Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Please Delete This Champion
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Lately, my condition during scrims had been at its absolute worst.
Adjusting my menstrual cycle to align with the match dates had caused some severe side effects.
'My mood is totally off.'
In truth, during the regular season, I just went without taking any meds.
Since period pain counts as pain during the game anyway, the VR device automatically blocks it out, so there's no issue with being unable to play mid-match due to pain.
However, it affects daily life, much like Proud's wrist.
When that poor condition combines with hormonal influences, it inevitably impacts my in-game play.
In fact, there had been a few times when my Flash reaction was a bit slow.
That's why, right before the playoffs started, I'd begun taking meds to regulate my cycle.
You can't afford slip-ups in the playoffs; one mistake and you could plummet.
Especially now, when I had to carry while lugging around a log of a top laner.
The pharmacist had said I shouldn't be taking this stuff so early, but it's a hundred times better than hurting on game day. What choice did I have?
I left the defeat screen—a sight I hadn't seen much this season outside of Solo Queue—behind and opened my mouth with a smile.
"Regulating my cycle is really tough. Right?"
"Why the hell are you telling us that, you crazy bitch...!"
Led by Strike, everyone flushed red and averted their gazes, looking perfectly ripe for teasing.
Honestly, even my old self would have reacted the same way, so I get it.
I totally get it.
"At least I'll be fine for the Milky Way match, so isn't that what matters?"
"And how do you know that?"
"I didn't at first, but as I got used to it, I started getting a feel."
"......"
I have no idea why they're looking at me like that.
It's a signal my body sends instinctively; I can't analyze it either.
"Anyway, don't worry about scrim results for now, Eun-seol. Just keep your senses sharp enough. Got it?"
Even with our current four-game scrim losing streak, Coach was encouraging me like that.
'...Or not?'
Maybe he figures as long as I'm solid, four losses or even forty won't matter come match time.
Either way, I'll take out the scrim humiliation on Milky Way.
Playoffs Round 3 Winners' Bracket match day.
[And now, the Round 3 Winners' Bracket match to decide which team advances first to the finals—ST and Milky Way S players enter side by side!]
[There've been rumors about ST's True having health issues lately, but seeing her bright smile, fans can put those worries to rest!]
Having fully escaped the curse of menstruation, I entered the arena, and there were more fans chanting my name than usual today.
"True fighting!"
"We believe in you!"
"Eun-seol, whiiite!"
Amid a sea of Milky Way fans, Eun-chae stood out, practically embodying neutral seating all by herself.
She had a Milky Way uniform underneath but wore an ST windbreaker over it, cheering at the top of her lungs.
"Your little sister's really energetic."
"She's a friend. I don't know her."
"Wow."
NB, walking beside me, immediately turned his head away.
This proves sibling disownment speed averages faster than snowballing.
Time to avenge the scrims and Eun-chae's grudge in one go.
[The players have all entered the ban/pick area!]
[Ban/pick phase starts now! Blue side Milky Way opens with a Kassadin ban!]
"They're banning that."
I'd openly advertised it a bit, but still.
I'd expected info from KTT and scrim win/loss records to leak online, spreading talk about our ban/picks, but not that they'd ban something so out of left field.
In response, we priority banned Miho, one of the solid picks with great mobility and performance.
[Milky Way follows up by banning Yasuo and Azir too!]
[That's clearly targeting True!]
[Exactly! Normally, True would pull out something outrageous here, but Milky Way's asking if she can do it against them!]
"What was Envy's champion preference order again?"
"LeBlanc, Miho, and Akila."
"Then ban the remaining two."
Some teams forget one thing when they hyper-focus bans on a single lane.
They think getting your lane champions banned just limits your options against them.
'Let's see who's got the edge.'
No way my champ pool is narrower than their mid laner's.
[Oh! ST counters Milky Way's question!]
[You got a wider pool than me? Whatever you pick, I'll win!]
[ST's response, only possible because it's True! Now Milky Way's in a tough spot!]
In the end, they had to waste Blue side's first-pick advantage—their ban priority—on mid.
[Milky Way picks Orianna!]
[Among remaining mage mids, she's the safest with strong laning. Solid choice.]
[Are there even any mage mids left? ST's discussion time drags on?]
"Can you guys save me for last pick completely?"
"That's fine. Got something in mind?"
"As long as they don't have hard CC targeting me, there's something good."
"What?"
"Irelia."
At my words, Coach clutched his head.
"I know your condition's better, but really okay?"
"Yes."
With my firm reply, Coach steered the enemy into a comp that favored poking and kiting less, inducing small skirmishes instead.
[Both teams look ready for fights!]
[Meanwhile, ST holds off mid pick into the second ban phase!]
Milky Way went all-in, banning Twisted Fate and Fizzone from mid options too.
[Milky Way burns five ban cards on mid!]
[What champions can they even play now?]
Thanks to their ban focus, we easily snagged our desired picks and banned their awkward ones.
"Why am I Sejuani again?"
"Gotta have a safety net and dive."
Circus acts just need to look dangerous.
If they're actually dangerous, accidents happen.
[Now Red side's fifth pick.]
[The flower of late picks, right? Top takes Maru for damage security, jungle Hunter picks Sejuani for tanky front line—ST's comp completion hinges here.]
Coach pondered until the very last second, then nodded permission, and I unhesitatingly selected my intended champion from the pick screen.
[ Irelia ]
The arena ignited in an instant.
[Whoaaaa!]
[I can do this too! True boldly locks in Irelia!]
[This is a true double-edged sword. She could take an early lead on Orianna, but a single range mismatch could suffocate her?]
Irelia might be called broken in Solo Queue, but there's a reason she rarely appears in tournaments.
In a mid lane full of spacing experts, mishandle her and you'll nearly die eating one minion.
[But True picked her.]
[That's what matters. True's first career Irelia against Milky Way—the perennial favorites barring ST. What will she show us?!]
[Let's find out now! Match—begins!]
The key to laning against Orianna is, of course, those orbs flying everywhere.
"Got her. Ox, you can clear their jungle upper half."
So when Orianna crosses half the lane and burns all her orb skills for clear or whatever, it's like advertising "kill me."
Like right now.
Checking Envy's remaining health bar, I pop a potion and dash in on a minion with a skill.
First-person view speeds up Q dashes on minions even more, letting me close on slow Orianna easily before her cooldowns reset.
[Irelia dives in boldly here!]
[Insta-kills low-health minions for four stacks and sticks!]
[Orianna has no ult yet, skills on CD—nothing she can do!]
[But Irelia is an auto-attack based champ!]
[And she still has E!]
I don't recklessly E for stun.
She still has Flash, so to secure the kill, I need an offbeat entry.
[Auto! Auto! Auto!]
[Why does this hurt so much?! Conqueror procs and Irelia's damage is insane!]
[Ah! Envy first-flashes closer to tower!]
If I win the mind game, time to claim the reward.
—Flash!
I'd pre-placed E behind, then Flash and Q to close gap.
Reactivate E to draw a long line across mid lane.
[It lands!]
[Orianna stunned! Does True secure it?!]
The stun isn't long, but enough to cram in two Qs and autos.
[Agh! Barely enough HP for one auto left!]
[Mages pack two pots! Did that save her?]
By the time her HP was invisibly low.
I'd hit level 3 solo on XP from minions.
Press W.
Blades gather around me. I track the twisting, evading Orianna to the end, then thrust them forward.
[Aaaah! Envy solo-killed by True here!]
[Orianna's orb falls uselessly as True shows why she picked this champion!]
I don't fight losing battles.