[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 144

China, Tianjin Hedong.

The cold air peculiar to a cold storage facility seeped into the lungs, and one might have felt a sense of desolation, but no one present was shivering from the cold.

To be precise, they couldn't do that anymore.

Fingernail marks, bloodstains, broken nails, and torn flesh.

If someone were to witness this scene, they would be unable to avoid being curious about what had happened here, but Ri Zixuan wasn't concerned at all.

It wasn't because he was used to this sight.

From the beginning, Ri Zixuan didn't see the owners of the traces here as humans with the same blood flowing through them.

It was a fundamental difference in perspective.

"I need to do some cleaning."

"I will finish it within today."

"Oh, and."

Ri Zixuan added.

"Since the tiger has disappeared, the fox cubs who were hiding in their burrows and just watching will start to stir. You know what to do, right?"

If they hadn't moved in the first place, that would have been one thing, but if they had decided to move, even the cleanup needed to be clean.

"Yes. Leave it to me."

For the time being, he would have to leave his competent secretary elsewhere, but Ri Zixuan didn't show any regret.

It was because it was a matter that was worth it.

'A sloppy handling is no better than doing nothing.'

It was his grandfather's long-standing teaching.

That's why Ri Zixuan decided to take on the task related to this opportunity, enduring a few inconveniences.

"Have the others take care of the cleanup here. I can't have them just watching with their hands in their pockets."

"Understood."

The betting company Ri Zixuan disposed of was a fairly large one in China.

It had close ties with local party officials.

However, the help of other teams, namely, the sponsors who supported them, also contributed significantly to Ri Zixuan's easy cleanup.

Since Ri Zixuan was taking the initiative to handle the work he hadn't bothered to do until now, there was no reason not to lend a hand.

They probably felt considerable doubt about Ri Zixuan's personal involvement, but as time passed, it was obvious that they would just shrug it off, thinking he was just venting his frustration at the trolls the betting company had planted in solo queue.

Anyway, for them, good was good.

In any case, these betting companies were a headache for various teams in China.

And...

Ri Zixuan, who was quietly looking inside the warehouse, muttered softly.

"Trash."

Ri Zixuan's words were not exactly wrong. Their fate would probably not be much different from the end of trash.

To be discarded, to be burned, to disappear.

That was the fate of trash, and Ri Zixuan named them as trash.

"Finish it well."

"Yes. Escort the young master!"

With the secretary's shout, the chauffeur opened the car door.

It was time to start practicing.

* * *

The remaining time until the end of the no-broadcast marathon was now a little over five days.

The current rank 1 is MAX KingGodEmperor with 1646 points.

Meanwhile, my score is only 1242 points.

Even though KingGodEmperor hasn't been playing ranked games recently, the difference is still vast.

'Even with a simple calculation, it's a number that requires at least 20 consecutive wins.'

Considering that there are five days left, if I win four games a day, it seems relatively relaxed, but...

'Did those damn troll guys really disappear?'

[Game found!]

[Accept / Decline]

Even though a queue was caught, I hesitated several times and pressed decline.

And then, start the game again.

[Searching for a game...]

Not even a month had passed since I started broadcasting, and a lot of things had happened.

I almost had to stop broadcasting because I was unfairly targeted and was harassed by trolls of all kinds.

In such a situation, developing an almost PTSD-like obsession was, in a way, natural.

'I can't keep doing this forever... but I still need verification.'

Verification that the goddamn guys who were betting on me had really disappeared.

Ironically, I had to play the game to verify that.

That way, I could see with my own eyes that those guys had disappeared.

[Game found!]

[Accept / Decline]

"Hoo..."

How long has it been since the duo disappeared, and this is already the situation... I can't stand how pathetic I am.

'Okay, let's do this.'

Calming my mind slowly, I pressed accept.

.

.

.

───────────────

BAN EZ has joined the lobby.

SY Rainbow has joined the lobby.

SCV BlackDog has joined the lobby.

Outlaw has joined the lobby.

SCV WhiteCat has joined the lobby.

───────────────

Uh... what is it?

What am I looking at right now?

- Team IRL?

- What is this?

- All-star match? LOL

- It looks like we could win even if we went to Red Cup like this?

- Really ㅋㅋ

- ㅋㅋㅋ

- Red Cup winning members, what? ㅋㅋㅋ

Is this a gift from the game company to me, who has been targeted by countless trolls so far?

The team members that made no sense were caught on the team for the first time in a while.

I don't think I was ever this desperate about the team members before... Above all, it's reassuring that there are verified pro gamers on the team, not trolls.

- If we dodge, it's going to be so much fun ㅋㅋ

- ㄹㅇ ㅋㅋ

- Really?????

- DgDgDg

...Please don't do that.

While I was secretly worried, the ban was in progress.

+

[Ban List]

Viego / Reksai

Raze / Ezreal

Tallun / Turendamier

Shaku / ⛝

Amumu / Allison

+

Our team's position is below.

In other words, it was a first pick.

[BAN EZ: Anyone who can first pick?]

[Outlaw: Give me Reksai]

I would never have given up the second pick under normal circumstances, but the fact that the top of our team was EZ and that I had met normal teammates for the first time in a while made me unconsciously speak in the chat.

It wasn't that rare in high-elo ranked games for the first pick top to be countered and then dodge.

[BAN EZ: Thanks]

[BAN EZ: Ah, it's a ban]

Ah.

-?

-ㅗㅜㅑ

-??????

-Wow

-Is the streamer the only cute one?

-Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead! Nuna I'm dead!

-What is it? So cute ㅋㅋㅋ

-I haven't seen the streamer freeze like this in a while ㅋㅋㅋ Cute

-Is this... a female streamer?

『‘Iamabuffalo’ gifted the balloon ‘1,000’』

『“ㅗㅜㅑ”』

"...Quiet."

My face was burning as the viewers jumped in when they thought this was their chance.

[BAN EZ: Sir?]

[Outlaw: Give me Reksai]

[BAN EZ: Yes]

I almost missed it.

-Reksai?

-Are you sure it’s first pick Reksai?

-Hmm....

The viewers had a reason to react like that.

Currently, Reksai, who could be the counter pick, was originally banned, and Reksai itself is not a very good card for the first pick.

In fact, I was also flustered and said any champion.

'But... it's doable.'

The reason why I thought it was doable, even with the many unfavorable conditions of the first pick Reksai, was simple.

'Reksai has a special move when the opposing team is at the bottom.'

Reksai is one of the champions that consistently scores relatively high in statistics even when their tier is low.

In short, Reksai can be considered one of the champions optimized for solo queue.

[Graves]

[Trash]

The two most difficult guys to deal with as Reksai came out at once.

Graves is a pick that is considered a traditional counter to Reksai, along with Kindred.

If Kindred counters Reksai with a skill set, Graves counters Reksai with the advantage of ranged kiting, as well as its unique toughness and explosive damage.

In other words, depending on the growth situation, Graves was one of the picks that could directly crush Reksai in a head-on fight without even needing controls like kiting.

'But it's doable.'

According to statistics, the Graves vs. Reksai setup actually overwhelms Graves, despite the name of Graves being the counter to Reksai.

If you ask why, it's probably because the advantages of Graves in the solo queue environment are difficult to surpass the advantages of Reksai.

That's what I was going to use.

This is solo queue.

No matter how high the tier is, the essence is ultimately the same.

'Trash is a little annoying... but our bot lane is the beast duo.'

BlackDog and WhiteCat.

If it's those two, the core of SCV and also considered one of the best bot lanes in the world, I was confident no matter who the opponent was.

And...

The ban pick was completed.

+

[Allies / Enemies]

Top: Artrex / Setu

Jungle: Reksai / Graves

Mid: LeBlanc / Zoe

ADC: Bean / Jixu

Support: Rulo / Trash

+

The ban pick itself wasn't a very suitable combination for Reksai to exert their power.

Furthermore, even though our team was close to a charge composition, the initiation aspect was quite weak, while the opponent had a long-range poking composition.

The advantages of each side were clear, so it was impossible to say which side was better, but for now, it didn't seem like things would get better with time.

'In that sense, the role of LeBlanc, who is 1AP, is important.'

Of course, I didn't have to worry too much about that.

Because the LeBlanc on our team right now was none other than Rainbow.

As the game started and the loading screen appeared, revealing the opponent's nickname,

-Huh?

-Crazy

-Did this happen?

-Wow

-Mch

-Big match ㅋㅋㅋ

-Kya

The chat room began to shake.