With Jin ba ission, the tug-of-war for ne trol resumed. Both sides cleared minions as effitly as possible. They were more or less equal in terms of speed and accuracy.

  However, Jin’s movements weren’t quite as crisp as before. Something weighed on his mind, enough to make him miss o-hit.

  I thought she'd attack me as soon as I return. Jin pondered. I see. It looks like I misuood.

  Even though Ignis seemingly entered her “berserk” mode, it didn’t mean she was going to indiscriminately attack Jin at every opportunity that preseself. That’s part of what made her so uable in this state.

  Ignis was clearly burning with a desire for vengeance. However, so far, she hasn't unched any obvious big attacks against Jin. Why?

  Perhaps she vented some of that pent-up anger wheacked our Jungler. Also, she might be waiting for her ult to e baline.

  The tter robably the bigger sideration. Without Warrior’s ult, Ignis’s ces of killing Jin were slim to none. She needed every offeool she could get in order to strike him down.

  Which probably means I don't have to worry for a while. Jin cluded. Until she gets her ult back, she probably won't strike unless I present a big opening.

  In other words, Jin could ease up for now. There was o be so tense about ining attacks, at least not for a while.

  Of course, he still made sure to be alert in case Ignis decides to surprise him. But, he poured most of his focus into clearing minions, as he normally would. Thanks to that, he fwlessly kept up with the pro's farming speed.

  As a result, the ne remai a standstill and Ignis couldn't make any big moves just yet. Without any minion advantage, she resigned herself to “pying nice”, at least for now.

  Tch, what an annoying brat. Ignis clicked her tongue. He sure farm, I'll give him that. I’m really itg to go in and kick his ass before we clear the minions, but I no lot any power advantage here. Lame.

  Earlier in the game, the Warrior's Attack Power was detly boosted by its passive, Battle Thirst. But, it was a ft boost, so its value decreased as the game went on. So, at this point, it meant almost nothing.

  I mean, I'll still royally whoop his ass if we fight. Ignis asserted. But, I doubt I get anything out of it. He'll run away like a pussy the moment I beat him, so I really need my ult back to put the heat on him.

  And so, the waiting game tinued. Ignis patiently tested the ne, waiting for the right time to strike.

  We're approag the mid-game, so I’ll probably only have one ce to do it. She reminded herself every time she had the itack the kid. We'll have to start rotating for team fights soon, so this will be our st “” 1v1 showdown.

  Surely, her oppo was smart enough to realize that as well. So, how did he want things to go down?

  Our fight is probably going to be our st "real" duel. Jin reasoned. From the mid-game onward, any duel opportunity will have a lot more factors to it than just the fight itself.

  Uhe early-game, where everybody's roles and positions were retively fixed, the mid-game was a chaotic pyground. It revolved primarily around team fights and rotations, so anybody could be anywhere at any given time. So, there was rarely any time to duel anybody in an isoted 1v1 situation.

  In the first pce, getting into 1v1 situations is often a mispy in the mid-game. Jin thought. It probably happens often in low-level matches, like in the middle school se here. But, these are pros I’m dealing with here. Even if they’re “taking it easy” on us, they surely won’t it big mispys like that.

  The mid-game was the phase when respawn timers started being really long, to the point where a single death could have long-sting sequences. As such, ag alone involved tremendous risk. Everybody had to group up, or at least to stay within the viity of each other as much as possible.

  I assume the mid-game will mostly be team fights, or at best 2v2s and 3v3s. So, there might not be many good opportunities for me to show my skill.

  Since Jin ying with StormBlitz for the first time, it was impossible to expey impressive cooperatioween them during team fights.

  Not to mention, nobody in StormBlitz was even half as good as Jin, so they'll always be deadweight for him in fights. Even if Jin himself performs splendidly in a 2v2 or a 3v3, all of it will be overshadowed by his teammates dragging him down.

  I don’t know if I’ll get more opportuo py the Sweepers today. Jin thought. So, the uping duel with Ignis might really be my st big ce of the day. I 't mess it up.

  Most likely, Ignis reized the importance of this duel as well. That's why she atiently waiting for her ult to e online and grant her a decisive opportunity to strike Jin down.

  Should I act before she gets her ult? Jin wondered. I've already got all my tools in hand, so there's nothing for me to wait for. But...

  Striking first always ran the risk of overextending. Whoever makes the first move will seize the momentum of the battle, but they will also give the ehe opportunity to dish out a powerful ter.

  Therefore, against pros, who were expected to know the right answer for practically every situation, striking first was extremely dangerous. No matter how fident Jin was in his meical skill, even he didn’t dare to do it.

  But, I have to go for it before her ult es online, right? Jin frowned. No matter how dangerous it is, it’ll still be better than dealing with her ult. But, then again, her ult should be ing baline any moment now, so how much time will I actually have to abuse here?

  Jin g the timer. Ignis used her ult sometime around 8:50, and now it was already 9:40. So, she'll get her ult ba a matter of seds.

  I should have acted earlier. This is what happens when you overthink. Jin criticized himself.

  If only he finished analyzing the situation sooner, he would've arrived at the right clusion half a minute ago. As, most of his attention reoccupied with farming minions and watg out for ining attacks, so he didn’t have the luxury to finish his thought process earlier.

  That's all excuses. Jin shook his head. If I want to py on even ground with pros, I have to be able to make snappy decisions like this without wasting any time. Hmm. I suppose I shall add this to my homework.

  It was already past 9:50. Ignis's ult was online, so the time was nigh. Their final shoill ence shortly, they were both aware of the fact.

  Heh. So, you’re not gonna take the initiative until the very end, huh. Ignis smirked. You must be scared shitless of how strong I am, aren’t you? Well then, time for the pro to put the brat in his pce!

  “I see your ult is up,” Hawk ented. “Are you going in now?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “I’m pretty close by, actually. So, I lend a hand if you want to thhly wreck this kid.”

  “Stay out of it. This is my fight. I have to mop him in a duel, or else he won’t learn a real lesson.”

  “Alright, gotcha.”

  And so, Ignis advaoward the enemy army. However, instead of cirg around the enemy’s formation in order to reach the rear, Ignis had every iion of ramming into the swordsmen this time.

  The goal was t the fight to the enemy. By pushing the frontlioward the rear and theing rid of the swordsmen, Ignis will leave the enemy bowmen at the mercy of her army while she pursues her prey.

  However, her movements were a bit too telegraphed. Her oppo saw through them in an instant.

  This is the same setup as st time. Jin figured. She’s pnning to push and clear the frontlihen go for the kill from that position. It’s exactly what she did against our Jungler.

  It was an effit setup. It elimihe beefy enemies first while simultaneously pushing her own army forward, like an anized invasion.

  With the swordsmen gone, only Jin’s bowmen will remain. And, even though they had higher DPS than the swordsmen, the bowmen were far squishier and will shortly die at the hand of Ignis’s minions.

  Meanwhile, Ignis will have more than enough opportunity to aggress on Jin with everything she had. A solid pn, but a predictable o this point.

  Is she really going for the same exact setup? Jin wondered. It’s not wise to use the same trick twi a row. Though, she does strike me as the type who’ll abuse the same strategy over and over as long as it works.

  Ich footage Jin researched, Ignis had no problem going for the same lines of py over and over like a broken record. If the enemy couldn’t adapt, then Ignis had no reason to ge her approach either.

  And so, she often spammed the same tactitil it stopped w. It was a straightforward, but effective, way of submitting the opposition.

  But, I already know a couple of ways to deal with this setup.

  After seeing it once already, Jin’s brain automatically came up with multiple solutions to that sario. Therefore, if Ignis was indeed going for the same exact setup, then Jin will ter it, simple as that.

  “LET’S FIGHT!” the Warrior roared. It was the activation of War Cry. Ignis was about to make her move.

  Looks like you’re really doing this again. Jin cluded. You uimate me.

  Jin dashed toward his frontline. He already simuted this line of py in his head, so he saw a few steps ahead. Therefore, he’ll win this important exge, no matter what!

  DarkestCymore