After Nia’s failed gank attempt on Top, Stratus was left in a difficult spot. Both Ben and Nia were forced to flee the h heavy injuries, so nobody was around to defend the ne right now.

  This push is probably a game-deg py. Yuel thought. If we 't slow it down at all, the Orc will snowball out of trol.

  That wouldn't have been the end of the world if the Orc pyer was someone else. But, it rehe Korean prodigy. Stratus had little hope of snatg victory away from that guy.

  Ugh, it’s my fault. I didn't expect to get baited like this. Yuel bmed himself for the poor instrus he gave Nia. Deep down, I k might be bait, but I couldn't imagine horentece could possibly turn that 1v2 situation in his favor. But, now I know...

  It lendid terpy on Apprentece's end. The way he intercepted Nia right before she unched her attack was nothing short of brilliant.

  He probably prepared a ward over there ahead of time. Yuel reasoned. He took a gamble and it paid off big time. I respect that.

  It was a risky py that was very mu lih Yuel's tactics. Apprentece judged the abilities and pystyles of his oppos a for a py that masterfully took advantage of all that information.

  Or, maybe I give him too much credit? Yuel wondered. Maybe he just looks down on all of us equally, so that's why he was sure that py would work. Iy, it only worked so well because it was these two...

  Nia ahe two troublemakers with unication issues.

  "Ben, why did you charge in?" Yuel asked. "I told you to retreat many, many MANY times."

  "I'm sorry..." Ben hung his head. "I saw Nia was in trouble and it was all my fault, so I had to rush to help her..."

  "You panicked back there. Your defense is usually much better than this."

  "Yes, I'm sorry..." Ben could do nothing but apologize. “Everything about that situation was my fault, from start to end…”

  "That’s an exaggeration," Yuel said. "I'm the one who told Nia to gank Top. And, she's the one who failed to properly unicate her arrival to yht?" He shot a pierg gre at the culprit.

  "Gufu..." Nia gnced aside, pying dumb.

  "Why didn't you properly inform Ben when you were pnning to ehe ne?” Yuel asked. “That disaster could've beeed if the two of you were better anized."

  "But, I wao do a surprise gank..." Nia mumbled.

  "That topic again?" Yuel sighed. "Are you saying the reason you didn't inform Ben was that you were afraid he'd telegraph yank?"

  "Mhm. It was already a sketchy gank as it is, so I tried to make it at least a little better."

  "Yes, 'better'.” Yuel narrowed his eyes. “You isoted yourself from your ally and po challenge a formidable oppo alone. I fail to see what was 'better' about any of that."

  "Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound good at all…"

  "Yes, it sure doesn't."

  "Yep.” Nia nodded. “I 't believe anybody would go for a bad py like this."

  "I knht?"

  "Yep..." Nia averted her eyes.

  Yuel sighed. "Please, Nia. For the huh time: more unication."

  "But, it'll expose my ganks..."

  "Maybe it will, maybe it won't,” Yuel said. “At the very least, a 2v1 situation is a favorable positioher way, uhat trouble you got yourself into."

  "I guess..."

  "Besides, have some faith in Ben. He's your teammate."

  "But, he always telegraphs my stuff." Nia pouted.

  "I-I'm sorry..." Ben hung his head again. Truly, there was o the amount of trouble he caused for the club! He was such a failure! He should be kicked out of the club this very instant!

  "Telegraphs are an issue, I agree," Yuel said. "But. I'm sure this is something Ben will get better at with practice. The problem is, Nia, you keep denying him any opportuo practice these situations. How do you expect him to get better like this?"

  "Ok, that's fair," Nia admitted. "I'll try to unicate better with him… (even though it gonna expose me for sure)."

  "What was that st part?"

  "Nothing, nothing."

  "Is that so." Yuel narrowed his eyes in suspi. Somehow, he felt like his point didn't fully e across this time either. But hopefully, Nia will at least try harder to unicate ime.

  "Speaking of unication," Nia said. "I’m inf you that I pn to recall after clearing this camp. There, I said it."

  After fleeing from Top with grave injuries, Nia reached all the way to the Hyena Camp near Mid. Her HP was hanging at a dangerous 40%, which was an immediate sign that she should recall.

  But, since she ran all that distand ended up so close to the Hyena Camp, she decided she might as well take the camp out. This was going to be a small pensation for how much time, farm, and HP she lost from the failed py in Top. After that, it’ll be a good time to go back to base.

  "No, don't recall yet," Yuel said.

  "Hm?"

  "After you finish the camp, go back to Top."

  "Sorry, what?" Nia tilted her head. "I think I'm developing a serious hearing problem. I’ve just heard you say something really weird."

  "No, you heard it right,” Yuel said matter-of-factly. “I want you to go to Top for the wave."

  "Eh? But, my HP."

  "Yes, it's pretty low."

  "Yeah, it is. Very low. Like, very dangerously low. Scary levels of low."

  "Right." Yuel nodded. "That's why I want you to go Top."

  "Oh, his is no good.” Nia shook her head. “I think the alien robot is malfuning. Scary."

  "Hey now." Yuel made a face. "Everything is fih my systems, thank you very much."

  "W-Was that an admission that you're a mae!?"

  "Seriously?" Yuel gave her a look. "Anyway, I assure you, I'm not malfuning in the slightest."

  "But then, why would you say stuff that makes no sense?"

  “It’s an ued suggestion, isn’t it? That’s exactly why I’m suggesting it.”

  Nia squinted her eyes. “Wut?”

  “The enemy won’t expect this move either, so they won’t be ready for it.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready for this move either…”

  Yuel agreed with the se. “Yes, I admit, it’s a little terintuitive.”

  “A little? It’s the plete opposite of what I nning to do .”

  “Yeah, figured.” Yuel nodded. “Here’s the gist of what I have in mind.” He summarized the details of this “ter-intuitive” pched. It actually involved more than just Nia heading to Top, but none of it could actually start before she gets there.

  Nia pressed doubt on the idea. “Is this really gonna work?”

  “It’s a risky pn, I’m aware,” Yuel said. “But, it’s a risk we have to take here. If we let the Orc push the tower without any obstacles, he’ll take it down in the wave. Then, the game will be as good as lost.”

  “Eh? We gonna lose? Just from that?” Nia tilted her head. “But, what about the rest of the game? Mid-game? Late-game?”

  “We might be able to recover from this during the ter stages of the game, but I wouldn’t bank on it,” Yuel expined. “sidering the level of our oppos, our aking a eback from that position is almost zero.”

  “Hey,” Kai interjected. “Nice pep talk you got there, buddy. It really lifts the team’s morale, you know?”

  “Ah, my bad.” Yuel realized he eaking his mind too freely there. Naturally, he believed everything he said, but there was o share such grim observations with the rest of the team. Sure, this was a strong argument that could vinia to follow Yuel’s pn, but it robably not worth the mental blow it’d deliver to the team’s morale.

  “Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little,” Yuel said. “But, it’s true that the push is very critical for the future of the game. That’s why I believe we have to take a risk here and go for this ued py.”

  "But, my HP..." Nia mumbled.

  Indeed, her HP was a big issue here. Her failed gaed in losing over 60% HP. The enemy was surely expeg her to recall by now, which was why she was su integral part of this entire py.

  "I'm not saying you have to front the Orc all by yourself." Yuel id out the gist of his pn. Though, holy, it was less of a "pn" and more of a predi on how Nia's rotation to Top will shake up the situatiohere.

  In addition to that, Yuel had some instrus for Ben as well.

  "I know you're a little tight on budget," Yuel said. "But, it'll really help if you buy Blink and Windmail. They'll help you reach the ne faster and un ued attack."

  "Okay, I'll buy them." Ben made the transa. "Okay, done. I’m returning to the ne right away, so Nia doesn’t have to rotate over there if she doesn’t want to. I'll be there shortly."

  "You won’t get there fast enough," Yuel said matter-of-factly. "By the time you reach Top, your tower will no longer be there. That's why Nia has to stall the Orc, at least for a little bit."

  To give Nia and Ben a boost of fidence, Yuel did his best to expin how his idea would most likely py out in practiaturally, he used one of the better-case sarios as an example, rather than sg them with the devastating worst-case sarios that were at the back of his mind.

  This py has immense risk, I'm aware. Yuel reminded himself. But, to vihese two, I have to stay positive. Just like Kai said, they need a boost of morale here. So, less doom-talking and more sugarcoating.

  And so, despite being perfectly aware of the grave dangers his idea posed, Yuel tinued reassuring the two lead actors.

  Does this make me a liar? Yuel wondered. But, this is the only way I think of ving them. It’s unfortunate, but that's how humans work.

  Based on past experiences, Yuel’s teammates were always more relut to follow his pns when there was a sense of danger or uainty in the air. Therefore, he worked hard to dispel all of these fears with a sugar-coated expnation.

  "Mmm. Ok." Nia finally gave in. "It's not as scary as I thought, I guess."

  "It's still risky, don't fet that fact," Yuel warned. "You’ll have to be 100% alert about everything that happens around you."

  "Ok."

  And so, the "pn" was set in motion...

  DarkestCymore