[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 227

There's a saying that enemies meet on a narrow bridge, but strictly speaking, I was never really enemies with them, or even in a similar relationship.

Rather, it could be said to be the opposite.

‘So this is how we meet.’

Even though we had never met directly, there was a subtle connection between me and GRS.

It wasn't just that GRS had reached out to me a long time ago; we also ran into each other quite often in solo rank.

However, the only difference from before might be that the jungler next to Nightmare, the GRS mid laner, had changed.

‘MaBing.’

Originally, the GRS jungler was Haolan, also known as the "best jungler".

However, a new rookie jungler, MaBing, appeared like a comet and surpassed Haolan to take the starting position in GRS.

Despite many concerns, GRS's recruitment of MaBing was so successful that it was even said to be a stroke of genius.

As the season began in earnest, MaBing's performance was truly worthy of the name "Ma Bing (马兵:MaBing)".

In fact, after MaBing's recruitment, GRS not only dominated the domestic league with an overwhelming performance, but also defeated SCV, who had defeated the previous year's world champion, SY, in the MSL finals.

The rookie jungler not only won the domestic league but also won the international tournament with an overwhelming performance.

It was truly a Royal Roader in the making.

They had earned the right to be called the best team in the world until the Red Cup, which would be held a few months later.

And…….

Such a rookie jungler and veteran mid laner from GRS appeared before me.

It's an opponent who's somewhat more than I expected in a solo rank match, which I went in with a somewhat light heart.

Of course, if you ask if I was scared, the answer was no at all.

‘Hmm.’

This will be interesting.

A match against a strong team, against strong players, always makes my heart flutter.

Moreover, the stage wasn't a grand one but just a solo rank, so it was natural to feel excited rather than burdened.

-Welcome to the Summoner's Rift!

As I was lost in thought, the game started in earnest.

[⬇] [⬇] [⬇]

[⨷] [⨷] [⨷]

A loud ping.

[GrilledPotatoYummy(Katarina): They're a mid-jungle duo]

Since searching the opponent's record was essential in the top-tier solo rank, it seemed that our team's mid laner had also quickly realized that the opponents were a duo.

‘Let's just get vision and back off.’

[❕] [❕]

[OLZ Outlaw(K'Sante) signals danger]

[OLZ Outlaw(K'Sante) signals danger]

In the early invade, we chose to just get vision and back off.

It was because of the unique initiative held by the Blitzcrank on the opposing team.

Blitzcrank, who can be considered the king of grab-type champions, has an absolutely dominant presence in an early invade situation.

In fact, even professionals often dislike or are afraid of Blitz, so the variables that the Blitzcrank champion holds cannot be ignored.

High risk, high return.

Is there another champion that suits this formula so well?

‘I don't really like it…….’

It's because, if we went with a standard situation, it was highly likely that K'Sante, who is weak in the early game, would be tossed around by Graves.

‘Well… it's my fault for picking K'Sante first when Graves is alive.’

It wasn't a pick with any particular meaning, I just felt like doing it today.

Even though it was a pick that was very far from a tournament pick, I could use it as a wildcard if I had practiced it.

Sure enough.

[❗] [❗] [❗]

After placing wards and retreating, the opposing team of five appeared through the bottom lane tri-bush.

Fortunately, we had only placed wards and retreated, so we didn't suffer a big loss, but we lost one ward due to the opponent's lens.

Considering that the beginning of all snowballing starts from such trivial things, it was a rather unpleasant situation.

‘Hmm.’

The opponent took control of the vision in our team's red jungle and then calmly retreated.

Unfortunately, there was no one on our team who had changed their trinket to a lens, so I had to start off in a very, very bad mood.

-Minions have spawned!

The laning phase began in earnest.

[❕] [❕]

[OLZ Outlaw(K'Sante) signals danger]

[OLZ Outlaw(K'Sante) signals danger]

I pinged my bottom lane to retreat.

‘You don't have to leash.’

Our team's bottom lane combination was Jhin and Xerath.

It's a typical combination that needs to gain an advantage by strong lane pressure in the early game.

If they pressure awkwardly, they could be on the receiving end of a big gank pressure because of the opponent's Blitzcrank pick.

I started with the K'Sante's standard route and started with the Krugs.

[K'Sante - Level 3]

After smoothly clearing the red side's three camps and reaching level 3, I moved to the top camp as usual.

And, the moment after eating the wolves and just starting the blue.

Thump!

Graves came over, riding a Blast Cone, as if he had been waiting for it.

Judging by the time and timing, he had gone through the same route, eating the red three camps and rushing over.

[⨷]

[OLZ Outlaw(K'Sante) targets MaBing777(Graves)]

‘Look at that?’

Of course, in a K'Sante versus Graves matchup, it's not strange for K'Sante to be forced into such a forced jungle invade because K'Sante is very weak in the early game.

No, to be precise, it could be seen as a play that Graves should be doing, rather than forcing it.

But,

That's only the case when the laners who go for the jungle invade have the initiative.

‘So you want to try it, huh.’

I took a slight glance at the top lane match.

Jax versus Gwen.

This is a matchup where Jax has an overwhelming advantage, and unless Jax uses his E skill recklessly, Gwen can't establish a trade.

Honestly, Jax was currently dominating the lane, to the point where it was questionable that Gwen was picked against a first pick Jax.

Moreover, the jungle was also on our side, so it was obvious which side's join would be faster.

‘You still won't back off?’

I asked.

But the answer I heard was the same.

Thump!

Graves continued to hit the blue, rather than retreating.

It was a declaration of war.

[⬇] [⬇]

[FFF Ogre(Jax) is on the way]

[GrilledPotatoYummy(Katarina) is on the way]

Top and mid laners from both teams began to join.

Of course, it was a situation where our side's laner would be one step faster.

Even so, Graves continued to hit the blue, as if he was determined to take it, instead of retreating.

As if to say, come if you dare.

Jax, who arrived first, rushed towards Graves.

Now, the blue's health was in a precarious state.

It was a smite fight, no matter how you looked at it.

‘Hmm.’

The blue's health was slowly decreasing.

The way to win a smite fight is actually very simple.

You have to use smite faster than the opponent.

However, if it's too fast, the health value may be higher than the smite damage, so very precise timing is required.

‘Considering my skill damage and smite damage…….’

As I scraped my skill at the blue, Graves instinctively used his skill and smite at the same time.

But, that was the situation I intended.

I deliberately only hit the last hit of K'Sante's Q skill, without hitting all two hits.

It was to deliberately disrupt the opponent's damage calculation.

Despite Graves's smite, the blue's health still had about 10 left.

I calmly finished it with a smite.

『👍』

After I won the smite fight, Jax started hitting Graves, spinning his E skill.

Right before the stun hit.

Graves narrowly dodged Jax's stun with a flash.

If he had flashed quickly and clumsily, Jax would have followed up with a matching flash, but he dodged the stun because he watched the situation until the end.

As Graves gained a turn, the opposing Gwen and the mid laners from both teams arrived, and the battle began.

-First Blood!

-You have slain an enemy!

-Your ally has been slain!

After a fierce battle…….

Our mid and the opposing top died.

It was a 1:1 trade.

‘……A trade in this situation.’

Of course, since I won the smite fight and got the first blood, our team could be said to have benefited that much, but the problem was that a kill trade happened in such a forced situation.

It was close to a trade in this forced situation…….

It felt familiar, somehow.

‘This feeling is…….’

I realized the identity of this déjà vu.

‘Yun-gi in his rookie days.’

I remember the day when Yun-gi first appeared in solo rank.

Suddenly, like a storm.

Yun-gi's first appearance was a groundbreaking one that was fitting for such a title.

But why?

Now, I could see the image of Yun-gi, who was full of passion in his rookie days, in MaBing, which overlapped with it.