Nia has officially joihe club. She became the seventh and st member of this tiny basement club.

  Following that, Kai decided that club activities will be held thrice a week. It was the standard for sports clubs, but it was unfortuhis team had to cram as much practice as possible to get anywhere at the regionals. They should practice every single day they have.

  "ractice every day?” Luke produced a dry ugh. “Man, you’re high."

  "Sounds tiring," Nia agreed.

  "I get where you're ing from," Kai said. "But, that’s too much. We're a school club, not the pro league."

  "Resting is also a part of a pro's work," Vi said.

  Well, about what I expected. Yuel sighed. Only Lars supported Yuel’s suggestion. They have been practig together daily anyway so, for them, that was the norm. However, for the rest, it was too much.

  In the end, everybody rejected Yuel’s suggestion, except for Ben who didn't object but didn't express agreemeher. He just stayed quiet during the whole thing. Not that it mattered, since daily practice was impossible for him anyway. He has been attending club activity on a blue moon and Kai let him get away with it for some reason. If things tinue like this in the uping weeks, Yuel will have to raise the topic again.

  With the club now having 7 members, or at least 6.5 because Ben was only sometimes there, it became impossible for everybody to practice at the same time as oeam. Yet, they were also too few to be split into two full teams of five. This was so sad. They couldn’t even hold 5v5 practice matches like this.

  Ba the day, StormBlitz's restri of 15 club members seemed harsh. But, pared to this situation, StormBlitz aradise. They had enough members to train three full teams simultaneously. Seriously, what was Stratus supposed to do with just seven members? Sigh.

  In the end, their training regime remaihe same as before. They formed a team of five pyers a into Ranked. After every match, they substituted the members who were on standby. This way, everybody got to py.

  However, there was oroublemaker who couldn’t py Ranked with the others yet.

  "You better use your breaks to finish the qualifier," Yuel told Nia.

  "But, solo queue is such a pain." Nia pouted. "Does it really matter what rank I get?"

  "It matters for the system," Yuel expined. "As long as you don't finish the qualifier, it 't estimate your rank, so it struggles to find a match for you. We already got a mish-mash of ranks here, and you see how sometimes it takes over five mio find a proper match."

  "Gufu... Ok, got it. I’ll do it," Nia mumbled with a sulking face.

  "I look over your qualifier games," Kai suggested. "I'll drop you a few tips and stuff."

  "Oh, that's nice," Nia nodded. At least, somebody will be on my side. Because, my own team will always be 100% against me.

  The worst thing about the qualifier matches was that Nia had to py with a bunch of randoms who all gonna hate her by default. Even before the match started, they were already set on bullying her...

  Jungler

  She jammed the message into the lobby chat as soon as the room loaded. Thanks to this secret ninja teique of preparing the text while waiting in the queue, she got to call her role before anybody else! Nin nin.

  But...

  I’ll take jungler

  Some uy decred as if he was the king. Unfortunately, he had the say because his turn was earlier in the drafting order. The game pced "better pyers" earlier in the drafting phase, based on some vague system that estimated skill. That system was clearly a bully.

  "Gufu," Nia hung her head. Just great. She just started the qualifier again and people were already bullying her. Why couldn't the game match her with reasonable people for a ge?

  Nia called the Jungler role before anybody else. She carefully prepared the message ahead of time and jammed it into the chat as soon as the lobby appeared, only for everybody to ig. Welp, if she isn’t pying Juhen it’s over.

  Ok GG

  wut

  I only py jungle

  git gud then

  "Cssiline, huh." Kai smiled wryly. "It's been so long since I st had to deal with this crap. My dolences."

  "It's ok," Nia put down her troller. "I'll just AFK then."

  "That's going a little too far, don't you think?" Kai frowned.

  "Well, I either AFK or end up feeding with some role I 't py well," Nia shrugged. "They gonna hate on me anyway and we gonna lose. So, faster to just AFK."

  "I agree that your teammates will probably pin no matter what. But, aren't you a little too quick to give up? You really 't py any other role?"

  "Nope."

  "How much have you tried?"

  "Enough to know they’re not for me," Nia said. "I 't disappear when I have to stay on ne all the time."

  "Why do you o 'disappear'?"

  "So I appear again a a kill."

  "That a Jungler's mi, alright," Kai nodded. "But, you just gotta think differently for other roles.”

  "That's not fun," Nia pouted. "I want to surprise them a kills."

  "Is that so," Kai had a lot more to say but she pursed her lips.

  Nia’s attitude wasn't healthy and definitely not petitive. No matter what role she had to fill in, she ought to py to the best of her ability. Going AFK was uable, especially during qualifier matches. There was a ce it was a qualifier match for some of her teammates as well so she was about to ruin their ces of sg a high rank.

  But, Kai didn't want to attaia with this. At long st, there was anirl in the club. So, Kai had to act like a nice older sister.

  It was clear Nia went through a lot of shit online, same as Kai and pretty m much everybody else who ever pyed solo queue. So, it was important to show her that, uhat toxiline enviro, pying in a club was a fun and friendly experienbsp;

  Hopefully, with time, Nia's way of thinking will evolve and she'll uand why AFKing in this situation was bad sportsmanship. Over time, she should start feeling more fortable around her clubmates and will beore open to criticism. Until then, there was nothing wrong with spoiling her a little aing her get away with things.

  Unfortunately, ohick-headed dumbass didn't get the memo...

  "If you AFK on purpose, you're the worst type of human being," Yuel procimed.

  Jeez, thanks for helping me give a warm wele to our newer. Kai felt like strangling that guy. Yuel was actually eg Kai's own thoughts, but did he have t it up right now? Zero delicacy.

  "I dunno what to do with other roles," Nia picked up her phoipmancer was already running. "For Jungler, it expins jungling paths and stuff. For other roles, it only says how to farm effitly and gives a few matchup tips here and there. Dunno what to do from just that."

  "Just follow these guidelines," Yuel said. "Farm safely and recall when you're low. Then, farm again."

  "But, I also o rotate sometimes and all that, right?"

  "o rotate at first," Yuel said. "If you don't know your role and css well enough, you don't have to go for any amazing pys. Just stick to the fuals and you'll get the job done. A pyer with solid fuals will tribute to his team way more than somebody who goes for crazy pys and fails miserably. Keep it simple and you'll do just fine."

  "I see," Nia curled into a ball on the chair. "Ok, I try. Looks like I pick either Mid or Support."

  "Pick Mid," Yuel said. "Support is not very beginner-friendly. If you don't know how to create opportunities and initiate, you won’t get much done."

  "Ok," Nia typed in the lobby chat in bzing speed.

  I'll Mid

  i called mid tho...The teammate at the bottom of the list pined.

  Cry me a river. Nia scuffed. She had zero sympathy for any of these randoms. They took her main role even though she called it first, so she'll take whatever she wants now.

  I called Jungler first and didn’t get it, so...

  i 't support

  git gud then

  Haha, goteem! Nia smirked. That'll teach these bullies. She was giving them a taste of their own medie.

  That was uncalled for. Kai frowhis exge reminded her of her younger immature self, who wasted way too much time bashieammates whehey called her out on the smallest of things.

  mid is feeding gg

  You think you do better? 1v1 me after this, big boy

  I really used to write that kind of crap, huh. Kai smiled wryly.

  Like many newers to this game, she went throughout the life cying people, then blog everybody and then, finally, getting over it and learning how to ighe idiots. At least, for the most part. Sometimes, she still couldn't help but get into petty arguments with them. Especially, whehey brought up her gehem bastards.

  That aside, there was oruth everybody krash-talking your teammates didn't bring any bes. It only created a ive atmosphere and motivated people to feed on purpose, AFK or steal kills just to spite. It wasn't a healthy attitude to py with.

  I probably should say something. Kai stared at Nia's snarky rebuttal in the chat. That “git gud” part was uncalled for. That st guy didn't do anything to her. He was merely pleading to not py Support because he wasn’t good at it, the same way Nia pleaded to py Jungler because she wasn’t good with other roles.

  I also don’t like Support so I feel the guy. Kai thought.

  Support was the only role in the game she couldn't py well, so she knew where that guy was ing from. It was su odd role because it couldn't get anything done on its own. It stantly had to rely on others to do everything. It required so much faith in others that it ractically unpyable with a team of strangers.

  If Kai were in Nia's shoes, she'd definitely go for Mid over Support and disregard her teammate’s plea as well. heless, making a se out of it with "git gud" was unnecessary. Pying Support was already a pain and this attitude will only make the guy less motivated to do anything.

  Holy, if Kai were that guy i pick, she'd go for something like Lumimancer or Aeromancer for Support so she could build it like a Mid Lahat actually worked somewhat well for her before.

  Doesn’t seem like the uy pns to answer so I’ll just let it slide. Kai shrugged. She was waiting to see the guy's reply but nothing came. So, it was fio bury this topic.

  "You better keeping such thoughts inside," Yuel came to ruin the party by critig Nia. "You're both pying for the same team. o insult each other. It only creates bad blood."

  "They started it," Nia pouted. "They took my role even though I called it first."

  "I uand that," Yuel nodded. "It's a thing that happens often in Ranked and that's why you o learn to py all roles."

  "What a pain."

  "Well, excuse me, prin-" Yuel coughed and g Kai. That was dangerous.

  "Prin?" Nia tilted her head. “Prinny?”

  "I meant to say that you shouldn't act so spoiled. In Casual, you could insta-lock a Jungler as soon as the sele s appeared. But, things don't work that way in Rahere is a drafting order and you have to respect it."

  "I don't like it." Nia pouted.

  "Yeah, it be a pain," Kai agreed. "When you py with randoms who don't know what yood at and take all your roles, it always feels like they got an agenda going against you."

  "They usually don't, though," Yuel said. "It just so happens that the roles they don't like pying are the same as yours. So, no reason to be hostile toward the st guy. You both don't like pying Support and that's fi's not his fault somebody took your Jungler role even though you called it first.

  "Hm, right," Nia lowered her head. She wrote that "git gud" reply at the heat of the moment because she was mad about her stolen role, but it wasn't the st guy’s fault. It was that thief above her that deserved all the hate. He was the one who itted a robbery in broad daylight and got away with it. A professional bully with a diploma.

  "Sorry," Nia mumbled.

  "It's alright," Kai said. "Sometimes, this game bring out the worst in you."

  "No point apologizing to us," Yuel said. "It's that guy over there who deserves an apology."

  "Eh? But..." Nia chewed her lips. It was so weird. On paper, Yuel was right. Nia acted like a bully and should've apologized. If that pyer was standing in front of her right now, she'd apologize without a problem.

  But, apologizing oer? In a Cssmancers chat? Did no one ever.

  "o eborate," Yuel said. "Just expin you 't py Support either."

  "Hmm," Nia twisted her lips while her fingers hovered over the touchs.

  He really gonna make her apologize for it? Wow. Kai couldn't believe this was real life.

  It made seo clear things up with your teammates but Kai would never ever be able to apologize to some random oer. In faobody ever apologized to her either. People in the chat only knew how to fme each other. Sometimes, very rarely, they also praised their teammates food kill or such. That was the epitome of intelligence for chat iions.

  Holy, the idea of apologizing never even crossed Kai's mind. She had a bunch of stupid outbursts in chat throughout her career but she has never sidered taking her words bad apologizing for them. Even if she realized she was in the wrong, she just hoped her teammates will sweep things uhe rug and fet all about it.

  This guy really es up with bizarre ideas. Kai shook her head. And, it seems like Nia is actually going to follow on that advice.

  Nia typed her "apology" at lightning speed.

  jk I also 't support. It's hard. GL

  okay I'll try

  Maybe this guy isn't so bad after all. Nia thought. He didn't curse her to death for making him py Support, unlike Nia did (internally) to that robber who stole her Jungler role. So, turned out she really shed at the Suppuy for no reason.

  She twisted that "apology" around rather smoothly. Yuel thought. Instead of taking her words baia pretended she was joking about the whole thing. The idea didn’t even cross Yuel’s mind.

  "Good job," Yuel said. "That should keep the team more positive."

  "Yeah, you did really well!" Kai was deeply impressed. "I gonna steal that 'just joking' tech, if you don't mind."

  “Sure,” Nia nodded. “Ah, there’s no time!” With all this talk, she only had 30 seds left to pick her css! Oh noes!

  “Um, Mid...” She filtered down the css list by the “Mid Laag and scrolled through it with a difficult expression. “I don’t py any of these.”

  “You’ve surely pyed Mid before, right?” Yuel asked. “You have to know at least one css.”

  “ht. I pyed some Wizard before. She’s pretty simple.”

  “Makes sense,” Yuel nodded. After all, Wizard was designed as a beginner-friendly mage and the in-game tutorial reearting with it.

  However, Wizard was sidered low tier ia because it was too simple for its own good. Still, for somebody who didn’t py Mid much, it was a solid pick that could put in some work. It was better for Nia to pick a familiar low-tier css over a high-tier css she never pyed.

  “Go for it,” Yuel said. “Wizard is sidered low tier but it’s easy to handle so you should be fine. Besides, it’s a legit ter to Pyromancer so you got an advahere. Oh, and you should hurry up.”

  “Ack! Right!” Nia locked-in right the tdown hit 3. “Phew, made it.”

  “Good,” Yuel nodded.

  “What’s with the sudden i?” Kai asked Yuel.

  “Just killing time while waiting in queue,” Yuel shrugged. “Though, I am a little ied in hoerforms as Mid.”

  “Wanna watch over her matstead?”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Alright, let’s switch then,” Kai stood up. “I y some.”

  “Sure,” Yuel wasn’t sure where that came from but he accepted the offer and traded pces with Kai.

  “Just make sure you’re not too harsh with her,” Kai said. “Remember, she’s not used to pying Mid.”

  Or, pying the MOBA mode in general. Yuel added. “Yeah, I know.”

  “Alright,” Kai joihe others in the ter of the clubroom. As frustrating as it was to admit, she was no-good as Nia’s guide right now. She was too scious of Nia being a fellow girl, to the point she let Nia get away with too many things. Therefore, it was better to let somebody who freely spoke their mind to supervise Nia’s qualifier.

  For the better or the worse, Yuel was the type who knew little restraint and had zero tact. If he didn’t like something or disagreed, he immediately spoke up. He had little in the way of delicad he often came off as harsh but his criticism was usually ho and on-point. That kind of input will help Nia improve during her qualifier. Hopefully.

  Knowing Yuel, that professional nitpicker might get too serious with his criticism and disce Nia from pying. But, nah. He knew better than that, right? It won’t happen, right? Hopefully not...