[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 29

As I said before, the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint isn't a player who can't play in the top lane.

However, their unique top-lane faith often messes up the game, so as a mid-laner who has to hold the center of the game, it was hard to trust them.

[Me: Just in case I ask... you're not an assassin here to stop the 1st place, are you?]

[3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint: Depends on what you do]

It's a way of saying, just shut up and come gank.

‘It'll work out somehow.’

As the situation was only one step away from 1st place, I would usually dodge if the line got tangled, but since we are a duo, I couldn't.

‘The line isn't that tangled either.’

As I've said before, top laners usually don't have much trouble going to the mid lane, and the AD carry can often also be a support.

Even though our team's strength isn't at 100%, it's not a game we can't play.

Amidst this kind of commotion…….

The ban-pick proceeded.

[Ban List]

Sylas / Ezreal

⛝ / K'Sante

Sena / Gwen

Thresh / Ornn

Shaco / Lissandra

Our team's side is the top side.

In other words, the second pick.

-Selecting...

The opponent's first pick ban is Ezreal.

If you think normally, you can say that he banned Ezreal since he is an AD carry, but there is also the possibility of a lane swap, and these days, Ezreal himself is such an overpowered champion, it wasn't much of a meaningful inference.

[Samira]

A safe pick.

Among the existing AD carries, it is a champion that is treated as tier 1 along with Ezreal, so there's no problem picking it first.

-Selecting...

-Selecting...

Now it's the turn for our team's 1st and 2nd picks to choose a champion.

[Camille]

[Jinx]

Even if you count SY Longbow, who is the 2nd pick, the 1st pick, the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint, also picked without hesitation.

‘A little unexpected.’

I thought they would whine, asking for a swap as per their usual personality in a duo, but they seemed to think it didn't matter since they were in the mid lane.

‘Well.’

Usually, the position where Camille mainly appears is the top lane.

In the old days, they often went to the jungle or mid lane, but due to the constant nerfs, it became completely impossible to use her in the jungle, and it's not that she can't be used in the mid lane, but it's a trend not to use her.

Even so, it's a champion that can basically swap between top and mid, so they picked first without any burden.

As I said before, a champion that can swap between multiple positions basically brings the effect of picking second twice, or more.

The ban-pick continued.

Now it's the turn for the opponent's 2nd and 3rd picks.

[Elise]

[Renekton]

Renekton Elise.

It was a pick made because I was half-certain that our top laner was Camille.

No, even if Camille went to another lane, didn't I experience that destructive power myself in the previous game?

‘They're going to completely kill Camille.’

If the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint was in the top lane, I wouldn't have hesitated for a moment and would have dodged.

Of course, that didn't mean I could be completely relieved yet.

Because if they realized that Camille was going to the mid lane, Renekton could also follow to the mid lane.

[MAX WooChan: Hmm...]

[MAX WooChan: Jungle, the opponent's jungle came out, can we swap?]

[MAX WooChan: I don't know where Renekton is yet...]

Is there really a top-lane faith preservation law? The 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint was quiet, and the second-pick instinct came out from the other side.

Well, Elise had already come out anyway, and there was no need to refuse, so I readily agreed.

[Prisoner: Okay, just a moment]

[MAX WooChan: Yes]

Uhm, let's see…….

The opponent's AD carry is Samira, and the jungle is Elise. Up to here, it's fixed unless there's a troll on the other side.

The problem is Renekton…….

‘They might have picked top lane for now, but if they confirm that Camille is going to the mid lane, they might chase after her.’

Damage balance is also a problem.

Camille and Jinx have already been picked in our team.

No matter what our top laner chooses, it was good to choose an AP champion for damage balance.

‘K'Sante is banned, so exclude him, then what's left….’

Excluding champions like Lillia, who has become virtually unusable due to a harsh nerf, the remaining options are Nidalee, Ekko, Rumble, Ryze, and Diana.

Excluding Ekko and Ryze, who are especially weak early on…….

‘I should choose between Nidalee, Rumble, and Diana.’

According to statistics, Diana has a higher win rate against Elise among those three.

In fact, considering the picks so far, a chaotic battle is expected on the top side, so Diana, who is strong in fights, didn't seem bad.

[Prisoner: Give me Diana]

[Diana]

The support also picked right after.

[Alistar]

Our team's support picked Alistar.

It's a choice that's not bad, as it's less reliant on skill than non-targeting champions.

Now it's the turn for the opponent's 4th and 5th picks.

In other words, I can pick after seeing the opponent's entire combination.

‘This is why the last pick of the red team is good.’

People often say that the flower of the red team is the last pick, and the flower of the blue team is the first pick.

That means how important the last pick of the red team and the first pick of the blue team are.

‘Strictly speaking, it's not even my pick.’

Since it's the second pick after the opponent's jungler anyway, it wasn't that meaningful except for the overall composition of the combination.

And soon, the opponent's 4th and 5th picks finished their picks.

[Zoe]

[Nautilus]

They're all textbook and safe champions.

But why?

The moment I saw Zoe, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu that I couldn't explain.

‘Could it be….’

I instinctively checked my friend list.

I remembered that Rainbow had logged in while talking to the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint earlier.

+

[SY Rainbow]

Champion selection in progress.

+

At the same time, in the same queue.

What are the chances of this being a coincidence?

What this is saying is clear.

‘They're there.’

Rainbow is on the opposing team.

‘…Should I just dodge?’

Our team's mid laner is the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint, and the opponent's mid laner is a two-time Red Cup winner?

Oh shit.

No matter how much I don't like blaming the team, the gap between the Red Cup winner and the top-lane faith believer, who isn't even the main position, is surprisingly large.

I hurriedly sent a 1:1 message to the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint.

[Me: Dude.]

[Me: Rainbow seems to be on the other team]

It was in the hope that the 3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint wouldn't dodge instead of me.

[3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint: So?]

[3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint: Rather, it's great, I win go go]

Yeah, I knew you'd be like that.

While we were having such a meaningless conversation, it was already my turn to pick.

[Prisoner: What do you want to give me?]

[MAX WooChan: Uhm...]

[MAX WooChan: Just a moment]

[MAX WooChan: Give me Renekton]

Renekton.

A traditional Renekton counter.

…Only if we're talking about a 1:1 situation.

No matter how much Renekton's skill set counters Renekton, it can't counter Elise.

On top of that, Renekton itself isn't a champion that contributes well in teamfights, so frankly speaking, it's not a good champion unless you can completely crush Renekton.

‘This is… should I say it's as expected, or should I say they believe in me.’

Whatever it is, it was a truly top-lane faith believer-like choice.

‘It means losing the game is better than losing in the top lane.’

I didn't even know why they had such a mindset.

If you're curious, you can just go to the top lane and play the game yourself.

You'll understand at once.

And…….

Finally, the ban-pick was complete.

[Our Team / Enemy Team]

Top: Renekton / Renekton

Jungle: Diana / Elise

Mid: Camille / Zoe

AD Carry: Jinx / Samira

Support: Alistar / Nautilus

‘By the way, 1 AP… my shoulders will be heavy.’

Usually, when the damage balance is skewed in this way, the 1 AP or 1 AD champion has to do well.

Of course, I'm not lacking in confidence.

Rather, I just thought that I'll have to concentrate a little more since I have to carry.

Soon, the loading screen came.

───────────────

SCV KING - Renekton

yytvxxiaojin - Elise

SY Rainbow - Zoe

SCV WhiteCat - Samira

MAX Lineover - Nautilus

───────────────

As expected, the opponent's mid laner's nickname is not only familiar, but also intense.

‘Rainbow.’

It's not the first time I've met Rainbow as an enemy.

Rainbow belongs to the old gamers to some extent, and of course, I have faced him countless times in solo queue.

As an enemy, and also as an ally.

And every time, what I felt was a kind of huge wall.

Yun-gi also felt a huge wall, but in the end, he found a way to get the win rate.

However, not with Rainbow.

‘A complete mid laner.’

There's no winning strategy, no weakness.

There's only one way to beat Rainbow.

To win in a fair fight of strength against strength.

‘But our mid laner…’

[3-Minute Top-Lane Honor Saint – Camille]

…Well, it'll work out somehow.

I felt like I understood why optimists exist.