Precaution Against Challenger

[Alright, here we go again.] Vincent gulped.

The next wave was about to arrive, yet he still had no viable solution in hand. Just how was he going to confront the beast known as AbsoluteChallenger??

That monster was clearly much stronger than Vincent, and the man was piloting the aggressive Berserker class to boot. It was not a healthy combination to fight against.

[And, facing a stronger opponent is still one thing.] Vincent thought. [However, it's another thing entirely when this stronger opponent also jumps on any opportunity to assault me. That's when it becomes a horrifying problem!]

Challenger was taking full advantage of his superior strength by pressing the offense at every turn. What could Vincent possibly do here but get pushed back every time?

"O great Chessmaster, please share your boundless wisdom with me on this matter."

"You need somebody to gank your lane, no two ways about it," Yuel said matter-of-factly. "But, I don't think Luke can help you out in this wave."

"I mean, I COULD," Luke said. "But, I'd have to take a pretty big dang detour, which means missing on a bunch of farm. And even then, I'll still arrive hella late to the party anyway."

"Such tribulations," Vincent commented. "It all sounds rather inefficient."

"I know, right? So, I rather not rotate there now. But, next round we gonna get them, word!"

"Very well. I shall take you on that offer."

"I agree with that plan," Yuel said. "Vincent, make sure to play this round safely, even safer than usual if you have to. Losing a little bit of exp isn't a big deal if it's going to help keep you alive. Not to mention, if Luke's gank succeeds, then it'll cover for all your losses up to this point."

"Indeed, indeed." Vincent nodded. It was a reasonable and well-thought-out plan, as expected from the great mastermind known as Chessmaster. A commoner like Vincent couldn't find a single fault with it.

[Thus, I shall nod and follow the script like the obedient puppet I am!]

Chessmaster was like an overlord tactician handing out commands, whereas Vincent was one of his demon generals. In the lane, Vincent commanded his own small army, but at large he was subject to following the great overlord's strategies. Such was the natural structure of a well-organized military, so there were no complaints there.

[My job here is clear and well-defined.] Vincent nodded to himself. [I must withstand the enemy's aggression by playing defensively, all the while minimizing any losses to my gains. In other words, I must achieve balance in this mix of yin and yang!]

With that clear purpose in mind, Vincent headed into the fourth wave of the game. Knowing every facet of this game plan ahead of time always did wonders to his performance. It inspired him with a sense of confidence that stabilized his moves, allowing him to act without second-guessing himself.

[Perhaps this boost of concentration is not quite enough to allow me to enter the Zone, but it surely brings me a few steps closer to it!]

And so, Vincent unleashed his concentrated might on the enemy! Which of course meant he played it safe as instructed and kept his distance from the dangerous foe.

He smacked the minions with regular basic attacks, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the Berserker's movements.

[I'm ready to retreat at a moment's notice.] Vincent literally drilled a hole through the Berserker with his sharp stare. [I shall witness the very instant in which you raise your axes! Then, I shall retreat posthaste! You will NOT get your chance to smite me!]

And so, Vincent continued to farm minions while 80% of his attention was locked on the Berserker. His intentions were definitely in the right place, but they led to a couple of unfortunate results.

[Oh, dios mio!] Vincent exclaimed when his sword sliced through empty air. The minion he was supposed to last-hit had already perished. It was an unfortunate waste of exp and gold. [Hrm, it appears my multi-tasking abilities still have a long way to go. I shall take note of that.]

It was indeed no easy task to farm minions efficiently while keeping tabs on every single twitch the Berserker made. Nonetheless, it was a necessary sacrifice. Vincent was fine with trading some farm in exchange for boosting his chances of surviving against this dangerous foe.

[No matter what happens, I'm ready for your attack. You're free to come at me at any moment!] Vincent continued to shoot glares at the Berserker.

In the meantime, both armies dwindled further and further. All the swordsmen had already fallen, leaving only the bowmen to carry on the conquest.

[It's peculiar. I'm yet to see any hints of aggression.] Vincent tilted his head. [Is it possible that the beast is taking a break this round? Perhaps he's wary of an incoming gank?]

For a moment, Vincent allowed himself to entertain such ideas. After all, it would have been great if that was the case. A temporary truce from the Berserker was very much welcome.

[No, no, no! I mustn't let my guard down!] Vincent shook his head. [This is AbsoluteChallenger we're dealing with here! He's a beast who can sense even the faintest scent of blood. As such. shall I provide him with the slightest of opportunities - he will bite my head off!]

No matter how likely it seemed that Challenger had no interest in starting any fights this round, Vincent had no choice but to proceed with caution. He was already lagging behind his foe in every possible way, so he wasn't allowed to commit any further mistakes in this dreadful early-game.

And, just as Vincent finished processing all that - BAM! Challenger finally unleashed his dangerous slam!

However, this particular slam was clearly not aimed at Vincent. In fact, it felt like Challenger took the precaution to distance himself as much as necessary in order to avoid hitting Vincent with the slam.

[It was not a fully charged slam, either.] Vincent analyzed. The impact was weaker than usual and the windup animation was short. This slam was clearly not intended to assault Vincent.

[As I suspected, Challenger has no intention of starting a fight at this time.] Vincent nodded. [The fact he's saving his Rage by using this minimal slam implies he wants to have a good escape tool in case he's ganked. OR, perhaps it means he's planning to assault me in Berserk mode very soon.]

It was always difficult to make the right read on these things. In Berserk mode, the Berserker gained access to both overwhelming strength and superior escape options. As such, it was equally legitimate to save up Rage for either offense or defense.

[Regardless, until the very end, I shall not let my guard down! Never again!] Vincent promised as he attacked the bowmen.

With that said, he unleashed Shield Bash on these last few minions. This meant he wasted one of his main escape tools, but it wasn't an issue in this case.

[Because there is another escape tool right around the corner!] Vincent finally hit Lv.5 upon slaying the bowmen, granting him access to his demonic steed. Now, shall the situation ever turn for the worst - he'll be able to rely on his good friend to carry him out of the battlefield at once!

[I was certain the enemy would try something right before I unlock this power.] Vincent thought. [Interesting. It appears Challenger can also act tame on occasion, though I cannot claim I fully comprehend his reasoning in this case.]

In the end, AbsoluteChallenger didn't do anything special in this wave. But, what was the reason for that? Was Vincent being overly-cautious for nothing? Only time could tell...