Ben to the Rescue!

While Nia was bravely confronting Apprentece in Top, Ben was dashing back to lane with all his might. Unfortunately, no matter how much he begged the Druid to move faster, the woodman refused to speed up.

[I have to make it! I have to!] Ben repeated over and over. The tower was already within sight yet still out of reach. Just a little further...!

But, will he make it in time? The situation wasn't looking so good over there...

Instead of retreating, Apprentece chose to confront Nia at the tower, as expected from that overconfident powerhouse. WHISH! WHISH! After just two hits, Nia fell all the way down to 10%. She was going to die at this rate!

[This is bad! So bad!] Ben's teeth rattled. He was so close to the scene, yet also so painfully far!

[C'mon, let me get there faster! Please!] As if responding to his prayers, his Dodge Roll finally came out of cooldown. 

[Okay, just a little more...!] Ben rolled forward!

For a slowpoke class like Druid, even his roll was slower than usual. Nonetheless, it was still a little faster than running, so Ben took advantage of it. Every millisecond countered in this delicate situation.

[Almost there...!] Ben could already see the light. He was just a few steps away from the tower area, almost ready to provide backup for his ally...!

But, there was no time. Nia had virtually no HP left! If Apprentece chooses to continue this fight, then he'll wipe Nia out in one more hit.

[I have to blink. Now!] Ben activated the Blink he had recently purchased at the base. He took aim, but he didn't cast the skill just yet. There was a little dilemma in front of him.

[Do I blink in and pull the Orc?] Ben wondered. [If I don't, then he'll likely get away. It'll turn all of Nia's sacrifices into a waste...]

Nia went out on a limb to gank Top. She wasted so much of her precious jungling time to help Ben deal with the threat on his lane.

As such, allowing the Orc to get away scot-free will feel terrible. It'll be the same as betraying Nia. All her blood, sweat, and tears will be for nothing.

[So yes, it makes the most sense to blink in and pull him.] Ben thought as he entered the tower area. In just a few steps, he'll be within range to blink in and pull the cocky Orc deeper into the tower area, sealing the guy's fate.

[But...] Ben was troubled by one small but very important fact. This won't be the first time he uses Nature's Grasp against Apprentece today.

[I've already tried to pull him many times this game.] Ben frowned. [Every time, it seemed like the right play to go for. The conditions were perfect, and yet...]

Not once did Ben manage to land his Nature's Grasp on this cocky foe. Every single time, Apprentece dodged the grab. He was always prepared for it. Always.

[Is it going to be the same this time?] Ben wondered. [He looks preoccupied with Nia, but maybe he has already noticed I'm here. If so, I'm sure he'll dodge my pull again... ]

Just as last time, Ben might utterly fail to help Nia out with this line of play...

[I can't keep repeating the same mistake.] Ben thought. [I'll play this one safe. Even if we fail to punish Apprentece, at least I can keep Nia alive.]

And so, Ben blinked deeper into the tower area. Instead of going for Nature's Grasp, he used Gaia's Protection to grant Nia a shield. And, as he suspected, this turned out to be the right play against Apprentece.

The enemy rolled aside as soon as Ben blinked in. It's as if the guy was waiting for this development all along. So, if Ben tried to go for Nature's Grasp right after the blink, he would've likely missed spectacularly.

[Like I thought, he's a really strong opponent.] Ben reaffirmed once again. [This kind of surprise attack would've worked just fine against most enemies, but not against Apprentece. He's so strong…]

But, it was fine. Even if they fail to properly punish that cocky guy, at least they won't suffer any terrible losses here.

WHISH! The scourge cracked, unleashing a powerful blow! It was strong enough to wipe out Nia's remaining HP in one fell swoop!

But, instead of hitting Nia, the bribed metal struck against wood branches. The overwhelming attack destroyed the thick shield and left Nia exposed again, but almost none of the damage actually reached Nia herself.

[I-I did it!] Ben rejoiced. [For once, I didn't blunder against Apprentece!]

It might have seemed like a pitiful thing to be happy about, but it meant a lot for Ben. After failing so many times to get anything done against Apprentece, at long last Ben achieved something in this game!

This small achievement was so grand it even fazed the enemy for a moment.

[Huh. A little unexpected.] Jin thought as he watched his killing blow strike against the wooden branches. [I expected him to try and pull me in this situation. Hmph.]

Most opponents would've been tempted to punish Jin hard for this bold overextension. Pulling him deeper into the tower area would've guaranteed that he'd have to pay the piper for his daredevil gambit here. And yet, Phoenix opted for the safer, defensive play.

[I suppose bitter past experiences played a part in this too.] Jin deduced. [He missed every pull today, so he opted to go for the weaker but safer play. It's a defeatist mentality, but one that I can respect in this case.]

The skill gap between Jin and his current opponents was crystal clear. So, instead of denying reality, Phoenix chose to be realistic and go for the surefire play. It might've seemed pitiful, but knowing when to accept defeat was an important part of the game too.

[Hmph. The same applies to me here, I suppose.] Jin turned around and retreated from the tower area. However, the Turret had no intention of letting him leave so easily, not before ramming another bolt into him.

BAM! Another 20% was gone! Jin remained with nothing but 20% HP at this point. It was a truly unexpected turn of events, from start to finish.

[I still can't believe their Jungler had the gall to attack me with that HP.] Jin frowned. [I was convinced she'd recall after I nearly killed her. Not to mention, this girl struck me as a scaredy-cat, the type I can easily shoo away by applying a little bit of intimidation.]

Nonetheless, Vanishing showed up here with that measly 40% HP. It was a mind-boggling development. This girl found a way to contradict everything Jin was convinced about.

[Or, maybe I give her too much credit?] Jin wondered. [Perhaps none of this was her idea in the first place. She might've been just a puppet acting out on another's orders.]

That explanation made far more sense in this context. Vanishing didn't come across as the type of confident player who'll take on a dangerous risk like this. That much was evident by how flustered she was when Jin shut down her previous gank.

Therefore, it was far more likely that Vanishing was following somebody's instructions. Not to mention, there was also Phoenix's timely arrival, and with Blink to boot. All of this strongly suggested that this play was orchestrated in advance, at least to some extent.

[It's the work of their shot-caller, I assume?] Jin had heard multiple times from Leopards about how strong Stratus' shot-calling supposedly was.

[Hmm. The replays I watched left a so-so impression on me, but now I see it's a little more impressive in person.]

If Jin watched the current development in a replay as a neutral observer, he likely wouldn't have thought much of it. Perhaps he would have praised the enemy's gall for pulling off a risky play like this, but it was far more likely he would've criticized that "foolish player" who overextended and allowed the enemy to surprise him.

Except, this time, HE was that "foolish player". Within the scope of everything he knew about the state of the game and the enemy's skill level, Jin's overextension was perfectly justified in his mind. And yet, the enemy still caught him off-guard here.

[If that Drow executed her gank a little more optimally, then I would've died. Hmph.]

It was truly unexpected. This gank was clearly a desperate attempt, but it deserved some praise nonetheless.

[Chessmaster, huh. A loud nickname that lacks any humbleness, but perhaps it's not entirely undeserved.]

With that said, it was still an extremely risky plan by Stratus. A play like that wouldn't fly normally. For example, if Jin simply relied on the team's Jungler from the start, then together they would've countered Vanishing without breaking a sweat.

... actually, it still wasn't too late. After all, Cato insisted on positioning Willaim near Top for this push. And, naturally, said Jungler was already on his way to the scene...