The st game began. For the third time today, Yuel and Lars faced Howard and Ellen in Bot. However, this time the dynamics of the fight were rather different. For the first time, it was Ellen who went on the offensive during the ning phase.

  “Duuude,” Lars pouted. “I 't do anything if we keep running. Lemme at her, I'mma get a kill for sure!”

  “Patience,” Yuel dismissed the idea. “You should’ve known you'll g behind during ning as Seraph.”

  “Yeah, but Athena is right here and she's pushing! And I 't do anything! Gah.”

  “She's pying like this because she knows you ’t go in. And, this also doubles as a bait. If you take it, they'll run all over you.”

  “I'll just beat them, yo!”

  “Or, you'll die ahe whole team back.”

  “Geh, okay...” Lars pouted but didn’t argue any further. As much as he itched to give Ellen some heat, even this goof uood the danger.

  For Seraph, the ning phase was merely a situation to live through, not a situation to domihis Hyper Carry css didn't have any AoE skills aside for his ult, so clearing the ne was tough. Lars couldn’t rely on anything but his basic attacks.

  As for the enemy, Ranger wasly the fastest ne clearer either, especially with Ellen’s infamous defensive build. Still, Ellen could send her wolf to ssh minions in a e and this AoE attack allowed her to out-clear Lars.

  Fortunately, Yuel was there to help. He spshed water in a e on multiple minions with Spsh and khem up with Geyser Eruption. To make his damage relevant, he started off with an Lv.1 Unholy Grail. It was a greedy power item which didn’t provide any MP5 or cooldowion, two valuable stats during the early game. Instead, it offered raw power on par with a mid-game item for a much lower price.

  Unholy Grail was supposed to be a greedy starter item for Mid Laners, not for Supports. However, Yuel had to go that far in order to support Lars's Seraph during this early ning phase.

  Thanks to that, Ellen and Howard couldn't domihe hey still had an advantage, but they couldn't do much with it. Every time they tried to aggress, Yuel issued an immediate retreat order.

  What a waste. Yuel thought every time Ellen advao the frontli'd be so easy to knock her up with Geyser Eruption and assault her. Unfortunately, Lars’s Seraph currently cked the strength to finish Ellen off even during such a great opportunity. Seraph's only on was his basic attacks and it won't bee deadly until much ter into the game. What a shame.

  As a result, the early game in Bot was rather uful. Taison ganked a few times and so did Dan, but her side got a kill. Nobody chased kills too hard or overexteoo much because they didn't want to mess up. After all, the risk-reward ratio was skewed when pying a defensive p. Getting early kills wasn't that important, but falling behind by getting killed could prove fatal during the mid-game.

  Thus, both sides fortified their defenses and preserved through the early game to the best of their abilities. In a game between te-game teams, the early-game was just a formality. her side cared too much for it and they both wa to be over with so they could get to the meat of the fight.

  The game proceeded like that on all nes until the average pyer level became Lv.7. At this point, everybody had their ults and the mid-game roag. So, fights naturally broke out.

  During such a critical time, Yuel found himself hanging with little to no MP. That was the iable cost of relying on Unholy Grail. At Lv.3, the item gained an amazing passive effect that increased power by 10%, but it came with the cost of increasing MP cost by 10%. It was a calcuted risk which allowed Yuel to defend the ne for this long, but now it forced him into a sticky situation.

  “They’ve grou of MP,” Yuel informed Lars. “I have to recall, so be careful out there. Don't advaoo mud keep an eye on the wards in the jungle.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “They'll probably try to pull something while I'm away, so pay attention,” Yuel said as he crossed into eerritory in the juo pce a Checkpoint Ward. This is where things begin for real. Don't mess this up, I beg of you.

  Despite his worries, Yuel had no idea choice but return to base. The enemy made a very calcuted decision to focus almost exclusively on Yuel in all their gank attempts. The goal was no doubt to kick him out of ne so they catch Lars alohere was no doubt that a storm was ing.

  Howard also left Bot, so it became a 1v1 between Ellen and Lars. A cssic recipe for disaster. Gulp.

  “Don't worry, dude,” Lars said. “I got this!”

  “I’m not sure what you ‘got’ and I'm too scared to even ask.”

  “Haha,” Lars ughed as he fired at a minion. Boom! Headshot! Too bad that didn't do anything when he wasn't Gunslinger. Seraph's ser beams were easy to nd, so gettira damage for headshots would’ve been sick. Oh well.

  Once Ellen killed all of Lars's minions, she fired directly at him.

  “Yo!” Lars dodged the bolt with a roll. You wanna go? You wanna go!? Lars fired right back at her! Ez hit! No headshot, though.

  But, Ellen persisted and fired again. Ha! No dice! Another supah dodge! Maybe this Seraph dude was a little shabby in the early game, but Lars still had his own skills! He fired a ter right away. Bam! Another hit! 2:0 to Lars. He got this!

  After the successful hit, three robotic arms stretched from the Seraph's baormally, these would be angeligs, but that was meh. Instead, Lars had this sick sci-fi skin which repced wings with robotic arms. This was da real stuff, yo! Each arm held a ser gun they were all aimed at Ellen!

  This was the power of Seraph’s passive: Six Wings of Holiness. Or, in Lars’s case, it was Six Laser Beams of Awesome. After nding seven basic attacks, these bad boys popped outta his bad were ready to go wild!

  Whishwhishswhish! One beam after another! No breaks! Ellen dodged the first with a roll, but the wo beams hit her before she even finished rolling! Light speed shooting, yo!

  Too bad the party had to end after just three beams. The maximum Seraph could fire in a row was six beams, but Lars first had to level up to get more ser juice. The more he levels up, the more shots he’ll get every time from Six Wings of Holiness. By the end of the game, he’ll be firing like a Gatling ser gun, yo!

  Ellen ate up all that damage, but she was still alive. Geh, such a persistence. Did she build defense again? That’s no way to py Carry.

  I almost got her! Lars’s heart thumped. It was a ce! He just needed like two more hits and he gonhe deal! He was healthy as a horse, so there was no danger of pushing all the way. He had this, yo!

  But, of course, Ellen gotta be Ellen and run away. No way! She won’t get away! Not under Lars’s watch!

  He activated Angelic Grad leaped into the air to pursue. His robotic Seraph unched off the ground with his jetpad darted forward. Lars gonhis early kill and bring the team oep closer to victory! They gonna win aer the first string!

  Bam! Lars nded another hit from midair! Just one more hit and it’ll be done! Lars nded on the ground a running after Ellen.

  “Bah!” Just as Lars was about to catch up, Ellen mounted on her wolf and sped away. Yo, so close!

  Have fun, boys~ In the moment, the trap went off.

  “Heeeere es Taison!”

  “Geh! Not again!” Lars excimed. He was so trated on chasing Ellen that he didn’t notice he entered deep into the ju some point. Nuuuuuuuu!

  “I told you to retreat,” Yuel said. “Multiple times.”

  “Haha, my bad” Lars produced a dry ugh as he dodged a kamikaze bat. Yuel probably objected to this chasing, but all Lars’s head was filled to the brim with killing Ellen and winning this game, so he didn’t hear squat. This was kinda bad...

  “Try to get away,” Yuel said. “I’ll get there as fast as I .”

  “Easier said than done,” Lars dodged another bat, but right afterward a swarm of bats flocked around him. Gaaah! Now his flippin’ s itch bck! He couldn’t eveaison! This was so fair!

  Daim, I spent my escape tool too. I’m such a genius. Lars just moved randomly, hoping he’d doge attacks that he couldn’t even see ing. Using Angelic Grace for chasing Ellen was a bad move. His only remaining escape tool now was his ult, but he first had to activate Six Wings of Holiness before the ult could be used.

  So, to escape... he had to attack! But to attack, he had to actually see stuff! But because he couldn't see stuff, his only option was to escape! So wait, what was he even supposed to do!?

  He could get rid of these pesky bats CC with Self-Nullification, but that’d leave him at very low MP. His math sucked so he couldn’t tell for sure, but there was a good ce he won’t be able to use his ult if he spends any MP on Self-Nullification now.

  Thus, Lars’s only option was to fight despite his bliate.

  Okay, I got it. From now on, I’ll be known as “Lars the Blindfolded Sniper”! Besides, it wasn’t like the s was 100% covered anyway. Lars could roughly estimate Taison’s position. Kinda.

  So, screw the rules! Lars just went for it and fired! Without even seeing his target!

  The heck is that scrub doing? Taison sneered. He got tense for a moment and prepared to dodge a shot, but the shot dodged him instead. WTF, yo? Did Lars pn to py blindfolded darts or some shit? Khaha! No way that scrub gonna nd any shots without seeing- gah!? It ected!?

  Okay! That’s one! Lars heard the sound of his beam cutting through meat. He had this! Just three more hits with his basid he’ll activate Six Wings! Then, he’ll be able to get the heck outta here with his ult!

  How did he even hit that shit? Taison clicked his tongue. Well, no matter. That shot caught Taison off guard and he didn’t even try to dodge it, but ime he’ll pay attention. He won’t let that scrub hit him anymore!

  They exged more blows from afar. Taison tossed his kamikaze bats whereas Lars fired ser beams into the darkness. As expected, Lars didn’t have much success nding shots without seeing his surroundings.

  Geh, this is rough! Lars was running low at 20% HP. Yikes! This was close! But, only one more hit and he’ll activate Six Wings! Just one more- whoa!? Giant Bat Dude appeared!?

  It’s over! Taison transformed into a giant bat and darted toward Lars! Taison rammed right into that mofo and transformed bato vampire form. Then, he grabbed Lars and dug his fangs into Lars’s neck.

  Gah! I ’t move! Lars spammed the entire WASD to no avail. There was ing out of this stun! Taison gonna suck out what little remained of Lars’s HP. Gaaaah! Wasn’t there anything Lars could do here!?

  “Be ready to shoot him.”

  “Huh?” Lars jumped. In the moment, a spsh of water hit both of them. The water celed the stun d allowed Lars to break away “Sick, yo!”

  W-Wha!? Taison was thrown into a daze. Where did that Aquamncer shithead pop up from!? Didn’t Yuel return to base just a few moments ago or something? Shit! This water crap celed Taison’s finishing move!

  Gotcha! Lars turned around as soon as he broke away and fired at Taison. Alright, Six Wings ! Now, Lars could do the cool stuff!

  Shit! Shit! Shit! Taison shifted his eyes right a. What he gonna do here? He should go after Lars to finish off that mofo, but that damn Yule was gon in the way for sure. So, maybe he should smack Yuel first? Or, retreat? Damn, how did this bullshit even happen!?

  He’s fused. Yuel noticed Taison’s slow rea. Yuel’s inal pn was to get here to help Lars escape, but maybe they could be mreedy and go for a kill.

  From all the ret exges, Lars brought Taison down to 50% HP. With the power-up of Six Wings, Lars could now deliver tons of damage in a blink of an eye. On top of that, Yuel was here as a backup.

  sidering that Taison wasn’t at his best when it wasn’t a 1v1 situation, this had to be checkmate. They had him!

  “Keep attag him,” Yuel cast Rainfall around Taison. A gray cloud formed over Taison’s head and poured an intense shower which slowed Taison down. “We get a kill here.”

  “You ain’t gonna tell me to escape? Sick!” Lars aimed his ser guns at Taison. This gonna be a vortex, yo! Rtatatatata!

  I ain’t having this shit! Taison booted Coffin Slumber. This situation sucks, so I’mma sleep.

  “Geh, crap,” Lars’s first beam ran into the coffin without dealing any damage to Taison. “Stop napping, dude!”

  “Wait,” Yuel shot a ball of water at the coffin. “I’ll take the coffin out with basio o waste your Six Wings on it.”

  “Okey-dokey.”

  Yuel fired one basic after another. His shots weren’t nearly as fast as Lars’s, so this took a couple of seds. However, ohey break through it...!

  My, suaughty boys~ Elle up on the unsuspeg backs of her ehese two whippersnappers were thinking they’re on a roll, but Ellen won’t let that pass~

  Yoing down, Larsy~ Ellen snuck up behind Lars. Go, my cute wolfie~

  “Gah!?” Lars excimed. A wolf pushed him into the ground from behind! Where did this doggo dude even e from!?

  Wha!? Yuel didn’t expect this either. Ellen came back!? Even though she was low on HP!?

  No, that was a wrong assessment of the situation. Ellen WAS low on HP the st time they saw her, but right now she was back to over 50% HP. She quickly restored all that HP by life-stealing from jungle camps. Dammit!

  I should have told Lars to get out while he had the ce! Damn! Damn it all! Yuel felt like running his fato the desk. But, it wasn’t the time for that. This was his blunder, so it to him to fix things.

  Thanks to nding all these shots on Taison’s coffin, Yuel gained enough Water Flow stacks to active Overflow. Therefore, he could spend said Overflow to enhane of his water spells. Only one of his skills wasn’t on cooldht now, so he went right for it: Geyser Eruption + Overflow = Hot Spriion!

  I’ll just knock Ellen up in the air and-

  “The hunt is on!” The Ranger shouted right as Yuel cast H Eruption. Water erupted from the ground underh Ellen, but it didn’t knock her up; she remained glued to the ground. Her ult ed the knock-up CC! That fox repared for everything!

  But, Yuel couldn't let Lars die here no matter what!

  Bye bye~ Ellen stuck out her tongue as she pointed her crossbow at the trapped prey. This was going to be a piece of- Oya? An obstacle popped up between her and her prey! Yuel stepped in to block the bolt with his body!

  My, proteg your boyfriend with your life? How admirable~ And, how freakin’ annoying. Ellen tried to maneuver around Yuel, but the brat kept c Lars from her field of view. What a rascal.

  “Say, Taitai,” Ellen called out. “How long you pn to sleep in that coffin? e out and finish the work.”

  “ing!” Taison jumped outta the coffin and aimed at Lars- whoa! The moment, Taison found himself in the air! And, the bat he just fired smashed into a wall instead like a drunk driver!

  Knockups don't work on Ellen right now, Yuel ed another water eruption. But, I at least keep Taison in the air!

  With his body, Yuel shielded Lars form Ellen’s shots and with his overflow spell, he kept Taison at bay. Yuel had to do everything in his power to keep Lars alive through this unfortuuation Once Lars breaks out of the wolf stun, he should be able to get out of here with his ult. Just a little longer and the storm will pass...!

  Tch, what a rascal, Ellen clicked her tohis wasn’t going as she pnned. Like, not at all. “, Taitai. ’t you nd a single shot? So what if you’re in the midair? Larsy would have nded every shot from there without trouble.”

  “Keh! That one was just a warning shot, yo!” Taison took aim again. If Lars d these shots, then Taison d them in his sleep! He ain’t gonna miss again a sed time! Okay, careful. Aim for that mofo and then- keh! Another water knock up messed shit up!

  But, that’s nothing, yo! Taison adjusted on the fly and fired while being unched up! It was a hit, boiiiiiiii! Easiest shot of his life, word.

  The knock-up wasn’t enough!? Yuel uhat sed knock-up early before Taison hit the ground. The pn was to mess up Taison’s aim with ued CC, but Taison still made it nd somehow. Lars was now down to barely 1% HP!

  “Duuuude! I got like 3 HP left!” Lars excimed. The wolf finally let go, so Lars jumped ba his feet. But, what was he even supposed to do in this kind of situation!? If anybody merely sneezes in his general dire - it’ll be enough to knock him out!

  “Run! Out of here!” Yuel practically yelled.

  “But what about you-”

  “Just get out! You ’t die here!”

  “G-Gotcha!” Lars had to boot his ult: Divine Messanger.

  You ain’t getting away, bro! Taison wasn’t do! He was out for blood and he gon! Whish! Another shot from midair! He was Taison the bat Airphis shot gonna be nd perfectly, he could feel it with every fiber of his body!

  It gonna hit! Lars saw the bat flying straight at him. That squeaky little dude was ing to deliver the finishing blow! Divine Messanger will be too slow! First, Lars gotta roll!

  Wha-!? Taison gasped so hard he fot how to close his mouth afterward. His deadly bat crashed into the ground like a blind missile. What a useless little dawg!

  I’m out! Lars celed the roll into Divine Messanger without wasting any time on the recovery animation, it was a cool trick he picked up from Trever.

  The ser guns on his robotic arms transformed into exhaust pipes and energy burst out of them to unched Lars toward the sky. Ellen fired a bolt which almost hit Lars on the , but the bolt didn’t make it. Lars got away!

  But, what about Yuel? “You gonna be okay, dude?”

  “You think I’ll be okay?” Yuel smiled wryly. He was surrounded by tw oppos, both of which were above 50% HP. Yuel already ate a lot of damage while proteg Lars with his body, so there was ing out of this.

  Yuel tried his hardest to slip away, but it was futile.

  You have been killed!

  “About what I expected,” Yuel nodded. “This euation was a bad call by me. I should have told you to retreat right away.”

  “ dude, don’t be like that,” Lars smiled and patted Yuel on the shoulder. “You totally saved my butt there. If you wanna bme somebody, bme me for chasing Ellen like a tool.”

  “ht. I fot it was all your fault. Seems like you need another loooooure about not chasing Ellen.”

  “Geh! Spare my poor brain already!

  “Heh,” Yuel chuckled, but he couldn’t curve his lips into a genuine smile. In a way, it was true that Lars caused this entire disaster by insisting to chase Ellen. However, that was still partially Yuel’s fault.

  Yuel saw how the euation unfolded but he didn’t insist to stop Lars. He merely advised asked Lars to stop because it was risky and his relut words didn’t even reach Lars. At the time, Yuel’s head was filled to the brim with thoughts about how sg a kill on Ellen would put the team ahead before the mid-game. He was still stu the mentality of an offeeam position and greedily sought to capitalize on every opportunity.

  No matter how Yuel twisted it, that was a risky chase. Pys like that fit an aggressive team, not a defensive one.

  Maybe if Lars could pump out more damage in that fight, things would’ve turned out differently. However, that was impossible to do with Seraph during su early stage. Lars could only rely only on basic attacks and those were limited in many ways.

  Despite the problems, Yuel somehow held the front and prevehe worst-case sario of Lars’s death. But, everything back there came down to the wire. Way too many things could've gone wrong. All it took was one more shot from either Ellen or Taison, then Lars would have been dead. In fact, if not for Lars’s fast reflex at the st moment, Taison’s st shot would’ve sealed the deal.

  Therefore, frankly, the only reason a disaster was averted was due to dumb luck. Yuel deserved to be ridiculed for allowing such terrible pys. At the back of his head, Yuel uood they were pying with a more defensive formatiht now. However, his braihinking of how to attad exploit weaknesses. Switg gears was harder than he expected.

  But, it should be manageable. Yuel’s death as the Support was the least impactful death that could happen right now. It still meant the team was heading into the mid-game with a disadvantage, but there were still ways to turn this around. No, they WILL turn this around. They had to. No matter what.