nia out, it was very likely that theyll also target her with bans during the second banning phase. As such, Yuel had to pick Ninja now. Gooooo d. Nia nodded weakly in response to the pick, almost falling asleep again Despite the many efforts to wake her up, she still looked as if shell doze off at any moment. Hopefully, the adrenaline rush of being in an actual game will wake her up As for the second pick of this round, Yuel chose Pirate for Lars. It was a high-tier class, so it was best to seize it before the enemy got the chance. Aight, mates! Lars grinned. Lets plunder dis game, yo! For this game, he wasnt going to play the Elf class he worked so hard on, but that was going to be exciting in its own right. Pirate was one of the cooler classes out there, so Lars felt right at home with it. In fact, Yuel really wanted Pirate to become the next class Lars will master after Elf. Pirate was a strong meta pick that didnt have any glaring weaknesses. As such, there werent any real counter-picks against it. The only real way to counter Pirate is to kill him early, which would hurt his progression quite severely. Yuel thought. But, the Leopards will have to play aggressively to score any early kills, and I dont see them do that. Theyre a defensive team and theyve already committed to playing the long game with that Monk pick. So, Pirate is a safe pick here. After Stratus Pirate pick, the enemy picked Lionfolk. And, after the second banning phase, they went for Aeromancer. Per protocol, the Leopards first banned Electromancer before they picked Aeromancer. So, they pretty much telegraphed the Aeromancer pick ahead of time. I wonder if I shouldve banned Aeromancer after seeing the Electromancer ban. Yuel thought. But, I havent seen any of them use Aeromancer yet, so I dont really have any strong objections to it. And, Bomber can deal with Aero just fine. After mulling over it for a few good seconds, Yuel ultimately concluded that it was probably fine. In the worst-case scenario, if this Aeromancer proves to be a powerful adversary, then thatll be good to know for the future. All in all, the enemy didnt pick anything that was particularly troublesome. But, at the same time, all their picks were safe and couldnt be counter-picked. As such, the rest of Stratus picks followed the agreed plan: Bomber for Kai and Spellblade for Vincent. For the Leopards last pick, they went with Droid. It was an interesting choice. The class was considered high-tier, yet in practice, it was a rather niche pick. Droids main appeal was its impressive self-sufficiency. The class had the ability to defend itself from incoming shots with a shield, as well as to place pseudo-wards via a skill. However, these very same advantages were also the reason the class was a niche pick. Instead of having access to more straightforward abilities that could help with clearing waves or pushing lanes, the Droid had two utility skills that had to be utilized smartly. Naturally, to justify its existence, the Droid also had a third skill that helped with both wave clearing and lane pushing. However, that was just one ability out of an entire kit, and the three abilities also shared a resource and couldnt be utilized simultaneously. In other words, the Droid player had to smartly decide when to utilize which utility. So, the required level of decision-making was far above what was expected from the average Carry, a role that was better known for mechanical skill than for tactical finesse. For one, I know that the great goof cant handle it at all. Yuel thought. The few times I had him play Droid, he pretty much only used one ability out of the entire kit. Lars definitely didnt have the right mindset for wheeling a class like Droid, not at present and maybe not ever. On the other hand, somebody from the Leopards was confident he could put this class to good use. Cool! Ronald exclaimed. Since youre going Droid, it means I can build more power than usual, right? Right? You can build whatever you want, William said. Just dont forget to ward during the early-game. Sure thing, bro! And, Cato added. Make sure you build at least some supporting items. Youre still the Support this game, as much as I dont want to rely on your supporting. Hey, rude, Ronald objected. Dont you know? Offense is the best defense! I can support that much better with a power build! Thats because youre a blockhead whos only good at fighting. Hey, hey! Dont slander, man. I do my job properly when I play Support. You do a passable job, at best. Grrrr. Ronald growled. Well, whatever. You can stay wrong for all I care. My, the denial is strong with this one. Lalala! I cant hear you over the sound of how wrong you are. Am I really wrong, though? Cato asked. Deep down, you know the truth, dont you? That your supporting is just barely passable. I say bro should be the one to settle this. Bro, you agree that my supporting is totally awesome, right? You trust me to do well, right? I only trust myself, William said. As long as you dont drag me down, then I dont care how you perform. Whoa, so cool! Ronald grinned. You see? He turned to Cato. Thats a real pro for you. Bro doesnt sweat the small stuff. He focuses on kicking ass because thats all that matters. I have absolutely no idea how you made this absurd leap of logic, and I dont even want to understand it. Cato sighed. Just make sure you dont forget youre a Support, regardless of how you build your Lumi. Gotcha, gotcha. I really hope he understands. Cato narrowed his eyes. I swear, this troublemaker never stops making my life difficult. The only reason I tolerate this Selfish Support playstyle of his is that Will is somehow fine with it and because it sort of works. Im definitely not a fan of it, though. The Support player was supposed to be exactly what it said on the tin: a selfless player whose job was to support the rest of the team. So, this was one role that had no business selfishly seeking power. Alas, players like Ronald disagreed with that simple logic. I rather not lose any of the games today. Cato thought. But at the same time, I also really want Stratus to school this brainless tool. Cmon Yuel, teach this brat a lesson. Make this world a better place to live in, pretty please~ And so, the drafting phase came to an end. === Stratus === Yuel (Chessmaster): Druid Lars (Gunz): Pirate Vincent (InformationBlackhole): Spellblade Kai (Beat): Bomber Nia (VanishingFlower): Ninja === Leopards === Ronald (AbsoluteChallenger): Lumimancer William (AbosluteWinner): Droid Sonya (TheTheorist): Monk Cato (Rook): Lionfolk Matthew (Merlin): Aeromancer Vol.14 Ch.12: Stalking the Droid The first game between Stratus and the Leopards started off. This matchup is going to be a little unconventional, Yuel said. You should build some Attack Speed early on in order to combat the Droids Drones. Speed? Thats my middle name, yo! Lars grinned. Okay, then Golden Bow it is! Lets gooooooo! Wait, no, thats taking it too far. Yuel stopped the nonsense before it had a chance to start. Golden Bow indeed provided lots of Attack Speed and it was a great item for Pirate, but it was reserved for the mid/late game. It was costly to rank it up to Lv.3, so players had no business building it in the early-game. What I meant by building more Attack Speed is that you should build Ninja Tabi over Samurai Tabi. What, thats it? Lars pouted. Thats nothing new, dude. I start games with Ninja Sandals like half the time. True, but not on Pirate. Hmm. Yeah, I guess not. Apparently, Lars didnt quite understand why picking Ninja Tabi was so unusual for Pirate. But fortunately, Yuel was well-versed in the math behind early-game builds, so he understood the consequences of this decision all too well. During the early-game, it was generally more beneficial to build Attack Power over Attack Speed, even for marksmen. Getting just a bit of extra flat Attack Power made a big impact for early-game damage, whereas getting a slight Attack Speed increase was barely noticeable. With that said, an Attack Speed increase scaled a lot better in the mid-game, and especially in the late-game. Thats why, even though Samuari Tabi was the superior early-game option, Ninja Tabi was also picked rather frequently in the pro scene. It was a pick that sacrificed early-game efficiency in favor of better DPS for mid/late game Thats why Lars wasnt too surprised when he was told to pick Ninja Tabi. After all, Yuel allowed the goof to pick these speed shoes quite often, for he trusted Larss ability to perform well during the early-game even without the extra Attack Power. With all that said, Pirate was one class that strongly disliked Ninja Tabi early on. He started the game with subpar stats compared to the average Carry, so he normally wanted to make up for it ASAP by increasing Attack Power as much as possible. Building Ninja Tabi early will be quite the handicap for Lars. Yuel thought. But, its necessary for dealing with drones. The faster Lars can get rid of them, the weaker the Droids push potential will become. Droid was one troublesome opponent that warranted deviating from the usual Samurai Tabi build. Its not like the class was inherently OP or anything, but it had some strong tools that had to be methodically shut down before they snowballed out of control. The fact Droid demanded such careful counterplay already made it worthy of A tier in Yuels eyes, regardless of the caveats the class had. Nonetheless, the classs practical tier remained a heated discussion among pros, theory crafters, and anybody in-between. The upcoming clash in Bot will surely force Yuel and Lars to explore Droids attributes to the fullest, both its strong points and its weak points. It was certainly going to be interesting to see how AbsoluteWinner was planning to wield this complicated class. Hell be a troublesome opponent if he can utilize Droid well. Yuel thought. But, Ill worry about it after I see him in action. And so, the preparation phase began. Everybody finished buying their starter items and headed out of the base. The start of the game proceeded as usual. Everybody headed to the usual Jungle Camps and cleared those together. Yuel, Lars, and Kai fought the Ogre Camp together, whereas Vincent and Nia took on the Wraith Camp. There were no signs of the enemy planning any early invades, as expected. After all, the Leopards of this year were a defensive team. They''re not nearly as daring as the team from last year. Yuel thought. I remember that in the last regionals, Aron''s team was caught off guard by Fenrir''s intense invades. But this year, the Leopards dont have any hyper-aggressive players like that, except maybe for their secret Korean player. With that said, there was always the possibility that the Leopards only played hyper-defensive when the skill gap between them and their opponent was too big. Perhaps, they knew how to play aggressively as well and simply kept it a secret until the right time comes. Though, now that I know Rook is Cato, I really doubt it Cato was the herald of defensive play, that much was obvious from his chess playstyle. And, as the captain of the team, there was a very good chance he enforced his ideologies on the other members as well. I''d much rather deal with a hyper-offensive team than a team that turtles. Yuel sighed. But, this should be good practice, at least. The Leopards'' defensive playstyle was both a blessing and a curse. It''ll be a pain to deal with, but it''ll also give the team plenty of experience. It should prepare them well for the eventual fight against StormBlitz. Cato''s take on defensive gameplay is somewhat different from Howard''s, but there''s more than enough overlap. I personally find Howard''s defense to be tighter, but both of them are assuredly going to be a pain to deal with. While Yuel was having such idle thoughts, he and the others finished clearing the Ogre Camp. Kai took the power buff and then split off, heading to Mid. Meanwhile, Yuel and Lars hurried to clear the Wolf Camp near Bot. At the same time, Vincent and Nia did the same on their side of the lane. They finished clearing the Wraith Camp and Vincent took the blue buff. Then, they proceeded to clear the Wolf Camp near Top together. Or, at least they should''ve... "VanishingFlower, milady," Vincent called out. "May I know where you are headed?" "Hm? Oh..." Nia hit the brakes and turned around "My bad. I thought we were already done." She was already halfway to the nearby Griffin Camp, so she had to backpedal in order to rejoin Vincent at the Wolf Camp. This is taking so long... Nia almost dozed off while clearing the camp with Vincent. In her foggy consciousness, she dreamed about how she had already finished the opening phase. In that dream, the match had already escalated toward the mid-game, so surely the end was nigh. Soon, shell get her well-deserved nap. Alas, reality moved at a much slower pace than that. Nia was still stuck in the opening phase, still clearing the Wolf Camp near Top. Zzz... The deed is done! Vincent announced once they fell the final wolf. Finally Nia wobbled out of the area, this time heading for the Griffins for sure. Meanwhile, Vincent proceeded to Top Lane. Due to the slight delay caused by Nias sleepiness, his arrival on lane was a little later than expected. All the minions had already gathered in the lane. Whats more, his lane opponent was in the middle of punching minions with her bare fists. It wasnt a fatal delay by any means, but it definitely set Vincent back. And, it was all caused by that unrelenting sleepiness that refused to let up. I really hope Nia is going to be okay... Yuel thought. She rarely makes mistakes in the opening, so this is new. I hope this is just the pressure of being on stage and not something worse... Nia''s situation was worrying indeed, but Yuel didn''t have the luxury to keep tabs on her 24/7. He and Lars were about to confront their lane opponents for the first time, so the upcoming clash required Yuels full attention. AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger. Yuel reviewed what little data he had on that duo. Their naming convention reminds me of the "DaBest" duo. It''s a little dumb, but I dont mind the free information that comes with it. Judging by the names, Winner and Challenger were most likely good friends. Or, at the very least, they surely played together a lot. In this particular lineup, they played Carry and Support. That naturally meant they trusted each other and had good teamwork. And, even in the Leopards other lineup, this duo cooperated frequently as Jungler and Top. Their playstyles were rather different but they meshed well, probably thanks to all the experience they accumulated from playing together. In conclusion, Winner and Challenger were a formidable duo and it was dangerous to tackle them when they were together. At least, that''s what anybody with a shred of common sense would understand... If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Yo, so can we fight these dudes right away?" Lars asked with an innocent grin. "Forget about it, Yuel said. Thats not happening any time soon." "Dang, figured. But hey, at least I tried." "For the early-game, our goal is to slow down the Dorids farming as much as possible. So, make sure you keep an eye on him." "Aye, aye, cap! Lars saluted. I''m watching this dude real good. He ain''t gonna pop any drones, not under my watch!" And so, both sides advanced toward the center of the lane. They went just deep enough to attack each others frontlines, but not a step further. All four of them had ranged classes, so there was no need to overextend. They had the option of safely farming the minions from a distance, so thats what they opted to do. Out of everybody in the Leopards, only these two have an impressive offense. So, I definitely dont want to be on the frontline against them. That was part of the reason Yuel opted for a Druid pick. It was one of the few Support classes that had ranged attacks, which was a very useful property against aggressive opponents. On top of that, Druid was a magical damage dealer, which complemented the fact their team was running a physical Mid Laner. With this setup, both Yuel and Vincent had access to Magical Damage in order to force the enemy to build at least some Magical Defense. With that said, the greater factor was definitely the safety the Druid provided against the enemys potential aggression. Most notably, it was an effective counter to Challenge, who was an aggressive player whose attitude didn''t quite fit with the rest of the Leopards mentality. While Winner was a balanced player who just favored offense over defense, Challenger was like 80% offense and 20% defense. In fact, even now, despite playing Support, his build didnt resemble a Supports build at all. A Lumimancer had no business building power at the start of the game unless he played Mid. And yet, Challenger did exactly that... "First!" Ronald unleashed Ray of Light on the entire enemy wave. "I hope they like the damage, huehue." Normally, Ray of Light was only treated as an AoE healing spell. It dealt some damage as well, but the damage was negligible because Supports didnt build much power. Except, Ronald did build power. Therefore, the damage of his Ray of Light was NOT negligible in the slightest. Lumi goes brrr! Ronald grinned in satisfaction as he watched damage numbers pop all over the enemy wave. He was the only one in lane with access to AoE damage at the moment, so it almost felt like he was in charge here. He was practically like Mid Laner, huehue! "Make sure you leave the last hits to me," William reminded. "Sure thing, bro. Just make sure you dont miss any of them." "Of course." William nodded It sounded like a trivial warning, one that had no place in a competitive scene. After all, anybody at this level of play was expected to land flawless last-hits. However, things werent so simple when the Support had access to actual damage. It drastically sped up the wave clearing process, making it that much harder for the Carry to secure last-hits. However, William was already used to this pattern. He had played countless games alongside his brother in Bot, so he knew how to properly farm alongside an aggressive Support. First, a drone. William got into a firing position and activated Assault Drone. "ASSAULT. DRONE." A robotic voice resounded, then a small floating drone emerged behind William. But, shortly after the drone was born- BAM! A bullet came flying in their direction! "Ah!" William blinked for a moment. The timing on that shot was impressive. It was an immediate response to the drones summon. And, it was no random misfire. The bullet was carefully aimed, straight at the drone. That was fast. William backed away from the attacker. He needed a little time to regain his composure. "Whoa!" Ronald exclaimed. "Did you just see that shot!? It was so clean, bro!" "Yes, I do happen to have eyes." Willaim frowned. It felt like he fired the shot before I even finished summoning the drone. Did he react to it based on the audio cue? There was a robotic voice line that played right before the drone was summoned. These audio cues were an unfortunate drawback for all of Droids skills. They normally didnt cause much of a problem in Ranked. However, against pros and high-level players, the voice lines essentially telegraphed the skills. There was no shortage of skilled players who could respond to the robotic lines by instinct. Even so, Gunzs shot came way too fast. Not even a second passed from the moment the robotic voice announced the skill, and a bullet already drilled itself into the drone. That shot wasn''t just fast, it was accurate too. William grimaced. Thats the part that stumps me. If Gunz fired that shot at William himself in response to the audio cue, then nothing would be have been particularly odd about that exchange. After all, Gunz had already proved he was an exceptionally skilled player with superb reaction speed, so he definitely could dish out quick shots like that on demand. But no, Gunzs shot didnt hit Willaim. It wasnt aimed at him in the first place. Instead, Gunz hit the small drone behind William. However, that drone didnt even exist on the field back when the voice line played. He aimed for the right spot without even seeing a target. William concluded. It looks like his impressive record of headshots wasnt a fluke. His accuracy is top-notch. William felt a slight shiver across his arms. It was unusual for him to be stunned by an enemys mechanical skill, which stood testament to just how amazing was Gunzs one little shot. Interesting. So, this is the player Sonya considers worthy of being No. 2 in the region. Alright, youre on! Let''s see what you''re capable of. William regained his composure and stepped forth. First, he had to secure a good position. His Assault Drone was injured but very much alive. Therefore, the drone could join the offense and help William clear minions faster. Alas, there was one caveat. The drones attacks had a shorter reach than Williams. Therefore, William had to get a little closer in order to let the drone reach the enemy wave. But, youre not going to make it easy for me, are you? William posed that question to Gunz, who was mimicking every single move William made. When William moved to the right, then Gunz also moved to the right. When William moved diagonally, then Gunz moved diagonally in the same direction. Nice zoning. William thought. And, he still has the luxury to hit minions along the way, huh. In-between matching all of Williams moves, Gunz found the time to land shots on the enemy minions. It was seamless execution on his side. Two can play this game. William declared. While stepping to the right, he fired a laser beam at one of the dying swordsmen. At the same time, he made sure to maintain his spacing and not let Gunz get any closer. Maintaining this delicate distance was necessary. William had to keep his injured Assault Drone out of Gunzs firing range. With that said, for how long will he keep running in circles like this? The whole point of summoning the Assault Drone was to increase his DPS output. And yet, right now, he was preoccupied with nothing but keeping the drone alive, at the expense of slowing down his own DPS. Hmph. This is getting counter-productive. William thought. I cant stay on the defensive forever. I have to step in at some point, even if I instantly lose the drone. He moved around just a little more, in hope of throwing off his stalker. However, Gunz stuck to him like glue, so there was nothing more that could be done. Tch. Alright, here goes then. William stopped running around and tried his luck by stepping forward. However, Gunz was already prepared for this with every fiber of his body. BAM! Another immediate shot! It fired as soon William brushed against Gunzs attack range. Like before, the shot cleanly hit the drone. With an attack speed and an accuracy like this, Gunz definitely lived up to the title of the regions No. 2, no objections there. He also knows the basics of countering Droid, which is rather surprising. I took him for a muscle head, but hes smarter than that. Even in Ranked, most opponents had no idea how to efficiently defuse Droid, not even in Challenger rank matches. They fought against this unique class as if it was any regular opponent, and they always paid dearly for it. By default, Droid was slightly weaker than the average marksman in the early-game. However, when he had the freedom to utilize its Assault Drones as he pleased, then suddenly Droids damage output shot up quite significantly, outpacing most marksmen in the early-game. Therefore, stalking the Droid in order to shoot down his drones was a basic but neccessary countermeasure. And, Gunz executed this technique to a T. He''s even counter-building. William praised Gunz''s choice of going for Ninja Tabi over Samurai Tabi. It was an unconventional opening for a Pirate, but one that made a lot of sense against a Droid. Having access to a higher Attack Speed helped Gunz do his zoning better. With this Attack Speed boost, he could quickly switch from shooting minions to shooting William''s drones. In fact, that slight speed increase was the reason William got shot the moment he stepped in. Even though Willaim carefully calculated the optimal timing for stepping in, which was during Gunzs attack recovery animation, it still wasnt good enough. Gunz was fast enough to fire another shot almost immediately. Thats some high-level knowledge right there. William thought. Also, building more power early on usually doesn''t even help in killing the drones in fewer hits. Thats another reason why Attack Speed is more optimal for taking out Drones. With how niche of a class Droid was, even many high-level players from the region werent quite aware of these delicate considerations. And yet, Gunz was. Or at least, somebody from Stratus knew the math and fed it to Gunz. In less than one minute of playtime, Gunz has convinced William that Stratus was a different beast this year. With such mechanical skill and game knowledge on their side, a team like this couldnt possibly be considered the "weakest", definitely not in this region. In fact, at this rate, there was a good chance Straus might end up ranking among the strongest. That was certainly unexpected. Hmph. Maybe I underestimated them a little too much. William criticized himself. I should''ve placed the drone on the other side to keep it out of reach. That''s what I''ll do next time. But for now, Willaim had to advance toward the enemy frontline once again, to squeeze out all the juice he could from his dying Assault Drone. However, until the very end, all such attempts proved to be futile. BAM! An immediate response, as usual. This was the final nail in the coffin. The drone caught up on fire and exploded. Until the very end, it failed to land a single shot on the enemy minions. How useless. Well, at least it slowed down Gunzs farming a little. Willaim reassured himself he fired a laser beam at one of the swordsmen, scoring a last-hit. As much as I don''t like this, it looks like I''ll be relying on Ron to clear minions for now. In this minion wave, all William contributed to the farming was landing a couple of basic attacks. Most marksmen could achieve far more than that, even in the early-game. On the other hand, Ronald''s Ray of Light was doing a lot of work. Effectively, all the last-hits William landed were prepared for him by Ronalds Ray of Light. As unconventional and as unreliable as it was, it seemed as if the Support will be in charge of clearing minions in the early stages of this game... Vol.14 Ch.13: Power Support While William only contributed to the lanes tug of war by landing a couple of basic attacks, Ronald hit the entire wave at once with his Ray of Light. The AoE torched the entire enemy wave, and it dealt decent damage thanks to the power in his build. For all intents and purposes, his farming speed was nearly on par with that of an early-game Mid Laner. "Hehe." Ronald grinned. "Did you see how I cleared almost the entire lane myself? It was all me, bro!" "Yes, yes, very impressive." William rolled his eyes. "Damn right! Ronald nodded. And to think that Cato still says that building early power is trash for Support. Hah! In your face, dumbass! Just look at this result!" "I dont think I ever called it a ''trash'' build," Cato argued. "You better get your ears checked, boy." "C''mon, you always nag me about this shit." "Yeah, because it''s inefficient," Cato explained. "You''re only enjoying the damage for now while flat power is better than scaling. But, by all means, show me your amazing damage again when we hit the mid-game. Ill wait." "Yeah, yeah, I know. Itll fall off and stuff. But, until then...!" "Until then, you''re wasting your gold on building items that will be borderline worthless in the late-game. But, you do you." "You bet I will! We gonna dominate the lane with my mega clearing speed!" As extreme as it sounded, it was no exaggeration. At this early point in the game, Ronalds clearing speed was impressive enough to dominate the lane. He flat-out outcleared everybody else in Bot, which allowed his side to gain the early momentum. Against his unparalleled power, the enemy has no choice but to flee in terror! "Let''s retreat," Yuel said. "They won this round." "Tch, what a bummer." Lars pouted. "I was even doing such a good job zoning the Droid, but this Lumi just woke up and chose violence. Impressive damage tho, not gonna lie." "Yes, it is quite oppressive," Yuel agreed. This oppressive damage showed off Lumimancer''s potential as a viable Mid Laner. His Ray of Light delivered sizable AoE DoT and it liked flat power. However, the power scaling of Ray of Light was rather poor. It was the main thing that held Lumimancer back from becoming a viable pick for Mid. But, Challenger is playing Support, not Mid. Yuel analyzed. He''s probably planning to switch to a more traditional support build once we get into the mid-game. I can''t say I''m a fan of his approach, but it IS a viable tactic. Ive seen it a few times even in the pro scene. With that said, given the Leopards game plan, it was odd that Cato approved of such an aggressively early-game build. AbsoluteChallenger was stacking early power that''ll become borderline useless in the later stages of the game. Therefore, this build was literally the opposite of playing the long game. In fact, out of everybody in the Leopards, Challenger was the only one focusing on the early-game here. Was that intentional? Or, was he just a disobedient troublemaker? Somehow, I feel like it''s the latter. For the better or the worse, Yuel had his fair share of experience watching various different troublemakers play Classmancers. Therefore, he was fairly confident about branding Challenger as a troublemaker who ignored the rest of his team in favor of pushing his own agenda. I assume hes the filler for their team. Yuel deduced. Hell probably be the one they sub out once the Korean player steps in. If true, then Challenger was nothing but a warm-up for the real challenge ahead. Therefore, he wasn''t allowed to stump Stratus in any shape or form. The harder we shut him down, the more the Leopards will feel the need to sub him for Apprentece. At least, thats what I think. "Keep zoning the Droid," Yuel said. "I''ll handle the Lumimancer." "Okey-dokey!" The next minion wave arrived. Like before, Challenger cast Ray of Light around the entire wave. Torching sunlight burned both the swordsmen and the bowmen. However, Yuel didnt allow it to last. He cast Gaias Protection, covering himself with a shield made of branches. Then, he stepped into the blazing light. The consequences were immediate. The sunlight burned his shield, sapping at its HP. Even though Yuel himself didnt lose any HP from this, the allied minions still considered this an attack on him. And so, they banded against the offender - Challenger. They charged straight at the guy, leaving the area torched Ray of Light. Needless to say, this threw a wrench in Challengers plans. Heh, so thats how they play. Ronald grinned. Pretty smooth. But, also kinda annoying, not gonna lie. Thanks to Chessmaster victimizing himself, the entire enemy army was angry with Ronald for no good reason. The little dudes charged at him like an angry mob coming to execute a criminal. To make it worse, Ronald built Attack Power over HP and Defense. Therefore, the minions attacks were going to hurt that much more. Yikes, I gotta scram! Ronald backpedaled, all the while firing balls of light at the approaching mob. What a nasty trick, seriously Chessmasters little ploy messed everything up. It nullified Ronalds amazing clearing speed because the minions left the range of Ray of Light, and it also put Ronald himself in jeopardy. What a pain, dang it! It sure slows us down, William said. But, we can use this to our advantage. Lure them toward me and Ill place a drone. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Okay, got it. Ronald led the approaching mob like a shepherd, drawing them toward his brother. In the meantime, William summoned an Assault Drone. And, unlike last time, he didnt order the drone to follow him around, as that proved to be too risky. Instead, the drone was placed on the field as a stationary object. When placed like this, the drone will not budge from its fixed position, which was either a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation. In this particular scenario, it was far more advantageous to place the drone in a fixed spot, far away from Gunzs reach. With the drone residing this deep within the allied territory, Gunz would have to overextend in order to shoot it down. And so, the drone safely popped up at the designated location and started shooting at the incoming minions. In this stationary mode, the drone had a mind of its own and targeted enemies with the same priority a minion would. Therefore, the drone shot laser beams at the nearest minions first. Namely, the swordsmen. Not optimal, but good enough for now. William nodded in satisfaction as he opened fire at the bowmen in the back. Normally, besides the minion-like AI, a stationary drone would prioritize the Droids targets. However, in this case, it was impossible. The bowmen were too far in the back at the moment, so the drone couldnt reach them. As such, the drone defaulted to the usual minion AI priority and continued shooting the swordsmen. However, that was far from ideal and William wanted that fixed ASAP. Ron, draw the bowmen closer to the drone. Working on it! Ronald drew the minions deeper and deeper until the bowmen finally stepped within the drones attack range. Next, William and the drone joined forces to eliminate the entire enemy backline first. Thankfully, William didnt have to contest his drone for last-hits. Any kill scored by the drone counted as Williams own kill, including the last-hit bonus. This made the entire situation rather convenient. Frankly, this is much easier than racing against Rons spell. William admitted. I even missed a couple of last-hits in the previous wave because his spell dealt too much damage. Compared to that, farming alongside the drone was an easy life. This was the true way Droid was designed to be played. With that said, even with the drone helping him, all of Williams damage was single-targeted. On the other hand, the enemy side had a nice way to hit the entire wave in one shot. BAM! Gunz unleashed Backfire Cannon. The big shell blasted through the entire minion wave. Dang! Ronald pouted. They gonna outclear us at this rate! Our flippin'' drone is taking way too long to do any real damage! It was such a shitshow. Ronald went for a power build in order to dominate the lane, not to lose it against some lame shit like this! "Hey, bro! Ronald called out. "This is taking way too long, so I''mma go in too." "That''s unnecessary-" "Too late!" Ronald activated Blinding Light, coating himself in whiteness. Then, he used Flash and blinked right into the middle of the enemy formation! All the minions still had their eyes on Ronald, so they raised their weapons to strike the reckless prey! But of course, he didnt let them to. His Blinding Light exploded faster than the minions delivered their attacks. Whiteness exploded from Ronald, blinding all the minions around him. For a moment, all of them lost track of their target and lowered their weapons. For a few seconds, not a single one of them was going to hit Ronald. "Huehue, did you see that tight timing, bro!?" Ronald grinned. "I disarmed them in the last moment!" "As impressive as its unnecessary." William shrugged. "C''mon, don''t be like that, bro. I even timed it so it hits right after you score a last-hit on that last bowman. It was perfect! "It was mechanically impressive, sure. But, leaving the last-hits to me is a given, not an achievement. "Haha, okay. I see you aren''t gonna praise my awesome play no matter what, huh." "There just isnt much to praise there." William shrugged. "I know you''re good enough to pull plays like this, so its nothing new. I mean, I only allow you to play wild like this as my Support because I trust you to do things properly." "Aww, bro~ No need to flatter me so much." "Seriously?" William made a face. That''s why I hate giving any praise. It always goes to his head. Sigh. With all that said, William did think positively of Ronalds performance overall. Despite playing an off-meta supporting style, Ronald was doing a good job living up to the expectations of a traditional meta Support. Meanwhile, there was someone else on the team who was far less impressed with how things were developing in Bot. "Ronald, how did you lose so much MP so early?" Cato demanded. "Oh brother, here comes the nagger..." Ronald rolled his eyes. "Well, how do YOU think I lost MP? By casting spells, duh. I made some sick plays and stuff." "My, ''sick plays'', you say." Cato opened up the list of Ronald''s skills. As he feared, all three of the Lumimancers spells were on cooldown. "Did you really just dump your entire kit on one enemy wave?" "Haha, sure did!" "What for, exactly?" "Well, you see..." Ronald summarized the lane situation. "So, with how things developed, I had to even things out!" "In other words," Cato said. "You wasted a lot of precious MP for no good reason." "Pretty much," William agreed. "Whaaaa?" Ronald pouted. "C''mon, seriously? Are you two certified bullies or something? Because I''m sure feeling bullied right now." "Maybe you shouldnt make stupid plays, and then we wont have anything to criticize you for. Ever thought of that? Hah, fat chance, Ronald said. Even if I play better than the best pro out there, you two would still nitpick something. Im like 1,000,000% sure. Hmm. I cant deny its a possibility, Cato admitted. But, jokes aside, you seriously have to take better care of your MP. "But, look how awesome that play was!" Ronald insisted. "We won the entire lane thanks to it." Just as he said, the damage he delivered with Blinding Light strongly shifted the lane advantage in their favor. It was only thanks to this marvelous play that their side outcleared the enemy Pirate, a bruh who had access to AoE damage via Backfire Cannon. So yeah, its only thanks to Ronalds amazing execution and brave effort that the brothers earned their second victory in the lane. They were 2-0, baby! "My, you sure make it sound like you did such good work, Cato said. 10/10 effort, no doubt, "Right? Right?" "Now tell me, considering the MP cost of this entire routine, how many more times do you think you can repeat it before you burn yourself out?" "Welp, probably not too many," Ronald admitted. "But hey, it''s the message that counts, right? I showed them that me and bro can outclear them every time, so they wont even try to contest us again!" "Oh, my sweet summer child. I wish our opponents were that braindead." Unlike that brainless buffoon, Cato was capable of reading a few steps ahead. Thats why he knew this situation wasnt all sunshine and rainbows like Ronald believed. And surely, Yuel reached the same conclusion on his end. Yo! You saw that? Lars exclaimed. Dude straight up blinked into the middle of the wave while everybody and their moms were aggrod on him! But, they couldnt even hit him because of that flash! Sick play! Yeah, I saw it, Yuel said. As far as execution is considered, I agree it was relatively impressive. But, its just a cocky show-off. There was no real substance behind that play. It didnt solve anything for them. Although Challengers slick combo of Blinding Light + Flash allowed him to reclaim lane advantage, it came with a great MP cost. The Lumimancer was already down to 70% MP after just two waves. He wont be able to keep this up for long. Yuel thought. So, this isnt a real solution for him. I can keep countering his AoE with the same tactic and wait for his MP to run dry. And so, in the next wave, Yuel was planning to do exactly that. Until the enemy comes up with a real answer, he was going to force them to repeat this unfavorable routine. Over, and over, and over again. Vol.14 Ch.14: The Brothers Preemptive Strike Despite the obvious flaw in the way Challenger solved the problem of the previous lane exchange, the guy nonetheless opened the next attack with Ray of Light again. Did he think Yuel wouldnt step into the light this time? Because I definitely will. Yuel set foot inside the AoE of Ray of Light, then he immediately backed out. He made sure the skill only hit him for the briefest of moments. This time around, he didn''t even bother soaking the damage with Gaia''s Protection. The only reason he used it last time was to test the enemys aggression level. He suspected that the enemy might shoot him once he gets too close. However, there was no indication that happening any time soon. Therefore, the shield wasnt necessary at the moment. Itll be better utilized once real danger strikes. Okay, thats it. Yuel nodded in satisfaction after stepping out of the blazing AoE. The damage he received for standing in the light for less than a second was less than minuscule. Nonetheless, the damage was done, therefore the minions got angry. They branded Challenger as a vicious assaulter who was after Yuels head. And so, once again, the mob opened their witch hunt. Not this shit again Ronald spat a sigh. Boring. I thought theyd come up with something more creative this time. Why would they? Cato asked. Their plan worked out just fine last time. Perhaps they didnt win lane advantage, but they made you waste a ton of MP. So, it was their victory as far as theyre concerned. Really? Is that how people see it? Ronald twisted his lips. Thats some backward ass logic if you ask me. Who in his right mind would be fine with losing lane control every time like this? Then, answer me this, Cato started. How useful is lane control when you cant even push it all the way to the tower? What do you mean? Lane control is super important at any time. Sure. But then again, look at your situation. Youve won two exchanges by now, but how much HP did the enemy towers lose? None of it. You didnt get to push anything. Yeaaaah, theyre pretty good at defending against pushes, Ill give them that. So, just as I said, your little stunt didnt achieve anything. It was a pointless showcase of skill that cost you a lot of MP for no good reason. It didnt solve anything about the real issue you have. Damn, harsh Ronald slumped. He wanted to argue back, but Catos criticism struck home for once. Dang, what do I actually do here? Do I go for the same combo again? But, my MP Thanks to that sly bastard Chessmaster, all the enemy minions were currently targeting Ronald. So, what was the best way to handle them? Go for Blinding Light + Flash again? Its a hella cool trick, but so costly, too. Bro, Ronald turned to William. What do we do? Nothing, William answered plainly. Just keep drawing them in. I can summon two Assault Drones this time, so we can start matching them in clearing speed even without your AoE. Oh, you gonna use two drones? Cool! Oh, but it means you gonna give up on that ward drone, right? Ronald checked the mini-map. Yep, its sure gone. It was about to expire soon anyway, William said. So, I canceled it early. Oh right, these drone wards got a pretty short lifespan compared to actual wards. Meh, I can never get used to these things. Droid is such a wack class. Its not rocket science. You just have to learn the numbers and plan accordingly. Bleh. Only you can micromanage all of these while playing Carry, bro. Droid could summon two types of drones: Assault Drones and Sensor Drones. While Assault Drones were used to increase DPS, Sensor Drones were essentially budget wards. They had less vision, they weren''t invisible, and they lasted for half the lifetime of a regular ward. However, they didn''t cost any gold to place, so that justified their inferior quality. With that said, placing these drones did cost something. Thats where the Droids micromanagement came into play. The Droid had a Battery gauge instead of an MP gauge, and every deployed drone required a certain number of batteries. A Sensor Drone cost 1 battery, whereas an Assault Drone cost 2 batteries. At game start, the Droid only had 3 batteries available, so it was impossible to summon 2 Assault Drones at the same time. So instead, Willaim placed one Sensor Drone in the jungle to serve as a budget ward. Together with the Assault Drone he summoned for clearing the wave, he was utilizing his entire Battery gauge at the time. However, now that he was Lv. 4, he unlocked another battery for his gauge. So, with 4 batteries at hand, William could deploy exactly 2 Assault Drones. But, the enemies were aware of this too, and they had no intention of making his life easy. And so, Gunzs movements shifted slightly to adjust to this new situation. Hmph. I see he''s covering both sides now. William frowned. Instead of stalking William directly, Gunz was hanging around the middle of the lane, ready to shoot any drone Willaim will place. From that position, he wont be able to eliminate the drones as quickly as before. William thought. But, his reaction time is still a threat. William couldnt deploy an Assault Drone anywhere he wanted as the skills range was restricted to a rather small radius around him. Therefore, no matter how far William tries to place the drone, it wont take Gunz too long to step in and shoot that drone down. There isnt much I can do about this. William accepted the situation as it was. I''ll sacrifice the first drone so I can safely summon the other one. However, the younger brother had a different idea in mind. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Hey, how about we fake him out?" Ronald smiled mischievously. "This guy reacts hella fast to your drones, right?" "Yes, he does." "Then, how about I blink in on him while he''s distracted? We can gang on him while he''s blinded!" "Hmm." William gave it some serious thought. It was an unexpected, but definitely interesting, idea. The suggestion was on the reckless side, but it wasn''t a bad attack plan. This little ploy had a very good chance of catching Gunz off-guard and striking him hard, maybe even killing him. Most of the time, it wasnt worth taking such a risk against an early-game Carry. However, Pirate was an exception. It was weaker than most marksmen in this phase of the game, and its game plan revolved around gaining a gold advantage over time via his Plunder passive. Therefore, dying early could be a substantial setback for Pirate. Also, we''re right before Lv.5. William thought. It''ll be nice to get a kill before he unlocks his Kraken. Droid didn''t gain anything special at Lv. 5, but Pirate unlocked the fearsome tool that was Release the Kraken. From that point onward, itll be that much riskier to assault Gunz. So, it was now or never. Hmm. It''s an important decision but I didn''t have much time to decide. While William was busy analyzing the situation from various angles, the enemy minions continued chasing Ronald. I have to make my move soon. Hmm. Well, lets try it then. Im sure Cato won''t approve of it, but I don''t care as long as it pays off. "Alright, let''s go for it," William decided. "I''ll give you the sign. Start up your spell." "Roger!" William activated Blinding Light, coating himself in dazzling white. "Alright, I''m placing the drone in 3, 2, 1" A sinister attack plan was about to unfold. However, the entire time, their prey should have had no idea that this hunt was coming. With that said, the enemy duo did realize that something was off a while ago. Before William reached his important decision, Chessmaster and Gunz had already started wondering whether something was afoot. "C''mon," Lars complained. "Where are the drones? I''m wasting time my time over here, yo!" "I agree, it''s a little odd." Yuel wasn''t sure what to make of it. Their minions started chasing Challenger a few seconds ago, yet Winner didn''t lift a finger to summon a drone. And, thats despite the fact he could summon 2 drones at this point. Instead, the guy only fired basic attacks at the minions. It was rather peculiar. Is he that concerned about Lars shooting down his drones? Yuel wondered. Due to the threat of 2 Assault Drones, Yuel advised Lars to hang out around the middle of the lane instead of stalking Winner. Even though it hampered Larss ability to instantly shoot down any newly summoned Assault Drone, it allowed him to apply pressure on a wider area. This tactic made it that much harder for Winner to find a good spot to summon his drones. But, was that alone enough to discourage Winner from summoning any drones at all? It shouldn''t be. Yuel thought. It''s not like he has anything to lose by summoning a drone or two. Unlike most classes, he doesn''t have to worry about MP. Droid''s Battery gauge worked quite differently from the standard MP bar. Even though he had to spend batteries in order to deploy drones, he later got refunded for it. A deployed drone actively occupied batteries from the gauge, preventing the Droid from allocating these batteries for any other skills. However, once the drone left the field, it freed the occupied batteries. With that said, these freed batteries werent immediately usable again. They had to recharge over a period of time before they were full again. This essentially served as an artificial cooldown for the Droids skills, which were otherwise spammable as long as the Droid had the batteries to spare. The cooldown for each battery recharge was rather lengthy, clocking at 15 seconds at its highest. Therefore, it could be said that the cooldown of a single Assault Drone was almost 30 seconds, considering the drone cost 2 batteries to deploy. It was a long cooldown, especially considering it took only three shots to eliminate the drone at this stage of the game. And, since the drones HP scaled with the Droids and Carries didnt build much HP, it meant the drone will only become squishier as the game goes on. So truly, micromanaging batteries was the biggest challenge of playing Droid. It demanded the player to be at the top of their game when it came to decision-making. One small misstep could cost dearly, as the Droid would be stuck waiting for his skills to come off the artificial cooldown caused by battery recharge. In that sense, I can understand Winners caution. Yuel thought. He doesnt want to misplace the drones and make them easy targets for Lars. But, is it really worth dragging this out for so long? He could at least place one drone for now in order to help his Support. While Winner was withholding his drones, minions were chasing Challenger around. So, it would make more sense for Winner to summon at least one drone by now in order to mitigate the threat. Yet, Winner didnt do even that. Why? Its not like there was much risk in doing so. Maybe the two of them had a discord of some sort? Yuel wondered. That sounds very unlikely. One of the most notable traits of AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger was how well they cooperated as a duo. Even their nicknames hinted at the close relationship they had. Therefore, it was unlikely that these two, of all people, had a teamwork issue. Regardless, Winner insisted on not summoning any drones. Rather, it was Challenger who made the first move. He cast Blinding Light, turning himself into a human-shaped lamp. So, hes going to blink in again? Yuel sighed. It looks like he learned nothing. Im a little disappointed, to be honest. Based on previous scrimmages, Challenger wasnt exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. But as a member of the Leopards first-string, he should at least be better than this. Besides, he had Winner for a lane partner. This guy showed impressive decision-making and tactical thinking, so together they shouldve been able to come up with a smarter solution to the little problem Yuel gave them. Or, maybe they actually did? One second after Challenger booted his Blinding Light, Winner finally decided to summon a drone. He placed it on the far side of the lane, to make Lars run for it. The timing feels a little suspicious. Yuel thought. Its like they planned to synchronize these two plays. However, the goof didnt pay any heed to such considerations. Okay, finally! Lars chased the faraway drone as quickly as possible. Dont spend your roll on this, Yuel warned. Yeah, I dont think its worth, Lars agreed. And so, instead of quickly rolling in order to close the distance to the newly spawned drone, he lightly jogged to the destination. Good, he still remembers his defense. Yuel nodded in satisfaction. Some months ago, Lars would have definitely rolled toward the drone without thinking twice. But today, he was a player with much tighter decision-making and better self-control. That aside, I have a bad feeling about this play. Yuel chased after Lars, making sure to keep the goof within arms reach. Shortly, Lars got the drone within attack range. You''re going down, dude! BAM! WHISH! BAM! "Hm?" Lars blinked. An unexpected noise mixed in amidst the booming sounds of gunfire. The heck? It sounded like a teleportation action. Specifically, like Lumimancer''s blink, which sounded a little different than a regular blink. And indeed, a human-shaped lamp vanished from the corner of Lars''s eye. The Lumimancer, who was shining brightly like a human torch, suddenly disappeared from view. A moment later, dude reappeared again... right in front of Lars! "Crap!" Lars exclaimed. He timed it to my next shot! I can''t even look away from it! His Pirate had already started the attack animation for the next shot, so it was impossible to cancel out of it in any way! Gaaaaaah! WHOOSH! Whiteness covered Larss entire screen! Vol.14 Ch.15: Resource Analysis BAM! Larss third shot assuredly hit the drone and eliminated it. However, he couldnt see any of it. Why? Because his entire screen was covered in pure white! "This is kinda bad, yo!" Lars shifted his attention to Yuel''s screen in order to see what was actually going on. It was even worse than he expected! As soon as the light exploded, Winner summoned a drone behind his back and advanced on Lars. The AbsoluteDudes were planning to double-team Lars all along, yoooooo! "Don''t worry, I got your back." Yuel cast Gaia''s Protection on Lars. At this early stage of the game, the shield could absorb more than a couple of hits. "Thanks, my dude!" A confident grin returned to Lars''s face. With a thicc shield protecting him, he didn''t have to worry about the enemys duo attack. However, that didnt mean he was in any position to fight back against the AbsoluteDudes. "Okay, I''m out!" Lars announced his plan to retreat. "But, before I go..." BAM! He fired one more shot while backpedaling from the danger zone. His target? The drone dude who was chilling behind Winners back. Bullseye! Lars grinned in satisfaction. He fired that shot from a perspective that was far from ideal, but he was used to shenanigans like this. After all, he and Yuel practiced situations like this plenty. Against classes that could cover up Lars''s screen, he trained himself to immediately switch to Yuel''s monitor. And, Yuel was also used to these situations. I have to remember not to turn around. Yuel slowly backpedaled from the scene, making sure to keep the enemies within his field of view. He was Lars''s eyes right now, so he had to make sure Lars could catch all the important details. ZAP. ZAP. WHISH. The enemy spared no time assaulting Lars. The Droid and his drone fired lasers, and the Lumimancer backed them up with balls of light. All three attacks struck against the defensive branches covering Lars. But, even with all their powers combined, the hits weren''t enough to penetrate Gaias Protection. Obviously, that didn''t make the enemy happy. "Man, this shield!" Ronald ranted. "Cheapest thing I''ve ever seen, word!" "Yeah..." William gave a half-hearted response. Of course, he didn''t appreciate the shield blocking his damage either. However, his attention was focused elsewhere, on something far more troubling. And, that something became even more concerning in the next moment. BAM! Gunz fired in William''s direction again. However, the bullet wasn''t aimed at William himself. Instead, it targeted the drone floating behind him. And, the shot was spot on! After these two hits, the drone was on the verge of falling apart. He just hit my drone. Again. It was an undeniable fact. Gunz hit the mark twice in a row. Of course, thats to be expected from that sharpshooter under normal circumstances. But, this situation was different. He should be blinded. William frowned. How can he aim like this without seeing? And, the mystery extended beyond just shooting accuracy. As William, his drone, and Ronald were about to shoot Gunz again - the guy rolled away in the nick of time! Its almost as if he saw the shots coming and waited for the best moment to make his move. "What the-!?" Ronald gritted his teeth. Was that just a lucky guess? No, that doesnt seem right... Coincidence? Luck? Could vague concepts like that truly explain the feats Gunz was pulling off? BAM! Gunz fired once more, right after recovering from the roll. And, this shot also headed in William''s direction! No, you don''t. William was prepared this time. He moved to the side the moment he saw Gunz taking aiming. For the most part, it was a timely response. If Gunzs bullet were aimed at William himself, then he would have successfully sidestepped it in time. Unfortunately, like before, the bullet didn''t target William. Instead, it went after the Assault Drone that was following behind William. Since William moved aside, the drone followed suit. However, the drones actions always had a small delay to them. Therefore, in the end, the drone wasnt fast enough to sidestep the shot. BOOM! The drone exploded behind William''s back. "Wait, what!?" Ronald exclaimed. "I thought he was shooting randomly, but he actually took down your drone!?" "Congrats for finally noticing," William said. "Yes, he landed every shot on the drone." "What the actual heck? He''s supposed to be blinded!" "Yes, I''m sure he is. But say, what do you usually do when the enemy blinds you?" "Welp, if I''m playing alone, then I just gotta suck it up. But, if somebody is close by, then I''ll check out their screen." "And there you have it." "Wait, so you''re saying he used his partners screen to land these three shots? Uh-huh. Well, that kinda explains things, but at the same time, it totally doesn''t. Like, can you really land three accurate shots like this from a totally different point of view?" Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Gunz can, apparently." "That''s hax! We even caught him by surprise and all! He was supposed to be mad confused about the situation." "Looks like he maintained his cool just fine. Anyway, we''re done here." Willaim issued a retreat. With both drones destroyed, the duo didnt have much leverage against their lane opponents here. The enemy minions were still very much alive and still targeting Ronald. We have to clear out the fodder first. Willaim concentrated his fire on the enemy bowmen first, as they were squishier and had the higher DPS. Meanwhile, Ronald fired balls of light at the swordsmen who were hot on his trail. He didnt have the luxury to shoot the enemy backline because that would require pausing, and he sure didnt want to do that right now, not with this entire brigade chasing him down. And so, the two brothers fired basic attacks at the two different sides of the enemy wave, all the while retreating deeper and deeper into allied territory. It was a decent pincer technique, but their progress was painfully slow. Maybe I shouldve rolled Gunzs last shot. William thought in retrospect. It mightve made the drone move along faster, though its hard to say for sure. After all, the reaction speed on that scrap of metal is garbage tier. Hmph. On second thought, maybe I made the right call there, after all. Rather than salvaging the drone, it was probably better to hold onto Dodge Roll in case the enemy was planning to mount a counter-attack. Especially, the Druid''s pull was dangerous CC, so Willaim constantly had to keep watch. Fortunately, this time, the enemy disengaged nicely without making Willaims life needlessly difficult. Well, it makes sense they didnt bother counter-attacking. William thought. They rather play the long game with Pirate. The Druid could go out of his way to continue the fight and pressure us with his CC, but he chose to prioritize the Pirates safety. Essentially, this Druid existed solely to supplement his Carry at the moment. Pirate wanted to take things easy and rack up gold until the mid-game, and the Druid utilized his strong shield to make that sailing smoother. And so, the two classes synergized very well in that sense. On the other hand, my Support William made a face. Well, its not like theres no synergy at all. Rons fast clear definitely helps out my own slow clear, but its very flawed and Chessmaster has already exposed it. As a lane clearing tool, Ray of Light was clunky. It was an AoE DoT spell that was easy to turn against the Lumimancer himself. Aeromancer suffered from a similar issue in Mid, but his Whirlwind scaled much better with power and its DoT ticked faster. In addition, Whirlwind also slowed down the Movement Speed of the enemies it hit, which made it harder to step in and out of the spells AoE without getting hit multiple times. This small but important difference was the reason Lumimancer was far less viable as a Mid Laner. And, Ronalds solution of dishing out more immediate damage with Blinding Light didnt remedy the situation at all. It was nothing but a waste of MP that was going to burn him out. I hope you learned your lesson this time, William said. Yeah, yeah, I get it. Ronald sighed. They not gonna let me farm so easily, and burning more MP isnt a real solution. My, it sounds like someone is finally developing a brain, Cato interjected. I thought I already explained all of this the first time, but it looks like youre the type who has to get burned once before you learn to stop playing with fire. "Hey, no need to rub salt, okay?" Ronald pouted. "Yeah, I didnt make the right read on how these guys will play, I get that now. Let''s move on already." "Yes, it''s always good to move on as long as you understood the mistakes you made. Yep, yep. But really, youre so forgetful, Cato said. I always have to remind you to keep better tabs on your resources, be it HP or MP. Contrary to what you like to think, these resources don''t belong only to you; they''re a part of the team''s entire stock. So, when you waste them, you''re wasting the entire teams resources." "Yeah, yeah. You''ve told me that like what, a billion times?" Not that I agree with any of it, but okay. "I''ll keep repeating it over and over until it sinks in. Because so far, I feel like it hasnt." Hah, you can preach it all you want. Ronald shrugged. Im not gonna join that religion. That weirdo Cato had a cult-like approach to resource management. According to this preacher, nobody''s resources were truly their own. Everything was part of the team''s "shared pool of the resources", or some shit like that. Basically, it was like communism or something. Sure, I kinda get the overall idea behind it. Ronald thought. Basically, hes saying that my actions have team-wide consequences. Like, when I spend MP, its actually a bigger deal than just losing some points from my MP bar. Stuff like that usually had bigger implications than it initially seemed. For example, the more MP Ronald burned during laning, the earlier hed have to recall to base in order to recharge. In turn, it also meant hed have to leave his bro all alone in the lane at that time. And, 1v2 lane situation like this always had the potential to go south. So yeah, in a way, that preacher has a point. Ronald admitted. It sure guilt trips me when I think of things through these goggles. Catos communistic religion would surely condemn Ronald to hell for his careless actions. According to this nonsensical bible, wasting just a little bit of MP was going to drop the apocalypse on the entire team. It''s such a hyperbole. Ronald shrugged. If everybody analyzed games the way Cato does, then theyd be stuck in analysis paralysis. I mean, pretty much anything you do in this game has a chance of backfiring or messing something up. Bleh. And so, there was no good reason to believe that wasting a little bit of MP will prove SUPER MEGA ULTRA FATAL for the entire team. Ronalds mistakes will surely have some short-term consequences, but that''s about it. However, Cato didn''t see things that way. Seriously, that fool. Cato sighed. No matter how many times I explain it to him, he never learns. Perhaps, Cato''s approach to resource analysis was a tad too advanced for some. Nonetheless, any self-respecting competitive player had to be aware of such analysis, especially if they wanted to play on an elite team like the Leopards. Regardless of opinions, it was an objective fact that every player''s actions had team-wide consequences. Some players didnt like admitting to it, but that didnt change the facts. Its like chess. Cato thought. Even a small step forward with a pawn may have great implications for the rest of the match. All players were like pieces on the same chessboard, and every move they made had the potential to cause a ripple effect thatll spread throughout the rest of the board. For example, Ronald wasting MP will assuredly lead to an early recall. As a result, the lane situation in Bot will temporarily turn into a 1v2. Even for Willaim, these were extremely unfavorable odds, as his lane opponents were Stratus finest. But, there was more. With Ronald stuck at the base, the entire game board would temporarily turn into a 4v5. Therefore, this had larger implications than just Bots situation. More than likely, Yuel would try to take advantage of a situation like this. There were many available lines of plays that this schemer could go for, and itd be up to Cato to counter such ploys. Look at this kid, adding more work to my plate. Cato shook his head. He probably thinks this is just some butterfly effect talk, but its a very practical analysis. Every blunder affected the entire team in one way or another. And, such mistakes easily accumulated over time until they snowballed into one big defeat. It was just a question of time. Ronald''s ineffective power build and irresponsible MP management were bound to come back to bite the team later. Hopefully, the consequences won''t be too dire in this case Vol.14 Ch.16: Setting up a Duel The battle for lane control continued in Bot. After being scolded so many times, Ronald stopped showing off his early-game damage. Instead, he focused on delivering as much damage as possible while relying on minimal resources. I don''t wanna be completely useless during laning, but I can''t allow myself to run outta MP either. Ronald had no choice but to settle on the middle ground. I hope this is good enough for Captain Stalin. Instead of placing Ray of Light on the entire enemy wave, Ronald placed it only on the enemy''s frontline. There were multiple benefits to doing so. Firstly, the spells AoE now stretched all the way to the allied swordsmen as well. so it gradually regenerated their HP. Secondly, the AoE was now placed in the very center of the lane. Therefore, Chessmaster would have to overextend in order to reach the AoE and get hit by it, which wasnt exactly an attractive offer for him. Yep, like I thought. He doesn''t have the balls to do it. Ronald snickered. The new approach worked wonders. Chessmaster stopped suiciding on Ronalds Ray of Light, so farming like this was pretty chill and ez for Ronald. On the other hand, William and Gunz continued wrestling nonstop. They didnt exchange any direct blows, but they contested each other in terms of positioning and spacing. William wanted to summon Assault Drones thatll help him farm faster, whereas Gunz insisted to shoot down every drone before it even had a chance to be born. The two kept going back and forth. Gunz stalked William at every step, whereas Wiliam tried his best to outsmart and shake off the pesky stalker. Surprisingly, so far, Gunz has been successfully shutting Willaim down. The guy didnt allow a single drone to live for longer than a couple of seconds if even that. Wow. This is really something. Ronald thought. I dont remember the last time Ive seen bro struggle this much with basic farming, especially with Droid. Normally, William was the type to dominate the lane. He had tons of game knowledge and experience, so he knew how to make the most out of every situation. All these complicated stuff like spacing, optimizing damage, and so on - these were a breeze for Willaim. Thats how he was able to play a wack class like Droid with such proficiency. Meh, I cant for the life of me get used to this class. Ronald admitted. But, bro makes it look like a legit top tier. At least, usually, he does Unlike in most matches, Willaims Droid didnt seem that impressive this time. On the contrary, it looked like a vulnerable class that was easy to shut down. Every Assault Drone cost 2 batteries, but it took Gunz only three hits to shut down such a drone. So, every time Gunz successfully eliminated a newborn drone, he effectively made William waste batteries on nothing. Each wasted battery had a cooldown of 15 seconds until it went back online, so losing an Assault Drone was equivalent to being smacked in the face with a 30 seconds cooldown without gaining anything in return. It felt terrible. Of course, when it does work, then these drones can pack a serious punch. Ronald thought. So, all things considered, I guess the skill is balanced overall, even though it must feel horrible to use it in this game. In theory, the Assault Drones were a great help for farming, especially for a class like Droid that didnt have any damage skills whatsoever. When the drone didnt die immediately, it stayed on the field for a prolonged period of time, continuously supplementing the Droid with steady DPS. The few times William successfully outplayed Gunz, he reaped decent benefits from having an operational drone around. The little bots barraged the minions with lasers! ... for 3 seconds or so, and then Gunz usually destroyed them. Nevertheless, for the brief time during which the drones were operational, they were a substantial DPS increase. Thats why Gunz was so frantic about shooting them down. As some dead uncle once said, with great power comes great responsibility. That was a good way to summarize the Assault Drones and Droid as a whole. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was a class with incredible potential, but it had to be wielded carefully and responsibly. Droid had the ability to utterly demolish opponents who didnt know how to counter it, but it was always an uphill battle against stronger opponents. It demanded a conservative and calculated playstyle. This suited Willaim very well, but not so much the younger brother. Meh, I prefer to have more freedom in how I play. Ronald thought. Though, sometimes this freedom tempts me to do dumb things, haha... Even though Ronald was using his spells more conservatively now, he couldnt erase the mistakes of his past. The MP he wasted earlier didnt magically return. This wasnt some happy-go-lucky cartoon in which the hero causes a miracle by conquering his weakness. Welp, Im pretty much spent, Ronald said. I gotta recall soon. No problem, William responded. I can hold them down on my own. You sure youll be fine? I can hang around a little longer if you need. Unnecessary. Youre not going to be any help without MP. Hey, I still got my basics! They deal zero damage. Haha, true that. Ronald smiled wryly. Even with his power build, the damage of his basic attacks was nothing to write home about. Such was the sad life of mages. Ill be right back. Ronald started recalling. Im gonna build even more power so we can clear the minions even faster! Sure. On that note, Ronald teleported from the lane and returned to the base. Other than buying wards, his top priority was to power himself up. The plan was to return to the lane stronger than ever and wreak havoc with his spells! Unfortunately, until then, William will have to defend Bot all by himself. And, the enemy had their own ideas for how to take advantage of this situation. "Yo, the Lumi dude left," Lars said. "So, can I duel the Droid? Pretty please? Their Jungler is on the other side of the map and all that." "Hoh, I see youve learned how to make good appeals." Yuel smiled meaningfully. Larss request sounded risky at first glance, but then he pointed out that the enemy Jungler was nowhere nearby. It meant that nobody from the enemy team could possibly gank the lane for the time being, so Lars will be free to fight to his heart''s content. "Hmm. This does seem like a good opportunity to test out the waters," Yuel said. "Winner seems to be the strongest fighter of their team, so its important to know whether you can handle him." "Yeah, exactly! It''s a fated duel, yo!" Lars flashed his teeth. "We gotta duke it out and see who''s the strongest dude around! And, I''m sure he feels the same way. I sensed it when we had our spacing contest earlier." In truth, Lars and Winner had been dueling each other ever since the game started, but it was more like a cold war. Instead of attacking, they spaced and zoned each other by moving around. It wasnt as cool as actually exchanging blows, but it nonetheless demanded a good degree of adaptation and outplaying. Basically, instead of fighting directly, they used the drones as a proxy for resolving their conflict. Winner''s goal was to summon his drones and put them to good use, whereas Lars''s job was to eliminate the drones ASAP. And, amidst all that, they had to make sure they still scored shots and last-hits on minions. It was an interesting contest. It utilized many of the skills required for real duels and it was pretty fun too. But, it wasn''t a real fight. There were too many restrictions on what Lars could and couldnt do, so he didnt get the satisfaction of actually destroying his opponent. I''m sure dude feels the same way. Lars smiled confidently. We''re both raring to go. Like the rest of the team, Lars also watched the replays of the Leopards past scrimmages. Of course, he didnt remember much of the details, but he did get a pretty solid read on Winner. AbsoluteWinner, as his name implied, was the kind of dude who was always eager to win. But, its not just winning as a team that he wanted. Nah, this dude was aiming much higher than that. He desired to dominate every game by himself, to trample over all the competition with his own two hands! In both scrims, Winner was always out there, searching for the next target to stomp. He wanted to prove he was stronger than anybody, to establish himself as the king of the region. I like that attitude! Lars licked his lips. Yknow, I''m also a fan of finding strong dudes to fight. So, Im sure we gonna get along very well! "Okay, then I''ll rotate to Mid," Yuel said. "You''re free to fight him during the next minion wave. Just make sure you don''t overextend; the Lumimancer can return at any moment." "Gotcha." On that note, Yuel entered the Jungle and headed toward Mid. "Are you really coming over here?" Kai asked. "I''m not struggling here or anything, just so you know." "Yes, but youre not making much progress either." "That''s... fair, I guess." Kai grumped. As frustrating as it was to admit, Merlin kept Mid Lane frozen ever since the game started. That pesky turtle didn''t really put up on much of a fight, but neither did he allow Kai to push through him. "I''ll help you push a little so you can get some momentum," Yuel explained. "... fine, you can come." Meanwhile, Lars and AbsoluteWinner remained alone in lane. The next minion wave arrived, forcing the two of them to compete once again. However, this time, there were no restrictions or distractions. Nobody else was there to interfere with their duel. This was going to be a pure 1v1 laning contest, one between a Pirate and a Droid. And, if time permits, this bout could even transition into a proper duel after that! Which one of them will become the uncontested king of the region!? Vol.14 Ch.17: Gunz vs. Winner After Challenger recalled to base and Yuel departed to Mid, Lars and Winner remained alone in Bot. Okay, let''s get the little dudes out of the way real quick. Lars approached the enemy frontline and unleashed Backfire Cannon, blasting the entire minion wave while pushing himself away. It was an aggressive opening, one that made his intentions very clear. So, you want to compete. William nodded. What a coincidence because I want the exact same thing. He summoned two Assault Drones behind his back. Let''s see which of us really deserves the No. 2 spot...! BAM! A bullet came flying at him as soon as he finished summoning the drones. And, as always, the bullet wasn''t directed at him. The shot targeted one of the drones behind Williams back, and it connected perfectly as always. Impressive. William admitted. But, that''s not enough to stop me. He fearlessly advanced toward the minion wave in order to place the enemies within the drones attack range. Of course, this move made it that much easier for Gunz to shoot the drones, but its fine. This was how a duel between a Droid and a Pirate had to go. I just have to move around a lot to make it hard for him. William thought. I''ve already got a good idea of how he moves, so Im sure I can space him out. And so, William moved around in an arc while firing lasers at the enemy minions. And, since he made sure to stay close enough to the enemies, his drones provided supporting fire from behind. Combined, their shots melted the enemy minions one by one. Meanwhile, Gunz did his best to chase the drones. But, it wasnt as easy as it sounded. The guy had to constantly split his attention between shooting minions and shooting drones. Fortunately for him, the Attack Speed he built via Ninja Tabi made the task that much easier. Okay, so I shoot this dude. Lars sniped a swordsman in the head to secure a last-hit. And then, I''m in range to shoot this drone! He turned 90 degrees and instantly fired at one of the drones! He spent practically zero time on aiming this quick shot because he constantly kept tabs on Winner from the corner of his eye. This transition from shooting a swordsman to shooting a drone was so instantaneous that even Winner failed to react to it in time. Tch, I cant dodge this one. William grimaced. He tried his best to sidestep the shot on reaction but he wasnt fast enough. There were zero telegraphs about this quick shot coming, so William barely had any time to react. One thing I have to admit. William conceded. The way he can switch between targets on the fly without wasting any time is quite impressive. In terms of mechanical skill, I can agree he might be a little better than me overall. But, can he do THIS? It was time to reveal a technique that William has been concealing until now. He had no reason to use it in the previous scrims because his opponents were too weak to bother, but Gunz was definitely worth the effort. And so, William fired a laser beam as soon as he finished the sidestep. As usual, his drones followed suit with beams of their own. Then, as soon as William finished firing the shot, he quickly sidestepped again. Likewise, his drones moved along with him after a brief delay. BAM! A bullet came flying in his direction, but it just barely missed the drone it was targeting. Geh! Lars made a face. So close, yooo! How did he even do that??? It looked unreal. That sidestep had such perfect timing! No, even more than perfect! It seemed downright impossible, yo! Winner shouldve been vulnerable while shooting, yet his recovery animation ended super fast. Its as if dude canceled it early by using some wizardry. I mean, I know you can do cancels like that with Dodge Roll and some skills, but dude didnt do anything special. He just stepped, yo. Lars shook his head. Am I going crazy? Nah, I probably just read the timing wrong, thats all it is. Lars ignored this one wacky incident and moved on. The next time Winner fired a laser beat, Lars shot the dude immediately! This time, he aint gonna miss, yo! BAM... and nothing else. The gun made a loud noise but there was no impact sound. The bullet didnt hit anything. What the...? Larss jaw dropped. How is this even...? Just like last time, Winner sidestepped the shot way too quickly. And, his drones followed his footsteps soon enough, so Larss accurate shot ended up whiffing. The heck, yo!? This doesnt make any sense! Lars insisted. I hafta get to the bottom of this. Whats really happening here? Like last time, Winners recovery animation was cut short as if he glitched out of it somehow. It was so bizarre. Maybe it was some special Droid bug? I dont remember anything like it, tho. Lars thought back on the few times he played Droid, but he was drawing a blank on this topic. He never experienced anything like this. Well, Yuel hasnt said anything, so maybe Im just imagining things? Then again, Im the one who has been shooting this dude. Yuel is only checking on my situation every now and then, so its easy for him to miss these weird cancels. The whole thing felt rather inconsistent, too. BAM! On the third shot, Lars finally landed a hit on one of the drones. This time, there was absolutely nothing strange about Winners movements. BAM! On the fourth shot, Lars missed again... How tho!?!?!?! Lars was losing his mind. This makes no sense, yo! BAM! BAM! BAM! Lars continued firing shots at the drones. HIT. MISS. HIT. That was his score this round. Like, sometimes dude be doing that hax sidestep, but sometimes he doesnt. I just dont get it, yo. Throughout the many exchanges, Winner only pulled that glitch a handful of times. Maybe he wasnt very proficient at it, or maybe there were some special conditions that had to be fulfilled first. Either way, the whole thing was wack. Hey, my dude, Lars called out. Is Droid bugged or something? I sometimes see him cancel his attack recovery animation like real fast. He cancels into it what? Yuel asked. Into a sidestep, I guess? At least, thats how it looks. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I dont think Ive seen him do that. Yeah, he only pulled that a couple of times so far. But, it catches me off-guard every dang time, making me whiff shots. Any idea what the heck that is? If hes really canceling the animation into a step, then I do have one idea of what it might be Yuel was reluctant to continue. What he was about to suggest seemed very unlikely, especially for the middle school level. But, I already know they got a Korean player who can do it. Yuel thought. So, maybe its not a stretch to assume that other members can do it, too. I didnt expect this... "It''s probably a Korean Step Cancel, or KC for short," Yuel explained. "Wut? Is that some super-advanced Korean tech?" "Something like that..." Yuel made a face. "We actually saw it a few times, remember? Back when we watched the Korean and Chinese teams at the world championship." "Oh, yeah! I remember thinking there was something cool and weird about the way some of them were moving." "Yes, they used the Korean Cancel quite often. It''s a popular technique in the east, not so much in the west." "And, youre saying Winner can do it? Yes, thats how it seems. Sick, yo! So, how does it work, again? Does he, like, cancel his recovery animation with a step?" "Yes, that''s the gist of it. You can buffer a step during specific frames of the recovery animation and it''ll cancel the animation into a step." "Yo, that''s rad as heck!" Lars exclaimed. "Why am I not using it then??? It sounds mad useful." You tried it before, remember? Did I? Yes, you did, Yuel insisted. It sounds like you erased it from your memory because it didnt go that well. Dang, did I suck that much? Hmm. Thats a difficult question to answer, Yuel said. You definitely did a lot better than me, thats for sure. But, it seemed like itd take you a few good months to get proper results, so we dropped it. Oh yeah, its coming back to me now, I think. Lars scratched his head. So anyway, this KC thingy sounds like a real useful technique. Why isnt it more popular over here? "Because it''s difficult to execute, extremely so," Yuel explained. "The timing is very strict. They say it''s ''frame perfect'' for most classes. Frame perfect? It means you have to press a button at one very specific frame of the animation. Wait, isnt this game like 60 FPS? Lars knotted his brows and tried to run the numbers. That basically means Hmm Welp, Im pretty sure it means something. Probably. Its frame perfect specifically for 30 FPS, Yuel explained. For 60 FPS it means theres a window of two frames, and for 120 FPS it means there are 4 frames. Oh, I get it! So, its easier with more FPS. No, its practically the same. Wait, wut? But you just said with higher FPS there are more frames in which I can do the cancel. True, Yuel said. But, if your FPS is higher, then the actual time for the cancel remains the same. 2 frames in 60 FPS last as long as 1 frame in 30 FPS. Oh, yeah. That makes sense, I think. Lars nodded with a blank expression. So anyway, how tight does the input need to be, exactly? Like, in real time, not according to them confusing frames. At 30 FPS, you have 30 frames per second. So, if you have to hit a specific frame, then you have 1 / 30 seconds to do it. Wait, thats less than a second, isnt it? ... yes, of course it is. You divide 1 second by 30 here. Dang, that sounds unreal! What the heck. Yes, its that hard. I heard it''s practically impossible to do with online lag." "Heh, sounds like a fun challenge!" Lars grinned. "I remember learning a few animation cancel glitches like that for other games. It always feels awesome to pull them off! Its like youve mastered the system and stuff, yo! I really dunno how I slept on this Korean Cancel thing. Until now" "Thats how difficult it is, Yuel said. So difficult, that even somebody like you quit early. You even erased it from your memory it seems. Dang, cant believe I actually forgot something like that. Well, thats just how hard it is to execute consistently. "Is it really, tho? Lars asked. To me, it looks like he''s just doing a step. Sure, the timing may be strict and stuff, but Im sure anybody can get used to it with enough practice." "Its not that simple. To put it into perspective: even most pros in the west don''t bother learning it." "Say what?" "We often watch western pro matches, right? But tell me, when was the last time you saw somebody perform a Korean Cancel in a match?" "Oh, good point..." Lars frowned as he tried to recall the last time he saw something similar to this technique. "Yeah, I only remember them Chinese pros pulling some godlike moves I didn''t understand. But, the pros we usually watch make sense to me, so theyre not doing any of this KC stuff, huh." "And there you have it. Even pros, who are supposed to aim for the highest level of mastery, give up on this technique. "Dang, it sounds like some godlike tech! I gotta master it too, yo!" "I''m sure you will at some point." Yuel nodded. "But, the reason I haven''t made you seriously practice KC until now is that you have many other problems to work on first. "Haha, harsh" "It''s the truth, and you have to face it." With Lars''s natural gift for mastering difficult techniques, he''ll surely pick up and master the Korean Cancel in the future. However, that future wasn''t here yet. The goof had plenty of other areas to improve in, which were far easier to work on and will contribute a lot more to Larss overall performance. "Besides," Yuel said. "KC isn''t even as useful for marksmen." "How come?" Lars titled his head. "This Winner dude over here is putting it to some good work." "It has some uses for the early-game, but its value diminishes over time. Marksmen usually build a lot of Attack Speed, so their attack animation becomes very fast. As a result, it becomes even harder to use the Korean Step at such high speeds. And, it''s barely even worth it to cancel a short attack animation." "Yeah, I think I get watcha mean." Lars nodded. "Once I build some sick Attack Speed, I can already quickly move after shooting, so no need to animation cancel." In this game, the Attack Speed stat affected the entire attack animation, from the startup frames and all the way to the recovery frames. As such, the higher the Attack Speed was, the faster and shorter the animation was. So, at certain speeds, it became outright impossible to even buffer a step in the right spot of the recovery animation. These are the same arguments I used last time to convince him to give up on KC. Yuel sighed. He pretty much made me repeat everything over again. Oh well, it''s important to remind him about these things every now and then, to make sure he doesn''t get carried away and start practicing it on his own. The goof was very impressionable, so he''d try to master any "cool" high-level technique he came across. So, it was important to put a leash on him every now and then, to make sure he focused on the things that mattered the most. Time was a finite resource. Yuel and Lars only had so many hours a day to practice Classmancers, yet they had countless things to learn and master. As such, Lars didn''t have the luxury to waste any of his precious time on less productive techniques like Korean Cancel. And so, with Lars now convinced, the conversation died out. However, the laning duel between Lars and Winner raged on. The two of them continued their tango, with Lars stalking the drones and Winner moving them away. Overall, they matched each other in terms of wave-clearing speeds, which was very different from how previous waves went down. In fact, Winner even had the edge this time. Dang, what gives? Lars grumped. I just cant destroy his drone fast enough anymore. It feels like his spacing got way better, yo! Or, is it me who got worse somehow? Part of it was that the conversation with Yuel distracted Lars a little, but that was no excuse. For reasons unclear, there was a significant improvement in how Winner maneuvered around the lane. But, why? What was different from before? Yuel isnt here, for one. And, neither is that Challenger dude. Lars thought as he checked his surroundings. Thinking of it, it feels like theres suddenly a lot more open space around us. Could that be related? Perhaps Winner felt more comfortable moving around when there were fewer distractions present. In particular, having to deal with just Lars probably made things that much easier for him. Yuel didnt chase the dude around like me, but he did apply some pressure too. Lars thought. He sure did it quietly, tho. So much, that I barely noticed. But, Im sure his presence had an impact on this dude. Basically, Lars and Yuel have been double-teaming Winner this entire time. It just didnt seem that way because Lars was the only one actively stalking Winner this entire time. But, Yuel was also there in the shadows, further constraining the amount of available space Winner had to move in. And now, that constrain was gone. So, thats why it feels like he can suddenly move all over the place. And, theres also this sick technique all of a sudden. That Korean Cancel thingy was definitely guilty. It made Lars miss some critical shots, which allowed the drones to survive that much longer. In fact, one of these little metal dudes was still hanging in there. This drone got hit twice and dodged twice, making the current score 2-2. Not bad. But Im sorry, little dude. Victory is mine! BAM! Lars fired the decisive shot. The aim was 200% on point. It gonna be bullseye! With this, the score will be 3-2. Itll be Lars victory, yoooo! However, long before the bullet even reached the drone, the little dude exploded all by itself Vol.14 Ch.18: Amateurish Korean Cancel BOOM! The enemys last drone exploded. It shouldve been good news, yet it left Lars confused. Wut? Lars blinked. I know my shot was on point, but it didnt even reach the drone. Did dude straight up blow up his own drone!? That brave drone was at a 2-2 score against Lars and this decisive shot was supposed to break the tie. Yet, Winner denied Lars that satisfaction. It served its purpose. William didnt even spare a glance at the smashed drone lying on the ground. He was the one who ordered this drone to self-destruct early, as it was inevitably going to be shot down by Gunz. I dont think I couldve stepped that. William reasoned. So, no point in wasting any more time on this drone. The earlier a drone went out of service, the earlier it freed the battery slots it was occupying. And, the less slots were occupied at a given time, the faster batteries recharged overall. Therefore, getting rid of the drone was equivalent to getting an early boost of cooldown reduction. I should be able to recharge everything by the next wave at this pace. William estimated on the fly. Even though he was about to engage in a much-anticipated duel with Gunz, he didnt neglect thinking about whatll come next. Ron should be back by the time I beat this guy, so we can push hard if nobody returns to defend the lane by then. Sounds like a solid plan. This was the best-case scenario and William had every intent to realize it with his own two hands. Even without any available drones at his disposal, hell definitely stomp Gunz. This is why I picked Droid against you. William gazed at Gunz. I knew wed get a chance to have a raw fight like this, with no abilities or special effects involved. Yes, this is just you and me, with minimum noise in the background. This is almost a pure test of skill. Of course, that didnt exactly hold true for Gunz himself. The guy spent his Backfire Cannon earlier, but he still had access to his Cutlass and Kraken, both dangerous tools that Willaim had to look out for. With that said, bringing out the cutlass was effectively the same as swapping a ranged weapon for a melee one. Though the cutlass was stronger than the Pirates default pistol, the blade lacked range and this made the cutlass that much harder to utilize in a duel between marksmen. On the other hand, the Kraken was definitely a threat. It was a powerful CC skill that could single-handedly decide the entire duel. Would he use it in a duel? William wondered. Normally, it was best to save Kraken for complicated team fights, but Stratus was probably hungering for any sort of advantage. After all, they were facing the regional champions, so gaining even the slightest advantage would be considered a great honor for them. As such, Kraken wasnt off the table for this duel. Gunz might very well dump that sea monster on William if things get rough. So, I have to keep my Dodge Roll available. William concluded. Spending his Dodge Roll on anything other than countering the Kraken would be suicide. Hmph. I thought this was going to be a fair duel, but so far Im only discovering restrictions for myself. He wasnt allowed to let Gunz into melee range, and he wasnt allowed to spend his Dodge Roll until Gunz uses Kraken. Maybe these werent the worst restrictions in the world, but theyll definitely handicap William against a formidable opponent like Gunz. Well, I''m sure it''ll be fine. William concluded. If my image of Gunz is on point, then he''s the type who''ll gladly accept an invitation for a pure contest of skill. So, I trust him to not use Kraken willy-nilly. Just like me, he should be interested in proving hes better via pure skill. Besides, spending resources too early was a waste regardless of the situation. Therefore, Gunz would like to be conservative at the start. But, he might resort to Kraken if things go south for him. Of course, I''ll also resummon my drones if push comes to shove. William thought. As much as I want to win this contest of skill, itd be dumb to waste my life on it. So, if Im forced to deploy my drones and shield, then Ill do it. And, Gunz will surely do the same with his Kraken. With that, William finished framing his mind for the upcoming clash. As the coach always lectured, it was very important for players to maintain clear sight of their goals. Therefore, every now and then, it was a good idea to take a break and reaffirm the situation. Alright, I''m ready. William took a deep breath and relaxed his body for a moment, helping his brain rebuild concentration. So, are you going to accept my duel invitation? Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As expected, Gunz''s actions spoke louder than words. Okay, I get it now. Lars grinned. You killed that drone early because ya wanna hod a simple fight, right? Without skills, ults, and all that fancy stuff. Okey-dokey! I dig that. A pure mano-a-mano that relied solely on each player''s individual skill. It was the best kind of bout, yo! Even in terms of classes, I think we''re pretty much matched, right? Lars wondered. Pirate and Droid are both kinda meh in the early game, so this should be fair. Likewise, in terms of HP, both of them were at maximum health. Even though Winner lost some of his HP earlier when he and Challenger attacked Lars, his Support patched him up before leaving the lane. So now, both sides were on equal footing. This is such a rare opportunity. I almost never get the chance to hold a simple and fair fight like this. Lars readied his gun. I dig it for sure. So, better have fun with it while it lasts, yo! BAM! Lars fired as soon as Winner stepped within his range. It was showtime! But... Hmph. Fast response, as always. William sidestepped the shot and fired back. ZAP! The laser darted straight at Gunz''s side! However... Not so fast, yo! Lars sidestepped the beam at the last moment. Phew! Dang, it was a close one. That counterattack was lightning fast. This play mustve been close to the upper limit of human capability, or maybe it even surpassed it! Nonetheless, Lars recovered just in time to sidestep and shoot back! BAM! A bullet drilled itself into Winner''s side. First blood, yooooo! Tch, I failed to KC it. William grimaced. So, he''ll be the one serving in this game. If this were a tennis game, then Gunz would be the one serving the ball. He had the initial momentum on his side, so it was William''s job to break this momentum. Therefore, this was not time to be aggressive. Instead, William had to be patient and methodical in his approach, biding his time until he can flip the tables around and become the server himself. But, that didnt mean he shouldnt attack either. He had to keep returning the ball to the enemy side of the court, to keep piling pressure on the attacker. ZAP! William fired a laser beam after repositioning himself. Once again, Gunz sidestepped the shot with ease. BAM! A fast counter, one that required a pitch-perfect reaction from William. Tch, another failed KC. William failed to cancel into a sidestep yet again. But, this time, he had a backup plan. His step input registered a little later than he would have liked it to, but he nonetheless stepped backward before the bullet reached him. And so, the bullet dropped off and fell onto the ground right before reaching him. You miscalculated your spacing. William criticized as he stepped in and fired a beam. ZAP! Dang, I was just a little too far...! Lars criticized his earlier shot while simultaneously sidestepping the incoming beam. Gotta say tho, that backstep he did was slick. It''s like dude knew he was right at the edge of my reach. Sick skillz. To avoid committing the same mistake again, Lars stepped in a little further this time. BAM! Too slow. William scoffed. In the time it took Gunz to step in deeper, William has already finished recovering from his previous attack animation. So, he was ready to shoot once more! ZAP! "Whoa!" Lars rolled aside on reaction. He escaped the damage by a hair''s breadth. Hmph. Not bad. William admitted. On the other hand, I messed up The enemy''s bullet pierced his chest. William nearly stole the initiative this round, yet his opponent was just a little better this time again. Tch, another failed KC. William grumped. What a terrible streak. I thought I''ll be able to do them more consistently when push comes to shove, but so far its been the other way around. Ive been messing up left and right. This was an important battle for William. Not only was he facing a formidable competitive opponent for once, but also the title of the regions No. 2 Strongest Player was on the line here. Maybe the pressure is getting to me a little. William wanted to believe he was calm and composed as usual, yet the results were undeniable. Then again, maybe its just a streak of bad luck. My KC always feels so inconsistent... The Korean Step Cancel was a top-level technique, one that took months, sometimes years, to master. And, William only started practicing it this year after Young-jin joined the club and showed off the techniques potential. As a result, William''s KC technique was still far from perfect. He simply didnt have enough practice and experience under his belt. His KC was very unreliable overall, with a success rate below 50%. Furthermore, Sonya collected all sorts of advanced statistics about Williams KC, including how the success rate varied between different scenarios. It illustrated how unreliable Williams KC was at the moment. For example, one important finding was that the KCs success rate dropped sharply when Willaim was dueling a strong opponent. It became around 30% against Young-jin and even dropped as low as 20% against pros. Yes, it was that bad. I cant keep getting hit like this. William thought. Maybe Ill have to dial down on the KC, after all. There was some merit in sacrificing a bit of his HP to try out KC in a high-level fight. There was a lot of experience to be earned here. With that said, he couldn''t allow these tests to ruin his chances of winning the duel. Well, if it keeps failing like this, then its a wrap, at least for now. William decided. KC was a useful tool but it came with great risks when it was this imperfect. So, depending on how this fight will proceed, William might have no choice but to seal this great tool... Vol.14 Ch.19: The Matrix Convoluter The duel between William and Gunz continued. The two of them danced back and forth while shooting, counter-shooting, and counter-counter-shooting each other. It was a delicate fight of accuracy, reaction time, spacing, and outguessing. William started the fight on the wrong foot as his Korean Cancel failed multiple times in a row. However, after taking a moment to reassess the situation and calm down, his next two KCs were a resounding success. He was getting the hang of it...! BAM! A bullet flew at William, but he sidestepped it via KC and fired a swift counter. ZAP! The counter was successful. The laser beam grazed Gunz''s shoulder, catching the guy in the middle of a sidestep. But, it was too early to celebrate, as Gunz has already readied his gun once more for a counterattack! It was a swift shift from sidestepping to shooting. Its as if the guy already figured he was going to get hit, so he cut his sidestep short in order to counterattack faster. It was an inhumanly fast response. Before Williams beam even hit Gunz, the guys pistol was already locked on William, and it was ready to fire at a moments notice...! William had no chance of sidestepping this shot via normal means. Also, canceling into a Dodge Roll was not an option either so long as the threat of Kraken existed. Therefore, there was only one thing that could possibly save him here: Korean Cancel. He already buffered the input ahead of time as it was impossible to do so on reaction, not with how tight the input window was. Will the KC come through for him this time? Or, will it fail miserably again? Oh, it registered. William realized that his Droid started moving early, before his attack animation fully ended. Good. Ill dodge this one and shoot back again. He had this one in the bag. With the KC kicking in, Gunzs upcoming shot was definitely going to miss... or, will it? Oh, he''s moving! Lars noticed just as he started pressing the left button. It gotta be that KC thing again, yo! I need to shift my aim just a little...! Right before the bullet was unleashed, Lars tilted his mouse to the side. It changed the shots angle ever so slightly. BAM! The bullet darted toward Winner! WHAM! The bullet made contact. It grazed Winners arm, hitting him in the middle of his sick sidestep technique. He still hit me...? William blinked. This was supposed to be the part where William fires a counter-attack after finishing the sidestep, yet his fingers didnt budge. The best response he managed was to backstep in order to get out of the enemys range and delay Gunzs next shot, but thats all. His brain short-circuited for a moment there. I... I did a KC, right? William replayed the situation in his head. I definitely sidestepped enough to avoid getting shot. But, he still hit me and it didnt look like a fluke. It was just for a moment, but it looked like his gun was following my movements. William doubted his own testimony on this, but thats what he observed in the middle of his sidestep. He moved his gun just a little before firing. Did he actually react to my KC and shift his aim accordingly? Thats Absurd, to say the least. Pulling off something like this required a godly reaction speed that rivaled the most mechanically skilled pros out there. Did Gunz really possess a talent like this...? No, it had to be a fluke, right? Theres no way he can do this consistently. William tried to reassure himself, but his confidence was slipping away. Well, I cant argue with the facts. William conceded. Maybe Gunzs reaction speed is really good enough for pulling off stunts like this, at least every now and then. I mean, hes not the first impossibly talented middle schooler Ive come across this year. In fact, we have a much greater monster in our own club. If a pro-level middle schooler like Young-jin was permitted to exist in this world, then it wasnt a stretch to believe that a middle schooler with godly reaction speed existed as well. Not to mention, the last few exchanges made it clear that Gunz''s mechanical skill trampled over William''s. If this were a tennis match, then Gunz would have likely been the type to rely on his speed and power. Hed deliver strong groundstrokes to maintain momentum, and hed use his speedy reaction to catch up and return any ball that came his way. To make things worse, Gunz was the one who got the initiative in this fight, so its like he was the server. And, breaking the serve of a force opponent like this was always an uphill battle. Meanwhile, Gunz would counter most of William''s stokes with relative ease. This guy relied on nothing but sheer speed, in both reaction speed and execution. No matter how calculated William''s strokes were, Gunz would trample over all that careful planning through sheer speed and instinct. He was the type who would often find himself in a difficult spot for returning the ball, yet he would still successfully pull it off by responding impossibly fast. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I''m more than familiar with opponents like this. William frowned. This is the kind of wall Ive had to deal with many times before. Back when he played Tennis, there was no shortage of opponents who had physical advantages. Some were taller and hit devastating smashes, others were faster and returned the ball from every difficult course. The further William advanced in tournaments, the more unfair matchups like this he had to go through. There''s always a player who is better than me at something. That belief rooted itself in his head after all these bitter experiences. William couldn''t be the fastest, strongest, and smartest player around. He had his own strengths and so did his opponents. Therefore, recognizing what his opponents excelled at and what they lacked was the key to overcoming them. It all comes down to adaptation. William reminded himself as he stepped out of the range of Gunz''s incoming shot. Even in this fight, I can see some openings. For one, his spacing isn''t as tight as mine. The two duelists continued dancing around the lane, gunning for each other. However, since William found himself at a significant HP disadvantage at this point, he slowed down his tempo and made the opponent chase him. For now, I''ll make you run around the court like a dog. William thought. And then, once you overextend...! ZAP! A laser beam pierced through Gunz''s chest the moment he stepped in! "Dang!" Lars exclaimed. I overstepped, huh. Got a little careless there. He responded by shooting back at his opponent, but the surprise of being hit out of the blue delayed his reaction a little. In that brief window of time, Winner had enough time to sidestep the shot. In the end, all of it went according to Winner''s plan. This is what happens when your spacing isn''t up to par. William criticized. You''re stepping in too much, and it''s going to be the end of you if you keep doing it. As an integral part of his training regime, William made sure to study and practice the shooting distances of all the meta classes to the point of perfection. Thanks to that, he could accurately judge the distance between himself and his opponent at any time. He utilized his experience to constantly place himself at the very edge of Gunzs attack range. From a position like this, he needed less than half a step in order to get out of Gunzs reach. BAM! Another bullet darted toward William, but it fell off shortly before reaching him. Once again, Gunz failed to realize that Wiliam was at the very edge of Pirates attack range. In response to the shot, William stepped in just a little and fired a counter. ZAP! It successfully grazed the enemys arm. Im sorry to inform you but my depth perception is quite the cheat, or so I was told. Though William lacked in many ways compared to the strongest tennis opponent he faced, his depth perception consistently remained top-notch. It was the one tool he could always trust to back him up, no matter how tough the adversary was. In fact, his acute ability to judge distances was probably the very thing that made tennis so hooking for him in the first place. It felt like a sport that played to his strengths, long before he even realized how impressive his depth perception was. He had always been good at reading ball courses and adjusting his position accordingly. This talent, combined with his methodical playstyle, allowed him to counter many opponents. But, that alone isn''t always enough. William thought solemnly. Some opponents are just too physically gifted. No amount of planning and depth perception can compensate for a huge physical advantage, not in a sport like this. Fortunately, Classmancers was a different type of game. Being physically gifted was helpful but not mandatory. There were countless ways to compensate for mediocre mechanical skill, so long as the player put in the time and effort. Of course, godly mechanical skill and talent exist here too, as Gunz was exemplifying in this very fight. However, the gap those skills created wasnt impossible to close. ZAP! William punished another careless overextension from Gunz. "Gah!" Lars jumped. "Dang, yo! This dude sure knows his spacing." "Why, of course he does!" Vincent interjected out of nowhere. "He is none other than the Matrix Convoluter! He has the power to transform the world around him into a detailed 5-dimensional matrix and filter it down to all the important details!" "Yeah, it''s cool as heck, yo!" Not that I have any idea what any of that means, but dude sure got the spacing down! "What is the 5th dimension in this case?" Yuel posed a difficult question. "I assume the 4th dimension is time, but the 5th is...?" "Oh, um..." Vincent spouted all that stuff as if he thought everything through, when in reality it was a bunch of hogwash as usual. "It''s... the filter dimension!" Excuse me? After Winner observes all the possible 3D spaces across all the possible timelines, next he observes them through specific lens filters! And, what exactly is he searching for? Thats a very good question! It depends. On what? For example, by applying the edge detection filter, he can accurately estimate the distance between himself and his opponent at any time! I see... This makes absolutely no sense, but thats par for the course. Vincents nicknames for abilities were usually over-the-top, and this Matrix Convoluter was no exception. Thankfully, this wasnt the first time Yuel listened to an attempt to explain this Matrix Convoluter title. Every time, Vincent explained it in a different bombastic way, so Yuel had a lot of information to work with, enough to piece together what this ability meant probably. Apparently, Vincent dubbed Winner as the Matrix Convoluter for the guys ability to acutely analyze the space around him. Basically, Winner was good at spacing, thats all Vincent really wanted to say. But of course, Vincent being Vincent, he had to complicate things and dial them up to eleven. Thats why he involved matrices, filters, and other random things. I have no idea how he even knows all these terms. Yuel sighed. I remember coming across the term matrix convolution in regards to edge detection in images, so maybe thats where he took it from? No matter how silly the nickname was, there was apparently a grain of logic in it, as it was usually the case with Vincents nonsense. Indeed, AbsoluteWinner was a master of edge detection, so to speak. He had the uncanny ability to keep his opponents at an optimal distance as he shot them down. Larss spacing is also usually solid, but theres definitely a gap between him and Winner. Twice in a row now, Lars found himself overextending while chasing Winner down. And, both times, the enemy exploited the brief overextension in order to gun Lars down. It looked like an uphill duel for Lars, which was beyond rare. Heh, not bad! Lars grinned. Thats how it gotta be, yo! Winner had a somewhat slow start in this duel, but it looked like dude finished booting himself up. Now, he was playing at full throttle and his spacing was outta this world! Vol.14 Ch.20: Fighting Spacing With Spacing After a somewhat rocky start, AbsoluteWinner finally started showing off his sick spacing skills! But Two can play this game. Lars took a step back and reevaluated his surroundings. Maybe you didnt know, but Im an FPS pro, yo! Playing competitive shooters taught Lars all about judging distances and optimizing his reach. So, even against Winners impressive spacing, Lars was confident he could keep up! Lets see how you deal with me now, dude! Lars stepped in but only slightly. He didnt hurry to chase down his backpedaling opponent. Hes waiting for me to overextend, I feel it. But, I aint gonna fall for that again! And so, instead of charging in like a bull, Lars advanced cautiously this time. Likewise, Winner proceeded with similar caution, not hurrying to close the gap between them. As a result, the two of them walked back and forth around the lane, maintaining ideal spacing the entire time. He adjusted well. William thought. This is good. I wouldn''t have it any other way. A player who is seriously competing for the No. 2 spot should at least be this good. With that said, the way he plays Pirate is a little odd. Pirate was an unconventional marksman in most situations. It was a ranged class like all marksmen, but it also had the option to switch to a melee weapon. Switching to the cutlass meant trading Attack Range in exchange for more Attack Speed. It wasnt always an easy trade to justify, but there were times when it worked extremely well. In particular, it was the Pirates preferred weapon when pushing an undefended tower. Attack Range didnt matter so long as there werent any obstacles, so using the cutlass was the optimal play. As for duels, it was a little more complicated than that. For example, against melee opponents, it was usually smarter to stick to using the pistol in order to maintain space control. However, against a fellow marksman, there were times when it was better to force the battle into close quarters and use the cutlass. In particular, Droid was a rather anemic marksman, so Gunz shouldve been trying his best to get closer. But, he doesn''t even try. William frowned. Is he underestimating me? Maybe hes implying he can beat me even without that advantage? Of course, there were many other possible explanations as well. For example, maybe Gunz wasn''t too proficient with the melee stance. After all, his name was Gunz, which likely referred to "guns". Perhaps he was only skilled at shooting, but not so much at sword swinging. Hmph. I really hope that''s not the case. William scoffed. A player who picks Pirate but can''t properly swing his sword has no right to contend for the No. 2 spot. So, I''ll just assume he''s wary of my drones. And so, their tango went on. They continued keeping each other at bay, barely getting any good opportunities to shoot. The few times one of them went for a shot, it almost always ended with the target dodging the attack. After all, it was that much easier to sidestep incoming bullets from maximum range. Not to mention, every now and then, it was possible to easily backstep the incoming shot. Gunz hasnt tried that yet, but William abused that fact 24/7. This fight is sure dragging on. William frowned. I thought I''d turn the tables on him by now, but he''s not giving me any good opportunities. Gunz''s spacing was good, very good. Ever since the guy stopped charging in like a bull, it became almost impossible to crack him. Of course, Gunzs spacing was still nowhere near William''s level, but it was good enough to make it difficult to capitalize on it. The margin of error in Gunz''s performance was too small to properly exploit. I see he can be more than just a power player when he wants to be. William concluded. This might turn out to be harder than I expected. In tennis, there were some kids who were blessed with natural gifts such as strength, height, flexibility, and speed. They were the lucky ones who had the chance to make it big in the competitive scene. However, sometimes, these kids innate talents actually hampered their growth. Instead of polishing their fundamentals, these brats relied on their innate talents to carry them. For example, a strong and tall player would often focus on delivering powerful serves and smashes in order to dominate the match. And, if they were gifted enough, then a basic playstyle like this would actually work just fine against the majority of their opponents, at least at first. But eventually, theyd run into a wall. Theyll reach a level of competition where opponents can deal with their smashes or serves, making these weapons not nearly as threatening as before. At that point, the player in question would have to be able to do more than just serve and smash hard. Theyd have to actually hit good groundstrokes, be able to return the enemy strokes, and so forth. In other words, theyd have to make solid fundamental plays in order to score more points than their opponent. But, if all this player ever practiced was serves and smashes, then how would they be able to execute the required fundamental plays? Most likely, they wouldnt. And then, theyll lose the match and feel salty about it. William has seen many rising stars like this who hit a wall and ultimately quit the sport. Such players were carried hard by their talents early on, so they felt like the kings of the world. But then, somebody came around to kick them off the high horse. At that point, the talented player stopped feeling like a king. They were reduced to the level of a commoner and had to work on the same fundamentals that everybody else had to polish. Unfortunately, at that point, these brats were already too spoiled by their earlier success. At first, they put in minimal effort in order to reap huge gains, but now they actually had to work hard to improve just a little bit more; it was disheartening. For the talentless commoner, slow and steady improvement was the norm. However, for these former kings that were dethroned, such a slow path didnt seem appealing in the slightest. Thus, most of them failed to adjust, continued to lose matches, and eventually quit. Its not their fault, at least not entirely. Willaim thought. Those who are born talented are bound to rely on their talent. It was human nature to play to one''s strengths. This idea held true in both tennis and Classmancers. For example, similar to Gunz, Ronald was also blessed with fast reaction speed. Therefore, the brat often relied on it in fights, to the point it became one of his faults. That whippersnapper tried to temple all his opponents via sheer mechanical strength while paying minimal attention to fundamentals like spacing. As a result, against strong opponents like yours truly, that brat flopped hard in duels. I imagined Gunz would be the same way, but it seems I was wrong. Gunz definitely relied a lot on his mechanical skill, but he carried himself as a veteran player compared to Ronald. The guy knew that his impressive talent will carry him far, but he also knew that sheer talent would eventually hit a wall. Perhaps, Gunz already hit such a wall before, so thats why he focused on fundamentals as well. He was one of these irregular cases, a talented player who hit a wall but was willing to work hard to overcome it. I suppose this is somebody who is worth being called a true genius. William admitted. The ability to keep working hard on fundamentals is a talent in its own right, one that Gunz was blessed with on top of his already impressive skill. Really, it feels like this guy got it all. The adaptation was real. The moment Gunz realized that William was spacing him out, the guy tightened his spacing in response. He stopped relying on sheer mechanical skill and used fundamentals to combat fundamentals, while at the same time using his innate talent to make his fundamentals sharp enough to compete with Willaims. Is this the kind of player Ron will become in a year or two? William wondered. If so, then all the more reason I have to win this fight, no matter what. But, just as he decided that, Gunz suddenly disengaged from combat. Time was up. Hmph. Yes, this is a good time for him to pull back. William glanced at the mini-map, searching for Ronald''s location. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As expected, the younger brother was already halfway back to the lane. However, he was traversing through the jungle instead of heading straight to the lane, per Williams request. You can take your time returning to the lane, William said back then. Their Support is likely heading to Mid, so maybe theyll want your help over there. It was a sensible argument, but in truth, all Willaim wanted was to postpone the arrival of the third wheel. He wanted to continue this duel for as long as it was necessary in order for it to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Convincing Ronald took no effort at all, as the kid probably understood the intentions of his older brother. However, Cato normally wouldn''t approve of such a suboptimal play, so William had to prepare an excuse. Traveling to Bot through the jungle cost just a little bit of extra time, but it placed Ronald in a far more flexible position. He was right between Mid and Bot, so he could rotate to either lane at a moment''s notice. Given that Chessmaster was likely rotating to Mid right now, it was a solid idea to have Ronald on standby over there. Cato made no argument against this, so that''s why Ronald casually strolled around Bot Jungle. Good, take your time. William thought. I''m not done here yet. He was down to 60% HP, but it was just a flesh wound. Meanwhile, his opponent was at 80% HP. I lost the first set, I admit. But, that fight was too close to be called "decisive"; it was anybodys game. William asserted. It just took me some time to adjust, that''s all. If we continue fighting for a little longer, I''m sure I can win. Hanging around 60% HP was a little dangerous but it wasn''t a risk William couldn''t manage. Even from this disadvantageous position, he was sure he could make a comeback against Gunz. "Ron, no need to come here," William said. "Rotate to Mid or whatever." "Oh, you gonna keep fighting this dude!?" Ronald grinned in excitement. "Okay, gotcha! Go get him, bro!" "Hold on a minute," Cato interjected. "What is this talk about continuing the fight? I thought it was already decided." "Not even close," William asserted. "We''re just getting started." "My, I had no idea a duel only begins after youve lost nearly half your HP." "It took me a little bit of time to adapt to him, that''s all." "A little bit of time and 40% of your HP. And, he still got his Kraken and everything." We both avoided using our skills this time, William said. It was a raw contest of skill. And, you lost~ Hmph. I dont see it that way. Oh my, is that so? Cato tilted his head. Then, how do you explain that 20% HP difference? He has a better early-game than me, thats all. Its hardly uncommon. Im the type who takes his time to adapt. But once I do, I can win. Or at least, I can fight him on equal footing. My, are you not going to claim youll win for sure? Thats rare. I have to give credit where credit is due, William admitted. If we keep competing with just raw mechanical skill, then Gunz might win. Might win, huh. Cato smiled impishly. Dont you realize it? The fact a prideful player like you admits theres a chance, its as good as already admitting defeat~ It was amusing to watch William hold onto his pride so dearly despite the obvious outcome of the duel. This guy was as stubborn as a bull~ So, Cato said. If I understand you correctly, then youre saying your next fight wont be a raw contest of strength? Yes. If this were a Duel match, then I wouldve given it a few more shots. But, I dont have that kind of luxury here. Indeed, you dont. Youre the teams Carry, after all. Any misfortune that befalls you will impact the entire team~ Yes, I know the basics of how this game mode works, thank you for your concern. If you know that much, then you should also know that what youre doing is quite dangerous and inefficient. Why, exactly? William demanded. Its just a 1v1 between fellow marksmen. Its as dangerous for me as it is for him. Except, right now, youre the one with the HP disadvantage. Its just a flesh wound, William snarked. "Look, if you''re implying this fight is already decided, then you''re straight-up wrong. So, just sit back and keep collecting your precious data. My, how forceful. I need to concentrate here, so I got no time for your roundabout nonsense. Besides, you also want to know how I measure up to Gunz, right? This duel will give all of us important information, so just let me do my thing in peace." "Im just pointing out that you''re not exactly in a good shape." "Yes, I do happen to know how to read a health bar, thank you very much." Somebody is salty here~ Cato smiled impishly. He must be getting a little frustrated with this fight. Good, good~ The faster he acknowledges that his demotion was well-deserved and that hes now the regions No.3, the faster we can move away from these useless duels and focus on actual strategy. So, you want to keep going? Cato asked again. No matter what? Thats what Ive been saying. Interesting. Before you jump in, I wouldve expected you to at least ask me where their Jungler is. Why do I have to ask you? Oh, then are you saying you know where she is right now? Thats. William was caught off-guard for a moment there. At first, he was convinced he had no reason to worry about the enemy Jungler, but now he wasnt so sure anymore. Did I see her anywhere recently? William wondered. I have a feeling I did, but I cant remember the specifics for some reason. Hmm. If I recall, William spoke carefully. A ward revealed her in Top Jungle not too long ago. It was about 20 seconds ago, but yes, it did happen, Cato said. One of my many wards caught a glimpse of her, just as planned. Hmph. Id be more surprised if your wards couldnt track her down, considering how many of them youve placed around. You pretty much lit up their entire jungle. Its just a little bit of precaution, thats all. Cato smiled meaningfully. Shes a pretty elusive player, so Im making sure I can keep an eye on her. Seems a bit excessive, if you ask me. Oh, dont you remember? We agreed that Ill be supervising Vanishing when we play in this formation. Yes, we did say that, but I didnt expect you to do this much. Cato decorated the entire enemy jungle as if it was time for Christmas. There were circles of lights across the entire map, making sure that not even a fly will be able to slip by unnoticed. This excessive warding surely hurt Catos build a lot, but he didnt seem to mind. The precaution of this guy was something else. This couldnt possibly be a healthy solution to dealing with Vanishing. Whatever. William shrugged. So, where is she now? A little hard to say for sure, actually, Cato admitted. I caught a glimpse of her about 10 seconds ago in Top Jungle, but thats the last time I saw her. None of my wards revealed her since then, which either means she returned to base or that shes taking a really weird route through the jungle. I doubt she rotated from Top to Bot in just 10 seconds. Besides, even if she tried to, then Im sure your excessive wards wouldve revealed her. Unless she rotated in stealth. That sounds like paranoia level of overthinking. How would she even do that without knowing where exactly you placed your wards? True, true. Its very unlikely. Cato had to admit defeat here. After all, he set up security cameras all across the enemy jungle to constantly monitor this phantom Jungler. So, even if Vanishing used stealth to sneak past some of the cameras, shed eventually have to show up on other cameras once she leaves stealth mode. Well, this is enough testing, I suppose. Cato concluded. Will is still paying at least some attention to their Jungler, which means he isnt absorbed in the duel to the point of neglecting caution. Thats all I needed to know. Alright, Cato gave permission. You can keep fighting Gunz. Just try not to die, pretty please. Hmph. Id like to believe I know how this game works and that dying is bad. Of course, of course. Cato smiled impishly. With all that said, in the long run, maybe itll be better if he dies at least once against Gunz? His pride will shatter nicely~ It should make him much more obedient going forward. But, that was too cruel and dangerous to wish for, especially in this match. A crushing defeat like this might throw William off his game for a couple of games, which wont bode well for the team. Besides, its not like its set in stone that Gunz is stronger than Will. Cato thought. Hes not playing Shooter or Slinger, so who knows how this fight will go? Itll sure be interesting to watch~ Just as William said, Cato was very much interested in the outcome of this duel. This was more than just a clash between two players, it was a contest of power between the teams two strongest warriors! Its as if the two teams were comparing the strengths of their respective Queen pieces. The outcome of this duel will determine who owned the strongest piece in the game. Unfortunately, for now, it looks like that piece belongs to the enemy, just as Sonya predicted. Cato smiled wryly. He was half-expecting this outcome but he still wanted to be surprised for the better. Well, maybe this is a fitting handicap for me. My team has much stronger pieces overall, so Yuel, you can have the strongest piece. Besides, I''m sure Matt can handle that piece of yours just fine. William was perhaps the strongest fighter of the team at large, but he was a prideful fighter who always sought to prove his dominance. That kind of mentality might become his downfall against a beast like Gunz. On the other hand, Matthew didn''t care about such a battle of egos, so he should be able to fend Gunz off quite well. He probably won''t "win" any fights per se, but he also won''t "lose" any either. Then again, the "strongest player" hasn''t even set foot on the stage yet. Cato smiled impishly. It''d sure be fun to watch the Emperor tear Gunz apart~ Ah, I can already imagine despair spreading through Stratus as they watch their strongest fighter get crushed to bits~ But, that won''t happen, not today. Bringing Jin to the stage meant admitting defeat with their current lineup, which was inexcusable for the regional champions. They''ll definitely crush Stratus today, Cato will personally make sure of it. And, to achieve that, it was important to first learn as much as possible about the enemy pieces. Therefore, as much as Cato wanted to object to this duel, he had to concede that there was much worth in letting William face Gunz once more. Besides, this means I can put the younger brother to some good use in Mid. Cato nodded. Ronald, come over to Mid. Oh, Matt needs my help? Okay, Im on my way! And so, the stage was set. Ronald will help up in Mid against Yuels incoming rotation, which will give William one more chance to duel Gunz. So, wholl be the one to claim the title of the regions No. 2!? Vol.14 Ch.21: The End of Pure Skill With a new wave of minions arriving in Bot, it was time for round two. Hm? Is he not gonna use his drones this time? Lars wondered as stalked the Droid. Welp, I can''t say that for sure yet, so gotta keep stalking. Oddly enough, there were no signs of Winner popping up his drones any time soon. But, that could easily be a 200 IQ move meant to fool Lars, so he had to keep following the Droids movements very closely. But, he''s totally not doing it, tho. Even after the swordsmen perished and only the bowmen remained, there was still no sign of Winner summoning any drones. Are they still on cooldown or something? Lars wondered. I know these little dudes sometimes take like a thousand years to come online, but I think he should have at least one of them ready by now? Is he saving them for later or something? One likely possibility was that Winner was saving the droids for the inevitable duel. After all, the situation in Mid made it clear that nobody had any free time to rotate to Bot anytime soon. They sure be partying hard over there. Lars smiled wryly. I almost wish I was there, too. Yuel''s small rotation to Mid caused one heck of a domino effect. As a result of his arrival, a bunch of other players got drawn toward Mid. Then, chaos erupted all over the place! First, Challenger showed up in Mid instead of returning to Bot. Then, Rook ganked the lane! And apparently, Yuel was asking Nia to counter-gank them, too! It was one heck of a messy party over there! Sick, yo! Yep, I really wish I could take a part in it, too. Lars admitted. But, this over here is even more fun. He turned his gaze to the one and only opponent in front of him - AbsoluteWinner. With everybody so busy in Mid, it meant Lars and Winner will be able to fight once again without any distractions. I couldn''t quite finish him off last time, but this time for sure...! Lars promised. For the sake of grasping that eventual victory, Lars saved his Backfire Cannon without spending it on the minions. And so, since the Droid only used basic attacks to shoot down the minions, then Lars did the same. In a way, this in itself was like the preliminary for the duel. Which of the two marksmen was better at clearing the wave with only basics!? Geh, looks like I lost this one. Lars grumped as he found himself retreating against Winner and two enemy bowmen that refused to die. Dude is legit. I thought I was clearing like a pro, but he totally outdid me. No idea how that happened, but respect, yo. Capitalizing on the brief lane advantage, Winner aggressed on Lars without further ado. Dude wasn''t gonna wait until Lars clears the minions first, and he totally wasn''t obligated to. The duel has already started. William reasoned. If you fall behind at the wave-clearing phase, then you only have yourself to blame for it. This is also a part of dueling. William had every intention to pile up as much damage as possible on Gunz before they start their actual duel. He was in no position to give his opponent any leeway, seeing as he was lagging behind by 20% HP. But I have to say, this round was too close to comfort. William frowned. I had two advantages over him, but he still contested my farming speed this well. In terms of base stats, Droid and Pirate were rather similar. They were both underpowered marksmen who relied on other factors in order to gain an advantage. For Droid, that factor was the drones, while for Pirate it was the gold advantage. However, neither of these two factors came into play in this wave clear. William didnt summon any drones, and Gunz didnt have the time to return to base and spend his extra gold. As such, their recent exchange was nothing but a simple contest of basic attacks and wave-clearing expertise. Except, not really. Even under these seemingly-even conditions, William still had two factors playing in his favor. For starters, their early builds were different. Gunz opted for Ninja Tabi, trading Attack Power for Attack Speed in order to better combat the drones. On the other hand, William went for Samurai Tabi, the classic power opening that was more efficient during the early-game. When it comes to farming, my DPS is clearly better. William was convinced. So, it''s impressive he held up this well, especially when he was so distracted the entire time. Yes, Gunz was very much distracted throughout that entire contest. The phantom drones occupied his mind as he constantly moved around, doing his utmost to match William''s steps. That was the second big factor that played in Williams favor. He was too cautious about the possibility of me summoning drones. That was his undoing. No matter how impressive Gunz''s mechanical skill was, nobody could draw out 100% of their power while distracted. Even if that distraction only dropped Gunzs efficiency down to 95%, it was more than enough to harm his performance and allow William to seize control of the lane. Ironically, it''s your very caution that now allows me to summon my drones early. William activated Assault Drone, summoning a flying drone behind his back. This occupied 2/4 of his battery gauge. He could use the remaining 2 batteries to summon another Assault Drone, but he opted to wait for now. It might be more worthwhile to save these batteries for a different skill, a trump card that was as powerful as an ultimate for duels. I rather not rely on it, but he might force my hand. William thought. This second battle wasn''t going to be like the previous one. This time, William had every intention of capitalizing on his classs unique advantages, and Gunz was advised to do the same. It was unfortunate, but William didnt have the luxury to keep contesting Gunz in raw skill alone. Nonetheless, though they only had one round to compare their mechanical skills, the result was fairly clear. Were about even. That was Wiliams conclusion despite the 20% HP gap that opened up between them during the fight. He unquestionably lost that particular round, but its the bigger picture that mattered, not that one specific result. All in all, Lars had superior reflexes and shooting skills. He was like a physically gifted tennis player who delivered powerful groundstrokes and used his speed to return all incoming balls. There was not much strategy or tactics in his playstyle, just raw ability. On the other hand, William was the calculating type. He was good at adjusting to the enemys patterns and preparing difficult courses that the enemy struggled to return. In Classmacners terms, this meant Gunz was more mechanically skilled while William had better fundamentals, especially when it came to spacing. As such, their particular strengths canceled each other out and made them even. So, its pointless to keep competing like that. William concluded. Hell win some, then Ill win some. It wont really go anywhere and we dont have all day to fight each other. So, its time to test the full extent of Gunzs skill, including how well he knows his class and the matchup. And so, William pushed along the lane with a drone in tow, running ahead of the two surviving bowmen. This time, he was going to use every tool at his disposal in order to claim victory. The very fact he had so many tools available to him in Classmancers was the reason he migrated to it from tennis. I wish we could pick classes in tennis, too. William scoffed. If I had the option to smartly counter-pick, then maybe I wouldnt have to deal with opponents who had borderline pay-to-win specs. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. In Classmancers, class mastery and matchup knowledge were just as important, if not more important, than raw skill. Therefore, even against mechanically superior opponents, William could close the gap via studying and practicing. It allowed him to come up with specific strategies for specific scenarios, something that was much harder to apply to a physical sport like tennis. And so, for this particular situation, William chose the tactic of aggressively advancing forth with a drone and two bowmen. Now, how will the "mechanically superior" opponent respond to this one? Dang, dude is coming at me hard! Lars grinned. Good, I like it! That''s how a real high-level game gotta be, yo! He backpedaled while shooting the enemy bowmen. These dudes weren''t allowed to enter his tower area, so he had to deal with them before that. But, that was easier said than done. His opponents werent just the bowmen but also Winner himself! And, dude had a drone behind him on top of that! Dang, this is rough! Lars shot the bowmen while doing his best to stay out of Winners reach. But of course, that was impossible. ZAP! A laser beam pierced through Larss side. ZAP! Another beam came right after that, this time from the little drone behind Winner! Nope! Try again, dude. Lars successfully sidestepped the second shot, at least. In fact, he inputted his sidestep early enough to dodge both laser beams, but of course, his Pirate refused to respond in time for the first shot. Maybe I couldve stepped it if I knew how to do that KC thingy. Lars wondered. Yuel says its not a big deal for marksmen, but I feel like it could be hella useful in the early-game. Oh well. As much as Lars wished for it, he wasnt the protagonist of some cheesy sports movie, so he couldnt learn the Korean Cancel via the power of friendship. That delicate technique required lots of practice and Lars hasnt put in the effort, so KC wasnt available to him at present. And so, he had no choice but to remain on the receiving end of Winners shots as he retreated Welp, I can just foot it and run all the way back to the tower. Lars reasoned. But, thatd be lame. If Winner sees me do that, dude gonna give up and retreat. So nah, I prefer to keep drawing him in like this, even if it costs me some HP. ZAP! ZAP! Like before, the first hit connected but the second beam whiffed. Thats the best Lars could do while preoccupied with clearing the bowmen. Dang, Im about to lose my HP advantage! Lars thought. This aint good, yo...! Lars seriously needed that advantage for the upcoming duel. Even though he maintained the upper hand in the previous duel, it was clear that Winner was getting better and better as the fight went on. Dudes adaptation is the real thing. It''s like fighting Aron all over again. Lars shuddered as he recalled the former captain of StormBlitz. Even though most of his duels back in StormBlitz were against Trever and Taison, Lars also had the honor of dueling the very captain of the team. These were some interesting duels for sure. They started out kinda like this one, with Lars dominating through superior mechanical skill. However, the longer the duel went on, the more the tides shifted in Aron''s direction. Dude''s counters became better and better as if he designed his entire playstyle for the sole purpose of countering Lars. By the end of the game, Aron often mopped the floor with Lars. No matter what Lars tried, no matter how he adjusted - Aron was always five steps ahead. A late-game Aron was like a ruthless machine designed for the sole purpose of ripping Lars apart. Shit was scary sometimes, not gonna lie. Lars smiled wryly. I dunno if Winner is as good as Aron, but he sure gives me the same vibe. So, I gotta play it careful for now. And so, Lars created even more space between himself and Winner. As a result, it became that much harder for him to fire any shots at the last surviving minion. And in exchange, he didnt get shot by any laser beams, either. As a result, Lars found himself retreating all the way back to the tower. He killed one of the bowmen along the way, but the other one set foot inside the tower''s area. Nuuuu! My exp and gold! Yuel would chew me out for hours if he saw this! Thankfully, Yuel was currently preoccupied with a very hectic situation in Mid. Somehow, that simple rotation turned into one big party and things were looking pretty dangerous over there. But anyway, Lars couldn''t do anything about that so there was no point in being distracted. The enemy in front of him was all that mattered. BAM! The final bowman dropped dead. And so, Lars and Winner remained alone on the lane. It was time for a duel! Okay, let''s do this! ... hey! Come back here! Lars yelled toward his retreating opponent. Welp, of course he wont fight me here. This is my territory, after all. Nothing will get started here as long as Lars was sheltered by his tower. There was no opponent, no matter how eager, whod challenge Lars inside his tower area. And so, Lars stepped out. And, as soon as he took a few steps... ZAP! ZAP! "Whoa!" Lars rolled on reaction. Two lasers passed right past him. Dangerous, yo! I didnt expect dude to open fire so soon. He finished the roll and regained his footing. That was a close one, but he outplayed that shit! Heck yeah! But, the party was just getting started. As soon as he turned to face his opponent again - ZAP! ZAP! "Seriously!?" Lars jumped. Didnt I roll far enough to get outta his range!? I was like 200% sure I did, tho! But, nope. The enemy chased him down immediately, and with that pesky drone to boot! There was zero time to breathe, yo! It was impossible to dodge this one in time. Lars did his best to sidestep the lasers, but both shots hit home. His HP fell below 70% at this point, almost closing all the gap between him and Winner. He was about to start this duel on completely equal footing, with his previous achievements pretty much erased. Well, I dont mind. Lars grinned. The fairer the fight, the more exciting it is! Nice aggression BTW, dude. But, I can shoot too! Lars fired back while sidestepping, taking advantage of the enemy''s recovery animation. Thanks to his speedy reaction, the two of them exchanged shots almost simultaneously; neither side could dodge the other''s attack! However, Lars''s shot didn''t hit Winner. Why? Because that dude wasnt the target. Instead, the bullet pierced through the drone flying behind the Droid. That pesky little dude had to go first because it was amplifying Winner''s DPS. Dang, these double shots really hurt. Lars glanced at his HP once more, lamenting the double hit he just conceded to the enemy. Maybe I should''ve used Backfire there to get out. But no, I can''t. I gotta save it in case I need to foot it. With that said, Lars was still rather close to the outskirts of his tower area. If he ever desires so, itll be super easy for him to just retreat back to safety. Im surprised dude has no qualms about aggressing this hard on my turf. I thought he was the more careful sort. But, Im all for it! Respect, yo. It was bold aggression from Winner, quite unlike his previous reserved tactics. Last time, dude only played the spacing game and retreated the whole time. But this time, Winner was on the offensive. As a result, this felt like a completely different type of battle. Maybe Winner was only testing the waters last time. So, this time, it gotta be the real deal! Dude didnt give Lars any breathing room at all. ZAP! ZAP! The next attack was already coming! Naturally, the opponent was very satisfied with this new pace. Good. William unleashed yet another laser beam. The momentum is on my side this time. I''m the server in this set. William was the one dictating the pace of the duel. Just like in tennis, the one with the initiative held an immense advantage. This time, it was Gunzs turn to adapt. He had to be on the defensive and work hard in order to break Williams serve. This advantage was the reason William was fighting so openly inside enemy territory. That, and the fact the enemy Jungler was in Mid right now, meaning there was nobody who could possibly gank him anytime soon. ZAP! William fired. ZAP! His drone followed up almost instantly, even faster than it used to do before. This was thanks to the increased level of the Assault Drone skill. While the drones HP and Attack Power scaled based on the Droids stats, the Attack Speed was a static value that increased with the skills level. As such, with every level, the drone became better and better at matching Williams speed. At this point, even a mechanical prodigy like Gunz shouldve struggled to dodge the drones follow-up shots. And yet... Crap! Lars tried to sidestep the incoming beam on reaction but he was a split second too late. The first beam successfully pierced him, but at least the drones follow-up shot failed to touch him. Nonetheless, it was way too close to comfort. Lars literally dodged that one by a hairs breadth. Yo, this little dude be shooting fast! Lars exclaimed. And dang, I can barely dodge shit from this range. Lars already fell below 60% HP. Now, his HP advantage was entirely gone. In fact, after this hit, he was at a slight disadvantage now. Dang, this aint going well... Lars smiled wryly as he fired a counter-attack. It was real tempting to hit Winner directly and reclaim the HP advantage, but thatll be nothing more than short-lived self-satisfaction. So, unfortunately, in order to win this fight as a whole, Lars had no choice but to get rid of the drone first. BAM! A second shot at the drone. Winner responded in a timely fashion. He probably wouldve successfully sidestepped the shot if it were aimed at him, but his drone was a slower dude. CLANK! The bullet successfully struck the drones metal frame. Okay, almost done! Lars nodded to himself. One more shot and the drone is out. I really dunno why dude summoned only one drone instead of two, but hey, Im not complaining. But of course, Winner didnt do that out of the kindness of his heart. The reason he only used one drone was going to reveal itself very soon... Vol.14 Ch.22: Orchestrated Position The battle between William and Gunz went on. At this point, Willaims drone was one hit away from collapsing. As expected, hes making quick work of it. William nodded. And, he even dodges the follow-up shots every now and then. As I thought, using two drones against him wouldve had diminishing returns. An Assault Drone was slower than the Droid in practically every way, so its shots were always delayed. As such, no matter whether William summoned one drone or a thousand of them, it wouldn''t make much of a difference long as Gunz sidesteps everything in a timely fashion. Hmph. This is just more proof that Im right. William thought. Ive always been saying that, at high-level play, the drones arent nearly as big of a threat as some people make them out to be. Willaim recalled the numerous debates he had with his fellow clubmates. These oafs had the audacity to argue that Droid was a broken class because of the Assault Drones. Even though the class didnt make it to the top of the tier list, some salty clubmates still complained about it just because William stomped them with Droid. Hmph, these scrubs. So, thank you for proving my point. William praised his opponent. With that said, you couldve taken this a step further by exploiting this mid-range fight with your cutlass. Why dont you? Even though Willaim was riding his momentum, it was extremely dangerous for him to confront a Pirate from mid-range. After all, Gunz could swap his gun for a cutlass at any moment and force the fight into melee range, in which the Pirate will have a tremendous advantage. Is it because of the drone? That was William''s best guess. Fighting in melee range would force Gunz to give up on shooting down the drone. On top of that, he might struggle to sidestep the drones shots because theyll come at him from point-blank. So, perhaps Gunz was wary of these disadvantages? But, surely a player of your skill knows how to dodge from point-blank. As long as you keep moving around, you''ll naturally evade the shots. Dodging from point-blank was both the hardest and the easiest thing to do. While it was impossible to dodge the attacks on reaction, it was very easy to dodge most of them by accident simply by moving around nonstop. He should know that much, right? William wondered. Hmm. Maybe he doesn''t have enough experience against Droid? It''s not a popular pick, after all. Then again, this is basic execution knowledge... It was a mystery. Even though William brought this fight into a dangerous mid-range, Gunz kept his blade sheathed. It boggled William to no end. But, I don''t have time to solve this mystery right now. William shifted his focus back to the fight in front of him. There was no time for any breathers against an opponent like Gunz. ZAP! William fired another shot. Alas, the laser beam missed, as did the drones follow-up shot. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Hmph. That''s what I get for getting distracted by idle thoughts. Oh well. I suppose going into the final part of the battle with equal health is fitting enough. They were both around 50% HP. In that sense, the battle was still young. They still had more than half a health bar to go through. Alas, William was fighting on a timer here. His damage output will drop substantially once his drone dies, and said drone was already one hit away from dying. Whats more, Gunz''s counterattack was imminent. And so, the drones fate was sealed... Not if I have anything to say about it. William canceled his recovery animation into Deflector Shield, the only skill he hasnt used until now. The Droid summoned a semi-transparent plasma shield in front of him. It was a tool he could only produce now that he was Lv. 7, with 5 batteries at his disposal. The Assault Drone already occupied 2 batteries, and the Deflector Shield cost another 3. Together, the two skills spent his entire MP bar, so to speak. But, it was going to be worth it. The shield had plenty of HP, making it a great companion for a squishy marksman. Whats more, it was big enough to even cover the drone hovering behind William. BAM! As expected, Gunz''s retaliation came out instantly. There was no doubt this sharpshooter aimed his shot perfectly at the drone, like every time before this. Alas, the bullet failed to hit the drone this time. It collided with the semi-transparent shield and ricocheted aside. "Crap!" Lars blurted. Nice shield timing, dang it! That was an animation cancel, right? Yep, this dude is the real deal. It was pretty much impossible for Lars to beat that timing. He fired his counterattack as soon as he got the chance, but it was already too late at that point. In retrospect, maybe he shouldve taken that last hit like a man without wasting any time on sidestepping. That wouldve allowed him to get rid of that pesky drone once and for all at the expense of losing a small amount of HP. I totally should''ve done that, but oh well. Lars shook his head. So, you finally popped dat shield, huh. I was wondering when it gonna come into play. Anybody who dueled Droid before was intimately familiar with the infamous Deflector Shield, the cheating engine that allowed Droid to steamroll duels. That plasma thingy was tanky as heck, so shooting it down during a duel wasn''t a real option. By the time Lars destroys it, his HP will probably drop down to like 20% or less. I could try aiming for his legs instead, but I doubt I gonna win like this... Deflector Shield wasn''t invincible. The plasma shield wasn''t big enough to fully cover both the Droid and the drone hovering over his shoulder. Therefore, when casting the shield, the Droid had to make an important decision. He could either summon a shield that covered his body and legs, leaving only his head and drone exposed. Or, he could place the shield a little higher, leaving his legs exposed in exchange for covering his head and drone. Winner chose the latter this time, which was rarer. Dude must be feeling really confident to leave his legs exposed like this. And, that confidence was well-justified this time. Lars didn''t see himself winning under these circumstances, not while Winner''s drone was still afloat. Welp, guess I''ll have to wait this one out. Lars concluded. Its time to back away for a bit... oh. Oh no... He was so preoccupied with the intense shoot-out that he didn''t pay enough attention to his position! Nuuuuu! The battle started close to the tower area so Lars felt very comfy about his position. However, at some point, he strayed real far from the tower! To make things worse, Winner somehow rotated to stand between him and the tower area! It''s like we swapped places, yo! When did that happen!? Its sick but dang it! Lars produced a dry laugh. Yo, Im in deep shit, aint I? Now I get why sometimes his shots felt so predictable. He mostly shot to my left side to make me dodge right a lot! Sneaky little...! Indeed, Winner played him for a fiddle. Dude orchestrated this whole thing! While pretending to fight seriously, that mastermind led Lars by the nose into a disadvantageous position! How was Lars going to get out of this jam!? Vol.14 Ch.23: Zone Dominator Just as the thought of retreating crossed Larss mind - he realized he was in a terrible position! Yo, this is like Ellens shenanigans all over again! Except, a hundred times harder to notice! Ellen was also a pro at baiting people into whichever position she wanted, but at some point, Lars learned how to see through her ploys (for the most part). But, against Winner? That bait was clean as heck. There was no opportunity to even consider the possibility of bait due to how intense their fight was. I had to use like 200% of my focus on dodging and aiming. I had no time to think about my position and stuff. But, this dude thought about everything! What a beast. Even while keeping up with Lars, Winner managed to secure himself a favorable position for this second phase of the battle. That was some pro-level stuff, no joke. So, whats now? Lars racked his brain to the best of his ability. Retreating to the tower would be difficult. Yes, difficult but not entirely impossible. I can run past him and shoot myself back into the tower area. He had been saving Backfire Cannon for a desperate situation like this, so maybe it was time to use it? But, if I do that, its like admitting defeat. I mean, with how much HP will I make it back to the tower, realistically? ZAP! ZAP! Two laser beams flew at Lars without warning! The first beam grazed his side, but he successfully sidestepped the other one. Yep, this was Larss current situation in a nutshell. This is rough. I can only dodge Winners shots once in a blue moon. Dude sure knows how to marksman. Lars considered retaliating right away as usual, but he passed on the opportunity this time. His only option was shooting at the Droids exposed legs, but thatll probably be easy for Winner to evade. I need more time to think. Lars had no reason to rush things so he backed away for now. With every passing second, the Deflector Shield was getting closer and closer to its expiration. So, maybe Lars could just wait it out? As far as he could tell, the best-case realistic scenario for him was to stay afloat with at least 40% HP by the time Deflector Shield ends. At that point, hed be lagging behind Winner by only 20% HP, a gap that Lars was confident hell be able to close after destroying the drone. Easier said than done, tho. Lars chuckled. Dude is legit strong. I hafta pull all the stops just to beat him normally, and that shield gonna make it like a billion times harder. So, what was the right course of action here? If Yuel were here, he''d surely provide some brilliant advice on the spot; that dude knew how to deal with literally anything. Alas, Yuel was busy in Mid right now and there wasn''t much time to consult him. Besides, this was a duel between Lars and Winner. I''mma figure something out by myself. I don''t need advice about every little thing anymore. Lars outgrew that kind of mentality. Playing Mid by himself this year opened his eyes to many things. Turning to teammates for help was important, but it was also as important to know how to deal with difficult situations by himself. The others wont always be available to help him out because they had their own problems to deal with. So, let''s pretend this is a Duel match for a moment. Lars reframed his mindset. As of this moment, the game mode was no longer a 5v5 MOBA. Instead, it was a 1v1 Duel between Lars and Winner. Im a pro at these, right? Lars thought. And, in this mode, I only have myself to rely on. So, lets focus on that. Unfortunately, what little time he bought himself by backstepped has run out. His opponent must have grown tired of waiting for a counterattack and realized that Lars was just stalling for time. He''s not shooting back? William cautiously observed his opponent. He''d normally fire back right away, but not this time. Hmph. I see how it is. Instead of counterattacking, Gunz was only moving around, trying to create more space between himself and William. Most likely, his plan was to stay out of the drones range, and maybe even out of William''s range altogether. So, you rather wait until my shield ends. William concluded. Not a bad decision, but a rather defeatist one. In that case, I can crank up the offense! ZAP! ZAP! The Droid fired and the drone followed suit. Their sneaky target was still very much within range. Crap! Lars realized he couldnt sidestep in time, so rolled aside to dodge the two beams. His reaction was slower than usual, as 200% of his mind was still preoccupied with thinking about what to do next. Yeah, okay. Waiting it out sounds nice on paper, but it aint gonna be that easy. Dude will just run all over me! Winner mustve realized what Lars was planning, so dude dialed his aggression up to eleven all of a sudden. ZAP! ZAP! Two beams bolted toward him again! Geh! Im still within range!? Lars just barely sidestepped the incoming shots. Dang, I gotta focus! I shouldve used that roll to get farther away! But, then again... If he used the Dodge Roll in order to back away, then he wouldve found himself in the middle of the lane, even farther away from his tower than before. That was no good, either. Its like all my options play against me here, yo! But, it shouldnt take that much longer for his shield to expire. So, I should at least try heading in the direction of the tower... Once his Dodge Roll came out of cooldown, he rolled in a diagonal, getting himself closer to his own territory. He couldn''t roll in a straight line because of the gatekeeper blocking the path, so he had to maneuver around that wall. But, Winner was no push-over. Dude immediately moved in to block Larss path again. There was no getting past this blockade. Well, if that''s how you wanna play...! Lars recovered from the roll and BAM! He fired at the only exposed spot on Winner, the legs! If ya think you can just keep coming hard at me like that, then ya have another thing coming, yo! Hmph. William effortlessly sidestepped the bullet. It was a good shot but it''s not enough, not against me. "Yo, this dude...!" Lars found himself smiling from ear to ear even though he just missed a shot. I should''ve totally caught him off guard but he just stepped like it was nothing! Yeah, this approach ain''t gonna work out either, I already see it. It was impossible to fight back in any way while the Droid had his Deflector Shield. Lars either had to suck it up and dash past the Droid while eating the damage, or to keep running around like a helpless rabbit while waiting for the shield to expire. Nothing else will work here, not against Winner. So, do I just give up on getting back to tower? Lars wondered while trying to circle around William to no avail. Yep, this dude sure knows his zoning. What was that other nick Vince used for this dude, again? Something like "Zone Dominator", I think. A sick name, fitting this dude''s sick skill. AbsoluteWinner, the master of spacing and zoning, that''s the title Vincent crowned this dude with during their meetings. And, even Yuel seemed to agree to some extent. I actually didn''t notice it much during replays, probably because his opponents didnt give him enough of a challenge. But, now I see that Yuel and Vince were spot-on about this dudes zoning. In this duel, the biggest hurdles for Lars were never the enemy''s reaction speed, shooting accuracy, or any other mechanical stuff like that. Of course, Winner was decent at all of these, but dude wasnt anything too crazy. Nah, the real challenge for Lars was something much simpler but equally dangerous: spacing and positioning. Winner always maintained ideal spacing between himself and Lars, making it difficult for Lars to retaliate efficiently. As a result, even though Lars was mechanically stronger than this dude, he still struggled a lot in this fight. So really, what do I do? Lars glanced back and forth between the tower and the center of the lane. Where should he go next? He didn''t have a good answer for anything here and there was no time to come up with one, either. ZAP! ZAP! Two lasers darted at him once again. With Dodge Roll being on cooldown, Lars had to sidestep these shots. Alas, he found himself too distracted by everything and failed to react on time. The first beam hit him right in the center of the body, really embarrassing stuff. And, to add insult to injury, even the drones beam managed to graze his shoulder. Crap, I''m getting dunked on. Lars chuckled nervously. The more brain juice he spent on thinking, the slower and heavier his body felt. The way he was now, he couldn''t react to incoming attacks with the same swiftness as before. The difference in performance was so noticeable that even his opponent took note of it. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Hmph. I see. William nodded. Not a thinker, are you? Reminds me of a certain brat I know. These so-called "power players", who relied on raw strength, were often momentum-driven brutes, even in tennis. As long as they maintained the upper hand via initial momentum, they had no problem delivering powerful groundstrokes and returning every ball that came their way; their performance seemed flawless. However, the moment they were forced into a difficult spot and had to actually use their brains, then suddenly over half their mechanical skill evaporated without a trace. They started playing slowly and awkwardly, and that was usually Williams cue to press harder and crush them. And so, thats how brains triumphed over brawn. Games like that were the most satisfying. Shortly after picking up Classmancers, William noticed that similar rules applied here as well. The most notable example of this was none other than his younger brother, who was almost unstoppable when he was on a roll, but also quickly fell apart when his momentum hit a wall. Based on that, William adopted his favorite methodology from tennis and applied it here as well. He patiently defended against the fierce offense of mechanically superior opponents and waited for the right moment to pull a reversal on them. This approach worked sufficiently well. Point in case, this year he has become the No. 2 strongest middle schooler in the region based on Sonya''s tier list. The only opponent William still couldn''t topple was the Korean prodigy. That monster had both brains and brawn, so it was impossible to submit him via Williams usual approach. However, Gunz was different. This guy was like a slightly more polished version of Ronald, nothing more. He was the kind of opponent that Williams methodology was designed to crush. That''s why I refuse to accept this demotion to No. 3. William fired again without giving his prey any breather. ZAP! ZAP! Both lasers connected on the slow target. Just look at him. He''s nothing once you stump him like this. There''s no way he deserves the No. 2 spot. William held complete dominance over this fight right now. With the Deflector Shield blocking out all incoming attacks, his momentum-driven opponent had no chance of starting anything. Geh! Not good! Lars shook his head. I''m falling apart here. Literally everything hits me now yo! He had to come up with a solution, and fast! But, at the same time, he also had to carefully distance himself from Winner in order to give himself an opportunity to calm down and think. BUT ALSO, he had to keep dodging incoming laser beams every dang second because Winner was chasing him nonstop! Seriously, there were far too many things to juggle here at once! What the heck should be Larss priority in a situation like this!? Dang, I''m already running pretty low... Lars glanced at his 40% HP. This was getting bad. Real bad. Winner was still at 60% HP. The gap between them was growing bigger and bigger by the moment. At this point, Lars didnt have any good options available to him. Initially, he estimated hed fall down to 40% HP in case he tried to brute force his way to the tower. It wouldve been a lame play, but after that, Lars couldve safely waited it out at the tower. He would have had all the time in the world to wait for Deflector Shield to expire, after which he wouldve challenged Winner again. I still think its a lame play, but compared to what I have now He was already down to 40% HP, yet he was nowhere near his tower. By taking his sweet dang time to decide on the best course of action, Lars ended up putting himself in a far worse situation than before! This aint good. I gonna crash and burn real hard at this rate. Guess its time to start thinking about my last resort options. Backfire Cannon and Release the Kraken were still available trump cards. They were both great tools for getting out of pinches like this. I wanted to save them for later, but I''m starting to think that this "later" might actually be NOW. Welp, alrighty then. Might as well use both to get out! "RELEASE THE-" The Pirate started his infamous line, which naturally made the opponent freeze. At least, it should have... So, youre finally bringing it out. William twitched on reaction, but only for a moment. Despite the threat in front of him, he confidently stepped forward and fired. ZAP! ZAP! Two beams darted at the Pirate, who was currently busy summoning the sea monster. Maybe he planned it to be a feint, or maybe he didnt. William thought. Either way, I trust his reaction speed. Now that he saw me attacking, I''m sure he''ll go through with the Kraken, regardless of what he originally had in mind. Therefore, William immediately canceled his recovery animation with Dodge Roll and rolled away. He had been saving his precious roll for this very moment, so now was the time to trade Dodge Roll for the enemy''s ult. At least, that was the plan... Yo, he''s attacking!? Lars gasped. Two laser beams flew at him while he was still busy calling upon the Big Squid Dude! I cant dodge this even if I cancel early, yo! But wait, this means Winner had to be locked in his attack animation right now. In other words, dude shouldn''t be able to dodge the Kraken either! It was the perfect opportunity to strike that dude down! Nah, I''m not doing that. Lars canceled his ult into Backfire Cannon and dodged the incoming beams by pushing himself backward. Theres like no chance that was a real opportunity. Way too easy. Lars knew better than that. He had more than enough bitter experiences of falling for ploys like this. Yep, just like I thought. Lars chuckled at the sight of his rolling opponent. Dude made himself look vulnerable while buffering in a Dodge Roll. That''s Ellen tactics 101. AbsoluteWinner was one heck of a dude. He was nearly as strong as Lars on the mechanical level, yet he was almost as crafty as Ellen when it came to spacing and baits. Truly, that guy could do anything, yo! But, thanks to the robust experience Lars accumulated from fighting Ellen, he learned how to spot and counter baits like this. Naturally, his opponent didnt see this coming. He still canceled his Kraken? In that situation? Hmph. William scoffed. Did I overestimate him? No, I don''t think so. I doubt his original plan was to cancel Kraken into Backfire. I mean, I know hes not the sharpest tool in the shed, but that''d be straight-up dumb. Then again, if it wasn''t his original intention Then it left only one possibility, one that William wanted to reject. Did he see through this bait? Hmph. I thought he was just a simpleton, but maybe he got more combat experience than I thought. Gunz shouldve been nothing more than an "upgraded version" of Ronald, a power player who relied solely on mechanical skill and instinct. As such, baits like this should have worked splendidly on him. In fact, William baited Ronald countless times in a similar fashion. Therefore, the same trick shouldve worked on Gunz as well, especially since this was the first time William showed this trick on the competitive stage. Hmph. Maybe his instincts are a lot more honed than Ronald''s due to past experiences or such. Theyre both in the same year, but Gunz is clearly one league above my simpleton brother. Ultimately, words like "instinct" and "intuition" were just fancy terms to describe the player''s ability to tap into their experience. Either Gunz was very good at it, or he had tons of experience facing baits like this. Or, perhaps even both. Either way, without Dodge Roll, I can''t keep pressing the attack. William backed away. His Deflector Shield was still up but it would do little good against the Kraken. Oh? Lars grinned as he advanced toward the backpedaling opponent. Why are you running, dude? Why are you running? Even though Lars was severely lagging behind in terms of HP and his opponent was still using that hax Deflector Shield, it was actually Lars who was holding the upper hand now. He still had his Kraken whereas his opponent didn''t have a Dodge Roll. In other words, this was the perfect opportunity to smack that dude down and finish him off! Lets gooooooooo, yo! But, should I? Lars didn''t hurry to dump his ult on the lane. It was too important of a trump card to be spent carelessly, and Yuel made sure to drill that lesson into Lars on a regular basis. I bet hed say it''s not worth using here. And, I kinda agree, to be honest. Release the Kraken was one of the most infamous ults in the game. Not only did it deliver good damage alongside powerful CC, but it also had a built-in feint option via skill canceling. It was the kind of oppressing tool that forced the enemy to hold onto their Dodge Roll just to play around it. And, even with that precaution, they still had to guess the 50/50 when the Pirate started casting the ult. Players with superb reaction speed could usually wait until the last moment and then decide whether to roll, but the entire situation still placed tremendous pressure on them. Meanwhile, the Pirate didnt have to sweat at all. Dude could just cancel the ult as he pleased, ezpz. And heck, even if the enemy rolls in time, the Pirate could still potentially hit them with the Kraken by guessing right. So seriously, all the odds were in the Pirates favor here. This thing is hax, yo! Lars grinned. It''s like I''m holding an atom bomb here, hehe. But welp, I guess were both cheats, huh. Dude got his shield while I got the Big Squid Dude. #Balanced And so, thats why Lars boldly advanced toward Winner, and why Winner backed away like a scaredy-cat. In these last few seconds, right before the next minion wave arrives, the situation flipped on its head! It was Larss overwhelming victory! Though, his opponent seemed to disagree with that. So, this is the end. William retreated far enough into his territory, and Gunz stopped giving chase as well. With minions about to arrive on the lane, this signaled the end of their second bout. The way it ended wasn''t pretty, but I won this round. William declared so based on their remaining HP values. He still had over 60% HP left whereas his opponent fell below 40%. Therefore, this was absolutely Williams victory, no doubt about it. After this, Gunz had no choice but to recall to base in order to heal up, which will allow William to dominate the unprotected lane. With that said, the little mess-up I had at the end was dangerous. William admitted. He nearly turned the tables on me with that Kraken feint. At the very last moment, Gunz seized control of the duel. It was a short-lived advantage that ended before Gunz even had the chance to capitalize on it, but it was undeniable that, for a few moments at the end there, Gunz held the upper hand. So, I can''t say I''m 100% satisfied with this outcome. William frowned. He''s not even using his best classes, so this should''ve been a breeze for me. The plan was to stomp Lars''s regular classes in order to prove to Sonya that William was the superior player on average. After that, once Cato stops being a scaredy-cat and allows Gunz to pick Trickshooter or Gunslinger, then William intended to defeat these classes too. With all that evidence, Sonya would have no choice but to give him back the No. 2 spot. But I couldn''t even properly crush one of his weaker classes. William frowned. From the side, this outcome might even look like a draw to some. Tch. Why was this happening? Without Trickshooter and Gunslinger, Gunz should have been easy prey. Or, maybe his Pirate is on par with his Shooter and Slinger? William wondered. Though I have to say, it really didnt feel that way Gunzs execution was great no matter which class he used. As a result, his mechanical skill made his Pirate seem strong. But, thats all there was to it. It doesnt feel like he actually mastered Pirate. For example, he hasnt even used his cutlass yet, not even once. In fact, their fight couldve turned out very different if Gunz properly close the distance between them and utilized Pirates melee range advantage. However, the guy showed no intention of doing so, therefore William played accordingly and abused the mid-range. If he just showed me that he knows how to make use of his cutlass, then I wouldve had to play it safer and create more space between us. And, then my drone wouldve struggled to land any shots. So, all in all, it didnt feel like Gunz exhibited true mastery of Pirate. But, at the same time, it was impossible to say for sure after just two fights. I''ll have to watch the replays to say for sure. William concluded. I''m sure Sonya will watch them during the break, so I should be able to get my answer soon enough. Until then, I''ll arrange as many duels as possible, to make sure theres plenty of footage to analyze. By the end of this game, I''ll prove to everybody that I''m No. 2, not this average power player. Both players were very much eager to continue the ongoing duel. So far, they have exchanged plenty of blows, but no conclusion has been reached yet. Therefore, they had to fight some more! Alas, as it turned out, they wont get many more chances to do so in this game. Thats because the situation in Mid escalated far beyond what anybody expected at the time... Vol.14 Ch.24: Data Gathering The lane battle in Top was one between two fellow intellectuals. Tis a clash of information! Vincent hyped up the match in his head. On the right side, we have none other than moi, InformationBlackhole, representing Stratus! And, on the left side, theres TheTheorist, playing for the Leopards! It was like a hype wrestling match! However, instead of using barbarian strength, both sides were about to attack each other with information. So, let us begin. We shall see which of us has the superior information network! He who controls the information controls the world! Judging by how Theorist played in the previous scrimmages, it was safe to say she was a devotee of the Information Cult, just like Vincent. Therefore, their battle was bound to take place in the Information Dimension. As such, I shall dub thee "The Information Theorist"! A worthy rival to moi, no doubt. Meanwhile, his opponent also recognized him as a player of a similar breed. However, there wasnt nearly as much hype present in her head. InformationBlackhole. Sonya opened a drawer with that label in her head. She stored such data about all of todays opponents and she has gone over it countless times by now. But, it never hurt going over it one more time, just in case. InformationBlackhole was a player with mediocre mechanical skill, but he made up for it via decent decision-making and game knowledge. In other words, he was a "theory player", just like Sonya. His mechanical skill had a score of about 5/10 and his decision-making seemed to be around 8/10. Although, the decision-making department was much harder to judge accurately, given how Stratus had an excellent shot-caller. Chessmaster mightve orchestrated many of Blackhole''s better plays. As for his game knowledge score, I obviously can''t judge that properly without more data. Sonya lamented the fact. I''ll just have to act under the assumption that hes at least 8/10. In short, Blackhole was a 5/8/8 player. A decent score compared to the previous opponents the Leopards faced this year, but nothing special overall. Ultimately, Blackhole was just an average player who scraped by thanks to utilizing game theory to his advantage. Just like me, I suppose. Sonya nodded to herself. Except, I can confidently say my knowledge is at 10/10 and my decision-making is at least 9/10. Though, I will concede that my mechanical skill is probably around 7/10. To others, these might sound like completely random numbers that held no value. However, for Sonya, they were an objective representation of player skill. Alright, next section. Sonya flipped a page inside her head and continued deconstructing Blackhole. Reviewing all the data one last time before getting to lane was like a ritual of sorts. It helped Sonya calm down and concentrate on the match. Its something she needed in order to distract herself from the pressure of playing in front of an audience, something she wasnt too comfortable with. So, hes playing Spellblade this time. Sonya thought. This is new data. He hasnt used Spellblade in the previous scrimmage, so I cant say much about it. Most likely, Blackhole picked Spellblade as a magical supplement for Bomber, who was a physical Mid Laner. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the first time that Beat picked Bomber on the competitive stage, so there was no data whatsoever about this arrangement. Is this a lineup they practiced before? Id assume it is, but theres no data. Sonya sighed. No matter how much time we spend analyzing our opponents, theres only so much we can tell from a single scrim. Sigh. It also didnt help that Stratus spent much of the previous scrimmage playing a completely different lineup, one where Blackhole and Beat were in Bot Lane. As a result, there was even less data than usual about their playstyles in Top and Mid. I can only deduce that they probably practice together quite often, seeing as they wanted to play Bot together. So, this arrangement of Spellblade and Bomber is probably something they practiced before. Other than that, was there anything else Sonya could deduce about this pick? Hmm. His build will probably lean on the aggressive side. She thought. The Druid is their only other source of magical damage, but hes not going to build power. So, it''s up to the Spellblade to cover the teams magical DPS. Similar to Sonya, InformationBlackhole seemed like an all-rounder. Therefore, he was likely the type to go for a balanced build overall, but one that might lean toward offense or defense depending on the matchup. And, in this particular case, building power seemed like the right choice for him. Then again, his past records suggest hes a rather passive player, just like me. Even when he picked Viking, he didnt actually aggress that much on his opponent. In fact, maybe he only picked the class for its escape tools, not for its strong offense. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Different theories clashed in Sonya''s head, so the truth remained veiled in mystery. There wasn''t enough data yet to accurately deduce how Blackhole was planning to play this round. And, unfortunately, my time is up. She finally reached the lane, which meant it was time to put the reviewing process to rest and focus on the data in front of her. Especially, with her playing a Monk and going up against a Spellblade, she needed to fully concentrate on the lane situation. It was a somewhat disadvantageous matchup, so Sonya had to be careful to not lose too much lane advantage. I suppose I have no choice but to wait and see how he plays. Sonya concluded. For now, I''ll just keep the possibility of aggression in mind and make sure to not give him any good opportunities to attack, thats the most I can do. Besides, Ill have to stick to defense either way. For the first few waves, a Spellblade was bound to blow a Monk out of the water, unless the Spellblade player was unbelievably incompetent. But surely, that wouldnt be the case with Blackhole, right? Yes, I already see he knows what hes doing. Starting from the Spell stance is the right play here. Sonya nodded in approval. Hmm. I wonder, is there any more data I can get out of him right now? InformationBlackhole was dressed in edgy black from top to bottom, looking like an avid follower of the Grim Reaper himself. However, to contrast the blackness, he covered his face with a white mask, making him look rather ominous. Is this supposed to be a psychological attack of some sort? Sonya wondered that, but she doubted this line of thought. Well, there are theories out there that suggest colors, and visuals in general, play an unexpectedly big role in psychological warfare. But, is this one of these cases? Clearly, a lot of thought and effort was put into this getup. It proved that Blackhole cared dearly about the Spellblade class... or, did it? Hmm. Now that I think about it, all the classes Ive seen him play were highly customized. Pretty much nothing from the default look ever remains. So, maybe Blackhole just enjoyed heavily customizing the looks of his classes? I suppose there are players like that at all levels of play, huh. Sonya thought. They must be thinking Classmancers is a dress-up game. Unlike the extensively customized Spellblade, Sonyas Monk was wearing the default costume. She did pick her favorite recolor of the skin at least, but thats as far as she was willing to go. A customized skin doesnt offer any real advantages, so theres no point in wasting any time or effort on it. Sonya was confident about that, but... Or, maybe Im the weird one out for thinking like this? Unpleasant interactions flashed through her mind. My, youre a girl but you dont customize your classes at all? Thats unexpected. Shut up. Sonya silenced the imaginary Cato in her head. Where is it written that I have to care about customization just because Im a girl? The nerve of some of these people, I swear. Sonya found herself grumping. That hyper-customized Spellblade was ticking her off for no good reason. Ironic, isnt it? Sonya realized. His customization probably isnt meant to serve any competitive purpose at all, but it manages to tick me off. Not good, not good at all. She shook her head to dismiss all these unnecessary idle thoughts. The more data she tried to absorb all at once, the more distracted she became from the lane situation. That wont do. What mattered a lot more regarding the Spellblade''s appearance wasn''t his extensive customization, but rather the fact he arrived on the lane in his Spell stance. It implied he had the basics down, at least. Let''s wait and see how he plays. Sonya stayed back and watched how Blackhole was planning to engage the minions. This passive approach will cost her some exp and lane advantage, but it was a worthwhile investment. Data is everything. The faster I get my hands on it, the earlier I can start coming up with a counter plan. And so, Sonya stayed at the backline and waited for Blackhole''s first move. She was like a scientist monitoring a lab rat. WHISH! WHISH! WHISH! Blackhole unleashed three wind blasts in a row via Aero Barrage. The gusts of wind knocked back the swordsmen with each strike, bringing them closer and closer to the bowmen. Then, once all of Sonyas minions were packed in one area, Blackhole switched into Sword stance and activated Aero Slice. SLASH! WHISH! He sliced through the entire minion pack with his blade, infused with wind magic. He struck the minions with the cold metal and also produced a wind shockwave that traveled through the minions and even threatened to reach Sonya. All within expectations. Sonya watched the gust of wind approaching her at full speed, but then it vanish into thin air before reaching her. Her spacing was on point against this predictable development. So, he knows the meta farming routine. Sonya nodded in satisfaction. The setup Blackhole used was the 101 of playing Spellblade in Top. Without this basic knowledge, almost anybody would be able to defeat a Spellblade in the lane. Both of his wind skills are on cooldown now. Sonya thought. So, I suppose it''s safe enough for me to advance. She reached the frontline of her territory. Blackhole was also there, swinging his blade at Sonyas minions. Theoretically, Blackhole could activate his Pyro Blade right now in order to make quick work of the minions and push lane advantage. However, the guy opted to rely on nothing but his basic attacks to finish the job. As I thought, he doesnt come across as particularly aggressive. Sonya thought. So far, this is in line with the profile Ive built of him. Indeed, very much like Sonya, Blackhole was an all-rounder who exerted caution at every step. Even though he had some innate advantage in this matchup, he preferred to proceed with caution. So, he won''t attack me even if I go after his minions. Convinced of that, Sonya ran past her opponent and approached the enemy frontline. Of course, the enemy wasn''t entirely oblivious to her movements. But, he didnt use this opportunity to strike her. On the contrary, he created more distance between them. So, he''s cautious about me launching a surprise attack. Alright. Sonya added this new data to her archive and pressed onward. Slowly but surely, shell gather enough data to fully deconstruct her opponent. Then, shell discover Blackholes Achilles heel and will use that data to strike him down! Hopefully. Vol.14 Ch.25: Disadvantageous but Easy Routine Vincents first exchange with TheTheorist in the lane was very passive, but nonetheless unpleasant. I feel like a lab rat. Vincent smiled wryly. The all-seeing Theorist is dissecting me at this very moment, I can feel it in my bones. At first, Theorist stayed at the back and watched how Vincent will behave. Yes, she just stood there, menacingly. Surely, her eyes recorded every twitch Vincent made, and she stored all that data on her mental hard drive. She traded some precious lane advantage for the sake of gaining more information. Such dedication to the craft! Vincent nodded repeatedly. As a fellow information enthusiast, he knew all about making sacrifices for the sake of understanding his foe better. In fact, Vincent wouldve gladly done the same under other circumstances. However, right now, he was the one holding a slight advantage due to their class matchup. Therefore, Vincent was obligated to utilize this advantage, or else a certain Chessmaster will chew him out. Besides, the records of Akasha claim that Theorist will fully respect this advantage. Vincent nodded. And indeed, thus far, she''s exactly the kind of player I imagined her to be. And, naturally, Im sure she profiled me down as well. I wonder, how predictable was in her eyes? Today''s battle in Top Lane will be decided via a clash of information. It was going to be very different from when he faced Taurus brutes. Very well. Vincent nodded dramatically. Then, let us begin this intellectual battle! Whoever discovers the other''s weakness first - shall reign supreme! But, that was easier said than done. They were both players with robust theoretical knowledge, so they knew how to minimize risks. Theorist advanced toward Vincent''s minion wave and unleashed palm strikes at his swordsmen, but she soon retreated back to her territory. Indeed, Theorist understood all too well that she was extending into enemy territory, and that it was mandatory for her to retreat ASAP. Its such a tragic tale! Vincent shook his head. My partner has just arrived and she already vanished, before I even had the chance to dance with her! Despite how unrealistic it sounded, Vincent was hoping to quickly clear out the enemy minions and then strike Theorist at least once or twice. Alas, the woman escaped his jurisdiction. Alright, this is enough for now. Sonya backpedaled after taking out one of the swordsmen. The rest can wait. It''s more important to secure a safe position first. And so, she left the danger zone in haste before Blackhole turned on her. As expected, the all-rounder didn''t seize this brief opportunity to assault her, despite the fact he was holding the lane advantage at the moment. Good. This makes things much easier for me. Sonya retreated to safety and activated Chakra Bullet, switching her basic attacks from melee to ranged. She only had seven shots of this handy tool before her chakra runs out, but she had to make do with that for now. WHISH! WHISH! The Monk thrust her palm through empty air, generating a wind blast with each strike. The blasts rammed into the incoming swordsmen, dealing hefty damage. Every shot of Chakra Bullet cost Sonya 1 Chakra, but in exchange, these shots were just as strong as her melee basic attacks. Thanks to that, she fell the injured swordsmen in but a couple of hits, and then she spent the rest of her Chakra on the bowmen. Unfortunately, even with this handy tool, it was impossible to clear the entire enemy wave before they reached the tower area. Two bowmen invaded and started shooting Sonya''s Turret. Mhm. Sonya nodded. This is about how I expected this to go down. She struck the bowmen with melee attacks, driving her palms into their stomachs and chests. In a matter of seconds, she cleared out all the intruders, largely thanks to the support fire from her tower. Unfortunately, Sonya gained less farm inside the tower area, but at least she secured both last-hits on the bowmen. Nonetheless, this outcome still put her a little behind her lane opponent in terms of farm, and this gap might grow even bigger in the upcoming waves. With that, the first wave came to an end. Even though Blackhole''s minions bravely invaded Sonya''s area, their commander stayed far in the back and didn''t press his advantage. Reasonable decision. Id do the same. Sonya nodded in approval as she activated Meditation near her tower. Her Monk sat down and began recovering Chakra. The mediation also granted Sonya a slight HP5, even though it wasn''t necessary for this particular situation. After all, she didnt allow anybody to lay a single finger on her. Alright, I''m ready. Her Chakra finished recharging right as the new wave arrived, so it was time to stand up. So, given all the data I have thus far, what''s the optimal approach against this particular opponent? Sonya pondered. I can simply maintain the current status quo and let him get away with a minimal lane advantage in every wave, that''ll be the easiest way out. With every level, Monk''s maximum Chakra will increase, granting Sonya more ammunition of Chakra Bullets per wave. Therefore, even if she continues playing as passively as she did in the first wave, shell gradually shrink the advantage Blackhole gains per wave. Eventually, she should reach equilibrium, at which point shell be able to compete with the Spellblade on even ground. And, she''ll be able to achieve all that without exerting much effort or taking any risks. All she had to do was to repeat the same simple routine from the first wave. If I reach that point without accident, then it''ll count as my win. Sonya reasoned. Spellblade is also a late-game class, but nowhere near as hyper late-game as Monk. Late-game Monk was one of the most dangerous classes in the game. In particular, when it was built purely for offense, then it could one-shot even late-game tanks with its ult. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. But, I cant build too much power, not with our current line-up. Their Support was a mage, and one who selfishly built power to boot. This meant only Sonya and Cato will have notable tankiness to them in the late-game. Of course, as the Jungler, Cato couldn''t build enough defense to serve as a frontliner in team fights. Therefore, that''ll have to be Sonya''s job. Still, even Monks bruiser build scales very nicely in the late-game. Sonya thought. So, all I really need to achieve in this game is to reach the late-game safely. For that win condition, it was more than enough to play passively against Blackhole. But, was that really the right thing to do? Shouldn''t she try to contest her opponent a little more than that? After all, it''s not like I''m playing against StormBlitzs Top Laner. Blackhole is just an average player from an average team. Usually, Sonya wasn''t too interested in contesting others via strength, very much unlike William and Ronald. Nonetheless, she still had her pride, both as a representative of the Leopards and as a player who worked hard in order to get into the first-string. "You have to set an example for other teams." Coach hammered this line a lot. "High-level competition isn''t just about winning. Its also about achieving the result with dignity and confidence." Alas, Sonya''s current passive game plan idea was the exact opposite of that. She found the game plan attractive specifically because it avoided confronting Blackhole, which meant shell be able to minimize risks to zero. As such, there was no dignity or confidence anywhere to be found there. "Keep doing what you''re doing." Cato whispered into her ear through private communication, as if reading her mind. "So, youre saying I should keep trading farm every wave in exchange for minimizing risks?" "Yes, I say that''s for the best. No need to take any risks if you can avoid them. Focus on the late-game. Youre a Monk, after all" Cato''s words echoed Sonya''s own thoughts, which gave her a stronger footing. Whenever the two of them agreed on something like this, it was usually the right play. "Alright, then that''ll be my game plan for the foreseeable future. Just don''t complain later about how I''m underleveled compared to their Spellblade." "Even underleveled, a Monk is still worth more than a Spellblade in the late-game." "Fair enough." Thats all Sonya needed to hear. The captain himself was asking her to play like this, so there was no reason to refuse. In case Coach complains about my approach later, then I''ll just tell him the captain approved it. Sonya smiled to herself. It''s convenient to have somebody I can pass the blame on. With the issue out of the way, Sonya proceeded to tackle the next minion wave in the same exact fashion as before. She briefly advanced to the frontline in order to strike the enemy swordsmen, and then she retreated while firing Chakra Bullets. This time, only 1.5 bowmen made it into her tower area. There was one healthy bowman and one half-dead bowman. Therefore, 1.5 bowmen. Thanks to the Turrets giant bolts, it didn''t take long to clear out the invaders and reset the lane situation. Then, it was time for Sonya to meditate again. Everything played out exactly like last time, all according to plan. The first time, 2 healthy bowmen invaded her area, but this time only 1.5 bowmen did. And, once Sonya hits Lv. 4 and gains access to even more Chakra Bullets, then shell be able to reduce the invaders health even further. Therefore, eventually, this routine will allow her to play on even ground with the Spellblade. With all that considered, it was definitely a viable strategy. But, was that really the right way to play this laning phase? Shouldnt Sonya try to take a little more initiative as a player representing the Leopards? Playing cautiously has always been Sonya''s playstyle, but the current lane situation really took the cake, even for her. Even though she played defensively in the previous scrimmages, she was nowhere near as cautious against these opponents. The threat level was very different. Sonya thought. Based on the data, Stratus have proven themselves to be a far more dangerous team, so I have to tread more carefully here. But, this just feels wrong, somehow. What kind of impression did Sonyas plays give to the audience? Most likely, she came across as a weak player who was getting pushed around by Blackhole. Honestly, she didnt particularly care about her own image in that regard. She wasnt like Willaim or Ronald who cared so dearly about looking good. After all, achieving victory wasnt always going to be a pretty process. What actually troubled Sonya was the reputation her plays were giving to the Leopards as a team. Was her conduct worthy of the regional champions? "Good job," Cato praised her out of the blue as if to counter her worries. "Is that supposed to be sarcasm?" Sonya made a face. Her current game plan literally revolved around "doing nothing", so what exactly was praiseworthy about it? It was the easiest playstyle ever. "You only think this is easy because you''re good at it, Cato said. Imagine if I asked Ronald to play like this." "Hed throw a tantrum, no doubt." "Exactly. So, thank you for being such a good obedient soldier. Youre doing a great job serving your team~" "Huh, sure." Sonya made a face. I can never tell where sincerity starts and ends with this guy. But, despite how it sounded, Cato actually meant every word he said. Good, good. He nodded in satisfaction. She''s on the right track. As a chess piece on the board, Sonya was faithfully following Cato''s script. It was always a pleasure to work with obedient pieces like that~ As usual, she needs just a little push and shes good to go. Cato nodded. Seriously, such a worrywart~ I always tell her to be more confident about the way she plays, but my dear secretary has this bad habit of second-guessing herself as soon as the match starts. Sigh. This wasnt the first time this happened, and it surely wont be the last. Sonya was a cute overthinker like that~ Whenever she starts frowning like that during the first wave, I can already tell something is wrong. Cato learned that through bitter experience. Every once in a while, especially during important matches, Sonya''s performance dropped significantly after the first wave. As uncharacteristic as it sounded, she suffered from a severe lapse of concentration during these games. Apparently, her busy brain worked overtime during these games. She tried way too hard to analyze tons of data all at once, and she also found herself mulling over philosophical questions that were harder to answer than it was to find the meaning of life itself. Truly, such a disaster. To prevent such issues from occurring ever again, Cato made sure to always closely watch Sonya''s body language after the first wave. If she looked relaxed, then it was good. On the other hand, if she was tense and frowning, then Cato had to step in and say something. Usually, a generic pep talk was more than enough to remedy the issue. Yes, it was that simple. With just a little injection to boost confidence, Sonya was back on track and performed like the reliable chess piece she always was. Im not sure what exactly my secretary was so worried about, but her game plan is golden. Cato thought. Sure, some may call it a lazy solution for this matchup, but I dont. It''s simple and efficient, as any good tactic should be. Besides, this fell under the "easier said than done" category. Sonya would have no problem maintaining this routine against a bot, but human opponents had this one pesky little function called "adaptation". I don''t know if Blackhole is planning to do about this routine, but I''m sure Yuel won''t take it lying down. He''ll come up with something for sure, and it''ll be up to me to thwart his plans. And so, the simple routine continued for now. Sonya played it safe by advancing just a little, after which she immediately retreated back to her tower. Essentially, she was surrendering lane control in exchange for lane stability. On his end, Blackhole didnt seize any of these opportunities in order to push. He delivered his bowmen to the tower every time, but he didnt dare to step in any further. At a glance, it looked like a most generic back-and-forth between two fighters who didn''t want to overcommit to anything. However, behind the scenes, the strategists of both sides were carefully watching every move the Top Laners made. The first three clashes were just a prelude. The real fight was still ahead of them... Vol.14 Ch.26: Testing the Waters With Aggression For the third wave, TheTheorist repeated the same pattern as before. She pummeled Vincents swordsmen with her fists, then backpedaled from the scene while firing Chakra Bullets. This time, only one bowman successfully made it into the tower area. The poor lad only had one chance to nock an arrow into his bow before perishing. What a tragedy! Vincent shook his head. And, it shall only get worse from here. And, even the great Chessmaster thought the exact same thing. So, this routine already went from allowing two survivors to just one. Yuel frowned. And, in the next wave, the one bowman wholl make it into the tower area will be injured, so he might even fail to damage the tower at all. Vincent, you need to dial up the aggression, Yuel instructed. Its nice that you have the lane advantage, but it doesnt give us much as it is. Spellblade has a substantial advantage over Monk in the early-game, so you have to capitalize on it. So, shall I initiate combat? A duel to the death!? It probably wont escalate that far, but yes, you need to start hitting her. When she extends to attack your frontline, open an attack on her, and let''s where it goes. Just be mindful of the minion damage. Worry not, for the minions feeble attacks shall not pose a threat to my Blade stance! My passive shield shall deflect all incoming physical damage! It only gives you a small defense buff, dont get carried away, Yuel retorted. But, dont be too conservative, either. Make sure you hit her hard enough to make her reconsider her game plan. It shall be done, my lord. Vincent pretended to bow in front of the mastermind. After all, he was but a piece on Chessmasters elaborate board, and he shall move in accordance to the masters wishes. With that said, what was the safest way to satisfy the lord''s request? If Vincent were to carelessly lay a finger on Theorist, then her loyal guards would run all over him. In the meantime, the target herself will evacuate the premises as quickly as a phantom thief. Considering Iron Skin could grant the Monk both Invincibility and a Movement Speed buff, there was little chance of delivering any serious damage to Theorist from one such exchange. But, as they say, Rome wasnt built in a day. Vincent nodded. Even if the pressure I apply with each individual exchange will be minimal, theyll eventually add up to one huge fearsome momentum! Your end is nigh, o Theorist! During the next wave, Vincent began his routine as usual. First, he unleashed Aero Barrage on the enemy wave, then he sliced through them with Aero Slice. As always, this combo delivered substantial damage. It halved the HP of the bowmen and erased about 30% of the swordsmen''s health bars. Alas, that alone wasn''t enough to kill any of the minions. As such, despite Vincent obviously winning lane advantage here, none of this ever put much pressure on Theorist. Therefore, just like before, the uninvited guest waltzed into Vincent''s territory in order to assault his minions. But, little did she know that this time, she was the honored guest! Vincent was more than delighted to provide hospitality for her, in his own special way. She does not seem to suspect a thing. Vincent inferred from Theorist''s lax approach. The Monk woman had no problem turning her back to Vincent while she was farming his minions. You used to be more vigilant than this, my friend. Vincent thought back on the first few interactions they had. Back then, Theorist didn''t take her eyes off Vincent for longer than 1.5 seconds. Indeed, Theorist was the very incarnate of the All-Seeing Eye back then! Of course, being that vigilant 24/7 slowed her down, especially her farming speed. But instead, it ensured that she could react in a timely fashion to whatever attack Vincent launched. However, that no longer seemed to be the case. While Theorist was diverting her full attention to the minions, her back was completely exposed right now. Truly, this appears to be the most appropriate time to initiate Ragnarok! Vincent booted Pyro Blade, coating his sword in flames. I wonder, did the all-knowing Chessmaster predict that Theorist would let her guard down at this moment? As always, his analysis never ceases to amaze! With a blazing blade in hand, Vincent struck hard! But not at Theorist, not yet. His first priority was to diminish the number of minions on the field, to minimize the amount of punishment hell receive for the sin he was about to commit. And so, he swung his fire sword, over and over! He shall stop at nothing but total annihilation of the enemy forces! Well, perhaps that was an exaggeration. The only targets he absolutely had to destroy were the bowmen, as they were the biggest DPS threat on the table. So, once that''s achieved, Vincent shall proceed to strike down the biggest fish in this pound! "No, you won''t." A mysterious voice stopped Vincent in his tracks. The threat came all the way from the Jungle''s direction. Oh, this is unfortunate news. Vincent canceled his plans. Instead of directing his pyro blade at Theorist, he assaulted the swordsmen instead. Initiating an attack on Theorist now would be pointless at best and foolish at worst. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The mysterious "voice" that ruined Vincents plans belonged to none other than Rook, whose form was revealed by one of the wards in the jungle. The captain of the Leopards came here personally to threaten Vincent. Dont try any funny ideas. I wouldn''t dream of it, sir. Vincent replied to the inspector. He made sure to play nice and stay clear of all suspicion. And so, Vincent only wiped out Theorist''s remaining troops. After that, he disengaged in a haste. With the enemy Jungler stationed so close nearby, it was a bad time to aggress. In fact, Vincent didnt even dare to follow his surviving minions all the way to the enemy side of the lane. I apologize, my comrades. I must abandon ship! Vincent retreated early to his side of the lane, leaving his troops all alone in enemy territory. The threat of a potential incoming gank was just that high. But, in the end, Rook never entered the lane. Most likely, he canceled his plans after seeing Vincents prompt retreat. Disaster averted. Vincent sighed in relief. It was unfortunate he couldn''t unleash his power on Theorist this time, but the night was still young. He''ll have many opportunities to do so today. Besides, his Pyro Blade didnt go to waste, at least not entirely. Though it failed to achieve its primary mission, it still delivered hefty damage to the enemy minions. As a result, more of Vincents minions survived than usual. In this round, 2.5 bowmen invaded Theorists tower area. It was a substantial jump from the previous round, which meant more damage to the enemy tower. Of course, this little bit of extra damage might seem like a drop in the ocean. Vincent admitted. However! Even a butterfly can cause a hurricane if it keeps flapping its wings for long enough! Every "push" so far only slightly grazed the enemy Turret. However, by repeatedly striking the tower across many waves, the damage slowly but surely added up. It was the same dripping water digging holes through rocks. Each droplet may seem small and insignificant, but together - they delivered a lot of damage! Theorist''s Turret was already down to 95% after this push. It was a fine achievement, considering Vincent hadn''t even stepped into the tower''s range, not even once. Essentially, his loyal minions were doing all the work thus far. And this round, thanks to his Pyro Blade, even more of them managed to push the tower! Unfortunately, this outcome didn''t please the mastermind. "I see you used your Pyro Blade." Yuel inferred that from the cooldowns on Vincent''s skills. "Why did you disengage, then? Because the ward revealed Rook?" "Indeed. I did what I had to dodge the risk of giving First Blood to our foes." "That''s fine, I guess," Yuel said reluctantly. Honestly, with how hectic the laning contest was in Bot, he didn''t have the luxury to be 100% invested in everything that took place in Top. As such, he had to trust Vincent''s judgment here, but only to a certain extent. From what I saw, Yuel said. The ward exposed Rook but he didnt actually make it to the lane, right? Indeed, thats how the story played out. It appears he aborted his plans at the last moment upon seeing my speedy retreat. Thats possible. Or, maybe Yuel stopped mid-sentence. The rest of the sentence was at the tip of his tongue, but it was admittedly far too early to draw any definite conclusions. Did Cato really plan to gank Top? Or, did he only apply remote intimidation? Yuel strongly leaned toward the latter theory, but it was impossible to discern the truth with the limited information at hand. Regardless, the end result was unfortunate. Not only did Vincent waste MP by activating that Pyro Blade, but he also mightve telegraphed his intention to go on the offensive. You probably want to lay low for a while, Yuel suggested. Check if anything changed about the way Theorist plays. Its important to know whether she realized the true intention behind your Pyro Blade. I hope she wrote it off as an aggressive push and nothing more. Very well. I shall enter detective mode and tail my targets every move! The laning phase continued as usual. Vincent pushed the enemy minions away with Aero Barrage, and then he slashed through them with Aero Slice. He left the Pyro Blade sheathed this round, as he had no intention of aggressing on his target. After two waves of this routine, he was ready to report his findings. I apologize, sir. I couldnt spot any irregularities in the targets activity. She was as vigilant as usual, with no noticeable change to her farming routine. I see. If I had to say, the notable difference in her behavior actually occurred during the wave on which I planned to strike her down. Really? Yuel asked. Thats the first time I hear about it. Indeed, for this is the first time Im reporting it. For, you see, at the time, I did not actually find it peculiar at all. But now, as I take a trip down memory lane, I do find it odd indeed. So, did she predict your intention to aggress? Yuel asked. Was she more cautious than usual? No, no, Vincent said. On the contrary, she appeared more careless than usual. More careless? Yuel knotted his brows. Indeed, she seemed to pay less heed to moi for some reason; she focused harder on the minions at the time. However, in the two recent waves, she was as cautious as ever. So, as you say, perhaps she sensed my attempt at her life. An attempt you didnt even get the chance to initiate, Yuel emphasized. Anyway, its hard to draw any definite conclusions from that. Maybe she realized she was careless at the time, so she just fixed her mistake for subsequent waves. Frankly, it was difficult for Yuel to judge anything about the situation without being physically present at the scene. Getting secondhand information from a teammate was bound to leave some holes in the data. It was one of the things that made analysis in Classmancers that much trickier than in chess, a game where all players had full access to all information at any given time. Nonetheless, Yuel had to make his calls despite the partial information, for such was the job of the shot-caller. Lets try aggressing one more time, Yuel suggested. You still have MP to spare, so lets use it to get more information. Gladly! Vincent responded. I shall trade as much MP as required for the sake of acquiring information! Its a good trade long as you dont go overboard Yuel smiled wryly. For an information fanatic like Vincent, it wasnt out of the realm of possibility that hell sacrifice his entire MP bar for the sake of obtaining more information. Therefore, it was important to keep a watchful eye on this fellow. Well, I trust he knows what hes doing. Yuel nodded and started shifting his attention back to his own lane. Still, this entire sequence of events doesnt sit well with me. Its almost as if It was too early to draw any conclusions yet, so Vincent will have to try aggressing once more. Hopefully, this time, his attack will either go through Vol.14 Ch.27: Phantom Ganks As a new minion wave arrived, Vincent set his plan into motion. Once again, the plan was to quickly blast through the enemy army and then take on the enemy commander herself. As usual, he started off with the Aero Barrage + Aero Slice combo. He pushed the enemy swordsmen back to the rear, then advanced to slash through them. Like before, the enemy commander paid no heed to Vincents transgressions. Theorist didnt confront him on the topic and simply let her soldiers perish on the battlefield. Such heartlessness. Instead of aiding her subordinates, Theorist waltzed into Vincent''s side of the lane and slammed his minions. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. So far, so good. Vincent nodded in satisfaction. And now, this is where the show begins for real! He channeled the power of pyro into his dark blade, turning it into a demonic tool of destruction! While his lane opponent wasn''t watching, Vincent was planning to tear through her entire army and assault her! However, unbeknown to him, somebody was watching the scene at the time. "I believe it''s about time for them to get a little frustrated," Cato said. "They''ll probably try something again in this wave or the next." "Yes, sounds reasonable," Sonya agreed. "I''ll bait him into it." "That''s really unnecessary." "I disagree. It''d be a waste to not bait an eager opponent into overextending. That''s just common sense for game theory." "Well, you do you." Cato sighed in resignation. It was a bit too tiresome to argue with Sonya when the topic involved game theory. As usual, our Ms. Sticker-to-the-Rules has to play by the book. Well, not that I dislike it or anything. In order to balance out Cato''s extremely defensive playstyle, it wasn''t so bad to run into rebels every now and then. For example, there was William who frequently disagreed on matters concerning his offense, and there was Sonya who occasionally challenge Cato''s shot-calls and analysis. These were mildly irritating, yet very insightful, interactions. Oh, and then there was Ronald who was disagreeable in every way imaginable. Seriously, this team had so many rebels Really, only Matt respects my authority and agrees with everything I say. Sob sob. Cato pretended to be sad about it, even though this was a big part of what made it fun to command a team. Figuring out how to submit these strong soldiers to his command and use them efficiently was more challenging and rewarding than moving faceless chess pieces. And, from Catos experience, it was sometimes better to leave these human pieces to their own devices and let them do as they wished, even if he disagreed with their plans. This way, every time they fail, I can say I told you! and make them a little more obedient for next time~ Cato smiled impishly. After they fail enough times, theyll have no choice but to submit to my supreme overlord wisdom, muhahaha! With that said, Cato had no intention of letting Sonya commit any grave mistake if he could help it. They were far too early into the game for making any big mistakes, and today''s match was far too important to gamble on. As such, Cato did what he had to do in order to thwart the enemy''s potential aggression. It should be around here. He headed toward Top and made sure to pass through a couple of checkpoints he marked on the mini-map. The last time he rotated to Top through this route, it caused Blackhole to retreat right away. As such, it was safe to say there was a ward or two around these parts. Bingo! Cato smiled as he watched the enemys movements. Bye-bye, Blackhole. Until next time~ The trick worked like a charm once again. The enemy started retreating without further ado. "Dios mio! Once again, my plans have been foiled!" Vincent announced. "The Rook is eyeing this file once more, ready to strike me down!" So, Cato is at it again. Yuel somehow managed to understand what Vincent talked about, despite the peculiar phrasing. "It goes without saying, but you better retreat." "Yes, of course." Vincent nodded. "I shall not allow our foes to draw First Blood! Nay, I say!" As unfortunate as it was, he couldn''t initiate a proper attack this time either. The Pyro Blade he activated was almost wasted, only helping him strike down some minions at a faster pace. Frankly, it was terrible value for his MP investment. Regardless, Vincent fled from the scene as if his life depended on it. However, the assailant he was cautious of didn''t even show up in the end. "It appears the phantom ganker refuses to honor us with his appearance once again. Hmm. Curious. It was almost exactly the same pattern as last time. Theorist acted more vulnerable than ever, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to strike! But then, the Rook made his presence known and discouraged the entire plan. I must confess, the Records of Akasha can only reveal facts, not theories, Vincent said. Nonetheless, I must say I find Rook''s actions quite suspicious. It appears he opted to take the same exact jungle route as last time, despite being plainly aware of the vision we have in these parts. All of this is quite odd indeed, alas the true nature of Rooks grand chess strategy remains veiled in mystery." "Actually, what you just said makes it pretty clear," Yuel pointed out. "He wouldn''t have taken the same route twice if he was really planning to gank the lane." "I see, I see! In other words, it was a phantom gank." "So it seems." Rotating without actually ganking, it was a form of remote intimidation that Yuel was all too familiar with. As a player without scary mechanical skill, he often had to rely on tricks like that as a Jungler, and even as a Support. It was a psychological trick that created a sense of "lose-lose" for the target. After seeing that Rook was nearby, what were Vincent''s options, really? He could retreat from the scene as he did, which meant giving up his offense in exchange for safety. Or, he could stay in lane and push the offense at the very high risk of being ganked to death. Neither outcome was favorable, therefore it became a "lose-lose" situation. Retreating was bad, but staying around was even worse. There was simply no winning against this check. Essentially, it created an unsolvable dilemma, thats why remote intimidation worked wonders. And, as a fellow theoretical player, it wasn''t surprising to see Cato utilizing tactics like these. "It seems they wont let you that attack so easily," Yuel concluded. "I concur." Vincent nodded. "Then, what shall I do? Should I give up on my early-game advantage and play by the rules for now?" "No, that''d be a waste," Yuel argued. "You have to take control of the early-game against a Monk, that''s the class''s only real weakness. If you don''t capitalize on your advantage now, then you won''t get another chance later. So, you must hinder Theorist as much as possible because a late-game Monk means trouble." "With all due respect, Spellblade is also a late-game class." "True, but it doesn''t pose nearly as much of a threat by design. It can''t one-shot a tank, can it?" "Fair enough." Vincent conceded on that point. As strong as Spellblade was in the late-game, it didn''t have access to a deadly tool that could rival Monk''s late-game Asura Strike. It was a tool of pure destruction that could wipe out anybody within seconds. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Then, what shall I do?" Vincent asked again. "Do I request reinforcements?" "That''s the only option I can think of." The enemy has been countering Vincent by adding another piece to the fray, but Vincent also had the option to do the same. He could counter them back by summoning an ally of his own, to cancel out Theorists backup. And, the most logical candidate for this role was none other than their own Jungler. "Nia, were you listening?" Yuel asked. "Gufu!?" Nia jumped in her seat, like a snoozing student caught by their teacher. "Vincent needs help in Top. "Oh, that sucks. Someone better help him." "Yes, and we were thinking about you." "Me? Eh..." "Is your ''stealth'' not ready yet?" "Um, is it?" "I''m asking you..." Yuel made a face. "You''re already Lv. 5. That''s usually far enough into the game." "Oh, I''m already Lv. 5?" Nia confirmed by checking her own level on the screen. Huh, yeah, I guess I am. "So, are you ready?" "Eh, maybe...?" "That sounds vague." It was odd. Nia usually had no trouble stating whether she finished erasing her presence, so to speak. And yet, Yuel failed to get a proper answer out of her. Is she still sleepy? Yuel closely examined the girls face. Hmm. Its hard to say. She always looks half asleep since most of her face is covered by that black spaghetti hair. With that said, there were a couple more hints scattered here and there based. Yuel could analyze other avenues, such as Nias performance thus far in the game. For the most part, the girl was doing her regular jungle routines. But, every now and then, Yuel spotted her wandering around aimlessly after rotating to a camp that hasnt respawned yet. Well, she''s not exactly pro-level material when it comes to optimizing jungle routes, but normally she does far better than this. At the very least, she knows how to look at the respawn timers and adjust rotations accordingly. But, this game... This was clear evidence that Nia wasn''t in top shape. Most likely, her sleepiness hasnt fully worn out yet. So, maybe an action-packed play was exactly what she needed. "Nia, can you rotate to Top on the next wave?" "Hm..." Nia twisted her lips, unsure how to respond. Her eyelids and head were heavy, almost making her submit to slumber. However, at the same time, Nia was also aware she was playing on a big stage watched by many people. This scary fact slapped her awake every time she dared to doze off, but even this pressure failed to wake her up entirely. In the end, she was stuck in limbo, going back and forth between sleepiness and alertness. As a result, her mind was covered in a haze. Was she ready to gank any lanes? Did she erase her presence enough from the enemy''s minds? She couldn''t even begin to tell. "Worry not, o Vanishing Phantom," Vincent spoke up. "Even as the Slumber Realm is dragging you into its warm embrace and casts haze upon your reasoning, it is all but a fleeting illusion! Shall you choose to reject the temptation and answer the call, surely the haze will clear up and you, once again, shall become the phantom you were always meant to be! "Eh...?" Nia titled her head. "In short," Yuel translated. "He''s saying you should shoot for it, even if you''re not sure. Who knows, the process might help wake you up. I actually agree with him for a change." "But, what if I fail...?" "Then it will be nothing but a fleeting moment of embarrassment," Vincent said. "However, if you conquer your sleepiness here and now, you shall transform into an almighty phantom who''ll dominate this game!" "Almighty? Sounds nice..." For a moment, Nia imagined herself as a hazy shadowy figure. She emerged from the darkness and stabbed every opponent in turn with her kunai. "Ok, I''ll try." Nia nodded. This mental image, that of a phantom slaying the Leopards, was already clearing up the haze in her mind. She was still a far cry from being fully alert, but her concentration started coming back to her. And so, she headed toward Top during the next minion wave. However... "Abort operation!" Vincent signaled. "The enemy is retreating!" "Ok..." Nia''s shoulders slumped. All her newfound energy sunk into a bottomless pit, vanishing without a trace. It was an unfortunate turn of events, one that baffled even the great Chessmaster. Did they spot her rotation? Yuel wondered. From all the way over there? Thats very early. Under normal circumstances, spotting a Jungler''s rotation from that distance was nothing out of the ordinary. However, this was Nia. The girl''s greatest talent was her ability to rotate to lanes undetected. It was the one big thing she had going for her that made up for her countless shortcomings. "Let''s try this again," Yuel said. "In the wave after the next, rotate to Top with the same timing." "Ok." Nia went to farm in Bot Jungle for one wave, then she rotated back to Top again. She was already Lv. 7 at this point, yet her Inazuma Drop didnt see the day of light. And, the enemy had no intention of giving her a single opportunity to use it. "Sonya, retreat," Cato called out. "Their Jungler is coming after you." "Yes, I can see that." Sonya has already started backpedaling. "My, you actually saw Vanishings rotation coming? Yes. And, I saw it last time too, just like I said. That''s surprising. I thought Vanishing was all about being stealthy." "Im not entirely sure, but I have the distinct impression it''s a little hard to be ''stealthy'' when the entire jungle is covered with wards." "Ehe." "Don''t you ''ehe'' me." Sonya made a face. "Just how much gold do you think you wasted on all of this? And, you even made me help out with this nonsense. Our bank accounts are in the red because of this, you know? "Now, now, no need to be melodramatic," Cato reassured. "This is all for your sake, to keep you safe." "More like, to satisfy your curiosity." Sonya rolled her eyes "Please, as if you''re not curious as well." Cato smiled impishly. "I know you. You also want to test out this ''vanishing'' act the girl pulled against Taurus, to see whether she can really slip past wards." "No, I''ve been saying it''s hogwash from the start. The players in Taurus just weren''t attentive enough, that''s all." "Perhaps. Either way, so far, she is rather disappointing." Cato shrugged. "We spent so much time discussing who''ll be in charge of supervising her in every lineup, but maybe it was unnecessary, after all. "You can only blame yourself for hyping her up too much." "Heh, I guess so." Thus far, thwarting VanishingFlower''s rotations was nothing more than a child''s play. The wards caught her every single time, so everybody saw her coming from a mile away. And so, the entire operation ended up being nothing more than a money sink, much to Sonya''s disdain. Then again, troubling my secretary with gold issues is fun in its own right~ Cato consoled himself with that as he continued warning the team about every incoming gank, just in case. Admittedly, Vanishing was quite stubborn, if nothing else. She tried time and again to find a route that wasn''t under Cato''s supervision. However, such a route simply did not exist. Cato''s gaze covered the entire map. Not even an ant could slip by undetected. And so, every time Vanishing tried to rotate to Top, the Leopards responded immediately. "Once again, abort operation!" Vincent called out. "The enemy is making a hasty retreat!" "Again...?" Nia''s head slumped. Rather than waking her up, all these repeated failures drew her close and closer to slumber instead. This isn''t fun... "O Vanishing Phantom," Vincent started. "May I inquire as to whether your Stealth Mode is turned on?" "I think so...?" Nia answered the question with a question. "I''m not sure. Maybe it''s not." Her repeated failures to gank Top implied she hasnt fully erased her presence yet. Or, maybe the enemy was just that good and could see through her stealth? Scary. "Either you''re not ready," Yuel said. "Or, perhaps the enemy warded Top Jungle like crazy. Honestly, I wouldn''t put it past their captain." Cato was the very definition of an irregular player. The same way he obsessively used pawns to erect absolute defense in chess, he also seemed to enjoy inflating his teams defense in Classmancers. Therefore, it was very much possible he resorted to excessive warding in order to catch Nia''s rotations. If so, then no matter how stealthy Nia was, she had no hope of slipping past the tight security. She''d have to be a real phantom to pull off something like that, which she definitely wasnt, no matter how much Vincent called her that. Well, at least her rotations arent entirely useless. Yuel thought. If nothing else, they apply some remote intimidation. Every time Nia attempted to rotate, the enemy Top Laner retreated early, losing on more exp than usual. It was a small advantage per wave but it piled up over time, making Vincent outlevel Theorist by a decent margin. But, it''s not all sunshine and rainbows. Yuel thought. Unlike Cato''s calculated remote intimidation, Nia''s is cruder. She misses on a decent chunk of exp by hurrying to Top Jungle every time. It remained to be seen which team will truly benefit the most from these routines in the end. But, for now, it was clear Nia had no chance of catching Theorist off-guard. As such, she''ll have to search for a victim elsewhere. So, where could she target? Bot? Mid? In Bot, AbsoluteChallenger has just recalled to base due to running low on MP. This created a great opportunity for Lars to duke it out with Winner in a fair 1v1, which Yuel probably shouldnt interrupt with a gank from Nia. Surely, Lars wont appreciate any such unfair intervention for the much-anticipated duel. Therefore, the only other lane Nia could gank was Mid. And, it just so happened that Yuel was already on his way over there himself. Can I integrate Nia into this rotation somehow? He wondered. There wasnt an obvious answer quite yet, but the gears in his brain were already turning. At the time, he had no idea that the upcoming operation in Mid was about to decide the fate of the entire game Vol.14 Ch.28: Extra Caution Against Baits Kai insisted to pick Bomber for this so-called "test game". It was one of the more recent classes she had been working on, and this game was a good opportunity to try it out against high-level opponents. I''m feeling pretty confident about it, but let''s see how well it performs in practice. After finishing the opening phase in the jungle, Kai ran into Merlin, her lane opponent. As expected, both of them were sporting the red buff, which meant their wave clearing powers should be roughly equal. Alright, let''s see what your Aero is packing. Kai opened her attack by throwing small bombs at the minions. These were Bombers basics attacks, which was a tool that Mid Laners rarely utilized much for wave-clearing. In particular, it was in total contrast to Aeromancers wave-clearing methodology. While Kai was bombarding the minions with a frontal assault, Merlin only advanced a little in order to place his Whirlwind at the perfect spot, and then he backed off almost immediately. He did lazily fire a couple of basics at Kais swordsmen, but his heart clearly wasnt in it. For him, using basic attacks was just an optional secondary activity to pass the time. On the other hand, for Bomber, basic attacks were actually a main ingredient in the wave clearing process. The small bombs werent particularly strong or fast, but they prepared the ground for Bombers follow-up skills. Alright, this should be good enough. Kai nodded in satisfaction after throwing six bombs at the swordsmen. The bombs dealt negligible damage on impact, but they glued themselves to their targets without exploding. This was a part of the Bombers Sticky Bombs passive. Each enemy swordsman was now wearing two Sticky Bombs, so it was time to unleash Bombers actual wave-clearing tool: Bouncy Bomb! Kai pulled out a huge bomb from her backpack and sent it flying toward the enemy wave! The deadly black bomb, painted with an intimidating white skull, flew straight at the swordsmen. BOOM! EXPLOSION! Except, it wasnt the big bomb that actually exploded. The bomb only rammed into the swordsmen, triggering the Sticky Bombs glued to their bodies. Whats more, the explosion didnt actually remove the Sticky Bombs themselves. They definitely blew up once, but they remained glued to the swordsmen all the same. It was some video game magic that defined the laws of physics. Likewise, the Bouncy Bomb didnt vanish either after the explosion. And, as its name implied, it was a bomb that bounced around. So, even after triggering the big explosion, it continued jumping forward. But, the distance the bomb jumped was very short, exactly as Kai intended it. So, after hitting the swordsmen once with its front half, the bomb hit them again with its backside! BOOM! Another round of Sticky Bombs went off! Two of the three swordsmen received heavy damage in the second round. Tch, I missed. Kai clicked her tongue. That should''ve blown up all the swordsmen. Oh well. Let''s just chalk it up to stage pressure. The Bouncy Bomb continued its adventure. After blowing up the swordsmen twice in a row, it continued onward for a third bounce. Unfortunately, this time, the swordsmen were no longer within the bombs reach. Instead, the Bouncy Bomb rammed into the bowmen, but the damage was nothing to write home about. As long as the target wasnt wearing any Sticky Bombs, the bombs bounces posed very little threat. But, that''s where the next part came in. After jumping three times, the Bouncy Bomb exploded! And, thanks to Kais careful aiming, the radius of the explosion was big enough to reach both the enemy swordsmen and bowmen. BOOM! This explosion, same as the bombs bounces, also triggered the Sticky Bombs on the swordsmen. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It was like fireworks all over the place. After getting hit with so many explosions in a row, the enemy frontline turned to ashes. Well, except for one pesky swordsman who survived with 20% HP, all because the Bouncy Bombs second bounce failed to blow him up. So, if Kai aimed her Bouncy Bomb just a little better, this setup couldve entirely annihilated the enemy frontline. Whats more, the bombs final bounce and the explosion also hit the bowmen, bringing them down to 70% HP. It wasnt huge damage, especially considering the bowmen were squishy, but it was still extra damage nonetheless. With the enemys backline already injured, it was just a matter of time before Kais army emerges victorious. But first, they had to get past the pesky swordsman, who thought himself a vanguard despite being more dead than alive. Die already. Kai threw bombs at the last-standing swordsman to fix the mistake she herself created. And so, the entire enemy frontline vanished from existence. Kai''s army took that as a sign to advance along the lane and target the enemy''s bowmen next. Alright, this should mitigate some of the damage. Kai nodded in satisfaction. The Aeromnacer''s Whirlwind was still raging about, accumulating damage on Kais minions via small ticks. Therefore, by making her swordsmen advance early along the lane, Kai helped them escape the danger zone earlier. Unfortunately, the bowmen who lagged behind the swordsmen had no choice but to remain inside the raging tornado from start to end. They receive the full impact of the spell, dropping down to 40% HP over time. But, at least, Kais swordsmen were healthy at 70% HP. In a way, Kai''s farming achieved the exact opposite of what Merlins did. She demolished the enemy frontline but left the backline relatively healthy, whereas Merlin nearly destroyed her backline but barely touched her frontline. Well, I dealt way more damage overall. Kai lifted her chin. I won this round. So, what are you gonna do about this? She eagerly waited for Merlin''s response to this overwhelming victory. But, Merlin didn''t do anything about this. The two minion forces clashed and Kai''s army won by a landslide. She remained with 2 swordsmen and 3 bowmen after the exchange. Though they were gravely injured, they were very much alive and ready to push forward! But, even then, Merlin didn''t express much of an initiative. He cast an early Jet Stream and retreated back to his tower, waiting for the minions to slowly come within attack range. He clearly had no intention of stepping out to clear them faster. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Huh. Are you really gonna let us advance, just like this? Kai wondered. Youre only slowing my minions a little with this, you know. Even for a defensive play, it was a very weak one. It wouldve made far more sense for Merlin to retreat to his tower first, and then cast Jet Stream from there. With that setup, he couldve started shooting the incoming minions from a greater distance. It was a textbook play, really. What was even the point of casting it so early? Was he so concerned about his own safety? The only reason to cast Jet Stream as early as Merlin did was to grant himself a Movement Speed buff when passing through the stream. That allowed him to retreat faster to the tower, but was that worth it? Its not like Kai couldve instantly closed the distance between them anyway. A wack play. Kai summarized. Anyway, I pretty much have an entire wave here, so this can become one heck of a push. But, should I? Honestly, this felt a little too convenient. Other than Whirlwind, the Aeromancer didn''t have any other AoE spells at his disposal until Lv.5, so Merlin had no way to eliminate Kai''s minions all at once right now. And, since he cast that Jet Stream early, he wont be able to defend from a distance, either. I''m pretty much guaranteed to get some nice damage on the tower if I follow the minions, but this is too easy. I know these guys like playing defense, but this isnt even good defense. I can''t believe that''s the best the regional champions can do. In an odd situation like this, the most natural thing to do was to check the jungle first. The areas around Mid were decently warded thanks to Kai and Yuels efforts, but it was impossible to cover every nook and cranny. So, a couple of blind spots existed. Their Jungler might be hiding nearby. Kai thought. I haven''t seen him anywhere in the past 10+ seconds, which means he can be anywhere right now. Perhaps Rook was on standby at this very moment, waiting to jump Kai the moment she advances. This could easily turn into a nasty pincer attack. Knowing these guys, they''re probably up to something. Kai decided to retreat for now and not press her advantage this time. Judging by previous scrimmages, Rook and Merlin were quite the crafty duo. They both employed bait tactics, with which they lured many unsuspecting opponents to their graves. Quite frequently, those two coordinated their plays, just like AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenge often did. In fact, Rook and Merlin were the Leopards alternative Bot duo, which attested to their great synergy. "Before you push against Merlin, always take a step back and make sure you know where Rook is." That was Yuels advice back when they reviewed the Leopards'' games. "If you can''t tell Rooks location, then it''s best to assume he is waiting to jump you. He seems to like hanging around Mid." Kai made sure to take that advice to heart. That mentality was a bit too cautious to her taste, but an extra bit of caution was necessary on the competitive stage. She learned that the hard way in the previous scrimmage. No way Im giving them any easy kills, not today and not ever. Kai promised. This time, I wont drag the team down. Even though weeks have passed since the Taurus scrimmage, the scars of that match were still fresh in Kais memory. She probably wont forget her embarrassing performance in that scrim for the rest of her life. And so, that bitter memory convinced her to exercise extra caution, even if it meant giving on this nice opportunity to push. It was a shame, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Thus, Kai turned around and returned to her side of the lane. And, it turned out Yuels advice was right on the money on this one. Shes not taking the bait, Matthew informed. So it seems, Cato agreed. He was lying in wait right around the jungle wall, waiting for an opportunity to jump in. Alas, his target chose to retreat instead of capitalizing on the juicy advantage she had. What a drag. Matthew sighed. Can you help me clear the minions, at least? Sure thing. Cato circled around the jungle wall and arrived in Mid. Unfortunately, Beat was already too far away to pursue, so the only work left was helping Matthew to thin out the invading minions. Some would call this play inefficient, but its very important for building a solid foundation. Cato motivated himself as he clawed down the minions with his Lionfolk. There was no denying that this play wasted some of his precious jungling time. For one, he was losing on jungle farm while helping out in Mid like this. But, that was a small price to pay if it meant reinforcing the teams position in Mid. This is the same as building a wall of pawns instead of developing other pieces. Cato smiled meaningfully. I can always gain more exp and gold later, but I cant undo any damage to our towers; such are the rules of the game. And so, Cato assaulted the invading minions in order, bringing each of them to the brink of death. Then, Matthew cleaned up by last-hitting. Even though Cato was doing most of the work, these minions were ultimately under Matthews jurisdiction, so Matthew should be taking most of the exp. Besides, Cato was already passively stealing some of that exp just by being present in the lane, so he didnt want to take more than was absolutely necessary. The sooner Matt levels up his Aero, the sooner he can measure up to the Bomber. Cato reasoned. And, of course, once Matt can clear minions as fast as his opponent, then Ill no longer need to help him out here. So, this is like a long-term investment. If nothing happens, Matthew said. I plan to play like this for the next couple of waves, so Im counting on your support. Yes, as always. Cato nodded with a small sigh on the side. So, he has no intention of even trying contesting Beat, does he? Well, thats a part of what I like about him~ Matthew was a very rational player, sometimes to a fault. He was strong with game theory, so he knew that Bomber held an undeniable early-game advantage against Aeromancer. As such, he had no intention of even trying to come up with a way to compete. He simply accepted that the enemy had the upper hand and moved on. After all, why bother doing anything yourself when you can just rely on me, right? Cato smiled wryly. But, its all good. I prefer this passive mentality over hot-heads who think they can take on the world all by themselves, like a CERTAIN SOMEBODY from our team. Once they finished clearing all the remaining minions, Cato took his leave. "By the way," Cato started. "Do you think they had a ward in the direction I rotated from? "Didnt seem like it." "Alright, noted. Make sure to tell me when you feel like they spot my rotation with a ward." "No problem. But, keep in mind that to verify for sure whether they got a ward or not, youll have to rotate over here many times. "Haha, cheeky." Cato chuckled. "Don''t worry, I''ll rotate as often as I can." "Thanks." On that note, Cato vanished into the jungle. And so, Matthew was left to confront Beat alone once again. However, instead of dedicating all his attention to his lane opponent, Matthew set his sights on Top Lane. Looks like he''s doing well. Cato thought. InformationBlackhole, huh. I can see that oddball coming up with a nick like this. So, it must really be him... How was Matthew supposed to feel about this unexpected reunion? Should he even feel anything at all? After all, it had been three years since that incident. It was all water under the bridge by now, or so he believed. And yet, here I am, needlessly thinking about it. Matthew felt conflicted. What did he really feel toward Vincent? Was it misguided hatred? Or, maybe awkward gratitude? Should he hate the guy, or thank him? It''s kinda both and kinda neither. I have no idea. Matthew''s stomach turned. It''s been such a long time since he had to recall the old, dark days of his life. Just trying to recollect any of the details made his body spasm as if he was having a stroke. No good. I need to focus on the lane. Fortunately, he mostly regained his focus by the time the next minion wave arrived. And, for this wave as well, he was going to use a very passive farming routine thatll surely require Catos aid... Vol.14 Ch.29: Turtling Trap A new minion wave arrived. Like before, Matthew''s job as an Aeromancer was very simple. He only had to cast Whirlwind on the enemy wave and then retreat, that''s all. I like it. Matthew thought. This is like Auto-Battle. There''s nothing interesting about farming minions anyway, so might as well put the game on auto-grind until I run out of stamina. And so, Matthew just kicked back and watched the tornado do all the work for him. Under other circumstances, he might''ve bothered to step forward and shoot basic attacks at the minions. However, he deemed it too dangerous against a Bomber. Of course, he also had the safer option of casting Jet Stream in order to shoot basic attacks from afar, but that was just a waste of MP as far as he was concerned. Now wasnt the right time to cast it. Unlike Matthews passiveness, his lane opponent was far more involved in the laning process. Okay, done. Kai finished decorating the enemy swordsmen with Sticky Bombs. Next was the fun part. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Bouncy Bomb jumped thrice and caused three explosions in a row. Like before, this act of terrorism annihilated the entire frontline, save for one pesky swordsman. Now, it should be that part where I blast the enemy laner, but... Kai made a face. He''s too damn far! Why doesnt he come any closer to shoot minions? What a lazy bum. Merlin was the worst kind of defensive player, a bona fide turtle. He wont come forward no matter what. No matter how much lane advantage Kai establishes, that turtle will keep sleeping under his tower. Or, maybe he WANTS me to push. Kai glanced at Top Jungle on the mini-map, at the area where the enemy Jungler was last seen. Is this guy coming again? She didn''t have to wait long for an answer. A ward revealed Rook approaching the lane, with a very obvious intent of jumping Kai. Okay, I''m out. Kai turned around and retreated. This was just the regular response against incoming ganks, but the enemy side found it quite informative. "She''s retreating early," Matthew said. "They probably got a ward over there." "Roger." Cato made a mental note. Since the enemy already saw him coming, there was no point in stealthy approaching the lane anymore. Instead, Cato ran straight to Mid in order to help Matthew ASAP. "Thanks," Matthew said. It was always nice to borrow the help of friends in order to split the burden. Especially, when said friends had 5-star heroes. It was the best. Unlike this 4-star Aeromancer, which could only farm the minions using Whirlwind, Cato''s 5-star Lionfolk tore through soldiers with his sharp basic attacks. Matthew only had to clean things up by scoring last-hits. It was ez life. I hope we continue like this for a while. Matthew prayed. Manually fighting bosses is fun and all, but I prefer this auto-play grind for the early-game. First, auto-grind to gain gold, and then use it to buy items and build a strong character. Thats the kind of chill routine Matthew preferred for the early game. And so, by relying on Catos 5-star hero, the second wave was also eliminated without a problem. Once the co-op mission was finished, Cato took his leave. Unfortunately, it was probably too much to expect Cato to drop by for every wave, so Matthew might have to start getting a little more aggressive with the minions soon. But, until then, he just wanted to chill and let the game flow peacefully toward the mid-game without any conflict. However, his opponent clearly had other plans in mind. Tch, is this really how they''re going to play? Kai clicked her tongue. I mean, I knew theyre turtles, but this is a whole new level of turtling. It''s like freakin'' turtling corporation. Might as well rename their team the Turtles. Not only was Merlin turtling to the extreme, but also Rook, their captain, was actively encouraging that behavior by agreeing to rotate to the lane. It was corporate turtling! Can they really allow themselves to miss out on so much exp? I can''t tell if they think this is fine, or if they''re just underestimating us. In the end, no matter how many waves have gone by, Kai never got a good opportunity to attack Merlin. She always had to retreat early in case Rook was planning to rotate to the lane, which he often did. Even if none of the wards showed the guy approaching the lane, it was better to be safe than sorry. Huh. Ironic. Kai smiled wryly. Ive been giving the guy a lot of shit about being too defensive, but Im not exactly that proactive either. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Neither side wanted to take any risks during this important match. As a result, the situation in Mid remained a stalemate. For Kai, it was only natural to exercise caution after her bitter experiences from the previous scrimmage. And, perhaps Merlin carried similar scars as well. After all, a playstyle of extreme turtling wasnt born in a day. The guy was obviously very dedicated to it, probably with years of experience under his belt. And, Im starting to see theres an obvious telegraph in his playstyle. Kai thought back on all their lane exchanges thus far. For the first three waves, Merlin stayed at the back the entire time without lifting a finger. During these times, Rook rotated to the lane and helped to clear the remaining minions. However, things played out differently on the fourth wave. That time, Merlin actually bothered to cast Jet Stream early in order to shoot minions from afar. The wind blasts he fired accelerated after passing through Jet Stream, turning his basic attacks into sniper shots. Thanks to that, he was able to assault Kais frontline from all the way back at his tower. Interestingly, the first time Merlin bothered to put in the effort, it was also the first time Rook didnt rotate to the lane. It felt like Merlin went out of his way to farm the minions in order to compensate for the fact Rook wont help him that round. At first, I thought he might start playing more proactively from there onward, but... On the fifth wave, everything returned to normal again. Merlin stayed far in the back and waited for Whirlwind to do all the work for him. After that, Rook joined him in lane for cleanup. But then, on the wave after that, he used Jet Stream early again and Rook didnt rotate to the lane that time. This was starting to look like a pattern. It seemed like Merlin only bothered to attack the minions from afar when he knew that Rook wont be joining him for the cleanup operation. This means I can predict when Rook will rotate over here. Kai deduced. Ive only seen two examples so far, but it makes perfect sense to me. It was huge if true. It meant Kai had a reliable way to tell when it was safe for her to push alongside her minions. I need to try it next time. Kai decided. A new wave arrived, but this time Merlin didn''t bother attacking the minions. So, this meant Rook will probably rotate to the lane in order to help with the farming. Right on the money. Kai nodded as the Lionfolk showed up on the lane. Rook clawed through the minions and then vanished into the jungle as usual. I can''t believe somebody from the Leopards has such an obvious tell. Kai shook her head. Well, I''m not complaining. It makes things easier for me. Finally, a faint opening emerged in Merlin''s unapproachable defense. Kai just had to wait for the guy to step forward and shoot the minions with basic attacks, that''ll be her opportunity to strike. And, said opportunity presented itself on the very next wave. Merlin stepped forth and cast Jet Stream, then proceeded to fire wind blasts at Kais minions. This is it! Kai nodded. Time to push! First, she annihilated the enemy frontline as usual, using a combination of Sticky Bombs and Bouncy Bomb. And, this time, she equally hit all the swordsmen. With every wave, she adjusted the angle and distance of her Bouncy Bomb until she reached perfection. So now, her deadly Bouncy Bomb blew up the entire enemy frontline, leaving none alive! The bowmen were also injured by Bouncy Bombs explosion, so this was a great time to open an attack! Merlin should still feel safe while he had minions alive, so Kai took advantage of this critical moment in order to strike! Little did she know that the enemy was very much anticipating this move. "She''s coming," Matthew informed. "As they say, third times the charm~" Cato smiled impishly as he watched Beat''s movements through the wall using X-ray vision. The enemy was visible to Matthew, so Cato could spy on her movements as well. A beautiful trap, if I may say so myself. Cato nodded in satisfaction. Leave it to Esmeralda''s pupils to come up with plays like this~ The entire setup was Matthew''s idea, but it was something he and Cato both learned from their former mentor, Esmeralda. She was the Sweepers trickster, a pro at baiting people and turning the tables on them. And now, her devoted pupils were about to do the same thing! Cato carefully calculated Beats position and activated Majestic Leap, planning to leap over the jungle wall. RAWWWWR! the Lionfolk roared loudly as he took off toward the sky. Unfortunately, the sound alerted the enemy. Shit, seriously!? Kai''s body instinctively responded to the loud roaring. Every fiber of her body could tell: a Majestic Leap was coming! I''m out! Kai tossed a satchel charge in front of her, then activated the skill again to immediately blow it up. BOOM! The explosion sent her flying back to her side of the lane. A moment later, the Lionfolk came crashing down from the sky. The leap was perfectly aimed, it even predicted a few steps ahead in order to land on Kais exact location. However, Kai was no longer in that area. She dodged that bullet in a timely fashion, which naturally didnt amuse the enemy. "My, I missed?" Cato blinked. "Hmm. This lass is packing some fine reaction speed." "We already knew that," Sonya criticized from the other side of the map. "When she performs her best, Beat is a highly skilled player with very fast reaction speed." "Right, right." Cato nodded. "Of course you''d remember a detail like that. After all, mechanically skilled girls are your thing, right? Just like Jennifer~" "What do you mean ''my thing''?" "I wonder~" "Sigh. Anyway, Jennifer was stronger," Sonya stated matter-of-factly. "But, Beat is not half bad, either. If she doesn''t fall apart at any point today, then she''s guaranteed to jump up a few ranks on my list." "So, she''s good enough to make you keep track of her rank. I see." "I already told you before that I was keeping an eye on her..." "Right, right. Anyway, this gank is a bust," Cato summarized. "I''ll just help you clear the minions and then I''m out." "Okay." Instead of hunting down meaty prey, the poor lion ended up eating a vegetarian meal once again. Such was the sad tale of the ganking lion. But, it wasn''t a total waste. On the bright side, this gank mustve scared her shitless. I can imagine what kind of frustrated face she''s wearing right now~ I''m sure she won''t try this ever again. And indeed, as he speculated, the enemy learned a hard lesson from this exchange... Vol.14 Ch.30: Suboptimal Bomber Execution Phew. That was close. Kai sighed in relief once the storm passed. One heartbeat too slow and that Lionfolk wouldve crashed right into her. She couldve died right there and then. It was totally a trap, huh. Kai frowned. They tried to make it look like a good opportunity to push, only to surprise me with that shit. What a nasty duo. That''s how the majority of the Leopards played this year. They exercised caution at every turn and turtled to no end. However, amidst the turtling, they also laid out deadly traps like this. It was a strategy that revolved around frustrating players, that''s how Yuel analyzed it during club meetings. Opponents who turtled were irritating by design. Whenever Kai faced one, she had this irresistible urge to tear off their shell and kick their ass! And, these scammy turtles waited for Kai to make that mistake. They expected her to overextend and screw herself over. But, Im not falling for that nonsense. Kai asserted. I know I have to patiently wait for a real opportunity, not create one by force. With enough patience and perseverance, dealing with turtles wasnt that hard. But, unfortunately, the story didn''t end there. In the same way good players adapted to the turtles, the sliest turtles also upgraded their methods. They realized that good players could exercise patience, so the turtles had to lay out more attractive baits. In the end, no matter how patient a player was, turtling opponents were still infuriating to deal with. So, even while remaining patient, the aggressor would still be on the lookout for good opportunities to strike. And, the smarter turtles were perfectly aware of that. So, these smartass turtles first starved their opponents and then threw them a bone. In the heat of the moment, this little bone looked so attractive that the player would leap on it without thinking twice. And, thats exactly how Kai fell into their trap. If I just stopped to think about it for a moment, it was such an obvious trap. Kai criticized herself. Theres no way in hell that players from the Leopards would show such an obvious tell. Yuel even warned everybody against traps like that. Apparently, he and Lars had lots of experience playing against crafty opponents like that in StormBlitz. On the other hand, Kai had almost no such experience to speak of. There werent many players like that in Ranked, and the few who turtled hard werent even that great at it. So, on paper, Kai understood Yuels warnings and explanations during the club meetings. However, in practice, most of them failed to register properly. Its one of these things that sounds logical when somebody explains it to you, but then you forget most of it because youve never got to experience it for yourself. Even in Challenger rank matches, few opponents were crafty enough to place baits like this. And, even when they did, Kai could never prepare for those ahead of time because she wasnt familiar with her opponents. Unlike with competitive matches, there was no opportunity to research opponents ahead of time for Ranked matches, at least not in detail. So, it looks like Ill have to get used to these traps through this game. Kai took a deep breath and steeled herself. I need to ignore the fact this guy is turtling super hard, thats just him trying to get on my nerves. The only thing I really need to worry about is the traps hes going to plant. This was such an annoying situation. Basically, Kai had to question every single move her opponent made because every opening had the potential to be a trap. But then, how was it even possible to get anything started against opponents like that? I guess I just have to git gud and learn how to spot these traps. That was the only way, but it was easier said than done. These guys were experts in their field, whereas Kai was but an amateur at detecting traps, at least for now. So, she was clearly at a huge disadvantage here. But, for the better or the worse, she didn''t have to deal with this problem all by herself for much longer. "I''ll rotate to Mid," Yuel announced out of the blue and entered the jungle before even receiving a reply. "Are you really coming over here?" Kai asked. "I''m not struggling here or anything, just so you know." "Yes, but youre not making much progress either." "That''s... fair, I guess." Kai grumped. Yuel hit nail on the head. Even though Kai had the early-game advantage as a Bomber and she was properly holding the upper hand against Merlin, she hasnt made any substantial progress. The enemy tower still stood strong at 98% HP, which was laughable compared to how much lane control Kai supposedly had. "I''ll help you push a little so you can get some momentum," Yuel explained. "... fine, you can come." Kai sighed. At this point, Yuels explanation sounded like a formality. Its not like Kai had any real say on the matter, thats how it felt. Well, it''s not like I''m THAT against it. Kai sulked. I just wanted to get things done on my own. I mean, I''m sure I can find a way to crack this damn turtle, but who knows how long it gonna take. Maybe it won''t even happen during this game... The game was already fast approaching the mid-game, yet Kai still hasnt discovered a single way to pierce through Merlins wall of defense. Soon enough, shed run out of time for testing different methods, so the solution would probably have to wait for the next game. So irritating. "Well, its fine that youre coming and all," Kai said. "But, don''t expect us to get much done. This guy is a turtling fanatic." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Yes, that''s how it seems. He won''t come out of his shell, so we have to bring the fight to him." "I like the sound of that." Kai nodded. In the end, despite her initial resistance, Kai decided to go along with the plan. In fact, she was even a little eager to launch this united attack against the damn turtle. In the past, Kai would have surely argued far more against this. She wouldve claimed she can handle everything herself and wouldve refused Yuels help. I mean, that part is still true. Kai thought. I CAN handle this myself just fine. That turtle got nothing on me. Even without Yuels help, Kai wouldve continued dominating the lane just fine. But, at what cost? At this rate, it was clear she wouldn''t make much progress by herself. Therefore, Kai needed a little help to get her momentum going. But, just a little, okay? She was doing just fine by herself, but it wont hurt to get a little bit of help and speed things up. Yeah. Before long, Yuel arrived at the lane. He came right in time for the next minion wave. "Alright," Kai started. "I''ll go for the more advanced push this time, so watch my back." "I have no problem with that, but are you sure? It''s not easy to pull off." "Hah, just watch." Kai stepped into enemy territory. From this position, both the enemy swordsmen and bowmen were within her reach. This was a dangerous play to do under normal circumstances, as the possibility of an incoming gank was ever-present. However, with an allied Druid on the lane, it should be easy enough to fend off any incoming attack, if the enemy even had the balls to launch any in the first place. Here goes! Kai threw a bomb at the first swordsman, placing a Sticky Bomb on him. This signaled the beginning of the advanced lane clearing tech. Admittedly, Kai didn''t have too much experience pulling this off in actual matches. This tech required extending into enemy territory, so it was only possible to execute when Kai had a trusty ally in lane, which was rare during the early-game. But, I practiced it enough. Kai flung one bomb after another. Each bomb hit a swordsman and glued itself to the target. So far, this opening was exactly the same as her previous farming routine. Kai always decorated the swordsmen first, as they were usually the only targets she could safely reach with her basic attacks. But, from this position, things were different. Right now, the enemy bowmen were also within her reach. C''mon, I can do this. Kai''s palms shivered a little as she turned her attention to the bowmen next. It''d be so easy to just blow up the swordsmen now and then manually clear out the bowmen, but Kai insisted to go all the way with the advanced technique. When executed flawlessly, this version greatly boosted the Bomber''s clearing speed. It was even possible to wipe out the entire lane in one fell swoop! It''ll be hella embarrassing if I fail, though. Kai threw every bomb with great care toward the faraway bowmen. They were harder targets to hit from this distance, so Kai had to be extra careful to not miss any shots. The entire play will fall apart if I miss even one shot. Kai gulped. I''ll become a laughingstock if that happens. It was still fine when only her teammates saw her failing. Like, it wasnt REALLY fine, but it was tolerable, at least. But, this situation was different. There were countless eyes on Kai right now, following her every move. The audience was filled with strangers wholl judge her harshly for any time mistake she commit. These bastards might even burst out in loud laughter in response to Kais mistakes, just like these background laughs in comedy shows. I-It''s okay. Kai steeled herself. I''ll get this done. Its easy. I just gotta do it carefully. "You won''t make it," Yuel warned. CLACK. Something got detached and fell to the ground. Shit! Theyre already falling off! Kai canceled her attack recovery into a Dodge Roll and moved in front of the swordsmen. CLACK. Another bomb fell off in the meantime. The entire setup was crumbling apart! There''s no time! Lets go! Kai tossed the Bouncy Bomb in a hurry. The big bomb landed in front of the swordsmen and blew them up, all except for the rightmost swordsman. The Sticky Bombs fell off the guy, so the Bouncy Bomb didnt trigger any explosions on him. After one round of explosions, the Bouncy Bomb jumped again. However, it jumped only a small distance, so it triggered the Sticky Bombs on the two swordsmen once again. And then, there was the last hop. BOOM! The bomb blew up, triggering both the swordsmen and bowmens Sticky Bombs! Though Kais execution was far from perfect, this was the essence of the advanced Bomber tech: cover everybody in Sticky Bombs and blow them up all at once! Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The Sticky Bombs didn''t stay attached forever. They automatically fell off after 4 seconds, so that was the short window of time in which Kai had to cover the entire enemy wave with bombs. Alas, she was too slow this time. Damn, I usually do better than this when I practice. Kai cursed internally. I guess I got a little nervous. Ironically, being too careful about not messing up was exactly what made her mess up. She took her sweet time aiming at the bowmen to make sure she didnt miss any shots, and that was her undoing. I should''ve fired faster, dammit. With that said, the end result wasn''t so terrible. Her setup successfully eliminated two swordsmen and two bowmen. And, even the one swordsman who survived was at low HP, despite only being hit by Bouncy Bombs jumps and explosions, which normally dealt little damage. Actually, that''s weird. Kai realized. I know I shot this guy twice and the bomb hit him three times, but that shouldnt have dealt so much damage. In fact, the swordsman was at such low HP that Kai eliminated him in just two more basic attacks. It was odd. I mean, I''m not complaining, but... She took a moment to consider the possibilities. Clearly, she wasn''t responsible for all this damage by herself. So, Yuel must have contributed with his basic attacks. However, as a Support, Yuels basic attacks were even weaker than Kai''s. So, there was no way he could easily contribute that much damage in such a short period of time. Unless he focused on this specific swordsman from the get-go. Kai realized. He must''ve aimed ALL his basics only on this one guy. He knew. Instead of spreading his shots equally across all enemy minions, Yuel concentrated his fire only on the minion Kai attacked first. Logically, this was the target Kai was most likely to mess up with because the Sticky Bombs were bound to detach from him first. In other words, Yuel was covering up for Kais most probably fail. Damn, I really hate this smartass sometimes. Kai smiled wryly. He just knows everything, huh. It always felt good to play alongside an attentive Support like that. If only Yuel agreed to play Support for Kai in Bot, then he wouldve surely helped her shine in that role and carry games. Oh well. No use crying over spilled milk. Kai shrugged. Hes supporting me here right now, so I gotta take advantage of this and push! Despite the hiccups, Kai and Yuel eliminated the entire enemy army quite swiftly. Now, it was finally time for Kai to press the offense against her turtling opponent! But, will the enemy allow such an attack to pass through...? Vol.14 Ch.31: A Jungler Who Cant Babysit Mid The enemy frontline was gone and only one bowman remained in the rear. Despite Kais suboptimal execution of the advanced Bomber tech, she and Yuel still cleared the lane quickly enough to transition into a strong push. Lets go! Kai shot down the bowman and marched forward along the lane, leading her army behind her. Dont get carried away, Yuel warned. Their Lion is going to arrive at any moment. Yeah, I know. But, I dont think he gonna attack. These guys are some of the worst turtles Ive ever seen. They never attack. Yes, it seems theyre not too fond of starting fights. But still, it''s dangerous to extend like this. Slow down a little." "Why, though? You''re here to bail me out if something happens, right?" "Well, yes, that''s part of the plan." "So, I''m counting on you." "Is that so..." Yuel sighed with a wry smile. He had conflicted feelings about this. On one hand, it felt like Kai shoved all the responsibility on him. But, on the other hand, it meant Kai trusted him to back her up. Just a few months ago, an interaction like this would have been unthinkable. However, slowly but surely, Kai was getting used to the idea of relying on teammates. So, in light of that... "Okay, fine." Yuel conceded. "Let''s push, but don''t stray too far from me. I won''t be able to ''bail you out'' if I can''t cast my shield on you." "Got it." And so, they pressed ahead along with the minion army. All the soldiers were injured to one degree or another from Aeromancers Whirlwind, but they all lived. So, this push was packing an entire minion wave! Naturally, the enemy had to respond to this threat on the double. They couldn''t allow a brigade like this to invade the tower area. "They''re pushing," Matthew informed. "Yep, sure looks like it." Cato frowned. "My, what an annoying offense." "You''re going to help out, right?" "What choice do I have? As awkward as this exchange is going to be, I have to be there to defend. They really put us between a rock and a hard place." The Druid''s presence in Mid was quite the eyesore. He could keep the Bomber safe with Gaia Shield and he discouraged any ganks with the threat of Natures Grasp. Whats more, he had Awaken the Ents that could turn the incoming push into a devastating one. In fact, it was pretty much assured that Yuel will summon the Ents at some point during this push. I have to discourage that. Cato leapt out of the jungle and crashed on the swordsmen that has just invaded the tower area. This play put him within the range of Druid''s Natures Grasp, but it was a risk he had to take. I have to stop this offense in its tracks, right here and now. Of course, there was no chance the enemy would pass on a juicy opportunity like this. "He''s here! Pull him!" Kai requested as soon as the Lionfolk jumped in. Alas, Yuel didn''t respond in time. The Lionfolk crashed on their swordsmen and immediately rolled away to safety. It all happened in a matter of one second. Yuel completely missed the opportunity. "Why didn''t you pull him!?" Kai complained. "I couldn''t," Yuel explained. "For one, my reaction speed isn''t as good as yours. And, even if it was, I''d still have to predict exactly where he was going to land, which wasn''t easy to do. Natures Grasp was one of the hardest skill shots to connect in this game. Its range was a narrow straight line that had to be aimed perfectly. Yuel was able to land it properly via prediction every and then. However, this particular scenario was beyond his skill, at least for now. Most likely, the enemy took this into account. "Tch, what a wasted opportunity." Kai clicked her tongue. She was ready to unleash hell on that annoying Lionfolk after Yuel drags him in, but looks like thatll have to wait. Through a combined effort, Merlin and Rook have already eliminated two of the swordsmen. And so, Kai''s army was reduced to just four soldiers. "You''re not jamming in your ult?" Kai asked. "No, I don''t think this is a good time for it," Yuel explained. "It''s best to use it when they''re lacking defenders, which isn''t the case right now." "Huh. Pretty sure that''s as few defenders as we''re ever going to get since this damn Lion always rotates over here." "He can keep rotating as much as he wants. The more time he spends here, the less threat he poses on the rest of the map. Forcing him to waste time here is already a win in its own right. "If you say so." Kai understood the strategic importance behind it, but that didn''t make her feel any better. As far as I''m concerned, this guy always comes here to ruin my pushes. So, Id REALLY like to kick his ass outta here already. But, Yuel didn''t cooperate on that front, so there was nothing Kai could do about it at the moment. The two of them simply followed their minions into the tower area and fired basic attacks at the enemy Turret. Of course, Yuel made sure to cast Gaia''s Protection on Kai, in case the enemy decides to launch a counterattack. Between the Lionfolk and Aeromancers ults, the enemy duo had strong tools for launching a devastating counter here. Therefore, Yuel and Kai had to tread carefully. And so, the joint push reached the tower. Kai and Yuel positioned themselves at the edge of the tower area and fired basic attacks, while Rook and Merlin were busy clearing the invading minions. Shortly, the last swordsman collapsed. And, the three bowmen started following suit one by one. Whats more, the Lionfolk slowly but surely got closer to the duo, no doubt with ill intentions. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Let''s go," Yuel said. "He''ll cage us if we stay here any longer." "I say let him. We can just gang on him inside the cage." "You seem to be forgetting he has an Aeromancer as his backup, with his ult ready to go." "Oh, right, we don''t wanna deal with that shit." Getting locked in a cage with a raging typhoon wasn''t exactly their idea of a fun time, so they disengaged from the fight and retreated. Knowing Cato, the guy was probably delighted with this result. Yes, flee in terror! Cato smirked. Fear my impenetrable defense! In the end, he and Matthew splendidly deflected the push. He was already prepared for the worst-case scenario of dealing with Ents, but Yuel decided against that aggressive play for some reason. Interesting. I expected that offense-addict to go all out. Cato recalled the chess match they had, where Yuel''s biggest mistake was bashing his head over and over against Cato''s impenetrable defense. Summoning the Ents here wouldve been a similar case. It was the kind of offense that sounded much stronger than it actually was. Looks like he learned a thing or two from our match. Good, good~ I''m always happy to teach people about the importance of respecting the enemy''s defense. Both sides disengaged from combat, but the threat remained on lane. It didn''t seem like Yuel was planning to leave any time soon, which meant the next wave will probably be much of the same. "Any ideas?" Matthew asked. "I don''t see an easy way to deal with this duo." "Yeah, my neither," Cato admitted. "I wonder if I can just jump them and lock them in my ult, and then you ult them too. I doubt well get a kill from that, but at least one of them will have to recall for sure." "Are you seriously suggesting such a risky plan?" "It''s just a thought. But, from that tone, I take it you disagree?" "Yeah, can''t say I''m a fan." "Figured. Cato nodded. After all, this goes against Esmeralda''s Creed." "You make her sound like some sort of goddess." "Isn''t she practically like that for you?" "No really." Matthew shifted his eyes away. "Heh, let''s leave it at that." It was time for Cato to leave the lane. However, as things stood, hell have to return before long. This is such a big exp sink for me. Cato sighed. I have to at least farm a couple of camps before I return. But, once I do return, whats next? Clearly, he and Matthew werent enough here. They needed a way to pose a bigger threat, to make sure these cocky attackers wont even think about trying anything funny. But, was anybody available to lend them a hand here? William was locked in an intense duel against Gunz, so that was out of the question. And, similarly, Sonya was busy holding the fort against InformationBlackhole. So, there was only one more player who was free right now, but... My, I really don''t want to rely on this clunky piece. Cato grumped. But, what choice do I have, right? Coach keeps forcing me to play with this fool, so I might as well put him to some use. Besides, it looks like Will doesn''t want this brat anywhere near Bot for now. For the better or the worse, the circumstances aligned just right. Ronald has recently recalled to base in order to restore his MP, and he was still on his way back to lane. However, nobody was really waiting for him there. William preferred to continue his duel with Gunz in isolation, so he pretty much shooed Ronald away. Honestly, Im not a fan of that decision. Cato thought. Will has lost way too much HP, so that duel is over as far as Im concerned. But, hes stubborn as a bull. Sigh. Cato tried to convince William to stop this madness, but the guy refused to listen. And, once this guy got like that, there was practically no convincing him, Cato knew that from experience. The only thing thatll convince him is actually losing the duel. And, I wont lie, a part of me is actually eager to see that happen~ If William loses badly after disagreeing with Cato, then itll hurt his pride for the rest of the day. As a result, hell become a much more obedient piece. Good, good~ Though, itll be nicer overall if he wins. Cato admitted. This way, well know we have a piece that can shut down Stratus strongest. Either way, regardless of the outcome, there was a lot of data to be gained from allowing this duel to continue. As such, Cato gave in and respected Williams selfish desires this time. Well, as they say, one mans trash is another mans treasure. Well, in this particular case, its borderline trash for me too, but Ill have to pick it up anyway. Ronald, come over to Mid. Oh, Matt needs my help? Ronald asked. Okay, Im on my way! He sounded so eager that it was easy to imagine him as an abandoned puppy that found a new home. After all, his own brother pretty much kicked him out of their lane. So tragic~ Well, I doubt he really feels bad about it. Cato thought. Knowing these two, theyre both equally eager to see how that duel in Bot plays out. Admittedly, Im interested as well. Did Gunz really deserve the No. 2 spot that previously belonged to William? At the moment, Cato was leaning toward yes, but it was hard to say for sure. So, hopefully, the outcome of this duel will answer that once and for all. But, that''s beside the point right now. Cato examined Mid again. What are you really up to, Yuel? Are you hoping to gain control over Mid? I''m sure we both know that isn''t going to work, not like this. So, whats the catch? Or, maybe there''s no catch and you''re just trying to make our lives difficult for no good reason? Even back during his chess day, Yuel''s playstyle had two distinctive traits. The first and most noticeable was his love for offense, which manifested itself via fast piece development and early attacks. However, there was one more important aspect to his playstyle, one that wasn''t always obvious at first glance. It was Yuel''s insistence to find the best way possible to annoy his opponents. Now, THATS my kind of skill. Cato nodded in approval. I''m glad there are other good players out there who understand the art of frustrating the opponent~ Though, with how serious of a fellow Yuel was, he probably didn''t do any of it for his own fun. For him, striking the most uncomfortable spot in the most frustrating way possible was just strategy, nothing more. That''s exactly how he took down Fiona in that one fateful chess match that shocked everybody. So, he might be doing the same to us right now. Cato reasoned. He is sticking to Mid because that''s where he believes he''ll frustrate us the most. And, he''s right, This really puts me on the spot. The situation in Top was already occupying Catos mind more than enough, forcing him to constantly hang out around Top Jungle in order to intimidate Blackhole with phantom ganks. And now, Cato also had to do something similar for Mid in order to discourage the enemy''s push, and hell probably have to be physically present on the scene, too. So basically, you''re trying to corner me, right? Cato concluded. I can''t jungle in peace when both Top and Mid are in such awkward positions. It''s not like we''re losing in either of them per se, but both lanes are competing over my attention. Fun... And so, Cato had no choice but to continue jungling while constantly looking out for both Top and Mid. In addition, he was also tasked with supervising VanishingFlower, that pesky little phantom. Really, Catos attention was all across the board here. Combined, all of this placed a substantial amount of pressure on him. But, he was mentally prepared. This is like deflecting attacks from two sides of the board at once. Cato thought. No big deal. I got it. On his way to farm the nearby Hyena Camp, he continued monitoring the situations in both lanes, searching for ways to turn the tides in his teams favor. Meanwhile, Ronald rendezvoused with Matthew in Mid. Together, they opened a joint attack on the next minion wave. And, it was a fairly strong attack, at that. Unlike Yuel, who had a proper defensive build, Ronald was sticking to his disgusting power build. It was an unsightly build for a Support, but in rare situations like this, it did wonders for tipping the odds in his sides favor. Thanks to Ronalds unexpectedly high damage output, the lane situation effectively became a 2v1 in the Leopards favor. So, how would Yuel handle two power mages in one lane? Did he already have a line of play prepared for this situation? That''ll be interesting to see~ Vol.14 Ch.32: 2v2 in Mid With AbsoluteChallenger joining the battle in Mid, things turned for the worse for Yuel and Kai. Now, they found themselves falling behind in terms of clearing speed. Therefore, Yuel had to launch a preemptive attack before the enemy push them back. "I''d like to mess up the lane formation if you dont mind, Yuel said. "By how much, exactly?" Kai asked. "By as much as possible, to be honest. I want to get the minions outside the range of their AoE spells." A duo of Aeromancer and Lumimancer was quite devastating when they joined hands to clear minions. Both of them summoned an AoE area that delivered damage over time. The Aeromancer cast his Whirlwind while the Lumimancer cast Ray of Light. The two circles had similar radii, so they couldve easily overlapped on top of each other to converge into one AoE. However, the enemy duo made things more complicated on purpose. They didnt align their AoE at all. Merlin cast his Whirlwind in the middle of the minion formation, right between the swordsmen and the bowmen. Meanwhile, Challenger cast his Ray of LIght on the frontline of both sides, dealing damage to Kais swordsmen while healing Merlins swordsmen. Surely, they spread out their fire on purpose, to make it that much harder to approach anywhere near that scene. Therefore, Yuel absolutely had to ruin this setup before it had a chance to get out of hand. "Well, we dont really have a choice, do we?" Kai sighed. "Will you be fine farming during chaos?" ... yeah, no problem. There was an odd pause at the start there, but Kai nonetheless continued reassuring. C''mon, what do you take my Bomber for? I know how to play the class." "Okay, then Ill aggro them." "Knock yourself out." And so, Yuel cast Gaias Protection on himself and stepped into the raging whirlwind. The raging typhoon assaulted him at once, but it only burned away at his shield. Meanwhile, his HP remained perfectly intact. Nonetheless, the allied minions didn''t appreciate this interaction. They now treated Merlin as an offender who hurt one of their commanders, so this crime couldn''t go unpunished. And so, the minions shifted their focus toward the criminal mage. The entire brigade took their feet and hurried to invade enemy territory. This turn of events immediately put the enemy on the spot. "Not this shit again." Ronald sighed. "Man, this bruh just likes suiciding on spells. Word." "Its not a suicide if he doesn''t take any damage," Matthew pointed out. "And, it''s not a real problem as long as we stay in our current positions." Even though Stratus swordsmen marched onward, their bowmen trailed behind. As a result, they remained inside the AoE of the damaging spells for quite some time. So, they were bound to reach the Leopards territory with almost no HP, if any at all. "We just need to get rid of the swordsmen," Matthew concluded. "Yeah, let''s kill these cocky dudes. Who do they think they are, invading against pros like us, right?" Matthew cast Jet Stream in front of them, creating a current of wind that blew in direction of the incoming minions. With the preparations in place, the two of them focused their basic attacks on the incoming swordsmen. Unfortunately, they dealt meager damage. "Man, mages'' basic attacks suck!" Ronald pouted. "Buffs when, CashSoft?" Despite the low damage, this was the best tool they could use at the moment. Of course, Ronald could go for Blinding Light as he has done before in Bot, but thatll be a huge MP sink. He has already learned the hard way how precious MP was during such exchanges. Never again. Ronald vowed. Im not gonna fall for this bruhs tricks. Hes just trying to flush all my MP, right? Nuh-uh, aint gonna happen, bruh. As such, Ronald and Matthew continued firing their underwhelming long-ranged basics. It wasnt much, but it was honest work. Compared to this slow and pitiful progression, the enemy side had plenty of burst damage potential. However, it was also very harder for them to properly farm amidst this chaos. And, I can make it even harder for her. Matthew thought. You started this annoying play, so Ill make sure its equally annoying for you, too. And so, he set his little scheme into motion. In the meantime, the enemy Bomber was busy enough decorating minions with her bombs. Tch, Im not a fan of farming with Bomber during messes like this. Kai admitted. Theres too much shit to keep track of. As always, she started off by attaching Sticky Bombs to the enemy swordsmen. However, this time, it was easier said than done. The swordsmen didnt just stand in one place like training dummies. Instead, they moved all over the place, chasing down Kais minions who were in the process of invading enemy territory. And so, Kai had to constantly adjust her aim and position in order to properly land her Sticky Bombs on all the swordsmen. And, she had to do all of this as quickly as possible, before the older bombs detach. Of course, landing basic attacks on moving minions wasnt a real challenge by itself. Only a Bronze rank player would struggle with something as basic as that. But, being a Bomber meant Kai had to dish out all these basic attacks one after another without rest. There was no time to carefully aim every attack at the minions, but missing shots wasnt an option either. Okay, almost done! Despite the hurry, Kai successfully covered two of the swordsmen with two Sticky Bombs. Now, only one more swordsman remained, but he was the farthest away from the bunch. Come here, you little! Kai gave chase. There was no time, dammit! She had to apply two Sticky Bombs on that guy ASAP and then blow up all the swordsmen with a Bouncy Bomb! But, at the same time, she couldnt rush things too much. Itd be pointless if she misses her shots in a hurry and fails to apply her Sticky Bombs. Damn, why does it feel like this bastard is faster than other minions!? Kai ranted. Its like hes channeling his inner Sonic! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was a real pain. That last swordsman she was dashing away at the speed of a real scumbag. Out of all her targets, only this last guy decided to be a huge pain in the ass. What was his agenda? Is it because his target is moving? Kai examined everybodys positions. The same way Kai was currently chasing the enemy swordsman, that swordsman was also in the middle chasing one of Kais swordsmen. And, the allied swordsman in question was chasing one of the enemy players. It was quite the chain, alright. So, it''s because Merlin is moving in the opposite direction. Kai glared at that sneaky bastard, who was leading Kai''s swordsmen diagonally away from her, which subsequently made the enemy minions also diagonally distance themselves from Kai. Tch, what a pain. Kai clicked her tongue. He gotta be doing this on purpose, right? Yeah, Im sure he is. I dont care what anybody says, thats my canon. That Merlin bastard was an annoying tactician, so controlling the positions of minions wasnt beyond him. But, Kai had no intention of letting this smartass play her for a fool. Okay, done! Kai sighed in relief after finally attaching a second Sticky Bomb on the elusive swordsman. Now, it was time to wrap things up with a Bouncy Bomb, but... Damn, they''re too spread out! Kai clicked her tongue. Decorating all the swordsmen with Sticky Bombs was the easy part. The real challenge was to find the optimal range and angle for unleashing Bouncy Bomb. It was a hundred times harder to do this optimally when the minions were on the move. Worst of all, Kai didn''t have much time. Sticky Bombs didn''t stay attached forever, so theyll start falling off in less than 2 seconds. Is this angle good enough? No, maybe a little to the right... Damn, stop moving so much! Kai adjusted her aim time and again, but the situation kept changing before she could decide. Before long, the dreadful sound cue played. CLACK. The first of the Sticky Bombs fell off. That was it. Kai ran out of time. Damn, to hell with it! Kai unleashed Bouncy Bomb in the best direction she could come up with. This was going to be far from an ideal play, but it was better than nothing. The bomb bounced, ramming into a single swordsman. BOOM! The Sticky Bombs exploded, yet remained attached to the swordsman. Next, the Bouncy Bomb bounced again. It landed right between two swordsmen and hit neither. Just great... Kai sulked Fortunately, this wasn''t the end of the Bouncy Bomb''s adventure. It jumped for the third time, landing in the center of the enemy formation. Then, BOOM! The big bomb blew up. The explosion grazed two swordsmen and one bowman. The swordsmen blew up hard due to the Sticky Bombs on them, but the bowman received minimal damage. All in all, this turned out to be a really shabby setup. Yeah, Bomber is sure hard to use in chaotic situations like this. Kai conceded that much. No wonder Yuel asked if I was ready for this. I thought it''d be a cakewalk, but these damn swordsmen just keep moving around so much. It''s not like this was the first time Kai found herself playing Bomber in the middle of an active situation like this. However, the minions'' movements here felt more obnoxious than usual. It''s almost like they were moving away from Kai on purpose, to make her life as difficult as possible. Im like 99% convinced Merlin is leading them away on purpose. Or, am I overthinking it? Kai shook her head. There was no time for such idle thoughts right now. She had to focus on the remaining minions, as her Bouncy Bomb setup failed to eliminate any of them. And so, the chaotic struggle continued. All allied minions invaded deep into enemy territory and the enemy greeted them with heavy fire from all directions. So, it was up to Kai and Yuel to provide covering fire. In the end, both sides eliminated each others armies at around the same time. It was technically a draw, but not everybody saw it that way. "Gah! I can''t believe it!" Ronald caused a ruckus. "We lost!" "Its a draw," Matthew said. "Nah, man. We totally lost. I mean, look at us, we''re two powerhouses. But, these guys? One of them is a Support." "Well, pretty sure you''re also a Support." "Yeah, but man, I got a power build and all. I''m supposed to be dunking on any regular Support as far as damage goes." "Well, you kinda do," Matthew said. "They just created a chaotic situation. Our classes aren''t exactly the best with those." "Yeah, for sure." Ronald nodded. "Damn, this Chessmaster bruh must be really into suiciding. He keeps jumping on peoples spells all the time." "It''s a common counter-play against AoE spells. Nothing special there." If anything, it was surprising it took the enemy so long to start using this tech. In all the laning contests until now, Kai allowed Matthew to get away with lazy farming without forcing him into any annoying situations like this. Well, I guess she also prefers to keep things simple as Bomber. Matthew didn''t have robust experience with the class, but he played it enough times to form an option. In short, playing Bomber was a pain. It was a class that had to take so many different things into account while preparing its setups, to the point it felt unrealistic to actually play it well on the competitive scene. Especially, not after Matthew learned a bunch of different ways to counter Bomber players. The diagonal movement worked like a charm. Matthew nodded to himself. Back during the chaos, he intentionally led the enemy minions diagonally away from Beat. As a result, Matthews own minions also gave chase in a diagonal direction that mimicked their targets movements. Things like that always made the Bomber''s life difficult, as the player had to give chase diagonally while firing basics. That surely wasnt fun for them. I remember Esmeralda showing me this before. Matthew thought back on his former mentor. I was trying out Bomber and she pulled this frustrating tactic on me. That was the day I decided I won''t be maining Bomber, no thank you. Esmeralda''s playstyle revolved entirely around frustrating her opponents, and it so happened that Bomber was easy prey for her. Not only was it a mechanically taxing class, but it also had to deal with unfairly difficult situations like this. Honestly, it wasn''t a class worth investing in. I don''t know if I should respect Beat for playing it or feel sorry for her. Matthew shrugged. Either way, I''ll keep making her life as difficult as I can. That''s how I was taught to play. The next wave arrived. Both Ronald and Chessmaster stuck around in the lane, giving some space to William and Gunz to duke things out in Bot. Is this wave also going to turn into a chaotic race like last time? Matthew made a face. Well, I don''t mind. As long as I don''t have to do anything too taxing, I''m good. Ronald would disagree, but for Matthew, reaching a draw was more than enough here. As long as he didn''t have to work too hard to achieve the draw, then it was pretty much a win in his book. Though, a real win would be even nicer, of course. "Do you need a hand over there?" Cato asked. "Nah, me and Matt are doing fine, right?" Ronald asked. "Let''s show them who is boss this wave!" "Actually, I wouldn''t mind some help." "You what!?" Ronald gasped. "C''mon, man. This is a 2v2! Let''s contest these guys and beat them fair and square!" "3v2 is easier." Matthew shrugged. Easier = better. That was the core principle Matthew operated on. But, it''s not because he was lazy or anything like that. This principle was actually one of the most important laws of the universe. It couldve easily been coined Newtons Fourth Law. The easier it was to accomplish something, the more consistently the player will be able to accomplish it. Basic math. As such, any help would be welcome in this chaotic situation in Mid. The less uncertainty there was, the better. So yes, Id like some help, Matthew repeated. Alright, got it, Cato responded. Ill rotate over there in a few seconds. Try to lure them in. Then, it means one of us shouldnt use their spell right away, Matthew pointed out. I''d like to go first if you don''t mind. No problem, Ronald said. Nice. I can have the easier part. Matthew cast Whirlwind on the incoming minion wave. This was the same pattern as before, so he didnt have to do anything special. So, Ronald said. Im gotta wait to see how they respond and then cast my stuff accordingly, thats what you meant, right? Yeah, exactly. Matthew nodded. Thats such a pain, though. I prefer to just cast my thing and get this over with. However, Ronald had no qualms about this arrangement. In fact, he seemed to enjoy this active role a lot more. Good for him. With only Matthews spell doing any work right now, it meant the enemy should have an easy time winning this lane exchange. And, they surely realized that, too. So, how will Chessmaster and Beat handle this temporary lane advantage? Will they choose to push onward? Or, will they see through this bait and decide to retreat? Vol.14 Ch.33: From 2v2 to 3v2 The enemy Aeromancer cast his Whirlwind on Kais minions. A Ray of Light was supposed to follow up on it in order to double the damage, but the Lumimancer showed no signs of casting it. Huh? Theyre not going all out? Kai wondered. Theyre probably saving it, Yuel reasoned. Considering how chaotic the entire situation can get, its arguably better to use the second spell later, once they know where the minions are headed. Sure. Except, we dont even have to go out of our way to cause any chaos here, do we? If theyre going to use only one spell, then I can just out-clear it myself. Thats true, Yuel agreed. If anything, that probably works better for you, right? Yeah, it sure does. Kai didnt outright admit it, but she actually wished for this exchange to be more peaceful than last time. That chaotic situation was too much for a Bomber to handle. Im sure I can learn to deal with anything if I practice hard enough, but I gotta admit Im not up to the challenge yet. That was her honest analysis of her own skill. She was a solid Bomber player, but not an expert, not yet. As such, she had no choice but to play this game with tame expectations for her performance. So, the simpler the laning was, the better shell perform. Im normally not the type to choose easy mode, but I got no choice here. She proceeded to decorate the enemy minions with Sticky Bombs. It was that much easier to do when these pesky little bastards werent running all over the place like headless chickens. Seeing as the two of them weren''t pulling anything chaotic this round, the enemy responded accordingly. "These guys aren''t doing anything shady this time," Ronald said. "So, Imma just go for it, right? "Yeah, I think thats fine." Matthew nodded. "Alright, here we go!" Ronald cast his Ray of Light on the enemy wave, covering both the swordsmen and the bowmen with dazzling light. Normally, there was huge value in casting the spell''s healing capabilities on the allied swordsmen, but it was too late to do that now. Bomber''s explosive wave-clearing was about to hit hard. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Here they came, the three infamous explosions of Bombers Bouncy Bomb. As usual, that bomb packed a punch thanks to the careful setup. It wiped out the entire frontline and even managed to injure the bowmen. Nonetheless, the backline survived and was eager to continue fighting. And, in the meantime, Matthew''s Whirlwind and Ronald''s Ray of Light continued ravaging the enemy troops. This lane contest would have been already over if Ronald cast his Ray of Light a little earlier, but now they had to wait a couple more seconds to claim victory. Nonetheless, in the end, the combined forces of wind and sunlight allowed Ronald and Matthew to win the race. "Alright, let''s push!" Ronald advanced along with the remaining forces. "Wait, where are you going?" Matthew didn''t budge. "What do you mean ''where''? Let''s push, man! We got all these bowmen left. It''d be a waste to not use them." "I rather end this fight here." "Say WHAT?" Ronald''s jaw dropped. "Why the heck would you pass on an opportunity like this?" This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Its dangerous to push against their classes." "C''mon, don''t be a wuss. We''re plenty scary too, ya know? Look, even Cato is here to help us push." "Actually, I''m here just in case something goes wrong," Cato pointed out. "I had a feeling you might win this exchange, so Im here to make sure things don''t get out of hand if a certain somebody decides to push irresponsibly." "Yeah, being responsible is important." Ronald nodded. "You heard that, Matt? No pushing irresponsibly." "Pretty sure that was directed at you..." "Oh, was it? Haha." Ronald laughed it off. "Nothing to worry about, man. I know how to push. Super responsibly." "Yes, you do," Cato agreed. "You know how to do a lot of things, but unfortunately, half the time you get carried away. You need to learn how to hold back sometimes.." "C''mon, what''s there to hold back in this situation? Its a free push!" Ronald was already on the frontline, intimidating the enemy into retreating. "We got three bowmen here, so we can push this real hard, especially if you join in. I mean, c''mon, it''d be a waste to not use my special power build when theres such a great opportunity right in front of me! "Unfortunately, that''s true." Cato sighed. I feel like I''m slowly getting dragged into a play that I have no business approving of. I hate this guy. Ronald''s power build was quite the eyesore. Instead of steadily building up his supporting capabilities over time, this brat rushed the power curve just so he could compete with mages and marksmen. This kind of build was only effective during the early-game, so it was attractive to take advantage of it now while there was an opportunity. I don''t like how this works. Cato pouted. It''s like we have a bishop piece thatll turn into a pawn at the late-game. As much as I like using pawns, there''s no arguing that a bishop is better. Sigh. I really wish Coach didn''t let this brat get away with nonsense like this "Fine, I''ll join in." Cato entered the lane from the Top Jungle. "Now you''re talking, man!" "But, let''s just be careful, okay? Cato warned. Those two are packing some dangerous tools, and there''s also their Jungler to consider." "Oh, right. They do have a Jungler, don''t they." "What kind of team does NOT have a Jungler?" "Haha, true that." Ronald laughed it off. "It''s just that I haven''t seen their Jungler do shit this game. Is she AFK or something?" "She''s usually passive during the early-game, we covered that during the meetings. Though, she does seem to be more tame than usual this game. "Heh, maybe she''s scared of chads like us." Ronald grinned. "I bet she knows we gonna make quick work of her if she tries anything funny." "Hmm. Maybe." Cato didn''t have a good answer to this one. Having the Jungler lie low during the early-game doesnt sound like a Yuel-like idea. So, I bet hes constantly looking for an opportunity to bring Vanishing to the stage. Heck, maybe hes only postponing any of this to make us lower our guard. This could easily be one big trap. "Meh, their Jungler is never going to be an issue this game," Ronald reassured. "I can just pop my ult and reveal her right away. Want me to do it now, just for fun?" "No, theres no need, Cato said. "I''ve been warding the jungle hard, so that should suffice. I cant imagine missing any of her rotations with this amount of warding. Yeah, you sure went ham on the warding. Its a necessary countermeasure. Anyway, if we see her coming while we push, then lets turn the tables on her." "Oh, we gonna pull a good ol'' switcheroo on her? Alright, I''m in!" "But, what if she slips past the wards, after all?" Matthew asked. Shes supposed to be pretty good at that, right? Hmm. True, thats her thing, Cato agreed. Well, if I don''t see her anywhere on the map for too long, then Ill tell Ronald to boot his ult." "Okay." Matthew reluctantly followed the two pushers. To be on the safe side, he stayed at a distance from them, to make sure he wasnt an appealing target for anybody to attack. And so, the trio opened a joint attack. Cato led the way, with Ronald and the bowmen right behind him, and Ronald following from further in the back. Well then, your turn, Yuel. Cato smiled impishly. You excel at offense, but let''s see how good your defense is. This small but important push had a chance of setting a precedent for how the mid-game will go. If the Leopards establish lane control in Mid with this push, they''ll start the mid-game from a great position thatll be hard for Stratus to overcome. So, how was Yuel planning to prevent something like that from happening? It was going to be fun to watch~ Vol.14 Ch.34: Baited Pull Rook, AbsoluteChallenger, and Merlin opened a joint attack in Mid. It was an unusually early attack for Cato. It looks like he''s more than just a defense maniac nowadays. Yuel thought. Is he doing this because the Lumimancer is here and he doesnt want to put the guys power build to waste? Honestly, I''m not sure how Cato even allows this inefficient build in his team, but I assume he has his reasons. Either that, or he has no control over it, just like me and Lukes memes. AbsoluteChallenger and AbsoluteWinner came across as two "rogues" within the Leopards ranks. While everybody else on the team strongly preferred defense, these two promoted offense at every opportunity. Therefore, considering Challenger was involved, it was safe to assume this push wasn''t just for show. These guys had every intention to see it through. As such, Yuel and Kai had no choice but to backpedal. "Damn, where did their Jungler even come from?" Kai cursed. "I thought my wards were enough to catch him." "If I had to guess, he probably studied the positions of your wards every time he approached the lane. So, he probably mapped out most of them by now. "You serious? That sounds like cheating. Can Jungler players really figure out ward positions that easily? Anybody can do it if theyre methodical enough, Yuel explained. I also snoop around for wards when I play Jungler, and I base many of my rotations around what I find. And, you actually manage to memorize all these locations and stuff? Using the mini-map helps a lot with that. Oh, right. You always fill those out, dont you? Even in this very game, there were already multiple ward icons on Kais mini-map, but they werent placed there by her. It was Yuel who decorated his mini-map with these symbols and then shared them with the entire team. But, since Yuel wasnt the Jungler this game, he couldnt possibly discover wards across the entire map. So, as expected, most of the icons he added were near Bot Lane. And, there were barely any other icons placed anywhere else on the mini-map. Ive actually spent the past few weeks teaching the importance of this to Nia, Yuel said. But, it looks like she hasnt been placing too many ward icons this game. Either that, or shes forgetting to share them. Sigh. Well, not everybody is a chess nerd like you and Rook, you know? I agree that having good memory helps a lot with this, but its not everything. With enough practice, anybody can get used to this detective work. And, Nia actually showed a lot of promise in that regard. Nia had this oddly sharp game sense when it came to jungling. She had a very good intuition for when the enemies were aware of her position, which helped her greatly in deducing when was the exact moment she was spotted by an enemy ward. But, she didnt put this skill to much use in this game. Yuel nudged the girl about this a few times throughout the game, but the sleepyhead only shared a handful of ward locations thus far. It was really unfortunate. On the other hand, Cato seems to be doing his detective work just fine. Yuel thought. And, he got many strong theory players on the team, so Im sure theyre helping him with that as much as they can. Thanks to that, Cato managed to sneak into Mid undetected. And now, together with Challenger and Merlin, they formed a dangerous trio. Admittedly, they only had three injured bowmen in their army, so their push won''t hold for too long once it enters the tower area. Nonetheless, it seemed they were determined to make the most of it. Are they planning to clear our the next wave as well with this manpower? Yuel frowned. On its own, the current push wasn''t too lethal. Even if Yuel and Kai retreat and do nothing, the Mid Turret won''t lose more than 20% HP. Sure, thatd be an unfortunate loss, but it wasnt worth dying to prevent this from happening. The real problem was the momentum such a push could generate. If this trio doesnt run into any walls, they might take it as a sign that they can keep pushing nonstop. That was the worst-case scenario that Yuel had to prevent at any cost. The pushers already invaded deep into Kai''s territory, so they were in a position to clear the next minion wave swiftly, without the minions even reaching the center of the lane. If that happens, the enemy''s next push will be accompanied by a full healthy squadron. Thatll be no joke. If not stopped in time, that kind of push will allow the enemy to take down the entire Mid Turret in one fell swoop. But, will Cato really go for such an aggressive play? That didn''t sit right with the image Yuel had of Cato''s playstyle, but neither did the current push that was undeniably happening in front of Yuels very eyes. Ultimately, there was no telling for sure what Cato was really thinking here. "So, do we wait this one out?" Kai asked once they retreated to the back of the tower area. "Well, we can''t attack them, that''s for sure. For now, we just have to minimize the damage on the tower and see what they do next." "I have a feeling these bastards gonna keep pushing like this into the next wave." "You think so, too?" Yuel frowned. If I put aside the fact I''m dealing with Cato''s team here, then continuing this push into the next wave sounds incredibly reasonable, so much that even Kai thinks so. After all, it''d be a waste for them to push like this with three people if they weren''t planning to reap some big rewards. At the very least, Yuel and Kai needed a counter plan in case the push does indeed continue into the next wave. However, there wasn''t much they could do here by themselves. In other words, they needed a third a player to help them out here. Question is, who? Yuel glanced at the mini-map. Vincent and Lars are both be busy in their respective lanes. So, that only leaves Nia. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. In a way, it was only fitting. The enemy Mid Laner was borrowing the help of the Support and the Jungler, so Kai could counterplay by doing the exact same thing. But, is this really a good idea? Yuel frowned. This is an important play, but Nia hasn''t been doing so hot this game. Even now, that sleepyhead was playing like a drunk. Her rotations were unstable and she sometimes found herself in the middle of nowhere, blankly staring at her surroundings in confusion. The gank attempts on Top were supposed to help wake her up, but Cato cut them off before they even had the chance to start. In the end, these disappointing attempts seemed to have the opposite effect of further increasing Nias sleepiness. All in all, Nia was a very unreliable Jungler at the moment. Entrusting her with about anything would be a gamble. Do I take this risk? In this kind of situation? Yuel clenched his mouse. It felt like he was holding the fate of the entire match in his hand right now. We''re almost in the mid-game and that girl is still half asleep. At this rate, the mid-game will practically be like a 4v5 at all times. So, we really need the girl to wake up already, or else we dont stand a chance. The current dangerous situation might as well be the last chance to wake up Nia before the mid-game. Integrating her into this delicate situation harbored many risks, but the payoff will be huge if everything goes well. "Nia, please rotate to Mid," Yuel requested. "The enemies here are probably planning to keep pushing into the next wave as well, so use this opportunity to sneak up to them and get a kill, preferably on the Aeromancer." "... hm? Ok." Nia responded in a sleepy voice that didnt inspire much confidence. Was she really going to be okay...? "Damn, she sounds like a zombie," Kai said. "Am I the only one cornered about this idea?" "No, that makes two of us." Yuel smiled wryly. "But, we don''t have much choice, do we? She''s the only one who can help us out." "We can always help ourselves. I mean, you weren''t planning to stand here like a scarecrow while these guys are pushing, right?" "Of course not," Yuel said. "I just wanted to be ready in case we fail to chase them away by ourselves." "Then, let''s make sure we don''t fail. Easy, right?" "Yeah sure, very easy." Yuel rolled his eyes. While they were discussing the details, the enemy forces arrived. Three enemy bowmen invaded the tower area, followed by three pushers. The confident invaders completely ignored the dangers of the situation. They were determined to knock down the tower at any cost. But, Yuel and Kai had no intention of letting this bull rush slide. The enemies were taking a huge risk and they had to pay for it accordingly. Hmm. In theory, Merlin is the best target to pull. Yuel reasoned as he directed the aim of his Natures Grasp at the Aeromancer. He''s the only one here without any escape tools whatsoever, so hes dead for sure if I can just pull him in. A Lionfolk had the option of leaping out of the area with Majestic Leap, whereas a Lumimancer could blink away with Flash. Only the Aeromancer had no access to any such escape tools. It''s odd, though. I would''ve expected him to be a little more cautious than this. Merlin positioned himself in the back, as he should, but he was still just barely within the range of Natures Grasp. Yuel could easily reach the guy with the skillshot by moving just a little forward. To his credit, Merlin moved from side to side as he was shooting. This implied he was aware of his status as an inviting target for Natures Grasp. And yet, he didn''t go the extra mile of completely stepping out of its range. Why? Is he just overextending by mistake? Thats a common mistake during quick pushes like this, but somehow I don''t see Merlin committing such a basic mistake. Alas, Yuel didnt have the time to solve mysteries like that. He had to act. Now. The situation was only growing grimmer by the moment. The enemy bowmen barraged the tower hard despite Kai shooting them down one by one. Without Bouncy Bomb, she had no access to any burst damage other than her ult, so she had to take the minions down with her subpar basic attacks. Meanwhile, the enemy trio assaulted the Mid Turret without mercy. The HP bar of the tower plummeted at lightning speed, and it couldnt even retaliate against the main offenders because it had to clear out the minions first. There was only one efficient way to flip this situation on its head in an instant, and it was to pull Merlin in. From point-blank, Yuel and Kai will make quick work of the guy, they even already discussed the details ahead of time. In conclusion, that was unquestionably the winning move for them in this situation. So, even if it was some sort of trap, there was pretty much no other choice. Here goes! Yuel waited for the right moment and shot long extending branches toward Merlin! It was a quick shot, but it also had to travel quite the distance. Not to mention, the enemy found it extremely predictable. So, you fell for it. Matthew had been waiting for this. He set himself up as an inviting target on purpose, knowing all too well that he was the only one in the group without a convenient escape tool. So, if Chessmaster was going to pull anybody, the guy would surely be tempted to go after Matthew. Knowing all that, why give the enemy what they wanted? It was to make them more predictable. Rather than worrying about when and how Chessmaster will unleash his deadly skillshot, it was easier to just become the best target and make Chessmaster come after him right away. Its a lot easier to dodge stuff when you know theyre coming. At least, thats how it should be... Matthew used Dodge Roll in response to the incoming wood branches, yet they grabbed him nonetheless. His response was just a heartbeat too late. Oh, I messed up, Matthew reported as the branches dragged him deep into enemy territory. Despite the critical situation, his calm tone made it sound like this was somebodys else problem. Damn, my guy! Ronald was the first to panic. This is some serious shit! We gotta save him! I had the feeling this bait wont work out well for you. Cato sighed. Seriously, youre not a mechanical beast, how many times do you need to be reminded of that? Tch, I almost had it. Matthew pouted. He just caught me at a bad time, right when I was shooting the tower. He mustve aimed for that. I wont be surprised if he did, Cato agreed. High-level Druid players always wait for that brief moment of vulnerability. Wait, why are you both so chill about this!? Ronald was having a stroke. Dude is getting pulled to his death! We gotta save him! Nah. Itll be fine, right? Yeah, no problem, Matthew said. For the better or the worse, I was prepared for this possibility. Despite how much he would have liked to be a mechanical god who could pull off split-second baits like this on the fly, unfortunately, his reaction speed wasnt up to par. As such, he had to compensate for his lack of skill with cunning. That''s how Esmeralda''s teachings went on the topic: "If you can''t overpower your opponent, then be smarter, craftier than them. Make them think they control the fight, then pull the rug from under them! And, make sure they hit their pretty little heads as hard as possible on their way down~" Unfortunately, this wasn''t the kind of situation in which Matthew could actually make his enemies "hit their heads", so to speak. He couldnt think of a way to turn this pull into something thatll screw over his opponents. Nonetheless, the rest of Esmeraldas creed applied to this situation. Matthew was going to pull a fast one on that duo, right as they became convinced that they won the fight. "Okay!" Kai threw a bomb at the big fish Yuel reeled in. His job was to deliver the raw fish, whereas Kai''s role was to cut the fish into sashimi! The Aeromancer was the most convenient target of the bunch because he had no escape tools. It meant Kai could take her sweet time decorating the guy with Sticky Bombs before blowing him up. This was going to be a kill for sure! And so, Kai attached one Sticky Bomb to the target, and then another, and then- WHISH! Her next bomb flew through empty air, without hitting anything. Her target vanished into thin air... Vol.14 Ch.35: Gank the Ganker "Wha-!?" Kai gasped. The juicy opportunity to score a kill vanished in front of her very eyes! It should''ve been impossible. The Aeromancer didnt have any quick escape tools. And yet, Merlin blinked away! "Damn, he was cloaking that Blink!" Kai ranted. "Yeah..." Yuel frowned. Buying Blink in the early-game for extra safety wasnt unheard of. In particular, a class like Aeromancer benefited greatly from it. However, Merlin went the extra mile and paid gold to also cloak the skill. In other words, from the get-go, he was planning to use Blink not only as an escape tool but also as a trap. This gives me Ellen vibes. Yuel shuddered. It looks like I''ll have to ask myself twice every time I see an opening with this guy. Anything has a chance to be bait with him. Either way, it was too early to give on this play. Even after blinking away, Merlin was still somewhat within reach. "Damn!" Kai cursed. "Get back here, you little...! She tossed a satchels charge ahead of Merlin, hoping to knock him right back within her attack range. There was still a chance there! Alas, she was too late. By the time the satchels charge reached its destination, Merlin had already rolled ahead. He was completely out of reach now. "Tch." Kai clicked her tongue and returned to her previous activity, that of clearing the remaining enemy minions. "This isn''t over yet," Yuel said. "We still have Nia''s incoming gank, so no need to rush with clearing the minions. Instead, try to get as close as possible to them, to make sure you''re ready to follow up on Nia''s attack." "Got it." Kai gradually moved toward the jungle side as she threw bombs at the enemy minions. This time, I''ll get the kill for sure! Nia was already right around the corner. Her rotation took longer than expected and it wasnt very efficient, but that was just standard Nia things today. "Attacking...." Nia informed in a small voice, with a yawn right after. This was a golden opportunity. The enemy still hasnt used Lumimancers ult, so they shouldn''t know that Nia arrived. So now, she just had to enter stealth mode and sneak up to them! "Go for the Aeromancer if possible," Yuel advised. "This time, he doesn''t have any escape tools for sure, and he even spent his Dodge Roll." "Ok..." Nia did her best to keep her eyes open as he targeted her Shadow Clone. The plan was to summon her twin sister into the lane and distract the enemy. In the meantime, Nia will sneak up to the Aeromancer. This was one of the basic Ninja routines, yet it felt so tiresome for some reason. In fact, everything felt tiresome right now. Nia really wanted to just curl up on top of this comfy esports chair and take a nap... No, this is an important moment. Nia weakly shook her head. I gotta focus. Focus. Focus... The word echoed into nothingness in her head. This was sooooo tiresome. She had to wrestle with her own eyes to keep them open. As a result, she didn''t notice the unfolding situation in time. While she was taking her sweet time to aim her Shadow Clone from the jungle entrance - the enemy was already here! ROAR! The Lionfolk leapt straight at her! "G-Gufu!" Nia jumped. The surprise gave her an unexpected rush of adrenaline. G-Gotta dodge- ack! Despite the adrenaline injection, she was far too sluggish. Nia started rolling to the side, but the lion already crashed on her. The damage was already dealt. "Nia, retreat!" Yuel ordered. "O-Ok!" Nia got up on her feet and ran back into the jungle. But, the enemy''s next move was already here. ROAAAAR! An orchestra of roars surrounded Nia from all sides. The narrow jungle entrance was packed to the brim with lions! This was one of these scenarios in which Lionfolks ultimate was totally busted. The lion cage squeezed itself inside against the narrow Jungle passage. Even a fly couldn''t break past this tight blockade. Whats even worse, Nia rammed headfirst into this tight pack of lions before she could hit the brakes. CLAW! A lion slashed Nia from the left. CLAW! Another lion attacked from the right. Rather than just a cage, this almost felt more like the lions were ganging up to eat Nia alive! Scary! Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Thankfully, these predators had no intention of actually chasing Nia once she distanced herself from them. Whats more, their fierce assault helped wake up Nia even harder. The sleepy gears in her brain finally started to turn. I-I just need to jump out of here! Nia turned her back to the lions, then performed a backflip over their heads. The small jump of Shuriken Flip wasnt enough to cross tall structures like walls, but it sufficed for hopping over these lions. Nia executed the jump close enough to this short wall, so she successfully went flying over the lion barricade. And, as for the shuriken she threw during the backflip? It went somewhere random. She had neither the time nor the luxury to aim that thing. She had to escape ASAP! I gotta run! That was the only thought occupying her mind in this dangerous situation. Im dead if I dont shake him off. Scary! A jolt ran through her. The reapers cold arms were trying to embrace her. She stood no chance if this predator catches up to her. Sure, Ninja could deliver huge damage at close-quarters, but thats only as a surprise attack. Inazuma Drop was way too hard to land on anybody from the front. Not to mention, Nia wasnt exactly in peak condition this game, so she was in no state to entertain anybody in a fight. Need to keep focus Nias vision flickered. Despite the adrenaline surge, her eyelids still felt heavy and threatened to outweigh her. She was like a hyperactive sleepy person, if that even made sense. I think I can lose him after this corner. Nia squeezed all the brain juice she could in order to optimize her escape route. This was supposed to be a simple play shed normally execute via instinct alone, but right now she had to actively think about what to do next. Truly, her half-functioning brain was a mess. As soon as Nia went around the corner, she activated the Shadow Clone she failed to cast earlier. There was no time to decide in which direction to send her twin sister, and it didnt matter anyway. The important part here was the stealth Nia gained in the process. Ok. Safe. Now, I just need to pick a random route. Nia went for one of the multiple routes available to her at the intersection. As the chaser couldnt see her anymore, the guy would have to guess where Nia was headed next. But, even if he were to guess right, hed still not be able to find an invisible escapee, right? So, I win. Youll never find me. Nia breathed in relief. This expert of hide-and-seek cant be caught that easily. Hmph. Unfortunately, with her thoughts so scattered, Nia failed to consider that the enemy had a cheating tool at their disposal. Ronald, boot your ult, Cato commanded. Here you go. Ronald activated Solar Wrath. Five pillars of light penetrated through the sky and shone on five different spots on the map. These were the locations of the five enemy players. The skill revealed both regular and stealthed players alike. None could escape the all-seeing gaze of the sun. My, so that''s where you went~ Cato smiled impishly. I have to admit, I wouldn''t have thought of searching for you there, of all places. VanishingFlower pretty much did a 180 around the corner and ventured back into enemy territory. Any sensible chaser would have assumed that the girl escaped toward her own territory, so they would have continued chasing in a completely wrong direction. What a sneaky little girl~ But, too bad for you. I did my homework for today and this is the result. Cato smiled confidently. I wonder, how does it feel? I mean, stealth is the only thing you''re good at, and now Ive stripped you of it. Must be pretty frustrating, isn''t it? Hehe~ Cato came prepared for this match-up in particular. He extensively studied Vanishing''s patterns and attributes, to give himself as much advantage as possible for when he finally gets an opportunity like this. In essence, Cato was a spider and his wards were a web. Meanwhile, Vanishing was but a clueless fly who thought herself too stealthy to be caught by anybody. But, unfortunately for her, she ended up entangled in Catos web all the same. And now, I''m going to enjoy this meal I captured~ Cato caught up to Vanishing and assaulted her again. Escaping into this part of the jungle could have been a 200 IQ play under other circumstances, but Ronalds Solar Wrath turned it into a critical misplay. It gave Cato a huge tactical advantage. Since the enemy ventured into the Leopards territory of her own volition, it was easy to cut her off. In a matter of seconds, Cato appeared right in front of Vanishing. You don''t have any more spaces to move to. Its over. Cato unleashed Mighty Roar to drive this chase to its conclusion. But, WHISH! The Ninja rolled away just as Cato started roaring! Vanishing escaped the crippling effect by a hairs breadth! My, what a pain. Cato clicked his tongue. Just let me capture this piece already. Even though he had all the advantages, this sneaky girl was hellbent on making his life difficult until the very end. This was turning into quite a pain. I did notice in the replays that her mechanical skill is occasionally impressive. Cato thought. But, it looks like she''s even better than I estimated. I might need a little help here. Cato already exhausted all three of his skills, yet the enemy still lived. Now, all he could do was to chase the prey by foot and claw at her with basic attacks. It was far from an ideal arrangement. Vanishing was already down to 60% HP, which was nice but not enough to consider her dead yet. So, Cato definitely had some more work cut out for him. "Hey, Sonya. Could you lend me a hand here? Pretty please?" "Already on it." Sonya entered the jungle before Cato even said anything. She has just finished restoring her Chakra back to full via meditation, so she was ready to unleash her entire kit on the escapee. "I''ll put her out of her misery." "Yes, please." "Try to lead her over here, if possible." Sonya pinged a route on the mini-map. "Yes, that was the plan." Ever since his Mighty Roar missed its mark, Cato was no longer trying too hard to catch up to his prey. Instead, he prioritized walling off the girl''s escape routes, to box her inside the Leopards'' territory. He was like a cat playing with a cornered mouse. And now, it''s time for the little rat to step into the rat trap~ Oblivious to all these master plans, the cornered Ninja just kept running forward, trying her best to stay alive inside this danger zone Vol.14 Ch.36: Rescuing Nia I have to escape. Escape. Escape. Escape! Scary! Nia drilled the thought into her brain over and over, to make sure her numb brain stayed concentrated. If she were to let her guard down for even a moment, then the tiredness might knock her out on the spot. It was an odd feeling. On one hand, her body was surging with adrenaline. She was moving pretty well overall, even good enough to dodge the enemy''s roar in the nick of time. But, at the same time, her thoughts were scattered all over the place. She had a hard time forming coherent thoughts or keeping up with the unfolding events. Essentially, she was moving based on instinct alone. "Nia, may I ask what you''re doing?" Yuel inquired. "Gufu... Trying to escape, I think." "What do you mean you ''think''? That''s all you can do in this situation unless you feel Iike taking on the Lionfolk." "No, no, no. No way. Too scary." "Yes, I figured as much. So then, why are you still hanging around enemy territory?" "This is my escape route. Or was, at least." Nia pouted. "I hate that Lumi ult. Not fun. Bully." "Yes, I understand that the Lumimancer''s ult ruined your plans, Yuel said. So, you shouldve been working on returning to our territory instead of diving deeper into theirs. "Yeah, I want to. But, he keeps blocking my way. That bully." "You mean their Lionfolk? Yeah. Hmm. I see." Admittedly, Yuel couldn''t tell Rook''s exact position at all times. Nia was running away with her back turned to her chaser, so she couldnt actually see Rook the entire time. As such, her analysis had to rely mostly on the sound of her pursuers footsteps. However, on top of that, she also turned around every now and then to confirm the Lionfolks location. After hearing Nias explanation, Yuel started paying extra attention to that occasional visual information. Thats when the "irregularity" of Rook''s movements revealed itself. He''s not trying to go straight for the kill. Yuel deduced. He''s just matching Nia''s steps and making sure she can''t easily return to our side. Typical Cato. Even back in chess, this was one of Cato''s trademark tactics. Instead of capturing a piece right away, he often took his sweet time cornering the piece from all sides. It''s as if he derived joy from the act of stretching out these things. This reminds me a little of Ellen. Yuel shuddered. As I feared, the Leopards this year have two Ellen-esque players. This is going to be fun... Regardless, this was no time to feel depressed. Nia''s situation required Yuels full attention, even more so than the upcoming wave in Mid. Is Cato just playing with his food? Yuel wondered. He should know he''ll never catch up to Nia like this. So, he''s either messing around, or he''s leading her into a trap. It was difficult to tell for sure. There wasn''t nearly enough information about Cato''s movements to conclude anything. Nia didn''t have the luxury to turn around every second, so she only caught a glimpse of her pursuer every once in a while. Yuel had to work with incomplete bits of information here. Is he leading her toward Top? Thats the only hypothesis Yuel could come up with. That''s what I''d probably do in his shoes. As uncomfortable as it was to admit, Yuel actually shared a handful of similarities with Ellens playstyle as well. Though he wasn''t a fan of slowly torturing his prey, he was nonetheless a great believer in trapping his opponents in unwinnable situations. Therefore, trapping Nia in Top just made too much sense. That naturally begged the next question: what was TheTheorist doing at the moment? If Yuels deduction was correct, then Theorist was going to play a big role in all of this. Until recently, the Monk was peacefully sitting under her tower and meditating. But, it seemed like her Chakra finished replenishing and she entered the jungle soon afterward. Did she go there just to clear jungle camps? Or, was she planning to assault Nia? Vincent, listen, Yuel said. They might be trying to pincer Nia near Top. I suspect Theorist will be the one to go for the kill. Nani!? Such underhanded tactics! Vincent exclaimed. I must put a stop to this at once! I shall join the fray! Fighting them 2v2 is out of the question, Yuel warned. Though their Lion exhausted all his skills, the Monk still has access to everything, especially her ultimate. But, that is no reason for concern, Vincent reassured. After all, our VanishingFlower has access to her powerful ultimate move as well! Except, I dont think shes in any shape to fight. On paper, Vincent was correct. Nias Izuna Drop was about as dangerous as Monks Asura Strike in terms of raw damage. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. But, we have to be realistic here, Yuel said. Judging by how Nia has been performing, I dont think she can put on a decent fight right now. So, the way I see it, going for a 2v2 is a surefire way to concede two kills to the enemy. I see, I see. Vincent nodded. In that case, a rescue operation is in order, am I right? Essentially, you need me to deliver VanshingFlower to safety under these dire circumstances. Yes. And, I was hoping you have a plan on how to do this efficiently because Im drawing a blank at the moment. Say what? Vincent blinked. The master of tactics, the renowned Chessmaster himself, cannot come up with a powerful counterplay for this scenario!? Give me a break. Defensive shot-calls arent my specialty. Yuel racked his brain as hard as possible, but he couldnt come up with an adequate solution for the current situation. There was no denying that Cato masterfully cornered Nia. She became a trapped piece with no good spaces to retreat to. As such, the only way to bail Nia out was by moving other pieces around the board in hope of regaining control over the position. Alas, Yuel didnt see a good way to achieve that. Would Howard be able to come up with a strong play in a situation like this? Yuel wondered. No, he probably wouldn''t even have to. If Howard were the shot-caller, then he wouldve made sure that things wouldnt escalate to this point in the first place. Alas, in his carelessness, Yuel allowed this position to happen. If Classmancers had AI engines like chess does, then they would have surely evaluated the current situation in favor of the Leopards, overwhelmingly so. Itll be bad if Nia dies here. Really, REALLY bad. Yuel gulped. Under normal circumstances, conceding First Blood was an unfortunate event but not a deal-breaker. However, in this game, both sides were about to reach the mid-game without a single kill on their records. So, a First Blood in this stalemate had a lot of weight to it. In fact, it wasnt an exaggeration to say that a single kill here could determine the momentum for the rest of the game. Just don''t die, I''m begging you. Yuel found himself praying, thats how hopeless he felt against this situation. If there was any magical shot-call that could salvage this critical situation, then Yuel was unable to conjure it. As such, all the hope here lay with Vincents ability to make a difference. And, as requested, he chased Theorist into the jungle in hope of intercepting the enemys attack. Alas, the enemy had a head start on him, so it proved rather difficult to catch up. At this rate, Theorist was bound to run into Nia before Vincent could do anything about it. Of course, dodging the fully recharged Monk was the top priority here, but it seemed like Nia didnt get the memo. She continued running toward Top while fleeing from Rook. Its like hes leading her there. Yuel frowned. "Nia, I''m sure you heard, but their Monk is coming after you. You have to avoid her at any cost" "Yeah, but..." Nia pursed her lips. She wanted to escape in a different direction, she really did. But, no matter where she tried to take a turn, that annoying Lionfolk always blocked her options. I-I think I''m dead here... Just as the thought crossed her mind, the grim reaper appeared in front of her! This was a reaper who practiced holy arts, but a reaper nonetheless. Theorist arrived! No, no, nonono! Nia''s brain kept telling her to steer clear of that grim reaper, yet her legs continued driving her toward her doom. As much as she wanted to turn around and head in a different direction - there was simply nowhere else to go. A scary lion was breathing down her neck from behind, whereas a grim reaper monk was blocking the front. And, with the jungle walls on the sides - Nia was like a trapped rabbit! "If you cant get away from both them of them, then just turn around!" Yuel advised. "Try to get past the Lionfolk. Youll receive some damage for sure, but its much better than getting one-shot by the Monk." "R-Right!" Nia realized something so basic only now. And so, she did a 180 and started running in the opposite direction. In fact, she probably should''ve tried to slip past the Lionfolk from the get-go instead of extending this far into enemy territory. But, her numb brain failed to solve this basic 1 + 1 exercise. Truly, Nia''s consciousness was a mess. One moment, she committed a stupid mistake due to being drowsy, while the next moment she suddenly woke up and realized how poor her play was. I shouldve continued sleeping instead of joining this game. Nia sighed. Im totally out of it. At this rate, Im going to ruin the game for the entire team Alas, it was too late to regret that mistake. Nia was already here on the stage, so she had to do what she could. And so, she headed back toward the Lionfolk who was chasing her. But, will it really be that easy to get past Rook? "Oh? My, my." Cato smiled impishly. "Looks like she prefers to die a slow and painful death instead of getting one-shot. "A logical decision," Sonya said. "She has a higher chance of surviving like that." "Yes, she really does," Cato agreed. "And, I say we let her go." "I agree." They already saw one step ahead from this position. The most ideal scenario was for Sonya to quickly eliminate VanishingFlower, but they suspected things wont go that smoothly. Fortunately, there was another juicy alternative. "Well then, here comes our brave knight~" Cato smirked. As expected, InformationBlackhole shortly arrived on the scene. The plan of this knight in shining armor was no doubt to disrupt Sonya and rescue Vanishing. It was as predictable as it was desperate. Instead of targeting the sneaky princess that you came to rescue, why dont we just kill you instead~? Cato smiled impishly as he continued running in Vanishings direction. The poor girl was probably clenching her teeth right now, bracing for impact. She no doubt expected Cato to claw hard at her, to tear her apart as much as possible. The fear and frustration on her face were surely a delight to behold~ G-Gufu! He''s here! Scary! Nia shuddered as the big lion man sprinted toward her. That guy was like a hungry beast about to assault a helpless rabbit! "A-Ah!" Nia shrieked as the Lionfolk appeared right in front of her. Scary! Too scary! This grim reaper was about to tear her to shreds! Nonetheless, Nia had to keep running forward while enduring all the terror and damage. No matter how brutally the Lionfolk was going to rend her asunder, Nia should be fine as long as she gets past him with at least a little bit of HP remaining. Her Movement Speed was just a little higher, so she should be able to get away after that. H-Here it comes! Nia was about to crash into the lion man! Nonetheless, she continued running in his direction and... passed him? "Eh?" Nia blinked. Wut? Nobody slashed or clawed her. Nia casually passed by the scary predator as if it was nothing. Did he forget to target me? Nia cocked her head. Maybe I reached the point where I can turn invisible right in front of people''s eyes!? Anyway, lucky! Nia had no idea what to make of this development, but she didn''t have the luxury to sit back and think about it. RUN! She had to keep running! And so, she continued fleeing deeper into the jungle without informing anybody about this important piece of information. And, this mistake was going to cost the team dearly... Vol.14 Ch.37: Unexpected Target Shift Per Yuel''s request, Vincent chased Theorist deep into the jungle. At present, he had absolutely no idea how he was going to stop that One-Punch Woman from delivering the killing blow on Nia. Nonetheless, he had to do something, ANYTHING, to prevent this kill. Therefore, if his presence on the scene was going to hinder Theorist at least a little, then it was worth getting involved with this dangerous situation. At some point along the way, Nia decided to turn around and flee in the opposite direction. A wise decision. Vincent nodded. At least now, Vanishing wont be running straight into Theorists hands. Alas, it appears Theorist won''t let her prey get away so easily! What will happen next!? Instead of giving up and returning to the lane, Theorist gave chase after Nia. And, if she were to borrow the Movement Speed buff of Iron Skin, then she might very well catch up to her target and exorcise the Vanishing Phantom! I mustn''t allow that to happen! Vincent swore on his honor and activated Pyro Trail. It buffed his Movement Speed while also leaving a trail of hellish flames behind him. It was the only skill in his kit that remotely resembled an escape tool, but he used it for chasing this time. No matter what, Vincent had to get to the scene and interrupt Theorist. He''ll save the Vanishing Phantom from being banished to the afterlife, and in doing so, hell also fulfill his duty as Chessmasters reliable goon! Unfortunately, because his head was overflowing with such naive thoughts, he failed to notice the obvious danger in time. SLASH! A claw appeared from the depths of the jungle! It was none other than Rook, the Lionfolk! I-Impossible! Vincent exclaimed. While he had his eyes focused on nobody other than TheTheorist, this lion person snuck up to him! Chessmaster, we have a problem! What problem? Oh! Yuel nearly choked upon checking the situation in Top Jungle. He only left it alone for a couple of seconds, but everything turned on its head now! Retreat! Yuel ordered. The Monk will probably come after you, too! Copy that! Vincent turned away from the Lionfolk and dashed as if his life depended on this, because it really did! Thankfully, he still had the speed buff of Pyro Trail, so it wasnt too hard to outrun the Lionfolk. All Vincent had to do was to circle around the next corner in order to lose the hunter, and then hed return to the lane in no time. But, if only it were that easy Nani!? Vincent exclaimed. He shouldve definitely lost the chaser when he went around the corner, yet the Lionfolk was already there, waiting on the other side! He read my moves ahead of time! Truly, he is a worthy intellectual rival to our own Chessmaster! Instead of following Vincent directly, Rook circled around the jungle wall from the opposite side. And now, he appeared right in front of Vincent once again! It appears hes fully intent on blocking my path no matter what. Vincent smiled meaningfully. Very well! Then, let us partake in this battle of wits! Let us see whether you can keep blocking my path at every turn as I try my best to shake you off! Just run past him, Yuel killed that idea on the spot. If you keep trying to avoid him, youll just fall into his trap. Thats what I shouldve told Nia to do from the get-go, too. Fleeing from a predator was a natural instinct that all animals shared. However, that wasnt always the correct course of action. Real-life situations were more complicated than just fight or flight. Therefore, sometimes, one had to plunge headfirst into danger and be ready to receive a few bruises in order to survive. "Very well!" Vincent said. "I shall sacrifice some of my HP for the sake of keeping my life!" He continued running forward, right toward his enemy. Naturally, Rook took this opportunity to claw Vincent as much as possible. "InformationBlackhole is under heavy fire!" Vincent narrated. "Can he make out of here alive!? And, what of the dangerous Monk thats surely eying him at this very moment!?" He checked around him, but he couldn''t see Theorist anywhere for now. From the moment he started running away, he had no time to follow Theorist''s movements anymore. As such, her position was unclear at present. But, one thing is for certain. Vincent thought. She shall soon appear before me with the intention of delivering me to death''s cold embrace. However! I did not order a one-way ticket to hell, nor do I plan to take that trip for free! And so, Vincent continued running back toward the lane with Rook breathing down his neck. Thankfully, the Movement Speed buff of Pyro Trail allowed him to create some distance between himself and the hunter. However, the buff soon extinguished, reducing Vincents Movement Speed to the level of a mere mortal. Thank you, o flames of hell. You have served me well. Vincent nodded in satisfaction. Even though a Movement Speed buff was far from a reliable escape tool, it proved plenty useful in this difficult situation. Thanks to it, Vincent successfully reached the lane with minimal damage and- SLAM! "B-B-Bakana!" Vincent shrieked. He thought he escaped to safety, but all that awaited him at the lane there was a bloodthirsty Monk! Theorist was right around the corner, lying in wait for god knows how long. She must have used Rook as her eyes in order to follow Vincent''s movements and cut him off via a shortcut. And then, with the perfect timing and perfect angle, she unleashed her deadly secret weapon - Asura Strike! Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Well, in truth, it was just a palm strike. Yes, thats all this deadly secret weapon really was. But, that was just the first strike. After the opening hit connected, a barrage of lightning-speed palms exploded in Vincent''s face! One, two, five, ten, twenty, a hundred!? It was impossible to count! This attack speed was not meant for mortal eyes! Theorist unloaded her entire Chakra bar on this finishing move. Each spent Chakra point translated to one more palm strike that was almost as strong as the Monk''s basic attack! In the matter of a single second, Theorist unleashed the equivalent of over ten undodgeable basic attacks on Vincent! His HP plummeted from 80% all the way down to 20%! And, that wasn''t the end of the effect. The more hits Asura Strike connected, the more negative status effect it inflicted on the victim! As the result of eating that many hits at once, Vincent found himself inflicted with a cripple. Now, he couldnt even use his Dodge Roll anymore. "I''m afraid it''s over for moi..." Vincent reported the depressing news moments before the curtain fell on this play. Unable to roll away from the two predators, the only fate awaiting Vincent was perishing here. Such was the price he had to pay for his carelessness. You have been killed! Theorist delivered the killing blow, courtesy of her accomplice. From start to end, Rook merely played the part of a Support in this entire operation, setting up a kill for Theorist. "My bad," Yuel apologized. "It was a bad call on my end." "Nay, it is our opponents who deserve praise here. They fooled us all, leading us into this sophisticated trap." "It wasnt even that sophisticated yet I couldn''t see through it, which makes it my fault," Yuel insisted. "My role as the shot-caller is to analyze the situation and make the right decision, and I clearly failed to do that here." "Perhaps so, but it''s impossible for any one player to keep track of the entire map at all times. Therefore, as the player who was present on the scene at the time, it was my responsibility to exercise caution." "But, I''m the one who told you to chase Theorist." "And, I''m the one who didn''t object to the order." "Tell me then, is it the soldier''s fault when the commander gives a flawed order?" "If said soldier finds the order agreeable, then I dare say he is equally guilty." "I see." Yuel sighed. There was no winning this one. It should be clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the blame laid with Yuel here. It was his misplay. With that said, he wasn''t the only one involved in this operation. In the end, Vincent played the main role in this show, so he also definitely shared at least a little bit of the responsibility. For example, he could''ve realized the enemys intentions a little earlier if he was paying more attention to his surroundings. Or, he couldve escaped more efficiently instead of heading back to the lane via a predictable route that was easy to cut off. And, the same goes for Nia, too. Yuel glanced at the troublemaker who made it out alive and was now recovering at the base. I''m the one who asked her to gank Mid in the first place, so the situation was mostly my fault. But, she definitely underperformed there as well. She failed to properly sneak up to the lane undetected, and her escape plan was very subpar. Creeping up to a lane undetected and vanishing without a trace were two of Nia''s strongest points, but she failed on both accounts this time. Honestly, her performance was terrible. Of course, Cato deserved a lot of the credit for that, He clearly did his homework on Nia and exercised more than enough caution against her. But still, Nia definitely misplayed there. Yuel thought. She should have noticed the enemy''s intentions before anybody else, but she didn''t inform anybody. The moment Cato stopped chasing Nia, that should have been an immediate red flag. If only Nia mentioned that right away, then Vincent couldve started retreating sooner and stayed alive. But, instead... An allied Turret has been destroyed! Cato and Theorist ganged on the Top Turret and demolished it together. There was nobody available to defend the lane or gank the overextenders, so they took down the tower without any resistance at all. With that said, it was an unexpectedly risky and aggressive push for Cato. He made Theorist tank the tower almost to death before they finally brought it down. Did one of their wards show Nia recalling? Is that why they were so confident? Yuel wondered. Seriously, just how many wards did they place in our territory? It feels like they can see everything we do. Was that also Catos doing? Maybe it was his way of taking precautions against Nias vanishing stunts. If so, it worked very well for him. But, Nia couldve prevented all that disaster by simply reporting the situation in time. If only she informed us that Cato stopped chasing her Nia never mind. Yuel dropped the subject the moment he saw the girls drowsy face. Even after so much time has passed, the girl still looked as sleepy as she was back when she started the game, if not more. And, perhaps Yuel was only imagining it, but there seemed to be a hint of sadness mixed into Nias sleepy expression. She either realized her mistake or at least understood that she was partially responsible for Vincents death. Either way, everything that happened there was a bad call on my end. I shouldve evaluated Nias condition better. It was clear as day that the girl was sleepy. Nonetheless, Yuel kept hoping that Nia will wake up after executing some intense play. Alas, that never came to pass. In the end, Nias sleepiness never cleared. And so, in this play, it became a huge setback that cost the team many things: Vincents life, the Top Turret, and possibly the entire game. And, everything was Yuels fault. He kept pushing Nia toward making a major play and it backfired in his face. But, that wasnt even the worst part. Cato read ahead of me in that position. Yuel frowned. He probably expected that Ill make Nia gank Mid. So, he laid his trap all the way back then, or maybe even before that. The excessive warding in Top Jungle, the frequent ganks on Mid, the remote intimidations on Top - everything was part of an interconnected web of traps. It was all done in order to build up the teams frustration, especially regarding Nias inability to do her job. And perhaps, the main goal was to build up Yuels frustration, to tempt him into over-committing to some big play that promised to change this frustrating situation. Nia has been like a pinned piece this entire game. So, of course I wanted to unpin her and put her to use. The Jungler is an important playmaker, after all. On top of that, the enemys aggressive push on Mid was too tempting to gank, probably by design. Cato intentionally made it look like an appealing opportunity in order to force Yuels hand. It seems his tactics have evolved somewhat since the last time I played chess against him. During their chess game, Cato''s entire agenda was to turtle up and frustrate the enemy into misplaying. It seemed that this core principle of his playstyle didn''t change even now, but he added more layers of trickery to that game plan. In addition to frustrating the enemy, Cato also actively laid traps that further pushed the enemy in the direction he desired. Essentially, Cato tried to manipulate his opponents like puppets on a string and make them do his bidding. When a player is frustrated, it''s that much more tempting to strike at the first opening that presents itself. Yuel criticized his own rashness. It almost feels like somebody gave Cato a crash course on Ellen''s philosophy since the last time we played. I can already tell this is going to be quite the exhausting scrim... The game was rapidly approaching mid-game. Or rather, the Leopards were pushing for the mid-game to start now while they had a 5v4 advantage. With Top Turret lost, Vincent dead, and Nia being dysfunctional, could Stratus still salvage this game...? Vol.14 Ch.38: Strangling Stratus The game between Stratus and the Leopards continued, but things werent looking good for Stratus. Following Vincent''s death and the collapse of the Turret in Top, the Leopards started grouping up together for pushes. This was their way of enforcing an early mid-game. They wanted to capitalize on the momentum while they had the advantage of numbers. But, they''re not rushing it. Yuel frowned. They''re pushing but just enough to force us to defend. The Leopards were feeling themselves with that advantage. Their actions conveyed a clear message: "We have already won, so we can take our time wrapping this up." This is also meant to frustrate us, isn''t it? Yuel grimaced. I swear this is such an annoying playstyle. I can''t believe I found a team more annoying than Howard''s. And, he wasnt alone who felt that way. "Damn, finally!" Kai exclaimed. "Alright, we made them retreat. Now, let''s attack!" "Wait," Yuel said. "They''re luring you in. It''s definitely bait." "C''mon, dude!" Lars interjected. "Are ya getting cold feet again? I thought we solved that problem in the previous scrim." "This is different. Against Taurus, I really played too safe and avoided risks, Yuel admitted. But here, we''re fighting against opponents who are actively trying to frustrate us and make us launch a careless attack." "Yeah, dudes are sure a pain in the ass. They just keep hitting and running." "Yeah, it reminds me of guerrilla warfare." "Gorilla warfare? Yeah, them hit-and-run shenanigans sure feel unga bunga to me, haha!" "Anyway," Kai interjected. "Yes, these guys are baiting us, we get that. But, so what? They''re baiting us now, and they''ll keep baiting us until the end of this damn game. So, does that mean we should never ever attack them? That sounds dumb as hell." "We just need to create a good opportunity, Yuel said. "And, when''s that gonna happen?" "Yeah, dude. When? It better not be Soon?, yo." The two of them were breathing down Yuel''s neck. They were raring to go on the offensive no matter the circumstances, which was exactly what Cato banked on. The only other voice of reason in the team was Vincent, but he wasn''t immune to frustration either. "Let us not rush, my comrades," Vincent said. "Our time will come eventually. And, once it does, we shall make the enemy guerrilla squad experience true hell!" He was spouting the same bombastic nonsense as usual, but there was a noticeable hint of spite in his actions. This was no longer just about beating the enemy. Nay! He, like everybody else, wished for the Leopards to suffer a fate worse than just a simple defeat. These turtles shall all be punished for all the frustration theyve been spreading around like poison! I have a feeling it won''t be long before Vincent snaps too. Yuel frowned. And, I''m not sure about myself, either. It''s hard to stay impartial against opponents like this. Hit-and-run. Hit-and-run. Every. Single. Time. The Leopards always pushed just hard enough to force Stratus to run around and defend. Nonetheless, these guys never overextended enough to leave an opening for a proper counterattack. At least, thats how the majority of the Leopards played. The only exceptions to that rule were AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger. These two launched far more forceful and dynamic attacks than the others. "The Absolute Duo is coming to Bot!" Vincent informed. While the rest of the team was busy defending Top, Vincent alone was tasked with clearing the invading minions in Bot. And, that''s when the Absolute Duo launched their unexpected attack! As always, the fearsome duo picked the worst time to strike. They used their own teammates as a diversion as they launched this unstoppable two-man assault! With perfect teamwork, the one duo of Winner and Challenger was equal to an army of hundreds! None could stop them! And, especially not Vincent by himself. "Retreat," Yuel ordered. "Nia, can you lend him a hand?" "Ok..." "Just make sure to stay in the back as you attack. The most important part is showing them that you''re there to help Vincent. Theres no need to actually aggress on them." "Ok..." Nia repeated the same weak reply. Her voice was always rather stoic, but right now, it sounded outright indifferent. Its as if the girl wasn''t really paying any attention to what Yuel was saying, or that she COULDNT pay attention to it because her brain refused to register the details. The yawning didn''t help her case either. Nonetheless, Nia faithfully followed the instructions and rotated to help Vincent. And, as ordered, neither of them directly engaged with the enemy duo. Their top priority was to defend the lane and intimidate the enemy to make them retreat. If it was only that much, then Nia could handle that fine even in her current sleepy state. Unfortunately, it seems this is the most I can ask of her in this game. Yuel frowned. Even after 20 minutes of gameplay, Nia showed no signs of waking up. She was just alert enough to avoid terrible mislays, and she did manage to follow simple orders. But, thats all she was capable of. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. This is almost like a 4v5. Yuel frowned. I really shouldn''t have forced Nia to play this game. If I had let her rest during the first game, then she probably would''ve been ready to play in game 2. What a blunder. Yuel tried too hard to start this scrimmage on the right foot and it backfired terribly. Instead of opening the match in the best shape, Stratus ended up using the worst lineup possible. I can''t believe I''m thinking this, but I actually wish Luke played this game instead. Sigh. When having a memer on the team sounded like an appealing proposal, it was an obvious sign that the game was doomed. With that said, Stratus couldnt simply give up here. Even as the enemy was slowly strangling them to death, Stratus had to keep fighting. "Fuck!" Kai cursed. "Alright, I''m done with this defense shit! We''re getting nowhere like this. Let''s attack already!" "Yeah! Right behind ya!" Lars followed up. "Wait-" Yuel tried to stop the reckless duo but it was too late. Lars and Kai were already charging up ahead, walking straight into a deadly trap. At first glance, this attack didnt seem that bad. The two enemy pushers, Rook and Merlin, lost all their minions and had no choice but to retreat. It seemed like a very straightforward situation in which Stratus had the obvious upper hand. On top of that, considering how deep the enemy duo extended into Stratus territory, it was easy to believe that Lars and Kai will dominate this situation with a counterattack. However, thats exactly the impression the enemy was trying to create. Lars and Kais counterattack led to a counter-counterattack! Winner and Challenger emerged from the jungle and tackled the reckless duo! And naturally, Rook and Merlin did a 180 at the same time in order to join the attack. And so, Lars and Kai found themselves in a deadly pincer! Crap! Lars exclaimed. I think we screwed up, haha An ally has been killed! Lars failed to escape. He already spent his Backfire Cannon on clearing minions, so he had no escape tools left. To make things harder, the enemy focused all their firepower on him. They clearly treated him as the top priority threat, as they should. Phew! That was close. Kai sighed in relief after retreating to safety. She launched herself backward with Satchel Charge as soon as the enemy duo showed up from the jungle, so she escaped the scene with just a couple of bruises. Not much HP was lost, but her pride took a hard hit for sure. This entire attack was one huge misplay. Yuel sighed deeply. But, I dont even have it in me to blame them. After all, this was all part of the enemys plan. Or, more specifically, Catos plan. What, you not gonna lecture me? Lars asked. Since youre asking about it yourself, I assume you understand just how badly you messed up. Yep, I totally blew it, haha How you have the strength to laugh in this kind of situation is beyond me. The entire team was drowning in despair. The enemy was slowly, VERY slowly, dragging Stratus toward their demise. And yet, the Leopards still refused to deliver the finishing blow. They hadnt made the game-deciding move. Its like they wanted Stratus to experience a slow and painful death. Therefore, Stratus couldnt throw the towel, not yet. Despite how disadvantageous their position was, there was still a faint glimmer of hope that the enemy hadnt extinguished yet. Normally, that would have been a good thing. It meant Stratus still had a chance, small as it was. But, in reality, it was more like a curse. Just because this tiny little chance existed, it compelled everybody to keep fighting their best. Everybody continued struggling against the impossible odds, believing there was still a chance to turn things around. It feels like a psychological trap. Yuel grimaced. The harder we struggle, the more we tire ourselves out. No matter how much effort we put in, it doesnt feel like were actually making any progress. It was beyond obvious that the Leopards were toying with their food at this point. They didn''t go for the killing blow, but neither did they show any openings. This must be Catos doing. Yuel frowned. Back when I played him, he pulled the exact same thing on me. Even after he got into a winning position, he didnt hurry to finish me off. That compelled me to keep fighting even though I knew I lost. It was so draining. And now, the entire team was subject to similar mental exhaust. This wasnt good In a five-game scrimmage, conserving energy was very important. Overexerting on the very first game was deadly. And yet, this is exactly what were doing right now... Yuel grimaced as he checked the status of his teammates. Damn, come here and fight! Kai ranted as Theorist disengaged from battle. Annoying... Nia complained when Rook targeted her with hit-and-run tactics. This has turned into a battle of endurance! Vincent tried to convince everybody, including himself. Shall we survive through the enemys siege, we might emerge victorious still! Yes, we might emerge victorious... indeed... surely...! Yo, these dudes be dragging out this game like crazy. Lars tried to smile but there was a hint of irritation in his voice. Im tellin ya, its like were playing against a team full of Ellens, haha! Haha... He was laughing, but it was a hollow laugh. Despite his seemingly positive attitude, it was obvious Lars wasnt enjoying the situation in the slightest either. At this rate, even the ever-positive goof might crack. Should we just call it quits and surrender? Yuel couldnt believe he was seriously entertaining the thought, but thats how far Catos tactics pushed him. Compared to suffering through this fake stalemate and holding onto shaky hope, it was that much easier to just end it here and now. They still had 4 more games to work with today, so not all will be lost. With that said, theres still a small chance the Leopards are actually terrible at wrapping up games in which they dont have an overwhelming advantage. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. In the last two scrimmages, the majority of the Leopards also played rather defensively, but they also developed an overwhelming momentum thanks to killing sprees of Winner and Challenger. With that much advantage, it was easy enough for them to wrap up the games despite their turtle tendencies. But, the same didnt apply to the current game. Even though the Leopards had some momentum on their side, it was far from overwhelming. After all, Stratus wasn''t some weak team thatd easily fold to opponents from the region. So, maybe theyre just dragging things out to minimize risks, but I really doubt it. If a defensive team doesnt know how to wrap up the endgame, how does it even plan to win? For defensive teams, the late-game was supposed to be their forte. Their entire game plan was supposed to revolve around dragging the game out until the late-game, at which stage theyd finally launch their counterattack and wrap things up. Therefore, it was unthinkable for the Leopards to be bad at wrapping up the late-game. If anything, that was supposed to be one of their strongest points. So, this was definitely all Catos doing. It was borderline sadism. And, it feels like theyre keeping up the gig even longer than in previous scrims. Or, maybe it only feels longer because Im on the receiving end of this time? Either way, little by little, Cato was wrapping a rope around Yuels neck and tightening the knot. However, that sadist didnt go straight for the strangle. No, he just tightened the rope a little at a time, making it harder and harder to breathe. Slow and gradual suffocation. Yuel felt like he was submerging to the bottom of a deep ocean, unable to swim his way up. Just give in already. You know you want to~ Yuel could hear Catos poisonous words directly in his head. There was no doubt the snake was getting a kick out of watching Stratus struggle. Our lives would be so much easier if we just gave up. Yuel thought. But, we cant throw any games today. We have to keep fighting! Yes, we have to... With his spirit in shambles, Yuel continued racking his brain to find a solution to this unpleasant predicament... Vol.14 Ch.39: Give Up or Burn Out My, my~ Cato smiled impishly. Its impressive that they still keep going. Shouldnt we wrap this up already? Sonya asked. The longer we drag this out, the riskier its getting for us. Oh, please. This is just our usual strategy, isnt it? More like, your strategy. I dont remember ever advocating a strategy that needlessly drags out the game. My, so rebellious~ No, but really, Sonya insisted. Arent we dragging this out more than usual? We should finish them off already. Yeah, cmon! Ronald tuned in. Weve already won, so lets move to the next one! Chop chop! I agree, William said. This is getting tiresome. We couldve finished this game at least five minutes ago if you just let me push all the way. Just a liiiiiiittle longer, Cato said. We finally got to play decent opponents for once, so we have to make sure we crush their spirits VERY thoroughly~ He smiled like an angel as he said that. You damn sadist. Sonya made a face. Not gonna lie, dude legit be creeping me out sometimes. Ronald laughed dryly. This is just STRATEGY, guys. STRATEGY. Cato insisted. You understand, right, Matt? I guess so. Matthew shrugged. I mean, I agree this is getting a little boring, but this is an actual strategy. Our opponents are wasting way more energy than us right now. So, if they keep tryharding so much without taking a break, then theyll wear themselves out. Yes, yes! Exactly! Cato nodded. Were squeezing out all their mental juices right now. And, if they keep being this persistent, then theyll be playing like zombies in the next games~ Do we really have to resort to such cheap tactics? William asked. Were clearly stronger than them even without these lame tricks. My, youre the last person I expected to hear that from. I thought youre a big fan of using your smarts to defeat strong opponents. Yes, emphasis on strong opponents. I dont think Stratus fits that description. Oh, is that how you see it? Even though you went neck-to-neck with Gunz and lost? Hmph, I didnt lose. It was just a matter of not having enough time to adapt. The next time I duel him, Ill beat him convincingly. My, is that so? Then, I cant wait to see that~ Cato smiled impishly. Anyways, until that actually happens, I firmly believe we should regard Stratus as a strong team. I mean, if our strongest fighter cant beat their strongest fighter, then you cant really say were stronger on all fronts, can you? Ill get it done next game, mark my words. Ill hold you to that. Until then, Id like to continue using this long-term strategy and keep wearing down our strong opponents. Tch, suit yourself. William sighed and didnt argue any further. In the end, he is right. I didnt crush Stratus as convincingly as I shouldve. And so, by the time the debate died out, everybody was back on board with Catos long-term strategy. Easy. Cato smiled to himself. All I needed was for Matt to back me up a little and for Will to step down. Thats how I get myself a convincing majority vote. Oh, how I love democracy~ If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With William bending the knee, Ronald wasnt going to object any further either. So, that left Sonya as the sole rebel, but this robot wont ever object to the majority vote. Just like that, the entire team ended up greenlighting Catos strategy. No matter how questionable they considered it, they were going to keep dragging this game on and on without delivering the finishing blow. It was so much fun~ I wonder, whats going to happen next? Cato licked his lips. What will you do, my dear Yuel? Will you swallow your pride and surrender? Or, will your team run out of patience and will rebel against you? Either way, itll be an entertaining show for sure. Im so glad youre such a sore loser~ More often than not, players who favored fast aggressive tactics also happened to burn out just as quickly. They started off strong and swift, but they also called it quits as soon as they hit a wall. Essentially, it was all-or-nothing for them. But, Yuel wasnt quite like that. Even though he usually sought a swift victory, he was more than ready to play the long game if needed. Perhaps it was his chess experience that taught him the importance of struggling until the very end. Even though many high-level games were practically decided during the mid-game, there were still times when the late-game had the last word. And, MOBA is even more unpredictable than chess. Theres so much room for human error that anything can happen. For example, that doofus Ronald might overextend at some point and die. In turn, thatll hamper the teams power during team fights, possibly leading to further deaths and to losing control of the game. Just like that, with a simple domino effect starting from one fools mistake, the entire game might flip on its head in an instant. And, knowing that such a scenario was possible, Yuel had no choice but to keep playing. Giving up wasnt an option, not in a competitive game. Thats probably what that sore loser thought. This is almost as fun as messing with Fiona. Cato smiled wildly. Ah, I just cant get enough of it. Soooo good~ He literally shook from the ecstasy. The mere thought of toying with Yuels entire team like puppets gave Cato shivers of pleasure. Oh, this isnt good. I might get addicted to this~ Cato thought. As Sonya said, if we drag this out for TOO long, then it might actually start getting a little risky. But, this is SO MUCH fun~ There was nothing better than watching a sore loser struggling to the bitter end despite impossible odds. And, bonus points when it was a strong player, somebody who wasnt easy to crack under normal circumstances. But, I did it. I cracked you, Yuel. I did my homework on you and its paying off now. Its just like our chess match~ Back then, too, Cato came to the match prepared. He knew all about Yuels victory against Fiona, so he naturally studied this new threat. At the time, trampling over Yuel sounded about as attractive as defeating Fiona. And, it was really almost as fun~ Cato smiled from ear to ear. He was just as stubborn as I expected. Even once Cato established a far superior position on the board, Yuel continued struggling until the bitter end. The fact Cato didnt go for the kill right away encouraged Yuel to continue struggling despite how hopeless his odds were. Most opponents wouldve given up at that point, especially the aggressive players who banked on the mid-game to seal the deal. But, not Yuel. Even though his early aggression fell through, he continued fending off Catos attacks while desperately searching for an opening. As long as your chance of winning isnt a round 0%, youll keep struggling, right? Youll keep racking your little brain to find some sophisticated solution that might not even exist. Cato shuddered at the mere thought of this, as it was both exciting and horrifying at the same time. It was delightful to force a stubborn opponent like this into such a difficult dilemma, but Cato almost felt bad for the guy. Almost. I can be a sore loser sometimes too, so I know the feeling. Cato smiled wryly. I bet that, in his shoes, Id be trying just as hard to find a solution. So really, you have my sympathies, Yuel, you really do. So, thats why Im going to keep bullying you~ Truly, there was no greater joy than messing around with strong, stubborn opponents. Creating the most unbearable hell for them was true art~ So cmon, show me how you plan to end this story. Are you going to submit? Or, to burn yourself out? Or, maybe your teammates will crumble first? Either way, this is going to end in tragedy for you, and Ill be here to witness it~ And so, the victim continued his pointless struggle. Will Yuel actually be able to change anything by fighting until the very end? Certainly not. Nonetheless, hell keep trying anyway. It was a simple matter of his pride as a competitive player. As long as the possibility was there, Yuel will refuse to give up. Thats what made this so fun~ And as expected, under Yuels command, Stratus continued struggling on all fronts. They fended off incoming attacks and jumped on every opportunity to counterattack. But, of course, Catos shot-calling shut them down at every turn. He had complete control over the board here, like an overlord looking down on rabble. It was a dead end for sure, yet Stratus continued the futile struggle. And, their endless suffering was soooo sweet~ Vol.14 Ch.40: The "Experimental" Game Ugh. Yuel bit his lip. This is going nowhere, I know that. I understand that in my head, but... He couldnt just throw in the towel, not yet. His stubbornness stopped him from calling it quits. The Leopards were clearly toying with them. They have been avoiding checkmate for over 10 minutes now. It was so easy for them to wrap up the game at this point, yet they insisted to stall. As such, there was still a chance to turn this around. A flimsy, seemingly impossible chance. But, it existed! Therefore, Yuel wanted to seize it. I know this is all probably just a part of Catos ploy, but...! Yuel couldnt back off. He continued monitoring the map and issuing orders. He was deadset on blocking off all incoming attacks while searching for that elusive opportunity to mount a counterattack. Against opponents like that, we have to seize every opportunity they give us. Yuel thought. If we want to drag their Korean player to the stage, then we have to get enough wins. So, I cant just give up like this. The inner struggle was eating away at him, but Yuel nonetheless continued making calls for the entire team. Vincent and Kai, rotate to Bot. Lars, come with me to Top. What about the Vanishing Phantom? Vincent inquired. Ah, right... Yuel almost forgot about the elusive girl. She wasnt contributing much in her sleepy state but she was nonetheless a member of the team, another piece on the board. So far, Nia was doing a passable job on the defense. As such, Yuel had to put her to good use as well. I cant believe she actually slipped my mind for a moment. Yuel shook his head. I need to keep this together. Nia, join them in Bot. Ok... Nia answered weakly. Even after coming this far in the game, her sleepiness still refused to lift. And, the fact she hadnt executed any big plays probably contributed to that. The game was dragging on in a boring fashion, so it was only natural for sleepiness to still haunt Nia. In a similar fashion, frustration was eating away at the rest of the team. Nobody was enjoying the current situation. And, looks like Im also getting affected. Yuel sighed. It was common for people to forget that Nia existed, but not for Yuel. No matter the circumstances, he was always able to keep that phantom in mind. Am I losing concentration? Yuel frowned. Focus. I have to come up with a comeback while were defending. Theres no place for error here. I have to turn this around somehow...! Dude, its enough already, Lars cut in. Weve waited long enough for an opportunity, doncha think? Yes, we definitely have been waiting for a long time. But, I still havent found any good openings, so I have to keep searching. Ya just stressing yourself out. Gotta relax, yo. Relax? How can I relax!? Were in this situation because of my bad shot-calls! So, while our opponents are still toying with us, I have to find an opening- Why, tho? Lars asked plainly. Huh...? Yuel paused. What do you mean why? Were here to win. Well, duh. Of course we gotta win. But, why are we all sitting here turtling while you alone stressing yourself out? Didnt ya say we can experiment more in this game? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Ah, right. I did say that... Yuel almost forgot. This first game was supposed to involve a higher degree of experimentation, Yuel said so himself before the match. For example, Lars was playing Pirate instead of Elf in order to test the waters against the Leopards strongest fighters. Similarly, Kai was using Bomber to see how far shell get with it in the competitive scene even though it was far from her best class. These were two handicaps Yuel approved of before starting the game. But, why did he allow these suboptimal picks in the first place? Because this opening game was a good opportunity to test out new things against the regions most powerful opponents. No, thats just half the reason. Yuel recalled. There was more to it originally. The whole thing he said about experimenting was, in part, just an excuse. Even though Yuel was really interested in testing out new things, he didnt actually believe it was a good idea to sacrifice a whole game on things like that. Using secondary classes against strong opponents is definitely going to give us valuable data, but that alone isnt worth losing a game for. There was another reason why Yuel chose to experiment during the first game. It was a reason that was best left undisclosed despite how important it was. I wanted to make sure we dont burn ourselves out too early. Even before Yuel learned that the Leopards captain was Cato, it was already clear that the Leopards enjoyed dragging games out. Therefore, Yuel prepared for this accordingly. At first glance, it looked as if the Leopards just enjoyed playing with their food. However, upon closer inspection, there was more to it. The Leopards didnt do this for fun, at least not entirely. It also doubled as a long-term strategy for wearing down the enemy team. That much became apparent when the Leopards suddenly quickened their pace after the first game. They struck hard while the enemy was mentally exhausted, which was a very efficient strategy. Of course, from just two scrimmages, it was hard to say for sure whether this was going to be their regular strategy. Nonetheless, to be on the safe side, Yuel decided it was best to approach the first game more off-handedly than usual. Thats why I said we should use it for experimentation. But, it looks like somewhere along the way I forgot the original purpose of this idea... After learning about the Korean player and that Rook was none other than Cato, it was hard for Yuel to approach the first game off-handedly anymore. Especially, not after he reviewed how his chess match with Cato played out. In the end, I guess I did want to pay him back for that game. Yuel smiled wryly. And, then theres Howard with his stories about the secret Korean player. All these factors made Yuel thirst harder for victory. So, even though he told everybody that they were free to experiment in this game, Yuel himself was tryharding as usual. As a result, he fell prey to Catos aggravating strategy. This is not good. Yuel realized his cheeks were a little hot. The moment he hit the brakes and took a moment to reevaluate his own state, it became clear he was overexerting. His temples drummed and his cheeks burned. Drat, I need to calm down. Yuel took a deep breath. He had to relax. At this rate, he was bound to self-destrctuct before they even reach the second game. Yes, youre right, Yuel responded to Lars. Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot. No problem, dude! Lars gave a thumbs up. Also, are ya okay? You look a little weird. Yeah, Im fine. Well, not really, but Ill live. I just need to take things easy for the rest of the game and get some rest during the break. With that decided, Yuel reevaluated the board state. There was little to no hope of winning this game by defending, so the team had to go on the offensive. With that said, the Leopards will shoot down any half-baked offense on the spot. We need to go for something big. An all-or-nothing kind of attack. Yuel thought. We either win on the spot or we lose on spot. Either result will release us from this frustrating game. It was for the best to wrap up this game quickly. However, that didnt mean Yuel had any intention of throwing the game, not all. Therefore, he insisted to come up with an offense that had a realistic chance of working out, even if it was a low chance. And, he found one. Okay, Yuel started. You want to launch an attack, right? So, heres how we should do it And so, he laid out the details of his very questionable plan. Yo, so were going out with a bang!? Lars flashed his teeth. I like that! It sounds like suicide to me, Kai commented. But, its still better than sitting here and defending all day, so Im in. It appears that a unanimous agreement has been reached. Vincent nodded. Very well! I shall support this decision with every fiber of my existence! In order to back up this ultimate offense, I shall transform into a wall of unbreakable defense! Then, lets start, Yuel said. Theyre rotating to push Top, so this is our chance. Alright, Im on it. Kai purchased a Checkpoint Ward and went to clear the incoming minions in Bot. Meanwhile, Yuel and Lars purchased Teleport and rotated to defend Top. The preparations were set. The pieces were on their way to their designated positions. And soon, the games final offense will begin! Vol.14 Ch.41: Last-Ditch Backdoor! The board was set. Yuel and Lars rotated to defend Top from AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger. Meanwhile, Vincent and Nia were fending off the rest of the enemy team in Mid. At the same time, Kai farmed minions in Bot. At first, she only cleared out minions that were threatening to invade the Golems area, but then she continued pushing along the lane. In the process, she wiped out the next minion wave as well. This was one of the riskiest parts of the upcoming offense. Kais aggressive push had a chance of alerting the enemy to the possibility of a backdoor. Fortunately, it didnt seem like they thought much of it, at least not yet. Their Bomber is pushing Bot. Sonya brought the matter to everybodys attention. Do you think we should be concerned? Hmm. Curious, curious indeed. Cato hadnt formed a proper opinion on this quite yet. This might just be a defensive play that ensures our minions wont invade the Golem for a while. But, it can also be the start of an attack. Is there any reason for us to care? William asked. Shes alone over there and shes playing Bomber. She cant get anything started by herself. Yeah, exactly! Ronald backed up. Shes just tryharding on the defense there, nothing interesting to see. Im telling you, she gonna recall the moment she sees us attacking another lane. My, thats a lot of baseless confidence you got there, Cato said. But yes, overall I agree. Matt, what do you think? Not sure, Matthew said. The fact its Bot is a little sus. Thats a good point. By now, the Leopards have gained the upper hand in every lane, but their control was the weakest in Bot. It was the only lane in which they hadnt destroyed the Golem even once in this game. In fact, the enemy Golem was very healthy there, currently at 90% HP and slowly regenerating. If they plan to backdoor us at any point, then Im sure theyll try it through Bot. Cato deduced. But, is now really a good time for this? We havent shown them any openings, have we? Or, am I missing something? No, I dont believe we have, Sonya said. We havent William agreed. Our map control is absolute. Yeah, thats what I thought. Cato nodded. Hmm. Lets wait and see what Beat does next. For now, the brothers will rotate to Mid so we can go for a full-team attack. Got it, William said. Okay, okay. Ronald sounded a little dissatisfied but he didnt argue back, if only because his older brother approved of this plan. But real talk, when do we go for the kill? When the time is right, Cato gave a nonanswer. Cmon, man! Weve been running around all day. Lets finish this already! Soon. Cato made an empty promise. Really, arent these guys just the best? Just look how hard they ran from lane to lane to fend us off. Its beautiful~ I dont have it in me to make them stop. Agh, such a disgusting tactic. Ronald shuddered. It reminds me of these cheap bastards who always made me run around the court in Tennis. Because thats the best way to defeat you. William commented silently. I suppose I also count among these cheap bastards, even if Ron didnt mean it. But, it makes me wonder, is Cato playing this way because hes wary of Stratus? Cato was always the kind of sadist who prolonged games just to mess around with his opponents. But usually, hed cut the game short after the Leopards have sufficiently proven their superiority. After that, the next games always went by much faster. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. However, in this game, Cato was dragging things out far longer than usual. Even though the team has already gained an overwhelming advantage in terms of map control, Cato insisted to drag things out some more. Why? Is he just having fun because were playing against strong opponents for a change? Hmm. Thats not out of the question with this guy, but I dont think thats the case. It almost felt like Cato genuinely believed it was NECESSARY to play like this. Its as if wearing the enemy out was a mandatory step, or else the Leopards might actually lose today. But, what exactly scared Cato so much? Was it the fact the enemy had a strong fighter like Gunz? No, that''s not it. William thought. Ive already proven I can go toe-to-toe with that guy. Maybe Cato isnt convinced that Im stronger yet, but Im sure he doesnt think Im much weaker either. At worst, Gunz and I cancel each other out in terms of strength. In the first place, Cato wasnt the type to be too concerned about the mechanical strength of one individual player. As far as this chess nerd was concerned, all players were just pieces on a board. Ultimately, no matter how strong an individual piece was, it was just one piece. Therefore, it was bound to fold against a superior board-wide tactic. So, if theres anybody who can make Cato wary, itd be the enemy shot-caller. In other words, its Chessmaster. A former chess rival, huh. Cato claimed he defeated Chessmaster in chess, but was that the truth? This slippery guy was no stranger to telling white lies. Perhaps he actually lost, or maybe his victory wasnt as absolute as he claimed it to be. There was probably more to that story than he let on. If Im correct, then this game is turning into a dragged-out match between Cato and Chessmaster. Theyre just using us as pawns to compete with each other. I can''t say Im a fan of this. Nonetheless, William didnt complain any further for now. He knew that sometimes it was necessary to play the long game to be on the safe side, even if it was very boring. Ill give him 15 more minutes. William thought. No, maybe just 10. If he doesnt start wrapping things up by then, then Ill just do it myself. Despite promising that, William was already mentally preparing to deliver the finishing blow as he and Ronald rotated from Top to Mid. This game has dragged out for too long, so he was ready to end it at any moment. All he needed was a reason. And, for the better or the worse, the enemy decided to give him that reason... Theyre rotating, yo! Lars announced, mainly for Kai who was pushing Bot on the other side of the map. Place the ward, Yuel instructed. This is the moment. So, were really doing this, huh. Kai smiled wryly as she placed the Checkpoint Ward. This was going to be the deciding moment of the game. Either this backdoor will pay off and let Stratus deliver a sneak victory from the jaws of defeat, or theyll fail miserably and end up looking worse than bronze players. Either way, this long tortuous game will come to an end, right here and now! A few seconds after the Checkpoint Ward was placed, Yuel and Lars emerged in Bot using their cloaked Teleports. Most likely, the enemy was expecting them to rotate from Top to Mid in order to join the defense. But instead, Yuel and Lars were all the way in Bot! And, they came with a vengeance! BOOM! Kai blew the enemy army to pieces, eliminating the towers last line of defense. Lets go, yoooooo! Lars dashed into the tower area the moment the first allied swordsmen set foot in the area. Yuel and Kai also joined the offense, but most of the responsibility lay with Lars here. He was the only one here who could quickly take down objectives. Kais job was to clear a path for Lars, whereas Yuels role was to eventually tank tower shots and ward off incoming enemies in case anybody from the Leopards shows up. In essence, this entire stage was prepared for Lars to do his thing! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Lars ravaged the tower with his cutlass! He has almost never switched to this melee stance during combat because he felt more comfortable using a gun. However, when it came to pushing objectives, the cutlass had objectively superior DPS, and there was no place for error against a static target anyway. As such, Lars hacked away at the tower without holding anything back! An enemy Turret has been destroyed! The tower crumbled within seconds. It was already at 40% HP from previous pushes, which was the reason Yuel chose it as the target for this operation. Bot was the only lane in which the team wasnt losing too badly. Therefore, any potential backdoor had to pass through here. Heck yeah, lets gooooo! Lars pumped a fist. The enemy tower crumbled before the enemy even had a chance to react. However, this wasnt the end of this play. No, it was just the beginning! The trio pressed onward, eying the Bot Golem next. They were planning to go all the way with this push! Its a race. Yuel thought. Lets see who takes out the Colossus first. Or, maybe Cato will play it safe and order his troops to fall back and defend, which is a win in my book either way. So, how was the enemy going to react to this surprise backdoor!? Vol.14 Ch.42: When Things Dont Go According to Plan... An allied Turret has been destroyed! The Leopards Bot Turret crumbled to pieces. It happened in a blink of an eye. One moment, Beat was pushing Bot alone. The next moment, Chessmaster and Gunz joined the offense and made quick work of the tower. By the time William and Ronald finished rotating from Top to Mid to join the next big push, the tower in Bot was already gone. The team had no time to respond to this play at all. Whoa, these mad lads! Ronald exclaimed. Did they teleport there!? Wild shit! And, it looks like they plan to keep pushing, William added. Pft, haha! Ronald laughed. Are they seriously trying to backdoor us? It sure seems that way, Sonya replied. And, they might actually have enough manpower to brute force it. How do we respond? Everybody turned their eyes on Cato, the captain. As the shot-caller, it was his job to decide how the team will answer this push. Hmm. Ahem. Cato cleared his throat. Lets see... This development came out of left field. One moment, all the pieces were organized on the board, then the next moment everything fell into chaos. I need to reevaluate the entire situation from scratch. Cato frowned. What is Yuels agenda here? Is this just a ditch effort attack? No, it looks too organized to be just that. Whats more, Yuel was actively participating in this attack. So, this clearly wasnt a case of his teammates going haywire or anything like that. It looked like a legit attempt at backdooring. But, could that enemy trio really push the lane fast enough? It was nonsensical. All of Leopards'' members were gathered in Mid right now. So, if both sides race for the Colossus, then surely the Leopards will win. Sure, Pirate is good for pushing and Druid can tank with his ult, but is that really going to be enough? I dont see how. Then again, Im not an expert on aggressive attacks like this. Between the two of them, Yuel was the expert on offense. He was probably way more familiar with scenarios like this than Cato. Therefore, if Yuel decided to gamble on an attack like this, then it must have a real chance of succeeding. In that case, it was best to have a few members recall to base and stop the backdoor at once. Or, maybe this was all one big elaborate trap? Maybe this aggressive offense was just meant to spook the Leopards and make them give up on their current plans of pushing Mid? That, too, sounded like a very Yuel-like plan. Same as in chess, Yuel used his aggression with flexibility and creativity in Classmancers. He delivered the kind of plays Cato simply couldnt fathom. Earth to Cato, Sonya said. Whats our response? Ah, err... Cato stuttered. Push or retreat, which was the right call here? Retreating was the safer option, but it might set the team back too much. They might even lose their overwhelming map control, which will give the enemy a real chance to make a comeback. On the other hand, carelessly pushing Mid might lead straight to defeat if the enemy can really outrace them. Itll boil down to a speedrunning competition, something that the majority of Leopards werent exactly into. Worst of all, no matter which play Cato goes for, itll be his fault if they fail. My, my. What a nasty check you placed me in, Yuel. Cato grimaced. Against desperate odds, at the very end of the game, Yuel found a way to launch such an irritating check! Truly, that boy had the knack for getting under peoples skin. A very respectable skill, no doubt. Were wasting time, William said. Theyve already reached the Golem. Indeed, as he said, the trio of Chessmaster, Beat, and Gunz arrived at the Bot Golem. And without further ado, the Druid summoned forth his Ents to tank the Golems attacks Meanwhile, the Bomber blew away all the minions to clear the path. At the same time, the Pirate sniped the Golems gem in order to disable its skill resistance. After that, all three of them joined forces to assault the Golem. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. There was no time to waste. The enemys attack was already knocking on the Leopards front door. They had to decide on their response now, and yet their captain... Curses! Cato felt sweat on his forehead. I need more time to analyze this unfamiliar position. I wasnt ready for this! Unfortunately, Classmancers wasnt like chess. The board wasnt frozen in time while Cato was examining all angles. Every second he spent analyzing the position brought the enemy one second closer to destroying the Golem and reaching the Colossus. Time was of the essence, Cato understood that much. And yet, he couldnt come to a decision. For the better or the worse, this wasnt the first time such a thing happened. So, his teammates were somewhat familiar with these situations. There he is, the fragile captain. William sighed. He always makes sure to prepare for every possible situation, just so he can act like hes on top of things. But, the moment something sudden and unexpected happens... Theres no time, William said. We can outrace them easily, so lets attack. Droid is considered a Hyper Carry for a reason. As if to illustrate his point, William summoned not one, not two, but straight up FIVE Assault Drones at once! He was ready to wage war on the Mid Golem. Our minions arent here yet, Sonya pointed out. Then, you tank for us. I suppose I can, but... Sonya glanced at Cato. Though she agreed that pushing would probably be better here, she still wanted the captain to have the last word. Alas, there was no hint of the captain reaching a decision anytime soon. He was still frowning, lost in thought. I also think we should push, Matthew said. I think Droid can outrace their push. Right, a late-game Droid should be able to... Cato mumbled. Alright, lets do that. Yeah, that sounds splendid! Ill trust Matts gut on this one, hes usually right about these things. Besides, it looks like everybody agrees its best to push. Even though Cato usually ordered everybody around like chess pieces, its not like the team was made from a bunch of brainless tools. They were all top-tier players, trained by none other than Rodriguez, the man who valued independent thinking above anything. So of course, these guys were capable of thinking for themselves and reaching their own conclusions. I suppose I can rely on their judgment every now and then. Cato took a deep breath. The tension gradually lifted and his focus returned. This was a rare case in which the pieces on the board dictated the strategy for the strategist. That was fine every once in a while, but it shouldnt become a habit. Truth to be told, this dependency on the chess piece was a sign of Catos incompetence as a strategist. It was a little embarrassing, really. But, it was alright. Nobody was perfect. Ill just have to properly review this scenario after the match, to make sure next time Ill be ready for shenanigans like this. Cato made a mental note and moved on. Alright, cover me. William charged into the Golem area after Sonya. I got your back, bro! Ronald cast Ray of Light inside the Golems area to provide healing to both the tank and his brother. Im disabling the core. William pointed his laser gun toward the Golems head. Specifically, toward the gem on the Golems forehead. Unfortunately, the Golem wasnt very cooperative. The giant humanoid lump of rock moved around while lifting a big boulder. During this entire animation, it was too hard to land an accurate shot on the core. I did see Gunz do it, though. William grimaced. But, I dont have that level of accuracy. So, I better wait for the right moment. Once the Golem finished lifting the boulder over its head - that was the cue. ZAP! A laser beam traveled straight toward the Golems head! CRACK. The gem shattered to pieces. With that, the Golem lost its resistance to skill damage. This gave Matthew the green light to go on the offensive with his spells. Except, Matthew already cast his Whirlwind before the gem even shattered. He installed the hurricane about a second ahead of time, trusting that William wont miss his shot. There was no time to waste, so the DoT of Whirlwind had to start ticking ASAP. This was a race against the enemys backdoor, so the Leopards had to play fast. Ill keep the defenders busy, Cato informed. While everybody was focused on taking down the Golem, Cato invaded deeper into enemy territory in order to confront the enemy defenders, InformationBlackhole and VanishingFlower. As the Jungler, Cato had the most threatening burst damage here. He could use it to help destroy the Golem faster, but thatd be a waste of his kit. Instead, it was best to do what Junglers did best: assault enemy players! First, lets box you in. Cato activated The Kings Dominion, encircling the area with lions. The blockade trapped both Blackhole and Vanishing before they could escape. Now, who do I take out first? Cato weighed his options. VanishingFlower had access to Izuna Drop, undoubtedly the most threatening weapon here. If she approached any of the pushers, then she might be able to kill some of them in one fell swoop. And, there was also the invisibility from her Shadow Clone to consider. She could place a lot of pressure on everybody by making her position temporarily unknown. Worst of all, she can also escape this lockdown once her Suriken comes out of cooldown. Vanishing fired her Backflip Shuriken a short while ago, using it as a mid-range attack to avoid getting too close to the attackers. Because of that, she couldnt jump out of the lion lockdown quite yet, but thatll change in the next few seconds. Above everything else, I feel like shes underperforming today. Cato analyzed. Maybe shes nervous, or maybe she isnt feeling well. Either way, its clear shes suffering in some way~ As such, out of the two targets in front of him, Vanishing was the least likely to give him a fight. It should be that much easier to finish her off first, and then decide what to do with Blackhole. So, its settled. Cato charged at Vanishing, ignoring Blackhole for now. First, lets take out the fragile threat off the board. But of course, that was all easier said than done. While locked in such a small space, both enemies became quickly aware of Catos intentions. So, how were they going to respond...? Vol.14 Ch.43: The Leopards Rush In! Nia! Vincent called out. I believe their mighty Lion is planning to target you! You must confront it at once! E-Eh!? Nia jumped. In her drowsy state, it took her a moment to process this sudden development. Most of the enemies were going hard at the Golem, about to demolish it. However, while that was taking place, a wall of lions suddenly appeared! Whats more, a lion man was charging straight at Nia! Scary! G-Gotta run! Nia turned her back to the incoming threat and made a break for it. Wait! Vincent called out. We cannot escape this prison. As such, our only choice is to take down the warden! He coated his body and blade in flames and rushed to intercept the assaulter. Let us join hands! Vincent implored. Together, we can smite down this foolhardy invader! Alas, his pleas fell on deaf ears. Nia continued running away, half startled and half sleepy. Her movements were fueled by nothing but pure instinct, as her mind was a mess at the moment. And, what did these instincts tell her in this case? Scary! Gotta run! Thats all Nia could think about. In this limbo state between sleeplessness and alertness, she could only think about her own survival and nothing else. Unfortunately, running away was futile. Inside The Kings Dominion, none could outrun the king. Among the various buffs the Lionfolk received inside his domain, a Movement Speed buff was included as well. And so, Rook caught up to Nia within moments. CLAW! CLAW! Sharp blades pierced her back, deleting big chunks of her HP! A-Ah! Nia trembled. She was like a hapless rabbit at the mercy of a big lion. The predator was faster than her and there was nowhere to run. CLAW! One of the lion guards clawed Nia as well, telling her she wasnt welcome here. At some point in her daze, she rammed into the edge of the prison without realizing it. This was a dead end. CLAW! CLAW! The Lionfolks vicious attacks didnt stop. Each strike hit home, filling with intense killing intent. There was nowhere to run. Nothing to do. It was over Nia! Vincent called out again. Your foe is within arms reach! You can use your ult to turn the tables on him! Eh? Nia blinked in confusion. Her brain was like swiss cheese. Fortunately, before her HP fell below 20%, she finally figured out what Vincent was talking about: Izuna Drop! Right! Hes so close that I can hit him! Nia turned around. She was on the verge of death with nowhere to run, but she wasnt dead yet. Whats more, she had this powerful trump card at her disposal, one that only worked at point-blank. And, her opponent placed himself at the perfect range for it! I-I can still do it! Nia turned around and went for Izuna Drop! The Lionfolk was right in front of her. Yes, he was that easy to grab! And, thats precisely why this turned out to be a misplay... Eh? Nia blinked in confusion. She intended to give the Lionfolk a deadly hug, yet her arms passed through empty air. Her target was nowhere in sight. Muhaha! Cato laughed maniacally on the inside, like a mastermind whose genius plan came together just right. When it became clear that Vanishing was turning around, Cato already started rolling to the side. He knew that the ult was coming but he didnt have the necessary reaction speed to respond to plays like that in the last split second, so he had to roll ahead of time. Against skilled opponents, an early roll like that could have failed miserably. However, Vanishing wasnt a prodigy and she has been underperforming the entire game, so an early roll was more than enough to counter her obvious ult. She mustve panicked. Poor girl~ Cato smiled impishly. Now, time to continue the attack. Despite all the flawless predictions Cato did, he still took extra safety measures just in case. So, he rolled a little far from his opponent, to make sure Vanishing wont be able to grab him with her ult even if she were to notice the roll in time. Because of that, it took him one extra second to close the distance to his prey again. But, now he was back in range again. Time to finish this. He opened a relentless assault once more. This time, Cato didnt have a single worry during his offense. After all, his opponent was effectively fangless without Izuna Drop. Therefore, Cato could attack, attack, and attack to his hearts content~! CLAW! The sharp claws slashed across Vanishings body, delivering hefty damage. The hit must have shaken Vanishing awake, as she finally started moving again. Like before, the girl made a pitiful attempt to escape from certain death. However, it seemed her Backflip Shuriken hasnt come off cooldown yet, so Shadow Clone was the only remaining escape tool at her disposal. Alas, amidst the panic, it seemed like she had forgotten about it entirely. Or, did she...? Heed me, o phantom of vanishing! Vincent exclaimed. Cloak thyself in invisibility so you can escape thy pursuer! Vincent was confident he delivered the advice very clearly, yet it seemed his words only served to confuse Nia. In her sleepy state, Vincents theatrics failed to deliver the message. Your Shadow Clone! Vincent implored. Use it! You can escape the- The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. CLAW! Sharp blades slashed across Nias back, delivering a fatal blow. An ally has been killed! The Ninja collapsed on the floor, unable to run anymore. Curses! Vincent grimaced. Worry not, for I shall avenge you! Vincent was already in a position to strike the Lionfolk. His body was cloaked in flames and his blade was on fire. He was ready to wage war and smite down this bold invader! However... Vincent, retreat, Yuel ordered. Youre still inside his ult, so you wont win a 1v1. Ah, that is indeed correct! For a moment there, Vincent almost forgot he was still within The Kings Dominion, Rooks personal Reality Marble. In this accursed space, the laws of physics twisted in the Lionfolks favor, leaving all his foes powerless. As much as Vincent wanted to avenge Nia - this was no time to act emotional. Retreating was the only viable option. Apologies, Chessmaster, Vincent said. Youre correct. I shall retreat at once! Vincent turned his back to Rook and dashed away. It was quite ironic, in fact. This entire time, he has been rushing over there to save Nia, but the moment he nearly reached his destination - he had to do a 180 and run in the opposite direction. It was a terrible performance. Im most certain that Chessmaster will chew me out about this in the next match review. Vincent smiled wryly. Fortunately, Rook is a cautious fellow. He seems to be offering a truce. Even though Vincent was still in The Kings Dominion, Rook didnt chase him further. Perhaps that cautious strategy deemed it too risky to extend any further into enemy territory. Or, maybe Vincents dark flames instilled terror as they radiated from his entire body. Regardless of the reason, Rook turned around and joined the attack on the Golem. Oh, thats right! Vincent remembered. My own life should be the least of my concerns right now! Our Golem is still under heavy fire! The entire enemy team ganged up on the Golem and made quick work of the rocky fellow. However, at the same time An enemy Golem has been destroyed! Despite all odds, the backdoor team of Chessmaster, Gunz, and Beat won the first lap of the race! They trampled the enemy Golem and opened a path to the Colossus, the ultimate win condition! Spectacular! Vincent exclaimed. To think that a strike team of just three players can outrace the enemys entire force! No, its not that amazing. Yuel thought. All of this was already within his calculations. We had the initiative and I used my ult to tank the Golem before minions arrived. On the other hand, the Leopards hadnt used any of their ults yet, save for the Lionfolks which wasnt great for pushes anyway. Clearly, the enemies were saving their most deadly weapons for the Colossus. And yet, even though they were so conservative with their resources An allied Golem has been destroyed! The enemys push shortly caught up to the backdoor. It was only natural, really. Even though Yuels group had a head-start, the enemy was pushing with a full team of 5 players. Soon enough, theyll outrace Stratus backdoor. I hoped Vincent and Nia would do a better job stalling their push, but it seems like Cato took that into account. Catos quick assault messed up the defenders formation and threw them into disarray. As a result, Vincent and Nia couldnt focus on their jobs as defenders, as they had their hands full dealing with Cato instead. That little attack allowed the rest of the Leopards to push the Golem without slowdowns. It was most certainly the best line of play Cato could''ve gone for in that situation. But, thats still within expectations. Yuel thought. Were heading toward one of the more troublesome scenarios here, but Ive already analyzed it all the same. Lets recall, Yuel said. We need to defend the base. Say what??? Lars blinked. Werent we going to backdoor to victory!? Im pretty sure I already explained the plan... Yuel sighed. Yeah, you did. Kai started recalling. This was just an aggressive diversion. We were going to retreat after the Golem either way. Oh, right! I totally remember that, haha! Lars laughed awkwardly as he also booted Recall. Gotta say tho, we were doing such a great job, so I thought we gonna push all the way. I wish it was that easy, Yuel said. Were not dealing with amateurs here. The Leopards judged the situation correctly and realized they can outrace us, so we have to adjust accordingly. So, whats the big plan for this scenario, again? Lars asked. We return to base and defend, Yuel explained it briefly as they teleported back to base. Wait, thats it? I remember you had some amazing secret plan. Im not sure what you call amazing, but this is the entire plan. Our enemies are rushing to victory right now in order to outrace our backdoor, so well catch them off guard by returning to base. Thats ought to give us a chance to turn the tables on them. In order words, Kai paraphrased. Its a surprise counterattack. Oh, I like the sound of that! Lars grinned. So, when you say we gonna defend, you actually mean we gonna go for the kill on these dudes with a counterattack, right!? It depends on the situation, Yuel explained. But yes, Im hoping we can turn the tables on them and get a few kills. If not, then this game is as good as lost. Roger! Lars gave a thumbs up. Its time to go ham, yoooooo! Just dont overdo it. Were in a 4v5 situation here. No problemo! The trio teleported to the base and dashed to confront the enemy invaders. As expected, the entire enemy team hastily rushed into the Colossuss area and already opened a swift attack. The Droid was employing all five of his drones, barraging the Colossus with countless laser beams. His strength as a hyper-carry shined at this stage of the game, allowing him to melt the HP of the giant statue. Likewise, the rest of the Leopards didnt pull any punches either. Merlin unleashed Hurricane, wrapping the Colossus in a giant storm. The ult dealt heavy damage per tick while simultaneously making it dangerous for Stratus to approach the area. Rook and Challenger contributed to the assault with ranged basic attacks, while Theorist was right in the Colossus face, tanking the entire operation until more minions arrive. It was a devastating five-man band push. The Colossuss HP plummeted by the moment. However, despite the enemy holding all that firepower on their side, Stratus Colossus refused to fall that easily. Though its HP was going down at a high speed, it wasnt going to collapse that quickly. The main reason for that was the lack of enemy minions in the vicinity. The presence of minions shredded the defenses of tower objectives, but the Leopards were currently pushing without any soldiers on their side. Good. Yuel nodded. Even a defensive team like this isnt immune to feeling the need to rush to victory every now and then. Under normal circumstances, it was unthinkable for the Leopards to commit to a big push like this without any minions on their side. 99 times out of 100, they wouldve retreated from an objective as soon as their minions perished. The only occasional exceptions to that rule were Winner and Challenger, but these two were exceptions among the Leopards in almost every way possible. So, they didnt count here. As such, the fact that ALL the Leopards were pushing so hastily right now proved that Stratus backdoor successfully put pressure on them. This was the big chance Yuel was trying to create! Theres no question that theyre superb at playing defense. Yuel admitted. There havent been any weaknesses for me to strike the entire game. But now, as theyre throwing their everything into offense - I might finally find an opening! This entire last-ditch plan was riding on this dodgy premise. If piercing through the enemys defenses was impossible, then it was necessary to first force these turtles out of their shells. Then, an opportunity would present itself for sure! In this situation, with the Leopards fully committed to rushing the endgame, there might finally be a chance to turn this depressing game around! Vol.14 Ch.44: Surprise Recall The Leopards were pouring their everything into a rushed assault on the Colossus. They probably still thought that Yuel, Lars, and Kai were pushing down in Bot. If so, the Leopards were in for a surprise. The backdoor trio actually returned to base to deliver a surprise counterattack! Welcome back, warriors of purgatory! Vincent greeted the brave heroes. It was unfortunate that he was the only one here to greet them, but such was the dire situation at hand. Even though this was a 4v5 situation, the enemy team was clearly rushing here. As such, Stratus had more than enough opportunity to gain the upper hand. Theyve even spent all their dangerous tools. Yuel analyzed the situation at hand. Rook used his ult to kill Nia, Winner summoned all five of his drones, and Merlin used Hurricane on the Colossus. Just like that, the enemy team threw away three of their most dangerous tools. There was only one more dangerous tool that was possibly still on the table. Have their Monk used her ult? Yuel asked. Non, not yet, Vincent reported. It appears the TheTheorist is still in the middle of formulating the ultimate winning theory. She refuses to let go of her trump card so easily. I see. Yuel frowned. Smart play. Unlike Droids Assault Drones and Aeromancers Hurricane, Asura Strike delivered all of its deadly damage in a burst. As such, there was no hurry to spend it early even as the enemy was rushing to seal the deal. Most likely, Theorist was saving her ult until the Colossus was on its deathbed, thats when shell finish it off in one fell swoop. Until then, she preferred to save it in case shell need the Chakra for something else. Even though they should be panicking, theyre not slipping up. Yuel nodded in respect. Looks like turning the tables on them would be harder than I expected. But, we have no choice but to do it, here and now! Your top priorities are the Droid and the Monk, Yuel explained. The Droid is self-explanatory. As for the Monk, she still hasnt used her ult, so its best to eliminate her before she gets the chance to drop that burst on the Colossus. Okey-dokey! Got it. The trio rendezvoused with Vincent and the counterattack began! Will they be able to strike down the invaders and turn the game around? Everything was riding on this last line of defense! Only one team will walk away victorious from this battle. Kai, shoot your ult from the base, Yuel instructed. Wait, Im not joining the fight? Kai asked. We need to scatter them first. Your ult is the best for that. Okay, got it. Kai backed away deeper into the teams base, the safest place in their territory. Here, nobody would dare to assault her while shell be providing artillery support. Vincent, once they scatter around, try to keep their Monk away from everybody, including the Colossus. Very well, it shall be done! Vincent saluted. Just make sure youre careful. Your job is to make sure the Monk doesnt get a chance to ult anybody, which includes you, too. A difficult task, indeed. Vincent nodded in understanding. Just to be clear, between stopping Theorist from ulting the Colossus and stopping her from ulting myself, which one possesses the higher priority? Hrm... Yuel frowned. The guy just had to ask such a difficult question during this complicated situation. Itll depend on the Colossuss remaining HP, but if I had to say... Ill have to sacrifice myself, will I not? Perhaps. Very well! Vincent nodded. I shall gladly offer my life to save our team from ruin! Just so were clear, that doesnt mean youre supposed to suicide on her, Kai pointed out. You really like that kind of shit, dont you? But of course! Vincent announced proudly. Theres no greater honor than dying in a blaze of glory while saving the rest of my nakama! ............. Everybody gave him a cold look, except for Lars who nodded with respect for some reason. A-Alright, alright. Vincent caved in. I heard your pleas loud and clear. Worry not, for I shall not forfeit my life needlessly! I sure hope so. Yuel sighed. Okay, as for our last target - Lars, you focus on the Droid together with me. We have to eliminate him first. Got it! Lars grinned. Are we gonna do any of our usual tricks? Ill fire my CC at the right time. You follow up on whatever happens next. Gotcha! These vague instructions were more than enough to give Lars an idea of what to do. After all, the two of them have played so many games together. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. They developed countless tricks and combos that became second nature to them at this point. As such, they knew exactly how to follow up on each others plays without much explanation needed. And so, everybodys positions were decided. Amidst this tense, complicated, and chaotic situation, Yuel calmly assigned everybody their roles. Okay, this should work. Yuel sighed in relief. He made it look easy, but it was actually extremely stressful. He had to analyze so many factors and consider so many possible lines of play in order to come up with one solid plan here. Fortunately, he was prepared for a development like this ahead of time, so he made some of these calculations all the way back when they were pushing Bot. Thanks to that preparation, the defenders were now ready to efficiently fend off the assaulters! The counterattack started off with a loud BOOM! Kai fired off a giant bomb from a canon. Her target was none other than the teams Colossus. Or, more specifically, the area surrounding it, as it was crawling with enemies that had to be wrecked! The Colossuss surroundings turned into a danger zone that was painted in a threatening red. The enemy saw this mark as well, which gave them about a second and a half to respond. Snap! Ronald casually backpedaled to safety. This is dangerous as heck, man! Tch! William barely rolled out of the danger zone in the nick of time. He had no choice but to fight deep inside enemy territory until now because his attacks were carrying the entire push. Nonetheless, he managed to get away from the bombardment in time, if only thanks to his reaction speed. Phew. Matthew also stepped out of the danger zone just before the bomb landed. It took him a moment to react to this sudden development, but he was already close to the edge, so he didnt have to retreat much. It was a good thing he constantly maintained a distance from the Colossus, just in case. This push was super risky, so a development like this wasnt entirely unexpected. And so, three out of five players fled the danger zone in time. On the other hand, Cato and Sonya werent as fortunate. Agh! Sonya flinched as a giant bomb exploded right in her face! As the tank, her role was to fight in the Colossuss face. As such, she had no chance of escaping that bombardment in time. Maybe if I had Jennys reaction speed then I couldve done something. Sonyas shoulders slumped. Oh well. Curses! Cato ranted. He was the only melee fighter in the team aside from Sonya, so he had to stick close to the Colossus as well. Coupled with the fact his reaction speed was nothing to write home about, Caro also had no chance of dodging this big damage. Of course, he tried to roll away, but his response came far too late... Awesome. I just gave them a fifth of my HP for free. Cato grumped as he glanced at his HP bar, or rather at what was left of it. This one bomb erased 20%, and it was only the first bomb of the upcoming bombardment. So, theyve returned to defend. I see... Cato muttered. This was all rather unexpected. Theyre all here, Sonya reported. Whats our move? Um, we... Cato frowned. I want to scream RETREAT!!!, but should we, really? Theyll chase us hard, Im pretty sure. We wont be able to get out of here unscratched. And, were already so close to winning... The enemy Colossus was down to 30% HP. Furthermore, allied minions were about to join the fray. Truly, the team was a short distance away from finishing this game. But, should they really go for one extra final push under these harsh circumstances? Which one is Yuels real trap? Cato wondered. Does he want us to push or retreat? I seriously cant tell. This entire scenario was one giant script Yuel wrote. He mustve prepared for all the likely possibilities and adjusted his calls accordingly. First, there was the unexpected backdoor that put the Leopards in a 50-50 situation: push or retreat. It seemed like a gamble, but Yuel probably analyzed both lines of play in depth. At the time, retreating seemed like a bad choice because it was going to let the enemy get away with that backdoor for free. So naturally, pushing was the option thatll give Stratus the most trouble, right? Right, Will? Right!? Cato felt like complaining to the one who steered the team in this direction. But, I dont have the right to complain. Back then, Cato was stuck in analysis paralysis. So, William already did more than him by at least making some kind of call in that difficult situation. I have nobody to blame but myself. Cato bit his lip. And now, yet again, Im wasting time because I cant come to a decision. Some pro-level shot-caller I am, haha... Unexpected situations like this were the worst. They were like an Achilles heel in Catos otherwise foolproof shot-calling. He was always on top of things as long as he did his homework and prepared for all the likely lines of plays. But, once something completely unexpected happened - it threw him off his game in a big way. It was such a pain. I have to admit, Yuel planned all of this so damn well. That backdoor wasnt just some desperate attack. He was prepared to come back to defend from the get-go. He knew his teams advantages all too well. When it came to dominating the late-game, the Leopards were better equipped as a whole. They had a hyper-carry in Droid and a one-shot expert in Monk. With these two giant threats, merely allowing the Leopards to reach the late-game was almost as good as handing them the game. Nonetheless, Stratus team composition also had its own share of advantages. Most notably, their team fighting potential. BAM! Another big bomb was launched into the air as if to agree with Catos analysis. A second wave of the bombardment was coming! Curses! At least give me some time to think! This second bomb intended to drop in Catos general area, aiming to hit him, Ronald, and William all at once. And, the radius of these atom bombs was nothing to sneeze at. But, I might make it out! Cato dashed to the edge of the red zone. There was no time to think about anything but evacuating as fast as possible. Getting hit a second time by this bomb would be far too devastating! These giant bombs werent just regular bombs. They were actually a cluster of smaller bombs that were glued together into one big bomb. Upon hitting an enemy, this cluster of bombs attached 2 Sticky Bombs to the target if they had less than that. This is how Cato ended up carrying two bombs on his chest right now. Now, if another big bomb hits him, then all the Sticky Bombs on him will blow up, dealing extra damage. I believe Ill lose between 30% to 40% HP from this. Cato gulped as he hurried to safety. Fortunately, he wasnt the primary target of this second bombardment. He was rather far from the center of the red circle, so he managed to dash out of the area in time. But, that begged the question: if Cato wasnt the primary target, then who was? A trivial question, of course. Any half-competent team would choose to prioritize the same target in this situation: the hyper-carry! Vol.14 Ch.45: Primary Target: AbsoluteWinner! BAM! A second bombardment resounded. Cato hurried to safety, but as expected he wasnt the primary target. It was William who found himself in the center of the danger zone. And, without a Dodge Roll, not even his fast reaction speed was enough to get him out of this. Tch! William grimaced as the loud shockwave hit him. Despite his speedy retreat, he failed to get out of the danger zone in time. The blast erased 25% of his HP in an instant. But, that was just the beginning. While the enemies were bombarding him from afar, they were also looking for an opportunity to CC him from mid-range. Hes eying me, I can tell. William made sure to keep an eye on the enemys positions, to make sure they dont catch him off-guard at any point. The enemy Druid was casually getting closer, no doubt searching for an opportunity to fire his Natures Grasp. It seemed like Chessmaster was trying to somewhat conceal his intent but it was way too obvious. Unfortunately for you, Im used to being targeted. William thought. When its something that happens to you all the time, you develop a sixth sense for it. Thats why, even as William retreated away from the Bombers bombs, he made sure to stay out of Chessmasters reach. But, it might be necessary to put an end to that soon. Hes leading me. William frowned. If I keep running away from him like this, Ill just get closer to the other enemies. Tch. There was also the distance from the Colossus to consider. This entire push was riding on the DPS of William and his drones, so he couldnt stray too far from the Colossus. Therefore, even as he was running away from the bombardment, William continued shooting the Colossus at every opportunity. And, every time he fired a shot, his five drones followed suit. Fortunately, the little mechanical fellows were immune to skill damage, so the bombardment didnt harm them at all. Only basic attacks could eliminate them, and none of these were going to hit them as long as William maintained a perfect distance from his foes. But, for how long will he be able to keep doing this? And, will his drones even last until the end of this push? William had been using the same five drones ever since they started pushing the Golem a while ago. The Assault Drones had a very long lifespan, but it wasnt infinite. Their expiration date was fast approaching. Honestly, I wont have any qualms about retreating at this point. William admitted. They played us well with that backdoor. Now, I cant even say for sure that my decision to push was the correct one. William glanced at Cato, the captain who was supposed to decide the fate of this push. At this moment, if Cato were to order a retreat, then William might actually agree. The Leopards still had an overall map advantage, so there was no need to risk the entire game on this one push. They could easily retreat and regroup. Well, calling it easy might be an understatement, but Im sure most of us can get out of here alive if we play well. But, at the same time, were one step away from winning this... William was conflicted about this, and so was Cato apparently. The guy was frowning, grimacing, biting his lip, and showing literally every sign of stress and hard thinking. It didnt seem like he was going to come to a decision any time soon. Fragile as always against sudden unexpected developments. William sighed. It looks like Ill have to make the call this time too. Sigh. How I hate this. Im sure Coach will chew me out on this if I make the wrong move. Nonetheless, somebody had to make a decision here. And, even though the team considered Cato the shot-caller, in practice Rodriguez didnt assign such a role to any one player in particular. The coach always implored the players to think for themselves and share their own opinions. He didnt want one player to monopolize the entire strategic front of the team, so anybody here was as equally qualified as Cato to make shot-calls for the team, at least on paper. Besides, its nothing official or anything, but I essentially have the second-highest authority in the team. William thought. So, when Cato cant make a decision, the responsibility naturally falls on me. Sigh. I didnt sign up for this Alas, life was never easy. Cato was still stuck in analysis paralysis while the important decision had to be made ASAP. Certainly, in a couple more seconds, Cato will finish analyzing this complicated situation. Then, hell finally be ready to make his call, and itll likely be a good call. But, that wasnt good enough. In this fast-developing situation, every single second was a matter of life and death. The Leopards couldnt wait that long for a decision. They had to decide right here, right now. And so, William had no choice but to make the call. After much inner struggle, he decided to continue the initial plan. They were going to wrap up this game, right here and right now! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Lets continue the- RELEASE THE- A loud shout interrupted his instruction! Before William could finish the sentence, the enemy made the decision for him. Damn, I messed up! William realized his bad position only now. While he was busy thinking about the situation while simultaneously maintaining ideal distance from both the Colossus and the Druid, the enemy Pirate was creeping up to him. And before long, William found himself within range of a Kraken attack! To make things worse, his Dodge Roll was still on cooldown. And, the upcoming Kraken was perfectly summoned with William dead in the center. In other words, no form of escape was available to him. There was only one thing William could do as the sea beast threatened to squash him. ZAP! He fired another laser beam at the Colossus, and all five of his drones followed suit. Attacking the Colossus, thats the only thing he could still do before he loses the ability to act. He was the Carry, so it was his job to deliver as much damage as possible on the Colossus, even on the brink of his own death. - KRAKEN! The giant sea monster emerged from under William, pushing him aside before slamming him hard into the ground. The execution was flawless, as expected from Gunz. Yoooo! I actually got em! Lars pumped a fist. He really went over there, just like ya said! Good work. Yuel nodded in satisfaction. This guy really is a Zone Dominator, as Vincent dubbed him. AbsoluteWinner excelled at maintaining optimal spacing against any threat source, and even against multiple threats at the same time. It was nigh impossible to catch the guy overextending or in a bad position. But, in the end, Winner was only human. He wasnt some quantum computer that could solve all the spacing problems in parallel. Once enough threats targeted him at the same time from different angles, maintaining optimal spacing became a trap that boxed him within a predictable area. He did a great job distancing himself from me while keeping the Colossus within attack range, while also paying attention to where he might be bombarded next. But, that also made it that much easier to lead him into this trap. It was simply impossible for Winner to space himself perfectly against Druids Natures Grasp, Bombers Bombardment, and Pirates Kraken all at once, while also sticking close to the Colossus at the same time. It was like a math problem with more variables than equations. But, it was still too early to celebrate. Lars, we need to finish him off quickly, Yuel said. On it! Lars dashed toward the pinned-down target. The Krakens damage alone wasnt nearly enough to take out Winner, so Lars had to finish this with his own two hands! But, this was a risky attack. The enemy might aggress on Lars in order to defend their Carry. However, Yuel had a plan for how to mitigate the risk. Kai, bombard the area around them. Got it! Kai aimed her third and last bomb in a general area around Lars and Winner. This bombardment should discourage the enemy from thoughtlessly advancing on Lars. But, whether this threat was going to actually work or not, was another story entirely. We got no choice but to keep attacking now, William spoke while still buried under the weight of the Krakens tentacles. Retreating isnt an option anymore. Im sure you agree, Cato? R-Right... Cato frowned. Before he could make a proper decision, the enemy already decided everything for him. From start to end, Yuel has been pulling the strings behind this entire play. I dont like this, not one bit. Cato thought. But, theres no choice but to play along. The Colossus is almost dead. We just need to protect William for a few more seconds, then victory is ours. Ronald! Cato called out. We have to protect William, so lets- BAM! The third and last bomb launched into the air! And, where was the marked target area? Naturally, it was right around William! Gah-!? Cato gasped and hit the brakes. He still had Sticky Bombs on him from the previous hit, so he couldnt carelessly step into the danger area again. Perhaps some people called him kinky, but he definitely wasn''t into throwing his entire HP bar out of the window. C-Curses! Cato grit his teeth. Did Yuel plan all of this!? Did he think that far ahead!? This bombardment was like a death threat. The bomb wont immediately kill Cato, but itll leave him too injured to pose a real threat. Hell be hanging on a thread from that point onward, and the enemy will surely eliminate him at the first opportunity. As much as I want to, I cant step forward. Cato grit his teeth as his fingers hovered over the WASD keys. He wanted to press forward, but he couldn''t. It was too dangerous and inefficient. On the other hand, there was somebody who completely ignored the danger and plunged headfirst into the danger. Broooooo! Ronald dashed into the red area while booting his Blinding Light, coating himself in light. Im coming!!! He blinked forward with Flash, appearing right between his brother and the fast-appraoching Gunz. At this moment, he was going to transcend his humanity and become an absolute meat shield for his older brother! But, it wasnt just some empty suicide. As abrupt and as thoughtless as the move seemed, Ronald actually put a lot of thought into it! At least, he believed he did... BOOM! The big bomb crashed into the floor, blowing up Ronald and his brother! But, Ronald didnt have any Sticky Bombs on him, so the damage wasnt that scary. More importantly, his Blinding Light! The light exploded around him at almost the same time as the bomb, making it very difficult for the enemy to respond. And so, Ronald successfully robbed Gunz of his vision! Flawlessly calculated! And, Gunz wasnt the only one affected. In the heat of this chaotic moment, with two eye-stabbing visual effects overlapping, all the enemies in the vicinity were exposed to Blinding Light. Yo! Lars exclaimed. My screen is totally white! Dude, lemme look at yours real quick! He craned his neck to check out what was actually happening on the scene. But, all he saw on Yuels monitor was sheer blankness. Wha-?! He blinded you too!? Yes. Yuel pursed his lips. I didnt expect him to jump in like that. It was a reckless move, but also very well timed. Dang, thats hella cool, yo! Lars grinned. Dude got us both. He sure did. Yuel frowned. Until now, things have been more or less going according to Yuels script. However, this unexpected intervention from AbsoluteChallenger threw everything into disarray. The blindness was only going to persist for a couple of seconds, but these were some critical few seconds. Lars was supposed to kill Winner and end this push in that short time, but now he was blind and had to worry about his own safety first. Amidst this unscripted chaos, was it still possible to stop the enemys push and turn the tables on them!? Vol.14 Ch.46: Taking Your Time to Think Dang, its so hard to see anything! Lars craned his neck in Kais direction, trying to see the scene from her POV. But, the distance and the angle made it very difficult to make things out. To make things worse, Kai was stationed very far from everybody, all the way back in the base. So, no matter how mechanically skilled Lars was, it was impossible for him to properly control his character while watching himself from that unnatural faraway camera. Nonetheless, there was one thing he saw very clearly: the enemy dudes were running straight at him, yooooooo! Theyre both blinded! Cato confirmed that thanks to the white sparkle around Gunz and Chessmaster, which indicated that Ronalds Blinding Light successfully hit that dangerous duo. No matter how much Yuel read ahead, he surely didnt expect anybody to charge in like that into the danger zone. At that one moment, the reckless mad lad mustve completely transcended all of Yuels predictions. It was truly quite impressive. While Cato was frozen in place, afraid to step forward, Ronald charged in to protect his brother without a second thought. And, he even used that opportunity to hit the enemy with Blinding Light. What a daredevil. Ill give credit where credit is due. Cato thought. You might be an idiot most of the time, but every now and then you pull some nice moves. Well played. Right after the enemys bomb exploded, it was Catos cue to step in! He advanced on Gunz, planning to strike down the blind opponent while the opportunity was there. So, let us begin! Cato jumped forth with Majestic Leap right after the big bomb exploded. Good, my body finally feels light and responsive again. The tension he felt earlier vanished without a trace. Cato was no longer stuck in analysis paralysis, so his actions flowed naturally now. Of course, it was unfortunate that he ultimately had no agency over this decision whatsoever. In the end, the enemy decided everything for him. But, that was fine. During the time he was stuck in analysis paralysis, Cato already analyzed both lines of plays quite extensively. Therefore, he knew exactly what to do from here on out. We take out Gunz first, Cato instructed. Totally, man! Ronald exclaimed. I gonna avenge my bro!!! Im not dead yet... William commented. And so, the Leopards second round of offense began! Ronald cast Ray of Light around Gunz, whereas Cato was already on his way to crash on the helpless foe from the air. Together, this unlikely duo was about to tear Gunz apart while the guy was blind! At least, that was the plan. A cannon appeared out of thin air right in front of Gunz. Then, BAM! The loud shot pushed Gunz backward, right as Cato was about to land on the guy. Wha-!? Cato crashed on an empty area, missing his target by a hairs breadth. Such a fast reaction speed...! My, how I hate difficult pieces like this. However, that wasnt enough to stop this offense. Far from it! You aint getting away, man! Ronald charged in. Wait! Cato called out. Dont overextend on your own. Our top priority is to defend our Carry. Imma defend bro by taking out this guy first! Ronald launched a basic attack at Gunz. The small ball of light successfully hit home. Unfortunately, the damage was quite pitiful, as expected from a Support. Cmon! Ronald urged. Lets clap this guy! Hmm. Cato took a moment to analyze their surroundings. William was still stuck under the Kraken, but hell be released shortly. So, he should be able to join the offense soon enough. Meanwhile, Matthew was staying far in the back and attacking the Colossus from as far as humanly possible. He was taking a very passive approach during this tense situation, but that was probably for the best. His damage was almost as crucial as Williams when it came to pushing the Colossus, so securing a safe position was key, even if it meant he couldnt cooperate with the others that well. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. On the other end, there was Sonya whose main role here was to tank the Colossus. She also had her Asura Strike to unload on the big guy, but she has been saving it to the very end, just to be on the safe side. That kind of caution sounded good on paper, but it was rather problematic in practice. Now, thanks to the recent chaotic developments, Sonya found herself far from the Colossus, with InformationBlackhole standing in her way. The enemy pushed Sonya away with his Aero Barrage, placing her in an awkward position. And, he threatened to assault her further with his other skills, which forced Sonya to maintain distance. Considering her low HP, she has no choice but to stay away. Cato reasoned. Now, if she tries to get any closer to deliver that Asura Strike, the enemy will probably gang on her first and remove her from the board. Then, the Colossuss aggro will shift toward one of us. As such, Sonya also had no choice but to play it safe and defensive here, even though the team as a whole was interested in continuing the push. Or rather, they had no say on the matter. Yuel forced them into a position from which pushing was the only viable option. Alrighty, I have a good idea of our own positions now. Cato nodded to himself. Next, lets check what the enemy is planning. Beat has just finished bombarding them, so she was now on her way to provide backup. But, since she was so far in the back this entire time, itll take her a couple of seconds to get to the scene. For now, she wasnt a big concern. As for Blackhole, he had his hands full dealing with Sonya. He was like a watchdog tasked with guarding one specific target. So, that left Gunz and Chessmaster isolated in this war. And, the two of them were blind, to boot. They couldnt even use each others monitors to make sense of the situation around them. Therefore, this was a great opportunity to destroy them! It took Cato a few moments to process all this data and reach this conclusion, but Ronald was already charging forward in the meantime. Could it be that this brainless oaf reached the same conclusion as Cato? This quickly? No, I bet just he isnt thinking at all. Cato smiled wryly. But Ill admit, every now and then it can be useful to have teammates who can shut off their brains and recklessly charge forward without wasting any time. Every once in a while, I wish I had this kind of ability myself. But, Cato couldnt bring himself to play like that. He had to analyze every situation from head to bottom and consider multiple lines of play before acting on any of them. This frequently slowed him down, but it also helped him to see things that others would have easily missed. For example, while Ronald was thoughtlessly charging head-first at Gunz, Cato noticed something curious from the back. Contrary to Gunz, who was busy retreating while blinded, Yuel was actually approaching the scene instead. He probably relied on the vision of some other monitor in order to find his steps. Hes advancing even though hes blinded? Cato looked behind him. Oh, I see what youre planning. Even amidst this clearly unexpected development, Yuel had no intention of backing off. He was fully committed to killing William, no matter the risk. As such, getting blinded was just a minor setback for him. My, hes an offense freak through and through. Cato smiled wryly. Well then, this calls for a slight change of plans. Instead of following in Ronalds footsteps to chase Gunz, Cato moved in to block Yuels path. Im stopping you right there, good sir. It was such an excellent counterplay. Thanks to taking a few moments longer to analyze the entire board, Cato managed to read Yuels intentions and apprehend the criminal before the crime was conducted~! Ugh, seriously? Yuel frowned. The Lionfolk moved in to block his path all of a sudden, thats what he saw through Kais monitor. What an unpleasant development. I was sure theyll both focus on Lars and Ill be able to slip by... But no, Cato didnt miss this line of play. Unlike his rush partner, Cato read the situation properly and made the correct counterplay. Despite how hectic and fast-developing the situation was, this was nonetheless a chessboard for the two of them. As such, even amidst this chaos, there was only a limited number of strong plays that each side could go for. Thus, even as all hell was breaking loose around them, Yuel and Cato still carefully read the situation in front of them and made smart decisions. This was still a battle of tactics and wits, as fast and wild as it was. And, Cato has just blocked my check. Yuel frowned. The plan was to pull Winner with Natures Grasp right before the Kraken sets him free. If Yuel could pull that off, then the team wouldve ganged on Winner and removed him from the board immediately. That wouldve likely stopped the enemys entire push right there and then. Whats more, it might have given Stratus the necessary momentum to mount a counter-attack. Truly, it was a game-deciding move. But, Cato didnt let it happen. So, whats next? I see they formed a wall around their Carry. Yuel frowned at the enemys well-organized formation. As usual, these guys were at the top of their game when it came to playing safe. Challenger was aggressing on Lars, forcing the goof to retreat. And, Cato was confronting Yuel, stopping him in his tracks. Then, on the other side of the area, Vincent was confronting Theorist. However, at the same time, Theorist was also confronting Vincent as well, keeping him away from Winner. Before they realized it, Stratus found themselves locked out. From this position, nobody could reach the enemys two strikers, Winner and Merlin. The enemy team was defending their strongest pieces quite well. So, was this the end of Yuels operation? Did Startus bold counterattack fold to the enemys unbreakable defense...? Vol.14 Ch.47: Beat vs. Winner As expected. Yuel thought. Even during such a chaotic fight, their defense is airtight. But, theres still one way to break through it. There was one ally who wasnt locked out by anybody at the moment. She had been providing artillery support from afar, but now she finally made it to the scene. Kai! Yuel called out. Get to their Droid as fast as you can and stall him so he cant shoot the Colossus. On it! Kai said that, yet she hit the brakes and turned her back toward Winners position. Then, she tossed a Satchel Charge in front of her and immediately blew it up, before it even hit the ground. BOOM! The explosion sent her flying across the area, propelling her right to Winners position. Within moments, Kai was already within shooting range, yet her opponent was still locked under the Krakens weight. However, the Kraken wont be holding him still for much longer. This will get difficult once hes free. Kai gulped and hurried to toss a Sticky Bomb at the immobile target. Its not like she was scared of Winner or anything, but she knew all too well how strong a late-game monster Droid was. And, Winner was a player who could go toe-to-toe with Lars, so he was no pushover for sure. Therefore, as much as Kai wanted to believe shell easily destroy this guy in a fight, she knew that reality was likely going to be different. The previous scrimmage has already taught her this important lesson. I have to secure an advantage here first. Kai threw a second Sticky Bomb on Winner. Now, the guy had two bombs attached to him, so it was time to finish him off with skills! Just as the Kraken started lifting his tentacles, Kai activated Minefield, scattering a bunch of small bombs around Winner. With two Sticky Bombs on the guy, triggering these mines will stun him on the spot. Thatll give Kai more than enough time to finish off Winners remaining 70% HP. With this, the fight was decided! ... or not! Winner rolled aside as soon as the Kraken released him, just barely getting out of the range of the mines at the last moment. Fuck! Kai cursed. You damn little...! This was bad. Like, really, really, REALLY bad. Kai has already spent most of her skills, so she mostly had her basic attacks to rely on from here on out. Yes, the basic attacks of a mere mage, the least threatening weapon in the world. Whats worse, her opponent was a late-game hyper-Carry. Damn it all! Do I retreat? But if I do, hell just shoot the Colossus. Damn...! Kai was literally the Colossuss last line of defense right now. If she steps aside, shell clear an easy path for the enemy. Thatll be GG WP right there. Therefore, Kai couldn''t back off. Yet, at the same time, this wasnt a fight she had a very realistic chance of winning. I guess thats why Yuel said to stall. Kai smiled wryly. As depressing as it was, stalling was the most she could do in this situation. The enemy team was just a couple of hits away from taking the game and Kai was the last line of defense at the moment. Therefore, she couldn''t take any risks here. As much as she wanted to charge at that Droid and murder his ass, she had to play this safe and stop the guy from winning at any cost. After all, the game didnt revolve around beating Winner. The goal was to win as a team. So, as much as Kai disliked her role in this operation, it was something she had to do. I guess Ill just focus on dodging. Kai pulled out a Bouncy Bomb and tossed it toward Winners left side. It wasnt the masterfully aimed Bouncy Bomb, but itll still hit Winner if he doesnt move out of the range. And, from this angle, he couldnt dodge the bomb to the left, so he couldnt retreat closer to Merlin. It was imperative to keep those two far apart, to not give them an opportunity to join forces against Kai. Thats why Kai aimed the bomb at the left side. This made the bomb a little easier to dodge, but it ensured that Winner couldnt reposition himself too well. On top of that, throwing a Bouncy Bomb like that will surely make Winners movements more predictable for the next couple of seconds. So, Kai will just have to read Winners attack properly and bait out shots. Ill stick to the very edge of his attack range and make him whiff. That was her master plan. It was a kinda lame plan that usually turtles employed, but there was no choice but to resort to such measures here. Ill do whatever needs to be done. Were not losing this game, not after coming this far...! If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. BAM. BAM. The Bouncy Bomb bounced off the floor, heading in Winners general direction. Naturally, the guy had no choice but to move away from it to the right, just as Kai wanted him to. That created a greater distance between him and Merlin, so those two had no chance of teaming up any time soon. Alright, lets get this started! Kai advanced just close enough to reach the enemy with her basic attacks. Then, she threw a bomb! And of course, he gonna dodge it... Winner effortlessly sidestepped the slow bomb. Well, thats to be expected. Bombers basics were just slow like that. Anybody could easily dodge these, especially from maximum distance. But, thats fine. Kai threw the first rock, so it should motivate Winner to shoot back. Shes right within my range. William thought while sidestepping the descending bomb. Is this bait? Or, should I just go for it? There wasnt much time to make an educated decision. In this critical situation, every second counted. The enemy foolishly put herself within Williams attack range and carelessly attacked him, so he should just shoot back, right? It was simple logic but it sounded too easy to be true. Lets try it out. William fired a laser beam as soon as he finished sidestepping. It was a lightning-fast counterattack. It came out almost instantly after his sidestepping animation ended. In other words, it was perfect as far as the execution was concerned. But, thats exactly what also made it so predictable... No, you dont! Kai sidestepped the laser beam at the last moment. And, subsequently, she sidestepped the follow-up laser attacks from the Assault Drones. Alright! Kai nodded. Its 1:0 for me. Even though they both dodged each others attacks so far, Kai nonetheless counted this as a win for herself. Why? Because her only goal here was to stall, not to win. It was a lame role, but it was sometimes necessary for achieving victory. And, this was one such time. Time for round two! Kai threw another bomb after finishing her sidestep. Yet again, Winner had no trouble dodging. I can do this with my eyes closed. William thought as he sidestepped and fired back immediately. For someone as skilled as him, this was a no-brainer. But... Once again, his immediate counter missed the target. Beat just barely dodged the shot in the nick of time. It was impressive footwork, and it wasnt even Korean Cancel or anything fancy like that. Its just that the distance between them was as big as it could possibly get, giving Beat plenty of time to recover from her shot and go for a sidestep. Of course, if William played any other marksman here, then he wouldve easily crushed Beat in a battle of basic attacks. Most marksmen built plenty of Attack Speed, so they wouldve overwhelmed a slow attacker like Bomber without any effort. However, Droid was one marksman who had steep diminishing returns on building Attack Speed, as most of the classs push potential came from its Assault Drones. The damage of these little bots scaled off the Droids Attack Power, but their Attack Speed didnt scale with the Droids. As a result, the ideal build for maximizing pushes involved building lots of power, to make the drones hit like a truck. Thats exactly what William did as well, and now he was feeling the consequences of this build. Despite how slow his opponent was, it was difficult for him to punish Beats whiffs. But, she isnt hitting me at all, either. William thought. From this distance, neither of us is likely to land any shots. Beats situation was pretty much the same as Williams, as she built no Attack Speed either. Even worse, Bombers basics flew in a descending arc, so they were even easier to sidestep than most ranged attacks. What is she hoping to achieve? William wondered. Shes making it look as if shes trying to fight me, but Im not so sure thats her real intention. She wouldnt try to maintain such a big distance if she was really trying to hit me. Im practically on the very edge of her reach. After dodging the previous two bombs, it was clear that Beats basic attacks could just barely reach Williams foot. Therefore, rather than dodging them via sidestepping, it was far more efficient to simply backstep. We have the same reach on paper, but I have a slight range advantage because her shots drop off. He backstepped the next bomb, watching it arc downwards and hit the ground in front of his feet. Indeed, it was so easy to dodge these slow, dropping shots. But... Its pointless if my shots cant hit her. William counterattacked for the third time. ZAP! As always, the shot came out immediately. It had great timing that most opponents in Ranked would surely fail to dodge. Yet, Beat sidestepped it as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Or rather, as if she was expecting it and planned her steps ahead of time. As I thought, shes just stalling. William concluded. Not many players could maintain such a convincing routine of shooting and dodging, especially not against William. Nonetheless, Beat was certainly capable of it. Tch, wasting my precious time like this. William clicked his tongue. I have more important things to do. The enemy Colossus only had 20% HP left, but Matthew was currently the only one dealing any damage to it. His damage output was passable, but it wasnt nearly enough to wrap this up in time. And, Sonya cant soak much more damage. William glanced at Sonyas remaining 25% HP. The girl did her best to dodge as many of the Colosusss dodgeable attacks, but the giant statue was slowly but surely killing her. Not to mention, InformationBlackhole was on Sonyas case as well, so she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Effectively, Sonyas remaining HP served as a time limit. The team absolutely had to kill the Colossus in that time span, or else theyll likely suffer a crushing defeat. So, as entertaining as this back-and-forth with Beat was, William had no time to play games right now. It was time to wrap this game up! Vol.14 Ch.48: Pincer the Defender Seriously, girl, I dont have time to play with you. William stepped out of Beats attack range once again. This long rally of shots is pointless. I have to overpower her so I can get to the Colossus. If only I had more Attack Speed Alas, as a Droid, it was inefficient to build much Attack Speed, therefore William didnt. But, its not like he didnt build any Attack Speed at all. Some of the best power/crit items also offered a little bit of Attack Speed as well. As such, Williams Attack Speed was definitely higher than the Bombers, if only slightly. The only reason Willaim has been playing along with Beats pace until now was that Beat had the initial momentum on her side. On top of that, William wasnt quite sure of Beats real intentions at the time, so he didnt want to overcommit. But, that had to come to an end. Its time to shift the momentum in my favor. I cant let her drag me into her pace. William backstepped against Beats incoming shot, then immediately fired back. ZAP! This time, Williams shot was on point. No, that wasnt quite right. His previous shots were on point as well, but Beat read their timings ahead of time and easily sidestepped them. But, not this time. While Beat was busy closing the gap between them, she didnt have as much luxury to predict incoming shots. Most likely, she thought her momentum will continue forever in this fight, so she wasnt too concerned with defense. But, William broke her serve. Now, he was the one leading the duel. Too bad for you, but I know a thing or two about how momentum works in matches. William continued maintaining ideal distance from Beat, staying just barely out of her Attack Range as he reeled her in. As the one who had superior range and speed, it was only natural for William to be the one who dictated the flow of this fight. Beat had no right to control anything here. ZAP! William fired once more at the approaching enemy. This time, Beat reacted better and made an actual effort to sidestep. Nonetheless, she was one heartbeat too late. The red beam pierced right through her side. It was easy enough to predict that shell sidestep to the right, so William titled his shot slightly in that direction as he shot. And, turned out he was right on the money. As I thought, shes trying to zone me away from both Matt and the Colossus. William concluded. A decent tactic, but it also makes your movements more predictable. With that said... He hit Beat twice so far, but only his main laser beam hit the target. Meanwhile, his Assault Drones missed the mark twice in a row due to their delayed reactions. At this rate, itll take too long. The drones dont have an infinite lifetime. William frowned. At Lv. 7, the Assault Drones had a lifetime of 60 seconds. It was practically infinity as far as a single duel was concerned, but William didnt come here to duel with anybody. His one and only priority was to destroy the Colossus. He booted all five of his drones back when they started pushing the Golem a while ago. That endeavor already took over 15 seconds. After that, they started pushing the Colossus but the enemy arrived about 5 seconds later. Ever since, the enemy has been buying time with their aggressive defense. And so, 10 more seconds passed in a blink of an eye. At this point, Williams drones had less than 30 seconds remaining. Itll be over for us if my drones disappear. Willaim frowned. I doubt Matthew can wrap this up by himself. I have to get to the Colossus, too. And to do that, it was first necessary to eliminate this annoying obstacle in this path. Yes, in just under 30 seconds, William will have to remove Beat from the scene and break past her. In terms of combat skills, Im definitely stronger. William analyzed as he fired another laser beam. But... The beam missed its target. Beat sidestepped earlier than expected as if predicting exactly when the shot was about to be released. Yes, Im stronger than her, but shes good at dodging. William thought. After just two examples, she has already adjusted to this new timing and angle. Hmph, not bad. Im convinced shes at least a runner-up among the regions strongest players. Beat didnt have enough opportunities to shine in the previous scrimmage, so it was difficult to analyze her true skill. Her performance was very unstable throughout the majority of the Taurus scrimmage, which pegged her as a very inadequate player at first. Nonetheless, the girl definitely had potential and Willaim was one of the few to recognize it immediately. After all, Beats playstyle wasnt all too different from Williams. They were both players who sought to gain an advantage through acute spacing and accurate prediction. Each of them had their own ways of achieving these results, but the core of their game plans was almost identical. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I feel like her execution isnt at its peak this game, but shes definitely a lot more stable than she was against Taurus. Its quite bothersome. When two experts of spacing duked it out, the battle was bound to be dragged out for quite some time. Perhaps under other circumstances, William would have enjoyed this intellectual duel. Alas, he was pressed for time here. I cant solve this alone. William finally had to admit that when his next shot missed its target. At this rate, the duel was going to take way too long. As a former tennis player, the idea of relying on somebody else for a 1v1 always felt a bit unnatural. Even after three years of playing Classmancers, he still had the habit of relying on his own strength in duels. Ideally, William would have wanted to resolve this situation with his own two hands. However, Classmancers wasnt that kind of game. Unlike Tennis, Classmancers was a team sport where it was necessary to rely on teammates every now and then. In fact, William should have done so from the start, as soon as Beat started getting in the way. I wasted precious time here. William shook his head and glanced in Matthews direction. As everybody else was preoccupied with their own battles, only Matthew was free to lend a hand here. And, it seemed the guy was aware that things will come down to this. Their eyes met inside the game, making it clear Matthew had been closely monitoring the situation this entire time. My Jet Stream and Squall are almost out of cooldown, Matthew informed Willaim through private communication to not distract the others. He did it the moment their avatars faced each other as if he had been waiting for this moment the entire time. Hmph, it seems like he read a few steps ahead of me, even though this was supposed to be my problem... William made a face. Seriously, I can never get a read on this guy, not even after playing with him for all these years. Matthew was a player of few words. Normally, he was a lazy bum who sought the easy way out of every situation. And yet, his intuition and precision were abnormally sharp. After playing alongside this enigma for so long and watching him perform well time and again, it became easy to take the guys analytical skill for granted, even without fully understanding it. As such, it was a no-brainer to trust Matthews support in this situation. The guy will most likely do his job well, as always. Alright, William responded. Do you need anything from me? Itd be nice if you could make her come a little closer to me, I guess. That way, Ill be able to place the stream right in front of her face. Got it, William nodded. That was easy enough to arrange, as Beat was already hellbent on cutting off the path between Willaim and Matthew. If I move left here, then youll move even more to the right, correct? William fired a laser beam as he sidestepped to the left. As expected, Beat sidestepped the attack to the right, placing herself yet again between William and Matthew. She believed she was getting in their way, but she unknowingly placed herself in a dangerous pincer. Here goes, Matthew informed in his usual low tone as if the gravity of the situation was nothing to him. He fired Squall and immediately followed up with a Jet Stream, placing it right in front of Beats nose. That was as far as he could reach from this safe backline position. At the same exact time, William fired his next laser beam. He did so from far away, with Beat standing outside his attack range. Normally, from this distance, his laser beam would evaporate before reaching the target. However, he trusted the Jet Stream to appear there in time, right in the spot he needed it. The sudden development clearly caught Beat off-guard. Huh? Kai frowned as a laser headed her way. For some reason, Winner decided it was a smart idea to fire a shot before Kai even stepped into his range. Did he panic and shoot too early? Huh, amateur. Lucky for me, then. She canceled her plans of stepping in and stayed out of the attacks reach. Like, if her enemy wanted to whiff shots for free, then he was more than welcome. It was easy life for her- WHISH! A burst of wind slammed into her back, deleting 20% of her HP! Wha-?! Damn! Kai grimaced. Was I in that bastards attack range!? Shit! I was sure I was staying at a safe distance! Damn, itll be bad if they gang up on me- Before she finished that thought, a stream of wind formed in front of her. This changed everything about the situation. Fuuuu! His shot is going to hit now! It turned out that the supposed free whiff that Winner was giving her was no whiff at all! It was going to hit home! The laser beam, which originally shouldnt have reached Kai at all, passed through Merlins Jet Stream. As a result, it accelerated in Kais direction and pierced through her! But, that wasnt even the worst part. A single hit like that wasnt going to shake Kai. She still had over 60% HP left. The true danger came right after the Droids laser beam. It was the drones follow-up attacks! These shots were usually easy enough to sidestep, but Kais legs were like lead. Her Movement Speed took a hard hit because of Merlins Squall. Shit, Im moving less than a millimeter an hour! Kai grit her teeth. That Squall sure did a number on her. She felt like a brick stuck in mud. I gotta roll! Kai booted her Dodge Roll in the nick of time. I cant let all these shots hit me! Two of the laser beams pierced through her, but at least Kai managed to roll the other three. The worst-case scenario was averted, but just barely. This isnt good. Kai felt sweat forming on her forehead. Her HP dropped below 45% HP. This was getting into dangerous territory. Hah, I probably gonna die at this rate. Kai tried to force a smile and alleviate the tension, but it didnt quite work out. There was nothing to smile about in this situation. And yet, she had no choice but to keep fighting until somebody else joins the fray. Seriously, whats taking them so long!? Kai glanced past Winner, searching for her two teammates. Yuel and Lars were supposed to come here and help her out, but they were taking their sweet time. Lars was stuck fending off Challenger, who insisted to block the path to Winner. Meanwhile, Yuel was on the defensive against Rooks relentless attacks. Seriously, these bastards were protecting Winner as fiercely as a doting mother. They blocked off the area from all sides, forbidding everybody from coming close to their precious Carry. Tch, its like theyre covering each others backs. Kai clicked her tongue. From this position, it was impossible for anybody but Kai to keep Winner occupied. But, for how long will she be able to keep doing this? As Merlin now joined forces with Winner, Kais future was looking beyond bleak... Vol.14 Ch.49: The End of the Chaos Damn, their defense is real cancer. Kai thought. I have to figure out how to- ah! She noticed it a moment too late. While she was analyzing the situation, her target vanished from sight! Winner just abandoned his position and advanced deeper into Stratus territory, running straight toward the Colossus! S-Shit! Kai cursed as she gave chase. Before she realized it, the entire situation flipped on its head! She originally started her offense in order to defend the Colossus. Her job was to block off Winners path, so she figured it was best to achieve that by aggressing on the guy. But, without Kai noticing, Winner has been leading her by the nose the entire time. At some point during their duel, he successfully swapped positions with Kai! It was such a blunder on her end. Fuck, how did I let that happen!? Kai cursed internally. I dont remember when I became such a Bronze player. Damn it! Positioning and spacing were supposed to be two of Kais strongest points. Yet, under these tense circumstances, she blundered real bad. The entire fight, she was too preoccupied with not letting Winner get any closer to Merlin. She worked very hard to block off that route, to the point she almost forgot about her original mission: blocking off the road to the Colossus. In a vacuum, her plan wasnt that bad. Using her sharp positioning sense, she was able to discourage Winner from advancing both toward the Colossus and toward Merlin. But, her opponents were no pushovers. They realized what she was doing and pulled a fast one on her. Because of Merlins assault, Kai now had no chance of catching up to the Winner. Goddamn it! I literally cant move! Kai ranted as her Bomber crawled forward, slower than a three-legged turtle. The slowdown debuff from Squall was a real bitch. At this rate, there was no hope of catching up to Winner... No, wait! Theres still one thing I can do! Kai glanced at the ticking timer on Satchel Charge. With it, shed easily propel herself toward Winner within moments! Alas, the skill was still on cooldown. After all, Kai just recently used it to initiate this very offense. As such, Satchel Charge needed two more seconds to come online. Just two more seconds, thats all. But, in this critical situation, these two seconds were fatal. And, Winner wasted no time getting to the Colossus. WHISH! The Droid rolled across the floor toward his destination. He was clearly intent on using everything at his disposal in order to wrap up this game ASAP. Was there nobody to stop this bastard? Nobody at all!? It was the end. By all accounts, it looked as if Stratus was finished. There was no stopping the dangerous Hyper-Carry at this point. But, at this darkest moment of the game - a last ray of hope shone upon them! An enemy has been killed! Finally, one of the ongoing battles came to an end. Lars successfully shot Challenger down, removing the pesky obstacle from his path. It took him way longer than expected, considering it was a fight between a Carry and a Support. It attested to Challenger''s impressive skill, as expected from a player chosen to play for the Leopards. But now, the obstacle was gone and Lars was free to chase Winner. They still had a chance to turn this around! Lars! Kai called out. Do something about their Carry, at least for a few seconds! Ill be right there! Also, Yuel added. Make sure to aim your shots at Winner himself and not at his drones. They should expire soon enough, so theres no point shooting them down at this point. Gotcha, dude! Lars turned his back toward Winner and fired his Backfire Cannon, propelling himself backward toward the target. So, we meet again! Lars grinned as he turned around to face his target in the middle of the flight. He wasted no time aiming his pistol at the fated rival. This aint quite how I imagined our next duel to be, but Ill take it. Lets go yooooooo! BAM! Lars fired a shot in mid-flight before he even reached his destination. Few players could turn around this quickly and lockdown on their target while flying, but for Lars, stuff like that was as natural as breathing. And as usual, his aim was spot on. 200% accuracy, yo! But, the enemy was ready for it. Or at least, he tried to be ready... Tch, hes already shooting!? William grit his teeth. He made sure to stay as far away as possible from Gunz after Ronald kicked the bucket. After all, it was clear as day that Gunz will hunt William next And so, William was already mentally prepared for sidestepping incoming shots. For starters, the plan was to sidestep the first shot Gunz will fire after he finishes flying. Alas, that mechanical monster didnt fail to surprise. While still in mid-flight, Gunz did a 180 and fired immediately! Whats even more surprising was that the shot had perfect aim. Hmph. I guess that, at this point, its not even surprising at all. William scoffed. Looks like I better assume he can pull off these pro-level plays on a whim. So yeah, as far as mechanical skill is concerned, hes definitely up there. But, so what of it? It was no reason for concern. Even as the bullet pierced through Williams shoulder, it only dealt so much damage. He was still very much alive and already in a great position to barrage the Colossus. Id gladly duel you again but now is not the time for games. William turned his shoulder to the incoming attacker and concentrated his attention on the Colossus. But of course, he couldnt entirely ignore that wild beast. Therefore, he still kept an eye out for Gunzs position and made sure to maintain a good distance from the dangerous assaulter. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Alright, time to end this game. ZAP! William fired a laser beam at the giant moving statue. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. Five more beams followed his lead, all landing on the Colossus. The objective was already down to 10% HP. Victory was right within reach! But, will Willaim make it in time? There were two savage wolves nearby, both thirsting for Williams blood. Gunz was approaching from the left, firing one bullet after another. Meanwhile, from the right, a loud BOOM resounded. Even without looking, that was clearly Beat using her Satchel Charge to get closer. The two hungry beasts were about to run all over William! Itd be easy enough to dodge their attacks if only thats all I had to do here. William aimed his laser gun at the Colossus once more. But, I dont have time for that. I have to end this, right here and now. He took a deep breath. Even though two dangerous beasts were about to crash into him, Willaim didnt waver. He simply had no luxury to do so. As the Hyper Carry of the team, it was his job was to drop the curtain on this game. Therefore, he shot the Colossus once more! ZAP! ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. A barrage of lasers assaulted the Colossus. Each shot shaved off about 1% of the giants HP, leaving the target at 4%. William was close, so close. But, it wasnt quite over yet. He needed just one more round to seal the deal. Just one, thats all. However, in that period of short time, the two predators have already closed the distance. Gunz and Beat were already there, ready to tear William apart! Gunz swapped his gun for a cutlass and hacked away at Willaims side, abusing the superior Attack Speed of the melee weapon. Meanwhile, Beat hurled a bomb from behind. Together, their combined assault deleted a big chunk of Williams HP. But... Youre too late. William ignored the threat and shot the Colossus once more. Even with his mediocre Attack Speed, he was fast enough to shoot one more time before collapsing. And, thats all it took to win this. ZAP! ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. ZAP. Little by little, pixels vanished from the edge of Colossus''s HP bar. The enemy Colossus has been destroyed! VICTORY You have been killed! Hah. William spat a sigh and leaned back on his chair. It seemed like he was practically a dead man as he fired that last shot. It only further emphasized how dangerously close the situation was. Well, I suppose Matthew couldve wrapped up that remaining 4% HP by himself, so we had this game in the bag either way. That was Williams last thought before he closed his eyes and rewarded himself with a much-deserved rest. Finally, the needlessly long game was over. The Leopards finally seized the victory that should have been theirs at least 15 minutes ago. It was a long and tedious game that was supposed to suck all the life force out of Stratus. And, at first, it worked well. Poisonous frustration indeed seeped into Stratus veins, making all the teammates irritated. However, now that the game was over... Yooooo! Lars threw his arms into the air. We were so close, haha! Yeah, we ALMOST stopped that bastard. Kai shook her head and smiled wryly. Gotta say, this was one of the messiest endgames Ive ever played. Yes, you can say that again... Yuel rubbed his eyes. The moment the intense situation passed, a wave of tiredness assaulted him. Only now he has realized just how hard he has been overclocking his brain in order to come up with good plays for that chaotic endgame. We may have lost this battle, Vincent said. However! We have proved to everybody that were more than capable of contesting the champions! The next battle shall be ours! Heck yeah! Lars pumped a fist. Damn straight. Kai nodded. The entire team celebrated the fact they came so close to victory, despite how crushing the defeat shouldve felt as a whole. After all, for more than half the game, the Leopards have been dominating the entire map and simply playing with their food. Lars really saved us back there. Yuel thought. If he didnt push me so hard to go on the offensive, then wed probably still be drowning in all that frustration even now. Thanks to Larss assertiveness on the matter, the match ended on a bright note overall. Yes, it was a defeat, but one that didnt feel crushing or depressing. Stratus fought hard until the bitter end and almost made a comeback. I should remember this tech for the future. Yuel made a mental note. It can come in handy when playing against other defensive teams like Howards. Going out in a blaze of glory felt so much better than being slowly choked to death. Instead of cursing the defeat, everybody was looking forward to the next game. Well, everybody except for one player... Zzz... Nia was dozing off. She must have succumbed to slumber somewhere amidst the action after deeming the team doomed. She didnt even get to revive in time to participate in the last battle. Its amazing how she can sleep in any situation, even on stage. Yuel smiled wryly. Lars, could you please carry this sleepyhead back to the room? Sure thing, dude! Lars easily picked up the skinny girl, as if she weighed less than a piece of paper. Only this buff goof could make it look this easy. On the other hand, Yuels arms would probably break from trying that. Haha, did she really fall asleep while watching us fight? Lars laughed. Thats some nerves of steel, yo! The rest of the team laughed along as they headed back to the waiting room. There wasnt a single trace of frustration or irritation anywhere on their faces. Naturally, that made a certain somebody feel quite disgusted. Theyre... smiling? Cato twitched. My, how weird. Thats not how this was supposed to go. The plan was to break Stratus spirit so they wont be able to play their best for the rest of the day. Yet, no matter how Cato looked at them, these werent the expressions of players whose souls fell to the depths of despair. Truly, it was unacceptable. Cato worked so hard to arrange such a long and frustrating game. Stratus players should have lost all hope and motivation, yet none of that happened. Is it because they were somewhat close to turning the tables on us at the end? It mustve given them a boost of hope. Curses. That entire development wasnt in the script. The game was supposed to be entirely in Catos hands. He was supposed to be the one who decides when the game ends, nobody else. Yet, Yuel rebelled against that rule. The enemys final play forced Catos hand not once but twice! It was a coup d''etat! They regained some agency at the very end there, so thats probably why theyre so happy. Cato scowled. Darn you, Yuel. I had you cornered there but you just cant quit in peace, can you? Very well. Honestly, thats how it should be. Back in grade school, when Cato defeated Yuel in chess, there was a bad aftertaste from that match. At some point during the duel, it felt as if Yuel gave up on pushing his hardest for the win. He only fought to the bitter end out of spite, without bothering to form an actual plan for turning things around. As he was somebody who managed to defeat Fiona, surely Yuel should have been able to come up with something, anything. But, it felt as if he wasnt taking Cato seriously at all. That really wasnt like him, was it? Of course not. Hes a sore loser, just like Fiona. Cato thought. I know that for a fact because I researched hundreds of his chess games in preparation. He always fought his hardest to the bitter end, always looking for a way to turn things around. Yes, just like this game. This was the real Yuel, the type of nefarious rebel who aggressively pushed until the very end, aiming for the win against all odds. Finally, Cato had the honor of playing against the guy who stumped Fiona in the past. And, I won again. Cato proclaimed so but he wasnt smiling. Yes, I won or, did I? The Leopards won the game, there was no question about that. But, as a shot-caller, did Cato win against the enemys shot-caller? Did he really outsmart the enemy and establish his superiority? Well, no problem. If theres still any doubt remaining, then Ill just clear it up in the next game. Cato promised. In the next round, Ill finish you off neatly and elegantly, so that nobody would have any doubts remaining. I promise you that. And with that, the first game of the scrimmage came to an end. It started off as a steamroll by the Leopards but it ended up too close to comfort. That final clash almost made it look as if Stratus had a real chance of putting on a fight today, which was nothing more than nonsense. In the next game, the Leopards will win cleanly without any hiccups. Cato promised so. Vol.15 Ch.1: The Reason for Dragging the Game The first game between the Leopards and Stratus came to an end. It was a one-sided match for the most part, but at the very last moment, Stratus launched an unexpected attack that threatened to turn the tides around. Fortunately, the Leopards didnt submit to that wild assault. Even amidst the chaos, they exhibited their ironclad defense against the enemys swift surprise attack. While fending off the wild attackers, the Leopards ultimately sealed the deal and toppled the enemy Colossus. In the end, the regional champions won, just as it was supposed to be. However, the ending left a bad aftertaste nonetheless. I dragged the game out in order to aggravate our enemies, but... Cato frowned as he checked out his teammates. There were sighs of relief, tired expressions, and eye rubbing. There were all signs of exhaustion and defeat. Even though they won, the Leopards looked far more drained than their opponents. This wasnt in the script... Cato pursed his lips. He, too, was a little too tired for comfort. That last battle took a big toll on him, so much that he couldnt genuinely celebrate this victory. Nevertheless, as the captain, Cato wasnt allowed to show such weaknesses. No matter how he felt about this conclusion, he was obligated to put on a smile and act confident. Good game, guys~ Cato forced his lips to curve into a smile. That last part was a little intense, wasnt it? They really spooked us with that counterattack, haha. Yo, that last battle was wild! Ronald grinned. These mad lads really almost turned the tables on us. That dang Gunz even killed me, dammit! But hey, I protected my bro, so I did my job, right? He turned to his older brother for confirmation. Yeah, you did well, William responded with a tired sigh. I always got your back, bro! Ronald gave a thumbs up. Out of everybody here, Ronald was the only one still brimming with energy. Either he was thickheaded enough to not be affected by that last battle, or he was just putting on a convincing front. I cant believe Im saying this, but... Cato made a face. For once, Im glad we have one happy-go-lucky fool on our team. If the entire team was in a slump, then Im not confident I wouldve been able to pull all of them on their feet. Then again, Im sure Coach will do that just fine... oh, speaking of the devil. Cato gulped as his eyes met with Rodriguezs. The coach was eagerly waiting for the team to step down the stage. That look in his eyes was quite familiar Oh no, I know that look, haha... Catos smile twitched. Hes going to chew us out, isnt he? Especially me, right? But, fair enough. A big part of it was my fault, so as the captain, Ill take responsibility for this. The players of Stratus have already left the stage, but most of the Leopards still remained rooted in their seats, save for Cato and Ronald. Those two were on their feet, trying to inject some positivity into the dry atmosphere. But, it wasnt going too well. Everybody was a little worn out by that last battle, but that wasnt all. They had a very good reason to remain seated and delay the inevitable. They know Coach is going to reap us apart, haha... Cato smiled wryly. Honestly, I dont want to hear this lecture either, but we have no choice. Alrighty, lets go, Cato finally spoke up. Dont worry, Ill tell Coach it was my decision to prolong the game. Of course you will, Sonya asserted. I was going to report as much even if you tried to play dumb. Ouch, haha... Cato produced a dry laugh. I suppose I deserve it. You totally do, man. Ronald nodded. If bro didnt make the call back there, wed still be stuck deciding what to do with the enemys backdoor. Seriously, thats why I always say bro should be the captain. Hes the best at this stuff, word. Is that so. Cato trembled. Can I punch this guy? Just once? Pretty please? Well, Matthew started. Its not like Williams decisions were necessarily the best options either way. Well excuse me, but at least I made some sort of decision. William shot a glare at the complainer. Guys, guys. Please. Cato clapped once. He tried to make the clap as loud as possible, but the volume paled in comparison to Rodriguezs thunderclap technique Nonetheless, even this shallow imitation of the coachs technique got the job done. Everybody paused and turned their eyes on Cato. Theres no need to bicker over that right now, is there? Coach is going to chew us out more than plenty in a few seconds, so lets reserve our energy, alright? True. Yeah. Slowly but surely, everybody left their seats and headed toward the waiting room. There, Rodriguez was waiting for them with his arms crossed. Hes not amused! The entire team shuddered at the realization. The coachs frown was visible from a mile away. Gulp. So, Rodriguez started. I see youve finally gathered the courage to come here, thats already a good start. For a moment, I thought Id have to go up there and fetch you. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. .......... Everybody kept their mouths shut and avoided eye contact. Somebodys gulp echoed loudly in this deafening silence, making the others throats feel dry all of a sudden. Amidst the silence, they exchanged awkward glances with each other. Clearly, everybody was curious wholl be brave enough to step forth and face the coachs whip. Eventually, everybodys eyes laid on Cato. As the captain, they expected him to serve as the meat shield for the rest of the team, especially considering how much of the fault lay with him. Yeah, yeah, I know. Cato smiled wryly. Im the sacrificial lamb here. Fine, Ill do my job. He stepped forth. We really messed up at the end there, didnt we? There, I said it. At the end? Rodriguez blinked. Hmm. Id say you played reasonably well there, given the circumstances. Oh, did we? Cato was taken aback for a moment. This didnt sound like something Rodriguez would say while wearing such a frowny expression. That fact alone was enough to send a chill down Catos spine. Surely, Rodriguez continued. You understand that your problem started way before you go to that point? Well... Cato more or less imagined in what direction this lecture was going to go. Everything is going to fall on me, isnt it? Curses... Well? Rodriguez eyed each and every player in order, not just Cato. Does anybody volunteer to answer? Tell me, where did your biggest problem start in this game? When we started needlessly dragging out the game, obviously, Sonya answered, mercilessly throwing Cato under the bus. Good answer. Rodriguez nodded. Just to be clear, I was against this idea, Sonya stressed. Oh, but you didnt resist much, did you? You shrewd little traitor. Cato wanted to retort but he shut his mouth. Then again, I did my best to pressure her into this, so thats also partially on me. Ehe~ So, dragging out the game wasnt your idea? Rodriguez questioned Sonya. No, of course not. I even argued against it. Is that so. Then, may I know which of you were in favor of that game plan? Please, raise a hand. ............... Nobody uttered a word. They exchanged awkward glances, which mostly flew in Catos direction. Its as if everybody was pointing at him with their gazes, shouting Heres the criminal! without directly exposing him. Cmon, dont be shy, Rodriguez urged. Raise your hand if you were in favor of dragging the game out. Dont worry, I wont eat you. Maybe you wont eat us, but youll criticize us to death for sure. Cato gulped. Darn, this is sure awkward. Well, I did promise Ill take responsibility, so here goes And so, Cato alone raised his hand. He became the sacrificial lamb for the sake of the entire team. Nobody else was willing to join him in this valiant sacrifice. Actually no, that wasnt quite true. There was one person willing to share the burden. Should I join you? Matthew asked with his eyes, with his hand half-raised. Nah, no need. Cato shook his head. This was my mistake, so Ill take responsibility. Matthew lowered his hand, leaving Cato as the only one with his hand in the air. He was singled out as the criminal of the group. Cato, huh. Rodriguez nodded. Well, I suppose that much was obvious. Haha Cato smiled awkwardly. He was totally planning to come after me first if I didnt raise my hand, wasnt he? So, as scary as it is, its always better to confess. Phew, bullet dodged. Anybody else? Rodriguez scanned the team one more time. It seemed like he was expecting to find accomplices in the crowd. Or, was he just applying pressure? Either way, it was best to put an end to this pointless interrogation. It was only me, Cato spoke up. I was the one pushing for dragging out the game. Is that so? Rodriguez narrowed his eyes. Very well. Then, pray tell, what compelled you to pursue such a game plan? Though, I have a feeling I already know the answer. Its always the same deal with you, isnt it? Haha... Cato cracked a dry laugh. Well, its the same master plan as usual. I wanted to tire out our opponents as much as possible, to throw them off their game early. Mhm. This is a valid strategy under some circumstances for sure. But, did you properly account for how strong and unpredictable your opponents were this time? Well, I thought I did... But, it turned out you underestimated them, right? Rodriguez asked. Your face tells me youve already figured it out on your own, so I suppose theres no point lecturing you further on this point. It was no doubt a big mistake, but Im sure youve learned your lesson, am I right? Of course. Cato nodded. Next game, well wrap it up properly once we get the upper hand early. No more stalling. Good, thats what I wanted to hear. Rodriguez nodded. Now, with that trivial part out of the way, lets talk about the real problem I have with your performance in this game. The real problem...? Cato blinked. Wasnt it the way we dragged the game out? Its curious that you say we even though youre the only one who stepped forward to admit that you were in favor of the idea. Well, its just a figure of speech. That doesnt quite hold in this case, Rodriguez insisted. Perhaps youre the only one who pushed for that kind of strategy, but theres a little problem there. You see, this team isnt made out of five Catos. Haha, of course it isnt. Thatd be weird. Yet, its curious, isnt it? Rodrigeuz eyed each and every member. Supposedly, Cato was the only one in favor of prolonging the game, yet somehow the entire team went along with that plan. How is that possible? .......... Nobody proposed an answer. They all shifted their eyes away, exchanging awkward looks. Well? Does anybody want to explain how it happened? Well, I wasnt particularly against it, Matthew admitted. You didnt have to say that. Cato smiled wryly. But, thanks. Matthew ended up branding himself as a partial accomplice to Cato. That helped not only Cato but the rest of the team as well. The guy was literally taking a shot for the team. What a martyr! Hmm. Is that so. Rodrigeuz nodded. Very well. Since Cato is your good friend, then for the sake of argument, lets suppose you were on his side and even actively supported his idea. In that case, we now have 2 votes in favor of Catos plan. Then, what about the rest of you? I was against it, Sonya repeated. I was also totes against it, man! Ronald tuned in. That plan sounded dumb as hell. Is that so. Rodriguez nodded. Then, it sounds like we have a 2v2. Alright then, Will, what about you? I... William pursed his lips. I see where Coach is going with this. Sigh. Itd be so easy for him to say that he agreed to that game plan and call it a day. Thatll probably spare everybody the lecture. But, that wont be entirely truthful. Furthermore, that kind of weak attitude might hurt the team in the long run. The coach wasnt interrogating them without a purpose. He was trying to drill an important lesson, one that William has already learned during the last game. In fact, everybody in the Leopards has long since been aware of this problem. Its just that they havent run into a critical problem until now, so nobody bothered to speak up about it. So, perhaps now was a good time to face that problem and discuss it. It probably wont change anything right away, but it just might become a trigger for future changes... Vol.15 Ch.2: Shifted Responsibility Overall, I was against Catos plan, William finally spoke up. A rather evasive phrasing, Rodrguez pointed out. What exactly do you mean by overall? I thought we should wrap the game up since we had the advantage. But, Cato posed some arguments that I found difficult to shoot down, so I ended up going along with his idea. Man, the guy totally pressured bro into this! Ronald exclaimed. I saw it all. That dang Cato swindled my bro, word! This little rascal...! Cato twitched. Buuuuut hes right, though. I did press some of Williams buttons to make him cave in. Indeed, quite befitting an intelligent overlord like me, muhahaha! Hmm. I believe I see the picture now. Rodriguez nodded. So, let me guess, things probably went something like this: Cato used some sophistry to make Will play along with the plan. Then, Ron being Ron, he followed in his older brothers footsteps without thinking too much. Ack! Exposed... Ronald slumped. Then, with Matt and the two brothers on his side, Cato won an overwhelming majority. At that point, it must have felt impossible to overturn his decision, am I right, Sonya? Y-Yes, thats how it felt... Sonya lowered her head. S-Scary. Cato shuddered. He figured out my brilliant plan in an instant! Then again, I guess its partially my fault for being such a one-trick pony. I almost always push my ideas through in this fashion, so I guess Coach is onto me, ehe~ So, its the usual script, huh. Rodriguez sighed. Cato, Id be really thankful if you could tone down your swindling when it comes to your teammates. Tactics like that should be used on your opponents, not your teammates. But Coach, dont you always teach us to voice our opinions and push for what we believe is right regardless of what others say? Thats all I did~ Cato smiled innocently. Yes, youre right. Rodriguez sighed. In your own twisted way, you do follow my teachings, which is the only reason I usually let it slide. But, you really have to tone it down. Not just for the sake of the team, but for your own sake as well. Ill keep it in mind~ Anyway, Rodriguez continued as he turned to the others. Im sure youve all figured it by now, but in essence, Cato was the only one who really wanted to draw the game out. And yet, all four of you allowed him to enforce that plan on you. In that sense, all of you are just as guilty as he is, if not more. But cmon, Coach, Ronald argued. Even you said it. That snake Cato totally swindled us. Watch how you call your teammates, young man. Geh, okay, okay. Anyway, my point is, Cato totally played us! Its not our fault. Cato made a mistake, but thats all he did, Rodriguez summarized. He had a terrible idea in mind that he genuinely believed in, so he pushed for it to happen. Thats not a capital offense as far as Im concerned, Im sure you agree? Well, if you put it that way Ronald scratched his head. On the other hand, Rodriguez continued. You realized it was a bad idea, yet you still went along with it. So tell me, who is worse? A player who commits a mistake without realizing it? Or, a player who willingly commits a mistake that hes aware of? Ack... Ronald opened and closed his mouth. W-Well, bro also agreed with it, so I thought maybe itll be fine... Is your brother some sort of superhuman who can never do any wrong? Does he never make mistakes? Do you plan to always follow everything he says without ever thinking for yourself? Well, I mean... Ronald lower his head and glanced at his trustworthy brother. Real talk, I trust my bro 100% blindfolded. Id follow him to the ends of the earth if I have to! Buuuuut thats not the answer Coach wants to hear right now, is it? Ive said this many times before and Ill say it again. Rodriguez switched to his lecturing tone. In almost every team, will always be those whose shot-calling ability stands out from the rest. And, if you trust their judgment, then it becomes very tempting to rely on their decision-making for the entire game. Everybody nodded even though theyd heard similar lectures god knew how many times by now. By itself, putting somebody in charge of the shot-calling isnt a bad thing, Rodriguez continued. Having somebody who can handle the difficult decisions for the entire team can boost the teams overall productivity. Muhaha! Cato cackled internally. Yes, thats how important the duty of the overlord is! HOWEVER, appointing one shot-caller comes with a cost, as I always say, Rodriguez stressed. Its true that a competent shot-caller will generally make good decisions, but in the end, theyre just one person, and nobody is perfect. Yes, yes. Cato nodded. Thats usually my excuse when I make a mistake, ehe~ I might be an overlord, but in the end, Im also just a single human being. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Any shot-caller, no matter how skilled, is prone to human error like everybody else. On top of that, they might be blinded by their own bias every now and then, like a certain somebody who really enjoys dragging games out for no good reason Geh. Cato pouted. He put me on a pedestal for a moment there, just to kick me down really hard. Its so heartless! Though, I already saw it coming. Considering all that, Rodriguez said. Its important to not be overly reliant on the shot-caller. No matter how good the shot-caller usually is, or how much you trust their judgment - never stop thinking for yourself. If you ever stop questioning the shot-callers decisions, then youll regress to nothing more but a pawn who blindly follows every order, both good and bad. But, thats how I like my cute little soldiers~ Cato thought. They should all be obedient and follow my instructions to a T. Thats how we can bring to life the most fun strategies~ But obviously, Rodriguez disagreed with that sentiment. Like every time before this, he lectured rather passionately on the topic. It almost felt like he had some bitter personal experience with this before, therefore he felt compelled to deliver a prolonged lecture about it every time. Your brain is your most precious possession, Rodriguez stressed. You cant shut it down under any circumstances, no matter how tempting it is. The moment you stop thinking, you stagnate as players. Everybody kept quiet and simply nodded at every word Rodriguez said. They knew it was the best way to get through these needlessly long lectures. This has to be the 20th-or-so time I lecture you about this, so I hope the message was clear enough this time? Yes, sir! Everybody answered together, hoping to put an end to this lecture already. Good. Rodriguez nodded. Now, William. Yes? Im sure you wont like hearing this, but you have a very big responsibility on this matter. Everybody respects your skill as a player, so theyre the most likely to turn to your opinion when they disagree with Cato. Hmph. I guess. William glanced away. This was one topic he never handled too well. I know you dont like this, Rodriguez said. But, itll often be up to you to stand your ground against Cato in situations like this. The moment you give in, Cato is assured to get his way. I understand... William grumped. I gave up on the captain role in order to not deal with annoying things like this, but it seems like they insist on chasing me regardless. Sigh. As for you, Ronald, Rodriguez continued. Dont blindly follow everything your brother says. You know him better than anybody, so Im sure youre aware of how he hates dealing with these organizational matters. He often cuts corners with things like that, doesnt he? Welp, I mean... Ronald glanced back and forth between the coach and his brother. If youre seriously aiming to become the captain next year, then you have to be able to think for yourself and stand your ground when its necessary. Y-Yes, sir! Ronald saluted. Just hearing the word captain gave him a boost of energy. The captain? This clown? Please. Cato shook his head. It sounds like the Leopards are doomed next year. But well, thats not my business. And Sonya, Rodriguez continued. You said you were against Catos game plan, right? Yes, definitely. Sonya nodded. But, at some point, it became a 4v1 against me, so I had to concede. I understand. But tell me, did the majority convince you that they were correct? ... not quite. I followed along, but I still thought that dragging out the game was unnecessary and potentially dangerous. And, did you keep insisting about it? Or, did you immediately discard your opinion and went along with the majority? With 4 teammates already in agreement, I felt like it was a bad idea for me alone to keep pushing for it. I thought Id be sparking unnecessary conflict. Very considerate of you. Rodriguez nodded. In general, avoiding in-fighting is a good idea. But, as you just saw, the majority isnt always correct. Even if you have four voices against you, it doesnt mean you should immediately give in and discard your own opinion. So, I shouldve kept objecting? That doesnt sound right. Hmm. Its certainly a complicated matter, Rodriguez admitted. There isnt just one correct answer to this. Its a case-by-case thing. Right. In general, its fine to play along with the majoritys decision in order to not waste any time on pointless arguments. But, you shouldn''t ever fold entirely. If you still disagree, then it might be a good idea to continue voicing that opinion every now and then. I understand. Sonya nodded. Its easier said than done, though. Does he really expect me to stand my ground against all my teammates? That was impossible, or so she wanted to claim. But evidently, sometimes it might be the right thing to do. If nothing else, she decided to keep a mental note of this for future games. As for you, Matthew... Rodriguez wore a difficult expression. Hrm. I suppose you really had nothing against Catos game plan, seeing as you both learned unnecessary techniques like that from the same mentor. Yep. Matthew nodded. Though honestly, at some point, even I started thinking that Cato is stretching things a little too much. But, theres no need to mention that, is there? Still, I guess next time I should say something if Cato gets carried away again. That aside, Rodriguez said. Was it just my imagination, or were you a little distracted during the game? Me? Matthew blinked. I dont think so. Hrm, is that so. Rodriguez shrugged. Alright. Maybe I was reading a little too much into things. Or, were you? Cato wondered. I also felt like Matt wasnt as sharp as usual in this game. Normally, his concentration goes beyond 100% and its one of his strongest points, but in this game, he randomly stumbled a few times. Was it because Stratus had a player that Matthew used to know? If so, it might be a good idea to get to the bottom of this during the break. This team had more than enough problems to juggle, so they didnt need another one. In this fashion, Rodriguezs words gave everybody some food for thought. This is all I had to say about the first game for now, Rodriguez summarized. Keep all these points in mind as you proceed to the second game. Im expecting to see a far more professional performance there. Yes, sir! Good. Youre free to enjoy the rest of the break as you see fit. The coach left the stage and everybody sighed in relief. His armor-piercing criticism has been running all over them like a truck for a while now, but fortunately, they still had some time to rest after all that hell. As each member learned an important lesson or two from the coachs lecture, everybody will be heading into the next game wiser than before. There wasnt going to be any more unnecessary stalling, no matter what swindling or peer pressure techniques Cato will try to apply on them. In the next game, theyll crush their opponents properly and reign supreme, in a fashion that truly befits the regional champions. Vol.15 Ch.3: Subbing the Jungler Again Hey, welcome back! Luke greeted the team as they entered the waiting room. Man, that game was intense! You almost had it at the end there! Yes, it was a good game. Ben nodded in agreement. Yeah, we were SO close, yo! Lars exclaimed. But, dont worry! We gonna get them next game, believe it! Totes, man! Luke gave a thumbs up, then he noticed the creature napping in Larss hands. Also, Im quite not sure why, but I have a strong feeling Ill be playing in that game, hehe. So it appears... Yuel sighed. It was a mistake to drag Nia into this game. I shouldve let her sleep. In a way, you could say it was my fault that we lost. If so, then Im equally guilty, Kai said. I also thought that bringing her to the stage will wake her up immediately, but turned out we were off the mark. Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded. We have all underestimated the Slumber Realm that ever insists to drag in our Vanishing Phantom. True, Yuel agreed. There was no denying the fact that nobody voiced an argument against putting Nia on stage. But, I still think its mostly my fault. Especially, since Im apparently the one who made her cram all the material on the Leopards late into the night. But, there was no point in getting too hung up on that point. There were far more important matters to consider right now. With Nia out of commission for a while, it meant that somebody will have to fill in for her. And, the first pick that came to mind was none other than the teams memer, Luke. God help us all. Yuel sighed deeply. The Leopards are going to tear us apart if we bring memes to the stage. Luke was a skilled player, no doubt about it. But unfortunately, his class picks dragged him down to Bronze level. So, no matter how skilled he actually was, he had little future on the competitive scene in his current form. But, hes not our only option this time. After all, we have Ben, too. This was a small, but important, difference compared to the previous scrimmage. With Ben on board, the teams options increased exponentially! ... at least, thats what Id like to tell myself. But, Im really not sure about sending Ben in as a Jungler. Ben was a decent player overall. During club practice, he played Top most of the time, but he was also an excellent Support even though he was usually reluctant to play the role. It seemed like scars from the past were still fresh in his mind, creating a mental block. Nonetheless, every time Ben was cast in the role, his supporting was exceptionally good, second only to Yuels in their club. Despite Bens aversion, it was probably his best role. But, we dont actually need another Support, so thats fine. Still, the fact he can play Support so well definitely says a lot about his ability to play Jungler. That wasnt just a random guess. Yuel made sure to properly test that theory during club practice as well. He made Ben play Jungler more than a few times, to gauge the guys potential as a Jungler substitute for the club. I knew well need a substitute for this game, too. Yuel sighed deeply. In the end, all that talk about making Nia exercise and such... it went in one ear and out of the other. Sigh. As aggravating as it was, Nia ignored Yuels criticism when it came to the topic of taking naps. As such, on that front, the girl was barely any better than she was during the Taurus scrimmage. And so, sleepiness still governed over her life. So truly, it was beyond obvious that Stratus will need a Jungler substitute today, too. And fortunately, Ben performed decently as a Jungler during club practice, but... Hes a defensive player. Yuel knotted his brows. Even as a Jungler, he plays more like a Support in many ways. Its not necessarily a bad thing, but thats not quite what we need against the Leopards. As the recent game has just proven, the Leopards will easily blow Stratus out of the water if the two teams compete in perseverance. After all, the Leopards of this year was a specialized defensive team, very much like Howards StormBlitz, and maybe even more obnoxious. As such, playing with a defensive Jungler against them was a recipe for disaster. We need more offensive power, not less. Yuel reasoned. Honestly, the main reason we fell behind in the previous game was that Nia didnt apply enough pressure. That pretty much sealed our fates all by itself. This is how critical it is to have a Jungler who can reliably attack. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As such, a defensive Jungler was out of the question. At least, it would have been if there were better alternatives. Unfortunately, the memer wasnt that much better in that regard, either. Most of Lukes class picks didnt offer much offensive strength, except for extreme memes like Rogue. Ben might be playing defensively, but at least he picks real Jungler classes. Thats already a thousand times better than whatever nonsense Luke pulls. So, I suppose well have to compensate for that lack of jungling offense by being more aggressive on the lanes. For next game, Yuel started. I was thinking about having Ben play Jungler. M-Me? Ben jumped. Um, o-okay, I can do it, but... He glanced at Luke with guilty eyes. Say whaaaat? Luke jumped. Cmon man, you know Im the pro Jungler sub of this team! You cant do me dirty like that, fam. Sorry, but we dont have time to mess around against the Leopards. We need to turn things around before they decide were no match for them, or else theyll start rotating players around. Not to mention, theres also that phantom Korean player we have to drag out of the shadows as soon as possible. Yeah, thats what Im saying! Luke nodded. We dont have time to mess around, man. Thats why you gotta pick the best man for the job. Correct. Meaning, you gotta pick me! Im yo man! No, you are not. Wha-!? Are you saying Benny boy is a better Jungler than me!? Im SHOCKED, fam. Literally shaking right now. No, I dont think hes a better Jungler per se, Yuel admitted. As far as skill goes, youre the better player in that role. Right? Right? So cmon, what the heck are you even on about with that dumb idea? You gotta pick me, your friendly neighborhood memer! This again... Yuel sighed. I suppose Ill have to explain this once more, for the millionth time. Yes, youre the better Jungler, but your class picks are atrocious. So, I rather have a less skilled teammate who knows how to play the relevant classes, rather than a teammate who has more skill but wastes all of it on bad jokes. Damn, the burn. Luke laughed dryly. Are yall hearing this shit, guys? Theres no way you all agree with this nonsense, do you? As much as Id like to agree with Yuel, Kai said. Theres just one concern there. Namely, that Ben is a hella passive player, even when he plays Jungler. Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded repeatedly. Such is his trade, for he is dubbed the Eternal Peacekeeper! He holds the uncanny ability to bend reality to his desires and deflect any and all intentions of aggression that come his way. Truly, its an EX rank Noble Phantasm! Riiiiight. Kai rolled her eyes. Anyway, the point is, if the previous game is anything to go by, then we need a better offense to crush the Leopards. True, thats my conclusion as well, Yuel agreed. So, you see the problem, right? Im sorry to say this, but Ben wont strengthen our offense too much. His setups are cool, but we already have you, the Support, to do setups for us. So, we better get somebody who can properly gank. And, who do you propose, then? Yuel asked. A memer who mostly plays Setup Junglers? Oh. Thats a fair point, actually. Kai crossed her arms. Yeah, that doesnt sound too healthy for our offense either. Right. Thats why I think we should go with Ben and make up for the lack of offense by playing more aggressively on the lanes. Because, no matter who we pick as the Jungler, well have to make up for the lack of offense either way. Huehue, boi. Luke snickered. Thats where youre completely wrong, my friend! Excuse me? Hehehe. Looks like its finally time to let the cat out of the bag! I have a bad feeling about this... Yuel made a face but nonetheless listened with full attention. Well then, Luke started. You probably thought I didnt listen much during that boring Taurus scrimmage review, right? But nope! I heard every single dang word. Oh? Then, does it mean you actually started playing some meta classes in secret? If so, that would be amazing- Nah, it aint anything boring like that. Luke immediately destroyed that ray of hope. As a professional memer, it was his sacred duty to shoot down such boring ideas on the spot. I obviously ignored all that nonsense you said about how I should be playing a meta class and stuff. Because of course you did... Buuuuuuut! Luke thumped on his chest. I heard ya loud and clear when you said I lack offensive classes. Ya made me realize I really mostly practiced Setup Junglers. Well, Im glad at least some of the criticism sunk in. Yep. Luke nodded. So anyway, this srs bsns realization led me to consult a bunch of pro memers on the net. Basically, I asked them to hit me up with the most savage Jungler memes they could come up with! Well, on one hand, Im glad you took something away from that match review and put the effort to change things up, Yuel said. On the other hand, I have a feeling your efforts were a little misplaced... Nah, it was the perfect solution, man! Luke insisted. These absolute mad lads took the matter super srs and hooked me up with the craziest suggestion ever! I can imagine... I mean, its probably an idea that most of you wondered about at least once, Luke said, But, even I never seriously tried to master it, not until recently! It suddenly hit me that this was exactly the class I was looking for, so I researched it like crazy and got a lot of practice in! The guy was brimming with confidence. An attitude like that would normally be reassuring for the team, but in this case, it was all the more reason for worry... Vol.15 Ch.4: The "Unexpected" Jungler Meme... Hehe Luke snickered confidently. I bet youll never guess which class it is! Dark Knight? Wha-!? Luke jumped. H-How the heck did ya figure!? Are you a mind reader, bro!? It wasnt too hard to deduce, Yuel explained. Youve started playing lots of Dark Knight recently and youve been putting on an unexpectedly... well, not terrible performance, I suppose. Right? Right!? Dang, I was planning to keep it as a surprise, but looks like the cat is already out of the bag, haha. You werent very discrete about it, honestly. In the past two weeks, your usage of Dark Knight skyrocketed compared to all your other classes. Wait, how do you even know that? Luke asked. Do you regularly collect these statistics or something? Yes, every now and then. Dang, and to think that I tried extra hard to keep it under wrappers by switching classes all the time...! Im not sure why would you even want to keep it a secret, but it was easy enough to spot the Dark Knight because you usually change classes very regularly. The distribution of your other class picks was rather uniform over the last two weeks, save for Dark Knight. Dang, curse you and your 200 IQ analysis skillz! Luke waved an angry fist. But anyway, whatcha think? A brilliant idea, right? Right!? I think you meant to say a terrible idea. Whaaaat? Cmon, man. I totally rocked that Jungle DK, didnt I? We steamrolled so many games thanks to it! Yes, we did win over half the games, Yuel admitted. But, the sample size is too small to say anything conclusive. But, you remember how we totally DESTROYED the guys we did beat, right? Jungle DK is that OP, Im telling ya, man. Its somewhat effective against weaker teams which we catch off-guard, but thats about all it can do. So, you agree theres a chance we can win with it. Luke grinned. Yes, a chance, and only against the weaker teams thatll allow themselves to be caught off-guard. Even in Ranked, the better teams shut down your Dark Knight very early. Welp, I guess something like that mightve happened, maybe... Luke looked away. Now, Yuel continued. If you take into account that the Leopards are probably stronger than all these strong Ranked opponents combined, then you get the idea. Man, such pessimism. Luke shook his head. Cmon, you saw these guys, right? Theyre hardcore turtles. Theres no way they gonna shut down my DK. Just no way, man. Theyll be sitting there like ducks, waiting for me to run over them. Im telling you, man. Hmm. Yuel knotted his brows. As much as Id like to object, he does make some sense. Catos Leopards is a hyper-defensive team to a fault. So, they might unexpectedly struggle against a hyper-aggressive Jungler. But... In the end, it was still a meme. Just like in Top Lane, a Jungler Dark Knight was overwhelmingly powerful if it could get going during the early-game, but itd become borderline useless if the enemy stop it early. And sadly, the Leopards were no amateurs. They definitely knew how to shut down Dark Knights strong early-game. Though, that knowledge can also be used against them. Yuel thought. That actually worked out for us a couple of times in Ranked. For example, if Stratus picks Dark Knight right at the start of the drafting phase, itll set off alarms for the Leopards. They will most certainly assume that the Dark Knight pick was intended for Top, so theyll respond accordingly. Theyll probably counter with something like Dragonborn, which we can soft-counter with Berserker. And, from there... Yuel simulated a number of possible back-and-forths between him and Cato on the chessboard of the drafting stage. Itll definitely make for an interesting clash of bluffs and outguessing. I was already thinking of making Lars play Elf this game, so maybe we can try investing everything into offense this time and aim to wrap things up during the mid-game. Elf was actually more of a late-game class, but that meant nothing for Lars. His superb mechanical skill transcended such common sense and turned Elf into an extremely dangerous class during all stages in the game. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. At least, it would consistently be that way if only his Elf was truly on par with his Trickshooter and Gunslinger. But... Say, Lars, Yuel called out. Is your Elf ready for today? Or, would you rather save its debut for another day? Its ready and loaded, yo! Lars flashed his teeth. You wanna have me go Elf next game? Ive been waiting for this! Yes, Id like to, but are you sure about it? Yuel asked again. Youll most likely be fighting Winner again, and you saw how strong he is. I want to know for sure if your Elf is strong enough to contest him. Because otherwise, its better to go with a different class. My Elf gonna kick that dudes ass, believe it! Lars gave a thumbs up. Ive trained it real hard these past few weeks, so it aint gonna lose to anybody, yo! Its my third best class now! Your third best, huh. Yuel frowned. Just to make sure, which class is your first best between Trickshooter and Gunslinger? Hmm. Dang, thats a toughie. Lars crossed his arms and tilted his head. I kinda wanna say Shooter is better because its the first class I got so good with, but Slinger is also dope as heck. And, I think it really depends on the match-up, too. Eeeeeh... I see. Yuel nodded. That answers my question. Wut? It does? Yes. In short, he cant decide between Trickshooter and Gunslinger. Yuel summarized. Yet, he didnt hesitate to call Elf his third best. I wonder if he realizes the disparity there. This meant that, no matter how hard Lars was selling his Elf, even he was aware that his Elf wasnt really on par with the other two classes. That was definitely a cause for concern. The whole point behind making Lars focus on Elf for the past few weeks was to help him develop a new powerful weapon. He was already at the top of the competition when using Trickshooter and Gunslinger, so he needed just a couple more such powerhouses in order to become a truly unstoppable threat on the competitive scene. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Rome was not built in a day, and the same could be said for Larss mastery over Trickshooter and Gunslinger. It took him a lot of time and effort to bring these two classes to their current level. As expected, the Leopards came prepared for todays match. They banned Larss best classes without wasting a moment, and the same pattern will surely repeat in all future matches as well. Therefore, Lars absolutely had to master at least two more classes, to make sure it was impossible to ban his entire roster. And so, Elf was supposed to be the first step toward that goal, but... He couldnt make it in time. Yuel frowned. I wonder why. He didnt have enough time to prepare? Or, maybe he just didnt allocate enough time for it? After all, he did insist to play Trickshooter and Gunslinger every now and then, even though he was supposed to be focusing 100% on Elf... Either way, one thing was certain: Larss Elf was strong. Sure, it wasnt on par with Trickshooter and Gunslinger, but it was definitely a league above Larss other classes. The question is, will this difference be enough against Winner? Yuel wondered. If there isnt enough power gap between them, then Lars might struggle to play Elf aggressively. It was a difficult call to make. Elf was inherently a defensive class, so without sufficient player skill, it might actually drag down the team. Ultimately, only one person here could testify about whether or not they were up to the task. Unfortunately, that person was the kind of goof who probably believed he could even grab the moon with his own two hands. Really, it was that hard to take Larss words at face value here. With that said, we dont have that many options. Yuel reasoned. Even though I have my reservations about the Elf pick, I also wont feel comfortable with making Lars pick something more aggressive like Impaler. On paper, its a pick that should go well with Lukes Dark Knight, but itll also make our lineup that much riskier to play. With both Impaler and Dark Knight in the same lineup, Stratus will effectively be putting all their eggs in one basket. Theyll absolutely have to win the game during the mid-game, or else theyll lose by default. On the other hand, Elf was a versatile class that could function well in the late-game as well, so it was a safer pick overall. In fact, that was one of the big reasons why Yuel suggested Lars to main Elf in the first place. Not to mention, Elf could be used as a rather misleading pick for the drafting phase. That, combined with the surprise pick of Jungler Dark Knight, may allow Yuel to catch the enemy completely off-guard. If successful, such a surprise team composition will have a real chance of winning. Its a rather unstable idea, but it can work. Yuel thought. The Leopards have been playing very defensively so far, and theyll probably continue doing so in the next game as well. So, now is our best chance to catch them off-guard with hyper-offense. As unfortunate as it was, perhaps trusting in Lukes Dark Knight might in fact be Stratus best option while Nia was asleep. Of course, Yuel didnt yield immediately. He considered a few more options before drawing his final conclusion. One interesting idea was to make Ben play Top and have Vincent jungle. This sounded better than having Ben as the Jungler, but in the end, it didnt come across as a real winning lineup. There might be some other solutions Im missing. Yuel admitted. But, if I didnt find them during the two weeks Ive been preparing for this game, then I definitely wont find them during this short break. Okay, I suppose we can try something like this... Yuel paused awkwardly before continuing. The game plan he was going to suggest might sound like clownery, especially when taking on a powerful team like the Leopards. Nonetheless, given the circumstances, this bizarre setup was the best Yuel could come up with for the next game. So, until Nia wakes up, Stratus will have to somehow preserve like this. I hope shell be ready for deployment in Game 3 at least. Yuel sighed. Until then, Ill have to keep finding ways to put Luke to work somehow, because unfortunately, hes really the best sub we got for the role right now... And so, after losing their first game today, Stratus was heading into the second game with a game plan far more shaky and unstable than their previous one... Vol.15 Ch.5: The Shadow Walker Dilemma It was time for the second bout between the Leopards and Stratus. The players from both sides entered the stage and took their seats. The Leopards were packing the same strong lineup from before, whereas Straus made one small adjustment to their team composition. The referee made sure to run that change by the Leopards before the game. My, have they already replaced Vanishing? Cato blinked. That was fast. Im not surprised, Sonya said. She was clearly underperforming last game, we all saw it in the replay. Yes, I agree. In fact, Ive used that fact against her multiple times that game. During the break, Cato and Sonya briefly went over the previous games replay. The main goal was to reevaluate every member of Stratus, to find any discrepancies between the theoretical analysis of the players skills and their actual performance on the stage. As they ran the comparison, VanishingFlowers weak performance stood out like a sore thumb. Its unfortunate. Cato shook his head. I was planning to abuse the fact shes underperforming, but oh well. It looks like our opponents are self-aware, at least, Sonya said. Then again, they replaced Vanishing with Memer, which is a rather questionable decision. I was hoping they wouldnt bring out this... this creature against us. Haha. A little harsh, arent we? Cato smiled. Its not like Memer is a bad player. Yeah! Ronald joined in. Its the guy who uses low-tier classes in the jungle, right? Bruh is sick! I mean, I know we gonna stomp him real hard and all, but mad respect for the dedication. Bruh is a real legend! Theres nothing praiseworthy about that nonsense, Sonya declared. Well, I suppose this game will be even easier than the previous. Perhaps, Cato said. You have to admit one thing, though. Memer definitely makes the drafting phase more interesting. I, for one, have absolutely no idea what we should even ban against him. Me neither, but I doubt it even matters. Sonya shrugged. Judging by his past records, hes most likely going to pick a terrible class anyway. Yeah, unless what we saw in the previous scrim was a sham, William pointed out. Maybe this time hell go meta. Possible but I doubt it, Sonya said. One look at his nickname is enough to tell what kind of player he is. Fair enough. Well just have to wait and see, Cato summarized. Personally, I just dont like it when I dont know which Jungler classes to ban, but it is what it is. Its not like you have too much freedom with bans anyway, Sonya said. Were going second again, so your first three bans are pretty much pre-determined. Haha, thats true... Cato smiled wryly. He was obligated to also ban Trickshooter and Gunslinger to seal Gunzs strongest weapons. And, since the team was going second, the burden of banning Shadow Walker fell on the Leopards'' shoulders once again. Or, did it? If we knew for sure that Memer only plays memes, then we could skip banning Shadow. After all, theres no way a memer would pick a top-tier meta class, right? Alas, as William pointed out, there wasnt enough data to assert that LegendaryMemer only played memes. The guy participated in only two games in the previous scrimmage, which wasnt enough to determine what kind of player he really was. Was he truly a mad lad who dared to bring memes to the competitive scene? Or, was it just a hobby? Perhaps he only used memes against teams that he didnt deem threatening enough. Either way, the upcoming game should clear that up. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. As the team finished discussing their opinions on Memer, the drafting phase began. Unexpectedly, or perhaps inevitably, both sides went for similar bans during the first banning phase. Cato banned Trickshooter and Gunslinger as demanded of him, whereas Yuel banned Warlock and Knight again. These were carefully calculated bans, they were the results of intensive research. As such, neither side saw the need to adjust anything thus far. My, our banning phase starts feeling like chess openings. Cato smiled impishly. But, the third ban is where I can have some leeway to be creative... if I wasnt obligated to ban Shadow again! Sigh. To make things worse, this restriction only applied to Cato. Meanwhile, his opponent had the freedom to ban whatever he wanted for the third pick. There was no doubt that Yuel chose for his team to go 1st this round in order to capitalize on having more freedom with bans. So, what kind of mind-blowing 3rd ban was he going to show the Leopards? Did he even have anything interesting in mind? Regardless, one thing was certain - the enemy was taking their sweet time with this third ban. And, Cato had a guess as to why. It was good old paranoia, wasnt it~? Ugh, again? Yuel frowned. Theyre not banning Shadow Walker early this time, either. Was Cato playing mind games again? Or, did he figure out that Luke wouldnt pick Shadow Walker even if the class was available? Sigh. It was such a pain to try figuring out what that smartass was scheming. If Stratus Jungler was anybody but Luke, then Yuel would have had nothing to worry about. After all, Shadow Walker was practically a mandatory class for any serious competitive player. Even Nia, who strictly played assassins with invisibility, was rather proficient with Shadow Walker. Though, perhaps it was because Shadow Walker did, in its own way, fit the invisiblity bill, at least partially. Alas, Stratus was stuck with Luke for Jungler, of all people. He was the kind of guy who broadcasted to the entire world that he was all about picking memes. As such, despite how cautious Cato usually was, even he might try to gamble on not banning Shadow Walker this once. I might have to ban it myself. Yuel grumped. Ugh. It pretty much defeats the entire point of us going first during the drafting phase. What a pain. We might have to ban Shadow Walker, Yuel shared. Huh? Kai tilted her head. But, were going first. Yes, but theres a chance they wont ban Shadow Walker. After all, our Jungler is... Oh, right. Kai tapped on her black cap. Hmm. If you may recall, Vincent started. The Leopards pulled a very similar trick in the previous game as well. They waited until the very last moment to ban Shadow Walker, no doubt playing mind games with us. As such, I suspect this is but another instance of that. Yes, it might be, Yuel agreed. But, its risky. If they pick Shadow Walker, then well have a very bad time. But, will they, tho? Luke asked. I mean, its these lameos were talking about. These turtles dont know the first thing about playing offense. Thats not true, Yuel asserted. They do focus mainly on defense, but theyve shown that theyre capable of switching to offense as needed. Yeah, after a billion years, maybe. Luke shrugged. Besides, I dont think they gonna take a risk leaving Shadow unbanned like that. I mean, these guys like playing super safe, right? Hmm. Yuel knotted his brows. He might be a memeing clown, but he does have some good observations. The Leopards of this year were indeed the paragons of safety. They always refused to take risks, no matter how small. Their entire game plan revolved around safely and systematically eliminating their opponents. That was Catos entire philosophy in chess, and it bled very strongly into his shot-calling in Classmancers. As such, the more relevant question to ask was this: Will Cato take the risk of leaving Shadow Walker unbanned? No, I dont think he will. Yuel was almost certain. Hell be playing mind games until the very last moment, but in the end, hell pull back. At least, thats my impression of him. For Stratus, banning Shadow Walker here will bear great implications thatll extend far beyond this game alone. Once other teams see Yuel ban Shadow Walker in this situation, theyll immediately conclude that Luke couldnt play the class. Subsequently, in all future games, none of Stratus opponents would ever ban Shadow Walker when Luke is in the lineup. Thatd put us at a great disadvantage for the rest of the year. And next year too, seeing as Luke is a junior. Ugh. The more Yuel thought about it, the more unappealing the idea of banning Shadow Walker sounded. It will lead to too many long-term consequences, so hopefully, this was just one of Catos mind games... Okay, forget the Shadow Walker ban, Yuel said. Well leave it to the enemy to ban it. Now youre talking like a real man! Luke gave a thumbs up. The rest of the team was also on board with this final decision. And so, they moved on to discuss which other class to ban. But, was this the correct decision? Will Cato really avoid taking the risk? Will he really ban Shadow Walker himself...? Vol.15 Ch.6: Matthews Small Pool of Options Kai, Yuel called out. I forgot to ask you something during the break. What was your impression of Merlins Aeromancer? Pft, my impression? Kai sneered. Bastard is a bona fide turtle, thats the long and short of my impression. He was such a damn pain in the ass. Damn, I get irritated just from remembering it. It was that bad? Hell yeah, it was. The bastard straight-up refuses to fight, no matter what. He doesnt even care if I outfarm him as long as hes safe. Hed rather leech off his Junglers help than try to confront me. Disgusting. Yes, that does sound to be his usual playstyle. Yuel nodded. But, I was asking more about his skill with Aeromancer. Did it look like he was good with it? Yeah, I guess you can say that, in a way. Kai shrugged. I mean, he barely ever dragged his lazy ass into any fights, but he usually got the job done when he wanted to. He even deflected the few attacks I fired at him, though its hardly an achievement for somebody who turtles 24/7. I see. Yuel knotted his brows. It sounds like Merlin can wield his Aeromancer pretty well. Thats a little disappointing. Was my guess off the mark? Back when he was analyzing the Leopards, there was one particular detail that stood out. It was regarding Merlin and the guys apparent lack of class variety. While most of the Leopards rotated through multiple different classes in a healthy manner, Merlin stuck with just Warlock for all the games he participated in. No matter what his teammates picked, no matter what his opponents picked - Merlin only ever played Warlock. That led to a certain hypothesis: perhaps Merlin was only good at playing Warlock? It was a long shot, considering Merlin was a member of the Leopards, but it wasnt too out there. After all, last year, Freezer was exactly that kind of player. Once Yuel banned Warlock, the guy received an obvious blow to his performance. Unfortunately, the Warlock ban didnt seem to tickle Merlin at all. The guy went straight for Aeromancer next, and according to Kai, the guys performance didnt suffer in any notable way. He still got the job done, same as always. So, either my initial impression of Merlin was wrong, or Aeromancer is his second favorite. Hmm. Of course, a single game wasn''t enough to prove anything, but it was a fair assumption. And so, that begged the question: what was Merlins third favorite class? I cant shake the feeling that he doesnt have many classes in his arsenal. Yuel insisted even though he couldnt quite explain what he was basing this conviction on. He just reminds me of Freezer so much. Not just the fact he likes Warlock, but also that passive yet efficient playstyle. Both Freezer and Merlin seemed to worship the concept of being lazy and effective. The mentality radiated from their playstyles and likely extended to their training regimes as well. As such, there was a very good chance that Merlin didnt bother practicing too many classes. If so, banning every class he plays on stage might lead to something. Id like to ban Aeromancer, Yuel informed. There is no deep or particularly sophisticated reason behind it. I just want to see what Merlin will pick next. I see, I see. Vincent nodded strongly. You are scouting the enemys options via the drafting phase, are you not? Brilliant strategy! As expected from Chessmaster! Well, you wont hear any objections from me, Kai said. Id ban every defensive mage if it was possible. That turtle seriously gets on my nerves. And so, it was decided. For the third and last ban of this phase, Yuel removed Aeromancer from the table. At the moment, it was impossible for him to know whether that was a good decision or not. However, on the other side of the stage, the Leopards immediately reacted to this ban... Ugh... Matthew growled. Seriously? My, my, my. Cato smiled meaningfully. It looks like theyre onto you, my boy. Why me? Matthew made a face. I didnt stand out last game or anything, did I? Nope, I wouldnt say you did. Then why...? A good question, William interjected. I expected them to go after me this time. Hmph. My, is somebody getting jealous over here~? Cato smiled impishly. I agree, its a little odd. I wouldve expected them to target literally anybody other than Matt. That is, unless they somehow figured that Matt is a lazy bum who doesnt practice many classes. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Thats impossible, Matthew insisted. They may have figured I like Warlock, I guess that was pretty obvious. But, once I picked Aero, how could they guess that its one of my few favorites? Ive never picked it in the previous scrims until now. Thats correct, Sonya verified from her memory. You really picked Warlock in every game because nobody ever banned it. Though, now that I think about it, thats an odd match record in itself. At the very least, I would have found it suspicious if I were analyzing it as your opponent. I was just using an easy class against weak teams. Matthew shrugged. And hey, maybe I used only one class in order to reveal as little data as possible to the enemy scouts? Wouldnt you conclude something like that? It definitely sounds like a reasonable conclusion when you explain it to me like this, Sonya agreed. But, you cant know for sure how other teams will interpret it. Maybe Stratus assumed it means you can only play Warlock. Really? Even though Im on the Leopards first-string? Matthew scowled. Why would they even think that? Theres no way Id be here if I were that kind of lousy player. True. Cato nodded. Then again, theres no harm in testing you, is there? It seems to me they didnt have any better bans in mind, so they decided to target you and see what happens. Why me... Matthew muttered. What a pain. Well, then Sorcerer is next. Like clockwork, I see. Cato smiled wryly. Itd be really nice if you diversified your options a little. This again? We talked about it so many times. I thought you agreed that this is fine. Yes, it is fine for now because you improve faster by focusing on just a few classes. But, at some point, youre bound to reach a plateau, thats when youll have to start branching out. Its not like I cant play other classes, you know. Besides, three main classes with no weaknesses should be enough to handle any situation. Yes, except for the situations in which the enemy starts a witch hunt and bans all your classes right away. I dont think Im the kind of player who warrants that much attention. Matthew shrugged. Heck, I still don''t get why they went after me twice. But, I bet thats as far as theyll go. So, having three main classes is fine. Unfortunately, your third class is already a little behind the others because you havent been giving it as much attention. Cato kept that analysis to himself so they could move on. Hmm. Im sure Matt can handle things with Sorcerer for the most part, but I should keep an eye on Mid just in case. Cato made a mental note. Unlike with Warlock and Aero, Im not as sure he can handle Beat by himself with Sorcerer. With Matthews two main classes banned, its like he was demoted from a bishop piece to a knight piece. It was just a slight demotion, but a demotion nonetheless. I hope nobody notices his slight decline in performance. Cato thought. Itll haunt us for the rest of the year if other teams figure this out. If every team starts banning Matthews main classes, then the Leopards might find themselves in some trouble. It wont have a big impact on the regionals, but itll definitely come back to bite them at the nationals. Worst case, Ill have to cover up for him during the game. Cato concluded. But, first thing first, lets wrap up this banning phase. The Leopards had to ban one more class before proceeding to the drafting phase. And, since they were going second this round, then the responsibility of banning Shadow Walker fell on them. Or, did it? If Memer is really just a memer, then hes never going to pick a top-tier meta-slave class like Shadow. So, itll be really fun to leave the option on the table and see how Stratus responds ~ No matter what Stratus does in response, itll result in valuable information either way. If Yuel doesnt pick Shadow Walker, then itll reinforce the idea that LegendaryMemer was really nothing more than a memer. On the other hand, if they do pick Shadow Walker, then itll mean that Memer was a fraud and nothing more than a meta-slave in disguise. Coach did say that Shadow is no longer a must-ban after the recent patch, so its up to us to decide. Cato thought. So, he probably wouldn''t mind it if I leave Shadow open in order to gain information. Buuuuuuuuut no. Cato ended up banning Shadow Walker as the protocol demanded. Of course, nobody had any objections to this predictable decision. We cant afford to take any unnecessary risks, not after how the previous game turned out. Coach has already chewed us out pretty hard, so this time, well do this properly. The Leopards were the regional champions, the team everybody was expecting to dominate the competition. Meanwhile, their opponents were Stratus, the dark horse of the region. Until just recently, that team was dubbed the weakest of the region Clearly, with Yuel and Gunz leading the team, that cursed title was but a thing of the past. Nonetheless, surely everybody still expected the Leopards to stomp Stratus. So, we have to do just that. Cato asserted. And of course, I also personally want to stomp Yuel reaaaaally good~ Besides, my team clearly has the superior pieces, so I cant let this be a close match. I have to destroy him thoroughly so that nobody doubts my victory. And so, the banning phase came to an end. Next, it was Stratus'' turn to pick their first class. So, how will you come at me this time, Yuel? Cato snickered. Lets see what nonsensical game plan you have for round 2. There was something satisfying about watching a defeated opponent try to crawl their way up in the second game. After being so thoroughly beaten, was their soul already crushed? Or, did they mentally recover and come up with a new game plan, foolishly believing they had a chance in this new round? I sincerely hope its the latter so that we can crush their souls once again~ Cato smiled impishly. But well, I probably wont be able to figure out Yuels mental state from the first pick. After all, drafting openings are usually fairly standard- The enemy team selected Dark Knight. ... eh? Cato blinked. His smug turned into a dumb smile. Whoa! Ronald exclaimed. Are they serious...? Sonya frowned. Huh. William scoffed. The enemys first pick came out immediately as if it was planned in advance. And, the pick was something between a bad joke and total lunacy Vol.15 Ch.7: Stratus Picked What!? Dark Knight. Yes, Dark Knight. That was Stratus first pick. A pick that came out instantly, without any hesitation. H-Ha, haha. Hahaha! Cato held his face as he laughed. It seems like theyve lost their minds. Yes, it does. Sonya nodded. Either theyve decided to throw the game and go full meme mode, or they... actually believe this can work? For their sakes, I hope its the former because otherwise, Id have to question their intelligence. Damn, girl! Ronald exclaimed. You just BURNED these poor guys alive, haha! But yeah, this is a crazy pick alright, not gonna lie. I love it! The bizarre pick caused a shockwave of whispers and laughs across the audience as well. Nobody expected Stratus to have the gall to pick Dark Knight on the competitive stage, especially not against the Leopards. However, a select few found this par for the course. My, are they throwing the game? Ellen tilted her head. Heh. Howard chuckled. Do you really think theyre throwing? These guys? Naaaah, of course not. This gotta be one of Yuyus crazy ideas, right? Yeah, no doubt about it. Howard nodded. Frankly, Im really glad. Glad? How so? Well, it looks like hes back to his usual crazy nonsense. His tactics were a little mellow against Taurus, so I thought he mightve lost his edge. My, you were that worried about him? Worried? Heh, yes, you could say so. Howard smiled meaningfully. His sharp eyes were locked on the stage like those of a hawk eying his prey. I was a little worried hell switch up his playstyle and wont be such an easy target the next time we play. My, youre such a villain, Wardy! Thats why I love you~ Ellen threw herself at her husband, but the guy dodged the advance as if his life depended on it. Would you mind not clinging to me in public? Oh cmon, whats the problem? Nobody is looking~ Ellen rubbed her head against Howards shoulder like a kitten seeking attention. Please, woman. Howard sighed and lightly pushed away the needy pet. The entire team is watching. Oh? Ellen blinked and examined the other rows. Most of the club came here today to watch this interesting match, so there were many familiar faces around. And, right now, they were all directing their gazes in the couples direction. Whew, whew! Taison whistled. Things are getting hot over there, yo! Seriously. Gregory made a face. Did you come here to watch a match or to flirt? Get a room you two, lol! Roi laughed. I had no idea this was actually a group date! Dan snickered. Where are all the girls at, tho? Oh, shut up, you all. Julia scowled. Im trying to watch the match. Of course, of course. Gregory rolled his eyes. You cant miss your boyfriend in action, can you? Kek. Khaha! Taison laughed. Lars gonna get his ass whooped real bad again, I already see it! Ugh... Julia made a face. What did I do to deserve being stuck in the same club as these idiots? And, to think that Ill have to bear with their stupid faces for another year God help me. Julia shook her head and focused on the match in front of her. It was far more important than listening to the nonsense that Taison and Gregory were spouting right now. Larss team was facing the regional champions here today. The Leopards were StormBlitzs greatest rivals, currently the only team that posed a real threat in the regionals. So, how was Larss new team going to measure up to the region''s best? Did they stand a chance at all? The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. You better win this time. Julia thought. Youre not allowed to lose before you play against me again. And you too, Yuel. You better have a good plan for that Dark Knight you pulled outta your ass. Truly, this unexpected pick caused an uproar everywhere. Whispers and giggles could be heard at every corner of the stadium. And, some people are seriously discussing it. Julia couldnt help but eavesdrop on the loud conversation a few rows behind her. These were likely scouts from another school. Damn, these guys are crazy as ever! Nash exclaimed. I love it! A questionable pick, Rio commented. I hope they aren''t giving up. Whoa, you think theyre throwing the game!? Maybe... Nah, no way, Jaiden said. You saw how hard they fought last round, right? That game mustve felt like hell, but they still almost made a comeback. So, I dont know anybody whod be disappointed by a result like that, especially against the champions. Yeah, true dat. It doesnt change the fact that DK is a suicidal pick against the Leopards, Rio droned on, maintaining a positive outlook as ever. Yeah, I get what youre saying, but give them some credit, Jaiden said. They made Dark Knight work against Taurus before, right? Yes, against Zeph, back when he played with terrible teammates. Heh, cant argue with that. Jaiden chuckled. Still, lets trust these guys. I mean, Chess isnt the type of guy to make dumb decisions, right? Thats true, Rio agreed on that one without any of his usual cynicism. Heh. Jaiden smiled meaningfully. Despite what he says, he does actually believe in them. Pretty sure he became a fan of Chess after the last scrimmage. And, I think Nash is a Gunz fanboy now. Good, good. Slowly but surely, these two were starting to see the light. As the OG fan of Chessmaster and Gunz, this brought a smile to Jaidens face. With this duo playing on the frontline of the competitive stage this year, more and more people were bound to recognize the impressive skill of Chessmaster and Gunz. These previously unknown players were about to make big waves in this years regionals, no doubt about it. In fact, they had already made the first big wave a month ago. Thanks to their strong performance against Taurus, everybody has already forgotten that Stratus used to be the weakest team of the region. Until a month ago, nobody would have batted an eye if a bottom-tier team like Stratus picked Dark Knight in a competitive game. Nobody took the team seriously or expected anything from it, so there was no point in analyzing any decisions they made. In fact, the entire stadium would have likely been empty for a Stratus vs. Leopards scrim in the past. After all, what was the point of watching the regional champions stomp a helpless team? Yet, today, the stadium was filled with many scouts. And, everybody discussed and analyzed this unexpected Dark Knight pick from Stratus. Even the people who immediately laughed about the pick were nonetheless curious to see how the game will play out. They knew that Dark Knight was a terrible pick on paper, but they also hoped that Stratus will surprise them somehow, just as it surprised everybody during the Taurus scrimmage. This is amazing. Jaiden almost got teary over this. He felt like a day 1 fan of an unknown band that finally skyrocketed in popularity. I was here before all of you! Hehe. This was a cool development. It was nice to see how the crazy duo that Jaiden accidentally stumbled upon was indeed as amazing as he thought them to be. These two deserved to get into StormBlitz over Jaiden, no doubt about it. I still dunno why they left Storm and I really dont like the fact they just quit like that, but this is fine too. Jaiden thought. As long as they make it big in the competitive scene, then I wont feel too bad about losing to these legends. As the ones who beat Jaiden during StormBlitzs entrance exam and took his spot, Chessmaster and Gunz had the responsibility of working hard in StormBlitz instead of Jaiden who couldnt make it in. But, for some reason, the duo chose to abandon their posts. It was shocking and disappointing at first, but by now, Jaiden felt like it didnt matter anymore. Even outside of StormBlitz, these mad lads were putting on a strong show that made it crystal clear why they passed the exam over Jaiden. They probably have their reasons. Jaiden thought. As far as Im concerned, their reasons are justified as long as they keep winning. So yeah, they better keep climbing to the very top of the region, so that my buddies and I can dethrone them next year! His pals shared his enthusiasm on the matter. Damn, I wish I was on the stage right now! Nash exclaimed. I wanna go up there and chase down all these strong guys. Especially, I gotta get a rematch with dat crazy boi Gunz, and also with that lucky bastard Memer. Id like to play them again too, Rio agreed. Dont worry, well get our chance at the regionals, Jaiden promised. We just gotta keep on winning, then well get our rematch and that sweet revenge! Heck yeah! Thats provided well actually get to play on the first-string this year. Rio kept that to himself, to not put a damper on the others excitement. Now that Raymond finally took the reins over the club like a proper captain, the seniors have been coming back one by one. At this rate, I have a feeling we might not make the cut this year... Regardless, the trio was convinced theyll eventually get their rematch against Chessmaster and Gunz. Perhaps itll happen this year, or perhaps next year. Either way, theyll continue training hard in preparation for that eventual rematch! Theyll get that sweet revenge for sure! And, they werent the only ones in the crowd waiting for that match. There was StormBlitz of course, but also many other teams have been carefully sizing up Stratus today. Especially, a certain newly formed team was already gunning for Stratus before the team even had a chance to officially compete against anybody else... Vol.15 Ch.8: The Princesss Analysis Whoa, that DK is such a ballsy pick, Karen commented. Either theyre brave or theyre hella dumb. Sis, are you sure these guys are really worth our attention? Hmm. Fiona knotted her brows. That Dark Knight pick caught even her off-guard. Both in chess and in Classmancers, following the meta was the key to victory. In the same way chess players studied the optimal openings, Classmancers players picked the superior classes and formed the best team compositions. That was the primary guideline by which Fiona studied Classmancers, and the various coaches she hired endorsed this approach as well. Naturally, that also included Fernando Rodriguez, the Leopards famous coach. The only coach who ever tried to teach Fiona differently was the one who insisted to call herself Esmeralda. The witchs unorthodox approach was the main reason Fiona didnt mesh too well with the teachings. Even though some of the womans crafty advice was definitely valuable, a lot of the concepts didnt sit right with Fiona. Out of all the coaches, Esmeralda would likely be the one only to not bat an eye at a Dark Knight pick. Shed even go as far as claiming that a Dark Knight pick was perfectly fine, even against a powerhouse like the Leopards. As far as that oddball of a woman was concerned, Classmancers was a game without hard rules. It only had guidelines that people could greatly benefit from following, but otherwise, nothing was set in stone. According to her, there were always exceptions to everything. Esmeralda insisted there was always value in trying out new things that strayed away from the meta, no matter what others thought of it. It was an interesting point of view, one could even call it revolutionary. But, in the end, it was simply too unrealistic and inefficient. Humans had a finite amount of time and resources for polishing their skills in any one particular field. Nobody understood that fact better than Fiona Landberht, who competed in many different sports at the same time. In order to climb to the top of each competitive field, it was necessary to study and master the meta of the game. That was the fastest and most efficient method for turning into a high-level competitor. As such, inefficient off-meta picks like Dark Knight were simply unacceptable. The class definitely had its unique strengths, but it was far too fragile and flawed to be utilized in real tournaments. From the top of my head, I can only recall a handful of pro games in which Dark Knight was ever picked. Fiona thought. And, if memory serves, none of these were A-League teams. As such, even the few examples that exist are not worth taking seriously. The A-League housed the teams that had the most robust experience in the field. As such, only their opinions on the meta were relevant to consider. Therefore, if no A-Leaguer ever seriously picked Dark Knight, then clearly the class was not meta under any circumstances. A mere middle schooler couldnt possibly discover a strong use for Dark Knight that the best pros missed. As such, this Dark Knight pick was undeniably faulty in the current meta. This wasnt an opinion or an estimation, but a hard, cold fact. And yet, I find myself wondering. Fiona admitted. Is he going to show us an innovative tactic of some sort that can counter the Leopards using a Dark Knight? Normally, Fiona would dismiss such nonsensical ideas on the spot. And yet, two years ago, Fiona was defeated by precisely this sort of nonsense. Somehow, Yuel Fermond found an odd line of play that threw Fiona off her game. His ideas in that game were nearly as nonsensical as this Dark Knight pick, yet the man managed to make them work. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Of course, if I had just calmly analyzed the board back then, then I would have immediately discovered the flaws with his plays. Alas, I was a bit too inexperienced at the time... When the chess engine analyzed the two games Fiona lost, it immediately discovered swift and efficient counter-plays to the bizarre moves Yuel Fermond mounted. These were not the simplest counter moves to find as they required a fair share of foresight, but finding them should not have been that far beyond Fionas level at the time. Yes, she should have been able to stay calm and take her time finding these answers. And yet, Fiona failed to do so. Yuels plays were so off-putting, so far removed from standard theory. It was almost on par with playing against Catos usual nonsense, except ten times more bizarre. For one, Cato played the way he did because he worshiped defense. But, why did Yuel Fermond pull the moves he did? What was the core motivation behind all these unorthodox ideas? The answer escaped Fiona to this very day. Of course, I would not lose to such nonsense again if we played today. Fiona asserted. But, in the same way I have improved my mettle over these past two years, I am sure Yuel Fermond did the same. So now, two years later, what new manner of trickery is he going to show me? When a dark horse player like Yuel Fermond was involved, even a Dark Knight pick did not seem too out there. Maybe, just maybe, the man actually had a method of actually putting this inferior class to good use against the Leopards. It is a hyper-aggressive class. Fiona analyzed. Therefore, against a hyper-defensive team like Catos, there might be some merit to dialing up the aggression tenfold and testing out the waters... No, I should stop. It is no use for me to try and understand the minds of those who make irregular plays on a regular basis. Dark Knight was a poor choice, such was the absolute truth Fiona Landberht stood by. And yet, she was also interested in seeing how this pick would play out. Because maybe, just maybe, it will positively surprise her in some manner. Unlike Fiona, her younger sister lost all faith in Stratus right away. Sis, are you SURE it was worth coming here to watch this guys game? Whats his name, again? Yarl or something? You most likely refer to Yuel Fermond. And, just to make it clear, we did not come here to watch his game in particular or anything of the sort. Oh, is that so? Karen tilted her head. But, this is the first time youve personally come to watch a scrim. Before, youve always said its a waste of precious time because we can just buy the replay and watch it later. I still stand by that statement overall. The replays of the scrimmages contain all the information we need for analyzing our opponents. Yep, I agree. But then, why are we here, again? I simply had a little bit of free time before my piano lessons, so I figured I will drop by to see how this match pans out. Huh. So basically, youre hella interested in seeing how this Yarl guy fares. Its Yuel, not Yarl. And again, I insist that I did not come here specifically to watch his teams performance or anything of the sort. Perish that nonsensical thought at once. Oh~? Karen snickered. Okay, okay. So, were actually here to watch Cato get his ass handed to him, right? Now it sounds as if you are projecting your own interests. Hehe, maybe~ Karen stuck out her tongue. But gotta say, so far, Im disappointed. I thought that Yarl guy or whatever was supposed to be amazing? After all, he did beat sis once in chess. I mean, I know she had an off day that one time, but it still takes some serious skill to take her down. Karen kept all these thoughts to herself, knowing all too well that it was a touchy topic for her sister. No matter how tough and indifferent Fiona acted about it, that one unfortunate defeat clearly haunted her to this very day. That was most certainly the reason why they were here today, watching a game that nobody would normally expect to be anything more than one-sided stomping. Fiona undoubtedly believed shell see something more interesting than a straightforward crushing defeat. But, so far? Stratus was a meh team at best. They fell behind really early in the previous game and lost miserably. Honestly, Karen wasnt impressed at all. I would say they put on an adequate performance, Fiona argued. There is a clear skill gap between the two teams players, but Stratus persisted until the very end and almost mounted a comeback. Hmm. Yeah, I guess they werent too terrible if you put it that way. Karen shrugged. Well, lets see if they can do any better this game. So far, the DK pick is REALLY not inspiring confidence. I agree with that. Just like them, most of the audience wanted to write off the Dark Knight on the spot. And yet, considering how Stratus nearly turned the tables on the Leopards in the previous game, many were hoping to see another similar upset this game. Will Stratus live up to any of these expectations? Or, will they crash and burn horribly? Vol.15 Ch.9: Building an Aggressive Lineup One minute left, Sonya reminded. So, how are we going to respond to that DK? Im still thinking about it, Cato said. Honestly, Im not sure what to make of it. Cato did his homework about Yuels drafting tendencies and already simulated various lines of play against Yuels most frequent picks. But, this Dark Knight was completely unexpected. I mean, they did pick Dark Knight in the previous scrimmage too, but the situation there was totally different. Yuel played Dark Knight twice in the previous scrimmage, so it might seem as if Dark Knight was a common pick for Stratus. But, that was clearly wrong. He only picked Dark Knight because his lane opponent in Top was trash. Cato reasoned. Its clear that their strongest lineup is when Yuel plays Bot with Gunz, so Im sure he wouldnt try something silly like playing Top against us, right? But if so, then who is even going to use DK? Blackhole? Really? That didnt add up. InformationBlackhole hasnt exhibited any signs of being skilled at offense, so he didnt seem to qualify as a good Dark Knight. Of course, maybe he totally is and Stratus has been keeping that under wrappers until now. But, I doubt it. I mean, I dont see the point, really. If anything, it sounded far more likely that Yuel will swap positions with Blackhole this game. After all, Blackhole could play decent Support too, as proven by the previous scrim. The more I think about it, the more likely this theory sounds. Cato nodded to himself. Of course, its still a very shaky theory, considering that Yuel should want to play Bot, but... It was a feasible solution, at the very least. Yuel established himself as a surprisingly competent 1v1 combatant, so maybe he decided to try stomping Sonya in Top. Normally, there was no reason to worry about Sonyas defenses being penetrated. However, with Dark Knight, perhaps Yuel could make it happen. Its soooo tempting to switch to formation A and let Yuel deal with Ronald in Top. Im sure hell enjoy that~ But, that wasnt going to happen. William was still adamant about playing Bot against Gunz, still preoccupied with proving himself as the stronger player, as childish as it sounded. As such, they had to stick with formation B for now. This meant Sonya will have to deal with that Dark Knight. It wont be a big deal if Blackhole remains her opponent. But, what if Yuel actually goes Top this game? Would Sonya be able to handle it? Then again, would Stratus even do something like that in the first place? Hmmmmmmm... I hope you remember that we have to pick two classes, Sonya nagged again. Yes, yes, Im quite aware, thank you very much. Cato smiled wryly. Well, one of the picks is pretty much decided. I gotta snag Sorcerer for Matt before anybody can take it. Thats alright with everybody, right? No objections here, Sonya said. Sounds good. William nodded. Alrighty, then Ill select Sorcerer for now. Cato chose Sorcerer but he hadnt locked in the pick yet. Whats with the hesitation? Matthew asked. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Im just wondering if we should instead pick two classes that can counter DK. Say, both a Top Laner and a Jungler that can shut down DK easily. I dont think thats necessary, Sonya argued. Theres no reason for us to adjust our pace to theirs. Give me something like Dragonborn and Ill handle their DK just fine. Though, of course, youll likely have to gank the lane regularly early on. That goes without saying. Cato nodded. I was just wondering whether I should go for a Jungler thats good at countering DK, like Vampire for example. I dont believe theres any need to rush the Jungler pick before we see the rest of their lineup, Sonya said. Picking the right Jungler for the job is one of the most important decisions of the drafting phase, Im sure you agree. Yes, of course. Hmm. Alrighty, then you want to counter DK with Dragonborn? Yes, please. So, Dragonborn and Sorcerer it is. Cato locked in the two classes. Now, the ball was back in Stratus court. Its just as you predicted, my liege! Vincent made noise. Indeed, our opponents didnt think twice before going for Dragonborn! Actually, they mulled over it for quite some time, Yuel said. But yes, it did go according to plan for the most part. Monk was another option I was expecting, but Im glad they didnt go there. Indeed, as Dragonborn is quite easier to counter! Vincent partied. So, shall we go with the plan you prepared ahead of time? Of course, Im talking about the counter-pick you have already predicted before our foes even made their move! Yes, I say we should go with it as long as youre on board. I know you usually shy away from aggressive picks, but your Berserker is solid. Indeed, I usually do not give in to the dark side of aggression. Nonetheless! At times, it becomes necessary to unleash the dark magic sealed in my right hand- Okay, so Berserker it is. Yuel picked the class. Now, one more class... This was going to be Stratus last pick before the second banning phase. As such, it was the last chance to pick any critical class for the teams game plan before the enemy gets the chance to ban it. In our case, Id say thats Larss Elf. Yuel reasoned. The goof can play aggressively with about any Carry, but Im banking on his superior mechanical skill with Elf this game. But, I dont think theres a need to rush this pick. With how aggressive Stratus lineup was looking right now, nobody would possibly expect them to pick an Elf for Carry. After all, Elf was one of the few defensive Carries; it prioritized mobility and zoning over aggressive pushes. I can maybe see them picking Elf themselves but definitely not banning it. Yuel reasoned. Besides, I have the feeling theyll wait on their Carry pick. Theyll probably first want to see which Carry we bring along before they decide on theirs. Cato sounded like that kind of cautious picker, especially against hyper-aggressive lineups. Hell probably be too scared to make any careless picks before seeing what Stratus had in mind. As such, it was unnecessary to pick Elf this early. Instead, it was better to pick either Mid or Support. Hmm. I rather wait a little longer before deciding which class to pick for myself. Yuel thought. Ill probably have to pick a class that counters their defense, so I first need to see how they plan to defend. So, lets go with Mid first. Kai, Id like to pick your class next. Fine by me. Though, my plans for Pyro are dead now. Kai made a face. The moment the enemy picked Sorcerer, it made Pyromancer impossible. Seriously, this guy only plays keep-out classes, huh. So it seems. Yuel nodded. Is Electromancer alright with you? Yeah, that works. Kai shrugged. Not a very aggressive pick, but it can get the job done. It looks like Ill be leaving the early-game aggression to you all. You can count on me! Luke gave a thumbs up. My DK gonna run all over them! Youre the one Im the most worried about, to be honest, Kai said. I have a feeling you gonna crash and burn REAL bad. Heh, youre underestimating my powers! I sure hope so. Kai sighed. Gotta admit, itll hella yikes how we have to trust him with this important job. If Kai could play Pyromancer, then she would have been able to mount some early-game offense of her own. This way, not everything will be riding on Lukes dubious Jungler Dark Knight. But, that damn Merlin had to go ahead and pick Sorcerer, huh. Kai shook her head. This guy is really getting on my nerves. Alright, then! This game, Im busting right through his turtling! And so, Yuel locked in the two picks: Berserker and Electromancer. As expected, one of the picks invoked a strong reaction from the enemy team... Vol.15 Ch.10: Responding With a Defensive Lineup Wait, what? Berserker? Ronald cracked a laugh. Is it just me or this shit is getting even more ridiculous? Yes, this is all rather... unconventional. Sonya frowned. My, I take it thats their Jungler? Cato wondered. Naturally. What other role could it possibly be here? Sonya asked. Jungler Berserker is niche but not unheard of. Besides, an unconventional pick like this fits perfectly with the data we have on Memer, so it checks out. Sure, that makes sense, I suppose... Cato wasnt entirely convinced for some reason. It makes sense, and yet, somehow, this Berserker pick almost looks like a soft counter to Dragonborn. But, that wouldnt make any sense, would it? Suppose the Berserker was a pick for Top Lane, then what role will that leave for the Dark Knight? Well, Mid Laner isnt entirely out of the question. Cato entertained that line of thought a little further. I remember DK was used in Mid some years ago because of its strong wave-clearing. But, nah. Stratus has already picked Electromancer, which was definitely a Mid pick. So Mid Laner Dark Knight was out of the question. But then, where could that Dark Knight possibly go? Surely it was neither Carry nor Support, and not Jungler either. Yeah, I guess DK is Top and Berserker is Jungler, Cato concluded. I can see Memer play Jungler Berserker, so it checks out. Kinda weak for a meme, if you ask me, Ronald commented. But welp, its still a hella rare pick so I like it! Its a niche pick but I dont think it falls under the definition of a meme. Matthew retorted silently. Is that really Memers pick? Honestly, judging by what we saw of his picks last game, I wouldnt be surprised if that DK is his and hes planning something crazy like Jungler DK. It was a wild idea, but to Matthew, it didnt seem completely off the table. As a pupil of Esmeralda, the woman who was the devils advocate of unconventional plays, a Jungler Dark Knight sounded feasible. But, I agree it sounds dumb. Matthew concluded. Looks like nobody is considering this, not even Cato. So, maybe Im just overthinking this? Yeah, I probably am. So, no point bringing this up. Ill just look stupid when if it turns out Im totally off the mark. And so, the Leopards have reached a uniform conclusion: Dark Knight was the enemys Top Laner while Berserker was the Jungler. Thats the kind of lineup theyll be dealing with this game, so they had to draft accordingly. Theyre sure dialing up the offense in this round, Cato said. I gotta say, Im liking Vampire more and more right now. I agree, its a strong option here, Sonya said. Its clear that theyll try to wrap this up during the mid-game, so we need good defensive options. Do we, really? William questioned that logic. Cato, in your place, Id pick an assassin and pressure them with ganks. Yeah, Im sure youd do that. Cato smiled wryly. But, Im not that kind of Jungler. Slow and steady wins the race, thats my motto. Hmph. Suit yourself. In the end, Williams advice was ignored and Cato went ahead with Vampire. The classs strong defensive capabilities will allow Cato to withstand that hyper offense the enemy was assembling. And so, next came the second banning phase. Stratus focused on sealing the defensive Support options of Druid, Vanguard, and Cleric. Meanwhile, the Leopards focused on sealing aggressive Carry and Support options by banning Impaler, Pirate, and Knight. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. After that, it was the Leopards turn to draft a class again. My, such aggression, Cato said. If it wasnt already clear enough that theyre planning to rush this game, then this banning phase proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Theyre like beasts thirsting for blood~ Which means we better focus on fortifying our defenses, Sonya said. As long as we survive the early-game, itll be smooth sailing from there. Yeah, I 100% agree. So, Ronald, youll be taking Cryomancer. Hey, wait a minute! Ronald objected. Dont I get a say in the matter? And, what do you want to say, exactly? That you agree with my brilliant pick? Why, thank you very much. Well, I mean, its not like I necessarily disagree, but...! Its settled then. Cato selected Cryomancer. What the-!? Ronald waved an angry fist. Wheres my right to vote, man!? Youll get one once youre old enough, kid. You little...! Ronald grumbled. Alright, for real now, Cato said. Do you have any actual objections? Or, are you just rebelling for the sake of it? Ill give you 5 seconds to present your counterarguments. Five. Four. Three... Ugh. Um. Hmmmm! Ronald crossed his arms, knotted his brows, and tilted from side to side on his chair. Two. One. Zero! Game over! Cato dramatically lifted his finger and brought it down on the mouse... slowly, to give Ronald just a couple more seconds just in case. Okay, fine! Whatever. Ronald pouted. I got nothing. Cryo is good enough. Thats what I thought. Cato locked in the Cryomancer pick. Dang, that bastard. Ronald scowled and turned to his brother. Did you see this shit? Tell me, is that how a captain is supposed to act, bro? Hes just messing with you, William said. In the end, you didn''t really have any objections, right? He picked a good defensive class, but its also a class which you know how to build offensively the way you like it. So, all in all, its a pick tailored for you. Yeah, its a good pick, but he didnt have to be an ass about it. I guess hes blowing a little steam. William shrugged. He makes a point to not show it, but the outcome of the previous game clearly put some pressure on him. Huh? It did? Why, though? We totally crushed these guys. Did we? Really? We came just a little short of losing. And, as the captain, he feels responsible for it. Welp, it was totally his fault, after all. Ronald shrugged. Hes the one who insisted to keep dragging out the game. You didnt listen to a single word the coach said, did you? William sighed. Cato was at fault, thats true, but so were the rest of us. We shouldve opposed him more. Especially me, as much as I hate that responsibility... Oh, dont worry, bro. I listened to the coach real well! Ronald gave a thumbs up. This game, I gonna object to everything Cato says! Even if I actually agree, Ill make sure to object first, just in case! So, thats why you felt the need to object to the Cryo pick for no reason? Yep! Doing my duty as a good obedient citizen, heh. ... thats not what the coach was asking for, you know. Well, we got no choice, bro. That Cato is a professional snek. You can never tell when hes swindling ya, so you gotta disagree with everything to be on the safe side! Well, have fun with that. Its not my problem, anyway. Just make sure you dont distract us too much with your objections. You might end up making things worse like this in the long run. No problem, bro! Ill object to everything, but smartly! You do you. William shrugged. And so, the Leopards 4th pick was finalized. It was Cryomancer, chosen for its ability to block off enemy attacks and protect allies. Its a good pick overall, Sonya said. But, I hope you realize it leaves us exposed to one strong counter-pick. Aquamancer, right? Cato asked. Yeah, we shouldve banned it when we had the chance. I totally missed it because I was so focused on banning aggressive classes. Yes, I was preoccupied with the same thing. My, my. Its almost as if its by design. What do you mean? Heh, never mind. Cato smiled meaningfully. I wonder, how much ahead of this drafting phase did you predict, Yuel? I have a feeling you pressured us into banning aggressive classes so that we leave Aqua alone. Then again, Aquamancer was a rather niche class. So, perhaps Yuel had no intention of picking it at all. Maybe Cato was just overthinking this. Either way, the turn passed to Stratus and they locked in their next two classes almost immediately... Vol.15 Ch.11: Planning for the Long Game The enemy team selected Aquamancer. Of course he would do that... Cato smiled wryly. Well played Yuel, well played. Aquamancer was a rather niche class in the competitive scene, but an extremely potent counter-pick against classes that had invulnerability effects like Vampire and Cryomancer. Yuel has picked it before against Taurus, so it didnt come as a big surprise that he picked it here again. The real surprise was Stratus other pick. The enemy team selected Elf. My, what a peculiar pick, Cato said. I vaguely recall Gunz playing Elf before, but it didnt leave much of an impression. He played Elf? Matthew asked. I dont remember that from the Taurus scrim. Really? I was sure he did. Cato frowned. It wasnt against Taurus, Sonya pointed out. Gunz played Elf against our second-string last year. Oh yes, of course. Cato finally remembered. As always, you have everything memorized. As expected from my secretary~ Whos your secretary? Sonya made a face. Anyway, thats the only record we have of Gunz playing Elf. So, remind me, was he any good with it? I dont seem to remember anything that stood out. Its not surprising that you dont remember, Sonya said. His Elf didnt leave much of an impression. They mustve just picked it as a defensive option against Jeniffers combos. So, Gunz didnt pull any impressive stunts with that Elf? No, not really. His mechanical skill was up to par as usual, but thats about it. Meaning, his Elf isnt much of a threat, Willaim concluded. When somebody like Gunz leaves a mediocre impression, it means he wasnt that good with the class. Hmph. What an odd pick, then. Interesting, very interesting, Cato said. So, not only they have picked a very defensive class for their hyper-aggressive lineup, but its also a class that Gunz doesnt seem particularly great with. Yeaaaaah, now these guys have officially lost me. Maybe he has powered up since then? Ronald suggested. Ya know, like doing some special training to become the No. 1 Elf player in the world!? What kind of childish nonsense is that? This isnt a comic, Cato asserted. But, you might be right. Its possible his Elf is much better than it used to be. Still, that doesnt change the fact its a bizarre pick for a hyper-aggressive comp. Well, sounds like its up to me to test him out, William summarized. Ill find an opportunity to pressure him and check what his Elf is all about. Ill leave that to you then. Cato nodded. So, Will, now that you know their entire lineup, which class would you like to go with? Hey! Ronald interjected. Whats with this bias? Why couldnt you ask me nicely like this when it was my turn to pick a class? Oh, its elementary, my boy. Its because I dont trust your judgment. Like, at all. Wha-!? Rude much? I object! Good luck with that. Cato sidestepped the confrontation. So, what do you think, Will? I think a defensive pick will do well here, considering their lineup. Hmm. Elf is pretty much the best as far as defensive Carries go, but... True, but there are a few other options. Hmph. I cant say Im a big fan of those. Besides, Im not sure its even necessary for me to play defensively in the first place. I mean, Ill be going up against an Elf. Thats only the early-game, right? Cato pointed out. You also need to consider the rest of their lineup. In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if that Elf is a low-tier bait to make you lower your guard. Honestly, we have enough defense in our lineup as it stands, William said. We also have to think about how were eventually going to win after were done defending. Hmm. Thats also true. Cato took a step back and re-examined their lineup. Indeed, all four picks thus far were strongly tailored for defense. Of course, that was a deliberate choice, the goal was to counter the enemys hyper-aggressive lineup. But, Cato mightve gone a little overboard there. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. In terms of endgame potential for wrapping up the game, the only thing we have is Sorcerer. The rest wont have any special power spikes toward the late-game. For example, Dragonborn was going to be the teams main tank. It was picked in order to withstand the early might of Dark Knight and to discourage enemy ganks, but thats about it. The class itself wasnt anything too special in the late-game. Sonya might be able to transition into a bruiser build toward the endgame in order to increase the teams offensive potential, but thatll take a lot of time and gold to set up. And, even then, shell only be a tanky bruiser at most, not a real offensive piece. Similarly, Vampire was a class with great survivability for any stage of the game and it was a strong ganker. However, it wasnt a particularly impressive pusher for the late-game. Likewise, Cryomancer didnt have any amazing late-game pushing capabilities either. He was just there to keep allies alive, to help the team survive the enemy onslaught. Yes, I see what you mean, Will, Cato said. Even if we deflect Stratus during the early/mid-game, it wont be so easy for us to wrap up the game with these classes. Exactly. So, are you thinking about picking a strong mid-game Carry? No, I was thinking more about a late-game one. A Hyper-Carry, in fact. Whoa, sick! Ronald exclaimed. Leave it to bro to go for the cool picks! I totally support this one, by the way. Nobody asked you, Cato said. So, a Hyper Carry, huh. Droid again? I was thinking more along the lines of Seraph. Hmm. Yes, of course. It has the better escape tools, so its better against this lineup. Despite that, Cato knotted his brows. This idea wasnt nearly as innocent as William was making it sound. You realize what youre suggesting, right? Cato asked. You want to pick a class thats helpless in the early-game, and you want to do that against a team thats planning to go ham in the early-game. Not exactly the safest of picks, in my humble opinion. So, what do you suggest instead? To pick a mid-game class? That may be safer, but not nearly as advantageous once we get into the late-game. Against a hyper-aggressive lineup like this, we have to make sure we crush them in one fell swoop once the mid-game ends. My, it sounds like somebody is out for blood~ Cato smiled impishly. Overall, I agree with that theory. But, keep in mind that their team is at its strongest on the offensive, both mechanically and tactically. Theyre trying to make us play on their playfield. Thats why Im saying we shouldnt get dragged into their pace, William asserted. I cant speak for everybody, but at least Im confident I can survive through their aggressive early-game. My, as confident as ever, arent you? Its not that hard. And, once I clear that hurdle, itll be easy to wrap up the game from there with Seraph, as opposed to using other classes thatll require more time and effort. Thats true, I suppose. Besides, if their early offense is good enough, then we might be at a disadvantageous position during the mid-game. So, it might be too early to try turning things around at that time. Oh my. Cato blinked. Are you actually expecting us to be in a bad position during the mid-game? Well, its possible, right? William shrugged. Its clear that this Stratus isnt the bottom tier team it used to be, not with players like Chess and Gunz on the team. So, we have to be ready for a difficult fight. I see, I see. Cato smiled meaningfully. So, hes taking this more seriously now. Good, good~ It seemed like the clash in Bot with Chessmaster and Gunz did good for William. The arrogant fellow didnt think too highly of Stratus aces back when he watched the replays, but now he was respecting their mettle and making his decisions accordingly. Alright, Cato said. If youre that confident you can get to the endgame with Seraph, then lets roll with it. But keep in mind that if this fails, then next game well be going with formation A. Hmph. We wont fail, William asserted. But, alright. If we lose this game or even come close to losing, then Ill be fine with changing lineups for a game or two. For a game or two, huh. Cato smiled meaningfully. I see hes really hellbent on challenging Gunz. One could write a love story based on this~ Alright, then Seraph it is, Cato summarized. Ronald, as his Support, you have the responsibility of safely delivering your dear brother to the late-game. No problem, bro! Ronald gave a thumbs up. Imma deliver you all the way to the moon with my supporting! Hmph. I wish I could trust that. William shrugged. I mean, youre planning to go with a power build again, arent you? Yeah, of course, bro! Thats my style! Youre going to do this even though our opponents will be super aggressive in the early-game, far more aggressive than you can ever get as the Support. No biggie! Gonna fight fire with fire! Hah... William sighed and didnt say anything else. There was no point arguing with that doofus on this topic, itd be like talking to a brick wall. My, this brat is ever the troublemaker. Cato grumped. On one hand, I absolutely want to win the next game. But, on the other hand, I really want Yuel to whoop this little rascal so he stops doing this shit in important matches. Sigh. What a pain in the neck... And so, the drafting phase came to an end. At the time, the Leopards were unaware that their understanding of their enemy lineup was completely off... ===Stratus=== Yuel (Chessmaster): Aquamancer Lars (Gunz): Elf Vincent (InformationBlackhole): Berserker Kai (Beat): Electromancer Luke (LegendaryMemer): Dark Knight ===Leopards=== Ronald (AbsoluteChallenger): Cryomancer William (AbosluteWinner): Seraph Sonya (TheTheorist): Dragonborn Cato (Rook): Vampire Matthew (Merlin): Sorcerer Vol.15 Ch.12: Early Overextension The second game fired off. What do you think are the odds of an early invade? Sonya asked. Pretty high, Id wager, Cato said. They surely didnt pick all these strong early-game classes to play nice. Especially, not when they have Yuel as the commander. Heh, I say let them come! Ronald exclaimed. Bro and I gonna make quick work of them! Yes, an invade shouldnt be a problem on our side, William asserted. Elf, Aqua, and Electro arent anything special in the early-game. But, in Top Jungle... Yeah, well have to watch out, thats for sure, Cato said. Lets keep some distance from the Wraith Camp and see what our wards catch. And so, the early-game preparations started off. Everybody purchased wards and carefully traversed around the jungle, placing the wards while being careful to not run into any enemies. Keep each other within arms reach and dont go too deep into enemy territory, Cato instructed. An early 1v1 is the last thing we want in this game. Especially you, Ronald. No running ahead to place wards. Stick close to Will so he can back you up as needed. No problem, man! Ronald promised. Imma just go in and then out, a two-second trip! Aint nobody gonna catch me there, just watch. This guy... Cato sighed. Will, can you keep an eye on him? Sure. William sighed and made sure to follow Ronald from a distance. Venturing into enemy territory this early in the game was the last thing he wanted as a Seraph, but there was no choice. His younger brother was a total brat, and itd reflect poorly on William if he fails to keep his sibling in check. What a pain... Its a pain in the ass, but I understand where Ron is coming from. William admitted. Its important to place these early-game wards, especially against an early-game comp. If we dont do this just because were scared, then well be shooting ourselves in the foot in the end. So yeah, I get that much, but I still rather play this safe. Sigh. On the other hand, Ronald was 100% convinced of his agenda. Cato is just wussing out, man. Ronald shook his head. What do you mean dont go into enemy territory? Thats some weak sauce talk. Just because they got a couple of strong-ass classes doesnt mean we should be shaking in our boots like some scrubs. We gotta be bold and do our thing, with confidence! Clamming up just because the enemy was a little dangerous was like the lamest shit ever. Catos wonky-ass leadership was already questionable at best, but this was a whole new level of lame. We arent supposed to yield like this before the game even started. Ronald insisted. Seriously, when the cap is acting weak like that, it just sends a bad message to the entire team. So, I say, screw that shit! We gotta be bold and show these Stratus bois that we aint scared of them! They can pick DK or whatever, we gonna trash them even in the early-game! Now THATS how ya boost the teams morale. But, Cato wasnt enough of a man to do any of that, so it was up to Ronald to be bold here. Therefore, he gonna place these important early-game wards and nobody will stop him! That was bound to reassure everybody that the Leopards were on top of things as usual. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Besides, theres barely even any danger on this side of the jungle. Ronald thought. The DK and Berserker gonna be in Top, so there isnt anybody dangerous over here. Seriously, Cato is just being paranoid. There aint no threats over here- Hello there. Luke popped from around the corner, his black blade already filled with dark energy. So, you really came, huh? Looks like Yuels guess was spot on! SLASH! The Dark Knight swung his blade, firing a blast of darkness right in the opponents face! For real!? Ronald jumped. D-Damn! I gotta dodge this shit! He rolled aside immediately. Thanks to his in-born athletic skills, his reaction speed was top-notch. The Dodge Roll came out instantly, right as the Dark Knight was slicing through the air. Alas, Ronald was just one heartbeat too late. The fierce darkness grazed his shoulder, burning his flesh. And so, 30% of his HP was gone in an instant! Fuuuuuu! Ronald exclaimed. Shit, what the flying fuck is the DK doing here!? He should be preparing for the game to start near Top! I mean, I guess he has a little time to kill before jungle camps spawn, but like, cmon! Why!?!?!?!!? This was definitely an unconventional opening. Things werent supposed to go like this! B-But, its okay! Im okay. Yeah. Ronald took a deep breath and turned around to flee. As long as its just the DK, its no biggie. Imma just place my ward here and- ZAP! A laser beam cut through the air and pierced through Ronalds side. C-Come again!? Ronald yelled. The Elf is here too!? H-Ha, haha. G-Guys? It looks like I might be in a little bit of trouble here, haha... This was getting wild. First the Dark Knight, and now the Elf, too!? Sure, it made sense for the Elf to be around here, but cmon! Its like the two of them were waiting here to ambush Ronald or something! And, in truth, his guess wasnt far off the mark. There was indeed somebody on the enemy team who anticipated this exact development and deployed the ambushers accordingly. This is a good start. Yuel nodded in satisfaction. I figured that if anybody was going to overextend early, then itd be either Challenger or Winner. As experts in defense, it was natural for the Leopards to be wary of early fights against Stratus current lineup. Therefore, they were bound to play it safe during the early-game, going as far as passing on important opportunities to place wards. Nonetheless, there were two players on that defensive team who stood apart from the rest: AbsoluteChallenger and AbsoluteWinner. Those two were the most confident attackers among the Leopards. In fact, they were an oddly aggressive duo that enjoyed pushing forward even when the rest of their team preferred to back away. In particular, Challenger came across as a rather adventurous player. He seemed like the type who often searched for trouble, like a little kid trying to act cool. As such, unlike the rest of the Leopards, there was a good chance that either Challenger or Winner will ignore the dangers of an early invasion and will play the opening as usual. In other words, theyll extend deep enough into Bot Jungle in order to place wards in good positions despite the danger. And, thats where Stratus might be able to ambush them! To fully capitalize on such an opportunity, Yuel swapped places with Luke for the opening. He headed to Top Jungle in Lukes stead and handled the warding over there together with Vincent. And so, thats how Luke ended up accompanying Lars and Kai in Bot. On top of that, Yuel advised them on how to best position themselves in the jungle in case an early overextension happens. Therefore, all three of them were eagerly waiting for such an overextension from great ambush spots. And, the overextension really happened! Not only that, but the poor guy chose the worst area to waltz into. Out of all the options, Challenger ran straight into the dangerous Dark Knight! Now, with Luke in the front and Lars providing backup from behind, AbsoluteChallenger found himself in an extremely dangerous situation! However, the guys response was fast. He immediately turned around and dashed away as if his life depended on it because it really did. Challenger mustve believed that hed easily get away like this, but things werent so simple. Luke and Lars have been eagerly waiting for this moment, so they wont let their prey get away unscratched. They WILL chase him down and they WILL shave away at his HP bar. Perhaps, theyll even be able to score a kill here. With that determination, Luke and Lars opened a hunt for their juicy prey. They were going to kill that dude, yoooooo! Vol.15 Ch.13: How to Become a Fearsome Jungler Dang, these guys are sick! Ronald grinned as he fled for his life. No idea how the heck they knew Ill be coming here, but no biggie. I mean, its just the DK chasing me. The Elf is way too far to hit- ZAP! A laser beam penetrated Ronalds skull. It was a headshot! For real!? Ronald exclaimed. From that far!? Did this guy just headshot me from like half a jungle away!? There was no time to turn around and confirm Gunzs current position, but surely the guy couldnt have moved too far away from his previous position, not while using Elven Sight. That first-person mode cut down the players Movement Speed by like 80%, so Gunz was practically rooted in place while sniping. So yeah, bruh literally sniped me from like 5 kilometers away. Word. Ronald smiled nervously. And of course, my defense is trash right now because I built power items like a real man. So, these damn snipes hurt, dang it! Each of the Elfs laser beams erased nearly 10% of Ronalds HP. And, combined with the Dark Blast that hit him earlier, Ronald had already lost a whopping 50% of his HP! Yes, he lost all that just for setting foot in enemy territory for half a second! It was crazy! But, Im okay. No problem. Ronald took a deep breath. I just gonna take that corner over there, then itll be impossible to snipe me no matter how good Gunz is. Ezpz. And so, Ronald moved around the corner. This maneuver slowed down his escape a little but it was worth it. Now, the jungle walls were going to shelter him from any further snipes, so he was safe. Okay, so thats that. Ronald sighed in relief. Man, they sure had me for a moment there, but Ive escaped! Hell yeah! The Elf could no longer snipe him, and the Dark Knight couldnt possibly chase him down considering how slow that bulky knight was. So, at this rate, Ronald will be back to safety in no time- CLACK. CLACK. CLACK. Excuse me...? Ronald raised an eyebrow. For some reason, the metallic stomping of the Dark Knight sounded way closer than it should have been. But, it was impossible. That heavyweight bruh shouldve fallen behind a long time ago. What gives? I mean, I know my Cryo isnt the fastest bruh out there, but it sure as hell faster than DK- SLASH! A dark blade assaulted Ronald from behind! For real!?!?!!? Ronald shouted. He caught up!? How?! Did he buy Sprint or something!? Ronald quickly pressed TAB and scanned the enemy data, all the while running away from the threat breathing down his neck. It was a little dangerous to multitask like this during such a critical moment, but no problem! Ronald was a pro, so he could focus both on running away and reading data, all at the same time! Yeah, he was definitely ready for the pro scene, no doubt about it. Wait, did this guy just build Wind Blade? On DK??? I dont even... Ronald was speechless. How is this a build that even remotely makes any sense??? That was nonsense at its finest. And yet, this Memer burh legit built Wind Blade on his Dark Knight. Thats how he was able to keep up with Ronalds Cryomancer despite his lower base Movement Speed. So wait, are you telling me hes straight-up faster than me right now? Ronald laughed dryly. Fuuuuu! I shouldve shot him then! Well, its not too late to do it now! He turned around and fired a basic attack at his pursuer. Doing so slowed down his escape immensely, but it was for the greater good. Thanks to Frostbite, Cryomancers passive, the ice shard Ronald fired was imbued with a slowdown effect. Sure, it wasnt going to cause a huge slowdown, but it should be enough to get that dang Dark Knight off Ronalds case. But, thats only provided his shot actually connected. Unfortunately... Not so fast! Luke rolled forth, passing right under the ice shard! That kind of feeble counterattack wasnt gonna stop him! Imma chase ya down to death, man! He rolled right past Challenger, then recovered and delivered an immediate slash! He was on a roll! The initiative and momentum were both on his side! He was like a monster cornering a hapless prey! Oh! There it is! Vincent made noise as he watched the intense scene. Such is the power of the fierce predator thats aspiring to rival the legendary Storm Chaser of Taurus! At present, hes a Wind Chaser for sure, but we do not grant him the rank of Storm Chaser. Nonetheless, one day, he might rival the greatest! Vincents hype commentary was nonsensical at best, but as usual, it contained a grain of truth in it. The build and techniques Luke was employing right now were indeed very reminiscent of Tauruss StormMonster, the chasing expert. Heh, what do you think now, Yuel? Luke grinned. Is this aggressive enough for ya, man? He grinned madly while sticking close to his targets back like glue. Truly, he was like an overwhelming predator that couldnt be challenged! Luke was in total control of this situation and Challenger could only flee in terror! Man, this feels awesome! Luke nodded. I really dont mind playing aggressive Junglers for thrills like this. Im not all about setting things up for others, ya know. Even though Luke excelled with Setup Jungelrs and that was the type of jungling he used the most, it wasnt the only style he could play. Its just that Yuel frequently rejected Lukes more aggressive picks because these were the spiciest memes. As a result, Luke usually picked the tamer memes, to appease that meta-slave. And yet, despite that, during the review of the Taurus scrimmage, Yuel had the gall to rant about how Luke mostly picked Setup Junglers. It was practically the guys own fault, yet he blamed Luke for it. But, Luke didnt lose heart there. He admitted that his aggressive picks were somewhat lacking compared to his Setup Junglers, so he went on a journey to find an aggressive pick thatll get the tyrants approval. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. After consulting the memeing wizards online, the spiciest idea that came up was Dark Knight. Maybe these guys were just trolling Luke, but he didnt care even if that was the case. After all, the idea of playing Dark Knight Jungler in a competitive match sounded too damn cool! But, that alone wasnt enough. Luke knew it. That dang Yuel wont be satisfied until he sees results. Thats why I had to go the extra mile. Dark Knight Jungler was a very aggressive Jungler pick, no doubt about it. But, Yuel would immediately shoot it down for being a hella spicy meme Therefore, Luke also had to make sure he actually delivered good results in Ranked. The only thing that could truly convince the meta-slave were cold, hard statistics. And so, Luke took the time to practice this Dark Knight spice real gud. He absorbed all the advice he could from fellow expert memers, the wizards who brought memes to Challenger ranks games and still got wins. There was lots of cool tech to learn, both mechanically and strategically. It turned out Dark Knight was an interesting and dynamic pick with tons of build options, just like every top-tier meme should be! But, polishing execution and studying builds werent quite enough. It lacked that oomph Luke needed in order to convince a stubborn meta-slave like Yuel. He had to be stronger, fiercer, and scarier. Luke had to turn into the kind of dangerous Jungler that Yuel claimed the team was missing when Nia was absent. But, stronger, fiercer and scarier were just words. They didnt mean anything without a good example. Was there anybody out there who fit the bill for these descriptions? Of course, a bunch of pros did, but these guys felt too distant of a goal to strive toward. Besides, they were the very definition of meta-slaves, as they were the ones who defined the meta in the first place. So, none of the pros seemed like a good example to follow in this case. Nah, pros wont do. I need something closer to home. Luke thought. Was there any Jungler my level thats like really fierce and scary and stuff? Like, the kind of dude who makes his prey sweat real bad? One day, the answer came to him out of the blue as he was rewatching parts of the Taurus scrimmage. There was one Jungler who stood out there, a scary dude whose mere presence instilled terror in its prey. It was StormMonster! Hell yeah! This guy totally fits the bill! It feels like a freakin horror movie when he chases ya, word. With that realization, Luke found a very clear inspiration for his Scary Jungler project. He rewatched the games from StormMonsters perspective, paying careful attention to the guys movements, builds, and decisions. Dang, this dude is like a veteran hitman. He gets himself equipped real good for chasing anybody in any situation, and he always advances on his prey all efficient-like. This is what I call a scary Jungler! Luke took notes and studied the guys tech, from builds to jungle rotations to fighting techniques. It was clear the guy has been polishing all of this for years, so it wasnt something Luke could replicate in a few weeks. Nonetheless, he still learned a lot from this. The most important takeaway was building Movement Speed as early as possible, to be ready to chase down some poor scrubs right in the early-game. StormMonster also utilized that extra speed to rotate around the map very quickly, which played a huge role in how many opportunities he got to gank and chase people. This was a very important lesson but it was rather difficult to execute in practice. After all, building items with Movement Speed came at the expense of not getting other important stats, mainly Attack Power. So, it required a lot of planning and preparation to be able to play a speedy build like that correctly. Fortunately, Dark Knight happened to be a very dynamic Jungler meme. Thanks to its incredible base power, it delivered big damage in the early-game even without building much power. So, what if I build some speed instead!? Luke put that idea into motion and tried out various early-game builds. In the end, he settled on Wind Blade, which provided Attack Power, Attack Speed, and Movement Speed. Starting with shoes was another viable option, but the overall combination of stats from Wind Blade felt the most oppressive for chasing enemies. So, thats why Luke went with this game as well and it didnt disappoint! Not only did he catch up to Challenger without effort, but he has already smacked the guy twice during the chase! Dude was literally down to like 20% HP already. The guy was legit one Dark Blast away from dying! So, in a few more seconds, Luke will be able to finish this ezpz! But hey, maybe I can just finish him off with two more basic attacks. Luke wondered. He was already this close to his prey and he was faster, so he could go for the kill right here and now without burning his HP on another Dark Blast. Alrighty, here we gooooo- Unfortunately, his opponent was no pushover. Challenger had no intention of making this easy for Luke. Nice dodge back there, bruh, Ronald complimented. But, thats enough of you! He turned around and fired a shard of ice right in the Dark Knights face! From point-blank, there was no chance he gonna miss. The ice rammed into Memers face and shattered to pieces. It didnt deal much damage but it successfully applied Frostbite, slowing down the guys Attack Speed and Movement Speed. That was the end. The guy was practically neutralized, so he wont be hitting Ronald anymore here... but that didnt discourage him in the slightest! You still coming at me!? Ronald exclaimed as a sudden sword swing passed right in front of his face. The attack was just a few millimeters short of hitting Ronalds nose. What a persistent bruh! With the predator still hellbent on attacking, Ronald had no choice but to run for his life. This is getting a little dangerous, haha. Ronald gulped. He wont be reaching me with his basics any time soon, but he can still blast me from this range. Is one Dark Blast gonna finish me off? Yeah, I think it will. Dang, DK OP, haha... Was Ronald seriously going to die here? Less than a minute into the game? That gotta be a world record for competitive games! His name will go down in history as the lamest death ever! Nuuuuuuuuuuu! But, just then, he saw a ray of light at the end of the tunnel. An angel came to rescue his ass! WHISH! A white beam of light passed right through Ronald, aiming at the predator behind him. Crap! Luke exclaimed at the unexpected attack. A white arrow popped out straight from the Cryomancers back! Luke didnt even have the time to react! Damn, the Seraph is already here!? I didnt even see him! There was no denying that Lukes field of view grew narrower because all his attention was concentrated on his prey, but that wasnt all. He was perfectly aware of the fact that somebody might come to Challenger''s rescue sooner or later, so he made sure to check his surroundings every now and then. And yet, he failed to spot that Seraph in time. That sneaky dude positioned himself around the corner and only peeked the bare minimum in order to place his shot. Whats more, Winner fired that arrow from a spot that Challengers body was blocking from view. All of this together made it impossible for Luke to see any of this coming. How did Vince call this shit again? Something about a matrix? Anyway, this dude sure knows how to position himself in the nastiest spots. Luke, thats enough, Yuel said. You should regroup with the others. But maaaaan! Im so close to getting this kill! Yes, you are. But, its too risky to continue and ultimately unnecessary, Yuel argued. You did a good job reducing Challenger''s HP. One Dark Blast will kill him, so he cant stay in the jungle like this. Hell have to recall now, which will remove him from the game for about the same amount of time as killing him anyway. Respawn times were short in the early-game, so killing Challenger here wont keep him dead for long. As such, forcing the guy to recall was almost as good as killing him. Dang, you and these 200 IQ arguemetns. Luke smiled wryly and retreated as ordered. I really wanted the kill thoooooo! Welp, but Yuel is right. Kill rewards are meh this early anyway, so Imma just retreat. Kai, Lars. Group up with Luke, Yuel instructed. And, after that... This was a great opening. It started off with a lucky guess that developed into an incredibly favorable opening position. And of course, Yuel had every intention to exploit this advantage to its utmost. The enemy might be thinking that Lukes retreat dropped the curtain on this early assault, but it was actually only the beginning... Vol.15 Ch.14: The Early-Game Thrown Into Disarray Phew, made it! Ronald finally escaped to safety. Thanks, bro! Totally saved my ass back there, haha. Hmph. Willaim scuffed. Next time, how about you avoid doing stupid stuff like overextending against dangerous opponents? Youve lost almost all your HP for nothing. Hey, not for nothing! Ronald objected. I did place the ward in the end. Just look over there. Indeed, as he was saying, there was a ward placed in the area from which he had barely escaped alive. Huh. William made a face. When did you even have the time to place it? Hehe! I saw the danger coming, so I jammed in that bad boi right before I bolted. Totally a pro move, isnt it? What are you so proud of? Cato criticized. Half of the wards vision is blocked by a wall. Well EXCUSE ME, I was kinda in a hurry. These bruhs were trying to murder my ass, you know? Yes, because you werent supposed to be all the way over there in the first place. Oh cmon. Ronald shrugged. Sure, it was a little dangerous for a moment there, but nothing bad happened in the end, right? Get off my case already. Nothing bad happened? Really? Nothing? Well, Im still alive and kicking, ya know? Yes, but you seem to be forgetting that youre running extremely low on HP, Cato reminded. The DK can kill you with one blast, so youre pretty much obligated to recall. Yeaaaah, I guess I better evacuate, huh. Ronald awkwardly scratched his head. But bro, is this really okay? Can you guys clear the ogres fine without me? Nothing about this is okay by any stretch of the imagination, William said. But, well have to manage. Yeah, I figured it might be a little rough. Ronald nodded. Seraph was a hella weak bruh in the early-game, and Sorcerer was awful at Lv. 1 without access to at least two spells. So, the two of them were gonna struggle against the Ogre Camp for sure. They definitely needed Ronald to help them out with his amazing power build! Okay, no problem! Ronald announced. Imma stay to help you bruhs with the ogres, then Ill recall after that. No, you recall now, young man, Cato ordered. Thanks to your recklessness, the chances of an early invasion have skyrocketed. If you stay to farm the ogres, theyll target and kill you first. Cmon, itll be fine! Ronald insisted. If they show up, Imma just retreat. If they dont, well get to clear the camp real fast. Go back to base, William ordered as well. Youre just putting yourself in danger here for no reason. Heal up and return to help me in the lane. Gotcha, bro! Ronald followed his brothers orders without voicing a single rebuttal. He began recalling right away like a good kid. I wish he also listened like this to me, the CAPTAIN. Cato grumped. Well, whatever. As long as hes gone, thats one thing less to worry about. Now, the remaining question is... Matt, Will. What do you want to do? Cato asked. What a drag... Matthew muttered. He had a very good reason to be upset about this development because Sorcerer had to be at least Lv. 2 to be relevant. He had to unlock the Magia Orb spell in order to place an orb on the field, and then he also needed one more spell that interacted with the orb in a meaningful way. Until that point, Sorcerer was extremely weak and vulnerable. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Normally, farming the Ogre Camp at game start was enough to bump the Mid Laner to Lv. 2. So, by the time the Sorcerer made it to the lane, he was already equipped for the laning phase. Alas, it seemed unlikely theyll be able to clear the Ogre Camp at this rate... I dont really like this idea, but I can level up my 3 first, Matthew suggested. Then, we can try clearing the ogres if the enemy doesnt invade. Normally, Repelling Force was the last spell a Sorcerer would like to level up. It was rather costly in terms of MP and it wasnt used as often for wave clearing, therefore leveling up Magia Orb and Dimensional Collapse usually took priority. However, in a situation where the Sorcerer had to farm by using only one spell, then Repelling Force was the only real option. Unlike Dimensional Collapse, Repelling Force didnt require a Magia Orb to be present on the field, therefore it could be used as a simple burst damage spell. A good idea but I doubt theyll let us clear the ogres, William said. We could farm the hyenas or wolves instead, but I doubt itll be efficient. Yeah, I dont think so either, Matthew agreed. Not with our classes, anyway. Yep, it doesnt sound too great, Cato also agreed after running a quick calculation. It wont be enough to level you up, and you wont be able to clear the camps fast enough to justify the rewards. So, if youre not farming ogres, then I believe its best for you to head straight to your lanes. Is my analysis on point, my secretary? Whos your secretary? Sonya hated herself for even responding to this. But yes, youre right. It should be optimal to simply go to lane in this situation. Figured. William nodded. So, were at the mercy of our opponents decision. So it seems. Cato frowned. Id like to thank you for this once again, Ronald. You set us up for a great opening position. Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. Ronald pouted. I know, I messed up a little. Now, can you stop droning about it already? Its not like its the end of the world, ya know? Well turn this around. Ez! My, the sheer amount of unfounded confidence you have never ceased to amaze me. Where is this guy drawing all that confidence from, Will? I wish I knew. Right? Cato smiled dryly. Then again, Will can get stubborn like that sometimes, too. Seriously, these brothers mustve been injected with some overconfidence genes when they were born. Cato could only sigh. This unfortunate development was completely outside his control, yet he was the one responsible for clearing up the mess. Not just as the teams captain, but also as the strategist who was supposed to lead the team to victory against Yuels ploys. Its like he was holding a chess match against Yuel but some of his pieces moved on their own against Catos will. He had no direct control over the pieces actions, yet he was responsible for the outcome all the same. Making dumb mistakes during the mid-game is one thing, but making a critical mistake like this in the very opening? Thats a whole new level. Sigh. The opening of every game was supposed to be the easiest part, composed of nothing but textbook meta moves. It was the most well-researched and organized phase of the game, one where surprises and mistakes were almost unheard of on the competitive level. I can rotate to Bot to help them farm, but thatll only sprawl the opening even more out of control. Cato reasoned. Besides, thatll mean leaving Sonya alone over here. She cant clear the wraiths on her own that well, so either way, one side of the map will be screwed. There was simply no solution for this awkward situation, no matter how much Cato thought about it. Though, that was a given, considering Sonya didnt suggest any alternatives either. If even TheTheorist couldnt come up with a good play for this situation, then such a play most likely didnt exist. What a start. Cato shook his head. This was supposed to be the game where we convincingly crush Stratus, but look at us now. Im sure the other teams in the audience are turning us into a laughingstock at this very moment. Sigh. So much for being the regional champions. THANK YOU, RONALD. I think you should let it go, Matthew whispered via private communication. Theres nothing you can do about it now. Yes, youre right. Thanks. For a moment there, salt was getting the best of me. Matthew was right. There was no point crying over spilled milk. The game had just started, so Cato still had plenty of time to turn things around. Ill just have to return the favor in kind. Cato asserted. In fact, wouldnt it make us look even more impressive if we stomp Stratus after starting off on the wrong foot? Yes, thats it! I should use this early failure to my advantage! My, Im such a genius, muhahaha! Cato cackled internally but the smugness was visible to everybody. Welp, looks like he got over it. Matthew smiled wryly. Phew, that was a close one. When Cato becomes salty, things often go to hell. It looks like Ill have to keep an eye on him. What a drag... Truly, Ronald caused countless problems for the team with his innocent reckless play. Will the Leopards even be able to recover from this bad start? Or, will Stratus hyper-aggressive lineup run all over them...? Vol.15 Ch.15: Putting the Unconventional Jungler to Good Use The jungle camps were about to spawn. With AbsoluteChallenger at 20% HP, the guy was bound to recall to base because he was just one Dark Blast away from dying. Or, maybe hell be reckless again? Perhaps hell stay behind to farm the Ogre Camp despite the danger? Either scenario works in our favor. Yuel thought. But, knowing Cato, he mustve issued an immediate recall. So, we likely wont be getting any kills here. Still, we can steal the Ogre Camp very easily. He instructed the striking team accordingly. And so, the operation began. Lars, Kai, and Luke grouped up and dived deep into enemy territory together. Their destination was none other than the enemys Ogre Camp. Them dudes are still here, yo, Lars reported. But, like ya said, I really dont see the Cryo dude anywhere. Looks like he recalled. Figured. Yuel nodded. So, attack the Ogre Camp as planned. Okey-dokey! Lets do dis, boiiiis! Luke and Lars ran up ahead, with Kai carefully following them from behind as the rearguard. Even though they were the aggressors, Yuel made sure they maintained a careful formation, just in case. Its unlikely for Cato to try anything here, but we have to be on guard. Yuel thought. He might choose to rotate from Top in order to help out. After all, getting the red buff for Mid is more important than getting the blue buff for Top. Nonetheless, it was doubtful that Cato would make any drastic moves here. The guy was all about maintaining a clean defensive formation, so he probably wont go for any moves thatll make the board messier than it already was. On the other hand, Yuel was fine with flipping the board on its head and making it as messy as necessary. After all, the meta was just a set of guidelines, not hard rules. Some situations called for innovation that strayed away from the standard. A good strategist had to recognize such irregular situations and adjust his game plan accordingly. Though, if I had the choice, then Id also rather not put myself in irregular situations like this. Yuel thought. Unfortunately, its impossible to follow the meta with Luke on the team. Sigh. The more Yuel practiced with Luke in the club, the more he realized that following the meta wasnt good enough when Luke was in the lineup. Oftentimes, it was necessary to make some important adjustments and practically build the entire teams strategy around Lukes irregular picks. I even feel like Ive become pretty good at doing this, as much as I hate to admit it. Yuel consulted many guides online to find the best ways to make use of off-meta Jungle picks. Even though he droned to Luke 24/7 about going meta, Yuel himself actually researched off-meta picks under the assumption that Luke wont budge on his stance. Until that blockhead stops being so stubborn, I have no choice but to learn how to make the most out of his memes. Yuel sighed. Itd be ideal if Nia could play an entire match without falling asleep, but shes a stubborn troublemaker as well. Seriously, why are all our Junglers so cursed...? Seriously, it was a pain. But, until either of the two brats decides to grow up, it was up to Yuel to make the most of their quirky features. Ive played more than enough games with Lukes Dark Knight, and Ive researched the pros and cons of it. So, at the very least, this game isnt going to be a crushing defeat, not under my watch. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. In fact, so far, Stratus was off to a great start. They forced AbsoluteChallenger to recall early due to injury, leaving only Merlin and AbsoluteWinner in Bot Jungle Even better, the enemy duo was composed of Sorcerer and Seraph, two classes that were extremely weak in the early-game. Especially Sorcerer, who couldnt even put on a fight until hitting Lv. 2. Theres no way theyll fight back. Yuel concluded. We can take their Ogre Camp for free without any worries. And truly, everything went according to plan without a hitch. Lars, Kai, and Luke arrived at the enemys Ogre Camp without anybody to contest them. Merlin and Winner watched this development from the sidelines and then decided to back away. They had no interest in starting a fight with these odds; they were both outnumbered and outpowered. Instead of contesting the Ogre Camp, Merlin and Winner went separate ways, each headed to their respective lane. This was all the evidence Yuel needed. Theyre giving up the Ogre Camp, Yuel concluded. Clear it out and give the buff to Kai. Then, Kai should go to Mid while Lars and Luke go to Bot. Oh, we gonna stick together? Luke asked. Haha, am I gonna be DK Support now? Cool! Yes, you will be a Support, for like 5 seconds. Clear out the lane, and then both of you should rotate to our Ogre Camp. Oh, I see watcha doing there! Okay, I like this plan! And so, the plan was set in motion. The trio assaulted the Ogre Camp and cleared it out almost instantly, largely thanks to Lukes overwhelming Dark Blast. Kai took the power buff and headed to Mid Lane. She fearlessly entered the lane through the enemy side of the lane, completely disrespecting the Sorcerer who arrived there before her. Hmph. Try to hit me if you dare. Kai lifted her chin as she jogged past the Sorcerer. The guy was still Lv. 1, so he wouldnt dare to pull anything here. Huh, he hasnt even cleared any of the minions yet. Kai noticed. Even though she arrived in the lane a couple of seconds after Merlin has already started farming, all her minions were still intact. Sure, they lost nearly half their HP, most likely from Repelling Force. Nonetheless, they were still very much alive. Pretty sure I can catch up. Kai fired electric basic attacks at the minions. She hit each of them in order, applying an Electric Charge to each of them. Then, she unleashed Chain Lightning, firing a spear of lightning that pierced through the first swordsman. From there, the lightning leaped from one minion to another, damaging all of them and applying further Electric Charges. After three bounces, the lightning exploded in the minions faces, dealing damage and applying even more Electric Charges. The swordsman who received the full damage of Chain Lightnings first attack had already collapsed, and his peers were about to follow suit. In fact, Kai could erase them from existence with a single snap of her fingers by using Electrical Explosion. Im SO tempted, but thatd just be a waste of MP. Kai stopped herself at the last moment. Merlin is going to burn lots of his MP by relying on his 3 instead of his 2, so Ill just save up until he recalls and then go all out. After leveling Repelling Force, Merlin will surely level up Magia Orb next in order to improve his wave-clearing speed. In other words, in the next wave, hell be using Repelling Force once again, which was far more costly than Dimensional Collapse. These first two waves gonna burn out a big chunk of his MP. Kai concluded. And after that, even once he starts farming normally, he still doesnt have the power buff. In other words, Kai was bound to overwhelm that turtle on all fronts. This was going to be easy mode. That is, unless their damn Jungler shows up again. Kai grumped. Well, well see how it goes. Either way, Stratus successful early invade put Kai in a great position for dominating the lane. She was stronger than her opponent thanks to the power buff, and shell also have an easy time being more conservative than her opponent in terms of MP. Basically, she was winning both in terms of strength and endurance. So cmon, go ahead and turtle to your hearts content. Kai smiled confidently as she blasted away the enemy minions. I have so many advantages this time that I cant even blame you for playing defensively. While Kai was asserting dominance in Mid, Lars and Luke moved on to Bot Lane together. All in all, Stratus opened this game in a somewhat unconventional, but definitely dominant, manner. And, with Yuels shot-calling, they were only going to keep pressing that advantage further! Vol.15 Ch.16: Jugnler Dark Knight Too Gud A pair of Elf and Dark Knight arrived in Bot Lane. It was an odd sight, that of a defensive marksman accompanied by a hyper-aggressive bruiser. Considering their damage outputs at this stage of the game, it was hard to tell who was supposed to be the Carry and who was the Support. And indeed, it was the Dark Knight who took the spotlight this time. Luke unleashed Dark Blast on the enemy wave, erasing it in one fell swoop. Haha, goteem! Luke grinned. Git outplayed, boi! With no minions on his side, Winner had no choice but to retreat from the area. Even though the guy got here long before Luke and started farming ahead of time, his lousy farming speed couldnt even begin to compare to Dark Knights explosive might. This is so hax, haha! Luke laughed. I love it! Yeah, its cool as heck! Lars agreed. I wish Elf had that kind of early-game power. This is sick! Hey, hey, you wanna make Elf totally broken or what? I mean, you gonna get this kind of damage in the late-game, right? So, if you had it early too, then Elf would be like SSS tier. Haha, true dat. Both classes were powerful but in different phases of the game. For now, Elf was the weak class that needed help farming minions, whereas Dark Knight was the uncontested king of the hill. As such, it was up to Luke to use his hax strength to dictate the flow of the game for now. In a sense, he was the Carry of the team during this phase of the game. Alrighty. Next stop, the Ogre Camp! Right behind ya, dude! The duo left the lane and traveled to the back of the Jungle, to the Ogre Camp on their side of the map. The ogres there mustve been feeling themselves after staying alive for this long, thinking nobody dared to farm them. But, they were totally wrong! They dont know how "Only the strong can survive in this harsh world". Luke giggled menacingly while quoting Dark Knights ultimate. The duo reached the Ogre Camp and ran into another ally there. Ill tank it, Yuel nominated himself. Thanks, man. Luke appreciated the help. He had already lost 15% HP from firing his Dark Blast all over the place, and now he was going to lose yet another 5% to another Dark Blast. So, it was nice that somebody else was going to share the burden and at least tank these ogre bois. And so, the trio started fighting the ogres. But soon enough, Dark Blast came out of cooldown. WHISH! A wave of darkness consumed the entire camp, delivering the ogres to their graves! Well, not quite. The two smaller ogres buckled over, but the big boss survived somehow. That chonky boi wasnt so easy to take out, even for an early-game Dark Knight. Still, the Dark Blast erased 80% of the bosss HP. From there, it was a no-brainer to smack this dude to death. SPLASH! Yuel shot water. ZAP! Lars fired a laser beam, straight in the ogres forehead. Headshot! WHISH! Luke brought down his blade last, slicing through the ogres neck and torso. The last hit is mine! He was the one to finally deliver the big ogre to its death, earning the most exp and gold in the process. It was a little sneaky of him, almost equivalent to kill stealing. But, it was only fair. After all, Luke did most of the work here and he was the Jungler, so he was the most dependent on income from Jungle Camps. As such, nobody had any objections. I gotta git strong real fast if I wanna stay relevant. Luke thought. Im OP right now, but I wont stay like that for long unless I farm like a pro. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Such was the curse of Dark Knight. This class was always in a race against the clock. It had to abuse its overwhelming early-game power and snowball early, or else itll lag behind and vanish into obscurity. Indeed, with great power came great responsibility. But, no worry. Luke grinned. I know all the gud tech. Ive practiced this shit a billion times by now. So, Imma snowball real gud on these scrubs, word! Alas, despite how much Luke was in a hurry to become stronger, Yuel ordered for the power buff from the Ogre Camp to go to Lars, not to Luke. Welp, I guess that makes sense, Luke conceded without a fight. Getting the power buff wouldve been nice for getting stronger, but in the end, it was just a temporary boost. It wouldnt make Luke permanently stronger. Not to mention, Dark Knight was already so OP that getting a temporary boost wont even affect his camp clearing speed by much. Heck, even his ganking potential probably wont see a notable increase. Ive tested it enough times to know. Luke thought. Getting the buff really didnt feel that different. Seriously, DK is so OP that you dont even notice the damage boost, haha. Most of Dark Knights overwhelming damage came from the high base damage of Dark Blast. On the other hand, the scaling of the skill was actually piss poor, so getting a power buff barely increased Dark Blasts damage. It was unfortunate, but thats life for ya. Im actually surprised Yuel is aware of this stuff. Wasnt he supposed to be a meta slave? How does he even...? Luke couldnt compute any of this. Heck, the guy even had a name for this thing. How did he call it, again? Something like diminishing returns? Dude legit knows everything there is to know about the game, huh. With the Orc Camp demolished, it was time to move toward the next destination. Lets do the wolves next, Luke suggested. Good idea, Yuel agreed. Well join you. The trio traveled to the Wolf Camp near Bot Lane. Thanks to Lukes Dark Blast, they cleared the camp within seconds. It was like playing the game on Easy Mode. Except for the fact it rapes my HP. Luke smiled wryly. He had used Dark Blast five times since the game started, which resulted in losing 25% HP just for that. On top of that, Luke tanked some damage from mobs. So, in total, the damage accumulated to 30%. Yes, thats right. Luke was already down to 70% HP even though nobody has even fought him so far. And, Imma drop to around half HP after doing the camps in Top Jungle. Oh, and theres the griffins, too. I better steal these now which means extra damage to myself. Seriously, this class is so maso. Combined, all of that was a lot of self-inflicted damage. And, for what? Just for casting a dang skill. It was such a bruh moment. But, thats also what made Dark Knight so interesting to play. This maso class was hurting itself while dishing out big PP damage. So, Luke could go for a lot of crazy plays, but he also had to carefully monitor his health every step of the way. Though, I can restore a lot of that missing HP real fast with one good gank. Luke snickered. I totally should go for it soon. This was one of the unexpected benefits of playing Dark Knight as a Jungler. Out of all the existing roles, Jungler actually put Dark Knights passive to best use. The Soul Eater passive allowed the Dark Knight to restore 30% of his MaxHP upon scoring a kill. A great passive overall, but a little hard to utilize in Top where progress was always slow as heck in the early-game. On the other hand, a Jungler had the freedom to roam to any part of the map and gank literally anybody. So, if Luke successfully scores at least one kill via a gank, hed instantly restore himself back to full health. Yes, the passive was that broken. With this setup, Luke could burn a lot of his HP by casting numerous Dark Blasts, and then restore all that HP in one fell swoop by scoring a single kill. It was like a neverending loop! Hehe. You wanna learn how to do a fuckin infinite!? Imma show you an infinite! With that said, it probably wont be so easy. After all, his opponents today were none other than the Leopards, the regional champions. I have a feeling these turtles gonna be real shook once they realize Im jungling with DK. Luke grinned. INB4 they all start hugging their towers to make sure I dont get any chances. Welp, thatd be hilarious in its own way, haha. For now, Luke focused on efficiently farming the next few jungle camps. It was too early to assault the Leopards directly. Before that, it was best to observe their movements and get a feel for their game plan. Lets see how them pros handle my DK. Luke smirked. I hope theyre total meta slaves and got no idea how to deal with this, hehe. It sounded unlikely that high-level players will not know how to deal with Dark Knight, but stuff like this actually happened a few times in Ranked. Some opponents thought Luke was making fun of them with his jungling, so they attacked him early or tried to contest his camps. Needless to say, it didnt bode well for them. Basically, Luke whooped their asses. Of course, a high-level team like the Leopards was unlikely to commit such grave misplays. But hey, a man could always dream, right? Maybe, just maybe, this irregular pick will throw the champions off their game, just enough for Stratus to steal a sneaky win. Hehe, I can already imagine the clickbait video. The champions lost against WHAT!? You wont believe this pick worked in a real match! This gonna be gud. With such silly thoughts in mind, Luke headed to the Griffin Camp in Bot Jungle. Vol.15 Ch.17: Aggressive Pincer Luke arrived at the Griffin Camp, which was positioned close to the center of the map. Unlike most other camps in the jungle, this one was in a neutral area, belonging to neither team. As such, it was frequently contested by both sides at the same time, leading to many skirmishes. But, it doesnt look like they wanna contest it right now. Luke shrugged. A shame. But welp, its as expected, I guess. Naturally, Rook was smart enough to avoid direct confrontation with a Dark Knight at this stage of the game. Oh well. You need help? Kai asked. Nah, Im good, Luke said. DK clears this camp real ez. Im actually more curious about what Mid and Jungler are doing. Are they going for the other griffin? Seems like it, Kai reported. Pretty sure their Mid is waiting for the Jungler. Merlin was farming minions from afar, standing suspiciously close to the entrance of Top Jungle. For a professional turtle like him, it was a rather questionable position, considering the risks it harbored. That is unless he knew that one of his allies was about to arrive there soon. Say, can ya harras them a little? Luke requested. Imma finish these griffins real quick, and then we can take the griffins in Top too. You want to take both camps? Kai blinked. I like the idea, but arent you being a little cocky there? This isnt Ranked, you know. Were playing against the regional champions. Champions shampions. Theyre just players. Heck, just middle-schoolers like us. Thats true, I suppose. Besides, I got the power of DK on my side, so I gonna stomp them if they stay to fight. Youre sure confident, huh. Heh, true dat. Luke grinned. You always gotta be confident when you play DK, thats the law. Is it? Yep, You gotta be as greedy as ya can get away with. The early-game is all I have. Well, cant argue with that, Kai said. Alright, Ill slow them down after I clear the lane. Hell yeah, lets do this! Imma go over there in a jiffy. First, Luke reached the Griffin Camp in Bot Jungle. Without further ado, he unleashed Dark Blast on the two giant birds! However, the beasts were pretty chonky, so they still had 20% HP left. And naturally, since they were alive, they retaliated against the assaulter! CLAW! CLAW! Sharp claws ravaged Luke! Dang it! Luke cursed internally. This is a rare case where things wouldve gone smoother if I built more power and had the power buff. He knew that much from research and experience. Knowing how hard or easy it was to take out the griffins was essential knowledge that every self-repsecting Jungler had to possess, memer and meta-slave alike. As such, Luke knew that in order to make his Dark Blast one-shot the griffins, he needed substantially more power. For example, buying a more aggressive starter item and getting the power buff wouldve been sufficient. But, I actually wouldve needed BOTH. Luke thought. Getting just a better item or just the buff wouldnt do. So yeah, not really worth it. With no better alternative available, Luke cut down the griffins by hand with his black blade. After that, he proceeded toward Top Jungle. Im done over here! Luke reported to everybody. Next destination: the other Griffin Camp! Thats a solid plan, Yuel agreed. But, can you please approach Mid along this path? He drew a route on the mini-map. Wait, wut? Luke blinked. You want me to get there through the enemy jungle? Yes, thats the plan. Why, tho? By the time you get there, the Sorcerer will already be in Top Jungle. So, if you enter from this direction, then youll block his escape route. Oh! Ooooooh! Luke exclaimed. Yo, thats one heck of a nasty plan! I love it! Though, itll get dangerous as heck if they try anything funny. Do you think theyll pick a fight with a Dark Knight this early? Well, I AM actually just above half HP, so I can see them trying to go after my ass. Dont forget that Kai will be covering for you from the other side, Yuel explained. Itll be a 2v2 situation, with our side possessing an early-game Dark Knight. These odds wont be in their favor and they know it. Heh, yeah that makes sense. Besides, these guys are hella turtles. They aint gonna take this risk, no way. Exactly. Alrighty, Im in! Luke grinned. Imma give them the spook of their lives, hehe. Thats the spirit. Hehe, boi!" Luke grinned as he moved through the jungle in the direction of Mid Lane. However, per Yuels instructions, Luke didnt travel through the allied side of the jungle. Instead, he ventured deeper into enemy territory. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. These bois gonna be shook once I show up! This was both exciting and scary at the same time. This is a hella ballsy move, even for me. But, I love it! How was the enemy going to react to this bold rotation? Could they even react to it at all at this point? Merlin had already ventured into Top Jungle, most likely to meet up with Rook near the Griffin Camp. So, the guy pretty much sealed his own fate. But of course, the Leopards couldnt be underestimated. They quickly picked up on Lukes irregular movements. Did I just see him enter our jungle? Cato asked. Yeah, he did, Matthew answers. Probably plans to counter-jungle. My, the nerve of this memer brat. Cato clicked his tongue. Against any other Jungler, such a crime deserved capital punishment. It wouldve been easy enough to teach the invader a hard lesson. But, Dark Knight was a different story entirely. Challenging this monster early was the same as inviting a catastrophe upon yourself. Even if I tried, I cant contest him if hes actually going for my camps. Cato reasoned. Though, depending on how far he plans to overextend, maybe we can organize a gank. With the number of wards in Bot Jungle, it should prove easy enough to track down Memers movements. So, depending on how deep that rascal was planning to extend, it might be possible to assault him on the way out. But, all that after we clear the griffins first. Cato met up with Matthew in Top Jungle and they proceeded to farm the Griffins Camp together. There, they ran into a little surprise. My, is she planning to contest us? Cato cocked his head. On the other side of the camp stood none other than Beat, with her sights locked on Cato and Matthew. The girl meant business. Does she think that possessing a power buff will allow her to fight us 1v2? If so, shes sorely mistaken. Beat was currently far stronger than Matthew in terms of damage, but she couldnt possibly handle two players at once. Even without his ult, Catos Vampire was plenty dangerous with just his basic attacks. Really, there was no way an Electromancer could contest both of them at once. This wasnt right. Do you think its bait? Cato asked. It doesnt look like it to me, Matthew answered. I think she really plans to contest the camp. Seriously? Cato tilted his head. Matts instinct is usually on point with these things, but I cant help but wonder. Is Beat really the kind of player to attempt something absurd like this? I mean, I know shes a prideful player who gets cocky on occasion, but this is taking things too far. It wasnt a stretch to call this outright dumb. It was no longer at the level of being overconfident or cocky. It was just a fundamentally flawed idea. And, even if she somehow arrived at the conclusion that this was a good play, Im sure Yuel wouldve made her retreat right away. Or, maybe he doesnt have enough authority in the team yet? With all said and done, Beat was Stratus captain. Yuel was still a junior, so maybe he didnt hold as much sway over the seniors. There were many possible ways to explain this situation, but in the end, it probably didnt matter. Cato and Matthew simply had to take the Griffin Camp as planned. If Beat was planning to get in their way, then they will simply kill her first, thats all there was to it. At least, thats what Cato thought at first. Shortly, an uninvited guest showed up in Mid. This flipped the entire situation on its head!. My, theyre taking the concept of cockiness to a whole new level. What a drag... The player who arrived in Mid was none other than the enemy Dark Knight. Whats more, the guy dialed up his boldness up to eleven by entering the lane from the Leopards side of the jungle. The guy was clearly feeling himself. So, its a pincer, Cato concluded. Beat was blocking their path from one side, whereas Memer was about to block them off from the other side. And so, Cato and Matthew found themselves caged. Of course, its not like they were completely trapped or anything. They were in the jungle, so there were numerous retreat routes available for them. However, none of these paths led directly back to Mid. Meaning, Matthew wont be able to easily return to his own lane. We retreat, right? Matthew asked. So it seems... Cato frowned. Is this Yuels doing? This feels like the kind of play hed come up with. A bold, aggressive play that comes out of left field. Such a pain in the arse. Cato and Matthew had no choice but to give up on the Griffin Camp and let the enemy claim the camp for free. It was a substantial exp loss, but it couldnt be helped. Were bound to play the early-game from behind, so its fine. Cato tried to reassure himself. Lets clear the Hyena Camp on the way out then. Are you sure they wont chase us down? I sure hope they dont. Theyve already won the griffins with this nasty maneuver, so what more can they ask for? Besides, chasing us now will only make it easier for you to get back to lane. Hmm. Thats true. And so, the two of them retreated deeper into the jungle and traveled to the Hyena Camp above Mid. Matthew had to make this long roundabout trip anyway in order to return to the lane, so farming some exp and gold on the way was better than nothing. But, as Matthew mentioned, there was the possibility the enemy wont even allow them that. Will Yuel order the Dark Knight to give chase? Hehe, look at them run! Luke grinned. Man, we totally spooked these guys! Should we chase them? I saw we run them down! No need, Yuel said. Just take the Griffin Camp and continue farming as much as possible. Boo. Boring. Luke pouted. But okay, I gotcha. Luke and Kai joined forces to tear apart the Griffin Camp. Together, they wrapped things up in a blink of an eye. "Lemme also help you out in the lane real quick," Luke said. "Huh? I don''t need any help." "Don''t worry, no need to thank me." "You''re just coming over to steal my farm, aren''t you?" "Naaaaah, do you really think Id do something shameless like that?" Yes, I totally do, Kai said matter-of-factly. Just let him do it, Yuel said. He needs as much farm as he can get, and he needs it quick. "Fine..." Kai sighed. No Mid Laner would ever appreciate their farm being stolen, but this was an uber-rare exception. Luke was playing a class that deviated from the norm so much that somehow this arrangement made sense, at least according to Yuel. And so, without any shame, Luke arrived in Mid and unleashed a Dark Blast on the minion wave. With just one hit, he tore the entire army to shreds. It was such an overwhelming clearing speed that it put even mage classes to shame. After that, Luke traveled to the rest of the camps in Top Jungle, terrorizing each and every one of them with his supreme dark powers. Not a single camp stood a chance against his absurd burst damage. However, all that great power came with a cost. His HP fell lower and lower, eventually dropping below 30%. Itd be nice to recover tons of HP in a bang with a kill, but Im not ready yet. Luke chose to recall instead. Well, its all good. Once I gear up and get myself Blink, we can get this party started for real! The early-game definitely started on the right foot for him. He accumulated plenty of exp and was steadily heading toward Lv.5. In fact, if leveling up was a race, then Luke would nearly be lapping everybody else. He was fast as heck, boi! And, it wasn''t just Luke who benefitted from this strong start. Thanks to his efforts and to Yuel''s sharp decision-making, Stratus started the game on a high note in all lanes. As eccentric as this Jungler pick was, so far Yuel has been putting it to good use. From such a strong opening, it was very much possible for Stratus to continue dominating the game all the way to victory! Vol.15 Ch.18: An Elf With a Rifle In the same way Kai obtained a power buff to dominate her lane, Lars also got himself the red buff at game start. It was unusual for a Carry to possess this buff early on, as it was universally agreed that mages put it to better use. Nonetheless, a marksman benefitted greatly from this buff as well. ZAP! Headshot! Lars sniped a bowman straight in the forehead from his laser rifle. Yes, he had a rifle, not a bow. It fired laser beams instead of arrows and it made a totally different sound. It was a sick skin that allowed Lars to ditch the basic bow in favor of this slick sci-fi rifle! But, not everybody thought as highly of this skin. "I''m amazed that this skin is tournament-legal," Yuel commented. "Not only does it look totally different, but it also has different animations and sound effects." "Yep, they sure put a lot of work into this one!" Lars grinned. "That''s why I coughed up that cash to get it. Ya know how I usually dont buy the stuff they shove into our faces on banners, but this was one skin I totally had to get, yo!" "It looks nice, I agree. But, I feel like these laser beams sound a little louder than the arrows. Doesnt that put you at disadvantage in fights?" "Hmm. Maybe? Lars shrugged. I guess it might be a little easier to react to. "What do you mean ''a little easier''?" Kai interjected. "This loud sound cue helps a ton. Usually, you can barely hear the Elf releasing his arrows, but this rifle makes so much more noise in comparison. "Really?" Lars cocked his head. "I can''t say I feel that much difference." Indeed, indeed! Vincent made noise. "It is only the Rhythm Reader who can sense such delicate differences!" "''Delicate'' my ass," Kai said. "This thing literally goes ZAAAP with every shot. Its like a whole different weapon." "Yes, it truly is. Vincent nodded. However, I read the designers exercised utmost caution when making this skin. They were aware of the glaring differences between this skin and the default, so they worked extra hard to ensure the skin felt as close as possible to the original on a mechanical level. They desired for it to be tournament legal, no compromises. Well, then they sure messed up in the sound department. Hmm. Perhaps that holds true when we consider players with acute hearing such as yours, Vincent conceded. Nonetheless! On all other fronts, the rifle should indeed feel very much like the bow! "Yep, its true, ya know?" Lars attested. "I remember taking the gun to training mode, thinking it gonna shoot faster than the bow and stuff. That was some hopium, haha." "I told you it wont possibly happen," Yuel said. "If the rifle really fired faster than the bow, then it would have been a pay-to-win skin." "Meh, they could''ve balanced that out by making the shots hit harder to hit or something. Or better yet, they could turn this into a real shooter and add limited ammo! "Now you''re completely changing the classs kit." "It''d be so cool, tho!" The rifle was both cool and a little disappointing at the same time. It looked and sounded totally different from the default bow, yet functionally, it was exactly the same in terms of speed of power. The animation of nocking an arrow took exactly as long as pressing the trigger on the rifle, as unrealistic as that sounded. Naturally, pulling the trigger in real life was much faster than nocking an arrow, but the devs stretched out the animation in order to make the two motions match. It felt a little lame aesthetically, but it made life a lot easier. Lars was already used to Elfs shots, so it took him absolutely no time to get used to the laser beams, despite how different they looked and sounded. "In conclusion," Vincent summarized. "It is clear that lots of blood and sweat went into masking the differences between the two weapons. The devs were certainly intent on making the two weapons functionally indistinguishable, yet the Rhythm Reader easily exposed a glaring difference!" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. This was such a nonchalant conversation, one that didn''t befit the situation at all. After all, they were currently playing on this grand stage, challenging none other than the regional champions. And yet, they were talking away about trivial matters as if this was just another Ranked match where they could take things easy. Thats how reassuring their strong early start was. Kai was dominating Mid because she had a power buff, unlike her opponent. Likewise, Lars was enjoying his power buff as well. It allowed him to clear minions much smoother than Elf usually could in the early-game. With the power buff, Lars needed only 3 hits to kill one bowman, instead of the usual 4 hits. This difference didnt sound like much at first glance, but it was actually an increase of about 30% in his farming speed. Instead of killing all the bowmen in 12 hits, now Lars only needed 9. Over time, this advantage accumulated further and made a big impact in the lane. This is good. Yuel nodded in satisfaction. I wasnt sure whether to give the buff to Lars or Luke, but I believe I made the right choice. Dark Knight was already plenty strong in the early-game, and its overall damage potential didnt scale that greatly with the power buff. Most of his damage came from Dark Blasts base power, therefore gaining more Attack Power wasnt going to add much, given Dark Blasts poor scaling. On the other hand, giving the buff to somebody who relied on basic attacks had a huge impact. Lars was able to utilize the buffs effect in full, now farming ~30% faster. With the buff in hand, Lars and Yuel were able to clear minions just as fast as the enemy duo, if not faster. However, the opponents had no intention of taking this lying down. "Wow. Bro, do you see what this guy is doing?" Ronald asked. "He''s totally flexing with these headshots, haha." "Yes, he does." William frowned at the topic. It shouldn''t have concerned him at all, yet it still ticked him off a little. Gunz was utilizing his Elf to snipe bowmen from across the lane, without the need to extend in order to reach them. That by itself was a standard Elf tactic. However, what stood out was the way Gunz fired at the bowmen. For starters, he was using a laser rifle instead of a bow, which was already a little unusual. But more importantly, he landed his laser beams square in the forehead of each and every bowman. It''s not like he gets any bonuses for it. William thought. So, why go out of your way and increase the risk of missing shots? For style points? Hmph, this is dumb. At best, Gunzs shenanigans could be considered a questionable tactic for applying psychological pressure. By showing off his shooting skills, Gunz might''ve been trying to instill fear in William and Ronald. His shots were screaming "Look how good I am!" If thats what hes going for, then its a childish taunt at best. William scuffed. Am I supposed to be impressed by how youve wasted hours of your life practicing these headshots? Sorry, but it doesnt bother me at all. Then again, was Gunz even the type to use psychological tactics like this? He really didnt seem like the type to think too hard. So, perhaps this was just the way Gunz liked shooting? Maybe, for him, landing these headshots was as natural as breathing. Thinking of it, he was landing headshots on the minions with his Pirate, too. William recalled. Can he actually do it with any class...? If Gunz was truly the kind of player who could land headshots so consistently, without even having any sophisticated agenda, then THAT was indeed impressive. And, perhaps even a little scary, too. Accuracy of this level meant that it was practically impossible to dodge Gunzs shots in a fight except with a Korean Cancel. No, even KC didn''t fully work. William remembered. My mess-ups aside, it felt like Gunz adjusted to my KC toward the end. So yeah, as far as the guys combat skill is concerned, I gotta hand it to him. At this point, there was no longer denying that Gunz had superior mechanical skills to William. Of course, there wasn''t a BIG difference between them, but it was nonetheless a noticeable gap that William had to respect. In other words, in a 1v1, William would have no choice but to play from behind like an underdog. Hmph, that''s nothing new. William thought. I''ll just have to defeat him through superior spacing and decision-making. Mechanical skill is just one facet of the game and it''s far from being the most important one here. In real-life sports, the gap in physical ability knew no bounds. It easily allowed some muscle-heads to shut down tactics through sheer strength. However, in Classmancers, all the players were bound by their in-game stats. No matter how mechanically gifted a player was, their attacks couldnt deal more damage than their Attack Power allowed. This fact dethroned physical ability from being the most dominant factor in competitions. As long as my decision-making is better, I can outplay him. William asserted. Rather, I WILL outplay him. It''s a promise. And so, William accepted his fate as the underdog in this case. He was ready to hold an uphill battle against Gunz, just as he has done so many times before in tennis. On the other hand, the younger brother had a very different take on things... Vol.15 Ch.19: The Burden of the Selfish Support "I''m not gonna lose this race...!" Ronald unleashed Icicle Rain on the enemy wave. Thanks to the Attack Power he built early on, the icicles dealt sizable damage that was unexpected for a Support. On top of that, the attack perfectly hit the entire enemy wave. The AoE was just barely big enough to cover all the minions at once, so it had to be placed carefully. But of course, for Ronald, things like that were ezpz. "Yes! Clean hit!" Ronald grinned in satisfaction and threw a glance at his brother. He was like an excited puppy expecting to be petted. "Hmph. You ought to be able to do this much to play on the Leopards." "Haha. Yep, I sure gotta be able to, and I''m able to! That clearly makes me the 2nd best player on the team!" "Are you trying to ruffle people''s feathers here?" "Nah, I''m just saying, bro. Me and you are the strongest bros on this team. So, we totally gonna wreck Gunz. Ezpz!" Is he trying to reassure me? William smiled thinly. "Well, at least I know I can defeat Gunz. As for you, that remains to be seen." "Whoa, the shade. Let''s switch chairs and I''mma show you how I rek that guy real quick." "No." "Geh. Formation C when???" Whats that, again? William asked. Its like formation B but we swap roles! Weve been playing like that every now and then, remember? Oh yes, in Ranked. Competitive games are a whole different story. But, formation C totally gonna work here too, Im sure! Youre sure about many things and many of them turn out to be wrong. No, no. This time Im like SUPER sure, bro. Let''s just switch chairs for a moment and I''mma show you how I destroy Gunz." "No." "Dang, so unfair!" Ronald waved an angry fist. Seriously, why did they have to play formation B today, of all things? It was the formation in which Ronald didn''t get to exert his power at all. Building power on a Support was cool and all, but it didn''t compare to playing Top or Carry. Ronald could only entertain himself during the early-game with this setup, only until everybodys damage scaling left him in the dust; such was the fate of a Support. "For the protocol," Cato interjected. "Formation C doesn''t exist." "Lies and deceit!" Ronald insisted. "It''s like formation B, but with bro and I swapping roles." "I know what you''re talking about. I''m just saying it''s not real." "What do you mean ''not real''? Are you saying I dreamed that shit? What about all the times we played it during club practice?" "What about them? Every single time, you had to beg Will nonstop to let you play Carry until he submitted, Cato said. It was just a headache for everybody, really." "Hey, it still means the formation is totally real, though!" Ronald didn''t even bother denying any of the accusations. Sure, for now, "formation C" was just a term Ronald coined himself. But, one day, he shall turn it into reality! Like, real talk. There was no reason why bro should waste his precious time and energy dealing with some scrubs. Ronald was more than enough for the job. Like, playing Carry is where I''m at my strongest! Ronald proclaimed. If I play Carry, I can destroy Gunz real quick. And, since everybody knows that bro is better than me, then me beating Gunz would count as bro beating Gunz! Ezpz math. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Alas, nobody was going to give Ronald this chance. Bro insisted to resolve things with his own two hands. Well, that''s okay too. Ronald shrugged. Bro gonna wreck Gunz this game, I feel it. Then, he''ll be the 2nd strongest! And, I''mma become the 3rd strongest real soon, too. After that, we can aim for that juicy No. 1 spot! Even Ronald had to admit that taking the 1st spot on that list was probably a pipe dream for now. Like, real talk, Jin was just a beast. Bruh was a real pro in every possible facet of the game. But, that didn''t mean the guy was completely unbeatable. With enough time and determination, anything was achievable! "You''re slipping into dreamland again," William criticized. "Focus on the battle in front of you first." "Yeah, of course. I''m like 500% concentrated on it, bro!" "Well, looks like its not enough, seeing as youve just missed that bowman over there." "Oh, whoopsie." Ronald''s Icicle Rain failed to cover the area perfectly. One of the bowmen remained just slightly outside the AoE, completely avoiding the damage. The spells AoE was just barely big enough to hit the entire wave at once, so even the smallest lapse in concentration was fatal. "No problem!" Ronald proclaimed. "Next time, I gonna hit them all for sure! 500%!" "Yes, you will. Because if you don''t, we''re going to lose the lane and it''s going to be your fault." "Haha, no pressure at all!" William''s criticism was harsh but well-deserved in this situation. Normally, it wasn''t the end of the world when the Support failed to hit one minion because the damage wasn''t going to be anything to write home about anyway. But, Ronald''s supporting was different. The brat intentionally built power in order to dish out damage early on. It was a questionable investment but it had a chance of paying off. In order for that to happen, Ronald had to regularly dish out damage and help William win the farming race. Keep in mind, William said. Im only approving of your Selfish Support build right now because youve proven it to be at least somewhat useful. But, if I ever deem it a hindrance Dont worry, bro! Ronald reassured. Imma show them that Selfish Support is actually the real meta! I doubt you will. But, if you achieve even half of that, then its good enough. As irregular as this arrangement was, Ronald did practically function like another damage-dealer on lane during the early-game. This relieved some pressure from William, which wasnt too bad. With Ronalds damage helping to contest the lane early, it became easier to pick a late-game class like Seraph and still have an easy time in the lane in the early-game. So, even though Selfish Support was suboptimal as far as meta was concerned, it nonetheless offered a nice quality of life improvement for William. However, this entire premise was riding on Ronalds ability to keep delivering that early-game damage. He had to play almost optimally to make any of this count. As such, it was absolutely mandatory for him to hit all the minions with his Icicle Rain. It was a bare minimum requirement for his power build to be considered viable. Were going to pay for this one mess-up. William reasoned, and he was correct. The enemy didnt miss this opportunity to push harder than usual. Gunz shot down all three bowmen while Chessmaster blasted the frontline with Splash. They went harder than unusual, clearly planning to aggress this round. Retreat a little, William ordered. They might be coming after you. Yep, I see theyre dialing up the aggression in this round. Its because you failed to hit that bowman, William explained. They know theyll win this round, so they feel confident about going all out. Dang, you really think its all because I missed that one bruh? Yes. Theyre the kind of players who dont miss opportunities like this. Perhaps Gunz wasnt smart enough to notice an opening like this, but Chessmaster definitely saw it. The previous game proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Chessmaster was the type of tactician who excelled at taking advantage of the enemys weaknesses. Even though Gunz is my main target, its impossible to ignore Chess. William thought. Gunz was a raw power player who overwhelmed his opponents through sheer technical play, Meanwhile, Chessmaster was the brains, the one who created the perfect opportunities for Gunz to shine on the battlefield. As such, it was nearly impossible to simply defeat Gunz. After all, almost at all times, Chessmaster stood behind his partner and advised the guy about the next best move. Every time we make a mistake, Chess is going to capitalize on it, William explained. Thats the mentality we should be playing with. So, every time you miss a shot, expect a penalty. Dang, thats a harsh condition. So basically, youre saying I gotta play this game with a perfect score, or else we gonna fail. Yes, thats how you should think of it, William said. Well, I dont think things are THAT bad, but its always better to exaggerate when it comes to Ron. If I say anything wishy-washy, then its going to go in one ear and out of the other. The more extreme and exaggerated things sounded, the more motivated Ronald was to do his best. And, for better or worse, Ronalds performance strongly depended on his mental state. At his highest he was impressive, but at his lowest, he messed up left and right. Just like he did during game start. William thought. We shouldve scared him more before the game started, to make sure he wont pull that shit. Ill remember that for the next game. As expected, Gunz and Chessmaster took advantage of Ronalds small misstep and pushed forth. No, this wasnt just a push. Those two were clearly aiming to inflict damage, if not outright score a kill. And, their target was none other than Ronald, who was slow to retreat... Vol.15 Ch.20: Capitalizing on One Mistake Ack, crap! Ronald exclaimed as a shower poured on him outta nowhere. That Aquamancer bruh cast his Rainfall spell outta nowhere! And, while Ronald was slowed down- ZAP! A laser beam! The shot pierced through Ronalds skull. If this were a shooter game, then this wouldve been a lethal hit for sure. Whoa, this bruh just keeps landing headshots even in this situation!? Ronalds brain short-circuited as he tried to process this. But wait, more importantly, are they seriously going all in like this!? I told you theyll use this opportunity, William said matter-of-factly. You shouldve retreated as soon as I told you. Yeaaah, I guess I shouldve, haha. Ronald laughed dryly. But, no problem! They not gonna get me. They better not, or else we might lose the game right there. Whoa. I guess Im that important for winning, huh. No, Im important for winning because Im the Carry, William asserted. If they remove you now, then theyll have no problem targeting me next, thats the real problem. Oh crap, youre right. Ronald nodded. Okay, dont worry, bro! I wont let them kill me so easily. I sure hope so. Your performance in this game hasnt been up to par so far. Oh cmon, I just made one bad call at game start. Its all water under the bridge by now. Says the guy himself. William made a face. These consecutive misplays are getting a little concerning. Hes probably feeling himself because weve already won one game, so depending on how things develop, I might have to think of a solution to this. Frankly, this Carry-Support dynamic was so backward. Instead of the Support babysitting the Carry, it felt like William was the one taking care of Ronald. It was such a pain in the neck sometimes. At times like this, I almost wish Cato was my Support. William couldnt believe that this thought actually passed his mind, but it was true. Wed probably bash heads a lot, but at least I can overall trust him to make good decisions as a Support. William could do nothing more than sigh at the unfolding situation. The die was already cast. Chessmaster slowed Ronald down with Rainfall and Gunz started sniping from afar. The battle was on. Naturally, this assault triggered the few remaining allied minions. The soldiers turned their attention to Gunz, the offender who dared to touch Ronald. Technically, it was Chessmaster who launched the first attack. However, Rainfall didnt deal any damage, therefore it wasnt considered a hostile action by the bots even though it totally was. Despite the approaching retaliation, Gunz aimed his rifle once again without a single care in the world. Ron, you should place a- ZAP! ... a wall. The advice arrived too late. Yet another bullet pierced through Ronalds skull. Dang, seriously!? I thought I was gonna juke this one real ez. Ronald moved from side to side as he ran, doing his best to confuse the sniper. Alas, none of it proved effective. Gunzs sniping skills didnt falter at all. It looks like Im too dang slow. Ronald realized. That nasty slowdown from Rainfall really hit him hard. Even though he has already escaped the rains area, the slowdown effect still lingered for a few seconds. Okay, then a wall it is! Ronald really didnt want to waste MP on this skill unless it was absolutely necessary, but right now, it was totally necessary! Here goes! He turned around for a moment, summoned the wall, and then continued his escape. With the thick wall now standing between Ronald and Gunz, it was no longer possible to snipe him. The enemy would have to somehow shoot around or over the wall in order to reach Ronald, but that was clearly impossible... or was it!? Nice, yo! Lars grinned at the Ice Wall. This is exactly like you said itd happen, dude! Im totally gonna take advantage of this one. Lars went out of Elven Sight mode and turned his back toward the distant ice wall. This was gonna be one heck of a leap of faith! He activated Elven Leap, backflipping high in the air. And, where did he land? Right on top of the ice wall! Yeah, thats right. In this largely horizontal game, Lars reached the high ground through a vertical jump! Now, he was the king of the hill. Enemy minions wanted to smack him real hard for attacking their dude, but they couldnt possibly reach him at this height. They charged face-first into the ice wall like brainless bots, in a futile attempt to get into a position to reach Lars. The fact this interaction was even possible was rather absurd. Generally, leaps were unable to land on top of walls because that would completely break the balance of this horizontal game. However, Elven Leap was just slightly different from most regular jump skills, and Ice Wall was just slightly thicker than most regular walls. Together, these two small irregularities caused an anomaly. It was likely an unintended bug, one that ClassSoft has been slow to fix for some reason. Until they do, it remained a totally valid meta play. It was a case of extremely specific matchup knowledge, one that Yuel successfully drilled into Lars during practice. Though, of course, Yuel had to remind the goof about it all over again Landing on top of this wall with Elven Leap was no easy task. However, through hard work, determination, and talent - Lars mastered this specific niche interaction! And now, he was going to use it fully to his advantage! ZAP! He fired from the top of the wall, aiming straight at the fleeing Cryomancer. HEADSHOT! What the-!? Ronald turned around in confusion. Another headshot!? Impossible! He totally walled off all the sniping, right? So, there was no way Gunz could possibly shoot him anymore! But, the mad lad did just that. For some reason, Gunz was standing on top of the Ice Wall that Ronald erected as if he owned the entire area. When and how did this happen, exactly? What the heck? Ronald asked. Did he jump on my wall? Yes, he did, William attested. A well-aimed backflip, Ill give him that. Daaamn, thats sick! Haha! Ronald laughed. How the heck did he land all the way up there? You cant even see where youre going when you do that backflip! He must have good coordination. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Yeah, this guy is sick. I see why Sonya rated him so high. Hmph. Ah! But, of course, youre way better than that scrub, bro! Ronald was quick to add. Dont worry. I messed up a little this time, but next round we gonna be the ones wrecking them! Ill hold you on that promise. William had nothing else to add as he retreated along with the troublemaker. This round was completely their loss thanks to Ronald. Hmph. This wasnt my fault, so it doesnt count. William asserted. Gunz dominated this round beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, it all happened because of Ronalds misplay, not Willaims. As such, this didnt count as Gunz winning against William in any way. This proved nothing about how their skills measure up. Ron goofed but he didnt die, so were still good. Willaim though. Though, he did lose a lot of HP... With a power buff in hand and a rather aggressive early-game build, Gunz erased nearly 15% of Ronalds HP with every shot. Therefore, after three clean hits, Ronald was now down to 60% HP. Do I tell him to retreat? William pondered. Its not like hes in any immediate danger, but hes still pretty low. This is a dangerous amount of HP to have against a hyper-aggressive team. Judging by Gunzs sniping skill with Elf, it was safe to assume that Ronald wont be able to dodge most incoming shots. Gunz WILL snipe him down even from a maximum distance, no doubt about it. And, thanks to the power buff, each of his shots hit like a truck. As it stood, Ronald was roughly about 4~6 hits away from dying. This was extremely dangerous, especially considering the CC options of Aquamancer. Not to mention, the enemys Jungler was a Dark Knight, of all things. So yes, there were many ways in which this situation could go wrong very fast. If only he was a little healthier. William frowned. Its that last hit that really put him in the red. If Ronald was still around 70% HP or more, this would have been a no-brainer. That was a healthy amount of HP that wouldnt have made William worry at all. But, because of that last tricky shot that came from atop the Ice Wall, Ronald fell into dangerous HP territory. This was probably what the enemy was aiming for. Gunz went out of his way to spend his leap for this play, just to get this one extra hit. It couldve easily gone wrong if he failed to land on the wall, and theres a lot of risk in throwing away his best escape tool like that. Yet, he still went for it. Most likely, the brain behind this operation was Chessmaster. Or, perhaps Gunz just wanted to flaunt his mechanical skill and show he could land on top of that ice wall, which was honestly quite absurd, by the way. That Elven Leap + Ice Wall was a familiar exploit, but it was a rare interaction that almost never worked out. It was difficult to intentionally land on top of the ice wall, especially when jumping backward. William knew that firsthand because he and Ronald tried practicing it before. Needless to say, it didnt go that well. William had no problem landing on the wall in a peaceful environment when it was only him and the wall. After many repeated failures, he was able to estimate the ideal distance and angle for landing and staying on top of the wall. However, real matches never had such optimal conditions. Things were always moving around and it was necessary to make split-second decisions. When the ice wall could spawn anywhere and at any time, William struggled to find the optimal position on the spot. When he tried to make that leap of faith regardless, it usually ended in one big failure. He either crashed into the wall and wasted his precious leap, or worse still, he went over the wall and found himself isolated in enemy territory. As for Ronald, the brat didnt fare much better with this challenge, either. Even in Practice mode, his consistency left much to be desired. He wasnt even half as good as William there. On the other hand, in practical scenarios, Ronalds success rate was somehow higher than Williams. Even though the kid didnt fare that well in Practice mode, his success rate was almost the same between practice and real matches. Frankly, it was rather bizarre. Either way, in the end, both brothers gave up on trying to master that exploit. It was a very specific niche interaction in the first place, so it wasnt worth burning so many hours on it. Instead, it was far better to focus on something universally practical, like the Korean Step Cancel. But clearly, Gunz begged to differ. He deemed it reasonable to master that niche exploit, and he went out of his way to take the risk and show it off on the competitive stage, of all places. What a show-off. Either way, regardless of whether that play was merely a spectacle that Gunz wanted to show or a carefully organized play by Chessmaster, the end result put Willaim on the spot. Keeping Ronald around with 60% HP was risky. On one hand, issuing a retreat would be wise. On the other hand, thatd make Ronalds wasteful power build even more wasteful. A Selfish Support could only justify his playstyle by being present on the lane and clearing minions alongside the Carry. Ronald had to actually deliver all that damage he built, or else the whole setup would go to waste. I cant allow that. I need as much early advantage as I can get my hands on. William thought. I picked Seraph for the late-game, but Elf is also a late-game class. So, this is a race to see who gets their build online first. Ron, I hope now you understand whats going to happen every time you mess up your farming. Make sure this wont happen again. No problem, bro! Thats all Willaim had to say on the matter. He didnt utter a single word about retreating, and Ronald didnt bring up the topic either. On the other hand, there was one teammate who didnt quite agree with this. My, youre not going to ask him to retreat? Cato asked. It looks to me like somebody here likes playing with fire~ I considered it for a moment but its not worth it, William explained. His power build is only worth it when hes here on the lane, doing his job. Thats true, as unfortunate as it is. Cato nodded. But, do you know whats also true? That you, as his older brother, couldve easily demanded him to stop building this nonsense and start playing properly. Spare me that headache. Haha. Well, its not like I dont understand you. Cato sighed as he recalled his past attempts. Unlike Willaim, who gave up almost immediately, Cato led a long and tedious crusade in protest of Ronalds Selfish Support builds. Seriously, Cato tried every trick in the book to get Ronald to give up on that nonsense, he even involved the coach. But, in the end, nothing worked on that blockhead. Even Rodriguez couldnt change the brats mind. Just let him try and fail, Rodriguez said back then. Hell not be convinced by anything as long as it keeps working for him. Im sure hell change his tune once you face stronger opponents at the nationals. Apparently, that was one of Rodriguezs policies for dealing with stubborn off-meta players. He lectured them a lot but if they still refused to yield, he simply let them play however they wanted. Essentially, he waited for them to crash into a wall and learn a valuable lesson from that. According to him, that was the most efficient method for teaching such blockheads. Thats exactly how he handled Jeniffer last year, who insisted on playing Combo over any meta build. In her case, that worked out splendidly thanks to the defeat she suffered against StormBlitzs second-string. From there, she realized the importance of meta classes and even managed to improve in time to join the first-string for the regionals. It was quite a touching story. So, this passive approach for dealing with troublemakers definitely worked sometimes. But... I cant say Im a fan of it. Cato thought. So please, Yuel. Trash this kid real hard for me, will you? Thanks in advance. From that perspective, allowing Ronald to remain in lane with 60% HP was for the best. If Yuel successfully capitalizes on this opportunity and wrecks Ronald hard, then it might teach the brat a lesson or two for the future. On the other hand, if Yuel really does take advantage of this opportunity, it might spell doom for us. Even the tiniest misplay can snowball against a hyper-aggressive team. This was such a difficult dilemma. On one hand, Cato wanted Yuel to succeed in crushing Ronald, yet at the same time, he didnt want to suffer the consequences of such a development. Truly, what a pain in the ass Ronald was. Fine. Ill allow it for now. Cato sighed. I really hate to admit it, but this brat usually knows how to pull his weight when it counts. So, I doubt hell go down without a fight. There was definitely risk involved in this decision but Cato concluded this was better for the team''s future. As the overlord, it was sometimes necessary for him to sacrifice his pawns for the sake of powering up the team! I really didnt want to deal with high stakes like in this game, though. Cato frowned. We were supposed to win this game decisively, to show that were the far superior team... The way this game started for the Leopards was shaky, to say the least. The early-game was clearly going to lean heavily in Stratus'' favor. Right now, the Leopards looked like the real underdogs here. I cant say I like this, but its quite alright. Cato smiled impishly. We can start off with that handicap, its not a problem for us. In the end, victory will be ours once again! With that belief, Cato approved of Ronalds continued presence in Bot Lane despite the dangerous 60% HP. But, was this decision the right call? Or, will it bring about disaster? Only time will tell... Vol.15 Ch.21: Patient Offense vs. Patient Defense In the same way that Stratus held the upper hand in Mid and Bot, they also gained some early advantage in Top. There, it wasn''t the result of invading or stealing buffs. It was a much simpler tactical advantage, one that Yuel established before the game even started. It all happened back during the drafting phase. So tell me, o dragon lady. Vincent addressed his foe. Will you approach me to do battle? Or, shall you remain on the defensive, patiently biding your time? Of course, it was but a trivial question. After all, his lane opponent was none other than Theorist, an expert in information handling. Clearly, she was aware of the peculiarities of this match-up and why it didnt favor her in the slightest. So, I see you have indeed chosen safety over dominance. Vincent concluded after observing his opponent for a while. It is a rather uncharacteristic decision for a dragon, a legendary creature known for its greed. Nonetheless, it is a wise plan. Clearly, this is an Elder Dragon we have on our hands here. The classic Dragonborn farming routine was to begin the assault with Draconic Rush, which pushed the swordsmen back to the backline. From there, it was possible to unleash Draconic Flame on the entire minion wave, torching both the swordsmen and the bowmen at once! However, Theorist avoided using this setup at this time. Given her robust game knowledge, she was clearly aware of this farming technique. However, instead, she went for a far simpler, far less efficient farming technique. Instead of invoking the mighty Draconic Rush, she only used Draconic Flame. She simply approached the swordsmen and swung her fire blade at them, engulfing the soldiers in flames. Without pushing the frontline closer to the backline, the Dragonborns flame sword had no hope of hitting both the swordsmen and the bowmen. It was quite a sizable waste of damage. Clearly, Theorists top priority was not efficiency but safety. I see, I see. Vincent nodded. So, you chose to not show me your Draconic Rush. Very well. Right after unleashing the Draconic Flame, Theorist evacuated the area. She went as far as rolling away, and for a good reason. Vincent had already raised both of his axes high into the air, right above his head. Then, after charging up the attack to its fullest, he slammed the axes into the ground! BAM! A Shockwave exploded! Charging the attack to its utmost limit vastly increased its AoE radius. Therefore, the shockwave exploded so widely that it hit both the swordsmen and the bowmen! Truly, it was as if a meteor crashed into the ground! The impact shouldve been powerful enough to wipe out the dinosaurs from the face of the earth all over again! But, in reality, it wiped out neither the swordsmen nor the bowmen. Barbarian Slam dealt substantial damage to the entire enemy army, but all the soldiers survived this Armageddon. So, you have endured my Ragnarok, o brave minions. Vincent nodded. But, don''t rejoice quite yet! I shall personally slice and dice each and every one of you! Vincent stepped in between the swordsmen and the bowmen and began hacking away at them with his axes. Naturally, he went after the backline first. Hack. Hackhack. HACKHACKHACK! The longer Vincent kept going with his relentless assault, the faster his attacks became. This was a unique property of Berserker''s basic attacks, one that wasn''t directly disclosed in any of the class''s skill descriptions. It was just how the animation of his basic attacks worked. But of course, such a small detail couldn''t escape the pull of the all-absorbing Information Blackhole! Indeed, the information was sucked right in, burying itself within Vincent''s endless sea of knowledge! To fully capitalize on this unique property, Vincent specifically positioned himself in the gap between the enemy''s frontline and backline. This way, he ensured that he could keep unleashing his flurry of attacks on the entire enemy wave without ever stopping to break his combo. And so, he hacked, hacked, and hacked some more at the bowmen. Then, once the backline was completely eliminated, Vincent turned around and continued assaulting the swordsmen with the same attack speed. O, such beautiful mechanical optimization! Vincent praised the famous technique he was borrowing from the gods of Classmancers. I may not have any impressive mechanical skill to my name, but this technique allows even a pleb like moi to pull such an outstanding stunt that can awe the audience! It is simply splendid! With that said, this approach involved a lot of risks. After all, Vincent had to position himself deep within the enemy formation in order to pull this off. Against most lane opponents, this would be an extremely dangerous stunt to pull. But, against Theorist? This was the safest play in the world! It was clear as day that the dragon lady had no intention of challenging Vincent anytime soon. As such, Vincent had the freedom to extend into enemy territory without much worry. I could even go further and bring the battle to her, but I shall refrain for now. Vincent thought. If she intends to make my life so easy and allow me to farm to my heart''s content, then I shall not shake the tree, at least not yet. With how much freedom Theorist was giving Vincent, it will be a no-brainer to outclear the dragon lady on every wave. This was the ideal lane situation with minimal risks and maximum gains. Once Vincents endless flurry of attacks finally came to an end, it left nothing behind. The enemy dragon lady remained practically naked against his army. But of course, Theorist wasn''t sleeping the entire time this was going down. She also tried to lay waste to Vincent''s army with her basic attacks, but she couldn''t quite compete with Berskers lightning-speed flurry. By the time Vincent eliminated the entire enemy army, Theorist was only done with Vincent''s frontline and had already retreated. She did not even dare to invade any deeper into Vincents territory to clear out the bowmen first, thats how much lane advantage she was willing to surrender to Vincent in exchange for her own safety. I see, I see. So, that''s how it is. Vincent nodded. You will not contest me face-to-face, but neither will you give me a chance to strike you. Indeed, this is very much in line with TheTheorist''s usual tactics. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Safety over speed, and tranquility over chaos, such were Theorist''s beliefs. She preferred to put herself at a slight disadvantage as long as it helped her maintain order in the lane. Above anything else, she wanted to ensure that everything was going according to the script. This mentality was very much representative of the Leopards as a whole this year, especially on the lanes where Theorist and Merlin played. This team was a world apart from the aggressive Leopards led by Fenrir in the previous year. Fenrirs was a team that terrorized the competition to the core, instilling fear in all the opponents they brutally crushed. With that said, this version of the Leopards was interesting in its own way. It appeared weaker and less oppressive at first glance, but that was merely an illusion they established during the early parts of the game. It is very inviting to push ahead in this situation, but I shall not fall for this trap. Vincent retreated and abandoned the bowmen on their own. As inviting as this opportunity seemed, it was more than likely an elaborate trap. This was how the Leopards of this year played Classmancers. If last year they were like fearsome wolves who leapt at their opponents and tore them to shreds, then this year they were like stealthy snakes. They patiently waited for the right opportunity to catch their prey off guard and then systematically choke them to death. I shall not fall for such base trickery! Vincent proclaimed. Im beyond certain that the enemy Jungler is lying in wait at this very moment, looking for an opportunity to strike me down. Allied wards have spotted Rook around Top Jungle recently, so it was safe to assume that this dangerous fellow was still hanging around. And, given how passively Theorist played this round, it only stood to reason that she had some ulterior motives in mind. For example, it could be a cunning plan such as lowering Vincents guard and baiting him into overextending. That wouldve set up the perfect stage for Rook to jump Vincent! Nay, I say! You shall not have your way, villains! I will resist this temptation until the very end! And, that was the right choice. Rook indeed arrived on the lane shortly after. He popped up from the enemy''s side of the jungle and helped Theorist clear out the incoming bowmen. It appears I''ve escaped by the skin of my teeth. Vincent nodded meaningfully. If I ventured any deeper than this, I would have been naught but a sitting duck for our foes. Once all the minions were gone, Rook immediately left the lane. He clearly had no intention of sticking around to help Theorist any further for now. The man had his own busy schedule to attend to in the jungle, so it was understandable that he couldn''t babysit Top Lane 24/7. "Their Jungler has just departed from Top Lane," Vincent reported in order to ensure that everybody was in the loop. Especially, it was important to relay this information to Kai, as Mid might be Rook''s next target. Now, let us focus on the next round. Vincent shifted his attention back to the enemy in front of him. My job is to pressure Theorist into submission, such were the orders I was given. Berserker was a soft counter to Dragonborn, one that Chessmaster has successfully drafted by fooling his foes. As such, Vincent was obligated to live up to the expectations placed on him and tear Theorist apart! It is easier said than done, however. Vincent shook his head. I''m no expert at aggression like Gunz and Beat. On the other hand, my opponent is an expert at defending. As such, it will be nigh impossible to crack her. At the very least, not with my own strength alone. Vincent summarized the circumstances to Chessmaster, the supreme commander in charge of this operation. After all, Vincent was no genius tactician, so it was best to leave the complicated thinking to the man who excelled at it beyond measure. Vincent was fully content with being an obedient pawn on the masterminds board. "I see," Yuel said. "So, they''re planning to handle Top the same as last game." "Indeed, so it seems," Vincent agreed. "Theorist will stick to defense, relying on Rooks help to even out the odds." "In that case, start building up Rage." "Oh! Are you asking moi to trade my sanity for the sake of unleashing Armageddon on my foe!?" "... yes, I suppose," Yuel rolled his eyes. "Anyway, make sure you''re ready to go Berserk by the third wave." "Very well. It shall be done." Vincent nodded. He had actually used Relaxing Exhale after clearing the first wave, so his Rage meter was at 30% at the moment, just enough to cast another fully charged Barbarian Slam. However, it should not take too much effort to bring it to 80% for the third wave. "Is this the entire master plan? Vincent asked. As mighty as Berserker gets when enraged, I''m afraid I do not possess the technical skill to smite down a defensive opponent such as Theorist." "That''s where Luke enters the picture." "Oh, a gank!?" Luke jumped. "I''m in! When? Where? Lemme in!" "You''ll recall soon, right?" Yuel confirmed. "So, time your arrival in Top for the next wave." "Alrighty, I''m on the job!" Luke grinned. "I''ll leave most of the specifics to you, as you''re the one who knows how to best pilot this irregular pick, Yuel said. But, I strongly suggest traveling across this path." He drew it out on the mini-map. "Heh, I see whatcha doing there. Adjusting the path to the downtime of the wards, right? Smartass as always." "Oh, youre familiar with this timing?" Yuel blinked. "Oi, what''s with that surprised tone? Rude much? Luke puffed his cheeks. Man, I dunno what image you got of me, but I''m a bona fide Jungler, ya know? I know them stuff about ward placement and when they expire." "Right." It was easy to forget that Luke was actually a rather adequate Jungler, all things considered. He always goofed around but he actually studied the game. In fact, he even came to Yuel with questions about builds and game theory before. Though, most of such questions were related to meme classes... Nevertheless, when it came to important jungling knowledge, Luke definitely possessed it. On top of that, he also studied hard about how to squeeze the most out of every meme class he played. So, Luke definitely had the ability to combine meta-jungling knowledge with his meme knowledge, as goofy as that sounded. Its sad that he''s wasting all that effort on memes. Yuel sighed. He could''ve been such a reliable Jungler otherwise. This might be the biggest waste of potential I''ve ever seen in my life. Nonetheless, in this particular game, Luke might get the opportunity to make some big plays. Yuel was planning a great stage for Luke, one on which Dark Knights overwhelming strength will truly shine. However, a few more preparations were necessary for that. When you recall, buy a Checkpoint Ward, just in case, Yuel requested. Eh, seriously? That thing is costly as heck, Luke said. I really need to start working on my build, man. Yes, Im aware. But, depending on how things develop, a Checkpoint Ward will be crucial for this play. Welp, if youre so sure... And so, the second grand scheme of the game was set in motion. The Dark Knight had already shown great success during the game''s opening, so will Luke be able to deliver another success? For this play, merely forcing the enemy to retreat won''t be enough. Luke will have to go straight for the kill, or else the entire play will result in a waste of time. In a way, that was going to be the "real test". The outcome of this play will determine whether Luke''s Dark Knight had any place on this competitive stage. In fact, the result of the play might single-handedly determine the fate of this entire game. That''s how extreme of a class Dark Knight was. Honestly, a part of me wants it to fail. Yuel thought. Its a known fact that Dark Knight has no business being Jungler. So, the faster Luke wakes up from his daydreaming, the better. Unfortunately, for the sake of the team, this play HAD to work. Stratus was already lagging behind the Leopards by one game, so they had to win this one and even the score. But, will Luke really be able to pull it off? Or, will he disappoint everybody like a typical memer? In the first place, will the Leopards lower their guard sufficiently to allow that kind of development? The fast-approaching gank on Top will answer all these questions and more Vol.15 Ch.22: Outguessing the Incoming Gank Vincent followed the orders he received and built up Rage while clearing the minions. The objective was to go berserk in the next wave, so thats exactly what he planned to accomplish. Good soldiers followed orders. However, to not arise any suspicion, Vincent made sure to charge up his Barbarian Slam to the max this time as well. BAM! He unleashed yet another meteor-level slam on the battlefield! The attack ravaged both the swordsmen and the minions at once! But, with great power came great responsibility. Unleashing a fully charged-up Barbarian Slam cost Vincent 30% Rage, which reduced his Rage meter to 0%. In order to enter Berserk mode, Vincent had to climb all the way up to 80%. It sounded like a lot, but it was a no-brainer considering how quick his basic attacks were. HACK. HACKHACK. HACKHACKHACK! He sliced and diced the minions with his dual axes! Every strike increased his rage by almost 4%, so he recovered 77% Rage by the time he was done with the minion wave. He was now one attack away from entering Berserk mode. Mission accomplished. No, not quite yet. Vincent reminded himself. As much as Id like to keep all this Rage intact, I must fool my opponent into thinking Im a very calm individual who yearns for peace on the lane. Judging by the kind of player Theorist was, she surely has been monitoring Vincents movements and keeping track of his Rage in her head. Therefore, she was most certainly aware that Vincent has accumulated plenty of Rage after clearing the recent wave. Most likely, she couldnt tell that Vincents Rage was as high as 77%. Nonetheless, Theorist will certainly be on alert if Vincent doesnt show any signs of relieving any of his Rage at all. Thus, Vincent activated Relaxing Exhale. His Berserker took a deep breath and then exhaled rather loudly, as if trying to prove to everybody around that he did not have any anger issues in the slightest. Normally, it was disadvantageous for a skill to have such an obvious sound cue. Giving the enemy free information on a silver platter was a surefire way to lose the cold war. However, in this particular case, the theatrics of Relaxing Exhale came in handy. Vincent very much wanted to make a show of the fact he took such a deep breath and exhaled plenty of Rage. Surely, after seeing this dramatic display, Theorist was convinced that Vincent had no plans of assaulting her anytime soon. However, there was a catch hidden in the depths of this simple play! Though you saw me exhale, you cannot tell for sure how much Rage I lost, can you? Vincent smiled meaningfully. It could be 50% or it could be as little as 10%. Your only indication is my health bar, which was already full to the brim in the first place. Relaxing Exhale made the Berserker recover HP in proportion to the consumed Rage. This was about the only visual indicator for telling how much Rage was actually consumed, as otherwise, the animation of the skill looked practically identical no matter what. Alas, Vincent was already in full health, therefore the recovery did nothing to him. This robbed Theorist of crucial evidence, which meant Vincent was a step ahead of his foe in this intellectual battle of information! So, how much Rage did Vincent actually exhale? Quite the mystery it was, but one that basic math could easily solve. He was at 77% Rage before exhaling and he had to reach 80% to go berserk, which he would have to do immediately upon Lukes arrival. Since a single basic attack earned him close to 4% Rage, it meant he had to remain above 76% in order to enter Bersker at the first opportunity that presents itself. Thus, Vincent did exactly that. Yes, despite how loud his exhaling was, he did, in fact, only drop from 77% Rage to a little over 76%. Relaxing Exhale gave the player that much freedom to decide how much Rage should be relieved. With this ingenious play, Vincent fooled his foe without failing the mission given to him by Chessmaster. With this, the preparations were done. Now, I simply must wait for the arrival of the Chosen One. Vincent nodded. Will he be the one to restore order to the galaxy? Or, shall he cast everything into chaos!? I dare say, it will most certainly be the latter. For now, Vincent retreated without pushing any further despite the great lane advantage he had. This was just the calm before the storm. This was all preparation for the next round, where things will go down for real! On his end, Vincent made sure to not leak any details of his future plans. However, their opponents today were none other than the Leopards, the crowned regional champions! Furthermore, their strategist was Rook, a former chess rival of Chessmaster! So, will this grand scheme truly be able to remain undercover? As expected, the enemy has been carefully analyzing the unfolding situation 24/7. So, they arent ready to attack in this round. Cato concluded. There havent been any suspicious movements from the enemy side on any of the lanes so far. Everything played out exactly as before in Top, so there was no reason for concern quite yet. In general, not much had changed about the map state between the two minion waves. The enemy had lane advantage in Top and Mid, but in Bot, William and Ronald did a fine job matching the enemys clearing speed. For once, Ronalds early power build didnt feel so terrible to have around. Cato wished to criticize it to no end but it was somewhat of a plus for the team, at least for now. So, I only have to keep helping out in Top and Mid. Cato concluded. Like in the previous wave, Cato joined Sonya in Top once again to help with clearing out the invading minions. It would have been much better if Cato could split into two and cover both Top and Mid at the same time. Alas, the world only had enough space for one overlord. As such, Cato had to prioritize Top over Mid for now, given that Sorcerer had a much better clearing speed than Dragonborn. Sorry, Matt, Cato apologized. Youll have to deal with that lane situation on your own for a while. Okay. Matthew merely shrugged in response. It was going to be a drag but hell manage. It was understandable why Cato had to prioritize Top given the circumstances, so Matthew had no valid arguments. And so, Cato joined the clearing efforts in Top. The minions there almost made their way into the Turrets area but Cato got their attention just before it happened. This meant all the minions were now going to focus their fire on Cato, but this was still better than losing precious gold and exp from farming under the tower. Ill gladly sacrifice a little bit of HP to ensure we get all the farm. Cato accepted the hits as they came. Playing the role of a punchbag wasnt fun in the slightest, but Vampire wasnt afraid of a little damage. The lifesteal built into his passive ensured that hell be able to recover from these injuries in no time. Essentially, his HP was a replenishable resource, whereas the gold and exp gained from minions were limited in supply. As such, trading HP for gold and exp was often a good deal. Naturally, the minions had every intention of claiming their share of this trade. Thus, they started firing at him without further ado. Once the minions attention was fully concentrated on Cato, Sonya came out of the tower area to help with the cleanup effort. She was taking full advantage of the punchbag service that Cato was offering. My, this woman has no feelings. Cato shook his head. Here I am, going out of my way to help her clear the minions, but she feels absolutely nothing from seeing me getting trashed by them! So cold. Sob sob. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Thanks, Sonya offered minimal gratitude once the entire endeavor was done with. As far as she was concerned, this was just a dry business transaction between her and Cato. They were diplomatic allies and this play served both of their interests. Im counting on you for the next wave too, Sonya said matter-of-factly. Yes, yes, of course. Cato smiled impishly. After all, a good boss takes care of his workers~ Who is your worker, exactly? Sonya made a face. My No. 1 most trusted secretary, of course~ Hah. Sonya spat a sigh. Anyway, I havent gathered any new data in this round. I assume you were about to ask about that. My, such perception. Yes, I was about to ask whether you saw any hints about an incoming gank. The Berserker used his Exhale, so I assume it means hes not planning to go hard in the next wave either. Though, I cannot say how much Rage he actually exhaled, seeing as hes at full health. So, in theory, he couldve lost as little as 1%, Cato said. The guy might be sitting on the edge of going berserk as we speak. Yes, thats indeed possible. Sonya nodded. But overall, if theyre planning something for Top anytime soon, then theyve been doing a good job keeping it under wrappers so far. I havent seen their DK in Top Jungle for a while now. He has probably recalled by now, Cato said. Its more common for Junglers to recall around the third wave, but DK loses HP every time he blasts. So, I bet he has to take an early leave unless he wants to be ballsy and recover his HP with a kill. That whole thing is clownery at its finest. It sure is, isnt it? So, assuming he recalled, do you think he plans to make a move during the next wave? Most definitely, Cato asserted. He hasnt pulled anything big ever since the game opening, so he must have been waiting to recover his HP first. Which means the next wave is where things will go down for real. And since we dont know where hell strike, everybody has to be on high alert. Yes, thats true. Did you hear that, everybody? Be vigilant on the next wave. A DK might be coming after you~ Got it. No problem! Sure. Everybody confirmed that they heard the message loud and clear. Now, if any of them makes a careless mistake and gets killed, then Cato will have the luxury to rub it into their face. I told you! Alas, he was in no position to enjoy such base mischief. As the captain, the shot-caller, and the Jungler, it was his responsibility to come up with a countermeasure to the enemys next ploy. When will Yuel choose to strike? Cato examined the situation in every lane. There was plenty of information available on the board. The answer to his question was definitely buried somewhere out there. But, Yuel knows that too. Cato smiled impishly. So, will he go for the best option I can think of? Or, will he settle on the second-best option in fear of getting read? Its like the wine in front of me dilemma, isnt it? Yuel was like a bartender serving wine. He filled two cups, one for himself and one for Cato. However, one of these cups was secretly filled with poison, and now Cato had to decide whether to drink from his own cup or to take Yuels instead. Was Yuel the type to fill his own cup with poison? Or, will he play it safe and poison Catos cup? Im almost certain hes the type to do the former. Cato thought. In this analogy, Id say poisoning your own cup is similar to going for the optimal play while knowing theres a risk of it being read and countered. Yuel seemed like the type who assumed that most of his opponents wouldnt bet on him taking the riskier option, which was exactly how he caught many of his opponents off-guard. It was practically his trademark strategy, both in chess and in Classmancers. But, Im sure he knows thats my impression of him. Cato thought. Which is why itd make sense for him to switch things up against me during such an important play and go for the second-best option. BUT, he also knows I might take all of this into consideration, so he may opt for the first option after all. Indeed, it was a wine in front of me problem, an endless sequence of outguessing. Cato tried to outguess Yuel who will outguess Cato in return, which forced Cato to try outguessing Yuels outguessing and so forth. In the end, its like a coin toss. Cato concluded. The best I can do here is go for the play thatll minimize risks and will improve our position as much as possible. Currently, Stratus was holding the upper hand in Top and Mid quite convincingly. However, in Bot, the situation was rather even. At least, thats how Cato saw the game state. It was very much possible that other people had a different impression of the current board. As such, it was worth asking for more input. Say, Sonya, Cato started. Assuming the DK gank is really coming, which lane do you suppose hell target? I asked you the same thing a moment ago. Yes, you did. But, Id like to hear what your guess is. I dont have enough data to answer that, Sonya replied immediately. She has already analyzed this question thoroughly as she tried to come up with her own answer. Her conclusion? There was insufficient data. As such, she didnt want to take responsibility for making any premature guesses that might influence the other team members. My, youre dodging responsibility as usual, arent you~? Hmph. I see absolutely no reason why I should take an uninformed guess. Itll only force me to take responsibility in case somebody decides to act upon it. True, true. Its usually my responsibility to do that and take the blame for it, isnt it? Yes, exactly. Good luck, captain. Thank you, haha... Cato smiled wryly. Can we at least compare notes? Whats your view of the current map situation? The enemy is maintaining the upper hand in Top and Mid, Sonya answered robotically as if reading notes from a mental notebook. In Top, theyll continue maintaining their advantage for a while due to the matchup advantage. In Mid, things should even out once the Electromancers power buff wears out. Yes, I concur so far. What about Bot? Both sides are about even right now, but the Elf will soon lose his power buff. Once that happens, their side will likely start lagging behind. Mhm, thats the gist of my take on the situation as well. Cato nodded. Theres also the fact Elf is a late-game class, contrary to the rest of their aggressive early-game comp. So, theyre probably going to feed the Elf a lot and accelerate his build as much as possible. Yes, that makes sense. I cant imagine any other game plan for Elf in this kind of team comp. Theres no way theyre planning to take this into late-game. Right. Maybe they picked it as a safety net in case their early-game aggression falls through. That doesnt sound like a very bright idea, Sonya judged. True, it seems suboptimal. But then again, is picking DK for Jungler a bright idea? Absolutely not. If I had to rate it on a scale of 1/10 to 10/10, Id rate it as -100/10. Haha, harsh. But yes, its really as quirky as it gets. Anyway, Sonya summarized. Thats my analysis of the current game stat. But, dont expect me to try outguessing the enemys next move. As I said, there isnt enough data to predict where theyll gank next. And yet, I have no choice but to make some sort of prediction. Cato smiled wryly. He had already done the most important part of warning the team, but that wasnt enough. As the Jungler, Cato had to carefully choose his positioning for this critical play. And as the shot-caller, he was responsible for foiling Yuels plans. Thus, he had to reach a decision of some sort despite the lack of concrete evidence. At least now, that he confirmed his understanding of the board state matched Sonyas, Cato felt a little more comfortable with trying to outguess Yuel. After all, if Cato and Sonya both reached the same conclusions regarding the game state, then surely Yuel was reasoning along the same lines as well. As such, it should be possible to figure him out. Ganking Top should be out of the question. Cato thought. Berserker is already a soft counter, and ganking a Dragonborn, in general, is a pain. So, this is between Mid and Bot. Mid was the more important lane, but the lane situation there was rather neutral at the moment. Beat was holding the upper hand for now thanks to the power buff, but itll expire soon and then Matthew will be able to match her in strength. With that said, it was unlikely for Matthew to establish any lane dominance there by himself given his playstyle. As such, Yuel probably didnt feel too pressured to gank the lane anytime soon. On the other hand, in Bot, the situation clearly favored the Leopards in the long run. Even though Elf and Seraph were both late-game classes, Ronalds aggressive build will tilt the odds in the Leopards favor soon enough. Gunz has only been holding his ground for now thanks to the power buff, but itll expire soon. Once that happens, Bot will likely be under the Leopards control until the mid-game. For Stratus, this was equivalent to losing their early momentum. It was something that an aggressive opponent definitely didnt like seeing. Will Yuel allow that to pass? Hmm. Cato couldnt tell. Figuring out the chaotic mess that was Yuels brain was beyond Catos capabilities. On one hand, it seemed sensible to assume that Yuel would do anything in his power to secure the early-game advantage across the entire map, which meant hed want to hit Bot with a gank. On the other hand, it was also possible for Yuel to prioritize Mid in order to rush to victory as quickly as humanly possible. Either way, its clear that I should be hanging out around Bot Jungle. Cato concluded. From there, it remains to be seen whether they target Mid or Bot. I can just stick close to the center of the jungle in order to be able to rotate to either lane on demand. It was far from ideal but at least it should allow Cato to respond in a timely fashion to a gank on either lane. Besides, the enemy might be discouraged from going through with the gank if they see Cato hanging around Bot Jungle like that. Though, that was probably nothing more than hopium. With this arrangement, I have a 66.7% chance of being right, so the odds are on my side. Cato reassured himself. Now, its your turn, Yuel. Lets see what you cooked up for us this time. Little did he know that what Yuel cooked up was exactly the remaining 33.3%... Vol.15 Ch.23: Initiating Berserk Mode The third minion wave was about to arrive. This is where Luke had to put his Dark Knight to good use and justify this absurd pick. Yuel had already laid out a detailed plan and Luke agreed to act upon it. The idea itself was solid and it had a decent chance of success in a vacuum. But, there was just one small concern. Will Cato see it coming? Yuel wondered. The enemy Jungler was the biggest obstacle to this plan. If Cato happens to position himself near Top when the play goes through, then he''ll be able to respond in a timely fashion and thwart the gank in its entirety. But, it looks like there''s no need to worry. Yuel sighed in relief as one of his wards revealed Rook entering Bot Jungle. Looks like you guessed the wrong jungle side, assuming you saw this gank coming in the first place. Part of the reason Yuel chose to target Top out of all the lanes was because of how unlikely that decision seemed. It was natural to assume that Cato was capable of predicting an incoming gank, but he still had to guess which lane Yuel will target. A simple risk vs. reward analysis would make it clear that ganking Top was the "worst option" out of the three. Stratus already held the advantage in that lane, and ganking a Dragonborn was difficult to boot. In other words, the team didnt stand to gain much from such a gank. Furthermore, there was a very likely chance theyll waste precious time and resources on it without even securing a kill. Therefore, under normal circumstances, Top wasnt even an option to consider. And, that''s exactly why Yuel picked it. No matter which lane we target, a successful gank is going to push us ahead by a lot. He reasoned. So, I might as well pick the option with the smallest reward, but one that has the lowest chance of being actively countered. And, it seemed that mindset paid off. As expected, Cato analyzed the board state like the defensive player he was. He analyzed the risk vs. reward and deduced that only Mid and Bot were valid targets. It seemed that Cato was rather indecisive when it came to picking between Mid and Bot, so he chose to hang out in the center of Bot Jungle. This way, he was ready to rotate to either lane on demand. But, too bad for him. By focusing on Bot Jungle, the enemy was about to let Luke slip right past them! "Their Jungler is eying Mid and Bot," Yuel shared with everybody. "Look out for ganks over there, just in case." "Sure," Kai responded. "No problem!" Lars grinned. "I trust ya to alert me if ya see any suspicious dudes around, haha." "How about keeping watch as well..." Yuel made a face. "Anyway, Luke, it looks like your path is open. You won''t have to worry about their Jungler, so gank Top once youre ready." "Roger!" Luke had every intention of doing that either way. Even if Rook happened to roam around Top Jungle, Luke would''ve still proceeded with the gank because he needed that First Blood so desperately. A Dark Knight had to rampage during the early-game, or else itd be nothing more than a Scrub Knight! "Are you ready to party, Vince?" "Yes, I was born ready," Vincent reported. "It is time to unleash all the Rage contained within my right arm and deliver death to our foes!" "Eh, not sure what your right arm got to do with this, but heck yeah! Let''s gooooo!" Luke slipped through the Jungle, hopefully undetected. The enemy''s wards should have worn out in that area and there haven''t been any signs of Theorist or Rook replenishing them so far, at least according to Vincents intel. This entire gank strongly relied on that small but crucial piece of information, so hopefully, it was accurate. "Hows it looking over there so far? Luke asked. "Hmm. There haven''t been any disturbances in the force as far as I can tell," Vincent reported. "It appears our prey is unaware of your imminent arrival." "Hehe, let''s do dis then! This gonna be a hella clean gank, just watch! You can start scaring her now." "Acknowledged. Vincent nodded. So, it is time. Let the world tremble in front of the Berserker''s unleashed fury!" Unlike with previous waves, Vincent didn''t unleash a fully charged-up Barbarian Slam on the enemy wave this time. Doing so cost a lot of Rage, which went against his plans of invoking the fearsome Berserk mode. As such, Vincent settled on delivering a half-charged slam. Originally, he thought hed simply deliver one basic attack on this wave and immediately go berserk, but Chessmaster advised against that reckless plan. You need to thin out the minions at least a little before you start, Yuel instructed as such. Its not mandatory to kill any of them, but at least make sure to slam them. So, being the obedient soldier he was, Vincent proceeded with the half-charged slam. Both the damage and AoE size were smaller compared to before, but the shockwave still reached all the minions. I hope the enemy did not notice the difference. Vincent nervously glanced at Theorist, who has been monitoring him 24/7 without rest. Fortunately, as soon as Vincent lifted his axes, Theorist rolled out of the area in order to not get caught up in the AoE. During the roll, she surely didnt have a clear view of Vincents actions, so she shouldnt be able to spot any differences between a half-charged and a fully-charged Barbarian Slam by the time she turns around. So surely, Theorist hasnt caught wind of Vincents plans quite yet. At least, it didn''t seem like she did... A half-charged slam, huh. Sonya figured it out immediately. That slam came out way too quickly and it didnt deal as much damage as it should have. Furthermore, it didnt stun the minions, a detail that Sonya was just barely able to verify in time after recovering from the roll. Could it be a misclick? Sonya entertained the thought for a moment before throwing the idea straight into the trash where it belonged. Even if it really was a misclick, theres no way to verify that, therefore theres no reason to assume that it was. My opponents are fully-fledged competitive players, so I must analyze them accordingly. So, there was only one logical conclusion here: Blackhole was saving up Rage. But, what for? There was only one possible reason, really. He''s finally coming after me. Sonya concluded. But, for now, she pretended to not notice anything. It was too early to activate her escape options. For now, it was best to simply continue monitoring her foe. Of course, her brain was already fully wired to make a break for it at the first sign of Berserk mode kicking in. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. I wonder, does this also imply that a gank is coming my way? Sonya asked herself. It''s hard to tell for sure, seeing as my wards have just expired. Timing-wise it''s optimal to renew them after this wave, but now I''m regretting that I havent done it sooner. Against a hyper-aggressive team, it was probably wiser to renew the wards ahead of time instead of letting them expire. Even a single gank that slips through could easily be fatal, so it was best to err on the side of caution. It was possible that an assassin was lurking around Top Jungle at this very moment, yet Sonya had absolutely no vision to either confirm or deny that claim. This was a little stressful. Hmm. Well, even if the DK does come after me, I should be able to get away. Sonya reassured herself. DK doesn''t have any leap abilities, so he''ll have to come at me from the backdoor. Cato''s ward is still alive over there, so it''ll alert me in time. Besides, a gank on Top is the least likely scenario. This isn''t a matter of something vague like outguessing; this is pure probability. All in all, this was most likely Blackhole''s solo operation. The guy decided to come after Sonya right before she gained access to her ult. It was a cocky, but overall sensible, course of action. It shouldnt be hard to get away once he goes berserk. At least, that''s what Sonya believed... "You can start now," Luke said. "Very well, it shall be done." Vincent let his strikes loose. He hacked, hacked, and hacked some more at the enemy minions, accumulating Rage with every hit. 74%. 78%. 82%. That''s it, he passed the breaking point! But, he had no intention to stop there. For the next couple of seconds, while the Berserker was in the twilight zone between sanity and enragement, Vincent was going to accumulate as much Rage as humanly possible! 86%. 90%. 92%. 96%. 100%. Goal! Vincent hit the upper limits of enragement! He went past the limit and was about to unleash Ragnarok on his foe! RAAAAAAA! The Berserker roared across the entire lane as he continued swinging his axes at lightning speed. Faster, fiercer, stronger! Crimson miasma erupted from his body. It was the manifestation of the chaos he plunged his mind into! With such loud visual effects, it didnt take long for the enemy to catch up on the situation. Here it comes. Sonya responded as soon as the roar resounded. As expected, the enemy was planning to gun for her. No signs of anybody else in the Jungle yet. Sonya confirmed on the mini-map once again. Catos ward was still in place at the back and it didnt show anybody approaching Top. Likewise, Sonya didnt see anybody entering the lane from the central Jungle entrance either. It looks like I was overthinking it after all. Sonya concluded. So, theres no need to go the extra mile and maintain a safe distance from the wall. I can just run straight ahead. With that determination, Sonya turned around and made a break for it! She had to create as much distance as possible between herself and her pursuer. Berserker gained a Movement Speed boost during Berserk mode, so Blackhole would catch up to Sonya in no time if she doesnt create an appropriate head start. In fact, this speedy predator will most certainly catch up to Sonya at some point regardless of what she does. But, she was prepared to receive some damage. None of it will amount to anything anyway as long as she gets away alive. I was planning to recall after this wave anyway, so any amount of damage is fine with me as long as I dont die. Besides, based on rough calculations, this Berserker shouldnt be able to erase more than 40% of her HP with this assault. Even though Berserk mode was very powerful, most of its damage came from the Berserkers innate ability to increase the speed of his normal attacks via repeated strikes. Therefore, so long as Sonya avoids getting caught up in a combo, the damage will be minimal. With that in mind, she ran toward her tower, toward safety. And naturally, the Berserker had no intention of letting her slip away. WHOOSH! The guy kicked off the ground and leapt after Sonya! She couldn''t see any of the action with her own eyes, but the sound effects told the entire story loud and clear. That was the activation sound of Berserker''s Savage Leap, a skill that replaced his Dodge Roll during Berserk mode. As the name implied, it was a loud leap. Therefore, even without checking behind her, Sonya knew for sure: the Berserker was about to crash into her from the sky! If Blackhole only lands close to her, then Sonya will receive some damage from the AoE and nothing more. However, if the savage crashes directly on top of her, then hell pin Sonya to the ground for a short time. The CC wont last that long, but itll give the Berserker time to start up his combo. It was the worst-case scenario, so Sonya had to avoid it at all costs. Fortunately, her Dodge Roll has just come off cooldown. This was certainly the best time to make good use of it. I rather not take this damage. Sonya expended her Dodge Roll, rolling away from the incoming meteor. BAM! The Berserker crashed into the ground! But fortunately, he missed his target. Sonya''s Dodge Roll was well spent here... or, was it? He missed by that much? Sonya raised an eyebrow. Rather than landing behind Sonya as she expected, Blackhole actually landed on her left side, even a little ahead of her. And, thats despite the fact she has just finished rolling forward. He wasn''t aiming at me from the start. Sonya concluded. He probably expected me to roll or charge, so he didn''t bother trying to hit me. Tch. In that sense, spending her Dodge Roll this early was a mistake. Sonya essentially threw away one of her two escape tools. But, its couldnt be helped. I didnt have solid data to work with for that play. For Blackhole, it was only natural to expect Sonya to dodge given her reputation as a defensive player. On the other hand, Blackhole was a balanced player. Sometimes he went hard on the offense and other times he turtled up on the defense. As such, it was much harder to predict when a player like him would choose to strike. Well, what''s done is done. I just have to minimize incoming damage from here on out. Sonya shifted her direction just a little. Now, instead of heading straight to the tower, she turned sideways to the right and made her escape in a diagonal that was small enough to lead her back to the tower all the same. Naturally, the enemy pursued her from her left side. If Sonya continued running forward in a straight line, then Blackhole would have gotten her into melee range in no time. Despite how fearsome the Berserker was in his enraged stage, the only weapons available to him were his axes. In other words, he could only assault Sonya from a melee range. Therefore, even though it meant extending the escape duration by a small amount, Sonya insisted to run in a diagonal direction. This drove her away from the assailant. But unfortunately, the Berserker was fast. Very fast. It took him but a couple of seconds to catch up. HACK! One axe lodged itself into Sonya''s left shoulder. Then, the other axe followed up right away! So, it begins. Sonya gulped. One by one, these hits will become faster. And, since he''s much faster than me, I can''t outrun him even while he''s busy attacking. HACK! HACKHACK! The swings kept coming, each faster than the previous. Attacking while running should have slowed down Blackhole quite substantially, and it really did. But, the Movement Speed buff he received from Berserk made up for that loss. It allowed Blackhole to stick to Sonyas back like glue. In short, it was practically impossible to create any distance between them. Alright, thats four hits from you. Sonya counted. That''s enough for now. She had to put a stop to this combo posthaste. The longer it went on, the more damage Sonya will be forced to accumulate in a short period of time. And so, she activated the last available escape tool in her arsenal: Draconic Rush. She charged away from the scene in a diagonal direction, immediately creating a large space between herself and her pursuer. Hmm. It seems my aim was a little off. Sonya realized she wheeled that Draonic Rush a little too far to the right. This was the result of pure instinct. Her opponent was on her left side this entire time, so it only made sense to escape to the right. But, was this an efficient play? Absolutely not. It didnt get her much closer to the tower because of the diagonal direction. I suppose Ill be taking a little detour. In the worst case, I can escape straight into the jungle. Charging like this to the right brought Sonya closer to the jungle. This would have been a terrible misplay under other circumstances, but right now, it was relatively safe. After all, there weren''t any gankers targeting her lane at the moment- BLINK! It was a familiar sound that had no business playing right now. Certainly, it was the sound of somebody using the Blink utility skill. But, who? Blackhole? No, it wasn''t him. It didnt seem like the guy closed the distance to Sonya or anything like that. The answer revealed itself in the next moment. A fog of darkness emerged in front of Sonya''s eyes out of thin air, threatening to swallow her whole! Vol.15 Ch.24: Berserk Rampage and Dark Annihilation The Dark Knight appeared in his Nightmare form out of thin air, right in front of Sonya! He came over here after all!? Sonya jumped. A-And this timing, too...! This was bad. Very bad. Exceptionally bad! Ugh, move already! Sonya had just finished charging forward with her Draconic Rush and now commanded her avatar to start running again. Alas, the Dragonborn refused to heed her orders. C''mon! Tch, this inconvenient recovery animation...! With great power came great responsibility, that was the best way to describe Draconic Rush. It was a great charge attack that granted invincibility to boot, but it had a needlessly long recovery animation that couldn''t even be canceled into a Dodge Roll. Thus, as the final parts of the charging animation played out, Sonya was practically rooted in place like a tree. Yes, she was right there, almost immobile, in front of the biggest threat of this game - the Dark Knight! Naturally, the enemy didn''t waste any time exploiting this temporary weakness. Memer raised his blade of darkness and swung it swiftly, unleashing a Dark Blast right in Sonyas face! He started off with that right away!? Sonya grit her teeth. Curses! I was hoping he''ll use some basics first, considering he got me in melee range. What a pain in the neck...! Thump. Thump. Thumpthump. Sonya heard the sound of her heartbeat echoing inside her head. This was bad. Bad. Bad. Bad! Am I going to die here? No, forget it. Thats a pointless question that doesnt help the situation in any shape or form. Sonya took a deep breath and exhaled. I just have to run! That''s all I can do right now. Yes, she just had to keep running away, it was that simple. Both of her escape tools were out of commission, so running away was all she could do. There weren''t any sophisticated plays for her to pull off at this point, so thinking too hard about the situation was as pointless as it was frustrating. There was a time and a place for overanalyzing things, and this wasn''t one of them. Right now, she just had to run! "The Dark Knight is here!" Sonya informed amidst her escape. Her teammates had probably already noticed the situation by now but none of them could lend a hand. With Cato all the way down in Bot Jungle, he couldnt possibly make it in time to help. I''m already below 50%. Sonya analyzed. I''ll get one more roll before dying, so I have to make the most of it. If I roll straight toward the tower, then I might still make it. The Dark Knight was breathing down on her neck. The black blade slashed her back repeatedly, dealing decent damage. Normally, Dark Knights basics werent anything too special. However, Memer was using his Nightmare skill to buff his power. Though it didnt make a huge difference in terms of damage output, it was enough to turn his attacks into a threat as the damage accumulated. In addition, Nightmare accelerated Memers Movement Speed. Thats what allowed the normally slow Dark Knight to keep up with Sonya despite the fact he was also dishing out attacks while running. With that said, the damage was coming in rather slowly. A lot of it was mitigated thanks to the flat defense coming from Dragonborns passive, Draconic Scales. On top of that, Sonya started the game with a defensive build that increased her Max HP quite substantially. So, unlike the explosive damage of the earlier Dark Blast, the Dark Knights basic attacks were manageable. At this point, the greater threat was the Berserker, who was about to catch up to Sonya at any moment. Together, these two predators will mow her down within seconds. If only I could tell the Berserker''s exact position. Sonya frowned. I could''ve used this data to make my next roll a lot better. Alas, she didnt have eyes on her back, and turning around to gather the necessary data would take too long. Also, his leap will come online before my roll. Sonya recalled the cooldown differences between Dodge Roll and Savage Leap. Even though both players had spent their skills at about the same time, the Berserkers Savage Leap was going to come off cooldown first. Will he jump me as soon as he gets the chance? Or, will he wait for me to make the first move? This was yet another outguessing round between her and Blackhole. If Sonya rolls first, then Blackhole will be able to see where she goes and target his leap accordingly. On the other hand, if Blackhole acts first, then hell be gambling on whether or not Sonya will manage to roll away in time. Whoever makes the first move loses, but Sonya didnt have the luxury of starting a cold war here. SLASH! The heavy blade cut through her back, eating another 4% of her HP. She had already fallen down to 40% HP. Time was ticking. I have to roll as soon as Im able. Theres no other choice. There was no time to read the situation or outguess the enemy. Alright, now! Sonya rolled the moment Dodge Roll came out of cooldown. It was a simple roll, directed straight toward her tower area. There were no tricks, no detours. She simply had to get back to her tower as quickly as possible. The current situation didnt permit her any more freedom of action than that. As expected, this roll did little for shaking the pursuers off her tail. The Dark Knight rolled right after her. CLANK. CLANK. The sound of his metal armor hitting the ground followed Sonya closely. At about the same time, a loud leap resounded. It meant the Berserker took off and was about to come down crashing on Sonya as well. There was simply no escape from the two predators. But, Im already at the tower. Sonya sighed in relief when she found herself inside the tower area after the roll. Now, her opponents will no longer be able to pursue her- BAM! The Berserker crashed into the ground right beside her! Fortunately, it wasnt a direct hit. A point-point attack would have pinned Sonya to the ground for a second, most likely sealing her fate. However, Blackhole missed that golden opportunity to deliver the final blow. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Nevertheless, Sonya didnt escape the attack unharmed. The heavy landing unleashed an AoE shockwave, bringing Sonyas HP all the way down to 27%. Im really running low, but Im still alive and Ive already achieved my win condition. They cant chase me any further. Sonya retreated deeper into the tower area. If her pursuers had any shred of common sense, then they would not risk following her any further, not under the Turrets watchful eye. Alas, the persistent fellows apparently had no intention of giving up. SLASH! A sword clipped Sonya from behind. Memer mustve slashed her right after he finished rolling. HACK! Blackhole drove his axe into Sonyas shoulder from the other side. A-Are they planning to keep on going!? Sonya grit her teeth. This was bad. Very bad. Very, very, VERY bad. I cant die here. If I do, then... She didnt even dare to simulate the scenario in her head. At the bare minimum, the team would lose their Top Turret as a result. For a hyper-aggressive team, such an immense early-game advantage will surely open the door for countless other strong plays. In fact, it wasnt an exaggeration to claim that Sonyas death here might seal the fate of this entire game! I-I dont want that kind of responsibility, thank you very much. Sweat formed on her forehead. They might be able to take the tower either way once I recall, but at least Ill be able to defend in the next wave as long as Im alive. So, I must survive. I simply must. Alas, her HP already dropped below 20%. With two fearless pursuers hot on her tail, Sonyas chances of survival were slim to none. In fact, she wouldve been already dead if the Dark Knight had access to his ultimate right now. With her HP running this low, it was possible to execute Sonya on the spot with Gate of Sheol. Fortunately, this gank happened just a little too early. The way the meta worked at the moment, all players were expected to hit Lv. 5 after fully finishing the current minion wave. Of course, Junglers werent as bound to the same hard rule as laners because their farming paths were more dynamic. Nonetheless, the games exp economy was balanced enough to ensure that laners and Jungelrs both gained exp at roughly the same rate. Therefore, normally, Junglers would also hit Lv.5 sometime after the current minion wave. Yes, normally... Thinking of it, I haven''t checked his level when he appeared. A shudder ran through Sonya upon the realization. Amidst the chaos that ensued after Memer showed up, Sonya didnt have the luxury to examine the details. As such, considering that the Dark Knight got ahead of the others in farm thanks to his early-game power, it was very much possible that he was already Lv. 5. Well, nothing I can do about it now. Sonya thought. I just have to trust the balance of the exp economy and hope that he doesnt have his- Death to the feeble! A deep metallic voice resounded. Ah! Sonya nearly choked from shock. It was here! Dark Knights ultimate, Gate of Sheol, was unleashed! C-Cruses! Did he really hit Lv.5 so much earlier than everybody else!? Sonya grit her teeth. What is this nonsensical Jungler pick even supposed to be? It makes no sense! And yet... Black miasma spread across the tower area, seeking to claim the lives of those who were on the verge of death. And, it just so happened that Sonya was a fitting victim for that criteria. Countless skeletal hands grabbed her from behind. There was no escape, no dodging, and no invincibility that could convince these skeletons to stay their hands. The cold white bones dragged Sonya into the demonic gate, and the rest was history... EXECUTED You have been killed! I messed up... Sonya sighed deeply and dropped back on her chair. Seriously, what did even just happen here...? The whole situation was so chaotic that her brains processing power couldnt keep up with the flood of incoming data. First, Blackhole went Berserk and assaulted her. That was inevitable, so nothing too special about that play. But then, Memer showed up uninvited in Top, contrary to everybodys expectations. Even Cato, who tried to play it safe with his outguess, ended up making the wrong prediction. Still, even that surprising play was still within the bounds of reason for the most part. The enemy shot-caller simply chose to go for the least predictable play and it paid off. The gank was shocking at the time, but in hindsight, it was a smart play. Ploys like that were to be expected from Stratus'' shot-caller. So yes, until that point in time, all these plays and decisions followed proper meta logic. However, it was during the chase itself that everything started to overwhelm Sonya. Her pursuers didnt give her a moment of rest. She was marked by two highly aggressive opponents, a fearsome duo that wasnt supposed to ever show up in competitive games according to meta. And, it wasnt just the combination of their class picks that piled up the pressure. There was also their fearless attitude at the tower and the fact the Dark Knight gained access to hit ult this early into the game. In a matter of seconds, the attackers surpassed all of Sonyas logical expectations. Well, whats done is done. Sonya took a deep breath and steeled her heart before facing her teammates. As unpleasant as it was going to be, she had to properly report the details in order to keep everybody in the loop. As you probably already saw, the DK ganked me, Sonya said. He was also already Lv. 5, so he ulted me to death. That means his ult is down for a while. With that, she finished the brief report. Now, she was ready to receive all the criticism she deserved. Daaaamn! Ronald exclaimed. That was one heck of an aggressive gank! I like it! This isnt the time to fanboy our opponents plays, William scolded. This outcome sets us back by a lot. Sonya, how come you couldnt escape from them? A Dragonborn should be able to do that much. Sorry, my response to the gank wasnt ideal, Sonya admitted. I assumed that I wont be ganked from the jungle, as thats what the available data suggested. So, I allowed myself to get too close to the jungle as I retreated, and the rest is history. Hmph. William left it at that but he clearly wasnt satisfied with this answer. Now, now, Cato came in to appease. If you need to blame anybody, then blame me. Im the one who made the wrong guess in the first place. I shouldve been there to help her out but I focused on Bot Jungle instead. Thats all the more reason she shouldve been more mindful of her position, William argued. She knew that you wont be there to help her out if something happened, so she shouldve been more careful. "That''s true," Sonya admitted. "I''ll make sure it doesn''t happen again." "Good." The criticism ended there but it left Sonya with a bitter feeling. Not toward William, but toward herself. He''s absolutely right. What was I doing? Sonya shook her head. Even though I claimed there wasnt enough data to determine where the DK will gank, I still went ahead and assumed that he wont gank Top... Normally, Sonya was better than that. Any data about potential ganks demanded the utmost attention. Yet, this time, Sonya took it lightly without realizing it. Is it because that Jungler pick is so dumb? Yeah, that''s probably it. Memer was not a clown but the entire circus. So, how could possibly Sonya take the guy seriously? Sure, in her head, she understood that Memer was an opponent that should be respected like any other. And yet, she simply couldnt bring herself to do it. I should''ve put my prejudice aside. Sonya thought. I mean, I''m the one who helped Jenny flesh out that niche combo playstyle that she insisted to master. So, I shouldve known better than anybody how far a skilled player can take their favorite niche playstyle. Even the dullest tool could be turned into a professional assassination weapon with sufficient mastery. It was up to the wielder to study the tool to the extreme and practice it tirelessly in order to draw out its full potential. Jennifer definitely achieved that level of mastery with her combo playstyle in her senior year. Likewise, as much as I don''t want to admit it, this Memer clown has also brought his own niche playstyle rather far. It was distasteful clownery, almost a mockery for this competitive stage. Nonetheless, even this joke of a pick could sometimes work out thanks to sufficient mastery. It was difficult to accept that because this Dark Knight pick was outright a meme, not a niche playstyle like Jennifer''s combo. However, it was undeniable that Memer knew how to bring the best out of it. Thus, Sonya had no choice but to recognize that clown as a serious threat, just like any other opponent here today. Next time, I won''t make such a basic mistake. Sonya promised again, this time to herself. With that sorted out, Sonya learned a valuable lesson from that unfortunate exchange and planned to make up for it once she revived. But, will she even get a chance to redeem herself during this game? Following her early death and the inevitable loss of the Top Turret, the pace of this game was about to accelerate very quickly... Vol.15 Ch.25: Mixing Into the Farming EXECUTION You have killed an enemy! "Hell yeah, let''s goooo!" Luke pumped his fist. "Did you guys see that!?" "Indeed, I saw everything." Vincent nodded. "It was a splendid execution." "Right? Right? I totally outplayed that girl, haha! I bet she didn''t see any of this coming, haha!" At this early stage, Luke was the only one in the game with access to his ultimate. He reached Lv. 5 before anybody else thanks to the Dark Knight''s broken early-game power! Welp, I had to take a few detours for that, too. Luke thought back on all his brilliant plays in this game. He felt like such a big brain for weaving all these little ploys together, even if it was Yuel who gave him most of the advice. When the game just started, on the very first wave, Luke joined Lars in Bot and they cleared minions together. Sometime later, Luke also wandered to Mid and cleared minions there as well. In other words, he shared plenty of exp with the laners. The enemy must''ve thought that Luke was just helping his peeps out, but it was more than just that. He was also grabbing all that juicy minion exp from these exchanges. In this manner, he was slowly but surely building up toward this very moment, in which he unleashed his powerful ult to secure an early kill! It was a 200 IQ game plan! "I agree this play was nothing short of amazing," Vincent said. "However, I believe it''s best for you to evacuate from the enemys tower area posthaste." "Oh, shoot!" Luke jumped. He only now realized that Vincent was already outside the tower area, so the Turret set its sights on Luke next! WHAM! A giant bolt darted at him! It functioned like a tracking missile, so there was no dodging it. Luke just had to eat it like a man. "Whoopsie, haha. Got a little too excited there." Luke hurried out of the tower area. Fortunately, the momentary distraction only cost him 20% HP and not more. Considering he gained 30% HP for slaying Theorist, this trade was still in his favor, sorta. "So, what''s next?" Luke asked. "We''re pushing this tower, right?" "Yes, take it down," Yuel said. "You should be able to." "No problem! Leave it to us!" "As you demand, my liege." Vincent bowed dramatically. "I shall unleash the dark fury sealed in my right arm to demolish this tower into nothingness!" First, the duo cleared the few remaining enemy minions on the lane. Then, they pushed ahead together with what was left of their minion army. There was not a single opponent who could stand in their way right now, so they were free to overextend to their hearts'' content. "If I may inquire, what is our next mission after eliminating this defenseless tower?" Vincent posed that question in the middle of unleashing a flurry of attacks on the tower. Clearly, this tower was about to collapse within moments. From there, where should this dynamic duo head next? "About that..." As usual, Yuel already had the next move figured out. In fact, he had already mapped the next few moves in advance, and he even made the preparation for them ahead of time. This was the time to make Luke use that one particular item he purchased. Stratus was about to run down their opponents with immense aggression, going all-in with a Taurus-style play! Naturally, the enemy should have no idea that any of this was coming their way. At best, they''ll figure out Luke and Vincents next destination, but they should not have any idea how strong that rotation will actually be. Will they rotate to Mid next? Cato wondered. This seems like the strongest play they can make in this situation. It''s predictable but its too strong to pass on. As much as Yuel liked pulling random nonsense out of thin air, he was no stranger to optimal plays. Under normal circumstances, when everything was already going his way, Yuel would often stick to the meta and go for the best plays available. At least, that''s what his chess history suggested. It looks like I''ll have to rotate to Mid and intercept them. Cato thought. But, there should still be some time before that happens. So, since I''m already all the way out here, I might as well make use of my position. Instead of rotating to Mid right away, Cato headed toward Bot first. He made the wrong guess when he stayed in Bot Jungle, but he could at least still reap some benefits from this position. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Will, I''m coming over for a gank," Cato informed. A gank? "Well, itll probably be more about scaring your enemies away to help you push." "Got it." "Heh, weak!" Ronald called out. "Why just scare them? Come here with the intention to kick their asses!" "I''m just being realistic," Cato explained. "They won''t overextend enough for us to score a kill, so this will just be an intimidation play." "If they''re not going to overextend of their own accord, then we just gotta make them! Right, bro?" "Sure," William answered flatly. "And, how exactly do you plan to do that?" "Eeeeh. No idea! I think Ill leave this one to the big brains of the team, haha." "Awesome." Cato made a face. "Thanks for wasting our time." "Ouch, haha. Brutal." They discussed the matter some more but concluded that none of them had any bright ideas. The enemy duo in Bot was a tough nut to crack. Elf excelled at long-range sniping, therefore it was extremely difficult, if not outright impossible, to drag him to the frontline. And Yuel, as Aquamncer, had no interest in overextending either. And so, the gank was nothing more than a peek-a-boo. Cato was only going to drop by and scare the enemies into retreating, nothing more. And, it looks like they won''t even let me do that much. Cato shook his head. Before he even arrived on the lane, the two opponents had already shown signs of retreating. "There''s probably a ward somewhere around here," Cato informed the others as he placed a couple of question mark icons on the mini-map, which he then shared with everybody. By the time Cato arrived in Bot Lane, Gunz and Yuel had completely retreated back to their tower. They had no intention of taking any risks whatsoever here. Good, good. Cato smiled impishly. It wont feel good to crush you if you make it too easy for us. So sure, you can take our Top tower, it''s no big deal. Making a comeback from such a difficult position would make us look all the more impressive~ Muhaha... This facade was the last source of positivity that Cato could cling to at this point. The Leopards were supposed to completely dominate this game, to show off their overwhelming strength as the regional champions. But instead, this game was drawing them closer and closer toward looking like the underdogs. They messed up in the drafting phase, in the opening, and now in Top, too. So, rather than being the overwhelming champions, it could be said that they were overwhelmed by their opponents instead. It''s just an accident, nothing more. Cato convinced himself. We weren''t ready for this level of trolling so they caught us off-guard, that''s all. We''re still going to win. Who was he making these excuses for? For the coach? The audience? Himself? Either way, that''s what he wanted to believe, what he HAD to believe. As bad as the current position seemed, it wasn''t irreversible. By finding a way to turn this around, Cato will redeem himself for all the mistakes he has made thus far. Hell find a way to put the Leopards on their rightful throne once more, thats a promise. "Let me help you out a little, Cato said as he entered Bot Lane. Since he had already come all the way over here, it was best to help with the farming and push Bot as much as possible. "Its fine as long as you don''t take my last hits, Willaim said. "Don''t worry, I won''t." Cato unleashed bats at the enemy minions but made sure to stay his hand at the very last moment to avoid stealing any last-hits. "I play Support too, remember? I know the drill." "Right." Granted, in this situation, things were a little more complicated than the usual supporting, as Cato wasn''t the only Support on the lane. Ronald was there as well, shooting icicles at the minions. As such, Cato had to watch out for more shots than usual. That makes it a teeny-tiny bit harder, but it''s alright. Cato thought. Ive practiced all these things more than enough, so they better work out for me in a real game, too. As a player who mained both Jungler and Support, Cato understood the importance of practicing complex situations like this. As a Support, he knew that nobody was permitted to steal the Carry''s valuable last-hits, and as a Jungler he knew that sometimes hell have to lane alongside others, including the Bot duo. Putting one and one together, it became obvious that situations like this would occur every now and then. They were a little tricky on the mechanical side, therefore it was imperative to practice execution ahead of time. So, that''s exactly what Cato did. In fact, he even went a step further and also made sure to practice this setup specifically alongside William and Ronald. The brothers will always be the Bot duo whenever Cato plays Jungler, so it was mandatory to try this out alongside these troublemakers and study their quirks. Now that the swordsmen are running low, the brat will start targeting the bowmen. Cato analyzed. As usual, he''ll start with the one closest to him. So, I''ll go for the one on the opposite side. And so, the two of them assaulted bowmen from opposite ends. This efficiently prepared a full row of half-dead targets for William to take out with ease. With that said, the number of targets was finite. There were only three bowmen for them to shoot. Eventually, Cato and Ronald finished working on the two bowmen on the sides. Next, they turned their attention to the remaining bowman in the middle. WHISH! Ronald fired an icicle without thinking twice. He followed his regular routine, paying no heed to the fact that Cato was also on the lane. My, what a brat. Cato shook his head. Well, I suppose Ill be the adult here and make sure that we can avoid any accidents. Cato fired a single bat at the bowman, but then he stayed his hand. The brat wasn''t going to stop shooting of his own accord, so Cato had to call it quits first. And with that, Catos contribution to Bot came to an end. His presence here didnt achieve anything grandiose, but at least he helped the brothers gain temporary lane control. It might have seemed like a small thing, but it was extremely valuable in the early-game against an aggressive team. It was a tiny ray of hope in an otherwise suffocating darkness, Cato had to do everything in his power in order to drag the team out of the disadvantageous mess they were drowning in, or else this game might actually result in defeat Vol.15 Ch.26: All or Nothing "Thats all from me," Cato reported on his way out of Bot Lane. "Now, I know that their Jungler is currently in Top, but that doesn''t mean you can keep pushing from here and overextend as you please." "Of course," William gave a reassuring response. On the other hand... "No problem, we got this!" Ronald promised. "We finally got a breakthrough here, so we gotta make the most of it, right bro? Right?" ".............." Cato made a face. "Don''t worry, we won''t overextend," William promised. As the older brother, he was the one in charge here, so it was safe to leave this matter to him. "Good." Cato nodded in satisfaction and headed toward the nearby jungle exit. Just then, a loud SPLASH made him pause for a moment. Hm? My, thats such aggressive farming. Cato turned around to examine the situation. As the sounds implied, the Aquamancer was hard at work. He assaulted the incoming minions with his water spells, helping his Carry get rid of the invaders. He used Rainfall to slow down the minions, Geyser Eruption to knock them up, and Splash to deal further damage to them. In other words, he unloaded his entire kit on the wave. It wasn''t exactly a good example of being conservative with MP. Is Yuel that concerned with maintaining lane control? Cato wondered. Well, I suppose it makes some sense. This is the one lane in which they don''t have an advantage right now, so they definitely dont want to let the situation here get any worse for them. But, did that justify spending all that mana? Yuel should know better than that. If he spends all his MP too early, then hell be forced to recall. That''ll leave Gunz all alone on lane and the guy will have a VERY hard time farming against the brothers all by himself. "Say, Will," Cato started. "Do you have an estimation of how close their Aqua is to Overflow?" "Hard to say," William admitted. "He has been using his spells very aggressively, that''s all I can say. This time he even dropped his entire kit, so there''s a good chance he''s very close to Overflow, if he hasn''t already reached it." "I see." Cato left the lane with that mental note in hand. Is he planning to open an attack soon? But, that doesn''t make much sense, does it? You can''t open a strong attack when you don''t have any MP left. It was a little odd. It seemed as if Yuel was rushing to reach Overflow at the expense of his MP even though it was fundamentally futile. By the time he gets there, hell realize he didnt have enough MP left to deliver a truly powerful attack. It was rather curious. Hmm. Well, in any case, I don''t have the time to worry about it. Cato directed his gaze toward Mid, his next destination. It was undoubtedly the stage for Stratus next big play, so Cato had to get there ASAP. In the meantime, the enemy continued pushing Top at full throttle. An allied Turret has been destroyed! The Top Turret fell. Yes, just like that. Even though it was so early into the game, the Dark Knight & Berserker duo was able to make quick work of the tower in a single push. Truly, the early-game potential of Stratus'' comp was quite scary. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. And, next is Mid, right? Cato speculated. Thinking of it, if they spot me rotating over there now, then they might give up on that idea. But, that''s fine, too. In fact, I might prefer that outcome. Cato would gladly waste his time on a futile rotation if it will discourage the enemy from targeting Mid. That DK & Berserker duo was dangerous beyond words. To make things worse, by coming to Mid, this dynamite duo will join forces with an Electromancer. That was going to boost their offensive capabilities that much more. In fact, even with Cato coming to the rescue, there was no guarantee that hell be able to defend the lane at all together with Matthew. So yes, I prefer them to not come at all. Please spare us this headache. Pretty please. To relay this prayer to his opponents, Cato passed through the same route he used to rotate to Bot half a minute ago. There was certainly a ward somewhere along that road, considering how quickly the enemy duo reacted to Catos rotation at the time. Somewhere along this rotation, the enemy was bound to learn Catos position. You may use this information for free. It''s on the house~ Just like he wanted, the enemy definitely caught wind of his movements. However, their response was not what Cato was hoping for... "The Vampire is heading to Mid," Yuel warned the Top duo. "He''s probably planning to intercept you there, so keep that in mind." "Nani!? Our next move has been read!?" Vincent exclaimed. "Yes, they''re likely expecting an attack on Mid." "Such impressive analytical finesse! As expected from the Leopards'' tactician! Vincent sang praises. Then, should we press on with this plan regardless?" "Yes, stick to the plan," Yuel said. "This isn''t outside my predictions by any means. In fact, this is the scenario I was hoping for. Once Rook rotates, we can kill two birds with one stone. My Overflow is ready now, so we''re in a good position." "Such outstanding calculation!" Vincent made noise. "You even used the enemy''s own smarts against them!" "Sometimes, being ''smart'' can play against you. This is one such example." A shot-caller who only ever followed the "smart" plays would often find themselves constrained by the boundaries of "common sense". They would only ever consider the standard "logical" plays, often ignoring the more obscure, chaotic options. "I''m recalling," Yuel informed. "Luke, make sure you place that ward behind their tower." "Yep yep, got it!" Luke nodded. "Man, you say you hate memeing and all that, but this play is one heck of a meme too, not gonna lie." "It''s a high-risk high-reward play." "Yeah, just like my DK Jungler." "If you say so." Yuel didn''t want to start that debate, in part because Luke had a point. There was indeed some similarity between the two here. Dark Knight was actually a functional Jungler under certain circumstances. Its potential was mainly held back by the fact it was such an extreme class, one that had to get results ASAP or go bust. That made it a very unappealing pick for Jungler and in general. However, since avoiding the pick was the "smart" thing to do, it meant most people weren''t familiar with how Junlger Dark Knight worked. They had no idea how scary the class could actually get with proper setup. Of course, in the same vein, a DK can commit just one small mistake and doom the entire game. Yuel gulped nervously as his mouse hovered over the Teleport skill icon in the shop. So, we''re really doing this, aren''t we? Well, it was my idea in the first place, but... Frankly, it was terrifying. This play was borderline insanity. The team had just gained an immense advantage in Top, so it made the most sense to continue pushing steadily for the win. Alas, this particular team had no such luxury. They had successfully started a snowball but they were also obligated to keep it rolling, or else they''ll get stuck in place. We either pull it off and possibly win the game, or we fail miserably and lose everything. Nice odds. Despite how well everything was going for Stratus so far, in truth, the odds were stacked against them. They had to keep pushing nonstop in order to even stand a chance. But, if they succeed in gaining the upper hand in the next few critical moments, then the reward will be sweet beyond measure. The decisive play of the game was upon them. Will they claim the high-reward? Or, will the high-risk eat them alive!? Yuel had already spent his gold on Teleport, so there was no turning back here. The game was on. Shortly after Luke placed the Checkpoint Ward, Yuel initiated the teleportation procedure... Vol.15 Ch.27: A Failed Proxy Farm? "Here I am, " Cato announced his arrival in Mid. "It looks like they''re still coming here after all, huh. Even though I dropped them such a nice hint that I''ll be rotating over here" "It sounds like you just gave them free information," Matthew pointed out. "True, true. Well, so be it. Let''s just fend them off and stop their offense in its tracks." "Alright." They grouped up in the tower area and braced for impact. This was going to be a 2v3 situation, with one of the attackers being a Dark Knight who started snowballing. This was bound to be rough. "What a drag." Matthew sighed. "Are you sure we don''t need an extra pair of hands here?" "My, do you have so little faith in our combined defense?" Cato blinked. And you call yourself one of Esmeraldas disciples? "Its just that itll be easier to defend with more people. I wouldn''t have to think as hard." "Stop loafing around, young man. This isn''t one of your daily grind missions that you can play on auto-pilot. You have to pour your everything into this." "I know..." Matthew sighed. Indeed, this was a boss stage that he couldn''t put on auto-battle. And, life wasn''t convenient enough to offer "skip tickets" either. As such, there was no easy way out of this predicament. Matthew had no choice but to actually do some mental work here in order to ensure that his defense was top-notch. "Though, maybe theres no need to think too hard about something so simple, Matthew said. Basically, I just need to get rid of their minions, and then their push is a bust, right? "Yes, that would be ideal," Cato agreed. "But, I''m sure they won''t let it be that easy. Just as he said that, InformationBlackhole arrived on the lane first and positioned himself between Matthew and the incoming enemy wave. See? The Berserker is already playing goalkeeper." This was a simple but effective method of shutting down Sorcerer''s long-range spells. Firing a Magia Orb with Repelling Force was the Sorcerer''s best method for clearing minions from very far away. The setup was a little MP-hungry, but the amazing attack range it provided usually paid off and allowed the Sorcerer to outrange most Mages. However, this setup had one glaring weakness. Repelling Force fired the Magia Orb in a straight line. It was like kicking a soccer ball without the ability to bend its course. Furthermore, the Magia Orb itself was rather chunky. It was most likely designed in this way in order to make it easier to hit enemies with it. However, in this case, this feature played against the user. To make this worse, the orb slowed down a little every time it hit an enemy. This wasnt a problem when the shot was directed straight at the enemy wave, as the orb was capable of reaching the bowmen in the back despite first ramming into the swordsmen. But, what if the orb were to run into an enemy long before reaching the swordsmen? For example, into Blackhole who was standing over there like a goalkeeper, blocking Matthews field of view. With how chunky and straightforward the Magia Orb was, it would be impossible for Matthew to shoot this ball around this goalkeeper. The orb will crash straight into the enemy and slow down, barely reaching the enemy wave. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "What a drag." Matthew sighed. "Well, at least theres no similar way to block Dimensional, so I guess I''ll just use that instead once the minions get closer." "Yes, that''s going to be the decisive factor, Cato said. If they let us clear their minions, then theyll lose their entire offense. So, Im sure theyll try to pull something first." "They cant pull anything right away, though. Theyll have to clear our minions first before they can get started. Then again, I assume the DK will handle that in a jiffy." "It depends. They might choose to keep DKs blast around for the actual push, to scare us away. Either scenario sounds like a drag. Haha, thats true. Cato smiled wryly. I have to say though, isn''t the DK taking his sweet time to get here?" The Berserker had arrived in the lane a couple of seconds ago, yet there was still no sign of the Dark Knight. The two of them were supposed to rotate over here together, so this delay was a little odd. Sure, Dark Knight was a slower runner than Berserker, but not THAT much slower. Unless... "My, what a daredevil." Cato smiled impishly after checking the area behind him. He didn''t actually expect to find anything there, but he sure did. The Dark Knight was right there, right behind the tower area! "A flank attack?" Matthew cocked his head. "Wait, no. Hes probably there for the minions." "Bingo.." A moment later, the Dark Knight proved their guess correct. He unleashed a Dark Blast on the incoming minion wave, wiping it out in one fell swoop. My, so aggressive. Cato smiled wryly. But, I suppose this much is necessary to make their attack a success. I already had a good plan for countering his blast on the lane itself, so it looks like Yuel made sure to play around it. Dark Knight''s wave-clearing skill shared a similar weakness to Sorcerer''s. Namely, both of them could be slowed down by a goalkeeper. Of course, given the high damage of Dark Blast, nobody would normally dare to stand in its way. However, Cato would have no trouble withstanding that force of destruction thanks to the invincibility of Coffin Slumber. Yuel must''ve anticipated a counter-play like this, which was why the Dark Knight took the risk of rotating behind the Mid tower and using proxy farming. However, doing so put the guy in immense danger. "Were going to attack, right?" Matthew asked while placing a Magia Orb on the scene. "Of course were attacking." Cato dashed forth to punish the overextending fool. "They made such a delicious mistake right in front of us, so we have to capitalize on it, right~?" This proxy farming stunt mightve seemed like a good idea for Stratus. However, in reality, it was a grave misplay that''ll cost them the entire operation. Yuel must''ve thought that Cato and Matthew won''t budge from their positions because they were "defensive players". But, this juicy opportunity was too big to ignore even for turtles like them. A big part of being a professional defensive player was knowing when to flip the switch. At some point, it was necessary to switch gears and go on the offensive in order to reap great benefits. And, the time was now. Cato didn''t even need to think twice here. He booted his ult and transformed into a giant bat, darting straight toward the overextending prey! Night Hunt was supposed to be Catos main escape tool in case things get rough on the defense, but he decided it was best to use it here for a counterattack. Sometimes, offense was the best form of defense, even Cato had to agree. It''s checkmate once the DK is captured. Cato thought. He''s the heart of their entire push; they got nothing without him. "I''m setting up the resonance," Matthew informed as he placed a Magia Orb along the Dark Knight''s retreat path. "Yes, let''s blow him up for good." They were about to spend two ults for a single kill but it was totally worth it. Eliminating the DK was just that important. Not only it''ll stop Memers snowballing in its tracks, but it''ll also leave his allies with nothing to do on the lane. It''ll turn this entire rotation into one huge waste of time, which was devastating for a hyper-aggressive team for whom every second counted in the early-game. Naturally, Memer noticed Cato and Matthews intentions right away. After all, they weren''t exactly discreet about it as they charged straight at their prey. As much as the two of them liked playing sneaky and sophisticated, this was one situation in which these things would only slow them down needlessly. Besides, even though Memer was aware of the incoming attack, the guy had no way to counter this deadly assault... or did he? Vol.15 Ch.28: Teleport Turnabout "Crap!" Luke exclaimed. "They''re coming at me hard! I told ya that''ll happen, man!" "I didn''t expect them to actually go for it," Yuel admitted. It seemed that he had to slightly adjust his evaluation of these two "defensive players" With that said, this development didn''t actually change anything of substance. Yuels plan already factored in this potential development, just in case. "I''m coming over there now, Yuel said. So, just try to not die right away." "Pft, easy for you to say, man. I think they''re planning to straight-up blow me up!" "Go to the opposite jungle entrance after the Sorcerer places two orbs. That''ll buy you some time." "Yeah, sure, if I don''t get caught but this dang Vampire first!" "I believe in you." Yuel was already halfway through the teleportation process, so he was going to arrive on the scene soon enough. In the meantime, he ran over the simulation for this particular unlikely scenario one more time. In this situation, I just focus on the Sorcerer. Yuel reminded himself. This wasnt the most ideal development he envisioned, but it was fine. Yuels high-risk high-reward plan hadnt fallen apart yet. The big payoff was still very much within reach. Alas, his partner in crime was nowhere near as optimistic about any of this. Dang, I didnt sign up for this, haha! Luke tried to drown his anxiety with dry laughter, but it wasnt very effective. These bois are going for the kill for real, I feel it in my bones! But, I aint gonna fall here, no way. The meme is gonna live on! Luke had come so far with his Dark Knight in this game. He had a very strong opening, a decent first jungling phase, and to top it all - he delivered a devastating gank on Top that won Stratus a tower! This had all the criteria for an impressive snowball thatll secure the teams victory. But, to make it really happen, Luke had to push just a little further, to snowball just a little more. And, this strong attack on Mid was the play that was going to make it happen. So, Im sorry to inform ya, my dudes, but I aint allowed to die just yet! Luke waited for the enemy to place the second Magia Orb, and then he hit the brakes and rolled in the opposite direction. Gotcha, bitch! Instead of continuing his retreat toward Top Jungle like the enemy expected, Luke pulled a switcheroo just as Yuel instructed and made a dash for the opposite side, toward Bot Jungle! They aint gonna catch him alive, not today! The sudden change of directions clearly caught the enemy off-guard. They never saw it coming! Seriously? Matthew sighed. What a drag. My, what a slippery rat we got on our hands here~ Cato smiled but it was a cold, scornful smile. Come back here, will you? The sudden change of directions didnt only thwart Matthews Resonance plans. It also made Catos charge in Bat form completely miss the intended target. The bat form had high speed, which was usually a blessing. However, at this very moment, it turned into a curse. It was impossible to hit the brakes on this skill, so Cato ended up charging ahead, right past the target that vanished. In order to make it back and assault Memer once again, Cato had to circle around in mid-air and do a 180. It was doable, but itll be a huge time-sink. Still, we have him cornered. Cato thought. This is just a little hiccup, nothing more. He wont be able to make it out alive by shooting for Bot Jungle, not from all the way over there. Hes only delaying the inevitable. Cato and Matthew didnt flutter. Though this development was sudden and unexpected, it was well within expectations. In the first place, they wouldnt have pushed so hard with an attack that could be thwarted so easily by such a simple counterplay. So, they were prepared for a couple of counterplays. Got him. Cato finally rammed into Memer, stunning the guy in place. He reverted back into vampire form after the collision, then wrapped his arms around the victim and sunk his fangs into the poor guys neck... yes, right into that ironclad neck. Realistically, the Vampires teeth should''ve shattered from biting the dark metal so hard. However, this particular Vampire had no qualms about biting on literal iron as long as it meant securing his meal. Your turn, Cato said. On it, Matthew replied so, but he actually had to wait another 1.5 seconds before summoning an additional Magia Orb. Until then, he could only fire basic attacks at the paralyzed Dark Knight. Okay, finally. Matthew summoned the Magia Orb. Unlike before, there was no longer any point in summoning the Magia Orb near the target, as Resonance Ignition wasnt worth using with a single orb anyway. Stolen novel; please report. Instead, Matthew placed the new Magia Orb right in front of himself. The plan was to slam the orb hard and send it flying toward the target. And so, Matthew started activating Repelling Force, but then- ZOOM! An unusual sound played in the area. It sounded similar to Blink and Recall, but it didnt seem to be either of those. No, this was... Teleport! My, my, my... Catos brow twitched. To call this an unexpected development would be an understatement. This Teleport came completely out of left field. Then again, this does explain a few things. Cato realized. The DK didnt come here only to proxy farm. He also wanted to place this Checkpoint Ward as a surprise. If only I realized it sooner... The one who appeared out of thin air was none other than Chessmaster, the Aqaumancer! And, knowing Yuel, he must have come here fully prepared. "Do you have an estimation of how close their Aqua is to Overflow?" Cato had posed such a question to William just recently. Yuels overly aggressive approach to clearing minions in Bot almost looked like he was farming Overflow. However, at the time, Cato didnt know what to make of it, so he ignored that piece of information and moved on. But, as it turned out, it was a crucial hint toward the current situation, yet Cato failed to piece the puzzle together. It was a blunder of the highest degree. Watch out, he probably has Overflow! Cato shouted and unhanded the Dark Knight immediately. The tables have turned. Cato and Matthew were no longer the predators here. The Aquamancers appearance demoted them into being mere prey. They had to retreat ASAP! But, it was too late. As expected, the enemy teleported here fully prepared. Yuel unleashed Tsunami right away! A gigantic wave washed across the entire lane! In this situation, the only way to fully dodge the obnoxiously wide AoE was by slipping into the Jungle. Alas, both Cato and Matthew were too far from the sides of the lane to retreat to safety. And so, they couldnt do anything but allow the wave to sweep them away. Or at least, that would have been the case if Cato wasnt playing Vampire. By retreating into the coffin, he could easily withstand the gigantic wave and nullify both the CC and the damage But, do I use it now? Or, is it better to wait until they start attacking me? Cato hesitated for a moment. The entire development was so fast and unexpected that it threw his brain into disarray. He couldnt help but second-guess himself at every turn. As a result, by the time Cato reached a decision - it was already too late. The wave crashed into him at full speed, sweeping him toward the tower area. He missed his chance to pull a defensive card. Meanwhile, Matthew didnt even have any defensive options to speak of, so he was even more helpless against the big wave. The only escape tool he had on him was his Dodge Roll, but where could he even roll? Nowhere near the tower area was safe. The tsunami came crashing on the entire area, washing away everything in its path. Truly, the two of them were hopeless in front of this natural disaster. My, this is definitely not a favorable position to be in. Cato felt sweat forming on his forehead. He was trying to maintain his usual smile but his cheeks turned stiff. This was neither a funny nor joyous situation. In fact, it was an absolute disaster! Depending on how the enemies coordinate their follow-up attacks, Cato and Matthews lives were as good as forfeited. And unfortunately, their opponents indeed followed up on the opening attack quite splendidly. While Cato and Matthew were still carried away by the wave, a thunderstorm formed around them. Black clouds hovered over the giant wave and bolts of lightning rained on the two of them. This natural disaster was growing more disastrous by the moment! That was the Electromancer using her Thunderstorm. She did so without any delays, as if on cue. Clearly, this entire play was organized in advance. And, the mastermind must have been none other than Yuel. What a nasty check. Cato frowned. And they also got a Berserker, so this could easily turn into a mate. But, they cant possibly be THAT organized, can they? While the wave was sweeping Cato away, he couldnt even properly examine his surroundings. As such, paranoia naturally invaded his brain. Was the Berserker charging up his slam at this very moment? If so, then it might be GG right there. But, surely that wasnt the case, was it? After all, chaining so many great plays in a row demanded near-perfect team coordination. Did the weakest team in the region possess the necessary skill to pull this off? The answer soon revealed itself when two big axes slammed into the ground, right before Cato and Matthew got the chance to roll away. To make things worse, judging by the damage and the impact, this slam was charged to its utmost limit. It delivered the most devastating version possible of the skill! yes, of course, Yuels team can do this much. Cato bit his lip. Theyre no longer the dark horse of the region. I hate to admit it, but the Stratus here today is a... decent team, I suppose. Even though it wasn''t his intention per se, it seemed that Cato had been underestimating Stratus this entire time. He only thought about how the Leopards had to deliver an "absolute victory in order to prove themselves as the reigning champions that everybody expected them to be. He believed that winning was par for the course and that the only challenge would be to win convincingly. In retrospect, it meant that he thought very little of Stratus strength as a whole. And, perhaps Cato wasn''t the only one on the team with such preconceptions. Part of the reason Sonya died in Top was her carelessness. It was an unthinkable turn of events for her under normal circumstances. Likewise, there was Ronald who carelessly approached the enemy side during the opening of the game despite numerous warnings. Then again, that brat had always been an idiot so maybe this wasn''t the most convincing example, but even Ronald usually had more common sense than that. He wouldn''t have taken such a careless risk if he was playing against a known powerhouse team. It looks like we reap what we sow. Cato smiled wryly as he watched his Vampire being helplessly ravaged by a barrage of lightning bolts and by a torrent of axe strikes. All Cato could do was watch. He couldnt do a single thing about any of this due to the powerful stun of the fully charged Barbarian Slam. Indeed, he was paying the piper for letting his guard down, just as Sonya did earlier. But, could anybody blame them, really? After all, they were facing Stratus, the team with the stigma of being the "weakest in the region". Even though they understood that this year''s Stratus was nothing like before, it was nonetheless difficult to forget the stigma entirely. Even now, the Leopards still felt like their victory was more than assured. To make things worse, Stratus'' picks were beyond questionable this time around. That hyper-aggressive comp seemed as fragile as glass, bound to shatter into a million pieces at the slightest application of force. On top of that, there was the absurdest pick of them all - the Dark Knight, and a Jungler to boot. A meme among memes. So frankly, it was super hard to take Stratus seriously in the game. And yet, this fragile hyper-aggressive team was overwhelming Cato and Matthew at the moment, and the Dark Knight memer was charging straight at them, with his dark blade ready and loaded... Vol.15 Ch.29: Conquering Mid WHISH! A dark blast shot forth, cutting through the very fabric of air! It sliced straight through Cato and there was nothing he could do about it, not while he was stunned by Barbarian Slam. And so, just like that, 20% of his HP vanished into the ether. And that, combined with the rest of the abuse he had been going through from the moment Yuel appeared on the lane, Catos HP bar was threatening to disappear in its entirety. The Tsunami, the Thunderstorm, the Barbarian Slam, the Berserker''s quick axe strikes, and now even Dark Blast. The enemy threw one punch after another at Cato without ever stopping to rest. Tch, what a perfectly logical decision. Cato clicked his tongue. I''m the only one here who got access to defensive options, so of course, they want to take me out first. Truly, there was nothing "weak" about Stratus performance here. This was a well-organized, well-executed plan, as expected from Yuel. In Catos last moments, right before his HP faded away, he finally regained the ability to fight back, as futile as it was at this point. Nonetheless, if there was anything at all he could do in order to frustrate the enemy and slow down their snowballing, then he was obligated to do so. Thus, he retreated into his coffin and negated all incoming damage. However, this was a short-lived resistance. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! The coffin shattered almost immediately. It could not withstand the Berserker''s lightning-fast barrage of strikes. B-But, its not over yet! Cato gritted his teeth as he rolled away from all the attackers surrounding him. Doing so put some distance between him and the Berserker, forcing the enemy to cut the combo short. In retrospect, Cato probably shouldve rolled before activating his Coffin Slumber. Though, I wouldnt have made it either way... You have been killed! His futile resistance came to an end at the hands of the Dark Knight. The opponent anticipated this roll and brought down his blade in the middle of Catos recovery animation. Yes, this "meme" had just destroyed Cato, and this wasn''t even the end. The Dark Knight was assuredly going to snowball further and terrorize the entire team. And, his first target was already in sight: Matthew. Im not going to make it, Matthew informed before the enemy even had the chance to switch their attention to him. Clearly, he had no intention of even trying, which was very much in character. Yeah, it figures you cant get away, Cato said. But, at least get some damage on them, alright? If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Eh, sure. Matthew shrugged. Fighting back was an exercise in futility, but sure, it might be better than nothing. At least, Matthews damage will be able to slow down these guys by a little. Maybe. Since its pointless anyway, I might as well hit this guy... Matthew stopped running and turned around to face his pursuers, who were guaranteed to catch up to him in no time anyway. Among the available targets, he directed his fire at none other than InformationBlackhole. Will this shake his memory a little? ... do I even want it to? With these conflicted thoughts, Matthew fired basic attacks at InformatinoBlackhole specifically. Its not like the guy was the closest target available, or even the best target for that matter. But, since this entire ordeal was pointless in the first place, it didnt really matter who Matthew was shooting, did it? So, it was fine to target Blackhole just because Matthew felt like it, right? Of course, he also made sure to unleash Dimensional Collapse at the first opportunity that presented itself, but the enemy didnt let it impact things too much. You have been killed! As expected, the resistance was futile and Matthew shortly followed in Cato''s footsteps. There was nothing he could possibly do in this 1v4 situation, no matter how good he was at defense. "My, this is quite the predicament we got ourselves in Mid..." Cato tried to smile in order to relieve some of the tension but he was clearly forcing it. The situation was turning from grim to grimmer, everybody could tell. With this one strong play in Mid, Stratus had secured themselves a long-lasting advantage in Mid. And apparently, Stratus wasnt satisfied with just that. The four pushers in Mid could already push very far by themselves but that wasn''t enough for Stratus. Shortly, Gunz showed up in Mid as well, using the same Teleport shortcut that Yuel employed. It seemed Stratus was adamant about wrapping up the entire game through this one big push. This play was reminiscent of the tactics Taurus employed against Stratus. It was a ballsy push that put all the eggs in one basket, but it also had a very high chance of working here, especially given their hyper-aggressive lineup. An allied Turret has been destroyed! The Turret didn''t stand a chance against this penta push. Next, Stratus set their eyes on the Golem. "It goes without saying, but you have to recall to defend," Cato addressed the only two survivors of the team. "Of course." William was already in the middle of the recalling animation. "Man, really?" Ronald pouted. "Sonya gonna revive soon, so wouldn''t that be enough? We should totally push Bot while we got the chance!" "I''m sorry to inform you," Sonya said. "But its unreasonable to expect me to hold the fort in a 1v5 situation." "Of course," William agreed. "We need as many defenders as we can get in order to have a chance to slow them down. If we can''t stop this push, then we might lose the whole game right there and then." It was blunt and to the point. William voiced the thoughts that everybody in the Leopards had but nobody dared to speak of. This was a harsh evaluation of the situation, but it was necessary to make it sound this grim in order to sway the bratty younger brother. "Okay, I''m on it!" Ronald started recalling as well. "Let''s turn the tables on these mad lads and counter them with our own big push!" "Sure, if we can get that far," William said. I doubt we can even stop this strong push, let alone mount a counter. This game sure took a sharp turn that nobody was expecting... And so, the brothers returned to the base in order to fend off the incoming assault. But, did they even stand a chance against the overwhelming aggression...? Vol.15 Ch.30: Copying Tauruss Strategy An enemy Turret has been destroyed! With Lars joining the offense in Mid, the Mid Turret fell apart within moments. And next, the group set their eyes on the Mid Golem, the Holy Grail. If they can demolish the Golem this early, then the game will be as good as theirs. So, may I inquire about our master plan? Vincent asked. Are we going to push forth all the way to victory? Or, is this merely a diversion thatll force the enemy to concentrate on Mid while we attack other avenues? Ive considered both options depending on how things play out, Yuel explained. Even though we ran into a couple of obstacles, things turned out better than I expected overall. So, I believe its optimal for us to continue pushing Mid right now. We can surely take down the Golem, at the very least. In other words, a straightforward assault! I see, I see. Vincent nodded repeatedly. It appears were about to reproduce Taurus secret art! Yes, I got this idea from that scrimmage, Yuel explained. It worked out a little too well for them, making me wonder how efficient this strategy was in general. It wasnt easy to research and test it, but I believe I have sufficient understanding of when the tactic can work. It was a super-risky, hyper-aggressive, and all-in tactic that most people would not even consider seriously. Even Yuel, who favored offense so much, didnt think of this risky Mid rush as a particularly viable strategy, definitely not for the competitive scene. However, he changed his mind after he was hit hard by it during the Taurus scrimmage. As a fellow supporter of hyper-aggressive plays, the concept naturally intrigued him. On paper, the power level of Turrets was designed for the mid-game, and the power level of Golems was balanced around the late-game. As such, the two structures were overpowered during the early parts of the game and it was next to impossible to take them down. Nonetheless, players had the option to overwhelm these powerful structures via sheer numbers. When 3 or more players ganged up on a single objective, it was sometimes possible to even out the odds and match the towers strength. But of course, things were never that simple in Classmancers. The idea was nice but the execution was difficult. It was impossible to simply gather the entire team in one spot on a whim, especially not during the early-game. The meta dictated that everybody should stick to their lanes during this part of the game, and straying from the meta was always something that should be done with great care. Not to mention, this tactic required far more than just gathering the team together. In fact, that was arguably the easiest part of the operation. Even if the whole team came together to push Mid, the push would easily be thwarted by just a handful of enemy defenders. After all, the Turrets power level was ahead of players at this stage, so adding just a handful of defenders should suffice for deflecting the push. The first big prerequisite for this tactic is momentum. Yuel concluded from his research. He carefully examined all the circumstances that enabled Taurus to pull off such a risky play. On top of that, he found a handful of examples from the pro scene as well and researched those, too. Yes, there were, in fact, examples of games like that in the pro scene as well. They were far and few between, and practically nonexistent in A-League. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Nonetheless, in C-League, there were a couple of aggressive teams that went for plays like this and succeeded. On the other hand, in B-League, this tactic was attempted a few times but it usually failed. Regardless, there was clearly some substance to this strategy, seeing as even pros employed it every once in a while. As such, Yuel felt obligated to study this line of play in depth and learn how to counter it, as well as how to utilize it if the appropriate opportunity ever presents itself. And, according to his research, the current situation met the conditions for invoking this risky tactic. So far, things have been going well. Stratus scored three kills in a row and toppled the Mid Turret very early. These were convincing signs that the team was ready to keep pushing through Mid, possibly all the way to victory. And, even if this push fails to lead to immediate victory or even somehow fails to destroy the Golem, there wasnt too much risk in giving it a go anyway. Stratus were so far ahead that they could take such a risk and still come on top even if things dont go their way. In the worst-case scenario, well lose some of our momentum and the situation will be equalized. Itll be unfortunate if that happens, but it wont put as a disadvantage, at the very least. After carefully going through all these considerations over and over, Yuel was convinced to attempt this risky Taurus strategy. After all, if Taurus could pull this off, then there was no reason why Stratus wouldn''t be able to as well. But of course, it was impossible to pull off such extreme plays out of thin air without any prior practice. During the Taurus scrimmage, it was clear that the enemys Triangle had robust experience with pulling off extreme plays like that during the early-game. Their impeccable teamwork allowed them to go for a risky play like this and make it work. But, did Stratus possess the necessary teamwork and experience for pulling off a success like that? Why yes, they had plenty of it. After all, their shot-caller was none other than Yuel, a shot-caller who loved weaving aggressive early-game plans that required very pinpoint cooperation. Admittedly, we were a little lacking in that department during the previous scrimmage. Yuel reflected back on how he used to shot-call during the Taurus scrimmage. At the time, he was overly cautious and forced himself to push away the aggressive ideas that so naturally came to him. The scars of losing to Howard were still fresh in his mind back then. However, after seeing Tauruss Triangle getting away with risky plays time and again, it was impossible to not wish to replicate some of these plays. That''s what convinced Yuel to return to his roots and embrace his original favorite type of strategy: overwhelming early-game aggression that dictated the flow of the game. And so, ever since that scrimmage, Yuel had increased the usage of aggressive team comps and tactics during practice. And yes, some of these sessions involved variations of this very strategy, where the team groups up in Mid and tries to push for the win. That''s why, even though his teammates were taken aback by the boldness for a moment, nobody actually objected to this tactic or voiced concern. Why? Because they had executed many similar plays over the past few weeks. Unlike in the last scrimmage, today''s Stratus had the necessary experience for pulling off aggressive early-game plays. Therefore, even a hyper-risky plan that involved putting all eggs into one basket was par for the course at this point. They had both the necessary experience and skill, so they will make this extreme tactic work, no matter what. "Let''s do this, yooo!" Lars rallied as the team advanced on the Mid Golem. Their steps were confident, with each player assuming a near-ideal position without Yuel uttering a single word. They all knew exactly what to do during situations like this. Despite being the most gung-ho of the gang, Lars stayed at the back of the pack, taking advantage of Elf''s sniping abilities. He fully understood the dangers of this hyper-aggressive play and he knew that hell be targeted first if he ever sets foot on the frontline. On the frontline, Luke and Vincent led the assault. Neither of them was built tanky enough to serve as a proper frontliner, but they were both bruisers who could share this burden. On top of that, Yuel followed right behind them, ready to aid with heals and CC at a moment''s notice. Meanwhile, Kai was in the middle of the pack but a little farther to the outside. This was to ensure that the team wasnt fully packed in one area. In fact, everybody maintained a degree of distance from each other. After all, there was nothing more embarrassing than grouping up so confidently only to be shot down by an AoE nuke. So, they kept each other at arms length without sticking too close to each other. With this organized formation, Stratus arrived at the Mid Golem. Vol.15 Ch.31: Veteran Aggressors Stratus arrived at the Mid Golem in an organized formation. AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger were waiting there, ready to defend. They were the only two survivors from the Leopards. And, Theorist will join them soon. Yuel confirmed by checking the respawn timer. We have to destroy the Golem before she gets here. "Lars, make sure to zone them out once we invade the Golem." "Gotcha, dude!" Before getting to the Golem, their first priority was the incoming minion wave. They had to eliminate the small soldiers first before gaining access to the big boss. As such, Stratus stopped a little before the Golem area and waited for the minions to come out first. Even though the pushers were in a rush to wrap up this operation, it was necessary to play this smartly and not overexert themselves needlessly. With that said, they didnt have much time to waste on these minions, either. "Let''s make this quick," Yuel said. "Luke, blast them." "For real?" Luke grinned. "I thought we''ll be saving the big guns for the defenders." "It''s not necessary, Yuel explained. Those two don''t have very good clearing speed, so they wont be able to eliminate our minions too quickly. Besides, Lars will zone them out once we invade." "Okay, gotcha." Luke did as instructed and unleashed his Dark Blast. Good soldiers followed orders. WHISH! The enemy squad vanished without a trace as if they were no more but a mirage in the first place. With this, the path was clear. Stratus'' minions advanced onward without slowing down, with the rest of the pushers following from behind. Against this overwhelming push, the enemy defenders found themselves at a grave disadvantage. "Dang, they''re pulling all the stops!" Ronald grinned. "It gonna be one heck of a challenge to stop these mad lads. I love it!" "What''s there to love?" William asked. "We''re most likely going to lose the Golem." "Nah, we got this! Sonya gonna join us soon, so we''re about to kick some serious ass here!" "You wish." William wasn''t the type to hold onto false optimism, so he could already tell this was a lost battle. Not only did the enemy have superior numbers, but their movements were also swift and sophisticated, two extremes that were delicate to balance. Clearly, they knew exactly what they were doing with this absurd play. Anybody could tell that there was little to no chance of William and Ronald holding the fort on their own. Ronald was no idiot either, so despite his attitude, he surely understood the odds were severely against them. Nonetheless, the brat carried on with confidence, reassuring everybody (and himself) that things were going to turn out alright. Perhaps, this ability to grin happily during the hardest of times was what made Ronald a favorite for becoming the team''s captain next year. Just like Cato, Ronald excelled at putting on a smile no matter how rough the situation was. Is that how captains are expected to be? William wondered. Just smile and pretend that everything is fine? If so, then once again, I''m glad I passed on competing for the role. Perhaps there was some value for the team when the captain carried himself with such positivity and exhibited unfounded confidence, but William couldn''t force himself to do it. Or rather, maybe he could if he really tried to, but he definitely didn''t want to. Knowing that you''re at an obvious disadvantage but pretending like everything is fine is just plain wrong. You have to be honest about these things and understand that you''ll be playing from behind to catch up. That''s how William had climbed his way through the ranks his entire life, both in Tennis and in Classmancers. He acknowledged which opponents were stronger than him and worked out strategies to take them down. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. All of that was only possible because he admitted that these opponents were fundamentally stronger than him. In other words, the burden of coming up with countermeasures lay with him. And, the current situation was the same. No matter how much Ronald tried to smile and brush things off, the two of them were clearly at a grave disadvantage in this situation. It''ll take Sonya some time to get here, so William and Ronald were alone to hold the fort. Yes, they had to somehow defend against five incoming attackers. And, these guys have momentum, too. William analyzed. Maybe if I had more time to prepare then I wouldve come up with something. But, they''re already here, so... It sounded like an excuse but that was the reality of the situation. This aggressive attack came out of left field and William had no time to prepare for it at all. As such, he could only default to generalized solutions here. With bold attacks like these, its usually best to wait for the opponents to self-destruct. William thought. If we can stall them to the point they get desperate, we might make them rush things and misplay. This was a common scenario for any sports game. William had seen it countless times. Opponents who gained sudden momentum often let it get to their heads. This made them press the offense even harder, believing they already had the game in the bag. At that point, if things suddenly stopped going their way and their momentum started slowing down, then they''d get irritated. After all, they had been winning so hard the whole time, so why couldn''t they wrap things up already? That kind of mentality often led to rushing things, and rushing often created openings for their opponent. Not to mention, these guys already have a lot of pressure on their shoulders. William thought. Theyre pretty much obligated to rush this game because of how their team comp is made. And, now theyre putting all the eggs in one basket with this risky play. So yeah, the pressure must be on. They''re bound to make a mistake sooner than later. Even though the Stratus of this year was no longer a bottom-tier team, it didn''t come across as a top-tier team like StormBlitz either. It was just an average team with a couple of decent players who were pulling it along, that''s about it. As such, during such a critical moment, it was only natural to expect a mediocre team to fumble and misplay. William simply had to be on the lookout for such an opportunity and seize it. Or, so he thought. In reality, his analysis was a little off the mark. Stratus was definitely under pressure as they rushed to claim victory, yet they carried themselves like seasoned veterans. ZAP! A laser beam cut through William''s shoulder while he was busy analyzing the situation. "Wha-!?" William grit his teeth. Are you going to shoot from all the way over there? Seriously? William was cautious all along about the Elf''s long-ranged shots. He already got first-hand experience with Gunz''s sniping ability back in lane, so he took a mental note to always position himself out of range or in a covered spot. And, that''s what he did this time as well. Or, at least he thought he did. William positioned himself behind the Golem for now, to make it difficult to hit him. That should have turned him into a difficult target to snipe from the front. But, Gunz didn''t approach from the front. Instead, he circled outside of the team''s formation, to get a better view from behind the Golem. From there, sniping William was child''s play for somebody of his skill. Should I make Ron wall him off? William pondered. It''d be easy to place an Ice Wall to block off all incoming shots from that angle. No, that''s overkill. He concluded. There are better uses for the wall for this defense. I''ll just reposition myself. William circled around the Golem to get out of Gunz''s line of sight once more. This forced him to step a little closer to the frontline but it wasnt a problem. The enemy couldn''t carelessly charge into the Golem''s area anyway, so they''d have to find a way to pull William closer first in order to do anything to him. Pull closer... Ah! William quickly turned around. Are they going to...!? The enemy did, in fact, possess one ability capable of pulling enemies in. And, William might have carelessly stepped into this attacks range without noticing! WHISH! An axe flew through the air at lightning speed, aiming straight at William! "Tch!" William rolled away in the nick of time, just barely dodging the axe. It was too close to comfort. A tiny misstep almost cost him his life. The enemy would have ravaged him like a pack of hungry wolves if they successfully pulled him in. I was careless. William criticized himself during the Dodge Roll. I was thinking so hard about them messing up that I ended up messing up myself. Spacing was supposed to be second nature for William, but he let his thoughts drift for just a moment and it almost cost him the game. But, things were fine now. Despite the pressure, I rolled decently. William analyzed the roll objectively. He successfully dodged the axe while simultaneously reaching a good position. It should prove difficult for Gunz to snipe William here. Truly, it was a very well-executed roll. But sometimes, a highly optimized play could become a misplay in its own right. There was one player on the enemy team who carefully eyed each and every move William made, trying to predict Williams position ahead of time Vol.15 Ch.32: Figuring Out the Younger Brother There! Yuel activated a Geyser Eruption as soon as he spotted the Seraph turning around in panic. As expected, Winner noticed Vincent''s axe in a timely fashion and responded accordingly with a roll. On top of that, despite the obvious panic, Winner managed to execute an optimized roll that kept him out of Larss sight and also sufficiently far from the rest of Stratus. Truly, the guy lived up to his title of the Matrix Convoluter, as dubbed by Vincent. Even during such a difficult moment, Winner found the best spot to roll to. But, precisely because the play was so highly optimized, it was easier to predict it. There was only one direction in which he could roll in order to satisfy all the conditions, so Yuel targeted that area ahead of time. Thanks to the foresight, Yuel unleashed Geyser Eruption right at the spot to which Winner rolled! "Such beautiful execution!" Vincent raved. "You used my axe as a feint to force the enemy into a predictable location! Its simply splendid!" "Yo, sick knock-up!" Lars followed up on the geyser attack by firing a laser beam high into the air. Even though this entire set play was a little sudden, there was no way he gonna miss this shot. After all, Last was in first-person mode right now, so this was basically an FPS game! And besides, he was the Gungnir Sniper, yo! ZAP! The laser beam pierced through the airborne target without any trouble. This was an exciting development for Lars, no doubt about it. But, for his opponent? Not a very welcome turn of events. "Tch!" William gritted his teeth. Such an accurate geyser. Was he going for it from the start? And, then theres that immediate follow-up snipe, too. I''ve never faced anybody who can pull this off so perfectly. In his analysis of the enemy, it seemed William made one grave miscalculation. Despite the pressure the enemy was definitely feeling, Stratus didnt rush blindly out of a sense of obligation to end the game quickly. These guys knew the pros and cons of their current tactic and approached the situation methodically. Their shot-caller was already thinking two, maybe three, steps ahead. This wasnt some blind chaotic aggression. Not, this was a systematically calculated assault. It was apparent that Stratus had the know-how to pull off aggressive plays on such a large scale. I seem to have underestimated them. William realized. In his analysis, William only ever thought about how the enemy had to rush to victory and about how they might commit a misplay in their haste. As such, he focused only on looking for weak spots in their formation, without considering the possibility that Stratus was coming into this assault with a proper plan in mind. If I properly analyzed their positions, I mightve figured out what they were planning. Then, I wouldn''t have found myself flying in the air like this... Getting hit by that Geyser Eruption was bad news, extremely bad news. Not only did it render William immobile for the duration of the flight, but it also forcibly altered his position. Chessmaster made sure to summon that geyser just a little ahead of Williams position, to make the eruption knock William backward, closer to the edge of the Golem area. There, the enemy Berserker was already waiting with both axes in the air. He was going to unleash Barbarian Slam right at Williams landing location! Just how many moves ahead did they predict here!? William gritted his teeth. He felt like a puppet dancing to the enemys tune. With that said, there was no time to feel frustrated or to admire the enemys shot-calling skill. The Berserker! William shouted only that. He didnt have the time to deliver any more details than that. The situation required immediate intervention, so he had to trust that his younger brother to grasp the situation immediately, Dont worry, bro! Ronald promised. I gotcha covered! He aimed his Ice Wall right between the Berserker and the spot where his bro was going to land. The thicc wall was gonna absorb the entire shockwave of Barbarian Slam and leave his brother unscratched. Ez play! Alas, the ice wall refused to show up. Ronald aimed it perfectly, yet it didnt emerge from the ground. Why? Because, at that critical moment, an obstacle set foot on that spot. Wha-!? Ronald exclaimed. Nooooo! Whatcha doing there, fam!? Get the heck out! It was none other than the Dark Knight, standing confidently at the spot where Ronald was planning to place the wall. That mad lad rolled in at the very least moment, right as the wall was about to be placed! The moment Memer entered the targeted area, placing the Ice Wall there became illegal, so casting the skill did nothing. It got canceled and Ronald remained standing in place like a scarecrow, failing to lift a single finger to help his dear brother. Sorry, bro! I messed up! Ronald blinked in to provide immediate support. In truth, he wanted to save this precious Blink for attacking the enemy later, but the situation became far too critical. Ronald had to rescue his bro, right here and now! If I cant place my wall to stop you, then Imma just freeze you! Ronald activated Ice Coffin as soon as he finished blinking, covering the area in front of him with sheer cold. The radius of the attack was just wide enough to hit both the Dark Knight and the Berserker, covering both of them in ice. They were rendered motionless on the spot. Heh, gotcha! Ronald pumped a fist. You thought you were being smart here, but I outsmarted your asses! The way the Dark Knight rolled in to cockblock Ronalds Ice Wall was indeed a 200 IQ play, but it had one grave weakness: it positioned the guy very close to Berserker. That allowed Ronald to blink in and hit both dudes real hard with his Ice Coffin. Now, the two bruhs two were frozen solid! They wont be able to lay a finger on bro anymore... or, so Ronald thought. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. SPLASH! Water hit the frozen Dark Knight and Berserker. This happened less than a second after Ronald froze the dudes, as if it was planned in advance. Actually, nah, there was no if there. This shit was DEFINITELY planned. That big-brain Chessmaster bruh mustve foreseen all of this, so he used his Splash right after Ronalds Ice Coffin. Did I just get baited!? Ronalds jaw dropped. He was so sure he found a huge opening in the enemys formation but turned out it was a trap! H-Haha, I messed up again. Soz, bro! Ronald rolled out of the area immediately as he knew exactly what was going to follow next. Even though his Ice Coffin froze the Berserker momentarily, it didnt cancel out the Barbarian Slam which the guy has been charging up for a while now. Therefore, the moment Splash melted away the ice - Blackhole unleashed his powerful slam, making the entire area tremble! As much as Ronald wanted to rescue his bro, he first had to save his own skin. After all, he wouldnt be able to help his bro if he gets stunned too. Okay, I got out! Ronald breathed in relief. He heard the loud BOOM behind him and the thunderous shockwave that followed, but none of that reached him. Still, that was too close to comfort. He dodged that devastating attack by like a centimeter. Unfortunately, his bro wasnt as lucky. The enemys attack didnt even give William an opportunity to dodge. The slam crashed on him as soon as he hit the ground, stunning him in place before he could do anything at all. Tch. William clicked his tongue. Im probably done for, so retreat and focus on- Dont worry, bro! Imma save ya right away! Ronald promised. Ive still got my ult! Wait, thats- Too late. Ronald had already unleashed Cryo-Freeze on his brother, freezing him in place to protect him. It was a timely response, just like the rest of Ronalds plays up to this point. On paper, this was a strong play and Ronald had executed it flawlessly. After all, his bro was completely helpless while stunned, so freezing him to make him invincible only improved his situation. This arrangement should protect bro from all incoming attacks until his Dodge Roll comes off cooldown. Then, bro will be able to safely get out of that nasty predicament. Not to mention, the Aquamancer had just spent his Splash to cleanse the Ice Coffin, so he was now powerless against this Cryo-Freeze. So truly, this was a great play by Ronald that shouldve totally thrown a wrench in the attackers plans. However, any of that only would have held true only if the attackers were to come unprepared for this possibility... Checkmate. Yuel declared as he activated Rainfall, summoning dark clouds above Challengers head. Kill the Cryomancer, he ordered without flinching. This was a line of play that he had already played out in his head, so he knew exactly where things were going in this situation. But, even before he said anything, everybody had already shifted their focus from Winner to Challenger. After all, Yuel had informed them ahead of time that Challenger will likely try his best to protect Winner, so he should become the primary target in case he spends Cryo-Freeze on his partner. Im not sure what their relationship is. Yuel thought. But, from their names and actions, its clear that Challenger feels responsible for keeping Winner alive, as a proper Support should be. Despite how selfish his Support build is, he always goes out of his way to help Winner to the best of his ability, prioritizing the Carry over himself. Based on this observation, it was only natural to expect Challenger to do anything in his power to save Winner from dying. And, despite his questionable selfish build, he was actually skilled enough to provide top-tier support, both in terms of decision-making and execution. In fact, if Yuel wasnt prepared this well for all these scenarios, then Challengers counterplays would have surely stumped the team here. But unfortunately for Challenger, Yuel had more than enough time to study the guy in the lane. Thats how he hatched the plan of targeting Winner as hard as possible in order to push Challengers supporting capabilities to the limit. The goal was to force the guy to unload his entire kit for the sake of his precious Carry. And, once Challenger did all that, he became a sitting duck himself! This created a fatal opening in their defensive formation. Everybody focused their fire on the defenseless Cryomancer. Luke unleashed a Dark Blast, Kai fired basic attacks, and Lars sniped the guy straight in the head. They didnt give the poor guy a moment to breathe! Challengers HP fell from 100% to 30% in a blink of an eye. To make things worse, the black cloud above his head rained cats and dogs on him, turning his movement sluggish. He couldnt even properly evacuate from the area like this. As soon as this assault started, he realized that he fudged up. H-Haha, crap! Ronald laughed dryly. He felt like three trucks crashed into him all at once! His HP bar vanished faster than the speed of light. These dudes werent messing around, thats for sure. Its like they were waiting for me to use my ult, haha... Ronald was laughing in his head but his smile twitched in reality. This was not funny, not funny at all. Somehow, the enemy was one step ahead of him at every turn. Every play Ronald made shouldve been a good play, yet it immediately turned into a critical misplay. How was that even possible? Was he that bad? Nah, its not me. Ronald thought. Its THEM. Theyre legit this good. I didnt even realize it. It''s not like he was taking them lightly per se, but somewhere at the back of his head, he was too relaxed about this match. He believed that no matter what happens, the Leopards will ultimately win in the end. As such, he treated any setback as temporary and any misplay as redeemable. That''s the kind of mentality that led him to take a risk at the start of the game, even though the others warned him extensively against extending into the territory of a hyper-aggressive enemy. Ronald was no amateur, he knew it was dangerous. But, he dismissed the threat and pressed on regardless, believing that nothing bad could really happen in this game. And he did, in fact, get away with that play, at least for the most part. That only further reinforced the feeling that no matter what kind of problem the Leopards face in this game, everybody on the team was skilled enough to overcome it. After all, they were destined crowned champions of the region. The only opponent who was supposed to pose a threat to them was StormBlitz, and maybe Taurus if they had a stronger lineup this year. But, it turned out there was another threat out there. It was a dark horse team that nobody expected anything impressive from despite its recent achievements against Taurus. But, I see how it is now. Ronald grinned. These guys ARE strong. Last game, they just fell behind very early, But this time, they''re the ones who got the early momentum. Dang, I wish I realized that sooner! There was nothing more joyous than fighting strong opponents. The higher the obstacle, the more fun it was to leap over it. Only against the strongest of opponents, Ronald could exhibit the full extent of his strength And, it turned out Stratus warranted that kind of treatment. They were strong enough to pose a real challenge to the Leopards, to even steal a game or two from them! Against strong rivals like this, going all out was totally worth it! Alas, the realization came far too late. You have been killed! By the time Ronald recognized Stratus as the powerhouse they were, the fierce assaulters had already wiped him out completely. He missed his chance to go all-out against these worthy opponents. Though, even if I wanted to fight, there''s only so much I can do as a Support. Ronald sighed. I don''t HATE the role, but it''s really not for me. I need something with more power against these guys, so gotta convince bro to let me play Carry or Top next game. And so, Ronald perished, leaving a wide opening in the Leopards'' final line of defense. Now, his brother was the only one left on the scene. Fortunately, William was kept safe inside the cold embrace of Cryo-Freeze. This was the only good thing Ronald achieved during this messy defense. Or at least, he thought it was an achievement. However, William saw it another way... Vol.15 Ch.33: The Leopards Last Struggle Even though his brother perished, William was safely inside Cryo-Freeze. But... This doesn''t actually save me. William thought. Now that they''re done with Ron, they''ll turn on me next. He had only one chance to make a break for it. That was when the enemy was preoccupied with killing Ronald. In those couple of seconds, William could''ve busted out of the icicle and retreated to the back of the Golem area. But, I wouldn''t have gotten far anyways. They were monitoring me, waiting for the moment I come out. He sensed as much from the enemies'' movements and gazes. Every so often, they threw glances in his direction to make sure he wasn''t trying to slip away. So, if William were to bust out of the Cryo-Freeze, the enemy would have struck him down on the spot. At the same time, waiting for so long inside this ice coffin didn''t exactly improve his situation, either. Once the enemy eliminated Ronald, they focused all their attention on William next. So really, this Cryo-Freeze was only delaying the inevitable. Well, at least buying time is also important for us, so this isn''t a total waste. William thought. Sonya will get here very soon, and I also have my roll now. As counterproductive as it might have seemed, staying inside the ice of invincibility instead running actually had its advantages. Though, in the end, without time-traveling abilities, it was impossible to know for sure whether this was the correct decision or not. Well, thats enough overthinking. William decided. I made a decision, so now I have to work with the consequences. In the end, William chose to remain inside the Cryo-Freeze in order to buy time and heal up, so this was the only timeline that mattered. Perhaps in a different timeline, a different William wouldve picked a different option and achieved a different ending, but that was irrelevant. Only this timeline mattered for this Willaim, after all. I need to roll as soon as the ice melts. William thought. The biggest threat here is the Elf''s ult. I have to dodge it if I want to get away. But, knowing Gunz''s skills, this won''t be easy. He might predict where I move and- ah! His brain short-circuited. Branches emerged from the ground below him and covered his bottom half even though he was still inside the Cryo-Freeze. Ah yes, of course. William sighed. Theres no need to worry about what Ill do next if you just preemptively root me. Just great... Unlike regular CC effects, Elfs Natures Embrace first summoned physical objects onto the field that infected their target with the actual CC. As such, even though William was technically immune to CC inside Cryo-Freeze, it was legal to place the branches around him ahead of time, and theyll successfully root him in place the moment the Cryo-Freeze ends. The enemy took no breaks. They smoothly chained one play into another during this offense. The moment they finished with Ronald, they immediately set their sights on William. They didn''t give him a moment to rest. Hmph. I suppose I made the wrong call, after all. William thought. I shouldve retreated earlier to complicate the situation a little for them. I made it too easy by staying here like a sitting duck. Then again, Im sure they were ready for either scenario. From start to end, Stratus exhibited flawless execution in this attack. It was an impressive performance, no doubt born from a combination of skill and experience. William wasn''t expecting any of this, therefore he responded poorly to this entire assault. This is the end. William sighed, resigning himself to his fate. The ice melted, exposing him bare for all attackers to ravage. While rooted in place, he couldn''t protect himself in any way from incoming attacks. Stolen story; please report. Nonetheless, even as his life was about to expire, William struggled to the bitter end. He activated Self-Nullification, boosting his Attack Power and Attack Speed. The skill also cleansed soft CC, but unfortunately, the branches rooting him in place didn''t count as such. Therefore, he had to stay in place as he fired back at his attackers. WHISH! ZAP! A multitude of undodgeable attacks darted at him all at once! But, William ignored all that noise and aimed his finger at the Dark Knight. Then, white magical arrows barraged Memer one after another. The high frequency of the arrows, combined with William''s flawless aim, made it difficult for Memer to dodge anything. "I''m lowering the DK''s HP," William informed. "Focus on him first if you get a chance to attack." "Noted," Sonya responded. Alright then, looks like this is as far as I go... William sighed in resignation as the final laser beam pierced through his skull. You have been killed! Out of the multitude of attacks directed at him, these laser beams hurt the most. Not just physically, but also mentally. The shots were constantly aimed at Williams head for some reason. Elf was no Gunslinger so it didn''t benefit from headshots in any way, yet Gunz insisted to land each and every shot on William''s head. It was as baffling as it was vexing. It felt as if Gunz was exhibiting his total dominance here, so much so that he was fine with taking unnecessary risks with these headshots just to drive the point home. And, that tied to the other reason why this was frustrating: William hadnt gotten a chance to defeat Gunz this game. This was supposed to be the game where he''d prove his superiority and reclaim his spot as the 2nd strongest player in the region, but the game denied him that opportunity. I know that Gunz doesn''t actually deserve much credit for how this game has turned out as a whole, but Being executed by his nemesis just felt bad. It was as if Gunz was ridiculing him, claiming that a defeat at Williams hand was never an option for him. And so, the only fate left for William was to collapse and crumble away, without achieving much of anything against Gunz. He could only hope that the shots he landed on the Dark Knight were going to help Sonya at least a little bit. Alas... An allied Golem has been destroyed! It was hopeless from the start. As a lone defender against five attackers, Sonya couldn''t properly fight the enemy gang even inside the Golem area. She transformed into a dragon just to get some pressure going, but the enemy pushed through her regardless. "Looks like this is the best I can do here," Sonya said as she retested. Just like William, she felt completely powerless against this unstoppable raid. Even though the enemy was executing such a reckless all-in attack, they nonetheless pushed the attack through and the Leopards couldnt do a single thing to stop it. Honestly, it was mind-boggling. How does that even work for them? Sonya bit her lip. There are so many factors that should be working against their success here, yet they''re pushing through. And, theyre doing it against our team, to boot. If this unlikely situation was happening to some other team from the region, then it would have been easy to write it off as a simple mistake. But no, this was happening to THIS team, to the Leopards, the regional champions. Yes, this unbelievable strategy was currently working on the highest level of competitive play for their league. How.? Is it our fault? Did we mess up somewhere in a big way? Sonya couldn''t help but ask herself that over and over. Of course, she understood that this overwhelming attack started all the way back when the enemy first scored a kill on her in Top. That was undeniably the start of it all and Sonya admitted that she messed up there. However, that one death wasn''t supposed to escalate so much. It wasn''t supposed to result in Cato and Matthew dying, nor in this unstoppable push on Mid. We''ll have to review everything in detail after the game. Sonya took a mental note as she watched an apocalypse unfold in front of her very eyes. The enemies penetrated all the way into the base along with empowered minions and assaulted the Colossus. Even now, Sonya was still the only one who could do anything about the situation. It will take some more time for Cato and Matthew to revive, as they were killed a long time after Sonya was. As such, Sonya remained the sole defender in this critical moment. Her Draconic Fever had already expired, so she reverted back to human form. In this state, she couldn''t do anything at all to stop the onslaught. She had no choice but to watch the base burn down as mounted feeble resistance. Frankly, it felt depressing. Soon enough, the Colossus also crumbled under the pressure. Its gigantic body cracked, with rocks falling left and right from its big frame. In a matter of seconds, the tall titan turned into a pile of lifeless rocks, which then crumbled further and turned to dust. DEFEAT The second game was over. Vol.16 Ch.1: Oppressing Applause DEFEAT The red letters flashed on the screen, informing loudly of the Leopards defeat. The entire stadium fell silent, no doubt shocked by this unexpected announcement. Even the Leopards were sitting silently in place. Not a single one of them budged from their chairs even though the game was over. Their minds failed to process that this had actually happened. When this game started, not a single soul expected to see Stratus triumphant in this game. Not only they were up against the Leopards, but also their lineup was questionable at best and laughable at worst. And, the more they revealed about their intended game plan, the more it felt like one big joke. And yet, Stratus pulled through. Yes, with this unlikely hyper-aggressive comp and with this absolute meme of a Jungler. Stratus toppled the regional champions using the least meta plan there was. It was mind-boggling. Unreal. Astonishing. But, also fascinating. This performance deserved nothing less than applause. And, somebody felt it was necessary to supply it. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! One person''s clapping resounded loudly across the sheer silence of the stadium. "Awesome game!" Jaiden praised as he continued clapping. Surely, Stratus''s performance deserved this much. Not only did they topple the unbeatable regional champions, but they also showed how an unconventional non-meta lineup could still work on the competitive scene with sufficient know-how. And perhaps more than anything, it was impressive how Stratus reproduced the Triangle''s trademark "EVERYBODY PUSHES THROUGH MID!" strategy. It was a delicate and complicated line of play that Jaiden and Co. researched a lot. This extreme strategy played to their strengths, so they really wanted to make it work against competitive teams. It took them a lot of practice and research to nail this strategy, so it was thrilling to finally execute it on the competitive stage in the last scrimmage. They felt like they broke the meta with that absurd play! Yet Stratus, probably under Chessmaster''s lead, successfully adopted the strategy and polished it to the point it was usable degree. Not to mention, they used it alongside a spicy meme. Even the Triangle hadn''t gone that far yet. So yeah, these guys deserved nothing but praise for this amazing performance. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! "Yeah, this was some sick shit!" Nash tuned in as well. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! "Um, we''re attracting attention..." Rio sunk in his chair, trying to avoid everybody''s gazes. The loud pair of clapping made everybody turn their heads in the trio''s direction. It was so embarrassing! But, I agree with them. Rio also quietly joined his hands together. It was a praiseworthy performance. They pulled off something that everybody here must''ve thought was impossible. I should take some notes from this game so we can improve our own tactics more. And so, while sinking low in his chair, Rio joined in on the clapping. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The three sources of noise resonated with each other and spread across the silent stadium like a tsunami. Naturally, everybody got curious about this increasing loudness. Some even considered joining in, but they felt it was too embarrassing or out of place. After all, there were only three people clapping right now, which was hardly a majority. But soon enough, another somebody joined the event from a different side of the stadium. CLAP CLAP CLAP. "My, are we also doing it?" Ellen tilted her head. "Why not?" Howard smiled meaningfully and continued clapping. "They deserve that much, don''t you think?" "Hmm~" Ellen looked curiously at her future husband. "Is that so~? Are you sure you''re not doing this to traumatize the poor Leopards?" "Traumatize? What a scary accusation. I''m just celebrating that our ex-members are winning." Despite what Howard was saying, the smirk on his face laid his intentions bare for Ellen to see. Therefore, she joined in on this psychological attack. CLAP CLAP CLAP. "C''mon, you join in as well," Howard instructed the team. "Got it, lol!" Roi clapped loudly too. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! "Haha, this is kinda weird." Dan joined in as well. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! "This is silly..." Gilbert said so but he complied with the order and started clapping as well. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. "Hmph. I guess they kinda deserve it this time." Julia clapped softly too. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. With this big pack of clapping joining the fray, the loud sounds dominated the entire stadium. It was no longer just a minority showering Stratus with praise. It felt as if a lot of people were doing it. The loudness attracted more loudness, so more people followed along with the clapping. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! Shortly, the clapping infected the entire stadium and resonated loudly as true applause. That''s exactly the outcome Howard was aiming for when he joined the clapping. My, what a devilish man I found myself~ Ellen smiled from ear to ear as she clapped along, understanding all too well what her husband had in mind. Perhaps, a little tiny bit of Howard''s applause was indeed to praise the team for winning such an unlikely game. But surely, that wasn''t the main point. No, her handsomely devilish Wardy was far more vicious than that~ He wanted to deliver a mental blow to the Leopards, to shake them up at their moment of weakness. The poor guys must have already felt terrible about losing to such a meme, and now the applause was going to mentally scar them even further. There was no way that the Leopards will be able to forget about this humiliation too easily. The frustration will continue haunting them in the next game as well. But, why did Howard even go so far in the first place? Was he trying to help Yuels team win? Well yes, sort of. Yuels team had a very important mission to accomplish here today, so Howard lent them a hand where he could. It was all for the sake of bringing the Leopards big secret to the surface. Soon, Jin. Soon, they''ll drag your arse onto the stage. Howards gaze speared the Korean prodigy, who was currently lying low amidst the crowd as if he was nobody important. It was crucial to force this key player onto the stage today. StormBlitz had to extract more data about his skill and playstyle before their scrimmage. Alas, there were almost no other teams who could give the Leopards a run for their money in this region. As such, Yuels clunky team had to somehow achieve that. You were right to doubt my intentions, Yuel. Howard smiled meaningfully as he clapped. Im not here to run a charity and Id definitely never help YOUR team for no good reason. I just need you to accomplish something for me, thats all. It was like a business trade. Howard offered as much support as he could from the sideline in order to improve Stratus standing, helping the diligent puppets do Howards work for him. It was a fair transaction, nothing more and nothing less. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! What started off as a brief clapping of honest appreciation soon transformed into thunderous applause that filled every corner of the stadium. Its as if the whole audience was praising Stratus and booing the Leopards. So, on top of suffering an embarrassing defeat, the Leopards now had to cope with this additional mental blow... Vol.16 Ch.2: Testing the Captain’s Mental Fortitude CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! Thunderous applause roared from the audience. Whoa, this is harsh, haha... Ronald cracked a dry laugh as he glanced at the audience. I mean, I know that most of these guys are probably not here to watch us win, but damn. I thought we were more popular than that, haha... Hmph. William scoffed. They''re just celebrating the fact the underdog won, nothing more. Its not like theyre happy about our defeat per se. Yet, they do scorn us indirectly, Sonya said. Essentially, theyre saying it was a miraculous win by Stratus and that we, as the supposed regional champions, messed up big time. Hmph. Youre free to interpret it in any way you want, William said. I wouldnt take it so seriously, personally. He said that yet his fists were clenched underneath the table. Even though he understood that the applause was primarily aimed at Stratus and that it didnt intend to attack the Leopards, it didnt make him feel any less irritated by the situation. So, this is how applause sounds to the top dog when they lose, huh. Until today, William had never experienced such a situation. In most tennis tournaments he found himself as an underdog, so there wasnt much reason to clap for the winner when Willaim lost. However, every once in a while, he successfully toppled the crowd favorite contrary to everybodys expectations. Sometimes this earned him loud applause, celebrating that his hard work bore fruit. Frankly, moments like that felt great for him as the underdog. But, what about the crowd favorite who lost the match? How did he feel about that applause? William never bothered asking such questions because it wasn''t his concern. But this time, he found himself on the opposite side of this scenario. His team was the crowd favorite and yet they lost terribly to a barely functional meme team. And so, the crowds loud applause no longer invoked any positive feelings. On the contrary, it felt as if everybody was sneering at the champions who couldnt even defeat the weakest team in the region. It was a truly aggravating experience, so much so that it felt reasonable to outright ban this kind of behavior during competitions. Well, I personally can handle this, but Im not so sure about the others. William glanced at his teammates in order. Theyre not looking good. This might affect our morale for the upcoming games. The applause washed over everybody like a destructive tsunami. Nobody could possibly stay indifferent to it. Ronald was forcing himself to maintain a smile but that smile was fragile. As much as he claimed that he enjoyed the thrill of this challenge, he definitely didnt imagine the team could possibly lose any games here today. That surely must have changed his entire perception from fun to aggravating. Unlike him, Sonya didnt even try to hide her displeasure. She knotted her brows and wore a stern expression. I cant believe weve actually lost to this game was written all over her face Much of what transpired in this game must have gone against Sonyas understanding of proper game theory. This game denied many of the things that Sonya believed were absolute about Classmancers. As for Matthew, it was difficult to tell what he was thinking about this turn of events. He rarely expressed any emotions beyond calling things a drag, so if he had any strong feelings about this defeat, then he was bottling them very convincingly. And then, finally, there was Cato. As the captain of the team, he mustve felt the blow stronger than anybody. Especially, considering he promised the team an overwhelming victory in this second game. And, he probably meant every word of it. Cato really planned to go against his usual twisted nature and wrap up this game properly without dragging things out. It was a serious promise that lifted everybodys spirits after the previous game. It reassured them that Stratus only came close to winning the first game due to Catos unnecessary stalling. And, this second game was supposed to prove that. By winning convincingly without any stalling, the Leopards should have proven to everyone that Stratus was no match for them. It was reassuring at first, but now its coming back to bite us. William frowned. Id be lying if I said Im completely unaffected by any of this. We came into this game with high morale and a lot of conviction, so thats why this result hurts as much as it does. To add insult to injury, their opponents were using an extremely off-meta lineup, almost a laughable meme. Yet, Stratus utilized these unconventional tools almost perfectly, kicking the Leopards off the high horse. And boy, what a high horse it was. Falling to the ground from that height almost crushed their souls. Yes, it was that painful, even for William. And, these were just the members feelings. How did Cato, the captain, feel about all this? How was he going to deal with this depressing outcome? I have to say, I dont envy him even one bit right now. William thought. Its during situations like this that Im reminded of why I passed on the opportunity to become the captain. I wouldnt have wanted to be in his shoes right now. Was Cato strong enough of a man to withstand this pressure? Or, will he crumble along with the rest of the team? The fate of todays scrimmage might as well be resting on his shoulders right now. If he succumbs to despair like the rest of the team, then hell drag down the morale along with him. The team will start underperforming left and right, leading to terrible results. Well, I suppose that subbing Jin in would save our arses if push comes to shove. William thought. But, Im sure nobody wants things to reach that point. Adding Young-Jin to the roster was as good as admitting defeat. It was a last resort that should only be employed against the strongest of teams, in situations where victory wasnt assured. Its not something thats supposed to happen against a team like Stratus. Alas, at this rate, the chances of Young-Jin subbing in were only increasing. In fact, the guy will surely voice his displeasure with the teams performance once they come off the stage. He had an almost religious obsession with saving face, so he probably saw this defeat as an absolute disgrace. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. But in the end, whether any of that comes to pass was up to Cato. If he crumbles apart like the rest of the team, then nobody will have the willpower to stop Young-Jin from forcing his way in. Perhaps, some team members would even find relief in that. With Jin on the team, victory will be all but assured. But, was that really something anybody here wanted? No, of course not. Relying on Young-Jin was as good as using hacks in a game. The Leopards came here today to fight and win on their own merits. They didnt want to coast to victory on the back of some monstrous Korean player. Everybody here was a good player, therefore they should have no problem seizing victory against a team like Stratus. But, somebody has to reassure the team that this is still the case. William thought. Can you do that, captain? William has been staring at Cato for a while now, practically drilling a hole through the guy. So far, there was no hint of the captain taking any action. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! Amidst the thunderous applause and the teams dejected looks, Cato remained silent in his seat. He stared vacantly at the screen in front of him. DEFEAT The red words were still smeared on his screen, refusing to fade away. They insist to remind Cato that his team, the supposed regional champions, had just suffered an embarrassing defeat. This is... Cato chewed his lips, unsure how to reorganize his messy thoughts. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The noise didnt help him either. In fact, it felt like it was knocking on his head, trying to crush his skull. Heh, you lot must be thinking that this is some juicy entertainment, arent you? Cato tried to form his usual cynical smile but he struggled to do even that. My, I cant even put on one of my fake smiles? What is the world coming to? It looks like Im more shaken by this than I thought... No matter the obstacle, no matter the magnitude of the defeat - Cato was always supposed to maintain a smile. As long as he smiled, he could fool himself into thinking he wasnt bothered by any of it. Whats more, smiling in the face of defeat often irritated the winner. It usually angered them or creeped them out. It was usually such a delightful sight~ Yet, Cato struggled to put on such a smile at the moment despite how important it was. This isnt just about fooling myself this time. Cato glanced at the rest of the team. This time, I need to fool a bunch of people all at once. As expected, a heavy atmosphere was weighing down on the entire team. Frustration was eating away at everybodys souls amidst the loud applause. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The people from the audience just refused to shut up. It felt like this applause has been going on for an eternity and more. There was no end to it. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The loud noises hammered on everybodys heads. Everybody lowered their heads to some degree or another, as if unable to bear the heavy hits of the audience. Morale was at rock bottom. But, Im not allowed fall down like this. Im the captain, the overlord of this little army. Cato asserted. Normally, its a cool position of authority that gives me many privileges, but sometimes it comes with caveats like this, too. In dire situations like this, Im the one whos obligated to stay on his feet and exhibit confidence, or else I wont be worthy of wearing the mantle of a captain. Last year, Jennifer (ComboBreaker) in particular excelled at jumping back on her feet from any misfortune. The girl could convince literally anybody, even a random passerby, that her team was absolutely going to grasp victory. At first, she did it as the captain of the second-string, and later she continued doing that even after she joined the first-string. Jennifers conviction in victory bordered on madness, but it did a great job of boosting the teams morale through the roof Likewise, Tim (Fenrir) was just as good at keeping his teammates on their feet. Though, in his case, its more like he was a fearless beast who couldnt even comprehend the concept of being overwhelmed by the enemy. Yes, Tim was the type to instill terror in his foes, not the other way around. So, under the leadership of such an unshakable monster, it was no surprise that the rest of the team was filled with confidence. Then, what about Cato? Could he also put on such a strong front in order to reassure his teammates that everything was alright? Was he also the same kind of strong leader that everybody could rely on? Sadly, Im not as good as these lunatics. Cato admitted. But, in the same way Jenny had her fanatic belief in victory and Tim was a fearless monster, there are some things that only I can do. And, one of those things was the ability to smile no matter the circumstances and to spout playful nonsense to alleviate the atmosphere. This was an armor Cato created for himself many years ago, back when he was suffering many defeats against stronger chess players. Out of the many coping methods he tried out, smiling and acting playful were the most effective. Even after a crushing defeat, being all smiles allowed Cato to psychologically retaliate against the winner and undermine their victory. And, thats what I have to do here as well. Cato pressed his hands against the table and pushed himself upwards. His body felt like lead. Either he weighed a ton all of a sudden, or his arms had no strength in them. Regardless, after a short struggle, Cato successfully rose up. But, as he tried to gain stable footing, the noise from the crowd almost knocked him over again. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The loudness was threatening to beat him down, but Cato endured the humiliation and straightened his back. My, this is sure harder than I expected... Cato twisted his lips over and over, trying to form the smile he wanted. It was supposed to be the ever-familiar smug smile. He had done it countless times before. And yet, at the moment, Cato found it difficult to replicate. Nonetheless, after enough attempts, he succeeded in recreating the smile. He felt that his lips finally curved just the way he wanted them to. Slowly but surely, he was putting his usual armor against the suffocating atmosphere. But, that alone wasnt enough. This time, the goal wasnt just to irritate the winner. The entire audience was on Stratuss side, celebrating the unlikely victory. In other words, Catos enemies were the crowd itself. Therefore, just smiling a little wasnt going to counter this powerful force. Likewise, it wasn''t going to be enough to lift the team''s spirits. I have to make it clear to everybody that this games result is not a big deal. Cato looked at his own palms. Can I really do it, though? In reality, he was probably more frustrated than anybody else about this outcome. He was the captain who promised the team victory, reassuring them that Stratus was easy prey as long as Cato didn''t drag the game out for his personal entertainment. But now, that very speech came back to bite him. As promised, Cato restrained himself and didnt stall at all. In fact, he didnt get an opportunity to do so, not with how aggressively the enemy had been playing. So, the Leopards couldn''t blame the outcome of this game on Cato. They felt as if they had lost this match fair and square. Furthermore, this outcome cast a shadow of doubt on the result of the previous game. It surely made some of the members wonder whether they truly stomped Stratus in the first game. And now, Cato had to do something about all this mess. He had to act the part of the captain and reassure the team once again that everything was fine. If he fails to do so, then the team will end up carrying these scars into the next games as well. Surely, the lack of morale and the negative thoughts will make them underperform. At this rate, losing to Stratus might end up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more the team members will keep doubting their own skills, the less likely theyll be to utilize them fully. To counter all of that, Cato joined his palms together. This was the only solution that came to mind. Clap. Clap. Clap. He joined in on the audience''s applause... Vol.16 Ch.3: Matthew’s Indifference Clap. Clap. Clap. Cato joined in on the audiences applause. "Wat?" Ronald blinked with a dumb face. The rest of the team wore equally puzzled expressions. "I have to say, it was a fine performance by our opponents." Cato smiled confidently as he clapped. "Yes, a fine circus performance, don''t you agree?" He continued clapping, loudly enough to not get drowned out by the thundering applause of the audience. It was important to divert the team''s attention from the rest of the scene, to drag them out of that mud they were drowning in. "I have to admit, they played us well," Cato continued. "Nobody saw these memes coming, so its no wonder the audience finds this praiseworthy. Seriously, to think that they have memes that they can play at such a high level. This is some bona fide circus." Cato confidently spouted all of that while his hands continued clapping, almost as if against his will. With every loud clap he produced, a part of him cracked. This was wrong. This wasn''t how todays match was supposed to go at all. The regional champions had no business losing to some memes, no matter how unexpected the picks were or how proficiently the opponents used these off-meta classes. Nonetheless, Cato continued with this narrative. "I don''t know about you, but honestly, I lowered my guard a little in this match, Cato admitted. Also, I completely failed to read between the lines during the drafting phase, which is how we ended up with an unfavorable matchup. Seriously, it''s almost no exaggeration to say that we lost all the way back during the drafting phase, haha." Cato''s palms started hurting from all the loud clapping he was doing. However, the pain he felt inside overshadowed all of that. The more responsibility he took upon himself for this defeat, the more numb his palms felt. However, this couldn''t begin to compare to the pain tearing him apart from the inside. "So yes, they really caught us off-guard with that circus, Cato continued. I say they deserve this applause if nothing else. But, they won''t get to hear it a second time. Now that we know they like playing like circus monkeys, we''ll have no problem dealing with them next time, right?" He passed the ball to his team but only silence responded to him. Even though his speech seemed to have some effect on them, it failed to erase the frustration and dissatisfaction they felt. Catos teammates probably agreed with him to an extent. However, they struggled to overcome the humiliation that came from losing a clown fiesta game like this. Fortunately, one teammate finally grabbed that ball and followed up on Cato''s opener. "Yeah, you''re right," William said. "They had the element of surprise on their side, thats mainly what got us good. Nobody couldve expected something like this. And as you said, many of our problems started all the way in the drafting phase, which was largely your responsibility." "My, youre holding nothing back, are you~?" Cato smiled impishly, doing his best to hide the irritation he actually felt on this particular topic. Meme or not, it felt like Yuel strategically outsmarted Cato during this drafting phase, playing him like a fiddle. It was frustrating to no end. Nonetheless, Cato masked all of that with his smile. This was neither the time nor the place for him to cry about his fragile little feelings. Right now, Cato was more than willing to take a few hits for the team if it improves the atmosphere. As such, William''s brutal words were welcome, as armor-piercing as they were. Besides, it didnt feel like William was actually trying to attack Cato there. On the contrary, it seemed William understood Cato''s intentions to some degree. That''s why the guy stepped forth and played along with Cato''s little performance. This is what you wanted, right? William asked by making eye contact, to which Cato responded with an approving nod. Huh, so he got a thicker skin than I expected. Not too shabby. If it was William in that position, then he would have never been able to say such things. He couldn''t have taken such unjust blame upon himself in order to relieve the team of responsibility. Being able to joke about his own misgivings was a quality, or perhaps a defect, that only Cato possessed. This was the definitive proof that this clown was far better suited to be the teams captain overall. The best William could do here was to help this clown beat himself down. Therefore, William played along with the little narrative that Cato weaved for the team''s sake. Even though William wasnt the captain, his words carried almost as much weight as Catos in this team. As such, his support practically doubled Cato''s persuasiveness. Thanks to that, everybody slowly started lifting their heads. The joint speech of the two influencers dragged the rest of the team out of the mud of depression they were sinking in. Of course, everybody still had complicated feelings about the games outcome and there was nothing Cato could possibly do to change that. Nonetheless, they all started coming to terms with the result, slowly but surely. "Dont worry, they won''t be able to repeat this again," Cato promised. "Now that we know what kind of tricks they can pull, we''ll crush them thoroughly next game, right?" "Of course," William said. "Damn straight!" Ronald pumped a fist. "Right." Sonya pulled up her glasses. "Unconventional low-tier tactics like that only work once, and only if they have the surprise element. So, Stratus won''t be able to reproduce it a second time." "Yeah..." Matthew nodded in agreement but his head was still hanging low. However, it wasn''t because he was feeling down or anything. Its just that his eyes were glued to his phone under the table while he was rapidly clicking on it. "Haha, get a load of this bruh!" Ronald laughed. "We''re all mopping like bitches over here but bruh is already back to playing his mobile games! You can''t make this shit up, haha! I always tell ya: Matt might be quiet and all, but he''s the realest one, word." If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Huh," Matthew responded vaguely. Frankly, he had no idea what were these words that Ronald had just tried to string together. Was that even English? The "realest one"? What did that even mean? Well, no point thinking too hard about it. Matthew shifted his focus back to the mobile game, where he was locked in an intense fight with a weekly boss. Or, at least it looked intense with all the special effects. In reality, it was just a turn-based game and the battle was set on auto for the most part, so Matthew only had to occasionally click on the characters to activate their ultimates. Nevertheless, it was a critical situation. Matthew had only one chance to face this boss this week and he had to get the highest score possible to claim the best rewards. It was supposed to be a no-brainer like usual. Matthew had done this boss many times already. He had already developed a surefire strategy that worked every time. Yet, this time, he made one wrong move due to a lack of concentration. And, it was a critical mistake. Tch, I cast that buff way too early. Matthew clicked his tongue. I was supposed to wait a little longer until the vulnerability state. Damn, this might actually ruin the entire run. And, they fixed that exploit where the battle restarts if I disconnect my net, right? Ugh. What a drag. Seriously, how could he mess up during such an important fight? He thought that doing the weekly boss now would be a great way to distract himself from the teams defeat but it ended up backfiring. Maybe Im not so fine, after all. Matthew realized. His earlier lapse of judgment against the boss was caused by him losing himself in thought. And, what was he thinking about? About the recent game, of course. Though, his concerns were a little different than the others. Sure, he was unhappy with the defeat like any player would be, but it didnt concern him nearly as much as the others. Honestly, sometimes I feel theyre putting this team on a pedestal. Matthew criticized. Yes, were pretty good, but thats mostly because our club is big and we have a coach. So, its not like its impossible for us to run into players who got superior skills. The others expected this team to steamroll in the region but that was pretty naive of them. In the end, the Leopards were just another team like any other. It was just blessed with a coach and inherited the legacy of the regional champions, thats all there was to it. I mean, this is a team that got somebody like me playing on the first-string. Matthew thought. This is proof enough that theres nothing special about it. Due to his lower expectations, Matthew didnt find himself too frustrated with this defeat. He simply wrote it off as a rare occurrence that could happen at any moment due to a combination of human error, bad luck, and unusual circumstances. Nonetheless, one particular play kept him deep in thought even after the game was over. It was about that brief moment when he mounted an offense against Stratus in Mid, back when the enemy team was ganging on him and Cato from all sides. Seriously, what was I doing? Matthew paused the mobile game and let the question sink in. It was too difficult for him to properly focus on the weekly boss while this question was still hanging at the back of his mind. Was it logical for me to focus on Blackhole there? I wouldnt say so. Matthew criticized his performance post-facto. That wasnt the target I was supposed to focus on, and yet... He charged straight at InformationBlackhole back then. His target was none other than Vincent. But, what was Matthew really trying to achieve there? He should''ve focused his attacks on literally anybody else, yet he picked Blachole specifically. And as expected, his actions achieved little to nothing. Though he successfully delivered some damage on the Berserker, it didnt have any real impact on the enemys push. In short, it was a waste of time. Do I hate the guy? Matthew couldnt help but ask himself that. During that tense situation, his first instinct was to attack Vincent. Matthew knew that he was doomed either way, so for some reason, he felt like lashing at Vincent in his final moments. But, what did Matthew really think of Vincent, that messiah-complex guy? This was the dude who offered Matthew fake salvation that only further escalated the violence against him back then. But, at the same time... Honestly, I have no idea what to think. Matthew sighed in defeat. Ive been trying to forget everything about that period of time, and Ive done a good job at that. It took him about a year of rehabilitation, but Matthew managed to move on and forget about these dark times. Much of it was thanks to Esmeralda and Cato, who were by Matthews side during these difficult times. Those two introduced Matthew to the world of Classmancers, which helped distract him from the negative thought he was having back then. After that, he met more people in the club with whom he could properly interact without being bullied. So yeah, for all intents of purposes, Matthew recovered from that traumatic past. He return to society as a functional human being who could hold his head high as he talked with others his age. Of course, social interactions were always a drag, but at least now, Matthew had the option to actually partake in them whenever he felt like it. He was no longer an outcast who existed solely to serve as a punchbag for delinquents. And, as weird as it sounded, the one who pushed Matthew toward taking the first step toward this salvation was actually... Vincent, sorta. It wasnt a gentle push, definitely not. That hero-complex idiot probably only cared about satisfying his own ego when he reported Matthews situation to the authorities. That fools meddling did nothing more than give Matthew false hope. In the end, it only further escalated the aggression toward Matthew. Some help it was. Nonetheless, it was that escalation that finally broke Matthew and led to his transfer. It was brutal and painful, but it also freed Matthew from the bullies clutches. If not for that, then I mightve continued living as a passive victim even now... Matthew shuddered at the thought. All in all, Vincent probably had good intentions when he did what he did. His actions ultimately did sorta free Matthew from the depressing circumstances. Sure, first Matthew broke down and had to spend a long time rebuilding himself. But eventually, he revived like a phoenix and returned to normal life. And now, his life was far better than it used to be. So, should I be thankful? Or, should I still resent the guy? Ugh... Matthew couldnt make up his mind and it bothered him to no end. He had never had such complex feelings toward anybody. Normally, there were only three types of people out there: 1) The people Matthew hated with every fiber of his being, like the goddamn bullies from grade school. 2) The people Matthew had a favorable impression of, like his teammates and especially Esmeralda and Cato. 3) The people Matthew didnt care about, which was like 99.99999999% of humanity, to be honest. But, then there was Vincent who belonged in all three categories, yet fit in none of them at the same time. What a peculiar creature. Well, I dunno. Matthew gave up and returned to the weekly boss that was patiently waiting for his next input. No matter how much I think about it, I really dont understand what I should be feeling about this guy. So, best to just forget this and move on. In the meantime, the pep talk continued. Cato and Vincent said a few more things to boost the teams morale, but it all went in one ear and out of the other for Matthew. Still, he found it impressive how Cato was able to come up with these big speeches even in situations like this. Truly, Cato was a capable captain despite his questionable personality. I cant really help him in any way, so the least I can do is act like Im not bothered by the defeat at all. Being indifferent toward the teams crushing defeat might help the others gain some confidence and overcome the frustration as well. At least, thats what Matthew hoped. Vol.16 Ch.4: Fatal Underestimation So, are we ready to go down the stage and face our coach? Cato asked with his usual impish smirk. The real roasting is about to start, haha... A nice finisher for a motivation speech, bruh. Ronald made a face. Reminding the team about Rodriguez put a damper on their mood all over again. Nonetheless, they were a strong bunch, so they overcame this within seconds and dragged themselves down the stage. Catos speech had already helped them to move on after the crushing defeat, so being roasted by the coach didnt feel like such a big deal at his point. They overcame the first challenge, so theyll overcome the second one as well. Besides, an unexpected defeat on the competitive stage was a first for the Leopards, so naturally, it rattled them. On the other hand, getting roasted by Rodriguez? That was a daily routine. So, everybody was more than ready to face Rodriguezs armor-piercing questions head-on. Though, to their surprise, Rodriguez didnt hit them as hard as they expected. I see it took you a while to gather the courage to come down the stage, Rodriguez said. So, I take it youre ashamed of this defeat? You shouldnt be. Everybody lifted their heads upon hearing these unexpected words. Instead of beating them down to oblivion, Rodriguez actually started off with nice words. Though, knowing the guy, this only made things scarier... The enemy caught you off-guard, Rodriguez continued. They placed many traps during the drafting phase and they drafted a very unconventional lineup. Especially, that Jungle DK was something else. It was an abnormally soft analysis of how things went down, especially considering the team had just suffered its first defeat on the competitive stage since its debut. Everybody prepared themselves for an earful, but so far, Rodriguez hasnt scolded them much. At least, for now. "With so many unexpected factors, it''s not too strange for you to drop one game, Rodriguez said. No matter how strong a team is, nobody is immune to the surprise element. So, if losing to a ''meme'' team is what''s bothering you, then it shouldn''t." A few breaths of relief resounded in response to these words. The team expected to get roasted to death, yet Rodriguez let it slide. It was unusually kind of him. In fact, his words resembled the little speech Cato gave earlier in order to revive the team''s morale. This similarity between the two further boosted the teams spirits. But, they should have known better than to rejoice so early. After all, they had been Rodriguez''s pupils for over two years now, they should have known that one of Rodriguezs favorite tactics was to start with praises before moving on to bombard them with criticism. "However." That''s how it always started. Everybody straightened their backs at the mere sound of the word. "There is one thing you did do horribly wrong in this game and you have to reflect on. Anybody wants to wager a guess?" He laid his eyes on each of them in order, like a hawk staring down his prey. One of them will have to speak up, that''s the message he was sending. This lecture won''t proceed forward until somebody provides an answer, regardless of whether that answer will be correct or not. As usual, Rodriguez''s demands were met with silence at first. Rarely did anybody volunteer to put themselves on the chopping block so early. Especially, this time, the riddle was seriously difficult, too. "Eh, anybody got any idea?" Ronald whispered. "I''m totally stumped on this one." But, nobody responded to his question. Not because they were ignoring him, but because they were genuinely unsure what to say. Normally, when Rodriguez posed his armor-piercing questions, the answer was somewhere on the tip of their tongues. Basically, his questions were more like tests that forced the players to look deep inside and ask themselves the important questions. But this time, things weren''t as straightforward. Or rather, their denial of the matter was far stronger than usual, to the point that most of them really believed they didnt know the answer. In truth, most of them realized the answer toward the end of the game, as did Cato. Do I come out and say it? Cato glanced at the others. They seemed lost in thought, trying to find an answer to Rodriguez''s inquiry. Only William had a troubled expression on his face. He had probably already figured it out but he didn''t want to put it into words. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. And honestly, it was perfectly understandable. Cato also danced around this topic back when he was giving his motivational speech. The answer to Rodriguez''s question required admitting to some rather embarrassing inadequacy on the Leoaprds'' end. It was an issue that everybody must''ve realized at one point or another. So, nobody? Okay then. Cato took a deep breath and steeled himself. Looks like I have to do everything myself, huh. Welp, I''m responsible for how this game turned out, so I''ll bite. "We underestimated our opponents to an extent." "Oh?" Rodriguez nodded. "Does everybody feel that way?" "Hmph." William nodded quietly in affirmation. "Oh, I suppose we did..." Sonya chewed her lips as she realized how simple the answer was. "Yeah, sounds about right," Matthew agreed. By looking inwards, they realized that the signs were all over the place. The reason the enemys surprise element worked so well was that deep down the Leopards were underestimating their foes. For example, if StormBlitz were to use a joke lineup like this, would the Leopards underestimate them? Maybe a little, but not nearly as much as they did with Stratus. From the get-go, Stratus registered in their minds as a "weak team" that the Leopards will "definitely" crush. It was an image that wasnt fully erased from their minds, not even after playing against Stratus in the flesh. No matter how strong Gunz proved himself to be, or how sharp Chessmaster''s shot-calls were, Stratus had failed to ever register as a "real threat" for the Leopards until now. Somewhere at the back of their heads, the regional champions were underestimating the team that was previously known as the weakest in the region. Though, one of them wasn''t so quick to admit to any of it. "Did we really underestimate them that much?" Ronald asked. "I mean, sure, we let our guard a little. But, who wouldn''t? These guys had a DK Jungler, of all things! It was hilarious, haha!" "Then, let me ask you, this" Rodriguez started. "Suppose you weren''t playing against Stratus but against an A-League pro team that just happened to use a DK Jungler as well. Would you still let your guard down in that case?" "Eh, thats quite the scenario." Ronald crossed his arms and knotted his brows. "I mean, if they''re a legit good team, then yeah, I guess I''d take them seriously regardless of the wild DK pick." "So, you''re saying Stratus isn''t a ''legit good team''?" "Welp, I mean..." Ronald scratched his head. "Hrrrrrm." My, you''re sure straining that little brain of yours~" Cato smiled impishly. "I can''t believe that you, of all people, have the gall to argue here. Do I need to remind you how you overextended at game start and almost got killed?" "Hey, it wasn''t that BAD. I mean, yeah it was a little risky and all, but I knew what I was doing. Like, I survived that whole thing and even placed the ward I came to place. Ez game." "But also," William added. "You got yourself hospitalized for five years thanks to all the damage you took. That gave them an opportunity to steal our ogres and double-team me in Bot." "Weeeelp, haha..." Ronald wanted to argue back but he didn''t have a single good argument at hand. At least, he didnt have anything that could possibly sway his big bro. "I''m glad youve brought up this particular topic by yourselves," Rodriguez said. "We don''t have time for thorough game analysis, but there are a few plays I wanted to touch upon and this is one of them. Ronald, you seriously messed up that opening, probably more than you even realize." Oh boy Ronald braced himself for a sermon. And so, Rodriguez unleashed tons of criticism about the play but he did so in a sharp, concise manner. The team was definitely going to discuss this point in more length during the official match analysis. But for now, Rodriguez only focused on the most important points. Namely, the value of early-game advantage for a hyper-aggressive team. At a glance, Ronalds early overextension didnt seem like a first-degree crime. It was a terrible misplay that set the team back but it happened in the early-game, where mistakes were the most forgivable. So, it wasnt so bad, right? Wrong! That one misplay was a huge setback for the team. It was difficult to even comprehend the entire scope of its consequences without sufficient experience against teams like that. The entire goal of a hyper-aggressive comp was to capitalize on any opportunity that presented itself in the early-game. Therefore, what seemed like a small early-game advantage for a regular team was actually a huge deal for a hyper-aggressive team. It wasnt an exaggeration to claim that Ronalds innocent blunder played a key role in allowing Stratus to gain the momentum that ultimately led them to victory. If not for that strong opening, then Stratus wouldnt have been able to execute the many other strong plays that followed. Yes, Ronalds one little misplay had that big of an impact. It was the kind of mistake that he absolutely wasnt allowed to commit against hyper-aggressive opponents. And, Ronald wasnt the only one guilty of this. I believe Ive chewed out Ronald enough, Rodriguez moved on. There was another early blunder committed by somebody else here. It had as much gravity as Ronalds overextension, if not more. Anybody wants to take a guess what play Im talking about? It didnt take them long to figure this one out. After all, there was one notable misplay that escalated the situation all by itself. It was no exaggeration to say that this play allowed Stratus to push to victory with their full strength without any regard for risks. However, nobody said anything yet. In situations like this, it was best to let the culprit confess their own crimes. Doing so scored them some forgiveness points with Rodriguez because he appreciated players who were mature enough to recognize and admit their own mistakes. Alas, silence lingered for a while longer some after the question was posed. The culprit turned stiff, surely aware that they were about to get exposed. And yet, they refused to testify quite yet... Vol.16 Ch.5: The Leopards’ Mistakes Rodrigeuz suggested there was a culprit among them. Somebody who committed a grave mistake that played a big role in the teams defeat. Yet, the criminal chose to keep their silence for now. My, dont tell me you want us to spill it for you? Cato motioned his head, urging the culprit to speak up. Cmon, admit it and lets move on. I know, but Sonya chewed her lips. There was no escape, she knew that much. If she doesnt speak up, then somebody else will. Or, if nobody does, then the entire team will be criticized. There was no clean way out of this predicament. Nonetheless, admitting that she committed that unintelligent mistake was just too painful. She was not supposed to be the kind of player who was swayed by a sense of pride, yet the mistake she committed was indirectly a result of it. Data was supposed to be everything. Data and data alone revealed all the objective facts about everything. Its what allowed Sonya to make the most reliable and optimal analysis. All of Sonyas decisions had to be backed up by hard, cold data. There was no place for her to insert her emotions or opinions into the matter. At least, there shouldnt have been... I knew that Stratus is strong, the data said as much. But even so, in this game, I... She underestimated Stratus, no two ways about it. Despite having all the data at hand and analyzing it countless times, Sonya nonetheless went ahead and underestimated these competent players. She allowed her emotions to triumph over her reason. Because seriously, these memes are just... Sonya grimaced. She had trouble admitting her mistake even now because of how dumb the whole ordeal was. No matter how much the data suggested that Stratus could play well with unconventional tactics, Sonya could not bring herself to believe that these deplorable memes could do any real harm to the Leopards. Of course, its not like she willingly chose to lower her guard against these memes. Sonya had no intention of going easy on her foes no matter how much she pitied their terrible picks. But, this was the competitive scene. Even the tiniest sign of mental weakness could lead to a disaster, and thats exactly what happened to Sonya. I dont think I was condescending, at least not on purpose. I just... She just... what, exactly? Why didnt she play safer back then? Especially, after Cato had already warned everybody that a gank was coming. Sonya had all the data in hand, yet she deemed it alright to remain in the middle of the lane back then. Its as if she couldnt even fathom the idea of any serious harm coming her way. But, why? Why did she assume such a nonsensical thing? Did she have any data to support a terrible hypothesis like that? No, she definitely didnt. Back then, same as Cato, Sonya had no idea which lane the enemy will target with their gank. There were some good arguments against Stratus targeting Top, but those were just that - arguments. They couldnt be used for formal proof. Sonya couldn''t write QED at the end there. And yet, in the heat of the moment, she found herself trusting that baseless proof. In the back of her head, she allowed herself to underestimate her foes. They probably wont target Top. And even if they do, they wont accomplish much. Their lineup is a joke. That small lapse in logic led Sonya to her death and subsequently resulted in the downfall of the entire team. Her death granted Stratus unstoppable momentum which they rode all the way to victory. Stolen novel; please report. Yes, Ive already figured all that out by myself... Sonya had more than enough time to regret her mistakes while she waited for her revival. The situation forced her to sit there and watch her small mistake snowball into swallowing the entire game. So, she was definitely aware of the crimes she committed, but Do I have to say it out loud? Right now? Sonya clenched her fists. Coach is being as merciless as always... She really wanted to postpone this discussion for another day but Rodriguez had no intention of allowing that. So, Sonya couldnt run away from facing her embarrassing mistake even though she had already learned her lesson. It was my mistake... Sonya finally spoke up. You must be referring to the time when the enemy ganked Top and killed me, right? I wasnt careful enough back there. Correct. Rodriguez nodded in satisfaction. Judging by your face, I can tell youve already analyzed that blunder and reached some conclusions. Yes, sir. Very well, then well leave it at that. Rodriguez let her off the hook this time. But, its not because he was trying to be nice or forgiving. Shes a smart girl with her own sense of pride. Rodriguez thought. Im sure shes already beating herself up over this mistake, so no need to criticize her any further for now. Well address this properly during the match review, anyway. The goal of this lecture wasnt to bash the players. There was no point beating them down after they have already suffered a crushing defeat. Pressing them any further might make them lose their fighting spirits. They still had 3 more games to play, so they had to stay strong. Therell be more than enough time to tear them apart during the official match review. For now, Rodriguez thought. All I want to see is that they realize their mistakes, can admit them, and understand how to move forward from here. There were a few more plays that werent up to your usual standard, Rodriguez said. For example, the way Matt focused the Berserker in Mid instead of targeting higher priority targets. Thats... Matthew shifted his eyes away. It was a hectic situation and the Berserker was close by, so I just attacked the first target within arms reach. Is that really so? Rodriguez asked. That doesnt sound like you. One of your strongest points is how you stay calm no matter what happens around you. Eh, Im only human, right? I also panic sometimes. Is that so. Rodriguez didnt seem convinced but he didnt have a good line of questioning to pursue here. After all, that assault on Mid was indeed a play that came out of the blue and shocked everybody, especially the players in Mid. Regardless, Rodriguez continued. The fact you panicked shows that you werent your usual self back there. Well, it was one hell of a surprise attack True, but still, Rodriguez insisted. Normally, you wouldnt be bothered by something like that. This means you werent expecting much from your opponents, were you? Thats why the attack surprised you so much. I guess so, Matthew answered ambiguously. Thats not really it, but whatever. Its easier to just roll with this explanation. Then again, what did Matthew actually try to accomplish back there when he attacked Vincent? Honestly, he couldn''t even answer that for sure. I guess was trying to assess my feelings toward him? Yeah, that makes no sense Matthew shrugged. I wouldnt know how to explain any of this shit even if I wanted to. Somebody in the team sensed Matthews inner turmoil and decided to step in. "To be fair," Cato said. "It was hard to think straight in that situation for me as well. I don''t know about Matt, but when the Aqua showed up out of nowhere - my brain just short-circuited for a moment there. I had no idea whats the right thing to do. "Same." Matthew successfully caught the bone Cato threw his way. I was also at a loss for a moment there because of how absurd the whole thing was. You really cant compare it to a regular scenario. "Hmm. Is that so." Rodriguez crossed his arms and eyed the two suspects. "Alright, let''s leave it at that for now. We''ll analyze this play in more depth during the match review." Phew, safe. Cato breathed in relief. Sorry Coach, but this seems personal for Matt. So, its best to not pressure him on this topic for now, especially not after we''ve lost a game. Perhaps Rodriguez picked up on some of that during the interrogation and that''s why he didn''t press any further. Or, maybe he really fell for Cato''s excuse. Either way, the coach left the topic alone and moved on. Up until now, theyve only discussed the past. They touched upon the various mistakes they made during the game and thats it. Next, it was time to discuss the future. How the Leopards should mentally prepare themselves for the next game? Vol.16 Ch.6: Registering Stratus as a Threat "So," Rodriguez continued. "Now that you understand what mistakes you made, what are you planning to do next?" He looked at each of them in order, urging them to come up with their own answers to this difficult question. They wont be able to learn a real lesson here unless they think for themselves and figure out their own solutions. There was a long moment of silence as everybody contemplated the topic. Though, in truth, there was no need to think too hard. The next step was simple enough, but first, the team had to admit once again that they completely failed to do something so simple in the last game. "We have to take them more seriously" Sonya muttered awkwardly. It was painful to even say such an obvious thing out loud. Taking their opponents seriously was something they all should have done without even talking about it, yet they spectacularly failed somehow. The others voiced the same answers, so they were all on the same page here. "We''ll register Stratus as a top-tier threat from now on," Cato summarized for everybody. "We''ll think of them as a StormBlitz-level threat, even if I personally think they''re not quite up there yet." "The fact you bothered to insert that addendum tells me you haven''t learned a proper lesson yet." "Oh, my, that''s very true. My bad." Cato wore his usual impish smile but there were a few cracks visible underneath. Until the bitter end, he couldn''t admit that Yuel turned the "weakest team in the region" into a powerhouse to be feared. I don''t want to accept any of it but the fact remains that they DID beat us once. So, it''s better to be safe than sorry. Cato had no choice but to cast some of his pride aside for this. He was the one with the vastly superior chess pieces on his side, so he had no choice but to respect Yuel''s ability to score a victory with second-grade pieces. Of course, I''m still the superior strategist here. Cato asserted. He just caught me off-guard this time, that''s all. I won''t let it happen again. "So," Rodriguez continued as he turned to the others. "You all agree with Cato''s assessment?" The entire team nodded. As much as they didn''t want to admit any of this, they definitely let their guard down in this game. That was unbecoming behavior for the future regional champions, so they had to fix this ASAP. "Hmm. It sounds like your minds are in the right place, Rodriguez concluded. So, do you have any concrete plans for how to proceed from here?" "For starters," Cato said. "I believe it''s about time we switched to Formation A." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He glanced at William as he said that. This stubborn guy was the very reason the Leopards had been using Formation B. So, now was the best opportunity to pressure him into changing his mind. "Hmph." William scoffed. "I''m fine with that." He had no choice but to say that because everybodys eyes were needling him, including the coach''s. But, was he really fine with this arrangement? Not in the slightest. It''s a shame. He thought. I didn''t get to fight Gunz much in the end, so I didn''t get the opportunity to properly establish myself as the stronger player. As far as William was concerned, proving his superiority over Gunz was the main goal of today''s scrimmage. However, he only allowed himself to think that way because he believed that Stratus was a pushover team that wouldnt be able to put on a real fight today. As such, he assumed that dueling Gunz would be the most challenging experience today. But, for the better or the worse, Stratus proved him wrong. They established themselves as a mighty opponent that was worth taking down. Therefore, William no longer had the luxury to focus solely on Gunz. Unfortunately, attaining victory as a team was more important than settling the score with one opponent. Therefore, William gave in to Cato''s demand. The team will now shift to Formation A, the one which Cato and Sonya originally deemed a better fit for combating Stratus. Unfortunately, it was a formation that kicked William out of the Carry role. This meant he will no longer be able to duel with Gunz as freely. Not to mention, even if Willaim does arrange a duel at any point, it''ll no longer be Carry vs. Carry. In other words, they won''t be fighting on equal grounds. Though, I can at least keep it marksman vs. marksman. William compromised with that. And so, the team as a whole agreed to shift to Formation A. Cato and Sonya had been advocating it from the start but weren''t the only ones excited about it. "Heck yeah, let''s go!" Ronald pumped a fist. "Finally, I get the chance to wreck some scrubs!" "Have you even been listening this entire time?" William criticized. "It''d because you keep underestimating Stratus that you mess up." "Nah, I''m not underestimating them, not anymore." Ronald flashed his teeth. "They''re kinda good, I''ll give them that. So, I''m looking forward to messing them up real good next game, haha!" "That''s good to hear." Perhaps out of everybody here, it was Ronald''s performance that suffered the most in the previous game. This doofus sometimes saw his opponents in black-and-white. They were either strong or weak. There was rarely anything between these two extremes as far as he was concerned. When the opponent was regarded as "weak", Ronald tended to underestimate them and play wildly. On the other hand, when he properly registered his opponents as "strong", Ronald could draw out the full extent of his innate potential and sometimes even surpass his own limits. It was yet unclear whether Stratus will be able to register themselves as strong in Ronalds mind. But, at least for now, Stratus has managed to convince everybody that they were worthy adversaries. As such, it was very much possible that Ronald will finally show his true strength in the next game. And, playing Top Laner as part of formation A was a far better stage for this than playing Support. In the end, everybody approved of switching formations, and so did the coach. This was going to be the formation thatll help them reclaim victory with ease. However, there was one guy who didn''t quite agree with this turn of events. He has been keeping his nose out of the teams business because he believed the coach will handle things properly, but this conclusion wasn''t satisfactory at all... Vol.16 Ch.7: The Burden of the Champions The Leopards came to terms with the crushing defeat and were ready to move on, but one member of the club was far from satisfied. Isnt it best to let me play? Jin asked in a strong tone. It wasnt so much a question as it was an assertion. I dont think you want to lose any more face than you already have. Hmm. Rodriguez pondered. Yes, youre right, its unbecoming of regional champions to lose like that, especially not against a team that was previously regarded as the weakest. Its not only this defeat, Jin added. Even in the first game, there were horrible misplays. That game was dragged out too long and they almost lost during last push. It looked bad. These words came as a slap to the face, especially when the Leopards were just getting back on their feet. The harsh criticism threatened to knock them down to the ground all over again. Even though they came to terms with the fact they have been underestimating Stratus, Jin made them realize that this issue didnt start only in the second game. It started all the way back in the first game, where they just barely squeezed out a victory in the end despite dominating the entire game. Cato wrote that off as his mistake at the time, but Rodriguez lectured them about how the entire team was responsible for allowing it. But, in the first place, why did they let Cato get away with such blatantly flawed shot-calling? Because somewhere, at the back of their heads, they were already underestimating Stratus back then. They didnt bother stopping Cato because they were sure theyll win no matter what happened. In fact, even after losing so terribly in the second game, deep down they still believed that they were far superior to their opponents. They only lost that game because they lowered their guard and the enemy exploited that to launch a devastating surprise attack. In other words, as long as the Leopards take their opponents seriously, then their victory was guaranteed. Thats what they believed. But, wasnt that a form of underestimating as well? In the end, even after processing everything Rodriguez said, it was impossible for the team to do a 180 on their opinion of Stratus. As such, Jin had every reason to be concerned about the team further embarrassing itself in the next few games. Not to mention, these amateurs have already tarnished the reputation of the "regional champions" with so many misplays. This was almost irreversible. Even if the Leopards win every game from here onward, it wont necessarily be enough to save face. Their lackluster performance has already planted an image of weakness in the audiences heads, so it wont be so easy to remove it now. "I can''t watch this," Jin said. "I need to sub in and ensure we win decisively, or else the team will look like a joke that loses to memes." "Right, reputation is important," Rodriguez agreed. "But, theres no need to go that far quite yet. I believe everybody has learned a hard lesson from this game, am I right?" "Yes, sir!" Everybody answered in unison, like a squad of trained soldiers. All of them came together as one to reject Jin''s suggestion. They didn''t want this condescending pro-level player to shove his nose into their business. The next game was their opportunity to prove that theyd learned their lesson, that they were capable of defeating Stratus properly as long as they played 100% seriously. But, having Jin join the team would trivialize all of that. "Jin, I understand where youre coming from," Rodriguez reassured. "Its bad for the teams image when the champion loses to a dark horse. So dont worry, Ive already prepared a handful of lectures for them on this topic and well start going through them tomorrow. Geh... The team responded to the threat with a mixture of sighs and gulps. Everybody could already imagine themselves sitting in the clubroom for 24 hours straight, listening nonstop to Rodriguezs lectures. Furthermore, if they lose any more games today, then Rodriguez will likely lecture them 24/7 for an entire week. Therefore, they absolutely werent allowed to lose anymore or else theyll find themselves in hell. "All of that aside," Rodriguez continued. "There''s no denying that Stratus is a strong team this year. Theyve already defeated Taurus, and now they even took a game from us. So, I''m sure the audience''s opinion of them is gradually shifting for the better. In fact, they might very well be the strongest team well face after StormBlitz this year." It was still too early to say for sure, seeing as the Leopards haven''t faced every team in the region yet. Not to mention, Stratus wasn''t exactly the most "stable" team out there. They had many highs but also just as many lows. Nonetheless, the potential was definitely there. With a little more polish, Stratus will definitely become a force to be reckoned with. "I''m sure they''ll put on a strong performance this year, Rodriguez said. So, in time, people will come to accept that Stratus is a competent team and that''s why they were able to win one game off you. Frankly, a part of me is glad that things have turned out the way they did." "Glad...?" Jin frowned. "You''re happy the team lost?" "I wouldnt say ''happy'', per se. That''s too strong of a word here. Its just that its a bit of a relief." "Why? I dont understand." "You see, as the regional champions, this team doesn''t get to lose very often." "Good. That''s how it should be." "Indeed." Rodriguez nodded. "But, its also a problem. You''re all so young, you still have plenty of room for growth. And, there''s no better catalyst for growth than facing defeat." "Catalyst...?" "A motivator. Something that encourages rapid growth." "You''re saying that losing does that?" Jin cocked his head. "Do you not agree? Rodrigeuz asked. Doesn''t the frustration of defeat give you the strongest desire to improve? To make sure it won''t ever happen again?" "Hm. Yes, I suppose." "That''s why defeats are so valuable," Rodriguez explained. "Letting you kids face strong opponents and get roughed up in matches is the best way to help you develop. That''s a big reason why I always arrange a few matches against pros for you." Stolen story; please report. Any powerful team that reigned supreme by default was bound to stagnate without sufficient competition. Athletes always need a challenge, a catalyst to push them to train harder, and to become stronger. As long as they felt like they had a goal to chase, they''ll work hard and improve. Alas, the uncontested regional champions often didn''t have such rivals. The Leopards were the only middle school team in the region that had a coach and their Classmancers facilities were far superior to those of the other teams. Not to mention, the team had a reputation that attracted all the best players this little region had to offer. Therefore, the club was both big and brimming with talented kids. With all these factors combined, the Leopards were bound to reign supreme among their peers. The team was always far ahead of the competition. Sometimes, it wasnt too strange for them to outright forgot that the word "defeat" exists in the dictionary. "Some of my previous teams haven''t lost a single game in the region, not even during scrimmages. Everybody in the Leopards lowered their heads or glanced away awkwardly upon hearing these words. Until now, they were confident that they''ll also become one such undefeated team. Alas, the defeat in the second game became a black stain on their perfect record. They have failed their predecessors. "Such a stainless win record is very impressive and I''m proud of what these kids accomplished, Rodriguez said. But, that doesnt mean everything was sunshine and rainbows for those teams. After all, the regionals aren''t the entire competitive scene. My, are you saying they fared poorly at the nationals? Cato asked. Yes. The nationals were the place where the competition became harsh for the first time. And unfortunately, the kids who never suffered an official defeat before weren''t mentally prepared for it. A team that had never faced a defeat against anybody in the same age group naturally became a legend, but it was a short-lived one. Soon after, the team tackled far stronger opponents at the nationals and crumbled after losing just one game. These kids didn''t develop the necessary mental fortitude to bounce back after falling off the high horse. "That''s why you should cherish experiences like this, Rodriguez said. Losing to pros or in online matches can''t begin to compare to the frustration of losing in an official match like this, right?" The kids gave him vague nods. They were definitely frustrated by how things went down, to the point it surprised them just how strongly they felt about it. Its not like this was the first time the Leopards had ever suffered a defeat as a team. They have lost to pros before, as well as in some rare online matches against other premade teams. So, they definitely knew how defeat tasted in general. And yet, losing here today, on this competitive stage, felt very different from all of that. It was a much harder blow than they expected. One moment, the Leopards were at the top of the world, on their way to becoming the "uncontested champions" of the region. Then, the next moment, they found themselves defeated by the most unexpected of opponents. "Savor this feeling and turn it into motivation. For every defeat you overcome, you''ll emerge that much stronger in the following game. That''s the natural way in which progress happens in the competitive scene." The words lit a light in everybodys eyes. It was only burning faintly like a candle right now, but in time, it''ll transform into an inferno that''ll help the Leopards to devour their opponents. This lecture convinced the team beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had to overcome this defeat by themselves without relying on supernatural aid like Jin. Even during competitive games, some things were more important than simply attaining victory. Even though this team was carrying the heavy responsibility of becoming the regional champions and they had to save face as Jin called it, in the end, the members of the Leopards were also humans who had to grow and develop. As such, at times, losing a game was acceptable as long as the Leopards made sure to learn from their mistakes and grow stronger for the future. With that said, even though the main team was convinced, what did the Korean boy think about all of this? How different were his standards on this topic? Did you understand all of that, Jin? Rodriguez asked. I understood, yes. Jins slow reply didnt instill much confidence. On the surface level, he definitely understood every single word Rodriguez said. There wasnt a language barrier in the way or anything of the sort. The only word that caught him off guard earlier was catalyst, which he never heard before and sounded like some niche word anyway. But, Jin could only confidently claim that he understood the words and sentences themselves, not the philosophical meaning behind them. In that department, the coachs words made very little sense. What is going on? Jin failed to process. The team has just lost. This is a prestigious team as far as this region is concerned, so theyre supposed to be the most concerned with saving face. And yet, the Coach is saying that this is fine...? It was unfathomable. If this happened back in Korea, it wouldnt be odd for the coach to relegate some of the members back to the second-string as punishment. The players responsible for the loss would be thrown all the way back to the bottom and would have to climb their way up all over again. Thats what real consequences looked like. Yet, there was none of that with Rodriguez, not even remotely close. On the contrary, the man said he was glad that the team lost. It made no sense. As the coach in charge of this prestigious team, Rodriguez had to save face more than anybody else. After all, every time the team underperformed, it stained Rodriguezs reputation, making him look incompetent. In turn, Rodriguez was supposed to lash out at the team and punish them for making him look bad. That was the natural order of things. Or at least, that''s how it always worked with the coaches back in Korea. Yet, Rodriguez didnt even get angry with the team. Why? It''s as if he doesnt care about saving face at all. Jin thought. Isnt his reputation important to him? Stains like this can easily affect his salary and various other opportunities. So, how can he not care? Is this some western mindset in play here? This wasn''t the first time Jin encountered this sort of dissonance. Even though western players clearly cared about their reputations as any reasonable person should, they seemed to care far less overall about saving face. As a result, they were very forgiving about certain things that made them look bad. It was rather bizarre. But, if this really doesn''t bother the coach much, then maybe I''m stepping out of line here. Jin concluded. But, that doesn''t change it also affects me when the teams reputation is tarnished like this. I might not be playing in all the games, but this is still my team, so to speak. Running the Leopards'' reputation into the ground will subsequently ruin the reputation of every team member, including Jin. The damage might not be as big for him because he wasn''t physically present in the game, but nonetheless, some damage will be done to him as well. In the future, once Jin reveals himself as part of the first-string to the masses, everybody will surely associate him with the bad team that lost to Stratus''s memes". He couldn''t let that stand. "Alright, I understand," Jin said. "I won''t ask to take the stage right now. But, if you lose another game, then I sub in." "It''s a deal," Cato promised. "But, don''t worry. It won''t happen. We''ll be taking this scrim 100% seriously now." "You should have done that from the start." "Touche." "What?" "Oh, of course. ''Touche'' means that I concede and that you''re right." "Alright." Jin nodded in satisfaction. This was good enough for now. He''ll permit this prestigious team to misstep once, but only once. They wont get off the hook a second time. One defeat could still be considered a fluke, but two defeats will start forming a pattern. Thats the one thing Jin absolutely couldnt allow, no matter what the coach says. But for now, it was decided that the Leopards will continue using their regular lineup. Theyll only switch their formation from B to A, which was the superior formation against Stratus according to Cato and Sonya''s analysis. All of them were still the same players, but swapping their positions was going to greatly alter the teams dynamic. Such was the nature of the Mixup that Rodriguez forced all his teams to learn. With all these factors combined, the next game was going to be nothing like the previous two. This time, the Leopards will live up to the title of the regional champions and will demolish the opposition without fail! Vol.16 Ch.8: The Memes Victory CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! Thunderous applause wrapped the entire stadium shortly after the second game ended. "Yo, this is sick!" Lars pumped a fist high in the air in response to the audience''s cheers. "It''s like we''re heroes!" "Indeed, indeed!" Vincent nodded repeatedly. "This unlikely victory makes for a splendid underdog story! This is a tale of the ''weakest'' team triumphing over the regional champions while using an unconventional lineup to boot! "So, youre saying this is like a TV show for them, huh." Kai shook her head a little but she still smiled like the others. After all, it was impossible to stay indifferent to the fact of this thunderous applause. Technically, the audience was just enjoying a good show as they watched Stratus struggle through blood, sweat, and tears. Nonetheless, it felt good to be acknowledged so much. It really drove home the fact that Stratus had just defeated the regional champions. In fact, this result probably earned Stratus a spot among the "strongest in the region". After all, thus far, not a single team was able to win a game off the Leopards this year. "We have made history today," Vincent proclaimed dramatically. "From this day forth, the name Stratus shall instill fear in the hearts of our foes!" "That''s not necessarily a good thing," Yuel pointed out. "It means they''ll start putting effort into researching us. This will make all our future matches that much harder." "Man, you always gotta put a damper on anything good that happened, doncha?" Luke sighed. "I mean, look at all these dudes in the audience. Do they look like a bunch of enemies who are planning to eat ya alive? Nah, they be clapping to celebrate our victory, man. They''re saying we''re awesome!" "Yes, they''re saying that for now because they''re a neutral party in all of this right now, Yuel said. But, once they return to their clubs, they''ll thoroughly analyze everything about todays scrimmage. Theyll check out not only the Leopards but us as well. I''m sure we''ll feel the consequences of this in the next scrimmage." "Meh, what a serial party popper." Luke shrugged. Admittedly, he was getting a little salty about how Yuel downplayed this huge achievement. Of course, the guys argument made perfect sense, but there was a time and a place for saying stuff like this and now ain''t it, chief. Welp, better ignore this dolt and bask in the glory while it''s here. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The clapping went on for longer than usual. Its probably because the whole thing started off as an awkward unorganized mess, so nobody was sure when was the right time to stop. But, this was gud, very gud. Keep them coming, bois! Luke stood up and stretched his arms, striking a victorious pose. He was like a pro wrestler showing off his strength. Of course, this game was won by Stratus as a whole, not just by Luke. Nonetheless, he couldn''t help but feel like the applause was directed mainly at him and that he was at the center of it all. But, why did he feel like Mr. Universe all of a sudden? Why, because this whole game was one giant meme! And, the biggest meme of them all was run by none other than the LegendaryMemer! Heck yeah, I showed ya all! Luke grinned. Did you see that? I can actually beat the strongest dudes around with memes! I''m that good, man. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. This gotta be the pinnacle of self-expression as far as Classmancers was concerned. Luke was using the most non-meta stuff out there and yet he emerged victorious. And, he achieved that not just against some plebs but against the Leopards, the ultimate opponents! Gotta say, I''m glad I left soccer for this. Luke thought. Mancers is a hella tight game! As hard as he tried, he could never reach this level of self-expression in soccer. Seriously, soccer just wasnt as wild as Classmancers. For example, in soccer, he couldn''t pick a risky meme like Dark Knight and steamroll in the early game. There werent any over-the-top things like that in soccer. On the other hand, in Classmancers, Luke did just that and it was awesome! Whats more, the crowds undying applause was praising him for his creative work. Its like I was born for this moment, word! Luke almost shivered from excitement. After enduring the long and thorny road of being ridiculed and criticized as a memer to no end, at long last, Luke grasped glory! We sent these meta slaves packing, haha! Just by looking at the Leopards, it was clear that this game ruined their lives and crushed their souls. It was almost possible to see a dark cloud hovering over their heads. It was a total Depression City over there. But, their depression didn''t last forever. Eventually, one of the guys rose on his feet. It seemed he was the only one with enough willpower to leave his chair while everybody else was glued to their seats. Clap. Clap. Clap. The guy suddenly started clapping along with the crowd. "Say wut?" Luke cocked his head. Look at this guy trying to act like a tough nut, haha. It was clear the dude was putting on an act in front of the audience. Hes the captain, right? Luke thought. So, hes trying to act strong for his homies, huh. Nobody else from the Leopards had the strength to stand up by themselves, so the captain had to pull them back on their feet via tricks like this. Mad respect for that mental fortitude, man. Though, your smile looks kinda fake, not gonna lie. But, it was understandable. There was no way the Leopards captain would be able to genuinely smile in this situation, not when the crowd was indirectly booing them to oblivion for losing to memes. The mental shock was surely pretty dang devastating. It wouldnt be too strange for the Leopards to simply ragequit here. Getting dunked on by memes can do that to a man, I know from experience. Luke smirked. So many people ragequit on me in lower ranks when I killed their teammates with memes. These mofos probably flamed their teammates to no end for getting killed by memes. And eventually, they just ragequit like the toxic trash they were. Thats the kind of power memes had over people, and Luke was one of the few masters who knew how to harness this legendary power. He was simultaneously at the top and the bottom of the food chain, both at once! Basically, an absolute mad lad through and through. Welp, it looks like they''re finally leaving. Luke noticed. After being glued to their seats for like a minute, the members of the Leopards finally left their chairs and dragged their feet away. It looked like their captain gave some sort of pep talk that lifted their spirits. It was probably something along the lines of "Meh, we only lost because we let our guard down against that meme." The typical excuses, smh. Luke thought. I hope you chumps ain''t gonna act like this was some kind of fluke. I mean, we won this game through and through! Ez game. And, we''ll do it again next round, just you watch! "Hey Luke, are ya coming?" Lars called from afar. It turned out that the entire team has already departed from the stage. Only Luke stayed there like a scarecrow, still drunk from the applause that already ended. "Ah, right! Coming!" Luke dashed backstage to join the others. A triumphant grin stayed on his face all the way back to their waiting room. But, it might not last for as long as he thought... Vol.16 Ch.9: Bens Treat As Luke entered the waiting room, a mountain of sandwiches greeted him! It was like a party over there! "Whoa!" Luke exclaimed. "Where did all this stuff come from?" "Its Ben''s treat," Yuel informed, already with a sandwich in hand. "Wow, you''re da man, Ben!" Luke flashed a smile and rifled through the big selection of sandwiches. "Dang, there are sure lots of options here!" "Um, I wasn''t sure what everybody likes, Ben explained. So, I brought different flavors just in case." "Man, this is sure a lot!" The more sandwiches Luke checked out, the more he came to realize the sheer absurdity of these numbers. There were at least 15 sandwiches here, and that''s after everybody else have already grabbed a sandwich or two for themselves. "How did you even bring all of them here?" "Um, in the backpack." "Oh, right. Such a boring answer that makes perfect sense." Luke wasnt even sure what he was expecting there. For some reason, he imagined a helicopter that came outta nowhere and rained this huge mountain of sandwiches on them, but reality was often disappointing "Well then, I''mma grab this one, and this, and this!" "Don''t stuff yourself with too much food," Yuel warned. "Eating too much at once will tire you out." "Okay, mom." Luke chuckled as he hoarded the three sandwiches that caught his eye. For now, he was content with just claiming ownership over these treats. Whether or not hell gobble all of them at once was a different story. I do be hungry, tho. Luke realized that only now, with the food in front of him. So, I think I gonna have at least two of these bad boys! He unwrapped the first sandwich and stuffed it into his mouth. Hell, it was pretty dang good! "Mwan, thfese arwe hwella fwine!" Luke produced something that vaguely resembled human speech as he munched on the sandwiches. These sandwiches were legit good! They looked like your run-of-the-mill sandwiches, but something about them was real gud! Am I so hungry that simple sandwiches suddenly taste like some serious gourmet shit? Luke wondered. Nah, no way. These are legit goooood. Like, the tuna itself feels like the regular stuff I think, but this bread is like thicc and soft. So munchy! "This is indeed a splendid work of food craft!" Vincent joined in on the hype. "Ben, are you the master chef who crafted these fine pieces of art?" "Not all of them," Ben said. "My mom helped out. Honestly, I think we got a little carried away..." He scratched his pink cheek. His mom always insisted that "boys have to eat a lot in order to grow up", and Ben also felt like he had to repay the club for everything they had done for him. So, together, this duo of mother and son ended up producing way more food than necessary. "How did you even stuff so many sandwiches in one bag?" Kai asked. "Wasn''t it heavy?" "Um, a little heavy, yes. But, it wasn''t a big deal." "You should''ve told us, dude, Lars said. We would''ve helped ya carry all the goodies." "Um, it''s okay. I didn''t want to bother anybody. Besides, I''m the one who decided to bring them in the first place." "That doesn''t matter," Kai said sternly. "You brought the sandwiches for the club so you shouldve asked us for help." Frankly, she was probably the last person who had the right to lecture others about asking for help, she understood that as well. But, precisely because she was bad at asking others for help and have been working hard on this front, she felt obligated to lecture Ben about this. The two of them were completely different, yet they were like two sides of the same coin. Kai didn''t like asking others for help because she was too proud and believed she could everything by herself, whereas Ben didn''t ask others for help out of shyness and the fear of inconveniencing others. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Their reasons were polar opposites but the result was the same: they both failed to communicate with their teammates and ended up taking too much burden upon themselves. Of course, carrying all these sandwiches alone was a relatively harmless example compared to the many troubles Kai caused with her attitude. Nonetheless, seeing this was irksome. Ben carried this same mentality onto the competitive stage as well, so it was necessary to start working on this problem ASAP. Alas, Rome wasn''t built in a day. So, for now, it was only natural for Ben to respond to Kai with his usual shy smile. "I just wanted to help in any way I can," Ben said. "I caused so many problems to the club. I skipped practice and even missed the first scrimmage. Any other club wouldve kicked me out a long time ago. Im really sorry about all that." "It wasn''t your fault," Kai, asserted. "You had circumstances." "Yeah, dude," Lars tuned in. "No need to beat yourself over that stuff. Nobody thinks any of that was your fault, right, my dudes?" Everybody nodded in agreement. If anybody was actually at fault for that incident, then it was the rest of the club. They ignored Bens situation for way too long. Most of them knew that something was afoot the entire time, but none of them dared to push hard enough to resolve the issue. Things only started moving toward resolution after Yuel got thoroughly fed up with Bens frequent absences. So, if anything, the ones who should be repenting were the other club members, not Ben. But, the guy was too nice for his own good, so he took all the blame upon himself as usual. Man, this is awkward. Luke thought. Like, Im the only one here who did absolutely nothing to help Ben at all. Granted, its not like I knew what was going on, but I had my suspicions. Ben was a goody-two-shoes and a chonky boi to boot, so it was easy to see why bullies would target him. In fact, even in the Classmancers club, some seniors took advantage of Bens good nature and forced him to grind Ranked on their accounts and such. It was pretty disgusting. Of course, Luke never took a part in any of that because bullying was for lamers, but neither did he ever lift a finger to help Ben. To keep his life simple, Luke plugged his ears and ignored all that complicated stuff. This was how most people responded to situations like this, so it wasnt a crime. Nonetheless, ignoring acts of bullying always came with a twinge of guilt, especially when Luke personally knew the victim. I mean, I gonna enjoy this treat to the fullest regardless, Luke said. But, I agree with the cap on this one. Its not like that situation was your fault, Ben. So, no need to feel obligated to repay us or anything. Yeah, exactly, Lars agreed. We wouldve totally helped you carry all this stuff if you asked, no problem. Were all best buddies here. T-Thank you. Ben smiled sheepishly. With that, the topic died down. It was evident that it''ll take Ben some more time to overcome his past before he starts seeing himself as a "proper" member of the club. His wounds should heal with time, but it was always helpful to remind him that everybody in the club stood on equal footing, including him. "I must say," Vincent started. "This bread is no commoner''s bread! Its so very soft, so very fresh! It cannot be a regular product sold on the market. May I know where you have acquired such a legendary item!?" "At my parents'' shop," Ben explained. "They run a bakery." "Oh, of course! How could I forget!?" Vincent exclaimed. "Now, all the dots have finally connected! The great mystery is solved!" "Bruh." Luke jabbed. "It should''ve taken you like 2 seconds to figure that out if you knew where his parents work. I didn''t, tho." In fact, most of the club members didn''t. Of course, it''s not like they knew everything about each other in general, but this served as proof that most of them didnt bother interacting with Ben enough before. Perhaps, if they got to know him better earlier, then Ben would have had an easier time opening up to them about his problems. "A bakery, huh." Luke examined the sandwich with great interest, mainly the bread. Even though Vincent exaggerated as usual with his legendary item nonsense, there was no denying that this bread was the real deal. It was different from the generic bread sold in supermarkets and such. The bread there never had this level of freshness and chonkiness. "So, you eat gud stuff like this every day?" Luke asked. "Um, yes, pretty much," Ben said. "Dang, you one lucky son of a gun. Though, I guess that also explains why you''re so- Well, ya know, a little round and stuff, haha..." It was clear that having free access to such top-tier bread on a daily basis strongly contributed to Ben''s physique. Even though Luke was a hardcore memer, hed turn into a meta slave in a heartbeat if the meta revolved around eating tasty bread like this for free every day. Maybe Ill drop by this bakery to check out what else they got there. Like thought as he stuffed himself with sandwiches. Actually, wait. These freebies Im eating right now.... theyre basically advertisements! Oh, snap! How did I fall for this marketing ploy!? Nuuuuuuu! In this fashion, everybody enjoyed a delicious and fulfilling treat. It felt like a fitting reward for their hard-earned victory. However, amidst the euphoria, one of them still had some concerns on his mind. This is only the first step. Yuel thought as he clenched the tasty sandwich in his hand. Things will get only harder from here on out. Stratus had indeed defeated the regional champions, but only once. The enemy will surely bounce back from this defeat and will return twice as powerful. Stratus had to win at least one more game in order to truly establish themselves as a threat. And, it was up to Yuel to figure out how to increase the teams chances of getting that second win... Vol.16 Ch.10: Lack of Subs As the discussion about the sandwiches died down and everybody finished their portions, it was time to discuss their plans for the upcoming game. They still had about 5 minutes to strategize. I normally try to plan out most things by myself, but I''m a little lost on this one. Yuel frowned. I didn''t expect us to actually win that game, especially not that easily. Even though he extensively studied the Jungler Dark Knight meme and learned how to build a strong team around it, Yuel didn''t expect it to actually work in the competitive scene, especially not against the Leopards. It was truly an absurd game. It was no wonder that the audience saw fit to applaud Stratus for the result. Most of them probably came here to study the two teams in a businesslike manner, but thanks to the memes they got a fair share of entertainment as well. But, I doubt itll work for us again. Yuel frowned. The DK meme only worked the first time because we had the element of surprise. I managed to mislead Cato during the drafting phase and that gave us the edge. But, next game, they''ll be ready for us. The Leopards weren''t the kind of easy opponent wholl get stumped by an unconventional comp. They''ll surely adapt for sure. Most certainly, the Leopards now registered Stratus as a potential threat. As such, they''ll take the next game far more seriously than the previous two. So, how do we proceed from here? Yuel glanced at the log that was lying on the sofa. Nia was still fast asleep. She wasnt making any breathing sounds, so it was easy to mistake her for a corpse. This used to give Yuel a fright in the past but he got used to it by now. She won''t be waking up any time soon. Yuel could tell that much at a glance based on past experiences. At best, she might be ready to join us for the 4th game. But, knowing this girl, anything can happen. There was no telling for sure when this sleepyhead will decide to return from the realm of slumber. Even back in the club, she sometimes knocked herself out for a few good hours in the afternoons. Truly, this girl was as unreliable as it could possibly get. So, Luke has to be the Jungler next game, too. Or, does he? Ben was an option too. His jungling skills paled in comparison to Nia and Lukes, but at least Ben was awake right now and he wasn''t a memer. So, he was available to play and he should be able to use a solid Jungler class thatll fit the matchup. There wasn''t enough time to train him into a proper Jungler sub, but I made sure he gained a fair share of jungling experience over the past few weeks. This was a side project that Yuel had been working on ever since Ben returned to the club full-time. Once Ben started attending every training session like the others, it became clear once again that he was a hard-working member. He followed instructions to a T and didn''t complain about staying overtime. Truly, an exemplary competitive player. Since Ben was so willing to cooperate with whatever training regime Yuel came up with, Yuel decided to run a few experiments by placing Ben in various different roles. This revealed that Ben was a rather well-rounded player. The guy had the most experience playing Top and Support, but his solid defensive playstyle also extended nicely to Mid and Jungler as well. The only role he stumbled in was Carry. Ben wasn''t proactive enough to lead the teams offense, and he didnt have any outstanding mechanical skill to make him a serious threat. Nonetheless, the guy adequately handled 4 out of 5 roles. On top of that, he was a hard worker who went along with any instructions Yuel gave him. So, it was a waste to keep him as nothing more than a sub for Top. Thus, in the short time the team had to prepare for today''s scrimmage, Yuel made Ben gain some experience as a Jungler. The guys performance was still rough around the corners, but there was potential there. In time, Ben might become good enough to become a permanent replacement for Luke. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. But, is he ready to take the stage today as a Jungler? Yuel knotted his brows. No, probably not. Is it worth subbing him in anyway so he gains some experience? I doubt it. Thats like throwing him to the lions. Making a debut on the competitive scene was already stressful. And, debuting with a role that wasn''t Bens main would only make the experience that much more traumatizing. Ben already had more than enough confidence issues, so Yuel didnt want to add any more to the list. I should avoid traumatizing him. Yuel concluded. It''s best to eventually sub him in as Top, a role he''s more confident with. Well, at least as "confident" as you can call ever Ben... There was another option: sub Ben as Top and let Vincent play Jungler. Yuel had already tried this formation a couple of times during club practice but the results were a little lackluster to his taste. Vincent was a knowledgeable player with great versatility, capable of playing offensively, defensively, and anywhere in between. These all sounded like great traits for a Jungler but they were also his downfall. Basically, Vincent was too versatile for his own good. He had robust game knowledge about dealing with all enemy classes and he had the ability to adjust his plans on the fly based on how the game developed. This all sounded very promising on paper, but it sometimes proved disastrous in practice. As a Jungler, Vincent built items that countered the builds of other players, and he made plays that tried to sabotage predictable enemy plans. As such, his decision-making seemed very solid on a play-by-play basis. Alas, things became a mess in the long run. His game plan lacked any sense of coherence because he constantly tried to respond to the latest interesting developments. It was a prime example of trying to achieve too many things at once, only to fail at everything in the end. The only games in which Vincent performed well were the uneventful ones that had little to no interesting developments from the enemy side. In those games, Vincent could maintain a largely consistent game plan from start to end. Alas, most games werent like that, especially not against Diamond and Challenger ranks. The opponents there frequently chained strong plays one after another, so Vincent found himself chasing his own tail as he tried to respond to everything the enemy threw his way. These games were such a disaster. Yuel sighed. I had to constantly keep him in line so he doesnt lose sight of what was important. He had to frequently advise Vincent about which items and plays to prioritize among the endless options that occupied Vincents mind. As long as Yuel did that, Vincent followed the orders like a good soldier and performed adequately as a Jungler. But in the end, even after all that trouble, there wasnt anything too outstanding about Vincents performance. The guy did his job well for the most part, but thats all. It was very exhausting for me, though. Yuel sighed. Its almost as if I had to play both Support and Jungler at the same time. In those games, Yuel wasnt allowed to take his eyes off Vincent for even a moment. At any given point in time, Vincent was capable of making an unexpected decision that seemed good on the micro-scale but proved to be a terrible waste of time on the macro-scale. In conclusion, it will prove difficult to utilize Vincent as a Jungler in real matches, especially against the regional champions. I already have my hands full dealing with so many things during these games. Yuel thought. I dont have time to babysit Vincent. No matter how many times Yuel considered this idea, he always came to the conclusion that putting Vincent as the Jungler was off the table for today. In short, neither Ben nor Vincent could replace Luke at the moment, especially not against the Leopards. So, we''re stuck with Luke again, huh. Yuel sighed deeply. I feel like we''ve spent so much time working on our problems after the previous scrim, yet we still havent resolved many of the teams core issues. Sigh. They had about a month to work on all the issues they discovered in the previous scrimmage. Yuel held an extensive match review that presented everybodys problems, and Vincent even edited clips of all the important plays. So, they certainly put a lot of effort into studying their problems and discussing how to work on them. And, these discussions bore some fruit, but not nearly as much as Yuel hoped. For one, our Junglers didn''t take the criticism to heart. Yuel sighed once again as he glanced at the sleepyhead on the sofa. No matter how many lectures Yuel gave the girl about her problematic sleeping schedule, the troublemaker did little to nothing about it. Likewise, Luke remained the same memer he was before. He apparently did some secret training with Dark Knight in order to "surprise" the team today, but in the end, it was just another meme. No matter how much blood, sweat, and tears Luke put into perfecting this meme, it''ll forever remain unusable at the competitive level outside of surprise attacks. Maybe I should have allocated more practice hours to preparing a third Jungler. Yuel criticized himself. Anyway, it''s too late now. We''re already here and about to head into the third game, so we have to decide on our next lineup now. Ugh, what options do we even have here!? It seemed that another round of Lukes memeing was inevitable. Were there really no alternatives at all? Vol.16 Ch.11: Researching the Meme "Say, Yuel addressed Luke. You don''t happen to have any other surprises to show us, do you? For example, some other class youve been working on during the past month?" "Aside from DK? Nope," Luke said. I mean, it was only a month, man. You can''t expect me to master a bunch of new spicy memes in such a short time." "Yes, you''re right. I was just making sure." Yuel took a moment to consider his options again, or the lack thereof. "It seems like we have no choice. Youll have to play as usual in the next game." "You mean I gonna go all-in with DK again, right? Right?" Luke''s eyes glittered. He was like an excited puppy about to be taken for a walk. "A rerun of DK? Absolutely not," Yuel rejected. "We delivered a successful surprise attack and it worked against all odds, but it was a one-time thing. We won''t be able to pull it off again, not against the Leopards." "Hey, what''s with this defeatist talk? Youll never know until you try!" "No, I DO know, Yuel insisted. It''s not too hard to imagine what''ll happen if we use a similar lineup again. Basically, we''ll get countered hard." "Who knows?" Luke argued. "You only think that gonna happen because everybody and their moms be putting the Leopards on a pedestal. But bruh, tell me something. Did you ever imagine us smoking the Leopards so hard with that lineup? "No, I suppose not," Yuel said. "I always believed we had a chance to win if we played our hands right, but I admit that the result surpassed all expectations." "So, you wanna see me do it again?" Luke grinned. "I can run all over them with my DK anytime, word!" "Yeah, let''s go!" Lars pumped a fist. "That was sick! We gotta do it again!" "Indeed, it was a magnificent performance!" Vincent tuned in. "Dark Knight and Jungler, a combination from the very depths of unconventional picks! It has already shattered all expectations once, but can it do it again!?" "Are you guys stupid?" Kai shot them down. First of all, that DK nonsense only worked because Yuel did a good job misleading the Leopards during the drafting phase. Also, these bastards were clearly underestimating us that game, which wont happen again now that we beat them." "You think they were going easy on us?" Luke asked. How do you tell? "Trust me, I know, Kai assured. I have a sixth sense for when somebody underestimates me for any reason." I have more than enough experience with that from previous years of this club. "Okay, okay," Luke conceded. "Suppose they were underestimating us. I still don''t see the problem, tho." "Excuse me?" "I mean, yeah, that I and my DK don''t deserve all the credit for winning that game, Luke said. My brudda Yuel helped me a ton with piloting that DK. He pulled all the strings during the drafting phase, and he gave me lots of good advice during the game itself. Heck, despite how much he trash-talks memes, he sure knows how to meme like a boss! Im super impressed." "Do you think I studied all of that because I wanted to?" Yuel made a face. "I had to force myself to look through mountains of useless meme information in order to find something actually useful. It was like searching for gold in a pile of garbage." "Haha, harsh. But hey, ya found some hella solid tech! I''m legit impressed. Luke nodded. I always knew you''re a genius and stuff, but this is on a whole different level, word!" "Yeah, it was sick!" Lars hyped up the topic as well. "Like, I didn''t understand even half the tactics shmactics ya used there, but it seemed tight!" "Indeed, it was a beautifully orchestrated master plan! Vincent added. The Chessmaster was stuck with a questionable piece on his board, possibly worse than a pawn, yet Chessmaster found a way to evolve this piece into something superior to even the Queen!" "Well," Yuel said. "I''m glad you at least recognize the effort I put into researching all of this. But, dont get deluded here. None of this changes the fact it was a one-time trick. This approach won''t work on them again, definitely not against their shot-caller." "Oho!" Vincent exclaimed. "So, the Chessmaster expects to see magnificent adaptation from his chess rival!?" "He''s not my ''rival'', but yes, I expect him to adapt. I don''t believe I''ll be able to win the drafting phase against him that easily again." "Then, come up with something new," Luke said plainly. "... what?" "I mean, you''re the genius here, right? I bet youve already seen like 14,000,605 futures of how this scrim gonna end, so you must have like a hundred backup plans ready, right? Right?" A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "I don''t know what you take me for but I''m not a magician. I can''t pull new plans out of thin air on demand." "But, that''s totally what you always do, tho!" "..........." "Pft, haha! You totally got that ''Listen here, you little shit'' look!" "Only because you keep spouting all this nonsense." Yuel sighed. I know that to others my ideas may sometimes seem as if they came out of thin air, but most of them are based on long and (punctual) preparation. You really think I came up with that lineup to supplement your Jungler Dark Knight on the spot? To be honest, I have no idea, haha. Luke laughed. If its you, anything is possible. Really. Yuel made a face. If thats what you think, then Im sorry to disappoint you. I didnt come up with these game plans just today. Say what? I formed most of these ideas back when I was researching your memes. It took me a long time to come up with a semi-viable game plan for your nonsense. Dang, that sounds like a lot of work. It sure was. What you saw here today was the fruit of long hours of research and brainstorming. These werent things I came up with on the fly. Dang, you really researched the topic that much, huh? It makes you sound like a real meme fanatic, haha! Do you think I enjoyed any of it!? Yuel clenched an angry fist. He very much wanted to bonk that troublemaker. I had no choice. It seemed impossible to talk you out of using memes, so I had to find a viable game plan to go along with your dumb picks in case we have to use you today, which I knew was a very likely scenario. Seriously, why were this teams Junglers so cursed? They were two hooligans with tons of problems and there was nobody else to adequately replace them at the moment. This fact was always an endless source of headaches for Yuel. Sigh. Anyway, just so were perfectly clear, Yuel said. I do NOT have any other good plans for your Dark Knight. It was already difficult enough to come up with the game plan we used in the previous game and it wont work twice in a row. So, Im sorry to disappoint, but I dont have any good alternatives at hand. In retrospect, this could be considered a blunder on Yuels end. He knew better than anybody that it was always best to come prepared with multiple different game plans at hand. That would have given him more strategic flexibility and perhaps he couldve employed the Dark Knight multiple times today against the enemy. But, Yuel didn''t have any alternatives at hand. Why? For one, it was already difficult enough to come up with one semi-functional game plan for this absurd meme. Yuel had to spend so many hours researching ways to turn that absolute niche into something playable. In a way, it was a miracle that Yuel even managed to find as much info as he did on this topic. Never before did he imagine that he''ll be giving instructions to a memer on how to play their meme. The whole thing felt like a bad satire. I''ve spent way too much time researching all of that. Yuel shuddered as he recalled the experience. After wasting so much precious time, I didn''t have any more strength left to keep searching for more options for this dubious concept... It felt like a waste of time, all of it. Even the "useful" tech Yuel found seemed dubious at best and he had little to no opportunity to try it out during club practice. After all, Luke has been keeping his Dark Knight a "secret", which was a big problem in its own right. "I''d like to add that keeping your Dark Knight pick a ''secret'' from the team was harmful to everybody, Yuel criticized. Maybe you thought it''ll be a fun surprise, but because of that we didn''t have many opportunities to practice team comps that included a Dark Knight." "Hey, hey," Luke objected. "Ive picked DK a bunch of times in the past two weeks, didn''t I?" "Yes, that''s how I noticed you were trying very hard to make it work. But, it would have been much better if you just told us that this was your plan, so we could brainstorm about it together and find the best way to work with that abnormal pick." "I mean, it''s not like I knew for sure whether it''ll work out for me, ya know? I was testing out the waters for while with this spicy meme, Luke said. I had no idea whether it''ll be ready for today, so I didn''t wanna make any promises. Imagine if I said I tots gonna use DK, dudes!, only to bail out at the last moment because it wasnt actually ready. Super lame." "That''s fair, I suppose." Yuel nodded. "Though, I''m sure you realized it was ''ready'' at some point, so you should have told us as soon as the realization hit." "Yep, you got a point there," Luke conceded. "I''ll keep you posted the next time I come up with another spicy meme." "Please do." "Tho, I gotta say, you were kinda weird about this whole thing, too. Like, if you knew what I was up to, why didnt you expose me yourself?" "I was waiting for you to come out and confirm it," Yuel explained. "Since you kept quiet about it, I actually started having some doubt about the whole thing. I thought maybe you had no plans of actually bringing the Dark Knight to the stage. Why not just ask me, then? I considered asking but decided against it. I didn''t want to give you any funny ideas in case none of it was your intention in the first place." "Haha. You hate my memes that much, huh." "I quite dislike them, yes." "Yet, you still researched the heck out of them. Talk about being indecisive." "What choice do I have?" Yuel sighed. "You insist on using your favorite memes, so I always have to be prepared to utilize them." "Wait, you telling me youve learned how to make all my memes viable!?" "Only some of them. There''s no way I''ll be able to study that many impractical picks, let alone come up with good tactics for them." "But, you still studied a bunch of these memes, right?" Luke snickered. "It sounds like you got the makings of a professional memer yourself!" "Over my dead body!" Yuel hissed. "I like exploring unconventional tactics but that''s totally different from memes. Memes are only ''unconventional'' because they''re subpar compared to everything else. Id never willingly study them unless I had to." "Sure, dude." "Ugh..." Yuel scowled. His skin crawled from the mere idea of being compared to a memer. He was nothing like these jokers who sacrificed the entire team''s chances of winning in order to tell an unfunny joke. Either way, so far, the flow of the conversation suggested that Luke will be brandishing his Dark Knight once more. Were there really no alternatives in Stratuss arsenal!? Vol.16 Ch.12: What Do You Expect From a Memer? "Putting all that meme research talk aside," Kai said. "What are we gonna do about the next game? It sounds like Luke doesn''t have a strong alternative to DK and Yuel doesn''t have any alternative plans for a DK. So, where do we go from here?" Oh, right. Yuel shook his head and recollected his thoughts This was the original topic before the conversation got derailed.". The whole meme talk threw him off balance and made him stray from the important topics at hand. "Since Luke doesn''t have anything else, Yuel said. I was wondering whether subbing him for Vincent or Ben would be a good idea." "Hey, hold it right there!" Luke exclaimed. "What do ya mean I don''t have anything else? Bruh, I''ve got a billion memes under my belt!" "The quantity doesn''t matter when their quality is so low." "Whoa, throwing shade, are we." Luke made a face. "I''d like to remind ya that my memes did just fine against Taurus. Remember that shit?" "Are we really going to go over this again?" Yuel sighed. Against Taurus, the only thing you did right was avoid any big blunders. Thats the only reason why you did a ''passable'' job there. It was still a far cry from what an adequate Jungler should be able to achieve." "There''s just no pleasing this guy, is there?" Luke shook his head. "Like, I''m working my ass off to bring in the results, but this bruh be like ''Nah, it doesn''t count cuz its memes''. What''s with this shit treatment? Like, I''m still the best Jungler weve got, ain''t I?" "That''s... unfortunately true, I suppose." Yuel bit his lip. He couldn''t believe he was giving his approval to a memer but he had to concede that this was the truth. Despite the suboptimal meme picks, Luke was still mechanically the best Jungler they had on the team. "After Nia," Kai corrected. "That''s just your opinion," Luke argued. "But well, it doesn''t matter anyway because the girl knocked herself out. Who knows when she gonna be able to play." "Right." Kai conceded on that point. She was visibly displeased with Luke sticking to his memes during this important match, but she couldnt argue that Luke ultimately was the best Jungler they had available on hand. "Y''all agree Im the best too, right?" Luke turned to Vincent and Ben, the two competitors nominated to replace him. "Like, you guys know I gonna do a better job out there as a Jungler, right?" "I concur," Vincent said. "Even with more meta-oriented class picks, we mortals stand no chance against the Meme Jedi and his Meme Force." "Yeah." Ben nodded. "I don''t think I''m good enough to sub in as Jungler..." "Hey, dude!" Lars interjected. "Don''t say depressing stuff like that!" SMACK "Agh!" Ben''s spine almost got dislocated from the "friendly" slam on the back. This was the infamous Trever Special that Lars channeled every now and then. "Ya gotta believe in yourself, dude! Lars said. It''s fine to tell Luke that ya think he''s a cool dude, but ya gotta make sure he knows theres strong competition around. Tell him straight that you gonna replace his ass if he messes up. Whoa, whoa! Luke exclaimed. Whats with this betrayal, man!? I thought you were in my camp! I am, Lars assured. Your memes are sick and all. But, this scrim we got here is no joke. Our opponents are packing a real punch, we all felt it real good in the first game. So, we cant take this match lightly. I aint taking anything lightly if thats what youre implying. Im not saying you are, dude. Im just making sure that you stay on your toes, Lars explained. I mean, once you start thinking that youre the teams only option, then you gonna start getting lazy and stuff. So, its better if ya feel like somebody is breathing down yo neck, somebody who is ready to step in and replace ya at any moment. Dang, that sounds like a lot of unnecessary pressure to me. Luke laughed dryly. Why do you hate me so much, man? I dont deserve dis! I aint hatin, dude. A rivalry like that is important Lars insisted. I saw dudes who got lazy like that in the basketball club before. It wasnt pretty, yo. These players deflected all the criticism that came their way by using 200 IQ arguments such as Well, if you think Im not training hard enough, then find somebody who is better than me! Their precious position on the first-string became an excuse for them to slack around, even though they surely worked so hard before to get this position in the first place. It was one heck of a tragic downfall for these dudes. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. To make things even worse, Lars continued. Some of these dudes turned hella toxic toward anybody who dared who compete for the same position. As the solitary kings of their positions, these dudes made sure to discourage anybody from shooting for the same role. They kept spouting nonsense like Clearly, Im the best man for the job, so you go play a different position. Got it, dude? Dont make me come over there. Dang, thats one downer story, Luke said. So, thats how you see me, huh. A toxic slacker. Not at all, dude! Lars reassured. I know youre way above that lame stuff. But, Imma be real: what you just said to Vince and Ben to discourage them from trying Jungler sounded a little like what dudes often said, so it got me worried. Hey, I was just spitting facts there, Luke said. The fact is, these bros cant jungle as well as I do. That may be true, but you shouldnt assume that youre irreplaceable, Lars insisted. You''re a super-duper important part of the team, dude. The Jungler interacts with everybody and their moms, so if you play badly it might screw the entire team. No pressure, haha." "Yeah, totally no pressure. None at all." Luke smiled wryly. "Anyway, the bottom line is, we''re counting on ya, dude!" SMACK! "AGH!" Luke felt a whole damn tank rammed into his back at 300 kph, but he sucked it up like a man. Unlike the weakos who complained about this friendly gesture, Lukes spine developed resistance to it after being broken a few times, probably. Larss smack was heavy, but that''s why it conveyed Lars''s feeling better than words ever could. The guy packed all his thoughts into physical form and rammed everything into Luke. So, it made sense for it to hurt a little. After all, the topic at hand was pretty dang heavy. So, you say I might screw the entire team if I dont play well, huh. Luke examined his own palms. What power did these hands possess? Not that much, usually. He wasn''t a martial artist or anything like that, so his hands weren''t that special. However, in Classmancers, these hands controlled an entire character. Movement, attacks, skills - Luke piloted all of these with his own two hands. Furthermore, he was the Jungler, the most dynamic role in the game. He had the ability, as well as the responsibility, to interact with every lane and help everybody get closer to victory. They expect stuff from me. They depend on me. Luke gulped as he glanced at the numerous eyes focused on him. All of them were placing responsibility on him, demanding he do his absolute best to secure the team''s victory. "Lars is right," Kai said. "Do you remember what we promised at the beginning of the year as a team?" "I didn''t promise anything," Luke said. "It''s only you guys who talked about winning the regionals and other impossible shit like that. I didn''t believe any of that for a moment, and I still don''t." "Such blasphemous words!" Vincent exclaimed. "I struggle to believe that these words are being uttered by the same master who had vanquished the Leopards just a few moments ago! If that''s not proof enough of our ability to conquer the regionals, then what is!?" "That''s... true, I guess." Luke hasnt given it enough thought until now, but it was really some srs bsns. Today, Stratus was competing against the highest rank of this region. They were up against the crowned regional champions who went undefeated for so many years. And, they just smoked these guys. Luke''s hilarious meme mopped the floor with these scrubs. So yes, they actually won! They defeated the final boss! Well, not really. Luke stopped himself right there. I bet theyre gonna come back with a vengeance, so it ain''t over yet. But still, we sure gave them the business. It''s almost as if we got an actual shot at winning this years regionals... It was a scary thought. Stratus was supposed to be a casual club with barely any talent in it. The school even mistreated the club for how useless it was in competitions. But, this year was different. Unlike all previous seniors, Kai and Vincent had their heads in the cloud, daydreaming about winning the regionals. Furthermore, two ultimate tryhards joined the club this year, too. Together, all of that transformed this pitiful team into something that vaguely resembled a powerhouse. Actually, maybe we already ARE a powerhouse at this point. Luke gulped. I mean, we mopped Taurus and we got a game off the Leopards. We''re kinda on a roll! Haha... But, where was Luke''s place in all of this? Currently, he was walking the nonexistent fine line between memeing and playing competitively. These were two roads that were never meant to intersect. I mean, there ARE a couple of memers in pro league. Luke thought. But, most of them are just popular with the crowd, not necessarily that good. Well, I guess DimensionShift is pretty good, but Combo Mid isn''t really a meme. Its just a niche difficult playstyle. There were a few other exceptions as well, but at large, it was clear that memers weren''t at the top of the food chain. And, that was fine. The whole point of memeing was to play by your own rules and look cool while doing so. Getting wins was just a bonus. But, I''m in an awkward spot here. Luke gulped. My team doesnt care about any of that. They''re a bunch of tryhards through and through. They wanna win no matter what, and they want me to play an important role in all that. Yes, they want me, a memer, to tryhard. Funny that this shit is happening now, in this club of all places... Back in grade school, when Luke was in the soccer club, he could only dream about reaching the competitive stage. He took soccer super seriously and trained very hard, but he never made it into the first-string. There were always some other mofos who''d steal all the available spots. Pain. Thats the whole reason Ive been trying to steer clear of all that competitive shit. Luke reminded himself. I joined this Mancers club because it was supposed to be a casual, chill club. There wasn''t supposed to be any tryhard talk like winning the regionals in this club. Smh. Yet, the tryhard atmosphere engulfed the club at this point. Luke was surrounded by a bunch of lunatics who intended to transform this meme team into top tier. This gotta be the joke of the year, yet these guys were dead serious. Worst of all, they insisted to drag Luke into all that nonsense. It was the kind of toxic competitiveness that he has been desperately trying to get away from, yet here it was again, trying to drag him back into tryhard zone... Vol.16 Ch.13: The Meme Is All We Have Why now? Luke shuddered. Why with this club? I swear this is such a hilarious story. After Luke left the tryhard soccer club behind him and decided to become a "casual" player, he ironically found himself closer to the pinnacle of the competitive scene than ever before. The moment he stopped caring about training hard and getting into the first-string, he somehow got promoted into being a key player on a team that had a real shot against the regional champions. It was a pepega story through and through. So, WTF am I supposed to do now? Luke clenched his fists. I''m already dedicated to being a top-tier memer. That''s the only area in which Ive been training all this time. Even if you ask me now, I can''t revert back to being a tryhard. I don''t have it in me. Even if he were to start tryharding now, itd take him ages to catch up to the others with meta classes. Not to mention, his heart will never be 100% into it, which will surely hamper his growth and performance. So, it was simply impossible for him to go meta at this point. He has come too far to turn back. All the blood, sweat, and tears he went through in order to perfect his memes was not something he could ever discard. Even if you give me Shadow Walker or any other broken class - I wouldnt know what to do with it. Im sure Ill perform worse with Shadow Jungler than with any of my memes. Yes, even worse than my spicy Cleric Jungler, heh. In the 2+ years Luke has been playing Classmancers, he never bothered to study the top-tier classes that everybody raved about. For him, the only reason to look up tier lists was to learn which classes were reserved for meta slaves and should be avoided by the cool kids. This was probably the opposite of what 99.9% of the player base used tier lists for. I just didnt want to feel like Im tryharding again. Luke thought. The whole point of video games is to have fun, not to train to become some sweaty eatsports player. Yet, here I am, playing on the competitive stage in ProCenter and beating up the regional champions... This was a joke, a legit one. It was harder to come up with a dumber comedy story than this. Seriously, how the heck did a memer like Luke end up on a stage like this? It was comedy gold. Nevertheless, Luke was here at this very moment, so he had to deal with this crap. It was a pain in the ass, but it also felt weirdly good at the same time. The duality of man. I dont wanna be a tryhard, but it feels good when I have an important role on the team and get to trash the biggest meta slaves of the region. This is so stupid, haha After coming this far, a part of him wanted to take things more seriously and legit help this team win the whole thing. Like, he wasnt anybodys best friend here or anything, but nonetheless, all these bruhs became an important part of Lukes daily life. Even though he was just a memer, he developed a sense of comradery with everybody after playing with them on a daily basis. During a match, Luke knew he could entrust his back to his bros. And, the same way he felt comfortable relying on them, he also wanted them to rely on him. But, theres nothing more I can do. Luke smiled wryly. Sure, I wasnt born a memer, but was molded into one a long time ago, so Im far too gone. I can no longer return back to playing normally. Itll take me years to relearn everything about these so-called meta classes. Bleh. The term alone makes me want to puke. He was a memer with tryhard tendencies, but also a tryhard with memeing preferences. And unfortunately, he couldnt do anything to change that. Im sorry to disappoint ya all, Luke finally spoke up. But, I cant turn into a tryhard all of a sudden. Thats just ain''t me, ya know? I mean, this team turned out to be surprisingly awesome and Id really like us to win, but I cant just go meta all of a sudden. Some things are just impossible like that. Is it really that hard for you to learn at least one or two meta classes? Yuel asked. Yep, its mega hard. Its at least as hard as it is for you to learn how to play a meme or two. And yet, I did study how to play your memes. It was a truly unpleasant experience and I wanted to give up on it many times, but I did it all the same. Haha, yeah, thats true... Luke smiled wryly. I forgot this guy is like the epitome of tryhard. Hes so tryhard that he shit talks my memes but is still willing to spend his time researching them. I cant beat that. Im not hardcore enough. Welp, youre just something else, man. Luke dodged the confrontation. Clearly, Im not on the same level as you. Then try getting closer to it, please. Nah, it wont happen. Your level of obsession with the game is borderline insanity, ya know? Is it? I think this much is an expected amount of effort for somebody who is seriously aiming to win the regionals. Actually, no, Kai interjected. I dont like doing this, but I gotta agree with Luke on this one. Hey! Luke pouted. What do ya mean you dont like it? Rude. Its because most of your takes on this topic are rubbish. Youre the prime example of a lazy bum who doesnt take the competition seriously. Hey, hey, Im not THAT bad, am I? Didnt you see my DK mop the floor with these so-called champions? Just so you know, Ive trained hella hard to make my DK work this well. So, you see? Im working real hard! Sure, sure. Kai rolled her eyes. Anyway, I reluctantly agree with you that its unrealistic to hold anybody to Yuel and Larss standards. Theyre hardcore on a whole other level. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Yep, totally. I dont like to admit it, Kai testified. But, even I feel left a little behind sometimes. I already take the game far more seriously than most, but even I cant compete with how obsessed they are with the game. Dang, even cap feels this way? Luke cracked a laugh. These bruhs are total fanatics, word. With that said, Kai stressed. Thats no excuse to not try harder. For example, you could stick around for a little longer after regular training hours. But instead, you always run home straight away as if you have a family with five kids to feed." "Hey, hey. Even if I tune out early from the club, it doesnt mean I dont practice at home, you know? Oh? Kai blinked. Are you saying that you do? Well, sometimes. Luke shifted his eyes away, which made the answer sound dubious at best. I mean, how do ya think I brought my DK to this level? Tons of secret training, hehe~" "Seriously? That makes this even sadder." Kai spat a sigh. "So you DO have the motivation to train harder every now and then, but you rather spend all that energy on preparing a meme that you didnt even bother informing us about, just so you can ''surprise'' us or whatever. Are you for real?" "Weeeelp, it does sound a little silly when you put it that way." Luke scratched his head. "But hey, Yuel already chewed me out enough, so yeah, I understand now. Its better to keep you posted on what spicy meme I''m preparing." "Even before that," Yuel said. "The fact you spend your spare time practicing a meme instead of improving with good classes is a huge problem in itself. Why can''t you pour even half of that energy into learning at least one meta class?" "Bruh, ya always ask me this and I always give ya the same answer. Playing meta just ain''t my thing, you know? I cant get myself motivated to learn or play it. So, no way I gonna perform well with any of this shit." "And as I always say, if you pick a meta class, then at least our overall team comp will be much more stable. But yes, weve had this conversation a thousand times by now, so let''s put it aside for now." "''For now''...? Luke made a face. Please don''t tell me you gonna keep harassing me about this. " "Always. Without fail. 24/7." "Nuuuuuuuuu!" Yuel and Kai sighed at this response. It was evident that they were going in circles here. There was simply no changing Luke''s attitude right now. And, even if they somehow manage to achieve such a miracle, this hardcore memer didn''t have a single meta class he could play on demand. It was a lost cause. "So, in short," Yuel summarized. "It sounds like we''re stuck with Luke as our best option at the moment, and his best options are all memes." "Yeah, sounds like it." Kai shook her head. "We''ll have to wait until Nia wakes up to kick him out." "Whoa, rude," Luke exclaimed. "You two are bullies, you know that? Youre only thinking about how to get rid of me. Scary." "Is that supposed to be a Nia impression?" "Ehe." "EHE TE NANDAYO!?" Vincent shouted some nonsense that only made sense for the memers. "Anyway," Luke said. "I really don''t get why you''re racking your brains so hard. I mean, DK is my spiciest meme at the moment, so clearly I should be playing it. Its the same way you make Lars pick Shooter or Slinger when it''s available." "Except, Trickshooter and Gunslinger are actually good classes that can be picked in any comp. But, Dark Knight isnt. Its a class that only works a very specific game plan that''s incredibly dangerous and difficult to pull off, especially when the enemy is ready for it." "Welp, life always gonna be hard, man. Luke shrugged. So, gotta use the best stuff you got and keep moving forward." "That''s..." Yuel didn''t want to agree with anything Luke had to say on this topic, but this particular point was true. No matter how much Yuel ranted about being stuck with an "unreliable Jungler", complaining about it wasnt going to change anything. He simply had to adapt and find a novel way to utilize Lukes trained Dark Knight. Though I have to say, he''s sure feeling himself after that game. Yuel frowned. I''m glad we won, but I feel that outcome will only make Luke more hellbent to continue using memes. Sigh. After tasting such a sweet victory, there was no convincing Luke that his memes were ineffective on the competitive scene. After all, the evidence spoke for itself. He used a meme to utterly trash the regional champions. So, what was better proof that his memes were viable? Unfortunately for him, there''s this little thing called ''adaptation''. Yuel thought. Winning one game hardly matters in the grand scheme of things. Im sure the Leopards already adapted to this lineup. They''ll shut us down on the spot if we try to use it again. The team won that one game, but at what cost? Now, Luke had even more reasons to never touch meta classes for the rest of his life. This was a rough trade. A part of me almost wishes we lost that game, just to avoid this problem. But, I didn''t want to lose, so... It was quite an internal struggle. Yuel worked very hard to secure the team''s victory but there was also a part of him that hoped to see Luke mess up and fail. Crashing and burning shouldve helped convince that goof to take things more seriously. But instead, they ended up winning in a very convincing manner. This result placed Luke on a high horse. There was no talking him out of using memes anytime soon. At least, it wont happen until he suffers that inevitable defeat. Yuel thought. But, Im definitely not going to arrange something like this on purpose, especially not against the Leopards. This scrimmage was already an uphill battle, so Yuel didnt really have the luxury to think about the benefits of losing any games here. Stratus had to keep fighting hard to get these difficult wins. At the bare minimum, we have to drag that mysterious Korean player to the stage. Yuel thought. If we return home today without achieving at least that much, then that''ll count as a crushing defeat for the entire team as far as I''m concerned. With all these considerations in mind, it was a bad idea to let Luke pick Dark Knight again. Itll be the same as throwing him to the wolves. But at the same time, what alternatives did Yuel have? None. I have nothing. Yuel sighed deeply. After all this back and forth, it seems like I''m back to square one. Of course, there was the option of making Luke pick one of his other memes, but most of them were Setup Junglers. Such picks promoted a defensive playstyle, which wasnt the kind of jungling Stratus needed against the Leopards hyper-defense. Especially, if they switch to their other formation, then theyll have much tighter defense on lanes. Yuel reasoned. That''ll be a nasty formation to break through without a threatening Jungler. All this back and forth was starting to turn into a headache. Yuel couldn''t believe he was forced into this kind of stupid dilemma, the kind that shouldnt exist on the competitive level. At this point, after bashing his head against a wall for so long, he actually started to favor a rerun of the Dark Knight Jungler as well. He couldnt believe that he fell so low, but thats how much the situation was forcing his hand. In the many simulations he ran in his head about today''s scrimmage, he never considered a situation like this. He was prepared to use Dark Knight on the stage, but he didnt expect to win in such a pronounced way that made Lukes Dark Knight look good. This was an unexplored scenario. Yuel needed a few good hours to mull over this problem and simulate various possible outcomes. Alas, he didnt have such time. He had to make his decision NOW. But, even now, he still had no conclusive answer on this matter... Vol.16 Ch.14: Dark Majority Vote "It appears this bizarre turn of events is stumping our Chessmaster to no end," Vincent said. "In that case, may I propose a suggestion that''ll possibly liberate you from this unsolvable dilemma?" "Shoot, Yuel said. If youre unable to come to a decision by yourself, then how about we employ a majority vote? You want everybody to vote on whether they agree with a DK rerun? Yuel asked. Indeed. Vincent nodded. We all shall cast our votes to decide the fate of the Meme Jedi! Will we grant him the rank of a master and allow him to use his dark meme once again? Or, will he have to switch to a different meme? The Senate will decide his fate. Hmm. I suppose thats an option. Yuel nodded. Once again, he had to be reminded that he wasnt carrying the entire team on his shoulders. Everybody participated in that game, so they had their own opinions and conclusions about it. Therefore, for difficult dilemmas like this, where Yuel couldnt decide on his own, it made sense to rely on his teammates opinions. Then, let us cast our votes! Vincent raised his hand. First, everybody who wishes to see the Meme Jedi unleash his Dark Force once again - raise your hands! I can vote too, right? Luke thrust both hands into the air and waved them around. Hrm. This decision revolves around your Meme Force so that surely makes you biased, but I believe your vote should count as much as anybodys in this case. Do you agree, o great Chessmaster? Its questionable but Im fine with that. Yuel didnt want to waste any more time mulling over random dilemmas. The whole point of this majority vote was to finally reach a decision, so Yuel didnt have time to create any more difficult questions for himself. So, we have two votes thus far, Vincent announced. He counted himself and Luke in favor of the Dark Knight strategy. Just to make sure, Yuel said. Youre not voting in favor just because it sounds more entertaining or something, are you? I confess, entertainment value indeed plays a big role in this decision, Vincent admitted. Using this Dark Knight strategy on a competitive stage makes for a far more engaging esports story! Figured However, thats not all! Vincent added. There are numerous benefits to using this strategy once more. Oh? Im listening. For one, theres psychological warfare, Vincent explained. The enemy had already suffered one crushing defeat from this strategy, so Im certain this experience burned itself into their minds. They will not be able to recover easily from this, so a rerun of this strategy should shake them up mentally once more. Hmm. I only partially agree, Yuel said. Im sure their mental fortitude is strong enough to overcome that kind of trauma, but its true that this pick will likely ruffle their feathers. Indeed it shall! And, then theres also the matter of the enemys strengths. They are the very epitome of a hyper-defensive team, therefore fighting them with a defensive lineup of our own is a recipe for defeat. Thats an oversimplification, Yuel said. But, overall I agree. Therefore! Vincent stretched his arms dramatically. We must clash against them with the most powerful offense we can muster! We must bust through their shields and thoroughly destroy them! And, as it stands right now, the only class the Meme Jedi can employ for the job is the infamous Dark Knight. Hmm. Another oversimplification, but its largely true. Yuel didnt have any strong objections to any of these arguments. In fact, Vincent was echoing some of the arguments that Yuel already considered. However, the hyperbole phrasing of these arguments made them sound that much more appealing than when Yuel considered them. There was no denying that Vincent made a solid case for himself. Even if 90% of his decision was probably fueled by the desire to see a more entertaining game, he nonetheless had some solid arguments to support his decision. And, it seemed like his strong conviction also spread around the team and affected others. Yo, that sounds sick! Lars raised his hand. Imma join in, too! Why? Yuel demanded. Because we should be pushing offense, dude. You saw how we smoked these dudes in the previous game, right? Its all thanks to that sweet offense. We couldnt do anything cool like that in the first game. I suppose thats true. Yuel knotted his brows. But, do you really believe this tactic will work twice in a row? Well never know until we try it, yo! I say we go all in and bust through their defenses! Lars thrust a fist to illustrate his point. Like, real talk. Their team kinda reminds me of Howards annoying defense, so I totally wanna tear these dudes apart! I see. Yuel had nothing else to say because a part of him felt that was as well. Even though there were definitely differences between Cato and Howard''s shot-calling tactics, their essence felt very similar. It''s almost as if they were molded from the same base, coached by the same mentor. Both were hardcore defensive shot-callers who built their teams like an iron wall that could withstand any attack. The only striking difference between them was that Howards defense was adaptive in the sense that it mainly covered the teams weak spots on demand, whereas Cato fortified his team up to eleven from the get-go in order to minimize any potential risks. In that sense, Cato''s team was far more annoying to deal with. It almost felt like bashing your head against a wall. The guy had an absolute dedication to defense, to a fanatic level. Can a balanced lineup ever hope to bust through that wall? Yuel was doubtful. Maybe if our team had more people with high mechanical skills, then we could''ve tried to brute force our way through that angle. But, as it stands, there''s only Lars and Kai to carry us in that department. So, we''re not intimidating enough for the Leopards unless we use a very aggressive lineup. In truth, Yuel was aware of this for a while now. He understood that the most surefire way to bust through the enemy''s thick wall of defense was by ramming a hyper-aggressive lineup into it. Nonetheless... "I still think it''s a bad idea," Yuel said. "I agree that we need to focus on offense, but this meme lineup won''t work a second time. We''re not playing against amateurs here." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Yeah, I know, dude." Lars nodded. "But, this is like the best thing weve got right now, right? Like, other than DK, what other strong attackers do ya play, Luke?" "Hehe, I''m glad you asked!" Luke smiled meaningfully. "Ive just remembered I can play Orc, too! Though it''s still a work-in-progress, so it''s not on par with my DK yet." "Sick, haha! That''s also one heck of an aggressive meme, right? "Yes, it sure is," Yuel answered. "I suspect it''s probably more stable than a Dark Knight as Jungler, but if Luke calls it ''work-in-progress'' then I doubt we can expect much." "Nah, man, it totally works," Luke insisted. "It''s a savage Jungler class." "If it''s so savage, then why I''ve barely seen you play it in the club?" "Weeeeelp, I can''t play the same class all the time, ya know?" Luke shifted his eyes. "Besides, I was pushing my DK and all that. Can''t be chasing too many new classes at the same time." "In other words, you concluded your Orc isnt ready or at least isnt as good as your Dark Knight." "Haha. Yeah, guess that about sums it up. Dang, I was trying to make it sound like a promising idea but ya had to shoot it down like its a bad idea. "Because it clearly is, Yuel said. With the Dark Knight, at least you radiated a lot of confidence. Youve clearly put a lot of hours into the class, which is why I was willing to give it a shot in the first place. But, considering how much youve been working on it, I doubt you had any spare time to work on Orc as well. "Yeah, true dat. Luke nodded. Orc was my other candidate for a spicy offensive Jungler meme, but I settled on DK after playing both of them for a while. Still feel kinda bad about how I left my homie Orc in the dust smh. "Welp, sounds like its settled then," Lars said. "This makes it clear that DK is our only way forward if we wanna go hard on the offense." "So it seems." Yuel sighed. "Nevertheless, I''m not voting for it. I still think our chances to win like that again are so low that using a balanced lineup instead would be better." "I think so too," Kai said. "These guys aren''t dumb, they''ll adapt. So, if we try hitting them with this meme again, then we''ll have a very bad time." "You two are party poopers for real, huh." Luke shook his head. "Just believe in the power of memes!" "Yeah!" Lars pumped a fist. "His DK rekt them once, so he can destroy them again!" "Believe in the Meme Force!" Vincent joined the propaganda. Nonetheless, Yuel and Kai didn''t budge. Even if Dark Knight was currently the team''s only option for forming an overwhelming offensive team, they knew it just wouldn''t work again. In fact, the three goofs probably realized that as well. They probably just thought that using Dark Knight again will be more interesting than having Luke pick one of his Setup Junglers. "So, the vote is currently 3-2," Yuel summarized. "Ben, what is your vote?" "M-Me?" Ben jumped. He quietly stayed on the sideline while the heated debate was in session, but suddenly he found himself at the center of the attention. "Um, I don''t think I have the right to vote..." "Yeah, WTF?" Luke complained. "Only the actual team members should have the right to vote here. Ben wasnt on the stage with us back there, so he doesnt know jack shit about the situation. "Nonetheless," Yuel objected and turned to Ben. "You watched the two games, right?" "Yes, of course." Ben nodded. I watched everything. "So, I''m sure you have an opinion about that Dark Knight, too, Yuel said. In fact, your input may even be even more valuable than ours because, as Luke said, you weren''t on stage with us. Youre almost a neutral observer here, so your opinion should be more impartial than ours." "I really don''t think that I..." "Just tell us what you think," Kai pressed. "There''s no right or wrong answer here. Nobody is going to judge you." "Okay..." Ben''s weak response left much to be desired, but at least it seemed he was ready to speak. "But honestly, I don''t know what to say. From the side, it looked like your teamplay with the DK was very good." "Hehe, you heard that, chumps?" Luke grinned. "That''s it, time to pack up, guys. Weve won!" "Um, but, with that said..." "Oh shit, here it comes." Luke facepalmed. "In the end, it was still a Dark Knight," Ben continued. "The entire time, I was scared that everything will fall apart from a single mistake. So, in that sense, I understand why its very dangerous to do this again." "Nah, it''s all good, man. I''ll mop them ezpz the second time, too." "Maybe you will. It''s hard to tell, Ben said. I''m more of a defensive player, so it''s hard for me to analyze offensive lineups like this. But, I think it looked like a very convincing lineup in that game." "Heck yeah, bro!" Luke gave a thumbs up. "I knew you were on my side all along!" "Be, youre being a little wishy-washy" Yuel argued. "It sounds to me like youre trying to avoid forming a full opinion because youre not an offensive player. "Um, its not quite like that," Ben explained. "As I said, I only play defense, so the only thing I understood very well from these games was that the Leopards'' defense is amazing. Nothing can get past them! Is that so. Um, yeah, thats how it looked to me. Their defense was without any openings! So, I can''t even imagine the Leopards losing to anything but an extreme offense like the one you used." "Whoa..." Everybody was stunned. It was extremely rare for Ben to lay bare his emotions so openly. He sounded like a total fanboy. "A-Ah, I''m sorry." Ben clammed up after seeing everybody''s stunned faces. "I said too much." "Nah, dude." Luke flashed a smile. "It was cool. You should share your opinion like this more often. "Yes," Kai agreed. "You''re a part of the club like the rest of us. If you''re still hung up on how you were forced to skip so much club practice, then forget about that shit. You have just as much right to voice your opinions as any of us does. "Okay, thanks." Ben smiled softly. The fact he thanked Kai for something so obvious showed that he still had a long way to go before he truly overcomes his mental block. But for now, it was good enough. "So," Luke started with a cocky smirk on his face. "What Im hearing is that Ben is gonna vote for DK, right?" "Um, I''m not sure..." "Say whaaat?" Luke''s jaw dropped. "Bruh, youve just raved about how these guys got some insane defense and that DK is our only lord and savior! C''mon!" "Um, I only said that their defense is so strong that I don''t see it losing to any offense that''s not overwhelming." "Exactly! That pretty much translated to ''Pick DK already, you dumbasses!''" "Ah, I didn''t quite mean it that way..." "Please, Meme Jedi," Vincent interjected. "Would you mind not putting words in the poor fellow''s mouth? Youve clearly made a giant logical leap from what he said." "But, that''s pretty much what it boils down to, right? DK is our only true aggressive option right now." "Correction, its YOUR only aggressive option," Yuel said. "We can try picking a heavily aggressive even without your DK. You seriously wanna play an aggressive comp without an aggressive Jungler? Bruh. True, itll be rough but its doable. Anyway, it sounds like Ben can''t quite make up his mind on this matter." "I-I''m sorry..." Ben hung his head. "Is it possible to abstain? I don''t feel confident voting for either option." "Of course, my guy!" Luke answered. "Abstain all you want, free of charge! No need to vote for something youre not sure about, am I right?" "Unfortunately, I''m inclined to agree with Luke this time." Yuel sighed. "It''s not mandatory to vote. Youve made your position clear enough." In short, there was no clear consensus on the topic at present. Nonetheless, Bens perspective provided important insight. As a fellow defensive player, Ben saw the Leopards'' defense as unbreakable. In his mind, only a very powerful aggressive force could possibly break through that blockage. Anything weaker than that simply wont cut it. Will Nia be able to achieve that when she wakes up? Yuel wondered. Either way, we''ll worry about that later. For now, unfortunately, Dark Knight is the only real option on the table. "Weeeeelp!" Luke snickered. "If Ben abstains, then it means Team DK won!" "I guess so." Yuel nodded. He still wasn''t convinced but he accepted the outcome. In the end, nobody knew for sure what was going to be best for the team in this particular situation. Everybody was speculating based on their own combination of logic and gut. And so, it was decided. The next game will be a rerun of Luke''s Dark Knight. Will this questionable meme crash and burn as expected? Or, will it defy all expectations once again and deliver the team to victory!? Find out next time on Dark Knight Meme Z! Vol.16 Ch.15: How Safe Should We Play It? It was time for the third game of the scrimmage. The score was 1-1 right now, so the upcoming game will serve as a tiebreaker. But, it was more than just that. In a real tournament match, two wins would have been enough to win the entire thing. So, if this were the regionals right now, then everything would have been riding on this game! Then again, this is not representative of a real match for our side. Yuel though. Nia was half asleep in the first game and now she''s completely out of the picture, so were forced to rely on memes. This is turning out to be a worst-case simulation of the regionals. Its a little disappointing. The whole point of scrimmages was to give both teams a taste of what to expect at the regionals. But, this scrimmage? So far, it was nothing but a pure mess for Stratus. I suppose that''s a lesson in itself. Yuel frowned. It shows us how unreliable our Junglers are and how much were dependent on them. A Jungler was similar to a midfielder in soccer. Normally, they werent the player who scored the most goals or blocked the most attacks. Nonetheless, the midfielder was an important playmaker that linked the team''s offense and defense. A successful defense could only transition into a strong attack via the mid-fielder. The Jungler role in Classmancers was very much like that. The Jungler didnt lane but he covered up for laners whenever they had to evacuate to the base. And, the Jungler didnt score that many kills by himself but he participated in the majority of ganks. In summary, Jungler was a crucial role that linked many of the team''s plays together. It was the piece on the board that had the freedom to move from one end to another on demand. But, Luke makes it difficult to utilize this piece properly. Yuel sighed deeply as he took his seat in front of the table. Instead of being a flexible piece, this guy comes with so many restrictions that Im forced to plan the entire team comp around him. Normally, it''s supposed to be the other way around... The Jungler was supposed to be the flexible role that adjusts itself to the team and the situation. Yet, Luke''s Dark Knight meme enforced the exact opposite. Now, because of this, Yuel had to form another highly aggressive team comp once again. And, Cato is going to expect that so I can''t be too obvious about it. Yuel reasoned. Im sure Cato is on guard against another Dark Knight lineup, so I have to find a smart way to throw them with the early picks. This drafting phase was going to decide a lot about the outcome of the upcoming game. If the enemy catches wind of this Dark Knight plan and counters it preemptively, then theyll turn Stratuss life into hell. For starters, theres no choice but to pick Dark Knight toward the end. Yuel concluded. Until then, I''ll stick to ambiguous picks. The drafting phase opened with the banning phase. Yuel''s bans were no-brainers: Aeromancer, Warlock, and Shadow Walker. On the other hand, the enemy banned Trickshooter, Gunslinger, and Pirate. Both strategists targeted players with obvious favorite picks. "Heh, they arent gonna ban DK?" Luke cracked a laugh. "It looks like they''re not scared enough yet. I say lets pick DK right at the start to give them some Vietnam flashbacks!" "Definitely not." Yuel shot it down. "As I explained earlier, this time, the plan is to keep the Dark Knight under wrappers. Last time, I used the Dark Knight pick to confuse them, but this time they''ll know exactly what''s coming once they see the Dark Knight." "Oh, so therefore!" Vincent exclaimed. "You are planning to do the exact opposite of the last game, are you not? You will hide the mighty Dark Knight until the very end, fooling the enemy into thinking it won''t be making an appearance this time!" Yes, thats the plan. Ive already explained it a few minutes ago. "Oh right, you did say something along these lines." Luke rested his hands behind his head and kicked back. "Welp, I''mma leave this one to you. I trust your pro-level drafting skills." "Why thank you." A reminder that I only have to work this hard on the picks because a certain somebody is making my life very difficult right now... But, regardless of Yuel''s inventions, the enemy had the first turn in this drafting phase. So, how were the Leopards going to build their lineup this time? After the events of the previous game, the most natural response would be to reinforce their defense to the max, but... "Gimme Berserker," Ronald requested. "That again?" Cato made a face. "I told you we have to start this one slow and steady." "Bleh, weak. Ronald made a face. So what, you gonna make me pick Knight or some lame stuff like that?" "Yes, that''s the plan." Cato selected Knight on the menu but hasn''t locked it in yet. "I mean, Knight is fine and all, but don''t you think its a little weak of a pick here? Ronald asked. We gotta show them that we''re hella confident about winning this one! "This isn''t a competition in who can stroke their ego harder" Sonya pointed out. "We won''t gain any substantial advantage here by picking Berserker." "Hard disagree, Ronald insisted. If we show them something like Berserker right at the start, then we''ll be sending them a message, saying we aren''t afraid of their DK. That gotta shake them up at least a little. "It sounds like wishful thinking." Well, they probably think were mopping about our defeat or whatever, so we gotta show them that we dont care about any of that shit. Were ready to wage war! "Youre basing your entire argument on some emotions that the enemy may or may not have. I dont understand the logic behind any of it at all." "Heh, Sonya the Android strikes again!" "Say what you will, but the bottom line is - you don''t have any hard data to prove any of your theories." "Meh, not everything can be proven with data. Sometimes, you just gotta FEEL it!" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "You either have data or you have nothing." "Dang, what a tough customer, haha." In the end, Ronald failed to deliver any convincing arguments, so each side stuck to their religion. "Sonya and I have already discussed the lineup options during the break," Cato said. "There wasn''t enough time to explain everything to everybody, but the gist is that we want to start slow and steady in this drafting phase. First, well see what the enemy is up to based on their picks, and then well adjust accordingly." "That''s the safest approach," Sonya explained. "Last game, we were sure we had the enemy figured out, so we rushed to fire some counter picks early on. But as you know, that backfired very hard and we lost the game because of it." "Heh, some drafter you are, man." Ronald threw shade at the captain. "My, what an unlikable brat." Cato put on a fake smile. "Yes, that was my blunder, I already admitted as much. I jumped the gun during the drafting phase and that led me straight into the enemy''s trap. It won''t happen again." "Are you sure about that?" Ronald asked. "At this rate, it sounds like well end up with another overly defensive lineup at this rate." "Knight is a versatile class last time I checked." "Yeah, it''s top tier for a reason, Ronald agreed. But, it lacks a little OOMPH to it, you know? Berserker is a way more assertive pick. It clearly screams ''we gonna wreck you!, which is the kind of stuff we should be picking right now." "I agree for a change," William said. "Brooooo! I knew you''ll understand!" "Well, honestly, I know you''re just coming up with excuses so you can use an aggressive class and vent your frustrations." "Vent? What''s that? Never heard of it." Ronald rolled his eyes. "I just wanna show them that we''re not bothered by the nonsense they pulled last game." "What a contradiction." Matthew sighed. "The fact you''re so desperate to prove anything just shows that you are, in fact, hella concerned. Well, thats just my two cents." "Well, that''s... Eh..." Ronald struggled to string any words into a coherent response. "My, my, my." Cato smiled impishly. "Somebody just got burned reaaaally hard~ Nice going, Matt." Whatever. Ronald shrugged. I mean, how can I even get burned when Im such a COOL guy, you know? Haha! ............... Ahem. Never mind. Ronald coughed it off. Okay, I admit Im a little salty about how the last game went down. And, Imma be real: I made a clown outta myself a few times that game. My, Im glad youve finally matured enough to accept that. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, thats why I wanna make up for all that trouble by going hard in this game. So, lemme take an aggressive class and clap these scrubs! This sounds like a death flag, Matthew said. Yes, these are famous last words, Cato agreed. Hey, what do you mean last words? Ronald objects. Dont you kill me off just yet, bruh! I agree with them, Sonya said. What youve just said sounds like a setup for defeat. Youll be trying too hard to make up for the previous game, which will likely make you screw up even more. Ive seen plenty of examples like that in the club. Nothing good ever happens when emotions take control over you. Yall have zero trust in me, huh. Yes, Cato said without any hesitation. A round, flat zero. Ya dang bullies, all of you! Ronald waved an angry fist. But anyway, gimme Berserker. ....................................................... The others stared in disbelief at the clown. It was as if his brain rebooted and the entire conversation was conveniently deleted from his hard drive. None of the arguments any of them made could sway Ronald in the slightest. This was either a showcase of an iron will or of pure foolishness. Hey, why are you giving me these looks? Ronald asked. I know youve said a bunch of stuff against my idea and all that, but none of it matters. Why? Because my bro approves of this pick! I never said I specifically approve of Berserker, William corrected. But, I do think that forcing Ron to pick a safe class is a waste here. How so? Sonya asked. In the reviews, we agreed that Blackhole looks like a mediocre player, right? Yes, thats correct. So, I remembered the conclusion that, in this formation, we should take advantage of Rons strong offense and have him dominate Top against Blackhole. Whatever happened to that? Thats true, Sonya conceded. We did say it seemed like a good plan to overwhelm Blackhole in order to take control over Top. Right? Right? Ronald nodded repeatedly. Im telling you guys, bro is secretly the best strategist on the team! You should have him decide everything, then you won''t be forgetting basic stuff like that." "I admit that this detail partially slipped my mind because there were many other things to consider," Sonya said. Just a moment. Ill reevaluate the situation. She pushed up her glasses and closed her eyes, computing the optimized course of action. The possibility of overwhelming InformationBlackhole in Top was one of the more important observations she made when preparing for today''s match. But, the many unexpected developments today took priority in her mind, so she pushed all the other data to the back of her head. To be honest, for someone who prided herself in analysis and strategy, this was a rather embarrassing mistake. "No need to feel so bad about it," Cato said. "That was an observation we made a long time ago. Many things have changed in our understanding of Stratus since then. What used to sound like a good idea before may no longer apply." "How so?" Ronald demanded. "Even bro advocates this! That means it''s totally the best move!" "Who died and made William god? Cato asked. Anyway, I suppose I should remind you that, originally, we thought that today''s scrimmage will be easy. Sure, we expected some resistance, but that''s about it. We definitely didn''t see ourselves dropping any games, did we?" "Yes, that wasn''t part of the plan," Sonya agreed. "In light of that, our way of thinking changed, Cato explained. We have no choice but to adjust ourselves to the reality at hand. The recent developments invalidated many of our previous assumptions, including that playing aggressively in Top was optimal for this matchup. "Wait," Ronald interrupted. "So, you remembered that bit and you didn''t even say anything? Talk about playing it dirty, man." "I don''t remember ever signing a contract that states I must share my entire thought process with you at all times. That''d an invasion of privacy, you know." "My guy, you were literally keeping super important details from us!" "That outdated idea is just noise at this point. Even now, we''re wasting precious time talking about it." "Nuuuuu, but my opportunity to go ham in Top...!" "Put a sock in it." Hmph! Ronald crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks in protest. It was the response of a typical five-year-old. "Well," William started. "I know we don''t have much time left to discuss this, but may I know why exactly you consider this idea ''outdated'' now? I don''t think anything has changed about our analysis of Blackhole." "True, he''s about as mediocre as our analysis implied, Cato agreed. As I said, it''s our impression of their team as a whole that changed. We assumed they''ll be easy prey and that well have the freedom to push offense in Top without worrying too much about defense there, but the previous game proved us wrong. We must keep our defense top-notch across the board." "I see," William said. "So, you want Ronald to be able to play defensively on demand." "Yes, that''s the gist of it. As always, you''re fast on the uptake, unlike your younger kin~" "Hmph!" Ronald''s arms remained crossed. "Like, sure, I understand where you''re coming from. But, turtling isnt gonna solve our problems, you know? I agree, William said. Sometimes, its a good idea to try to cut off the enemy''s initiative early by striking first. "Yeah, exactly!" Ronald made noise. "Fight fire with fire! Bro is a genius, I''m telling you!" "Thats a classic recipe for defeat if you ask me," Cato said. "I see where you''re coming from but personally, I think that turtling against Stratus is the right move here." "And, will you be satisfied with that kind of win?" William asked. "It''ll make the audience think we''re scared of Stratus." "Let them think what they want." "Do I need to remind you that we''re supposed to be regional champions? Even if you don''t care about public opinion, the coach sure does." "My, what a pain" Cato sulked. William actually made a strong case here, one that Cato will have to consider very carefully as the captain... Vol.16 Ch.16: Matthew’s Neutral Stance "Do I need to remind you that we''re supposed to be regional champions? Even if you don''t care about public opinion, the coach sure does." There was some undeniable truth in William''s argument. Rodriguez droned a lot about the importance of maintaining a favorable public image as the representatives of the region. So, besides just winning, the Leopards were supposed to serve as a role model for other teams in the region, or something. As such, delivering a passive victory here might not be good enough in Rodriguez''s book. He might interpret it as the teams lack of confidence in their own ability. But, what''s wrong with that? Cato questioned. All that matters is the end result. We should strive to increase our chances of winning no matter how it makes us look. Thats just basic logic. For as long as Cato remembered himself, he had always lived at the receiving end of the audiences ridicule. Even when he won games in chess, the crowd didn''t sing him any praises. In fact, some even expressed signs of contempt and disgust toward his tactics. But, Ive never thought of it as a problem. Cato reminisced. Seeking recognition was never the point for me. Im not some clown whose job is to entertain the ungrateful audience. However, things were a little different in Classmancers. Here Cato wasnt playing alone, therefore also had the rest of the team to consider, as well as the coach. So, while Cato had no problem "looking bad" for the sake of securing a passive victory, what would Rodriguez think of this approach? And, what did the rest of the team think? "Sonya, which camp are you in?" Cato asked. "Your camp, I suppose," Sonya answered. "What youve just explained reminded me why we put aside the option of overwhelming Top. I agree that we should proceed slowly and steadily here to not give the enemy any openings. One mistake can cost us the entire game against their hyperbole aggression." "Are you sure you''re not overcompensating there?" William asked. "Just because you made a mistake in Top last game and that cost us a lot, it doesn''t mean that''s something thatll repeatedly happen. Not to mention, itll be Ron playing Top next, not you." "But, the possibility of something like that happening again isnt off the table, Soyna insisted. Stratus''s offense turned out to be much fiercer, much more calculated than what we saw in their previous scrim." "Yes, theyve clearly improved in that department. Fair enough." William nodded. I get where youre coming from but I still think youre overcompensating, so Id let Ron try playing aggressively. In short, Cato summarized. It seems like were split into 2v2. We need a tie-breaker here and there are only 10 seconds on the clock. Matt, quick! Decide our fate! Huh? Matthew made a face. Me? Why? Theres no time! Pronto, young man! Which side are you on!? Eeeeeh Keep me out of this, please. Cmon, Matt! Ronald urged as well. Lemme have Berserker! Were homies, right? Right!? So loud Matthew covered his ears. I dont care either way. Just give him what he wants if that makes him shut up. Its not like either option sounds particularly better than the other. Okay, you heard the man! Ronald grinned confidently. Gimme what I want, bruh! Fine, fine Cato sighed in defeat and picked Berserker with 2 seconds on the clock. It wouldve been less stressful for him if he picked a class for another role first. That wouldve postponed the dilemma of Top Lane for later. But, Cato didnt want to lose his initiative in this drafting phase. After all, the drafting phase of the previous game decided more than 50% of that games outcome, so Cato had to make sure he wins the drafting phase this time no matter what. Picking the Top Laner early was considered the most optimal meta draft, so Cato insisted on not giving up on it, even if it meant picking a class he didnt fully agree with. But well, at least somebody was happy about this turn of events... Heck yeah, now youre talking! Ronald pumped a fist. Its the best choice, Im telling you! Well, now the burden of proof is on you, Cato said. Still, Im surprised you picked that side of the argument, Matt. I thought you were a paragon of defense. Its treason then. I agree that defense is far better, its the safest way to play, Matthew said. But, Ron clearly wants to go on the offensive in his lane, so why not just let him? Really? Just like that? Yeah. Matthew shrugged. I mean, you discussed this topic from top to bottom as if youre deciding the fate of the world, but in the end, its just one game. Its not like messing up will ruin your entire life. My, what a nonchalant take on the situation. Dont you care about losing? I want to win, of course, Matthew asserted. But, its not like anybody here has any hard data to prove whos correct, right? I mean, this is the first time were trying this formation against Stratus in the first place. So, nobody really knows how itll pan out. Right, Cato agreed. But, that doesnt mean we shouldnt try to predict how things will go down. We do have some data, after all.. True, but I think you give it too much weight. Matthew shrugged. Nothing beats actual experience. All this baseless arguing reminds me of these uninformed Day 1 tier lists that people make as soon as a new game is out. People act like they have everything figured out, but in truth, they dont know shit. My, thats harsh. Cato smiled wryly. I agree, that was uncalled for. Sonya frowned. We have plenty of data to work with. But, its all hypotheses, right? Matthew argued. We dont have any actual statistics on how well this formation works against Stratus. Like, this is the first time were using it against them. Ill concede that much, Sonya agreed. There are far too many parameters to consider in order to accurately estimate the outcome. Its a lot of guesswork and speculation. Yep, exactly my point, Matthew said. So, whats the point of getting so hung up on it? Ron has a class he wants to play and you dont have a solid case against it, so why not just let him? Whats the worst that can happen? Us losing this one game? Big deal. Actually yes, it is a rather big deal, Cato said. But, you got your point across. I agree that we got a little too hung up on that pick. Did we, really? Sonya asked. I thought we were just making our case. Just making your case? Pft. Ronald sneered. You two were droning about it like your lives depended on it. Like seriously, relax my guys. We argued with you because we believed, and still believe, that our approach has a much higher chance of winning us the game, Cato explained. But I agree, it was probably a little unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. This one pick isnt going to seal the fate of the entire game by itself. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Besides, giving Ronald what he wanted was probably the smarter thing to do. Not only it will boost the brats motivation and performance, but itll also score Cato some extra authority points over Ronald in case the brat ends up performing poorly. It was a win-win for Cato in either scenario. This can work in my favor. Cato thought. If we lose because of this pick, then hell have to listen to everything I say next time~ At least, I hope he will... There was never telling with that brat. The only one Ronald ever listened to was his older brother. Nobody else had much authority in his eyes, save maybe for the Coach. Having such a wild card on the team was a huge pain in the arse. Sigh. Wait, why am I even thinking about the potential benefits of losing? Cato stopped himself right there. Were not supposed to lose anymore. In fact, we absolutely CANT lose another game, or else Mr. Korea will be on our case. Thats the whole reason I was pushing so hard against this risky Berserker pick. Sonya mustve felt the same way, thats why she joined forces with Cato so readily. And, William probably understood the gravity of the situation as much as they did, yet he seemed to believe that giving Ronald an aggressive class would somehow increase the teams chances of victory. So in the end, the only one whose vote wasnt directly influenced by the topic of winning vs. losing was Matthew. He made a completely neutral stance, claiming that neither side was objectively superior to the other. It was a logical argument, but it also hinted that he didnt care as much about losing. My, he is so indifferent toward our fates. Cato sighed. Then again, he wouldnt be Matt if he suddenly started caring about this now. As the Leopards, the regional champions, each member of the team was shouldering the heavy responsibility of putting on a strong performance in front of the crowd. They were supposed to represent the pinnacle of the regional competitive scene and to defeat their opponents in a way that inspired awe. That was the kind of ideological stuff Rodigeuz often talked about. Everybody took these words to heart to one degree or another. They understood their important position in this regions competitive scene and that they had to live up to the expectations But, Matt is always the exception, isnt he? Cato smiled wryly. Im sure he also cares about the title and winning, but not nearly as much as we do. I bet he sees scrimmages as nothing more than simulations, so hes fine with losing a few games in exchange for gaining more information to work with. Youre really chill about all of this, arent you~? Cato asked. It doesnt bother you at all that maybe youve made the wrong call and that Ronalds Berserker will be the end of us. I do care, of course, Matthew said. But, if youre asking how much do I care? Eh, not that much, to be honest. You win some, you lose some. Thats life for you. So mature~ Its really like that, though, Matthew insisted. Nobody knows whether we gonna win or lose with either of the game plans, so I say pick the game plan thatll shut up that loudmouth. Besides, all these arguments arent helping the teams morale. True, true. Cato nodded. Still, I like how you really dont care about the teams reputation. Perhaps youre the only real voice of reason we have on the team. Everybody else got recruited into Rodriguezs cult~ I guess I just dont see whats the big deal. Matthew shrugged. In the end, we just need to win in the tournament. Until then, everything else we do is just training and simulation. Of course, it was impossible for Matthew to be totally oblivious to the fact he was a part of the Leopards. Rodriguez droned about the importance of this topic to the point it engraved itself on their brains As such, in the actual tournament, hell probably be far more motivated to win. Until then, as long as the match at hand didnt register as a matter of life and death, it seemed he didnt care about the outcome early as much as the others did. Perhaps it had something to do with his background. Maybe I just dont really register myself as a part of something that amazing. Matthew thought. I mean, the fact somebody like me got into this team kinda undermines its prestige. Despite how much competition there was in the club, Matthew didn''t consider himself particularly gifted for getting into the first-string. It just so happened that he accumulated enough game experience and was borderline good enough to make the cut, that''s all there was to it. There were plenty of other strong players in the club who were constantly breathing down his neck, threatening to overtake him at any moment. In the first place, Matthew never really chased the competition that hard. For him, Classmancers wasn''t a game he played to become "the best there ever was". It was more of an existential activity for him. Classmancers happened to show up during the darkest episode of Matthew''s life, back when he lost all the will to keep going. The game distracted him from the harsh reality of his situation and allowed him to connect with other people, to form genuine bonds that he never had with anybody else outside his family before that. Playing the game is just something I''ve been doing ever since. Matthew thought. It''s as natural as breathing at this point, and nobody competes at breathing, right? Well, I guess some people maybe do, but that''s beside the point... The bottom line was that Matthew has been playing Classmancers because it sustained his social life. He never really expected to see himself making it big on the competitive scene. So, even though he received coaching from a pro player and he had a high-level player as his best friend, Matthew himself was nothing special. Therefore, if somebody like him who was only slightly above "mediocre made it into the Leopards, then this team simply wasnt as godlike as others wanted to consider it. Sure, it was a solid team with solid players, but that''s about it. Nothing made it immune to committing mistakes and losing scrimmages. That''s just life for you. Matthew shrugged. No matter how big of a deal a team thinks it is, somebody may always come along to bully it. And, speaking of bullying... The enemy locked their first two picks: Sorcerer and Elf. Seriously? Why me? Matthew frowned. This totally looks like a personal attack targeting me. The enemy has already banned Aeromancer and Warlock, which was a direct attack on Matthew. But furthermore, they had the nerve to pick Sorcerer and Elf, two other classes which Matthew mained. It was like an all-out attack on Matthew! Do I have a label on my head that says "Please target me"...? Matthew made a face. These guys have the makings of professional bullies. None of the previous teams showed any special interest in Matthew before. Maybe it''s because the previous teams had less data to work with, but it still felt like Stratus in particular was very adamant about targeting Matthew, of all people. But, why? Is Vincent involved in this in some way? Matthew wondered. From what I remember, he was all about gathering intel on people and then bragging about how much he knew. Basically, hes a stalker, so I wouldn''t be surprised if he plays an active role in this bullying. Though, that still wouldnt really make much sense... Vincent shouldn''t have any idea about the classes Matthew mained. Matthew picked up Classmancers after leaving his old grade school, so none of his former classmates should know anything about what transpired afterward. They knew nothing bout how Matthew went to a rehabilitation center, met Esmeralda there, and received Classmancers lessons from her. So yeah, I dunno how this keeps happening. Matthew sighed. Maybe it''s really as Cato said and the enemy strategist is smart enough to figure out that Im maining a small number of classes. What a drag... But, at least I''m not playing Mid this game. Aeromancer, Warlock, and Sorcerer were all unavailable, so playing Mid under these circumstances would have been quite painful for Matthew. Fortunately, the team agreed on formation A, so Matthew was going to be in Bot this time. I wonder, does their Elf pick also target me? That''s the one class I''ve been playing in Bot in the previous scrims. This was the second time in a row the enemy picked Elf for Carry, which was a little sus. Gunz didnt seem all that impressive with Elf, at least not nearly as much as he was with Trickshooter and Gunslinger. On top of that, Elf was a defensive Carry that didnt really match Stratuss aggressive playstyle that well. Of course, Gunz still made the class look very oppressive. Matthew thought. But, I''m sure he''s the type of player who can pick any class and make it look good. He''s not like me who has to focus on just a handful of classes in order to have a chance at all. Though, even Gunz stands out the most with a few specific classes, huh. This validated that Matthew''s approach of focusing on a few specific classes was legit. He wasn''t lazy, he was efficient. A real pro gamer. As such, the same as in Mid, Matthew only dabbled in a handful of classes for the Carry role. The enemy took his favorite class, but there were at least two others with which Matthew will perform well. Hopefully, the enemy won''t start banning these classes in the upcoming games... Gotta say, I''m really glad I got out of Mid before they sealed all my best options there Matthew was one step away from getting completely chained down in terms of class picks. Fortunately, the team jumped ship right before Matthew sank down... Vol.16 Ch.17: Hints of the Alternative Lineup The drafting phase for the third game began. The Leopards started it off with a Berserker pick, an odd choice for such a defensive team. "Could it be that our foes are planning to shift gears in this game!?" Vincent exclaimed. "This entire time, we thought they only possessed the Ultimate Defense personal skill. But, could it be that they also have access to the Ultimate Offense noble phantasm!?" "It''s too early to conclude that they''re planning to play offense," Yuel said. "We''ve seen them pick one or two aggressive classes before." "Indeed, that we did. Those picks always went to the Absolute Duo, did they not?" "Yes, and it usually happened in their alternative formation, the one where they weren''t in Bot." Even so, this particular pick was a little peculiar. For one, it gave away too much information. It strongly suggested that the Leopards were going to use their second formation for this game. And they didn''t even ban Knight. Yuel frowned. Knight has a favorable matchup against Berserker, so it should have been a priority ban. Knight was one of the most popular top laners due to its all-rounder kit. It didnt have any notable weaknesses except for its lack of self-sustain, which wasnt a big factor in the current meta. No class really countered Knight and it had generally favorable matchups against most top laners. As such, the rule of thumb was to either pick the class or ban it. Then again, the number of bans is limited and Pirate is also a high-priority ban. Yuel thought. The fact they chose to ban Pirate over Knight suggests theyre more concerned about how things will play out in Bot. This only further reinforced the theory that the enemy was planning to switch formations for this game. Back when AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger were in Bot, the enemy didnt show any signs of being worried about the matchup against Yuel and Lars. The Absolute Duo was mechanically strong, so it had no trouble dealing with Larss destructive offense. On the other hand, the Bot duo of the alternative formation wasnt anything like that. Cato and Merlin were both theory players with slightly above-average mechanical skill. Theyll surely struggle against Larss offense, so theyll aim to avoid frontal confrontations at all costs. So, they banned Pirate to keep it out of Larss hands. Fair enough. Yuel nodded. Little do they know that Elf is Larss next best class. Its an unexpected third class for him, which is part of the reason I wanted him to master it. There were numerous classes Lars could pick for his third marksman. The goof liked Elf due to its sniping ability, but he also liked a bunch of other classes as well, especially the ones that allowed him to go on a rampage. Out of all these options, Yuel strongly advocated for Elf. Why? Because it brings something different to the table. Trickshooter and Gunslinger were both offense-oriented marksmen, whereas Elf was a more defensive one that focused on out-ranging his opponents. Learning how to utilize a class like this was bound to expand Larss array of skills. In fact, much of the growth Lars experienced in terms of defensive skills was likely a result of him practicing Elf. But, theres a little bit of competition for Elf today. Yuel thought. If the Leopards are really planning to use their other formation, then Merlin will probably try to pick Elf. In all the scrimmages in which Merlin played Carry, the guy always picked Elf. EVERY. SINGLE. GAME. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It was the exact same story as his Warlock in Mid. As long as the class was available, Merlin always insta-locked it. So, we have to pick it first. Yuel concluded. Im not a fan of picking the Carry so early, but it is what it is. Yuel selected Elf and moved on. With this one pick, he both secured a strong class for Lars and also denied the enemy one of their main classes, killing two birds with one stone. This pick should royally screw Merlin in Bot, right? But wait, what if Merlin plays Mid, after all? Yuel felt paranoia creeping up on him. I cant shake the feeling that something is off. Cato is being way too obvious with their plans so far. It reeks like a trap. The Leopards bans and first pick - everything strongly suggested that they were going to use their second formation in this game. It was so obvious that it felt wrong. The element of surprise was supposed to be one of the main points selling points of using a different formation. Cato shouldve tried to confuse Yuel and keep him guessing until the very last moment. Yet, right now, Cato was shoving the answer right in Yuels face. Why? Is he playing mind games? I wouldnt put it past him. Yuel frowned as he recalled a few replays he watched of Catos chess. The lunatic liked making some head-scratching moves, apparently for the sole purpose of messing with his opponents. At least, I couldnt figure out the point of these moves. Yuel shrugged. Anyway, these overly obvious picks and bans are either another Cato moment, or they might be a legit trap. As such, the possibility of the Leopards pulling a switcheroo and using the previous formation wasnt entirely off the table yet. So, there was a chance that Merlin will be playing in Mid again. Kai, I forgot to ask. What was your impression of Merlins Sorcerer? Was he strong? Nah, a total scrub. Really now Yuel made a face. Heh, just pulling your leg. Kai chuckled. This was a competitive stage, so nobody here was a scrub. She learned that the hard way in the previous scrimmage. He did alright with Sorcerer. Kai shrugged. Honestly, its a little hard to judge his performance because we had such a strong start. He had to play from behind pretty much the entire time, but he hung in there. How would you say his Sorcerer compares to his Aeromancer and Warlock? Well, I didnt play his Warlock, Kai said. But, based on the replays, Id say his Sorcerer isnt up to par. His Aero and Warlock looked more airtight. I see. This answer was in line with Yuels impression as well. Merlin seemed like the type to focus on very specific classes and play only those, over and over and over. In Mid he mained Warlock and in Bot it was Elf. These mustve been his best classes. Every other class lagged in comparison. "Kai, what do you say about picking Sorcerer in this game?" Yuel asked. "Sure, that works. Are you trying to counter Merlin some more?" "Yes, that''s the idea, Yuel said. I want to see how much we can corner him. Maybe at some point, hell be forced to pick a class hes terrible with." "Sounds like wishful thinking if you ask me," Kai said. "But, I''m in. Let''s see what he picks next." "Thats provided he''s going to play in Mid this game." "Oh!" Vincent exclaimed. "So, you suppose it''s time for our opponents to unleash their second form!? To shuffle their entire roster and force us to re-learn the match-up from scratch!?" "Yes, now would be a good time for them to do it," Yuel said. "They lost the previous game, so they probably want to switch things up." "Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded. Right now, they must be feeling frustrated that their original formation failed them, therefore they choose to evolve to the next stage!" "I wouldn''t go as far as saying that it failed them, but I''m sure it showed them the limits of that formation against us. It''s their other formation that I''m most wary of." The Leopards first formation was very defensive across the board. The teams only two aggressive players, AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChalleneger, were both stuck in Bot, so they couldn''t extend their aggression to other lanes that easily. That formation was very effective against teams with weak Bot duos. In matches like that, the "Absolute Duo" steamrolled the competition and easily gained an early lead in Bot. From there, the duo often went for strong pushes that swung the entire game in the Leopards favor. Fortunately, this formation wasnt that ineffective against Stratus. Yuel and Lars were more than capable of fending off the Absolute Duo. Its interesting, actually. Yuel thought. They knew what we are capable of, yet they still chose to start with that formation first. Maybe they were just testing the waters? If so, with this game, the match begins for real now. With that in mind, Yuel had to adjust the teams lineup accordingly... Vol.16 Ch.18: Stratus’ Tame Lineup If the Leopards were indeed planning to use their other formation in this game, then that would flip the entire playing board on its head. The Absolute Duo will split up and occupy Top and Jungle, creating aggressive threats at two different parts of the map. While it wasnt a big deal that Challenger moved to Top, Winner switching to Jungler meant serious business. As the Jungler, he was free to attack lanes on demand. He wasn''t anything like the passive Jungler that Cato was. And, there are other potential problems with that formation, like the new duo in Bot. Rook and Merlin were a peculiar Bot pair. They were both theory players with just passable mechanical skill, which didn''t sound like a very balanced pair. With that said, they both understood their own flaws. Therefore, this Bot duo focused on fortifying their defenses and biding their time until the right moment. In essence, they played the laning phase with the mentality that they could lose a few battles if it meant winning the war. It''s hard to predict how our matchup will go down. Yuel thought. We''ll either bust through their defenses or they''ll be a pain in the neck from start to end. Though, I suppose this will be good practice for the rematch against Howard and Ellen. These two defensive duos played differently from each other but their essence was the same. Both pairs played defensively in order to avoid losing the lane. They focused most of their efforts on studying their opponents and adapting to them. In fact, Merlin dialed that mentality up to eleven by playing Elf and absolutely nothing else in all the games he was Carry. It was like a match made in heaven. Elf was the best defensive marksman and Merlin was a serial turtle. In every replay we watched, his Elf''s turtling always got to the enemy. Yuel thought. It always ended up with the enemy cracking under frustration and making one careless attack, which Merlin and Cato never failed to capitalize on. This playstyle strongly reminded of the tricks Ellen used. Lars also fell for many such traps in the past, including in the fateful battle for StormBlitzs first-string. But, Lars had gotten much better since then. His experience as a Mid Laner taught him to be more independent in the lane. In Mid, Lars couldnt rely on Yuel to clean up every mess he created. So, he had to start playing more carefully and methodically, which included seeing through enemy traps. As such, surely he''ll be able to handle whatever turtling Merlin was planning to pull. But, I still rather weaken Merlin as much as possible across the board, just in case. Yuel thought. Especially, since there are two easy picks thatll weaken him while strengthening us. "I''m usually not a fan of opening the draft with picks like that, but lets go with Elf and Sorcerer." "Sweet!" Luke whistled. "Were going hard right at the start, yooooo!" "Indeed, this is quite the bold strategy," Vincent agreed. "Is it truly wise to reveal both of our damage dealers so early? It sends our enemies the invitation to counter-pick." "True, there are some risks," Yuel admitted. "But, it allows us to counter the enemy while simultaneously picking good classes for ourselves, so nothing is lost." "I''m totes for it, dude!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "That Merlin dude plays Elf too, right? So, we gotta steal it first!" "Oh, wow. Yuel blinked in surprise. Did you actually pay attention to this detail when we were reviewing the Leopards?" "Hey, of course, I did, dude! I remember seeing Merlin''s Elf and I was like ''Dang, this dude be turtling!'' It was a real painful sight. Reminds me of how Ellen goes about her business." "Yes, their playstyles are quite similar." In fact, some of Merlins tactics are almost identical to Ellen''s. Could they be related in some way? Nah, I''m probably overthinking it. "So yeah," Lars repeated. "I''m in! Gimme that Elf, yo." "Well, I''m not as thrilled about this," Kai interjected. "Sorcerer is best used as a counter pick, not an early pick." "True," Yuel agreed. "But, I think we have to strike preemptively here. Besides, these picks aren''t very ''aggressive'' so theyll do a good job hiding our true game plan." "Huehue." Luke thrust a first into the air. "Yep, this hides our real intentions of going all out with a BANG!" "Please don''t shout our strategy out loud in front of the enemy." "Heh, whoops." Luke scratched his head. "But, these guys can''t hear anything with their headphones anyway, so no problem, man." "I really hope so." Yuel sighed. "Anyway, Elf and Sorcerer, that''s what I believe we should open with. There was no time to discuss any of this in detail during the break, so now is all the time weve got." "You''re really putting me on the spot here, huh." Kai sighed. "There isnt much I can say with less than 30 seconds on the clock. Let''s just roll with it, I guess. You countered them in the previous draft, so maybe you can do it again this time. Besides, you got the control now." In this scrimmage, Yuel was the one who was given the ability to select and lock in classes. Even though Kai was the captain, she surrendered that privilege to Yuel after realizing how pointless it was for her to hold onto it so dearly. Yuel was the one in charge of the team''s strategy, so he was going to make all the major calls anyway. As such, there was no point in Kai hogging that power for herself. As much as it pained Kai to admit it, her word didn''t hold as much power as Yuels when it came to strategic decisions. So, even though she made sure to act as the captain in all other aspects, she decided to leave the strategic matters to Yuel. "Just because I''m the one who presses the buttons, it doesn''t mean you shouldnt voice any objections," Yuel said. "Sure, the drafting phase is largely my responsibility, but it''s not ONLY mine." "I''ll keep that in mind," Kai said. "Anyway, on the Sorcerer topic, I don''t have anything else to add. I''m not a fan of it as an early pick, but it''s not a deal breaker." Okay, then lets go with that. And so, Stratuss first two picks became Sorcerer and Elf, both targeting Merlin in whichever position hell choose to play. Naturally, that didnt amuse the guy in the slightest. Can we pick Seraph, please? Matthew requested. I dont want them to give them a chance to ban it. My, arent you a worrywart~ Cato smiled meaningfully. You havent even shown your Seraph on this stage yet. You can call me paranoid but I dont know what to expect from these guys anymore, Matthew admitted. I never imagined Ill get targeted so hard during the drafting phase, yet here we are. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. They cant target a class they havent seen you play. Who knows? Nothing is certain at this point, Matthew argued. Besides, they saw Will play Seraph last game, so they might target it from that angle. Seriously, who knows how these guys reason. Alright, alright, Ill pick Seraph for you. Cato sighed. But, dont come crying to me if they counter-pick right afterward. Its one of these picks thats best to save for last. Theyve already picked their Carry, so Im not worried. If you say so. Cato shrugged. Anyway, we need to pick one more. Sonya, do you want to pick now or later? I think now is fine, Sonya said. Theyve already shown us their Mid Laner, so I can make a decently informed decision. That is if Sorcerer is really their Mid Laner~ Cato smiled impishly. What do you mean by that? Sonya frowned. Do you think its a ruse? Who knows~ Always expect the unexpected with Stratus. And to think that youve just criticized Matt for being too cautious. Im just pulling your leg here, Cato said. Its always good to think ahead and consider multiple options, but we cant get caught up in it. Our opponents want us to overthink all of this and stress ourselves out. "Although," Matthew said. "In the last game, the drafting phase didn''t go well for us because we didn''t consider other options properly." "Touche." Cato had no counterargument to that. Indeed, he had to walk on thin ice when drafting against Stratus, against Yuel. That team was capable of pulling off unexpected lineups out of thin air, so it was important to keep that in mind while trying to avoid overthinking things too much. Easier said than done when we have so much pressure on our shoulders. Cato gulped. We HAVE to keep winning from here on out. Not only to uphold our reputation but also to not give Jin any reasons to sub in. Allowing a team like Stratus to force Jin onto the stage would be the epitome of embarrassment. As such, even though Cato said he was joking earlier, a part of him did question the picks Yuel has just made. These Elf and Sorcerer, were they really the Carry and Mid? We''ve seen Gunz and Beat play these before. Cato recalled. So, at least this is in line with the data. But, that in itself could be a trap. There was no telling how many layers of trickery Yuel was going to use this time around. He was the type to go as far as needed and beyond in order to mislead his opponents and catch them off-guard. So, Cato had to be ready for anything. But, it feels pointless to overthink this one. Cato concluded. For now, I don''t see how these questionable picks are going to mislead us into anything. It feels like Yuel just wanted to secure specific classes here before we get to them, nothing more. At least, if there''s any deeper meaning to these picks, then it escapes me at the moment. And so, Cato ignored the noise and locked in Seraph for Matthew and Sage for Sonya. With that, the ball returned to the enemy''s court. Their next pick was almost immediate: Knight. Of course, of course. Cato nodded. Its the one meta class I didnt ban, after all. The original plan was for Ronald to pick Knight, but the brat had to go and request Berserker instead. The brat better deliver some big results, or else the urge to kick him out of the team will escalate exponentially. Anyway, the drafting proceeded to the second banning phase. The Leopards still haven''t picked their Support and Jungler, so the enemy targeted these roles with their bans. In particular, the Lionfolk ban hit close to home. "Hmph." William scoffed. "My, thats a headshot~" Cato smiled impishly. "You planned to pick Lion, didn''t you?" "It was the plan, yes. But, there are other options." "True, true." Cato wanted to respond in kind to the enemys personal attack by targeting one of Stratuss open spots as well. But, things were a little awkward here for both sides because they both left Support and Jungler for last. So, anything Cato chooses to ban will also be a ban for his team. too. Furthermore, the enemy had the initiative because theyll be the first ones to pick a class after this banning phase. That pick will essentially be like another ban against the Leopards. What a pain in the neck. Im sorry, Paladin. Cato apologized. As much as I''d like to utilize you as my minion in this game, you have to go, just in case. As unfortunate as it was, Cato had to eliminate one of his own preferred picks in order to deny it to the enemy. What a tragedy. The rest of the banning phase proceeded in the same fashion, with both teams trying to deny classes to each other without screwing themselves over too much. Eventually, the second banning phase came to an end. Next, the enemy picked Lumimancer, which was like another ban against the Leopards. Furthermore, this sophisticated pick served as a twofold d ban, both against the Support and against the Jungler. "My, it looks like he doesn''t want you to pick Ninja," Cato said. "Hmph." William scoffed once again. Ninja was indeed at the top of his considerations, but the Lumimancer pick practically shot it down. It was clear that the enemy team did their research. William played Ninja only once on the competitive stage, but his killing streak with the class must have left quite the impression. He single-handedly decimated the enemy team all by himself in that game, assassinating one key target after another. Somebody on the enemy team mustve taken note of that. "When you said ''he'', you meant Chessmaster, right?" William asked. "Yes, of course. Cato nodded. I''m fairly certain that almost anything that happens during the drafting phase is his work. So, if you want to vent a little during the match, then you know who to target~" "He seems like the type to ruffle peoples feathers on purpose. So, if I decide to target him because of this, Ill probably be playing into his hands." "My, it sounds like youve developed quite the respect for his skill." "He''s a dangerous player in a very different way from Gunz, William said. It seems that together, those two are carrying their entire team''s tactical and mechanical skill." "They sure are, Cato agreed. That''s why we have to crush them thoroughly~ I''ll need your help with that." "I know, that''s why I considered going Ninja to rip them apart," William explained. "But, that Lumi is a pain in the neck." Lumimancer''s most famous feature was its ability to reveal enemies, including stealthed ones. Worst of all, unlike Stealth Wards that could be played around, the Lumimancer''s ultimate targeted the entire map and was undodgeable. So, no matter how good of a Ninja player William was, he could never escape the all-seeing eye of Lumimancer. "Well, next in line is Viking," William said. "Not exactly the highest tier option, but it has the tools to initiate attacks and it synergizes well with Berserker." "Heck yeah!" Ronald exclaimed. "Let''s freakin go, bro! We gonna combo these scrubs to death!" "Sounds good enough." Cato picked Viking. There were a few other options available that were slightly higher on the tier list, but tier lists never told the entire story anyway. The synergy between teammates was far more important than some generalized tier placement. Now, what do I pick for myself? Cato scanned all the available data in front of him before making the call. There were the bans, the picks, the order in which all of them occurred, and the state in which both lineups ultimately ended up. Almost the entire board was visible for him at this point, save for the enemy''s Jungler pick. Their lineup looks much tamer than last time. Cato thought. It doesn''t seem like they''re going to pull anything too crazy this time around. But, that makes sense. Yuel mustve realized that their DK shenanigans won''t work on us a second time. So far, all the classes Yuel picked leaned more toward defense. Elf was the most defensive marksman, Sorcerer was a zoner, and Knight was an all-rounder. In fact, even Lumimancer was probably a defensive pick meant to counter stealth. All in all, this lineup told a very clear story. The enemy was planning to take their foot off the gas in this game. Heck, maybe they even planned to fight fire with fire by going with a defensive game plan. Yuel should know better than to challenge us on our own turf. Cato thought. Then again, his historical records are filled with many odd decisions, so nothing can be taken for granted when he''s involved. All I can say is, if you think you can challenge me with defense, then youre welcome to try. It seemed like Cato had no need to pick anything too special here. He could simply focus on countering whats in front of him. And so, he picked Cryomancer. It had the ability to wall off Elf and Sorcerer''s snipes, as well as interfere with Knight''s ability to flee from the scene on his horse. So yes, Cryomancer was definitely a great pick for making a lot of people mad~ With that, the drafting phase approached its end. Stratus had only one more pick to choose and they locked it in instantly. It was... Vol.16 Ch.19: Dark Knight Once More Dark Knight. Yes, Dark Knight. Once again, the enemy picked Dark Knight. "Say whaaaaaat?" Ronald exclaimed. "Wow, these guys really like memeing," Matthew commented. This I just cant. Sonya took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. This is beyond the level of memeing. This is outright stupid. Yeah, I have to agree theyre really pushing it, William said. Now, now, Cato said. I know this pick looks like a bad joke, but dont forget we thought the same thing last game. This is far worse than what they did last time, Sonya pointed out. Their previous lineup at least had some synergy, it was built around Dark Knights offense. But, this lineup? It makes no sense. Its leaning toward defense, yet it has a Dark knight. Maybe bruh gonna build a defensive DK! Ronald chuckled. Yeah, no. Defensive DK doesnt exist, not even in memes, Sonya said matter-of-factly. Dont you even try to suggest its a thing. I mean, why not? DK has self-sustain and all. Yes, self-sustain via killing enemies. Hey, still got it, tho! Just gotta defensively kill people. Ezpz. Yes, youre making perfect sense right now... Of course, nobody even considered taking this theory seriously, not even for a moment. Heck, Ronald himself didnt believe a word of what he just said. He just threw random ideas around to see if any of it made sense to anybody else. But as expected, nonsense was nothing more than nonsense in the end. Simply put, Stratuss current lineup made no sense, period. There were no ifs or buts about it. It was just plain bad. If their previous lineup was meme level, then this one was dumb level. Even for a meme, this team was poorly constructed. It couldnt properly utilize the main strengths of the meme they had on the team. "Actually," Cato said. "Our perception of their classes might be a little warped. How do you mean? Sonya asked. For example, Sorcerer is mainly a zoner, right? But, it has ways to deal some serious burst damage. Likewise, Elf is a defensive Carry, but weve already seen Gunz utilize it to harass defenders. And, Knight is veritable so it can theoretically be built offensively." "Hmm. I suppose you have a point," Sonya conceded. "Their lineup looks very defensive but the classes have some offense potential as well, depending on the build and playstyle. I suppose we''ve been had." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Yep, most likely." Cato shook his head. "They picked classes that together created the image of a ''defensive'' comp, but it was one big ruse." "That doesn''t sound very efficient," William pointed out. "Even if their classes can be used for offense, it''s undeniable that they''re more geared toward defense. So, their offense cant be as oppressive as last game. "I agree," Cato said. "Honestly, I can''t tell whether that whole trick was worth it. Feels like they prioritized the surprise element above anything else. And we sure got surprised, word! Ronald nodded. But, was it worth it? Like, did they actually gain anything from it? A little bit, Cato answered. It made me not pick certain classes I had in mind for dealing with DK, like Druid for example. But in the end, I think they lost more than they gained by committing to this trick." "That''s my thoughts, too" William agreed. "Yeah, me three!" Ronald joined in for some reason. "Wait." Cato paused. "If you, kid, also agree with us, then now I''m suddenly worried about whether were right. "Oh c''mon, bruh!" Ronald pouted while the others cracked a laugh. "Either way," Cato continued. "We''ll have to see how this one pans out. It''s too early to say whether their lineup is going to work or not. Just remember that, no matter what, do NOT underestimate them. We did that enough last game." "Don''t worry, man!" Ronald grinned. "This game gonna be totally different! You know why?" "Humor me." "Because I got Berserker! They won''t be able to start an attack even if they wanted to. Why? Because I gonna hit ''em first!" "Oh really." Cato made a face. "Who wants to bet that Ronald will give the enemy First Blood?" "Nah, bruh. I''m gonna be the one who scores First Blood!" "Sure, sure." "Just you watch!" Ronald clenched a confident fist. "I''mma wreck their offense with my own!" "And I''ll help with that," William said. "Brooo! I knew you''ll understand!" "Weve both picked aggressive classes, so it''s something we''re obligated to do," William said matter-of-factly. "We have to interrupt their offense by striking first." "My, it sounds like you want to fight fire with fire," Cato said. "I''m not a fan of this approach, but we''ll have to see how the game develops. With that said, if you DO manage to tackle them successfully, thatll surely ruin their entire game plan. I can already imagine the delicious frustration on their faces~" And so, the drafting phase came to an end. ===Stratus=== Yuel (Chessmaster): Lumimancer Lars (Gunz): Elf Vincent (InformationBlackhole): Knight Kai (Beat): Sorcerer Luke (LegendaryMemer): Dark Knight ===Leopards=== Cato (Rook): Cryomancer Matthew (Merlin): Seraph Ronald (AbsoluteChallenger): Berserker Sonya (TheTheorist): Sage William (AbosluteWinner): Viking At a glance, the teams'' lineups looked almost the opposite of what their real game plans were going to be. Stratus was supposed to go hard on the offense, yet the majority of their lineup had semi-defensive classes. Likewise, the Leopards this year were best known for their airtight defense, yet their Top and Jungler were very aggressive picks. With both teams walking the thin line between offense and defense, which one of them was going to execute its game plan better and emerge victorious!? Vol.16 Ch.20: Ronalds Suggestion The third game between Stratus and the Leopards kicked off. "Dang, are ya sure this lineup gonna be ok?" Luke asked for the hundredth time. "I mean, we dont have that OOMPH we had last time, ya know? "You''re right, we dont," Yuel agreed. "This is a more balanced lineup, so we''ll have to play accordingly. We can''t go for overwhelming plays as easily." "But, ain''t that a waste? We did so well in the last game because we were pushing offense real hard." "I know, but I didn''t want to give them the opportunity to counter-pick us too hard, Yuel explained. The classes that focus too much on offense are often susceptible to counter-picks, so I had to play around that." "Indeed, as expected from the one and only Chessmaster!" Vincent made noise. "He takes into account considerations that we, mere mortals, have no chance of figuring for ourselves!" "Actually, knowing that you have to play around counter picks is kindergarten-level stuff," Kai retorted. "But, knowing how to do it right is the real challenge. Honestly, Im also not sold on this lineup working out. Like, it looks alright for the most part, but it also got DK." "Hey, hey, hey!" Luke exclaimed. "Did I hear you throw shade at my DK?" "Yeah, I sure did. If not for your dumb DK, our lineup wouldve looked solid." "Dang, the disrespect." Luke shook his head. "And you still dare to say that even after I put on such an awesome performance last game, huh. I guess no matter how many opponents I beat, you boomers never gonna recognize memes." "We won that game because Yuel somehow knew how to pilot that quirky lineup, Kai said. But, I doubt any of that gonna fly again, unless you plan to prove me wrong, Yuel?" "Its hard to say," Yuel admitted. "This lineup is an experiment of sorts. All I can say is that I did run some simulations about piloting a balanced team along with Dark Knight, but it''s hard to say how any of that theory will hold in practice. In the first place, anything related to Dark Knight feels like a coin toss." "Yo, dude!" Lars called out. "That''s not what you''re supposed to be saying to the team. You gotta tell ''em this lineup rocks and that we gonna win for sure, believe it!" "I''m just saying the truth." "That ''truth'' thingy of yours ain''t raising anybody''s morale. We gotta believe we gonna win, yo! I mean, if we don''t believe in ourselves, then who will?" "Right" Yuel smiled wryly. "Well, I''ve never been good at pep talk and whatnot. The only reassuring thing I can say is that I did my homework on using a balanced lineup along with a Dark Knight. Perhaps I didnt research that variation as much as I did the aggressive one, but nonetheless, I have some ideas for this game." "Hmmmmmmm." Lars made a long, judging noise. "Lukewarm! Still not hype enough." "Well, I''m not you. I can''t produce hype out of thin air." "Haha, okay fine. I guess this is good for now." Lars nodded. "So, are ya pumped up for this game, my dudes?!" "My body is ready!" Luke pumped a fist. "This game gonna be Total Annihilation Round 2 - Electric Boogaloo, just you watch!" "Indeed, indeed!" Vincent buffed the hype. "We also mustn''t forget that our foes uncharacteristically picked a handful of aggressive classes for this game. This should mean that penetrating through their defenses shall be easier than ever! I wish I could promise random nonsense like that with such confidence. Yuel sighed. But honestly, I can''t tell how this game will go at all. But, we''re already here, so I have to make the most out of this team. So, offense, defense, or anything in between - I''ll make it work. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Once everybody finished gearing up at the base, they all headed out into the jungle. "So, whats the master plan this time? Its gonna be something cool, right?" Luke wagged his tail like an excited puppy. "Are we gonna invade this time?" "No," Yuel answered. "I was planning to play the opening safe this time." "Say whaaaaat? Bruh, we got a DK, ya know? I can wreck any of these guys ezpz this early into the game." "They''ll be on their toes this time around, Yuel explained. They won''t underestimate your Dark Knight a second time. You wont find any easy openings in their formation." "Hey, you''ll never know until you try! Maybe they''re not expecting us to invade because our lineup doesnt look that aggressive and stuff." "Maybe they dont think well actually do it, but Im sure theyve at least considered the possibility. Either way, an early invade wont go smoothly this time, that I can assure you." "Dang, what a letdown." Luke pouted. "Me and Vince here couldve made quick work of these guys, word." "How about you make quick work of the jungle camps instead." "Aye aye, sir..." And so, Stratus didn''t set up any surprises for the opening this time around. Yuel was convinced that the enemy would surely be prepared for any early aggression, therefore it was futile to attack them in such an obvious fashion. Yet, at the same exact time, the enemy was thinking the complete opposite. "Let''s invade them, bro!" Ronald suggested. "Berserker and Viking, we can steamroll them!" "Hmm. An interesting idea." William stroked his chin. "Excuse me?" Cato raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean ''interesting idea''? Perish these silly thoughts at once, young men." "Oh noes, here comes the party popper." Ronald rolled his eyes. "I''ll gladly be a ''party popper'' or whatever is necessary as long as it means stopping terrible ideas from passing through." "Is it really such a bad idea, though?" William asked. "You can''t be serious, Will." "Oh, but I am," William insisted. "Think about it. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think the enemy expects to be invaded right now?" "Probably 2 or 3," Cato answered. "Obviously, they''re not expecting it because it''s not going to happen." "But, what if it does? William insisted. Imagine we go in there, catch them off-guard, and mess up their opening. This can seriously mess up the DK''s early-game, which will automatically render it useless." "That''s assuming he''s hanging out around Top in the first place," Cato pointed out. "To remind you, that wasn''t the case last game." "If he''s not in Top, then even better for us. We''ll just run over whoever is there without much risk." "Yeah, what bro said!" Ronald pumped a fist. "We can catch these guys sleeping and smack them real good!" "You''re talking about it as if you actually put a grain of thought into that idea." Cato sighed. Seriously, these brothers can be so difficult to deal with sometimes. Worst of all, Will almost made his plan sound reasonable. Almost. The Dark Knight class itself was like a racing car with a turbo engine, but what about the driver? How strong was LegendaryMemer compared to William and Ronald? Memer was a decent fighter, no doubt. But, how well will he fare against the ''third strongest'' player of the region? And, there was also the younger dumbass brother who was sometimes surprisingly capable on the offense, too. They''ll also be attacking together. Cato thought. Each of them individually is already strong, but together their power is quadrupled. If there was an alternative timeline in which playing a bruiser duo in Top was meta, then in that world, William and Ronald surely wouldve dominated the competition. Their superb teamwork, combined with their natural strength, wouldve overwhelmed anybody. Unfortunately, there was no such meta in the current world. As bruisers, the two brothers had to be separated. One remained in Top while the other traveled around the jungle. As such, they could only join forces on a few rare occasions throughout the game. But, every time they do, the enemy should prepare for trouble and make it double. The reckless early invade they were suggesting was one such rare opportunity to have them cooperate. As suicidal as it was to aggress on a Dark Knight in the early-game, these two had the skill to pull off such a stunt together. Alrighty, Cato gave in. Will, if you really believe you can pull off this invade, then go ahead. Got it. William nodded. Lets go, Ron. Right behind you, bro! The two brothers went in without any hesitation. They were confident enough in their skills, so they felt like they had nothing to fear. And, their confidence was rather founded, as much as Cato didnt want to admit it. These two hooligans executed plenty of invades during club practice, and even during scrims with pro players. It was evident the duo had the knowledge, skill, and experience to deliver devastating invades that even pros struggled to fend off. But, was their invade going to be strong enough to overcome the innate power gap between their classes and a Dark Knight...? Vol.16 Ch.21: The Brothers Invade Here they come, Vince! Indeed, our sworn enemies have arrived! Powerful foes emerged in front of Luke and Vincent, ready to do battle! They were among the most dangerous beings that the early-game had ever known. So dangerous, in fact, that Luke and Vincent had to join forces to take them down! Of course, they were talking about the wraiths. After all, who else would be fighting them this early into the game? Only these mini-bosses were bold enough to confront players in the early-game. Lets clear em real quick. Luke unleashed Dark Blast without a moments notice. The powerful attack single-handedly wiped out the smaller wraiths and left the wraith boss at deaths door. Ezpz. Luke charged in to finish off the wraith gang leader. Wait for moi! Vincent hurried after the rampaging beast. This turn of events was too fast for him to keep up with The wraiths had barely spawned a moment ago, yet their camp was already utterly demolished. Truly, the overwhelming might of the Dark Knight knew no bounds. It was the most powerful being in the universe during the early game! Everything developed so quickly that Vincent didnt even have time to properly get in position. Of course, he could spend his Shield Bash to close the gap faster, but there was no need to waste MP on such a trivial task. Such unbelievable strength. Vincent narrated internally. It appears that my help is not even necessary! ... or, perhaps it is. Despite how devastating the Dark Blast was, Dark Knights basic attacks left much to be desired. They werent particularly fast or strong, so Luke actually had to deliver a couple of hits in order to properly finish off the wraith boss. So, in the meantime, Vincent also got within striking range of the big wraith. I shall leave the final strike to you, Vincent informed as he unleashed two hits on the dying wraith, then stepped back to let his partner deliver the killing blow. Danke! Luke swung his black blade right through the semi-transparent phantom and vanquished the evil spirit. Ez! With that, the wraith dispersed into thin air and dropped the blue mana buff. Cmon, take the buff and lets go do the wolves! Luke turned away from the loot and headed toward the next destination. Right behind you. Vincent casually strolled toward the blue buff. The game plan for the foreseeable future was crystal clear, so he didnt have a single concern on his mind. The opening of the game was a simple matter of collecting the blue buff from the wraiths and clearing the wolves, so there werent going to be any surprises here. Or, so he thought. ZOOM. An odd audio cue resounded. It was a sound effect that had no business playing here right now. Blue light flashed in front of Vincent, quickly transforming into human form. It was the enemy Viking! N-Nani!? Vincent jumped. Before he even had time to make sense of the unexplainable situation in front of him - the Viking charged at him! Dios mio! W-Why is this-!? Vincent froze. B-Bash! I must bash this evil- agh! It was too late. Vincent pressed the key for Shield Bash but his Knight didnt have enough time to wind it up. By the time he started raising his shield, he was already flung across the area. S-So fast! Vincent exclaimed. What a beautifully executed Takedown! However, this does mean Im in quite the trouble over here. Oh, and make it double... Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. As expected, Winner didnt come here alone. His trusty partner was also here, with his axes already raised above his head. The barbarian was ready to unleash a devastating attack on Vincent! Amidst the complete helplessness, there was only one thing Vincent could do here. E-Enemies spotted! Vincent reported in a haste. The Absolute Duo is here and theyre craving blood! Everybody was stunned by this unexpected development. To think that a notoriously defensive team like the Leopards was capable of launching an early invade like this, and against a team that had a Dark Knight, to boot. Goddammit! Luke gritted his teeth. When did they get here!? We had the area warded! It appears weve let our guard down... Vincent tried to sound calm but sweat was forming on his forehead. His situation was bad, ghastly so. The Vikings Takedown sent him flying in the opposite direction of where Luke was located. The two of them were so close to each other just a few moments ago, but now Vincent was completely isolated, sandwiched between two savage barbarians. Whats worse, after Vincent crashed into the ground, he staggered on the wake-up. Because of that, he had no way to dodge the Barbarian Slam that was charging up right in his face. WHOOSH! The two axes rained on him like meteors! Just as he was finally about to leave the ground, the powerful slam flattened him all over again. Truly, this was a magnificent combo by the Absolute Duo! It was as beautiful as it was terrifying. It appears that this is as far as I go.... Vincent resigned himself to his fate. While he was stunned, the Absolute Duo ganged on him and hacked him to pieces with their axes. The two Nordic warriors displayed splendid teamplay as they methodically dismembered the trapped prey. They slashed, hacked, and ripped Vincent apart, not sparing even a single spot on his body. But hold on, I might be able to make it out alive still! Vincent realized his HP wasnt dropping to 0 as quickly as he feared. Despite how savagely the duo was trashing him, he still retained over 20% HP while his stun was about to expire. Hoho, I see, I see. Vincent figured out the mystery. These subpar attacks are the price you had to pay for your Blink. Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility. The Vikings attacks didnt strike as hard as they shouldve because of his starting build, or rather the lack thereof. He had to spend a pretty penny to be able to start the game with Blink, so he couldnt purchase anything else. On the other hand, the Berserkers build was normal but the classs basic attacks were always subpar until they warmed up. As such, despite pinning Vincent down to the ground, Challenger was unable to dish out destructive damage quite yet. Thanks to all that, Vincent lived still! As such, he might be able to make a break for it using Shield Bash! The wheel of fate is turning! Heaven or hell! Vincent recovered from the stun and raised his shield, charging straight at the Berserker! Pardon me, but I must interrupt your mashing in order to get out of here alive! BAM! Vincent charged forth! He buffered in the Shield Bash for the exact moment when the stun wears off. On top of that, he unleashed this attack at point-blank, so his opponent had no chance of dodging it amidst the unrelenting flurry... or did he? Heh, called it! Ronald canceled his next attack into a Dodge Roll the moment the Knight raised his shield. He had seen this skill a billion times by now so he could dodge it on reaction. Git dodged, bruh! Ronald successfully rolled out of the point-blank assault. Easy! With that said, this Shield Bash did put Ronalds offense in an awkward spot. He had to roll sideways to get out of range, so now he was a little too far away to immediately continue his attacks. Not to mention, he had to interrupt his ongoing combo, so his axes cooled down. Fortunately, Ronald wasnt alone on the offense here. Bro, finish him off! On it. William was already rolling in pursuit of the dashing Knight. He also responded to the Shield Bash immediately, even faster than Ronald did. However, unlike Ronald, William didnt do this on reaction. Instead, he anticipated the Shield Bash in advance and started rolling as soon as Blackholes stun expired. It was obvious that Blackhole would use his best get-out-of-jail-free card the moment the stun ends, so William rolled in advance to counter it. If he waited until he saw the shield raise up, then it wouldve been too late. Caught you. William recovered from the roll right behind Blackholes back and continued his offense. The poor guy tried to roll away but he wasnt fast enough. William drove his axe deep into the preys back, delivering the final blow. You have killed an enemy! FIRST BLOOD! Just like that, the first death of the game already happened, less than 2 minutes into the game... Vol.16 Ch.22: The Invades Aftermath An ally has been killed! The red message flashed on Stratus''s monitors. It happened so unexpectedly that everybody just stared at it with dumb faces for a while. "Shit!" Kai slammed on the table. "How could you let this happen!?" "My apologies," Vincent said. "The Absolute Duo took us completely by surprise." "You should''ve warded better then." "Indeed, we should have." "Nah," Luke intervened. "C''mon, man. You got nothing to apologize for. We warded plenty, didn''t we?" "Clearly not enough," Kai criticized. "Luke, you warded the minimum amount to save resources, didn''t you?" "Weeeeelp, maybe." Luke innocently rolled his eyes. "I mean, I''m a DK, so I gotta be smart with how I spend, ya know?" "So, youre saying that you were smart with your spending?" "Yep." "And, what did it cost you in the end?" "Everything..." Luke hung his head. Not only did the enemy kill Vincent, but next they set their eyes on Luke. The dangerous duo came straight at him and chased him out of the area. The nerve of these hooligans! So, on top of losing a comrade, Luke also missed some precious farm. This was a devastating early-game loss for a DK. "Again, I sincerely apologize," Vincent said. "If I exercised more caution, then we could''ve avoided this tragedy." "Nah, no need to apologize, man," Luke said. "These guys just showed outta nowhere and ganged on you. And, I wasn''t even there to help ya because I ran ahead like a tool instead of making sure we stick together. Nobody saw any of this coming, man." "Even so," Kai argued. "Even if it was unexpected and Vince was isolated, I still would''ve expected him to survive, at the very least." It was becoming increasingly obvious that this turn of events frustrated Kai and she was hellbent on venting. Somebody had to step in and cut this discussion short. "That duo launched a very calculated attack," Yuel said. "As much as the outcome frustrates me too, I can''t fault Vincent on this one. If anything, it''s my fault for failing to consider this turn of events." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. In all the past scrimmages combined, the Leopards had only used an early invade once, and it was against a team that theyd already beaten to a pulp in the first two rounds. That particular play looked like a case of Winner and Challenger messing around just because they could, so it was hard to take that example seriously. But, I remember they executed that invade extremely well. Yuel thought. I should''ve taken a mental note of it. That one example showed us that this duo was capable of going for invades, even if rarely. There wasnt enough evidence to conclude that the Leopards only use invades against teams they underestimate. Or, could it be that the Leopards were underestimating Stratus at this very moment? Even though they had just suffered a crushing defeat in the previous game? It sounded absurd but there was no saying for sure. Maybe it was a calculated countermove against our Dark Knight. Yuel speculated. This doesn''t sound like an idea Cato would come up with, but I can definitely see him pulling something like this just to aggravate us. Either way, whats undebatable was that Vincent''s death will be a terrible setback for the team. So, Kai had every reason to be frustrated and Yuel shared much of the same sentiment. With that said, there was no point crying over spilled milk. "Luke, stick around Top until Vincent comes back," Yuel instructed. "Oh, so I gonna be a Top Laner for a while? Funny because DK excels at that shit. It''s like I was made for this." "I trust you know how to use Dark Knight in Top?" "Well, duh. Luke nodded. Memeing extends beyond just jungling, ya know? I admit I didn''t practice DK in Top nearly as much, but I know my stuff. As they say, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects. "Good. Yuel nodded. This arrangement should mitigate our losses at least a little." "Worry not," Vincent reassured. I shall return to work before you notice! I apologize for putting you through this hassle, but I assure you that youll only have to tend to my lane for a single wave at most. "No worries, man. Luke gave a thumbs up. Its partially my fault too, so I kinda think of it as taking responsibility." "That''s a surprisingly good mentality you have there," Kai commented. "Hey, what do you mean ''surprisingly''? I always got that 200 IQ mentality." "Yeah, sure." Kai rolled her eyes. "C''mon, my dudes," Lars intervened. "I know ya having fun chewing each other out and all that, but we gotta move on. What''s happened, happened. We can''t get too hung up on that bad start. Its only gonna keep dragging us down." "My man here spittin'' facts." "Fair enough." Kai gave it a rest for now. She''ll have more than enough time to watch this games replay later and determine who was really at fault for that play. Perhaps, as Yuel said, the enemy was simply too strong and organized, so this outcome couldn''t be helped. But, Kai called bullshit on that. Stratus wasn''t a team of amateurs. They were serious challengers aiming for the top of the competitive scene, so there was no such a thing as an "unavoidable" mistake for them. Well, I''m sure Yuel will analyze that play to death as well. Kai concluded. So, if there''s anything more to it, we''ll surely hear about it in the next five-hour-long match review session... With that sorted out, the team moved on with the game. Fortunately, there weren''t any unexpected developments on the other side of the jungle, so the trio over there finished their opening routine without a hitch and went separate ways. Meanwhile, Luke manned Top Lane because its usual caretaker was amiss. He was supposed to be a Jungler meme, yet there he was, playing Top as any normal Dark Knight would. Ironic. Vol.16 Ch.23: The Brothers vs. The Dark Knight Man, it''s so weird to play DK Top these days. Luke smiled wryly. I don''t remember the last time I did this. I used to play like this a lot in the old days and wreck clueless scrubs in Casual, but at some point, I switched over to real memes. Top DK was a borderline meme but not quite. It was technically viable, just very low-tier and extremely situational. As such, it didnt quite match the meme definition that Luke wanted to stick with, so he stopped playing the class. Probably because of that, the moment he stepped into Top Lane, he felt a tingle. It felt as if the lane was mocking him for coming back after all this time. "You couldn''t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me." It was truly a poetic turn of events. It felt as if Luke returned to his roots as a casual player who enjoyed playing memes for fun. Back then, nobody was forcing him to play like a sweaty tryhard. The good ol'' days. Luke nodded to himself. But, too bad this ain''t Casual. My guy over there gonna rip me apart if I show him any weaknesses. AbsoluteChallenger arrived on the lane far later than Luke, but dude was already ahead by a whole level in terms of farm. That Nordic duo must''ve stolen the wolves on Lukes side, then returned to their side of the jungle to also clear the wraiths and wolves there. A tag team of Berserker and Viking was strong enough to pull off such a speedy start. Well, all that exp advantage is cool and all. Luke thought. But, can you compete with this!? He unleashed Dark Blast, deleting the entire enemy army in one fell swoop. Ez game. I may just be subbing for my man Vince here, but that doesn''t mean I gonna sit here and be passive about the job. Luke thought. Nah, dude. I''mma make you regret making me come over here! You have no idea what you did just bring upon this cursed land! After eliminating all enemy forces, Luke advanced along the lane with his brigade. All his trusty minions were at full health, ready to wreak havoc! The plan was to push all the way to the enemy tower, but "Luke, retreat," Yuel ordered. "Don''t overextend. The Viking might still be nearby." "Really? You think so?" Luke hit the brakes. "Shouldn''t the guy be rotating to the griffins or to Bot Jungle by now?" "None of the wards showed him do any of those, Yuel said. We''re seriously lacking wards over there." "Geh." Luke felt that jab. He was the one who traded wards for greater early power, so it was basically his fault. Ehe. "Okay, I''mma spare this mortals life for today." Luke backpedaled and gave up on this juicy opportunity to push. While retreating, he glanced at the jungle entrance, to see if he could spot anybody there. Hmm. I dont see the Viking anywhere. Dan squinted his eyes. I think Yuel was just paranoid about- Oh, never mind. Heres our boi. A wild Winner has appeared! But, too bad for him. Luke was already five parallel universes ahead of the guy! Surely, Winner was regretting all his life choices right about now. "Hmph." William grumbled. "Dang it, bruh!" Ronald exclaimed. "We almost had him! If only he came a little closer, just a little! Can''t believe he has that level of self-control as a DK." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Either he does, or somebody else warned him, William said. Either way, we''re not getting this kill so I''ll help you clear this wave." "Thanks, bro. For real, there are way too many dudes coming my way, haha." The entire enemy brigade was marching toward Ronald, and all the soldiers there were at full health to boot. This was the classic experience of laning against a Dark Knight. "Man, I really hope this DK isnt here to stay," Ronald complained. "Of course not," William said. "He''s the Jungler." "Or IS he!? Maybe this is one huge scam and their real Jungler is the Knight! "That would only make their lineup look even dumber than it already does." "Yeah, that''d be too much even for them, wouldn''t it? Ronald chuckled. "No point thinking too hard about it. We''ll know for sure what they have in mind after this wave." "True that." The siblings joined forces to take out the incoming invaders. But even with their powers combined, clearing that many minions at once was no simple task. They''d have to sustain a fair amount of damage in the process. "I''ll tank the initial shots," William said. "You charge your slam in the meantime." "Gotcha!" "Alright, I''m going in." William approached the enemy wave from behind. This allowed him to get closer to the bowmen while staying far away from the swordsmen. I got the aggro. William confirmed that all the minions set their sights on him. This was the cue for Ronald to get closer and start charging up. But, there was still some time until Ronald actually executes his important attack. For now, William had to handle the enemies by himself. There were 3 bowmen and 3 swordsmen craving his blood. If William receives too much damage from this exchange, then the entire play wont be worth the trouble in the end. The entire point of helping Ronald here was to maximize the team''s overall efficiency. However, if William ends up wasting too much time here or gets too injured, it might actually hurt the team as a whole. I just have to make sure it''s worth it. William positioned himself face-to-face with the bowmen. This way, the bowmen served as a wall between him and the incoming swordsmen. The melee soldiers will have to circle around their allies in order to get to William, which bought William time. Until the swordsmen get closer, William started hacking away at the bowmen in front of him, striking each of them in order. In this situation, instead of focusing on one bowman and eliminating it as quickly as possible, it was more optimal to wear them out equally. After all, an AoE attack was soon about to rain down on all of them. "Here it comes!" BAM! The Berserker slammed his axes into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that stunned the entire minion wave! This Barbarian Slam was charged up to the max, so both the damage and the stun were at their absolute highest. Since the swordsmen were foolish enough to get closer to the bowmen, they also got caught up in the slam. This was Williams plan all along. After the devastating slam, all the bowmen were just one hit away from dying. This was thanks to the way William split up his damage across all three of them. Now it''s my turn. William used Takedown and grabbed the bowman on the right, then hurled him into the center of the minion pack. WHAM! The small guy crashed into his allies and deleted some of them from existence. All three bowmen perished in this play, but the swordsmen still had some HP to them. Still, they weren''t long for this world. While the swordsmen were still stunned, the duo launched a joint attack. The Viking struck hard with his giant axe, whereas the Berserker used dual axes to deliver weaker but swifter strikes. In the end, only one swordsman survived long enough to wake up from the stun. But, the poor fellow had less than a second to live. WHAM! Two axes sliced through the swordsman from opposite sides. Both brothers went for the last-hit but only one of them got it. "Mine!" Ronald grinned. "Tch." William frowned. He was a split second too late. "Sorry bro, but this is my farm so I deserve it all." "Not a very convincing argument when I''m helping you out at the expense of losing on jungle farm." "Yeah, sorry about that." "Hmph. It''s not your fault." The real culprit here was the Dark Knight who chose to terrorize Top while the Top Laner was away. Even though William and Ronald''s invade surely shocked the enemy, their adaptation was lightning-fast. By rotating the Dark Knight to Top, the enemy minimized their losses in the best way possible. Chessmaster, huh. William thought. An arrogant name, but in moments like this I can respect it. On that note, William left the lane. Vol.16 Ch.24: Exercising Caution Against AbsoluteChallenger "Don''t do anything stupid while Im away," William warned his younger brother on his way out of the lane. "I know you probably want to challenge that DK, but don''t." "Of course not, bro~" Ronald promised but his eyes glinted like those of a hungry beast. He clearly wanted to challenge the powerful opponent in front of him. That quirk of his is such a double-edged sword. William sighed. On one hand, the more eager Ronald was to fight, the greater his power grew. On the other hand, that very same eagerness sometimes pushed him toward committing terrible mistakes. Well, Ill just have to trust him to play it safe. William shrugged. He got burned multiple times in the previous game, so Im sure that taught him a lesson or two. Probably. William departed from the lane with that doubt still at the back of his mind. Now, will his brother live up to his trust...? Okay, bro is out! Ronald grinned. Time to tackle this DK! This was an awesome opportunity to have some fun, so there was no way in hell that Ronald would miss it! Memer himself wasn''t that strong of a player, but his power grew tenfold with DK. So finally, a worthy opponent! Their battle will be legendary! At least, that''s what Id LIKE to do. Ronald stopped himself. I probably gotta keep these thoughts to myself for now. These guys proved they''re pretty decent, so that changes everything. Until the previous game happened, Ronald saw Stratus as a weakling team that he could stomp with his eyes closed. This was in line with how the previous scrims played out, where all opponents were F-tier at best. It seemed like all these boring experiences made Ronald develop a bad habit. He stopped registering his opponents as a real threat and started messing around to entertain himself. That occasionally caused him to overextend and mess up, but frankly, he didnt care. I mean, those teams were just BAD. I dont even remember their names. Ronald shook his head. But, Stratus seems to be different. These bruhs know what''s up, so I gotta respect them. At least a little. A tiny bit. And so, Ronald stayed his hand and didnt challenge that juicy DK. As much as he wanted to duke it out with a Dark Knight, it was easy to see how risky and unnecessary it was. I better focus on destroying my actual lane opponent once he returns. It should be happening during this next wave, right? Let''s wait. Like a predator lying in wait for easy prey, Ronald stayed at the back and monitored the incoming minion wave. As expected, InformationBlackhole was leading that gang. Respawn timers were super short in the early-game, so bruh was already back in commission. "I have arrived," Vincent announced. "You''re relieved of your duty, Meme Jedi. Thank you very much for your support." "No problem, man." Luke headed to the exit. "It''s partially my fault you ended up like that, so no biggie." "I do not believe any of the blame lies with you, but I suppose we shall discuss this in further detail during the inevitable match review." "Oh yeah, that shit. Fun" Luke shuddered at the mere mention of it. The previous scrim review was so long and exhausting, and that was for a match that they convincingly WON. So, how bad will this scrims review be? Oh boy Luke shook his head super hard to dispel the depressing thoughts. Instead of thinking about that dystopian future, he focused on heading deeper into the jungle. Meanwhile, Vincent stayed behind to confront AbsoluteChallenger. This was the first time they directly faced each in a 1v1. "Vincent," Yuel called out. "You remember what kind of player Challenger is when he plays Top, right?" "But of course I remember!" Vincent nodded. "The information is engraved into my memory! To summarize: he is an aggressive beast, one that constantly seeks opportunities to assault his foes." "Right. So, make sure to exercise caution." "That I will. Besides, I''m lagging behind my foe by almost two levels now. I know my place." Vincent was like a harmless sheep while his opponent was a vicious wolf. It wasnt a contest at all. Any form of frontal confrontation would lead to Vincents immediate demise, so he had to avoid that at all costs. Therefore, when the enemy minions arrived, Vincent refrained from using Shield Bash. The classic farming routine for Knight was to push the enemy frontline toward the backline with Shield Bash, then slice through both the swordsmen and the bowmen with one Blade Swing. But, as effective as the method was, it harbored some risks. Against an opponent of this caliber, I simply cannot throw away my escape tool like this. Vincent thought. Shield Bash is my only way out in case something goes awry, so I must keep it safe for a rainy day. And so, Vincent had to rely on his basic attacks for farming this wave. He slashed away at the enemy frontline while standing on the opposite side of his opponent. The minions practically formed a wall between the two of them, a wall that Challenger would have to wiggle his way through in order to reach Vincent. Naturally, the opponent understood the situation as well. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. So, that''s how you gonna play. Ronald nodded. Its lame but understandable. Youre lagging behind and you don''t wanna mess with a scary guy like me. Yep, makes sense. With that said, this positioning was a little annoying. Itd be difficult to sneak past all these swordsmen to get to Blackhole. That guy barricaded himself pretty well. But, he gonna pay dearly for playing like that, doesn''t he realize that? Well, I guess I hafta teach him then. Ronald approached the minion wave, but not with the intention to cut through it. Instead, he headed deeper into the enemy formation, toward the bowmen. These squishy archers were the top priority targets, this was the 101 of laning knowledge. Bruh, if you don''t have the balls to extend a little and target my bowmen too, then this gonna be a very one-sided battle. On that note, Ronald started slicing and dicing the bowmen. Each of his slashes was faster than the previous, soon turning into a lightning-fast flurry! His opponent clearly saw this turn of events. So, how was the guy going to respond? Such unwavering confidence. Vincent nodded with respect. As expected from one of the Absolute Duo! But, I suspect you did not think this one through, good sir. Targeting the bowmen was the classic approach but it also freed the entire space ahead of Vincent. He no longer had to be wary of incoming attacks, so he was free to proceed toward the enemy bowmen as well. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Whats even better, Vincent was now free to unleash his Shield Bash + Blade Swing combo with minimal risks. His opponent was positioned behind him, so going forward to create some distance was actually safer for now. Im aware that Ive just said that it''s dangerous to carelessly waste away the Shield Bash, but the reality is that I must catch up to this Berserker ASAP. Vincent corrected the previous comments he made about the situation, to make sure that the viewers at home were up to date. Vincent died at the start of the game, so he had some catching up to do here. The gap in exp and gold wasnt going to magically disappear by itself. If anything, there was a chance that Challenger will only further expand the gap if Vincent stays too passive. I must fight back whenever theres a chance. Vincent concluded. I cannot allow myself to be outdone in the farming department so easily. Knight stands at the top of the meta for a reason. This heroic class shall not yield to a barbarian villain like a Berserker! With Challenger temporarily out of the picture, this was a golden opportunity to catch up. It was unlikely that the Leopards would give Vincent many sweet opportunities like this, so he had to grab whatever was in front of him! And so, he raised his shield and charged forth! WHAM! He rammed into the swordsmen and pushed them to the back, right next to their long-ranged peers. Next, Blade Swing. WHISH! He unleashed a dark slash that sliced through the entire enemy wave! The demonic overlord skin he was wearing made his attacks look as terrifying as that of a Dark Knight! I just wish the damage was at least half as good as a Dark Knight''s. Vincent lamented. Unlike Lukes amazing Dark Blast which eliminated the previous minion wave in one fell swoop, Vincents 2-hit combo only shaved off about 50% HP from the swordsmen and 30% from the bowmen. It was a far cry from an instant kill move. But, it is what is. Vincent raised his blade to follow up with further attacks. As long as my nemesis stays on the other side of the lane, Ill have more than enough time to- NANI!? Two axes. Raised over his head. AND ABOUT TO CRASH ON HIM!!! I-I must roll! Vincents body reacted faster than his dazed brain. He pressed Shift in order to roll to which side? What was the best direction to roll in??? He had no idea. Anything and everything about the situation caught him off-guard! His brain short-circuited while trying to process this unexpected situation, so his instincts had to take over instead. And, what did they whisper to him? Roll as far as humanly possible from this dangerous barbarian! And so, Vincent turned away from the Berserker in a haste and rolled forth! But, it was futile resistance. Against a Barbarian Slam that was charged to its absolute limit, such a late Dodge Roll was insufficient. BAM! The shockwave caught up to Vincent and stunned him! Yabai! Vincent exclaimed. How could this happen!? Just a few moments ago, Vincent agreed with Yuel about the importance of being cautious against the aggressive beast that was Challenger. And yet, Vincent still found himself in this unfortunate situation somehow. I have failed you, Chessmaster! No, I have failed ALL of you! Vincent apologized to the entire team. Alas, there is no time for regrets. I must form an evacuation plan at once! But, can I come up with something good by myself? O great Chessmaster, grant me your wisdom! Im in quite the pickle over here! How did you manage to Yuel sighed. It seemed like his warning fell on deaf ears. I didnt expect such carelessness from Vincent. Did the Berserker pull some trick on him? Anyway, as for his current predicament It was a difficult position. Vincent was stunned by the fully-charged Barbarian Slam, so he was now at the total mercy of the Berserkers lightning-fast strikes. WHISH! WHISH! WHISHWHISH! Vincent couldnt do anything but watch his HP plummet. But of course, the enemys aggressive move didnt come without a cost. Attacking Vincent meant incurring the wrath of his minions. The loyal soldiers shifted their focus onto Challenger and assaulted the guy. But, he didnt seem to care in the slightest. It seemed like he believed that this was a 100% favorable exchange for him. But, was that really the case? For now, Vincent couldnt retaliate, so Challenger definitely had the upper hand. But, soon enough, the stun will expire. What will be Vincents best move from that position? Hes going to lose a good chunk of HP but he wont be anywhere close to dying. Yuel ran the calculations in a split second. He had studied countless positions like this, so it was easy enough to give a rough estimation of the damage. Once your stun ends, use your taunt on him and retreat, Yuel advised. Since hes already being so aggressive, make him overextend some more. Indeed, that does sound like a fine suggestion! Vincent nodded strongly. Shortly, the stun effect wore off and Vincent could move once more! His immediate instinct was to turn around and make a break for it, but Chessmaster bestowed a superior strategy upon him. Your arrogance shall cost you dearly, o Challenger! Vincent activated Honorable Duel. Normally, the Knight would yell Let us fight honorably! but Vincents skin had a slightly different flavor. Let us conclude this mortal battle in the pits of hell! A demonic roar resounded across the area. There was no hint of honor or valor in that shout. It was pure demonic terror. This voice pack was part of the Demonic Knight skin. Vincent bought it during the oldie The Thousand-Year War of Angels and Demons event. Clearly, the investment was well worth it! With this demonic armor and intimidating voice, Vincent instilled absolute terror in his foes! They shall tremble at the mere sound of Honorable Duel being cast! Or at least, thats how it played out in Vincents head. In reality, things played out a little differently... Vol.16 Ch.25: The Challenger Let us conclude this mortal battle- A raspy demonic voice resounded across the area. It was totally unlike the usual heroic line of the Knight, but both versions were equally recognizable because both started with the words let us. This much was enough to set off Ronalds alarms. Here comes the taunt! Ronald stopped his offense and canceled into a Dodge Roll. However, he didnt roll away from his foe. Honorable Duel was slow enough to be reacted to, but even on reaction, it was a little tricky to properly roll it. This dang skill targeted everybody in a cone in front of it, so rolling away to either side was usually a bad call. Instead, Im gonna roll right into you! Ronald grinned as he rolled toward the enemys right flank. No matter how many times he pulled this trick, every single time felt like an episode of Mission Impossible. The stress was real! Im toast if I mess this up, even by a little. Ronald gulped. But, Im too good at this game to screw up like this! Ha, take that! Made it! Ronald breathed in relief as he recovered from the roll and stood back on his feet. - in the pits of hell! the demonic Knight had finally finished shouting his nerdy phrase but his words fell on deaf ears. By the time bruh finished dropping his long-ass one-liner, Ronald was already on the enemys right side, ready to continue his offense! Actually nah, I think Im good for now. Ronald glanced at his HP. He lost over 25% HP in that exchange. These little minion bruhs sure hit him hard while he was whacking Blackhole. Time to relax and foot it. Ronald activated Relaxing Exhale, erasing the remains of his Rage meter in exchange for HP recovery and buffs. It restored 10% of his HP and granted him the Movement Speed he needed to quickly GTFO. And so, Ronalds first 1v1 exchange with Blackhole came to an end. Both players retreated to their respective sides of the lane and safely farmed the rest of the minions from there. They didnt engage in any further fights, at least for now. But, Ill totally do this again next wave if you dont show me you have an answer for this. Ronald grinned confidently. Who knows, maybe Ill even go Berserk in the next fight. Admittedly, that whole exchange was high-risk high-reward. Fortunately, Ronald only lost about 15% HP there, but things couldve easily gone south if his opponent was more competent. So, what did Ronald gain in exchange for all that risk? Well, everything! He reduced his opponents HP by a whopping 30%, just like that! That Barbarian Slam into a flurry of strikes was hella smooth! At first, since Ronald aggrod the enemy minions, he lost almost as much HP as Blackhole did. But, thats where Relaxing Exhale came to save the day and give Ronald the edge. If not for that bad boy, then Ronald wouldnt have bothered with such a reckless play. There was a method to his madness. Knight is a fine meta class and all, but it doesnt have HP regen. Ronald thought. So thats the one advantage I gonna abuse against you! Ronald had a clear-cut plan for how to deal with his lane opponent going forward. But, what about InformationBlackhole? Did the dude have any aces up his sleeve? Such a brutal exchange, Vincent commented. His offense seemed so reckless and dangerous at first, yet he came on top in every possible aspect in the end. It was a brilliant display of skill! Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Yes, it was a strong play," Yuel agreed. "I assume he snuck up to you while you were using Shield Bash?" "That he did! I did not see it coming at all! Vincent hyperventilated. To think that he could close the distance in such a short amount of time and also charge up a Barbarian Slam on top of that! Truly, it was nothing short of masterful execution! I did not expect him to be capable of such feats!" "We''ve seen him play Top before," Yuel reminded. "You shouldve known that he''s a dangerous opponent." "Indeed, I did. But, to be honest, all his lane opponents submitted far too easily during the previous scrimmages. As such, it was difficult to estimate just how strong Challenger really is." "That''s also true," Yuel conceded. "This play made me realize he''s packing more than I expected. I''ll have to revise my evaluation of him." "Likewise." Vincent nodded. "So, in light of these revelations, what is our plan?" "It''s not like we have many options here. You''ll have to borrow Luke''s help if we conclude that you can''t deal with the Berserker by yourself, but it''s too early for that." "True, true." "So, for the next wave, try to farm normally. But this time, keep an eye on the Berserker so he doesn''t surprise you again." "Understood. I shall challenge this challenger once again!" For once, Vincent didnt have any bombastic nicknames to attach to a player. The best he could do was to joke about Challenger being well, a challenger. Truth be told, I can''t quite pinpoint what sort of special powers this mighty warrior possesses Vincent shook his head. Is he the Herald of Aggression? The Bloodthirsty Duelist? Nay, none of these sound right. There was no denying that AbsoluteChallenger was "strong" in Top, but thats about it. Vincent couldnt derive anything more specific from watching the replays. The man defeated his opponents in a convincing manner, overwhelming them through superb mechanical skill. It was undoubtedly a strong display of skill, but that''s all it was. In the large scheme of things, it didnt stand out that much because the Leopards dominated all these games as a whole. I suspect that, as his name implies, he''s a "challenger". Perhaps his true strength will only reveal itself when he faces sufficiently hard competition that pushes him to the limit! There wasn''t any hard evidence for that claim just yet, but Vincent''s senses were tingling. The more he observed Challenger, the more it felt like this specimen''s performance depended on how tough the competition was. I suppose it falls on me to unmask Challenger''s full potential for the first time on the competitive scene! Or, perhaps I think too highly of myself. Was Vincent really strong enough to force Challenger''s hand? So far, their exchanges were rather one-sided. Truth be told, I''m most likely the weakest link of this team, I''m aware of that much myself. Vincent smiled wryly. It wouldn''t be strange to see myself replaced by Ben in the upcoming months. As a man cursed with the power to analyze everybody''s special abilities, Vincent could tell that his own ability didnt quite measure up to the rest of the team. His observation skills and game knowledge were top-notch, but these alone didnt suffice to win games. He also had to put all these tools to great use during the game itself, which wasn''t always the easiest thing to achieve. So, against a small fry like Vincent, will Challenger bother to unveil his true power? Most likely not. It''ll take more than just Vincent alone to draw out Challenger''s true might, assuming there was any such hidden might to draw out in the first place. I assume Challenger came at me so strongly not because he considers me specifically a mighty foe, but because he sees Stratus as a worthy opponent as a whole. Vincent reasoned. After all, were the team that has delivered the Leopards to their first defeat of the year. This has surely hurt their pride, hence Challengers increased aggression. The moment Stratus registered as a threat, Challenger''s bestial instincts must have kicked in and powered him up beyond the level he had shown in previous games. And, the enemy''s wounds will likely stay fresh for quite some time after that shocking defeat, so Challenger will keep going strong for a while longer. I feel like a Lv. 10 player whos taking on a Lv. 60 raid boss. This is both thrilling and terrifying. While all these thoughts were circulating in Vincents head, the third wave had arrived. Though, in Vincents case, this was only the second wave he got to clear in the lane. And so, it was time to confront AbsoluteChallenger once more... Vol.16 Ch.26: A Disappointing Opponent Very well, I shall challenge Challenger once again! ...by staying as far away as humanly possible and minding my own business. Like before, Vincent didnt launch a Shield Bash + Blade Swing combo. Instead, he employed only his basic attacks on the minions, while simultaneously using them as a wall between him and his opponent. As long as I maintain this safe position and don''t get tempted into big plays, then nothing should be able to harm moi. Such was Vincents conviction. There were no signs of the enemy Jungler creeping toward Top Lane either, so Vincent should be reasonably safe in this position. On paper, Challenger couldnt pull off anything scary from this situation, right? At least, that''s what Vincent believed. However, it seemed the enemy thought otherwise... So, that''s how you gonna play? Ronald shook his head in disappointment. Not even thinking about taking revenge on me or anything? Lame. It seemed like Blackhole was rather shaken by how things turned out last time. What a lamer. This guy was too easy. Though I did catch him off-guard last time, so maybe this time things will be a little more challenging. Ronald could only pray. It''ll be really sad if it turns out that InformationBlackhole was just a scrub like all the Top Laners that Ronlad faced in the previous scrims. I mean, c''mon. We finally get to fight a team that''s strong enough to win a game against us, so youre not gonna disappoint me, right? Ronald confidently advanced toward the swordsmen. Unfortunately, from this side, Ronald couldn''t directly attack Blackhole. There were a bunch of minions standing in his way, blocking his path. In order to reach Blackhole, Ronald would first have to maneuver around these pesky swordsmen. At least, that held true if he wanted to hit Blackhole with basic attacks. Then, how about a slam!? Ronald wanted to go for it, right here and now! But, he couldn''t. His Rage meter was almost empty. Geh, that''s the one sad thing about relying too much on Exhale to maintain HP advantage. Ronald sighed. The Berserker primarily accumulated Rage in order to get closer to the almighty Berserk state. However, Rage also doubled as Berserkers MP for skills. So, if Ronald wanted to exhale a lot in order to recover his HP frequently, he had to sacrifice his Rage in the process, which meant he wouldnt be able to cast his Barbarian Slam as often. Managing these two facets of the Rage meter was the interesting part about this seemingly "barbarian" class. Its ironically one of the least dead-brain Top classes out there. Ronald thought. I mean, sometimes I do feel like just going unga bunga in Berserk state, but I really like how the class also lets me play smart when I feel like it. The added complexity of Berserkers meter management put a leash on Ronald and stopped him from getting too carried away. It was a little embarrassing to admit, but limitations like this were sometimes neccessary for him, especially when facing strong opponents whom he wanted to destroy at all costs. Against strong bruhs like that, Ronald had a bad habit of getting carried away and finding trouble. So, part of the reason he picked Berserker in this game was to make sure hell have something to occupy him and hold him back. Though, maybe all of it was unnecessary in the end because Blackhole didnt seem like much of a threat so far. On the contrary, bruh was looking weaker and weaker by the moment. Well, its too early to judge. Ronald thought. First, lemme smack these minions real quick. Ronald swung one axe, then the other. HACK, HACK. HACK HACK. HACKHACKHACK! The pace went up with each swing. In a matter of seconds, Ronald was unleashing a flurry at these weaklings! But, despite how many strikes he fired off, these lightning-speed attacks werent enough to finish off any of the minions quite yet. Part of it was because Ronald methodically split up his strikes across all three swordsmen, to make sure they were all equally injured. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Still, if any other bruiser unleashed this many attacks on the minions, then the little dudes wouldve been dead ten times over. But, Berserkers basic attacks werent that strong. Instead, they were swift and connected into this lightning-fast combo that had the potential to deal tons of damage via a flurry of attacks. But, this Knight sure makes things a lot harder. Ronald thought. Dang counter-picks. Berserker could deal tons of damage over time but he had to unleash lots of strikes to do so. This method of clearing minions was cool and all, but it had one glaring weakness: enemy defense. The targets defense stat mitigated the damage of every single incoming hit. So, what happened when the target was repeatedly struck? The damage mitigation applied to each strike separately, hurting the overall damage output by a ton. As such, targets with high defense werent very attractive for Berserker. Alas, thats exactly what Ronald had to deal with here, all because of that pesky Knight! Knights passive, Chivalry, gave a flat defense buff to all nearby allied minions. Because of this annoying little shit, the small dudes were more chonky than usual and that seriously slowed Ronald down. Such a dang counter-pick. Welp, I insisted to pick Berserker even though I knew Knight was open, so this one is on me. Ronald shrugged and continued hacking away at the swordsmen. Fortunately, it didnt take him long to recharge his Rage meter to the required amount. Alright, its showtime! He raised both axes over his head. Here comes Challenger! His lane opponent noticed the action immediately. The guy was shook! Nani!? Vincent jumped. Is he planning to unleash this attack in broad daylight!? The gall of this man...! This development came out of left field! There was no time to consider any options! So, Vincent simply turned around and rolled the hell out of there! This was the fastest and safest response he could muster up in the heat of the moment. Against a Barbarian Slam that wasn''t fully charged yet, getting away with a Dodge Roll was an adequate response. The enemy wasn''t even standing in Vincent''s face like last time, so clearly, the range of this slam wasn''t going to be anywhere near as scary as last time. Safe! Vincent declared. He was like a runner who got on base before getting struck out! Though, he soon realized there was no hurry there in the first place. Even after he recovered from the roll, the enemy''s axes were still raised high in the air. I see, I see. Vincent nodded. He''s aiming for a fully charged slam. Indeed, in this situation, there''s not a single reason not to go for it. A fully charged Barbarian Slam was the strongest form of the skill and it also inflicted a stun on top of that. Truly, it was the pinnacle of the Berserker''s skill-based aggression! The only price Challenger had to pay for this immense power was the amount of Rage he was obligated to consume. The longer he charged the attack, the more Rage it cost to unleash it. Such patient skill-charging was the very opposite of what an aggressive barbarian" like Berserker was supposed to be all about. And to convey so through game mechanics, using the Berserkers skills always ate away at his Rage, effectively sealing off his "barbarian" side. Indeed, playing Berserker was, in essence, an act of dealing with anger issues. At present, Challenger showed he had full control over his rage. He patiently charged up the Barbarian Slam and then unleashed it all at once at the minions around him. Fortunately, Vincent evacuated from the area in time to dodge the big attack. But, did he actually outplay his foe here? Or, was this a part of Challengers script all along? So, that''s how youre gonna play? Ronald shook his head. Lame. I was hoping you''d attack me while Im charging the attack, that would''ve spiced things up. As strong as Barbarian Slam was, it had one glaring weakness: time. Basically, charging the skill to its maximum power took like 2 seconds. In that time, even the player with the slowest reaction speed in the world could easily smack Ronald. To make things worse, Knight has a very handy tool in his arsenal for situations like this: Shield Bash. Yes, the enemy couldve easily rammed his shield into Ronald and stunned him, interrupting the Barbarian Slam along the way. In that sense, Ronald took a pretty big risk by charging up the slam in the enemy''s face. This play wouldve cost him dearly against more aggressive opponents. For example, his big bro would''ve DESTROYED him in this situation. But as expected, Blackhole didn''t dare to attack. The guy peacefully retreated without taking any risks. Their previous bout must''ve shaken the guy to the core. It seemed he didn''t have the confidence to face Ronald by himself. Well, its disappointing but it works for me. Ronald shrugged as he unleashed his charged attack. BAM! A shockwave traveled across the area, hitting all enemy minions! If you gonna let me get away with things like this, then Im just gonna keep abusing them. Ronald asserted. I mean, that''s the 101 of laning tactics, right? This uneventful development put yet another damper on Ronald''s fighting spirit. Blackhole was too easy to overwhelm and bruh didnt even dare to pick a fight when the situation was in his favor. Moment by moment, Blackhole has been establishing himself as a greater and greater scrub. Oh well. While Ronald was sighing in disappointment, his opponent started making his way back to the battlefield. Blackhole still had one more opportunity to redeem himself here by surprising Ronald with a strong play, but will this guy dare to do anything of the sort? Most likely not. Vol.16 Ch.27: Ronalds Unstable Score Phew, I escaped damage. Vincent sighed in relief. But, is this what Challenger was hoping Ill do? Or, did I thwart any of his plans? I suppose I''ll never know. With that question still lingering in the air, Vincent made his way back to the minions. Upon arrival, he found his army devastated. Thats to be expected after a meteor-level slam crashed upon them. And yet, all of them still lived. It was partially thanks to Knight''s Chivalry passive that boosted their defense. As the lord governing this land, it is my duty to protect my soldiers. Vincent puffed his chest despite the fact he didn''t lift a finger in that whole ordeal. He passively emitted an aura that granted the defense buff, nothing more. Jests aside, I must figure out how to proceed from here. Vincent knotted his brows. This is a tricky situation. Until a few moments ago, Vincent had been in total control of the lane. Chivalry bolstered the defense of his minions by a flat amount, which was incredibly impactful during the early game. It put Vincent ahead in the laning race even without him spending his skills to that end. However, that fully charged Barbarian Slam changed everything. It dealt enough damage to even the playing field in one fell swoop. In fact, it did more than evening the odds thanks to the slams stun effect. If the two of them continue farming this wave with just basic attacks, Challenger shall emerge victorious in this exchange. However, I also possess a Noble Phantasm that can turn the tides of battle! Vincent declared boldly. It''s called Justice of Knighthood - Unstoppable Shield Bash! Or basically, just Shield Bash. Truly, a name so simplistic it could make one cry. Hopefully, the criminal responsible for approving such a trite skill name was booted out of the design team for committing this atrocity. But regardless of the terrible name, if I borrow the power of the skill here, then I shall be able to shift the tides of battle in my favor! Vincent proclaimed. What''s more, with Justice of Knighthood - Vallant Sword Strike, I may claim further advantage and demolish the enemy''s entire lineup! Honestly, naming the follow-up "Blade Swing" was an even greater crime than the already bad Shield Bash. Its as if the design team wasnt even trying at this point. Truly, a disgrace to the art of skill naming! But for better or worse, the terrible skill names did not reflect the skills actual strength. They were very capable tools that would assist Vincent in gaining a great advantage here! Alas, he would have to gain said advantage at the expense of throwing away his best escape tool. And, since he executed a Dodge Roll just a second ago, it meant Vincent wont have any means to create distance between himself and his opponent if anything happens. Though his Barbarian Meteor Slam is off the table for now, I cannot allow myself to be careless. There is always the possibility of him entering Berserk mode and choosing violence. Even though Barbarian Slam ate away at Challenger''s Rage meter, it was a no-brainer for this savage class to refill it. Berserker gained Rage for each strike he delivered and his swings grew faster and faster by the moment. Surely, his Rage meter was shooting through the roof at this very moment. On top of that, Berserker gained even more Rage from getting hit by enemies. So, in case Vincent unleashes his Justice of Knighthood arts and gains the upper hand in battle, it will result in his minions aggressing on the Berserker and giving him Rage free of charge. With all of that combined, surely this gentleman will be able to transform into the manifestation of pure rage and unleash his fury on the land! And, Vincent would be left with no means to escape from that mighty typhoon! I cannot say I like that hypothetical scenario, not at all. Vincent shook his head. I''ve had enough misfortunes befall me for a single game. I shall farm slowly and safely for now. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. And so, Vincent stayed his hand for this round. He didn''t unleash Shield Bash and instead hacked away at the enemy soldiers with simple slashes. He was fully aware that this weak routine was going to result in his opponent''s victory, yet he continued farming slowly but safely. For his opponent, this was yet another disappointing turn of events. Bruh, youre still not gonna use your skills? Ronald raised an eyebrow. Aren''t you misjudging the situation here? Like, hello? I''m totally gonna win the exchange at this rate. And, he really did. Ronald eliminated all the enemy soldiers while keeping all his bowmen remained alive. This was the consequence of Blackholes passiveness. Aaaaand he''s already retreating. Ronald sighed. Seriously, it''s one disappointment after another with this guy. The more time passed, the dimmer and dimmer Ronalds fighting spirit grew. InformationBlackhole was nothing but one huge disappointment so far. Was this weakling really a part of Stratus, a team strong enough to win a game off the Leopards? Or, maybe the whole thing was just a fluke? Maybe none of these guys was anything to write home about??? "My, is that a sigh I spy with my little eye?" Cato asked. "What happened to that gung-ho attitude you had when the game started?" "Meh, I''m just not feeling it anymore." Ronald shrugged. "This guy is a pushover. I thought I''d finally get to fight a real bruh in Top, but this ain''t it, chief." "My, such blatant underestimation." "But, am I not right, though? This guy is clearly a pushover. Even when he has good opportunities, he''s wussing out on them." "These all might be parts of a greater plan," Cato suggested. "Maybe he''s playing like this to make you lower your guard. And, judging by your attitude, Id say hes pretty successful at that." "Youre saying he did all that on purpose? Nah, pretty sure he''s just that bad." Ronald asserted. "I mean, he didn''t even leave much of an impression back when he watched their previous scrim. Like, didn''t we agree he''s pretty mediocre? Sonya, what''s this guy''s score, again?" "It''s 5/8/8," Sonya answered. "The overall score is definitely above average for this region." To maintain a good point of reference against the regions average skill level, Sonya defined a score of 5/10 on her list as the average score for this region. As such, anything above 5/10 meant that the player possessed above average skill. With this metric, a score of 8/10 was actually rather high. It meant the player was far above average in that particular category. In that sense, Blackhole''s score of 5/8/8 was notably above the regions average. His mechanical skill was mediocre, but his decision-making and game knowledge were very solid, at least based on the data thus far. Nonetheless, in the end, this score was just "above average". Compared to the members of the Leopards, it was indeed fair to consider Blackhole underwhelming. "Man, I knew it." Ronald shook his head. "That 5/10 is for his mechanical skill, right? Yep, this bruh is as average as they get. I mean, I got a whooping 10/10 in that category!" He puffed his chest. "His decision-making is a notch above yours, however," Sonya pointed out. "Meh, just by a little, right? Isn''t mine like 7/10 or something?" "Yes, it is. At least, usually, it is..." "My, my, my," Cato interjected. "I sense regrets in that voice. Did you miscalculate when you gave him that 7/10?" "Ronald is... difficult to frame with numbers. Sonya sighed. His numbers fluctuate from game to game. For example, sometimes his mechanical skill looks like 10/10 but other times it''s just around 8/10. The same applies to his decision-making" "Then, how did you assign his final numbers?" "Using the most straightforward method: weighted average. I took samples from notable high-level Ranked games and did a weighted average of his performance across those." "And this is the result, huh." Cato nodded in understanding. Frankly, Ronald didn''t deserve these numbers. Across the many Ranked games they played together, there were a few occasions when all of Ronald''s stats dropped through the floor. Yes, the brat was just BAD in every sense of the word. However, if Sonya only took samples from the "hard" Ranked matches, then it made sense for the weighted average to look the way it did. After all, Ronald performed his best when facing strong opponents. That''s also the reason why he started this game with a bang. Ronald''s suggestion to go for an early invade panned out very well. On top of that, his plays in the lane were well-thought-out and efficient. Judging by this particular instance, Ronald could easily convince anybody that he was a competent player who deserved to play on the Leopards first-string. And, as frustrating as it was to admit, this whippersnapper really possessed the necessary skill, but only when he was willing to fully unleash it. Unfortunately, that wasnt very common. All that sighing Ronald foreshadowed a decline in his performance. Once this brat grew bored of his opponent, his focus always slipped away and he started underestimating all his opponents. Naturally, what followed next was careless plays and reckless overextension. That''s why Cato had to step in now before it was too late... Vol.16 Ch.28: Preparing the Game Board Before Ronald loses his motivation, it was necessary to rekindle the flames of passion in him. The fastest way to achieve that was to convince him that his lane opponent was, in fact, competent. "You may be thinking Blackhole isn''t all that because of his 5/10 mechanical skill, Cato said. But don''t ignore that 8/10 decision-making. That''s rather high and implies he''s capable of being shrewd." "Eh, it''s not that high," Ronald insisted to write Blackhole off. "I think the guy did pull a couple of tricks in the previous scrim, but overall, he didn''t leave much of an impression." "Let''s also not forget that he''s backed up by their shot-caller, whose decision-making even the ever-harsh Sonya rated as 10/10." "Correct," Sonya said. "He stands at 7/10/10 at the moment." "Dang, two 10s!?" Ronald exclaimed as if he saw this data for the first time. "And even his mechanical skill isn''t too shabby. Bruh is an absolute unit, what the heck." "It''s just an estimation based on the few games he showed us, Sonya said. His decision-making as a shot-caller is definitely top-notch, even if it looks questionable at times. And, assuming he''s the one who single-handedly handles the drafting phase, then his drafting ability suggests that hes extremely knowledgeable about the game." "My, he''s almost as accomplished as me~" Cato smiled from ear to ear. "Actually, his stats are a little better than yours." "Say what!?" Cato gasped. "Since when!? In which area is he better??? I demand to know right in this instant!" "I demoted your score to 7/9/10 for now." "M-Me? A 9/10 in decision-making? Surely you jest." "I admit I''m not 100% sure about this demotion yet. Maybe you do qualify for 10/10." "But of course I do! In fact, I''m preeeetty sure that the last time I saw my stats they showed a 10/10 in there." "That was a long time ago," Sonya said. "You never really ask me about my up-to-date evaluation of you, so I assumed you dont care even if something changes." "I didn''t ask until now because I was rather satisfied with the score." Cato pouted. "May I please know how I got demoted from godhood to this peasant level of 9/10?" "You should know that yourself," Sonya said. "It''s because of the way you drag out games unnecessarily." "Oh, that''s all?" Cato sighed in relief. "And here I thought I had some glaring weakness I wasn''t aware of." "Your glaring weakness is that you don''t realize that dragging out games IS a glaring weakness. You write it off as if it''s nothing but it''s actually a huge deal." "Nah, not really. It''s just something I enjoy doing, but I always know when to stop myself." "Yes, you sure knew how to stop yourself in the first game today." "My, as merciless as ever, aren''t you..." Cato smiled wryly. Maybe his self-control really wasn''t as flawless as he thought it to be. In that sense, he shared a small similarity with Ronald. Both of their scores were influenced by how much they underestimated their opponents. If Cato knew that the enemy team was weak, then he dragged out the game to torture them and break their spirits. On the other hand, when he knew he was going up against a strong team, then Cato cut down on that bad habit. Yikes, just the idea of comparing myself to that brat makes my skin crawl. Cato shuddered. Anyway, I''ve learned my lesson from the first game, so I''m not planning to drag out anything anymore against Straus. In other words, I''m in my complete form with that godly 10/10 decision-making! But, this brat on the other hand... Ronald mightve started out this game as a 10/7/8, but he was soon going to decline into a sorry state of like 8/5/6. Yes, even his "game knowledge" would plummet. It''s like his entire brain rotted once he started underestimating his foes. He would forget to take into the simple things that even Bronze players knew. It could get really hairy. So, I have to put him back on track. I''m not into babysitting but nobody else is going to do this for me. "Back on topic," Cato started. "I believe weve now established that Blackhole is decently smart and that he receives advice from somebody even smarter than him." But not smarter than me. "Yep. Ronald nodded. It sounds like they got a bunch of smartasses on the team." "That''s why I insist it''s very possible that Blackhole plays the way he does in order to throw you off. Theyve probably figured out by now that you''re an expert at losing focus." "What? C''mon, I''m not that bad! Everybody makes mistakes, bruh." "Yes, but some do that more than others." "Bleh, you gonna keep painting me as a scrub, aren''t you?" "That''s the plan." "Dang, these levels of disrespect, haha." Ronald laughed dryly. "Anyway, I dunno. I doubt these guys are really planning anything. Pretty sure that''s just Blackhole''s level." Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Maybe it is, but it''s best to exercise caution. I think we''ve all done more than enough underestimating for one day, don''t you agree?" "Yeah, guess that''s true." Ronald smiled wryly. Nobody had to remind him how and why they lost the previous game. "Okay, fair enough. I''ll treat this guy as a semi-potential threat for a couple more waves." Not a semi-potential threat but a very likely threat. Thats asking for too much, bruh. Theres a limit to how much you can ask me to fool myself. I know for a fact that this guy aint that good. Fair enough, Cato conceded. Just please, for the love of god, dont you dare lower your guard and get yourself killed. They have a Dark Knight on their team and we have to make sure we starve it to death. Oh right, theres the DK too. That bruh is dangerous for sure. Ronald nodded. I bet they gonna call him over here soon since Blackhole is clearly struggling against me. So yeah, I can actually see Blackhole trying to lower my guard so that the DK ganks my arse. My, Im glad you finally developed a brain and started thinking about the bigger picture. Dang, the sheer amount of shade this guy throws at people. Ronald shook his head. "But yeah, I see what you''re saying. The DKs presence makes everything about this situation more exciting. These guys are cooking something up, I just know it!" With that, the flame rekindled once more in Ronald''s eyes. With that, Cato''s work was done here. Phew, finally. Cato sighed in relief. My, sometimes I feel like a babysitter here. But, I suppose that comes with the role. As the captain, it was up to him to polish his chess pieces. He had to make sure all of them were clean and shiny so they could bring out their true potential on the playboard. The process of getting there was tedious but the reward was usually worth it. There is something rather satisfying about manipulating my own teammates into performing better~ Cato grinned. It''s like I''m a trickster overlord, one who even fools his own allies for the sake of obtaining victory! Muhaha! As he continued to indulge himself in such thoughts, the game moved on to the fourth wave. It was time for Blackhole to face Ronald once more. Will the enemy do a better job this time? Did Yuel and Blackhole already come up with a counterplan? If they''re going to try anything, surely their plan will involve the DK. Cato deduced. "Hey Will, I suspect their DK is going to gank Top in this wave or the next." "I figured as much." William nodded. "Good, since were on the same page here, I''ll leave this to your judgment. Do what you can during your jungling routine." "Got it." Perhaps these instructions came off as wishy-washy for a shot-caller, but that was for the best in this case. William was competent enough to make his own calls. In fact, in terms of decision-making ability, William couldve easily become the shot-caller if he so desired. Even Sonya rated his decision-making as 10/10. Problem is, he''s a tiny bit too self-centered. Cato shrugged. But well, that made it much easier for me to get recognized as the sole shot-caller of the team, so I''m not complaining. Surely, if William had any interest in calling the shots for the team, then he and Cato would have run into many conflicts. After all, their game philosophies clashed rather hard at times. Cato promoted eternal defense whereas William advocated swift elimination. Needless to say, these two approaches were as incompatible as they could get. For the better and the worse, William mainly cared about his own performance, so he had little interest in telling others what to do. For example, this self-centered mindset was the reason that William didnt say anything to Ronald despite how obvious it was that the brats fighting spirit was diminishing. As the older brother who played with Ronald more than anybody, surely William was aware of just how badly Ronalds performance suffered when the kid started losing interest. And yet, William didnt say a single word on the matter. Instead, Cato had to be the one to step forward and say something. But, why was it like that? Did William really not care about his teammates performance? Well, not quite. Its all because William was heavily preoccupied with his own matters. He was planning his jungling routes in advance, weighing the pros and cons of various alternatives, trying to predict the enemy''s movements, etc. In short, he had no time to babysit other players, not even his own baby brother. Perhaps it comes off as a little cold-hearted, but at least I know I can trust him to make the best calls for himself. After all, he''s preoccupied with himself like 150% of the time. My, what a narccisit~ While Cato was busy checking on everybody and analyzing the entire board situation, William was far better focused on his own affairs. That fact, combined with Williams solid decision-making, allowed the guy to often make superior calls for himself than what Cato could provide him. Well, perhaps "superior" is too strong of a word here. Cato objected to his own thoughts. Theyre just somewhat "better optimized", I suppose. Yeah, that sounds better. Either way, with all of that in mind, it was generally safe to let William do his own thing in the jungle. Not only did this have the potential to lead to better plays than what Cato could come up with, but it also took a load off Cato''s shoulders. After all, making shot-calls for the Jungler was very taxing, so it was nice to have a competent Jungler who could handle that part by himself. But, what about the enemy Jungler? Was LegendaryMemer also that kind of self-sufficient Jungler who made Yuel''s life easy? I can believe he is, but I also feel like strongly denying it. My, Im so fickle~ A player who boldly brought memes to the competitive stage was obligated to be self-sufficient at least to some extent. The entire premise of winning with memes was ridding on Memers class mastery, so the guy had to know what he was doing. But, to what degree was Memer really self-sufficient? How much was Yuel involved in the decision-making process for the Dark Knight''s actions? I felt like Yuels tactics were ever-present throughout the previous game. Cato thought. Many of the DK''s big plays felt like moves that Yuel would come up with. Of course, its always possible that Memer just had similar ideas himself, but many of these shot-calls just screamed "Yuel" to me. If any of that was correct, then it implied two things. Firstly, unlike Cato, Yuel was burdened with monitoring his Jungler and calling the shots for the Dark Knight. Secondly, this meant that whatever the Dark Knight was going to pull next will likely be a very "Yuel style" move. In other words, I have to be on the lookout for hints of an incoming unorthodox attack. Cato concluded. Then again, I believe Ive advised my minions sufficiently, so Ill just have to trust them to do their job from there. Cato properly fueled Ronald''s fighting spirit, as well as warned William about the potential of an incoming gank on Top. From there, it was up to the two pieces to handle any unexpected situations to the best of their ability. So, what kind of bizarre move will Yuel pull in the upcoming wave? Or, was he planning something big for the wave after the next? With all these big questions hanging in the air, the game proceeded to the fourth wave... Vol.16 Ch.29: Precaution Against Challenger Alright, here we go again. Vincent gulped. The next wave was about to arrive, yet he still had no viable solution in hand. Just how was he going to confront the beast known as AbsoluteChallenger?? That monster was clearly much stronger than Vincent, and the man was piloting the aggressive Berserker class to boot. It was not a healthy combination to fight against. And, facing a stronger opponent is still one thing. Vincent thought. However, its another thing entirely when this stronger opponent also jumps on any opportunity to assault me. That''s when it becomes a horrifying problem! Challenger was taking full advantage of his superior strength by pressing the offense at every turn. What could Vincent possibly do here but get pushed back every time? "O great Chessmaster, please share your boundless wisdom with me on this matter." "You need somebody to gank your lane, no two ways about it," Yuel said matter-of-factly. "But, I don''t think Luke can help you out in this wave." "I mean, I COULD," Luke said. "But, I''d have to take a pretty big dang detour, which means missing on a bunch of farm. And even then, Ill still arrive hella late to the party anyway." "Such tribulations," Vincent commented. "It all sounds rather inefficient." "I know, right? So, I rather not rotate there now. But, next round we gonna get them, word!" "Very well. I shall take you on that offer." "I agree with that plan," Yuel said. "Vincent, make sure to play this round safely, even safer than usual if you have to. Losing a little bit of exp isn''t a big deal if it''s going to help keep you alive. Not to mention, if Lukes gank succeeds, then itll cover for all your losses up to this point." "Indeed, indeed." Vincent nodded. It was a reasonable and well-thought-out plan, as expected from the great mastermind known as Chessmaster. A commoner like Vincent couldnt find a single fault with it. Thus, I shall nod and follow the script like the obedient puppet I am! Chessmaster was like an overlord tactician handing out commands, whereas Vincent was one of his demon generals. In the lane, Vincent commanded his own small army, but at large he was subject to following the great overlord''s strategies. Such was the natural structure of a well-organized military, so there were no complaints there. My job here is clear and well-defined. Vincent nodded to himself. I must withstand the enemy''s aggression by playing defensively, all the while minimizing any losses to my gains. In other words, I must achieve balance in this mix of yin and yang! With that clear purpose in mind, Vincent headed into the fourth wave of the game. Knowing every facet of this game plan ahead of time always did wonders to his performance. It inspired him with a sense of confidence that stabilized his moves, allowing him to act without second-guessing himself. Perhaps this boost of concentration is not quite enough to allow me to enter the Zone, but it surely brings me a few steps closer to it! And so, Vincent unleashed his concentrated might on the enemy! Which of course meant he played it safe as instructed and kept his distance from the dangerous foe. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He smacked the minions with regular basic attacks, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the Berserker''s movements. I''m ready to retreat at a moment''s notice. Vincent literally drilled a hole through the Berserker with his sharp stare. I shall witness the very instant in which you raise your axes! Then, I shall retreat posthaste! You will NOT get your chance to smite me! And so, Vincent continued to farm minions while 80% of his attention was locked on the Berserker. His intentions were definitely in the right place, but they led to a couple of unfortunate results. Oh, dios mio! Vincent exclaimed when his sword sliced through empty air. The minion he was supposed to last-hit had already perished. It was an unfortunate waste of exp and gold. Hrm, it appears my multi-tasking abilities still have a long way to go. I shall take note of that. It was indeed no easy task to farm minions efficiently while keeping tabs on every single twitch the Berserker made. Nonetheless, it was a necessary sacrifice. Vincent was fine with trading some farm in exchange for boosting his chances of surviving against this dangerous foe. No matter what happens, I''m ready for your attack. Youre free to come at me at any moment! Vincent continued to shoot glares at the Berserker. In the meantime, both armies dwindled further and further. All the swordsmen had already fallen, leaving only the bowmen to carry on the conquest. Its peculiar. I''m yet to see any hints of aggression. Vincent tilted his head. Is it possible that the beast is taking a break this round? Perhaps he''s wary of an incoming gank? For a moment, Vincent allowed himself to entertain such ideas. After all, it would have been great if that was the case. A temporary truce from the Berserker was very much welcome. No, no, no! I mustn''t let my guard down! Vincent shook his head. This is AbsoluteChallenger we''re dealing with here! He''s a beast who can sense even the faintest scent of blood. As such. shall I provide him with the slightest of opportunities - he will bite my head off! No matter how likely it seemed that Challenger had no interest in starting any fights this round, Vincent had no choice but to proceed with caution. He was already lagging behind his foe in every possible way, so he wasn''t allowed to commit any further mistakes in this dreadful early-game. And, just as Vincent finished processing all that - BAM! Challenger finally unleashed his dangerous slam! However, this particular slam was clearly not aimed at Vincent. In fact, it felt like Challenger took the precaution to distance himself as much as necessary in order to avoid hitting Vincent with the slam. It was not a fully charged slam, either. Vincent analyzed. The impact was weaker than usual and the windup animation was short. This slam was clearly not intended to assault Vincent. As I suspected, Challenger has no intention of starting a fight at this time. Vincent nodded. The fact he''s saving his Rage by using this minimal slam implies he wants to have a good escape tool in case he''s ganked. OR, perhaps it means he''s planning to assault me in Berserk mode very soon. It was always difficult to make the right read on these things. In Berserk mode, the Berserker gained access to both overwhelming strength and superior escape options. As such, it was equally legitimate to save up Rage for either offense or defense. Regardless, until the very end, I shall not let my guard down! Never again! Vincent promised as he attacked the bowmen. With that said, he unleashed Shield Bash on these last few minions. This meant he wasted one of his main escape tools, but it wasn''t an issue in this case. Because there is another escape tool right around the corner! Vincent finally hit Lv.5 upon slaying the bowmen, granting him access to his demonic steed. Now, shall the situation ever turn for the worst - he''ll be able to rely on his good friend to carry him out of the battlefield at once! I was certain the enemy would try something right before I unlock this power. Vincent thought. Interesting. It appears Challenger can also act tame on occasion, though I cannot claim I fully comprehend his reasoning in this case. In the end, AbsoluteChallenger didnt do anything special in this wave. But, what was the reason for that? Was Vincent being overly-cautious for nothing? Only time could tell... Vol.16 Ch.30: Starving Dark Knight "Live report from Top Lane! Vincent called out. The enemy did not target me at all this round. I suspect it means he is on his guard against an incoming gank. Chessmaster, what are your thoughts on this?" It sounds reasonable," Yuel said. "He strikes me as the type to go on the offensive at every opportunity that presents itself. So, if he''s skipping, it means he''s being cautious of something. But of course, there''s also the possibility that he''s saving up Rage for the next wave and plans to go on the offensive there." "Or, he might be saving up Rage to defend himself better in the next round! The possibilities are endless! Vincent exclaimed. On that matter, it should be noted that he went for a half-charged Barbarian Slam this round, most likely to not expend his Rage too much." "I see. Luke, are you listening?" "Hm? Eh, yeah, sure. Something about the Berserker possibly maybe kinda expecting my gank, right?" "Yes. Yuel nodded. He might be saving up Rage to go Berserk once you show up." "Awesome." Luke rolled his eyes. "Hey Vince, can''t you, like, reduce his Rage somehow? Say, hit him a bunch of times to trigger his Berserk early?" "That is a most interesting idea for sure," Vincent said. "Alas, I''m afraid it''s beyond my humble capabilities. Getting anywhere near that barbarian alone is as good as signing a death contract. "Dang, that sucks." Luke shook his head. "So, I take it that I hafta assume like it''s guaranteed the guy will turn Berserk when I get there, right?" "Yes, that sounds like a good mentality to have." "Dang, dude really be conditioning us hard with that shit, huh." Ganking an enraged Berserker was always a dangerous endeavor. If not executed carefully, the Berserker might easily turn the tables on the attacker. Especially, this bruh Challenger sounded like a dangerous fellow who would gladly do just that. In the last two games, Challenger didn''t stand out much because he was locked away in the Support role. But this time, dude had the freedom to hit people to his heart''s content. And, he already bonked Vincent to death right at game start. That shit was spooky alright. I dunno which one of the two came up with that gank idea, but it was hella aggressive. Luke thought. If it was Challengers idea, then dude is one heck of a daredevil. Theres no way I can just go to his lane and expect to smack him without a plan. "There''s also the possibility of a counter gank to keep in mind," Yuel warned. "Id like to remind you that in this formation, their Top and Jungler frequently cooperate. Yeah, the Absolute Duo, right? Luke remembered that much. Or, rather, he had no choice but to remember it, considering how many sermons Yuel gave everybody on the topic. Over the past month, Luke and everybody had to sit through so many lectures and watch so many video compilations. At this point, the Leopards players almost felt like some superstars from a TV show. Among the many clips, the Absolute Duo definitely left an impression. They were the exception to the rule, just like Lukes memeing was. Winner and Challenger were part of the Leopards, yet they pushed offense at any opportunity they got. So basically, from within the constraints of a heavily defense-oriented team, that duo rebelled against the status quo and pursued their own playstyle! It was beautiful! Theyre like the memers of the Leopards! Luke grinned. Heck yeah, gotta break all the conventions, man! That duo was sure wild. They slaughtered so many scrubs in the replays. Their team ended up with like 30 kills every time thanks to those two alone. Bruhs got no chill. Luke nodded. To be honest, I was even a little scared that well come here today and get mopped by these two. But hey, were doing hella fine somehow. Heck, weve tied the score against these guys, the champions! It was truly a surreal situation. To think that Stratus, the darkest horse a region could ever have, was currently threatening to grab the lead against the undefeatable champions. That was some lit shit. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. And, Im a part of this dark horse team. Heck, Im even a big part of why we won the previous game! Luke snickered. Man, even I almost cant believe that my memes are working this well. But hey, that doesnt change the fact that Im gonna use this as proof to tell people that memes DO work in competitive games. Haha, goteem! Of course, as usual, haters will say It was just one game or It was just a fluke. And as it stood, Luke couldnt deny such annoying claims just yet. After all, it was really just one game so far. So, I just hafta reproduce it again! Luke grinned confidently for a moment but then came back to earth. Seriously tho, Im not doing so hot in this game so far The game had already reached the fifth minion wave, yet Luke still hadnt achieved anything notable thus far. He even unlocked his ult already, but there hadnt been an opportunity to execute anybody thus far. These guys are tough nuts to crack. Luke thought. Mid and Bot feel literally ungankable right now. Even Yuel couldn''t arrange a good gank opportunity for me. Luke had been traveling from corner to corner across the map. Not only to farm jungle camps but also to find opportunities to get them kills. As a Dark Knight, he had to get those ASAP. Yuel also knew how important it was, so he provided Luke with some tips along the way and tried to arrange a good gank opportunity. Alas, none of this had led to a kill thus far. These dang dudes in Mid and Bot, they''re playing way too safe! Lamers. Last game, Luke delivered one huge SURPRISE MOTHAFUCKA attack on Theorist in Top, which was the catalyst for his snowballing. But, it looked like the gal learned a hard lesson there, so she was playing hella safe in Mid. Girl was sticking to the edge of her tower area like she was glued to it. And, it didn''t help that she was playing Sage, a class that had pretty good dang range. This enabled her to stay away from danger and farm safely from her tower. Basically, she was super hard to gank. And, that Bot duo isn''t any better. Luke sighed. Merlin and Rook also maintained a distance from Stratus''s side of the lane. Though, in their case, they usually had a very good reason to do so. After all, they were dealing with Lars and his long-ass snipes. That Elf was conditioning them real hard. So, at one point, Yuel came up with a nice trick. He made Lars recall, then asked Luke to stealthy rotate to the lane. It was one heck of a plan! In this 2v1 lane situation without the Elf to oppress them, the enemies were supposed to be tempted into pushing harder than usual and overextending. That shouldve been the opportunity Luke needed to score some delicious kills! But, these guys are not biting. Luke grumped. No matter what bait we throw their way, they just dont care. And, then there was also the enemy Jungler who made life harder for Luke. That dude always showed up with the most annoying timing. Every dang time I try to counter-jungle, this dude pops outta nowhere. It''s like he''s stalking me! Most likely, the enemy went hard on warding the jungle in this game. This was all part of their sinister ploy to kill Lukes meme dream! As long as the enemy knew exactly where Luke was at any given moment, then he suddenly stopped posing much of a threat. Whenever he was nearby, the enemy simply had to retreat, thats all. They were starving him to death here! Dang, I wish I had Nia''s ability to sneak past wards. Luke made a face. I really think Yuel made a mistake back then, though. He should''ve let me fight their Jungler when I was trying to counter-jungle. Whenever AbsoluteWinner showed up to cockblock Luke''s counter-jungling, Yuel always ordered an immediate retreat. Dude didn''t even want to listen to anything Luke had to say on the matter. He was all like: "Retreat unless you want us to lose." There was just no room for arguing there. Even when Luke tried to rope others into this discussion, they all sided with Yuel or acted neutral. Bruh brainwashed our entire team! Luke exclaimed. It''s like I''m the only human left and the rest are zombies! Though, it''s not like I don''t understand where he''s coming from. AbsoluteWinner was a dangerous guy, no question about that. After all, he was always the one who scored the most kills in the previous scrims when he played Jungler. He and Challenger were the wild kids of the Leopards. What''s more, they were strong. Like, really strong. Challenger was mostly a wild beast, but Winner was a cold-hearted killing machine. Dude played carefully and methodically, yet at the same time, he found opportunities to royally mess up his enemies. He was a bonna finna terminator. So yeah, it''s gonna be rough to fight him 1v1, I get it. Luke admitted. But, I''m playing DK, man. That should give me enough leverage, right? I mean, I know I''m not on Lars''s level when it comes to fights, but I can hold my own pretty well, too. Alas, he never got the opportunity to prove any of that. Yuel rejected the idea every time, claiming it was far too risky. And, maybe dude was right. Maybe Lukes Dark Knight was getting too hungry and that clouded his reasoning. He was getting anxious about feeding the DK properly, so he was thinking only about that. At this rate, Luke wont be able to reproduce the success of the previous game. Haters will say that the previous game was a fluke and that Luke will never be able to do this again. Was there anything at all that he could do to prevent that? Vol.16 Ch.31: Preparing the Fateful Gank...! These guys are driving me crazy. Luke grumbled. They don''t give me a single opening to do anything! The heck am I supposed to do then? It was as if the entire enemy team ganged up on Luke. They recognized how awesome his DK was, so now they were bullying him as a gang. Not cool, man. It''s tough being popular. Luke smiled wryly. But seriously, what am I gonna do? Time is ticking. A Dark Knight''s lifespan was painfully short when he couldn''t get early momentum. At this rate, his DK will lose its status as the "most dangerous guy alive" and will be demoted to being some average Joe. I gotta make this next gank on Top count, no matter what. Gotta push hard and get them kills! Even if Winner shows up, I gotta do it! His entire future was riding on this. If he fails here, then he probably won''t get another chance to make an impact in this game. Welp, that''s what it means to play a meme. Luke thought. Ya always gonna run into these high-risk situations that seem hella unbalanced, but you gotta suck it up and pull through! Thats how true memers play! Perhaps the previous game was really just a fluke. The enemies underestimated Luke''s DK and lowered their guard. But, not this game. This time, the enemy was on full alert, even more than necessary. So this time, there will be no more excuses if Luke wins. Even the haters wont able to say that his DK was a fluke or blame anything on the enemys incompetence. I''ll mop these guys fair and square. Thatll everybody how sick memes can be! I gonna become an inspiration for all future memers to come! With that strong desire burning in his heart, Luke headed toward Top. The plan was to get there around the same time the minion wave arrives. I may be starved, but I can still wipe out the entire wave in one hit. Luke grinned menacingly. Huehue, I''mma do just that and make our minions join the lynch! This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. It was the ultimate setup. Even if Winner joins the fray for a counter-gank, dude still shouldn''t be able to turn the situation around. It''ll become a 2v2 situation but Luke''s side will also have a full brigade of minions to provide backup. Then again, he can summon dudes, too. Luke knotted his brows. Them vikings are actually stronger than regular mobs, so he might even out the odds. That wont be fun. The Vikings ult was a potential wrench in the upcoming plans, but Luke had to press on with the plan regardless. Worst case, hell have to mop these vikings with a second Dark Blast once it comes out of cooldown. So, it was a solvable situation overall. Besides, Luke had no choice but to push forward with this plan. This was his last chance. There was no future for him beyond this point if he fails to score any kills. The fate of the entire world was riding on this play! Pft, okay, not really. Luke chuckled. I''m not Vince, so I can''t be this dramatic with a straight face. But, it''s really a huge deal for my DK. So yeah, the entire game might kinda be riding on this play. No pressure, haha... Naturally, Yuel also understood the importance of it, so he dropped a couple of extra suggestions. "If possible, try to pincer him." "Yep, that''s the plan." "And, make sure to place a ward in the jungle before you go to lane. We have to know for sure when their Jungler is approaching." "Oh right, the ward over there is almost dead. Gotcha." With that, the preparations were done. Luke, Yuel, and Vincent were all on the same page regarding this play. They were fully prepared for any kind of development. What happens if Challenger goes Berserk? What happens if Winner counter-ganks? How will they deal with Vikings ult? They had discussed everything that could possibly happen after Luke reaches the lane. Heck, they even touched upon one hella unlikely topic: what happens if something stops Luke from reaching the lane in the first place? In truth, it was an unthinkable scenario. The worst that could happen was Luke running into Winner when he attempts to invade Top from the enemy side of the lane. This meant Luke will have to give up on that angle of attack, so he wont be able to properly pincer Challenger, but thats about it. Worst case, I''d ditch that plan and raid the lane from the front door. Luke thought. It gonna suck, but nothing I can do about it. So yeah, even that worst-case scenario was already covered in their discussions. Their preparations were bulletproof! Or, so they believed. No way... Lukes jaw dropped. Something even more unthinkable than the most unthinkable scenario just happened. Winner showed up early, which was already bad news. But to make things worse, he didnt pop up from the enemy side of the jungle. Instead, dude showed up right in the middle of Luke''s path! That fearless bruh was approaching Top Lane not on the Leopards'' side of the jungle, but on Stratus''! What gonna happen next!? Vol.16 Ch.32: Williams Risky Independent Action Contrary to everybodys expectations, William chose to approach Top from the enemys side of the jungle. Even his allies didnt see it coming. "My, are you really doing this?" Cato asked. "You''re quite the daredevil, you know that?" "This is a calculated risk," William said. "If things get rough, I can always retreat. That''s what I have my axe blink for." "True, true. Cato nodded. But, isn''t it rather bold to assume that you''ll be able to get away alive from a Dark Knight, of all classes?" "Hmph. As long as he can''t kill me in one hit, then there''s no difference between fighting a DK and any other class. And, I assure you that he can''t kill me in one hit." "Yes, of course he can''t. If he could strike down a bruiser in one hit while being this starved, then DK would be pretty broken." "Right. So, if you have nothing else to say, then let me concentrate on this situation." "Of course, of course." With that, Cato quieted down. In truth, he had a lot more he wanted to say about this risky move but none of it was going to be relevant right now. What''s done was done. William was already there, boldly facing the Dark Knight head-on. I cannot say I''m a fan of this idea. Cato frowned. I guess that''s what I get for leaving Will to his own devices. Most of the time, letting William do as he pleased was the right move. However, every once in a while, it led to an awkward situation like this. It''s not a bad play per se. Cato thought. If he stops the DK from getting any kills in this play, it''ll throw a giant wrench in Stratus game plan. The DK will be rendered utterly useless for the rest of the game. But... There were a lot of risks involved. As much as this play had the potential to starve the Dark Knight to death, it also had the potential to revitalize the guy with a tasty meal. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I doubt Will will die here, but the risk is there. This dangerous play had the potential to decide the entire outcome of the game. So distasteful. Going all-in like this isn''t how pros should play. Cato shook his head. Were supposed to build our advantage slowly and surely, to establish a position that''s unwinnable for the enemy. After that, we can also drag out the game a little to bully them~ And after all that, we wrap things up. Thats how professionals do things. That was the standard game plan Cato believed in. It was an efficient method of driving any game to victory... well, maybe except for the part about dragging the game out. That was completely optional and served mainly as a psychological attack. Not everybody was fond of it but Cato sure derived a lot of pleasure from applying this tactic~ But, other than that sketchy part, the rest of the formula was airtight. And yet, there were also the non-believers who refused to follow this religion. They were heretics like Yuel, who tried to brute force their way to victory via a couple of brutal plays. Absolutely disgusting. Thankfully, Will isn''t as bad as that. Hes not a follower of Yuel''s religion, that''s for sure. But, its like he visits that church every now and then. I don''t like it. If it were up to Cato, then he would have opted to maintain the current status quo of the map. After all, the Leopards had been holding the upper hand this entire game, so why change anything? If its not broken, dont fix it. Perhaps their map advantage wasn''t anything phenomenal. However, the fact they were in the lead against an aggressive early-game team was a huge deal by itself. At this point, the game was practically as good as won. So, there was definitely no need to rush things in Top. The DK was already starving so there was not much point in beating him down any further. Besides, I know Ronald isnt the most reliable player out there, but I''m sure even he would''ve slipped away alive from the DK''s gank all by himself. Cato thought. Well, maybe "sure" is a little too strong of a word here. Rather, I want to BELIEVE he can handle this much without any trouble. If not, I would have kicked his arse out of the team a long time ago. In short, William''s play felt like an unnecessary risk. The team would''ve gradually starved the Dark Knight to death either way, but William decided to speed up the process for some reason. Oh well, so be it. Cato shrugged. If he messes up, I''ll use that against him for the rest of the day and make sure to order him around like a dog. I''m sure that''ll be pretty fun in its own right~ But, I prefer to win this round without any hiccups. The previous game was already embarrassing enough. And so, Cato convinced himself (sort of) that he was fine with this development. From here on out, everything was in William''s hands. Will he be able to shut down the Dark Knight for the rest of the game? Or, was he committing a fatal mistake thatll cost him? Vol.16 Ch.33: Exploiting the Enemy’s Respect Dark Knight vs. Viking. The two bruisers stared each other down. Neither of them was willing to make the first move. He seems fazed. William analyzed. If he wasnt, he wouldve continued toward the lane without stopping. After all, by all accounts, his class is still stronger at this point in the game. The fact Memer halted at the mere sight of William meant a couple of things. First of all, the guy definitely didn''t see this coming. After all, if he could predict this scenario, then he would have come up with a solution ahead of time and executed it right away. Also, this implies I even caught their shot-caller off-guard. What an honor. Chessmaster''s ploys had been messing a lot with the Leopards today, so it felt good to finally take a direct jab at that schemer. William pulled the rug right under the tactician''s legs! Delicious. But, there was still more that could be concluded from Memers reaction. The fact the guy stopped in place implied he was instinctively wary of having this fight. As a Dark Knight in the early-game, Memer should''ve been fearless against any opponent who crossed his path. Even while starving, a DK was still very much a force to be reckoned with. Yet, Memer was definitely on guard against William. There was a smell of fear in the air. I''ve actually seen a lot of evidence pointing toward that conclusion. William thought back on all the exchanges he had with Memer during this game. Even though they met a handful of times, they had never crossed blades directly. Their meetings always ended with Memer giving up on the fight and retreating. It was in stark contrast compared to how ballsy Memer had been acting otherwise. The guy realized that he couldn''t score any easy kills, so he opted for the next best thing: stealing jungle farm. And, with his powerful Dark Blast that could one-shot the smaller camps, it was only natural to pursue that path. In fact, the guy managed to steal a handful of camps even under William''s tight supervision. By the end of the day, William was just one player, so he couldn''t be everywhere at once. Besides, there were also scenarios where William was on the scene and still had no choice but to give up. For example, when Memer and Beat teamed up at the Griffin Camp, there was precious little William could do to stop them. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I could''ve teamed up with Sonya, but a 2v2 is infinitely more complex than a 1v1. They probably would have targeted Sonya first, so anything couldve happened there. William thought. I''m confident in keeping myself alive in a 1v1, but Im not confident enough that I can also protect a teammate in a situation like this. Thus, William had no choice but to give up on some of his farm on rare occasions like this. But, other than these specific scenarios, every other time he was on the scene he properly defended his camps. And, he didnt even exert much energy to do so. All I did was get to get there. That alone immediately discouraged Memer from trying anything funny. Memer didnt even try to lift a finger at William during these exchanges. Despite being a cocky DK memer, the guy politely turned around and retreated every time. Honestly, it seemed a little odd the first few times. However, once it turned into a pattern, it became obvious what was going on. Hes afraid of me. William concluded. Or, to be exact, hes afraid of the risk that comes with fighting me. Hmph. Im glad a left such a strong impression despite how the last two games went down. Admittedly, William hadnt had that many opportunities to show his mettle in the last two games. As the Carry, he was locked away in Bot, where he consistently had to combat the powerhouse that was Gunz. Perhaps those who appreciated Gunz''s skills realized just how amazing William was for going toe-to-toe with that beast. But, to those who only analyzed the game at a surface level, William''s plays probably didn''t leave much of an impression. I''m glad that even a memer is smarter than that. William nodded in satisfaction. So far, Stratus as a whole is living up to my expectations. In fact, I''ll even say they''ve surpassed them. The two previous scrimmages the Leopards played were a total joke, but at least Stratus was posing some challenges today. This reassured William a little about the skill level of the region. Now Im curious to see how strong StormBlitz is. William thought. But, that''s a topic for later. Right now, I need to defuse this DK. William moved from side to side to match the Dark Knight''s movements. It seemed the guy thought hell be able to sneak past William unscratched, but there was no getting through William''s calculated zoning. William was far enough from the enemy to be able to react in time to an incoming Dark Blast, but he also positioned himself in front of a narrow passage to make sure it was impossible to slip past him. This passage was the shortest way to reach Top, so naturally, Memer wanted to walk right through it. But, he couldnt. You can''t get to Top without eating some damage or making a detour. William declared. So, what are you going to do? The shortest path was blocked. Realistically, Memer''s only two options were to bust through by force or retreat. Using a different route would take way too much time to be relevant. No matter which play Memer picks, itll lead to his downfall all the same. The guy merely had the option to decide which poison he preferred more, thats all. Vol.16 Ch.34: The Fear of Confronting AbsoluteWinner "Weeeeelp." Luke chuckled nervously. "This wasn''t part of the plan. Are you guys seeing this shit?" "I sure do." Yuel knotted his brows. This is a strong check. I didn''t expect a play like this. He simulated many different scenarios in his head for the upcoming gank. Yuel thoroughly considered what will happen if Winner doesnt show up, what if he intercepts Luke on the enemy side of the jungle, or what if he joins the fight later. Yuel went through all the most likely scenarios and advised Luke about effective countermeasures for all of them. Yet, despite all these preparations, they ended up running into one scenario that Yuel didn''t anticipate. I was naive. Yuel thought. Our play was too predictable, so of course, they also had plenty of time to consider all the possible answers. On top of that, it seems that Cato isnt the only tactician I have to worry about in that team. I better remember that. In Stratus, Yuel was the one who issued the vast majority of tactical orders. His teammates were competent enough to make their own decisions on the lane and in the jungle, but when it came to rotating and teaming up - Yuel was always involved in the decision-making process. He either came up with the entire play or at least optimized it with some tips. Generally, the same applied to the Leopards as well. There, Cato was the one who seemed to decide most of his teammates plays. That was easy to tell because many of the Leopards'' plays were very defensive, in an obnoxious way that strongly reminded of Cato''s chess playstyle. With that in mind, it was a little easier to predict what the Leopards players will and will not do. Yuel merely had to ask himself "What would Cato do here?" and then plan his moves around the answer. For the most part, that approach had been working today. However, Winner''s unexpected arrival on Stratus side of the jungle shattered this methodology. This was an aggressive play, very much unlike Cato''s usual tactics. It was very hard to believe that Cato was the one who came up with it, let alone proved it. In fact, I''m almost willing to bet money that it wasn''t his idea. Yuel thought. It''s most likely something Winner decided to do on his own. I''ve actually seen a few examples of such behavior in the previous scrims. When Winner wasnt chained to a specific lane, he was like a roaming samurai who sought fights and kills. That definitely didn''t sound like a role Cato would assign to any of his chess pieces. I suspect Cato gives Winner free reins as a Jungler. And, it sure pays off. In this game, the strategic aspect was no longer just a chess match between Yuel and Cato. There was also Winner who had his own ideas. He was essentially a rogue chess piece that operated outside the confines of Catos tactics. So, I have to make plays that outsmart both of them together. Yuel''s job had just gotten infinitely harder. It would be ideal if we can win this game and make them go back to the previous formation, but the chances of that happening are slipping away by the moment... Anyway, back on topic: how was Luke going to deal with Winner''s unexpected interception? As the shot-caller who advocated this whole plan, Yuel was the one obligated to answer that difficult question. "Luke, retreat." "Say WHAT?" Luke''s jaw dropped. "Dude, I''m literally here to get some food because I''m starving. I can''t just turn around and leave! This is my big chance to get some meat!" "Yes, you had a chance, until the enemy killed it with this intercept. You won''t get past him." "Yeah, it doesn''t seem like I will." Luke tried his best to find an opening for maneuvering around the enemy Viking, but there were none. Winner matched all his movements perfectly to guarantee that the path ahead was sealed. The only way through was over Winners dead body, basically. Well shit. Luke clicked his tongue. Out of all places he could possibly pick to be in, this bitch just HAD to block this narrow passage. Did he plan this shit in advance or something? What a damn smartass. If it was literally any other spot in the jungle, then Luke could''ve maneuvered around it with relative ease. But, this one spot was just cursed. That passage was so narrow that only a person and a half could possibly squeeze through it. And, if Luke wanted to find another path? Well, good luck. He''d have to waste a shit ton of time retracing his steps. By the time he gets to the lane, it''d be too late to do anything. Basically, dude killed all my options except for one! I can still try busting my way right through him, so thats what I gonna do! Somehow, it doesnt look to me like youre retreating, Yuel said. Thats because Im not, fam. I gonna take on this big boi and either kill him or get past him! Thats not a wise idea. Why not!? Luke demanded. Every dang time I run into this guy, youre like Pack your shit and get outta there ASAP!!! I dont get this. Like, Im a DK, Im the stronger one here. So, why do I hafta fear some lousy Viking? Its true that in terms of class power you have the upper hand, Yuel said. But, in terms of combat ability, Winner is the Leopards most dangerous player. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Whoa, is this a roundabout way to call me a scrub? Is thats what going on here? Its not that your skill is lacking per se, Yuel explained. Against any other player from the Leopards, I can see you holding your own just fine. But, against Winner, Im not so sure. Then lets find out! Luke grinned. Imma tackle this guy right here and now! Gonna show ya that my DK skills transcend mechanical skill! Keep in mind that Winner went neck and neck with Lars, Yuel reminded. Are you sure you want to go up against somebody like that? Wait, seriously? Luke paused for a moment. I saw them fight a few times, but was it really that close? Yes, it was. All their fights pretty much ended in a draw. Whoa, hold it right there! Lars jumped in out of nowhere. I admit that dude is strong and that I couldnt finish him off, but there were no draws there. I kicked his butt, yo! Heck yeah, thats more like it! Luke nodded. Like I thought, theres no way this guy measures up to Lars. I knew Yuel is just trying to spook me. Not cool, man. ... thanks a lot, Lars. Yuel shot the goof a look. Haha, sorry but no sorry, dude. Lars laughed. You gotta come up with a real story to spook my dude, not spread some fake news. Its not fake, though... Yuel sighed. It seemed the two clowns were hellbent on disregarding Winners skill, probably because the guys mechanical skill didnt seem as overwhelming as Larss at a glance. But, all in all, Winner is about as strong as Lars. Yuel was convinced. He might not be as mechanically skilled as Lars, but he uses his brain to make up for it. If Yuel had the smarts and Lars had the brawn, the Winner had both. He was like the ultimate soldier. Maybe he''s not as good as either of us in our areas of expertise, but he knows how to combine both aspects in order to excel in combat. That makes him extremely dangerous, but it seems like Luke hasnt realized that yet... And unfortunately, time was of the essence here. It was too late for Yuel to try and explain all these details all over again. Luke was already on the scene, ready to fight. Was there nobody who could stop him!? "Vincent, can you say something to convince him?" "Hmm. I''m afraid not." Vincent shook his head. "The Meme Jedi senses a disturbance in the force, and unlike the typical jedi, he decides to take action. It is a commendable response." "This isn''t the time to praise his mistakes, Yuel said. We might lose the entire game because of this." "I''m quite aware of the possibility, but Im afraid I cannot find the right words to convince him to step back. No matter what I say, AbsoluteWinner clearly does not radiant a sufficiently intimidating aura." "Wait, are you also saying he''s not dangerous?" "Nay, nay, nay! Vincent shook his head. Of course, I recognize Winner for the all-rounded monster he is. However, for others, it must be difficult to evaluate Winners power level without combating him directly." "So, you''re saying there''s no choice but to let Luke give it a shot?" "Unfortunately, that''s the best I have to offer," Vincent admitted. "This arrangement is far from ideal, but this is a scrimmage, after all. Isnt our goal here to test things out and find the limits of our abilities?" "That''s true, I suppose..." Yuel only partially agreed with that. It was correct to say that a scrimmage was the best place for experiments like this. Since Luke refused to recognize the skill gap between himself and Winner, then it was best to let him experience it first-hand. This will become an important lesson for their next meeting at the regionals. But, were already doing poorly in this game. Yuel thought. Letting Luke try this play will likely lead the team straight to defeat, which will put us one step farther away from forcing the Korean player onto the stage. Then again, I haven''t told anybody about this tidbit, so... Yuel was the only one here who felt extra pressure about winning ASAP. If everybody was aware of the existence of the Korean player, then all of them wouldve probably been just as anxious about dragging the guy onto the stage. That would''ve surely caused many casualties on their end. "Alright, fine." Yuel conceded. "Luke, I won''t stop you. But if you fail here, I want you to start transitioning to a defensive build. "Hell naw!" Luke shook his head. "I ain''t quitting without a fight!" Switching DK to a defensive build was the same as admitting that his career was over. It was the highest form of disgrace! So, Luke ain''t gonna have any of that. Hell keep on fighting aggressively until the bitter end! "Fine. Do whatever you want." "Heck yeah, let''s go!" Luke was already standing face-to-face with his opponent, so nothing Yuel says will matter at this point. Why is he so obsessed with fighting here, anyway? Yuel wondered. Does he want his meme to succeed that badly? Maybe he''s still drunk on his success from the previous game. If so, then losing here should kick him off the high horse. It was undeniable that there were multiple long-term advantages to letting Luke crash and burn here. This defeat will serve as definitive proof of Winner''s combat skill. After this showcase, nobody from Stratus will dare to commit such a mistake ever again. But, that doesn''t mean I''m just going to sit here and watch him get himself killed. Yuel thought. Our current situation isn''t looking good, but the game isn''t doomed as a whole yet. Were so close to forcing out the Korean player, so we have to win this! And so, Yuel analyzed various options for turning Lukes misplay into something good. "Vincent, he''ll need your help." "Oh, how long I have been waiting for you to say this!" Vincent smiled meaningfully. "My dark steed is ready to be deployed at a moment''s notice! Just say the word and I shall zap to the scene!" "Good." Yuel nodded. Admittedly, it was going to be tricky to decide when and how to incorporate Vincent into this situation. Winner was already plenty dangerous by himself, but hell become unstoppable if Challenger joins him. The Absolute Duo was almost on par with Taurus'' Triangle in terms of threat levels. As such, Yuel planned to avoid any direct confrontations against them as much as possible. There were simply no guarantees about winning against that powerful duo. So, Ill have to carefully choose the right time for Vincent to intervene. Yuel thought. Ideally, he should join the battle right at the climax, so that Challenger wont have enough time to get involved. Fortunately, Winner wasnt an explosive player, so it''ll probably take him a while to reduce Lukes HP to a critical level. Around the time that happens, Vincent should raid the scene and counterattack Winner. That was the best plan Yuel could come up with on the spot. But regardless of what schemes Yuel had in mind, everything was riding on Luke in the end. How well will that memer fare against the dangerous opponent in front of him? How long will it take him to realize that he had no chance of winning? The answers should present themselves shortly as Luke had already started charging at the foe in front of him, as foolish as the act was... Vol.16 Ch.35: The Memer’s Inner Turmoil If you fail here, I want you to start transitioning to a defensive build. That''s the lame threat Yuel used to scare Luke. Switching to a defensive build was the ultimate disgrace for any Dark Knight, it basically signaled the DKs retirement. No, thank you. I ain''t gonna let that happen! Luke asserted as he approached his foe. This meme gonna live on! I made it work last time, and I gonna make it work again! This fight was the ultimate test of his memeing ability. Haters might call his first success a fluke, but they''ll shut up if Luke wins again! And again, and again! As many times as it was necessary to convince these mofos that off-meta picks worked like a charm! Besides, I don''t wanna feel like the weakest link here. Luke thought. I mean, a few months ago I wasn''t even expecting to get this far in the competition by memeing, but now Im here, so I better win this shit! Originally, Luke joined the Classmancers club in order to chill. He was fed up with the toxic competitiveness back at the soccer club, so he decided to join a "video gaming club" to have an easy life. By a stroke of luck, it just so happened that his online rank was high enough to get accepted into the club. It was all because he memed a ton in Ranked, kek. At lower ranks, memeing worked perfectly fine. Half of the players there were clowns who didnt know how to play for shit. Even the "meta slaves" at these ranks were just braindead copycats who followed trends without thinking for themselves. They were the most literal example of "Monkey see, monkey do." So, Luke dunked hard on all these scrubs back then. It was the good times. It was thanks to all these noobs that Luke made it into the club. During the first year, the club was as chill as Luke expected. Nobody there was taking the game seriously. The team only participated at the regionals for the lulz. They didn''t really expect to win or anything. In fact, these guys even memed at the regionals. They picked wild stuff like Dark Knight and Orc, then tried a five-man invade right at the game''s start! Absolute mad lads! Luke couldn''t help but grin when he remembered that epic scene. It was the epitome of coolness! But still, as cool as it was, he couldn''t help but ask himself from time to time: was it really alright? Stratus had the privilege to compete at the regionals, so shouldn''t they be taking things a little more seriously? Like, I never had that option in the soccer club. Luke thought. I wanted to compete but the coach was the embodiment of meta-slavery cancer. And, there was also so much dang competition for the first-string. Sigh. However, all these issues disappeared once Luke joined Stratus. There was no coach who preached about "meta" and there were barely any members, so getting a chance to play at the regionals was super easy, barely an inconvenience. It was a weird situation, all in all. On one hand, I could continue memeing as I pleased and nobody could really kick me out for it. On the other hand, I knew I''ll eventually be playing on the stage against some srs bsns dudes. That''s one heck of a contradiction, innit? Luke mulled over that problem for quite some time during his first year. And, his answer? I said "screw it" and continued memeing, lel. Luke chuckled. Though, I also did extra research to make sure my memes could actually compete against them meta slave bois. In the end, Luke found himself stuck somewhere in the middle between meme and meta. He continued playing memes, but he also did tons of research about the meta and stuff. Not to mention, he practiced his memes so much that it almost made him look like a sweaty tryhard. But, he was working this hard on memes and not on meta classes, so it was fine, at least in his book. For the entire first year, that''s the mentality he went with. During all that time, he was anxiously anticipating the competitive scene, wondering how his memes would work there. The first time he got to play in a scrim was last year, actually. There were only five seniors in the club at the time, which was actually a lot by today''s standards. Anyway, one of the guys called in sick right before a scrim, so somebody had to sub in. Logically, Kai was the most fitting choice, seeing as she was actually better than the seniors in the first place. But, these rascals disregarded her because she was a girl, so they opted for somebody else. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Next on that list was Vincent, but the delinquents in charge of the club weren''t too fond of that "nerd". As such, despite being the two oldest options to pick from, neither Kai nor Vincent was subbed in for that game. Next in line was Luke, who was actually on great terms with these dudes. It also just so happened that the sub they needed was a Jungler, so Luke fit like a glove. And so, that became his first opportunity to test his memes against srs bsns opponents. Unlike the RNG matchmaking of Ranked, here Luke was going to play against players who actually knew how to Classmancers. They weren''t just some braindead meta slaves who thought that using meta classes will help them climb the Ranked ladder faster. No, these guys were all about winning real games! That match was so wack tho, haha. Remembering that shitshow had always brought a smile on Lukes face. Like, the Stratus of that year was SO bad. Misplays happened left and right, with Lukes teammates dying to the most obvious tricks in the book. It was a sad story. That was the only way to describe that clown fiesta. The entire team practically looked like one giant walking meme due to how inadequate everybody was. Like, these guys goofed a lot in Ranked too, but that scrim was especially brutal. We could usually get away with some mistakes in Ranked, but in that scrim, we got mobbed HARD for the smallest slip-up. It was rough. All in all, they crashed and burned in that scrim. It got so bad that some of the seniors became salty and had the audacity to blame the losses on Luke''s memeing. Like, bruh. My KDA was the best in most games. Its them who were messing everything up, not me. Anyway, that was a story for another day. The bottom line was that Luke got to experience some brutal competitive games. On that day, he achieved his old dream of participating in official matches as part of the first-string! And honestly? It was lame. That was the unexpected conclusion. Like, the stage and the opponents were cool and all. But, the actual games were a disaster. That team was no good, and I say that as a memer. The mopping was too much. Stratus lost that scrim so hard it was impossible to enjoy the experience in any way imaginable. Not to mention, there was an audience that came to watch that shitshow, which further shamed the losing players. I remember I had trouble sleeping that night, haha. Had nightmares about how the audience was cackling at us. That was one heck of a traumatic experience, for real. It was a hella embarrassing experience all in all. That wasn''t how Luke imagined the competitive stage at all. I guess that''s when I started thinking about all these weird things. Luke recalled. It made me wonder whether I should keep memeing, and whether the level of our team was actually acceptable. As a memer, that was the last thing he expected to worry about. After all, back in the soccer club, the first-string was so obviously strong that this was never a real concern. But in Stratus, getting into the first-string was the easy part. Luke literally didn''t have to do anything; it was just a matter of time. But in exchange, there was a new problem: that team was too damn weak. Playing competitive games with this team was hella embarrassing, even for a memer like him. He wasnt even sure that he wanted anything to do with that shitshow. That scrim really disillusioned me about a lotta things. I started doubting whether I even want to keep doing any of this. A part of him wanted the team to improve and become a viable competitor at the regionals, but another part just wanted to kick back and continue memeing. He was quite the dilemma queen like that. When he discussed some of these concerns with Vincent, he received an interesting response. "Once Kai becomes the captain, she shall restore Stratus to its former glory! Even the nationals won''t be a dream anymore!" First of all, Stratus had no "former glory" to speak of, so WTF was that dude smoking? Secondly, could a moody girl like Kai actually do anything about this lazy-ass team? She seemed like too much of a loner to lead a difficult team like this, TBH. Nonetheless, Vincent''s words kindled a small flame inside Luke. He realized that once all the seniors graduated, there was some hope that the club would get more serious about competing at the regionals. Of course, there was no way in hell they''d be able to take the regionals or anything fancy like that, but maybe they could at least win a game or two. Because frankly, this region''s level wasn''t even that high in the first place. There were some weak teams here that even the old Stratus couldve beaten if they worked a little harder. And so, with that optimism in mind, Luke resolved the dilemma he was wrestling with. Well, sorta. Assuming the team was really gonna git gud, then it was fine for Luke to continue memeing as he pleased. He just had to make sure his memes were up to par and could compete on stage, to not drag the rest of the team down. I mean, I also considered ditching memes and going tryhard mode, but I just couldn''t do it, man. I had enough of that shit back in the soccer club. Never gonna force myself to follow the meta again. Never. Trying to both meme and compete at the same time was a contradiction of sorts, but Luke has been carrying on that contradiction for a long time now, to the point he stopped seeing it as one. He was memeing to avoid the burden of being a tryhard, yet he was sorta tryharding in his memeing. The duality of man. Sometimes, I really ask myself WTF I''m even doing. But then, I just continue doing it anyway, kek. He had come too far to turn back. The time and sweat he spent on improving his memes couldn''t go to waste. So, he only had one choice: to bring his memes to the competitive scene and take the regionals by storm! Or something. At the time, little did he know that mad lads like Yuel and Lars would join the club. These two dudes were on a whole different level. They transformed the club into a mega tryhard team. Thinking of it, thats probably when things started getting complicated for Luke again... Vol.16 Ch.36: The Evolution of Lukes Memes As Luke stepped toward the intimidating opponent in front of him, thoughts of the past continued to circulate in the back of his mind. Honestly, I doubt Kai alone could''ve reinvented the club. Its all thanks to Yuel and Lars. They gave Stratus second wind. Like, we''re getting carried HARD by these pros. With Yuel and Lars on the team, Stratus had a real chance to make it big on the competitive stage! But, it wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows, at least not for Luke. On the contrary, this development put him on the spot. Suddenly, I became the villain of the club. Luke shook his head. I became that guy who is "too lazy" because I dont train 24/7, and somehow Im the one who "drags the team down" because I meme. Like bruh, I literally used to be one of the most serious players in the old Stratus, what gives? In a blink of an eye, everything about the club changed. Now, Luke''s dedication to the game suddenly didn''t live up to the new standard. I mean, I knew I wasn''t tryharding, but that was the whole point. I was memeing because I didnt wanna be a sweaty tryhard, but I did put some decent effort into my memes. That was the haven Luke created for himself. It was supposed to be his personal resort, where hell heal all the wounds from all that tryharding he did in the soccer club. But then, Yuel busted into this comfy space and set it on fire. It was real hard for Luke to acclimate to that sudden change. For a while, Luke insisted on cutting club practice short so he could continue living his daily routine as before. In response, Yuel and Kai called him all sorts of names and subjected him to a lot of criticism. It was such a pain in the ass. Heh, little did these fuckos know that I actually continued practicing at home on my own! Haha, goteem! Luke was merely trying to maintain the routine that he started the year before. After club time, he was studying and practicing spicy memes. Step by step, he was getting closer to becoming the Meme God! Well, I admit there were some days on which I skipped practice and then just slacced. Luke only admitted that to himself. Heck, at first, I was so spent every day that I didnt have the energy to do anything else at home. Yuels training regime be brutal. It was real hard to suddenly adjust to that extreme menu Yuel whipped out. Dude was treating the club like they were on par with the Leopards or something. It was hella rough. I remember I didnt have any motivation to practice anything extra at home during the first few months. That menu was killing me. Even after Luke somewhat acclimated to that intense regime, his meme practice at home became a secondary priority. He did that whenever he felt like it, but he didnt maintain a regular schedule. Well, that one was on me, TBH. Luke admitted. I shouldve forced myself to do it regularly, then it wouldve been easier to stick with it. But, I didnt. As a result, Luke reached the first scrimmage of the year in a half-cooked state. He didnt train as hard as his peers at the club, and neither did he really practice his memes much at home. Im not a clown, Im the entire circus. Luke shook his head. I was making excuses upon excuses. He left club practice early because he was gonna practice memes at home, but then he often lazed around at home because he was too tired from club practice. Ironic. Yep, I totally became a lazy ass. My body wasnt ready for any of this. Thats why, during the Taurus scrimmage, Lukes contribution was on the meh side. I mean, personally, I felt like I was doing a great job. But, Yuel chewed me out to no end and the others seemed to agree with his hot takes. Honestly, I still think he exaggerated, but I did understand some of his points better after watching the replays. On paper, Luke did totally fine. In fact, he and the team did way better than expected, and that brought a smile to his face. Finally, Stratus werent the biggest losers of the region! We actually put on a fight, and we even mopped these Taurus bois! This was a huge step up compared to the previous year. But, Yuel being Yuel, of course that dude wasnt satisfied with the teams performance. That tryhard nerd was aiming all the way to the nationals. Honestly, Luke thought the guy was mad at first. There was no way in hell that a team like Stratus could possibly ever get that far. And yet, Yuel and Lars definitely brought in the results. They were clearly cut above the rest of the competition. Even a team like Taurus was no match to their skill level. Seriously, these guys should be playing on the Leopards or StormBlitz. Like, I still dont understand why they ditched Storm for a sorry-ass team like ours, but whatever. The bottom line was that Stratus did hella fine in that scrum. And, Luke also did hella fine, at least in his head. But then BOOM, that long-ass match review sermon happened. My guy destroyed everybody with FACTS and LOGIC. It was hard to forget that one, especially for Luke. After all, Yuel pretty much accused Lukes memeing of dragging the entire team down. The nerve of some people smh. But, as much as I always defend my memes, I had to admit dude had a point. There was no denying that Luke''s class picks made the teams lineup a little sus. I''ve never really thought that much about team compositions, to be honest. I was always like "Well, I''mma pick a janky class for the lulz and it gonna work out as long as I know how to play it. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. But, that was such a naive way of thinking. The team''s lineup was like a monolith. If there was a gaping hole anywhere on it, then the rest of the lineup had to compensate for it in order to keep the monolith glued together. Yuel lectured about that stuff every now and then, but we usually had no problem in Ranked on that front so I kinda waved him off. Luke shrugged. But, the last scrim made me realize that my picks actually caused more problems than I expected. And so, once again, Luke found himself in an awkward spot as a dedicated memer. He brought his memes all the way to the competitive stage and even performed adequately, but none of that mattered because his class picks were disastrous for his teammates on a fundamental level. In other words, Luke could literally be the best player in the world with his classes, yet Yuel would still find faults with his performance. The match review lecture also made me realize I was taking the easy way out all this time. Kek. The vast majority of Lukes memes were Setup Junglers. But, why was that the case? Did he like setting up kills more than he liked scoring kills directly? Hell naw. I prefer to screw my opponents with my own two hands! Thats always cooler! And yet, he used Setup Junglers. Why? Because that was the most convenient way to utilize memes. I mean, all I need to make a Setup Jungler viable is decent CC. Luke thought. I just get to the scene, set up a nice opportunity, and hope that one of my buddies handles the rest from there. Ez life. This playstyle allowed Luke to sweep many of the memes'' flaws under the rug. Basically, he was playing like a pseudo-Support. Even when he fell behind in terms of exp and gold, he had an excuse: Hey, Im just a Setup Jungler, dawg! My level doesnt matter as long as I can do setups. If I picked a Jungler that was focused on killing, then falling behind on farm would''ve been the end of me. This was basically the biggest hurdle of memeing as a Jungler. Any class that could farm jungle camps fast enough and score kills wouldve been a viable pick, even if it wasnt outright meta. But, memes were memes because they were terrible at these things. To make things worse, the issue always escalated throughout the game. The memer fell behind on farm, which made it even weaker than it already was. So, that made it EVEN HARDER to farm efficiently or score kills. It''s like reverse snowballing. Luke shook his head. You have a shitty start and it only gets worse from there. Before long, the poor memer finds himself unable to do anything in the game. Camps take too long to clear and ganks become impossible because everybody and their moms can overpower the Jungler. That''s why I stopped bothering with that kind of memeing. Luke thought. I tried to make it work before, I really did. But, its way too disastrous, not worth it. I do a much better job as a setup boi. But, Yuel just had to come along and grill Luke for this playstyle. Which made sense, since assassins and aggressive bruisers kinda dominated the current jungling meta. Being able to gank lanes alone was practically a requirement for a Jungler these days. At first, I tried to deny everything Yuel lectured me about, but deep down I knew he had a point. Luke admitted. He even went through all these mental gymnastics to prove to me that he was right. Honestly, I kinda feel like an ass for forcing him to work that hard for it, but I guess I needed somebody to apply that much pressure on me. Just because Luke knew that picking an aggressive Jungler was "right", it didn''t mean he registered it as "correct". The rebellious memer in him insisted on rejecting the idea. Every time he thought about this topic, a voice whispered to him: "You tried memeing aggressively like this but you failed, didn''t you? So, stick to Setup Junglers, nub." In the end, I guess I was just being a lamer. Luke realized. I was scared of memeing aggressively because it didn''t work before. But, then I remembered one important thing: I wasn''t the same memer I was before! Luke accumulated plenty of experience ever since he joined Stratus, and even more after Yuel transformed their training regime into Spartan training. So, with his current skill level and knowledge, Luke might have what it takes to play memes aggressively! But, I didn''t have that much time to prepare for this scrim. Luke thought. I had to pick a class and get that bad boi up to speed ASAP. So, it had to be something spicy with all the right tools for being an aggressive Jungler. And so, that''s how Luke arrived at Dark Knight. The class was already a borderline meme as Top despite boasting unparalleled early-game strength. It was the ultimate do-or-die class! Its the perfect aggressive meme! Nothing symbolizes memeing better than going all in. You either die a scrub or live long enough to see yourself become a legend! The more Luke read about Jungler DK, the more convinced he became that this shit was legit. He even saw videos of high-ranked players making it work in Challenger, and even in Master rank! Shit was tight! Well, to be fair, for every video in which this meme worked, I''m sure there were at least 10 others in which it flopped hard. Theres no way it can work consistently at these levels. But, we ain''t really at that level, so it''s all good. A meme that at least had a chance of working at the highest levels was bound to be viable at the middle school level. In the first place, I dunno if people realize it, but meta only matters at the highest levels. Luke reasoned. So, unless some class or strat is totally broken like Shadow used to be, then anything is viable, really. It''s all down to the players mastery. Therefore, as long as Luke put in the effort and polished this juicy Dark Knight meme, it was going to perform strongly even on the competitive scene for sure! And, it really did! Luke mopped the floor with these scrubs! But, they were quick to adapt. In this game, they weren''t underestimating Luke anymore, so they took all the necessary precautions against him. Winner didn''t even let him counter-jungle much, that bastard. This is the real test. Luke thought as he advanced toward his foe. I went from tryharding in soccer to memeing hard in Mancers, and now Im somewhere in the middle. He was too much of a memer to be a tryhard, but also too tryhard to be a pure memer. Basically, he was brandishing an off-meta class while still trying to follow the overall rules of the metagame. He was a living, breathing paradox. But, I gonna make this work! I have to! After all, that''s all I have right now. Luke didnt have any fallbacks in case his memeing fails. For him, memeing was everything, and he was nothing without it. "If you''re nothing without the memeing, then shouldnt have it." Luke chuckled to himself. This is your brain on memes, kek. He shook his head to clear out all these idle thoughts. The time for reminiscing was over. Now, it was time to fight. Against an opponent of this caliber, Luke didnt have the luxury to doubt himself or the path that led him here. Ultimately, he was right here, right now, on this stage. And, he was about to challenge a borderline pro-level opponent from the Leopards. I just gotta win, it''s as simple as that. I can worry about everything else later. And so, he charged forth at AbsoluteWinner! Vol.16 Ch.37: Challenging AbsoluteWinner! The Dark Knight was taking his sweet time approaching William. It seemed the guy was debating whether to fight or flee, but he ultimately decided to fight. It sure took him a while, though. Odd, considering how precious his time should be. William thought. He should be frantic, in a hurry to get something done before the early-game slips away from him. Williams entire plan was based on that idea. After all, under normal circumstances, challenging a Dark Knight alone was extremely dangerous. Even though William was superior to Memer in every possible way as a player, the power difference between their classes was difficult to erase through skill gap alone. Risks like this are usually better avoided in competitive games. William thought. Especially, when the punishment for misplaying is going to be grave. Feeding their DK is the last thing we want. Yet, despite all that, William was here, facing the Dark Knight head-on. Why? Because it was a great opportunity to shut down that Dark Knight, once and for all. He should be at his lowest point right now, scared that the entire game will slip away from him. So, he''ll rush this fight. And, while rushing, he''ll make mistakes. It was a classic scenario for any 1v1 sport. When a player was on edge and felt like they had to hurry to achieve something, it often led to their downfall. William made an entire career out of squashing frantic opponents like that. Alright, here he comes. William moved half a step backward. SLASH! A black blade flashed in front of his nose! But, it only cut through empty air. William was just barely out of range, so the attack resulted in a whiff. You''re wide open. William thought as he glanced at his axe. I could counter-attack easily, but I have to let you off the hook this time. Normally, this would be a great opportunity to strike back at the whiffing foe. However, William had to let this opportunity slide. And, he did the same exact thing against the opponents second and third slash. Every time, he just barely stepped out of the enemys range but he didnt strike back. I don''t have the reach. William stated matter-of-factly. His axe swing animation couldn''t compete in range with the Dark Knight''s bastard sword. Therefore, when William stepped out of the enemy''s attack range, it also meant he was keeping his foe outside his own attack range. But, this wasnt a surprise. William was fully aware of the disadvantages Viking had in this matchup. And, he came here to fight despite all that because he was confident in his victory plan. C''mon, one more attack. William urged the reckless assaulter. You''re almost there. Just a little more. SLASH! SLASH! Memer tried his best to slice through William, but it was to no avail. None of his attacks connected. William maintained a perfect distance at all times, deceptively so. He was just close enough to make Memer think that he was within attack range, yet he was also far enough to be able to get out of range with a single step back. Furthermore, every time William stepped away, he also shifted their position ever so slightly. In this fashion, slowly but surely, he was circling around his foe. Was Memer going to catch up on whats going on at some point? Surely not. In his frenzy, there was no way he''ll have any spare time to think about anything other than attacking. And surely, with every slash he misses, his anxiety will grow tenfold. Shit! Luke gritted his teeth. Hey, dude! Why don''t you come over here and git hit already!? He slashed again, again, and again. But, all his attacks cut through nothing. Every dang time, he was like 100% sure that he had Winner in range. But, at the very last moment, the guy always somehow slipped away just in time. Every attack, Lukes black blade came just a few millimeters away from that bastard''s nose, but that''s as far as it ever got. No matter how fast Luke attacked for how deep he stepped in - nothing ever reached that dang Winner. What did Vince call this guy, again? Something like Zone Controller, right? This sure fits well here. Winner was the maestro of spacing, it was something the team discussed when they reviewed the Leopards'' scrims. But honestly, it didn''t really register back then. After all, the Leopards mopped the floor with their opponents in these two matches, so they looked overwhelmingly strong in all aspects. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. But now, that Luke was confronting Winner in the flesh, the guys spacing felt like some real shit. Like, it was impossible to hit this guy! He was a Zone Controller for sure. Tch, I don''t have time for this! Luke stepped in deeper and swung his blade once more, but the result was the same as before. It was impossible to even graze this dude! At least, not without overextending as heck, which Luke definitely didnt want to do against a Viking who had access to his ult. What''s his agenda here, anyway? Luke wondered. He''s dodging all my stuff, but he ain''t hitting back at all. I mean, its probably because he can''t reach me from this range. But if hes never gonna step in to attack, then how is he even planning to win at all? Or, is he just buying time? Maybe the entire operation was all about wasting Luke''s time in this critical moment of the game. Winner probably knew how crucial it was for Luke to score at least one kill at this point, so maybe he was fine with just wasting Lukes precious time without actually winning the fight. Well, if youre just going to waste time, then Imma go all in! Luke charged at the breathing time waster in front of him! "Luke, wait. He''s leading you toward-" Somebody mumbled something in the background, but Luke didn''t have the luxury to spread himself too thin right now. He had to be 500% focused on this dang Viking and find a way to hit the guy! Nothing will get started here until Luke lands at least one hit. "Vincent, I think you should-" "I''m on the case! I shall-" There was apparently an exchange of some sort in the background. Luke didnt catch all the details, but he could guess what it was about. Yeah, reinforcements would be nice right about now. Luke thought as he swung his blade once again. I don''t like to admit it, but I dont think I wreck this guy on my own. He''s too dang slippery! Unfortunately, itll take Vincent a while to get over here. So, until then, Luke couldnt just sit here and do nothing. He had to get some damage in! Alas, all his attacks failed to connect. This put all his mechanical skills into question. I thought I was pretty good, but this guy is making me doubt everything I thought I knew. Like, why was this happening? Was it a difference in mechanical skill? Class mastery? Experience? Knowledge? It was so dang hard to tell. I feel like a dang rat going up against a tiger here. Luke shuddered, if only for a moment. As the aggressor, he was pumping tons of adrenaline, which pushed him forward despite all the hesitations. Dude ain''t invincible, that''s the one thing I know for sure. So, as long as I keep attacking...! Dark flames engulfed Luke. He stepped in further than usual and SLASH! He cut right through the dodgy bastard! And yet, Lukes satisfaction was mild at best. Damn, son. Luke shook his head. I stepped in so much deeper than usual, but I just barely grazed his nose! Still, a hit is a hit, I guess. For the first time, his attack connected. By stepping in harder than usual, Luke was finally able to catch that smooth criminal. In the first place, Luke shouldve had the speed advantage here all along. After all, moving forward was a little faster than moving backward in this game. Therefore, Winners smooth brain technique was actually hella fake. There was no way he could always step back in time against Lukes advancements. I just wasnt pushing hard enough because I didnt want to get counter. But, this aint no time to be a pussy and worry about stuff like that. Im the DK here, so Im stronger! But as expected, this overextension came with a cost. Right as Luke cut through the sneaky bastard, an axe drove right into his face! It was an immediate counter with robotic precision and speed. Dang, I thought the guy would be at least surprised for a moment that I actually hit him. Its as if nothing gets to him. Was Luke just dancing to his opponents tune this entire fight? Sometimes it sure felt that way. But, no more! Luke asserted. Now that I activated my buff, I gonna keep pressuring you nonstop! For Luke, getting counterattacked hurt pretty bad because his build was very offense-oriented. But, in Nightmare form, all his stats were boosted by a flat amount, including his defense. So, he had some luxury of overextending without being too cautious about the damage. On top of that, the dark mist covering his body also reflected incoming damage. Basically, while wearing this cloak of darkness, Luke''s DK was more terrifying than ever! But of course, with great power came great responsibility. Nightmare mode slowly drained Lukes HP while it was in effect. So, he really didnt want to activate it this early into the fight. Alas, it turned out that he had no choice. I was hoping I could settle this fight without relying on this suicidal strat, but no dice. Luke braced himself for the side effects and pressed on. SLASH! Try to dodge this! Once again, his black blade cut through meat. It was a clean hit! Unfrotatunely, this came along with an instantaneous counterattack from Winner. But, even getting hit was fine-ish right now. Git that damage reflected, boiiiii! Luke snickered as a wave of darkness shot off his body and hit the opponent as well. Every time Winner was gonna hit him, a portion of that damage would shoot right back at the Viking. So yeah, even getting counterattacked is part of the plan! Kinda. Believing that he had finally gained the upper hand in this fight, Luke pressed on with this reckless offense. At this rate, he was gonna win this exchange for sure! But, that''s only what he thought about this situation. On the other hand, his opponent had a very different take on the situation... Vol.16 Ch.38: Winners Trap SLASH! Once again, the Dark Knights black blade cut through William. However, despite the grave damage from the hit, he wasnt fazed by this development. Alright, we''re getting there. William threw a glance at his surroundings while counter-attacking the Dark Knight. As before, some of his damage got reflected back at him, but it was just a fraction, nothing to worry about. Compared to the damage from his attacks, the reflected damage doesn''t matter much. William reasoned. Five reflected hits deal about as much damage as a single basic attack, so this wont matter much for such a short fight. As such, it was more optimal for him to counterattack at every opportunity. The damage William received from Nightmare was a nonfactor, but the damage he dealt to Memer added up. This accumulated damage was going to play a key part in defusing the DK. We''re almost there. Just one more round. William''s plan was finally about to pay off. But for now, he had to continue dancing with his opponent, leading his dance partner by the nose. Unbeknown to Memer, this whole stretched-out tango wasnt just about wasting the DKs precious time. That''d be a viable tactic in its own right, but itd also waste my time. It''s not worth it. William didn''t come here to waste his time. The goal here was to either make Memer flee with his tail between his legs or to slay that cocky DK if he stays. And, since Memer chose to stay and fight, it meant the guy chose death. Its time. The enemy was right where William wanted him to be. I knew youll try to rush things at some point, and doing that blinded your surroundings. But, I dont blame you. This has happened to many, many of my opponents. Its not just you. Perhaps, under other circumstances, Memer would have noticed what was going on. The guy had adequate decision-making, so he shouldve been able to see through Williams ploy. Alas, in this critical situation, Memer didnt have the luxury to slow down and analyze things properly. He mustve felt like he didnt have time to do so. That''s exactly what I was hoping for. William nodded in satisfaction. My read was on point. At first glance, this entire play might have seemed ludicrous. William had so many disadvantages in this fight, so it was only logical to avoid it. But, we have to make sure we crush them properly this time. William asserted. I wont let anybody think that were afraid of some DK memer. The previous game was an embarrassment for the Leopards. They were done in by meme and hyper-aggressive comp, both of which should have been easy enough to counter. It was shameful, really. So, this time, we''ll be the ones to destroy them thoroughly. William declared. As always, Cato is being Cato, so he''s probably satisfied with just winning this round, even if we do it slowly as he likes it. But, I say we have to CRUSH them to send a message. And, in this position, it was very possible to do. Without realizing it, Memer stepped in so deep into the jungle that his back was now facing a wall. This was exactly where William wanted his prey. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Now, it''s my turn. William activated Unstoppable Raid, summoning a brigade of savage warriors. The vicious pack of pirates surrounded the Dark Knight from all sides, except for his rear. So, the most logical course of action was to retreat backward. But... "Crap!" Luke exclaimed. "I''m stuck!" He only realized the fact when he turned around. There was a huge ass wall towering over him! There was nowhere for him to go! W-When did I even end up here!? Luke gritted his teeth. I''ve been duped! The whole time, Luke was sure he had the advantage here, but it turned out that Winner played him like a fiddle! The dude was slowly cooking up some nasty plan all along! B-But, no biggie. Luke smiled nervously. First, lets roll outta here real quick. It was impossible to properly unleash Dark Blast from this position, not with all these pirates ganging up on him from all sides. I can''t hit all of them at once from here. Besides, ideally, I want the blast to hit that scumbag, too. With all these considerations in mind, Luke went for a Dodge Roll. And, to be on the safe side, he rolled toward the allied side of the jungle, right past the vikings blocking his left flank. This made him an easy target for these scoundrels attacks, but he had to eat that damage in exchange for getting a chance to slip away. At this point, it was getting kinda unclear who was gonna win the whole thing. So, Luke made sure to roll as deep as possible into the allied side of the jungle, to secure the safest position possible. But, in retrospect, that might have been a mistake. It was the most predictable move in this situation, and Winner read right through it! While Luke was rolling, Winner already waited for him at the destination. And, what was this bastard going to do next? Its elementary, Watson. "Craaaap!" Luke found himself flying backward, right to where he came from. That wrestler-wannabe tackled his ass and flung him at the wall! Once again, Luke found himself surrounded by a mob of vikings. And, these dudes were sure happy to see him back. They gave him a warm welcome, one that involved lots of clobbering! This ain''t good! My HP! It fell down to 40% after all the recent exchanges, and also because of Nightmare. Oh, right! I better turn off that thing! The damage reflection and the extra bit of powerup werent gonna help much against this angry mob. So, it was best to minimize losses by turning off that HP-draining feature. Dang, just a moment ago I was winning this shit! Luke ranted internally. But now, I''m only thinking about how to not get any more screwed than I already am! Maybe I should have listened to Yuel, after all It turned out that Winner was really a savage duel monster, just not in the traditional sense. Dude didnt have any insane mechanical skills that could terrify opponents, he wasnt like Lars. Instead, Winner had top-notch decision-making that complemented his solid execution. This dude had 200 IQ schemes and the necessary skill to pull them off, even right under the opponents nose! Unlike Larss raw overwhelming mechanical skill, it was much harder to appreciate the full extent of Winners skill just by watching a video. Thats why Luke failed to register Winner as a real top-tier threat until now. I mean, even if I watched the current situation from the side, Id probably not think much of it. At best, Id be like Man, that DK is sure a dumbo. How did he fall for that obvious shit? Luke had to experience the situation in the flesh in order to realize just how absurdly talented Winner was. Like, the guy probably had everything planned out even before he showed up here, thats how flawless his execution seemed. So, what the heck do I even do in this situation!? Luke gritted his teeth. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or, more specifically, between a wall and a bloodthirsty mob of vikings. And, he didnt even have access to his Dodge Roll anymore, so escaping was straight-up impossible! So, was that the end? Was the DKs entire career about to end here? It sure seemed that way. He had no chance of winning this fight by himself, and there wasnt anybody who could possibly rescue him here or was there!? Vol.16 Ch.39: The Absolute Duo The situation looked grave indeed for LegendaryMemer. A pack of savage barbarians ganged up on him, intending to execute him in broad daylight! But fear not, for a gallant knight was already on his way to the rescue! Though, in this particular case, the knight in question was cloaked in black and rode a demonic steed. But, details! Despite the Knights fearsome getup, the man came here with good intentions. He jumped off the steed and raised his shield! "I have come to the rescue!" Vincent charged forth, slamming into the enemy gang! The strong attack rammed into the assailants, driving them away from their prey! On top of that, this move pushed all the mobs to one area. Now, they were no more than sitting ducks for the dark arts! "Heck yeah, lets gooooo!" Luke unleashed Dark Blast, slicing through the entire enemy army! The blast deleted a big chunk of the vikings HP, leaving them at death''s door. Unfortunately, the sturdy warriors lived on. And, since they couldnt feel any pain, they charged at Luke once again as if nothing happened. Their persistence was impressive indeed. "Dang, these guys be tanky," Luke commented. "Let''s clear them out first." "I''m on the job!" The duo combined their efforts to wipe out what little remained of the vikings'' HP. There was no exp or gold to be gained from clearing these mobs, but it was necessary to get rid of these pesky minions before moving on to the main dish. Meanwhile, the "main dish" in question was keeping his distance and observing the situation without interfering. Hmph. So, I wasnt fast enough. William grumped. He was so close to slaying Memer for good, but Blackhole appeared at the nick of time to throw a wrench in Williams plans. Its unfortunate. William shook his head. But, this doesn''t really change much. I did what I came here to do. This DK is finished. The main goal of this entire play was to stop the Dark Knight in his tracks so he wont be able to score a kill in Top. So, in that regard, William passed the exam with flying colors. Getting a kill on Memer wouldve been a nice bonus, but it wasnt mandatory for passing by any means. In the end, even though Memer survived the onslaught, he was left with nothing. He didn''t get any kills and he lost too much HP, so he''ll have to recall now, which will waste even more of his precious time. It was over for him. Memer had no future in this game. As a nice bonus, I also made the Knight waste his ult. William summarised. And, while Blackhole is here, Ron now has the opportunity to push the lane for free. At least, that was supposed to be the plan... The instructions William gave his younger brother before any of this started were crystal clear: "No matter what happens, stay on the lane and keep pushing. If they group up, then Ill just retreat, so no need to worry." Ronald nodded in response to these instructions, but that brat could never be trusted. His attention span was virtually nonexistent at times. So, instead of pushing Top for free like a good, obedient kid, that rascal was currently dashing through the jungle... "I''m almost there, brooooo!" "Thats interesting because I remember telling you to stay on the lane." "Meh, thats boring, bro. Ronald shrugged. I thought it was a good plan at first, but then I saw this situation and was like ''We can get Double Kill here! Let''s gooooo!'' So yeah, let''s dunk on these bruhs!" "Fine" William sighed. He didn''t even have the option to object because there was no turning back from there. Ronald had already abandoned Top for the sake of this play, so there was no point telling him to go back now. Besides, he has a point. William admitted. We can get at least one kill for sure here, probably even two. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. William''s original plan was formed before he even got here, but Ronald made his decision on the spot based on the current situation. With Memer now at 30% HP and without his Dark Blast, it was a no-brainer to finish him off. So, even though Ronald came across as an obedient rascal here, he actually made the right call this time. This happens all the time, doesnt it. William shook his head. Ron comes across as a brainless goof most of the time, but every now and then he makes sharp decisions like this. With how fast things were moving forward, the enemy didn''t even get a chance to rest here. Just as they finished clearing out the vikings, a wild Berserker appeared! And, he was already in Berserk mode. "Let''s goooo!" Ronald activated Savage Leap and jumped high into the air. And, his destination? The two juicy prey in front of him! "We''re starting with the DK, William said. "Of course, bro!" Ronald already had his sights locked on the knight of darkness. But then again, in this particular case, both enemy knights were wearing black from head to toe. It was actually confusing as heck! Was this part of the enemy''s mind games!? But, you can''t outsmart me! Ronald knew exactly which one was the real DK. Yeah, he was that smart! But, then again, why hit only the Dark Knight? Ronald could try hitting both the DK and the Knight at the same time! Savage Leap had some AoE to its name, so considering how close the two bruhs were sticking to each other, it was definitely possible to strike both of them at once! So, Ronald aimed his Savage Leap toward the center of the enemy formation and took off into the air! Alas, focusing on the center might have been a mistake. The two opponents noticed him coming and started moving in opposite directions! Oh noes! Youre not getting awaaaaay! Ronald roared internally as he crashed into the ground. BAM! The impact sent a shockwave across the area, damaging all the enemies around him! Or at least, that was the plan. The shockwave did hit Blackhole. The guy was too slow at getting away, so he had to eat that damage. But, as for Memer who was the main target... the guy got away! He rolled at the nick of time, just barely getting outside the range of Savage Leaps AoE! Nuuuu! Dang it! Ronald cursed. Sonya rated this guys mechanical skill at like 8/10, right? I thought she was exaggerating, but it actually seems to be on point. This guy got them moves! With that said, a single successful dodge wasn''t nearly enough to escape the brothers'' joint attack. Even though Ronalds opening strike flopped, his brother was already there to cover up for it. That DK had no chance of escaping here alive once the duo set their eyes on him. Bruh was about to get run over by the Absolute Brothers! "Fuuuuuu!" Luke exclaimed. Even though he successfully dodged the Savage Leap by a hair''s breadth, he didn''t even have time to celebrate. Why? Because the other predator was already in front of him! Winner was there, with his axe already swinging at Luke. There was no absolutely dodging that attack. "Don''t even think about fighting," Yuel said. "Retreat." "Weeeelp. I mean, I''mma try, of course, but I think I''m kinda done for, haha..." Luke chuckled nervously. The two predators set their eyes on him. They were like hungry beasts chasing the trail of bleeding prey. SLASH! SLASH! The Viking and the Berserker assaulted him from opposite sides as they matched his steps. If Luke turned left, the Viking was there. If he turned right, the Berserker was there. And, what was ahead of him? A dang freakin wall! Theres nowhere to run, man! Luke exclaimed internally. Theyve got me completely blocked from all sides! How am I even supposed to escape like this!? He was pretty much done for, he could already tell as much. Vince, you get out ASAP, Luke advised. Sorry that we couldn''t get anything done even after you came all the way here to help." "It is not your fault," Vincent said. "Our opponents simply proved to be too strong on this occasion. We were merely deluding ourselves that we had any real chance against the Absolute Duo." "Ive been saying you as much from the beginning," Yuel reminded. "Indeed, that you did." "Yeaaaah," Luke admitted. "You were on point all along. It''s my fault for not listening." "Unfortunately, it''s too late to realize that now, Yuel said. "True dat, haha..." Luke tried his best to laugh despite the grave circumstances, but it was clear as day that he was done for. "Then, I shall take my leave here," Vincent announced. "It pains me greatly to leave an injured ally behind, but such are the circumstances." "Yeah, get the heck outta here, man. Dont worry about me." "Very well. I shall pray that you can somehow make it out of this predicament alive-" An ally has been killed! The Absolute Duo crushed that feeble optimism in its infancy. There was no longer any hope to be had here. Lukes fate was sealed within seconds. But, the duo wasnt done yet. Next, they turned their attention to Vincent! Were they going to off him as well!? Vol.16 Ch.40: Fleeing in Terror From the Absolute Duo! An ally has been killed! LegendaryMemer crumbled to ashes, leaving nothing behind. However, the Absolute Duo was not done yet. Next, they turned their eyes on the one and only InfomrationBlackhole! Y-You challenging moi!? Vincent tried to convince himself that everything will be alright, but he struggled to do so. The Absolute Duo was powerful, dangerously so. Vincent understood that better than anybody as the Arbiter of Talents. Even though they were but a pair, the duos threat level almost rivaled The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom! Indeed, they were frightening opponents who had to be avoided at all costs. The only way for Stratus to combat this powerful pair was to bring more numbers to the fight. They had to make it a 4v2, or at least a 3v2, situation, such was Chessmasters conclusion after prolonged research. Indeed, this sounded like a solid theory, one that unfortunately Vincent had no way of testing out at the moment. After all, he was all alone here, with two monsters hot on his trail! And, they were getting dangerously close, too! Challenger chased Vincent directly, whereas Winner rotated around the jungle and showed up ahead of Vincent, blocking the best escape route available. It was such masterful teamwork! As Vincents preferred retreat route was blocked, he now had to slow down and change course. However, in this situation, slowing down had critical consequences. WHISH! An axe lodged itself into Vincents back! As expected, Challenger caught up to him in a heartbeat. And so, Vincent found himself in a pincer. B-But, I shall not lose heart! Vincent insisted. Even as the monster keeps striking me, I shall not yield!!! WHISH! WHISH! WHISH! Axes whacked Vincent from behind as he ran, but he paid them no heed. After all, these attacks were as harmless as a buzzing fly! At least, that''s what he convinced himself to think in order to keep his courage afloat. With that said, there was no arguing with the fact that the Berserker was much faster than Vincent in Berserk mode. As such, competing against Challenger in a race was suicidal in this case. Then, I shall roll! Vincent activated Dodge Roll just as he went around a corner. This should create sufficient distance between himself and his pursuers. Alas, it was futile as his pursuer responded immediately with Savage Leap. Challenger leapt over a jungle wall and crashed right at Vincent''s new location! BAM! S-Such magnificent execution! Vincent couldn''t help but sing praises even amidst this fatal situation. It''s as if the man has encountered hundreds, perhaps thousands, of scenarios such as this. As a result, Challenger has learned all the best ways to respond to a dodgy roll like this. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Truly, Challenger was a dangerous beast, especially now that the Berserk mode was amplifying his bestial strength tenfold. If Winner had joined the assault as well, then Vincent would have been dead a long time ago. Fortunately, there''s no sign of Winner. He probably cannot keep up with this race. Vincent sighed in relief after drawing this valuable piece of information from the Akashic Records. Even though Winner showed up earlier to block off Vincents path, the man stood quite a distance away from Vincents actual position. As such, it wouldve been difficult for Winner to catch up from there. The entire point of that play was to slow Vincent down and block off his shortest route back home. In short, Vincent had a substantial lead on Winner. As such, it was nigh impossible for that Viking to catch up and pile extra damage on Vincent. Thus, my survival is all but guaranteed. Vincent reassured himself. After the Dodge Roll, Challenger had caught up to Vincent in a matter of seconds and was already unleashing a barrage of axe attacks on Vincents back. Even so, Vincent was convinced hell make it out alive. His HP was dropping lower and lower, but not at a particularly alarming pace. By running some quick, rough math on all the available information, Vincent estimated that he should be able to survive this onslaught. And, he was correct. Indeed, he safely reached his tower area alive. Though, perhaps "safely" is a bit of an exaggeration here. Vincent corrected his own narrative. Im very much at death''s door, so I wouldnt call the current situation safe by any stretch of the imagination. With just 30% HP left, a tower dive from Challenger would be very scary for him right now. But fortunately, that beast wasnt hungry enough to go to such lengths. Challenger properly stopped outside the tower area without coming in. But, was this really because he gave up on the offense? Or, was he simply biding his time until his accomplice shows up!? "Vincent, you better recall now," Yuel said. "They might dive in once they regroup." "Yes, my thoughts exactly!" Vincent retreated behind his tower and started the recalling process. Challenger didn''t dare to invade alone considering all the risks. But, if he were to team up with Winner, then the two of them will dive in for the kill for sure. I know that for a fact, for I have seen the Absolute Duo commit such war crimes before! As such, Vincent hurried to take an early leave. And, as expected, Winner showed up shortly, but it was too late at that point. "Dang, bro. He already recalled." Ronald shook his head. "Like, seriously, who would normally choose to recall so quickly in a situation like this???" "Anybody who did their homework on us," William said. "It was a good call." "Yep, it sure was. So, what now? We can''t exactly push yet." "Yes, theres nothing to push anymore because a certain somebody decided to join my fight instead of pushing a defenseless lane." "Hey, I helped secure that kill on the DK, though!" "Which probably doesn''t even matter overall, William said. That DK was practically done for the moment I ruined his plans." "Hey, you never know, bro," Ronald insisted. "They could always pull something super unexpected next. I mean, you saw how these guys roll. These bruhs are crazy." "Hmph. I suppose." William shrugged. In the end, the duo couldnt capitalize on this golden opportunity in order to push. There were no allied minions nearby to tank the tower, so any attempt to push right now would be extremely shot-lived and dangerous. Instead, the brothers ventured into the enemy jungle and stole the wolves and ogres. After that, they went their separate ways. Overall, their gains weren''t as big as William hoped, but this was satisfactory. This game is a wrap. William concluded. But, was he correct? Or, was Stratus going to surprise them once again, as they had done many times before...? Vol.16 Ch.41: Memes Be Dreams... Phew, okay. Yuel sighed in relief after seeing Vincent return to the base without accident. With that, the worst-case scenario was averted. Honestly, I''m surprised Challenger chose to join the fight instead of pushing the lane. That was very unexpected. It was more logical for Challenger to stay on the lane and push while Vincent was absent. The guy couldve dealt substantial damage to the tower if he pushed it in Berserk mode along with a full minion squad. But instead, Challenger left the lane right after Vincent and joined the fight. That gave the minions enough time to duke it out among themselves and eliminate each other, leaving the lane barren. And, what did the enemy gain for giving up this opportunity? They managed to secure a kill on Luke, but thats pretty much it. Of course, Lukes death was a painful outcome for Stratus, but not nearly as much as the hypothetical push on Top wouldve been. Did Cato approve of this decision? In fact, did he approve of ANYTHING that had just happened there? It sure doesn''t feel like it. That entire play felt like something that Winner and Challenger came up with on their own. They mustve completely disregarded Cato''s opinion on anything here. In fact, even back in the replays, many of the duos joint plays felt like they went against Catos methodology. Those two often strayed from the Leopards'' ever-defensive playstyle. I shouldve taken a better note of this. Yuel thought. This means two things. First, I should expect this duo to go for plays that Cato would never approve of. Second, because such plays arent carefully planned by Cato, it means there might be some glaring openings in them. That was very important to keep in mind, but realizing that now probably won''t help in this particular game. The current board position looked almost unsalvageable. Of course, Yuel continued to issue shot-calls as usual in an attempt to turn things around. He ordered Luke to switch to a defensive build, and he started roaming around to help create opportunities on lanes. Alas, it was to no avail. The team failed to bust through the enemy''s tight defenses in Mid and Bot. Only Top had some occasional holes to exploit, but the enemy had too much momentum there. An ally has been killed! "Baaaaakana!" Vincent held his head dramatically. "A thousand apologies, Chessmaster! I underestimated my foe but for a fleeting moment, yet this is the outcome." "Challenger capitalized well on that opportunity, Yuel said. In general, hes getting a little out of control. The more Challenger widened the exp gap between him and Vincent, the fiercer the guys offense grew. He frequently pushed Vincent back and dominated the lane via brute strength. In turn, Vincent was forced to retreat more often and play safer, which made him miss on some precious farm in the process. That only further widened the power gap between them. As a result, Challenger kept growing stronger while Vincent was becoming weaker and weaker. Normally, it was the Junglers job to put an end to such a vicious cycle. Alas, Luke couldn''t do much on that front, not after shifting to a defensive build. Of course, Luke rotated to Top as often as he could to provide backup, but that backup did precious little for overturning the situation. It just barely delayed the inevitable. DEFEAT Until the very end, Yuel was unable to turn the situation around. He focused on taking down Challenger, who had the most openings among the Leopards, but all his schemes fell through. Yuel even went through trials and tribulations in order to arrange a duel between Challenger and Lars, but even that wasnt enough to stop Challengers snowballing momentum. Since Challenger was so much ahead in terms of farm, that duel ended in a draw. As I thought, the Dark Knight rerun didn''t work out. Yuel sighed on his way down the stage. This was the outcome he predicted long before this game even started, yet it still frustrated him nonetheless. We have to get a second win as fast as we can to force out their Korean player. Yuel thought. We don''t have time to waste on experiments with Luke''s memes. Down to it, the DK meme was the main source of their problems in this game. If only Luke was willing to play a proper aggressive class that wasnt so fragile, then the team wouldve still had a chance to turn the game around at any point in the game. Even though Nia is also a troublemaker in her own right, I so wish she was playing instead. Yuel sighed. Seriously, why do our Junglers have to be so problematic? He sighed once more. "Hey, why are ya sighing like an old man, dude?" Lars massaged Yuel''s shoulders. "You''re taking this too hard, yo. Gotta loosen up a bit." "How can I loosen up after a game like this? They showed us they have no problem adapting to Luke''s DK and that''s the only aggressive option he has at the moment. Now, I have to find a way to make Setup Junglers work against that tight defense..." "But hey, at least Nia woke up." "Oh!" Indeed, Nia was there, sitting on the sofa and munching one of Ben''s sandwiches like a hamster. She was takings bites so small that it felt like itll take her an hour to finish the whole thing. But, that was beside the point. She was finally up, that was the most important part! At long last, Yuel was starting to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel. "So, are you really awake now?" Yuel asked. "Hmm." Nia pinched her own cheek. "It doesn''t look like I''m dreaming, so I''d say so." She averted her eyes soon after. "Sorry for falling asleep like that..." "It''s fine," Yuel said. The relief of having Nia back triumphed over his reason, but only for a moment. "Actually, no, it''s NOT fine. You really have to fix this bad habit of yours." "Gufu..." The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "But, this isn''t the time to chew you out on this. We''ll have a LONG discussion about this after the scrim." "Please kill me now..." With Nia back in commission, it meant the memer could finally be relieved of his duty. "I propose to sub Nia back in," Yuel said. "Any objections?" "I''m all for it," Kai said. "She''s way better than a certain memer who ruins all our chances." "Huh? What was that?" Luke''s face contorted. There was no trace of his usual laid-back attitude. "For the record, I dominated these scrubs pretty hard in the second game, in case you forgot." "Oh, I remember that fluke. The Leopards let their guard down, but it won''t happen again. Theyve proved as much with this game." "Fluke, you say..." Luke clenched his fists, but he failed to channel any power into them. A fluke. Right. Maybe it was just a fluke. For just one game, Luke was at the top of the world, but it was probably only because his opponents underestimated him and allowed him to snowball. This won''t happen ever again, that''s the message the Leopards sent in the third game. This time, they were fully on guard against Luke''s Dark Knight. They shut him down in a methodical manner, not allowing him to achieve anything at all. It was pure cyberbullying. So yeah, Luke won''t be dunking on these guys again today, not with DK and probably not with any other meme. #MemerLyfe. "Meh, whatever." Luke shrugged. "If you think that sleepy chick is gonna do the job better, then go ahead and sub her in." Luke gave up on everything. He dropped onto the sofa and grabbed one of the many remaining sandwiches. MUNCH. MUNCH. MUNCH. He stuffed his mouth to the point his cheeks threatened to explode, but he didn''t care. "Um, I don''t think you should eat so much at once..." Ben commented. Oh, shut up. Leave me alone. Luke shooed the guy away with his hand. He was in no mood to talk to anybody. All he wanted right now was to drown this frustration in some way. If he were an adult, hed probably go for alcohol right now, thats apparently what all the cool grownups did when they were depressed. Alas, Luke didnt have that option, so he had to get drunk on sandwiches, or something. Anything worked as long as it distracted him from the negative thoughts swirling inside him. It was ironic. Luke chose to become a memer to escape the frustration that came with tryharding and meta-slaving. And yet, right now, that very same decision was tormenting him in a very similar fashion, if not more. Maybe things wouldve been better if I could actually play a meta class or two when it was absolutely necessary... Such a dreadful thought invaded his mind for a moment. Nope, nope, nope! That''s SO not me! I''m not thinking straight right now. Luke grabbed another sandwich and MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH. He drowned all these stupid thoughts in the sandwich. Damn, these sandwiches taste like paper all of a sudden. Luke grimaced. Weren''t they hella tasty earlier? Why do they feel so dry now? Or, maybe the problem wasnt with the sandwiches themselves? Maybe Lukes sense of taste just decided to stop working all of a sudden? It seemed like his brain was messed up for real. Why? Why can''t I just laugh this off? Why!? His eyes were turning moist, which prompted him to turn away from everybody. Fortunately, they were busy discussing the next game, so they didnt notice how Luke was breaking apart at the corner there. I don''t get it, I really don''t. Why can''t I just laugh this off like usual? Luke gritted his teeth. Cmon, I should be "Haha! At least I spooked these scrubs with my meme for one game! Huge success!" That was his usual response when he lost in Ranked. Sure, losing was always a little frustrating, but usually, Luke was satisfied as long as his meme brought in some results. But, not this time. The fact the team lost that important game, and that Luke failed to achieve anything of substance there it just hurts, man. I really don''t understand why I care so much all of a sudden, tho. Luke wondered. Is it because we won the second game? Is that why I''m feeling so salty right now? In the second game, Luke experienced something unexpected: success. And, not just any success. It was a huge ass success! His DK performed so well on the competitive scene, utterly crushing the strongest competitors this region had to offer. It was awesome! It finally felt like Lukes efforts paid off. He was destined to make it big on the competitive scene with his memes! But, that clearly didn''t happen. It was but a fleeting dream that vanished into nothingness. All it left behind were regrets and frustration. So basically, what Im getting is that if I practiced this much but with a meta class, this is how well I couldve performed. I couldve totally stomped the regional champions with my supreme skill, haha! Haha, ha But no, he didnt do that. Instead, he chose to spend his free time practicing DK. Sure, the class was hella strong, but its performance was a coin-flip clown fiesta by design. This wasnt the kind of class that could promise consistent performance, no matter how much of a god Luke becomes with the class. Ugh, just thinking about it depresses me... Luke shook his head. He wasn''t allowed to think like that. That train of thought denied everything he stood for as a player. Luke was supposed to be the No. 1 meta denier. He was all about rejecting tryharding and embracing memes and fun! But ironically, his strong denial of tryharding ultimately pushed him to tryhard from a different angle, just to remain relevant for the competitive stage. He became the very thing he swore to destroy! You either die a memer, or you live long enough to see yourself become a tryhard. Luke looked at his palms. Maybe I am a tryhard. Trust nobody, not even yourself. A flurry of random memes fired off in his head like fireworks. They tried to numb his brain and distract him from the painful dilemma he found himself in. Who knew that the competitive stage, the goal Luke was looking forward to ever since his soccer days, was a swingy place like this? One moment, he felt like a big brain that stood at the top of the universe, then the next moment he fell flat on his face like some scrub. It felt like shit. Compete with other schools, they said, itll be fun, they said. Bullshit. Luke cursed. This whole thing is like torture in disguise. Mfs are making kids work hard like pro athletes, but they aint paying us shit smh. There was no end to the amount of salt pouring out of his brain. His own thoughts made no sense to him anymore at this point. Nonetheless, there was one thing he understood beyond a shadow of a doubt: things couldn''t stay this way. This wishy-washy state of half-memer half-tryhard had to be resolved in one way or another. This dilemma wasnt good for his mental health. But, what should he do? Abandon his status as a memer and become an actual tryhard? That''d go against everything he stood for. It''d be the same as denying himself. Then, should he stay a memer? That also sounded wonky. It meant Luke will remain a substitute for the rest of middle school while Nia will be hogging the main stage. Even now, the only reason Luke was allowed onto the stage was that the girl needed her regular beauty sleep. In other words, if Nia ever fixes that bad habit of hers, then Luke will have no place in the competitive scene at all... Man, this is such a shitty situation. Luke sighed. I have no idea what I should do here... While he was wrestling with these thoughts, the rest of the team moved on toward the fourth game of the day. Unlike Luke, the others saw this substitution in a positive light. For them, this was an improvement. With Nia replacing Luke, the team was no longer handicapped by a memer. But, was that really enough to make all the difference? Surely, Luke wasn''t the only reason Stratus lost that game. There was yet another issue with the teams lineup that had to be addressed, which was rather complicated and difficult to resolve. As such, at the moment, only Yuel was fully aware of this particular problem. I do have one solution in mind, but its very experimental... Yuel grimaced. Did Stratus have the luxury to experiment like that in this difficult scrimmage? Especially, in this critical 1-2 situation...? Vol.17 Ch.1: The Softhearted Amazon With Nia awake, it was now possible to kick the memer off the team. That already solved one of the teams biggest issues. But, that won''t magically solve all our problems. Yuel thought. There was no question that Luke''s memeing dragged the team down a lot in the last game, but that wasn''t Stratus only problem. Regardless of Luke, the team failed to get any offense rolling on any lane. Yuel and Lars failed to bust through the iron wall of Rook and Merlin, whereas Kai failed to achieve anything notable against TheTheorist. Though, there was one big difference between these two cases. "Kai, correct me if I''m wrong, but you didn''t really try to go on the offensive that much in the last game, did you?" "Hmm, I guess I didn''t," Kai replied plainly. "There weren''t any good opportunities as far as I could tell." "Is that so." Yuel didn''t have enough evidence to refute that claim. Normally, Kai was the kind of player who could be left to her own devices so long she was in a stable mood. As such, Yuel usually paid less attention to her lane situation when there were more pressing issues at hand. And, in that particular game, he was more preoccupied with the airtight enemy defense in Bot, as well as the overwhelming enemy offense in Top. So, did Kai really not have any good opportunities to start pushes in Mid? Frankly, Yuel couldn''t answer that off-hand. He''d have to watch the replay later in order to confirm that claim. Regardless, this was a pressing issue right now. I could check the replay now, but theres not enough time for that. Yuel thought. This isnt the only issue I want to discuss, so I cant waste too much time on it. I better get to the point. "Was Theorist''s defense really that good?" Yuel asked. "I had the impression she plays it too safe, so you shouldve been able to exploit her passiveness at least a little." "Yeaaaah, she sure turtled, alright. Kai sighed deeply. But, that doesn''t mean it''s easy to find opportunities to pressure her. I mean, she plays for the Leopards, so she''s no pushover. I''m not gonna find any free opportunities just lying around, you know?" "Interesting, because Vincent sure found a few good opportunities when he played against Theorist in Top, Yuel pointed out. And, considering your playstyle, I was sure youll be able to push Theorist around even better than Vincent did. "His circumstances were totally different, though," Kai argued. "He was playing a counter-pick, so, of course, he found opportunities. On the other hand, I was on even ground with Theorist as far as our classes were concerned." Sorcerer and Sage were both best known for their long-ranged options, so they were like two picks that effectively canceled each other out. As a result, the 1v1 in Mid turned into a duel between snipers. So, it wasn''t hard to imagine why Kai struggled to find any good opportunities to push. Still, I was sure that Kai will be able to get at least SOMETHING started. Yuel knotted his brows. I had a feeling their Bot duo will stump us because their defense is on par with Howard and Ellen''s. So, I was hoping that at least Kai will build some momentum for the team. Alas, Kai did nothing of the sort. Though, perhaps part of the blame lay with Yuel for making Kai play Sorcerer. She mightve needed a more aggressive class to get things rolling. With all that said, Vincent had a different explanation for the whole thing. "If I may have a word," Vincent started. "I suspect that a big part of this particular issue lies with Beat''s Softhearted Amazon trait. I believe I''ve informed you of it before." "Oh, that thing..." Yuel made a face. "Yes, you mentioned that Kai might be laxer against female opponents." "That''s BS," Kai denied immediately. "We already went through that, and Im pretty sure I made it clear: I''m not gonna go easy on anybody. Male, female, trans, whatever. If theyre my opponent, then I gonna mop the floor with them all the same! Stolen story; please report. "Indeed, I''m certain that this is what you genuinely believe in your heart." Vincent nodded. "Nonetheless, I suspect that reality doesn''t quite align with that belief you claim to have. After all, I''ve seen much evidence that supports the existence of your Softhearted Amazon trait." "Youve seen what, exactly? Me going easy against girls? That never actually happened." "Did you not say that sometimes you go easy on female opponents during PE lessons?" "Well, yeah, because it''s usually that easy." Kai admitted. Most of the girls there barely know how to play, so if I tryhard, then Ill just stomp everybody. Really, the competitive level in girls PE lessons was a joke. It felt like half the girls there didnt even care about competing at all. And, even among the girls that did compete, Kai often felt like she was head and shoulders above the others. It was unclear whether she was naturally gifted or whether it was her competitiveness with boys that pushed her skill that high up. Either way, playing any ball game against girls during PE lessons was too much of a no-brainer for her. As such, Kai only had two options in these situations. First option: go all-out and dominate the game. This usually made the girls complain about how much of a tryhard Kai was. Second option: play in chill mode without trying too hard to destroy her opponents. Of course, she still made sure to perform well and lead her team to victory, but at least nobody complained anymore. Most of the time, Kai picked the latter option, as uncharacteristic as it mightve seemed. "But, that''s only in PE," Kai insisted. "In Mancers, I don''t ever hold back." "Is that so." Vincent clearly wasn''t convinced. As the Arbiter of Talents, he was certain that he knew anything and everything about his teammates special traits. "In that case, Vincent said. Allow me to pose you the following question. On a scale of 1 to 10, how salty do you consider yourself after failing to make any substantial pushes in Middle Lane?" "Eh, like 5/10, I guess? Kai shrugged. "I mean, I just didn''t find any good opportunities to push in this particular game, but I''ll definitely find some in the next one." "There, I rest my case." "Huh?" Kai cocked her head. "You proved what, exactly?" "I shall let Chessmaster draw his own conclusions from this exchange." "Hmm." Yuel thought long and hard about Kais answer. Indeed, it wasn''t too hard to spot the contradiction here. Basically, for some reason, Kai didn''t sound nearly as competitive as she usually was. Normally, Kai would rant to no end about failing to defeat her lane opponent. But, for some reason, that wasnt the case against Theorist. Kai simply waved off the whole thing by saying she didnt get any good opportunities. This was rather uncanny. I didnt take Vincent that seriously on this point until now, but Im starting to see what he meant. Yuel thought. Its not as if Kai goes easy on girls per se. Its more that shes less competitive against them. Perhaps, somewhere at the back of her mind, Kai didnt register female opponents as a real threat. It would be ironic, considering how much the girl herself hated it when others underestimate her based on her gender. Or, maybe Im reading this whole thing backward. Yuel thought. Maybe its just that losing to boys automatically triggers her and pushes her to be more competitive, whereas losing to girls just fails to recreate the same effect. In other words, it was a double-edged sword. Against males, the salt of losing pushed Kai to the edge. Sometimes it allowed her to outperform herself, but other times it also made her lose sight of herself. Meanwhile, against females, none of that happened. Kai didnt get tilted from losing, but neither did she feel salty enough to push herself to the limit. Now I also understand why Vincent was able to bring this up in the first place. Yuel thought. Hes usually all about finding players strengths while completely missing all their weaknesses. So, Ive always thought its weird that he, of all people, would come up with this Softhearted Amazon trait, which sounded like a weakness. However, it turned out that this trait was a two-in-one deal. It had its fair share of negatives, but it also had some positives. So, where does that leave us? Yuel knotted his brows. Based on Vincents evaluation, Kai will continue being chill in Mid so long as her opponent was Theorist. This meant Kais performance will be stable and she wont ever go off the rails, but it also suggested she wont try too hard to bust through Theorists turtling. So, I cant rely on her to build any momentum. In other words, its up to Lars and me to get something going in Bot. Hopefully, with Nia back in commission, Stratus will be able to pick up the pace and create some good opportunities to attack. However, the way things stood right now, there was one more issue the team had to wrestle with. Ive come to terms with the fact that Mid will probably remain at a standstill, but theres also Top to consider. Yuel thought. Over there, we were pretty much under the enemys thumb, so we have to change that somehow. There IS one thing we can try, but... Thatll be a big, experimental change. Perhaps, it was too big for Stratus to afford at this stage in the match... Vol.17 Ch.2: Muddled Priorities Based on Vincents analysis, Kai wasnt very likely to play aggressively in Mid so long as her opponent was a fellow female player. That was unfortunate, but it still wasnt nearly as troublesome as the situation in Top. In fact, Top was the very lane through which the enemy paved their path to victory. Challenger dominated the lane with his skillful aggression, and together with Winner they completely ripped the lane apart. Therefore, if nothing changes in Top for the next game, then the same scenario will repeat itself again. As for why things turned out that way... Yuel frowned. This isnt going to be a pleasant topic to discuss. Of course, a big part of the blame lay with Luke and with his inability to properly gank the lane. But, the very fact the lane needed so much help was already a problem in its own right. I think Vincent can''t handle Challenger, not when the guy is playing so aggressively. Vincent was a versatile player who could play offense, defense, and anything in-between. He always adjusted his approach based on the opponent and on Yuels instructions. In that sense, he was a very dynamic soldier with a vast array of uses, but that versatility came with a cost. To put it simply, Vincent was a jack of all trades but a master of none. His offense wasn''t strong enough to bust through Theorist''s defense, and his defense wasnt bulletproof enough to deflect Challenger''s offense. In other words, Vincents performance suffered greatly against extremists who were fully dedicated to either offense or defense. So, it might be a good idea to switch him with Ben. Yuel pondered. Ben is too defensive for his own good, but that''s exactly what we need right now against Challenger. Stratus didn''t have the option of fighting fire with fire in Top, so their next best option was to extinguish Challengers flame with a strong defense. To that end, there was nobody better for the job than Ben, but Thatll be his debut game. Yuel thought. Not to mention, we''re losing right now, so hell probably feel extra pressure to help the team win. Will he be able to handle that? Ben was already lacking in the self-confidence department in general, so throwing him into this difficult situation sounded like a recipe for disaster. There was a very high chance he''ll perform poorly, which will miss the whole point of subbing him in. On paper, this is an adequate answer to Challenger''s offense, but I don''t know if we should take a risk like that here. Yuel frowned. We have to win the next game, no matter what. This is our last chance to force the Korean player on the stage. If the Leopards win the next game, then they''ll be at 3-1. At that point, theyll secure overall victory, so there wont be any need to sub in the Korean player. That''s a scenario Yuel had to prevent, no matter what. I don''t want to wait until the regionals to face that guy. Yuel thought. We have to see what he''s made so we can start collecting data on him as soon as possible. "Dude, everything okay?" Lars asked. "You keep making this scary face as if the fate of the world is at stake or something." "Everything is... not okay, honestly." "Haha. Yep, we''re in a tough spot, arent we?" Lars nodded. "But, it gonna be okay! We just gotta win the next game and even out the score! Easiest thing ever, believe it!" "Yeah, ''easy'', right..." Yuel smiled wryly. "Welp, I dunno what kinda complicated stuff you be thinking about. It gotta be some rocket science that I''ll never understand. But, theres one thing even I know: you totally look on edge today." "Do I?" "Yeah, its like you''re super worried about something, Lars said. And like, I dunno whats bothering you or how complicated it is, but I bet youre overthinking something as always, haha." "In fact," Vincent interjected. "Ive had the same impression this entire match. You appear more agitated than usual today, o wise Chessmaster." "Am I?" Yuel didn''t feel like he was any different than usual, but maybe the topic of the Korean player weighed on him more than he realized. "Please, Chessmaster, do not forget that today''s battlefield is naught but testing grounds for future battles, Vincent said. What matters most is that we seriously clash with our opponents and learn valuable lessons along the way. Achieving victory is but a byproduct of our efforts. It''s the journey that matters, not the end result." Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "That''s... right, actually." Something clicked inside Yuels head thanks to these words. On paper, nothing that Lars and Vincent said was new or revolutionary. These were all things that Yuel was perfectly aware of himself. Nonetheless, somewhere along the way, his priorities got muddled without him noticing. Theyre right, I was thinking too hard about winning. Yuel realized. Even though my main goal was to gain practical experience against the Korean player and not just win per se, Ive become a little too obsessed with getting us there. Instead of focusing on gaining experience against the Leopard as a whole, Yuel was preoccupied with bringing the Korean player to the stage. As a result, at some point, he started thinking only about winning to make that happen. Sure, getting practical experience against the Korean player is very important, no doubt about it. But, there are many other things to be gained from today''s scrimmage. The Korean player might be the strongest member of the Leopards, but the other members were no pushovers either. On the contrary, they had some of the best players this region had to offer. Therefore, every single game against them was a valuable experience in its own right. With all of that in mind, the fact that Ben didnt have any prior experience with playing on the competitive stage wasnt a good reason to disregard him. On the contrary, this was a great opportunity to throw him into the heat of a difficult battle and beat the experience into him. After going through such an intense scrim, hell be ready for anything that comes in the future. "I suggest we sub Ben in," Yuel said. "M-Me?" Ben jumped. "Yes. I believe your defense is exactly what we need to fight off Challengers aggression. Vincent, what do you think?" "I wholeheartedly agree." Vincent nodded. "Truth be told, I was waiting to suggest this idea myself, but I''m glad you''re the one who brought it up first." "Why?" "Because, by making this risky suggestion, it seems to me that you have reclaimed yourself, Vincent explained. You''re now once again the Chessmaster we know and love, the one whos willing to take risks even in the face of immense danger!" "Is that so." Yuel smiled wryly. "Just to be clear, I''m suggesting this substitution to increase our chances of winning." "But of course, that''s a given. Vincent nodded. Nonetheless, this is an idea that harbors many risks and unknowns, given Ben''s inexperience with the competitive stage. As such, it requires taking a gamble that not just anybody would be willing to take." "I think you''re exaggerating, but okay." Yuel couldn''t argue back because he really almost gave up on this idea because of the risk involved. "So, back on topic. Nobody has any no problems with this sub, right?" I wholeheartedly support this decision, Vincent proclaimed once again. Its a tad embarrassing to admit, but it appears Im incapable of stopping the raging force of nature that is AbsoluteChallenger. His offense is legendary tier. Yes, he was surprisingly strong, Yuel admitted. In that game, it felt like he was stronger than weve ever seen him before. My conclusion is that hes an inconsistent player who has high highs and low lows, which make it difficult to ascertain his true skill level. And, I might have unveiled the reason for it! Vincent announced. Its something Ive been keeping at a speculation level until now, but after the last game, it finally became a conviction! I fought the man face-to-face, so now I know for sure that he is the Threat Overthrower! Which means what, exactly? Kai asked. To put it simply, his power level goes up and down based on the threat level that his opponents pose. His skill takes a nosedive through the ground against inferior foes, but it skyrockets past the solar system against strong competition! Just as his name implies, he is indeed the Absolute Challenger! So, Kai started. Are you saying he considered you a big threat? Is that why he mopped you so hard? Haha, I see the Amazon is as harsh as ever. Well, Ill be lying if I said Im in a good mood. That game was a total flop, Kai said. But, at least Mid and Bot stayed on even ground for the most part. Its only Top where we completely lost control, and Im trying to understand why the hell that happened. Mhm, thats understandable. Vincent nodded. If youre trying to say that Challenger played better than usual against you because he registered you as a threat, then sorry, but Im not so sure Im buying that just yet. Indeed, you shouldnt buy it, Vincent nodded. Thatd be a terrible purchase to make. Huh? Im afraid you are operating under a misconception there. Say what? I did say Challenger outperformed himself because he sensed a threat, Vincent explained. However, I never claimed that the threat in question was myself. The real threat that got his attention was our team as a whole! Yes, thats right. The crushing defeat the Leopards suffered in Game 2 made Challenger register our entire team as one giant powerful foe! Huh, I see. That makes more sense. Kai nodded. So, the reason he played better than ever was that were the first team to actually stump the Leopards this year. Nice. Indeed, we are the pioneers in the field! Vincent nodded repeatedly. That outcome mustve come as a shock for the Leopards, considering they cruised through the previous two scrims with little effort. Therefore, this unexpected development set off Challengers alarms in a big way. Vincents hyperbolic explanation made everybody realize yet again just how much they shattered everybodys expectations here today. Stratus was supposed to be the dark horse of the region, yet right now they were posing an actual challenge to the regional champions. Yes, Stratus was so strong, that the Leopards had no choice but to register it as a top-level threat. For most of the team, this realization alone was already enough to inspire them with tons of confidence. However, not all of them were satisfied with just that. That''s the bare minimum we have to be able to do in order to drag the Korean player to the stage. Yuel thought. After that, the real hurdle will be to beat the Leopards in their final form. The goal was right in front of them, they were just one step away. Will they be able to seize victory in the upcoming game and finally force the phantom Korean player to appear on the stage!? Vol.17 Ch.3: Overthrowing the Threat Overthrower "So," Yuel started. "If Challenger really plays better based on how ''strong'' he believes his opponent to be, does that mean he''ll revert back to normal in the next game? After all, if were being brutally honest for a moment, then the last game was a very decisive one-sided massacre." "Hmm." Vincent crossed his arms. "I''m afraid that making this kind of prediction is outside my area of expertise. Conclusions such as these are not present in the archives of the Akashic Records, at least not in the segments I''m permitted to access." "But, there is a chance of that happening, right?" "I suppose so. At the very least, a behavior pattern like that would be in line with how the Threat Overthrower trait works. If theres no threat present, then theres nothing to overthrow, simple as that." "Okay, that''s good enough to know." Nothing was ever guaranteed when dealing with moody players whose performance swung drastically from one game to the next. So, Yuel had to make an educated guess here based on Vincents dubious-sounding, yet often accurate, intel. "If this analysis is on point, then it sounds like Ben is the perfect counter to Challenger," Yuel said. "He''s an expert at looking non-threatening." "My thoughts exactly!" Vincent nodded strongly. "Perhaps I will also be able to utilize my superb acting skills to fool Challenger into lowering his guard, but for Ben, that sort of trickery comes naturally!" "T-Trickery?" Ben fidgeted. "I''m not trying to trick anybody..." "Exactly, that''s what makes it most beautiful! Other players would have to go out of their way to convince the enemy that they werent a real threat, but not you. For you, looking innocent is as natural as breathing!" "T-Thanks, I guess..." Ben wasn''t even sure whether that was a good thing or not, but it was sorta true. Most of his opponents didnt seem to think much of his skill, so they didnt bother going too hard against him. It was probably thanks to his defensive playstyle that discouraged conflict. Ive always thought this is a bad thing I have to fix. Ben introspected. But, if it can help the team in this game, then maybe it''s not such a bad thing, after all... And so, it was decided. Ben will take Vincent''s place for Game 4. Not only will it reinforce the teams defense in Top, but it should also serve as an additional counter against Challenger. I actually wonder how low Challengers skill level can fall. Yuel thought. In the first two games, he made a bunch of careless mistakes as a Support, so we can probably expect him to be about as careless in Top as well. That might make him an even better target for ganks than he already was. With Nia now back in service, surprise ganks were on the table again. So, in case Challenger shows any signs of being careless, he might become a great gank target for Nia. Bot and Mid have airtight defenses, but we might be able to bust through Top. Though of course, I dont want to put all the eggs in one basket. Yuel had already crafted multiple plans for combating the Leopards'' new lineup, but it was going to be a rough fight no matter what. Especially because fighting against Cato and Merlin in Bot strongly resembled the feeling of facing Howard and Ellen. Both pairs excelled at stalling and baiting, making them tricky opponents to submit. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Honestly, I''m not sure were equipped to deal with something like this right now. Yuel frowned as soon as he drew the analogy with StormBlitz. The memory of that crushing defeat against Howard was still fresh in his mind. To this day, Yuel wasnt able to fully overcome that frustration, and Lars was probably in the same boat. That one fateful defeat cost them the opportunity to play on the competitive stage as part of StormBlitz. If they hadnt defected to Stratus, then how would they have spent this year instead? I wouldve spent the whole year spying on enemy teams and collecting data for Howards first-string. Yuel was sure about it because he had already done some of that work back when he was a freshman. It was a worthwhile job in its own right, but it didn''t even begin to compare to the experience of playing on the first-string himself. During the first few months, a part of me regretted leaving StormBlitz. Yuel admitted. Even now, whenever I have to deal with troublemakers like Nia and Luke, I can''t help but wonder how much nicer it would have been to only have high-caliber players on the team. But, I feel like it doesnt bother me nearly as much anymore. Yes, Luke was a problematic memer brat, Nia was an unreliable sleepyhead, Kai was a moody player, and Vincent sometimes fell short compared to the competition. Clearly, this team had no shortage of flaws. If Yuel were their opponent in a match, then he''d come up with countless ways to exploit their weaknesses and run them into the ground. Nonetheless, this flawed team was on the competitive stage right now, putting on a fight against the strongest players this region had to offer. Yes, despite Stratus many flaws, they were very much capable of stumping the Leopards and even winning some games. So, all in all, I''m glad I left Storm and came here. Yuel smiled wryly. Then again, it wasnt exactly my decision alone. If anything, it was originally HIS idea. "Say," Yuel whispered on the way to the stage. "How do you feel about leaving StormBlitz to join Stratus? Any regrets?" "Hm? Lars cocked his head. Where did that come from?" "Just wondering." "Hmm. Welp, it''s sad that we had to leave July behind and all that." "True." "And well, Roi and Dan were cool dudes, too. I liked playing with them." "Right." "But, I ain''t regretting nothing!" Lars declared. "I mean, staying in Storm would''ve meant skipping on all these awesome games were having, right? So, no way I''d ever choose to stay there. Stratus is the place to be, yo!" "Agreed." Yuel nodded. This underdog team, with its fair collection of questionable team members, was the place where Yuel and Lars belonged now. Right now, Stratus was a far cry from a prestigious team like StormBlitz and the Leopards, so their chances of winning the regionals were equally slimmer. But, Yuel and Lars will make it work. "Let''s win this one." "Yeah, we got this, believe it!" With somewhat revived confidence, Stratus headed into the fourth game of the day. In a way, this was the decisive game of the day. Not only because the Leopards will be crowned the winners of the scrim if they win this one, but also because this was Stratus'' last chance to drag the mysterious Korean player to the stage. But, we can worry about that part later. Yuel thought. Sorry Howard, but I''m not going to dance to your tune the entire day. I agree that it''s important for us to fight the Korean player as soon as possible, but I shouldnt prioritize that over everything else. A scrimmage was an event where players got to test their mettle against other strong competitors. The goal was to see how far the team could go, as well as what worked and what didnt. Winning or losing was just the end result. It''s the process that mattered the most. But of course, I''ll still do everything in my power to ensure that we win. Yuel asserted. I won''t be satisfied with reducing this entire game to a practice session for Ben and Nia. Sure, this is technically a practice game, but it''s a serious game all the same! With these renewed realizations and convictions, Yuel and the team headed into the fourth game! Vol.17 Ch.4: Two Substitutions = Two More Worries "Two subs?" Cato blinked. "My, how peculiar." "So, they''re bringing Vanishing back..." Sonya made a face. "Then again, at his point, I''m not even sure which of their Junglers is the bigger embarrassment." "So harsh~ Cato giggled. So, that the other player, EnduringPhoenix. I believe we have nothing on him, right?" "Right. At least, Ive never heard of him." "Curious, curious. Cato nodded. A trump card? Or, a desperate attempt?" "Logically, considering they didnt sub him in when they were in a tight spot against Taurus, I doubt that hes a trump card of any kind. Yes, that is unless they were cocky beyond measure and wanted to hide him from us at any cost. Do you really think theyre the kind of team that has that kind of luxury? Haha, probably not. Though the possibility definitely existed, it was unfathomable for Stratus not to use their best members against Taurus when they were pressed against a corner. Not to mention, if their goal was to hide this players existence from the Leopards, then EnduringPhoenix shouldve made his debut much earlier today to deliver the surprise attack. So, with all of that in mind, this unknown player had to be something other than a trump card. Then, is he a counter-pick of some sort, perhaps? Cato couldnt stop himself from wondering about it, even though he knew he wont be able to hit the right answer by guessing blindly. They simply didnt have enough data to work with. On the other hand, Stratus'' other substitute was all too familiar. The eccentric phantom was about to haunt the stage once again. "One thing you should keep in mind about Vanishing," Cato said. "She dragged her feet a little at the start of the Taurus scrim as well, but later on she went ham. So, she might be a slow starter. "Right." Sonya nodded. "There is some data to suggest as much. "So, keep your eyes peeled, everybody, Cato warned. It means nothing that she was lackluster in the first game. She might still put on a strong performance in this game regardless. "As if her performance was ever strong to begin with." Sonya scoffed. My, such a worrisome attitude. Cato tapped on his chin. And, she is supposed to be Vanishing''s supervisor in this formation, right? My, so, so worrisome. Maybe I should handle the job myself? ... or maybe not. He perished the thought as soon as he remembered who he was dealing with in Bot. There was no way he could manage such a part-time job while facing Yuel and Gunz. These pesky opponents demanded his full attention. Even just shot-calling is plenty difficult while Im busy in Bot. Cato thought. So, there''s no way I''ll be able to keep tabs on Vanishing on top of that. As such, somebody else had to handle that job, and the only other player for the job was Sonya. "I''d like to remind you that, in formation A, it is your responsibility to keep track of Vanishing." "Of course." Sonya nodded. "Is there any particular reason you felt it was necessary to remind me of it?" "Just making sure we''re all on the same page." Cato smiled meaningfully. My, it feels like she gets irked whenever Vanishings name is mentioned. How cute~ Admittedly, part of the reason Cato brought up the topic was to watch Sonya''s delightful irritation. The existence of the unscientific phantom threw a wrench in Sonyas cold, calculated persona. It was so fun to watch these reactions~ But of course, the main point of bringing up this topic was to confirm that Sonyas stance on Vanishing hasnt changed. Sonya still refused to register Vanishing as a truly dangerous player, no matter how much Cato tried to convince her. So, depending on how much Sonya underestimates Vanishing, we might be in for a surprise or two in this game. Cato smiled wryly. So, I better do everything I can to lower the chance of such surprises, even if it means scoring some negative points with my dear secretary. "Just to be clear," Cato addressed everybody. "Just because Sonya will be in charge of supervising Vanishing, it doesn''t mean youre allowed to stop paying attention to the jungle. On the contrary, you have to be more alert than ever against this phantom. Keep the jungle in mind at all times and double-check it whenever you''re about to do something." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Paranoia much?" Ronald chuckled. "I mean, we all know how to keep track of the enemy Jungler. Thats basic stuff." "Listen here, young lad, Cato said. I''m stressing this point because Vanishing is NOT your typical Jungler. We''ve discussed this extensively during the match review, I hope your little brain still remembers some of that." "Yeah, yeah, I remember you said that Vanishing is sneaky and all that. But, she ain''t gonna sneak up to me!" "Oh, really? Because you''re literally THE player I expect her to sneak up to." Everybody nodded in agreement to that. "W-Wha!?" Ronald looked around him in disbelief. Apparently, everybody and their moms agreed with Cato on this one! How could it be!? "Bruh, is this some new kind of group bullying!?" "Hmph, as if its a secret that youre the most careless of us by far." William shrugged. "Especially, you''re extra careless when you dont take your opponents seriously." "But I''m taking them seriously, word!" "Yeah, you did. For one game. Right? I took them like super seriously! Way more than they deserved, to be honest. Question is, are you going to keep taking them this seriously after we won that game so decisively?" "Ah, well... Ronald quieted down. I mean, they''re clearly not that good considering we mopped them, haha." There it is... Cato and William sighed at the same time. Slowly but surely, Ronald was reverting back to his usual carefree self. This was bad. My, how fun. Adding yet another problem for me to deal with. Cato''s fake smile twitched. I swear, if this brat gets his arse ganked like an idiot...! ... no, stay calm. No need to get worked out about this just yet. Sonya and Ronald already showed they had some attitude issues toward the next game, so Cato wasnt allowed to add any more oil to that fire. He had to stay calm and rational in spite of his teammates shortcomings. "Anyway," Cato summarized. "Just make sure that ALL of you pay extra attention to the jungle in this game. And, don''t hesitate to ask Sonya about anything related to Vanishing at any point in the game. In fact, it would be great if you bombard Sonya with questions, to make sure she''s constantly on top of her game~" "I''m quite sure that ''bombarding'' me with questions won''t be necessary," Sonya asserted. "But, you''re free to ask me about Vanishings movements whenever you deem it necessary. I''ll gladly share all the data I have." With that said, I''m not sure the others will make much use of this service. Cato thought. We dont have much experience playing against Junglers like this. They tried to practice this setup where one player constantly monitored the enemy Jungler, but it was hard to make good use of this approach during random Ranked matches. They never really ran into Junglers that required that much special attention. As such, it was a fact that the Leopards were a little underprepared in that regard. So, it looks like I''ll have to pester Sonya with questions on a regular basis~ Cato couldn''t help but snicker as he imagined his endless questions getting on his secretary''s nerves. It was going to be some much fun~ With all that said, I''m still a little worried. Cato thought. We have to use everything at our disposal to minimize the threat. Fortunately, they prepared a few more countermeasures for Vanishing ahead of time. One of them was banning her favorite classes, namely the classes with stealth. In particular, it seemed like her favorite was Ninja. But, I can''t ban it right now since we''re going second. Cato shook his head. My, I really dislike how limited our banning options are. Trickshooter and Gunslinger absolutely had to be banned. And, since the team was going second this time, Cato also had to be the one who bans Shadow Walker. We don''t actually know for sure whether Vanishing can play Shadow, but theres a good reason to believe she can. In all the games Vanishing had participated in thus far, ShadowWalker was always off-limits for her. As such, nobody knew what was Vanishing''s relationship with Shadow. Shadow doesn''t exactly have "stealth" per se, but it''s close enough. Cato thought. So, there''s little doubt in my mind that Vanishing can play it. And so, the protocol demanded Cato ban Shadow Walker along with Trickshooter and a Gunslinger. Thus, he had no bans left for Ninja and Drow. But, that''s alright. Whichever stealth class she picks, we''ll just have to counter-pick her... or not. Yuel shut down that option right away by banning Lumimancer, the best class for the job. So irksome. There were a few other classes that could make it easier to keep track of an elusive Jungler, but none of them were nearly as efficient as Lumimancers ult. As such, none of the alternative options was worth picking just for the purpose of dealing with Vanishing. My, things sure arent looking hot for us at the moment. I hope Im just overthinking this, but There were multiple issues plaguing the team at the moment. Sonya refused to treat Vanishing as a legitimate threat, Ronald started to underestimate the enemy, and it was impossible to counter Vanishing during the drafting phase in any way. Truly, things werent looking good for the Leopards in this round. Was VanishingFlower going to prove herself as a difficult adversary in this game? Or, were Catos worries misplaced and he was becoming paranoid? === Stratus === Yuel (Chessmaster): Warlock Lars (Gunz): Elf Ben (EnduringPhoenix): Vanguard Kai (Beat): Sorcerer Nia (VanishingFlower): Ninja === Leopards === Cato (Rook): Cryomancer Matthew (Merlin): Seraph Ronald (AbsoluteChallenger): Dragonborn Sonya (TheTheorist): Aeromancer William (AbsoluteWinner): Lionfolk Vol.17 Ch.5: The Pressure of Subbing In The drafting phase came to an end. This signaled the start of the 4th game of the day, as well as Stratus'' last chance to convince the Leopards to bring out their Korean player. Their lineup is largely unchanged. Yuel analyzed the enemy''s picks. Once again, the Bot duo went with Seraph and Cryomancer. Those two gave Yuel and Lars some trouble last game, but unfortunately, Yuel didn''t get around to banning them. There were other important bans he had to attend to first, like banning Sage for Mid. Sage was one of the best defensive classes, so Yuel hoped to make it a little easier for Kai in Mid by removing Sage from the table. Alas, this move wasnt very effective. With Sage banned, Theorist simply opted for Aeromancer, yet another strong defensive class. Its range wasnt as long as Sages, but it had more than enough ways to farm minions from a safe distance. In short, it was another Mid class that fit Theorist''s defensive playstyle like a glove. Meanwhile, Kai picked Sorcerer again at Yuel''s request. It was a steal-pick that prevented Theorist from taking the class for herself. But ultimately. the effectiveness of this decision proved to be questionable at best. In the end, Theorist still got herself a very defensive class, and Kai also has a class that leans more toward defense. Yuel frowned. This isnt exactly an optimal setup for starting any attacks in Mid. Sigh. It seemed that, once again, Kai will not get to play a key role in the teams offense. Not only was she burdened by her Softhearted Amazon syndrome, but even her class favored defense over offense. Though, maybe thats for the better. Yuel tried to convince himself. If shes not in the mood to attack anyway, then might as well pick something thatll fortify her defense. That was the line of reasoning that led him toward making Kai pick a class like Sorcerer despite the disadvantages. Even if it failed to stop Theorist from picking a defensive class, at least it reinforced the teams defense in Mid. Nonetheless, this put the entire teams offense potential in an awkward spot. Ben won''t go on the offensive either because that''s just not his playstyle. Yuel thought. So, that''s why I had to go for such an extreme pick for myself. Indeed, his pick was a tad peculiar for a Support. It was definitely viable enough, as proven by its occasional usage on the competitive scene, but it was very irregular and niche. Warlock had many strong tools as a Mid Laner, but it also had very decent supporting tools as well. Some of its Invocations boosted damage, but others provided utility such as defense shredding and silencing. And of course, there was also Warlocks infamous ultimate. It was the very reason why many regarded Warlock as a brain-dead click-to-win class. And indeed, it was one of the strongest and most versatile ults in the entire game. Not to mention, this ult doubled as another source of stealth, which could really help a certain phantom they had on the team. Nia can usually sneak around unnoticed by her own power, but that''s mostly in Ranked or against weaker opponents. Yuel thought. So far, she hasn''t brought any notable results against the more troublesome opponents, like Taurus'' Triangle and the Leopards. Was her stealth ineffective against high-caliber players? Or, did these specific games simply have bad circumstances for her? Either way, I can''t rely on her to enable the entire teams offense. Lars and I have to press offense harder this time around. And, as expected, Yuel was right to worry about Nias reliability. The girl was fidgeting all around and her eyes darted from side to side. Even though she had already played one game on the stage today, it seemed like her nap pressed the reset button. So, we have to wait for her to acclimate again. Yuel sighed. To make things worse, weve got yet another nervous fellow this time around. Ben was pale as a sheet, he looked even worse than Nia. Was he going to be okay...? "Relax, my dudes!" Lars called out. "Sure, were going up against the regional champs and stuff, but we already beat them once today. So, let''s just do it again! Ezpz." "Y-Yeah..." Ben nodded weakly. "Regional champs..." Nia repeated. "Scary." "Weeeelp." Lars scratched the back of his head. "That wasn''t very effective, haha." "This is never easy, Yuel said. We''ll just have to trust them to sort things out during the game itself." "Yep, sounds about right. There ain''t nothing better than practical experience, yo!" "You two sure got endless confidence, huh?" Kai made a face. "It''s as if being on the stage doesn''t affect you at all." "Nah, of course we''re a little nervous too," Lars admitted. "Ain''t nobody can be on a stage in front of an audience and feel zero pressure, thats just aint human, dude. But, ya just gotta get used to that pressure, thats da wae." "Yes," Yuel agreed. "Once you come to terms with the fact that feeling pressure is part of the experience, then it becomes much easier to deal with it." "S-So," Ben stuttered. "Is it normal to feel like your insides are twisting and that you might puke?" "Weeeelp," Lars started. "That sounds on the extreme side for sure. Are you okay there, dude?" "N-Not so sure, to be honest..." Ben held his stomach as he answered. An odd internal pain had been assaulting him ever since he set foot on the stage. It felt like he had to go to the toilet, except not really? It was weird and disturbing. Will he be able to actually focus on the game like this...? "Does your stomach feel irritated?" Kai asked. Y-Yeah, something like that. "I read that its perfectly normal. Besides, I also Kai paused for a moment. ... I also sometimes feel something similar, so its not just you. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Oh, so this is normal..." Ben sighed in relief. The stomach pain was unsettling for sure, but it sounded like many people experienced the same thing. So, its not like Ben had some kind of special condition. Besides, Yuel and Lars also attested that they were a little nervous despite how confident they looked. So, it seemed like experience was the key here. So, I just have to endure it. A-After all, I''m the... the EnduringPhoenix... He felt his cheeks heating up from the mere mention of his new nickname. It was so embarrassing! That bombastic overconfident name was coined by none other than Vincent because Ben couldnt come up with something good himself. It was overall a positive change but it felt way over the top! His previous nickname, Fatty, wasn''t something that Ben came up with or wanted. Mike and Co. threatened him to pick that terrible IGN as part of his repentance. Fortunately, after the incident was resolved, Ben was free to pick himself a new nickname. But, of course, he first had to make sure that his friends allowed it now. "Nope, denied!" Larry said. "You gonna be stuck with this nick for life, khaha!" Yep, you gonna debut in the pro scene with that name! James added. Imagine they announce every players name out loud, and then theres like FATTY! HAHAHA! The duo laughed to no end at Bens expense. They probably meant no harm with these jokes, but for Ben, this was a very important matter. Fortunately, the leader of the gang understood the true gravity of the topic. It gonna be embarrassing if you represent the school with that nickname, Mike said. So, go change it pronto. With permission granted, Ben consulted the club about the procedure of changing an official IGN. It turned out that ClassSoft largely discouraged the practice because they didnt want fickle teens to keep changing their registered names every other week. In Classmancers, a golden name was supposed to be special and unique, representing the players identity just as their real name did. Therefore, every newly submitted name underwent a reviewing process. Basically, registering a new name was supposed to be a big deal. As such, Ben had to fill up a lot of papers and explain in detail why he wanted to change his nickname. And, if the supplied reasons werent convincing enough, then ClassSoft reserved the right to reject the appeal. It was truly quite the ordeal. At first, the whole thing seemed so tedious that Ben simply gave up on it before he even tried. He was sure that ClassSoft will reject his application on the spot. However, the entire club encouraged him to push forward with the request. Vincent and Yuel even volunteered to help Ben compose all the explanations as to why it was so necessary for him to change his name from Fatty. And so, thanks to the push on the back, Ben somehow pulled through the process. But after that, a few weeks passed without a response. As time went on, Ben was more and more convinced that his application was rejected or straight-up ignored. But, just a few weeks ago, he finally received a response and his request was approved! And so, his new IGN became EnduringPhoenix. This nick sounded a little embarrassing in its own way, but it didnt even begin to compare to the insult that was Fatty. "You have endured many ordeals!" Vincent said at the time. "And in the end, you revived from the ashes and reclaimed your normal life once more! Henceforth, I dub you the EnduringPhoenix!" Vincent''s loudness was pretty much the only convincing factor in that whole suggestion. He insisted that this was the most fitting name to represent Ben''s new life of freedom as a proper member of the club. And. when it was put like this, it really sounded kinda nice. Ben didn''t have any good ideas for a nickname anyway, so he ended up going with Vincent''s suggestion. It seemed like an alright idea at the time, but the truth dawned on him a few hours after submitting the request Doesnt this name sound kind of pompous? Ben shuddered. I think I should''ve gone for something a little subtler Alas, there was no going back on that decision. From henceforth, Ben was known as EnduringPhoenix! Aaaaaah, just thinking about it makes me embarrassed Nonetheless, he was now obligated to live up to this bombastic nickname, so he had to do his best! I mean, I''ve really endured quite a lot over the past year. Ben thought. I always told myself that I deserved it for my sin, but it was really too much. Even now, I still can''t believe I managed to endure all of it. During that dark episode of his life, it seemed unlikely that Ben will ever be able to become a proper member of the club. He missed way too many practice sessions to be considered a legitimate club member. In fact, it wouldnt have been strange for Kai to outright kick him out of the club. And yet, here he was, playing as part of the first-string on the competitive stage. Furthermore, the team entrusted him with the major responsibility of being Vincents temporary replacement. I-I have to do my best! Ben gulped. If we lose here then it''ll be 1-3, which is like losing the entire scrim! N-No pressure... Ben was thrown right into the deep waters with this sub. Frankly, a part of him even wanted to run away. This setup was way too stressful! But, he couldn''t just quit. He was also a member of Stratus, a competitive player like everybody else. So, he was obligated to see this through. Not to mention, he wasnt the only one feeling anxious here. As Kai said, everybody felt pressure to some degree or another. So, after coming this far, Ben had no choice but to conquer this irksome feeling and push forward! If I survived that "bullying" so to speak, then I should be able to live through this pressure as well. I-It''s nothing to me! Yes, nothing at all... As his confidence was wavering back and forth, a loud shout exploded from the audience. "HEY BEN!" Somebody yelled. "GO GET THEM!" "YEAH!" "YOU SHOW ''EM!" A trio was shouting at the top of their lungs from the audience. The referee shot them a glare but they didnt care in the slightest. "THESE GUYS ARE NOTHING!" "YEAH, THEY CAN''T EVEN BEAT MEMES!" TOTAL SCRUBS! Despite the distance, Ben recognized the trio at a glance: Mike, Larry, and James. His old friends were all here! T-They didn''t tell me they were coming! Ben jumped in his seat. Mike did mention he''ll be watching how my "career" develops, but I didn''t think he meant it literally... This only piled further pressure on Ben. He now had to live up both to the clubs expectations and to the high standards of his former friends. And, there was also the rest of the audience as well, which will surely be disappointed if Ben performs worse than Vincent. It was so stressful! But, it''s not all bad. Ben found himself smiling amidst the tense situation. Maybe I''m starting to understand a little what it means to get used to the pressure. The fact Mike and Co. were here put extra pressure on Ben but it didn''t feel bad, not at all. In fact, it injected Ben with a renewed sense of confidence! In the past, that very same trio claimed that Ben had no chance of ever playing competitively. And yet, now they were here, cheering on him and saying he had the game in the bag. This was the greatest 180 in the history of 180s! S-Somehow, I really start feeling like I might be able to pull this off! Ben looked at his shaky palms, then placed them against his plump cheeks. BAM! He smacked himself from both sides at once! Admittedly, the sound was a little louder than he expected, but that was fine. The high volume only further reinforced how big of a deal all of this was for him. At long last, Ben was here, playing on the competitive stage. And, the friends he "betrayed" in order to get here were finally coming to terms with his actions. Not only that, but they even cheered for him! Now, I can play without feeling any guilt. Ben nodded. L-Let''s do this! With that determination, Ben started off his debut match. Was he going to live up to everybody''s expectations? Could he serve as an adequate replacement for Vincent against AbsoluteChallenger? Honesty, he wasn''t too sure what will be the answers to these questions. But, there was one thing he did know: hell work as hard as humanly possible to turn all of them into a loud, confident "YES!". Vol.17 Ch.6: Nervous Warding The fourth game between Stratus and the Leopards began. It was Stratus'' last chance to even the odds, so the pressure was on. Most of the team tried to pretend as if they werent bothered by this at all, but it was impossible to not feel any pressure under these circumstances. In particular, Ben was the most nervous of them all. But, even he somewhat conquered his fears for now. The presence of Mike and Co. did wonders for helping him to take his mind off things. By the time the game loaded, Bens mind was already fully occupied with how he was going to play this important game. They invaded us last game. Ben recalled the start of Game 3, where the Absolute Duo appeared out of the blue in Stratus'' territory right at the start of the game. That one small but critical play had hefty consequences for the rest of the game. In fact, maybe it wasnt a stretch to claim that this play determined the entire momentum of Game 3. For an aggressive comp like the one Stratus used, suffering an early death bore greater implications. It completely killed their chances of building an early lead. Not to mention, the situation also put Luke on the spot. He had to fill up for Vincent in Top instead of jungling, which threw his entire game plan further into disarray. Truly, that one invade was very critical. Even though Stratus wasnt sporting the same kind of aggressive lineup this time around, an early death should still be avoided at all costs. Perhaps dying in the early-game wasnt as bad as dying in the mid-game, but itll definitely hit the teams morale very hard if the same scenario repeats itself again. At the very least, Ben knew for sure that itll hit his morale super hard. Especially, if I know I couldve prevented it. Ben nodded to himself. Um, if its not a problem, Id like to place three wards near Top right at the start. Sure, Yuel said. Place as many as you deem necessary. The enemy might invade again, so its best to exercise caution. In fact, Im glad youve brought that up yourself. It shows you understand what were dealing with here. Yes, the enemys Top and Jungler are very aggressive, right? Ill do my best to not give them any opportunities. Good. With your defensive playstyle, you should be able to discourage them from trying anything funny. Y-Yes! Ben tensed up a little. I-Is he really placing so much faith in me!? That was rare considering Yuel wasnt the optimistic type. He wouldnt say you can do it unless he truly believed it. I-I totally cant mess up here! Ben gulped. I cant betray that trust! Duuude, look what youve done. Lars chuckled. Ben looks stiff like a statue all over again. No need to place so much pressure on him. That wasnt my intention, Yuel said. I just shared my predictions. Well, in your case, if you tell somebody youre expecting them to perform, then youre like SERIOUSLY expecting them to perform. Yes, of course. Why would I say it if I didnt mean it? Well, ya know, usually teammates say things like that to each other to encourage and stuff, Lars explained. Like, you can totally do it, yooooo! That kinda stuff just means you believe the dude got the powah, its not the same as saying you gotta pull this off or else Imma be disappointed in you for life!. Thats some Asian parent moment. Is that so. Yuel shrugged. Im not the type to say things like this unless I really expect it to be true. Yep, exactly! Thats the whole problem, dude, Lars said. When you say something like that, you mean it in a super serious way. Dude gonna feel like he disappointed you if he screws up even a little. Well, itll definitely disappoint me if Bens defense cant fend off the Absolute Duo, Yuel admitted. But, thats the extent of it. In the end, this is Bens debut game, so chances are that things wont go that smoothly. Im aware of that. Welp, thats something ya shouldve told him first before placing these giant expectations on him. Is that so? Yuel glanced at Ben. W-Well Ben clammed up. I guess its more reassuring to know that the expectations arent too big. Otherwise, the pressure is too much "I see." Yuel sighed. Looks like I still have a lot to learn. Communication is such a complicated topic. With that sorted out, Ben proceeded to purchase 3 normal wards, the maximum amount a player could carry at one time. Spending so much money on wards prevented him from buying any HP Potions for the early-game but he considered it a good investment and even Yuel agreed. I won''t need to recover any HP if I just stay out of harm''s way. Ben reasoned. The wards should help me with that. After making the purchase, Ben hurried to the jungle. He had three important wards to place and he had to do it before the enemy enter the jungle. So, time was of the essence. The first two wards were a no-brainer. Ben placed one near the enemy''s Wolf Camp and the other near the central entrance into Top Lane. These two were the standard meta spots to cover. However, this time, Ben had one more ward at his disposal. So, where should he place this one? There were multiple options. I think the most important is to prevent surprise invades. Ben reasoned. Last game, I think they rotated from around here. So... Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The upper half of the jungle was properly warded in the last game too, yet the enemy managed to sneak by regardless. This implied they passed through the middle of the jungle. Kai placed wards in the lower half of the jungle in both games, so the middle is the only option left. Therefore, Ben decided to seal that exploit. The enemy won''t get a chance to unleash another devastating invade, not under Ben''s watch. But, as he approached the area, his blood turned cold. There was another figure ahead of him! "A-Ah, i-it''s their J-Jungler..." Ben stuttered as he delivered the news. He thought that he managed to calm down by now, but the mere sight of AbsoluteWinner sent a chill down his spine! H-He''s the one who killed Vincent last game. Gulp. AbsoluteWinner was arguably the strongest player of the strongest team in the region. Furthermore, while the majority of the Leopards prioritized defense, Challenger was an entirely different beast. But, was it right to call him an "aggressive" player? Not quite. That description better described AbsoluteChallenger, the other half of the Absolute Duo. That guy was a classic and straightforward attacker, the type who submitted opponents through sheer force. Hes also a dangerous player, but nowhere near as dangerous as Winner. Ben gulped again. H-He is also aggressive but in a smart, methodical way. If Challenger was a hot-blooded gladiator, then Winner was a cold-blooded assassin. This boy was like a killing machine. Each of his strikes was swift, decisive, and deadly. Against normal aggressors like Challenger, Ben usually knew how to handle himself. These guys were strong and scary, but it was possible to deflect their attacks with careful defense. On the other hand, how was Ben supposed to defend himself against an assassin? And not the sneaky type of assassin, but an assassin who had no problem brawling with the target in order to thoroughly decimate them. Players like that were both smart and strong, they had it all! "Don''t worry," Yuel said. "Just place the ward as you intended." "B-But, that means..." Ben gulped. In order to place the ward as he originally intended to, Ben will have to step a little forward, as it was impossible to reach the important crossroad from his current position. But, walking forward meant getting closer to the dangerous killing machine. W-What if Winner attacks all of a sudden!? "Youre close to the center of the jungle but youre still our territory," Yuel explained. "He won''t dare to invade right in front of you, especially not alone." "Alone? Oh, right." Upon further inspection, there was no sign of AbsoluteChallenger anywhere in the vicinity. It meant Winner was isolated at the moment. Also, keep in mind that they have no data on you whatsoever, Yuel said. So, Im sure Winner wouldnt risk attacking you so openly. R-Right, hes a smart attacker. Ben nodded. I also dont think hell take a risk like this. Somehow, the fact that the enemy was smart actually played in Bens favor this time. By logically thinking about the pros and cons of the current situation, it was sometimes possible to figure out what Winner will, or will not, do. "B-But, he''s still here, though..." Ben tensed up under the enemy''s piercing gaze. From the moment they acknowledged each other''s presence, neither of them moved an inch. It almost felt like these tense staredowns in cowboy movies. It almost wouldn''t be strange for one of them to pull out a gun and shoot the other. Any moment now. S-Seriously, why is he still here? Ben felt sweat forming on his forehead. If he doesnt plan to attack, then he shouldve left by now, right? "He''s gathering information," Yuel explained. "I''m sure this meeting was unexpected for him as well, so he wants to see what you''ll do next." "Is that so..." Hard as he tired, Ben couldn''t calm down his shaky nerves. He felt like a lab rat. Winners intense gaze was dissecting him alive! Seriously, the man watched Bens every move. Its as if he was trying to find the tiniest hint of weakness in Ben''s actions. It was thoroughly unsettling. "W-Well, I can place the ward," Ben said. "But, he''ll see it." "Yes, that''s probably the thing he''s looking toward to. But, I say just do it." "R-Really? But, then they''ll know we got a ward here." "Yes, they will, Yuel said. But, knowing that the ward is there won''t change the fact that this ward is tricky to play around. And, they surely won''t buy a Sentry Ward to remove it." "Oh. Yes, that''s true." Ben nodded. With newfound confidence, he stepped forward and placed the ward at the crossroad as intended. It was an important intersection that connected four jungle paths. In other words, this one innocent ward sealed off multiple roads that the Leopards couldve used to invade Stratus territory undetected. Even if they know the ward is there, they probably can''t do anything about it. Ben reasoned. If anything, knowing about this ward might just discourage them from trying anything funny. This sounds good. On that note, Ben turned around and headed to the Wraith Camp, where Nia was already waiting. As soon as Ben departed, so did Winner. What conclusions did the enemy draw about this whole exchange? "They have a ward here." William placed a pin on the map for everybody to see. "Dang, for real?" Ronald made a face. "How are we gonna invade them now? Like, we gotta circle around the entire jungle if we wanna keep a low profile." "I don''t remember when we agreed to invade." "Wait, we not gonna do it? But bro, it worked out so well last time!" "Yes, it did. And now they''re cautious, as they should be. Dang, so were not getting another opportunity any time soon, are we? Not this round, thats for sure, William stated matter-of-factly. But, the fact we made them place that extra ward out of paranoia is already good enough. After all, they had to spend extra gold on it. Bro, what extra gold? Ronald cocked his head. It literally only costs 50. Yes, its a 50 gold advantage for us right off the gate, isnt that nice? Besides, who knows how many other wards they bought to protect themselves against us. Yeah, I reckon they mightve bought a bunch of extra wards. Ronald nodded. But, that just gonna make it that much harder for us to gank early on. Youre not looking at the whole picture, William said. For one, buying an extra ward means that their Top had to give up on potions. Vanguard doesnt have any recovery, so without potions, itll be much easier to harass him into recalling. Oh, youre right! Ronald checked out EnduringPhoenixs build, which was now known to the entire team thanks to William spotting the lad. Indeed, the guy didnt buy any HP Potions. EnduringPhoenix, huh. Ronald smirked. It looks like somebody isnt going to endure for that long in lane, hehe. Riiiight. William rolled his eyes. Anyway, make sure you take advantage of this. If necessary, I can lend a hand. No problem, bro! Ronald promised. Ill bully the guy out of lane, easy. With that decided, the duo grouped up at the Wraith Camp and took down the monsters. After that, they proceeded to clear the Wolf Camp near Top. Once all of that was done with, the brothers went separate ways. Ronald continued onward to Top, whereas Willaim retreated deeper into the jungle. The game was starting for real now. Will Ronald be able to put the enemys lack of positions to good use? He sure had every intention of doing so! Vol.17 Ch.7: Nervous First Wave H-Here I am. Ben gulped as he arrived on the lane. T-This is where the trouble starts for real. A shiver ran across his arms as he spotted Challenger. His right hand was shaking on top of the mouse. He was no longer in Kansas, this wasnt an allied territory anymore. Ben was in Top Lane and about to compete with his opponent for lane control! What''s worse, his lane opponent was the one who gave Vincent a lot of trouble in the last game. In fact, it wasn''t an exaggeration to say that Ben was subbed in for the sole purpose of dealing with this dangerous foe. I need to perform at least as well as Vincent did, preferably better. Of course, Ben was well aware that he was a worse player than Vincent overall. He didn''t have nearly as much knowledge, experience, or versatility. Truly, he was interior to Vincent in almost every possible way. However, there was one particular area in which Ben excelled, probably even more than Vincent did. Yes, even Ben with his shaky self-esteem was able to claim as much. I can defend. Ben thought. That''s what I was subbed in to do, right? His job here was quite simple: to protect the lane from Challenger''s aggression. And, as far as that specific goal was concerned, Ben might be able to do a slightly better job than Vincent. A-At least, I think I have a chance to accomplish it. That is, if I can get rid of all this shaking first. Even after he took five deep breaths, his body refused to relax. There was simply too much tension in the air, one could cut through it with a knife. The audience is watching, my teammates have expectations, and the enemy is looking for opportunities to end me. Gulp. His meager existence was suddenly exposed to so much attention the moment he stepped on the stage. And especially now, with a powerhouse like Challenger right in front of him, Ben felt the pressure beating him down. B-But even so, I have to do it! Ben did everything in his power to convince his shaky body. B-But the shaking just won''t go away. I think I just have to play like this for a while... There was no time to lallygag. The first minion waves had already clashed in the middle of the lane, so despite the numerous shivers, Ben had to handle the situation accordingly. But, what was the right approach here? The enemy was a mighty Dragonborn, one that was capable of stomping even strong players like Vincent. What was Ben even going to do about this mighty foe? Sometimes, Yuel criticizes me for not being aggressive enough in the lane. But, I assume this isn''t going to be one of these cases. This was one of these games where Ben didn''t have to worry too much about attacking. Against Challenger, Ben was tasked with only erecting an unbreakable wall of defense. His primary job was to avoid surrendering any lane control to the enemy, thats about it. So, I''ll make sure to do just that. Ben nodded to himself. In his mind, he knew exactly what had to be done. However, the enemy had no intentions of making any of this easy. As soon as the two armies clashed, Challenger charged forth with Draconic Rush, knocking Ben''s frontline toward the backline! With all of Ben''s minions packed in one area, Challenger unleashed Draconic Flame, slicing through all of them with a blade of fire! Just like that, with two attacks, Ben''s army lost over 60% of its HP. And, Ben didn''t even get the chance to lift a finger yet. S-So fast and decisive! Ben gulped. This isn''t going to be easy... The enemy was brimming with confidence here. Challenger had no qualms about spending both of his skills right off the gate. Doing so actually put him in a rather dangerous position, but Ben had no way of exploiting it as a Vanguard. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He knew I wont be able to do anything, thats why he went for this. Ben thought. He''s aggressive, sometimes even a little reckless, but he knows what hes doing. After all, he plays for the Leopards. There were no shabby players on this elite team. The Leopards didn''t have any weak players like Ben to drag them down. Each and every one of them was a top-tier competitive player. A-And then theres me, who is somehow expected to confront players like this. Ben gulped. He knew he had to punish the enemy''s bold play, yet he couldn''t bring himself to lift a finger. The enemy''s competitive aura was too overwhelming. There wasn''t a single shred of doubt in any of Challengers moves. "Ben, you better retreat," Yuel advised. "Oh! R-Right!" Ben backpedaled from the scene. He missed his opportunity to punish the opponent, so he had to evacuate. Following the bold attack of Draconic Rush + Draconic Flame, Challenger proceeded to slice and dice Bens minions. The enemy minions also joined the massacre and eliminated Bens entire army. It all happened in a blink of an eye. Bens mind struggled to keep up with these rapid developments. Its like his brain was frozen. T-This is bad. Ben gulped. Its been less than two minutes into the game and Ive already lost lane control Naturally, Challenger pressed on with his lane advantage. He commanded his army to invade Bens tower. I had one job. Ben thought. All I had to do was to protect the lane from things like this. And yet, the game has barely started and Ive already messed up At this rate, he was going to do a worse job than Vincent on the defense. The team will lose the entire game because of Bens blunders! Is there a reason you didnt taunt him when he advanced? Yuel inquired. Ah, well Bens eyes shifted from side to side. I just Um, I mean Err Just to be clear, you knew that using Provoke was the play there, right? Y-Yes! I knew, I just You got tense, I assume? Yuel asked. Thats fine. As long as you know what needs to be done. Oh, its. fine? Really? Well, of course, its not really fine, Yuel said. Its never fine to give the enemy any momentum. R-Right. Im very sorry about that Ben hung his head. But, this isnt the end of the world, Yuel said. This is only the first wave. What really matters is that you know how to handle this situation next time. As long as you dont let him repeat this routine, then itll be fine. Y-Yes! Next time, I wont let him get away with it! Ben promised. Thats good to hear. Though, before that, you still have to deal with the current attack. Oh, yes, thats true. The enemy army was about to invade his towers area. The minions werent capable of delivering lethal damage to the tower this early into the game, but it was nonetheless imperative to deny any attacks on the tower. If Ben allows small hits like that to pass through, then the enemy will slowly but surely grind his tower to dust. It was actually very common to lose towers to small repeated attacks like this. You know what to do, right? Yuel confirmed. I think I should stomp them right as they enter the area. Yes, thats what you should do. I hope that this time you wont freeze up. I-Ill try my best You can relax, dude, Lars interjected. Its not like the whole world is at stake here or anything, ya know? Anybody can make a mistake or two, especially in a big game like this. Ya just gotta learn from it and keep moving forward! R-Right, thanks. Ben nodded and took a deep breath. This was probably at least the 27th time he did it today, all in a futile attempt to calm down his nerves. However, this time, it was actually somewhat effective. Larss words really helped Ben overcome his worry, at least temporarily. I was subbed in to defend the lane. Ben reminded himself. That''s the one thing I have to do well, no matter what. It doesn''t matter how strong the opponent is - I just have to do this! Ben closed his eyes and hit both of his cheeks. SLAP! There was a loud sound, but probably nobody heard it because of the headphones. And, hopefully, nobody from the audience saw it either because their eyes should be glued to the big screen right now. I-It''d be pretty embarrassing if somebody actually saw this... Ben nervously looked around him for a moment but then returned his focus to the game. This was no time to worry about petty matters like that. He had to fully concentrate on the next wave, which has already arrived in the lane. This time, I won''t mess up. I know what I have to do. Ben took yet another deep breath. The fast beat of his heart slowed down a little, but it seemed like he had no choice but to keep playing the game while distracted by all sorts of symptoms like this. This was probably how he had to roll in order to get used to the pressure of playing on the competitive stage. And so, the next minion wave arrived... Vol.17 Ch.8: Punishing Challenger’s Aggression The second minion wave arrived. Just like before, the Dragonborn advanced toward Ben''s army, no doubt planning to unleash Draconic Rush. I won''t let you...! Ben also stepped forward. His heart was beating like an internal earthquake and his throat was dry to the point of stinging. Nonetheless, he conquered all these pains and pressed onward to confront his foe! Despite all that, his response to the enemys advance was on the slower side. Ben didn''t get to the scene as quickly as he should have, but his late arrival might have been a blessing in disguise. Against an incoming Vanguard, most opponents would back away from the frontline in fear of Provoke. So, whenever Ben stepped forward, his lane opponent would normally give up on whatever sinister plan they were hatching and retreat. That helped Ben to avoid many conflicts in the lane, which was his ideal lane state. However, this time, Ben stepped in a little late. As a result, he failed to scare his opponent in time. Challenger paid no heed to Ben and unleashed Draconic Rush just like last time. He charged forth and rammed into Ben''s swordsmen! I''m sorry, but I''ll have to retaliate against this. Ben apologized in advance as he reached the scene. He hoped to resolve this peacefully but Challenger was a little too cocky with that overextension. I''m sorry but plays like this have to be punished. Draconic Rush was an amazing skill. It had fast movement, a strong knockback, and even damage immunity. However, it also had one glaring weakness: a long recovery animation that couldn''t be canceled with Dodge Roll. And, that''s exactly the opening Ben was going to exploit now. With Challenger stuck in the middle of the long recovery animation, Ben had the perfect opportunity to unleash his Provoke! "Come at me!" The Vanguard struck his mace against his metal shield, provoking all the enemies in front of him. From his resolute voice, it was clear that this big knight was 100% confident in his ability to deal with the foes in front of him. I wish I had at least half of this confidence myself. Ben thought. B-But, at least I''m pretty confident about this play! The taunt effect successfully hit Challenger. With this, the opponent temporarily lost control over his own character. The Dragonborn now acted of his own accord, seeking to strike Ben down. The AI for the taunt effect was very simple. It sought the shortest path to the aggro target and tried to hit it with basic attacks. Ranged classes werent as vulnerable to this type of taunt because they could safely remain at a distance as they fired their basic attacks. However, Dragonborn was a melee class, so the taunt reeled Challenger deeper into Bens territory. I can draw him even further in if I backpedal a little. Ben thought. But, I also have to make sure that he aggros the minions. As such, Ben did the opposite of backpedaling. He actually advanced toward Challenger, to make it easier for the guy to hit him. It seemed masochistic in nature, but there was a very good reason for all of this. SLASH! Challenger hacked away at Ben without a second thought. The man wasn''t worried about the situation at all! Or rather, even if he was worried, he couldn''t do anything about it because he had no control over his character. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. And so, by landing a hit on Ben, the minions branded the Dragonborn a criminal scum. Now, Ben''s entire army was on Challenger''s case! They slashed him, barraged him, and then slashed some more. And, Challenger could do absolutely nothing about it. His character was still at the mercy of the taunt, which was technically short-lived but lasted just long enough to drag Challenger into this unfavorable position. Ben backpedaled from the scene to make the situation even worse for the enemy. Doing so forced the melee Dragonborn to give chase, dragging him even deeper into Bens territory while all of Bens minions were already in the process of decimating the invader. With that said, Ben himself didn''t lay a finger on Challenger. Vanguards damage output was nothing to write home about, so there was no point in aggro-ing the enemy minions by exhibiting acts of violence. Instead, Ben played the role of a simple punchbag and lured the enemy into overextending harder. Alas, the taunt effect ended right as things started getting good. Before the situation escalated any further, the Dragonborn woke up from his fever dream. "Dang, finally!" Ronald rolled away, just barely escaping the next round of attacks. The swordsmen whiffed their slashes and the bowmen''s arrows missed their mark. "Phew." Ronald sighed in relief after creating some distance between himself and the hungry pack of wolves that were trying to eat him alive. For a moment there, he actually started sweating a little. "Looks like this bruh can get shit done when he wants to," Ronald reported. "I warned you about doing this twice in a row," Willaim reminded. "He seemed a little unsure of himself at first, but that wasn''t likely to last." "Hey, you never know, Ronald said. I remember in our first scrim my opponent was shook from start to end. The harder I pressured him, the more flustered he became. Poor bruh, I ended his whole career." "Yes, there is merit in pressuring unfamiliar opponents in order to test the waters. But, you should have done it more carefully." "Hey, no pain, no gain!" "And what did you gain here, exactly?" "Eh, a confirmation that the guy isn''t that shook anymore, I guess?" "And, was that worth losing 20% HP for?" "Probably not, haha..." It was impossible to come up with a good retort here. Ronald really did lose about 20% from that little exchange. Ouch. He was taunted for just a couple of seconds, but it happened right in the center of the enemy formation. On top of that, Provoke also lowered his defense, making all the incoming attacks hurt more than they should have. In short, the situation was one big yikes. Well, its all water under the bridge now, Ronald said. Trust me, bro, it wont happen again. It better not, William said. Dont forget that the Vanguard didnt buy any HP Potions, so youre supposed to focus on bullying him out of the lane. Right now, youre doing the exact opposite of that. No problem, I got this, Ronald promised. Now that he had proof that Phoenix wasnt a total wuss, it was time to start playing for real! I gonna wreck you, bruh! With that determination, Ronald headed into the third wave of the game. For now, William did a good job putting his younger brother back on track. My, Cato started. I didnt even need to say anything this time. You did all the work for me~ Well, I can at least put my bratty brother in line sometimes, William said. It looks like youre pretty busy, so Ill keep an eye on him. My, how thoughtful of you. Many thanks. Indeed, Cato was rather busy in Bot. Every new minion wave that arrived was like the beginning of a new chess game between him and Yuel. Each side schemed to overtake the other, so Cato didnt have much spare concentration to spare on other matters. And, in what little extra time he had, he spent it keeping an eye on Vanishing. It was technically Sonyas job to supervise Vanishing, so Cato was essentially just supervising Sonya indirectly. He had to make sure that the analytical android had the capacity to pay attention to both Vanishing and her own lane situation at the same time. Though, perhaps his worries were unwarranted. So far, Sonya has been delivering consistent reports regarding Vanishings movements. Maybe this walking computer was actually capable of multitasking just fine. But, it remains to be seen whether shell be able to keep up the good work throughout the entire game Vol.17 Ch.14: The Phantoms Elusive Gank With how the second minion wave played out in Top, EnduringPhoenix managed to prove that he was somewhat capable. At the very least, he wasn''t one of these skillless plebs that Ronald could steamroll with his eyes closed. As such, Ronald had to tone down his aggressiveness a little and look for a proper opportunity to strike. Alas, time went on and he still couldnt find any Wave after wave, Ronald sought an attractive opening to strike, only to find none. Maybe this time? Ronald squinted his eyes as he examined the situation. Technically, he was doing great. He totally won the lane exchange as always. Actually, no, he didnt just win. Ronald OWNED that shit. He annihilated all the enemy minions but all his bowmen remained alive. It was a big stonks situation! Therefore, this was a great opportunity to push, right!? Eh, not really. Unfortunately, this was nothing new. Ronald has been winning lane exchanges pretty much the entire game. This Dragonborn vs. Vanguard matchup was easy for him, and honestly, Phoenix didn''t pose much of a challenge. That guy was a defense fanatic through and through. He and Cato would probably be good friends. Admittedly, the guy''s defense was airtight, which was about the only good thing to say about his performance. Phoenix hasnt achieved anything notable thus far, but he did a good job denying all juicy opportunities for Ronald. Aaaaand he''s already back at the tower. Ronald sighed. For such a big guy, he sure moves fast. This was the usual scenario. Ronald always won the lane exchange and had a great opportunity to push, except he couldn''t. Why? Because the dang Vanguard always retreated all the way back to his tower at that point. He really doesn''t care about losing on some farm, huh. Ronald shook his head. In a way, he''s playing like a total amateur. But, at the same time, he does kill all my chances to attack. This is so boring... This obnoxious defensive playstyle resembled Sonya''s shenanigans. That girl was always willing to sacrifice her farm in exchange for a more stable laning phase. That shit never made sense. Any laners goal should be to establish lane control and all that. You can''t just stay holed up at your tower all day long. Nonetheless, Phoenix insisted to do just that. Every damn time, he ran away from the scene at lightning speed. By the time Ronald started thinking about opening an attack - it was already too late. Against almost any other class, Ronald might have considered pushing forward regardless. However, against Vanguard, getting anywhere near the tower was suicidal. I''m not planning to get taunted into the tower, no thank you. That was the main consideration that made Ronald pause every time he had an opportunity to push further. There was just nothing he could do once his opponent retreated all the way to the tower. Damn, this guys defense is a real pain in the ass. Ronald thought. Even bro can''t find any good opportunities to gank here. Bro was always on the lookout for scoring kills, so he tried to arrange a few ganks in Top. But, it came to nothing. Every time William got even remotely close to the lane, Phoenix was already halfway back to his tower. This guy must have had eyes everywhere. And, he''s not taking any risks. Ever. Theres just no cracking this bruh. After three failed gank attempts, it seemed like Bro had completely given up on the idea of getting any kills here. He labeled Phoenix a "hyper-defensive player and perished any thoughts about attacking Top for now. With that said, these failed gank attempts weren''t entirely wasted. After all, Bro was a big brain, so he figured out a few things from these exchanges that could be used for the teams advantage. Oh, here he comes. Ronald snickered as a new minion wave began. The ghost is coming to do some spooking. William traveled from Mid to Top Jungle and then continued onward toward Top. To anybody who followed his movements on the map, it mustve looked as if Bro was rotating to gank Top. It was a pretty cool ghost trick. Bro made sure to pass through areas that any self-respecting team would ward for sure, so the enemy almost always caught wind of these movements. This trick did a great job of alerting the enemy about a potential gank. So, how did Phoenix usually respond to the information he was fed? Naturally, by backpedaling as if his life depended on it! The guy was the very definition of a scaredy-cat. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. This made the laning phase that much easier for Ronald. With the Vanguard already far in the back, there was now no need to hold back. Here it comes! Ronald charged forth with Draconic Rush. He rammed into the enemy swordsmen and pushed them all the way to the bowmen. Then, he sliced through the entire pack with a fire sword. Easy farming. Thanks for the free farm, bruh. Ronald sent his regards as he watched his healthy squad of minions marching forth along the lane. These little bruhs were about to do some nice damage to the enemy tower, no doubt. But, what about Williams supposed rotation toward Top? Well, that was never actually going to happen. Bro just pretended like was going to gank the lane. His sole goal here was to spook the enemy. The moment Phoenix started retreating, Bro already shifted gears and headed toward the nearby Wolf Camp. He had no interest in actually trying to get the jump on Phoenix. And I get it, I really do. Ronald nodded. This Phoenix bruh isn''t going to let us get any easy kills. So fun... They were already close to the mid-game at this point, yet Ronald''s kill count was still a big fat zero. And, he obviously hadnt scored any assists, either. It was so lame. Dang, I really wanna rotate somewhere and get some action going. Ronald pouted. But, bro said to stay put for now, so I guess I better listen. Bleh. Honestly, this routine was sucking out all the fun from the game. Phoenix wasn''t even a strong player, yet he refused to let Ronald have any fun. Like, seriously, there was no challenge or action to be had anywhere here. It was a truly depressing situation. To make things worse, there''s that... um, whats her name, again? Ronald couldnt even be bothered to remember. I seriously keep forgetting that their Jungler even exists, to be honest. But, everybody is sure making a big deal about her for some reason. "Their Jungler entered Top Jungle," Sonya reported. "Ronald, fall back a little," Cato ordered. "Yeah, yeah..." Ronald obeyed like a good boy. At this point, he was tired of arguing with Cato on the matter. Not to mention, Bro actually sided with Cato on this particular topic for some reason. I don''t get what''s the fuss, though. Ronald shrugged. It''s not like that Ninja ever accomplished anything today, so why is everybody so cautious around her? It reminds me of how Bro is spooking Phoenix without actually doing much, but at least Bro is a legit strong player. Ronald felt like a clown every time he retreated like this for no reason. Why did he have to care so much about some puny forgettable Jungler? Like, seriously, whenever Sonya delivered a report about the Ninja''s movements, Ronald felt like he was always forced to respond in some way. If the news said that the Jungler was near Top, then Ronald had to fall back immediately. And, if the news said that the Ninja was MIA for a while, then that was also apparently a legit reason to tell Ronald to retreat. Whyyyyyy? At this point, the enemy Jungler merely had to sneeze in order to force Ronald to retreat, that''s how absurd it was. Cato''s extreme countermeasures for that Ninja made no sense whatsoever. As far as Ronald was concerned, that Ninja was no threat at all. She didnt have a single achievement to her name, so she was like one of the most forgettable Junglers ever. I mean, I remember that we discussed how this girls whole thing is that its easy to forget about her. Ronald thought. But, like, no shit, Sherlock. Its because she doesnt ever do anything worthwhile, so why would I bother sparing her any thought? It seemed like the others treated this phenomenon as some sort of mystery, but it was legit simple. Basically, it was hard to pay attention to Vanishing because there was practically no need to do so. That girl couldnt play for shit. She was probably just a filler slot for Stratus. Like, I even forgot we played against her earlier today, thats how forgettable she is. I swear everybody is overreacting. If Bro didnt insist that it was important to pay attention to Vanishing, then Ronald wouldve ignored the girl altogether. Seriously, this entire topic was total lunacy. Nonetheless, Sonya continued to treat it with utmost importance, which made Ronalds life very difficult Their Jungler is entering Bot Jungle. Then, about a minute later: I havent seen their Jungler for a while. She was last spotted in Bot Jungle. And, after that: Their Jungler is entering Top Jungle. Sonya delivered periodic reports like that without fail. The poor girl had to consistently keep watch over the entire map and make a report about every single step that Vanishing took. Honestly, this job sounded like hell. Ronald would never agree to do work like this, not even for a salary. Besides, its not like we dont have eyes. Ronald thought. Like, we can see Vanishing too, you know? Though, admittedly, half the time I dont even register her existence, haha. Most likely, if it wasn''t for Sonya''s consistent alerts, then Ronald wouldn''t have paid any attention to Vanishing''s movements at all. Some people wouldve surely accused him of having "bad map awareness" or whatever, but who cared? Like, that Jungler hasn''t done ANYTHING since the game started. Ronald thought. Even without Sonya''s reports, theres really just no reason to care. Actually, I dunno why I''m even wasting so much time thinking about this. It was a waste of time, all of it. The only reason he spared any thought to this at all was because of Cato''s annoying retreat orders. Vanishings presence was basically like a thorn in Ronalds side. I gotta say, I really feel bad for Sonya here. Ronald thought. It gotta be a pain in the ass to make these reports 24/7 while laning. She got her own stuff to worry about, but of course, Cato wouldn''t care about that. What a dang tyrant. If Ronald was tasked with doing something like this, then he wouldve protested with all his strength. This was no way to live. Though, if somebody absolutely has to do this shitty job, then theres no doubt that Sonya is the best one for the job. Ronald thought. That girl is a machine. Like, she can analyze anything about everything like a dang computer without ever losing focus, word. At least, that was just Ronald''s impression of the girl. But, unbeknownst to him, the routine of delivering reports was slowly getting rather taxing for Sonya Vol.17 Ch.10: Analyzing Anything and Everything "Their Jungler entered Bot Jungle," Sonya made another timely report. She has been doing this regularly ever since the game started. Every time Vanishing showed up somewhere, Sonya made sure to report the event. And, if Vanishing hasn''t shown up anywhere for longer than 20 seconds, then Sonya reported as much as well. This mightve seemed excessive, but it was a necessary part of the anti-Vanishing counterplan. Better safe than sorry. Sonya thought. The others might forget about her if I don''t mention her regularly, at least that''s what Cato insists. Honestly, I''m still 50-50 on all of this. VanishingFlower was supposedly an elusive phantom with the ability to erase herself from peoples minds, or so the previous scrimmage implied. It was an absurd idea, honestly. No competitive player whos worth his salt would ever forget about the existence of an enemy player, especially not the Jungler. That was Sonya''s firm stance on the matter. With that said, as a hyper-defensive player, it was in her nature to prepare for anything, no matter how unlikely it seemed. That''s why she went along with Cato''s counterplan and subjected herself to this rather tedious job. If by any chance Vanishing really does possess the ability to slip out of peoples minds, then I''ll gladly shut it down. Sonya asserted. With that said, this is really a rather demanding job. I sort of understand what can make Vanishing so "forgettable". There was something very off about the way Vanishing played Jungler. Her rotations across jungle camps seemed to follow the meta by the book, which was surprisingly well done. However, on the ganking front, things were weird. Namely, there was an absolute absence of any ganks despite the fact that Vanishing was playing an assassin. She also doesn''t apply that much pressure on lanes, at least not in any obvious way. Sonya knotted her brows. If not for my reports, then I think nobody would have ever retreated because of Vanishings rotations. It''s a little curious. In a sense, Sonya''s reports felt almost unnecessary. Even without them, Vanishing never seemed interested in ganking any lane thus far. Thats extremely odd for an assassin. Kills are supposed to be her bread and butter. Yet, Vanishing ignored such conventions. She focused on farming camps as methodically as possible, but nothing more. I can somewhat imagine why certain players would stop paying attention to her at some point. Sonya thought. She doesn''t apply much pressure and wards rarely spot her. Basically, her presence is very weak all around. In fact, Sonya had to go out of her way to beef up the wards around Mid in order to have an actual chance of ever seeing Vanishing''s movements. In addition, Cato and William lent her a hand and spread extra wards throughout the jungle, all for the purpose of keeping track of this one phantom. Honestly, I suspect we wasted too much gold on this. Sonya sighed. But, data is invaluable. If extra wards can help us keep better track of Vanishing, then I say theyre worth it. Except, I see its not always enough More than 20 seconds have passed since the last time Sonya saw the phantom entering Bot Jungle. Yet, despite the numerous wards there, not a single one of them has caught another glimpse of the elusive assassin. So, it was time to make an empty report. Sigh. "I haven''t seen their Jungler for a while now," Sonya said. "She was last seen entering Bot Jungle." It was a rather uninformative report, arguably even a pointless one. Its main purpose was to remind the team that Vanishing existed and that Bot should probably be a little more careful right now. Nonetheless, Sonya made sure to report even uneventful things like this. It was necessary for her to maintain this consistent routine to make sure she wont start neglecting the job. The moment I start slacking - it''ll be game over. I won''t be able to get back on track. Sonya thought. I already find myself questioning whether all of this is really neccessary, so... Seriously, there was nothing remarkable about Vanishings actions thus far. As a result, it was becoming increasingly harder to stay motivated about this job. No, stop thinking like that! Sonya shook her head. This is exactly the trap, isn''t it? If I start taking her too lightly, then it''ll be over. I''ll lose sight of her. The longer this went on, the harder Sonya had to wrestle with her own brain to maintain the motivation for this routine. It was quite an exhausting experience, and funnily enough, the one responsible for causing the trouble didn''t even have to lift a finger to make any of this happen. Thus far, Vanishing was just minding her own business in a very passive manner, yet her mere existence caused Sonya so much trouble. It''s not like I have all the time in the world for this. I have my own problems to deal with, too. Sonya ranted as she unleashed Whirlwind on the new minion wave that arrived. I have a lane to farm, and I have to position myself correctly against the Sorcerer. Seriously, I almost have my hands full with just this. In order to safely cast her Whirlwind, Sonya first had to carefully position herself far enough from the Sorcerers reach. And, after she cast the spell, Sonya had to adjust her position yet again, to make sure she was outside the sniping range of Repelling Force. I should be fine here. Sonya nodded to herself and resumed her side job of monitoring the jungle. So, where did Vanishing disappear to? I feel like I havent seen her for a very long time now. Sonya scanned the map from top to bottom again, but there were no signs of the phantom anywhere. At this rate, Sonya might end up delivering a second empty report in a row. Tch, what a waste of my attention span. Sonya shook her head. All I have to report right now is that Vanishing is still missing. And, considering how much time has passed since weve seen her, this report is pretty much useless. At this point, Vanishing could be literally anywhere on the map. The wards have failed to reveal the girl during all this time, so it meant Vanishing couldve easily rotated to any part of the map by now. As such, there was nothing to really report here. Nonetheless, it was Sonyas job to monitor Vanishing, so she made sure to deliver the regular report in a timely fashion. I havent seen their Jungler for quite some time now, Sonya reported. She mightve recalled at some point, but we cant be sure. She was last seen in Bot Jungle, but considering how much time has passed, she could be anywhere right now. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. That was the extent of what Sonya could report about the current state of affairs. In short, she had no idea where Vanishing was or whether that forgettable Jungler was planning to cause trouble anytime soon. Now, back to focusing on the lane. Sonya shifted her eyes from the mini-map to the lane in front of her. She had no choice but to keep going back and forth between the two ever since the game started. Fortunately, Sonya was an Aeromancer, so things were a little easier for her in that regard. As far as the lane situation was concerned, Sonya simply had to cast Whirlwind and then distance herself away from the scene. In fact, this was one of the major considerations for picking Aeromancer for this game. Sonya had already discussed this topic with Cato a week ago, and they agreed that Aeromancer was one of the best classes to pick whenever Sonya had to work part-time as Vanishings supervisor. All the Aeromancer had to do on the lane was to summon a whirlwind that continuously drained the minions HP. Right after placing it, Sonya was free to retreat as far as it was necessary. With that said, she couldnt retreat too far from the area, because it was necessary to supplement her Whirlwind with additional attacks in order to fully wipe out the enemy squad. Therefore, Sonya retreated far enough to be outside the enemys immediate attack range and then waited for the minions to approach. As usual, Beat unleashed her Dimensional Collapse on the minion wave, making her black Magia Orb implode. This created a mini black hole that sucked in all the enemies in the area. Beat couldve further assaulted the minions with Repelling Force, but she opted to not do so. Instead, she used basic attacks to finish off what was left of the minions. As a result, it took her a while to finish off the minion wave, and during this time the majority of her army perished as well. From this position, she couldnt really push much. Its curious that Beat is playing so passively against me. Sonya thought. Most opponents get irritated by my defense and start playing more aggressively as time goes on. And, Beat is definitely a player who leans more toward aggression, and yet... Based on the available data, Beat was a flexible player who could play both offense and defense, but she definitely leaned more toward offense. Therefore, it was rather bizarre to see her take such a passive approach against Sonya. Maybe she thinks my defense has no openings for her to exploit. If so, Im flattered. A defense that blocked all incoming attacks was great. However, a defense that discouraged all attacks from ever coming in the first place was even greater. Preventing attacks from happening was that much better than deflecting them as they came. As such, Sonyas turtly playstyle always strived toward that kind of discouraging defense, the type that made attackers give up before even trying. Admittedly, it wasnt often that Sonya actually ran into situations where her opponent submitted to this psychological pressure. However, it seemed that Beat successfully fell prey to it. This is an unexpected outcome but a very welcome one. Sonya thought. It gives me more leeway to analyze the rest of the map without worrying too much about the lane situation. Keeping track of Mid Lane and Vanishing were just two of the many things that Sonya was preoccupied with. The game as a whole was much larger than these two specific subjects. For one, it was imperative to know what was going on in the other lanes. As such, Sonya was naturally well aware of the situation in Bot as well, where Cato and Matthew were fending off the ex-StormBlitz duo, Chessmaster and Gunz. This pair was formidable enough to give even William and Ronald a run for their money, but Cato and Matthew had been fending off the threat very well so far. It''s unfortunate that I don''t have the luxury to analyze their plays in detail right now. Sonya thought. It looks like many interesting tactics take place there on a regular basis, but I have no choice but to miss out on the details. A shame. Cato was the Leopards shot-caller in all but name, so the battle in Bot was a direct clash between the teams'' shot-callers. As such, it was bound to be a complicated battlefield with many layers of tactics. It was something Sonya was very interested in deconstructing, but unfortunately, she didnt have the time for it at the moment. As such, all she knew was that Cato and Matthew were somehow holding their ground without any apparent trouble. They successfully stifled the enemy''s progression, which was a huge achievement. But, then there''s also Top Lane where the situation is very different. Sonya naturally paid very close attention to Top because it featured a never-before-seen opponent: EnduringPhoenix. It seems that everybody came to a silent agreement that we''ll call him ''Phoenix'' and not ''Enduring''. Sonya thought. It''s a little off-putting considering we call their Jungler ''Vanishing'' and not ''Flower''... Small inconsistencies like that drew her crazy sometimes. But, I get it. ''Phoenix'' is much easier to say and its not as generic as Flower, so thats why it stuck. Yes, I get it, but that doesn''t change the fact it''s mildly irritating. With that said, there was nothing to be done about it at this point. The majority vote chose the name Phoenix, therefore Sonya had no choice but to follow the decision. I don''t know what part of him resembles a phoenix, but he is sure enduring very well in the lane. Phoenix was an unexpected addition to Stratus'' lineup. Unlike the other aggressive players the team was packing, Phoenix was the epitome of a defensive player. So much, so that his playstyle reminded Sonya of her own. He''s doing a good job sacrificing a bit of farm in exchange for safety. I understand why they subbed him in only now. To deal with Ronald''s aggression in Top, it was necessary to either bring somebody who was just as strong or somebody who could deflect the aggression with strong defense. But, unfortunately for Stratus, InformationBlackhole was a balanced player who didnt specialize enough at either task, therefore they subbed him for somebody who was very good at defense. And, he''s doing a good job so far. Sonya thought. Even though Ronald overall maintains lane control, he can''t seem to push forward. Thats a very well-executed defense. In the last game, most of the action started off in Top. Ronald and William got multiple kills there, which enabled the Leopards to start pushing toward victory. Alas, the brothers didnt have the same luck in this game. Phoenix completely sealed off the lane, denying William any gank opportunities. In fact, as it stood, all three lanes were currently frozen due to somebody employing airtight defense on every lane. In short, the teams were stuck in a deadlock, one that only a Junglers intervention could resolve. Of course, William was very much aware of the fact, therefore he tried to gank various lanes on multiple occasions. Alas, none of the lane opponents ever gave him a good opening to strike. On the other hand, the enemy Jungler was lying low the entire time. She didn''t lift a finger to help resolve the deadlock even though that should have been in her teams best interests. And, even if she tries, Ill make sure she fails. Sonya asserted. The moment she makes a move - I''ll know. Speaking of which, I have to make another report. It nearly slipped my mind. "I still haven''t seen their Jungler ever since she entered Bot Jungle, Sonya reported for the third time in a row. She probably slipped into Top Jungle by now. We ran out of 2 wards there, so we need to refresh them." "Noted," William responded. As the Jungler, he had the most freedom to travel to the indicated spots in order to replenish the wards there, so he promised to do so in the near future. Good, thats it for the report. Sonya nodded in satisfaction. Now, Ive bought myself another 20 or so seconds to analyze other more interesting things. Keeping track of Vanishing was quickly becoming a chore, for there was no interesting information anywhere to be had there. The girl only farmed camps without doing anything that stood out. Even as the game was in a deadlock, the girl didnt bother to lift a finger to change anything about the situation. It was pure amateurism. Nonetheless, this amateur had a history of delivering unexpected ganks in previous games, therefore some degree of caution was still necessary for now. Thus, Sonya continued dividing her attention between Vanishing, the lane, and the rest of the map. It was a juggling act, but one that Sonya found easy enough at the moment. After all, both Vanishing and Mid Lane didnt require much attention, seeing as they were both very uneventful so far. Or, at least, thats what Sonya thought. Little did she realize that she only had so much free time thanks to Beat''s negligence. The situation will change drastically if Beat suddenly decides to take better care of the lane Vol.17 Ch.11: Reigniting the Engines It was the second game in a row in which Kai was facing Theorist in the lane. Based on all the available data from previous scrimmages, as well as Kai''s own experience, she concluded that Theorist''s defense was uncrackable. Kai simply couldnt find a way to bust through it, not without external help. But, wheres that help at? Kai sighed. Seriously, our Junglers can be such a pain sometimes In the last game, Luke was the one who had the power to help Kai to bust through Theorist''s defense. But, did he do it? Well, he tried for what it was worth. But, he didnt achieve much of anything. Likewise, Nia hasn''t helped Kai achieve anything so far, either. In fact, in Nias case, it was a deliberate decision. The girl didn''t even try to do anything, at least not yet. And, whenever Kai interrogated the girl about it, Nia dodged the topic with vague statements like: "I think they''re keeping an eye on me. Scary. I cant rotate like this" That was the girls excuse for not committing to any ganks the entire game. Supposedly, she hasn''t "erased" her presence yet. But, how could she even tell whether the enemy really forgot about her yet or not? I think she''s just nervous, which is understandable. Kai thought. Shes just woken up and immediately got thrown into the heat of things. It''s going to take her a while to acclimate to the stage again. Basically, for now, the team pretty much didn''t have a functional Jungler, at least not for ganks. It was unfortunate. Of course, there was still some hope that Nia will eventually overcome the pressure and will start scoring kills left and right. However, there was no telling when that''ll happen. So, until then, Kai was alone in the lane, faced with an unbreakable wall of defense. It looks like I''m not gonna get anything done in this game either, huh. Kai sighed. Its getting kinda annoying, to be honest. As the captain, she wouldve liked to be the one who pulls the team forward. Especially right now, when the game was stuck in this awkward deadlock where nobody could make any progress. But, that wasn''t even the only reason for her irritation. There was also the nonsense Vincent spouted during the break, that whole talk about Kai being the "Softhearted Amazon". Basically, he claimed that Kai was "going easy" on Theorist because she was a fellow girl. Bullshit. Kai asserted. I bet none of them would be able to do any better in my shoes, except maybe for Lars and MAYBE Yuel if he manages to come up with some trick. Anybody else would get stalled just like me. Seriously, Theorists defense is just that airtight. In fact, in the first two games, Vincent already got to play 1v1 against Theorist. Even though it happened in Top and not in Mid, the experience should be largely the same. And, what did Vincent achieve against Theorist in those two games? A whole lot of nothing, that''s what. He couldn''t break through the tight defense by himself, just like Kai. Maybe I should start calling him the Softhearted Idiot. Kai scoffed. Seriously, I don''t understand what theyre expecting me to do here. I know I''m a strong player, but I can''t make miracles. If there are no openings, then there are no openings... right? Kai paused for a moment. She decided to reevaluate the lane situation on a whim because of these thoughts, and an interesting detail came to her attention. Her position is kinda... Kais eyes jumped back and forth between Theorist and the minions. Pretty sure I can hit her if I shoot at the right angle from over there. This was unusual. Normally, Theorist''s positioning was pitch-perfect. The girl left no openings for Kai to exploit like ever. So much, so that Kai practically stopped bothering to search for such openings. But surprisingly, there was an opening staring in Kais face at this very moment. Theorist summoned her Whirlwind and then distanced herself as usual, but she didn''t retreat quite far enough into her territory. From this distance, Kai could very well snipe that turtle with Repelling Force. Ill have to aim really well for it, but it''s doable. Kai thought. Let''s do this, then! She spent a moment reaching the perfect position for taking the shot. This delayed the attack by about another second, but it was going to be worth it if the shot connects. Here goes! Kai summoned a Magia Orb and followed up with Repelling Force, unleashing a magical shockwave around her. The black force hit the magical ball, kicking it like a soccer ball! The orb pierced through the enemy minions and continued onward, flying toward the Aeromancer standing at a distance. Honestly, it was a very long shot. The ball had to fly such a long distance that it almost seemed like it wont even reach the target. Not to mention, it was very easy to make a miscalculation with a shot this delicate, even for a skilled player like Kai. But, not this time. Her aim was on point here. The magical orb successfully grazed the target right before vanishing into thin air. It was a hit! I did it, huh. I actually hit her! Kai couldn''t believe it. Somehow, this simple achievement brought her so much joy. Its almost like she overcame an impossible hurdle, even though she had scored shots like this many times before. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I thought her defense was better than that. Did I overestimate her? Kai wondered. Or, maybe this was just a rare one-time mistake. Everybody makes mistakes, after all. Either way, it seemed like, at some point, Kai developed the impression it was absolutely impossible to bust Theorist''s airtight defense. Therefore, she gave up on it ever happening and stopped even looking for opportunities. But, thats just dumb. Kai shook her head. No matter how good her defense is, itll have some cracks every now and then. In fact, that''s what Yuel always preaches, doesn''t he? And, of course, I know that as well. So why did I? It was a little odd. Normally, Kai would stop at nothing to discover such openings. She would keep pushing harder and harder, giving the defender zero rest in the hope to crack them by force. Yet, she didn''t do any of that against Theorist. For some reason, instead of trying to brute force through the enemys defense, Kai chose to respect Theorist''s skill and leave the girl alone. This is really not like me. Im starting to get why Vincent dubbed me the "Softhearted Amazon". Kai grumped. But, its not because shes a girl or anything, thats just dumb talk. I just got a little overwhelmed by her tight defense, that''s all. Ill fix that. The hit Kai scored on Theorist proved that there were cracks in that seemingly flawless defense. And, it was Kai''s job to apply pressure on these cracks in the hope to shatter the enemys entire defense. From now on, I''ll pay attention to every little detail. Kai promised. Her defense CAN be busted, that''s the mindset I need to go with from now on. This was a seemingly small shift of mindset, but it was going to have big implications on the state of the lane and the game at large. Theorist had already realized as much after being hit. It hit me? Sonya adjusted her glasses. Hmm. Yes, I see. My position was a little suspect. I should''ve created more distance between us. If she wanted to play it 100% safe, Sonya couldve simply retreated all the way back to her tower. That didnt require any thought at all and there was no chance for any errors there. However, for the sake of optimizing farm, Sonya didnt retreat all the way. She only retreated as far as it was necessary in order to not become an attractive target for Repelling Force. But, I didnt retreat enough this time. I was short by a step or two. Sonya frowned. I have to say, she sure has a sharp eye to spot a tiny mistake like this. Just as the data suggested, Beat was a mechanically skilled player. And, unlike in the Taurus scrim, Beats performance was stable today. She was arguably a little too passive in the last game, but now shes baring her fangs again. This is not good. Sonya frowned as she watched what unfolded after she was hit. The damage she received was nothing to worry about, but the implications of being hit extended beyond just damage. Sonyas minions had no intention of letting this transgression go unpunished. So, they ignored the enemy army in front of them and focused all their attention on Beat. Naturally, the offender was also very much aware of these consequences. It seemed like she started retreating before the Magia Orb even hit Sonya, and she even used Dodge Roll to retreat faster. Truly, the girl was very confident about the accuracy of her attack. In response to the assault, Sonyas minions ignored everything around them and chased after Beat. On the other hand, Beats minions were still focused on Sonyas minions. As a result, once Sonyas army moved away from their usual positions, Beats army followed suit. Essentially, Sonya''s soldiers were chasing Beat, and Beats soldiers were chasing Sonyas soldiers. It was a chain reaction. Ultimately, the entire scene moved away from the center of the lane, which was the spot in which Sonya always cast her Whirlwind. The tornado slowed down the departure of the minions but it couldnt entirely stop them from leaving. This led to a huge damage loss for Sonya. On the other hand, Beat only benefited from this development. As she retreated, she also fired basic attacks at the minions that chased her. This slowly hacked away at the minions HP in addition to the hits they were already receiving from Beats squad. In the end, Sonyas entire army perished without delivering any damage to Beat. On the other hand, Beats army was fully intact and suffered minimal injuries. For the first time since Sonya and Beat had started facing each other in the lane, Beat finally got herself an opportunity to push hard. This is not good. It might give her momentum. Sonya thought. If she starts dialing up the aggression, then I have to prepare accordingly. There was a peaceful status quo on the lane until now, but it seemed as if things were about to change. Beat was now like a beast who tasted meat for the first time. This one successful exchange might awaken her innate aggression. Well, it''s only speculation at the moment. Sonya thought. Let''s hope I''m overthinking this. Unfortunately, she wasn''t. In the next wave, Beat showed similar signs of aggression. She approached the frontline even more boldly than before in order to land a shot on Sonya with Repelling Force. And, as embarrassing as it was to admit, the shot actually hit home. Tch, seriously? Sonya frowned. I knew I had to be on guard this time but I still allowed myself to get hit. This is unacceptable. How could it happen? Sonya knew exactly what was coming and how to deal with it. In her head, the problem was already solved before it even appeared. So, why did that Magia Orb hit her? I wasnt paying enough attention. Sonya criticized herself. If I wasn''t busy checking the map back then, then I wouldve noticed Beats telegraphed approach. But, I totally missed it A momentary lack of attention made Sonya commit yet another uncharacteristic mistake. It was time to make another report so she was preoccupied with deducing where Vanishing could possibly be, but that Magia Orb hit her right in the middle of the investigation. Focus. Sonya took a deep breath and concentrated all her attention on the lane. It was important to supervise Vanishing, but right now, it was more important for Sonya to handle the lane situation. It seems like Beat decided to wake up. Sonya thought. Ill have to start paying more attention to her now. Even somebody like Sonya couldnt multitask all the time. Right now, she had to be wholly focused on Beat''s aggression, and supervising Vanishing could wait. This meant the next report had to be postponed. Interestingly, nobody had said anything about the delay so far, not even Cato. This truly showed how the responsibility of tracking Vanishing fell on Sonya and Sonya alone. Nobody else was paying much attention to the phantom''s movements at all. And, why should they? The girl hasn''t posed a threat ever since the game started. However, as it turned out, the one time when the phantom''s movements were left unsupervised was about to become a critical moment Vol.17 Ch.12: Nia’s Accidental Remote Intimidation They''re stalking me. Scary. Nia realized that early into the game because there was no other logical explanation for the weird things that have been happening. Basically, the enemy was abnormally cautious of every move Nia made. Of course, there was also the enemys skill level to consider. These were the Leopards, the strongest players in the entire region, so of course, their map awareness was going to be airtight Nonetheless, Nia refused to believe that she couldnt slip past their radars. After all, she was the uncrowned world champion of hide-and-seek, so there was nobody she couldnt hide from. Well, maybe except for Yuel. But, hes a rarity among rarities. Yeah. Aside from that alien robot, no regular human being was ever able to detect Nia on a regular basis. No matter who she played against, Nia had always successfully erased her presence from their minds and snuck up to them undetected. Theyre probably aware of my godlike hide-and-seek skills. Nia concluded. They mustve studied me like a lab rat by watching all the replays. Scary. Yuel mentioned that the replays of the official scrimmages are available for everybody to purchase. Therefore, most likely, the Leopards bought a copy of the Stratus vs. Taurus scrim and studied that one from top to bottom. That''s how they figured out Nia''s secret talent. What a pain. Nia sulked. They''re already the strongest team in the region and they still study their opponents? Tryharding much? That thorough preparation was probably the reason the Leopards were on such high alert against Nia. Its almost as if they were scared of her. I''m terrorizing them, hehe. Nia giggled to herself. But, even if they know that I can hide well, how can ALL of them be so good at keeping track of me? It doesn''t add up. Given the circumstances, it made sense that it was harder for Nia to erase her presence against the Leopards. But, was it supposed to be completely impossible? No way. It was only supposed to take a little longer than usual, that''s all. If I keep hiding from them, then they''re supposed to eventually forget about me. But, it''s just not happening. Weird. All three lanes showed clear signs that they were aware of Nia''s existence 24/7. They beefed up their defense or retreated whenever Nia was anywhere near their lane. Basically, they were acting as if Nia was the manifestation of pure terror. This was funny at first but it became tiresome after a while. They''re gotta be stalking me. That''s how Nia reached this particular conclusion. Somebody out there must be following my every move. Scary. There was also strong evidence to suggest that the Leopards placed more wards than usual across the jungle, possibly to combat Nia''s elusiveness. With so much warding, figuring out how to best maneuver around the jungle became one huge puzzle. Its kinda fun to solve in its own way, but they just wont give it a rest. Nia ranted. When will they lower their guard already??? The match was already approaching mid-game, yet Nia hasn''t delivered a single gank yet. Like, none. Nada. Basically, she has spent the entire game farming camps and solving the complicated warding puzzles. It''s not like that wasn''t fun in its own right, but the real thrill of being a Jungler always came from scoring kills. In particular, scoring kills on unsuspecting targets by stabbing them in the back. This isnt good. I haven''t done anything today. Nia gulped. Yuel is going to bully me so hard during the match review. Scary. So far, Nia hasn''t achieved anything against the Leopards today. In the first game, she was sleepy, and in the next two games, she was asleep. So, in a way, this 4th game was actually Nias first "real" game of the day. And still, she hasnt achieved anything thus far. Actually, maybe that''s not exactly true. Nia realized that as she saw the enemy Top Laner retreat. The guy wasnt in any immediate danger and he wasn''t the defensive type, so he had no reason to retreat there, especially not against a turtle like Ben. Nonetheless, Challenger fled from the middle of the lane as if somebody threatened his life. Why? Probably because they spotted me rotating to Top Jungle. Nia deduced. Hmm. So, I still passed near a ward somewhere on this path. Noted. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. She marked another potential ward location on the mini-map. This was a feature that Nia rarely used in the past, but Yuel insisted that it was crucial for anybody who wanted to consistently play around wards. I didn''t get much mileage out of it in Ranked, but today it''s really helpful. Without marking all the suspicious spots, Nia probably wouldve never solved the Leopards difficult warding puzzles. In Ranked, opponents usually didn''t pose much of a challenge with their wards. After all, how many people seriously bothered to ward in Ranked? Yeaaaah. And, even when some of the opponents properly warded, the teams warding as a whole was rather unorganized. It was nothing like the Leopards methodical bullying that specifically targeted Nia from all directions. Scary. As such, today was the first time when Nia truly saw the benefit of methodically marking the map every time she felt like she was spotted. As Yuel preached, this was indeed a useful tech, at least for the most part. Its still a pain to use, and it was even more of a pain to learn. Nia pouted. Yuel somehow turned this into a whole university-level course. So, where''s my academic degree for this? Gufu By relying on her markings, Nia slowly but surely developed a better grasp of the enemy''s warding habits. In time, she''ll surely figure out everything she needed to know, and then shell be ready to unleash a devastating gank! But, until then, some pesky wards still spotted her every now and then. Interestingly enough, that came with its own share of benefits. For example, Challenger was actually retreating right now. Yes, that aggressive and overconfident guy actually decided to fall back all of a sudden. Why? Because a ward exposed me. That scared him. This was an unexpected benefit of being revealed. Every time a ward spotted Nia, it visibly made the enemy fortify their defenses and retreat. Even an aggressive player like Challenger responded like that. It''s almost as if Nia was a terrorist who always sent a warning in advance. Scary. I think they did something like this in the first game too, but I didn''t really notice it back then. Nia thought. But now I''m awake, so I see everything. This was an odd situation. Even without actively ganking any lanes, Nia was still applying indirect pressure on the entire enemy team. This was actually a kinda eye-opening experience. She had never experienced anything quite like this. I remember Yuel lectured about something like this before, but it never really made sense to me. But, now it kinda does. For an elusive Jungler like Nia, making her presence known was the ultimate taboo. After all, her entire game plan revolved around erasing her presence and making the enemy drop their guard. On the other hand, right now, Nias presence made the enemy more alert than ever. And, Yuel actually lectured her that this type of passive terrorism was one of Jungler''s strongest assets. These were actually some very difficult sermons for Nia to digest. "I like your funny words, magic man." That used to be Nia''s response to these lessons. The idea itself made some sense and Yuel explained it well, but it sounded outright impractical for a player like Nia. That was true until now when she ran into a scenario where she struggled to erase her presence. Suddenly, the fact she was ever present actually had some unexpected weight to it and made the enemies sweat. If Nia had properly studied that dubious art of remote intimidation, then she couldve terrorized the enemies even better here. But, I didn''t take it that seriously, so Im not sure what to do with it. Nia shrugged. All I can do is keep trying to erase my presence. Ironically, amidst her attempts to achieve that goal, she somehow ended up applying pressure on the enemy with her presence. It was like a paradox. She was trying so hard to be undetected, yet being detected was actually her greatest contribution to the game so far. And of course, the alien robot caught wind of this phenomenon as well. "I know it''s not intentional," Yuel said. "But, you''re piling a lot of pressure on them when they see you rotating. So, it might sound absurd for somebody with your playstyle, but I suggest intentionally letting their wards reveal you every now and then, just to shake them up." "Eh? Intentionally reveal myself?" Nia made a face. "Don''t wanna. I need to erase my presence." "I figured you''ll say that. Yuel sighed. I suppose it''s too early to make you use tactics like this, so you do you. But, just keep in mind that your rotations are pressuring them. We''ll discuss this topic in more detail during the match review." "Sounds like fun..." Nia jerked at the mere memory of the needlessly long match review they had after the Taurus scrim. It was soooooo long that it was probably possible to write an entire novel just about this one meeting alone. Scary. Anyway, putting that dreadful topic aside for now, it was undeniable that Nia''s biggest contribution to this game was the passive pressure she was applying on the enemy. This was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was kinda good because it meant Nia wasn''t entirely useless in this game, unlike she was in Game 1. However, this was also bad because it meant Nia was still far away from her ultimate goal of erasing her presence. Seriously, the enemy team just refused to forget about her. They were like professional stalkers! Scary. But, I''m making progress on that. Nia tried to reassure herself. At least, I THINK Im making progress... As the game went on, Nia felt like she was becoming better and better at solving the enemys warding puzzles. This meant the wards caught her in action less often, which should also mean that the enemies had a harder time keeping track of her movements. The less they saw Nia, the easier it should be for her to erase herself from their minds. At least, she hoped that this logic applied against a top-tier team like the Leaoprds, too... Vol.17 Ch.13: Securing the First Gank, No Matter What! As the game went on, Nia felt herself becoming stealthier. It seemed like the enemy''s all-seeing eye started to lose its authority. The laners'' responses to Nias rotations became slower and more negligent. It seemed they weren''t on max alert like before. A chance to gank might be coming up soon. Nia gulped. I need to choose where to strike, and then just pull it off. Yes, just pull it off against the regional champions. No pressure. None at all. Yeah... Honestly, it was scary. Every single player on the enemy team was a powerhouse of some sort. Basically, they were the dangerous kind of prey who could easily turn the tables on the predator. Therefore, Nia had to be very careful with her attack. And, if that wasnt already enough pressure, then there was also the fact that this was Nias chance to achieve some sort of success for the first time today. She got a few nice opportunities in Game 1 as well, but she blew all of them due to her sleepiness. But, this time, I have to make it work. I can''t mess up, not again. Nia repeated this in her head more times than she was willing to admit. Such thoughts filled her mind to the brim as she slithered around the jungle, evading all the ward traps placed there by the enemy. After a while longer, the time has finally come. Nia felt it - she vanished. The enemy lost sight of her! So, I guess this was just a question of time, after all. Nia nodded. I almost started thinking that the Leopards were somehow immune, but it turned out they were just stubborn. If the Leopards assigned someone specific to stalk Nias movements, then that person was sleeping on duty right now. Alternatively, maybe none of the wards have spotted Nia for so long, that the enemy team has completely lost track of where Nia was. Either way, the Leopards were no longer on high alert like before. This time, even though Nia walked deep into Top Jungle, Challenger still showed no signs of retreating. So, I slipped past their wards. Nia nodded. Am I not amazing? I solved all these complicated warding puzzles! In truth, maybe some of the wards over here had expired by now and that made Nias job easier, but she decided to ignore that nitpick. Never before in her life did she imagine that shell be so happy about figuring out enemy wards. This was the first time she tackled a riddle of this difficulty, and after a lot of hard work, she actually aced that thing! This could probably be a fun standalone puzzle game in its own right. Nia thought. But anyway, the real challenge starts from here. Gulp. Getting past the wards was only the first step. Next, Nia had to actually execute the gank. From Top Jungle, she only had two available targets: Mid or Top. However, in this case, there was no real dilemma. Ganking Mid was out of the question. Their Mid is turtling 24/7. Not fun. Nia pouted. It would have been best to gank Mid because of how important the lane was, but Theorist was a very unattractive target. Sneaking up to that Turtlewoman was going to be an exercise in futility. On the other hand, Top was the most attractive target ever. Challenger was the carefree confident type, so it should be easy enough to catch him off-guard. The guy only ever retreated early when wards spotted Nia approaching. However, right now, Challenger wasnt suspecting a thing, so he was playing very boldly. And, they still havent finished clearing minions. Nia thought. S-So, I''m in a good position to go for this gank. Yeah. Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heartbeat quickened with each breath she took. This was it. This gank was Nias first big opportunity of the day. It was as joyous of a moment as it was terrifying. I have to nail this one. I have to. Nia repeated in her head as her legs carried her closer to Top. Oh, but wait! I have to make sure I don''t let wards spot me! She stopped in her tracks right in front of a very inviting shortcut. Was there a ward there? She couldn''t tell. But, maybe its a solvable puzzle. Nia thought. Considering I got this far undetected, its probably safe to assume that theres a ward here. The Leopards have been religiously warding the jungle this entire game. So, even if somebody was slacking on the job right now, surely some of the dangerous wards were still present across the jungle. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Nia did a good job slipping through the enemys blind spots to come this far, but the shortcut ahead of her was risky business. Many of the most efficient rotation routes toward Top used this shortcut, so it had to be warded. I''ll have to go around. Nia retreated a few steps and took a different path. There''s no rush. I can still make it in time to the lane, probably. Even if it meant losing time, Nia had no intention of letting herself get exposed due to rushing. This was the very first mistake she committed during her debut game against Taurus, and it left quite a trauma. So, never again! Even if she has to slow down, Nia will definitely nail the first gank of this game, no matter what! Hopefully. So far so good. Nia confirmed that Challenger showed no reaction to her movement. She had clearly reached peak stealth at this point. In fact, Nia was so stealthy that probably even Yuel was unaware of what she was doing right now. Normally, he''d call out to her at this point and ask her about her intentions, but so far, there was radio silence. He seems busy over there. Nia could vaguely tell that the players in Bot constantly engaged in some complex back-and-forth that went way over Nias head. Should I report rotation this to him? Nia wondered. Hmm, I don''t wanna distract him. Besides, I bet the moment I bring this up, then the alien robot will start lecturing as usual... In all likelihood, Yuel will want to discuss the specifics of Nia''s plan. In turn, that will get Ben involved in the process. Ben wasn''t an alien robot like Yuel, so he probably had no idea that Nia was approaching. And, as odd as it sounded, Nia kinda wanted to keep it that way. I can''t mess up this chance. Nia repeated to herself. If I tell Ben I''m coming and he starts acting differently because of it, then he might expose me. Based on how things usually went down during club practice, Nia knew that Ben wasn''t a very good actor. Normally, he had a very stable defensive playstyle, but he always started acting up the moment he learned that somebody was rotating to his lane. Instead of playing his usual solid defense, Ben often started baiting the enemy. Basically, he tried to lure the enemy deeper into allied territory in order to make them easier to gank. For some reason, he felt like it was his responsibility to increase the ganks odds of success. After all, the Jungler was going out of their way to grace Ben''s lane with their presence, so Ben had to respond with proper courtesy or something like that. The intention itself wasnt half bad. In fact, if Ben could do this properly, then some of Nias ganks couldve benefited greatly from this kind of arrangement. But unfortunately, Ben was a terrible actor. In the process of baiting the enemy, Ben made his intentions way too obvious. Any half-decent opponent immediately figured out that Ben was preparing the ground for a gank. Even in Ranked, most opponents weren''t THAT stupid. As a result, even though Nia successfully concealed herself in these games, Ben''s overly dedicated preparations ruined the surprise. Bens poor acting spooked the enemy and made them retreat, which killed the gank in its infancy. It was such a pain. I know that Yuel said he was working on this problem with Ben, but not sure how far theyve progressed. Nia thought. It''s not like we had that many weeks to prepare for this game, so I bet the problem is still there. In all likelihood, Ben was still a terrible actor. Even if he improved his acting a little, these pro players from the Leopard will surely figure him out at a glance. Even worse, this is his first game on the stage. Nia shuddered as she recalled how much of a mess she was during her own debut game. The pressure of the first game is real scary, it makes everybody make mistakes. So, Im sure Ben will mess something up. This was Nia speaking as Ben''s senior on the competitive scene. Perhaps she was just a freshman, but she had already experienced 4 competitive games up to this point. So, she kinda knew what she was talking about. Probably. Basically, giving in to the stages pressure was the worst. Ben was visibly still struggling with that aspect, which was very relatable. On the other hand, Nia has already overcome that obstacle. At least, for the most part... I have to make this gank count, no matter what. Nia repeated once more to reinforce her determination. So, to improve my chances, its best to keep quiet about this. Normally, it was optimal for the Jungler to borrow the laners aid during ganks. Nia understood that her actions here went against the most fundamental aspects of game theory, but it was necessary in this particular edge case, it really was. I have to make this gank count. I have to. Nia steadied her will and focused solely on the task at hand. I just need to kill Challenger, that''s all that matters here. Admittedly, delivering a gank on a Dragonborn was no easy task. It was a rather tanky class and could also use its dragon form as a last-resort escape tool. Truly, this was a pesky target for Junglers to deal with. But, there was no choice. Mid-game was already around the corner, so Nia had to go for it. Now. With that said, there was some good news here as well. At this point in the game, everybody''s builds have already solidified into the overall playstyle they were going for. And, Challenger''s intentions couldnt be clearer from his build. He built a lot of power, so it means hes planning to go full offense! Nia deduced this like a pro. Indeed, it was a great deduction worthy of Herlock Sholmes'' respect. Considering that Challenger didnt build much defense, it should be relatively easy to take the guy out. Therefore, Nia should be able to score the kill even without Ben''s help. I have no choice but to do it myself. Nia repeated to herself. I cant let this chance slip no matter what! After a long internal struggle, Nia finally made a decision. She knew it was wrong to keep her teammate in the dark about the upcoming play, but it was all for the greater good. She absolutely had to nail this gank, no matter what! Vol.17 Ch.14: The Phantoms Elusive Gank After taking the long route, Nia finally got close to Top Lane. However, one last obstacle stood between her and the lane itself. Is there a ward near the entrance? Nia couldn''t possibly tell for she never had the opportunity to venture this far in this game. Therefore, she had to make an educated guess. Its probably better to assume that its warded. Such was Nia''s conclusion based on her experiences with the Leopards'' warding thus far. These guys were good, they stuffed the entire jungle with pesky wards to make Nia''s life as difficult as possible. So, surely, they had a ward near the lane entrance well. And, unfortunately, Nia had no choice but to pass through this area in order to enter the lane. There were three entrances available: one on the allied side of the jungle, one on the enemy side, and one in the middle. Most likely, there was a ward near at least one of these locations. Nia could take a gamble here and choose an entrance at random, but the odds were against her. If there were two wards, then her chance of picking the right entrance was 1 to 3. Actually, the chance is pretty much 0%. Nia reasoned. If they placed two wards, then theyre probably near our entrance and theirs. That kind of arrangement made it practically impossible to reach the middle entrance without being spotted by one of the wards. And, the worst thing was that there were no practical alternatives in this situation. Nia had to enter the lane through one of these paths. Entering the lane from behind the tower area was also an option but that would take way too long. Therefore, going through one of the regular entrances had to be the play. But, how could Nia possibly slip by unnoticed? I guess its time to ask my dear sister for help. Nia activated Shadow Clone, summoning a copy of herself. I''m sorry I have to treat you like this, sis. But, this is for the greater good Nia directed her dear sister into a wall. Yes, that''s right. The clone was forced to dash straight into a wall, head-first. Though this clone was supposed to be a copy of Nia, the bot controlling it didnt possess a shred of intelligence. Therefore, Nias sister simply kept running forward in the direction she was summoned in. In other words, the clone kept running into the wall like a classic bugged bot. Please stay like this and dont run into any wards, thank you. This may have looked like familial abuse but it was a necessary evil. Now, that the clone was summoned, Nia became cloaked in stealth. This should allow her to get through the sus area ahead without being spotted. Probably. I just hope they don''t have any Stealth Wards This train of thought mightve seemed paranoid for such an early phase of the game, but it was impossible to put anything past the Leopards. Their warding has been over-the-top the entire game so anything is possible Nia gulped as she set foot inside the sus zone. Nervousness assaulted from all directions, but she nonetheless pressed onward. At the end of the day, she had no choice but to hope that not even the Leopards would resort to placing Stealth Wards this early into the game. Stealth Wards cost more than regular wards and they offered nothing extra except for revealing stealthed players like Nia. As such, it was a huge money sink for the earlier stages of the game. Besides, Nia hasn''t even established herself as much of a threat thus far. So, no matter how careful the Leopards were, surely even they wouldn''t resort to something like this... right? Right? Nia gulped. A shudder ran through her entire body with every step she traversed through the sus area. Logically, there shouldnt be any danger here, but the paranoia didn''t give her rest. She half-expected to see Challenger turn around and make a break for it, any moment now. Her gank attempt could end just like this before even getting a chance to start. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. Challenger showed no signs of noticing Nia''s approach. The guy was nonchalantly pressing his offense on the lane, forcing Ben to retreat. I-I made it. Nia took a deep breath as she set foot in Top Lane. At long last, she was here! This was her first real gank attempt of the day! And, I hope itll also be my first kill. Nia steeled herself and dashed toward the unsuspecting target. I dont have Imperial yet, so no point attacking first. Ill go straight for the ult. Nia approached the prey from behind and wrapped her arms around the Dragonborn, then leapt into the air! Nobody saw this development coming! "What the-!?" Ronald jumped. By the time he realized what was happening - he was already flying high through the air! It was the Ninja''s ult! "Dang, where did she even come from!? Ronald ranted. I thought we had the entire flipping jungle warded!" His loud reaction caught the attention of his teammates and they all wondered the same thing: How did Vanishing manage to show up in Top without any warning? As Ronald said, there were countless wards in the jungle, specially placed to keep track of this elusive Ninja. On top of that, Sonya delivered regular reports on the phantom''s latest position. Or at least, she should have been doing that This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Ah..." Sonya stiffened. When did I make my last report, again? I think it was over a minute ago The last time Sonya actually saw Vanishing in the flesh was when Vanishing was still in Bot Jungle. Sonya reported as much at the time, and ever since she has been making a bunch of empty reports that said a whole lot of nothing. The enemy Jungler was last seen in Bot Jungle, but that was a while ago. That was the extent of Sonyas reports. As frustrating as it was to admit, she simply couldnt deliver anything better than that. Considering how much time has passed, it was reasonable to assume that Vanishing rotated from Bot Jungle to Top Jungle. Even though there was no hard evidence, Sonya shouldve at least mentioned that it was a likely possibility. Alas, she didn''t. Why? Because, during that time, she found herself preoccupied with her lane situation all of a sudden. Beat decided to dial up her aggression out of the blue, which forced Sonya to pay more attention to her opponents position in the lane. Until then, Sonya was carefully splitting her attention between Vanishing, the lane, and the rest of the map. But, the moment one of these topics started demanding so much attention all of a sudden - the balance was broken. Sonya found herself in a position where she had to prioritize the lane situation other the rest of the map, so she ended up neglecting her duty of supervising Vanishing. As a result, she failed to warn her teammates about the possibility of Vanishing being in Top Jungle at this point. I thought Vanishing was a lower priority considering she hasnt accomplished anything the entire game. But, it seems like that assumption was my undoing There were never any signs of Vanishing trying to pull anything, so Sonya started paying less and less attention to the girl. And, that turned out to be a grave mistake. I was supposed to be the one who pays the most attention to her but in the end Sonya fell into the very trap that she was supposed to warn others about. Sonya was like a sentry who stood guard at the gate, her job was to stop Vanishing from slipping past the teams radar. Yet, the guard fell asleep for just a moment and the phantom exploited that brief opportunity to slip through. With a Vanguard helping her out, they can even kill Ronald here or can they? Sonya blinked in confusion and pushed her glasses up. Unless she was missing something, the situation in Top seemed a little off. The Ninja successfully snuck up to Ronald and launched Izuna Drop, her trump card. Vanishing was most likely stealthed when she arrived, so Ronald had no chance to respond to the attack at all. It seemed like a well-executed gank, all in all. Next, Vanishing and Ronald crashed into the ground together. Ronald sustained heavy damage and found himself in critical health. From that position, with the help of the Vanguards taunt, the enemy should have no problem finishing Ronald off. But, oddly enough, they couldnt quite do it. Why? Because the Vanguard was too far away from the scene. Phoenix was in the middle of retreating before Vanishing showed up. His acting seemed very convincing to that end, successfully fooling even Sonya. And surely, Ronald was also 100% convinced that Phoenix was genuinely trying to retreat, therefore he let his guard down. But, looking at the situation now, was that really just acting? Even after Vanishing showed up in the lane, it felt as if it took Phoenix a moment to register her presence and cancel his plans for retreat. It took the Vanguard a second or two to turn around and hurry back to the scene. That short delay was going to prove fatal in this delicate situation. After such a late start, could Pheonix even reach the scene on time to aid Vanishing? Unless he had a cloaked Blink up his sleeve, it seemed impossible. Nonetheless, the guy dashed to the scene with all his strength. At the very least, he seemed convinced that this was the right play to shoot for. Oh no! Ben gulped as he dashed toward the battlefield. I-I don''t think I''m going to make it in time! But, if I don''t, the entire gank might fall apart and it''ll all be my fault! I have to hurry! And so, Ben darted across the lane while ignoring the enemy minions along his path. Likewise, the minions ignored him as well. The little guys were preoccupied with the stealthy invader who dared to assault their leader. And so, the same way Ben hurried to the scene of the crime, so did the enemy minions. They all ran there together like an organized police squad, even though their goals were completely opposite of each other. These minions are bad news. Ben realized in the middle of the rush. Maybe it''s better if I stall them? But, then I won''t be able to CC the Dragon... This entire situation was chaotic beyond salvation. If there was more time to think things through, then maybe Ben would have been able to find the best response to this scenario. Alas, in the heat of the moment, his brain short-circuited from the overload of information. In short, it was impossible to tell what was the best play here! So, what should he do!? Amidst the darkness of uncertainty that threatened to swallow him whole, a clear voice resounded all of a sudden. "Ben, you won''t make it," Yuel said. "Taunt the minions. that''s the best play in this position." "O-Okay!" Ben shifted his focus from the distant Dragonborn to the nearby minions. Unlike the faraway target which Ben might or might not reach in time, the minions were within arm''s reach and he knew exactly how to handle them. Ben used Dodge Roll to instantly close the distance to them and then activated Provoke. As a result, the enemy squad, consisting of one swordsman and three bowmen, now focused their attention on Ben. In a blink of an eye, the enemy soldiers completely forgot about the offender who hurt their captain. Now, all they wanted in life was to smack Ben to death. O-Okay, I did it! Ben sighed in relief. From here, he was in full control of the situation. This was no longer some chaotic unfamiliar position that he had to analyze on the fly. Next, the stomp. Ben lifted his metal-clad foot. He left it in the air for a second and then brought it down in an instant! BAM! An earthquake erupted across the area! The force of the impact shook the entire earth, knocking up all the enemies in the vicinity. One moment, the bowmen were in the middle of nocking their arrows in order to Ben, but the next moment, they found themselves flying high in the air. Phew. Ben sighed in relief. It was over, he successfully dealt with the situation. This was a simple and familiar scenario for a Vanguard player, one that Ben has handled many times before. And thankfully, he was able to execute the play correctly despite the pressure of the competitive stage. But, this was not the time to celebrate. The problem Ben resolved was like a side dish. The main course was Nia''s gank on Challenger, a play that Ben gave up on participating in the moment he stopped to deal with the minions. Or, so he thought. "Keep moving toward the Dragonborn as you deal with the minions," Yuel instructed. "You have to make it clear that this a 2v1 situation so that Challenger won''t try any funny ideas like counterattacking in dragon form." "O-On it!" Ben hurried to the scene once again. Unfortunately, the situation indeed developed the way Yuel predicted. Challenger activated his dragon form, and that alone was enough to shift the odds in his favor. Challenger transformed from prey into predator! Will Nia be able to deal with this threat all by herself? Most likely not, which was why Ben was rushing to the rescue. I hope I make it in time...! Vol.17 Ch.15: A Dragons Pride BAM! Ronald crashed into the ground like a meteor! He was high in the sky just a moment ago, then he and the Ninja dove straight into the ground. C''mon, stand up! Quick! Ronald urged his stunned knight. Bruh was lying on his ass after taking the fall and he took his sweet time getting up. This was a weird "downed" state that Izuna Drop inflicted as if that ult wasn''t already busted enough. I mean, that shit took over 30% of my HP! Ronald ranted. Why does it need extra CC on top of that damage??? Naturally, the enemy didn''t miss this opportunity. Vanishing flipped backward and shot a shuriken at Ronald. The pointy metal lodged itself into Ronald''s chest, marking him as a target to execute. So, running away isn''t going to be an option, is it? Ronald frowned. This is sure turning ugly... With the shuriken stuck in Ronalds body, the Ninja was able to instantly blink to Ronalds location at any moment. Therefore, even if Ronald tries to get past that girl and flee toward his tower, Vanishing will catch up to him immediately. I can get outta here no problem with my ult, but I don''t wanna waste it on a lame defensive play like this. Like, Dragonborn''s main selling point was his ability to turn into a giant dragon and ravage the battlefield. Therefore, wasting this epic skill on escaping from some puny Ninja was lame. There''s no way Ronald would ever do it- "I hope you know what you have to do," Cato said. "In a situation like this, survival is your top priority." "Dang, for real?" Ronald''s shoulders slumped. So, he''s telling me to waste my ult. Its dang weak play, like everything this guy ever suggests. But... Dying here would be terrible, that''s for sure. It''ll give the enemy tons of momentum, and everybody on the Leopards will blame Ronald for the rest of his life. Especially, now that he received an official order to survive, his teammates gonna bash him twice as hard if he disobeys and winds up dead. Thanks a lot, Cato... Basically, Ronald had no choice. So, the moment he got back on his feet, he unleashed Draconic Fever. His body expanded, transforming him from a metal-clad knight into a giant dragon. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Well, now I just gotta leap away and get outta here... or do I? A sudden realization hit him all of a sudden. There he was, a giant dragon towering over a little Ninja. His opponent, the one who threatened to take his life just moments ago, now looked so small and insignificant. With his newfound powers, Ronald could easily crush this assaulter! I can kill her for sure if we fight now. Ronald was that confident. I see the Vanguard stopped to fight the minions, so this is my cue! I''m about to turn history''s biggest table on you, girl! "Don''t bother fighting. Cato shot down the idea before it even had a chance to be born. I''m sure the Vanguard will come over there soon enough, so youll be in a 1v2 unless you keep running. "Nah, the guy is busy with the... the minions..." Ronald''s words trailed off as he realized that this was yesterdays news. Phoenix did stop to play with the minions for a moment, but right now, he was rushing to the scene again! For a moment there, Ronald almost got fooled into thinking that the pesky Vanguard was out of the equation. Thankfully, Cato saw through that ploy before it was too late. My, such a disgustingly nice shot-call. Cato praised his opponent with a hint of venom. You made the Vanguard taunt the minions, which simultaneously fooled our resident idiot into thinking that he had a chance to fight 1v1. So damn shrewd. Most likely, Phoenixs slow response to Vanishings gank wasnt a planned act. It reeked of miscommunication. Nonetheless, Yuel found a nice way to utilize this suboptimal situation in his favor. That shrewd tactician almost fooled Ronald into thinking that he wasnt actually in grave danger. This brat should be thankful I pointed him in the right direction. Cato thought. Hed be dead without me, that rascal. Now that Ronald knew the Vanguard was on the way, the only option left for him was to retreat. Or, was it? Maybe I can pull off this 1v2? Ronald entertained the idea. I mean, Im hella strong right now and these guys arent anything to write home about. I just might be able to do this! "I hope you''re not thinking about something stupid like fighting them," Cato said. "Naaaaah, of course not, haha..." Ronald gave up and activated Draconic Rush. In dragon form, the skill transformed into a big leap ability. The dragon flapped its giant wings and took off toward the sky, then landed a long distance away from the scene. Just like that, Ronald evacuated from the area. He put an end to the enemy''s gank with this one simple trick. Despite how unexpected the attack was, Ronald was never in true danger here at any point. Nonetheless, the whole exchange left a bitter taste in his mouth. Dang, there goes my lane control. He grumped. These guys are nothing, so they got no business kicking me out of the lane like this. Next time, I gonna turn the tables on them real good! By the end of the day, Ronald survived this attempt on his life. So, if even he was salty about the outcome, then his opponents were surely ten times saltier... Vol.17 Ch.16: Nia and Ben, the Dysfunctional Duo Geh, I couldn''t get the kill... Nia puffed her cheeks. I would have nailed it, if it wasn''t for that meddling dragon form. With the target out of reach, Nia had no choice but to leave the lane empty-handed. And, on the way out, she was shot by criticism. "Do you mind explaining what exactly were you doing?" Yuel demanded. "G-Gufu..." "That''s not an answer." Geh, so I''m not gonna wiggle my way out of this one, am I? Nia grumped. Well, of course not. It''s Yuel we''re talking about... She was half-prepared for this outcome all along. It was obvious as day that Yuel will chew her out in case she fails to deliver results. I thought I''ll dodge all of this if I score a kill, but no dice. Gufu... "So?" Yuel asked again. "What was this play supposed to be?" "A gank, duh." Nia played dumb. "Yes, it was a gank. Or at least, it was something that vaguely resembled a gank." "Why ''vaguely''?" Nia made a face. "Didn''t you see how I snuck up to him? He didn''t see it coming at all." "Yes, and neither did Ben. You didn''t bother to inform him or anybody about that little plan of yours." "That''s..." Nia had no retort against this. The sense of guilt has been needling her the entire time. She knew all along that it wasn''t ideal to keep hush about this play, but she believed that the end justified the means in this case. "Since you kept quiet about the gank," Yuel continued. "Ben couldn''t get there in time to help you secure the kill." "I-I''m very sorry," Ben apologized. "If only I realized what was happening sooner..." "It wasn''t your fault," Yuel said. "Nia was supposed to give you a heads up about her plans." "But, I''m on her team, so I can see her position at any time, Ben argued. I was supposed to notice her approaching and respond accordingly... "That''s just how Nia is." Yuel sighed. At this point, Yuel had no choice but to come to terms with the fact that Nia was almost supernaturally good at erasing her presence. So good, that even her teammates sometimes forgot about her. Even Im a little guilty of it this time. Yuel thought. I was so preoccupied in the lane that I couldn''t spare a thought to Nias position. That''s how I only noticed her rotation when it was already too late. It was a truly peculiar situation. With any other Jungler, the teammates were expected to be aware of the Junglers position almost 100% of the time. However, when it came to Nia, failing to notice her plans was par for the course. She erased her presence from the minds of both allies and enemies alike. Yuel was usually able to keep tabs on Nia at all times, but the rest of the team wasn''t as proficient at that. Therefore, Yuel made it clear that Nia always had to inform the team whenever she was planning to gank. But... "Why didn''t you tell anybody about this gank?" Yuel demanded. "I..." Nia opened her mouth and then closed it. "You found a great opportunity there, Yuel continued. You two could''ve converted it into a kill if we planned this gank properly. You just had to say the word." "I thought the gank might fail if I say something..." "That makes no sense. Why would you think such a thing?" Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Because..." Nia threw an awkward glance at Ben. And, to make things even more awkward, Ben happened to look at Nia at the time. "Ack!" Nia averted her eyes. This has just become a hundred times more awkward... "Was it my fault?" Ben asked. "It''s because I''m not very good at setting up ganks, isn''t it?" "Well, kinda..." Nia squirmed. She felt uncomfortable criticizing Ben. It''s not like he did any of it on purpose, yet there Nia was, bashing the guy like a bully. Gufu... "So, let me get this straight," Yuel summarized. "You decided to keep quiet because you were afraid that Ben will ruin the opportunity?" "Yeah..." Nia couldn''t hide it anymore. "It was a rare opportunity. Ive been waiting the entire game for this moment, so I had to make it count." "And, what exactly made you think that Ben will be unreliable? Yuel asked. You didn''t seem to have a problem ganking his lane during club practice." "Yeah, I usually try to cooperate, Nia said. And, that''s how I know that things often go wrong." I see. Yuel frowned. Im aware that Ben needs to work on his acting skills when theres an incoming gank, but I didnt know it bothered you this much. Ben was a little too obvious with his actions on the lane when an ally was rotating in for a gank. Sometimes, he advanced toward the enemy in order to be ready to CC them the moment the gank begins. That often had the opposite effect and made the enemy retreat early, effectively killing the gank in its infancy. Other times, Ben retreated from the middle of the lane in an obvious attempt to lure the enemy in. Against more seasoned opponents, this was a red flag that made them consider the possibility of an incoming gank. And so, instead of getting baited, they retreated and dodged the gank. Yuel noticed this problem after Luke and Nia voiced their complaints. And so, Ben was tasked with improving on this aspect during practice. But, there were also many other aspects on which Ben had to work, so Yuel couldnt pay close attention to all of them equally. Therefore, as far as Yuel was concerned, Bens subpar coordination with incoming ganks was only at medium priority for now. But, it looks like Nia disagrees. Yuel realized. It makes sense since this problem affects her much more than others. I shouldve realized that sooner. Nia was a natural assassin. Her entire playstyle revolved around lying low and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Therefore, anything that could give her away was a fatal problem. She shouldve said something if it bothered her that much, but it looks like she felt uncomfortable discussing it. Yuel reasoned. Besides, even if I turned this problem into a top priority, its not like we had that much time to work on it before this scrim. Until just recently, Ben had been missing a lot of practice due to the circumstances with his friends. So, it was only about a month ago that he started regularly showing up to practice. As a result, his presence in the club grew tenfold. Naturally, this also meant that Ben started participating in more practice games than before. Therefore, Nia had substantially more opportunities to play as a Jungler in the games where Ben was Top. Thats probably how this discord started. Perhaps Nia was aware of Bens issue from day 1, but she ignored it because they didnt get to play together that often. However, once that paradigm changed, the consequences of Bens problem grew exponentially for Nia. Out of consideration, Nia forced herself to play along during club practice. But, it seemed like she was hating on it internally the entire time. "I understand," Yuel said. "Yes, Ben really isn''t the best when it comes to keeping ganks under wrappers." "Right?" Nia nodded. "But, is he so unreliable that you rather go for a solo play the way you did? Surely, you mustve known that you won''t be able to get a kill there by yourself." "Well, I..." Nia twisted her lips. "I hoped maybe I''ll get it. But yeah, it was a long shot." "A VERY long shot, Yuel corrected. I didnt know you were such an optimist." An optimist? No way, Nia said. I thought both approaches were sus. And, you still decided to act alone instead of asking for Bens help? Yuel asked. Do you really consider him so unreliable that youd rather go for a solo play that had practically zero chance of success? "Well, normally I wouldnt do that, I guess. But, in this game..." "What about it?" "Well..." Nia threw a glance at Ben before continuing. "He looks a little on edge. Like, he''s all shaking and stuff. Scary." "I-I''m sorry!" Ben interjected with an apology. "I-I''ll try my best to calm down!" Yet, despite what he just said, his voice sounded even shakier than before. "It''s your first game here, right? Nia asked. I know the feel. I also had a bit of trouble during the debut game. A bit is an understatement. Yuel retorted. You were shaking like a leaf and wanted to run away at the first opportunity. "Anyway," Nia continued. "I know firsthand that the first game can make you mess up, and Ben seemed super nervous, so..." "I see." Yuel nodded. In short, Nia projected the bitter experiences of her debut game on Ben. And, it was perfectly justified in this case, seeing as Ben was a mess ever since he set foot on the stage. He already lacked self-confidence and being on the stage here only further escalated the issue. However, as logical as all of this sounded, there was still one problem in Nias arguments that she failed to notice. It seemed like Ben wasn''t the only one here who was cracking under pressure... Vol.17 Ch.17: The Phantoms Distracting Presence "You''re right, Yuel said. Ben is a little on edge this game. But, do you know who else is suffering from the same issue?" "Who?" Nia asked. "You are." "Eh?" Nia titled her head. "I''m... perfectly fine. Yeah." That pause gives her away. Yuel sighed. Why can''t this girl be more honest about her problems? It''d make my life so much easier... "If you were ''perfectly fine'' as you claim, then you wouldn''t have gone for that sorry excuse of a gank." "S-Sorry excuse!? Gufu..." Nia''s shoulders slumped. "But, I worked so hard for it... Bully." "I have no doubt you worked hard, Yuel said. In fact, you even deserve some praise for getting past all enemy wards." "Right? I''m just the best sometimes." "HOWEVER, going for that terrible gank without discussing it with anybody shows that you weren''t thinking straight, Yuel said. You knew that the gank was unlikely to score a kill, so you should have sought some advice." "I just didn''t want to risk Ben ruining it..." Nia shifted her eyes away. It seemed like she had an idea of what Yuel was talking about, but she was adamant about denying her faults until the bitter end. Seriously, this troublemaker... "If you didn''t want Ben to hear your plans, you could have whispered to me first." "You seemed kinda busy. You didn''t even notice me going for a gank." "That is true." Yuel really somehow missed all the preparations Nia made for the gank. Normally, he was unaffected by her ability to erase her existence, but in this game, he had a hard time keeping track of her. It just went to show how busy he was in the lane. "Regardless," Yuel continued. "You should have said something. Me being busy with my lane doesn''t excuse me from doing my job as a shot-caller. That gank opportunity was the kind of thing you must tell the shot-caller about, I thought we discussed this topic enough times by now." "Yeah, at least a hundred times..." Nia rolled her eyes. "I guess I should have said something." "But, you didn''t. Instead, you rushed ahead, thinking itll somehow work out for you. Doesn''t that behavior remind you of something?" "Hmm, nope." "I remember one girl who cracked under pressure during her debut game and rushed to gank a lane at the first opportunity that presented itself, Yuel said. And, what was the result of that play? As expected, she made a careless mistake in her rush and allowed enemy wards to expose her before she even got to the lane. "Sounds like a terrible player. That couldn''t be me." Nia looked away. "Besides, I slipped past the wards just fine this time." "Yes, you did, Yuel agreed. But, you still rushed to the lane. I bet you couldnt think about anything other than scoring that kill, and that blurred your judgment all over again, just like it happened during the debut game. "Eh, that''s..." Nia chewed her lips. As much as she wanted to deny everything, Yuel''s criticism was on point. That solo gank attempt wasn''t going to score a kill against a Dragonborn, not in a million years. And, especially not against a player from the Leopards. Nonetheless, Nia still went ahead with it despite the impossible odds. Why? Well, because it was her first opportunity to actually deliver a proper gank today. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. By some stroke of luck, the enemys all-seeing eye, which has been stalking Nia this entire game, decided to a short break. There was no telling when that stalker will resume operations, so Nia had to act fast! It felt like she might never get another chance if she misses this rare opportunity. Eh, why was I so dramatic about it, again? Nia couldn''t answer that now. At the time, her head was filled to the brim with thoughts about the gank opportunity she had finally discovered, so she never stopped to think about how desperate her actions actually were. On top of that, there was also a pang of guilt in Nias chest ever since this game started. She performed terribly during the first game of the day, and after that, she succumbed to slumber and contributed absolutely nothing to the team. I felt like I had to make up for it... The more Nia thought about the circumstances, the more she agreed with Yuel''s assessment. Yeah, all of that really makes me sound kinda desperate. But, Yuel won''t catch me admitting that, no way. For better or worse, there was no need for Nia to voice her conclusions. Apparently, everything was written on her face in a language that the alien robot knew how to decipher "Looks like you figured it out as well." "N-No idea what you''re talking away." Nia looked away and puffed her little cheeks. "Well, maybe I kinda sorta see what you mean. Just a little, though." "That''s good enough." Yuel didn''t expect more from this bratty girl anyway. "You need to calm down first. There''s no rush." "But, it''s already mid-game and I haven''t killed anybody." "Nobody has, Yuel pointed out. The score is still at 0-0." "Yeah, but it''s only gonna get harder to get any ganks from here on out." "True, but there''s nothing you can do about that fact, Yuel said. The Leopards defense is hard to break through, thats all there is to it." "But, I basically haven''t done anything the entire game..." "Oh, is that what youre worried about?" Yuel smiled meaningfully. "Don''t worry, you''ve contributed plenty." "Eh?" Nia blinked. "Did I?" "Yes, definitely. Didn''t you notice that they were paying a lot of attention to you specifically?" "Of course I did, that''s why I couldnt pull anything the whole game. Nia grumped. They''re bullies." "The fact they''re paying so much attention to you means that they pay less attention to other things, such as their lanes, Yuel explained. In addition, your rotations always make them retreat early, which makes them miss on some farm. This a fine example of applying pressure as a Jungler." "Somehow, it makes me sound like an amazing player even though it feels like I didnt do much." Nia''s brain struggled to process all of this. Was this praise? It had to be praise, right? But, it came from Yuel, so there was probably some hidden layer of criticism hidden in there thats gonna come out and reveal itself soon. Any moment now. Surely. But no, nothing came. Other than criticizing Nias failed gank attempt, Yuel only had positive things to say about her performance. "You''ve been playing well overall, so just keep doing what you''re doing, Yuel said. No need to rush for kills. As I''ve told you many times, theres a difference between a Jungler and a ganker. The Jungler has many other important jobs to do other than ganking, and one of these jobs is to apply pressure on the enemy team, just the way you''ve been doing." "Got it." Nia nodded and breathed in relief. She felt like over half of her anxieties died down all at once. And, how could they not? After all, Nia had just received a bunch of praise from the hardest man to please. That alien robot tyrant always had nothing but criticism to spare, but here he was actually praising Nia in spades. It was amazing. Somehow, it makes me feel real good. Nia''s cheeks heated up a little. I''ve been enduring his super harsh training and criticism all this time, and finally, it pays off! I''m a top-level player now, a pro! Praise me more pls! "Don''t let it get to your head, though. This is only the beginning." "Gufu..." Nia slumped. Yeah, of course thatll happen. This alien robot tyrant cant stay alive if he doesnt criticize somebody at least once a minute... Ultimately, Yuel''s words only resolved half of the issue. They helped Nia realize that the remote pressure she had been applying on the enemy was an important role in its own right, so she definitely wasnt useless in this game. However, that wont stay effective for much longer. In the mid-game, the enemy will often be packed together, so Nias presence wont spook them as much anymore. I still have a lot of work cut out for me. Nia thought. I have to do things right this time. Her nervousness was obvious to all, even Yuel was able to pick up on it. But, was there anything more he could say to help the girl calm down? Truly, topics like this werent his forte at all... Vol.17 Ch.18: The Carry Without Self Assertiveness Looks like I haven''t accomplished my mission. Yuel concluded after seeing that Nias expression was still tense. I thought that what I told her was very reassuring, but maybe I shouldve sugar-coated it more? Or, maybe I should''ve praised her more? I can''t tell... "Dude," Lars interjected. "Why can''t ya just be more straightforward there?" "What do you mean?" Yuel asked. "Like, I know ya like keeping things as objective as possible and whatnot. But, doncha see Nia is still nervous and stuff?" "Yes, I do see that." "Then, why not just address that problem directly?" "How, exactly?" "Easy, yo! Like this." Lars cleared his throat. "Hey, Nia, awesome gank there!" "Eh? Um, thanks?" Nia was taken aback for a moment. "You totally gave these dudes a run for their money, didncha? They didn''t see that gank coming at all!" "Yeah, they sure didn''t." "So, how did it feel putting the champs on the spot like that?" "It was... pretty cool, actually." Nia shivered for a moment as she thought back on that situation with this new perspective. Her heart pounded as she remembered the rush of adrenaline she experienced at that moment. Thinking about it, Stratus was playing against the regional champions here. And, according to Yuel''s evaluation, Nia was actually applying pressure on these top dogs the entire game. On top of that, Nia successfully delivered a gank that these champions failed to foresee. Sure, it was a rash gank that didn''t achieve all that much in the end, but it nonetheless went through the champions'' defenses and spooked them hard. In other words, Nia was actually capable of stumping the best players in the region. Wasn''t that kind of amazing!? "Ya totally made them sweat, yo!" Lars dialed up the positivity. "So yeah, like Yuel said, no need to rush anything. You proved you can totally bust through their defenses like a pro. So, relax, yo. You''re doing fine." "Yeah, you''re right. Thanks." Nia took a deep breath. At long last, her tense expression vanished completely. One could even rename her VanishingAnexity. "Welp, that''s that." Lars nodded in satisfaction. "This is how I meant ya should do it, dude." "I see..." Yuel sighed in resignation. "Unfortunately, I can''t hype things up like this. "Nah, ya totally can, Lars insisted. Like, did I even say anything wrong there? I bet you agree with most of it." "... I suppose I do, to an extent." Lars painted Nia''s achievements in an overwhelmingly positive light, but he didn''t say anything wrong per se. There was no denying that Nia was indeed performing well against the regional champions. The main difference here was that Lars glossed over all of Nia''s faults when he delivered his narrative. He didn''t blame the girl for rushing her gank or anything of the sort. Instead, he concluded his hype speech with the message "There''s no need to rush", which delivered the same message overall but with much less hostility. That''s the one thing I always struggle to do. Yuel criticized himself. If I see a problem or a mistake, I just have to point it out. Otherwise, it''ll keep eating away at me. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. As somebody who excelled at finding others'' faults, it was impossible for Yuel to stop himself from pointing fingers at others issues. This talent was like a blessing and a curse at the same time. I''ll keep in mind that this is one way to approach such problems. Yuel took a mental note. Then again, I doubt I can execute such a fervent speech in practice... "Anyway, dude," Lars said. "I''mma be real, the main reason I butted in was because that stuff was distracting you. I really need ya over here right now. These dudes be planning something again." "Got it." Yuel put the topic of Nia aside and focused on the lane in front of them. As much as he wanted to mull over other problems the team was facing, there was simply no luxury to do so, not against Rook and Merlin. "They decided to advance all of a sudden," Lars said. "Yes, they sure did." "So, whatcha say? Do we hit ''em?" "Hmm." Yuel carefully examined the lane and the mini-map. "Cmon, dude, Lars pleaded. Please tell me we gonna attack them. I''ve been waiting to go ham on these dudes for so long!" "It''s not that simple." Every move Rook and Merlin made was carefully calculated. That came as no surprise, considering Rook was Cato himself. The teams shot-caller was naturally capable of coming up with solid shot-calls for himself. On top of that, Merlin seemed like a very cooperative partner. The two of them were in sync on most of their moves, as if they were on the same wavelength. Winner and Challenger cooperated very well too, but this is different. Yuel thought. I can''t sense any friction between them all. For example, Winner and Challenger were very powerful when they perfectly coordinated their attacks. However, they couldnt maintain that level of coordination at all times. Occasionally, those two seemed to bicker and fall out of sync. Thanks to that, despite how strong the Absolute Duo was, Yuel found ways to exploit their problems and turn the tables on them. But, the same couldn''t be done against Rook and Merlin. Merlin is a peculiar Carry. Yuel thought. Most of the Carries Ive come across have very assertive playstyles, but not him. Merlin wasn''t the type who wanted to charge forth and demolish everything that stood in his way, which was how most players acted in that role. Instead, he had no problem taking it easy and following Catos script. The best example Yuel knew of such a duo dynamic was Howard and Ellen. These two were in sync on almost everything, therefore Ellen didnt come across as a very assertive Carry. But, Ellen still had her own ideas from time to time, and she coaxed Howard into allowing her to execute these crafty schemes. So, even though these two agreed on everything 95% of the time, there was still 5% of freedom left for Ellen to enforce her own will. On the other hand, in Merlins case, the level of freedom seemed like a flat 0%. He didnt seem to craft any elaborate schemes, therefore it was impossible to properly outplay him. The guy simply didnt care for taking the initiative ever. They''re almost like a puppet and a puppeteer. Though, maybe I''m not giving Merlin enough credit here. Yuel thought. I suspect he''s not mindlessly following orders. His playstyle is probably just similar to Cato''s. It''s like these two are made from the same mold. That much was already evident from the way Merlin played in Mid. Even though he was alone there, he didn''t exhibit much assertiveness over there, either. He played it very safe and calculated, always trying to avoid taking risks. The only real difference between that and Merlins performance in Bot was that Cato occasionally dragged Merlin into more elaborate schemes here. For example, like this suspiciously bold play that was happening at this very moment, with Rook and Merlin uncharacteristically advancing toward the frontline. I''m sure that part of the reason they''re not afraid to approach is that they know Nia has just left Top. So, at the very least, there''s no chance of Bot being ganked any time soon. Like the rest of the Leopards, Rook and Merlin were always on guard against the possibility of being ganked by Nia. Whenever Nia entered Bot Jungle, the duo immediately fortified their defenses and turned Bot into an unattractive lane to gank. This method was effective at discouraging Nia from trying anything in Bot, but there was a cost to this solution. Being overly cautious often came at the expense of slowing down their farming speed. Yuel and Lars often used these opportunities to push harder and improve their lane control. Thats the main reason why, despite Nias lack of impressive achievements in this game, Yuel had a positive evaluation of her performance. Her mere presence piled pressure on the enemy, making them sacrifice their farm in exchange for improving their defense. This made Yuel and Larss lives much easier in the lane, and it brought similar benefits to other lanes as well. But, when its 100% guaranteed that Nia is away, then these two have no problem being a little more assertive. Yuel carefully analyzed the advancing enemies. But, being aggressive isnt in their nature in the first place, so this is definitely bait of some sort. The question is, what are they trying to achieve here...? Vol.17 Ch.19: Ignoring the Bait Since Nia was near Top right now, Rook and Merlin decided to abandon the safe backline for once and step forward to assault the bowmen. They finally got an opportunity to get out of their overly defensive formation and try to equalize the lane situation a little, so they seized it immediately. But, the duo didnt just stop there. They continued moving toward Yuel and Lars, hence why Lars was a bit confused by the whole ordeal. It was a bold play, very much unusual for that duo considering their track record until now. And, its especially odd considering their track record in THIS game. Yuel thought. In the previous game, they made plays like this every now and then, probably because they werent too afraid of Luke. But, Nia is making them sweat, so theyve never dared to pull anything until now. With all of that taken into account, the most reasonable conclusion here was that Rook and Merlin wanted to blow off steam. They were forced to be on the defensive the entire game, but now that Nia was confirmed to be elsewhere, the duo finally had some freedom to breathe and do as they pleased. Basically, they chose to aggress out of spite. Therefore, clearly, this inaccuracy was the result of the enemys pent-up frustration. As such, Yuel and Lars should definitely take advantage of this rare mistake and counterattack! Is that what Cato expects me to think? Yuel wondered. Sorry, but I''m not buying it. That line of thinking would make sense against other opponents, but not against this duo. Rook and Merlin weren''t the kind of players whod get frustrated because of having to play defense for a prolonged amount of time. These two lived and breathed defense. It was their comfort zone, one which they rarely ever stepped out from. Theyre like two Ellens. Yuel thought. And, Ive never EVER seen Ellen complain about having to play defense the entire game. It''s just something that doesn''t happen. In conclusion, the enemy''s uncharacteristic advancement was high-level bait. It was directed toward analytical opponents who analyzed player behavior and formed game plans based on the conclusions. In other words, this bait targeted Yuel. But, I''m not falling for that anymore. Yuel declared. Ive had enough time to adjust to these tactics in the previous game. Indeed, the previous game left quite an impression on Yuel. The tactics Cato employed there were very slippery and deceptive. They caught Yuel off guard enough times to burn themselves into his mind. Similarly to Yuel, Cato often tried to shake the opponent''s mental state. However, Yuel usually tried to achieve that kind of effect by striking the enemy''s weakness in one fell swoop, whereas Cato did this slowly and gradually via occasional poking. It was a very Ellen kind of tactic. In the last game, Cato and Merlin stayed on the defensive about 90% of the time. But occasionally, seemingly at random, they stepped forth to poke. Due to how frustratingly defensive the duo was the entire time, it became a very attractive idea to strike back at them when whenever they stepped forward to poke. As such, Yuel devised many counterattack ideas around these pokes. And naturally, Lars was overjoyed to participate in those. Alas, the result was never satisfactory. The enemys seemingly random pokes were never truly just random. There was always more hidden substance behind them. Sometimes, the enemy Jungler was nearby and launched a gank in response to Yuel and Lars''s counterattack. Other times, the poke was just a feint, so chasing after it ruined Yuel and Larss positions, made them waste precious time, or even put them in immediate danger. Overall, the exchanges rarely ever went in Yuel and Lars''s favor. No matter how hard Yuel racked his brain to come up with efficient counterattacks, they never quite worked out for him. It always felt like the enemy was one step ahead, masterminding the entire play. Rook and Merlin were always ready for anything. It''s like they received professional coaching for that kind of playstyle. Yuel thought. It''s similar to Ellen. Ive never quite figured out how to counter her poking game plan. Of course, Yuel didn''t spend the past few months idling. Ever since he and Lars lost to Howard and Ellen, Yuel has been studying up ways to counter Ellens obnoxious poking playstyle. And, he did come up with a few general guidelines, some of which he tried to apply against Rook and Merlin. But, it''s never that easy, is it? Yuel frowned. I also didn''t have that much time to work on any of this ever since we joined Stratus, but that''s just me making excuses. The bottom line is that we don''t have a good counter to this playstyle just yet. So, the best we can do is ignore baits like this one. "Ignore them," Yuel said. "They''re just trying to bait us into attacking." "You sure?" Lars asked. "Like, I think it''s the first time they''re coming at us this game, right? And, this is right after Nia tried to gank, so aint no way thats a coincidence. Im tellin ya, these dudes be trying to use this opportunity to attack for real! We can hit them back real hard!" "No, that''s just what they want you to think," Yuel explained. "I bet their Jungler is lying in wait nearby, waiting for us to step forward." "Dang, seriously? Thinking of it, I haven''t seen him in a while." "Yes, some of our wards expired, Yuel said. And, it looks like Winner figured out some of our warding tendencies, so he''s playing around them." Stolen story; please report. Just as Nia did a good job solving the enemy''s "warding puzzles", Winner replied in kind with solutions of his own. Despite how many wards Stratus has been placing across the jungle, they rarely ever caught Winner in the act. Any Jungler worth his salt had to be familiar with the popular warding spots and determine which spots the enemy favored the most. Playing around all these warding spots greatly boosted the success rate of ganks, as well as put the enemy on edge. As Lars said, Winner hasn''t shown his face on the mini-map for a while now. The last time a ward exposed him he was still back in Top Jungle, but that was a while ago. Therefore, Winner could very well be in Bot Jungle at the moment, biding his time until Yuel and Lars get baited into attacking. "Okay, lets drop that idea then." Lars gave up on the counterattack idea and retreated from the frontline in response to the enemy''s approach. And naturally, as the one who suggested playing safe, Yuel was going to do the same, right? Actually, before I leave... Yuel stepped forward and aimed his Eldritch Blast after infusing it with Radius Invocation. WHISH! A ball of black miasma shot straight toward Cato! Thanks to the buffed attack range from Radius Invocation, it was safe for Yuel to strike first in this situation. The Eldritch Blast hit Cato before he and Merlin even got into position to shoot back at Yuel. Clearly, the enemy at least somewhat respected Warlocks reach, therefore Cato placed himself in front of Merlin from the get-go. As such, even if Yuel wanted to shoot at Merlin instead of Rook, it wouldve proven impossible from his current position. Basically, Cato was playing as proper Support here, shielding his Carry with his own body. This entire setup revolved around the idea that the Support himself was usually a lower-priority target, therefore it was fine for him to soak a few hits for the Carry. Nonetheless, despite agreeing with this idea, Yuel took the time to step forward and shoot the enemy Support. Not to mention, he used both Radius Invocation and Eldritch Blast, which together amounted to a hefty MP cost. The enemy didn''t respond to the shot in any notable way. It seemed like the attack put them on guard for a moment, but they soon realized that Yuel and Lars were retreating, so there wont be any fight there. Essentially, Yuel got away scot-free with that brief offense. Granted, it was questionable how much he gained from that play in the first place. At the very least, the enemy didn''t see the value in that play. "My, what a rascal." Cato smiled wryly. "He sure likes taking shots at you whenever he can in this game," Matthew commented. "It feels personal." "It sure does, my boy. It sure does. Cato smiled impishly. I''m living rent-free in his head~" This was something Yuel started doing a few waves ago. Every time the guy had an opportunity to fire shots at Cato, he made sure to do so. At first glance, it looked like a poking tactic, which was usually an amazing kind of art. Cato and Matthew worshipped this art extensively, probably because they were coached by Esmeralda. However, what Yuel was doing could hardly be called "art". It looked more like an emotional outburst. The dark blasts he fired achieved very little in the way of damage. Is he trying to kick me out of the lane? Cato glanced at his HP bar; it was currently at 55%. Hmm. I can probably stay here for one more wave, at best. I can''t risk getting Ninja''d. Izuna Drop was a serious threat around these HP levels. To make things worse, Vanishing was about to finish building her Lv.3 Imperial Spear, which would greatly boost the ult''s damage if utilized efficiently. So yes, in that sense, Yuel''s repeated attacks definitely put Cato on the spot here. But, at what cost? It wasnt very cost-efficient, thats for sure. Cato analyzed. He wastes far more MP than its worth. If his goal is to boot me out of the lane in order to turn this into a 1v2 situation, then hes going about it backward. Warlocks spells had a lot of flexibility to them thanks to the various invocation effects, but that flexibility cost a lot of MP. So, even though Yuel could snipe Cato from far away thanks to the Radius Invocation, this one action amounted to casting two spells in terms of MP cost. For a Mid-Laner Warlock, the high MP cost was partially offset by the decent damage the spells dealt. However, Yuel was playing Support, so naturally, he didnt build much Magical Power. As a result, his spells amounted to mosquito bites. Sure, the attacks did wear down Catos HP via repetition, but all the MP sacrificed in the process was surely not worth it. So, if the goal was to kick Cato out of the lane, then it was counter-productive. Because. at this rate, Yuel will have to leave the lane first due to running out of MP. Is that some sort of big-brain ploy that Im failing to understand? Cato wondered. Whatever. No point in getting distracted by it. First, I better deal with the things I DO understand. "Apologies, it looks like this gank isn''t happening," Cato informed. "They aren''t taking the bait." "Yes, Ive already figured..." William said. His tone was filled with mild irritation, which was rare for this stoic guy. That''s what a zero-ganks game does to a man. So far, this fourth game has proven to be infinitely tougher than the previous one. This time, Stratus no longer had any memes in their lineup, and they weren''t aggressive as usual, either. If anything, they were actually rather defensive, and that defense was unexpectedly solid. It feels like they''re trying to fight fire with fire. But, if that''s really all youve got, Yuel, then we''ll inevitably win. All things considered, Yuel was the herald of aggressive plays. Therefore, no matter how well he could command his team to play defense, surely Cato was superior in that area. All in all, the Leopards had far more experience with this playstyle. Theyve used it against countless teams, both offensive and defensive teams. So, the same way the Leopards knew the matchup against an aggressive team like the back of their hands, they also knew the matchup against a fellow defensive team. Not to mention, the Leopards had a Seraph on their side, a Hyper Carry whose true power will awaken at the endgame. As such, it was actually in the Leopards'' interest to drag out this game until that stage. So, in that sense, Yuel''s defensive approach was actually doing the Leopards a favor. So, while I understand Will''s frustration about the lack of action, that''s technically the best for us. Cato thought. Currently, the only one who poses a threat to this status quo is their Jungler. That one attempt Vanishing made on Ronald''s life was the first serious attack of the game. Until that point, this game only had small skirmishes on lanes, where neither side ever seriously went for the kill. But, that gank was different. Vanishing had every intention of killing Ronald if he gave her a chance. The only reason he escaped alive was that Phoenix was poorly prepared for the situation. Dealing with Vanishing is our top priority. Cato asserted. This mischievous girl is the biggest threat to this peace treaty we''re enjoying right now. In addition to Sonyas monitoring and regular reports, Cato had to further ensure that the entire team was on high alert against this one threat. As long as they keep Vanishing chained down, the Leopards will have this game in the bag. Therefore, as the battle approached mid-game, it was time to further reinforce Vanishings supervision... Vol.17 Ch.20: Sonya’s Slipping Supervising "Attention, everybody," Cato spoke up. "We''re about to enter the mid-game." "What is this, a metro station announcement?" Ronald laughed. "Bruh, we all know that." "I''m glad you do, Cato said. Anyway, my point is that the game will become less predictable going forward. So, keeping track of Vanishing will become that much harder." "........" Sonya didn''t say anything but she pushed her glasses in displeasure. There was no intended personal attack in that statement, but she probably translated it as such. After all, she was the one who was supposed to keep track of Vanishing''s movements in this game, but she messed up and put Ronald in danger. "Our builds are already halfway done," Cato said. "So, we can start sparing some cash for Stealth Wards." "Are Stealth Wards really going to help?" William asked. "It sounds like a waste of resources, one that I can''t afford." "I understand your concern. Cato nodded. The lack of kills did hurt your income a little." "It hurt it a lot, actually. My build is half an item behind where it should be, and that''s after I lowered the number of wards I''ve been buying recently." "My, did you just admit that you''re part of the reason why Vanishing has been having such an easy time slipping past our radars recently?" "Don''t try to pin this on me, William retorted. We still had plenty of wards in Top Jungle back then. Vanishing just managed to slip by them, that''s not my fault." "Indeed, indeed. Cato nodded. It was mainly the fault of the one who failed to deliver the periodic report about Vanishings activities." "Guh..." Sonya groaned but still didnt say anything. Knowing Cato, he was probably dancing around the topic on purpose to take indirect jabs at Sonya. It was just his way of having fun or something. What an asshole. "Anyway, Will," Cato continued. "I understand that you feel like you''re falling behind in terms of farm." "I dont just ''feel it''. Its a fact." "Its only a fact compared to your high expectations, Cato explained. You''re too used to matches in which you score kills before mid-game, so your perception of how much gold you should have is skewed. The only fact I see here is that you wont get early kills that often against the really good teams." "Hmph. You''re talking as if the early-game usually has zero kills." "Yes, thats almost always the case when its a game between two defensive teams, Cato said. The mid-game is where things will start going down for real. So, to be ready for it, it''s best to have a Stealth Wards at hand." "I already have one," Sonya interjected. "My, what a good girl~! Cato smiled. But, so that you know, sucking up to me isn''t going to score you any points right now. We''re still going to have a nice and loooong chat very soon~" "Geh..." Sonya growled. As she expected, her trial was not canceled, only postponed. "I don''t see much point in stacking Stealth Wards, honestly," William said. "It''s clear that Vanishing is good at sneaking past wards, so expecting a couple of Stealth Wards to catch her specifically during stealth... it sounds unlikely, honestly." "You make a good point," Cato agreed. "If it was just about Vanishing, then I probably wouldn''t bother talking about this. But, they also have a Warlock." "Hmm. Fair enough." While Ninja had the ability to turn itself invisible, Warlock could turn all nearby allies invisible. As such, it was always nice to have a Stealth Ward at hand, just in case. "But, Ill still pass for now," William insisted. "I must catch up in terms of farm first and I don''t need a Stealth Ward to deal with Warlock''s ult. It''s not a real threat as long as I play around it." "Well, you do you." Cato conceded this time. No point arguing with Mr. Selfish. As usual, his top priority is himself, for the better and the worse. I just hope this doesn''t lead to any trouble... With that topic out of the way, there was one more important thing to discuss. Cato had been too busy in the lane until now to properly address it, but the time has come. "So, Sonya, my dear." "Geeeeh..." Sonya''s skin crawled just from the opening statement. Her insides squirmed from just imagining what Cato was going to say next. So, she decided to steal the initiative. "Yes. I know. I messed up." "That you did, that you did. But, honestly, it was within expectations." "Whose expectations?" Sonya raised an eyebrow. "For the record, I was planning to keep track of Vanishing the entire game, and I still plan to do so." "Yes, of course. Cato nodded. You''re always diligent like that, aren''t you? Too diligent, even. And, that''s exactly the issue here." Since when is diligence an issue? Believe it or not, it can be a liability. And, this one example shows it very well. How so? Sonya demanded. Tell me, which parts of the map are you currently keeping track of? All of them, of course, Sonya said matter-of-factly. Thats what any player worth his salt ought to do. Yes, of course, Cato agreed. But, please remind me what was the special mission you were given? Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. To keep tabs on Vanishing, duh. Whats with the rhetorical questions all of a sudden? Well, you see, thats where we have a little tiny problem, Cato said. You were supposed to keep tabs on Vanishing, a player we know requires extra attention because of how slippery she is. Yet, at the same time, you also continued paying close attention to the rest of the map. Dont you find that a bit contradictory? Not at all. I just had to multitask, thats all. My, such confidence in your analytic skills. Not to brag or anything, but thats the one area I excel in. Yes, that you do. Cato nodded. But, there is a limit to how much a single brain can keep up with. And, you were definitely pushing yours past the limit there. Not at all, Sonya insisted. I dont see a reason why I should compromise on either source of data. Keeping track of Vanishing and keeping track of the rest of the map are both equally important. "Yes, there is some truth to that, Cato agreed. But, I believe you''re forgetting the entire reason why we even need to keep tabs on Vanishing in the first place. Namely, the fact that she''s an elusive player who requires that kind of special attention." "Yes, she requires a bit of extra attention, Ive come to accept that, Sonya conceded. But, enemy Junglers always require extra attention. Its nothing new and its no reason to pay less attention to other things. My, how stubborn. Cato shook his head. You''re going to keep denying her elusiveness until the day you die, aren''t you?" "Not at all," Sonya said. "I admit that she is rather sneaky, a bit more than the average Jungler were used to playing against. But, that''s all there is to it. As long as somebody keeps tabs on her, she''s not a threat." "Indeed, indeed. Cato nodded. As long as somebody consistently monitors her, then Vanishing shouldnt be a problem. And really, you''ve been doing a great job in that role throughout the game. These periodic reports about Vanishing''s position may seem excessive but I believe theyre necessary." "Good to hear." "With all that said, Vanishing still managed to sneak up on Ronald because he hasnt been properly warned for a while." "That''s..." Sonya opened her mouth but then closed it without saying anything. There wasn''t a single thing she could say in her defense here. Down to it, this was her blunder, straight and simple. "And just so we''re on the same page," Cato continued. "That gank could''ve easily resulted in a kill if the enemys teamwork was a little more organized. Ronald only got away scot-free because Phoenix wasn''t close enough to assist Vanishing." "Yes, I''m aware..." Sonya sighed. Ultimately, no matter how much she wanted to argue against Catos accusations, she had to admit that Ronald almost died because she failed to pay enough attention to Vanishings status at that critical moment. All I had to do was report that Vanishing was still MIA. Sonya sighed. That wouldve made a case for ordering Ronald to retreat early, which wouldve prevented that entire disaster. "First things first," Cato said. "Do you mind briefing me on why your periodic reports slowed down back then? I think I already know, but I want to hear it from you." "I was preoccupied in the lane," Sonya explained. "Beat started playing more aggressively all of a sudden after being tame the entire time. That caught me off-guard, so I had to prioritize the lane for a while." "If I had to guess, she probably noticed that you were distracted by monitoring Vanishing and the rest of the map, so she decided to dial up the offense." "Perhaps, Sonya said. Either way, while I was busy in the lane, there was no sign of Vanishing anywhere on the map. None of the wards revealed her, so I couldn''t know whether she even left Bot Jungle at any point." "That has already happened a few times in this game, though, Cato argued. Usually, you''d warn us about the possibility of Vanishing rotating to Top Jungle because of that uncertainty. "Yes, I made sure to give warnings like that during the regular reports, but..." "Your report was overdue at the time." Cato just came out and said it. "You sure took your sweet time issuing that much-needed warning." "Yes, I''ve been postponing empty reports like that more and more because I felt like they weren''t serving much of a purpose, Sonya admitted. I didn''t want to spam you with guesses, so I gradually increased the interval between reports like that." "You increased it so much that you eventually forgot all about it." "That''s not true," Sonya insisted. "I did plan to report it, eventually." "My, are you sure Vanishing didn''t just vanish from your memory? I heard she''s pretty good at that." "That definitely didnt happen," Sonya asserted. "It''s absurd to suggest it''s possible to entirely forget about the existence of a player, let alone the enemy Jungler." "Maybe not entirely, Cato agreed. But, temporarily? Very possible. You see this happen all the time during chaotic situations. People focus too much on the complicated situation in front of them and miss other factors." "Never happens to me." "Of course, of course. Cato smiled impishly. The human machine does not make blunders like that, except when your nemesis, Vanishing, is involved~" "She''s not my nemesis and not special in general," Sonya insisted. "She''s just a mediocre Jungler who is somewhat decent at keeping a low profile, which helps her to sneak around more easily, thats all. "My, you sure love her~" "I don''t feel strongly about her per se, but I do hate the way you assume she''s some sort of expert at erasing her presence like she''s a ninja or something." "Well, she IS a Ninja in this game." "Very funny." Sonya made a face. "Anyway," Cato said. "The next wave is about to arrive, so I''ll stop messing with you. Let''s get to the point." "Thank you." "In the end, no matter what you say, the results speak for themselves, Cato said. You let Vanishing slip past you, that fact is undeniable. And, the reason you allowed that to happen was that you were preoccupied with too many things at once. I suppose thats correct. As for the specifics, you already said that your lane made you unexpectedly busy back then. But, I''m sure that, while you were busy with the lane, you continued analyzing the rest of the map at all times. "Of course," Sonya admitted without hesitation. There was no doubt in her mind that she did the right thing despite the results. "Of course, it''s important to maintain map awareness, but you had to sacrifice at least some of it to keep better track of Vanishing." "Ive already sacrificed more than enough gold on extra wards, and Ive also sacrificed plenty of my time on the regular reports." "Yes, youve been doing a great job until that point, no doubt. But, as time went on, you started taking things less and less seriously." "I... didn''t..." Sonya''s tone was weak. Deep down, a part of her felt guilty. To put it bluntly, she started slacking on the job. Of course, it didn''t seem that way to her back then, but in retrospect, that''s what happened. Sonya found the job unrewarding and started questioning its value for the team. That''s what pushed her to focus more on other aspects of the game, and as a result, she started neglecting her job as Vanishings supervisor. "My, isn''t it interesting?" Cato smiled impishly. "It''s almost as if you and Vanishing have been negotiating this entire game, and she ultimately convinced you to let her do as she pleases. She pretty much talked you into being her accomplice in crime~" "That''s quite the hyperbole." Sonya made a face. "But yes, her actions did convince me that it was fine to underestimate a little more. In retrospect, I should have realized it sooner. It mightve been intentional." "Yes, I''m sure it is, Cato said. In all the games we saw Vanishing play, she always maintained a low profile while dodging wards, that''s the gist of her vanishing trick. And, you can deny it all you want, but you totally fell for it." "............. " Sonya wanted to say something back but she couldn''t. As much as she hated to admit it, the criticism was mostly on point. There was no denying that Sonyas supervision over Vanishing loosened over time, to the point she failed to warn her allies in time before a critical gank hit them like a truck. If another mistake like that happens, the consequences might be grave this time... Vol.17 Ch.21: Sonyas Stubbornness Anyway, Cato said. As fun as it is to tease you on this topic, we have to move on." "I''m glad at least one of us is having fun here..." Sonya rolled her eyes. "So, it sounds like you want to suggest something?" "Yes, we have to decide how we deal with Vanishing moving forward." "Is there a need to change anything? Sonya asked. I made one mistake but I''ve been doing a good job otherwise, right?" "Yes, you have, Cato agreed. But, let''s not forget it was the early-game and a fairly tame one at that. There weren''t that many distractions for you until now." "True. Aside from Beats one unexpected outburst, there really wasnt much." "And yet, Vanishing still slipped past you." "Geh Sonya walked right into that one. You just won''t give it a rest, will you? As I said, I was just-" "Preoccupied, right? Even though youve just admitted that the early-game was tame." "Ah." Sonya stumbled again. It was a masterfully prepared trap, laid right under her nose. "The mid-game is where I expect things to get chaotic for real," Cato explained. "Of course, our plan is to draw out the game until the late-game and let Matt carry us to victory, but Im sure Stratus wont play along peacefully." "Yes, that''s my prediction as well." "Thats why, when it comes to a human computer like you who enjoys analyzing anything and everything, I''m afraid you''re going to hit one of these ''stack overflow'' thingies." "Are you implying Stratus is going to divide the game by zero?" "Haha, who knows. Cato shrugged. I wouldn''t put it past them." Is that so. Sonya pushed her glasses. Alright, I understand what youre getting at. Youre saying that, since Ive already blundered in the tame early-game, it implies Im almost guaranteed to make another mistake in the mid-game. Bing bong! We have a winner! As expected from my smart secretary~ Whos a secretary? Sonya gave him the evil eye but then just sighed in resignation. Hmm. I still think Im going to stick to my guns and claim that I can keep track of Vanishing even in the mid-game. My, stubborn much? Maybe I am, Sonya admitted. It just irks me. This whole thing with Vanishing supposedly erasing herself from everybodys minds - its illogical, incomprehensible. That kind of thing cant possibly exist. Yet, you experienced it first-hand in this game. Im not convinced, Sonya insisted. That was just a mistake on my end. If I didnt get distracted by Beat, then none of that would have happened. Dont you think that the very fact it was possible to distract somebody of your analytical level is a testament to Vanishings impressive skill? Cato asked. You were wholly dedicated to that cause of supervising her, yet she slipped right under your nose. "She didn''t really..." Sonya wanted to argue further on that point but she realized it was a dead end. No matter what she says, the fact remains that Sonya lowered her guard against Vanishing. But, whether that was just an innocent mistake or a testament to Vanishing''s stealth skills, that part was open for interpretation. "Alright." Sonya sighed in defeat. "I see you''re going to push this narrative no matter what, so I''ll bite. Let''s suppose Vanishing is a little good at making her opponents pay less attention to her, and lets assume it even works on me to an extent." "Oh my, I can''t believe this historic moment has finally come! Cato exclaimed. At long last, the stubborn secretary admitted that Vanishing has peculiar skill!" "I didn''t admit anything and I''m not a secretary," Sonya argued. "I''m just saying that, hypothetically if we go along with your narrative - what''s next? Do you have a plan of some sort? "There''s one idea, yes, Cato said. Since a human computer like you isnt capable of sacrificing map awareness in exchange for focusing wholly on Vanishing, it means somebody else has to fill up for you." "That''s not necessary." "Aren''t we supposed to play along with ''my narrative'' for now? Cato smiled impishly. In this completely fictional tale, Vanishing can sneak past anybody''s radar, even yours if you''re preoccupied with other matters. So, the most reasonable solution is for somebody to lend you a hand with this." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "And, that somebody will be...?" "Me, of course. I mean, who else would be willing to take this job?" "Fair enough." On the technical level, William and Matthew were more than capable of joining the cause as well. However, William was too self-centered for it, whereas Matthew had to pay close attention to the opponents in the lane in order to counter them efficiently. As such, none of the two were really up to the task. "With all things considered," Sonya said. "I''m not sure I agree with this." "Oh?" Cato titled her head. "Why not? This arrangement worked splendidly in the first game. In fact, I handled the role myself the entire game, didn''t I?" "Vanishing didn''t play as smoothly in the first game. The difference between then and now is like night and day." "Yes, I agree with you there. It''s like she finally woke up for this game, or maybe she overcame some sort of personal problem." "Stage fright, perhaps?" Sonya suggested the first thing that came to mind. Of course, it was no coincidence that this was her first idea, given that stage fright was a vile monster she was very much familiar with. "It might be that," Cato said. "Either way, I agree that shes playing much better this time around, that''s why I''m suggesting splitting the burden. We better cooperate here to make sure we shut her down." "Yes, this sounds like a good idea on paper," Sonya said. "But, Im still against it. The first game was easy and Vanishing wasnt that stealthy, so it was fine for you to supervise her back then. But, right now, the game is hard and Vanishing requires a lot more attention than before." "Indeed, that''s why we''re having this conversation in the first place." "The thing is, you''re the shot-caller." "Or, am I~?" Cato smirked. "I thought the Leopards don''t have an official shot-caller. That''s the narrative, isn''t it?" "Yes, a narrative that only exists to reassure the coach that we''re not mindlessly following orders without thinking for ourselves." "Haha, that''s true." Cato smiled impishly. But, the truth is, you''re all my precious little puppets~ "Anyway, that''s why I''m against this," Sonya repeated. "You''re the shot-caller and we''re heading into the mid-game, which is the most delicate phase when it comes to shot-calling. And, you already said yourself that you think Stratus will come at us hard, so it''s going to be a hectic mid-game for sure." "Yes, it will most certainly be." "So, we can''t have you distracted by Vanishing during this important phase, Sonya said. Stratus has proven itself a strong team, so you have to be at the top of your game to counter them." "My, are you worried about little old me?" "No, I''m worried about the team. If the shot-caller is distracted, then the calls are going to be subpar the team will make mistakes." "Hmm. I see your point." Cato nodded. "Depending on how rough mid-game will be, this might become quite the juggling act for me. But, I''m sure I can handle that much." "Now you sound like me. Sonya shook her head. Didn''t you criticize me just a moment ago about handling too many things at the same time? Double standard much?" "Haha, touche. I have to say, it''s such a joy to have a secretary with a sharp tongue~" "I should really start demanding a salary for this." Sonya sighed deeply. "Anyway, that''s my stance. I don''t believe it''ll be healthy for you to get involved." "Hmm. I see your point, but I''ll have to disagree respectfully." "To what end?" "Whether its a good idea or not, the bottom line is that we dont have much choice, Cato said. We have to make sure we don''t let Vanishing do as she pleases, and youll have a hard time achieving this alone." "You sure evaluate her highly, huh." "Can you blame me? She nearly scored the First Blood in this otherwise peaceful game, Cato said. We came moments away from falling into a grave disadvantage there. So, the way I see it, Vanishing is going to be the most unpredictable factor in this game." "Are you two done yet?" Matthew interjected. "The next wave is here, so I''d like you to focus on it, if that''s not too much to ask for." "Yes, I believe we''re done, right?" Cato asked. "I suppose..." Sonya gave up. At the moment, it was impossible to make Cato budge. Maybe he''s right and I''m worrying over nothing. Sonya wanted to believe. But, Im definitely going to pay closer attention to his shot-calls for a while. I have to make sure he doesnt slip due to dividing his attention. And so, Sonya added yet another topic to the list of subjects to keep track of. This was a bit ironic, considering Cato went out of his way to supervise Vanishing in order to reduce Sonyas workload. But, in a way, supervising Cato was nothing new for her. It was par for the course for Sonya to closely analyze Cato''s shot-calls in the mid/late-game. If Cato was the tactician, then Sonya was his validator. Her job was to evaluate the orders as they were issued and question them as necessary. Yes, Im his validator, not his secretary. She felt it was necessary to stress this point. As frustrating as it was to admit, that stupid "secretary" nonsense was living rent-free in her head. Anyway, regardless of how her position was called, it was undeniable that the team only felt this comfortable with nominating Cato as the shot-caller because they trusted Sonya to keep the guy in check. As long as she was there to question Catos decisions, it reassured the team that Cato wont lead the team down the wrong path. Though, admittedly, hes very good at manipulating me into going along with his ideas even when I disagree, just like now Sonya sighed. Hes such a headache sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean 90% of the time. In the end, despite how reluctant she was, Sonya went along with Catos suggestion. From now on, the two of them will be responsible for supervising Vanishing. This will definitely distract both of them, but at least theyll have peace of mind regarding Vanishings position at all times. That should allow them to cruise through the mid-game safely. However, that mightve been nothing more than wishful thinking, considering the enemy planned to go hard as soon as the mid-game hits Vol.17 Ch.22: The Mid-Game Plan The mid-game was about to hit. There was no official in-game announcement for it, but both teams knew the time had almost come. The exact timing of mid-game varied from match to match depending on various factors, the most noticeable of which was the progress of the players builds. Once most players have finished building their core items - it was time for action! At least, usually, it was. However, in this case, the Leopards preferred to postpone the mid-game for as long as possible, therefore they didnt make a move. As such, the ball was in Stratus court. It was up to Yuel to declare when the mid-game will begin. Nia finished building Imperial Spear, so its time. He made the decision based on this one particular key item. It was a strong item for Ninja that turned Izuna Drop into a deadlier weapon than it already was. As such, this was a good time to begin the mid-game. This phase was a double-edged sword for Junglers, but a very necessary one in this case. Since players usually stuck together during the mid-game, it was that much harder to pick somebody off the way Nia liked. However, on the flip side, the mid-game was much more hectic and dynamic, making it harder for the enemy to defend optimally. The Leopards sure know how to defend themselves from all sides when things are calm. Yuel thought. This is pretty much like Catos pawn defense in chess. Judging by their chess game, Cato had this very peculiar approach to strategy. Though the majority of his moves ultimately followed chess theory, for some reason, the guy was obsessed with erecting a wall of defense made of pawns. He even sacrificed some of his early development to that end. Though this approach went against many chess teachings, it was admittedly effective at frustrating the enemy and making them struggle to find any good options. Yuel fell into that hellhole during their match and found himself suffocated, unable to make a single good move. Instead of searching for ways to attack, I shouldve disrupted the pace of the game first. Yuel thought. If I just dragged him out of his defensive shell first, then an opening wouldve presented itself eventually. Alas, Yuel wasnt at the top of his game back then, so he got caught up in the spiders web. He believed he was in full control of the board due to his superior piece development, so he tried to utilize that advantage to mount a strong, decisive attack. And, that tunnel vision became his undoing. Its actually similar to what happened to Nia in Top. Yuel thought. She could only think about attacking since she found a rare opportunity, so she rushed in. Fortunately, there werent any counterattacks in this case, but these sorts of mistakes are what Cato usually feeds on. The guys obnoxious wall of defense just naturally triggers his opponents, making them desperately search for some kind of opportunity to attack. But, at best, the attacks fail, and at worst, they lead to getting countered. We just have to accept the fact that the Leopards defense is at its highest during the early-game. Yuel thought. As long as they can safely turtle in their lanes, its almost impossible to get any kills on them. As such, it was best to start dragging them out of their comfort zone as soon as possible. Once theyre forced to move around the map and respond to unfolding situations on the fly -thats where Nia might get her next chance to strike. The next time she gets an opportunity, we really need her to score a kill. Yuel thought. And, it looks like I have to arrange such an opportunity for her. Waiting for Nia to discover such an opportunity by herself was out of the question. The Leopards will most certainly reinforce their defenses further after Nia''s attempt at Challenger''s life. As such, it will take Nia a long time to find another opening like that, if she ever finds one. Therefore, instead of waiting for an opportunity to present itself, Yuel had to actively create one. And, he already had a couple of ideas on that matter. As usual, the plan revolved around exploiting the enemys most glaring weaknesses. Challenger is their most vulnerable link. He''s mechanically strong and can be overwhelming on the offense, but his defense seems lacking compared to the rest of their team. As such, out of the Leopards'' roster, Challenger was the most attractive target. In fact, Nia even almost scored a kill on him already. The gank in Top could have easily converted into a kill if Ben was close enough to aid her. Unfortunately, that was the first and only opportunity Nia has gotten so far. Ever since, Challenger has been playing more carefully. He retreated more frequently than before, making it impossible to catch him off-guard. It feels like their entire team plays that way in this game. Yuel analyzed. This must be an organized defense plan against Nia. I''m surprised they realized the threat she poses so quickly. They didnt seem to pay nearly as much attention to her in the first game. Perhaps, back then, Nia did a poor job avoiding enemy wards. That made it clear to the Leopards when it was truly necessary to retreat. Not to mention, in that game, the Leopards held the upper hand the entire time. So, they had no reason to be concerned about some stumbling Jungler. But, things have changed since then. Stratus managed to score a win against the champions, and Nia mustve been doing a great job playing around enemy wards this time around. Combined, these two factors kept the Leopards on their toes. As usual, Cato didn''t cut any corners with his defense. If he spotted even the smallest hint of a potential threat, he reinforced his defenses in advance to make sure this threat wont get any opportunities to work with. This was a different approach from Howard''s defense, which dynamically adjusted to the threat depending on the situation. Instead of putting the entire team on the defensive for the whole game, Howard handled the threats as they came. This approach made it that much harder to tell which threats Howard was actually aware of, so there was always a sense of paranoia in the air. And, whenever Yuel made the wrong guess - he walked right into a counter. In that sense, fighting Catos defense is more straightforward. Yule thought. He''s very upfront about his hyper-defensive playstyle, to a fault. Though, that also makes it far more annoying to actually deal with... The Leopards'' defense was uptight at all times, that''s why even Challenger was a hard target to gank. He had all the makings of an excellent target for Nia, but Cato mustve been enforcing his defensive methodology on the poor guy. Honestly, that obnoxious defense almost equalizes all the potential targets. Yuel summarized. It barely matters which target is "easier" to gank when the entire team is being so defensive across the board. Essentially, all of them are difficult to gank without a proper plan. So, perhaps focusing on Challenger is narrow-minded. Overall, delivering a gank on Challenger still had the highest chance of success. However, it seemed like a small chance increase compared to ganking anybody else, so it probably wasn''t worth getting fixated on. Besides, Challenger is on the other side of the map, so I can''t reach him that easily. Yuel reasoned. On the other hand, I can rotate to Mid, so maybe I can make something happen over there. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Time was of the essence. Yuel wanted to execute a strong, decisive play as soon as mid-game strikes. It was absolutely necessary for Stratus to establish early momentum in order to drive this game to victory. That''s why, despite being busy with the complex laning competition against two powerhouse opponents, Yuel continued thinking about the future during any spare moment he got. So, even though he was adequately competing with his opponents in the lane, his eyes were set on the mid-game and on Mid Lane. In fact, landing all those inefficient shots on Rook was, in fact, preparation for the mid-game. These plays were very wasteful in terms of MP, but Yuel was looking at the bigger picture here. He should be recalling after this wave. Yuel thought. That''ll be my cue. As shaky as it is, I do have something that resembles a plan, so I might as well give it a shot. After extensively analyzing each and every opponent, Yuel ultimately determined the next best target for Stratus to gun for. The conclusion he reached was a tad surprising even for him, but it was supported by facts and logic. I think we should go after Winner. That''s the conclusion Yuel reached. Yes, AbsoluteWinner, the player who was extremely accomplished in both mechanical skill and tactics. He was arguably the most skilled player in the Leopards, definitely a far cry from what one would call the "weakest link" of the team. Then, why target Winner? Because the guy did possess one particular weakness, or so Yuel believed. Essentially, he hungered for kills. This was evident from the footage of the Leopards'' previous scrims, where Winner and Challenger went on a killing spree across the entire map. It almost felt like the two of them competed for who could score the most kills. During this so-called competition, it felt as if Winner and Challenger were pushing each other to play more and more aggressively. Essentially, they were trying to get kills faster than each other by dialing up their aggression up to eleven. That kind of wild, arguably childish, attitude certainly suited Challenger. There was no doubt in Yuels mind that Challenger was a brat in real life. On the other hand, that mischievous attitude was a little odd for Winner. The guy usually carried himself in a calm and composed manner, only going for efficient and calculated plays. Therefore, it was odd to see a player like him participate in something like a killing race, a competition in which both players discarded proper tactics in favor of speed. That is unless he''s extremely competitive to a fault. Yuel deduced. I suspect he considers killing to be the best way to "prove himself. That''s why he went for that early invade in the previous game. Logically, going for an early invasion against a team with a Dark Knight was suicidal. Surely, Cato vehemently objected to the idea. There was simply no way that the fanatic worshipper of defense would agree to such a dangerous move. Likewise, Winner didn''t seem like the type whod normally take such a huge risk, either. Perhaps the entire operation wasn''t even his idea per se but he nonetheless cooperated, that was the key part. That play reaffirmed Yuel''s suspicion. I think Winner just really, REALLY hates losing. Yuel reasoned. Hes the type who always needs to prove he''s at the top of the competition, that''s probably why he challenged Lars so many times throughout the day. It''s like he was trying to say "I''m stronger. Assuming that all of this analysis was on point, or at least close enough to the truth, then what did it mean for this game? For one, Winner was probably uncomfortable with the way the game had been developing thus far. He hasn''t scored any kills yet. Yuel thought. In fact, most of his gank attempts didnt achieve much of anything because our defense has been solid across the board. To make it worse, its probably unexpected for a team like ours to be able to play good defense, so Winner must be twice as salty about this. Stratus was slowly establishing itself as a potential powerhouse, but so far, it was only known for its offense. Their defense lacked in comparison, so Winner shouldve had an easy time getting a few successful ganks against them. Yet, he didnt get a single one. If that didn''t hurt his pride, then nothing would. I''m sure he''s hungry. Hes desperately searching for at least one kill. Yule thought. So, what will happen if we throw him a bone? That''s the hidden avenue of attack Yuel discovered after deconstructing every single member of the Leopards. Out of all of them, despite being arguably the most competent, Winner seemed like the most vulnerable target at the moment. So, that''s where Stratus should strike! But, that''s easier said than done. Yule thought. He''s the Jungler, so it''s no small feat to lure him into a death trap. At least, not without some extensive planning. So, that''s exactly what Yuel has been doing: working on a plan to entrap Winner. It was a difficult puzzle that Yuel barely had any spare time for, but eventually, he found a solution. Or, at least, it was something that resembled a solution. "Kai, Nia, I have a plan I''d like to share," Yuel said. "Oh no." Nia gave him a look. "I bet it''s some crazy talk again." "Right?" Kai chuckled. "When he starts his sentence like that, you just know it gonna be something else. Well, I''m listening." Despite their initial reactions, the girls lent their ears to Yuel. This showed that, despite Yuels questionable communication skills and his subpar ability to fully convey all the aspects of his reasoning, his teammates were still willing to go along with his plans, no matter how bizarre they might have sounded to them. "So, the plan goes like this..." Yuel laid out the details to the best of his ability, explaining how he planned to take advantage of Winner''s hunger. As usual, his teammates found his reasoning a bit lacking. Kai and Nia both said that Yuels conclusions regarding Winner felt like they were based too much on circumstantial evidence, and that was true to an extent. In order to quickly discover enemy weaknesses, it was often necessary to rely on some degree of circumstantial evidence. There wasnt enough time to gather a whole lot of solid evidence in the heat of battle, so some circumstantial evidence had to suffice. In the end, despite the girls doubts, they agreed to go along with Yuel''s plan. They didn''t look entirely convinced, but they trusted Yuel''s judgment enough to ignore some of his leaps of logic. "So, I''m bait again, huh." Kai sighed. "I feel like I''ve been turning into bait way too much recently. You hate me or something?" "Nothing personal," Yuel reassured. "It''s just that your status as the Mid Laner makes you an attractive bait. Good teams are always on the lookout for an opportunity to gain an advantage in Mid." "Yeah, I know that, Kai said. But, it still feels lame. I want to be the aggressor for once." "Honestly, I think plays like this suit you best," Yuel said. "Your offense and defense are very balanced and you''re good at switching between them on the fly. It makes you very good at countering." "So, you''re saying I''d mainly be using cross-counters if this was boxing?" "Yes, something like that. Yuel nodded. Youre the type who can maintain solid defense for prolonged amounts of time and then launch a counter as soon as you see an opening. Ive seen you do this many times." "Huh. I can''t say that''s a playstyle I''m particularly into, but I can play like that sometimes, sure." Kai couldn''t tell whether she should treat this as a compliment. Yuel definitely wasn''t trying to butter her up considering how bad he was with these things, so he really meant everything he said. But, if this is the playstyle he thinks Im best at, then that means... Kai frowned. Yeah, I''m really not sure I like the implications of this. But, whatever. I can think about it after were done mopping these bastards. If possible, Kai would have preferred to directly confront her targets. Alas, the game didn''t revolve around her personal whims. Stratus was trying to win as a team so Kai had to pull her weight accordingly, even if she didn''t agree with every single play she had to do in the process. "Okay, let''s do it," Kai said. "One cross-counter, coming right up." "Good." Yuel nodded. "Nia, are you fine with this plan, too?" "It sounds okay," Nia said. "Not sure I can sneak up to Mid, though. They got their eyes on me 24/7. Scary." "Yes, it''s clear they''re on guard against you, even more so after you tried to gank Top, Yule said. But, there''s a good chance this plan will distract them enough to give you an opening." "I hope so." Nia excelled at telling when the enemy team was paying attention to her and when they werent. It was almost like a sixth sense. But, that''s also one of her weaknesses. Yuel thought. She''s very good at it, so she relies on it a bit too much. Its true that its optimal to strike the enemy when they least expect it, but Nia couldnt just sit there and do nothing until an opportunity magically presents itself. It was necessary for her to be more proactive about this and search for ways to manually create such opportunities. But, that''s one thing she hasn''t learned how to do yet. Yuel thought. So, it''s up to me to set up the stage for her. And so, the plan was set in motion. Despite the mild reluctance, Kai and Nia both agreed to follow Yuel''s plan. It was time to kick off this scheme, right at the start of the mid-game! Vol.17 Ch.23: Apathetic Carry The mid-game was about to begin. Or rather, Yuel was planning to make it begin right after the current minion wave. As usual, Yuel and Lars cleared the minions a little faster than their lane opponents. However, only one allied bowman survived the onslaught, so there was no option of pushing the lane. "Dang, these dudes be blocking me off every time!" Lars pouted. "I could''ve cleared the minions like ten times faster if not for that dang wall." "True," Yuel agreed. "It''s a very effective countermeasure." Normally, this early into the game, a pair of Elf and Warlock should have been able to easily outclear a duo of Seraph and Cryomancer. Both Yuel and Lars had more DPS than their enemy counterparts, so they should have had a decisive lane advantage. However, Rook found an annoying way to get in their way. He always placed an Ice Wall that blocked Yuel and Lars''s lines of sight, as well as their shots. As a result, the two of them had to waste time repositioning themselves before they could open fire. And, he''s really good at it too. Yuel thought. No matter how we position ourselves ahead of time, he always finds a way to place his wall in an annoying spot. Though, I guess its as expected from Cato. His playstyle is as irritating as it is in chess. Thanks to tricks like this, Bot had been in a stalemate ever since the previous game. It was absurdly difficult to establish an advantage against Rook and Merlin. But, Ive finished my preparations. Yuel glanced at Rook''s low HP. He''s going to recall after this for sure. And, he probably assumes I''ll do the same. "I''m rotating to Mid," Yuel announced. "Already?" Lars cocked his head. "Didn''t you say you''ll do it after their Support recalls?" "He''ll recall any moment now. And, if he still has any doubts left about doing so, then I''d like to help him to come to a decision." On that note, Yuel entered the jungle. In this position, the enemy duo couldn''t tell what he was doing. Was he going to rotate? Or, did he only plan to recall in secret? Either way, he was leaving Bot, that should make it easier for Cato to do the same. And indeed, the message reached the other side. "This looks like a good time to recall," Cato said. "I''ll be back soon, so be careful against Gunz." "Sure." Matthew nodded. "Say, do you think Chess is recalling?" "Hmm. Thats a good question, Cato said. Logically, he should be because he doesn''t have any MP left." "He''s a Warlock, though." "True, what could he even do here? Rotate to Mid and spend all his HP to unleash a few spells?" "Is that so unreasonable for a player like him?" "Haha, no, I wouldnt put it past him." After all, it''s Yuel we''re talking about. So, as absurd as this idea sounds, it''s definitely something he might try. I better inform the team accordingly. "Their Warlock entered Bot Jungle," Cato reported. "Hes probably recalling, but he might be planning to rotate to Mid. His MP is pretty much empty but he got some HP to burn if he chooses to." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. With that announcement out of the way, Cato left Bot and returned to the base. This left Matthew all alone against Gunz in the lane. It was a little worrisome, but this was Matthew; he''ll do his job properly. Even against a tough opponent like Gunz, itll be fine. In fact, even his ever-confident opponent felt the same way about this. So, we''re all alone again. Lars smiled wryly. I really wanna fight this dude at least once, but he keeps dodging me. That was the complete opposite of how things usually went when Winner was the Carry. That dude was awesome and accepted duel invitations 24/7. But, this Merlin dude? If Winner was AbsoluteWinner, then Merlin was AbsoluteJoyKiller. Dude just wouldn''t come and fight. Even during the few times when Lars managed to launch something that remotely resembled an attack, Merlin disengaged cleanly with minimal losses. Every dang time, dude just straight up said NOPE at Lars''s passionate invitation. But, that ain''t gonna stop me from trying again! Lars grinned. Eventually, I''ll get this dude, believe it! Dont do anything rash, Yuel warned. He may look like a pacifist, but hell bite back if you show him an opening. Yeah, yeah, I know. Lars sighed. Hes basically like Ellen, right? Except, a hundred times more apathetic. It feels like dude doesnt even try to bait me. You could say that his passiveness is like one giant bait. Hes trying to gradually frustrate you by dodging all fights. And its sure working, haha. Dude be getting on my nerves alright. Merlin was a rare breed of a Carry player. Usually, players in this role enjoyed flaunting their mechanical skills by playing offensively, but not Merlin. He was like the antithesis of the average Carry. In fact, he played even more passively than his Support, and his Support was Cato of all people. Thats one of the main reasons I just cant find a way to crack this duo. Yuel thought. With the Carry playing this apathetically, its impossible to hit him where it hurts. After experiencing a deadlock in Bot for two games in a row, Yuel concluded he simply didnt have the necessary skills to directly defeat Rook and Merlin. Their defense was so turtly that trying to find a crack in it was most likely an exercise in futility. As such, there was no choice but to go with the assumption that the lane would always remain in a stalemate as long as Rook and Merlin were there. Therefore, it was best for Yuel to look for other avenues of attack. This is why I have to nail this rotation. Yuel thought. Its a very risky one, but this is a rare chance to make something happen against the Leopards defense, so I have to make it work. If this rotation succeeds, it might give Stratus sufficient momentum to drive the entire game to victory. However, there was also the risk of Yuel overexerting and dying, and Kai might suffer a similar fate as well. If that happens, well lose on the spot. Yuel frowned. I wish I could find a safer play, but this is how risky we have to be if we want to bust through their defenses. With that said, our chances of success will increase drastically if I successfully get there without being spotted by wards. Thanks to Nia meticulously marking enemy wards on the map, Yuel should be able to dodge most of them by taking a longer route toward Mid. This will substantially delay the rotation, but that was arguably a positive in this case. Judging by their movements, it seems they suspect the possibility of a rotation. Yuel concluded so based on Theorists movements. The girl retreated deep into her tower area shortly after Yuel entered the jungle. If I arrive there now, theyll be ready for it. Yuel thought. But, if it takes me too long, then theyll probably conclude that I recalled, which should lower their guard just enough. It was a risky gamble. Even the smallest glimpse of Yuels current position would put the enemy on high alert. That''s why he rotated slowly and carefully. He wasn''t pressed for time, so it was best to use that luxury to minimize the chances of being spotted. In the first place, this entire operation revolved around Kai playing the bait role in Mid. Therefore, until she successfully becomes attractive bait, there won''t be much for Yuel to accomplish in Mid. And so, while Yuel was on his way, Kai made preparations on her side... Vol.17 Ch.24: The Diversion in Mid So, I''m really doing this, huh. Kai stepped way lot deeper than a Sorcerer should. From this position, she could shoot a Magia Orb all the way to the enemy tower. I still dunno how to feel about this idea, honestly. There was a swirl of emotions inside her. She was annoyed by the fact she was reduced to mere bait, but also excited to finally get an opportunity to properly fight in this passive game. On top of that, there was also the anxiety of whether shed actually be able to win her duel. Yuel always comes up with pretty messed up stuff, but this one takes the cake. Kai smiled wryly. Who in their right mind asks a Sorcerer to overextend in order to bait a Lion? That''s like the last thing any sane Sorcerer would want to do. The whole premise of the class was that it could stay far away from its opponents thanks to its amazing reach. Kai only had to advance to the middle of the lane in order to be able to reach the enemy tower area with Repelling Force. That''s how absurd of a powerhouse Sorcerer was when it came to long-range combat. So, for a class that specialized in super long-range combat and didn''t have any escape tools, trying to bait a dangerous Jungler like Lionfolk was unthinkable. This was a recipe for disaster, no two ways about it. But, because it''s so out there, there''s a good chance even the Leopards won''t see it coming. Kai thought. I feel like most of Yuels tactics rely on these types of mind games. And, even though I know that its still kinda of unsettling. No matter how much time passed, it was never easy to follow such orders due to how absurd they sounded. To make things worse, Yuel''s attempts to explain his plans were usually lackluster at best. No matter what plan he tried to explain, it always felt like he made a logical leap or twenty in order to arrive at the conclusion. And yet, it was undeniable that Yuels schemes were almost always on point. His plans weren''t perfect by any means, but they worked most of the time. I feel like, before the Taurus scrim, Yuel held back with these crazy ideas, but not anymore. Kai thought. He seemed to appreciate safety a lot more back then, but now half of his ideas throw caution to the wind. Thats a 180 if I ever saw one. The Taurus scrimmage proved that taking risks was necessary every now and then. It was impossible to win every game by playing safe. That realization mustve flipped a switch of some sort in Yuels head. Ever since then, he had been incorporating more and more "bizarre" shot-calls into their training sessions. It''s like he was trying to make the team get used to executing absurd plays on demand. Its actually kind of crazy how I just agreed to this play without even arguing much. Kai realized. I mean, baiting Lion with Sorcerer? Pft, the easiest thing ever! It''s not even the most absurd plan weve pulled this month. And so, despite having some mixed feelings about the contents of the plan and their implications, Kai found herself somewhat nonchalant about the absurdity of the plan itself. Besides, being this bold feels good for a change. Kai confidently strode across the lane. Theorist is such a defense fanatic that she immediately retreated to the tower, so it''s almost like I kicked her out of the lane. So, get rekt scrub, this lane is mine now! After the long and boring stalemate, it now felt like Kai had finally seized some real lane control. It felt refreshing. But, there was no time to celebrate this rare occasion. The enemy was surely already preparing a response to Kai''s bold overextension. It was just a matter of time before the Lionfolk showed up. "Their Mid is overextending," Sonya informed. "Yes, so it seems," William said. "Any idea why?" "I couldn''t say, Sonya admitted. Maybe its because the Warlock is really rotating over here? But, even then, this still seems too careless to me." "It''s either bait," Cato said. "Or, a very risky attempt to seize lane control by force. My, my, how interesting~" "I''m glad you''re enjoying the suspense from the backseat, but I need to decide how I deal with this, Sonya said. My tower will lose a lot of HP if I hug the tower here. "Yes, that would be quite the problem, wouldn''t it?" Out of all Mid classes, Aeromancer was one of the worst when it came to hugging the tower due to its lack of burst damage. Its main farming tool, Whirlwind, was great for clearing stationary minions in the center of the lane, but the spell was terrible against moving targets. As such, if Sonya chooses to play it safe and hug the tower from the get-go against the enemys bold advance, she''ll first have to wait for the enemy minions to walk all the way to her tower. Only then the minions will come to a standstill and become good targets for Whirlwind. However, that was still bad. Itll take Whirlwind multiple ticks to eliminate all the threats, and in the meantime, the enemies will mercilessly assault Sonay''s tower. It was a terrible trade even for somebody who was used to accepting suboptimal trades. My, what a delightfully simple yet tricky puzzle~ Cato smiled but also frowned at the same time. So, you''re challenging me to solve this, aren''t you, Yuel? Hmm. Tricky, tricky indeed. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. There were a few ways to solve this puzzle but which was the correct one? That strongly depended on what the enemy was trying to achieve here in the first place. "It looks like a free gank opportunity to me," William said. "Yes, it is, Cato agreed. But, that in itself might be the bait." "Even if it somehow is, what can they actually accomplish?" "A counter-gank, perhaps? Speaking of which, where is Vanishing at the moment?" "Arent you supposed to know that?" Sonya asked. "Youre the one who insisted to help keep track of her, remember?" "I do, I do, Cato said. But, I''m like a greenhorn here, you know? I wasn''t paying as much attention to her until now, so itll take me some time to get used to dividing my attention between her and other topics. "I have no idea what''s so difficult about it," Sonya said. "Anyway, I''ve last seen her in Top Jungle, but it was a while ago. I was just about to report that she might have rotated to Bot Jungle by now." "I have to say, all these unknowns are bad for my heart. We dont know if Chess is rotating to Mid and we dont know where Vanishing is. How am I supposed to establish good defense like this?" Cato shook his head. "I wish we at least had a hint or something." Just then, as if answering his prayers, a hint presented itself. For the first time in a while, a ward revealed Vanishing''s position. It was a brief glimpse that only caught the Ninjas leg on camera, but that much was enough to figure out her intentions. "My, my, my, so thats how it is." Cato smiled impishly. "Matt, Vanishing is deep in Bot Jungle and she seems to be heading in your direction. You know what to do, right?" "Yeah, retreating." Matthew backed away immediately. "I think I''m starting to see the bigger picture now," Cato said. "Theyre trying to distract us in Mid with that blatant overextension, but theyre actually planning to sneakily gank Bot." Is that why Yuel worked so hard to boot me out of the lane? Cato wondered. Has he been planning this all along? If its just a diversion, then its a very risky one, Sonya commented. Yes, it sure is, Cato agreed. But, I wouldnt put it past Yuel- I mean, past their shot-caller. He likes bold strategies that boggle the mind, so this is just one example of such. Hmm. Sonya pushed her glasses. Its a little odd, though, What is? The ward that spotted her has been around for a while now, Sonya explained. Im not 100% sure about it, but I think it even spotted her once before. Hmm, I do vaguely remember seeing her in Bot Jungle a couple of minutes ago, so it mightve been this ward, Cato said. But, whats wrong with that? It just means the ward is doing its job. Yes, I suppose thats all it means, Sonya agreed. Im probably overthinking it. Vanishing had been doing a decent job studying the Leopards warding positions and slipping past them, but nobody was perfect. So, even though she mightve been aware of the general area of this particular ward, she couldnt tell with 100% certainty where exactly the ward was located. As such, it wasnt too odd that the ward managed to catch a glimpse of her leg. In fact, it was rather impressive that Vanishing almost slipped past the ward and just barely got caught. Sonya had to give credit where it was due. "So, in conclusion," Cato summarized. "The overextension in Mid is just a bold play to draw our attention away from what''s happening in Bot. We can choose to ignore it, or we can try to capitalize on it." "Obviously, well capitalize on it, right?" William asked the question in a tone that made it clear he wouldnt take no for an answer. "I''m almost there already, so Ill be ready to gank Beat in a few seconds." "My, you''re fast to act as always." Cato smiled wryly. I see he already decided to rotate over there before we even finished discussing the situation. As always, when hes allowed to act independently, his responses are fast. Other team members wouldve waisted until Cato and Sonya finished their analysis, but not William. For better and for worse, this guy always did what he believed was best. Though he generally listened to Cato''s inputs, he didnt feel obligated to act according to them. Sometimes its a real pain. Cato admitted. But, in situations like this, the lone wolf attitude comes in handy. We mightve missed this nice gank opportunity if Will didn''t act as soon as he did. This ability to act upon his own ideas while disregarding everything else was one of William''s biggest strengths. He formed his conclusions quickly and efficiently, then he went straight for the action. Whats most impressive was how rarely William committed errors while playing in such a self-centered manner. His decision-making was definitely top-notch when it concerned himself. That''s why I trust his judgment. Cato thought. The only times I''ve seen his independent action backfire in a big way was against pros who specifically baited him. But, our opponents aren''t pros, so there''s no reason to worry. However, the fact Cato was thinking so much about the topic showed that he WAS a bit concerned. After all, William was like a hungry beast right now. The poor lion is starving~ Cato thought. He hasnt gotten any kills the entire game, so of course he''d jump at the first opportunity that presents itself. I just hope were not missing anything here and this is really the right play... Was Beats bold overextension in Mid really nothing more than a simple diversion? Making a Sorcerer advance so far along the lane was a surefire recipe for disaster. Because of that, this play definitely reeked of something Yuel would come up with. However, no matter how absurd some of his decisions were, he surely was no stranger to the concept of risk vs. reward. No matter how much he liked going for risky plays, he still had to consider how the reward measured up to the risk. And, in this particular play, the risk felt much bigger than the potential reward. Sure, itll be huge for them if they can kill Matt. Cato agreed with that much. But, Yuel couldve picked so many easier ways to divert our attention from that scheme. Is a dangerous overextension in Mid really required? Am I really not missing something here? If this were a chess match, then Cato couldve taken his time to mull over this odd position. Alas, this was a real-time game, so the pieces on the board continued moving while Cato was still in the process of analyzing the situation. Unfortunately, before he was done double-checking himself, William had already reached Mid. Now, a single wall separated the hungry lion from his delicious meal. At long last, William was going to score the kill he needed to satiate his hunger! Vol.17 Ch.25: Confronting the Ganker "I''m going in," William announced to ensure he and Sonya were in sync. Then, the lion man jumped over the wall! Williams target was still in the middle of overextending, hanging out around the center of the lane. Thus far, she didn''t exhibit any signs of being aware of William''s position. So, by all accounts, this should be an easy gank. However... Here it comes! Kai heard the leaping sound loud and clear. The Lionfolk was right there, right about to crash on her from above! In response, Kai turned around and rolled toward allied territory. WHAM! A loud crash resounded behind her! However, it didn''t touch her. Hah! Get dunked! Kai smirked as she recovered from the roll. Her response was on point. Finally, some action! Kai''s body heated up. She became so perky in an instant that it almost felt like she was fast asleep until now. Thats how boring it was to entertain Theorist''s pacifistic status quo in the lane. But, this was different! At long last, she had an opportunity to actually fight somebody for real, and her opponent was strong to boot! C''mon, let''s do this! Kai asserted her fighting spirit by summoning a Magia Orb, but then she just... turned around and ran away! Yes, she fled the dangerous battlefield, as lame as that was. Unfortunately, this was necessary for winning. "He''s here!" Kai reported as she rushed deeper into the allied territory, with Winner right on her tail. Tap tap tap. The Lionfolks nimble steps were right behind her, threatening to catch up. Good. Kai nodded in satisfaction. This wouldn''t be a real fight if you don''t chase me down. In this position, a Lionfolk had every reason to chase down a fleeing Sorcerer. Kai had no escape tools whatsoever, so it should be easy enough for a Lionfolk to tear her apart once he catches up. To make things worse, the Lionfolk was faster on foot, so he''ll catch up before long. But, will he make it in time? After all, Kai''s timely Dodge Roll gave her a head start, so the Lionfolk was currently lagging behind. Slowly but surely, the predator was closing on the prey, but he might not make it in time before Kai reaches the tower area. For some reason, Winner didnt build as much Movement Speed as youd expect from a typical Lionfolk, so he wasnt overwhelmingly quick on his feet. This was a fact that Yuel probably took into account when forming this ploy. Naturally, Winner also realized that he might not make it at this rate. Therefore, after chasing Kai for a brief while, the guy rolled forward to close the distance in an instant! Kai couldn''t see the actual roll happen behind her back, but she recognized the SFX all too well. "He used his roll!" Kai informed. It was crucial information for the mastermind who hatched this entire plan, as well as for the one who was also about to arrive in the lane soon. After the Dodge Roll, the distance between Kai and the Lionfolk was just a couple of steps. Nonetheless, Kai continued running away as before, so it won''t be easy for the Lionfolk to both chase her and strike her at the same time. In other words, Winner still needed a definitive method to block off Kais escape route. And, that method was none other than his ult. "This domain is now mine!" the Lionfolk roared. In response to the shout, numerous lions emerged out of thin air and formed a blockade around Kai. "He used his ult," Kai informed calmly. Or, at least, she did her best to sound calm. Nonetheless, a nervous gulp escaped her throat after she was done reporting the situation. Even though she fully anticipated this scenario, that didnt change the fact that this was an extremely dangerous situation. Kai was locked inside the Lionfolk''s ult all alone, about to engage in combat with the strongest player from the champion team. No pressure... H-Heh, this is more like it! Kai smiled nervously. A part of her was overrun with dread, whereas another part was thrilled to do some battle finally. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Thinking of it, this is the first time I get to 1v1 Winner like this, right? Kai realized. I mean, the last time we faced off was near the Colossus and I had to stall, so it wasnt much of a fight. Then again, its not like this situation is all that different... Not to mention, Theorist was still present on the lane and could jump into the fray at any moment. That turtle cautiously left her tower area and slowly approached the scene, without rushing to her allys aid right away. Damn, shes exercising so much caution even in a situation like this, huh. Kai shook her head. No wonder I could never convince her to step forward and fight. This girl needs a HUGE push from behind to start moving. That was probably part of the reason why Yuel had to come up with such a dangerous and convoluted plan in the first place. He had no choice but to go this far in order to make the Leopards lower their guard and overextend. Well, that girl isnt my problem for now. Kai shifted her eyes from Theorist back to Winner. My job is to keep this lion at bay. The predator was charging straight at her and with increased Movement Speed to boot. Winner didnt waste a moment here. Against any other class, Kai could easily stall for time with Dimensional Collapse. She had already placed a Magia Orb in the vicinity, so she could pop it up and pull the Lionfolk in. Unfortunately, inside the Kings Dominion, the Lionfolk was immune to all forms of CC. Therefore, there was no stopping the guy. I just have to juke him. Kai concluded. Its easier said than done, though. Winner unleashed one powerful slash after another, tearing through Kai''s flesh. Each and every attack was swift and powerful because The Kings Dominion buffed him in both Attack Speed and Attack Power. This enclosed area was like a territory that belonged to Winner despite the fact it was on Stratus''s side of the map. And, it''s in this disadvantageous environment that Kai had to confront the king of the hill. He''s so fast...! Kai gritted her teeth. She ran from side to side inside the lion prison, doing what she could to minimize incoming damage. However, her efforts were almost entirely futile. Winner stuck to her like glue. He predicted most of her movements and was faster than her, so nearly all his attacks landed on her without fail. It wasn''t only the buffs of The King''s Dominion that made Winner such an oppressive force of nature. He also had good mechanical skill and sharp decision-making. In other words, Winner had both numerical power and technical skill on his side, he had everything he needed to tear his prey apart! Kai''s HP was at 100% when Winners attack started, but it had already plummeted to 50%. There was neither stopping nor escaping this rampaging lion. The only way Kai could retaliate was by summoning a Magia Orb as soon as the skill came off cooldown. She had already placed one orb back when Winner arrived in the lane, and then another one shortly after the King''s Dominion was formed. I just need to place one more and then I can blow him up. Kai thought. But, will I make it in time? She couldnt help but frown as she glanced at her HP. It was already down to 40%. Damn, what''s taking Yuel so long!? Kai ranted. This damn lion can hit me with Fear any moment right now! Considering the short distance between them, Winner could easily unleash Mighty Roar at any moment. With how big of an HP lead he had over Kai, the skill was bound to terrify her Sorcerer, forcing Kai to lose control over her own character for a brief moment. If that happens right as shes about to set off her ult, then this entire "fight" will be over right there. Thankfully, Kai had regained access to her Dodge Roll by now, so she had a countermeasure for Might Roar. That''s probably why Winner hadnt used it yet. Nonetheless, the danger was ever looming. Kai had to pump her concentration up to eleven and constantly be on the lookout for any surprise roars. But really, I gotta save the roll for the critical moment of the fight, which is almost here...! "I''m here." Yuel finally appeared but he didn''t use his ult just yet. Even though Kai was already down to 30% HP, Yuel didnt seem in a hurry to rescue her. Of course, its not like he didn''t want to do it. On the contrary, the situation was so tense and dangerous that Yuel itched to rush in ASAP and salvage this seemingly helpless situation. But, that wouldn''t be the winning more here. Timing was everything about this play and it was up to Kai to make the call. She was the one who had been setting up the ultimate counterattack, so only she knew for sure when it was ready. Okay, just a little more...! Kai gulped as she baited her opponent toward an area between her two Magia Orbs. This almost felt like a mission impossible. Even the tiniest mistake on her end would ruin the entire operation. Not to mention, her HP was already at 20%. Basically, she was at death''s door no matter how she looked at it. But, that didn''t matter. All she cared about was the position of her opponent and the cooldown of her third and last Magia Orb. I can see everything around me clearly. Kai''s eyes constantly darted around the screen, reaffirming that everything was in place. Maybe it''s because I was practically asleep in the previous two games, but I feel extremely focused right now. So, I got this! "Now!" Kai gave the signal. And, a split second later, the entire area was engulfed in darkness Vol.17 Ch.26: A Scuffle in the Darkness Darkness engulfed the area around Kai, rendering everything pitch black. However, the darkness only affected Winner because it was caused by a Warlocks Eldritch Nightmare. Okay, here goes! Kai rolled away as soon as the darkness emerged. This was a crucial step, for otherwise, Winner would simply cut her down in a couple of hits without the need to actually see her. Now that there was some distance between them, Winner could no longer continue his offense. After all, he couldnt tell where his opponent was right now. Nonetheless, the Lionfolk still unleashed a slash amidst the darkness, hoping to hit Kai. But, he clawed nothing but empty air. Kai was outside his reach at this point. Not only that, but she was going to turn the tables on him now! Kai had to place just one more Magia Orb to unleash a triple resonance on that bastard! She had already lured the guy into the perfect spot for the operation and her Magia Orb skill was about to come off cooldown in 2 seconds. The end was nigh! But, Winner had no intention of taking the beating lying down. Despite the unexpected development, he didn''t falter. Hmph. I see. Willaim''s entire reaction to this unforeseeable development was no more than a brief frown. The enemy sure did a good job pulling the rug from under him, but that didnt mean Williams dominance came to an end. Though the darkness made it impossible for him to see his foe, he still had an overwhelming HP advantage here. An advantage Ill instantly lose if I get hit by her ult in a bad way. William wasn''t a fool, he knew exactly what Beat had planned throughout the fight. The way she placed her Magia Orbs and lured William in between them made it clear that she was staking everything on her ult. Beat had already executed a clean counter like this against StormMonster in the previous scrim, so she was plenty capable. However, to cause truly critical damage to William, Beat must land a triple resonance. In other words, she still had to place her third Magia Orb. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I was sure I''ll kill her before then. William thought. This darkness definitely wasn''t in the plans Now, William was at the mercy of his opponent''s orb positioning. Even with the defense buff from The King''s Dominion, a Resonance Ignition with three orbs will still delete most of his HP in a blink of an eye. I have to minimize the resonance to two orbs at most. To achieve that, William rolled away from the orb that was already the farthest from him. He couldn''t see where exactly it was positioned in this darkness, so he had to trust his memory and sense of direction. The enemy mustve realized his intent, that''s why she hasnt placed her third orb yet. "Tch, he''s out of range...!" Kai gritted her teeth. Victory was right within her grasp but Winner slipped through her fingers at the very last moment. "He escaped my triple resonance setup," Kai informed in haste. "Can I drag this out a little longer to create a new setup?" "Unfortunately, no," Yuel said. "My HP won''t hold much longer. Besides, he might escape while you work on it. "Fair enough." Kai conceded With no other choice left, Kai summoned the third Magia Orb, placing it right ahead of the rolling enemy. Then, she unleashed Resonance Ignition. BAM! All three orbs exploded but only two of the explosions reached Winner. The two shockwaves converged, multiplying the total damage up to 4 times that of a single explosion. 40% of Winner''s HP vanished without a trace. It was sizable damage, but unfortunately, it was nowhere near as devastating as it couldve been with a triple resonance, which couldve probably deleted about 90%. Even now, Winner still held an overwhelming HP lead over Kai. But, I still have a chance to even the odds. Kai fired a basic attack at the blind lion. Its not much damage but itll add up if I keep hitting him. Besides, Yuel is clawing his way into the arena, too. While the fight inside the lion cage was ongoing, Yuel was in the process of killing one of the lions standing guard. The only way to take down these lions was via basic attacks, but the lions retaliated against any offender who dared to come close to them, so it was often tricky to drill a hole in this prisons wall. Fortunately, Yuel was playing a mage, so his attacks were ranged. The poor lion had no way to fight back, it could only express its dissatisfaction with groans and roars. In the meantime, the enemy was rapidly adapting to the situation at hand. Though said adaptation was also, in a way, part of the grand scheme... Vol.17 Ch.27: Decrypting the Madmans Ploy The situation in Mid wasn''t looking good for the Leopards. Even though William came close to drawing First Blood, the Warlock''s ult robbed him of that opportunity. Or at least, it put the kill on an indefinite hiatus. "I can still get the kill," William stated before anybody could tell him to retreat. "My, so stubborn," Cato said. "Well, I suppose given your HP advantage, you can still shoot for it." "I sure can, and I will," William asserted. Keep in mind that youre dangerously close to a 1v2 situation there. "Itll be a temporary 1v2 at best. Sonya is here too." "True, true." Cato could only nod in response. At first glance, it might have seemed as if the two enemies were about to gang up on poor William in the darkness and draw blood. But in practice, his situation wasn''t that bad. For one, The King''s Dominion served as a barricade for keeping Chessmaster out. Its primary function was to stop prey from escaping outside, but right now, it served as a wall that denied entry to outsiders. As such, it''ll take Chessmaster a while to break into the prison. And, by the time he does, his HP will be just as low as his companion''s. Therefore, there was still a decent chance that William will be able to turn the tables on the enemy here, especially with Sonya''s help. In fact, if the enemy continues pressing this offense, then they might be setting themselves up for a Double Kill. My, Yuel sure crafted one heck of a convoluted script. Cato thought. To think that he''d dare to rotate to Mid without any MP, and then pay so much HP just to cast his ult. Truly, only a madman like him would come up with a ploy like this~ It was bordering on absurdity. This plan could backfire in so many different ways and there was no guarantee that anything good would come out of it. And yet, Yuel went for this risky play regardless. Good, good. Cato found himself grinning. After all, how could he not? It felt like he finally got the opportunity to play an intellectual game against the real Yuel, not the half-assed faker who faced him back during their chess match. Yes, yes! This is more like it! Kekeke! Cato couldn''t stop himself from cackling like a gremlin. Yes, use more of these weird, unorthodox tactics. Take all these nonsensical risks and try to make them pay off. This is how you always play when you''re serious, right? This is how you beat Fiona, after all. The sheer amount of madness behind Yuels current script was proof of how seriously he was taking this match. This was very different from Yuels attitude during the chess match with Cato two years ago. You didn''t even try back then. Cato criticized. You werent serious, I could tell. So, even though I beat you, it didn''t feel as satisfying as it should have been. On that day, I didnt REALLY get to crush the same guy who beat Fiona. Back then, destroying Yuel in chess was supposed to be equivalent to defeating Fiona herself. The guy stole the regional champion title from the Landberht Princess, so defeating him was supposed to be a big deal. And yet, after Catos euphoria of victory subsided, he felt empty. It wasnt right. He didnt feel like he truly defeated the same man who triumphed over Fiona. I remember I was thrilled about the fact I crushed Yuel... for about an hour or so. Cato recalled. Then, I got to play Fiona in the finals. Brrr. The mere recollection of that match was enough to give him the shivers. It was a pure slaughter. It''s like Fiona was trying to make it perfectly clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Cato stood absolutely no chance against her, not even close. Brrr. Lets not think about it right now. Cato shook his head. I need to focus on the situation. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Things were moving forward while Cato was reminiscing about all these irrelevant things. The situation in Mid turned into a delicate board position, one that Yuel mustve meticulously prepared. It was like a check against Cato, so he had to respond accordingly. So, was my previous conclusion wrong about them wanting to gank Matt? Cato wondered. Did Beat overextend in order to lure Will? Or, was Yuel planning to gank the lane anyway and things just turned out well for him? It could be that this counter-gank against Will wasn''t even part of his original plan. It was impossible to tell anything for sure yet, but it felt like the answers to these questions would shed a lot of light on whether Yuel had anything more planned for this situation. Because, if this was the full extent of his plan, then it wasnt a very impressive one. Sure, this counter-gank came as a surprise but it wasn''t a decisive counter at all one. The Warlock''s ult was stopping William in his tracks for now, but it didn''t change the fact that William had a large HP lead over his opponent. Perhaps his entire plan was hanging on the triple resonance? That would''ve turned the situation around for sure. Willaim would have lost about 90% of his HP from a triple resonance attack, but instead, he got away with losing only 40%. Needless to say, there was a huge difference between continuing this fight with 10% HP or with 60% HP. Either way, it''s a super unreliable plan if getting the triple resonance was a must. Cato criticized. But, I wouldn''t put it past Yuel to push for a high-risk high-reward play like this, that''s more or less how he took out Fiona, after all. Cato had to read even deeper into Yuel''s intents to understand what that guy was really scheming. Was this really the full extent of the plan? Or, was there yet another surprise that Yuel was going to pull out of his magician hat? I already drew the wrong conclusion the first time I analyzed Beats overextension, so I rather not make any hasty conclusions. Cato thought. With that said, I suspect that figuring out what''s on this lunatics mind is beyond me. After all, Cato and Yuel were as incompatible as they could get. Their minds were wired in opposite ways when it came to playstyle and strategy. I''ll just have to take the situation at face value. Cato had no choice. So, lets see. Will is at 60% HP, locked inside the darkness, and he has no Stealth Wards because he''s a rascal who doesn''t listen to advice. Though Lionfolk was immune to all forms of CC while inside his dominion, he still couldn''t see his enemies inside the darkness of Eldritch Nightmare. That''s because the darkness didnt try to blind William directly but instead granted pseudo-stealth to the enemies. This made anti-stealth tools the best for countering Eldritch Nightmare. And, Stealth Wards were available to everybody from the shop. But, Will didn''t buy any. Cato sighed. I even advised everybody to do it, too. But, of course, he refused. But, its understandable. Though Stealth Wards were an effective counter, they were also a costly investment. Not to mention, William thought of himself as "lagging behind" due to his lack of kills, so he didn''t want to compromise his build any further. He even started buying less regular wards, that rascal. But, good thing that Sonya is such an obedient soldier~ Cato smiled in delight. "Sonya, do you mind granting some vision to our rebel friend?" "Yeah, on it." Sonya was already halfway to the scene. She had been cautiously approaching it the entire time, careful to not overextend in case the enemy was planning to hit her from behind. Indeed, she was as cautious as ever even though there was probably no need to be on guard in a favorable situation like this. Or, is there? Cato stopped to think. Why do I feel like I''m forgetting something? Something that has to do with how my previous conclusion about Yuel''s plans was wrong... It''s like the answer was at the tip of his tongue but he couldnt draw it out. There were just so many things to think about right now that he couldn''t keep track of everything. Anyway, the solution to the current predicament was rather simple. Sonya merely had to get close to the scene and place a Stealth Ward. That''ll grant William vision once more, which will allow him to finish off Beat, and maybe even kill Chess as a bonus. I can''t see Yuels current HP in that darkness but I bet he''s below 50% by now. Cato speculated. That ult is quite draining when you dont have MP. Though Warlocks passive allowed him to spend his HP as a replacement for MP when casting skills, the HP-to-MP conversion rate was rather brutal. In theory, Life Tap was an interesting utility that opened doors to some unusual plays like this, but in practice, it was almost impossible to put it to good use due to how self-destructive it was. So, in the end, instead of killing Will here, Yuel might give us a double kill. My, what a nice fellow~ With that said, without realizing it at the time, there was definitely one thing Cato missed about this board position. It was the very thing that nagged him earlier, the reason he drew the wrong conclusion regarding Yuels plans in the first place. His original theory was that Beat overextended in Mid in order to draw the Leopards'' attention away from Vanishing. And, according to what the ward revealed, the sneaky phantom was on her way to gank Bot. But, after considering the recent turn of events, was there still any truth to that conclusion at all? Was ganking Bot really in the plans here? And, if not, what was Vanishing up to at this moment...? Vol.17 Ch.28: A Strike From Behind Chance! Nia swung her kunai across the target''s back! And, who was the target in question? None other than Theorist, of course! The unsuspecting prey was on her way toward the darkness surrounding the lion cage, so for once, she wasnt paying as much attention to her surroundings. This gave Nia a rare opportunity to strike! Ok, next! Nia followed up on her slash with Izuna Drop. She wrapped her arms around the Aeromancer and leaped high into the air! This one was going to hurt. A lot. At this point, Nia had finished building a Lv. 3 Imperial Spear, which boosted the damage of the next skill shortly after landing a basic attack. Furthermore, the damage buff was percentage-based, so it had awesome synergy with burst damage skills like Izuna Drop. Phew, it worked! Nia sighed in relief as she watched her Ninja spinning through the air along with the captured Theorist. It was scary to use this setup. Nia admitted. I was sure everybody in the Leopards is superhuman like Lars with godlike reaction speed. But, Yuel was right. Theorist isn''t all that. In Nias experience, players with superb reaction speed like Larss could dodge this setup about 7 times out of 10. There was just enough time to plug in a Dodge Roll between Ninjas basic attack and the Izuna Drop follow-up, but only those blessed with superhuman reaction speed could do it consistently. Still, it''s always scary. Nia thought. It means the setup is never 100% guaranteed. This realization shattered Nia''s world at the time. She realized that her entire life was a lie up until that point. Imperial Spear + Izuna Drop was her bread and butter back then, and pretty much every guide in existence fervently recommended it. Some even claimed it was a guaranteed setup. It was lies, All lies. So, after she exposed this grand conspiracy, Nia tried to rely less and less on this fake setup. Sure, this made her life as a Ninja much harder, but it was far better than relying on bad habits. Or, so Nia thought. On the other hand, Yuel insisted that Nia should keep using this setup. He claimed that players like Lars were an exception to the rule and that the majority of players couldn''t counter this setup. And indeed, Yuel was right. He forced Nia to build Imperial Spear in this game despite her worries about the Leopards'' skill level, and it finally paid off! I thought all of them were going to be monsters. Nia admitted. But, maybe they''re not that scary, after all! I can do this! A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Nia slammed her helpless prey into the ground, erasing 70% of the Theorists HP! Yes, 70%! Poof. Gone. Just like that. Imperial Spear OP. Nia thought. But, I''m not complaining. Aeromancer was squishy like any mage, so even a regular Izuna Drop would have probably erased about 50% of Theorists HP. But, the passive of Imperial Spear cranked it up to 70%! That''s how awesome this thing was! I can get this kill! Nia followed up with a slash on her downed prey! She was going to draw First Blood! Was there anything her opponent could do to turn this situation around? Anything at all? I can''t believe this...! Sonya gritted her teeth. How could I forget about her in this critical moment!? Actually, it was backward, wasn''t it? It''s because this was such a critical moment that Vanishing''s existence momentarily disappeared from everybody''s minds. Sonya wouldnt normally commit such an amateurish mistake, but the tense situation in Mid occupied all her attention. On top of that, a ward recently showed Vanishing heading toward Bot, so Sonya''s mind was at ease. But, what the ward revealed was clearly just a clone and Sonya shouldve suspected that possibility all the way back then. "Y-You irritating little...!" Sonya was shaking with anger, which was very unlike her. But, who was she actually angry at? At Vanishing for being such an anomaly of a player? Or, at herself for failing to properly keep track of this phantom? I won''t let you get this kill...! Sonya didnt have any good tools for fighting at point-blank, but she had no intention of letting her opponent get away with all of this! She would have accepted her fate more calmly against anybody else, but not against Vanishing, not against this unreasonable existence that defied logic...! And so, Sonya unleashed the only burst spell the Aeromancer had access to: Squall. She summoned a sudden gust of wind, shooting it straight at the phantom''s face! But, just as Squall fired off - Vanishing disappeared! The gust of wind ended up slicing through empty air. And, a moment later, a dagger slashed Sonya again, this time from the side. She sidestepped it!? Sonya gasped but soon realized she shouldnt even be surprised. Yes, of course she can sidestep it. The startup animation is just slow enough for skilled players to react to. And, from this range... In retrospect, this outcome was only natural. From point-blank, it was easy to move to Sonyas side with a single step. And, as frustrating as it was to admit, it seemed Vanishing had sufficient mechanical skill to pull this off against Squall. I suppose she is... not that bad, I have to admit. Sonya bit her lip. As much as she wanted to reject everything about this anomaly called VanishingFlower, this phantom insisted on defying expectations. And now, this walking anomaly was going to take Sonyas life... "Sonya, my dear," Cato called out. "Place your ward, at least." "Oh, right!" Sonya jumped. I might be a goner, but there''s still one thing I can do...! Sonya turned her back to the assassin and rolled toward the dark area ahead of her. With less than 5% HP left, on the very brink of death, she successfully delivered a Stealth Ward to the scene, and then... You have been killed! FIRST BLOOD! Vol.17 Ch.29: The Chessmaster You have been killed! FIRST BLOOD! "I''m sorry..." Sonya hung her head. For her, this blunder hit much harder than any normal death. She died at the hands of Vanishing, the very phantom she was supposed to supervise. Vanishing was the one player Sonya wanted to reject with all her might, yet this same player was the one who claimed Sonyas life at this critical moment. "It''s not your fault, at least not entirely," Cato said. "They played us. I admit, I also didn''t consider Vanishing showing up here, not after we saw her deep in Bot Jungle." When the ward showed that Vanishing was heading toward Bot, it put their minds at ease. They were so glad to catch a glimpse of the highly evasive enemy that they didnt even question the data they were fed. "My, it was such a nasty bait," Cato said with his usual playfulness, but his expression was stern. "Using a clone to throw us off is like the oldest trick in the book, yet we still fell for it." Basically, Yuel exploited the fact that the Leopards were paying such close attention to Vanishing''s movements. He masterfully threw them off with that one simple trick. On top of that, Yuel also took advantage of the fact that William was an independent Jungler who believed that he was starving to death. Under these circumstances, it was almost guaranteed that a player like William would assault Mid. In addition, Yuels plan probably even took Cato''s nature into account. As a defensive player, Cato had some trouble believing that Yuel would seriously rotate to Mid with 0 MP. It''s such a barbarian play, totally unthinkable. Cato thought. Even though I knew that Yuel could be a gambler sometimes, a part of me still strongly rejected this possibility. As a result, Cato failed to prepare his teammates for Yuels ploy. Of course, he at least did the bare minimum of warning the team about the possibility of an incoming rotation, but that''s as far as he went. In the end, he failed to exercise the necessary caution. If only he had given the idea a little bit more thought, then he mightve been able to see through this ruse Well, I just have to admit it, don''t I? Cato sighed. Good job, Yuel, youve outplayed me there. Yeah, good job, good job... Honestly, Cato had mixed feelings about all of this. Should he feel salty about the fact his nemesis outplayed him? Or, should he feel honored by the fact that Yuel was using his ability to exploit weaknesses to the fullest? After all, this was the very same skill that defeated Fiona at the chess regionals. Chessmaster, huh. Cato cracked a laugh. A pompous name, no doubt. But, it feels irritatingly fitting at times like this. Every now and then, it definitely felt like Yuel had the makings of a real evil mastermind. He thoroughly deconstructed his opponents and exposed their greatest flaws. Then, he found creative tactics to exploit all these weak spots in the most disgustingly beautiful ways possible. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Yuel showcased the epitome of this technique when he faced the Landberth Princess. Even after the match was over, everybody in the audience mustve felt like Fiona was the stronger player overall. Thats because at no point during these games did it ever seem as if Yuel was better than Fiona at chess. Nonetheless, Yuel won. Despite all odds, Yuel stole victory that day by using some absurd tactics that only worked on that particular day and only in that particular matchup. This mad lad adjusted his playstyle and tactics on the fly in order to mess with Fiona, and he somehow cracked the formidable princess that Cato had been trying to break for years now. In fact, this very same princess was present in the audience here today. Though she would definitely deny it, she definitely came here to watch Yuels performance. Its cute how she tries to lie about things like that~ Cato entertained himself with such idle thoughts to distract himself from the gravity of the situation in Mid. So, how do you like this play, Fiona? Are you entertained by the little show Yuel cooked up for us? Is this what you were hoping to see? As he speculated, Fiona did, in fact, have a few comments on the development in Mid. How inelegant... Fiona muttered. Hm? What was that, sis? Karen asked. Nothing, Fiona said. I just felt like criticizing that little scheme Stratus pulled, that is all. You mean that double counter-gank? That was so slick! Karens eyes lit up. That whole overextension in Mid was totally bait, right? Indeed, it was. Aha, I knew it! They totally lured in that cocky Jungler and then they hit the Mid-Laner, too! Thats one hell of a ballsy script. Language, Karen. Whoopsie~ The mischievous sister rolled her eyes. Anyway, Cato was totally caught with his pants down, haha! Serves him right. Though, gotta say, its impressive how smoothly it worked out for Stratus. "It was a calculated scheme," Fiona said. "It took advantage of multiple specific weak spots." "Huh. So, you think it was all super planned out and stuff? Thats really impressive." "I am not sure if I would call it ''impressive'', but it was most certainly shrewd." Fiona knotted her brows. Seeing that scheme play out made her recall some bitter memories. It seemed that even after switching from chess to Classmancers, Yuel Fermond continued employing the same inelegant tactics. He prioritized offense over defense at any opportunity that allowed it, and he constantly sought ways to exploit the enemys weaknesses, no matter how small or insignificant they might have seemed. That playstyle was both praiseworthy and unsightly at the same time. Exposing enemy weaknesses was inherently the 101 of strategy, but Yuel Fermond pushed this concept to the extreme. Instead of exploiting weaknesses as a part of a bigger game plan that was backed up by game theory, Yuel sometimes made exploiting weaknesses into the ENTIRE game plan. He formed some bizarre tactics that strayed from game theory conventions; he based those solely on the specific attributes of his current opponent. For better or worse, this aspect of Yuel Fermond''s strategy remained intact even after he abandoned chess. At the very least, it was reassuring to know that the man did not abandon serious competition in general, he merely switched professions. "It appears I can still get my rematch." "Hm?" Karen titled her head. "Did you say something, sis?" "Nothing of importance." Fiona caressed her younger sister''s head with a satisfied smile. This was probably the first time she smiled during today''s show, as it was otherwise an embarrassing showcase in far too many ways. This one little scheme from Yuel Fermond was more than enough to prove that Stratus was going to be a force to be reckoned with, not just a lucky meme team. With that said, the curtain had not yet fallen on this play. Though Vanishing successfully slayed Theorist, a Stealth Ward was nonetheless placed on the lane. With its help, a ray of light shone upon Winner amidst the darkness he was locked in. Now, that he had vision, what did Winner see in front of him? Two injured prey, right within arm''s reach. And, considering the nature of this hungry beast, he was definitely planning to turn both of them into a meal. Vol.17 Ch.30: Controlled by the Enemy In her final moments, Sonya placed a Stealth Ward inside the lion cage. This warded off the darkness surrounding William, allowing him to see his foes again. It''s a 1v3 situation, but... William swiftly scanned the two opponents ganging up on him. They''re both almost dead. Beat was below 10% HP, just a single hit away from dying. Meanwhile, Chessmaster was at 20% HP at the moment, but his health bar was ticking down fast because of the ongoing Eldritch Nightmare. I can kill them! William charged at them! The King''s Dominion expired by now, but William was confident hell be able to seal the deal even without the buffs. "Hold it, I don''t think that''s a good -" Cato''s words didnt register. William had no time to be distracted by the words of someone who only analyzed this scene from afar. William was the one on the scene right now, so he knew best what he was capable of accomplishing here. With over 40% HP remaining, he should be able to get a kill or two here, then safely evacuate before Vanishing reaches him. Without further ado, he targeted Beat first. The girl had been shooting him from a safe distance for a while now, and William couldnt retaliate at all because of the darkness. But, things were different now. William stepped toward his target, but just then- WHISH! A wave of darkness hit him from the side! It was undoubtedly the Warlock''s sorcery. Is he sane? William frowned. He''s throwing all his HP away, not that I''m complaining. This was certainly an unexpected development. So unexpected that William allowed himself to be caught off-guard. He would''ve easily dodged a shot like that under other circumstances, but right now, all his attention was on Beat, and Chessmaster found the perfect moment to exploit that. Well, the damage isn''t anything to write home about. William examined his remaining 35% HP. But, he also used a Slowdown Invocation, that''s why he lost almost all his HP. Using that invocation cost Chessmaster additional HP. It was a play made by a madman. It was really unfortunate that The King''s Dominion had already expired. It wouldve saved him the trouble of dealing with soft CC effects like this Slow, but alas. As if something like that will stop me. William rolled forward to get to the target faster. Unfortunately, even his roll was slower than usual because of the debuff, so this gave the enemy plenty of time to respond. And so, Beat rolled away before William had the chance to strike. This isn''t looking good. William frowned. From this position, she can keep zoning me out for days. Which, of course, Beat immediately did. As soon as she recovered from the roll, she fired a shot at William while backpedaling. Even though she was on the verge of death and a predator was coming straight at her, Beat was not scared in the slightest. Yeah, figured. William sighed. When I''m this slow, she can almost match my speed while backpedaling. As an expert on spacing, William perfectly understood just how disadvantageous this situation was for him. His opponent was a ranged attacker who could backpedal as quickly as William could advance. In other words, William had no hope of closing the distance between them as long as the slowdown debuff persisted. To make things worse, Beat could freely shoot at him as she backpedaled. There were no consequences for her whatsoever. My only option is to jump her. He glanced at the cooldown of Majestic Leap. Unfortunately, there were still 3 more seconds on the clock. Tch, too long. Besides, I much rather save it for escaping. Considering that Vanishing was in the vicinity, it was clear William would have to retreat soon. Majestic Leap was his best tool for getting out of this sticky situation, but at the same time, it was also his best weapon for killing Beat. This was a tough dilemma. "What are you waiting for?" Cato scolded. "Get out of there. You missed your opportunity." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "But, they''re..." William gritted his teeth. This situation was so cruel. Both opponents in front of him were on the brink of death. William merely had to sneeze in their general direction in order to take them out. And yet, pulling off that one little sneeze turned out to be impossibly difficult. This was like some sort of sadistic teasing. William finally had an opportunity to score a kill, maybe even two! And yet, he was going to let this opportunity slip right through his fingers... "... I''m out." William turned toward the jungle and activated Majestic Leap. But, just as he launched into the air - there was a thud. Something hit his back and got stuck in there; it was a shuriken. Seriously? William frowned. I took the distance between us into consideration to avoid this kind of situation. At least, I shouldve... He was certainly aware of Vanishings presence and the threat she posed. So, naturally, William had been properly gauging his distance from her back when he moved toward Beat, right? ... right? I''d like to say I did, but... William couldnt claim it with full certainty. His mind was so preoccupied with Beat at the time that he didnt spare much attention to anything around him. William was supposed to be the master of spacing, yet he failed to do a basic checkup on Vanishing in the heat of the moment. But, why? Was this part of the girl''s ability to "erase her presence"? Or, was William just too tunnel-visioned in general back then? Just how much of this situation did the enemy plan in advance? William couldn''t help but ask himself that while he was flying through the air, going over the jungle wall. The way this whole situation unfolded felt incredibly scripted as if there was a higher being toying with the Leopards. And, that higher being was most likely Chessmaster. Did William really choose to gank Mid of his own will? At the time, he thought he was delivering a timely counterplay to Beats blatant overextension. So, he rotated to Mid as quickly as possible to deliver punishment. Everything about that decision seemed like the optimal play. Yet, right afterward, Chessmaster showed up in the lane to counter-gank. How? Why? Did they actually bait William into ganking Mid by taking advantage of the fact he was hungering for kills? And, that wasn''t all. It almost seemed like they used that counter-gank as another layer of bait, this time to lure Sonya out. Was that also part of some grand scheme? Did Chessmaster really come up with one plan that hit both William and Sonya at once? Just how far did the guy''s schemes extend!? At this point, William felt like a clueless mouse dancing to Chessmaster''s tune. All his actions were anticipated, controlled, and taken advantage of. This isn''t how it''s supposed to be. William thought. It''s supposed to be MY playstyle to control the enemy, and yet... He just got a taste of his own poison, except it was ten times more lethal. This whole was rather impressive, even amazing. No wonder its come to this. William thought. I didnt realize I was going up against somebody who was thinking five steps ahead of me. His Lionfolk safely landed beyond the jungle wall. He still had 40% HP, and the Warlocks slowdown was gone by now. So, it meant William could escape from here, right? Wrong. The shuriken stuck in his back was going to be his undoing. A moment after he landed - a shadow appeared behind him! SLASH! A dagger cut across his back. Vanishing was here, planning to seal the deal. I don''t have my leap, ult, or even roll. William frowned. The only thing I have is the roar, which won''t do much for me here. Nonetheless, William unleashed Mighty Roar at his opponent''s face. "RAWWWWWR!" the Lionfolk roared loudly, trying to intimidate the assaulter. However, the Ninja didn''t falter in the slightest. She slashed William again as if nothing happened. If William had a sufficient HP advantage in this situation, then his Mighty Roar would have instilled his opponent with fear. Alas, at only 30% HP, he was the one at a grave disadvantage here. As such, all his Mighty Roar achieved was stealing a small portion of the Ninjas Attack Power and Defense. This gave William an edge over his opponent in terms of raw power, but will this be enough to win the clash? Probably not. William kept it real. But, I still have to do what I can. And so, the cornered beast struck back! This feeble retaliation was all William had. CLAW! SLASH! It was a barbarian exchange of blows. William lashed at the assailant with sharp claws, and the Ninja responded in kind with her dagger. At point blank, there was not much room for combat finesse. They just bashed each other like ogres until one of them dropped. You have been killed! DOUBLE KILL Naturally, it was William who fell. He managed to bring Vanishings HP from 80% to 40%, but thats as far as he went. She extinguished his 30% HP before he could go any further. In terms of percentages, I did more damage. William tried to reassure himself. But, that doesnt really matter, does it? In the end, it''s only the final outcome that matters. Regardless of how well he fought, he nonetheless allowed the enemy to score a Double Kill, right after she got First Blood. Therefore, this was a defeat, through and through. With this outcome, the scheme involving Mid came to an end. Stratus scored two kills in a row, kicking off mid-game with great momentum. Whats more, they eliminated all players who were available to defend Mid. With that said, Chessmaster and Beat sustained grave injuries during the whole operation. So, surely, they wouldn''t risk pushing the lane in this state, right...? Vol.17 Ch.31: Aftermath of the Scheme You have killed an enemy! DOUBLE KILL "I-I did it..." Nia said in disbelief. The big, scary lion man collapsed in front of her, slain by her own hand. I won. I actually did. Against somebody from the Leopards. Two of them, even! Of course, she understood that this entire situation was only possible thanks to Yuel''s elaborate scheme. By herself, Nia would have never been able to suggest, let alone come up, with a ploy like this. In fact, even after the whole thing succeeded somehow, it still felt scary. Much of this plan was based on the idea that Nia had a better chance to momentarily vanish from the enemy''s radar in the heat of battle. Yuel claimed it was pointless to wait for the enemy to "forget" about Nia because these bullies were hellbent on stalking her 24/7. Therefore, instead of waiting for a miracle, it was far more pragmatic to create a situation in which it would be easier for Nia to vanish. It was scary. Nia shuddered as she recalled all the madness that just went down in Mid. I thought Kai was a goner for a moment there, but... Yuel showed up in the nick of time and threw the entire situation into disarray. The enemy had no choice but to focus all their attention on the unexpected situation in front of them. And, what did they miss in the process? They forgot about Nia''s existence! To be fair, my dear twin sister also tricked them. Nia proudly puffed her chest. Though, that was also Yuel''s idea... It was the mastermind of the operation who asked Nia to send her sister toward Bot. He specifically instructed her to do so near a spot where Nia suspected the enemy had a ward. The goal was to put on a convincing show. And, all these distractions actually worked. Nia looked at her hands in disbelief. I actually scored First Blood thanks to all that. Even Theorist forgot about me for a moment there! It was amazing! It was hard to believe she was this happy about scoring just two kills. She never felt this way in the previous scrim even though she got far more kills there. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. What was the difference? Was it the fact that she was playing against the Leopards, the regional champions? Maybe overthrowing the champions just felt that much sweeter, she couldn''t tell. But, I think I might be starting to understand a little what''s so fun about playing on this stage. It''s still scary, though. Before she could reach a conclusion, the mastermind was already issuing his next order. "Nia, good job. Now, return to Mid," Yuel instructed. "We''re pushing the tower." "Eh? We are?" Nia tilted her head. Her confusion was only natural considering the sorry state in which Yuel and Kais health bars were. Those two were like walking dead right now. Scary. "It''s a 5v3 situation, so we don''t have to worry about unexpected ganks," Yuel explained. "Only their Support can rotate over here right now, and theres doubt he will. But, there''s only so much he can achieve here alone against all three of us." "Ok." Nia was convinced. Though, honestly, even if Yuel didn''t explain the reason, Nia wouldve probably gone along with it anyway. One does not simply understand how an alien robot thinks. That was her excuse to shut down her brain during moments like this and just do what she was told. Good soldiers follow orders. And so, the three of them reunited in Mid once again. However, this time, the situation was calm and peaceful. There was no chaos or any immediate threats this time. It was just the three of them and their minion army, going up against a bunch of enemy minions. Nothing here was putting any pressure on them. It wasn''t scary. WHISH! SLASH! The trio combined their attacks to wipe out the enemy army. Next, they headed toward the tower. As expected, the enemy Cryomancer appeared in the distance. He was heading in their general direction, no doubt planning to interfere with the push. But, it was futile. An enemy Turret has been destroyed! The Mid Turret crumbled to dust. This was going to give Stratus immense leverage. I gotta say, Kai started. This is some big ass achievement right here, weve practically won. Nia, you really pulled through with that gank. You too, Nia said. That situation with Winner was too scary. I dont think I wouldve survived there in your place. Yeah, it was a little rough, Kai admitted. But, we did it! Now, we can start our counterattack! "No, that''s all for now. Yuel stopped the duo from getting carried away. "Lets retreat. Nia, I suggest you go to Bot Jungle." "Ok." The criminals fled the scene in opposite directions. Yuel and Kai retreated back along the lane to find a safe spot to recall, whereas Nia slipped into the jungle. She still had over 40% HP, so she could continue jungling for a while longer. They had already established a major advantage by taking down the Mid Turret, but there was no reason to stop there. Therefore, to further capitalize on the current 5v3 situation, Yuel sent Nia to counter-jungle and steal as much farm as possible. By taking advantage of everything within their reach, Stratus was going to swing the entire games momentum in their favor! Vol.17 Ch.32: The Art of Counter-Jungling "Nia, focus on counter-jungling for a while," Yuel said. "Their Jungler was in Top earlier, so some of the camps in Bot mustve respawned by now." "I''ll check." Nia went along with the plan even though it felt like bullying. She had just killed Winner, and now she was going to steal his lunch money, too. She was one ruthless gal. Scary. I guess I just check them in order? Nia went through the jungle camps in the same order she wouldve farmed them if they were on her side. The jungle routes she normally used were endorsed by both Tipmancer and the alien robot, so there was a good chance Winner used similar routes. If so, his camps should respawn in a predictable order. Admittedly, Nia didn''t have much experience with counter-jungling. She usually preferred to lay low on her side of the jungle and wait for ganking opportunities, that was chill life. But of course, Yuel called her out on this. That bully could never stop himself from exposing everybody''s weaknesses, it was as necessary as breathing for that alien robot. In fact, maybe people''s weaknesses were like oxygen for this alien robot? Hmm. Some food for thought. Anyway, as expected, Mr. Preacher lectured Nia on the topic of counter-jungling. He claimed that counter-jungling was an "art" in its own right, one that every high-level Jungler had to be familiar with. In fact, some pro players out there even made a name for themselves thanks to their strong counter-jungling. These monsters could sweep through the entire enemy jungle within seconds when given the opportunity. Scary. To drive the point home, Yuel showed Nia such examples from pro matches. It was pretty interesting. Its nice to be able to do that. Nia thought as she watched the plays. They probably get tons of extra farm from this. Indeed, such swift counter-jungling sometimes allowed the Jungler to get ahead of the rest in terms of farm. As a result, they gained earlier access to important items from their builds, enabling them to gank and counter-jungle more efficiently. All these examples convinced Nia that counter-jungling was indeed an important skill to pick up. So yes, the alien robot preacher achieved his goal of converting Nia into the Counter Jungling Cult. "Unfortunately, this is a big, complicated topic," Yuel explained. "Since we don''t have much time to prepare for the next scrim, I''ll give you the general pointers to help you get started." The first thing Yuel taught her was very simple but very effective: "Start by imagining yourself in the shoes of the enemy Jungler". That''s all. It sounded super simple, almost trivial. Nonetheless, Nia soon realized how effective that mindset was. In any game, both Junglers were interested in minmaxing the farm on their side. Therefore, by pretending that the enemy jungle was actually Nias, she was bound to farm it efficiently. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Whats more, it was often the case that enemy camps respawned in familiar intervals that matched Nias jungling rotations. Thats because the enemy Jungler used these very same rotations to clear these camps in the past. "This isnt going to be the optimal method for every situation," Yuel warned. "But, it should work well in scenarios where the enemy Jungler is dead. Thanks to this one simple trick, Nia was able to blaze through Winners camps in a familiar order. It was almost as if Winner prepared his camps specifically for Nia, what a nice guy. First, the Hyena Camp near Mid. Then the Ogre Camp, which was fortunately present. It was always a questionable camp to counter-jungle due to its long respawn times, but Nia struck gold this time. Mine! Nia snatched the red buff for herself, as there was no nearby ally to give it to. This was a big deal. The power buff will let her clear camps even faster for a while, which will put her even farther ahead of Winner! This was the true power of counter-jungling! Could it be I''m pro level already!? Scary. Nia''s amazing performance amazed even her. She couldn''t believe she was stealing such an advantage here with her own hands, and against the Leopards no less! Next, she rotated to the Wolf Camp near Bot. She made quick work of the entire camp, then went back toward Mid. There, she wiped out the Griffin Camp. Just like that, Nia swept through the enemy Bot Jungle and even took the griffins without any competition. It was a bold play that wouldve been unthinkable for her about a month ago. But, now? She was like an expert at this stuff! My learning speed is scary. She gave herself a pat on the shoulder as she returned to her usual farming routine. Since Nia had already taken out the griffins, next she went straight to the bottom of the jungle and cleared the wolves. Then, she started rotating upwards while taking out every camp along the way. The Ogre Camp on her side respawned as well, so Nia blazed right through it. However, this time, she left the power buff to Kai, who was currently on her way to the lane. Next, Nia continued onward to the Hyena Camp on the bottom side of Mid. After that, she crossed the lane and entered Top Jungle, where she cleared yet another Hyena Camp. This speed is scary. Nia thought. I''m blasting through all these camps way faster than usual. At this rate, I might even have time to counter-jungle Top! Or, not. Based on the respawn countdowns, Winner had already respawned. So, it was dangerous to counter-jungle any further for now. Oh well. Nia shrugged. Ive got lots of goodies, so I''m satisfied. That double kill in Mid led to so many benefits. Not only did Stratus destroy the Mid Turret, but Nia also got herself a bunch of extra farm from counter-jungling. In addition, she snatched herself a power buff, which allowed her to finish clearing Top Jungle way ahead of schedule. This gave her time to recall to base in order to gear up. And, while she was getting all these benefits, what did Winner gain? A whole lot of nothing. The poor guy spent most of this time as a ghost. When also factoring in the fact Nia scored two kills while Winner had none, it was clear she was far ahead of her opponent. Yes, she had a tremendous advantage against the one who was possibly the Leopards strongest player. Am I really that good!? I scare myself sometimes. Nia felt a smirk forming on her face. But, anybody would smile in a situation like this, right? She was currently at the very top of the regional competitive level! If she continues playing like this, then maybe shell even establish herself as one of the strongest players in the entire region!? Scary. Vol.17 Ch.33: Yuels Rare Praise Nia smiled giddily, imagining herself on a pedestal amidst the regions best players. "Don''t let this advantage get to your head." Yuel kicked her off the high horse. "This a good start, but the game isnt over yet. Don''t expect it to be easy to win. Our opponents are the Leopards, the regional champions." Yeah, yeah, I know Nia pouted. It felt like Yuel just poured a bucket of cold water on her head. This killed all the excitement she had a moment ago. Seriously, Kai interjected. For once in your life, would it kill you to just praise somebody without being such a party pooper? What do you mean? Yuel asked. I generally give credit where credit is due. I did say Nia did well. You did? Oh yeah, you probably mixed in something small like that in the middle of issuing orders. Kai made a face. Lemme tell you, these small throwaway praises dont feel like much at all. It always sounds like you take the outcome for granted. Well, things did go according to plan, so thats not wrong. Huh. Kai sighed. So, just because your super difficult plan worked out, does it mean the involved players dont deserve any praise at all??? Thats not what Im saying, Yuel argued. The play I planned for Mid was on the difficult side, I agree. But, I still suggested it because I knew you two had the necessary skill to pull it off. Whoa, you actually just said that with a straight face Kai felt a little embarrassed. There was unwavering faith in Yuels words. He was so confident in his high evaluation of Kai and Nias skills that he felt no need to express any of it. As far as he was concerned, the fact he suggested that risky plan for Mid already stood testament to how highly he evaluated both girls. Alright, I think I sorta get how your brain is wired, Kai said. But, we cant read your mind, you know? We dont know what you really think until you tell us. Besides, getting direct praise is well, you know. Do you want to be praised so much? T-Thats not the point! Kai made a face. Even though this was really more or less her argument, the way Yuel phrased it made the whole thing sound cheap somehow. Its as if Kai and Nia were desperately yearning for flattery, which they definitely werent! "I always tell ya, dude," Lars joined the conversation. "You gotta give out more straightforward praise, you know? Even if you appreciate ''em in your head, they can''t hear any of that." "Hmm." Yuel knotted his brows. "I thought I made it clear enough how risky and difficult my plan for Mid was. So, the fact we pulled through it should indicate enough how well they both played, am I wrong?" "Yeah, maybe it does," Lars said. "But, it still won''t hurt to reaffirm it, ya know? Not everybody gonna automatically think about it the way you do. "I see." Yuel realized he might have things for granted too much there. Even though he was very satisfied with Kai and Nias performances in Mid, he didn''t directly express these thoughts. Basically, he was like a customer who didn''t bother leaving a 5-star review even though he evaluated the service very highly. The thing is that they might get carried away if I praise them too much. That''s the one thing I have to avoid at all costs. Yuel has seen players getting carried away countless times like this. The sense of success provided a catharsis for them, which made them feel like they didn''t have to work as hard anymore. But, now that I think about it, Howard often reassures his teammates, doesn''t he? Yuel thought back on his experiences in StormBlitz. He almost always drops a word or two about the teams achievements. I never paid much attention to it before, but maybe he was following a calculated principle. Perhaps Howard did it not because he wanted to, but because he knew it was important, So, did Yuel have to do this, too? He wasn''t the captain in Stratus, but he was the shot-caller. As such, he was in a reasonable position to praise his teammates performances. Also, it seems like Ive built an image of being a cheapskate when it comes to handing out praises. Yuel made a face. So, I guess its a big deal for them when I give praise. I should really consider the implications such praise can have on the teams morale. As much as Yuel wanted to rely only on objective factors like teamwork, player skill, and strategy, there were also some emotional elements in the equation that influenced the result just as much, and one of them was morale. Yuel had seen games in which the teams morale made all the difference between victory and defeat. In fact, the selection match he lost against Howard was largely caused by low team morale. Back then, it felt like Yuels decisions caused a lot of dissatisfaction within the team. He forced Julia and Roi to do things they didn''t want to, which definitely hit their motivation and performance. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Yes, it''s undeniable that morale is a big deal. Yuel summarized. I always tend to assume that morale will stay high as long as the team makes good plays, but things arent that simple in practice. Kai and Nia surely knew that they performed well in Mid, but they also wanted to hear it from their teammates. But, instead of giving them that praise, I told Nia to not get carried away. Yuel realized his mistake. Okay, I think I know how to fix this. Hopefully. "You''re right, my bad," Yuel admitted. "I should have properly started by saying that you both did a good job in Mid." "You did pretty well, too, you know," Kai said. "I wouldn''t say I''ve done much, Yuel argued. I only cast my ult and I was almost too late to do it." "Yeah, you did cut it pretty close, huh." Kai nodded. "Thinking of it, you really took your sweet time rotating to Mid. What gives?" "I had to play around wards," Yuel explained. "Nia marked suspicious areas on the map, so I had to maneuver around those, and also dodge other meta warding spots. Now that you mention it, I don''t think Ive given Nia enough credit for that, either." "Right, you havent. Nia gave him a look. Is she begging to get praised? Yuel made a face. "So yeah, Nia, your marks were very helpful. There''s no saying whether I could''ve safely rotated to Mid if not for those." "So, youre saying the entire play in Mid was only possible thanks to me, hehe." A smirk crept onto the girl''s lips. Ugh. This is why I really don''t like praising her more than its absolutely necessary. Yuel sighed. It immediately gets into her head. As usual, Nia was a troublemaker in every sense of the word. She had a bad habit of getting drunk on any praise sent her way. Even now, she''s basking in what little praise I gave her. Yuel sighed. It''s just impossible to catch a break with this girl, is it? I constantly have to monitor her and make sure shes stable. Nia was like a big baby who needed careful care. But, despite being such a high-maintenance player, she was capable of delivering results that (mostly) made up for all the trouble. And, she only gets better and better with every game. She''s still very inexperienced, so she has a lot of room to grow. But, all such thoughts only ever existed in Yuels head. He rarely, if ever, said any of this out loud. Because of that, maybe nobody actually understood how he really evaluated Nia. All they ever saw was Yuels strictness toward the girl and the lack of praise. Ive been avoiding praises so she wont get carried away, but maybe I was looking at it the wrong way. Yule realized. Getting used to praise to the point she won''t be carried away is also an important skill to work on. Perhaps Yuel was worrying too much about Nias growth, to the point of hampering said growth with how own two hands. By denying Nia the praise she deserved, Yuel didnt allow the girl to get used to receiving praise. In turn, this mightve made her problem even worse. I somehow developed the image of somebody who rarely gives any praise, so Nia probably regards my praise too highly. This is the exact opposite of how I wouldve wanted her to develop I wouldnt go as far as saying that the ENTIRE play in Mid was only possible thanks to your efforts, Yuel clarified. It was possible thanks to many factors, such as Kai and Ben doing a good job in their respective lanes. But, you did play an integral part in all of it. Your stealthiness and ward-marking were two key ingredients that allowed us to execute the plan smoothly. Hehe. Nia twisted her lips like a smiling cat. The praise made her feel that good, huh. With that said, Yuel continued. I still have to stress its important that none of this gets to your head. The reason I often refrain from praising you is that you have a bad habit of getting carried away. Me? Yes, you. Every time somebody gives you the tiniest of praises, you suddenly start thinking youre the best player in the world. Nope, never happened. Deny it all you want, but its the truth. It really kinda is, Kai agreed. I mean, I know Im the one who attacked Yuel about this, but I kinda see his point. You really do get carried away sometimes, Nia. Really? Nia tilted her head. Hmm. I dunno if I agree. Just accept it already, Kai said. As for you, Yuel. You shouldve explained all this shit to us right away so we dont get the wrong impression. Yes, I realize that now." "You always realize these things so damn late, huh." Kai shook her head. "Anyway, Nia. There you have it. He gave you your well-deserved praise, but don''t let it get to your head." "Whoa, there are two Yuels now..." Nia made a face. Did the alien robot just convert a human to his cause!? So, that''s how these weird species multiply. I see. Nia pouted for a few more seconds but then decided to let it go. As much as she wanted to disagree with the "getting carried away" part, she couldn''t deny it entirely. There were times when the praise she received fully occupied her mind. But, it only happened a few times, okay? And, these were all short-lived instances. Yeah. Anyway, he did praise me. Actually, both of them did. Nia smiled to herself. And, the others also said some nice things about how I played. Hehe. Lars and Ben also congratulated Nia back when she scored her Double Kill. Those two were easier customers than Kai and Yuel, but it felt good to be praised all the same. Basically, the entire team recognized Nias worth! On top of that, the Leopards had been wary of Nia the entire game. In fact, it probably wasnt a stretch to say they were scared of her! And, Nia lived up to that scary reputation by being the first one to bust through the Leopards defense and score a kill! Could it be that I''m... kinda awesome!? Nia shivered in excitement. Maybe I got the makings of a pro!? Yes, for sure! Such thoughts filled her mind as she rotated around the map. Not to brag, but she was pretty much the MVP of this game! From the moment Nia scored that Double Kill, Stratus was on a roll. They started off the mid-game with strong momentum, and the Leopards had been struggling to reclaim control over the flow of the game. But, of course, the Leopards were no pushovers. Their defense was as airtight as ever and they launched a few nasty counterattacks, too. So, the game was still far from decided. Vol.17 Ch.34: Ronalds Ghost Hunt Stratus built immense momentum after scoring the Double Kill in Mid, but the Leopards refused to yield to this one strong play. They kept deflecting all incoming attacks and even launched a few counterattacks of their own. In particular, Winner went on a few savage hunts, as if in revenge for the humiliation in Mid. An ally has been killed! An enemy has been killed! An allied Turret has been destroyed! An enemy Turret has been destroyed! The game went back and forth. Both sides were roughly equal in their performance. For each kill one team scored, the other team soon returned the favor. For every demolished allied tower, an enemy tower soon fell as well. Despite starting the mid-game from a very disadvantageous position, the Leopards renounced nicely and held their ground. Their superb teamwork and oppressive defense made it difficult for Stratus to press home their advantage. But, no matter how amazing the Leopards'' performance was, it wasn''t enough. Though they prevented Stratus from extending the lead, they couldnt close the gap Nia opened when mid-game started. Even now, Stratus was still leading by two kills and one tower. W-We might actually win this! Nia gulped as she analyzed the stats screen for the hundredth time. The advantage I created is still here! It''s carrying us! Hehe. Not to brag or anything, but Stratus was pretty much winning thanks to Nia here. It was her awesome Double Kill that established this advantageous position. Maybe I''m actually at the Leopards'' level. Heck, maybe Im even better! Nia snickered as she stealthily traversed through the jungle. She was a phantom who terrorized the entire enemy team! The Leopards knew Nia was sneaky, but it was simply impossible for them to keep an eye on her 24/7. Stratus launched many bold attacks, so every now and then, the Leopards minds wandered. And, that''s when Nia struck! Ok, let''s see. Where should this pro Jungler rotate to next? Hehe. Nia giggled to herself. She felt untouchable within the depths of the jungle. Nobody would be able to find her inside this fog. From here, Nia could safely launch an attack on anybody. She was capable of striking from anywhere and at any time, that''s how pro she was. Or, so she thought. But, as if to cut right through that conviction, a blade leapt at her from around the corner! "E-Eh!?" "Fouuuuund you!" Ronald cut off the sneaky Ninjas rotation before the girl could try anything funny. This sure took a damn while, but Ive finally registered you! Ronald slashed again as if to reaffirm the existence of the phantom in front of him. As expected, his blade struck home yet again. VanishingFlower was definitely in front of him right now. Ronald could touch her with his blade, to rip her HP asunder. Listen, girl. I dunno what''s your deal, but I''m about to put an end to whatever that youre doing! Ronald promised. You''ve been giving bro and the team way too much trouble. Its time to end this! Ronald activated Draconic Flame, unleashing a swing of fire. This was going to be his third hit in a row! WHISH! Alas, the Ninja rolled on the ground. She dove underneath the flame attack just in the nick of time. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Meh, figured. Ronald shook his head. Of course you can dodge that much. After all, you''re an opponent I bothered to register. So, you gotta be at least this good, right? Ronald immediately closed the distance with Draconic Rush. He charged straight in the direction of Vanishing''s roll and rammed into her before she recovered! You know, when you subbed in again, I thought they replaced a hella cool memer with some weako. Ronald admitted as she attacked again. To be honest, I still don''t really get whats your deal. You just kinda sneak up on people because they let you do it. Heck, even I let you do it. Somehow, nobody ever notices you before it''s too late. Despite accumulating 5 kills on her record by now, Vanishing remained a somewhat forgettable existence. Sonya and Cato periodically warned about her position, which probably helped the team avert a few disasters, but even that wasn''t enough. In the end, Vanishing always found a way to sneak up on people. Truth be told, despite all these kills, Ronald also hadnt registered Vanishing as a strong opponent this entire time. However, that changed when he noticed the obvious irritation on his older brother''s face. William only has 3 kills on his record at the moment. Yes, thats right. Despite how amazing bro was at scoring kills, he was lagging behind that weak phantom by 2 kills. It was unacceptable! Not to mention, this game is hella stingy when it comes to kills, so a 2-kill difference is a lot. Ronald made a face as he looked at his own 1/2/1 score. Yes, he had only scored a single kill in this game thus far, and also one assist when he helped his bro to seal the deal. Man, I died more than I killed. And, both times were to this girl! Ronald swung his blade once more, but his opponent had no intention of making this easy. Vanishing turned toward him and jumped backward using Shuriken Backflip. But, Ronald was faster. SLASH! He sliced Vanishings torso while she was in mid-air! Ive been waiting for this! He immediately rolled after his prey. This was a predictable development for this duel, so he was more than prepared for it! I''m gonna end this phantom once and for all! Ronald pressed on with his fierce offense. His prey couldn''t retaliate at all, the girl was shook. I''mma kill her real good! From every possible point of view, Ronald was on a roll here. And yet, some of his teammates expressed dissatisfaction with his actions. "Youve had your fun, but I think that''s quite enough," Cato said sternly. "You''re overextending too much." "Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing!" Ronald reassured as he slashed his opponent once again. At this point, his prey was already down to 30% HP. It''ll be an ezpz kill from here! With that said, Cato''s worries weren''t entirely unfounded. Ronald invaded deep into the enemys jungle in order to assault Vanishing, and it turned out this surprise attack fell within the enemys calculations. As Ronald went for another slash, the area around him turned black. He was certain that his blade successfully struck Vanishing, but he couldn''t even see her right now. The entire area was colored in pitch black. "Heh, you think thatll faze me?" Ronald placed a Stealth Ward to disperse the darkness. He came here 100% prepared! The Stealth Ward successfully revealed the two elusive enemies in Ronalds vicinity. It was a 1v2 situation, but there was no real reason to pay any heed to the Warlock. All Ronald cared about was killing Vanishing. Lets gooooooo! The enemy probably thought they had Ronald cornered with that Eldritch Nightmare, but nope! This meager ult wasnt going to stop a pro like him! A Stealth Ward? Yuel frowned as he spotted an enemy ward appear for a moment before turning invisible. That was an unexpectedly smart play from Challenger. This is bad. Yuel bit his lip. I was sure my ult will be enough to help Nia escape, but I underestimated Challenger. His skill level is really hard to measure. It felt like Challengers skill level greatly varied depending on who he was facing. His performance was mediocre against average-level opponents, but his skill suddenly skyrocketed when he faced a serious threat. So, this is the Threat Overthrower trait Vincent was talking about. Yuel had no choice but to recognize Vincent''s on-point analysis yet again, despite the silly nickname. It seemed like, right now, Challenger recognized Nia as a "strong opponent". This was supposed to be an unlikely scenario, given Nia''s elusiveness. But, she really outdid herself in this game, so it wasnt too strange for Challenger to take notice of her. And so, Nia found herself marked by the most savage beast among the Leopards. At his strongest, Challenger was perhaps able to surpass even Winner. So, in the current fight, his strength might be second only to Lars''s. Even Warlock''s powerful ult failed to put a stop to the beast''s savage assault. Challenger was on a roll there! Vol.17 Ch.35: The Unstoppable Challenger! Challengers fierce offense wasnt slowing down, and Nia found herself helpless against it. The attack caught her off guard. She lost almost all her HP while trying to get away. It feels like she was distracted by something else when it happened. Yuel thought. If she paid attention, she shouldve realized that I was nearby. Then, she couldve positioned herself a lot better. Or, maybe she was just nervous? It was impossible to tell at this point. Either way, the fact remained that Nia only focused on creating distance between herself and the unexpected predator. She didnt try getting closer to Yuel at all, which made it difficult for him to rescue her. Ugh, I can''t save her from here. Yuel concluded. "Lars, rotate over here!" "Heh, I knew you gonna say that, dude!" Lars exclaimed. "Already on my way!" "Good." Yuel nodded. "Kai, Ben. I''d like you to rotate toward Mid along this path." He drew a route on the mini-map. "Got it." "Alright." "Okay." Yuel took a deep breath. "Nia, I''m sorry to say this, but your chances of surviving this are very low. So, the best you can do right now is fight back and injure him as much as possible." "O-Ok..." Nia reluctantly flipped a switch in her brain. Instead of focusing 100% on escaping, she turned toward the predator and slashed back. Her Shadow Clone and Izuna Drop were already on cooldown before any of this started, and she had also spent her Shuriken Flip a few moments ago. Heck, even her Dodge Roll was on cooldown. So, all she had left were basic attacks. It''s like he waited for the best moment to attack me. Bully! Nia pouted. Did he stalk me or something? Scary. Challenger really caught her at the most awkward moment possible. She used to think of the guy as easy prey for her ganks, but it turned out Challenger could be one heck of a scary predator himself. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! The exchange of blows continued for a while longer. Nia swang her dagger as much as she could, trying to leave as many injuries as possible on her opponent. Alas, the end was nigh. You have been killed! "Game over..." Nia twisted her lips in dissatisfaction. She knew her fate was sealed for a while now, but the outcome still upset her. Just losing a fight against Challenger was still fine. But, dying and allowing the enemy to shrink the score gap wasnt cool. Now, Stratus was only one kill ahead of the enemy. My poor two-kill advantage... This felt like a personal attack against Nia in every way. Not only did Challenger target her specifically, but he also made sure to eliminate the firm advantage Nia established during mid-game. Fortunately, even though it was clear how impossible it was to save Nia, Yuel still dashed to the scene. So, the entire time that Challenger and Nia were locked in a fight, Yuel also fired shots at Challenger from behind. No matter how skilled Challenger was at his best, it was impossible for him to duel Nia and dodge Yuels shots at the same time. As a result, the guy sustained hefty damage from the entire exchange. When he initially approached Nia, Challenger was at 80% HP. But now, thanks to the combined efforts of Yuel and Nia, the guy was down to 50%. It shouldve been lower than that. Yuel thought. Hes such an aggressive player, yet he built his Dragonborn rather tanky. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Still, 50% HP was good. From this position, it should be possible to submit this aggressive Dragonborn. And, the right person for the job arrived just in time! ZAP! A laser beam flew across the area, piercing through Challenger! That surely gave the enemy a good slap. "Whoa!" Ronald jumped. "Gunz is here, too!? Sick!" Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. His heartbeat accelerated. He could hear the beats all the way in his brain. The world around him slowed down as if it was framed inside a static picture. Damn, how lucky! Not only did Ronald eradicate the enemy phantom, but he also got a chance to face Stratus'' ace! This opportunity was hard to come by, so he wanted to go all ham on that strong bruh! Can I take him out in dragon form? I''m pretty sure I can! All of Ronald''s skills were on cooldown, including his Dodge Roll. Therefore, no matter whether he was going to fight or flee, his best bet was to turn into a dragon first. He can decide on his next course of action afterward. As far as Ronald was concerned, going on the offensive against Gunz would be the sickest move ever! Elf didnt have ultra-fast basic attacks like most marksmen, so he wasn''t such a dangerous foe in duels, at least in theory. Therefore, as long as Ronald stays in the guy''s face and attacks nonstop, he should be able to gain the upper hand! Alas, the usual party popper had to interfere. "Ronald, retreat. Now." Cato''s voice left no room for negotiations. "You tell him something too, Will." "Hmph." William didnt respond right away. A part of him was curious to see how far Ronald''s innate talent would get him in this gravely disadvantageous situation. Ronald was at the absolute top of his game right now, which was a rare occurrence. Whenever the brat entered this special mode, it was nigh impossible to stop him, William knew that from experience. Ronald was the more mechanically gifted brother, but Willaim still often won whenever they fought because he employed superior tactics. However, on rare occasions, Ronald entered a state in which he triumphed over a single strategy William came up with. When the brats eyes gleamed like a sharpened knife, his performance shot through the roof. And, right now, Ronald had exactly that expression. So, if it was ever possible for him to defeat Gunz, then it was now. I want to see it. Willaim thought. Can he pull this off even though I couldn''t? Willaim only ever reached a draw against Gunz. No matter what refined tactics he used, he couldn''t overwhelm Gunz as he hoped. But, maybe Ronald can achieve that. Do I want to see him succeed, or...? William wasn''t sure where he was going with that train of thought. What outcome did he wish to witness? Which result will make him feel better? "Um, Will?" Cato asked again. "If you dont mind, I''d like your support to convince this brat to stop his foolishness. You''re the only one he ever listens to, you know." "Right..." Willaim shook his head to ward off the unnecessary thoughts. This is foolish. That isnt even a real 1v1 situation, so what am I even hoping to see there? "Ron, retreat," William finally spoke. "You''re going to die there." "Geh! Okay, bro." Ronald also has been wrestling with this dilemma for a while now. He felt like he might be able to destroy Gunz right now, but he was also plenty aware of the immense danger of the situation he was in. If bro thinks it''s best to scram, so I''mma scram. Ronald finished transforming into his dragon form. "I''m out!" He activated Draconic Rush, which came off cooldown when Ronald turned into a dragon. And so, the dragon leapt high into the air, planning to fly over the nearby jungle wall. However, while Ronald was still high in the air, he heard it coming - ZAP! Another laser beam went through him! He can really do that!? Sick! Ronald found himself grinning. Even though his HP fell all the way down to 30%, he was nonetheless excited. I must have a proper duel with this bruh. I wanna trash him real good! Unfortunately, the current situation didnt allow that. Here, Ronald had no choice but to flee. And so, jumped passed over the wall and landed in a different area of the jungle. With this maneuver, he quickly got away from his opponents, but... Geh, these narrow passages! Ronald cursed. In his dragon form, it was really difficult to navigate through these parts of the jungle. Most pathways here were just barely big enough to let him squeeze through. Every time, he had to perfectly pass through the in order to get through. It was quite the pain in the neck, and definitely a terrible escape plan. Welp, nobody said I have to do it this way. Ronald reverted back to human form. Ah, yes, freedom! Now, he easily passed through the jungle areas ahead of him without having to worry about squeezing through. And so, after successfully striking down the enemy phantom, Ronald was about to return home as a hero, or so he thought... Vol.17 Ch.36: The Overextension That Ruined Everything Ronald deactivated his Dragon form in order to have an easier time maneuvering around the jungle. Gunz and Chessmaster shouldn''t be able to catch up to him anytime soon, so it was fine to escape the rest of the way as a human. "Hey, I did it!" Ronald grinned. "I actually smacked that dang Vanishing! Pretty awesome, right?" As if to answer the question, a loud BAM resounded! Right as Ronald passed around the corner, a shockwave knocked him high into the air! "W-Wha-!?" Ronald exclaimed. "Why is he...!?" It was Vanguard''s Heavy Stomp and a charged-up one at that! EnduringPhoenix was here, and it''s as if bruh was waiting for Ronald to show up here all along! But, that wasn''t the end of the surprises. While Ronald was in midair, a dark magical ball smacked him! Even she is here!? Ronald gasped. Dang, it''s like theyve been waiting for me...! Until now, Ronald was confident that he safely escaped from danger. But, it turned out a nasty trap was waiting for him along the way! "Um, guys?" Ronald smiled wryly. "I might have a problem here, haha..." He tried to roll away as soon as he landed, but the Sorcerer''s Dimensional Collapse pulled him back toward the Vanguard. In turn, Phoenix unleashed Provoke, forcing the Dragonborn to stay around for a while longer. Just like this, in a matter of seconds, that organized duo made quick work of what was left of Ronald''s HP. You have been killed! "Welp, I tried." Ronald shrugged and dropped back on his chair. "At least Vanishing is finally out of the picture. I did good, right?" "Absolutely not," Cato asserted. "That overextension was beyond foolish. Can you explain to me how you expected to walk out of there alive? You dove absurdly deep into enemy territory." "Hey, I almost made it, right? Ronald insisted. I mean, I got in, smacked the Ninja girl, and then got out. It''s not my fault they prepared such a nasty trap for me at the last moment." "Except, it totally IS your fault, Cato argued. You should have expected it to be hard. I thought we all agreed by now that Stratus is a competent team this year and that we have to treat them as such." "Eh, yeah, I guess." Ronald awkwardly scratched his head. "Buy hey, it was totally worth, right? Finally, we got a kill on this Vanishing girl! It''s the first time we killed her this game, so big stonks!" "Perhaps it would have been big stonks if you had achieved this 10 minutes earlier," Cato said. "But, late-game is already around the corner. At this point, as long as we stick together, Vanishing should barely get any opportunities to assassinate anybody. In other words, she''s not that big of a threat anymore." "You say that, but the fact is, shes still racking up them kills." "... yes, she did pull a few fast ones on us, I admit." Cato frowned. Though, it wasn''t just Vanishing, per se. I''m sure Yuel was the one who arranged all these convenient board positions for her. Ever since Vanishing scored the Double Kill at the start of the mid-game, Cato had been extra careful to not give that phantom any more opportunities. And, Sonya also had been aiding him greatly in keeping track of the assassin''s movements. Therefore, as an individual player, Vanishing was thoroughly shut down. If this were a ball game, then Cato and Sonya were doing the equivalent of double-teaming Vanishing in order to stop all incoming passes from reaching her. We did our job well if I do say so myself. But... Somehow, Yuel still found ways to get the ball to Vanishing. He used court-wide distractions, forcing Cato and Sonya to respond to difficult situations. And, in the heat of such intense moments, their tight mark around Vanishing slipped ever so slightly. And, that little opening was more than enough for Vanishing to exploit the opportunity. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. My, it sure infuriates me. Cato scowled. No matter how hard I try to come up with a defensive strategy against this nonsense, it never quite works out. Yuel''s offense is so darn unpredictable. As a whole, the Leopards'' defense was airtight, Cato made sure of that. They deflected almost every incoming attack, ensuring that Stratus could not build any further momentum. And yet, Vanishing somehow slipped through the tiny cracks in that defense. In the end, Cato managed to deflect every attack Yuel organized, save for the ones that involved Vanishing. I''m sure Yuel realized that too. Cato thought. It feels like hes focusing more and more on attacks that make use of Vanishing. Basically, hes putting all his eggs in one basket. Its such a Yuel-like thing to do. And, so far, it had been paying off. Yuel was gambling on the dark horse and snatching the big prize every time. However, this wasn''t the end for the Leopards, far from it. Though Cato was a little shocked at first by how things had developed, he was gradually coming to terms with this reality. He had no choice but to admit that Vanishing was a threat he couldn''t fully neutralize, not with Yuel backing her up. So, Ill focus on minimizing casualties. Cato thought. That''s the best I can do against these unpredictable plays. It might have sounded like a defeatist mentality, the Leopards were the kind of team Cato groomed to win with that approach. In addition, since William had been competing against Vanishing over who could score the most kills, the Leopards weren''t lagging behind Stratus by too much. Their biggest momentum loss thus far was Vanishing''s Double Kill in mid, but otherwise, the two teams had been going toe-to-toe ever since. Well reach the endgame as long as we keep defending. Then, Matt''s Seraph can carry us to victory. At least, that was my plan, until a certain fool ruined everything... Cato wasnt lashing at the brat just out of spite this time. That kill Ronald scored on Vanishing was a terrible trade through and through. I''ve been working my arse off to ensure everybody''s safety, but this fool just went ahead and suicided on Vanishing. Foolish, so foolish "Congratulations," Cato said. "You may have just ruined the entire game with that play." "Who? Me?" Ronald innocently pointed at himself. "Yes, you, Cato asserted. Our game plan here is to defend and stay alive until the late-game, Ive told you that many times." "But, that''s the plan only because youre scared shitless of Vanishing, right? Ronald asked. So, here, I took care of her. You should be grateful, not ranting." "Yes, you did take care of her. But, you also died in the process, which invalidates the entire point." "How so?" "Oh my, is that head of yours just for show? Cato sighed. Your goal was to prevent further causalities, right? And, you tried to achieve that by suiciding. A 10/10 master plan." "Heh, yeah, if you look at it that way, then its not the best outcome. Ronald smiled awkwardly. Man, I still cant believe they caught me there. That was clean." "Oh, I''m glad you think so highly of our opponents. Do you want to switch teams, perhaps? I''ll fill in the papers for your transferral." "Thanks but no thanks." "Then shut up and listen, kid, Cato said. Your death just ruined everything weve been working on. We were finally entering the point in the game where Vanishing''s opportunities to kill will be very limited, yet you went ahead and let Stratus get another kill for free." "It wasn''t free, though. It was one-for-one." "Oh yes, it was a fair trade, sure, Cato said. But, which team currently has the lead? They do. And, do you know which team usually benefits more from ''fair trades''? The one thats in the lead. In other words, them." It was just like in chess. The leading player was more likely to offer fair trades because it simplified the board state for them. So, Ronalds trade only seemed fair on paper, but in truth, it greatly favored the enemy team. Yuel was probably thanking Ronald for that exchange right now. So foolish Hey, Matthew whispered privately to Cato. I understand that youre mad, but we need to focus on the game. Right, right. Cato took a deep breath. For a moment there, he almost lost himself in his anger. After taking a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts, Cato finally moved on. He was still itching to lash at Ronald some more, but doing so wasnt going to improve the Leopards situation. Catos sour mood was caused by a combination of small annoyances like that - Ronalds disobedience, Vanishings unpredictable attacks, Yuels bizarre tactics, and so forth. Worst of all, there was also the Leopards reputation to consider. Losing this game would put the scrimmage at 2-2, tying the score. Itd make it look as if Stratus was on par with the Leopards, the regional champions. And, itll definitely make a certain Emperor quite mad... But, Matt is right. The game isnt over yet. Cato took another deep breath. No matter how many attacks Yuel launches at me, Ill keep deflecting them until the very end. As long as we keep defending properly, Im sure well get our chance eventually. Unfortunately, optimism wasnt enough to win games. The impact of Ronalds death was larger than expected, it gave Stratus a burst of momentum to push Mid. They already had a decisive advantage over there, and now they were expanding it further. No matter how hard Cato wanted to deny it, things werent looking good for the Leopards... Vol.17 Ch.37: The End of the Fourth Game The longer the game went on, the clearer it became that Stratus would win if nothing changed. And, unfortunately, Cato was unable to come up with anything smart. This kind of thing is SO not my forte. Cato admitted. A big part of why I like playing defense is that it helps me avoid helpless situations like this. But, once Im forced into one... He had no idea what to do. Sure, there were a few general tactics he was familiar with, but neither he nor his teammates excelled at utilizing any of them. I see that Will is still trying things, but it''s not going well. Cato placed some of his hope on William, the one player on the team who was both a strong warrior and a good tactician. If there was somebody here who could come up with a game-winning move, it''d be him. And, indeed, Willaim launched a few strong attacks on the enemy. He was the only one on the team scoring a decent amount of kills, and it should be noted that he usually didnt die in the process, unlike his younger brother. Hmph. The brat doesn''t even deserve to be mentioned. Cato made a face as he glanced at Ronald, who was waiting on his respawn timer once again. I mean, he''s getting some kills, but they almost always come at a cost. If anything, this only makes defending harder. Cato cursed every time Ronald pulled something stupid and got himself killed in the process. But, at the same time, at least the kid was trying to change something about the situation. Meanwhile, Cato only knew how to stick to defense and wait for the endgame. He was placing all his hopes on Matthew, the Messiah who''ll surely rescue them all! On his end, Matthew was playing it safe. He understood the importance of his role in the endgame, so he didn''t let the enemy get any kills on him until then. The only time he died was the result of a sneaky gank from Vanishing, which was something that caught every player of the Leopards off-guard at least once by now. Matthew himself scored 1 kill and 2 assists, which made up for his 1 death. So, overall, his position was rather neutral as the fight was entering the endgame. But, that''s not good enough. Cato frowned. Even though we''re practically at the endgame now, he still can''t do anything too flashy because the momentum is on their side. Cato''s persistent defense safely delivered the Leopards into the endgame, but that''s all it achieved. He failed to break the enemy''s momentum and equalize the situation. And so, the curtain fell on this helpless game. DEFEAT It was an inevitable result, yet the Leopards still found themselves in disbelief as they stared at the red letters on the screen. So, we lost... Cato bit his lip. His fists were shaking, but he hid them underneath the table. Formation A, in which Cato and Matthew played Bot, was supposed to be their best formation for combating Stratus. And yet, Stratus still bested them. To make things worse, the booing from the audience stuck again. CLAP! CLAP! Clapping resounded across the stadium as if mocking the Leopards. Thankfully, this time, it didn''t develop into thundering applause. Nonetheless, the stadium was quiet enough for the clapping to echo loudly. It''s not just one person clapping, that''s for sure. Cato scanned the audience to find the culprits responsible for the mental attack. It was very much possible that the same hooligans were responsible for sparking the fire during the last round of applause too. I see its mostly that group over there. Cato had a hard time making out their faces from this distance, but most of the clapping echoed from a group of kids, probably middle schoolers. Is that StormBlitz...? Cato couldnt tell for sure since he only ever saw StormBlitzs members from afar, but he was almost convinced that they were the masterminds behind this clapping fiasco. It just made too much sense. Yuel used to play on their team, so its not too strange for them to help him out a little. Cato reasoned. Besides, we''re their biggest rivals, so of course, they want to drag us through the mud. My, so uncultured... Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It was reassuring to know that an enemy team manufactured this mental attack and that the booing didnt come from a neutral audience. Basically, it was just their biggest rivals throwing some dirt at them. Then again, are they really our biggest rivals this year? Cato instinctively glanced at the other side of the stage. It seems StormBlitz isn''t the only team we have to worry about... With two wins to its record today, Stratus was on its way to establishing itself as a fellow powerhouse that could rival the Leopards. Yuels team was every bit as dangerous as StormBlitz. Nah, Im exaggerating here. Cato reassured himself. StormBlitz has solid fundamentals, but Stratus playstyle is a bit fragile. Im sure that reviewing todays games will expose many holes that we couldve exploited in Yuels shenanigans. Once we learn how to capitalize on all these opportunities, Stratus wont be a threat anymore. Same as his tactics in chess, Yuel had a wonky shot-calling style. It looked strong and sophisticated, but underneath all the smokescreen, there were many holes and openings. Cato just had to become better at exploiting these weaknesses, that''s all there was to it. Alrighty, that''s enough of me pep-talking myself. Cato took a deep breath and stood up. Now that he pumped up his own spirits, it was time to do the same for the rest of the team. After all, he was the captain, so he had to pretend that everything was fine. "My, my, how unexpected," Cato started. "What do you mean ''unexpected''?" Willaim retorted. "They had the lead ever since mid-game started. It''s all because of that Double Kill." "Yes, that was the game-changer for sure," Cato agreed. "It was quite the elaborate scheme, I''ll give them that. To be honest, I still can''t figure out what part of it was planned and what was improvised." "You can say that again." Sonya pushed her glasses. "The whole thing in Mid was too much. I can''t believe somebody would actually commit to a clunky plan like that. It''s not efficient." "I agree. Cato nodded. It only worked out by coincidence." Though, I''m sure Yuel had it planned down to the details. Questionable and fragile strategies like that are his bread and butter. But, I''ll keep that to myself. Even in the unlikely scenario that Yuel orchestrated the entire play from start to end, it didn''t change the fact the strategy had many holes in it. There were at least a hundred different things that couldve gone horribly wrong. So, it was practically a fluke. "They got us good with that lucky, little ploy," Cato said. "And, after that, I couldn''t come up with a way to turn the tables around. I apologize for that." "Damn straight," Ronald said. "You pretty much told us to defend all day, as if that was going to change anything." "Perhaps it would have if a certain somebody cared enough to protect his life instead of throwing it away at every opportunity." "Meh, all of us have died a few times, right?" Ronald shrugged. "Besides, if not for me and bro getting some kills, we wouldve had no chance of catching up." "In theory," Sonya interjected. "Prioritizing stable defense shouldve netted us a better result than your reckless aggression did." "My, as expected from my secretary~" Cato rejoiced. "I knew you''d support me on anything~ Only when you actually make sound arguments, which isnt often. And, Im not your secretary. My, how brutal. But, thats what I love about you~ Oh, put a sock in it. Sonya spat a sigh, but she also cracked a faint smile at this dumb exchange. It was silly, but having this regular exchange was almost reassuring as if everything was alright right now. It certainly helped lessen the blow of losing a second game to Stratus. So, both of you gonna gang up on me? Ronald asked. You can say whatever you want about defense being better in theory, but defending all day long cant win us the game. Yes, Sonya admitted. Coasting on defense alone would have been tough, borderline impossible. You see? Thats what Im saying! Thats why I said that your reckless attacks were uncalled for. On the other hand, William did a great job. My, my. Cato smiled impishly. Praising your love interest as usual~ H-Hes not! Sonya scowled. I just give credit where credit is due, thats all. Do you have to be such an ass about everything? I dont think this is the appropriate time for stupid jokes like that. Hmm. Maybe youre right. Cato smiled meaningfully. Then again, it did make you forget about your troubles for a moment there, didnt it? Yes, because it created a whole new problem for me to react to. Sonya fixed her glasses, then sighed in defeat. She knew she shouldnt entertain this line of dialogue, it was a recipe for getting a headache. But, admittedly, this banter helped Sonya relax a little. And, it seemed to have a similar effect on the test of the team as well. Perhaps this was Cato''s plan all along, but Sonya didn''t feel like giving the guy any credit for this. After a few more exchanges, the team came down from the stage. The atmosphere around them was still a bit heavy, but they had mostly come to terms with this result. Compared to suffering an embarrassing defeat in the 2nd game and dealing with the oppressive applause, losing this game didn''t feel like the end of the world. It was frustrating for sure, but the team didn''t have as much trouble coming to terms with it. At this point, they just had to admit that Stratus was a competent team this year, possibly on par with StormBlitz. We''ll just have to make a comeback in the next game, simple as that. Cato thought. Though, I suppose it won''t feel quite as satisfying to win that game, not with HIM playing on the team... And so, the team headed back to their room. They prepared themselves to get lectured by the coach, and possibly be grilled by the Emperor... Vol.18 Ch.1: When Elusiveness Attracts Too Much Attention "Overall, it was a good game," Rodriguez opened his lecture with that. It might have sounded like a nice, gentle opener, yet it made the Leopards shudder. "Surely, you understand at which point things have started going south for you?" "When the Double Kill in Mid happened," Sonya replied instantly as if she had been waiting for this opportunity her whole life. She knew it was best to quickly own up to her mistakes, doing so should score her some points on the coach''s exam. "Correct, Rodriguez said. That was the First Blood of the game and a big turning point for both teams. It was an interesting situation, that I assure you we''ll analyze in great detail during the match review." "Haha, fun..." Ronald rolled his eyes. "With that said," Rodriguez continued. "To put it simply, the enemy outplayed you in that scenario. They weaved an elaborate scheme that involved great risk, but it paid off for them. As such, there isn''t much you can learn from that incident for the next game. Just be more vigilant." Everybody nodded in response. So far, the coachs assessment of that play was in line with Catos speech from earlier. So, I was in the right direction overall. Cato nodded in satisfaction. But, I''m sure Coach won''t leave it at that. In fact, I really hope he doesn''t because there''s certainly one issue I''d like him to bring up. Alas, Cato would have to wait a little longer for that. Before dissing the team''s biggest troublemaker, Rodriguez first focused on the team''s attention span issues. "That play aside, Rodriguez continued. There was one glaring issue with the team''s focus in this game. Does anybody care to venture a guess?" "............" Only awkward silence responded to that question. The players exchanged uncertain glances, each of them hoping somebody else would step forward to answer. Alas, nobody seemed confident. "Hmm, so you really didn''t notice?" Rodriguez asked. "Perhaps my wording was a little vague. There was a certain element in this game that constantly weighed on your minds, wasn''t there?" Nobody managed to give a response even then. Nothing immediately came to mind. Unable to bear this silence, the team''s brat decided to throw a guess. "I bet it''s that weve been playing too defensively, isn''t it? That was our downfall for sure." "Not quite," Rodriguez said. "But, it''s not entirely unrelated. It''s because the team places so much emphasis on defense that you ended up obsessing over that one threat, to the point of letting it distract you from everything else." Even with all these hints, the team was still unable to figure out what the coach was alluding to. It was a rare occurrence, as these kids were a smart bunch. Normally, they figured out their mistakes right away. This only went to show how deeply this issue was rooted. "Hmm, I see, Rodiguez said. It appears that the ''elusiveness'' of that threat is even greater than I suspected." "Oh!" Cato and Sonya responded as one. "Are you talking about VanishingFlower?" Sonya asked, just to be sure. "Yes, I do. Rodriguez nodded. It seems you weren''t even aware of how much attention you were giving her, and what it cost you." "I believe it was necessary," Sonya asserted. "I''m not sure how clear it was for the audience, but for us, the players, Vanishing''s peculiar playstyle caused a healthy amount of trouble. Even I have to admit that she really is a threat." "Oh, I''m not arguing against that at all," Rodriguez reassured. "In fact, even from the side, I could tell just how sneaky of a player she is. So, it made sense for you to focus your attention on her." "Right." "But, havent you ever felt like you were going a little overboard? Rodriguez asked. The number of wards you placed, the way you made laners immediately retreat when Vanishing was spotted in the Jungle, and so forth. It was quite the excessive defense, even by your standard." "That''s..." Sonya wasn''t sure how to best respond. She wanted to claim that all of this was necessary to combat a phantom like Vanishing, but she wasn''t confident that this was the answer the coach wanted to hear. And so, Sonya decided to maintain her silence on this one. Nonetheless, she threw Cato an urging glance. I did my part. Now, its your turn to deal with this. Oh my, how cruel. Cato smiled wryly. Is this where youre telling me to sub in? Youre throwing me straight to the wolves. Sonya only took the easy part for herself. If the rest of this discussion remained as easy, then she surely would have answered all the questions by herself. For her, these meetings were like an exam, and she was all about acing those. And yet, Sonya passed the torch to Cato here. Oh well. Cato shrugged. It''s the manager''s job to clean up the secretary''s mess, after all~ I''m not your secretary! And, I didn''t make any mess! They telepathically exchanged these words by using only their glances. Or, maybe all of this only happened in Cato''s head. Anyway... "Yes, our attention span mightve been a bit problematic this game," Cato started. "In retrospect, we mightve been focusing on Vanishing too frequently, to the point we couldnt fully concentrate on the rest of the game. Right. Rodriguez nodded. With that said, Cato continued. I still feel like shes the kind of elusive player who warrants that kind of attention. Its hard to deal with her otherwise." "Yes, the solution you came up with for countering her is not inherently flawed," Rodriguez reassured. "Appointing a supervisor who''ll keep track of Vanishing''s movements is a sound countermeasure. In fact, Cato handled that role decently in the first game. I didnt feel like any of this was getting in your way back then." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Its because Vanishing wasn''t nearly as good in that game," Sonya responded in self-defense, as she could already see where this was going. "True, Vanishing''s performance in the first game was rather lackluster, Rodriguez agreed. Nonetheless, the fact remains it was possible to keep tabs on her without sabotaging the rest of your game." "We didn''t really sabotage..." Sonya wanted to object further but her words trailed off. In truth, she wasn''t even sure how big of an impact the whole thing had on the teams performance. They mightve indeed sabotaged themselves without even realizing it. For starters, think back on how many resources youve passively lost because of Vanishing, Rodriguez said. Laners constantly retreated early because of her, losing on both farm and lane advantage, which led to losing tower HP. On top of that, youve spent a lot of gold on extra wards. And, there are also the attention span issues she surely caused for you as you had to verify her position all the time, which likely made you misplay more often. ......... Nobody could retort as Rodriguez hit them hard with facts and logic. Now, that all the evidence was shoved into their faces at once, they had no choice but to accept that Vanishings existence threw them completely off their game. "Even though you lost the game," Rodriguez continued. "I firmly believe you''re the better team." "Of course we are!" Ronald exclaimed. "So, why did you lose? Ack Ronald piped down. You can try to pin your defeat on some suboptimal plays you made or on the enemys brilliant planning, but from what I saw, everything comes back to Vanishing, Rodriguez said. You successfully shut her down during the early-game, but you had to pay a hefty price for it that came back to bite you in the long run. Ive actually been saying that all along, you know? Ronald claimed. I kept telling them its dumb that I have to retreat every time Vanishing sneezes in my general direction. It made no sense! But, did anybody listen? Nope. If we listened to you, Cato said. Then you wouldve died at least a hundred times during the early-game. Agreed. Sonya nodded. You see!? Ronald pointed at his foes. Theyre bullying me into going along with their bad decisions! Ron, you have a bad habit of getting carried away, Rodriguez said. Even though you intuitively understood there was a problem with how the team was operating, I assume you only yelled in protests instead of forming compelling arguments, right? I mean, I tried the best I could If you want your teammates to listen, you have to get better at forming your arguments without coming across as too emotional, Rodriguez advised. This is especially important if you ever become the teams captain. Roger! Ronald saluted. His eyes lit up the moment the word captain came out of Rodriguezs mouth. Anyway, thats not all I have to say about your defeat. Theres more!? Everybody turned pale. Rodriguez had already bashed them so hard on regarding Vanishing, yet he was planning to keep going!? In the end, youre all smart kids, Rodriguez said. Im sure all of you understood you were going to pay a big cost for supervising Vanishing. There mightve been additional costs that you didnt take into account, but overall, you knew what you were getting into. Right, Sonya agreed. The others nodded as well. At the very least, you knew youd be hampering one players map awareness by having them keep a close watch on Vanishing, and you knew about the extra gold costs of wards, Rodriguez said. And yet, you decided you were fine with these costs. Do you not feel like that decision was based on a certain assumption? Assumption? Sonya blinked. The others looked puzzled as well. The assumption that we could bear the cost? Vincent suggested. Yes, Rodriguez said. More specifically, the assumption that youll be able to defeat Stratus despite these costs. You assumed that you were unquestionably the superior team, even though you shouldve known by now that Stratus is a formidable opponent this year. Thats They wanted to deny it, but they really couldnt. Somewhere at the backs of their minds, they were confident that theyd pull through despite the handicaps. They simply couldnt imagine themselves losing. Though this wasnt quite the same as Game 2, it felt like their arrogance was their downfall once again. "Will, I''m sure that you in particular didn''t enjoy this game plan at all, did you?" Rodriguez asked. "Well, I understood why Cato and Sonya wanted to play like this," William said. "But yes, it was a terrible arrangement for me. Every time Vanishing was near a lane, the laner had to retreat, so I couldn''t suggest ganking there." "My," Cato exclaimed. "I don''t remember you ever complaining about this particular issue, though." "What''s the point of complaining about something like that? William asked. You two had your justifications for sticking with that kind of game plan, so what could I even say? That its inconvenient for me?" "True, true." "I actually disagree with you there, my boy," Rodriguez said. "You should have at least expressed your dissatisfaction. It mightve made the others a little more aware of the constraints you were putting on yourselves." "Hmph. Note taken." William nodded. "Dang!" Ronald exploded. "I can''t believe bro is getting flack for the terrible game plan Cato arranged! That''s so unfair, bruh! Just for the record, I was also totally against the whole thing." "Yes, as youve already made painfully clear," Rodriguez said. "Throughout the match, it was very obvious from your movements how unwilling you were to play along with that game plan. However, you stuck with it for the most part regardless, which is rather admirable." "Well, I know when I have to be an adult." Ronald puffed his chest. "Everybody else agreed on this plan, so I had to follow along. That''s the mature thing to do, right?" "Yes, it was quite mature of you. But, you couldn''t quite keep it up all the way through, could you?" "Hm? Ronald tilted his head. "Once you entered mid-game, your game plan strayed from the teams script, didn''t it? Rodriguez asked. You started dialing up the aggression." "Yeah, because we had to start getting some kills," Ronald asserted. "There was no way to win that game by just sitting on the defense. We had to act! Bro understood that too, right?" "Of course," William agreed. "Sticking to defense was a reasonable plan overall given our lineup. But, we had to get whatever kills we could, or else we would have never caught up." "Right? Right?" Ronald nodded repeatedly. "It''s nice to see that both brothers are in agreement on this," Rodriguez said. "But, even though you agree on the topic itself, the ways you chose to handle said topic varied greatly, didnt they?" "Really?" Ronald blinked. "I thought we were doing the same stuff for the most part, werent we, bro?" "Hard to say. I wasn''t paying enough attention to what you were doing." "Dang, did I get just neglected by my big bro!?" "There was a lot to deal with, so I didnt really follow what you were doing, William said. All I know is that you died a lot." "Hey! That''s not all I did! Ronald protested. "I scored a bunch of kills too, almost as many as you did!" "Did you? Sure did, bro! I had 3 kills! Oh, is that so. William shrugged. I had 6, so no wonder I didnt even notice your kills. I mean, you only did half of what I did. Nothing impressive, honestly. "Grrrrrr! Next game! Next game, I''m beating your score for sure!" "And, there it is," Rodriguez interjected. "This right here is the big difference between how you two played during the mid-game, don''t you think?" "Hm? Is it?" Ronald tilted his head. "We were just both going for kills, right?" "I''d like for somebody from the team to answer that question." Rodriguez directed his gaze toward the rest of the crowd. "Matt, you haven''t talked much in this meeting. Do you mind answering Rons question?" Do I have to? Matthew made a face. What a drag... Vol.18 Ch.2: Ronald’s Misplaced Good Intentions "Matt, you haven''t talked much in this meeting, Rodriguez said. Do you mind answering Rons question? Tell us what was the big difference between how Ron and Will played." Do I have to? Matthew made a face. What a drag... But, orders were orders. Matthew more or less understood where the coach was going with this, so yes, he could answer. It was just a pain to do so. "William cooperated with the teams defense plan for the most part, and he also got some kills along the way, Matthew said. Meanwhile, Ronald just... did whatever he wanted, basically. Sometimes he went along with the plan, other times he did the complete opposite and disregarded his safety." "Correct, that about sums it up." Rodriguez nodded. "Ron, you said that following the teams plan was the mature thing to do, but it seems like your inner brat took over midway. You couldnt stay mature for the entire game" "I dunno, I think I was pretty mature about how I did things," Ronald insisted. "Does having more deaths than kills count as ''mature'' in your eyes?" "Geh. Ronald groaned but didnt concede just yet. T-That''s just how things turned out in this one game, yeah. But, next game will be different for sure...!" "I believe nothing exemplifies your bratty behavior better than the desperate attack you launched on Vanishing while she was deep inside enemy territory. That was the epitome of your recklessness." "But hey, I got the kill!" "And, you also died, if I recall." "Ugh..." Ronald lowered his head for a moment but soon bounced back. "But, that kill was totally necessary, right? I mean, I took down that darn Vanishing, of all people! She was the biggest thorn at our side the entire game." "That was just your way of getting revenge for all the times you were forced to retreat in the lane because of her, wasn''t it?" "Maaaaaybe~" Ronald rolled his eyes up. I mean, she has been giving trouble to the entire team, right? Like, she''s the main reason we had to stay on guard all the time." "Yes, it seems she did play a major role in that decision, Rodriguez said. Isnt that right? Yes, it is, Cato affirmed. "Right? Ronald nodded. So, I had to take her down and give us some freedom. I did it for the team!" "Or, so you say," Cato interjected. "I''m pretty sure you just wanted to sate your own bloodthirst." "Nah, bruh. I totally did it for the team! I had to free us all from that suffering!" "But, as I told you before, Vanishing''s threat level was going down as the game went on, Cato explained. The closer we all stuck together, the harder it was for her to get any kills." "Hmm. Yeah, that makes sense to me." "But, remind me, what did you do instead of sticking with the team? Cato asked. Oh, thats right, you dove headfirst into enemy territory in order to fight Vanishing." "For freedom and justice!" "For brainless self-satisfaction, more like. You completely disregarded our entire game plan with that one play." "Yeah, well, I guess it was a little extreme, haha." Ronald laughed dryly. "But hey, I got the kill! Its the only kill we ever got on her!" "I did kill her once in a team fight," Willaim corrected. "Oh right, you did, bro. Ronald nodded. But, anyway! Mine was the first kill we got on that dang ghost! It was a game-changer!" "No, it wasn''t," Cato said matter-of-factly. "We just traded one-for-one." "A hero for a ghost!" "An idiot for an assassin," Cato corrected. "Though, I admit, it would have been a nice play if you had gotten away alive." "Which I almost did!" "But didn''t." "Ugh. Ronalds shoulders slumped. Seriously, do you have to be such a wet blanket about it?" "Why yes, I have to. Otherwise, none of this will get through your thick skull." "Rude." "In short," Cato summarized. "That kamikaze play you did was totally uncalled for. Stratus had the advantage at the time, so exchanging kills greatly favored them." "How so?" "I explained that to you earlier Cato sighed. Oh, right, I forgot I was dealing with a literal baboon here..." "Whoa, whoa! Insults, much?" "Yes, that was uncalled for," Rodriguez agreed. "Not everybody is well-versed in such high-level considerations. As the captain, you should strive to fix your teammates issues, not ridicule them." "Right, my bad~" Cato gave a half-hearted apology. "Alright, I''ll teach you the ins and outs of this topic later. Expect a five-hour lecture on the topic." "Haha... Ronald laughed dryly. Can I refuse?" "Absolutely not. Right, Coach?" "Indeed." Rodriguez nodded. "This is an important game theory topic.." Ugh, fine These two arent humans, theyre lecture demons! Yes, demons, I tell you! Anyway, thats how it is, Cato summarized. That kill wasnt nearly as beneficial as you think. On the other hand, your death was detrimental to the team. Oh cmon, it wasnt that bad, was it? Ronald insisted. Sure, I understand that game theory or whatever suggests that trading one-for-one is not great for the team at a disadvantage, but thats all there is to it, right? I doubt its THAT big of a deal. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "The point is that it IS a big deal," Cato argued. "Its a much bigger deal than you seem to realize. Every unfavorable trade like that made it so much harder for us to catch up." "In fact, it''s more than just that," Rodriguez added. "It also threw the team''s game plan into disarray." "Meh, that sounds like an exaggeration..." Ronald said so, but he wasn''t so confident after seeing that the coach was dead serious. "Remind me," Rodriguez said. "What was the team''s game plan, again?" "Well, its more Cato''s plan than the teams, really." "It doesnt matter who suggested the plan, the fact remains that the entire team was sticking to said plan. At that point, it became the team''s plan." "Eh, fair enough," Ronald conceded. "Welp then, the team''s plan was to wait it out and play defensively until late-game." "Correct. And, what exactly does playing defensively'' intel?" "Eh, like, turtling? Retreating a lot? Minimizing risks, stuff like that." "Yes, that''s correct, broadly speaking. Rodriguez nodded. So, tell me, should a game plan like this prioritize minimizing deaths?" "Yeah, I guess it should" "And yet, despite being a part of a team that decided to follow such a game plan, you acted recklessly across the board. Do you not see a problem with that?" "Weeeell..." Ronald was starting to see the bigger picture, as much as he didn''t want to. "You were like a cog that didnt properly align with the rest of the machine, making all of it creak, Rodriguez said. It threw off the entire teams balance." "Hmm." Ronald knotted his brows. This was a heavy topic he couldnt fully digest in just a couple of minutes. He needed more time to properly think about this accusation in order to determine whether it was justified. "I''m sure everybody agrees that you caused us a lot of problems." Cato roped everybody into the discussion. "Ronald''s recklessness made it difficult for all of us to make good defensive team plays, right?" "Definitely," Sonya responded. "Defending with four players is that much harder than doing so with five. This forced us to spread ourselves thin, which led to further deaths and disadvantages." "Dang..." Ronald smiled wryly and looked away. Sonya isn''t pulling any punches, huh. And, unlike Cato, I know Sonya isn''t the type to say things like that just out of spite. I bet everything shes saying is "facts and logic" as far as she''s concerned. Maybe, just maybe, Ronald was really underestimating the impact of his actions. He knew all along that his occasional recklessness didn''t quite mesh with Cato''s boring game plan, but he didn''t realize it affected everybody this much. Sounds like I might''ve really played a big part in why the team lost so badly. If so, that''s really awkward... All he wanted back then was to get rid of the biggest enemy threat. Cato and Sonya were too preoccupied with that one phantom girl, so Ronald felt like he had to smack her down. Buuuuuuut, I guess I also wanted to score some kills to compete with bro. Ronald finally admitted, at least to himself. "Okay, I get it, Ronald conceded. Looks like I did cause a lot of trouble without realizing it. Sorry about that." "Instead of apologizing," Cato said. "I''d much rather prefer if you promise to work on this issue so you wont repeat the same mistakes." "Yeah, you''re right." Ronald nodded. "It''s a promise then! I''m going to get WAY better at this!" "Do you mind elaborating on what you mean by ''this'', exactly?" Rodriguez requested. "Eh, like, I haven''t really figured out how to call this yet, but ''team synergy'', I guess? Ronald scratched his head. Basically, making sure I dont get in the way of the teams ''game plan''. At the very least, I should avoid straying from the plan as much as possible." "You should avoid that 24/7," Cato insisted. "Just stick to the plan like a good boy." "That''s an exaggeration," Rodriguez objected. "No game plan is perfect. There are always exceptions to the rule, including situations in which risky aggression is perfectly justifiable even within the scope of a defensive game plan. For example, Will understands how to balance the two very well." "Fair enough," Cato conceded on that point. "In short, strive to become more like your older brother, kid. Hes someone who does his own thing almost all the time, but he still cooperates well with the team." "Yeah, of course he does, hes a pro!" Ronald exclaimed. "All along, my goal has been to become an awesome player just like him!" "You often say that, but your playstyles couldn''t be more different." "Welp, yeah, we do kinda play differently, Ronald admitted. Its always been that way, even back in Tennis." "So, I say it''s time for you to put your money where your mouth is and actually emulate some of your brother''s finesse, don''t you think?" "You betcha!" Ronald pumped a fist. "I''mma make sure bro teaches me all the details about how he played this game so well!" "Oh my," Cato directed that at William. "Looks like youve got yourself a pupil~" "Thanks a lot..." Willaim made a face. He wasn''t thrilled about this idea at all, for many reasons. But, this was what the club and coach desired from him, so he better comply. "Fine. I''ll tutor him on this game." "You''re the best, bro!" Ronald gave a thumbs up. "But don''t worry, you won''t need to teach me that much. Ive already figured the gist of it, so next game, I gonna be a hundred times better!" "That is, if you''re even going to play in the next game," Cato pointed out. Throughout the entire conversation, a pair of sharp eyes had been spearing everybody. It was the Emperor, applying pressure from across the room. And, he deemed this his cue to step forward. "I play next game," Jin said. "That is what we promised." "True, we did," Cato admitted. "Which means, I must boot somebody out of the team. My, I wonder who it''s going to be~" "Just boot yourself, bruh," Ronald suggested. "It gonna make it hella easier for us to play when you dont shove your annoying ''game plans'' down our throats, haha." "Very funny." Cato smiled but not really. "Anyway, you''re out, Ronald. Bye-bye." "God dang it! Oh well." Ronald resigned to his fate. He had always known that he was playing here on borrowed time, so this wasnt anything new. Still feels bad, though. Ronald sighed. Like, the only reason I''m not considered a proper member of the team is that I''m a junior. But, the funniest thing? Theyre kicking me out, but subbing in a freshman instead. Life is so unfair sometimes In the end, skill triumphed over everything. The Emperor was younger than Luke, yet also stronger than him in practically every way. So, as much as this substitution irked Ronald, he couldn''t bring himself to object. And so, Ronald stepped down from the team like the outcast he was, giving way to the Emperor. "Disappointing game," Jin said. "I thought you were confident about winning." "We sure were," Cato said. "But, they caught us off guard with that one tricky play in Mid. Stratus really outdid themselves in this game." You made more mistakes than that, as Coach explained. Yes, we didnt play perfectly, Cato admitted. But, were only humans, you know? Everybody makes mistakes. But, dont worry, weve learned many important lessons there. Well do way better in the next round. I hope so. Its not like Jin particularly cared about the team or how these mediocre players performed. Its just that, unfortunately, his ticket to the pro scene was currently tied to this lowly team. So, when the team looked bad, it made Jin look bad as well. Though, depending on how I look at this development, it might actually be favorable for me. Jin thought. Stratus managed to push the Leopards to a corner, that''s probably the image most people have of this scrim right now. So, if I manage to single-handedly destroy that weak image, itll give me a good chunk of credit points. If the Leopards thoroughly destroy Stratus in the final game, it will highlight Jin''s contribution. Everybody will understand that subbing in Jin made a huge impact, proving just how far above the competition he was. So, I cant just play to win. Jin asserted. I have to thoroughly crush Stratus. With that conviction in mind, Jin joined the Leopards for the fifth and final game. The end was nigh for Stratus. What little fame they gained today with their shallow trickery will evaporate without a trace after this game. Vol.18 Ch.3: Troublesome Celebration "Bravo! Congratulations!" Vincent greeted the returning champions. "It appears that, with the Eternal Peacekeeper on your side, you were successful at vanquishing the regional champions! The Threat Overthrower was successfully neutralized in Top!" "Yes," Yuel agreed. "Ben froze Top just like wanted him to. Good job." "T-Thanks!" Ben smiled shyly. A shiver of excitement ran through him. For the first time ever, he actually contributed to the team in a big way! Despite his shaky start, Ben managed to calm down and execute his usual defensive game plan. Truth be told, he had many concerns about the efficiency of his playstyle when it came to the competitive stage, but it worked out just fine. "But," Ben said. "I think a lot of it was thanks to Nia. She made Challenger retreat often." "Indeed, indeed!" Vincent exclaimed. "The Vanishing Phantom struck terror into the Leopards'' hearts! She made them look less like dominating predators and more like harmless kittens!" "Agreed," Kai said. "Nia was the real star of the show. "Heck yeah!" Lars tuned in. "She did real great, yo! Not that I understand what exactly she did, but she scored more kills than me, so thats hella impressive! "Kills aren''t the main point," Yuel explained. "The Leopards were incredibly conscious of Nia the entire game, they did everything in their power to keep her in check. They even went as far as ordering their most aggressive player to retreat more often. All of this threw them out of balance." In fact, it wasn''t an exaggeration to claim that Stratus only won thanks to Nia''s presence. The girl herself played well enough, but it was her presence that completely dominated the flow of the game. It forced the Leopards to be even more defensive than usual, and not in a way that benefited them at all. The Leopards essentially treated Nia as a device that could trigger their turtling mode on demand. And, their gravest mistake was giving Yuel control over such a device. Once Yuel realized all of this, he asked Nia to do some questionable rotations at times. The goal of these rotations wasn''t to actually score kills but to give the Leopards a jumpscare thatll force them into a less favorable position. And, it worked. Every time the Leopards saw Nia walking in some lane''s general direction, they immediately issued a retreat to that lane. This must have been the "solution" the Leopards came up with for Nia''s elusiveness. It definitely sounds like something Cato would think of. Yuel reasoned. Hes the type to "solve" problems by fortifying his defenses. And, when that doesn''t work, he fortifies them some more. To me, this approach is equivalent to tightening a rope over your own neck. A better defense could solve some problems, but not all of them. Yuel experienced that firsthand in the previous scrim, where he was severely punished for not taking the initiative when he had the opportunity. Back then, the enemy''s Triangle ran all over Stratus until Yuel finally started mounting counterattacks. But, Cato failed to adapt. He stacked more and more layers of defense until his team crashed under all that weight. To be precise, we won not so much because of Nia, but more because of the Leopards'' inability to adjust their game plan. But, I''ll keep this thought to myself. There was no need to ruin the party. Everybody was celebrating Nia''s "amazing performance", so Yuel decided to let them enjoy the moment. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. With that said, one member of the team was noticeably absent. "Where''s Luke?" Yuel asked in a small voice, to not draw too much attention to the topic. "He departed shortly after this game ended," Vincent explained, also in a low voice. "He was watching the game on and off, but then simply vanished." The waiting room had a monitor that streamed the game, so Vincent and Luke watched the unfolding game with great interest indeed! Or, at least, Vincent did. As for Luke, he seemed rather apathetic about the whole matter. His expression was quite sullen throughout the experience. "It''s not too surprising, I think," Vincent said. "After all, the one who subbed in for him turned out to be the star of the show. I imagine that wasnt easy to digest." "Yeah, I can see that. The higher you climb, the harder you fall. That sounded like an apt description of what happened to Luke. His surprisingly strong performance in the 2nd game must''ve gotten to his head. Even though Yuel warned that the Leopards would surely adapt to the Dark Knight meme in Game 3, it seemed this warning went in one ear and out the other. Luke continued holding onto the false illusion of his grand success, so Game 3 hit him hard. Its a bit ironic, honestly. Yuel thought. He told me he plays memes because he doesnt want to take things too seriously. Yet, there he is, taking that one defeat way too seriously. Luke never provided a full explanation regarding his decision to stick with memes. The guy only ever gave half-answers, dodging the questions. Nonetheless, there was one intent that even his dodgy answers clearly conveyed: his desire to avoid responsibility. Luke didnt want to feel too obligated to the game, probably to avoid the anxiety and frustration that competitive sports naturally caused. And yet, despite all that, the crushing defeat in Game 3 shook him this much. If thats the case, didnt that invalidate the entire point of his memeing? He was pretending to mess around, yet deep down, he was just as competitive and serious as the rest. Well, maybe Im being too cynical here, but I do hope this taught him a lesson. Yuel thought. Maybe hell finally reconsider his life choices after seeing how salty he gets even with memes. It seemed the memer first had to get a taste of success in order to understand the true impact of failure. Yuel had been wondering for a long time how to persuade Luke, but maybe Game 3 did all the work for him. This is a little concerning, though. Yuel looked at the rest of the club, who were still praising Nia amidst the chatter. The way ya pulled that Double Kill in Mid was so sick, yo! Lars shouted. Like, I havent scored a single Double Kill the entire game, can you believe!? Thats how hard these dudes were to crack! Yeah, it was well played, Kai agreed. Though, lets not forget I prepared the ground for that one. Still, very clean execution from Nia. Everybody worshipped Nia like the messiah. And, from the smug on the girls face, it was clear she was enjoying the attention a little too much. Ironically, for somebody whose playstyle revolved around erasing her presence, Nia was quite the attention seeker. Im not sure if this is fine. Yuel frowned. If she falls off the high horse in the middle of the game, she might start sulking just like Luke. Of course, there was no guarantee that any of this would happen. Nonetheless, it was best to lower the chances as much as possible. Except, it seems I have a natural talent for being bad at this. Yuel grumbled. I can already see them grilling me for what I want to say... Something like that had already happened in the recent game, back when Yuel warned Nia about not letting her success get to her head. And, unsurprisingly, Yuels first idea for the current situation was to say that exact line again. They''re celebrating her achievements right now, so it''ll make me look like a wet blanket if I come in and drop my piece. In the first place, it seemed Yuel''s communication skills weren''t good enough to properly convey this subject. He failed to make his points clear back with Luke, and he was likely going to fail with Nia, too. However, there was one person here who could potentially achieve success with this. He was loud, clownish, and yet somehow charismatic enough to sway people''s hearts. Not to mention, he was the one who sparked the flames of celebration here, hyping up everybodys success. "Vincent, we need to talk," Yuel called the guy to the side. "There''s something I''d like you to help me with..." Vol.18 Ch.4: Killing Hype With Hype Yuel summarized his conclusions to Vincent, that Luke''s depression was likely caused by him being drunk on his success from Game 2, and that Nia was about to go down the same road. "Dios mio!" Vincent exclaimed. "And, to think it was none other than me who loudly celebrated their great achievements! Im the one responsible for all of this!" "I wouldn''t go that far, Yuel said. You didn''t have any ill intentions, right?" "Of course not! The plan was to inject the team with motivation! The strong performance of a nakama should be celebrated, or so I believed...!" "True, these sorts of things do lift the teams spirits, Yuel said. You shouldn''t beat yourself over it." "As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." "Regardless, as far as you were concerned, you were just trying to help the team, and I''m sure there were many benefits to what you did, Yuel reassured. The team''s morale definitely increased thanks to your overhyped speeches." "That''s what I believe, too," Vincent said. "However! Who couldve known that my contribution will come at such a dire cost!?" "It''s unavoidable, really. The higher morale is, the more crushing defeat will feel. It''s an unfortunate psychological thing." "Indeed, indeed. Vincent nodded but his shoulders nonetheless slumped. Still, to think that I didnt realize my sins until it was too late...!" "That makes two of us," Yuel said. "I let you hype things up without properly considering the consequences." "But, didnt you warn us about not getting carried away? Multiples times, in fact." "Yes, I tried, but I think I didn''t drive the point home well enough, Yuel said. When I saw everybody celebrating so enthusiastically, even I was led to believe that it was good for the team. After all, we''re facing the Leopards here, yet the team was celebrating. It felt like morale was at an all-time high, so I didn''t want to get in the way." "I see, I see. Vincent nodded. But, to think that high morale was such a double-edged sword this entire time...!" "So, back to my request," Yuel said. "I''d like to make sure they don''t go into the next game on the ''high horse'', so to speak. It''s good to be motivated, but they shouldn''t be blinded by that momentary hype." "Indeed. It turned out this hype is both a great weapon and a recipe for disaster." "Right, Yuel agreed. Normally, I''d try to talk sense into everybody myself. But, recently Ive come to realize that I''m not very good at this..." "Its not just you. This is, in fact, a Herculean task," Vincent said. "When people are in the middle of celebrating, they don''t want to hear any bad news. Thus, they dismiss your words of wisdom by instinct." "Right. So, I''d like YOU to talk sense into them." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Moi? Vincent blinked. Are you asking me to kill the hype I gave birth to? With my own two hands!?" Yes. Well, it''s understandable, I suppose. Vincent lowered his head. "I am the one who created this mess, therefore I should be the one to clean it up." "Dont get me wrong, Im not blaming you per se, Yuel said. It''s just that your words carry a lot of weight. I don''t really understand why, but you''re good at emotionally swaying the others with your words." Even though most of what you say is pure nonsense. But, that''s beside the point. "I see," Vincent said. "So, you want to use that ability to thwart the team''s hype." "That''s the gist of it, yes. Yuel nodded. I need you to say something that''ll help balance their exaggerated morale so they won''t get carried away. Something that''ll bring them down to earth and make them understand that they are not unbeatable. " "Hmmmmmmmm." Vincent crossed his arms. "I''m afraid my skills arent suitable for pulling off such a tactic." "What do you mean?" "I''m one who celebrates the achievements of players, not their failures. Therefore, I cannot deliver demotivating speeches, not in a convincing manner." "Really? How so?" "Recall, I''m the one and only Arbiter of Talents! Vincent stretched his arms dramatically. My biggest talent is to find what makes players amazing, not what makes them stumble. Finding weaknesses and flaws is the Chessmasters job." "I see." Yuel ended up agreeing with what seemed like a dubious claim at first, but it was probably the truth. Vincent was all about hyping up players skills, he had very little interest in exposing weaknesses and presenting anybody in a negative light. Even back when Yuel and Vincent were preparing notes about the Leopards, Vincent only ever showered their members with praise. It was Yuel who had to search for their weaknesses. Sometimes, Vincent''s observations about a players strengths helped Yuel discover a weakness, but that was never Vincents original intention. All that guy ever cared about was coming up with bombastic skill names for players talents, nothing more and nothing less. As such, it was understandable why Vincent claimed he didnt have the power to destroy the hype he created. Of course, he could force himself to tackle it regardless, but then his words won''t be coming from the heart. They won''t sound as genuinely overhyped as in his usual speeches. So, he can only hype up players. Hmm. An idea crossed Yuel''s mind. Perhaps, it was really impossible for Vincent to tackle the hype directly. Then, how about fighting fire with fire? In order to counter the existing hype, Vincent could generate an even larger hype about something else. "How about you hype up our opponents?" Yuel asked. "Remind everybody how strong the Leopards are, how good they are at adapting, etc." "Oh! I see what you''re scheming!" Vincent grinned. As Im unable to pour cold water on their hype, I shall simply fight fire with fire! Indeed, so simple, yet so brilliant! Yes, exactly. And, as it happens, I have a piece of information that can really help with this idea. Yuel gave Vincent a teaser of the next topic he was planning to discuss with the team: the Leopards secret Korean player. ....... Vincent found himself uncharacteristically speechless in front of the reveal. ... may I ask whether this information is credible? I believe its true, Yuel said. At least, the chances are high enough that this warrants a proper discussion with the team. They have to be mentally prepared for this. Indeed, they must know what fearsome antagonist awaits them down the road. Right, Yuel said. But, it feels awkward to drop this topic on them while theyre celebrating. Im afraid this euphoric atmosphere will make them dismiss anything I say. That is indeed a valid concern. Vincent nodded. Very well, then I shall be the one to open this act! I shall set up the stage for your grand reveal! And so, Vincent set out. He approached the celebrating mob with full intent to strike down their joyous moment. This was no doubt an act befitting a villain. Chessmaster had taken this role upon himself countless times, withstanding the complaints as he forced his allies to wake them up from their daydreaming. And now, it was Vincent''s turn to play this vicious role! Vol.18 Ch.5: The Secret Boss "Everybody, heed my words, please!" Vincent dramatically stretched his arms. "I''d like to say a few words." "Yo, what''s up?" Lars asked. "You look all nervous and stuff, haha." "Indeed, I shan''t deny it, Vince said. A certain degree of nervousness might, in fact, be infecting me at the present moment. Nonetheless! I shall pull through with this crucial task!" "Well, go ahead then." Kai shrugged. She knew better than to entertain this guy''s usual nonsense. "As I have previously stated," Vincent started. "VanishingFlower performed greatly in the previous game, as did the rest of you. You bested none other than the regional champions, its a tremendous feat!" "Heck yeah!" Lars pumped a fist. "However!" Vincent exclaimed. "Do not forget that the title our opponents possess is not just for show. They are the Leopards, trained by none other than the legendary Fernando Rodriguez!" "Yeah, yeah, we know they''re good," Kai said. "And?" "Strong opponents always adapt, such is survival of the fittest, Vincent claimed. Therefore, while youre celebrating your current achievement, our opponents are no doubt using this time to prepare for the next and final game!" "Well, duh. Of course they are," Kai commented. "What''s your point here, exactly?" "My point is that we mustn''t allow ourselves to forget our foes superb skill, Vincent said. In the next game, the Leopards will surely come at you all like never before! I''m certain they''ve learned from their mistakes and won''t repeat them. As such, this will be the final boss battle!" "Sick, yo!" Lars grinned. "Scary..." Nia looked away. "W-We have to do our best!" Ben said. "Huh. Why does this feel like a roundabout version of something Yuel would say?" Kai glanced at the guy standing behind Vincent, who possibly masterminded this entire speech. That was probably his new way of throwing cold water at people. It wouldve been way funnier if Yuel tried to say all of this himself. Kai chuckled as she imagined Yuel delivering the same kind of bombastic speech. Itd be a surreal scene. I guess using Vince is not a terrible solution. Kai admitted. At least, this is better than being attacked with shit like "Don''t let it get to your head." Vincent continued praising the Leopards, selling them as a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to this approach, the team managed to stay happy about the recent victory, while simultaneously registering the next game as a difficult challenge. None of them was fooling themselves that the next game would be easy. "And," Vincent continued. "When I said that the next game will be like a final boss, it was more than just an analogy. There might indeed be a secret final boss present in the upcoming game!" "Say what?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "Yo, what secret boss?" Lars''s eyes lit up. "They got a secret player they haven''t shown yet!?" "Indeed, they do, or so our intel suggests, Vincent said. For more details, I''d like to call Chessmaster to the stage." Vincent bowed and presented Yuel to the crowd. "Thanks." Yuel stepped forward. This was a nicely prepared stage. He had the entire audience''s attention right off the bat without having to work for it. Vincent really did a good job, even better than I expected. Yuel admitted. The atmosphere in the room underwent a complete overhaul in just a few minutes. The team remained in high spirits, yet the sense of celebration had mostly faded away. Instead, they were now brimming with a strong desire to fight hard, as well as curious about this foreshadowed "secret final boss". "As Lars guessed, the Leopards really have a ''secret'' player, so to speak, Yuel said. "Seriously?" Kai made a face. "That sounds like something straight out of a movie." "Yes, I didn''t believe it either, Yuel admitted. That''s why I thoroughly interrogated the informant, to make sure he wasn''t making things up. By the end of it, I had the impression he was telling the truth." "And, who is that ''informant'', exactly?" "The one you know as Aegis, the captain of StormBlitz." "Huh?" Kais jaw dropped. "Is he even trustworthy? I know you used to be in the same club before, but now you''re enemies." "It''s okay, we''ve always been ''enemies'', even back in the club." "Really? How so?" "That''s a long story," Yuel said. "Let''s just say he''s one of the most annoying rivals I''ve ever faced." "Yep!" Lars nodded. "These dudes are like fire and water. They always clash, yo!" Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Its quite the intriguing tale," Vincent commented. "Id definitely like to hear more details on this topic. I can already imagine it - the ultimate clash between absolute offense and absolute defense!" Dont worry, Yuel reassured. "Ill entertain you with many stories about StormBlitz when we hold a review meeting about them. But, for now, I''d like to talk about the Leopards'' ''secret'' player." "Who may or may not exist," Kai added. "The next game will answer that for us, Yuel said. Meanwhile, I''d like to share what I know of the guy, so we''re all on the same page." And so, he gave them the gist of what Howard told him. How this secret player, Apprentece, was a Korean transfer student who played at a very high level back in his homeland. "A Korean player?" Ben asked. "Um, Im sorry, but that sounds a little sketchy..." "Nah, its not a little," Kai said. "It sounds like total bullshit, no way that''s real! How did you even fall for this shit? I thought you were smarter than that." "Yes, this was my first reaction as well," Yuel explained. "However, the more I interrogated him for details, the more convinced I became that he wasn''t trying to deceive me." The biggest tell was Howard mentioning how the Korean player almost went toe-to-toe with Ignis. Howard wasn''t the type to belittle his sister''s skill, so he wouldn''t use a detail like that for a lie. Probably. "Yo, so dude is a pro!?" Lars made noise. "I totally hope he''s real then! I wanna fight a real pro!" "Um, I rather not..." Ben lowered his head. "Scary..." Nia did the same. "Hmph." Kai crossed her arms. "Even if he IS real, who knows how exaggerated that story is? Maybe the pros just went easy on him." "I doubt that''s the case," Yuel said. "Maybe other pros would do that, but I''ve played Ignis before. She has a childish side to her, so she wouldnt pull any punches if she feels contested." "Wait, you have faced a pro!?" Vincent jumped. "One by one, juicy episodes from Chessmaster''s past are revealed! Is this a flashback episode!?" "Definitely not," Yuel asserted. "We don''t have time for a memory trip right now." "But, its interesting," Nia said. How did the match go? "Um, yeah, I''m curious too..." Ben added shyly. "We played Duel a few times and the final score was 8-4 in her favor." "Huh. Kai blinked. You actually took a few rounds from a pro? She was drunk and she underestimated me at first. But, once I started taking games from her, she stopped pulling any punches and ran all over me. Thats one salty pro player. Right? Yuel smiled wryly. Thats why I doubt she took Apprentece lightly. I wouldnt be surprised if she underestimated him at first, but if he gave her a hard time, then she surely went ham on him. Thats the Ignis I know, at least. Yuel expanded on that point by explaining how the battle between Apprentece and Ignis supposedly played out. Howard shared more than enough key details to get the overall picture. Supposedly, Ignis was caught off-guard by Apprenteces Korean Step Cancel. This made her perform poorly at first, but she soon adapted. However, even then, it was a close fight with some unexpected twists and turns. Though, of course, Howard insisted that his sister was obviously stronger overall. Welp, Lars said. No wonder a KOREAN dude can use the KOREAN Step Cancel, haha. Actually, its VERY impressive, Yuel argued. KC is an advanced technique that requires a tremendous amount of practice. It demands so much investment that most pros in the West dont even bother learning it; they rather allocate that practice time to other things. "Sounds like a challenge! I should totally learn it, yo!" "We already talked about this." Yuel sighed. "You still need to develop your fundamentals and expand your roster, you dont have time to practice KC. Until you can play at least five Carry classes at the same level you play Trickshooter and Gunslinger, it''ll be inefficient to waste your practice time on KC." "Welp then, it sounds like I better get to work ASAP!" "You really should," Yuel said. "In fact, your Elf should have been ready for today..." Perhaps it was finally time to address this topic. With the current flow of the conversation, it was a good opportunity to expose Larss Elf for what it truly was... Your Elf should have been ready for today, Yuel repeated. But, it isnt. "What do ya mean not ready? Lars asked. My Elf was born ready, yo!" "Is it, really?" Yuel narrowed his eyes. "Somehow, I haven''t felt the impact of your Elf on any of the games today. Have any of you felt it?" he asked the others. "Was Larss Elf today anywhere as good as his Trickshooter or Gunslinger?" "Honestly, can''t say I thought too much about it," Kai admitted. "But yeah, now that you mention it, Lars''s presence wasn''t very prominent in any of the games, was it? That''s pretty unusual." "Hrmmmm." Vincent crossed his arms and knotted his brows. "If we must compare Gunz''s Elf to his Trickshooter or Gunslinger, then I must admit it falls short. So far, it has not delivered the same kind of impact that previously earned Gunz the title of the Insane Beast of the Apocalypse." "But, he has been playing so well," Ben argued. "He even went toe-to-toe with Winner and Challenger in Bot. They are very strong players." "Yes, he was able to match them," Yuel admitted. "But, that''s all he did. At no point today did Lars truly dominate the competition. I''m sure his Trickshooter and Gunslinger wouldve been able to do so, but not his Elf. I wonder why." "Well..." Lars smiled awkwardly and averted his eyes. "Them Leo dudes are just that tough, ya know? They play this nasty defense across the board, so its super hard to find any good opportunities today." "Is that really all?" Yuel didn''t buy it. "Anyway, theres no time to have this discussion right now, but rest assured that well return to this subject later, in full detail." "Yay, haha..." "Back on topic," Yuel said. "From what we know, Apprentece can use KC. And, it''s going to be different from Winner''s KC, which seems to work only about 50% of the time. From what I understand, his KC is flawless, so keep that in mind when you try to punish him." "Roger!" Lars saluted. "I was given a few more details, but we don''t have time to discuss the specifics right now." "Indeed," Vincent agreed. "The next bout is already upon you. The final showdown awaits!" "In case we really face this Korean player, I''ll fill you in on the rest of the details during the game, Yuel said. For now, I just wanted to make sure youre mentally prepared for the possibility." Everybody nodded in response with serious expressions. There was no hint of euphoria on their faces anymore. Even Nia, who had been hailed as the messiah until a few moments ago, was now looking a little tense. After hearing about the existence of the Korean player, nobody was deluded about having an easy game anymore. I suppose I have Vincent to thank for this. Yuel thought. If he hadn''t set up the stage so efficiently, then Im sure they wouldnt have received this news nearly as well. And so, the final game of the day was upon them, It was right there, beyond the stairs leading to the stage Who will they meet up there? Will Apprentece truly make an appearance? Or, was the Korean player just a boogeyman that Howard invented? It was time to uncover that once and for all, in this final decisive game! Vol.18 Ch.6: Banning Against the Korean Enigma The last game between Stratus and the Leopards was about to begin. The players from both sides entered the stage and took their seats. The roster on the other side of the stage included many familiar faces: Rook, Theorist, Merlin, and Winner. However, there was also a new Asian player. So, he really exists. Yuel gulped. I remember seeing him earlier at the back of the stage. So, it was really him. Shortly, the referee came over to inform Stratus about the enemy''s recent substitution. "Your opponents subbed out AbsoluteChallenger for Apprent... Eh, Apprentece? It''s like Apprentice, just with ''e'' instead of ''i'' at the end." Everybody became a little tenser after learning that Apprentece indeed existed. Everything Yuel told them about the guy must have come rushing back. I hope I didn''t scare them too much. Yuel thought. A little bit of tension is healthy for their concentration, but too much of it can backfire. Especially, Nia was always the first one to lose heart when facing "scary" opponents. Thankfully, that hadnt happened yet- "Scary." ... okay, now it did, Nia uttered her promised catchphrase. With just this one word, she amplified Yuels worries exponentially! But, so far, she looks fine. Yuel thought. Maybe her success in the previous game filled her with confidence? Nia was on the high horse until a few minutes ago. Back then, if Yuel barged in and immediately hit her with the info about Apprentece, it wouldve brutally kicked her off the high horse. She mightve been in shambles right now. Thankfully, Vincent eased everybody into that serious talk, so the impact of the news was minimal. They dont look flustered. That''s good. Yuel nodded. Now, I just have to pray that Apprentece isn''t the kind of monster who can easily steamroll us. There wasnt enough information to tell anything for certain. Apprentece might be as strong as an ascended being from a higher plane of existence, or he might be a regular, strong middle-schooler. In case Appretnece can really rival Western pros, Stratus might end up getting thoroughly annihilated... No, I won''t let that happen. Yuel asserted. Heh, its ironic. Here I am, worrying about everybody''s morale, when it might actually be me whos the most nervous about this. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The team''s chances of winning might be riding on Yuel''s ability to discover an exploitable weakness of that new, pro-level player. No pressure. If I can''t do this, then itll be a very uphill battle. But, right now, I simply don''t have enough information to go by. Yuel frowned. Howard probably feels the same way, that''s why he wanted us to drag this mysterious player to the stage. Howards intel suggested that Apprentece was a very aggressive player, but that was circumstantial evidence. Apprentece was playing that game in examinee mode, so he probably wanted to show off his skill to score points with the judges. I had to play under similar circumstances during StormBlitzs entrance exam, so I know the kind of pressure it puts on you. Yuel thought. So, I cant conclude that hell also play this aggressively under more normal circumstances. But, I still feel at ease having Ben in Top, just in case Apprentece turns out to be hyper-aggressive. Then again, it wasnt even guaranteed that Appretnece would even play Top. He mightve picked Top during the pro scrim because its the most independent role, so there was no telling whether it was actually his best role. Truly, there were too many unknowns around Apprentece. The more Yuel tried to deduce, the more questions popped up in his head. With enough reasoning, he could cast doubt on every piece of information he had. As such, the only way to "counter" Apprentece during the banning phase, if only a little, was to ban the typical meta Top Laners. The most obvious option for that was Knight, the ever-popular versatile pick. Since the Leopards were going first in this game, Yuel started by banning Shadow Walker according to protocol, and then he banned Knight. The enemy''s first two bans were their textbook choices: Trickshooter and Gunslinger. They always made sure to seal Lars''s strongest tools, as any smart team should do. It''s always those two, but not Elf. Yuel frowned. It really doesn''t pack the same punch, does it? On one hand, it was a good thing that the enemy didn''t ban Elf. Despite everything Yuel had said, Elf was still undoubtedly Lars''s 3rd best class, so it was very kind of the enemy to leave the class open for grabs. At the same time, the fact the ever-cautious Cato didn''t register Elf as a threat spoke volumes of the skill gap that existed between Elf and Lars''s best classes. It was his 3rd best class, but its performance was incomparable to that of Trickshooter and Gunslinger. Surely, in a few weeks, Lars''s Elf will reach the necessary level to terrorize the competition. Alas, that day wasn''t today. Hmm. They''re sure taking their time with the third ban. Yuel thought. Are they scheming something? The enemy''s first two bans were instantaneous, yet the third one took a while. The Leopards were probably buying time to discuss something, but what? Did my Knight ban stump them in some way? Yuel wondered. No, unlikely. Knight is a general-purpose class, so it couldn''t be a key part of any big plan. Then, what''s taking so long? Is Cato just dragging things out for fun? I can see him do that. Dragging out the suspense was definitely the kind of thing Cato would do just for the kicks. However, it turned out that wasn''t the case this time... Vol.18 Ch.7: The Reputation at Stake After instantaneously banning Trickshooter and Gunslinger, Cato slowed down for the third ban. "So," Cato started. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this pick?" "Yes," Jin affirmed. "Do I need repeat it again? Yes, yes, and yes. You asked me ten times already." "Can you blame me? What you''re suggesting is borderline insanity." "No. Its off-meta but viable." "Yes, it''s technically ''viable'' but..." Cato didn''t like it, not even one bit. The idea Jin suggested stood against everything Cato believed in. And, Cato wasn''t alone here. Jin''s loud announcement shocked everybody. "Is it really necessary to cause this much trouble for us?" Sonya asked. "Frankly, your suggestion doesn''t mesh at all with our teams usual game plan." "No problem," Jin assured. "You do your thing, I do mine. Simple." "My, I guess I missed when they announced that Mancers has become a single-player game," Cato retorted. "There is no conflict between plans. You can handle defense while I handle offense. It works." "Except, this offense you''re suggesting is beyond extreme." "It works fine, Jin insisted. Only danger is if I not do well during early-game, but that won''t happen." "My, such confidence. Or, is it arrogance?" "Opponents of this level are nothing. They shouldnt have given you trouble." "How nice of you to say that to your teammates..." Cato frowned, and so did Sonya and William. The worst part was that they didn''t have a good retort to this accusation. Their performance today was indeed far from satisfactory. The only one who didn''t particularly care about any of this was Matthew, who was silently watching the entire exchange from the side. But, after seeing everybody slump like this, even he had to say something. "Stratus is a pain to deal with this year, they''re a lot better than expected. Honestly, they''re pretty good." "Perhaps, Jin said. But, not good enough to give trouble to regional champions." "I dunno to what high standard you''re holding us, but we''re all just middle schoolers, you know? Matthew said. The only difference between us and them is that we receive professional coaching and have a better environment to practice in. We''re not that different, really." "That''s not how a champion team should be thinking." "Ill be real, I don''t care what a ''champion'' should be like, Matthew retorted. Besides, we''re not even ''champions'' at anything yet." "This attitude is no good." "Sorry, but neither is yours." They stared each other down for a few good seconds. This was a rare example of Matthew actually taking on the fight and speaking his mind. Alas, his motivation for these things never lasted long... "Whatever." Matthew shrugged. "As far as Im concerned, do whatever makes you happy. Just please don''t come crying to us later if it turns out the enemy was better than you expected." "I won''t, Jin asserted. I have good assessment of the Stratus'' skill by now, that''s why I know Orc will work." Yes, Orc, that''s the pick Jin wanted to go through. It was the long-lost sibling of Dark Knight, another hyper-aggressive class that was only relevant during the early-game. With that said, unlike the meme that was Dark Knight, Orc was at least considered viable meta-wise. But, it was incredibly niche, and for a good reason. Basically, only cocky Top Laners picked Orc. When there was a good reason to believe that the Orc player would be able to steamroll their lane opponent, then Orc suddenly became a passable pick. Jin definitely satisfied that condition to a T, but in the end, he was just one player out of five. The rest of the team also had to pick classes, and theirs wont mesh with Orcs aggressiveness at all. Therefore, logically, it was absurd to even suggest something like this, especially for such a critical game. And yet, Jin was doing exactly that. "Why can''t you pick something more reasonable?" Cato asked. "If you just want an aggressive class so you can dominate, there are plenty of meta options, like Viking." "Not good enough, Jin said. The game needs ''impact''. The audience thinks Leopards are weak right now. That has to change." "My, how nice of you to think of the Leopards reputation, Cato said. But, theres no need for anything grandiose. We just need to win, thats all. "A champion team needs to do more than that" Jin asserted. "It has to be a goal other teams strive toward." "Oh my, are you quoting the coach there?" "I like this idea," Jin admitted. "Coach is correct. For a weak region like this, it very good to have strong team that gives others a goal to work for. Goals are important for progress." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "True, I won''t argue with that, Cato said. But, do you really care about any of this? Or, is this just something you''re using as an excuse?" "Hmph..." Jin glanced aside. He can be sharp sometimes. Annoying. Indeed, Jin''s real motivations lay elsewhere. He did genuinely agree with the coach''s views on the matter, but neither this region nor this team was his concern. This region is unsalvageable. Jin thought. In Korea, elementary students play at a higher level than this. Seriously, all of this was like a sad joke. Even the so-called "champions" of the region weren''t anything to write home about. The only member of the Leopards who stood out from the bunch based on older footage was Fenrir, the captain of the previous year. That was a real player, with genuine skill and experience. He was somebody who dedicated much of his life to the game, and it showed. That guy was on a whole different level than these amateurs. Alas, it turned out that players like him were few and far between in this region. This year, the Leopards didn''t have anybody of that caliber, and neither did StormBlitz. And, naturally, Stratus didn''t have anybody like that, either. If I had to say, Aegis, Chessmaster, and Gunz stand out from the rest a little. Jin admitted. But, each of them is flawed in different aspects. So, right now, they''re no good. Aegis paid a lot of attention to his teammates and helped them cover nearly all their weak spots, which was impressive. However, his overall approach to shot-calling was too passive, the same issue Cato suffered from. Unlike those two, Chessmaster was a creative shot-caller who delivered unexpected attacks from unusual angles. However, many of his tactics were borderline gambling with a high chance of failure. Its just that the players in this region werent good enough to expose that con artist, thats all. And finally, there was Gunz. This guy undoubtedly had the best mechanical skill in the region, possibly rivaling even Jins. However, that godlike mechanical skill seemed to be limited to a handful of classes. In short, the guy lacked the necessary experience and finesse to consistently dominate games. He has a lot of talent, but he hasnt been through the hell I was. Jin thought. Thats why Im sure I can go toe to toe with him in battle, despite how impressive his coordination and reflexes are. If it were possible to fuse Aegis, Chessmaster, and Gunz into one person, then that player would undoubtedly be very strong, most likely even stronger than Jin. But, as it stood, the trios impressive talents were scattered around, buried under piles of flaws. Therefore, none of them was a player Jin saw as a threat. Subsequently, his overall interest in the region was nonexistent. So, Cato was spot on. Its not the teams image or the region that Jin really cared about. Im more concerned with my own reputation here. Jin thought. There are probably people who are going to monitor my performance in this joke of a competitive scene. If I dont deliver impressive results, I wont be able to score any points. The Leopards had already lost two games against Stratus, the former "weakest team in the region". To make things worse, one of the defeats was at the hand of a Dark Knight Jungler meme, which was inexcusable no matter how Jin twisted it. I wasn''t present in either game, but for some people thatll be just details, Jin sighed. I can already imagine that ignorant old man saying nonsense like "How could you allow this to happen!? I thought you were a Chinese wonderboy!" Ronshfelt wasn''t the kind of man who bothered to understand the entire picture. He only picked out the few things that stood out to him and either hyped them up to death or nitpicked them with a passive-aggressive approach. I have to make sure he cant do anything like that with this game. Jin thought. Ill run Stratus into the ground so that Ronshfelts reaction will be Wow! The Chinese wonderboy destroyed the competition! Im Korean, though. Unfortunately, it was probably a bad idea to share this reasoning with the rest of the team. As such, Jin had to handle this topic carefully and feed them some politically correct answers. "I just want to leave a good impression this scrim," Jin finally responded Cato''s inquiries. "Good impression for whom, I wonder~?" Cato smiled meaningfully. "Surely, not just for the audience over there, right? You have very little reason to care about them, I wager." "Good impression for everybody." "Heh, let''s leave it at that." Cato decided to not pursue the topic any further, mainly because they were running out of time for the last ban. I''m sure he''s just trying to score some points with the Sweepers'' higher-ups. Im definitely not a fan of his idea, but I''m sure the Emperor knows what he''s doing. He''s not Ronald, after all. In reality, most of Catos concerns regarding the Orc pick were probably irrelevant. After all, the Emperor played on a whole different level. No matter how good Stratus was, Jin was certainly going to crush them. I''d say the only real danger is if Yuel can come up with some nasty strategy against Jin, but I doubt that can happen in one game. Cato thought. I mean, Yuel doesn''t have the faintest idea of just how strong Jin actually is. By the time he realizes it - the game will already be over. My, how dreadful~ "Alright, fine, Cato conceded. You can have your Orc." "Good." Jin nodded in satisfaction. "Are there any particular Top classes you want me to ban?" "Unnecessary. Let them pick whatever. I''ll win regardless." "Such boundless confidence" Cato smiled wryly. He wanted to argue back, but the timer was ticking. There wasnt much more time for picking the final ban, so he had to settle on something ASAP. "In that case, I was thinking of banning Ninja." Cato turned to Sonya. "What does my secretary say about that?" "How would I know? Ask your secretary yourself once you hire one." "My, the denial is strong with this one~" "Yeah, sure." Sonya made a face and pushed up her glasses. "I like the Ninja ban. It''ll be informative to know what''s the next class on her list, and whether she can play it as well." "It''s probably Drow, right?" "Yes, most likely. Sonya nodded. She played it once against Taurus, but she didn''t leave much of an impression that game." "Hard to say if that was her fault, though. That game was hard for Stratus in general." "True. That''s why seeing it in action again can be informative." "So, we''re of the same mind here." Cato nodded. "Glad to know that my secretary always has my back~" "Yes, I''m sure your imaginary secretary is all over you. "Oh, she''s quite real, I assure you." "Yes, she''s real alright. In your dreams." "Heh, cheeky." And so, Cato finalized the last ban. He sealed Ninja, Vanishing''s primary class. Will the sneaky girl pick Drow next? Will she perform well with it? Only time will tell... Vol.18 Ch.8: Dancing Around the Orc Pick So, Cato went for it. Yuel frowned as he looked at the enemys third ban. I see. They rather ban Ninja than Elf. Elf was supposed to be a huge threat to the Leopards, given how it was Lars''s third-best class. And yet, it seemed Cato didn''t register Elf as banworthy. Maybe its in part because Merlin can play Elf, too. Yuel theorized. Instead of banning Elf, they can deny us the class by picking it. Then again, they surely won''t go for Elf as their first pick, so they''re essentially saying they''re fine with Lars playing Elf. This was unfortunate. If the Leopards feared Lars''s Elf as much as they feared Trickshooter and Gunslinger, then all three of their bans would have been constantly predetermined. In that scenario, Stratus wouldnt have to worry about any other class being banned in the first phase, like Nias Ninja. Even most interestingly, this wouldve put the Leopards in a difficult spot when going second. Theyd be forced to choose between banning Elf and banning Shadow Walker. Alas, Lars''s Elf didn''t deliver the necessary impact. The enemy probably recognized it as "strong", but not banworthy enough. It was a huge missed opportunity. But, no use crying over spilled milk. Yuel thought. This is our current situation, so we have to deal with it. It was time for the third and last ban of this phase. However, Yuel didn''t have any solid ideas in mind. He severely lacked information regarding Apprentece''s playstyle, so it was impossible to come up with good bans against the biggest threat. According to Howard''s intel, Apprentece played Knight and Viking during the pro scrim. These were standard picks that didnt say much. I guess I should focus on the other players instead. Yuel concluded. But, even thats difficult. I don''t know for sure which roles they''ll play. Thanks to the Leopards'' Mixup strategy, they could adjust the players roles on the fly. Therefore, it was impossible to guess how they''ll choose to play the upcoming game. Merlin is the best target for bans, but do I target him as a Mid or as a Carry? There was insufficient data to reach a conclusion. After examining various angles, Yuel ultimately settled on banning Warlock. Out of all the classes Merlin exhibited to date, it certainly felt like his most comfortable one. Alas... "Bzzzt! Wrong lane!" Cato giggled menacingly. Hes in Bot, not Mid. But, of course, the poor lad had no way of deducing this. After all, Yuel had absolutely no idea what he was going up against. And, Id like to keep him in the dark for as long as possible~ Cato enjoyed every moment of this. And, though he disagreed with Jins requested pick, he couldnt deny that itll be amusing to see Stratus shocked expressions when they see Orc. But first, lets tease them more. No harm in stretching this out for a little longer~ Cato smiled impishly. As I said, Im fine with the Orc pick and the fact you dont want to ban any specific counters. Buuuuuut I dont want to pick Orc as our first class, if you dont mind. Sure. Jin shrugged. Its correct decision. Unnecessary in this match, but correct. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Im glad were on the same page for once. Picking Orc early would give the enemy plenty of opportunities to come up with counters. Though, admittedly, a part of Cato wanted to see that happen. One of these days, somebody will have to kick this Emperor off the high horse. Cato thought. But, I dont want it to be Yuel, and I definitely don''t want it to happen today. This is one game I dont plan on losing, no matter what. The Leopards had already disgraced themselves enough today. It was time to score a big win and restore their reputation back to normal! "Let''s wrap up this game nice and clean, alright?" Cato addressed everybody. "I''m sure some of you may still disapprove of the Orc pick, including myself, but we have to move on and adapt." "Well," William started. "If you can move past it, then anybody here should be able to. After all, this pick mainly goes against your favorite playstyle." "My, is that do? I didn''t realize." Cato smiled meaningfully. Not sure if he intended it, but nice follow-up. Indeed, the Orc pick caused the most trouble for Cato''s defensive game plan. Therefore, he had the strongest reason to object to this turn of events. So, if he was saying he was fine with it, then everybody should be as well, as William claimed. "So, with that decided," Cato continued. "Will, do you mind picking Viking?" "Fine by me." "Great. I''d like to pick it as our first class." "Go ahead." And, so the Leopards'' first pick was Viking, a misleading pick that was indistinguishable from a legit Top class. On top of that, Viking had plenty of synergy with Orc, so Jin and Will should be able to wreak havoc together... provided theyll choose to cooperate. Next, it was Startus turn to pick. Viking, huh. Yuel thought. Its one of Winner''s favorite classes it seems, but it might also be a Top Laner. Hmm. A nice and tricky first pick, as usual. It was impossible to make any strong deductions based on this pick, which was exactly what a good first pick should strive to achieve. Yuel would have liked to go for the same effect with his first two picks, alas his hands were tied. "I''ll pick Elf and Drow, is that alright?" Yuel confirmed with Lars and Nia. "Okey-dokey!" "Ok." Naturally, there were no objections. After all, these were the best classes they had available at the moment. And so, Yuel picked the two elves. Next, it was the Leopards'' turn to select two classes. Playing it safe, I see. Cato smiled impishly. Honestly, I don''t see Will playing Drow even if I asked him to, but Matt wouldve happily snatched Elf if he had the opportunity. Yuel''s swift, defensive picks were on point. Now, it was Cato''s turn to secure picks. "I was thinking Aeromancer." "Same," Sonya agreed. "It''s very defensive, but it also brings enough utility to team fights, so it can reinforce aggressive team plays." "Indeed, indeed." Cato nodded. I knew she''d like this pick. But, does she realize the hidden benefits this pick has for this drafting phase? Let''s see how Yuel deals with this~ "As for the Carry," Cato continued. "What do you think, Matt? I don''t suppose you want Seraph again, do you?" "Nah." Matthew shook his head. "Looks like we''re going more balanced this game." "True, that''s how the lineup is shaping up." "So, Pirate will work better, I feel." "Yes, I was thinking the same." Unlike the Hyper Carry that was Seraph, Pirate was a well-rounded class. It did take its sweet time getting online, but it was plenty strong already in the mid-game. Well, thats assuming the mid-game will even be relevant. Cato smiled impishly. Jin just might outright destroy them in the early-game~ It sounds unreal, but I wouldn''t put it past the Emperor. With that, the next two picks were decided: Aeromancer and Pirate. They were two all-rounders who meshed well with a defensive game plan while having the tools to aid Jins aggressive shenanigans. Next was Stratus'' final pick before the second banning phase... Vol.18 Ch.9: Concerns About the “Softhearted” Kai They picked Pirate and not Seraph? Yuel frowned. Hmm. Could that imply Winner is the Carry? Or, maybe Cato realized that banking only on the endgame isn''t a good idea against us, so they''re going for a more well-rounded lineup. There was no telling for sure what any of this implied. Cato always made his picks difficult to outguess. Normally, it''s best to pick the Top Laner before the second banning phase. Yuel thought. But, if I do that, I''ll give Cato a free chance to ban any Mid Laner he wants. That won''t bone well for us. The enemy''s Aeromancer pick was a tad tricky, especially considering it was going to be in the hands of either Theorist or Merlin. They were both defensive players who could utilize the Aeromancer''s remote farming to stall the game. To properly challenge an Aeromancer in the lane, it was best to pick a mage with a long reach. There were multiple good candidates on that front, but if Yuel doesn''t pick one of them now, then they will all be banned for sure; Cato will definitely pull a nasty move like that. "Sorry, Ben," Yuel said. "I''d like to pick Mid first if you don''t mind." "No problem at all," Ben reassured. "You know best what to pick." This wasn''t just Ben being his usual submissive self. He really had no reason to worry about the order of picks here. He can play many defensive classes on roughly the same level. Yuel thought. So, no matter how hard Cato tries to ban Ben''s best options, there will always be something left. Thanks to Ben''s background as a former Support player, he knew how to drive many different bruisers and tanks, so he had a big array of options to choose from. As such, it was impossible to seal his defensive options within a single banning phase. So, Kai, youre up next, Yuel said. I was thinking of Sorcerer. Same as last time, huh. Kai made a small sigh that was difficult to interpret. Do you want a different class? Nah, Sorcerer is fine. Then, why the sigh? Nothing, really. Kai rolled her eyes. Its just that thinking about bashing my head against Theorists defense again is a little depressing. I almost want to pick a hyper-aggressive mage and go ham on her. Would you really go ham on her even if you pick a class like that? Of course, why wouldnt I? Well I still remember the title Vincent gave her, the Softhearted Amazon. It sounds silly at best, but I suspect its actually on point, like most of Vincents wild titles. As a class, Sorcerer was definitely more on the defensive side. As such, perhaps it felt more natural for Kai to play the class passively against Theorist. But, down to it, Kai was more of an aggressive player. She had a solid defense, but her game plan usually involved a mixture of attacks and sidesteps. She carefully dodged incoming attacks while launching counterstrikes of her own. And yet, none of that came into play when Kai faced Theorist. It felt like Kai never wanted to go on the offensive there, no matter the situation. She did force herself to attack a couple of times, possibly because she realized her own passiveness. But, in the end, Kai never quite committed to her offense. She only launched a few attacks until Theorist reinforced her defenses, and then Kai gave up. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Thats really not like her. Yuel thought. Shes supposed to be more competitive than that. If somebody blocks her out like this, shes supposed to get salty about it and search for ways to turn the tables on them. And yet, against Theorist, Kai chose to play nice for some reason. She wasnt like that against Merlin. And, its not like shes feeling nervous about playing the Leopards or anything. Yuel thought. Ive seen her deliver great plays when the fight didnt concern Theorist. For example, when Winner was baited into ganking Mid last game, Kais performance shot up all of a sudden. She confronted Winner with everything she had, building up the most ultimate counter. It was one of the riskiest forms of offense and she executed it almost flawlessly. Now THAT play was in line with how Kai usually plays. Yuel thought. The fact she can pull off a play like this under an extremely stressful situation proves that everything is fine with her today. Its only this matchup against Theorist thats throwing her off. Hence, Yuel couldnt stop thinking about that "Softhearted Amazon" title. Though it seemed like an unfounded theory, it was an undeniably convincing explanation for Kai''s lukewarm performance in Mid. But, Yuel didn''t pursue this conversation any further because the topic obviously irritated Kai. The girl was hellbent on denying everything related to this, so there was no need to trigger her needlessly, especially not before such a critical game. After the Sorcerer pick, the drafting phase entered the second banning phase. Stratus had a slightly unpleasant position there, which the enemy didn''t fail to exploit. My how splendid~ Cato smiled impishly. You left your Top wide open for bans. How nice of you. For now, it was difficult to determine whether Yuel made the right call, but then again, what choice did he even have? The poor lad was stuck between a rock and a hard place, so he had to give up on something. Basically, everything was proceeding just as Cato orchestrated it~ So, you value the Mid pick more than Top. Cato thought. That''s curious. Does that mean Phoenix can play many different classes? Then again, you probably have no idea what''s waiting for you in Top, do you? My, how electrifying it is to be the only one in the know~ Poor Yuel had no idea that Jin was going to steamroll that lane. Phoenix absolutely needed the most defensive class he could get in order to not be instantly trashed by the Emperor. "In the end, it looks like I''ll be banning a bunch of Top classes anyway," Cato informed. "Sure." Jin only said that. He didn''t care either way, for he was confident in his ability to trample over Phoenix. Truly, it was an attitude befitting the Emperor. Following up on his plans, Cato banned Vanguard, Terramancer, and Paladin. The enemy hadnt picked their Support either, so a Paladin ban targeted two lanes in one shot. Unlike Catos great position in this banning phase, Yuel had to make some shots in the darkness. He couldn''t know for sure whether the Leopards Viking pick was for Top or Jungler, therefore his only 100% reliable course of action was to target Support classes. In particular, a Cryomancer ban was a big deal. This class caused Lars Elf lots of trouble by obstructing his field of view. "Aww, yeah!" Lars pumped a fist. "For real, this ice dude be annoying." Next, Yuel banned Lumimancer. Though it hasnt been picked today yet, this anti-stealth class will obviously cause problems for a certain hide-and-seek pro. "Yes!" Nia pumped a little fist under the table in response to this ban. Good Lumimancer players were like the bane of her existence. This hax class could expose Nia anywhere and at any time. Scary. For the last ban, Yuel banned Bishop, which was another rather problematic class for Nia. It had the ability to cleanse allies of negative status effects regardless of distance, which was something that Nia''s Drow wouldn''t exactly apprentice. On that note, the second banning phase came to an end. Next, the drafting continued on Stratus'' side. "Is Druid fine with you?" Yuel asked. "Yes," Ben answered. "It''s actually the class I was going to suggest. Are you a mind reader?" "Yeah, he is." Nia declared confidently. "Hes a robotic, telepathic, mutant alien. Scary." "I feel like Im becoming a more and more bizarre creature by the day." Yuel made a face. "At this point, I can''t even tell what sort of thing you''re claiming I am. How can one be an alien, a robot, and a mutant all at once? These three things fundamentally contradict each other." "It just works." "Sure..." Yuel sighed. "As for your question, Ben. No, I''m not a mind reader. I just know that you like Druid and that you performed decently with it during club practice, so that makes it a good pick." "Oh, I see!" Ben nodded. "You really know everything about what others play. It''s amazing." "It''s my job to know these things," Yuel said matter-of-factly. "I''m in charge of the drafting, so that''s the bare minimum I have to be aware of." "It''s still amazing." "If you say so." Next, it was the enemy''s turn to pick their last two classes... Vol.18 Ch.10: The Leopards’ Hyper Aggressive Pick It was the Leopards turn to pick again. "Looks like it''s time for the grand reveal~" Cato smiled from ear to ear, imagining the shock on his opponents'' faces. It was going to be so delightful to hit them with this super unexpected pick! With that said, deep down, Cato''s feelings about this pick didn''t change. Every fiber of his being still disagreed with it. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go with Orc? Cato asked one last time. There are so many other aggressive classes you could pick." "I think I answered that enough times, Jin said. I''m going Orc, nothing else." "I see. A shame." Cato sighed in resignation. Till the very end, he was unable to sway the Emperor''s mind. Oh well. "Then, seeing as Bishop is banned, I''ll go Cleric, Cato said. A cleanse is very valuable to have against a Drow, and we might need the revival as well, seeing as our lineup is abnormally aggressive." "Weak pick," Jin criticized. "Oh? How so?" "Too defensive. Not needed." Well, and I''m saying your Orc pick is too aggressive and not needed as well. Does that make us even?" "Hmph." Jin scoffed and didn''t say anything more. This pick makes it easier to counter-pick both of us. Whatever. There was no need to take this drafting phase too seriously anyway. No matter how good Stratus'' picks were going to be, Jin will crush them regardless. In the end, the Leopards final picks were Cleric and Orc. The first pick didnt leave much of an impression, but the second pick sent shockwaves across the stadium. "Huh!?" Kai exclaimed. "Are they being serious?" "I guess they are..." Yuel was speechless as well. That Orc pick came out of left field. It was in complete contrast to everything the Leopards stood for. Howard mentioned that Apprentece favors offense, but I didn''t think it was to such a high degree... Orc was about the most aggressive pick for Top Laner, second only to Dark Knight. And, since Dark Knight wasn''t considered viable at the highest level of play, Orc was essentially the representative of hyper-offense for Top. Is he making a statement? Yuel wondered. It almost feels like a taunt. For one, Kai had already exhibited her irritation. And, the rest of the team was taken aback as well. "Scary." Nia shuddered. "I think this is going to be rough, haha..." Ben smiled dryly. Even though they all knew how risky the Orc pick was, it nonetheless managed to shake them up to one degree or another. They all understood that the enemy was declaring their superiority and confidence with this pick. If any other team went for a pick like this, then nobody wouldve batted an eye. But, these were the Leopards, the regional champions. Whats more, they were normally the heralds of defense, which made this aggressive pick even more absurd. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. However, one goof was completely unfazed by any of this. "Yo, finally a cool pick!" Lars exclaimed. "I swear these dudes have been playing defense 24/7. It''s about time they picked something more interesting, yo." "I think this goes a little beyond ''more interesting''," Yuel said. "Yeah, they kinda went off to the deep end with that one, didn''t they?" Lars chuckled. "Gonna be fun to face this aggressive dude! Let''s see what he brings to the table!" "Thats right," Kai agreed after recomposing herself. "If he thinks he can get away with a pick like this, then we better show him what we''re made of. Let''s crush him!" "Y-Yeah!" Ben tried to join the hype, though his voice was still a little shaky. "Scary, but doable." Even Nia expressed unexpected bravery. Despite the initial shock, the team rebounded quickly. Their mental fortitude was much better than expected. I suppose I have Lars to thank for that. Yuel thought. They needed that injection of positivity in order to overcome the shock. I wish I could do things like that. Even though Yuel also maintained his composure in front of the enemy''s bold pick, he wasn''t able to express that as loudly as Lars did. As such, he failed to inject the team with the much-needed positivity shot. This was one of the countless communication issues on Yuel''s endless TODO list. Sigh. Anyway, now that the team is back in order, I can focus on the next pick. The enemys Orc pick had the potential to be nasty for multiple reasons. Its strong early game was one part of it, but there was also Orcs ultimate that turned his allies unkillable. It was one of the best tools in the game for securing risky pushes or turning the tables around during unfavorable team fights. Nonetheless, normally, Yuel wouldn''t necessarily consider playing around an Orc pick. However, this Orc pick assuredly belonged to Apprentece. I can imagine Challenger playing Orc too, but he was subbed out. Yuel thought. Aside from Challenger, the only other suspect I can think of is Winner, but I doubt he would play Orc as a Jungler, or even as Top. His offense seems to be more on the calculated side, so Orc shouldn''t be among his favorites. Considering how defensive the rest of the Leopards were, there was nobody other than Apprentece who would possibly pick Orc. In fact, Cato''s Cleric pick further reinforced that impression. I suspect Cato isn''t a big fan of that pick. Yuel thought. That''s why he''s trying to cover all the bases. Cleric was an extremely defensive pick, so much so its defensiveness severely hurt its placement on the tier list. Among the "beginner" classes of the game, Cleric was the only one considered viable, but it wasn''t popular due to its limited array of utilities. Down to it, the only reason to pick Cleric was its revival ult. Cato mustve picked it to make sure hell be able to salvage the situation in case his teammates get carried away during aggressive plays. More specifically, it was probably to keep the Orc alive in case something goes wrong. The Orc can turn his allies unkillable, and the Cleric can revive the Orc. Strong options. Yuel nodded. But, Aquamancer can counter both of them. Before going through with the pick, Yuel explained his reasoning to his teammates in the hope of injecting them with further confidence. He couldn''t leave all the hard work to Lars on that front. "Sounds awesome!" Lars gave a thumbs up. "These dudes be trying to spook us with their picks, but ya gonna show them!" "Damn straight," Kai reinforced. In the end, it was still Lars and Kais voices that lifted the teams spirits. Yuel only shared the dry theoretical explanation of his decision, which didnt sound very hype all by itself. Well, it doesn''t matter who exactly improves the teams morale. Yuel thought. It''s the result that matters. Though, I should really try getting a little better at this... And so, the drafting phase of the final game came to a close. ===Stratus=== Yuel (Chessmaster): Aquamancer Lars (Gunz): Elf Ben (EnduringPhoenix): Druid Kai (Beat): Sorcerer Nia (VanishingFlower): Drow ===Leopards=== Young-jin (Apprentece): Orc William (AbosluteWinner): Viking Sonya (TheTheorist): Aeromancer Cato (Rook): Cleric Matthew (Merlin): Pirate Vol.18 Ch.11: Yuel’s Negative Talent for Reassuring The final game began. At long last, Stratus had the opportunity to test their mettle against Apprentece, the rumored pro-level player! With that said, the games opening was rather uneventful. Yuel told the team to exercise caution against early invades, but the enemy didn''t seem interested in anything of the sort. So, I see Apprentece isnt THAT cocky. Yuel thought. I was sure the Orc pick implied he was completely looking down on us, but he''s more reasonable than that, at least. In fact, even the Leopards themselves were a bit surprised by that tame turn of events. "My, you''re not suggesting an invade?" Cato asked. "No need," Jin stated matter-of-factly. "I thought you were planning to go all out with that Orc of yours." "This kind of invade is risky for minimal benefit. Not worth." In truth, when dealing with vastly inferior opponents, an early invade was a great opener for hyper-aggressive classes like Orc and Dark Knight. However, given who Jin''s teammates were in this game, he didn''t want to take unnecessary risks. I will take risks as needed, but only the kinds of risks I can fully control. Jin thought. I shouldnt rely on these teammates too much. After the tame opening, both sides proceeded to their lanes. And so, the laning phase began. Out of everybody in Stratus, it was Ben who had to face the new, powerful opponent. Just my luck. Ben gulped. B-But I have to do it! Somehow. This laning phase was assuredly going to be fiercer than anything he had experienced here today. Not only was the opponent''s class far more aggressive than anything Ben had faced today, but the opponent himself was also rumored to be leaps and bounds above Challenger in terms of skill level. I-It''s okay! As long as I stick to my usual defense, I should be able to do it...! Ben tried to pump himself up, but shivers nonetheless assaulted him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t lie to himself - he was terrified. This was the last game of the day, the game that would decide the winner of the entire scrimmage. And, it was Ben''s responsibility here to stop the enemy''s strongest player, to make sure Apprentece won''t be able to snowball to victory. N-No pressure, haha... Ben took a deep breath. I-It''s okay. It should be okay. I''ve come so far today already. I should be okay. Yes. This wasn''t the first time that pressure got to him today, and it probably wasnt the last time, either. On this grand stage, with countless eyes watching his every move, it was impossible to not get nervous. Everybody wrestled with that kind of pressure to one degree or another. Therefore, Ben had to confront that nightmarish beast as well! For better or worse, this entire inner turmoil was written all over his face for everybody to see. Ben went from shaking, to frowning, to gritting his teeth in determination, and then back to frowning again. "I''m tellin'' ya, dude is totally out of it," Lars whispered. "Yes, I can see that," Yuel agreed. "But, it looks like he''s about to overcome it? Or, maybe not..." Ben''s expression went back and forth between that of a terrified kitten and a confident lion. His mental state must have been a total mess. "Ya gotta say something to him, dude." "Me?" Yuel asked. "I don''t think I''m the man for the job. That''s more your forte." "I''ve already said a bunch of stuff to everybody, remember? But, Ben is still nervous like that. My talk ain''t helping him, yo." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Yes, looks like his case is more difficult than the others''." It was understandable. Ben was already timid by nature, and in this game, he was thrown into the most difficult situation. He was the one who''ll have to go up against Apprentece, the legendary Korean player. This was an unknown enemy hailed to be the strongest in the region. Yuel understood all of that, but what could he possibly say about any of this? He wasn''t an expert at encouraging others. A job like this, which required emotional intelligence, was best left to the two goofs: Lars and Vincent. "Yeah, yeah, I know," Lars said. "Ya ain''t that good with mincing words, thats why stuff like that is always hard for ya. But, that''s also why it''s so effective when you say something, ya know?" "What''s ''so effective'' about it, exactly?" "When ya say something reassuring, it got a different ring to it, Lars explained. Everybody knows ya don''t like sugarcoating or overhyping stuff, so when you say something positive, people know it''s legit." "Yeah, I feel like I''ve experienced something like that earlier today." Yuel nodded. "But, what can I even say here?" "Just say what you really think, dude. But, preferably, stick to the positive bits, haha Lars laughed. For example, what do you think about this Druid vs. Orc matchup? Is it in Ben''s favor?" "Hmm. Honestly, it''s a little rough, Yuel said. Druid can play it safe by shooting from a distance, but its shots aren''t that strong. So, I can see a competent Orc getting the lead in the lane." "Dang, sounds rough. But, Ben will be alright, right?" "Yes, he should be. As long as he stays on the defensive as usual, then he shouldn''t have a problem dealing with an Orc. At least, in theory." "Great! Lars nodded. Now, tell him all that, just without the bits about how the matchup might be rough and stuff. Just focus on how you think Ben can get things done if he stays calm and all." "Hmm. Okay, I''ll give it a shot." Yuel wasn''t entirely convinced, but this should be better than saying nothing, right? This won''t somehow make things worse, right? Honestly, that''s always my biggest fear with these things. Yuel gulped. I remember discouraging so many classmates from the game back in grade school. It was all because of the things I''ve said without filtering them enough. I thought that being objective and giving it to them straight was always the best for them, but they didn''t take kindly to it. Now, two years later, Yuel understood the errors of his ways. He was too blunt and rubbed many people the wrong way. He tried to be objective and always correct, but people found that unpleasant to listen to. But, I''ve come a long way since then. I''ve seen Lars and Vincent say a lot of motivational nonsense that somehow grabbed everybody''s attention. And, Howard was also pretty slick with things like that. With so many references to draw from, Yuel should be able to mimic these speeches at this point. So, it was time to put all this accumulated experience into practice! "Ben, listen," Yuel started. "I know its stressful to be the one who has to face Apprentece." "N-No, it''s fine! I''m fine. No need to worry about me. Yeah." "Very convincing." Yuel made a face. "I''m not going to lie, it''ll probably be rough. And, this matchup isn''t exactly in your favor, that''s partially on me as the one who drafted the classes." "Not at all!" Ben insisted. "It''s my fault that Druid is one of my better classes, you only suggested it because of that. Im really sorry, I shouldve played a better class!" "They banned a lot of your better options, so its not your fault, Yuel said. Besides, Druid is a great class, just not the best against competent a hyper-aggressive opponent." "Yo, Yuel, my dude!" Lars whispered not-so-quietly. "I told ya to not focus on the matchup part too much!" "Oh, shoot! Ahem." Yuel cleared his throat. "Anyway, none of this is your fault, Ben. Things just happened to play out this way during the drafting phase, that''s all. The enemy took all of us by surprise with that Orc pick." "They sure did, haha..." Ben laughed dryly. It sounded like the laughter of a man who resigned to his fate. "That matchup is going to be rough, but it should be doable," Yuel continued. "You might have a hard time stopping his attacks, but you have plenty of survivability, so at least he shouldnt be able to kill you. As long as you play defensively as usual and stall the Orc, youll be good." "Will I? I''m afraid I''ll get pushed hard..." "Its possible, but well just deal with it as it happens, Yuel said. Before anything, we have to see Apprentece in action. We can''t start forming a plan before we know how good he actually is." "Okay." Ben nodded and his expression became more stable. It was still a far cry from the face of a confident player, but at least it seemed like he came to terms with the fact things will likely be rough and that its fine. And so, by the time Ben reached the lane, he was a bit more confident than before. Shortly, the first minion wave arrived. It was time to see Apprentece in action! I just have to stay far away and shoot from here. Ben thought. This method won''t be very good for farming, but at least it''ll keep me safe. Yuel mentioned how survivability is the main advantage I have here, so I have to make sure I capitalize on it. As the two minion waves were about to clash, Ben positioned himself at a distance and prepared to fire. Meanwhile, Apprentece had already secured his own position as well. And so, Bens great struggle against the Korean prodigy was about to begin! Vol.18 Ch.12: A Fearless Professional S-So fast! Ben gulped as he observed his lane opponent. The wave has just arrived, but he''s already all the way over here! Apprentece didn''t waste any time getting around to Ben''s backline. He even spent his Dodge Roll to travel faster. Before Bens bowmen even had the chance to nock their arrows, the Orc delivered the first strike! BAM! Apprentece swung a giant sledgehammer, sweeping through the entire backline! This one hit deleted nearly half of the bowmen''s HP, but it wasn''t even the full extent of Orc''s power. After the initial hit of the Sledgehammer skill, Apprenteces next hammer swing was a basic attack. It deleted the bowmens remaining HP in one fell swoop. Every time I see Orc or DK pull things like this, it always feels so absurd... Ben shuddered. This was the opening of the game, the stage at which all players were supposed to be at their weakest. And yet, Apprentece unleashed such destructive damage as if it was nothing. Classes like that shattered the games conventions, and Appretnece made sure to drive this point home. After he erased the backline, he immediately went after the frontline. Huh? Ben blinked. Um, this is weird right? There was supposed to be a rather lengthy recovery animation for that sledgehammer basic attack. Yet, Apprentece immediately stepped back after swinging. Did I see things wrong? Ben blinked repeatedly. He swung the hammer and then backstepped almost immediately. How is that even possible? Oh, maybe it was KC? Honesty, Ben had very partial knowledge about the Korean Step Cancel. He came across the term multiple times today, both in regard to AbsoluteWinner and Apprentece, but otherwise, Ben had barely ever seen it in action until now. So, that''s what it allows you to do. Ben nodded in understanding. It''s just a sidestep that happens in the middle of the recovery animation. Honestly, it looks a little eerie. The basic attacks recovery animation was cut prematurely, making it look as if the Orc short-circuited in the middle of the motion. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a bug that broke immersion. Yet, for some reason, the devs insisted on keeping this "feature". Well, it''s not my place to judge. I''m sure the devs know better. Ben shrugged. This was not the time to ponder the history of KC. I have to focus on farming. Ben threw a big seed at one of the enemy swordsmen. This was Druids basic attack animation, which seemed harmless at first glance until the oversized seed came down crashing on the victims head. Unlike his opponent, Ben didn''t take any risks here. He didn''t try to optimize his farming by striking the enemy backline or anything like that. For this difficult matchup, Ben was content with just shooting at the swordsmen. The seeds he tossed struck home, each erasing 5% of a swordsmans HP. Yes, Bens basic attacks only deleted 5% HP at a time. Meanwhile, his opponents attacks? BAM! 60% deleted! BAM! The entire frontline was gone! Not only did Orcs sledgehammer deliver insane amounts of damage, but it hit in an AoE to boot. Every swing blasted through Bens entire frontline, deleting tons of HP in one fell swoop. Ben didn''t even have the opportunity to do much here. After firing three basic attacks, he was forced to retreat against the enemys incoming forces. I''m going to lose so much farm from this... Ben sighed as he fled from the scene. He had no choice but to return to his tower and confront the incoming minions there. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Unfortunately, the enemy minions weren''t the only ones coming his way. The enemy captain, the Orc, was also on his way. Is he planning to push? Ben gulped. Theres no way, right? That''s way too risky to do on the first wave. A high-level player would never do that right? Alas, it happened. Apprentece followed his minions all the way through, entering Ben''s tower area. The guy even switched his weapon from a sledgehammer to a scourge along the way, so he could hit Bens tower from mid-range. T-This can''t be happening! Ben shuddered. This should count as a huge overextension! I have to punish him for something like this! But, I feel like I just... can''t. Ben was petrified, unable to counter this bold yet brilliant play. The situation looked as if Apprentece was taking an unimaginable risk, yet in practice, the guys position was actually rather safe. What were Ben''s options here, really? He could try shooting basic attacks at Apprentece, but that''ll barely do any damage. Instead, all itll achieve is attracting the attention of Appretneces minions, which was the last thing Ben wanted to deal with right now. Of course, another attractive option was to use Nature''s Grasp in order to drag Apprentece deeper into the tower area. That sounded like an awesome play, but it''ll probably achieve very little in this particular situation. Bens Turret was currently busy firing bolts at the invading minions, so it wont bother targeting Appretnece even if Ben pulls that criminal closer. Then, what can I even do here??? Ben trembled as he watched the tower''s HP plummet at an alarming rate, For now, Bens only response to this assault was to continue firing basic attacks at the minions. But, this was weak counterplay that barely slowed down the enemys attacks. "You should hit him," Yuel advised. "Half of his minions are gone by now, so you can get their attention and soak their damage with your shield." "R-Right!" Ben nodded. This was a tactic he knew, yet his mind blanked out for a moment there. His brain struggled to process the absurdity in front of him. Also, Yuel added. "Once there''s only one minion left, pull the Orc in if he doesn''t retreat by then." "Okay!" Ben nodded and took a deep breath. By focusing on Yuels clear orders, it was much easier to deal with the unfolding situation. Ben knew exactly what he had to do, so he went straight for it! First, he took a few steps forward in order to get the Apprentece within the reach of his basic attacks. Annoyingly, Apprentece mimicked Ben''s movements and backstepped away, forcing Ben to walk farther than expected. Nonetheless, in the end, Ben got the target within attack range and threw a large seed at him. It struck against the Orc''s shoulder, triggering all the enemy minions in the vicinity. To not lose too much HP to the minions'' wrath, Ben activated Gaia''s Protection, granting himself a shield. It had a decent HP for soaking early-game damage, so it successfully tanked all incoming attacks without Ben losing any HP. The bowmen fired arrows at him and only hit his shield, while he fired seeds at them and delivered actual damage. Ben ignored the swordsmen because they were tankier, so it was best to leave them to the tower. Shortly, all swordsmen fell and only one bowman remained. And yet, Apprentece is still here. Ben glanced at the overextending Orc. The guy insisted on remaining within the tower''s area and lashed at Bens tower with the scourge. It seemed like he had no intention of retreating just yet even though he was down to one minion. This is rude. Ben thought. At first, I thought this push was brilliant. But now, I''m starting to think maybe he''s just underestimating me. I''ll show him! Ben stepped forward and aimed his Nature''s Grasp. It was a very narrow skillshot, so it had to be aimed perfectly in order to grab the target. Fortunately, as an avid Druid player, Ben was used to the process. He had a lot of experience playing Druid as a Support in the past, and he played it plenty in Top during club practice as well. Therefore, his aim with Natures Grasp was quite decent despite the mechanical challenges of the skill. Okay, locked on. Here goes! Ben shot branches toward the overextending target! He was going to drag that overconfident player deep into the tower area! But, that didn''t come to pass. As soon as Ben unleashed the branches, the enemy rolled out of the area. The response was instantaneous as if Apprentece had been waiting for this one moment his entire life. Oh, I see. He was confident he''d be able to roll away in time. Ben nodded. I guess it proves that he really doesn''t think Im anywhere near his skill level. And, so far, hes kinda correct No matter how cocky Apprentece''s push seemed, all of his plays had been perfectly on point. Disrespect or otherwise, Apprentece successfully got away with everything he believed hed get away with. This is a little frustrating. He walked all over me like I was nothing. Ben chewed his lip. But, I can''t even call him out on anything. He knew exactly what he was doing. It''s me who wasnt good enough... After just one exchange against the Korean prodigy, Ben felt like a hapless rabbit challenging a vicious lion Vol.18 Ch.13: Druids Scaling History The game has just started but my tower is already like this... Ben frowned as he examined the Turrets remaining HP. From just one push, the tower dropped down to 88%. And, this was only the beginning of the game, the very first wave. Things will get only tougher from here on out as minions will grow stronger with each wave. In this first push, the Orcs strong basic attacks were responsible for most of the damage. However, over time, all the minions together will be delivering just as much damage as Appretnece, if not more. At that point, Bens tower will lose about 20% HP per wave. N-No, I cant let that happen! Ben steeled himself. This isnt the first time Im facing an aggressive Orc. I can defend against it, even if Druid isnt exactly the best class for the job. Defending was the one thing Ben knew how to do best. It was the only skill he believed he excelled at. Therefore, no matter what kind of pro-level prodigy Appretnece was - Ben should be able to stall the guy; he had to! Ben, are you alright? Kai asked. Youre looking kinda pale over there. Y-Yes, Im fine! I can do this! Everything is alright. Yes. Very convincing. Kai made a face. Looks like that Korean guy gave you quite the beating, huh. I-Its okay, I can handle this, Ben insisted. With a Lv.2 shield, Ill be able to tank the minions properly. I wont let him push like this again. Are you confident you can do it? Yuel asked. I was thinking of having Nia patrol Top Jungle to discourage further pushes. "It''s okay, I can handle this, Ben insisted. I don''t think there''s any need to waste her time on something like this, really." "Are you sure? Your tower took quite the beating." "S-Sorry about that..." "I''m not blaming you, Yuel explained. I''m just stating the facts as they are. This isn''t a comfortable matchup for you, and your opponent is a high-level player. Itd be stranger if you didnt struggle." "I-It''ll be okay!" Ben insisted. "I was just a little startled last round, that''s all. I''ll defend properly this time." "Are you completely sure?" "Yes, I know what to do in the next few waves." Ben shared his plans for the upcoming battles. Defending against hyper-aggressive opponents was something he practiced a ton, so it was one of the few topics he was rather confident about. "With a Lv. 2 shield, this should be easy enough to achieve," Ben concluded his explanation on that note. The HP of Gaias Protection increased substantially by a flat amount with each level. As such, there was quite a big leap between Lv. 1 and Lv. 2 in the early-game. I wish that building HP or Defense also made the shield buffer. Ben thought. But, it just doesn''t scale that way, unfortunately. Out of all things, the HP of Druid''s shield scaled with Magical Power. It was a rather odd decision for a class that was clearly designed to be a defensive tank. There was actually some history behind it. On release, the Druid''s shield did scale with HP as expected. And, like today, the shield also benefited from a flat HP increase per level. I wish I played Mancers during that time. Ben always sighed whenever he thought about this topic. It sounds like Druid was such a strong class back then. It was indeed treated as top-tier back then, even arguably broken. With the shield scaling based on HP, Druid players simply built tons and tons of it. This way, the Druid player became an unkillable tank, and the shield he provided to allies was equally durable. During these times, Druid was the epitome of defensive support. This resulted in an unhealthy meta, so ClassSoft nerfed Druid. They concluded that having access to a strong shield from the early-game was too much, therefore they nerfed Gaia Shields base HP, as well as the flat HP increase per level. In other words, now the shields entire worth was decided by HP scaling. To further reinforce that design direction, ClassSoft also nerfed the Ents base HP. Now, in the early-game, these giant trees were barely capable of tanking any tower shots at all. However, as compensation, the Ents HP now scaled that much harder with the Druids HP. This turned them into incredible tanks for the late-game. As a result of all these changes, Druid was borderline useless during the early-game. Its shield was paper thin and his Ents couldnt help much with pushes. The Druid player had to build tons of HP in order to come online. Once it did come online, Druid was even more oppressive than before. Its shield was so strong it effectively doubled the HP of its allies, and its Ents could tank tower shots for days. Nonetheless, the classs usage rate dropped sharply as a result of this change. Druid became a niche pick, which was a far cry from its former god-tier status. The main reason for the decline in popularity was that Druid now lacked any value for the early-game. It had a squishy shield that couldn''t protect allies and squishy Ents that couldnt tank towers. Though, I think people just overreacted to the nerf. That was Ben''s take on the subject, though it was a purely speculative one as he couldnt try that version of Druid for himself. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Players probably got too used to having a strong shield the entire game, so they felt like Druid lost its purpose without it. Ben speculated. Though, I definitely understand the appeal of a strong early-game shield With all said and done, Ben was also heavily relying on Druids strong early-game shield right now. So, there was no saying for sure how he wouldve felt about the changes if he played Classmancers during that era. Apparently, there was a lot of heated discussion at the time regarding Druid''s viability in the meta. Especially, on the DruidMains server, people lashed at each other nonstop. One faction claimed that Druid was a great pick for hyper-defensive teams, while others claimed that a strong late-game defense was useless when the Druid contributed absolutely nothing during the earlier stages of the game. For example, Hyper Carry classes like Seraph worked because they were considered "win conditions". Once the Seraph went online in the late-game, it was expected to push for victory. But, what about Druid? Did it also ensure victory for the team once it got online? Debatable. Druid was very strong at keeping its allies alive and at tanking towers, but it was ultimately still the role of the offensive classes to seal the deal. Ultimately, the tier list discussion came down to a competition between similar options. There were other classes, like Vanguard, that tanked towers and protected allies well enough. But, unlike Druid, these classes had tools that worked throughout the entire game, not only the late-game. Regardless, some extremists claimed that Druid was now a top-tier pick for some specific team comps. Namely, the team comps with a fanatic focus on the late-game. "Druid is the best-in-slot Support for a Seraph team!" These were the kinds of arguments these madmen made. And, there was some truth to it, at least on paper. The Seraph + Druid combo was unbeatable in the late-game. Seraph excelled in split pushing, and Druids powerful shield and Ents only made Seraphs job that much easier. However, there was one big caveat: the two classes first had to survive the early-game in order to reach the late-game in good shape. Until then, both of them were like baggage for the team. Carrying one baggage was still affordable, but two? How was the team even supposed to reach the late-game like this? It was unreal. And so, despite how hyped up this powerful duo was, it didnt actually see much play in practice. A few pro teams attempted this strategy, but most such attempts failed spectacularly. The only specific scenario in which the Druid + Hyper Carry setup was highly valued was in a matchup between two extremely defensive teams. For example, in the Leopards vs. StormBlitz kind of matchup, thered be a strong argument for that kind of team comp. However, both teams would be aware of the fact, so theyd simply ban Druid to seal that option. Thus, in the very few games in which Druid could potentially show its true strength, it didnt even get the chance to come on stage. It was a really sad state for the class. Ben thought so back when he watched a video documenting the classs history. Druid wasnt really that bad, its just that the competition was better. Such was the unfortunate reality of many low tier classes. They weren''t necessarily "bad" in a vacuum, they just existed in a competitive environment that didn''t complement their strengths. According to the documentary, Druid remained in that sorry state for quite a while. Perhaps ClassSoft was waiting for somebody to figure out a way to utilize Druid better, or maybe they hoped that future item changes will shake up the meta enough to make Druid relevant. Alas, time went on and none of that seemed likely to happen. Druid remained an impractical one-trick pony and people kept complaining. An HP build was the only viable build because everything about Druid scaled with HP. As a result, there wasnt much room for experimentation. No amount of theorycrafting could save a class that was so restricted in its build options. In light of the situation, people posted many redesign ideas, trying to convince ClassSoft to fix the class. However, it didn''t feel like ClassSoft was paying much attention to Druid''s situation. After all, there were countless classes in the game and it was impossible to balance all of them. On top of that, with Classmancers becoming official esports that was even practiced in schools, the process of getting approvals for redesigns became far more complicated than for a regular game. So, it was only natural for ClassSoft to take their time with this matter. It was the same as how it took them a long time to push through the balance changes that nerfed Shadow Walker. Their response had been slow like that over the years because of bureaucracy. But, eventually, the changes had finally come. ClassSoft redesigned Druids properties once again based on the criticism. The new Druid became something of a mix of the two previous versions. ClassSoft aimed to create a more balanced version that was better suited for the meta environment. After this change, Druid lost the big HP scaling across the board. Instead, its skills had good base value again, as well as a decent flat increase per level. This made Druid''s shield and Ents fairly durable during the early-game. However, without any further adjustments, this wouldve caused the opposite issue: Druid wouldve become decent in the early-game, but very weak in the late-game. The skills that lost their HP scaling needed some alternate form of scaling, or else they''d fall off too hard in the late-game. So, ClassSoft did give some scaling to Gaia''s Protection, but it was a very different kind of scaling. Many criticized this design decision for being "unthematic", even though mechanically most agreed that it was a good, refreshing change. And so, today, Druid''s shield scaled with Magical Power. This type of scaling didn''t quite match Druid''s pacifistic image, but it practically solved all the issues Druid had had in the previous two iterations. The new power scaling was just as strong as the older HP scaling, so in theory, the Druid could reach the same power ceiling as before. However, by building power, Druid had to give up on building HP and defense, leaving itself far too squishy to serve as the team''s frontline. Essentially, the Druid player was given a choice. He could build full HP and become a sturdy tank at the expense of giving teammates a weaker shield, or alternatively, he could build more power to provide a better shield, but that would make him a weaker tank. Essentially, this was an interesting dilemma of tank vs. bruiser. This change sparked a lot of theorycrafting, guides, and discussions. Druid''s state became more lively than ever as people analyzed the class no end. Of course, there were always a few extremists in the bunch. Some claimed that the class reverted to its OP state, while others claimed that the new scaling made no sense and that the class was still too weak. Regardless at large, the community was happy with the changes. The Druid skin that came out alongside the balance change sold very well, which some used as proof that the community approved of the changes. In time, the hype settled down. People reached the conclusion that the new Druid was "good but not broken", so the class found its place in the meta alongside other popular picks. All''s well that ends well. Ben thought. Though, I really wish I had the chance to play that hyper late-game Druid just to see how it feels. Still, I imagine the current Druid is overall more stable. It was thanks to the properties of Druids current iteration that Ben was confident he''d be able to tank most incoming attacks in the upcoming wave. He definitely won''t let Apprentece get another strong push! Vol.18 Ch.14: Dragging the Swordsmen Aside Ben explained in detail why everything was fine in Top and why the others shouldnt waste their precious time helping him out. Kai seemed convinced enough, but Yuel still exercised caution. "Then, let''s do it like this," Yuel suggested. "Nias rotation will make her go to Top Jungle during the next wave anyway, so she can stick around there for a little longer. This wont waste much of her time, but itll greatly boost our defensive options in Top." Ok. Nia nodded. You want me to do that remote intimidation thingy, right? Yes, pretty much, Yuel said. Well use your presence to discourage the Orc from pushing. The rest of their team had already shown how anxious they are about your ganks, so I hope Appretence will be just as careful. Ok, but I dont have a good grasp over their wards yet, Nia said. So, they might spot me. Thats fine, Yuel said. But, in case you feel like the enemy isnt aware of your position and you see the Orc overextending, then get ready to gank. But, make sure to discuss that decision with me first. Roger. Is this arrangement alright with you too, Ben? Yuel asked. Yes, Ben answered. If Nia doesnt mind this little detour, then its better to be safe than sorry. Okay, then its decided. With this defensive plan in hand, the team greeted the second minion wave of the game. Nia went about her usual routine in Top Jungle, trying to evade all enemy wards. Alas, it didnt quite work out Gufu. I think they found me. Nia scowled. I guess Ill just stick to that remote intimidation plan then. There was no longer any hope of invading Top undetected and stabbing that scary Orc in the back. In the past, Nia wouldve treated these sorts of situations as an absolute loss. But, not anymore. Yuel taught her the glass-half-full approach. On one hand, the enemy was aware of Nias presence, which denied her the chance to deliver a surprise gank. But, on the other hand, being aware of her presence will likely make the Leopards overly cautious, hurting their game plans in the process. Just by being close by, Nia was applying pressure on the enemy without lifting a finger. It was that impressive remote intimidation thingy that Yuel preached so much about. Does that mean the enemy thinks I''m "scary"? That''s scary to think about. Nia smirked to herself as she farmed Top Jungle. She was like a Slenderman creeping in the darkness, scaring the living shit out of her potential victims without actually doing anything special. How will Apprentece respond to this Slenderman? Will the guy exhibit the same amount of aggression as in the previous wave? Or, will he respect Nia''s presence and play it safe? As the next wave arrived, the answer soon revealed itself. He doesn''t seem scared at all... Ben gulped. Honestly, I was half this, but still... Just like last time, Apprentece rolled in and assaulted Bens bowmen with the sledgehammer. After making quick work of the squishy minions, Apprentece went after the swordsmen. He had no qualms about extending into enemy territory even with Nia right around the corner. Truly, this Korean prodigy was fearless. So much, so that it was getting a little irritating. He''s not supposed to be able to get away with this. Ben stepped forward and fired a basic attack at the overconfident foe. There wasn''t much else he could do in this situation anyway, so he might as well graze the Apprentece''s HP a little. WHOOSH! The big seed flew across the air... and crashed into the ground. It nearly grazed Apprentece, but the guy sidestepped in a timely fashion even though his back was still turned to Ben. Say what!? Ben gasped. B-But, he wasn''t even looking at me! How could he... Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. It made no sense. The Orc was busy swinging his giant sledgehammer at the swordsmen, so Apprentece couldn''t possibly know what was going on behind him. No, wait. Ben tried to calm down. Lets think about it logically. Maybe he reacted to the sound of the attack? But, is it even possible to react to it that quickly...? This was most certainly another example of KC, as Ben made sure to shoot the Orc right in the middle of the guys swing. Any normal opponent wouldve been stuck in the middle of the recovery animation and couldn''t have done anything against this shot, but not Apprentece. The guy sidestepped the shot as if it was nothing, without even looking at it. Just how strong was this guy!? The more Ben was seeing, the harder his faith tanked... "Ben, are you retreating?" Yuel asked. "O-Oh! Right!" Ben shook his head and focused on the situation at hand. While he was wasting time being depressed, the enemy had already finished clearing out the swordsmen. And so, the entire enemy wave was now on its way to get Ben! If he didnt retreat ASAP, the minions would assault him! Ack! I was careless...! Ben rolled away from the scene before anything bad happened. It was unfortunate that he had to waste his Dodge Roll on something minor like this, but it was better than receiving unnecessary damage from the minions. Besides, I probably dont need the Dodge Roll anytime soon. Ben tried to comfort himself. I don''t think anybody is planning to gank me? At least, the wards havent shown any interesting movement lately. Winner did venture into Top Jungle recently, but it seemed the guy only strolled in to farm a few camps. After that, he likely continued onward to Bot Jungle. With that in mind, wasting a Dodge Roll here wasnt a big misplay or anything. Though, it was still rather embarrassing on a personal level... Focus, focus. Ben slapped his cheeks. I can''t drag the team down. I have to perform well. Nia is even dedicating some of her precious time to help me out here, so I can''t disappoint her like this...! Ben had already troubled the team more than enough. He had been absent from tons of practice sessions this year, which was unbecoming of any competitive player. So, the least I can do to repent is to perform adequately on this stage. Ben thought. For now, lets carefully retreat to the tower and farm from there. But, for that to work, I need to get the minions'' attention first. Instead of fleeing deep into the tower area right away, Ben hit the brakes and turned around. The enemy minion wave was slowly approaching him, so he decided to greet them at the door. This is one example of a play that wouldve been much safer to do with a roll. Oh well. Ben shook his head and focused on what he COULD do right now, rather than lingering on what he couldn''t. For starters, he fired a shot at the incoming minions. The shot hit home, which meant Ben was right within the swordsmens aggro range. However, the same couldn''t be said for the bowmen in the back just yet. These guys lagged behind the swordsmen, so they werent close enough to Ben to spot him. So, I need to rearrange their positions. Ben nodded to himself. First, drawing away the swordsmen... Instead of retreating deeper into the tower area, Ben circled around the outskirts of the zone, and the aggro''d swordsmen followed his moves. The soldiers broke formation and chased Ben diagonally. So far, so good. Ben examined the area behind the minions. There was no sign of Apprentece going on the offensive this round, which made this defensive play that much easier to execute. Good to see that he won''t overextend THAT much, at least. Ben thought. Seriously, if he could get away with overextension under these circumstances, then I might have lost all hope, haha... Anyway, back to the play. Breaking the enemy''s formation was just the beginning. Ben lured the swordsmen further to the side, to separate them from the backline. Meanwhile, the bowmen continued matching forward, oblivious to the fact their frontline strayed from the path. This is where it gets down to the wire. Ben gulped. I have to make sure the swordsmen don''t enter the area first, but also make sure the bowmen don''t aggro on me. This was the crux of this entire play. The goal was to make the bowmen enter the tower area first, so that the Turret would be focused on them. This way, Ben will be able to eliminate the enemy backline faster, thus reducing the amount of damage the tower will receive. However, this was easier said than done. To accomplish this, Ben had to drag the enemy swordsmen far away from the tower area. However, he couldn''t run away too quickly, or else the minions would lose their aggro. At the same time, he couldn''t do it too slowly either, or else the bowmen in the back will catch up and aggro on him as well. This was a delicate technique with a big margin of error. Having access to Dodge Roll usually makes this a lot easier, but With access to Dodge Roll, it was possible to draw the swordsmen very close to him and then immediately roll away while still maintaining the aggro. That made it much smoother to execute this error-prone technique. Alas, in his stupidity, Ben wasted his roll earlier, so no he had to do it the hard way. And so, he continued camping at the outskirts of the tower area while slowly moving away from the approaching swordsmen. Unfortunately, his execution proved to be imperfect. He overstayed his welcome by just a split second, and thats all it took for the nearest bowman to set his eyes on Ben... Vol.18 Ch.15: The Robot’s Pep Talk In his carelessness, Ben aggrod one of the bowmen. Well, this isnt ideal. Ben frowned. But, its not the worst that could happen. In response, Ben cast Gaias Protection, granting himself a shield. The bowman was quick to nock his arrow, but the long-ranged shot only struck against Bens shield, delivering zero damage to Ben himself. Still, the arrow did damage the shield itself. As sturdy as Gaias Protection was at Lv. 2, it couldnt tank an infinite amount of hits. The shield will likely crumble against a combined attack of the swordsmen and this one rogue bowman. To make things worse, now that the stray bowman was targeting Ben, the pesky guy was no longer advancing toward the tower area like the rest of his peers. Instead, he stopped in place in order to shoot arrows at Ben. Yet again, Ben was messing up, even though he had just promised that he wont make stupid mistakes anymore... Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ben beat himself up. You can pull that bowman into the tower area with Grasp, Yuel advised. Oh, right! Ben jumped. Without further ado, he aimed Natures Grasp at the rouge bowman and pulled the troublemaker right into the tower area. I shouldve been able to think of this myself. Ben criticized. Im familiar with this edge-case scenario and Ive used this solution before with Druid, but... The pressure was getting to him, no two ways about it. He felt like everybody''s eyes were on him, more than ever before. Surely, the audience was most interested in Top right now, which was actually rather unusual in Classmancers. Normally, Top was the most uneventful lane. Both sides simply held their forts and bided their time until mid-game. However, in this game, Top had every reason to draw people''s attention. Not only was there an Orc pick, but it was piloted by a mysterious new player; a Korean prodigy! So, surely, everybody was watching Top right now with great interest. Brrr. Ben shuddered at the mere thought of that image. The pressure was real. Thankfully, Yuel also seemed to closely follow the events in Top. If not for his timely advice, then Ben would have severely messed up the defense in this round. "Thank you," Ben said. "I''m sorry you have to waste your precious time looking out for me..." "It''s okay," Yuel reassured. "Your lane situation is very important and informative, so of course, I have to monitor it." "But, you have your hands full in Bot, right? If only I was more reliable..." "It''s true that Bot occupies me pretty badly, but it''s fine, Yuel said. It looks like you feel a little pressured by the whole situation, but otherwise, your performance is within expectations. So, you have nothing to worry about. "I see..." Ben lowered his head. "Within expectations", he says. It means he expected me to perform this poorly. Well, I guess that''s a given... After all, Ben wasn''t as good as the rest of the team in the first place. The only ace up his sleeve was his defense, but even with that he occasionally messed up on this stage. Truly, there was not much reason to expect anything from him... "Yo, dude!" Lars whispered to Yuel. "Look what you''ve done! Dude is all depressed now!" Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Yes, I can see that." Yuel frowned. "It looks like he didn''t take that comment positively." "Of course not! What do ya mean ''within expectations'', yo? Ya make it sound like you expect Ben to lose!" "I just meant he''s performing as his usual self for the most part, aside from the obvious pressure that''s getting to him." "Then ya gotta be clearer about it! Lars insisted. Stuff like that is way too easy to interpret the wrong way, ya know? Especially, right when hes already blaming himself for all sorts of stuff." "When is Ben ever NOT blaming himself?" "Haha, sad but true. Lars chuckled. So, that''s all the more reason ya gotta be careful with him, dude. If ya say anything vague like that, he gonna assume the worst for sure." "Hmm. Yes, that makes sense, Yuel agreed. This is actually important to keep in mind, thanks." "No problem, dude." Lars gave a thumbs up. "So, ya gotta say something to him before he gets all depressed." "Right, to say something..." Yuel knotted his brows. "Watcha thinking so hard about? Just tell him what ya told me." "Easier said than done, Yuel argued. If I have to consider the possibility that he might interpret anything I say in a negative light, then it becomes that much harder to come up with safe to say." "Just speak from the heart, yo!" "What does that even mean?" "Like this: Hey Ben, chin up!" Lars called out. "Yuel said a bunch of complicated stuff there, but he didn''t mean anything bad by it." "Really...?" Ben wasn''t convinced. "But, he said my poor performance is ''within expectations''..." "By that, I meant that you''re staying true to your playstyle despite the enemy''s aggression," Yuel clarified. "Your defense is solid as usual, though its noticeable that the pressure is making you commit small mistakes. But, its natural for you to feel pressure in a situation like this, so that''s why I said this performance is within expectations." "Oh, I see." Ben sighed in relief. A rock fell off his heart thanks to this clarification. Now that I think about it, this situation isnt even as disastrous as I thought it was. It''s not like this was the first time Ben ever made a mistake before. It''s just that every mistake he made in this game felt a hundred times more critical because it was on the competitive stage, but otherwise, nothing was too different from usual. Indeed, his performance was "within expectations", as Yuel said. Even in the most recent play, Ben did mess up a little and needed Yuel''s timely advice, but otherwise, everything was "fine". After he pulled the bowman into the tower area with Natures Grasp, the Turret focused on the intruder and shot the guy down. In the meantime, the rest of the bowmen made their way into the area. Later, the swordsmen Ben was aggro-ing made it in as well. By default, the tower prioritized shooting the closest enemies. Normally, that would be the swordsmen, the frontline of the minion formation. However, due to the disruption Ben caused, the backline and the frontline switched places. Now, the bowmen were in the front, going after the tower, whereas the frontline was lagging behind, still gunning for Ben. As a result of this switcheroo, the Turret targeted the bowmen first. BAM! BAM! The minions were struck by one giant bolt after another. They were like spears of judgment raining from the heavens. In a matter of seconds, the tower annihilated the squishy intruders. The bowmen only got to shoot a couple of arrows at the tower before they were erased from existence. Next, the turret turned its attention to the swordsmen. These guys were tougher, but at least they weren''t attacking the tower. They were still chasing Ben down. Despite being slow on his feet, Druid was no match for the sluggish minions that pursued him. They hacked away at him with their blades, but his shield absorbed all the damage, protecting him from harm. Though the entire process took quite a while and Ben lost a lot of precious farm in the process, he ultimately got rid of all the intruders. The tower had only lost 2% HP this time around, which was a huge improvement compared to the 12% lost in the previous round. So, despite the few mishaps, Ben decently performed his role as a defensive player here. It was really all "within expectations", as Yuel put it. Y-Yes, I can do this! Ben reassured himself. Next wave, I''ll just have to do the same. No problem. Yes, I can do this. Easy. For sure. Yes. Definitely. As hard as he tried to cast suggestion on himself via repetition, his skin was still overrun by shivers. Somehow, he felt like this wasnt the end. The real struggle was still ahead of him. Perhaps Ben successfully thwarted Apprentece''s offense this time around, but there was no telling how the next round would go. It felt like the quiet before the storm. Apprentece probably only "played nice" in this round because Nia was in the nearby jungle. But, she won''t be there for the next wave, so Apprentece will be free to do whatever he wants there. And, surely, he will do something. Something big and overwhelming, just like in the first round. I hope this is just my imagination getting the better of me. Ben gulped. After all, my defense is "within expectations", so everything should be fine, right? ... right? Vol.18 Ch.16: Jins Reponse Due to the risk of being ganked, Jin didnt push hard during the second minion wave. "My, for a moment there, I was sure you''ll push," Cato said. "The risk not worth it," Jin said matter-of-factly. "Yes, that''s true." Cato nodded. "But, I expected you to underestimate them all the way. So, I''m glad to see that you''re not throwing caution to the wind entirely." "Some risks are worth it, some not. Also, I can''t fully underestimate them. They managed to give you trouble, after all." "That''s... true, I suppose." Cato''s ever-present smile twitched slightly. "But, I assure you, we wouldve won this game even without you." "Maybe. But, it''s unnecessary risk, Jin argued. This team should not lose, even in scrims." "True, true. After all, we''re the ''regional champions'', right? We have to win it all, both in scrims and in official games." "Right." "So, may I know what''s your plan from here on out?" Cato asked. "Are you going to push again in the next wave?" "Yes. Once Jungler gone, I push." "I see. Cato nodded. Keep in mind that your opponent seems to be an expert in defense, so he might be able to block you. So, please try to not force it too much." "Unlikely. Defending is all he knows. His skill level not high." "Perhaps, but we can''t rule any possibilities out. This is only the second time we see him in action, after all." "Hmph. Alright." Honestly, I wasn''t expecting to see a hyper-defensive player on that team. Wasnt offense their entire team''s mantra? But, turns out they had a "trump card" like this. There was no denying that Phoenix''s defense stood head and shoulders above the rest of his teams. Even though Jin usually didn''t think much of the skill level of anybody in this region, he still had to admit that Phoenix handled the previous push quite efficiently. That technique of drawing the swordsmen to the side required delicate execution, and Phoenix deserved at least a 7/10. It seems I''ll have to ramp up my aggression. Jin concluded. I won''t be able to snowball much until I crack this guy''s defense. But, will they give me enough freedom to do that? Judging by the previous game, Stratus strategist enjoyed applying remote pressure by making the Jungler stick around Top. In fact, he had done exactly that in the most recent wave, too. This time, Jin respected the presence of the enemy Jungler and chose to not push. But, was that caution really warranted against opponents of this pitiful level? Well, if I want to be objective here, then yes, this warranted some caution. Jin conceded. After all, they did push the Leopards team to a corner, and Vanishing contributed plenty toward that. Despite Jin''s personal feelings about the regions low skill level, he had to admit that a certain degree of caution was required. When Vanishing was nearby, Jin couldn''t be as bold as he would have liked to be. Well, this round shes in Bot. Jin analyzed. And, there arent any signs of her rotating over here. The next minion wave was about to clash in the lane, yet a ward revealed that Vanishing was still hanging around Bot Jungle. And, there was no chance of that reveal being falsified, as Vanishing was playing Drow and not Ninja in this game. Technically, Drow could also create a "clone" that would be spotted by a ward. However, Drows clone couldn''t move around the way Vanishing was doing right now, therefore she had to be the real deal. Even if she starts rushing over here now, she wouldn''t make it in time to do anything. Jin concluded. Looks like I got myself a free ticket to do whatever I want this round. Good. This was a green light to be as aggressive as he wanted this round. Therefore, it was time to go all in! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Most likely, Phoenix will play this round as cautiously as the first one. Nonetheless, there was a good chance that he would also try to hit Jin at least once, just as he tried before. No matter how passive of a player he is, I can''t imagine any competitive player who wouldnt get at least a little annoyed when his opponent is being so disrespectful. Jin thought. So, Ill have to be on the lookout for that. Despite that, he executed his usual bold clearing technique as if he didnt have a care in the world. He approached the bowmen, blew them to bits, and then rolled toward the swordsmen to continue the onslaught. Essentially, he was parading as he pleased on the enemy''s turf. No self-respecting opponent would let something like that pass without punishment. I hear your steps. Jin perked his ears to the max. Here it comes. Creak. Creak. Creak. The Druid''s footsteps had a distinctive sound to them, that of wood hitting against the ground. Therefore, even without looking, it was easy to tell that the enemy was drawing nearer. Now! Jin turned around and unleashed his Scourge skill. In an instant, his sledgehammer transformed into a thorny metal whip and extended all the way to the enemy! Spot on. Jin nodded in satisfaction. And, he fired a shot at me, just as I hoped. Everything went down exactly as Jin envisioned. Phoenix crept up on him in order to shoot a basic attack, and Jin gladly accepted the damage this time. In exchange, he stunned Phoenix in place with the scourge attack. Furthermore, Jin''s minions got enraged since the Druid''s basic attack struck home. They sought revenge for this atrocity and focused their fire on the stunned foe. The swordsmen wouldnt make it in time to hit the stunned target, but the bowmen quickly got into position and fired one round of arrows. And, since Phoenix didn''t get the chance to set up his shield, every shot hit his HP directly. In the meantime, Jin rolled forward to get away from the enemy minions, who were aggrod on him. Theyll end up catching up to him eventually, but that was fine. This entire play was all about trading HP. And, Jin was confident hell come far on top in this exchange. WHISH! Jin lashed at the stunned foe with his scourge! A single strike erased over 15% of Phoenixs HP. On top of that, the bowmen were already nocking their arrows for a second round. Most certainly, the enemy was sweating right now. O-Oh no! Ben shuddered. I have to get back to the tower! Fast! He rolled away as soon as the stun ended. Since the goal was to reach the Turret as quickly as humanly possible, Ben rolled straight toward the tower area. But, that mightve been a very bad decision... Oh, he''s so close! Ben gulped. I didn''t realize he got all the way here. The isn''t good...! SWISH! The scourge crackled once again, hitting Ben in the middle of his roll! Yes, Apprentece was actually close enough to land that hit, even though Ben was rolling directly toward his tower, inside his own territory. How was that possible? Oh, stupid me. Ben shook his head. I saw him rolling away from my minions, but I didn''t register just how deep he rolled into my territory. He might even hit me one more time after this...! Ben finished the roll, but he was almost certainly still within Apprentece''s attack range. He couldn''t verify that for sure with his back turned to the enemy, but he was almost convinced that this was the case. And, even if Im not, then he''ll catch up to me in no time. Druid is slower. Ben frowned. I have to use the shield now. Activating Gaia''s Protection this early was far from ideal. Like this, the shield might not last long enough to fully tank the minions at the tower. However, that was the least of Ben''s concerns at the moment. Why? Because SLASH! The whip crackled once more! This one basic attack shattered Bens shield to pieces. Yes, just like that, in one single blow. In fact, the attack was even stronger than the shield. So, not only did it destroy the shield, but it also hit Ben on top of that. The damage was negligible compared to the 15% it wouldve normally erased, but it was nonetheless a little frustrating. It''s so strong. I can''t even fully shield it. Ben frowned. And, now I have no shield against this push... Not only did Ben lose over 35% from this entire exchange, but he was also left without his best defensive tool for the upcoming push. Without the shield, it was impossible for him to aggro the minions and tank their hits; he had to leave it to the tower. I was completely outplayed this round. Ben thought. I told everybody I was going to be okay, but maybe thats not so true B-but! I cant lose heart here! I have to do what I can from this position! Ben swallowed strongly and pressed on toward his tower. An entire enemy legion was chasing him down, but he ignored them and continued running. Judging by the footsteps, the Orc stopped chasing him midway. It seemed that Apprentece decided to take a break and get rid of Bens remaining swordsmen first. Whish. Slash. Swish. The scourge struck thrice, eliminating one swordsman with every blow. This entire play was amazing. Ben gulped. He traded 10% of his HP in exchange for taking almost 40% of mine. And, his entire minion wave is still alive... In short, the situation was devastating. The enemy minions chased Ben all the way to the tower, thirsting for blood! What a disaster! Vol.18 Ch.17: Supreme Opponent The situation was terrible. The enemy minions were charging straight at him, aiming to strike him down! Whats worse, Ben didnt have his shield available, so he absolutely couldnt allow the minions to maintain their aggro on him. So, as unfortunate as it was, he needed them to focus on the tower this time. Thus, even after he reached the tower area, Ben continued running. He had to create as much distance as possible between himself and the minions, to make the little fellows lose their aggro on him. This was pretty much the exact opposite of what he worked so hard to achieve in the previous wave... The truth is, the tower is way more important than me. Ben thought. But, Im the only one who can defend it. So, I cant let Apprentece force me out of the lane, not this early. So, there was no choice but to sacrifice some of the tower''s HP in this round in order for Ben to be able to keep protecting it in future waves. It sounded almost paradoxical, but Ben knew that this was the recommended line of play. As long as I''m here, I can at least help the Turret clear minions. But, if I leave the lane all alone... That''d spell imminent doom for the tower. An Orc will be more than capable of finishing the tower off with one strong push, especially in the next wave once he unlocks his ult. And so, Ben retreated to the back of the tower area, far enough to lose the minions'' aggro. Then, once the minions shifted their attention to the tower, Ben came back to assault them. As expected, Apprentece joined the push as well. Like before, he lashed at the tower with his scourge, delivering hefty damage with each strike. Such confidence. Ben swallowed. I could only dream of playing boldly like this. Does he have no fear? It was such a dangerous push, so many things could go wrong when playing boldly like this. And yet, Apprentece didnt care. He confidently pressed onward and struck the tower, disregarding any danger. This time, I have to pull him for sure. Ben nodded to himself. But first, the minions. He focused most of his fired basic attacks on the bowmen, as they were the main source of DPS for the minion squad. But unfortunately, taking them down took quite a while with Druid''s weak basics. If only I had a way to make the tower focus them over the swordsmen... Ben grumped as he continued doing his slow and steady work. However, he couldn''t concentrate all his fire only on the bowmen. He had to land last-hits on the swordsmen, too. I''m already bleeding a lot of farm here, so I have to grab what I can. Such was Ben''s conviction as he threw a big seed at the last swordsman, whose HP was reduced to almost nothing by the tower. It was a successful last-hit, which granted Ben a bit of extra exp and gold. These were the kinds of opportunities he absolutely had to take since farming inside the tower area lowered the amounts of exp and gold he received from minions. In addition, it also helped optimize the clearing speed. After all, was a waste to let the tower waste an entire shot on a nearly-dead minion. The big, damaging bolts were best reserved for healthy minions. So, after Ben took out the dying swordsman, the tower focused on the bowmen next. The end of this push was nigh. And yet, he''s still here. Ben glanced at Apprentece, who didn''t seem to have a single care in the world. BAM! The tower eliminated a bowman in one fell swoop. Only two more remained in the area and they weren''t long for this world, either. And yet, Apprentece was still here, whipping the Turret as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. If he doesn''t retreat after the next Turret shot, then I''ll try to pull him. Ben nodded to himself. I failed last time, but this time for sure...! BAM! Another giant bold rained from above, crashing onto one of the two remaining bowmen. The shot wasn''t enough to kill, but Ben helped with that by delivering the last-hit. And so, only one bowman remained. The tower was just moments away from finishing the wave and shifting its focus to Apprentece. Nonetheless, the guy boldly remained in the area, unleashing devastating basic attacks until the very last moment. Apprentece was seriously taking it too far at this point. That''s it. I''m pulling him! Ben stepped toward, with his Nature''s Grasp aimed at the overextender. This time, for sure...! He fired his branches forth! They stretched across the area and reached all the way to the Orc. The aim was on point, but nonetheless, the branches pierced through nothing. Ugh, again... Ben gritted his teeth. How can he dodge it so easily every time...? Despite waiting for a moment when Apprentece would be vulnerable during his attack animation recovery, Ben failed to land Nature''s Grasp for the second time in a row. I have to get better at this. Ben criticized himself. I can''t let him keep getting away with these overextensions. And so, once again, Apprentece escaped the overextension scot-free. He lost 10% HP earlier when he turned on Ben in the lane, but he had lost nothing ever since. Meanwhile, Ben lost 40% HP in that same exchange. On top of that, his tower lost over 15% HP in this push. In total, the three pushes thus far had reduced the tower''s HP to a dangerous 65%. I-It won''t take him long to destroy the tower at this rate! Ben gulped. Is there nothing I can do? I feel so helpless against his advances... If this were a regular Ranked game, then Ben shouldve been able to counter such a reckless opponent by now. He faced countless such Top Laners and he stopped most of them in their tracks. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. But, Apprentece was different from all of them. It felt as if nothing worked against him. Though his offense seemed reckless, it was actually very calculated. He was dancing on the thin line between efficiency and overextension. It really feels like he''s almost pro-level. Ben gulped for the hundredth time since this game started. His mouth was starting to run dry from the repeated activity. "I see that things didn''t work out this time, either," Yuel said. "I only tuned in halfway, so do you mind sharing how you lost so much HP?" "That''s..." Ben hung his head. It felt like the question was layered with criticism, regardless of whether Yuel intended it or not. Indeed, losing 40% HP while being on the defensive was normally unthinkable, especially for Ben. And yet, it happened. Apprentece made it happen. "He scourged me out of the blue when I stepped in to shoot him, and then..." Ben summarized how Apprentece masterminded the entire counterplay. For Ben, it was supposed to be just one little innocent shot. He just wanted to get a hit on Apprentece and draw the minions'' attention along the way. After that, the plan was to retreat to the tower and tank the minions with Gaias Protection. Yes, the plan was that simple. Ben had employed such tactics countless times by now. However, it didn''t work against Apprentece. This fearsome pro took this simple tactic and countered it thoroughly, turning all the possible tables on Ben. "I''ve never faced an opponent who pulled anything like this," Ben testified. "I mean, I got countered a few times in the past, but not like this..." "I see." Yuel nodded. "It sounds like his execution and decision-making are top-notch as advertised." "Yes. Ben nodded. Honestly, it didn''t even feel like he was doing anything that special, yet the whole play just worked out so well for him." "I understand. So, the devil is in the details here." When the skill gap between two players was sufficiently high, even simple plays could become devastating due to mechanical finesse. That''s how a "simple" counterattack turned into a crushing 40% HP loss for Ben. It''s not like Apprentece weaved magic into existence or did something that nobody knew was possible. No, Apprentece just predicted Ben''s movement and countered accordingly. He played to Orc''s strengths as he made his efficient moves, and so the entire play became overwhelming. It''s nearly impossible to find any "weakness" in plays like this... Yuel frowned. I can''t even think of any advice to give Ben, except for the mundane "Be more careful next time." Ugh... Just the sound of this "advice" almost made him want to puke. It had such a defeatist mindset. I need to come up with something more practical. Yuel asserted. I need a plan for how to proceed from here. A solid plan will be more reassuring than some weak "advice". The first step was to consider the evidence thus far. It was apparent Ben had trouble against Apprentece when it was a pure 1v1. His usual hyper-defensive playstyle failed to discourage Apprentece from mounting strong, decisive attacks. Honesty, despite what he said, I don''t think Ben can handle this alone. Yuel reasoned. There''s an obvious skill gap between them and the matchup isn''t favorable for him in the first place. In the face of such a great skill gap, there was only so much Ben could achieve by himself. He''ll surely learn and improve from this harsh experience, but thats not the kind of progress that''ll magically happen in the span of 20 minutes. As it stood, Ben had no chance of gaining the upper hand here, and he even struggled to properly defend, as unusual as it was. So, there was no question about it. Ben needed somebody to help him. "Nia, can you stick around Top for a little longer again?" Yuel requested. "To do that ''remote intimidation thingy?" "Yes, basically. We need to keep Apprentece in check as much as possible." "Ok," Nia said. "But, Ill lose farm because of this. So, its not my fault if I fall behind because of this, ok?" "Yes, of course." As proven, applying remote intimidation was very effective even against a strong player like Apprentece. However, it came with the cost of Nia losing on some precious farm. So, even though it helped to maintain the status quo in Top, it harmed the team in other ways. "I''m really sorry about this," Ben apologized. "If only I were a better player..." "It''s ok," Nia said. "It''s easy work for me, so I don''t mind." "But youll lose on farm because of me. Thats not how it should be. This is only happening because I''m so worthless..." "Eeeh, ok..." Nia wasn''t sure how to respond to Ben''s self-bashing, so she awkwardly slipped out of that conversation. I''ll let the alien robot deal with this one. Yeah. But, it''s not like Yuel knew any better what to say. To make things worse, Kai and Lars were both preoccupied with other matters at the moment, so they weren''t involved in the conversation at all. What do I say here, exactly? Yuel frowned. This feels like a problem with three variables but only two equations. It''s unsolvable. Would Howard have been able to say something good to Ben in a situation like this? Could that guy come up with an effective defense plan against Apprentece''s strong pushes? Nothing comes to mind. Yuel frowned. The best I can tell Ben is that his performance is within expectation, but I already told him that. It didn''t seem very effective. All things considered, Ben was holding up fine against this strong Korean player. This guy was nearly a pro-level threat, yet Ben survived one onslaught after another. Sure, he lost a sizable amount of HP in the process, but he still successfully deflected these attacks in the end. So, basically, everything was within expectations here. Thats the only words of encouragement that came to mind. But, that''s not what Lars or Vincent would have said here, right? Yuel thought. They''d drum up these facts up to eleven with some hype. Unfortunately, Yuel couldn''t do the same. Spouting such exaggerated nonsense felt the same as coming up with a clickbait title for an article. It just didnt sit right. Nonetheless, the way Lars and Vincent did those things was always so effective. It came across as natural, perhaps because these goofs were genuinely hyped about the things they were talking about. But, Yuel wasn''t the same. All his analysis was tied to reason, so he couldn''t bring himself to say nonsense that didn''t make rational sense to him. But, I should say something, at least. Yuel thought. Anything will do as long as it doesn''t add more fuel to the fire. Though, I''m not 100% confident it wouldn''t accidentally happen... Judging by how his interactions went down in grade school, Yuel was apparently a master at discouraging and frustrating his teammates. That''s how he ended up playing Classmancers all alone until he met Lars. Was somebody like him even capable of giving relief to a teammate? Did Yuel grow up at all since that time two years ago? "Ben, you''re doing fine so far," Yuel said. "That attack was brutal and it''s unfortunate that you lost this much HP, but you still deflected it in the end." "That''s the least I could do," Ben said. "It''d be a disaster if I died there..." "Don''t forget that your opponent is supposed to be pro-level material. Even mediocre achievements against him should be highly regarded." "Right..." Ben didn''t seem wholly convinced, but his expression brightened up a little. As expected, Yuel was unable to pull the guy from the pits of self-deprecation. But, at least, I didn''t accidentally push him any deeper in. Yuel smiled wryly. So, I can consider this a success on my end, right? This is pretty much a "pro-level" challenge in this case, so any modest achievement counts, haha... In the end, the cloud over Ben didn''t entirely disappear. The guy continued blaming himself for the misplays he had made thus far, and he worried nonstop about how he had to do better. But, at least, with Nia hanging around Top Jungle, Ben wont have to worry about another fierce attack coming his way... right? Vol.18 Ch.18: The Emperors Confidence "Their Jungler is near Top," Sonya informed. "I would advise exercising caution, Emperor," Cato said. "That Drow has access to her ult by now, so you definitely don''t want to be caught by a surprise attack from behind." "Yes, I know Drow''s kit," Jin said sarcastically. "But, I can''t skip another wave. There''s no time for that. "Haste makes waste~" "What? Not sure I understand." "It''s an idiom, Cato explained. It means if you rush things, then you might find yourself in trouble." "Logical, yes. But, it''s fine," Jin reassured. "Against opponents like this, I can''t lose." "My, look at Mr. Confidence going. Does that mean you have a plan?" "Of course. Everything must be planned always." Jin shared the gist of his idea with the others. "My, that''s the very definition of being reckless," Cato criticized. "Are you sure that''s necessary? So many things can go wrong with that play." "Against other players, sure, Jin agreed. But, not against their Top and Jungler. I know how weak they are." "Weak, huh." Cato smiled wryly. Are you aware that these "weak" opponents made this scrim reach a 2-2 situation? Just a little detail you mightve forgotten, you know. But, Cato kept all of that to himself. Jin wouldve most likely deflected these arguments by bashing the Leopards'' skill level, ridiculing them for losing two games against such "weak opponents". Bleh. I rather not pour salt on the team''s wounds right now. Cato thought. But, does that mean I must let the almighty Emperor get away with his ridiculous idea? Well, I guess he''ll go through with it no matter what I say. So much for my authority as the captain, sob sob. Though Ronald was a rebellious brat and William was a self-centered lone wolf, Jin sure took the cake when it came to being uncooperative. He was the type to push his idea through regardless of how absurd it was and no matter how much others objected to it. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Basically, the guy had 100% confidence in his ability when it came to battling other middle schoolers in the region. Though, apparently, thats not how he normally carried himself back in Korea, where he claimed he had endless competition for his age. It seemed that Jin was so disappointed with the competitive level over here that it boosted his ego through the roof. He was mostly a sensible fellow overall, yet when it came to the competitive level of the West, it was as if a switch flipped inside him. Its like he has this constant need to flaunt how much better he is than the competition. Especially now, after he was told to win the nationals in order to get on the pros good side. He has become even more unbearable ever since. Sigh. The worst thing about it was that Jin actually had the skill to justify that attitude. He was undeniably head and shoulders above the rest of the competition over here, and he knew that. Therefore, he acted as he pleased while disregarding the common sense of the other competitors. And, the worst part? He usually gets away with it. Cato sighed. Even during the clubs practice games, Jin trampled all over the Leopards first-string when he was playing on the opposing team. In fact, even when his teammates were the clubs freshest recruits, Jin made up for the skill gap all by himself and managed to score some wins against the club''s first-string. It was absurd. Therefore, nobody could really say anything to him, not even Rodriguez, the man who always nitpicked everything. So, who was Cato to criticize this almighty Emperor? In the end, Cato was just the captain of a team that Jin didn''t think much of. "Alright, you do you," Cato conceded. "But, just to be on the safe side, Will should stick close to Top, just in case something goes wrong. What do you say, Will?" "No problem," William replied. "I''m already here, so might as well fish for a counter-gank opportunity." "Unnecessary," Jin insisted. "Better farm Griffins during this opportunity." "Hm. That''s also an appealing option." William nodded. The Griffin Camp in Top Jungle was about to respawn. So, if Vanishing was going to be preoccupied in Top, then William will claim the camp with ease. "I agree it''s an effective move," Cato said. "But, Jin, don''t you think you''ll be playing a little too much with fire over there? If something goes wrong, you''ll be killed. In the long run, that''ll drag the entire team down." "Won''t happen," Jin reassured. "These players not at level that can cause me trouble." "... fine." Cato sighed deeply. He had nothing else to add here. Once Jin set his mind on a play, there was no changing the guys mind. No matter how absurd or risky the play sounded to others, for Jin it made perfect sense. And, he''s most likely going to pull it off. Cato shrugged. As his teammate, I should be happy about the fact hes so strong. But, at the same time, I can''t help but wish to see this whippersnapper fail miserably every now and then. Will this risky play become one of these rare times when the Emperor stumbles? Or, will he triumph against all odds as usual? As good as Cato was at reading board positions, he had no idea how to predict the outcome of this absurd play... Vol.18 Ch.19: Apprenteces Bold Overextension A new minion wave arrived, and as usual, Apprentece extended into enemy territory in order to delete the bowmen first. Then, he proceeded to bash the swordsmen with his huge sledgehammer. It''s as if the word "fear" didn''t exist in this guy''s dictionary. Even with Nia hanging around Top Jungle, Apprentece didn''t think twice about clearing the lane so aggressively. Well, it makes sense to an extent. Ben thought. He''s playing Orc, so he has to be aggressive in the early-game. I never understood how people can play so boldly, but it''s a valid approach. Ben''s Druid was unable to contest the aggressive Orc whatsoever. Not to mention, Apprentece was so good at this job that he cleared the minions before Nia even had the opportunity to gank. As such, as risky as all of this seemed, this risky farming technique was actually relatively safe for Apprentece. But, that should be the end of the line for him. If he extends any further, he''ll become a gank target. Ben thought. Last time, he retreated here, so I''m sure he''ll do it again- wha!? WHISH! The Orc rolled across the ground all of a sudden! W-Why!? Ben froze in place. He failed to process the scene in front of him. Apprentece was rolling ahead of his minion army, right toward Ben! How come!? BAM! A hammer crashed into Ben right as Apprentece finished the roll! In his confusion, Ben couldn''t respond to the sudden development at all. It''s only after the hammer struck him that he finally woke up from the mental stun. I-I have to retreat! Ben rolled away from the scene, toward his side of the lane. O-Okay, safe. Or, am I? Clank. Clank. Clank. Heavy metal footsteps resounded behind him. Apprentece was giving chase!? Is he planning to chase me all the way to the tower!? Ben gulped. There''s no way, right? Nia is nearby, so he can''t overextended like this right? Nonetheless, the footsteps grew louder and louder. The Orc was definitely getting closer and closer. D-Do I use my shield!? I need it to tank the minions, but I''m already down to half-health... In just a couple more hits, Ben will drop to a critical HP level. At that point, he''d have no choice but to recall to base, leaving the lane entirely exposed to this vicious pusher. I can''t get hit again. Ben gulped. But, from this distance, he''ll have no problem reaching me with the scourge. In fact, it was a bit surprising that Apprentece hadnt opened this entire attack with Scourge, as thats the move he pulled last round. Maybe he''s conserving MP? Ben wondered. He surely wont push the tower this time around, so maybe thats why hes not hurrying to use it. Still, he might use it if I don''t shield myself...! And so, Ben cast Gaia''s Protection on himself. It was a bit premature, but he had to protect himself from any further damage. Dropping any lower than 50% was bad news. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. And yet, despite Ben fortifying himself, the metal sounds behind him didn''t die down. Clank. Clank. Clank. The Orc drew ever closer. He doesnt scourge me, but he''s still chasing? Ben gulped. What did I do to deserve this anxiety... He felt like a hapless rabbit with a vicious wolf breathing down his neck. The opponent had the ability to stun him in place and ravage him thoroughly, yet the guy was apparently conserving his MP and giving a simple chase instead. Its almost as if Apprentece was playing with his food, which made the situation feel that much more terrifying. Fortunately, Yuel picked up on the situation without Ben even saying anything. Nia, gank Top, Yuel ordered. Hmm. Ok. Nia advanced toward the lane as ordered, but she had a difficult expression. Is this a good idea? It feels kinda weird. What does, exactly? Well, Im not sure I understand whats going on here. What do you mean? Yuel raised an eyebrow. The Orc is overextending to chase Ben, and I wouldnt be surprised if he plans to push the tower as well. Yeah, but why? Nia tilted her head. He should know Im here, right? Maybe he didnt notice, or maybe he forgot about you. That seems to happen to some players who play against you. Hmm, but Nia twisted her lips. Something felt off about all of this. I dont think I erased my presence yet. And, Im pretty sure they warded at least one of the areas I passed through. The wards couldve expired, Yuel suggested. Were already getting to the point in the game where wards have to be replaced, so it wouldnt be strange. Yeah, I guess Nia wasnt convinced in the slightest. None of this aligned with how she perceived her own status in this game. As far as Nia could tell, the Leopards were as vigilant as in the last game. It felt like they placed fewer wards this time around, but they nonetheless monitored all the important spots. Therefore, it was inconceivable that they werent aware of the fact she was currently in Top Jungle. But if that was the case, then why was Apprentece overextending like this? Wasnt he supposed to be some super mega ultra pro-level player? Its also possible that hes aware of everything and is taking a gamble of some sort, Yuel suggested. Hes probably underestimating you and Ben, so he expects to get away with this. Honestly, that sounds like the most likely scenario to me. Cocky. Yeah, you can say that again. Yuel smiled wryly. Thats why we cant let him get away with this. Right. Nia nodded in agreement. Yes, we definitely cant let him get away with a push like this. Yuel repeated. Even if its a trap of some sort, we have to attack him. The possibility of a trap wasn''t entirely out of the question, so Yuel had to consider it as well. With that said, he didnt deem it necessary to share this conspiracy theory with Nia. She already seems unsure about the entire thing, so no need to add fuel to the fire. Yuel reasoned. In the end, even if Apprentece is plotting something in a situation like this, we have no choice but to bust through his ploy. Stratus had every advantage in this situation, no two ways about it. Yuel analyzed the board state from top to bottom, but he couldnt think of a single decisive play the Leopards could go for to turn the tables on Nia. The most likely scenario would be a counter-gank. Yuel reasoned. But, Winner is on his way to the Griffin Camp, almost as if he knows its up for grabs right now. That was curious in its own right. If its true, then how did Winner reach the conclusion that going after the Griffins now was a strong play? Did he expect Nia to keep hanging around Top? If so, it meant he and the rest of the Leopards were fully aware of her current position. Or, maybe he just forgot to factor in her presence. Yuel shrugged. It sounds silly, but its a very real possibility when it comes to Nia. Regardless, the fact remained that, with Winner out of the picture. nobody was around to assist Apprentece with a counter-gank. Therefore, even if Appretnece was plotting something, he was still going to put himself in a 1v2 situation by going through with that push. To me, this reeks of an underestimation. Yuel thought. I have the feeling he thinks he''ll get away scot-free from this. So, let''s prove him wrong. And so, following the instructions, Nia navigated through the Jungle and reached Top. The next step was to summon her phantasm and cloak herself in invisibility. Then, she''ll be able to strike down that cocky Korean player for sure! ... or, will she? Vol.18 Ch.20: Countering the Invisible Phantom Here she comes. Jin nodded as his trusty ward revealed Vanishing approaching the middle entrance of the lane. He had a feeling that this was bound to happen as he kept overextending, so he placed a ward in that area after the third minion wave. In a vacuum, this was a very meta warding spot. However, since his teammates were so anxious about Vanishing''s stealth, they warded the jungle so extensively that Jins ward was overkill. Case in point, the other wards had exposed Vanishing''s position twice before she even reached Jin''s ward. So, many would argue that his ward was worthless. At least, amateurs would probably think so. Jin reasoned. But, this particular ward has additional uses. Even though it wasn''t a Stealth Ward, it nonetheless captured the moment when Vanishing activated her Phantasm and went invisible, which was just as telling. From there, it was easy to predict the rest of her movements. She might be an amateur, but I''m sure even she knows how to take the shortest path toward the lane. Jin thought. So, shell enter the lane from right around the corner. The jungle entrance wasn''t very wide, but at least two-and-a-half players could fit through it. So normally, the chance of randomly hitting an invisible opponent who was approaching from the entrance was less than 50%. However, by assuming that the girl will stick to the wall in order to shorten the travel distance, Jin could land a hit on this elusive target with over 90% accuracy. In practice, his success was all but guaranteed. It should be about now. Jin stopped pushing and backpedaled toward the jungle. Yes, instead of running away from the incoming jungler, Jin was going to give that Drow a warm greeting! And... now! Jin unleashed Scourge, lashing out with a thorny metal whip! His target was the right side of the jungle entrance. At first glance, Jin looked like a madman swinging at nothing. However, Vanishing was definitely there, he could tell. The metallic whip cracked and a clash resounded. Then, Vanishing manifested on the lane, stunned both physically and mentally. "... eh?" Nia blinked. "Wut? Just... eh?" For a moment, she forgot how speech even worked. Her mind shot-circuited on the spot. I I was invisible, right? I definitely was, right? Nia started doubting everything. H-Hax! I call hax! This is some scary Korean hacking! Nonsensical thoughts like that spiraled in her head as she watched the Orc raise his scourge once again. She was completely helpless against this second attack and it was going to hurt a ton! WHISH! The scourge assaulted her again, deleting 20% of her HP! It was brutal damage, the kind only a super scary class like Orc could dish out in the early-game. W-What do I do!? Nia shuddered. She wanted to ask for help or advice, but was there even any time!? She was going to die at this rate! "Oh, no!" Ben exclaimed in the distance. "I-I''ll help!" Somehow, that didn''t sound very reassuring. In fact, his shaky voice implied he was just as anxious as Nia was, if not more. I-I don''t think is going to work out. Nia gulped. I have to run! Even though this was technically a 2v1 situation, it didn''t feel like it in the slightest. Nia and Ben were too far apart to gang up on Apprentece. The original prediction was that Apprentece will keep chasing Ben further in, and that''s where Nia will show up to stab the guy from behind. But instead, Apprentece struck first and forced the fight to happen way earlier than that. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Until it happened, Ben was oblivious to the whole ploy. He kept running toward the tower, believing that the enemy was still chasing him. Since he couldn''t see what was happening behind him, he didn''t catch on Apprentece''s intentions fast enough. Nonetheless, Ben was adamant about making up for this mistake. He rolled forward and dashed toward the attacker! "Ben, wait." Somebody called out but their voice was drowned out by Ben''s hectic storm of thoughts. N-Not good! Not good at all! Ben rushed to the scene like a madman. This is all my fault! Stupid me. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I can''t let Nia die because of me! Wait, even if you go there now, you- There was some noise in the background, but Bens raging thoughts drowned everything out. He had to focus 110% on the task in front of him: rescuing Nia from this devastating predicament. Its all my fault. I have to save her! Ben rushed and rushed, then he hit the brakes and aimed his Natures Grasp. The skillshot was going to cover ground faster than Ben could do by foot, and itll also drag Apprentece away from Nia on hit. So, this had to be the optimal play here! And so, Ben took a moment to properly aim the tricky skillshot. He had to aim it well. He absolutely had to nail this shot. There was no room for error here. And yet Ugh, stop shaking so much! Ben complained to his right arm. It was shaking restlessly on top of the mouse as if having a spasm attack. N-Nothing to be nervous about! I can do this! I practiced this skillshot enough, yeah! Ben fired the branches forward. They stretched out of the Druids arm and darted toward the Orc! Despite the immense pressure and the shaking, Bens shot was miraculously on point. Thanks to tireless practice, his body was able to fire Natures Grasp even under such stressful conditions! All his hard work paid off! But, there was just one problem. No matter how accurately Ben aimed, there was one undeniable fact in play here: his target was Apprentece, the Korean prodigy. WHISH! The Orc rolled forward, slipping underneath Natures Grasp in the nick of time. Ah Ben froze in place. At that moment, he realized that he wasnt thinking straight about any of this at all. How many times today did he actually land Natures Grasp on Apprentece? Zero. Nada. He missed all of them. Or rather, Apprentece dodged every single one. So, why did Ben even dare to entertain the idea of hitting Apprentece this time? Especially, when his hand was shaky and unstable like that. O-Oh no! I made another mistake! Ben cursed himself. I have to hurry! He charged ahead even faster! Natures Grasp failed to stop Appretence, so Bens only option was to get to the scene and contest the Orc directly! "Ben, retrea-" There was some noise in the background again, but Ben failed to register it. The only thing fueling his mind was the determination to save Nia at any cost. I can''t let her die because of my mistakes. I can''t! He repeated with every step he took forward. In the meantime, Apprentece continued attacking Nia. Even after the girl was freed from the scourge''s stun, it didn''t mean she was safe. Not even close. Apprentece continued chasing her while lashing at her from behind. WHISH! SWISH! The metal whip crackled, striking the Drow''s back. Each attack deleted 20% of Nia''s HP, just like that. This was a vicious onslaught! S-Scary! Nia shook wildly as she ran away. O-Ok, ok, ok. I should be faster, r-right? I can lose him, right? The footsteps behind her should have grown dimmer, yet it didnt sound like it at all. Even the Dodge Roll she did earlier didn''t help much, as Apprentece used a Dodge Roll of his own shortly after. How could this be? Why wasnt Nia able to lose that scary predator? Sure, Drow didn''t have a passive that boosted its Movement Speed as Elf did, but it was nonetheless a nimble class. So, Nia shouldve been able to outrun a heavier class like Orc without any problems. Nonetheless, it felt like the metal footsteps were constantly right behind her. The gap between them wasnt opening up at all! Her HP was already below 40%. Two more hits and she was done for! Scary!!! L-Leave me alone already, you bully! Nia tried to repel the pursuer with the power of thought, and surprisingly, it was super effective!? The metallic footsteps dimmed down and eventually died out. A-Am I safe? Nia cautiously turned around. H-He''s really not there! Phew. The nightmare is over... Yes, it was nothing short of a nightmare. There was no better way to describe the immense pressure Apprentece piled on her throughout the whole thing. She felt like meat on a chopping block. Nonetheless, Nia survived! But unfortunately, it was too early to celebrate... Vol.18 Ch.21: Relentless Chase Nia escaped alive out of Apprentece''s clutches, but it wasnt over yet. WHISH! The metal whip lashed once again! But, this time, it was aimed at somebody else: Ben. "Eh!?" Ben froze in place. His mind short-circuited in front of the enemys smooth shift of focus. Just a moment ago, that predator was wholly invested in chasing Nia. And yet, in the middle of the pursuit, Apprentece discarded everything in an instant in order to lash out at Ben. The lightning-fast transition made Bens jaw drop in awe. "Ben, you have to retreat!" Yuel implored, to the point of raising his voice. Thinking of it, there had been some noise in the background throughout the entire play. Ben failed to register it before, but now, he finally realized what it was. Wait, was Yuel telling me to retreat this entire time!? Ben gasped. He was absolutely right! I shouldve listened! But, instead, I got myself into this sticky situation. Ultimately, Ben didn''t achieve much by rushing to confront Apprentece. He couldnt make a single dent in that predators confident plays. But, at least he was drawing Apprentece''s attention away right now. So, if Ben''s presence here made the Orc give up on chasing Nia even a millisecond earlier, then maybe it was worth it. At least, that''s what Ben thought until he turned around to retreat. That''s when he finally realized his grave mistake. "Ah! Oh no. Please no..." There was no way back. Ahead of him was a pack of minions, ready to rend him asunder. D-Did I aggro them? Ben gulped. Oh, of course, I did. I ran past them before they entered the tower area. Ugh, I''m so stupid! While Ben''s head was filled with nothing but saving Nia, he carelessly drew the aggro of the entire enemy wave! Now, he found himself in a pincer between the minions and the Orc! To make things worse, he had already used Gaias Protection earlier, so the minions were going to hit him straight in the face. On top of that, his Dodge Roll was on cooldown as well, so he effectively found himself in the worst situation possible! The enemy was going to execute him right here! But, that wasnt even the worst part. Hes going to do an insane push with all these minions! Ben gulped. Is there really nothing I can do? Nothing at all!? Ben ran, ran, and ran! Retreating to the tower was the only thing he could do in this hopeless situation, but he wouldn''t reach it. WHISH! The metal whip struck again. WHISH! The arrows impaled his back. Ben''s HP fell below 20% in the blink of an eye. And if all that wasn''t enough, the enemy swordsmen were closing on him too, to kill him harder as if that was even necessary. That''s it, I''m dead. I''m sorry, everybody... Ben couldn''t apologize enough for his terrible display here. Even though Yuel warned him time and again, Ben continued acting like a stupid clown throughout the entire play. And now, he was going to pay for it The least I can do is to keep running until the very end! Ben lost all hope about surviving, but he nonetheless continued running toward the tower. He had committed so many embarrassing mistakes here, so the least he could do was struggle until the bitter end. With his fighting spirit in shambles and his mind in a total mess, Ben pressed onward while expecting death to claim him at any moment. Then, something odd happened. As if to reward his efforts, the enemies stopped attacking him all of a sudden. The Orc didnt lash at him again and the bowmen halted their barrage. Hm? Theyre not finishing me off? Ben blinked in confusion. Did I get out of their range somehow? But, Im not particularly fast, so how could I OH! It finally hit him. Maybe there was a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, after all. For dire circumstances like these, Druid had a very handy passive: Terras Wrath. It didnt come into play too often, but it was incredibly useful in one-sided battles like this. After the Druid was hit three times in a row by basic attacks by the same opponent, Mother Nature came forth to punish the offender. Branches appeared from the ground and rooted the attacker for a while. Thats what put a stop to the bowmens barrage. Ben didnt have the luxury to turn around and verify the situation, but he was certain that all the bowmen were currently rooted in place, unable to chase him. Thanks to that, Ben eventually got out of their range, and thats why the arrow shower stopped. Likewise, Apprentece was in a similar position. He had lashed at Ben twice thus far, so if he were to attack again, then Terras Wrath would punish him too. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. So, he stopped attacking to wait for the cooldown. Ben deduced. That gives me a little breather, but Im sure hell resume shortly. Terras Wrath seemed like an exceptional passive at first glance, but there were ways to play around it. After delivering the first two hits, the attacker could simply pause the offense for 2.5 seconds. In that brief period of time, Mother Nature would forget the offenders sins, so the criminal be free to attack in full throttle once again. And, thats exactly what Apprentece was doing right now. He surely couldve hit Ben again with the scourge, but instead, he decided to wait. That gives me a chance. I can still make it out alive! Hopefully! Ben regained some of his confidence. I absolutely can''t give him a kill here. An Orc can snowball really hard from early kills, so itll be all my fault if we lose because of this! And so, Ben ran, and ran, and ran. He had been running in a straight line the entire time to maintain maximum distance from his opponents. This resulted in him sticking close to the jungle wall the entire run, which brought upon an inevitable dilemma. Do I slip into the jungle? Or, back to the tower? This was a redundant question under most circumstances, but not this time. Ben was much closer to the jungle than to his tower right now, therefore it made some sense to slip into the jungle instead. Naturally, the tower area was much safer. But, will Ben be able to reach it in time? With just 20% HP? I doubt I can make it. Ben gulped. But, if I go into the jungle, won''t he keep chasing me down? I''m probably dead no matter what... "Ben, go to the tower," Yuel said. "That''s your only real option here. I''m sure he''ll chase you down all the way in the jungle." "R-Right! Thanks!" The cloud over Ben''s mind dispersed thanks to the clear instructions. The tower it is, then. He made a sharp 45-degree turn and ran toward the tower! Unfortunately, deciding on a course of action wasnt enough here. The 2.5-second cooldown of Terra''s Wrath was about to expire, and then Appretence would finish him off. The end was nigh! However, there was still one more hope remaining in the Druid''s kit: the ult. With all of Bens enemies behind him right now, the Ents could form a wall between him and his pursuers! But, should I really spend it here? Ben wondered. What if I die afterward anyway? It''ll be a huge waste... It''d be very reassuring if Yuel instructed him to use the Ents now. Then, Ben wouldnt be wrestling with doubts like this. Unfortunately, it was impossible for Yuel to lead Ben by hand at every step of the way, especially not in the heat of such a chaotic play. There were things that only Ben, as the one on the scene, was able to decide for himself on the spot. So, Ben had to make the call himself here. However, there wasnt much time. With every passing moment, death drew nearer! WHISH! The scourge rattled once again, slashing Ben from behind! His HP dropped to almost nothing, but he was still alive! Ben''s indecision cost him dearly there. He couldve summoned the Ents a little earlier and possibly avoided this damage, but he failed to do so. But, it wasn''t too late yet! With a silver of HP remaining, Ben was still desperately running toward the tower area! At this point, the Ents might not even be able to save him anymore, but! Dying is the worst-case scenario here. Ben thought. So, I have to try anything I can to survive! Even if it might end up being a waste of an ult, so be it! Such was his own personal conclusion regarding this deadly situation. He had no time to discuss any of this with Yuel, so he had to make this difficult decision all by himself. I-I''m the Top player here! Ben reassured himself. I should have enough experience playing this role to make the right call! And so, he activated Awaken the Ents. Three giant trees sprouted from the ground and towered over the lane. WHISH! The scourge rang again! However, this time, instead of hitting Ben directly, the attack went through an Ent first. This made the whip slow down, so it failed to extend all the way to Ben. What''s more, the Ents'' large size served as a blockage for Apprentece and the minions. Anybody who wanted to continue chasing Ben will have to go around these giant trees, which will waste a lot of precious time. In that time, Ben should be able to make it to the tower! I-I can survive this! Ben stepped on the edge of the tower area. Despite his nonexistent HP, he was back to safety! But, it wasn''t necessarily over yet. There was the possibility Apprentece would dive under the tower in order to deliver that killing blow. And, knowing the guy, that was almost guaranteed to be the play hed go for! There''s nothing I can do to avoid it fully. Ben thought. But, a dive like that will cost him a lot, so I hope that''s enough to discourage him... If Apprentece wanted to score this kill no matter what, then he''ll probably be able to do so. He''d just have to get past the Ents, enter the tower area, and deliver the killing blow. It was that simple. However, a daring play like that came with multiple risks. For starters, the tower will retaliate against this cocky aggressor. Also, Ill be able to roll soon. So, maybe I can escape deep enough into the tower area so that Appretence will get hit twice by the tower on the way out. Ben thought. I-Ill totally do it! So, don''t you dare invade, please. In addition to the tower''s retaliation, there were also the Ents to consider. They had the same aggro logic as minions, so theyll be on Appretences business if he harms Ben. Yes, itll be brutal retaliation. Ben tried to telepathically negotiate with his opponent. So really, you should give up if you know whats best for you. He channeled such thoughts over and over, hoping the opponent would understand how dangerous it was to keep going. Hopefully, all of that will convince Apprentece to give up. Vol.18 Ch.22: Securing the Emperor’s Dominance Its not worth it. Jin stopped his chase before stepping into the enemys tower area. I can get this kill, but Ill be too injured to stay in the lane. Hmm. Well, Im sure Ill be able to get away with it against opponents of this level, but its a bit too risky for my taste. No matter how low-level the enemy players were, they still gave the Leopards a run for their money. Therefore, it wont do good to entirely disregard their ability. They might be able to punish Jin if he overextends too much. Whatever. Ill let him go this time. Jin decided. Rather than taking this risk, its more efficient to keep my HP intact and push hard in the next wave. With the Druid on his deathbed, the guy was assuredly going to recall to base soon enough. In addition, Jin heavily injured the enemy Jungler as well, so Vanishing will have to recall, too. In the next wave, all the possible obstacles will be gone. Jin thought. I can destroy the tower right there. Allowing Phoenix to get away was like an investment. Jin gave up the kill in order to have a solid chance at destroying the tower, which was worth that much more. Considering the pros and cons, taking out the tower is the optimal play. And so, Jin ignored the dying Druid and focused on the giant Ents in front of him. WHISH! WHISH! WHISH! His scourge danced nonstop, whipping the giant trees without rest! Once all the Ents crumbled, Jin pushed onward with his minion army. As expected, the enemy Druid had recalled by now, so there was nobody to defend the Turret right now. Hmm. I could use my ult here to prolong the push. Jin pondered. No, its not worth it. Ill do it in the next push. A few of his minions had already died, so he wont be able to push the tower in full throttle even if he used his ult. As such, it was best to save it for the next wave. And so, this push only brought the enemy Turret down to 40% HP. This was a great achievement for such an early stage of the game, but 40% was still a considerably high amount of remaining HP. Most classes wouldnt be able to delete that much in one push, especially not this early into the game. But, Orc can do it. Jin asserted. The tower is going down in the next wave. "My, such an early advantage," Cato commented on the lane situation. "Good job driving out all the threats. I assume the plan is to push hard in the next wave?" "Yes." "It''s going to be a very strong push, for sure." But, also a very predictable one. At first glance, pushing in the next wave seemed like a safe play. Phoenix recalled to base to heal up and Vanishing likely did the same. As such, there were no threats around Top to interfere with Jin''s push... or, were there? Will Yuel really take this one lying down? I doubt it. Cato reasoned. He should be aware that this push is almost a game-winning play for us. So, he has to do something. Something that neither I nor anybody will expect. That''s just the kind of unpredictable tactician he is. Perhaps some would brand Cato paranoid for overthinking this much, but he didn''t care. His opponent was formidable, therefore it was necessary to exercise caution at every step of the way, even when it felt excessive. "I suggest letting Will join you during that next push, to make sure you properly take down the tower." "No need." "A flat-out rejection as usual, huh..." Cato smiled wryly. "But, I insist this time. That push is going to be a dangerous play." "How so? It very simple push." "True, that''s how it initially appears. But, you can never know what the enemy might be planning." "They can''t plan anything, Jin argued. Top and Jungler both at base." "You don''t know that for sure about their Jungler," Cato corrected. "She must recall. No point staying around with that HP." "Yes, I suppose that makes sense, Cato conceded. But, if not that, then they might rotate their Mid to your lane." Jin scoffed. "If that happens, I should know in advance as long as our Mid not sleeping." "True, but they might pull off that play in an unexpected way. For example, with a Checkpoint Ward. "Its very unlikely," Jin said. "I already considered Teleport, but if no ward was placed here already, then they cant do that play." Cato blinked with a dumb face. "My, you even accounted for something like this?" Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Of course. Teleport is rare but strong when used correctly. It has to be considered." "True, true..." Cato smiled wryly. It sounds like he thought of everything. Maybe I''m really slipping into paranoia territory here? I mean, Yuel can''t pull a miracle out of thin air... or, can he? Three years ago, in chess, nobody imagined that some no-name kid would pose a challenge to the Landberht Princess, let alone defeat her. And yet, Yuel achieved that against all odds. He used some asinine tactics that made no sense at first glance, yet they somehow dragged the game into a favorable territory for him. I mean, overall, the Emperor is right. Cato thought. On the surface, it doesn''t look like there''s any reasonable counter the enemy can pull here. But, falling into this kind of relaxed mindset is often exactly what Yuel wants. Thats exactly how he caught Fiona off guard. The next push was going to be detrimental to the enemy team. If Jin takes down the tower, thatll effectively win the game for the Leopards. Therefore, Yuel had to act and he knew it. For such a critical play, I rather not leave any openings, no matter how small. But our Emperor is sure stubborn. Sigh. "Alrighty, then let''s do it like this," Cato suggested. "Will, can you please rotate early to Top? I want you to be in the area when Jin pushes the tower. "Do I have to? William asked. Itll force me to deviate from my planned routine." "Yes, I know, I know. Its not optimal. Cato nodded. But hey, you got the Griffins for free this round, so that should be a reasonable compensation, right?" "Hmph. Using the Griffins as a bargaining chip?" William scoffed. "Well, I guess the fact I got my hands on that extra farm without expending any resources does even things out for the most part. "Right? Cato nodded. So, I take it youll play along with my little beefy security strat?" "To what end? Ronald asked. The guy said he doesn''t need help." "Right, I don''t," Jin repeated. "This is all unnecessary." "Oh, don''t worry," Cato reassured. "Will he isnt coming over there to steal your farm. He''ll just stand guard in the vicinity to make sure everything goes smoothly." "So, I don''t need to actually enter the lane?" William asked. "Bing bong, correct. Just hang around in the Jungle and intercept any approaching troublemakers." "Hmph. William shrugged. It sounds so unnecessary." "Pretty please~? Cato made puppy eyes, a sigh that wasnt cute in the slightest. We''ll pretty much win the entire game if this play goes smoothly, so a little caution cant hurt, can it?" "I suppose." William still didn''t sound convinced. so further pushing was necessary. But, it didn''t help that this was a 1v2 situation for Cato. "It''s a waste of farm," Jin claimed. "He better use this time to continue farming." "Does that kind of optimization even matter?" Cato posed a smartass question. "I mean, assuming your push goes well, then weve pretty much won the game, right? So, optimizing Wills farm a little bit wont even play a role, will it?" "Hrm..." It seemed Jin struggled to come up with a comeback. So, how do you like it when I turn your confidence against you? Cato smiled impishly. If you can make a bunch of claims based on your confidence, then so can I~ Fine. Do whatever you want. Jin conceded. It wont matter anyway. Maybe it will, maybe it wont. But, theres no much harm in it, thats for sure. Whatever. And so, Cato successfully converted one of the rebels. All that was left was to convince the main actor to take the stage. I dont like it, William said. Youve only made the entire thing sound even more pointless now. True, it might turn out to be pointless, Cato said. Or, it might turn out to be very important. Who knows. Well, if youre trying to convince me, then youre doing a very poor job. My, how brutal. Cato smiled wryly. It seemed he had to resort to more advanced swindling, so he switched their communication to a private channel. Its your chance, you know? William raised an eyebrow. My chance? To do what? To get on the main stage of this game. If something does go wrong with the Emperors push, then youll be there to save the day. Isnt that just awesome~? Hmph. That sounds like a script for a cheap popcorn movie. My, how harsh. Cato pouted. I put so much effort into that idea. Sob. Yeah, whatever. William shrugged. Youre just trying super hard to reinforce defenses like you always do. True, true~ Cato admitted. Better safe than sorry, right? Frankly, I cant imagine Stratus taking this one lying down, so I want to be extra careful here. And, as I said, it might be a chance for you to do something meaningful this game before the Emperor snowballs to victory. Something meaningful, huh. William understood the sentiment all too well. In fact, he was likely the most troubled by this prospect. Whenever Jin took the main stage, the rest of the team was reduced to a bunch of backup dancers. They only existed in the background for the sake of existing. They barely got to influence anything about the game in a meaningful way. Regardless of whether they performed well or not, Jin always pushed the game to victory via his own strength. Therefore, this play Cato was suggesting, as unnecessary as it sounded, was a rare opportunity for William to become something more than a backup dancer. Hmph. I know this is just Cato planting nonsense into my head. William admitted. But, if theres really a chance I can get to play the game and be more than just a scarecrow, then why not? William finally succumbed to the snakes whispers. Alright, Ill do it. Good, good. Cato smiled impishly. Now, were set! Theres nothing that can possibly stop us anymore, muhahaha! Try all you want, my dear Yuel! Youll not be able to do anything about this push~ With this, Cato guaranteed that the next push would be a success. It already had about a 90% success chance, but now Cato pumped the numbers all the way to 100%. By all means and accounts, this game was a wrap. Not even Yuel will be able to pierce this absolute play. But, youre welcome to struggle to your hearts content, by all means. Cato smirked. The harder you try, the more delicious your fall will be~ Crushing what little hope Yuel had left for a comeback was the best~ Though, of course, it might turn out that all this preparation was unnecessary, just as Jin insisted. But, I know you better than that. Cato smiled meaningfully. You WILL try to pull something, right? And, it''ll be something so absurd that none of us will even consider it, right? So, what will it be? Will Yuel find some unorthodox solution for the desperate Top situation? And, will Cato get the satisfaction of crushing that sophisticated plan? It''ll sure be fun to see~ Vol.18 Ch.23: Nia’s Lack of Communication After Nias failed gank attempt on Top, Stratus was left in a difficult spot. Both Ben and Nia were forced to flee the lane with heavy injuries, so nobody was around to defend the lane right now. This push is probably a game-deciding play. Yuel thought. If we can''t slow it down at all, the Orc will snowball out of control. That wouldn''t have been the end of the world if the Orc player was someone else. But, it was Apprentece, the Korean prodigy. Stratus had little hope of snatching victory away from that guy. Ugh, its my fault. I didn''t expect to get baited like this. Yuel blamed himself for the poor instructions he gave Nia. Deep down, I knew it might be bait, but I couldn''t imagine how Apprentece could possibly turn that 1v2 situation in his favor. But, now I know... It was splendid counterplay on Apprentece''s end. The way he intercepted Nia right before she launched her attack was nothing short of brilliant. He probably prepared a ward over there ahead of time. Yuel reasoned. He took a gamble and it paid off big time. I respect that. It was a risky play that was very much in line with Yuel''s tactics. Apprentece judged the abilities and playstyles of his opponents and went for a play that masterfully took advantage of all that information. Or, maybe I give him too much credit? Yuel wondered. Maybe he just looks down on all of us equally, so that''s why he was sure that play would work. In reality, it only worked so well because it was these two... Nia and Ben, the two troublemakers with communication issues. "Ben, why did you charge in?" Yuel asked. "I told you to retreat many, many MANY times." "I''m sorry..." Ben hung his head. "I saw Nia was in trouble and it was all my fault, so I had to rush to help her..." "You panicked back there. Your defense is usually much better than this." "Yes, I''m sorry..." Ben could do nothing but apologize. Everything about that situation was my fault, from start to end "Thats an exaggeration," Yuel said. "I''m the one who told Nia to gank Top. And, she''s the one who failed to properly communicate her arrival to you, right?" He shot a piercing glare at the culprit. "Gufu..." Nia glanced aside, playing dumb. "Why didn''t you properly inform Ben when you were planning to enter the lane? Yuel asked. That disaster could''ve been prevented if the two of you were better organized." "But, I wanted to do a surprise gank..." Nia mumbled. "That topic again?" Yuel sighed. "Are you saying the reason you didn''t inform Ben was that you were afraid he''d telegraph your gank?" "Mhm. It was already a sketchy gank as it is, so I tried to make it at least a little better." "Yes, ''better''. Yuel narrowed his eyes. You isolated yourself from your ally and planned to challenge a formidable opponent alone. I fail to see what was ''better'' about any of that." "Well, when you put it that way, it doesn''t sound good at all" "Yes, it sure doesn''t." "Yep. Nia nodded. I can''t believe anybody would go for a bad play like this." "I know, right?" "Yep..." Nia averted her eyes. Yuel sighed. "Please, Nia. For the hundredth time: more communication." "But, it''ll expose my ganks..." "Maybe it will, maybe it won''t, Yuel said. At the very least, a 2v1 situation is a favorable position either way, unlike that trouble you got yourself into." "I guess..." "Besides, have some faith in Ben. He''s your teammate." "But, he always telegraphs my stuff." Nia pouted. "I-I''m sorry..." Ben hung his head again. Truly, there was no end to the amount of trouble he caused for the club! He was such a failure! He should be kicked out of the club this very instant! "Telegraphs are an issue, I agree," Yuel said. "But. I''m sure this is something Ben will get better at with practice. The problem is, Nia, you keep denying him any opportunities to practice these situations. How do you expect him to get better like this?" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Ok, that''s fair," Nia admitted. "I''ll try to communicate better with him (even though it gonna expose me for sure)." "What was that last part?" "Nothing, nothing." "Is that so." Yuel narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Somehow, he felt like his point didn''t fully come across this time either. But hopefully, Nia will at least try harder to communicate next time. "Speaking of communication," Nia said. "Im informing you that I plan to recall after clearing this camp. There, I said it." After fleeing from Top with grave injuries, Nia reached all the way to the Hyena Camp near Mid. Her HP was hanging at a dangerous 40%, which was an immediate sign that she should recall. But, since she ran all that distance and ended up so close to the Hyena Camp, she decided she might as well take the camp out. This was going to be a small compensation for how much time, farm, and HP she lost from the failed play in Top. After that, itll be a good time to go back to base. "No, don''t recall yet," Yuel said. "Hm?" "After you finish the camp, go back to Top." "Sorry, what?" Nia tilted her head. "I think I''m developing a serious hearing problem. Ive just heard you say something really weird." "No, you heard it right, Yuel said matter-of-factly. I want you to go to Top for the next wave." "Eh? But, my HP." "Yes, it''s pretty low." "Yeah, it is. Very low. Like, very dangerously low. Scary levels of low." "Right." Yuel nodded. "That''s why I want you to go Top." "Oh, noes. This is no good. Nia shook her head. I think the alien robot is malfunctioning. Scary." "Hey now." Yuel made a face. "Everything is fine with my systems, thank you very much." "W-Was that an admission that you''re a machine!?" "Seriously?" Yuel gave her a look. "Anyway, I assure you, I''m not malfunctioning in the slightest." "But then, why would you say stuff that makes no sense?" Its an unexpected suggestion, isnt it? Thats exactly why Im suggesting it. Nia squinted her eyes. Wut? The enemy wont expect this move either, so they wont be ready for it. I dont think Im ready for this move either Yuel agreed with the sentiment. Yes, I admit, its a little counterintuitive. A little? Its the complete opposite of what I was planning to do next. Yeah, figured. Yuel nodded. Heres the gist of what I have in mind. He summarized the details of this counter-intuitive plan he hatched. It actually involved more than just Nia heading to Top, but none of it could actually start before she gets there. Nia pressed doubt on the idea. Is this really gonna work? Its a risky plan, Im aware, Yuel said. But, its a risk we have to take here. If we let the Orc push the tower without any obstacles, hell take it down in the next wave. Then, the game will be as good as lost. Eh? We gonna lose? Just from that? Nia tilted her head. But, what about the rest of the game? Mid-game? Late-game? We might be able to recover from this during the later stages of the game, but I wouldnt bank on it, Yuel explained. Considering the level of our opponents, our chances of making a comeback from that position is almost zero. Hey, Kai interjected. Nice pep talk you got there, buddy. It really lifts the teams morale, you know? Ah, my bad. Yuel realized he was speaking his mind too freely there. Naturally, he believed everything he said, but there was no need to share such grim observations with the rest of the team. Sure, this was a strong argument that could convince Nia to follow Yuels plan, but it was probably not worth the mental blow itd deliver to the teams morale. Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little, Yuel said. But, its true that the next push is very critical for the future of the game. Thats why I believe we have to take a risk here and go for this unexpected play. "But, my HP..." Nia mumbled. Indeed, her HP was a big issue here. Her failed gank resulted in losing over 60% HP. The enemy was surely expecting her to recall by now, which was why she was such an integral part of this entire play. "I''m not saying you have to confront the Orc all by yourself." Yuel laid out the gist of his plan. Though, honestly, it was less of a "plan" and more of a prediction on how Nia''s rotation to Top will shake up the situation over there. In addition to that, Yuel had some instructions for Ben as well. "I know you''re a little tight on budget," Yuel said. "But, it''ll really help if you buy Blink and Windmail. They''ll help you reach the lane faster and launch an unexpected attack." "Okay, I''ll buy them." Ben made the transaction. "Okay, done. Im returning to the lane right away, so Nia doesnt have to rotate over there if she doesnt want to. I''ll be there shortly." "You wont get there fast enough," Yuel said matter-of-factly. "By the time you reach Top, your tower will no longer be there. That''s why Nia has to stall the Orc, at least for a little bit." To give Nia and Ben a boost of confidence, Yuel did his best to explain how his idea would most likely play out in practice. Naturally, he used one of the better-case scenarios as an example, rather than scaring them with the devastating worst-case scenarios that were at the back of his mind. This play has immense risk, I''m aware. Yuel reminded himself. But, to convince these two, I have to stay positive. Just like Kai said, they need a boost of morale here. So, less doom-talking and more sugarcoating. And so, despite being perfectly aware of the grave dangers his idea posed, Yuel continued reassuring the two lead actors. Does this make me a liar? Yuel wondered. But, this is the only way I can think of convincing them. Its unfortunate, but that''s how humans work. Based on past experiences, Yuels teammates were always more reluctant to follow his plans when there was a sense of danger or uncertainty in the air. Therefore, he worked hard to dispel all of these fears with a sugar-coated explanation. "Mmm. Ok." Nia finally gave in. "It''s not as scary as I thought, I guess." "It''s still risky, don''t forget that fact," Yuel warned. "Youll have to be 100% alert about everything that happens around you." "Ok." And so, the "plan" was set in motion... Vol.18 Ch.24: A Chance to Strike Apprentece Down! Instead of recalling, Nia followed Yuels bizarre instructions and headed to Top once again. However, this time, no enemy wards could possibly expose her. "Enter Top from our side of the lane." Such were the alien robots instructions. It was an unconventional order, but one that made Nia feel that much better about this madness of a plan. They have no idea I''m here, hehe. Nia entered Top Lane through the jungle entrance that lay between Top Turret and Top Golem. And now, I wait. Nia hid behind the jungle wall. Despite how dangerous the upcoming play was going to be, the situation got her a little giddy. She was like a ninja sneaking around, searching for the right opportunity to strike. Too bad I''m not actually playing Ninja. It can pull off plays like this way better. Ninja''s Izuna Drop was a devastating attack that deleted tons of HP in one fell swoop. So, with Ninja, all Nia had to do was successfully sneak up on the enemy ONCE, and from there it was GG. On the other hand, Drows plan of attack was a bit more complicated. Its Cursed Dagger was also pretty strong as a surprise attack, but it didn''t deliver a lot of damage in one hit. Instead, it prepared the stage for follow-up attacks. So, Nia would actually have to stay around and keep attacking her victim in order to reap the benefits of this setup. This wasnt exactly an ideal arrangement for her when she only had 40% HP. Oh well. Nia shrugged. As Yuel said, this Orc already dropped to 80%. If I stun him with my ult and then Ben follows up on that, we can kill this scary guy. Probably. Even though Nia''s earlier gank attempt failed miserably, it wasn''t entirely without merit. Though she didn''t get the chance to deal any damage to the Orc, her dear twin sister put in some work. When Apprentece was chasing Nia into the jungle, he ran past Nia''s doppelganger. It was the phantasm that Nia abandoned there when she entered stealth. Even after Nia left, the clone continued faithfully waiting there, believing that one day her dear sister would return. I''m such a terrible sister, though. Nia thought. I only came back there because I was in trouble. In the heat of that stressful situation, with nobody to turn to, Nia only had her phantom sister to rely on. And so, when she ran away, her legs naturally carried her back toward the phantasm. Apprentece followed her all the way, so the phantasm assaulted the guy with ethereal arrows. That was probably one of the reasons the monster gave up on his chase so early. If not for my sister, I might''ve been dead by now. Scary. I shouldnt have abandoned her like this! With that said, Nia was about to do it yet again. Sorry, sis! But, this is for the greater good, I promise! Seriously though, this feels like such an awkward design sometimes... Phantasm summoned a phantom clone that attacked enemies, but it was also the skill that enabled Nia to enter stealth. So, on paper, it sounded like a strong skill that did two great things at once. But in practice, it was almost impossible to utilize both aspects at the same time. If Nia wanted to deliver an unexpected gank, she had to enter stealth early and leave her sister in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, when Nia wanted to take advantage of the phantasm''s firepower in a fight, shed have to give up on stealth attack the enemy alongside her sister. This combination of random things is only great for escaping, basically. Nia concluded. On top of providing stealth and summoning a stationary clone, activating Phantasm also made the Drow dash backward. That made it a great escape tool, especially in combination with the other two utilities of the skill. But, that was the only use case for which the skill was truly awesome. For any other situation, the many different features of Phantasm didn''t mesh that well together, so only one feature played a role at a time. And, for this play, I only need the stealth part. Sorry, sis. Nia apologized as she turned her back toward the lane and activated Phantasm. The skill launched her backward while leaving an afterimage at her previous location. Ok, here I go. Nia gulped. Even though she had already agreed to go through with Yuel''s risky plan, she still felt a shiver with every step she took. On the other hand, her opponent seemed to ooze with confidence. Apprentece was currently partying in Nias tower area without a single care in the world. Seriously, the guy exercised zero caution. He didnt even bother swapping his sledgehammer for a scourge, so he was hammering the tower point-blank. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Its as Yuel said, this guy is so aggressive its scary. But well, this is great for me, so Im not complaining. With how boldly Apprentece was overextending, it was apparent he wasnt even considering the possibility of Nia approaching the tower. The guy was 100% convinced that Nia had already recalled, so in his mind, there was nobody in the immediate area who could possibly pose a threat. But, he was wrong. Nia was right here, about to stab this cocky guy in the back! With that said, this play was extremely dangerous for Nia as well. That was the main reason why Apprentece didnt suspect a thing as he casually whammed the tower. I see Ben is already on his way. Nia confirmed. So, we can do this! Probably. Maybe. Yeah How much could Nia actually count on Ben? In her experience, Ben wasnt exactly the most reliable teammate during stressful situations. Though, Yuel claims I just havent given Ben enough chances to prove himself. I dunno if I agree, but looks like Ill have to go along with this narrative anyway Yuel was like a Tipmancer app that evolved beyond its digital form and became a sentient being. Therefore, even if Nia didnt fully agree with the advice of this human app, there was still a high chance that the advice was on point. Therefore, despite her many worries, Nia pressed on. She set foot inside the tower area and extended deeper, aiming for the Orcs back. Do I start with the dagger? Nia wondered. Id like to, but Similar to how Ninja liked starting its ganks with a basic attack into Izuna Drop in order to benefit from the effect of Imperial Spear, Drow also had a similar initiation combo. It was usually recommended to start off with the Cursed Dagger skill to weaken the prey, and then go for the ult, Force of Rejection. Against most opponents, both these setups were a surefire combo, especially when the target wasn''t expecting Nia at all. But, not everybody is like that. Nia thought. There are some monsters out there who react immediately. Scary. In fact, there was one such monster right in her club: Lars. Whenever they dueled, this mechanical prodigy often dodged Nia''s Ninja combos, and he had an even easier time dodging her Drow setup. So, what about this guy? Nia sized Apprentece up. He supposedly pro-level material, so I guess I have no choice here If Lars was able to outplay her setups, then surely a Korean prodigy would be able to do so as well. In fact, it was even questionable whether Nia would be able to sneak up on this guy undetected, seeing as her previous attempt failed miserably. He didn''t even give me a chance back then. Scary. Nia shuddered from the mere memory of the previous exchange. It was a brutal and terrifying experience. I knew I didn''t erase my presence enough back then, but I didn''t expect to be countered like this. It''s the first time something like this ever happened. Scary. Opponents had countered Nia in many different ways before, but the way Apprentece did it took the take the cake. Normal opponents either dodged Nias gank or turned the table on her throughout the fight. On the other hand, Apprentece struck her while she was still in stealth! He didn''t even let Nia initiate the gank! Honestly, it was terrifying. That play could win the Oscar for horror movies. But for some reason, I still want to give it another shot. Nia gulped. Even though Yuel had to convince me to do this, I almost... want this. I want to get back at this monster, as scary as it is. It was uncanny. Nia was supposed to be the type to run away at the first sight of danger, so what in the world was she doing here right now, challenging an opponent who nearly decimated her a minute ago? Its just super annoying. Nia puffed her cheeks. Who gave this guy permission to hit me while I was doing my job? Rude. And scary. But, especially rude! Her stealthy playstyle gave the Leopards so much trouble last game, to the point they were overly cautious of Nias every move. And yet, this new Korean player didn''t care in the slightest. It''s as if he dismissed Nia''s entire playstyle, calling it weak and inadequate. N-No way thats right! Last time was just a fluke! At least, I hope so... Nia gulped. Theres no way he can stop me like that every time. At least, I don''t want to believe its possible. And so, Nia wavered back and forth between a surge of confidence and a total lack of it. That one exchange with Apprentece shook her to the very core. I think I''m a little salty No, probably not just ''a little''. I totally am! This guy deserves to be ganked hard! He''s cocky and a bully and scary. I gotta do this! Nia took a deep breath. Despite how terrifying it''d be to get countered like that again, she wanted to believe in her ability this once. There couldnt possibly exist an opponent on whom Nias stealth didnt work. I can do this! At least, I hope I can She gulped once again as she passed by the Orc. So far, the guy hasn''t shown any signs of noticing her presence. Apprentece continued hacking away at the tower with his sledgehammer. His brigade of minions added further damage by lashing out with swords and arrows. It was an all-out attack on the Turret here! To make things worse, most of the enemys minion wave was still alive. Apprentece used his ult to grant his army temporary immortality, therefore the first swordsman to enter the tower area had been tanking the Turrets shots for a long time before perishing. This is hax. Nia ranted as she nervously examined the scary enemy squad. Once I hit the Orc, all his minions will turn on me! And, Ben is slow in getting here... The Druid ran and ran, but the big guy was slow. It''ll take him a few more seconds to reach the scene, at which point itll be too late. The tower will already be gone. In fact, even Drow couldnt have made it in time from the base. Thats why Nia had to head over here straight from the jungle. Ok, its now or never. Nia got into position and took yet another deep breath. She was terrified to the core, but also a little excited at the same time. It was revenge time! She was going to pay this bully back for the last time! B-But, let''s do it safely, without the dagger. Yeah. She moved close to Appretence and the bowmen, and then- WHISH! She unleashed Force of Rejection! Vol.18 Ch.25: Punishing Appretence’s Overextension My power compels you, begone! The Drow unleashed a shockwave of darkness! Not only did it deal decent damage and push the enemies away, but it also stunned all of them, Apprentece included. For many assassins, an ult that pushed the enemy away wouldve been a terrible design. However, Drow was a ranged assassin, therefore Nia immediately followed up on her ult with basic attacks! WHISH! She fired a black arrow, drilling it deep into this bully''s chest! Ha! This is what you deserve! Nia pretended to be all high and mighty when in truth her hands shook terribly. She understood all too well the danger she walked into, yet she nonetheless pressed the offense...! "Nia, I told you to clear the minions first," Yuel reminded. "O-Oh! Right!" Nia exclaimed. Why did I just shoot the Orc!? It was a waste of time! I have to get rid of the minions first...! She had no chance of surviving any of this while the enemy army was still alive. These little guys will come after her as soon as they recover from the stun, so she absolutely had to get rid of them first...! Thankfully, the damage from Force of Rejection was enough to one-shot all the bowmen, just as Yuel''s calculations suggested. This was the only reason this whole super-risky play was even feasible in the first place. Ok, so next I have to target the swordsmen! Nia fired another black arrow, this time properly aiming at one of the swordsmen. WHISH! The arrow pierced the soldier to death! And, as for the other swordsman- BAM! The tower fired a giant bolt, deleting the guy from the face of the earth! And, that''s it. Nia nodded in satisfaction. The area is clear. How do you like this, you bully? In your face! Now, I can- AH!? WHISH! A metal snake leapt at her! It was the Orc''s scourge! Already attacking!? Nia gasped. Is he not even gonna try to get out of the area first!? She turned pale for a moment, but then suddenly remembered. Actually, Yuel warned me about something like this! But, it was too late to remember such a crucial detail now. The scourge had already struck home, deleting 10% of her HP and stunning her in place. She was down to 30% now. T-This is bad. Very bad. Nia shuddered as the Orc raised his arm again, then WHISH! He whipped at her again, this time deleting nearly 20% HP in one fell swoop! The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. C-Curse the balancing team! Nia yelled internally. This damage is so hax! Alas, no matter how much she cried about it, the devs wouldnt come here and fix this bug. Nia had no choice but to confront her opponent under the terror of this broken damage. Fortunately, Nia wasnt alone in this fight. She had a trusty partner who was going to help her overcome this difficult hurdle. And no, it wasnt Ben. BAM! The tower fired a giant bolt! It crashed straight into the Orc, deleting 15% of his HP. In just one hit, that scary guy fell from around 80% HP to nearly 60%. O-Ok, good. We''re good. Y-Yeah! Nia swallowed hard. She couldnt be at ease despite the tower''s amazing support fire. After all, her HP was hanging by a thread here. Scary. Scary. Scary! Nia shuddered. One more hit and I''m done for! But, Yuel said this might happen... "I''m not going to pretend it''ll be an easy fight," Yuel warned back then. "Depending on how the situation develops, you might find yourself with almost no HP. But, as long as you hug the tower, it''s not you who needs to be scared; it''s him." R-Right! Nia aimed her crossbow. He''s the one overextending here. So, if he keeps doing that, then...! WHISH! She fired a bolt at her opponent! Bullseye! Unfortunately, her small bolts couldnt even begin to compare to the Turrets deadly missiles. Therefore, Apprentece didnt even bother dodging and raised his arm again. WHISH! The scourge cracked, leaping straight at Nia! However, this time, she was fully prepared for the attack. N-Nope! Nia rolled aside, closer to the Turret. Phew. Scary. A shiver ran across her as she recovered from the roll. That dodge was really clutch. Nia almost lost all her HP back there. Nonetheless, she survived. Despite how scary the situation was, she was still very much alive! I-I can do this! Even with no HP at all, I have a chance. Yeah. Nia aimed her crossbow again. However, before she could fire- BAM! The tower unleashed another giant bolt! It crashed on Apprentece like a meteor, deleting 20% HP. The enemy was already below 40%. Ok, getting closer...! Nia gulped. I should be out of his range now, so I can just shoot. It''s scary, but I can defeat him...! There was no immediate danger of being counterattacked, so Nia fired another bolt. However, Apprenteces response was completely unexpected. WHISH! He used his Dodge Roll, but not to dodge Nia''s bolt or to get out of the area. No, he rolled toward Nia! This roll tactically placed him between Nia and the exit in the most optimal way possible. From this position, he only had to take a couple of steps in order to leave the area. And, from this distance, he could also reach Nia with his scourge! WHISH! "Wha-!?" Nia gasped so hard that her soul almost left her body! I-I''m dead... Her brain processed the result faster than it actually happened. She won''t be able to sidestep this scourge in time. It was over... Vol.18 Ch.26: Ben to the Rescue! While Nia was bravely confronting Apprentece in Top, Ben was dashing back to lane with all his might. Unfortunately, no matter how much he begged the Druid to move faster, the woodman refused to speed up. I have to make it! I have to! Ben repeated over and over. The tower was already within sight yet still out of reach. Just a little further...! But, will he make it in time? The situation wasnt looking so good over there... Instead of retreating, Apprentece chose to confront Nia at the tower, as expected from that overconfident powerhouse. WHISH! WHISH! After just two hits, Nia fell all the way down to 10%. She was going to die at this rate! This is bad! So bad! Bens teeth rattled. He was so close to the scene, yet also so painfully far! Cmon, let me get there faster! Please! As if responding to his prayers, his Dodge Roll finally came out of cooldown. Okay, just a little more...! Ben rolled forward! For a slowpoke class like Druid, even his roll was slower than usual. Nonetheless, it was still a little faster than running, so Ben took advantage of it. Every millisecond countered in this delicate situation. Almost there...! Ben could already see the light. He was just a few steps away from the tower area, almost ready to provide backup for his ally...! But, there was no time. Nia had virtually no HP left! If Apprentece chooses to continue this fight, then he''ll wipe Nia out in one more hit. I have to blink. Now! Ben activated the Blink he had recently purchased at the base. He took aim, but he didn''t cast the skill just yet. There was a little dilemma in front of him. Do I blink in and pull the Orc? Ben wondered. If I don''t, then he''ll likely get away. It''ll turn all of Nia''s sacrifices into a waste... Nia went out on a limb to gank Top. She wasted so much of her precious jungling time to help Ben deal with the threat on his lane. As such, allowing the Orc to get away scot-free will feel terrible. It''ll be the same as betraying Nia. All her blood, sweat, and tears will be for nothing. So yes, it makes the most sense to blink in and pull him. Ben thought as he entered the tower area. In just a few steps, he''ll be within range to blink in and pull the cocky Orc deeper into the tower area, sealing the guy''s fate. But... Ben was troubled by one small but very important fact. This wont be the first time he uses Natures Grasp against Apprentece today. I''ve already tried to pull him many times this game. Ben frowned. Every time, it seemed like the right play to go for. The conditions were perfect, and yet... Not once did Ben manage to land his Nature''s Grasp on this cocky foe. Every single time, Apprentece dodged the grab. He was always prepared for it. Always. Is it going to be the same this time? Ben wondered. He looks preoccupied with Nia, but maybe he has already noticed I''m here. If so, I''m sure he''ll dodge my pull again... Just as last time, Ben might utterly fail to help Nia out with this line of play... I can''t keep repeating the same mistake. Ben thought. I''ll play this one safe. Even if we fail to punish Apprentece, at least I can keep Nia alive. And so, Ben blinked deeper into the tower area. Instead of going for Natures Grasp, he used Gaias Protection to grant Nia a shield. And, as he suspected, this turned out to be the right play against Apprentece. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The enemy rolled aside as soon as Ben blinked in. Its as if the guy was waiting for this development all along. So, if Ben tried to go for Natures Grasp right after the blink, he wouldve likely missed spectacularly. Like I thought, hes a really strong opponent. Ben reaffirmed once again. This kind of surprise attack wouldve worked just fine against most enemies, but not against Apprentece. Hes so strong But, it was fine. Even if they fail to properly punish that cocky guy, at least they wont suffer any terrible losses here. WHISH! The scourge cracked, unleashing a powerful blow! It was strong enough to wipe out Nias remaining HP in one fell swoop! But, instead of hitting Nia, the bribed metal struck against wood branches. The overwhelming attack destroyed the thick shield and left Nia exposed again, but almost none of the damage actually reached Nia herself. I-I did it! Ben rejoiced. For once, I didnt blunder against Apprentece! It might have seemed like a pitiful thing to be happy about, but it meant a lot for Ben. After failing so many times to get anything done against Apprentece, at long last Ben achieved something in this game! This small achievement was so grand it even fazed the enemy for a moment. Huh. A little unexpected. Jin thought as he watched his killing blow strike against the wooden branches. I expected him to try and pull me in this situation. Hmph. Most opponents wouldve been tempted to punish Jin hard for this bold overextension. Pulling him deeper into the tower area wouldve guaranteed that hed have to pay the piper for his daredevil gambit here. And yet, Phoenix opted for the safer, defensive play. I suppose bitter past experiences played a part in this too. Jin deduced. He missed every pull today, so he opted to go for the weaker but safer play. Its a defeatist mentality, but one that I can respect in this case. The skill gap between Jin and his current opponents was crystal clear. So, instead of denying reality, Phoenix chose to be realistic and go for the surefire play. It mightve seemed pitiful, but knowing when to accept defeat was an important part of the game too. Hmph. The same applies to me here, I suppose. Jin turned around and retreated from the tower area. However, the Turret had no intention of letting him leave so easily, not before ramming another bolt into him. BAM! Another 20% was gone! Jin remained with nothing but 20% HP at this point. It was a truly unexpected turn of events, from start to finish. I still cant believe their Jungler had the gall to attack me with that HP. Jin frowned. I was convinced shed recall after I nearly killed her. Not to mention, this girl struck me as a scaredy-cat, the type I can easily shoo away by applying a little bit of intimidation. Nonetheless, Vanishing showed up here with that measly 40% HP. It was a mind-boggling development. This girl found a way to contradict everything Jin was convinced about. Or, maybe I give her too much credit? Jin wondered. Perhaps none of this was her idea in the first place. She mightve been just a puppet acting out on another''s orders. That explanation made far more sense in this context. Vanishing didn''t come across as the type of confident player who''ll take on a dangerous risk like this. That much was evident by how flustered she was when Jin shut down her previous gank. Therefore, it was far more likely that Vanishing was following somebody''s instructions. Not to mention, there was also Phoenixs timely arrival, and with Blink to boot. All of this strongly suggested that this play was orchestrated in advance, at least to some extent. Its the work of their shot-caller, I assume? Jin had heard multiple times from Leopards about how strong Stratus shot-calling supposedly was. Hmm. The replays I watched left a so-so impression on me, but now I see it''s a little more impressive in person. If Jin watched the current development in a replay as a neutral observer, he likely wouldn''t have thought much of it. Perhaps he would have praised the enemy''s gall for pulling off a risky play like this, but it was far more likely he wouldve criticized that foolish player who overextended and allowed the enemy to surprise him. Except, this time, HE was that "foolish player". Within the scope of everything he knew about the state of the game and the enemy''s skill level, Jin''s overextension was perfectly justified in his mind. And yet, the enemy still caught him off-guard here. If that Drow executed her gank a little more optimally, then I wouldve died. Hmph. It was truly unexpected. This gank was clearly a desperate attempt, but it deserved some praise nonetheless. Chessmaster, huh. A loud nickname that lacks any humbleness, but perhaps its not entirely undeserved. With that said, it was still an extremely risky plan by Stratus. A play like that wouldn''t fly normally. For example, if Jin simply relied on the team''s Jungler from the start, then together they wouldve countered Vanishing without breaking a sweat. ... actually, it still wasn''t too late. After all, Cato insisted on positioning Willaim near Top for this push. And, naturally, said Jungler was already on his way to the scene... Vol.18 Ch.27: The "Defensive" Counter Gank "I''m invading," Willaim informed as he approached Top Lane. "I hope you don''t mind." "Fine. Jin shrugged. But, leave kills to me." "... alright." Willaim didn''t appreciate that commanding tone in the slightest, but he didn''t have a rebuttal either. It was definitely better to feed the Orc than the Viking at this stage of the game. So, as bossy as the request sounded, William decided to respect it. As the two of them came to an agreement on the matter, the enemy was still under the illusion that they had the upper hand in this situation. I-I''m alive! Nia realized. The deadly scourge definitely struck her, delivering what was supposed to be the killing blow. However, the damage was softened by a barrier made of branches. It was all thanks to Ben''s timely arrival. Wow. For once, he made it in time. Nia was impressed. It sounded mean, but that wasn''t her intention at all. This was nothing more than her honest reaction based on past experiences with Ben. The guy was a decent player overall, but he was on the slower side when it came to arriving on the scene and cooperating with Nia''s ganks. After repeating a billion sore experiences like this during club practice, Nia developed a sense of distrust toward some of Ben''s skills. But, maybe as Yuel said, I just need to give him more opportunities to prove himself. Maybe he''s not that bad, after all. Ben''s timely arrival flipped the entire situation on its head. Since Nia survived the critical blow, the enemy had no choice but to flee the scene at this point. BAM! The Turret retaliated for Nia''s sake, erasing over 20% of the aggressor''s HP! Now, Apprentece''s HP fell below 20%, placing him one tower shot away from death. So naturally, the guy footed it. He turned around and fled outside the tower area. But, he''s still close. Nia thought. Drow is faster, so maybe I can still get this kill...! She gave chase without thinking twice. The desire to smite Apprentece overwhelmed everything. She wanted that scary monster dead, no matter what! "N-Nia, wait! There''s-" Ben was trying to say something, but his shaky voice failed to register. Dunno what''s he worried about. Nia thought. It''s 2v1 and I have the range advantage, so there isn''t anything scary here- WHAM! An axe crashed into the ground beside her! "Eh?" Nia blinked. "What is-?" Before she had the chance to complete the sentence - it already happened. WHISH! The enemy Viking popped out of thin air, right beside her! "A-Ah!" Nia froze. Her brain short-circuited. This was death. Death. Death. Death. Death. Death. The Viking tackled Nia as soon as he appeared, giving her no chance to dodge. He wrapped his arms around the Drow''s torso and flung Nia outside the tower area! "N-No!" Nia shrieked. This is... This is not how it was supposed to...! WHISH! The all-familiar scourge cracked once again. The bribed metal ravaged Nia''s body without mercy. You have been killed! "Ah..." Nia just sat there, staring at her monitor in a daze. "This is... just... how..." Everything was over in a blink of an eye, without warning. Winner just blinked in, tossed Nia around like a sack of trash, and Apprentece finished her off. Nia had no chance to retaliate at all. I messed up... Nia lowered her head. How didn''t I notice? He was right there, I should''ve... Yes, by all accounts, she should''ve noticed Winner earlier. Sure, the guy was a little sneaky in how he approached the lane from around the corner, but Nia still shouldve noticed him. That is, if she bothered to check the area around her at all... I guess... I guess didn''t look... Nia reluctantly admitted to herself. I was so focused on Apprentece that I didnt see anything. And, now I''m dead. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. She dropped her face into her palms. This was such an amateur mistake. What''s more, the entire audience witnessed her spectacular failure. She was going to become the laughingstock of the entire city! Nuuuu! Worst of all, this wasn''t even the end. The enemy rode the momentum and pushed onward, attacking the tower together! First, the Viking stepped out of the tower area after getting hit by one Turret shot. However, he soon stepped in again. Except, this time, he wasn''t alone. Odin owns ye all! the Viking shouted at the top of his lungs, summoning a brigade of scoundrels. He let the summoned mobs enter the tower area first, to make them tank the Turrets shots. After that, Winner and Apprentece invaded the area as well. Yes, even Apprentece stepped into the tower area despite hanging at critical HP. Is there no limit to this guys confidence? Nias stared at the spectacle with her jaw wide open. As much as she didnt want to see any of this, she couldnt ignore reality. This ballsy invasion was very much real and it was going to wipe the Turret out of existence. There was nothing Ben could possibly do by himself to stop any of this. Ben, retreat, Yuel ordered. Y-Yes Ben launched a few basic attacks at the incoming minions and then fled the scene. An allied Turret has been destroyed! And so, the Top Turret fell. This was still the early-game, yet Stratus had already lost one tower. And to make things worse, they gave huge momentum to an Orc, one of these classes that werent allowed to gain early momentum no matter what. The situation was looking terrible on all fronts, and much of it was Nias fault. If only she assaulted Apprentece better and actually killed the guy, or if she at least paid more attention to her surroundings and dodged Winners counter-gank So, when are you going to bash me? Nia glanced at the teams No. 1 criticizer as she anxiously waited for judgment to be passed on her. Surely, the ever-harsh alien robot had a bunch of things to say about Nias poor performance. But, for some reason, Yuel remained silent. He just stared at his monitor with a stern expression. His eyes darted across the screen as if scanning terabytes of data. Should I say something? Nia wondered. A lot of this was my fault, so maybe I should apologize. But.... Naturally, a part of her resisted that thought. After all, what kind of crazy person liked owning up to their own mistakes out loud? Well, if he''s not going to say anything, then maybe I can keep quiet, too And so, Nia planned to get away scot-free. But then, somebody else spoke up "I''m really sorry!" Ben apologized. "I saw their Viking coming, so I should''ve done something about it! But, I... I just couldn''t react in time..." If only he was more mechanically skilled and less nervous, perhaps Ben could''ve hit the Viking with Nature''s Grasp before the killing blow was dealt. Of course, it was a very difficult skill shot to land. Even under calmer circumstances, there was no guarantee that Ben would''ve been able to pull it off reliably. Nevertheless, this was the only counterplay available to him in that situation. Therefore, he had to try to pull it off. He simply had to! After all, Nia wasted her precious time in Top in order to help Ben, and yet he couldnt even save her With that said, even though all this self-bashing made perfect sense to Ben, for Nia it sounded like alien logic. I don''t get it. What could he even do there? Nia wondered. I''m the one who overextended without checking the area first. So, it was... my fault. Honestly, it was unclear why Ben was even apologizing. His only sin here was that he wasn''t born an Asian prodigy with godlike mechanical skill. Maybe if he was that kind of elite player then he could''ve somehow rescued Nia in that situation. He actually played surprisingly well for once. Nia admitted. He even got here fast enough to shield me. If anything, I''m a little impressed. Just a little, though. So, I don''t get why he''s apologizing. In fact, Ben''s apology only guilt-tripped Nia. She felt obligated to admit what she did wrong even though this was looking like a rare opportunity to escape Yuel''s criticism. Eeeeeh. Buuuuut... Nia wrestled with her inner demons. She wanted to say something, but at the same time, she totally didn''t. Do I really have to? Uuuuu... Admitting mistakes was such a painful process, especially during such an important match. The team might lose the entire game because of this one blunder from Nia. Scary. "I, um, well..." Nia failed to string two words together. Nervousness overwhelmed her. It felt as if the moment she uttered her apology, then the entire world would turn against her. Brrrr! Scary. Nonetheless, she decided to brave that horror. If Ben was able to own up to the mistakes he believed he committed, then Nia should be able to do the same. "I''m also sorry," Nia squeezed out these difficult words. "I didn''t properly check the area before advancing. I-I mean, that Viking was really sly, right? Super hard to detect. Mega stealth. Yeah." "Um, yeah?" Ben reluctantly agreed. "He was a little hard to see, I guess." W-What kind of weak follow-up is that!? Nia made a face. She couldn''t even tell whether Ben was trying back her up or call bullshit on her excuse. Regardless, Nia did it. She properly stepped forth and admitted her fault, at least as much as she could. So, what will be her judgment? For a while, there was only silence. Yuel didn''t respond to either confession and continued staring at his monitor, like a robot whose power cord was cut... Vol.18 Ch.28: The Bad Call After a long silence, Yuel finally responded to Nia''s confession. "If I had to guess, you were too preoccupied with killing the Orc, right? That''s why you didn''t notice the Viking." "Um, well, I didn''t focus on him THAT much, but..." Nia tried to argue but her voice grew dimmer with every word. Who am I kidding? I thought about nothing but killing that scary guy back then. Apprentece was a scary fellow. His mere presence terrorized not just Nia but the entire team. Therefore, she really wanted to slay that demon. Not to mention, she had a personal beef with him. The way that monster countered her first gank left a scar. It was a horrifying experience she wouldn''t forget any time soon. The second gank was Nia''s opportunity to settle the score so she pursued it strongly. Too strongly, in fact. The desire to kill the scary monster blinded her to her surroundings. And, that wasn''t the only thing. Nia admitted. Even before that, I made a misplay because I was too focused on killing him. After Nia hit Apprentece with Force of Rejection, she then proceeded to fire a shot at him while he was stunned It was an impulse. Nia admitted. I just wanted to get revenge on him. I think I was possessed back there. Scary. Sadly, that one little revenge shot was a grave misplay. Nia should''ve targeted the surviving minions instead. If she did that, then she would''ve eliminated the minions faster, and then the Turret wouldve been free to shoot Apprentece much earlier. So, to answer Yuel''s question truthfully... "Ok, yeah, maybe I was a little too focused on the Orc..." "Figured," Yuel said. "It must''ve been a stressful situation, given how much HP you had left." "Very stressful," Nia said. "I felt like I might die at any moment." In fact, even now, she was still shocked she even agreed to that scary play. Normally, she''d run away from suicidal ideas like this? But, not this time. Nia agreed to attack Top despite being on the verge of death. Yes, she wanted to get back at Apprentece that badly. "If you executed the gank flawlessly," Yuel said. "Then you couldve cornered Apprentece that much harder. But, it was unrealistic to expect flawless execution under stressful conditions like that." "R-Right, it was unreasonable, wasn''t it? Yeah, totally unrealistic. Mhm." Nia nodded repeatedly. Despite coming forth and admitting her fault just a moment ago, she was now back to dodging responsibility. Ehe. "As for Ben," Yuel said. "I don''t think you did anything particularly wrong. You arrived on time as I instructed and protected Nia. You did your job, all things considered." "But, I couldn''t protect her from the Viking..." "Given that Nia overextended there, there was only one play you could go for to help her out." Stolen story; please report. "Yes, I could pull the Viking right as he blinked in." "Correct." Yuel nodded. "But, that''s a highly advanced play with a lot of room for error. Only players with exceptionally high mechanical skill can pull it off on the spot. I see Ben wasnt sure whether to feel up or down about this statement. On one hand, it sounded like he didnt disappoint Yuel with his performance. But on the other hand, it meant that Yuel wasnt expecting much from him in the first place Anyway, Yuel continued. Neither of you played optimally, so well definitely review the specifics in more detail during match review. Yikes Nia made a face. But anyway, you dont have to worry about it. All the responsibility lies with me. Eh? Nia blinked. How so? That entire idea was a misplay, a bad call on my end, Yuel said. I misread Apprentece. I was sure he wouldnt rely on his teammates for that push. Its a conclusion I drew based on minimal data, and it turned out to be wrong. Looking back on it now, why was Yuel so convinced that Apprentece won''t rely on his teammates? The game had barely started, so Yuel couldn''t have possibly gathered enough data to profile Apprentece with any certainty. Actually no, that was wrong. Yuel started profiling Appretnece before this game even started. I put too much trust in Howards intel. Yuel realized. I doubt he was trying to mislead me, but everything he said was ultimately based on observing just two games. And, these were games against pros to boot. It''s not like Howard had actually seen how Apprentece normally played alongside the Leopards. The circumstances here were totally different from Howards observed data. For example, in the pro scrim, Apprentece played alongside unfamiliar players. Perhaps he wasn''t too keen on cooperating with strangers, so he tried to handle everything by himself. Also, maybe he purposely tried to reveal as little as possible about himself to his unfamiliar teammates, After all, he knew that StormBlitz was the Leopards enemy. So, I definitely should''ve taken all that data with a grain of salt. Yuel criticized himself. I made sure to profile Apprentece as much as possible by myself, but Howards intel just made me jump to conclusions. Some of Apprentece''s actions made him look like a self-sufficient lone wolf, which perfectly matched Howard''s description. Therefore, Yuel did 1 + 1 right away, without waiting for more reliable data. It was a hasty conclusion. or, was it? Nia did come dangerously close to killing Apprentece back there. Yuel thought. Their Jungler was clearly on standby but it took him a while to get to the scene. I wonder why they didn''t just cooperate from the get-go? That would have made far more sense as a joint operation. Winner was already around Top Lane at the time, so inviting him to join the push shouldve been the optimal play. And yet, Apprentece started the push alone. And, it seemed like he intended to finish it alone, too. It''s as if borrowing the Jungler''s help was a "last resort" for him. If thats true, then perhaps Yuels profiling wasn''t that far off the mark. Maybe Apprentece really didn''t like relying on his teammates unless it was absolutely necessary. But, it doesn''t change the fact that he relied on Winner in the end. Yuel thought. So, it was still a lapse of judgment on my end. That''s what he explained to Nia and Ben as well. However, they weren''t nearly as critical about that rash shot call. "Was it really that bad?" Nia tilted her head. "I mean, it was scary and kinda crazy for sure, but it almost worked out." "Yes, I agree," Ben said. "We were very close. And, if I just played a little better, I probably couldve rescued Nia from the Viking." "Is that so." Yuel had mixed feelings about their words. On one hand, he was glad that they trusted his shot-calls to the point of accepting occasional mess-ups like this. On the other hand, their words highlighted a core problem with Yuel''s shot-calls. Nia was scared of the plan and only reluctantly went along with it, whereas Ben didnt have the confidence to go for a difficult play during a stressful situation. These were psychological barriers that Yuel didnt properly consider in his simulations. In the end, no matter how Yuel twisted it, the majority of the fault lay with him Vol.18 Ch.29: The Will to Continue Fighting Yuel took most of the blame upon himself for the situation in Top, but the others didn''t quite agree. Nia shifted her eyes from side to side. Should I say something? I feel like I should, but I dont know what After all, Nia wasn''t an alien robot with 200 IQ, so she didn''t fully understand all the considerations Yuel had to take for that shot-call even after he tried to explain them. Nonetheless, there was one thing she DID know for sure. I almost had that scary Orc. If I just did everything in the right order, then I should''ve gotten the kill. Yeah, I''m almost sure of it. She felt like she was just as responsible as Yuel about this failure, if not more. But of course, it wasn''t something she wanted to admit. Not openly, at least. I''ll just make up for it by killing the Orc next time. Nia decided. H-He''s super scary, but Ill pull it off! Probably. Yeah Apprentece was the most terrifying adversary Nia had faced to date. And yet, more than being scared, she was determined to slay this monster. What is this weird feeling, I wonder? Nia had no idea how to explain any of this illogical stuff. Even though she shouldve been scared shitless, she found herself surprisingly gung-ho about taking Apprentece out. Is this why people enjoy playing competitively? So they can hunt monsters? Until now, this whole premise of having schools compete with each other didnt really make much sense to Nia. She didnt understand what was the point of organizing such a bloody competition for a video game that could be played online. Like, seriously. Bringing players onto the stage and placing them in front of an audience, all seemed excessive. What was the point of it even? But today, Nia finally started feeling like maybe theres a point to it, after all. Bringing all these talented players onto one stage invoked war between the biggest monsters of the region. These guys were unlikely to run into each other in Ranked. And even if they did, the stakes wouldnt be the same. There wouldnt be as much tension in the air. So, scrims mustve existed to arrange such monster vs. monster matchups. Such fights were as scary as they were enticing. Until now, I thought I wanted nothing to do with any of this. But, this Orc Honestly, this Apprentece guy was kinda triggering. Not only did this guy counter Nia''s sneaky gank, but he even turned the tables on her when she DID manage to sneak up on him. And, that happened under the tower, where Nia shouldve had an absolute advantage. Seriously, that was hax. A player like that was not allowed to exist, especially not at a middle school level. Everybody agrees, right? Nia thought. The entire team thinks this guy is a cheat. A monster like that shouldn''t be legal. It''s too scary. Nia had the habit of calling many things "scary", but this time it wasn''t just about her. The entire team would easily agree that Apprentece was just too scary to be real. I don''t like that. Not one bit. Nia grumped. Countering my stealth is a no-no. I have to make it work on him, at least once...! Despite just being killed by a monster. Nia couldn''t wait to jump back into the fray and gank this scary guy again. Next time, it''ll work for sure...! Actually, the second attempt almost worked, too. Nia thought. So, I really don''t get why Yuel is blaming himself so hard here. His shot-call was fine. I could''ve finished the guy off if I played a little better, I think. Nia really wanted to object to the way Yuel self-deprecated himself but she failed to find the right words. Mainly because the only words of encouragement she could think of involved owning up to her own mistakes. Gufu... "I, um, well..." Nia opened and closed her mouth. She had a broad idea of what she wanted to say, but she couldn''t string any words together. "... anyway, I think your shot-call was ok." "How so?" Yuel asked. "Well, I almost killed the guy, right? It was real close and stuff." "It looked close, yes. But, in the end, it wasn''t enough. My shot-call almost gave the enemy a double kill." "Well, yeah, true, I guess..." Nia twisted her lips. It felt like anything she said would ricochet back at her. Wasn''t there anything better she could say? Something that even a smartass like Yuel wouldnt be able to counter? Well, there is that one thing, but... Nia clammed up. Maybe I should just say it. Ben admitted to what he thinks he did wrong, so... It was tough. Nia considered herself an expert at running away from criticism, but now she was about to invite it upon herself. Masochism much? "I... I messed up a little," Nia admitted. "Just a little, ok? I should''ve picked my shots better against that dang Orc. I could''ve killed him, I think. Yeah." There, she said it. She finally admitted out loud that much of the fault lay with her execution! Gulp. "............" Yuel said nothing. He just stared blankly at the weird creature speaking to him. "W-What?" "Who are you and what did you do to Nia?" "Eh? Nia blinked in confusion and checked around her. Did I get abducted by aliens and replaced? Scary." "I have no other explanation," Yuel said. "The Nia I know wouldn''t admit to something like that unless I pressure her into it." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Well, that Apprentece guy just triggers me outta my mind." Nia puffed her little cheeks. "So, Im saying I almost got him this time because next time Im going to get him for sure! Probably." "Even though you keep saying hes ''scary''?" "Yeah, even though he''s super scary and stuff. Nia nodded. So, if you arrange another good opportunity like that, I''m sure I can...!" The words just flowed out of her mouth. Blood must''ve rushed to her head because she had no idea how she was brave enough to spout such nonsense. W-Waitwaitwait! Nia froze. D-Did I really just say all of that out loud!? Gufu! I, um, well... It was too late. She had already uttered all that stuff out loud and Yuel heard it. Yikes! It took Yuel a moment to respond to this. "I''m surprised you feel so strongly about this. "Well, that''s..." Nia shifted her eyes away. Her embarrassment level was over 9000! "I''m just a bit salty that he countered my first gank, ok? So, lemme have revenge." "I see. Very well." Yuel nodded. "I''ll try to arrange another gank opportunity for you, if possible. And, this time, it''ll be a good one, I promise." "Ok, deal." But, will I even be able to arrange such an opportunity? Yuel wondered. This game is about to become very one-sided... The enemy claimed Top Turret so early into the game, and Apprentece gained tons of momentum as an Orc. So, Stratus was currently headed toward severe beatdown. Can we still achieve anything here? Anything at all? Yuel felt his fighting spirit slipping away. Even though normally he was the type to fight his hardest until the bitter end, this one game just seemed beyond hopeless. "Relax, my dude," Lars spoke out of nowhere. "You look like you''re dying inside, haha." "And how does that look, exactly?" "Ya all frowning and lowering yo head and stuff. That aint good, yo! Ya gotta look these dudes straight in the eye because ain''t over yet!" "Its not?" Yuel blurted. Oh, I wasn''t supposed to say that... "... wait, wut? Lars had a pause. Did you seriously give up or something?" "No, I..." Yuel averted his eyes. "Its just that this game seems almost hopeless, that''s all." "Dang, so it''s that bad, huh." Lars smiled wryly. "Welp, I don''t understand all them complicated strats and whatnot, but even I can tell that things ain''t looking good. Like, Orc + Momentum = Bad News. This is math that even I understand." "Correct." "So yep, the situation sounds real rough. But, who cares?" "... excuse me?" "None of it really matters, right? Lars claimed. This is just a scrim, after all. I mean, I also wanna win and stuff, but we ain''t gonna lose the regionals over this." "Well, losing this scrim will hurt our seeding," Yuel said. "But no, it wont single-handedly determine how well fare at the regionals." "Right? So, there ain''t no reason to mop about it, yo! Even if we end up losing in the end, for now, we still have time to get back at that Orc dude and show him that we ain''t pushovers!" "True," Yuel agreed. "Right? Lars nodded repeatedly. I really wanna fight that dude at least once before the game is over, and even Nia is saying she wants to throw hands. Weve still got the rest of the game to keep challenging that Chinese pro dude!" "He''s Korean." "Oh yeah, right. Isn''t that part of China, tho?" "... no, it''s in a completely different part of Asia. Who taught you geography?" "I dunno dude, all that ''Asia'' place sounds like fiction to me, to be honest. Never saw it with my own two eyes, haha." "Seriously?" Yuel made a face. Just when I thought he was saying something unexpectedly smart for a change now he''s back to being the usual goof. Oh well. All in all, Lars made a good point. This was ultimately just a scrimmage, therefore losing won''t be the end of the world. In fact, most teams in the region would consider 2-3 a great achievement against the Leopards. Of course, we''re aiming higher than that, but that''s for the regionals. All in all, I believe weve played decently today. Before today''s scrim, Stratus was just an underdog team. Nobody expected them to put up such a fight against the regional champions, let alone corner the champions into a 2-2 situation. It was a great achievement, all things considered. We even forced them to bring out their ace. Yuel thought. So, now that we have a rare opportunity to spar with this Korean prodigy, we should focus on taking him down. Figuring out a way to defeat Appretnece might even be more important for Stratus than claiming victory in this particular practice game. Learning the enemys weaknesses will serve them well during the real match at the regionals. This might also be the last time he makes an appearance on the stage before the regionals. Yuel reasoned. Not all teams will be able to force him to take the stage. For years now, the entire competitive scene in the region was dominated by the Leopards and StormBlitz, with Taurus being a frequent runner-up. There weren''t any other capable middle school teams in this region. I suppose todays result actually puts us in the top 3 of the region. Yuel realized. Nobody will treat us as an underdog after this match. Naturally, this kind of promotion came with its own share of trouble. This meant that future opponents would research Stratus playstyle more extensively than before, making it harder than ever for the team to reach the finals. But, thats a small price to pay. From the get-go, Lars and I have been planning to turn this underdog team into the strongest in the region, and were almost there already. With Taurus already defeated, only two more giants stood in Strauts path to the top: StormBlitz and the Leopards. And, at least against the Leopards, Stratus had already proven that they could fight toe-to-toe. As such, winning the regionals was no longer a dream at this point. Thats all great news, but this isnt what we''re here for today. Yuel reminded himself. This isn''t the regionals, it''s just a scrim. So, as much as I''d like to win, as Lars said, winning isn''t everything here. Firstmost, our goal should be to improve as players and to study our opponents as much as possible. So yes, perhaps this match was lost as a whole, but it didn''t mean Stratus suddenly became powerless. They were still very much capable of taking down Apprentece! Lars is still eager to keep fighting, and even Nia is the same, as uncharacteristic as that is. So, I can''t be the one to throw the towel here. Yuel nodded to himself. For starters, Ill find a way to slow down their momentum in order to give us more time to try things. Who knows, we might even turn the tables on them in the process. Yuel took a deep breath and focused on his job as the shot-caller. There were still many unfinished things to be done here, so this wasn''t over, not yet! So, now that you''ve taken the Top Turret, what will be your next move, "pro"? Yuel posed the question to Apprentece, the ever-looming threat of this entire game. For now, Apprentece had no choice but to recall to base. The injuries he sustained during Nia''s attack were surely too much to write off as a flesh wound, even for him. The real question was: where will Apprentece head next? With Top being completely under his dominion, there was no guarantee hed return over there right way. What would Ive done in his shoes? Yuel wondered. Given the board state, I probably would''ve made rotated to Mid or Bot. Maybe even both, one after another. With Orc''s damage output, Apprentece could contest Mid all by himself even against a mage. If he opts to do so, then that would give Theorist the opportunity to recall to the base. After doing that, Apprentece might try a similar tactic on Bot. These will be very strong plays that will allow the Leopards to turn their overwhelming advantage even more stable. But, was Apprentece the type of player whod waste his own time to help out his teammates? That was something only the guy himself will be able to answer with his next play... Vol.18 Ch.30: Babysitting the Team After taking out the enemy''s Top Turret, Jin immediately recalled to base. The injuries he sustained during the enemy''s attack were grave, almost too close to comfort. So despite the great momentum he gained in Top, he was unable to push further at this time. But, once I return, I''ll push all the way to the Golem. Jin promised. This game is already as good as done, so let''s just wrap it up quickly. It would have been nicer if the opponent just surrendered and spared Jin all this hassle. However, Stratus was a team that had a fighting spirit, if nothing else. Therefore, even under these helpless circumstances, it was unlikely for them to submit without putting on a fight. Oh well. Lets just do it. Jin finished gearing up at the base and headed back to his lane. "Oh, you''re already going back?" Cato asked. "Say, do you mind rotating to Mid after you finish with the next wave?" "Why?" "There isn''t much for you to do in Top right now, right? I mean, you can try pushing if you want, but there''s no way you''re taking out the Golem anytime soon." "True. Too early for Golem," Jin agreed. "But, I still prefer to push Top. Rotating to other lanes is waste of time." "The laners over there will really appreciate your help, though~" "I don''t need appreciation. I just want to wrap up this game. It''s over." "Yes, it''s most certainly over." Cato nodded. "But, Stratus wont go down without a fight. I know their shot-caller, he''s the type to come up with unexpected plays in a pinch. We can''t underestimate him." "You fear a team like that? Nonsense." "Or, is it?" Cato smiled impishly. "I vaguely remember that somebody here was almost ganked to death a short while ago~" "If you talk about the Drows gank, then I had the situation under control. I wouldn''t die to something like this." "But, you have to admit it was dangerously close. If Will wasnt nearby, you might''ve died, don''t you think?" "Hmph." Jin scoffed. "It was a little close, that''s all." "That was just a taste of what their shot-caller is capable of, Cato said. The greater the pinch, the more ridiculous his shot-calls will become. That''s the kind of pesky guy he is." Still, none of that convinced Jin. "That Drow gank shot-call was no good. It was easy to counter." "Yes, it was easy enough to counter IF you anticipated that kind of play in advance. But, anticipating any of that nonsense was the hard part. I did anticipate it though, muhaha!" Indeed, everything was thanks to Cato''s sharp foresight. He knew his chess opponent better than anybody on the team, therefore he was ready for some kind of nonsense. I bet youre feeling quite frustrated right now, right Yuel~? Cato grinned. This is exactly the kind of nonsense you used to beat Fiona, right? You resorted to some absolute madness that swallowed her whole. But, I''m not like that. You can''t break me so easily. Unlike Fiona, Cato wasn''t a slave of the meta, at least not entirely. He understood that a player''s self-expression sometimes made them deviate from the established meta and that it was fine. The meta is just guidelines, not hard rules. There''s a big benefit to following it, but sometimes straying from it can be just as effective. I mean, I stray from it on a regular basis~ Cato was very much aware that the Leopards'' hyper-defensive playstyle was outside the metas recommendations. Nonetheless, it worked just fine as long as he properly integrated this less-usual playstyle with the meta. Likewise, Stratus moments of hyper-aggression were likely a form of Yuels self-expression within the confines of the meta. Thats why the guys tactics were so unpredictable. No matter the situation, there was always a chance hed launch some crazy attack that would completely deviate from the meta. After Cato finished collecting his thoughts on the matter, it was time to educate the Emperor. "Chessmasters attacks may seem easy to counter in retrospect, but when you''re actually in the game it''s not that easy, is it? That''s how Chessmaster rolls." "It was just one play, Jin insisted. I dont think that shot-call was sensible enough for competitive level. Im not worried." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Real stubborn, huh. Cato wanted to sigh but he maintained his smile. "Well, perhaps youll be able to counter Chessmaster''s future tricks, but there''s no guarantee the rest of the team will able to do the same. And, I know Chessmaster. He''ll target the weakest link for sure." The weakest link? It means the most vulnerable part of the team. Hmm. I see. Jin nodded. Sounds like good strategy. I had a feeling youll like it. Cato smiled wryly. In many ways, Jin thinks similarly to Yuel. Theyre both such big bullies, honestly. The main difference between the two of them lies in the execution itself. The Emperor bullied opponents with his own two hands, whereas Yuel had his teammates do his bidding. Anyway, Cato continued. Im sure Chessmaster has understood how strong you are by now, so hell try to play around you by exploiting weaknesses on other lanes. Then, make sure you dont give him any opportunity. Why yes, thats such a brilliant idea! How I didnt think of that! Sarcasm? Yes, sarcasm. Hmm. Jin took a moment to process this conversation. Alright, I think I understand your point. You say that, while I push Top, the enemy will target other lanes and it might be difficult for you to deal with his ploys, right? Yes, exactly. Cato nodded. So, Id be thankful if you rotated to Mid, and maybe later to Bot, too. Fine. Whatever. Jin sighed. He wasnt keen on babysitting his teammates like that, but this is something that had to be done to secure flawless victory. I have no choice, do I? Jin sighed. No matter how well I perform, itll reflect poorly on me if the team messes up. It was still one thing when the team acted like a bunch of clowns in the previous games. But, this game was different. This time, Jin was an active part of the team. As such, he had a responsibility to make the team look strong and dominating. Well, let''s get this over with then. Jin sighed as he blasted the enemy minions with his sledgehammer. The entire enemy army folded to his powerful basic attacks within seconds. And so, once again, Top was entirely under his control. However, instead of pushing on, Jin headed into the jungle instead. This was such a waste of time... Naturally, the enemy caught wind of his irregular movement. "The Orc went into the jungle," Ben informed. "Im not sure if he''s rotating or just going to farm." "Hmm." Yuel couldn''t answer that one either. Based on Apprentece''s profile so far, it made more sense to assume the guy went to farm jungle camps for his own benefit. After all, he supposedly wasn''t the type to cooperate with his teammates much. But, blindingly following that line of reasoning has already cost us dearly. Yuel thought. I need to rely less on conjecture. Maybe he respects Catos position as the captain and follows at least some of the orders. If so, then a rotation to Mid was very much on the table. This sounded like a play that Cato would want really badly, and even Yuel wouldve made that kind of shot-call. Simply put, it was a great strategic rotation. An Orc with momentum could handle any lane, even Mid where he''d have to compete with a mage. As such, it was a great idea to move this strong piece across the board in order to further stabilize the teams dominance. "Kai, watch out for a rotation," Yuel warned. "I suspect he''s coming to your lane." "Got it." Kai retreated further to the back. She wasn''t scared of that Korean player in the slightest, but she didn''t want to give the guy any gank opportunities. Shortly, Theorist started recalling near the tower. This was all the proof they needed. "Their Mid is recalling," Kai informed. "Pretty sure we know what that means." "Yes, he''s coming. Probably not to gank you, but to fill in for your opponent in the lane." "Fine by me." Kai lifted her chin. "Its time to put this cocky bastard in his place. He has been feeling himself too much this game." Even though Kai wasn''t present during any of the battles in Top, she followed them with great interest. After all, her lane situation was the very definition of boredom, so she had all the time in the world to scout other lanes. What she saw over there was pretty damn triggering. This Apprentece guy just paraded all over Top as if he owned the place. He cared about nothing and nobody. And, he keeps getting away with it. Kai thought. In the last play, I was sure Nia would finally shut him down, but the lucky son of a gun escaped with a pixel of HP. Dammit. Nobody should be allowed to play cocky like that and get away with it. Not on the competitive stage and especially not against Kai''s team. So come over here. I''ll teach you a lesson. Kai welcomed this rotation. This should be a good change of pace from the boring stalemate she had against Theorist. Finally, shell get some action! What''s more, this was her chance to do her part as the captain. In such dark hours, when all hope of victory was lost, it was up to the captain to inject the team with a morale boost! I hope he plans to stay a while and farm. If so, I''ll have many chances to gun him down. She had already come up with multiple lines of play by now. Her ult was online and she had enough MP to last two more minions waves. Basically, she had the freedom to unleash anything she wanted on the enemy! If he''s enough of a daredevil to farm with his hammer against me, then I''ll reap him apart! She had already crafted multiple plans before the enemy even stepped onto the lane. It felt like gears in her brain kicked into action after a long slumber. That''s how mind-numbing it was to play against Theorist in the lane. But now, this development woke her up entirely. She was ready to kick some serious butt! While she was thinking all that, the much-anticipated enemy emerged on the lane. Vol.18 Ch.31: Apprentece in Mid "The Orc is in Mid," Kai reported, just in case somebody missed this super important development. "If he challenges me then I plan to take him down. I hope nobody has any objects." "Just be careful," Yuel said only that. "He''s a strong opponent, probably stronger than anybody you''ve ever faced." "Wait, you saying dude is even stronger than me!?" Lars jumped. "Hell naw! Lemme at ''em and I''mma show you what''s what!" "Itll definitely be interesting to see which of you is stronger in a fight," Yuel said. "But to be on the safe side, it''s better to assume that Apprentece is stronger for now." "Dang, dude! Where''s yo faith in my skill, yo!?" "I have faith in it, but I also know that Apprentece went toe-to-toe with a B Leaguer. Can you claim that youve ever done the same?" "Hah, ez! I can even take on Maker any day, word!" "Yes, I''m sure you can." Yuel rolled his eyes. "Anyway, that''s my advice. You can do whatever you want with it." "Don''t worry, Lars," Kai reassured. "I''ll prove that you''re better than this clown by beating him myself." "Heck yeah, that''s what I like hearing! Go get him, yo!" "Will do." And next, I''ll defeat you too. Kai had plenty of experience dueling Lars during practice. So as frustrating as it was to admit, she had no choice but to accept that the guy was stronger than her, at least for now. However, she had no intention of taking any of this lying down. Slowly but surely, shell catch up to that mechanical monster. She had been working hard on improving her mechanical skill, expanding her game knowledge, and polishing her unique rhythm-based skills. One day, Ill be an opponent youll fear, just you watch. Kai promised. But first, I have to take out this Korean pro-wannabe. Kai didnt need another target to chase right now. She had already had her hands full with catching up to Lars, so Apprentece was really an unnecessary existence as far as Kai was concerned. So cmon, lets wrap this up here and now. The next minion wave arrived. Fortunately, Apprentece remained in Mid in order to greet the incoming minions. He had every intention of filling in for Theorist in this round. Good. Kai nodded. Lets have a good one. Ill tear you apart, you cocky bastard! As expected, Apprentece didnt come here empty-handed. He brought over his cockiness too. Even though the guy was facing an opponent with far superior reach, he had no qualms about approaching the minion wave with full intent to farm at melee range. Theres no doubt the guy was planning to unleash his Sledgehammer and strike the minions from point-blank. Yes, this mad lad was going to farm at melee range against Sorcerer, a class boasting one of the best attack ranges in the game. Wow, this is something else. Kai was deeply impressed but for all the wrong reasons. Alright then. You asked for it. Naturally, she had no intention of letting the Orc unleash his deadly hammer on the minions without getting punished for it. She summoned a Magia Orb right in the center of all the action: between the enemy swordsmen, the enemy bowmen, and the approaching Apprentece. Next, she instantly animation-canceled into Dimensional Collapse. The Magia Orb exploded, generating a black hole that sucked in all the enemies around it! Swordsmen, bowmen, and even the Orc - everybody! Once all of them collide at the center, the damage will be amplified based on the number of objects that crash into each other. So, the more the merrier! Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. This is what you get for overextending. Kai executed the play perfectly. The quick cancel from Magia Orb into Dimensional Collapse was fast enough to catch anybody off-guard. Even Lars would have struggled to respond to it in a timely fashion. And yet, Apprentece did just that. He rolled aside right as the black orb exploded, getting just barely outside the range of the skills pull. Did he roll ahead of time? Kai wondered. I mean, theres no way he couldve rolled that fast AFTER seeing my skill cancel. There wasnt enough time for it. Not even Lars would''ve been able to dodge this play so perfectly. In fact, it might''ve been outright impossible for any human. So, he mustve guessed I''ll do this ahead of time. Kai deduced. He was probably waiting for the first sign of me casting the orb. Tch. It was such a simple counterplay, yet it managed to irritate Kai. Everything about Apprentece''s actions radiated overflowing confidence and cockiness, so at first, it looked as if the guy wasn''t paying attention to Kai at all. But no, the guy was paying attention to everything the entire time. While acting bold and cocky, he was nonetheless waiting for the right moment to roll out of Kai''s inevitable attack. Oh, I see that I also messed up a little. Kai realized. I tried too hard to hit that bastard along the way so my placement wasnt perfect. Tch. She placed her orb perfectly at the center between the swordsmen, the bowmen, and Apprentece''s earlier location. Unfortunately, from that position, the orb couldnt suck in all the enemy minions. The rightmost swordsman and bowman ignored the pull and remained in place. This had two implications for Kai. First, these minions werent going to receive any damage. Second, the overall damage from Dimensional Collapse will be lower than expected because fewer colliding objects meant less damage. Well, no matter. Kai thought. This is just a little setback. This doesnt change the fact I made the first move and dealt far more damage to the minions than he did, which is a flat zero. I''ll win this exchange no problem. As if objecting to Kais assessment, Apprentece advanced toward the minion wave once again, expressing as much confidence as before if not more. This time there was no threat of Dimensional Collapse, so Apprentece was surely going to attack at full force. Are you seriously coming all the way over here? Kai twitched. It''s my territory, you know? Alas, Apprentece showed no signs of slowing down. He went past the frontline and invaded deeper, approaching Kai''s bowmen. Did your mama not teach you to respect personal space? Kai hissed at the enemy, but thats all she could do. "Kai, stay away from him," Yuel warned. "Yeah, I know, I know." Kai grumped as she stepped away from the incoming threat. Her original plan was to stay near her bowmen and shoot basic attacks at the enemy swordsmen, but the Orc''s advances forced her to retreat. Kai could only grump about this turn of events. "He totally deserves to have his ass ganked for something like this, just saying." "Yes, this is an overextension for sure," Yuel agreed. "Nia, you should stick around Mid and look for... oh." Before he even issued the order, Nia had already reached the Griffin Camp near Mid. She was farming a camp near Bot just a few seconds ago, but it seemed like she rushed to Mid shortly after Apprentece''s arrival. "You''re fast," Yuel said. "Do you want to gank him so badly?" "Not really." Nia shrugged. "I just felt like this is a good opportunity to take the Griffins. And well, maybe gank too. But only maybe, okay?" "I see." This was unexpected, to say the least. In the past, Nia always threw a tantrum whenever she had to gank a "scary" opponent, especially one who had already killed her before in the same game. I still remember how hard I had to work in order to convince her to gank a DK back when we were just starting out. Yuel sighed with a wry smile. She''s high maintenance player, that''s for sure. But, she''s getting better, slowly but surely. A few months ago, it would''ve been unthinkable for Nia to challenge a "scary" opponent of her own accord like this. Classes like Dark Knight and Orc terrified her to the core. But now there she was, getting in position to gank an Orc before Yuel even issued the order. It almost brought a tear to his eye. Now, lets see if he gives her an opportunity to strike. All of Yuel''s attention was glued to the situation in Mid. Even though he had his hands full fighting the duo of Rook and Merlin in Bot, he couldn''t take his eyes off the unfolding events in Mid. The next few plays over there might prove critical for the future of this entire game. If they can kill Apprentece, then well get a chance to mount a comeback. Yuel thought. Not all hope was lost yet. There was still the possibility of a turnabout here, as faint as it was. But, will Apprentece give them such an opportunity...? Vol.18 Ch.32: A Professional Cocky Player Apprentece advanced into Kai''s territory as if he owned the place. Then, WHAM! He swung his sledgehammer at Kais bowmen, deleting a sizable chunk of their HP. However, this damage wasn''t even worth paying attention to. The skill''s damage scaled with the Orc''s power to an extent, but this damage wasn''t nearly as dreadful as the base power of Orc''s basic attacks. WHAM! The Orc swung his sledgehammer again, crashing it into the bowmen! This second strike reduced the bowmen''s HP to almost nothing, but they still lived. Despite hitting the bowmen twice in succession, Apprentece was unable to delete them from existence. Well? How do you like that mid-game scaling, huh? Kai snarked at her opponent, which was the only form of retaliation she could mount while retreating. Unfortunately, she was all bark and no bite right now. I SO wanna shoot this cocky bastard! But no, I can''t. Not with my basics, at least. Instead of mindlessly lashing at the guy, Kai took a deep breath and carefully gauged the situation. She was now far outside the Orc''s reach, even his Scourge wasnt a threat. From here, Kai was free to mount a long-ranged counterattack! But, this guy doesnt even give a damn. Kai made a face. First, he cleared the bowmen, and now hes doing the swordsmen. He even dares to turn his back on me. Im REALLY gonna smack him hard! While the opponent was preoccupied with Kai''s swordsmen, she summoned a Magia Orb and immediately canceled it into Repelling Force. BAM! It was like a sniper shot! With his back turned to Kai, there was no way Apprentece could see this attack coming! And of course, Kai''s aim was spot on. So, this was going to be a clean hit! or, not? WHISH! The Orc rolled aside in the nick of time, dodging the snipe by a hairs breadth. Wha-?! Kai gasped. But, he couldnt even see it! Did he react to the sound!? This was a technique that only Kai was supposed to be able to use! Well, surely she wasnt the ONLY one in the entire world who could use it. But, this had to be a hella rare skill. At least, Kai hadnt met many opponents who relied on their hearing to this extent. Even Lars, the mechanical expert, didnt seem to do it as much. Yet, Apprentece did it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Whats more, he rolled to the right while Kais shot was aimed at the left. In other words, he even dodged in the best direction possible! Does he have eyes on his back or something??? Kais jaw dropped in disbelief. Even if he heard the shot, how did he know to roll in the opposite direction without seeing the shot? It gotta be a lucky guess, right? The whole thing triggered Kai to no end. That snipe shouldve been bullseye, yet it completely missed the mark. Dammit! The only consolation was that her orb did hit the enemy minions. Though it didnt even hit all of them. Four of the six enemy minions were previously dragged into the Dimensional Collapse, so they were separated from the rest of the pack. As such, Kai had to shoot her Magia Orb to the left in order to hit these guys along with Apprentece. Wait, could it be that he read into that? A shudder ran through her. Is that why he rolled to the right? Did he assume Ill aim toward the minions? Is that it? Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. If so, it was a big brain outguess right there. And honestly, it was hella weird. The guy looked as if he was parading on the lane without a single care in the world, but could it be that he was actually thinking hard about Kais next move at every step of the way? Does he have no openings or what? Kai gritted her teeth. no, theres no such thing as a player without openings, no matter how good they seem to be. Ive just gotta wake up and start thinking outside the box here. Kais brain was probably still a little sleepy. Playing against Theorist would put anybody into a coma due to boredom. But right now, Kai finally had a real adversary in front of her. Not to mention, Apprentece was the complete opposite of Theorist. He aggressed, overextended, and attacked without any regard for anybody. In other words, he was exactly the kind of opponent Kai liked trashing in a good fight! Too bad that everything is on cooldown right now, though. Kai frowned as she was forced to retreat from the scene. After her two assault attempts failed, she didn''t have any more weapons at her disposal except for her ult. Well, I''ll start setting up the resonance ahead of time, just in case. Kai summoned another Magia Orb as soon as the skill came out of cooldown. They were already pretty much in the mid-game, so with Magia Orbs current cooldown, it could be spammed multiple times in a fight. So, if Apprentece was cocky enough to push any further, then Kai will blow out his brains! I see I''m cutting it a little close in terms of MP, huh. But it''ll be fine. Kai thought. After spending all this MP, I''ll have to recall after this wave anyway. So, might as well burn out everything Ive got. Kai had already overexerted in terms of MP by attacking Apprentece twice. Before that cocky bastard arrived in her lane, Kai had more than enough MP to last three more waves. But now, she already barely had enough for the next wave. So, let''s just burn it all and recall! She decided. As expected, Apprentece exhibited his cockiness once again. After he finished clearing all of Kais minions, he advanced along the lane with his minions. A daredevil to the very end, huh. Kai shook her head. Fine by me. Come, lemme hit you! By the time the enemy army arrived at the tower area, Kais Magia Orb came out of cooldown again. And so, she placed a second Magia Orb, this time near the enemy minions. WHISH. WHISH. The black orb passively damaged every minion that passed through it. The hitbox of the orb was rather small, so the enemy had to be a literal doofus to run into this static damage. Fortunately, the minions had no brain to speak of, so they dashed into it with zero regrets. Unlike them, Apprentece was different, of course. He moved aside as he advanced, dodging the Magia Orb. This maneuver brought Appretence closer to Bot Jungle. He probably thought he was playing it safe, but Kai was actually pulling some strings here like a puppeteer. "Nia, Ive got him as close as I can to the jungle," Kai informed. "If youve ever considered ganking, now is the time." "Hmm. I dunno." Nia twisted her lips. "I think he plans to retreat soon." "Well, he better, unless he wants me to literally kill him. Kai nodded. So, the gank idea is a bust?" "Yeah, sorry. I don''t think Ill be able to do much to him while he retreats." "Alright then." Kai accepted that reasoning. Against any other opponent, a gank wouldve been worth a try even in this situation. However, Apprentece wasn''t the type of opponent who could be caught off-guard with weak plays. So, trying to gank would be a waste of Nias time, a waste of an important resource. I''ve learned this the hard way at the expense of my MP. Kai sighed. This guy only pretends he has openings. In practice, hes carefully paying attention to everything. Apprentece was a vexing opponent from start to finish. He was cocky but surprisingly cautious. And above everything else, he was skilled. Very skilled. So, I get why Nia prefers to not gank. Kai nodded. Looks like its up to me then. There wont be a gank, so Kai will have to do this herself. Shell unleash the ult she barely had enough MP for! With two Magia Orbs already placed on the scene, how was Apprentece going to respond? Will he take his leave here without entering the tower area? Or, will he advance further despite the risks? As usual, there was no easy way to predict the movements of this professional cocky player... Vol.18 Ch.33: Draining MP Kai has already placed two Magia Orbs on the scene. They were a fair distance away from each other: one on the left and one in the center. In response to this placement, Apprentece positioned himself closer to the right side of the lane to stay away from both orbs. It won''t be easy to trap him between three orbs for Resonance Ignition, thats for sure. But he''s still here, so I have time to set things up. Kai thought. The cooldown of her Magia Orb was about to end soon. Once the skill comes online again, she''ll unleash her Resonance Ignition right away! The guy won''t see it coming! But unbeknown to her, the enemy was very much prepared for such a development. In fact, he had been for. However, not everybody in the Leopards agreed with this line of play. "My, aren''t you pushing a little too far?" Cato asked. "I believe you should''ve retreated a while ago." "It''s fine," Jin said only that as he stepped closer to the tower area. This mad lad was absolutely planning to push the tower all the way, or so it seemed. "Their Jungler might be on standby," Sonya warned. "I haven''t seen her move anywhere for a while now." "Yes, makes sense." Jin nodded. "But, she can''t do much. If she comes, I kill her. Simple." There wasn''t a single dent in his confidence. Despite how deeply he was overextending into enemy territory, he acted as if he was in total control of the situation. And in his case, it''s not exactly "cockiness". Cato thought. The Emperor just trusts his own game analysis that much and it''s usually on point, too. Sigh. Jin was like a problematic chess piece that was bound to be unruly. On this board, his skill level transcended even the power of a queen piece, allowing him to do whatever he wanted. As such, the most Cato could do was drop pieces of advice here and there, to make sure that Jin''s overconfidence won''t be the end of him. "What''s the plan, anyway?" Cato asked. "Any reason why you''re overextending so much?" "If I already wasting time here, then at least I want to do something meaningful." "Such as?" "Lowering enemy MP." "Oh, I see. So, this is whats it all about." This explained the extreme cockiness that Jin had been exhibiting ever since he arrived in Mid. He had been acting all high and mighty in order to bait Beat, and it worked. Initially, Beat had enough MP to last for three more waves after this one. However, in her attempts to retaliate against Jin, she used Repelling Force which cost some fine MP. On top of that, she had been placing Magia Orbs left and right, most likely to set up her ult. If Beat unleashes Resonance Ignition as well, then she''ll burn through all her remaining MP. At that point, shell have no choice but to recall to base after the exchange. Jin had been overextending in order to make that happen. A nasty ploy. I like it. Cato smirked. It''ll actually be huge if he kicks Beat out of the lane by the time Sonya returns. Both Matthew and Sonya were defensive Mid Laners, therefore the Leoaprds had been on the defensive in Mid throughout the entire day. As such, it was always hard to establish lane advantage over there. Hopefully, Jins scheme will help with that. The one who controls Mid controls the game, its just like in chess. Cato nodded. Well, I still think his overextension is very risky, but Im sure the Emperor knows what hes doing. And so, Cato refrained from interfering with the Empeors plans. Despite how dangerous the play was, Jin was convinced hed be able to get away with this bold overextension, and he probably would. And so, Jin carried on with the plan. Contrary to how reckless or cocky his plays mightve seemed, he was paying close attention to Kais options. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Her orb should come out of cooldown now. Jin analyzed. Its time to wrap this up. He stepped toward the middle of the lane, which placed him closer to the Magia Orb that Beat placed there. It was a risky move at first glance, but not for somebody who knew how to judge distances. This is as much as I can get away with. Jin paused. This distance should be tempting enough for her. And indeed, Beat immediately responded to Jins movements. The moment he stopped moving, Beat unleashed her attack! She summoned a third Maiga Orb and blew all her orbs at once with Resonance Ignition! Beats execution was smooth. She canceled the animation of Magia Orb straight into Resonance Ignition. If Jin hadnt prepared for it ahead of time, then he wouldve been hit hard. However, he was more than prepared. In fact, he was eagerly waiting for this very moment. So, he swiftly rolled away in the nick of time. BAM! The three orbs exploded in unison! However, two of them werent even a concern for Jin. One orb was placed on the far right, so it couldnt reach Jins current position even in a million years. On the other hand, the orb in the center was a bit threatening but Jin knew that, so he carefully gauged the distance and stayed right outside the orbs perimeter. However, the third orb was difficult to outplay. Beat happened to place it well, so Jin was caught up in the orb''s explosion as he rolled. It was unfortunate, but the damage was a negligible 7%. In theory, the damage couldve been 9 times greater if Jin was caught up in the resonance of all three orbs. However, he made sure that not even the two nearest orbs him with resonance, therefore the damage he suffered was minimal. Hmph. Not terrible execution. Jin admitted. Its good to see that there are at least some players outside the Leopards who know some of the basics. Then again, this entire exchange was completely in my favor from start to end and she failed to realize that. Pathetic. Really, Beat was such a simpleton. Jin merely provoked her a little, and she went ballistic on him with her entire kit. Such an amateur mistake. Seriously, how were players of this caliber even allowed onto this stage? In Korea, they probably wouldn''t have even made it into any of the serious clubs, let alone be allowed to play competitive games. Whatever. This is enough. Jin retreated to the allied side of the lane. "I''m done." "Good, good." Cato nodded. "You''ve drained her MP quite splendidly~" "Was too easy. She wasted it all for no reason." "Yes, that''s how it looks to you, Cato said. But from her perspective, she was seriously trying to contest you, and maybe even kill you." "Nonsense. She had no chance." "Yes, she didn''t," Cato agreed. "But sometimes, it''s human nature to pursue the impossible, you know?" "It stupid, nothing more than that." Beat''s wastefulness was nothing short of a crime. By now, it had surely dawned on her as well. "Tch, he got away," Kai reported. "I almost had him with the Resonance, damn it!" "I suspect the entire thing was bait from start to end," Yuel explained. "It felt like he aggressed as much as he did in order to make you waste your MP on him." "Yeah, I''m getting the same impression now. Bastard sure played me for a fiddle" Kai made a face. "He seemed so cocky that I was sure he was just looking down on me and aggressing without any caution. But, it turns out he was prepared for everything." From start to end, Kai couldn''t properly land any notable damage on that bastard. Her only meager achievement was landing a single instance of damage with Resonance Ignition. It was just sad. That didnt compensate at all for all the MP she had to burn in the process. Before any of this started, Kai had enough MP to farm three more waves. But, now? She had nothing and had to recall. Well, at least his minions are aggroed on me now. Kai thought. Since Im going to recall either way, I might as well let them waste some shots on me. She retreated deeper into the tower area but made sure to stay within the minions field of view. Eating all their attacks was going to result in some substantial damage, but it was far better than letting these minions freely push the tower. And so, to compensate at least a little for all the misplays that happened, Kai dragged the minions across the tower area and shot them from afar. And, the tower helped her with that by firing giant bolts at the minions. Alright, done. Kai eliminated the last bowman. With this, she neutralized the threat. This maneuver cost 20% of her HP, but that wasnt a problem in this case. "I''m recalling," Kai informed. "Nia, can you defend a little until I return?" "Sure." Nia entered the lane from the back. She had been loitering around the entire time, looking for a good opportunity to assault Apprentece. But, no such opportunity had ever presented itself. Like I thought, he was cautious. Nia nodded to herself. Her instincts as a professional assassin had been whispering to her the entire time that Apprentece wont be caught off guard this time around. I need an even better opportunity. Nia thought. It has to be a really good one. Something he won''t be able to beat in a million years. Yeah. But, will such an opportunity ever present itself today? As they were entering the mid-game, all the good opportunities might be already gone by now. Soon players will start grouping up all over the place, making it even more impossible to gank this difficult target... Vol.18 Ch.34: Jins Next Destination Splendid, splendid~ Cato nodded in approval at Jins performance in Mid. Though youre an unruly piece at times, Im glad to see that youre nonetheless a loyal minion of mine, muhahaha! Not only did Jin reclaim lane control in an instant, but he also forced Beat to burn all her MP. Essentially, he kicked her out of the lane without even fighting her directly. In response, Vanishing showed up to defend the lane. She entered the lane right after Beat left, which implied she had been loitering around the lane the entire time, looking for an opportunity to gank. This proved just how dangerous Jins stunt actually was. It was a miracle that he got away with just a scratch. Not only did he kick Beat out, but he also chained Vanishing to Mid. Cato smiled impishly. Ah, how beautiful~ Step by step, were cornering them. It must be quite suffocating, isnt it, Yuel~? The Leopards were already assured of winning this game, but Cato wanted to drive the point home even harder. After all, for the regional champions, it was disgraceful that they failed to secure victory by their own power. They werent supposed to rely on Jin against anybody from this region, not even StormBlitz. Alas, Stratus forced their hand. So, since Jin was already here, he should deliver a slow and painful death~ Jin, do you mind rotating to Bot next? Pretty please? Do I have to? Itll be a huge help if you do, Cato said. Mid-game is right around the corner, so itll be awesome if we start it with lane advantage across the entire map. At this rate, we might lose Top because Im not there. Dont worry, Will can handle Top while youre away. Right, Will? Im on it, William reported on his way to Top. Sigh. Honestly, Im not a fan of this arrangement but it should be more optimal for the team overall. In a way, Jin was taking Willaims role as the Jungler by rotating between lanes. Whats more, he also replaced the laners over there and even did a better job than them. Its almost like hes playing the entire game by himself. Jin thought. Cato is playing make-believe here if he thinks hes controlling Jin in any shape or form. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that this entire game was in Jins palm. He could single-handedly steer the game in any direction he wanted. So, Im surprised he even bothered to rotate to Mid. Normally in a situation like this, hed just keep pushing Top and try to win ASAP. Perhaps the fact this was an official game made Jin play more cautiously than usual. There was that whole talk about him being scouted to the pro league if he could lead the team to victory at the nationals, so maybe thats why he was a tad more cooperative than usual. Either that or even Jin started recognizing Startus as a threat. Nah, I doubt it. William shrugged. He barely recognizes anybody''s potential in our team, so I doubt he cares about anybody from Stratus. Though, he almost got killed once in this game. Vanishings ballsy gank in Top almost became Jins undoing. If that girl just played a little better, she shouldve been able to score a kill. I wouldve gotten that kill in her shoes. William asserted. Then again, I doubt I wouldve been willing to go for such a risky gank in the first place. That gank was crazy and reckless by any measure. It was the very definition of insanity. But, perhaps thats the kind of extreme measures needed to topple the cocky Korean player. If theyre willing to play so wildly, then maybe theyll achieve something in Bot. William thought. At least, itll be mildly interesting to see Gunz go up against Jin, though Im not expecting much. Gunz was mechanically skilled and he had experience, but thats all there was to it. In the end, he was roughly around Williams level. And as frustrating as it was to admit, William didnt quite measure up to Jin, at least not yet. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Either way, Gunz was Stratus'' strongest fighter, therefore he had the highest chance of giving Jin some trouble. And, this also happened to be Catos line of reasoning as well. "Their Support is low on MP," Cato said. "So, I''m sure he''ll recall as soon as we do. That''ll leave Gunz alone in the lane." And? Jin tilted his head. "So what?" "It means it''ll be a 1v1 between the two of you, the long-awaited showdown!" "Showdown? Who waited for it?" "My, are you not interested in testing your mettle against Gunz, Stratus'' finest warrior?" "Not really," Jin said. "He didn''t leave much impression." "My, you''re such a tough customer." Cato smiled wryly. "Anyway, defeating Gunz should be a huge psychological blow to the enemy, don''t you think?" "Hmm. True, Jin agreed. This argument made the proposal more attractive. If I crush Gunz, then maybe itll restore the Leopards reputation at least a little. Im sure that for some people my evaluation is partially tied to this teams reputation, so I cant let the team have a bad name. Back in Korea, Jin participated in a handful of scrims in which his evaluation suffered due to his teammates shabby performance. The judges couldnt see Jins true worth because of the teams terrible defeat. So surely, some of the scouts over here had the same mindset. Therefore, destroying Gunz should be beneficial both for the team and for Jin himself. "Fine. I''ll rotate," Jin said. "Thank you kindly." And so, Jin left Mid and headed to Bot next. Meanwhile, William cleaned up the minions in Top, ensuring that the lane control over there would persist without any problems. Good. Jin nodded in satisfaction. It''ll reflect poorly on me if something happens in Top while I''m away, even though leaving the lane wasnt even my idea. With that worry out of the way, Jin continued his rotation to Bot. At around the same time, the Bot duo of Cato and Matthew began recalling early before Jin even arrived in the lane. This was a good call by Cato for once. This move convinced the enemy Support to recall early as well. By the time Jin arrived in Bot, only Gunz remained there. It was a pure 1v1, just as Cato promised. The stage is set. Jin thought. I''ll destroy this guy here and now. It was a widespread belief that Gunzs mechanical skill was cut above the rest in Stratus and in the region as a whole. Essentially, he was Stratus'' ace and supposedly the "2nd strongest" middle schooler in the region. Therefore, crushing this guy will show everybody how far above the competition Jin was. Nothing personal Gunz, but I have to trample all over you to boost my reputation. Jin readied his weapon as the next minion wave was about to arrive. Little did he know that the enemy also considered this 1v1 a great opportunity, as absurd as that sounded. "So, he really rotated." Yuel nodded. "I leave this one to you, Lars." "No problem, yo!" Lars grinned. "Hehe! Real excited to fight this Chinese pro!" "He''s Korean." "Oh, right, that. Welp, all them Asain players are real pros, so it''s all the same, right?" "I have the feeling he''d get mad at you if you told him that in person." "Heh, yeah, maybe." Lars smiled wryly. "So yeah, Korean it is. Actually, now that I think about it, Korea has the better pros, right?" "Both Korea and China are at the top of the competition right now," Yuel reminded. "But, as far as the world championship goes, Korea has a slight edge." "Yeah, I remember watching them win some cool stuff like that last year. Dudes mean some serious business, yo!" "Yes, so be careful," Yuel warned. "Apprentece might not be a pro, but he nonetheless practiced in a Korean environment. I remember reading how the esports scene over there is hardcore. Some of their training regimes are borderline insanity." "Wait, they practice even more than the two of us!?" "I can''t say for sure, Yuel said. But its probably safe to imagine that most people over there practice about as much as we do. Over here, people call us tryhards for training so much, but in Korea, thats probably the norm." "Dang, for real? Sounds like a pretty cool place, yo!" "I''m sure many would disagree with that sentiment, Yuel pointed out. But I agree, it''s a great environment for nurturing pro players." Apprentece wasnt a pro yet but his skill was a byproduct of that harsh Korean environment. Thus far, he was living up to the reputation. Still, we have to take on him if we want any chance of winning. Yuel thought. The only one among us who has any chance of competing against this powerhouse alone is Lars. And so, Yuel recalled from the lane despite being aware that Apprentece might show up over there soon. There was a lot of precious data to be gained from watching how Lars fares against Apprentece in a 1v1. The outcome of this fight will be an important reference for deciding how to deal with Apprentece in the future. It was the ultimate final showdown in terms of duels. If Winner was the "final boss", then Apprentece was the "secret final boss". This was the last wall Lars had to overcome in order to crown himself as the strongest fighter in the region. Unfortunately, even if Lars wins here, the game as a whole was probably unsalvageable at this point. However, that didn''t bother Yuel too much at this point. This is a practice match, first and firstmost. Yuel reminded himself. Winning is important, but learning and improving are even more important. So, go get him, Lars! Show that we have the power to fight against this Korean representative. Did Lars have any chance of measuring up to the Korean prodigy? Or, was he fated to fall short like everybody else before him? Find out next time on Korean Pro Z! Vol.18 Ch.35: Greeting the Korean Opponent Alrighty, lets go! Lars activated Elven Sight as soon as the minions arrived in the lane. Lets see what this Korean pro is all about, yo! Playing a melee class against a ranged marksman was always gonna be kinda wonky, and it was extra hard against Elf who had such an awesome range. So, how was that Korean pro going to handle this challenge!? There was a chance that this dude would pull off some amazing stunt thatd totally wreck Lars, but he wasnt scared at all. Lets start off with my usual routine. Lars aimed his laser rifle but not at the swordsmen. His target was the bowmen in the back. These squishy dudes had the higher DPS, so he gotta shoot them down first. Unfortunately, Lars couldn''t shoot just these dudes from the front because the swordsmen blocked the path. So, he positioned himself at an angle toward the incoming wave. It had to be a small angle, about 10 degrees or so. That''s because the bigger the angle, the further Lars had to step in to reach the bowmen with his shots. I remember Yuel said thats of some triangle rules of something. Lars shrugged. I sure wouldn''t know the first thing about proving any of this in geometry class. But, as an experienced shooter, I know this pesky rule like the back of my hand! I''m Pitagolars, yo! And so, from this position, Lars fired his first shot. ZAP! The laser beam traveled a great distance and pierced through the bowman''s head. Bullseye! Yep, perfect calculation. QED right there, yo. If actual geometry classes were this easy, then Lars wouldve been an honor student ezpz. Alas, his understanding of distances and angles was only within the context of sports and games. Oh well. Alrighty, another shot- wha!? Just as Lars finished loading his next round, a figure appeared in front of the bowmen he was aiming at! It was none other than Apprentece, the legend himself! Yo, for real? This dude doesn''t fear anything, word. Instead of respecting Lars''s great attack range, Apprentece pressed onward as if Lars didn''t even exist. I heard dude is cocky and stuff, but this is a whole different level. The thing is, I know he''s no amateur, so this might not even be a misplay. Wild. There were plenty of unfortunate souls in Ranked who underestimated Elf''s reach and stepped into Lars''s attack range by mistake. Of course, Lars showed these dudes no mercy and barraged them to death. It was the best lesson these dudes could ever get. But, Apprentece was no such amateur. He clearly knew Lars''s range and everything, he even saw it in action just a moment ago. And yet, he willingly stepped in regardless. What''s more, it looked as if dude was doing this very systematically. He approached the minions in such a way that he perfectly blocked the bowmen out of Lars''s view. Was that on purpose? If he was some random dude, I would''ve thought he stepped into this position by luck. But, this dude is supposed to be pro-level, so he gotta be doing this stuff on purpose, right? This had to be a calculated move, no question about it. Lars''s zoomed-in view was blocked. Dang, then I''mma shoot one of the other dudes real quick first. Lars shifted his rifle to the left, fired a shot at one of the swordsmen, and then quickly returned his aim to the bowmen. Dude sure be making my life difficult. Lars shook his head. Did he figure out how to block my line of sight after seeing me shoot just one round? That''s some super mega ultra-advanced tech, yo! This gotta be some known anti-Elf strat that I''m not familiar with. As expected, a Korean pro would know something niche like that. This dude must have trained under the world''s best, so his knowledge gonna be top-notch for sure! Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. But, I feel like there''s one thing they forgot to teach him in Korea: the legend of the Gungnir Sniper! ZAP! Lars fired a shot even though the Orc was supposed to be blocking his view. The laser beam flew closer and closer to the Orc. Anybody would say the shot was on its way to hitting Appretence... but it didnt! The beam ALMOST grazed the dude as it passed over his shoulder. It kept flying toward the backline and struck one of the bowmen. Headshot, yo! Ez game! Lars smiled confidently. I can do this all day. Your pro Korean tactics got nothing on my 200% accuracy! That shot was perfectly placed, with at least 200% accuracy if not twice that. It was bound to impress even this Korean pro! He landed it, huh. Jin found himself mildly impressed with that shot. That laser beam cut it very close, so much so that even Jin was convinced the shot would hit him. However, it didn''t. The beam just barely avoided grazing his shoulder. At first glance, it looked as if the shot was aimed at Jin and missed him by a tiny margin. But no, that beam wasn''t directed at Jin at all. Instead, it cleanly hit one of the bowmen in the back, and it scored a headshot to boot. What a showoff. Jin scoffed. Youre not a Gunslinger, so you dont get any bonuses for headshots. Youre just running the risk of missing shots for no good reason. Landing headshots at any opportunity seemed like Gunzs signature. It was as impressive as it was dumb and risky. But yes, Im starting to see why everybody is making a fuss about this guy. Jin admitted. Now that I saw how he dealt with my counterplay, I can agree that this guy is a rather advanced mechanical monkey. Most sensible Elf opponents wouldve switched their focus to the swordsmen. However, Gunz stuck to his guns and overpowered Jins tactic with sheer skill. Whats more, Gunz chose the perfect timing to deliver that shot. Jin was exactly in the middle of swinging his sledgehammer at the time, so he was a static target that couldnt move unexpectedly. The angle, distance, and timing of Gunzs shot were top-notch. I can see this level of execution shocking the lazy western players, but Ive run into more than enough mechanically skilled players like that in Korea. Jin recollected. In fact, over there, this level of execution wasnt even considered that impressive. Everybody was expected to polish their mechanical skill to perfection regardless of their innate talent. Some just had an easier time doing that than others, thats all. Talent was a great booster but there was no substitute for hard work and a consistent training regime. As long as the player practiced the right thing on a regular basis, they were bound to reach a skill level that wasnt that far below Gunzs. Im sure everybody here thinks Im also some incredibly talented player when in reality its all practice. Lots, and lots, and lots of practice. The same mustve applied to Gunz as well. He possessed innate talent, but he surely also had to practice these snipes a lot in order to master them to this extent. It was actually a bit impressive to run into a middle schooler over here who possessed such a high level of execution. Until now, Jin was certain that only pros had any execution to speak of in the West. With that said, maybe it was too early to praise Gunz for just one accurate shot. It mightve been a fluke. I wonder, can he do it twice in a row? Jin swung his sledgehammer once again, giving his opponent another opportunity to shoot. ZAP! A laser beam came out immediately. Once again, the shot headed straight toward Jin, yet it missed him ever so slightly. Instead, the beam went on to hit a bowman. And, it was a headshot yet again. Alright, he seems like the real deal. Jin conceded. But, hes not using the quickscoping tech, so theres a simple way to counter him. Ideally, Jin wanted to advance past the enemy frontline and wipe out the bowmen at the back. However, if he moves any further into enemy territory, hell no longer be able to block Gunzs line of sight. Thatll make it too easy for Gunz to continue sniping Jins bowmen. It wasnt acceptable. Id still win the overall exchange even then, but hell take out most of my bowmen if I allow this. If that happens, I wont be able to push hard after that. Jin didnt want to compromise on anything. He wanted to both eliminate the enemy bowmen and continue blocking Gunzs line of sight. But, was there any line of play that could satisfy both conditions at the same time? The answer was very simple, actually. Jin just had to get hit by one of Gunzs shots. Once that happens, his swordsmen will start advancing on Gunz and the enemy swordsmen will have to chase them. If Jin arranges the entire scene optimally, then the positions of the enemy swordsmen and bowmen will overlap at some point. Then, Jin will be able to hit the enemys entire brigade with his sledgehammer swings. But to begin any of this, Jin first had to get hit by one of these clean snipes. Was it even possible to achieve that as long as Gunz was firing his beams with near-perfect timing and accuracy...? Vol.18 Ch.36: Lars vs. Jin Timing is key here. Jin thought. Gunz probably thinks that hes firing his shots when I cant move, but thats not entirely true. Gunz fired the previous shot with impressive timing as he waited for the moment when Jin started swinging the hammer. At that point, Jin was locked in the attack animation and shouldve been unable to move. This was an effective approach, but not entirely bulletproof. I suppose his tactic works fine against most players in this region. But, I know a counter. Jin swung his sledgehammer once again. As expected, Gunz fired soon after with pitch-perfect timing. The guy had a truly impressive reaction speed, even Jin had to admit. Nonetheless, Gunz''s little scheme was going to fall apart. All it took was a little backstep. As soon as Jin''s sledgehammer slammed into the enemy swordsmen, he animation-canceled the recovery into a quick backstep. As a result, the laser beam hit him instead of the minions. Needless to say, the enemy wasn''t ready for this development. "No way, yo!" Lars exclaimed. "But, I aimed it so well! That dang step-cancel thing, yo!" His plan was supposed to be bulletproof. No other player out there could do anything against Lars''s careful timing and 200% accuracy. And yet, this Apprentece dude just shut down the play on the spot. He made it look so effortless, too. Like, dude saw Lars shooting twice and figured everything out. What a pro! This ain''t good. Lars frowned as he watched the entire enemy army turn their gazes toward him. They now branded him a first-class criminal for his offense. I was framed, yo! I''m innocent, I swear! Alas, no amount of pleading will change the bots minds. They were dead set on avenging their commander, that dang dude who stepped into Lars''s shot of his own volition! Okay, so what now? Lars wondered. I can retreat, or I can keep shooting these dudes until it''s time to bail out. Fortunately, there was no danger of being ganked anytime soon because Winner had just finished clearing Top. So, Lars stood his ground and fired another laser beam! ZAP! Apprentece probably didn''t see this move coming because he didn''t bother guarding his minions at all this time. And so, Lars delivered a clean hit on one of the bowmen. So, what was the Korean pro going to do about this? Did he have any more cool tricks up his sleeve!? He keeps shooting? Jin wondered. Well, I suppose that''s an acceptable approach. He has nothing to be afraid of until the minions actually get closer, but he''s definitely taking a risk here. Well get over there very soon. As Jin''s minions advanced ahead and invaded enemy territory, the enemy swordsmen were obligated to give chase. To do so, they gradually moved from their frontline toward their backline. As a result, the entire enemy formation was now lumped together, and this was exactly what Jin wanted. BAM! His hammer slammed into the entire enemy wave, demolishing their HP. The swordsmen who were already injured collapsed on the spot, while the rest sustained critical injuries. BAM! A second strike sealed the deal. Jin obliterated the entire enemy army. Now, Gunz was left all alone on the lane. Meanwhile, Jin and his army marched toward him. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nonetheless, the guy exhibited no signs of being worried about any of this. He continued firing shots through his Elven Sight as if the approaching forces were just an illusion. Is he betting on his leap for a bailout? Jin wondered. That''s some confidence hes showing here. Let''s crush it. He extended into enemy territory along with his minions. However, to make things harder for the enemy, Jin maintained some distance between himself and his soldiers. Since Eleven Sight used first-person mode, its field of view was narrower than the regular third-person view. So long as Gunz was focused on the minions, it was possible for Jin to slip into the guys blind spot. Admittedly, I''ve never been good at gauging the correct position for this. Jin thought. It''s not like I can actually see his field of view, so there''s a lot of guesswork here. I firmly believe that only machines can accurately visualize something like this. Nonetheless, Jin gave it a shot. He was planning to trade his sledgehammer for a scourge soon enough anyway, so he might as well do it now with more purpose. Somewhere here, I suppose? Jin stopped and waited for the enemys next shot. The moment Gunz fired his next beam, Jin unleashed Scourge! WHISH! The bribed whip extended far, shooting straight at the unsuspecting prey! Or, was that prey really unsuspecting? Oh, here it comes! Lars grinned. I knew that dude wouldn''t let me do my thing in peace. But, git jebaited, yo! He activated Elven Leap, jumping high into the air while performing an elegant backflip! Or at least, that''s what Elf wouldve done in the default costume. But, Lars''s skin had cutting-edge technology! Instead of actually jumping, this sci-fi dude activated the jetpack on his back and took off toward the sky! Of course, the actual animation speed remained the same as in the default skin, despite how different the actual motion looked. Instead of putting on an impressive display of gymnastics, the sci-fi dude just let the jetpack carry him across the sky in an arc. Right before hitting the ground, dude turned around so he could properly land on his feet. Some people online complained that this animation was less satisfying than Elfs OG stunt, but Lars felt it matched the sci-fi theme to a T. Sci-fi dude be lazy and let the technology do the heavy lifting for him! An efficient dude, yo! Thanks to the power of technology, Lars got out of the dangerous scene and created some distance between himself and the enemy. What''s more, he successfully dodged an enemy attack with that leap, which triggered the skills secondary effect. Heck yeah, lessgo! Lars grinned. He received two buffs from this maneuver: one to his Movement Speed and one to his Attack Speed, which he planned to put to good use right away! ZAP! He fired straight at the Orc as soon as he landed! Dude didn''t see it coming at all! "Wha-!?" Jin grimaced. I need to sidestep- It was too late. The laser beam pierced his torso before he could even respond. This counterattack wasn''t even on Jins list as far as possible scenarios were concerned, therefore he failed to respond in a timely fashion. It was an error on his end Just what is he thinking? Jin frowned. Instead of optimally jumping away toward his tower, he jumped diagonally to keep me within his attack range. And, he did all of that in the heat of the moment even though I was the one pressuring him. All the effort Jin spent on carefully slithering toward Gunz was wasted. If anything, it only made him look bad. He had spent all that time approaching the enemy only to be outplayed in the blink of an eye. "Jen-jang!" Jin cursed through gritted teeth. He couldnt contain himself on this one. This wasnt how any of this was supposed to go! His purpose here was to crush Stratus'' strongest and salvage the team''s reputation, but instead, the enemy was clowning on him right now. This only tarnished the teams reputation further! And even worse, it made Jin look inadequate. So, this is how you want to play it. Jin thought. Originally, I was considering letting the minions push on their own this time, but I see you''re asking for some pain. Its not like this single hit Jin received was particularly damaging, at least in terms of HP. However, it did damage something else for sure: his reputation. Jin clearly lost some points because of this exchange. It just made him look bad. Terribly bad. Alright then, Ill go all in. That should put you in your place. Hellbent on getting revenge for this insult, Jin pressed onward without thinking twice. With an entire army on his side, he should have no trouble delivering hefty damage on the enemy tower. However, there was one tiny element he failed to take into account amidst his rage. And, that very element sensed Jins lapse and prepared to launch an attack Vol.18 Ch.37: Searching for an Opportunity to Gank Apprentece Ever since Nia left Mid, she had been monitoring the events in Bot. And, to make sure that the enemy stayed in the dark about all of this, she purposely walked near a confirmed ward in Top Jungle. This surely made the enemy think she was rotating over there, but in truth, Nia stealthily returned to Bot Jungle almost right away. So, while Lars was confronting Apprentece, Nia cautiously crept into a position for a gank. She made sure to sneak around any sus wards locations to reach the lane undetected. Ok, I made it. Nia nodded to herself. I dont think anybody noticed me. Probably. Nothing about Appretneces actions indicated that he was aware of Nias location. So, this meant her undercover operation was a success. Probably. But, that alone isnt enough. Not against this monster. Nia had already snuck up to this pro twice in this game. The first time, the guy saw through it and countered it in a scary way. The second time, Nia managed to catch the guy off-guard, but her offense wasnt sharp enough to seal the deal. Admittedly, Nia wasnt 100% confident about the play on both occasions. For the first one, rushing that gank seemed sus to her. She was fairly convinced that she hadn''t fully erased her presence at the time, so Appretneces bold overextension seemed unnatural. And, it really was a trap! As for the second play, Yuel orchestrated that entire thing from the ground up. It was the kind of plan Nia wouldnt have thought of in a million years, so it was very sus. In the end, it ALMOST worked, but not quite. Ganking with so little HP is scary. Nia shuddered from the mere memory of that event. I probably could''ve done a better job if I wasnt so worried about staying alive the entire time. In the end, as good as the second gank attempt was, it didn''t meet all the requirements necessary for performing optimally. What Nia needed was a classic gank. She had to be healthy and sneak up to Apprentece undetected, and without Apprentece expecting her arrival. This time, I have the HP. Nia nodded at her 90% HP bar. So, if I just get an opportunity, I can do it. I''m sure I can. Honestly, she had no idea where that confidence was even coming from. In fact, maybe it wasn''t confidence at all. She just really wanted to smack that Apprentece guy hard, thats all. Yes, she had to admit she was rather passionate about all of this, as unusual as it was for her. Ganking unsuspecting opponents had always been fun, but this was personal. Nia wanted to specifically gank THIS guy, and gank him hard. I-I can take him down, I''m sure I can! So, just show me an opening already. Nia closely followed the movements in Bot from afar using the X-ray vision mode. As always, Apprentece''s conduct reeked of sheer cockiness. The guy advanced to the frontline without caring about Lars''s attack range at all. Next, Appretence got hit by one of Lars''s beams, seemingly on purpose. As a result, both minion waves started moving around and the lane turned to chaos. As Lars''s swordsmen gave chase after Apprentece''s swordsmen, they ended up stepping closer to their fellow bowmen. That was a fatal misplay on their part. BAM! The Orc swung his deadly sledgehammer, annihilating all the injured swordsmen and almost killing the bowmen too. Scary. If one of these hits me... Nia gulped. This display of strength reminded her once again just how scary a class Orc was. It was an absolute monster, pretty much on par with a Dark Knight. Just a few months ago, Nia dreaded ganking such classes. She knew how important it was to harass such strong early-game opponents, but she couldn''t bring herself to confront these monsters. After all, with how broken their damage was, eliminating Nia''s entire HP bar was as easy as snapping a twig for them. But, that alien robot kept bugging me about this point. Nia pouted. Always forcing me to gank these classes even though its so scary. What a bully. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Every time the team played an online game against a Dark Knight or an Orc, Yuel insisted on having Nia gank Top repeatedly. It wasnt just scary, it was horrifying. She still had nightmares to this day, for real. But, now that I look back, it was good practice. Nia nodded. I went through that hell so many times by now that Im not even scared anymore. At least, not too scared Of course, ganking a dangerous opponent will always be scary, thats just a law of nature. There was always that lingering question: "What if they turn the tables on me and kill me in like five seconds!?" But nowadays, it was a small concern that didn''t stop Nia. It gave her a shiver when she stopped to think about it, but nothing more. Despite everything, she was determined to strike down this Orc. So, just give me an opportunity already. Nia telepathically sent the message to her target. C''mon, just overextend a little. You always do it, right? Alas, it didn''t feel like Apprentece had any intention of extending too deeply into Lars''s territory. The guy was acting cocky as usual and advanced along the lane with his minions, but there was a hint of caution in his actions. He''s borderline overextending but I think he knows what he''s doing. Nia thought. He''s always kinda like that, isn''t he? It always looks as if his defense is down, but it actually isnt. After ganking the guy twice by now, Nia could somewhat tell what he was thinking. For example, the first time she ganked him, the guy was 100% aware of what he was doing. His overextension was way too obvious and turned out to be fake as heck. On the other hand, that time Nia ganked him at the tower? The guy wasn''t expecting it at all. Even though Nias gank didn''t go as planned in the end, Apprentece definitely let his guard down there. But the thing is, I didnt feel like anything was too obvious there. Nia recalled. Like, he wasnt trying to convince anybody that his guard was down or anything like that. He just pushed normally, thinking that there was no way anybody would attack him there. And, it was sensible in that situation. Nias assault was really absurd. Nobody wouldve expected it in a million years, so it made sense that even a Korean prodigy lowered his guard against that. But, I haven''t seen him do that again since then, though. Nia thought. Even back when he was acting cocky in Mid, he still seemed super cautious and stuff. Apprentece extended boldly against Kai but that wasnt the opportunity Nia was looking for. Despite how cocky the guys actions seemed, every step he took was flawlessly calculated. The guy was prepared at all times to handle joint attacks from Kai and Nia. There werent any real openings. And it''s the same situation here in Bot now. Nia analyzed. It feels like he''s overextending but he isn''t, not really. He''s still cautious about his position and stuff. So, I need more. Please, overextend more! As Nia was praying for the unlikely, something interesting happened in the lane. Apprentece launched his pesky Scourge at Lars! It was a dangerous CC that wouldve crippled Lars for life! But of course, Lars was no small fry. He backflipped in the nick of time like a pro! It was real close, though. So close that it almost gave Nia a heart attack. If that thing hit Lars, then he would have been done for. Gulp. Fortunately, Lars managed to jump away. What''s more, as soon as he landed, he fired back! It was a clean and fast execution, the kind Nia could only dream of reaching one day. In fact, that counterattack was so swift that even the almighty Apprentece wasn''t prepared for it. ZAP! The laser beam pierced right through that cocky guy! Totally deserved. Nia nodded in approval. That''s what you get for underestimating us. Apprentece was undoubtedly strong, but Lars had just proved that it was possible to confront that guy head-to-head. This bolstered Nia''s confidence. Surely, she could also launch a successful attack on this prodigy. She just needed the right opportunity for it. And surprisingly, that opportunity might just be around the corner. Oh, he''s acting differently now. Nia noticed. I can''t exactly put my finger on it, but it feels like he''s a lot more absorbed in the lane situation right now. I dont think hes paying that much attention to his surroundings anymore... This was something of a sixth sense. Nia felt like a fog started gathering around her to conceal her presence. This could be the moment! Or, was Nia reading too much into it? Maybe her desire for revenge was clouding her judgment? I dunno for sure. Nia shrugged. But, this feels like the chance I''ve been waiting for so I have to take it! And so, Nia took off toward Bot! She was going to use this opportunity to settle the score, once and for all! Vol.18 Ch.38: Nia’s Desire to Gank Finally, an opening revealed itself in Appretences uncrackable defense. So, with a burning desire to strike down her nemesis, Nia headed off to Bot! This time, she was going to take down that cocky Korean guy! Oh, wait. But I better inform everybody about this plan. She realized along the way. Back during her first gank on Apprentece, Nia failed to properly communicate her arrival to Ben and it cost her dearly. So, she had to do things properly this time. "I''m ganking Bot," Nia announced. For a moment there, even she was surprised by how strongly her tone came across. She wasnt asking for permission or leaving anything open for debate. No, she stated an absolute fact. "Eh, I mean, if it''s alright with everybody..." she added. "Did you finally spot a good opportunity?" Yuel asked. "Yes." Nia nodded confidently at first, but then she realized she''d surely be held accountable if anything went south. "Eh, well, I think I found something. At least, this looks way better than previous opportunities." "Is that so." Yuel knotted his brows. Honestly, I don''t see much difference. Apprentece seems to be playing as boldly as usual, but so far that never converted into a true opening. But, maybe Nia sees something I don''t. Her game sense is abnormally sharp for these things. Though it wasn''t immediately apparent, Nia owned much of her success as a ganker to her heightened game sense. She was exceptionally good at spotting when the enemy''s guard was down. She incorporated all sorts of small tells into her analysis to deliver her sneaky ganks. It was easy to just call her a "Vanishing Phantom" and pretend like her impressive results only came from the fact she was hard to notice. But in truth, Nia''s playstyle was more intricate than that. Yuel only realized that after coaching the girl on a regular basis. Nia was indeed good at lying low to the point her opponents forgot to factor in her presence. However, that wasn''t something that was going to happen right at the start of the game. Her vanishing act was a gradual process that took an indeterminate amount of time. In every game, it was up to Nia to tell when she had finished "erasing her presence", as she called it. But, how could she even tell? There weren''t any clear in-game indications for something like that. It was all psychological. I, for one, cant tell when its time. Yuel admitted. That''s why I always have to trust her judgment on that. And, the one time I went against her judgment in this game, there were consequences. The first time Yuel asked Nia to gank Apprentece in Top, he was met with resistance. Nia claimed she didn''t feel like she "erased her presence" at the time, so it didnt make sense to her to try sneaking up on an enemy just yet. Yuel considered that input but ultimately chose to ignore it. He assumed that even if Nia was correct, it wouldn''t change the fact that she''d be able to deliver a strong gank on Apprentece considering the guy''s bold overextension. But, I ended up being wrong. Badly so. Yuel frowned. Nia''s analysis was correct in that situation. It''s actually pretty impressive. That''s why for the second gank Yuel made sure to first reach a consensus with Nia. The girl resisted the idea at first as she often did, but in the end, Yuel managed to convince her that the risks werent as high as she feared. If he failed to convince her then he was planning to give up on the idea altogether to avoid further tragedies. That consensual gank was indeed far more effective than the first. Nia successfully erased her presence even against Apprentece and managed to surprise him. Alas, her execution was stiff because she was too worried about her low HP, a factor Yuel failed to take into account. In the end, the outcome of that gank was unfortunate but it was definitely a good opportunity. Therefore, it seemed that when Yuel and Nia''s analyses reached an agreement, there was a real possibility of striking Apprentece down. This time, she''s the one taking the initiative. Yuel thought. She analyzed the situation and somehow determined that this was the right moment. This goes beyond even my analysis. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. If he couldnt understand all the reasonings behind it, could Yuel really approve of this play? Ironic. Yuel smiled wryly. Isn''t this the exact same dilemma others have to deal with whenever I come up with a plan? I know better than anybody how difficult it is to convince others in these situations. Yuel was getting better at this through repetition, but Nia didn''t have the same amount of experience. Not to mention, her analysis usually only revolved around her own playstyle, so she rarely had the need to convince others of anything. And, I rarely ever pressed her too hard to explain her reasoning to me in the past. Yuel frowned. I suppose I reap what I sow. I shouldve questioned her more often to understand her reasoning process. Alas, it was too late to start that now. Nia wanted to gank Bot, right here and now. There was no time to bombard her with questions and try to draw out a satisfying answer from her. In fact, attempting that would only distract her from the play and will ruin its chances of success. In other words, Yuel had to make this decision based on nothing but his trust in Nia. So, the real question was: how much did he trust Nia on these things? I tentatively trust her. Yuel thought. But in this particular game, she really impressed me with how sharp her intuition can get. And besides, she''s showing a great amount of incentive to go up against an opponent that she openly admits is "scary". That''s a first. Nia was abnormally motivated to hunt down Apprentece. This scaredy-cat, who usually gave up at the first sight of a scary enemy, was now volunteering to fight the scariest monster in the region. Regardless of my reasoning, I feel compelled to respond to her feelings in kind. Yuel decided. "Okay, you can gank Bot. Lars, did you catch all that?" "Yep, loud and clear. But, I dunno about this" Lars twisted his lips. "I really wanted to 1v1 this dude and stuff." "You''re already dueling him and it''s not exactly going well, is it?" "Yeaaaah, welp. Dude''s clearing speed is too dang high, yo!" "Yes, it sure is," Yuel agreed. "You might''ve still had a fighting chance if you didn''t hit him earlier, but now hes dominating the lane." "Hey, it wasn''t on purpose, okay? Lars pouted. Like, I tried my best to avoid the dude, I really did. But, he just pulled that Korean magic of his and stepped into my shot outta nowhere! It was sick, yo! And annoying, too." "I see. I figured it was something along those lines, or that you missed." "I never miss, yo! 200% accuracy, believe it!" "Right, right." Yuel rolled his eyes. "Anyway, now that the situation has turned out like this, there isn''t much you can do there by yourself. By the time you finish fending off his push, Apprentece will already retreat." "Yeah, true dat." Lars pouted. "Dang, there goes my chance to duel this pro for realz" If only I trained dat Elf more, dang it Yuel insisted time and again that Lars should focus exclusively on the Elf, even at the expensive and turning rusty with Trickshooter and Gunslinger. But of course, Lars couldnt possibly allow that. These were his main classes, yo! He had to keep them polished like a master swordsman keeps his blades in shape! But, maybe it was really the wrong move. Lars frowned. Because of this, I didnt even get to practice the quick-scoping tech properly. That thing alone gonna take weeks to master As much as he wouldve wanted to deny it, Lars was definitely underprepared here today. He got this golden opportunity to fight an insanely strong dude, but his skill with Elf wasnt up to the challenge. Yep, I guess I missed this chance alright. Lars sighed. "Perhaps you missed the chance to duel him, Yuel said. But, you still have a chance to score a kill on him by cooperating with Nia. That''ll be a huge achievement for us." Even though it probably won''t salvage the game... "Wait, we haven''t scored any kills on this dude yet, right?" Lars realized this after checking the KDA. "Alrighty then, we totally gotta mop this Korean pro at least once! We''re also pros, ya know? Gotta prove it to him!" "I agree. Yuel nodded. We must get at least one kill on him, or else it''ll leave a sour taste." Apprentece has been dominating this entire game from the very beginning. Ben was unable to stand up to the guy at all and Nia failed to kill him twice. Likewise, Kai couldn''t get anything going against him in Mid either, she ultimately only wasted MP on trying. It was undeniable that, at the moment, it looked as if Apprentece stood head and shoulder above the entirety of Stratus. He was like an untouchable god far above the realm of mere mortals. Thats definitely not the kind of impression Yuel wanted to end this game with. This sort of thing might become a mental trauma that''ll stick with the team all the way into the regionals. And, it seemed like Lars reached the same conclusion. "Okay, I gotcha!" Lars said. "C''mon, Nia! Let''s cook up this Korean dude real gud!" "On my way!" They wasted a little bit of precious time before finally agreeing, but fortunately, this didn''t delay Nia at all. The entire time, she had been advancing toward Bot as if the decision had already been made. Would she have given up if we disagreed with the gank? Yuel wondered. Well, no use worrying about that now. Let''s see if Nia''s analysis is on point in this situation. And so, a gank was about to strike Bot. Will Nia finally be able to take down this Korean monster!? Vol.18 Ch.39: Players With a Talent for Stealth "My, aren''t you overextending a little too much there?" Cato asked. "No problem," Jin reassured. "I retreat soon." "What do you mean soon? Cato raised an eyebrow. You shouldve retreated a long time ago. Gunz can root you inside the tower area with his ult." "Its a little dangerous but no problem. I''ll retreat when few minions left." Elf''s ult was indeed a threat worth considering, but it didn''t faze Jin. The skill''s only function was to root an enemy in place. This was indeed a potent weapon under the tower, but overall not that dangerous as long as Jin had minions to tank tower shots. And, he sure had plenty of those. There''s nothing Elf can do in this situation to stump me. Jin thought. It''s a free push. WHISH! He unleashed his scourge on the enemy tower, dealing hefty damage. Meanwhile, Gunz was busy taking out the minions one by one. This will keep him occupied for a while. But, it''s not like Catos concern is entirely unreasonable. Jin admitted. Honestly, I also wasn''t planning to dive at first. But, Gunz forced my hand. I can''t just retreat after being shot like that. The way Gunz jumped over Jin''s Scourge and counterattacked was nothing short of insulting. It ruined the entire image of Jin dominating the lane, which was the main point of rotating over here in the first place. Now, Im forced to push in order to erase that event from everybody''s minds. Jin clicked his tongue. If I delete more than 50% of the tower''s HP, then surely everybodys attention will shift toward this success. And so, Jin continued lashing at the tower with his scourge. He was confident that the Elf in front of him was the only threat around, so there wasn''t much to worry about. However, just then, Sonyas internal clock went off. "I haven''t seen Vanishing in the last 20 seconds," she delivered her periodic report. "Last I saw, Vanishing left Mid to enter Top Jungle, but I haven''t seen her show up anywhere over there." It was the standard pointless report that Sonya had delivered countless times this game. Every single instance like this felt like a waste of breath. After all, Jin wasn''t some amateur, so he always kept a close eye on the mini-map, especially on the position of the enemy Jungler. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Nonetheless, this once, Sonya''s report gave him pause. Their Jungler hadnt shown up in Top Jungle at all after that? Jin frowned. I didn''t realize it. Back when Jin was on his way to Bot, he clearly saw Vanishing leaving Mid by entering Top Jungle. So, he was certain that the girls plan was to farm Top Jungle next. After that, Jin became busy with the situation in Bot, which demanded much of his attention. So, this entire time, he hadnt had the opportunity to stop to think about Vanishings location. At the back of his head, the obvious answer was that she was in Top Jungle, therefore Jin didnt spare much more thought to the matter. But, perhaps he was wrong in doing so. Vanishing was a low-profile Jungler, the type who was good at concealing her location by dodging wards. It seemed like this sort of playstyle came naturally to some players, as exhibited by some players Jin encountered back in Korea. Yes, Jin did play a few opponents like that in the past. That''s why, unlike the Leopards, Jin wasn''t too concerned about Vanishing''s "peculiar ability. This was a rare playstyle that some players had an affinity with, that''s all. Back in Korea, players like this caused no shortage of trouble for their opponents. In particular, in one of Jin''s evaluation exams, his entire team was terrorized by one extremely crafty player like that. That guy single-handedly destroyed his opponents evaluation scores with his oppressing performance. Jin was the only one who came out relatively unscratched because he did his research in advance. I did a fair share of studying to make sure I could handle rare players like that at any time. Jin thought. This Drow is obviously nowhere near the same skill level as that guy, but if her playstyle shares the same essence, then I''m sure she''ll strike soon. A slight shiver ran through Jin. The possibility of being hit by Drow''s ult in this position didn''t amuse him in the slightest. Jen-jang! In this position, I might actually die from an attack like this...! Jin gritted his teeth. I can''t let that happen. He activated Last Stand, yelling loudly at his minions. Frankly, it was wasteful to activate the ult this late into the push, as some of his minions were already dead. To make things worse, if nobody ganks him in the end, then Jin will end up looking like a clown. Nonetheless, Jin deemed this a necessary precaution. He couldn''t let some lowly Western player gank him to death, especially not in front of an audience. Do I roll right away? Yes, that should be optimal. Jin determined. The earlier I roll, the earlier the Dodge Roll will come off cooldown again. And so, Jin turned around and immediately rolled out of the tower area. Yes, even though there weren''t any decisive signs of the ganker yet, Jin had spent both his ult and his roll. And, he was right to do so. As soon as he started rolling - darkness erupted in the area! It was Drow''s ult! WHOOSH! A repelling dark force exploded right in Jins face! Was he too late in his evacuation...!? Vol.18 Ch.40: Nia vs. Jin With everybody''s approval, Nia pressed on with her plans to gank Apprentece in Bot. It was scary, but it was something she had to do! And so, she used Phantasm to summon her dear twin sister. This granted her invisibility, so was now ready to slay the monster! H-Here goes! Nia braced herself as she braved through the jungle. The more she thought about this situation, the more absurd it all felt. It was no exaggeration to say that Nia was on her way to fighting the biggest final boss she might ever face in her life. What''s more, this scary guy had already wrecked her twice by now. Nonetheless, there Nia was, creeping up to this god-tier scary dude. At this point, it was hard to tell what was actually scarier here: that Korean monster, or Nia''s uncanny determination to take on this terrifying challenge. In short, everything is scary here. But, I''mma do this...! She entered the lane and pressed onward. With each step, her heart beat harder and harder. A part of her kept telling her that this was suicide, that she should retreat before she regretted this. Nonetheless, her legs continued onward. Nia took multiple deep breaths to dispel all that anxiety as she forced herself to push forward. I''m almost there. Almost. Nia crept ever closer to her target. So far, there hadnt been any signs of the enemy noticing her presence. The Orc was pushing the Turret along with his minions, acting as if he owned the entire lane. This level of cockiness was par for the course with this guy. I REALLY wanna smack this guy...! Nia grumped. She was itching to open her attack with Cursed Dagger for maximum damage, but she knew it might backfire. Against an opponent of this caliber, it was too risky to go for this unguaranteed combo. I''ll just hit him with the ult. That should be enough. Yeah. Her target was almost within reach. The cocky guy still showed no signs of reacting to Nia''s sneaky approach, which implied he didn''t have a Vision Ward hidden around this time. As Nia speculated, the guy was totally absorbed in pushing the lane. He was barely paying any attention to his surroundings at all. In fact, he was so determined to see this push through that he even cast his ult. "Stand your ground, grunts! You''re not permitted to die until I say so!" the Orc yelled at the minions, forcing them to stay on their feet no matter how much damage they take. Even if they were to drop to negative damage, the little guys will continue pushing! Isn''t it a little late for that? Nia wondered. This is something he shouldve cast right at the start, right? Back when his minions first entered the tower area. The timing was really weird. This wasnt the kind of misplay an Asian pro would make. But, it wasn''t Nia''s concern. The only thing she cared about was pushing this guy deep into the tower area and finishing him off! Here comes! Nia got into position and unleashed Force of Rejection. Darkness erupted all around her, rejecting everything in sight! But, something went wrong. "E-Eh!?" Nia jumped. W-Why did he...!? Just as Nia unleashed her ult, the Orc rolled in her direction! And, since Nia made sure to approach the guy as closely as possible in order to maximize the ults push-back effect, the guy ended up rolling past her! "N-No!" Nia shrieked. Everything was going according to plan, but then in an instant, everything crumbled! Well, maybe not everything. Force of Rejection still hit Apprentece and pushed him away. However, instead of pushing him deeper into the allied territory, it pushed the guy away toward the middle of the lane! Nuuuuuu! Nia cried internally as the entire play crumbled in front of her very eyes. B-But, I still hit him! I even stunned him! I can keep attacking...! Instead of crying over spilled milk, Nia shifted gears and fired a black bolt at the stunned enemy. WHISH! It was a clean hit. She nailed the shot right before the enemy regained his ability to move. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Well, whatever. Nia smiled wryly. I mean, when was the last time any of my ganks went smoothly against this monster? Yeah, exactly. So, this much is to be expected. I can''t freeze because of a little surprise like this. I have to keep attacking! She loaded another black bolt into her crossbow and fired away! However, this time, her opponent was no longer stunned. So, how was the Korean monster going to respond!? Jen-jang! Jin cursed internally at the entire development. His deduction was spot-on, yet he still got hit by the Drows ult. This was such an embarrassing blunder. He surely lost lots of evaluation points because of this development. Tch, she also hit me while I was stunned. Jin frowned. The slowdown on her arrows is no joke at this stage of the game. Drows passive, Marks of Decay, applied a Movement Speed debuff on hit. To make things worse, the impact of the effect scaled with the Drows level. At the start of the game, Marks of Decay inflicted a meager 10% slowdown. However, in the mid-game, the number was around 20%. Getting hit by one of these made it almost impossible to escape from the Drow by foot. If I try to run, Ill just keep getting hit. Jin reasoned. So, theres no point. Instead, I just have to kill her! Jin sidestepped the incoming bolt while thrusting his scourge at the Drow! Unfortunately, with his Movement Speed reduced, his sidestep was slow. As a result, he failed to dodge the predictable enemy shot. Nonetheless, his opponent will suffer a far graver injury from this exchange. WHISH! The scourge stretched across the area and slashed the Drow! With just one hit, 20% of Vanishings HP was gone. As I thought, her spacing isn''t optimal. Jin criticized. She''s either playing it safe, or she can''t read distances well enough. Drow was a ranged class like all marksmen, but its attack range was a bit shorter than most. It was on par with Ranger''s, which meant it was almost a mid-range attack. Nonetheless, Drows crossbow still had a bit more reach than Orcs scourge. She has an advantage of about two steps to work with. Jin thought. But, she seems to be overextending needlessly. Typical amateurs. Vanishing mustve been inexperienced or insecure. Or, perhaps both. S-Scary! Nia gulped as she saw 20% of her HP disappear in an instant. Just like that, she fell from almost 100% to below 80%. That was a savage strike! Scary! Nia went into this fight with more than 20% HP advantage, but after one exchange of blows, this advantage had already shrunk to 15%. All the attacks Nia launched at Apprentece this far, including her ult, only reduced the guy''s health from 80% to 65%. What a stubborn monster! B-But, it''s ok, right? I have the range advantage. Nia tried to convince herself. I mean, I know Drow''s range isn''t exactly the best, but it should still be better than that whip, right? Pretty sure it is. Admittedly, she wasn''t 100% sure about the details. It''s just that logically it made sense that a crossbow would have a better reach than some bribed whip. But in truth, Nia had never compared their attack ranges. Anyway, if he can still reach me from there, then maybe I can back off a little? Nia took one step back before firing her next shot. I can''t step too far away. I need to keep applying the slow on him, or else he''ll run away. Drow''s passive applied a brutal slowdown but it only lasted for 2 seconds. Therefore, to keep her opponent detained, Nia had to keep reapplying the debuff. H-Here goes...! Nia fired another bolt, praying that she did things properly this time. Surely, after she stepped back, she should be outside the opponent''s counterattack range, right? Alas, she was wrong. WHISH! The whip cracked once more and slashed right through her! W-Wha!? Nia gasped. Did he just step in really fast in between his attacks? I swear he was farther than this just a moment ago. Hax! The Orc jerked weirdly before his second attack. Instead of fully retracting his scourge, the whip just snapped back to him as he stepped forward. Is that the infamous KC? Nia wondered. But, I thought this thing is usually used for defense...? Her confusion was only natural. Every time KC was brought up today, it was accompanied by a complaint about missing shots, mainly by Lars who had to face multiple KC-users today. Normally, the whole point of canceling the recovery animation early was to sidestep an incoming attack. At least, that''s how Nia understood the purpose of this technique. But, this is different. Nia shuddered. He used that hack to close the distance between us! It''s offensive KC! Scary. She wasn''t ready for this at all. With this KC hack, Apprentece could practically match the crossbows attack range. In other words, its as if Nia didn''t have a range advantage at all! To make things worse, bowmen started shooting her from behind. These pesky little fellows were under the effect of Orc''s ult, so they refused to die even as Lars and the tower gunned them down. I-I''m in a pincer here! Scary! Nia''s flight instincts implored her to run away ASAP. The entire gank devolved into a mess. Instead of making quick work of Apprentece, it was Nia who lost tons of HP. She was now below 60% and things were only going to get worse from here! Vol.18 Ch.41: The Will to Fight The fight against Apprentece was off to a bad start for Nia. She lost way too much HP right off the bat, and the bowmen started raining arrows on her as well. From this position, if Appretence successfully lands a counterattack against every bolt Nia shoots, then her HP will be deleted in like 2~3 attacks. She had no chance of winning like this! "I-I think I''ll retreat-" "Nah, it''s all good, yo!" Lars reassured. "I''ll be there in a jiffy, dude! Just keep him pinned and we''ll finish him off! And, I''mma clear out these goons on the way too, don''t worry!" "O-Ok!" Nia snapped out of it. For now, the flight instincts loosened their grip over her. I forgot I''m not alone here. Nia realized. Its funny, actually. Originally, the whole point of ganking is to take down enemies together, isn''t it? The word "gank" was frequently abused to refer to any surprise attack, but its original meaning was "gang kill". It referred to the act of ganging up on the enemy with your teammates. Admittedly, in her entire career thus, Nia hadnt done much justice to this term. Most of the time, her "ganks" involved launching a strong attack all by herself. But, some monsters are just too strong to take down alone. Nia realized that now better than ever before. This time, it wasnt just about ganking a scary class like DK or Orc. No, the player himself was scary. And he was also playing Orc on top of that, so double the scary! This was definitely the kind of enemy Nia needed help with, no two ways about it. Alas, she failed to properly sync her attack with Lars, just as she failed to do so with Ben in Top. She only alerted the team that she was going to rotate to Bot, but nothing beyond that. Before Nia arrived, Lars had been taking full advantage of Elfs long attack range, so he was firing shots from far behind the tower. Therefore, he now had to travel a long distance in order to catch up to Nia. If only I told him earlier. well, it is what it is. Nia shook her head and focused on the foe in front of her. She had to fire another bolt ASAP, or else the Orc''s slowdown will expire. However, before she could continue her offense - WHISH! The metal whip cracked once more! The momentum of the battle started shiting to Appretneces side and he sensed it. She''s hesitating. Good. Jin nodded. As expected, she''s a scaredy-cat. The moment things go south for her, she freezes up and starts thinking about running away. An opponent who abandoned their will to fight had no chance of winning. Now that fear took over her, Vanishing was as good as a punching bag. Hmph, not that she had any chance of winning in the first place. Jin thought. Her gank fell apart the moment she failed to push me into the tower area. To make things worse, her gank partner didnt seem ready at all for any of this. Perhaps Vanishing deserved a little bit of praise for how sneakily she delivered her gank and almost caught Jin off-guard. However, in the end, she failed to coordinate her attack with her partner, therefore the entire thing was bound to fail. Now, Vanishing was quacking in her boots, struggling to continue her own offense as well. How laughable. Until the very end, she was a subpar Western player, like everybody in this god-forsaken region. After the next scourge attack connects and reduces Vanishings HP below 40%, the girl should completely lose her fighting spirit. Shell run away like the scaredy-cat she was, freeing Jin from the irksome slowdown and allowing him to disengage. At least, thats what he expected the insecure girl to do. However, the move she pulled next defined all expectations. I-Its coming! Nia saw the scourge flying right toward her! She totally messed up there by getting distracted. Her self-doubt was going to be the end of her! The time she spent contemplating her next move halted her entire momentum, and the enemy didnt let that opportunity slip. The Korean monster seized full control of the battle in an instant. B-But, I''m not scared! Nia declared. I mean, it''s super scary and stuff, but I''m not scared of you, you monster! I just gotta dodge it...! Nia couldn''t let the enemy land this hit for free, so she rolled! However, this roll wasnt meant to escape the scene. And, it wasnt a roll to the side, either. No, Nia rolled straight at the monster in front of her! She rolled forward, prepared to strike down her foe! Or at least, a part of her was prepared for this... E-Eh!? Nia exclaimed a moment after making that bold move. A-Am I seriously doing this!? I mean, I did want to hit him with the dagger, but this is super risky!!! Regardless, there was no going back now. Her Drow was rolling forward, ducking under the lashing scourge. She closed the distance between them in an instant. Scary! But, this range is good! Nia realized. And, he will be stuck in a recovery animation for a bit, so this is the perfect chance...! Nia took out her black dagger as soon as she recovered. STAB! She thrust it at the monster in front of her! Even though the range of Cursed Dagger was poor, Apprentece had no chance of dodging this one from point-blank, not while he was locked in a recovery animation. Or, so Nia thought... WHISH. The dagger pierced through something, but that something was just empty air. "Eh...?" Nia blinked in confusion. "But, I was in range, and..." She didn''t mess up her aim, did she? No, she definitely didn''t. Even amidst this fast-developing situation, Nia managed to maintain a good degree of focus, so her thrust shouldve been spot-on. So no, it wasn''t Nia who missed. It was her opponent who moved! Even though the guy was supposed to be stuck recovering from the whiff, he somehow managed to sidestep Nia''s point-blank stab! It''s that Korean hack again! Nia seethed. Just how many cheats can one step cancel fit!? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was absurd. First, the guy used KC offensively to prevent Nia from stepping out of his attack range. Now, he used it defensibly to dodge a point-blank strike that should''ve definitely connected. It''s like this one technique was breaking all the rules of the game! So, what do I do now!? Nia gulped. I''m literally next to him, and each of his attacks hits like a truck. Do I run? Can I even run? I don''t think so. But, I can''t beat him in a melee fight, either... "You won''t be able to run away," Yuel stated matter-of-factly. "Just keep attacking." "R-Right!" Nia got the answer she was searching for. So, she ignored the fact that this telepathic robot somehow read her mind and fired a bolt at her opponent! This was a desperate last stand. Her death was all but assured at this point, but Nia nonetheless stood her ground and fought. She wasn''t going to let this Korean superhuman scare her...! Of course, the enemy lashed back right away. Hmm. I didn''t expect this. Jin thought. I was sure she''d run away the moment her HP dropped low, but she''s being surprisingly brave this time. Or reckless, rather. Rolling in with Cursed Dagger was an uncannily bold move for a scaredy-cat like Vanishing. It seemed like the girl was out for blood. She disregarded her usual timidness for the sake of taking Jin down. Was it applaudable? Or, just foolish? Either way, that play almost put Jin in jeopardy. If he failed to sidestep that thrust, then he wouldve sustained heavy damage and debuffs. In fact, his death wouldve been all but assured at that point. But, too bad for you. It didnt work out, so now youll die. Jin lashed his scourge, erasing yet another 20% from Vanishing''s health bar. For a moment there, he entertained the idea of switching his scourge back to the default axe. The axe hit faster and dealt more damage, so it was the superior weapon for close-quarters combat. But, she might try to escape the moment I switch. Shes a scaredy-cat, after all. Jin reasoned. So, it''s safer to use the scourge for now. Itll take a little longer but it should secure the kill. WHISH! Contrary to Jins expectations, Vanishing expressed no intention of retreating. Even in the face of death, the girl continued drilling bolts into him, as she should. Hmph. I''m not even sure what I''m so surprised about here. Jin thought. She''s just playing as she''s supposed to do, nothing more. Still, its a bit odd. This brave last stand was uncharacteristic of Vanishing. She wasn''t supposed to be the kind of player who had the gall for such plays. Perhaps I underestimated her a little. Well, no matter. Jin unleashed his deadly scourge once again, slashing through the Drow''s body. The end was nigh. WHISH, WHISH, The bowmen contributed to the damage with their arrows, and so the Drow''s life was extinguished. You have been killed! The familiar message showed up on Nia''s screen. It was the second time she died at Apprentece''s hand in this game, so this had a sense of deja vu to it. Gufu... Nias shoulders dropped. I failed again... Unbelievable. The great gank opportunity she discovered ended up being a dud Well, maybe that''s not exactly true. Nia thought. I think I did catch him off-guard overall. He probably just realized his mistake at the very last second, that''s why he cast his ult and rolled away. Apprentece pulled that weird play right as Nia ganked him. If only his Spidey-Sense activated a second later, then Nia would''ve successfully pushed him into the tower area. In that position, Nia and Lars would''ve ripped the guy to shreds. Well, I tried. Nia slumped. It''s all in your hand now, Lars. She failed to deliver the finishing blow herself, but she successfully prepared the ground for Apprentece''s death. If that cocky guy thought he could escape from something like this alive, then he had another thing coming! But, that was just what Nia believed. Apprentece didnt share her mindset at all. Well, that''s that. Jin nodded in satisfaction and turned around. Now that he eliminated the immediate danger, it was time for him to retreat to safety. At least, that was the plan. But ZAP! A laser beam pierced through his skull! Oh yes, of course. Jin nodded. You''re not going to let me get away that easily, are you? Gunz sure took his sweet time getting to the scene, but he was finally here. And, with Jin still affected by Drow''s slowdown, it was going to be difficult to escape from this situation alive. I have to hope that he misses at least one shot along the way, or else Im through. Jin analyzed. But, will he actually drop any shots? Somebody with Gunz''s accuracy wasn''t going to miss any shots for no reason, especially not against a slowed target. ZAP! Another headshot! As usual, the guy was showing off his trick-shooting skills by landing all his laser beams on Jins skull even though it didn''t give him any benefits whatsoever. I suppose this can be considered a form of psychological attack, but a very risky one. I, for one, don''t feel intimidated by it at all. If anything, I find it inefficient and exploitable. Jin was two hits away from dying at this point. Since Gunz hadnt built much crit rate yet, it meant there wouldnt be any surprises on that front. Exactly two hits, thats what separated Jin from death. This accursed slowdown will lift up after the next shot. Jin thought. And, my roll is about to come off cooldown. In theory, there''s still a chance. Jin tried his best to maintain his composure but it was tough. He was steps away from dying to this western rubble, an event that would sully his reputation beyond measure. But, panicking wont do him any favors here. I just have to remain calm and make sure I avoid the worst-case scenario. Jin took a deep breath and cut off the unnecessary noise. All he should be worrying about right now was dodging the upcoming hits. ZAP! Another laser beam, another headshot. This one was unavoidable as Jin was in no condition to juke anything at the moment. Thankfully, after this, the slowdown finally lifted. This allowed Jin to move around as he pleased. He really insists on landing these pointless headshots. Jin grimaced. I admit, it manages to get on my nerves a little, but only because of how dumb it is. Time to put him in his place. ZAP! Another laser beam resounded. It was no doubt aimed toward Jin''s head again, for no reason other than showing off. Fool, do you not realize that this is the competitive stage? Though, I suppose the competition in this region can be rather mind-numbing. Jin admitted. So, let me show you how REAL competitive players do things and why you cant keep showing off like this. Jin hit the brakes and stepped to the side right before the laser reached him. It was a last-moment sidestep, the kind of maneuver that normally wouldn''t be enough to juke an approaching shot. However, against Gunz''s cocky shot, a single sidestep was more than enough. After all, that dumb shooter aimed the laser at Jins head, a small area that was easy to miss. ZAP! The laser beam passed by Jin''s ear and continued on, failing to deliver any damage. And, that''s that. Jin nodded. You missed your chance and you have only your cockiness to thank for it. This shot wouldve ended it all but Gunz botched it up. Jins Dodge Roll was up again, so Gunz wouldn''t be getting this last hit anymore. But of course, Gunz will try to launch one last attack, as futile as it may be. Will he manage to fix his mistake and deliver the killing blow? Of course not. That ship has sailed. Jin asserted. But, you''re welcome to try, amateur. And so, the final decisive shot was upon them Vol.18 Ch.42: Chasing Apprentence "Yo! No way!" Lars cried out as he watched his laser beam miss the target. That was supposed to be the killing blow, yoooooo! Of course, Lars didn''t actually miss. After all, his 200% accuracy was incapable of such goofs. No, it was Apprentece! That dude sidestepped the shot toward the very end! What a pro, yo! Lars thought. Though, I guess this one is partially on me, haha... Apprentece deserved some credit for juking that shot, but he only managed to do it because Lars went for the head. If Lars shot the Orcs back instead, then a last-moment sidestep like that wouldn''t have been enough. Thinking of it, Yuel has been chewing me out about this habit every now and then but I just keep doing it. Lars rolled his eyes. It''s like an instinct at this point, yo. Gotta polish that Slinger tech at all times! Or something. Honestly, there wasn''t any deep reason for these headshots. Lars just thought it was cool to always deliver headshots like that and he had the skill to pull it off, so he did it. Every FPS game he ever played rewarded him handsomely for this habit. Lars deleted many unsuspecting enemies from existence with his 200% headshot accuracy! Alas, Classmancers didn''t respect this neat skill. Aside from Gunslinger, there werent many classes that cared about landing headshots. What a shame. I shouldnt have gone for the head there. Lars shook his head. But, whats done is done. I just gotta land the next one and finish this, yo! But, that was going to be easier said than done. Apprentece had already recovered from Drows slowdown debuff, so dude was now even faster on his feet. To make things worse, the chase was quickly approaching the enemys tower area. At this rate, Apprentece might actually escape to safety! But, of course I aint gonna let that happen! Lars aimed his laser gun again, this time at the target''s back. With the next shot, he''ll deliver that overdue killing blow and finally strike down the Korean pro that had been terrorizing the entire game! No, wait. Lars paused right before pulling the trigger. I need to roll in first. He''s barely within range and I dont have the leeway to make any more mistakes. Lars had to finish this here and now. He couldn''t mess this up, no matter what. Nias sacrifice wont be in vain, yo! Youre going down dude! However, just before he went for the roll, the world fell silent. Everything around him turned black. He could only see his Elf and the Appretences Orc. The rest of the world vanished from existence. Lars''s concentration peaked, erasing everything unnecessary from view. There was only him and his target in the entire world right now. Oh, I know this feeling... Lars''s body felt light, almost like he was floating. He was both relaxed and hyper-concentrated at the same time. Every cell in his body was focused on the important task at hand. This rare feeling struck him every now and then during tense moments like this. It''s like he entered the zone, yo. His original plan was to roll forward and shoot Apprentece''s back, but something about this didnt sit right with him all of a sudden. He couldnt quite explain this with words, but his instincts were ringing alarms in his head. That idea was no good in its current form. He can also roll. I gonna miss. Lars somehow reached that conclusion. But okay, I got it. Lars rolled in as planned, and then he fired a laser beam. On paper, this sounded exactly like his original plan. However, there was one small but important difference in the execution of the shot. It was something subtle that the opponent surely didn''t see coming. Here it is. Jin nodded. You sure took your sweet time with this shot, but now it''s over. He had been waiting for this very moment. This was Gunz''s last chance to reliably score a kill here, as Jin was already about to reach the tower area. It was now or never. So, I just have to dodge this shot and I''m in the green. Jin thought. It should be easy enough. Shortly after hearing the ZAP of the laser beam, Jin rolled forward. Most likely, this decisive shot was not aimed at Jin''s head like the previous one, therefore sidestepping it wasn''t an option. There was no choice but to roll the shot. Besides, rolling also brought Jin much closer to the tower, so it was like killing two birds with one stone. At least, that''s what the roll should''ve achieved. However, in the middle of the roll, something passed through Jin. A moment later, his Orc splattered across the floor like a ragdoll. You have been killed! "Hull!?" Jin blurted. What did just happen? no, of course I know what happened, but... what? Jin was in the middle of the roll back there. As such, no matter where Gunz aimed when he fired, the shot was bound to miss. After all, Jin rolled AFTER hearing the audio cue. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. And yet, the laser beam hit him. As unbelievable as it was, his Orc was dead now, thats a fact. Did he realize my Dodge Roll came off cooldown? Is that why he shot it like that? Against most opponents from the region, Jin would have disregarded a result like this as a fluke. But, Gunz was different. The guys mechanical skills, especially his accuracy, were the real deal. No, this probably wasn''t a happy accident. He aimed for it. Jin reasoned. He aimed toward the center of my body. From that angle, this shot would''ve probably hit me regardless of whether I rolled or not. It was a slightly tilted shot aimed downwards. It could hit Jins center if he didnt move, and it could also track Jins roll as long as it wasnt too horizontal. Tch. I considered rolling sideways but it seemed unnecessary. Jin frowned. I thought getting to the tower as fast as possible was optimal against an opponent of this level, but it turned out to be a misplay. Against a higher caliber opponent, Jin wouldve likely given his roll more thought. If he did, then Gunzs laser beam wouldnt have hit him in a million years. Alas, Jin went for the simpler play here, expecting pretty much nothing from his opponent. The tower area was right in front of him, so rolling directly toward it was the most attractive option. Essentially, he was confident that any roll would wholly counter Gunzs next shot, so there was no need to optimize anything further. I underestimated him and I paid for it. Jin admitted. But really, who wouldve expected him to launch that kind of nasty attack? Even back in Korea, few players wouldve gone for a low shot like that. Nine out of ten players there wouldve surely fired in a straight line to maximize speed and accuracy. Then again, ten out of ten of them wouldve already finished me off earlier in a situation like this. They wouldnt have gone for unnecessary headshots. This made it difficult to rate Gunz as a player. His raw mechanical potential rivaled that of some of the strongest players Jin encountered back in Korea. Nonetheless, the guy lacked the same kind of discipline that was drilled into everybody in Korea, therefore he was unable to unlock his full potential. He might have the potential to become a strong opponent one day. Jin thought. But, this stagnating environment doesn''t do him any favors. Nobody can possibly reach their full potential in a lax environment like this. But, I digress. In the end, no matter how Jin twisted it, he was killed. Yes, killed by these inferior players who grew up in this godforsaken stagnant environment. This makes me look awful. Jin grimaced as he imagined his public image shattering into tiny pieces. If anybody from the Cleaners was monitoring Jins performance in this game, then theyd surely grill him for this amateur mistake. Then again, the values system of the West was quite different from Koreas. In Korea, a mistake like that during an exam wouldve resulted in immediate demotion. But, here? They might even let it slide, who knew? Perhaps that was just wishful thinking on Jins end, but he sincerely believed he might be able to get away with something like this. Even the reactions of his teammates were lukewarm. "My, how unfortunate," Cato said. "You almost got away. It really came down to the wire." "... yes, it was close." Jin averted his eyes. He really didn''t want to talk about this right now, yet Cato insisted on continuing. The guy just loved rubbing peoples failures into their faces, didn''t he? "I can''t believe they caught you off-guard like that." "It was reckless push. My mistake." "Yes, it was reckless indeed. Cato nodded. Honestly, I''m surprised you went for something like that. Did Vanishing really disappear from your mind at the time?" ".........." Jin was stumped. No matter whether he replies "yes" or "no", it''ll make him look bad. If he admits that he failed to factor in Vanishing''s position, it''ll peg him as an amateur with bad map awareness. On the other hand, if Jin claims he didn''t forget about Vanishing, then the whole push will come across as foolishly dangerous. There was simply no winning here. "... for short moment there, I fail to consider the Jungler''s position." Jin chose the middle ground between the two answers, which was pretty much the truth anyway. It was just a brief moment of negligence on his end, nothing more. "My, that''s quite interesting~" Cato was smiling for some reason. "Do you see, Sonya? Even the mighty Emperor managed to forget about Vanishing at some point. You have to admit that girl got something special going for her." "Nonsense." Sonya pushed her glasses. "I kept delivering regular reports on her position, so I never forgot about her." "My, is that so? Because I''m pretty sure your reports have been growing more scarce and irregular lately ~" This guy... Sonya scowled. How did he even notice that!? Indeed, Sonya''s surveillance was a bit inconsistent lately. She started out strong and delivered flawless periodic reports, but over time, those became less and less frequent. It just started feeling like she was going a tad overboard. Many of her reports didnt provide much information other than Vanishing hasnt been seen since last time. This sort of empty report only felt distracting, honestly. In the first place, VanishingFlower failed to establish herself as a threat that warranted this much attention from everybody at all times. What''s more, constantly keeping tabs on Vanishing was lowkey hurting Sonya''s performance in the lane, as well as her ability to maintain global map awareness. Therefore, she had no choice but to ease up a little on that surveillance gig. For the most part, this had been working fine for the team. Sonya still methodically reported every instance in which she actually saw Vanishing rotating through the jungle. Also, she made sure to at least occasionally deliver these empty reports just to make sure everybody was aware that Vanishings position was unknown. That much shouldve been more than enough, but Maybe I should''ve kept these reports a little more frequent after all. Sonya frowned. If I warned about Vanishings unknown position a little earlier, then Young-Jin could''ve made it out alive. Despite keeping perfect track of Vanishing the entire game, it felt like Sonya lost at the very end there. She had been keeping that fake phantom under tight surveillance the whole time, yet at that critical moment, the ghost escaped and delivered a deadly assault. Fortunately, it doesn''t affect the game at large in this case. Sonya reassured herself. We''ve already won anyway, so this is just a small setback. In all but name the Leopards had already won this game. It was just a matter of taking down the Colossus. Nonetheless, the enemy team seems quite elated about this development. It was clear their morale skyrocketed after this kill, as they all started playing more confidently and aggressively. Unfortunately for them, it was all going to come to nothing... Vol.18 Ch.43: The Zone... Or Hyperfocus? You have killed an enemy! The message flashed on Lars''s screen, but it was merely a confirmation of something he already knew the moment he pulled the trigger. He had absolute confidence his shot will hit the rolling target, and it really did. There were no surprises there. Nonetheless, this occasion called for a celebration! Alas, the moment was ruined by an arrow that pierced his back soon after. Oh, you dudes are still here. Lars turned around and shot the bowman straight in the forehead. It was an immediate shot with zero time to aim. But if so, then how did Lars nail it, let alone score a headshot? Well obviously, his 500% accuracy would never miss a shot. ... wait, 500%? Was his aim always like that? Honestly, he felt a little out of it right now. His body moved just fine as it sniped down the bowmen one by one. Nonetheless, his head just felt empty. Even more empty than usual. But, it was not the bad kind of emptiness. On the contrary, by erasing all the irrelevant thoughts, he felt like his brain concentrated 500% on his surroundings. In short, Lars had transcended thinking at this very moment! His brain was concentrated on the game to the point that "thinking" was too slow. Only scrubs had to think. Real pros gotta feel it, yo! Unfortunately, this state of drunkenness didn''t last long. As the situation around him calmed down and the lane became empty, a switch flipped off in his mind. After that, a wave of fatigue washed over him. "Phew." Lars exhaled weakly as he leaned back. This gaming chair was very comfy. So much, so that he almost wanted to take a short nap on it However, that improper desire was shortly interrupted by the teams celebration, "Y-You finally did it!" Ben exclaimed. "You killed that Korean player!" "Great job," Kai said. "Finally, you showed him who''s boss." "Yes!" Even Nia pumped a little fist, though she tried to keep a low profile about it. However, unlike the rest of them, Yuel paid more attention to something else. "Are you okay?" Yuel asked. "You''re oddly quiet about all of this." "Oh, yeah, I''m fine. 100%, dude." Lars tried to smile as always but his voice clearly lacked its usual vigor. "I expected you to jump around and boast about how youve just killed Apprentece. After all, this is the first kill weve managed to score on him in this game." "Oh yeah, you''re right. I totally did that dude in, didn''t I? Hehe." Lars snickered. "Ain''t I awesome, yo!? I showed him the business!" He pumped a fist for a moment but it soon fell off. He looks a little out of it. Yuel thought. As I thought, it''s "that" thing again. Though the condition was extremely rare, this wasn''t the first time Lars exhibited these symptoms. In the heat of a critical moment, the goof would sometimes go quiet and exhibit an unparalleled level of concentration on the task at hand. For a few short moments, it was almost like watching a completely different person play the game. During those times, Lars''s execution was even more flawless than usual. In fact, it was almost accurate to call it superhuman, even more than his regular execution was. On top of that, even his decision-making seemed to skyrocket during these times, though that aspect of the state was much harder to reach proper conclusions on. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The whole thing never lasts long enough to draw proper conclusions. Yuel thought. He just turns like this, wins some fight or another, and then goes back to normal. Except, on the way back, Lars didnt exactly return to the same "normal". After going through that odd trance state, Lars usually came out oddly exhausted. It''s as if a huge chunk of his vitality was drained from him within the span of seconds. The whole thing has only happened a couple of times in the past, but it stuck in my mind because we always had to cut practice short after that. After coming out of the trance state, Lars was in no condition to continue practicing. It''s not like he played terribly per se but he was clearly dragging his foot compared to his usual performance, so it didn''t seem efficient to let him continue playing like that. Honestly, I still don''t quite understand what actually happened to him. Yuel admitted. My guess is that this is what people refer to as "being in the zone", but to me, it doesn''t look nearly as impressive as some make it out to be. There was no question that Lars''s performance skyrocketed every time he was "in the zone". Even in this game, the way he nailed that last shot on Appretence was nothing short of incredible. Sure, there was a gamble in there. Still, it was nonetheless a brilliant play that took everything into account: Appretneces skill level, the cooldown of his Dodge Roll, and even the guys desire to quickly get back to the tower area. Normally, the goof wouldnt be able to consider this many factors all at once in such a short period of time. So, the normal Lars wouldve likely fired toward the center of Appretences body. That wouldve been a straightforward shot that Appretences Dodge Roll wouldve countered. So, in that sense, entering this trance state definitely helped Lars out. However, this great power came with a cost. The whole affair lasted less than a minute, yet the signs of fatigue were already clear as day on the goofs face. It seemed as if going in and out of that hyperfocus state threw his systems off balance somehow. Maybe he''s just not used to it yet. Yuel thought. But, I''m not sure we have the time for him to practice this. Not to mention, Im not even convinced that this thing is really helpful in the long run. For a short moment, this state truly granted Lars unparalleled power. However, after that, his performance dropped sharply. So, if something like this were to happen in the middle of an ongoing match, the consequences could be severe for the following games. There was a lot of vague information online on this topic, so it was hard to discern the exact nature of what Lars experienced. Was it really a case of "being in the flow"? The answer wasnt clear cut because the symptoms were remarkably similar to another less desirable state of mind: hyperfocus. The two were similar in many ways, but one was believed to boost performance while the other simply led to a fixation on a particular topic. Ive never figured out how to tell the two apart. Yuel thought. After reading so much about them, they feel like almost the same thing. In fact, maybe the difference is just in how each subject operates during the state. For some, focusing a lot boosted their performance, while for others it caused over-fixation. It was very much possible that this was the only difference, hence why it was almost impossible to tell the two conditions apart. Anyway, as Yuels research didn''t yield any conclusive answers, he shelved the topic for now. It was a rare phenomenon, so it shouldn''t affect Lars''s performance too often. But it happened here, on the competitive stage. Yuel frowned. Only once but during an extremely critical moment. It might strike again during the regionals. If exhaustion randomly strikes Lars in the middle of a decisive match, itll likely spell doom for the entire team. There was no guarantee that whatever temporarily enhanced performance hed get in exchange would make up for any of this. At least, I refuse to gamble on something uncertain like this. Yuel thought. Still, now that I know it can happen during competitive games, it might be a good idea to better understand what triggers this state. Then again, Lars also has to practice his Elf, and we have a lot of practice to do as a team as well. Sigh Unfortunately, time was a finite resource. It was impossible to deal with every single topic before the regionals. Likewise, time was merciless when it came to the games progress. DEFEAT The fifth and final game of the day ended on that predictable note. Stratus has lost the game, and the match as a whole. Even though Lars scored one kill on Apprentece, that didn''t do much to improve Stratus'' overall situation. In the end, they just treaded a kill for a kill in that situation, so it was barely even an advantage in the first place. After that incident, with Lars feeling out of it because of the questionable trance state, the team was unable to mount any strong attacks. They already had very little chance of making a comeback in the first place, but Lars suboptimal condition pretty much sealed the deal. And so, the curtain fell on the long scrimmage between Stratus and the Leopards. Vol.18 Ch.44: Mutual Dissatisfaction DEFEAT That was the outcome of the final game. In the end, Stratus lost the scrimmage. Perhaps, some would claim it was a close match because of the score 2-3. However, Yuel didn''t see it that way. We''re still not there quite yet. We have a lot of work cut out for us. If the Leopards used Apprentece from Game 1, then this scrim could''ve easily ended as a 0-5. That Korean player was something else. For better and worse, it turned out Howard wasn''t pulling my leg at all. Yuel sighed. Everything he said sounded absurd but it turned out to be true. Apprentece was an immense threat. He was just one player, but he was the type to dominate the entire game all by himself. He''s like a force of nature. Yuel shuddered. Honestly, I don''t even know how we''ll deal with him at the regionals. This was similar to how unstoppable Taurus Triangle formation felt. That was another opponent Yuel was unable to fully defeat. But, at least the Triangle has its share of restrictions. Yuel thought. They need three people to execute the tactic, so there are ways to counter them indirectly. On the other hand, Apprentece was just one player, so he didn''t have the same strings attached to him. He was a legit force of nature, the kind humans simply couldnt stop. well, I still have a few months to solve this. Yuel stood up. For now, let''s get this scrim over with. After the final game, both teams gathered at the center of the stage again for a handshake. This was a custom that didn''t really speak to Yuel, but it was enforced every time so he didnt have a say here. Perhaps the idea was to "humanize" the competition a little. After all, unlike in regular sports, here both teams barely came into direct contact throughout the game. They only battled through digital avatars. At times, it was easy to forget that there were living, breathing humans behind these avatars. Especially, when it came to Apprentece''s overwhelming skill, it seemed unbelievable that a middle schooler could wield such power. But, there he was. Among the players who stepped in, there was an Asian boy. In real life, he looks... small. Yuel didn''t mean to insult but that was his honest impression. Apprentece was a boy with a rather small structure, just a little taller than Nia. He was a freshman according to Howard, so that made sense. He was so terrifying throughout the game, but in real life, he almost looks harmless. Yuel smiled. The perfect example of dont judge a book by its cover. One by one, everybody left their chairs and gathered at the center of the stage. Normally, Lars was among the first ones to make it there, but this time he was dragging his foot a little. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Are you okay?" Yuel asked. "Yeah, just a little spent. What a tiring game, haha." "It sure was." Yuel nodded. This was indeed a long match, filled with tons of trials and tribulations along the way. Now that it was over, Yuel also felt heavy fatigue washing over him. All the mental chess battles he fought with Cato throughout the day were finally taking their toll. Still, for Yuel, feeling tired after a scrim was normal. On the other hand, the goof was usually beaming with energy even after things were over. But this time, Lars was visibly burned out. He was walking toward the center of the stage with unsteady steps like a drunkard who might trip over his own foot at any moment. Its definitely unusual. Yuel thought. Even if this scrim was much harder than the previous, the ever-energetic goof isn''t supposed to ever become like that. I''m sure this is the after-effect of entering the zone" or whatever that thing was. Then again, it was always difficult to analyze the consequences of this trance state in a vacuum. That condition seemed to strike only after a few intense games in a row, at a point where Lars was already expected to experience some fatigue. As such, it was hard to tell how much the zone added on top of that. He IS a human after all, even though sometimes it''s hard to believe that the laws of physics apply to him in any shape or form. Lars was always positive and energetic, so it was difficult to get an accurate read of his condition. In fact, Lars himself was always so gung-ho that he probably never noticed when he got tried. But surely, he accumulated fatigue over time like everybody else. And, it seemed that the zone only showed itself once the fatigue passed a certain threshold. Maybe if he could enter that state before reaching that point, then he could actually put it to good use without burning himself out. But, its all conjecture. In the end, there wasnt nearly enough information to go by. The entire topic was vague at best. Regardless of the theory behind all of this, it was undeniable that Lars was currently dragging his foot toward the center of the stage. Yes, the ever-energetic goof was exhibiting extreme signs of weariness. It was an impossible scene. Seeing Lars like this really doesn''t motivate me to pursue that "zone" state or whatever it really was And so, both teams gathered at the center of the stage and exchanged pleasantries under the referee''s surveillance. "Good game." Both sides delivered the usual exchange. It was a phrase that wouldve come across as sarcastic in an online game, but on the competitive stage, it was expected to be sincere. Though, this time it''s very loaded. Yuel analyzed everybody''s expressions as the exchange happened. It felt like neither side was satisfied with how this match turned out, so the "good game" rang hollow. On their end, Stratus was worn out from the needlessly long games caused by the Leopards'' obnoxious defense. On top of that, some of the members spirits were likely crushed by Appretences unstoppable domination in the final game. At the same time, the Leopards didn''t seem all too happy about their victory either. There was a small cloud of gloominess hovering over them. Are they not satisfied with the result? Yuel wondered. Well, I''m sure a 3-2 isn''t quite what they were expecting to get today against some "underdog" team. Not to mention, the way the final game played out is a little... The finale didn''t feel like a real Stratus vs. Leopards game. It was almost exclusively Stratus vs. Apprentece. I dont know what are their feelings about playing alongside Appretence, but I''m sure I wouldn''t have enjoyed a situation like that if I were in their shoes. Especially, not when its the decisive game of the match. Perhaps this was another reason they were keeping Apprentece on the bench the entire time. The guy was far above the competition, to the point his presence didnt let the others play the game. That definitely didnt sound like a healthy environment. But despite all that, the enemy captain managed to put on his usual impish smile regardless. And, it felt like the disturbing smile grew wider as he approached Yuel... Vol.18 Ch.45: Intellectual Blows "It was a nice match, wasn''t it?" Cato asked. "A little tiring to my taste, Yuel answered. "My, is that so? Maybe you need to work on your stamina then~" "Perhaps so." Yuel didn''t have anything smart to say to that. There is some truth to that, I cant deny it. I''m sure we''ll have a similarly exhausting experience against StormBlitz, so we have to improve on that front. "By the way," Cato said. "Do you remember that cute assassination operation you arranged on Apprentece in Top? You know, the one where you sent a half-dead assassin on him while he was pushing." "Who said it was my idea?" Yuel shrugged. The way Catos question was phrased sounded like fishing. I''m not giving him any information for free. "My, playing it hard to crack? I see." Cato smiled impishly. "Anyway, about that play which you clearly arranged. Remember that? It fell through quite pitifully, didn''t it?" "Sure, I wont claim it went smoothly." "Right, right. And, it was all thanks to our Jungler being stationed nearby, wasn''t it?" "I suppose that played a crucial role, yes." "Take a guess who ordered the Jungler to go over there~" Cato smiled from ear to ear, so the answer was so obvious. But, Catos attitude was a bit annoying so Yuel didn''t feel like cooperating. "Who knows." Yuel shrugged. "Your entire team is overly defensive, so I wouldn''t be surprised if the players just randomly place themselves in obscure positions and happen to intercept unpredictable attacks. "My, you''re not going to play along, are you?" Cato smiled wryly. "Well, let me enlighten you then: it was me. Yes, yours truly. I''m the one who predicted that unlikely gank and countered it beautifully!" "Wow. And? Are you expecting applause or something?" "My, playing it cool, arent we? Still, I''m sure that play aggravated you nicely~" "Not really. Yuel shook his head. Honestly, I''ve almost forgotten about it until now." Of course, that was a lie. Theres no way Yuel would forget one of the games decisive moments. We had a real chance to turn the game around with that gank. Yuel thought. I don''t think the plan was bad, it even caught Apprentece off-guard. But, their Jungler being in the area was the thing that ruined everything... As pompous as Cato was acting about all of this, in truth, he had every right to be proud of that call. Against any other team, stationing the Jungler near Top in that position would''ve been a waste of time, but that''s precisely why it made sense to do it against Yuel. Seems like Cato figured out that I like exploiting such unexpected angles. Thanks for giving me this valuable bit of information. Cato''s boasts revealed interesting information that was previously only in the realm of speculation for Yuel. It was always valuable to know to what degree the enemy shot-caller had figured Yuel out, so hed know to adapt accordingly. Or, maybe this is just another one of Catos psychological attacks? Yuel wondered. Maybe he''s trying to stress how much he has "figured me out" while in truth it was just a fluke. There''s never telling what this guy is really thinking, so, I better take everything with a grain of salt. "Well, that sure was a nice guess you made there," Yuel said. "Congratulations on winning the roulette for once." "Thank you, thank you~ I really hit the jackpot, didn''t I~?" "Yes. But, I''m sure that for every time you guessed right, there were at least ten other times where you guessed wrong and wasted your teammates'' time on defending against phantom attacks." "My, what a bold accusation. Cato shook his head. I''ll have you know I only make efficient calls." "Oh, then I suppose the first game dragged on for so long because of your incomplete, then?" "Agh, weeeell..." Cato grimaced for a moment. His smirk temporarily vanished, which was a win in Yuel''s book. That move successfully struck a nerve. But as usual, the slippery fellow was quick to bounce back. "It was a display of mercy. I just felt bad for your team in that game, you know? You performed so poorly there that I felt obligated to give you a few more chances. Am I not just the nicest guy around~?" "How considerate of you. Yuel made a face. So, the two games you lost to us were also a display of mercy?" "Yes, of course," Cato claimed. "I mean, did you honestly think the Leopards would fold to weak plays like yours? And lose to a meme, no less? No way." "You can claim whatever you want to protect your ego, but we won these games fair and square. And as for the last game, we did lose there but not to you." "Excuse me?" We didnt lose that game to your shot-calling, and not even to your team really. We lost almost exclusively to that Korean player you subbed in. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Hm? Cato tilted his head. Pray tell, how did you know hes Korean? Ugh! Yuel bit his tongue. That was a blunder. Um, I was curious about this unexpected sub so I asked the referee for more details. Oh? And what did you ask him, exactly? Why do I have to answer that? Thats my business. Hmmmmmm. I see. Cato narrowed his eyes in suspicion. I had a feeling it was a little odd. Even though our dear Appretnece was clearly dominating the game, you fellows didnt seem to lose spirit as you shouldve. Its almost as if you were mentally prepared for something like this. Were just made different.. Either that or somebody let the cat out of the bag. Cato smiled meaningfully. And, I have a pretty good idea of who it was. After all, you ARE a former StormBlitz player~ What are you implying? That one of your former teammates is a snitch~ Cato declared boldly. I have to say, Im surprised youre still on such good terms. Good terms? Please. Yuel shook his head. Theyre the number one enemy Ive sworn to defeat this year. My, quite passionate, arent you? Cato nodded. Well, we can leave it at that. The fact you werent confused when I bought up StormBlitzs name already tells me everything~ Youre free to believe whatever you want. Yuel shrugged. Drat, I couldn''t fool him on this one. Oh well. "Anyway," Yuel continued. "We lost the final game to Apprentece, not to you. So as far as I''m concerned, in terms of our shot-calling matchup were still at a 2-2 at best." "My, such a sore loser, aren''t you~?" Cato smiled impishly as always but there was a slight frown on his brow. It was clear this declaration struck a nerve. Cato probably didn''t feel satisfied with that last victory either. "I agree that the result of this final game was a bit muddled," Cato admitted. "But just so we''re clear, I would''ve beat you in the last game even without subbing Apprentece in." "We''ll never know that now," Yuel said. "Were the ones who had momentum going into the final game, so our chances were good." "Momentum? Please. All you had was fleeting optimism at best. We wouldve snuffed it out in no time." "Then, why didn''t you?" Yuel asked. "If it was that easy, you could''ve done that yourselves of relying on Apprentece, right?" "As if I had a choice..." Cato muttered as he glanced aside. This made it clear there was some infighting about the subject within the club. If not Cato, then who made the call? Yuel wondered. Did their coach tell them to sub Apprentece in? It''s definitely possible, but that doesnt sound in line with that coach''s usual image. Rodriguez presented himself as a coach who highly valued "fairness" when it came to official matches. During scrimmages, he tried to make sure that both teams experienced a balanced match whenever it was possible. Subbing in Apprentece clearly went against that notion considering the guys skill level. But, perhaps it wasnt that strange. Rodriguez mightve valued victory and the teams reputation over fairness in this particular case. Or, maybe it was even an act of grace on his end. Maybe he revealed Appretence now to give Stratus a proper warmup for the regionals. After all, we''ll have to be able to defeat the guy eventually if we want to win the regionals. Yuel thought. So, in that sense, this unfair game was very educational. But in the end, this was all conjecture. Perhaps Rodriguez wasn''t the one who orchestrated any of this. If so, it was probably Apprentece himself who forced his way onto the stage. Still, Rodriguez mustve approved it, so he''s an accomplice. Yuel thought. So, no matter how you slice it, there was an agenda there. "If it wasnt you," Yuel said. "Then, who decided to sub Apprentece in?" "Who do you think?" Cato sighed. "The Emperor invited himself in." "The ''Emperor''?" "Heh, that''s the nickname we got for the guy. Quite fitting, don''t you find?" "I see." There was a lot of loaded information in that little tidbit. The Leopards didn''t call Apprentece a "Pro", a "Champion", or anything of the sort. No, they went for "Emperor". That said a lot about how they viewed the guy. It sounds like he''s something of a tyrant, so hes probably the one who demanded the team to sub him in. It was probably a matter of saving face or something along those lines. The Leopards were on the verge of losing the scrim, so maybe the Emperor subbed in to avoid that. Even though he didnt play in the previous games, he mightve still cared about the teams overall image. I actually saw hints of that in the game, too. Yuel recalled. The one time we scored a kill on him was thanks to a careless push he did, one that felt like it was driven purely by the desire to save face. Back then, Apprentece didn''t have much to gain from pushing so hard against Lars. It felt like he only did it out of spite. Perhaps Lars triggered him somehow? Maybe he hurt his majesty''s "pride", so to speak? Ill have to examine that situation carefully in the replays. Maybe there Ill find the weakness Ive been looking for. Yuel made a mental note. With that said, I can''t believe Cato allowed himself to spill such critical information. So careless. "My, it looks like the gears in your brain started overclocking~" Cato smiled impishly. "You probably think I''m oh so careless, don''t you? But don''t worry, I know exactly what I let on." "Is that so." Yuel made a face. With this guy, it''s hard to tell when he''s genuine and when not. Maybe he did plan to reveal all of this from the start, or maybe it was a mistake hes now trying to cover up. Who knows. "Think of it as a small handicap I''m willing to put on myself," Cato explained. "I mean, as it stands, your team has zero chance of ever beating us the moment Apprentece takes the stage. So, I''m fine with giving you a few hints." "How generous of you." "I know, right? I''m such a benevolent person~" "Yes, sickeningly so." Yuel rolled his eyes. "Heh, what an ungrateful fellow." "Don''t get me wrong, I''ll make sure to put this information to good use," Yuel reassured. "But, we''re not the kind of team that needs your pity. Well beat you and Apprentece at the regionals." "My, so ambitious~" Cato smirked. "I''ll gladly crush this hope of yours on the real stage, provided you can even make it that far." "Don''t worry, we''ll make it. And next time, we''ll win." "Heh, Im sure your teams little story will make for a fine tragedy." "Oh, it sure will. Yuel nodded. A tragedy in which the ever-dominating Leopards will finally lose the regionals." "I''m sure thatd be quite the spectacle. Too bad you''ll only ever see something like this in your dreams." On that note, they finished exchanging intellectual blows. And, while they were busy doing that, there was yet another heated discussion taking place on the other side of the stage Vol.18 Ch.46: The Emperors Indifference Jin never cared for this custom where both teams gathered in the center of the stage just to say good game. It always felt shallow and devoid of purpose. Good game? Please. Jin scoffed. Both teams made tons of mistakes. Would anybody unironically call any of these games good? Despite his objections, Jin dragged himself to the stage and pretended to say good game along with everybody else. However, he didnt actually utter a word out loud. He simply couldnt bring himself to do so, so he only moved his mouth, nothing more. Well, thats that. Jin was more than ready to take his leave after this pointless exchange, however Yo! A boy from the other team called out, apparently in Jins direction. Awesome game there, dude! Huh. Jin paused and gave the energetic guy a mixed look. Ya really strong, yo! Mad respect. Thanks, I suppose. Its not that Im particularly strong. Youre all just too weak. Ya strong alright, but next time we aint gonna lose, believe it! the boy declared boldly out of the blue. Huh. Jin didnt know how to even start responding to that nonsensical claim. In fact, he wasnt even sure whether he should respond at all. Frankly, he had no idea which player from Stratus he was even speaking to. Oh, Im Gunz, by the way, the boy finally introduced himself. Hmm. I see. Jin nodded. I had a feeling he was a carefree fellow. No logical player would insist on landing headshots without any added benefits. Therefore, Gunz had to be a special kind of fellow to pull something absurd like this so religiously. Yes, he looks special, alright. Jin nodded to himself. An idiot, basically. There was no denying Gunz had impressive mechanical talent. Most likely, even in Korea, he wouldve been considered talented. He might even be good enough to be scouted to some club. Jin thought. There are many scouts who put mechanical skill first, so this guy wouldve shown up on their radars for sure. In that aspect, and that aspect alone, Gunz was arguably an impressive player. But overall, Jin wasn''t impressed with the guy at all. "So yeah, next time!" Gunz repeated his nonsense. "We all gonna get like ten times stronger before the regionals, and then we''ll return to defeat y''all! So, ya better be ready, dude!" "Hmm. I doubt it." Jin shrugged and that was the entirety of his input on the matter. "Wait, that''s all?" Gunz asked. "That''s all ya got to say?" "Big talk is waste of time. If you want to prove something, do it in game." "Dang, you don''t even see us, do you?" "Hm? I do see you." "I mean as competition, dude," Gunz said. "You don''t actually consider us strong opponents, do ya?" "No." "Whoa, so straightforward, haha." Gunz laughed awkwardly. "But, I get it. Ya did kinda dominate the game and stuff, so you have the right to feel like we''re no match for ya." "Because you aren''t." "But hey, don''t forget: we did score one kill on ya! And next time, we''ll score a bunch more!" "No, that was one-time thing," Jin asserted. "It won''t happen again." That one death was an anomaly. It''s something that shouldn''t have happened. I won''t let that mistake happen again. Jin promised to himself. Next time, I''ll make sure to defeat them thoroughly. That is if there IS a "next time" for them. The Leopards were all but guaranteed to climb all the way to the finals, but what about Stratus? They seemed to have a bit more potential than many other trashy teams from this region, but that''s about it. Nothing was guaranteed for them. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "You might not even get a next time," Jin spoke his mind. "Nah, we totally will!" Gunz asserted with baseless confidence. "We gonna beat every other team until we get to play against you and Storm! We gonna win the regionals, believe it!" "Nonsense." Jin shook his head. I feel like I''m losing brain cells just listening to this guy. In Korea, they taught us that actions speak louder than words, but it looks like they don''t teach that over here. Sigh. This was like watching a tiny dog trying to scare a lion by barking. None of Gunzs promises or assertions had any substance to them. If you stay weak like you are now, you wont achieve anything. That''s how the competitive scene works. Of course, considering how underdeveloped Gunz''s talent was at the moment, he could definitely show a growth spurt at any time. For example, if he underwent harsh Korean training for the next few months, then he might come back as a completely different player. But, with how lax Western training regimes are? There''s no way hell develop into anything anytime soon. Jin thought. Hmph. I don''t know why I''m even sparing any thought to this. This guy is a nobody as far as I''m concerned. It seems Im starving for some competition over here Despite how disappointing Gunz was as an opponent, the guy was still leagues above most other teens in this godforsaken region. So in that sense, perhaps Gunz could be considered somewhat "adequate". Still, Gunzs talent was like a tiny silver coin tucked away in a much larger pile of rubble. Its shine caught Jins eye for a fleeting moment, but ultimately, it wasn''t worth paying attention to. Nonetheless, for others from the same region, Gunz was somehow a goal to aspire to, as sad as that sounded. "Before you go about beating him," William stepped in. "You still have to beat me first." "You are... Winner, right?" Gunz asked. "Yes, the one and only." "Haha, figured. I like the nickname, by the way," Gunz said. "AbsoluteWinner. It got this strong sound to it. Maybe I should''ve called myself UltimateGunz or something more epic like that, haha." "Name is just name," Jin said. "It doesn''t make you stronger." "Haha, this dude be spittin''." Gunz laughed. "Actually, what''s the deal with your name, anyway? It''s like Apprentice, right? But, it got like a typo or something in it." "I-It''s no typo!" Jin nearly choked at the accusation. "It''s a psychological trick." "Come again?" "The name Apprentice was already occupied when I try to take it." "Yep, that makes sense." Gunz nodded. "Sounds like a pretty common nick. I remember seeing some gold names like TheApprentice and Apprentice69." "Yes, its very common," Jin said. "But, I didn''t want to add extra words or numbers." "So, you went with a typo instead?" "I-It''s no typo!" Jin insisted. "I changed one letter in the middle because it''s almost unnoticeable." "Oh yeah, it''s actually really tricky to notice, ain''t it? I didn''t see it until someone mentioned theres a typo." "It''s no typo," Jin repeated. "Haha, okay, okay, I got ya. Gunz nodded. Ya really hung up on that part tho, ain''t ya?" "Because it''s no typo," Jin asserted once more. "It''s a visual trick. Humans read a whole word instantly after seeing first and last letter, so they usually don''t notice small changes in the middle." "Really? Didn''t know that. Sounds neat. Lars nodded. So, by making one small typo in the middle, you can fool everybody into reading your nick like Apprentice, huh." "Yes. And, it''s no typo." "You''re suspiciously hung up on that part." William narrowed his eyes. "Well, no matter. Gunz, don''t you dare to shift the topic on me like that." "Oh, did I?" Gunz cocked his head. "I just said what was on my mind." "Is that so." William sighed. This conversation reminds me of a certain scatterbrained brother I have. It makes me wonder, do all mechanically gifted players have ADHD? Well, no matter. "I''ll say it again," Willaim repeated. "You still have to beat me first." "But, didn''t I already beat ya?" Gunz asked. "I mean, you were hella tough with all them Korean cancels and clean spacing strats. But, I totally beat ya, yo!" "Is that the story youve been telling yourself? Because it''s utter nonsense." "Hey, hey, no need to be a sore loser," Gunz said. "I admit ya gave me a hard time, but I totally came on top when we fought, yo!" "These results were debatable at best," William argued. "And, if we had more chances to fight, then I''m sure I would''ve taken you down eventually." "Oh, so you''re like a slower starter or something?" "Well, not exactly..." William found the term somewhat insulting even though that assessment wasn''t necessarily wrong. "... I suppose you could say it takes me a while to fully adapt," William explained. "So, you haven''t actually seen everything I can bring to the table in a fight. Next time, I''ll show the full extent of how I fight." Sounds cool, yo! But, Imma still beat ya, believe it! Hmph. Well see about that. Look at them go. Jin shook his head. Is making empty threats some kind of Western custom for competitive players? Theyre like harmless dogs who are trying to overwhelm each other by barking. But in the end, theyre both scrubs. Jin didnt see any reason to entertain this nonsense. As far as he was concerned, his victory was all but assured. Neither of these amateurs had anything on him. Perhaps they could be considered skilled relative to the rest of the region, but thats all they had going for them. In the end, they were nobodies. And so, the small talk pretty much ended on this note as far as Jin was concerned. Gunz continued claiming hell definitely beat Jin and William, and that Stratus will definitely triumph over the Leopards, but it was all noise. Listening to this drivel was a waste of time. At the around same time, there was another player glaring at Jin with all the malice they could muster. However, this other player didnt step forward to speak nonsense. In fact, Jin didnt even notice the malice directed at him this entire time Vol.18 Ch.47: The Desire to Smite the Monster Scary. Nia thought as she watched Lars declare war on the enemys strongest fighters. How can he just walk up to them and say all these things? He should be dubbed Lars the Million Guts. Nia could only dream about being this assertive in her communication. Though, it sounded very scary so she probably wouldnt have done it even if she could. Nonetheless, it was undeniable that she shared many of Larss sentiments here. I I also wanna beat this monster. Nia glared at the alien abomination that was posing as a middle schooler. That thing was definitely no human kid! He was probably a pro player posing as a kid! Scary. Yes, it was very scary. Even now, thinking back on the battles with that Korean monster sent a chill down her spine. That guy simply seemed invincible. But, we did kill him once. Nia thought. And, I''m pretty sure I caught him off guard at least twice. She failed to convert either gank into a kill, but she came very close both times. If her execution was just a little better, she wouldve sealed the deal there all by herself. There were good ganks. Nia thought. I should''ve been able to convert them. Yet, she couldn''t. A gank like this wouldve led to a kill at least 9 times out of 10 in Ranked, and quite effortlessly too. Alas, things worked differently in the competitive scene. I always thought the Ranked games we play in the club were very high level. They even have scary Challenger players show up every now and then. Nia shuddered. But, turns out these games are nowhere as scary as the actual competitive scene. Ranked had scary opponents every now and then, but the Leopards pretty much had an entire lineup of those. And, they had one player that was scarier than all of them combined. They also came prepared. Theyve been blocking me out almost the entire time. Nia grumped. I don''t know who it was, but somebody among them mustve been stalking me 24/7. Sus. In Ranked, Nia generally had no trouble erasing her presence and striking from the shadows. However, that barely worked against the Leopards. They knew I was the champion of hide-and-seek so they focused on me from the get-go. Because of that, the element of surprise was completely gone. Scary. Nia gulped. As Yuel said, everybody in the competitive scene spends a lot of time researching each other. I guess this means we''re not the only ones who have to suffer through long review meetings... Yuel held multiple such meetings in preparation for today''s scrimmage. At the time, it felt really overbearing, with way too much analysis and information to go through just to beat one team. I somehow stayed up until like 3 am rehearsing all that stuff, just because the tyrant kept saying how we absolutely must know EVERYTHING no matter what. Then again, its probably my fault I procrastinated with this homework until the last moment All that preparation seemed beyond excessive, but Yuel kept droning about how absolutely crucial it was. And in the end, he was right. Knowing the quirks and attributes of her enemies made a big difference in how Nia approached her decision-making today. Unfortunately, the same applied to the enemy. These guys definitely studied Stratus, and especially Nia. Them stalkers. They were super prepared for Nias strats. This is something randoms in Ranked can''t do. Nia thought. They have no idea who theyre up against, so they don''t know they gotta keep tabs on me. And, Taurus didn''t know that either, thats why it was easier against them at first. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The first scrim of the year was an anomaly in that sense. Both teams weren''t particularly prepared for each other, so it almost felt like Ranked. Nia thought that scrim gave her a good feel for the competitive scene, but she was dead wrong. Today''s scrim was the real deal. It was a world apart from Ranked. It''s scary. But, also challenging. Nia was surprised at herself for thinking this, but that''s just how much today''s game impacted her. In particular, her three failed attempts to kill Apprentece seriously triggered her. I''m not sure yet, but I think I might be starting to understand why everybody cares so much about competing on this stage. Nia thought. It''s scary and stressful, but it''s a unique experience. In the past, Nia always said that she didn''t mind if Luke played on the competitive stage instead of her. But after todays match, Nia realized it was actually kind of fun. The competitive stage showed a facet of Classmancers that Nia couldn''t experience anywhere else. It was very interesting. Scary, but interesting. Of course, she''d gladly do away with the audience because that part added absolutely nothing as far as she was concerned. Alas, that was the cost everybody had to pay in order to be on the stage. The next team well play against probably also researched me. Nia speculated. So, I have to improve a lot, to the point their data is super outdated. And, I also have to make sure I can actually participate in all the games next time... As enlightening as today''s scrim was, Nia actually only played two games in it. Or well, three games if she were to count the absolute disaster that was the first game where she was super sleepy. I want to be able to play all the games. Nia asserted. I have to always be ready to play, or else I might miss some interesting matches. This already happened against Taurus, where Nia tuned out right as things got interesting. Sure, she was also scared of the enemy''s Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom and kinda wanted to flee, but in hindsight, it wouldve been a valuable learning experience for her, one that she completely missed. I shouldn''t have dodged it. Nia realized that now. If I properly faced them, then maybe I would''ve realized earlier that scary competitive games can actually be fun. But well, I was too sleepy to think straight back then anyway Sleepiness was like an app installed in her system. Its main function was to drain Nias battery around noon and force her into sleep mode. Ive always thought it''s a comfy app, but now I suspect it might be malware. So, how to uninstall pls? Unfortunately, this habit wasn''t going to go away on its own. Nia had been taking regular naps around noon for years now, it was part of her genes by now. So, would ould she even go about fixing a deeply rooted problem like this? It was totally different from practicing some specific skill in Classmancers for which the path forward was clear. Well, Yuel did suggest a few options, like exercising... Nia shuddered at the mere thought. D-Do I really need to do stuff like that? Does it even help at all? Yuel talked many times about how he also used to have stamina issues. Supposedly, exercising on a regular basis helped him resolve the problem. As such, the alien robot was very passionate about selling this solution to Nia as well. Whenever he talked about it, he sounded like a cult leader trying to initiate a new member. Scary. But, if it worked for him, maybe it could work for me too. Hmm. Maybe. Nia twisted her lips. D-Do I really have to do something like that? Do all competitive players use this hack? She still wasnt sold on the idea, but at least now she was more open to trying it out. Well, a little more open. No promises! But, I really do want to become better. A lot better, even. Next time, I want to be able to kill Appretence with my own two hands without goofing. With that goal in mind, Nia steeled herself for the upcoming training regime. Shell probably regret it, but she was finally going to ask Yuel for advice for real. Most likely, that alien robot will suggest some hellish training routine. Until now, Nia had dodged multiple of those without giving them a second thought. However, this time, she was more motivated to give it a try. It was going to be a scary and painful experience for sure, but the same was also true for todays scrimmage anyway. Between going through hellish training or experiencing hellish competition, I prefer the former. I dont want to feel salty like this after a scrim ever again. If she participated in every single game, then todays result mightve been different. This frustrated her to no end. I couldve done better. I WANT to do better. Nia asserted. I never knew it was so frustrating to not be able to play whenever I want to In fact, it was more frustrating than the defeat itself. Nia didnt mind losing so much. She cared much more about the fact she failed to participate in all the games that led up to this defeat. This couldnt go on anymore. Something had to change. And so, as the exchange of pleasantries came to an end, Nia braced herself for the harsh training ahead Vol.19 Ch.1: Stratus - A Threat or Pushovers? The long scrimmage between Stratus and the Leopards had come to an end. The final outcome was more than predictable, but there had been some unexpected results along the way. The Leopards started off on the right foot and established dominance early on, as expected from the undefeated champions. However, Stratus didn''t take any of that lying down. Time after time, they brought forth unconventional weapons and strategies in order to challenge the champions. At one point, the audience even applauded Stratus'' achievement. Though, it was questionable whether anything about that Jungler Dark Knight deserved any praise. Honestly, that one was far from an elegant performance. One could even brand it as an insult to the competitive scene. Nonetheless, that unlikely strategy worked for Stratus for one game. Once again, Yuel Fermond had proved his ability to convert a dubious strategy into a winning position. Naturally, the same trick didn''t work for them twice in a row. Cato would have become a disgrace to the Leopards legacy if he allowed such nonsense to repeat itself. So in the end, the unconventional Dark Knight idea only worked once. It took the Leopards off-guard the first time, but after that, the Leopards thoroughly shut it down. This led to the return of VanishingFlower. Compared to the first game, her performance was far better this time around. However, it also felt like the Leopards dug their own grave in that game. They were overly cautious of Vanishing''s presence, to the point of wasting lots of resources on the surveillance of just one player. Of course, some precaution was definitely necessary against a sneaky opponent like that. However, the Leopards took it way too far. And so, consumed by their own paranoia, they ended up dropping the 4th game. That led to an unexpected 2-2 tie between the two teams. This was a situation that probably nobody in the stadium expected to see. The Leopards had superior specs overall, it was clear as day. And yet, they tripped twice against an inferior team. It was quite peculiar. Undoubtedly, this was yet another example of Yuel Fermond using unconventional means to claw his way out of a terribly losing situation. What a stubborn man. His persistence knows no bounds. Alas, a tie was as far as he could go. What transpired afterward was barely even worth analyzing. The Leopards crushed the competition via raw strength by subbing in an extraordinary Korean player. Until that point, Fiona had only heard rumors of Apprentece. Cato was a regular visitor to her house, and Rodriguez tutored her from time to time. Thus, it was inevitable for Fiona to learn about the existence of this secret player. However, little did she know that this player was so overwhelmingly powerful. Apprentece''s one brief appearance on the stage rendered null all the four games that came before it. Apprentece made it clear as day that only by including him in the lineup did the Leopards finally exhibit their full strength. Everything that came before it was child''s play in comparison. Apprentece destroyed Stratus without giving them so much as a fighting chance. The seemingly invincible Korean player left no openings in his defense as he pressed attack at every turn. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that Apprentece played on a whole different dimension compared to the rest of the region. Apprentece was like an entire legion in the form of one player. He had the strength to carry his entire team on his back and dictate the rules for everybody, allies and enemies alike. This is the type of player I strive to become as well. Fiona thought that to herself when she watched the last game. The specifics of that game weren''t even worth discussing. It was a one-man show by Apprentece, through and through. Perhaps, if there was one event worth mentioning, then it was the single death Apprentece suffered in that game. For just a brief moment, the seemingly invincible player let down his guard and allowed himself to overextend. This one careless mistake cost him his life. But, the Leopards had no trouble recovering from that setback as they were already far ahead in the game anyway. And so, despite this one achievement, the curtain dropped on Stratus without mercy. "Welp, that''s that." Karen threw her arms behind her head as she spoke. "Dang, that last game was sure something. Where the hell did they bring that guy from? It almost looked illegal. "Yes, it does rub me the wrong way as well," Fiona agreed. "By nature, the Leopards already hold most of the region''s most impressive talent. And yet, they also have Apprentece on top of that. It throws the regions sportsmanship into question." "Right? Karen nodded. I mean, goddamn it. We really stand no chance, do we?" "Language, Karen, Fiona scolded. And, as impossible as the challenge may seem at the moment, in the end, this is but another obstacle for us to overcome. Nothing more and nothing less." "Whoa, are you really saying we gonna beat that thing, sis?" "Apprentece is not a ''thing''. And, regardless of his impressive skill, he is a middle schooler like the rest of us. Besides, ultimately, he is but one player in a 5v5 game." Apprentece was indeed an overbearing existence, like a chess piece that transcended the games rules and moved around even more freely than the queen. But, no matter how strong a chess piece was, it was just one piece out of many. Thus, it should be possible to defeat the Leopards as a team even without directly triumphing over Apprentece. "I shall lead the team to victory against them," Fiona promised. "I''m sure you will, sis!" Karen was now singing a completely different tune after the declaration. Like, it seemed totes impossible to beat that Korean hacker. But, if sis says we can win, then we will! "Well, at least Stratus looks like a bunch of pushovers," Karen said. "So, theyre not a threat at all." "Pushovers?" Fioan blinked. "Is that how they looked to you?" "Yeah. I mean, they''re not the worst out there since they took at least a few games, but meh, they''re D-tier at best." "Actually, with this result, they might have just established themselves as the third strongest team in the region." "For real?" "Yes, Fiona said. They triumphed over Taurus, the usual favorite for third place. Also, they achieved a 2-3 against the regional champions. As such, it stands to reason to consider them the region''s No. 3." "Dang, they really shot up through the ranks, huh." Karen chuckled. "Weren''t they like the worst team in the region before?" "Indeed. Stratus used to be at the absolute bottom until this year. From the records, Stratus has not won a single competitive game since its conception." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Wow, what a joke." "That''s perhaps going too far," Fiona said. "But yes, the team was undoubtedly a disgrace to the competitive scene. Out of curiosity, I did review some of its older games." "Oh, you did? Dang, you should have told me. I would''ve brought popcorn and stuff, haha." "You should be glad you did not have to subject yourself to that torture, Fiona said. That horrendous spectacle would have spoiled your popcorn." Wow, that bad? Yes, that bad. To call it disastrous would be an understatement. The Stratus of past years did not have the faintest shred of competitiveness to it. Everything from their mannerisms to their skill showed they had only played Ranked at best. They clearly did not practice much beyond that, if at all. When Fiona first learned of all that, she thought Yuel Fermond was a madman for joining a team like this. He had a promising future in StormBlitz, yet he threw it all away for a laughing stock of a team. Perhaps there were some legitimate reasons why Yuel Fermond had to switch schools the way he did. But without any further data, from the side, it looked as if the man simply switched from one Classmancers team for another. Even his Bot partner came along with him. If switching teams was indeed his main motivation, then it was beyond questionable. What did he seek to accomplish in a lowly team like Stratus? The question that had been eluding Fiona for the longest time. And, perhaps the answer didn''t even matter. In the end, despite all odds, Yuel Fermond successfully turned this godforsaken team into something. Of course, the team was mostly carried by Yuel and his lane partner, Gunz. Nonetheless, the other players showed some promise as well. Unlike their predecessors, they clearly took their training seriously. It remains to be seen where this peculiar team will go from there. It seemed to have a lot of room for growth, but will they be able to overcome their shortcomings and polish their skills further before the regionals? On the way out of ProCenter, Karen posed a question. "So, when do we play them?" "Actually, about that... To put it simply, we won''t." "Say what?" "Unfortunately, their school rejected my request to hold a scrimmage." "How dare they." Karen cracked her knuckles. "Sounds like somebody better teach them a lesson or two." "It''s quite alright." Fiona smiled softly as she caressed the angry kitten''s head. "It is understandable why a school would not be willing to play along with such a request on a whim. Especially, a school like that." After conversing with the principal of Skyline Junior High, it became very clear just how lowly the school regarded Classmancers as a sport. And frankly, their attitude was hardly surprising given the terrible record of their representing team. Most likely, the school had been feeling like a laughing stock ever since it joined the competition. Everybody called Stratus the worst team in the region, which subsequently damaged the school''s reputation. Probably because of that the principal insisted on sticking to the usual schedule for the team, that of partaking in the bare minimum of three scrimmages. "In fact," Fiona explained. "I got the impression they had been quietly trying to close the club down over the past few years." "For real?" "Yes. They did not outright admit it, but their attitude and actions spoke louder than words." For one, the school had been cutting down the clubs size. Currently, the club was only permitted to have up to 7 members. It was just barely enough to play a game. Admittedly, the Valkyries were not any better at the moment, but their situation was different altogether. Their small numbers stemmed from the difficulty of finding new members, not from restrictions laid out by the school. What''s more, the Valkyries at least had proper facilities for their club activities. The same could not be said about Stratus. From what Fiona gathered, Stratus were forced to conduct their practice in a basement storage room. "Whoa, that''s hella harsh." Karen made a disgusted face. "That school is just pure evil!" "Every school has its own interests in mind, as any institution does. In that sense, I can at least understand where their attitude is coming from." "But, shoving the entire club into the basement? The fuck?" "Language, Karen, Fiona scolded. But yes, I agree their methods are rather repulsive. That is why I ultimately gave up on convincing them through monetary means. In cases like this, money spoke louder than words. Fiona came to Skyline Junior High fully prepared to donate a compensation fee in exchange for approval. That was simply the way of the world. In fact, that was also how she ultimately bribed her school into allowing her to form a Classmancers club. Likewise, Fiona also had to donate some money to the regional authorities so that the Valkyries would be registered for this years regionals despite the short notice. Furthermore, she went through similar negotiations with other teams from the region in order to arrange at least three scrims for the team. Fortunately, with two coaches from the region vouching for her, it was easy enough to convince a few other teams to fit another scrim into their schedule. another scrimmage. So originally, Fiona came prepared to enact the same tactics on Skyline Junior High. However, the more she talked to the principal, the more repulsed she became by the idea of giving this man any money. No offense to him as a person, but his attitude toward Classmancers was borderline disgusting. He didn''t consider it an actual sport in the slightest. In the end, as much as Fiona wanted to play against Yuel''s team, she ended up leaving that meeting empty-handed. So, the long overdue rematch will have to wait longer. Perhaps they''ll have a chance to face each other at the regionals at least. Fiona could only hope so. "Welcome back." The chauffeur, Sbastien, greeted Fiona and Karen as they approached the limousine. "Would you like to head home now?" "Yes, please," Fiona replied as she checked her watch. "My piano lesson starts in half an hour. Should I inform the tutor about any potential delays?" "Hrm. I''m afraid so, milady," Sebastian said. "Currently, the estimated arrival time is 40 minutes." He reported after checking the navigation app. "Naturally, I''ll do everything in my power to deliver you to the lesson as quickly as possible." "Thank you, but no need to hurry. This is not a life-or-death matter. Drive safely, please." "Of course, milady." Sebastian bowed deeply and closed the limousines door after Fiona and Karen boarded the expensive vehicle. Phew. Karen dropped onto the soft sofa. That was one long scrim alright. Yes, Fiona agreed. It was longer than it should have reasonably been, especially the first game. Thats all Catos fault, Im telling you. He stretched out that game like crazy. True, it must have been his bad habit acting up again, Fiona said. Though, in its own way, it is a valid strategy for long matches. Blegh. A lame strat. Karen made a disgusted face. I mean, hes in charge of the team thats known as the regional champions, right? Dude should show more backbone. I agree, it was not a very elegant conduct. The Leopards are the strongest team in the region, so they should strive to be a role model for everybody else. However, Im sure Catos strategies were not very inspiring for anybody watching. Right? Cato be ruining everything he touches. I wouldnt go that far, but I understand the sentiment. In general, the entire scrimmage lacked strategic elegance. It was a clash between two chess opponents Fiona was familiar with, therefore she expected the match to boil down to a battle of wits and smarts. Alas, the overall outcome was very different. It ended up as a battle in which the strength of the individual pieces had more impact than the overall strategy. For Stratus, the irregular playstyles of Memer and Vanishing were the main reasons they managed to bust holes in the Leopards defenses. Meanwhile, for the Leopards, it was ultimately the raw strength of Apprentece that handed them the final game on a silver platter. In short, it was far from an intellectually satisfying scrimmage. It looked more like a clash of eccentric and powerful pieces. All in all, Cato and Yuel seemed to have very loose control over the events that transpired. That was not how a competitive team should look like. The teams overall performance should not be at the mercy of the individual skill of a select few. The team should act as a monolith that follows a well-defined strategy. At least, that was Fionas ideal vision for team-based sports. But, perhaps I am I have no right to criticize them on that. Fiona thought. After all, the few team sports I participate in do not follow that ideal either Honestly, partaking in team sports was akin to opening a can of worms. Teamwork was an interesting challenge in theory, yet in practice, it almost always ended with teammates overly relying on Fionas skill. It was such a paradox. Nonetheless, this experience offered something different from the usual challenges Fiona was already accustomed to in solo sports. And so, she continued partaking in two such sports for now: volleyball and Classmancers In both, Fiona strived to command an organized team and dominate through tactical warfare, yet things always proved to be difficult in this field... Vol.19 Ch.2: The Morning of the Landberht Princess It was morning. The elaborate alarm clock on the desk started playing a tune to wake up the sleepy. It was just loud enough to wake somebody up, but not loud to the point of startling a sleeping person. Apparently, lots of professional finetuning went into achieving this, or something. Anyway, Karen jumped up and turned it off almost immediately. Then, she quickly glanced at her older sister, who was still lying on the other side of the giant bed. "Okay, safe!" Karen pumped a fist and smiled suspiciously. Don''t worry, I''ll wake you up, Sis~ Karen crept toward the unsuspecting older sister who was still fast asleep. Unlike Karen, who always woke up at the faintest sound of the alarm, Fiona needed more time to return from slumberland. Well, she worked hard until late yesterday, so she has the right to rest a little. Karen nodded in understanding. After they returned home from ProCenter, Karen was free to do as she pleased afterward. But, not Fiona. The ever-hardworking older sister had many more scheduled activities she had to participate in. Piano, swimming, late-night jogging, and then some Classmancers training before bed. Really, sometimes it felt like the renowned Landberht Princess didnt even know the meaning of the word rest. Karen did join her sister in some of these activities whenever she felt like it, especially Classmancers, but otherwise, she had been dodging that stress whenever she could. That kind of schedule was practically inhuman. Like for example, who''d even have the energy to jog after going through a bunch of swimming? Sure, Karen sometimes joined her sister for either swimming or jogging, but never both of them in a row. That was just overkill. Like, for real. Yet somehow, Fiona had no trouble keeping up with all of this on a regular basis. Or at least, that''s what she claimed. But really, Fiona had always been carrying herself gallantly, radiating full confidence and consistency. Even as she went from swimming to jogging with barely any rest in between, there was not a hint of weariness on her face. Nonetheless, as amazing as everybody considered the Landberht Princess to be, Fiona was ultimately a human. Though her fatigue wasn''t immediately apparent, it slowly built up over time and eventually made her collapse on the bed like a puppet whose strings were cut. Shes practically putting herself through torture. Karen thought as she gently caressed her sister''s golden hair. How can you do this to yourself, day in and day out? This was a routine Fiona had been maintaining for years now. In the process, she seemed to develop incredible resilience to all of the stress and fatigue, but seriously, this schedule shouldnt be feasible for a human being to maintain on a regular basis. Back when Karen came to live in this mansion, she was shocked to learn about this hellish routine. It was inconceivable that some "rich lady" would subject herself to such pressure. Yet, Fiona always carried herself so confidently as she rotated through multiple harsh activities in a single day. She made everything look so easy, almost as if any kid should be able to do that much. Seeing Fiona''s hard work motivated Karen to practice more as well. Of course, half of her motivation came from the fact shed be able to spend more time with her sister like this, but the other half was genuine admiration toward Fionas ability to push herself to the limit and beyond. Basically, this made Karen curious about her own limits. And to her surprise, once she started trying out some things, she discovered that she was able to achieve much more than she originally thought. No matter how tough the practice was at first, over time Karen somehow managed to normalize it into a "daily activity" like any other. It became fundamentally no different from the effort required to go through lessons at school. And so, by sticking to a regular schedule, Karen was able to keep up with her sister to a certain extent. But, her schedule was like 50% less packed than Fionas. Chess and piano aren''t my kind of thing. Karen thought. Swimming and jogging are nice, but doing them one after another in one day is way too harsh. But, you can do anything, right, Sis? Because you''re that amazing~ Karen rubbed her face against Fiona''s arm and snuggled up to the sleeping beauty. Even as she was doing all of this, Fiona remained still as a log. Ever the heavy sleeper, aren''t you? Karen giggled. That''s one secret only I know~ For most people, the Landberht Princess appeared as this invincible figure who could do anything flawlessly. However, underneath all that impressive stuff was still a human being made of flesh and bones. And, it just so happened that waking up in the morning was one cute weakness she had~ Like, real talk, even the alarm clock usually failed to wake Fiona up on the first try. It had to repeat itself multiple times until the sleeping princess finally decided to leave slumberland. Things were especially rough on days that came after hard physical training, like the one from yesterday. Even though Fiona aced the hellish routine of swimming and jogging, it clearly took a toll on her body. Since Karen was the type to wake up immediately, it was annoying to let the alarm to keep playing. So instead, it was always her job to wake up her dear sister~ "Meow~" Karen rubbed herself against Fiona. Sis is so defenseless. I have to protect her~ Though arguably, the most dangerous individual in the room at the moment was none other than Karen herself. Right now, she could do anything she wanted with this beautiful doll~ You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Truly, the mornings were such precious times of the day. Karen could never get enough of them~ Alas, all good things eventually had to come to an end and this was no exception. "Ahem." Someone cleared their throat. Karen was caught in the act, same as always. A woman in a maid''s uniform towered the bed. She was the head maid, Lydia. A very nice woman in general, but a big throne in the ass in the mornings. "I understand that you love your sister very much," Lydia said. "But, I would appreciate it if you actually tried to wake her up at some point instead of just expressing your affection all day. It''s already been five minutes since the alarm rang." "Wait, seriously!? That long!?" Karen jumped and turned around. The wooden clock on the desk agreed with Lydia on this one. Well, this wasnt the first time this happened. Oftentimes, Karen felt like he had just started snuggling up to her sister, and then BAM! Five minutes gone! Just like that. Maybe I should start waking up earlier. Karen sometimes entertained the thought but she never went through with it. Nah, we''re already waking up hella early. Like, it''s still before 6 o''clock. I''m pretty sure nobody else in our school wakes up this early. Yet, Fiona had no choice but to get up early if she wanted to squeeze her absurd schedule into a single day. As a result, Karen had to wake up this early as well. Of course, with the mansion being so big, Karen could easily request a separate room all for herself and divorce herself from all of this. But, that would mean giving up on these delicious daily routines, so no thanks. "Would you mind hurrying up, please?" Lydia requested again. "You''re already beyond schedule by over a minute." "Meh. We already wake up earlier than necessary to have some leeway, right? So, no biggie." "With that attitude, no amount of spare time would ever suffice." "Haha, maybe." Karen laughed dryly and sighed. Seriously, weve got more than enough time, but Lydia be Lydia. The head maid was nice and caring but also strict and punctual. She looked rather young for a position like this, probably still in her 30s, yet she had this professional aura around her that made it difficult to argue back against her. "Alright, alright." Karen gave in. "I''m waking her up now." "Please do." "Sis, wakey-wakey~" Karen softly whispered into Fiona''s ear while gently nudging the sleeping beauty. At first, there wasn''t much reaction. Fiona remained still like a statue. Only her faint breathing reassured her that she was, in fact, alive. "Sis~" Karen rubbed her nose against her sister''s arm while shaking the girl''s shoulder. Slowly but surely, Fiona started waking up. She lazily opened her eyes and blinked at her surroundings. "Good morning, sis!" "Good morning, Karen... Zzz..." Fiona''s head raised for a moment but then dropped again. "Whoa!? For real?" Karen exclaimed. "C''mon, Sis! We''ll be late at this rate." "Late...?" Fiona perked up again. It was like an instinctive reaction to something she deemed unacceptable. "Are we late?" "Nah, not yet, Karen whispered. But, Lydia is giving us the evil eye. "I can hear you, Karen," Lydia said. "Ehe." Karen stuck out her tongue. "Anyway, Sis. Time to wake up." "Right..." Fiona''s eyes were still half-closed but at least she finally developed the determination to rise from bed. however, she did it slowly, so very slowly. She pushed her hands against the fluffy bed but struggled to stand up. It was as if her arms were too frail to support her. I know that''s horseshit, tho. Karen commented. Sis can do more push-ups and pull-ups than me. She be lifting. And yet, right now, there was no sign of Fiona''s usual strength anywhere here. She looked like a toddler who was trying to get on its feet for the first time. "You can do it, Sis." Karen gave her sister a little push from behind. Eventually, after a few long seconds, Fiona finally managed to leave the bed. Lydia bowed. "Good morning, milady. "Good morning, Lydia..." Fiona somehow managed to respond despite obviously being out of it. "Your breakfast is ready, so please head to the dining room." "Yes..." Fiona answered vaguely as she wobbled toward the door. She looked like a child taking its first steps. Everything about this was a far cry from the usual gallant image associated with Landberht Princess. If the media were to see Fiona like this, they''d surely jump on the opportunity to write dozens of articles about this tidbit. Hopefully, theyd at least spin all of this in a positive light and call it "cute". Nonetheless, for Fiona, itll still count as a disgrace. She cared dearly about the strong and confident persona she built. As such, the Landberht Princess definitely didnt have any such cute weaknesses. Karen and Lydia swore to take this secret to the grave. "The dining room is that way." Karen gently pointed her sleepy sister in the right direction. "Of course... I know..." Fiona claimed so but she almost went in the opposite direction just now. Along the way, they stopped at the restroom first. There, Fiona washed away her cute drowsiness with cold water. Thanks to this one trick, Fiona once again regained her noble aura. She was now walking forward gallantly. "Let us go, Karen." "Yes, Sis." Now, Fiona was the one leading the way. The cute sleepy girl from earlier was gone without a trace. Its a shame. Karen shook her head. But of course, I love the usual strong Sis all the same~ They had their brief but luxurious breakfast. After that, they changed into school uniforms, took their bags, and headed outside. "Good morning, miladies." Sebastian bowed as he opened the door of the jet-black limousine. "Good morning, Sebastian." On that note, Fiona and Karen boarded the expensive vehicle. Fiona''s bodyguards were already waiting in the car, in a separate cabin to not interfere with the girls'' private matters. "Let''s see. Today''s schedule is..." Fiona checked the calendar on her smartphone. Karen drew closer to also see the details. Whoa, packed as always... Karen sighed deeply. Well, at least in volleyball and Classmancers we''re together. As for chess I could join too, but meh. Then, lets see, other than that... Karen methodically calculated how much time shed be able to spend with her dear sister today within this packed schedule. As far as she was concerned, this was the most important question every day. Okay, I think Ive got it. Karen nodded in satisfaction. But still, volleyball practice first thing in the morning? That means we gonna run into HER, right? Good lordy. I wish these bodyguards did their job better and kept that nuisance away from Sis. Unfortunately, there was no stopping the inevitable from happening. The limousine arrived at the school and the sisters headed in. And so, an hour after the awkward wake-up procedure, Fiona Landberhts busy day had begun Vol.19 Ch.3: One Student, Multiple Clubs In St. Marys Junior High for Ladies, sports were a complicated topic. The school strived to educate "proper ladies", and different people had different opinions about whether a "lady" had any need for something sweaty and competitive like sports. In particular, many of the older staff often voiced their displeasure on this topic. Nonetheless, in the world outside, women''s sports have been becoming more and more popular. Not only professionally, but also among kids and teens. As such, it became common to expect schools to provide support for such activities. In fact, for some parents, it was a deal breaker when a school didnt have any sports clubs. To not lose too many customers, the school had no choice but to adapt. So, about two decades ago, St. Marys started supporting sports clubs. There was some internal strife among the education staff on the topic, and to this day there were some teachers who didnt look favorably on sports activities. But fortunately, most of the fraction was gone by now. And so, St. Marys adopted sports and made them available for those who wanted to partake in them. However, the school had relatively fewer students than the average school, and only a portion of them were interested in sports in the first place. This naturally led to a limited number of club options. Soccer and basketball were the two most popular sports among teens these days, but these two didnt appeal to girls as much as they did to boys. As such, though there were some attempts to form such clubs in the past, these projects never kicked off because they failed to attract enough students. In the end, most of the girls who joined sports clubs went for track and field. It was a sport with the least direct confrontation between competitors, and it also offered a broad variety of activities so it was easier to find something attractive there. Nonetheless, there was one ball game that managed to become relatively popular among the girls: volleyball. Out of all the ball games, this was the only one that managed to get a club in St Marys. Despite its humble beginnings, this club quickly made a name for itself at the regionals. The school invested in a proper female coach for the club, and the results spoke for themselves. Alas, with the school being so small, it didnt have a stable influx of talent every year. As a result, the team had some years in which it underperformed greatly. The coach noticed this concerning trend and came up with an unusual solution. She requested the school to permit students to attend multiple sports clubs at the same time if they so desired. This was rather unorthodox compared to how things operated in other schools, but it made a lot of sense. At the middle school level, athletic talent was sometimes more important than specialized practice. For example, a talented girl from the track and field club, who already trained hard on a regular basis, could easily outshine many members of the volleyball club at their own game. Somebody like that, who already had a great athletic affinity, might need far less volleyball training than others in order to perform well at the regionals. This was simply a matter of having undeveloped bodies. Almost nobody in the volleyball club went through enough years of specialized training to be considered a "volleyball specialist". Their bodies hadnt yet rebuilt themselves to specialize in the sport, therefore anybody who was athletic enough had a chance to do well. In fact, Fionas success in so many sports was largely thanks to this factor. Her intense regular training regime built up the core of her body in such a way that allowed her to perform well in anything. However, she was like a jack of all trades and a master of none. Some coaches had already warned her that dividing her focus between so many sports would eventually come back to bite her. No matter how much professional coaching she keeps receiving, at some point, it won''t be enough anymore. In the end, specialization was bound to beat generalization. Those who dedicated themselves wholly to a single craft were bound to stand at the top of the highest level of competition. And indeed, Fiona had already started feeling the impact of this in recent years. For example, she used to practice judo at one point in time. Like in every other field, she showed much promise at first. At first, she performed well in competitions. Alas, her glory was short-lived. Soon enough, she started running into opponents who practiced judo far more religiously than her. These girls were often bigger and physically stronger than Fiona, and they practiced judo that much more. At some point, it felt like an impassable wall formed between Fiona and the top of the competition for her age. She could no longer stay near the top as a generalist. Of course, she might have had a chance if she chose to dedicate herself wholly to the craft, but focusing on judo alone did not interest her. And so, Fiona quit competitive judo in favor of focusing on other sports. This was just the first field she had to quit due to not being a specialist. In time, more and more fields will prove themselves too difficult to compete in. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. In fact, last year, Fiona had already lost the tennis regionals to another girl. Unlike Fiona, her opponent was a tennis purist and the daughter of a pro player to boot. As frustrating as it was, developments like that were just a matter of time. Eventually, the entire image of the Landberht Princess who excels in many sports will become forgotten history. However, such heavy topics were still in the far future. For now, Fiona was still a middle schooler and the majority of her competition was half-baked as athletes. So, using similar reasoning, the volleyball coach at St. Marys managed to convince the principal that the volleyball club should be allowed to recruit members from other clubs. Students who showed excellent athletic ability were bound to be an asset in competitive games and help the team maintain its prestige in the region in a more consistent manner. On paper, these borrowed students still belonged to one club, so to speak. The main club was the one they had the most obligation to while the volleyball club had secondary priority. These students were welcome to join practice but it was not strictly demanded of them on a regular basis. But, this was just the formal definition on paper. In practice, the volleyball coach coaxed many students into regularly joining the volleyball club in their practice. Fiona and Karen were also two victims of the woman''s schemes. And so, today as well, Fiona and Karen found themselves heading to volleyball practice early in the morning. Just to be clear, this was not something Fiona signed up for of her own volition. She always found team sports difficult to compete in because achieving victory relied on many factors that were outside of her direct control. There was nothing Fiona hated more than being unable to fully control her own fate. Whenever she lost a game, she wanted it to happen on her own terms. It had to be a situation where she played to the utmost of her ability and that simply proved insufficient. As such, track and field, swimming, tennis, piano, and chess were the fields she enjoyed the most. She was aware of the prestige behind the schools volleyball club but she had absolutely no interest in joining it. But, in time, her reputation made things difficult for her. The media fawned over the "Landberht Princes", so Fiona had no chance of escaping the attention of the volleyball coach. And so, the foxy woman pulled some strings to recruit Fiona into the club. Truly, it was a rather tiresome experience. At first, Fiona refused the call. Unfortunately, it did not end at that. The school spoke with her multiple times, effectively pleading with her to do it "for the sake of the school". However, with how packed Fiona''s schedule already was at the time, she insisted on turning them down time and again. But, they persisted, annoyingly so. It felt like the volleyball coach had no intention of giving up for as long as she was alive. In fact, the woman went as far as to conceive a story about how that year''s volleyball club was "lacking in talent" and had little to no chance at the regionals. It was debatable whether that was truly the case, but she was the coach so the school had to take her at her word. Truly, a shrewd woman. The worst part was how genuinely passionate the woman was about all of this. She used to be a professional volleyball player and her actions radiated just how much she loved the sport even now. So, from her perspective, she just trying to find talent to nurture for her beloved sport. Truth be told, the woman''s passion nearly swayed Fiona more than a few times. She came but a few steps away from falling into that well-crafted trap. Nonetheless, Fiona always stood her ground in the end. She simply was not interested in a team sport, and her schedule was already too packed to allow any distractions. Therefore, for a long time, Fiona had been deflecting the invitation. She had plenty of other important matters to take care of, so she had no interest in increasing her load. In particular, as it was her first year of middle school, Fiona was greatly anticipating a certain chess match at the regionals. She was hoping to hold an official rematch with Yuel Fermond, provided the mans skill did not rust to the point he would be eliminated at the prelim. This was a real concern. After all, Yuel performed poorly a year prior, getting eliminated by Cato before ever reaching Fiona at the finals. It was quite a lamentable matter, considering this was the man who somehow triumphed over Fiona a year prior. After seeing Yuels poor performance against Cato, Fiona could not help but wonder whether she misjudged the mans skill level. Perhaps his victory against Fiona was naught more than a fluke, a one-in-a-million chance. Yet, every time Fiona reviewed that match, a shudder ran through her. It was not like she had never faced defeat before in her life, but that one defeat, in particular, etched itself into her memory. She simply could not forget about it, no matter how much time had passed. There was something vile about that match in particular, something that rubbed Fiona the wrong way up to this day. It felt as if Fiona lost herself during that battle. Perhaps she did not even lose to Yuel Fermond at all that day. Rather, she lost against herself. That was why she simply could not let go of that match. On that day, Yuel Fermond exposed a glaring weakness that Fiona had in chess, and he used that one weakness to strike her down. Therefore, Fiona wished for a proper rematch ever since. She practiced hard since that day, learning all manners of less conventional plays for the sake of being prepared for any situation. Today, she could confidently claim that she was more resilient than ever to surprising complications. Nonetheless, to properly close the book on this whole arc, Fiona desired to play against Yuel Fermond one more time and to properly defeat him. Only then, she will finally be able to move on. And so, Fiona anticipated this one rematch during her first year of middle school but it never came. Yuel Fermond did not show up for the regionals that year. Frankly, Fiona was not sure what to make of it. Did Yuel quit chess? Or, did he simply miss this one tournament for some reason? Will she ever get her much-desired rematch? Truth be told, Fiona was itching to head out and confront the man directly on the topic. But, at the same time, she felt as if this might be a sign to finally let go. With how busy her schedule was, it should be easy enough to lose herself in a lot of other activities and eventually forget about this topic entirely. Nonetheless, every now and then, Fiend still found herself wondering why Yuel Fermond did not show up to the tournament. But, every time the question popped up, she made it into a policy to perish the thought and focus on the other many activities of her life. But then, one day, the devil showed up and dragged Fiona back into this bottomless swamp Vol.19 Ch.4: The Volleyball Club as a Bargaining Chip "I have some interesting news for you~" One day, Cato showed up in front of Fiona with a smirk. Of course, he practically always wore a smile, but this one was bigger and more sinister than usual. Fiona was almost wary of hearing this news. And, in a way, she was correct. The tale Cato told her was something that probably was best left untold. "You won''t believe who I just saw the other day. My Classmancers club had a scrim against another school, and guess who I saw playing on the other team? None other than your most beloved chess rival~" Yuel Fermond. Yes, it was him, playing for StormBlitz, the team that supposedly posed the greatest threat to the crowned regional champions. Despite being but a freshman, he actually participated in that important scrim as a second-string. What''s more, according to Cato, the man performed quite well for such a young player. At the time, Fiona was not familiar with that digital sport, so she did not have a strong opinion on Yuel''s performance either way; she had to trust Cato''s narrative on that. However, what did intrigue her was the fact Yuel Fermond didn''t show up to the regional chess tournament, yet he did show up to that Classmancers scrimmage. And, based on Cato''s words, the man played very competitively. So, did Yuel abandon chess in favor of that video game? Is that how it was? In fact, he did mention something to this effect back in grade school as well. When Fiona confronted him about the match he lost to Cato, Yuel mentioned he was busy with "other matters" that had higher priority for him. Could it be he was talking about Classmancers back then? Was that the "higher priority" matter he prioritized over chess? At the time, Fiona did not consider video games to be a legitimate competitive field, therefore her reaction was quite bitter upon hearing Catos news. But at the same time, she was curious as well. Why did somebody as talented as Yuel Fermond choose to abandon chess for a video game? And, there was Cato, too. He also competed in Classmancers. Though he continued practicing chess as well, it was clear where his priorities lay. On top of that, Karen also played that video game. She did not seem as serious about it as the two boys, but she nonetheless raved about it every now and then. She even invited Fiona to join her on occasion, but naturally, Fiona declined the invitations. Interestingly, on some other days, Karen ranted about the game nonstop and told Fiona to stay away from it instead. It looked like an interesting love-hate relationship. Ultimately, as all these curious factors accumulated, Fionas curiosity finally got the best of her. She folded and decided to venture into this unknown world of video gaming. Though, to be precise, she only focused on Classmancers. The few other games she tried before it was just a gateway for getting used to the medium. The more Fiona learned about competitive Classmancers, the more appreciation she developed for the video game as a legitimate sport. It was definitely very different from conventional competitive sports, yet its core was very much the same. Knowledge, skill, and experience - these three pillars were as important in this esport as they were in any other sport. Not to mention, there was a lot of meta information to unpack here. Before all of this, Fiona thought video games only existed to pass the time in leisure. However, competitive Classmancers proved her wrong. In many ways, learning a MOBA game proved to be more taxing than picking up most real-life sports. There was tons of data to unpack and process. There were so many classes, so many items, and some many terms to learn. And, it did not help that Fiona had next to no experience with any of that. As a result, it took her very long to get used to the sheer magnitude of information. However, no sport was unlearnable, that was Fionas firm belief. With the aid of professional coaches and with enough hard work, she managed to become a player who occasionally even stumped Cato in Duel. As her interest in the esport increased, Fiona developed a new point of view on her unfulfilled rematch with Yuel Fermond. If the man was so dedicated to Classmancers now, then Fiona likely had no chance of having a satisfying rematch against him in chess. So then, how about challenging him at his own game instead? Classmancers was no chess but it offered more than enough strategic avenues to compete in. So, Fiona and Yuel could settle the score in this game as well. By the end of the day, chess was just one specific game. It was highly regarded due to its rich history and elegant design, but there were plenty of other games out there with tactical depth. For example, there were Shogi, Go, and many others. Truly, there was no shortage of alternative games to choose from. It just so happened that Yuel chose to focus on Classmancers. So, Fiona could challenge him there. Ultimately, it was not necessarily a chess rematch she was seeking. Fiona simply wanted to face this irritable man once again and prove that she had conquered the weakness Yuel exposed back then. To that end, facing him in Classmancers will do. And so, Fiona decided on her course of action. Except, there was one problem: Classmancers was a team game. Fiona could not play the game competitively by herself. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Fortunately, she already had Karen on her side, but two players were not enough either. Fiona needed a team. And, not just any team, but one that was officially recognized and could participate in the regionals. That was when the story came a full circle and returned to St. Marys Junior High. The school was old-fashioned in many ways but it was making strides to modernize itself, as shown by the existence of the volleyball club. Following that successful trend, would it be too much of a stretch to request the school to open a Classmancers club? Yes, it probably was. Real-life sports were familiar to the common folk regardless of age, but what about esports? Most likely, the elders of the schools staff were not even aware that video games could be played competitively. In fact, even Fiona was only loosely aware of the concept for most of her life before Classmancers. Considering all that, St. Marys was likely not ready yet to adapt to such novel concepts. With that said, the school valued Fiona as a mascot of sorts. She was like a magical creature who brought fame and media attention to the school. Therefore, had some leverage to start off with. However, that was not going to be enough to convince the principal and Fiona knew it. So, this was where the volleyball club returned into the picture. The coach, and the school by extension, were quite desperate to bring Fiona into the club. They were almost literally begging her to participate. That was when advice from Fionas dad came to mind. Sometimes, you might have to do a big favor to another person or an institution, even if it means sacrificing something important in exchange. But, there is no need to be too agitated by that. The important part is making sure the other side understands just how much youre sacrificing for them. You want to make them feel indebted to you. Sometimes, such is the way of business. Following that advice, Fiona made it clear to the school just how much joining the volleyball club would inconvenience her. She went through many such discussions with the coach and the school principal. So surely, at this point, they should have started feeling at least a little guilty about pestering her so much. Thanks to this setup, if Fiona were to ultimately honor their request, then the school would be indebted to her. That would become a leverage she could use against them in order to push for the establishment of a Classmancers club. But, naturally, simply joining the club will not do. To make the school even more indebted, Fiona had to prove herself as an invaluable part of the volleyball team. In other words, she had to immediately become a starter and lead the team to victory. The more competitions the team wins thanks to Fionas contribution, the more dependent everybody will become on Fiona''s presence there. At that point, she will be in a winning position to present her demands. Fortunately, once Fiona set her mind, it was easy enough for her to put in the effort. At any sport she picked, winning had always been a natural goal for Fiona. As such, this whole "ploy" barely even felt like one. Overall, Fiona''s short-term goal was the same as always: play to win. The whole part about using her participation as leverage for Classmancers became a secondary priority until Fiona proved herself as a volleyball player. Truth be told, it was a harsher road than expected. Unlike the other sports Fiona practiced, volleyball was a team game, therefore Fiona alone could not control everything by herself. So, although it was clear she had the makings of an excellent player thanks to her innate athleticism, it was impossible for her to carry the entire team on her excellence alone. Fortunately, the clubs coach was very passionate about the sport and had a knack for teaching it, so a few other club members also sprouted into dependable teammates. This lifted a huge weight off Fionas shoulders. She did not actually have to carry the entire team all by herself, which was the main aspect of team games that she always disliked. Overall, Fiona brought in satisfactory results. She became a starter as a freshman and the club won the regionals that year. Unfortunately, the nationals remained outside their reach. Winning there would have practically guaranteed that Fiona could request just about anything from the school, but alas. In the end, though Fiona failed to gain maximum leverage, she nonetheless established herself as a remarkable player. There was no question in anybodys mind that she was an irreplaceable part of the team. Therefore, she still had a weapon in her hands, even if it was not quite as strong as she had hoped. And so, at the start of her second school year, Fiona presented her request: "I would like to form a Classmancers club." Needless to say, the board of education was baffled. They exchanged awkward glances as they tried to process what Fiona was asking for. At first, they shot down the request on the spot. They used the typical outdated arguments about video gaming not being "educational" or "ladylike". But, that was alright. Fiona came prepared. She did her research in advance by asking some of the teachers'' opinions about esports. "Same as other board game sports you are familiar with, competitive video games, namely esports, have solidified themselves as a popular and widely practiced activity nowadays, Fiona explained. As a chess player myself, I was quite entranced by the amount of depth and complexity this video game offers on the competitive level." Fiona hit the board with a lecture she practiced in advance. She made sure to stress that even though esports involved "video gaming", there was a distinct difference between playing them for fun and using them as a vehicle for competition. Amidst the many arguments she placed, Fiona also made sure to remind the school that she only joined the volleyball club because the school pleaded with her. "At the time, I had no interest in partaking in volleyball, Fiona said. As far as I was concerned, it was a team sport that had absolutely nothing to do with me. And, considering how little free time I have in my daily schedule, adding yet another sport to the mix was, and still is, a very big commitment for me." Combined with a few other strong arguments, Fiona ultimately made the school submit to her demand. However, not without placing some conditions first. The first and most important of which was Fiona''s continued participation in the track and volleyball clubs. That much was expected. Fiona excelled in both clubs and brought medals to the school, so they did not want to lose their golden goose. Furthermore, they indirectly hinted that the deal will be called canceled in case Fionas impressive achievements in track and volleyball suffer as a result of her dividing her focus between more clubs now. Furthermore, they insisted that this newborn Classmancers club had to prove its "worth" at the regionals, or else they would have to "reevaluate" the matter. In other words, they will shut the club down if it does not bring the school enough clout. Truly, from start to end, the school was nothing but selfish. Fiona even considered canceling the deal multiple times because of the schools absurd demands. Nonetheless, in the end, she stuck through with it. As absurd as the arrangement was, such absurdity was not alien to the Landberht Princess", the one famous for partaking in so many different competitive sports at the same time. And so, Fiona established the Classmancers club, remained in the track and field club, and continued practicing in the volleyball club. This tight schedule was why Fiona and Karen had to get to the school''s gym so early in the morning. There awaited them their usual "rival", or at least that was what the girl often called herself... Vol.19 Ch.5: Cornelia von Galen Not a moment passed since Fiona and Karen entered the gym and somebody already greeted them, it was Cornelia. "Good, I see you safely made it." "Huh? Karen raised an eyebrow. Why the heck do you make it sound like such a big deal?" Because today is the long-awaited scrim, Cornelia said. So, I thought you might run away from the challenge. "Pft, do you seriously think anybody gonna run away from a skill-less twat like you?" "What was that?" Cornelia glared at Karen, and Karen glared back. There were invisible sparks in the air. "Now, now." Fiona caressed her sister''s head, calming down the fierce beast. "Lets not open the day with a quarrel, alright?" "But, she started it...!" Karen pouted at first but soon succumbed to her sister''s gentle stroking. With the little beast peacified, Fiona turned to the girl challenging them. "Good morning to you, Cornelia." "A fine morning to you as well, Fiona Landberht." Cornelia made a little courtesy bow. It was like watching a young lady from the Victorian era. These days, such an archaic gesture would be considered silly, even in an old-fashioned school like St. Marys. However, Cornelia was so dedicated to the art that her execution was flawless. It felt so natural that it was hard to make a bad comment on it. Of course, that still did not stop some people from laughing at her all the same. "Pft, look at her go." Karen sneered. "Doing the ''noble lady'' skit again? I laugh every time." "Skit? There is no skit here. After all, I AM a noble lady, a scion of the von Galen family." "More like von Asshat." "You sure enjoy running your mouth, don''t you?" Cornelia twitched. "A mere servant like you has no right to speak in this manner to a noble lady." "What was that!?" Karen jumped forward, ready to throw some hands at that pompous fake lady. "Karen, please calm down." Fiona averted the disaster in the nick of time by stepping in. "Cornelia, I believe I asked kindly of you to not address my dear sister like that again." Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Pft, ''sister''. Yeah, right." "CORNELIA. VON. GALEN. Please." It was phrased like a polite request but it was actually a demand, Fionas sharp tone made that clear. The temperature in the gym must have dropped by at least two degrees in response. "F-Fine, it was my bad," Cornelia stammered. "T-Though, I have said nothing wrong, did I? Why insist on this fake pretense? What pretense, exactly? Karen barked back. Just so you know, our sisterly bond is a billion times more real than your fake blonde. W-What was that!? Cornelia almost tripped as she stepped backward. Y-Y-Y-You mere lowly commoner! You have no right to speak this way to a noble lady like me! It was an embarrassing sight. Both sides threw insults at each other while disregarding everybody around them. Fiona stepped in between the two dangerous beasts. Do you two mind calming down? If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But sis, this damn twat! Tch, you vulgar pleb! Von Asshat! Rubble! CALM. DOWN. Please. Fionas tone was as calm as ever, yet there was a certain fierceness to it that froze both girls in place. Truly, this was a tiresome affair. This routine always made Fiona feel like a mother who had to watch over two brats. Fortunately, Fiona''s forceful demand extinguished the raging fire. However, it was not over, not yet. "Very well," Cornelia said. "You are quite right, Fiona. It is unbecoming for a noble lady such as myself to stoop to the level of a commoner. I apologize for my misconduct." "That shit doesn''t sound like an apology at all!" Karen waved an angry fist, ready to jump the obnoxious girl. Alas, she couldn''t do that at all as long as Fiona stood in the way. Grrrr! "We have a practice match today, remember?" Fiona asked. "So, how about you two take all that energy of yours and pour it into the game?" "Alright, sis!" Karen nodded. "Just you watch, von Asshat! I''mma mop the floor real hard with you in the game!" "Hmph, big words for a commoner." Cornelia lifted her chin. "But, ''tis a fine proposal. Very well. I shall prove my superiority via a game of volleyball." "Hah, you''ll try." "And, I will succeed. My victory is all but assured." "Fat chance. Tell me the last you''ve ever beaten me at anything, I''ll wait." "Why, easily. Cornelia nodded. I beat you all the way back at birth when I was born a noble and not a commoner. "Grrrr! Karen hissed. "Sis, can''t I hit this girl? Just once? Pretty please?" "No." "Oof." Karen pouted. Oh well. Theyll have to settle this through volleyball then. "With that said," Cornelia continued. "It goes without saying that stomping a commoner is but an appetizer for the real event." She thrust her finger toward her real opponent. "Fiona Landberht, I challenge thee to a duel! Today is the day I shall finally reign supreme! I swear it on the von Galen name!" Pft. Karen sneered. "Don''t you swear this shit every single time?" "Karen, langue," Fiona scolded. "Whoopsie." Karen playfully stuck out her tongue. "But, seriously. Cornelia spouts that nonsense every dang time but she always loses lmao." "S-Silence, you!" Cornelia''s voice cracked. "Today is going to be different from all the days that came before! I-It was all practice until now! Yes, it was merely a long buildup for this one decisive moment!" "Whoa, somebody better call an ambulance because we got a delusional person over here." "You dare insult me still, you mere pleb!?" "Now, now." Fiona stepped in once again. "Please, girls. Play nice." "Hmph." Cornelia crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "Very well. I have no reason to be agitated over something a commoner says anyway." Karen grinned in response. "Well, Ill make sure to give you a reason to be agitated when I whoop your ass in the game. "Hmph. I can defeat commoners like you with my eyes closed," Cornelia proclaimed. "However, you, Fiona Landberht, are a worthy opponent. Therefore, today, I swear to smite you down and reclaim the honor of the von Galen family!" I do not remember ever sullying your family''s honor... Fiona retorted silently. "Very well, I accept your challenge. However, do keep in mind that this is a team sport, so you cannot focus only on me the whole time." "Worry not. Cornelia puffed her chest in confidence. I shall make sure to defeat you convincingly while I put the rest of your team under my thumb as well." "That sounds very promising." Fiona nodded. "Also, please make sure you do not try to handle everything by yourself. You have an entire team with you, so you should cooperate with them to achieve your goal." "Hmph. I suppose I may borrow the servants help shall the need arise." "They can hear you talk, just so you are aware" A couple of girls gave Cornelia the evil eye after being called "servants". Needless to say, Cornelia was not exactly high on the club''s popularity list. At the same time, nobody pushed too hard to remove her from the club. Despite her haughty attitude, Cornelia did possess a decent amount of skill, therefore it was difficult for the other girls to confront her directly. "Very well." Cornelia nodded in satisfaction at this resolution and finally stepped away. "With this out of the way, it is time for warmup." "Indeed, it is," Fiona agreed. And, we are overdue on that by more than five minutes already, thanks to you. And so, two sides disengaged for now. But, soon enough, they will run into each other once more. This time, on the battlefield that was the volleyball court. Vol.19 Ch.6: The Explosive Noble "Hmm. Let''s see" Cornelia stepped onto the court and eyed the practicing girls. Then, she randomly thrust her finger at one of them. "Hey, you! Eh, what was your name again? Well, doesnt matter. I wish to practice spikes, so set for me!" "Eeeh?" the girl made a face. "I''m not really good with that stuff." Nonsense, Ive seen you setting up just fine, Cornliea said. "Besides, it''s but a simple set, how hard can it be?" "But, you''re totally going to complain if the sets aren''t to your liking..." "Of course I will." Cornelia nodded. "If the sets won''t permit me to properly practice my spikes, then there is no point to them." "You see? You do want the high-quality sets, after all." The girl made a face. "But, I''m the reserve libero, remember? Heh, who am I kidding? Of course you don''t. Anyway, I don''t do sets often, so Im not that good at them." "Hmm, I see." Cornelia nodded in understanding. "But, it is never too late to learn! So, come on." "Somebody, save meeeeeeeeee..." "Alright, alright." Another girl stepped. It was Daniella, the captain of the club as well as the team''s main setter. "I''ll set for you." "Much obligated, captain." Cornelia expressed proper respect toward the senior in charge. Such was the expected etiquette from a noble lady. Just you watch, Fiona! Cornelia thought as she jumped toward the set ball. Today, I shall make sure that the name Cornelia von Galen will go down in history as the name of the one who triumphed over the Landberht scion! BOOM! It sounded like an explosion, but that was just the sound of the ball crashing into the floor. Cornelia struck that one with all her might and the set was quite ideal, as expected from the captain. Therefore, Cornelia was able to exhibit the full extent of her noble talent with that spike! The sound of the crash echoed throughout the gym. Such intimidating noises were perhaps common in boys'' volleyball, but not so much in girls. Naturally, many of the girls turned around to check out the source of the explosion. In other words, they were all gazing upon the mighty Cornelia von Galen! Surely, theyll now revere her as the queen of the volleyball court! But Out, Daniella said. ... excuse me? It was out. W-Was it? Cornelia was taken aback. S-Surely you jest. It was right there on the line! Nope, it was out. I saw it clearly. Right, girls? Daniella addressed the ones who stood closer to the point of impact. The girls confirmed that the ball indeed landed a little outside the bounds. T-That cant be Cornelia gritted her teeth for a moment, but then covered her mouth and burst out in laughter. Ohohoho! Yes, of course it mightve landed out of bounds. After all, I did not strictly try to place the shot within the court itself. Oh, you didnt? Not at all. After all, this is but warm-up, ohoho! Hmm, I see. Daniella nodded. Then, from here on out, please make sure to hit all your spikes inside the court. Its important to warm up your aim, too. Especially, in your case Of course, of course. Cornelia nodded. Very well. As a noble lady, I shall elegantly place all my powerful shots within the court! This is no challenge at all for a scion of the von Galen family! And so, the next set arrived. The ball flew high into the air, perfectly matching Cornelias jumping ability. As expected of a high-caliber setter, the captain was capable of adjusting her sets quite acutely to the spikers preferences. It was truly an honor to practice alongside an accomplished senior like Daniella. BAM! Another powerful spike! The ball rammed so hard into the floor that it wouldnt have been odd for it to leave a crater behind! But Out, Daniella reported. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. O-Oh, yes, I see. Hmm. Cornelia opened and closed her mouth in defeat. This time, her spike went so far out of bounds that she struggled to come up with any defense for her case. At first, she considered blaming this on the captains set, but clearly, there was no fault with Daniellas art. That ball ascended to the perfect height for Cornelia to hit it with all her might. As such, the fault lay entirely with Cornelias aim. But, of course, this was not allowed to be written off as a mistake on her part. After all, as the noble daughter of the von Galen family, Cornelia could not possibly make such embarrassing mistakes. And so, Cornelia puffed her chest in confidence. "I simply wanted to practice outs for a little bit, thats all there is to it." "Huh. Daniella narrowed her eyes. And, why would you want to practice something like that? In case youve forgotten, this game is all about placing the spikes INSIDE the court." "O-Of course I remember something so elementary! It''s simply such a rare experience for one as noble as myself to ever hit outs, so I felt like getting a taste of that exotic experience on this fine morning, ohoho!" Yeah, sure. Its rare. Daniella rolled her eyes. Girl, your wild spikes miss more than they land. Sigh. Cornelia''s spikes were powerful, no question about that. However, with great power came great responsibility. The spikes had impressive velocity but they sacrificed accuracy in exchange. The harder Cornelia struck the ball, the more likely it was to go out. This was practically a scientific law at this point. "How about dialing down the speed a little bit?" Daniella suggested. "It doesn''t seem like you''ll be placing any shots inside the court if you keep hitting with all your power." "H-Hmph, very well." Cornelia lifted her chin. "Since this plebeian court cannot contain the full force of my noble shots, it appears I must hold my brilliance back a little." "Please do." And so, another set. The ball flew high into the air again, just as carefully and as accurately as last time. Truly, the captain''s tosses were ever filled with elegant skill. Itd be a shame to waste such noble effort, therefore Cornelia absolutely had to nail this next spike. BAM. She struck the ball with great force, but she made sure to hold back just a little. It was truly a shame that this puny court was unable to withstand the full extent of her noble strength, but such was the plebian nature of this mass of land. BAM! The ball crashed into the floor. The loudness made some girls turn their heads, as they should always do. After all, all of them should be grateful that they had the chance to witness Cornelia''s magnificence in action, and free of charge to boot. Fortunately, this time, the ball landed within bounds. It suspiciously swayed to the left toward the very end of the flight, but it was all good in the end. "Good one," Daniella said. "Though, it was cutting it a little close there. You might want to slow down even more." "Non, non. That will not do." Cornelia wagged her finger. "Any slower than this and my spikes will no longer be able to deliver the full extent of my noble brilliance." "Is that so..." Daniella made a face. "Well, you do you. Let''s get a few more shots in before the scrim begins." "Gladly!" Daniella set the ball a few more times, and Cornelia leaped at every opportunity to spike it. She was like a hungry beast jumping at every prey presented to her. After dialing down the fierceness of the strikes, Cornelias accuracy increased just enough to place most of her spikes inside the court. Many of those were still too close to comfort and nearly slipped outside, but it was fine as long as they ultimately landed within bounds. Well, personally, I wish she hit them in a safer spot. Daniella thought. Then again, hitting your spikes close to the line is technically optimal, so eh... That quirky spike trajectory was both a blessing and a curse at the same time. These spikes were definitely difficult to receive, but they also had the bad habit of going out of bounds all by themselves. As such, it was difficult to place too much confidence in them. Alas, regardless of Daniella''s concerns, this was the only type of spike Cornelia was willing to hit. She never compromised on anything less. Well, she DOES have another type of spike, but... Daniella felt even less confident about that one. Still, I have to make sure she''s at least warmed up with it. It rarely ever lands in, but it''s pretty impressive when it works. And so, Daniella made sure to have Cornelia practice that backup tool. This troublesome girl had the accuracy of someone throwing darts in the dark, but she sure packed a lot of force. With effective warmup, it should be possible to fine-tune Cornelia to become a strong asset to the team. BAM! BAM! BAM! The gym sounded like a warzone because of the repeated bombarding noises. Some girls shuddered at the mere thought of being on the receiving end of these destructive spikes. After a few more rounds, it was time to take a break. "Make sure to get some rest before the scrim," Daniella said. "You''ll tire yourself out before the match if you keep going this hard." "Hah, ha..." Cornelia''s breathing was visibly ragged, but she took a deep breath and straightened her posture. "Me? Tire myself out? Please. A noble such as myself holds unlimited energy! I shall keep spiking for as long as the ball keeps going up!" "Yes, I''m sure you will, Daniella said. But, take a break just in case, okay? This will ensure that your ''noble brilliance'' will be as brilliant as it should be during the game." Or something, I dunno. "Hmm. Very well." Cornelia nodded. "You are quite right, it is important for a noble such as myself to maintain optimal form at all times. Tiring myself out before the game, even by a negligible amount, is not elegant." "Yep, exactly." And so, Cornelia agreed to take a short rest before the actual game. Hopefully, she''ll recover all the energy shot lost from spiking the ball like a mad beast Vol.19 Ch.7: Cornelia’s Deadly Serves The volleyball scrimmage kicked off. Naturally, the one who insisted on being the first server of the match was none other than Cornelia von Galen. She grabbed the ball before anybody had the chance to object and positioned herself at the baseline. "Fiona Landberht!" Cornelia thrust her finger toward the other side of the court. "I challenge thee! If you truly consider yourself a noble on par with myself, then let''s see you stop my elegant serves!" "Very well," Fiona replied. I should have no problem stopping your serves, provided they successfully head in my direction in the first place. She kept that part to herself but everybody on the court thought the exact same thing. Anybody who watched Cornelia''s warm-up today could tell how fickle her aim was. With that said, this shaky aim was troublesome for Fionas team in its own way. Life would be so much easier for the defenders if Cornelia aimed her shots at Fiona as she declared. "Hey," Daniella interjected in a low voice. "I''m just making sure here, but you''re not actually planning to aim at Fiona, right?" "Huh? Of course I do." Cornelia puffed her chest. "I am a noble, after all. Once I''ve sent a formal invitation for a duel, there is no going back on my word." "Well, I guess itll be fine." Daniella shrugged. It''s not like her shots will go where she wants them to, anyway. Not a single soul on this court believed that Cornelia''s declaration of war had any substance to it. But, on the other hand, the girl herself? She was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that all her shots will properly find their target. "Listen up," Daniella addressed the others. "Those of you on the front, I suggest covering your heads, just in case." "Haha..." The girls smiled nervously and did as the captain instructed. There was already one infamous case in which somebody received the full force of Cornelia''s serve and it didn''t end well. So, better safe than sorry. WHISTLE! The coach announced the start of the game. "Brace thyself, Fiona Landberht!" Cornelia tossed the ball into the air and leaped toward it, like a leopard trying to catch a bird in mid-flight! She swung her arm and struck the ball with all her noble strength! BAM! The usual ominous sound exploded across the courtroom. The loudness alone was enough to make some of the receivers lose heart, yet they had no choice but to stand their guard against the incoming missile. A-Ah! One of the girls yelped as she tried to receive the incoming meteor. BAM! The ball mercilessly smashed her hands and slipped to the side. It had no intention of going back into the air. Thud. Thud. Thud. The ball landed on the floor and jumped a few times before going silent. S-Sorry The girl apologized for her blunder. Her teammates comforted her. Its okay, dont worry. Yeah, these serves are super hard to receive. And, they hurt as hell, too. There was some truth to their words. Cornelias serves were just as fierce as her spikes, so they were rather difficult for most girls to stop. However, it was no excuse to sweep the failure under the rug. Every mess-up like this costs a point for the entire team, so nobody should treat such incidents lightly. "Cornelia''s serves are indeed intense," Fiona said. "On top of that, they often have a spin to them, so do not rush to receive them. The high speed might fool you into thinking the ball will soon hit the floor, but the spin often makes it change trajectory shortly before that." "Yeah, the girl agreed. It''s like the ball tried to escape my receive at the end there..." "Correct, that is what usually happens when you try to predict the trajectory ahead of time, Fiona said. Therefore, against Cornelias serves and spikes, it is better to observe the ball for a little longer and adjust your position accordingly before going for the receive." "I-I''m not sure Id be able to receive it in time if I wait..." "It takes practice," Fiona agreed. "For now, just keep this in mind the next time you try to receive her serve or spike. Even if you fail again, the most important thing is to learn and improve from each attempt." "Right. Thanks!" The girl nodded with a smile. But, will this advice be enough? Fiona wondered. I can give her all the advice in the world, but I cannot control how much of it will sink in, or how it will improve her future plays. Fiona could only sigh at this aspect of team-based games. No matter how well she understood the game or how well she played, the outcome of the match was not going to depend on her skill alone. In volleyball, there were six players on the court and each of them could potentially misplay at any time. Fiona could advise them at every step and cover for their mistakes as much as humanly possible, but there was a limit to how much a single player could achieve in a team sport. Not to mention, there was also the team''s morale to consider. A player''s motivation was just as important as their technical skill, if not more. Therefore, Fiona was not allowed to be too harsh on her teammates during the game itself, as that had a chance of lowering morale and further hurting the teams odds. All she could do was give basic advice while staying on good terms with her teammates. Truly, it was quite the hurdle. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it While Fiona was lamenting the situation, the players on the other side of the court celebrated. At least, most of them did. "I-I missed..." Cornelia muttered. How could it happen!? My target was clearly none other than the Landberht scion, yet the ball went in a totally different direction! What a blunder! For better or worse, it seemed like Cornelia was the only one who had a problem with this development. The rest of the team rejoiced. "Nice serve!" "Wow, that was one heck of a killer!" "I doubt I''d be able to receive that." The team sang praises for Cornelia''s noble serve even though it was completely off the mark. But, maybe this was fine? After all, only Cornelia knew for certain whom she was really targeting. "O-Ohoho! Did you burn that brilliant serve into your memory ?" Cornelia asked. "Behold, such is the skill of a true noble! The ball moved exactly as I commanded it and vanquished my target!" The rest of the team nodded in agreement, but there was an objection from the other side of the court. "BS! Im calling BS on that!" Karen shouted from the other side of the court. "Weren''t you aiming at my sis? That wasn''t even close! Your aim is dogshit, haha!" "W-W-W-What does a commoner such as yourself even know!? Hmph!" Cornelia crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "I did say I will challenge Fiona, but I didn''t say WHEN. This first serve was just a warm-up." "Yeaaaah, I''m totally buying that." "Just you watch!" Cornelia thrust her finger. "With this next serve, I shall obliterate the entire Landberht family!" "Damn, did you girls hear that? This lunatic just confessed she gonna attempt murder in broad daylight, haha." "Enough idle chatter." The coach whistled, urging Cornelia to proceed to the next serve. Just you watch, Karen! Cornelia squeezed the ball tightly and took a deep breath. With this next serve, I shall surely strike down the Landberhts! She tossed the ball high into the air, then ran up to it and jumped with all her might. Every cell in her body was burning with the desire to smite down Fiona Landberht, her eternal rival! BANG! It sounded like a gunshot. Cornelia hit the ball like there was no tomorrow, pouring every fiber of her determination into the strike! The bullet darted toward the net and nearly crashed into it, but fortunately, it went just a little above. Naturally, the target of this lightning-fast attack was none other than... Karen!? T-That''s not where I aimed!!! Cornelia cried internally. But, what''s done was done. The disobedient ball decided it would rather strike down the younger sister" first. Well, either way, this should bring Cornelia one step closer to asserting the von Galens'' dominance over the Landberhts! But, will it really go that smoothly? As frustrating as it was to admit, Karen wasn''t the easiest of prey. But, of course, it will be fine! Cornelia was convinced. That lowly servant will not be able to withstand the force of my noble serve! Nonetheless, the pleb tried to resist her fate. Alright, I see that dang spin! Karen carefully followed the ball''s trajectory while moving toward it. She had challenged enough of these quirky serves by now to know what to expect. Agh! Shit, this spin is such a pain in the ass! Karen gritted her teeth as she struggled to predict where the ball would land. It was flying so fast, yet it was also swaying to the right. But, how much to the right will it actually go? This thing was like a dang baseball curveball or some shit, even though this was supposed to be volleyball! It was no wonder the other girls always struggled to stop these tricky serves. Considering the speed, it was really hard to see the ball at all, much less its spin However, Karen was pretty adept at stuff like that, probably because she dabbled in some baseball before. So, compared to baseball pitches, Cornelia''s serves were a slowball at best. Here! Karen got into position. Her observation and prediction were flawless! The ball leaped toward her hands as expected. I did it! Ez! Karen grinned. "Take that, you snobby ass- ack!" BAM! The ball crashed into her arms with all its might! Even though the velocity had nothing on baseball pitches, the ball itself was hella bigger. As a result, the attack packed quite the punch and it didnt bounce off Karens hands as neatly as she wanted. Gah! You little shit! Karen cursed as the ball ricocheted to the side. Cmon, go up! Go up! Up, Im telling you! Alas, the ball refused to take off. It fell on the floor and rolled away. Fuuuu! Karen cursed at the misbehaving ball. To add insult to injury, it decided to roll toward the worst target possible. Hmm. Fiona picked up the ball. How unfortunate. Geh! Karen almost choked. S-Sorry, Sis! The spin was real wild and stuff, so it kinda just jumped away, haha Yes, the spin was there as usual, Fiona agreed. But, to me, it looked as if you read the trajectory correctly. Well duh, of course I did. Karen puffed her chest. I mean, Ive dealt with like billions of her serves by now, so I know how to read them and stuff. Yet, you failed to properly receive it. Ack, well, thats What should I make of this, I wonder? Fionas eyes were filled with disappointment. Could it be that my own sister is lacking practice in receiving? Despite how critical the technique is for volleyball? W-Well Karen gulped. I wouldnt say Im lacking it or anything Actually, it was exactly the case. Compared to the rest of Karens skills in volleyball, her receives left much to be desired. Normally, she was doing a fine job hiding this fact because serves and spikes werent that strong in girls volleyball. But, once in a while, when she had to deal with truly strong attacks, thats when Karens defense got all exposed like this. This will not do, Karen, Fiona criticized. I always tell you to take your receiving practice seriously. Yeah, and I practice that stuff just like everything else. Really! Well, it is clearly not enough, Fiona asserted. It seems you need supplementary practice. Eeeeeeh? Really? Yes, really. Fiona nodded without mercy. Hmm. I suppose you could start by practicing receiving for an hour after school time. Every. Single. Day. Whaaaaaaaaa??? Is there a problem? Well, we have Mancers practice today as well and all True, Fiona nodded. How is that a problem, though? It is not like your day will come to an end after that. You will still have many hours to spare. Thats true, I guess Karen caved in. There was no winning this argument, she already knew that. For somebody like Fiona, whose entire schedule was packed to the brim, the idea that a person might want to use their free time for leisure didnt even exist. And so, Karen submitted with a sigh. "Okay, maybe I''ll practice a little..." "Good girl." Fiona petted her younger sister''s head. "Meow~" Karen poured like a kitten. Unfortunately, as fun as this exchange was for Karen, it didn''t change the fact that the enemy had scored yet another point. The game had barely started and the score was already 2-0. And, since nobody had broken Cornelias serves yet, the terror of her explosive attacks will continue... Vol.19 Ch.8: Tricky Serves The score was already 2-0 thanks to Cornelias powerful serves. However, the server herself wasn''t quite pleased with the result. Tch, I missed again. Cornelia clicked her tongue. I aimed at the real Landberht scion, not that fake servant. But, then again, I was thinking about striking down the Landberhts while serving, so maybe I was just too vague there. "Ohoho!" Cornelia laughed it off. "Did you see that elegant shot, Karen? A plebian like you has no chance of ever receiving a noble serve like this, not in a million years!" "Huh, keep yapping while you still can," Karen said. "We''re gonna break your serve with the next one, just you watch!" "Hmph. Bold words from somebody who has just failed to do exactly that. The next one will be even stronger! And, this time, it''ll be directed at you, Fiona Landberht!" "I hope so," Fiona responded nonchalantly. The threat didn''t seem to register with her at all. Grrr, such sheer calmness. Cornelia gritted her teeth. She''s always like this, acting as if nothing can faze her. I must admit it grinds my gears! I shall shatter that maks of hers with the next one! It was time for the third serve. Once again, Cornelia methodically tossed the ball into the air, and then dashed forth and leapt toward the ball. Naturally, all the while she was maintaining an elegant and noble form. WHAM! She hit the ball with all her might! The sheer loudness of the strike was enough to make commoners tremble. In the fact of this supreme might, they had no choice but to respect the heir of the von Galen house! Except, the ball didn''t fly far enough this time. It crashed straight into the net, like a car driving into a wall. Thump. Thump. Thump. The ball jumped three times on the floor, then went silent. "Ah..." Cornelia blinked a few times, unable to process the scene. She even rubbed her eyes a few times, to make sure the unimaginable scene in front of her was real. "Pft, haha!" Karen burst into laughter, inviting her teammates to giggle along. "Nice serve! 10/10." "Grrr..." Cornelia''s fists trembled. Her face turned so red she looked like a tomato. "I keep telling you, girl. Your aim is dogshit, haha! Karen laughed. You only make a clown outta yourself when you make all these big declarations." "T-T-Tis'' was but just me being merciful on you. Y-Yeah!" "Pft, seriously?" "Y-Yes, such is the truth!" Cornelia lifted her chin in confidence yet shifted her eyes away. "Truth be told, I''ve started feeling sorry for you lot as you have proven yourself utterly incompetent at receiving my magnificent shots. As such, I deemed it too cruel to continue torturing you like this." Karen rolled her eyes. "Wow, how very kind of you, your highness." "Indeed, my noble kindness knows no bounds! I even spare some of it for commoners such as you." "Yeah, right. Just admit that your aim is doodoo." "Hmph! My aim is as flawless as my nobility!" "Very convincing story." Karen shrugged. It was clear as day that Cornelia simply made her usual blunder, yet she went to unbelievable lengths to deny it. The girl was mental. Nonetheless, out of courtesy, Fiona decided to entertain Cornelia''s delusion. "I thank you for your display of mercy," Fiona said as she picked up the ball. "However, I must warn you in advance that I will not be able to extend the same mercy toward your team during my turn. I hope you understand." "Oh, are you serving first as well?" Cornelia nodded meaningfully. "Mhm. It only makes sense for the nobles to serve first. Such is their privilege, their noble right from birth!" Actually, this is just a matter of efficiency. Fiona kept that retort to herself. Fiona and Cornelia were both renowned for their impressive serves, therefore it made the most sense to place them first in the order. This way, they will have the most opportunities to serve throughout the game. On top of that, a strong opening doubled as a psychological attack. If Fiona scores multiple points in a row, it will create a big score gap between the teams, one that will surely affect the enemys morale. But, of course, all of this was easier said than done. I should not get ahead of myself. Fiona thought. For now, I must focus on making every serve count, that is all. And so, after carefully scanning the enemy court, Fiona tossed the ball high into the air. Just like Cornelia, she was going for a jump serve. Not many girls in the club were able to execute this type of serve, but Fiona focused on mastering this important technique. With that said, unlike Cornelias, Fiona''s strike didn''t produce much sound. No intimidating boom resounded to startle the enemy. Fiona only applied the necessary amount of strength to make the serve efficient and accurate. Exerting any more force than that had diminishing returns. Hitting the ball harder than this was not going to increase the speed by all that much, it will only hurt the accuracy. In addition, hitting harder burned more stamina. As such, Fiona struck the ball with a force that was no more and no less than the ideal amount she practiced. The motions were already engraved on her muscles after long and dedicated practice with a private coach. WHAM! The ball shot toward the enemy court. Thanks to the high contact point, the ball was able to descend at a steep angle and still reach the enemys court. The velocity of the ball was not as intimidating as during Cornelias wild serves, but it was still far above the average speed seen at girls volleyball at the middle school level. In fact, the intensity of the serve rivaled the strong serves seen in boys volleyball, which was naturally intimidating for girls who were not used to it. However, nobody faltered in the face of Fionas strong serve. After practicing for over a year with servers like Fiona and Cornelia, all the girls here were used to strong serves by now. They were mentally prepared to handle any attack that came their way, which was a good sign for this years regionals. With that said, determination alone was not enough to receive Fionas serve. After all, her serves were not only fast but also calculated. Hmm, is it going out? the enemy libero, Windy, mumbled questioningly as she inspected the incoming ball. The fast-approaching ball traveled deep into the court, so deep that it was about to go right out of bounds. However, given the balls high velocity, it was difficult to tell whether it will go past the baseline or not. Of course, as the mastermind of the attack, Fiona knew the answer to that from the get-go. And, the answer was no. BAM! The ball hit the floor right at the border of the baseline. It just barely landed inside the court. Ah, shoot Windy facepalmed at the result. Until the very last moment, she was unable to tell whether the ball will make it or not. As a result, she ended up rooted in place, unable to make a move. That hesitation cost her team a point. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Excuse me!? Cornelia raged. Do you mind explaining what just happened!? Did you fall asleep? The ball was clearly headed towards you! Ah, well, it looked like an out, so An out!? Are you quite sane? Do you honestly believe that Fiona Landberht will make a plebian mistake like that!? Um, it did happen before tho- Foolish! Cornelia barked. Even if, by mere chance, Fiona were to commit a misplay, it would be an extraordinarily rare occurrence! Truly, it would be as rare as catching somebody as noble as me committing a misplay! But, you literally did a minute ago Windy just barely held that one in. "Therefore!" Cornelia droned on. "Against either my or Fiona''s serve, you should always assume itll land within the court, understood?" "Yeah, I guess..." Windy nodded just to get this over with. "Hmm. I''m not sure about that attitude." Cornelia crossed her arms. "It doesn''t look to me as if f the gravity of your sin has truly sunk in." "Sin? I just made a little mistake..." "Little? Do you call that a ''little'' mistake!? Behold what you have done!" Cornelia pointed to the other side of the court. "Thanks to your ''little mistake, Fiona Landberht now gets to serve again!" "But, that''s..." You''re the one who messed up your serve and gave her the turn in the first place... "Girls, please." Daniella stepped in to calm the winds. "If you have any energy to spare on this pointless argument, then pour it into the game instead, okay?" "Pointless? Hmph." Cornelia lifted her chin. "It is my duty as a noble to teach commoners about proper conduct." "Sure, sure." Daniella rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Windy. Putting aside the way she phrased it, Cornelia does have a point. When Fiona is serving, it''s safer to assume it''ll be in. Her serves are strong, but their accuracy is actually the scariest thing about them." "Yeah, youre right." Windy nodded. When the advice was phrased like this, it was much easier to accept. "I''m expecting you to receive the next one properly!" Cornelia pointed her finger. "Sure..." "Though, perhaps it''s too much to expect a commoner to break a noble''s serve. Cornelia shook her head. It might be necessary for me to handle this with my own two hands." "Seriously, this girl..." Windy made a face. Why was that rude clown even allowed on the team, again? Like, sure, the girl''s serves and spikes were intense, but her aim was all over the place and her attitude was the worst. She was an extremely unpleasant teammate to play with. Alas, the game ignored Windy''s internal rants and moved on to the next round. Once again, it was Fiona''s turn to serve. I can aim for the edges again. Fiona thought. But, I suspect they will be more on guard this time. They usually only hesitate to receive such borderline serves the first time. Unlike in tennis, where aiming for the edges and corners was often optimal, in volleyball, that strategy was not as dominant. After all, the enemy team had six players around the court, so there was always somebody positioned near every line. Nonetheless, aiming for the edges still had a psychological effect. Even when somebody was in the vicinity to receive the ball, they had to make a difficult call first: will the ball go in or out? It was a difficult question to answer when the shot was very borderline, especially when the ball was moving fast. In many cases, that split-second hesitation proved fatal. The receiver was unable to make a decision in time, therefore their response was delayed. That was exactly what happened to Windy back there. But, it will not go as smoothly twice in a row. Fiona reasoned. She did not catch all the details, but it sounded as if Daniella reminded her team about the accuracy of Fionas serves. In general, when it was difficult to make the right call, it was better to go for the receive. Even if this receive ends up saving the ball from going out, at least it will not immediately cost the team a point. I assume they have all remembered this by now, so I will aim elsewhere. Fiona thoroughly scanned the positions of the enemy players before deciding on her next move. Once she finished her calculations, Fiona tossed the ball high into the air. WHAM! The ball shot toward the enemy court like a bullet! "O-Okay!" "Got it!" Two girls responded at the same time and moved in to receive the ball, but... "Wah!" "Ah!" Both of them hit the brakes right before crashing into each other. Just then, the ball slipped right past them and hit the floor. Good. Fiona nodded in satisfaction. This was yet another example of employing the enemy''s hesitation against them. Fiona carefully aimed the ball right between the two girls in order to invite both of them to receive it. They both took the bait and rushed to challenge the ball, only to realize that they were about to bump into each other. Under normal circumstances, the girls should have been competent enough to avoid such a basic mistake. However, Fionas serves were clearly putting pressure on them. She will keep scoring points as long as nobody breaks her serve, so the girls felt pressured to respond quickly to the incoming ball. "What was this plebeian blunder!?" Cornelia threw a fuss as usual, and Daniella stepped in to calm everybody again. It was quite the handful to have such an irritable teammate. Though, it is curious that she is acting like this. Fiona thought. She is not nearly as bad-tempered when we play together on the same team. Regardless, it was time for Fiona''s third serve. "You must absolutely get this ball, you hear!?" Cornelia commanded, but her teammates seemed more annoyed than motivated. As such, it was up to the captain to get the team together. However, Daniella had a different idea here. "Fiona, do you mind dialing down the difficulty a little bit? This is just a practice match, you know. No need to mop us like that, haha." "Not a very inspiring speech for a captain," Fiona argued. "Your opponents at the regionals will not go easy on you just because you asked nicely. The level of my serves might be above average, but it is still very much within the boundaries of the competition, am I wrong?" "Honesty, I''m not sure there''s anybody in our region who can serve as you do, but yeah, you''re right." Daniella took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks. "Alright, girls! Let''s cut her off in the next one!" "Yeah!" "Let''s do it!" Some vigor returned to the enemy team. This situation was good practice for maintaining high morale against strong adversaries. But, I will not go easier on you just because you have reclaimed your fighting spirit. Fiona scanned the court once again. Hmm. I see they are all moving back, as expected. So far, both of Fiona''s serves invaded deep into the enemy court thanks to the high contact point. By taking advantage of her height and jumping ability, Fiona was able to send the ball to the far end of the enemy court at a sharp angle. Not even Cornelia was capable of delivering serves like this, as this was a matter of height. Naturally, the opponents expected Fiona to continue abusing this technique, so they reinforced their guard in the rear. But, in the process, they neglected the other half of the court. WHAM! The ball descended from a vantage point as usual. However, this time, the angle was much sharper. The ball diagonally dove into the first half of the enemy court. It took the enemy a few moments to notice this. "The front!" Daniella shouted as she dashed toward the ball. Alas, she had no hope of reaching the ball in time. I knew you would be the most vigilant of them all, Daniella Meier. Fiona nodded. That is why I made sure the ball will not go anywhere near you. Not only did Fiona aim for the front half of the court, but she also made sure to keep the ball out of reach for the most dangerous receivers. At least, that was the plan, but... "No, you shall not!" One girl blitzed toward the falling ball at lightning speed. It was none other than Cornelia von Galen herself! "I do not permit you to fall! Halt this foolishness at once!" Cornelia joined her hands and stretched them out as far as humanly possible as she leapt toward the ball. And, through the sheer power of will, she made contact with! However, only the tip of her clenched hands touched the ball. This wasnt good enough to properly receive one of Fionas serves. BAM. The ball bounced off Cornelia''s hands but didn''t fly high. Instead, it dove straight toward the floor. "I-It can''t be..." Cornelia gritted her teeth. She found herself lying on the floor, with the ball rolling farther and farther away from her. She felt as if the plebeian ball was mocking her, telling her that she was but a commoner who deserved to crawl on the ground. Even worse, as Cornelia raised her eyes, the first figure to catch her attention was none other than Fiona Landberht, standing gallantly in the distance and looking down on Cornelia. The tall Landberht scion was like a giant looking down on an ant. By scoring yet another point, Fiona officially topped Cornelia''s achievements and turned the game into a 2-3. "Fiona Landberht...!" Cornelia''s fists trembled as she pushed herself off the floor. This situation was all sorts of wrong. Cornelia von Galen was a noble, just like Fiona Landberht. As such, Cornelia had no business lying on the floor defeated like this! "Hmp. You can have this one, Fiona Landberht," Cornelia declared. "However, next time, I shall put a stop to your serve for certain!" "You are welcome to try." Fiona ignored the threat and prepared for her next serve. She has already scored 3 points in a row, but she had no intention of stopping there. In the team-oriented sport that was volleyball, serving was the only play that could be considered solitary. As such, out of the multitude of skills volleyball demanded, Fiona made sure to specialize in serves above all else. It was simply the most efficient method to score points with the smallest margin of error. Furthermore, thanks to the rules of volleyball, Fionas serves could keep going indefinitely as long as she continued scoring points. So, how many points in a row will she accumulate this time around? Vol.19 Ch.9: Finally, a Chance! I assume they are getting used to the speed of my serves. Fiona reasoned. In that case, it is time to mix things up a little. WHAM. Fiona struck the ball but she didn''t exert her usual strength. Instead, she focused on technique. If the enemy team were expecting yet another straightforward serve, then they will be in for a surprise. At first, the ball traveled toward the edge of the court as usual. It was slower than previous serves, but it was still decently fast. At a glance, none of the girls could tell Fiona slowed down her attack on purpose. Only once the ball got closer, its erratic movements became more pronounced. It seemed to float and dance in the air, defying the laws of physics. "G-Got it!" One of the girls stepped forth, confident she would be able to receive this slower serve. However... "Eh!? Wha-!?" The girl jerked as the wild ball approached her. A moment ago, she was 100% certain she got into the best possible position for receiving this serve. But, just then, the ball started drifting away all of a sudden! It was as if the ball had a will of its own. It saw the receiver and chose to avoid it at all costs. W-Wait! The girl leapt after the fleeing ball and stretched her arms as far as humanly possible. She successfully made contact but this was not something one would call a recieve. Instead of going up, the ball only slipped off her arms. In the end, the ball hit the floor while leaving the girl bewildered. "Eh? But I... Huh?" The girl examined her own hands in confusion. It must have felt unbelievable for her considering how straightforward the serve seemed at first. "Excuse me!?" Cornelia was the first to exclaim, as usual. "Do you mind explaining how in the world you managed to mess up such a simple receive!? There is surely a limit to how much of a pleb a person can be, and you have just passed that threshold!" "Now, now." Daniella stepped in at the first opportunity and turned to Fiona. "That was a floater, wasn''t it? It was a little hard to tell because of the speed. "Yes, it was a floater," Fiona confirmed. "Whew. I haven''t seen you do one of these in a while, but it was incredibly sharp!" "I am glad you think so," Fiona said. "I have been polishing my floaters for quite some time now, so this is a good opportunity to test them out in a real match." "Wow. Youre already such a strong player, but you''re still getting ever better, huh." "Of course. Fiona nodded. Perpetual self-improvement is the essence of sports." "Yeah, I guess that''s right." Daniella could only smile wryly at that grandiose statement. Technically, it was correct. For the players, sports were all about honing their skills to become a better and stronger version of themselves. However, most players improved slowly over a prolonged period of time. A newbie usually grew up quickly at first, but at some point, they were bound to hit "the wall"; the point at which personal growth became slow, and practice stopped feeling rewarding. Everybody was bound to run into this wall at one point or another, except for the Landberht Princess, apparently. The girl has been improving nonstop ever since she joined the club. At this point, she was already the best player in the club all around. And yet, she continued evolving even further. Does her talent have no limits? Daniella wondered. Is this what people call a "genius"? As a senior, Daniella had mixed feelings about this. The 2.5 years she spent training in the club felt so meager compared to the progress Fiona made in half that time. Even though it was wrong to think of it that way, prodigies like Fiona sure made it feel as if some people were "chosen" to play sports. To borrow Cornelia''s nonsensical terms: few were the chosen "nobles" destined the rule the court, whereas the rest were "commoners" who merely tagged along. That was probably why Cornelia was so obsessed with competing against Fiona. She recognized the Landberht Princess as an entity from a higher plane of existence. So, by beating this supreme being, Cornelia mustve believed shell be able to ascend to a higher plane as well. Where do I stand on that scale, I wonder? Daniella smiled wryly. Am I also just a regular commoner? Or, am I at least a little above the average? Daniella was the captain of the team, so at least she had that going for her. However, she knew all too well she was far from being the best player on the team. She was just a sociable busybody, so the coach appointed her to keep the team in check. In other words, she didnt get her position thanks to her skill in volleyball per se. Her sets were pretty good if she could say so herself, but thats about her only skill that really stood out. Other than that, all she had to her name was the experience she has accumulated in the club as a senior. Frankly, it was a depressing topic. Instead of drowning in this mud of self-deprecation, Daniella had to keep moving forward. "Let''s cut her off in the next one!" Daniella shouted, hoping to psych both the team and herself. "Yeah!" The team responded in a union. Nobody had lost heart yet despite the fact the enemy scored 4 points in a row. Everybody was ready to give their all in the next round again! Yes, that''s the spirit. Daniella nodded. We might be "commoners" or whatever compared to a prodigy like Fiona, but that doesn''t mean we''re just gonna quit! We''ll keep challenging her over and over until we break that demonic serve! Following Daniella''s war cry, everybody''s expressions changed. They were now even more focused than before on breaking Fionas serve. There was an intimidating aura radiating from them. That was a splendid boost of morale. Fiona praised. However, morale alone is not enough. Show me that you also have the necessary skill to pull through this. WHAM! The ball shot toward the enemy court. This time, Fiona aimed at the edges of the court again. Specifically, she aimed toward the right sideline. The opponent over there was a freshman who did not have a stellar record when it came to receiving, therefore this ball should be difficult for her to stop. And indeed, the girl seemed paralyzed as the girl approached her. "Isn''t this an out...?" The girl mumbled. She wanted to get into a position to receive, but wouldnt it be great if this ball just went out of bounds? Will save her lots of trouble and will finally put an end to Fionas oppressive serves. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But, this was exactly the reaction the Landberht Princess was hoping for. She is hesitating, as expected. She nodded. There is a big difference between being warned about potential danger and actually experiencing it first-hand. Even though Daniella warned everybody about how accurate Fiona''s serves were, it was difficult for such a message to sink in after only one example. Especially, not after Fiona showed them completely different types of serves right after that. By now, they had no idea what to expect next and really wanted Fionas turn to be over. That combination of anxiety and impatience will certainly make them commit errors. Perhaps it was a bit Spartan to test a freshman like this. However, this freshman was part of the scrimmage because she showed promise and the team had great expectations of her. As such, there was no reason to pull any punches. "A-Ah!" The girl ultimately stepped forward to challenge the ball. However, she was far too late and her form was a mess. The ball rammed into her sloppy stance and bounced far outside the court. Windy, the libero, gave chase and slid forth in an attempt to rescue the escaping ball. However, she was unable to do so. And so, the score was now 5-2. Slowly but surely, despair was creeping up on the girls over there. But, they ought to be able to overcome that much. Fiona asserted. The competition will be far more ruthless than this at the nationals. Difficult situations like this tested the team''s leadership. Fortunately, this club had a dependable captain with a burning fighting spirit. "Alright, focus on the next one!" Daniella said. "Remember to go after her serves without any hesitation. Dont even think about whether itll be in or out." "Got it!" Daniella did not waste any additional time lecturing the freshman for the mistake, as there was nothing new to say there. This was the right decision, as the teams morale was already shaken enough. As such, it was counterproductive to beat them down any further with criticism right now. Alas, as usual, one teammate did not get the memo... "Can''t you commoners receive at all!?" Cornelia raged. "You are feeding free points to the Landberht household! Is this supposed to be your idea of paying taxes!?" As usual, Daniella had to step in to calm down the furious noble. Honestly, it was a sorry sight. Cornelia was certainly skilled on the mechanical level. However, her teamplay and attitude left much to be desired. Everything she achieved for the team with her serves was overshadowed by how much she hurt the teams morale with her constant complaints. In particular, this time, the noble was more furious than ever. Even after Daniella deflected the girl''s rants, Cornelia was still not done. "Fiona Landberht! Enough with the petty tricks! Cornelia called out. These commoners are not a competition for you. Aim all your serves at me instead! I shall handle them!" "Is that so?" Fiona asked. "Do you suggest you can cleanly receive any of my serves without any trouble?" "Most definitely! After all, it takes a noble to contest a noble!" "I shall keep your suggestion in mind," Fiona gave a non-answer. Cornelia would have continued nagging about this if Fiona outright refused, so it was best to give her a dodgy answer. Once the dust had settled, Fiona proceeded to the next serve. WHAM. This time, it was a floater toward the front row. However, the floater was a peculiar serve that swayed randomly from side to side. As such, despite Fiona''s numerous practice sessions, she did not have full control over this wild beast. And so, the ball decided of its own volition to fly toward the center this time. That gave the enemy team a lot of time to respond. Unsurprisingly, the first to leap at the ball was none other than Cornelia. Finally, youve decided to challenge me! Then, I shall respond in kind! She dashed toward the swaying ball as if it were directed at her, even though she was not actually the closest player to it. There was another girl positioned closer and should have been the one to challenge this ball. However, Cornelia had enough. She was tired of seeing all these plebians mess up their receives over and over again. Therefore, this time, she will take matters into her own noble hands! A-Ah! The other girl jumped away, startled by Cornelias fierce dash. Her response was slow, but at least she knew her place and cleared the path for Cornelia. BAM. The ball struck against Cornelias hands. She made it just in time to execute the receive! However, it was a bit sloppy. Not so much because of Cornelias own skill, but because the ball had irregular movement. Any noble would be stumped by such unpredictable behavior. Cornelia did successfully stop the ball from falling to the floor, but the unruly pleb bounced away in an uncooperative manner. Instead of going high into the air, the ball slipped away and flew toward the edge of the court. In the end, this was going to be Fionas victory yet again. Or, so everybody thought. Not under my watch! Daniella blitzed in. This is the first real opportunity weve gotten in this game, so theres no way Im letting it slip away! Despite how lost that ball seemed, Daniella refused to give up. If there was a chance to save the ball, then she had to chase it, no matter what! At a glance, it looked like a fools errand. However, the Landberht Princess calculated that the ball was salvage, at the very least. She can probably make it in time. Fiona deduced. But, no matter how excellent her setting skills are, she cannot possibly set the ball from that position. So, this will be a free ball. But, despite this estimation, Fiona refused to underestimate her foes. After all, the players on the other side of the court were part of her own club, and half of them were first-string players to boot. As such, she made sure to carefully analyze everybodys movements and adjust her position accordingly. Volleyball was a fast-moving game, therefore Fiona had to make sure she was ready for anything in advance. If something surprising were to happen here, it would be too late. And so, Fiona moved deeper into the court, preparing to intercept any incoming shots as necessary. If there was the faintest chance of a counterattack happening, Fiona wanted to be ready to stop it. However, as expected, Daniella struggled to even get to the ball in time. As she got closer to it, she had already realized how difficult it would be to convert this into an attack. A set is probably impossible. Daniella thought. But, as long as I can get the ball up, somebody should be able to hit it over the net. So, even if it''s just going to be a free ball! "Set it for me!" Cornelia shouted as she dashed toward the net. "I shall score this!" Heh, seriously. This girl. Daniella found herself smiling. Talk about asking for the impossible. How was Daniella supposed to set a shanked ball like this? Seriously, expecting the impossible was so Cornelia. But, why not? Daniella thought. It wont be a great set, but I can at least set something, right? Seriously, why did I give up on attacking in the first place? Why did she assume this had to be a free ball for the enemy? There was a chance to mount an actual attack here! Somewhere deep down, maybe Ive already accepted defeat against Fiona for this round. Daniella smiled wryly. Her serves just keep racking up points, so its mentally draining. Even Daniella, who was supposed to be the supporting pillar of the team, was finding herself a little dejected. But, this was where shell mount a comeback! Yeah, Fiona, you''re a prodigy alright. Daniella thought as she reached toward the ball. But, everybody here practices hard too, you know? Maybe we "commoners" can''t dominate the game as well as you do, but we sure can retaliate! Im not going to let you keep controlling the game all day! Instead of securing the ball with the back of her hands, Daniella blitzed past the ball and executed an improvised setting motion! It was an extremely awkward position. Her form was a total mess. But, she wasn''t entirely unfamiliar with situations like this. A setter had to be able to get the ball up for the spiker even when the circumstances weren''t ideal. O-Okay! Daniella gulped as she finally got the ball up. It headed toward the net, albeit very awkwardly. Honestly, it was a pretty terrible set all in all, but it was passable given the dire circumstances. All in all, the ball went both high enough and close enough to the net to allow a spike to happen. Now, it was just a question of what Cornelia will make out of this clumsy opportunity. Maybe, just maybe, well be able to convert this into an actual counterattack...! Daniella prayed that the loud troublemaker would be able to pull this off somehow despite the low odds of success...! Vol.19 Ch.10: Breaking the Prodigy’s Serve "It is mine!" Cornelia dashed toward the flying ball like a bull, almost ramming into her own teammates along the way. She absolutely had to reach this ball and drive it right into the enemy court, no matter what! The serve streak of the Landberht scion had to be broken! Admittedly, this set was quite sloppy, hardly befitting to be spiked by a noble such as Cornelia. Nonetheless, it was an admirable effort from the captain to turn that difficult ball into a set instead of offering it to the enemy as a free ball. Daniella may not be a noble, but she is no regular commoner. Cornelia admitted as she jumped at the ball. As a noble, it is my duty to make the best out of this hard-earned opportunity! It was going to be a clumsy counterattack, but it also had a surprise element to it. Nobody on the enemy team was expecting Daniella to go for a set from that position, or that Cornelia could spike this ball. The enemy blockers were severely unprepared for this development! "Go, Cornelia!" Daniella shouted. "Hit it with everything youve got!" Beat that damn prodigy! Show that hard work can compete with talent! BAM! It almost sounded like an explosion. Cornelia clearly poured every last bit of her strength into this attack. WHISH! The ball dived straight into the enemy court like a missile! Despite the awkward forms of both the setter and the spiker, somehow this attack turned out legit. It packed a lot of force and it headed toward the far end of the court, making it hard to defend against. C''mon, make it in...! Cornelia felt sweat forming on her forehead. Just don''t go out. Don''t go out...! The ball headed straight toward the enemy baseline. It was going so fast it was hard to tell whether itd land in or out. And, knowing Cornelias record definitely wasnt making this any more reassuring. Ugh, the nerves! On the bright side, the enemy team should have an equally difficult time telling whether this ball was heading toward an out. Therefore, theyll surely have to try to receive it, unless all of them were too fazed by this surprise counterattack. Fortunately, there was one player who didnt seem fazed at all. She stepped in at lightning speed to intercept the incoming ball. Thud. Cornelias powerful shot crashed into something but the impact it produced was oddly dull. Wha? Daniellas jaw dropped. Why is she? This wasnt some lucky clutch receive. No, this particular receiver was at the right place at the right time. She elegantly made the ball bounce upwards in a beautiful arc as if it were the easiest thing in the world. And, that receiver was none other than Fiona. Admirable effort. Fiona praised as she watched the ball go up. It was a splendid display of team play under such difficult circumstances. However, it is not good enough. Under normal circumstances, Cornelias spike was so strong that even Fiona had a hard time receiving it perfectly. However, that was not the case at all in this exchange. Both the setter and the spiker had to improvise on the spot, which greatly affected their form. So, despite what they might have believed, Fionas serve ultimately remained unbroken throughout the entire development. The enemy failed to properly receive her jump floater, therefore they had a hard time transitioning into a proper attack, which was exactly what a good serve strived to achieve. Nonetheless, the attackers poured their everything into this. Therefore, watching the ball fly through the air in such an elegant arc delivered a mental blow. "She received it...?" Daniella muttered. And, she made it look so easy, too... It was a clutch play that Daniella and Cornelia barely managed to squeeze out of that tight situation. Cornelia stopped the ball from falling to the ground, Daniella turned that shanking ball into a set, and Cornelia somehow got into position in time to spike it. It was such a stressful sequence of plays! They both did their best in that situation, no doubt about it. That ball couldve easily been a free ball for the enemy, but Daniella and Cornelia went the extra mile to make sure that wouldn''t happen. And, they even succeeded in mounting an attack! Or, so they thought. In the end, for the prodigy that was the Landberht Princess, the whole play amounted to nothing more than feeble resistance. After all, it was an awkward attack produced by two "commoners", so how could it ever hope to measure up to her majesty? No. Enough mopping! Daniella slapped her cheeks. "Theyll likely send the ball to Karen, so make sure you have her marked!" The enemy''s next attack was imminent. Judging by everybody''s positions, it made the most sense for them to set the ball for Karen in this situation. If the blockers near the net get into position in time, they should be able to wall off this attack...! And indeed, it seemed like Daniellas prediction was on point. "Set it to Karen, please," Fiona requested while her ball was still high in the air. The upside of her clean receive was that it gave the team a moment to breathe in relief and get into perfect positions for the next attack. On the flip side, it also gave the other team time to rearrange their defense. Fiona was too far from the net to join this attack, so it was best to leave it to Karen. Out of all the other options, she was surely going to handle this best. "Okay, let''s go!" Karen grinned as she dashed toward the net. Her movements were so obvious that they surely telegraphed the incoming attack. She could definitely learn to be more discrete about such things, but since it was Karen, it should be alright even with this handicap. "Karen!" Fiona called out and showed a slow spiking motion with her hand. "Got it, sis!" Karen grinned and dialed up the telegraph. "Here I go! Try to stop me if you can!" She shouted toward the enemy blockers, to make sure they were wholly concentrated on her incoming attack. The setter already got the ball up, so it was showtime! "You think you can block this!?" Karen provoked the blockers further as she jumped toward the net. "I shall stop you at once!" Cornelia was one of the two blockers on the task. "I swear that on my honor as a von Galen!" "Heh, it looks like that ''honor'' of yours gonna go straight into the trash can where it belongs! You never gonna block this super mega ultra shot!" The ball finally appeared within Karen''s reach. She stretched her arm all the way to the back, making a show of how powerful her spike was about to be. Naturally, the blockers responded at once. Karen was well-known in the club for delivering strong spikes, so nobody had a doubt that the upcoming attack will be a challenge. In particular, Cornelia jumped up at the first opportunity that presented itself. The girl was a simpleton like that. She always fell for simple provocations. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Here goes, my super shot!!! Karen swung her hand with all her might, about to deliver a devastating spike that wouldn''t lose to Cornelia''s strength!!! Nah, just kidding. Right before Karens hand struck the ball, she slowed down and only lightly tapped the ball. "Wha-!?" Cornelia exclaimed as the ball hovered over her, outside the reach of her hands. No matter how hard she stretched her noble arms, she was unable to stop that high ball. "H-How cowardly of you!" Cornelia barked. "How dare yo ugo for a feint after spouting all those plebeian provocations...!" "Heh. That''s what they call ''strategy'', von Asshat." The ball was going slowly, painfully so. It didn''t look like a threatening attack in the slightest, especially not after how much Karen hyped up her "powerful spike". However, what this attack lacked in power it compensated for with its surprise factor and height. The ball went over the blockers and then dove straight to the floor. Such a slow ball shouldve been easy to receive. However, none of the girls saw this sneaky attack coming, so nobodys body responded in time. The libero did slide forward in the end, but she didn''t make it in time. With a faint thud, the ball hit the floor and rolled away. "I-It cannot be..." Cornelia gritted her teeth. This one point felt so heavy. The chance to break Fionas serve was right there! Cornelia almost made it happen! Alas, the accursed Fiona Landberht deflected the attack without any trouble. And, she then converted that receive into an elegant attack with the thanks of her fake sister. The score was now 6-2. There was no end in sight to Fiona Landberhts ongoing serving spree. Could nobody put a stop to that noble!? Im Im a fellow noble Cornelia clenched her fists. I I must be able to stop her Yes, I should be more than capable of doing that, and yet She couldnt. Thus far, every attempt ended in failure. Why couldnt she do it? Why!? While Cornelia was busy beating herself down, the captain tried to inject some positivity into the team. "Okay, we were close this time!" Daniella said. "Let''s break her serve with the next one!" "Yeah..." "Right..." "Hey! Daniella called out. What''s with these dejected replies!? I don''t hear your voices!" "Y-Yeah!" "Right!" "Yeah, that''s more like it." Daniella nodded in approval even though she knew everybody was just putting on a strong front. Even she was starting to lose heart here. I mean, who wouldn''t, right? Daniella wryly. A difference of four points is pretty much game over And, it wasn''t even over yet. They failed to stop Fionas streak, so shell serve once again. In the end, it took Daniella''s team three more rounds to finally put a stop to the prodigy''s oppressive serves. At that point, the score was already 9-2. The match felt practically unwinnable. Naturally, everybody on the team felt dejected. Even though the initiative was passed back to them, they didnt feel like theyll be able to utilize it in the slightest. Even Daniella quieted down, unable to bring out her voice like before. She couldnt help but feel crushed by this depressing difference in points. And yet, in the face of all that despair, there was one team member who retained her usual loudness. At long last, our noble counterattack begins! Cornelia announced proudly for some reason as she faced the enemy team. Now, it is YOU who shall struggle to break OUR serve streak! Heh, fat chance. Karen shrugged. Youre the only server on that team whos a bit difficult. Everybody else is just okay. I mean, I guess Danis serves can get intense too, but thats about all your team is packing. Hmph. Cornelia lifted her chin in response. Even when the plebian serve itself is nothing to write home about, I shall ensure the streak will keep going! Oh? How exactly? It is simple, Cornelia explained. Ill block each of your attacks and score points. Yes, its that simple. Heh, simple, she says. Karen cracked a laugh. Achieving all this stuff is like literally the entire challenge of sports, you know? A lowly challenge for one as noble as myself. Pft, yeah, sure. Alright, lets see you pull that off then. That I shall! Cornelia responded without an ounce of hesitation. It felt like the enemys huge lead didnt affect her at all. This always amazes me. Daniella smiled wryly. Where does this girl pull all that confidence from? Were lagging behind like crazy here, yet she insists we can turn this around with no problem. Thats madness. Surely, the situation was getting to Cornelia as well. There was no way she could truly remain unfazed by such a big point difference. Nonetheless, Cornelia carried herself with unbounded confidence even now. It was honestly amazing how the girl wore the mask of confidence so convincingly. Does she actually believe all the things shes saying? Daniella wondered. Anyway, this isnt good. I cant be outdone by a junior like this. If a junior is strong enough to not give up here, then I should be even better than that. Alright, girls, listen up, Daniella called out. Ill be honest, the current difference in points is rough. But, keep in mind that all these points were pretty much earned by Fiona alone. Her turn is over now, so just reset your brain. Forget the lead she built. Lets just score more points than them from here on out! This successfully injected some energy into the team. They couldnt fully regain their usual vigor, but at least they raised their heads and got ready to fight to the bitter end. Despite the great achievement, there was someone who didn''t quite agree with this approach. "It is fine that you want to keep the team motivated," Fiona said. "However, it will not do you any good to ignore the fact you have failed to stop so many serves in a row. This is a problem you will most certainly have to face again in this very match, so you better prepare yourselves for it." "Geh..." Daniella groaned as she saw a few of her teammates drop their shoulders in dejection. Thank you very much for the "encouragement", Fiona! Grrrrr! However, the Landberht Princess paid no heed to any of that and continued. "With that said, keep in mind that I held nothing back with my serves," Fiona explained. "It is not often that we get to play each other so competitively, therefore I chose to respect the occasion by pouring everything I have got into this." Daniella laughed dryly in response. "I''m pretty sure nobody wouldve put it against you if you held a little back, haha..." "I do hold back during practice, but a match such as this is a serious competition. Tackling the full extent of my serves should be a valuable lesson for all of you." "More like a soul-crushing lesson" Daniella rolled her eyes. "Hmm. Fiona nodded. Yes, I can see how failing to stop this many serves in a row may become quite disheartening." "Yeaaaaah, ''quite'' doesn''t even begin to describe it." "But, in the end, you did put a stop to it. And, you have improved with each attempt, which is an experience that I am sure will stick with you beyond this match as well." "Yeah, we did stop it... after you scored 9 points." "Yes, that was a rather long serve streak," Fiona said. "However, forgive me if I sound arrogant, but I believe I rank among the top servers in the country for my age, especially now that I have mastered the jump floater as well." "Yeah, I don''t think anybody is going to argue with that." In that case, you should realize that you have challenged and broken the serve streak of such a high-profile server. In other words, that streak was a glimpse of the worst it could possibly get for you at the peak of the nationals." "Heck," Karen added. "Even at the nationals, I dunno if we gonna meet anybody who can serve half as good as you do, sis." "I doubt that is the case, but I am flattered you think so highly of my skill." Fiona smiled softly. "Anyway, this is the gist of what I wanted to say. You may feel down about how many points I have taken from you, but you should not avert your eyes from the fact it happened. Instead, keep in mind that you are facing one of the best servers and prepare accordingly." "Got it." Daniella nodded. "Next time, we''ll cut you off way faster." "At the very first serve, in fact!" Cornelia added. "Though I admit your noble technique is nothing short of impressive, I shall crush it thoroughly in the next round!" "I am looking forward to it." On that note, Fiona returned to her position on the court. In an official match, the referee would have surely scolded them for holding such a lengthy conversation in the middle of the game. However, the main goal of this scrimmage was to help the girls improve, so the coach allowed it. It''s weird. Daniella thought. It wasn''t a "pep talk" or an "inspirational speech" or anything. But, it still somehow managed to lift everybodys spirits. This was certainly something only the "Landberht Princess" could achieve. While Cornelias big talk about being a noble was always disregarded as a joke, Fionas gallant figure and elegant mannerisms made everybody feel like they were in the presence of real royalty. But, shes still an opponent weve got to beat. Daniella shook her head and focused on the next play. Princess or not, we''re going to take her down! That''s what Daniella sincerely believed. Unfortunately, things didn''t go that smoothly... Vol.19 Ch.11: Extinguishing Noble Flame The volleyball match went on, with the score reaching 16-11 in favor of Fiona''s team. It was a large gap in points but her opponents didn''t despair. They kept on fighting their best to the bitter end. "Alright!" Daniella secured a great opportunity to make a clean set. From this position, she had many options available to her. "You shall give it to me!" Cornelia proclaimed as she dashed toward the net like a bull. The pompous girl insisted on spiking every single ball by herself. Admittedly, despite the girl''s self-centered attitude, it was undeniable that the team scored many of its points thanks to Cornelia''s powerful spikes. Despite their dodgy aim, these spikes were actually the most reliable weapon the team had for breaking through the enemys defense. And so, once again, Daniella tossed the ball toward the net in Cornelia''s direction. "Alright, take it!" "But of course!" Cornelia treated this as a given. After all, it was her noble duty to personally handle every attack. And, naturally, most of her spikes scored points for the team, as expected from a noble. The enemy blockers couldn''t handle Cornelias noble spikes even when they got into position in time! Though, there was just one tiny little exception to the rule. At one point in the game, Karen flew into the scene out of nowhere and successfully blocked off one of Cornelia''s best spikes! It was an unbelievable incident. Danieallas set was quite perfect there and Cornelias form did not have any flaws either, yet the attack got stopped anyhow. Yes, that fake "Landberht" somehow put a stop to Cornelias powerful attack! The nerve of that commoner! To make things worse, Daniella scolded Cornelia harshly for the outcome, insisting that Cornelia should have played around the block instead of challenging Karen head-on. And, perhaps that was true. To make up for that failure, Cornelia started employing her alternative spiking technique more frequently. She didn''t like using it much because it was difficult, error-prone, and sometimes resembled the act of running away from the real challenge. Nonetheless, it was an effective type of spike that no opponent here had stopped thus far. Even Karen failed to block it, a fact that naturally brought a smile to Cornelia''s face. This spike was a special technique Cornelia inherited from a former senior. She poured much of her noble sweat into polishing the niche technique to its current level. It was a technique best used sparsely, so Cornelia made sure to mix it in between her regular spikes every now and then. And, it seemed as if the time to utilize it had come once again. As Cornelia was getting closer to the ball, she noticed that an enemy blocker had already gotten in position. And, this was no ordinary blocker. It was none other than the real Landberht scion in the flesh! Oh, how long have I waited for this moment! Cornelia grinned madly. At long last, I have earned the opportunity to challenge you directly! Until now, it was mostly the lowly servants who had been handling the blocking on Fionas team. The noblewoman herself only rarely stepped onto the frontline. But, at long last, she was here! Try to stop me if you can! Cornelia channeled more strength than ever into her arm. I shall bust right through your noble defense and prove that Im the queen of this court! In response, the gallant blocker jumped up to seal off Cornelias path. Her movements were swift but refined. Fionas defensive form left no holes. It felt impossible to penetrate that perfection via brute force alone. Most likely, even Cornelias powerful spike wont be able to accomplish that. Therefore, as much as Cornelia wished to hit the ball with all her might and smash through that noble-clad defense, it felt like a pipe dream. Such a brute-force approach would get shut down for sure. Thus, Cornelia had no choice but to use that again. The technique had proven itself sufficiently reliable today, so it was the best option Cornelia had against the Landberht Princess. Behold my noble cross! Cornelia twisted her arm sideways as she struck the ball, launching it at a sharp angle. Instead of directly confronting the wall in front of it, the ball slipped past the opponents arms and shot toward the floor! Such was the essence of the brilliant technique known as Cross Spike. It was an intelligent method of cutting through ironclad defense without getting blocked. And, Cornelia happened to be skilled enough to master such a sophisticated technique! As usual, she executed the cross cleanly. The ball broke off beautifully to the right and threatened to drive straight into the floor! It was certainly going to score! However, somebody raised an objection to that prediction. A cross, as expected. Fiona predicted as much before she even jumped to block. Indeed, a cross spike was an efficient weapon. It aspired to skip right past the blocker, which made it very difficult to defend against. However, if used excessively, it became a trademark, which made the cross spike predictable. And, any predictable attack was stoppable. Alright, now! Fiona swung her arms to the left in mid-air. She did so right when Cornelia hit the ball. At its core, the cross spike was merely a diagonal spike. There were only two directions in which Cornelia could shoot it, but she had only mastered one of them thus far. Therefore, it did not become a 50/50 guess, as it was clear Cornelia would shoot it to the right, which was Fiona''s left. And so, Fiona confidently shifted her arms to the left in advance. BAM. Her palms put a stop to the diagonal attack. The ball dove into the floor on the other side of the net. In a single instant, the sharp attack was turned into a counter that scored a point for Fionas team. Naturally, all of this came as a shock to the attacker herself. "Eh...?" Cornelia stared at the ball with a dumb face. Why was the ball on her side of the court right now? Furthermore, why was it on the floor? Everything that just happened in mid-air was like a blur. It didnt feel real. "H-H-How...?" Cornelia repeated in disbelief like a broken record. For a moment, she forgot how speech even worked. All she could do was repeat the same question. "How? How is this...?" "Your cross was very good," Fiona said. "However, a predictable attack is bound to be blocked even if it is the most splendid cross to ever exist." "Predictable...?" "In this match, you have always gone for a cross when there was a blocker in front of you. As such, it was only natural to assume you would do the same against me as well." "I see..." Cornelia bit her lip in frustration. "It was a gamble on your end, was it not? I feel as if you moved your hands away in advance. So, if I just went for a straight" "Yes, you are correct." Fiona nodded. "If you had chosen to bust through the front door, I most likely would have failed to block. Sometimes, the simpler play is the better play." Fiona did not possess superhuman reaction speed. Therefore, in order to be able to block that sharp cross, she had to predict it and decide on her action in advance. "This is all part of the mind game between the blocker and the spiker," Fiona explained. "You have to take such things into account when you are spiking." "Of course, Im aware, but..." Cornelia scowled. Somewhere at the back of her head, she believed her cross would always triumph over any blocker as long as she executed it perfectly. But in reality, her cross was not omnipotent. It was merely another type of spike that could be stopped like any other. All it took was the right timing and skill, just as Fiona proved. "Very well!" Cornelia thrust her finger. "In our next bout, I shall defeat you in this so-called mind game!" In other words, you are obviously going to use a straight next time, are you not? Fiona smiled meaningfully. "There is another piece of advice I would like to give you if you do not mind." "Of course, I shall listen. It is the noble thing to do." "This has become a typical problem in your case, but I would like to bring it up again nonetheless, Fiona said. You are clearly overexerting yourself by handling your teams entire offense. "It cannot be helped." Cornelia puffed her chest. "I''m the one and only noble on this team, after all. It''s only natural that the responsibility of scoring points would fall on me." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "That is not how this game works," Fiona said. "There are six of you on the court, so you must split the workload. Instead, you chase the ball on every occasion, both on offense and on defense. You will not last long like this." "I appreciate the concern, but trivial matters like this wont affect a noble such as myself, ohoho!" "If you say so." Fiona sighed. No matter how much she was to lecture Cornelia on this topic, some players had to be burnt a few times in order to learn to not play with fire. As such, Cornelia would surely not digest any further advice on this topic until she collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. I recall that happened in the previous mock match we had a long time ago. Fiona sighed. I can only pray that Cornelia has learned her lesson since then. And so, the game continued. The score soon turned to 19-13. No matter how hard Daniella tried to boost the teams morale, it was clear to everybody that this was a hopeless game. Her team avoided the worst-case scenario of falling into total despair, but it nonetheless struggled to make a comeback. But that was a given, for Fiona was not a one-trick pony who only knew how to serve. BAM. The teams libero successfully bumped the ball into the air with her receive, but it didnt fly very high. As such, there was no time for the teams setter to prepare an effective counterattack. However, that did not mean this counterattack opportunity should be wasted. On the contrary, it was best to strike hard while the enemy was under a false sense of security. And so, Fiona decided to take matters into her own two hands. "Karen, a quick!" Fiona instructed as she moved toward the low ball. "Okay, gotcha, sis!" Karen dashed toward the net before the enemy setter even got to the ball. That''s how much she trusted her older sister. And, that trust was well-founded. Fiona got to the ball within moments and converted the low ball into a swift toss. "Eat this!" BAM! Karen struck the ball with all her strength! There was one enemy blocker in the vicinity, but the poor girl missed the chance to even begin her jump. For the enemy team, this quick came completely outta left field so none of them were ready for this smoke. And so, the ball flew straight into the floor uncontested. Nobody was fast enough to respond to it, not even Daniella. "Hell yeah!" Karen pumped a fist. "Good job, Karen," Fiona praised as she patted her sister. "Hehe, praise me more~" Of course, on the other side of the net, everybody''s expressions were the complete opposite of this happy-go-lucky attitude. "Seriously?" Daniella made a face as she stared at the rolling ball. That quick was practically unstoppable. Can Fiona seriously do anything or what? When it came to serves, Fiona established herself as the creme de la creme, no contest. She was most likely the best in the region at this point. In fact, it would be hella scary if she WASN''T. But, this prodigy packed way more than just incredible serves. Her blocking, receiving, spiking, and even setting - everything was top-notch. She was like a one-man army who could do literally anything out there. Though unlike with her demonic serves, in everything else, Fiona didn''t feel unstoppable per se. Her receiving was great, but not as good as the team''s main libero. Likewise, her setting was superb but not as robust as Daniella''s. Nonetheless, she was always a strong contender for being the 2nd or 3rd best in each category. It was mind-boggling just how versatile the girl was. She''s just one player, but her presence alone makes it feel like there''s a huge skill gap between the two teams even though the coach worked hard to balance them. Daniella sighed. Honestly, I doubt weve got any chance at this point. But, I got to act the captain part and keep everybody motivated... Fiona and Karen''s quick fazed everybody on the court. It was a high-level technique that was uncommon in girls'' volleyball, especially in junior high leagues. "Alright, alright!" Daniella clapped. "No time to be fazed by that quick! Its not something theyre going to throw at us regularly, so focus on the next play!" Everybody nodded and shifted gears. They seemed focused enough on the match but it was hard to call them "motivated" at this point. And, who could blame them? Between Fiona''s demonic serves, her unbreakable wall of defense, her quick, and her high spikes - just Fionas presence alone made this game look unwinnable. And, there was also Karen who played in a rowdy and aggressive manner that was difficult for most girls to deal with. So yeah, it wasn''t surprising that all the girls lost hearts at this point. Even Daniella struggled to maintain positivity. This is what it meant to go up against a prodigy who was head and shoulder above the rest. For the rest of the match, Daniellas team did what it could to save face. They tried to not make the game too easy for the enemy, but they were slowly but surely driven to a corner. To make things worse, their top scorer started showing signs of breaking down. "H-Hand it over to me!" Cornelia yelled from across the court with her arm raised. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath ragged, yet she ignored all that and asked for more spikes. Can she really handle another spike right now? Daniella wondered. I''ve been really working her to the bone this game, even Fiona warned us about it. But, what else can I do? She''s the best option for securing points. Besides, she keeps nagging me about it every time... "I-I shall score it! Like a noble!" Cornelia continued shouting as she approached the net. From her wobbly running form, it was clear she barely had any juice left. The girl was pretty much running on sheer willpower here. But, she won''t agree to sub out, not until she collapses. Daniella sighed. So, I guess I''ll just keep giving her the ball until she''s satisfied. We''re done for, anyway. Thus, she set the ball for Cornelia once again. And, to make sure Cornelia won''t have to jump too hard, this ball was a little lower than the ideal height for Cornelia''s strongest spikes. I hope she can at least hit it. Daniella thought. I''ve been gradually lowering the height based on her condition, but she''s looking worse to wear at this point. Despite that, Cornelia acted as if she was totally fine as dashed toward the ball with all her remaining strength. Where was she even drawing all that excess energy from? "Ah Hah..." Cornelia felt heavy breaths escaping her mouth. How unsightly. A noble such as herself shouldn''t pant like a dog, especially not in public like this. Therefore, she shut her mouth and swallowed the signs of fatigue trying to pour out of it. Clearly, her body was just throwing a fit like a little child, thats all. Surely, Cornelia still had plenty of energy to spare. There was absolutely no reason for her to take any breaks right now. We must catch up. I have to score this! She dashed toward the net with that determination! Frankly, her legs were like lead at this point. It almost felt as if her entire body was working against her, trying to sabotage her ability to play out the rest of the game. But, this is all nonsense! Cornelia insisted. She ignored all the alarms ringing in her body and jumped toward the ball as usual. Fortunately, this toss wasn''t too high. It felt like Daniella had been getting sloppy recently, as many of her sets were lower than usual. But oddly enough Cornelia didn''t feel like complaining. In fact, she was almost glad that the ball was easier to reach than usual, even though she definitely didn''t want to admit that. "I... I shall score!" Cornelia swung her arm. "Not under my watch!" Karen jumped into view in order to block. "Go take a rest already, you zombie!" "Z-Zombie? Nonsense!" Cornelia scoffed. "A zombie cannot produce a powerful spike like. like this." The world turned blurry just as Cornelia was about to hit the ball. She channeled all the strength she could muster, yet her arm went limp right before striking the ball. I-I refuse! I must hit it! Cornelia urged her own body to cooperate. Be the obedient servant you''re supposed to be and hit this darn ball! Miraculously, Fionas hand managed to make contact with the ball. However, her hit lacked strength. Instead of trying to bust through Karens block with noble force, the ball jumped lightly into the air. It was an embarrassing spike, but "Geh, seriously!?" Karen exclaimed as the ball slowly flew over her block. "A feint here, of all times!? Grrrrr!" Alas, no matter how much Karen growled at the ball, her stretched fingertips failed to touch it. The feint flew over her head and landed on the floor before anybody could get it. In a turn of events that could only be described as a miracle, Cornelia scored this point from beyond the grave. The persistence of this girl was really something else. Heck, it was almost admirable. "D-Did you see that?" Cornelia smiled weirdly. Her eyes were unfocused and she swayed from side to side. "I-I won... behold the absolute nobility... of the von Galen... geh." Her batteries died out without warning. She buckled over and fell down. "Whoa!" Karen slid underneath the net and caught the collapsing girl moments before disaster. "You dang dumbface! This is what happens when you push yourself too far. Just go take a rest already. You''re spent as hell." "I... I can still play..." "Yeah sure, and I can fly and shoot lasers. Just give it a rest already." "I... I shall not yield... not to the Landberhts..." "Damn. Bitch is half dead and she still has the energy to roleplay this shit. Karen shook her head. "Anyway, Dani. This thing over here has run out of batteries, so Im tossing it to your bench, okay?" "Yes, please, Daniella responded. That fall was dangerous so thanks for catching her. " "Meh. I was already there, so might as well." Karen directed the barely standing Cornelia toward the bench. The idiot kept rambling about how she "could keep playing" and other such nonsense, but Karen ignored all of it and dragged the half-dead creature away. Now be a good girl and sit here. Karen dropped off the luggage and left. For a moment there, it seemed as if Cornelia would force herself on her feet and return to the court. In fact, she clearly tried to achieve just that via sheer willpower. A-Ah! Cornelia tripped and fell back on the bench as soon as she tried to stand up. After a few more attempts that all ended in failure, she gave up and leaned on the wall to rest. That was it. She admitted defeat. Finally. Karen sighed in relief as she returned to her team. Good job catching her before she hit the floor, Fiona praised. People tend to underestimate situations like this, but collapsing is dangerous. She could have hit her head. Meh, I bet shes already hit it like a million times by now. Karen rolled her eyes. I mean, thats the only way I can imagine somebody developing as many disorders as shes got. That is not a very nice thing to say, Fiona retorted. Regardless, good reaction there. She patted her little sisters head for a job well done. Myaa~ I see that, despite your differences, you do care about Cornelia, after all. Hmph. Not at all. Karen puffed her cheeks. Its just that shes part of the Mancers club too, so itll be a problem for you if something happens to her. I did it for you sis, not for her. I see. I am blessed to have such a thoughtful sister. Hehe, mrrrrr~ Karen purred like a kitten upon being praised and petted. Cornelia was now out of the game but the match went on. Once Daniella picked a substitute, the fight resumed. The climax was upon them! Vol.19 Ch.12: The Final Struggle There were many girls who didn''t get the chance to participate in the volleyball scrim, so Daniella had plenty of substitutes to choose from to replace Cornelia. All of them were eager to set foot on the court and show their skill in front of the coach. As such, there was no reason to worry about the new substitutes motivation. With that said, the teams morale as a whole was already in shambles. Clearly, they could already see the fast-approaching defeat. To make things worse, they must have felt like there was nothing they could do about it. Once the score reached 24-17, there was very little Daniella''s team could do to turn the situation around. Furthermore, it was Fionas turn to serve yet again. "I am aware that the match is drawing to an end," Fiona said. "However, I would appreciate it if you challenge my serves with everything you have. Remember, the main goal of a practice match is to improve, not to win." "Yeah," Daniella said. "We plan to stop it at the first one! Right, girls!?" "Yeah!" "Let''s cut it off." "Hopefully..." The responses varied in enthusiasm but it was clear the girls had no intention of throwing the game. Even if their fighting spirits were reduced to a shell of their former selves at this point, the girls were nonetheless going to challenge Fiona''s powerful serves. "Good." Fiona nodded in satisfaction and headed to the baseline. Then, she fired her serve! "I-I''ll get it!" the new substitute shouted as she dashed toward the ball. Even though Fiona aimed it toward the edge of the court and it looked like a potential out, the girl insisted on going after the ball. Good. Fiona nodded in satisfaction. It seems like she was paying attention. "G-Got it!" the girl announced as she successfully bumped the ball into the air. It was not a perfect receive by any means, but it was nonetheless impressive that she handled this difficult server so well on her first try. "Great job!" Daniella got into position to set the ball. She had to make this opportunity count! The received ball was swaying to the side, which made things a little difficult. However, this was the best Daniella could realistically expect from a receive against Fiona''s serves, so she had to make this work! Careful now. Dont rush it. Daniella gulped as she carefully observed both the ball and the teams advancing spikers. Unfortunately, her teammates were a little slow in transitioning from defense to offense so a quick was impossible. Cornelia is such a convenient spiker in times like these. Daniella smiled wryly. She always dashes to the net before anybody else. The second the ball is received Cornelia is already there, ready to spike anything thats thrown at her. The only other attacker in the club with the same level of speed was Karen, who was unfortunately playing on the opposite side of the court today. So, Daniella had no choice but to cook something up in this critical moment. Lets try to fake them out. Daniella carefully examined the two spikers approaching the net. One of them was near the center of the net, whereas the other was going for the far edge, They''re probably expecting me to set to the middle because thatll lead to a faster attack. Daniella deduced from the positions of the enemy blockers. Its a gamble, but lets go for a slower attack here. Daniella passed the ball toward the center of the net. At first glance, it looked as if it was directed toward the spiker in the middle. The enemy blockers bought into that narrative without thinking twice. "No, you don''t!" Karen and another girl jumped to block the path of the middle spiker. Their response was swift and organized, possibly arranged in advance by Fiona. But, too bad! Daniella grinned. You got played! The spiker in center swung her arm, convinced that the ball was meant for her. However, she missed it! But, her genuine attempt to hit the ball served as a great distraction. While everybody was busy watching the swing and miss, the ball continued flying toward the far edge of the net. The spiker over there was a little surprised at first but she jumped toward the unexpected ball regardless. This improvised spike wasn''t too powerful, especially not when compared to Cornelia''s explosive attacks. However, there werent any blockers in sight to intercept the attack. Whats more, the girl did a great job aiming the ball at a difficult spot on the court. And so, that''s how the uncontested ball quickly made its way to the floor... or not!? BUMP! The enemy libero touched the ball a few centimeters away from the floor! Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Phew! Barely made it!" The libero sighed in relief. "Would''ve never made it in time if not for that tip." It was none other than Fiona who advised the libero to mark that position in case the spiker in the back would be the one to go for the kill. On top of that, it was Fiona who instructed Karen and the other blocker to guard the middle of the court so tightly. With all these preparations, Fiona sealed off the enemys main lines of attack. And, while all of that took place, she herself was moving from the baseline to the net. "Here." Fiona raised her hand. "I''ll put an end to this." "Alright!" the setter responded without fail by carefully tossing the ball in Fiona''s direction. It was a slow set, way too slow to Fiona''s taste. This gave the enemy plenty of time to react. Fortunately, the enemy team was unable to assign any blockers in time. They had just finished pouring their everything into an all-out attack, so it took them a moment to switch gears. Meanwhile, Fiona spiked the ball from the back of the court against the unprepared opponents. This should serve as the decisive shot to end this game. "Don''t even dream about it...!" Daniella dashed to defend. She was the closest to the scene and the first to notice Fiona''s intentions, so she was the only one with a chance to foil this attack! Tch, I wont reach it by running! Daniela gritted her teeth. Then, I''ll just slide from here! I have to at least touch it, no matter how awkward the receive is going to be! But, was a sloppy receive really going to work? Against one of Fionas attacks? Your enthusiasm is well-placed. Fiona nodded. However, it is over. Daniella successfully reached the ball by sliding across the court. Her hands touched it just before it hit the floor, but all this receive achieved was bumping the ball farther away from the court. Thud. Thud. Thud. The ball bounced a few times before rolling away. This signaled the end of the set. "She really holds nothing back, huh..." Daniella sighed. She could''ve at least let us have this one, to let us feel like we''ve improved since starting the set. But, I bet the thought hasnt even crossed her mind. Fiona Landberht showed mercy to neither friend nor foe. But, she was equally harsh on herself during training, so it was hard to hate her for any of this. "Game set!" The coach announced. "The final score is 25-17." To nobody''s surprise, Fiona''s team won by a considerable margin. In many ways, this was almost a one-sided beating. Nevertheless... "Good game, everybody," Daniella said. As the captain, she had to be a role model for good sportsmanship despite her actual feelings about the game. Fiona followed up on that attitude. "It was a good game as a whole. However, there were a few problems I would like to point out." "Sure, go ahead..." Daniella tried to smile but she wasn''t sure how good of a job she was doing. She''s totally going whip us, isn''t she? Haha... "First, I would like to address how irresponsible it was to place so much burden on Cornelia. You made her spike far too often, almost causing her to faint." "Yeah, that''s true," Daniella admitted. "She just kept begging for the ball and her spikes are actually that good, so I just felt obliged. But looking back on it, the whole thing was really thoughtless of me." Normally, Daniella would be more attentive to such details. As the setter, she had to keep tabs on how many sets she made for each attacker. It was her responsibility to balance the load on the team. Jumping for a spike was the most physically taxing move in volleyball. Having Cornelia repeat it over and over was bound to break the girl. It would have broken anybody. Of course, as a veteran, Daniella knew all these things. Then, why did she put Cornelia through all these hardships anyway? I guess I felt hella pressured, huh. Daniella smiled wryly. Facing Fiona felt like climbing an impossibly tall mountain. To tackle this challenge, it was necessary to push everybody to their limits and beyond, or else the team had no hope of winning. At least, that''s how it felt. It was all pressure. Daniella rationalized. I shouldn''t have given in to it. After this bit of criticism, Fiona had a few more things to say about the individual performance of each and every girl on Daniella''s team. Somehow, the Landberht Princess was capable of paying close attention to everybody on the court while simultaneously focusing on her own plays. And as always, Fiona was equally harsh toward ally and foe alike. She had no shortage of criticism toward the performance of her own teammates. Even Karen found herself on the chopping block. "Without a good receive there will be no set, and without a set, there will be no spike," Fiona said. "Surely you understand that much, Karen?" "Yeah, yeah. Karen rolled her eyes. Of course I do. That''s the basics." "Correct, these are indeed the fundamentals. That is why you have to master them to perfection." "But, out of these, I''m the best at spiking. And, I can''t spike when I''m the receiver, sooooo..." "That is no excuse to be sloppy, Fiona said. You cannot cover up for bad receives with your spikes. Therefore, I stand by what I said at the start of the game." "What was it, again?" "That you must go through extra practice on receiving. You can start with one hour a day, but I would personally recommend at least two hours every day." "Geh, that again?" Karen made a face. "Um, yeah, sure. I''ll consider it..." "You meant to say that you will DO it, right?" "Y-Yeah, exactly that, sis..." Karen gave in against her older sister. There was no beating Fiona when she was this serious about something. On that note, Fiona''s lecturing came to an end. Ironically, the biggest troublemaker dodged everything by being asleep. But, knowing sis, I''m sure she''ll deliver that lecture in due time. Karen snickered as she imagined Cornelia being cooked alive for all the nonsense she pulled throughout the game. And so, the scrim was over. In many ways, it was Fiona''s one-man show. And, it was similar to how things often played out during Classmancers practice too Vol.19 Ch.13: St. Mary’s Classmancers Club St. Marys Classmancers Club was less than a year old. Despite that, the clubroom had no shortage of space and equipment. It housed no less than six computers with strong hardware for gaming. Of course, it was not the school that financed any of this. These machines were far more advanced than the relics the schools computer room had to offer. The school was still skeptical of this newly formed club, so it was not willing to allocate any extra funds beyond the bare minimum budget. As such, Fiona had to finance everything by herself. Fortunately, her "pocket money" was quite generous compared to the average middle schooler, and it further scaled off with the many athletic achievements that impressed her father. With all of these assets combined, purchasing six gaming computers was not a big deal for her. Top-shelf gear was always expensive, regardless of the sport. But, it was always a worthwhile investment for the sake of making practice smoother and more efficient. A newly formed club like the Valkyries needed any advantage it could get to keep up with the competition. As such, everything about the gear was professional from top to bottom. Not only the hardware itself, but also the monitors, mouses, chairs, and even the tables. Fiona consulted ProCenter on the equipment they used for official games and then she purchased the exact same models. There was nothing more optimal than practicing with the exact same equipment that would be used in the regionals. In order to justify all these expenses, Fiona made sure to utilize the club room as frequently as possible. As such, she insisted on holding daily practice sessions even though that was uncommon for other clubs. To her surprise, she was met with a fair amount of resistance at first. Even Karen was taken a little aback by this demand, though she soon came around and sided with Fiona. As amateurs with a late start, we must practice at least this much, Fiona explained over and over until she finally persuaded her clubmates. There were still some complaints during the first couple of weeks, but those soon died out. Soon enough, daily practice became a routine. Humans are adaptable creatures. Even a task that seems incredibly taxing at first can become as natural as coming to school in the mornings. It is all about turning the activity into a routine. After half a year of training, everybody had grown accustomed to this routine. Even those who initially called the routine "inhuman" eventually acclimated. With that said, not everybody''s attitude toward practice was equal. Some took it more seriously than others. When Fiona and Karen arrived in the clubroom, Lua was already there, absorbed in the computers monitor. Every once in a while, she pushed her big glasses and wrote down some notes. She was so absorbed in the task that she did not even notice Fiona and Karen entering the clubroom. This level of carelessness was a bit alarming, but it went to show just how seriously Lua was researching things. "Boo!" "A-Ah!" Lua jumped. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest. "O-Oh, it''s you, Karen..." "Haha, works every time!" Karen laughed at the cartoonish reaction. That girl was so easy to mess around with, haha! "Watcha doing?" Karen asked as she peered into the screen. "Looking into some weird occult stuff?" "W-Why would I do something like that?" Lua puffed her cheeks as she pushed her glasses, which almost fell off because of the scarejump. "I was told to study StormBlitz''s players, so that''s what I''ve been doing." "Strom? Why, though?" "Um, Fiona asked me to...." "Yes, I did," Fiona said. "Good work." "Um, thanks. I''m still halfway through, though." "It is alright, Fiona said. There is still time." "Time for what?" Karen raised an eyebrow. "Are we gonna go up against Storm soon or something?" "We would most certainly face them in the regionals, so I want to be prepared in advance. Dang, thinking about the long game, huh. Of course. Fiona nodded. Our goal is to become the regional champions, so we must study all the contenders for the title. Winning the regionals would be awesome, but considering how our last scrim went down. Karen quieted down all of a sudden. The chipperness in her voice was nowhere to be found. I see that you are still hung up on that defeat. N-Nah, Im fine! Karen puffed her chest. Sure, we lost and stuff. But its the Leopards, you know? We cant possibly beat them, even when they have a trashy player like Cato. Is that how you genuinely feel? Yep. Really? Y-Yeah... Do you not feel frustrated at all about the fact we lost an official match? N-Not really Karen lowered her head and looked at the floor. Her bravado was slowly crumbling apart. Is that so. Fiona sighed. So, even when the team loses an important match, it does not faze you at all. I see how it is. T-Thats not how I meant it! Karen jumped. Of course I was frustrated and stuff! And, Im still hella salty about that shit and- ah. She stopped after realizing what she had just blurted. Do you see? Fiona smiled meaningfully. Even though you try to pretend as if it is all in the past, it is clear that the outcome of that scrim left a bad aftertaste. You are not satisfied with losing just because the Leopards are the regional champions, and thats how it should be.. Yeah. Karen nodded. I wanna kick their butts! That is why I asked Lua to research them in advance, Fiona explained. The regionals may still be far away, but it is never too early to prepare. Yep, makes sense. Lua watched the entire exchange with a complicated smile but she said nothing. Shortly, the conversation moved to a different topic. "They are late," Fiona commented on the whereabouts of the other club members. "Seriously, wasting our precious training time like this..." Fiona muttered. "I will check if they are around. Knowing Andria, she might have stopped nearby." "Okay, Karen said. Then, I''mma call Cornelia and check what''s up." "Thank you." On that note, the sisters set out to pursue the two troublemakers of the club. Normally, Fiona would use her phone to get in touch with a missing person. However, in Andrias case, it was unlikely to get a response if the girl was in the middle of one of her "gigs". As expected, the girl was going at it right outside the clubroom. Instead of hurrying to the practice, Andria stood in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by a few younger girls. From a distance, this looked like an image of a popular boy surrounded by fangirls. Andria had short hair and she was taller than most girls her age, even a bit taller than Fiona. As such, it was easy to mistake her for a boy from afar. This surely played a big part in why so many younger girls flocked to her. And of course, the other big reason was Andria''s acting... "Oh, is that what''s troubling you?" Andria smiled as she addressed one of the younger girls. "It''s such a troublesome matter, indeed." "Right?" the girl nodded repeatedly as she shared her complaints. "I mean, it''s just make-up, you know? Everybody uses it, so what''s so wrong with it? I really hate my parents sometimes!" "Yeah, it sounds super strict," another girl commented. "Whoa. A third girl chimed in. I wouldn''t be able to deal with it if my parents tried to ban make-up. Like, it''s not even their business in the first place?" Next, all three girls turned to Andria in anticipation. It was as if they were waiting for a figure of authority to speak. "Yes, it is true that your parents are unreasonably strict on this point," Andria said. "But, no need to feel so down about it, my flower." Andria raised the girl''s chin and brought their faces closer. "You already possess such natural beauty. Make-up is just an extra for you anyway." This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "A-Ah~" the girl blushed and froze in place. The presence of this prince charming overwhelmed her. "Kyaaa~!" the other girls added noise to the scene with their maidenly excitement. Once the girls calmed down, Andria continued her speech. "Perhaps your parents simply wish for you to appreciate your own beauty before you start relying too much on cosmetics." She spoke with what could only be considered unfounded confidence. And yet, her dramatic tone and exaggerated hand movements turned everything into a convincing performance that left little room for argument. Thankfully, the girl in the center of the conversation raised doubt, as she should. But, it was short-lived. You really think my parents see it that way? "I cannot say for sure, Andria said. All I can say for certain is that you are here right now, with no make-up to cover up your natural beauty. And yet, I find myself captivated by you." The girl smiled shyly. "I-Is that so?" "Yes, it is. In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I would gladly go on a date with you at this very moment! Shall you allow it, I will become a prince wholl whisk you away!" As usual with these scenarios, Andria weaved some sophisticated-sounding narrative while sidestepping the seriousness of the topic entirely. It was impressive how these girls kept eating up all the theatrical nonsense Andria was feeding them. It stood testament to how convincing Andria''s acting was. But of course, Fiona was not swayed by any of it at all. "I am sorry, but I am afraid you will have to ''whisk away your princess'' at a later date." "Oh, if it''s not her majesty!" Andria bowed dramatically. The other girls also recognized Fiona and cleared a path for the Landbreht Princess. However, they insisted on staying by Andira''s side at all times, as declaring their intention of not letting their "prince" go. "You are late for club practice," Fiona said. "Oh my, is that time of the day already? Time flies by so fast when I''m in the presence of such beauties~" Andria spouted such cheesy lines so naturally and the younger girls ate it all up. "Kyaa, you''re such a flirt~" Clearly, Andria had these girls around her finger, but that was none of Fionas concern. "Let us go. The others are waiting." "Your wish is my command!" Andria bowed again, then she turned to the girls beside her. "I''m sorry, flowers. This is the queen''s decree, so I must depart now." "Eeeh?" "Do you really have to?" "Stay with us a little longer~" The girls begged to no end. But, Fiona merely shot them an indifferent look. "Andria is part of the Classmancers club and we have scheduled practice at this hour. If you wish to hang out with her, please do so when she is available." "Boo." "So strict." "Not fun." The three girls pouted. "Don''t worry about it, flowers," Andria reassured. "I''ll be yours again tomorrow and the day after that. Do not let this momentary separation ruin your mood." "But, you promised me a date~" "And I shall deliver on that promise! At a later date, that is. Don''t worry, natural beauty. I will escort you thoroughly." "Then, me next!" "And me!" "Worry not. I shall accompany each and every one of you without failure. A gentleman ought to be able to do this much." "I believe that a ''gentleman'' also ought to not be late to club practice," Fiona added. "Normally, that is true," Andria agreed. "However, today I had to aid a lady in peril!" "Thats right, Andri was helping us out!" "Yeah, don''t blame Andri." The younger girls mustered the courage to gang up on Fiona here in order to protect their prince. Alright, I understand, Fiona gave in in order to sidestep any potential conflict. She did not want to waste any more time than they had already wasted here. Either way, it is time for club activities now, so I must borrow Andria. Okay Not fun The girls pouted once again but their objections were weak. Fionas firm tone left them no choice but to give up. Do not worry, Andria reassured. We shall reunite before long, my flowers! On that note, Andria finally left the scene, practically dragged away by Fiona. On the way back to the clubroom, Fiona sighed. I really do not comprehend the nature of this roleplay you so frequently partake in, I figured you wouldnt. Andria nodded. You are too much of a realist, my fair lady. You are not like these young girls who wish to indulge themselves in a sweet fantasy in order to forget their problems. If you say so. Fiona shrugged. They have had countless similar exchanges on this topic, yet every time Fiona felt like she understood less and less about what Andria was actually trying to accomplish with that acting. Whose fantasy was that in the first place? Was it about fulfilling the girls yearning for an ideal prince? Or, was it about Andria enjoying a make-believe harem? Perhaps it is both. Fiona concluded. The two fantasies mix together and form one big roleplay. At least, that is how I see it. It was all rather bizarre but Fiona did not feel like delving any deeper into these matters. The only thing that mattered was for Andria to attend practice on time, which she frequently failed to accomplish because of her roleplay sessions. Perhaps punctuality was not part of being a gentleman in her eyes. "We have returned," Fiona announced as they entered the clubroom. Cornelia had also arrived in the meantime but she looked worse to wear. Despite that, the loud girl wasted no time lighting up a heated argument with Karen "Hmph. I''m under no obligation to explain anything to a commoner like you!" Cornelia crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "You little shit...!" Karen hissed. "Enough, you two." Fiona stepped in between the two wild animals before they tear each other apart. "But sis, this dang bitch is-" "Language, Karen." "Geh. Karen clicked her tongue and rephrased. But, listen to this, sis! This this loudmouth over here wasted so much of your precious time and she won''t even apologize for it!" "I do apologize, Fiona." Cornelia bowed lightly. "It is indeed unbecoming for a noble such as myself to be late like this." "Say whaaaaat?" Karen''s jaw dropped. "Hey now, that''s a completely different tune from what you were singing a moment ago! You were all like ''I have no reason to apologize, ohohoho!''" "Indeed, I have no reason to apologize to the likes of you," Cornelia clarified. "However, as a fellow noble, Fiona''s time is as precious as my own, therefore I must apologize for wasting it." Huh. Karen sighed. "And what were you doing, anyway?" "Hmph. That is not your pedestrian business." "Oh c''mon, you''re late by so damn much. You owe us an explanation." "Any noble lady worth her salt ought to have a secret or two." "Hah. Karen made a face. Such a convenient rule you just pulled outta your ass." "Karen, that is enough." Fiona placed a hand on Karen''s head to soothe the feral kitten. "Mrrr~ Karen enjoyed the head pat a bit too much. But sis, she always does this! Coming late and not explaining shit!" "First, language. Second, I am well aware of the matter." Fiona nodded. "Do not worry, I have discussed this many times with Cornelia by now." "Well, doesn''t look like it helped at all." "That is not correct, Fiona said. I believe we have made plenty of progress. Alas, days like these still happen, unfortunately." "Hmph." Cornelia looked away. "Some things are beyond control even for a noble such as myself." "I see. Fiona nodded. Did you fall asleep in the nurse''s room?" "W-W-What!?" Cornelia jumped. "H-How did you know I was in the nurse''s room!?" So, I was right. Fiona nodded in satisfaction as her leading question bore fruit. "You looked worse to wear after our tennis match, so I suspected you went to rest until club practice." "Hmph. I''ll have you know I didn''t break a sweat during our noble duel, Cornelia insisted. It was a majestic bout for sure, but not something that would affect a resilient noble such as myself." "Is that so." Of course, all of that was a hoax. As always Cornelia poured her everything into the match against Fiona, to the point of breaking herself apart. Truly, this girl did not know the concepts of pacing and restraint. Sigh. "Pft, seriously?" Karen giggled. So, lemme get this straight. You were late because you knocked yourself out from fatigue? That''s rich, haha!" "No such a thing happened!" Cornelia was desperate to cover it up. However, the more desperate she was, the more it proved that all the allegations were correct. The two girls bickered for a while longer. Fiona did her best to calm them down but it was not going as smoothly as she hoped. Meanwhile, Andria and Lua only watched from the sideline. Lua wore a troubled expression while Andria was enjoying the spectacle with a smile. "Ah, such beautiful friendship, don''t you find?" "Eh?" Lua made a dumb face. "Friendship? Where?" "Don''t you think they can only fight so passionately because they''re so close?" "Um, I''m not so sure about that..." "Its definitely the case. I have seen this exact pattern countless times by now. First, they fight, then they make up. It''s a classic plot." "I don''t know if that applies to these two..." "Don''t worry your pretty little head about it." Andria stepped closer and gently pulled Lua by the chin. "Instead of stressing over this inconsequential conflict, why don''t you give some of that passionate attention to me, o pretty lady?" "E-Eh? P-Pretty?" Lua stammered as she looked into Andria''s deep eyes. She felt like she was getting sucked into that unwavering, confident gaze. "Um I. eh..." "Relax. No need to be so nervous. I won''t bite." "R-Right..." Lua gulped. The one in front of her was definitely a fellow girl, so there shouldn''t be any reason for Lua to be so nervous. And yet, her heart couldn''t help but skip a beat. There was something so princely charming about Andria when she was acting like this. Her words were sweet and filled with reassuring confidence. It was so easy for Lua to imagine herself as a fragile princess in the hands of a handsome prince. Did this illusion work so well because Lua''s imagination had a tendency to run wild? Or, was it all thanks to Andria''s superb acting skills? Either way, just as Lua started getting cozy with the situation - it burst like a bubble. Whew whew! Karen whistled. Look at these two flirts~! E-Eh!? Lua jumped away from the prince. I-Its nothing like that! Hmph. How shameless. Cornelia lifted her chin. Acting shamelessly like that in public, and in the clubroom no less. I-Im sorry Theres nothing for you to apologize for, my flower, Andria reassured as she turned to the two attackers. I merely distracted her for a moment from your friendly quarrel, that is all. You see, she found your bickering very unpleasant for the rooms atmosphere. I concur with the sentiment Fiona commented. You two have a bad habit of ignoring everybody around you when you quarrel. I understand that, for you two, such fights are as natural as breathing at this point. However, for the outlookers, it might seem like a serious fight. It creates an unpleasant atmosphere in the room. Sorry, sis Hmph. I suppose its unbecoming of a noble, so I apologize for that The two girls gave in against the combined pressure from both Fiona and Andria. It was nigh impossible to stand up to this duo. One of them was the teams captain and the renowned Landberht Princess, while the other was a senior with professional acting skills. When united, it was impossible to talk back to them in any shape or form. Now that everything is sorted out, let us begin our training, Fiona said. Keep in mind that we are running half an hour late, so we will have to stay overtime to compensate for it. Oh, how wonderful Andria rolled her eyes. I hope you realize you played a big role in this. No objections there. Andria bowed elegantly like a gentleman. It appears I will have to accompany you ladies past the agreed hours. And so, after a long detour that was unfortunately way too common for this club, everybody finally gathered to practice Vol.19 Ch.14: The Slow Ladder Climb In the Classmancers Club of St. Marys, practice started off with thorough warm-up exercises. The routine involved physical exercises as well as warming up to the games controls. Most of it was based on the warmup practices of pro players. It might have seemed excessive, especially since the girls were only going to play some Ranked matches. The average online player jumped straight into games with zero warmups or preparation, so compared to that the Valkyries routine was clearly an overkill. With that said, as players aiming to excel in the competitive scene, the Valkyries had to conduct themselves professionally. They had to get used to the idea of preparing their mind and body for every upcoming battle, no matter how big or small it was. High-level play was all about minimizing mistakes; Fiona wanted to make that concept as natural as breathing for the team. Not to mention, a solid warm-up also helped the player to improve during practice. The better their condition was, the better they observed everything around them. This directly contributed to learning better from mistakes. Therefore, even though these warmup exercises ate away at the already lacking time for practice, Fiona insisted on conducting them regardless. After the extensive warmup was over, the team logged into the game and played against opponents in Ranked. This ability to easily arrange matches with players around your skill level was great for improving, especially for a team sport that needed 10 players to hold a game. Unfortunately, the matchmaking system was far from perfect. Assigning a simple rank to each player was oversimplified. Such a system struggled to take into account the teamwork quality between players, a factor that varied greatly depending on whether the teammates were familiar with each other. But, that is to be expected. Fiona thought. Most types of ranking systems are flawed. This is a common design problem that seems very difficult to solve. Fiona encountered similar issues in many sports. It was always difficult, if not outright impossible, to accurately evaluate a player''s skill using simple math. There were far too many factors involved in that equation. To sidestep all that headache, most sports used simple ranking systems that awarded points based on match and tournament results. These were far from accurate, but they were simple and functional, and that was what mattered. Classmancers ranking system was largely the same. After every match, it awarded the most points to the winners. However, the system also tried to be a bit more than that. It gave the players extra points based on various achievements, such as scoring many kills, getting many assists, having few deaths, and so on. It sounded great on paper, but naturally, there were problems with this system. You could often find players complaining about how most of these extra achievements favored aggression over defense. For players who preferred a slower and more methodical playstyle, it was very difficult to score any bonus points with this system. Unfortunately, there was not much that could be done about this. A ranking system was bound to be imperfect as long it was invited by humans. At the very least, in Fionas case, the bonus points from achievements served her well. Even when the team lost a game, if Fiona performed well then she got rewarded with enough points to mitigate the penalty. For one game, the impact of the bonus points was almost negligible. But, across many games, the bonus points accumulated and propelled her rank forward. In particular, once the team started facing Platinum rank opponents, their progress became very stifled. Fiona was the only one making progress these days thanks to her solid performance, which was how she had already reached Platinum I despite all odds. At this point, only Karen was above Fiona in rank. She had a big head-start on Fiona because she had been playing for a couple of years now. However, Fiona was slowly but surely catching up. She was in Platinum II while Karen was in Diamond IV. The The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Unfortunately, as a whole, the teams current win rate in the Platinum division was right around 50%, which was not convincing enough to climb higher on the ladder. It was quite disheartening, as Cato said the Leopards were playing in the Challenger division; they were so far ahead. But, it cannot be helped. We do not have enough experienced players. Fiona thought. That includes me as well, unfortunately. In fact, in terms of sheer playtime, Fiona''s was on the lower side in the club. Karen, Andria, and Lua all played Classmancers before joining the club. However, only Karen actively played Ranked. Lua said she avoided Ranked because she had nobody to play with, whereas Andria claimed that grinding Ranked was neither fun nor rewarding. With a team like that, anybody would rightfully mock Fiona for even dreaming of winning the regionals. Nonetheless, she believed it was very much possible. This newborn team had undeniably less time to prepare for the regionals than other established ones. However, "time" was a relative concept in this context. For example, Andria and Lua both clocked more time in Classmancers than Fiona. However, the two of them did not pursue the competitive scene as seriously as Fiona did. As such, they did not spend much time in Ranked before joining the club, which meant their level of experience did not measure up to the actual amount of time they spent in the game. On the other hand, Fiona rushed to Lv. 50 as soon as she created an account. She unlocked Ranked in her first week with the game and had been grinding it together with Karen even before establishing the club. Thanks to that competitive mindset, she had already passed Andria and Lua in rank. Essentially, Fiona''s progress during her brief time with the game was likely twice, if not thrice, the average speed. Especially, since she also hired various coaches to professionally tutor her. Thanks to all that, she had already reached Platinum I, which was considered very good for a player with less than a year under their belt. Alas, she had a hard time climbing any further at the moment. The reason for that lay not so much with her but with the rest of the team. As long as their win rate was stuck at a hard 50% in the Platinum division, it was difficult for Fiona to climb to Diamond. To make any progress under these circumstances, she had to outdo herself in very specific ways and earn the bonus points the ranked system offered. However, that can become a trap in its own way. Fiona realized soon after she started appealing the system. It handsomely rewarded her for various aggressive actions, especially for killing enemy players. As a result, she sometimes found herself chasing difficult kills that she had no business chasing, blinded by the potential bonus points. This led to bad habits, something that Rodriguez was quick to point out when coaching her. Thankfully, that advice saved Fiona from crippling her own development. Fionas ultimate goal was to improve her skill and win in the competitive scene, not inflate her rank. So, even though it was statistically easier to climb the ranks by being aggressive and proactive, a truly competitive player should value minimizing errors far more than that. And so, Fiona focused on playing her best and hoped the system would naturally reward her for performing well. It made the climb slower, but the system nonetheless took notice of her various achievements and slowly pushed her rank forward. Honestly, I would rather see the entire team climb the ranks at this pace. Fiona thought. Alas, the time goes by, I am coming to realize it might be an unreasonable expectation. The other members exhibited great growth in the clubs first few months, but they soon reached a point of stagnation. This was a familiar feeling for anybody who ever tried their hand at sports. It meant they "hit a wall". Fiona ran into countless such walls throughout her career. Some walls were harder than others, but she usually succeeded in breaking past the first wall with the help of professional coaching and focused training. But, that was just the first wall. After every wall, there was a short period of growth, followed by the next wall. And, this new wall was usually larger and sturdier than the first. And, after that wall lay yet another wall somewhere in the distance. Such was the natural cycle of improving at any competitive sport. Fiona and the club had already broken through multiple such walls since the day the club was formed, but they still had a long road ahead of them. According to Fionas research, all the best players in the region were in Challenger rank by now. So, that was the level everybody in the Valkyries had to aspire to. Alas, Karen was the only one in Diamond right now, the others were Platinum or below. So, there was still much more climbing for everybody to do, and the first Ranked game of the day was definitely not helping them with that... Vol.19 Ch.15: Pawn Sacrifice "A-Ah!" Lua exclaimed. "They surrounded me!" It happened in the middle of a heated Ranked game. The enemy Jungler and Support teamed up in the jungle in order to gang up on Lua! They cut off her path right as she was about to return to the lane! But, compared to Luas rising levels of anxiety, Fiona analyzed the situation calmly. They must have spotted her through wards. I have to admit, this is a nicely timed gank. I doubt she can make it out of there alive. Lua had access to Paladins invincibility ultimate but it would be a waste to spend it here. Even if she does get away alive, she will be too injured to continue activity in the lane. As such, that line of play will not lead to any advantages for the team. Unfortunately, sacrificing her is the only logical option here. Fiona concluded matter-of-factly. Her teammates sometimes called her heartless for proposing such lines, but that was simply nonsense. This is a strategic game just like chess. In a situation like this, sacrificing a teammate is no different than sacrificing a piece to improve the position. Any objections to such plays always came from the heart, not the brain. For some reason, there were many players who felt obligated to "rescue their comrades" without stopping to think about the bigger picture first. But, Fiona did not fall for such an obvious pitfall. She had no intention of wasting time and resources on a suboptimal play. There was no valid rescue plan at hand that would objectively make sense to go for. So, it was far more logical to assume that Luas fate was sealed and instead think of how to best utilize her as a resource until she collapses. And so, Fiona analyzed the area from a distance using X-ray vision. Their Jungler is running low. I assume he only dared to join this surprise attack because he has an accomplice. The enemy Viking was at 30% HP. Luas ward actually revealed his presence in the jungle a little before all of this, but everybody assumed the Viking would not dare to engage with such low HP. Even Fiona believed as much. I failed to take into account the fact he can rely on the Support''s recovery if push comes to shove. Fiona criticized herself. In hindsight, this was a predictable attack. The enemy''s Support was a Cleric, so he had no shortage of heals to spare. Fiona should have factored that in when analyzing the situation. Alas, it was too late now. It was impossible to rewind time, so Fiona had to deal with the awkward board position in front of her. Even though she already concluded that Lua could not be saved, it did not mean the team should surrender that piece for free. If I time it right, I can kill the Jungler. Fiona analyzed a few moves ahead. She was already on her way from Top Jungle to Bot Jungle, so this plan fitted well into her schedule. The Clerics ult is down, so that will not pose an issue. Fiona analyzed. In that case, everything hangs on Luas ability to keep the enemy distracted. I will have to advise her well. Fiona quickly drew up an escape path for Lua on the mini-map. This was similar to giving an order to a chess piece, except here it was uncertain whether the piece would be able to execute the orders to a T. Lua, follow this path, Fiona ordered. Eh? Shouldnt I retreat to Bot? No, that is hopeless. They will catch up to you with the Clerics speed buff. Oh. Yeah, they probably will In truth, that was only partially correct. Lua had a chance of getting away alive if she were to use Aegis, but that meant wasting her ult and getting almost nothing in return. That was barely any better than dying, so Fiona omitted that part of the analysis so they could stay focused on the upcoming plan. I am on my way over there, Fiona informed. Stall them for as long as you can. Follow the path I drew for you and dodge their attacks as much as possible even if it slows you down. Dont worry, I will . O-Okay! Also, strike the Cleric with your skill. A-Alright! Lua activated Justice Strike, summoning a giant blade from the sky. It crashed right on the Cleric as instructed, slowing down the pursuer. I wonder, was the Cleric really the better target? Lua asked herself as ran. I feel like slowing down the Viking would do much more for me. But, who am I to question Fiona? And so, Lua did her best to run away from her bloodthirsty pursuers. Though she had a notoriously bad habit of finding herself in unfortunate situations like these, she was also just as good at wiggling her way out of them. So, shell surely survive this predicament too! Y-yeah, no sweat! Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Even with the panic drumming down on her, Lua navigated rather smoothly through the jungle. She efficiently cut through the corners and gave her pursuers a run for their money. At some point, the Viking even used his Axe Blitz in order to catch up. From that point onward, he essentially continued the pursuit all alone. The Cleric was most likely still following from behind, but the two of them were practically separated at this point. This was the ideal scenario Fiona envisioned. But unfortunately, even in this best-case scenario, it was impossible to save Lua when her HP was at a mere 10%. Despite predicting this outcome from a mile away, Fiona did her best to get to the scene as quickly as possible. Alas, it was not meant to be An ally has been killed! It was an unfortunate turn of events, one that Fiona had every intention of getting compensation for. Before the Viking had a chance to get away, Fiona leapt over the jungle wall using Majestic Leap. Her careless target only had 40% HP remaining even after getting patched up by the Cleric. Meanwhile, Fiona was at 90%. This immense gap activated her Superiority passive, granting useful buffs for securing this kill. BAM! Fiona crashed on the target from the sky and knocked them up into the air. And, while her prey was helplessly flying in the air, Fiona followed up with Mighty Roar. RAAAAAWR! The roar shredded the prey''s defenses and inflicted him with Fear. It made the Viking temporarily lose control over his character as he ran away in terror. To make the most out of this crowd-control effect, Fiona made sure to scare away the Viking deeper into allied territory and farther away from the Cleric. Even though the Viking had already scored a kill, there was a very good chance the healer was still on his way to the scene due to Fionas intervention, so she had to keep them separated. Things will become difficult if the Viking is healed. Fiona thought. I have to wrap this up quickly. She activated The Queen''s Dominion, summoning a pride of lions to block off the area. Despite how uneven the surrounding jungle walls were, the lions had no problem adjusting their formation to match the layout. Most other AoE skills would have failed to activate a restricted area like this, but not The Queen''s Dominion. Fiona was thankful for this unusual property of the skill as it made her life easier on many occasions. He cannot escape now. It is over. Fiona chased down the terrorized Viking and slashed him from behind with her claws. By this point she had unleashed every skill in her kit, so now it was all about confirming the kill via basic attacks. However, the Viking had no intention of going down without a fight. Once he recovered from the Fear, he retaliated with his ult. "Odin owns ye all!" He called upon a squad of warriors to aid him in battle. In an instant, Fiona found herself surrounded by six rowdy fighters. However, that did not faze her in the slightest. How wasteful. This will not save you. She ignored the threats around her and continued attacking the Viking. As long as she takes down the boss, the goons will disperse on their own. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Fiona tirelessly assaulted the Viking. The man tried to counterattack at first but soon realized it was futile. Despite being outnumbered, Fiona had too much stat advantage inside her domain. Down to it, everything revolved around damage numbers. All that mattered was reducing the Vikings HP down to 0 before the Cleric arrived. As such, the enemy warriors could be entirely ignored so long as Fiona achieved that goal. However, her opponent had no intentions of making this easy. The Viking rolled away and even used Takedown as an escape tool. He did everything he could to keep his distance from Fiona and prolong his life. He is good. Fiona thought. Perhaps I underestimated his skill a little. I assumed I had more leeway than that. The Viking and his goons were making Fiona''s life much harder than expected. During times like this, she was forced to remember that all the pieces on the board were actual human beings who could sometimes exceed expectations. Even though this fight was technically a math problem that involved damage numbers and stats, there was still a human element that complicated matters. The Viking very much wanted to stay alive and that adrenaline made him outperform Fionas expectations. An admirable fighting spirit. Fiona nodded. However, in the end, math and game theory are absolute. You have killed an enemy! She slashed down the Viking right before he reunited with the Cleric. The man''s stubbornness nearly caused Fionas plan to fall apart, but in the end, everything remained within Fiona''s expectations. Her understanding of Classmancers'' game theory was still far from complete due to her limited experience. Nonetheless, she was already capable of thinking multiple steps ahead and estimating the math involved. And, this is not over yet. Fiona dashed past the collapsed Viking. Good, he is here. She nodded in satisfaction as she spotted the Cleric. The man only came here to rescue his ally, so he turned around as soon as that was no longer possible. But, Fiona had every intention of giving chase. There was a very real opportunity of scoring a Double Kill here, which she very much wanted to seize. Thus, Fiona chased the Cleric through the jungle. Her Movement Speed dropped significantly after she left the Queen''s Dominion, but her Lionfolk was nonetheless faster than her prey. The Cleric could have gotten away with ease if he had Godspeed available, but he spent it earlier in order to chase Lua. That play helped his accomplice catch up to Lua and secure the kill, but it left him defenseless against a counterattack such as this. Eventually, Fiona caught up to the clergyman. Then, she ravaged the man''s back with her razor-sharp claws. SWISH! SWISH! RIP! Despite the quick attacks, the damage accumulated slowly. The Cleric only dropped to 50% HP after all these hits. He is quite tanky. Fiona realized. It seems that getting a kill is out of the question. In that case, I shall use this opportunity to counter-jungle. Under the pretense of chasing the Cleric, Fiona invaded deep into the enemy jungle. There was no immediate danger of being ganked here because Fiona had just slain the enemy Jungler with her own two hands. As such, there should be no threats in the vicinity. Essentially, Fiona got a free ticket into the enemys territory, and she was planning to fully capitalize on this golden opportunity. Vol.19 Ch.16: Incomplete Information Game CLAW! SWISH! RIP! Fiona kept assaulting the Cleric for as long as possible, but it proved impossible to take down the tanky target. To make things worse, the Clerics healing skill came out of cooldown and undid much of Fionas progress. As I thought, this is impossible. Fiona concluded and turned around. There is no point in chasing any further. It is a waste of time. Instead, Fiona shifted her focus to the area in front of her. She was now deep within the enemys Bot Jungle, and there were many spoils for her to claim there while the enemy Jungler was amiss. They do not have the spare manpower to station guards here, so I will help myself to the Wolf and Ogre camps. First, she rotated to the nearby Wolf Camp and used Majestic Leap to wipe it out quickly. This was a bit risky, as it meant giving up her best escape tool, but it was the most time-efficient play here. Next, Fiona went after the Ogre Camp and cleared it within seconds with basic attacks. However, she did not wipe it out fully. She left one of the smaller Ogres alive to mess up the camps respawn timer. Next, I can attack Mid. Fiona analyzed. From there, if nothing demands my immediate attention, I should be able to rotate to the griffins, wraiths, wolves, and finally Top. While on her way to Mid, she was already analyzing that many moves ahead. Despite Classmancers being a complex team game with a big map, many stats, and a multitude of options for upgrades, it was often rather straightforward in the strategic department when compared to a game like chess. For example, in her current position, Fiona knew for certain that the enemy had very few ways to interfere with her counter-jungling plans. Therefore, it was easy enough to analyze these few possibilities and think multiple moves ahead. The hardest part here was the fog of war. Classmancers was not a game of perfect information like chess, therefore Fiona had to be extra vigilant at all times. Even if she knew what types of maneuvers the enemy might pull, she still had to spot their movements in time and respond accordingly. As such, even as Fiona was confidently heading to Mid, she constantly monitored the enemies'' visible movements. Thus far, she has not seen anything that made her worried. "Oh, so you''re here, my fair lady?" Andria greeted. "Then, let us vanquish our foes at once!" "Yes, let us do that." Fiona ignored the theatrics and assaulted the enemy Electromancer from behind. It seemed the enemy team had no wards anywhere along the path Fiona traveled, so the surprised foe found himself in a pincer. However, the Electromancer had no trouble blinking away with Thunderclap. Therefore, Fiona only landed a handful of attacks before the enemy slipped away. However, that was alright. Scoring a kill was not part of the plan in the first place. Fiona only rotated here along the way while she had her sights on the enemys Top Jungle. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Merely injuring an enemy laner this little did not seem like much at first glance, but this small play could potentially have great implications for the future of this game. The accumulated damage will eventually force the Electromaner to recall earlier than planned. That will open up great opportunities for the Valyries to push Mid, the most critical lane. To not overstay her welcome in Mid, Fiona moved on to the Griffin Camp in Top Jungle. And to make the operation go smoother, she requested Andria''s help. "Your wish is my command," Andria replied playfully as always. The Griffin Camp was the toughest camp to clear after Overlord and Dragon, therefore even in mid-game it took a while to clear for one player. As such, even though it meant splitting exp and gold with Andria, it was more optimal to gang up on the griffins and secure them quickly. After all, Fiona had limited time to capitalize on this counter-jungling opportunity. Next, the wraiths. Fiona continued along the scheduled route. At every step of the way, she made sure to examine everybody''s positions. Not only the enemies'' but also her allies''. After all, Fiona doubled as a shot-caller for the team despite also being a piece on the board like everybody else. All in all, it was an odd role to play in a team game like this. In volleyball, the setter often had a similar role, but the amount of decisions they could make in the heat of the fast-paced game was severely limited. On the other hand, Classmancers was a slower game overall, one that gave all players enough downtime to strategize. In a way, this was like a cooperative chess game. All team members were pieces on the board, but they also had the luxury of looking at the entire board from above and carefully analyzing all the available data in order to come up with tactics. In that sense, anybody could be the shot-caller if they wanted to. However, everybody was busy playing their own character in real-time, so they had to pay utmost attention to their own situation. Meanwhile, the shot-caller was expected to juggle both jobs. Not everybody was well-suited for that sort of multitasking. Likewise, not everybody was proficient at strategizing. Not to mention, there was also the topic of bias when the strategist was one of the players on the field. It would have made more sense to me if the shot-caller was a separate 6th player. Fiona always thought. A player who is not on the playing field can see the bigger picture more clearly and more objectively. Having the chess player itself become a piece on the board was far from optimal. This preoccupied the strategist with thinking about their own game plan and interests, sometimes prioritizing their own agenda at the expense of the rest of the team. Fiona was conscious of the fact and tried her best to be impartial with her calls, but that was clearly impossible. She was only human, after all. For example, the play in which Fiona sacrificed Lua. Was it really optimal? Or did Fiona favor that play because it scored her a kill? It was always difficult to tell where was the line between objectivity and subjectivity. Over time, Fiona learned to ignore this philosophical question and trust her own judgment. I am but another pawn on this board. Fiona always reminded herself before making any calls. By recognizing her place on the board, it was easier to stay impartial. Alas, many decisions had to be made based on the perceived skill level of her teammates, as well as her own. But, could Fiona objectively judge her own skill when she was a fellow piece on the board? And, was it possible for a harsh critic like her to properly estimate her allies skill level? Such complicated questions will likely forever remain unanswered. All Fiona could do was continue navigating this path of uncertainty. Vol.19 Ch.17: Time Efficient Jungling After clearing the griffins in Top Jungle, Fiona rotated to Top Lane. There, she helped Cornelia establish lane control against her opponent. Once they cleared the enemy wave together, Fiona immediately moved on to the next scheduled play. "Please ensure that the Knight stays under his tower for a while. I plan to invade their jungle. "But, isn''t it dangerous?" Cornelia asked. "I think their Jungler has respawned by now?" She opened up the menu to verify. "Yes, as I thought - their Jungler is back in commission. I knew that a noble such as myself wouldn''t miss such a crucial detail, ohoho!" "Yes, I am aware that their Viking has respawned," Fiona said. "Nonetheless, I believe I can get away with a little more counter-jungling." "Is that so? Very well. You''re a noble, so I shall trust your judgment on this matter." With that sorted out, Cornelia proceeded to preoccupy the enemy Knight with a strong push. She had many soldiers to spare, whereas the enemys army was in ruins. Therefore, the peasant had no choice but to flee in terror against Cornelias noble assault, ohoho! Meanwhile, Fiona ventured into the enemy jungle. With the Knight busy protecting the tower, the only one who could possibly interfere with this counter-jungling attempt was the enemy Viking. From what I have seen of his playstyle thus far, there is a very high chance he will try to attack. Fiona reasoned. However, his combat skills did not impress me, so I do not believe he will pose a real threat. There was undeniably some risk in this play but the reward was too tempting to pass on. Counter-jungling earned spoils for the team while simultaneously denying these same resources to the enemy. It was an integral part of playing Jungler at a high level and some degree of risk always came with the territory. In any case, I have to make this quick. Fiona assaulted the Wolf Camp on the enemy side of the jungle. So far, our odds of winning this game look barely any better than 50-50. Therefore, I have to ensure my GPM remains above average as we transition into the team-fighting phase. Most roles in this game were stuck in their respective lanes and had to follow the standard gold-per-minute pace set by the game designers. There were a couple of ways to boost the pace, such as scoring kills, but such opportunities were not easy to come by. On the other hand, the Jungler had the freedom to decide its own fate in that department. Though there were general guidelines for how to best traverse the jungle in order to maximize the farm, there was never a 100% fixed rotation the Jungler could follow in every game. In addition to farming, the Jungler was expected to ambush lanes and fill in for missing laners even in the early-game. And, once the Jungler deviated from the recommended rotation even once, they were thrown into uncharted territory. From there onward, it was up to them to make adjustments to their jungling routine based on the situation at hand. This made farming substantially more complicated for Jungler. However, in exchange, the Jungler had the freedom to travel to any part of the map and seek the best opportunities to capitalize on. This was the main quality that sold Fiona on the role. With this much flexibility, she could help any lane on demand in order to improve the teams overall position. Furthermore, with swift decision-making, Fiona could boost her farming speed far beyond what was possible for any of the laning roles. The calculated path she traveled from Bot to Top as she counter-jungled was an example of how these two aspects of the Jungler role could be combined into one advantageous line of play. Just by killing the enemy Jungler, Fiona managed to gain this much advantage for the team. However, as Cornelia warned, the enemy Viking expressed dissatisfaction at this turn of events. One of the wards revealed him approaching Top Lane, possibly to assault Fiona. Will he seek vengeance? Fiona wondered. An opponent hellbent on payback is often prone to making mistakes. I do not think this should bother me. Fiona ignored the incoming threat for now and focused on finishing off the Wolf Camp. She estimated the Viking would not get here in time to stop her, therefore there was no need to retreat just yet. And indeed, the Viking only showed up after she was already done. The fact he failed to stop Fiona in time must have further fueled his burning desire for vengeance. Hmm. We are both out of ultimates. Fiona analyzed. I can try to take him on, but this HP gap makes it difficult. Fiona was at 70% HP after all the recent fights and counter-jungling. Meanwhile, the Viking came here straight from his base, so he was sitting at 100%. Based on the data so far, Fiona''s combat skill was superior to the Viking''s. However, was it superior enough to compensate for the 30% HP difference? Debatable. I should not take more risks than necessary. Fiona thought. With that said, I have no plans of losing HP without a fight, either. The Viking advanced on her without thinking twice. He must have believed he had full control of the situation in this territory. In Fionas experience, this sort of attitude was quite common in Ranked matches. It seemed players tended to believe they held some sort of innate advantage when they were in "their" area of the jungle. In reality, both sides of the jungle were neutral zones. The Viking had no allied structures here, nor did he receive any buffs in this region. The only actual risk in this region was the possibility of getting ganged up on by multiple enemies. However, Cornelia was currently pushing Top, forcing the enemy Top Laner to defend. And, for now, the enemy Mid Laner was still back in his lane as well, as could be clearly seen thanks to Andrias field of view. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. In short, nobody was free to land the Viking a hand in this attack. Therefore, despite this incident taking place in enemy territory, Fiona had no qualms about engaging in combat. The Viking swung his axe at Fiona but she easily sidestepped it. It was a thoughtless, barbarian attack, befitting a Viking. The man simply launched an attack at the first opportunity that presented itself without even bothering to get closer. Such base offense would not work. Unfortunately, Fiona could not counterattack after backstepping. The Viking''s axe was slower than Fionas claws but it had a longer reach. She would have to get right in the enemys face in order to properly fight back. However, she was not interested in any of that. Her top priority here was to safely escape the area. As such, she backpedaled farther away from her opponent while keeping a close eye on every move he made. Lionfolk was a bit faster than a Viking by default, and Fiona also bought plenty of Movement Speed to optimize her rotations. As such, she had no problem beating her opponent in a sheer contest of speed. However, her current position was not optimal for simply dashing away. The jungle had many twists and turns that would slow Fiona down. Furthermore, the Viking had Axe Blitz for closing the distance in the blink of an eye. The man will surely make use of it when the time is right, so Fiona had to make her escape in a way that would render that idea impossible. The greatest escape tool she had at her disposal was Majestic Leap, which she made sure to not spend during her recent plays. She had been fully aware that a situation like this might occur, so she made sure to prepare for it. Majestic Leap allowed her to jump over a jungle wall, which was perfect for escaping from a predator in these parts. But first, Fiona had to get close enough to such a jungle wall. Furthermore, it had to be a wall that would be hard for the Viking to circle around. Only then, Majestic Leap would fully secure Fiona a clean escape with no chances of enemy pursuit. In order to get into that optimal position, Fiona had to entertain her opponent for a while. And so, she stared the man down as she slowly backpedaled toward her destination. As long as I do not turn my back to him, he would have to stay on his toes. Fiona reasoned. She purposely made it look as if she accepted the invitation for a fight, which put her opponent on guard. The Viking must have felt that he could not simply lash out attacks without thinking, or else he would get punished for overextending. A cautious predator is a slow predator. Fiona asserted as she continued her slow backpedaling. At this rate, she would achieve her goal of retreating from the area without a single hit. It might have seemed excessive to put so much thought and effort into making one seemingly simple escape. Most players would have likely settled on turning around and making a break for it right away without sparing the situation a second thought. A naive approach like that would definitely work, but it would likely cost the player somewhere between 5% to 20% HP depending on how things develop. Fiona saw no reason to pay such a cost if she could get away unscratched. After all, losing any amount of HP could always lead to grave consequences later down the line. And so, instead of turning her back on her foe, Fiona continued backpedaling toward the wall. The entire time, she kept her attention on the assailant to ensure she would be able to step out of any incoming attack. It seemed the Viking realized that rushing in blindly would not do him any favors, so he did not launch a second attack right away. He was smart enough to understand that Fiona would easily step out of any predictable attack from this range. As the predator in this position, the Viking''s goal was to deal as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time. As such, he dashed forward. Clearly, his plan was to unleash a flurry at Fiona from point-blank! However, this was yet another example of amateurish rashness. The moment the man stepped in too close - Fiona lashed out at him with her claws! SLASH! Most likely, the man assumed Fiona would not retaliate at all, seeing as she was the "prey" in this situation. But, that is a misconception on your end. Fiona asserted. There is nothing about this situation that truly paints me as a "helpless prey". I have every legitimation to retaliate. Fionas attack probably surprised the Viking, maybe even angered him. So, his response came out immediately. WHISH! At this distance, the axe had no trouble reaching Fiona. However, that alone did not mean the attack would connect. Predictable. Fiona rolled underneath the incoming attack. She saw that retaliation coming from a mile away, so she calculated the best response in advance. After she finished rolling, she turned to face the Viking once again and continued backpedaling to safety. Shortly, she reached the position she was aiming for. She activated her Majestic Leap and jumped over the jungle wall. And so, Fiona slipped away from the so-called "hunter". However, it seemed the man did not realize this was over. He tried to give chase as if that was an endeavor worth investing in. But, naturally, the Viking failed to catch up. As the Jungler, he should have understood the layout of the map better than that. Fiona had many different escape routes to choose from in this part of the map, so it was impossible for the Viking to track her down even if he had the speed to catch up. In essence, what he had just done was a total waste of time. He seems like the eager type. Fiona analyzed. I should keep that in mind. After making that mental note, Fiona went on to attack Mid. That was the closest point of interest to her current position, so she went there without wasting any time idling. Every second counted for the Jungler, and Fiona was fully intent on utilizing every fraction of a second. In terms of camp rotation, her next destination should have been the Hyena Camp in Bot Jungle. However, heading over there straight away would be a missed opportunity to shake things up in Mid. So, she chose to slowly get closer to that destination while lending a hand to Andria. After the two of them successfully overwhelmed the enemy laner, Fiona finally rotated to the Hyena Camp. Then, she went to the Ogre Camp, then the Wolf Camp, and finally, she attacked Bot Lane. She chained all these plays seamlessly without wasting any time in between. During the attack on Bot Lane, Fiona first chased the enemy Carry into their side of the jungle. However, as soon as she realized she would not be able to score a kill here, she shifted her focus toward the enemys Ogre Camp. With Karen''s aid, they took down the camp within moments. Fiona took the red buff for herself in order to boost her jungling capabilities and save up even more time in the jungle. This was not an easy choice to make because giving the buff to the Carry offered its own set of advantages, but nonetheless, Fiona chose to prioritize herself this time. Karen did not complain about this and neither did the rest of the team. With the red buff in hand, Fiona was able to rotate even faster through the jungle objectives. Next, she went to the Griffin Camp in Bot Jungle. Then, she attacked Mid again. After that, she rotated to the camps in Top Jungle. Fiona directly chained each of her moves into the next. She did not permit herself to waste even a split second at any point along the way. Alas, despite Fiona''s efficient rotations, the team found itself in quite the peril. Cornelia was unable to match her lane opponent in strength, which led to a gradual deterioration of the lane situation there. Of course, Fiona did what she could to help with the lane situation. She passed through Top Lane at every good opportunity that presented itself. Alas, it was impossible to babysit Top the entire game. Fiona constantly had to keep moving across the jungle in order to secure objectives, so Cornelia had to handle the situation on her own most of the time. When Fiona was not present on the lane, she provided advice and instructions. Unfortunately, from afar, she was unable to handle every problem that emerged over there Vol.19 Ch.18: The Valkyries’ Achilles’ Heel "Cornelia, do not advance any further after you kill the swordsmen," Fiona instructed. "There is no value in picking a fight here." Im afraid I disagree, Cornelia asserted. This peasant had the gall to assault me in the previous round, so I must repay him in kind. He is merely taunting you. Do not fall for it. Hmph. Cornelia scoffed. He is free to taunt me all he wants. I will make sure he regrets every last bit of it! I would like to remind you that your previous fights against him have not gone so smoothly. Hmph. I was still warming up back then, Cornelia argued. Now, Im fully ready to put this nobody in his place! Do not do it, Fiona implored. It is too risky. Your opponent has proven himself adequate, so it is not wise to pick a fight against him without establishing a proper advantage first. You should retreat. "What''s that? Cornelia raised an eyebrow. Are you telling me, a noble, to run away!? Blasphemy! Blasphemy, I say!" As usual, this noblewoman was a tough customer. Her pride always took over and made her needlessly engage her lane opponents in combat. As proven time and again, the enemy Knight was stronger than her in 1v1 exchanges. However, Cornelia insisted on denying that fact with every fiber of her being. And because of the girl''s stubbornness, the lane situation in Top went from bad to worse as the game progressed. It was only a matter of time before the enemy conquered the area entirely. And, it happened sooner than even Fiona anticipated. "W-What!?" Cornelia exclaimed. "Their Jungler is here!" "He is...?" Fiona was taken aback. I was sure he had departed to Bot Jungle by now... By Fionas command, the team had been keeping the jungle warded at all times. As such, she was aware that the enemy Viking had recently finished clearing all the camps in Top Jungle. From there, the man should have rotated to Bot Jungle. That was the optimal continuation for this line of play. Instead, it seemed the Viking lingered in Top Jungle for a while. There should not have been anything of note for him to do there while he waited, yet he chose to wait it out regardless. That was how the Viking managed to appear on the lane out of the blue and gang up on Cornelia along with the Knight. Fiona completely failed to anticipate this development. What a blunder. An ally has been killed! This message signaled the end for Top Lane. Shortly, the tower followed in Cornelia''s footsteps. An allied Turret has been destroyed! This whole disaster took place while Fiona was in the middle of rotating from Top Jungle to Bot Jungle. Less than a minute ago she was in Top, helping out Cornelia. Then, shortly after she left, the enemy struck. Did they wait for me to leave? Fiona wondered. Just how long was their Jungler preparing for this play? Lying in wait for so long was far from efficient. Fiona did not even consider this possibility due to how suboptimal the idea sounded. And yet, ultimately, the play proved quite effective. Then again, this only happened because Cornelia did not tighten her defense as she should have. If she started retreating as soon as I asked her to, the gank would have lost most of its value. In that scenario, the Viking would have had to pay the price for all the time he wasted idling. It was a high-risk high-reward line of play. The Viking placed all his eggs in one basket by banking so heavily on scoring a kill. Sometimes, taking a risk was necessary in order to get a decent payoff. However, this Viking went all-in with this one play, which was not to Fionas taste. Nonetheless, the tactic worked for him this time, so he will certainly attempt it again in the future, possibly in this very game. As such, Fiona had to be on the lookout for any similar ideas throughout the rest of the game. However, the enemy had no intention of giving her the luxury to worry about such small things. After demolishing the Top Turret, the duo launched a coordinated attack on Mid. From that point onward, the game was thrown into disarray and skirmishes happened across the map. The enemy team had the initial momentum and it carried them the entire way through. The Valkyries were forced on the defensive. There was no choice but to retreat from nearly every fight, exchanging lane control for survival. On her end, Fiona did everything in her power to salvage the situation. She assaulted key targets and instructed her teammates on how to best respond to the difficult scenarios at hand. Alas... DEFEAT The team failed to recover from the negative momentum. They managed to drag out the game for a while by tactically defending against the enemy''s pushes, but only defending was never enough to win a game. As always, regardless of victory or defeat, the scoring screen showed up at the end of the game. Here, each player received or lost rank points based on their performance. The amount of points varied widely based on player rank. For example, Cornelia was only at Gold II, therefore a loss like this did not affect her rank too much. On the other hand, Karen lost plenty of points as a Diamond II. Fiona was Platinum I, so her punishment should have been rather harsh as well. However, she managed to earn some extra points to mitigate the losses. The game rewarded her handsomely for the amount of kills and assists she scored, in conjunction with how she had the highest GPM in the game despite being on the losing team. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. These bonuses were never enough to completely erase the penalty of losing, but at least they mitigated the damage to Fiona''s rank. It was thanks to such repeated mitigations that Fiona was still climbing up the ranks even as her team was stuck at a 50% win rate. This was both reassuring and concerning at the same time. On one hand, it proved to Fiona that her performance was solid. On the other hand, it implied her team was struggling in this Diamond league. Was this outcome my fault in any way? Fiona re-ran the details of the match in her head. Were my shot-calls not good enough? Did I make any glaring mistakes? Or, was it our teamwork? Of course, it could also be a difference in our teams skill levels, though I do not want to believe that. These were difficult questions that always popped up. Most likely, the truth was somewhere in between all these possibilities. It was undeniable that Fiona''s teammates needed a lot of polish, but she had plenty of room to improve as well. Not to mention, their teamwork was not nearly as solid as it could have been. In chess terms, there were two main issues with the current team. Firstly, the pieces at Fiona''s disposal were mostly pawns and knights they were in desperate need of an upgrade. Secondly, Fiona''s tactics for these pieces were far from optimal. Worst of all, these two issues feed into each other. Fiona had realized that a while ago. It was difficult for her to come up with good tactics when her teammates were only at this level. The more they improved, the better Fiona could utilize them with her shot-calls. However, her teammates could shoot a similar argument back at her. It was harder for them to improve and build confidence when their shot-caller was providing a subpar strategy. However, nobody ever leveled such complaints against Fiona. "FIN!" Andria announced the end of the tragic play. "This was a rough one. I was sure we were the heroes, the underdogs whod come back from behind in the second half. Alas, we failed. Such a twist ending!" "It''s all because of Cornelia," Karen accused. "I mean, it all started when she died and let the enemy push." "Excuse me!?" Cornelia retaliated. "Do you intend to blame everything on me!? I don''t recall YOU achieving anything in Bot!" "Yeaaaaah, it wasnt my best performance, thats for sure," Karen admitted. "But, the situation was pretty even, right, Lua?" "E-Eh!?" Lua jumped. "Um, well, yes. We did okay, I think..." "You see?" Karen turned to Cornelia. "We were doing just fine in Bot, so this is clearly all your fault, haha!" "Y-Y-You darn plebeian! You dare to accuse me!?" As usual, Cornelia and Karen started passing the blame around. It became a predictable routine at this point. Fiona used to step in but she stopped bothering after a while. The girls used these fights to blow steam, so they were entirely without merit. Besides, Karen''s analysis is correct. Fiona thought. The enemy''s momentum indeed started with the kill they scored in Top. However, as to whether this should be blamed on Cornelia, that is a separate issue. As a newcomer to the world of video games, Cornelia was naturally the weakest link in the team. Even Fiona had more months of experience under her belt, and she further boosted her skills through professional coaching. I believe she has the knack for it, just as she does for other sports. However, as always, her skill tends to be unrefined... Cornelia was always a difficult player, no matter the sport. In volleyball, her serves and spikes were intense enough to instill terror, but their aim was all over the place. In addition, she was quick in responding to developments and converting tosses into attacks. Alas, her selfishness often got in the way of teamwork, and she also lacked concern for her fatigue, often burning herself out to the point of collapse. Similarly, in tennis, Cornelia was the type to mindlessly dash from corner to corner to return the ball. She was quick on her feet and her returns were solid, but she exerted all her energy without thinking twice. To win against her, all Fiona had to do was make the girl run around. No matter how strong Cornelia''s strokes were, it was all moot once she ran out of steam. Considering all that, I thought a video game would be the perfect sport for her as it does not place as much burden on the body. But... Even in Classmancers, Cornelia''s issues found a way to surface. Like always, she poured her absolute everything into the fights and exhausted herself, both mentally and physically. Apparently, she did not know the term "self-restraint". Fortunately, her stamina usually lasted until practice was over. And, as far as competitive games were concerned, Cornelia could play three games in a row without much issue. However, five competitive games was a stretch for her. In the scrimmage against the Leopards, Cornelia''s performance dropped sharply from the 4th game onward. It was hard to even call it a "fair match" at that point. Cornelia was actively dragging the entire team down by insisting she was fine and pushing herself to try plays that she clearly could not execute in that state. However, that was still a relatively trifle issue when it came to Cornelias skill in Classmancers. The biggest problem was her neverending eagerness to "prove herself". Unlike in ball games, where a player could only make a big play when the ball was headed their way, in Classmancers everybody had the freedom to act as they pleased at all times. For example, a player was always free to aggress on their lane opponent and push for kills to assert dominance. Unfortunately, Cornelia was drunk on this very concept. The game allowed her to be assertive and aggressive at all times, so that was exactly what she did. Frankly, it was a headache to keep this wild animal at bay. Fiona frequently had to warn Cornelia about not overextending, but it was never enough. In this game, the enemy must have figured out what kind of player she is. Fiona analyzed. That was why they targeted her specifically with the gank. They lured her in to turn the tables on her. She is that easy to read. Cornelia was the obvious weak link in the team. Even random opponents in Ranked could figure her out and strike accordingly. It was quite disheartening This will only get that much worse in the competitive scene. Fiona thought. Analysts like Yuel Fermond will come up with a hundred different ways to exploit a glaring weakness like this. In general, any opponent with access to the Valkyries replays would figure out this obvious weak spot. It was a critical issue for the team to resolve, but Fiona was at a loss here. The most I can do is keep pointing her in the right direction during matches and lecture her about any mistakes. But, that is easier said than done. Team sports were always a headache because of situations like these. It was impossible to form a proper team strategy when one of the pieces was malfunctioning. This is not chess, I knew that much when I started out. Fiona thought. Even now, I cannot think of a proper solution for this. I can only keep honing my shot-calling skills in the hope of mitigating such issues. While she was busy analyzing all these important topics, Karen and Cornelia kept bickering like children. Sigh. Was nobody going to stop them? I suppose I have to do it myself, after all Fiona sighed and approached the raging battleground. But, just as she got closer, she heard a blunt WHAM. It was the familiar sound of a hollow object hitting the floor. "You two, cut it out." A woman scolded them as she entered the room. She was armed with a shinai, a type of bamboo sword used in kendo. This should have made it a very bizarre picture, especially out there in the West. However, the sword somehow complemented the woman''s Asian looks. or, perhaps the club members simply got used to it by now. After all, this woman was the club''s coach: Ms. Kei Nakajima. Vol.19 Ch.19: The Valkyries "Master" "For God''s sake," Nakajima said. "Ive just arrived and you two are already at it. If you have so much energy to spare, then pour into practice! WHAM! She struck the floor with the tip of her shinai! Is that clear?" "Yes, ma''am..." Karen and Cornelia quieted down and awkwardly glanced away. Unfortunately, this weak response was not enough for the coach. "I don''t hear your voices!" WHAM! Nakajima struck the floor again like a hardcore drillmaster! "Was I clear?" "Y-Yes, ma''am!" Karen and Cornelia awkwardly raised their voices. Honestly, rather than actually drilling in the coachs message, this whole military-like routine only caused embarrassment for them. Though, that was effective in its own way. "Good." Nakajima nodded in satisfaction. "Now, what are you waiting for, girls? Move on to the next game! WHAM! This stirred the entire club into action. They dropped whatever they were doing and returned to their seats. You don''t have even a second to waste, Nakajima lectured as usual. You must play as many games as humanly possible if you want to have any chance of doing well in the regionals! WHAM! Understood?" "Yes, ma''am!" Everybody answered in unison despite how awkward it felt. No matter how many times they had gone through these drills, it never got any better And so, the team moved on to the next game. Just as Ms. Nakajima said, they had no time to waste on petty in-fighting. The team was severely lacking in experience. Though the team members were skilled to one degree or another, they did not have sufficient experience as a team to make the most out of their individual talents. Not to mention, the club only had five members, so everybody had to participate in competitive games regardless of their skill level and experience. This was very different from other school clubs, where the first-string was generally composed of seniors with plenty of experience under their belt. Truly, on all fronts, the Valkyries were lagging behind the competition. Therefore, they had to work harder than anybody in order to catch up. Unfortunately, even though Fiona was sufficiently talented and motivated, the same did not necessarily apply to the others. After all, they were only middle schoolers. Most girls their age spent their free time idling about, posting photos on social media, or gossiping about the latest reality shows. They did not have a shred of competitiveness spirit. Fiona was well aware of the issue when she formed the club. Therefore, she went out of her way to hire a coach. There simply had to be an adult with authority in this club to put the girls in line. At first, Fiona requested Fernando Rodriguez to be the team''s coach. Naturally, she offered a salary that respected the fact Mr. Rodriguez was viewed as a legendary coach in this region. Rodriguez expressed interest in taking on the job but there were two obstacles. First, Rodriguez was a man. St. Marys was a prestigious all-girls school, so inviting a male coach did not sit right with the board. The number of male teachers in the school was practically zero and nobody was interested in increasing it. The other obvious obstacle was the conflict of interest. Having the same coach for two different teams from the same region was highly unusual. The administration of the regionals debated the topic at length. They ultimately decided to allow only one registered team per coach, which meant the Valkyries would not be able to participate under Rodriguezs lead. And so, the deal did not come to pass. But fortunately, Rodriguez found them a suitable substitute, one who easily sidestepped both obstacles. This other coach candidate was a woman, so the school board had nothing against her. In addition, she was currently coaching a high school team in this region but not a middle school one, so there was no conflict of interest. The woman in question was Ms. Kei Nakajima. She was an acquaintance of Rodriguez, as well as the coach of the Aces, the Classmancers team of Hamilton High. The Aces were considered the second-strongest high school team in the region, just a little behind the prestigious Venom from Ivy High. As such, Ms. Nakajima definitely had a convincing resume. Furthermore, the woman seemed extremely motivated about the whole arrangement. It felt like she was personally invested in the idea of making an all-girls team win the regionals. It was almost like she wanted to prove some kind of point. On top of that, Ms. Nakajima had a history of bitter rivalry with Venom, who was considered just as uncontested as the Leopards in the high school scene. In other words, the Aces were the underdogs in comparison, yet none of that ever discouraged Nakajima from aiming for the top time and again. Since she knew the struggle and bitterness that came with challenging the uncontested regional champions, she would do anything in her power to deliver her team to victory even against impossible odds. This was exactly the kind of attitude Fiona was looking for. And so, Ms. Nakajima became the Valkyries coach. This was an important step toward establishing a proper club. Frankly, Fiona might have given up on the entire ordeal if they could not secure a fitting coach. A newly formed club has practically no chance of catching up to the competition without a coach. Fiona believed. Especially, in our region, just having a coach already puts us leagues and bounds ahead of most teams. For some ungodly reason, it was rare for Classmancers teams in this region to have a coach. These clubs usually had a random teacher from school as a supervisor. Needless to say, that arbitrarily selected teacher rarely knew anything about the sport. A sports club without a coach was unheard of. Young athletes needed all the guidance they could get in order to properly develop as players. To Fiona''s knowledge, no other sports club in the region had a situation like this. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis - every sport had a proper coach assigned to it. On rare occasions, schools could not afford a fully-fledged coach for a particular sport, so they settled on having a PE teacher. Arrangements like this were far from ideal, but they were still leagues ahead of what Classmancers clubs had over here. Therefore, just by having a coach, the Valkyries were already a step ahead of the competition. This allowed them to develop at a faster pace compared to other teams, which will hopefully make up for their lack of experience. Furthermore, Ms. Nakajima was very invested in the teams success. She wanted this underdog team to topple the undefeated regional champions. This challenge mirrored her ongoing war against Venom in the high school league. She bore a clear intent to kick the kings off their throne, regardless of whether it was in middle school or in high school. While the team played Ranked, Nakajima closely watched their performance and provided timely critique, in her usual drillmaster-like tone. "Cornelia, what do you think youre doing?" "Huh? Going to farm the wolves, obviously." "And, you think this is a smart move when you have less than 30% HP remaining?" "Yeah, why not?" Cornelia asked. "I exiled the Viking peasant from the lane by showing him my noble might, so now I''m free to farm in the jungle, am I not?" "It''s a waste of time," Nakajima explained. "Your opponent recalled because he was below 20%, and you''re about to hit the same threshold as well." "How is that a problem? Cornelia asked. I can just recall once my HP falls to these levels." "No, you should recall now. Do it." "What? But, my hard-earned lane advantage...!" "It only exists in your head," Nakajima argued. "There isn''t that much difference between 20% and 30% in situations like this. In both cases, its too dangerous to be on the lane for too long unless you want to be ganked." "I see Cornelia didnt have anything smart to say to this, but she insisted on having her way regardless. In that case, I can recall after I take care of the wolves." "It''ll take too long," Nakajima asserted. "It''d be one thing if you could clear the camp in a few seconds. But, this is the early-game and youre not the Jungler, so any camp is going to take you a while. Thats true, I suppose Cornelia twisted her lips in protest. In her head, she understood there was some logic to the coach''s explanation, but in her heart, this felt terribly wrong. Cornelia went through so many trials and tribulations to finally kick that lousy peasant opponent out of the lane. Now, this entire land belonged to Cornelia von Galen! At least, it shouldve. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The owner of the land was supposed to be free to do whatever she wanted in her domain. This included collecting taxes in the form of farming the enemys jungle camps. And yet, the consultant was telling Cornelia to abandon this land prematurely without capitalizing on it at all! It was simply unacceptable! But... "The masters advice is on point," Fiona said. "You have to recall as soon as possible in order to return to the lane in time for the next wave." "Precisely." Nakajima nodded. "Rather than being fixated on the current situation, imagine how your lane will look like half a minute from now." "Hmm..." Cornelia knotted her brows as she tried to imagine that hypothetical future. Frankly, even though she was a prestigious noble of many talents, this sort of forethinking was one area she didn''t quite excel in. B-But, it''s not like she couldn''t do it, okay? When Cornelia properly focused all her noble brain cells on the task, her forethinking ability could reach the level of divine revelation! And so, following the coach''s instructions, Cornelia tried to think ahead of the current situation. She imagined what would happen if she were to clear the wolves first and then recall. Frankly, it was difficult. She could not properly estimate how much time it would take her to clear the camp, nor how long it would take her to return to the lane. But, as the layers of uncertainty piled up, she started to feel unsure about that direction. Will she make it in time to the lane? How many of her soldiers will still be standing by the time she gets there? Could it be shed lose lane control!? No way. Cornelia shook her head. Of course I will make it back in time. Some of my soldiers may perish by that point, but that wont stop me from mounting a comeback! Ohoho! Cornelia laughed confidently. "I may arrive on the lane a bit late, but I shall smite down the intruders and exile them from the lane once more!" "Arienai..." Nakajima sighed. "The confidence of this girl is off the charts." No matter how many times Nakajima stumbled upon this realization, it managed to surprise her every time anew. There was something inherently wrong with how Cornelia reasoned about most things. It seemed almost impossible to fix that part of her. "Listen and listen well," Nakajima said. "If you dont recall right now, youll lose lane control. By the time you return to the lane, your opponent will already be done with the wave. In fact, you might already be too late because youve wasted way too much time arguing on this point. Hmph. In that case, Ill farm the wolves as I originally planned and then face my opponent in the lane! And so, the discussion came a full circle This girl Nakajima rubbed her temples. Im sure you understand that hell attack you right away to kick you out of the lane? Hmph. Hell try. And hell most likely succeed. Just think about how hard you had to work to get him to 20% and how you dropped to 30% in the process. Youre evenly matched you two." Evenly matched? Hmph. Maybe that was true for the old Cornelia." "Excuse me?" "The Cornelia from a few minutes ago struggled a little against that lowly peasant, she explained. However, I''m no longer the same I was before! My noble powers have doubled since the last time I dueled that commoner!" "You make absolutely no sense," Nakajima asserted. "Players do not improve that fast in the middle of the game." "Hmph. Perhaps such growth is impossible for a common player, but its par for the course for a noble such as myself, ohoho!" I''d really like to have a talk with whoever was responsible for her upbringing. Nakajima sighed in exhaustion. If we had Ranked for parenting, then her parents would be stuck in Bronze hell. Out of the numerous pupils Nakajima had coached over the years, Cornelia was proving to be the most difficult one yet. And, the worst part was how the girl actually had some talent for competitive gaming, it was just buried underneath countless personality problems. Honestly, if this club was bigger, I probably wouldnt have bothered with her so much. Nakajima admitted. I know it sounds awful, but I dont have the time to babysit troublemakers. Im here to make a winning team first and foremost. Ideally, Nakajima wouldve wanted to guide every pupil into becoming a star. This was the innocent mentality she started this job with. Unfortunately, she soon came to face reality. There were many students but only one teacher, so it was impossible for Nakajima to focus on everybody equally. Time didnt wait for anybody and she was no exception. And so, over time, Nakajima learned to prioritize certain students over others. She found the ones who showed more promise and focused on building a strong team around them. That was the only way for her to keep bringing results and improve her standing in the school. So, a problem child like Cornelia would have had to take a backseat in a bigger club. That whole noble roleplay she did, probably to overcompensate for some inferiority complex, was too much of a headache. Nakajima was no psychotherapist so she wasnt qualified to resolve complex issues like this. Alas, this club had only five members. Therefore, everybody was part of the first-string. Everybodys performance was critical for the teams success. Nakajima swore to bring this newbie team far in the regionals and she refused to back down from the challenge. Slowly but surely, she will find a way to get through to that noble thickhead. "Cornelia, listen. No matter how highly you think of your combat skills, theres no way you can contest that Viking with 30% HP. Its just not happening. Right, Fiona?" "Absolutely," Fiona agreed. "Judging by the data so far their combat skills are on about the same level. So, with the Viking at 100% HP, it will not even be a competition. Not to mention, he has access to his ultimate." Exactly. Nakajima nodded in approval. Now THIS is how you should be analyzing the situation and thinking ahead. Grrr Cornelia grimaced. She lost some of her obnoxious persistence once Fiona stepped in. Seriously, this girl is a handful. Nakajima sighed. She wasnt a fan of double-teaming a kid like this, but it was really hard to deal with this troublemaker otherwise. There was no choice but to resort to ugly measures against this blockhead. Cornelia sort of idolized Fiona even if she refused to admit it. As such, Fionas words carried far more weight for her than any of Nakajimas advice. even though the master was supposed to be the figure of authority here Youngsters these days have no respect for their elders! Nakajima grumped. But anyway, this is not the time to worry about my pride. I have a lesson to teach this blockhead and shes finally willing to listen, so I better get to it. If you were to confront the Viking, Nakajima said. He will either kill you or force you to recall in the middle of the ongoing wave. Just think about how much farm youll lose in either scenario. Hmph. As I said, that peasant wouldn''t possibly Cornelia tried to argue back but stopped herself once she noticed the fed-up expressions on Fiona and Nakajimas faces. They were both looking at her like she was some lost cause. So rude! But, maybe they had a point. That Viking was a peasant, but a peasant with a big HP lead over Cornelia. Under such circumstances, even a noble such as her might struggle. Was the risk worth it? Perhaps not. As such, Cornelia gave up on arguing any further and recalled to the base as advised. But, its not like she was running away, okay? Sometimes, it was a good idea to listen to the teachers advice, thats all there was to it. Cornelia couldve easily stomped that Viking if she tried! Hmph. Upon seeing Cornelia finally follow through, Nakajima nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Better late than never." Cornelia only scoffed in response without saying anything. After that, Nakajima approached Fiona. "Im glad you picked up quickly why I involved you in that conversation. Nice follow-up." "Thank you, master." "Aside from that, Nakajima continued. You immediately realized why my advice was on point, which is good. But, keep in mind that I won''t be there to advise you like this during real games. As the shot-caller, you shouldve been the one to advise Cornelia once she started heading into the jungle." "Yes, I understand." Fiona nodded. Frankly, this is asking for a lot when I have so many other things to keep track of. But, it is something I have to learn how to do. Ms. Nakajima delivered her advice to Cornelia in a speedy manner to prevent a disaster, but the contents of the advice were not that advanced. Ms. Nakajima merely considered a few steps ahead, something Fiona had no problem doing herself once she got involved in the discussion. As such, the only problem here was Fionas attention span. Why was I not able to see it? Fiona wondered. I thought I was keeping a close eye on the entire map, yet this particular incident escaped my attention. In retrospect, the answer was simple. While that event was taking place in Top, Fiona was on her way to gank Mid. As such, all her attention was concentrated on making the gank succeed. She had no leftover attention to spare to any other lane at the time. This is tough. Fiona thought. I am required to divide my attention between my personal game plan and my responsibilities as a shot-caller. No matter which one I prioritize, the other will be neglected to some extent. Finding the balance between the two was key. Surely, Fiona would get better at it through practice, but the job will forever remain a challenge. After all, a fellow piece on the board could not perfectly command the other pieces all the time. Ideally, there should be a sixth player whose entire job is to command. Somebody who observes the entire game from outside like Ms. Nakajima and can provide timely instructions. Alas, for whatever reason, in MOBA games the strategist had to be one of the five players on the board. It was painfully suboptimal. I know that Cato is not a fan of this either. Fiona thought. But, what about Yuel Fermond? Does he also find this arrangement problematic? Or, could it be this is somehow to his liking...? Anything was possible when it came to that man. He was the type of player whose thought process was sometimes alien to the norm. Thinking of it, a setup like this might benefit his playstyle. Fiona reason. The harder it is for the enemy shot-caller to control everything, the more weaknesses there are for Yuel to exploit. The man''s entire playstyle revolved around striking the opponents weak spots, Fiona learned as much from analyzing his chess history, as well as his fathers. A playstyle like that was far more effective in sports like Classmancers than in chess. For starters, Classmancers had five opponents to deal with, which meant five times more potential weaknesses to discover. Yuel could simply focus on one weak link in the enemys formation and bully them to oblivion. Furthermore, the enemys shot-caller was distracted by default, leading to potentially sloppy team formations that could be exploited. On top of that, even the best commander could never command humans as flawlessly as chess pieces. Poor execution of orders and insubordination like Cornelias were like treats for Yuel Fermond. In a real game, if I failed to advise Cornelia in that situation, I am certain Yuel would have taken advantage of it. So, I must be more vigilant about such things. Fortunately, this time around, Ms. Nakajima was there to tell Cornelia to recall. Despite how long it took Cornelia to ultimately follow the order, the worst-case scenario was averted. Next time, Fiona should be the one to issue that kind of timely advice, even if her instructions happen to arrive a little late. Better late than never in cases like these. So, after making a few mental notes following this incident, Fiona reinforced her map awareness. She aimed to keep track of what all her teammates were doing to advise them against mistakes. Alas, it was easier said than done... Vol.19 Ch.20: The Two-Timing Coach In Bot, Karen fought the enemy Impaler and brought down the guy to 10% HP. It was an ezpz victory! But, the pesky bastard refused to let Karen score a kill. He slipped away just in the nick of time to dodge death. However, instead of retreating straight to his tower, the Impaler chose to flee to the jungle through the nearby entrance. What an idiot. What is he even doing? Im gonna catch up to him if he goes that way. Karen thought. Oh well, guess its a free kill for me then. Let''s go! Karen turned her back to the jungle entrance and fired off her Backfire Cannon, sending herself flying toward the jungle. Since the Impaler didn''t have any movement skills, Karen should be able to catch up to him in a jiffy. But... "Karen, give it up," Nakajima ordered. "Huh? Why? I''m literally about to kill this scrub." "Or, youre about to suffer a horrible death." "Huh? I still have over half health, tho." "No, you meant to say you have ONLY about half health," Nakajima corrected. "That HP is within gankable range, especially when targeting a marksman." "Gank? What gank? I don''t see anybody coming over here." Just because you dont see them doesnt mean theyre not there, Nakajima said. They destroyed one of your important wards a while ago, so now theres a lot you cant see. Hmm. Yeaaaah, I guess our vision is a little impaired, Karen admitted. S-Sorry about that, Lua apologized. I shouldve warded better Nah, its not your fault, Karen reassured. These guys are just too gung-ho about warding. Like, who even buys Sentry Wards this early into the game? Mad lads. True, Nakajima agreed with the analysis. They seem uncannily concentrated on warding, which isnt typical for Ranked. Either way, the point remains that they robbed your vision. For example, you havent seen their Jungler for a while now, have you? I guess not, now that I think about it. Karen scratched her head. Like, I have no idea if hes around Top or Bot. Exactly. So, he might be lurking nearby, waiting for you to overextend. Damn, seriously? Karens self-preservation instincts kicked in immediately. She rolled out of the jungle before anybody had the chance to attack her. So, youre saying I almost got my ass ganked, huh. Karen, language, Fiona scolded. Oops. Sorry, sis, haha. Karen laughed awkwardly. Anyway, yeah, that was kinda close, assuming the Jungler is really there. Even if he isnt, Nakajima said. Its safer to assume hes there and retreat. Just think about how unnatural this entire situation was in the first place. Huh? Unnatural? It seemed pretty normal to me, tho. Karen shrugged. Like, I kicked the guys ass all the way down to 10%, so he started running away like a bitch. Karen. Oh, sorry, sis, haha! Karen laughed it off as usual. Anyway, the guy dropped low so he had to food it, and thats what he did, right? So, nothing unusual here. Except, Nakajima started. For whatever reason, he chose to run into the jungle instead of retreating to the tower. Oh, right. He did. And you didnt find that suspicious? Well, in retrospect, now I realize he was probably baiting me, Karen answered. But, back then? It looked like he was just misplaying or something. So, you did notice that his retreat plan was questionable. Yeah, but I assumed he was just some scrubby Ranked player. I see. Nakajima nodded. So, you assumed your opponent is inadequate instead of trying to figure out his game plan. Is that right? Yeah, I guess... Karen awkwardly glanced away. At this point, she had already realized how rash she was. Nakajima could only sigh. Listen, I know that people like memeing about the skill level of players in Ranked. But, that doesnt mean all the opponents youre going to meet will be amateurs, especially not at these ranks. Yeah, I know, I know. But real talk, there are so many scrubs in Platinum its crazy. And, it sounds like youre one of them if you cant even see through a basic bait like that. Gah! Karen took emotional damage. B-But its not even confirmed theres going to be a gank, right? Like, its just a possibility. Maybe chasing him was the right thing to do, after all. Are you planning to use hindsight to justify your decisions? Nakajima asked. Its not a matter of whether you guess correctly or not. Even if nobody was waiting to gank you, chasing would still be a risky play thats not worth pursuing. "Why? It mightve been worth it, you know? Karen argued. Like, I couldve gotten a kill out of it!" "Or, you couldve died. And, as Ive already explained, the latter seemed far more likely. The odds were stacked against you." Well, true, but Karen desperately searched for something to shoot back the coach. She aint going down without a fight, no way! Weve been through this already. Nakajima fired first before Karen got the chance to retaliate. Whats the rule of thumb I taught you about taking risks? Eeeeh, what was it again? Karen scratched her head. Probably something about how I shouldnt take any, haha. ... really now. Nakajima narrowed her already-narrow eyes even further. When theres a fog of war, theres almost always an element of uncertainty. You cant just avoid taking any risks at all. Yeah, thats fair. Karen nodded. So, like, I should only take the good opportunities or something, right? Of course, but how do you recognize whats a good opportunity? Eh, low-risk high-reward? Thats an obvious scenario, Nakajima said. But, for example, how about the situation you just had? How would you quantify the risk-reward ratio there? Hmm. Medium-risk and high-reward? Was the reward really that high? Duh, itd be a kill. But, would a kill really put you that much ahead? Nakajima asked. You already had lane advantage, and you effectively booted the Impaler out of the lane considering how little HP he had. True, true. Karen smirked as she nodded. Im just that awesome, you know? So, Nakajima continued. Given all that, would scoring a kill on him really improve your situation by much? Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Hmm. Not really, I guess. Karen shrugged. Like, the exp and gold would be cool, but yeah, it wouldnt give me that much extra edge. So, is it really a high reward kind of scenario? More like medium-reward it seems, Karen said. So, medium-risk medium-reward, huh. Not the hottest deal out there. But, theres more, Nakajima said. As I said, the odds were stacked against you. There was a decent chance of you being ganked. Eeeeh, now youre just pushing it I feel. Karen grumped. Like, you want to say its actually high-risk, right? Yes, because it was, Nakajima asserted. If the odds themselves arent enough to prove the point, then think about what you stood to lose. Hint: its more than just your life. I guess itd also make me lose that great momentum I built up. And, also the lane advantage, too Yeah, its high-risk alright, haha. So, convinced? Yeaaah, convinced. Karen sighed in defeat. She had to hand it to the coach. That woman was sure a big-brain player alright. "Okay, lesson learned, Karen said. I''ll try to think more about things like that from now on." "Please do," Nakajima pleaded. "This isn''t the first time I''ve caught you making a mistake like this. You often get swept up in the flow without stopping to consider the risk-reward ratio." Even though Karen and Cornelia bickered a lot, they were actually similar to each other. In fact, maybe that similarity was the very thing that sparked their fights in the first place. Cornelia had unfounded confidence in her skill whereas Karen treated her opponents as all of them were noobs. Though their attitudes seemed different, the end result was pretty much the same. Both had a problem with gauging the enemys skill level, which often led to unfortunate incidents. These girls are a handful. Nakajima Kei sighed to herself but then smiled wryly. I really have to pay careful attention to how they play. They have so much to work on. As the master of a high school team, Kei was used to dealing with problematic pupils. However, teaching the Valkyries had been proving to be a greater challenge than expected. For starters, the club was small. It only had five members which meant everybody would have to participate in official matches. Nobody could be excluded, so Kei didnt have the usual luxury to take her time dealing with problem kids. They all had to be ready ASAP. Furthermore, the Valkyries were middle schoolers, not high schoolers. Kei underestimated the difference that made. For starters, due to their younger age, the girls had minimal experience playing Classmancers. This was very different from the high schoolers Kei typically coached, who joined the Aces with 3 years of experience from their middle school club. Fernando has been dealing with this for years now, huh. Kei couldn''t help but feel a mixture of pity and respect toward the man. Compared to him, it was almost as if she was playing in easy mode. This region only had three masters who trained Classmancers school teams. Two of them were in charge of the high school teams Venom and Aces, so only Fernando had to deal with middle schoolers. Unsurprisingly, the younger the children were, the more troublesome it was to deal with them. That''s surely why that sleazebag Viktor chose to train high schoolers. The guy only ever cared about making his team win, so of course he chose the easy road. He even specifically picked Ivy High, the richest high school in the region. Building up a powerhouse team was the only thing in his head. On the other hand, Fernando was on the opposite side of that spectrum. Case in point, he trained Venom for two years before switching to training middle schoolers. According to him, high school was "too late" for teaching teens solid fundamentals. He claimed that many of the high schoolers who joined the club had bad habits which they struggled to fix. So, Fernando decided to resolve this problem at this core by becoming a middle school coach. The man surely understood what kind of challenge he was undertaking, yet he still went through with it regardless. Nothing but respect for him. As for Kei, she was somewhere in the middle. She happened to land a position as a high school coach, so she just rolled with it. She never had to face that middle school vs. high school dilemma until the Valkyries came into the picture. And even now, she was still a high school coach first. But, truth be told, if she had to decide between coaching middle school and high school she wouldve likely picked high school. Maybe the Valkyries were an extreme example due to how fresh the club was, but the lack of fundamentals of these middle schoolers was appalling. On the other hand, it seemed Fernando considered this kind of thing a blessing. He treated middle schoolers as a "blank slate" that he could shape into something amazing. Kei understood the appeal but she wasnt idealist enough for it. As far as she was concerned, high schoolers were young enough to be molded into high-level players. So, there was no point in taking the harsher road and starting all the way back in middle school for some extra diminishing returns. With that said, training the Valkyries for half a year changed her perception a bit. Middle schoolers were a handful but they also developed at an immense speed. After every training session, Kei could feel how every club member became a better player than before. Their progress was very visible. I can see why Fernando finds this rewarding. There''s something very satisfying about bringing these girls from zero to hero. It was almost like watching her own children grow up not that she had any first-hand experience with that. Tch, it''s not my fault that all the good men are always taken. But, thats not the topic here In short, training middle schoolers was very rewarding when it worked out. But, it was also very challenging, even agonizing at times. Kei only signed up for this double-edged arrangement because it was an unusual attempt to create a team in a conservative all-girls school. And well, the payment was also very generous, she wasn''t going to pretend like it wasn''t a factor. Two-timing between coaching the Aces and the Valkyries has proven to be an exercise in time management, but Kei got used to it over time. At least, for the most part. Fiona requested to provide coaching to the team on a daily basis, but that was clearly impossible. Kei was already coaching the Aces every day, on top of also being a teacher at Hamilton High. As such, coaching another team so frequently was bound to wear her out. So, Kei settled on coaching the Valkyries three times a week. Frankly, it wasnt nearly enough for a stumbling newbie team like this, but it was the best Kei could compromise on at the moment. If worse comes to worst, I might have to start coaching them on Saturdays as well Kei sighed at the thought. I''m sure some of them will complain about it, and its not like Im too eager to do it, either. But... DEFEAT The red words were smeared on their monitors like blood. They painted a grim image that made Kei worry. Despite her meticulous instructions, the girls still failed to gain the upper hand in this game. This happened way too frequently to her taste. Things were going well until Cornelia overextended in Top and got killed. It was like a comical routine at this point, one that Kei failed to prevent this time. At first, the situation still looked salvageable. However, shortly after that, Karen also found herself in trouble. As usual, the girl got carried away in the heat of combat. As the Support, Lua tried to save her lane partner only to enter the scene in the worst way possible. It was mostly a case of bad luck, but that was unfortunately all too common when it came to Lua. She aimed her Natures Grasp at the enemy Carry, intending to pull the guy away from Karen. But, just as she fired her carefully calculated skillshot the enemy Jungler waltzed into the scene! Nothing about that turn of events implied the Jungler stepped in intentionally. In fact, if he had to choose between doing that or not, he most likely wouldve avoided the pull. After all, his plan was clearly to kill Karen. But, due to this silly turn of events, Lua ended up dragging the Jungler toward herself. And, thats how she ended up dead instead of Karen. Seriously, Lua was one of these rare cases when Kei would straight up believe if somebody told her the girl was cursed. That lass always found a way to cause accidents in the worst of times With that said, the girl somehow achieved her goal. Karen got away alive from the scene, but Lua ended up trading her own life for it. From there, the enemy gained overwhelming momentum in Bot that proved too difficult to break. Fiona did her best to fight back, she even scored a few kills despite the odds being stacked against the team. But, she alone wasn''t enough to turn the situation around. Perhaps if Andria was more proactive in Mid then the game could have turned out differently. But, as usual, the girl stuck to her guns and played at her own pace. And, her motivation gradually declined as the odds shifted in the enemys favor, a common occurrence, unfortunately. So, in the end, the Valkyries lost just like that. To add insult to injury, in the post-match review, it was revealed that most of their opponents were high Platinum. In other words, these were opponents that a competitive team should be able to handle much better than this. I''m not saying they have to win every game, but that performance was a little... Kei frowned. Games like this really expose all the big issues this team has. On average, the team performed decently enough, especially considering the players'' humble amount of experience. So, under Fiona''s banner, the Valkyries almost looked ready for the competitive scene. But, that was just a mirage. In truth, this team was built on a very shaky foundation. It easily crumbled apart when any of their Achilles'' heels got hit. BAM! "The teams at the regionals will eat you alive for bad habits like these!" Kei struck her shinai against the floor to emphasize the point. "In this game, the enemy was just lucky to strike you where it hurt. But, at the regionals? Itll be intentional. Everybody will know your weak spots." With how accessible scrim replays were today, it was a no-brainer for teams to collect intel on each other. ProCenter made a quick buck from selling them to anybody who wanted. Therefore, everybody at the regionals will be thoroughly prepared. These sharks will gobble up every obvious weakness the Valkyries show them. For now, the Valkyries were still an underground team. They havent had many opportunities to show their skill in public. But, as time goes on, theyll partake in more and more scrims, drawing lots of attention to themselves. In fact, they had already participated in one official scrimmage that mightve drawn some eyes to them. After all, it was a match against none other than the Leopards. Pitting a newbie team against the regional champions mightve sounded extreme, but there wasnt much choice on the matter. It was the only team that agreed to hold a scrim on such short notice, courtesy of Fernando. Ugh. Just remembering that crushing defeat gave Kei the shivers... Vol.19 Ch.21: The Struggles of a New Team For a greenhorn team like the Valkyries, it was clear that facing the Leopards, the regional champions, was a recipe for disaster. It wasn''t going to be a competition at all. Fortunately, the Leopards had a big club, so there were members from all levels of skill. Thanks to that, Fernando was able to arrange an improvised second-string team for the Valkyries to tackle. He promised to compose a team that matched the Valkyries level. Unfortunately, this arrangement was met with resistance. "Why should we play against the second-string?" Fiona demanded. "Let us start with their first-string. They will be our opponents at the regionals, so we have to understand the current skill gap between us." The girl strongly insisted on that point. What''s worse, Karen and Cornelia also got gung-ho on the topic, fully supporting Fiona. Obviously, Kei argued against this proposal as much as she could. However, Fiona refused to budge on this point. And, since Kei''s beefy salary was practically in the hands of that rich girl, she had to compromise. And so, in the first round, the Valkyries went up against the main force of the regional champions. In retrospect, Kei should have worked harder to prevent that, even at the risk of hurting her salary. As expected, the game was a disaster. The Leopards dominated the flow of the game from start to end. To make things worse, they dragged it out more than necessary in a very bad taste. Apparently, this sadistic strategy was the signature playstyle of their shot-caller. They couldve wrapped up the game early to teach Fiona and Co. a quick and efficient lesson. Instead, they chose to drag things out to the point of bullying. Naturally, Fernando scolded the hooligans after the game but it was too late. The damage was already done. This one drawn-out game sucked all the fighting spirit out of the Valkyries. No matter how hard Kei and Fiona tried to revitalize the team, it proved impossible to recover the initial vigor. For the next four games, the Valkyries played against the second-string Fernando prepared. It was clear he was very forgiving with his assessment of the Valkyries'' skill level. He chose some of the least experienced pupils from the club, all freshmen and juniors. Nonetheless, these were still pupils who trained under Fernando. They proved themselves formidable opponents. On his end, Fernando did a fine job picking players who shouldve posed a fair challenge to the Valkyries. Alas, the Valkyries underperformed that day, gravely so. As a result, what shouldve been an even match ended up being a one-sided steamroll. Out of all the members, only Fiona had the necessary mental fortitude to recover from the crushing defeat of the first game. Karen also coped decently, but she obviously tried too hard to prove herself in the following games, leading to unnecessary overextensions that cost her dearly. The other members crashed and burned much harder than that, though. For example, Cornelia became even more irritable than usual and got into unfavorable fights all the time. Needless to say, she died many times that day. Meanwhile, Andrias motivation vanished without a trace, so she just kind of floated out there like a jellyfish without trying to achieve anything. And lastly, Lua played even more timidly than she usually did, too afraid to commit any mistakes. A dysfunctional team like that had no hope of ever defeating anybody from the Leopards, not even the second or third string. In the end, the whole thing turned into a bitter memory. Instead of giving the team a productive first experience on the competitive stage, the whole thing turned into a nightmare that was likely haunting them to this day. That was partially my fault. Kei admitted. It''s the first time I''m dealing with a team that has zero competitive experience. I didn''t properly take that into account. Generally, the pupils who made it into the first-string in the Aces already came with prior competitive experience from middle school. As such, it was far less likely for the team to break down like this during their first competitive game. Not to mention, the Aces were always in the top 3 of the region, so there was never a case where they had to face an opponent who was far outside their league. Compared to all that, the Valkyries were a completely different team. It was formed only recently and its members were largely newbies or former casuals. They were lightyears away from the top dogs of the region. Kei should have taken all of that into account when she decided to scrim with the Leopards this early. And, now Fiona wants to scrim with StormBlitz... Kei had reservations about this idea. In fact, she was technically against it. But, she also had to consider the awkward circumstances of the team. The Valkyries became an official team after the school year had already begun. At that point, it was already too late to register it as another official team for the regionals. Under normal circumstances, they would have been forced to skip this year. Frankly? Kei wouldve had no problem with that arrangement. Training a middle school team was a new type of challenge for her, so she was fine with postponing the real competition by a year until she got used to the job. But, Fiona wasn''t having any of it. She was dead set on joining the competition ASAP. And, since Kei''s new beefy salary was largely at Fiona''s mercy, there was no choice but to fight for the nobles cause. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And so, the two of them worked hard together to persuade the authorities. They also recruited Fernando for the cause, who gladly helped because he wanted to see the competition flourish. Though, honestly, out of all of them, Fiona was the most persuasive. She came prepared to the meetings with charismatic speeches, even leveraging her reputation as the "Landberht Princess". "I believe my participation is in your interests as well," Fiona claimed. "To my humble understanding, Classmancers is not considered a popular sport in this region at present. However, if I participate at the regionals, then news reporters will surely jump on the opportunity to cover the games, and the esports as a whole." This wasn''t the type of argument a regular middle schooler would be able to make. Heck, even an adult normally wouldnt think of such a sophisticated angle of attack. Truly, Fiona Landberht was a force to be reckoned with. If she were to participate in competitive debating, she wouldve surely conquered that field as well. In the end, the authorities bent the knee and let Fiona have her way. And so, the Valkyries turned into an official team that had the right to compete at this year''s regionals. That was a good start, but there was still one problem remaining. Namely, the fact the team was completely new and had never before arranged an official scrim with another school. To qualify for the regionals, a team had to play at least three official scrims at ProCenter. The responsibility of arranging such scrims fell upon the teams and their respective schools. In order to get this tedious topic out of the way ASAP, most schools made these arrangements at the very start of the year. What''s more, they usually arranged scrims against the same schools every year as a convenient tradition. As such, by the time the Valkyries joined the competition, all their competitors were already booked. And, since most schools around here didn''t regard their Classmancers clubs too highly, they werent too motivated to go out of their way to put in any extra effort. And so, Kei and Fiona applied to multiple schools for an arrangement, only to get turned down. As hard as the Landberht Princess tried, she couldn''t find a good angle of attack against these indifferent teachers. She even spoke directly with the principals but that didnt help either. There was nothing worse than pleading with somebody who didn''t care about the topic in the slightest. It was clear that all these "club advisors" only cared about doing the bare minimum for the protocol, which dictated that a club needed only three scrims to qualify for the regionals. Doing any more than that was too troublesome for them, apparently. And so, many schools turned the Valkyries down. Even when Fiona spoke so passionately and convincingly as she applied for a scrim against Stratus, the principal of Skyline Junior High didn''t even want to listen to her. It was clear the school regarded Stratus as nothing but a burden. Honestly, that wasn''t too surprising given the terrible reputation Stratus used to have. It was considered by far the worst team in the region. It hasnt won a single game in years. Of course, this years Stratus was a completely different beast, but only those who followed the results of the scrims could tell. As far as the school board was concerned, Stratus was still a black stain on the school''s public image for now. In the end, the negotiations were cut short and Fiona had to walk away defeated once again. It felt she had a great interest in challenging Stratus in particular but she denied the allegations. Anyway, in a similar fashion, most schools turned Kei and Fiona down. It proved obnoxiously difficult to arrange scrims as a newcomer, especially because the team registered so late. But of course, Fernando had no problem arranging them a scrim with the Leopards. That''s how the Valkyries'' first opponents ended up being none other than the regional champions, as silly as it sounded. Sometime later, the much-anticipated scrim between StormBlitz and the Leopards went down. It was a clash of titans, a potential preview of the finals. The match ended with StormBlitz''s defeat. But, it wasnt just any regular defeat. For them, it was almost like losing the tournament before it even started. Surely, they were salty and frustrated to no end. Taking advantage of their beaten-up state, Fiona used this opportunity to apply for a scrim against StormBlitz. Her reasoning was that a beaten-down StormBlitz would gladly welcome the opportunity to get a few easy wins against a newbie team. Fighting against the regions second-best so soon wasnt exactly ideal, but Kei tentatively approved the idea. After all, the Valkyries survived getting trashed by the Leopards, so things couldnt get any worse at that point, right? And so, Fiona contacted the school. Instead of dodging her request with lousy reasoning as most schools did, the club advisor at Riverstock Junior High willingly arranged a meeting with the clubs captain. It was great to see an advisor for once who had the clubs best interests in mind despite not being knowledgeable about Classmancers. StormBlitzs club was running on a strict budget as most clubs in the region, but at least it had the schools respect. It was probably thanks to the impressive legacy of the team. After all, at one point in time, it was StormBlitz who was considered the strongest in the region. Fionas master plan was to coax StormBlitzs captain into the scrim arrangement, but it proved too easy. The boy agreed almost immediately and even brought up convincing arguments for the club advisor and the principal. "Unfortunately, we couldn''t beat the Leopards in the last scrim," the captain said. "This means we now have one defeat on our record, so it''s in our best interests to challenge more teams and improve our seeding." The boy presented his argument in a very tactful way, but it was all too easy to tell what he really meant there: This greenhorn team is no match for us, so its going to be a free win. Seriously, were smartass kids like Fiona and Howard common nowadays in middle school? They were far too crafty for their own good. In the end, the club advisor approved of Fionas appeal and so did the principal. And so, the Valkyries next scrimmage was scheduled. Considering how poorly the first scrim went down, this wasnt exactly the most desirable arrangement. The Valkyries were pretty much throwing themselves at the top dogs one after another. Id like them to build up confidence by playing a weaker team first, but nobody has accepted the challenge so far In the end, Kei had no choice but to go along with this unfavorable arrangement. All she could do now was to put the team through hellish training until this big match. But, to not put a damper on the teams spirits, Kei and Fiona agreed to not reveal the news to the others just yet. It was best to let time heal the teams wounds. The Valkyries first needed to forget the horrors of the first scrim in order to move on with their lives. So, until the time is right, the team will keep training without stressing about the imminent scrimmage. But, time passed by in a blink of an eye. Two weeks later, it was time for the big reveal... Vol.19 Ch.22: The Valkyries Next Battle "Your next scrim has been decided," Nakajima announced to everybody. "You''ll be playing against StormBlitz, the second-strongest team in this region." "No way!" Karen pretended to be shocked even though she pretty much figured this out weeks ago. Like, it was impossible to keep the whole thing under wrappers with how much Fiona studied these guys at home in the past few weeks. "Hmph. The second-strongest team?" Cornelia lifted her chin. "Then they''re no match for us, seeing as we''re the strongest team, ohoho!" "... are we seriously doing this again?" Andria frowned. "Not to pour salt or anything, but aren''t we shooting ourselves in the foot with these scrims?" "Whatever do you mean?" Nakajima asked. "First we challenged the champions, now we''re challenging the runner-up, Andria explained. Now, I don''t want to insult anybody here when I say this, but we''re clearly not ready for that grand stage." "Huh? Not ready?" Cornelia raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean? We have gone through so much training! We are beyond ready!" Andria rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, we are most definitely ready. That is, ready to get mopped by our foes to the audiences amusement." "Hmph. Perhaps that''s the fate that awaits YOU specifically," Cornelia argued. "But as for me, I shall use my noble might to thoroughly submit these commoners!" "What a confident little flower you are..." Andria smiled wryly. She refrained from discussing the topic any further because they were clearly on different wavelengths here. "Andria''s stance is reasonable," Nakajima said. "StormBlitz is a formidable foe. It''s a team without a master, yet it has been consistently placing in the region''s Top 3 for years now. And, this year''s lineup definitely lives up to that reputation." These words didnt instill much confidence. In fact, they only made Lua hold her head in despair. "So, our chances of winning are..." "Thinking about hypothetical chances will do us no good," Fiona asserted. "The fact of the matter is that we are going to challenge StormBlitz, therefore we must strive to win." "Yeah, exactly!" Karen grinned. "No matter who the opponent is, you always gotta imagine yourself beating them! Fake it till you make it! She grinned confidently. We might be considered underdogs for now, and we did kinda blow it against the Leopards, but we''re way stronger now!" "Well put, Karen." Nakajima nodded. "It''s been almost two months since the last scrim. All of you have become much stronger warriors in that short time, I can guarantee it." This wasn''t some empty pep talk. The Valkyries have indeed grown much stronger in these two months. They made an impressive amount of progress, an amount Nakajima wasn''t used to seeing from her pupils. So, this is the power of middle schoolers, huh. Nakajima nodded. It''s rather impressive, I have to admit. In Nakajimas experience, it was rare to see any player from the Aces improve at such an astonishing pace. The way the Valkyries grew from beginners into accomplished players was a delight to see. Of course, it wasnt all sunshine and rainbows. These girls improved so quickly precisely because they had so many obvious issues to iron out. Nonetheless, their progress was satisfying to monitor. At present, the Valkyries were already close in skill level to the Aces freshmen. This meant they werent ready at all for the high school competition, but for middle school, their skill level was considered decent enough in the region. By my estimation, they can now hold their ground against most regional teams. Nakajima thought. The Leopards and StormBlitz are still out of reach, and I suppose Taurus and Stratus are a bit too strong for now. But, any other team is beatable. In the span of half a year, the Valkyries evolved from a team of nobodies to a serious contender for the regions Top 5. This fact was certainly going to take the competitive scene by surprise this year. I suppose this is what happens when a team in this region gets a proper master-level coach. Nakajima thought. Anybody with coaching is bound to develop that much faster than the competition. The same was observable in the high school scene, where teams without a coach naturally lagged behind the rest. The only exception to that rule was the Knights, who didn''t train under any master and yet still maintained their position in the region''s Top 3. Essentially, they were like a high school version of StormBlitz. Either way, just by having a proper master, the Valkyries were already on the right path to success. And, despite some of their difficult personalities, all the girls here had been working hard these past two months. "Your opponents will be formidable, there is no denying it," Nakajima said. "But, with how much you''ve grown, you will not embarrass yourselves on the stage, that much I assure you. StormBlitz is a strong team, but this will not be another one-sided match." "R-Right." Lua nodded, trying to keep her concerns at bay. But, it was difficult to hide the fact she very much agreed with Andria''s take on this topic. Both of them instinctively rejected the idea of facing another powerhouse so soon. Noticing Luas growing concern, Andria realized she had done an oopsie. I shouldn''t stain that innocent flower with my own complicated feelings on the matter. I shouldve kept these thoughts to myself for now. And so, Andria initiated her redemption arc. Now that I think about it, the coach makes a good point. The team''s skill level is definitely a world apart from where it was two months ago. Everybody evolved into beautiful butterflies in such a short time~!" "Um, do you really think we improved that much?" Lua asked. "But of course! Andria exclaimed. "A mere glance at our ranks should tell the entire story. I was caught in a neverending limbo between Gold and Platinum a month ago, but now I''m halfway through Platinum. "Oh, right. Lua nodded. I was also stuck in low Gold for a while, but now Im in Platinum V." Of course, it was natural for them to rank up over time as long as they kept on a regular basis. After all, the ladder grind rewarded more points for winning than it deducted for losing. This system was designed to motivate players to keep grinding ad infinitum, at least until Diamond where people say you must be decisively above 50% win rate to progress. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But, even the grind to Platinum was rough. A 50% win rate barely cut it at these ranks. Lua had been progressing at a snails pace for a while now. To climb to Platinum and beyond, players had to also consistently perform well and grab bonus points through personal achievements. Thats how Fiona was already Platinum I despite getting into Clasmancers much later than Lua and Andria. In fact, for quite some time now, most of the team was stuck at around the same ranks. Only Fiona and Karen had been making substantial progress. But in recent months, the entire team started moving forward at a good pace. After overcoming the shock caused by the first scrim, everybody realized the immense gap that existed between the Valkyries and the rest of the region. It pushed them to work that much harder in order to catch up to the competition. If our ranks arent proof that weve improved, then what is? Andria asked. So, with that in mind, I apologize for my hasty remark from earlier. The way we are now, our team has a real chance at defeating anybody from the region! R-Right! Lua regained some of her usual vigor. Now that everybody was on the same page, she felt far more confident about the whole arrangement. They could do it! Yeah! Alright, that expression looks good enough. Andria nodded in satisfaction after seeing her little white lie bring the desired result. However, in truth, Andria didnt believe a single word she had just said, not even for a moment. So, the teams ranks improved. What of it? They only took a tiny step forward. All the strong teams in the region boasted Diamond and Challenger players. The Valkyries were still like small fry in comparison. They had absolutely zero chance against StormBlitz. Why cant we have a fair scrim for once? Andria ranted on the inside but retrained a poker face on the outside. She didnt want to inject any of that venom into the team. Karen and Cornelia acting like theyre confident about this, so Ill do the same for the sake of the teams morale. After all, thats what stage acting is about. As the child of a professional actor, Andria learned such concepts from a young age. Humans had to wear personas in order to smoothly interact with each other, and sometimes it was necessary to hide ones true feelings for the sake of others. The negative feelings Andria harbored toward these unfair scrim arrangements were like a barrel of poison. If she opens the lead, the toxicity will pour out endlessly and smear the entire team. She didnt want that to happen, so she had to play along. Though, Im definitely going to file a complaint with the coach later. Andria thought. This nonsense isnt right. What is even the point of going up on the stage if were fated to be slaughtered? It makes no sense. Surely, the coach understood just how absurd it was. So, why was the woman approving of this nonsense? Maybe there are reasons, but I dont see them right now. Andria thought. So, all I can do is keep rebelling against the authorities. Such is my duty. The young team was about to receive a terrible beatdown for the second time in a row. This wasnt right. But, there was a time and a place to voice her complaints on the topic, and that time wasnt now. So, she refrained from arguing any further for now. With all resistance dying down, Fiona concluded that everybody was on board with this idea. "We have two weeks from now to prepare for this match," she said. "I have extensively researched their team with Lua''s help, so we will begin by holding review sessions. The first step toward victory is understanding our opponents.." "Hold a second," Andria interrupted. "Lua, youve been researching the StormBlitz?" "Um, yes, I have" "So, you knew this was coming." "More or less, yes..." Lua lowered her head. She never received an official confirmation from Fiona but she always suspected that was the case. "I had a feeling something was in the works there, but to think well be fighting them so soon." "Oh, I see how it is. You have the burden of insight, don''t you? Andria nodded in understanding. You were the one tasked to gaze into the abyss, so you know its horrors better than anybody." "Yes..." Lua shuddered at the mere recollection of the data she gathered. Comparing the Valkyries to StormBlitz was just depressing. It didn''t take a genius to figure out just how badly that match will play out. "Our opponents are formidable, that is a given," Fiona said. "However, no team is invincible. At the end of the day, the players in StormBlitz are middle schoolers like us. They can be overcome." "Yeah, you tell ''em, sis!" Karen grinned. "We''re going to mop the floor with these guys!" "Indeed," Cornelia agreed. "We shall elegantly execute these plebeians and establish ourselves as the most noble team in the region!" "Yeah, sure..." Andria spat a sigh. She didn''t have the energy to voice any further objections against the overconfident trio. Fiona was confident she would lead the team to victory through her jungling skills and her shot-calling. Meanwhile, Karen was a simpleton who enjoyed difficult challenges. And as for Cornelia, that lunatic was ever confident in her ability to accomplish pretty much anything. There was really no convincing any of them that this scrim was a terrible idea. These overconfident three created the impression the majority of the club was on board with the StormBlitz arrangement. So Lua, being the fickle flower she was, ended up being swept in the current. As for Andria, she had no choice but to play along. "Very well," she said. "If you''re all so confident about this, then let us embark on this treacherous journey together!" Even though we are destined to fail With that, the winds calmed down. Everybody was now on the same page in regards to the upcoming scrimmage. At least, thats how it appeared. "Good." Nakajima nodded in satisfaction. She purposely stayed out of these arguments to let the girls solve their problems on their own. Similar in-fights might occur during competitive games, and Nakajima will not be there to solve the issues for them. So, this bickering counted as training in its own right. "As Fiona mentioned, you will begin by reviewing StormBlitz," Nakajima explained. "After that, we''ll move to practical training. For the next two weeks, I want each of you to think long and hard about how youre going to play this match. Set your goal to nothing less than StormBlitzs total defeat, understood?" "Yes, master." "What was that weak response!? Nakajima demanded. A mouse squeaks louder than this! C''mon, one more time. Understood!?" "Yes, master!" the team responded in union despite how embarrassing some of them found it. In particular, Karen couldnt help but giggle after the fact. Heh, I bet Coach just likes being called "master". What a weirdo. You see, Nakajima wasnt just a coach. No, she was a MASTER! A master of what, you may ask? Who knew!? But, she totally was! Apparently. So yeah, for some ungodly reason, Nakajima insisted everybody called her "master". To this day, she always scolded whoever refused to comply with this arbitrary rule. Naturally, Karen used to be one of the most frequent criminals in regards to this stupid rule. She used to frequently call Nakajima coach on purpose, sometimes calling out to the woman for no particular reason other than to annoy her. Heh, these were fun times. Even now, when everybody replied "Yes, master!", Karen did it very quietly. Like, the whole thing just sounded awkward, you know? Is this some Japanese thing? Karen wondered. I mean, ain''t nobody talks like that nowadays. Heck, is this woman even really "Japanese"? Sometimes I wonder. Nakajima was definitely sporting a Japanese name and the look, yet her English was hella clean. It didnt feel like she had much of an accent, which only made the whole setup that much more dubious. Aren''t there all those memes about how Japanese people only know how to speak "Engrish" or whatever it''s called? Heh, can''t tell if the memes are lying or our coach is just special. Either way, Nakajima didnt fall into that stereotype. Maybe because she was an exception to the rule, or maybe because she wasnt actually ACTUALLY Japanese. Nobody knew. The master was a total enigma on that front. Of course, a coach who spoke fluent English was a blessing. Nakajima taught the team properly, her instructions were insightful and to the point. Karen grew to appreciate that about the coaching. In fact, sometimes she was almost willing to call Nakajima master. Almost. And so, it was under the guidance of this "master" that the Valkyries set out to challenge the 2nd strongest team of the region...! Vol.20 Ch.1: Leopards vs. StormBlitz The Valkyries'' next scrim will be against StormBlitz. Following the announcement, the club shifted its focus toward training for this difficult challenge. To kick it off, they held multiple review sessions in order to extensively study StormBlitz''s lineup. In each session, they focused on one player from StormBlitz and analyzed them in depth: their playstyle, habits, strengths, weaknesses, preferred classes, and so forth. For most of the members, there were less than ten official games to study. Especially, there was very little data on Adapting and Venus due to how often they switched around. However, Aegis and Athena were different. These two played on StormBlitzs first-string in the previous year, so lots of data was readily available. As such, a large portion of the reviews focused on this dynamic duo. It was up to Karen and Lua to handle these powerful adversaries in Bot. "Heh, bring it on!" Karen exclaimed. "I''mma beat the shit outta these Greek myth bozos!" "Karen, language." "Yeah, yeah." Karen rolled her eyes and smiled mischievously. "Um, actually," Lua started. "My nick is also from Greek mythology..." "Huh? You mean ''Nike''?" Karen asked. "I thought it was a reference to the shoe brand." Lua narrowed her eyes. "Why would I name myself after a shoe brand..?" "Pft, I dunno. I figured its because you like them or something? Haha. Karen burst out laughing. So, who''s this ''Nike'', anyway?" Before Lua got to answer, Andria had already taken the stage. Nike is none other than the goddess of victory! Andria spread her arms theatrically as she spoke. She is closely associated with Athena, as both of them promise to bring victory in war! Wait, so the Greeks made up not one but TWO gods for winning wars? Karen asked. Damn, they sure want to stay winning, huh. I like that attitude. Athena is associated with other subjects as well, such as wisdom and handicraft, Andria explained. On the other hand, Nike is all about the raw concept of victory, regardless of the field. It can be war, it can be arts, and it can be games. She would bring victory in just about anything. Heh. And here I thought Aegis and Athena were pompous names. Karen smirked. Turns out our Lua over here has the most holier-than-thou nick, haha! Lua pouted in response. T-That wasnt really the idea behind this name Oh? Karen raised an eyebrow. Its not for asserting dominance? No, its just that I was inspired by the way Athena played last year, so... Oh, so its like a declaration of war. Karen nodded in understanding. I see, I see. Eh, not quite Lua was getting tired of trying to explain it at this point. A part of her was willing to just let Karen weave whatever fiction the girl wanted, just so they could move on from this topic. Thankfully, Andira came to the rescue. Allow me to clarify. You see, it is a well-known fact that many ancient gods can trace their origins back to other, older gods. Over time, myths and traditions evolve, and so do the gods the people worship. Huh. Karen tilted her head. Okay? While some regard Nike as her own separate entity, others believe her origins trace back to Athena. In other words, they believe Nike is merely a facet of Athena herself. Ill be real, I almost wanna say this sounds like a conspiracy theory except neither of these gods is real in the first place so its kinda dumb lmao. Yes. Andria nodded. To the modern person, it may seem silly to debate the origins of two fictional gods. However, the subtle historical connections can add undertones to stories, and even to nicknames. Yeah, I guess. Karen merely shrugged in response. It was unclear whether she actually grasped the entire picture behind Andrias explanation. Gotta say, Karen continued. You sure like this kind of fiction, huh. But of course! Andria asserted. Theatre originates from Greece and many of the early plays were related to the gods. So, itd be blasphemy for an actor like myself to not be well-versed in the history of my own craft. Yeah, I guess. Karen shrugged. So Lua, why did you pick Nike anyway? Um, well Lua glanced aside, her cheeks tinted pink. It was clear by now that Karen completely missed the memo during Andrias explanation, which surprised absolutely nobody. But, maybe it was for the best. I-I just thought it was a reassuring name. Reassuring? Um, you know, the goddess of victory and all Oh, I see. Karen nodded in understanding. So basically, you wanna be the goddess of GG EZ GAME. Um, not exactly like that... Lua made a face. But yes, I wanted a nick that radiates confidence. I actually came up with the name after watching Athena in last years regionals. Oh, so youve been following the competitive scene for a while now? Just a little, Lua said. Back then, I only checked out the finals between Leo and Storm. I was curious about the skill level of other middle schoolers around here. Heh, I bet you were disappointed, right? Karen shook her head. I mean, this regions level is pretty meh apparently. Not at all! Lua said. I thought it was amazing! Oh? Really? Yes! Lua insisted. It was amazing to see that other players my age can play so well! Before, Ive always thought only adult pros can play at that level. Yeah, I guess Leo and Storm did put on a decent performance that year, Karen agreed. I didnt watch the whole thing, but there were some nice rounds there. Thats where I came across the name Athena, Lua explained. Just the name alone already made the player seem strong, and her playstyle fit like a glove. Fit how, exactly? Karen asked. Was the Athena from mythology also a lame zoner who ran away from opponents 24/7? She wasnt running away, these were tactical retreats. Uh-huh. Thats what people in denial always say. Karen rolled her eyes. All I saw was the girl running away like a pussy. Karen, language. Whoopsie, heh. Karne playfully stuck out her tongue. Anyway, I dont see it. If being a hardcore turtle matches the image of Athena for you, then Im sorry to say that Athena mustve been a hella lame goddess, haha. Thems fighting words. Lua pouted. I''m sorry to say, Karen, but it seems you dont understand the finesse of it. Oh? I see somebody suddenly got defensive. Karen smiled confidently. Okay, then explain to me like Im five. Whats so cool about running away 24/7? This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "She didnt run away," Lua insisted. "Athena has a defensive playstyle despite being a Carry. It''s an atypical approach that requires a lot of game knowledge and adaptation to execute." "More like, it''s just straight-up bad," Karen argued. "A defensive Carry? Hows that even supposed to work? Its all backward! The Carty''s job is to carry, it''s literally in the name. You can''t carry when you play passive." "Except, Athena can make it work. That''s why it''s impressive." "That kinda thing can only work when the rest of the team does all the legwork, Karen claimed. I mean, if the Carry isnt the one pushing things forward, then somebody else is gotta do it instead, right? I wouldnt call that kind of arrangement something that works. "To remind you," Fiona said. "One of the Leopards'' Carries plays in a similar fashion. Though, you did not get the chance to play against him in that role in the scrimmage." "You mean that Merlin guy, right?" Karen recalled. "Yeah, he also reeks of the same lameness as Athena. I looked over some of the games he was in and all I can say is BORING." "You just don''t understand." Lua puffed her cheeks and turned away. This was a surprise. The girl was usually fragile as a leaf, but she showed some backbone when it concerned things she cared deeply about. Heh, somebodys getting emotional here I see. Karen smiled wryly. But, youre right. I really dont get how it works. The entire idea of that playstyle clashes with the fundamentals of carrying the game. "Fortunately, you will have the honor of playing Athena soon," Fiona said. " That will be your chance to show us just how ''bad'' her playstyle really is." "Bring it on!" Karen puffed her chest. "I''ll show you how a REAL Carry should be playing!" "I am looking forward to it." "Also, Lua," Karen called out. "Its fine that you''re fangirling Athena and all, but make sure you help me beat her in the actual match, okay?" "Of course." Lua nodded. "It''ll be a great honor to play against her, and Ill respect the occasion by giving it my all!" "Good, that''s what I wanted to hear." "In fact, I have done lots and lots of research on her playstyle and quirks!" Lua''s eyes lit up. "So, I''m sure I know everything about her! Maybe I even know her better than she knows herself!" "Eh, cool...?" Karen was taken aback by that explosion of passion. "I definitely know her strong points, weak points, her preferences, etc. I can teach you eeeeeverything!" Lua''s glittering eyes were turning crazier by the moment. The girl was legit obsessed. Talk about a big yikes. "Alright, alright, I get it already." Karen nodded repeatedly to get that obsessed fangirl off her. I dont need that much info. I already know the gist of her playstyle, so its all about cracking her turtly defense! It isnt that simple, Nakajima said. "Make sure you study your opponent well, Karen. I suspect Athena will prove to be a difficult opponent for you in particular." "Huh? Why''s that?" "Because you have a bad habit of picking fights, Nakajima explained. No matter how many times I point it out, you refuse to learn." "Well, if theres a good opportunity to fight then I fight, you know?" Karen said. Its impossible to get anything going until I commit to an attack at some point, right? "Thats exactly the kind of mentality Athena likes exploiting the most," Nakajima said. "She will make you believe theres a good opportunity to fight her, only to lead you into a trap. Or, she will run away from you to make you believe you''re in control of the situation, only to turn the tables on you the moment you carelessly give chase." "So, what youre saying is that she plays dirty. "Call it what you wish, Nakajima said. The fact remains you must be vigilant against her at all times. Lua, make sure to supplement Karen with private lessons on this topic. "Gladly!" Lua smiled from ear to ear. Ugh Karen groaned. Luas obsessed smile scared her for real. This fangirl was more than ready to preach about her lord and savior for days in a row. "In general," Nakajima continued. "Lua and Fiona spent the last couple of weeks looking into everything related to StormBlitz together with me, so make sure to discuss all the important details with them. If theres something they dont know, thats where Ill step in." As a rule of thumb, Nakajima preferred to let the kids figure things out on their own. Analyzing opponents was an important skill that every player should be accustomed to, and there wasnt a better opportunity to practice it than the regions. On that note, the Valkyries started today''s review session by talking about none other than Athena, the slippery snake of StormBlitz. As the Carry, she was a high-priority target and she was very aware of it. So much so that she used this fact to her advantage, luring enemies into traps. Together with her on the same lane was Aegis, the ever-trusty shield that protected her from all threats. He was StormBlitz''s captain and shot-caller, which made him Fiona''s main rival in the tactical warfare department. Under Aegis''s command, StormBlitz boasted a defensive playstyle, similar in some ways to Leos. Nonetheless, there was a fundamental difference between their approaches. Cato used defensive strategies to slowly strangle his opponents, whereas Aegis focused on ensuring his team had no openings. On the surface, it looked as if both teams had the same game plan in mind. They both took things slowly as they gradually adapted to their opponents. However, while Leo often dragged the game out to exhaust, StormBlitz was more than willing to take the offensive after theyve finished building up their advantage. For Fiona, it was crucial to understand the minute differences in the mentalities of the two shot-callers. By deconstructing all the details, she could form optimal countermeasures against their respective teams. Still, there was no question that StormBlitz was also ultimately a hyper-defensive team just like Leo. The match the two teams had a few months ago must have been one of the most drawn-out matches in Classmancers'' history. Merely thinking back on that tedious scrim made Fiona sigh. Cato employed his typical approach on that day, hoping to corner his opponents and slowly strangle them like a snake. However, this time, his opponents were just as good as the Leopards in playing the long game. In the end, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, both sides stuck to their preferred playstyles. It was essentially a cold war out there. Expecting that kind of development, both teams picked late-game comps in advance. As a result, the early-game and mid-game were very uneventful. Karen was yawning nonstop throughout these segments. The only players who tried to get things going before the late-game were the Leopards'' Bot duo: AbsoluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger. However, their attempts saw little in the way of success, for they were up against the enemys most formidable wall of defense: Aegis and Athena. In the end, not much happened during the early phases of any of these games. The entire outcome of a game was usually decided by one or two decisive moments in the late-game. And so, due to how fatal a single late-game mistake could be, both teams were extremely cautious and compact with their plays. This only dragged out the games that much longer. Admittedly, even Fiona was struggling to maintain her interest the whole time as she watched. Of course, she understood that many fine details went into the defensive tactics of both teams even during the stale parts of the games. Even though both sides refused to commit to any big plays, they kept wrestling over resources while prioritizing safety. There was much to learn from that cold war. In particular, this tactical warfare showcased the key differences between Cato and Aegis shot-calling philosophies. Cato insisted on maintaining an unbreakable defense all the way through, whereas Aegis at least attempted to deliver low-risk attacks every once in a while. Nonetheless, in practice, any clash between the two defensive forces boiled down to a battle of attrition. Many of the shot-calls were not designed to win, they only tried to not lose. So, while there was much to learn from these high-level tactics, the core mindset behind these plays was not Fionas cup of tea. I would much rather play to win than hole up in a defensive position. Fiona thought. There are surely ways to launch low-to-medium risk attacks that would strike true even against this level of defense. But, that was easier said than done, especially for teams that had already polished their defense to such an extent. For them, it must have felt most reassuring to rely on what they perceived as their greatest strength, especially in this important clash between titans. All in all, StormBlitz and the Leopards were evenly matched on that day. Each game could go either way and was ultimately decided in the late-game, either by somebody''s blunder or by somebody''s masterful strategic decision. StormBlitz won the first game. After that, the Leopards adjusted by changing their lineup, replacing Winner and Challenger with Rook and Merlin. This won them the second game. For the third game, StormBlitz subbed in a new player for the first time this year: Venus. The girls performance did not seem very stable, perhaps the nerves were getting to her. Nonetheless, her occasional bursts of explosive aggressiveness proved difficult for Theorist to handle. Overall, the game was neck-to-neck, but StormBlitz ultimately came on top by having access to better offense. And so, the match was at 2-1 in StormBlitzs favor. Apprentece subbed into the game in response to this development, probably against Catos will. This move was equivalent to gaining supernatural aid, which was going to diminish the achievements of the rest of the team. Naturally, with Appretnece on the team, the Leopards had no trouble winning. They focused Mid in particular, which exposed many flaws and instabilities Venus had. This led to her being replaced by Adapting for the final game. Adapting had a more stable performance in Mid, he managed to deflect most incoming attacks. However, his offense did not pack nearly as much power as Venus, so StormBlitz could not find a way to mount any powerful attacks until the very end. And so, the scrimmage ended with a 3-2 in the Leopards favor. StormBlitz was in the lead early on, but all their chances went out of the window the moment Appretnece subbed in. Meanwhile, our team could not even force Appretnece to take the stage. Fiona thought. But, we have come a long way since then. I will prove that by defeating StormBlitz. That was when the idea of facing StormBlitz sprung to mind for the first time. It was Fionas idea to make up for the terrible performance against the Leopards, as the two teams were evenly matched. But, will the Valkyries be able to measure up to the 2nd strongest team in the region? With optimal preparation, victory should be possible. At least, that was what Fiona firmly believed. Vol.20 Ch.2: The Valkyries’ Preparations The Valkyries suffered a crushing defeat against the Leopards, but they had every intention of making up for it by defeating StormBlitz. Or, at least Fiona had such intentions. Some members were on the same page as her, while others were skeptical. Regardless, the entire team came together as one to practice for the upcoming event. Each of them was burning with the desire to make up for the terrible result of the previous scrim. Everybody has been training hard ever since that defeat. Fiona thought. Surely, they will be able to put on a much better performance this time around. And, it is up to me to lead them toward that result. Fiona could not control the individual skill level of every club member. But, as the shot-caller, she was in the position to direct the entire team in the right direction during battle. And, in order to be able to achieve that, she had to know her opponents from inside out. That was why Fiona started researching StormBlitz in advance, long before announcing the planned scrim. On top of holding review sessions with her teammates, Fiona also spent much of her free time crafting strategies for the upcoming match. To dominate the competition, Fiona had to understand her opponents better than they understood themselves. Only then, she would be able to come up with the most efficient strategy for defeating them. With that said, the same idea applied to every member of the Valkyries. Each of them had to know everything about their lane opponent in order to prepare accordingly. And so, the team held multiple in-depth review sessions about StormBlitz. They went over every single player from Storm and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, as well as formed detailed game plans for dealing with them. In Top, there was CleanupHitter. He was a mechanically skilled fighter who leaned toward aggression, a sharp contrast to the majority in StormBlitz. On top of that, his parrying ability was top-notch. It looked like a gimmick that could be easily outplayed, but time and again he proved his ability during competitive games. In the jungle, there was Average. Staying true to his name, he did not leave much of an impression. The only thing that stood out about him was the fact he changed his class in almost every game. It showed he knew how to play a large roster of characters, but his performance was never impressive with any of them. Essentially, he was a jack of all trades and master of none. For Mid, StormBlitz had two very different players: Adapting and Venus. It seemed both of them were part of the first-string, and StormBlitz chose which one to use depending on the match-up. Adapting was an all-rounder who knew how to switch back and forth between offense and defense on demand. The speed of his adaptation was quite impressive, but overall, his skill came across as fairly mediocre, at least when compared to the top players of the region. Surely, Andria would be able to handle him in the lane, so long as she remains motivated. On the other hand, Venus could potentially pose a problem. Her execution was quite impressive, both on defense and on offense. On the flip side, Venus was a very unstable player compared to Adapting. She periodically went back and forth between extreme phases of turtling and overextension. At any given time, she was either overly committed to defense or pushing too hard on the offense, unable to smoothly transition between the two extremes on the fly. Essentially, while Adapting maintained a fine balance between his offense and defense, Venus allowed each of them to consume her wholly. When it was time to defend she was overly cautious, and when it was time to attack she went all-in. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. If she shows up on the stage against us, we should be able to take advantage of her instability, Fiona explained during the meeting, to make sure everybody knew how to exploit Venus'' glaring adaptation issue. Currently, this girl was the biggest hole in StormBlitzs bulletproof defense, so it was crucial to capitalize on this opening. After Venus, next on the list were Aegis and Athena in Bot. These two were undoubtedly the most troublesome foes StormBlitz boasted. Athena was a defensive Carry, an irregularity in the current meta. Instead of boasting impressive mechanical skill like most Carries, she instead relied on hit-and-run tactics to frustrate her opponents and bait them into traps. Frankly, it was worrisome that Karen would be the one to face such a crafty opponent. With how easy it was to provoke the girl, she will surely step on a landmine sooner than later. To make this Bot matchup even harder, Athena was accompanied by Aegis, the captain and shot-caller of StormBlitz. He possessed the superb ability to cover all the weak spots of his teammates, making it virtually impossible to exploit any openings. Surely, an aggressive strategist like Yuel would hate playing against Aegis. And, this matchup is bound to be rather irksome for me as well. Fiona thought. His tight defense would make it that much harder for me to gain momentum. Oftentimes, momentum was born from one successful and overwhelming play. From that one spark, the advantage had the potential to snowball into something unstoppable. However, against Aegis robust defense, it was going to prove difficult to get any such opportunities. The man analyzed his teammates weak spots and made sure to cover them all, leaving attackers no openings to exploit. Needless to say, breaking through this absolute defense was going to be Fiona''s biggest challenge in this scrimmage. She had to find a way to penetrate through the shield of gods, or else the team would never be able to get anything started. Of course, she was not the only one who had lots of work cut out for her. Everybody in the Valkyries had a lot to learn and practice in order to perform well in that challenging scrim. And so, the team spent the next two weeks focused fully on StormBlitz. They deconstructed every possible facet of their opponents, ran many simulations of what-if scenarios, and so forth. Fortunately, they also had Nakajima help out with the whole process. She used to be a pro player, so she was well-versed in how professional teams prepared for matches. "It''s important to focus on the enemies you are going to face," Nakajima instructed. "However, being too tunnel-visioned isnt good either. You dont want to overly adapt to the opponent to the point of ruining your own playstyle in the process." This was the voice of reason that killed Fiona''s intense urge to study the enemy 24/7. Before she realized it, she was focusing all her training on finding countermeasures to StormBlitz and nothing else. There was still so much she had to polish about her own playstyle, yet she had been neglecting that part for weeks. That piece of advice was a lifesaver. Fiona admitted. If not for it, I may have led the team down the wrong path. Fiona was focused solely on winning against StormBlitz, therefore the most logical approach was to study the opponents extensively and expose all their weak spots. Only with sufficient information and preparation a weaker team had a chance of toppling the 2nd strongest team in the region. However, it was important to remember that Fiona and the team had many weak spots of their own to iron out. So, while the Valykries were busy studying the opponents, said opponents were likely studying the Valkyries. Information warfare went both ways in this fashion. As such, every single member of the Valkyries also had to be in top condition in order to prevail in this harsh scrim. And so, the training regime was split into two key parts: preparation for the opponent and working on the Valkyries own weaknesses. With both categories aced, the Valkyries will have a real shot at besting the regions 2nd strongest. And so, after two weeks of specialized training, it was finally time for the Valkyries to play on the competitive stage for the second time. They were about to face a powerhouse yet again, but they were far better prepared for battle this time around. Will they successfully cause an upset? Or, will they be fighting through impossible odds once again? Vol.20 Ch.3: The End of Preparations The day of the Valkyries vs. StormBlitz match has finally come. For the past two weeks, the Valkyries studied their opponents from top to bottom, squeezing out every possible bit of information from the available replays. And, at the same time, they also continued honing their individual skills to leave no weak spots in their formation. Now, it was time to show their newly gained skill on the competitive stage. They had already faced one embarrassing defeat in ProCenter, but they had every intention of making up for it today. At least, most of them were confident about that... "Ugh, I don''t feel so good..." Lua held her stomach. Her face was pale as a sheet. It wouldnt be strange to see her collapse at any moment. If this were the first time it happened, then Fiona would have assumed the worst. After all, one sick player would immediately disqualify the entire team when there were no substitutes available. Of course, unlike sports that placed a physical burden on the players, it was perhaps a little more passable to force a sick teammate to play in esports. However, doing so will surely not lead to a fruitful game for either side. Only the stronger team has the luxury of playing with such a handicap, and even then it was a bad idea. Therefore, by all accounts, Fiona should have announced the Valkyries forfeit. That is if Lua was truly sick. However, after the experience of the previous scrim, it was clear that Luas issues lay elsewhere. "You appear just as shaky as you did last time, my dear flower," Andria spoke to Lua using her usual theatrics. Does the grand stage overwhelm you yet again? P-Probably Lua had a seizure as she said that. Just thinking about playing on that huge stage sent shivers across her body. In short, Luas symptoms were caused by stage fright. The same exact thing happened during the Leopards scrim as well. Back then, Fiona was a few steps away from making the team forfeit. Fortunately, as a member of the drama club, Andria had plenty of experience with freshmen who went through similar ordeals. The symptoms always looked grave at first, but it was usually possible to calm down the patient with the right words. "There is no need to be so nervous, my dear flower," Andria spoke softly, almost whispering into Luas ear. You have practiced plenty over the past couple of weeks. There is absolutely no reason why you should fear these opponents. That is true, Fiona tuned in. "I can personally attest that each and every one of you has worked hard over the past month. We are not the same newbie team we were during the previous scrim." "R-Right!" Lua nodded strongly. She knew all that in her head, but it sounded a hundred times more convincing when the Landberht Princess came out and said it out loud. "Likewise, there is also no reason to be afraid of the crowd, my dear flower," Andria spoke gently. "Those who came here today to watch this bout will not be interested in criticizing your performance. Right now, all their eyes are focused on StormBlitz." "Yes, that makes sense," Lua agreed, her tone now sounded more relaxed than before. Some of the usual colors returned to her cheeks, though she still wasnt looking 100%. At the same time, Andrias words also sparked a flame in the other members. "So, they all think we''re gonna the back dancers here today, huh," Karen shook her head. "I say we show them who''s the real boss! Lets smoke StormBlitz!" "I agree with you for once!" Cornelia nodded strongly. "These peasants have no right to look down on our noble team!" "Wait, so now the entire team is considered ''noble''?" "What are you talking about? Of course it is! Cornelia lifted her chin in confidence. After all, this team has nobles such as myself and Fiona playing for it! So, its obligated to be a noble team, even if it has lowly peasants like you." "Are you picking a fight, girl?" Karen cracked her knuckles but she didn''t get the chance to start anything. "Karen, Cornelia, Fiona said coldly. I would appreciate it if you spared us your childish quarrels for today. "... okay, fine." Karen pouted but relaxed her threatening fists. "Youre right, this isn''t the time for this shit. Sorry, sis." "Thank you. Also, language." "Bleh." "And, you too, Cornelia," Fiona shifted her gaze to the other troublemaker. "Please refrain from such blatant provocations, at least for today." "Very well," Cornelia complied. "Just for today, I shall treat this peasant- ack!" A cold shiver ran down her spine the moment she uttered the word without thinking! Fiona was staring daggers at her! "I-I meant, I shall treat this honorable teammate with respect! Yes." "Thank you." "Phew." Cornelia wiped the noble sweat from her forehead. For a moment there, Fiona''s majestic aura was going to choke to death. Even though Fiona politely thanked them for complying with her request, her words sounded more like confirmation that the duo avoided capital punishment this time. It was quite terrifying, to be honest. Shortly after that, the commission died down. Lua gathered bits of courage for the upcoming match, whereas Karen and Cornelia piped down. Fiona took advantage of this preparation time to quiz the other members about StormBlitz. It was a last-minute review session about the most important topics of todays match. Sometime later, the team''s coach also joined them in the waiting room. I see youre reviewing the material. Good. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Oh! Karen saw this development as an excuse to tune out of the review session. "Heya, coach!" "MASTER," Nakajima retorted sharply. "How many times do I have to correct you?" "Yeah, yeah, master." Karen rolled her eyes. "Im glad you made it here early," Nakajima said. "I figured youd be running late since I couldn''t give you a ride this time." "It was not a problem," Fiona said. "I simply arranged a ride in the limousine instead. It had more than enough space to accommodate everybody." "Oh, yes, of course..." Nakajima smiled wrly. Rich people and their privileges. Sigh. Before continuing, she took a few moments to examine everybody''s condition. Unlike in the previous scrim, this time the girls looked ready. Even Lua wasn''t shaking like a leaf anymore. "You''re looking better than ever," Nakajima said. "I''m impressed." "We had a chance to do some pep talk before you arrived," Fiona reported. "I see." Nakajima nodded in satisfaction. It looks like there''s no need for any of the motivational speeches I prepared. Oh well. It was always best when a team overcame such obstacles on its own. The master could only guide the pupils up to a certain point. Ultimately, the players will be on the stage all by themselves, so they had to be able to sort out such issues on their own in the heat of the action. Fiona and Andria are good in this department, so I''ll leave the job to them. Nakajima thought. Its going to be hard, but Ill have to restrain myself from stepping in at the first sight of a problem. Despite being a greenhorn team, the Valkyries had the talent to make a big wave in the regions competitive scene. It might not happen this year, but itll definitely happen at some point. And no, this wasn''t just Nakajima''s biased opinion as their coach. Some of these girls were really that impressive. Currently, their greatest weakness was the lack of practical experience, both with competitive games and with Classmancers at large. That''s why Nakajima had to carefully lead them by the hand for now so they wouldnt trip on any of the obvious pitfalls. "Very well!" BAM! Nakajima drove her shinai into the ground, producing a loud knock that got everybody''s attention. "Since you appear mentally prepared, let''s briefly review our game plan for today. If there are still any things you''re unsure about or don''t understand, then Im sorry to break it to you, but you shouldve asked me about them at least a week ago. Dang, harsh Karen squirmed in discomfort. This review felt like an exam and she wasnt so sure how well she was prepared for it. Whoopise, haha. With that said, a moment of embarrassment is far better than an eternity of ignorance," Nakajima continued. So, make sure to ask away, dont be shy about it. Better late than never. And so, the team went over todays game plan one last time. Fortunately, everybody remembered the key details about their respective opponents and how the team was planning to combat the StormBlitzs defensive shield at large. Even the usual suspects, Karen and Cornelia, answered questions correctly. It was a sight to behold. Though, of course, they ought to be able to do that much. After all, Nakajima and Fiona drilled all that info into them on a regular basis. They spread the many studying sessions across two weeks to make sure the materials slowly but surely sank in. Therefore, nobody here had any excuses. They were obligated to ace this final test. It should come naturally to them at this point. However, there was also the pressure of the stage to consider here. After all, if theoretical knowledge was enough to win games, then armchair theorizers wouldve been the world champions. In reality, the practical execution of the game plan was a challenge in its own right. It was so common for people to blank out, to confuse themselves with overthinking, etc. So, to warm up the gears in their brains before the match, Nakajima fired off a pop quiz.. "Karen, how will Athena fight you in a 1v1?" "She probably wouldnt," Karen answered. "Shes gonna run away like a pussy like 100% of the time. And, if she DOES stay to fight, it''ll be hella sus. Itll mean she''s probably planning some shit." "Correct. Next, Cornelia. If Hitter picks a fight with you, how should you respond?" "Hmph, by teaching that peasant his place! Cornelia puffed her chest in confidence but quickly backed down against Nakajimas sharp glare. A-Ahem. I mean, I will gracefully retreat to a more favorable position before engaging in combat." And, why exactly do you have to retreat first? Hmph, because its a waste of time for a noble such as myself to deal with a commoner of that level. And, more specifically? Hmph... Cornelia scowled. The formal answer is that some people seem to believe I will struggle to reliably overwhelm Hitter in combat, so I must secure a superior position before fighting him. Though, I must insist that is completely false. I see, Nakajima said. So, you would rather trust in your baseless confidence and take the risk? I Cornelia wanted to respond with Of course! but she knew it wasnt the answer the coach was looking for. No, of course not. For the sake of the team, I shall avoid such uncertain battles. Most of the time. EVERY time. ... yes, of course. Cornelia averted her eyes. She was vehemently opposed to this, but she had no choice but to bend the knee at this time. This wasnt the time or place to incur the coachs wrath. With that said, Nakajima continued. We also discussed that there are exceptions to the rule, right? So, in what situations are you allowed to pick a fight with Hitter on even ground? When Fiona grants such permission. Huh. Nakajima was taken a little aback by that answer. The more accurate answer is: when the entire team agrees to the idea given the circumstances. Hmph. Cornelia lifted her chin. Clearly, Fiona is the only one worth listening to on such matters. Very well. Nakajima sighed. Fiona, I trust you to properly analyze such situations and consult others as needed. Of course. Fiona nodded. I believe events like this will only occur when Im in a position to provide immediate backup. "Thats a good way of thinking" Nakajima nodded in satisfaction. Alright, next question In a similar manner, everybody cleared the pop quiz without any problems. This much was to be expected, given that Nakajima had already asked them similar questions over the past two weeks. In many ways, this was just a review exam. The goal wasnt to stump the girls with difficult questions but rather to check their state of mind. It was all too common for an amateurs brain to turn into a salad the moment the real event started. This actually happened to some of the girls during the previous scrim, something Nakajima overlooked. So, coming up with this carefully planned pop quiz was Nakajimas homework for the scrim. Fighting the regions 2nd best team was already going to be a Herculean task for the girls, so at the very least, they had to face it in optimal condition. And, in addition to sorting out any salads in their heads, acing the pop quiz should fill the girls with confidence. Thats why Nakajima specifically picked questions that sounded hard on the surface but which the girls should already know the answers to. She had already asked them variations of all these questions over the past two weeks, so this pop quiz was more like a review exam. Still, it was good to see that the girls remembered the finer points. After this, the Valkyries were mentally prepared from every angle for the upcoming match. They did their homework, they built their confidence, and they improved their skill substantially since the previous scrimmage. Now, it was time to show the results on the competitive stage! Vol.20 Ch.4: Valkyries vs. StormBlitz The scrimmage between the Valkyries and StormBlitz has begun. The captains of both teams went to the middle of the stage for the handshake. For the Valkyries, the representative was Fiona. And, Andria accompanied her as the vice-captain even though it wasnt much of a real role in their club. In any normal team, Andria wouldve been the captain because she was the senior. However, considering this club was practically formed by Fiona, this arrangement made far more sense. Besides, Her Majesty already has the whole team under her thumb. So, she fits the role like a glove. Andria smiled to herself as she watched the formal greeting from the sideline. The representative from the enemy team was a senior boy, the one they knew as Aegis. Supposedly, he was the master strategist who made it so difficult to find any weak spots in StormBlitzs formation. Fiona shook the boys hand. Thank you again for agreeing to this arrangement on such short notice. The pleasure is mine. Aegis smiled meaningfully and bowed a little. Even though his team was the top dog here, he still felt compelled to act formally in front of the Landberht Princess. There was just something about Fionas aura that compelled people to brush up their act in her presence. With that said, he definitely wasnt overwhelmed by the queens majestic presence as he continued. We lost against the Leopards, so wed gladly farm any points that come our way right now. It all counts for the seeding, right? Haha. The underlying message was crystal clear: Aegis didn''t consider the Valkyries a threat in the slightest. Today''s scrim was like a free win as far as he was concerned. This mentality was further echoed by the boy accompanying Aegis, most likely StormBlitzs vice-captain. "Kek." The boy brought down his thumb with an amused snicker on his face. Honestly, he looked like a five-year-old who had just learned how to taunt. Andria simply ignored the taunt whereas Fiona didn''t even register it. She was focused on the bold captain in front of her as she responded to him in kind. "I have to apologize in advance," Fiona said. "I am afraid your team will have to work even harder to improve its seeding after today''s match." "Oh?" Aegis maintained a confident smile but his eyes glinted dangerously. Needless to say, he did not appreciate this remark. Nice one, Your Majesty! Andria commented from the sideline. Though, I suspect this bold remark will only further fuel their motivation to stomp us. This match is going to be an all-out war, I can already tell. Aegis looked like a man who valued his pride, so he surely wouldn''t let a comment like that slide. If he ever entertained the idea of going easy on the Valkyries, then Fiona just killed any chances of that ever happening. Well then, I can only pray this game won''t turn into a one-sided slaughter. Andria shrugged. I really don''t want us to have a rerun of THAT experience... The Leopards beat them to a pulp in the previous scrim, so much so that Andria could still feel the scars. And, StormBlitz was just as strong of a team, so there was a chance there would be a rerun of that despair. I''m not convinced I''m mentally prepared to perform such a tragedy on stage a second time in a row. Andria sighed. But, the queen is confident we can handle this, so all we can do is follow her lead. As the greeting ceremony came to an end, the representatives returned to their teams. Fiona strode confidently across the stage as she always did, unfazed by the fact she was about to do battle with the 2nd strongest team in the region. Likewise, her opponents werent fazed at all, either. "Kek, you sure showed her who''s the boss." Gregory snickered. "But, it didn''t make her falter in the slightest," Howard pointed out. "I''ve had this impression from the first time weve met; it''s like her confidence knows no bounds." Back when the "Landberht Princess" came to Riverstock Junior High to arrange this scrim, every word she spoke was filled with unyielding certainty. It''s like she came to make a demand, not a request. "Yep, that tall chick sure looked confident alright." Gregory nodded. "Just so you know, if you ever get bored playing against these fake eat-sports bitches, then me and Tai are always ready to deploy~" He said that with a vile snicker on his face. Clearly, Gregory saw the Valkyries as easy prey which he''d have a blast bullying. And, honestly, Howard''s opinion of that team wasn''t that much better. "If it turns out to be that boring, then sure, I might sub in you and Taison." "You''re the best, cap!" In truth, Howard was only thinking about what was best for the first-string when he said that. He didn''t care in the slightest about giving Gregory and Taison a chance to gain experience on the competitive stage. As far as Howard was concerned, everybody outside the first-string didn''t matter. The only reason he even considered handing over the stage to Gregory and Taison was to conceal information from other teams. The less public game footage there was of StormBlitz, the better. All the eyes here today will be on us. Howard thought as he glanced at the audience that gathered for this scrim. Some of the people here mightve been curious about Fionas performance, but the majority were likely here to extract additional information on StormBlitz. They lost very convincingly against the Leopards, so I doubt they have any fans right now. Howard reasoned. They''re pretty much nobodies. Their presence isn''t going to shake the competition in any meaningful way. And, that was good. The last thing Howard needed was more competition for this year. He already had his hands full with Leos Korean prodigy. And, there was also Yuels dark horse team to consider. Thats more than enough challenges for one year, right? Howard thought. I have a candidacy on the line here. His chances of getting into Utopia, the strongest high school team in the country, were at stake here. Howard absolutely had to crush this year''s regionals, or else he''d be stuck with this region''s lackluster level of competition. Venom is decent and all, but its at best a runner-up in the nationals. Utopia is the real top dog, that''s where I have to play. It was the shortest path to the pro scene, as pro teams often scouted Utopia players right away. This was the optimized route Howard was determined to follow. I''ll catch up to you real soon, sis. Just you watch. With this determination in his heart, he returned to his teams side. He intended to thoroughly utilize each and every one of these players to realize his dream. "Julia, think of this as another test," Howard said. "You underperformed against Leo, but this time we''re playing against a weaker team. So, I''m expecting you to run all over them." "Hmph, easily!" Julia lifted her chin. "I''ll crush these scrubs!" "I sure how so, or else youll make me lose what little trust I still had you in." Nah, Julia replied boldly. After this scrim, youll be begging me to play in all future matches. Thatd sure be impressive. Howard nodded in satisfaction at this confident response, as it proved Julia was in peak condition. She was ready to wreak havoc, which was exactly what Howard wanted her to do in matches when he subbed her in. It wasnt always the case that Julia was this gung-ho to do battle, which was why Howard went out of his way to confirm her condition. Fortunately, unlike in previous scrims, everything was fine this time around. It seemed like the girl was getting used to the pressure of the competitive stage. Thats good. Now, it was just a question of how shed actually perform. After all, the memories of her mess-ups against the Leopards were probably still fresh in her mind, for better and worse. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Her overall performance in that scrim was wildly inconsistent. Though it was common for her to struggle with switching from defense to offense and vice versa, in that scrim, it was particularly bad. The girl started off on the defensive, as she usually did against new opponents. She always preferred to tread safely at first to study her opponents, which was good. However, she soon realized what it meant to play defense against an opponent who made defense into their lifestyle. In short, she couldnt get anything going. Zero opportunities to show off her skills. Nada. And, considering Julias uncertain status as Gilberts backup, she mustve felt antsy about that. It probably didnt help that Howard piled some extra pressure on her before the game, telling her something along the lines of I expect your offense to be useful against their defensive playstyle. At the time, Howard thought it was crucial to establish this fact in advance. He wanted to make it clear that the reason Julia was considered for the first-string in the first place was because of her potential to pressure defensive opponents like the Leopards. In hindsight, that wasnt the best time to test the girls mental fortitude. It was an important scrim that gave StormBlitz an idea of what to expect in the finals, so it was critical for everybody on the team to play their best. Alas, Howards little motivational speech clearly put Julia on the edge throughout the scrim. She forced herself to switch to offense more frequently just so she could live up to the expectations. Needless to say, that resulted in many overextensions that got punished. However, there were also a few moments of brilliance where Julias explosive offense overwhelmed Theorists wall of defense. So, the potential was definitely there. Julia just had to brush up on her act before the regionals. But, in the end, it didnt take long for Gilbert to take the stage again. Letting a ticking bomb like Julia run wild in such an important game was a no-go. Still, though the circumstances werent perfect, Howard learned an important lesson that day. Namely, that the passable stability Julia showed in Ranked was a world apart from how all over the place she was in actual competitive games. So, Howard made sure to pile pressure on her again here today. After all, practice makes perfect, right? Haha. This time, it was a low-stake scrim so it wont be an issue even if Julia implodes. There was no way in hell StormBlitz would ever lose to a greenhorn team, even with that kind of handicap. Still, I hope she doesnt drag down the entire team with her since it wont look good. Howard sighed. This girl is sure difficult to handle. But, once she finally stabilizes, she''ll be a great asset to the team. Julia''s explosive aggression was something the current StormBlitz severely lacked. The second most aggressive player on the team was Roi, but even he was more of a balanced player than anything. Case in point, he was best known for his impressive parrying ability which was a defensive play. So, the team benefitted greatly from having a berserker like Julia as an option. At least, so long as the girl didnt get carried away. Really, she was such a headache sometimes. Sigh. "Waaaardy~" Ellen poked his cheek. "Stop staring at other girls and look at me instead~" "I wasn''t staring at anybody." "Lies. You''re always checking July out." "Because she always makes me ask myself whether she''s worth the trouble," Howard said in a low voice. "She''s the very definition of an unstable player." "True, true. July do be like that~" Ellen nodded. "But, she still occupies your mind a lot, doesn''t she? That''s a tiny bitty bit dangerous, you know?" "Dangerous how, exactly?" "Well, at first you only think about her as a player, Ellen said. But, then you keep thinking and thinking about her. Before you realize it, your head is totally filled with her! Then, it turns into an obsession!" "What...?" And then! Ellen dramatically covered her eyes. You realize you can blackmail her through your position as the captain! You start forcing yourself on her in exchange for giving her a role on the first string! ... you should seriously cut down on the soap operas you watch, Howard said. Real life isnt that melodramatic. For some, it isnt, but for others it is! Ellen insisted. Like, take the Valkyries captain for example. What about her? As a man, whats your opinion of her? Be honest now. Hmm. Howard pondered the arbitrary question. Shes pretty, no question about it. Ah! Ellen gasped. T-The darn witch! She dares to mesmerize even my dear Wardy!? You asked for my honest opinion, so there you have it, Howard said. She looks good and shes tall, so she has this imposing noble aura about her. For a moment there, I felt like I was really in the presence of royalty. And, shes rich, too. Ellen hissed. Seriously, rivals like her are always such a cheat! They just waltz in, show off their looks and money in front of the protagonist, and the poor guy just cant help but fall into their clutches! I dont know what kind of wild fantasies youre having right now, but for me, shes just an opponent. Sometimes, that kind of setup is even worse! Ellen exclaimed. You start off as mortal enemies, only for an unexpected love to blossom during the fights! Arkham called. They want their patient back. Hmph. Rude. Ellen pouted. But, you have a point. I mean, youre not a casanova like that, right, Wardy? You wont be swayed by looks and money. She crept on her lover with a creepy smile on her face. Im the only one you care about, right~? Howard made a face. "Yeah, sure. Let''s roll with that if its what''s going to kill this topic already." "Yay~" Ellen rubbed her face against Howard''s shoulder like a kitten. Somehow, she wasn''t embarrassed in the slightest to show such affection in public, in front of an audience no less. I know we''re at the far end of the stage, but still. Howard thought. People can see us, you know? Sigh. Whatever. From experience, the best way to phase out Ellens nonsense was to act indifferent. So, Howard did just that. Alright, so after putting all that nonsense aside. He shifted his focus back to the game at hand. What''s more important right now is the teams motivation. I hope nobody is planning to take it too easy. He checked out every member in order. Ellen was never the type to take her opponents lightly. Her entire playstyle revolved around assuming the role of the "underdog", so she will play with that mentality even against inferior opponents like the Valkyries. Similarly, Julia was bursting with motivation to perform well in this game, especially after Howard made it clear this was a critical test. So, that only left Roi and Dan, the two main troublemakers here. "Dang, did you see that tall blonde girl?" Dan asked. "How is that even a middle schooler?" "Yeah, lol." Roi chuckled. "For a moment, I thought they brought in a high school schooler because they didn''t have enough players, lol." "Yeah, haha. Dan laughed. She''s even taller than you, I think?" "Yeah, pretty sure. She looks about Lars''s height?" "What a woman." Dan was deeply impressed. "Bruh, Roi said. Are you into taller girls or something?" "Well, now I think I am, haha." "Gonna be a weird couple, lol. Roi shook his head. I don''t think I could go out with a girl whos taller than me. It''d feel weird." Yet, you dont mind if the girl is older than you, huh. Roi squinted. I feel like youre implying something there. Who knows~ The goofs were having a nonchalant, borderline inappropriate, conversation. Instead of thinking about the upcoming game, they were busy ogling the Landberht Princess. "Focus on the game, you two," Howard scolded. "I know you''re feeling lax because our opponents aren''t supposed to be strong, but they might surprise you." "Huh? This team of chicks? C''mon, man." Dan shook his head. "They, like, formed this year, right? Aint no way they know any advanced tech about the game. This is gonna be GG EZ in like five minutes." "Totes, man," Roi agreed. "This is just a chill scrim, right?" "You two are just asking to get beaten with that mentality," Howard said. "Don''t underestimate your opponents before you even had the chance to play them." "But, we already saw them play against the Leopards," Dan reminded. "They tanked real hard there, haha." "That tells us nothing," Howard said. "The Leopards make almost every team in the region look bad." "But, even after everybody from Leo got subbed out, these girls couldn''t do shit, right?" "True, but it''s because they''ve already self-destructed at that point," Howard explained. "I said as much during the review meeting: take everything from that game with a grain of salt. Theyre a new team, probably filled with newbies. So, it wasnt strange to see them fall apart during their first game. Things happen." "Yep, debut games are the real shit," Roi said. "I remember there was that one pitcher dude in our baseball club, a real beast during practice. Nobody could hit his shit, even I struggled as fuck. Oh! Dan exclaimed. Yeah, yeah. I think I know who you mean. Right? Roi nodded. Remember what happened when dude had to play on the stage for the first time? He bombed real hard. Doubles and triples all day long, and I think there was even one home run? Anyway, it was a real shitshow." Thats a very relevant story, Howard said. You should go off the assumption that something similar happened to the Valkyries against Leo. So, we likely havent seen their true skill yet." "Okay, okay." Dan shrugged. "No problem, cap." Roi nodded. "No matter what their actual skill level is, we gonna run all over them real ez!" Clearly, they still werent taking the match all too seriously even now. But, hopefully, Howard''s warning put them on the right track. I can''t have them go around underestimating their opponents, not even the Valkyries. Howard asserted. The moment they let their guard down they invite trouble. This isn''t the type of match we''re allowed to lose any games in. Howard''s reputation was at stake here. Even after he wins the regionals, Utopia might still reject him if he allows his team to get beaten up by newbies. On paper, the Valkyries should be easy prey. But, there was no saying for sure until he actually played against them. As such, the team had to remain vigilant. There will not be any careless underestimation allowed under Howard''s watch. And so, the preparations for the first game were complete. Despite the occasional goofing and banter, everybody took the warm-up seriously, just as Howard instructed. Shortly, the banning phase began... Vol.20 Ch.5: The Greenhorn’s Adequate Drafting The banning phase began. Right off the gate, the Valkyries came swinging. "My, they''re sure targeting us alright." Ellen blinked a few times as she examined the enemy''s bans. They hit Paladin and Ranger right away, clearly targeting Howard and Ellen. "So, they did their homework." Howard nodded. "Newbies or not, at least we can say for sure they''re taking the competition seriously. They came here to win, that alone already makes them dangerous." In response, Howard banned Lionfolk, which seemed like the favorite class of Rosemary, AKA the Landberht Princess. Other than that, there was very little information about the Valkyries, so Howard didnt have any good bans off-hand. Rosemary played Lancer before, but it wasnt a top-tier class and her performance with it wasnt stellar. So, it didnt seem like a worthwhile ban. Instead, he banned Shadow Walker for the protocol. In addition, he got rid of Knight because that was always a good rule of thumb. These were all decent moves, but frankly, Howard wasnt thinking too deeply about any of this. He just went for the most straightforward meta ideas, believing that was enough. However, as the drafting phase progressed, he began to realize that was a mistake. Tch, that Sage is a nasty counter to our Pyro. Howard clicked his tongue. Such a good pick. I have to say, they sure dont feel like amateurs when it comes to drafting. Right from the banning phase and up until the end of the drafting, the Valkyries exhibited a deep understanding of the game. They responded to StormBlitzs late-game comp with a hyper-aggressive lineup, setting this up to be an interesting game. Furthermore, the Valkyries efficiently denied StormBlitz some strong late-game options like Sorcerer, as well as caught Howard off-guard with that pinpoint Sage counter-pick. This was proving to be a surprisingly tough game already. I had a feeling I should''ve gone with something safer like Electro. Howard sighed. Julia just kept begging for Pyro so I went for it without thinking This was Howards mistake, he recognized as much. Nonetheless, he had the urge to vent. "You brought this on yourself, Julia." "Hmph No big deal." Julia crossed her arms. "I can beat a Sage with Pyro any day." "I sure hope that''s the case. Otherwise, we''re going to have a very bad time in Mid" Truth be told, it was unexpected to see a newbie team like the Valkyries pick Sage. PrinceCharming played it briefly against the Leopards but her performance didnt leave much of an impression. She lacked the necessary mastery to bring that complex class online in a competitive environment. People like memeing about how its a broken spambot class, but that''s a shallow take. Howard thought. Sage can only have an easy time up to Silver rank at best. Afterward, it becomes an uphill battle. You cant just go out and spam your spells as you please. On paper, Sage was indeed a mage with the seemingly unfair ability to quickly cast multiple spells in succession. However, the question was WHEN and HOW to utilize that spamming ability. The player had to manage their resources carefully and find the right situations. Can their Mid pull that off? Howard wondered. From what I''ve seen, Charming has decent mechanical skill and she made some solid on-the-spot decisions against Leo, at least in the first game of the scrim. Afterward, she was all over the place. To be fair, their entire team was in shambles after the exhausting first round. None of them actually performed that well after that point, save for Rosemary. Nonetheless, Charmings decline in ability felt the most extreme of them all. One moment she was a serious contender for being the Valkyries 2nd best player, but the next moment she looked like the worst they had to offer. So, she is either overconfident with this Sage pick, or she practiced really hard and actually got good with it. Well find out soon enough. The fact remained that Sage was a counter to Pyromancer on multiple levels, which spelled bad news for Julia. But, maybe it was a good test for that troublemaker. Itll be interesting to see how Julia handles this disadvantageous matchup. Either way, I have no intention of dropping a single game today. Howard asserted. So, if Julia has a rough time in the early game, I''ll just have Dan babysit her. This means he might have to be able to rotate quickly on demand. The gears in Howards brain finally started moving again after this wake-up call. He realized he had to treat this drafting phase with utmost attention. Ironic, considering he just warned Dan and Roi to take this game seriously a few minutes ago. Upon closer inspection, the match-up in Top was also quite interesting: Viking vs. Berserker. It had two Nordic warriors squaring it off. Based on the previous scrim, the enemys Top Laner, GoldenLady, was a rather unstable player. She played similarly to Julia''s aggressive mode in many ways. The moment Lady''s fuse went off, she went full berserk mode and stopped at nothing to assault her opponent. I trust Roi to fend off her attacks. But, I''d also like to be able to capitalize on her overextensions whenever possible. An aggressive player like Lady was prone to overcommitting during her attacks. That made her a great target to focus on. So, I''d like Dan to be able to rotate over there quickly and gank on demand. Howard reasoned. Hmm. This already makes it two lanes hed have to closely pay attention to. In other words, Dans class absolutely needed mobility options. He might find himself rotating a lot between Top and Mid, so he had to be able to do so without wasting too much precious time. "So, basically," Dan started. "You''re saying I hafta go Chrono, right?" "Chrono, huh? An interesting option." That definitely wasn''t the first idea in Howard''s head considering how rare the class was. But, it certainly fulfilled the required conditions. Chronomancer was an assassin-mage hybrid with the ability to manipulate time and space. For the needs of this particular game, Haste would offer a great Movement Speed boost, whereas Time Portal would allow Dan to teleport between lanes on demand. Truly, it was a whole package. With these abilities in its kit, Chronomancer was unquestionably one of the best classes for the job. The only worrisome factor was the class''s tier in the meta, which was currently resting somewhere between high C and low B. Not amazing. It''s not TERRIBLE per se, but it definitely needs more love from the devs. Howard thought. And, it''s also a complex class to play, so not many bother with it. Despite the impressive mobility options, Chronomancer wasnt a favorite in the pro scene. The main reason for that was the delicate resource-management aspect. The class had the ability to unleash some of the most impressive of spells in the game, but doing so cost Time Accel stacks, a resource that could only be obtained through the passage of time. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Fortunately, Dan-of-all-trades was very much capable of playing Chronomancer, just as he could play any other Jungler class. So, class mastery wasn''t an issue for their level of play, especially when considering their opponents for this game. "Alright, let''s go with Chrono. "Heck yeah, let''s go!" Dan pumped a fist. "Can''t believe I actually get to play the class on this stage! I thought it''d never happen! "Yeah, this is a rare situation where Chrono happens to have all the tools we need," Howard explained. "As I said, you''ll likely be rotating a lot between Top and Mid, so you have to be fast." "Yep, and Chrono is fast as fuck boiiii." "So, it''s settled then." Against stronger opponents, Howard wouldve hesitated a lot more. But, against the Valkyries, a Chronomancer should be a great pick. And so, the drafting phase continued. From the enemy''s lineup, it was clear that they were planning to push offense in this game. They picked Impaler and Berserker, both early-game classes. They want to rush us down. Howard smiled meaningfully. Heh, this reminds me of the tactics Yuel tried against me. But, Im sorry, princess. This won''t work for you. "Since they banned your favorite," Howard addressed Ellen. "What would you like instead? Pirate is banned too, so you have to go for something more obscure." "Such naughty girls, banning all the easy options. Hmm." Ellen placed a finger on her cheek and tilted her head. "These furious kittens are obviously planning to push hard during the early game, right? So, I say we lure them in with Seraph~" "Oh? You really like playing with fire, don''t you?" "Fire happens to be the best way to attract moths, don''t you think? Ellen smiled meaningfully. Danny can rotate super fast with Chrono, right? So, we can punish them in Bot the moment they try to attack~" "That''s provided he won''t be busy dealing with another lane at that time," Howard pointed out. "But yeah, I see your angle. Basically, you''re saying they''re already eager to go ham on offense, so we might as well place some attractive baits." "Exactly~! Ellen nodded. We should make their hunger for offense blind them~" "I see Esmeralda taught you well." Teehee, of course she did~! Picking Seraph was equivalent to installing a time bomb the enemy had to deal with, as their lineup wasn''t suited for the late-game in the slightest. In other words, itll be Game Over for them the moment Seraph comes online. The Valkyries will surely recognize that as well, so they will feel compelled to dial up their aggression. Thatll surely bring about many punishable overextensions. "And, that''s where we turn the tables on them~" Ellen proclaimed happily. The moment they make a mistake, we can switch from defense to offense and make them regret all their life choices~ "Yeah, that should work," Howard agreed. "The idea itself is on the riskier side, but we should be able to pull it off against this team. Itll be good practice." "My, didn''t you just tell us to not underestimate the Valkyries?" "Yeah, I did," Howard admitted. "But, we should take everything in proportion, right? No matter how you twist it, the Valkyries aren''t on par with the biggest threats in the region, so this is a good opportunity to practice playing a hyper late-game comp against an aggressive team. My how risky. Yes, it is a bit risky, Howard admitted. But, going forward, Ive been thinking how it might be useful if we get used to taking small risks here and there. My, my. Ellen smiled meaningfully. "Is that part of your brainstorming for our eventual rerun with the Leopards?" "Heh, maybe it is." That scrim left a bad taste in Howard''s mouth. From start to end, StormBlitz struggled immensely against the Leopards'' iron wall of defense. This team simply wasn''t built to deal with such an obnoxious level of hyper-turtling. Ever since, Howard had been musing how to win the next match. Apprenteces existence was a huge problem in its own right, but even before he took the stage StormBlitz was already struggling. They just barely came on top in the end, but it was anybodys game the entire time. If we cant thoroughly beat Leo before they resort to Apprentece, then we have no hope of beating them once that happens. After all, theres very little we can do about the fact Apprentece himself is pro-level material. Rather than chasing the impossible, Howard preferred to keep things practical. As such, he focused on how to beat the rest of the Leopards, rather than the monster that was Appretence. The Leo vs. Stratus scrim already showed just how difficult it is to take that guy down. Howard thought. Even Lars just barely got a kill on the guy despite the fact they caught him overextending. So, while it was important to come up with plans for beating Apprentece himself, it was far more crucial to counter the Leopards as a whole. For that, StormBlitz had to change something about its game plan. Against turtly teams like that, I may have to get used to taking some risks. Otherwise, itd be impossible to bust through their defense. Howard smiled wryly. Heh, Yuel would laugh if he heard me say something like this. Most of Yuel''s tactics were high risk high reward, to a fanatic degree. That was the main reason he and Howard never saw eye to eye and rarely played on the same team even during practice. However, the Leo scrim made Howard reconsider some things about his approach. Sometimes, playing "safe and steady" simply didn''t cut it. There were obnoxious teams out there that wanted their opponents to play slow like that because they excelled at battles of attrition. In a way, Yuel''s clunky team pushed Leo around way better than we did. Howard thought. We got two wins faster than Stratus did, but each of these games was a coin toss. Meanwhile, Yuel managed to get just as far with inferior teammates and memes. Clearly, Yuel''s risky approach was able to make a dent in the Leopards'' wall of defense. And, StormBlitz managed to do the same only once Howard subbed Julia in. Despite her less-than-satisfactory performance overall, her aggressive approach created some interesting opportunities for StormBlitz. Frankly, subbing her in was a big risk Howard didn''t think he''d be taking so early into the year, especially not against the regions strongest team. He intended to keep Julias existence under wrappers until the regionals, but the circumstances forced his hand. He had to improvise after struggling so much against the enemys defense. Surprisingly, adding Julia to the roster injected the team with the spice it needed. She was a hidden trump card that took the Leopards by surprise. Frankly, I started having doubts about whether we could push through that wall of defense without Julias aggression. Howard admitted only to himself. So, I had to test it right there. There was no time to wait until the regionals for the first test run. Besides, there was also Julias lack of competitive experience to consider. Scrims existed to help players gain said experience, so it was far better to let the girl debut long before the regionals. In the end, I took the shot and it sorta worked out. Howard thought. So, that got me thinking. Maybe I need to be more dynamic and spontaneous sometimes, so long as I dont go overboard like Yuel. Even with a troublemaker like Julia on the team, StormBlitz was still able to maintain solid defense overall. Howard had to work harder than usual to make up for whatever aggressive mistakes Julia committed, but it turned out alright in the end. If the entire thing can be settled with me working a little harder, then Ill do it. Howard thought. A riskier game plan doesnt necessarily translate to a worse game plan, thats something I have to internalize. So long as I can offset the risk with good shot-calling, then it might be worth taking. It was ironic. Over the year, it seemed like Yuel started appreciating good defense, whereas Howard developed an interest in good offense. The last time they clashed, each of them was a paragon of their respective cult. But, now they were dipping their toes into the arts of the opposite side. So, following that mentality Alright, lets go with Seraph, Howard said. Get ready for an uphill battle in the lane. "I was born ready~" And so, Howard locked in Seraph, the Hyper Carry that guaranteed victory so long as the team safely made it to the late-game. The main challenge will be to survive in good health until then, which was surely doable against a team like the Valkyries. It should serve as good practice. And so, the drafting phase went on. By the end of it, the Valkyries had a team geared toward winning the mid-game, whereas StormBlitz had a defensive lineup for the late-game. ===Valkyries=== Fiona (Rosemary): Vampire Karen (Lavender): Impaler Andria (PrinceCharming): Sage Lua (Nike): Aquamancer Cornelia (GoldenLady): Berserker ===StormBlitz=== Howard (Aegis): Cryomancer Ellen (Athena): Seraph Julia (Venus): Pyromancer Roi (CleanupHitter): Viking Dan (Average): Chronomancer Vol.20 Ch.6: The More, the Merrier The first game between the Valkyries and StormBlitz began. Based on the teams'' lineups, it was clear the game was going to be a race against the clock for both sides. Late game is our deadline, Fiona said. We have to end the game before that. Or, in the worst-case scenario, we must establish enough map control by the time late-game hits. Fiona''s team had classes that favored the early-game and mid-game, therefore they had to win fast. Going into the late game was inherently disadvantageous and there was no tactic Fiona could use to change that. An aggressive early-game team was practically doomed the moment it fell behind. The last resort it had was to transition from an aggressive build to a defensive one and hope for the opponent to blunder. However, it was usually too late at that point. All of this made the drafting phase an extremely important phase of the game. It was not an exaggeration to say that 30% of the outcome was decided all the way back there. It was like a chess game that took place right before the main event. As the team''s tactician, Fiona took it upon herself to study all aspects of the drafting phase. Surely, Yuel Fermond handled the drafting for his team as well, as did Cato for the Leopards. Mind games such as these felt natural for chess players. Although, Cato said he also had a "trusty secretary" to help him out in that department, probably Theorist. Two heads were often better than one, so it must have been helpful to have a trustworthy partner with whom Cato could brainstorm ideas. On the other hand, in the Valkyries, Fiona was all alone on that front. As it stood, the other members did not have sufficient understanding of game theory to provide fresh advice, and they did not seem interested in the topic either. They only cared about their own classes without considering the bigger picture much. I would like to fix that, but this team has more important issues to fix first. Fiona sighed. It is better for them to focus on themselves while I handle the strategic front on my own. Besides, truth be told, Fiona was more comfortable working like that. Just as in chess, she wanted to be in full control of the game plan and the pieces. As far as she was concerned, having one main strategist at the helm was most efficient. Of course, it also meant Fiona had heavy responsibility on her shoulders. The teams win condition was to gain early momentum and push to victory as quickly as possible, but they could not act carelessly, especially not against a tricky team like StormBlitz. It is time to see how well I managed to study their play style. Fiona thought. I have gone over all their game footage countless times, but the real experience might still be different. According to the extensive analysis, StormBlitz was a defensive team that efficiently covered all its weak spots. As such, even when something looked like an opening, there was a good chance StormBlitz already covered it. Trying to strike that imaginary opening would only lead to a devastating counterattack. With that in mind, it was dangerous to immediately jump on any attractive opportunity that presented itself. Especially, against Athena who often created such fake openings to bait out her opponents. In her head, Fiona understood all that. Hopefully, all her teammates were on the same page by now after weeks of studying the enemy. But, all of this was easier said than done. In the end, the game would not move forward unless Fiona launches some attacks on the enemy. Not to mention, as the early-game-focused team, the Valkyries had to be the ones to take initiative. Sitting idly and waiting for opportunities is a fool''s errand. Fiona thought. I have no choice but to bring the fight to them. The earliest opportunity to deliver an attack was at the very opening of the game. It was a brief phase during which both sides were busy warding the jungle as they waited for jungle camps to spawn. The term "early invade" existed to describe an attack that was launched right as the enemy was farming the very first camp that spawned. However, it was also possible to strike the enemy even before that point. Not a popular move, but one that definitely had some viability to it. While preoccupied with warding different parts of the jungle, the enemies were briefly scattered around. High-level players knew the importance of staying within reach of each other just in case, but they couldn''t stick close the entire time, that was simply too inefficient. As such, even though it was a bit dangerous for them to spread out, everybody was willing to take that small risk. It was as if an unwritten rule existed that said ganks could not possibly occur during this brief part of the opening phase. However, there is fundamentally nothing in the game that guarantees that kind of protection. Fiona thought. It is perfectly viable to launch an attack here as it is during the early invade itself. Perhaps the biggest difference was the fog of war. During an early invade, it was known for certain that the enemies gathered at the jungle camps. Furthermore, it was easy to tell which players would be present in each camp. On the other hand, attacking during the very opening was a dicier endeavor. There were many unknowns in the equation as enemy players were traveling around the map, placing wards. Who will Fiona run into if she heads deeper into Top Jungle right now? Where will she meet them? And most importantly, how far away will their allies be? These were all critical questions. One wrong answer would single-handedly lead to failure. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. This is already a game with incomplete information, and the opening is where the lack of information is at its peak. Fiona reasoned. But, there is one way to mitigate this issue. The one who brought this solution to Fiona''s attention was none other than Esmeralda, the Sweepers'' Mid Laner. Despite being a professional, the woman had many unusual quirks in her playstyle, and she passed some of her untraditional wisdom to Fiona. "If you reaa~aaally want to go for a super early attack, there is a way to improve your odds," Esmeralda said. "Basically, the more, the merrier~" It was such a simple but insightful lesson. It instantly transformed the idea of an early attack from absurd to semi-realistic. Indeed, there were many unknowns in this equation and there was nothing Fiona could do about that. However, there was one thing she knew for sure: the enemy forces were dispersed to some extent during this phase. In other words, they were largely isolated. That was the key that held the solution to the whole matter. Even though it was unknown who, where, or when Fiona would run into an enemy, it was almost guaranteed that she would run into only one opponent. It would be difficult to predict the outcome of such a 1v1, but what if Fiona ensured it would be a 2v1? Or, even a 3v1? As Esmeralda said, "the more the merrier". Basically, instead of invading by herself, Fiona could bring a couple of teammates to launch a coordinated attack. This would boost the success chance exponentially. Of course, doing so would come at a cost. For one, the team would have to delay their plans of warding the jungle. In addition, depending on how long the battle lasts, the invaders might be forced to skip clearing the jungle camp and head to lanes directly afterward. These were not small prices to pay by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, for an aggressive team comp that wanted to gain momentum as soon as possible, the benefits of scoring an early kill could easily outweigh the negatives. It was definitely not a tactic that should be used extensively as it was very easy to play around it and make the attacker waste their time. In fact, Cato''s team was trained to stick together even during the very opening of the game, which made it impossible for Fiona to test out this tactic in a competitive environment until now. Fortunately, judging by previous scrimmages, StormBlitz was not quite as defensive during the early parts of the game. Despite how well they tended to cover all their vulnerabilities, their backs were wide open during the opening. They prioritized efficiency over safety in this one seemingly unimportant instance. Or, do they play uncharacteristically careless like that to bait out early invades? Fiona wondered. It is possible this convenient opening is something Aegis has already covered. It was always difficult to tell for sure when it came to StormBlitz. In the replays, Fiona saw many examples of players trying to exploit openings that even she believed were good, yet StormBlitz almost always turned the tables around somehow. But, I cannot let paranoia get the better of me. Fiona thought. There is no such thing as a team without any openings. Picking the nickname "Aegis" does not automatically grant you invincibility. Aegis was the indestructible shield of the gods and it felt like StormBlitz''s captain tried to live up to the name. But, in the end, it was just a fantasy. In real life, no team was fully invincible. There were always openings and weak spots. And, striking at the very start of the game might just be one rare opening even Aegis missed. At the very least, it was worth exploring this avenue before shooting it down. And so, Fiona formed a plan of attack. She got Cornelia and Andria involved in the operation, to guarantee maximum power output. Two of them were already in Top Jungle because that was the games meta for the opening, and Andria was the Mid Laner so she had the freedom to start either in Top Jungle or Bot Jungle. On top of that, Sage was a mana-hungry class, so there was an argument for giving it the blue buff instead of the red buff. Not to mention, Berserker had a Rage meter instead of a traditional MP bar, therefore the important MP regeneration part of the mana buff was practically useless for Cornelia. With all these considerations on the table, the trio gathered up in Top Jungle. From there, they were in a great position to invade the enemy territory as a group. "I must say, this sounds incredibly risky to me," Andria commented. "Are you sure you don''t want to reconsider, milady?" "I do not blame you for harboring doubt about this idea," Fiona said. "This is not a standard meta play, that much is certain. However, after much research, I concluded this tactic can pay off greatly under certain conditions." "And, this game meets these conditions?" "I believe it does," Fiona explained. "We are facing a very defensive team whose guard we are unlikely to crack using standard methods. As such, we have to think outside the box. We will be the aggressors in this game, so it falls on us to come up with creative plans of attack." "Heh, I see. When phrased like that, it does sound convincing," Andria admitted. "But, it feels youre taking lightly the risks this plan poses." "Oh, c''mon!" Karen interjected from the other side of the map. "Why do you have to make siss life so difficult? Pardon me, but I believe its only natural to question the risks when Im dragged into such an unusual play. Tch. I''d gladly switch places with you but I gotta be in Bot, so you gotta grow a pair, Andri! Karen ranted. You like roleplaying as a dude, right? So, be more manly!" "There is a fine line between being ''manly'' and ''reckless''," Andria argued. "But, you''re right. As a gentleman escorting two ladies, I should be the one showing backbone. So, let us march forward!" "That''s more like it." Cornelia nodded in satisfaction as the commoners resolved the issue among themselves. "Now, let us teach these plebians a lesson! And so, the thriller begins. Andria smiled wryly as she escorted the two confident ladies into the unknown. And so, the trio ventured into enemy territory. There was an absolute fog of war around them, they knew nothing about the enemies positions. Who will they run into during this expedition? How many enemies will they be fighting at once? It was anybody''s guess. Nonetheless, they had to brave through this uncertainty and hope for the best-case scenario. Ideally, only one unfortunate soul would cross their path. In that scenario, the trio''s victory would be all but assured. Realistically, there were only two potential classes they could run into: Hitter''s Viking or Average''s Chronomancer. These were the two main scenarios Fiona analyzed. Neither of them should have their escape tools ready at Lv. 1. She reasoned. It is simply not efficient from a meta perspective. As such, they should be reasonably straightforward targets. Knowing that much was reassuring. But, of course, their attack would go that much smoother if they knew the exact locations of their foes. As it happened, Werewolf had an ability that revealed all enemies in the surrounding area. However, Fiona prioritized Grievous Assault over Chilling Howl for Lv. 1. It was an attack skill with high base damage, a property that was very valuable for the upcoming operation. And so, without Chilling Howl, the trio had no choice but to blindly search for their prey in this fog of war... Vol.20 Ch.7: An Early Pickoff The trio dove deeper into the enemy side of the jungle. However, so far, there was no sign of the enemy. "C''mon already! Cornelia said. I command you to show yourselves!" She checked left, then right, then left, and then right again. "Step forth so I can deliver you swift death!" As if responding to her provocative call, a player showed up from around the corner. It was Average, the enemy Jungler. As a Lv. 1 Chronomancer, he was the easier target out of the options. "Let us go!" Fiona charged at the prey without further ado. The man did not notice them at first, which gave them the initiative. Cornelia, throw your axe at him before he notices us. Right on it! Ohoho! The unsuspecting prey had absolutely no idea what was going to hit him! And indeed, the poor preys mind was elsewhere at the moment. Okay, so the next ward should be around here Dan casually strolled through the jungle without a single care in the world. After all, it was the opening, the most chill part of the game. There wasnt anything to worry about, or so he thought. BAM! An axe lunged into his shoulder outta nowhere! What the-!? Then, in the very next moment: SLASH! SLASH! Razor-sharp claws tore him asunder out of the blue! W-Whats going on-!? Dans brain struggled to catch up to the insane situation in front of him. The enemy Werewolf was all over him, ravaging his flesh without any mercy! The deep cuts from Grievous Assault caused a Bleeding state, making Dan lose additional HP every second. But, the Werewolf had no intention of stopping there. Rosemary continued to tirelessly unleash her claws at Dan! SLASH! SLASH! To make things worse, that crazy wolf woman wasnt alone. She was accompanied by two more allies, Berserker and Sage! The heck theyre all doing here!? Dan cried out. A-Anyway, I gotta scram! Like, fast! Except, he didnt have any escape tools at the ready! He already used his one skill point to unlock Chronostatis, the classs primary framing tool! Dang it! Both Time Portal and Haste couldve really helped him right now, but Dan never imagined hed need these skills so early into the game! Amidst the panic, Dans first instinct was to roll away ASAP! So, he did exactly that. Fortunately, the enemy started attacking him as soon as he popped around the jungle wall. It meant he could easily head back the way he came from and try to lose the attackers amidst the thick walls of the jungle. Thus, Dan rolled out of the enemys view. Or, at least, that was the intention. He executed the roll itself without any problem, but he forgot one important detail. Even though he rolled away, there was an axe still stuck in his shoulder. Said axe was connected to the Berserker via a chain. Oh, shi-! GAH! WHISH! The enemy abruptly reeled in the axe, dragging Dan along with it! The situation was turning from bad to worse. The chain pulled Dan out of the denser parts of the jungle, to a region that could best be described as an open area. Nuuuuuuuu! Dan found himself surrounded by three enemies: Werewolf, Berserker, and Sage. Needless to say, his chances of making it out alive werent looking so hot right now Weeeeelp. If I cant run, then might as well fight back! Dan cast Chronostasis right between the Berserker and the Sage. These amateurs didnt keep enough space between each other, so Dan was gonna smack them both! But, it turned out these girls were less scrubby than Dan gave them credit for. They noticed the spinning magical gears and sidestepped the attack in opposite directions. Dang, maybe I shouldve targeted only one of them after all Dan grimaced. He cast that AoE spell smack in the middle, so it only took the enemies a step and a half to get outta range. That was more than doable on reaction against this slowpoke of a spell, even for amateurs. Okay, so what now? Dan laughed dryly. Am I basically screwed? It turned out that yes, indeed, he was. You have been killed! Weeeeelp. There was literally nothing he could do about this situation. He was surrounded from all sides by these mad girls. It was the most absurd form of early aggression he had ever seen in his life, and that said a lot considering he played many games with Yuel. That just happened. Dan shook his head. Dunno what to even say about this. I think you better run for your life, Roi, They might be coming after you next. Yeah, I can see them diving deeper after that crazy stunt, lol. Roi laughed at the absurdity of what he just witnessed. These chicks be crazy! I betcha theyre gonna go after my Wraith Camp. Its robbery in broad daylight, man! Word. That was a crazy play. Dan nodded. Like, nobody does that shit right at the opening game, right? What the actual heck. ... it was definitely an unconventional play, Howard commented with an obvious hint of irritation in his tone. But, he wasnt angry at Dan for failing to deflect that surprise attack. No, Howard was more frustrated with himself for letting something like that happen under his watch. The opening isnt something weve practiced that much, to be honest. Howard realized. Its the most autopilot part of the game, so I didnt think there was much to cover there. But, looks like there are some improvements to be made. Roi and Dan shouldve stuck closer together to avoid things like that. The Valkyries probably noticed this while researching StormBlitz. This whole thing was probably the work of the Landberht Princess herself. What a pesky opponent. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. This is the kind of gamble I would''ve expected somebody like Yuel to go for. I better be ready for anything in this game. The Valkyries as a whole weren''t a particularly amazing team, but the Landberht Princess showed a lot of promise. She was the only one who consistently performed well in the Leo scrim, and apparently, she was also a solid tactician. Im starting to think that maybe all that media coverage she''s been receiving is well-deserved. From what they wrote, shes been playing Mancers for less than a year, yet she''s already at this level. Is this what they call a "genius"? For a moment there, just a brief moment, Howard felt like a small fry. Even though he was unquestionably one of the best players in the region and should have no problem getting into the pro scene in a couple of years, it felt like there were too many players even in this region who were inherently more gifted than him. Frankly, it was annoying. Its like these brats were using speed hacks to catch up. They had less experience, yet they nearly caught up to Howards skill. First, there were Yuel and Lars. They had fewer years of experience compared to Howard and Ellen, yet both sides were nearly even in battle. And, now there was this Landberht Princess who boasted incredible skill with virtually zero experience. The existence of talented players like these made Howard''s future look a little uncertain. He will surely get into the pro scene without any problem, but how far will he be able to climb there? How many more "prodigies" will be waiting for him there? Could it be that A-League was filled to the brim with obstacles like these? Well, thats far in the future. For now, everybody Im fighting is a fellow middle schooler. Howard reminded himself. Maybe these guys are just fast learners. They might fall off later down the line, just as early-game classes lose their edge in the late-game. That''s what he always had to tell himself to keep his confidence afloat. Even though it looked as if a bunch of amateurs was catching up with him at lightning speed, Howard wanted to believe that their innate talent would only carry them so far. And, to make sure they never reach me, I have to keep beating them. Howard asserted. So, it doesnt matter how much talent you are packing, princess. You will not get any wins from me. To live up to that promise, Howard switched gears in his mind. Before, he only told himself to not underestimate the Valkyries. Now, he was fully focused on taking them down, thoroughly and mercilessly. Roi, I agree with Dans assessment, Howard said. Theyll come for you blue buff. "Yep, figured as much." Roi nodded. "These chicks are fierce, lol. So, what do I do in situations like this, again? I feel like I haven''t been in this kinda scenario like ever." "True, its a peculiar situation." Against a normal invade that targeted the Wraith Camp, the obvious response was to retreat. Such invades normally happened around the time minions were arriving, so going to the lane was the most efficient line of play. However, this situation was different. The enemy''s gank occurred way before the buff camps even spawned, so Roi had plenty of time to burn. On paper, there should be enough time for him to farm either the Hyena Camp or the Wolf Camp, both of which spawned before the buff camps did. But, would he be able to farm these camps efficiently all by himself? I''m sure a Viking can at least clear the Hyena Camp, but how much HP will that cost him? Probably too much. Even Howard wasn''t 100% savvy about such specifics. After all, no Viking would normally try to solo a jungle camp at Lv. 1. But, to maintain high morale in the team, Howard acted confident. "The hyenas and wolves are too much for you to handle alone at Lv. 1," he claimed. "So, go straight to lane." "Yep, figured it''ll be something like that." Roi shrugged. "Okay, I''m off then." "Since you have time until minions arrive, go enter the lane from behind. Howard drew a path on the mini-map that went from Rois current location all the way to the far back of the lane, way behind the Top Turret. No point entering the lane directly from the jungle. "Oh, true that. Roi nodded. Don''t wanna run into these mad girls, lol." And so, Roi followed the path Howard drew. It felt like a very weak play to be honest, but better safe than sorry. As expected, the enemy trio didn''t stop at killing Dan. They invaded deeper into StormBlitz''s territory, setting their eyes on Rois Wraith Camp. It was daylight robbery! Not only were the Valkyries going to get a bunch of gold and exp from all of these shenanigans, but they also threw StormBlitz''s opening completely off the rails for Top Lane. Basically, things were chaotic as heck, lol. Yuel would probably be proud if he saw this mad aggressive opening. And, as it happened, Yuel did in fact see this play, right from the audience. So, this type of early invade works against Howard, huh. Yuel watched the turn of events with a complicated expression. I was planning to try something similar in our rematch, but Fiona beat me to it. In a way, it was nice to get a confirmation that a hyper-aggressive play like that could catch Howard off guard. Yuel analyzed Howard''s StormBlitza a lot and also concluded that Howards defense was uncharacteristically sloppy in the very opening of the game. As such, one of the many anti-Howard strategies he came up with was to strike hard during the very opening. Unfortunately, the Valkyries pulled this trick first. Therefore, while it verified Yuel''s thesis, it also meant Howard would be on guard against it next time. So, that''s one anti-Howard tactic to delete from the list. Yuel sighed. It was already hard enough to come up with tactics to defeat Howard, so hed really appreciate it if random teams didnt swoop in to steal his ideas. Unlike him, his scouting partner was excited through the roof about this play. "It was such a marvelous play!" Vincent made noise. "It is almost unbelievable that a neophyte team like the Valkyries managed to expose such a crack in Aegis''s absolute defense! This proves that the title of the ''Landberht Princess'' is not just for show!" "You know, I actually had the same idea myself..." Yuel grumped. "Now that the Valkyries showed this trick to everyone, it means it wont work again." "Indeed, that sounds correct. Vincent nodded. Surely, Aegis will study every facet of this opening to be 1000% ready for it next time." "Yes. Knowing the guy, this is exactly what hes going to do. Sigh... "I must say," Vincent continued. "I''m starting to think it''s a shame you didn''t tell the others to come here as well. I''m sure they would''ve enjoyed this show!" "Perhaps, but we don''t have the time to go and watch every scrim," Yuel argued. "Our team is severely lacking in experience, so we have to utilize every free moment to practice. Honestly, I almost skipped this scrim myself." "It''s not good to lie to yourself, Chessmaster." Vincent smiled meaningfully. "Hell would freeze over before you ever miss one of StormBlitz''s scrimmages!" "Hmph. Maybe so." Even though it was easy enough to purchase a replay of the entire match after the fact, Yuel wanted to be physically present during StormBlitz''s scrims. He believed there were certain things he could only fully grasp in real-time when he didn''t have the ability to freeze or rewind the footage to analyze it extensively. Because of that, Yuel sacrificed precious practice time to go and watch StormBlitz''s scrims. Lars insisted on tagging along, but Yuel kept the goof at bay with one simple counterargument: "Don''t you have a class you should be working on? Do you really think you have any spare time to burn?" On the other hand, there was no problem in having Vincent tag along. In fact, it was more accurate to say that Yuel was the one tagging along here, as Vincent was the team''s main scout. Yes, the reporter wannabe volunteered to go and watch every single scrimmage in the region. Honestly, it was an overkill. Vincent was also a key part of the team, so he had to practice as well. He didn''t have the option to burn all his free time on scouting opponents. With that said, the guy was very diligent at the craft. He always returned with many important observations, some of which could only be caught in real time. As such, Yuel compromised and allowed Vincent to attend every scrim that had medium or higher priority. Naturally, the most relevant scrims were the ones that involved the regions powerhouses: StormBlitz, Leopards, and Taurus. These big three were the main threats for Stratus this year, so observing their plays from up close was arguably worth it, even at the expense of Vincents practice time. And, as it turned out, this particular scrim might even turn into a must-watch. Perhaps it will not be a one-sided stomping like everybody was expecting... Vol.20 Ch.8: The Pragmatic Scheduler The Valkyries started the game on a strong note. They caught the enemy off-guard with a hyper-early attack and killed Average, the enemy Jungler. This achievement opened the door to multiple benefits. First, the trio dived deeper into enemy territory and stole the enemys Wraith Camp. "Andria, take this buff and return to the lane," Fiona instructed. "Cornelia, let us clear the nearby wolves as well." "Gladly!" Cornelia followed the plan with great enthusiasm. After all, she and her allies had just successfully punished that Average plebeian for opposing Cornelia''s rule. Now, she was also going to collect taxes from the enemy''s lands, as punishment for the whole ordeal. This was very much in line with how a noble lady should carry herself, ohoho! And so, the two nobles made quick work of the enemys Wolf Camp. After that, Cornelia headed to Top Lane, her mainland. Considering the location she was coming from, she had no choice but to pass through enemy territory as she entered the lane. Nonetheless, she strode proudly through it without a care in the world. Hmph. Try to lay a finger on me if you dare. Cornelia lifted her chin. I''m already a level ahead of you, almost two. You will not dare. Indeed, CleanHitter didn''t approach her. That peasant knew his place and allowed the noble to pass through his territory without punishing her for it. Truth be told, the man was very eager to strike this arrogant intruder. However, he was told to stay his hand. "Are you SURE this is alright, man?" Roi asked again. "This chick is totally acting cheeky! We gotta punish her, right?" "Yes, and we will," Howard reassured. "But, now is not the time. She''s almost two levels ahead of you, and you know how much levels matter this early." "Yeah, you''re right..." Roi conceded. "But, I''m totally going to get back at her for all this! Ill avenge my bro, ain''t nobody gonna stop me!" "It''d be best if you let it go for now," Howard advised. "The last thing we need right now is somebody acting recklessly and getting killed as well. Yep, true that. So, before you do literally anything, stop to think for a moment about how the enemys shot-caller might exploit it. To put it simply, think of her as mini-Yuel who is always out there, trying to find an exploit in anything you do." "Dang, she''s that good?" "It''s hard to tell, so better to assume the worst, Howard said. At the very least, that early attack she launched is very reminiscent of Yuel''s shenanigans." "Yeah, true." Roi nodded. "Giving me flashbacks, lol." "As it should. So, operate under the assumption that if you do anything careless, their shot-caller might punish you hard for it." "Alrighty, noted." With that said, Howard himself also had mixed feelings about that turn of events. I hope there aren''t any scouts from Utopia here today. If they see us messing up like this against an amateur team, it might be reason enough to disqualify me on the spot. According to the Utopia representative, leading StormBlitz to victory this year should automatically grant Howard a ticket to their team. But, surely, it was just as important for the team to look good while taking the crown. In other words, embarrassing mess-ups like this will be frowned upon. We have to wrap up this game cleanly without any more mistakes. Howard asserted. But, that early momentum they built isn''t anything to sneeze at. I can already see that their Jungler is taking full advantage of it. After stealing the Wolf Camp, a ward showed that Rosemary headed to the Hyena Camp next. She was fully intent on stealing all the available camps in Top Jungle, quite the bold "princess" she was. And, that wasn''t the end of Rosemary''s expedition. After sweeping the hyenas, she already set her sights on the next target. "Andria, Fiona called out. Let us clear the griffins." "Your wish is my command, milady." Andria bowed theatrically and joined the queen at the Griffin Camp in Top Jungle. This was the only camp at the moment that Fiona could not efficiently clear by herself. After the Overlord and the Dragon, the griffins were the strongest creeps in the jungle. As such, to properly dispatch them, it was best to team up and also activate a couple of skills. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "AWOOOOOOO!" Fiona''s Werewolf howled across the area. The skill revealed all enemies in the vicinity, but that was just a secondary effect. The main benefit of Chilling Howl was the buff it granted, which temporarily empowered Fiona''s basic attacks and granted them Lifesteal. In addition to using Chilling Howl, Fiona also used Grievous Assault. She leapt at the nearby Griffin and assaulted it four times in succession with her razor-sharp claws. Each slash counted as a basic attack despite coming from a skill, which meant the benefits from Chilling Howl were in full effect. Together with the buffs, this Grievous Assault reduced the griffin to a mere 20% in one fell swoop. From there, it was just a matter of landing two more quick basic attacks to seal the deal. This quick progress might have made it look as if the Griffin Camp was a fast clear, but that was not the case. After all, there were two griffins in this camp. Fionas assault only handled one of them. As for the other griffin, here Fiona had to employ Andria''s help. The Sage cast a fireball that erased 30% of the griffin''s HP. After that, Fiona and Andria ganged up on the legendary beast with basic attacks. This was the unfortunate part of this clear that was impossible to speed up, at least not to Fionas knowledge. Thank you for the help, Fiona said. You may call upon my services at any time, Your Majesty. On that note, Andria returned to Mid. On the other hand, there was no lane for Fiona to return to, therefore she had to carefully decide on her next destination. There were two attractive options. She could either rotate toward Bot Jungle to target the other Griffin Camp, or she could return to her side of the jungle and clean up all the camps she skipped on during the opening. After running a quick calculation in her head, Fiona concluded it was best to sweep through Top Jungle first. The biggest consideration was the fact the Wraith Camp was still online on Fiona''s side. This camp provided decent farm and a buff to boot, which together were more valuable than the Griffin Camp. Furthermore, heading to the Wraith Camp would put her closer to Top. In other words, she would be in a position to gank the lane if an opportunity presents itself. Better yet, the enemy would be completely unaware of that fact. After all, the Valkyries struck Average down before he placed his wards, so it was safe to assume the majority of Top Jungle was currently unwarded. Thus, the only outside party who could monitor Fiona''s movements in detail was the audience. In particular, Yuel and Vincent. "Oh, so she chose to head to Top!" Vincent exclaimed. "Interesting, interesting indeed! What is your take on this, Chessmaster?" "It''s a solid decision," Yuel said. "This will net her more exp and gold in total than going after the griffins, not to mention the buff. Also, bonus points if she has any plans of ganking Top, which I feel she does." Based on the games thus far, it was apparent Fiona was a pragmatic Jungler. She almost always made the right call for her rotations, prioritizing efficiency above everything else. In fact, her jungling was so well optimized it was hard to believe she had less than a year of experience. She might very well be the best Jungler in the region right now. Yuel thought. I''d say the only one who gives her real competition is Winner. And, maybe StormMonster too, but he hasn''t been on the stage ever since our scrim, and neither has the rest of the triangle for that matter. As unfortunate as it was to admit, Stratus'' Junglers didn''t measure up at all. One was a memer and the other was an unreliable sleepyhead, though she has been getting much better in that department ever since the Leo scrimmage. Nia has potential but she needs more polish. Shes too inconsistent right now. Yuel criticized. So yes, all in all, I''d say that probably makes Fiona the best Jungler in this region, surprisingly enough. Vincent seemed to agree on the matter. He has been singing praises to Fiona''s performance ever since her debut. "She is indeed the Pragmatic Scheduler, just as I thought!" He already dabbed her such based on the Leo scrim, and now he was more convinced than ever she deserved the title! In the same way the Landberht Princess subjected herself to an inhumanly packed daily routine, she also knew no rest as the Jungler. She rotated nonstop from one objective to another with maximum efficiency. There were no breaks, no rests. Its almost as if she was allergic to the mere idea of having any dead time in her life. Even now, as she rotated through the camps in Top Jungle, Rosemary was surely thinking about how thered be some dead time on the way to Bot Jungle. Therefore, it was almost certain shed try to pick up a fight in Top if the enemy gave her even the slightest of opportunities! Shes like a living example of a textbook Jungler. Yuel thought. She doesnt do anything too special most of the time, but each of her plays is polished and well-timed. Shes like a meta incarnate. This efficient meta playstyle was very reminiscent of Fionas approach to chess. She was the type of theory player who studied countless openings and arrangements, allowing her to swiftly defuse complicated board positions. Back in elementary school, Yuel considered himself a fairly strong theory player as well. But, he didn''t hold a candle to the renowned Landberht Princess. When he had to face her on the stage, he came to realize just how much ahead of him the girl was. Is she going to be the same way in Classmancers, too? Yuel wondered. Can she really pick up the game''s theory so quickly and reach a competitive level? I''ve worked hard for two years to get here, and yet this girl... Perhaps Fiona was really one of the very few people out there who actually deserved to be called a "genius". Yuel generally frowned about how thoughtlessly others threw this term around, but it felt fitting for somebody like Fiona who always found a way to excel no matter which sport she dabbled in. With Fiona on board, maybe the Valkyries will end up being another team well have to look out for at the regionals. And indeed, they have been playing a very solid game thus far. There was Fiona, who zigzagged from one corner of the jungle to the other with efficient scheduling, but the other members also fared decently in their respective lanes. In particular, the most interesting lane was Mid, where Julia played... Vol.20 Ch.9: The Sage vs. Pyromancer Matchup Shortly after the Valkyries strong opening in Top Jungle, PrinceCharming returned to Mid. The sage woman cautiously slipped into the lane from her side of the map without daring to pass through Julia''s domain. Good for you. Julia thought. I would''ve KILLED your ass if you dared to enter through my area. She was not in a mood for stupid games. This game was very important for her future, so she won''t tolerate any disrespect like that. Tch, I can''t believe Dan messed up like that. Julia clicked her tongue. This better not have any negative effects on my lane situation. With Dan out of commission, there was a good chance the enemy Jungler would take advantage of his absence and harass Mid. At the very least, Rosemary will attempt to steal both Griffin Camps for sure. There goes all my Griffin exp. Julia ranted internally. And, now Charming is gonna get ahead of me. Thanks, Dan. In the end, the enemy took only one Griffin Camp for now. It seemed they were saving the other camp for later, knowing all too well that Julia couldnt clear it by herself anyway. I mean, I CAN clear it, but its not worth it. Julia grumped. Its gonna cost way too much time and HP for what its worth. Not to mention, I gonna bet my ass Charming would try to get in the way. This was infuriating. Why did Julia have to bear the consequences of Dans mistake? None of this was her fault in any shape or form, yet she was going to be punished for it. Well, nothing I can do about that. Julia sighed. I''ll just have to kill Charming and start building up momentum for myself. Her blood was already boiling. She was SO ready to assault Charming at the first opportunity that presented itself! Not to mention, Julia had the red buff while Charming settled on the blue buff she stole from Top Jungle. So, Julia had way more firepower at her disposal right now. Alright, Ive got this round! Julia bombarded the enemy swordsmen with basic fireballs, which built up her Heat Gauge along the way. Once the gauge was full, she advanced toward the enemy frontline to unleash a heated-up Flame Wave! But, just as she got closer to the minions, the ground underneath her started shaking! "Wha-!?" Julia jumped. It''s a damn earthquake! She was forced to cool down her heated engines right away, switching from offense to defense. Basically, she had to scram! "G-Get out...!" Julia commanded her Pyromancer to roll out of the area as fast as humanly possible. She wasn''t some Bronze rank amateur, so theres no way shed get hit by a telegraphed attack like that...! But, as always, switching from offense to defense on demand was so goddamn tough! The sudden change in priorities threw her brain for a loop. Frankly, she had no idea how Gilbert always pulled that shit as if it was the easiest thing in the world. That guy was a hacker for sure. But anyway, against Sage''s Terra Pulse, even Julia''s response time was good enough. She rolled out of the area in the nick of time, dodging the AoE. Unfortunately, her minions weren''t as lucky. The initial shockwave of the earthquake hit all of them, stunning them in place. The damage wasn''t anything to write home about, but the stun was nasty. It rendered Julia''s entire army immobile, which allowed the enemy to use them as punching bags. Furthermore, Terra Pulse continued to shake the land, dealing damage and extending the minions stun. Each individual hit of the skill wasnt that big of a deal, but together they racked up sizable damage. Worst of all, with the earthquake in commission, Julia couldn''t get close to the enemy swordsmen from the right angle. In other words, this little stunt locked her out of using her wave-clearing routine! Shit! Her entire minion wave wouldve been DEAD by now if she let me use my damn spell...! Unfortunately, this was a typical exchange between Pyromancer and Sage. While Sorcerer countered Pyromancer with obnoxious range, Sage bullied Pyromancer with toxic zoning. My god, look at these little fuckers go. Julia hissed at the enemy swordsmen, who were busy slashing Julia''s stunned minions. Right now, all she could do was shoot fireballs at these cocky bastards and bide her time. On paper, that earthquake should only last like 2 seconds in total. But, it felt like an eternity in this critical moment. Julia was missing on the optimal time to clear the damn wave! At this rate, the Sage might actually force the lane situation to be equal after this wave. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. No way in hell I''m gonna let that happen! Left without a choice, Julia unleashed her overdue Flame Wave. She was forced to shoot it from outside the earthquakes AoE, which meant her flames could only reach the swordsmen, not the bowmen. Still, this was better than nothing. The Flame Wave erased the cocky swordsmen from existence. Hmph, that''s what these little bastards deserved for thinking they could run all over Julia''s army! But, after the swordsmen, there were still the bowmen to deal with. Julia had to get them out of the picture as well to establish true lane dominance. In the meantime, the earthquake subsided and her minions started moving toward the enemy forces again. Alas, her swordsmen had no chance of reaching the bowmen alive. SWISH! SWISH! One arrow, two arrows, three arrows. Soon enough, all of Julias swordsmen were on the ground. Meanwhile, Julia cast Pillar of Fire on the shooters. The ground under their feet started burning intensely, sapping their HP with every passing moment. But, that wasnt enough. She wanted to go even harder on these fuckers! Unfortunately, Burning Spirit wasn''t available since Julia was still at Lv. 2. So, she had to compromise on shooting basics at these bastards. The damage wasnt anything to write home about, but damage was damage. She was definitely going to eliminate all the minions and gain lane control, no matter what! But in the end, the first laning exchange ended in a draw. Both armies collapsed at about the same time, with neither side getting to push this round. Tch, I was supposed to win this. Julia clicked her tongue. Damn counter-pick. On paper, Julia had everything she needed to overwhelm her opponent. She had the power buff from the ogres, and Pyromancer''s burst potential was much higher than Sage''s! And yet, she couldn''t win this lane exchange. It was all because of that stupid earthquake! It completely threw Julia off the established Pyromancer farming routine. "Next time I''ll show her...!" Julia promised through gritted teeth. "You''ll show her what, exactly?" Howard asked. "Huh? Oh, you heard that..." Julia realized she was ranting out loud. How did he even catch that anyway? I''m pretty sure I said it quietly. Like, is he monitoring me 24/7 or something? Somehow, Howard was an expert at catching Julian fuming about such things. It''s almost as if the guy was actively stalking Julia to check her condition. What a scary thought. "I just meant Im gonna win the next round," Julia explained. "And how do you plan to do that, exactly?" "Well..." I haven''t thought that far yet. Julia scratched her head. The only thing she knew for sure was that she''d win the next lane exchange, no matter what! Alright. At least it looks like you still haven''t come up with any crazy ideas," Howard nodded. "So, before you start hatching some terrible plans, I''ll give it to you straight: give up on it." "Huh? Give up? Seriously?" "Yes, seriously, Howard insisted. Theres a matchup disadvantage and your opponent proved she knows how to play against Pyro. So, you have to adapt accordingly." "You mean to slow down and only farm the swordsmen? "Yes. Howard nodded. See? I knew you''re a smart girl." "That''s just the basics..." Julia made a face. He''s totally buttering me up so I go along with whatever he says. When it comes down to it, he''s basically asking me to play like a wimp. Pyromancer''s selling point was its burst damage, which was high enough to wipe out the enemy backline even in the earlier parts of the game. So, when a Pyromancer compromised on hitting only the swordsmen, it was the same as sealing away half of the classs potential. And yet, Howard was telling Julia to do exactly that. And sure, that would make sense against a strong lane opponent, like an actual pro. But, against somebody from the Valkyries? Please. No way I''m losing to these greenhorns. Julia thought. They''ve just formed their team and they think they can already take me on? Pft, yeah, right. In this game, Julia had to convince Howard she was a great asset to the team, far superior to Gilbert. The best method to achieve that was to utterly trash her lane opponent, especially in this unfavorable match-up. This would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Julia was a very strong and valuable player! So, she had to go all out! "Somehow," Howard started. "Your face doesn''t strike me as very obedient." "Ah, well..." Julia glanced aside. She couldn''t look Howard in the eye right now, especially not when he was drilling a hole through her skull with his piercing hawk gaze. "I believe I made myself clear: give up on winning the lane anytime soon." "Okay, okay, I got it already" Julia sighed. "I''ll play nice for now. But, if I see a good opportunity to turn things around, I''ll probably try it. That''s fine, right?" "Just make sure its a ''real'' opportunity and not just you trying to pick a fight for fun." "Got it." And so, the one-sided strategy meeting came to an end. It was pretty annoying for Julia, but twice as annoying for Howard. She''s such a high-maintenance teammate. Howard sighed. I really have to monitor her at every step, or else she might do something stupid. Whenever Julia was ranting out loud, it was a sign that her aggressive side was taking over. It was always a sign for Howard to step in to stop her. On the offense, Julia was a player who had many wild ideas. Some of them were good, but most of them were too risky. As such, Howard had to constantly chain the girl down. Gil is so much easier to handle in comparison. Howard sighed. But, there are some niches only Julia can fill in this team at the moment. We DO need another player who can mount a strong offense. Even though Howard''s StormBlitz was a defensive team at its core, every team that wanted to win had to eventually go on the offensive. As such, having a player who could execute extreme offense was very appreciated, at least in theory. I just wish she wasn''t such a mess to manage. Howard sighed again. "Wardy, you keep sighing like an old man," Ellen said. "How about, instead of stalking July, you pay some attention to me instead~?" "Sure, sure." Howard returned to his own business in Bot, while Julia prepared for the next minion wave. Her flames cooled down after Howard''s lecture, but soon enough another inciting incident was about to take place... Vol.20 Ch.10: Racing for Griffins Damn, they''re farming the griffins this early? Julia monitored the enemy''s movements through a ward she placed in Top Jungle. There, she saw Charming and Rosemary joining hands to clear out the griffins. Well, duh of course theyre gonna do it. Julia sighed. Dan just came back to life and he''s still Lv. 1, so he cant do shit about this. So, can I do something? Julia entertained the idea of going in to steal the griffins, but she decided against it in the end. Werewolf is a bit too dangerous, especially this early into the game. I remember Yuel drowning with matchup knowledge like that all the time... As the Mid Laner, Julia had to know how to classify the threat level of enemies. As such, she had to know which classes were too dangerous to deal with and in which situations. Yuel stuffed her with that kind of knowledge on a regular basis. I guess I''ll let them take the Griffin Camp for free. Julia pouted. They better be thankful I''m so generous! Next, her eyes naturally laid on the Griffin Camp in Bot Jungle. This one is uncontested right now. Hmm. Can I solo it? Pretty sure it''s doable, but it''s gonna cost me. The griffins were the tankiest creeps after Dragon and Overlord. So, even a Pyromancer wasn''t strong enough to swiftly murder them at Lv. 3. Julia would have to lose quite a bit of HP to pull this off. Not worth it. She concluded. I guess I''ll have to play nice like Howard wants me to, at least for now. And so, Julia left PrinceCharming to her devices and allowed the bastard to enjoy this fake status quo. It was hella annoying to let a Sage get away with all of this, but there was no other choice for now. At least they''re not gunning for the other Griffin Camp just yet. Julia sighed in relief when she saw Charming return to the lane alone. This meant Julia still had the opportunity to catch up to Charmings exp. "Dan, weve gotta take the other Griffin Camp," Julia asserted. "Get over here after this wave." "Yep, that''s the plan." Dan nodded. "It''s not like I got much else to do anyway, haha..." The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Dan''s tale was a sad one. Not only did he die early, but when he returned to the jungle it was almost entirely empty. There was nothing left for him. Nothing! In Bot Jungle, his teammates cleared the Ogre Camp and Wolf Camp, the usual script. Meanwhile, in Top Jungle, the enemy stole literally every single camp. At this point, what options did Dan even have left? There was only the Hyena Camp in Bot Jungle. For a Lv. 1 crook like him, it was the only relevant camp right now. Heck, even the Hyena Camp was pretty stressful to farm alone at Lv. 1. Like, Chronomancer was ultimately a mage at its core, so it was pretty squishy. On top of that, only Dan had Chronostatis as an offensive spell at Lv. 1. After spending it, he had to rely on basic attacks. Now, sure, Chornomancers basics were actually pretty decent for a mage, just like Pyromancers. But, they only really shined when combined with Haste to buff the Attack Speed, something Dan couldnt do right now to. Sad life. So, not only did he end up wasting a lot of time, but he also ate a bunch of attacks from the Hyenas. He entered the camp with 100% HP and left with 75%. It''s like I revived just to get pwned all over again, haha... Dan laughed dryly. Worst of all, I''m literally stuck right now. Like, I can''t do anything meaningful because there are literally no dang camps anywhere on my side! By the time he finished off the hyenas, the second minion wave arrived on all lanes. This meant Julia was currently too busy to help him with farming the griffins, and he sure as hell couldnt handle these bad boys on his own. So, with all camps in Top Jungle on cooldown, there was literally nothing for Dan to do at the moment! Gah! "Hey, July! can I come to steal some of your farm in Mid? Pretty please? I mean, I''ve got nothing else to do, haha" "Over my dead body," Julia responded. "I need this farm." "Yeah, figured" Dan sighed. "Well, okay. I guess I''mma rotate over to Mid anyway. Might find a gank opportunity or something." "Fine by me as long as you don''t touch the farm." And so, left without any other viable options, Dan rotated to Mid in advance. Hopefully, something good will come out of that. Honestly, everything about the current situation sucked. People always be like "Meh, dying early isnt a big deal, bruh." But it kinda was though. Sure, the respawn timers were short and the killer didn''t get much exp and gold for the kill. Nonetheless, this early death completely screwed Dans game plan. He was lagging behind everybody in every possible way. Welp, it is what it is. Dan sighed. Gotta stay positive and see how I can come back from this. As he approached Mid, he searched for an opportunity to strike the enemy Sage. Maybe he''ll be lucky and that girl will let her guard down at some point. After all, these girls were amateurs, right? They should have some openings. Unfortunately, Sage was one of these zoners that had no problem farming from afar. So, it was impossible to find any juicy opportunities to strike PrinceCharming. All Dan could do was stand in Bot Jungle like a scarecrow, waiting for the minion wave to end. He was unable to participate in anything that was going down in the game right now... Vol.20 Ch.11: The Werewolf Isn’t Coming...? The second minion wave arrived in Mid. Naturally, Julia wanted to wipe it out ASAP, but... "Remember: no aggressing," Howard reminded. "Take it slow and easy." "Tch, okay, okay." Julia made a face in protest but nonetheless followed the dictator''s orders. Instead of advancing all the way to the frontline, she unleashed her Flame Wave from a distance. Her flames only reached the swordsmen while leaving the bowmen untouched. God, this was such a lame way to farm as a Pyromancer! This class was capable of so much more! Alas, Julia wasnt allowed to capitalize on its strengths. At the very least, Julia made sure her Flame Wave burned the entire frontline to a crisp. That should be enough to stump Charming. "Oh my." Andria blinked in surprise. She didn''t expect to see her entire frontline vanish so soon. One moment, her soldiers had over 60% HP. Then, the next moment they were reduced to ashes. A spectacular execution, I must say. Andria nodded. Though, I suppose it was a misplay on my end. The entire time, she had been waiting for Venus to get closer and unleash Flame Wave from point-blank, just as she attempted last time. The plan was to counter that brave flower again with Terra Pulse. However, Venus wasn''t like the opponents in Ranked who repeatedly failed to learn from their mistakes. This smart girl adjusted her game plan after a single exchange. This quick adaptation radiated true professionalism. But, not all is lost. Andria thought. I can still fight back, albeit not as efficiently as I would liked to. She cast Terra Pulse on the incoming enemy army, better late than never. After a brief moment, the earthquake stunned the invaders in place. This allowed Andria''s bowmen to mount an attack without any resistance. actually, one correction to that point. There was in fact one enemy who could still move around and fight back. WHISH! WHISH! One fireball after another! The Pyromancer attacked the bowmen without rest! In addition, Venus cast Pillar of Fire around the bowmen. The flames burned away the bowmen''s HP, making it rush down toward zero. Such burning aggression! Andria exclaimed. I assume she''s trying to make sure her minions can push forward after the stun effect ends. I can''t let that happen, can I? Andria cast Ventus Vacuum in the middle of the enemy formation. A spiral of wind swirled between the soldiers and sucked them in, damaging them in the process. Compared to Sage''s other spells, Ventus Vacuum was on the weaker side. However, it was the only other AoE spell Andria had, so it was optimal to unleash it while the enemy army was still fully intact. One instance of damage from Ventus was nothing to write home about, but hitting six different targets summed up to decent damage. Alas, in the end, the enemy came on top regardless. Venus eliminated Andria''s bowmen faster than Andria could demolish the enemy squad. But, that was only natural. I paid the piper for my earlier misplay. Andria thought. But, the next round wont be the same, I promise. Until then, Andria found herself on the defensive for the rest of this round. She had no choice but to run away from the incoming attackers. Three bowmen and one swordsman still remained on the enemy side, threatening to invade deep into Andria''s territory if left unchecked. And, along with the bloodthirsty soldiers, the commander herself also marched forward. It seemed her boldness knew no bounds. "Fiona, just as you know, their Pyromancer is overextending a bit. "Yes, I noticed." Fiona nodded. "If she comes any closer, I''ll strike." "Oh, so decisive! Andria exclaimed. As expected from the one and only Landberht Princess!" "We must take any opportunity they give us." "Indeed. Andria nodded. Though, keep in mind that their Jungler seems to be roaming around nearby as well." "Yes, I saw the reveal," Fiona said. "He must be planning to go after the griffins. But, he cannot possibly handle them by himself at Lv. 2, therefore hes waiting for Venus." "Wow, that''s a fine amount of details you extracted from a single ward reveal," Andria said. "If you''ve figured out this much, then do you already have a counterplay in mind?" "Yes. We''ll take the griffins ourselves after the current wave." "Oh, as expected from the grand commander! Not missing a single opportunity to establish a tactical advantage, do you?" Indeed, Fiona never missed a heartbeat. This mastermind always had the next few turns figured out. While everybody else was focused only on the situation in front of them, Fiona was thinking multiple steps ahead. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Even for the current situation, Fiona had already considered multiple potential lines of play. For starters, if Venus continues to aggress, then Fiona will simply gank and itll be over right there. Otherwise, Fiona will wait for the enemy to approach the Griffin Camp, then shell strike together with Andria. On paper, everything about the current situation was already figured out. That made it look as if the enemy was trapped in a lose-lose situation no matter what theyd do. However, it was important to remember that the enemy team had a shot-caller as well, and a capable one at that. "Julia, you''re wasting time with that weak push," Howard pointed out. "Go join Dan at the griffins instead." "Tch, okay." Julia protested by clicking her tongue but she didn''t argue back. After all, it was true that this push was nothing more than self-satisfaction. She just wanted to get revenge for the previous round, nothing more. As Howard said, it was better to use this time to join Dan and make quick work of the griffins. But, just as Julia approached the entrance to Bot Jungle, she saw the enemy Werewolf entering Mid Lane from Bot Jungle. In other words, that bastard was also coming after the griffins! Dan, their Jungler is here! Julia informed in haste. We have to take the griffins first! Go, go, go! Well, Ive been waiting over here for half an hour already, so my body is ready. Lets do it then! Julia dashed into the jungle and circled the thick wall. There, she rendezvoused with Dan in front of the Griffin Camp. Say, do you mind tanking them? Dan asked. As you can see, Ive lost a bit of HP already, haha Huh? Julia raised an eyebrow. How the hell did you lose that much health so quickly? Youve literally just returned from the base, what the hell? Welp, it turns out clearing a jungle camp by myself at Lv. 1 is quite the big deal, haha. Lame. Jula made a face. Eeeeeh, I really dont wanna throw away my HP for something like this... Alright, then Ill tank it. No, wait, Howard intervened. Split the damage among yourselves. Julia, tank the first part, then step out of the area to let Dan tank the rest. Tch, do I really have to? Yes. Fiiiiine And so, Julia entered the griffins territory first. For now, the beasts were still peaceful because nobody had shown any signs of aggression toward them. But, the moment Julia threw a fireball at one of them, the beasts unleashed their fury! The half-eagle half-lion creatures dashed straight at Julia and slashed her with their razor-sharp claws! Against a squishy mage in the early-game, that attack dealt substantial damage. Goddamit! To make things worse, a loud ass cry resounded across the area. AWOOOO! the Werewolf made noise with its Chilling Howl. The howl informed that Rosemary was now fully aware of everything that was going down in the Griffin Camp. She could monitor every move Julia and Dan made. Shes planning to attack soon, Im beyond convinced. Julia grimaced. But, were going to take this camp before she gets here! Theres no way in hell Im letting them have BOTH camps! So, the reveal effect of the Chilling Howl didnt concern Julia that much. She just concentrated on doing her job as fast as humanly possible. But, there was another part to Chilling Howl, and that one was a real pain in the ass. On top of exposing Julia, it also lowered her Physical Defense. It was a general debuff that anybody could take advantage of, so even the griffins attacks hit harder than usual. Damn, it hurts so badly, Julia ranted as she watched her HP plummet with every hit. Its like these ugly creatures were on steroids! To minimize the injuries, Julia retreated away from the two beasts as she fired basic attacks at them. This gradually charged up her Heat Gauge. Soon enough, she would be able to unleash a Flame Wave that would make barbeque out of these birds! In the meantime, Dan unleashed Chronostasis on the beasts. A bunch of clock gears appeared out of thin air above the griffins'' heads, then came down crashing on the beasts. The track dealt decent damage and stunned the beasts in place, allowing Julia to retreat even farther away. To make everything go even faster, Julia activated Burning Spirt. Likewise, she urged Dan to activate Haste. The two buffs made their basic attacks pack a serious punch. "You tank the rest," Julia ordered as she stepped out of the griffins'' area for a moment. "Got it." Dan remained inside the area, so the enemy''s aggro switched over to him. Once the griffins became entirely focused on Dan, Julia stepped into the camp again and continued her assault on the beasts. But, something was odd here. "Have you seen their Werewolf anywhere?" Julia asked. "Nope." Dan shrugged. "You said you saw her going toward the jungle, right?" "Yeah, I did. I was sure she''d try to contest the camp. I mean, she even howled and all, but" So far, there was no sign of the Werewolf anywhere in the vicinity. Furthermore, the enemy Sage also remained in the lane, she was still busy clearing the minions Julia left there. "You think she gave up?" Dan asked. "Probably?" Julia shrugged. "Hmph, she must''ve realized she has no chance against us." "Yeah, damn straight!" "Is that really so?" Howard doubted. He had no choice but to pay close attention to this situation because of the looming danger, and he found the current development highly concerning. Rosemary was the type of Jungler to pack her rotations to the brim. She tried to take advantage of every single opportunity that showed up, so she surely wanted to farm the Griffin Camp in Bot Jungle, too Furthermore, she was last seen heading in the camps direction. So, everything pointed toward the obvious conclusion. And yet, there was no sign of the Werewolf. So, where was she right now, and what was she doing? I have a bad feeling about this. Howard frowned. But, they''ve almost finished farming the griffins, and Julia will soon clean it up in one blow, so theres no chance of the camp being stolen. And, the Sage is still back in the lane, so it doesnt look like theyre planning a surprise gank of any sort. Honestly, it was mind-boggling. The uncertainty made Howard''s insides twist. He couldn''t help but feel that something was wrong. But what, exactly? Maybe I''m just being paranoid. Howard thought. Their surprise attack from earlier makes me expect another crazy stunt, but frankly, they don''t seem like that kind of team in general. That opening attack was something extreme for the Valkyries. Certainly, theyve already established themselves as an offense-oriented team during the Leo scrim, but their plays usually weren''t extreme like this. Therefore, there was no reason to be constantly wary of surprise attacks. After reaching that conclusion, Howard tentatively left the duo in Mid to their own devices. Dan tanked a few more hits from the griffins, and then Julia wrapped things up with a powerful Flame Wave. The griffins burned to crisp and the entire incident was over. Or, at least, that''s what everybody thought... Vol.20 Ch.12: Kill Instead of Steal The Chronomancer unleashed Chronostasis on the griffins. It was his only damage spell, so without it, he was now reduced to a below-average opponent. Shortly afterward, the Pyromancer fired off Flame Wave, her strongest spell. That was another threat off the table. Furthermore, both mages had spent their buffs, Haste and Burning Spirit. These buffs were about to expire by now, so this further diminished their ability to put up a fight. Thus, even though there were two opponents over there, their combined threat level was rather low. It was very much possible for one person to strike them both down. Fiona knew all of that thanks to the Chilling Howl she used a short while ago, which revealed all the enemies in the vicinity for a short time. Thanks to that, she could tell exactly what Venus and Average were up to, almost like she had a ward placed in the Griffin Camp. The only flaw of Chilling Howl was the sound it produced, which was loud enough to alert the same enemies it revealed. So, the enemy was aware of Fionas presence the entire time. Most certainly, they were prepared to fight back her the moment she struck. But, Fiona did not strike right away. She kept her opponents on their toes as she waited for them to finish clearing the griffins. That must have caused much bewilderment in the enemys ranks, which played in Fionas favor. At this point, they had most likely concluded that Fiona had given up on this gank. But, that was far from the truth. It was simply a matter of priorities. Fiona would have liked to get the griffin farm if she could, but she had a better play in mind. Instead of taking farm, she was going for the kill! And, for that line to work out, she first had to wait for the enemy to exhaust all their resources. So, the moment Venus cast Flame Wave, Fiona appeared from around the corner and dashed her foes! Yes, she launched a solo attack on two opponents! It might have looked like an absurdity to some, but this was a very calculated move. As previously established, the two opponents were fangless at the moment, so Fiona had no reason to fear them. She leapt at the Chronomancer and slashed him four times in a row with her razor-sharp claws. It was her Grievous Assault, the best and only ganking tool she had available at Lv. 4. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The reason she targeted Average specifically was the mans low HP. He arrived in the Griffin Camp with about 75%, and after tanking the griffins he fell down to 50%. Now, after Grievous Assault, he was already down to 20%. It was unprofessional of you to let down your guard with such low HP. Fiona continued razing the dying Chronomancer with her basic attacks as criticized the mans misplay. In a position like this, Average should have exercised immense caution. He should have stuck closer to his side of the jungle, to make it harder for Fiona to launch an attack on him. His carelessness was about to become his undoing. "W-What the hell-!?" Dan''s heart almost leapt out of his chest! Where did this surprise attack even come from!? Just a moment ago, he was casually farming the griffins without a single care in the world. But now, he was getting brutally assaulted by this crazy wolf woman! And, she was ripping his HP to shreds! First, the 4-hit combo of Grievous Assault reduced him from 50% to less than 20%. After that, the Werewolf continued to claw Dan like there was no tomorrow! The woman''s attacks were fast and fierce, giving Dan no opening to escape or retaliate! "C-Crap, get me out of here!" Dan wanted to activate Haste, only to realize it was on cooldown because he just used it to farm the griffins. Fuuuuu! I hafta get out, now! Dan turned around and ran away from the vicious beast breathing down his neck. It was time to retreat the hell outta here! However, his partner didnt share the same idea. What are you doing? Julia demanded. Lets kill her! She shot a fireball at that bold wolfie. Hmph. Who do you think you are, fighting us 1v2? Well MURDER you! A-Are you being serious!? Dan had no idea how else to respond. He was literally at deaths door here, yet Julia was suggesting to fight instead of retreating!? Chick was insane! Fortunately, there was a voice of reason in the team who could convince her otherwise. Retreat, both of you, Howard ordered. You cant win here. This isnt a real 2v1. Huh!? Julia raised an eyebrow. What are you talking about? Weve got her! Lets KILL her ass! Instead of retreating, Julia summoned Pillar of Fire which had just come off cooldown. With the enemy this close, Julia was able to benefit from all aspects of Pillar of Fire, both the DoT effect and the buffs. This was the ideal situation to wreck this stupid wolf! Julia, retreat, Howard repeated. No, Ive got this! Julia insisted on attacking the enemy, who was currently 100% focused on Dan. I can kill her! No, I WILL kill her! You cant just waltz in here and act like you own the place, you bastard! This isnt good Howard grimaced. The girl has totally lost it... An ally has been killed! Dan fell, that much was expected. He had no chance of escaping from a Werewolf, especially not after his Haste expired. On the other hand, Julia shouldve been able to use this time to get away. But instead, that dumbass stayed there and fired shots at Rosemary. What was she thinking!? Or, maybe she wasnt thinking at all Vol.20 Ch.13: Already Lv. 5!? An ally has been killed! Dan fell while Julia stuck around instead of retreating. She continued assaulting the invader, believing she had a good chance of winning this exchange. And yes, with the power buff from Pillar of Fire, Julia was able to unleash a strong flurry of fireball attacks. The Werewolf''s HP ticked down at a decent pace, really making it look as if Julia had a winning chance. Not to mention, Rosemary had exhausted both of her skills and her HP fell to 70% by now, so Julia was confident about this. After all, this was her territory and she had the attack range advantage at her disposal. "Come play with me if you dare, pup!" Julia methodically backpedaled from the area as she shot fireballs at the pursuer. Her opponent was a melee-bound weakling who had no choice but to get a lot closer to land hits. So, until then, Julia gravely damaged the incoming foe! What''s more, she carefully placed Pillar of Fire right ahead of her. With this arrangement, Rosemary would have to step on the burning ground to get to Julia. Get burned, bitch! Julia grinned as her basic attacks and the burning DOT shaved off Rosemarys HP. It was like the easiest fight of her life! But, despite all the accumulating damage, Rosemary didn''t slow down. She pressed onward with determination, and she was quick on her feet, too. It almost looked like she was rushing to her death. Hah, what a dumbass! By the time the hungry beast approached Julia, she was already down to 50% HP. Meanwhile, Julia was still over 80%. Ez game! At this point, neither side had any available skills at their disposal, so this was going to be a pure battle of strength and attrition. And, of course, Werewolf was much fiercer than Pyromancer at close range. So, once Rosemary gets in, Julia will have a situation on her hands. But, you''re not going to get a chance! Julia rolled away as soon as the Werewolf reached her. You probably thought you had me cornered, right? Well, no dice! Im already five steps ahead of you, amateur! With that said, the opponent was quick to respond. Rosemary rolled right after Julia without missing a heartbeat. Crap, seriously!? Julia groaned. W-Well, I''m already pretty close to the tower, so there''s no way she can kill me. Besides, if she stays here much longer, my skills will start coming off cooldown. Getting Flame Wave back online would be the winning move here. It would burn Rosemary whole in an instant! Alas, the spell still had over 5 more seconds of downtime. It mightve sounded like nothing, but in a tense situation like this 5 seconds was an eternity. Most likely, this battle will end long before that happens. However, if Rosemary does choose to continue her arrogant assault, then things might become interesting. The Werewolf didn''t have a single skill available at her disposal, so Julia would pretty much win if she got Flame Wave back. So yeah, keep running at me, dumbass! Julia grinned dangerously. I''ll torch you! She continued backpedaling toward the tower while firing basic attacks. Her opponent had already fallen to 40% HP, yet that mad dog was still getting closer. Such nerve! You''ve got nothing! I''ll kill your ass! Julia continued unleashing her flurry of fireballs even as the Werewolf got right in front of her face. They were a nose distance away from each other at this point, but Julia didn''t falter. She kept on attacking nonstop! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. On the other hand, her opponent was oddly passive. Rosemary was getting closer and closer, but she didn''t unleash a single strike yet. Like, what??? Sure, Werewolf was a melee class and all that, but was it necessary to get THIS close to attack Julia? Hmph, this amateur didn''t even know how to aggress properly! In fact, that girl was so dumb that she got closer and closer to Julia... and then even passed by her!? What in the bloody hell was that idiot even thinking??? The answer soon revealed itself shortly. Once Rosemary got obnoxiously close, expressing zero respect for Julia''s personal space, the mad wolfwoman went for a sudden bite! "Wha-!?" Julia''s brain short-circuited. Her burning flames of aggression froze over in an instant. This sudden development left her paralyzed, unable to process this turn of events. The Werewolf woman sank her teeth deep into Julia''s shoulder, stunning her both inside and outside the game. But, this is impossible! Julia quickly pressed TAB to check what in the world was going on. How is she already Lv. 5!? That''s way too early! Everybody else in the game was only starting Lv. 4 right now. It was supposed to take everybody at least one more minion wave to hit Lv. 5 and unlock their ults. Yet, Rosemary had already passed that important milestone. She unlocked Beastial Devourer, her ult, and unleashed it on Julia from point-blank! Now, the wolfwoman''s insistence on getting so close finally made sense. She indeed had to be right in Julia''s face for Beastial Devourer to connect. It was an ult with a VERY short range and the bite animation wasn''t even that quick, so the skill had to be executed like this from an obnoxiously close range. But, what this bite lacked in range it made up for with raw power and CC. It locked Julia in place and dealt an obscene amount of damage for two seconds, dropping her below 30%! To make things worse, the Werewolf restored HP equal to 50% of the damage dealt. So, in the blink of an eye, Rosemary recovered from 40% to over 60%. God, this can''t be happening! Julia gulped. No trace of aggressiveness was left anywhere in her veins. Right now, she could only think about surviving through this critical situation. All her engines cooled down entirely. O-Okay, let''s calm down for a second here. Julia tried to take a deep breath but she rushed it. "Geh! Gah! Damn...!" She ended up coughing instead. Her racing heart just refused to calm down. After all, how could it? At this rate, she was doomed! This one mistake could very well spell the end of her entire career! There''s no way I''ll be getting into the first-string with a performance like this. Julia gritted her teeth. I have to at least make it out alive somehow...! But, was it even possible under these circumstances? The stun of Beastial Devourer finally came to an end and the Werewolf unhanded her, but she was still in a dire situation with less than 30% HP. But, 30% was still 30%. Julia wasn''t dead yet! What''s more, she wasn''t that far away from the tower. So, there was still a chance of getting away! I have to survive! Julia steeled her heart. No matter how helpless all of this looks, as long as Ive got HP it should be possible! My roll is going to come back in a few seconds, so I just have to stay alive until then...! During the time Julia was stunned by Beastial Devourer, her brain finished the transition from Attack Mode to her Defense Mode. Now, every fiber of her body was concentrated on nothing but defense and survival! Just run! Do it! Julia commanded her Pyromancer as she turned around and made a break for it. It was always stressful to run away with your back turned to the enemy, but there was no choice. Julia had to do this if she wanted to stay alive. She''s faster than me, but not by a whole lot. Julia reasoned while the enemy''s claws slashed her back. She''ll drop off my back eventually as she keeps attacking, and at some point, Ill just roll away to safety. While she was thinking such positive thoughts, her HP bar was plummeting to oblivion. 15%. 10%. 5%. The end was nigh. Julia was now one hit away from dying! But, as she speculated, her opponent fell behind. Even though the Werewolf was faster on foot, the constant attacking slowed her down. So, right as Rosemary was about to deliver the finishing blow, she found herself out of range. This brief but critical moment was just enough to let Julia activate Dodge Roll. She rolled right back into her tower area, finally getting away from the vicious predator! ... or not. Just as Julia''s Dodge Roll came out of cooldown, so did Rosemary''s. And so, the wolf woman went right after her prey! L-Leave me alone already, you crazy wolf...! Julia cried out, almost hysterically. Alas, her pleas fell on deaf ears... You have been killed! Vol.20 Ch.14: Salvaging Mid The Werewolf cut across Julias back, delivering her to her death. There was not a shred of mercy or hesitation to be found in Rosemarys calculated movements. She was like a killing machine trained for murder from birth. This cant be happening... Julia gritted her teeth. Its all because she was Lv. 5! Its all Dans fault for feeding her! Yeah, thats right. Perhaps Julia didnt make the best decisions in that situation, but clearly, this outcome wasnt only her fault. Its the circumstances that preceded this play that affected this outcome the most. Of course, it wont be easy to convince the police officer with that... Can you please explain what you were thinking there? Howard demanded. I believe I told you to retreat. I-I tried... Julia lowered her eyes. Oh, you tried? Well, how nice of you! Thank you for listening to my shot call a whole minute too late. W-Well, I thought Id be able to handle her... Oh, really? And how did that go? N-Not very well, I guess... Julia felt herself shrinking in the presence of the judge. She didnt have a single good argument to fire back except for shifting the blame on Dan. I-It wasnt really all my fault, though! How do you mean? Well, I shouldve been able to get away from her no problem, Julia explained. That is, if she wasnt a freakin Lv. 5! That wasnt supposed to be a thing so early into the game! Its all because Dan is feeding! Dang, right in the feels... Dan smiled wryly. I agree, Dan also messed up big time, Howard said. But, his mistakes were that much harder to avoid. The truth is, Rosemary deserves a lot of credit for pulling off all these surprise attacks. Y-Yeah! Dan almost teared up at that evaluation. Just as he was falling into the absolute pits of despair, where it felt like everything bad that happened in this game was his, the captain actually stood up to him! Dont worry, Dan, Howard added. Well analyze your plays in detail later. Its not like youre exempt from criticism. True, haha... But anyway, Howard continued. Youre right, Julia. That situation was a little unusual for such an early stage in the game. Totally! Julia nodded strongly, thinking she finally made a dent in Howards unbreakable defense. Alas, she was wrong... First of all, you shouldve done the minimal amount of research and checked Rosemarys stats before even thinking about engaging her in combat, Howard criticized. If you just looked at her exp, it shouldve been easy to do 1 + 1 and figured shell hit Lv. 5 after killing Dan. Thats... fair, I guess. With that, Julia lost the one and only counter-argument she had. She tried to pass most of the blame onto Dans feeding, but Howard wasnt having any of it. But seriously, Julia insisted. I couldnt even imagine her being Lv .5 this early into the game. Like, what the heck? That makes no sense! Just how much did that girl farm??? Its crazy stuff. As I said, I agree it was an unusual situation, Howard repeated. But, I clearly told you to retreat, didnt I? I believe I did it right away. Right, you did... Julia didnt have a single counterargument to this. Indeed, Howard very clearly ordered her to retreat before things went south for real. The guy recognized it was a terrible situation at a glance. If you retreated as soon as I told you, you wouldve made it out alive without any problem. The Werewolf probably wouldnt even have bothered to chase you. Maybe... You understand that this mistake is going to cost us a lot, right? Howard asked. You mightve sealed the fate of the entire game with your own two hands. Nah, youre exaggerating... Julia tried to reassure herself but her voice came out surprisingly weak. At the back of her mind, she understood that Howard might be right. Her death might, indeed, cost the team dearly. Dan also died twice so far, but he was the Jungler. Sure, losing him for a while was also a huge blow to the team, but it wasnt remotely as bad as losing a laner. Julias death meant nobody was there to defend Mid right now. And, the Jungler couldnt rotate over there to replace her either because he was freakin dead. Thus, in the next wave, the enemy had full freedom to push Mid without any resistance. And, Rosemary opted to do exactly that. She stayed in the lane and helped the Sage to swiftly kill all the incoming minions. After that, the duo pushed forth with nobody there to contest them. AWOOOOO! the Werewolf howled loudly, boosting the power and speed of her attacks. As a class that heavily relied on basics, Werewolf was great at demolishing towers despite not being a marksman. So, if left uncontested, Mid tower was going to suffer immense damage from this push. But, not under my watch. Howard entered Mid right as the enemy was invading the tower area. There was no way in hell hed let this push go uncontested, so he rotated over here to intervene. As usual, Rosemary was expressing her efficiency with the push. She charged into the tower area as soon as the first swordsman crossed the line. This girl refused to let even a single millisecond go to waste. To punish her for her rashness, Howard summoned an ice wall. He placed it perfectly to isolate Rosemary from the rest of her army. The girl now found herself practically alone in the tower area. There was only one swordsman by her side who was in charge of tanking the towers shots, but otherwise, she was isolated. Perhaps for the first time in this game, this was a move that actually gave that wolfwoman a pause. A strong move. Fiona applauded her opponent. She was confident she would have an easy time demolishing the tower, yet Aegis showed up just in time to throw a wrench in her plans. As expected, his defense is airtight but in a very different way from Catos. Cato would have done everything in his power to prevent such a situation from occurring in the first place. He would have ordered all his chess pieces to bolster their defenses from the get-go and focus wholly on deflecting any incoming attacks. On the other hand, Aegis was more about adaptive defense. He gave his pieces relatively more freedom, but he made sure to constantly monitor their status and cover up all the holes in their defenses. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Most of the time, his dynamic defense prevented disasters like these. He would either tell his allies to retreat in a timely fashion, or he would have somebody rotate to the area to provide aid. In the worst-case scenario, when something fell apart, Aegis would generally take matters into his own hands. He was not only a strong defense tactician, but also a strong defender on the battlefield itself. He must have started rotating over here a while ago, back when I was still chasing Venus. Fiona deduced. It means he foresaw that conclusion from a mile away. Impressive. But, if this were a regular rotation, then Fiona should have noticed it in advance. Karen and Lua would have informed the team about the enemy missing from the lane. Aegis was aware of that as well, therefore he covered up his rotation with a trip to the Wolf Camp near Bot. He and Athena headed over there together under the pretense of farming the camp, which they may or may not have done. Regardless, at some point, they must have gone their separate ways. Athena went to Bot, while Aegis rotated to Mid. To efficiently mask their intentions, Athena took her sweet time returning to the lane. This kept the Valkyries in the dark just long enough for Aegis rotation to be unexpected. Truly, Aegis stood head and shoulder above the rest of the players in StormBlitz. He was not the type of shot-caller to craft complex plans, but he was extremely capable of ruining other short-callers plans. Such as mine, at this very moment. Fiona frowned. This was the first time since the start of the game that she failed to anticipate a development related to her schedule. In Fionas head, the next few moves had already played out clearly. She was planning to assault the Mid Turret with Andrias help. Then, after reducing the tower to about 30%, the minions would perish and Fiona would move on to counter-jungling. It was a flawless plan. Alas, Aegiss arrival ruined everything. Now, Fiona could no longer push, not without running the risk of getting shot down by the turret. At the moment, only one minion separated between her and the tower. The others were currently busy circling the ice wall Aegis created, so itd take them a few more moments to arrive in the area. So, once the leading swordsman bites the dust, the towers full attention will fall on Fiona. And, of course, Aegis wanted that to happen. So, he unleashed Icicle Rain on the sole swordsman to take him down even faster. BAM! A huge bolt smashed into the swordsman! In the next moment, the man was on the ground without any signs of life. Now, Fiona was left all alone inside enemy territory. But, of course, she did not spend all this time idling about. While the Turret and Aegis were busy eliminating the swordsman, Fiona made her way to the edge of the tower area. She had to retreat as soon as possible. Once she circled the ice wall, she leapt forward with Grievous Assault. There was no actual target ahead of her, but the skill still allowed her to jump forward quickly. After that, she also used Dodge Roll to cover even more distance. Chaining two movement skills might have seemed like overkill, but she had to get out of the area without receiving a single instance of damage from the Turret. I have to keep all the HP I have. Fiona glanced at the risky 50% she was running on. Getting hit by the tower even once would reduce her below 40%, which was definitely undesirable. I have to adjust my schedule posthaste. Fiona closed her eyes for a moment, erasing all the planned lines of play from her head. She had to rethink everything from square one. It was clear to her that this push had run its course, so there was nothing more to achieve here. As such, Fiona set her eyes on the next objective. "Andria, you will have to continue this push by yourself," Fiona informed. "I plan to take their Ogre Camp in the meantime." "Oh, are you leaving me all by my lonesome self, o fair lady?" Andria pretended to be hurt. "And here I thought we were going to conquer this tower together." "With Aegis here, that is no longer possible." "Is it so? Tis still a fine 2v1 situation." "Yes," Fiona agreed. "Against any other opponent, it might have been worth pushing regardless. However, defense is Aegis trade. He will surely make all the right moves to block us out." "Yes, that does sound in line with our analysis of his previous scrims. He is the paragon of defense, its very manifestation." "So, there is nothing more to be done in this position," Fiona said matter-of-factly. "I must move forward to the next play." "Understood. Andria bowed. Have a safe trip, your majesty." "Thank you." While the conversation was taking place, Fiona already entered the enemy side of the jungle. Soon, she will reach the enemy Ogre Camp. In this position, that was the most optimal play she found. With that said, considering her current HP and the fact she had to spend Grievous Assault to get out of the tower area, this play was definitely on the riskier side. However, there was a way to guarantee the enemy would not have any counterplay for it. "Karen, Lua," Fiona called out. "Please stick close to the enemy tower area even after you are done pushing." "Wait," Karen started. "Are you finally giving the green light to fight this annoying turtle!?" "Not quite. I simply need you to keep her occupied. In particular, I want you to block her access to the jungle, so she cannot interfere with my plans." "Oh, I see what youre cooking!" Karen grinned. "Alrighty, no problem! It''ll be done." "Thank you." With that, the stage was set. Andria kept Aegis occupied in Mid, whereas Karen and Lua locked down Athena in Bot. With this setup, none of the enemies will be able to interfere with Fiona''s otherwise risky counter-jungling. The enemies soon figured out exactly what was going down, but they were helpless to do anything about it. So, she''s going after the ogres. Howard frowned. A risky play, considering her remaining HP and the fact she spent both of her skills. Without the burst damage of Grievous Assault and the power buff of Chilling Howl, Rosemary was in for a tough fight against the ogres. Werewolf was largely a basic-attack-focused Jungler, but that mainly applied for the mid/late-game. During the early-game, Werewolf had to rely on its skills to dish out good damage. Therefore, at this early point in the game, Rosemary was bound to struggle against the camp. Normally, a slow counter-jungling like that would be very punishable, but... Howard couldn''t actually do anything about Rosemary''s bold invasion. Nobody was available to punish this hooligan. In Mid, Howard had his hands full dealing with PrinceCharming, who was uncharacteristically aggressive despite being alone in the lane. This girl was usually on the cautious side, yet here she was pulling out all the stops. Is she letting herself run loose because we have no Jungler? Howard wondered. Or, is this all part of a bigger distraction tactic? In a very similar way, the enemy duo in Bot decided to push harder than usual. That one wasnt as surprising considering their Carry was clearly itching for a fight ever since the game started, but the timing was still suspicious. Was this aggression even going to achieve anything big right now? No, probably not. If anything, it would only give Ellen some opportunities to deal damage to the aggressors in case they overextend. As such, this also felt like a part of a larger distraction tactic. The goal wasn''t so much to push as it was to keep StormBlitz busy. And, in the meantime, Rosemary gets to steal our ogres. Howard grumped. Shes got everything figured out, huh. From the very start of this game, this so-called " Princess" has been dictating the pace. All her plans neatly linked each other and delivered a heavy blow to StormBlitz. It all started with the unexpected early kill on Dan, and things have been snowballing out of control since then. So, at this point, even when Rosemary was clearly taking a risk, it was nigh impossible to punish her. But, that doesn''t mean I won''t try. Howard left Mid immediately after dealing with the minions. He dashed to the Ogre Camp as fast as possible, he even spent his Dodge Roll to get there a little faster. Maybe I can catch her on the way out...! Howard had to deliver some sort of punishment on that cocky Werewolf. That girl had been farming StormBlitz''s jungle all day long as if she owned the place. She had to be taught a lesson! Alas, Howard didn''t make it. By the time he got to the Ogre Camp, its contents were already emptied and there was no sign of Rosemary. Hrm. She didn''t head in this direction and none of the wards spotted her on the way out. Howard pieced together all the available information. So, she recalled. Yeah, that makes the most sense. The Werewolf departed for now, but she was soon going to return stronger than ever. How was StormBlitz going to deal with this menace...? Vol.20 Ch.15: The Princess’s Next Target: Top Lane Rosemary must have started recalling as soon as she cleared the Ogre Camp. Her HP fell substantially over the course of the last few plays, so even she deemed it too risky to linger around. Not to mention, she was around Lv. 6 by now, so it was a good time to upgrade her gear. She got a lot of gold for scoring all these kills. Howard thought. When she returns, she''ll be ahead of everybody in far more than just her level. This was an early sign of snowballing if Howard ever saw one. Step by step, Rosemary was establishing herself as the strongest player on the battlefield. Her powers grew higher and higher, bending the rules of the game in her favor. To avoid any further mess-ups that could lead to more snowballing, Howard made sure to bring up the topic with the team. "At this point, I''d even be wary of fighting her even in a 2v1 situation. "C''mon, man," Roi objected. "Me and Dan can kick her ass no problem, right, amigo?" "Yeah, pretty sure we can," Dan agreed. "Shes totally within snowballing territory, but for now, shes manageable. Or, at least, she WILL become manageable once I get a few more levels, haha..." "Yeah, man, Roi commented. What''s up your level, lol. You''re not eating enough!" "I''m working on it." Even now, Dan was still severely lagging behind. Everybody had already hit Lv. 5 while he was still at Lv. 3. It was embarrassing. Fortunately, the exp granted by creeps scaled up based on their level. So, as the game proceeded, the creeps naturally granted a bit more exp than they did before. This will help Dan to catch up to the others. And once he does, hell be able to give Rosemary a real fight! I agree that you two specifically should be able to handle Rosemary together because of your teamwork, Howard said. But, only after Dan hits Lv. 5. After that, youre free to 2v1 her if a good opportunity presents itself, but dont go assuming itll be easy Hell yeah, lets go! Roi grinned. We gonna mop that snowballing chick! Word! Dan nodded. Im sure Ellen and I can also handle with her, Howard added. Aww, Wardy~ Ellen smiled. Are you saying that were, like, the best couple around~? "... yeah, sure. Anyway," Howard continued. "These are the only pairs whose teamwork I trust enough for this. So, if you run into Rosemary in any other combination, avoid fighting unless the odds are greatly in your favor." "Got it," Julia responded the same way everybody else did, but deep down she was unsatisfied. So basically, no matter the situation, I''m not allowed to fight her at all. It''s like he intentionally made up that rule to annoy me. Sure, Julia already died once at the hands of that Werewolf, but was that reason enough to forbid her any further interaction with that beast Ill totally win the next fight! Julia asserted. Ill MURDER that cocky girl! Unfortunately, all these extreme thoughts were written on her face. That earned her a glare from Howard. ... whatever. Ill just stick to defense for now. This was an important game for her, she was supposed to prove her worth as a member of the first-string. And, getting killed by the enemy Jungler definitely wasn''t helping to leave a good impression. I know I''ll score a lot of points if I can kill that stupid wolf. Julia thought. But, that''s hella risky. Howard will tear me apart if I go against his orders and fail. With these considerations in mind, all of Julia''s engines cooled down. Now, her head was filled to the brim with defense. She resigned herself to slowly and steadily racking up points for a positive impression. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. In the meantime, Rosemary took the exact opposite approach. The girl was feeling herself and assaulted StormBlitz nonstop after returning from the base. "Cornelia, please do not use your slam skill on this wave," Fiona requested. "I plan to rotate over there for a flank attack, so I would like you to lure your opponent deeper into your territory." "Hmph. Very well." Cornelia nodded. "Though it is unbecoming of a noble like myself to surrender lane control in such a manner, I shall oblige for the greater good." "Thank you kindly." And so, Cornelia did as instructed and refrained from using her "Noble Slam" on the enemy. This was as good as letting that plebian take full control over the lane. Disgusting. But, since the request came from a fellow noble, Cornelia played along this time. Knowing Fiona, this investment will pay off in the long run. Frustratingly, Hitter enjoyed this turn of events a little too much. Unlike Cornelia, he had no intentions of holding anything back during this wave, so he unleashed Takedown on one of the swordsmen and flung the helpless soldier into the pack of bowmen. BAM! There was collateral damage. From there, the cocky Viking moved on to directly attack the bowmen with his axe. The man had no qualms about invading Cornelia''s territory uninvited. What''s more, he had no intention of paying her any taxes, either. Hmph, very well! Cornelia puffed her chest. Then, I shall respond in kind! And so, she moved toward the enemy backline too. She will not fall behind some plebian! "Cornelia, please retreat." Fiona phrased it as a request but her sharp tone meant it was an order. "There is no need to contest him this much in this wave. Remember, your goal is to lure him in so I can gank." "Oh... yeah, of course. I remember." Admittedly, for a moment there, Cornelia forgot all about that grand plan. She was too concerned about this pesky vermin invading her territory. After all, it was such an unforgivable offense! Nonetheless, with respect to Fiona''s request, Cornelia quietly retreated. And so, quite regrettably, the lane exchange ended in Cornelia''s utter defeat. Though she swung her axes nonstop at the enemy swordsmen, she was unable to compete with the Viking''s head start. Of course, you only won this bout because I let you have this short-lived victory. Cornelia explained. I let you win the fight so I can win the war. This is an elegant tactic befitting a noble such as myself, clearly alien to a commoner like you. This was the first time in this game that Cornelia lost the lane exchange in such an embarrassing manner. Until now, she was holding her ground against Hitter without any trouble. This sacrifice better pays off in the end. Of course, a simpleton like Hitter couldnt comprehend Cornelias noble investment. As such, the man foolishly pushed onward after establishing his advantage. He mustve been happy to finally get the edge over Cornelia, as fake as it was. In the meantime, Fiona made her way to Top. She was now in a great spot to gank this overconfident peasant. Surely, she shall unleash noble retribution upon this commoner! However, as it turned out, Fiona and Cornelia weren''t the only ones with a plan here. "Roi, they''re likely luring you into a gank," Howard said. "Yep, figured as much." Roi nodded. "I mean, this chick has been hella competitive this whole game, so no way she''ll suddenly decide not to use her slam and lemme take lane advantage for free." "And despite knowing that, you''re still pushing." "Hey, lemme have some fun, okay? Roi chuckled. I''ve been holding back this whole game because their dang Jungler is always roaming about. So, now I get this juicy opportunity and there''s no way the Wolf is here yet, so I wanna push while I have the chance." "That''s reasonable," Howard conceded on that point. "Alright, you can push a little. Heck yeah, lets go! Lol. Dan, Howard turned to the Jungler. After you''ve done with the wolves, move closer to Top, just in case. We have to make sure there won''t be any unfortunate incidents there." "Got it, cap!" And so, Howard allowed Roi to extend just a little further into enemy territory. Permitting the players to let loose like this once in a while was good for morale. On top of that, an aggressive play like this will reassure the team that they weren''t completely at Rosemary''s mercy. Not to mention, StormBlitz had to start building up some momentum. It was already time for mid-game, yet the Valkyries still held all the advantages, all thanks to Rosemary''s dominance. So, a rare opportunity to push was a godsend. It was clearly intended as bait, but Howard was going to take full advantage of it. There is a little bit of risk, but this isn''t anything Roi and Dan can''t handle. Howard thought. It''s more important for us to start taking initiative, even if it involves some risk. It was perhaps a tad uncharacteristic for him to think this way. He almost sounded like Yuel there. But, there was some merit to taking occasional risks. The scrim against the Leopards proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that sitting on the defense 24/7 wasn''t going to cut it at the regionals. Every now and then, StormBlitz had to go out of their way and take a few small risks to seize control over the flow of the game. With that said, unlike Yuel, Howard was all about minimizing risks. He couldn''t stand the sight of a gaping hole in the team''s defense. That''s why he positioned Dan nearby just in case, even though Roi should be able to get away even from a 2v1 situation all by himself. The less risks, the better. And so, with Dan ready to be deployed at a moment''s notice, there was no catastrophe that could possibly strike Top in this round. Or, so Howard believed... Vol.20 Ch.16: The Real Target The plan of luring CleanupHitter deep into allied territory was going smoothly. As expected, the man took the obvious bait and pushed forward along with the surviving bowmen. From this position, it is very easy for me to flank him. Fiona thought. Though, of course, the enemy is surely aware of that as well. She was not so naive as to think she was deceiving anybody with this obvious bait. Anybody with a grain of game knowledge could immediately recognize this situation for what it truly was. And, it was exactly what Fiona wanted them to think. Now then, how will you respond to this position? Fiona asked her chess opponent. Surely, considering how much you care about bolstering your team''s defense, you will move a piece closer to the lane. Namely, your Jungler. Soon enough, a ward verified Fionas prediction. It showed Average traveling from the Wolf Camp to Top Lane. Surely, he was not rotating over here to join the push itself. His presence on the lane would contribute very little to the overall impact of the push. Instead, Average was coming here to serve as a bodyguard on standby. His job was to counter Fiona''s gank in case things got difficult for Hitter. In short, this was a defensive maneuver. And, this defensive move of yours will create an opening that you likely do not expect. Right now, Average was all alone in a neutral part of the jungle, far away from his allies. This was a great opening for Fiona to strike. "Cornelia, I plan to attack their Jungler," Fiona informed. "Please keep their Viking occupied for a while." "Oh, is that a green light to finally unleash my noble combat skills!?" "Yes, but please do be careful, Fiona warned. Do not, and I repeat, do NOT chase your opponent. Fight him only for as long as he is in your territory." "Hmph. Very well." Cornelia wasn''t too excited about that condition but she was happy enough to finally let loose and display her noble might. She allowed that peasant to do as he pleased until now, but it will all end now! After Cornliea finished clearing out the last few minions, she permitted her Berserker to enter its powerful berserk mode! And so, a big clash erupted! It was a duel between an aristocrat and a lowly barbarian. Cornelia was fully intent on showing that dog his place! In the meantime, Fiona crept up to Average. The man was caught off guard by all these developments. "Wait, she''s already attacking you???" Dan cocked his head. "Wasn''t she waiting for a gank or something?" "Welp, looks like she wasnt, lol." Roi shrugged. "I can take her on, right?" "Hmm." Howard frowned. Frankly, this development threw him for a loop. Until now, it was clear as day that GoldenLady was baiting Roi into overextending. No doubt, the plan was to gank him inside enemy territory. Did they just give up it? Howard wondered. Or, was it never their intention in the first place? He couldn''t wrap his head around this. Something was off. "Hey, boss!" Roi called out. "So, what do you say? I can fight, right?" "... fine, you can fight her a bit. Try to see if you can reduce her HP enough to make this worthwhile. But first, make sure you drag her toward the middle of the lane, at the very least." "Got it, fam!" Roi grinned. He was visibly excited to finally have this duel, as he was forced to always hold himself back until now. Based on the previous scrim, GoldenLady was actually supposed to be a rather aggressive girl. But, it felt like she was holding back this game. Maybe the shot-caller ordered her to do so. I know the feeling. Roi nodded. I was also told to keep a low profile, so we both couldn''t do anything fun until now. But, this is finally a chance to let loose! Lady finally decided to come at Roi of her own volition, so it was time to counter that aristocrat ass! Pft, I lol every time I see that skin. Roi burst into laughter again. After all, how could he not? That proper dress was beyond hilarious for a Berserker. It was supposed to be a sick barbarian class but Lady dressed it up like a doll. As a fellow barbarian, I''mma show you that barbarians are WAY cooler than some snotty rich people! And so, the battle of coolness commenced! "So, like, should I get there sooner?" Dan asked as he watched the conflict unfold. Lady went berserk and Roi got ready to fend her off. It was going to be one heck of a fight! But, Dan was still in the jungle, a little far from the scene. It turned out that farming jungle camps took longer than usual when he was lagging in level. Who wouldve guessed. Because of this, he couldn''t join the battle right away. But, if he headed straight to Top now, he should be able to get there before the climax. "Yeah, skip the wraiths and go straight to the lane," Howard said. "I suspect theyre planning a gank. But, if not, then that overextending Berserker will be an easy target for you, so its best that you get in a ganking position as soon as possible" Based on previous scrims, Lady had a bad habit of picking fights and getting carried away. She felt like a rogue player who didn''t always stick to the shot-caller''s plan. Is that whats happening right now, too? Howard wondered. Or, is this just bait? Hmm. I feel like Im missing something here Soon enough, he got his answer in the worst way possible. "AWOOOO!" the Werewolf''s Chilling Howl resounded, right in Dan''s vicinity! "Oh, so she IS coming over here!" Dan exclaimed. "But, wasn''t that howl kinda loud? It''s almost like she''s right over- GAH!" SLASH! SLASH! Sharp claws razored him as soon as he turned around! The Werewolf was right in his face! "W-W-W-Wait wait wait!" Dan exclaimed. Im not ready for this, man! Like, he knew he might have to face Rosemary here at some point, but not like this! "Crap! Sorry Roi, I''m running away!" Dan activated Haste and made a break for it! The good news was that he had a Time Portal set up at the bottom of Top Jungle. He was planning to teleport over there in a jiffy after finishing his business in Top, so he set it up in advance. That nifty portal stayed around for a while and it was possible to teleport to it by passing through another Time Portal. This was Chornomancer''s most impressive skill and kinda the whole reason to pick the class in the first place, because the rest of the kit was so-so. With this, Dan had a surefire way to get away from that crazy Werewolf. He just had to create some distance between himself and Rosemary, then cast Time Portal, and voila! Teleportation, boiz! This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Unfortunately, casting Time Portal took like 2 seconds. It didn''t sound like much, but it was an eternity in situations like this where every microsecond counted. Apparently, the devs wanted to make sure that the skill would not become an easy panic button". Like, they wanted it to be used more "methodically" or whatever. Thanks, CashSoft. Dan grumped. I''m totally loving this design decision right now. Really cool. It was a pain in the ass, that''s all it was. Because of the skills obnoxious casting time, Dan couldn''t just throw it out in the middle of his escape. Shell totally bite me the moment I start casting it. Dan thought. Gotta get as far as possible first, which isn''t that easy, dang it. CLAW! CLAW! The razor-sharp attacks kept coming without rest! The enemy was literally breathing down his neck. Just like Haste boosted Dan''s Movement Speed, so did Chilling Howl boosted Rosemary''s. Sure, Haste''s buff was a little better in that aspect, but the difference was negligible. She also got faster boots, so I can''t create any distance at all! Dan ran as fast as humanly possible but the werewolf stuck to him like glue. Dang, that premature Haste was totally a misplay. Dan cursed. I shouldve buffed it first before casting. He had more than three Accel stacks to spare, so he couldve buffed Hastes effect like crazy. Alas, it was too late for that now. So, I guess I hafta burn my ult here, huh? I mean, I don''t see any other way out His HP was plummeting at the speed of light. Just a moment ago he was at over 80%, but now it was a whopping 20%! He was almost as good as dead! That Werewolf hit like a truck! Fortunately, Chronomancer had one more skill at his disposal. The devs were nice enough to allow this one to be an easy panic button, maybe because it was an ult. Okay, I receive one more hit aaaaand NOW! Dan activated Rewind right as his HP dropped to a critical level. The skill made him vanish from his current location and travel back in time, back to when he was still a healthy young lad. To be on the safe side, he spent one stack of Accel on this Rewind, to travel even further back in time. He wanted to get as far as humanly possible from this dang wolf. Okay, safe! Dan breathed in relief as he found himself back in the place where all this trouble started. His HP was back to being over 80% HP, and he created plenty of distance from Rosemary with this one trick. Awesome! Now, to teleport the heck outta here! Dan started casting Time Portal before the enemy got back to haunt him. Alright, lets go, lets go, lets go! The Chronomancer rotating his hand to open a rift in time and space. His magic penetrated the very fabric of reality, opening a time gate for Dan to travel through. This procedure took about 2 seconds in total, which should feel like nothing during chill times. But, in a tense situation like this, Dan couldn''t help but internally scream "Are you done yet???" every few milliseconds. Fortunately, the Chronomancer was nearly done casting. Soon, Dan will be able to get away from this dangerous situation- BLINK! "Eh?" Dan coked his head. Why do I feel like I''ve just heard something that sounded like a Blink- WHOA! Sharp fangs dug into his shoulder! "N-No way!" Dan exclaimed. "How did she...!?" The Werewolf was right behind him, driving her sharp teeth into his flesh! How did she get here so fast!? I-I teleported the hell away from you! Dan asserted. How can you be here already!? When Dan used Rewind, the spell quickly moved him back to the starting point of this whole mess. That created a fair distance between him and the predator, which should''ve given him more than enough time to cast Time Portal. And yet, Rosemary caught up to him in the blink of an eye! It turned out she was cloaking a Blink, and she must''ve also spent her Dodge Roll on top of that. Still, even with all these tools, she couldnt have possibly gotten here so quickly unless she predicted Dans movements in advance. Or, if she had Lars insane reaction time speed. Either way, shit was crazy! "Is this some pro-level execution!? What the actual heck!?" Dan exclaimed. Complaining was all he could do right now because his Chronomancer was locked in place by that savage werewolf woman. This was a very unexpected turn of events, even for Howard who was watching everything from the sidelines. The way Dan responded to Rosemary''s assault was decent enough, yet the girl still found a way to turn the tables on him. Nonetheless "You should have no problem surviving through this," Howard reassured. "Just cast your portal as soon as you''re free. Don''t even bother doing anything fancy like rolling." "Yeah, gotcha." Dan breathed in relief upon hearing that analysis. For a moment there, he was sure he was a goner, but it sounded like this situation wasn''t as critical as he feared. Okay, so just to cast the portal. Just cast the portal. Dan waited for the first sign of the enemy unhanding him. His finger was already ready on the trigger. That Beastial Devourer was nasty. It held Dan in place for like 2 seconds, quickly draining his HP all the way from 80% to 50%. Like, seriously. He had just recovered so much HP and now he was back to dangerous levels again. Sigh. Nonetheless, he''ll survive this, that''s what Howard promised. So, everything should be fine. Y-Yeah, I''m calm. I''m the paragon of calmness even! Dan felt his palms getting sweaty. At the back of his head, he understood that his chances of survival should be pretty high, but he couldn''t help but feel anxious about the whole thing. This Rosemary chick was a beast! And no, that wasn''t a pun about her playing Werewolf. The girl legit was a professional killing machine. It felt like she always made all the right moves to thoroughly and utterly murder her prey. And, that prey is always me for some reason, haha... This was already the third time Dan was about to die, and the game hadn''t even reached the mid-game yet! It was absurd! It''s like the girl had a personal beef with him. What the heck. But, she won''t get me this time! Dan asserted. I''m totally getting outta here alive! As soon as the wolf released him, Dan started casting Time Portal. Admittedly, casting such a slow-ass spell right in front of the enemy was a little awkward. Essentially, Dan resigned to becoming a punching bag for 2 seconds here, and Rosemary didn''t miss the opportunity to tear him apart! SLASH! SLASH! Sharp claws cut through him from all sides. His HP had already dropped down to 20%, which was hella sus. Rosemary needed just a couple more hits to finish him off. The only good news was that none of these attacks interrupted Dan''s casting. So, no matter how much damage he was to receive, so long as he was alive, hed finish creating this dang portal! Alright, time''s up! I''m out of here- BAM! A shockwave erupted from behind! "Say what!?" Dan was stunned, both inside and outside the game! Rosemary unleashed Shockwave on him, which briefly stunned all enemies in a small radius. It was another utility skill she kept cloaked, no doubt for a surprise attack like this. Cloaking Blink was already a surprise, but cloaking Shockwave was like a hundred times more shocking, no pun intended. It used to be an OP utility skill that got nerfed to the ground over the years, so nowadays it was pretty rare to see it in action. Still, in some situations, it was incredibly powerful, like when used to interrupt a slow-ass skill like Time Portal. If Rosemary bought the skill intending to use it in this very specific way, then she was like professional level and stuff. "Dang, I think she got me, haha..." Dan shortly recovered from the stun, which by itself was negligible in the large scheme of things. The duration of the stun got nerfed to death, to the point it was practically impossible to take advantage of it. Nonetheless, Shockwave achieved its goal. It interrupted Time Portal, forcing Dan to start casting it all over again. Fortunately, Time Portal was one of these skills that didnt go on cooldown if interrupted in the middle. It was a saving grace, considering how many things out there could interrupt it during these 2 seconds. But... The thing is, I don''t have 2 more seconds to spare, not with this HP! Dan rolled away in a feeble attempt to create distance from Rosemary. Maybe, just maybe, this cold-hearted assassin would slip up in this critical moment and allow Dan to get away! Alas, it was nothing but wishful thinking. Rosemary pursued him immediately. Her Dodge Roll was on cooldown but that didn''t even matter. She was quick enough to close the distance all the same. CLAW! CLAW! You have been killed! "You gotta be kidding me..." Dan performed an advanced form of facepalming by dropping his entire face onto the damn table. "I''m done. Im so done. This dang wolf, man." "Yeah, I understand you..." Even Howard didn''t know what to say here. "Well played", I suppose? Thats all that comes to mind. From start to end, Rosemary''s tactics and execution were top-notch in this play. She baited Howard into rotating Dan to that isolated position, then she used every trick in the book to methodically dispatch him. It was pretty amazing, honestly. I knew she was competent, but this is a whole other level of competency. Howard thought. Sure, many of these plays were only possible because she was already fed, but still... It was impressive how efficiently Rosemary utilized her momentum. The moment she got ahead, there was simply no stopping this woman. She felt almost as oppressive as the Leopards'' Korean ace. Now that she had four kills under her belt, was it even possible to do anything to stop her from snowballing at this point...? Vol.20 Ch.17: Cornelia’s Mess-Up You have killed an enemy! Fiona successfully dispatched the enemy Chronomancer. From the side, it might have looked effortless, like she had everything planned out to a T. But honestly, this play kept her at the edge of her seat the entire time. The margin of error was very high here. Fortunately, her opponent was sufficiently easy to read. That allowed Fiona to naturally chain the plays she planned in advance. There were practically no surprises, so the main hurdle was execution. I can call it a success... for the most part. Fiona''s brow twitched as she checked the developing situation in Top. That was the one awkward aspect of this whole idea. What gave birth to this entire opportunity was Cornelia''s diversion in Top. It was thanks to her keeping Hitter occupied that Fiona did not have to deal with two enemies at the same time. But, it also meant Cornelia was alone out there, fighting an opponent she would never admit was stronger than her. For the most part, Cornelia did her job fine. She entered Berserk mode and attacked the Viking, forcing him on the defensive. That much was according to Fiona''s design. Alas, from there, things did not proceed as Fiona hoped. Instead of only keeping the enemy occupied, Cornelia went all in with her attack. At some point along the way, she must have forgotten her original mission and got serious about dueling her opponent. Fall before my noble might! Cornelia unleashed her dual axes at lightning speed! The Viking could only retreat in the face of such an oppressive attack! Unfortunately, Fiona did not have the luxury to monitor the situation in Top while she was preoccupied with killing Average. As such, she failed to stop this assault in time. Just how did she manage to end up in that position? Fiona sighed. At some point, Cornelia found herself overextending into enemy territory. There, she was surrounded by a pack of bloodthirsty pirates. Clearly, Hitter had every intention of taking her on. To make things worse, the Berserk mode was about to expire. Needless to say, Cornelias situation was dire. "Cornelia, retreat," Fiona ordered. "H-Hmph, it appears I have no choice!" Cornelia responded against her will. No matter how overconfident the girl was, she had to admit that this 1v6 situation was extremely unfavorable for her, even if it was one noble against six peasants. "Very well, I shall make a tactical retreat here," Cornelia declared. "You peasants should be grateful that I allow you to walk out of this disrespectful situation without any punishment, hmph." On that note, she turned around and used Noble Leap to escape the pincer. It was a far more effective movement skill than Dodge Roll, which befitted a noble such as her. Her aristocrat Berserker jumped high into the air, flying far away from the danger zone. With this useful retreat skill, she was supposed to easily evacuate the area, but... Oh, so the girl is finally retreating. Roi cracked a laugh at his opponent''s late response. That girl was something else for sure. She just charged straight at him without any plans at all, and for a moment there, it looked like she was seriously gonna 1v6 him. Like, what did she expect to happen, lol. Like, duh. Of course Roi was gonna pincer her with his ult once she came close. It felt like she didnt see that obvious play coming. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. To be honest, I almost thought the girl was baiting me at first. Roi recalled. But, good thing I just said screw it and went for it, lol. Unstoppable Raid forced Lady into a difficult position, and the girl''s response was hilariously late. Roi and his vikings managed to get a bunch of hits on her before she finally jumped away. Her HP had already dropped down to 60%, so of course she had to foot it. But, not so fast! Roi hurled his big axe, aiming it ahead of where the Berserker was going to land. Then, he activated Axe Blitz and blinked to the axe in an instant! "Surprise, lol!" Roi charged at the girl with Takedown as soon as she hit the ground. "Gotcha, bitch!" He wrapped his muscular arms around the wannabe aristocrat chick and pushed her down. For a moment there, it looked like a romance bait scene from an action flick. The muscular barbarian was pushing down a refined strong lady. But, too bad for you, I''m already taken. Roi flung the noblewoman across the lane like a sack of trash, sending her right back the way she came from. And naturally, his viking bruddas gave a warm welcome. HACK! SLASH! The barbarians ganged up on the poor girl. They drove their axes and blades into her before she even got off the ground. In just a second, the girl''s HP dropped from 60% to 40%. And, this was just the first wave of the attacks. There were many more to come. Berserker''s Savage Leap had a short cooldown, but it wasn''t so short that it''d allow Lady to jump again so soon. So, shed had to stick around and be a punching bag for a while. SLASH! HACK! They attacked without mercy. That noble girl was as good as dead, lol. But, she didn''t despair. Despite how hopeless the situation was, she tried her best to get out of there alive. It was pretty commendable, actually. Y-You shall not take me alive! Cornelia dashed away with all her might. A noble such as myself will not fall to such a flimsy coup d''etat...! She still had over 20% HP, so the situation was not lost yet! With that said, this revolting commoner is making things difficult for me. Cornelia clicked her tongue, but elegantly, of course. Given Berserker''s high Movement Speed in Aristocrat mode, Cornelia should have had no trouble getting away. The only obstacle in her path was that pompous Viking, who stood right between her and the tower. No doubt, Cornelia would have successfully retreated if she were to remain in Aristocrat mode for a while longer. Alas, her noble buff was about to run its course. Such was the cursed fate of noble families, they were bound to experience eras of both prosperity and decline. If we are being honest, what are my odds of surviving this? Cornelia gulped. The front is blocked. As for the back, there are all these scoundrels chasing my noble blood. Is this really the end...? The world around her was turning dim. Cornelia already saw herself falling from noble grace, succumbing to this barbarian coup d''etat. But, in this dark moment of her noble life, a fellow noble reached out a hand to her! "Cornelia, head into the jungle," Fiona advised. "If you can reach me alive, I should be able to fend off the Viking." "Y-Yes! Much obliged!" Cornelia immediately jumped at the first ray of hope to shine upon her. To think there was such an unconventional option available for her! In this tense situation, all Cornelia could see in front of her was her low HP and the tower ahead of her. Thus, she believed her only option was to get back to the tower before her HP expired. Fortunately, Fiona managed to come up with a completely different solution. Indeed, it took a fellow great noble mind to think up such a grand idea! "Alright, I''m on my way!" Cornelia announced as she changed directions. Instead of trying to bust through the Viking, she ran sideways, toward the nearby jungle entrance. There, her savior was waiting! Or, at least, that''s what Cornelia believed. In practice, things weren''t that simple Unfortunately, she will most likely perish. Fiona calculated. Based on the current state of the board, that was the most probable outcome. Of course, there is the possibility that Aegis will choose to play this safe and order his piece to avoid a frontal confrontation with me. That is the only imaginable turn of events that will save Cornelia. So, what will it be? Will Hitter give chase and run the risk of getting killed? Or, will he stay his hand and let his prey escape alive? Vol.20 Ch.18: Kill Trade GoldenLady was already down to 20% HP. Chick was as good as dead, lol. Come over here so we can end this! Roi stood right between the fleeing aristocrat and her tower. He wasnt gonna give her any chances of retreating to safety. Imma take all your lunch money, lol. Roi chuckled. That''ll teach you to not show off in public like this. Ladys aristocrat skin was actually up there with the most expensive skins in the game. It was very different from the base Berserker, eliminating almost every barbarian vibe the class was supposed to have. This chick must really like looking fancy, huh. Roi shrugged. Well then, lemme show ya something real fancy. Yeah, get a load of my fancy KILLING skills, lol! Roi was going to get this done for sure. There was no way in hell that aristocrat Berserker was getting away. And, the girl must''ve realized that as well. That''s why she switched gears and started running to the side instead. "Oh, shoot!" Roi exclaimed. "Damn, she''s going to the jungle! But, I can chase, right?" "That''s..." Howard frowned. A part of him wanted to allow it so that Roi could score the kill. But, at the same time, he was wary of Rosemary''s presence in that very same jungle. Did it make sense to trade skill for a kill in this situation? Maybe it was better to just avoid taking any risks? At this point, Howard was no longer sure how to best deal with the beast that was Fiona Landberht... "Welp, no time to think about it," Roi said. "I''mma just go for it, man! No pain, no gain!" "Fine..." Howard felt like he didnt have the right to object here. After all, it was his poor shot-call that led to Dan''s most recent death. It showed just how ineffective Howards approach was for dealing with Rosemarys playstyle Considering that, Roi might as well give chase. It might or might not work out, who could even tell at this point Lets gooooo! Roi dashed after the fleeing Berserker. The girl''s Berserk mode had already expired, so her running speed reverted to normal. It should be a piece of cake to catch up to her like this. I''m a little closer to the jungle entrance, so I can cut her off! Despite his late start in this race, Roi had the positional advantage all along. So, he should be able to smack the girl to death before she slips away. Ive gotta do it real efficient-like, though. One little mistake and Im screwed. The enemy Jungler was most likely planning to rescue her ally, and there was no way in hell Roi could handle that fed girl. So, he had to quickly get this kill and GTFO. Here goes! He caught up to Lady and swung his axe. SWHISH! A clean hit, slicing right through the enemy''s arm! Huh. I thought she''d roll this. Roi was a bit surprised to see the attack connect. He intended to use it as an appetizer before the main act but Lady failed to dodge it. Instead, she rolled only AFTER the attack already landed. What a slowpoke, lol. Roi shook his head in disappointment. Oh, right. For a moment there, I forgot that these chicks are supposed to be greenhorns. With how hard Rosemary was dominating this game, it was easy to mistake the Valkyries for some powerhouse team. But, it was only Rosemary who performed so well. The rest of her team was filled with scrubs like Lady over here. So, this should be even easier than I thought. Roi canceled the attacks recovery animation into a Dodge Roll. Then, as soon as he recovered from the roll- WHAM! He drove the axe right into the Berserker''s back! Stolen story; please report. The girl was now down to like 5% HP. She was as good as dead. You should''ve built more defense, girl. Roi cracked a laugh as he chased the bleeding Berserker. One more hit and it was over. But, he couldnt deliver it right away because his target was at the very tip of his attack range. If he were to stop now to swing the axe, then his prey would get away. Weve got more or less the same Movement Speed. Roi analyzed. So, I need her to make a mistake. Even the smallest one would do. Just gimme that one last hit, lol. Axe Throw wouldve easily sealed the deal here but it was on cooldown. So, Roi essentially had to outplay his opponent here to confirm the kill. Against a high-level opponent, Roi probably would''ve given up by now. But, this girl was a newbie, so she was bound to make a mistake. And, there it is! You took that turn too early, girl! Roi swung his axe right as Lady tried to turn around the corner. WHAM! It was a home run! You have killed an enemy! "Alright, I''m done here," Roi reported. "I''m heading back to lane-" CLAW! CLAW! CLAW! A wild wolf woman appeared! She leapt at him from the depths of the jungle and slashed him countless times! "C-Crap! She''s already here!? Lol!" Roi thought he was mentally prepared for a development like this, but it still took him by surprise. In an instant, the joy he felt about scoring the kill vanished into thin air. Now, he was far more concerned with running for his dear life! Well, I''m not in THAT much danger. Roi reassured himself. I have plenty of HP to spare, so I... whoa. He noticed his remaining HP only now. Just a moment ago, it was hanging around 70%, but now it was all the way down to 20%! "What the hell is that damage, lol!?" He tried to numb the shock with a laugh, but this was definitely no laughing matter. That wolf had just DESTROYED his HP bar! In just 4 hits she erased like 50%! She''s overfed as fuck! How are we going to deal with this shit!? Roi ran for his life as he asked himself this important question. Like seriously, Rosemary became a monster that now stood far above the rules of the game. She could do whatever she wanted and nobody would be able to punish her for anything. These kinds of depressing events happen in Ranked sometimes. But, in a competitive game? And, to StormBlitz, of all teams? Madness! We can''t feed her anymore! I can''t let her have this kill! Roi dashed like a madman. The future of this game terrified him. This wasnt just about staying alive, it was about saving the entire game here! Rosemary achieved insane levels of OP. It was no longer possible to take her down in a fight, or even survive most encounters with her. She was like a walking catastrophe for StormBlitz. And, this catastrophe was about to strike once again! SLASH! Sharp claws cut across Roi''s back, dropping his HP below 10%! So, one more hit and I''m dead. Roi gulped. No pressure, lol... In retrospect, chasing Lady was probably a bad idea. Roi thought he''d be able to get away from any counterattack, but it turned out that surviving against this fed monster was an Olympic challenge. D-Damn, I hear her footsteps! She''s breathing down my neck! Roi could already feel the Grim Reaper''s cold touch. There was no doubt hed drop dead any moment now, and there was literally nothing he could do about it. CLAW! You have been killed! "Well damn it" Roi sighed deeply. "Sorry, I got rekt, lol." "I figured that might happen." Howard wasn''t even surprised at this point. The rules of the game had long since stopped applying to Rosemary. At this point, she was a threat of a colossal magnitude that could not be dealt with through regular means. So, first there''s Apprentece, and now there''s Rosemary. Howard sighed. Where do these guys keep coming from? This region was supposed to be easy... Without Apprentece, the Leopards of this year werent that impressive. So, winning the regionals and getting into Utopia was supposed to be a no-brainer for Howard. But Just when I thought theyd be easy without Fenrir, they brought in somebody whos even worse. Howard grumped. And now, somehow a newbie team like the Valkyries is clowning on us thanks to one strong player. This is getting mildly irritating Howard had to win it all this year, no ifs or buts. Having some challenges along the way was nice, so long as StormBlitz was guaranteed to overcome them. Otherwise, theyd be nothing but problems. With that said, is there even a way to turn this game around...? Howard wondered. Frankly, a part of him had already given up on this game. Rosemary''s snowballing was too much to deal with... Vol.20 Ch.19: Surrender Is a Valid Option "My, somebody is making a very difficult face over here~" Ellen giggled. "What''s wrong, Wardy? Feeling down?" "Yeah, a little, Howard admitted. This game is rough." "It sure is. Do you think we still have a chance?" "That''s exactly what I keep asking myself." Howard sighed. "It''s not looking good. Rosemary is too fed at this point, and she only keeps snowballing more and more." "Yep, Rosey is sure feeling herself~" "... Rosey? Did you just come up with a nickname for a nickname?" "Yep! I do that sometimes." "I guess you do..." Honestly, Howard shouldnt even be surprised at this point. Ellen would go to any length to attach a nickname to anything and everything. "So," Ellen continued. "Do we have any backup plans left, or...?" "Nothing I can think of. The only way I see to handle this snowballing is to start turtling and hope we can stretch out this game for as long as possible." "My, that sure paints a grim picture. I personally have no problem with that plan, but I doubt the others will enjoy it much." "Yeah, they won''t." Howard and Ellen trained a ton in the arts of defense under Esmeralda, so turtling was just another legitimate technique in their arsenal. However, most players didn''t like playing like that. Julia might be fine with it because she already had been turtling ever since she died in the early-game. But, Roi and Dan will surely hate Howard for suggesting such a dragged-out game plan. Theyve expressed their hatred plenty toward the Leopards'' playstyle when watching replays, so it was clear where they stood on the subject. They''ll go along with it but they''ll whine for sure. Howard thought. Their morale will be in shambles, which is the last thing we need for winning this game. StormBlitz already found itself in an almost unwinnable position. From here, to have a chance at all, they had to play their absolute best. High morale was mandatory. Sadly, Roi and Dan won''t be able to draw out their "best" with a turtling strategy. Even worse, forcing them to play like this now might affect their mood for the next game as well. Sure, if the turtling strategy wins them the game, then Roi and Dan would celebrate and move on. But, what if the turtling fails? Theyll eat my head about it. Howard sighed. Therell be some salt too, which might carry over into the rest of the match. There could be long-term consequences to this. Thats the last thing the team needed right now. The current game is an anomaly. Rosemary wont get to snowball that like that again today. Howard asserted. So, there''s no reason to linger about anything that happens here. Rosemary was snowballing hard only because she pulled a fast one on StormBlitz at the start of the game. Since then, she has been abusing her initial momentum to gain more and more advantage. Of course, there was no denying that Rosemary abused that momentum exceptionally well. But, if StormBlitz had never given her that opportunity, then the game would turned out very differently. As in, StormBlitz would have dominated it from start to finish. So, the last thing I want is to linger too much about what happened here. The longer we drag this game out, the worse it is for our mental health. The more Howard thought about it from that angle, the more convinced he became that turtling was a bad idea. It''ll only stretch out the game needlessly. But, what else can we try? He frowned. I''m not Yuel. Im not good with smartass turnabout ideas. "My, you''ll become all wrinkly if you keep frowning like this~" Ellen chuckled. "You''re probably thinking too hard about it, Wardy. If you don''t see a way to win, then F6 is a button, you know?" "... are you suggesting to surrender?" "I''m just saying that''s an option." "Hmm..." Howard instinctively wanted to reject the proposal but he couldnt. There was some sense to it, as unfortunate as it was. Generally speaking, forfeiting this early was frowned upon in the competitive scene. Pros were expected to fight their hardest to the bitter end, as there was always a chance to turn things around in the late-game. But, when the enemy had a tremendous advantage, there were benefits to giving up and moving on. It saved a lot of time and energy, as well as interrupted the enemy''s ongoing momentum. But, forfeiting here is embarrassing. Howard grumped. It''s like admitting that this amateur team is so much better than us. StormBlitz was supposed to be the "second strongest" team in the region, on par with the Leopards. Surrendering against a newbie team like the Valkyries will destroy their reputation. The scouts from Utopia will chew me out on this if they see it. Howard shuddered at the thought. Then again, theyll also chew me out if I continue playing and lose. Neither result is good for the team''s image, or mine. "Listen, everybody," Howard spoke up. "As Im sure youve all realized by now, this game is almost certainly lost. At best, we can try to turtle and hope to pull something off in the late-game, but that sounds more like torture." "Dang, boss." Dan chuckled. "That wasnt your best motivational speech." "Lol, it sure wasnt." Roi laughed dryly. "It''s because that wasnt a motivational speech," Howard clarified. "What I''m suggesting is that we end it here and now. In other words, we surrender." "Whoa" Roi and Dan blinked in disbelief. That was the first time this kind of talk was on the table for a competitive game. Even against the Leopards, StormBlitz played all the games until the bitter end. Yet now, against a greenhorn team, Howard suggested forfeiting? "What? This makes no sense," Julia argued. "Isn''t their team way weaker than us? Why would we ever surrender against them?" "Because this game got out of hand," Howard explained. "Rosemary is too fed and she knows how to use that fact to her advantage. It''s no longer possible to have a fair game here." "But, we''re still way better than them, so it should even out, right?" Julia insisted. "We should be able to turn the tables on them somehow!" "Well, if you want to suggest a winning strategy, then I''m all ears." "Eh, well, I don''t really have one yet..." "And neither do I," Howard admitted. "Trust me, I thought this over. Surrendering is always a last resort, but I believe we need it in this case." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "But, surrendering against that team sounds so stupid..." Julia grumped. If it were Lars calling the shots, he would''ve never given up. And heck, even Yuel wouldve had more backbone than that. Instead of suggesting something stupid like surrendering, he wouldve cooked up some stupid but effective plan. Surrendering this early was nonsense. Its not like any quitters disconnected from the game or anything. This was still a 5v5 and StormBlitz was the stronger team by far. At least, it shouldve been Sadly, Julia didnt have any bright ideas for fixing this game. She only knew that she absolutely didn''t want to surrender because that would leave a bad taste. I still haven''t scored any points yet! She grumped. The only notable thing I did in this game so far was to die like an idiot. Thats only negative points Julia was supposed to prove herself worthy of the first string in this game. So, things couldn''t just end like this without her achieving anything. Then again, most of this is Dans fault anyway, so maybe I''ll get some pity points from Howard? Julia prayed. Who knows, maybe he''ll forget about my mistake because the entire game was a mess? Yeaaaah, fat chance Howard wasn''t the type to forget that kind of thing. He''ll surely grill Julia about it during the match review. So, she had to achieve at least SOMETHING, anything, before this game ended! Otherwise, therell only be bad things to say about her performance here! Unfortunately, while she was busy thinking about all that, everybody else started agreeing with Howard. Nuuuuuu! "Welp, surrendering is kinda lame and stuff," Dan said. "But, I''m in. I mean, I''ve already died a billion times. I''m lagging behind everybody by at least five waves, so I don''t see any future for me here." "Yep," Roi said. "And that Rosemary chick is overfed as hell, I dunno how we gonna deal with that shit, lol. So, to be honest, I kinda agree with quitting." "Mhm. Ellen nodded. I also think that surrendering is a timely idea, as expected from Wardy~ We should cut this circus short and move on to the next game." "Yeah." Howard nodded. "It sounds like everybody is on board. Save for you, Julia." "Ugh..." Julia groaned. Four pairs of eyes drilled through her, pressuring her to submit. "Y-You can''t convince me thats a good idea," she insisted. "I still think we should try harder to turn this around." As I said, Howard repeated. If you have any ideas, then Im all ears. But, you have nothing, right? Well, yeah, but I want to keep fighting! Rather, I have to! You have to? Howard blinked. Oh, so thats what this is all about. Youre only thinking about scoring some points, arent you? Eh, well, thats part of it, yeah, I guess Julia averted her eyes. Like, think about it. I havent gotten the chance to do anything in this game yet. I cant just let it end on me like this! What do you mean? Howard asked. Youve already provided me with tons of material. Huh? I did? Yes, you did, Howard said. First, you ignored my orders when I told you to retreat against Rosemary. As a result, you died. Ugh Ever since then, youve been overly cautious, essentially turtling the entire game. Not the worst thing you couldve done, but a mediocre performance all in all. W-Well, I was just waiting for the right opportunity to attack With that kind of passive mentality, you might as well wait for the messiah, Howard said. How do you imagine youll ever find opportunities if you only turtle? In case you didnt know, good opportunities usually dont come knocking on your door on their own. Well duh, I know that. Julia grumped. I was waiting for them to make some mistake, or for Dan to stop feeding and actually rotate over here for a gank. Dang, so now its my fault? Dan made a face. I mean, I admit I wasnt very helpful in this game. Sorry about that, guys. This game has been real rough for me. "Yeah, there''s a lot to say about your performance as well," Howard commented. "But, we''ll leave that for the match review." "Sounds like fun, haha..." Dan laughed dryly. He could already imagine himself getting ripped apart in that meeting. Yay "Anyway, back on topic, Julia," Howard continued. "From the sound of it, you were just waiting for an opportunity to magically appear out of thin air." "Well, what else was I supposed to do?" Julia challenged. "Im lagging a little behind and they have all the momentum because of their overfed Jungler. So, I had to lay low and wait for something to change." "On paper, that sounds reasonable enough," Howard said. "But, how about trying to change something about the situation yourself? Or, at least discuss any of this with the team to brainstorm ideas?" "Eh, I trusted somebody would pull something..." Julia''s voice grew dimmer with every word. She already realized how bad it sounded before she even finished the sentence. "I''m glad you have so much faith in your teammates," Howard said. "But, to me, it sounds like you just didnt want to step out of your comfort zone. It was easier for you to play defense and lay low, so thats what you did." "... yeah, I guess I could''ve tried harder to start something." Julia lowered her head in defeat. God damn it. I thought I had this one, but he somehow turned the argument against me. He always does this. Worst of all, Julia had no idea how else to counter at this point. After all, Howard was technically right. Indeed, Julia didn''t lift a finger to change anything about the teams situation. She went full Defense Mode after getting killed once, and she was stuck in that mode until now. It felt dangerous to try anything with that overfed Jungler around, so I stayed put. But, I guess everybody thought the same thing, thats why nobody tried anything big... Anybody who had eyes could clearly tell the game was heading in a bad direction. Something had to change, they all knew that. But, making yet ANOTHER bad move was the last thing the team needed. And so, they were all "waiting for an opportunity", just like Julia. Nobody was going to bring her that opportunity on a silver platter, thats for sure. At the very least, the others were more proactive in their attempts to make something happen. They ultimately failed to do so and got punished hard, driving the team even closer to defeat. But, at least they tried. Julia didnt. "It looks like it finally sank in," Howard said. "In that case, are you ready to wrap up this game?" "N-No!" Julia insisted. "I understand that nobody else will create an opportunity for me, so I''ll create one myself!" "Cool speech but youre ten minutes too late for that kind of talk." "Ugh, I... I can still make something happen!" "At this point? Unlikely." "But, I have to..." Julia bit her lip. I can''t just quit here without scoring any points at all! At this rate, I''ll never get to be a mainstay on the first-string, and I won''t be able to play against THEM. Julia had to get into the first-string, no matter what. Not only to affirm her skill but also to challenge the opponents waiting for her on the competitive stage. She just had to get there, no matter what! But, real talk, what can I do at this point? Julia looked around. As Howard said, the game looks pretty much lost. If I didn''t have to worry about scoring points, I probably would''ve agreed to quit. Alas, this game was too important for Julia to simply throw it away. After the mistakes she committed, she probably won''t get another chance today. "Be honest, Julia started. If we surrender, am I going to get another chance in the next game?" "No, I''ll sub Gil in for now," Howard said matter-of-factly. Judging by his tone, there was no changing his mind on this. If we win the next three games, then I might give you another chance." "I see." Julia knotted her brows. This is better than nothing, but it''s still wack. I want to play as many games as possible today! I dont want to be reduced to a sub again! At present, Julia''s status in the first-string was that of an "experimental substitute". Nobody really considered her a core member of the first-string, they all saw Gilbert as the real Mid Laner of StormBlitz. This game was supposed to be my golden opportunity to change that! Grrr! Julia really blew it. Of course, most of the fault lay with Dans feeding, but Julia couldve played so much better as well. At this point, I don''t think I can do anything to make the team win. Julia reasoned. But, is there at least anything I can do to look a little better? Something to compensate for the points I''ve lost? There had to be something Julia could still do to salvage her points. It could even be an absurd play, that didn''t matter at this point. The team was about to throw the game anyway, so Julia won''t cause anybody any more problems even if she were to royally screw up at this point. With that realization, the frozen gears inside her started to heat up again. They span faster and faster, accelerating to a boiling point! Playing it safe? Waiting for an opportunity? Pft, what kinda dumb shit was she even thinking about until now? Nah, screw all that. She just gotta go in there and DESTROY these cocky greenhorn girls! Like, who do they even think they are!? I mean, it''s impressive how they managed to form a team in that conservative rich girls'' hellhole, but that doesn''t give them the right to beat us or to interfere with my exam! Opponents of that level were supposed to be like a free snack for StormBlitz. They were supposed to STEAMROLL these scrubs! I dunno why I even became so defensive against them. Julia thought. Like, so what if their Jungler is a little fed? I still couldve kept playing aggressively in the lane, that wouldve scored me at least some points. Hell, maybe the game wouldnt have been such a lost cause if she did that. The reason StormBlitz stagnated so hard was because Rosemary conditioned everybody to fear her. Even if its too late now, I REALLY wanna say in their faces that Im NOT scared of them! Like, at all! And, as if answering her request, an opportunity to do so presented itself... Vol.20 Ch.20: Julias Last Chance A ward revealed Rosemary in the middle of her rotation from Mid to Top. She was probably planning to solo push the lane while nobody was there. As it happened, Julia was in Top Jungle right now. She had just finished clearing the Wraith Camp and planned to go back to Mid, but... Wow, is this like the best freakin opportunity ever!? Julia grinned dangerously. Alright, Ill agree to surrender and all, but lemme play one more wave! Ill show you what I can REALLY do! One more wave? Howard raised an eyebrow. Are you planning to fight Rosemary in Top? Yeah, Ill mop the floor with that pompous Jungler! Julia asserted. Shes been feeling herself too much just because shes a little fed. Shes not just a little fed, you know, Howard corrected. Shes two levels ahead of you. Yeah, that she is For a moment there, that fact nearly knocked out Julias determination. In terms of raw stats, a difference of two levels wasnt a big deal. Like, Julia could easily take on a Lv. 12 opponent as a Lv. 10. The real problem was that a two levels difference implied more than just that. Rosemary was two levels ahead in terms of exp, but also in terms of gold. It meant her build was stronger than Julias. In short, Julia was at a total disadvantage here, no question about it. Nonetheless I want to try it anyway, Julia insisted. I mean, all these girls are supposed to be newbies, right? I gotta be able to dunk on them! Well, Howard said. I definitely wouldnt say Rosemary plays like a newbie. Hmph. To me, it looks like shes just riding the momentum she built at the start of the game. Thats true, yes. Howard nodded. Shes been coasting on it ever since the opening. So, I say its about damn time somebody kicked her off the high horse! Ill MURDER her! ... and, you seriously believe you can do it? Well, youre planning to throw the game anyway, right? So, theres nothing to lose even if I fail. And, I bet youre hoping I wont deduct you any points for failing, right? Smartass much? Haha I mean, lets be real, Julia continued. The only reason you even considering putting me on the first-string is that I can fight better than Gilbert, right? Not quite. But, not exactly wrong, either. Howard nodded. Your turtling is also pretty useful in the right circumstances. But yes, I do care more about seeing your aggressive side in action. Thats the main thing the team is lacking. So, lemme show it to you! Julia declared. Imma WRECK that fed fatty and prove that you should ALWAYS put me on the first-string in all games! "That''s quite the determination you''ve got there, but you picked the worst possible opponent here. This is one fight you can''t win." "Then, lemme prove you wrong!" Julia insisted. "Though, as you say, it''s going to be rough. I might even have bad luck and lose, so it''ll be great if you don''t hold it against me if that happens." "You''re seriously trying to eat the cake and leave it whole, huh." Howard shook his head. "I can''t judge your performance based on something one-sided like this. Either commit to it and treat it like a real play, or just drop it." "Grrrr..." Julia grumbled. God, what a blockhead! Does he hate me or something!? I swear he does! He''s always like this, refusing to compromise on anything. Goddammit! The aggressive side in her was already coming to the surface. The heated debate only further fueled her desire to KILL and DESTROY that cocky Rosemary! Alas, Howard had no intention of playing along so easily. He was adamant about having Julia fully commit to this dangerous play. She will either get points or lose points, no discounts. Like, is he dumb? It''s too damn dangerous! Julia grumped at her debate opponent. There''s no way I''d go for a suicidal play like this under normal circumstances! Though, I guess that''s kinda his point... It''s not like Howard''s stance was entirely unreasonable. As far as he was concerned, the current situation didn''t properly simulate a real game, so it was unfair to give Julia free points for it. If she wanted the points, she had to 100% believe in this play and act as if it was something she would''ve done in a real game too. Geh Im stuck Julia had no idea how to continue the argument from here, so she was on the verge of giving up. At that moment, a voice whispered in her ear. "Hey July, do you copy?" Ellen asked in a low voice, pretending to be a soldier hiding in the field. "Switch to private for a moment." "Huh? Sure..." Julia switched to a private channel with Ellen. It was like having a secret phone call under their teammates noses. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Listen, July," Ellen said. "Keep heading to Top, alright? If you stop moving now, you''ll miss this precious chance. It''ll be too late even if Wardy the Blockhead agrees in the end." "Oh, you''re right!" Julia realized she slowed down to a crawl because of the whole debate. She was almost ready to give up, but she had to keep going! Even if there was only a slim chance that the stubborn captain would change his mind, this was Julia''s last chance in this game. She had to go for it no matter what! "Alright, I''m moving!" Julia activated Burning Spirit to not miss this important opportunity. "But, I seriously can''t change his mind on this. He''s so damn stubborn!" "Don''t worry, leave that to me~" "Can you really do anything about it?" "Well, maybe." Ellen shrugged. "But, that doesn''t really matter, does it?" "Huh? I''d say it matters quite a lot, actually." "Nah, not really. Just go for it, regardless of what Wardy says, Ellen advised. That is, unless you have a better idea for how to score points?" "Well, not really, no" "So, there you have it. QED~" "But, if I mess this up, then..." "Then what?" Ellen asked. "Regardless of what Wardy says, he understands this is a very risky and difficult play. He won''t judge you too harshly for it, promise." "Are you sure?" "Yep." "Well, if you say so..." Julia pressed toward Top even though some doubt still lingered in the air. Should I really take her word for it? It sounds hella sketchy. Then again, she usually makes things work out somehow. Ellen was like a foxy witch. It was always hard to tell whether she was genuine or trying to manipulate you. But, the truth is, I don''t remember a single time when I chose to listen to her and it turned out badly for me. So, I think she''s "on my side", overall. Ellen was no stranger to coaxing her own teammates, but thus far, she had never done any harm to Julia. Despite acting hella sus, it felt like Ellen genuinely tried to help Julia whenever she could. As the two only girls in the club, they shared a vague sense of comradery. At least, I think we do. Julia shrugged. I have no idea what this girl is thinking sometimes. But, I''ll trust her on this one. And so, Julia continued onward to her destination. In the meantime, Ellen started pulling strings on the other party... "My, you''re being so serious about this, Wardy~" Ellen wore the usual foxy smile. "I think you''re forgetting one important bit here about Julias suggestion." "Which is?" "Think about it, Ellen said. You''ve given up on this game by now, but what if you hadnt? If the game continued, how would you have responded to that obvious split-push attempt from Rosey?" "Hrm." Howard frowned. I automatically dismissed the situation because it doesn''t matter now, but Ellen has a point. If the game had gone on, we''d have no choice but to respond to that push. Rosemarys rotation to Top was a powerful play. If left unchecked, that split push would easily destroy the Top Golem. That would seal the fate of the game right there. Even Maker wouldnt be able to come back from that kind of situation. So, that push absolutely had to be stopped. But, how? What sort of command would Howard have given if the game had gone on? I wouldve had to send somebody over there, theres no two ways about it. And, Julia really is the closest to the scene For fast-paced developments like these, Dans Chornomancer wouldve been the perfect response. Alas, he didnt have any convenient Time Portals in Top right now. Hrm. Howard finally cracked. I mightve sent Julia to Top anyway. Yep. Ellen nodded. Im sure you wouldve. Then again, it makes no sense to have Julia confront Rosemary. Thats the quickest way to a disaster. My, is that so? Ellen tilted her head. If you ask me, Id say that wolfie is quite exhausted. Shes at 60% HP, and both her ult and Blink are on cooldown. Shes not in perfect shape, thats for sure. But, none of that changes the fact shes overfed as hell, Howard argued. Shes not the kind of opponent any of us can handle in a 1v1. Even you struggled against her that one time you tried. True, true. Ellens smile grew dimmer as she recalled that irking clash. She applied her most foxy tactics in that fight, yet Rosey busted through all of them like nothing. It was impossible to zone that wolfie or to bait her it into an unfavorable position. What an irksome opponent. But, Ellen continued. Our dear Pyro July might be able to do it~ Pyro July? Is that how you call it now? Howard made a face. It sounds like a superhero name or something. It sure does, doesnt it~? Anyway, I think she might be able to pull this off. You do? Yep. July can get really impressive when her blood is boiling, you know? Well, thats the main reason I even considered including her on the team in the first place. That and your constant nagging to give her a chance. Oh, so you know the drill by now. Ellen smiled cutely. Please give her another chance~ Pretty please~ Wardy~ You do know that trying to sound cute isnt going to work on me, right? My, its not? Ellen tilted her head. But, you almost always agree in the end. Only because its hella annoying. Howard wanted to spit that right in the girls face but that would be a critical mistake. No, I cant say that out loud. Shell realize this is a weakness she can exploit. Though, I think she already kinda figured that out, even if her conclusion is a bit off Fine, whatever. Howard gave in, mainly because he didnt want to deal with this headache any further. Ill just write this off as an experiment. Thanks, Wardy! Youre the best! I wuv you~! Yeah, yeah. Pipe down already. Howard rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. Well, whatever. I suppose this play can at least turn out to be a little informative. Even though Julia''s chances of success were slim to none, it was impossible to tell for sure. Maybe, just maybe, she''ll be able to surprise Howard and deliver some kind of result. With all said and done, in an ideal world, of course Howard would''ve liked to confront Rosemary in Top. The girl was definitely pushing her luck by solo-pushing with just 60% HP. Not to mention, she had neither her ult nor her Blink. Cocky plays like these had to be punished accordingly. But, she''s being cocky because she knows her build is far ahead. So, despite how attractive it is to try and punish her, its almost guaranteed to be suicidal. Yet, Julia wants to give it a shot anyway... Though Howard had very low expectations, he had to admit it was going to be interesting to watch. Did Julia have some sort of plan? Or, was she going to bump into her foe with raw animalistic aggression...? Vol.20 Ch.21: Dormant Offense Awakens! Following Ellen''s advice, Julia moved toward Top before she even received permission to strike. Thanks to that, she arrived in Top shortly after Rosemary. "Just remember, July," Ellen whispered through private communication. "Your main goal here is to stop this push from happening. Getting a kill on Rosey is a nice extra bonus but it''s not the focus." "Yeah, I get that," Julia said. But, I''m definitely going to MURDER this stupid wolf! She''ll pay for what she''s done to me! Though it happened a while ago, the memory of dying at Rosemary''s hands was still fresh in Julia''s memory. That one death forced Julia to cool down her aggression and play defensively instead. It ruined everything Julia planned to achieve in this game. So, it was payback time! Julia will not only stop this push, but she''ll also KILL that damn wolf! It''d be the first time Rosemary dies in this game, so thatd surely score Julia tons of points! I can do it! Julia advanced toward the enemy wave. Unfortunately, by the time she got to the scene, Rosemary had already taken out most of the minions. Tch, she''s fast. Julia clicked her tongue. She got here just a few seconds earlier but she''s almost done, and she only used basic attacks. That''s some bullshit levels of being overfed. As a basic-attack-reliant class, Werewolf was supposed to be slow at clearing a full minion wave at this stage in the game. Similar to a marksman, Werewolf had to wait for the latter parts of the game to be able to dispatch minions quickly. But, this bitch is so fed it''s like shes already in the late-game. A shiver ran across Julia''s arms at this realization. Despite how strongly her fighting spirit was burning, she still felt a chill. She was about to go up against one hell of an opponent. But, I can win this! I HAVE to win this! Julia took a deep breath and pushed forward. She''s definitely going to zone me out before I can reach the wave, but I came prepared! As expected, Rosemary immediately responded to Julia''s arrival. She finished slicing off the last bowman, then leapt forward without any warning! A Grievous Assault was coming straight at Julia! Heh! I knew that''s how you''ll do it! Julia was already aiming her Blink in advance. So, as soon as the wolf woman jumped at her, Julia teleported ahead! The two of them practically switched places in an instant! Phew, okay! Julia exhaled in relief. This one play was a success but it was too early to celebrate. The fight was just getting started, so Julia had to keep chaining strong plays! As soon as she popped up at the new location, Julia unleashed Flame Wave in the swordmen''s faces! From this optimal position, the flames hit both the swordsmen and the bowmen, just as planned! The swordsmen were already injured earlier by allied minions, so Flame Wave easily erased the remainder of their HP. As for the bowmen, they were far squishier in the first place, so of course the Flame Wave one-shot these dumbos. Judging by the outcome alone, it was difficult to believe Julia was underfed or that she had been turtling most of the game. The play was so fast and aggressive that it surely made Julia appear dominant. Surprised? Julia grinned at her opponent. Ive been lying low most of the game because your stupid ass killed me, but Ive been preparing for this moment all along! Yes, Julia had been turtling the whole time in the lane. However, the items she built were actually offense-oriented! She had been waiting for this kind of comeback all along! Furthermore, even though Julia was lagging behind on gold, she chose to spend some of it to buy Blink. It was an immensely helpful tool for Pyromancer, a class that didnt have access to any leaps, teleports, or dashes. Just by adding Blink into her arsenal, Julia was able to play around Werewolfs Griveous Assault as if it was nothing. Without this handy utility skill, she wouldve been ripped to shreds by that savage attack. But, thanks to all these preparations, Julia smoothly dodged the enemys attack while simultaneously wiping out Rosemarys squad. With this opening play, Julia was off to a strong start! This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But, of course, the enemy was quick to respond. Rosemary seemed like the type to never be fazed by anything around her, no matter how unexpected. What an annoying bitch. AWOOOOO! Rosemary howled loudly and rolled straight at Julia! As always, that dang girl didnt waste any time. Her Grievous Assault had just whiffed, she shouldve been hella salty about that. And yet, it felt as if Rosemary was almost unconcerned. She simply moved on to the next play as if it was nothing. Shouldnt you at least stop for a moment to consider whether to retreat!? Julia complained. Or, at least think for a moment about how to best attack me? Something? Any pauses at all? Julia gritted her teeth. Bitch is like a machine! Ironically, it was ultimately Julia who found herself fazed here. She was too stunned by the fact that her opponent wasnt surprised by any of this at all. Her reaction grew slower as her brain was filled with pointless questions. Tch, whats all this dumb stuff I am even thinking about!? Julia shook her head. I have no time to slow down! I gotta maintain the momentum! And so, Julia cast Pillar of Fire. Her opponent was currently on the move, so she aimed the AoE under her own feet instead. By standing on the flames, Julia gained a power buff, which she planned to put to very good use. Die, you bitch! Julia cursed as she unleashed a barrage of basic attacks at the incoming predator. She had the range advantage for now, so she was going to take full advantage of it! On top of that, some of the items she built granted Attack Speed, so her basic attacks were pretty fast for a mage. Thanks to that, Julia unleashed heavy damage on the approaching wolf! By the time Rosemary reached Julia, her HP already dropped from 60% to 40%. This damage mightve seemed like a humble achievement, but it was quite impressive for a mage. Unfortunately, thats as far as Julias onslaught went. Now, it was the enemys turn to attack! SLASH! Sharp claws traveled across Julias torso, ripping her to shreds! In just one hit, Julia lost 20% of her HP. Yes, one strike from Rosemary dealt as much damage as all of Julias basics combined. It was unreal! Fortunately, Julia started this fight at a healthy 100%, so her HP was still in safe territory right now. But, for how long? With busted damage like that, things gonna get critical real fast. Julia gulped. I need my spells to measure up to this! All her regular spells were on cooldown, but she had access to her ult. It was exactly the trump card she needed. And so, instead of retaliating with basic attacks at the predator in front of her, Julia started drawing the AoE for Blaze of Inferno. Though, in this case, calling it drawing might be a stretch. It wasnt much in the way of art, thats for sure. Instead of drawing an actual path, Julia simply moved her mouse in circles around Rosemary. This level of drawing was on par with a fifth graders doodling, but it was the optimal play. Since Rosemary just spent her Dodge Roll to get closer, that dumbass won''t be able to get out of the infernos range now. She''ll have to eat this whole ass damage! At least, that''s how things would''ve played out under normal circumstances. However, Rosemary had one unusual tool in her arsenal for an occasion like this. Checkmate. Fiona declared as she activated Shockwave. She picked up this niche utility skill mainly to counter Chronomancer''s Time Portal, but she also took into account how it was an effective counter for Pyromancer''s ult. Shockwave was too niche to buy when it only efficiently countered one enemy skill. But, when it countered at least two important skills, thats when it started getting value. And so, it was time for Shockwave to justify its cost. While Venus was busy drawing circles, a magical shockwave assaulted her! Indeed, this was a checkmate. Blaze of Inferno was the last spell available to Venus at the moment, and it will go on a long cooldown after getting interrupted. Venus will become nothing more than a sitting duck at that point. However, much to Fionas surprise, the enemy was ready for this turn of events. I knew it! Julia canceled her casting animation into a Dodge Roll and got the hell outta there! Shockwave was a pretty janky skill. Its startup animation was plenty reactable, especially since Julia was fully expecting it. So, she easily rolled out of the AoEs range in time. How do you like that, dumbass!? Get outplayed! Julia grinned triumphantly after executing that 200 IQ play. She recovered from the roll and immediately continued her offense by shooting fireballs at her foe. Of course, she would''ve liked to cast her ult instead, but the darn thing went on cooldown because Julia canceled it with Dodge Roll. This action counted as an "interruption", so the skill suffered a 50% cooldown penalty. It sucked ass, but it was a neccessary sacrifice to bait out Shockwave. At first glance, this play mightve seemed like a waste. After all, Blaze of Inferno went on cooldown all the same, so whats the point? Well, there was a point. A big one, actually. After whiffing the skill, Rosemary was now stuck in recovery animation for quite a while. Basically, that Shockwave skill sucked ass. Only idiots bought that stupid shit. Apparently, the darn thing was OP at one point in the time, but ClassSoft nerfed it into the ground. So now, both the startup and the recovery times were absolute rubbish. So, by dodging the skill, Julia now had all the time in the world to barrage Rosemary with basics. Eat shit, you cocky bitch! This was one of the very few times today that somebody from StormBlitz successfully stumped Rosemary. The calculated play kicked the dominant queen off the high horse, allowing Julia to seize the momentum of the battle! Vol.20 Ch.22: StormBlitzs Problem Child ... that was unexpected. Fiona frowned at Venus Dodge Roll. To cancel her ultimate with a roll even though she knew it would give her a cooldown penalty... It was not an easy call to make, especially in the heat of the moment. Either Venus panicked when she saw Shockwave, or she had been planning that counterplay all along. Regardless, this put Fiona in a peculiar situation. The recovery animation of Shockwave was rather slow, almost lasting a whole second. This slow recovery, coupled with the long startup animation, were the two main reasons why most people advised to avoid the skill. Based on the changelog Fiona carefully reviewed, these drawbacks were the result of many nerfs that ClassSoft applied to the skill. Shockwave was deemed a must-buy at one point in time, therefore it had to be adjusted. ClassSoft combated its meta-dominance in many different ways. Across multiple patches, they increased the skill''s cost, extended its cooldown, reduced its range, and shortened the stun duration. Nonetheless, even with all these changes, the skill remained extremely dominant in the pro scene. It became harder and harder to use for the average player, but in the hands of a professional, it was as devastating as ever. Thus, ClassSoft concluded that nerfing the skill any further in these areas would be pointless. Going any further than that would simply kill off the skill''s entire utility, which begged the question of why keep it in the game in the first place. And indeed, there was talk about outright removing this problematic skill from the game. However, before proceeding with that last resort, ClassSoft tried hitting Shockwaves performance from a new angle: the animation durations, specifically for startup and recovery. Once they extended both, the skill finally started falling off in popularity. It became much harder to confirm because of the startup delay, and it became a risky commitment because of the long recovery. And now, because of that long history of nerfs, Fiona found herself in a vulnerable state after whiffing Shockwave. Naturally, Venus did not skip a beat before shooting fireballs at Fiona. Everything about the girl''s movements conveyed complete confidence. She does not seem to fear me at all, despite how much ahead I am. Fiona sensed that the other members of StormBlitz respected her advantage, avoiding frontal confrontation whenever it was possible. Essentially, Fionas overfed state doubled as a psychological attack that discouraged the enemy from trying anything wild. And, I dare say Venus also has been respecting that advantage until now. Fiona thought. In fact, she has been playing very defensively most of the game. I assumed it was because she understood that our side had the momentum, but perhaps I was wrong? Fiona simply could not wrap her head around what she was seeing right now. The Venus in front of her was almost like a completely different player from before. The girl had been turtling for the majority of the game, yet now she was aggressive beyond measure. On top of that, as if to further reinforce the oddity, Venus Pyromancer was dealing unexpectedly high damage with just basic attacks. Despite the girls defensive playstyle, her actual build was very offensive. It is as if she has been lying low the entire game, biding her time for this very moment. Fiona frowned. I did not see that coming. It appears I have to adjust my notes about her. Admittedly, out of all the players in StormBlitz, there was the least information about Venus. She and Adapting shared the same role, so only one of them was on stage at any given time. And, it was Adapting who got to play the most. I suspect Venus is their pinch-hitter. Fiona reasoned. If so, she has successfully scored a surprise home run off me. Venuss timely Dodge Roll put Fiona on the spot. By the time she recovered from using Shockwave, she was already down to 20% HP. On top of that, she was now a fair distance away from her target, so she would have to spend additional time getting closer. Furthermore, on top of all that, there was the Pyromancers Flame Wave to consider. It had a considerably low cooldown at this stage in the game, and Venus built items with cooldown reduction. As such, the spell was bound to come off cooldown at any moment. At my current HP, it would one-shot me. Fiona analyzed. Hmm. It appears I cannot push any further here. And so, instead of taking any risks, Fiona retreated into the jungle. Her split-push attempt on Top ended in a failure. Impressive work. Fiona praised her opponent. I shall remember this exchange for future reference. Next time, I will checkmate you properly. With these parting words, Fiona left the lane and entered the jungle. And so, this was the end of this play or was it!? Hah! Julia scoffed. Yeah, run back to your mama! Rosemary made a hasty retreat after her Shockwave failed to connect. The girl mustve been literally shaking and crying right now about how much of a failure she was. Served her right! Thatll teach you. Julia puffed her chest. Next time, dont you dare messing with me, dumbass! With this, Julia got revenge on Rosemary. But, it was only partial. It wasnt as satisfying as it couldve been. She wanted MORE! I wanna MURDER her ass! Julias flames didnt die down in the slightest. On the contrary, she was even MORE motivated to keep the attack going! She wanted to utterly DESTROY that pompous Werewolf, to mop the floor with that cocky mug! "Come back here!" Julia dashed after her prey. "I''ll KILL you, you fucker!" Her excitement levels reached the point she started cursing out loud, but she couldn''t care less about that right now. All she wanted was to utterly CRUSH that stupid wolf! Her Flame Wave was about to come off cooldown. A single hit from it should reduce Rosemary to ashes, so Julia had full dominance here! Nonetheless...The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "July, dear," Ellen whispered through private communication. "You better quit while you''re ahead." "Huh? Why should I? This is like the best chance I''ve gotten all day, so I''m gonna make the most out of it! I''ll WRECK that wolf! That''ll teach her some respect." "My, so aggressive~" Ellen smiled wryly. "I understand why you want to score more points, but you''re also running the risk of losing everything youve gained so far, you know?" "Hmph. Thats not gonna happen." "My, such confidence~" Ellen giggled. "But really, you better wake up from that daydream. Yes, you managed to drive Rosey away, but don''t forget she''s still an incredibly dangerous player. She can delete your HP in about 3~4 hits, which is something she can dish out in a single skill, remember?" "Well, that''s..." Julia glanced at her remaining HP. It was down to 60% already, which a single Grievous Assault could delete on the spot because of how overfed Rosemary was. And I bet it''s coming off cooldown soon, just like my Flame. Julia frowned. Shit, I can score so many points if I get this kill, but Was it worth sacrificing everything for it? As Ellen said, if Julia messes up here, she''ll lose all the hard-earned points she accumulated. Tch, I guess I hafta quit after all. Julia took a deep breath and exhaled to discharge her aggression, just like Berserker. Ive achieved enough, I hope. Even though Julia failed to seal the deal, she successfully went toe-to-toe with Rosemary and utterly SMASHED that dumbo''s plans. That should be good enough to score plenty of points with the captain, right? "Hrm, not bad," Howard admitted. "I was sure it was a suicidal play but you pulled it off pretty nicely." "Right?" Julia puffed her chest. "So, I earned the right to play in the next game too, right?" "No." "Wha-!?" Julia gasped. "But why!?" "Dont get me wrong, you played well here, Howard said. But, this just barely made up for your embarrassing death earlier in the game." "Geh, that''s..." Julia tried very hard to find something to say back but she was drawing a blank. She was bearing the consequences of her past, foolish self. "You should rejoice that you at least played well enough to convince me to not give up on you entirely," Howard said. "After how you disobeyed me and died, I was honestly thinking about booting you from the first-string for good." "Geh, please no..." Julia turned meek against Howard''s cold tone. The captain wasn''t messing around. He was seriously going to kick Julia off the team if she keeps screwing up. "Anyway," Howard continued. "If you''ve had enough, let''s wrap up this game." "Fine..." All the players placed their votes for surrender. Their Colossus crumbled to bits of its own accord, granting immediate victory to the enemy. DEFEAT We really went through with this, huh. Howard stared blankly at the screen. Even though he was the one who brought up the idea, he still couldn''t believe his team had just surrendered on the competitive stage, and during such a critical year in his career, no less. To add insult to injury, their opponents were a bunch of greenhorns. This was supposed to be an easy 5-0 for StormBlitz today, yet they somehow completely butchered the first game. I hope this early surrender at least saved us some energy. Howard tried to console himself. Next game, we have to stomp them convincingly. Nobody was perfect, so it was acceptable to mess up once in a blue moon. So long as the next four games will be convincing victories, theyll wash away the stain from StormBlitzs reputation. I bet the scouts from Utopia won''t like this surrender but I doubt it''ll affect their ultimate decision. At least, I hope it wont The agreement was that Howard would get immediately accepted into Utopia as long as he won the regionals. But, he had to take their word for it. These guys could easily use whatever excuse they wanted to nullify the deal at the last moment, so it was best not to give them any ammo. If they see this game and complain about how I messed up against a "greenhorn" team, I need to be able to say: "It was a one-time thing. We crushed them afterwards." To be able to say that, StormBlitz had to win hard in the next few games. Not only get a 4-1, but also do it cleanly in a way thatll leave no doubts in anybody''s mind about StormBlitz''s superiority. Frankly, I almost don''t want to sub in Julia today at all after this. Howard thought. She''s still too error-prone to my taste. I don''t want her to mess up any more games. Then again, its not like this defeat is her fault per se Players who were talented but troublesome were so irksome to handle as the captain. On one hand, Howard wanted to utilize Julia''s explosive power to create momentum for the team. It was something none of the other members could do as well as she did. On the other hand, the girl sometimes got caught up in her own aggressiveness and spiraled out of control. Depending on the circumstances, that could easily make the team lose the entire game. It even almost happened in that last play. Howard thought. If Ellen didn''t stop her, I''m sure Julia would''ve chased after Rosemary and died. Yes, Howard actually overheard that secret little talk. Ellen probably thought she was being all sneaky by whispering to Julia in a private channel, but she forgot Howard was sitting right beside her. Howard couldnt hear Julias side of things, but judging by the flow of the conversation, it seemed the troublemaker was eager to chase Rosemary. She probably thought shed easily be able to seal the deal with Flame Wave. I suppose its a reasonable idea. That is, if you completely disregard all the dangers. Howard shook his head in disappointment. It sounded like Ellen just barely stopped her from committing that grave mistake. If not for that, Julia was pretty much going to lose all the good faith she earned. Howard didnt care about stepping into that conversation because the game was pretty much over at that point. However, in a real ongoing match, that wouldve been a disaster. Its nice that Ellen has some control over that problem child, but she wont be able to prevent every disaster. Howard thought. Hell, even I failed to convince Julia to retreat earlier today, and Im supposed to be the one with the highest authority here. Truly, Julia was such a headache. She had enough potential to make it attractive to include her on the first-string, but using her in real games was like opening a can of worms every time. I hope I can solve this by the time the regionals come around. Howard thought. Id really like to hit the Leopards with her extreme offense. It was somewhat effective during the scrim, and Im sure it can get even better. Fighting defense with defense was difficult and exhausting. Not to mention, it felt like the Leopards were better trained in that department. So, frankly, in their current state, StormBlitz was going to have a very bad time during the rematch. Thats where Julia entered the picture. She was the one player in StormBlitz who had the necessary strength to bust through the Leopards tight defense. Unfortunately, half the time she got carried away and countered hard. Theres never a perfect solution, is there? Howard sighed deeply on the way back to the waiting room. I always appreciate a good challenge, but this isnt exactly it. A good challenge was to beat strong opponents, not to babysit his own teammates. Thats not what pro players should be wasting their time on. Well, for now, Ill use Gil in the next few games. Thatll make my life a lot easier. Howard thought. The Valkyries arent the kind of team we should have any trouble against. Itll be a breeze so long as we dont accidentally let them gain momentum. With these convictions, Howard prepared the team for the second game of the day. Vol.20 Ch.23: The Bitterness of Surrendering As expected, the atmosphere in StormBlitzs waiting room was heavy. Even though the early surrender was supposed to help reduce the frustration, it was nonetheless a mentally devastating last resort. I believe I''ve done an alright job convincing them it was a fluke. Howard thought. But, it''s not that easy to accept it, is it? Howard also struggled to fully come to terms with this outcome. Logically, he understood how and why it happened. But, that didnt change the fact it was frustrating beyond measure. We shouldn''t have lost to a team like that under any circumstances. Even with luck on their side, the fact they managed to win a game against us is nothing short of insulting. StormBlitz had a reputation to uphold. It was supposed to be the second-strongest team in the region, the only team that had a chance of beating the Leopards. And yet, here they were, losing to some unlikely opponent. This is sure hard to accept. Howard sighed. But, we have to move on. "All in all, it was a pretty unexpected outcome, right? Haha." Howard forced himself to chuckle. "I''m sure nobody saw this coming before the game started." "You can say that again, lol." Roi laughed. "Like, the heck was that game? That Rosemary chick just snowballed like crazy!" "It''s because Dan was feeding her," Julia said. "Dang" Dan shook his head. "Gotta rub salt, arent you? For the record, you also had your ass kicked by that Werewolf." "Yeah, true. But, it happened, like, only once, Julia argued. Besides, I totally gave her a fight at the end even though she was 2 levels ahead. I would''ve MURDERED her ass if she wasnt so fed because of you." "Now, now." Ellen intervened. "What''s done is done. Danny made a couple of mistakes and the enemy did a very good job capitalizing on them. Let''s leave it at that, shall we?" "Meh, whatever." Julia shrugged. Goddammit, because of that idiot, I missed my chance to score points! Now, who knows if Howard is gonna give me another chance today. Grrr. Julia was the biggest victim in all of this. It wasnt a big deal that the team dropped one game, but Julia ended up butchering a critical exam! She''ll never forgive this! I hope Gilbert also runs into issues when he subs in. Julia prayed. It''ll be total bullshit if suddenly the team starts winning hard once he subs in. And yet, there was a very good chance of that happening. As Howard said, the first game was an anomaly. Most likely, Dan won''t mess up that badly again today. It''s like he did it on purpose to mess up my game specifically! Julia ranted as she dropped on the sofa and crossed her arms. I''m mad. Like, real mad! Alas, the others ignored her. They were too busy thinking about how to win the next game. "We have to play safer in the early-game," Howard said. "Even if we lose in terms of farm and have to turtle, it''s far better than giving the enemy momentum. The truth is, the Valkyries aren''t that strong. Its just that their captain knows how to snowball with momentum." "Yeah, don''t worry, guys," Dan reassured. "I''m not gonna die that easily next game. Probably. Hopefully. Haha." "You better not." Howard shot a glare. "If you mess up that badly a second time, there will be consequences." "W-What kind of, exactly?" Dan tried to maintain a smile. "Youre not gonna boot me from the team, are ya?" "Of course not. Fortunately for you, there aren''t any replacements available for now." "Phew." "In other words, Howard continued. What Im saying is, you WILL perform well in the next game. You dont have any other option." "Gulp." Dan felt heavy responsibility dropping on his shoulders. Howard''s hawk gaze pierced right through him, giving him no option to disobey.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "If you fail me again today, get ready for a lot, and I mean A LOT, of extra training. I''ll make sure you train at least ten times as much as everybody else." "I-I won''t mess up again! I promise, sir!" Dan saluted. "Lol, Roi laughed. Are you supposed to be Pip or something?" "Speaking of Pip, where is he?" Howard looked around. "Maybe he and his notebook caught something interesting." "He''s been waiting over there" Ellen pointed at the back of the waiting room, right around the corner. "Theres him and the rest of the curious bunch. Theyve been listening for quite some time now, these lil peeping toms~" "Kek, we''re busted." Gregory came out from around the corner, fully revealing himself. Taison and Philip followed after him. "What''s with all the sneaking?" Howard asked. "Weeelp. Gregory shrugged. I wasn''t sure this was a good time to approach you guys, you know?" "How so?" "Like," Taison answered instead. "You guys got royally dunked on, khaha." "Um, yeah, that." Gregory shot Taison a glare. Dumbass! Did you have to say it like that!? Are you trying to pick a fight here or some shit!? This surely wasn''t the best time to act all snarky. Like, these mfs just dropped a game in the most embarrassing manner possible, so they gotta be irritable as hell. It was a terrible idea to step on Howard''s toes right now. Alas, the idiot didn''t care in the slightest. "I''m tellin'' ya," Taison continued. "None of this would''ve happened if I was playing. Word!" "Huh, how reassuring," Howard said. "It sounds like StormBlitz would become a very strong team once you join the first string." "Right? Right?" "Yeah, I''m sure it''ll be very strong. Next year, that is." "Tch, this shit again" Taison clicked his tongue. "Like, I don''t get it, man. Why July gets to play games while me and Greg are warming up seats on the bench? It ain''t fair, man!" "We''re not having this conversation again. I dont have time for your nonsense right now," Howard stated matter-of-factly. "As I''ve explained at least a hundred times by now, Julia has the potential to bring something to the first-string, unlike you two. That is all." "Again with that rude bullshit..." Taison made a face. "How did you even decide that shit? It makes no sense! "It makes perfect sense to me, which is the only thing that matters here." Howard cut that conversation short. "Anyway, we have limited time here. Pip, come here." "Yes, sir!" Pip dashed forward like a trainee in boot camp. "Reporting for duty, sir!" "Yeah, yeah." Howard shrugged at these theatrics. "I assume you wrote some notes about the game, right?" "Yes, sir! Of course, sir!" Pip waved his big notebook. It had pages upon pages of insightful intel about the enemy forces, including notes about the most recent game. "Dang, what a nerd, khaha!" Taison laughed. "Ive been tellin ya, you dawg ain''t improving at the game because you''re stuck writing ''em notes all day instead of playing. Am I right, or am I right, Greg?" "Yeah, totally..." Gregory went along with that narrative just to shut Taison up, but deep down, he didn''t agree. It''s actually kinda impressive how consistent Pip is with that shit. Gregory and Pip were kindred spirits, in a way. They both passed StormBlitz''s entrance exam by acing the second stage, the one that tested players on game knowledge and decision-making. By getting the highest score among all participants in their respective years, Gregory and Pip immediately entered StormBlitz without having to do the third part. I mean, I would''ve totally aced that test, too. Gregory asserted. But, why leave anything up to luck, right? Like, the third test is real cancer. It relies way too much on your scrubby teammates and all, so it''s way better to dodge that bullet. And, Pip was smart enough to understand that as well. Just like Gregory, the boy must''ve gotten his hands on some example questions from previous years and memorized them. At least, I think he did. Gregory was sure of that at first, but he started having doubts as time went on. I mean, this kid be recording literally everything in that notebook. I bet it even says when was the last time he took a dump, kek. Pip was hella studious, to the point it was almost respectable. Gregory was also the intellectual type who studied the game to gain an edge, but that kid was a hella lot more motivated about the whole affair. Bruh was like a walking encyclopedia, word. How does he not get tired of that shit? Gregory wondered. It feels like he''s always there, ready with his notebook at any time of the day. Kid''s a psycho, kek. So yeah, Pip was sorta impressive in a way. Basically, he was a nerd up to eleven. So, no wonder Howard was paying attention to the kid. Sometimes, it was really helpful to borrow that kid''s notes for personal use, Gregory did that from time to time as well. "So," Howard continued. "Are there any interesting notes about this game? Only give me the short versions, please." Yes, sir! Pip saluted. So, um, the short version, lets see He flipped through numerous pages, all supposedly written during this one game. Madness. Did this mf really have so much to write? About one game? Gregory made a face. Like, I know some of it gonna be map drawings and shit, but damn, son. WTF. There was never a short version with this mofo, not really. Dude recorded literally EVERYTHING he saw without distinguishing whats important and whats not. And, he wasnt that great at summarizing it briefly for people, so it often proved REALLY tedious to use his data. But, that didnt stop Howard from trying Vol.20 Ch.24: Philips Intel "Um, alright!" Pip apparently reached some kind of epiphany after flipping through hundreds of pages. "I dont know if this is the most important intel for the moment, sir, but the majority of my notes cover Rosemary and her masterful rotations!" "That makes sense." Howard nodded. "She almost single-handedly dominated the game, so I think we all know what shes capable of by now. I''m actually more interested in the other members of the Valkyries. I feel like I didn''t pay enough attention to them in this game, so I hope you did." "Oh, so you want intel about their privates and corporals, not their officer. Understood, sir!" Pip flipped through more pages in his notebook. Just how many pages did he write? Howard wondered. It was just one game, and most of it was pretty one-sided "Alright, here''s my report, sir!" Pip saluted for some reason before actually getting to it. "In Top, Lady showed signs of struggling against Roi''s offense. She couldn''t quite match his skill in fights, and she even overextended against him once and paid the piper. So, its rather clear the situation in Top is overall in our favor, despite how the rest of the game went." "Awww yeah!" Roi pumped a fist. "I totally OWNED in Top, right? That''s the kinda game analysis I like hearing! Good report, private! Lol." "Thank you kindly, sir!" "So," Howard interrupted the military roleplay. "That part went pretty much as expected based on the data. Good." Truth be told, Howard didn''t have enough free time to properly pay attention to Top throughout the game. He had the impression that everything was fine there, but it was reassuring to hear a bystander agree with this analysis. "Dan, it sounds like Top will be the easiest lane to farm in terms of kills," Howard explained. "So, make sure to arrange good ganks there and help Roi build momentum." "Yeah, I actually wanted to do that last game too," Dan admitted. "But, I lagged behind so hard I couldnt do squat." "Well, you better not repeat that mistake again." Howard speared the troublemaker with a sharp gaze. "G-Got it!" Dan gulped. Bruh gonna kick my butt for real if I mess up again. "So," Howard continued. "Anything interesting to report about the other lanes?" "Hmm." Pip knotted his brows. "I''m not sure what to say about Mid, sir. The game started off with a few intense clashes between Julia and Charming, but afterward, it went quiet." "Well, whatever happened in Mid doesn''t matter much for this game since were switching players," Howard said. "Any thoughts about Bot?" It was the lane where Howard played, so naturally he should know everything about it. Nonetheless, he wanted to hear an outsider''s view to make sure his own impressions of the lane matched Pip''s. "You and Ellen did a very good job in Bot, sir," Pip reported.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "My, how sweet of you, Pipi~" Ellen giggled. Um, thanks Pip scratched his cheek. With all due respect to the officer, that nickname was so awkward! "Oh, but," Pip continued. "I might be wrong about this, but it felt like you two didn''t try to push the lane at any point in the game, sir. Was it because of Rosemary''s ever-looming presence?" "Hmm. Now that you mention it, that''s an interesting point." Howard didn''t give this much thought during the game but it was indeed a little odd. After all, Howard and Ellen were the strongest Bot duo in the region, yet for some reason, they failed to establish a proper lane advantage against Lavender and Nike. Why was that? "My, he''s totally right, isn''t he, Wardy?" Ellen commented. "We did play more cautiously because of Rosey''s ongoing snowballing, didn''t we? The girl sure knows how to apply pressure with her rotations." "Right," Howard agreed. "If I think back on it, whenever it felt like we had an opportunity to push, we gave up because we suspected Rosemary was nearby." True, true. Ellen nodded. So, Pip, Howard said. Since you saw where Rosemary was throughout the game, how often was it justified for us to give up on offense? "Um, let''s see..." Pip flipped through a few more pages. "Here it is. I recorded four scenarios in which you skipped a push opportunity." "And, in how many of them was Rosemary nearby?" "Um, if I recorded this correctly, then three out of four times Rosemary wasnt anywhere near the scene, sir." "So, we made the wrong call three times out of four" Howard frowned. "That couldve been a huge difference." If he and Ellen were to push during each such opportunity, then Bot wouldve been under StormBlitzs control from early on. From that position, it mightve been possible to come back in the mid-game. It just goes to show that Ellen and I adopted a fully defensive mindset at some point. Howard shook his head. We didnt properly look for opportunities and instead assumed the worst every time. The whole point of playing defense was to set up an eventual counterattack. Alas, Howard and Ellen were so worried about Rosemary the entire time that they found themselves playing defense all day long. We need to keep that in mind for the next game, Howard said. If theres an opportunity, we should be more willing to take it. My, Ellen tilted her head. Even if theres risk involved? No, if theres notable risk then its not worth it, Howard said. But, we should stop always assuming the worst, for starters. But Wardy, youre such a worrywart that Im sure youll always keep thinking its too risky anyway~ That might be true Howard didnt have a snarky counterargument to this one. By default, he always leaned toward defense over offense when there were signs of risks. Often such careful decisions paid off, but sometimes they made him miss great opportunities. I cant be like Yuel and jump head-first at every semi-good opportunity that presents itself. Howard shook his head. Im a firm believer that good defense is the most consistent way to win games, but Strong defense was supposed to eventually lead to a strong counterattack. At some point, the defender had to take the initiative and strike back when the right opportunity presented itself. Alas, as Ellen said, Howards cautious nature often prevented him from capitalizing on such opportunities. Even against inferior lane opponents, he was very careful about not committing any mistakes. Unfortunately, that led to him missing some golden opportunities. Lavender was an aggressive Carry and she was more skilled than most of the Valkyries, so it was very important to not miss any opportunities to punish her. If left to their own devices, she and Nike had the necessary skills to gain the upper hand in the lane with strong early-game classes. Properly punishing that girl just once should suffice to shut down her aggression. Once she learns her lesson, Howard and Ellens lives will be a lot easier. This was an important realization that Howard missed in the heat of the battle. Even when he thought he knew everything about a topic from the game, Philips deep analysis still proved insightful. And so, in this methodical fashion, Pip continued delivering his (arguably excessive) intel... Vol.20 Ch.25: Those Who Contribute From Outside the Stage So, Pip. Anything else that caught your attention? Yes, of course, sir! Pip nodded repeatedly. Ive written many, many, MANY more notes! "Yeah, I''m sure you did, Howard said. The question is whether any of it is useful for the short term and can be discussed briefly." "I''ll check, sir!" Pip flipped through a few more pages. "Hmm. Honestly speaking, sir, most of the notes are about Rosemary." "Yeah, you already said that. Howard wanted to skip the topic at first, but then he realized it might be a mistake. Pip had something useful to say about Bot, so maybe hell enlighten us about Rosemary too. Well then, is there anything insightful you can tell about Rosemarys performance other than the fact she dominated the game?" "Hmm. Pip flipped back and forth through the hundreds of notes he wrote. One thing Id like to mention is that I tried to evaluate Rosemarys skill with Werewolf as opposed to Lionfolk, since Lionfolk was previously established as her main class." "That''s a good line of thinking." Based on the Leopards vs. Valkyries scrim, it was evident Rosemary''s favorite class was Lionfolk, as she picked the class in four games out of five. That''s why Howard immediately banned the class during the banning phase. "So, what was your impression of her Werewolf?" "I dare say it measured up to her skill with Lion, sir," Pip said. "In fact, her Wolf might even be stronger than her Lion!" "Are you sure its not because she got an early lead and dominated in this particular game?" "I tried to take that into consideration and stay as impartial as possible, sir," Pip said. "Honestly, I can''t say for sure that my conclusion wasnt affected by the way she snowballed, sir. Nonetheless, the plays I''ve seen her perform with Wolf convinced me she possesses great class mastery!" "I second that, actually," Dan added. "Girl sure knows how to use that dang Wolf to the fullest. I mean, some of the plays she pulled were real impressive, like how she blinked in and ult''d me in the middle of creating a portal. Shit was clean as hell!" "Well, of course you''d praise her," Howard said. "She killed you so many times that there''s no way you wouldn''t be impressed by her performance." Being awed by Rosemary''s execution was like a defense mechanism in this case. Dan died so many times that his brain had to justify all of it. So, the easiest excuse was to say "The enemy is too strong!". "As another bystander here," Gilbert said. "I agree with Pip on this one. That Werewolf was really impressive, both tactically and mechanically. Sure, you can attribute most of her success to snowballing, but her execution was nearly flawless in the plays Ive seen." "Hmm. I see." Howard nodded. "In that case, we better ban both Lion and Wolf."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Unlike the previous inputs, this one was far more credible in Howards book. Gilbert wasnt part of that game, so his opinion wasnt swayed by Rosemarys dominance. In addition, he was a veteran player with far more experience than Pip, and he also wasnt the type to overhype things. If even Gilbert says so, then it''s got to be true. Howard concluded. I was on the fence about this until now, but they convinced me. Small but important observations like this were the whole reason to ask for bystanders opinions. Their inputs were expected to be less biased because they saw the entire picture during the game, and they also weren''t as personally invested because they weren''t the ones playing on the stage. In particular, Pip was very good at deconstructing matches in real-time, albeit his analysis was a tad excessive and overhyped at times. Still, having another thought-out neutral opinion was very valuable for the team. Last year, we had Yuel run these errands for us. Heh. Howard thought back on the days when the previous first-string roped Yuel into working full-time for them. They sent the freshman to scout enemy teams, compile notes, and sometimes even present them during the first-string''s official meetings. Of course, Aron being Aron, the guy demanded full control over the procedure. He always carefully reviewed Yuels notes before any official meeting. But, over time, even Aron had to accept that Yuel was gifted at this job. And so, the first-string dumped more and more responsibilities on the freshman while they themselves focused on practicing. I was looking forward to continuing this tradition this year as well until Yuel pulled a fast one on me. Howard sighed. After him, the only one left in the club who could fulfill a similar role was Greg, but That guy was a handful, to put it lightly. Somewhere deep down he was the studious type, so he could definitely research enemy teams and present the information in meetings. That is, if he felt like doing it Nah, he only cares about himself. Howard shook his head. Hed only go to great lengths to research stuff that helps HIM specifically. He couldnt care less about the first-string so long as he isnt a part of it. What a useless brat. Because of this, for a while, Yuels leave was a huge blow to StormBlitz. Howard effectively had to split his focus between managing the first-string, information gathering, and meetings. It was rather tiresome. Fortunately, a short time later, Pip showed up. He passed the second part of the entrance exam with flying colors, and unlike Greogry, he was motivated enough to contribute to the first-string without being a selfish brat. He already considers himself a part of the team even though he doesnt play on the stage. Howard nodded. Thats a great mindset to have. There were only five players on the stage at any given time, but that didnt mean they were the entire team. The rest of the club supported the five representatives in many ways outside the games themselves. Everybody practiced in the same club, exchanged ideas, studied the enemy together, and so forth. So, even though the supporters werent the main fighting force on the stage, their contribution to the victory could sometimes be just as valuable. Yuel and Pip both understood that, unlike Gregory. And to think that the guy was supposed to be the vice-captain Instead of being useful, he and Taison are more busy with trying to get into the first-string. Well, good luck with that. After exhausting Pips main intel, Howard gave the team a short break before the next game. However, he himself continued discussing the topic with Pip and Gilbert to make sure he didnt miss anything else. Losing another game is not an option. Howard asserted. We WILL win, and we will do it as cleanly as possible to make everybody forget the previous game. With that determination, StormBlitz headed into the second game of the day Vol.20 Ch.26: Disrespecting the Victors The second game between StormBlitz and Valkyries began. Following the insightful discussion with Pip, Howard decided to ban both Lionfolk and Werewolf this time around. The two classes were supposedly Rosemarys best, so it was imperative to shut them down. Alas, doing so came with a price. The Leopards were going second in this game, so they were also obligated to ban Shadow Walker. Well, nowadays its not a mandatory ban per se. Howard thought. But, I have the feeling its a must-ban against this team, at least. Rosemary was the most dangerous player on that team and she was the Jungler. So, just how overwhelming would she become if she got her hands on Shadow Walker? I dont even want to know. And so, Howard banned Shadow Walker. In other words, Rosemary dictated all three bans for the team. I dont like it, but it is what it is. Howard shrugged and accepted this fate. It didnt take long for the consequences to hit. The enemy team selected Knight. Yes, of course they did... Howard sighed. I pretty much gave them the pick on a silver platter, so why wouldnt they? In response, Howard picked Viking for Roi and Aeormancer for Gilbert. Both were neutral picks that complemented the two players strengths. Next, the turn passed to the enemy team. They took their sweet time with this one. Sis, gimme Impaler again, Karen requested. Do you really wish to try it again? Fiona asked. I believe the previous game should have provided sufficient evidence to prove impaler does not work on Aegis and Athena. Yeaaah, it was a little rough, not gonna lie, Karen admitted. But, its totally doable! This time, well get that lane advantage for sure! Right, Lua? Um, Ill do my best... Cmon, what kinda weak-ass answer is that!? Karen, language, Fiona scolded. Anyway, I have to say I am against this pick, personally. StormBlitzs defense is ironclad, and they play extra safe against your Impaler to make sure you cannot gain the early advantage you need. "Yeaaah, these bastards were stalling against me." Karen made a face. "But, that just means they''re hella scared of my Impaler, right? So, I say let''s keep them scared! They won''t dare to pull anything wild so long as they''re quaking in their boots!" "Hmm. That is also true." Fiona gave it some more thought. Perhaps using Impaler as a pressuring tool was not such a bad idea. There was no question that the Bot duo of Aegis and Athena was formidable. Those two were a league above the rest of StormBlitz, especially Aegis. I also remember Esmeralda mentioning that Athena was one of her pupils. Fiona recalled. I can definitely see the influence. Esmeralda had an extremely quirky playstyle, to put it lightly. As such, the lessons she taught her students were equally unorthodox. There was much to learn from an eccentric''s tips. In fact, the early invade Fiona employed in the first game was one of Esmeraldas teachings. Unfortunately, the majority of Esmeralda''s ideas did not suit Fionas playstyle. On the other hand, it seemed Athena embraced them in full. That makes her an unpredictable opponent. Fiona thought. So, if I have the option to force her to lie low, perhaps I should utilize it.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Alright, you can play Impaler again this time. "Hell yeah, let''s go!" Karen pumped a fist. "You''re the best, sis!" In light of that," Fiona continued. "Lua, I believe it is best for you to support Karen with Cryomancer, just as last game." "I think so too." Lua nodded. And so, the two picks were decided: Impaler and Cryomancer. This was essentially a rerun of the previous game. Likewise, the enemy planned to go forward with a similar Bot duo. "My, my, it looks like some naughty children haven''t learned their lesson~" Ellen smiled. "Are you seeing this, Wardy?" "Yes, I happen to have eyes, so of course I see it." "It looks like we didn''t school them hard enough last time. So, I say we go with the same comp again~" "You want Seraph again? After how the previous game went down?" "Mhm." Ellen nodded. "Or, could it be that youre scared of them now? We already established that their victory was a fluke, remember?" "Yes, we did. But, that doesn''t mean we have to play this risky matchup again." "I beg to differ, Ellen said. "In fact, I claim the opposite. We HAVE to play this risky matchup. "How you mean?" "Well, if we suddenly pick a safer comp, the audience will think we''re scaredy-cats, right?" "Yeah, they might," Howard agreed. "But, since when do you care about such things?" "Actually, I don''t care at all~ But, on the other hand, you seem a little too preoccupied with the team''s image right now." "Can you blame me? We just blew a game against amateurs, Howard said. Utopia''s scouts aren''t going to like this. I have to show them a convincing performance." "In that case, isn''t the most convincing performance would be a rerun of the previous game?" Ellen asked. "Lets go for the same setup and crush the Valkyries like bugs~ That should prove the previous game was a fluke. "Hmm. I suppose you''re right," Howard conceded. "But, what''s your agenda in all of this?" "Little old me? Ellen tilted her head. I''m just making sure my husband''s ambitions are coming to fruition~" "Huh, I didn''t know you were married. The unlucky guy must be suffering on a daily basis." "Oh c''mon now." Ellen pouted and pinched Howard''s cheek in protest. How dare he. "Anyway," Howard continued. "That''s not the whole story, is it? I bet something else gave you this idea." "Weeeeell, I may or may not have considered the bait potential as well, Ellen explained. "I''m sure these girls are on the high horse right now, so they expect us to be scared and play safer. You know, to ''respect'' how good they are and all that." "And, you want to do the complete opposite?" "Yep~ Ellen smiled mischievously. I mean, you saw how Lavender is, right? Unlike her innocent flowery name, she is actually quite the wild beastie~" "Yeah, that''s true." "So, how do you think is she going to react to a Seraph pick?" "Hmm. Considering how the previous game went, she isn''t going to like it." Despite the fact the Valkyries won the previous game, the duo of Lavender and Nike didn''t actually achieve much of anything there. After all, their lane opponents were Howard and Ellen, the strongest duo in the region. With that said, Lavender tried very hard to gain lane advantage throughout the game. She played an aggressive early-game and constantly searched for opportunities to push. Of course, Howard and Ellen didnt give her any chances. That surely made her blood boil. Youd think that experience would discourage her from trying this again, at least for a while. Howard reasoned. But, I see she wants a rerun. The enemy picked Impaler and Cryomancer, clearly hellbent on giving early aggression another try. A big part of it must be the Valkyries victory, which made Lavender forget how her failures. As Ellen theorized, it was very likely Lavender was expecting StormBlitz to respect the Valkyries victory and pick something safer for the Bot matchup. Therefore, picking Seraph again will make a clear declaration that no, they werent afraid of her at all. Thatll ruffle some feathers for sure, just like Ellen likes. Howard nodded. And, if Lavender gets triggered enough, she might try to push too hard and overextend. Basically, this is the classic emotional bait scenario. It was one of Esmeraldas favorite teachings. She was the kind of player who always paid careful attention to her opponents emotional meter in order to find ways to manipulate it. Howard only adopted some ideas from these lessons, but Ellen embraced the whole thing. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that the vast majority of Ellens playstyle was fueled by such emotional considerations. Shes pretty much Esmeralda Jr. at this point. Howard shook his head. I just hope that if she becomes a pro, her career will be more successful... After some more thinking, Howard finally made up his mind regarding the next pick... Vol.20 Ch.27: The Pros and Cons of Maining Alright, I get the picture, Howard said. Lets go with Serpah again. Thanks, Wardy~! Ellen smiled from ear to ear. I wuv you~! Yeah, yeah. Howard rolled his eyes. But, no need to actually pick Seraph this early yet. First, Ill take Druid in preparation. Yes, thats for the best. Keep the surprise for the end~ And so, Howard locked Druid. Then, after the second banning phase, he finally went for the Seraph pick. My, I wish I could see Lavenders expression right now~ Ellen smiled from ear to ear as she imagined the raw emotional torture she was putting her opponent through~ And indeed, this pick successfully delivered a mental blow to the enemy. Wait, are they for real...? Karen raised an eyebrow. Theres no way that shit gonna fly. What the fuck? Karen, language. But sis, look at these bastards! Karen insisted. They actually think they can get away with that late-game pick against my Impaler! And thats after we mopped them so hard in the previous game! Do not let that provoke you, Fiona said. Remember, their Bot duo excels at baits. This pick is likely an attempt to get a reaction out of you. Do you really think theyd go this far just to trigger me? It is quite possible, yes, Fiona asserted. From what I have observed, much of Athenas baits revolve around manipulating her opponents thoughts. She makes you believe one thing, only to pull the rug from under you a moment later. Tch, what an annoying bitch. Language. What an annoying eh, motherfucker! ... I have a feeling you need to work on that vulgar vocabulary of yours, young lady. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Karen shrugged. So anyway, youre saying theyre just trying to trigger me, right? Yes, quite likely. Therefore, make sure you do not take this bait. Got it, sis! Karen nodded. Imma show them they picked a late-game class in the wrong damn lane! Just make sure you do not overextend to prove that point. Yeah, yeah. I know. I really hope you do. Fiona sighed on the side. Even after everything I have said, I have the feeling Karen will get carried at one point or another. It seems pretty much inevitable. Fionas advice should have minimized the influence of the bait but the damage was already done. Karen felt like her opponents were underestimating her, so her pride would get in the way of her performance. I will have to keep a close eye on Bot in this game. Fiona thought. Despite how confident Karen is about reruning this matchup, I suspect the enemy duo will stump her. Evidently, Athena was also very confident about this pick. A hyper late-game class was supposed to fear an early-game pick like Impaler, but Athena apparently had no problem with this volatile matchup. But, ultimately, this is good for us. Fiona thought. If we both play mid-game classes, the game is very likely to get dragged into the end game, which is StormBlitzs playfield.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Just like in chess, different players excelled at different phases of the game in Classmancers. StormBlitz was a team fully geared toward the late-game, therefore facing them there was akin to playing on their turf. It leaves us no choice but to wrap things up by mid-game. Fiona asserted. On paper, that makes it sound like picking an aggressive early-game class is optimal. Alas, things are not so simple in practice. In the same way an early-game class could win fast, it could also crash and burn just as fast. Failure to get an early lead was bound to turn Karens class into the weakest link of the team for the rest of the game. At that point, victory would be completely out of reach. This arrangement worked out alright in the last game because I built plenty of momentum for us, but that will not necessarily happen again. Fiona reasoned. I am sure they will fortify their defenses for this round. In fact, they had already begun. The enemy banned Lionfolk and Werewolf right off the gate, the two classes Fiona used the most on the competitive stage. StormBlitz clearly recognized the threat of Fiona''s jungling and sought to seal it thoroughly. Unfortunately, they happen to be my best classes. Fiona frowned. I will struggle to build momentum with any other class I pick. Of course, Fiona knew all too well how important it was to master many different classes in this game. Not only did it protect her from enemy bans, but it also gave her more flexibility in terms of team compositions and counter picks. Alas, she did not have enough time to extensively practice more than two classes thus far. She had less than a year of Classmancers experience under her belt, which was not enough to properly master many different classes. Of course, she dabbled in as many classes as she could to be able to play them on a passable level at least, but that was a far cry from truly mastering them. In fact, it was probably arrogant for a greenhorn like her to claim she "mastered" any classes at all, given how little playtime she had. Most of our opponents have way over two years of experience. Compared to that, I am nothing more than a beginner. As such, to be able to compete against these giants, Fiona had no choice but to focus on a couple of specific classes at first. Apparently, people called that "maining" the classes. So far, this concentrated approach has served her well. It allowed her to put up a fight against both Leopards and StormBlitz, the very pinnacle of this region. Alas, this "maining" method had strict limits and Fiona had just run into them. With both her main classes banned, she now had to rely on inferior alternatives. There were many options to choose from, but none of them would be on par with her Lionfolk and Werewolf. I must expand my roster to at least four classes as soon as possible. But until then, I will have to get through today''s scrimmage with the tools I have available. Once Lionfolk and Werewolf were off the table, there were suddenly countless classes for Fiona to choose from. All of them paled compared to her main classes, but they were still usable and had their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. From that big array of options, Fiona had to select one class that best fit the current situation. Perhaps I should have gone for Viking earlier in the drafting phase. Fiona regretted. All things considered, I believe it is one of the best picks for me in this situation. Like Lionfolk and Werewolf, Viking was also a bursier who could efficiently secure kills. It was, in fact, the next class that Fiona was planning to main. Alas, CleanupHitter already took the class earlier. It was unfortunate Viking doubled as a Top Laner, making more people pick it. This was a major consideration for not maining the class right away even though it was more meta than Werewolf. After Viking, I do not believe there are any other options that stand out right now. Fiona skimmed the list of classes tagged as "Jungler". There are some good assassins here but I rather avoid those if possible. Though she practiced how to play assassin classes, they were not quite to her liking overall. These classes had great potential for scoring kills and building up momentum, but they were very squishy and vulnerable. No matter how far ahead an assassin got, there was always a chance to turn the tables on them with a surprise attack. All the enemy needed was one swift strike to kill the assassin before they had the chance to execute their game plan. On the other hand, bruisers generally had a harder time building momentum. But, once they had it, they were almost unstoppable. They scaled strongly in both attack and defense, turning into a one-man army when they were ahead. Therefore, Fiona gravitated toward bruisers a lot more despite the fact assassins were also very meta. If I filter the list down to just bruisers, then the selection of meta options becomes very thin. Fiona frowned. I suppose Vampire will have to do. The class was a bit too defensive for the current matchup, but its ult could secure kills very well when used correctly. Admittedly, Fiona did not have the mastery to make this class truly shine, so she will have to make up for that lack of experience with solid decision-making and shot calls. With this pick decided, only Andrias class remained... Vol.20 Ch.28: Assassin Therapy Only Andrias pick remained now. A Sage for me once again, please, she requested. Very well. Fiona had no arguments against this. Sage should fare well against Aeromancer since both classes excelled at farming from a distance. And so, the Valkyries lineup was settled. Now, StormBlitz had to select one more class, their Jungler. Oh, wow. Dan exclaimed. Vampire? Thats like a total 180 compared to the last game. Do you think shes planning to play defense all of a sudden? I highly doubt it, Howard said. They still picked Impaler, which means theyre gunning for the early/mid-game. If I had to guess, she picked Vampire because thats her next best class. Yeah, that might be it. Dan nodded. I mean, not everybody is a pro like me and can play all classes, haha! Yeah, for the better and for the worse. Howard remarked silently. I had the feeling Rosemary is the type to main a couple of classes. Thats the only way to explain how she performed so well despite being a greenhorn. Normally, it was unthinkable for a newbie to dominate a competitive game as much as Rosemary did. Especially, it wasnt supposed to ever happen against a powerhouse like StormBlitz. So, the only way to explain this impossible phenomenon was that Rosemary focused on a handful of specific classes. By learning these few classes extensively, Rosemary was able to speedrun the skill ladder and reach a level that seemed on par with StormBlitz. But, its all fakery. Howard asserted. We already banned two classes, so lets see how good her third one actually is. Im expecting a sharp drop in quality. "So," Howard started. "Anything you''d like to pick in response to that Vampire?" "Eh, maybe Lancer?" Dan answered a question with a question. "Feels like all the best meta bruisers are banned or taken, so not much left." "You don''t feel like playing an assassin?" "Eeeeh, I dunno. It sounds hella risky after how the previous game went down..." "Is that so." Howard frowned. I had the feeling this might happen. Flexibility was supposed to be Dan''s selling point. As the "Dan-of-all-trades", he could play any Jungler class, even many of the memes. Alas, right now, he was cutting down his option by half. Out of fear, most likely. He''s acting all cheerful but there''s no way the previous game didn''t affect him. Howard reasoned. He must''ve lost a lot of confidence in himself after dying so many times. I have to fix that. Junglers had to be confident about their actions. Unlike laners, they had to dynamically rotate around the map and make many swift decisions. Any hesitation or uncertainty would hurt their performance. The way hes now, I''m sure he''ll play this game too safe. Howard thought. Im not entirely opposed, but theres such a thing as playing TOO safe. Most likely, Dan will try to dodge any dangerous confrontations. He''ll minimize risks to avoid what happened in the previous game. As a result, he wont make many good rotations. That doesn''t sound like a very functional Jungler to me. It was crucial to fix this problem ASAP. A team without a Jungler was always bound to suffer immensely, especially when the enemy had a superb Jungler on their side. If Rosemary notices Dan''s passiveness, she''ll start counter-jungling hard. Howard thought. We can''t let her build momentum like that again.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As such, it was mandatory to pull Dan out of his slump. But, what was the best way to do it? A pep talk would be nice, but it was far better to boost his confidence with some actions. "Knight and Vampire are both difficult targets to kill," Howard said. "You should pick an assassin against them." "Wut?" Dan blinked. "You really want me to play assassin here?" "Yeah, why not?" "Well, you know, the previous game was kinda sus..." Dan lowered his head. The bad memories were probably coming back to haunt him, but he had to face them with his head held high. "The previous game was the previous game," Howard asserted. "We already established it started on the wrong foot and things just snowballed from there." "Well, yeah, but..." "Or what, are you planning to let Rosemary dominate the game too? Because if you play it too safe, itll be the same as giving her all the control." "Yeah, that''s true..." Dan chewed his lips. "I mean, I guess I could try an assassin, but don''t blame me if things go wrong, haha." "No, I''m going to criticize the hell out of you if you start dying again." "Geeeeeh. Dan groaned. On second thought, maybe I wanna stick to that Lancer, after all..." "No, you don''t," Howard objected. "So, which assassin do you prefer?" "Hmm. Ninja could fit the job pretty well" Dan pondered. "Oh, but that''s only if I get opportunities to land my ult on them. Eh, it can get kinda tricky I feel. Hmm. Maybe I need something more straightforward..." "Ninja sounds good, actually," Howard said. "Considering their skill level, I doubt theyre very good at dealing with stealth" Or, so youd think, Dan said. But, theyve already surprised us once. Whos to say they wont surprise us again? Just play better than them and get these kills. Its that easy. "Yeaaaah, ''easy''. Haha..." At the very least, Lady should be a pretty easy target, Howard said. I feel like that girl has the map awareness of a Bronze player. Haha, sure feels that way. We shouldnt even be having this conversation, to be honest, Howard said. Im not supposed to work to convince you. Youre the one who should be telling me which class you think is best. Yeah, thats true And, normally, youd go with Ninja without worrying too much about it. Yeah, probably. Dan didnt stop to think about it until now, but his instinctive resistance to the Ninja pick was a bit uncharacteristic. Like, he was Dan-of-all-trades! He was supposed to be able to play any Jungler class on demand! That was kinda his whole thing. Yet, Im totally chickening out on Ninja right now. Dan shook his head. That last game sure did a number on me He didnt want to go through the same experience again. Not today, and not ever again. That shit was downright embarrassing. Rosemary made Dan look like a Bronze X rank, which didnt even exist. So, of course, Dan wanted to make sure he wouldnt be as vulnerable this time around. And, the safest way to go was to pick a bruiser with good survivability. But, thats kinda like running away from the problem, isnt it? Dan thought. If I pick a lower-tier bruiser just because Im worried about getting killed as an assassin, thats already kinda like admitting defeat Honestly, he was starting to get a headache from all these mental gymnastics. His flip-floppy brain kept going back and forth between the safe mid-tier Lancer and the risky high-tier Ninja. Look, Howard said. Down to it, youre worried about getting killed, right? So, let me make it straight: if you give up on the assassin pick here, its the same as letting her kill your fighting spirit. Sure, maybe youll minimize the chances of actually dying during the game, but youll be like a walking dead. Dang, that sounds like the plot of a depressing flick... Dan chuckled dryly. Okay, youve convinced me. Lemme go Ninja and Ill get them kills rolling! Thats the spirit. And so, StormBlitzs last pick was decided. It was a bold pick considering how badly Rosemary washed Dan in the previous game, but that was all the more reason to pick it. This will boost everybodys morale, not only Dans. Howard nodded in satisfaction. And, Im sure this will get a frown or two from our enemies. Good, good. And so, both lineups were complete. === StormBlitz === Howard (Aegis): Druid Ellen (Athena): Seraph Gilbert (Adapting): Aeromancer Roi (CleanupHitter): Viking Dan (Average): Ninja === Valkyries === Fiona (Rosemary): Vampire Karen (Lavender): Impaler Andria (PrinceCharming): Sage Lua (Nike): Cryomancer Cornelia (GoldenLady): Knight Vol.20 Ch.29: Patience vs. Princess The second game began. Naturally, everybody in StormBlitz was a little on edge this time around, given how the previous game played out. Make sure you stick together more than usual in the opening, Howard said. I know this isnt an ideal arrangement for placing wards around the jungle, but better safe than sorry. Even though Vampire didnt have the same explosive early game as Werewolf, Howard still refused to let his guard down. The previous game taught him to never EVER underestimate Rosemarys ability. In some ways, she reminds me of Yuels shenanigans. Howard thought. But, shes also very different, too. Shes more methodical, I guess? Rosemary pulled off some very aggressive plays that couldve easily come across as cocky or risky, but in practice, they werent. She simply found niche opportunities to go for big plays and exploited them efficiently. Yuel is the type to shoot for these kinds of plays even when theres risk, but Rosemary? Not so much. Howard analyzed. So, unlike Yuel, she wont try anything crazy so long as we dont show her any openings. But, Ive come to realize thats surprisingly easier said than done against her Howard always made sure his team didnt leave any openings for the enemy to exploit. Nonetheless, Rosemary managed to wiggle her way into the few tiny cracks Howard failed to cover. It was honestly quite astonishing. Even the Leopards couldnt do anything like that, except for their Korean trump card. But, that guy is a walking cheat engine, so we dont talk about that. The scrim against the Leopards was drawn out because neither side managed to crack the others defense. Yet, Rosemary achieved just that in the very first game of the day. It was unreal. It seemed like the "Landberht Princess" nickname was more than just a fancy title for the local newspaper. The girl indeed had talent, and apparently in many different sports, not just Classmancers. If her entire team was full of players just as good as her, then I''d be sweating right now. Howard smiled wryly. But, unfortunately for her, the rest of her teammates are nothing to write home about. At present, the Valkyries only posed a threat when Rosemary had strong momentum. Without that, the team was nothing. And, I''ll make sure thats how things stay. You''re not going to get any more snowball opportunities today, princess. Following Howard''s instructions, everybody in StormBlitz stuck close together during the opening. While it was common practice to keep each other at arm''s length during the opening, Howard went the extra mile and made everybody travel in pairs. This arrangement was far from optimal from meta perspective because it slowed down the process of warding the jungle. The opening was supposed to be a brief phase where players placed wards and went straight to the jungle camps. But here, the players had to waste some extra time on grouping up and moving together. We have to give up on some of the better warding spots to save time, but I''m fine with that. Howard thought. As long as we don''t let them gain any momentum then it''s our win, easy as that. Even if Rosemary planned any funny business, then this arrangement would surely kill her plans in their infancy. And indeed, nothing unusual happened in the opening this time around. Everybody finished their warding, cleared the jungle camps, and headed to their respective lanes. So far, there was no sign of Rosemary trying anything funny.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Lets keep it that way. Howard asserted. I guess were going to play today a little more defensively than I originally planned, but that''s fine. As long as it nets us convincing wins, then it''s all good. Frankly, Howard had very different plans for today. He saw this scrim as an opportunity for StormBlitz to practice some offense for a change, seeing as their opponents were "amateurs". In particular, he wanted to use this occasion as an opportunity for Julia to gain more on-stage experience. Alas, Rosemary shut the door on that plan. She forced StormBlitz to take the game 100% seriously and stick to their usual defensive playstyle. It was a bit unfortunate. Following that mindset, Howard constantly instructed his troops on how to best reinforce their defenses throughout the game. He had no intention of leaving even the smallest crack in the teams formation this time around. "Roi, retreat to the tower," Howard ordered. "Their Jungler might be coming over there." "Gotcha!" Roi did as instructed and went back to his side of the lane. He was gonna lose on some precious farm but it was way better than getting his ass ganked, lol. A few moments later, a ward revealed Rosemary passing through the upper parts of Top Jungle. It really looked like she was planning to gank Top, but alas, the opportunity was denied. The question is, what will she do next? Howard wondered. She seems like the type who tries to capitalize on every little opportunity to the fullest. When things don''t go her way, she just finds something else to take advantage of. Rosemary was an absurdly efficient Jungler in that sense. It always felt like she chained one strong play into another, never taking a break. So, is she going to steal the wolves next? Howard wondered. Shes already come this far for the gank, so I''m sure she wants to put her current position to good use. In fact, it wasn''t an exaggeration to assume that Rosemary chose this particular time to go for a gank because the Wolf Camp was about to respawn. She probably had a ward around the camp to keep track of the respawn timing. Hmm. I can tell Roi to go over there and zone her out. Howard thought. But, is that worth it? No, it probably didn''t. It would easily develop into a dangerous 1v1, or even a 1v2 if Lady joins the fray in a timely fashion. In fact, Rosemary might be hoping to bait out that kind of defensive shot-call from Howard. She''s also a chess player, right? I''ve got some experience with those... Howard smiled wryly. These guys can think like ten turns ahead. It''s hard to keep up. Yuel often went for bait plays like these. He made it seem like there was an obvious answer to his attack, only for that answer to turn into misplay. This might be one of these occasions, so it was best to keep Roi safe and let Rosemary steal that farm uncontested. And indeed, this safe approach successfully played around the enemy''s ploy. So, they chose not to respond. Fiona concluded after verifying Hitters position. The man retreated to the tower and stayed there, showing no signs of moving in to protect his Wolf Camp. And, their Ninja is in Bot Jungle, so he cannot come over here on time, either. Fiona analyzed. So, the camp should be free for the taking. And so, Fiona proceeded to sweep the camp. She got to steal some farm and optimize her character''s growth, but she was not truly content with this outcome. Yet again, I was not able to bait a response out of them. Fiona frowned. It appears they are fully intent on playing this round defensively. After the previous game, StormBlitz must have had a wake-up call. They realized they could not be careless against Fiona as that would spell their doom. And so, this time around, they prioritized defense over everything else. Since they insist on not giving us any obvious openings, the burden lies on our team to push offense, but So far, none of the lanes was able to create the necessary momentum. In Bot, Karen and Lua failed to make a dent in the absolute defense of Aegis and Athena. Meanwhile, in Mid, Andria maintained her typical chill playstyle without trying to press offense. As for Top, things were... complicated. Vol.20 Ch.30: The Long Waiting Game "I intend to push this time!" Cornelia declared loudly. "This peasant has been trying my noble patience long enough! It''s time to show him his place!" "Fine, you may push a little," Fiona said. "But, do NOT under ANY circumstances approach the tower area. Retreat as soon as your soldiers make it into the zone." "Nonsense. I shall push in full throttle this time!" Cornelia insisted. "This commoner shall know my wrath!" "Cornelia von Galen. Please." It was not a request. It was an order. "B-But why!?" Cornelia demanded. "Every single time there is a great opportunity to teach this peasant a lesson, you tell me to retreat! I demand to know why!" "Because it is extremely dangerous," Fiona said matter-of-factly. "You are planning to venture into the territory of a skilled competitive player, who is no doubt prepared for the situation. Not to mention, StormBlitzs players seem to be trained at luring enemies to turn the tables on them." "So, this means what? Cornelia asked. Are we never going to attack them unless they come at us first? Excuse me, but that is absolute lunacy!" "I did not say we have to be that cautious," Fiona explained. "All I am saying is that we need better opportunities to initiate proper attacks. Optimally, it is better for two players to push a tower together. As it stands, it is too dangerous for you to venture that far alone." "Then, how about you join me on this noble endeavor? With our joint noble powers, we can destroy the enemy tower in one fell swoop! Thank you for the offer, but now is not a good time for this. Fiona was already on her way to Bot Jungle, so it was too late for that invitation. You keep saying its not a good time, Cornelia ranted. So, just when WILL it be a good time? Is that something thats going to occur in our lifetime? I assure you it will, eventually, Fiona promised. We just have to wait patiently for it. "Is it really something that''s going to happen if we just ''wait'' for it?" Cornelia doubted. "I say we must take the initiative to make it happen!" "That is correct, we will do it eventually," Fiona promised. "However, we need a better opportunity than this." "Is such an opportunity really going to ever present itself? We''re almost in the mid-game already!" "True, it is sure taking a while..." Fiona did not have a good counterargument here. She had yet to find any good opportunities to strike in the ten minutes that had already passed. I failed to gain an early lead this time around, so its been very difficult to get anything going. We do not have a proper queen piece to dominate the board. Having just one player with a lead could make all the difference. It allowed them to compensate for any lack of skill or experience they had compared to their opponents. That was how Fiona was able to overcome StormBlitz in the previous game despite her humble playtime, relatively speaking. In this game as well, there were many situations where Fiona could have gone for a better play if only she had more strength. Alas, she had to let these opportunities slide. As a result, the team was unable to get anything going. The longer this game drags out, the better the enemy''s position becomes. Fiona frowned. Once we reach the endgame, their Seraph will most definitely dominate the game. It will be checkmate. For StormBlitz, reaching the late-game was effectively their win condition. They took a risk by picking a Hyper Carry, but so far, it had been paying off. This is a difficult puzzle. Fiona frowned. I do not believe I have learned any strategies that can overturn a situation like this. It appears more studying is required. Surely, there had to be some established tactics to employ in situations like these. Alas, Fiona was not familiar with any that would be practical enough right here and now. With that said, one unconventional idea sprang to mind. There was one player in this competitive scene who often had to deal with similar situations: Yuel Fermond. Just as in chess, his "solutions" tend to be rough and inelegant. Fiona criticized. Nonetheless, he often delivers surprising results. The chess games in which Yuel Fermond defeated Fiona were good examples of instances where the man''s questionable tactics worked out for him. The irregular moves he made contradicted standard chess theory, yet they were effective at throwing Fiona off her game. And, it appears he brought over a similar line of thinking to Classmancers as well. Truly, such an irksome man.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. At times, Yuel Fermond looked like a genius. Other times, he came across as a fool chasing the impossible. Thus, it was difficult to use his tactics as examples of practical problem-solving. After all, utilizing peculiar plays required a peculiar mind. At the very least, I cannot bring myself to stray as far as he does from optimal game theory. It is simply unreasonable. For the most part, Yuel Fermond seemed to share the same sentiment. With all said and done, the vast majority of his plays followed game theory to a T. If he did not need any fancy tricks to beat his opponents, then he generally obeyed the meta. However, against truly strong opponents, Yuel Fermond sometimes deviated from the formula. He did that against Fiona in chess, and he did the same thing against the Leopards just recently. That was his solution for how to get wins when the odds were against him. Generally speaking, Fiona did not like abandoning the meta to resort to shaky experimental ideas. Nonetheless, given how victory was drifting farther and farther away with every passing moment, she could not help but ask herself: What would have Yuel Fermond done in Fiona''s shoes? Alas, she did not possess the same deviant mind that Yuel Fermond did. Thus, no brilliant idea struck her. Is this as far as we can go at our current level...? Fiona wondered. Frankly, that would not surprise me considering the individual skill level of each member. But, giving up without a fight is not in my nature. Besides, this was a practice match. The main goal of today was to throw everything the Valkyries had at the enemy in order to learn what worked and what needed polish. As such, giving up the fight just because it seemed hopeless was a terrible idea. "For now, let us continue at the same pace," Fiona told everybody. "As long as we do not fall behind, the enemy will have to show us an opening at some point." "Um, sis," Karen started. "I gotta say, theyre sure taking their sweet time with that whole showing an opening thing, haha...." "Indeed, I agree with the peasant for once," Cornelia said. "We''ve been playing it safe for far too long! When will we finally strike!?" "In due time, I assure you," Fiona repeated. "Even if you look at professional teams, there is none that can play a truly flawless game. As such, there will surely be openings, no matter how perfect the enemys defense looks right now." "I just hope it''s not gonna be too late, sis," Karen said. "I mean, they have Seraph and stuff. That''s like a ticking bomb for us, you know?" "Yes, I am aware, Fiona responded. Ideally, we need to strike down the Seraph at least once before the late-game to stall her progression." "Heh, alrighty!" Karen grinned. "So, you''re saying I should start attacking the Seraph right away, right? Right?" "I said nothing of the sort." Fiona shot down the suggestion on the spot. "With that said, I have been looking hard for gank opportunities in your area, but..." It was like a cruel irony. Seraph was the highest priority target and it was supposed to be more vulnerable than others in the earlier parts of the game, yet it was played by the most notoriously defensive player of StormBlitz. Not only is her defense airtight, but her baits are top-tier as well. Fiona thought. I cannot confidently go for every little opportunity that looks attractive. There is always the possibility it is bait. Even in the previous game, Athena was the one and only opponent Fiona failed to kill. Even Aegis fail at her hand once, but not Athena, not even once. To make things worse, there was just one time when Fiona came very close to scoring a kill... only for it to be revealed as bait. That one mistake almost led to Fionas death. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. Even I nearly committed such a grave mistake against her, so I dread to think what would happen if I ever let Karen or Cornelia fight Athena alone. Truly, she is such an irksome opponent now that I got to fight her in person. In the replays, Athena did not come across as a particularly impressive player. Her achievements generally did not stand out much when analyzing her matches. However, after Fiona fought the woman face-to-face, she realized just how tricky of a fox Athena was. Everything about her playstyle was designed to frustrate her opponents while fooling them into a false sense of security. Athena underplayed on purpose to make her opponents feel like they were much stronger than her. And, at the same time, she also played very defensively to prevent her foe from actually winning the fight. Together, these two factors built up a lot of frustration that ultimately baited the enemy into overextending. Frankly, even I started feeling agitated. Fiona admitted. I felt so sure I would get that kill, so it irked me to no end that the woman kept stalling me. That almost lured me into committing a grave overextension. Fortunately, right before that happened, Fiona came back to her senses. She reevaluated the board situation to check whether any shot-calls had to be made, and that was when she noticed odd positions of other enemies around the map. Or rather, the lack of visibility regarding their positions. Instead of defending lanes as they should have been doing, many opponents abandoned their posts and went elsewhere. But, where could they possibly have gone? Surely not to kill the Dragon or Overlord, that would be lunacy when they were so much behind. That was when Fiona realized that the enemys target was likely none other than Fiona herself. This allowed her to see through Athena''s bait at the very last moment and dodge the enemys gank. If her trickery worked so well against me, it would certainly be effective against Karen and Cornelia, too. Fiona thought. I cannot let them fight that trickster alone. "I will repeat this again," Fiona said. "Do not engage the Seraph by yourself, Karen. Athena is well aware she is an attractive target and she uses that fact to her advantage." "But sis, we gotta kill her eventually, right? So, when is it gonna happen?" "I will arrange a gank eventually, do not worry about it." That empty promise was the best Fiona could give her sister right now. When will the gank happen? How will Fiona prepare it? These questions were left up in the air. There was only uncertainty. The only thing I know is that it must eventually happen. The Seraph must be killed at least once. Fiona asserted. Besides, their Jungler is very cautious this time around, and their new Mid has a solid defense. So, we do not have any good alternatives to pursue. StormBlitz successfully enforced a status quo on the board state, one that was more beneficial for them. Could Fiona break through this stalemate in any way...? Vol.20 Ch.31: Cornelias Noble Charge! The match has already reached mid-game, yet the Valkyries have not scored a single kill yet. And, even though the same could be said about their foes, this stalemate was advantageous for StormBlitzs late-game comp. To make things worse, without any kills, Fiona could not build any momentum, neither for herself nor for the team. She failed to promote herself to a queen piece that could dominate the board. Of course, even without momentum, she made sure to frequently launch attacks. Alas, none of her attempts converted into kills. The Bot duo had such an unbreakable defense that it was depressing to even think about ganking them. Similarly, Adapting had virtually no openings to exploit. The man did not bite any of Andria''s baits and he always kept an eye on Fiona''s position. In the jungle, Average avoided all contact with Fiona when he was alone. The only times he showed a will to engage in combat was when he was around fellow laners. Realistically, Top was the lane where the Valkyries had the highest chance of making something happen. Hitter was a strong player but his defense wasnt as airtight as the others, so there was a chance to strike him down. Unfortunately, the enemy was clearly aware of that. As such, they made sure to reinforce Hitter''s defense by making Average frequently rotate to Top. In addition, it felt that Hitter retreated from the frontline more often than in the previous game, probably by Ageis''s orders. He knows Top is the weakest link in their defense, so makes sure to cover it. A very precise play, one that gives me no shortage of trouble. When even Top proved to be a difficult target to strike, just where was Fiona supposed to strike? How will she ever be able to get through that ironclad defense? And so, she kept thinking, and thinking, and thinking some more. The game went on and on, with the Valkyries achieving nothing of note while their foes were playing it safe. Meanwhile, time was slipping away "This is it! I''ve had enough!" Cornelia announced. "This peasant doesnt even take me seriously anymore! I shall strike him down, right here and now!" "Cornelia, this is not a favorable position for you," Fiona argued. "Hmph, but neither is it unfavorable. Their Ninja on the other side of the map, so there''s no way he can gank here." "I suppose that is true." "I knew it. As expected from my brilliant noble brain, ohohoho!" Cornelia puffed her chest. "So, as you can clearly see, this is the ideal chance for me to strike down this commoner once and for all! My noble might shall grant me victory!" "Except, you are forgetting one key factor." "Which is?" "Your opponent is Hitter, the most mechanically skilled player in StormBlitz." "Hmph, then I suppose I shall write his name on my noble resume. Ill record him as one of the notable foes I''ve crushed under my heel, ohoho!" this is like talking to a brick wall. Fiona sighed. I knew I had to appease this aggressive troublemaker at some point, but I did not have the opportunity to do so this entire match. Cornelia was like a dynamite. She has been an obedient piece until now, but an explosion was inevitable. As such, one of Fionas usual tasks was to act as the bomb defuser who prevented these regular explosions from occurring. Alas, she failed to execute her role this time around. An explosion was inbound. I shall strike him down! Cornelia announced loudly as she charged forth. First, she rammed her shield into the enemy swordsmen, pushing them toward the backline. Then, she unleashed her blade on the entire squad! Shield Bash into Blade Swing was the typical opening for Knight, but Fiona demanded Cornelia to restrict its usage. Even though it was the most optimal framing method, it also harbored risks a Viking could exploit. And, Hitter did not miss the opportunity. Hell yeah! Ive been waiting for this! Roi charged at his overextending opponent. Lol, it sure took the girl a while to use this setup again, but she finally did! You were right on the money, Ellen! I told you, patience gets rewarded~ Well, it sure took a damn while. Girl was patient as heck this time around, lol. Honestly, Roi was losing hope about GoldenLady ever using Shield Bash + Blade Swing this game. It felt like she received orders from above not to use this combo ever, except for the rare times when Roi was totally unprepared to intercept it. So, as the game went on, Roi stopped expecting anything from Lady. It became less and less likely shed do anything wild again like in the last game. But then, a couple of minutes ago, Ellen advised Roi to change up his approach. She speculated that, despite how things seemed, Lady was approaching her boiling point. Therefore, a misplay was imminent. Naturally, Roi took that advice with a grain of salt because to him that didnt seem like the case at all. But, with that said, Ellen was the pro at reading the opponents emotional state, so her analysis was worth taking into consideration. And so, ever since Roi received that advice, he slowed down his attacks and started watching Lady more carefully.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. For a while, there was no sign of any misplays coming. As time went by, he almost gave up on the whole thing. However, Ellen insisted her hypothesis was correct. She even advised Dan to use his clone in a more-than-likely warded area to fake out the enemy. Supposedly, that was going to bait the enemy into ganking Top. And, here it is! Roi tackled the overextending female Knight and pushed her to the ground. If this were a movie, then this scene wouldve been misinterpreted as some sexual assault, lol. But, Rois intentions were totally pure here. All he wanted was to kick this girls ass! Actually, that also sounded kinda bad, lol. Anyway, here we go! Roi tossed the chick deeper into his territory. Were about to have some fun, girl! He dashed after the flying target and swung his axe! WHISH! A clean hit! And, another one! WHISH! Roi was on a roll! His opponent seemed completely stupefied by the sudden development. "S-Such a barbarian assault!" Cornelia ranted. "Do you even know who you''ve just tossed around, you lowly peasant!?" "I believe I warned you this might happen," Fiona criticized. "This was the reason I did not want you to advance too much against him." "Hmph, this is but a flesh wound!" Cornelia insisted. "This commoner sure has guts for going up against me, I will give him that." "Cornelia, it is in your best interests to retreat-" "I shall repay him in kind!" "Oh no..." Fiona already knew where this was going. Corenlia''s aggressive tone was a clear indication that Fiona had lost all control over this chess piece. With her noble pride in shatters, Cornelia disregarded all advice and retaliated against the offender. She was not going to let the assaulter get away with this! "Learn your place, commoner!" Cornelia mounted her Noble Steed and charged forth at her foe! Everything about this situation is wrong. Fiona criticized. She is using her best escape tool for combat. This is not how it should be Noble Steed was an excellent escape tool, one of the best in the game. It allowed Knight to make a speedy escape from any situation However, for the better and the worse, this ult could also be used offensively. Cornelia swapped her sword for a lance and charged straight at her opponent! While on the move, she thrust her lance at the approaching Viking. Alas, the man sidestepped the assault at the last moment. "W-What!?" Cornelia drove right past her target, like a charging bull that failed to hit the matador. To make things worse, Hitter did not miss the opportunity to strike the horse''s side during the charge. WHAM! The axe cut across the horse, delivering damage to Cornelia herself. This was yet another problem with this mounted mode. Her hurtbox is very large like this. Fiona thought. On top of that, she cannot stop the horse from charging, so she must fight while constantly on the move. This is not suitable for prolonged combat. In the pro scene, some players fought splendidly while riding their steed. They used the faster movement speed and the increased reach of the lance to harass their opponent. However, such displays of combat skill rarely happened in 1v1 situations. It was far easier to drive through a group of enemies than to repeatedly strike one target while on the move. But, such logical arguments will not help convince Cornelia, not in her current state. Fiona knew that all too well from experience. Now that the ult is already cast, all I can do is advise her on how to utilize it best for this situation. "Cornelia, make sure to sweep through enemy minions as you pass through them." "Hmph, but of course!" Cornelia swung her lance horizontally as she approached the enemy army. Her previous attack failed to land on the main target, so she was going to make up for it by utterly demolishing the enemys entire battalion! Fortunately, the swordsmen and bowmen were neatly packed right now. As such, it was easy enough to strike all of them in one noble swoop! And, of course, Cornelia planned to do all of this from the start. After all, she was a noble of unmeasurable intellect and skill, ohoho! However, Fiona was not convinced. I suspect she did not consider that play even for a moment before I spoke up. When she gets like this, she becomes unbelievably tunnel-visioned. For Cornelia, Hitter was the only target that existed right now. She must have filtered out everything around her as noise. That is not the correct mindset while fighting in the lane. Fiona criticized. At least half the battle is decided by how well a player manages the minions. Alas, Cornelia was not thinking about any of that right now. She only sought blood. All the pent-up frustration from the start of the game was now coming to the surface. Is it possible to get over there in time to save her? Fiona analyzed the distance. She was currently in the upper half of Bot Jungle, so rotating to Top before the battle concluded was not entirely impossible If I spend my ultimate, I can make it. Fiona concluded. But, is it worth it? Vampire could use Night Hunt to move faster toward the destination. However, this flight skill was not as impressive as Seraph''s ult. It did not let the player fly at a high altitude, so it was not easy to cross through the jungle. Not to mention, the brief duration of Night Hunt was not suitable for crossing long distances. And, even if she were to get to the scene before the fight concluded, what will she be able to achieve there? Without her ult to pin the enemy down, she would not have any overwhelming tools at her disposal. Not to mention, Top Jungle is empty. Fiona checked every jungle camp she had a vision of. All of them were currently on cooldown and none will respawn anytime soon. Everything tells me this would be a terrible misplay. Fiona concluded. However, the one and only major benefit I might reap from this is ensuring Corenlia''s survival, which is definitely valuable. If Cornelia dies in this play, she will give the enemy a lot of momentum to push the tower. At that point, the status quo of the game will be broken. It sounded like a trivial commonplace occurrence, but it would have big implications for the future of this game. We are already in the mid-game, so big swings in momentum can be fatal. Fiona reasoned. Not to mention, it will be the end of us if a late-game team seizes the momentum before we do. Truly, the fate of the entire game was hanging in the balance due to Cornelias rash play. The girl was clearly not aware of the fatal implications of her actions. With that said, it is not guaranteed she will die without my intervention. Fiona thought. I can guide her hand through shot-calling to increase her odds of survival. Such is the job of the shot-caller. As an outsider to this fight, Fiona looked at the situation more rationally than the involved players. This allowed her to provide better advice. Alas, it was up to Cornelia to decide whether she would follow any of it... Vol.20 Ch.32: Noble vs. Commoner "Have at you!!" Cornelia charged at her opponent once more. This time, she was going to impale that sinner her noble might! WHISH! The silver lance cut through the air like a bullet! It was headed straight into the target''s vitals! Hmph, can you dodge it this time? With this noble momentum I have!? I dare you! Unlike the previous attack, Cornelia delivered this thrust from peak speed. There was simply no way this commoner would be able to sidestep it! And indeed, the man did not sidestep it. Nonetheless, the attack missed his vitals. "Wha-!?" Cornelia exclaimed. "You coward...!" Instead of sidestepping, Hitter rolled away! The nerve of this peasant! "Come here and receive your punishment like a man!" Cornelia drove right past her target again. To make things worse, she had to travel quite a distance due to inertia. Truly, it was unfortunate this noble steed could ever come to a halt. It was like driving a speeding car without any brakes. On paper, Cornelia liked the idea of charging nonstop. However, it felt terrible when her attacks missed and she needed to do a course correction. This time. Cornelia asserted. This time, I shall impale you for sure! This was likely Corenlia''s last chance to get anything done before Noble Steed expired. Therefore, she concentrated her everything on this one final attack! "I suggest you skip Hitter and focus on his minions," Fiona said. "They are already at death''s door, so you can finish them off with another sweep." "Hrm, that does sound doable, yes." Cornelia nodded. "However, I must reject that suggestion! My top priority is Hitter! I must smite him down!" "Listen, you will have a much better chance of winning this fight if you eliminate his minions first." "Hmph. At that point, he will simply retreat," Cornelia argued. "This is not the outcome I''m looking for." "Yes, he will retreat and you will get to push the lane. Is that not a great outcome?" "It is nice indeed, but a noble should not be satisfied with that," Cornelia asserted. "It is essential to thoroughly rip this man to shreds and teach him his place, once and for all!" Clearly, it was too late to present any further arguments. Cornelia was already locked on her target. SWISH! She drove forward while thrusting her lance! This time, Hitter made no attempt to dodge. Without Dodge Roll, he must have deemed it futile. Ohoho! Did my noble might faze you? Cornelia grinned as she successfully delivered her strike. Accept your punishment, heretic! The lance pierced through the man''s chest. Combined with the momentum of the horse''s dash, the attack looked beyond fatal! In real life, an assault like this would have impaled the Viking like barbeque. Alas, the game didn''t replicate such realism. Cornelia''s lance simply went through the target, then she continued riding onward. It was rather anticlimactic but it served its purpose as punishment. To make it even more disappointing, Cornelia was hit in the process. Hitter unleashed Throw Axe, sticking his barbarin weapon right into Cornelias noble face! "Agh, the nerve of this peasant...!" Cornelia ranted under her breath. Hmph, it seems he hasnt learned his lesson yet. This calls for another round of punishment! Alas, the noble steed expired shortly after Cornelia struck her target. Furthermore, the horse carried her deep into her side of the lane as if worried about her safety, so now Cornelia found herself a fair distance away from her target. What a shame.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. However, that didnt remain the case for long. Though Cornelia had no means of quickly closing the distance to her opponent, the Viking did possess such a tool and decided to use it right away. BLINK! Gotcha, lol! Roi used Axe Blitz and appeared right in front of Lady. C''mon, let''s continue where we left! He activated Unstoppable Raid, calling on a bunch of savage pirates to his aid. Now, Roi and the bois were about to wreak some serious havoc! This development caught the enemy completely off-guard. The poor girl failed to respond to it, lol. "W-Wha!?" Cornelia exclaimed. "Y-You damn rebel...!" A gang of filthy scoundrels appeared before Cornelia, blocking the path to her tower. She wasn''t even thinking about retreating until now, but suddenly the enemy removed the option entirely from the table! "Cornelia, I hope you do not plan to engage in further combat here," Fiona said. "You must run past them and return to the tower." "Are you telling me to surrender against these intruders!?" Cornelia gritted her teeth. Despite her bravado, she was fully aware she messed up. This wasn''t the kind of position she expected to find herself in. The worst part was that Cornelia didn''t have any tools in her arsenal to deal with this sudden development. She had already exhausted her Shield Bash and Noble Steed, so the only skill left at her disposal was Honorable Duel, a taunt. All of them are already focused on me, so what good will it do to taunt them further? Cornelia gritted her teeth as she circled around the enemy mob. Without any defensive tools, she was forced to endure an onslaught of attacks. WHISH! WHAM! BAM! The scoundrels assaulted her without holding back. They slashed her with unrefined blades, hacked with rusty axes, and struck with cracked maces. Each of these primitive attacks tainted Cornelia''s noble body. It was absolutely disgusting. So, considering these circumstances, there was definitely no point in aggroing the minions any further. They were already 101% focused on Cornelia at this point, so further taunting was unnecessary. However, Fiona disagreed. "Use your taunt. It will buff your defense." "Oh, right, the buff! I-I mean, of course I knew that!" Cornelia proclaimed. "A noble such as myself would never forget that Honorable Duel buffs defense, ohoho!" "Then please use it." "Without further ado!" Cornelia cast the taunt skill, making her Knight provoke the enemy gang. Let us fight honorably! the Knight shouted so, but clearly, there wasn''t going to be a shred of honor in this fight. These filthy barbarians were ganging up on Cornelia! Cowards! What about my own minions? Cornelia glanced behind her. Hmph, what a useless lot. Since Cornelia and Hitter both used mobility skills, they left all the minions in the dust. The entire pack was still in the middle of chasing the players, too far away to help Cornelia in any meaningful way. It appears that retreat is the only option. Cornelia bit her lip. Ugh, so shameful! From such a strong opening, the situation was reduced to such an inelegant mess. How did Cornelia let it happen!? Nonetheless, on the von Galen name, I swear this: you will not get any kills here! Cornelia rolled forward, dodging all the barbarian attacks in the process. Her tower wasn''t that far away and she still had over 70% HP, so there was no reason to worry. At least, not unless something VERY unexpected were to happen. Alright, Im almost there! A couple more steps and Cornelia will safely reach her tower area. This is just a tactical retreat, mind you. In the next wave, Ill strike you twice as hard! She promised as much while she set foot in the safe zone. However, just as she was about to fully retreat to her territory, two arms wrapped around her from behind! Wha-!? One moment, Cornelia was about to enter her tower area. Then, the very next second, she was flying high in the air! W-Where did he come from-!? Cornelias brain, as noble as it was, failed to process this absurd development. How could this be!? The one who launched her high into the air was none other than Average, the enemy Ninja! But, how could he be here!? He shouldve been all the way down in Bot Jungle! However, it turned out to be a ploy. Evidently, Average wasnt in Bot like the ward suggested. Now, thanks to this surprise attack, Cornelia found herself spinning high in the air along with Average. And, once they reached the peak, it was time to go down! It was like a rollercoaster, except it wasnt designed for the customers fun. To make matters worse, the Ninja had some control regarding the landing spot. He couldnt move too far from the starting point, but he could offset it a little. So, what did the sneaky peasant do with this feature? Of course, he dragged Cornelia away from her tower area! The nerve of this plebian! BAM! Cornelia crashed into the ground. Not only was her Knight dazed by the strong impact, but she was also a bit far from the tower again. Agh, such insolence! Cornelia retaliated verbally because it was the only thing she could do in this situation. How dare you!? You deserve to be hanged for this, all of you! But, the scoundrels didnt care for the nobles wrath. They ganged up on the defenseless Cornelia and ripped her to shreds. WHISH! STAB! WHAM! BAM! This wasnt a fight, it was an execution. You have been killed! Vol.20 Ch.33: Luring the Hungry Kittens You have been killed! T-This cant be Cornelia hung her head. Why? How? This is why I told you to not make any hasty moves, Fiona said. Extending into enemy territory with Shield Bash is always risky, especially against a Viking. B-But, I Cornelia tried to find something to say, but she simply couldnt. There was nothing convincing she could possibly say here. This entire situation was essentially her fault, she had to admit as much. B-But, where did that Ninja even come from!? Cornelia ranted. Fiona, even you didnt see him coming, did you? No, I did not. His involvement caught me off guard as well, Fiona admitted. The Ninja we saw in Bot must have been a clone that was sent to throw us off. Ugh! Such cheap peasant tricks! Cornelia gritted her teeth. Why do I deserve any of this!? All I wanted was to finally get something going in this slog of a game The game was progressing in a chill manner on the surface, but surely everybody in the Valkyries understood that the situation was terrible. The enemy had a Hyper-Carry in Seraph, so they were going to win for sure if things continued to drag out in this manner. Thus far, Fiona failed to come up with a solution to this status quo. Therefore, as a fellow noble, Cornelia was obligated to do something about this. And so, she tried! But, it proved harder than expected. Their opponents today were strong and shrewd, just like the Leopards. B-But, they''re just peasants in the end! Cornelia tried to convince herself. Surely, we can put them in their place as long as we keep trying...! Alas, things only went from bad to worse after that. Corenlia''s death fueled StormBlitzs momentum, which only escalated further and further as the game went on. Before long, the Valkyries found themselves in an unwinnable position. Everything went downhill just as Fiona predicted. I knew Cornelia was making a critical play without realizing it. Fiona sighed. In a stale game like this, the first to gain momentum had a huge advantage. To make things worse, the timing at which StormBlitz gained momentum coincided with the beginning of mid-game. This brief transition phase often involved chaos as the game shifted from lanes to team fights. It was all too common for unfortunate accidents to happen there, usually in the favor of whoever had the lead at the time. An ally has been killed! "Ah, it appears I messed up" Andria said. "My apologies." "It was not entirely your fault, the enemy played well," Fiona said. "They caught you isolated in the middle of that rotation. Of course, you could have played it safer by taking the longer route, but that would have been suboptimal in its own right, so there was no perfect solution either way." Of course, that did not mean Andria''s death was unavoidable. She would have certainly survived if she had done a better job at fending off the surprise attack. However, at her current skill level, especially when compared to StormBlitzs, that was an acceptable outcome. I will make sure to train her plenty for situations like these after the game is over. Fiona took a mental note. For now, I would rather have everybody focus on the game without losing their fighting spirit. The previous scrimmage made Fiona wary of criticizing her teammates too harshly during the game. It was like a snowball once the team started losing. Everything crumbled down. I must make sure we will not fall into the same vicious cycle again. Fiona asserted. If the team loses morale, then defeat will be assured. As such, Fiona toned down her doses of criticism and made sure to remind the team that their opponent was StormBlitz, the second-strongest team in the region. With that in mind, small misplays like these could be tolerated. Unfortunately, this positive mindset did not help to salvage the situation. Things continued to go from bad to worse for the Valkyries until the game inevitably reached its deadline: the late-game. DEFEAT And, this was only the beginning. A similar scenario repeated itself in the third game as well. It started off on a slow note, just like the second game. StormBlitz played safe during the early stages, not giving the Valkyries any opportunities to build momentum. Then, out of the blue, an opportunity appeared! Or, at least, that was how it seemed. "Hey, we can totally kill this bitch!" Karen realized. "C''mon, Lua! Let''s do it before that freakin'' Druid comes back!" Um, Im not sure about this Lua adjusted her glasses. It might be a trap. Naaaah, what kind of trap can it even be? Karen asked. Shes hella injured. Weve got this! "O-Okay!" Lua followed her partner''s lead despite the hesitation. Athena was currently alone in the lane, with only 40% HP to boot. This was a great chance to strike down that sly fox and finally get some lane advantage! "C''mon, go go go!" Karen slid forward with Trickslide and fired a shot! She swapped Impaler for Trickshooter for this game to make a change, and it was now going to pay off! While Karen was sliding, Lua blinked in and cast Ice Wall. It just so happened that Cryomancer was a great Support for both Impaler and Trickshooter, so Lua''s pick remained the same this time as well. WHISH! The Ice Wall successfully cut off Athenas escape path. She now had to circle around that big wall to get back to her tower. Basically, she was as good as trapped! The classic follow-up for this play was for Lua to freeze the target with Ice Coffin, but the enemy saw it coming. My, how aggressive~ Ellen rolled aside, dodging the icy breath of Ice Coffin. You still get an A for effort, sweeties. With this one roll, Ellen dodged both the Trickshooters sliding shot and the Cryomancers CC. Seriously, just how good was she at this game? She even scared herself sometimes~ But, that didnt faze the aggressive kittens. This opening attack was just the appetizer as far as they were concerned. It seemed like they were planning to go all in with this attack, probably aiming for a kill. Such cute naivety~ Their next attack came out immediately. Its time for a trick show! The Trickshooter announced out loud. The phrase made Ellen shudder for a moment. This sure brings back a lot of bad memories Ellen smiled wryly. But, this is not Larsy Im fighting right now, so its fine. Lavy is like a greenhorn compared to him, so this is going to be fun~ With Trickshow activated, Lavender was now able to spam Trickshots and Trickslides to her hearts content. Clearly, she was about to unleash a relentless nonstop assault! But, was the girl actually going to hit anything with her shots? Itll be interesting to watch~ Lets go! Karen shouted. Ill kill your ass! She slid forth again and fired a Trickshot at the nearby jungle wall. And, without even confirming whether that bouncing shot was going to hit anybody, Karen immediately fired another Trickshot toward the Ice Wall. There was no cooldown for the skill at the moment, so she gonna spam it! After all, thats what Trickshow was all about. For the third Trickshot, Karen aimed at the jungle entrance. This shot probably wasnt going to bounce in any meaningful way from this angle, but maybe itll at least scare Athena a little and discourage her from fleeing into the jungle.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. In fact, none of Karens shots were guaranteed to hit. She didnt have the time to carefully aim them. It was a random bullshit go! moment, thats essentially what Trickshow boiled down to. If they hit, awesome! If not, at least I get to control space. That was Karens Trickshow. As far as she was concerned, the main idea behind this ult was to aggressively seize control over the battle. Landing all these Trickshots was a secondary priority compared to that. Imma start hitting actual shots once I get closer. Karen slid forth yet again, drawing ever closer to her target. Soon enough, shell be able to unleash Trickshot right in Athenas face! But, that turtly girl was pretty good. She carefully retreated toward the jungle while dodging all the bouncing shots coming her way. Dang, nothing connected? Not a single one of them? Karen grumped. She was sure at least one of her warning shots would hit the mark, but Athena skipped past all the bullets like they were a childs play. Damn, I hate her guts, but I gotta admit that her moves are smooth. Karen thought. Its like she was born ready for situations like this. Most opponents got at least a little fazed by the sheer amount of Trickshots Karen unleashed. However, Athena didnt care at all. Its as if this was a daily routine for her. And, in a way, it was. My, such amateur shots~ Ellen shook her head. Is this the best you can do? How sad. This is nothing compared to the horrors Larsy put me through. Spamming a bunch of poorly aimed Trickshots during Trickshow was pretty much the industry standard. Thats how most Trickshooter players usually went about it, especially online. They prioritized quantity over quality, which was somewhat justified considering the entire point behind the ult was to eliminate CD. But, Larsy was different from these amateurs. He did unleash a barrage of Trickshots, but his shots were perfectly aimed. Some of them even bounced twice or thrice and still hit the target. It was pure hell. To deal with that nightmare, Ellen practiced lots of recommended countermeasures. Admittedly, she still hadnt yet figured out how to fully neutralize Lars overwhelming Trickshow, but at least she reached the point where every other players Trickshow was like childs play for her So, naturally, Lavender''s mediocre Trickhow was a nonissue. Ellen safely slipped into the jungle without being hit by a single bullet. It was all about maintaining composure against berserkers like these. Unfortunately, Ellen wasn''t a superhuman, so she couldn''t dodge everything that flew her way. The enemy Cryomancer was also shooting her at the same time and some of the icicles struck home. To make things worse, these pesky little hits applied Frostbite, slowing Ellen down. She was quite the damsel in distress right now~ Fortunately, Seraph had this one little trick called Self-Nullification. Ellen activated it to remove all the slowdown from herself. Now, she was back to running at full speed again! Yay! However, using Self-Nullification came at a tiny little cost. Ellen could not use any skills for the next few seconds, which fortunately wasnt a big issue in this particular case. My leap is on cooldown and I can''t use my ult yet, so I''m not losing anything here. Ellen reasoned. But, I guess I''m also not gaining much, either. Not sure I''ll be able to put the buff to good use before it expires, but we''ll see. In exchange for sealing all other skills, Self-Nullification granted Seraph a major boost in Attack Power and Attack Speed. However, since Ellen was on the run here, she couldn''t properly utilize any of that at the moment. The only immediate benefit was the cleansing of the slowness debuff that allowed Ellen to run at full speed. But, the two pursuers were nonetheless hot on her trail. These little beasties must''ve been quite bloodthirsty. At 35% HP, Ellen must''ve looked like a very appetizing meal right now~ And, considering how hard we clapped them in the previous game, I''m sure they''re dying to get some kills. Ellen smiled cutely. It''s so fun to make them feel like they have a chance here, only to tear them to shreds all over again~ The enemy must have thought they had complete control over the situation, but their arrogance would be their downfall, as Ellen had already planned her counterattack a couple of steps in advance. "Remember, Danny," Ellen said. "We have to take out their Shooter first." "Duh," Dan responded. "Don''t worry. Even though I''m coming from this direction, I plan to ignore their Cryo and go straight after the Shooter." "Good boy~" Like in the previous game, Dan was playing a class with stealth. However, instead of Ninja, it was Drow this time. Somehow, he was turning into the Dan-of-all-Stealths today. He had already cloaked his appearance a few seconds ago, so he was in the middle of approaching the scene undetected. Even if there were any wards along his path, none of them could spot him unless they were Stealth Wards, which was unlikely this early into the game. Meanwhile, Ellen did her part by dragging the unsuspecting prey closer and closer to their doom. Lavender and Nike chased her faithfully like good girls. They had no idea what was waiting for them just ahead~ "Hi there," Dan greeted his partner in crime as he passed by. For a moment there, it looked as if he was going to target the Cryomancer. But, of course, Danny knew better than that. He dashed right past Nike and waited for Lavender to catch up. "Surprise!" Dan pulled out a black dagger and stabbed Lavender''s flank! It was a clean hit and a hefty one at that! Cursed Dagger was practically Drow''s ultimate. This bad boy dealt heavy damage, as well as poisoned and crippled the target. It was unquestionably Drow''s most fearsome weapon and Dan just landed it like a champ! As soon as he started the attack, Ellen switched her gears. She dropped the pretense of helpless prey and became a confident predator. The girl was quite the actor. "My, my, look how the tables have turned~" Ellen shot arrows of light at the injured Lavender. Of course, each of her arrows struck home. A moment ago, she was a damsel in distress. Now, she instilled dread in her foes. How lovely~ As if to contrast Ellen''s pure white arrows, Dan fired jet-black bolts from his crossbow. Combined, a barrage of black and white arrows drilled holes in Lavender from both sides! Naturally, the poor little girlie must have found herself rather confused by this sudden development~ "W-What the fuck!?" Karen cursed. "Who invited you, bastard!?" That freaking damn Drow was not welcome here! Where did he even come from!? Goddammit! Karen and Lua were supposed to make quick work of Athena and then return to the lane. But instead, this shit happened. And, that bitch started shooting me right away! Karen gritted her teeth as white arrows pierced her side. It''s like they had this planned all along! Was this bitch leading us by the nose the entire time!? Karen and Lua thought they were chasing an injured prey, but it turned out to be a fox that was plotting a counterattack all along! Goddammit! First, Ive gotta roll to a better position... except, I fucking can''t! Karen mashed the Shift button but it did nothing! Why!?!? Oh, right! That damn dagger has a cripple, right? Freaking hell! Karen didnt want to admit it but she was in a very vulnerable situation right now. She didnt have any skills at her disposal, and she couldnt even use her Dodge Roll either. So, what the hell was she supposed to do in this position? Could she somehow escape from this sandwich or arrows?! Nah, theres no escape, is there? Karen cracked a dry laugh. Looks like this is a kill-or-die situation. Well, works for me! Instead of wasting time thinking about retreating, Karen pointed her gun at Athena. BAM! Lua, focus Athena! Lets just kill this bitch like we originally planned! B-But, what about the Drow? Ignore that bastard, pretend like he doesnt exist. Once we kill Athena, we can double-team the Drow afterward. I-Is that really fine? Lua felt her glasses slipping off her nose from the stress the situation was causing. There was just too much anxiety to handle here! Was there nobody to guide them in this moment of darkness!? Fortunately, there was somebody to show them the light. It was none other than the captain, the renowned Landberht Princess. Karen, you should continue attacking. Heck yeah! Karen nodded. I knew youll understand, sis! However, Lua, you better retreat. Eh? Lua blinked. Say WHAAAAAAT!? Karens jaw dropped. But sis, we gotta double team Athena! You will not kill her in time even if you combine forces, Fiona explained. The Drow has not spent his ultimate yet, so he can stun you any moment. Unless you pull off a miracle, this is most certainly a lost battle. Well, Karen said. Its gonna be that much harder to pull off that miracle if Lua leaves me behind! However, if she stays, both of you will likely die. Is that what you want? Naaaaah, weve just gotta kill Athena first and then well win the whole fight. Easy! Cmon, lets do this, Lua! No, Fiona asserted. Retreat, Lua. I-I Lua found herself sandwiched between two overwhelming forces. Whose advice should she follow in this case!? There was no time to choose! As usual, Fionas advice sounded most logical. It was probably the correct course of action, but it sounded so very cruel! I mean, how can I abandon Karen like that!? Shes my savior! I have to help her out! If not for Karen, Lua would have remained all alone in the dark corner of the classroom, bullied by her peers and noticed by nobody. It was only thanks to Karens intervention that Lua got out of that dire reality and found real friends. Therefore, Lua absolutely couldnt abandon her savior! No matter how logical or correct Fionas advice was, in the heat of the moment, Lua had no choice but to trust her heart! I-Im sorry, but Ill stay! Lua announced so as she shot an icicle at Athena. T-Theres still a chance we can kill her first, right? So, we should try it! Atta girl! Karen grinned. Yeah, forget all that lame shit about retreating. Were going all in! Y-Yes! Is that so Fiona said nothing more. She delivered her advice in time to salvage the situation, yet the endangered soldiers on the field refused to heed it. It was unfortunate. On paper, it was true that Karen and Lua had a chance to dispatch Athena by joining forces. However, clearly Athena was the one who orchestrated that entire situation. So, was she really going to give the enemy a chance to turn the tables on her? Vol.20 Ch.34: Athenas Bait Karen and Lua chose to fight against Athena and Average instead of heeding Fiona''s advice. It was definitely a suboptimal decision but there was a faint chance they would make it work. "You''re toast, bitch!" Karen barraged Athena with bullets. She completely ignored the fact that the Drow was behind her. Her only target was the foxy Seraph. Likewise, Lua also fired her icicles at Athena and Athena alone. The duo''s sole goal was to take down that Carry ASAP! But, the enemy didnt take this aggression lying down. Average drilled Karen from behind with black bolts while Athena attacked her from the front. Basically, it was a race to see who''d take out the other''s Carry first! Oh, my roll is finally back! Karen noticed that the pesky cripple status finally expired. Now, she could roll out of this sticky situation and maybe make a break for it. Nah, its pointless. Karen dismissed the thought and continued shooting. I bet that damn Drow is just gonna push me back with his ult. He''s standing over there on purpose. After stabbing Karen in the back, Average actually distanced himself a little. He was now a couple of steps behind her, probably expecting her to roll in that direction. And, if she were to do it, he''d smack her back with Force of Rejection. So, let''s not do that. Karen thought. Instead, I can do this! She rolled, but not in the direction Average expected her to. Instead of trying to escape, Karen went all in by rolling at Athena! And, in the process, she also distanced herself from Average. Two birds with one stone, easy! Ha! That''s what you get for stalking me from behind, stupidface! With this roll, Karen put herself outside the Drow''s attack range. The idiot reaped what he sowed, he now had to waste time on getting closer to Karen again. Outplayed like a fool! But, that dumbass doesn''t matter right now. Karen shifted her focus back to the primary target. Athena was on the brink of death at 20% HP, but she was still very much alive. She''s like a damn cockroach! Karen ranted. She was at like 40% when we started and we only damaged her this much. What the actual fuck? Seriously, what was going on? Athena''s combat skills were hardly "impressive". Karen was supposed to mop the floor with that fox! But, bitch keeps dodging shit! And, she also somehow messes up my flow. Karen ranted. I just keep failing to confirm shots that I should have no problem confirming. Many things were odd about the way Athena played. Its not like she did anything outstanding per se, but somehow her movements were dodgy and shifty. One moment, it looks like she''s backpedaling, but then she suddenly shoots! Other times, it feels like she''s planning to go all in, but then she doesnt! It doesnt make any sense! It was like dealing with a cockroach. The damn thing just refused to die! In the time it took to bring Athenas HP from 40% to 20%, Karen fell from 70% to a whopping 20%! From a completely advantageous position, the whole fight came down to the wire! And, her damn wings are charged up now... Karen gulped. This might be where it ends. There were four white angelic wings popping out of the Seraph''s back. This meant Athena finished charging up her passive. Now, the bitch''s next four attacks will come out at lightning speed! Crap. Karen started sweating. There''s no way she would have been able to sidestep that shit even if she were a pro player. The barrage was gonna be insanely fast! However, there was one way to tank the entire thing. "Lua, ult me!" Karen shouted. "Y-Yes, right away!" Lua cast Cryo-Freeze on her partner, locking Karen inside thick ice. This should keep her safe for the entire onslaught. Alas, it was naive to think this would solve all their problems. WHISH! A white beam of light pierced Lua''s chest! Then, not even a split second later, another WHISH! A black bolt stabbed her side! "E-Eh!?" Lua jumped. "T-They''re targeting me now!?" In a way, this was inevitable, considering Karen was invulnerable right now. Still, the enemy shifted gears way too quickly! It''s like they knew exactly when Lua was going to cast Cryo-Freeze and mentally prepared in advance. "W-Wah!" Lua was so startled she struggled to properly aim at Athena. T-Take this! She tried to retaliate but her icicle shot was completely off the mark. Athena didn''t even have to do any sophisticated to dodge this one. WHISH! WHISH! The enemy duo assaulted Lua again! She was on the chopping block here. Her HP dropped from 100% to 80% in a matter of seconds. "Damn, seriously...!?" Karen gritted her teeth. Theyre gonna run all over her at this rate! Its like theyve been waiting for this! Seriously, the enemys adaptation was stupidly fast. They switched targets in a split millisecond. It was insane! Or, maybe its because its Lua? I swear girl has a talent for getting herself into trouble, haha Karen laughed dryly in a weak attempt to liven up her spirits. Hint: It didnt work. The situation was far too dire. Okay, so, what do we actually do next? Karen knotted her brows. Do I tell Lua to cancel the freeze so I can rejoin the fight? But, then theyll just switch back to me, right? Ugh It was so frustrating. The goal was right in front of them, damn it! Athena was below 20%. It should take like 3~4 more hits to finish off that bitch. It was supposed to be so easy! And yet, even with Karen and Luas strengths combined, they struggled to seal the deal. Maybe sis was right about and Lua shouldve retreated instead Karen bit her lip. Actually, who am I kidding? Of course sis was right. Shes always right. I was just stubborn because I wanted this kill so badly. I mean, it looked so easy to confirm! They came so close. Their target was almost dead. So, why? Why couldnt they just finish the job!? Why was it so hard to kill this damn cockroach!? That frigging Athena didnt even seem that good at the game, yet it was so frustratingly hard to finish her off! While Karen was racking her brain about what to do next, the enemy duo screwed Lua from both sides. In a matter of seconds, they delivered more than 8 shots on her! During all this time, Karen was locked away inside a block of ice, unable to aid her brutalized friend in any way. It was maddening!This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I should be out there, fighting alongside her! But Karen knew all too well whatd happen the moment she stepped outside. At her current HP, shed be no better than a dead man walking. The enemy duo would finish her off in an instant. Therefore, it was probably better to stay put in this ice block and recover some HP. But, every second she spent inside the ice was another second during which the enemy tore Lua to shreds. It was painful to watch, and no doubt painful for Lua to go through. I-I have to run! Luas self-preservation instincts kicked in. Her HP dropped to almost 10%, which put her in a critical range. She had to get away ASAP! At this point, it was clear that she would not be able to strike Athena down. She somehow managed to bring that foxs HP down to 15%, but thats the most she could achieve. This was a good time to call it quits. I-Ill retreat, Lua informed as she activated her Dodge Roll, evading the incoming shots while simultaneously creating distance from the two assailants. Yeah, I also think you better run at this point Karen twisted her lips in annoyance. I dont see us achieving anything here at this point. I-Im sorry Meh, its not your fault. These guys are just too freakin good at this shit. I wasnt expecting them to do us in like that. In this particular play, Karen really felt the experience gap between her and StormBlitzs players. It was almost like greenhorns challenging veterans. And to think that Im actually one of the veterans compared to the rest of the club. Karen thought. Seriously, how are we supposed to beat opponents who are so many years ahead of us? Thats just impossible At least, the duo avoided the worst-case scenario of double death. Lua smoothly slipped out of the area with 5% HP remaining. It was quite the feat. If there was one thing Lua excelled at more than anybody else, it was definitely self-preservation. The girl was on deaths door but she was very much alive. Shed probably even beat Athena at Survival Olympics. The enemy needed like 1 or 2 more hits to finish her off, so it wouldve made sense for them to chase her all the way. But, neither Athena nor Average left the area. Instead, these fuckers stayed right there and waited for Karens Cryo-Freeze to melt. Tch, seriously? She clicked her tongue. Well, it makes sense to prioritize me but that doesn''t change the fact it''s hella annoying. Athena and Average stalked the lump of ice like two predators waiting for their prey to emerge from their hideout. Was there anything Karen could even do in this situation? Well, I can try to shoot for that kill on Athena again. Karen thought. My skills are off cooldown, so I actually have something to work with here. I like this option best. The fact Karens Trickslide came online was likely the reason both opponents decided to stay behind to secure the kill. It meant they were wary of what shed do next. In other words, she still had a chance to make something happen! Unfortunately, Athena had around 15% HP left, so a single basic attack wouldn''t be enough to kill her. Likewise, a regular Trickshot won''t quite cut it, either. I either have to hit her with a Trickshot and a basic, or make my Trickshot bounce at least once before hitting. Bleh. Both options sounded too difficult to execute in a critical situation like this. The two predators were so anxiously waiting for Karen to come out of her haven that they would waste no time in shooting her down. Let''s see here. I can slide to the side, then shoot, and then... Karen tried to simulate the whole thing in her head. On paper, it seemed feasible. But, could she really trust her judgment at this point? Earlier, she was convinced that she and Lua would score a kill on Athena, but look how that turned out. Still, that''s the best I can do. Karen asserted. I just have to pray Athena won''t move much and that my shots would actually hit her. The ice was about to melt. The big moment was upon them. And, considering the high level of the opponents, these mfs probably knew exactly when it''ll happen. They were 100% mentally prepared for it. So, I have to throw off their timing! Karen thought. "Lua, that''s it. Let me out. "O-Okay..." Lua pressed the button, clearly nervous about the whole thing. Its like she was sending Karen to her death. In truth, it barely made a difference. It was just about a second earlier than scheduled. I hope this will be enough to throw them off. Karen thought. A moment later the ice melted, and Karen burst out of it with a Trickslide! The show was on! In such a cramped area it should be pretty easy to confirm a quick bounce. Karen fired a Trickshot at the nearby wall as she slid forward. The shot hit the wall and bounced right back! I can''t see shit behind me, but these mofos should be after me right now. So, this gotta hit somebody! Ideally, it''ll hit Athena and wipe that bitch out of existence. But, hitting Average would be alright, too. At this point, just going out in a blaze of glory was good enough. So, who would it be!? Karen turned around after finishing the slide. She saw the Trickshot flying across the area at lightning speed... but it hit nobody. Average was chasing Karen but he must''ve rolled out of the way as soon as he spotted the Trickshot coming. But, then what about Athena? Where was that slippery bitch? Huh? She''s literally nowhere to be found. Karen looked left and right but there was no trace of Athena anywhere in the vicinity. Did that fox slip deeper into the jungle? In such a short time? Nah, that didn''t make any sense. Then, where is she!? Karen had a bad feeling about this, and she was right. WHISH! An arrow of light pierced through her! That arrow didn''t come from her left, her right, her front, and not even from behind. No, this shot came... from above! "Oh, shit!" Karen realized her mistake. Yes, of course! She''s in the air! Athena used Angelic Grace to take off into the sky. She floated up there, looking down on everybody as if they were no more than worms. I should''ve figured. Karen clicked her tongue. In retrospect, this was an obvious move. This damn wench! BAM! Karen fired a shot toward the sky in frustration! Naturally, it connected perfectly. After all, Karen wasn''t some skill-issue player, she had no problem hitting enemies in the air. Unfortunately, this basic attack wasn''t enough to achieve anything. It hit that smug Seraph but then Athena just fired one more shot. Meanwhile, Average also caught up and started needling Karen with bolts. It was over... You have been killed! "Welp..." Karen had nothing more to say here. She fucked up, plain and simple. What should have been an easy chase to secure a kill turned into a total mess. Athena played them for a fiddle there. I wonder, at what point did her "bait" had already started? When she retreated into the jungle instead of running to the tower? Or, was it all the way back when Aegis left her alone on the lane? Or, maybe even before that...? Perhaps Athena has been hatching this plan all along. She mightve even allowed herself to get hit in the lane, all for the sake of roleplaying as a helpless prey later on. The main reason we went all was that she was below half HP. Karen thought. So, it looked like a great opportunity to finish her off, but what if that whole thing was staged from the get-go? Thinking of it, it felt easier than usual to land shots on Athena in the past few waves. At first, Karen thought it was because she switched from Impaler to Trickshoter, but maybe that wasnt it. Maybe she let me hit her on purpose? Karen wanted to doubt that very hard yet she couldnt entirely deny the possibility. Like, it sounds hella dumb and I dont think any sane person would ever do something like this, but There was an uncanny gap between how easy it was to land shots on Athena at the start of the day compared to now. Its like the girl underwent a whole damn 360 and suddenly became a pro at dodging attacks. This was actually more in line with how she played in the first two games. So, did she lead us by the nose all along? Karen wondered. Nah, no way, right? Like, theres no point in doing something like that. Its super inefficient. Like, what kind of sane person would allow themselves to get hit in the hope to eventually, MAYBE luring the attackers into overextending? That shit sounded backward as heck. Like, I know Athena can be a weirdo sometimes, but shes still a first-string player in StormBlitz, so she cant be this mentally ill, right? And yet, that hypothesis became increasingly believable as the game progressed. Ever since this incident, it has become incredibly hard to damage Athena again, just as in the previous games. Nah, no way. I bet she just adapted to us after that play, right? Yeah, thats probably all there is to it, haha To keep her sanity intact, Karen stuck with that common sense narrative. It was simply too absurd to believe that conspiracy theory she came up with Vol.20 Ch.35: The Scrim Goes Awry... DEFEAT Once again, Fiona found herself staring at these blood-red letters. It was the second game the Valkyries lost in a row. Both times, it was a teammates blunder that led to this outcome. In Game 2, Cornelia overextended and got countered by Hitter and Average. In Game 3, Karen insisted on giving chase after Athena, only to get double-teamed by Athena and Avergae. And, both times, I specifically warned them against these plays Fiona sighed. For the most part, Fiona believed she was doing a decent job domesticating Karen and Cornelia into good obedient girls. About 95% of the time, the two troublemakers faithfully followed Fionas instructions. This was a huge step up compared to when the club was only formed. Nonetheless, that remaining 5% is still an issue. Fiona thought. In high-level games, one mistake is all it takes to lose the game. Essentially, Karen and Cornelia were like dormant volcanoes. Most of the time, they posed no danger. However, when they erupted, the results were devastating. And, this issue becomes that much bigger when the enemy is aware of it. Fiona thought. I suspect Athena has already profiled Karen as an impulsive player, and I have no doubt Yuel Fermond will do the same after examining todays footage. A public scrimmage was bound to expose the Valkyries weaknesses to everybody. Furthermore, anybody could easily purchase a replay of the match directly from ProCenter, and it was not just a raw video but an integrated in-game replay data with all the advanced analysis features. In most sports, players would kill to get their hands on intel at least half as detailed as this. For the most part, it was only possible in board games like chess. Yet, Classmancers has such features as well. It is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the accessible replays helped the Valkyries prepare for today''s scrimmage. On the other hand, StormBlitz also prepared for todays scrimmage by using the same exact technology. It was a double-edged sword, the downsides of which were seen clearly in games 2 and 3. In a similar fashion, StormBlitz dominated game 4 as well. At this point, the Valkyries'' morale was noticeably plummeting to the point they were barely posing a challenge. Even Andira is underperforming now. Fiona sighed. This is starting to feel like a rerun of the Leopards scrimUnauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Unlike Karen and Cornelia, Andria was always level-headed. She was not the type to give in to momentary temptations and such, therefore her issues did not come to the surface in the form of overextending or picking unfavorable fights. Instead, Andria''s issue was her motivation. The more the team lost, the less the girl was motivated to fight for the win. Instead, she became preoccupied with not losing even more, which naturally transitioned her into a defensive playstyle. Before things got to this point, Andria actively tried to find weaknesses in Adapting''s playstyle. She even tried to bait him into unfavorable positions. Essentially, she was playing for the win. Unfortunately, unlike how things played out with Venus, Andria could never make Adapting commit a misplay. Nonetheless, her frequent attempts kept Adapting on his toes. He had to think twice about launching offense or rotating to another lane. However, at some point along the way, Andria had simply given up on everything. As a result, the Valkyries fell into a dysfunctional state by game 4. The enemy ran all over them at this point. Cornelia continued being a ticking bomb that blew up at random points, Karen picked unnecessary fights, and Andria stopped caring. As a result of all of this, Lua also started losing heart and got distracted by the negative atmosphere around her, which led to a couple of uncharacteristic misplays. It appears that everything is up to me. Fiona thought. But, one chess piece cannot win the entire game when the position is this disadvantageous... Despite the sorry state of the team, Fiona tried her best to not lose heart. She continued weaving one quick play into another in the hope of taking down StormBlitz. She believed that executing successful plays would lift the teams spirits and restore their confidence. Alas, she never quite achieved anything notable. She scored a handful of kills by finding a few rare opportunities, but overall, there was almost nothing she could do against StormBlitzs iron-clad defense. More often than not, the enemy slips away in the end. Fiona frowned. Repeated failures like these are not healthy for the team''s morale. Alas, hard as she tried, Fiona could not achieve any more than that. StormBlitz simply did not give her the opportunity for that. I was hoping their defense would start cracking as time goes on, but so far it hasnt happened. Fiona thought. Despite how much they are dominating the game, they are still cautious enough to not commit any mistakes. Most likely, the defeat StormBlitz suffered in the first game was still fresh in their minds. Because of that one blunder, they refused to let their guard down even when they had absolute board control. Well, this is to be expected from competitive players. Fiona nodded in approval. I have heard that the competitive level in the West is lacking compared to other parts of the world, but the skill of the Leopards and StormBlitz inspires confidence. In particular, StormBlitz was a miracle of a team. They did not even have a coach, yet their competitive level remained this high over the years. On the other hand, the Valkyries did have a coach, but even that did not help them to overcome this adversary... Vol.20 Ch.36: The Masters Punishment DEFEAT Game 4 ended with the Valkyries on the losing side. The writing was on the wall all along, so nobody was too surprised by this result. Nonetheless, this did not stop some members from throwing a tantrum. "Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable!" Cornelia exploded. "We lost the entire game because of your peasant-quality decisions, Karen!" "Excuse me?" "No, I will not excuse you. You''re guilty as charged! "Guilty with what, exactly?" "For example, what was that pitiful split-push you attempted at the end there?" Cornelia demanded. "Instead of helping us defend, you were God-knows-where doing God-knows-what! And, as expected, you didnt achieve anything at all!" "Well, I''m SORRY for trying to find a way to win in that hopeless ass game," Karen retorted. "We were doomed anyway if we only stuck to defense, so I tried to find a way to attack. Their entire team was focused on pushing Mid, so I thought I might be able to pull a fast one on them." "And, that went very well, didn''t it?" Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Hey, for the record, at least I took down the tower, Karen argued. That''s already more than you''ve ever achieved in that game." "How dare you!" Cornelia hissed. "If you call that joke of a push an achievement, then Ive made countless of those!" "Oh yeah, I know which countless achievements youre referring to." Karen snorted. "Remind me, how many times did you die in this game? Was it ten? More?" "It was only five!" Cornelia barked back. "Five deaths? Damn, you be handing them out like free like candy." "S-Such insolence!" The back and forth went on the whole time while the team was on its way back to the waiting room. Clearly, none of it did any good for the team''s shaky morale. Fiona knew she had to put a stop to this but she could not find the energy at this point. This pattern has repeated so many times today that it felt hopeless. Fortunately, there was somebody else in the club who had the authority to lecture these brats. "I see you two are very energetic despite the fact youve just lost. BAM! A shinai struck the floor as the girls entered the room. This instinctively made everybody drop what they were doing and focus on the figure in front of them, Ms. Nakajima. Hmph. Cornelia scoffed. I was simply lecturing this commoner about the terrible misplays she committed. Bitch, you misplayed at least ten times more than I did! Karen argued. You died five times! FIVE! Are you suicidal or something? What!? its outrageous to even imply such a thing! Cornelia. Karen. Calm down. Now. SWISH! Nakajima swung her shinai out of the blue! The blade was aimed straight at the troublemakers! W-Wah!? A-Ah! The two girls jumped far apart. The lightning-fast swing was no joke. It might have been strong enough to cut a boulder in two. Of course, on paper, there was no need to be this scared. Nakajima did not really aim at the girls, she sliced through the air between them. Nonetheless, the slash produced a gust of wind that hit both girls. Just from the impact, they could clearly tell this strike would have crushed their bones if it connected. I see youve quieted down. Good Nakajima nodded. Now, drop and give me a ten! Say what? Cornelia groaned. Seriously now? Karen sighed. Yes, seriously. Cmon, chop-chop! Fine Karen dropped onto the floor as instructed. One. Two. Three She had a thoroughly dissatisfied expression throughout the exercise but she followed the instructions to a T. This was a typical Nakajima-style punishment for misbehaving brats, so Karen was already used to it to an extent. Besides, Karen already did push-ups as part of her daily exercise, so ten push-ups on demand was no sweat. On the other hand, Cornelia was vehemently against all of this. Hmph, why should a noble such as myself need to do such base things? She lifted her chin. But, I see youre enjoying the workout, Karen, as expected from a commoner. So, how about you throw in another 10 for me as well? Keep dreaming. Karen finished the push-ups and jumped back on her feet. Cmon, get down, girl. Or what, are you scared your arms cant handle that noble fat of yours? D-Did you just imply Im fat!? T-The nerve of commoners these days! Cornelia seethed. Just you watch! If that commoner could pull this off, then surely Cornelia could as well! She approached the nearby carpet and placed her hands down. After all, there was no way a noble like her would be touching the bare floor with her hands. Here goes! Cornelia quickly went down and up. She finished the first couple of push-ups in a blink of an eye! In fact, she was going so fast that she was bound to tire herself out quicker than necessary A-And, another! She clearly started struggling by the time she reached the 8th push-up, but she pretended everything was alright. E-Eight! Guh! Cornelia went down... and then just stayed there. She pushed against the carpet with all her strength but her body refused to go up.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Pft, what''s wrong?" Karen laughed. "Where''s your ''noble muscle'' at? Haha!" "I-I''m merely charging up my noble strength, that''s all!" Cornelia gritted her teeth and forced her aching muscles to complete the two remaining push-ups. A noble had to finish her job properly, after all. "Alright then," Nakajima continued. "I trust this helped you relieve some excessive energy? Now, let''s talk about the game youve just played." "Ugh..." Cornelia made a face amidst her ragged breaths, and the rest of the team reacted similarly. Fiona was the only one facing the master, as she believed she had nothing to be ashamed of. "Cornelia, Ive warned you many times, but you''re still overextending too much," Nakajima criticized. "I believe I told you to play safer and not let the enemy rile you up. Seems like the advice went in one ear and out of the other." "Not at all," Cornelia objected. "I followed your instructions to a T, did I not? Oh? Is that what you believe? Yes, its a fact. I didnt engage in many fights in the lane, did I?" "Hmm. That''s true, actually," Nakajima agreed. "I can probably give you a B+ on that front." Huh? Not an A+? No, not quite, Nakajima said. You still got dragged into fights in the lane, but at least they usually happened when Fiona was nearby. So, most of them were passable, just not ideal. "Hmph, so youre saying I passed with flying colors." I did not say that. "Well, of course a noble such as myself would be able to handle such a simple task, ohoho! ... sure. Nakajima didnt feel like lingering on this point. "On the other hand, when it comes to team battles, you deserve a D at best." "E-Excuse me!?" Cornelia gasped. "T-That cannot be!" "Sadly, thats how it is," Nakajima said matter-of-factly. "How many times did you run ahead of the others and get yourself killed?" "Well, I played Knight, so I had to take the frontline. It was the noble thing to do. "True, you were playing a frontliner. But, a good frontliner knows how to not overextend in the middle of a battle and when to retreat." "Of course." Cornelia nodded. "So, as a proficient frontliner, I did my work flawlessly!" "In that case, do you mind explaining the five deaths on your record?" "Ack, that''s..." Cornelia''s confidence received a heavy blow, but only for a brief moment. "Well, some of these situations were unavoidable. For example, there was that one shrewd play that caught me and Lua in the middle of rotating to Mid. Even for a noble such as myself, it was too much to fend the enemy off in that 2v3 position." "True, that one was a fine play by the enemy team," Nakajima agreed. "It was very much possible to survive that encounter, as Lua proved. But, at least I can chalk that up to skill issue." "S-Skill issue!?" Cornelia twitched. "I''m not a skill issue player!" Oh, then how do you explain the fact Lua made it out alive? "Surely, the enemy focused on me!" Cornelia claimed. "And, that''s understandable. It was in their best interests to dethrone the noble first, ohoho!" "Sure, we can leave it at that for now," Nakajima said. "Anyway, that only explains one of your five deaths. What about the other four? For example, that time you charged in alone against their Ranger and Vanguard?" "Oh, you mean that 3v2 situation?" "Yes. It was a solid defensive position, at least until you made that move and let the enemy double-team you." "T-That was..." "You got carried away, didn''t you?" "N-Not at all! I just wanted to thoroughly drive the invaders away, thats all," Cornelia claimed. "Besides, that duo of commoners was taking us lightly! We had the numbers advantage, yet the enemy refused to retreat even after we reduced their HP so much! So, we were obligated to teach them a lesson." In short, you got carried away. How so? I was simply punishing them for their overextension. "The thing is, their side had the lane advantage, so they weren''t obligated to retreat," Nakajima explained. "Besides, it''s likely they were fishing for that kind of opportunity there, seeing as the duo of commoners in question was Aegis and Athena." "For the record," Fiona interjected. "I clearly stated that our purpose there was to defend, not to start a counterattack. Right, Andria?" "Yes, that you did, Andria confirmed. You made it crystal clear that you had no intention of turning that situation into something more. "And there you have it, Cornelia," Nakajima said. "Both of your allies understood that you only came there to defend, but for some ungodly reason you decided to rush in." "I-I was sure we could launch an attack there..." Cornelia lowered her head in defeat for a moment but soon bounced back. "Besides, wasn''t it their fault for not following up on my attack? We surely would''ve overwhelmed the enemy if we rallied together!" "True, you probably wouldve been fine if you moved in as a group," Nakajima said. "But, evidently, your teammates weren''t prepared to attack. And, knowing you, you failed to coordinate this play with them, right? "I-I suppose so..." Cornelia finally accepted defeat, but only for this part alone. "Fine, I admit I didn''t play that one optimally." Thats putting it lightly. Hmph. Cornelia scoffed. Unfortunately, even nobles are humans, so they make mistakes on rare occasions like these. However, surely thats the extent of my blunders in that game. No, thats only one of many, Nakajima argued. After that, there was that time you were defending Bot alone against two opponents. But, instead of hugging the Golem the whole way through, you stepped out of its area for a moment and that cost you. Err, that was In this unforgiving fashion, Nakajima went over every single death. She explained in detail what mistakes Cornelia committed in every play. Of course, Cornelia argued back every single time without fail. And, every single time, Nakajima won the argument and made the girl own up to her mistakes, at least as much as it was possible with Cornelia. This is taking too long. Nakajima glanced at the clock. I planned to let them rest as well, but it wont be possible at this rate. I really need to get better at cutting Cornelias nosical arguments short It was always a pain to lecture Cornelia on her mistakes. No matter the topic, the girl was always 100% convinced she did nothing wrong. In a way, it was brilliant. Cornelia made it so annoying to accuse her of anything that people simply didnt want to do it anymore. It was a sophisticated way of dodging criticism. Of course, Nakajima didnt let it pass. It was crucial to lecture this girl properly so she outgrow her issues. And, speaking of brats that had to be lectured. Next, Karen. Oh snap, I knew it was coming Karen sighed. Seriously, Cornelia, couldnt you buy me a little more time? Hmph, I dont recall when I became your servant. Cornelia scuffed. If a noble like myself deserves to be lectured, then a commoner like you must be lectured tenfold! Yeah, yeah. Karen rolled her eyes. But hey, coach. MASTER, Nakajima corrected. Right, right, master. Karen rolled her eyes again. Anyway, the break is almost over and we didnt actually get to rest at all. True. Nakajima nodded. Its sad, really. No matter how many times I point out your and Cornelias mistakes, you two keep committing them. So, it seems I must keep hammering the lessons even at the expense of your break. But, we need to rest, right? Karen turned to the rest of the team. Like, how are we going to play well if were tired as heck? Thats fair, Nakajima agreed. Everybody besides Karen can take a break for now. Huh? What about me? Karen asked. You stay right here and listen to what I have to say, young lady. Fuuuuuuu Karens shoulders slumped. Okay, hit me with it, doc. My body is ready. Karen accepted her fate and braced herself for the worst. At the very least, the rest of the team will be able to get a breather, so her sacrifice wont be entirely in vain Vol.20 Ch.37: Nakajimas Struggles After Nakajima grilled Cornellia, it was now Karens turn to get roasted. Your first major mistake was chasing Athena from the lane into the Jungle, Nakajima said. So, did you learn anything from that? Yep, I sure learned something alright, Karen said. I learned that Athena is a damn bitch, thats what I learned. Karen, language, Fiona scolded. Unlike the others, who took the opportunity to get a breather, Fiona stayed to listen to this important conversation. "In short," Nakajima continued. "It sounds like you didn''t learn your lesson." "Hey, I did learn that she''s fake as hell," Karen said. "That damn fox acts like she''s all weak and vulnerable, but then she turns the tables on you outta nowhere. Shes gotta be an actress or something, word. I bet she and Andria would get along really well." "Yes. Sounds like you got the gist of it correctly, after all," Nakajima approved. "Athena is a crafty player. She''d go as far as downplaying her own strengths to pull a surprise on her opponents." "Damn straight." "But, I believe this is something we''ve already covered when we had a meeting about StormBlitz''s lineup, right?" "Yes, we did," Fiona answered quickly so Karen would not even try to wiggle her way out of this. "Yeaaaah, we did kinda talk about it, I guess." Karen shrugged. "But analyzing replays and seeing it live are too different things, you know?" Nakajima raised an eyebrow to that. "How do you mean?" "Well, when we analyzed the replays post-facto, it was clear when and how Athena laid out her traps," Karen explained. "But in the actual game, in the heat of the moment, these things are hella hard to figure out, you know? Like, how am I supposed to tell when that damn fox is actually vulnerable and when shes faking it? I just gotta trust my gut on that one." "Well, it looks like your ''gut'' failed you on that one." "Yeaaaah, it kinda did, haha." "No, not ''kinda''. You completely fell for it." "Well, can you blame me? Karen pouted. It looked hella convincing! Even Lua thought it was a good opportunity. Right, Lua?" "Eh!?" Lua jumped when she heard her name from across the room. "Um, what?" "Back when we chased Athena into the jungle, you also thought it was a good chance to hit that bitch, right?" "Um, I..." Lua nervously adjusted her glasses. "I did say it might be a bad idea..." She whispered. "Hm? What was that?" Karen asked. "I didn''t catch that." "Um, I-I said it really looked like a good opportunity, haha" Lua forced herself to amend the story. She didnt want to make Karen look bad here. "Well, you see?" Karen turned back to the accusers. "Even Lua didn''t see that one coming, and you know she''s a pretty damn cautious player." "Lua." Fiona turned to the girl in question. "You say it looked like a ''good opportunity'', but did you really think it was worth chasing?" "Well, I..." Lua fidgeted as she glanced from side to side as if searching for somebody to answer in her place. In the end, her eyes fell on Karen. "Whats wrong?" Karen asked. "You totally said we should chase Athena, right?" Is that really how she remembers it...? Lua made a face. But, I guess I didn''t put on much of a fight... Fiona noticed what was going on and interfered. "Karen, stop coaxing her into sticking to your narrative. "Coaxing? Me? No way," Karen said. "I''m just helping her remember how things went down." "Yes, how things went down according to your narrative," Fiona corrected. "I am not so sure Lua had the same impression of that situation." "W-Well, it did look a bit suspicious," Lua admitted. "I mean, I thought the situation was too good to be true. And considering the enemy was Athena, the goddess of tactics..." "Wow, what the heck?" Karen exclaimed. "You gonna use hindsight to say it was a sus opportunity? Not cool, fam." "Well, I did say that maybe we shouldn''t do it back then..." "You did? I don''t remember that at all." I figured you don''t... Lua sighed. Admittedly, she put on a weak resistance back then so it was very forgettable. Karen''s overflowing confidence overwhelmed her on the spot. "Let me guess," Fiona said. "Karen was very loud about going through with that play so you gave in. Something along those lines?" "Y-Yes, basically..." I thought as much. Fiona sighed. I have told you many times: you must not be taken in by Karens baseless confidence. Hey! Rude, sis! Karen pouted. It wasnt baseless. It was a great opportunity no matter how you look at it. If it happened against any other player, even youd agree that attacking is the right move. Perhaps, Fiona said. However, you were facing Athena, not any other player. The context is important. Blegh. Karen made a face but she didnt have a counter-argument to this one. Anyway, Fiona continued. Lua, just so you understand, you also share some of the blame here. Yes, I do Lua lowered her head in apology. Then, it seems we understand the situation clearly now, master. Fiona returned the ball to Nakajima. Yes, good job interrogating them, Nakajima praised. She chose to stay put during the whole process. It was always best to let the players work things out on their own when possible. Ultimately, Nakajimas job as the master was to guide the players down the right path, not to solve all their problems for them. It was important to let the kids bicker from time to time so they could sort things out on their own, thats how they grew up as players. So, to summarize, Nakajima said. Lua did suspect that opportunity was bait, but she wasnt assertive enough. Meanwhile, Karen just totally fell for it. You both have things to work on, girls. Yes, master! Lua nodded. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Yeah, I guess. Karen shrugged. I mean, Ive learned my lesson, okay? Thats what you want to hear, right? Yes, thats a good start, Nakajima approved. But, what did you learn, exactly? How are you going to make sure you wont make the same mistake again? Well, can I be real here for a moment? Karen asked. I dont think I gonna be able to see through ALL her schemes that easily. Bitch is crafty as fuck. Karen, language. Yeah, yeah. Karen shrugged. Anyway, I figure the best I can do is to not be hasty. Like, even if an opportunity looks hella good and Id shoot for it 9 times outta 10, Ill give it a second thought when Athena is involved. Is that good enough for you? Thats acceptable. Nakajima nodded. Ultimately, there is no surefire way to deal with tricky players. Athena most likely adjusts her baiting strategy to work best against the specific opponent shes facing, so even if you switch things up she might adapt to you anyway. Yeah, its hella scummy. My suggestion is to use Lua as a benchmark. If she has any reservations about the play, then its better to err on the side of caution. Well, not to be rude or anything, but Lua is the kind of gal who has reservations about almost every little thing, haha. Karen laughed. Like, even if she thinks a play is good, she still hesitates most of the time. T-That may be true Lua admitted as she hung her head. Even if I think theres a 99% chance of success, I still worry about that remaining 1%.,, You dang worrywart. Karen shook her head. Imma be honest, its because of stuff like this that I kinda stopped taking Luas worries seriously. Girl is always worried about something. S-Sorry, I just cant help it You have to work on your confidence, Nakajima said. But, this is something you already knew. I believe youll build up confidence as you play more competitive games, so Im not too worried about the future. But, for now, youll have to work with what youve got. But how, though? Karen asked. If I second-guess myself every time Lua is worried about something, Ill be paralyzed the entire game. For real. This boils down to a communication issue, so its up to you two to find the right way to work it out, Nakajima explained. For example, you could try using confidence thresholds. If Lua says shes 99% confident, then ignore her worries about the remaining 1% since its probably irrelevant. That sounds arbitrary as heck, but maybe itll work. Karen shrugged. I guess we can try this out. Lua, feed me these confidence numbers or whatever when youre on the fence with something. Alright, Ill try. Lua nodded. It sounds a bit stressful, though In her head, the percentages Lua assigned to these things were rather arbitrary. Like 70% we can get this kill or 90% this is bait. Rough estimations like these. She didnt mind throwing random numbers around because they only ever stayed in her head. It''s not like she shared them with others or anything. But, if Karen starts basing her plays on these numbers, then I''ll have to think long and hard about them. Lua shuddered. This is already giving me a stomachache... "Your face is telling me you''re not a big fan of the idea," Nakajima said. "This is just a means to an end, you don''t have to overthink it. The main goal here is to make sure Karen takes your opinion into account, that''s all." "Yep," Karen said. "Like, if you think something is a bad play, then give it to me straight. I know I sometimes get carried away in the heat of the moment, so better tell me whats up before that, haha." "Yes, you really do like getting carried away" Lua commented without thinking. "Damn, what a burn! Haha." "A-Ah, I mean, it only happens every now and then, of course..." "Nah, no need to sugarcoat it," Karen said. "I know it''s a bad habit." "Then please work on fixing it," Fiona requested. "Hey, it''s easier said than done, sis." Karen shrugged. "Thats just how my personality is, you know?" "Personality can be fixed through practice, just as anything else. It''s all about putting in the effort." "Well, I''mma try." "Please do, Fiona insisted. With that, this topic was a wrap. "There''s actually much more I wanted to discuss," Nakajima said. "But, your break is almost over so I''ll let you rest for now." "Jeez, finally!" Karen sighed in relief. "I thought you gonna keep me here until tomorrow." "Believe it or not, that could really happen with the amount of content that needs to be discussed regarding your performance." "Bejesus." "But, let''s save it for another day," Nakajima said. "For now, I want you to focus on ironing out the issues weve just discussed." "Aye aye, coach!" "It''s master." "Yeah, yeah, master." Karen tossed that out and slipped away. She had less than two minutes left for the break, so she didn''t want even one millisecond of it to go to waste. I wonder, did she learn her lesson? Nakajima thought. And, did Cornelia? Honestly, it doesn''t feel like I did a very good job here. She let out a small sigh after everybody left. All in all, the girls'' morale is still in shambles. I doubt any of them will be able to work out their issues today. The last three games were brutally one-sided in StormBlitz''s favor. They made the Valkyries'' first victory look like a fluke, which it largely was. Fiona single-handedly carried that game. Nakajima thought. If not for her strong opener, things wouldve likely turned out like in the other games. Honestly, I dont quite agree with that opening tactic, but I''m glad I trusted her judgment on that one. Apparently, it was a tech Fiona picked up from a legitimate pro player. At least, as legitimate as you could call Esmeralda. Fiona is the one player I can trust to perform well no matter what. She barely needs any guidance in situations like these. Nakajima thought. From the way she carries herself, nobody would ever believe she only started Classmancers a year ago. Right now, she''s the only one on the team whos keeping it together. Meanwhile, the rest of the Valkyries were in shambles. The continuous defeats weighed down on them mentally. And, I don''t think anything Ive done or said during the break helped them in that department. Nakajima thought. Maybe I''m just much more used to dealing with boys Even today, competitive esports were mostly the realm of men. As such, Nakajimas high school club only had a handful of female players join every year, if any. As a result, most of her coaching experience came from dealing with boys. That''s how she developed her spartan methods, like ordering troublemakers to do push-ups. It was a basic boot camp tactic and a fairly effective one when scolding boys. But, for girls, it didn''t seem to work that well. Karen ate it up without much problem because of her tomboyish personality, but Cornelia saw it as nothing more than a disgrace. And, the other girls didn''t seem to care much when they watched that drill. Usually, when boys see somebody getting punished with push-ups, theyll cheer or laugh. It turns the whole thing into a social event. Nakajima thought. But here, it felt like the girls were only weirded out by it. But, I suppose that''s to be expected. After all, St. Marys was a school for "ladies". Thus, it was to be expected that the students would be a bit more tender and proper. In fact, girls who did sports there were probably an irregularity in the first place. And, Karen is probably the biggest outlier out there. Nakajima thought. She almost acts like your typical brat. That''s probably why it was so easy for her to laugh off the push-ups. On the other hand, the other girls didnt benefit from it. At best, it raised their fighting spirit a little bit by instilling dread, as they were now scared of finding themselves on that chopping block. Well, using terror is one way to command troops, but I don''t think it''s beneficial here. Nakajima reasoned. All in all, these girls are well-behaved for the most part. They just have quirks and morale issues, that''s all. This was already the second scrim in which Nakajima ran into this issue. She tried many things but she couldn''t find a good way to reignite the girls'' morale after it hit rock bottom. Maybe it''s time to ask Fernando for advice. Nakajima thought. He has been coaching middle schoolers of both genders for a long time, so I''m sure I could use some of his methods. On this front, Nakajima was a greenhorn just like her team. The Valkyries were a newly formed club with no seniors to share their wisdom, and Nakajima was a newbie master when it came to coaching middle schoolers. Just like them, I also have a lot to improve. Nakajima smiled wryly. Very well. I accept the challenge! And so, the Valkyries were headed to the fifth and final game of the day. Did Nakajima manage to resolve any of their problems? Doubtful. At best, her scolding made Karen and Cornelia think twice about getting carried away again. This was a start, but it wont be enough to help the girls win this final game. Ultimately, their biggest issue was their crumbling morale, especially in Andrias case. This issue will likely drag them down during the upcoming game as well Vol.20 Ch.38: The Nobles Blinding Ego For the fifth and last game, StormBlitz subbed in Venus once again. I suspect they want her to gain experience. Fiona thought. She comes across as a diamond in the rough. If her performance were more consistent, I can see her being ranked among the best players in the region. Venus and Adapting were like polar opposites. One was a volatile player with high-highs and low-lows, whereas the other was a stable and polished veteran. At her highest, Venus was definitely the greater threat of the two. However, more often than not, that girl stumbled or got carried away, which hurt her overall evaluation. I exploited her weaknesses multiple times during the first game. Fiona reminisced. This is probably why they switched her out after that. They wanted to minimize risks and secure an easy victory. However, now that the score was 1-3 in StormBlitzs favor, they no longer worried about winning. The last three games were so one-sided they made the Valkyries first victory look like a fever dream. But, that victory is something we definitely achieved. Fiona thought. So, we proved it is possible. We can make it happen again. More specifically, Fiona was the one who had to make it happen. She was the main driving force behind the teams first victory. She did it once, and she will do it again. Alas, it was naught but a pipe dream at the moment. Even though StormBlitz had already secured victory in the scrim, they did not pull any punches during the final game. As usual, they were on guard against Fiona during the opening. When she ran into the enemy Jungler, Hitter was accompanying the man like a bodyguard. Clearly, StormBlitz did not want to give Fiona any opportunities to create momentum. It was an honor that a fresh player like her managed to leave such a lasting impression on a powerhouse like StormBlitz. However, at the same time, this also made Fiona''s life a hundred times more difficult, as the enemy''s caution continued to extend beyond just the opening. During all parts of the game, it felt like StormBlitz was keeping a close eye on Fiona''s movements. Opponents who ran into her in the jungle always avoided 1v1s, and the laners often retreated fast when Fiona started rotating in their general direction. Once again, I cannot build any momentum. Fiona frowned. And, we are not getting ahead in any of the lanes, either. In Top, Corenlia''s skill simply did not measure up to Hitter''s, no matter how much the girl insisted otherwise. Her farming skills and overall decision-making paled compared to her opponent''s, leading to unfortunate incidents. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "A-Ack! You darn plebeian...!" Cornelia ranted. "How dare you clear out my army so quickly again!? This time, your transgression will not go unpunished!" "Cornelia, please calm down," Fiona ordered. "It is unbecoming of a lady to lose her cool like this." "H-Hmph, you''re right. My apologies." Cornelia took a deep breath. "I shan''t let such base offense get to me. I will simply beat him to the punch next time.!" "That is the spirit." Fiona nodded. Though, I doubt you will be able to achieve that in this game. Their matchup was Berserker vs. Viking once again. Even though Berserker had the faster clearing speed on paper, Hitter had already learned all of Corenlia''s patterns and adjusted his farming methods accordingly. Before Cornelia had the chance to unleash her Barbarian Slam, Hitter threw his axe at her from afar. It was a risky move because it drew the minions'' aggro, but it allowed Hitter to completely foil Conelias game plan. Berserker''s main farming tool was Barbarian Slam, but it had to be fully charged to be truly worth it. And, since charging it up took time, the minions had to be as stationary as possible in order to hit them all together. Hitter made that difficult by getting the minions attention and drawing them to the sides of the lane. The enemy minions chased him down, and in response, his own minions chased after Corenlia''s minions. It was like a domino effect. This always sent Cornelia on a wild goose chase, which ultimately delayed her Barbarian Slam too much. By the time she got an opportunity to unleash it, half of the minions had already perished, making Barbarian Slam an unprofitable investment at that point. Slowly but surely, these repeated failures had been building Corenlia''s Rage meter. Not only in the game but also in real life. How much more will she be able to take before she blows up? Fiona wondered. I can see she is putting more effort than usual into staying calm and collected, but the cracks are becoming increasingly visible... It was just a matter of time before Cornelia hit her limits and entered Berserk mode in real life. No matter how much Nakajima and Fiona lectured the girl, Cornelia could not suddenly do a 180 on her personality in such a short amount of time. I would gladly help her out in the lane, but Hitter does not let me flank so easily. Fiona frowned. He is fully aware he is employing a risky tactic, so he uses the gained lane control to secure himself a safe position. A smart approach. To avoid being ganked, Hitter always drew Cornelias minions toward his tower area. He did not dare to stay on the frontline while so many enemies were targeting him. This was a man fully aware of the dangers his own play was posing. I hope Cornelia is watching and learning. Fiona thought. This is how a high-caliber player carries himself. In general, there was much Cornelia could learn from Hitter. They were both players who leaned toward an aggressive playstyle, but Hitter knew when and how to take risks. If Cornelia could learn to play more like this, she would become a splendid player. Alas... "Next time for sure!" Cornelia asserted. "I swear it on the von Galen name! In the next wave, I shall crush this commoner under my heel!" Sadly, it sounded like Cornelia was too preoccupied with her ego contest. At best, she would be open to learning something from Hitter when they review this match. All in all, the situation in Top was in StormBlitz''s favor once again. Meanwhile, in Bot, Karen and Lua struggled as usual against the strong duo of Aegis and Athena... Vol.20 Ch.39: Cunning Bot Duo Unlike Cornelia, Karen was a player with some experience under her belt. Therefore, instead of being needlessly competitive against her lane opponents, she tried to find more practical ways to win lane advantage. In addition, Lua was there to support her and hopefully keep that problem child in check. So, compared to the unfortunate situation in Top, the duo in Bot was able to put up a fight. Alas The skill gap is too much. Fiona thought. Aegis and Athena are among the strongest duos in the region. Perhaps I should be thankful that they are best known for their defense rather than their offense. Otherwise, they would be dominating the lane in every game. Instead, Aegis and Athena focused on maintaining a status quo in the lane. They made sure there were no openings anywhere in their position. Yet, despite being so conservative, they still managed to clear the minions as quickly as Karen and Lua did. This is by far the hardest lane for me to gank. Fiona analyzed. And, the few times I thought there was an opening, it turned out to be a splendid trap. Aegis and Athena were truly cut above the rest. They were capable enough to counter not only their lane opponents but also Fiona, the Jungler. Bot was the only lane with two players, so it was the easiest to turn the tables on an enemy Jungler there. As such, luring Fiona in was a very effective tactic for the Bot duo. The more time she wasted on trying to gank that lane, the less impact she had on the rest of the map. I fell for it twice by now. Fiona criticized herself. I would like to say I should be more careful and rotate less over there, but that mindset is a trap in itself. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Most likely, the preferred scenario for Aegis and Athena was for Fiona to tone down her rotations to Bot. Simply put, they did not want to deal with that threat, so they tried to discourage her from going there. However, that was not an option. The enemys dominance in Bot would easily snowball out of control if Fiona were to stop keeping them in check. I will not yield to their threats. Fiona asserted. I will keep rotating there as I see fit, even if some of these rotations might turn out unfavorably. Then again, perhaps THAT outcome is their actual trap? It was always hard to tell what Aegis and Athena were truly thinking, especially Athena. That foxy woman was all about psychological manipulation, therefore everything Fiona took into consideration might just be part of a greater ploy. I suppose their goals could also be the complete opposite of what I am thinking. Fiona reasoned. Perhaps they are actually trying to taunt me with their baits, hoping to make me commit to a careless rotation. Since Aegis and Athena were StormBlitzs strongest defense players, it was best for their team if those two were the ones to deal with all of Fionas attacks. As such, maybe they were actually trying to rattle Fiona and make her target Bot more often than necessary, wasting precious time in the process. Even after four games, I still do not have a conclusive answer. Fiona sighed. Are they trying to discourage my ganks or to motivate them? I cannot tell. Ultimately, Fiona decided to filter out that psychological noise and not overthink it. After all, it did not matter what Aegis and Athena were scheming. The most important thing was for Fiona to continue making strong plays. As such, she rotated to Bot as she saw fit regardless of what the enemy duo was doing. At the same time, she was extra careful over there compared to other lanes. This was the middle ground she settled on. But, regardless of how she approached the situation, none of her rotations yielded results. She managed to strike the enemies a few times, but she was also counterattacked just as many times, if not more. Unable to gain the upper hand in either Top or Bot, this only left Fiona with Mid as an option. However, over there the situation was at its worst... Vol.20 Ch.40: Lack of Motivation With Top and Bot faring poorly, Mid was the teams last hope. However, it seemed the Mid Laner herself was not aware of her critical role in all of this. It is as if Andria is not trying at all. Fiona criticized. She is letting her opponent get away with everything. For this round, Andria''s lane opponent was Venus, a player who had no shortage of rough edges in her performance. Alas, Andria failed to punish the girl for anything. "Andria, why did you not shoot her as she retreated?" Fiona asked. "You did a good job deflecting her attack, but you did not punish her for that overextension." "Was it truly necessary, your majesty?" Andria asked. "I made the evildoer flee in shame. Was that not good enough of a performance?" "No, it is not enough. You must properly punish her, or else she will continue harassing you like this." "But, punishing that brave flower for her bold attack would require me to give chase, Andria argued. As much as I like chasing cute flowers, it is a rather risky affair, do you not find?" "Their Jungler should currently be busy clearing the Wolf Camp near Top, if that is what you are worried about," Fiona said. "You were not in danger of being ganked." "But, at the time, her position was no more than a speculation, wasnt it?" Andria argued. "Sure, according to the ward, it looked as if Average was heading toward the Wolf Camp. However, he is a Chronomancer, so agility is his forte." "Hmm. Is that so." Fiona found it difficult to argue any further on this point. Andria successfully weaved a narrative that suited her argument, all the while using her typical theatrics to make it difficult to talk back. Such a troublesome debate opponent. To an extent, Andria was correct. Back at the time, there was no 100% guarantee that Average would continue heading toward the Wolf Camp. With a class like Chronomancer, he could have easily done a 180 and rotated to Mid to counterattack Andria. However, that was a very unlikely line of play. Andria did not need to overextend to punish her opponent, so there was no good reason for Average to try ganking her. All of this was pure paranoia on Andria''s end. Or, just an excuse to play defensively. Fiona thought. As always, her main problem is her lack of assertiveness when things get rough. In the first game today, Andria faced the same exact opponent but she was way more proactive in her lane management. She baited her opponent, contested the Griffins, and even rotated to other lanes on occasion. Back then, she showed a very clear intention to win lane control. On the other hand, in this game, Andria was painfully passive. She played it safe without properly punishing Venus for any of the bold attacks. What changed between then and now? Fiona could think of only one thing. It must be her morale. This always happens with her for some reason. While Karen and Cornelia became more reckless and proactive as the Valkyries lost games, Andria actually became meeker. It felt like she was content so long as she did not cause any additional losses. To put it simply, she gave up. Fiona concluded. The exact same thing happened against the Leopards. I talked with her about this, but I see it was not enough. Some would argue that Andria''s defeatist mindset was justified in these two matches. StormBlitz and the Leopards were powerhouses, currently far beyond the Valkyries'' reach. Both of these matches devolved into one-sided affairs, so getting discouraged was only natural. Thus, instead of trying too hard to fight for the win against impossible odds, Andria opted to fortify her defenses. She knew she would not win with this approach, but at least she minimized the odds of the team losing, on the off chance that somebody else on the team would be able to carry the game. It makes some sense, but it is not an excuse to stop trying her best. Fiona criticized. Regardless of how strong the opponent is, everybody has to fight their hardest to the bitter end. If everybody assumed the same mentality as Andria, then the team would never win. Alas, Andria did not take this criticism to heart. Fiona lectured the girl thoroughly but none of it sunk in. "Frankly, I don''t see the problem," Andria argued. "I''m doing my part, am I not? I''m defending the lane quite well, if I may say so myself." "Yes, your defense is fine," Fiona agreed. "It is your lack of offense that is concerning. Where did your fighting spirit go?" "Fighting spirit, you ask..." Andria smiled wryly. "I don''t recall ever having something grandiose like that." "Oh, but you were definitely far more proactive in the first two games. What changed?" "''A lot has changed, quite clearly," Andria said. "More or less everything, in fact. StormBlitz put us in our place in Game 2. Ever since, they have been dominating at every step." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "And?" Fiona asked. "How is that a reason to play nothing but defense?" "It''s elementary, my dear princess," Andria said. "We are clearly fated to lose, so we might as well exit the stage with grace. As long as we do not put on a shameful performance, it is good enough." "Is that seriously how you think about this...?" Fiona was appalled. "You are aware that this is a serious competition, yes?" "Of course. A very one-sided competition, but a competition nonetheless." "Then, as a competitive player, do you not feel obligated to give it your best?" Whatever do you mean? Andria asked. Im giving my best, of course. Moreso on defense, but thats just how the cookie crumbles. Make no mistake, Id play differently if our opponents were more manageable. You should play your best, regardless of who your opponents are. "I''m sorry, princess," Andria apologized in advance. "Though I''m a big fan of fantasy and fairytales, I consider myself a realist in practice. I know when something is impossible. Impossible? Is that what you truly believe? Yes. And Im sure that, deep down, you know its the truth as well, Andria said. Though you force yourself to struggle for victory, clearly youre aware that our chances of attaining it are nonexistent. It is quite the tragic tale What an irksome argument... Fiona frowned. Of course, I know that realistically our chances of winning are slim. But, that is no reason to give up so quickly. As far as she was concerned, this should be the mindset of every competitive player. After all, there was a crowd favorite in every sport. One of the players was always more favored to win, but did that mean the opponent should simply give up? Of course not. Alas, Andria did not care for that competitive mindset. As far as she was concerned, if winning was unlikely, then it was better to not try at all. How can she have such a defeatist mentality? Fiona wondered. I did my research before recruiting her, so I know what she should be capable of. And yet It was peculiar. Andria was a top-notch actress who often secured the leading roles. On top of that, she was athletic and her classmates reported she dominated in volleyball and dodgeball during PE. So, how could a successful competitor like Andria be so fragile? How could she quit at the first sign of something going wrong? It was unfathomable for Fiona, whose entire life revolved around competing. The worst part is that her flowery language also makes it difficult to argue back. Fiona frowned. I prepared a proper line of attack in advance, but she still found a way to dismiss my words. It is quite irksome. Alas, the game moved on without waiting for Fiona and Andria to resolve this issue. Still, Fiona continued to tackle the problem whenever she had spare time. So, to summarize, Fiona said. You have basically given up, is that what you are saying? I suppose that is one way to interpret it, Andria answered. Of course, I fully intend to pull my weight. I wont become a liability for the team, that much I promise. But, if youre expecting me to be extra motivated to give it my all, then Im afraid Ill have to disappoint you. Its not only me youre disappointing, Fiona said. All your fans will be disappointed as well if they hear this. And thats why Im only sharing this secret with you, my lovely princess~ Andria winked with a smile. That smile of yours Hm? What about it? Did it captivate you? Its an ugly facade. ... is that so. Andria found herself stunned for a moment. It was rare for her to struggle with launching a sophisticated rebuttal. Even if you claim you are a realist, deep down I am sure you still want to win. Fiona asserted. The desire to win is human nature. Nobody can stay oblivious to it. That was Fionas firm belief, but she already knew she would fail to sway Andrias opinion with just that. In order to change the girls mind, Fiona had to deliver results. Not with words, but with actions. Until then, Andria will remain an unreliable chess piece. She was a player with enough skill to be a rook piece, but right now her worth was that of a mere pawn. It was odd, honestly. Out of all the candidates for the club, Andria''s resume seemed the most convincing. She was a senior student with prior experience in Classmancers, as well as a successful actress from a young age. On top of that, judging by her grades, she was accomplished in both academics and sports. Furthermore, she was popular with the other students, mainly with the underclassmen. The "flirty prince" persona she wore was a hit with the younger girls, selling them the fantasy of a "handsome man paying attention to them. Personally, Fiona found the whole affair rather awkward. But, the audience enjoyed the show so clearly there was a demand for that kind of escapism. Either way, this impressive act, combined with Andrias other accomplishments, should have made her a rare diamond for the team. But, only half of this talent turned out to be true. Indeed, Andria was a great actress. So good, that she put wool over everybody''s eyes to create an impressive reputation for herself. For example, her good grades. Were they the result of hard work? Not at all. She simply had a good attention span and good memorization, both skills she needed for acting. So, it was enough for her to attentively listen during lessons and memorize the material. At the middle school level, that was enough to get good grades. Likewise, Andria came across as good in sports due to her regular workout routine, which she needed to stay in good shape for acting. A student who exercised regularly was bound to be above average at sports, which was as far as Andria went. It was not like she ever struggled in any particular sport in order to improve. She was good at the sports she was good at, and mediocre at the sports she was mediocre at. There was never any extra effort put into any of this. And, it seemed Andira extended the same mentality to Classmancers as well. Even though she attended club practice like everybody else, she did not seem particularly serious about it. She played Ranked with the team and performed adequately, but it never felt like she tried too hard to fix her issues. She must have felt it was unnecessary so long as her performance was passable. And indeed, even in this game, some could argue that Andiras performance was good enough. She was facing an aggressive player from StormBlitz, yet she did not allow the enemy to fully dominate the lane. For her, this was good enough. But no, it was not good enough. The Valkyries came here today to win, not to postpone their defeat. Andria must have been confused about that part. Though she did not lose lane control right away, her negligence allowed the enemy to slowly but surely build up momentum in Mid... Vol.20 Ch.41: The Princess Struggle Venus started the game in a cautious mode, but she realized more and more that Andria was allowing her to get away with things. So, like a child who was not properly scolded by their parent, Venus became a delinquent. She dialed up the aggression as the game went on. Launching bold attacks at Andria, stealing Griffin camps, and even rotating to other lanes to gank. Essentially, Venus as she pleased. She was like a criminal in a city without police. "Andria, please keep your lane opponent in check so she will not interfere with other lanes, Fiona requested. This is part of your responsibility as her lane opponent." "Hmm. True, that does fall under my jurisdiction, doesn''t it?" Andria sighed. "But, my apologies, my dear princess. It''s proving difficult to keep Venus on a leash without taking some risks. And, risks are the last thing I need right now." As always, Andria maintained her usual theatrics as she laid out her reasoning in an eloquent fashion. Normally, the fact she was acting like her usual quirky self inspired confidence, as it showed she maintained her composure even on this big stage. However, right now, her acting looked like nothing more than a fragile self-defense mechanism. Ultimately, Fiona failed to change her teammates mind. Andria stuck to her guns and played carefully without ever taking any risks. She was too afraid of soiling her reputation by committing a misplay. On paper, her defense was solid enough to keep Venus at bay. But, the consequences of this passive playstyle rippled to other lanes and started a tsunami. An ally has been killed! FIRST BLOOD! Gah! You damn commoner! Cornelia cursed through her teeth. How did she even have the time to rotate all the way over here!? Its unacceptable! Venus had been freely rotating out of her lane for a while now, but this time it happened to lead to a kill. And, this was only the beginning of her momentum. An ally has been killed! Next, Karen was the one to bite the dust. She and Lua found themselves in a difficult spot in Bot, and that was when Venus joined the fray. Lua miraculously slipped out of the situation alive, but Karen was not as fortunate. Damn! Karen ranted. This bitch is aggressive as hell! Karen, language. Yeah, yeah. Karen shrugged it off. But seriously, what the heck? First, she went to Top. Now, shes in Bot. Like, shes zigzagging across the entire map! What the heck!? She is an Aeromancer, Fiona said. She has more freedom than most in that regard, but I do agree she gets away with it too easily. It should not be like that. Though Aeromancer was largely regarded as a defensive pick for Mid, its kit actually offered some interesting offensive options. Venus was exploring those thoroughly in this game. Unlike most mages, Aeromancer did not burst enemies in one shot. Instead, it summoned a whirlwind that slowly sapped away the minions HP. So, after placing said Whirlwind, the Aeromancer was no longer needed on the lane so long as this one spell could reliably eliminate the entire wave. At that point, the Aeromancer had the freedom to rotate out of the lane. It could go after jungle camps or even to other lanes. In fact, Aeromancers passive, Wind Flow, practically encouraged that playstyle. It granted a Movement Speed bonus after casting a spell, which buffed the Aeromancers ability to rotate. On top of that, Aeromancer had great potential as a setup ganker. Its Squall skill greatly slowed the target down, while Hurricane outright sucked enemies in. These were both great CC skills to set up a kill for the laner. With that said, in Venus case, she insisted on scoring all the kills herself. It was almost as if she was saying All of this is thanks to me, so I deserve the kill. Thanks to that, by the time the battle reached mid-game, Venus was substantially ahead of the curve in terms of farm. She was not snowballing yet, but she was definitely in a great position to dictate the flow of the game. Simply put, Venus promoted herself into a Queen piece. Right now, on this board, she was the strongest piece. I have to disrupt her momentum somehow before it is too late. Fiona frowned. I have been trying to do so for a while now, but she is not making this easy Perhaps picking Vampire for this game was Fionas undoing. Her only good ganking option was her ult, so she had to sit on a long cooldown between every two gank attempts. The main idea behind the Vampire pick was that it made Fiona a solid substitute laner on demand. This was a valuable trait when the team was underperforming across the board. It meant that whenever somebody screwed up, Fiona could decently cover for them in the lane. However, prioritizing laning potential over ganking potential made it much harder to shut Venus down right now. To make things worse, StormBlitz excelled at a dynamic defense that covered every part of the map. So, even when Fiona thought she found a good opportunity to strike Venus, another member of StormBlitz would show up to interrupt the play. Frankly, it was rather frustrating. And, the more momentum she gains, the harder it becomes to stop her. It is truly a vicious cycle. Of course, Fiona made sure to not stay too tunnel-visioned on this topic. She also analyzed the rest of the board and considered other lines of play. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The only other realistic option I see is to wait for the enemy to overcommit with a big push on one of the lanes, and use that opportunity to split-push a different lane. Fiona thought. If I prioritize building Attack Speed, I could turn my Vampire into a decent split-pusher. But, will I be able to compete with the enemys pushing speed? No, most likely not. The odds of success were below 10% even under the most optimal conditions. It was a weak attack plan. Nonetheless, a reckless strategist like Yuel Fermond would gone for it anyway. Though, in his case, the attack plan would likely be more elaborate, featuring more trickery to boost the chance of success. Alas, Fiona did not have any such sophisticated ideas at the moment. She had already tried every plan she came up with, but nothing grazed StormBlitz''s absolute wall of defense. This will not work. I have to find another line of play. Fiona reasoned. For starters, is there anything at all I can do to disrupt their momentum? In this game, the backbone of the enemys momentum was Venus. The rest of her team was able to stick to their favorite defensive playstyle because Venus was there to press offense. If I can shut her down, it will throw a wrench in the current flow of the game. Fiona thought. From there, if I can make a few more successful plays in a row, it might become a chance to turn this game around. But, was it even possible to do anything about Venus at this point? The girl had momentum and level advantage, not to mention she was performing way better than in the first game. No doubt, Venus was currently the enemys Queen piece. But, was Fiona on par with a Queen in this game? No, she was not. At best, she was worth as much as a Rook, and even that might be optimistic. By all accounts, Fiona would likely fail to stop Venus by herself. All the odds were against her in this case. It was almost certainly a lost cause. Thinking about it, this mirrors the situation from the first game. Fiona realized. Back then, I was the one who had momentum, and I dare say mine was much greater than this. Nonetheless, Venus gathered the courage to challenge me. It might have been a last-ditch effort, but she nonetheless did it. Venus did not run away from the seemingly impossible challenge. She even successfully put a stop to Fiona''s push back then Quitting without even trying will make me no better than Andria. Fiona thought. From all the ideas I could think of, hitting Venus while she is still on the high horse seems like the best shot we have got. I must at least try. No matter how much more advantage the opponent seemed to have, there was a meaning in challenging them. Only by pouring everything into the fight and pushing herself to the limit could Fiona verify that her opponent was truly as dreadful as she imagined. Until then, the threat only existed in the theoretical analytics inside her head. The human brain is a flawed masterpiece in that regard. Fiona thought. It is capable of so much, yet it comes with many hurdles to overcome. Athletes constantly had to fight their inner demons in order to deliver their best performance. So many different factors could easily throw them off their game or make them lose heart. In fact, the Valkyries showcased that best today. Cornelia possessed raw talent but her attitude constantly got in the way of her achievements. Likewise, Karen was a solid player across the board but her eagerness to fight was her downfall. On the other hand, Lua was a great Support but she lacked assertiveness at the most critical times. And, Andria was a very stable performer on average but she crumbled once the odds were against her. Each and every member of the Valkyries was like a diamond in the rough. They all had what it took to compete against high-level players, but their brains refused to let them fulfill their true potential. Then, what about Fiona? She had been throwing herself at competitive sports far more than anybody else here. The countless experiences molded her into the strong competitor she was today. Nonetheless, everybody had room for growth and Fiona was no different. Right now, in this severely unfavorable situation, even she found it difficult to take a step forward to confront this powerful opponent. If she makes a mistake, she could easily find herself dead instead. That would spell the end of the game, and she would have nobody else but herself to blame. At times like this, Fiona imagined herself back on the running track. The fateful track from many years ago. It was the day when she started transforming into the competitive player she was today. On that day, there was a race, one for which Fiona prepared extensively. She promised her mother she would win no matter what. Alas, Fiona found herself stuck in 2nd place throughout the course. Furthermore, the player in 1st place was consistently a few meters ahead, maintaining a stable lead that seemed impossible to outpace. By the time the race reached the final stretch, Fiona had already lost all hope of winning. At some point, she started thinking that second place was fine, too. I worked hard and I got close to winning. It is good enough. What she did not realize was that these defeatist thoughts turned into poison that weighed her down. The moment she gave up on winning the race, her determination wavered and her body became heavier. It was as if the brain informed the body that it no longer had to work hard, so the body decided it could take a break. It was a terrible case of miscommunication. As a result, Fiona slowed down without even realizing it. This allowed the opponents in 3rd and 4th places to overtake her. She was outdone by others the moment she lost sight of her goal. To add insult to injury, these two determined runners finished in 1st and 2nd. In other words, they passed the seemingly unbeatable 1st place runner who maintained the lead the entire race. As it turned out, that girl was not as consistent as she made herself look. She maintained a solid lead for 90% of the race, but then fatigue kicked in for the last 10%. That utterly destroyed her pace. Apparently, that was a known quirk of this girl. Others who raced her before were already aware of it. But, Fiona learned all of that only after the fact. That embarrassing defeat made her realize she was not prepared at all for the race. She did not do her homework. Given her athletic ability, Fiona could have won that race if she formed a proper strategy and trained a little harder. Alas, she did not do either. It was a day Fiona would never forget for the rest of her life. She promised victory to put a smile on her ill mothers face, only for it to end in tragedy. That broken promise was the last thing her mother received before passing away later that day. Was Fiona even serious about any of this? Why did she not try harder? Why!? That incident became the darkest chapter in her life. On that day, the easygoing Fiona died, giving birth to a new Fiona who threw her everything into the sports she competed in. Anything less than victory was unacceptable. If Fiona lost, she had to train harder, no ifs or buts. And, even when the odds were against her, she would still pour her everything into achieving victory. Thus, she will stay true to this creed even in this seemingly hopeless game. No matter how much better StormBlitz''s position was, Fiona will challenge them over and over! As long as the DEFEAT screen has not shown up, Fiona will continue fighting for victory! Vol.20 Ch.42: The Rush to Score Points In a last-ditch effort to turn this unfavorable game around, Fiona decided to target Venus, the backbone of the enemys momentum. If she successfully eradicates this one giant thread, that might cause a domino effect that will turn the game around. Despite the low chances of success and the flimsy potential reward, Fiona still pushed forward. This was the best counterplan she managed to come up with, so she had to shoot for it despite the grim outlook. That was what it meant to be a competitor. A ward showed Venus in Top Jungle just recently. Fiona recalled. I assume she went after the mana buff. From there, where would she go next? Fiona had to analyze the rest of the board to answer that question. Hmm. I see Cornelia is pushing Top alone. Though, I suppose it is more apt to call that defending. It looked like a push in the sense that Cornelia was marching forward with a pack of minions. But, technically, she was still within the boundaries of the teams territory, as undefended as it was without the Top Turret. At the moment, nobody from StormBlitz was there to contest Cornelias push. And, knowing Cornelia, she will surely convert this defensive play into an aggressive push if things remain this way. StormBlitz surely understood that, so they will have to respond in the near future. However, it will not be easy for them to immediately send troops to Top, as the majority of their forces were currently busy pushing the Mid Golem. However, there was one player missing during this important push: Venus. As speculated earlier, she was most likely stealing the mana buff in Top Jungle right now. As such, if anybody was going to rotate to Top to stop Corenlia''s advances, it was likely Venus. If that happens, she will have to come alone. Fiona thought. An isolated target is a frustratingly rare occurrence when it comes to StormBlitz. Their team members were clearly trained to stick together during the mid-game. As a result, it was nigh impossible for Fiona to ever find an opportunity to pick off an isolated target. However, the situation in Top might turn into one such opportunity. In addition, considering how aggressively Venus had been playing recently, she might throw caution to the wind during her rotation. This might be my one and only chance to strike her down. Fiona thought. But, to make sure it happens, I will have to make a few preparations. "Good work in Top, Cornelia," Fiona said. "Please return to the base after the next wave." "Huh? Why?" Cornelia asked. "There is nobody here to contest me, so I can take down their tower!" Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "This is StormBlitz we are talking about, they will not let you run rampant for long," Fiona explained. "I suspect their Aeromancer will arrive there shortly." "Hmph, I say let her come. Cornelia lifted her chin. I''ve been waiting for an opportunity to kick that commoner off the high horse anyway." "Is that so," Fiona smiled softly. I see. She was also raring to take down Venus this entire time. In fact, I assume everybody is paying close attention to Venus and eagerly waiting to see her downfall. This only further confirmed that taking down Venus was the key play to turn this game around. Therefore, Fiona had to do it herself and she had to do it thoroughly. "Cornelia, if you stay on the lane, the Aeromancer will rotate over there with the intention to defend," Fiona explained. "However, if you recall, I suspect Venus will try to push." "Yeah. Knowing that cocky commoner, that sounds likely." "In that scenario, I might be able to flank her and take her down." "So, you plan to use me, a noble, as a diversion?" Cornelia twisted her lips. "But well, I suppose I see your point. Hmph. Very well. In that case, I shall recall once Im near their tower. Thank you. But, in return, make sure you properly school this arrogant commoner!" "I promise I will." Cornelia pushed to the point where her minions threatened to invade the enemy tower. But, that was where she hit the brakes and recalled. By Fiona''s request, Cornelia executed the recalling near enemy minions to make sure the enemy saw the action. This should convince Venus that there were no threats in the vicinity Wait, she''s recalling? Nice! Julia grinned. Heh, she''s probably scared shitless of me coming over there. Yeah, thats right! Run back to your mama, bitch! By the time Julia arrived in Top, the lane was already under her control. Though, the enemy minions thought they were some big shots even without their leader, so they dared to invade the tower area. Get out of my face, scrubs! Julia summoned Whirlwind, ravaging the entire minion squad with a fierce tornado. Though it was a DoT skill, it wiped out the enemy army within seconds. That''s how strong Julia was at this point in the game. Alright! Julia nodded in satisfaction at the destruction she unleashed on the minions. Now then, let''s push all the way to the Golem! Theyre busy defending Mid, so I can go all the way! Howard didnt object to that plan, he only warned Julia to pay close attention to her surroundings. In other words, it was time to push, push, and then push some more! And so, Julia marched forward with the new minion wave. She soon ran into the enemys next troops, but it was no problem. Another round of Whirlwind will easily delete these weakos from the face of the earth! From there, Julia will be able to easily press forward. Her end goal was none other than the enemy Golem. Imma score more and more points! She asserted. After this game, Howard will realize he was an idiot until now. Like, Gilbert who? That guy has nothing on me! Im oughta be Storms Mid! So far, this entire game has been going her way, so surely this push will be a huge success as well. Julia was on a roll and nobody could stop her! Or, so she believed. She was so confident about it that she didnt bother paying attention to her surroundings while casting Whirlwind. And, because of her negligence, she failed to notice the danger creeping up on her