NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5
For a while, Curry’s chat room was on fire.
Wasn’t it a bit too intense for losing the first game of the promotion series?
I had my doubts, but after watching the broadcast, I understood the situation.
– Just don’t die. I swear I’ll carry.
– Just one more, one more! Seriously, just one… Aah!
– What’s our jungle doing!!
– These bastards shovel the food down like it’s nothing!
– Mindless split push on.
Curry stacked up on “karma” throughout the game.
He repeatedly showed off his specs of a top lane lunatic, accumulating karma that ultimately exploded into a loss in the promotion series.
“…Guys, I really want to end the stream.”
Maybe it was because his mental was cracking.
He cautiously brought up the idea of ending the stream with a defeated voice.
[Me]
[Shut up]
[Shut up]
[Lock]
[Where do you think you’re running to?]
[Everything will break.]
[Me]
[Lock]
[Me]
[Shouldn’t you clean up afterwards?]
[If you end now, you’ll end your life too.]
[Lock]
[My mom suddenly started crying, was it because of you?]
[A national petition was posted, everyone, please agree once~]
The viewers of Curry’s chat room, known as the “malicious prison,” weren’t going to allow that.
Seeing thepublic sentiment heading further down the drain, Curry had no choice but to lift his head.
At that moment, the black screen around the camera cleared up.
What was revealed was the matchmaking lobby after the banning process ended.
[?]
[Are you acting to avoid being targeted?]
[Unlucky… Unlucky…]
[Whoa… impressive acting skills!]
[Why did you abandon Nayun? Why did you abandon Nayun? Why did you abandon Nayun? Why did you abandon Nayun?]
“Honestly, getting targeted during a promotion series is no fun. Right?”
Until just moments ago, he had been completely defeated; now his face sported a playful expression, marking a complete turnaround alongside an avalanche of “lolololol”.
[But if you got targeted again, that would be legendary.]
“Come on, there’s no way after all this!”
Curry smiled and shook his head at a viewer’s message.
While communicating with the viewers, suddenly it was time to pick.
“Hmm… the opposing top hasn’t been revealed yet?”
The enemy top had yet to make an appearance.
Curry’s go-to safe pick “Renekton” had been banned.
After pondering which champion to use, Curry soon made a decision.
“Let’s go with Malphite for the first time in a while.”
[No way]
[You’re seriously going all out here]
[The great commander isn’t going for a sword champ?]
[From now on, just walk around with a party of bums, girl.]
[Where’s that manly Curry who used to mindlessly dribble 1v2?]
[Not a hot heart, but a fire dick!]
[That guy got eaten by Nayun and is now dead, please don’t mention it.]
As soon as he picked Malphite, often considered the champion of “bowl rice,” the mood in the chat room flipped dramatically.
“Why again? Sometimes, you just crave some bowl rice!”
With smooth talk, Curry calmed down the agitated viewers.
Sensing the need to shift topics, Curry turned his gaze.
Just then, the opponent finally finished their picks.
The last champion they chose was…
“…Mordekaiser?”
Since olden times, together with “Silas,” the champion optimized for “bowl rice hunting.”
With that pick, the previously lively atmosphere in the chat room once again shifted.
[Where do you think you’re going, ruining the promotion series?]
[What nonsense!]
“No one plays Mordekaiser nowadays. The performance is trash.”
[Fact: Absolute tier 1 against bowl rice nuts.]
[Even my pet peepoo knows Mordekaiser is broken.]
[Peepoo agrees lol]
[Peepoo…? Mordekaiser…? Ugh! My head… ]
Though viewers reacted negatively to his comment, objectively, it was true that Mordekaiser’s performance was indeed trash.
“Plus, the enemy mid is Silas, damn.”
[Both bowl rice hunters are together now]
[Food hunting duo]
[lolololol]
[Food hunting duo totally agrees lol]
Due to the tank-specialized bowl rice champ Malphite’s characteristics, he couldn’t help but be at a disadvantage against Mordekaiser and Silas.
Even the sneaky alternative of switching lanes was blocked.
It looked like he would have to face Mordekaiser with Malphite head-on.
“Please dodge!!!”
The moment the countdown hit 1.
He shouted “dodge!” with every ounce of hope.
[Game starts.]
[Not a chance lol]
[Is he really not dodging this?]
[Seeing a 30% win rate Malphite and still not dodging.]
[If it were me, I would’ve dodged immediately.]
[True lol]
[No matter how you look at it, everyone is like an “actor,” teach us, teacher.]
[Is this gonna be Curry’s Truman Show again?]
And so, the game began, and the loading screen popped up.
Curry turned his attention to check the opponent’s nicknames.
Then, three letters caught his eye.
[Nayun Queen]
The moment he saw those three letters, Curry internally screamed.
Despite trying hard not to, he could sense the situation in the chat room.
“I even acted to avoid being targeted…”
[lololololololololol]
[lololololololololol]
[lololololololololololol]
[Wow, that guy is ‘real.’]
[Even Chris Kyle can’t shoot like this.]
“…Did you really have to target me just to feel better?!”
[lololololololololol]
[lololololololololol]
[Ah… just ^XXX^]
[Today’s broadcast is legendary lol]
[Isn’t that a bit of love for Curry? Lol]
[True love recognized.]
[Something beyond love, is this affection…?]
[Nayun Queen! Nayun Queen! Nayun Queen! Nayun Queen!]
With Nayun Queen successfully targeting in a situation where no one could hit him,
Once again, Curry’s broadcast began to boil fiercely.
*
This time he succeeded in targeting again.
Unfortunately, he was assigned to the off-position of top, but it wasn’t so bad.
Whether he was being indirectly or directly tormented, as long as he was being tormented, it didn’t really matter much.
‘Malphite…’
As much as he wanted to head to Master,
It was unforgivable for a streamer who once called himself a great commander to pick bowl rice.
He couldn’t let it slide.
So, I picked Mordekaiser, the counter pick to Malphite.
I handled Mordekaiser so well that I made him my main champion when he was remade.
However, he was so dull that I had no choice but to switch to another champion.
At first, using the “Room of Truth” to trap and beat various streamers was thrilling, but…
Maybe I did it too often because I quickly lost interest and ceased to find it enjoyable.
Because of that, playing Mordekaiser for the first time in a while brought joy just from moving around.
Thinking about the not-so-distant future where I would trap Curry’s Malphite in the Room of Truth and beat him mercilessly sent a chill down my spine.
======
[Blue Team]
TOP Mordekaiser
JG Eles
MID Silas
AD Samara
SUP Thresh
Vs
[Purple Team]
TOP Malphite
JG Kha’Zix
MID Orianna
AD Ashe
SUP Braum
======
The game has started.
Curry’s Purple Team comp was quite solid.
Once it reached the teamfight phase, the synergy of Malphite and Orianna’s ultimates would imply that time belonged to the Purple Team.
On the other hand, our team’s composition wasn’t very good.
Compared to the Purple Team, which had clear AD, AP, and tank presence, our team had three AP characters.
Of course, Malphite is a bowl rice champ specialized in “defense,” so it wasn’t entirely unfavorable.
However, if the game dragged on, the chances of losing would rise significantly, as they might have an edge in the early stages.
[Minions have spawned.]
In the invade stage, nothing happened, and soon it transitioned to the laning phase.
Curry’s key rune was comet, and he started harassing me from level 1.
‘Is he mad?’
Even with an unfavorable matchup, Malphite was actively trading blows.
It felt like I could sense his anger through his gameplay.
But no matter how much he harassed me, my health remained untouched.
Thanks to my W skill, Doran’s shield, and the healing effect of the “Courage” secondary rune, I was fine.
With Malphite already having good lane sustain, this rune choice only boosted that sustain.
Eventually, after exhausting all his mana, Malphite was back to munching on minions at the turret.
Naturally, I wouldn’t let him be like that and smashed his head with my mace whenever my cooldowns were back up.
Realizing that it was dangerous to keep holding on, he tried to recall.
But I interrupted his recall with my E skill.
I could vividly picture Curry getting frustrated even without watching the broadcast.
With that, Malphite missed his timing to go home, munching minions again.
True to the bowl rice specialties: “Lying Down” and “Holding On.”
Justlookcarry(Eles) is coming
Justlookcarry(Eles) is coming
Justlookcarry(Eles) has targeted The Lonely Gourmet(Malphite)
Justlookcarry(Eles) has targeted The Lonely Gourmet(Malphite)
Matching the ping from my jungler, I quickly cleared the wave.
Naturally, a dive opportunity formed, and the low health and mana Malphite had no chance but to die.
Justlookcarry(Eles): Malphite (Flash)
After noting that Malphite’s Flash was down, Eles left top lane.
I moved as safely as possible and hit recall.
Malphite, who teleported back late, tried to find me after my recall.
But being well aware of that lunatic top laner’s habits, I had already safely returned.
Justlookcarry(Eles) is coming
Justlookcarry(Eles) has targeted ADCARRY(Ashe)
Checking the minimap for the bottom lane, I saw Eles was ganking there.
Malphite had already used his return TP.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I teleported to the fighting bottom lane.
[You have slain an enemy!]
[Double kill!]
[Triple kill!]
By the time I arrived with my teleport, the enemy team was all on low health.
To be fair, even without using my TP, we would have probably won.
But thanks to arriving with TP, I saved Samara, who almost died, and secured a triple kill, so it wasn’t a pointless teleport.
Before I knew it, just under six minutes into the game, I had secured 4 kills, finished my core item, and was on my way back to top lane.
Meanwhile, Malphite was hard at work gathering tower gold while I was absent.
I dropped down below and swiftly cast my ultimate on him.
Trapped in the Room of Truth, Malphite immediately tried to move back.
But with nowhere to escape, the only thing Malphite could do was roll around.
“Stay still.”
Towards the still under-leveled Malphite,
I smiled softly and swung my mace with joy.