Chapter 99

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 99

Chapter Title: Birth of the Damage Support

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Game: Rift.

A game mode that appears starting from Gold rank. Having been played for decades, strategies had become fairly standardized.

For example, the top lane typically featured bruisers, tanks, and mages.

A tank like a hearty bowl of beef soup to hold the line, a bruiser to shatter the frontline, and finally a mage with enough burst power to topple the balance in one shot. Thanks to this, players who scaled well or dominated with superior skill were hailed as great generals, while those who flopped were branded as wastrels.

The jungle was a lane for all sorts of players.

Fundamentally, junglers grew by slaying monsters in the jungle rather than clashing with enemy players, farming resources along the way. So bruisers, tanks, mages, ranged dealers—anyone could go there.

However, the monsters were tougher than average players, so it attracted those confident in their skills or who could exploit jungle mechanics to relieve pressure on other lanes. Brainy macro players, in other words.

Mid was split between mages and assassins.

Situated in the heart of the Rift, it offered paths to top, bot, or jungle. Quick minion clears were key to exerting map influence, making fast-clearing mages and naturally mobile assassins the icons of mid.

Next, ADC—ranged dealer. Anyone who could fill the role was fine.

But with their low defenses and health, they demanded extreme mechanical skill.

Finally, support.

Supports fell into two categories: sub-tank and utility.

The former supplemented main tanks from top or jungle, while the latter protected the ADC or mid. Naturally, they weren't treated well.

Sub-tanks were seen as inferior to true mains, and utility supports? Just leeches riding coattails, cleaning up others' messes without contributing.

'Then one player flipped the script on support.'

Fed up with the disrespect, one player shattered a taboo.

-In the end, supports are weak because they can't farm resources. So why not let them farm too?

Sharing minions—the gold-giving resources—with the ADC.

Table-sharing, in other words.

He was branded a heretic by players, cursed with family insults, and even scorned by enemies.

But he proved himself with results.

'The birth of damage support.'

Damage support.

A support all-in on damage. Instead of the usual protective, utility, or speed buffs and boons, they bought the buffs and boons typical for top or mid mages to amp their own output.

Boosted damage led to kills, kills to gold, gold to more damage buffs and boons—a virtuous cycle.

The core? Out-DPSing even top and mid players.

-You bastard... my minions... my kills...

Sure, the ADC's tears flooded the Rift in the process, but they won anyway.

This new mechanic that rocked the world from debut naturally drew explosive reactions from viewers—

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

It was pandemonium.

Like the days when science was deemed witchcraft, its practitioners burned at the stake—viewers witnessing the birth of damage support erupted in rage.

A spectacle flashy enough for a paper on spontaneous combustion.

Of course, this was just from showing Shin-hyeok eating minions.

"Did their team fight? Support's eating minions?"

"...Wait, holy shit! That's Choi Shin-hyeok!"

"Uh, why's he coming here?!"

"He's still level 1!"

"Stay! Stay, you fucker!"

Having cleared every minion, Shin-hyeok charged straight at the enemy bot lane.

Level 1 was the weakest timing—most avoided fights, focusing on farming.

Not for Shin-hyeok.

"Minions can talk now, huh."

Because the bot lane minions were already threshed by Minion Harvester Choi Shin-hyeok.

But that was fine.

Two "minions" remained.

Coiling black lightning around his legs, Shin-hyeok surged toward the two players with Thunder Horse Step.

Level 1 and overextended for easy farm, they weren't far—closing the gap was simple.

Even as he closed in, Shin-hyeok's eyes scanned them.

'Tank support. Take out the ADC first.'

Classic tank-ADC duo.

Sometimes bot ran bruiser-tank or mage-tank sans ADC, but not here.

Even for Shin-hyeok, bursting a tank instantly was tough.

"Doable," sure—but not efficient. Especially with juicy ADC meat dangling.

"Phantom Spear."

"...Tch! Swift Dodge!"

Shin-hyeok's shoulder pulled back like a bowstring, unleashing a black magic spear at the ADC.

As the spear tip closed in, the ADC paled, popping his survival skill to evade—but

"Gaaah!"

Shin-hyeok was faster.

Phantom Spear hounded the fleeing ADC, impaling him.

"Impaled" was underselling it—Shin-hyeok's spear erased the ADC's left shoulder and upper body.

Player durability and Rift mechanics kept him alive, but out of the fight? Inevitable.

Staggering with his balance wrecked, the ADC desperately fled toward his turret.

"Rise."

"...!"

Shin-hyeok cast Necromancy, bony white hands erupting to snag the ADC's ankles.

No release in sight, the ADC yelled for his teammate.

"Help! Help!"

"Damn it, I'm coming!"

But his support wasn't idle.

The moment Shin-hyeok charged, he moved to intercept.

Problem was, Shin-hyeok wasn't alone.

"Sigh, why am I, an ADC, doing this..."

"Get lost!"

"Why me."

Shin-hyeok slurped the minions, shattering the allied ADC's mentality—but he was Platinum-ranked.

Instinct kicked in: he knew his job.

Skills and abilities rained down, hindering the enemy support's approach.

ADC-style, more damage than peel—but enough.

The enemy support, fearing a sponge-like piercing, hesitated—slowing his advance.

That was his mistake.

"Ah."

Arriving, he saw only the cooling corpse of his ADC and the First Blood message.

And waiting was Shin-hyeok, prepped for the stringy chicken breast after the tender leg meat.

"Not picky. Bon appétit."

"...Ha, life."

Turret path blocked by near-invincible tower early-game, reverse held by enemy ADC.

Slow-footed tank support had no escape. Knowing it, he sighed and bowed his head.

Shin-hyeok's spear crushed the tank support's head.

No matter the defenses or base health—already softened by ADC trades, he couldn't hold.

Shin-hyeok's power? Beyond Platinum, Diamond-tier.

Plus gear scaling? A Platinum sub-tank forced to support? Laughable to survive.

"900 gold? Not bad."

400 per kill, 100 double-kill bonus. 900 in a flash—Shin-hyeok grinned.

Plus perfect minion clears: about 1,000 gold total.

Early game? Plenty.

'Enough for a buff.'

Player skill ruled Rift, but gold bought gap-closers.

Items upgraded buff → boon → blessing.

Buffs: basic stat/damage/defense/resist boosts.

Boons amplified those, adding combat/hunt/utility/enhance skills.

Blessings? Granted traits. Mid-to-late buys.

1,000 gold? Buff only. Not game-changing yet.

Plus, buys only at fountain.

Shin-hyeok's next move? Clear.

Pok—

"ADC, smack 'em quick. Gold incoming."

"Ugh, please. I don't wanna meet Myth's legal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠team."

Back to lane post-double-kill, farming enemy minions.

'Sweet.'

Enraged viewers briefly sobered by combat thrill? Time to rile them again.

Comedy thrived on repetition; so did aggro. Shin-hyeok demonstrated masterfully.