NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
The content was a series of GIFs and their descriptions.
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(GIF of a chaotic early invade moment.)
(GIF of Rek’Sai dying while greedily trying to take Red.)
(GIF of a gank pretending to go another way.)
(GIF of Rek’Sai in pain.)
(GIF of the joys of top laners.)
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“Hmm.”
As I suspected, the GIFs were from the match I just played.
It hadn’t been long since the game ended, but seeing these clips made it seem like someone was watching in real-time.
I wondered if this game was really worthy of such attention, but then I let it go.
‘Well.’
Although it was unconfirmed, the title claimed it was a duo with a 35-game winning streak.
That, too, in the Challenger tier.
If that was the case, any decent Challenger duo could pull it off, but the issue was their identities.
‘The Red Cup runner-up duo.’
I was familiar with the team that was a runner-up in the Red Cup.
No way could I not know.
GRS.
They dominated the domestic league in China and posed a serious threat to the Red Cup champion team, SY.
Of course, people said GRS reached the Red Cup finals mainly because of their bot lane, but that was a flawed assessment.
Just being strong in one lane alone wouldn’t get you to the finals in a monster-filled tournament like the Red Cup.
As it turned out, GRS’s mid-jungle duo had proven their strength with that 35-game winning streak.
Meaning, in terms of current standards, there were scarcely any mid-jungle duos around the world that could rival them.
‘Though they did just get opened up by me earlier.’
I felt weird about that, but… well, it’s true, after all.
As I drowned in these random thoughts, I scrolled down to the comments.
– “At this point, it’s just bullying, right?”
– “I wondered who it was, and turns out it’s Prisoner lol even the runner-up from Worlds can’t deal with a ghost in solo queue lol.”
– “Wow, look at how predictable their movements are. If I were Rek’Sai, I would have left right away during the invade.”
– “Is there a jungler that can restore after a mid laner gets a Solo kill? Is there a jungler that can restore after a mid laner gets a Solo kill? Is there a jungler that can restore after a mid laner gets a Solo kill? Is there a jungler that can restore after a mid laner gets a Solo kill?”
It’s not the first time amateurs have beaten pros in solo queue, and it made me wonder if it warranted such a fuss, but the community didn’t seem to think so.
– “Of course, the jungler picked by Rainbow.”
– “No, Prisoner seems insane nowadays. I think even Yoon-ki would lose in solo queue.”
– “Does the jungle from the Worlds-winning team look like a joke? Can’t even debut, just a nobody lol.”
– “Did you even understand the context? Are you that clueless?”
– “But isn’t Prisoner just an invade one-trick? Most of the games they win seem to start off during an invade.”
Well, as is usual with communities, it seemed to end with fights.
“What are you all so angry about?”
I didn’t understand why they were venting in a meaningless place, but then again, here I was, wasting time myself, so who was I to talk.
As I read through the various comments, my queue was finally matched.
[Game found!]
[Accept / Decline]
Naturally, I chose to accept.
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MAX WooChan joined the lobby.
Prisoner joined the lobby.
Jungler’s Slave joined the lobby.
SCV BlackDog joined the lobby.
BangYaBangYaBangYa joined the lobby.
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Hmm.
This isn’t good.
What’s the problem? The positions overlapped.
Two top laners, two bot laners.
This isn’t too bad. If it were two junglers and two supports, that’d be a definite dodge.
[Jungler’s Slave: Can you give up top?]
[MAX WooChan: Sorry.]
Even so, it wasn’t without problems, as the subtle mind games began between the top laners, having just faced each other in the last match.
[Jungler’s Slave: Can you give up top?]
[MAX WooChan: Sorry.]
[Jungler’s Slave: Can you give up top?]
[MAX WooChan: Sorry.]
[Jungler’s Slave: Can you give up top?]
[MAX WooChan: No.]
The result was a draw.
The ban/pick phase began.
[Bans]
Lee Sin / Sylas
Shyvana / Thresh
Syndra / Lee Sin
Talon / Kindred
Kai’Sa / Kai’Sa
‘Kindred ban?’
Something feels a bit off…
Of course, Kindred isn’t a bad pick.
However, with so many OP champions still available, was it even worth a ban?
That’s a different story, though.
‘Could it be that duo from earlier?’
They jumped right into another queue without a break, so the chances were quite high.
‘Guess I’ll find out if I start this up.’
Our team was the blue team.
In other words, we were first pick.
As the situation stood, the unfortunate first-pick top laner on the hardest blue team sighed.
[MAX WooChan: Is there anyone who can first pick?]
Silence.
Eventually, thinking there was no choice, the pick was finalized with 3 seconds remaining.
[Sion]
Indeed, nothing beats a solid tank for first pick.
As soon as our picks were finished, familiar portraits appeared on the opponent’s side as if they were waiting for this moment.
Nidalee, Renekton.
They were the top jungle champions capable of rolling the strongest snowballs in Legends of League.
Let alone Renekton, who could even swap to mid—clearly a strategic pick from the opposing team.
‘Seems like they knew what to do.’
It could just be a feeling, but why did the ban/pick phase feel so emotionally charged?
Once the opponent’s picks concluded, it was my turn to pick, being the 2nd pick.
‘Hmm.’
My teammate’s top champion is Sion.
No matter how much of a tank he is, if Renekton and Nidalee target him, it won’t be easy to survive.
In other words, I need to pick a champion that can cover him…
‘And I should also consider the possibility of Renekton going mid.’
So, it could be viable to take a champion that counters Renekton from our mid lane.
[Prisoner: Mid ad? ap?]
[Jungler’s Slave: Hmm…]
After a little hesitation, I picked Sett.
‘Not bad.’
Since it’s a champion used in the top lane as well, I should have decent experience with it, and even if Renekton comes to mid, I should have a relative advantage, so overall it’s not a bad choice.
‘Then it’s the AP pick left.’
Currently, all my teammates in the top and mid lane had chosen AD champions, which narrowed my choices even more.
‘The only usable ones left are… Elise and Ekko.’
Both are solid AP junglers in the current meta, but there’s one crucial difference.
Elise is a pick that empowers the laners, while, on the other hand, Ekko grows based on the sacrifices of his laners.
‘Yeah, I’ll go with Ekko.’
Normally, I would have confidently picked Elise.
Given the significant power of early skirmishes, picking Ekko against Nidalee would indeed be a risky choice.
Perhaps, I was influenced by a comment I had just seen in the community.
– “Isn’t Prisoner just an invade one-trick? Most of the games they win seem to kick off from an invade.”
It’s amusing.
In the past, unless I was in an overwhelmingly advantageous position, I’d avoid skirmishes and play it safe.
In the high ranks, my skirmish ability was at most average.
Yet here I am, being called an invade one-trick… how much things have changed.
‘I don’t need to prove anything, but…’
I’ve already made my decision.
In the next three months, as Prisoner, I’ll end up at the highest rank possible.
So I will prove it.
How far can I rise from here?