Yuel applied remote intimidation on Freezer and successfully made the guy retreat, denying the most effit Sorcerer farmihod. However, that’s all this py aplished. Freezer simply resorted to a backup farmihod and didn’t lose much.

  So, he farm well even from that position. Yuel frowhis was the sed time Freezer made Yuel's calcutions go awry. First, the guy didn't pick Warlock. And now, Freezer ying a solid Sorcerer.

  I have to reevaluate him from scratch. Yuel cluded. Freezer was undeniably pying a strong Sorcerer and that's something the team will have to deal with going forward.

  Now, back to the gank at hand. Should Yuel gh with it? Freezer hasn’t retreated all the way to the Turret, so there was still an opportunity to strike.

  No, there’s no point. Yuel judged. Freezer didn’t flee all the way, but he was close enough to his Turret. From this position, he was ready to retreat all the way if another ward spots Yuel approag.

  On top of that, Freezer bought Blink at the beginning of the game to pensate for the ck of escape tools in Sorcerer’s kit. He repared to bail out of there at a moment’s notice. So, this gank wasn't meant to be.

  Still, let's keep him on his feet. Yuel turned around and threw his axe across the open spa the ter of the juhe flying axe didn’t trigger a sound alert for the enemy even if a ward spotted it, so this was a great trick for slipping out of the area without inf the enemy.

  Yuel activated Axe Blitz and blio the axe. That's it, easy as that. In a blink of an eye, he was out of eerritory.

  However, the enemy still thought he was hanging around there and waited for his move. They saw Yuel going deep into their territory, but where did he go ? Hopefully, that mystery will distract them a little.

  "Heh, the kid is sure pying the patience game." Trever chuckled. "How long you think he gonna wait for his gank over there?"

  "Don't be stupid," Aroed. "He must've already left."

  "Yeah." Alex nodded.

  "Huh? When? How?” Trever asked. “We got that whole area warded."

  "Ever heard of blinking?" Alex rolled his eyes. "He's pying Viking, remember?"

  "Oh! I see what's up. Yeah, he blink outta there. But, you sure he actually did it? I didn't see anything."

  "Pretty sure I saw his axe passing through. It was hard to tell, though. I would appreciate a validation."

  "On it," Aron passed he suspicious area on his way from Bot to Top. "He's not here."

  "So, what’s the deal?" Trever raised an eyebrow. "Was it all empty threats? Lame."

  "It was a win-win for him," Alex expined. "Either I retreat and lose ne advantage, or I stay and run the risk of getting my arse ganked. He forced me into a worse position without lifting a finger. A nasty py."

  "Yeah, kid be a genius like that," Trever nodded like a proud dad for some reason. "He always es up with 'em crazy pys."

  "It’s not that special, he was merely applying pressure with his presence," Arued. "It's a standard thing high-level Jungler do. Though, he did take good advantage of our wards' vision, I'll give him that."

  "Oh .” Trever made a face. “Will it kill you to praise the kid for once?"

  "He's just good at using the situation to his advantage, as always. It's at least o see he hasn't dulled much after transferring to this team. But, I'm yet to see anything new from him."

  "Man, you and your iandards. I bet if I asked what you think of Maker, you'd also say he's nothing special."

  "Actually, I do think he's overrated," Aron said. "His meical skill stands out and he's solid across the board, but ‘best pyer in the world’? Not sure about that one. He usually es on top through sheer execution. That's amazing in its ht on such a high level of py, but it’s not what I'd qualify for the ‘best in the world’."

  "Gotta disagree with you on that one," Alex said. "Maker is a mae. Almost every move he makes is fwless. Sure, you notice that the most when his executios a ce to shine. But, if you pay attention to the smaller details, you'll see the true genius behind every little move he makes."

  "Totally!" Trever excimed. "Bro is an insa!"

  "Sounds like blind worshipping to me," Aron shrugged. "We o sit down and analyze a match together so you show me exactly what you mean."

  "That's a date," Alex nodded.

  "Eh, t me outta that orever waved his hand.

  "Alright, enough chatter," Aron said. "Let's focus. We 't give them any openings. Yuel will strike at the smallest hint of distra."

  The game went on. Since Yuel's intimidation tactic forced Alex into subpar farming, Kai won the ne exge this time and pushed forward with two surviving archers. But, it was a short-lived advantage.

  On the wave, Freezer regained ne trol with ease. Kai's small push amouo nothing. Oher hand, Freezer always brought a buninions to her Turret with every push. This matchup sucked.

  "So," Kai addressed Yuel. "When you gonna deliver a real gank? These empty threats only go so far. I'm still losing the ne. Hard."

  "Yes, I'm aware," Yuel said. "Unfortunately, he's not showing any good openings. His defense is tight."

  "That's a nice excuse but it doesn't help my situation. You told me to pick Lumi, so now e up with a solution for this bullshit. I 't py like that."

  "I don't have any at the moment. You have to bear with it for a while longer until something ges."

  "And, how long that gonna take? Five years?" Kai clicked her tohis was so dumb. She was the captain, the representative of the club, yet the enemy was cl her like nothing. This was the worst first impression ever against these senior pyers.

  Worst of all, none of this shit was even Kai's fault. It was all Yuel and his stupid idea to pick Lumimahere was a good reason this was a niche, borderline meme, Mid pick. It had way too many terrible matchups.

  "I shouldn't have agreed with this terrible pick," Kai shook her head. "Dunno what I was thinking back then. Your advice sucks."

  "If I recall," Yuel said. "You sidered pig Pyromancer. Please enlighten me about the amazing matchup it got against Sorcerer."

  "That's..." Kai grumped. True, Pyromancer also sucked in this matchup.

  Uhe Lumimancer, Pyromancer had a fast clearing speed. However, its range was awful, so pig it against a good Sorcerer ractically like asking to be bullied.

  "Still,” Kai had to have the st word. “At least, with Pyro I could dare and try some things. With Lumi, I'm stuck doing nothing."

  "Well, you dare with Blinding Light from cle."

  "As if that gonna do me any good. It doesn't have nearly the same damage as anything from Pyro's kit"

  "If you want to increase your clearing speed, Blinding Light is your ticket."

  "Fine, alright. Let's try that shit." On the wave, Kai advao the frontline along with her minions.

  She didn't bother pg her Ray of Light anymore because the Sorcerer was going to move her minions away anyway, so it’d be a waste of MP. Instead, she advaoward the enemy frontline and booted Blinding Light. Her Lumimancer glowed as it charged sor energy.

  Daring, aren’t we? Alex cracked his neck. You're either uimating me or you're running out of ideas. Well, either way, let's see. I pe there and ohe minions, then blow them all up. Not enough to kill, but that's a up right there.

  Alex didn't go for the usual Dimensional Colpse. Instead, he waited a moment fia Orb to e out of cooldoced a sed orb a short distance away from the first.

  He's not doing the pull? Kai heard the distinctive sound of a new orb popping up. So, before activating the first orb, the enemy added another one.

  Is he going to ult? A shiver ran through Kai's arms. This wasn't good. The enemy allowed her to advao the frontline, but he pnted her escape route with bombs. One bomb was no big deal, but two was a whole different story. Their explosions will resonate, making each deliver double damage. In other words, it'll be quadruple explosion damage!

  I'll be toast if I let that thing hit me. How do I py around this? There weren't many pces for her to escape to. She could either head deeper into eerritory or ehe jungle.

  Oh, the jungle is blocked. Damn. Kai stared at a tall wall and the wall stared back her. In this mode, Top Lane had the same kind of barricade as MOBA's Mid Lahe jungle was only accessible from her side of the not from the ter.

  Oh, but I got a blink! Right. Kai nodded. Alright, that's the pn.

  Kai finished unleashing Blinding Light on the enemy frontlihen headed toward the side of the ne. She approached the jungle wall and blihrough it! Or, at least she tried.

  "Huh?" She tried to pce the marker beyond the wall but it kept givihe red color. What gives? How thick is this damn wall?

  It was no use. She couldn't pce her bliination beyond this stupid wall. This sucked.

  Guess I'll just wait it out. These orbs aren't going to hang out there forever.

  "RAAAAWR!" A wild lion leaped on her from beyond the wall!

  "Oh, shit!" Kai rolled aside right away. Thankfully, she dodged the Lionfolk's crash. Phew, that was a close call.

  How the hell did this guy even make it past this stupidly thick wall? Kai cursed internally. That leap sure had se to it.

  But, it was alright. She ly dodged that thing by rolling. Yes, by rolling... back to her own side of the ne!

  “OH FUUU-” BAM! Two explosions boomed simultaneously. Kai got caught up in the very ter of this mess! The explosions resonated in the area they overpped and torn space itself asunder.

  Over 80% of Kai's HP vanished. It's like she never even had any. All her efforts to keep herself healthy went dowoilet.

  At least, the horizon was clear now so she could retreat. The Lionfolk was right behind her, so she didn't risk it. She activated Fsh and blihe heck outta there. She should be safe now- WHAM! A loud impact resounded behind her!

  I heard this before today. Kai reized the sound of the Sorcerer unleashing a magical gust to fire one of his orbs. That guy was trying to snipe her from across the here was a good ce it’ll be fatal!

  He gotta be thinking I'll run toward the Turret, right? Then...! Instead of running toward the bottom side of the ne where her Turret was, Kai turoward the top half of the ne.

  A momehe orb arrived. However, it missed. Phew! That was a close call. That thing almost did her in.

  "Well, that was an attempt," Alex shrugged.

  "Too bad," Aron said. "You would have gotten her if you didn't lose that 50-50 gamble at the end."

  "You think it was a 50-50?"

  "It wasn't? Hrm, I suppose you could choose between shooti, right or at the ter, so that brings it down to around 30%."

  "Not my point. Pretty sure my predi was on point. But, this girl dodged oion.”

  "She couldn't see your shot, though."

  "Maybe she heard it? This thing makes noise."

  "Possible," Aron said. "Thinking of it, she rolled out of my leap too. I doubt she saw it ing. So, it appears she really has a good rea, possibly to sound. Noted."

  "She's not one of your juniors, right?" Alex asked.

  "No, she seems to be a part of this club."

  "Not too shabby for the infamous Stratus."

  "I suppose," Aron pursed his lips. Maybe Yuel's overfident talk about the team's ces wasn’t just empty words. Judging by how this girl carried herself, she was on a detly high level, definitely higher than what Aron expected to see from this bottom tier team.

  heless, as a whole, the trio’s performance has been on the weaker side so far. Starting from Yuel’s overly cautious draft and down to their passive game pn, they hadn’t impressed much so far.

  Hrm. Maybe I’m being overly harsh. Aron thought. After all, they got a mid-game p so they have an excuse for taking the early-game slow. They’ll have to start showing their true worth in the couple of minutes. So far, things don’t look good for them.

  Even mid-game won’t ge the fact the Lumimancer had a terrible matchup against the Sorcerer. So, that girl will most likely keep struggling for the rest of the game. Oher hand, Lars had a ce to shine. He has been pying surprisingly defehus far, as a proper Elf should. Was he going to pull something soon?

  If they’re pnning to start something soon, it’ll e from Bot. Aron cluded. I’ll have to eye it carefully.

  In this position, the enemy’s best shot at victory was for Lars to defeat Trever in Bot and start a strong push. However, Aron won’t let that happen. He’ll shut down any silly idea these kids had. They won’t get to mount any attacks.

  Before mid-game even hits, Aron will make sure to throw them into a hopeless situation. They won’t get any ces. They’ll lose, brutally and thhly. Hopefully, that’ll wake up Yuel and Lars from their daydreaming.

  DarkestCymore