After taking out the enemy's Top Turret, Jin immediately recalled to base. The injuries he sustained during the enemy's attack were grave, almost too close to fort. So despite the great momentum he gained in Top, he was uo push further at this time.

  But, once I return, I'll push all the way to the Golem. Jin promised. This game is already as good as done, so let's just it up quickly.

  It would have been nicer if the oppo just surrendered and spared Jin all this hassle. However, Stratus was a team that had a fighting spirit, if nothing else. Therefore, even uhese helpless circumstances, it was unlikely for them to submit without putting on a fight.

  Oh well. Let’s just do it. Jin finished gearing up at the base and headed back to his ne.

  "Oh, you're already going back?" Cato asked. "Say, do you mind rotating to Mid after you finish with the wave?"

  "Why?"

  "There isn't much for you to do in Tht nht? I mean, you try pushing if you want, but there's no way you're taking out the Golem anytime soon."

  "True. Too early folem," Jin agreed. "But, I still prefer to push Top. Rotating to other nes is waste of time."

  "The ners over there will really appreciate your help, though~"

  "I don't need appreciation. I just want to this game. It's over."

  "Yes, it's most certainly over." Cato nodded. "But, Stratus won’t go down without a fight. I know their shot-caller, he's the type to e up with ued pys in a pinch. We 't uimate him."

  "You fear a team like that? Nonsense."

  "Or, is it?" iled impishly. "I vaguely remember that somebody here was almost gao death a short while ago~"

  "If you talk about the Drow’s gank, then I had the situation under trol. I wouldn't die to something like this."

  "But, you have to admit it was dangerously close. If Will wasn’t nearby, you might've died, don't you think?"

  "Hmph." Jin scoffed. "It was a little close, that's all."

  "That was just a taste of what their shot-caller is capable of,” Cato said. “The greater the pinch, the more ridiculous his shot-calls will bee. That's the kind of pesky guy he is."

  Still, none of that vinced Jin. "That Drow gank shot-call was no good. It was easy to ter."

  "Yes, it was easy enough to ter IF you anticipated that kind of py in advance. But, anticipating any of that nonsense was the hard part. I did anticipate it though, muhaha!"

  Indeed, everything was thanks to Cato's sharp fht. He knew his chess oppo better than anybody oeam, therefore he was ready for some kind of nonsense.

  I bet you’re feeling quite frustrated right nht Yuel~? Cato grihis is exactly the kind of nonsense you used to beat Fiona, right? You resorted to some absolute madhat swallowed her whole. But, I'm not like that. You 't break me so easily.

  Unlike Fiona, Cato wasn't a sve of the meta, at least irely. He uood that a pyer's self-expression sometimes made them deviate from the established meta and that it was fine.

  The meta is just guidelines, not hard rules. There's a big be to following it, but sometimes straying from it be just as effective. I mean, I stray from it on a regur basis~

  Cato was very much aware that the Leopards' hyper-defensive pystyle was outside the meta’s reendations. heless, it worked just fine as long as he properly ied this less-usual pystyle with the meta.

  Likewise, Stratus’ moments of hyper-aggression were likely a form of Yuel’s self-expression within the fines of the meta. That’s why the guy’s tactics were so uable. No matter the situation, there was always a ce he’d une crazy attack that would pletely deviate from the meta.

  After Cato finished colleg his thoughts oter, it was time to educate the Emperor. "Chessmaster’s attacks may seem easy to ter irospect, but when you're actually in the game it's not that easy, is it? That's how Chessmaster rolls."

  "It was just one py,” Jin insisted. “I don’t think that shot-call was sensible enough for petitive level. I’m not worried."

  Real stubborn, huh. Cato wao sigh but he maintained his smile. "Well, perhaps you’ll be able to ter Chessmaster's future tricks, but there's no guarahe rest of the team will able to do the same. And, I know Chessmaster. He'll target the weakest link for sure."

  “The weakest link?”

  “It means the most vulnerable part of the team.”

  “Hmm. I see.” Jin nodded. “Sounds like good strategy.”

  “I had a feeling you’ll like it.” iled wryly. In many ways, Jin thinks simirly to Yuel. They’re both such big bullies, holy.

  The main differeweewo of them lies in the execution itself. The Emperor bullied oppos with his own two hands, whereas Yuel had his teammates do his bidding.

  “Anyway,” Cato tinued. “I’m sure Chessmaster has uood how strong you are by now, so he’ll try to py around you by exploiting weaknesses on other nes.”

  “Then, make sure you don’t give him any opportunity.”

  “Why yes, that’s such a brilliant idea! How I didn’t think of that!”

  “Sarcasm?”

  “Yes, sarcasm.”

  “Hmm.” Jin took a moment to process this versation. “Alright, I think I uand your point. You say that, while I push Top, the enemy will target other nes and it might be difficult for you to deal with his ploys, right?”

  “Yes, exactly.” Cato nodded. “So, I’d be thankful if you rotated to Mid, and maybe ter to Bot, too.”

  “Fine. Whatever.” Jin sighed. He wasn’t keen on babysitting his teammates like that, but this is something that had to be doo secure fwless victory.

  I have no choice, do I? Jin sighed. No matter how well I perform, it’ll reflect poorly on me if the team messes up.

  It was still ohing wheeam acted like a bunch of s in the previous games. But, this game was different. This time, Jin was an active part of the team. As such, he had a responsibility to make the team look strong and dominating.

  Well, let's get this over with then. Jin sighed as he bsted the enemy minions with his sledgehammer. The entire enemy army folded to his powerful basic attacks within seds. And so, once again, Top was entirely under his trol.

  However, instead of pushing on, Jin headed into the jungle instead. This was such a waste of time...

  Naturally, the enemy caught wind of his irregur movement.

  "The Ort into the jungle," Ben informed. "I’m not sure if he's rotating or just going to farm."

  "Hmm." Yuel couldn't ahat oher.

  Based on Apprentece's profile so far, it made more seo assume the guy went to farm jungle camps for his own be. After all, he supposedly wasn't the type to cooperate with his teammates much.

  But, blindingly following that line of reasoning has already cost us dearly. Yuel thought. I o rely less on jecture. Maybe he respects Cato’s position as the captain and follows at least some of the orders.

  If so, then a rotation to Mid was very mu the table. This sounded like a py that Cato would want really badly, and even Yuel would’ve made that kind of shot-call.

  Simply put, it was a great strategic rotation. An Orc with momentum could handle any ne, even Mid where he'd have to pete with a mage. As such, it was a great idea to move this strong piece across the board in order to further stabilize the team’s dominance.

  "Kai, watch out for a rotation," Yuel warned. "I suspect he's ing to your ne."

  "Got it." Kai retreated further to the back. She wasn't scared of that Korean pyer in the slightest, but she didn't want to give the guy any gank opportunities.

  Shortly, Theorist started recallihe tower. This was all the proof they needed.

  "Their Mid is recalling," Kai informed. "Pretty sure we know what that means."

  "Yes, he's ing. Probably not to gank you, but to fill in for your oppo in the ne."

  "Fine by me." Kai lifted her . "It’s time to put this cocky bastard in his pce. He has been feeling himself too much this game."

  Even though Kai wasn't present during any of the battles in Top, she followed them with great i. After all, her uation was the very definition of boredom, so she had all the time in the world to scout other nes.

  What she saw over there retty damn triggering. This Apprentece guy just paraded all over Top as if he owhe pce. He cared about nothing and nobody.

  And, he keeps getting away with it. Kai thought. I py, I was sure Nia would finally shut him down, but the lucky son of a gun escaped with a pixel of HP. Dammit.

  Nobody should be allowed to py cocky like that a away with it. Not on the petitive stage and especially not against Kai's team.

  So e over here. I'll teach you a lesson. Kai weled this rotation. This should be a good ge of pace from the b stalemate she had against Theorist. Finally, she’ll get some a!

  What's more, this was her ce to do her part as the captain. In such dark hours, when all hope of victory was lost, it to the captain to ihe team with a morale boost!

  I hope he pns to stay a while and farm. If so, I'll have many ces to gun him down. She had already e up with multiple lines of py by now. Her ult was online and she had enough MP to st two more minions waves. Basically, she had the freedom to unleash anything she wanted on the enemy!

  If he's enough of a daredevil to farm with his hammer against me, then I'll reap him apart! She had already crafted multiple pns before the enemy even stepped onto the felt like gears in her brain kicked into a after a long slumber. That's how mind-numbing it was to py against Theorist in the ne.

  But now, this development woke her up entirely. She was ready to kie serious butt!

  While she was thinking all that, the muticipated enemy emerged on the ne.

  DarkestCymore