Vol.16 Ch.34: The Fear of Confronting AbsoluteWinner

"Weeeeelp." Luke chuckled nervously. "This wasn't part of the plan. Are you guys seeing this shit?"

"I sure do." Yuel knotted his brows. [This is a strong check. I didn't expect a play like this.]

He simulated many different scenarios in his head for the upcoming gank. Yuel thoroughly considered what will happen if Winner doesn't show up, what if he intercepts Luke on the enemy side of the jungle, or what if he joins the fight later.

Yuel went through all the most likely scenarios and advised Luke about effective countermeasures for all of them. Yet, despite all these preparations, they ended up running into one scenario that Yuel didn't anticipate.

[I was naive.] Yuel thought. [Our play was too predictable, so of course, they also had plenty of time to consider all the possible answers. On top of that, it seems that Cato isn't the only tactician I have to worry about in that team. I better remember that.]

In Stratus, Yuel was the one who issued the vast majority of tactical orders. His teammates were competent enough to make their own decisions on the lane and in the jungle, but when it came to rotating and teaming up - Yuel was always involved in the decision-making process. He either came up with the entire play or at least optimized it with some tips.

Generally, the same applied to the Leopards as well. There, Cato was the one who seemed to decide most of his teammates' plays. That was easy to tell because many of the Leopards' plays were very defensive, in an obnoxious way that strongly reminded of Cato's chess playstyle.

With that in mind, it was a little easier to predict what the Leopards' players will and will not do. Yuel merely had to ask himself ["What would Cato do here?"] and then plan his moves around the answer. For the most part, that approach had been working today.

However, Winner's unexpected arrival on Stratus' side of the jungle shattered this methodology. This was an aggressive play, very much unlike Cato's usual tactics. It was very hard to believe that Cato was the one who came up with it, let alone proved it.

[In fact, I'm almost willing to bet money that it wasn't his idea.] Yuel thought. [It's most likely something Winner decided to do on his own. I've actually seen a few examples of such behavior in the previous scrims.]

When Winner wasn't chained to a specific lane, he was like a roaming samurai who sought fights and kills. That definitely didn't sound like a role Cato would assign to any of his chess pieces.

[I suspect Cato gives Winner free reins as a Jungler. And, it sure pays off.]

In this game, the strategic aspect was no longer just a chess match between Yuel and Cato. There was also Winner who had his own ideas. He was essentially a rogue chess piece that operated outside the confines of Cato's tactics.

[So, I have to make plays that outsmart both of them together.] Yuel's job had just gotten infinitely harder. [It would be ideal if we can win this game and make them go back to the previous formation, but the chances of that happening are slipping away by the moment...]

Anyway, back on topic: how was Luke going to deal with Winner's unexpected interception? As the shot-caller who advocated this whole plan, Yuel was the one obligated to answer that difficult question.

"Luke, retreat."

"Say WHAT?" Luke's jaw dropped. "Dude, I'm literally here to get some food because I'm starving. I can't just turn around and leave! This is my big chance to get some meat!"

"Yes, you had a chance, until the enemy killed it with this intercept. You won't get past him."

"Yeah, it doesn't seem like I will." Luke tried his best to find an opening for maneuvering around the enemy Viking, but there were none. Winner matched all his movements perfectly to guarantee that the path ahead was sealed. The only way through was over Winner's dead body, basically.

[Well shit.] Luke clicked his tongue. [Out of all places he could possibly pick to be in, this bitch just HAD to block this narrow passage. Did he plan this shit in advance or something? What a damn smartass.]

If it was literally any other spot in the jungle, then Luke could've maneuvered around it with relative ease. But, this one spot was just cursed.

That passage was so narrow that only a person and a half could possibly squeeze through it. And, if Luke wanted to find another path? Well, good luck. He'd have to waste a shit ton of time retracing his steps. By the time he gets to the lane, it'd be too late to do anything.

[Basically, dude killed all my options… except for one! I can still try busting my way right through him, so that's what I gonna do!]

"Somehow, it doesn't look to me like you're retreating," Yuel said.

"That's because I'm not, fam. I gonna take on this big boi and either kill him or get past him!"

"That's not a wise idea."

"Why not!?" Luke demanded. "Every dang time I run into this guy, you're like ['Pack your shit and get outta there ASAP!!!'] I don't get this. Like, I'm a DK, I'm the stronger one here. So, why do I hafta fear some lousy Viking?"

"It's true that in terms of class power you have the upper hand," Yuel said. "But, in terms of combat ability, Winner is the Leopards' most dangerous player."

"Whoa, is this a roundabout way to call me a scrub? Is that's what going on here?"

"It's not that your skill is lacking per se," Yuel explained. "Against any other player from the Leopards, I can see you holding your own just fine. But, against Winner, I'm not so sure."

"Then let's find out!" Luke grinned. "I'mma tackle this guy right here and now! Gonna show ya that my DK skills transcend mechanical skill!"

"Keep in mind that Winner went neck and neck with Lars," Yuel reminded. "Are you sure you want to go up against somebody like that?"

"Wait, seriously?" Luke paused for a moment. "I saw them fight a few times, but was it really that close?"

"Yes, it was. All their fights pretty much ended in a draw."

"Whoa, hold it right there!" Lars jumped in out of nowhere. "I admit that dude is strong and that I couldn't finish him off, but there were no draws there. I kicked his butt, yo!"

"Heck yeah, that's more like it!" Luke nodded. "Like I thought, there's no way this guy measures up to Lars. I knew Yuel is just trying to spook me. Not cool, man."

"... thanks a lot, Lars." Yuel shot the goof a look.

"Haha, sorry but no sorry, dude." Lars laughed. "You gotta come up with a real story to spook my dude, not spread some fake news."

"It's not fake, though..." Yuel sighed. It seemed the two clowns were hellbent on disregarding Winner's skill, probably because the guy's mechanical skill didn't seem as overwhelming as Lars's at a glance.

[But, all in all, Winner is about as strong as Lars.] Yuel was convinced. [He might not be as mechanically skilled as Lars, but he uses his brain to make up for it.]

If Yuel had the smarts and Lars had the brawn, the Winner had both. He was like the ultimate soldier.

[Maybe he's not as good as either of us in our areas of expertise, but he knows how to combine both aspects in order to excel in combat. That makes him extremely dangerous, but it seems like Luke hasn't realized that yet...]

And unfortunately, time was of the essence here. It was too late for Yuel to try and explain all these details all over again.

Luke was already on the scene, ready to fight. Was there nobody who could stop him!?

"Vincent, can you say something to convince him?"

"Hmm. I'm afraid not." Vincent shook his head. "The Meme Jedi senses a disturbance in the force, and unlike the typical jedi, he decides to take action. It is a commendable response."

"This isn't the time to praise his mistakes," Yuel said. "We might lose the entire game because of this."

"I'm quite aware of the possibility, but I'm afraid I cannot find the right words to convince him to step back. No matter what I say, AbsoluteWinner clearly does not radiant a sufficiently intimidating aura."

"Wait, are you also saying he's not dangerous?"

"Nay, nay, nay!" Vincent shook his head. "Of course, I recognize Winner for the all-rounded monster he is. However, for others, it must be difficult to evaluate Winner's power level without combating him directly."

"So, you're saying there's no choice but to let Luke give it a shot?"

"Unfortunately, that's the best I have to offer," Vincent admitted. "This arrangement is far from ideal, but this is a scrimmage, after all. Isn't our goal here to test things out and find the limits of our abilities?"

"That's true, I suppose..." Yuel only partially agreed with that.

It was correct to say that a scrimmage was the best place for experiments like this. Since Luke refused to recognize the skill gap between himself and Winner, then it was best to let him experience it first-hand. This will become an important lesson for their next meeting at the regionals.

[But, we're already doing poorly in this game.] Yuel thought. [Letting Luke try this play will likely lead the team straight to defeat, which will put us one step farther away from forcing the Korean player onto the stage. Then again, I haven't told anybody about this tidbit, so...]

Yuel was the only one here who felt extra pressure about winning ASAP. If everybody was aware of the existence of the Korean player, then all of them would've probably been just as anxious about dragging the guy onto the stage. That would've surely caused many casualties on their end.

"Alright, fine." Yuel conceded. "Luke, I won't stop you. But if you fail here, I want you to start transitioning to a defensive build."

"Hell naw!" Luke shook his head. "I ain't quitting without a fight!"

Switching DK to a defensive build was the same as admitting that his career was over. It was the highest form of disgrace!

So, Luke ain't gonna have any of that. He'll keep on fighting aggressively until the bitter end!

"Fine. Do whatever you want."

"Heck yeah, let's go!" Luke was already standing face-to-face with his opponent, so nothing Yuel says will matter at this point.

[Why is he so obsessed with fighting here, anyway?] Yuel wondered. [Does he want his meme to succeed that badly? Maybe he's still drunk on his success from the previous game. If so, then losing here should kick him off the high horse.]

It was undeniable that there were multiple long-term advantages to letting Luke crash and burn here. This defeat will serve as definitive proof of Winner's combat skill. After this showcase, nobody from Stratus will dare to commit such a mistake ever again.

[But, that doesn't mean I'm just going to sit here and watch him get himself killed.] Yuel thought. [Our current situation isn't looking good, but the game isn't doomed as a whole yet. We're so close to forcing out the Korean player, so we have to win this…!]

And so, Yuel analyzed various options for turning Luke's misplay into something good.

"Vincent, he'll need your help."

"Oh, how long I have been waiting for you to say this!" Vincent smiled meaningfully. "My dark steed is ready to be deployed at a moment's notice! Just say the word and I shall zap to the scene!"

"Good." Yuel nodded.

Admittedly, it was going to be tricky to decide when and how to incorporate Vincent into this situation. Winner was already plenty dangerous by himself, but he'll become unstoppable if Challenger joins him.

The Absolute Duo was almost on par with Taurus' Triangle in terms of threat levels. As such, Yuel planned to avoid any direct confrontations against them as much as possible. There were simply no guarantees about winning against that powerful duo.

[So, I'll have to carefully choose the right time for Vincent to intervene.] Yuel thought. [Ideally, he should join the battle right at the climax, so that Challenger won't have enough time to get involved.]

Fortunately, Winner wasn't an explosive player, so it'll probably take him a while to reduce Luke's HP to a critical level. Around the time that happens, Vincent should raid the scene and counterattack Winner. That was the best plan Yuel could come up with on the spot.

But regardless of what schemes Yuel had in mind, everything was riding on Luke in the end. How well will that memer fare against the dangerous opponent in front of him? How long will it take him to realize that he had no chance of winning?

The answers should present themselves shortly as Luke had already started charging at the foe in front of him, as foolish as the act was...