So, about that setup... Vihought ba the flowchart onMaster’s ret assault. That stun he used seems suspee. Now, that he was out of danger, his brain finally cooperated. He could now pursue the truth of the matter.

  The stun duration of a fully charged Hurl Axe was about 1.2 seds. And, if memory served, Barbarian Sm had to be charged for at least 1.2 seds to gain a stunning effect. If sonMaster’s setup shouldn't have worked. The numbers simply didn’t check out.

  DragonMaster first stunned Vi by hurling an axe. If that throw was fully charged, its stun should’ve sted at most 1.2 seds.

  After that, DragonMaster charged up Barbarian Sm long enough for it to gain a stunning effect. In other words, it was charged up for at least 1.2 seds as well.

  By the numbers alo sounded as if ing these two stuns was feasible given perfect execution. In fact, it surely ossible, but only from point-bnk.

  However, he had to pull me in first. Vi recalled.

  DragonMaster hurled the axe at him from quite the distaheivated Pull Axe t Vi closer. The pull was very quick, it probably needed less than half a sed t Vi iheless, it needed some time.

  Vi had no idea how to exactly measure the speed of Pull Axe, but that didn’t matter. Even if it were as fast as 0.1 seds (which it surely wasn’t), it still wasted time. That 0.1 seds should’ve been the factor to interrupt the stun- setup.

  By the time Vi was in front onMaster, at most 1.1 seds remained for his stun. Thus, he should’ve been able to dodge a Barbarian Sm that was charged up for over 1.2 seds. At least, provided all of Vi's data was on point.

  "O, great Chessmaster," Vi started. " you riddle me this? Say, a Berserker stuns you with a fully charged Hurl Axe. Then, he pulls you in as fast as humanly possible. And, finally, he sms you with a stunning Barbarian Sm. you break out of this setup anywhere along the way?"

  "Yes, but it’s difficult," Yuel answered instantly. He had a rough idea of what transpired in Top, so he has already analyzed that setup a few minutes earlier. "If he buffers in the pull right after the throw, you’ll barely get any breathing time. But, in theory, it's still possible.”

  Acc to Yuel, Vi was on point with the numbers. A fully charged Hurl Axe stunned for 1.2 seds, and a Barbarian Sm had to be charged for 1.2 seds to gain a stunning effect. As such, theory suggested that this setup wasn’t “real”.

  However, depending on how perfect the Berserker’s execution was for buffering Pull Axe, the window for rolling away could be immensely small. And, on top of that, rolling away won’t even work every time.

  The AoE of Barbarian Sm increased the lohe skill was charged. O went past 2 seds, the AoE became so big it was effectively impossible to dodge the attack with a Dodge Roll from point-bnk.

  In short, DragonMaster caught Vi with a difficult setup. It was a dodgeable one, but Vi wasn’t fident he could actually dodge it every siime. What’s sure, he had no ce of dodging anything while panig about the situation. This was all important information for him to process.

  "Thank you kindly for the expnation." Vi bowed. "For some reason, a part of me was whispering that this setup might be guaranteed. No idea why such wrong information would be stu my database."

  "It used to be guaranteed," Yuel said. "I read that, back when the css was released, it ossible to these two stuns. The timing was very precise and required buffering the pull, so it went unnoticed by the designers. However, they eventually patched it out. They left the buffering te, but they he stun duration of Hurl Axe."

  "I see, I see," Vi nodded. As he was listening to the details, he realized he read all that data at some point in his life.

  Vi researched the game from head to toe, so he surely came across this information at some point. However, it probably didn't strike him as particurly important at the time, so it was shelved away at the back of his head along with all the rivia he accumuted over the years.

  I have to be at the top of my game here. Vi scolded himself. I'm not just fighting DragonMaster as an individual pyer, I’m also wrestling against his css. As such, all relevant information about Berserker has to be unshelved at once! Unfortunately, his brain wasn't figured to draw out such teical information at a moment's notice.

  If it were about data reted to a pyer’s pystyle, Vi could instantly pull out a 30-minutes essay from his head. He'd fwlessly recite every notable py that pyer made.

  However, when it came tame knowledge, his reg wasn't as smooth. He had lots of knowledge, he researched many things. heless, he couldn't pull that information out on the fly like Chessmaster. It was a disgraebody who called himself Information Bckhole, but such was the reality of things.

  Well, at least, now I’ve finally obtaihe absolute knowledge. Vi o himself. DragonMaster’s setup is dodgeable. ime, he will not catch me off-guard with it!

  “I have to say,” Vi started. “DragonMaster is much fiercer than I expected. It appears I haven’t analyzed him well enough.”

  “I ’t bme you,” Yuel said. “I was lucky to get a few good reads on him early on. That disced him fr anything funny against me, so he was lying low the st two games.”

  “You were ‘lucky’, you say?” Vi smiled meaningfully. “In other words, you’ve read him like a book!”

  “He does py by-the-book quite often. That’s what makes him a strong pyer, but also a predictable one.”

  “In other words, your favorite type of prey.”

  “You could say so.” Yuel smiled.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not fident I’ll be able to ter him the way you did,” Vi admitted. “But, I’ll keep that information in mind.”

  To ter somebody who pyed by-the-book, Vi first had to own that book and fully memorize it. He skimmed over Berserker guides in the past, but it wasn’t a css he pyed or evehat often. As such, Vi was g in data here, and there was no time to ask for one of Yuel’s ih lectures right now. An unfortunate reality indeed.

  "Do you suggest I recall?" Vi asked because having only 50% HP against a Berserker was no joke. The Grim Reaper was already hanging above his head.

  "You'll get your ult soon, its presence should disce any big attacks on you. But, with that said, you'll be in trouble if the guy goes berserk or if somebody ganks the here's no correswer here."

  "Fair enough. Then, what would you do in my stead?"

  "If it were me, I'd probably stay in the ne for a little longer and try to bait DragonMaster into my ult. But, you have to judge for yourself whether you pull that off.”

  "Indeed.” Vi knotted his brows.

  Staying oh 50% HP, in order to bait out a blood-thirsty oppo, was a 200 IQ pro-level py. However, pulling it off also required a certain degree of mastery.

  I actually do it? Against su aggressive pyer? Judging by their st iion, Vi’s odds weren’t looking good. Chessmaster made DragonMaster look weak until now, but DragonMaster seemed to be quite strohan Vi when it came to 1v1 situations.

  I'll py it safe. Vi ended up recalling to base.

  DragonMaster was a tough oppo, an adversary Vi probably won't defeat on his own. Therefore, there was no reason to tackle this challenge alone.

  "Luke, I'm once again asking for yanking support.”

  "Sure thing, dude," Luke said. "How do ya want this guy cooked?"

  "I’d like it well-done." Vi smiled. "I’ll be very thankful if you rotate over here during the wave. I shall serve as bait."

  "Ya got it!"

  Unfortunately, that pn didn't e to pass.

  Kai was losing badly in Mid, so Luke had to rotate over there to defend. He suffered heavy injuries in the process and had to recall, further deying the operation.

  Meanwhile, Vi had to hold his ground all by himself. Frankly, it was easier than expected because the enemy didn’t dare to aggress a sed time. DragonMaster must’ve been cautious of Vi’s ult. Only a fool would approach a Viking who had his ult loaded and ready.

  Instead of aggressing, DragonMaster focused oing Vi in farming speed.

  After purchasing enough Attack Power, the damage of Berserker’s Barbarian Sm became truly oppressive. Especially, when fully charged, its damage and AoE reach were off the charts. And, DragonMaster made sure to fully charge the attack every time, for he had no reason to not do so.

  Viried to interrupt that routine a few times with Takedown, but unfortunately, he didn't possess the Vanishing Phantom ability. DragonMaster spotted him every time and smacked him down before he could reach the target.

  These repeated attempts slowed down DragonMaster’s farming, but Vi had to pay for that with his own HP every time. As such, it wasn’t a routine he could maintain for long. Having to recall to base every couple of waves wasn’t a solution.

  So, in the end, Vi required Luke’s aid after all. Thankfully, the issues in Mid blew over, so Luke was finally free to lend a hand.

  However, this time, Luke met the request with some reluce.

  To be ho, I probably should be farming more. Luke was already gging behind the enemy Jungler in terms of farm. It wasn’t a gap of 2 levels yet, but it was getting there. Welp, that's bound to happen with Knight.

  Knight was too slow at camp-clearing, that's why he was sidered ill-suited for jungling. In addition, his passive defensive aura ractically wasted because he barely hanged around allied minions.

  But, everything was A-OK. Levels didn't matter muyway as long as he thought of himself as a Support-Jungler hybrid thingy. He wasn't here to test the enemy’s farming or to pete for kills. His job as a Jungler Knight was to help his teammates defend nes, as well as set up kills for them. Basically, he was a “Setup Jungler”.

  It was a fun way to py, way more engaging than the usual routine of simply farming camps and aggressively ganking. Of course, the standard jungling routine was fun in its own way, but Luke didn’t want to be a sve of the meta every time. Jungler picks like Knight offered a pletely different kind of pystyle, so it was like a breath of fresh air.

  “Alrighty, I’m ing for that ass,” Luke answered the gank request. “So, how ya gonna bait that boi?”

  “Well, about that...” Vi knotted his brows. “I haven’t quite figured that part yet. Ever since I got my ult, he hasn’t been aggressing nearly as much. I suppose we’ll have to do this the cssic way. You’ll o rotate around him and CC him from behind.”

  “Okey-dokey.” Luke nodded.

  “This gank will only work if you avoid DragonMaster’s wards,” Yuel interjected. “Same as his offense, his warding is also by-the-book. So, you trust him to ward the best spots for tering ganks.”

  “It gonna be a gamble, huh.” Luke smiled wryly. “Welp, it’s not like he got any good escape tools anyway.”

  “If he exhales, he’ll get more than enough Movement Speed to get away.”

  “Yeah, true dat.”

  Berserker didn’t have any good escape tools in his base kit. However, he had Rexing Exhale, a skill that traded Rage for buffs.

  By trading 10% of his Rage, the Berserker gained a det Movement Speed buff for a short time. That’ll be more than enough to let him flee the se. Not to mention, by sacrifig 2e, Rexing Exhale also granted a temporary CC immunity, which will e Knight’s taunt.

  There wasn't much danger in trying the gank anyway, but it might waste Luke’s precious farming time. He was already gging behind the rest by almost two levels, so every extra sed of farming was important. The more farm he missed, the more he fell behind.

  Not to mention, one failed gank attempt would be enough to put DragonMaster on guard for the rest of the game. That guy always acted mighty at first, but he was quick to crawl into his shell the moment things went south. He was cocky but not stupid. He knew when to switch from offeo defense.

  Therefore, it'd be optimal to kill him with a gank on the very first attempt. That’ll have a much higher ce of w out, and it will shake the guy that much more for the rest of the game.

  But, of course, the problem was nailing this one gank. As long as Vi had his ult, DragonMaster won't dare to overextend, not even a little.

  "So, do we give up the gank for now?" Luke asked.

  "Hmm." Yuel knotted his brows. A tough question. At a ghere wasn't any good way to approach this situation.

  With all that said, we 't surreop. Yuel reasoned.

  The situation in Mid was already bad, with Kai underperf and Nirvana exhibiting more strength than ever before. If Stratus loses advantage in Top as well, then 2/3 of the map will be uhe enemy's trol. Against oppos of this caliber, that’ll spell immi doom.

  As much as Yuel wao fix the situation in Mid, that was difficult to achieve. He didn't have enough firsthand data about Nirvana, and the guy ying differently than usual anyway. As such, it was difficult to e up with an effective pn to seize trol over Mid.

  Oher hand, Top was a different story. DragonMaster was a very familiar face to Yuel, they’ve faced each other fames in a row. Yuel had plenty of time to study the guy.

  Therefore, he was vi’s possible tain trol in Top. It just required careful sideration of what type of pyer DragonMaster reparing the fitting bait for him.

  "I have an idea," Yuel said.

  "Oh! This is my favorite part!" Vi excimed. "The time has e! You will bestow the wisdom of gods upon us, will you not!?"

  "It's nothing that impressive," Yuel said. "We just have to eliminate one problem at a time. We 't make DragonMaster overextend right now because of your ult, so let's remove that threat."

  "How I make that threat vanish? It sounds like I’d have to leave the ne or such."

  "You just spend it."

  "Spend...? My ult?" Vi blinked.

  "Yes, just use it," Yuel said. "Pull a surprise attack with your ult. I doubt it'll vert into a kill, but it'll annoy the enemy and will grant you temporary ne trol."

  "Haha!” Luke ughed. “Are ya telling him to waste his ult? That's some 4D chess right there! I'm telling ya, you always e with the wildest ideas. Love it!"

  "Indeed." Vi nodded. "It’s an unventional py, but I see its bes. Very well. It should be easy enough to make this assault appear genuine. DragonMaster is definitely waiting for me to crader pressure, so I easily pretend it happened"

  "Exactly." Yuel nodded. "He is also rather prideful, so I’m sure he’ll seek reveer."

  "Oh, and that's how we make him overextend! Brilliant strategy!"

  And so, the pn was set in motion. Yuel gave Vi a few pointers for the uping attack, and then the operation began.

  DarkestCymore