Chapter 40

〈 Chapter 40 〉 It Hurts

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Dayou TV 015745 has joined the lobby.

Prisoner has joined the lobby.

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The ban and pick phase has started.

Some of the IDs were familiar, while others were not.

It would be fair to say that it was about half and half.

'Anyway, the mid-laner seems to be that Chinese pro... What a coincidence.'

GRS.

The Chinese Red Cup runner-up team, and the very team that had offered me a generous contract not long ago.

Given the circumstances, it seems the GRS mid-jungler, who I faced in a match, must have spoken highly of me, which led to the scouting offer.

Thinking that I would be facing one of the people who had such a high opinion of me in the team... somehow made me feel a bit embarrassed.

'Well, I was bound to meet them eventually anyway.'

I tried to put these thoughts aside and focused on the ban and pick phase.

Our team is the blue team.

That is, the bottom side.

[Ban List]

Elise / Sylas

Shaco

Senna /

Gwen /

Rumble / Leesin

'There are quite a few un-banned champions this round.'

It's not unusual.

From a strategic perspective, un-banning can either mean intentionally leaving an OP champion open to play it, or in the case of pros, not banning to experience a variety of champions in solo queue.

...Of course, it's also quite common to simply not ban out of laziness.

[Sett]

Even though our team's top pick was first, there was no request for a swap.

Sett is a champion that can play top, mid, and even support, so it was not a bad choice for the first pick.

Then, the enemy's first and second picks followed.

[Rengar]

[Leona]

Rengar.

A rather hot pick recently.

Of course, being hot doesn't mean he's hot as a jungler, as he was originally designed.

Although he was designed as a jungler, he is now mainly used in solo lanes like top and mid, which is a bit of a sad situation for a jungler who can't climb walls.

'If this is the case, do they not know each other's top and mid picks yet?'

Statistically, in a top Rengar and top Sett matchup, Rengar has a slight advantage, so they might have picked after seeing Sett, but it's not good to jump to conclusions.

As the picks were completed one by one, the ban and pick phase came to an end.

[Allies / Enemies]

Top: Sett / Rengar

Jungle: Rek'Sai / Xin Zhao

Mid: Twisted Fate / Akali

ADC: Vayne / Kai'Sa

Support: Alistar / Leona

The top and mid picks were particularly noticeable.

Twisted Fate counters Akali, but Rengar counters Twisted Fate.

Rengar and Twisted Fate.

The use of their ultimate abilities would be the key point of this game.

The game started.

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BAN EZ - Rengar

GangGangGangGangGang - Xin Zhao

IlIIIIllllIll - Akali

MAX KingGodEmperor - Kai'Sa

SCV WhiteCat - Leona

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Familiar IDs.

Among them, the most noticeable was BAN EZ, the top laner.

'Hmm.'

BAN EZ.

He is none other than the pro player who recently gave me the top spot in the rankings.

Although his team's performance in the league is not particularly good, his evaluation as a top laner is so high that everyone in the industry praises him.

How else could he be considered one of the best in the world, even though his team didn't even qualify for the Red Cup?

'So we meet like this.'

Of course, even if I lose this game, the rankings won't change.

There is already a significant point difference between us.

'But I have no intention of losing at all.'

The game started.

- Welcome to the Summoner's Rift.

The early game was quite smooth.

Although the invade synergy wasn't bad, we didn't necessarily have to go first.

It was judged that it would be better to establish dominance based on the early mid lane synergy rather than creating variables during the invade.

'Especially since it would be best to get involved in the top lane as quickly as possible.'

It's often said that Sett is a lane with no counter in the top lane.

Sett is that powerful, but the opponent is BAN EZ, known for his aggressive playstyle.

I can't leave any unnecessary sources of anxiety.

'He didn't get the top spot for nothing.'

Even though there is a saying that solo queue points don't matter among pros, they are not entirely meaningless.

After all, a high solo queue score is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that a player is in great form.

My path was the so-called "buff duo."

It was a path to get involved in the top lane as quickly as possible.

Usually, Rek'Sai would go to the top or bottom jungle after clearing the three camps on the red side, but the presence of the enemy top laner was so strong that it felt necessary to avoid the standard path.

'If the enemy jungler successfully dives the top lane, the game could explode.'

Even with the advantage of being on the bottom side, I felt hesitant to gank the bottom lane recklessly.

I glanced at the top lane.

'Hmm, as expected.'

Rengar and Sett.

Although it's not exactly a blade-to-blade matchup, it's a close-range vs. close-range matchup, and intense damage trades have been ongoing from the start.

'A fight will break out in the top lane.'

With both top laners trading damage heavily, it's a very predictable situation, so the enemy Xin Zhao is likely to be on the top path.

Actually, it's almost certain.

Moreover, with both mid laners having Teleport, there's a high chance of a 2v2 or larger fight.

[ ]

[Prisoner (Rek'Sai) has targeted BAN EZ (Rengar)]

As soon as I arrived at the top lane, I saw the enemy Xin Zhao moving from the tri-bush to the line bush.

[ ]

[Prisoner (Rek'Sai) has targeted GangGangGangGangGang (Xin Zhao)]

The moment Xin Zhao placed a ward in the line bush where I was hiding.

My position was revealed, and Sett and I quickly surrounded Xin Zhao.

However,

The enemy Xin Zhao, without panicking, aimed his W at Sett and tried to fly away with his E skill.

He was attempting a breakthrough.

'No way.'

The moment Xin Zhao's E skill activated.

I didn't miss the split second and used Flash and my Q to interrupt Xin Zhao's E skill.

At level 3, Xin Zhao, who hadn't learned his ultimate, was a champion with no escape.

Even with Flash, he couldn't escape the combined attack of Sett and Rek'Sai after using all his skills.

- First Blood!

We successfully took out Xin Zhao in the 2v2 fight, but the problem was that the enemy Rengar was still very active.

Currently, Sett and I had used all our major skills and were not in good health, while the enemy Rengar had recovered health from minions.

'Still, we can retreat.'

As I thought this and was about to use my Q to knock up the aggressively charging Rengar.

"Ouch!"

Suddenly, my stomach started to hurt.

It was a strange pain I had never experienced before.

Because of this, I would have normally used my Q to strip Rengar's spell shield first and then knock him up, but I ended up using the knock-up without using Q.

A fatal mistake.

- You have been defeated by the enemy!

Losing the means to stop the ferocious beast, I was quickly taken down.

And Sett, who was also exposed to the threat, was in the same situation.

- An ally has been defeated!

- Enemy, double kill!

Even though the enemy Rengar got a double kill in an instant, I couldn't focus on that.

"Ugh..."

A pain as if something was stabbing my lower abdomen.

I instinctively grabbed my smartphone.

If something was wrong with my body, I needed to inform someone in my family quickly.

"Ugh..."

Even though the champion had just respawned from the fountain, the screen didn't register in my eyes.

'Call, call...'

I pressed the smartphone, but it was off.

I realized that I had turned it off before the game started because of the flood of calls and messages.

I needed to turn the smartphone back on, but due to the strange pain in my lower abdomen, my hands didn't have much strength.

"Ugh..."

A sudden fear crept in.

What if this was the end?

What if I was taken to the hospital and died alone, with no one knowing of my existence?

Prisoner is the only footprint of my life.

That's why I wanted to meet my end as Prisoner in a place no one else had achieved.

But...

What if I, Prisoner, was just a common amateur forgotten by people?

What if my life and death had no meaning anywhere?

I don't want that.

That... somehow, I don't want that.

"Ugh..."

I put down the smartphone.

Instead, I picked up the mouse again.

I know.

How foolish and selfish my actions are right now.

But if this is really the end, I don't want to meet such a trivial end.

If this is a sign of my end, I want to leave at least one footprint on the mid-slope of a giant mountain that no one has ever stepped on.

'...Sorry, Mom.'

I shifted my gaze to the screen.

To win this game.

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