Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Spread the Heavenly Net!
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School was over, but my real job was in full swing right now.
"If we win this one, we'll go undefeated through the first half!"
The Master League was divided into Round 1 and Round 2, with the top split teams determined that way advancing to the playoffs to decide the champion.
And today was the final match of Round 1.
Winning meant there wasn't a single team that had beaten us in the first half—it also meant we'd gifted every opponent at least one match loss.
The second half, or Round 2 as it was called, was starting in just a week, making this an incredibly important game for seizing the initiative.
Especially since it was against ST Gaming's eternal rival.
'Milky Way.'
Just looking at the team, they were way above the third-division league level.
They were the quintessential team that had aggressively invested to scoop up prospects by beating ST Gaming.
Even in my past life, when I was in the second and third teams, I'd faced Milky Way so many times but only beaten them once. That said it all.
Right now, they were one of the only undefeated teams in match wins in the Master League.
ST Gaming had no match losses either, but while we held the unshakable first place on the standings due to their few set losses, everything would ultimately be decided in head-to-head matchups.
Today's winner would shake up the standings.
'Well, at least one guy's missing...'
The most threatening player, the one who reigned like an absolute god in LOCK, Plook, had come to ST Gaming.
Around this time, Plook had been rising as a prospect in Milky Way S Academy, but now he was ST3's undisputed top laner. Ironic in so many ways.
Anyway, the opponents were weakened while we were somewhat strengthened, so I wasn't particularly tense.
All we had to do was win today's match and solidify our position on the standings.
"Anyone not feeling great today? No? Good."
The coach scanned us with his affable smile.
"Don't think of it as a rival match—just go in with the mindset to win like always. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Alright. Let's go."
Right on cue, the signal came to head to the stage, and we moved out without hesitation.
No matter that it was a lower league, this big match had the stands packed, and the casters were buzzing with excitement from the get-go.
[ST Gaming's mid laner! The vanguard and conductor leading ST's hot streak—True!]
I walked in slowly, waving to the fans.
Every step closer to the main stage amplified the cheers echoing through the arena, a reminder that this wasn't just some solo game in your room.
'...To bigger stages. To more people.'
And to get there, I couldn't falter here.
With the coach and everyone up on stage, we fired up our gear simultaneously.
[Players are ready! No issues with the devices!]
The crowd's roar filtered through, along with that familiar floaty sensation and the ban/pick screen hovering in the air, signaling the game was on.
[ST Gaming vs. Milky Way S—match starts now!]
[Let's check the ban/pick!]
In Round 1, we had blue side with first pick.
"Cut 'em as planned."
Ban the OP picks—champions way too strong in the current patch—leaving just two.
Blue side got first pick but only one champion, while red side picked second but got two champions.
Blue's advantage was leading the ban/pick, and with my champion pool abnormally wide even compared to prospects or first-division pros, we could split and ban all the OP picks, coming out on top feeling great.
[Milky Way has to choose now.]
[Right? Do they take one each, or burn both bans on the two OP picks? Only banning one would be coaching malpractice.]
Sure enough, they left the OP picks and focused bans on aggressive hunter champions usable by their jungler.
"I'll take Kai'Sa first pick."
A champ that should be weak early but got buffed wrong in the patch, making it matchup-proof early and overwhelming carry late—one of the premier ADCs.
Just don't brainlessly skill into the enemy and dash in, and it'd carry hard late-game.
[ST Gaming—Plook picks Kai'Sa first pick!]
[ST's usual win plan could snag something like Tristana mid and hand the damage to True, but today's approach is a bit different.]
[Let's see how this plays out.]
The opponents smoothly took Jinx, the remaining current OP pick.
Both had solid late-game value, but pure laning favored us a tad more.
For their remaining pick, they grabbed Zhaow—one of the few meta-viable hunter champions good from teamfights to skirmishes.
"Tch. What am I supposed to do now?"
Ox, openly sniped, tilted his head, but this was within expectations.
"Let's see who cracks first."
"What're you thinking?"
"Something tanky. Sejuani."
"........Fine."
We needed a tank anyway.
With assassin champs banned, Ox quietly took Sejuani—the tank jungler with great synergy with melee champs.
[A sturdy pick here?]
[Not bad. ST's next bans worry me a bit, but this is fine.]
"Ji-hwan, skip top to next ban turn?"
"Nah, I'm good."
Dispelling the coach's concern, Plook locked in the team's third pick without hesitation.
[Bear among bears! The bear stabbed a thousand times!]
[Bears tear people apart! Surprise third pick—Ivern appears!]
Auto-attack based, synergizing with Sejuani, with speed and ult to close on their ADC.
First time this round, but theoretically sound.
And I'd never seen him lose lane no matter what he picked.
[Now this is getting fun.]
[ST has ADC, top, jungle locked. Milky Way ponders then takes rock-solid Malphite. Hard to burst!]
[Head-on clash picks—whoever commits first wins?]
Mutual no-ban zones.
Second ban phase hit fast, and we banned mid champs.
"Ban their support."
"Then they'll pick mid from what we left obvious."
"...Eun-seol, you're really doing that?"
"It's open. Gotta."
Ban phase ended, opponents' pick time.
[Milky Way takes Tristana!]
[Double artillery! What're you gonna do? Mid pick's awkward now!]
Not for me, though.
"Yasuo for me."
"...I wash my hands of this."
Strike chuckled wryly but picked as requested.
[Uwaaaah! They pick this here!]
[Theoretical counter to Milky Way's double artillery appears!]
[Will the wind be by my side, or death? Yasuo returns to Master League after 369 days!]
[Last used wasn't even mid Yasuo—it was ADC, and they lost!]
[How's this gonna go?]
Shocking ban/pick continued, supports snapped up quick.
[Ban/pick done!]
[ST shouts 'We're charging forward!'—all champs with charge prowess. Milky Way goes double artillery!]
[ST Gaming vs. Milky Way—first set starts now!]
"One, two, three!"
"ST Gaming fighting!"
The start was smooth.
Sejuani charges! Yasuo strikes!
Freeze! Freeze solid! Pound away! Flash used but match-flash for First Blood!
[ST shows why they picked this—mid score!]
Leveraging early strength to cut their double artillery core, Tristana, was good.
Top snagged the rock too.
But trouble brewed as both teams' ADCs farmed up.
—Shwooo!
The temptation every Kai'Sa player faces.
Strike couldn't resist.
Kai'Saaaaang! ST Kai'Saaaaang!
Sudden barrage from Strike—what?! Focused fire melts him instantly, no corpse left!
"I mean, it looked like we had 'em."
Not a total pipe dream—their ADC and backline were half-health or lower.
But our ADC wasn't half-health; he was paper-thin.
Meanwhile, with ADC off to the fountain...
No orders beyond survival pings and Strike's non-apology—situation was dire.
Plook, holding front, ate double artillery focus and barely flashed over the wall to survive.
Sejuani, no orders, wandered weirdly and ate ganks from their support and jungler.
Didn't last long.
[Uwaaah! Plook spotted! Dead! Sejuani follows!]
[True gets sandwiched now!]
Support Bell had died once and was respawning, but I needed to stall long.
No time for calm thought.
Calculate best outcome from enemy positions before vision died.
[Can they escape?!]
[Bell's coming, but how to survive?!]
Ox needed time to respawn, but not enough for their jungler to solo a big monster.
So they couldn't assign two to me if they wanted that monster this wave.
'...Dodging might work.'
Enemy support's sky-drop CC was used in prior clash, so focus on support's sword stun basic skill and mid's knockback ult.
Luckily, both blocked by my wind wall.
"Can you hold till I go?"
"Lemme trade some damage."
Use skills to close on pursuers.
Q off a minion from bush.
Dash to their support.
Dodge stun with Flash, then quick to Tristana.
—Boom!
Moment ult sound hits, quick first-person switch, wind wall, Q keyboard, back to first-person, Q again before cooldown full.
Normally wouldn't cast, but if it does and isn't blocked, it's cheese.
Wind bursts out.
—Thwung!
No more thinking.
Follow the wind, ult.
ST True → Milky Way S Envy
Finished what Strike started, then with Bell's timely aid before their backup, snagged their support too.
[Uwaaaaaah! Heavenly net torn!]
[Why's this net so weak?! Blown away by wind!]
[How's the math now?]
[Respawned Plook TP-pushes T2! Strike shoves wave to T2. Clean wave management.]
[And Baron spawns soon!]
[Forty seconds till Tristana respawns—what now?]
[ST feeling great!]
No way we were losing after this.